Sawja: Static Analysis Workshop for Java

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubert, Laurent; Barré, Nicolas; Besson, Frédéric; Demange, Delphine; Jensen, Thomas; Monfort, Vincent; Pichardie, David; Turpin, Tiphaine

Static analysis is a powerful technique for automatic verification of programs but raises major engineering challenges when developing a full-fledged analyzer for a realistic language such as Java. Efficiency and precision of such a tool rely partly on low level components which only depend on the syntactic structure of the language and therefore should not be redesigned for each implementation of a new static analysis. This paper describes the Sawja library: a static analysis workshop fully compliant with Java 6 which provides OCaml modules for efficiently manipulating Java bytecode programs. We present the main features of the library, including i) efficient functional data-structures for representing a program with implicit sharing and lazy parsing, ii) an intermediate stack-less representation, and iii) fast computation and manipulation of complete programs. We provide experimental evaluations of the different features with respect to time, memory and precision.

Precise structural analysis of α-helical polypeptide by quantum-chemical calculation related to reciprocal side-chain combination of two L-phenylalanine residues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niimura, Subaru; Kurosu, Hiromichi; Shoji, Akira

2010-04-01

To clarify the positive role of side-chain conformation in the stability of protein secondary structure (main-chain conformation), we successfully calculated the optimization structure of a series of well-defined α-helical octadecapeptides composed of two L-phenylalanine (Phe) and 16 L-alanine (Ala) residues, based on the molecular orbital calculation with density functional theory (DFT/B3LYP/6-31G(d)). From the total energy calculation and the precise secondary structural analysis, we found that the conformational stability of the α-helix is closely related to the reciprocal side-chain combinations (such as positional relation and side-chain conformation) of two Phe residues in this system. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the 1H, 13C, 15N and 17O isotropic chemical shifts of each Phe residue depend on the respective side-chain conformations of the Phe residue.

A Scalable Nonuniform Pointer Analysis for Embedded Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venet, Arnaud

2004-01-01

In this paper we present a scalable pointer analysis for embedded applications that is able to distinguish between instances of recursively defined data structures and elements of arrays. The main contribution consists of an efficient yet precise algorithm that can handle multithreaded programs. We first perform an inexpensive flow-sensitive analysis of each function in the program that generates semantic equations describing the effect of the function on the memory graph. These equations bear numerical constraints that describe nonuniform points-to relationships. We then iteratively solve these equations in order to obtain an abstract storage graph that describes the shape of data structures at every point of the program for all possible thread interleavings. We bring experimental evidence that this approach is tractable and precise for real-size embedded applications.

High Precision Prediction of Functional Sites in Protein Structures

PubMed Central

Buturovic, Ljubomir; Wong, Mike; Tang, Grace W.; Altman, Russ B.; Petkovic, Dragutin

2014-01-01

We address the problem of assigning biological function to solved protein structures. Computational tools play a critical role in identifying potential active sites and informing screening decisions for further lab analysis. A critical parameter in the practical application of computational methods is the precision, or positive predictive value. Precision measures the level of confidence the user should have in a particular computed functional assignment. Low precision annotations lead to futile laboratory investigations and waste scarce research resources. In this paper we describe an advanced version of the protein function annotation system FEATURE, which achieved 99% precision and average recall of 95% across 20 representative functional sites. The system uses a Support Vector Machine classifier operating on the microenvironment of physicochemical features around an amino acid. We also compared performance of our method with state-of-the-art sequence-level annotator Pfam in terms of precision, recall and localization. To our knowledge, no other functional site annotator has been rigorously evaluated against these key criteria. The software and predictive models are incorporated into the WebFEATURE service at http://feature.stanford.edu/wf4.0-beta. PMID:24632601

Fully Nonlinear Modeling and Analysis of Precision Membranes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pai, P. Frank; Young, Leyland G.

2003-01-01

High precision membranes are used in many current space applications. This paper presents a fully nonlinear membrane theory with forward and inverse analyses of high precision membrane structures. The fully nonlinear membrane theory is derived from Jaumann strains and stresses, exact coordinate transformations, the concept of local relative displacements, and orthogonal virtual rotations. In this theory, energy and Newtonian formulations are fully correlated, and every structural term can be interpreted in terms of vectors. Fully nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODES) governing the large static deformations of known axisymmetric membranes under known axisymmetric loading (i.e., forward problems) are presented as first-order ODES, and a method for obtaining numerically exact solutions using the multiple shooting procedure is shown. A method for obtaining the undeformed geometry of any axisymmetric membrane with a known inflated geometry and a known internal pressure (i.e., inverse problems) is also derived. Numerical results from forward analysis are verified using results in the literature, and results from inverse analysis are verified using known exact solutions and solutions from the forward analysis. Results show that the membrane theory and the proposed numerical methods for solving nonlinear forward and inverse membrane problems are accurate.

Study on evaluation methods for Rayleigh wave dispersion characteristic

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shi, L.; Tao, X.; Kayen, R.; Shi, H.; Yan, S.

2005-01-01

The evaluation of Rayleigh wave dispersion characteristic is the key step for detecting S-wave velocity structure. By comparing the dispersion curves directly with the spectra analysis of surface waves (SASW) method, rather than comparing the S-wave velocity structure, the validity and precision of microtremor-array method (MAM) can be evaluated more objectively. The results from the China - US joint surface wave investigation in 26 sites in Tangshan, China, show that the MAM has the same precision with SASW method in 83% of the 26 sites. The MAM is valid for Rayleigh wave dispersion characteristic testing and has great application potentiality for site S-wave velocity structure detection.

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

Pritychenko, B.

The precision of double-beta ββ-decay experimental half lives and their uncertainties is reanalyzed. The method of Benford's distributions has been applied to nuclear reaction, structure and decay data sets. First-digit distribution trend for ββ-decay T 2v 1/2 is consistent with large nuclear reaction and structure data sets and provides validation of experimental half-lives. A complementary analysis of the decay uncertainties indicates deficiencies due to small size of statistical samples, and incomplete collection of experimental information. Further experimental and theoretical efforts would lead toward more precise values of-decay half-lives and nuclear matrix elements.

Structural analysis of herpes simplex virus by optical super-resolution imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laine, Romain F.; Albecka, Anna; van de Linde, Sebastian; Rees, Eric J.; Crump, Colin M.; Kaminski, Clemens F.

2015-01-01

Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) is one of the most widespread pathogens among humans. Although the structure of HSV-1 has been extensively investigated, the precise organization of tegument and envelope proteins remains elusive. Here we use super-resolution imaging by direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) in combination with a model-based analysis of single-molecule localization data, to determine the position of protein layers within virus particles. We resolve different protein layers within individual HSV-1 particles using multi-colour dSTORM imaging and discriminate envelope-anchored glycoproteins from tegument proteins, both in purified virions and in virions present in infected cells. Precise characterization of HSV-1 structure was achieved by particle averaging of purified viruses and model-based analysis of the radial distribution of the tegument proteins VP16, VP1/2 and pUL37, and envelope protein gD. From this data, we propose a model of the protein organization inside the tegument.

Manufacturing error sensitivity analysis and optimal design method of cable-network antenna structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zong, Yali; Hu, Naigang; Duan, Baoyan; Yang, Guigeng; Cao, Hongjun; Xu, Wanye

2016-03-01

Inevitable manufacturing errors and inconsistency between assumed and actual boundary conditions can affect the shape precision and cable tensions of a cable-network antenna, and even result in failure of the structure in service. In this paper, an analytical sensitivity analysis method of the shape precision and cable tensions with respect to the parameters carrying uncertainty was studied. Based on the sensitivity analysis, an optimal design procedure was proposed to alleviate the effects of the parameters that carry uncertainty. The validity of the calculated sensitivities is examined by those computed by a finite difference method. Comparison with a traditional design method shows that the presented design procedure can remarkably reduce the influence of the uncertainties on the antenna performance. Moreover, the results suggest that especially slender front net cables, thick tension ties, relatively slender boundary cables and high tension level can improve the ability of cable-network antenna structures to resist the effects of the uncertainties on the antenna performance.

Measurement of whole tire profile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yongyue; Jiao, Wenguang

2010-08-01

In this paper, a precision measuring device is developed for obtaining characteristic curve of tire profile and its geometric parameters. It consists of a laser displacement measurement unit, a closed-loop precision two-dimensional coordinate table, a step motor control system and a fast data acquisition and analysis system. Based on the laser trigonometry, a data map of tire profile and coordinate values of all points can be obtained through corresponding data transformation. This device has a compact structure, a convenient control, a simple hardware circuit design and a high measurement precision. Experimental results indicate that measurement precision can meet the customer accuracy requirement of +/-0.02 mm.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis of calcium ions dissolved in water using filter paper substrates: an ideal internal standard for precision improvement.

PubMed

Choi, Daewoong; Gong, Yongdeuk; Nam, Sang-Ho; Han, Song-Hee; Yoo, Jonghyun; Lee, Yonghoon

2014-01-01

We report an approach for selecting an internal standard to improve the precision of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis for determining calcium (Ca) concentration in water. The dissolved Ca(2+) ions were pre-concentrated on filter paper by evaporating water. The filter paper was dried and analyzed using LIBS. By adding strontium chloride to sample solutions and using a Sr II line at 407.771 nm for the intensity normalization of Ca II lines at 393.366 or 396.847 nm, the analysis precision could be significantly improved. The Ca II and Sr II line intensities were mapped across the filter paper, and they showed a strong positive shot-to-shot correlation with the same spatial distribution on the filter paper surface. We applied this analysis approach for the measurement of Ca(2+) in tap, bottled, and ground water samples. The Ca(2+) concentrations determined using LIBS are in good agreement with those obtained from flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Finally, we suggest a homologous relation of the strongest emission lines of period 4 and 5 elements in groups IA and IIA based on their similar electronic structures. Our results indicate that the LIBS can be effectively applied for liquid analysis at the sub-parts per million level with high precision using a simple drying of liquid solutions on filter paper and the use of the correct internal standard elements with the similar valence electronic structure with respect to the analytes of interest.

Structural health monitoring ultrasonic thickness measurement accuracy and reliability of various time-of-flight calculation methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eason, Thomas J.; Bond, Leonard J.; Lozev, Mark G.

