Sample records for obtain maximum sensitivity

  1. Direct comparison of phase-sensitive vibrational sum frequency generation with maximum entropy method: case study of water.

    PubMed

    de Beer, Alex G F; Samson, Jean-Sebastièn; Hua, Wei; Huang, Zishuai; Chen, Xiangke; Allen, Heather C; Roke, Sylvie

    2011-12-14

    We present a direct comparison of phase sensitive sum-frequency generation experiments with phase reconstruction obtained by the maximum entropy method. We show that both methods lead to the same complex spectrum. Furthermore, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each of these methods, analyzing possible sources of experimental and analytical errors. A simulation program for maximum entropy phase reconstruction is available at: http://lbp.epfl.ch/. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

  2. A Global Sensitivity Analysis Method on Maximum Tsunami Wave Heights to Potential Seismic Source Parameters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, Luchuan

    2015-04-01

    A Global Sensitivity Analysis Method on Maximum Tsunami Wave Heights to Potential Seismic Source Parameters Luchuan Ren, Jianwei Tian, Mingli Hong Institute of Disaster Prevention, Sanhe, Heibei Province, 065201, P.R. China It is obvious that the uncertainties of the maximum tsunami wave heights in offshore area are partly from uncertainties of the potential seismic tsunami source parameters. A global sensitivity analysis method on the maximum tsunami wave heights to the potential seismic source parameters is put forward in this paper. The tsunami wave heights are calculated by COMCOT ( the Cornell Multi-grid Coupled Tsunami Model), on the assumption that an earthquake with magnitude MW8.0 occurred at the northern fault segment along the Manila Trench and triggered a tsunami in the South China Sea. We select the simulated results of maximum tsunami wave heights at specific sites in offshore area to verify the validity of the method proposed in this paper. For ranking importance order of the uncertainties of potential seismic source parameters (the earthquake's magnitude, the focal depth, the strike angle, dip angle and slip angle etc..) in generating uncertainties of the maximum tsunami wave heights, we chose Morris method to analyze the sensitivity of the maximum tsunami wave heights to the aforementioned parameters, and give several qualitative descriptions of nonlinear or linear effects of them on the maximum tsunami wave heights. We quantitatively analyze the sensitivity of the maximum tsunami wave heights to these parameters and the interaction effects among these parameters on the maximum tsunami wave heights by means of the extended FAST method afterward. The results shows that the maximum tsunami wave heights are very sensitive to the earthquake magnitude, followed successively by the epicenter location, the strike angle and dip angle, the interactions effect between the sensitive parameters are very obvious at specific site in offshore area, and there

  3. 48 CFR 1809.505-4 - Obtaining access to sensitive information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Obtaining access to sensitive information. 1809.505-4 Section 1809.505-4 Federal Acquisition Regulations System NATIONAL... Organizational and Consultant Conflicts of Interest 1809.505-4 Obtaining access to sensitive information. (b) In...

  4. Hydrodynamic equations for electrons in graphene obtained from the maximum entropy principle

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

    Barletti, Luigi, E-mail: luigi.barletti@unifi.it

    2014-08-15

    The maximum entropy principle is applied to the formal derivation of isothermal, Euler-like equations for semiclassical fermions (electrons and holes) in graphene. After proving general mathematical properties of the equations so obtained, their asymptotic form corresponding to significant physical regimes is investigated. In particular, the diffusive regime, the Maxwell-Boltzmann regime (high temperature), the collimation regime and the degenerate gas limit (vanishing temperature) are considered.

  5. Sensitivity of southern hemisphere westerly wind to boundary conditions for the last glacial maximum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jun, S. Y.; Kim, S. J.; Kim, B. M.

    2017-12-01

    To examine the change in SH westerly wind in the LGM, we performed LGM simulation with sensitivity experiments by specifying the LGM sea ice in the Southern Ocean (SO), ice sheet over Antarctica, and tropical pacific sea surface temperature to CAM5 atmosphere general circulation model (GCM). The SH westerly response to LGM boundary conditions in the CAM5 was compared with those from CMIP5 LGM simulations. In the CAM5 LGM simulation, the SH westerly wind substantially increases between 40°S and 65°S, while the zonal-mean zonal wind decreases at latitudes higher than 65°S. The position of the SH maximum westerly wind moves poleward by about 8° in the LGM simulation. Sensitivity experiments suggest that the increase in SH westerly winds is mainly due to the increase in sea ice in the SO that accounts for 60% of total wind change. In the CMIP5-PMIP3 LGM experiments, most of the models show the slight increase and poleward shift of the SH westerly wind as in the CAM5 experiment. The increased and poleward shifted westerly wind in the LGM obtained in the current model result is consistent with previous model results and some lines of proxy evidence, though opposite model responses and proxy evidence exist for the SH westerly wind change.

  6. An iterative procedure for obtaining maximum-likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions, Addendum

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Peters, B. C., Jr.; Walker, H. F.

    1975-01-01

    New results and insights concerning a previously published iterative procedure for obtaining maximum-likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions were discussed. It was shown that the procedure converges locally to the consistent maximum likelihood estimate as long as a specified parameter is bounded between two limits. Bound values were given to yield optimal local convergence.

  7. 48 CFR 1809.505-4 - Obtaining access to sensitive information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Organizational and Consultant Conflicts of Interest 1809.505-4 Obtaining access to sensitive information. (b) In... support management activities and administrative functions. The Assistant Administrator for Procurement... require contractors and subcontractors and their employees in procurements that support management...

  8. Sensitivity of control-augmented structure obtained by a system decomposition method

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sobieszczanskisobieski, Jaroslaw; Bloebaum, Christina L.; Hajela, Prabhat

    1988-01-01

    The verification of a method for computing sensitivity derivatives of a coupled system is presented. The method deals with a system whose analysis can be partitioned into subsets that correspond to disciplines and/or physical subsystems that exchange input-output data with each other. The method uses the partial sensitivity derivatives of the output with respect to input obtained for each subset separately to assemble a set of linear, simultaneous, algebraic equations that are solved for the derivatives of the coupled system response. This sensitivity analysis is verified using an example of a cantilever beam augmented with an active control system to limit the beam's dynamic displacements under an excitation force. The verification shows good agreement of the method with reference data obtained by a finite difference technique involving entire system analysis. The usefulness of a system sensitivity method in optimization applications by employing a piecewise-linear approach to the same numerical example is demonstrated. The method's principal merits are its intrinsically superior accuracy in comparison with the finite difference technique, and its compatibility with the traditional division of work in complex engineering tasks among specialty groups.

  9. An iterative procedure for obtaining maximum-likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Peters, B. C., Jr.; Walker, H. F.

    1978-01-01

    This paper addresses the problem of obtaining numerically maximum-likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions. In recent literature, a certain successive-approximations procedure, based on the likelihood equations, was shown empirically to be effective in numerically approximating such maximum-likelihood estimates; however, the reliability of this procedure was not established theoretically. Here, we introduce a general iterative procedure, of the generalized steepest-ascent (deflected-gradient) type, which is just the procedure known in the literature when the step-size is taken to be 1. We show that, with probability 1 as the sample size grows large, this procedure converges locally to the strongly consistent maximum-likelihood estimate whenever the step-size lies between 0 and 2. We also show that the step-size which yields optimal local convergence rates for large samples is determined in a sense by the 'separation' of the component normal densities and is bounded below by a number between 1 and 2.

  10. Spatio-temporal observations of tertiary ozone maximum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sofieva, V. F.; Kyrölä, E.; Verronen, P. T.; Seppälä, A.; Tamminen, J.; Marsh, D. R.; Smith, A. K.; Bertaux, J.-L.; Hauchecorne, A.; Dalaudier, F.; Fussen, D.; Vanhellemont, F.; Fanton D'Andon, O.; Barrot, G.; Guirlet, M.; Fehr, T.; Saavedra, L.

    2009-03-01

    We present spatio-temporal distributions of tertiary ozone maximum (TOM), based on GOMOS (Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars) ozone measurements in 2002-2006. The tertiary ozone maximum is typically observed in the high-latitude winter mesosphere at altitude ~72 km. Although the explanation for this phenomenon has been found recently - low concentrations of odd-hydrogen cause the subsequent decrease in odd-oxygen losses - models have had significant deviations from existing observations until recently. Good coverage of polar night regions by GOMOS data has allowed for the first time obtaining spatial and temporal observational distributions of night-time ozone mixing ratio in the mesosphere. The distributions obtained from GOMOS data have specific features, which are variable from year to year. In particular, due to a long lifetime of ozone in polar night conditions, the downward transport of polar air by the meridional circulation is clearly observed in the tertiary ozone maximum time series. Although the maximum tertiary ozone mixing ratio is achieved close to the polar night terminator (as predicted by the theory), TOM can be observed also at very high latitudes, not only in the beginning and at the end, but also in the middle of winter. We have compared the observational spatio-temporal distributions of tertiary ozone maximum with that obtained using WACCM (Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model) and found that the specific features are reproduced satisfactorily by the model. Since ozone in the mesosphere is very sensitive to HOx concentrations, energetic particle precipitation can significantly modify the shape of the ozone profiles. In particular, GOMOS observations have shown that the tertiary ozone maximum was temporarily destroyed during the January 2005 and December 2006 solar proton events as a result of the HOx enhancement from the increased ionization.

  11. An iterative procedure for obtaining maximum-likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions, 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Peters, B. C., Jr.; Walker, H. F.

    1976-01-01

    The problem of obtaining numerically maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions is addressed. In recent literature, a certain successive approximations procedure, based on the likelihood equations, is shown empirically to be effective in numerically approximating such maximum-likelihood estimates; however, the reliability of this procedure was not established theoretically. Here, a general iterative procedure is introduced, of the generalized steepest-ascent (deflected-gradient) type, which is just the procedure known in the literature when the step-size is taken to be 1. With probability 1 as the sample size grows large, it is shown that this procedure converges locally to the strongly consistent maximum-likelihood estimate whenever the step-size lies between 0 and 2. The step-size which yields optimal local convergence rates for large samples is determined in a sense by the separation of the component normal densities and is bounded below by a number between 1 and 2.

  12. Spatio-temporal observations of the tertiary ozone maximum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sofieva, V. F.; Kyrölä, E.; Verronen, P. T.; Seppälä, A.; Tamminen, J.; Marsh, D. R.; Smith, A. K.; Bertaux, J.-L.; Hauchecorne, A.; Dalaudier, F.; Fussen, D.; Vanhellemont, F.; Fanton D'Andon, O.; Barrot, G.; Guirlet, M.; Fehr, T.; Saavedra, L.

    2009-07-01

    We present spatio-temporal distributions of the tertiary ozone maximum (TOM), based on GOMOS (Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars) ozone measurements in 2002-2006. The tertiary ozone maximum is typically observed in the high-latitude winter mesosphere at an altitude of ~72 km. Although the explanation for this phenomenon has been found recently - low concentrations of odd-hydrogen cause the subsequent decrease in odd-oxygen losses - models have had significant deviations from existing observations until recently. Good coverage of polar night regions by GOMOS data has allowed for the first time to obtain spatial and temporal observational distributions of night-time ozone mixing ratio in the mesosphere. The distributions obtained from GOMOS data have specific features, which are variable from year to year. In particular, due to a long lifetime of ozone in polar night conditions, the downward transport of polar air by the meridional circulation is clearly observed in the tertiary ozone maximum time series. Although the maximum tertiary ozone mixing ratio is achieved close to the polar night terminator (as predicted by the theory), TOM can be observed also at very high latitudes, not only in the beginning and at the end, but also in the middle of winter. We have compared the observational spatio-temporal distributions of the tertiary ozone maximum with that obtained using WACCM (Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model) and found that the specific features are reproduced satisfactorily by the model. Since ozone in the mesosphere is very sensitive to HOx concentrations, energetic particle precipitation can significantly modify the shape of the ozone profiles. In particular, GOMOS observations have shown that the tertiary ozone maximum was temporarily destroyed during the January 2005 and December 2006 solar proton events as a result of the HOx enhancement from the increased ionization.

  13. A mesic maximum in biological water use demarcates biome sensitivity to aridity shifts.

    PubMed

    Good, Stephen P; Moore, Georgianne W; Miralles, Diego G

    2017-12-01

    Biome function is largely governed by how efficiently available resources can be used and yet for water, the ratio of direct biological resource use (transpiration, E T ) to total supply (annual precipitation, P) at ecosystem scales remains poorly characterized. Here, we synthesize field, remote sensing and ecohydrological modelling estimates to show that the biological water use fraction (E T /P) reaches a maximum under mesic conditions; that is, when evaporative demand (potential evapotranspiration, E P ) slightly exceeds supplied precipitation. We estimate that this mesic maximum in E T /P occurs at an aridity index (defined as E P /P) between 1.3 and 1.9. The observed global average aridity of 1.8 falls within this range, suggesting that the biosphere is, on average, configured to transpire the largest possible fraction of global precipitation for the current climate. A unimodal E T /P distribution indicates that both dry regions subjected to increasing aridity and humid regions subjected to decreasing aridity will suffer declines in the fraction of precipitation that plants transpire for growth and metabolism. Given the uncertainties in the prediction of future biogeography, this framework provides a clear and concise determination of ecosystems' sensitivity to climatic shifts, as well as expected patterns in the amount of precipitation that ecosystems can effectively use.

  14. Production, fixation, and staining of cells on slides for maximum photometric sensitivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leif, Robert C.; Harlow, Patrick M.; Vallarino, Lidia M.

    1994-07-01

    The need to detect increasingly low levels of antigens or polynucleotides in cells requires improvements in both the preparation and the staining of samples. The combination of centrifugal cytology with the use of glyoxal as cross-linking fixative produces monolayers of cells having minimum background fluorescence. Detection can be further improved by the use of a recently developed type of luminescent tag containing a lanthanide(III) ion as the light- emitting center. These novel tags are macrocyclic complexes functionalized with an isothiocyanate group to allow covalent coupling to a biosubstrate. The Eu(III) complex possesses a set of properties -- water solubility, inertness to metal release over a wide pH range, ligand-sensitized narrow-band luminescence, large Stoke's shift, and long excited-state lifetime -- that provides ease of staining as well as maximum signal with minimum interference from background autofluorescence. Luminescence efficiency studies indicate significant solvent effects.

  15. Investigation of the Maximum Spin-Up Coefficients of Friction Obtained During Tests of a Landing Gear Having a Static-Load Rating of 20,000 Pounds

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Batterson, Sidney A.

    1959-01-01

    An experimental investigation was made at the Langley landing loads track to obtain data on the maximum spin-up coefficients of friction developed by a landing gear having a static-load rating of 20,000 pounds. The forward speeds ranged from 0 to approximately 180 feet per second and the sinking speeds, from 2.7 feet per second to 9.4 feet per second. The results indicated the variation of the maximum spin-up coefficient of friction with forward speed and vertical load. Data obtained during this investigation are also compared with some results previously obtained for nonrolling tires to show the effect of forward speed.

  16. Frequency dependence of sensitivities in second-order RC active filters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kunieda, T.; Hiramatsu, Y.; Fukui, A.

    1980-02-01

    This paper presents that gain and phase sensitivities to some element in biquadratic filters approximately constitute a circle on the complex sensitivity plane, provided that the quality factor Q of the circuit is appreciably larger than unity. Moreover, the group delay sensitivity is represented by the imaginary part of a cardioid. Using these results, bounds of maximum values of gain, phase, and group delay sensitivities are obtained. Further, it is proved that the maximum values of these sensitivities can be simultaneously minimized by minimizing the absolute value of the transfer function sensitivity at the center frequency provided that w(0)-sensitivities are constant and do not contain design parameters. Next, a statistical variability measure for the optimal-filter design is proposed. Finally, the relation between some variability measures proposed to the present time is made clear.

  17. Sensitivity of the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum climate to cloud properties.

    PubMed

    Kiehl, Jeffrey T; Shields, Christine A

    2013-10-28

    The Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was a significant global warming event in the Earth's history (approx. 55 Ma). The cause for this warming event has been linked to increases in greenhouse gases, specifically carbon dioxide and methane. This rapid warming took place in the presence of the existing Early Eocene warm climate. Given that projected business-as-usual levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide reach concentrations of 800-1100 ppmv by 2100, it is of interest to study past climates where atmospheric carbon dioxide was higher than present. This is especially the case given the difficulty of climate models in simulating past warm climates. This study explores the sensitivity of the simulated pre-PETM and PETM periods to change in cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and microphysical properties of liquid water clouds. Assuming lower levels of CCN for both of these periods leads to significant warming, especially at high latitudes. The study indicates that past differences in cloud properties may be an important factor in accurately simulating past warm climates. Importantly, additional shortwave warming from such a mechanism would imply lower required atmospheric CO2 concentrations for simulated surface temperatures to be in reasonable agreement with proxy data for the Eocene.

  18. A Purkinje shift in the spectral sensitivity of grey squirrels

    PubMed Central

    Silver, Priscilla H.

    1966-01-01

    1. The light-adapted spectral sensitivity of the grey squirrel has been determined by an automated training method at a level about 6 log units above the squirrel's absolute threshold. 2. The maximum sensitivity is near 555 nm, under light-adapted conditions, compared with the dark-adapted maximum near 500 nm found by a similar method. 3. Neither the light-adapted nor the dark-adapted behavioural threshold agrees with electrophysiological findings using single flash techniques, but there is agreement with e.r.g. results obtained with sinusoidal stimuli. PMID:5972118

  19. Sensitivity of Last Glacial Maximum climate to uncertainties in tropical and subtropical ocean temperatures

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hostetler, S.; Pisias, N.; Mix, A.

    2006-01-01

    The faunal and floral gradients that underlie the CLIMAP (1981) sea-surface temperature (SST) reconstructions for the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) reflect ocean temperature gradients and frontal positions. The transfer functions used to reconstruct SSTs from biologic gradients are biased, however, because at the warmest sites they display inherently low sensitivity in translating fauna to SST and they underestimate SST within the euphotic zones where the pycnocline is strong. Here we assemble available data and apply a statistical approach to adjust for hypothetical biases in the faunal-based SST estimates of LGM temperature. The largest bias adjustments are distributed in the tropics (to address low sensitivity) and subtropics (to address underestimation in the euphotic zones). The resulting SSTs are generally in better agreement than CLIMAP with recent geochemical estimates of glacial-interglacial temperature changes. We conducted a series of model experiments using the GENESIS general atmospheric circulation model to assess the sensitivity of the climate system to our bias-adjusted SSTs. Globally, the new SST field results in a modeled LGM surface-air cooling relative to present of 6.4 ??C (1.9 ??C cooler than that of CLIMAP). Relative to the simulation with CLIMAP SSTs, modeled precipitation over the oceans is reduced by 0.4 mm d-1 (an anomaly -0.4 versus 0.0 mm d-1 for CLIMAP) and increased over land (an anomaly -0.2 versus -0.5 mm d-1 for CLIMAP). Regionally strong responses are induced by changes in SST gradients. Data-model comparisons indicate improvement in agreement relative to CLIMAP, but differences among terrestrial data inferences and simulated moisture and temperature remain. Our SSTs result in positive mass balance over the northern hemisphere ice sheets (primarily through reduced summer ablation), supporting the hypothesis that tropical and subtropical ocean temperatures may have played a role in triggering glacial changes at higher latitudes.

  20. Visual Contrast Sensitivity Functions Obtained from Untrained Observers Using Tracking and Staircase Procedures. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Geri, George A.; Hubbard, David C.

    Two adaptive psychophysical procedures (tracking and "yes-no" staircase) for obtaining human visual contrast sensitivity functions (CSF) were evaluated. The procedures were chosen based on their proven validity and the desire to evaluate the practical effects of stimulus transients, since tracking procedures traditionally employ gradual…

  1. Theoretical assessment of the maximum obtainable power in wireless power transfer constrained by human body exposure limits in a typical room scenario.

    PubMed

    Chen, Xi Lin; De Santis, Valerio; Umenei, Aghuinyue Esai

    2014-07-07

    In this study, the maximum received power obtainable through wireless power transfer (WPT) by a small receiver (Rx) coil from a relatively large transmitter (Tx) coil is numerically estimated in the frequency range from 100 kHz to 10 MHz based on human body exposure limits. Analytical calculations were first conducted to determine the worst-case coupling between a homogeneous cylindrical phantom with a radius of 0.65 m and a Tx coil positioned 0.1 m away with the radius ranging from 0.25 to 2.5 m. Subsequently, three high-resolution anatomical models were employed to compute the peak induced field intensities with respect to various Tx coil locations and dimensions. Based on the computational results, scaling factors which correlate the cylindrical phantom and anatomical model results were derived. Next, the optimal operating frequency, at which the highest transmitter source power can be utilized without exceeding the exposure limits, is found to be around 2 MHz. Finally, a formulation is proposed to estimate the maximum obtainable power of WPT in a typical room scenario while adhering to the human body exposure compliance mandates.

  2. Theoretical assessment of the maximum obtainable power in wireless power transfer constrained by human body exposure limits in a typical room scenario

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Xi Lin; De Santis, Valerio; Esai Umenei, Aghuinyue

    2014-07-01

    In this study, the maximum received power obtainable through wireless power transfer (WPT) by a small receiver (Rx) coil from a relatively large transmitter (Tx) coil is numerically estimated in the frequency range from 100 kHz to 10 MHz based on human body exposure limits. Analytical calculations were first conducted to determine the worst-case coupling between a homogeneous cylindrical phantom with a radius of 0.65 m and a Tx coil positioned 0.1 m away with the radius ranging from 0.25 to 2.5 m. Subsequently, three high-resolution anatomical models were employed to compute the peak induced field intensities with respect to various Tx coil locations and dimensions. Based on the computational results, scaling factors which correlate the cylindrical phantom and anatomical model results were derived. Next, the optimal operating frequency, at which the highest transmitter source power can be utilized without exceeding the exposure limits, is found to be around 2 MHz. Finally, a formulation is proposed to estimate the maximum obtainable power of WPT in a typical room scenario while adhering to the human body exposure compliance mandates.

  3. Filter Selection for Optimizing the Spectral Sensitivity of Broadband Multispectral Cameras Based on Maximum Linear Independence.

    PubMed

    Li, Sui-Xian

    2018-05-07

    Previous research has shown that the effectiveness of selecting filter sets from among a large set of commercial broadband filters by a vector analysis method based on maximum linear independence (MLI). However, the traditional MLI approach is suboptimal due to the need to predefine the first filter of the selected filter set to be the maximum ℓ₂ norm among all available filters. An exhaustive imaging simulation with every single filter serving as the first filter is conducted to investigate the features of the most competent filter set. From the simulation, the characteristics of the most competent filter set are discovered. Besides minimization of the condition number, the geometric features of the best-performed filter set comprise a distinct transmittance peak along the wavelength axis of the first filter, a generally uniform distribution for the peaks of the filters and substantial overlaps of the transmittance curves of the adjacent filters. Therefore, the best-performed filter sets can be recognized intuitively by simple vector analysis and just a few experimental verifications. A practical two-step framework for selecting optimal filter set is recommended, which guarantees a significant enhancement of the performance of the systems. This work should be useful for optimizing the spectral sensitivity of broadband multispectral imaging sensors.

  4. High-field modulated ion-selective field-effect-transistor (FET) sensors with sensitivity higher than the ideal Nernst sensitivity.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yi-Ting; Sarangadharan, Indu; Sukesan, Revathi; Hseih, Ching-Yen; Lee, Geng-Yen; Chyi, Jen-Inn; Wang, Yu-Lin

    2018-05-29

    Lead ion selective membrane (Pb-ISM) coated AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMT) was used to demonstrate a whole new methodology for ion-selective FET sensors, which can create ultra-high sensitivity (-36 mV/log [Pb 2+ ]) surpassing the limit of ideal sensitivity (-29.58 mV/log [Pb 2+ ]) in a typical Nernst equation for lead ion. The largely improved sensitivity has tremendously reduced the detection limit (10 -10  M) for several orders of magnitude of lead ion concentration compared to typical ion-selective electrode (ISE) (10 -7  M). The high sensitivity was obtained by creating a strong filed between the gate electrode and the HEMT channel. Systematical investigation was done by measuring different design of the sensor and gate bias, indicating ultra-high sensitivity and ultra-low detection limit obtained only in sufficiently strong field. Theoretical study in the sensitivity consistently agrees with the experimental finding and predicts the maximum and minimum sensitivity. The detection limit of our sensor is comparable to that of Inductively-Coupled-Plasma Mass Spectrum (ICP-MS), which also has detection limit near 10 -10  M.

  5. How well do simulated last glacial maximum tropical temperatures constrain equilibrium climate sensitivity?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hopcroft, Peter O.; Valdes, Paul J.

    2015-07-01

    Previous work demonstrated a significant correlation between tropical surface air temperature and equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) in PMIP (Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project) phase 2 model simulations of the last glacial maximum (LGM). This implies that reconstructed LGM cooling in this region could provide information about the climate system ECS value. We analyze results from new simulations of the LGM performed as part of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) and PMIP phase 3. These results show no consistent relationship between the LGM tropical cooling and ECS. A radiative forcing and feedback analysis shows that a number of factors are responsible for this decoupling, some of which are related to vegetation and aerosol feedbacks. While several of the processes identified are LGM specific and do not impact on elevated CO2 simulations, this analysis demonstrates one area where the newer CMIP5 models behave in a qualitatively different manner compared with the older ensemble. The results imply that so-called Earth System components such as vegetation and aerosols can have a significant impact on the climate response in LGM simulations, and this should be taken into account in future analyses.

  6. Co-sensitization of natural dyes for improved efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cell application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, K. Ashok; Subalakshmi, K.; Senthilselvan, J.

    2016-05-01

    In this paper, a new approach of co-sensitized DSSC based on natural dyes is investigated to explore the possible way to improve the power conversion efficiency. To realize this purpose 10 DSSC devices were fabricated using mono-sensitization and co-sensitization of ethanolic extracts of natural dye sensitizers obtained from Cactus fruit, Jambolana fruit, Curcumin and Bermuda grass. The optical absorption spectrum of the mono and hybrid dye extracts were studied by UV-Visible absorption spectrum. It shows the characteristic absorption peaks in visible region corresponds to the presence of natural pigments of anthocyanin, betacyanin and chlorophylls. Absorption spectrum of hybrid dyes reveals a wide absorption band in visible region with improved extinction co-efficient and it is favorable for increased light harvesting nature. The power conversion efficiency of DSSC devices were calculated using J-V curve and the maximum efficiency achieved in the present work is noted to be ~0.61% for Cactus-Bermuda co-sensitized DSSC.

  7. An initial investigation into methods of computing transonic aerodynamic sensitivity coefficients

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carlson, Leland A.

    1994-01-01

    The primary accomplishments of the project are as follows: (1) Using the transonic small perturbation equation as a flowfield model, the project demonstrated that the quasi-analytical method could be used to obtain aerodynamic sensitivity coefficients for airfoils at subsonic, transonic, and supersonic conditions for design variables such as Mach number, airfoil thickness, maximum camber, angle of attack, and location of maximum camber. It was established that the quasi-analytical approach was an accurate method for obtaining aerodynamic sensitivity derivatives for airfoils at transonic conditions and usually more efficient than the finite difference approach. (2) The usage of symbolic manipulation software to determine the appropriate expressions and computer coding associated with the quasi-analytical method for sensitivity derivatives was investigated. Using the three dimensional fully conservative full potential flowfield model, it was determined that symbolic manipulation along with a chain rule approach was extremely useful in developing a combined flowfield and quasi-analytical sensitivity derivative code capable of considering a large number of realistic design variables. (3) Using the three dimensional fully conservative full potential flowfield model, the quasi-analytical method was applied to swept wings (i.e. three dimensional) at transonic flow conditions. (4) The incremental iterative technique has been applied to the three dimensional transonic nonlinear small perturbation flowfield formulation, an equivalent plate deflection model, and the associated aerodynamic and structural discipline sensitivity equations; and coupled aeroelastic results for an aspect ratio three wing in transonic flow have been obtained.

  8. Preparation and characterization of a novel pH-sensitive hydrogel obtained from UV light-induced polymerization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, R. Q.; Zhao, Y. G.; Cui, Y. Q.; Zhang, X. Y.; Zhang, J.; Liang, X. Y.; Shang, Q.

    2015-05-01

    The main aim of this study was to develop a novel pH-sensitive hydrogel prepared via an UV light-induced polymerization. Single-factor experiments were performed to acquire the optimum formula of final poly(MAA-co-PEGMA) hydrogel. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra were employed to confirm the successful preparation of the designed copolymers. Inner morphologies of the polymeric hydrogels were observed via an S-4800 scanning electron microscope (SEM). Swelling and reversible swelling-shrinking studies were carried out in different phosphate buffer solution (PBS) with various pH values. Drug-loading tests were performed with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model drug. The in vitro release profile was also investigated in PBS with the pH values of 1.2 and 7.4. FTIR spectra confirmed the preparation of the poly(MAA-co-PEGMA) copolymers without any residual monomers. The typical space grid structures were observed from the SEM photographs of hydrogels. The obtained hydrogel showed an excellent pH-sensibility and reversible swelling-shrinking property. The maximum drug-loading (40.9 %) was gained from the BSA concentration of 50.0 mg/mL. During the releasing process, only 5.8 ± 0.9 % of BSA was released at pH 1.2, but 82.1 ± 6.2 % was diffused at pH 7.4. These data suggested that such medicated hydrogel could deliver BSA to alkaline conditions (e.g., intestinal environments) site-specifically, which protected BSA from destroying by gastric acid or pepsase. Therefore, such hydrogel had a significant meaning in theoretical research and practical application.

  9. Sensitivity study of the monogroove with screen heat pipe design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Evans, Austin L.; Joyce, Martin

    1988-01-01

    The present sensitivity study of design variable effects on the performance of a monogroove-with-screen heat pipe obtains performance curves for maximum heat-transfer rates vs. operating temperatures by means of a computer code; performance projections for both 1-g and zero-g conditions are obtainable. The variables in question were liquid and vapor channel design, wall groove design, and the number of feed lines in the evaporator and condenser. The effect on performance of three different working fluids, namely ammonia, methanol, and water, were also determined. Greatest sensitivity was to changes in liquid and vapor channel diameters.

  10. An iterative procedure for obtaining maximum-likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Peters, B. C., Jr.; Walker, H. F.

    1975-01-01

    A general iterative procedure is given for determining the consistent maximum likelihood estimates of normal distributions. In addition, a local maximum of the log-likelihood function, Newtons's method, a method of scoring, and modifications of these procedures are discussed.

  11. Rice yields in tropical/subtropical Asia exhibit large but opposing sensitivities to minimum and maximum temperatures

    PubMed Central

    Welch, Jarrod R.; Vincent, Jeffrey R.; Auffhammer, Maximilian; Moya, Piedad F.; Dobermann, Achim; Dawe, David

    2010-01-01

    Data from farmer-managed fields have not been used previously to disentangle the impacts of daily minimum and maximum temperatures and solar radiation on rice yields in tropical/subtropical Asia. We used a multiple regression model to analyze data from 227 intensively managed irrigated rice farms in six important rice-producing countries. The farm-level detail, observed over multiple growing seasons, enabled us to construct farm-specific weather variables, control for unobserved factors that either were unique to each farm but did not vary over time or were common to all farms at a given site but varied by season and year, and obtain more precise estimates by including farm- and site-specific economic variables. Temperature and radiation had statistically significant impacts during both the vegetative and ripening phases of the rice plant. Higher minimum temperature reduced yield, whereas higher maximum temperature raised it; radiation impact varied by growth phase. Combined, these effects imply that yield at most sites would have grown more rapidly during the high-yielding season but less rapidly during the low-yielding season if observed temperature and radiation trends at the end of the 20th century had not occurred, with temperature trends being more influential. Looking ahead, they imply a net negative impact on yield from moderate warming in coming decades. Beyond that, the impact would likely become more negative, because prior research indicates that the impact of maximum temperature becomes negative at higher levels. Diurnal temperature variation must be considered when investigating the impacts of climate change on irrigated rice in Asia. PMID:20696908

  12. A modeling approach to investigate the sensitivity of plankton phenology to global change since the Last Glacial Maximum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kretschmer, K.; Kucera, M.; Schulz, M.

    2016-02-01

    Plankton phenology is a key aspect of ecosystem dynamics. Up to now, it is not known how sensitive this parameter is to environmental perturbations and what magnitude of change is conceivable under extreme climate change scenarios. For example, one could argue that the phenology of the dominant Arctic planktonic foraminifera species Neogloboquadrina pachyderma will only shift slightly recording the more or less delayed onset of spring ocean warming. This assumption can be tested by examining the likely phenology of this species in the fossil record. Although phenology is difficult to derive directly from proxies, it can be estimated for past periods by models. Here we use an ecosystem modeling approach to investigate seasonal variations of N. pachyderma since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the North Atlantic. The model implies that the phenology of N. pachyderma during the LGM and the ensuing Heinrich Event 1 shifted by several months from the modern situation with a maximum seasonal production occurring later in the year (i.e. boreal summer). In comparison with the fossil records our model performs well in reproducing the observed abundance patterns and range shifts in the studied species during the last glacial period. Hence, the predicted large (and partly no-analog) shifts in the phenology of N. pachyderma are a plausible scenario. For instance, its maximum growth during Heinrich Event 1 in a region northeast of Newfoundland occurred during a part of the season where this species never peaks anywhere in the North Atlantic at present. Understanding the drivers of this change and knowing the potential adaptive space of phenology shifts are essential in predictions of plankton response to future global change scenarios.

  13. Evaluation of pliers' grip spans in the maximum gripping task and sub-maximum cutting task.

    PubMed

    Kim, Dae-Min; Kong, Yong-Ku

    2016-12-01

    A total of 25 males participated to investigate the effects of the grip spans of pliers on the total grip force, individual finger forces and muscle activities in the maximum gripping task and wire-cutting tasks. In the maximum gripping task, results showed that the 50-mm grip span had significantly higher total grip strength than the other grip spans. In the cutting task, the 50-mm grip span also showed significantly higher grip strength than the 65-mm and 80-mm grip spans, whereas the muscle activities showed a higher value at 80-mm grip span. The ratios of cutting force to maximum grip strength were also investigated. Ratios of 30.3%, 31.3% and 41.3% were obtained by grip spans of 50-mm, 65-mm, and 80-mm, respectively. Thus, the 50-mm grip span for pliers might be recommended to provide maximum exertion in gripping tasks, as well as lower maximum-cutting force ratios in the cutting tasks.

  14. TiO2 dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC): linear relationship of maximum power point and anthocyanin concentration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmadian, Radin

    2010-09-01

    This study investigated the relationship of anthocyanin concentration from different organic fruit species and output voltage and current in a TiO2 dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) and hypothesized that fruits with greater anthocyanin concentration produce higher maximum power point (MPP) which would lead to higher current and voltage. Anthocyanin dye solution was made with crushing of a group of fresh fruits with different anthocyanin content in 2 mL of de-ionized water and filtration. Using these test fruit dyes, multiple DSSCs were assembled such that light enters through the TiO2 side of the cell. The full current-voltage (I-V) co-variations were measured using a 500 Ω potentiometer as a variable load. Point-by point current and voltage data pairs were measured at various incremental resistance values. The maximum power point (MPP) generated by the solar cell was defined as a dependent variable and the anthocyanin concentration in the fruit used in the DSSC as the independent variable. A regression model was used to investigate the linear relationship between study variables. Regression analysis showed a significant linear relationship between MPP and anthocyanin concentration with a p-value of 0.007. Fruits like blueberry and black raspberry with the highest anthocyanin content generated higher MPP. In a DSSC, a linear model may predict MPP based on the anthocyanin concentration. This model is the first step to find organic anthocyanin sources in the nature with the highest dye concentration to generate energy.

  15. Spectral and photoelectric characteristics of the gamma irradiated intrinsic oxide-ІnSe heterostructures obtained under different conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sydor, O. M.

    2016-09-01

    The investigations of photoelectric characteristics and photoresponce spectral dependences were carried out for intrinsic oxide-InSe heterostructures (HSs) and their changes induced by bremsstrahlung γ-quanta with an energy of 1-34 MeV at fluences of 1012-1015 cm-2. The thermal oxidation of the p-InSe:Cd substrates was carried out at a temperature of 420 °С. For three selected groups of samples the duration of the process was 15 min, 60 min, and 96 h. At a short-term oxidation (15 and 60 min) a layer of In2O3 appears. The only difference between the samples of these two groups is a higher photosensitivity in the range of energy 1.25-2.8 eV of the HSs obtained after the 60 min oxidation. At the long-term oxidation the photoresponce spectra η(hν) of the obtained HSs are characterized with a sharp short-wavelength decrease at hν≅2.0 eV. It is established that the intrinsic oxide films act as transparent barrier electrodes in the corresponding HSs and are low-sensitive to γ-irradiation in the all range of fluences. The shape of the photoresponce spectra for all the gamma irradiated HSs remains practically the same. However, it was found: (i) some decrease of photosensitivity at the long-wavelength edge, (ii) decreasing the width of η(hν) at half-height, (iii) the appearance of the exciton peak, (iv) the improvement of a slope of the low-energy edge of the photoresponce spectra with increasing irradiation dose whereas at the maximum fluence this parameter decreases, and (v) the slight extension of the spectral sensitivity to the short-wavelength range for the structures obtained after oxidation for 96 h. The photoelectric parameters of the intrinsic oxide-p-InSe HSs, open circuit voltage Voc, short-circuit current Jsc, current SIλmax and voltage SVλmax sensitivities become only improved after irradiation with the fluences 1012-1013 cm-2. At the maximum fluence a small decreasing of the values of Voc and Jsc was detected except for the structures obtained

  16. The influence of model resolution on the simulated sensitivity of North Atlantic tropical cyclone maximum intensity to sea surface temperature

    DOE PAGES

    Strazzo, S. E.; Elsner, J. B.; LaRow, T. E.; ...

    2016-07-10

    Global climate models (GCMs) are routinely relied upon to study the possible impacts of climate change on a wide range of meteorological phenomena, including tropical cyclones (TCs). Previous studies addressed whether GCMs are capable of reproducing observed TC frequency and intensity distributions. This research builds upon earlier studies by examining how well GCMs capture the physically relevant relationship between TC intensity and SST. Specifically, the influence of model resolution on the ability of a GCM to reproduce the sensitivity of simulated TC intensity to SST is examined for the MRI-AGCM (20 km), the GFDL-HiRAM (50 km), the FSU-COAPS (0.94°) model,more » and two versions of the CAM5 (1° and 0.25°). Results indicate that while a 1°C increase in SST corresponds to a 5.5–7.0 m s -1 increase in observed maximum intensity, the same 1°C increase in SST is not associated with a statistically significant increase in simulated TC maximum intensity for any of the models examined. However, it also is shown that the GCMs all capably reproduce the observed sensitivity of potential intensity to SST. The models generate the thermodynamic environment suitable for the development of strong TCs over the correct portions of the Nort h Atlantic basin, but strong simulated TCs do not develop over these areas, even for models that permit Category 5 TCs. This result supports the notion that direct simulation of TC eyewall convection is necessary to accurately represent TC intensity and intensification processes in climate models, although additional explanations are also explored.« less

  17. Sensitivity analysis of tall buildings in Semarang, Indonesia due to fault earthquakes with maximum 7 Mw

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Partono, Windu; Pardoyo, Bambang; Atmanto, Indrastono Dwi; Azizah, Lisa; Chintami, Rouli Dian

    2017-11-01

    Fault is one of the dangerous earthquake sources that can cause building failure. A lot of buildings were collapsed caused by Yogyakarta (2006) and Pidie (2016) fault source earthquakes with maximum magnitude 6.4 Mw. Following the research conducted by Team for Revision of Seismic Hazard Maps of Indonesia 2010 and 2016, Lasem, Demak and Semarang faults are three closest earthquake sources surrounding Semarang. The ground motion from those three earthquake sources should be taken into account for structural design and evaluation. Most of tall buildings, with minimum 40 meter high, in Semarang were designed and constructed following the 2002 and 2012 Indonesian Seismic Code. This paper presents the result of sensitivity analysis research with emphasis on the prediction of deformation and inter-story drift of existing tall building within the city against fault earthquakes. The analysis was performed by conducting dynamic structural analysis of 8 (eight) tall buildings using modified acceleration time histories. The modified acceleration time histories were calculated for three fault earthquakes with magnitude from 6 Mw to 7 Mw. The modified acceleration time histories were implemented due to inadequate time histories data caused by those three fault earthquakes. Sensitivity analysis of building against earthquake can be predicted by evaluating surface response spectra calculated using seismic code and surface response spectra calculated from acceleration time histories from a specific earthquake event. If surface response spectra calculated using seismic code is greater than surface response spectra calculated from acceleration time histories the structure will stable enough to resist the earthquake force.

  18. Maximum walking speeds obtained using treadmill and overground robot system in persons with post-stroke hemiplegia

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Previous studies demonstrated that stroke survivors have a limited capacity to increase their walking speeds beyond their self-selected maximum walking speed (SMWS). The purpose of this study was to determine the capacity of stroke survivors to reach faster speeds than their SMWS while walking on a treadmill belt or while being pushed by a robotic system (i.e. “push mode”). Methods Eighteen chronic stroke survivors with hemiplegia were involved in the study. We calculated their self-selected comfortable walking speed (SCWS) and SMWS overground using a 5-meter walk test (5-MWT). Then, they were exposed to walking at increased speeds, on a treadmill and while in “push mode” in an overground robotic device, the KineAssist, until they were tested at a speed that they could not sustain without losing balance. We recorded the time and number of steps during each trial and calculated gait speed, average cadence and average step length. Results Maximum walking speed in the “push mode” was 13% higher than the maximum walking speed on the treadmill and both were higher (“push mode”: 61%; treadmill: 40%) than the maximum walking speed overground. Subjects achieved these faster speeds by initially increasing both step length and cadence and, once individuals stopped increasing their step length, by only increasing cadence. Conclusions With post-stroke hemiplegia, individuals are able to walk at faster speeds than their SMWS overground, when provided with a safe environment that provides external forces that requires them to attempt dynamic stability maintenance at higher gait speeds. Therefore, this study suggests the possibility that, given the appropriate conditions, people post-stroke can be trained at higher speeds than previously attempted. PMID:23057500

  19. Determination of the maximum-depth to potential field sources by a maximum structural index method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fedi, M.; Florio, G.

    2013-01-01

    A simple and fast determination of the limiting depth to the sources may represent a significant help to the data interpretation. To this end we explore the possibility of determining those source parameters shared by all the classes of models fitting the data. One approach is to determine the maximum depth-to-source compatible with the measured data, by using for example the well-known Bott-Smith rules. These rules involve only the knowledge of the field and its horizontal gradient maxima, and are independent from the density contrast. Thanks to the direct relationship between structural index and depth to sources we work out a simple and fast strategy to obtain the maximum depth by using the semi-automated methods, such as Euler deconvolution or depth-from-extreme-points method (DEXP). The proposed method consists in estimating the maximum depth as the one obtained for the highest allowable value of the structural index (Nmax). Nmax may be easily determined, since it depends only on the dimensionality of the problem (2D/3D) and on the nature of the analyzed field (e.g., gravity field or magnetic field). We tested our approach on synthetic models against the results obtained by the classical Bott-Smith formulas and the results are in fact very similar, confirming the validity of this method. However, while Bott-Smith formulas are restricted to the gravity field only, our method is applicable also to the magnetic field and to any derivative of the gravity and magnetic field. Our method yields a useful criterion to assess the source model based on the (∂f/∂x)max/fmax ratio. The usefulness of the method in real cases is demonstrated for a salt wall in the Mississippi basin, where the estimation of the maximum depth agrees with the seismic information.

  20. [Maximum entropy model versus remote sensing-based methods for extracting Oncomelania hupensis snail habitats].

    PubMed

    Cong-Cong, Xia; Cheng-Fang, Lu; Si, Li; Tie-Jun, Zhang; Sui-Heng, Lin; Yi, Hu; Ying, Liu; Zhi-Jie, Zhang

    2016-12-02

    To explore the technique of maximum entropy model for extracting Oncomelania hupensis snail habitats in Poyang Lake zone. The information of snail habitats and related environment factors collected in Poyang Lake zone were integrated to set up the maximum entropy based species model and generate snail habitats distribution map. Two Landsat 7 ETM+ remote sensing images of both wet and drought seasons in Poyang Lake zone were obtained, where the two indices of modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were applied to extract snail habitats. The ROC curve, sensitivities and specificities were applied to assess their results. Furthermore, the importance of the variables for snail habitats was analyzed by using Jackknife approach. The evaluation results showed that the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of testing data by the remote sensing-based method was only 0.56, and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.23 and 0.89 respectively. Nevertheless, those indices above-mentioned of maximum entropy model were 0.876, 0.89 and 0.74 respectively. The main concentration of snail habitats in Poyang Lake zone covered the northeast part of Yongxiu County, northwest of Yugan County, southwest of Poyang County and middle of Xinjian County, and the elevation was the most important environment variable affecting the distribution of snails, and the next was land surface temperature (LST). The maximum entropy model is more reliable and accurate than the remote sensing-based method for the sake of extracting snail habitats, which has certain guiding significance for the relevant departments to carry out measures to prevent and control high-risk snail habitats.

  1. The power and robustness of maximum LOD score statistics.

    PubMed

    Yoo, Y J; Mendell, N R

    2008-07-01

    The maximum LOD score statistic is extremely powerful for gene mapping when calculated using the correct genetic parameter value. When the mode of genetic transmission is unknown, the maximum of the LOD scores obtained using several genetic parameter values is reported. This latter statistic requires higher critical value than the maximum LOD score statistic calculated from a single genetic parameter value. In this paper, we compare the power of maximum LOD scores based on three fixed sets of genetic parameter values with the power of the LOD score obtained after maximizing over the entire range of genetic parameter values. We simulate family data under nine generating models. For generating models with non-zero phenocopy rates, LOD scores maximized over the entire range of genetic parameters yielded greater power than maximum LOD scores for fixed sets of parameter values with zero phenocopy rates. No maximum LOD score was consistently more powerful than the others for generating models with a zero phenocopy rate. The power loss of the LOD score maximized over the entire range of genetic parameters, relative to the maximum LOD score calculated using the correct genetic parameter value, appeared to be robust to the generating models.

  2. Sensitive zone parameters and curvature radius evaluation for polymer optical fiber curvature sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leal-Junior, Arnaldo G.; Frizera, Anselmo; José Pontes, Maria

    2018-03-01

    Polymer optical fibers (POFs) are suitable for applications such as curvature sensors, strain, temperature, liquid level, among others. However, for enhancing sensitivity, many polymer optical fiber curvature sensors based on intensity variation require a lateral section. Lateral section length, depth, and surface roughness have great influence on the sensor sensitivity, hysteresis, and linearity. Moreover, the sensor curvature radius increase the stress on the fiber, which leads on variation of the sensor behavior. This paper presents the analysis relating the curvature radius and lateral section length, depth and surface roughness with the sensor sensitivity, hysteresis and linearity for a POF curvature sensor. Results show a strong correlation between the decision parameters behavior and the performance for sensor applications based on intensity variation. Furthermore, there is a trade-off among the sensitive zone length, depth, surface roughness, and curvature radius with the sensor desired performance parameters, which are minimum hysteresis, maximum sensitivity, and maximum linearity. The optimization of these parameters is applied to obtain a sensor with sensitivity of 20.9 mV/°, linearity of 0.9992 and hysteresis below 1%, which represent a better performance of the sensor when compared with the sensor without the optimization.

  3. Selection of the Maximum Spatial Cluster Size of the Spatial Scan Statistic by Using the Maximum Clustering Set-Proportion Statistic.

    PubMed

    Ma, Yue; Yin, Fei; Zhang, Tao; Zhou, Xiaohua Andrew; Li, Xiaosong

    2016-01-01

    Spatial scan statistics are widely used in various fields. The performance of these statistics is influenced by parameters, such as maximum spatial cluster size, and can be improved by parameter selection using performance measures. Current performance measures are based on the presence of clusters and are thus inapplicable to data sets without known clusters. In this work, we propose a novel overall performance measure called maximum clustering set-proportion (MCS-P), which is based on the likelihood of the union of detected clusters and the applied dataset. MCS-P was compared with existing performance measures in a simulation study to select the maximum spatial cluster size. Results of other performance measures, such as sensitivity and misclassification, suggest that the spatial scan statistic achieves accurate results in most scenarios with the maximum spatial cluster sizes selected using MCS-P. Given that previously known clusters are not required in the proposed strategy, selection of the optimal maximum cluster size with MCS-P can improve the performance of the scan statistic in applications without identified clusters.

  4. Selection of the Maximum Spatial Cluster Size of the Spatial Scan Statistic by Using the Maximum Clustering Set-Proportion Statistic

    PubMed Central

    Ma, Yue; Yin, Fei; Zhang, Tao; Zhou, Xiaohua Andrew; Li, Xiaosong

    2016-01-01

    Spatial scan statistics are widely used in various fields. The performance of these statistics is influenced by parameters, such as maximum spatial cluster size, and can be improved by parameter selection using performance measures. Current performance measures are based on the presence of clusters and are thus inapplicable to data sets without known clusters. In this work, we propose a novel overall performance measure called maximum clustering set–proportion (MCS-P), which is based on the likelihood of the union of detected clusters and the applied dataset. MCS-P was compared with existing performance measures in a simulation study to select the maximum spatial cluster size. Results of other performance measures, such as sensitivity and misclassification, suggest that the spatial scan statistic achieves accurate results in most scenarios with the maximum spatial cluster sizes selected using MCS-P. Given that previously known clusters are not required in the proposed strategy, selection of the optimal maximum cluster size with MCS-P can improve the performance of the scan statistic in applications without identified clusters. PMID:26820646

  5. HCPCF-based in-line fiber Fabry-Perot refractometer and high sensitivity signal processing method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Xiaohui; Jiang, Mingshun; Sui, Qingmei; Geng, Xiangyi; Song, Furong

    2017-12-01

    An in-line fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) based on the hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (HCPCF) for refractive index (RI) measurement is proposed in this paper. The FPI is formed by splicing both ends of a short section of the HCPCF to single mode fibers (SMFs) and cleaving the SMF pigtail to a proper length. The RI response of the sensor is analyzed theoretically and demonstrated experimentally. The results show that the FPI sensor has linear response to external RI and good repeatability. The sensitivity calculated from the maximum fringe contrast is -136 dB/RIU. A new spectrum differential integration (SDI) method for signal processing is also presented in this study. In this method, the RI is obtained from the integrated intensity of the absolute difference between the interference spectrum and its smoothed spectrum. The results show that the sensitivity obtained from the integrated intensity is about -1.34×105 dB/RIU. Compared with the maximum fringe contrast method, the new SDI method can provide the higher sensitivity, better linearity, improved reliability, and accuracy, and it's also convenient for automatic and fast signal processing in real-time monitoring of RI.

  6. Orientation-Controllable ZnO Nanorod Array Using Imprinting Method for Maximum Light Utilization in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

    PubMed

    Jeong, Huisu; Song, Hui; Lee, Ryeri; Pak, Yusin; Kumaresan, Yogeenth; Lee, Heon; Jung, Gun Young

    2015-12-01

    We present a holey titanium dioxide (TiO2) film combined with a periodically aligned ZnO nanorod layer (ZNL) for maximum light utilization in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Both the holey TiO2 film and the ZNL were simultaneously fabricated by imprint technique with a mold having vertically aligned ZnO nanorod (NR) array, which was transferred to the TiO2 film after imprinting. The orientation of the transferred ZNL such as laid, tilted, and standing ZnO NRs was dependent on the pitch and height of the ZnO NRs of the mold. The photoanode composed of the holey TiO2 film with the ZNL synergistically utilized the sunlight due to enhanced light scattering and absorption. The best power conversion efficiency of 8.5 % was achieved from the DSC with the standing ZNL, which represented a 33 % improvement compared to the reference cell with a planar TiO2.

  7. Gene Regulatory Network Inferences Using a Maximum-Relevance and Maximum-Significance Strategy

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Wei; Zhu, Wen; Liao, Bo; Chen, Xiangtao

    2016-01-01

    Recovering gene regulatory networks from expression data is a challenging problem in systems biology that provides valuable information on the regulatory mechanisms of cells. A number of algorithms based on computational models are currently used to recover network topology. However, most of these algorithms have limitations. For example, many models tend to be complicated because of the “large p, small n” problem. In this paper, we propose a novel regulatory network inference method called the maximum-relevance and maximum-significance network (MRMSn) method, which converts the problem of recovering networks into a problem of how to select the regulator genes for each gene. To solve the latter problem, we present an algorithm that is based on information theory and selects the regulator genes for a specific gene by maximizing the relevance and significance. A first-order incremental search algorithm is used to search for regulator genes. Eventually, a strict constraint is adopted to adjust all of the regulatory relationships according to the obtained regulator genes and thus obtain the complete network structure. We performed our method on five different datasets and compared our method to five state-of-the-art methods for network inference based on information theory. The results confirm the effectiveness of our method. PMID:27829000

  8. New dye-sensitized solar cells obtained from extracted bracts of Bougainvillea glabra and spectabilis betalain pigments by different purification processes.

    PubMed

    Hernandez-Martinez, Angel Ramon; Estevez, Miriam; Vargas, Susana; Quintanilla, Fracisco; Rodriguez, Rogelio

    2011-01-01

    The performance of a new dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) based in a natural dye extracted from the Bougainvillea spectabilis' bracts, is reported. The performance of this solar cell was compared with cells prepared using extract of the Bougainvillea glabra and mixture of both extracts; in both cases the pigments were betalains, obtained from Reddish-purple extract. These dyes were purified to different extents and used for the construction of solar cells that were electrically characterized. The materials were characterized using FTIR and UV-Vis. Solar cells were assembled using TiO(2) thin film on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass; a mesoporous film was sensitized with the Bougainvillea extracts. The obtained solar energy conversion efficiency was of 0.48% with a current density J(SC) of 2.29 mA/cm(2) using an irradiation of 100 mW/cm(2) at 25 °C.

  9. New Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Obtained from Extracted Bracts of Bougainvillea Glabra and Spectabilis Betalain Pigments by Different Purification Processes

    PubMed Central

    Hernandez-Martinez, Angel Ramon; Estevez, Miriam; Vargas, Susana; Quintanilla, Fracisco; Rodriguez, Rogelio

    2011-01-01

    The performance of a new dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) based in a natural dye extracted from the Bougainvillea spectabilis’ bracts, is reported. The performance of this solar cell was compared with cells prepared using extract of the Bougainvillea glabra and mixture of both extracts; in both cases the pigments were betalains, obtained from Reddish-purple extract. These dyes were purified to different extents and used for the construction of solar cells that were electrically characterized. The materials were characterized using FTIR and UV-Vis. Solar cells were assembled using TiO2 thin film on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass; a mesoporous film was sensitized with the Bougainvillea extracts. The obtained solar energy conversion efficiency was of 0.48% with a current density JSC of 2.29 mA/cm2 using an irradiation of 100 mW/cm2 at 25 °C. PMID:22016609

  10. Maximum life spur gear design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Savage, M.; Mackulin, M. J.; Coe, H. H.; Coy, J. J.

    1991-01-01

    Optimization procedures allow one to design a spur gear reduction for maximum life and other end use criteria. A modified feasible directions search algorithm permits a wide variety of inequality constraints and exact design requirements to be met with low sensitivity to initial guess values. The optimization algorithm is described, and the models for gear life and performance are presented. The algorithm is compact and has been programmed for execution on a desk top computer. Two examples are presented to illustrate the method and its application.

  11. Maximum-entropy probability distributions under Lp-norm constraints

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dolinar, S.

    1991-01-01

    Continuous probability density functions and discrete probability mass functions are tabulated which maximize the differential entropy or absolute entropy, respectively, among all probability distributions with a given L sub p norm (i.e., a given pth absolute moment when p is a finite integer) and unconstrained or constrained value set. Expressions for the maximum entropy are evaluated as functions of the L sub p norm. The most interesting results are obtained and plotted for unconstrained (real valued) continuous random variables and for integer valued discrete random variables. The maximum entropy expressions are obtained in closed form for unconstrained continuous random variables, and in this case there is a simple straight line relationship between the maximum differential entropy and the logarithm of the L sub p norm. Corresponding expressions for arbitrary discrete and constrained continuous random variables are given parametrically; closed form expressions are available only for special cases. However, simpler alternative bounds on the maximum entropy of integer valued discrete random variables are obtained by applying the differential entropy results to continuous random variables which approximate the integer valued random variables in a natural manner. All the results are presented in an integrated framework that includes continuous and discrete random variables, constraints on the permissible value set, and all possible values of p. Understanding such as this is useful in evaluating the performance of data compression schemes.