2016-02-01

The accuracy, precision, and reliability of ultrasonic thickness structural health monitoring systems are discussed in-cluding the influence of systematic and environmental factors. To quantify some of these factors, a compression wave ultrasonic thickness structural health monitoring experiment is conducted on a flat calibration block at ambient temperature with forty four thin-film sol-gel transducers and various time-of-flight thickness calculation methods. As an initial calibration, the voltage response signals from each sensor are used to determine the common material velocity as well as the signal offset unique to each calculation method. Next, the measurement precision of the thickness error of each method is determined with a proposed weighted censored relative maximum likelihood analysis technique incorporating the propagation of asymmetric measurement uncertainty. The results are presented as upper and lower confidence limits analogous to the a90/95 terminology used in industry recognized Probability-of-Detection assessments. Future work is proposed to apply the statistical analysis technique to quantify measurement precision of various thickness calculation methods under different environmental conditions such as high temperature, rough back-wall surface, and system degradation with an intended application to monitor naphthenic acid corrosion in oil refineries.

Advanced structural design for precision radial velocity instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldwin, Dan; Szentgyorgyi, Andrew; Barnes, Stuart; Bean, Jacob; Ben-Ami, Sagi; Brennan, Patricia; Budynkiewicz, Jamie; Chun, Moo-Young; Conroy, Charlie; Crane, Jeffrey D.; Epps, Harland; Evans, Ian; Evans, Janet; Foster, Jeff; Frebel, Anna; Gauron, Thomas; Guzman, Dani; Hare, Tyson; Jang, Bi-Ho; Jang, Jeong-Gyun; Jordan, Andres; Kim, Jihun; Kim, Kang-Min; Mendes de Oliveira, Claudia; Lopez-Morales, Mercedes; McCracken, Kenneth; McMuldroch, Stuart; Miller, Joseph; Mueller, Mark; Oh, Jae Sok; Ordway, Mark; Park, Byeong-Gon; Park, Chan; Park, Sung-Joon; Paxson, Charles; Phillips, David; Plummer, David; Podgorski, William; Seifahrt, Andreas; Stark, Daniel; Steiner, Joao; Uomoto, Alan; Walsworth, Ronald; Yu, Young-Sam

2016-07-01

The GMT-Consortium Large Earth Finder (G-CLEF) is an echelle spectrograph with precision radial velocity (PRV) capability that will be a first light instrument for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). G-CLEF has a PRV precision goal of 40 cm/sec (10 cm/s for multiple measurements) to enable detection of Earth-like exoplanets in the habitable zones of sun-like stars1. This precision is a primary driver of G-CLEF's structural design. Extreme stability is necessary to minimize image motions at the CCD detectors. Minute changes in temperature, pressure, and acceleration environments cause structural deformations, inducing image motions which degrade PRV precision. The instrument's structural design will ensure that the PRV goal is achieved under the environments G-CLEF will be subjected to as installed on the GMT azimuth platform, including: Millikelvin (0.001 °K) thermal soaks and gradients 10 millibar changes in ambient pressure Changes in acceleration due to instrument tip/tilt and telescope slewing Carbon fiber/cyanate composite was selected for the optical bench structure in order to meet performance goals. Low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and high stiffness-to-weight are key features of the composite optical bench design. Manufacturability and serviceability of the instrument are also drivers of the design. In this paper, we discuss analyses leading to technical choices made to minimize G-CLEF's sensitivity to changing environments. Finite element analysis (FEA) and image motion sensitivity studies were conducted to determine PRV performance under operational environments. We discuss the design of the optical bench structure to optimize stiffness-to-weight and minimize deformations due to inertial and pressure effects. We also discuss quasi-kinematic mounting of optical elements and assemblies, and optimization of these to ensure minimal image motion under thermal, pressure, and inertial loads expected during PRV observations.

New insights from cluster analysis methods for RNA secondary structure prediction

PubMed Central

Rogers, Emily; Heitsch, Christine

2016-01-01

A widening gap exists between the best practices for RNA secondary structure prediction developed by computational researchers and the methods used in practice by experimentalists. Minimum free energy (MFE) predictions, although broadly used, are outperformed by methods which sample from the Boltzmann distribution and data mine the results. In particular, moving beyond the single structure prediction paradigm yields substantial gains in accuracy. Furthermore, the largest improvements in accuracy and precision come from viewing secondary structures not at the base pair level but at lower granularity/higher abstraction. This suggests that random errors affecting precision and systematic ones affecting accuracy are both reduced by this “fuzzier” view of secondary structures. Thus experimentalists who are willing to adopt a more rigorous, multilayered approach to secondary structure prediction by iterating through these levels of granularity will be much better able to capture fundamental aspects of RNA base pairing. PMID:26971529

Structure and Strength in Causal Induction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffiths, Thomas L.; Tenenbaum, Joshua B.

2005-01-01

We present a framework for the rational analysis of elemental causal induction--learning about the existence of a relationship between a single cause and effect--based upon causal graphical models. This framework makes precise the distinction between causal structure and causal strength: the difference between asking whether a causal relationship…

Item-Level Psychometrics of the Glasgow Outcome Scale: Extended Structured Interviews.

PubMed

Hong, Ickpyo; Li, Chih-Ying; Velozo, Craig A

2016-04-01

The Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOSE) structured interview captures critical components of activities and participation, including home, shopping, work, leisure, and family/friend relationships. Eighty-nine community dwelling adults with mild-moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) were recruited (average = 2.7 year post injury). Nine items of the 19 items were used for the psychometrics analysis purpose. Factor analysis and item-level psychometrics were investigated using the Rasch partial-credit model. Although the principal components analysis of residuals suggests that a single measurement factor dominates the measure, the instrument did not meet the factor analysis criteria. Five items met the rating scale criteria. Eight items fit the Rasch model. The instrument demonstrated low person reliability (0.63), low person strata (2.07), and a slight ceiling effect. The GOSE demonstrated limitations in precisely measuring activities/participation for individuals after TBI. Future studies should examine the impact of the low precision of the GOSE on effect size. © The Author(s) 2016.

Structure-based functional annotation of putative conserved proteins having lyase activity from Haemophilus influenzae.

PubMed

Shahbaaz, Mohd; Ahmad, Faizan; Imtaiyaz Hassan, Md

2015-06-01

Haemophilus influenzae is a small pleomorphic Gram-negative bacteria which causes several chronic diseases, including bacteremia, meningitis, cellulitis, epiglottitis, septic arthritis, pneumonia, and empyema. Here we extensively analyzed the sequenced genome of H. influenzae strain Rd KW20 using protein family databases, protein structure prediction, pathways and genome context methods to assign a precise function to proteins whose functions are unknown. These proteins are termed as hypothetical proteins (HPs), for which no experimental information is available. Function prediction of these proteins would surely be supportive to precisely understand the biochemical pathways and mechanism of pathogenesis of Haemophilus influenzae. During the extensive analysis of H. influenzae genome, we found the presence of eight HPs showing lyase activity. Subsequently, we modeled and analyzed three-dimensional structure of all these HPs to determine their functions more precisely. We found these HPs possess cystathionine-β-synthase, cyclase, carboxymuconolactone decarboxylase, pseudouridine synthase A and C, D-tagatose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase and aminodeoxychorismate lyase-like features, indicating their corresponding functions in the H. influenzae. Lyases are actively involved in the regulation of biosynthesis of various hormones, metabolic pathways, signal transduction, and DNA repair. Lyases are also considered as a key player for various biological processes. These enzymes are critically essential for the survival and pathogenesis of H. influenzae and, therefore, these enzymes may be considered as a potential target for structure-based rational drug design. Our structure-function relationship analysis will be useful to search and design potential lead molecules based on the structure of these lyases, for drug design and discovery.

Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimal Design: As Easy as it Sounds?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Greg; Chainyk, Mike; Schiermeier, John

2004-01-01

The viewgraph presentation examines optimal design for precision, large aperture structures. Discussion focuses on aspects of design optimization, code architecture and current capabilities, and planned activities and collaborative area suggestions. The discussion of design optimization examines design sensitivity analysis; practical considerations; and new analytical environments including finite element-based capability for high-fidelity multidisciplinary analysis, design sensitivity, and optimization. The discussion of code architecture and current capabilities includes basic thermal and structural elements, nonlinear heat transfer solutions and process, and optical modes generation.

Distributed collaborative probabilistic design of multi-failure structure with fluid-structure interaction using fuzzy neural network of regression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Lu-Kai; Wen, Jie; Fei, Cheng-Wei; Bai, Guang-Chen

2018-05-01

To improve the computing efficiency and precision of probabilistic design for multi-failure structure, a distributed collaborative probabilistic design method-based fuzzy neural network of regression (FR) (called as DCFRM) is proposed with the integration of distributed collaborative response surface method and fuzzy neural network regression model. The mathematical model of DCFRM is established and the probabilistic design idea with DCFRM is introduced. The probabilistic analysis of turbine blisk involving multi-failure modes (deformation failure, stress failure and strain failure) was investigated by considering fluid-structure interaction with the proposed method. The distribution characteristics, reliability degree, and sensitivity degree of each failure mode and overall failure mode on turbine blisk are obtained, which provides a useful reference for improving the performance and reliability of aeroengine. Through the comparison of methods shows that the DCFRM reshapes the probability of probabilistic analysis for multi-failure structure and improves the computing efficiency while keeping acceptable computational precision. Moreover, the proposed method offers a useful insight for reliability-based design optimization of multi-failure structure and thereby also enriches the theory and method of mechanical reliability design.

Direction information in multiple object tracking is limited by a graded resource.

PubMed

Horowitz, Todd S; Cohen, Michael A

2010-10-01

Is multiple object tracking (MOT) limited by a fixed set of structures (slots), a limited but divisible resource, or both? Here, we answer this question by measuring the precision of the direction representation for tracked targets. The signature of a limited resource is a decrease in precision as the square root of the tracking load. The signature of fixed slots is a fixed precision. Hybrid models predict a rapid decrease to asymptotic precision. In two experiments, observers tracked moving disks and reported target motion direction by adjusting a probe arrow. We derived the precision of representation of correctly tracked targets using a mixture distribution analysis. Precision declined with target load according to the square-root law up to six targets. This finding is inconsistent with both pure and hybrid slot models. Instead, directional information in MOT appears to be limited by a continuously divisible resource.

Accurate determination of the fine-structure intervals in the 3P ground states of C-13 and C-12 by far-infrared laser magnetic resonance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooksy, A. L.; Saykally, R. J.; Brown, J. M.; Evenson, K. M.

1986-01-01

Accurate values are presented for the fine-structure intervals in the 3P ground state of neutral atomic C-12 and C-13 as obtained from laser magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The rigorous analysis of C-13 hyperfine structure, the measurement of resonant fields for C-12 transitions at several additional far-infrared laser frequencies, and the increased precision of the C-12 measurements, permit significant improvement in the evaluation of these energies relative to earlier work. These results will expedite the direct and precise measurement of these transitions in interstellar sources and should assist in the determination of the interstellar C-12/C-13 abundance ratio.

Examination of the item structure of the Alberta infant motor scale.

PubMed

Liao, Pai-Jun M; Campbell, Suzann K

2004-01-01

The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) is a screening tool for identifying delayed motor development from birth to 18 months of age. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric structure of the AIMS, including the hierarchical scale of items and the precision for measuring infant ability at different ages. Ninety-seven infants with varying degrees of risk of developmental disability were recruited from three hospitals or from the community in the Chicago metropolitan area. Infants were tested on the AIMS at three, six, nine, and 12 months of age. The hierarchical structure and the range and distribution of item difficulty on the AIMS were analyzed using Rasch psychometric analysis. The Rasch analysis confirmed that items for each of the four testing positions (supine, prone, sitting, and standing) were arranged in increasing order of difficulty, but a ceiling effect was present. Gaps exist at six ability levels, indicating low precision of measurement for differentiating among infants after about nine months of age. The AIMS shows a ceiling effect, measures infant ability best from three to nine months of age, and has few items available for discriminating among infants after they pass the controlled lowering through standing item. Clinical impressions should be drawn with caution at ages when the precision of measurement is low.

Increased reliability of nuclear magnetic resonance protein structures by consensus structure bundles.

PubMed

Buchner, Lena; Güntert, Peter

2015-02-03

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structures are represented by bundles of conformers calculated from different randomized initial structures using identical experimental input data. The spread among these conformers indicates the precision of the atomic coordinates. However, there is as yet no reliable measure of structural accuracy, i.e., how close NMR conformers are to the "true" structure. Instead, the precision of structure bundles is widely (mis)interpreted as a measure of structural quality. Attempts to increase precision often overestimate accuracy by tight bundles of high precision but much lower accuracy. To overcome this problem, we introduce a protocol for NMR structure determination with the software package CYANA, which produces, like the traditional method, bundles of conformers in agreement with a common set of conformational restraints but with a realistic precision that is, throughout a variety of proteins and NMR data sets, a much better estimate of structural accuracy than the precision of conventional structure bundles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toward smart aerospace structures: design of a piezoelectric sensor and its analog interface for flaw detection.

PubMed

Boukabache, Hamza; Escriba, Christophe; Fourniols, Jean-Yves

2014-10-31

Structural health monitoring using noninvasive methods is one of the major challenges that aerospace manufacturers face in this decade. Our work in this field focuses on the development and the system integration of millimetric piezoelectric sensors/ actuators to generate and measure specific guided waves. The aim of the application is to detect mechanical flaws on complex composite and alloy structures to quantify efficiently the global structures' reliability. The study begins by a physical and analytical analysis of a piezoelectric patch. To preserve the structure's integrity, the transducers are directly pasted onto the surface which leads to a critical issue concerning the interfacing layer. In order to improve the reliability and mitigate the influence of the interfacing layer, the global equations of piezoelectricity are coupled with a load transfer model. Thus we can determine precisely the shear strain developed on the surface of the structure. To exploit the generated signal, a high precision analog charge amplifier coupled to a double T notch filter were designed and scaled. Finally, a novel joined time-frequency analysis based on a wavelet decomposition algorithm is used to extract relevant structures signatures. Finally, this paper provides examples of application on aircraft structure specimens and the feasibility of the system is thus demonstrated.

Toward Smart Aerospace Structures: Design of a Piezoelectric Sensor and Its Analog Interface for Flaw Detection

PubMed Central

Boukabache, Hamza; Escriba, Christophe; Fourniols, Jean-Yves

2014-01-01

Structural health monitoring using noninvasive methods is one of the major challenges that aerospace manufacturers face in this decade. Our work in this field focuses on the development and the system integration of millimetric piezoelectric sensors/ actuators to generate and measure specific guided waves. The aim of the application is to detect mechanical flaws on complex composite and alloy structures to quantify efficiently the global structures' reliability. The study begins by a physical and analytical analysis of a piezoelectric patch. To preserve the structure's integrity, the transducers are directly pasted onto the surface which leads to a critical issue concerning the interfacing layer. In order to improve the reliability and mitigate the influence of the interfacing layer, the global equations of piezoelectricity are coupled with a load transfer model. Thus we can determine precisely the shear strain developed on the surface of the structure. To exploit the generated signal, a high precision analog charge amplifier coupled to a double T notch filter were designed and scaled. Finally, a novel joined time-frequency analysis based on a wavelet decomposition algorithm is used to extract relevant structures signatures. Finally, this paper provides examples of application on aircraft structure specimens and the feasibility of the system is thus demonstrated. PMID:25365457

HiCTMap: Detection and analysis of chromosome territory structure and position by high-throughput imaging.

PubMed

Jowhar, Ziad; Gudla, Prabhakar R; Shachar, Sigal; Wangsa, Darawalee; Russ, Jill L; Pegoraro, Gianluca; Ried, Thomas; Raznahan, Armin; Misteli, Tom

2018-06-01

The spatial organization of chromosomes in the nuclear space is an extensively studied field that relies on measurements of structural features and 3D positions of chromosomes with high precision and robustness. However, no tools are currently available to image and analyze chromosome territories in a high-throughput format. Here, we have developed High-throughput Chromosome Territory Mapping (HiCTMap), a method for the robust and rapid analysis of 2D and 3D chromosome territory positioning in mammalian cells. HiCTMap is a high-throughput imaging-based chromosome detection method which enables routine analysis of chromosome structure and nuclear position. Using an optimized FISH staining protocol in a 384-well plate format in conjunction with a bespoke automated image analysis workflow, HiCTMap faithfully detects chromosome territories and their position in 2D and 3D in a large population of cells per experimental condition. We apply this novel technique to visualize chromosomes 18, X, and Y in male and female primary human skin fibroblasts, and show accurate detection of the correct number of chromosomes in the respective genotypes. Given the ability to visualize and quantitatively analyze large numbers of nuclei, we use HiCTMap to measure chromosome territory area and volume with high precision and determine the radial position of chromosome territories using either centroid or equidistant-shell analysis. The HiCTMap protocol is also compatible with RNA FISH as demonstrated by simultaneous labeling of X chromosomes and Xist RNA in female cells. We suggest HiCTMap will be a useful tool for routine precision mapping of chromosome territories in a wide range of cell types and tissues. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Spacecraft Alignment Determination and Control for Dual Spacecraft Precision Formation Flying

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calhoun, Philip; Novo-Gradac, Anne-Marie; Shah, Neerav

2017-01-01

Many proposed formation flying missions seek to advance the state of the art in spacecraft science imaging by utilizing precision dual spacecraft formation flying to enable a virtual space telescope. Using precision dual spacecraft alignment, very long focal lengths can be achieved by locating the optics on one spacecraft and the detector on the other. Proposed science missions include astrophysics concepts with spacecraft separations from 1000 km to 25,000 km, such as the Milli-Arc-Second Structure Imager (MASSIM) and the New Worlds Observer, and Heliophysics concepts for solar coronagraphs and X-ray imaging with smaller separations (50m-500m). All of these proposed missions require advances in guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) for precision formation flying. In particular, very precise astrometric alignment control and estimation is required for precise inertial pointing of the virtual space telescope to enable science imaging orders of magnitude better than can be achieved with conventional single spacecraft instruments. This work develops design architectures, algorithms, and performance analysis of proposed GNC systems for precision dual spacecraft astrometric alignment. These systems employ a variety of GNC sensors and actuators, including laser-based alignment and ranging systems, optical imaging sensors (e.g. guide star telescope), inertial measurement units (IMU), as well as microthruster and precision stabilized platforms. A comprehensive GNC performance analysis is given for Heliophysics dual spacecraft PFF imaging mission concept.

Spacecraft Alignment Determination and Control for Dual Spacecraft Precision Formation Flying

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calhoun, Philip C.; Novo-Gradac, Anne-Marie; Shah, Neerav

2017-01-01

Many proposed formation flying missions seek to advance the state of the art in spacecraft science imaging by utilizing precision dual spacecraft formation flying to enable a virtual space telescope. Using precision dual spacecraft alignment, very long focal lengths can be achieved by locating the optics on one spacecraft and the detector on the other. Proposed science missions include astrophysics concepts with spacecraft separations from 1000 km to 25,000 km, such as the Milli-Arc-Second Structure Imager (MASSIM) and the New Worlds Observer, and Heliophysics concepts for solar coronagraphs and X-ray imaging with smaller separations (50m 500m). All of these proposed missions require advances in guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) for precision formation flying. In particular, very precise astrometric alignment control and estimation is required for precise inertial pointing of the virtual space telescope to enable science imaging orders of magnitude better than can be achieved with conventional single spacecraft instruments. This work develops design architectures, algorithms, and performance analysis of proposed GNC systems for precision dual spacecraft astrometric alignment. These systems employ a variety of GNC sensors and actuators, including laser-based alignment and ranging systems, optical imaging sensors (e.g. guide star telescope), inertial measurement units (IMU), as well as micro-thruster and precision stabilized platforms. A comprehensive GNC performance analysis is given for Heliophysics dual spacecraft PFF imaging mission concept.