  12. A simple parameterization for the height of maximum ozone heating rate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Feng; Hou, Can; Li, Jiangnan; Liu, Renqiang; Liu, Cuiping

    2017-12-01

    It is well-known that the height of the maximum ozone heating rate is much higher than the height of the maximum ozone concentration in the stratosphere. However, it lacks an analytical expression to explain it. A simple theoretical model has been proposed to calculate the height of maximum ozone heating rate and further understand this phenomenon. Strong absorption of ozone causes the incoming solar flux to be largely attenuated before reaching the location of the maximum ozone concentration. By comparing with the exact radiative transfer calculations, the heights of the maximum ozone heating rate produced by the theoretical model are generally very close to the true values. When the cosine of solar zenith angle μ0 = 1.0 , in US Standard atmosphere, the heights of the maximum ozone heating rate by the theoretical model are 41.4 km in the band 0.204-0.233 μm, 47.9 km in the band 0.233-0.270 μm, 44.5 km in the band 0.270-0.286 μm, 37.1 km in the band 0.286-0.303 μm, and 30.2 km in the band 0.303-0.323 μm, respectively. The location of the maximum ozone heating rate is sensitive to the solar spectral range. In band 1, the heights of the maximum ozone heating rate by the theoretical model are 52.3 km for μ0 = 0.1 , 47.1 km for μ0 = 0.3 , 44.6 km for μ0 = 0.5 , 43.1 km for μ0 = 0.7 , 41.9 km for μ0 = 0.9 , 41.4 km for μ0 = 1.0 in US Standard atmosphere, respectively. This model also illustrates that the location of the maximum ozone heating rate is sensitive to the solar zenith angle.

  13. Timing of maximum glacial extent and deglaciation from HualcaHualca volcano (southern Peru), obtained with cosmogenic 36Cl.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alcalá, Jesus; Palacios, David; Vazquez, Lorenzo; Juan Zamorano, Jose

    2015-04-01

    Andean glacial deposits are key records of climate fluctuations in the southern hemisphere. During the last decades, in situ cosmogenic nuclides have provided fresh and significant dates to determine past glacier behavior in this region. But still there are many important discrepancies such as the impact of Last Glacial Maximum or the influence of Late Glacial climatic events on glacial mass balances. Furthermore, glacial chronologies from many sites are still missing, such as HualcaHualca (15° 43' S; 71° 52' W; 6,025 masl), a high volcano of the Peruvian Andes located 70 km northwest of Arequipa. The goal of this study is to establish the age of the Maximum Glacier Extent (MGE) and deglaciation at HualcaHualca volcano. To achieve this objetive, we focused in four valleys (Huayuray, Pujro Huayjo, Mollebaya and Mucurca) characterized by a well-preserved sequence of moraines and roches moutonnées. The method is based on geomorphological analysis supported by cosmogenic 36Cl surface exposure dating. 36Cl ages have been estimated with the CHLOE calculator and were compared with other central Andean glacial chronologies as well as paleoclimatological proxies. In Huayuray valley, exposure ages indicates that MGE occurred ~ 18 - 16 ka. Later, the ice mass gradually retreated but this process was interrupted by at least two readvances; the last one has been dated at ~ 12 ka. In the other hand, 36Cl result reflects a MGE age of ~ 13 ka in Mollebaya valley. Also, two samples obtained in Pujro-Huayjo and Mucurca valleys associated with MGE have an exposure age of 10-9 ka, but likely are moraine boulders affected by exhumation or erosion processes. Deglaciation in HualcaHualca volcano began abruptly ~ 11.5 ka ago according to a 36Cl age from a polished and striated bedrock in Pujro Huayjo valley, presumably as a result of reduced precipitation as well as a global increase of temperatures. The glacier evolution at HualcaHualca volcano presents a high correlation with

  14. Rotation sensitivity analysis of a two-dimensional array of coupled resonators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zamani Aghaie, Kiarash; Vigneron, Pierre-Baptiste; Digonnet, Michel J. F.

    2015-03-01

    In this paper, we study the rotation sensitivity of a gyroscope made of a two-dimensional array of coupled resonators consisting of N columns of one-dimensional coupled resonant optical waveguides (CROWs) connected by two bus waveguides, each CROW consisting of M identical ring resonators. We show that the maximum rotation sensitivity of this structure is a strong function of the parity of the number of rows M. For an odd number of rows, and when the number of columns is small, the maximum sensitivity is high, and it is slightly lower than the maximum sensitivity of a single-ring resonator with two input/output waveguides (the case M = N = 1), which is a resonant waveguide optical gyroscope (RWOG). For an even M and small N, the maximum sensitivity is much lower than that of the RWOG. Increasing the number columns N increases the sensitivity of an even-row 2D CROW sublinearly, as N0.39, up to 30 columns. In comparison, the maximum sensitivity of an RWOG of equal area increases faster, as √N. The sensitivity of the 2D CROW therefore always lags behind that of the RWOG. For a 2×2 CROW, if the spacing between the columns L is increased sufficiently the maximum sensitivity increases linearly with L due to the presence of a composite Mach- Zehnder interferometer in the structure. However, for equal footprints this sensitivity is also not larger than that of a single-ring resonator. Regardless of the number of rows and columns and the spacing, for the same footprint and propagation loss, a 2D CROW gyroscope is not more sensitive than an RWOG.

  15. The effect of temperature and moisture on electrical resistance, strain sensitivity and crack sensitivity of steel fiber reinforced smart cement composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teomete, Egemen

    2016-07-01

    Earthquakes, material degradations and other environmental factors necessitate structural health monitoring (SHM). Metal foil strain gages used for SHM have low durability and low sensitivity. These factors motivated researchers to work on cement based strain sensors. In this study, the effects of temperature and moisture on electrical resistance, compressive and tensile strain gage factors (strain sensitivity) and crack sensitivity were determined for steel fiber reinforced cement based composite. A rapid increase of electrical resistance at 200 °C was observed due to damage occurring between cement paste, aggregates and steel fibers. The moisture—electrical resistance relationship was investigated. The specimens taken out of the cure were saturated with water and had a moisture content of 9.49%. The minimum electrical resistance was obtained at 9% moisture at which fiber-fiber and fiber-matrix contact was maximum and the water in micro voids was acting as an electrolyte, conducting electrons. The variation of compressive and tensile strain gage factors (strain sensitivities) and crack sensitivity were investigated by conducting compression, split tensile and notched bending tests with different moisture contents. The highest gage factor for the compression test was obtained at optimal moisture content, at which electrical resistance was minimum. The tensile strain gage factor for split tensile test and crack sensitivity increased by decreasing moisture content. The mechanisms between moisture content, electrical resistance, gage factors and crack sensitivity were elucidated. The relations of moisture content with electrical resistance, gage factors and crack sensitivities have been presented for the first time in this study for steel fiber reinforced cement based composites. The results are important for the development of self sensing cement based smart materials.

  16. Magnification of starting torques of dc motors by maximum power point trackers in photovoltaic systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Appelbaum, J.; Singer, S.

    1989-01-01

    A calculation of the starting torque ratio of permanent magnet, series, and shunt-excited dc motors powered by solar cell arrays is presented for two cases, i.e., with and without a maximum-power-point tracker (MPPT). Defining motor torque magnification by the ratio of the motor torque with an MPPT to the motor torque without an MPPT, a magnification of 3 for the permanent magnet motor and a magnification of 7 for both the series and shunt motors are obtained. The study also shows that all motor types are less sensitive to solar insolation variation in systems including MPPTs as compared to systems without MPPTs.

  17. Sensitivities of ionic explosives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Politzer, Peter; Lane, Pat; Murray, Jane S.

    2017-03-01

    We have investigated the relevance for ionic explosive sensitivity of three factors that have been demonstrated to be related to the sensitivities of molecular explosives. These are (1) the maximum available heat of detonation, (2) the amount of free space per molecule (or per formula unit) in the crystal lattice and (3) specific features of the electrostatic potential on the molecular or ionic surface. We find that for ionic explosives, just as for molecular ones, there is an overall tendency for impact sensitivity to increase as the maximum detonation heat release is greater. This means that the usual emphasis upon designing explosives with large heats of detonation needs to be tempered somewhat. We also show that a moderate detonation heat release does not preclude a high level of detonation performance for ionic explosives, as was already demonstrated for molecular ones. Relating the free space per formula unit to sensitivity may require a modified procedure for ionic explosives; this will continue to be investigated. Finally, an encouraging start has been made in linking impact sensitivities to the electrostatic potentials on ionic surfaces, although limited so far to ammonium salts.

  18. Measurement Sensitivity Of Liquid Droplet Parameters Using Optical Fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das, Alok K.; Mandal, Anup K.

    1990-02-01

    A new clad probing technique is used to measure the size, number, refractive index and viscosity of liquid droplets sprayed from a pressure nozzle on an uncoated core-clad fiber. The probe monitors the clad mode power loss within the leaky ray zone represented as a three region fiber. Liquid droplets measured are Glycerine, commercial grade Turpentine, Linseed oil and some oil mixtures. The measurement sensitivity depends on probing conditions and clad diameter which is observed experimentally and verified analytically. A maximum sensitivity is obtained for the tapered probe-fiber diameter made equal to the clad thickness. A slowly tapered probe-fiber and a small end angle as well as separation of the sensor-fiber and the probe-fiber further improve the sensitivity. Under the best probing condition for 90-percent Glycerine droplets of - 50 micron diameter and a 50/125 micron sensor fiber with clad refractive index of 1.465 and 0.2 NA, the measured sensitivity per drop is 0.015 and 0.006 dB, respectively, for (10-20) and (100-200) droplets. Sensitivities for different systems are shown. The sensitivity is optimized by choosing proper fiber for known liquids.

  19. Case-Deletion Diagnostics for Maximum Likelihood Multipoint Quantitative Trait Locus Linkage Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Mendoza, Maria C.B.; Burns, Trudy L.; Jones, Michael P.

    2009-01-01

    Objectives Case-deletion diagnostic methods are tools that allow identification of influential observations that may affect parameter estimates and model fitting conclusions. The goal of this paper was to develop two case-deletion diagnostics, the exact case deletion (ECD) and the empirical influence function (EIF), for detecting outliers that can affect results of sib-pair maximum likelihood quantitative trait locus (QTL) linkage analysis. Methods Subroutines to compute the ECD and EIF were incorporated into the maximum likelihood QTL variance estimation components of the linkage analysis program MAPMAKER/SIBS. Performance of the diagnostics was compared in simulation studies that evaluated the proportion of outliers correctly identified (sensitivity), and the proportion of non-outliers correctly identified (specificity). Results Simulations involving nuclear family data sets with one outlier showed EIF sensitivities approximated ECD sensitivities well for outlier-affected parameters. Sensitivities were high, indicating the outlier was identified a high proportion of the time. Simulations also showed the enormous computational time advantage of the EIF. Diagnostics applied to body mass index in nuclear families detected observations influential on the lod score and model parameter estimates. Conclusions The EIF is a practical diagnostic tool that has the advantages of high sensitivity and quick computation. PMID:19172086

  20. Cycling Power Outputs Predict Functional Threshold Power And Maximum Oxygen Uptake.

    PubMed

    Denham, Joshua; Scott-Hamilton, John; Hagstrom, Amanda D; Gray, Adrian J

    2017-09-11

    Functional threshold power (FTP) has emerged as a correlate of lactate threshold and is commonly assessed by recreational and professional cyclists for tailored exercise programing. To identify whether results from traditional aerobic and anaerobic cycling tests could predict FTP and V˙ O2max, we analysed the association between estimated FTP, maximum oxygen uptake (V˙ O2max [mlkgmin]) and power outputs obtained from a maximal cycle ergometry cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) and a 30-s Wingate test in a heterogeneous cohort of cycle-trained and untrained individuals (N=40, mean±SD; age: 32.6±10.6 y; relative V˙ O2max: 46.8±9.1 mlkgmin). The accuracy and sensitivity of the prediction equations was also assessed in young men (N=11) before and after a 6-wk sprint interval training intervention.Moderate to strong positive correlations were observed between FTP, relative V˙ O2max and power outputs achieved during incremental and 30-s Wingate cycling tests (r=.39-.965, all P<.05). While maximum power achieved during incremental cycle testing (Pmax) and relative V˙ O2max were predictors of FTP (r =.93), age and FTP (Wkg) estimated relative V˙ O2max (r=.80). Our findings confirm that FTP predominantly relies on aerobic metabolism and indicate both prediction models are sensitive enough to detect meaningful exercise-induced changes in FTP and V˙ O2max. Thus, coaches should consider limiting the time and load demands placed on athletes by conducting a maximal cycle ergometry CPET to estimate FTP. Additionally, a 20-min FTP test is a convenient method to assess V˙ O2max and is particularly relevant for exercise professionals without access to expensive CPET equipment.

  1. On the Pontryagin maximum principle for systems with delays. Economic applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, A. V.; Kormyshev, V. M.; Kwon, O. B.; Mukhametshin, E. R.

    2017-11-01

    The Pontryagin maximum principle [6] is the key stone of finite-dimensional optimal control theory [1, 2, 5]. So beginning with opening the maximum principle it was important to extend the maximum principle on various classes of dynamical systems. In t he paper we consider some aspects of application of i-smooth analysis [3, 4] in the theory of the Pontryagin maximum principle [6] for systems with delays, obtained results can be applied by elaborating optimal program controls in economic models with delays.

  2. On the existence of maximum likelihood estimates for presence-only data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hefley, Trevor J.; Hooten, Mevin B.

    2015-01-01

    It is important to identify conditions for which maximum likelihood estimates are unlikely to be identifiable from presence-only data. In data sets where the maximum likelihood estimates do not exist, penalized likelihood and Bayesian methods will produce coefficient estimates, but these are sensitive to the choice of estimation procedure and prior or penalty term. When sample size is small or it is thought that habitat preferences are strong, we propose a suite of estimation procedures researchers can consider using.

  3. High-sensitivity detection of TNT

    PubMed Central

    Pushkarsky, Michael B.; Dunayevskiy, Ilya G.; Prasanna, Manu; Tsekoun, Alexei G.; Go, Rowel; Patel, C. Kumar N.

    2006-01-01

    We report high-sensitivity detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) by using laser photoacoustic spectroscopy where the laser radiation is obtained from a continuous-wave room temperature high-power quantum cascade laser in an external grating cavity geometry. The external grating cavity quantum cascade laser is continuously tunable over ≈400 nm around 7.3 μm and produces a maximum continuous-wave power of ≈200 mW. The IR spectroscopic signature of TNT is sufficiently different from that of nitroglycerine so that unambiguous detection of TNT without false positives from traces of nitroglycerine is possible. We also report the results of spectroscopy of acetylene in the 7.3-μm region to demonstrate continuous tunability of the IR source. PMID:17164325

  4. Relative azimuth inversion by way of damped maximum correlation estimates

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ringler, A.T.; Edwards, J.D.; Hutt, C.R.; Shelly, F.

    2012-01-01

    Horizontal seismic data are utilized in a large number of Earth studies. Such work depends on the published orientations of the sensitive axes of seismic sensors relative to true North. These orientations can be estimated using a number of different techniques: SensOrLoc (Sensitivity, Orientation and Location), comparison to synthetics (Ekstrom and Busby, 2008), or by way of magnetic compass. Current methods for finding relative station azimuths are unable to do so with arbitrary precision quickly because of limitations in the algorithms (e.g. grid search methods). Furthermore, in order to determine instrument orientations during station visits, it is critical that any analysis software be easily run on a large number of different computer platforms and the results be obtained quickly while on site. We developed a new technique for estimating relative sensor azimuths by inverting for the orientation with the maximum correlation to a reference instrument, using a non-linear parameter estimation routine. By making use of overlapping windows, we are able to make multiple azimuth estimates, which helps to identify the confidence of our azimuth estimate, even when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is low. Finally, our algorithm has been written as a stand-alone, platform independent, Java software package with a graphical user interface for reading and selecting data segments to be analyzed.

  5. Evaluation of probable maximum snow accumulation: Development of a methodology for climate change studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klein, Iris M.; Rousseau, Alain N.; Frigon, Anne; Freudiger, Daphné; Gagnon, Patrick

    2016-06-01

    Probable maximum snow accumulation (PMSA) is one of the key variables used to estimate the spring probable maximum flood (PMF). A robust methodology for evaluating the PMSA is imperative so the ensuing spring PMF is a reasonable estimation. This is of particular importance in times of climate change (CC) since it is known that solid precipitation in Nordic landscapes will in all likelihood change over the next century. In this paper, a PMSA methodology based on simulated data from regional climate models is developed. Moisture maximization represents the core concept of the proposed methodology; precipitable water being the key variable. Results of stationarity tests indicate that CC will affect the monthly maximum precipitable water and, thus, the ensuing ratio to maximize important snowfall events. Therefore, a non-stationary approach is used to describe the monthly maximum precipitable water. Outputs from three simulations produced by the Canadian Regional Climate Model were used to give first estimates of potential PMSA changes for southern Quebec, Canada. A sensitivity analysis of the computed PMSA was performed with respect to the number of time-steps used (so-called snowstorm duration) and the threshold for a snowstorm to be maximized or not. The developed methodology is robust and a powerful tool to estimate the relative change of the PMSA. Absolute results are in the same order of magnitude as those obtained with the traditional method and observed data; but are also found to depend strongly on the climate projection used and show spatial variability.

  6. From Maximum Entropy Models to Non-Stationarity and Irreversibility

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cofre, Rodrigo; Cessac, Bruno; Maldonado, Cesar

    The maximum entropy distribution can be obtained from a variational principle. This is important as a matter of principle and for the purpose of finding approximate solutions. One can exploit this fact to obtain relevant information about the underlying stochastic process. We report here in recent progress in three aspects to this approach.1- Biological systems are expected to show some degree of irreversibility in time. Based on the transfer matrix technique to find the spatio-temporal maximum entropy distribution, we build a framework to quantify the degree of irreversibility of any maximum entropy distribution.2- The maximum entropy solution is characterized by a functional called Gibbs free energy (solution of the variational principle). The Legendre transformation of this functional is the rate function, which controls the speed of convergence of empirical averages to their ergodic mean. We show how the correct description of this functional is determinant for a more rigorous characterization of first and higher order phase transitions.3- We assess the impact of a weak time-dependent external stimulus on the collective statistics of spiking neuronal networks. We show how to evaluate this impact on any higher order spatio-temporal correlation. RC supported by ERC advanced Grant ``Bridges'', BC: KEOPS ANR-CONICYT, Renvision and CM: CONICYT-FONDECYT No. 3140572.

  7. Sensitivity analysis of linear CROW gyroscopes and comparison to a single-resonator gyroscope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zamani-Aghaie, Kiarash; Digonnet, Michel J. F.

    2013-03-01

    This study presents numerical simulations of the maximum sensitivity to absolute rotation of a number of coupled resonator optical waveguide (CROW) gyroscopes consisting of a linear array of coupled ring resonators. It examines in particular the impact on the maximum sensitivity of the number of rings, of the relative spatial orientation of the rings (folded and unfolded), of various sequences of coupling ratios between the rings and various sequences of ring dimensions, and of the number of input/output waveguides (one or two) used to inject and collect the light. In all configurations the sensitivity is maximized by proper selection of the coupling ratio(s) and phase bias, and compared to the maximum sensitivity of a resonant waveguide optical gyroscope (RWOG) utilizing a single ring-resonator waveguide with the same radius and loss as each ring in the CROW. Simulations show that although some configurations are more sensitive than others, in spite of numerous claims to the contrary made in the literature, in all configurations the maximum sensitivity is independent of the number of rings, and does not exceed the maximum sensitivity of an RWOG. There are no sensitivity benefits to utilizing any of these linear CROWs for absolute rotation sensing. For equal total footprint, an RWOG is √N times more sensitive, and it is easier to fabricate and stabilize.

  8. The maximum economic depth of groundwater abstraction for irrigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bierkens, M. F.; Van Beek, L. P.; de Graaf, I. E. M.; Gleeson, T. P.

    2017-12-01

    Over recent decades, groundwater has become increasingly important for agriculture. Irrigation accounts for 40% of the global food production and its importance is expected to grow further in the near future. Already, about 70% of the globally abstracted water is used for irrigation, and nearly half of that is pumped groundwater. In many irrigated areas where groundwater is the primary source of irrigation water, groundwater abstraction is larger than recharge and we see massive groundwater head decline in these areas. An important question then is: to what maximum depth can groundwater be pumped for it to be still economically recoverable? The objective of this study is therefore to create a global map of the maximum depth of economically recoverable groundwater when used for irrigation. The maximum economic depth is the maximum depth at which revenues are still larger than pumping costs or the maximum depth at which initial investments become too large compared to yearly revenues. To this end we set up a simple economic model where costs of well drilling and the energy costs of pumping, which are a function of well depth and static head depth respectively, are compared with the revenues obtained for the irrigated crops. Parameters for the cost sub-model are obtained from several US-based studies and applied to other countries based on GDP/capita as an index of labour costs. The revenue sub-model is based on gross irrigation water demand calculated with a global hydrological and water resources model, areal coverage of crop types from MIRCA2000 and FAO-based statistics on crop yield and market price. We applied our method to irrigated areas in the world overlying productive aquifers. Estimated maximum economic depths range between 50 and 500 m. Most important factors explaining the maximum economic depth are the dominant crop type in the area and whether or not initial investments in well infrastructure are limiting. In subsequent research, our estimates of

  9. Quantitative LC-MS of polymers: determining accurate molecular weight distributions by combined size exclusion chromatography and electrospray mass spectrometry with maximum entropy data processing.

    PubMed

    Gruendling, Till; Guilhaus, Michael; Barner-Kowollik, Christopher

    2008-09-15

    We report on the successful application of size exclusion chromatography (SEC) combined with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and refractive index (RI) detection for the determination of accurate molecular weight distributions of synthetic polymers, corrected for chromatographic band broadening. The presented method makes use of the ability of ESI-MS to accurately depict the peak profiles and retention volumes of individual oligomers eluting from the SEC column, whereas quantitative information on the absolute concentration of oligomers is obtained from the RI-detector only. A sophisticated computational algorithm based on the maximum entropy principle is used to process the data gained by both detectors, yielding an accurate molecular weight distribution, corrected for chromatographic band broadening. Poly(methyl methacrylate) standards with molecular weights up to 10 kDa serve as model compounds. Molecular weight distributions (MWDs) obtained by the maximum entropy procedure are compared to MWDs, which were calculated by a conventional calibration of the SEC-retention time axis with peak retention data obtained from the mass spectrometer. Comparison showed that for the employed chromatographic system, distributions below 7 kDa were only weakly influenced by chromatographic band broadening. However, the maximum entropy algorithm could successfully correct the MWD of a 10 kDa standard for band broadening effects. Molecular weight averages were between 5 and 14% lower than the manufacturer stated data obtained by classical means of calibration. The presented method demonstrates a consistent approach for analyzing data obtained by coupling mass spectrometric detectors and concentration sensitive detectors to polymer liquid chromatography.

  10. Highly sensitive biochemical sensor utilizing Bragg grating in submicron Si/SiO2 waveguides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tripathi, Saurabh Mani; Kumar, Arun; Meunier, Jean-Pierre; Marin, Emmanuel

    2009-05-01

    We present a novel highly sensitive biochemical sensor based on a Bragg grating written in the cladding region of a submicron planar Si/SiO2 waveguide. Owing to the high refractive index contrast at the Si/SiO2 boundary the TM modal power is relatively high in low refractive index sensing region, leading to higher sensitivity in this configuration [1]. Waveguide parameters have been optimized to obtain maximum modal power in the sensing region (PSe) and an optimum core width corresponding to maximum sensitivity is found to exist while operating in TM mode configuration, as has been shown in Fig. 1. It has been found that operating in TM mode configuration at optimum core width the structure exhibits extremely high sensitivity, ~ 5×10-6 RIU - 1.35×10-6 RIU for the ambient refractive indices between 1.33 - 1.63. Such high sensitivities are typically attainable for Surface Plasmon Polariton (SPP) based biosensors and is much higher than any non SPP based sensors. Being free from any metallic layer or bulky prism the structure is easy to realize. Owing to its simple structure and small dimensions the proposed sensor can be integrated with planar lightwave circuits and could be used in handy lab-on-a-chip devices. The device may find application in highly sensitive biological/chemical sensing areas in civil and defense sectors where analyzing the samples at the point of need is required rather than sending it to some centralized laboratory.

  11. Effects of climate change on probable maximum precipitation: A sensitivity study over the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rastogi, Deeksha; Kao, Shih-Chieh; Ashfaq, Moetasim; Mei, Rui; Kabela, Erik D.; Gangrade, Sudershan; Naz, Bibi S.; Preston, Benjamin L.; Singh, Nagendra; Anantharaj, Valentine G.

    2017-05-01

    Probable maximum precipitation (PMP), defined as the largest rainfall depth that could physically occur under a series of adverse atmospheric conditions, has been an important design criterion for critical infrastructures such as dams and nuclear power plants. To understand how PMP may respond to projected future climate forcings, we used a physics-based numerical weather simulation model to estimate PMP across various durations and areas over the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) River Basin in the southeastern United States. Six sets of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model experiments driven by both reanalysis and global climate model projections, with a total of 120 storms, were conducted. The depth-area-duration relationship was derived for each set of WRF simulations and compared with the conventional PMP estimates. Our results showed that PMP driven by projected future climate forcings is higher than 1981-2010 baseline values by around 20% in the 2021-2050 near-future and 44% in the 2071-2100 far-future periods. The additional sensitivity simulations of background air temperature warming also showed an enhancement of PMP, suggesting that atmospheric warming could be one important factor controlling the increase in PMP. In light of the projected increase in precipitation extremes under a warming environment, the reasonableness and role of PMP deserve more in-depth examination.

  12. Calculation of impulse laser rangefinders' utmost operating range with sensitivity in different weather

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Yu-dan; Zhou, Bing; Ying, Jia-ju; Mao, Shao-juan; Qian, Xian-mei

    2015-10-01

    As one of the main weapons, impulse laser rangefinders have become the main object of the electro-optical countermeasures. So its real maximum range (defined as utmost operating range in the paper) becomes the most concerned index to evaluate the performance of electro-optical countermeasure weapons. A method for calculating laser rangefinders' utmost operating range by its sensitivity in different weather is obtained. Then a method by experiment for getting the sensitivity is supplied. By analyzing the experiment data which the detectivity is 40%-60%, the laser rangefinders' sensitivity is in the range of 1.7×10-5 W to 9.8×10-5 W. For the reason that in order to get an exact utmost operating range, the experiment accuracy of sensitivity is very important, in the last part of paper, the factors which influence the experiment accuracy of sensitivity are analyzed, such as circuit of automatic gain control, the fluctuation of laser power, incident angle of laser.

  13. Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity Obtained From Multimillennial Runs of Two GFDL Climate Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paynter, D.; Frölicher, T. L.; Horowitz, L. W.; Silvers, L. G.

    2018-02-01

    Equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS), defined as the long-term change in global mean surface air temperature in response to doubling atmospheric CO2, is usually computed from short atmospheric simulations over a mixed layer ocean, or inferred using a linear regression over a short-time period of adjustment. We report the actual ECS from multimillenial simulations of two Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) general circulation models (GCMs), ESM2M, and CM3 of 3.3 K and 4.8 K, respectively. Both values are 1 K higher than estimates for the same models reported in the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change obtained by regressing the Earth's energy imbalance against temperature. This underestimate is mainly due to changes in the climate feedback parameter (-α) within the first century after atmospheric CO2 has stabilized. For both GCMs it is possible to estimate ECS with linear regression to within 0.3 K by increasing CO2 at 1% per year to doubling and using years 51-350 after CO2 is constant. We show that changes in -α differ between the two GCMs and are strongly tied to the changes in both vertical velocity at 500 hPa (ω500) and estimated inversion strength that the GCMs experience during the progression toward the equilibrium. This suggests that while cloud physics parametrizations are important for determining the strength of -α, the substantially different atmospheric state resulting from a changed sea surface temperature pattern may be of equal importance.

  14. Maximum entropy approach to statistical inference for an ocean acoustic waveguide.

    PubMed

    Knobles, D P; Sagers, J D; Koch, R A

    2012-02-01

    A conditional probability distribution suitable for estimating the statistical properties of ocean seabed parameter values inferred from acoustic measurements is derived from a maximum entropy principle. The specification of the expectation value for an error function constrains the maximization of an entropy functional. This constraint determines the sensitivity factor (β) to the error function of the resulting probability distribution, which is a canonical form that provides a conservative estimate of the uncertainty of the parameter values. From the conditional distribution, marginal distributions for individual parameters can be determined from integration over the other parameters. The approach is an alternative to obtaining the posterior probability distribution without an intermediary determination of the likelihood function followed by an application of Bayes' rule. In this paper the expectation value that specifies the constraint is determined from the values of the error function for the model solutions obtained from a sparse number of data samples. The method is applied to ocean acoustic measurements taken on the New Jersey continental shelf. The marginal probability distribution for the values of the sound speed ratio at the surface of the seabed and the source levels of a towed source are examined for different geoacoustic model representations. © 2012 Acoustical Society of America

  15. Maximum aposteriori joint source/channel coding

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sayood, Khalid; Gibson, Jerry D.

    1991-01-01

    A maximum aposteriori probability (MAP) approach to joint source/channel coder design is presented in this paper. This method attempts to explore a technique for designing joint source/channel codes, rather than ways of distributing bits between source coders and channel coders. For a nonideal source coder, MAP arguments are used to design a decoder which takes advantage of redundancy in the source coder output to perform error correction. Once the decoder is obtained, it is analyzed with the purpose of obtaining 'desirable properties' of the channel input sequence for improving overall system performance. Finally, an encoder design which incorporates these properties is proposed.

  16. High-sensitivity pressure sensor based on fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Yue; Xu, Yao; Yang, Yuguang; Jin, Wenxing; Jiang, Youchao; Shen, Ya; Jian, Shuisheng

    2017-10-01

    In this paper we propose and experimentally demonstrate an optical fiber structure sensor based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer for pressure measurement. The fiber sensor is composed of a single-mode-no-core-single-mode structure, a section of capillary pure silica tube and refractive index matching fluid (RIMF). As the pressure decreases, the sealed air in the tube expands and the liquid level of the RIMF increases, which causes a wavelength shift of the interferometer. The measurement of the pressure variation can thus be achieved by monitoring the wavelength shift. The experimental results agree well with the numerical simulation, and a maximum pressure sensitivity of 266.6 nm Mpa-1 is achieved experimentally. Furthermore, the proposed fiber sensor has the potential to obtain higher sensitivity by enlarging the length of the air cavity.

  17. Mid-depth temperature maximum in an estuarine lake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stepanenko, V. M.; Repina, I. A.; Artamonov, A. Yu; Gorin, S. L.; Lykossov, V. N.; Kulyamin, D. V.

    2018-03-01

    The mid-depth temperature maximum (TeM) was measured in an estuarine Bol’shoi Vilyui Lake (Kamchatka peninsula, Russia) in summer 2015. We applied 1D k-ɛ model LAKE to the case, and found it successfully simulating the phenomenon. We argue that the main prerequisite for mid-depth TeM development is a salinity increase below the freshwater mixed layer, sharp enough in order to increase the temperature with depth not to cause convective mixing and double diffusion there. Given that this condition is satisfied, the TeM magnitude is controlled by physical factors which we identified as: radiation absorption below the mixed layer, mixed-layer temperature dynamics, vertical heat conduction and water-sediments heat exchange. In addition to these, we formulate the mechanism of temperature maximum ‘pumping’, resulting from the phase shift between diurnal cycles of mixed-layer depth and temperature maximum magnitude. Based on the LAKE model results we quantify the contribution of the above listed mechanisms and find their individual significance highly sensitive to water turbidity. Relying on physical mechanisms identified we define environmental conditions favouring the summertime TeM development in salinity-stratified lakes as: small-mixed layer depth (roughly, ~< 2 m), transparent water, daytime maximum of wind and cloudless weather. We exemplify the effect of mixed-layer depth on TeM by a set of selected lakes.

  18. A comparative study of the sensitivity of diffusion-related parameters obtained from diffusion tensor imaging, diffusional kurtosis imaging, q-space analysis and bi-exponential modelling in the early disease course (24 h) of hyperacute (6 h) ischemic stroke patients.

    PubMed

    Duchêne, Gaëtan; Peeters, Frank; Peeters, André; Duprez, Thierry

    2017-08-01

    To compare the sensitivity and early temporal changes of diffusion parameters obtained from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI), q-space analysis (QSA) and bi-exponential modelling in hyperacute stroke patients. A single investigational acquisition allowing the four diffusion analyses was performed on seven hyperacute stroke patients with a 3T system. The percentage change between ipsi- and contralateral regions were compared at admission and 24 h later. Two out of the seven patients were imaged every 6 h during this period. Kurtoses from both DKI and QSA were the most sensitive of the tested diffusion parameters in the few hours following ischemia. An early increase-maximum-decrease pattern of evolution was highlighted during the 24-h period for all parameters proportional to diffusion coefficients. A similar pattern was observed for both kurtoses in only one of two patients. Our comparison was performed using identical diffusion encoding timings and on patients in the same stage of their condition. Although preliminary, our findings confirm those of previous studies that showed enhanced sensitivity of kurtosis. A fine time mapping of diffusion metrics in hyperacute stroke patients was presented which advocates for further investigations on larger animal or human cohorts.

  19. Nonlinear mathematical modeling and sensitivity analysis of hydraulic drive unit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kong, Xiangdong; Yu, Bin; Quan, Lingxiao; Ba, Kaixian; Wu, Liujie

    2015-09-01

    The previous sensitivity analysis researches are not accurate enough and also have the limited reference value, because those mathematical models are relatively simple and the change of the load and the initial displacement changes of the piston are ignored, even experiment verification is not conducted. Therefore, in view of deficiencies above, a nonlinear mathematical model is established in this paper, including dynamic characteristics of servo valve, nonlinear characteristics of pressure-flow, initial displacement of servo cylinder piston and friction nonlinearity. The transfer function block diagram is built for the hydraulic drive unit closed loop position control, as well as the state equations. Through deriving the time-varying coefficient items matrix and time-varying free items matrix of sensitivity equations respectively, the expression of sensitivity equations based on the nonlinear mathematical model are obtained. According to structure parameters of hydraulic drive unit, working parameters, fluid transmission characteristics and measured friction-velocity curves, the simulation analysis of hydraulic drive unit is completed on the MATLAB/Simulink simulation platform with the displacement step 2 mm, 5 mm and 10 mm, respectively. The simulation results indicate that the developed nonlinear mathematical model is sufficient by comparing the characteristic curves of experimental step response and simulation step response under different constant load. Then, the sensitivity function time-history curves of seventeen parameters are obtained, basing on each state vector time-history curve of step response characteristic. The maximum value of displacement variation percentage and the sum of displacement variation absolute values in the sampling time are both taken as sensitivity indexes. The sensitivity indexes values above are calculated and shown visually in histograms under different working conditions, and change rules are analyzed. Then the sensitivity

  20. In Vivo potassium-39 NMR spectra by the burg maximum-entropy method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uchiyama, Takanori; Minamitani, Haruyuki

    The Burg maximum-entropy method was applied to estimate 39K NMR spectra of mung bean root tips. The maximum-entropy spectra have as good a linearity between peak areas and potassium concentrations as those obtained by fast Fourier transform and give a better estimation of intracellular potassium concentrations. Therefore potassium uptake and loss processes of mung bean root tips are shown to be more clearly traced by the maximum-entropy method.

  1. An Algorithm for Efficient Maximum Likelihood Estimation and Confidence Interval Determination in Nonlinear Estimation Problems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Murphy, Patrick Charles

    1985-01-01

    An algorithm for maximum likelihood (ML) estimation is developed with an efficient method for approximating the sensitivities. The algorithm was developed for airplane parameter estimation problems but is well suited for most nonlinear, multivariable, dynamic systems. The ML algorithm relies on a new optimization method referred to as a modified Newton-Raphson with estimated sensitivities (MNRES). MNRES determines sensitivities by using slope information from local surface approximations of each output variable in parameter space. The fitted surface allows sensitivity information to be updated at each iteration with a significant reduction in computational effort. MNRES determines the sensitivities with less computational effort than using either a finite-difference method or integrating the analytically determined sensitivity equations. MNRES eliminates the need to derive sensitivity equations for each new model, thus eliminating algorithm reformulation with each new model and providing flexibility to use model equations in any format that is convenient. A random search technique for determining the confidence limits of ML parameter estimates is applied to nonlinear estimation problems for airplanes. The confidence intervals obtained by the search are compared with Cramer-Rao (CR) bounds at the same confidence level. It is observed that the degree of nonlinearity in the estimation problem is an important factor in the relationship between CR bounds and the error bounds determined by the search technique. The CR bounds were found to be close to the bounds determined by the search when the degree of nonlinearity was small. Beale's measure of nonlinearity is developed in this study for airplane identification problems; it is used to empirically correct confidence levels for the parameter confidence limits. The primary utility of the measure, however, was found to be in predicting the degree of agreement between Cramer-Rao bounds and search estimates.

  2. Maximum likelihood estimation of signal-to-noise ratio and combiner weight

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kalson, S.; Dolinar, S. J.

    1986-01-01

    An algorithm for estimating signal to noise ratio and combiner weight parameters for a discrete time series is presented. The algorithm is based upon the joint maximum likelihood estimate of the signal and noise power. The discrete-time series are the sufficient statistics obtained after matched filtering of a biphase modulated signal in additive white Gaussian noise, before maximum likelihood decoding is performed.

  3. Effects of climate change on probable maximum precipitation: A sensitivity study over the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin

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

    Rastogi, Deeksha; Kao, Shih-Chieh; Ashfaq, Moetasim

    Probable maximum precipitation (PMP), defined as the largest rainfall depth that could physically occur under a series of adverse atmospheric conditions, has been an important design criterion for critical infrastructures such as dams and nuclear power plants. To understand how PMP may respond to projected future climate forcings, we used a physics-based numerical weather simulation model to estimate PMP across various durations and areas over the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) river basin in the southeastern United States. Six sets of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model experiments driven by both reanalysis and global climate model projections, with a total of 120 storms,more » were conducted. The depth-area-duration relationship was derived for each set of WRF simulations and compared with the conventional PMP estimates. Here, our results showed that PMP driven by projected future climate forcings is higher than 1981-2010 baseline values by around 20% in the 2021-2050 near-future and 44% in the 2071-2100 far-future periods. The additional sensitivity simulations of background air temperature warming also showed an enhancement of PMP, suggesting that atmospheric warming could be one important factor controlling the increase in PMP. In light of the projected increase in precipitation extremes under a warming environment, the reasonableness and role of PMP deserves more in-depth examination.« less

  4. Effects of climate change on probable maximum precipitation: A sensitivity study over the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin

    DOE PAGES

    Rastogi, Deeksha; Kao, Shih-Chieh; Ashfaq, Moetasim; ...

    2017-04-13

    Probable maximum precipitation (PMP), defined as the largest rainfall depth that could physically occur under a series of adverse atmospheric conditions, has been an important design criterion for critical infrastructures such as dams and nuclear power plants. To understand how PMP may respond to projected future climate forcings, we used a physics-based numerical weather simulation model to estimate PMP across various durations and areas over the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) river basin in the southeastern United States. Six sets of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model experiments driven by both reanalysis and global climate model projections, with a total of 120 storms,more » were conducted. The depth-area-duration relationship was derived for each set of WRF simulations and compared with the conventional PMP estimates. Here, our results showed that PMP driven by projected future climate forcings is higher than 1981-2010 baseline values by around 20% in the 2021-2050 near-future and 44% in the 2071-2100 far-future periods. The additional sensitivity simulations of background air temperature warming also showed an enhancement of PMP, suggesting that atmospheric warming could be one important factor controlling the increase in PMP. In light of the projected increase in precipitation extremes under a warming environment, the reasonableness and role of PMP deserves more in-depth examination.« less

  5. Information Entropy Production of Maximum Entropy Markov Chains from Spike Trains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cofré, Rodrigo; Maldonado, Cesar

    2018-01-01

    We consider the maximum entropy Markov chain inference approach to characterize the collective statistics of neuronal spike trains, focusing on the statistical properties of the inferred model. We review large deviations techniques useful in this context to describe properties of accuracy and convergence in terms of sampling size. We use these results to study the statistical fluctuation of correlations, distinguishability and irreversibility of maximum entropy Markov chains. We illustrate these applications using simple examples where the large deviation rate function is explicitly obtained for maximum entropy models of relevance in this field.

  6. Maximum static inspiratory and expiratory pressures with different lung volumes

    PubMed Central

    Lausted, Christopher G; Johnson, Arthur T; Scott, William H; Johnson, Monique M; Coyne, Karen M; Coursey, Derya C

    2006-01-01

    Background Maximum pressures developed by the respiratory muscles can indicate the health of the respiratory system, help to determine maximum respiratory flow rates, and contribute to respiratory power development. Past measurements of maximum pressures have been found to be inadequate for inclusion in some exercise models involving respiration. Methods Maximum inspiratory and expiratory airway pressures were measured over a range of lung volumes in 29 female and 19 male adults. A commercial bell spirometry system was programmed to occlude airflow at nine target lung volumes ranging from 10% to 90% of vital capacity. Results In women, maximum expiratory pressure increased with volume from 39 to 61 cmH2O and maximum inspiratory pressure decreased with volume from 66 to 28 cmH2O. In men, maximum expiratory pressure increased with volume from 63 to 97 cmH2O and maximum inspiratory pressure decreased with volume from 97 to 39 cmH2O. Equations describing pressures for both sexes are: Pe/Pmax = 0.1426 Ln( %VC) + 0.3402 R2 = 0.95 Pi/Pmax = 0.234 Ln(100 - %VC) - 0.0828 R2 = 0.96 Conclusion These results were found to be consistent with values and trends obtained by other authors. Regression equations may be suitable for respiratory mechanics models. PMID:16677384

  7. Modeling and optimization of maximum available work for irreversible gas power cycles with temperature dependent specific heat

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Açıkkalp, Emin; Yamık, Hasan

    2015-03-01

    In classical thermodynamics, the maximum power obtained from a system is defined as exergy (availability). However, the term exergy is used for reversible cycles only; in reality, reversible cycles do not exist, and all systems are irreversible. Reversible cycles do not have such restrictions as time and dimension, and are assumed to work in an equilibrium state. The objective of this study is to obtain maximum available work for SI, CI and Brayton cycles while considering the aforementioned restrictions and assumptions. We assume that the specific heat of the working fluid varies with temperature, we define optimum compression ratios and pressure ratio in order to obtain maximum available work, and we discuss the results obtained. The design parameter most appropriate for the results obtained is presented.

  8. Maximum likelihood estimation for predicting the probability of obtaining variable shortleaf pine regeneration densities

    Treesearch

    Thomas B. Lynch; Jean Nkouka; Michael M. Huebschmann; James M. Guldin

    2003-01-01

    A logistic equation is the basis for a model that predicts the probability of obtaining regeneration at specified densities. The density of regeneration (trees/ha) for which an estimate of probability is desired can be specified by means of independent variables in the model. When estimating parameters, the dependent variable is set to 1 if the regeneration density (...

  9. Sensitivity of C-Band Polarimetric Radar-Based Drop Size Distribution Measurements to Maximum Diameter Assumptions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carey, Lawrence D.; Petersen, Walter A.

    2011-01-01

    The estimation of rain drop size distribution (DSD) parameters from polarimetric radar observations is accomplished by first establishing a relationship between differential reflectivity (Z(sub dr)) and the central tendency of the rain DSD such as the median volume diameter (D0). Since Z(sub dr) does not provide a direct measurement of DSD central tendency, the relationship is typically derived empirically from rain drop and radar scattering models (e.g., D0 = F[Z (sub dr)] ). Past studies have explored the general sensitivity of these models to temperature, radar wavelength, the drop shape vs. size relation, and DSD variability. Much progress has been made in recent years in measuring the drop shape and DSD variability using surface-based disdrometers, such as the 2D Video disdrometer (2DVD), and documenting their impact on polarimetric radar techniques. In addition to measuring drop shape, another advantage of the 2DVD over earlier impact type disdrometers is its ability to resolve drop diameters in excess of 5 mm. Despite this improvement, the sampling limitations of a disdrometer, including the 2DVD, make it very difficult to adequately measure the maximum drop diameter (D(sub max)) present in a typical radar resolution volume. As a result, D(sub max) must still be assumed in the drop and radar models from which D0 = F[Z(sub dr)] is derived. Since scattering resonance at C-band wavelengths begins to occur in drop diameters larger than about 5 mm, modeled C-band radar parameters, particularly Z(sub dr), can be sensitive to D(sub max) assumptions. In past C-band radar studies, a variety of D(sub max) assumptions have been made, including the actual disdrometer estimate of D(sub max) during a typical sampling period (e.g., 1-3 minutes), D(sub max) = C (where C is constant at values from 5 to 8 mm), and D(sub max) = M*D0 (where the constant multiple, M, is fixed at values ranging from 2.5 to 3.5). The overall objective of this NASA Global Precipitation Measurement

  10. Maximum Tsallis entropy with generalized Gini and Gini mean difference indices constraints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khosravi Tanak, A.; Mohtashami Borzadaran, G. R.; Ahmadi, J.

    2017-04-01

    Using the maximum entropy principle with Tsallis entropy, some distribution families for modeling income distribution are obtained. By considering income inequality measures, maximum Tsallis entropy distributions under the constraint on generalized Gini and Gini mean difference indices are derived. It is shown that the Tsallis entropy maximizers with the considered constraints belong to generalized Pareto family.

  11. Sensitivity of a fibre scattered-light interferometer to external phase perturbations in an optical fibre

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

    Alekseev, A E; Potapov, V T; Gorshkov, B G

    2015-10-31

    Sensitivity of a fibre scattered-light interferometer to external phase perturbations is studied for the first time. An expression is derived for an average power of a useful signal at the interferometer output under external harmonic perturbations in a signal fibre of the interferometer. It is shown that the maximum sensitivity of the scattered-light interferometer depends on the dispersion of the interferogram intensity. An average signal-to-noise ratio is determined theoretically and experimentally at the output of the interferometer at different amplitudes of external perturbations. Using the measured dependences of the signal-to-noise ratio, the threshold sensitivity of the fibre scattered-light interferometer tomore » external phase perturbations is found. The results obtained can be used to optimise characteristics of optical time-domain reflectometers and to design individual phase-sensitive fibre-optic sensors. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)« less

  12. Application of thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations near maximum lift

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anderson, W. K.; Thomas, J. L.; Rumsey, C. L.

    1984-01-01

    The flowfield about a NACA 0012 airfoil at a Mach number of 0.3 and Reynolds number of 1 million is computed through an angle of attack range, up to 18 deg, corresponding to conditions up to and beyond the maximum lift coefficient. Results obtained using the compressible thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations are presented as well as results from the compressible Euler equations with and without a viscous coupling procedure. The applicability of each code is assessed and many thin-layer Navier-Stokes benchmark solutions are obtained which can be used for comparison with other codes intended for use at high angles of attack. Reasonable agreement of the Navier-Stokes code with experiment and the viscous-inviscid interaction code is obtained at moderate angles of attack. An unsteady solution is obtained with the thin-layer Navier-Stokes code at the highest angle of attack considered. The maximum lift coefficient is overpredicted, however, in comparison to experimental data, which is attributed to the presence of a laminar separation bubble near the leading edge not modeled in the computations. Two comparisons with experimental data are also presented at a higher Mach number.

  13. Minimum and Maximum Times Required to Obtain Representative Suspended Sediment Samples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gitto, A.; Venditti, J. G.; Kostaschuk, R.; Church, M. A.

    2014-12-01

    Bottle sampling is a convenient method of obtaining suspended sediment measurements for the development of sediment budgets. While these methods are generally considered to be reliable, recent analysis of depth-integrated sampling has identified considerable uncertainty in measurements of grain-size concentration between grain-size classes of multiple samples. Point-integrated bottle sampling is assumed to represent the mean concentration of suspended sediment but the uncertainty surrounding this method is not well understood. Here we examine at-a-point variability in velocity, suspended sediment concentration, grain-size distribution, and grain-size moments to determine if traditional point-integrated methods provide a representative sample of suspended sediment. We present continuous hour-long observations of suspended sediment from the sand-bedded portion of the Fraser River at Mission, British Columbia, Canada, using a LISST laser-diffraction instrument. Spectral analysis suggests that there are no statistically significant peak in energy density, suggesting the absence of periodic fluctuations in flow and suspended sediment. However, a slope break in the spectra at 0.003 Hz corresponds to a period of 5.5 minutes. This coincides with the threshold between large-scale turbulent eddies that scale with channel width/mean velocity and hydraulic phenomena related to channel dynamics. This suggests that suspended sediment samples taken over a period longer than 5.5 minutes incorporate variability that is larger scale than turbulent phenomena in this channel. Examination of 5.5-minute periods of our time series indicate that ~20% of the time a stable mean value of volumetric concentration is reached within 30 seconds, a typical bottle sample duration. In ~12% of measurements a stable mean was not reached over the 5.5 minute sample duration. The remaining measurements achieve a stable mean in an even distribution over the intervening interval.

  14. A Novel High-Sensitivity, Low-Power, Liquid Crystal Temperature Sensor

    PubMed Central

    Algorri, José Francisco; Urruchi, Virginia; Bennis, Noureddine; Sánchez-Pena, José Manuel

    2014-01-01

    A novel temperature sensor based on nematic liquid crystal permittivity as a sensing magnitude, is presented. This sensor consists of a specific micrometric structure that gives considerable advantages from other previous related liquid crystal (LC) sensors. The analytical study reveals that permittivity change with temperature is introduced in a hyperbolic cosine function, increasing the sensitivity term considerably. The experimental data has been obtained for ranges from −6 °C to 100 °C. Despite this, following the LC datasheet, theoretical ranges from −40 °C to 109 °C could be achieved. These results have revealed maximum sensitivities of 33 mVrms/°C for certain temperature ranges; three times more than of most silicon temperature sensors. As it was predicted by the analytical study, the micrometric size of the proposed structure produces a high output voltage. Moreover the voltage's sensitivity to temperature response can be controlled by the applied voltage. This response allows temperature measurements to be carried out without any amplification or conditioning circuitry, with very low power consumption. PMID:24721771

  15. Uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis with CASL Core Simulator VERA-CS

    DOE PAGES

    Brown, C. S.; Zhang, Hongbin

    2016-05-24

    Uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis are important for nuclear reactor safety design and analysis. A 2x2 fuel assembly core design was developed and simulated by the Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications, Core Simulator (VERA-CS) coupled neutronics and thermal-hydraulics code under development by the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL). An approach to uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis with VERA-CS was developed and a new toolkit was created to perform uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis with fourteen uncertain input parameters. Furthermore, the minimum departure from nucleate boiling ratio (MDNBR), maximum fuel center-line temperature, and maximum outer clad surfacemore » temperature were chosen as the selected figures of merit. Pearson, Spearman, and partial correlation coefficients were considered for all of the figures of merit in sensitivity analysis and coolant inlet temperature was consistently the most influential parameter. We used parameters as inputs to the critical heat flux calculation with the W-3 correlation were shown to be the most influential on the MDNBR, maximum fuel center-line temperature, and maximum outer clad surface temperature.« less

  16. Maximum power point tracker for photovoltaic power plants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arcidiacono, V.; Corsi, S.; Lambri, L.

    The paper describes two different closed-loop control criteria for the maximum power point tracking of the voltage-current characteristic of a photovoltaic generator. The two criteria are discussed and compared, inter alia, with regard to the setting-up problems that they pose. Although a detailed analysis is not embarked upon, the paper also provides some quantitative information on the energy advantages obtained by using electronic maximum power point tracking systems, as compared with the situation in which the point of operation of the photovoltaic generator is not controlled at all. Lastly, the paper presents two high-efficiency MPPT converters for experimental photovoltaic plants of the stand-alone and the grid-interconnected type.

  17. Spectral sensitivity of cones of the monkey Macaca fascicularis.

    PubMed Central

    Baylor, D A; Nunn, B J; Schnapf, J L

    1987-01-01

    1. Spectral sensitivities of cones in the retina of cynomolgus monkeys were determined by recording photocurrents from single outer segments with a suction electrode. 2. The amplitude and shape of the response to a flash depended upon the number of photons absorbed but not the wave-length, so that the 'Principle of Univariance' was obeyed. 3. Spectra were obtained from five 'blue', twenty 'green', and sixteen 'red' cones. The wave-lengths of maximum sensitivity were approximately 430, 531 and 561 nm, respectively. 4. The spectra of the three types of cones had similar shapes when plotted on a log wave number scale, and were fitted by an empirical expression. 5. There was no evidence for the existence of subclasses of cones with different spectral sensitivities. Within a class, the positions of the individual spectra on the wave-length axis showed a standard deviation of less than 1.5 nm. 6. Psychophysical results on human colour matching (Stiles & Burch, 1955; Stiles & Burch, 1959) were well predicted from the spectral sensitivities of the monkey cones. After correction for pre-retinal absorption and pigment self-screening, the spectra of the red and green cones matched the respective pi 5 and pi 4 mechanisms of Stiles (1953, 1959). PMID:3443931

  18. Habituation and sensitization in primary headaches

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    The phenomena of habituation and sensitization are considered most useful for studying the neuronal substrates of information processing in the CNS. Both were studied in primary headaches, that are functional disorders of the brain characterized by an abnormal responsivity to any kind of incoming innocuous or painful stimuli and it’s cycling pattern over time (interictal, pre-ictal, ictal). The present review summarizes available data on stimulus responsivity in primary headaches obtained with clinical neurophysiology. In migraine, the majority of electrophysiological studies between attacks have shown that, for a number of different sensory modalities, the brain is characterised by a lack of habituation of evoked responses to repeated stimuli. This abnormal processing of the incoming information reaches its maximum a few days before the beginning of an attack, and normalizes during the attack, at a time when sensitization may also manifest itself. An abnormal rhythmic activity between thalamus and cortex, namely thalamocortical dysrhythmia, may be the pathophysiological mechanism subtending abnormal information processing in migraine. In tension-type headache (TTH), only few signs of deficient habituation were observed only in subgroups of patients. By contrast, using grand-average responses indirect evidence for sensitization has been found in chronic TTH with increased nociceptive specific reflexes and evoked potentials. Generalized increased sensitivity to pain (lower thresholds and increased pain rating) and a dysfunction in supraspinal descending pain control systems may contribute to the development and/or maintenance of central sensitization in chronic TTH. Cluster headache patients are chrarcterized during the bout and on the headache side by a pronounced lack of habituation of the brainstem blink reflex and a general sensitization of pain processing. A better insight into the nature of these ictal/interictal electrophysiological dysfunctions in primary

  19. A Small Range Six-Axis Accelerometer Designed with High Sensitivity DCB Elastic Element

    PubMed Central

    Sun, Zhibo; Liu, Jinhao; Yu, Chunzhan; Zheng, Yili

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes a small range six-axis accelerometer (the measurement range of the sensor is ±g) with high sensitivity DCB (Double Cantilever Beam) elastic element. This sensor is developed based on a parallel mechanism because of the reliability. The accuracy of sensors is affected by its sensitivity characteristics. To improve the sensitivity, a DCB structure is applied as the elastic element. Through dynamic analysis, the dynamic model of the accelerometer is established using the Lagrange equation, and the mass matrix and stiffness matrix are obtained by a partial derivative calculation and a conservative congruence transformation, respectively. By simplifying the structure of the accelerometer, a model of the free vibration is achieved, and the parameters of the sensor are designed based on the model. Through stiffness analysis of the DCB structure, the deflection curve of the beam is calculated. Compared with the result obtained using a finite element analysis simulation in ANSYS Workbench, the coincidence rate of the maximum deflection is 89.0% along the x-axis, 88.3% along the y-axis and 87.5% along the z-axis. Through strain analysis of the DCB elastic element, the sensitivity of the beam is obtained. According to the experimental result, the accuracy of the theoretical analysis is found to be 90.4% along the x-axis, 74.9% along the y-axis and 78.9% along the z-axis. The measurement errors of linear accelerations ax, ay and az in the experiments are 2.6%, 0.6% and 1.31%, respectively. The experiments prove that accelerometer with DCB elastic element performs great sensitive and precision characteristics. PMID:27657089

  20. Effects of variability in probable maximum precipitation patterns on flood losses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zischg, Andreas Paul; Felder, Guido; Weingartner, Rolf; Quinn, Niall; Coxon, Gemma; Neal, Jeffrey; Freer, Jim; Bates, Paul

    2018-05-01

    The assessment of the impacts of extreme floods is important for dealing with residual risk, particularly for critical infrastructure management and for insurance purposes. Thus, modelling of the probable maximum flood (PMF) from probable maximum precipitation (PMP) by coupling hydrological and hydraulic models has gained interest in recent years. Herein, we examine whether variability in precipitation patterns exceeds or is below selected uncertainty factors in flood loss estimation and if the flood losses within a river basin are related to the probable maximum discharge at the basin outlet. We developed a model experiment with an ensemble of probable maximum precipitation scenarios created by Monte Carlo simulations. For each rainfall pattern, we computed the flood losses with a model chain and benchmarked the effects of variability in rainfall distribution with other model uncertainties. The results show that flood losses vary considerably within the river basin and depend on the timing and superimposition of the flood peaks from the basin's sub-catchments. In addition to the flood hazard component, the other components of flood risk, exposure, and vulnerability contribute remarkably to the overall variability. This leads to the conclusion that the estimation of the probable maximum expectable flood losses in a river basin should not be based exclusively on the PMF. Consequently, the basin-specific sensitivities to different precipitation patterns and the spatial organization of the settlements within the river basin need to be considered in the analyses of probable maximum flood losses.