Design Through Manufacturing: The Solid Model-Finite Element Analysis Interface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, Carol

2002-01-01

State-of-the-art computer aided design (CAD) presently affords engineers the opportunity to create solid models of machine parts reflecting every detail of the finished product. Ideally, in the aerospace industry, these models should fulfill two very important functions: (1) provide numerical. control information for automated manufacturing of precision parts, and (2) enable analysts to easily evaluate the stress levels (using finite element analysis - FEA) for all structurally significant parts used in aircraft and space vehicles. Today's state-of-the-art CAD programs perform function (1) very well, providing an excellent model for precision manufacturing. But they do not provide a straightforward and simple means of automating the translation from CAD to FEA models, especially for aircraft-type structures. Presently, the process of preparing CAD models for FEA consumes a great deal of the analyst's time.

On an Additive Semigraphoid Model for Statistical Networks With Application to Pathway Analysis.

PubMed

Li, Bing; Chun, Hyonho; Zhao, Hongyu

2014-09-01

We introduce a nonparametric method for estimating non-gaussian graphical models based on a new statistical relation called additive conditional independence, which is a three-way relation among random vectors that resembles the logical structure of conditional independence. Additive conditional independence allows us to use one-dimensional kernel regardless of the dimension of the graph, which not only avoids the curse of dimensionality but also simplifies computation. It also gives rise to a parallel structure to the gaussian graphical model that replaces the precision matrix by an additive precision operator. The estimators derived from additive conditional independence cover the recently introduced nonparanormal graphical model as a special case, but outperform it when the gaussian copula assumption is violated. We compare the new method with existing ones by simulations and in genetic pathway analysis.

Numerical simulation of deformation and figure quality of precise mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vit, Tomáš; Melich, Radek; Sandri, Paolo

2015-01-01

The presented paper shows results and a comparison of FEM numerical simulations and optical tests of the assembly of a precise Zerodur mirror with a mounting structure for space applications. It also shows how the curing of adhesive film can impact the optical surface, especially as regards deformations. Finally, the paper shows the results of the figure quality analysis, which are based on data from FEM simulation of optical surface deformations.

Assembling Precise Truss Structures With Minimal Stresses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sword, Lee F.

1996-01-01

Improved method of assembling precise truss structures involves use of simple devices. Tapered pins that fit in tapered holes indicate deviations from prescribed lengths. Method both helps to ensure precision of finished structures and minimizes residual stresses within structures.

[Primary branch size of Pinus koraiensis plantation: a prediction based on linear mixed effect model].

PubMed

Dong, Ling-Bo; Liu, Zhao-Gang; Li, Feng-Ri; Jiang, Li-Chun

2013-09-01

By using the branch analysis data of 955 standard branches from 60 sampled trees in 12 sampling plots of Pinus koraiensis plantation in Mengjiagang Forest Farm in Heilongjiang Province of Northeast China, and based on the linear mixed-effect model theory and methods, the models for predicting branch variables, including primary branch diameter, length, and angle, were developed. Considering tree effect, the MIXED module of SAS software was used to fit the prediction models. The results indicated that the fitting precision of the models could be improved by choosing appropriate random-effect parameters and variance-covariance structure. Then, the correlation structures including complex symmetry structure (CS), first-order autoregressive structure [AR(1)], and first-order autoregressive and moving average structure [ARMA(1,1)] were added to the optimal branch size mixed-effect model. The AR(1) improved the fitting precision of branch diameter and length mixed-effect model significantly, but all the three structures didn't improve the precision of branch angle mixed-effect model. In order to describe the heteroscedasticity during building mixed-effect model, the CF1 and CF2 functions were added to the branch mixed-effect model. CF1 function improved the fitting effect of branch angle mixed model significantly, whereas CF2 function improved the fitting effect of branch diameter and length mixed model significantly. Model validation confirmed that the mixed-effect model could improve the precision of prediction, as compare to the traditional regression model for the branch size prediction of Pinus koraiensis plantation.

Modeling and analysis of the DSS-14 antenna control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gawronski, W.; Bartos, R.

1996-01-01

An improvement of pointing precision of the DSS-14 antenna is planned for the near future. In order to analyze the improvement limits and to design new controllers, a precise model of the antenna and the servo is developed, including a finite element model of the antenna structure and detailed models of the hydraulic drives and electronic parts. The DSS-14 antenna control system has two modes of operation: computer mode and precision mode. The principal goal of this investigation is to develop the model of the computer mode and to evaluate its performance. The DSS-14 antenna computer model consists of the antenna structure and drives in azimuth and elevation. For this model, the position servo loop is derived, and simulations of the closed-loop antenna dynamics are presented. The model is significantly different from that for the 34-m beam-waveguide antennas.

High Precision Thermal, Structural and Optical Analysis of an External Occulter Using a Common Model and the General Purpose Multi-Physics Analysis Tool Cielo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoff, Claus; Cady, Eric; Chainyk, Mike; Kissil, Andrew; Levine, Marie; Moore, Greg

2011-01-01

The efficient simulation of multidisciplinary thermo-opto-mechanical effects in precision deployable systems has for years been limited by numerical toolsets that do not necessarily share the same finite element basis, level of mesh discretization, data formats, or compute platforms. Cielo, a general purpose integrated modeling tool funded by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Exoplanet Exploration Program, addresses shortcomings in the current state of the art via features that enable the use of a single, common model for thermal, structural and optical aberration analysis, producing results of greater accuracy, without the need for results interpolation or mapping. This paper will highlight some of these advances, and will demonstrate them within the context of detailed external occulter analyses, focusing on in-plane deformations of the petal edges for both steady-state and transient conditions, with subsequent optical performance metrics including intensity distributions at the pupil and image plane.

The structure of the proton in the LHC precision era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Jun; Harland-Lang, Lucian; Rojo, Juan

2018-05-01

We review recent progress in the determination of the parton distribution functions (PDFs) of the proton, with emphasis on the applications for precision phenomenology at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). First of all, we introduce the general theoretical framework underlying the global QCD analysis of the quark and gluon internal structure of protons. We then present a detailed overview of the hard-scattering measurements, and the corresponding theory predictions, that are used in state-of-the-art PDF fits. We emphasize here the role that higher-order QCD and electroweak corrections play in the description of recent high-precision collider data. We present the methodology used to extract PDFs in global analyses, including the PDF parametrization strategy and the definition and propagation of PDF uncertainties. Then we review and compare the most recent releases from the various PDF fitting collaborations, highlighting their differences and similarities. We discuss the role that QED corrections and photon-initiated contributions play in modern PDF analysis. We provide representative examples of the implications of PDF fits for high-precision LHC phenomenological applications, such as Higgs coupling measurements and searches for high-mass New Physics resonances. We conclude this report by discussing some selected topics relevant for the future of PDF determinations, including the treatment of theoretical uncertainties, the connection with lattice QCD calculations, and the role of PDFs at future high-energy colliders beyond the LHC.

Single particle maximum likelihood reconstruction from superresolution microscopy images

PubMed Central

Verdier, Timothée; Gunzenhauser, Julia; Manley, Suliana; Castelnovo, Martin

2017-01-01

Point localization superresolution microscopy enables fluorescently tagged molecules to be imaged beyond the optical diffraction limit, reaching single molecule localization precisions down to a few nanometers. For small objects whose sizes are few times this precision, localization uncertainty prevents the straightforward extraction of a structural model from the reconstructed images. We demonstrate in the present work that this limitation can be overcome at the single particle level, requiring no particle averaging, by using a maximum likelihood reconstruction (MLR) method perfectly suited to the stochastic nature of such superresolution imaging. We validate this method by extracting structural information from both simulated and experimental PALM data of immature virus-like particles of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1). MLR allows us to measure the radii of individual viruses with precision of a few nanometers and confirms the incomplete closure of the viral protein lattice. The quantitative results of our analysis are consistent with previous cryoelectron microscopy characterizations. Our study establishes the framework for a method that can be broadly applied to PALM data to determine the structural parameters for an existing structural model, and is particularly well suited to heterogeneous features due to its single particle implementation. PMID:28253349

Structural Analysis and Testing of an Erectable Truss for Precision Segmented Reflector Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collins, Timothy J.; Fichter, W. B.; Adams, Richard R.; Javeed, Mehzad

1995-01-01

This paper describes analysis and test results obtained at Langley Research Center (LaRC) on a doubly curved testbed support truss for precision reflector applications. Descriptions of test procedures and experimental results that expand upon previous investigations are presented. A brief description of the truss is given, and finite-element-analysis models are described. Static-load and vibration test procedures are discussed, and experimental results are shown to be repeatable and in generally good agreement with linear finite-element predictions. Truss structural performance (as determined by static deflection and vibration testing) is shown to be predictable and very close to linear. Vibration test results presented herein confirm that an anomalous mode observed during initial testing was due to the flexibility of the truss support system. Photogrammetric surveys with two 131-in. reference scales show that the root-mean-square (rms) truss-surface accuracy is about 0.0025 in. Photogrammetric measurements also indicate that the truss coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) is in good agreement with that predicted by analysis. A detailed description of the photogrammetric procedures is included as an appendix.

Ion microprobe measurement of strontium isotopes in calcium carbonate with application to salmon otoliths

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weber, P.K.; Bacon, C.R.; Hutcheon, I.D.; Ingram, B.L.; Wooden, J.L.

2005-01-01

The ion microprobe has the capability to generate high resolution, high precision isotopic measurements, but analysis of the isotopic composition of strontium, as measured by the 87Sr/ 86Sr ratio, has been hindered by isobaric interferences. Here we report the first high precision measurements of 87Sr/ 86Sr by ion microprobe in calcium carbonate samples with moderate Sr concentrations. We use the high mass resolving power (7000 to 9000 M.R.P.) of the SHRIMP-RG ion microprobe in combination with its high transmission to reduce the number of interfering species while maintaining sufficiently high count rates for precise isotopic measurements. The isobaric interferences are characterized by peak modeling and repeated analyses of standards. We demonstrate that by sample-standard bracketing, 87Sr/86Sr ratios can be measured in inorganic and biogenic carbonates with Sr concentrations between 400 and 1500 ppm with ???2??? external precision (2??) for a single analysis, and subpermil external precision with repeated analyses. Explicit correction for isobaric interferences (peak-stripping) is found to be less accurate and precise than sample-standard bracketing. Spatial resolution is ???25 ??m laterally and 2 ??m deep for a single analysis, consuming on the order of 2 ng of material. The method is tested on otoliths from salmon to demonstrate its accuracy and utility. In these growth-banded aragonitic structures, one-week temporal resolution can be achieved. The analytical method should be applicable to other calcium carbonate samples with similar Sr concentrations. Copyright ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd.

Precision digital control systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vyskub, V. G.; Rozov, B. S.; Savelev, V. I.

This book is concerned with the characteristics of digital control systems of great accuracy. A classification of such systems is considered along with aspects of stabilization, programmable control applications, digital tracking systems and servomechanisms, and precision systems for the control of a scanning laser beam. Other topics explored are related to systems of proportional control, linear devices and methods for increasing precision, approaches for further decreasing the response time in the case of high-speed operation, possibilities for the implementation of a logical control law, and methods for the study of precision digital control systems. A description is presented of precision automatic control systems which make use of electronic computers, taking into account the existing possibilities for an employment of computers in automatic control systems, approaches and studies required for including a computer in such control systems, and an analysis of the structure of automatic control systems with computers. Attention is also given to functional blocks in the considered systems.

A transmission Kikuchi diffraction study of cementite in a quenched and tempered steel

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

Saleh, Ahmed A., E-mail: asaleh@uow.edu.au; Casillas, Gilberto; Pereloma, Elena V.

2016-04-15

This is the first transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) study to report the indexing of nano-sized cementite as distinct structures and its orientation relationship with the body-centered cubic matrix in a quenched and tempered steel. Crystallographic analysis via TKD and selected area diffraction returned the well-known Bagaryatskii and Isaichev orientation relationships. However, the indexing of nano-sized cementite via TKD was sensitive to the thickness of the electron transparent region such that TEM remains the most precise method to characterise such precipitates. - Highlights: • Nano-sized cementite in a QT steel has been investigated by TKD and TEM. • Cementite has beenmore » indexed as distinct structures via TKD. • Crystallographic analysis returned the Bagaryatskii and Isaichev ORs. • Success of TKD is sensitive to the thickness of the electron transparent region. • TEM remains the most precise technique to characterise nano-sized precipitates.« less

The Rényi divergence enables accurate and precise cluster analysis for localisation microscopy.

PubMed

Staszowska, Adela D; Fox-Roberts, Patrick; Hirvonen, Liisa M; Peddie, Christopher J; Collinson, Lucy M; Jones, Gareth E; Cox, Susan

2018-06-01

Clustering analysis is a key technique for quantitatively characterising structures in localisation microscopy images. To build up accurate information about biological structures, it is critical that the quantification is both accurate (close to the ground truth) and precise (has small scatter and is reproducible). Here we describe how the Rényi divergence can be used for cluster radius measurements in localisation microscopy data. We demonstrate that the Rényi divergence can operate with high levels of background and provides results which are more accurate than Ripley's functions, Voronoi tesselation or DBSCAN. Data supporting this research will be made accessible via a web link. Software codes developed for this work can be accessed via http://coxphysics.com/Renyi_divergence_software.zip. Implemented in C ++. Correspondence and requests for materials can be also addressed to the corresponding author. adela.staszowska@gmail.com or susan.cox@kcl.ac.uk. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Precise Geolocation Of Persistent Scatterers Aided And Validated By Lidar DSM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Ling; Dheenathayalan, Prabu; Hanessen, Ramon

2013-12-01

Persistent Scatterers (PS) interferometry results in the de- formation history of time-coherent scatterers. Although several applications focus on smooth, spatially correlated signals, we aim for the detection, identification and analysis of single anomalies. These targets can be indicative of, e.g., strain in structures, potentially leading to the failure of such structures. For the identification and analysis it is of the greatest importance to know the exact position of the effective scattering center, to avoid an improper interpretation of the driving mechanism. Here we present an approach to optimize the geolocation of important scatterers, when necessary aided by an a priori Lidar-derived DSM (AHN-1 data) with 15cm and 5m resolution in vertical and horizontal directions, respectively. The DSM is also used to validate the geocoding. We implement our approach on a near-collapse event of a shopping mall in Heerlen, the Netherlands, to generate the precise geolocation of local PS points.

Design and Analysis of a Compact Precision Positioning Platform Integrating Strain Gauges and the Piezoactuator

PubMed Central

Huang, Hu; Zhao, Hongwei; Yang, Zhaojun; Fan, Zunqiang; Wan, Shunguang; Shi, Chengli; Ma, Zhichao

2012-01-01

Miniaturization precision positioning platforms are needed for in situ nanomechanical test applications. This paper proposes a compact precision positioning platform integrating strain gauges and the piezoactuator. Effects of geometric parameters of two parallel plates on Von Mises stress distribution as well as static and dynamic characteristics of the platform were studied by the finite element method. Results of the calibration experiment indicate that the strain gauge sensor has good linearity and its sensitivity is about 0.0468 mV/μm. A closed-loop control system was established to solve the problem of nonlinearity of the platform. Experimental results demonstrate that for the displacement control process, both the displacement increasing portion and the decreasing portion have good linearity, verifying that the control system is available. The developed platform has a compact structure but can realize displacement measurement with the embedded strain gauges, which is useful for the closed-loop control and structure miniaturization of piezo devices. It has potential applications in nanoindentation and nanoscratch tests, especially in the field of in situ nanomechanical testing which requires compact structures. PMID:23012566

High-throughput spectral and lifetime-based FRET screening in living cells to identify small-molecule effectors of SERCA

PubMed Central

Schaaf, Tory M.; Peterson, Kurt C.; Grant, Benjamin D.; Bawaskar, Prachi; Yuen, Samantha; Li, Ji; Muretta, Joseph M.; Gillispie, Gregory D.; Thomas, David D.

2017-01-01

A robust high-throughput screening (HTS) strategy has been developed to discover small-molecule effectors targeting the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA), based on a fluorescence microplate reader that records both the nanosecond decay waveform (lifetime mode) and the complete emission spectrum (spectral mode), with high precision and speed. This spectral unmixing plate reader (SUPR) was used to screen libraries of small molecules with a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensor expressed in living cells. Ligand binding was detected by FRET associated with structural rearrangements of green (GFP, donor) and red (RFP, acceptor) fluorescent proteins fused to the cardiac-specific SERCA2a isoform. The results demonstrate accurate quantitation of FRET along with high precision of hit identification. Fluorescence lifetime analysis resolved SERCA’s distinct structural states, providing a method to classify small-molecule chemotypes on the basis of their structural effect on the target. The spectral analysis was also applied to flag interference by fluorescent compounds. FRET hits were further evaluated for functional effects on SERCA’s ATPase activity via both a coupled-enzyme assay and a FRET-based calcium sensor. Concentration-response curves indicated excellent correlation between FRET and function. These complementary spectral and lifetime FRET detection methods offer an attractive combination of precision, speed, and resolution for HTS. PMID:27899691

Development of Optical System for ARGO-M

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nah, Jakyoung; Jang, Jung-Guen; Jang, Bi-Ho; Han, In-Woo; Han, Jeong-Yeol; Park, Kwijong; Lim, Hyung-Chul; Yu, Sung-Yeol; Park, Eunseo; Seo, Yoon-Kyung; Moon, Il-Kwon; Choi, Byung-Kyu; Na, Eunjoo; Nam, Uk-Won

2013-03-01

ARGO-M is a satellite laser ranging (SLR) system developed by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute with the consideration of mobility and daytime and nighttime satellite observation. The ARGO-M optical system consists of 40 cm receiving telescope, 10 cm transmitting telescope, and detecting optics. For the development of ARGO-M optical system, the structural analysis was performed with regard to the optics and optomechanics design and the optical components. To ensure the optical performance, the quality was tested at the level of parts using the laser interferometer and ultra-high-precision measuring instruments. The assembly and alignment of ARGO-M optical system were conducted at an auto-collimation facility. As the transmission and reception are separated in the ARGO-M optical system, the pointing alignment between the transmitting telescope and receiving telescope is critical for precise target pointing. Thus, the alignment using the ground target and the radiant point observation of transmitting laser beam was carried out, and the lines of sight for the two telescopes were aligned within the required pointing precision. This paper describes the design, structural analysis, manufacture and assembly of parts, and entire process related with the alignment for the ARGO-M optical system.

Dimensional Precision Research of Wax Molding Rapid Prototyping based on Droplet Injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mingji, Huang; Geng, Wu; yan, Shan

2017-11-01

The traditional casting process is complex, the mold is essential products, mold quality directly affect the quality of the product. With the method of rapid prototyping 3D printing to produce mold prototype. The utility wax model has the advantages of high speed, low cost and complex structure. Using the orthogonal experiment as the main method, analysis each factors of size precision. The purpose is to obtain the optimal process parameters, to improve the dimensional accuracy of production based on droplet injection molding.

Development of High Precision Tsunami Runup Calculation Method Coupled with Structure Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arikawa, Taro; Seki, Katsumi; Chida, Yu; Takagawa, Tomohiro; Shimosako, Kenichiro

2017-04-01

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) has shown that tsunami disasters are not limited to inundation damage in a specified region, but may destroy a wide area, causing a major disaster. Evaluating standing land structures and damage to them requires highly precise evaluation of three-dimensional fluid motion - an expensive process. Our research goals were thus to develop a coupling STOC-CADMAS (Arikawa and Tomita, 2016) coupling with the structure analysis (Arikawa et. al., 2009) to efficiently calculate all stages from tsunami source to runup including the deformation of structures and to verify their applicability. We also investigated the stability of breakwaters at Kamaishi Bay. Fig. 1 shows the whole of this calculation system. The STOC-ML simulator approximates pressure by hydrostatic pressure and calculates the wave profiles based on an equation of continuity, thereby lowering calculation cost, primarily calculating from a e epi center to the shallow region. As a simulator, STOC-IC solves pressure based on a Poisson equation to account for a shallower, more complex topography, but reduces computation cost slightly to calculate the area near a port by setting the water surface based on an equation of continuity. CS3D also solves a Navier-Stokes equation and sets the water surface by VOF to deal with the runup area, with its complex surfaces of overflows and bores. STR solves the structure analysis including the geo analysis based on the Biot's formula. By coupling these, it efficiently calculates the tsunami profile from the propagation to the inundation. The numerical results compared with the physical experiments done by Arikawa et. al.,2012. It was good agreement with the experimental ones. Finally, the system applied to the local situation at Kamaishi bay. The almost breakwaters were washed away, whose situation was similar to the damage at Kamaishi bay. REFERENCES T. Arikawa and T. Tomita (2016): "Development of High Precision Tsunami Runup Calculation Method Based on a Hierarchical Simulation", Journal of Disaster ResearchVol.11 No.4 T. Arikawa, K. Hamaguchi, K. Kitagawa, T. Suzuki (2009): "Development of Numerical Wave Tank Coupled with Structure Analysis Based on FEM", Journal of J.S.C.E., Ser. B2 (Coastal Engineering) Vol. 65, No. 1 T. Arikawa et. al.(2012) "Failure Mechanism of Kamaishi Breakwaters due to the Great East Japan Earthquake Tsunami", 33rd International Conference on Coastal Engineering, No.1191

Control of flexible structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, R. A.