  1. Maximum-biomass prediction of homofermentative Lactobacillus.

    PubMed

    Cui, Shumao; Zhao, Jianxin; Liu, Xiaoming; Chen, Yong Q; Zhang, Hao; Chen, Wei

    2016-07-01

    Fed-batch and pH-controlled cultures have been widely used for industrial production of probiotics. The aim of this study was to systematically investigate the relationship between the maximum biomass of different homofermentative Lactobacillus and lactate accumulation, and to develop a prediction equation for the maximum biomass concentration in such cultures. The accumulation of the end products and the depletion of nutrients by various strains were evaluated. In addition, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of acid anions for various strains at pH 7.0 were examined. The lactate concentration at the point of complete inhibition was not significantly different from the MIC of lactate for all of the strains, although the inhibition mechanism of lactate and acetate on Lactobacillus rhamnosus was different from the other strains which were inhibited by the osmotic pressure caused by acid anions at pH 7.0. When the lactate concentration accumulated to the MIC, the strains stopped growing. The maximum biomass was closely related to the biomass yield per unit of lactate produced (YX/P) and the MIC (C) of lactate for different homofermentative Lactobacillus. Based on the experimental data obtained using different homofermentative Lactobacillus, a prediction equation was established as follows: Xmax - X0 = (0.59 ± 0.02)·YX/P·C. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  2. Chemical crosslinking of acrylic acid to form biocompatible pH sensitive hydrogel reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)

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

    Lim, Lim Sze; Ahmad, Ishak; Lazim, Mohd Azwani Shah Mat

    2014-09-03

    The purpose of this study is to produce a novel pH and temperature sensitive hydrogel, composed of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and cellulose nanocrystal (CNC). CNC was extracted from kenaf fiber through a series of alkali and bleaching treatments followed by acid hydrolysis. The PAA was then subjected to chemical cross-linking using the cross-linking agent (N,N-methylenebisacrylamide) with CNC entrapped in PAA matrix. The mixture was casted onto petri dish to obtain disc shape hydrogel. The effects of reaction conditions such as the ratio of PAA and CNC on the swelling behavior of the hydrogel obtained towards pH and temperature were studied.more » The obtained hydrogel was further subjected to different tests such swelling test for swelling behaviour at different pH and temperature along with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphology analysis. The hydrogel obtained showed excellent pH sensitivity and obtained maximum swelling at pH 7. Besides that, hydrogel obtained showed significant increase in swelling ratio when temperature of swelling medium was increased from 25°C to 37°C. SEM micrograph showed that the pore size of the hydrogel decreases with increase of CNC content proving that the hydrogel structure became more rigid with addition of CNC. The PAA/CNC hydrogel with such excellent sensitivity towards pH and temperature can be developed further as drug carrier.« less

  3. Maximum powers of low-loss series-shunt FET RF switches

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Z.; Hu, X.; Yang, J.; Simin, G.; Shur, M.; Gaska, R.

    2009-02-01

    Low-loss high-power single pole single throw (SPST) monolithic RF switch based on AlGaN/GaN heterojunction field effect transistors (HFETs) demonstrate the insertion loss and isolation of 0.15 dB and 45.9 dB at 0.5 GHz and 0.23 dB and 34.3 dB at 2 GHz. Maximum switching powers are estimated +47 dBm or higher. Factors determining the maximum switching powers are analyzed. Design principles to obtain equally high switching powers in the ON and OFF-states are developed.

  4. A general methodology for maximum likelihood inference from band-recovery data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Conroy, M.J.; Williams, B.K.

    1984-01-01

    A numerical procedure is described for obtaining maximum likelihood estimates and associated maximum likelihood inference from band- recovery data. The method is used to illustrate previously developed one-age-class band-recovery models, and is extended to new models, including the analysis with a covariate for survival rates and variable-time-period recovery models. Extensions to R-age-class band- recovery, mark-recapture models, and twice-yearly marking are discussed. A FORTRAN program provides computations for these models.

  5. On measurement of the isotropy of the maximum attainable speed

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wojtsekhowski, Bogdan

    2015-04-01

    A proposal for a precision experiment to investigate possible anisotropy of the maximum attainable speed (MAS) will be presented. It is based on an electron/positron beam with a large Lorentz factor and a 180-degree magnetic arc. The ratio of the momenta at the two ends of the magnetic arc will be used to form an observable which is sensitive to the MAS variation and immune to most of the instabilities of the apparatus. The search will use the sidereal periodicity of a potential signal. The uncertainty of momenta measurement could be greatly reduced by means of the electron and positron beams simultaneously rotating in the same magnetic system. The projected sensitivity of the measurement and the implications will be discussed.

  6. Finite mixture model: A maximum likelihood estimation approach on time series data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yen, Phoong Seuk; Ismail, Mohd Tahir; Hamzah, Firdaus Mohamad

    2014-09-01

    Recently, statistician emphasized on the fitting of finite mixture model by using maximum likelihood estimation as it provides asymptotic properties. In addition, it shows consistency properties as the sample sizes increases to infinity. This illustrated that maximum likelihood estimation is an unbiased estimator. Moreover, the estimate parameters obtained from the application of maximum likelihood estimation have smallest variance as compared to others statistical method as the sample sizes increases. Thus, maximum likelihood estimation is adopted in this paper to fit the two-component mixture model in order to explore the relationship between rubber price and exchange rate for Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia. Results described that there is a negative effect among rubber price and exchange rate for all selected countries.

  7. Maximum Likelihood and Restricted Likelihood Solutions in Multiple-Method Studies.

    PubMed

    Rukhin, Andrew L

    2011-01-01

    A formulation of the problem of combining data from several sources is discussed in terms of random effects models. The unknown measurement precision is assumed not to be the same for all methods. We investigate maximum likelihood solutions in this model. By representing the likelihood equations as simultaneous polynomial equations, the exact form of the Groebner basis for their stationary points is derived when there are two methods. A parametrization of these solutions which allows their comparison is suggested. A numerical method for solving likelihood equations is outlined, and an alternative to the maximum likelihood method, the restricted maximum likelihood, is studied. In the situation when methods variances are considered to be known an upper bound on the between-method variance is obtained. The relationship between likelihood equations and moment-type equations is also discussed.

  8. Effect of photoanode surface coverage by a sensitizer on the photovoltaic performance of titania based CdS quantum dot sensitized solar cells.

    PubMed

    Prasad, Rajendra M B; Pathan, Habib M

    2016-04-08

    In spite of the promising design and architecture, quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) have a long way to go before they attain the actual projected photoconversion efficiencies. Such an inferior performance displayed by QDSSCs is primarily because of many unwanted recombination losses of charge carriers at various interfaces of the cell. Electron recombination due to back electron transfer at the photoanode/electrolyte interface is an important one that needs to be addressed, to improve the efficiency of these third generation nanostructured solar cells. The present work highlights the importance of conformal coverage of CdS quantum dots (QDs) on the surface of the nanocrystalline titania photoanode in arresting such recombinations, leading to improvement in the performance of the cells. Using the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) process, photoanodes are subjected to different amounts of CdS QD sensitization by varying the number of cycles of deposition. The sensitized electrodes are characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and transmission electron microscopy to evaluate the extent of surface coverage of titania electrodes by QDs. Sandwich solar cells are then fabricated using these electrodes and characterized employing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and J-V characteristics. It is observed that maximum solar cell efficiency is obtained for photoanodes with conformal coating of QDs and any further deposition of sensitizer leads to QD aggregation and so reduces the performance of the solar cells.

  9. Aluminum-thin-film packaged fiber Bragg grating probes for monitoring the maximum tensile strain of composite materials.

    PubMed

    Im, Jooeun; Kim, Mihyun; Choi, Ki-Sun; Hwang, Tae-Kyung; Kwon, Il-Bum

    2014-06-10

    In this paper, new fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor probes are designed to intermittently detect the maximum tensile strain of composite materials, so as to evaluate the structural health status. This probe is fabricated by two thin Al films bonded to an FBG optical fiber and two supporting brackets, which are fixed on the surface of composite materials. The residual strain of the Al packaged FBG sensor probe is induced by the strain of composite materials. This residual strain can indicate the maximum strain of composite materials. Two types of sensor probes are prepared-one is an FBG with 18 μm thick Al films, and the other is an FBG with 36 μm thick Al films-to compare the thickness effect on the detection sensitivity. These sensor probes are bonded on the surfaces of carbon fiber reinforced plastics composite specimens. In order to determine the strain sensitivity between the residual strain of the FBG sensor probe and the maximum strain of the composite specimen, tensile tests are performed by universal testing machine, under the loading-unloading test condition. The strain sensitivities of the probes, which have the Al thicknesses of 18 and 36 μm, are determined as 0.13 and 0.23, respectively.

  10. Modeling the impact of the indigenous microbial population on the maximum population density of Salmonella on alfalfa.

    PubMed

    Rijgersberg, Hajo; Franz, Eelco; Nierop Groot, Masja; Tromp, Seth-Oscar

    2013-07-01

    Within a microbial risk assessment framework, modeling the maximum population density (MPD) of a pathogenic microorganism is important but often not considered. This paper describes a model predicting the MPD of Salmonella on alfalfa as a function of the initial contamination level, the total count of the indigenous microbial population, the maximum pathogen growth rate and the maximum population density of the indigenous microbial population. The model is parameterized by experimental data describing growth of Salmonella on sprouting alfalfa seeds at inoculum size, native microbial load and Pseudomonas fluorescens 2-79. The obtained model fits well to the experimental data, with standard errors less than ten percent of the fitted average values. The results show that the MPD of Salmonella is not only dictated by performance characteristics of Salmonella but depends on the characteristics of the indigenous microbial population like total number of cells and its growth rate. The model can improve the predictions of microbiological growth in quantitative microbial risk assessments. Using this model, the effects of preventive measures to reduce pathogenic load and a concurrent effect on the background population can be better evaluated. If competing microorganisms are more sensitive to a particular decontamination method, a pathogenic microorganism may grow faster and reach a higher level. More knowledge regarding the effect of the indigenous microbial population (size, diversity, composition) of food products on pathogen dynamics is needed in order to make adequate predictions of pathogen dynamics on various food products.

  11. Investigation of Maximum Blade Loading Capability of Lift-Offset Rotors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yeo, Hyeonsoo; Johnson, Wayne

    2013-01-01

    Maximum blade loading capability of a coaxial, lift-offset rotor is investigated using a rotorcraft configuration designed in the context of short-haul, medium-size civil and military missions. The aircraft was sized for a 6600-lb payload and a range of 300 nm. The rotor planform and twist were optimized for hover and cruise performance. For the present rotor performance calculations, the collective pitch angle is progressively increased up to and through stall with the shaft angle set to zero. The effects of lift offset on rotor lift, power, controls, and blade airloads and structural loads are examined. The maximum lift capability of the coaxial rotor increases as lift offset increases and extends well beyond the McHugh lift boundary as the lift potential of the advancing blades are fully realized. A parametric study is conducted to examine the differences between the present coaxial rotor and the McHugh rotor in terms of maximum lift capabilities and to identify important design parameters that define the maximum lift capability of the rotor. The effects of lift offset on rotor blade airloads and structural loads are also investigated. Flap bending moment increases substantially as lift offset increases to carry the hub roll moment even at low collective values. The magnitude of flap bending moment is dictated by the lift-offset value (hub roll moment) but is less sensitive to collective and speed.

  12. Variability of maximum systolic amplitude of ΔZ/Δt curve in pregnancy. Perennial observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ilyin, I.; Karpov, A.; Korotkova, M.

    2010-04-01

    Maximum systolic amplitude is quite an important component of the impedance cardiogram ΔZ/Δt curve. Its values make it possible to calculate many hemodynamic indices. Therefore it is necessary to keep informed about monthly, annual and perennial maximum systolic amplitude trend. We can produce the measuring data of the maximum systolic amplitude for a fifteen-year period (from 1994 to 2009). The impedance cardiograms were obtained with the help of an electric impedance analyzer "RA-5" (1 mA, 70 kHz) with disk ECG electrodes. The data analyzed were taken from the pregnant women with non-complicated pregnancy (n=5709). We have analyzed the average monthly and annual changes of the maximum systolic amplitude ΔZ/Δt curve. It allowed us to reveal the six-year periodicity of the maximum systolic amplitude changes. There were discovered statistically significant peak values difference of the amplitude (p>0.001). The data obtained should be taken into consideration when using impedance cardiography in clinical practice. The article is supplied with tables and diagrams.

  13. New Uses for Sensitivity Analysis: How Different Movement Tasks Effect Limb Model Parameter Sensitivity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Winters, J. M.; Stark, L.

    1984-01-01

    Original results for a newly developed eight-order nonlinear limb antagonistic muscle model of elbow flexion and extension are presented. A wider variety of sensitivity analysis techniques are used and a systematic protocol is established that shows how the different methods can be used efficiently to complement one another for maximum insight into model sensitivity. It is explicitly shown how the sensitivity of output behaviors to model parameters is a function of the controller input sequence, i.e., of the movement task. When the task is changed (for instance, from an input sequence that results in the usual fast movement task to a slower movement that may also involve external loading, etc.) the set of parameters with high sensitivity will in general also change. Such task-specific use of sensitivity analysis techniques identifies the set of parameters most important for a given task, and even suggests task-specific model reduction possibilities.

  14. Propane spectral resolution enhancement by the maximum entropy method

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bonavito, N. L.; Stewart, K. P.; Hurley, E. J.; Yeh, K. C.; Inguva, R.

    1990-01-01

    The Burg algorithm for maximum entropy power spectral density estimation is applied to a time series of data obtained from a Michelson interferometer and compared with a standard FFT estimate for resolution capability. The propane transmittance spectrum was estimated by use of the FFT with a 2 to the 18th data sample interferogram, giving a maximum unapodized resolution of 0.06/cm. This estimate was then interpolated by zero filling an additional 2 to the 18th points, and the final resolution was taken to be 0.06/cm. Comparison of the maximum entropy method (MEM) estimate with the FFT was made over a 45/cm region of the spectrum for several increasing record lengths of interferogram data beginning at 2 to the 10th. It is found that over this region the MEM estimate with 2 to the 16th data samples is in close agreement with the FFT estimate using 2 to the 18th samples.

  15. Cholinesterases and neurotoxicity as highly sensitive biomarkers for an organophosphate insecticide in a freshwater gastropod (Chilina gibbosa) with low sensitivity carboxylesterases.

    PubMed

    Bianco, Karina; Yusseppone, María Soledad; Otero, Sofía; Luquet, Carlos; Ríos de Molina, María Del Carmen; Kristoff, Gisela

    2013-11-15

    In the Upper Valley of Río Negro and Río Neuquén in Argentina, agriculture represents the second most important economic activity. Azinphos-methyl has been found in water from this region throughout the year at a maximum concentration of 22.48 μg L(-1) during the application period. Toxicological studies on local non-target species have been performed mostly on vertebrates, while mollusks, which could be more sensitive, have not been studied so far. This work aims to characterize cholinesterase (ChE) and carboxilesterase (CE) activities of Chilina gibbosa, a freshwater gastropod native to southern Argentina and Chile. These enzymes, together with neurotoxicity signals, are evaluated herein after as sensitive biomarkers of exposure to azinphos-methyl at environmentally relevant concentrations. Effects of azinphos-methyl on antioxidant defenses: glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) are also studied in order to complete a set of biomarkers with different sensitivity and specificity, to propose C. gibbosa as a sentinel species. The highest specific activity was obtained with acetylthiocholine as substrate, followed by propionylthiocholine (83% in comparison to acetylthiocholine) and butyrylthiocholine (19%).The lowest Km and the highest efficiency for ChE were obtained with acetylthiocholine. Regarding CEs activities, a higher efficiency was obtained with p-nitrophenyl butyrate than with p-nitrophenyl acetate. Eserine produced significant inhibition of ChE activity (81% with 0.001 mM and 98% with 1mM) while iso-OMPA did not produce any significant effect on ChE. Our results show that C. gibbosa ChE is very sensitive to azinphos-methyl (CI50 0.02 μg L(-1)) while CEs are inhibited at higher concentrations (CI50 1,000 μg L(-1)). CEs have been reported to be more sensitive to OPs than ChEs in most of the aquatic invertebrates protecting the organisms from neurotoxic effects. In contrast, C. gibbosa, has Ch

  16. Comparing methods to estimate Reineke’s maximum size-density relationship species boundary line slope

    Treesearch

    Curtis L. VanderSchaaf; Harold E. Burkhart

    2010-01-01

    Maximum size-density relationships (MSDR) provide natural resource managers useful information about the relationship between tree density and average tree size. Obtaining a valid estimate of how maximum tree density changes as average tree size changes is necessary to accurately describe these relationships. This paper examines three methods to estimate the slope of...

  17. Maximum Principle for General Controlled Systems Driven by Fractional Brownian Motions

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

    Han Yuecai; Hu Yaozhong; Song Jian, E-mail: jsong2@math.rutgers.edu

    2013-04-15

    We obtain a maximum principle for stochastic control problem of general controlled stochastic differential systems driven by fractional Brownian motions (of Hurst parameter H>1/2). This maximum principle specifies a system of equations that the optimal control must satisfy (necessary condition for the optimal control). This system of equations consists of a backward stochastic differential equation driven by both fractional Brownian motions and the corresponding underlying standard Brownian motions. In addition to this backward equation, the maximum principle also involves the Malliavin derivatives. Our approach is to use conditioning and Malliavin calculus. To arrive at our maximum principle we need tomore » develop some new results of stochastic analysis of the controlled systems driven by fractional Brownian motions via fractional calculus. Our approach of conditioning and Malliavin calculus is also applied to classical system driven by standard Brownian motions while the controller has only partial information. As a straightforward consequence, the classical maximum principle is also deduced in this more natural and simpler way.« less

  18. Maximum thrust mode evaluation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Orme, John S.; Nobbs, Steven G.

    1995-01-01

    Measured reductions in acceleration times which resulted from the application of the F-15 performance seeking control (PSC) maximum thrust mode during the dual-engine test phase is presented as a function of power setting and flight condition. Data were collected at altitudes of 30,000 and 45,000 feet at military and maximum afterburning power settings. The time savings for the supersonic acceleration is less than at subsonic Mach numbers because of the increased modeling and control complexity. In addition, the propulsion system was designed to be optimized at the mid supersonic Mach number range. Recall that even though the engine is at maximum afterburner, PSC does not trim the afterburner for the maximum thrust mode. Subsonically at military power, time to accelerate from Mach 0.6 to 0.95 was cut by between 6 and 8 percent with a single engine application of PSC, and over 14 percent when both engines were optimized. At maximum afterburner, the level of thrust increases were similar in magnitude to the military power results, but because of higher thrust levels at maximum afterburner and higher aircraft drag at supersonic Mach numbers the percentage thrust increase and time to accelerate was less than for the supersonic accelerations. Savings in time to accelerate supersonically at maximum afterburner ranged from 4 to 7 percent. In general, the maximum thrust mode has performed well, demonstrating significant thrust increases at military and maximum afterburner power. Increases of up to 15 percent at typical combat-type flight conditions were identified. Thrust increases of this magnitude could be useful in a combat situation.

  19. The PMIP4 Contribution to CMIP6-Part 4: Scientific Objectives and Experimental Design of the PMIP4-CMIP6 Last Glacial Maximum Experiments and PMIP4 Sensitivity Experiments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kageyama, Masa; Albani, Samuel; Braconnot, Pascale; Harrison, Sandy P.; Hopcroft, Peter O.; Ivanovic, Ruza F.; Lambert, Fabrice; Marti, Olivier; Peltier, W. Richard; Peterschmitt, Jean-Yves; hide

    2017-01-01

    The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 21,000 years ago) is one of the suite of paleoclimate simulations included in the current phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). It is an interval when insolation was similar to the present, but global ice volume was at a maximum, eustatic sea level was at or close to a minimum, greenhouse gas concentrations were lower, atmospheric aerosol loadings were higher than today, and vegetation and land-surface characteristics were different from today. The LGM has been a focus for the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project (PMIP) since its inception, and thus many of the problems that might be associated with simulating such a radically different climate are well documented. The LGM state provides an ideal case study for evaluating climate model performance because the changes in forcing and temperature between the LGM and pre-industrial are of the same order of magnitude as those projected for the end of the 21st century. Thus, the CMIP6 LGM experiment could provide additional information that can be used to constrain estimates of climate sensitivity. The design of the Tier 1 LGM experiment (lgm) includes an assessment of uncertainties in boundary conditions, in particular through the use of different reconstructions of the ice sheets and of the change in dust forcing. Additional (Tier 2) sensitivity experiments have been designed to quantify feedbacks associated with land-surface changes and aerosol loadings, and to isolate the role of individual forcings. Model analysis and evaluation will capitalize on the relative abundance of paleoenvironmental observations and quantitative climate reconstructions already available for the LGM.

  20. The PMIP4 contribution to CMIP6 - Part 4: Scientific objectives and experimental design of the PMIP4-CMIP6 Last Glacial Maximum experiments and PMIP4 sensitivity experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kageyama, Masa; Albani, Samuel; Braconnot, Pascale; Harrison, Sandy P.; Hopcroft, Peter O.; Ivanovic, Ruza F.; Lambert, Fabrice; Marti, Olivier; Peltier, W. Richard; Peterschmitt, Jean-Yves; Roche, Didier M.; Tarasov, Lev; Zhang, Xu; Brady, Esther C.; Haywood, Alan M.; LeGrande, Allegra N.; Lunt, Daniel J.; Mahowald, Natalie M.; Mikolajewicz, Uwe; Nisancioglu, Kerim H.; Otto-Bliesner, Bette L.; Renssen, Hans; Tomas, Robert A.; Zhang, Qiong; Abe-Ouchi, Ayako; Bartlein, Patrick J.; Cao, Jian; Li, Qiang; Lohmann, Gerrit; Ohgaito, Rumi; Shi, Xiaoxu; Volodin, Evgeny; Yoshida, Kohei; Zhang, Xiao; Zheng, Weipeng

    2017-11-01

    The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 21 000 years ago) is one of the suite of paleoclimate simulations included in the current phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). It is an interval when insolation was similar to the present, but global ice volume was at a maximum, eustatic sea level was at or close to a minimum, greenhouse gas concentrations were lower, atmospheric aerosol loadings were higher than today, and vegetation and land-surface characteristics were different from today. The LGM has been a focus for the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project (PMIP) since its inception, and thus many of the problems that might be associated with simulating such a radically different climate are well documented. The LGM state provides an ideal case study for evaluating climate model performance because the changes in forcing and temperature between the LGM and pre-industrial are of the same order of magnitude as those projected for the end of the 21st century. Thus, the CMIP6 LGM experiment could provide additional information that can be used to constrain estimates of climate sensitivity. The design of the Tier 1 LGM experiment (lgm) includes an assessment of uncertainties in boundary conditions, in particular through the use of different reconstructions of the ice sheets and of the change in dust forcing. Additional (Tier 2) sensitivity experiments have been designed to quantify feedbacks associated with land-surface changes and aerosol loadings, and to isolate the role of individual forcings. Model analysis and evaluation will capitalize on the relative abundance of paleoenvironmental observations and quantitative climate reconstructions already available for the LGM.

  1. Maximum Rate of Growth of Enstrophy in Solutions of the Fractional Burgers Equation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yun, Dongfang; Protas, Bartosz

    2018-02-01

    This investigation is a part of a research program aiming to characterize the extreme behavior possible in hydrodynamic models by analyzing the maximum growth of certain fundamental quantities. We consider here the rate of growth of the classical and fractional enstrophy in the fractional Burgers equation in the subcritical and supercritical regimes. Since solutions to this equation exhibit, respectively, globally well-posed behavior and finite-time blowup in these two regimes, this makes it a useful model to study the maximum instantaneous growth of enstrophy possible in these two distinct situations. First, we obtain estimates on the rates of growth and then show that these estimates are sharp up to numerical prefactors. This is done by numerically solving suitably defined constrained maximization problems and then demonstrating that for different values of the fractional dissipation exponent the obtained maximizers saturate the upper bounds in the estimates as the enstrophy increases. We conclude that the power-law dependence of the enstrophy rate of growth on the fractional dissipation exponent has the same global form in the subcritical, critical and parts of the supercritical regime. This indicates that the maximum enstrophy rate of growth changes smoothly as global well-posedness is lost when the fractional dissipation exponent attains supercritical values. In addition, nontrivial behavior is revealed for the maximum rate of growth of the fractional enstrophy obtained for small values of the fractional dissipation exponents. We also characterize the structure of the maximizers in different cases.

  2. Maximum Likelihood and Restricted Likelihood Solutions in Multiple-Method Studies

    PubMed Central

    Rukhin, Andrew L.

    2011-01-01

    A formulation of the problem of combining data from several sources is discussed in terms of random effects models. The unknown measurement precision is assumed not to be the same for all methods. We investigate maximum likelihood solutions in this model. By representing the likelihood equations as simultaneous polynomial equations, the exact form of the Groebner basis for their stationary points is derived when there are two methods. A parametrization of these solutions which allows their comparison is suggested. A numerical method for solving likelihood equations is outlined, and an alternative to the maximum likelihood method, the restricted maximum likelihood, is studied. In the situation when methods variances are considered to be known an upper bound on the between-method variance is obtained. The relationship between likelihood equations and moment-type equations is also discussed. PMID:26989583

  3. Maximum Correntropy Unscented Kalman Filter for Spacecraft Relative State Estimation.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xi; Qu, Hua; Zhao, Jihong; Yue, Pengcheng; Wang, Meng

    2016-09-20

    A new algorithm called maximum correntropy unscented Kalman filter (MCUKF) is proposed and applied to relative state estimation in space communication networks. As is well known, the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) provides an efficient tool to solve the non-linear state estimate problem. However, the UKF usually plays well in Gaussian noises. Its performance may deteriorate substantially in the presence of non-Gaussian noises, especially when the measurements are disturbed by some heavy-tailed impulsive noises. By making use of the maximum correntropy criterion (MCC), the proposed algorithm can enhance the robustness of UKF against impulsive noises. In the MCUKF, the unscented transformation (UT) is applied to obtain a predicted state estimation and covariance matrix, and a nonlinear regression method with the MCC cost is then used to reformulate the measurement information. Finally, the UT is adopted to the measurement equation to obtain the filter state and covariance matrix. Illustrative examples demonstrate the superior performance of the new algorithm.

  4. Maximum Correntropy Unscented Kalman Filter for Spacecraft Relative State Estimation

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Xi; Qu, Hua; Zhao, Jihong; Yue, Pengcheng; Wang, Meng

    2016-01-01

    A new algorithm called maximum correntropy unscented Kalman filter (MCUKF) is proposed and applied to relative state estimation in space communication networks. As is well known, the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) provides an efficient tool to solve the non-linear state estimate problem. However, the UKF usually plays well in Gaussian noises. Its performance may deteriorate substantially in the presence of non-Gaussian noises, especially when the measurements are disturbed by some heavy-tailed impulsive noises. By making use of the maximum correntropy criterion (MCC), the proposed algorithm can enhance the robustness of UKF against impulsive noises. In the MCUKF, the unscented transformation (UT) is applied to obtain a predicted state estimation and covariance matrix, and a nonlinear regression method with the MCC cost is then used to reformulate the measurement information. Finally, the UT is adopted to the measurement equation to obtain the filter state and covariance matrix. Illustrative examples demonstrate the superior performance of the new algorithm. PMID:27657069

  5. A novel photonic crystal fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer for enhancing refractive index measurement sensitivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Yong; Xia, Feng; Hu, Hai-feng; Chen, Mao-qing

    2017-11-01

    A novel refractive index (RI) sensor based on photonic crystal fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (PCF-MZI) was proposed. It was realized by cascading a section of PCF with half-taper collapse regions (HTCRs) between two single mode fibers (SMFs). The relationship between RI sensitivity and interference length of the PCF-MZI was firstly investigated. Both simulation and experimental results showed that RI sensitivity increased with the increase of interference length. Afterwards, influence of HTCR parameters on RI sensitivity was experimentally investigated to further improve the sensitivity. With intensification of arc discharge intensity in HTCR fabrication process, HTCR with larger maximum taper diameter and longer collapsed region length was obtained, which enhanced evanescent field of the PCF-MZI and then generated higher RI sensitivity. Consequently, a high RI sensitivity of 181.96 nm/refractive index unit (RIU) was achieved in the RI range of 1.3333-1.3574. Increasing arc discharge intensity in HTCR fabrication process has the capacity to improve RI sensitivity of PCF-MZI and meanwhile provides higher mechanical strength and longer sensor life compared to the traditional method of tapering the fiber, which improves the RI sensitivity at the cost of reducing mechanical strength of the sensor. This PCF-MZI was characterized by high RI sensitivity, ease of fabrication, high mechanical strength, and robustness.

  6. Monitoring of Time-Dependent System Profiles by Multiplex Gas Chromatography with Maximum Entropy Demodulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Becker, Joseph F.; Valentin, Jose

    1996-01-01

    The maximum entropy technique was successfully applied to the deconvolution of overlapped chromatographic peaks. An algorithm was written in which the chromatogram was represented as a vector of sample concentrations multiplied by a peak shape matrix. Simulation results demonstrated that there is a trade off between the detector noise and peak resolution in the sense that an increase of the noise level reduced the peak separation that could be recovered by the maximum entropy method. Real data originated from a sample storage column was also deconvoluted using maximum entropy. Deconvolution is useful in this type of system because the conservation of time dependent profiles depends on the band spreading processes in the chromatographic column, which might smooth out the finer details in the concentration profile. The method was also applied to the deconvolution of previously interpretted Pioneer Venus chromatograms. It was found in this case that the correct choice of peak shape function was critical to the sensitivity of maximum entropy in the reconstruction of these chromatograms.

  7. Design considerations of Miller oscillators for high-sensitivity QCM sensors in damping media.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez-Pardo, Loreto; Fariña, Jose; Gabrielli, Claude; Perrot, Hubert; Brendel, Remi

    2007-10-01

    In this paper, a new contribution to the design of quartz crystal oscillators for high-sensitivity microbalance sensors used in liquid media is presented. The oscillation condition for a Miller configuration was studied to work in a wide dynamic range of the resonator losses. The equations relating the values of the active and passive components with the maximum supported damping and mass were obtained. Also, the conditions to obtain a stable frequency according to the resonator damping (R(Q)), the static capacity (Cp) and the filter frequency (f(F)) were found. Under these conditions, the circuit oscillation frequency will be proportional to the resonant series frequency and does not depend on the previous parameters (R(Q), f(F), and Cp). If these conditions cannot be satisfied, the expression of the oscillation frequency is given and the discrimination of these effects is obtained through resonator frequency measurements.

  8. Maximum and minimum entropy states yielding local continuity bounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanson, Eric P.; Datta, Nilanjana

    2018-04-01

    Given an arbitrary quantum state (σ), we obtain an explicit construction of a state ρɛ * ( σ ) [respectively, ρ * , ɛ ( σ ) ] which has the maximum (respectively, minimum) entropy among all states which lie in a specified neighborhood (ɛ-ball) of σ. Computing the entropy of these states leads to a local strengthening of the continuity bound of the von Neumann entropy, i.e., the Audenaert-Fannes inequality. Our bound is local in the sense that it depends on the spectrum of σ. The states ρɛ * ( σ ) and ρ * , ɛ (σ) depend only on the geometry of the ɛ-ball and are in fact optimizers for a larger class of entropies. These include the Rényi entropy and the minimum- and maximum-entropies, providing explicit formulas for certain smoothed quantities. This allows us to obtain local continuity bounds for these quantities as well. In obtaining this bound, we first derive a more general result which may be of independent interest, namely, a necessary and sufficient condition under which a state maximizes a concave and Gâteaux-differentiable function in an ɛ-ball around a given state σ. Examples of such a function include the von Neumann entropy and the conditional entropy of bipartite states. Our proofs employ tools from the theory of convex optimization under non-differentiable constraints, in particular Fermat's rule, and majorization theory.

  9. Human adipose tissue expresses intrinsic circadian rhythm in insulin sensitivity.

    PubMed

    Carrasco-Benso, Maria P; Rivero-Gutierrez, Belen; Lopez-Minguez, Jesus; Anzola, Andrea; Diez-Noguera, Antoni; Madrid, Juan A; Lujan, Juan A; Martínez-Augustin, Olga; Scheer, Frank A J L; Garaulet, Marta

    2016-09-01

    In humans, insulin sensitivity varies according to time of day, with decreased values in the evening and at night. Mechanisms responsible for the diurnal variation in insulin sensitivity are unclear. We investigated whether human adipose tissue (AT) expresses intrinsic circadian rhythms in insulin sensitivity that could contribute to this phenomenon. Subcutaneous and visceral AT biopsies were obtained from extremely obese participants (body mass index, 41.8 ± 6.3 kg/m(2); 46 ± 11 y) during gastric-bypass surgery. To assess the rhythm in insulin signaling, AKT phosphorylation was determined every 4 h over 24 h in vitro in response to different insulin concentrations (0, 1, 10, and 100 nM). Data revealed that subcutaneous AT exhibited robust circadian rhythms in insulin signaling (P < 0.00001). Insulin sensitivity reached its maximum (acrophase) around noon, being 54% higher than during midnight (P = 0.009). The amplitude of the rhythm was positively correlated with in vivo sleep duration (r = 0.53; P = 0.023) and negatively correlated with in vivo bedtime (r = -0.54; P = 0.020). No circadian rhythms were detected in visceral AT (P = 0.643). Here, we demonstrate the relevance of the time of the day for how sensitive AT is to the effects of insulin. Subcutaneous AT shows an endogenous circadian rhythm in insulin sensitivity that could provide an underlying mechanism for the daily rhythm in systemic insulin sensitivity.-Carrasco-Benso, M. P., Rivero-Gutierrez, B., Lopez-Minguez, J., Anzola, A., Diez-Noguera, A., Madrid, J. A., Lujan, J. A., Martínez-Augustin, O., Scheer, F. A. J. L., Garaulet, M. Human adipose tissue expresses intrinsic circadian rhythm in insulin sensitivity. © FASEB.

  10. Microbiological Quality of Panicum maximum Grass Silage with Addition of Lactobacillus sp. as Starter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sumarsih, S.; Sulistiyanto, B.; Utama, C. S.

    2018-02-01

    The aim of the research was to evaluate microbiological quality of Panicum maximum grass silage with addition Lactobacillus sp as starter. The completely randomized design was been used on this research with 4 treaments and 3 replications. The treatments were P0 ( Panicum maximum grass silage without addition Lactobacillus sp ), P1 ( Panicum maximum grass silage with 2% addition Lactobacillus sp), P2 (Panicum maximum grass silage with 4% addition Lactobacillus sp) and P3 (Panicum maximum grass silage with 6% addition Lactobacillus sp).The parameters were microbial populations of Panicum maximum grass silage (total lactic acid bacteria, total bacteria, total fungi, and Coliform bacteria. The data obtained were analyzed variance (ANOVA) and further tests performed Duncan’s Multiple Areas. The population of lactic acid bacteria was higher (P<0.05) and the total bacteria, fungi and Coliform were lower (P<0.05) with addition Lactobacillus sp. Microbiological quality of Panicum maximum grass silage with addition Lactobacillus sp was better than no addition Lactobacillus sp.

  11. Investigation of the LMJ ignition target sensitivity to the laser pulse shape with 2D integrated calculations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cherfils, Catherine; Malinie, Guy; Boniface, Claude; Gauthier, Pascal; Laffite, Stephane; Loiseau, Pascal

    2010-11-01

    The A943 cryogenic target in a Rugby hohlraum is our current nominal design for ignition with 160 beams on the Laser MegaJoule (Laffite et al 2007, 49th Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics, Loiseau et al 2010, 40th Annual Anomalous Absorption Conference). In this study we redesign the laser pulse of the target under the form of a sum of six supergaussians, which is more amenable to a sensitivity study : four supergaussians are used to launch the four main shocks in the capsule, and two additional supergaussians are used first to remove the LEH windows and then to control the acceleration of the first shock, respectively. We use our 2D FCI2 code to compare the radiation hydro of the capsule, obtained with this new pulse, to what was previously obtained. We investigate the sensitivity of the yield on some parameters, which are the maximum powers and respective timings of the different components of the laser pulse.

  12. Methodological aspects of crossover and maximum fat-oxidation rate point determination.

    PubMed

    Michallet, A-S; Tonini, J; Regnier, J; Guinot, M; Favre-Juvin, A; Bricout, V; Halimi, S; Wuyam, B; Flore, P

    2008-11-01

    Indirect calorimetry during exercise provides two metabolic indices of substrate oxidation balance: the crossover point (COP) and maximum fat oxidation rate (LIPOXmax). We aimed to study the effects of the analytical device, protocol type and ventilatory response on variability of these indices, and the relationship with lactate and ventilation thresholds. After maximum exercise testing, 14 relatively fit subjects (aged 32+/-10 years; nine men, five women) performed three submaximum graded tests: one was based on a theoretical maximum power (tMAP) reference; and two were based on the true maximum aerobic power (MAP). Gas exchange was measured concomitantly using a Douglas bag (D) and an ergospirometer (E). All metabolic indices were interpretable only when obtained by the D reference method and MAP protocol. Bland and Altman analysis showed overestimation of both indices with E versus D. Despite no mean differences between COP and LIPOXmax whether tMAP or MAP was used, the individual data clearly showed disagreement between the two protocols. Ventilation explained 10-16% of the metabolic index variations. COP was correlated with ventilation (r=0.96, P<0.01) and the rate of increase in blood lactate (r=0.79, P<0.01), and LIPOXmax correlated with the ventilation threshold (r=0.95, P<0.01). This study shows that, in fit healthy subjects, the analytical device, reference used to build the protocol and ventilation responses affect metabolic indices. In this population, and particularly to obtain interpretable metabolic indices, we recommend a protocol based on the true MAP or one adapted to include the transition from fat to carbohydrate. The correlation between metabolic indices and lactate/ventilation thresholds suggests that shorter, classical maximum progressive exercise testing may be an alternative means of estimating these indices in relatively fit subjects. However, this needs to be confirmed in patients who have metabolic defects.

  13. Maximum entropy, fluctuations and priors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caticha, A.

    2001-05-01

    The method of maximum entropy (ME) is extended to address the following problem: Once one accepts that the ME distribution is to be preferred over all others, the question is to what extent are distributions with lower entropy supposed to be ruled out. Two applications are given. The first is to the theory of thermodynamic fluctuations. The formulation is exact, covariant under changes of coordinates, and allows fluctuations of both the extensive and the conjugate intensive variables. The second application is to the construction of an objective prior for Bayesian inference. The prior obtained by following the ME method to its inevitable conclusion turns out to be a special case (α=1) of what are currently known under the name of entropic priors. .

  14. Self-reported sleep disturbances due to railway noise: exposure-response relationships for nighttime equivalent and maximum noise levels.

    PubMed

    Aasvang, Gunn Marit; Moum, Torbjorn; Engdahl, Bo

    2008-07-01

    The objective of the present survey was to study self-reported sleep disturbances due to railway noise with respect to nighttime equivalent noise level (L(p,A,eq,night)) and maximum noise level (L(p,A,max)). A sample of 1349 people in and around Oslo in Norway exposed to railway noise was studied in a cross-sectional survey to obtain data on sleep disturbances, sleep problems due to noise, and personal characteristics including noise sensitivity. Individual noise exposure levels were determined outside of the bedroom facade, the most-exposed facade, and inside the respondents' bedrooms. The exposure-response relationships were analyzed by using logistic regression models, controlling for possible modifying factors including the number of noise events (train pass-by frequency). L(p,A,eq,night) and L(p,A,max) were significantly correlated, and the proportion of reported noise-induced sleep problems increased as both L(p,A,eq,night) and L(p,A,max) increased. Noise sensitivity, type of bedroom window, and pass-by frequency were significant factors affecting noise-induced sleep disturbances, in addition to the noise exposure level. Because about half of the study population did not use a bedroom at the most-exposed side of the house, the exposure-response curve obtained by using noise levels for the most-exposed facade underestimated noise-induced sleep disturbance for those who actually have their bedroom at the most-exposed facade.

  15. Pi-pi* orbital transitions and photo-degeneracy of C.acuminata sensitized solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abodunrin, T.; Boyo, A.; Usikalu, M.; Obafemi, L.; Oladapo, O.; Kotsedi, L.; Yenus, Z.; Maaza, M.

    2017-04-01

    Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have acquired great prominence as favourable low-cost photovoltaics due to their ease of fabrication, all- year -availability, ease of obtaining raw materials and adjustable optical properties like transparency and colour. These advantages coupled with the ability to work under poor lighting makes them a suitable candidate for next generation of research. In this research, C.acuminata-sensitized photo anodes play an important role for achieving high performance since the porous metal oxide films provide a large specific surface area for dye loading and the possibility to extend the absorption threshold of past studies of sensitizers. The doctor blade method and high-temperature sintering were some of the methods used in the fabrication of the photo anode. A study of the performance of the C.acuminata-DSSCs with four different electrolyte sensitizers based on iodide redox mediator is determined. The result is DSSCs that exhibit a maximum power output of 39.37 W, fill factor of 0.7 and a power conversion efficiency of 0.6% under unfavourable sunlight intensity conditions and photo-degradation of about 37.5 % in absorbance after 425 suns.

  16. The estimation of probable maximum precipitation: the case of Catalonia.

    PubMed

    Casas, M Carmen; Rodríguez, Raül; Nieto, Raquel; Redaño, Angel

    2008-12-01

    A brief overview of the different techniques used to estimate the probable maximum precipitation (PMP) is presented. As a particular case, the 1-day PMP over Catalonia has been calculated and mapped with a high spatial resolution. For this purpose, the annual maximum daily rainfall series from 145 pluviometric stations of the Instituto Nacional de Meteorología (Spanish Weather Service) in Catalonia have been analyzed. In order to obtain values of PMP, an enveloping frequency factor curve based on the actual rainfall data of stations in the region has been developed. This enveloping curve has been used to estimate 1-day PMP values of all the 145 stations. Applying the Cressman method, the spatial analysis of these values has been achieved. Monthly precipitation climatological data, obtained from the application of Geographic Information Systems techniques, have been used as the initial field for the analysis. The 1-day PMP at 1 km(2) spatial resolution over Catalonia has been objectively determined, varying from 200 to 550 mm. Structures with wavelength longer than approximately 35 km can be identified and, despite their general concordance, the obtained 1-day PMP spatial distribution shows remarkable differences compared to the annual mean precipitation arrangement over Catalonia.

  17. Analysis and Evaluation of Parameters Determining Maximum Efficiency of Fish Protection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khetsuriani, E. D.; Kostyukov, V. P.; Khetsuriani, T. E.

    2017-11-01

    The article is concerned with experimental research findings. The efficiency of fish fry protection from entering water inlets is the main criterion of any fish protection facility or device. The research was aimed to determine an adequate mathematical model E = f(PCT, Vp, α), where PCT, Vp and α are controlled factors influencing the process of fish fry protection. The result of the processing of experimental data was an adequate regression model. We determined the maximum of fish protection Emax=94,21 and the minimum of optimization function Emin=44,41. As a result of the statistical processing of experimental data we obtained adequate dependences for determining an optimal rotational speed of tip and fish protection efficiency. The analysis of fish protection efficiency dependence E% = f(PCT, Vp, α) allowed the authors to recommend the following optimized operating modes for it: the maximum fish protection efficiency is achieved at the process pressure PCT=3 atm, stream velocity Vp=0,42 m/s and nozzle inclination angle α=47°49’. The stream velocity Vp has the most critical influence on fish protection efficiency. The maximum efficiency of fish protection is obtained at the tip rotational speed of 70.92 rpm.

  18. Fixed-head star tracker magnitude calibration on the solar maximum mission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pitone, Daniel S.; Twambly, B. J.; Eudell, A. H.; Roberts, D. A.

    1990-01-01

    The sensitivity of the fixed-head star trackers (FHSTs) on the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) is defined as the accuracy of the electronic response to the magnitude of a star in the sensor field-of-view, which is measured as intensity in volts. To identify stars during attitude determination and control processes, a transformation equation is required to convert from star intensity in volts to units of magnitude and vice versa. To maintain high accuracy standards, this transformation is calibrated frequently. A sensitivity index is defined as the observed intensity in volts divided by the predicted intensity in volts; thus, the sensitivity index is a measure of the accuracy of the calibration. Using the sensitivity index, analysis is presented that compares the strengths and weaknesses of two possible transformation equations. The effect on the transformation equations of variables, such as position in the sensor field-of-view, star color, and star magnitude, is investigated. In addition, results are given that evaluate the aging process of each sensor. The results in this work can be used by future missions as an aid to employing data from star cameras as effectively as possible.

  19. Sprayed zinc oxide films: Ultra-violet light-induced reversible surface wettability and platinum-sensitization-assisted improved liquefied petroleum gas response.

    PubMed

    Nakate, Umesh T; Patil, Pramila; Bulakhe, R N; Lokhande, C D; Kale, Sangeeta N; Naushad, Mu; Mane, Rajaram S

    2016-10-15

    We report the rapid (superhydrophobic to superhydrophilic) transition property and improvement in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensing response of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods (NRs) on UV-irradiation and platinum (Pt) surface sensitization, respectively. The morphological evolution of ZnO NRs is evidenced from the field emission scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope digital images and for the structural elucidation X-ray diffraction pattern is used. Elemental survey mapping is obtained from energy dispersive X-ray analysis spectrum. The optical properties have been studied by UV-Visible and photoluminescence spectroscopy measurements. The rapid (120sec) conversion of superhydrophobic (154°) ZnO NRs film to superhydrophilic (7°) is obtained under UV light illumination and the superhydrophobicity is regained by storing sample in dark. The mechanism for switching wettability behavior of ZnO NRs has thoroughly been discussed. In second phase, Pt-sensitized ZnO NRs film has demonstrated considerable gas sensitivity at 260ppm concentration of LPG. At 623K operating temperature, the maximum LPG response of 58% and the response time of 49sec for 1040ppm LPG concentration of Pt- sensitized ZnO NRs film are obtained. This higher LPG response of Pt-sensitized ZnO NRs film over pristine is primarily due to electronic effect and catalytic effect (spill-over effect) caused by an additional of Pt on ZnO NRs film surface. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Efficiency at maximum power output of linear irreversible Carnot-like heat engines.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yang; Tu, Z C

    2012-01-01

    The efficiency at maximum power output of linear irreversible Carnot-like heat engines is investigated based on the assumption that the rate of irreversible entropy production of the working substance in each "isothermal" process is a quadratic form of the heat exchange rate between the working substance and the reservoir. It is found that the maximum power output corresponds to minimizing the irreversible entropy production in two isothermal processes of the Carnot-like cycle, and that the efficiency at maximum power output has the form η(mP)=η(C)/(2-γη(C)), where η(C) is the Carnot efficiency, while γ depends on the heat transfer coefficients between the working substance and two reservoirs. The value of η(mP) is bounded between η(-)≡η(C)/2 and η(+)≡η(C)/(2-η(C)). These results are consistent with those obtained by Chen and Yan [J. Chem. Phys. 90, 3740 (1989)] based on the endoreversible assumption, those obtained by Esposito et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 150603 (2010)] based on the low-dissipation assumption, and those obtained by Schmiedl and Seifert [Europhys. Lett. 81, 20003 (2008)] for stochastic heat engines which in fact also satisfy the low-dissipation assumption. Additionally, we find that the endoreversible assumption happens to hold for Carnot-like heat engines operating at the maximum power output based on our fundamental assumption, and that the Carnot-like heat engines that we focused on do not strictly satisfy the low-dissipation assumption, which implies that the low-dissipation assumption or our fundamental assumption is a sufficient but non-necessary condition for the validity of η(mP)=η(C)/(2-γη(C)) as well as the existence of two bounds, η(-)≡η(C)/2 and η(+)≡η(C)/(2-η(C)). © 2012 American Physical Society

  1. An evaluation of several different classification schemes - Their parameters and performance. [maximum likelihood decision for crop identification

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Scholz, D.; Fuhs, N.; Hixson, M.

    1979-01-01

    The overall objective of this study was to apply and evaluate several of the currently available classification schemes for crop identification. The approaches examined were: (1) a per point Gaussian maximum likelihood classifier, (2) a per point sum of normal densities classifier, (3) a per point linear classifier, (4) a per point Gaussian maximum likelihood decision tree classifier, and (5) a texture sensitive per field Gaussian maximum likelihood classifier. Three agricultural data sets were used in the study: areas from Fayette County, Illinois, and Pottawattamie and Shelby Counties in Iowa. The segments were located in two distinct regions of the Corn Belt to sample variability in soils, climate, and agricultural practices.

  2. The maximum growth rate of life on Earth

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Corkrey, Ross; McMeekin, Tom A.; Bowman, John P.; Olley, June; Ratkowsky, David

    2018-01-01

    Life on Earth spans a range of temperatures and exhibits biological growth rates that are temperature dependent. While the observation that growth rates are temperature dependent is well known, we have recently shown that the statistical distribution of specific growth rates for life on Earth is a function of temperature (Corkrey et al., 2016). The maximum rates of growth of all life have a distinct limit, even when grown under optimal conditions, and which vary predictably with temperature. We term this distribution of growth rates the biokinetic spectrum for temperature (BKST). The BKST possibly arises from a trade-off between catalytic activity and stability of enzymes involved in a rate-limiting Master Reaction System (MRS) within the cell. We develop a method to extrapolate quantile curves for the BKST to obtain the posterior probability of the maximum rate of growth of any form of life on Earth. The maximum rate curve conforms to the observed data except below 0°C and above 100°C where the predicted value may be positively biased. The deviation below 0°C may arise from the bulk properties of water, while the degradation of biomolecules may be important above 100°C. The BKST has potential application in astrobiology by providing an estimate of the maximum possible growth rate attainable by terrestrial life and perhaps life elsewhere. We suggest that the area under the maximum growth rate curve and the peak rate may be useful characteristics in considerations of habitability. The BKST can serve as a diagnostic for unusual life, such as second biogenesis or non-terrestrial life. Since the MRS must have been heavily conserved the BKST may contain evolutionary relics. The BKST can serve as a signature summarizing the nature of life in environments beyond Earth, or to characterize species arising from a second biogenesis on Earth.

  3. Enhanced magnetoimpedance and field sensitivity in microstructure controlled FeSiCuNbB ribbons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sahoo, Trilochan; Chandra Mishra, Amaresh; Srinivas, V.; Nath, T. K.; Srinivas, M.; Majumdar, B.

    2011-10-01

    Fe73.5Si13.5Cu1Nb3B9 and Fe77.2Si11.2Cu0.8Nb3.3B7.5 nanocomposite materials consisting of nanocrystalline phase in an amorphous matrix were obtained by heat-treatment of their precursor amorphous ribbons. The influence of structural modifications induced during the heat-treatment on soft magnetic properties and magnetoimpedance (MI) effect have been studied. The structural investigations on both these ribbons revealed the presence of two phases, fine grained Fe3Si phase and a residual amorphous phase on heat-treatment. The maximum MI ratio obtained in the present study is 95% at f = 4 MHz, for the optimized heat-treated Fe77.2Si11.2Cu0.8Nb3.3B7.5 ribbon. This is ascribed to the increase in magnetic permeability and decrease in coercive force and intrinsic resistivity. Moreover, a maximum magnetic field sensitivity (ξ) of 8.3%/Oe at f = 2.5 MHz is obtained, for the optimized nanocrystalline Fe73.5Si13.5Cu1Nb3B9 ribbon. This suggests that tailoring of the nanocrystalline microstructures induced by optimum heat-treatment conditions can result in obtaining excellent combinations of the magnetic permeability and resistivity. Our results indicate that these Fe-based nanocrystalline materials can be ideally used for low magnetic field and high frequency sensor applications.

  4. Estimating landscape carrying capacity through maximum clique analysis

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Donovan, Therese; Warrington, Greg; Schwenk, W. Scott; Dinitz, Jeffrey H.

    2012-01-01

    Habitat suitability (HS) maps are widely used tools in wildlife science and establish a link between wildlife populations and landscape pattern. Although HS maps spatially depict the distribution of optimal resources for a species, they do not reveal the population size a landscape is capable of supporting--information that is often crucial for decision makers and managers. We used a new approach, "maximum clique analysis," to demonstrate how HS maps for territorial species can be used to estimate the carrying capacity, N(k), of a given landscape. We estimated the N(k) of Ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapillus) and bobcats (Lynx rufus) in an 1153-km2 study area in Vermont, USA. These two species were selected to highlight different approaches in building an HS map as well as computational challenges that can arise in a maximum clique analysis. We derived 30-m2 HS maps for each species via occupancy modeling (Ovenbird) and by resource utilization modeling (bobcats). For each species, we then identified all pixel locations on the map (points) that had sufficient resources in the surrounding area to maintain a home range (termed a "pseudo-home range"). These locations were converted to a mathematical graph, where any two points were linked if two pseudo-home ranges could exist on the landscape without violating territory boundaries. We used the program Cliquer to find the maximum clique of each graph. The resulting estimates of N(k) = 236 Ovenbirds and N(k) = 42 female bobcats were sensitive to different assumptions and model inputs. Estimates of N(k) via alternative, ad hoc methods were 1.4 to > 30 times greater than the maximum clique estimate, suggesting that the alternative results may be upwardly biased. The maximum clique analysis was computationally intensive but could handle problems with < 1500 total pseudo-home ranges (points). Given present computational constraints, it is best suited for species that occur in clustered distributions (where the problem can be

  5. Sensitive strata in Bootlegger Cove Formation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Olsen, Harold W.

    1989-01-01

    Sensitivity magnitudes are interpreted from remolded strength values in recent subsurface geologic, geotechnical, and geochemical data from the Bootlegger Cove Formation adjacent to the Turnagain Heights Landslide. The results show that strata composed of highly sensitive clays occur in both the middle and lower zones of the formation, and that between these strata the clays are generally of low-to-medium sensitivity. The most sensitive stratum is in the middle zone between two sand layers, and its sensitivity increases from both clay-sand interfaces to a maximum at the center of the stratum. The pore fluid chemistry of the highly sensitive materials differs from that in the materials of low to medium sensitivity only in their concentrations of organic carbon, chloride, bicarbonate, and sulfate. The total dissolved solids concentration is low, and the ratio of monovalent to divalent cations is very high throughout the middle and lower zones of the formation. Of the known causes of high and extremely high sensitivities, only organic and/or anionic dispersants are consistent with these findings.

  6. Middle Holocene thermal maximum in eastern Beringia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaufman, D. S.; Bartlein, P. J.