1985-01-01

The requirements for future space missions indicate that many of these spacecraft will be large, flexible, and in some applications, require precision geometries. A technology program that addresses the issues associated with the structure/control interactions for these classes of spacecraft is discussed. The goal of the NASA control of flexible structures technology program is to generate a technology data base that will provide the designer with options and approaches to achieve spacecraft performance such as maintaining geometry and/or suppressing undesired spacecraft dynamics. This technology program will define the appropriate combination of analysis, ground testing, and flight testing required to validate the structural/controls analysis and design tools. This work was motivated by a recognition that large minimum weight space structures will be required for many future missions. The tools necessary to support such design included: (1) improved structural analysis; (2) modern control theory; (3) advanced modeling techniques; (4) system identification; and (5) the integration of structures and controls.

Structural design of morphing trailing edge actuated by SMA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qi; Xu, Zhiwei; Zhu, Qian

2013-09-01

In this paper, the morphing trailing edge is designed to achieve the up and down deflection under the aerodynamic load. After a detailed and accurate computational analysis to determine the SMA specifications and layout programs, a solid model is created in CATIA and the structures of the morphing wing trailing edge are produced by CNC machining. A set of DSP measurement and control system is designed to accomplish the controlling experiment of the morphing wing trailing edge. At last, via the force analysis, the trailing edge is fabricated with four sections of aluminum alloy, and the arrangement scheme of SMA wires is determined. Experiment of precise control integral has been performed to survey the control effect. The experiment consists of deflection angle tests of the third joint and the integral structure. Primarily, the ultimate deflection angle is tested in these two experiments. Therefore, the controlling experiment of different angles could be performed within this range. The results show that the deflection error is less than 4%and response time is less than 6.7 s, the precise controlling of the morphing trailing edge is preliminary realized.

Method of high precision interval measurement in pulse laser ranging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhen; Lv, Xin-yuan; Mao, Jin-jin; Liu, Wei; Yang, Dong

2013-09-01

Laser ranging is suitable for laser system, for it has the advantage of high measuring precision, fast measuring speed,no cooperative targets and strong resistance to electromagnetic interference,the measuremen of laser ranging is the key paremeters affecting the performance of the whole system.The precision of the pulsed laser ranging system was decided by the precision of the time interval measurement, the principle structure of laser ranging system was introduced, and a method of high precision time interval measurement in pulse laser ranging system was established in this paper.Based on the analysis of the factors which affected the precision of range measure,the pulse rising edges discriminator was adopted to produce timing mark for the start-stop time discrimination,and the TDC-GP2 high precision interval measurement system based on TMS320F2812 DSP was designed to improve the measurement precision.Experimental results indicate that the time interval measurement method in this paper can obtain higher range accuracy. Compared with the traditional time interval measurement system,the method simplifies the system design and reduce the influence of bad weather conditions,furthermore,it satisfies the requirements of low costs and miniaturization.

Bayesian operational modal analysis of Jiangyin Yangtze River Bridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brownjohn, James Mark William; Au, Siu-Kui; Zhu, Yichen; Sun, Zhen; Li, Binbin; Bassitt, James; Hudson, Emma; Sun, Hongbin

2018-09-01

Vibration testing of long span bridges is becoming a commissioning requirement, yet such exercises represent the extreme of experimental capability, with challenges for instrumentation (due to frequency range, resolution and km-order separation of sensor) and system identification (because of the extreme low frequencies). The challenge with instrumentation for modal analysis is managing synchronous data acquisition from sensors distributed widely apart inside and outside the structure. The ideal solution is precisely synchronised autonomous recorders that do not need cables, GPS or wireless communication. The challenge with system identification is to maximise the reliability of modal parameters through experimental design and subsequently to identify the parameters in terms of mean values and standard errors. The challenge is particularly severe for modes with low frequency and damping typical of long span bridges. One solution is to apply 'third generation' operational modal analysis procedures using Bayesian approaches in both the planning and analysis stages. The paper presents an exercise on the Jiangyin Yangtze River Bridge, a suspension bridge with a 1385 m main span. The exercise comprised planning of a test campaign to optimise the reliability of operational modal analysis, the deployment of a set of independent data acquisition units synchronised using precision oven controlled crystal oscillators and the subsequent identification of a set of modal parameters in terms of mean and variance errors. Although the bridge has had structural health monitoring technology installed since it was completed, this was the first full modal survey, aimed at identifying important features of the modal behaviour rather than providing fine resolution of mode shapes through the whole structure. Therefore, measurements were made in only the (south) tower, while torsional behaviour was identified by a single measurement using a pair of recorders across the carriageway. The modal survey revealed a first lateral symmetric mode with natural frequency 0.0536 Hz with standard error ±3.6% and damping ratio 4.4% with standard error ±88%. First vertical mode is antisymmetric with frequency 0.11 Hz ± 1.2% and damping ratio 4.9% ± 41%. A significant and novel element of the exercise was planning of the measurement setups and their necessary duration linked to prior estimation of the precision of the frequency and damping estimates. The second novelty is the use of the multi-sensor precision synchronised acquisition without external time reference on a structure of this scale. The challenges of ambient vibration testing and modal identification in a complex environment are addressed leveraging on advances in practical implementation and scientific understanding of the problem.

Spatial distribution, sampling precision and survey design optimisation with non-normal variables: The case of anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) recruitment in Spanish Mediterranean waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tugores, M. Pilar; Iglesias, Magdalena; Oñate, Dolores; Miquel, Joan

2016-02-01

In the Mediterranean Sea, the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) displays a key role in ecological and economical terms. Ensuring stock sustainability requires the provision of crucial information, such as species spatial distribution or unbiased abundance and precision estimates, so that management strategies can be defined (e.g. fishing quotas, temporal closure areas or marine protected areas MPA). Furthermore, the estimation of the precision of global abundance at different sampling intensities can be used for survey design optimisation. Geostatistics provide a priori unbiased estimations of the spatial structure, global abundance and precision for autocorrelated data. However, their application to non-Gaussian data introduces difficulties in the analysis in conjunction with low robustness or unbiasedness. The present study applied intrinsic geostatistics in two dimensions in order to (i) analyse the spatial distribution of anchovy in Spanish Western Mediterranean waters during the species' recruitment season, (ii) produce distribution maps, (iii) estimate global abundance and its precision, (iv) analyse the effect of changing the sampling intensity on the precision of global abundance estimates and, (v) evaluate the effects of several methodological options on the robustness of all the analysed parameters. The results suggested that while the spatial structure was usually non-robust to the tested methodological options when working with the original dataset, it became more robust for the transformed datasets (especially for the log-backtransformed dataset). The global abundance was always highly robust and the global precision was highly or moderately robust to most of the methodological options, except for data transformation.

A spaceborne optical interferometer: The JPL CSI mission focus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laskin, R. A.

1989-08-01

The JPL Control Structure Interaction (CSI) program is part of the larger NASA-wide CSI program. Within this larger context, the JPL CSI program will emphasize technology for systems that demand micron or sub-micron level control, so-called Micro-Precision Controlled Structures (u-PCS). The development of such technology will make it practical to fly missions with large optical or large precision antenna systems. In keeping with the focused nature of the desired technology, the JPL approach is to identify a focus mission, develop the focus mission CSI system design to a preliminary level, and then use this design to drive out requirements for CSI technology development in the design and analysis, ground test bed, and flight experiment areas.

A general natural-language text processor for clinical radiology.

PubMed Central

Friedman, C; Alderson, P O; Austin, J H; Cimino, J J; Johnson, S B

1994-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Development of a general natural-language processor that identifies clinical information in narrative reports and maps that information into a structured representation containing clinical terms. DESIGN: The natural-language processor provides three phases of processing, all of which are driven by different knowledge sources. The first phase performs the parsing. It identifies the structure of the text through use of a grammar that defines semantic patterns and a target form. The second phase, regularization, standardizes the terms in the initial target structure via a compositional mapping of multi-word phrases. The third phase, encoding, maps the terms to a controlled vocabulary. Radiology is the test domain for the processor and the target structure is a formal model for representing clinical information in that domain. MEASUREMENTS: The impression sections of 230 radiology reports were encoded by the processor. Results of an automated query of the resultant database for the occurrences of four diseases were compared with the analysis of a panel of three physicians to determine recall and precision. RESULTS: Without training specific to the four diseases, recall and precision of the system (combined effect of the processor and query generator) were 70% and 87%. Training of the query component increased recall to 85% without changing precision. PMID:7719797

Age estimation of burbot using pectoral fin rays, brachiostegal rays, and otoliths

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klein, Zachary B.; Terrazas, Marc M.; Quist, Michael C.

2014-01-01

Throughout much of its native distribution, burbot (Lota lota) is a species of conservation concern. Understanding dynamic rate functions is critical for the effective management of sensitive burbot populations, which necessitates accurate and precise age estimates. Managing sensitive burbot populations requires an accurate and precise non-lethal alternative. In an effort to identify a non-lethal ageing structure, we compared the precision of age estimates obtained from otoliths, pectoral fin rays, dorsal fin rays and branchiostegal rays from 208 burbot collected from the Green River drainage, Wyoming. Additionally, we compared the accuracy of age estimates from pectoral fin rays, dorsal fin rays and branchiostegal rays to those of otoliths. Dorsal fin rays were immediately deemed a poor ageing structure and removed from further analysis. Age-bias plots of consensus ages derived from branchiostegal rays and pectoral fin rays were appreciably different from those obtained from otoliths. Exact agreement between readers and reader confidence was highest for otoliths and lowest for branchiostegal rays. Age-bias plots indicated that age estimates obtained from branchiostegal rays and pectoral fin rays were substantially different from age estimates obtained from otoliths. Our results indicate that otoliths provide the most precise age estimates for burbot.