    2015-12-01

    A new systematic review of diverse Holocene paleoenvironmental records (Kaufman et al., Quat. Sci. Rev., in revision) has clarified the primary multi-centennial- to millennial-scale trends across eastern Beringia (Alaska, westernmost Canada and adjacent seas). Composite time series from midges, pollen, and biogeochemical indicators are compared with new summaries of mountain-glacier and lake-level fluctuations, terrestrial water-isotope records, sea-ice and sea-surface-temperature analyses, and peatland and thaw-lake initiation frequencies. The paleo observations are also compared with recently published simulations (Bartlein et al., Clim. Past Discuss., 2015) that used a regional climate model to simulate the effects of global and regional-scale forcings at 11 and 6 ka. During the early Holocene (11.5-8 ka), rather than a prominent thermal maximum as suggested previously, the newly compiled paleo evidence (mostly sensitive to summer conditions) indicates that temperatures were highly variable, at times both higher and lower than present, although the overall lowest average temperatures occurred during the earliest Holocene. During the middle Holocene (8-4 ka), glaciers retreated as the regional average temperature increased to a maximum between 7 and 5 ka, as reflected in most proxy types. The paleo evidence for low and variable temperatures during the early Holocene contrasts with more uniformly high temperatures during the middle Holocene and agrees with the climate simulations, which show that temperature in eastern Beringia was on average lower at 11 ka and higher at 6 ka than at present (pre-industrial). Low temperatures during the early Holocene can be attributed in part to the summer chilling caused by flooding the continental shelves, whereas the mid-Holocene thermal maximum was likely driven by the loss of the Laurentide ice sheet, rise in greenhouse gases, higher-than-present summer insolation, and expansion of forest over tundra.

  7. Pilot-scale verification of maximum tolerable hydrodynamic stress for mammalian cell culture.

    PubMed

    Neunstoecklin, Benjamin; Villiger, Thomas K; Lucas, Eric; Stettler, Matthieu; Broly, Hervé; Morbidelli, Massimo; Soos, Miroslav

    2016-04-01

    Although several scaling bioreactor models of mammalian cell cultures are suggested and described in the literature, they mostly lack a significant validation at pilot or manufacturing scale. The aim of this study is to validate an oscillating hydrodynamic stress loop system developed earlier by our group for the evaluation of the maximum operating range for stirring, based on a maximum tolerable hydrodynamic stress. A 300-L pilot-scale bioreactor for cultivation of a Sp2/0 cell line was used for this purpose. Prior to cultivations, a stress-sensitive particulate system was applied to determine the stress values generated by stirring and sparging. Pilot-scale data, collected from 7- to 28-Pa maximum stress conditions, were compared with data from classical 3-L cultivations and cultivations from the oscillating stress loop system. Results for the growth behavior, analyzed metabolites, productivity, and product quality showed a dependency on the different environmental stress conditions but not on reactor size. Pilot-scale conditions were very similar to those generated in the oscillating stress loop model confirming its predictive capability, including conditions at the edge of failure.

  8. Estimating the maximum potential revenue for grid connected electricity storage :

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

    Byrne, Raymond Harry; Silva Monroy, Cesar Augusto.

    2012-12-01

    the maximum potential revenue benchmark. We conclude with a sensitivity analysis with respect to key parameters.« less

  9. Perturbative expansion for the maximum of fractional Brownian motion.

    PubMed

    Delorme, Mathieu; Wiese, Kay Jörg

    2016-07-01

    Brownian motion is the only random process which is Gaussian, scale invariant, and Markovian. Dropping the Markovian property, i.e., allowing for memory, one obtains a class of processes called fractional Brownian motion, indexed by the Hurst exponent H. For H=1/2, Brownian motion is recovered. We develop a perturbative approach to treat the nonlocality in time in an expansion in ɛ=H-1/2. This allows us to derive analytic results beyond scaling exponents for various observables related to extreme value statistics: the maximum m of the process and the time t_{max} at which this maximum is reached, as well as their joint distribution. We test our analytical predictions with extensive numerical simulations for different values of H. They show excellent agreement, even for H far from 1/2.

  10. High sensitivity rotation sensing based on tunable asymmetrical double-ring structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gu, Hong; Liu, Xiaoqing

    2017-05-01

    A very high sensitivity rotation sensor comprising a tunable asymmetrical double-ring structure (TADRS) coupled by a 3 × 3 coupler is presented. The phase difference caused by the TADRS between the counter-propagating waves is derived and discussed. At the resonant frequency, the phase shift difference has the maximum value when the light power in one cavity is amplified about 1.85 times while attenuated 79% in another. The maximum sensitivity of the TADRS sensor is two times larger than that of a single-ring structure. An experimental system is designed to verify the theoretical results and introduce the method of demodulation. The rotation sensor based on TADRS can enhance the sensitivity of the detection of the angular velocity by more than three orders of magnitude.

  11. Energetic Phenomena on the Sun: The Solar Maximum Mission Flare Workshop. Proceedings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kundu, Mukul (Editor); Woodgate, Bruce (Editor)

    1986-01-01

    The general objectives of the conference were as follows: (1) Synthesize flare studies after three years of Solar Maximum Mission (SSM) data analysis. Encourage a broader participation in the SMM data analysis and combine this more fully with theory and other data sources-data obtained with other spacecraft such as the HINOTORI, p78-1, and ISEE-3 spacecrafts, and with the Very Large Array (VLA) and many other ground-based instruments. Many coordinated data sets, unprecedented in their breadth of coverage and multiplicity of sources, had been obtained within the structure of the Solar Maximum Year (SMY). (2) Stimulate joint studies, and publication in the general scientific literature. The intended primary benefit was for informal collaborations to be started or broadened at the Workshops with subsequent publications. (3) Provide a special publication resulting from the Workshop.

  12. The evaluation of maximum horizontal in-situ stress using the wellbore imagers data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dubinya, N. V.; Ezhov, K. A.

    2016-12-01

    Well drilling provides a number of possibilities to improve the knowledge of stress state of the upper layers of the Earth crust. The data obtained from drilling, well logging, core experiments and special tests is used to evaluate the principal stresses' directions and magnitudes. Although the values of vertical stress and minimum horizontal stress may be decently estimated, the maximum horizontal stress remains a major problem. In this study a new method to estimate this value is proposed. The suggested approach is based on the concept of hydraulically conductive and non-conductive fractures near a wellbore (Barton, Zoback and Moos, 1995). It was stated that all the fractures which properties may be acquired from well logging data can be divided into two groups regarding hydraulic conductivity. The fracture properties and the in-situ stress state are put in relationship via the Mohr diagram. This approach was later used by Ito and Zoback (2000) to estimate the magnitude of the maximum horizontal stress from the temperature profiles. In the current study ultrasonic and resistivity borehole imaging are used to estimate the magnitude of maximum horizontal stress in rather precise way. After proper interpretation one is able to obtain orientation and hydraulic conductivity for each fracture appeared at the images. If the proper profiles of vertical and minimum horizontal stresses are known all the fractures may be analyzed at the Mohr diagram. Alteration of maximum horizontal stress profile grants an opportunity to adjust it so the conductive fractures at the Mohr diagram fit the data from imagers' interpretation. The precision of the suggested approach was evaluated for several oil production wells in Siberia with decent wellbore stability models. It appeared that the difference between maximum horizontal stress estimated in a suggested approach and the values obtained from drilling reports did not exceed 0.5 MPa. Thus the proposed approach may be used to evaluate

  13. Cosmic shear measurement with maximum likelihood and maximum a posteriori inference

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hall, Alex; Taylor, Andy

    2017-06-01

    We investigate the problem of noise bias in maximum likelihood and maximum a posteriori estimators for cosmic shear. We derive the leading and next-to-leading order biases and compute them in the context of galaxy ellipticity measurements, extending previous work on maximum likelihood inference for weak lensing. We show that a large part of the bias on these point estimators can be removed using information already contained in the likelihood when a galaxy model is specified, without the need for external calibration. We test these bias-corrected estimators on simulated galaxy images similar to those expected from planned space-based weak lensing surveys, with promising results. We find that the introduction of an intrinsic shape prior can help with mitigation of noise bias, such that the maximum a posteriori estimate can be made less biased than the maximum likelihood estimate. Second-order terms offer a check on the convergence of the estimators, but are largely subdominant. We show how biases propagate to shear estimates, demonstrating in our simple set-up that shear biases can be reduced by orders of magnitude and potentially to within the requirements of planned space-based surveys at mild signal-to-noise ratio. We find that second-order terms can exhibit significant cancellations at low signal-to-noise ratio when Gaussian noise is assumed, which has implications for inferring the performance of shear-measurement algorithms from simplified simulations. We discuss the viability of our point estimators as tools for lensing inference, arguing that they allow for the robust measurement of ellipticity and shear.

  14. 20 CFR 228.14 - Family maximum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Family maximum. 228.14 Section 228.14... SURVIVOR ANNUITIES The Tier I Annuity Component § 228.14 Family maximum. (a) Family maximum defined. Under... person's earnings record is limited. This limited amount is called the family maximum. The family maximum...

  15. 20 CFR 228.14 - Family maximum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Family maximum. 228.14 Section 228.14... SURVIVOR ANNUITIES The Tier I Annuity Component § 228.14 Family maximum. (a) Family maximum defined. Under... person's earnings record is limited. This limited amount is called the family maximum. The family maximum...

  16. The sensitivity, specificity and efficiency values of some serological tests used in the diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis.

    PubMed

    Del Negro, G M; Garcia, N M; Rodrigues, E G; Cano, M I; de Aguiar, M S; Lírio, V de S; Lacaz, C da S

    1991-01-01

    This work reports on the results of double immunodiffusion (ID), counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE), complement fixation (CF) and indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) techniques in the serodiagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis. The study was undertaken on four groups of individuals: 46 patients with untreated paracoccidioidomycosis, 22 patients with other deep mycoses, 30 with other infectious diseases (tuberculosis and cutaneous leishmaniasis) and 47 blood donors as negative controls. Data were obtained using Paracoccidioides brasiliensis antigens, i.e., a yeast culture filtrate for ID, CIE and CF, and a yeast cell suspension for IIF. The sensitivity, specificity and efficiency values were measured according to GALEN & GAMBINO. The gel precipitation tests (ID and CIE) showed the greatest sensitivity (91.3 and 95.6%, respectively), maximum specificity (100%) and the highest efficiency values when compared to the CF and IIF tests.

  17. Estimation of maximum transdermal flux of nonionized xenobiotics from basic physicochemical determinants

    PubMed Central

    Milewski, Mikolaj; Stinchcomb, Audra L.

    2012-01-01

    An ability to estimate the maximum flux of a xenobiotic across skin is desirable both from the perspective of drug delivery and toxicology. While there is an abundance of mathematical models describing the estimation of drug permeability coefficients, there are relatively few that focus on the maximum flux. This article reports and evaluates a simple and easy-to-use predictive model for the estimation of maximum transdermal flux of xenobiotics based on three common molecular descriptors: logarithm of octanol-water partition coefficient, molecular weight and melting point. The use of all three can be justified on the theoretical basis of their influence on the solute aqueous solubility and the partitioning into the stratum corneum lipid domain. The model explains 81% of the variability in the permeation dataset comprised of 208 entries and can be used to obtain a quick estimate of maximum transdermal flux when experimental data is not readily available. PMID:22702370

  18. A strategy of combining SILAR with solvothermal process for In2S3 sensitized quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Peizhi; Tang, Qunwei; Ji, Chenming; Wang, Haobo

    2015-12-01

    Pursuit of an efficient strategy for quantum dot-sensitized photoanode has been a persistent objective for enhancing photovoltaic performances of quantum dot-sensitized solar cell (QDSC). We present here the fabrication of the indium sulfide (In2S3) quantum dot-sensitized titanium dioxide (TiO2) photoanode by combining successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) with solvothermal processes. The resultant QDSC consists of an In2S3 sensitized TiO2 photoanode, a liquid polysulfide electrolyte, and a Co0.85Se counter electrode. The optimized QDSC with photoanode prepared with the help of a SILAR method at 20 deposition cycles and solvothermal method yields a maximum power conversion efficiency of 1.39%.

  19. 40 CFR 1042.140 - Maximum engine power, displacement, power density, and maximum in-use engine speed.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 34 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Maximum engine power, displacement... Maximum engine power, displacement, power density, and maximum in-use engine speed. This section describes how to determine the maximum engine power, displacement, and power density of an engine for the...

  20. 40 CFR 1042.140 - Maximum engine power, displacement, power density, and maximum in-use engine speed.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 34 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Maximum engine power, displacement... Maximum engine power, displacement, power density, and maximum in-use engine speed. This section describes how to determine the maximum engine power, displacement, and power density of an engine for the...

  1. Energy and maximum norm estimates for nonlinear conservation laws

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Olsson, Pelle; Oliger, Joseph

    1994-01-01

    We have devised a technique that makes it possible to obtain energy estimates for initial-boundary value problems for nonlinear conservation laws. The two major tools to achieve the energy estimates are a certain splitting of the flux vector derivative f(u)(sub x), and a structural hypothesis, referred to as a cone condition, on the flux vector f(u). These hypotheses are fulfilled for many equations that occur in practice, such as the Euler equations of gas dynamics. It should be noted that the energy estimates are obtained without any assumptions on the gradient of the solution u. The results extend to weak solutions that are obtained as point wise limits of vanishing viscosity solutions. As a byproduct we obtain explicit expressions for the entropy function and the entropy flux of symmetrizable systems of conservation laws. Under certain circumstances the proposed technique can be applied repeatedly so as to yield estimates in the maximum norm.

  2. Mothers' Maximum Drinks Ever Consumed in 24 Hours Predicts Mental Health Problems in Adolescent Offspring

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malone, Stephen M.; McGue, Matt; Iacono, William G.

    2010-01-01

    Background: The maximum number of alcoholic drinks consumed in a single 24-hr period is an alcoholism-related phenotype with both face and empirical validity. It has been associated with severity of withdrawal symptoms and sensitivity to alcohol, genes implicated in alcohol metabolism, and amplitude of a measure of brain activity associated with…

  3. High-sensitivity GMR with low coercivity in top-IrMn spin-valves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, H. R.; Qu, B. J.; Ren, T. L.; Liu, L. T.; Xie, H. L.; Li, C. X.; Ku, W. J.

    2003-12-01

    Top-IrMn spin-valves with a structure of Ta/NiFe/CoFe/Cu/CoFe/IrMn/Ta have been investigated. The spin-valves were deposited by high vacuum DC magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The magnetoresistance ratio reaches 9.12% at room temperature. The coercivity of the free layer and the exchange bias field is 1.04 and 180 Oe, respectively. The maximum sensitivity of the spin-valves is 8.36%/Oe. A reduction of 33.2% of the coercivity was obtained after a 2-min RIE process. Utilizing standard integrated circuit (IC) process, mass production of robust giant magnetoresistance sensors can be achieved with these spin-valve thin films.

  4. Skeletal muscle phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine respond to exercise and influence insulin sensitivity in men.

    PubMed

    Lee, Sindre; Norheim, Frode; Gulseth, Hanne L; Langleite, Torgrim M; Aker, Andreas; Gundersen, Thomas E; Holen, Torgeir; Birkeland, Kåre I; Drevon, Christian A

    2018-04-25

    Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) composition in skeletal muscle have been linked to insulin sensitivity. We evaluated the relationships between skeletal muscle PC:PE, physical exercise and insulin sensitivity. We performed lipidomics and measured PC and PE in m. vastus lateralis biopsies obtained from 13 normoglycemic normal weight men and 13 dysglycemic overweight men at rest, immediately after 45 min of cycling at 70% maximum oxygen uptake, and 2 h post-exercise, before as well as after 12 weeks of combined endurance- and strength-exercise intervention. Insulin sensitivity was monitored by euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp. RNA-sequencing was performed on biopsies, and mitochondria and lipid droplets were quantified on electron microscopic images. Exercise intervention for 12 w enhanced insulin sensitivity by 33%, skeletal muscle levels of PC by 21%, PE by 42%, and reduced PC:PE by 16%. One bicycle session reduced PC:PE by 5%. PC:PE correlated negatively with insulin sensitivity (β = -1.6, P < 0.001), percent area of mitochondria (ρ = -0.52, P = 0.035), and lipid droplet area (ρ = 0.55, P = 0.017) on EM pictures, and negatively with oxidative phosphorylation and mTOR based on RNA-sequencing. In conclusion, PC and PE contents of skeletal muscle respond to exercise, and PC:PE is inversely related to insulin sensitivity.

  5. Maximum Acceleration Recording Circuit

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bozeman, Richard J., Jr.

    1995-01-01

    Coarsely digitized maximum levels recorded in blown fuses. Circuit feeds power to accelerometer and makes nonvolatile record of maximum level to which output of accelerometer rises during measurement interval. In comparison with inertia-type single-preset-trip-point mechanical maximum-acceleration-recording devices, circuit weighs less, occupies less space, and records accelerations within narrower bands of uncertainty. In comparison with prior electronic data-acquisition systems designed for same purpose, circuit simpler, less bulky, consumes less power, costs and analysis of data recorded in magnetic or electronic memory devices. Circuit used, for example, to record accelerations to which commodities subjected during transportation on trucks.

  6. 16QAM Blind Equalization via Maximum Entropy Density Approximation Technique and Nonlinear Lagrange Multipliers

    PubMed Central

    Mauda, R.; Pinchas, M.

    2014-01-01

    Recently a new blind equalization method was proposed for the 16QAM constellation input inspired by the maximum entropy density approximation technique with improved equalization performance compared to the maximum entropy approach, Godard's algorithm, and others. In addition, an approximated expression for the minimum mean square error (MSE) was obtained. The idea was to find those Lagrange multipliers that bring the approximated MSE to minimum. Since the derivation of the obtained MSE with respect to the Lagrange multipliers leads to a nonlinear equation for the Lagrange multipliers, the part in the MSE expression that caused the nonlinearity in the equation for the Lagrange multipliers was ignored. Thus, the obtained Lagrange multipliers were not those Lagrange multipliers that bring the approximated MSE to minimum. In this paper, we derive a new set of Lagrange multipliers based on the nonlinear expression for the Lagrange multipliers obtained from minimizing the approximated MSE with respect to the Lagrange multipliers. Simulation results indicate that for the high signal to noise ratio (SNR) case, a faster convergence rate is obtained for a channel causing a high initial intersymbol interference (ISI) while the same equalization performance is obtained for an easy channel (initial ISI low). PMID:24723813

  7. Estimation of the Maximum Theoretical Productivity of Fed-Batch Bioreactors

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

    Bomble, Yannick J; St. John, Peter C; Crowley, Michael F

    2017-10-18

    A key step towards the development of an integrated biorefinery is the screening of economically viable processes, which depends sharply on the yields and productivities that can be achieved by an engineered microorganism. In this study, we extend an earlier method which used dynamic optimization to find the maximum theoretical productivity of batch cultures to explicitly include fed-batch bioreactors. In addition to optimizing the intracellular distribution of metabolites between cell growth and product formation, we calculate the optimal control trajectory of feed rate versus time. We further analyze how sensitive the productivity is to substrate uptake and growth parameters.

  8. Obtaining high g-values with low degree expansion of the phasefunction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rinzema, Kees; ten Bosch, Jaap J.; Ferwerda, Hedzer A.; Hoenders, Bernhard J.

    1994-02-01

    Analytic theory of anisotropic random flight requires the expansion of phase-functions in spherical harmonics. The number of terms should be limited while a g value should be obtained that is as high as possible. We describe how such a phase function can be constructed for a given number N of spherical components of the phasefunction, while obtaining a maximum value of the asymmetry parameter g.

  9. A study comparing precision of the maximum multipoint heterogeneity LOD statistic to three model-free multipoint linkage methods.

    PubMed

    Finch, S J; Chen, C H; Gordon, D; Mendell, N R

    2001-12-01

    This study compared the performance of the maximum lod (MLOD), maximum heterogeneity lod (MHLOD), maximum non-parametric linkage score (MNPL), maximum Kong and Cox linear extension (MKC(lin)) of NPL, and maximum Kong and Cox exponential extension (MKC(exp)) of NPL as calculated in Genehunter 1.2 and Genehunter-Plus. Our performance measure was the distance between the marker with maximum value for each linkage statistic and the trait locus. We performed a simulation study considering: 1) four modes of transmission, 2) 100 replicates for each model, 3) 58 pedigrees (with 592 subjects) per replicate, 4) three linked marker loci each having three equally frequent alleles, and 5) either 0% unlinked families (linkage homogeneity) or 50% unlinked families (linkage heterogeneity). For each replicate, we obtained the Haldane map position of the location at which each of the five statistics is maximized. The MLOD and MHLOD were obtained by maximizing over penetrances, phenocopy rate, and risk-allele frequencies. For the models simulated, MHLOD appeared to be the best statistic both in terms of identifying a marker locus having the smallest mean distance from the trait locus and in terms of the strongest negative correlation between maximum linkage statistic and distance of the identified position and the trait locus. The marker loci with maximum value of the Kong and Cox extensions of the NPL statistic also were closer to the trait locus than the marker locus with maximum value of the NPL statistic. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  10. Surface plasmon optical sensor with enhanced sensitivity using top ZnO thin film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bao, Ming; Li, Ge; Jiang, Dongmei; Cheng, Wenjuan; Ma, Xueming

    2012-05-01

    Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is one of the most sensitive label-free detection methods and has been used in a wide range of chemical and biochemical sensing. Upon using a 200 nm top layer of dielectric film with a high value of the real part ɛ' of the dielectric function, on top of an SPR sensor in the Kretschmann configuration, the sensitivity is improved. The refractive index effect of dielectric film on sensitivity is usually ignored. Dielectric films with different refractive indices were prepared by radio frequency magnetron (RF) sputtering and measured with spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The imaginary part ɛ'' of the top nanolayer permittivity needs to be small enough in order to reduce the losses and get sharper dips. The stability of the sensor is also improved because the nanolayer is protecting the Ag film from interacting with the environment. The response curves of the Ag/ZnO chips were obtained by using SPR sensor. Theoretical analysis of the sensitivity of the SPR sensors with different ZnO film refractive indices is presented and studied. Both experimental and simulation results show that the Ag/ZnO films exhibit an enhanced SPR over the pure Ag film with a narrower full width at half maximum (FWHM). It shows that the top ZnO layer is effective in enhancing the surface plasmon resonance and thus its sensitivity.

  11. Surface-sensitive Raman spectroscopy of collagen I fibrils.

    PubMed

    Gullekson, Corinne; Lucas, Leanne; Hewitt, Kevin; Kreplak, Laurent

    2011-04-06

    Collagen fibrils are the main constituent of the extracellular matrix surrounding eukaryotic cells. Although the assembly and structure of collagen fibrils is well characterized, very little appears to be known about one of the key determinants of their biological function-namely, the physico-chemical properties of their surface. One way to obtain surface-sensitive structural and chemical data is to take advantage of the near-field nature of surface- and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Using Ag and Au nanoparticles bound to Collagen type-I fibrils, as well as tips coated with a thin layer of Ag, we obtained Raman spectra characteristic to the first layer of collagen molecules at the surface of the fibrils. The most frequent Raman peaks were attributed to aromatic residues such as phenylalanine and tyrosine. In several instances, we also observed Amide I bands with a full width at half-maximum of 10-30 cm(-1). The assignment of these Amide I band positions suggests the presence of 3(10)-helices as well as α- and β-sheets at the fibril's surface. Copyright © 2011 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Maximum Bite Force Analysis in Different Age Groups

    PubMed Central

    Takaki, Patricia; Vieira, Marilena; Bommarito, Silvana

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Maximum bite force (MBF) is the maximum force performed by the subject on the fragmentation of food, directly related with the mastication and determined by many factors. Objective Analyze the MBF of subjects according to age groups. Methods One hundred individuals from the city of São Paulo were equally divided according to age groups and gender. Each individual submitted to a myotherapy evaluation composed of anthropometric measurements of height and weight to obtain body mass index (BMI), using a tape and a digital scale (Magna, G-life, São Paulo), and a dental condition and maximum bite force evaluation, using a digital dynamometer model DDK/M (Kratos, São Paulo, Brazil), on Newton scale. The dental and bite force evaluations were monitored by a professional from the area. Analysis of variance was used with MBF as a dependent variable, age group and gender as random factors, and BMI as a control variable. Results Till the end of adolescence, it was possible to observe a decrease in MBF in both sexes, with the male force greater than the female force. In young adults, the female force became greater the males, then decreased in adulthood. There was no correlation between MBF and BMI. Conclusion There are MBF variations that characterizes the human development stages, according to age groups. PMID:25992105

  13. Optimization of the Photoanode of CdS Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Light-Scattering TiO2 Hollow Spheres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marandi, Maziar; Rahmani, Elham; Ahangarani Farahani, Farzaneh

    2017-12-01

    CdS quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs) have been fabricated and their photoanode optimized by altering the thickness of the photoelectrode and CdS deposition conditions and applying a ZnS electron-blocking layer and TiO2 hollow spheres. Hydrothermally grown TiO2 nanocrystals (NCs) with dominant size of 20 nm were deposited as a sublayer in the photoanode with thickness in the range from 5 μm to 10 μm using a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The number of deposition cycles was altered over a wide range to obtain optimized sensitization. Photoanode thickness and number of CdS sensitization cycles around the optimum values were selected and used for ZnS deposition. ZnS overlayers were also deposited on the surface of the photoanodes using different numbers of cycles of the SILAR process. The best QDSC with the optimized photoelectrode demonstrated a 153% increase in efficiency compared with a similar cell with ZnS-free photoanode. Such bilayer photoelectrodes were also fabricated with different thicknesses of TiO2 sublayers and one overlayer of TiO2 hollow spheres (HSs) with external diameter of 500 nm fabricated by liquid-phase deposition with carbon spheres as template. The optimization was performed by changing the photoanode thickness using a wide range of CdS sensitizing cycles. The maximum energy conversion efficiency was increased by about 77% compared with a similar cell with HS-free photoelectrode. The reason was considered to be the longer path length of the incident light inside the photoanode and greater light absorption. A ZnS blocking layer was overcoated on the surface of the bilayer photoanode with optimized thickness. The number of CdS sensitization cycles was also changed around the optimized value to obtain the best QDSC performance. The number of ZnS deposition cycles was also altered in a wide range for optimization of the photovoltaic performance. It was shown that the maximum efficiency was increased by

  14. Optical levitation of 10-ng spheres with nano-g acceleration sensitivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Monteiro, Fernando; Ghosh, Sumita; Fine, Adam Getzels; Moore, David C.

    2017-12-01

    We demonstrate optical levitation of SiO2 spheres with masses ranging from 0.1 to 30 ng. In high vacuum, we observe that the measured acceleration sensitivity improves for larger masses and obtain a sensitivity of 0.4 ×10-6g /√{Hz } for a 12-ng sphere, more than an order of magnitude better than previously reported for optically levitated masses. In addition, these techniques permit long integration times and a mean acceleration of (-0.7 ±2.4 [stat] ±0.2 [syst] ) ×10-9g is measured in 1.4 ×104 s. Spheres larger than 10 ng are found to lose mass in high vacuum where heating due to absorption of the trapping laser dominates radiative cooling. This absorption constrains the maximum size of spheres that can be levitated and allows a measurement of the absorption of the trapping light for the commercially available spheres tested here. Spheres consisting of material with lower absorption may allow larger objects to be optically levitated in high vacuum.

  15. Infrared image segmentation method based on spatial coherence histogram and maximum entropy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Songtao; Shen, Tongsheng; Dai, Yao

    2014-11-01

    In order to segment the target well and suppress background noises effectively, an infrared image segmentation method based on spatial coherence histogram and maximum entropy is proposed. First, spatial coherence histogram is presented by weighting the importance of the different position of these pixels with the same gray-level, which is obtained by computing their local density. Then, after enhancing the image by spatial coherence histogram, 1D maximum entropy method is used to segment the image. The novel method can not only get better segmentation results, but also have a faster computation time than traditional 2D histogram-based segmentation methods.

  16. Automated Detector of High Frequency Oscillations in Epilepsy Based on Maximum Distributed Peak Points.

    PubMed

    Ren, Guo-Ping; Yan, Jia-Qing; Yu, Zhi-Xin; Wang, Dan; Li, Xiao-Nan; Mei, Shan-Shan; Dai, Jin-Dong; Li, Xiao-Li; Li, Yun-Lin; Wang, Xiao-Fei; Yang, Xiao-Feng

    2018-02-01

    High frequency oscillations (HFOs) are considered as biomarker for epileptogenicity. Reliable automation of HFOs detection is necessary for rapid and objective analysis, and is determined by accurate computation of the baseline. Although most existing automated detectors measure baseline accurately in channels with rare HFOs, they lose accuracy in channels with frequent HFOs. Here, we proposed a novel algorithm using the maximum distributed peak points method to improve baseline determination accuracy in channels with wide HFOs activity ranges and calculate a dynamic baseline. Interictal ripples (80-200[Formula: see text]Hz), fast ripples (FRs, 200-500[Formula: see text]Hz) and baselines in intracerebral EEGs from seven patients with intractable epilepsy were identified by experienced reviewers and by our computer-automated program, and the results were compared. We also compared the performance of our detector to four well-known detectors integrated in RIPPLELAB. The sensitivity and specificity of our detector were, respectively, 71% and 75% for ripples and 66% and 84% for FRs. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient comparing automated and manual detection was [Formula: see text] for ripples and [Formula: see text] for FRs ([Formula: see text]). In comparison to other detectors, our detector had a relatively higher sensitivity and specificity. In conclusion, our automated detector is able to accurately calculate a dynamic iEEG baseline in different HFO activity channels using the maximum distributed peak points method, resulting in higher sensitivity and specificity than other available HFO detectors.

  17. Efficiency at maximum power output of linear irreversible Carnot-like heat engines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yang; Tu, Z. C.

    2012-01-01

    The efficiency at maximum power output of linear irreversible Carnot-like heat engines is investigated based on the assumption that the rate of irreversible entropy production of the working substance in each “isothermal” process is a quadratic form of the heat exchange rate between the working substance and the reservoir. It is found that the maximum power output corresponds to minimizing the irreversible entropy production in two isothermal processes of the Carnot-like cycle, and that the efficiency at maximum power output has the form ηmP=ηC/(2-γηC), where ηC is the Carnot efficiency, while γ depends on the heat transfer coefficients between the working substance and two reservoirs. The value of ηmP is bounded between η-≡ηC/2 and η+≡ηC/(2-ηC). These results are consistent with those obtained by Chen and Yan [J. Chem. Phys.JCPSA60021-960610.1063/1.455832 90, 3740 (1989)] based on the endoreversible assumption, those obtained by Esposito [Phys. Rev. Lett.PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.105.150603 105, 150603 (2010)] based on the low-dissipation assumption, and those obtained by Schmiedl and Seifert [Europhys. Lett.EULEEJ0295-507510.1209/0295-5075/81/20003 81, 20003 (2008)] for stochastic heat engines which in fact also satisfy the low-dissipation assumption. Additionally, we find that the endoreversible assumption happens to hold for Carnot-like heat engines operating at the maximum power output based on our fundamental assumption, and that the Carnot-like heat engines that we focused on do not strictly satisfy the low-dissipation assumption, which implies that the low-dissipation assumption or our fundamental assumption is a sufficient but non-necessary condition for the validity of ηmP=ηC/(2-γηC) as well as the existence of two bounds, η-≡ηC/2 and η+≡ηC/(2-ηC).

  18. Maximum principle for a stochastic delayed system involving terminal state constraints.

    PubMed

    Wen, Jiaqiang; Shi, Yufeng

    2017-01-01

    We investigate a stochastic optimal control problem where the controlled system is depicted as a stochastic differential delayed equation; however, at the terminal time, the state is constrained in a convex set. We firstly introduce an equivalent backward delayed system depicted as a time-delayed backward stochastic differential equation. Then a stochastic maximum principle is obtained by virtue of Ekeland's variational principle. Finally, applications to a state constrained stochastic delayed linear-quadratic control model and a production-consumption choice problem are studied to illustrate the main obtained result.

  19. Mothers' maximum drinks ever consumed in 24 hours predicts mental health problems in adolescent offspring

    PubMed Central

    Malone, Stephen M.; McGue, Matt; Iacono, William G.

    2009-01-01

    Background The maximum number of alcoholic drinks consumed in a single 24-hr period is an alcoholism-related phenotype with both face and empirical validity. It has been associated with severity of withdrawal symptoms and sensitivity to alcoholism, genes implicated in alcohol metabolism, and amplitude of a measure of brain activity associated with externalizing disorders in general. In a previous study we found that the maximum number of drinks fathers had ever consumed in 24 hrs was associated with externalizing behaviors and disorders in preadolescent and adolescent children. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether maternal maximum consumption has similar correlates. Method We examined associations between maternal maximum consumption and alcohol dependence, respectively, and disruptive disorders and substance-related problems in two large independent population-based cohorts of 17-year-old adolescents. Results Maximum consumption was associated with conduct disorder, disruptive disorders in general, early substance use and misuse, and substance disorders in adolescent children regardless of sex. Associations were consistent across cohorts, providing internal replication. They also paralleled our previous findings regarding paternal status. They could not be explained by maternal alcohol dependence, effects of drinking during pregnancy, or paternal maximum consumption. They were not simple artifacts of the fact that maximum consumption is a continuous measure while alcohol dependence is dichotomous. Conclusions Despite deriving from a single question about lifetime behavior, parental maximum consumption appears to reflect vulnerability for mental health problems, especially substance-related ones, more directly than a diagnosis of alcohol dependence. PMID:20085606

  20. Evaluating Carbon and Climate Sensitivities of the NOAA/GFDL Earth System Model ESM2Mb to Forcing Perturbations during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tandy, H.; Shevliakova, E.; Keller, G.

    2017-12-01

    The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, 55.5 Myr) was a period of rapid warming resulting from major changes in the carbon cycle and has been cited as the closest historical analogue to anthropogenic carbon release. Up to now, modeling studies of the PETM used either a low-resolution coupled model of the ocean and atmosphere with prescribed CO2 or CH4, or coupled climate-carbon models of intermediate complexity (i.e. simplified ocean or atmosphere). In this study we carried a suit of numerical experiments with the NOAA/GFDL comprehensive atmosphere-ocean coupled model with integrated terrestrial and marine carbon cycle components, known as an Earth System Model (ESM2Mb). We analyzed the output from millennia-scale ESM2Mb simulations with different combinations of forcings from the pre-PETM and PETM, including greenhouse gas concentrations and solar intensity. In addition we explore sensitivities of climate and carbon cycling to changes in geology such as topography, continental positions, and the presence and absence of large land glaciers. Furthermore, we examine ESM2Mb climate and carbon sensitivities to PETM conditions with a focus on how alternate conditions and forcings relate to the uncertainty in the climate and carbon cycling estimates from paleo observations. We explore changes in atmosphere, land, and ocean temperatures and circulation patterns as well as vegetation distribution, permafrost, and carbon storage in terrestrial and marine ecosystems from pre-PETM to PETM conditions. We found that with the present day land/sea mask and land glaciers in ESM2Mb, changes in only greenhouse gas concentrations (CO2 and CH4) from pre-PETM to PETM conditions induce global warming of 3-5 °C, consistent with the lower range of estimates from paleo proxies. Changes in the carbon permafrost storage from warming cannot explain the rapid increase in the atmospheric CO2 concentration. Changes in the ocean circulation and carbon storage critically depend on geological

  1. An EM Algorithm for Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Process Factor Analysis Models

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Taehun

    2010-01-01

    In this dissertation, an Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm is developed and implemented to obtain maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters and the associated standard error estimates characterizing temporal flows for the latent variable time series following stationary vector ARMA processes, as well as the parameters defining the…

  2. Comparative Flight and Full-Scale Wind-Tunnel Measurements of the Maximum Lift of an Airplane

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Silverstein, Abe; Katzoff, S; Hootman, James A

    1938-01-01

    Determinations of the power-off maximum lift of a Fairchild 22 airplane were made in the NACA full-scale wind tunnel and in flight. The results from the two types of test were in satisfactory agreement. It was found that, when the airplane was rotated positively in pitch through the angle of stall at rates of the order of 0.1 degree per second, the maximum lift coefficient was considerably higher than that obtained in the standard tests, in which the forces are measured with the angles of attack fixed. Scale effect on the maximum lift coefficient was also investigated.

  3. Chapman Enskog-maximum entropy method on time-dependent neutron transport equation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdou, M. A.

    2006-09-01

    The time-dependent neutron transport equation in semi and infinite medium with linear anisotropic and Rayleigh scattering is proposed. The problem is solved by means of the flux-limited, Chapman Enskog-maximum entropy for obtaining the solution of the time-dependent neutron transport. The solution gives the neutron distribution density function which is used to compute numerically the radiant energy density E(x,t), net flux F(x,t) and reflectivity Rf. The behaviour of the approximate flux-limited maximum entropy neutron density function are compared with those found by other theories. Numerical calculations for the radiant energy, net flux and reflectivity of the proposed medium are calculated at different time and space.

  4. Highly sensitive long-period fiber-grating strain sensor with low temperature sensitivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yi-Ping; Xiao, Limin; Wang, D. N.; Jin, Wei

    2006-12-01

    A long-period fiber-grating sensor with a high strain sensitivity of -7.6 pm/μɛ and a low temperature sensitivity of 3.91 pm/°C is fabricated by use of focused CO2 laser beam to carve periodic grooves on a large- mode-area photonic crystal fiber. Such a strain sensor can effectively reduce the cross-sensitivity between strain and temperature, and the temperature-induced strain error obtained is only 0.5 μɛ/°C without using temperature compensation.

  5. Performance and stability of low-cost dye-sensitized solar cell based crude and pre-concentrated anthocyanins: Combined experimental and DFT/TDDFT study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chaiamornnugool, Phrompak; Tontapha, Sarawut; Phatchana, Ratchanee; Ratchapolthavisin, Nattawat; Kanokmedhakul, Somdej; Sang-aroon, Wichien; Amornkitbamrung, Vittaya

    2017-01-01

    The low cost DSSCs utilized by crude and pre-concentrated anthocyanins extracted from six anthocyanin-rich samples including mangosteen pericarp, roselle, red cabbage, Thai berry, black rice and blue pea were fabricated. Their photo-to-current conversion efficiencies and stability were examined. Pre-concentrated extracts were obtained by solid phase extraction (SPE) using C18 cartridge. The results obviously showed that all pre-concentrated extracts performed on photovoltaic performances in DSSCs better than crude extracts except for mangosteen pericarp. The DSSC sensitized by pre-concentrated anthocyanin from roselle and red cabbage showed maximum current efficiency η = 0.71% while DSSC sensitized by crude anthocyanin from mangosteen pericarp reached maximum efficiency η = 0.97%. In addition, pre-concentrated extract based cells possess more stability than those of crude extract based cells. This indicates that pre-concentration of anthocyanin via SPE method is very effective for DSSCs based on good photovoltaic performance and stability. The DFT/TDDFT calculations of electronic and photoelectrochemical properties of the major anthocyanins found in the samples are employed to support the experimental results.

  6. Photovoltaic-Model-Based Solar Irradiance Estimators: Performance Comparison and Application to Maximum Power Forecasting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scolari, Enrica; Sossan, Fabrizio; Paolone, Mario

    2018-01-01

    Due to the increasing proportion of distributed photovoltaic (PV) production in the generation mix, the knowledge of the PV generation capacity has become a key factor. In this work, we propose to compute the PV plant maximum power starting from the indirectly-estimated irradiance. Three estimators are compared in terms of i) ability to compute the PV plant maximum power, ii) bandwidth and iii) robustness against measurements noise. The approaches rely on measurements of the DC voltage, current, and cell temperature and on a model of the PV array. We show that the considered methods can accurately reconstruct the PV maximum generation even during curtailment periods, i.e. when the measured PV power is not representative of the maximum potential of the PV array. Performance evaluation is carried out by using a dedicated experimental setup on a 14.3 kWp rooftop PV installation. Results also proved that the analyzed methods can outperform pyranometer-based estimations, with a less complex sensing system. We show how the obtained PV maximum power values can be applied to train time series-based solar maximum power forecasting techniques. This is beneficial when the measured power values, commonly used as training, are not representative of the maximum PV potential.

  7. THE FLOCCULATION MAXIMUM (pH) OF FIBRINOGEN AND SOME OTHER BLOOD-CLOTTING REAGENTS. (RELATIVE TURBIDIMETRY WITH THE EVELYN PHOTOELECTRIC COLORIMETER)

    PubMed Central

    Ferguson, John H.

    1942-01-01

    By means of a novel adaptation of the Evelyn photoelectric colorimeter to the measurement of relative turbidities, the question of the flocculation maximum (F.M.) in acetate buffer solutions of varying pH and salt content has been studied on (a) an exceptionally stable prothrombin-free fibrinogen and its solutions after incipient thermal denaturation and incomplete tryptic proteolysis, (b) plasma, similarly treated, (c) prothrombin, thrombin, and (brain) thromboplastin solutions. All the fibrinogens show a remarkable uniformity of the precipitation pattern, viz. F.M. =4.7 (±0.2) pH in salt-containing buffer solutions and pH = 5.3 (±0.2) in salt-poor buffer (N/100 acetate). The latter approximates the isoelectric point (5.4) obtained by cataphoresis (14). There is no evidence that denaturation or digestion can produce any "second maximum." The data support the view that fibrin formation (under the specific influence of thrombin) is intrinsically unrelated to denaturation and digestion phenomena, although all three can proceed simultaneously in crude materials. A criticism is offered, therefore, of Wöhlisch's blood clotting theory. Further applications of the photoelectric colorimeter to coagulation problems are suggested, including kinetic study of fibrin formation and the assay of fibrinogen, with a possible sensitivity of 7.5 mg. protein in 100 cc. solution. PMID:19873299

  8. THE FLOCCULATION MAXIMUM (pH) OF FIBRINOGEN AND SOME OTHER BLOOD-CLOTTING REAGENTS. (RELATIVE TURBIDIMETRY WITH THE EVELYN PHOTOELECTRIC COLORIMETER).

    PubMed

    Ferguson, J H

    1942-03-20

    By means of a novel adaptation of the Evelyn photoelectric colorimeter to the measurement of relative turbidities, the question of the flocculation maximum (F.M.) in acetate buffer solutions of varying pH and salt content has been studied on (a) an exceptionally stable prothrombin-free fibrinogen and its solutions after incipient thermal denaturation and incomplete tryptic proteolysis, (b) plasma, similarly treated, (c) prothrombin, thrombin, and (brain) thromboplastin solutions. All the fibrinogens show a remarkable uniformity of the precipitation pattern, viz. F.M. =4.7 (+/-0.2) pH in salt-containing buffer solutions and pH = 5.3 (+/-0.2) in salt-poor buffer (N/100 acetate). The latter approximates the isoelectric point (5.4) obtained by cataphoresis (14). There is no evidence that denaturation or digestion can produce any "second maximum." The data support the view that fibrin formation (under the specific influence of thrombin) is intrinsically unrelated to denaturation and digestion phenomena, although all three can proceed simultaneously in crude materials. A criticism is offered, therefore, of Wöhlisch's blood clotting theory. Further applications of the photoelectric colorimeter to coagulation problems are suggested, including kinetic study of fibrin formation and the assay of fibrinogen, with a possible sensitivity of 7.5 mg. protein in 100 cc. solution.

  9. Fast linear feature detection using multiple directional non-maximum suppression.

    PubMed

    Sun, C; Vallotton, P

    2009-05-01

    The capacity to detect linear features is central to image analysis, computer vision and pattern recognition and has practical applications in areas such as neurite outgrowth detection, retinal vessel extraction, skin hair removal, plant root analysis and road detection. Linear feature detection often represents the starting point for image segmentation and image interpretation. In this paper, we present a new algorithm for linear feature detection using multiple directional non-maximum suppression with symmetry checking and gap linking. Given its low computational complexity, the algorithm is very fast. We show in several examples that it performs very well in terms of both sensitivity and continuity of detected linear features.

  10. Probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment for Makran considering recently suggested larger maximum magnitudes and sensitivity analysis for GNSS-based early warning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zamora, N.; Hoechner, A.; Babeyko, A. Y.

    2014-12-01

    Iran and Pakistan are countries frequently affected by destructive earthquakes, as for instance, the magnitude 6.6 Bam earthquake in 2003 in Iran with about 30 000 casualties, or the magnitude 7.6 Kashmir earthquake 2005 in Pakistan with about 80'000 casualties. Both events took place inland, but in terms of magnitude, even significantly larger events can be expected to happen offshore, at the Makran subduction zone. This small subduction zone is seismically rather quiescent, nevertheless a tsunami caused by a thrust event in 1945 (Balochistan earthquake) led to about 4000 casualties. Nowadays, the coastal regions are more densely populated and vulnerable to similar events. Furthermore, some recent publications discuss the possiblity of rather rare huge magnitude 9 events at the Makran subduction zone. We analyze the seismicity at the subduction plate interface and generate various synthetic earthquake catalogs spanning 100000 years. All the events are projected onto the plate interface using scaling relations and a tsunami model is run for every scenario. The tsunami hazard along the coast is computed and presented in the form of annual probability of exceedance, probabilistic tsunami height for different time periods and other measures. We show how the hazard reacts to variation of the Gutenberg-Richter parameters and maximum magnitudes.We model the historic Balochistan event and its effect in terms of coastal wave heights. Finally, we show how an effective tsunami early warning could be achieved by using an array of high-precision real-time GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers along the coast by applying it to the 1945 event and by performing a sensitivity analysis.

  11. Long-term reproducibility of relative sensitivity factors obtained with CAMECA Wf

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gui, D.; Xing, Z. X.; Huang, Y. H.; Mo, Z. Q.; Hua, Y. N.; Zhao, S. P.; Cha, L. Z.

    2008-12-01

    As the wafer size continues to increase and the feature size of the integrated circuits (IC) continues to shrink, process control of IC manufacturing becomes ever more important to reduce the cost of failures caused by the drift of processes or equipments. Characterization tools with high precision and reproducibility are required to capture any abnormality of the process. Although Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has been widely used in dopant profile control, it was reported that magnetic sector SIMS, compared to quadrupole SIMS, has lower short-term repeatability and long-term reproducibility due to the high extraction field applied between sample and extraction lens. In this paper, we demonstrate that CAMECA Wf can deliver high long-term reproducibility because of its high-level automation and improved design of immersion lens. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of the relative sensitivity factors (RSF) of three typical elements, i.e., boron (B), phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N), over 3 years are 3.7%, 5.5% and 4.1%, respectively. The high reproducibility results have a practical implication that deviation can be estimated without testing the standards.

  12. Hydrothermal growth of highly monodispersed TiO2 nanoparticles: Functional properties and dye-sensitized solar cell performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Navaneethan, M.; Nithiananth, S.; Abinaya, R.; Harish, S.; Archana, J.; Sudha, L.; Ponnusamy, S.; Muthamizhchelvan, C.; Ikeda, H.; Hayakawa, Y.

    2017-10-01

    Monodispersed anatase TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal method using citric acid as a capping agent. The effect of citric acid and the growth time on the formation of TiO2, functional properties and dye-sensitized solar cell performances were investigated. X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy results revealed that the TiO2 nanoparticles possess the anatase phase. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurement revealed the formation of spherical nanoparticles with monodispersity in size and morphology. An average size of 14 nm was obtained for the growth period of 15 h. The maximum efficiency (η) of dye-sensitized solar cell was achieved for TiO2 nanoparticles grown for 15 h as 7.66% which was higher than that of commercial P25 TiO2 (5.23%) and uncapped nanoparticles (3.68%).

  13. An extended heterogeneous car-following model accounting for anticipation driving behavior and mixed maximum speeds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Fengxin; Wang, Jufeng; Cheng, Rongjun; Ge, Hongxia

    2018-02-01

    The optimal driving speeds of the different vehicles may be different for the same headway. In the optimal velocity function of the optimal velocity (OV) model, the maximum speed vmax is an important parameter determining the optimal driving speed. A vehicle with higher maximum speed is more willing to drive faster than that with lower maximum speed in similar situation. By incorporating the anticipation driving behavior of relative velocity and mixed maximum speeds of different percentages into optimal velocity function, an extended heterogeneous car-following model is presented in this paper. The analytical linear stable condition for this extended heterogeneous traffic model is obtained by using linear stability theory. Numerical simulations are carried out to explore the complex phenomenon resulted from the cooperation between anticipation driving behavior and heterogeneous maximum speeds in the optimal velocity function. The analytical and numerical results all demonstrate that strengthening driver's anticipation effect can improve the stability of heterogeneous traffic flow, and increasing the lowest value in the mixed maximum speeds will result in more instability, but increasing the value or proportion of the part already having higher maximum speed will cause different stabilities at high or low traffic densities.

  14. Comparing the acute sensitivity of growth and photosynthetic endpoints in three Lemna species exposed to four herbicides.

    PubMed

    Park, Jihae; Brown, Murray T; Depuydt, Stephen; Kim, Jang K; Won, Dam-Soo; Han, Taejun

    2017-01-01

    An ecological impact assessment of four herbicides (atrazine, diuron, paraquat and simazine) was assessed using the aquatic floating vascular plants, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor and Lemna paucicostata as test organisms. The sensitivity of several ecologically relevant parameters (increase in frond area, root length after regrowth, maximum and effective quantum yield of PSII and maximum electron transport rate (ETR max ), were compared after a 72 h exposure to herbicides. The present test methods require relatively small sample volume (3 mL), shorter exposure times (72 h), simple and quick analytical procedures as compared with standard Lemna assays. Sensitivity ranking of endpoints, based on EC 50 values, differed depending on the herbicide. The most toxic herbicides were diuron and paraquat and the most sensitive endpoints were root length (6.0-12.3 μg L -1 ) and ETR max (4.7-10.3 μg L -1 ) for paraquat and effective quantum yield (6.8-10.4 μg L -1 ) for diuron. Growth and chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters in all three Lemna species were sensitive enough to detect toxic levels of diuron and paraquat in water samples in excess of allowable concentrations set by international standards. CV values of all EC 50 s obtained from the Lemna tests were in the range of 2.8-24.33%, indicating a high level of repeatability comparable to the desirable level of <30% for adoption of toxicity test methods as international standards. Our new Lemna methods may provide useful information for the assessment of toxicity risk of residual herbicides in aquatic ecosystems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. An improved maximum power point tracking method for a photovoltaic system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ouoba, David; Fakkar, Abderrahim; El Kouari, Youssef; Dkhichi, Fayrouz; Oukarfi, Benyounes

    2016-06-01

    In this paper, an improved auto-scaling variable step-size Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) method for photovoltaic (PV) system was proposed. To achieve simultaneously a fast dynamic response and stable steady-state power, a first improvement was made on the step-size scaling function of the duty cycle that controls the converter. An algorithm was secondly proposed to address wrong decision that may be made at an abrupt change of the irradiation. The proposed auto-scaling variable step-size approach was compared to some various other approaches from the literature such as: classical fixed step-size, variable step-size and a recent auto-scaling variable step-size maximum power point tracking approaches. The simulation results obtained by MATLAB/SIMULINK were given and discussed for validation.

  16. A two-step sensitivity analysis for hydrological signatures in Jinhua River Basin, East China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pan, S.; Fu, G.; Chiang, Y. M.; Xu, Y. P.

    2016-12-01

    Owing to model complexity and large number of parameters, calibration and sensitivity analysis are difficult processes for distributed hydrological models. In this study, a two-step sensitivity analysis approach is proposed for analyzing the hydrological signatures in Jinhua River Basin, East China, using the Distributed Hydrology-Soil-Vegetation Model (DHSVM). A rough sensitivity analysis is firstly conducted to obtain preliminary influential parameters via Analysis of Variance. The number of parameters was greatly reduced from eighteen-three to sixteen. Afterwards, the sixteen parameters are further analyzed based on a variance-based global sensitivity analysis, i.e., Sobol's sensitivity analysis method, to achieve robust sensitivity rankings and parameter contributions. Parallel-Computing is applied to reduce computational burden in variance-based sensitivity analysis. The results reveal that only a few number of model parameters are significantly sensitive, including rain LAI multiplier, lateral conductivity, porosity, field capacity, wilting point of clay loam, understory monthly LAI, understory minimum resistance and root zone depths of croplands. Finally several hydrological signatures are used for investigating the performance of DHSVM. Results show that high value of efficiency criteria didn't indicate excellent performance of hydrological signatures. For most samples from Sobol's sensitivity analysis, water yield was simulated very well. However, lowest and maximum annual daily runoffs were underestimated. Most of seven-day minimum runoffs were overestimated. Nevertheless, good performances of the three signatures above still exist in a number of samples. Analysis of peak flow shows that small and medium floods are simulated perfectly while slight underestimations happen to large floods. The work in this study helps to further multi-objective calibration of DHSVM model and indicates where to improve the reliability and credibility of model simulation.

  17. Underwater hearing sensitivity of a male and a female Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus).

    PubMed

    Kastelein, Ronald A; van Schie, Robbert; Verboom, Wim C; de Haan, Dick

    2005-09-01

    The unmasked underwater hearing sensitivities of an 8-year-old male and a 7-year-old female Steller sea lion were measured in a pool, by using behavioral psychophysics. The animals were trained with positive reinforcement to respond when they detected an acoustic signal and not to respond when they did not. The signals were narrow-band, frequency-modulated stimuli with a duration of 600 ms and center frequencies ranging from 0.5 to 32 kHz for the male and from 4 to 32 kHz for the female. Detection thresholds at each frequency were measured by varying signal amplitude according to the up-down staircase method. The resulting underwater audiogram (50% detection thresholds) for the male Steller sea lion showed the typical mammalian U-shape. His maximum sensitivity (77 dB re: 1 microPa, rms) occurred at 1 kHz. The range of best hearing (10 dB from the maximum sensitivity) was from 1 to 16 kHz (4 octaves). Higher hearing thresholds (indicating poorer sensitivity) were observed below 1 kHz and above 16 kHz. The maximum sensitivity of the female (73 dB re: 1 microPa, rms) occurred at 25 kHz. Higher hearing thresholds (indicating poorer sensitivity) were observed for signals below 16 kHz and above 25 kHz. At frequencies for which both subjects were tested, hearing thresholds of the male were significantly higher than those of the female. The hearing sensitivity differences between the male and female Steller sea lion in this study may be due to individual differences in sensitivity between the subjects or due to sexual dimorphism in hearing.

  18. Objects of Maximum Electromagnetic Chirality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernandez-Corbaton, Ivan; Fruhnert, Martin; Rockstuhl, Carsten

    2016-07-01

    We introduce a definition of the electromagnetic chirality of an object and show that it has an upper bound. Reciprocal objects attain the upper bound if and only if they are transparent for all the fields of one polarization handedness (helicity). Additionally, electromagnetic duality symmetry, i.e., helicity preservation upon interaction, turns out to be a necessary condition for reciprocal objects to attain the upper bound. We use these results to provide requirements for the design of such extremal objects. The requirements can be formulated as constraints on the polarizability tensors for dipolar objects or on the material constitutive relations for continuous media. We also outline two applications for objects of maximum electromagnetic chirality: a twofold resonantly enhanced and background-free circular dichroism measurement setup, and angle-independent helicity filtering glasses. Finally, we use the theoretically obtained requirements to guide the design of a specific structure, which we then analyze numerically and discuss its performance with respect to maximal electromagnetic chirality.

  19. Comparison of VO[subscript 2] Maximum Obtained from 20 m Shuttle Run and Cycle Ergometer in Children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cairney, John; Hay, John; Veldhuizen, Scott; Faught, Brent

    2010-01-01

    Oxygen consumption at peak physical exertion (VO[subscript 2] maximum) is the most widely used indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness. The purpose of this study was to compare two protocols for its estimation, cycle ergometer testing and the 20 m shuttle run, among children with and without probable developmental coordination disorder (pDCD). The…

  20. Use of iodine for water disinfection: iodine toxicity and maximum recommended dose.

    PubMed Central

    Backer, H; Hollowell, J

    2000-01-01

    Iodine is an effective, simple, and cost-efficient means of water disinfection for people who vacation, travel, or work in areas where municipal water treatment is not reliable. However, there is considerable controversy about the maximum safe iodine dose and duration of use when iodine is ingested in excess of the recommended daily dietary amount. The major health effect of concern with excess iodine ingestion is thyroid disorders, primarily hypothyroidism with or without iodine-induced goiter. A review of the human trials on the safety of iodine ingestion indicates that neither the maximum recommended dietary dose (2 mg/day) nor the maximum recommended duration of use (3 weeks) has a firm basis. Rather than a clear threshold response level or a linear and temporal dose-response relationship between iodine intake and thyroid function, there appears to be marked individual sensitivity, often resulting from unmasking of underlying thyroid disease. The use of iodine for water disinfection requires a risk-benefit decision based on iodine's benefit as a disinfectant and the changes it induces in thyroid physiology. By using appropriate disinfection techniques and monitoring thyroid function, most people can use iodine for water treatment over a prolonged period of time. PMID:10964787

  1. Obtaining of caffeine from Turkish tea fiber and stalk wastes.

    PubMed

    Gürü, M; Içen, H

    2004-08-01

    The aim of this study was to find a cheap method to obtain caffeine. Experiments were performed on fiber and stalk wastes of Turkish tea plants that had no economical value other than being used merely as low grade fuel and fodder. Tea stalks and fiber were obtained from tea factories. Parameters affecting caffeine extraction from tea wastes were determined to be, mixing rate, water/tea ratio, temperature, time and particle size. The maximum yields by dried mass from the tea fibers and stalks were 1.16% and 0.92%, respectively.

  2. 5 CFR 1600.22 - Maximum contributions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum contributions. 1600.22 Section... ELECTIONS AND CONTRIBUTION ALLOCATIONS Program of Contributions § 1600.22 Maximum contributions. (a) Regular...) FERS percentage limit. The maximum employee contribution from basic pay for a FERS participant for 2005...

  3. Dye-sensitized solar cells based on purple corn sensitizers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Phinjaturus, Kawin; Maiaugree, Wasan; Suriharn, Bhalang; Pimanpaeng, Samuk; Amornkitbamrung, Vittaya; Swatsitang, Ekaphan

    2016-09-01

    Natural dye extracted from husk, cob and silk of purple corn, were used for the first time as photosensitizers in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The dye sensitized solar cells fabrication process has been optimized in terms of solvent extraction. The resulting maximal efficiency of 1.06% was obtained from purple corn husk extracted by acetone. The ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) were employed to characterize the natural dye and the DSSCs.

  4. Maximum Likelihood Dynamic Factor Modeling for Arbitrary "N" and "T" Using SEM

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Voelkle, Manuel C.; Oud, Johan H. L.; von Oertzen, Timo; Lindenberger, Ulman

    2012-01-01

    This article has 3 objectives that build on each other. First, we demonstrate how to obtain maximum likelihood estimates for dynamic factor models (the direct autoregressive factor score model) with arbitrary "T" and "N" by means of structural equation modeling (SEM) and compare the approach to existing methods. Second, we go beyond standard time…

  5. A pairwise maximum entropy model accurately describes resting-state human brain networks

    PubMed Central

    Watanabe, Takamitsu; Hirose, Satoshi; Wada, Hiroyuki; Imai, Yoshio; Machida, Toru; Shirouzu, Ichiro; Konishi, Seiki; Miyashita, Yasushi; Masuda, Naoki

    2013-01-01

    The resting-state human brain networks underlie fundamental cognitive functions and consist of complex interactions among brain regions. However, the level of complexity of the resting-state networks has not been quantified, which has prevented comprehensive descriptions of the brain activity as an integrative system. Here, we address this issue by demonstrating that a pairwise maximum entropy model, which takes into account region-specific activity rates and pairwise interactions, can be robustly and accurately fitted to resting-state human brain activities obtained by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Furthermore, to validate the approximation of the resting-state networks by the pairwise maximum entropy model, we show that the functional interactions estimated by the pairwise maximum entropy model reflect anatomical connexions more accurately than the conventional functional connectivity method. These findings indicate that a relatively simple statistical model not only captures the structure of the resting-state networks but also provides a possible method to derive physiological information about various large-scale brain networks. PMID:23340410

  6. Potential role of motion for enhancing maximum output energy of triboelectric nanogenerator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Byun, Kyung-Eun; Lee, Min-Hyun; Cho, Yeonchoo; Nam, Seung-Geol; Shin, Hyeon-Jin; Park, Seongjun

    2017-07-01

    Although triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been explored as one of the possible candidates for the auxiliary power source of portable and wearable devices, the output energy of a TENG is still insufficient to charge the devices with daily motion. Moreover, the fundamental aspects of the maximum possible energy of a TENG related with human motion are not understood systematically. Here, we confirmed the possibility of charging commercialized portable and wearable devices such as smart phones and smart watches by utilizing the mechanical energy generated by human motion. We confirmed by theoretical extraction that the maximum possible energy is related with specific form factors of a TENG. Furthermore, we experimentally demonstrated the effect of human motion in an aspect of the kinetic energy and impulse using varying velocity and elasticity, and clarified how to improve the maximum possible energy of a TENG. This study gives insight into design of a TENG to obtain a large amount of energy in a limited space.

  7. Motor vehicle driver death and high state maximum speed limits: 1991-1993.

    PubMed

    Yamane, Grover K; Bradshaw, Benjamin S

    2008-09-01

    To measure the association between motor vehicle crash (MVC) driver death and high state maximum speed limits. This study used a case-control design and assessed driver deaths from three major types of MVCs: non-collision; collision with motor vehicles in transit; and collision with stationary objects. The study period was 1991-1993. For each type of crash, case subject populations of fatally injured drivers were obtained from the U.S. Department of Transportation Fatality Analysis Reporting System. Four control subject populations, each associated with a different cause of death, were obtained from a U.S. national death certificate database (the causes of death were unintentional poisoning, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, drowning, and diabetes mellitus). Subjects were considered exposed if the state in which they crashed (for cases) or died (for controls) had a maximum speed limit greater than 55 mph. Each of the three case subject populations was compared against each of the four control subject populations. Odds ratios (ORs) were adjusted for age and gender. For non-collision driver death, ORs ranged from 3.06 to 6.56, depending on the year and control group; all the ORs were significant. For collision with motor vehicles in transit driver death, ORs ranged from 1.12 to 2.22; all the ORs were significant. For collision with stationary objects driver death, ORs ranged from 0.87 to 1.83. There was a moderately strong and significant association between non-collision driver death and high state maximum speed limits. For collision with motor vehicles in transit driver death, the association was somewhat milder but still consistent. For collision with stationary objects driver death, the presence of an association was unclear. During 1991-1993, the effects of high state maximum speed limits may have been different for different types of MVCs.

  8. Influence of Distributed Dead Loads on Vehicle Position for Maximum Moment in Simply Supported Bridges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gupta, Tanmay; Kumar, Manoj

    2017-06-01

    Usually, the design moments in the simply supported bridges are obtained as the sum of moments due to dead loads and live load where the live load moments are calculated using the rolling load concept neglecting the effect of dead loads. For the simply supported bridges, uniformly distributed dead load produces maximum moment at mid-span while the absolute maximum bending moment due to multi-axel vehicles occur under a wheel which usually do not lie at mid-span. Since, the location of absolute maximum bending moment due to multi-axel vehicle do not coincide with the location of maximum moment due to dead loads occurring at mid-span, the design moment may not be obtained by simply superimposing the effect of dead load and live load. Moreover, in case of Class-A and Class-70R wheeled vehicular live loads, which consists of several axels, the number of axels to be considered over the bridge of given span and their location is tedious to find out and needs several trials. The aim of the present study is to find the number of wheels for Class-A and Class-70R wheeled vehicles and their precise location to produce absolute maximum moment in the bridge considering the effect of dead loads and impact factor. Finally, in order to enable the designers, the design moments due to Class-70R wheeled and Class-A loading have been presented in tabular form for the spans from 10 to 50 m.

  9. 20 CFR 229.48 - Family maximum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Family maximum. 229.48 Section 229.48... OVERALL MINIMUM GUARANTEE Computation of the Overall Minimum Rate § 229.48 Family maximum. (a) Family... month on one person's earnings record is limited. This limited amount is called the family maximum. The...

  10. 49 CFR 107.329 - Maximum penalties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... maximum civil penalty is $110,000 if the violation results in death, serious illness or severe injury to... 49 Transportation 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Maximum penalties. 107.329 Section 107.329... PROGRAM PROCEDURES Enforcement Compliance Orders and Civil Penalties § 107.329 Maximum penalties. (a) A...

  11. 49 CFR 107.329 - Maximum penalties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... maximum civil penalty is $110,000 if the violation results in death, serious illness or severe injury to... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Maximum penalties. 107.329 Section 107.329... PROGRAM PROCEDURES Enforcement Compliance Orders and Civil Penalties § 107.329 Maximum penalties. (a) A...

  12. 49 CFR 107.329 - Maximum penalties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... maximum civil penalty is $110,000 if the violation results in death, serious illness or severe injury to... 49 Transportation 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Maximum penalties. 107.329 Section 107.329... PROGRAM PROCEDURES Enforcement Compliance Orders and Civil Penalties § 107.329 Maximum penalties. (a) A...

  13. Low-field MRI can be more sensitive than high-field MRI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coffey, Aaron M.; Truong, Milton L.; Chekmenev, Eduard Y.

    2013-12-01

    MRI signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is the key factor for image quality. Conventionally, SNR is proportional to nuclear spin polarization, which scales linearly with magnetic field strength. Yet ever-stronger magnets present numerous technical and financial limitations. Low-field MRI can mitigate these constraints with equivalent SNR from non-equilibrium ‘hyperpolarization' schemes, which increase polarization by orders of magnitude independently of the magnetic field. Here, theory and experimental validation demonstrate that combination of field independent polarization (e.g. hyperpolarization) with frequency optimized MRI detection coils (i.e. multi-turn coils using the maximum allowed conductor length) results in low-field MRI sensitivity approaching and even rivaling that of high-field MRI. Four read-out frequencies were tested using samples with identical numbers of 1H and 13C spins. Experimental SNRs at 0.0475 T were ∼40% of those obtained at 4.7 T. Conservatively, theoretical SNRs at 0.0475 T 1.13-fold higher than those at 4.7 T were possible despite an ∼100-fold lower detection frequency, indicating feasibility of high-sensitivity MRI without technically challenging, expensive high-field magnets. The data at 4.7 T and 0.0475 T was obtained from different spectrometers with different RF probes. The SNR comparison between the two field strengths accounted for many differences in parameters such as system noise figures and variations in the probe detection coils including Q factors and coil diameters.

  14. Optimizing the maximum reported cluster size in the spatial scan statistic for ordinal data.

    PubMed

    Kim, Sehwi; Jung, Inkyung

    2017-01-01

    The spatial scan statistic is an important tool for spatial cluster detection. There have been numerous studies on scanning window shapes. However, little research has been done on the maximum scanning window size or maximum reported cluster size. Recently, Han et al. proposed to use the Gini coefficient to optimize the maximum reported cluster size. However, the method has been developed and evaluated only for the Poisson model. We adopt the Gini coefficient to be applicable to the spatial scan statistic for ordinal data to determine the optimal maximum reported cluster size. Through a simulation study and application to a real data example, we evaluate the performance of the proposed approach. With some sophisticated modification, the Gini coefficient can be effectively employed for the ordinal model. The Gini coefficient most often picked the optimal maximum reported cluster sizes that were the same as or smaller than the true cluster sizes with very high accuracy. It seems that we can obtain a more refined collection of clusters by using the Gini coefficient. The Gini coefficient developed specifically for the ordinal model can be useful for optimizing the maximum reported cluster size for ordinal data and helpful for properly and informatively discovering cluster patterns.

  15. Optimizing the maximum reported cluster size in the spatial scan statistic for ordinal data

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Sehwi

    2017-01-01

    The spatial scan statistic is an important tool for spatial cluster detection. There have been numerous studies on scanning window shapes. However, little research has been done on the maximum scanning window size or maximum reported cluster size. Recently, Han et al. proposed to use the Gini coefficient to optimize the maximum reported cluster size. However, the method has been developed and evaluated only for the Poisson model. We adopt the Gini coefficient to be applicable to the spatial scan statistic for ordinal data to determine the optimal maximum reported cluster size. Through a simulation study and application to a real data example, we evaluate the performance of the proposed approach. With some sophisticated modification, the Gini coefficient can be effectively employed for the ordinal model. The Gini coefficient most often picked the optimal maximum reported cluster sizes that were the same as or smaller than the true cluster sizes with very high accuracy. It seems that we can obtain a more refined collection of clusters by using the Gini coefficient. The Gini coefficient developed specifically for the ordinal model can be useful for optimizing the maximum reported cluster size for ordinal data and helpful for properly and informatively discovering cluster patterns. PMID:28753674

  16. 34 CFR 674.12 - Loan maximums.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Loan maximums. 674.12 Section 674.12 Education..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FEDERAL PERKINS LOAN PROGRAM General Provisions § 674.12 Loan maximums. (a) The maximum annual amount of Federal Perkins Loans and NDSLs an eligible student may borrow is— (1) $5,500 for...

  17. 49 CFR 190.223 - Maximum penalties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Maximum penalties. 190.223 Section 190.223... PROCEDURES Enforcement Civil Penalties § 190.223 Maximum penalties. (a) Any person who is determined to have... except that the maximum civil penalty may not exceed $1,000,000 for any related series of violations. (b...

  18. 14 CFR 1261.102 - Maximum amount.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum amount. 1261.102 Section 1261.102...) Employees' Personal Property Claims § 1261.102 Maximum amount. From October 1, 1982, to October 30, 1988, the maximum amount that may be paid under the Military Personnel and Civilian Employees' Claim Act of...

  19. Highly sensitive and selective spectrophotometric method for determination of trace gold in geological samples with 5-(2-hydroxy-5-nitrophenylazo)rhodanine.

    PubMed

    Zaijun, Li; Jiaomai, Pan; Jian, Tang

    2003-02-01

    A excellent sensitive and selective method for spectrophotometric determination of trace gold has been developed, the method is based on the color reaction of gold(III) with new reagent 5-(2-hydroxy-5-nitrophenylazo)rhodanine (HNAR). Under optimal conditions, HNAR reacts with gold(III) to form a 1:5 orange complex, which has an maximum absorption peak at 480 nm. Maximum enhancement of the absorbance of the complex was obtained in the presence of the mixed surfactant of Triton X-100 and CTMAB; the reaction completed rapidly and the absorbance is stable for 5 h at least at 20 degrees C; 0-48 microg L(-1) Au(III) obeyed Beer's law. The apparent molar absorptivity of the complex, Sandell's sensitivity, the limit of quantification, the limit of detection and relative standard deviation were found to be 2.0x10(6) L mol(-1) cm(-1), 0.000,098,483 micro g cm(-2), 1.02 ng mL(-1), 0.35 ng mL(-1) and 1.09%, respectively. The effect of co-existing ions was studied seriously; most metal ions can be tolerated in considerable amounts. Its sensitivity and selectivity are remarkably superior to other reagents in the literature. The proposed method was used successfully to determine trace gold in geological samples. Moreover, the synthesis, characteristics and analytical reaction of HNAR with gold are also described in detail.

  20. 20 CFR 211.14 - Maximum creditable compensation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Maximum creditable compensation. 211.14... CREDITABLE RAILROAD COMPENSATION § 211.14 Maximum creditable compensation. Maximum creditable compensation for calendar years after 1984 is the maximum annual taxable wage base defined in section 3231(e)(2)(B...

  1. Sensitivity of forces to wall transpiration in flow past an aerofoil

    PubMed Central

    Mao, X.

    2015-01-01

    The adjoint-based sensitivity analyses well explored in hydrodynamic stability studies are extended to calculate the sensitivity of forces acting on an aerofoil with respect to wall transpiration. The magnitude of the sensitivity quantifies the controllability of the force, and the distribution of the sensitivity represents a most effective control when the control magnitude is small enough. Since the sensitivity to streamwise control is one order smaller than that to the surface-normal one, the work is concentrated on the normal control. In direct numerical simulations of flow around a NACA0024 aerofoil, the unsteady controls are far less effective than the steady control owing to the lock-in effect. At a momentum coefficient of 0.0008 and a maximum control velocity of 3.6% of the free-stream velocity, the steady surface-normal control reduces drag by 20% or enhances lift by up to 140% at Re=1000. A suction around the low-pressure region on the upper surface upstream of the separation point is found to reduce drag and enhance lift. At higher Reynolds numbers, the uncontrolled flow becomes three dimensional and the sensitivity diverges owing to the chaotic dynamics of the flow. Then the mechanism identified at lower Reynolds numbers is exploited to obtain the control, which is localized and can be generated by a limited number of actuators. The control to reduce drag or enhance lift is found to suppress unsteadiness, e.g. vortex shedding and three-dimensional developments. For example, at Re=2000 and α=10°, the control with a momentum coefficient of 0.0001 reduces drag by 20%, enhances lift by up to 200% and leads to a steady controlled flow. PMID:26807041

  2. 33 CFR 401.29 - Maximum draft.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Maximum draft. 401.29 Section 401... TRANSPORTATION SEAWAY REGULATIONS AND RULES Regulations Seaway Navigation § 401.29 Maximum draft. (a) The draft...) The draft of a vessel shall not, in any case, exceed 79.2 dm or the maximum permissible draft...

  3. 33 CFR 401.29 - Maximum draft.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Maximum draft. 401.29 Section 401... TRANSPORTATION SEAWAY REGULATIONS AND RULES Regulations Seaway Navigation § 401.29 Maximum draft. (a) The draft...) The draft of a vessel shall not, in any case, exceed 79.2 dm or the maximum permissible draft...

  4. 33 CFR 401.29 - Maximum draft.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum draft. 401.29 Section 401... TRANSPORTATION SEAWAY REGULATIONS AND RULES Regulations Seaway Navigation § 401.29 Maximum draft. (a) The draft...) The draft of a vessel shall not, in any case, exceed 79.2 dm or the maximum permissible draft...

  5. The scotopic visual sensitivity of four species of trout: A comparative study

    Treesearch

    Russel B. Rader; Timberley Belish; Michael K. Young; John Rothlisberger

    2007-01-01

    We compared the maximum scotopic visual sensitivity of 4 species of trout from twilight (mesotopic) to fully dark-adapted vision. Scotopic vision is the minimum number of photons to which a fully dark-adapted animal will show a behavioral response. A comparison of visual sensitivity under controlled laboratory conditions showed that brown trout (Salmo trutta...

  6. 24 CFR 941.306 - Maximum project cost.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Maximum project cost. 941.306... DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT Application and Proposal § 941.306 Maximum project cost. (a) Calculation of maximum project cost. The maximum project cost represents the total amount of public housing...

  7. 24 CFR 941.306 - Maximum project cost.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Maximum project cost. 941.306... DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT Application and Proposal § 941.306 Maximum project cost. (a) Calculation of maximum project cost. The maximum project cost represents the total amount of public housing...

  8. 20 CFR 226.51 - Maximum monthly amount.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Maximum monthly amount. 226.51 Section 226.51... EMPLOYEE, SPOUSE, AND DIVORCED SPOUSE ANNUITIES Railroad Retirement Family Maximum § 226.51 Maximum monthly amount. The railroad retirement family maximum is equal to an employee's “final average monthly...

  9. Theoretical Analysis of Maximum Flow Declination Rate versus Maximum Area Declination Rate in Phonation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Titze, Ingo R.

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: Maximum flow declination rate (MFDR) in the glottis is known to correlate strongly with vocal intensity in voicing. This declination, or negative slope on the glottal airflow waveform, is in part attributable to the maximum area declination rate (MADR) and in part to the overall inertia of the air column of the vocal tract (lungs to…

  10. 49 CFR 230.24 - Maximum allowable stress.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Maximum allowable stress. 230.24 Section 230.24... Allowable Stress § 230.24 Maximum allowable stress. (a) Maximum allowable stress value. The maximum allowable stress value on any component of a steam locomotive boiler shall not exceed 1/4 of the ultimate...

  11. 49 CFR 230.24 - Maximum allowable stress.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Maximum allowable stress. 230.24 Section 230.24... Allowable Stress § 230.24 Maximum allowable stress. (a) Maximum allowable stress value. The maximum allowable stress value on any component of a steam locomotive boiler shall not exceed 1/4 of the ultimate...

  12. 49 CFR 230.24 - Maximum allowable stress.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Maximum allowable stress. 230.24 Section 230.24... Allowable Stress § 230.24 Maximum allowable stress. (a) Maximum allowable stress value. The maximum allowable stress value on any component of a steam locomotive boiler shall not exceed 1/4 of the ultimate...

  13. 49 CFR 230.24 - Maximum allowable stress.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Maximum allowable stress. 230.24 Section 230.24... Allowable Stress § 230.24 Maximum allowable stress. (a) Maximum allowable stress value. The maximum allowable stress value on any component of a steam locomotive boiler shall not exceed 1/4 of the ultimate...

  14. 49 CFR 230.24 - Maximum allowable stress.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Maximum allowable stress. 230.24 Section 230.24... Allowable Stress § 230.24 Maximum allowable stress. (a) Maximum allowable stress value. The maximum allowable stress value on any component of a steam locomotive boiler shall not exceed 1/4 of the ultimate...

  15. 14 CFR 23.1527 - Maximum operating altitude.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum operating altitude. 23.1527 Section... Information § 23.1527 Maximum operating altitude. (a) The maximum altitude up to which operation is allowed... established. (b) A maximum operating altitude limitation of not more than 25,000 feet must be established for...

  16. Multi-Group Maximum Entropy Model for Translational Non-Equilibrium

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jayaraman, Vegnesh; Liu, Yen; Panesi, Marco

    2017-01-01

    The aim of the current work is to describe a new model for flows in translational non- equilibrium. Starting from the statistical description of a gas proposed by Boltzmann, the model relies on a domain decomposition technique in velocity space. Using the maximum entropy principle, the logarithm of the distribution function in each velocity sub-domain (group) is expressed with a power series in molecular velocity. New governing equations are obtained using the method of weighted residuals by taking the velocity moments of the Boltzmann equation. The model is applied to a spatially homogeneous Boltzmann equation with a Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook1(BGK) model collision operator and the relaxation of an initial non-equilibrium distribution to a Maxwellian is studied using the model. In addition, numerical results obtained using the model for a 1D shock tube problem are also reported.

  17. Drought sensitivity predicts habitat size sensitivity in an aquatic ecosystem.

    PubMed

    Amundrud, Sarah L; Srivastava, Diane S

    2015-07-01

    Species and trophic richness often increase with habitat size. Although many ecological processes have been evoked to explain both patterns, the environmental stress associated with small habitats has rarely been considered. We propose that larger habitats may be species rich simply because their environmental conditions are within the fundamental niche of more species; larger habitats may also have more trophic levels if traits of predators render them vulnerable to environmental stress. We test this hypothesis using the aquatic insect larvae in water-filled bromeliads. In bromeliads, the probability of desiccation is greatest in small plants. For the 10 most common bromeliad insect taxa, we ask whether differences in drought tolerance and regional abundances between taxa predict community and trophic composition over a gradient of bromeliad size. First, we used bromeliad survey data to calculate the mean habitat size of occurrence of each taxon. Comparing the observed mean habitat size of occurrence to that expected from random species assembly based on differences in their regional abundances allowed us to obtain habitat size sensitivity indices (as Z scores) for the various insect taxa. Second, we obtained drought sensitivity indices by subjecting individual insects to drought and measuring the effects on relative growth rates in a mesocosm experiment. We found that drought sensitivity strongly, predicts habitat size sensitivity in bromeliad insects. However, an increase in trophic richness with habitat size could not be explained by an increased sensitivity of predators to drought, but rather by sampling effects, as predators were rare compared to lower trophic levels. This finding suggests that physiological tolerance to environmental stress can be relevant in explaining the universal increase in species with habitat size.

  18. The variation in frequency locations in Doppler ultrasound spectra for maximum blood flow velocities in narrowed vessels.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yingyun; Zhang, Yufeng; Gao, Lian; Deng, Li; Hu, Xiao; Zhang, Kexin; Li, Haiyan

    2017-11-01

    This study assessed the variation in the frequency locations in the Doppler ultrasound spectra for the maximum blood flow velocities of in vessels with different degrees of bilaterally axisymmetric stenosis. This was done by comparing the relationship between the velocity distributions and corresponding Doppler power spectra. First, a geometric vessel model with axisymmetric stenosis was established. This made it possible to obtain the blood flow velocity distributions for different degrees of stenosis from the solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations. Then, the Doppler spectra were calculated for the entire segment of the vessel that was covered by the sound field. Finally, the maximum frequency locations for the spectra were determined based on the intersections of the maximum values chosen from the calculated blood flow velocity distributions and their corresponding spectra. The computational analysis showed that the maximum frequencies, which corresponded to the maximum blood flow velocities for different degrees of stenosis, were located at different positions along the spectral falling edges. The location for a normal (stenosis free) vessel was in the middle of the falling edge. For vessels with increasing degrees of stenosis, this location shifted approximately linearly downward along the falling edge. For 40% stenosis, the location reached a position at the falling edge of 0.32. Results obtained using the Field II simulation tool demonstrated the validity of the theoretical analysis and calculations, and may help to improve the maximum velocity estimation accuracy for Doppler blood flow spectra in stenosed vessels. Copyright © 2017 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Collinear Latent Variables in Multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analysis: A Comparison of Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Estimations.

    PubMed

    Can, Seda; van de Schoot, Rens; Hox, Joop

    2015-06-01

    Because variables may be correlated in the social and behavioral sciences, multicollinearity might be problematic. This study investigates the effect of collinearity manipulated in within and between levels of a two-level confirmatory factor analysis by Monte Carlo simulation. Furthermore, the influence of the size of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and estimation method; maximum likelihood estimation with robust chi-squares and standard errors and Bayesian estimation, on the convergence rate are investigated. The other variables of interest were rate of inadmissible solutions and the relative parameter and standard error bias on the between level. The results showed that inadmissible solutions were obtained when there was between level collinearity and the estimation method was maximum likelihood. In the within level multicollinearity condition, all of the solutions were admissible but the bias values were higher compared with the between level collinearity condition. Bayesian estimation appeared to be robust in obtaining admissible parameters but the relative bias was higher than for maximum likelihood estimation. Finally, as expected, high ICC produced less biased results compared to medium ICC conditions.

  20. Procedure for estimating stability and control parameters from flight test data by using maximum likelihood methods employing a real-time digital system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grove, R. D.; Bowles, R. L.; Mayhew, S. C.

    1972-01-01

    A maximum likelihood parameter estimation procedure and program were developed for the extraction of the stability and control derivatives of aircraft from flight test data. Nonlinear six-degree-of-freedom equations describing aircraft dynamics were used to derive sensitivity equations for quasilinearization. The maximum likelihood function with quasilinearization was used to derive the parameter change equations, the covariance matrices for the parameters and measurement noise, and the performance index function. The maximum likelihood estimator was mechanized into an iterative estimation procedure utilizing a real time digital computer and graphic display system. This program was developed for 8 measured state variables and 40 parameters. Test cases were conducted with simulated data for validation of the estimation procedure and program. The program was applied to a V/STOL tilt wing aircraft, a military fighter airplane, and a light single engine airplane. The particular nonlinear equations of motion, derivation of the sensitivity equations, addition of accelerations into the algorithm, operational features of the real time digital system, and test cases are described.

  1. Maximum angular accuracy of pulsed laser radar in photocounting limit.

    PubMed

    Elbaum, M; Diament, P; King, M; Edelson, W

    1977-07-01

    To estimate the angular position of targets with pulsed laser radars, their images may be sensed with a fourquadrant noncoherent detector and the image photocounting distribution processed to obtain the angular estimates. The limits imposed on the accuracy of angular estimation by signal and background radiation shot noise, dark current noise, and target cross-section fluctuations are calculated. Maximum likelihood estimates of angular positions are derived for optically rough and specular targets and their performances compared with theoretical lower bounds.

  2. Highly sensitive selectively coated photonic crystal fiber-based plasmonic sensor.

    PubMed

    Rifat, Ahmmed A; Haider, Firoz; Ahmed, Rajib; Mahdiraji, Ghafour Amouzad; Mahamd Adikan, F R; Miroshnichenko, Andrey E

    2018-02-15

    Highly sensitive and miniaturized sensors are highly desirable for real-time analyte/sample detection. In this Letter, we propose a highly sensitive plasmonic sensing scheme with the miniaturized photonic crystal fiber (PCF) attributes. A large cavity is introduced in the first ring of the PCFs for the efficient field excitation of the surface plasmon polariton mode and proficient infiltration of the sensing elements. Due to the irregular air-hole diameter in the first ring, the cavity exhibits the birefringence behavior which enhances the sensing performance. The novel plasmonic material gold has been used considering the chemical stability in an aqueous environment. The guiding properties and the effects of the sensing performance with different parameters have been investigated by the finite element method, and the proposed PCFs have been fabricated using the stack-and-draw fiber drawing method. The proposed sensor performance was investigated based on the wavelength and amplitude sensing techniques and shows the maximum sensitivities of 11,000 nm/RIU and 1,420  RIU -1 , respectively. It also shows the maximum sensor resolutions of 9.1×10 -6 and 7×10 -6   RIU for the wavelength and amplitude sensing schemes, respectively, and the maximum figure of merits of 407. Furthermore, the proposed sensor is able to detect the analyte refractive indices in the range of 1.33-1.42; as a result, it will find the possible applications in the medical diagnostics, biomolecules, organic chemical, and chemical analyte detection.

  3. Balanced MR cholangiopancreatography with motion-sensitized driven-equilibrium (MSDE) preparation: Feasibility and optimization of imaging parameters.

    PubMed

    Nakayama, Tomohiro; Nishie, Akihiro; Yoshiura, Takashi; Asayama, Yoshiki; Ishigami, Kousei; Kakihara, Daisuke; Obara, Makoto; Honda, Hiroshi

    2015-12-01

    To show the feasibility of motion-sensitized driven-equilibrium-balanced magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and to determine the optimal velocity encoding (VENC) value. Sixteen healthy volunteers underwent MRI study using a 1.5-T clinical unit and a 32-channel body array coil. For each volunteer, images were obtained using the following seven respiratory-triggered sequences: (1) balanced magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography without motion-sensitized driven-equilibrium, and (2)-(7) balanced magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography with motion-sensitized driven-equilibrium, with VENC=1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and ∞cm/s for the x-, y-, and z-directions, respectively. Quantitative evaluation was obtained by measuring the maximum signal intensity of the common hepatic duct, portal vein, liver tissue including visible peripheral vessels, and liver tissue excluding visible peripheral vessels that were evaluated. We compared the contrast ratios of portal vein/common hepatic duct, liver tissue including visible peripheral vessels/common hepatic duct and liver tissue excluding visible peripheral vessels/common hepatic duct among the five finite sequences (VENC=1, 3, 5, 7, and 9cm/s). Statistical comparisons were performed using the t-test for paired data with the Bonferroni correction. Suppression of blood vessel signals was achieved with motion-sensitized driven-equilibrium sequences. We found the optimal VENC values to be either 3 or 5cm/s with the best suppression of relative vessel signals to bile ducts. At a lower VENC value (1cm/s), the bile duct signal was reduced, presumably due to minimal biliary flow. The feasibility of motion-sensitized driven-equilibrium-balanced magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography was suggested. The optimal VENC value was considered to be either 3 or 5cm/s. The clinical usefulness of this new magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography sequence needs to be verified by further studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights

  4. Determination of the Maximum Control Forces and Attainable Quickness in the Operation of Airplane Controls

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hertel, Heinrich

    1930-01-01

    This report is intended to furnish bases for load assumptions in the designing of airplane controls. The maximum control forces and quickness of operation are determined. The maximum forces for a strong pilot with normal arrangement of the controls is taken as 1.25 times the mean value obtained from tests with twelve persons. Tests with a number of persons were expected to show the maximum forces that a man of average strength can exert on the control stick in operating the elevator and ailerons and also on the rudder bar. The effect of fatigue, of duration and of the nature (static or dynamic) of the force, as also the condition of the test subject (with or without belt) were also considered.

  5. Dynamic Programming and Error Estimates for Stochastic Control Problems with Maximum Cost

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

    Bokanowski, Olivier, E-mail: boka@math.jussieu.fr; Picarelli, Athena, E-mail: athena.picarelli@inria.fr; Zidani, Hasnaa, E-mail: hasnaa.zidani@ensta.fr

    2015-02-15

    This work is concerned with stochastic optimal control for a running maximum cost. A direct approach based on dynamic programming techniques is studied leading to the characterization of the value function as the unique viscosity solution of a second order Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equation with an oblique derivative boundary condition. A general numerical scheme is proposed and a convergence result is provided. Error estimates are obtained for the semi-Lagrangian scheme. These results can apply to the case of lookback options in finance. Moreover, optimal control problems with maximum cost arise in the characterization of the reachable sets for a system ofmore » controlled stochastic differential equations. Some numerical simulations on examples of reachable analysis are included to illustrate our approach.« less

  6. Application of a multiscale maximum entropy image restoration algorithm to HXMT observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guan, Ju; Song, Li-Ming; Huo, Zhuo-Xi

    2016-08-01

    This paper introduces a multiscale maximum entropy (MSME) algorithm for image restoration of the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), which is a collimated scan X-ray satellite mainly devoted to a sensitive all-sky survey and pointed observations in the 1-250 keV range. The novelty of the MSME method is to use wavelet decomposition and multiresolution support to control noise amplification at different scales. Our work is focused on the application and modification of this method to restore diffuse sources detected by HXMT scanning observations. An improved method, the ensemble multiscale maximum entropy (EMSME) algorithm, is proposed to alleviate the problem of mode mixing exiting in MSME. Simulations have been performed on the detection of the diffuse source Cen A by HXMT in all-sky survey mode. The results show that the MSME method is adapted to the deconvolution task of HXMT for diffuse source detection and the improved method could suppress noise and improve the correlation and signal-to-noise ratio, thus proving itself a better algorithm for image restoration. Through one all-sky survey, HXMT could reach a capacity of detecting a diffuse source with maximum differential flux of 0.5 mCrab. Supported by Strategic Priority Research Program on Space Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA04010300) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (11403014)

  7. A Taxometric Study of the Latent Structure of Disgust Sensitivity: Converging Evidence for Dimensionality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olatunji, Bunmi O.; Broman-Fulks, Joshua J.

    2007-01-01

    Disgust sensitivity has recently been implicated as a specific vulnerability factor for several anxiety-related disorders. However, it is not clear whether disgust sensitivity is a dimensional or categorical phenomenon. The present study examined the latent structure of disgust by applying three taxometric procedures (maximum eigenvalue, mean…

  8. Maximum likelihood estimation of signal detection model parameters for the assessment of two-stage diagnostic strategies.

    PubMed

    Lirio, R B; Dondériz, I C; Pérez Abalo, M C

    1992-08-01

    The methodology of Receiver Operating Characteristic curves based on the signal detection model is extended to evaluate the accuracy of two-stage diagnostic strategies. A computer program is developed for the maximum likelihood estimation of parameters that characterize the sensitivity and specificity of two-stage classifiers according to this extended methodology. Its use is briefly illustrated with data collected in a two-stage screening for auditory defects.

  9. Impact of marine reserve on maximum sustainable yield in a traditional prey-predator system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paul, Prosenjit; Kar, T. K.; Ghorai, Abhijit

    2018-01-01

    Multispecies fisheries management requires managers to consider the impact of fishing activities on several species as fishing impacts both targeted and non-targeted species directly or indirectly in several ways. The intended goal of traditional fisheries management is to achieve maximum sustainable yield (MSY) from the targeted species, which on many occasions affect the targeted species as well as the entire ecosystem. Marine reserves are often acclaimed as the marine ecosystem management tool. Few attempts have been made to generalize the ecological effects of marine reserve on MSY policy. We examine here how MSY and population level in a prey-predator system are affected by the low, medium and high reserve size under different possible scenarios. Our simulation works shows that low reserve area, the value of MSY for prey exploitation is maximum when both prey and predator species have fast movement rate. For medium reserve size, our analysis revealed that the maximum value of MSY for prey exploitation is obtained when prey population has fast movement rate and predator population has slow movement rate. For high reserve area, the maximum value of MSY for prey's exploitation is very low compared to the maximum value of MSY for prey's exploitation in case of low and medium reserve. On the other hand, for low and medium reserve area, MSY for predator exploitation is maximum when both the species have fast movement rate.

  10. Gauging the Nearness and Size of Cycle Maximum

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson, Robert M.; Hathaway, David H.

    2003-01-01

    A simple method for monitoring the nearness and size of conventional cycle maximum for an ongoing sunspot cycle is examined. The method uses the observed maximum daily value and the maximum monthly mean value of international sunspot number and the maximum value of the 2-mo moving average of monthly mean sunspot number to effect the estimation. For cycle 23, a maximum daily value of 246, a maximum monthly mean of 170.1, and a maximum 2-mo moving average of 148.9 were each observed in July 2000. Taken together, these values strongly suggest that conventional maximum amplitude for cycle 23 would be approx. 124.5, occurring near July 2002 +/-5 mo, very close to the now well-established conventional maximum amplitude and occurrence date for cycle 23-120.8 in April 2000.

  11. Target-adaptive polarimetric synthetic aperture radar target discrimination using maximum average correlation height filters.

    PubMed

    Sadjadi, Firooz A; Mahalanobis, Abhijit

    2006-05-01

    We report the development of a technique for adaptive selection of polarization ellipse tilt and ellipticity angles such that the target separation from clutter is maximized. From the radar scattering matrix [S] and its complex components, in phase and quadrature phase, the elements of the Mueller matrix are obtained. Then, by means of polarization synthesis, the radar cross section of the radar scatters are obtained at different transmitting and receiving polarization states. By designing a maximum average correlation height filter, we derive a target versus clutter distance measure as a function of four transmit and receive polarization state angles. The results of applying this method on real synthetic aperture radar imagery indicate a set of four transmit and receive angles that lead to maximum target versus clutter discrimination. These optimum angles are different for different targets. Hence, by adaptive control of the state of polarization of polarimetric radar, one can noticeably improve the discrimination of targets from clutter.

  12. Sensitivity of Podosphaera xanthii populations to anti-powdery-mildew fungicides in Spain.

    PubMed

    Bellón-Gómez, Davinia; Vela-Corcía, David; Pérez-García, Alejandro; Torés, Juan A

    2015-10-01

    Cucurbit powdery mildew caused by Podosphaera xanthii limits crop production in Spain, where disease control is largely dependent on fungicides. In previous studies, high levels of resistance to QoI and DMI fungicides were documented in south-central Spain. The aim of this study was to investigate the sensitivity of P. xanthii populations to other fungicides and to provide tools for improved disease management. Using a leaf-disc assay, sensitivity to thiophanate-methyl, bupirimate and quinoxyfen of 50 isolates of P. xanthii was analysed to determine discriminatory concentrations between sensitive and resistant isolates. With the exception of thiophanate-methyl, no clearly different groups of isolates could be identified, and as a result, discriminatory concentrations were established on the basis of the maximum fungicide field application rate. Subsequently, a survey of P. xanthii resistance to these fungicides was carried out by testing a collection of 237 isolates obtained during the 2002-2011 cucurbit growing seasons. This analysis revealed very high levels of resistance to thiophanate-methyl (95%). By contrast, no resistance to bupirimate and quinoxyfen was found. Results suggest that thiophanate-methyl has become completely ineffective for controlling cucurbit powdery mildew in Spain. By contrast, bupirimate and quinoxyfen remain as very effective tools for cucurbit powdery mildew management. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

  13. Accounting for mudflow genesis in preliminary assessment of the maximum volume of solid mudflow sediments in the North Caucasus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zalikhanov, M. Ch.; Kondratieva, N. V.; Adzhiev, A. Kh.; Razumov, V. V.

    2016-09-01

    The area of investigation was subject to multifactor analysis of the relationship between the maximum amount of mudflow solid sediments ( W) and parameters such as the mudflow basin area ( S), average channel slope (α), and mudflow channel length ( L). They were used to obtain analytical expressions in order to approximate the W( S, L, α) relation based on the mudflow genesis and source height. Statistical data on mudflow manifestations in different basins in the North Caucasus covering more than fifty years were used to obtain the analytical expressions in order to assess the maximum volume of mudflow solid sediments.

  14. Solar maximum mission: Ground support programs at the Harvard Radio Astronomy Station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maxwell, A.

    1983-01-01

    Observations of the spectral characteristics of solar radio bursts were made with new dynamic spectrum analyzers of high sensitivity and high reliability, over the frequency range 25-580 MHz. The observations also covered the maximum period of the current solar cycle and the period of international cooperative programs designated as the Solar Maximum Year. Radio data on shock waves generated by solar flares were combined with optical data on coronal transients, taken with equipment on the SMM and other satellites, and then incorporated into computer models for the outward passage of fast-mode MHD shocks through the solar corona. The MHD models are non-linear, time-dependent and for the most recent models, quasi-three-dimensional. They examine the global response of the corona for different types of input pulses (thermal, magnetic, etc.) and for different magnetic topologies (for example, open and closed fields). Data on coronal shocks and high-velocity material ejected from solar flares have been interpreted in terms of a model consisting of three main velocity regimes.

  15. Maximum Torque and Momentum Envelopes for Reaction Wheel Arrays

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reynolds, R. G.; Markley, F. Landis

    2001-01-01

    Spacecraft reaction wheel maneuvers are limited by the maximum torque and/or angular momentum which the wheels can provide. For an n-wheel configuration, the torque or momentum envelope can be obtained by projecting the n-dimensional hypercube, representing the domain boundary of individual wheel torques or momenta, into three dimensional space via the 3xn matrix of wheel axes. In this paper, the properties of the projected hypercube are discussed, and algorithms are proposed for determining this maximal torque or momentum envelope for general wheel configurations. Practical implementation strategies for specific wheel configurations are also considered.

  16. Maximum warming occurs about one decade after a carbon dioxide emission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ricke, Katharine L.; Caldeira, Ken

    2014-12-01

    It is known that carbon dioxide emissions cause the Earth to warm, but no previous study has focused on examining how long it takes to reach maximum warming following a particular CO2 emission. Using conjoined results of carbon-cycle and physical-climate model intercomparison projects (Taylor et al 2012, Joos et al 2013), we find the median time between an emission and maximum warming is 10.1 years, with a 90% probability range of 6.6-30.7 years. We evaluate uncertainties in timing and amount of warming, partitioning them into three contributing factors: carbon cycle, climate sensitivity and ocean thermal inertia. If uncertainty in any one factor is reduced to zero without reducing uncertainty in the other factors, the majority of overall uncertainty remains. Thus, narrowing uncertainty in century-scale warming depends on narrowing uncertainty in all contributing factors. Our results indicate that benefit from avoided climate damage from avoided CO2 emissions will be manifested within the lifetimes of people who acted to avoid that emission. While such avoidance could be expected to benefit future generations, there is potential for emissions avoidance to provide substantial benefit to current generations.

  17. THE SEDIMENTATION PROPERTIES OF THE SKIN-SENSITIZING ANTIBODIES OF RAGWEED-SENSITIVE PATIENTS

    PubMed Central

    Andersen, Burton R.; Vannier, Wilton E.

    1964-01-01

    The sedimentation coefficients of the skin-sensitizing antibodies to ragweed were evaluated by the moving partition cell method and the sucrose density gradient method. The most reliable results were obtained by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation which showed that the major portion of skin-sensitizing antibodies to ragweed sediment with an average value of 7.7S (7.4 to 7.9S). This is about one S unit faster than γ-globulins (6.8S). The data from the moving partition cell method are in agreement with these results. Our studies failed to demonstrate heterogeneity of the skin-sensitizing antibodies with regard to sedimentation rate. PMID:14194391

  18. Direct tests of a pixelated microchannel plate as the active element of a shower maximum detector

    DOE PAGES

    Apresyan, A.; Los, S.; Pena, C.; ...

    2016-05-07

    One possibility to make a fast and radiation resistant shower maximum detector is to use a secondary emitter as an active element. We report our studies of microchannel plate photomultipliers (MCPs) as the active element of a shower-maximum detector. We present test beam results obtained using Photonis XP85011 to detect secondary particles of an electromagnetic shower. We focus on the use of the multiple pixels on the Photonis MCP in order to find a transverse two-dimensional shower distribution. A spatial resolution of 0.8 mm was obtained with an 8 GeV electron beam. As a result, a method for measuring themore » arrival time resolution for electromagnetic showers is presented, and we show that time resolution better than 40 ps can be achieved.« less

  19. Direct tests of a pixelated microchannel plate as the active element of a shower maximum detector

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

    Apresyan, A.; Los, S.; Pena, C.

    One possibility to make a fast and radiation resistant shower maximum detector is to use a secondary emitter as an active element. We report our studies of microchannel plate photomultipliers (MCPs) as the active element of a shower-maximum detector. We present test beam results obtained using Photonis XP85011 to detect secondary particles of an electromagnetic shower. We focus on the use of the multiple pixels on the Photonis MCP in order to find a transverse two-dimensional shower distribution. A spatial resolution of 0.8 mm was obtained with an 8 GeV electron beam. As a result, a method for measuring themore » arrival time resolution for electromagnetic showers is presented, and we show that time resolution better than 40 ps can be achieved.« less

  20. A maximum entropy reconstruction technique for tomographic particle image velocimetry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bilsky, A. V.; Lozhkin, V. A.; Markovich, D. M.; Tokarev, M. P.

    2013-04-01

    This paper studies a novel approach for reducing tomographic PIV computational complexity. The proposed approach is an algebraic reconstruction technique, termed MENT (maximum entropy). This technique computes the three-dimensional light intensity distribution several times faster than SMART, using at least ten times less memory. Additionally, the reconstruction quality remains nearly the same as with SMART. This paper presents the theoretical computation performance comparison for MENT, SMART and MART, followed by validation using synthetic particle images. Both the theoretical assessment and validation of synthetic images demonstrate significant computational time reduction. The data processing accuracy of MENT was compared to that of SMART in a slot jet experiment. A comparison of the average velocity profiles shows a high level of agreement between the results obtained with MENT and those obtained with SMART.

  1. The art of maturity modeling. Part 2. Alternative models and sensitivity analysis

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

    Waples, D.W.; Suizu, Masahiro; Kamata, Hiromi

    1992-01-01

    The sensitivity of exploration decisions to variations in several input parameters for maturity modeling was examined for the MITI Rumoi well, Hokkaido, Japan. Decisions were almost completely insensitive to uncertainties about formation age and erosional removal across some unconformities, but were more sensitive to changes in removal during unconformities which occurred near maximum paleotemperatures. Exploration decisions were not very sensitive to the choice of a particular kinetic model for hydrocarbon generation. Uncertainties in kerogen type and the kinetics of different kerogen types are more serious than differences among the various kinetic models. Results of modeling using the TTI method weremore » unsatisfactory. Thermal history and timing and amount of hydrocarbon generation estimated or calculated using the TTI method were greatly different from those obtained using a purely kinetic model. The authors strongly recommend use of the kinetic R{sub o} method instead of the TTI method. If they had lacked measured R{sub o} data, subsurface temperature data, or both, their confidence in the modeling results would have been sharply reduced. Conceptual models for predicting heat flow and thermal conductivity are simply too weak at present to allow one to carry out highly meaningful modeling unless the input is constrained by measured data. Maturity modeling therefore requires the use of more, not fewer, measured temperature and maturity data. The use of sensitivity analysis in maturity modeling is very important for understanding the geologic system, for knowing what level of confidence to place on the results, and for determining what new types of data would be most necessary to improve confidence. Sensitivity analysis can be carried out easily using a rapid, interactive maturity-modeling program.« less

  2. The numerical evaluation of maximum-likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions from partially identified samples

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Walker, H. F.

    1976-01-01

    Likelihood equations determined by the two types of samples which are necessary conditions for a maximum-likelihood estimate were considered. These equations suggest certain successive approximations iterative procedures for obtaining maximum likelihood estimates. The procedures, which are generalized steepest ascent (deflected gradient) procedures, contain those of Hosmer as a special case.

  3. 12 CFR 741.204 - Maximum public unit and nonmember accounts, and low-income designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... low-income designation. 741.204 Section 741.204 Banks and Banking NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION... Unions § 741.204 Maximum public unit and nonmember accounts, and low-income designation. Any credit union...) Obtain a low-income designation in order to accept nonmember accounts, other than from public units or...

  4. The use of the Hurst exponent to investigate the global maximum of the Warsaw Stock Exchange WIG20 index

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Domino, Krzysztof

    2012-01-01

    The WIG20 index-the index of the 20 biggest companies traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange-reached the global maximum on 29th October 2007. I have used the local DFA (Detrended Functional Analysis) to obtain the Hurst exponent (diffusion exponent) and investigate the signature of anti-correlation of share price evolution around the maximum. The analysis was applied to the share price evolution for variable DFA parameters. For many values of parameters, the evidence of anti-correlation near the WIG20 maximum was pointed out.

  5. Quadrant photodetector sensitivity.

    PubMed

    Manojlović, Lazo M

    2011-07-10

    A quantitative theoretical analysis of the quadrant photodetector (QPD) sensitivity in position measurement is presented. The Gaussian light spot irradiance distribution on the QPD surface was assumed to meet most of the real-life applications of this sensor. As the result of the mathematical treatment of the problem, we obtained, in a closed form, the sensitivity function versus the ratio of the light spot 1/e radius and the QPD radius. The obtained result is valid for the full range of the ratios. To check the influence of the finite light spot radius on the interaxis cross talk and linearity, we also performed a mathematical analysis to quantitatively measure these types of errors. An optimal range of the ratio of light spot radius and QPD radius has been found to simultaneously achieve low interaxis cross talk and high linearity of the sensor. © 2011 Optical Society of America

  6. Experimental study on the sensitive depth of backwards detected light in turbid media.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yunyao; Huang, Liqing; Zhang, Ning; Tian, Heng; Zhu, Jingping

    2018-05-28

    In the recent past, optical spectroscopy and imaging methods for biomedical diagnosis and target enhancing have been widely researched. The challenge to improve the performance of these methods is to know the sensitive depth of the backwards detected light well. Former research mainly employed a Monte Carlo method to run simulations to statistically describe the light sensitive depth. An experimental method for investigating the sensitive depth was developed and is presented here. An absorption plate was employed to remove all the light that may have travelled deeper than the plate, leaving only the light which cannot reach the plate. By measuring the received backwards light intensity and the depth between the probe and the plate, the light intensity distribution along the depth dimension can be achieved. The depth with the maximum light intensity was recorded as the sensitive depth. The experimental results showed that the maximum light intensity was nearly the same in a short depth range. It could be deduced that the sensitive depth was a range, rather than a single depth. This sensitive depth range as well as its central depth increased consistently with the increasing source-detection distance. Relationships between sensitive depth and optical properties were also investigated. It also showed that the reduced scattering coefficient affects the central sensitive depth and the range of the sensitive depth more than the absorption coefficient, so they cannot be simply added as reduced distinct coefficients to describe the sensitive depth. This study provides an efficient method for investigation of sensitive depth. It may facilitate the development of spectroscopy and imaging techniques for biomedical diagnosis and underwater imaging.

  7. Direct tests of micro channel plates as the active element of a new shower maximum detector

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

    Ronzhin, A.; Los, S.; Ramberg, E.

    2015-05-22

    We continue the study of micro channel plates (MCP) as the active element of a shower maximum (SM) detector. We present below test beam results obtained with MCPs detecting directly secondary particles of an electromagnetic shower. The MCP efficiency to shower particles is close to 100%. Furthermore, the time resolution obtained for this new type of the SM detector is at the level of 40 ps.

  8. A maximum power point tracking algorithm for photovoltaic applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nelatury, Sudarshan R.; Gray, Robert

    2013-05-01

    The voltage and current characteristic of a photovoltaic (PV) cell is highly nonlinear and operating a PV cell for maximum power transfer has been a challenge for a long time. Several techniques have been proposed to estimate and track the maximum power point (MPP) in order to improve the overall efficiency of a PV panel. A strategic use of the mean value theorem permits obtaining an analytical expression for a point that lies in a close neighborhood of the true MPP. But hitherto, an exact solution in closed form for the MPP is not published. This problem can be formulated analytically as a constrained optimization, which can be solved using the Lagrange method. This method results in a system of simultaneous nonlinear equations. Solving them directly is quite difficult. However, we can employ a recursive algorithm to yield a reasonably good solution. In graphical terms, suppose the voltage current characteristic and the constant power contours are plotted on the same voltage current plane, the point of tangency between the device characteristic and the constant power contours is the sought for MPP. It is subject to change with the incident irradiation and temperature and hence the algorithm that attempts to maintain the MPP should be adaptive in nature and is supposed to have fast convergence and the least misadjustment. There are two parts in its implementation. First, one needs to estimate the MPP. The second task is to have a DC-DC converter to match the given load to the MPP thus obtained. Availability of power electronics circuits made it possible to design efficient converters. In this paper although we do not show the results from a real circuit, we use MATLAB to obtain the MPP and a buck-boost converter to match the load. Under varying conditions of load resistance and irradiance we demonstrate MPP tracking in case of a commercially available solar panel MSX-60. The power electronics circuit is simulated by PSIM software.

  9. Whole-remnant and maximum-voxel SPECT/CT dosimetry in {sup 131}I-NaI treatments of differentiated thyroid cancer

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

    Mínguez, Pablo, E-mail: pablo.minguezgabina@osakid

    Purpose: To investigate the possible differences between SPECT/CT based whole-remnant and maximum-voxel dosimetry in patients receiving radio-iodine ablation treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Methods: Eighteen DTC patients were administered 1.11 GBq of {sup 131}I-NaI after near-total thyroidectomy and rhTSH stimulation. Two patients had two remnants, so in total dosimetry was performed for 20 sites. Three SPECT/CT scans were performed for each patient at 1, 2, and 3–7 days after administration. The activity, the remnant mass, and the maximum-voxel activity were determined from these images and from a recovery-coefficient curve derived from experimental phantom measurements. The cumulated activity was estimatedmore » using trapezoidal-exponential integration. Finally, the absorbed dose was calculated using S-values for unit-density spheres in whole-remnant dosimetry and S-values for voxels in maximum-voxel dosimetry. Results: The mean absorbed dose obtained from whole-remnant dosimetry was 40 Gy (range 2–176 Gy) and from maximum-voxel dosimetry 34 Gy (range 2–145 Gy). For any given patient, the activity concentrations for each of the three time-points were approximately the same for the two methods. The effective half-lives varied (R = 0.865), mainly due to discrepancies in estimation of the longer effective half-lives. On average, absorbed doses obtained from whole-remnant dosimetry were 1.2 ± 0.2 (1 SD) higher than for maximum-voxel dosimetry, mainly due to differences in the S-values. The method-related differences were however small in comparison to the wide range of absorbed doses obtained in patients. Conclusions: Simple and consistent procedures for SPECT/CT based whole-volume and maximum-voxel dosimetry have been described, both based on experimentally determined recovery coefficients. Generally the results from the two approaches are consistent, although there is a small, systematic difference in the absorbed dose due to differences

  10. Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentrations for Airborne Contaminants

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    James, John T.

    2008-01-01

    The enclosed table lists official spacecraft maximum allowable concentrations (SMACs), which are guideline values set by the NASA/JSC Toxicology Group in cooperation with the National Research Council Committee on Toxicology (NRCCOT). These values should not be used for situations other than human space flight without careful consideration of the criteria used to set each value. The SMACs take into account a number of unique factors such as the effect of space-flight stress on human physiology, the uniform good health of the astronauts, and the absence of pregnant or very young individuals. Documentation of the values is given in a 5 volume series of books entitled "Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentrations for Selected Airborne Contaminants" published by the National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. These books can be viewed electronically at http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=9786&page=3. Short-term (1 and 24 hour) SMACs are set to manage accidental releases aboard a spacecraft and permit risk of minor, reversible effects such as mild mucosal irritation. In contrast, the long-term SMACs are set to fully protect healthy crewmembers from adverse effects resulting from continuous exposure to specific air pollutants for up to 1000 days. Crewmembers with allergies or unusual sensitivity to trace pollutants may not be afforded complete protection, even when long-term SMACs are not exceeded. Crewmember exposures involve a mixture of contaminants, each at a specific concentration (C(sub n)). These contaminants could interact to elicit symptoms of toxicity even though individual contaminants do not exceed their respective SMACs. The air quality is considered acceptable when the toxicity index (T(sub grp)) for each toxicological group of compounds is less than 1, where T(sub grp), is calculated as follows: T(sub grp) = C(sub 1)/SMAC(sub 1) + C(sub 2/SMAC(sub 2) + ...+C(sub n)/SMAC(sub n).