A Chemical Approach to Understanding Oxide Surface Structure and Reactivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enterkin, James Andrew

Transmission electron microscopy and diffraction are powerful tools for solving complex structural problems. They complement other analytical techniques, such as x-ray diffraction, elucidating problems which cannot be solved by other techniques. One area where they are of particularly great value is in the determination of surface structures. The research presented herein uses electron microscopy and diffraction as the primary experimental techniques in the development of a chemistry of surface structures. High-resolution electron microscopy revealed that the La4Cu 3MoO12 structure has turbostratic disorder and a lower symmetry space group (Pm) than was previously found. The refinement of the x-ray data was significantly improved by using a disordered model and the Pm space group. A bond valence analysis confirmed that the disordered structure is the superior model. Strontium titanate, SrTiO3, single crystal surfaces were examined principally via transmission electron diffraction. A homologous series with intergrowths was discovered on the (110) surface of strontium titanate, marking the first time that these important concepts of solid state chemistry have been found at the surface. Atmospheric adsorbates, such as H2O and CO2, were found to help to stabilize undercoordinated surface structures on the (100) surface. It was shown that chemical bonding, bond valence, atomic coordination, and stoichiometry greatly influence the development of surface structures. Additionally, such chemistry based analysis was demonstrated to be able to predict surface structure stability and reactivity. Application of a modified Wulff construction to the observed shape of strontium titanate nanocuboids revealed that the surface structure and particle stoichiometry are interlinked, with control over one allowing equally precise control over the other. Platinum nanoparticles on the strontium titanate nanocuboids were shown via high resolution electron microscopy to have cube-on-cube epitaxy, with the shape of the platinum nanoparticles governed by the Winterbottom construction. Precise modification of the support surface will therefore allow engineering of supported metal particles with precise control over which facets are exposed. These results suggest that control over the support surface chemistry can be used to engineer thermodynamically stable, face selective catalysts.

Crystallization-induced emission enhancement: A novel fluorescent Au-Ag bimetallic nanocluster with precise atomic structure

PubMed Central

Chen, Tao; Yang, Sha; Chai, Jinsong; Song, Yongbo; Fan, Jiqiang; Rao, Bo; Sheng, Hongting; Yu, Haizhu; Zhu, Manzhou

2017-01-01

We report the first noble metal nanocluster with a formula of Au4Ag13(DPPM)3(SR)9 exhibiting crystallization-induced emission enhancement (CIEE), where DPPM denotes bis(diphenylphosphino)methane and HSR denotes 2,5-dimethylbenzenethiol. The precise atomic structure is determined by x-ray crystallography. The crystalline state of Au4Ag13 shows strong luminescence at 695 nm, in striking contrast to the weak emission of the amorphous state and hardly any emission in solution phase. The structural analysis and the density functional theory calculations imply that the compact C–H⋯π interactions significantly restrict the intramolecular rotations and vibrations and thus considerably enhance the radiative transitions in the crystalline state. Because the noncovalent interactions can be easily modulated via varying the chemical environments, the CIEE phenomenon might represent a general strategy to amplify the fluorescence from weakly (or even non-) emissive nanoclusters. PMID:28835926

Controls-Structures Interaction (CSI) technology program summary. Earth orbiting platforms program area of the space platforms technology program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newsom, Jerry R.

1991-01-01

Control-Structures Interaction (CSI) technology embraces the understanding of the interaction between the spacecraft structure and the control system, and the creation and validation of concepts, techniques, and tools, for enabling the interdisciplinary design of an integrated structure and control system, rather than the integration of a structural design and a control system design. The goal of this program is to develop validated CSI technology for integrated design/analysis and qualification of large flexible space systems and precision space structures. A description of the CSI technology program is presented.

Automatic computational labeling of glomerular textural boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginley, Brandon; Tomaszewski, John E.; Sarder, Pinaki

2017-03-01

The glomerulus, a specialized bundle of capillaries, is the blood filtering unit of the kidney. Each human kidney contains about 1 million glomeruli. Structural damages in the glomerular micro-compartments give rise to several renal conditions; most severe of which is proteinuria, where excessive blood proteins flow freely to the urine. The sole way to confirm glomerular structural damage in renal pathology is by examining histopathological or immunofluorescence stained needle biopsies under a light microscope. However, this method is extremely tedious and time consuming, and requires manual scoring on the number and volume of structures. Computational quantification of equivalent features promises to greatly ease this manual burden. The largest obstacle to computational quantification of renal tissue is the ability to recognize complex glomerular textural boundaries automatically. Here we present a computational pipeline to accurately identify glomerular boundaries with high precision and accuracy. The computational pipeline employs an integrated approach composed of Gabor filtering, Gaussian blurring, statistical F-testing, and distance transform, and performs significantly better than standard Gabor based textural segmentation method. Our integrated approach provides mean accuracy/precision of 0.89/0.97 on n = 200Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) glomerulus images, and mean 0.88/0.94 accuracy/precision on n = 200 Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) glomerulus images. Respective accuracy/precision of the Gabor filter bank based method is 0.83/0.84 for HE and 0.78/0.8 for PAS. Our method will simplify computational partitioning of glomerular micro-compartments hidden within dense textural boundaries. Automatic quantification of glomeruli will streamline structural analysis in clinic, and can help realize real time diagnoses and interventions.

Evidence of sharp and diffuse domain walls in BiFeO3 by means of unit-cell-wise strain and polarization maps obtained with high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy.

PubMed

Lubk, A; Rossell, M D; Seidel, J; He, Q; Yang, S Y; Chu, Y H; Ramesh, R; Hÿtch, M J; Snoeck, E

2012-07-27

Domain walls (DWs) substantially influence a large number of applications involving ferroelectric materials due to their limited mobility when shifted during polarization switching. The discovery of greatly enhanced conduction at BiFeO(3) DWs has highlighted yet another role of DWs as a local material state with unique properties. However, the lack of precise information on the local atomic structure is still hampering microscopical understanding of DW properties. Here, we examine the atomic structure of BiFeO(3) 109° DWs with pm precision by a combination of high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy and a dedicated structural analysis. By measuring simultaneously local polarization and strain, we provide direct experimental proof for the straight DW structure predicted by ab initio calculations as well as the recently proposed theory of diffuse DWs, thus resolving a long-standing discrepancy between experimentally measured and theoretically predicted DW mobilities.

A multifaceted FISH approach to study endogenous RNAs and DNAs in native nuclear and cell structures.

PubMed

Byron, Meg; Hall, Lisa L; Lawrence, Jeanne B

2013-01-01

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is not a singular technique, but a battery of powerful and versatile tools for examining the distribution of endogenous genes and RNAs in precise context with each other and in relation to specific proteins or cell structures. This unit offers the details of highly sensitive and successful protocols that were initially developed largely in our lab and honed over a number of years. Our emphasis is on analysis of nuclear RNAs and DNA to address specific biological questions about nuclear structure, pre-mRNA metabolism, or the role of noncoding RNAs; however, cytoplasmic RNA detection is also discussed. Multifaceted molecular cytological approaches bring precise resolution and sensitive multicolor detection to illuminate the organization and functional roles of endogenous genes and their RNAs within the native structure of fixed cells. Solutions to several common technical pitfalls are discussed, as are cautions regarding the judicious use of digital imaging and the rigors of analyzing and interpreting complex molecular cytological results.

Challenges in mold manufacturing for high precision molded diffractive optical elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pongs, Guido; Bresseler, Bernd; Schweizer, Klaus; Bergs, Thomas

2016-09-01

Isothermal precision glass molding of imaging optics is the key technology for mass production of precise optical elements. Especially for numerous consumer applications (e.g. digital cameras, smart phones, …), high precision glass molding is applied for the manufacturing of aspherical lenses. The usage of diffractive optical elements (DOEs) can help to further reduce the number of lenses in the optical systems which will lead to a reduced weight of hand-held optical devices. But today the application of molded glass DOEs is limited due to the technological challenges in structuring the mold surfaces. Depending on the application submicrometer structures are required on the mold surface. Furthermore these structures have to be replicated very precisely to the glass lens surface. Especially the micro structuring of hard and brittle mold materials such as Tungsten Carbide is very difficult and not established. Thus a multitude of innovative approaches using diffractive optical elements cannot be realized. Aixtooling has investigated in different mold materials and different suitable machining technologies for the micro- and sub-micrometer structuring of mold surfaces. The focus of the work lays on ultra-precision grinding to generate the diffractive pattern on the mold surfaces. This paper presents the latest achievements in diffractive structuring of Tungsten Carbide mold surfaces by ultra-precision grinding.

Comparative abrasive wear resistance and surface analysis of dental resin-based materials

PubMed Central

Nayyer, Maleeha; Zahid, Shahreen; Hassan, Syed Hammad; Mian, Salman Aziz; Mehmood, Sana; Khan, Haroon Ahmed; Kaleem, Muhammad; Zafar, Muhammad Sohail; Khan, Abdul Samad

2018-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the surface properties (microhardness and wear resistance) of various composites and compomer materials. In addition, the methodologies used for assessing wear resistance were compared. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted using restorative material (Filtek Z250, Filtek Z350, QuiXfil, SureFil SDR, and Dyract XP) to assess wear resistance. A custom-made toothbrush simulator was employed for wear testing. Before and after wear resistance, structural, surface, and physical properties were assessed using various techniques. Results: Structural changes and mass loss were observed after treatment, whereas no significant difference in terms of microhardness was observed. The correlation between atomic force microscopy (AFM) and profilometer and between wear resistance and filler volume was highly significant. The correlation between wear resistance and microhardness were insignificant. Conclusions: The AFM presented higher precision compared to optical profilometers at a nanoscale level, but both methods can be used in tandem for a more detailed and precise roughness analysis. PMID:29657526

COSMOS: accurate detection of somatic structural variations through asymmetric comparison between tumor and normal samples

PubMed Central

Yamagata, Koichi; Yamanishi, Ayako; Kokubu, Chikara; Takeda, Junji; Sese, Jun

2016-01-01

An important challenge in cancer genomics is precise detection of structural variations (SVs) by high-throughput short-read sequencing, which is hampered by the high false discovery rates of existing analysis tools. Here, we propose an accurate SV detection method named COSMOS, which compares the statistics of the mapped read pairs in tumor samples with isogenic normal control samples in a distinct asymmetric manner. COSMOS also prioritizes the candidate SVs using strand-specific read-depth information. Performance tests on modeled tumor genomes revealed that COSMOS outperformed existing methods in terms of F-measure. We also applied COSMOS to an experimental mouse cell-based model, in which SVs were induced by genome engineering and gamma-ray irradiation, followed by polymerase chain reaction-based confirmation. The precision of COSMOS was 84.5%, while the next best existing method was 70.4%. Moreover, the sensitivity of COSMOS was the highest, indicating that COSMOS has great potential for cancer genome analysis. PMID:26833260

System requirements specification for SMART structures mode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Specified here are the functional and informational requirements for software modules which address the geometric and data modeling needs of the aerospace structural engineer. The modules are to be included as part of the Solid Modeling Aerospace Research Tool (SMART) package developed for the Vehicle Analysis Branch (VAB) at the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). The purpose is to precisely state what the SMART Structures modules will do, without consideration of how it will be done. Each requirement is numbered for reference in development and testing.