  11. Polymeric variable optical attenuators based on magnetic sensitive stimuli materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Pedro, S.; Cadarso, V. J.; Ackermann, T. N.; Muñoz-Berbel, X.; Plaza, J. A.; Brugger, J.; Büttgenbach, S.; Llobera, A.

    2014-12-01

    Magnetically-actuable, polymer-based variable optical attenuators (VOA) are presented in this paper. The design comprises a cantilever which also plays the role of a waveguide and the input/output alignment elements for simple alignment, yet still rendering an efficient coupling. Magnetic properties have been conferred to these micro-opto-electromechanical systems (MOEMS) by implementing two different strategies: in the first case, a magnetic sensitive stimuli material (M-SSM) is obtained by a combination of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and ferrofluid (FF) in ratios between 14.9 wt % and 29.9 wt %. An M-SSM strip under the waveguide-cantilever, defined with soft lithography (SLT), provides the required actuation capability. In the second case, specific volumes of FF are dispensed at the end of the cantilever tip (outside the waveguide) by means of inkjet printing (IJP), obtaining the required magnetic response while holding the optical transparency of the waveguide-cantilever. In the absence of a magnetic field, the waveguide-cantilever is aligned with the output fiber optics and thus the intrinsic optical losses can be obtained. Numerical simulations, validated experimentally, have shown that, for any cantilever length, the VOAs defined by IJP present lower intrinsic optical losses than their SLT counterparts. Under an applied magnetic field (Bapp), both VOA configurations experience a misalignment between the waveguide-cantilever and the output fiber optics. Thus, the proposed VOAs modulate the output power as a function of the cantilever displacement, which is proportional to Bapp. The experimental results for the three different waveguide-cantilever lengths and six different FF concentrations (three per technology) show maximum deflections of 220 µm at 29.9 wt % of FF for VOASLT and 250 µm at 22.3 wt % FF for VOAIJP, at 0.57 kG for both. These deflections provide maximum actuation losses of 16.1 dB and 18.9 dB for the VOASLT and VOAIJP

  12. Super-sensitive two-wavelength fringe projection profilometry with 2-sensitivities temporal unwrapping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Servin, Manuel; Padilla, Moises; Garnica, Guillermo

    2018-07-01

    Since the early 1970s, optical two-wavelength phase-metrology (TWPM) has been used in a wide variety of experimental set ups. In TWPM one may compute the phase-sum and the phase-difference of two close phase measurements. Early TWPM optically computed the phase difference and phase sum by double exposure holography. However soon after, TWPM became almost synonymous to calculating the phase-difference only. The more sensitive phase-sum was largely forgotten. The standard application for phase-difference TWPM is to extend the phase measurement depth without phase-unwrapping for discontinuous phase-objects. This phase-difference, while non-wrapped, decreases however the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the estimated phase. On the other hand, the phase-sum increases the phase sensitivity, and the SNR of the estimated phase. In spite of these two great advantages, the use of the phase-sum in TWPM has been almost ignored. In this paper we review and set the stage for digital TWPM for super-sensitive phase-sum estimation. This is coupled with two-sensitivity phase-unwrapping to obtain extended-range super-sensitive fringe-projection profilometry estimations. Here we mathematically prove, and experimentally show that using the phase-sum one obtains a huge increase in SNR with respect to using the phase-difference alone. The pioneer works on double exposure TWPM holography that uses the phase-difference and phase-sum are also properly acknowledged. Finally, two experimental results from fringe-projection profilometry that clearly show the huge SNR gain of the phase-sum, with respect to the phase-difference is now mathematically well established.

  13. The radial distribution of cosmic rays in the heliosphere at solar maximum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McDonald, F. B.; Fujii, Z.; Heikkila, B.; Lal, N.

    2003-08-01

    To obtain a more detailed profile of the radial distribution of galactic (GCRs) and anomalous (ACRs) cosmic rays, a unique time in the 11-year solar activity cycle has been selected - that of solar maximum. At this time of minimum cosmic ray intensity a simple, straight-forward normalization technique has been found that allows the cosmic ray data from IMP 8, Pioneer 10 (P-10) and Voyagers 1 and 2 (V1, V2) to be combined for the solar maxima of cycles 21, 22 and 23. This combined distribution reveals a functional form of the radial gradient that varies as G 0/r with G 0 being constant and relatively small in the inner heliosphere. After a transition region between ˜10 and 20 AU, G 0 increases to a much larger value that remains constant between ˜25 and 82 AU. This implies that at solar maximum the changes that produce the 11-year modulation cycle are mainly occurring in the outer heliosphere between ˜15 AU and the termination shock. These observations are not inconsistent with the concept that Global Merged Interaction. regions (GMIRs) are the principal agent of modulation between solar minimum and solar maximum. There does not appear to be a significant change in the amount of heliosheath modulation occurring between the 1997 solar minimum and the cycle 23 solar maximum.

  14. 14 CFR 27.1527 - Maximum operating altitude.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum operating altitude. 27.1527 Section 27.1527 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT... § 27.1527 Maximum operating altitude. The maximum altitude up to which operation is allowed, as limited...

  15. 24 CFR 232.903 - Maximum mortgage limitations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Maximum mortgage limitations. 232... ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES Insurance of Mortgages Covering Existing Projects § 232.903 Maximum mortgage limitations. Notwithstanding the maximum mortgage limitations set forth in § 232.30, a mortgage within the...

  16. 14 CFR 29.1527 - Maximum operating altitude.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum operating altitude. 29.1527 Section 29.1527 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT... Limitations § 29.1527 Maximum operating altitude. The maximum altitude up to which operation is allowed, as...

  17. Reconstruction-free sensitive wavefront sensor based on continuous position sensitive detectors.

    PubMed

    Godin, Thomas; Fromager, Michael; Cagniot, Emmanuel; Brunel, Marc; Aït-Ameur, Kamel

    2013-12-01

    We propose a new device that is able to perform highly sensitive wavefront measurements based on the use of continuous position sensitive detectors and without resorting to any reconstruction process. We demonstrate experimentally its ability to measure small wavefront distortions through the characterization of pump-induced refractive index changes in laser material. In addition, it is shown using computer-generated holograms that this device can detect phase discontinuities as well as improve the quality of sharp phase variations measurements. Results are compared to reference Shack-Hartmann measurements, and dramatic enhancements are obtained.

  18. Convex Accelerated Maximum Entropy Reconstruction

    PubMed Central

    Worley, Bradley

    2016-01-01

    Maximum entropy (MaxEnt) spectral reconstruction methods provide a powerful framework for spectral estimation of nonuniformly sampled datasets. Many methods exist within this framework, usually defined based on the magnitude of a Lagrange multiplier in the MaxEnt objective function. An algorithm is presented here that utilizes accelerated first-order convex optimization techniques to rapidly and reliably reconstruct nonuniformly sampled NMR datasets using the principle of maximum entropy. This algorithm – called CAMERA for Convex Accelerated Maximum Entropy Reconstruction Algorithm – is a new approach to spectral reconstruction that exhibits fast, tunable convergence in both constant-aim and constant-lambda modes. A high-performance, open source NMR data processing tool is described that implements CAMERA, and brief comparisons to existing reconstruction methods are made on several example spectra. PMID:26894476

  19. 31 CFR 149.3 - Maximum obligation limitation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Maximum obligation limitation. 149.3 Section 149.3 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance MONETARY OFFICES, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CALCULATION OF MAXIMUM OBLIGATION LIMITATION § 149.3 Maximum obligation limitation...

  20. 40 CFR 35.175 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.175 Section 35.175 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE...)) § 35.175 Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide a maximum of 75 percent of the...

  1. 10 CFR 600.20 - Maximum DOE obligation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum DOE obligation. 600.20 Section 600.20 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE RULES General § 600.20 Maximum DOE obligation. (a) The maximum DOE obligation to the recipient is— (1) For monetary awards, the...

  2. 5 CFR 582.402 - Maximum garnishment limitations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum garnishment limitations. 582.402... Maximum garnishment limitations. Pursuant to section 1673(a)(1) of title 15 of the United States Code (the... Federal Regulations, part 870, the following limitations are applicable: (a) Unless a lower maximum...

  3. 5 CFR 581.402 - Maximum garnishment limitations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum garnishment limitations. 581.402... § 581.402 Maximum garnishment limitations. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section... Protection Act, as amended), unless a lower maximum garnishment limitation is provided by applicable State or...

  4. 40 CFR 35.195 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.195 Section 35.195 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE... 1443(b)) § 35.195 Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide a maximum of 75 percent...

  5. Sensitivity of estuarine turbidity maximum to settling velocity, tidal mixing, and sediment supply

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Warner, J.C.; Sherwood, C.R.; Geyer, W.R.; ,

    2007-01-01

    Estuarine turbidity maximum, numerical modeling, settling velocity, stratification The spatial and temporal distribution of suspended material in an Estuarine Turbidity Maxima (ETM) is primarily controlled by particle settling velocity, tidal mixing, shear-stress thresholds for resuspension, and sediment supply. We vary these parameters in numerical experiments of an idealized two-dimensional (x-z) estuary to demonstrate their affects on the development and retention of particles in an ETM. Parameters varied are the settling velocity (0.01, 0.1, and 0.5 mm/s), tidal amplitude (0.4 m 12 hour tide and 0.3 to 0.6 m 14 day spring neap cycle), and sediment availability (spatial supply limited or unlimited; and temporal supply as a riverine pulse during spring vs. neap tide). Results identify that particles with a low settling velocity are advected out of the estuary and particles with a high settling velocity provide little material transport to an ETM. Particles with an intermediate settling velocity develop an ETM with the greatest amount of material retained. For an unlimited supply of sediment the ETM and limit of salt intrusion co-vary during the spring neap cycle. The ETM migrates landward of the salt intrusion during spring tides and seaward during neap tides. For limited sediment supply the ETM does not respond as an erodible pool of sediment that advects landward and seaward with the salt front. The ETM is maintained seaward of the salt intrusion and controlled by the locus of sediment convergence in the bed. For temporal variability of sediment supplied from a riverine pulse, the ETM traps more sediment if the pulse encounters the salt intrusion at neap tides than during spring tides. ?? 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. 7 CFR 3565.210 - Maximum interest rate.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum interest rate. 3565.210 Section 3565.210... AGRICULTURE GUARANTEED RURAL RENTAL HOUSING PROGRAM Loan Requirements § 3565.210 Maximum interest rate. The interest rate for a guaranteed loan must not exceed the maximum allowable rate specified by the Agency in...

  7. 49 CFR 1503.401 - Maximum penalty amounts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Maximum penalty amounts. 1503.401 Section 1503.401... Assessment of Civil Penalties by TSA § 1503.401 Maximum penalty amounts. (a) General. TSA may assess civil.... TSA may adjust the maximum civil penalty amounts in conformity with the Federal Civil Penalties...

  8. 34 CFR 682.204 - Maximum loan amounts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum loan amounts. 682.204 Section 682.204 Education..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FEDERAL FAMILY EDUCATION LOAN (FFEL) PROGRAM General Provisions § 682.204 Maximum... a full academic year, the maximum annual amount that the student may receive may not exceed the...

  9. 40 CFR 35.675 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.675 Section... (section 1443(a) and Section 1451) § 35.675 Maximum federal share. (a) The Regional Administrator may... maximum federal share if the Tribe or Intertribal Consortium can demonstrate in writing to the...

  10. Relationship of maximum strength to weightlifting performance.

    PubMed

    Stone, Michael H; Sands, William A; Pierce, Kyle C; Carlock, Jon; Cardinale, Marco; Newton, Robert U

    2005-06-01

    The primary objective was to assess the relationship of maximum strength to weightlifting ability using established scaling methods. The secondary objective was to compare men and women weightlifters on strength and weightlifting ability. Two correlational observations were carried out using Pearson's r. In the first observation (N = 65) the relationship of dynamic maximum strength (one-repetition maximum (1RM) squat) was compared with weightlifting ability; in the second observation (N = 16), isometric maximum strength (midthigh pull) was studied. Scaling methods for equating maximum strength and weightlifting results were used (load x (Ht), load x kg, load x lbm(-1), allometric, and Sinclair formula) to assess the association between measures of maximum strength and weightlifting performance. Using scaled values; correlations between maximum strength and weightlifting results were generally strong in both observations (e.g., using allometric scaling for the 1RM squat vs the 1RM snatch: r = 0.84, N = 65). Men were stronger than women (e.g., 1RM squat, N = 65: men = 188.1 +/- 48.6 kg; women = 126.7 +/- 28.3 kg); differences generally held when scaling was applied (e.g., 1RM squat scaled with the Sinclair formula: men = 224.7 +/- 36.5 kg; women = 144.2 +/- 25.4 kg). When collectively considering scaling methods, maximum strength is strongly related to weightlifting performance independent of body mass and height differences. Furthermore, men are stronger than women even when body mass and height are obviated by scaling methods.

  11. Maximum life spiral bevel reduction design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Savage, M.; Prasanna, M. G.; Coe, H. H.

    1992-01-01

    Optimization is applied to the design of a spiral bevel gear reduction for maximum life at a given size. A modified feasible directions search algorithm permits a wide variety of inequality constraints and exact design requirements to be met with low sensitivity to initial values. Gear tooth bending strength and minimum contact ratio under load are included in the active constraints. The optimal design of the spiral bevel gear reduction includes the selection of bearing and shaft proportions in addition to gear mesh parameters. System life is maximized subject to a fixed back-cone distance of the spiral bevel gear set for a specified speed ratio, shaft angle, input torque, and power. Significant parameters in the design are: the spiral angle, the pressure angle, the numbers of teeth on the pinion and gear, and the location and size of the four support bearings. Interpolated polynomials expand the discrete bearing properties and proportions into continuous variables for gradient optimization. After finding the continuous optimum, a designer can analyze near optimal designs for comparison and selection. Design examples show the influence of the bearing lives on the gear parameters in the optimal configurations. For a fixed back-cone distance, optimal designs with larger shaft angles have larger service lives.

  12. Applying a Weighted Maximum Likelihood Latent Trait Estimator to the Generalized Partial Credit Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Penfield, Randall D.; Bergeron, Jennifer M.

    2005-01-01

    This article applies a weighted maximum likelihood (WML) latent trait estimator to the generalized partial credit model (GPCM). The relevant equations required to obtain the WML estimator using the Newton-Raphson algorithm are presented, and a simulation study is described that compared the properties of the WML estimator to those of the maximum…

  13. 22 CFR 201.67 - Maximum freight charges.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Maximum freight charges. 201.67 Section 201.67... TRANSACTIONS FINANCED BY USAID Price Provisions § 201.67 Maximum freight charges. (a) Ocean freight rates—(1... the United States. (2) Maximum charter rates. (i) USAID will not finance ocean freight under any...

  14. 40 CFR 35.635 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.635 Section... (sections 319(h) and 518(f)) § 35.635 Maximum federal share. (a) The Regional Administrator may provide up... be provided from non-federal sources. (b) The Regional Administrator may increase the maximum federal...

  15. 40 CFR 35.575 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.575 Section...) § 35.575 Maximum federal share. (a) For Tribes and Intertribal Consortia eligible under § 35.573(a... the maximum federal share to 90 percent if the Regional Administrator determines that the Tribe or...

  16. 40 CFR 35.685 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.685 Section... (section 1443(b)) § 35.685 Maximum federal share. (a) The Regional Administrator may provide up to 75 percent of the approved work plan costs. (b) The Regional Administrator may increase the maximum federal...

  17. 5 CFR 550.105 - Biweekly maximum earnings limitation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Biweekly maximum earnings limitation. 550... PAY ADMINISTRATION (GENERAL) Premium Pay Maximum Earnings Limitations § 550.105 Biweekly maximum... basic pay and premium pay for any biweekly pay period to exceed the greater of— (1) The maximum biweekly...

  18. 5 CFR 550.106 - Annual maximum earnings limitation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Annual maximum earnings limitation. 550... PAY ADMINISTRATION (GENERAL) Premium Pay Maximum Earnings Limitations § 550.106 Annual maximum... and premium pay for the calendar year to exceed the greater of— (1) The maximum annual rate of basic...

  19. Stochastic modelling of the monthly average maximum and minimum temperature patterns in India 1981-2015

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Narasimha Murthy, K. V.; Saravana, R.; Vijaya Kumar, K.

    2018-04-01

    The paper investigates the stochastic modelling and forecasting of monthly average maximum and minimum temperature patterns through suitable seasonal auto regressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model for the period 1981-2015 in India. The variations and distributions of monthly maximum and minimum temperatures are analyzed through Box plots and cumulative distribution functions. The time series plot indicates that the maximum temperature series contain sharp peaks in almost all the years, while it is not true for the minimum temperature series, so both the series are modelled separately. The possible SARIMA model has been chosen based on observing autocorrelation function (ACF), partial autocorrelation function (PACF), and inverse autocorrelation function (IACF) of the logarithmic transformed temperature series. The SARIMA (1, 0, 0) × (0, 1, 1)12 model is selected for monthly average maximum and minimum temperature series based on minimum Bayesian information criteria. The model parameters are obtained using maximum-likelihood method with the help of standard error of residuals. The adequacy of the selected model is determined using correlation diagnostic checking through ACF, PACF, IACF, and p values of Ljung-Box test statistic of residuals and using normal diagnostic checking through the kernel and normal density curves of histogram and Q-Q plot. Finally, the forecasting of monthly maximum and minimum temperature patterns of India for the next 3 years has been noticed with the help of selected model.

  20. A Simple Approach for Obtaining High Resolution, High Sensitivity ¹H NMR Metabolite Spectra of Biofluids with Limited Mass Supply

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

    Hu, Jian Zhi; Rommereim, Donald N.; Wind, Robert A.

    2006-11-01

    A simple approach is reported that yields high resolution, high sensitivity ¹H NMR spectra of biofluids with limited mass supply. This is achieved by spinning a capillary sample tube containing a biofluid at the magic angle at a frequency of about 80Hz. A 2D pulse sequence called ¹H PASS is then used to produce a high-resolution ¹H NMR spectrum that is free from magnetic susceptibility induced line broadening. With this new approach a high resolution ¹H NMR spectrum of biofluids with a volume less than 1.0 µl can be easily achieved at a magnetic field strength as low as 7.05T.more » Furthermore, the methodology facilitates easy sample handling, i.e., the samples can be directly collected into inexpensive and disposable capillary tubes at the site of collection and subsequently used for NMR measurements. In addition, slow magic angle spinning improves magnetic field shimming and is especially suitable for high throughput investigations. In this paper first results are shown obtained in a magnetic field of 7.05T on urine samples collected from mice using a modified commercial NMR probe.« less

  1. Noise stochastic corrected maximum a posteriori estimator for birefringence imaging using polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography

    PubMed Central

    Kasaragod, Deepa; Makita, Shuichi; Hong, Young-Joo; Yasuno, Yoshiaki

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a noise-stochastic corrected maximum a posteriori estimator for birefringence imaging using Jones matrix optical coherence tomography. The estimator described in this paper is based on the relationship between probability distribution functions of the measured birefringence and the effective signal to noise ratio (ESNR) as well as the true birefringence and the true ESNR. The Monte Carlo method is used to numerically describe this relationship and adaptive 2D kernel density estimation provides the likelihood for a posteriori estimation of the true birefringence. Improved estimation is shown for the new estimator with stochastic model of ESNR in comparison to the old estimator, both based on the Jones matrix noise model. A comparison with the mean estimator is also done. Numerical simulation validates the superiority of the new estimator. The superior performance of the new estimator was also shown by in vivo measurement of optic nerve head. PMID:28270974

  2. Development of aquatic life criteria for triclosan and comparison of the sensitivity between native and non-native species.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiao-Nan; Liu, Zheng-Tao; Yan, Zhen-Guang; Zhang, Cong; Wang, Wei-Li; Zhou, Jun-Li; Pei, Shu-Wei

    2013-09-15

    Triclosan (TCS) is an antimicrobial agent which is used as a broad-spectrum bacteriostatic and found in personal care products, and due to this it is widely spread in the aquatic environment. However, there is no paper dealing with the aquatic life criteria of TCS, mainly result from the shortage of toxicity data of different taxonomic levels. In the present study, toxicity data were obtained from 9 acute toxicity tests and 3 chronic toxicity tests using 9 Chinese native aquatic species from different taxonomic levels, and the aquatic life criteria was derived using 3 methods. Furthermore, differences of species sensitivity distributions (SSD) between native and non-native species were compared. Among the tested species, demersal fish Misgurnus anguillicaudatus was the most sensitive species, and the fishes were more sensitive than the aquatic invertebrates of Annelid and insect, and the insect was the least sensitive species. The comparison showed that there was no significant difference between SSDs constructed from native and non-native taxa. Finally, a criterion maximum concentration of 0.009 mg/L and a criterion continuous concentration of 0.002 mg/L were developed based on different taxa, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. The Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Signature Transformation /MLEST/ algorithm. [for affine transformation of crop inventory data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thadani, S. G.

    1977-01-01

    The Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Signature Transformation (MLEST) algorithm is used to obtain maximum likelihood estimates (MLE) of affine transformation. The algorithm has been evaluated for three sets of data: simulated (training and recognition segment pairs), consecutive-day (data gathered from Landsat images), and geographical-extension (large-area crop inventory experiment) data sets. For each set, MLEST signature extension runs were made to determine MLE values and the affine-transformed training segment signatures were used to classify the recognition segments. The classification results were used to estimate wheat proportions at 0 and 1% threshold values.

  4. Test images for the maximum entropy image restoration method

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mackey, James E.

    1990-01-01

    One of the major activities of any experimentalist is data analysis and reduction. In solar physics, remote observations are made of the sun in a variety of wavelengths and circumstances. In no case is the data collected free from the influence of the design and operation of the data gathering instrument as well as the ever present problem of noise. The presence of significant noise invalidates the simple inversion procedure regardless of the range of known correlation functions. The Maximum Entropy Method (MEM) attempts to perform this inversion by making minimal assumptions about the data. To provide a means of testing the MEM and characterizing its sensitivity to noise, choice of point spread function, type of data, etc., one would like to have test images of known characteristics that can represent the type of data being analyzed. A means of reconstructing these images is presented.

  5. 29 CFR 778.100 - The maximum-hours provisions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false The maximum-hours provisions. 778.100 Section 778.100 Labor... Requirements Introductory § 778.100 The maximum-hours provisions. Section 7(a) of the Act deals with maximum... specifically exempt from its overtime pay requirements. It prescribes the maximum weekly hours of work...

  6. 29 CFR 778.101 - Maximum nonovertime hours.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum nonovertime hours. 778.101 Section 778.101 Labor... Requirements Introductory § 778.101 Maximum nonovertime hours. As a general standard, section 7(a) of the Act provides 40 hours as the maximum number that an employee subject to its provisions may work for an employer...

  7. Watershed Regressions for Pesticides (WARP) for Predicting Annual Maximum and Annual Maximum Moving-Average Concentrations of Atrazine in Streams

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stone, Wesley W.; Gilliom, Robert J.; Crawford, Charles G.

    2008-01-01

    Regression models were developed for predicting annual maximum and selected annual maximum moving-average concentrations of atrazine in streams using the Watershed Regressions for Pesticides (WARP) methodology developed by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The current effort builds on the original WARP models, which were based on the annual mean and selected percentiles of the annual frequency distribution of atrazine concentrations. Estimates of annual maximum and annual maximum moving-average concentrations for selected durations are needed to characterize the levels of atrazine and other pesticides for comparison to specific water-quality benchmarks for evaluation of potential concerns regarding human health or aquatic life. Separate regression models were derived for the annual maximum and annual maximum 21-day, 60-day, and 90-day moving-average concentrations. Development of the regression models used the same explanatory variables, transformations, model development data, model validation data, and regression methods as those used in the original development of WARP. The models accounted for 72 to 75 percent of the variability in the concentration statistics among the 112 sampling sites used for model development. Predicted concentration statistics from the four models were within a factor of 10 of the observed concentration statistics for most of the model development and validation sites. Overall, performance of the models for the development and validation sites supports the application of the WARP models for predicting annual maximum and selected annual maximum moving-average atrazine concentration in streams and provides a framework to interpret the predictions in terms of uncertainty. For streams with inadequate direct measurements of atrazine concentrations, the WARP model predictions for the annual maximum and the annual maximum moving-average atrazine concentrations can be used to characterize

  8. STUDIES ON THE SENSITIZATION OF ANIMALS WITH SIMPLE CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS

    PubMed Central

    Landsteiner, K.; Di Somma, A. A.

    1940-01-01

    Sensitization of guinea pigs to picric acid was obtained by application of oil solutions to the skin, preferably on inflamed sites or by treatment with a compound of picric acid with n-butyl-p-aminobenzoate. The lesions obtained in sensitive animals on superficial administration bore resemblance to human eczema. It seems probable that picric acid sensitization is an instance where a substance does not sensitize directly but after conversion into a more reactive compound, a principle which should be of wider application to instances where the original substance does not readily form conjugates. PMID:19871030

  9. Maximum group velocity in a one-dimensional model with a sinusoidally varying staggered potential

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nag, Tanay; Sen, Diptiman; Dutta, Amit

    2015-06-01

    We use Floquet theory to study the maximum value of the stroboscopic group velocity in a one-dimensional tight-binding model subjected to an on-site staggered potential varying sinusoidally in time. The results obtained by numerically diagonalizing the Floquet operator are analyzed using a variety of analytical schemes. In the low-frequency limit we use adiabatic theory, while in the high-frequency limit the Magnus expansion of the Floquet Hamiltonian turns out to be appropriate. When the magnitude of the staggered potential is much greater or much less than the hopping, we use degenerate Floquet perturbation theory; we find that dynamical localization occurs in the former case when the maximum group velocity vanishes. Finally, starting from an "engineered" initial state where the particles (taken to be hard-core bosons) are localized in one part of the chain, we demonstrate that the existence of a maximum stroboscopic group velocity manifests in a light-cone-like spreading of the particles in real space.

  10. Combining Gabor and Talbot bands techniques to enhance the sensitivity with depth in Fourier domain optical coherence tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bradu, Adrian; Marques, Manuel J.; Bouchal, Petr; Podoleanu, Adrian Gh.

    2013-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to show how to favorably mix two e_ects to improve the sensitivity with depth in Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (OCT): Talbot bands (TB) and Gabor-based fusion (GF) technique. TB operation is achieved by directing the two beams, from the object arm and from the reference arm in the OCT interferometer, along parallel separate paths towards the spectrometer. By changing the lateral gap between the two beams in their path towards the spectrometer, the position for the maximum sensitivity versus the optical path difference in the interferometer is adjusted. For five values of the focus position, the gap between the two beams is readjusted to reach maximum sensitivity. Then, similar to the procedure employed in the GF technique, a composite image is formed by edging together the parts of the five images that exhibited maximum brightness. The combined procedure, TB/GF is examined for four different values of the beam diameters of the two beams. Also we demonstrate volumetric FD-OCT images with mirror term attenuation and sensitivity profile shifted towards higher OPD values by applying a Talbot bands configuration.

  11. On the sensitivity of 4 different CPV module technologies to relevant ambient and operation conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Domínguez, César; Besson, Pierre

    2014-09-01

    The sensitivity of four different CPV module technologies to most operating conditions relevant to CPV systems has been studied, namely DNI, spectrum, cell and lens temperature and clearness of the sky. In order to isolate the influence of a single operation parameter, the analysis of long-term outdoor monitoring data is required. The effect of lens temperature on cell current has been found to vary greatly between modules due to the different optical architectures studied. Maximum sensitivity is found for silicone-on-glass primary lenses. The VOC thermal coefficient was found to vary between module technologies, probably due to differences in maximum local effective concentration.

  12. A Maximum Likelihood Approach to Functional Mapping of Longitudinal Binary Traits

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Chenguang; Li, Hongying; Wang, Zhong; Wang, Yaqun; Wang, Ningtao; Wang, Zuoheng; Wu, Rongling

    2013-01-01

    Despite their importance in biology and biomedicine, genetic mapping of binary traits that change over time has not been well explored. In this article, we develop a statistical model for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that govern longitudinal responses of binary traits. The model is constructed within the maximum likelihood framework by which the association between binary responses is modeled in terms of conditional log odds-ratios. With this parameterization, the maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs) of marginal mean parameters are robust to the misspecification of time dependence. We implement an iterative procedures to obtain the MLEs of QTL genotype-specific parameters that define longitudinal binary responses. The usefulness of the model was validated by analyzing a real example in rice. Simulation studies were performed to investigate the statistical properties of the model, showing that the model has power to identify and map specific QTLs responsible for the temporal pattern of binary traits. PMID:23183762

  13. Probabilistic description of probable maximum precipitation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ben Alaya, Mohamed Ali; Zwiers, Francis W.; Zhang, Xuebin

    2017-04-01

    Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) is the key parameter used to estimate probable Maximum Flood (PMF). PMP and PMF are important for dam safety and civil engineering purposes. Even if the current knowledge of storm mechanisms remains insufficient to properly evaluate limiting values of extreme precipitation, PMP estimation methods are still based on deterministic consideration, and give only single values. This study aims to provide a probabilistic description of the PMP based on the commonly used method, the so-called moisture maximization. To this end, a probabilistic bivariate extreme values model is proposed to address the limitations of traditional PMP estimates via moisture maximization namely: (i) the inability to evaluate uncertainty and to provide a range PMP values, (ii) the interpretation that a maximum of a data series as a physical upper limit (iii) and the assumption that a PMP event has maximum moisture availability. Results from simulation outputs of the Canadian Regional Climate Model CanRCM4 over North America reveal the high uncertainties inherent in PMP estimates and the non-validity of the assumption that PMP events have maximum moisture availability. This later assumption leads to overestimation of the PMP by an average of about 15% over North America, which may have serious implications for engineering design.

  14. Spatial orientation of semicircular canals and afferent sensitivity vectors in pigeons

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dickman, J. D.

    1996-01-01

    Rotational head motion in vertebrates is detected by the semicircular canal system, whose innervating primary afferent fibers carry information about movement in specific head planes. The semicircular canals have been qualitatively examined over a number of years, and the canal planes have been quantitatively characterized in several animal species. The present study first determined the geometric relationship between individual semicircular canals and between the canals and the stereotactic head planes in pigeons. Stereotactic measurements of multiple points along the circumference of the bony canals were taken, and the measured points fitted with a three-dimensional planar surface. Direction normals to the plane's surface were calculated and used to define angles between semicircular canal pairs. Because of the unusual shape of the anterior semicircular canals in pigeons, two planes, a major and a minor, were fitted to the canal's course. Calculated angle values for all canals indicated that the horizontal and posterior semicircular canals are nearly orthogonal, but the anterior canals have substantial deviations from orthogonality with other canal planes. Next, the responses of the afferent fibers that innervate each of the semicircular canals to 0.5 Hz sinusoidal rotation about an earth-vertical axis were obtained. The head orientation relative to the rotation axis was systematically varied so that directions of maximum sensitivity for each canal afferent could be determined. These sensitivity vectors were then compared with the canal plane direction normals. The afferents that innervated specific semicircular canals formed homogeneous clusters of sensitivity vectors in different head planes. The horizontal and posterior afferents had average sensitivity vectors that were largely co-incident with the innervated canal plane direction normals. Anterior canal afferents, however, appeared to synthesize contributions from the major and minor plane components of the

  15. An Earthquake Source Sensitivity Analysis for Tsunami Propagation in the Eastern Mediterranean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Necmioglu, Ocal; Meral Ozel, Nurcan

    2013-04-01

    sensitivity analysis showed clear phase shift with respect to the variation of the strike angles, without leading to severe variation of the initial and maximum waves at locations considered. Travel time maps for two cases corresponding to difference in the strike value (60° vs 150°) presented a more complex wave propagation for the case with 60° strike angle due to the fact that the normal of the fault plane is orthogonal to the main bathymetric structure in the region, namely the Eastern section of the Hellenic Arc between Crete and Rhodes Islands. For a given set of strike, dip and focal depth parameters, the effect of the variation in the rake angle has been evaluated in the rake sensitivity analysis. A waveform envelope composed of symmetric synthetic recordings at one TFPs could be clearly observed as a result of rake angle variations in 0-180° range. This could also lead to the conclusion that for a given magnitude (fault size and displacement), the expected maximum and minimum tsunami wave amplitudes could be evaluated as a waveform envelope rather limited to a single point of time or amplitude. The Evaluation of the initial wave arrival times follows an expected pattern controlled by the distance, wheras maximum wave arrival time distribution presents no clear pattern. Nevertheless, the distribution is rather concentrated in time domain for some TFPs. Maximum positive and minimum negative wave amplitude distributions indicates a broader range for a subgroup of TFPs, wheras for the remaining TFPs the distributions are narrow. Any deviation from the expected trend of calculating narrower ranges of amplitude distributions could be interpreted as the result o the bathymetry and focusing effects. As similar studies conducted in the different parts of the globe indicated, the main characteristics of the tsunami propagation are unique for each basin. It should be noted, however, that the synthetic measurements obtained at the TFPs in the absence of high

  16. 7 CFR 1778.11 - Maximum grants.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum grants. 1778.11 Section 1778.11 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) EMERGENCY AND IMMINENT COMMUNITY WATER ASSISTANCE GRANTS § 1778.11 Maximum grants. (a) Grants not...

  17. 24 CFR 200.15 - Maximum mortgage.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Maximum mortgage. 200.15 Section 200.15 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued... Eligibility Requirements for Existing Projects Eligible Mortgage § 200.15 Maximum mortgage. Mortgages must not...

  18. 7 CFR 993.602 - Maximum tolerances.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum tolerances. 993.602 Section 993.602 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing... CALIFORNIA Grade Regulations § 993.602 Maximum tolerances. In lieu of the provision prescribed in I C of...

  19. 14 CFR 65.47 - Maximum hours.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum hours. 65.47 Section 65.47 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) AIRMEN CERTIFICATION: AIRMEN OTHER THAN FLIGHT CREWMEMBERS Air Traffic Control Tower Operators § 65.47 Maximum hours...

  20. Modelling the dependence of contrast sensitivity on grating area and spatial frequency.

    PubMed

    Rovamo, J; Luntinen, O; Näsänen, R

    1993-12-01

    We modelled the human foveal visual system in a detection task as a simple image processor comprising (i) low-pass filtering due to the optical transfer function of the eye, (ii) high-pass filtering of neural origin, (iii) addition of internal neural noise, and (iv) detection by a local matched filter. Its detection efficiency for gratings was constant up to a critical area but then decreased with increasing area. To test the model we measured Michelson contrast sensitivity as a function of grating area at spatial frequencies of 0.125-32 c/deg for simple vertical and circular cosine gratings. In circular gratings luminance was sinusoidally modulated as a function of the radius of the grating field. In agreement with the model, contrast sensitivity at all spatial frequencies increased in proportion to the square-root of grating area at small areas. When grating area exceeded critical area, the increase saturated and contrast sensitivity became independent of area at large grating areas. Spatial integration thus obeyed Piper's law at small grating areas. The critical area of spatial integration, marking the cessation of Piper's law, was constant in solid degrees at low spatial frequencies but inversely proportional to spatial frequency squared at medium and high spatial frequencies. At low spatial frequencies the maximum contrast sensitivity obtainable by spatial integration increased in proportion to spatial frequency but at high spatial frequencies it decreased in proportion to the cube of the increasing spatial frequency. The increase was due to high-pass filtering of neural origin (lateral inhibition) and the decrease was mainly due to the optical transfer function of the eye. Our model explained 95% of the total variance of the contrast sensitivity data.

  1. 40 CFR 141.66 - Maximum contaminant levels for radionuclides.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Maximum contaminant levels for... Regulations: Maximum Contaminant Levels and Maximum Residual Disinfectant Levels § 141.66 Maximum contaminant levels for radionuclides. (a) [Reserved] (b) MCL for combined radium-226 and -228. The maximum...

  2. 40 CFR 141.66 - Maximum contaminant levels for radionuclides.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Maximum contaminant levels for... Regulations: Maximum Contaminant Levels and Maximum Residual Disinfectant Levels § 141.66 Maximum contaminant levels for radionuclides. (a) [Reserved] (b) MCL for combined radium-226 and -228. The maximum...

  3. 40 CFR 141.66 - Maximum contaminant levels for radionuclides.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Maximum contaminant levels for... Regulations: Maximum Contaminant Levels and Maximum Residual Disinfectant Levels § 141.66 Maximum contaminant levels for radionuclides. (a) [Reserved] (b) MCL for combined radium-226 and -228. The maximum...

  4. 40 CFR 141.66 - Maximum contaminant levels for radionuclides.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Maximum contaminant levels for... Regulations: Maximum Contaminant Levels and Maximum Residual Disinfectant Levels § 141.66 Maximum contaminant levels for radionuclides. (a) [Reserved] (b) MCL for combined radium-226 and -228. The maximum...

  5. 13 CFR 130.440 - Maximum grant.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Maximum grant. 130.440 Section 130.440 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS § 130.440 Maximum grant. No recipient shall receive an SBDC grant exceeding the greater of the minimum...

  6. 13 CFR 130.440 - Maximum grant.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum grant. 130.440 Section 130.440 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS § 130.440 Maximum grant. No recipient shall receive an SBDC grant exceeding the greater of the minimum...

  7. Prolonged incubation and stacked film exposure improve sensitivity in western blotting.

    PubMed

    Luo, Haitao; Rankin, Gary O; Straley, Shannon; Chen, Yi Charlie

    2011-01-01

    Western blotting is a basic technique for protein detection. For proteins of less abundance or antibodies of poorer quality, an increased sensitivity is often desired. Although it is commonly known that higher concentrations of antibodies and prolonged film exposure times will help improve sensitivity in western blots, both measures come with their own risks, and it is often unclear to which extent these measures should be applied. We conducted time-course studies to investigate protein-antibody interactions and primary antibody-secondary antibody interactions in western blotting. We also propose a protocol of stacked film exposure and have tested it in standard curves and cancer cell samples. Our study found that protein-primary antibody interactions and primary antibody-secondary antibody interactions could take a longer time than commonly used "one hour" or "overnight", and in some cases longer than 48h, to reach its maximum binding. We also show that the modified protocol of stacked film exposure works well for both standard curves and biological samples, reaching a maximum sensitivity in western blots without blurring target signals or increasing backgrounds. In addition to regular optimization of antibody concentrations and film exposure time, a prolonged incubation with antibodies and stacked film exposure will also help improve sensitivity and reduce background in western blotting. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Comparing maximum intercuspal contacts of virtual dental patients and mounted dental casts.

    PubMed

    Delong, Ralph; Ko, Ching-Chang; Anderson, Gary C; Hodges, James S; Douglas, W H

    2002-12-01

    Quantitative measures of occlusal contacts are of paramount importance in the study of chewing dysfunction. A tool is needed to identify and quantify occlusal parameters without occlusal interference caused by the technique of analysis. This laboratory simulation study compared occlusal contacts constructed from 3-dimensional images of dental casts and interocclusal records with contacts found by use of conventional methods. Dental casts of 10 completely dentate adults were mounted in a semi-adjustable Denar articulator. Maximum intercuspal contacts were marked on the casts using red film. Intercuspal records made with an experimental vinyl polysiloxane impression material recorded maximum intercuspation. Three-dimensional virtual models of the casts and interocclusal records were made using custom software and an optical scanner. Contacts were calculated between virtual casts aligned manually (CM), aligned with interocclusal records scanned seated on the mandibular casts (C1) or scanned independently (C2), and directly from virtual interocclusal records (IR). Sensitivity and specificity calculations used the marked contacts as the standard. Contact parameters were compared between method pairs. Statistical comparisons used analysis of variance and the Tukey-Kramer post hoc test (P=<.05). Sensitivities (range 0.76-0.89) did not differ significantly among the 4 methods (P=.14); however, specificities (range 0.89-0.98) were significantly lower for IR (P=.0001). Contact parameters of methods CM, C1, and C2 differed significantly from those of method IR (P<.02). The ranking based on method pair comparisons was C2/C1 > CM/C1 = CM/C2 > C2/IR > CM/IR > C1/IR, where ">" means "closer than." Within the limits of this study, occlusal contacts calculated from aligned virtual casts accurately reproduce articulator contacts.

  9. 33 CFR 401.29 - Maximum draft.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Maximum draft. 401.29 Section 401... TRANSPORTATION SEAWAY REGULATIONS AND RULES Regulations Seaway Navigation § 401.29 Maximum draft. (a) Notwithstanding any provision herein, the loading of cargo, draft and speed of a vessel in transit shall be...

  10. 33 CFR 401.29 - Maximum draft.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Maximum draft. 401.29 Section 401... TRANSPORTATION SEAWAY REGULATIONS AND RULES Regulations Seaway Navigation § 401.29 Maximum draft. (a) Notwithstanding any provision herein, the loading of cargo, draft and speed of a vessel in transit shall be...

  11. 34 CFR 674.12 - Loan maximums.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FEDERAL PERKINS LOAN PROGRAM General Provisions § 674.12 Loan maximums. (a) The maximum annual amount of Federal Perkins Loans and NDSLs an eligible student may borrow is— (1) $5,500 for... professional student. (b) The aggregate unpaid principal amount of all Federal Perkins Loans and NDSLs received...

  12. Antihyperlipidemic Effect of Different Fractions Obtained from Teucrium polium Hydroalcoholic Extract in Rats.

    PubMed

    Safaeian, Leila; Ghanadian, Mustafa; Shafiee-Moghadam, Zahra

    2018-01-01

    This study was aimed to screen the antihyperlipidemic effect of different fractions of Teucrium polium to obtain the most efficient herbal fraction for isolation of bioactive constituents responsible for hypolipidemic activity. Chloroform, butanol, and aqueous fractions were obtained from hydroalcoholic extract of T. polium aerial parts using partitioning process. To induce hyperlipidemia, dexamethasone (Dex) was injected 10 mg/kg/day (s.c.) for 8 days. In the test groups, animals received 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg of T. polium hydroalcoholic extract and different fractions orally simultaneously with Dex. Serum lipid profile and hepatic marker enzymes were evaluated using biochemical kits. All treatments, especially chloroform and aqueous fractions, reversed serum lipid markers in hyperlipidemic rats. Maximum reduction in triglyceride (60.2%, P < 0.001) and maximum elevation in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (35.0%, P < 0.01) was observed for chloroform fraction. Maximum cholesterol-lowering effect (29.0%, P < 0.001) and maximum reduction in low-density lipoprotein were found for hydroalcoholic extract (72.9%, P < 0.001). Aqueous fraction improved all lipid markers at the highest dose. Butanol fraction decreased triglyceride at the lowest dose (43.9%, P < 0.001) and increased HDL (33%, P < 0.05) at the highest dose. There was a significant increase in alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels in all tested groups compared to normal group ( P < 0.001). This study showed strong antihyperlipidemic effect of various fractions derived from hydroalcoholic extract of T. polium . Chloroform and aqueous fractions may be worthy candidates for isolation of bioactive hypolipidemic constituents. However, possible hepatotoxicity should be considered for clinical application.

  13. A stress sensitivity model for the permeability of porous media based on bi-dispersed fractal theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, X.-H.; Liu, C.-Y.; Li, X.-P.; Wang, H.-Q.; Deng, H.

    A stress sensitivity model for the permeability of porous media based on bidispersed fractal theory is established, considering the change of the flow path, the fractal geometry approach and the mechanics of porous media. It is noted that the two fractal parameters of the porous media construction perform differently when the stress changes. The tortuosity fractal dimension of solid cluster DcTσ become bigger with an increase of stress. However, the pore fractal dimension of solid cluster Dcfσ and capillary bundle Dpfσ remains the same with an increase of stress. The definition of normalized permeability is introduced for the analyzation of the impacts of stress sensitivity on permeability. The normalized permeability is related to solid cluster tortuosity dimension, pore fractal dimension, solid cluster maximum diameter, Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio. Every parameter has clear physical meaning without the use of empirical constants. Predictions of permeability of the model is accordant with the obtained experimental data. Thus, the proposed model can precisely depict the flow of fluid in porous media under stress.

  14. On the maximum principle for complete second-order elliptic operators in general domains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vitolo, Antonio

    This paper is concerned with the maximum principle for second-order linear elliptic equations in a wide generality. By means of a geometric condition previously stressed by Berestycki-Nirenberg-Varadhan, Cabré was very able to improve the classical ABP estimate obtaining the maximum principle also in unbounded domains, such as infinite strips and open connected cones with closure different from the whole space. Now we introduce a new geometric condition that extends the result to a more general class of domains including the complements of hypersurfaces, as for instance the cut plane. The methods developed here allow us to deal with complete second-order equations, where the admissible first-order term, forced to be zero in a preceding result with Cafagna, depends on the geometry of the domain.

  15. 49 CFR 107.329 - Maximum penalties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... violation, except the maximum civil penalty is $175,000 if the violation results in death, serious illness... civil penalty is $175,000 if the violation results in death, serious illness or severe injury to any... 49 Transportation 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Maximum penalties. 107.329 Section 107.329...

  16. 49 CFR 107.329 - Maximum penalties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... violation, except the maximum civil penalty is $175,000 if the violation results in death, serious illness... civil penalty is $175,000 if the violation results in death, serious illness or severe injury to any... 49 Transportation 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Maximum penalties. 107.329 Section 107.329...

  17. On the design of wave digital filters with low sensitivity properties.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Renner, K.; Gupta, S. C.

    1973-01-01

    The wave digital filter patterned after doubly terminated maximum available power (MAP) networks by means of the Richard's transformation has been shown to have low-coefficient-sensitivity properties. This paper examines the exact nature of the relationship between the wave-digital-filter structure and the MAP networks and how the sensitivity property arises, which permits implementation of the digital structure with a lower coefficient word length than that possible with the conventional structures. The proper design procedure is specified and the nature of the unique complementary outputs is discussed. Finally, an example is considered which illustrates the design, the conversion techniques, and the low sensitivity properties.

  18. Accuracy of maximum likelihood estimates of a two-state model in single-molecule FRET

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

    Gopich, Irina V.

    2015-01-21

    Photon sequences from single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments can be analyzed using a maximum likelihood method. Parameters of the underlying kinetic model (FRET efficiencies of the states and transition rates between conformational states) are obtained by maximizing the appropriate likelihood function. In addition, the errors (uncertainties) of the extracted parameters can be obtained from the curvature of the likelihood function at the maximum. We study the standard deviations of the parameters of a two-state model obtained from photon sequences with recorded colors and arrival times. The standard deviations can be obtained analytically in a special case when themore » FRET efficiencies of the states are 0 and 1 and in the limiting cases of fast and slow conformational dynamics. These results are compared with the results of numerical simulations. The accuracy and, therefore, the ability to predict model parameters depend on how fast the transition rates are compared to the photon count rate. In the limit of slow transitions, the key parameters that determine the accuracy are the number of transitions between the states and the number of independent photon sequences. In the fast transition limit, the accuracy is determined by the small fraction of photons that are correlated with their neighbors. The relative standard deviation of the relaxation rate has a “chevron” shape as a function of the transition rate in the log-log scale. The location of the minimum of this function dramatically depends on how well the FRET efficiencies of the states are separated.« less

  19. Accuracy of maximum likelihood estimates of a two-state model in single-molecule FRET

    PubMed Central

    Gopich, Irina V.

    2015-01-01

    Photon sequences from single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments can be analyzed using a maximum likelihood method. Parameters of the underlying kinetic model (FRET efficiencies of the states and transition rates between conformational states) are obtained by maximizing the appropriate likelihood function. In addition, the errors (uncertainties) of the extracted parameters can be obtained from the curvature of the likelihood function at the maximum. We study the standard deviations of the parameters of a two-state model obtained from photon sequences with recorded colors and arrival times. The standard deviations can be obtained analytically in a special case when the FRET efficiencies of the states are 0 and 1 and in the limiting cases of fast and slow conformational dynamics. These results are compared with the results of numerical simulations. The accuracy and, therefore, the ability to predict model parameters depend on how fast the transition rates are compared to the photon count rate. In the limit of slow transitions, the key parameters that determine the accuracy are the number of transitions between the states and the number of independent photon sequences. In the fast transition limit, the accuracy is determined by the small fraction of photons that are correlated with their neighbors. The relative standard deviation of the relaxation rate has a “chevron” shape as a function of the transition rate in the log-log scale. The location of the minimum of this function dramatically depends on how well the FRET efficiencies of the states are separated. PMID:25612692

  20. Maximum Torque and Momentum Envelopes for Reaction Wheel Arrays

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Markley, F. Landis; Reynolds, Reid G.; Liu, Frank X.; Lebsock, Kenneth L.

    2009-01-01

    Spacecraft reaction wheel maneuvers are limited by the maximum torque and/or angular momentum that the wheels can provide. For an n-wheel configuration, the torque or momentum envelope can be obtained by projecting the n-dimensional hypercube, representing the domain boundary of individual wheel torques or momenta, into three dimensional space via the 3xn matrix of wheel axes. In this paper, the properties of the projected hypercube are discussed, and algorithms are proposed for determining this maximal torque or momentum envelope for general wheel configurations. Practical strategies for distributing a prescribed torque or momentum among the n wheels are presented, with special emphasis on configurations of four, five, and six wheels.

  1. Estimating the Maximum Magnitude of Induced Earthquakes With Dynamic Rupture Simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gilmour, E.; Daub, E. G.

    2017-12-01

    Seismicity in Oklahoma has been sharply increasing as the result of wastewater injection. The earthquakes, thought to be induced from changes in pore pressure due to fluid injection, nucleate along existing faults. Induced earthquakes currently dominate central and eastern United States seismicity (Keranen et al. 2016). Induced earthquakes have only been occurring in the central US for a short time; therefore, too few induced earthquakes have been observed in this region to know their maximum magnitude. The lack of knowledge regarding the maximum magnitude of induced earthquakes means that large uncertainties exist in the seismic hazard for the central United States. While induced earthquakes follow the Gutenberg-Richter relation (van der Elst et al. 2016), it is unclear if there are limits to their magnitudes. An estimate of the maximum magnitude of the induced earthquakes is crucial for understanding their impact on seismic hazard. While other estimates of the maximum magnitude exist, those estimates are observational or statistical, and cannot take into account the possibility of larger events that have not yet been observed. Here, we take a physical approach to studying the maximum magnitude based on dynamic ruptures simulations. We run a suite of two-dimensional ruptures simulations to physically determine how ruptures propagate. The simulations use the known parameters of principle stress orientation and rupture locations. We vary the other unknown parameters of the ruptures simulations to obtain a large number of rupture simulation results reflecting different possible sets of parameters, and use these results to train a neural network to complete the ruptures simulations. Then using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method to check different combinations of parameters, the trained neural network is used to create synthetic magnitude-frequency distributions to compare to the real earthquake catalog. This method allows us to find sets of parameters that are

  2. Selective effects of weight and inertia on maximum lifting.

    PubMed

    Leontijevic, B; Pazin, N; Kukolj, M; Ugarkovic, D; Jaric, S

    2013-03-01

    A novel loading method (loading ranged from 20% to 80% of 1RM) was applied to explore the selective effects of externally added simulated weight (exerted by stretched rubber bands pulling downward), weight+inertia (external weights added), and inertia (covariation of the weights and the rubber bands pulling upward) on maximum bench press throws. 14 skilled participants revealed a load associated decrease in peak velocity that was the least associated with an increase in weight (42%) and the most associated with weight+inertia (66%). However, the peak lifting force increased markedly with an increase in both weight (151%) and weight+inertia (160%), but not with inertia (13%). As a consequence, the peak power output increased most with weight (59%), weight+inertia revealed a maximum at intermediate loads (23%), while inertia was associated with a gradual decrease in the peak power output (42%). The obtained findings could be of importance for our understanding of mechanical properties of human muscular system when acting against different types of external resistance. Regarding the possible application in standard athletic training and rehabilitation procedures, the results speak in favor of applying extended elastic bands which provide higher movement velocity and muscle power output than the usually applied weights. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  3. Epidemiologic programs for computers and calculators. A microcomputer program for multiple logistic regression by unconditional and conditional maximum likelihood methods.

    PubMed

    Campos-Filho, N; Franco, E L

    1989-02-01

    A frequent procedure in matched case-control studies is to report results from the multivariate unmatched analyses if they do not differ substantially from the ones obtained after conditioning on the matching variables. Although conceptually simple, this rule requires that an extensive series of logistic regression models be evaluated by both the conditional and unconditional maximum likelihood methods. Most computer programs for logistic regression employ only one maximum likelihood method, which requires that the analyses be performed in separate steps. This paper describes a Pascal microcomputer (IBM PC) program that performs multiple logistic regression by both maximum likelihood estimation methods, which obviates the need for switching between programs to obtain relative risk estimates from both matched and unmatched analyses. The program calculates most standard statistics and allows factoring of categorical or continuous variables by two distinct methods of contrast. A built-in, descriptive statistics option allows the user to inspect the distribution of cases and controls across categories of any given variable.

  4. 5 CFR 9701.312 - Maximum rates.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Maximum rates. 9701.312 Section 9701.312... MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Pay and Pay Administration Overview of Pay System § 9701.312 Maximum rates. (a) DHS may not pay any employee an annual rate of basic pay in excess of the rate for level III of the Executive...

  5. 5 CFR 9701.312 - Maximum rates.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Maximum rates. 9701.312 Section 9701.312... MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Pay and Pay Administration Overview of Pay System § 9701.312 Maximum rates. (a) DHS may not pay any employee an annual rate of basic pay in excess of the rate for level III of the Executive...

  6. 5 CFR 9701.312 - Maximum rates.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Maximum rates. 9701.312 Section 9701.312... MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Pay and Pay Administration Overview of Pay System § 9701.312 Maximum rates. (a) DHS may not pay any employee an annual rate of basic pay in excess of the rate for level III of the Executive...

  7. 19 CFR 114.23 - Maximum period.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Maximum period. 114.23 Section 114.23 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARNETS Processing of Carnets § 114.23 Maximum period. (a) A.T.A. carnet. No A.T.A. carnet with a period...

  8. n-Order and maximum fuzzy similarity entropy for discrimination of signals of different complexity: Application to fetal heart rate signals.

    PubMed

    Zaylaa, Amira; Oudjemia, Souad; Charara, Jamal; Girault, Jean-Marc

    2015-09-01

    This paper presents two new concepts for discrimination of signals of different complexity. The first focused initially on solving the problem of setting entropy descriptors by varying the pattern size instead of the tolerance. This led to the search for the optimal pattern size that maximized the similarity entropy. The second paradigm was based on the n-order similarity entropy that encompasses the 1-order similarity entropy. To improve the statistical stability, n-order fuzzy similarity entropy was proposed. Fractional Brownian motion was simulated to validate the different methods proposed, and fetal heart rate signals were used to discriminate normal from abnormal fetuses. In all cases, it was found that it was possible to discriminate time series of different complexity such as fractional Brownian motion and fetal heart rate signals. The best levels of performance in terms of sensitivity (90%) and specificity (90%) were obtained with the n-order fuzzy similarity entropy. However, it was shown that the optimal pattern size and the maximum similarity measurement were related to intrinsic features of the time series. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. The Maximum Likelihood Solution for Inclination-only Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arason, P.; Levi, S.

    2006-12-01

    frequently for certain data sets, and relatively small perturbations in the data will drive the maxima to the boundary. We interpret this to indicate that, for such data sets, the information needed to separate the mean inclination and the precision parameter is permanently lost. To assess the reliability and accuracy of our method we generated large number of random Fisher-distributed data sets and used seven methods to estimate the mean inclination and precision paramenter. These comparisons are described by Levi and Arason at the 2006 AGU Fall meeting. The results of the various methods is very favourable to our new robust maximum likelihood method, which, on average, is the most reliable, and the mean inclination estimates are the least biased toward shallow values. Further information on our inclination-only analysis can be obtained from: http://www.vedur.is/~arason/paleomag

  10. 14 CFR 23.1524 - Maximum passenger seating configuration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum passenger seating configuration. 23.1524 Section 23.1524 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... Operating Limitations and Information § 23.1524 Maximum passenger seating configuration. The maximum...

  11. Maximum cycle work output optimization for generalized radiative law Otto cycle engines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xia, Shaojun; Chen, Lingen; Sun, Fengrui

    2016-11-01

    An Otto cycle internal combustion engine which includes thermal and friction losses is investigated by finite-time thermodynamics, and the optimization objective is the maximum cycle work output. The thermal energy transfer from the working substance to the cylinder inner wall follows the generalized radiative law (q∝Δ (Tn)). Under the condition that all of the fuel consumption, the compression ratio and the cycle period are given, the optimal piston trajectories for both the examples with unlimited and limited accelerations on every stroke are determined, and the cycle-period distribution among all strokes is also optimized. Numerical calculation results for the case of radiative law are provided and compared with those obtained for the cases of Newtonian law and linear phenomenological law. The results indicate that the optimal piston trajectory on each stroke contains three sections, which consist of an original maximum-acceleration and a terminal maximum-deceleration parts; for the case of radiative law, optimizing the piston motion path can achieve an improvement of more than 20% in both the cycle-work output and the second-law efficiency of the Otto cycle compared with the conventional near-sinusoidal operation, and heat transfer mechanisms have both qualitative and quantitative influences on the optimal paths of piston movements.

  12. 6.5% efficient perovskite quantum-dot-sensitized solar cell.

    PubMed

    Im, Jeong-Hyeok; Lee, Chang-Ryul; Lee, Jin-Wook; Park, Sang-Won; Park, Nam-Gyu

    2011-10-05

    Highly efficient quantum-dot-sensitized solar cell is fabricated using ca. 2-3 nm sized perovskite (CH(3)NH(3))PbI(3) nanocrystal. Spin-coating of the equimolar mixture of CH(3)NH(3)I and PbI(2) in γ-butyrolactone solution (perovskite precursor solution) leads to (CH(3)NH(3))PbI(3) quantum dots (QDs) on nanocrystalline TiO(2) surface. By electrochemical junction with iodide/iodine based redox electrolyte, perovskite QD-sensitized 3.6 μm-thick TiO(2) film shows maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 78.6% at 530 nm and solar-to-electrical conversion efficiency of 6.54% at AM 1.5G 1 sun intensity (100 mW cm(-2)), which is by far the highest efficiency among the reported inorganic quantum dot sensitizers.

  13. New Results from the Solar Maximum Mission/Bent Crystal Spectrometer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rapley, C. G.; Sylwester, J.; Phillips, K. J. H.

    2017-04-01

    The Bent Crystal Spectrometer (BCS) onboard the NASA Solar Maximum Mission was part of the X-ray Polychromator, which observed numerous flares and bright active regions from February to November 1980, when operation was suspended as a result of the failure of the spacecraft fine-pointing system. Observations resumed following the Space Shuttle SMM Repair Mission in April 1984 and continued until November 1989. BCS spectra have been widely used in the past to obtain temperatures, emission measures, and turbulent and bulk flows during flares, as well as element abundances. Instrumental details including calibration factors not previously published are given here, and the in-orbit performance of the BCS is evaluated. Some significant changes during the mission are described, and recommendations for future instrumentation are made. Using improved estimates for the instrument parameters and operational limits, it is now possible to obtain de-convolved calibrated spectra that show finer detail than before, providing the means for improved interpretation of the physics of the emitting plasmas. The results indicate how historical archived data can be re-used to obtain enhanced and new, scientifically valuable results.

  14. Pressure-Sensitive Paint: Effect of Substrate

    PubMed Central

    Quinn, Mark Kenneth; Yang, Leichao; Kontis, Konstantinos

    2011-01-01

    There are numerous ways in which pressure-sensitive paint can be applied to a surface. The choice of substrate and application method can greatly affect the results obtained. The current study examines the different methods of applying pressure-sensitive paint to a surface. One polymer-based and two porous substrates (anodized aluminum and thin-layer chromatography plates) are investigated and compared for luminescent output, pressure sensitivity, temperature sensitivity and photodegradation. Two luminophores [tris-Bathophenanthroline Ruthenium(II) Perchlorate and Platinum-tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl) Porphyrin] will also be compared in all three of the substrates. The results show the applicability of the different substrates and luminophores to different testing environments. PMID:22247685

  15. [Sensitization to Castanea sativa pollen and pollinosis in northern Extremadura (Spain)].

    PubMed

    Cosmes Martín, P M; Moreno Ancillo, A; Domínguez Noche, C; Gutiérrez Vivas, A; Belmonte Soler, J; Roure Nolla, J M

    2005-01-01

    Castanea sativa pollen allergy has generally been considered to be uncommon and clinically insignificant. In our geographical area (Plasencia, Cáceres, Spain) Castanea sativa pollen is a major pollen. To determine the atmospheric fluctuations and prevalence of patients sensitized to Castanea pollen in our region and to compare this sensitization with sensitizations to other pollens. Patients with respiratory symptoms attending our outpatient clinic for the first time in 2003 were studied. The patients underwent skin prick tests with commercial extracts of a battery of inhalants including Castanea sativa pollen. Serologic specific IgE to Castanea sativa pollen was determined using the CAP system (Pharmacia and Upjohn, Uppsala, Sweden). Airborne pollen counts in our city were obtained using Cour collection apparatus over a 4-year period (2000 to 2003). The most predominant pollens detected were (mean of the maximal weekly concentrations over 4 years in pollen grains/m3): Quercus 968, Poacea 660, Olea 325, Platanus 229, Pinus 126, Cupresaceae 117, Plantago 109, Alnus 41, Populus 40, Castanea 32. We studied 346 patients (mean age: 24.1 years). In 210 patients with a diagnosis of pollinosis, the percentages of sensitization were: Dactylis glomerata 80.4%, Olea europea 71.9%, Fraxinus excelsior 68%, Plantago lanceolata 62.8%, Chenopodium album 60.9%, Robinia pseudoacacia 49%, Artemisia vulgaris 43.8%, Platanus acerifolia 36.6%, Parietaria judaica 36.1%, Populus nigra 32.3%, Betula alba 27.6%, Quercus ilex 21.4%, Alnus glutinosa 20.9%, Cupressus arizonica 7.6% and Castanea sativa 7.1%. Fifteen patients were sensitized to Castanea sativa and 14 had seasonal rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma. Ten patients had serum specific IgE to Castanea pollen (maximum value: 17.4 Ku/l). Castanea pollen is present in our area in large amounts from the 23rd to the 28th weeks of the year, with a peak pollen count in the 25th week. The most important allergenic pollens in northern Extremadura

  16. Does the Budyko curve reflect a maximum power state of hydrological systems? A backward analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Westhoff, M.; Zehe, E.; Archambeau, P.; Dewals, B.

    2015-08-01

    Almost all catchments plot within a small envelope around the Budyko curve. This apparent behaviour suggests that organizing principles may play a role in the evolution of catchments. In this paper we applied the thermodynamic principle of maximum power as the organizing principle. In a top-down approach we derived mathematical formulations of the relation between relative wetness and gradients driving runoff and evaporation for a simple one-box model. We did this in such a way that when the conductances are optimized with the maximum power principle, the steady state behaviour of the model leads exactly to a point on the Budyko curve. Subsequently we derived gradients that, under constant forcing, resulted in a Budyko curve following the asymptotes closely. With these gradients we explored the sensitivity of dry spells and dynamics in actual evaporation. Despite the simplicity of the model, catchment observations compare reasonably well with the Budyko curves derived with dynamics in rainfall and evaporation. This indicates that the maximum power principle may be used (i) to derive the Budyko curve and (ii) to move away from the empiricism in free parameters present in many Budyko functions. Future work should focus on better representing the boundary conditions of real catchments and eventually adding more complexity to the model.

  17. Body size, swimming speed, or thermal sensitivity? Predator-imposed selection on amphibian larvae.

    PubMed

    Gvoždík, Lumír; Smolinský, Radovan

    2015-11-02

    Many animals rely on their escape performance during predator encounters. Because of its dependence on body size and temperature, escape velocity is fully characterized by three measures, absolute value, size-corrected value, and its response to temperature (thermal sensitivity). The primary target of the selection imposed by predators is poorly understood. We examined predator (dragonfly larva)-imposed selection on prey (newt larvae) body size and characteristics of escape velocity using replicated and controlled predation experiments under seminatural conditions. Specifically, because these species experience a wide range of temperatures throughout their larval phases, we predict that larvae achieving high swimming velocities across temperatures will have a selective advantage over more thermally sensitive individuals. Nonzero selection differentials indicated that predators selected for prey body size and both absolute and size-corrected maximum swimming velocity. Comparison of selection differentials with control confirmed selection only on body size, i.e., dragonfly larvae preferably preyed on small newt larvae. Maximum swimming velocity and its thermal sensitivity showed low group repeatability, which contributed to non-detectable selection on both characteristics of escape performance. In the newt-dragonfly larvae interaction, body size plays a more important role than maximum values and thermal sensitivity of swimming velocity during predator escape. This corroborates the general importance of body size in predator-prey interactions. The absence of an appropriate control in predation experiments may lead to potentially misleading conclusions about the primary target of predator-imposed selection. Insights from predation experiments contribute to our understanding of the link between performance and fitness, and further improve mechanistic models of predator-prey interactions and food web dynamics.

  18. Sensitivity and specificity of fluorescence microlymphography for detecting lymphedema of the lower extremity.

    PubMed

    Keo, Hong H; Schilling, Marianne; Büchel, Roland; Gröchenig, Ernst; Engelberger, Rolf P; Willenberg, Torsten; Baumgartner, Iris; Gretener, Silvia B

    2013-06-01

    Fluorescence microlymphography (FML) is used to visualize the lymphatic capillaries. A maximum spread of the fluorescence dye of ≥ 12 mm has been suggested for the diagnosis of lymphedema. However, data on sensitivity and specificity are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of FML for diagnosing lymphedema in patients with leg swelling. Patients with lower extremity swelling were clinically assessed and separated into lymphedema and non-lymphatic edema groups. FML was studied in all affected legs and the maximum spread of lymphatic capillaries was measured. Test accuracy and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to assess possible threshold values that predict lymphedema. Between March 2008 and August 2011 a total of 171 patients (184 legs) with a median age of 43.5 (IQR 24, 54) years were assessed. Of those, 94 (51.1%) legs were diagnosed with lymphedema. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratio and positive and negative predictive value were 87%, 64%, 2.45, 0.20, 72% and 83% for the 12-mm cut-off level and 79%, 83%, 4.72, 0.26, 83% and 79% for the 14-mm cut-off level, respectively. The area under the ROC curve was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.76, 0.88). Sensitivity was higher in the secondary versus primary lymphedema (95.0% vs 74.3%, p = 0.045). No major adverse events were observed. In conclusion, FML is a simple and safe technique for detecting lymphedema in patients with leg swelling. A cut-off level of ≥ 14-mm maximum spread has a high sensitivity and high specificity of detecting lymphedema and should be chosen.

  19. Sensitivity analysis of a wing aeroelastic response

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kapania, Rakesh K.; Eldred, Lloyd B.; Barthelemy, Jean-Francois M.

    1991-01-01

    A variation of Sobieski's Global Sensitivity Equations (GSE) approach is implemented to obtain the sensitivity of the static aeroelastic response of a three-dimensional wing model. The formulation is quite general and accepts any aerodynamics and structural analysis capability. An interface code is written to convert one analysis's output to the other's input, and visa versa. Local sensitivity derivatives are calculated by either analytic methods or finite difference techniques. A program to combine the local sensitivities, such as the sensitivity of the stiffness matrix or the aerodynamic kernel matrix, into global sensitivity derivatives is developed. The aerodynamic analysis package FAST, using a lifting surface theory, and a structural package, ELAPS, implementing Giles' equivalent plate model are used.

  20. Maximum permissible voltage of YBCO coated conductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wen, J.; Lin, B.; Sheng, J.; Xu, J.; Jin, Z.; Hong, Z.; Wang, D.; Zhou, H.; Shen, X.; Shen, C.

    2014-06-01

    Superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) could reduce short circuit currents in electrical power system. One of the most important thing in developing SFCL is to find out the maximum permissible voltage of each limiting element. The maximum permissible voltage is defined as the maximum voltage per unit length at which the YBCO coated conductors (CC) do not suffer from critical current (Ic) degradation or burnout. In this research, the time of quenching process is changed and voltage is raised until the Ic degradation or burnout happens. YBCO coated conductors test in the experiment are from American superconductor (AMSC) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). Along with the quenching duration increasing, the maximum permissible voltage of CC decreases. When quenching duration is 100 ms, the maximum permissible of SJTU CC, 12 mm AMSC CC and 4 mm AMSC CC are 0.72 V/cm, 0.52 V/cm and 1.2 V/cm respectively. Based on the results of samples, the whole length of CCs used in the design of a SFCL can be determined.

  1. 30 CFR 56.19062 - Maximum acceleration and deceleration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum acceleration and deceleration. 56.19062 Section 56.19062 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND... Hoisting Hoisting Procedures § 56.19062 Maximum acceleration and deceleration. Maximum normal operating...

  2. 30 CFR 57.19062 - Maximum acceleration and deceleration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum acceleration and deceleration. 57.19062 Section 57.19062 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND... Hoisting Hoisting Procedures § 57.19062 Maximum acceleration and deceleration. Maximum normal operating...

  3. FEAST: sensitive local alignment with multiple rates of evolution.

    PubMed

    Hudek, Alexander K; Brown, Daniel G

    2011-01-01

    We present a pairwise local aligner, FEAST, which uses two new techniques: a sensitive extension algorithm for identifying homologous subsequences, and a descriptive probabilistic alignment model. We also present a new procedure for training alignment parameters and apply it to the human and mouse genomes, producing a better parameter set for these sequences. Our extension algorithm identifies homologous subsequences by considering all evolutionary histories. It has higher maximum sensitivity than Viterbi extensions, and better balances specificity. We model alignments with several submodels, each with unique statistical properties, describing strongly similar and weakly similar regions of homologous DNA. Training parameters using two submodels produces superior alignments, even when we align with only the parameters from the weaker submodel. Our extension algorithm combined with our new parameter set achieves sensitivity 0.59 on synthetic tests. In contrast, LASTZ with default settings achieves sensitivity 0.35 with the same false positive rate. Using the weak submodel as parameters for LASTZ increases its sensitivity to 0.59 with high error. FEAST is available at http://monod.uwaterloo.ca/feast/.

  4. 42 CFR 457.560 - Cumulative cost-sharing maximum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cumulative cost-sharing maximum. 457.560 Section... State Plan Requirements: Enrollee Financial Responsibilities § 457.560 Cumulative cost-sharing maximum... writing and orally if appropriate of their individual cumulative cost-sharing maximum amount at the time...

  5. Solar maximum: Solar array degradation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, T.

    1985-01-01

    The 5-year in-orbit power degradation of the silicon solar array aboard the Solar Maximum Satellite was evaluated. This was the first spacecraft to use Teflon R FEP as a coverglass adhesive, thus avoiding the necessity of an ultraviolet filter. The peak power tracking mode of the power regulator unit was employed to ensure consistent maximum power comparisons. Telemetry was normalized to account for the effects of illumination intensity, charged particle irradiation dosage, and solar array temperature. Reference conditions of 1.0 solar constant at air mass zero and 301 K (28 C) were used as a basis for normalization. Beginning-of-life array power was 2230 watts. Currently, the array output is 1830 watts. This corresponds to a 16 percent loss in array performance over 5 years. Comparison of Solar Maximum Telemetry and predicted power levels indicate that array output is 2 percent less than predictions based on an annual 1.0 MeV equivalent election fluence of 2.34 x ten to the 13th power square centimeters space environment.

  6. Developing a diagnostic tool for measuring maximum effective temperature within high pressure electrodeless discharges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Whiting, Michael; Preston, Barry; Mucklejohn, Stuart; Santos, Monica; Lister, Graeme

    2016-09-01

    Here we present an investigation into the feasibility of creating a diagnostic tool for obtaining maximum arc temperature measurements within a high pressure electrodeless discharge; utilizing integrating sphere measurements of optically thin lines emitted from mercury atoms within commercially available high pressure mercury lamp arc tubes. The optically thin lines chosen were 577 nm and 1014 nm from a 250 W high pressure mercury lamp operated at various powers. The effective temperature could be calculated by considering the relative intensities of the two optically thin lines and comparison with the theoretical ratio of the temperature dependent power emitted from the lines derived from the atomic spectral data provided by NIST. The calculations gave effective arc temperatures of 5755, 5804 and 5820 K at 200, 225, 250 W respectively. This method was subsequently used as a basis for determining maximum effective arc temperature within microwave-driven electrodeless discharge capsules, with varying mercury content of 6.07, 9.4 and 12.95 mg within 1 × 10-6 m3 giving maximum effective temperatures of 5163, 4768 and 4715 K respectively at 240 W.

  7. Maximum Neutral Buoyancy Depth of Juvenile Chinook Salmon: Implications for Survival during Hydroturbine Passage

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

    Pflugrath, Brett D.; Brown, Richard S.; Carlson, Thomas J.

    This study investigated the maximum depth at which juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha can acclimate by attaining neutral buoyancy. Depth of neutral buoyancy is dependent upon the volume of gas within the swim bladder, which greatly influences the occurrence of injuries to fish passing through hydroturbines. We used two methods to obtain maximum swim bladder volumes that were transformed into depth estimations - the increased excess mass test (IEMT) and the swim bladder rupture test (SBRT). In the IEMT, weights were surgically added to the fishes exterior, requiring the fish to increase swim bladder volume in order to remain neutrallymore » buoyant. SBRT entailed removing and artificially increasing swim bladder volume through decompression. From these tests, we estimate the maximum acclimation depth for juvenile Chinook salmon is a median of 6.7m (range = 4.6-11.6 m). These findings have important implications to survival estimates, studies using tags, hydropower operations, and survival of juvenile salmon that pass through large Kaplan turbines typical of those found within the Columbia and Snake River hydropower system.« less

  8. Porous materials based on foaming solutions obtained from industrial waste

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Starostina, I. V.; Antipova, A. N.; Ovcharova, I. V.; Starostina, Yu L.

    2018-03-01

    This study analyzes foam concrete production efficiency. Research has shown the possibility of using a newly-designed protein-based foaming agent to produce porous materials using gypsum and cement binders. The protein foaming agent is obtained by alkaline hydrolysis of a raw mixture consisting of industrial waste in an electromagnetic field. The mixture consists of spent biomass of the Aspergillus niger fungus and dust from burning furnaces used in cement production. Varying the content of the foaming agent allows obtaining gypsum binder-based foam concretes with the density of 200-500 kg/m3 and compressive strength of 0.1-1.0 MPa, which can be used for thermal and sound insulation of building interiors. Cement binders were used to obtain structural and thermal insulation materials with the density of 300-950 kg/m3 and compressive strength of 0.9-9.0 MPa. The maximum operating temperature of cement-based foam concretes is 500°C because it provides the shrinkage of less than 2%.

  9. 36 CFR 20.3 - Maximum number of permittees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Maximum number of permittees... INTERIOR ISLE ROYALE NATIONAL PARK; COMMERCIAL FISHING § 20.3 Maximum number of permittees. Commercial fishermen to whom the annual revocable permits may be granted shall not exceed the maximum number of persons...

  10. 44 CFR 208.12 - Maximum Pay Rate Table.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Maximum Pay Rate Table. 208... § 208.12 Maximum Pay Rate Table. (a) Purpose. This section establishes the process for creating and updating the Maximum Pay Rate Table (Table), and the Table's use to reimburse Affiliated Personnel (Task...

  11. 13 CFR 107.840 - Maximum term of Financing.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum term of Financing. 107.840... COMPANIES Financing of Small Businesses by Licensees Structuring Licensee's Financing of An Eligible Small Business: Terms and Conditions of Financing § 107.840 Maximum term of Financing. The maximum term of any...

  12. Maximum spreading of liquid drop on various substrates with different wettabilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choudhury, Raihan; Choi, Junho; Yang, Sangsun; Kim, Yong-Jin; Lee, Donggeun

    2017-09-01

    This paper describes a novel model developed for a priori prediction of the maximal spread of a liquid drop on a surface. As a first step, a series of experiments were conducted under precise control of the initial drop diameter, its falling height, roughness, and wettability of dry surfaces. The transient liquid spreading was recorded by a high-speed camera to obtain its maximum spreading under various conditions. Eight preexisting models were tested for accurate prediction of the maximum spread; however, most of the model predictions were not satisfactory except one, in comparison with our experimental data. A comparative scaling analysis of the literature models was conducted to elucidate the condition-dependent prediction characteristics of the models. The conditioned bias in the predictions was mainly attributed to the inappropriate formulations of viscous dissipation or interfacial energy of liquid on the surface. Hence, a novel model based on energy balance during liquid impact was developed to overcome the limitations of the previous models. As a result, the present model was quite successful in predicting the liquid spread in all the conditions.

  13. Optimized sensitivity of Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) strip waveguide resonator sensor

    PubMed Central

    TalebiFard, Sahba; Schmidt, Shon; Shi, Wei; Wu, WenXuan; Jaeger, Nicolas A. F.; Kwok, Ezra; Ratner, Daniel M.; Chrostowski, Lukas

    2017-01-01

    Evanescent field sensors have shown promise for biological sensing applications. In particular, Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI)-nano-photonic based resonator sensors have many advantages for lab-on-chip diagnostics, including high sensitivity for molecular detection and compatibility with CMOS foundries for high volume manufacturing. We have investigated the optimum design parameters within the fabrication constraints of Multi-Project Wafer (MPW) foundries that result in the highest sensitivity for a resonator sensor. We have demonstrated the optimum waveguide thickness needed to achieve the maximum bulk sensitivity with SOI-based resonator sensors to be 165 nm using the quasi-TM guided mode. The closest thickness offered by MPW foundry services is 150 nm. Therefore, resonators with 150 nm thick silicon waveguides were fabricated resulting in sensitivities as high as 270 nm/RIU, whereas a similar resonator sensor with a 220 nm thick waveguide demonstrated sensitivities of approximately 200 nm/RIU. PMID:28270963

  14. Simple Statistical Model to Quantify Maximum Expected EMC in Spacecraft and Avionics Boxes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Trout, Dawn H.; Bremner, Paul

    2014-01-01

    This study shows cumulative distribution function (CDF) comparisons of composite a fairing electromagnetic field data obtained by computational electromagnetic 3D full wave modeling and laboratory testing. Test and model data correlation is shown. In addition, this presentation shows application of the power balance and extention of this method to predict the variance and maximum exptected mean of the E-field data. This is valuable for large scale evaluations of transmission inside cavities.

  15. Maximum likelihood estimation for Cox's regression model under nested case-control sampling.

    PubMed

    Scheike, Thomas H; Juul, Anders

    2004-04-01

    Nested case-control sampling is designed to reduce the costs of large cohort studies. It is important to estimate the parameters of interest as efficiently as possible. We present a new maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) for nested case-control sampling in the context of Cox's proportional hazards model. The MLE is computed by the EM-algorithm, which is easy to implement in the proportional hazards setting. Standard errors are estimated by a numerical profile likelihood approach based on EM aided differentiation. The work was motivated by a nested case-control study that hypothesized that insulin-like growth factor I was associated with ischemic heart disease. The study was based on a population of 3784 Danes and 231 cases of ischemic heart disease where controls were matched on age and gender. We illustrate the use of the MLE for these data and show how the maximum likelihood framework can be used to obtain information additional to the relative risk estimates of covariates.

  16. Maximum-likelihood soft-decision decoding of block codes using the A* algorithm

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ekroot, L.; Dolinar, S.

    1994-01-01

    The A* algorithm finds the path in a finite depth binary tree that optimizes a function. Here, it is applied to maximum-likelihood soft-decision decoding of block codes where the function optimized over the codewords is the likelihood function of the received sequence given each codeword. The algorithm considers codewords one bit at a time, making use of the most reliable received symbols first and pursuing only the partially expanded codewords that might be maximally likely. A version of the A* algorithm for maximum-likelihood decoding of block codes has been implemented for block codes up to 64 bits in length. The efficiency of this algorithm makes simulations of codes up to length 64 feasible. This article details the implementation currently in use, compares the decoding complexity with that of exhaustive search and Viterbi decoding algorithms, and presents performance curves obtained with this implementation of the A* algorithm for several codes.

  17. Effectiveness of Resistance Circuit-Based Training for Maximum Oxygen Uptake and Upper-Body One-Repetition Maximum Improvements: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    PubMed

    Muñoz-Martínez, Francisco Antonio; Rubio-Arias, Jacobo Á; Ramos-Campo, Domingo Jesús; Alcaraz, Pedro E

    2017-12-01

    It is well known that concurrent increases in both maximal strength and aerobic capacity are associated with improvements in sports performance as well as overall health. One of the most popular training methods used for achieving these objectives is resistance circuit-based training. The objective of the present systematic review with a meta-analysis was to evaluate published studies that have investigated the effects of resistance circuit-based training on maximum oxygen uptake and one-repetition maximum of the upper-body strength (bench press exercise) in healthy adults. The following electronic databases were searched from January to June 2016: PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: (1) examined healthy adults aged between 18 and 65 years; (2) met the characteristics of resistance circuit-based training; and (3) analysed the outcome variables of maximum oxygen uptake using a gas analyser and/or one-repetition maximum bench press. Of the 100 articles found from the database search and after all duplicates were removed, eight articles were analysed for maximum oxygen uptake. Of 118 healthy adults who performed resistance circuit-based training, maximum oxygen uptake was evaluated before and after the training programme. Additionally, from the 308 articles found for one-repetition maximum, eight articles were analysed. The bench press one-repetition maximum load, of 237 healthy adults who performed resistance circuit-based training, was evaluated before and after the training programme. Significant increases in maximum oxygen uptake and one-repetition maximum bench press were observed following resistance circuit-based training. Additionally, significant differences in maximum oxygen uptake and one-repetition maximum bench press were found between the resistance circuit-based training and control groups. The meta-analysis showed that resistance circuit-based training, independent of the protocol used in the

  18. Microstructure characterization of onion (A.cepa) peels and thin films for dye sensitized solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abodunrin, T.; Boyo, A.; Usikalu, M.; Obafemi, L.; Oladapo, O.; Kotsedi, L.; Yenus, Z.; Maaza, M.

    2017-03-01

    A.cepa peels are obtained from mature onion bulbs. Because of the continuous need for energy, alternative avenues for producing energy are gaining importance. The motivation for this work is based on an urgent need to source energy from readily available waste materials like domestic onion peels. Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) fabricated via doctor blade method and high temperature sintering from waste (onion peels) are investigated for their ability to convert solar to electrical energy. The charge carriers were revealed under phytochemical screening. Functional groups of compounds present in A.cepa peel were analyzed with Fourier transform in infrared (FTIR). The influence of different electrolyte sensitizer is observed on the DSSCs under standard air mass conditions of 1.5 AM. The microstructure properties of these A.cepa DSSCs were explored using scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), x-ray diffraction and Fluorecence spectroscopy (XRF). The interfacial boundary between A.cepa dye, TiO2 framework of TiO2 and indium doped tin oxide (ITO) reveals several prominent anatase and rutile peaks. Photoelectric results, revealed dye-sensitized solar cells with a maximum power output of 126 W and incident photon to conversion energy (IPCE) of 0.13%.This work has established that A.cepa peels can be used as a source of micro-energy generation.

  19. 20 CFR 226.52 - Total annuity subject to maximum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Total annuity subject to maximum. 226.52... COMPUTING EMPLOYEE, SPOUSE, AND DIVORCED SPOUSE ANNUITIES Railroad Retirement Family Maximum § 226.52 Total annuity subject to maximum. The total annuity amount which is compared to the maximum monthly amount to...

  20. 40 CFR 35.2205 - Maximum allowable project cost.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum allowable project cost. 35.2205... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Grants for Construction of Treatment Works § 35.2205 Maximum allowable... regulation, the maximum allowable project cost will be the sum of: (1) The allowable cost of the following...

  1. 49 CFR 236.55 - Dead section; maximum length.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Dead section; maximum length. 236.55 Section 236... Instructions: All Systems Track Circuits § 236.55 Dead section; maximum length. Where dead section exceeds 35... over such dead section is less than 35 feet, the maximum length of the dead section shall not exceed...

  2. 49 CFR 236.55 - Dead section; maximum length.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Dead section; maximum length. 236.55 Section 236... Instructions: All Systems Track Circuits § 236.55 Dead section; maximum length. Where dead section exceeds 35... over such dead section is less than 35 feet, the maximum length of the dead section shall not exceed...

  3. 49 CFR 236.55 - Dead section; maximum length.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Dead section; maximum length. 236.55 Section 236... Instructions: All Systems Track Circuits § 236.55 Dead section; maximum length. Where dead section exceeds 35... over such dead section is less than 35 feet, the maximum length of the dead section shall not exceed...

  4. 49 CFR 236.55 - Dead section; maximum length.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Dead section; maximum length. 236.55 Section 236... Instructions: All Systems Track Circuits § 236.55 Dead section; maximum length. Where dead section exceeds 35... over such dead section is less than 35 feet, the maximum length of the dead section shall not exceed...

  5. 49 CFR 236.55 - Dead section; maximum length.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Dead section; maximum length. 236.55 Section 236... Instructions: All Systems Track Circuits § 236.55 Dead section; maximum length. Where dead section exceeds 35... over such dead section is less than 35 feet, the maximum length of the dead section shall not exceed...

  6. 14 CFR 25.1505 - Maximum operating limit speed.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum operating limit speed. 25.1505... Operating Limitations § 25.1505 Maximum operating limit speed. The maximum operating limit speed (V MO/M MO airspeed or Mach Number, whichever is critical at a particular altitude) is a speed that may not be...

  7. 14 CFR 25.1505 - Maximum operating limit speed.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Maximum operating limit speed. 25.1505... Operating Limitations § 25.1505 Maximum operating limit speed. The maximum operating limit speed (V MO/M MO airspeed or Mach Number, whichever is critical at a particular altitude) is a speed that may not be...

  8. Flat-fielding of Solar Hα Observations Based on the Maximum Correntropy Criterion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Gao-Gui; Zheng, Sheng; Lin, Gang-Hua; Wang, Xiao-Fan

    2016-08-01

    The flat-field CCD calibration method of Kuhn et al. (KLL) is an efficient method for flat-fielding. However, since it depends on the minimum of the sum of squares error (SSE), its solution is sensitive to noise, especially non-Gaussian noise. In this paper, a new algorithm is proposed to determine the flat field. The idea is to change the criterion of gain estimate from SSE to the maximum correntropy. The result of a test on simulated data demonstrates that our method has a higher accuracy and a faster convergence than KLL’s and Chae’s. It has been found that the method effectively suppresses noise, especially in the case of typical non-Gaussian noise. And the computing time of our algorithm is the shortest.

  9. Bayesian Monte Carlo and Maximum Likelihood Approach for ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Model uncertainty estimation and risk assessment is essential to environmental management and informed decision making on pollution mitigation strategies. In this study, we apply a probabilistic methodology, which combines Bayesian Monte Carlo simulation and Maximum Likelihood estimation (BMCML) to calibrate a lake oxygen recovery model. We first derive an analytical solution of the differential equation governing lake-averaged oxygen dynamics as a function of time-variable wind speed. Statistical inferences on model parameters and predictive uncertainty are then drawn by Bayesian conditioning of the analytical solution on observed daily wind speed and oxygen concentration data obtained from an earlier study during two recovery periods on a eutrophic lake in upper state New York. The model is calibrated using oxygen recovery data for one year and statistical inferences were validated using recovery data for another year. Compared with essentially two-step, regression and optimization approach, the BMCML results are more comprehensive and performed relatively better in predicting the observed temporal dissolved oxygen levels (DO) in the lake. BMCML also produced comparable calibration and validation results with those obtained using popular Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique (MCMC) and is computationally simpler and easier to implement than the MCMC. Next, using the calibrated model, we derive an optimal relationship between liquid film-transfer coefficien

  10. Determination and validation of an aquatic Maximum Acceptable Concentration-Environmental Quality Standard (MAC-EQS) value for the agricultural fungicide azoxystrobin.

    PubMed

    Rodrigues, Elsa Teresa; Pardal, Miguel Ângelo; Gante, Cristiano; Loureiro, João; Lopes, Isabel

    2017-02-01

    The main goal of the present study was to determine and validate an aquatic Maximum Acceptable Concentration-Environmental Quality Standard (MAC-EQS) value for the agricultural fungicide azoxystrobin (AZX). Assessment factors were applied to short-term toxicity data using the lowest EC 50 and after the Species Sensitivity Distribution (SSD) method. Both ways of EQS generation were applied to a freshwater toxicity dataset for AZX based on available data, and to marine toxicity datasets for AZX and Ortiva ® (a commercial formulation of AZX) obtained by the present study. A high interspecific variability in AZX sensitivity was observed in all datasets, being the copepoda Eudiaptomus graciloides (LC 50,48h  = 38 μg L -1 ) and the gastropod Gibbula umbilicalis (LC 50,96h  = 13 μg L -1 ) the most sensitive freshwater and marine species, respectively. MAC-EQS values derived using the lowest EC 50 (≤0.38 μg L -1 ) were more protective than those derived using the SSD method (≤3.2 μg L -1 ). After comparing the MAC-EQS values estimated in the present study to the smallest AA-EQS available, which protect against the occurrence of prolonged exposure of AZX, the MAC-EQS values derived using the lowest EC 50 were considered overprotective and a MAC-EQS of 1.8 μg L -1 was validated and recommended for AZX for the water column. This value was derived from marine toxicity data, which highlights the importance of testing marine organisms. Moreover, Ortiva affects the most sensitive marine species to a greater extent than AZX, and marine species are more sensitive than freshwater species to AZX. A risk characterization ratio higher than one allowed to conclude that AZX might pose a high risk to the aquatic environment. Also, in a wider conclusion, before new pesticides are approved, we suggest to improve the Tier 1 prospective Ecological Risk Assessment by increasing the number of short-term data, and apply the SSD approach, in order to ensure the safety of

  11. 40 CFR 94.107 - Determination of maximum test speed.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Determination of maximum test speed... Determination of maximum test speed. (a) Overview. This section specifies how to determine maximum test speed from a lug curve. This maximum test speed is used in §§ 94.105, 94.106, and § 94.109 (including the...

  12. 40 CFR 94.107 - Determination of maximum test speed.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Determination of maximum test speed... Determination of maximum test speed. (a) Overview. This section specifies how to determine maximum test speed from a lug curve. This maximum test speed is used in §§ 94.105, 94.106, and § 94.109 (including the...

  13. Optimal flapping wing for maximum vertical aerodynamic force in hover: twisted or flat?

    PubMed

    Phan, Hoang Vu; Truong, Quang Tri; Au, Thi Kim Loan; Park, Hoon Cheol

    2016-07-08

    This work presents a parametric study, using the unsteady blade element theory, to investigate the role of twist in a hovering flapping wing. For the investigation, a flapping-wing system was developed to create a wing motion of large flapping amplitude. Three-dimensional kinematics of a passively twisted wing, which is capable of creating a linearly variable geometric angle of attack (AoA) along the wingspan, was measured during the flapping motion and used for the analysis. Several negative twist or wash-out configurations with different values of twist angle, which is defined as the difference in the average geometric AoAs at the wing root and the wing tip, were obtained from the measured wing kinematics through linear interpolation and extrapolation. The aerodynamic force generation and aerodynamic power consumption of these twisted wings were obtained and compared with those of flat wings. For the same aerodynamic power consumption, the vertical aerodynamic forces produced by the negatively twisted wings are approximately 10%-20% less than those produced by the flat wings. However, these twisted wings require approximately 1%-6% more power than flat wings to produce the same vertical force. In addition, the maximum-force-producing twisted wing, which was found to be the positive twist or wash-in configuration, was used for comparison with the maximum-force-producing flat wing. The results revealed that the vertical aerodynamic force and aerodynamic power consumption of the two types of wings are almost identical for the hovering condition. The power loading of the positively twisted wing is only approximately 2% higher than that of the maximum-force-producing flat wing. Thus, the flat wing with proper wing kinematics (or wing rotation) can be regarded as a simple and efficient candidate for the development of hovering flapping-wing micro air vehicle.

  14. Shape design sensitivity analysis using domain information

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Seong, Hwal-Gyeong; Choi, Kyung K.

    1985-01-01

    A numerical method for obtaining accurate shape design sensitivity information for built-up structures is developed and demonstrated through analysis of examples. The basic character of the finite element method, which gives more accurate domain information than boundary information, is utilized for shape design sensitivity improvement. A domain approach for shape design sensitivity analysis of built-up structures is derived using the material derivative idea of structural mechanics and the adjoint variable method of design sensitivity analysis. Velocity elements and B-spline curves are introduced to alleviate difficulties in generating domain velocity fields. The regularity requirements of the design velocity field are studied.

  15. Essential Oil of Amomum maximum Roxb. and Its Bioactivities against Two Stored-Product Insects.

    PubMed

    Guo, Shan-Shan; You, Chun-Xue; Liang, Jun-Yu; Zhang, Wen-Juan; Yang, Kai; Geng, Zhu-Feng; Wang, Cheng-Fang; Du, Shu-Shan; Lei, Ning

    2015-01-01

    Amomum maximum Roxb. is a perennial herb distributed in South China and Southeast Asia. The objective of this work was to analyze the chemical constituents and assess insecticidal and repellent activities of the essential oil from Amomum maximum fruits against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and Liposcelis bostrychophila (Badonnel). The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The main components of the essential oil were identified to be β-pinene (23.39%), β-caryophyllene (16.43%), α-pinene (7.55%), sylvestrene (6.61%) and ç-cadinene (4.19%). It was found that the essential oil of A. maximum fruits possessed contact and fumigant toxicities against T. castaneum adults (LD50 = 29.57 μg/adult and LC(50) = 23.09 mg/L air, respectively) and showed contact toxicity against L. bostrychophila (LD(50) = 67.46 μg/cm(2)). Repellency of the crude oil was also evaluated. After 2 h treatment, the essential oil possessed 100% repellency at 78.63 nL/cm(2) against T. castaneum and 84% repellency at 63.17 nL/cm(2) against L. bostrychophila. The results indicated that the essential oil of A. maximum fruits had the potential to be developed as a natural insecticide and repellent for control of T. castaneum and L. bostrychophila.

  16. The turbulence structure of katabatic flows below and above wind-speed maximum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grachev, Andrey; Leo, Laura; Di Sabatino, Silvana; Fernando, Harindra; Pardyjak, Eric; Fairall, Christopher

    2015-04-01

    Measurements of atmospheric small-scale turbulence made over the complex-terrain at the US Army Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah during the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) Program are used to describe the turbulence structure of katabatic flows. Turbulent and mean meteorological data were continuously measured at multiple levels (up to seven) on four towers deployed along East lower slope (2-4 degrees) of Granite Mountain. The multi-level, multi-tower observations obtained during a 30-day long MATERHORN-Fall field campaign in September-October 2102 allow studying temporal and spatial structure of nocturnal slope flows in detail. In this study, we focus on the various statistics (fluxes, variances, spectra, cospectra, etc.) of the small-scale turbulence of katabatic winds. Observed vertical profiles of velocity, turbulent fluxes, and other quantities show steep gradients near the surface but in the layer above the slope jet these variables vary with height more slowly than near the surface. It is found that vertical momentum flux and horizontal heat (buoyancy) flux in a slope-following coordinate system change their sign below and above the wind maximum of a katabatic flow. The vertical momentum flux is directed downward (upward) whereas the horizontal heat flux is downslope (upslope) below (above) the wind maximum. Our study, therefore, suggests that a position of the jet speed maximum can be derived from linear interpolation between positive and negative values of the momentum flux (or the horizontal heat flux) and determination of a height where a flux becomes zero. It is shown that the standard deviations of all wind speed components (and therefore the turbulent kinetic energy) and the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy have a local minimum, whereas the standard deviation of air temperature has an absolute maximum at the height of wind speed maximum. We report several cases when the destructive effect of vertical heat

  17. A Maximum-Likelihood Approach to Force-Field Calibration.

    PubMed

    Zaborowski, Bartłomiej; Jagieła, Dawid; Czaplewski, Cezary; Hałabis, Anna; Lewandowska, Agnieszka; Żmudzińska, Wioletta; Ołdziej, Stanisław; Karczyńska, Agnieszka; Omieczynski, Christian; Wirecki, Tomasz; Liwo, Adam

    2015-09-28

    A new approach to the calibration of the force fields is proposed, in which the force-field parameters are obtained by maximum-likelihood fitting of the calculated conformational ensembles to the experimental ensembles of training system(s). The maximum-likelihood function is composed of logarithms of the Boltzmann probabilities of the experimental conformations, calculated with the current energy function. Because the theoretical distribution is given in the form of the simulated conformations only, the contributions from all of the simulated conformations, with Gaussian weights in the distances from a given experimental conformation, are added to give the contribution to the target function from this conformation. In contrast to earlier methods for force-field calibration, the approach does not suffer from the arbitrariness of dividing the decoy set into native-like and non-native structures; however, if such a division is made instead of using Gaussian weights, application of the maximum-likelihood method results in the well-known energy-gap maximization. The computational procedure consists of cycles of decoy generation and maximum-likelihood-function optimization, which are iterated until convergence is reached. The method was tested with Gaussian distributions and then applied to the physics-based coarse-grained UNRES force field for proteins. The NMR structures of the tryptophan cage, a small α-helical protein, determined at three temperatures (T = 280, 305, and 313 K) by Hałabis et al. ( J. Phys. Chem. B 2012 , 116 , 6898 - 6907 ), were used. Multiplexed replica-exchange molecular dynamics was used to generate the decoys. The iterative procedure exhibited steady convergence. Three variants of optimization were tried: optimization of the energy-term weights alone and use of the experimental ensemble of the folded protein only at T = 280 K (run 1); optimization of the energy-term weights and use of experimental ensembles at all three temperatures (run 2

  18. Tropical climate at the last glacial maximum inferred from glacier mass-balance modeling

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hostetler, S.W.; Clark, P.U.

    2000-01-01

    Model-derived equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) of former tropical glaciers support arguments, based on other paleoclimate data, for both the magnitude and spatial pattern of terrestrial cooling in the tropics at the last glacial maximum (LGM). Relative to the present, LGM ELAs were maintained by air temperatures that were 3.5??to 6.6 ??C lower and precipitation that ranged from 63% wetter in Hawaii to 25% drier on Mt. Kenya, Africa. Our results imply the need for a ~3 ??C cooling of LGM sea surface temperatures in the western Pacific warm pool. Sensitivity tests suggest that LGM ELAs could have persisted until 16,000 years before the present in the Peruvian Andes and on Papua, New Guinea.

  19. Correspondence of electroencephalography and near-infrared spectroscopy sensitivities to the cerebral cortex using a high-density layout

    PubMed Central

    Giacometti, Paolo; Diamond, Solomon G.

    2014-01-01

    Abstract. This study investigates the correspondence of the cortical sensitivity of electroencephalography (EEG) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). EEG forward model sensitivity to the cerebral cortex was calculated for 329 EEG electrodes following the 10-5 EEG positioning system using a segmented structural magnetic resonance imaging scan of a human subject. NIRS forward model sensitivity was calculated for the same subject using 156 NIRS source-detector pairs selected from 32 source and 32 detector optodes positioned on the scalp using a subset of the 10-5 EEG positioning system. Sensitivity correlations between colocalized NIRS source-detector pair groups and EEG channels yielded R=0.46±0.08. Groups of NIRS source-detector pairs with maximum correlations to EEG electrode sensitivities are tabulated. The mean correlation between the point spread functions for EEG and NIRS regions of interest (ROI) was R=0.43±0.07. Spherical ROIs with radii of 26 mm yielded the maximum correlation between EEG and NIRS averaged across all cortical mesh nodes. These sensitivity correlations between EEG and NIRS should be taken into account when designing multimodal studies of neurovascular coupling and when using NIRS as a statistical prior for EEG source localization. PMID:25558462

  20. Comparison of Water-Load Distributions Obtained during Seaplane Landings with Bureau of Aeronautics Specifications. TED No. NACA 2413

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smiley, Robert F.; Haines, Gilbert A.

    1949-01-01

    Bureau of Aeronautics Design Specifications SS-IC-2 for water loads in sheltered water are compared with experimental water loads obtained during a full--scale landing investigation. This investigation was conducted with a JRS-1 flying boat which has a 20 degrees dead-rise V-bottom with a partial chine flare. The range of landing conditions included airspeeds between 88 and 126 feet per second, sinking speeds between 1.6 and 9.1 feet per second, flight angles less than 6 degrees, and trims between 2 degrees and 12 degrees. Landings were moderate and were made in calm water. Measurements were obtained of maximum over-all loads, maximum pitching moments, and pressure distributions. Maximum experimental loads include over-all load factors of 2g, moments of 128,000 pound-feet, and maximum local pressures greater than 40 pounds per square inch. Experimental over-all loads are approximately one-half the design values, while local pressures are of the same order as or larger than pressures calculated from specifications for plating, stringer, floor, and frame design. The value of this comparison is limited, to some extent, by the moderate conditions of the test and by the necessary simplifying assumptions used in comparing the specifications with the experimental loads.

  1. Inverting ion images without Abel inversion: maximum entropy reconstruction of velocity maps.

    PubMed

    Dick, Bernhard

    2014-01-14

    A new method for the reconstruction of velocity maps from ion images is presented, which is based on the maximum entropy concept. In contrast to other methods used for Abel inversion the new method never applies an inversion or smoothing to the data. Instead, it iteratively finds the map which is the most likely cause for the observed data, using the correct likelihood criterion for data sampled from a Poissonian distribution. The entropy criterion minimizes the information content in this map, which hence contains no information for which there is no evidence in the data. Two implementations are proposed, and their performance is demonstrated with simulated and experimental data: Maximum Entropy Velocity Image Reconstruction (MEVIR) obtains a two-dimensional slice through the velocity distribution and can be compared directly to Abel inversion. Maximum Entropy Velocity Legendre Reconstruction (MEVELER) finds one-dimensional distribution functions Q(l)(v) in an expansion of the velocity distribution in Legendre polynomials P((cos θ) for the angular dependence. Both MEVIR and MEVELER can be used for the analysis of ion images with intensities as low as 0.01 counts per pixel, with MEVELER performing significantly better than MEVIR for images with low intensity. Both methods perform better than pBASEX, in particular for images with less than one average count per pixel.

  2. A checklist to facilitate cultural awareness and sensitivity

    PubMed Central

    Seibert, P; Stridh-Igo, P; Zimmerman, C

    2002-01-01

    United States of America demographic profiles illustrate a nation rich in cultural and racial diversity. Approximately 29% of the population are minorities and demographic projections indicate an increase to 50% by the year 2050. This creates a highly mobile and constantly changing environment, revealing the need for new levels of cultural awareness and sensitivity. These issues are particularly critical in the medical community where medical professionals must understand the impact cultural differences and barriers can have on evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation. During times of stress, such as when injury strikes, problems associated with lack of cultural sensitivity are intensified. Cultural diversity is of particular concern when standard measures for diagnosis and prognosis are derived from established norms for responding, because culture defines norms. This paper details a ten point checklist designed to facilitate cultural awareness and sensitivity in medical settings to ensure maximum successful recovery and outcomes for all patients. PMID:12042396

  3. Maximum reflectance and transmittance of films coated with gapped graphene in the context of the Dirac model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klimchitskaya, G. L.; Mostepanenko, V. M.

    2018-06-01

    The analytic expressions for the maximum and minimum reflectances of optical films coated with gapped graphene are derived in the application region of the Dirac model taking into account multiple reflections. The respective film thicknesses are also found. In so doing the film material is described by the frequency-dependent index of refraction and graphene by the polarization tensor defined along the real frequency axis. The developed formalism is illustrated by an example of the graphene-coated film made of amorphous silica. Numerical computations of the maximum and minimum reflectances and respective film thicknesses are performed at room temperature in two frequency regions belonging to the near-infrared and far-infrared domains. It is shown that in the far-infrared domain the graphene coating has a profound effect on the values of maximum reflectance and respective film thickness leading to a relative increase in their values by up to 65% and 50%, respectively. The maximum transmittance of a graphene-coated film of appropriately chosen thickness is shown to exceed 90%. Possible applications of the obtained results are discussed.

  4. An improved wavelet neural network medical image segmentation algorithm with combined maximum entropy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Xiaoqian; Tao, Jinxu; Ye, Zhongfu; Qiu, Bensheng; Xu, Jinzhang

    2018-05-01

    In order to solve the problem of medical image segmentation, a wavelet neural network medical image segmentation algorithm based on combined maximum entropy criterion is proposed. Firstly, we use bee colony algorithm to optimize the network parameters of wavelet neural network, get the parameters of network structure, initial weights and threshold values, and so on, we can quickly converge to higher precision when training, and avoid to falling into relative extremum; then the optimal number of iterations is obtained by calculating the maximum entropy of the segmented image, so as to achieve the automatic and accurate segmentation effect. Medical image segmentation experiments show that the proposed algorithm can reduce sample training time effectively and improve convergence precision, and segmentation effect is more accurate and effective than traditional BP neural network (back propagation neural network : a multilayer feed forward neural network which trained according to the error backward propagation algorithm.

  5. Meta-analysis of the relative sensitivity of semi-natural vegetation species to ozone.

    PubMed

    Hayes, F; Jones, M L M; Mills, G; Ashmore, M

    2007-04-01

    This study identified 83 species from existing publications suitable for inclusion in a database of sensitivity of species to ozone (OZOVEG database). An index, the relative sensitivity to ozone, was calculated for each species based on changes in biomass in order to test for species traits associated with ozone sensitivity. Meta-analysis of the ozone sensitivity data showed a wide inter-specific range in response to ozone. Some relationships in comparison to plant physiological and ecological characteristics were identified. Plants of the therophyte lifeform were particularly sensitive to ozone. Species with higher mature leaf N concentration were more sensitive to ozone than those with lower leaf N concentration. Some relationships between relative sensitivity to ozone and Ellenberg habitat requirements were also identified. In contrast, no relationships between relative sensitivity to ozone and mature leaf P concentration, Grime's CSR strategy, leaf longevity, flowering season, stomatal density and maximum altitude were found. The relative sensitivity of species and relationships with plant characteristics identified in this study could be used to predict sensitivity to ozone of untested species and communities.

  6. Maximum spectral demands in the near-fault region

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Huang, Yin-Nan; Whittaker, Andrew S.; Luco, Nicolas

    2008-01-01

    The Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) relationships for shallow crustal earthquakes in the western United States predict a rotated geometric mean of horizontal spectral demand, termed GMRotI50, and not maximum spectral demand. Differences between strike-normal, strike-parallel, geometric-mean, and maximum spectral demands in the near-fault region are investigated using 147 pairs of records selected from the NGA strong motion database. The selected records are for earthquakes with moment magnitude greater than 6.5 and for closest site-to-fault distance less than 15 km. Ratios of maximum spectral demand to NGA-predicted GMRotI50 for each pair of ground motions are presented. The ratio shows a clear dependence on period and the Somerville directivity parameters. Maximum demands can substantially exceed NGA-predicted GMRotI50 demands in the near-fault region, which has significant implications for seismic design, seismic performance assessment, and the next-generation seismic design maps. Strike-normal spectral demands are a significantly unconservative surrogate for maximum spectral demands for closest distance greater than 3 to 5 km. Scale factors that transform NGA-predicted GMRotI50 to a maximum spectral demand in the near-fault region are proposed.

  7. Maximum Relative Entropy of Coherence: An Operational Coherence Measure.

    PubMed

    Bu, Kaifeng; Singh, Uttam; Fei, Shao-Ming; Pati, Arun Kumar; Wu, Junde

    2017-10-13

    The operational characterization of quantum coherence is the cornerstone in the development of the resource theory of coherence. We introduce a new coherence quantifier based on maximum relative entropy. We prove that the maximum relative entropy of coherence is directly related to the maximum overlap with maximally coherent states under a particular class of operations, which provides an operational interpretation of the maximum relative entropy of coherence. Moreover, we show that, for any coherent state, there are examples of subchannel discrimination problems such that this coherent state allows for a higher probability of successfully discriminating subchannels than that of all incoherent states. This advantage of coherent states in subchannel discrimination can be exactly characterized by the maximum relative entropy of coherence. By introducing a suitable smooth maximum relative entropy of coherence, we prove that the smooth maximum relative entropy of coherence provides a lower bound of one-shot coherence cost, and the maximum relative entropy of coherence is equivalent to the relative entropy of coherence in the asymptotic limit. Similar to the maximum relative entropy of coherence, the minimum relative entropy of coherence has also been investigated. We show that the minimum relative entropy of coherence provides an upper bound of one-shot coherence distillation, and in the asymptotic limit the minimum relative entropy of coherence is equivalent to the relative entropy of coherence.

  8. 24 CFR 203.474 - Maximum claim period.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Maximum claim period. 203.474 Section 203.474 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development... SINGLE FAMILY MORTGAGE INSURANCE Contract Rights and Obligations Rehabilitation Loans § 203.474 Maximum...

  9. 40 CFR 35.265 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.265 Section 35.265 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE....265 Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide up to 60 percent of the approved...

  10. 33 CFR 401.3 - Maximum vessel dimensions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum vessel dimensions. 401.3 Section 401.3 Navigation and Navigable Waters SAINT LAWRENCE SEAWAY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SEAWAY REGULATIONS AND RULES Regulations Condition of Vessels § 401.3 Maximum vessel dimensions...

  11. 24 CFR 220.820 - Maximum claim period.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Maximum claim period. 220.820 Section 220.820 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development... Contract Rights and Obligations-Projects Insured Project Improvement Loans § 220.820 Maximum claim period...

  12. 40 CFR 35.705 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.705 Section 35.705 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE...) § 35.705 Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide Tribes and Intertribal Consortia...

  13. 40 CFR 35.295 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.295 Section 35.295 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE... Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide State agencies up to 50 percent of the...

  14. Sensitivity Analysis of Multidisciplinary Rotorcraft Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, Li; Diskin, Boris; Biedron, Robert T.; Nielsen, Eric J.; Bauchau, Olivier A.

    2017-01-01

    A multidisciplinary sensitivity analysis of rotorcraft simulations involving tightly coupled high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics and comprehensive analysis solvers is presented and evaluated. An unstructured sensitivity-enabled Navier-Stokes solver, FUN3D, and a nonlinear flexible multibody dynamics solver, DYMORE, are coupled to predict the aerodynamic loads and structural responses of helicopter rotor blades. A discretely-consistent adjoint-based sensitivity analysis available in FUN3D provides sensitivities arising from unsteady turbulent flows and unstructured dynamic overset meshes, while a complex-variable approach is used to compute DYMORE structural sensitivities with respect to aerodynamic loads. The multidisciplinary sensitivity analysis is conducted through integrating the sensitivity components from each discipline of the coupled system. Numerical results verify accuracy of the FUN3D/DYMORE system by conducting simulations for a benchmark rotorcraft test model and comparing solutions with established analyses and experimental data. Complex-variable implementation of sensitivity analysis of DYMORE and the coupled FUN3D/DYMORE system is verified by comparing with real-valued analysis and sensitivities. Correctness of adjoint formulations for FUN3D/DYMORE interfaces is verified by comparing adjoint-based and complex-variable sensitivities. Finally, sensitivities of the lift and drag functions obtained by complex-variable FUN3D/DYMORE simulations are compared with sensitivities computed by the multidisciplinary sensitivity analysis, which couples adjoint-based flow and grid sensitivities of FUN3D and FUN3D/DYMORE interfaces with complex-variable sensitivities of DYMORE structural responses.

  15. Maximum-Likelihood Detection Of Noncoherent CPM

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Divsalar, Dariush; Simon, Marvin K.

    1993-01-01

    Simplified detectors proposed for use in maximum-likelihood-sequence detection of symbols in alphabet of size M transmitted by uncoded, full-response continuous phase modulation over radio channel with additive white Gaussian noise. Structures of receivers derived from particular interpretation of maximum-likelihood metrics. Receivers include front ends, structures of which depends only on M, analogous to those in receivers of coherent CPM. Parts of receivers following front ends have structures, complexity of which would depend on N.

  16. 49 CFR 195.406 - Maximum operating pressure.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... HAZARDOUS LIQUIDS BY PIPELINE Operation and Maintenance § 195.406 Maximum operating pressure. (a) Except for surge pressures and other variations from normal operations, no operator may operate a pipeline at a... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Maximum operating pressure. 195.406 Section 195...

  17. 49 CFR 195.406 - Maximum operating pressure.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... HAZARDOUS LIQUIDS BY PIPELINE Operation and Maintenance § 195.406 Maximum operating pressure. (a) Except for surge pressures and other variations from normal operations, no operator may operate a pipeline at a... 49 Transportation 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Maximum operating pressure. 195.406 Section 195...

  18. 49 CFR 195.406 - Maximum operating pressure.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... HAZARDOUS LIQUIDS BY PIPELINE Operation and Maintenance § 195.406 Maximum operating pressure. (a) Except for surge pressures and other variations from normal operations, no operator may operate a pipeline at a... 49 Transportation 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Maximum operating pressure. 195.406 Section 195...

  19. 49 CFR 195.406 - Maximum operating pressure.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... HAZARDOUS LIQUIDS BY PIPELINE Operation and Maintenance § 195.406 Maximum operating pressure. (a) Except for surge pressures and other variations from normal operations, no operator may operate a pipeline at a... 49 Transportation 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Maximum operating pressure. 195.406 Section 195...

  20. 49 CFR 195.406 - Maximum operating pressure.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... HAZARDOUS LIQUIDS BY PIPELINE Operation and Maintenance § 195.406 Maximum operating pressure. (a) Except for surge pressures and other variations from normal operations, no operator may operate a pipeline at a... 49 Transportation 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Maximum operating pressure. 195.406 Section 195...

  1. 40 CFR 35.235 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.235 Section 35.235 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE...)(1)) § 35.235 Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide up to 100 percent of the...

  2. 40 CFR 35.315 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.315 Section 35.315 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE... 28) § 35.315 Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide up to 75 percent of the...

  3. 40 CFR 35.215 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.215 Section 35.215 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE...)) § 35.215 Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide up to 75 percent of the approved...

  4. 40 CFR 35.715 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.715 Section 35.715 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE... Monitoring (section 28) § 35.715 Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide up to 75...

  5. 29 CFR 4022.22 - Maximum guaranteeable benefit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum guaranteeable benefit. 4022.22 Section 4022.22 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION COVERAGE AND... Maximum guaranteeable benefit. Subject to section 4022B of ERISA and part 4022B of this chapter, benefits...

  6. 40 CFR 35.335 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.335 Section 35.335 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE...)(2)) § 35.335 Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide up to 75 percent of the...

  7. 40 CFR 35.649 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.649 Section 35.649 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE... and Training (section 23(a)(2)) § 35.649 Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide...

  8. 40 CFR 35.252 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.252 Section 35.252 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE...)(1)) § 35.252 Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide up to 100 percent of the...

  9. Local image statistics: maximum-entropy constructions and perceptual salience

    PubMed Central

    Victor, Jonathan D.; Conte, Mary M.

    2012-01-01

    The space of visual signals is high-dimensional and natural visual images have a highly complex statistical structure. While many studies suggest that only a limited number of image statistics are used for perceptual judgments, a full understanding of visual function requires analysis not only of the impact of individual image statistics, but also, how they interact. In natural images, these statistical elements (luminance distributions, correlations of low and high order, edges, occlusions, etc.) are intermixed, and their effects are difficult to disentangle. Thus, there is a need for construction of stimuli in which one or more statistical elements are introduced in a controlled fashion, so that their individual and joint contributions can be analyzed. With this as motivation, we present algorithms to construct synthetic images in which local image statistics—including luminance distributions, pair-wise correlations, and higher-order correlations—are explicitly specified and all other statistics are determined implicitly by maximum-entropy. We then apply this approach to measure the sensitivity of the human visual system to local image statistics and to sample their interactions. PMID:22751397

  10. Climate sensitivity, sea level and atmospheric carbon dioxide

    PubMed Central

    Hansen, James; Sato, Makiko; Russell, Gary; Kharecha, Pushker

    2013-01-01

    Cenozoic temperature, sea level and CO2 covariations provide insights into climate sensitivity to external forcings and sea-level sensitivity to climate change. Climate sensitivity depends on the initial climate state, but potentially can be accurately inferred from precise palaeoclimate data. Pleistocene climate oscillations yield a fast-feedback climate sensitivity of 3±1°C for a 4 W m−2 CO2 forcing if Holocene warming relative to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) is used as calibration, but the error (uncertainty) is substantial and partly subjective because of poorly defined LGM global temperature and possible human influences in the Holocene. Glacial-to-interglacial climate change leading to the prior (Eemian) interglacial is less ambiguous and implies a sensitivity in the upper part of the above range, i.e. 3–4°C for a 4 W m−2 CO2 forcing. Slow feedbacks, especially change of ice sheet size and atmospheric CO2, amplify the total Earth system sensitivity by an amount that depends on the time scale considered. Ice sheet response time is poorly defined, but we show that the slow response and hysteresis in prevailing ice sheet models are exaggerated. We use a global model, simplified to essential processes, to investigate state dependence of climate sensitivity, finding an increased sensitivity towards warmer climates, as low cloud cover is diminished and increased water vapour elevates the tropopause. Burning all fossil fuels, we conclude, would make most of the planet uninhabitable by humans, thus calling into question strategies that emphasize adaptation to climate change. PMID:24043864

  11. Climate Sensitivity, Sea Level, and Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hansen, James; Sato, Makiko; Russell, Gary; Kharecha, Pushker

    2013-01-01

    Cenozoic temperature, sea level and CO2 covariations provide insights into climate sensitivity to external forcings and sea-level sensitivity to climate change. Climate sensitivity depends on the initial climate state, but potentially can be accurately inferred from precise palaeoclimate data. Pleistocene climate oscillations yield a fast-feedback climate sensitivity of 3+/-1deg C for a 4 W/sq m CO2 forcing if Holocene warming relative to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) is used as calibration, but the error (uncertainty) is substantial and partly subjective because of poorly defined LGM global temperature and possible human influences in the Holocene. Glacial-to-interglacial climate change leading to the prior (Eemian) interglacial is less ambiguous and implies a sensitivity in the upper part of the above range, i.e. 3-4deg C for a 4 W/sq m CO2 forcing. Slow feedbacks, especially change of ice sheet size and atmospheric CO2, amplify the total Earth system sensitivity by an amount that depends on the time scale considered. Ice sheet response time is poorly defined, but we show that the slow response and hysteresis in prevailing ice sheet models are exaggerated. We use a global model, simplified to essential processes, to investigate state dependence of climate sensitivity, finding an increased sensitivity towards warmer climates, as low cloud cover is diminished and increased water vapour elevates the tropopause. Burning all fossil fuels, we conclude, would make most of the planet uninhabitable by humans, thus calling into question strategies that emphasize adaptation to climate change.

  12. Climate sensitivity, sea level and atmospheric carbon dioxide.

    PubMed

    Hansen, James; Sato, Makiko; Russell, Gary; Kharecha, Pushker

    2013-10-28

    Cenozoic temperature, sea level and CO2 covariations provide insights into climate sensitivity to external forcings and sea-level sensitivity to climate change. Climate sensitivity depends on the initial climate state, but potentially can be accurately inferred from precise palaeoclimate data. Pleistocene climate oscillations yield a fast-feedback climate sensitivity of 3±1(°)C for a 4 W m(-2) CO2 forcing if Holocene warming relative to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) is used as calibration, but the error (uncertainty) is substantial and partly subjective because of poorly defined LGM global temperature and possible human influences in the Holocene. Glacial-to-interglacial climate change leading to the prior (Eemian) interglacial is less ambiguous and implies a sensitivity in the upper part of the above range, i.e. 3-4(°)C for a 4 W m(-2) CO2 forcing. Slow feedbacks, especially change of ice sheet size and atmospheric CO2, amplify the total Earth system sensitivity by an amount that depends on the time scale considered. Ice sheet response time is poorly defined, but we show that the slow response and hysteresis in prevailing ice sheet models are exaggerated. We use a global model, simplified to essential processes, to investigate state dependence of climate sensitivity, finding an increased sensitivity towards warmer climates, as low cloud cover is diminished and increased water vapour elevates the tropopause. Burning all fossil fuels, we conclude, would make most of the planet uninhabitable by humans, thus calling into question strategies that emphasize adaptation to climate change.

  13. Spectral optimization simulation of white light based on the photopic eye-sensitivity curve

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

    Dai, Qi, E-mail: qidai@tongji.edu.cn; Institute for Advanced Study, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092; Key Laboratory of Ecology and Energy-saving Study of Dense Habitat

    Spectral optimization simulation of white light is studied to boost maximum attainable luminous efficacy of radiation at high color-rendering index (CRI) and various color temperatures. The photopic eye-sensitivity curve V(λ) is utilized as the dominant portion of white light spectra. Emission spectra of a blue InGaN light-emitting diode (LED) and a red AlInGaP LED are added to the spectrum of V(λ) to match white color coordinates. It is demonstrated that at the condition of color temperature from 2500 K to 6500 K and CRI above 90, such white sources can achieve spectral efficacy of 330–390 lm/W, which is higher than the previously reportedmore » theoretical maximum values. We show that this eye-sensitivity-based approach also has advantages on component energy conversion efficiency compared with previously reported optimization solutions.« less

  14. Efficiency at maximum power of a chemical engine.

    PubMed

    Hooyberghs, Hans; Cleuren, Bart; Salazar, Alberto; Indekeu, Joseph O; Van den Broeck, Christian

    2013-10-07

    A cyclically operating chemical engine is considered that converts chemical energy into mechanical work. The working fluid is a gas of finite-sized spherical particles interacting through elastic hard collisions. For a generic transport law for particle uptake and release, the efficiency at maximum power η(mp) [corrected] takes the form 1/2+cΔμ+O(Δμ(2)), with 1∕2 a universal constant and Δμ the chemical potential difference between the particle reservoirs. The linear coefficient c is zero for engines featuring a so-called left/right symmetry or particle fluxes that are antisymmetric in the applied chemical potential difference. Remarkably, the leading constant in η(mp) [corrected] is non-universal with respect to an exceptional modification of the transport law. For a nonlinear transport model, we obtain η(mp) = 1/(θ + 1) [corrected], with θ > 0 the power of Δμ in the transport equation.

  15. Subtropical Arctic Ocean temperatures during the Palaeocene/Eocene thermal maximum

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sluijs, A.; Schouten, S.; Pagani, M.; Woltering, M.; Brinkhuis, H.; Damste, J.S.S.; Dickens, G.R.; Huber, M.; Reichart, G.-J.; Stein, R.; Matthiessen, J.; Lourens, L.J.; Pedentchouk, N.; Backman, J.; Moran, K.; Clemens, S.; Cronin, T.; Eynaud, F.; Gattacceca, J.; Jakobsson, M.; Jordan, R.; Kaminski, M.; King, J.; Koc, N.; Martinez, N.C.; McInroy, D.; Moore, T.C.; O'Regan, M.; Onodera, J.; Palike, H.; Rea, B.; Rio, D.; Sakamoto, T.; Smith, D.C.; St John, K.E.K.; Suto, I.; Suzuki, N.; Takahashi, K.; Watanabe, M. E.; Yamamoto, M.

    2006-01-01

    The Palaeocene/Eocene thermal maximum, ???55 million years ago, was a brief period of widespread, extreme climatic warming, that was associated with massive atmospheric greenhouse gas input. Although aspects of the resulting environmental changes are well documented at low latitudes, no data were available to quantify simultaneous changes in the Arctic region. Here we identify the Palaeocene/Eocene thermal maximum in a marine sedimentary sequence obtained during the Arctic Coring Expedition. We show that sea surface temperatures near the North Pole increased from ???18??C to over 23??C during this event. Such warm values imply the absence of ice and thus exclude the influence of ice-albedo feedbacks on this Arctic warming. At the same time, sea level rose while anoxic and euxinic conditions developed in the ocean's bottom waters and photic zone, respectively. Increasing temperature and sea level match expectations based on palaeoclimate model simulations, but the absolute polar temperatures that we derive before, during and after the event are more than 10??C warmer than those model-predicted. This suggests that higher-than-modern greenhouse gas concentrations must have operated in conjunction with other feedback mechanisms-perhaps polar stratospheric clouds or hurricane-induced ocean mixing-to amplify early Palaeogene polar temperatures. ?? 2006 Nature Publishing Group.

  16. Subtropical Arctic Ocean temperatures during the Palaeocene/Eocene thermal maximum.

    PubMed

    Sluijs, Appy; Schouten, Stefan; Pagani, Mark; Woltering, Martijn; Brinkhuis, Henk; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S; Dickens, Gerald R; Huber, Matthew; Reichart, Gert-Jan; Stein, Ruediger; Matthiessen, Jens; Lourens, Lucas J; Pedentchouk, Nikolai; Backman, Jan; Moran, Kathryn

    2006-06-01

    The Palaeocene/Eocene thermal maximum, approximately 55 million years ago, was a brief period of widespread, extreme climatic warming, that was associated with massive atmospheric greenhouse gas input. Although aspects of the resulting environmental changes are well documented at low latitudes, no data were available to quantify simultaneous changes in the Arctic region. Here we identify the Palaeocene/Eocene thermal maximum in a marine sedimentary sequence obtained during the Arctic Coring Expedition. We show that sea surface temperatures near the North Pole increased from 18 degrees C to over 23 degrees C during this event. Such warm values imply the absence of ice and thus exclude the influence of ice-albedo feedbacks on this Arctic warming. At the same time, sea level rose while anoxic and euxinic conditions developed in the ocean's bottom waters and photic zone, respectively. Increasing temperature and sea level match expectations based on palaeoclimate model simulations, but the absolute polar temperatures that we derive before, during and after the event are more than 10 degrees C warmer than those model-predicted. This suggests that higher-than-modern greenhouse gas concentrations must have operated in conjunction with other feedback mechanisms--perhaps polar stratospheric clouds or hurricane-induced ocean mixing--to amplify early Palaeogene polar temperatures.

  17. The Effect of Valve Cooling upon Maximum Permissible Engine Output as Limited by Knock

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Munger, Maurice; Wilsted, H D; Mulcahy, B A

    1942-01-01

    A Wright GR-1820-G200 cylinder was tested over a wide range of fuel-air ratios at maximum permissible power output as limited by knock with three different degrees of valve cooling. The valves used were stock valves (solid inlet valve and hollow sodium-cooled exhaust valve), hollow valves with no coolant, and hollow valves with flowing water as a coolant. Curves showing the variation in maximum permissible values of inlet-air pressure, indicated mean effective pressure, cylinder charge, and indicated specific fuel consumption with change in fuel-air ratio and valve cooling are shown. The use of valves cooled by a stream of water passing through their hollow interiors permitted indicated mean effective pressures 10 percent higher than the mean effective pressures permissible with stock valves when the engine was operated with fuel-air ratios from 0.055 to 0.065. Operation of the engine with lean mixtures with uncooled hollow valves resulted in power output below the output obtained with the stock valves. The data show an increase in maximum permissible indicated mean effective pressure due to cooling the valves, which averages only 2.1 percent with fuel-air ratios from 0.075 to 0.105.

  18. Computation of nonlinear least squares estimator and maximum likelihood using principles in matrix calculus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahaboob, B.; Venkateswarlu, B.; Sankar, J. Ravi; Balasiddamuni, P.

    2017-11-01

    This paper uses matrix calculus techniques to obtain Nonlinear Least Squares Estimator (NLSE), Maximum Likelihood Estimator (MLE) and Linear Pseudo model for nonlinear regression model. David Pollard and Peter Radchenko [1] explained analytic techniques to compute the NLSE. However the present research paper introduces an innovative method to compute the NLSE using principles in multivariate calculus. This study is concerned with very new optimization techniques used to compute MLE and NLSE. Anh [2] derived NLSE and MLE of a heteroscedatistic regression model. Lemcoff [3] discussed a procedure to get linear pseudo model for nonlinear regression model. In this research article a new technique is developed to get the linear pseudo model for nonlinear regression model using multivariate calculus. The linear pseudo model of Edmond Malinvaud [4] has been explained in a very different way in this paper. David Pollard et.al used empirical process techniques to study the asymptotic of the LSE (Least-squares estimation) for the fitting of nonlinear regression function in 2006. In Jae Myung [13] provided a go conceptual for Maximum likelihood estimation in his work “Tutorial on maximum likelihood estimation

  19. PEBBED Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analysis of the CRP-5 PBMR DLOFC Transient Benchmark with the SUSA Code

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

    Gerhard Strydom

    2011-01-01

    The need for a defendable and systematic uncertainty and sensitivity approach that conforms to the Code Scaling, Applicability, and Uncertainty (CSAU) process, and that could be used for a wide variety of software codes, was defined in 2008. The GRS (Gesellschaft für Anlagen und Reaktorsicherheit) company of Germany has developed one type of CSAU approach that is particularly well suited for legacy coupled core analysis codes, and a trial version of their commercial software product SUSA (Software for Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analyses) was acquired on May 12, 2010. This report summarized the results of the initial investigations performed with SUSA,more » utilizing a typical High Temperature Reactor benchmark (the IAEA CRP-5 PBMR 400MW Exercise 2) and the PEBBED-THERMIX suite of codes. The following steps were performed as part of the uncertainty and sensitivity analysis: 1. Eight PEBBED-THERMIX model input parameters were selected for inclusion in the uncertainty study: the total reactor power, inlet gas temperature, decay heat, and the specific heat capability and thermal conductivity of the fuel, pebble bed and reflector graphite. 2. The input parameters variations and probability density functions were specified, and a total of 800 PEBBED-THERMIX model calculations were performed, divided into 4 sets of 100 and 2 sets of 200 Steady State and Depressurized Loss of Forced Cooling (DLOFC) transient calculations each. 3. The steady state and DLOFC maximum fuel temperature, as well as the daily pebble fuel load rate data, were supplied to SUSA as model output parameters of interest. The 6 data sets were statistically analyzed to determine the 5% and 95% percentile values for each of the 3 output parameters with a 95% confidence level, and typical statistical indictors were also generated (e.g. Kendall, Pearson and Spearman coefficients). 4. A SUSA sensitivity study was performed to obtain correlation data between the input and output parameters, and to

  20. 40 CFR 35.245 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.245 Section 35.245 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE... (section 23(a)(2)) § 35.245 Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide up to 50 percent...

  1. 40 CFR 35.385 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.385 Section 35.385 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE...)(3)) § 35.385 Maximum federal share. EPA may provide up to 75 percent of the approved work plan costs...

  2. 40 CFR 35.642 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.642 Section 35.642 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE... (section 23(a)(1)) § 35.642 Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide up to 100 percent...

  3. 24 CFR 241.875 - Maximum claim period.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Maximum claim period. 241.875 Section 241.875 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development... § 241.875 Maximum claim period. Notice of intention to file claim on a form prescribed by the...

  4. 24 CFR 232.875 - Maximum claim period.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Maximum claim period. 232.875 Section 232.875 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development... Insurance § 232.875 Maximum claim period. Notice of intention to file claim on a form prescribed by the...

  5. 40 CFR 35.725 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.725 Section 35.725 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE... Grants (pub.l. 105-276) § 35.725 Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide up to 100...

  6. 40 CFR 35.659 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.659 Section 35.659 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE... (section 23(a)(1)) § 35.659 Maximum federal share. The Regional Administrator may provide up to 100 percent...

  7. Photodamage of the cells in culture sensitized with bilirubin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kozlenkova, O. A.; Plavskaya, L. G.; Mikulich, A. V.; Leusenko, I. A.; Tretyakova, A. I.; Plavskii, V. Yu

    2016-08-01

    It has been shown that exposure to radiation of LED sources of light with an emission band maximum at about 465 and 520 nm having substantially identical damaging effects on animal cells in culture, that are in a logarithmic growth phase and preincubated with pigment. Photobiological effect is caused by photodynamic processes involving singlet oxygen generated by triplet excited sensitizer. Mono-exponential type dependence of cell survival on the energy dose indicates that it is bilirubin that acts as a sensitizer but not its photoproducts. The inclusion of bilirubin in the cells, where it is primarily localized in the mitochondria cells, it is accompanied by multiple amplification photochemical stability compared to pigment molecules bound with albumin

  8. Template-free hydrothermal synthesis of beaded nanochain bundles of ZnO and their application as photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ballal, Reshma; Shinde, Manish; Waghadkar, Yogesh; Arbuj, Sudhir; Rane, Sunit; Chauhan, Ratna

    2018-02-01

    ZnO shows promising candidature as photoanode material for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) due to its high bulk electron mobility and easily tailorable geometrical structures. The objective of this study is to facilitate the development of highly porous hierarchical ZnO for enhanced power conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) due to its greater dye adsorption. This study investigated the influence of reaction temperatures of 120 °C (sample Z-1) and 180 °C (sample Z-2) in hydrothermal synthesis on structural, morphological and optical properties of resultant ZnO nanostructures and their performance as photoanode material in DSSCs. The synthesized beaded nanochain bundles of ZnO, with multilayered and highly ordered texture, have diameters of several micrometers. Structural and morphological analysis shows that the ZnO beaded nanochain-like architectures possess wurtzite crystalline nature. These morphological improvements (beaded nanochains) of ZnO were found to exhibit higher dye loading and conversion efficiency due to increase in the surface area while reducing charge recombination. The maximum conversion efficiency was obtained with Z-1 and Z-2 is 2.95 and 3.56% with photocurrent of 7.73 and 9.24 mA/cm2, respectively. The obtained results pertaining to the DSSC performance studies were corroborated by the impedance spectroscopy data.

  9. Software Tool for Computing Maximum Von Mises Stress

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Long Y.; Knutson, Kurt; Martin, Eric

    2007-01-01

    The maximum Van Mises stress and stress direction are of interest far analyzing launch accelerations such as with the Mass Acceleration Curves developed by JPL. Maximum launch stresses can be combined with appropriate load cases at consistent locations with resulting stress tensors. Maximum Van Mises stress is also of interest for understanding maximum operational loading such as traverse events. - For example, planetary traversing simulations may prescribe bounding acceleration values during traverse for a rover such as Mars Science Lab (MSL) in (X,Y,Z) of the rover. - Such accelerations can be really in any directions for many parts such as a mast or head mounted components which can be in numerous configurations and orientations when traversing a planet surface.

  10. Maximum spectral demands in the near-fault region

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Huang, Y.-N.; Whittaker, A.S.; Luco, N.

    2008-01-01

    The Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) relationships for shallow crustal earthquakes in the western United States predict a rotated geometric mean of horizontal spectral demand, termed GMRotI50, and not maximum spectral demand. Differences between strike-normal, strike-parallel, geometric-mean, and maximum spectral demands in the near-fault region are investigated using 147 pairs of records selected from the NGA strong motion database. The selected records are for earthquakes with moment magnitude greater than 6.5 and for closest site-to-fault distance less than 15 km. Ratios of maximum spectral demand to NGA-predicted GMRotI50 for each pair of ground motions are presented. The ratio shows a clear dependence on period and the Somerville directivity parameters. Maximum demands can substantially exceed NGA-predicted GMRotI50 demands in the near-fault region, which has significant implications for seismic design, seismic performance assessment, and the next-generation seismic design maps. Strike-normal spectral demands are a significantly unconservative surrogate for maximum spectral demands for closest distance greater than 3 to 5 km. Scale factors that transform NGA-predicted GMRotI50 to a maximum spectral demand in the near-fault region are proposed. ?? 2008, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.

  11. Blood pressure and pain sensitivity in children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Drouin, Sammantha; McGrath, Jennifer J

    2013-06-01

    Elevated blood pressure is associated with diminished pain sensitivity. While this finding is well established in adults, it is less clear when the relation between blood pressure and pain sensitivity emerges across the life course. Evidence suggests this phenomenon may exist during childhood. Children (N = 309; 56% boys) aged 10-15 years and their parents participated. Blood pressure readings were taken during a resting baseline. Maximum pain intensity was rated using a visual analogue scale (rated 0-10) in response to a finger prick pain induction. Parent-measured resting blood pressure was inversely associated with boys' pain ratings only. Cross-sectionally, lower pain ratings were related to higher SBP, univariately. Longitudinally, pain ratings predicted higher DBP, even after controlling for covariates. Determining when and how the relation between blood pressure and pain sensitivity emerges may elucidate the pathophysiology of hypertension. Copyright © 2013 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

  12. SALT spectroscopic classification of SN 2017erp as a type-Ia supernova well before maximum light

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jha, S. W.; Camacho, Y.; Dettman, K.; Pan, Y.-C.; Foley, R. J.; Rest, A.; Scolnic, D.; Skelton, R.

    2017-06-01

    We obtained SALT (+RSS) spectroscopy of SN 2017erp (discovered by K. Itagaki) on 2017 Jun 13.9 UT, covering the wavelength range 350-940 nm. Cross-correlation of the supernova spectrum with a template library using SNID (Blondin & Tonry 2007, ApJ, 666, 1024) shows SN 2017erp is a type-Ia supernova before maximum light.

  13. 33 CFR 401.3 - Maximum vessel dimensions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Maximum vessel dimensions. 401.3... TRANSPORTATION SEAWAY REGULATIONS AND RULES Regulations Condition of Vessels § 401.3 Maximum vessel dimensions..., and having dimensions that do not exceed the limits set out in the block diagram in appendix I of this...

  14. 33 CFR 401.3 - Maximum vessel dimensions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Maximum vessel dimensions. 401.3... TRANSPORTATION SEAWAY REGULATIONS AND RULES Regulations Condition of Vessels § 401.3 Maximum vessel dimensions..., and having dimensions that do not exceed the limits set out in the block diagram in appendix I of this...

  15. 33 CFR 401.3 - Maximum vessel dimensions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Maximum vessel dimensions. 401.3... TRANSPORTATION SEAWAY REGULATIONS AND RULES Regulations Condition of Vessels § 401.3 Maximum vessel dimensions..., and having dimensions that do not exceed the limits set out in the block diagram in appendix I of this...

  16. 33 CFR 401.3 - Maximum vessel dimensions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Maximum vessel dimensions. 401.3... TRANSPORTATION SEAWAY REGULATIONS AND RULES Regulations Condition of Vessels § 401.3 Maximum vessel dimensions..., and having dimensions that do not exceed the limits set out in the block diagram in appendix I of this...

  17. 40 CFR 35.615 - Maximum federal share.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum federal share. 35.615 Section 35.615 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE... (section 104(b)(3)) § 35.615 Maximum federal share. EPA may provide up to 75 percent of the approved work...

  18. 30 CFR 57.19061 - Maximum hoisting speeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Maximum hoisting speeds. 57.19061 Section 57... Hoisting Hoisting Procedures § 57.19061 Maximum hoisting speeds. The safe speed for hoisting persons shall be determined for each shaft, and this speed shall not be exceeded. Persons shall not be hoisted at a...

  19. 30 CFR 56.19061 - Maximum hoisting speeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum hoisting speeds. 56.19061 Section 56... Hoisting Procedures § 56.19061 Maximum hoisting speeds. The safe speed for hoisting persons shall be determined for each shaft, and this speed shall not be exceeded. Persons should not be hoisted at a speed...

  20. 30 CFR 57.19061 - Maximum hoisting speeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum hoisting speeds. 57.19061 Section 57... Hoisting Hoisting Procedures § 57.19061 Maximum hoisting speeds. The safe speed for hoisting persons shall be determined for each shaft, and this speed shall not be exceeded. Persons shall not be hoisted at a...

  1. 30 CFR 56.19061 - Maximum hoisting speeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Maximum hoisting speeds. 56.19061 Section 56... Hoisting Procedures § 56.19061 Maximum hoisting speeds. The safe speed for hoisting persons shall be determined for each shaft, and this speed shall not be exceeded. Persons should not be hoisted at a speed...

  2. A possible solution to the B → π π puzzle using the principle of maximum conformality

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

    Qiao, Cong -Feng; Zhu, Rui -Lin; Wu, Xing

    2015-07-22

    We measured the B d→π 0π 0B d→π 0π 0 branching fraction and found that it deviates significantly from conventional QCD predictions, a puzzle which has persisted for more than 10 years. This may be a hint of new physics beyond the Standard Model; however, as we shall show in this paper, the pQCD prediction is highly sensitive to the choice of the renormalization scales which enter the decay amplitude. In the present paper, we show that the renormalization scale uncertainties for B→ππB→ππ can be greatly reduced by applying the Principle of Maximum Conformality (PMC), and more precise predictions formore » CP-averaged branching ratios B(B→ππ)B(B→ππ) can be achieved. Combining the errors in quadrature, we obtain View the MathML sourceB(Bd→π 0π 0)|PMC=(0.98 -0.31 +0.44)×10 -6 by using the light-front holographic low-energy model for the running coupling. All of the CP-averaged B→ππB→ππ branching fractions predicted by the PMC are consistent with the Particle Data Group average values and the recent Belle data. Moreover, the PMC provides a possible solution for the B d→π 0π 0B d→π 0π 0 puzzle.« less

  3. Use of 3-nitrobenzonitrile as an additive for improved sensitivity in sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Kanaki, Katerina; Pergantis, Spiros A

    2014-12-15

    Sonic-spray ionization (SSI) has been shown to produce gas-phase ions for a wide range of compounds, without the application of voltage or a laser. However, it remains to be shown that it can also provide similar sensitivities to those obtained by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Here we report on an attempt to further improve the sensitivity of SSI-MS, more specifically a version of SSI that is referred to as Venturi easy ambient sonic-spray ionization (V-EASI) MS, by adding a signal-enhancing additive to the sample solution. The additive used is 3-nitrobenzonitrile (3-NBN), which has recently been used with success in a new ionization approach named matrix-assisted ionization vacuum. In order to conduct this study we have analyzed a range of compounds, including peptides, metalloproteins, and some organometalloids. During the V-EASI-MS analyses molecular ion and protonated molecule signal intensities as well as their corresponding signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios, obtained in the presence and absence of the 3-NBN, were compared. The 3-NBN-assisted V-EASI-MS approach developed here provides significant improvement in sensitivity relative to conventional V-EASI-MS for almost all compounds tested. More specifically, for peptides a 1.6- to 4-fold enhancement was realized, for proteins the enhancements were from 2- to 5-fold, and for some metalloid species enhancements reached up to 10-fold. However, optimum additive concentration and ion transfer capillary temperature were found to be compound-dependent and thus require optimization in order for maximum enhancements to be achieved. In most cases the 3-NBN-assisted V-EASI-MS approach provides comparable sensitivities and S/N ratios to ESI-MS on the same ion trap mass spectrometer. The use of 3-NBN with V-EASI-MS gives rise to a novel 3-NBN-assisted MS technique, which has demonstrated considerable signal enhancement for most of the compounds analyzed, thus improving its competitiveness towards the well

  4. On non-parametric maximum likelihood estimation of the bivariate survivor function.

    PubMed

    Prentice, R L

    The likelihood function for the bivariate survivor function F, under independent censorship, is maximized to obtain a non-parametric maximum likelihood estimator &Fcirc;. &Fcirc; may or may not be unique depending on the configuration of singly- and doubly-censored pairs. The likelihood function can be maximized by placing all mass on the grid formed by the uncensored failure times, or half lines beyond the failure time grid, or in the upper right quadrant beyond the grid. By accumulating the mass along lines (or regions) where the likelihood is flat, one obtains a partially maximized likelihood as a function of parameters that can be uniquely estimated. The score equations corresponding to these point mass parameters are derived, using a Lagrange multiplier technique to ensure unit total mass, and a modified Newton procedure is used to calculate the parameter estimates in some limited simulation studies. Some considerations for the further development of non-parametric bivariate survivor function estimators are briefly described.

  5. The numerical evaluation of maximum-likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions from partially identified samples

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Walker, H. F.

    1976-01-01

    Likelihood equations determined by the two types of samples which are necessary conditions for a maximum-likelihood estimate are considered. These equations, suggest certain successive-approximations iterative procedures for obtaining maximum-likelihood estimates. These are generalized steepest ascent (deflected gradient) procedures. It is shown that, with probability 1 as N sub 0 approaches infinity (regardless of the relative sizes of N sub 0 and N sub 1, i=1,...,m), these procedures converge locally to the strongly consistent maximum-likelihood estimates whenever the step size is between 0 and 2. Furthermore, the value of the step size which yields optimal local convergence rates is bounded from below by a number which always lies between 1 and 2.

  6. 10 CFR 600.20 - Maximum DOE obligation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... DOE obligation. (a) The maximum DOE obligation to the recipient is— (1) For monetary awards, the amount shown in the award as the amount of DOE funds obligated, and (2) Any designated property. (b) DOE... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Maximum DOE obligation. 600.20 Section 600.20 Energy...

  7. 10 CFR 600.20 - Maximum DOE obligation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... DOE obligation. (a) The maximum DOE obligation to the recipient is— (1) For monetary awards, the amount shown in the award as the amount of DOE funds obligated, and (2) Any designated property. (b) DOE... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Maximum DOE obligation. 600.20 Section 600.20 Energy...

  8. 10 CFR 600.20 - Maximum DOE obligation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... DOE obligation. (a) The maximum DOE obligation to the recipient is— (1) For monetary awards, the amount shown in the award as the amount of DOE funds obligated, and (2) Any designated property. (b) DOE... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Maximum DOE obligation. 600.20 Section 600.20 Energy...

  9. 10 CFR 600.20 - Maximum DOE obligation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... DOE obligation. (a) The maximum DOE obligation to the recipient is— (1) For monetary awards, the amount shown in the award as the amount of DOE funds obligated, and (2) Any designated property. (b) DOE... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Maximum DOE obligation. 600.20 Section 600.20 Energy...

  10. 40 CFR 141.55 - Maximum contaminant level goals for radionuclides.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum contaminant level goals for... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Maximum Contaminant Level Goals and Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goals § 141.55 Maximum contaminant level goals for radionuclides...

  11. 40 CFR 141.55 - Maximum contaminant level goals for radionuclides.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Maximum contaminant level goals for... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Maximum Contaminant Level Goals and Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goals § 141.55 Maximum contaminant level goals for radionuclides...

  12. Weak scale from the maximum entropy principle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamada, Yuta; Kawai, Hikaru; Kawana, Kiyoharu

    2015-03-01

    The theory of the multiverse and wormholes suggests that the parameters of the Standard Model (SM) are fixed in such a way that the radiation of the S3 universe at the final stage S_rad becomes maximum, which we call the maximum entropy principle. Although it is difficult to confirm this principle generally, for a few parameters of the SM, we can check whether S_rad actually becomes maximum at the observed values. In this paper, we regard S_rad at the final stage as a function of the weak scale (the Higgs expectation value) vh, and show that it becomes maximum around vh = {{O}} (300 GeV) when the dimensionless couplings in the SM, i.e., the Higgs self-coupling, the gauge couplings, and the Yukawa couplings are fixed. Roughly speaking, we find that the weak scale is given by vh ˜ T_{BBN}2 / (M_{pl}ye5), where ye is the Yukawa coupling of electron, T_BBN is the temperature at which the Big Bang nucleosynthesis starts, and M_pl is the Planck mass.

  13. 49 CFR 230.27 - Maximum shearing strength of rivets.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Maximum shearing strength of rivets. 230.27 Section 230.27 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD... Appurtenances Strength of Materials § 230.27 Maximum shearing strength of rivets. The maximum shearing strength...

  14. 49 CFR 230.27 - Maximum shearing strength of rivets.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Maximum shearing strength of rivets. 230.27 Section 230.27 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD... Appurtenances Strength of Materials § 230.27 Maximum shearing strength of rivets. The maximum shearing strength...

  15. 5 CFR 338.601 - Prohibition of maximum-age requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Prohibition of maximum-age requirements... REGULATIONS QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS (GENERAL) Age Requirements § 338.601 Prohibition of maximum-age requirements. A maximum-age requirement may not be applied in either competitive or noncompetitive examinations...

  16. 5 CFR 338.601 - Prohibition of maximum-age requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Prohibition of maximum-age requirements... REGULATIONS QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS (GENERAL) Age Requirements § 338.601 Prohibition of maximum-age requirements. A maximum-age requirement may not be applied in either competitive or noncompetitive examinations...

  17. 5 CFR 338.601 - Prohibition of maximum-age requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Prohibition of maximum-age requirements... REGULATIONS QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS (GENERAL) Age Requirements § 338.601 Prohibition of maximum-age requirements. A maximum-age requirement may not be applied in either competitive or noncompetitive examinations...

  18. Fuzzy observer-based control for maximum power-point tracking of a photovoltaic system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Allouche, M.; Dahech, K.; Chaabane, M.; Mehdi, D.

    2018-04-01

    This paper presents a novel fuzzy control design method for maximum power-point tracking (MPPT) via a Takagi and Sugeno (TS) fuzzy model-based approach. A knowledge-dynamic model of the PV system is first developed leading to a TS representation by a simple convex polytopic transformation. Then, based on this exact fuzzy representation, a H∞ observer-based fuzzy controller is proposed to achieve MPPT even when we consider varying climatic conditions. A specified TS reference model is designed to generate the optimum trajectory which must be tracked to ensure maximum power operation. The controller and observer gains are obtained in a one-step procedure by solving a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The proposed method has been compared with some classical MPPT techniques taking into account convergence speed and tracking accuracy. Finally, various simulation and experimental tests have been carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed TS fuzzy MPPT strategy.

  19. A global view of F-region electron density and temperature at solar maximum

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brace, L. H.; Theis, R. F.; Hoegy, W. R.

    1982-01-01

    It is pointed out that the thermal structure of the ionosphere represents a quasi-static balance between a variety of heat sources and sinks which vary spatially and temporally on a wide range of time scales. The present investigation has the objective to present selected early results from the Dynamics Explorer-2 (DE-2) Langmuir probe instrument and to make an initial evaluation of how the thermal structure of the ionosphere at solar maximum differs from that observed at solar minimum. Bowen et al. (1964) and Brace and Reddy (1965) devised early empirical models of the F region electron temperature (Te), based on satellite Langmuir probe measurements at low levels of solar activity. The global structure of Te and the electron density (Ne) obtained in the current investigation is not very different from that reported by Brace and Reddy. The primary difference at solar maximum is that Ne is everywhere much higher, but Te differs only in detail.

  20. OECD Maximum Residue Limit Calculator

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    With the goal of harmonizing the calculation of maximum residue limits (MRLs) across the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the OECD has developed an MRL Calculator. View the calculator.

  1. Prediction of lysine glutarylation sites by maximum relevance minimum redundancy feature selection.

    PubMed

    Ju, Zhe; He, Jian-Jun

    2018-06-01

    Lysine glutarylation is new type of protein acylation modification in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. To better understand the molecular mechanism of glutarylation, it is important to identify glutarylated substrates and their corresponding glutarylation sites accurately. In this study, a novel bioinformatics tool named GlutPred is developed to predict glutarylation sites by using multiple feature extraction and maximum relevance minimum redundancy feature selection. On the one hand, amino acid factors, binary encoding, and the composition of k-spaced amino acid pairs features are incorporated to encode glutarylation sites. And the maximum relevance minimum redundancy method and the incremental feature selection algorithm are adopted to remove the redundant features. On the other hand, a biased support vector machine algorithm is used to handle the imbalanced problem in glutarylation sites training dataset. As illustrated by 10-fold cross-validation, the performance of GlutPred achieves a satisfactory performance with a Sensitivity of 64.80%, a Specificity of 76.60%, an Accuracy of 74.90% and a Matthew's correlation coefficient of 0.3194. Feature analysis shows that some k-spaced amino acid pair features play the most important roles in the prediction of glutarylation sites. The conclusions derived from this study might provide some clues for understanding the molecular mechanisms of glutarylation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Silver halide sensitized gelatin derived from BB-640 holographic emulsion.

    PubMed

    Neipp, C; Pascual, I; Beléndez, A

    1999-03-10

    Silver halide sensitized gelatin (SHSG) is one of the most interesting techniques for the production of holographic optical elements, achieving relatively high sensitivity of photographic material with a low scattering of dichromated gelatin. Here we present experimental results for SHSG derived from the novel BB-640, a red-sensitive ultra-fine-grain emulsion from Holographic Recording Technologies (Steinau, Germany). The material is characterized before recording and after processing, and information about the thickness, absorption, and refractive-index modulation of the final holograms is obtained. The influence of the developer is analyzed, and diffraction efficiencies as great as 96.2% (after allowing for reflections) with a transmission of 1% and absorption and scatter losses of 2.8% are obtained with AAC developer. Our investigations reveal that high-quality SHSG transmission holograms may be obtained with the new BB-640 plates.

  3. Maximum Power Training and Plyometrics for Cross-Country Running.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ebben, William P.

    2001-01-01

    Provides a rationale for maximum power training and plyometrics as conditioning strategies for cross-country runners, examining: an evaluation of training methods (strength training and maximum power training and plyometrics); biomechanic and velocity specificity (role in preventing injury); and practical application of maximum power training and…

  4. Sensitive bridge circuit measures conductance of low-conductivity electrolyte solutions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schmidt, K.

    1967-01-01

    Compact bridge circuit measures sensitive and accurate conductance of low-conductivity electrolyte solutions. The bridge utilizes a phase sensitive detector to obtain a linear deflection of the null indicator relative to the measured conductance.

  5. Random versus maximum entropy models of neural population activity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferrari, Ulisse; Obuchi, Tomoyuki; Mora, Thierry

    2017-04-01

    The principle of maximum entropy provides a useful method for inferring statistical mechanics models from observations in correlated systems, and is widely used in a variety of fields where accurate data are available. While the assumptions underlying maximum entropy are intuitive and appealing, its adequacy for describing complex empirical data has been little studied in comparison to alternative approaches. Here, data from the collective spiking activity of retinal neurons is reanalyzed. The accuracy of the maximum entropy distribution constrained by mean firing rates and pairwise correlations is compared to a random ensemble of distributions constrained by the same observables. For most of the tested networks, maximum entropy approximates the true distribution better than the typical or mean distribution from that ensemble. This advantage improves with population size, with groups as small as eight being almost always better described by maximum entropy. Failure of maximum entropy to outperform random models is found to be associated with strong correlations in the population.

  6. Gravitropism in higher plant shoots. V - Changing sensitivity to auxin

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Salisbury, Frank B.; Gillespie, Linda; Rorabaugh, Patricia

    1988-01-01

    The relationship in plants between the sensitivity to auxin and differential growth and bending was investigated experimentally. Decapitated and marked sunflower hypocotyl sections were immersed in buffered auxin solutions of different concentrations (0, 10 to the -8th, or 0.001 molar) and were photographed at 1/2 hr intervals; the negatives were analyzed with a digitizer/computer to evaluate surface-length changes in terms of Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics. It was found that bending decreased with increasing concentration of auxin. Increasing the auxin concentration inhibits the elongation growth of lower surfaces but promotes upper-surface growth, indicating that the lower surfaces have a greater Km sensitivity to applied auxin than the upper surfaces. At optimum auxin levels (maximum growth), the growth of bottom surfaces exceeded that of top surfaces, indicating that bottom tissues had a greater Vmax sensitivity.

  7. Computing Maximum Likelihood Estimates of Loglinear Models from Marginal Sums with Special Attention to Loglinear Item Response Theory.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelderman, Henk

    1992-01-01

    Describes algorithms used in the computer program LOGIMO for obtaining maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters in loglinear models. These algorithms are also useful for the analysis of loglinear item-response theory models. Presents modified versions of the iterative proportional fitting and Newton-Raphson algorithms. Simulated data…

  8. Fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cell using chlorophylls pigment from sargassum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ridwan, M. A.; Noor, E.; Rusli, M. S.; Akhiruddin

    2018-04-01

    Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is a new generation of the solar cell. Its development in the dye-sensitized system is varied. Natural dyes have been the choice in developing DSSC. This study used a dye-sensitized chlorophyll pigment from Sargassum sp. as a dye-sensitized solar cell. This study aims to obtain chlorophyll pigment extract to be used as a dye in DSSC and to obtain the best energy conversion efficiency from DSSC. The chlorophyll pigments were extracted using APHA method (2012), and the TiO2 coating method used was doctor blade method. The two fabricated cells have an area of 1 cm2 immersed with chlorophyll dye for 30 hours. Then these cells were tested using direct sun radiation. The concentration value of chlorophyll in acetone solution was 61.176 mg/L. The efficiency value obtained was 1.50% with VOC of 241 mV, ISC 2.9 x 10-4 mA and fill factor 0.432.

  9. Performance of natural-dye-sensitized solar cells by ZnO nanorod and nanowall enhanced photoelectrodes

    PubMed Central

    Saadaoui, Saif; Ben Youssef, Mohamed Aziz; Ben Karoui, Moufida; Smecca, Emanuele; Strano, Vincenzina; Mirabella, Salvo; Alberti, Alessandra; Puglisi, Rosaria A

    2017-01-01

    In this work, two natural dyes extracted from henna and mallow plants with a maximum absorbance at 665 nm were studied and used as sensitizers in the fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of the extract revealed the presence of anchoring groups and coloring constituents. Two different structures were prepared by chemical bath deposition (CBD) using zinc oxide (ZnO) layers to obtain ZnO nanowall (NW) or nanorod (NR) layers employed as a thin film at the photoanode side of the DSSC. The ZnO layers were annealed at different temperatures under various gas sources. Indeed, the forming gas (FG) (N2/H2 95:5) was found to enhance the conductivity by a factor of 103 compared to nitrogen (N2) or oxygen (O2) annealing gas. The NR width varied between 40 and 100 nm and the length from 500 to 1000 nm, depending on the growth time. The obtained NWs had a length of 850 nm. The properties of the developed ZnO NW and NR layers with different thicknesses and their effect on the photovoltaic parameters were studied. An internal coverage of the ZnO NWs was also applied by the deposition of a thin TiO2 layer by reactive sputtering to improve the cell performance. The application of this layer increased the overall short circuit current J sc by seven times from 2.45 × 10−3 mA/cm2 to 1.70 × 10−2 mA /cm2. PMID:28243567

  10. Performance of natural-dye-sensitized solar cells by ZnO nanorod and nanowall enhanced photoelectrodes.

    PubMed

    Saadaoui, Saif; Ben Youssef, Mohamed Aziz; Ben Karoui, Moufida; Gharbi, Rached; Smecca, Emanuele; Strano, Vincenzina; Mirabella, Salvo; Alberti, Alessandra; Puglisi, Rosaria A

    2017-01-01

    In this work, two natural dyes extracted from henna and mallow plants with a maximum absorbance at 665 nm were studied and used as sensitizers in the fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of the extract revealed the presence of anchoring groups and coloring constituents. Two different structures were prepared by chemical bath deposition (CBD) using zinc oxide (ZnO) layers to obtain ZnO nanowall (NW) or nanorod (NR) layers employed as a thin film at the photoanode side of the DSSC. The ZnO layers were annealed at different temperatures under various gas sources. Indeed, the forming gas (FG) (N 2 /H 2 95:5) was found to enhance the conductivity by a factor of 10 3 compared to nitrogen (N 2 ) or oxygen (O 2 ) annealing gas. The NR width varied between 40 and 100 nm and the length from 500 to 1000 nm, depending on the growth time. The obtained NWs had a length of 850 nm. The properties of the developed ZnO NW and NR layers with different thicknesses and their effect on the photovoltaic parameters were studied. An internal coverage of the ZnO NWs was also applied by the deposition of a thin TiO 2 layer by reactive sputtering to improve the cell performance. The application of this layer increased the overall short circuit current J sc by seven times from 2.45 × 10 -3 mA/cm 2 to 1.70 × 10 -2 mA /cm 2 .

  11. Effect of aberrations in human eye on contrast sensitivity function

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quan, Wei; Wang, Feng-lin; Wang, Zhao-qi

    2011-06-01

    The quantitative analysis of the effect of aberrations in human eye on vision has important clinical value in the correction of aberrations. The wave-front aberrations of human eyes were measured with the Hartmann-Shack wave-front sensor and modulation transfer function (MTF) was computed from the wave-front aberrations. Contrast sensitivity function (CSF) was obtained from MTF and the retinal aerial image modulation (AIM). It is shown that the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th Zernike aberrations deteriorate contrast sensitivity function. When the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th Zernike aberrations are corrected high contrast sensitivity function can be obtained.

  12. The effect of crystal shape, size and bimodality on the maximum packing and the rheology of crystal bearing magma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moitra, Pranabendu; Gonnermann, Helge

    2014-05-01

    Magma often contains crystals of various shapes and sizes. We present experimental results on the effect of the shape- and size-distribution of solid particles on the rheological properties of solid-liquid suspensions, which are hydrodynamically analogous to crystal-bearing magmas. The suspensions were comprised of either a single particle shape and size (unimodal) or a mixture of two different particle shapes and sizes (bimodal). For each type of suspension we characterized the dry maximum packing fraction of the particle mixture using the tap density method. We then systematically varied the total volume fraction of particles in the suspension, as well as the relative proportion of the two different particle types in the bimodal suspensions. For each of the resultant mixtures (suspensions) we performed controlled shear stress experiments using a rotational rheometer in parallel-plate geometry spanning 4 orders of magnitude in shear stress. The resultant data curves of shear stress as a function of shear rate were fitted using a Herschel-Bulkley rheological model. We find that the dry maximum packing decreases with increasing particle aspect ratio (ar) and decreasing particle size ratio (Λ). The highest dry maximum packing was obtained at 60-75% volume of larger particles for bimodal spherical particle mixture. Normalized consistency, Kr, defined as the ratio of the consistency of the suspension and the viscosity of the suspending liquid, was fitted using a Krieger-Dougherty model as a function of the total solid volume fraction (φ). The maximum packing fractions (φm) obtained from the shear experimental data fitting of the unimodal suspensions were similar in magnitude with the dry maximum packing fractions of the unimodal particles. Subsequently, we used the dry maximum packing fractions of the bimodal particle mixtures to fit Kr as a function of φ for the bimodal suspensions. We find that Kr increases rapidly for suspensions with larger ar and smaller

  13. Development of Maximum Considered Earthquake Ground Motion Maps

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Leyendecker, E.V.; Hunt, R.J.; Frankel, A.D.; Rukstales, K.S.

    2000-01-01

    The 1997 NEHRP Recommended Provisions for Seismic Regulations for New Buildings use a design procedure that is based on spectral response acceleration rather than the traditional peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, or zone factors. The spectral response accelerations are obtained from maps prepared following the recommendations of the Building Seismic Safety Council's (BSSC) Seismic Design Procedures Group (SDPG). The SDPG-recommended maps, the Maximum Considered Earthquake (MCE) Ground Motion Maps, are based on the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) probabilistic hazard maps with additional modifications incorporating deterministic ground motions in selected areas and the application of engineering judgement. The MCE ground motion maps included with the 1997 NEHRP Provisions also serve as the basis for the ground motion maps used in the seismic design portions of the 2000 International Building Code and the 2000 International Residential Code. Additionally the design maps prepared for the 1997 NEHRP Provisions, combined with selected USGS probabilistic maps, are used with the 1997 NEHRP Guidelines for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings.

  14. Reduced oxygen at high altitude limits maximum size.

    PubMed

    Peck, L S; Chapelle, G

    2003-11-07

    The trend towards large size in marine animals with latitude, and the existence of giant marine species in polar regions have long been recognized, but remained enigmatic until a recent study showed it to be an effect of increased oxygen availability in sea water of a low temperature. The effect was apparent in data from 12 sites worldwide because of variations in water oxygen content controlled by differences in temperature and salinity. Another major physical factor affecting oxygen content in aquatic environments is reduced pressure at high altitude. Suitable data from high-altitude sites are very scarce. However, an exceptionally rich crustacean collection, which remains largely undescribed, was obtained by the British 1937 expedition from Lake Titicaca on the border between Peru and Bolivia in the Andes at an altitude of 3809 m. We show that in Lake Titicaca the maximum length of amphipods is 2-4 times smaller than other low-salinity sites (Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal).

  15. Reduced oxygen at high altitude limits maximum size.

    PubMed Central

    Peck, L S; Chapelle, G

    2003-01-01

    The trend towards large size in marine animals with latitude, and the existence of giant marine species in polar regions have long been recognized, but remained enigmatic until a recent study showed it to be an effect of increased oxygen availability in sea water of a low temperature. The effect was apparent in data from 12 sites worldwide because of variations in water oxygen content controlled by differences in temperature and salinity. Another major physical factor affecting oxygen content in aquatic environments is reduced pressure at high altitude. Suitable data from high-altitude sites are very scarce. However, an exceptionally rich crustacean collection, which remains largely undescribed, was obtained by the British 1937 expedition from Lake Titicaca on the border between Peru and Bolivia in the Andes at an altitude of 3809 m. We show that in Lake Titicaca the maximum length of amphipods is 2-4 times smaller than other low-salinity sites (Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal). PMID:14667371

  16. Optimization of multi-element airfoils for maximum lift

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Olsen, L. E.

    1979-01-01

    Two theoretical methods are presented for optimizing multi-element airfoils to obtain maximum lift. The analyses assume that the shapes of the various high lift elements are fixed. The objective of the design procedures is then to determine the optimum location and/or deflection of the leading and trailing edge devices. The first analysis determines the optimum horizontal and vertical location and the deflection of a leading edge slat. The structure of the flow field is calculated by iteratively coupling potential flow and boundary layer analysis. This design procedure does not require that flow separation effects be modeled. The second analysis determines the slat and flap deflection required to maximize the lift of a three element airfoil. This approach requires that the effects of flow separation from one or more of the airfoil elements be taken into account. The theoretical results are in good agreement with results of a wind tunnel test used to corroborate the predicted optimum slat and flap positions.

  17. Ultrahigh sensitivity and layer-dependent sensing performance of phosphorene-based gas sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, Shumao; Pu, Haihui; Wells, Spencer A.; Wen, Zhenhai; Mao, Shun; Chang, Jingbo; Hersam, Mark C.; Chen, Junhong

    2015-10-01

    Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have attracted significant attention for device applications because of their unique structures and outstanding properties. Here, a field-effect transistor (FET) sensor device is fabricated based on 2D phosphorene nanosheets (PNSs). The PNS sensor exhibits an ultrahigh sensitivity to NO2 in dry air and the sensitivity is dependent on its thickness. A maximum response is observed for 4.8-nm-thick PNS, with a sensitivity up to 190% at 20 parts per billion (p.p.b.) at room temperature. First-principles calculations combined with the statistical thermodynamics modelling predict that the adsorption density is ~1015 cm-2 for the 4.8-nm-thick PNS when exposed to 20 p.p.b. NO2 at 300 K. Our sensitivity modelling further suggests that the dependence of sensitivity on the PNS thickness is dictated by the band gap for thinner sheets (<10 nm) and by the effective thickness on gas adsorption for thicker sheets (>10 nm).

  18. Highly sensitive magnetic field sensor based on microfiber coupler with magnetic fluid

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

    Luo, Longfeng; Pu, Shengli, E-mail: shlpu@usst.edu.cn; Tang, Jiali

    2015-05-11

    A kind of magnetic field sensor using a microfiber coupler (MFC) surrounded with magnetic fluid (MF) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. As the MFC is strongly sensitive to the surrounding refractive index (RI) and MF's RI is sensitive to magnetic field, the magnetic field sensing function of the proposed structure is realized. Interrogation of magnetic field strength is achieved by measuring the dip wavelength shift and transmission loss change of the transmission spectrum. The experimental results show that the sensitivity of the sensor is wavelength-dependent. The maximum sensitivity of 191.8 pm/Oe is achieved at wavelength of around 1537 nm in this work.more » In addition, a sensitivity of −0.037 dB/Oe is achieved by monitoring variation of the fringe visibility. These suggest the potential applications of the proposed structure in tunable all-in-fiber photonic devices such as magneto-optical modulator, filter, and sensing.« less

  19. Coupled resonator optical waveguide sensors: sensitivity and the role of slow light

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Terrel, Matthew A.; Digonnet, Michel J. F.; Fan, Shanhui

    2009-05-01

    We compare the sensitivity of two configurations of coupled resonator optical waveguide (CROW) gyroscopes proposed by others to conventional optical gyroscopes. In both cases, we demonstrate that for equal device footprint and loss, neither of these CROW gyroscopes configurations is more sensitive than its conventional counterpart. In all cases, loss ultimately limits the maximum rotation sensitivity. The fact that light travels more slowly (i.e., with a greater group delay) in a CROW than in a fiber therefore has no effect on sensitivity. The only benefit slow light does have is that it reduces the device length requirement, or equivalently it increases the sensitivity per unit length. However, we show that this improvement is quantitatively the same as in an RFOG. These conclusions are not limited to these two CROW configurations or to rotation sensing, but applicable to any measurand that modifies the phase of the signal(s) traveling in the resonators.

  20. Benchmarking for maximum value.

    PubMed

    Baldwin, Ed

    2009-03-01

    Speaking at the most recent Healthcare Estates conference, Ed Baldwin, of international built asset consultancy EC Harris LLP, examined the role of benchmarking and market-testing--two of the key methods used to evaluate the quality and cost-effectiveness of hard and soft FM services provided under PFI healthcare schemes to ensure they are offering maximum value for money.