The Participation to The All Japan College of Technology Design Competition and The Trial of Art and Design Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kato, Kenji; Takeshita, Junji

The works of Toyota national college of technology gets excellent result on structural design competition (bridge contest) of national college design competition. This paper reports planning and making process of these works. As increase strength of the structures, it is important point the determination of structural type by numerical analysis and test, and precision of production and idea of joining. Second, it reports the curriculum of special items connection with excellent works.

ACOSS Eight (Active Control of Space Structures), Phase 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-09-01

A-2 A-2 Nominal Model - Equipment Section and Solar Panels ....... A-3 A-3 Nominal Model - Upper Support .-uss ...... ............ A-4 A...sensitivity analysis technique ef selecting critical system parameters is applied tc the Diaper tetrahedral truss structure (See Section 4-2...and solar panels are omitted. The precision section is mounted on isolators to inertially r•" I fixed rigid support. The mode frequencies of this

Precision mechanical structure of an ultra-high-resolution spectrometer for inelastic X-ray scattering instrument

DOEpatents

Shu, Deming; Shvydko, Yuri; Stoupin, Stanislav A.; Khachatryan, Ruben; Goetze, Kurt A.; Roberts, Timothy

2015-04-14

A method and an ultrahigh-resolution spectrometer including a precision mechanical structure for positioning inelastic X-ray scattering optics are provided. The spectrometer includes an X-ray monochromator and an X-ray analyzer, each including X-ray optics of a collimating (C) crystal, a pair of dispersing (D) element crystals, anomalous transmission filter (F) and a wavelength (W) selector crystal. A respective precision mechanical structure is provided with the X-ray monochromator and the X-ray analyzer. The precision mechanical structure includes a base plate, such as an aluminum base plate; positioning stages for D-crystal alignment; positioning stages with an incline sensor for C/F/W-crystal alignment, and the positioning stages including flexure-based high-stiffness structure.

Characterization of assembled MEMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jandric, Zoran; Randall, John N.; Saini, Rahul; Nolan, Michael; Skidmore, George

2004-12-01

Zyvex is developing a low-cost high-precision method for manufacturing MEMS-based three-dimensional structures/assemblies. The assembly process relies on compliant properties of the interconnecting components. The sockets and connectors are designed to benefit from their compliant nature by allowing the mechanical component to self-align, i.e. reposition themselves to their designed, stable position, independent of the initial placement of the part by the external robot. Thus, the self-aligning property guarantees the precision of the assembled structure to be very close to, or the same, as the precision of the lithography process itself. A three-dimensional (3D) structure is achieved by inserting the connectors into the sockets through the use of a passive end-effector. We have developed the automated, high-yield, assembly procedure which permits connectors to be picked up from any location within the same die, or a separate die. This general procedure allows for the possibility to assemble parts of dissimilar materials. We have built many 3D MEMS structures, including several 3D MEMS devices such as a scanning electron microscope (SEM) micro column, mass-spectrometer column, variable optical attenuator. For these 3D MEMS structures we characterize their mechanical strength through finite element simulation, dynamic properties by finite-element analysis and experimentally with UMECH"s MEMS motion analyzer (MMA), alignment accuracy by using an in-house developed dihedral angle measurement laser autocollimator, and impact properties by performing drop tests. The details of the experimental set-ups, the measurement procedures, and the experimental data are presented in this paper.

Characterization of assembled MEMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jandric, Zoran; Randall, John N.; Saini, Rahul; Nolan, Michael; Skidmore, George

2005-01-01

Zyvex is developing a low-cost high-precision method for manufacturing MEMS-based three-dimensional structures/assemblies. The assembly process relies on compliant properties of the interconnecting components. The sockets and connectors are designed to benefit from their compliant nature by allowing the mechanical component to self-align, i.e. reposition themselves to their designed, stable position, independent of the initial placement of the part by the external robot. Thus, the self-aligning property guarantees the precision of the assembled structure to be very close to, or the same, as the precision of the lithography process itself. A three-dimensional (3D) structure is achieved by inserting the connectors into the sockets through the use of a passive end-effector. We have developed the automated, high-yield, assembly procedure which permits connectors to be picked up from any location within the same die, or a separate die. This general procedure allows for the possibility to assemble parts of dissimilar materials. We have built many 3D MEMS structures, including several 3D MEMS devices such as a scanning electron microscope (SEM) micro column, mass-spectrometer column, variable optical attenuator. For these 3D MEMS structures we characterize their mechanical strength through finite element simulation, dynamic properties by finite-element analysis and experimentally with UMECH"s MEMS motion analyzer (MMA), alignment accuracy by using an in-house developed dihedral angle measurement laser autocollimator, and impact properties by performing drop tests. The details of the experimental set-ups, the measurement procedures, and the experimental data are presented in this paper.

Full-Scale Instrumented Testing and Analysis of Matting Systems for Airfield Parking Ramps and Taxiways

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-01

system can only be precisely determined by examining all the materials used in the mat, their structure , orientation, dimensions, etc. and determining...ER D C/ G SL T R- 07 -3 3 Full-Scale Instrumented Testing and Analysis of Matting Systems for Airfield Parking Ramps and Taxiways Chad...ERDC/GSL TR-07-33 December 2007 Full-Scale Instrumented Testing and Analysis of Matting Systems for Airfield Parking Ramps and Taxiways Chad A

Synthesis of Bi0.9Nd0.1FeO3 multiferroic nanoceramic by sol-gel method and its structural, surface morphology and dielectric analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, S.; Bera, K. P.; Nath, T. K.

2017-05-01

Synthesis of Nd-doped BFO multiferroic nanoceramic by the conventional sol-gel method has been carried out. HRXRD and FESEM have been used for the structural analysis to confirm the triclinic structure and to obtain the surface morphology showing agglomeration and to find out the size of the nanoparticles. A high precision LCR meter has been used to record the dielectric constants at various temperatures. Several anomalies are observed whose physical explanations have been given. Space charge polarization effect and magnetoelectric coupling have been confirmed in the synthesized Bi0.9Nd0.1FeO3 nanoceramic sample.

JASMINE: Data analysis and simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Yoshiyuki; Gouda, Naoteru; Yano, Taihei; Kobayashi, Yukiyasu; Sako, Nobutada; Jasmine Working Group

JASMINE will study the structure and evolution of the Milky Way Galaxy. To accomplish these objectives JASMINE will measure trigonometric parallaxes, positions and proper motions of about 10 million stars with a precision of 10 μas at z = 14 mag. In this paper methods for data analysis and error budgets, on-board data handling such as sampling strategy and data compression, and simulation software for end-to-end simulation are presented.

Segmentation of the Knee for Analysis of Osteoarthritis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zerfass, Peter; Museyko, Oleg; Bousson, Valérie; Laredo, Jean-Denis; Kalender, Willi A.; Engelke, Klaus

Osteoarthritis changes the load distribution within joints and also changes bone density and structure. Within typical timelines of clinical studies these changes can be very small. Therefore precise definition of evaluation regions which are highly robust and show little to no interand intra-operator variance are essential for high quality quantitative analysis. To achieve this goal we have developed a system for the definition of such regions with minimal user input.

Quantitative nanoscale imaging of orientational order in biological filaments by polarized superresolution microscopy

PubMed Central

Valades Cruz, Cesar Augusto; Shaban, Haitham Ahmed; Kress, Alla; Bertaux, Nicolas; Monneret, Serge; Mavrakis, Manos; Savatier, Julien; Brasselet, Sophie

2016-01-01

Essential cellular functions as diverse as genome maintenance and tissue morphogenesis rely on the dynamic organization of filamentous assemblies. For example, the precise structural organization of DNA filaments has profound consequences on all DNA-mediated processes including gene expression, whereas control over the precise spatial arrangement of cytoskeletal protein filaments is key for mechanical force generation driving animal tissue morphogenesis. Polarized fluorescence is currently used to extract structural organization of fluorescently labeled biological filaments by determining the orientation of fluorescent labels, however with a strong drawback: polarized fluorescence imaging is indeed spatially limited by optical diffraction, and is thus unable to discriminate between the intrinsic orientational mobility of the fluorophore labels and the real structural disorder of the labeled biomolecules. Here, we demonstrate that quantitative single-molecule polarized detection in biological filament assemblies allows not only to correct for the rotational flexibility of the label but also to image orientational order of filaments at the nanoscale using superresolution capabilities. The method is based on polarized direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy, using dedicated optical scheme and image analysis to determine both molecular localization and orientation with high precision. We apply this method to double-stranded DNA in vitro and microtubules and actin stress fibers in whole cells. PMID:26831082

Design and control of a multi-DOF micromanipulator dedicated to multiscale micromanipulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yi-Ling; Wei, Yan-Ding; Lou, Jun-Qiang; Fu, Lei; Fang, Sheng

2017-11-01

This paper presents the design, implementation and control of a new piezoelectrically actuated compliant micromanipulator dedicated to multiscale, precision and reliable operations. To begin with, the manipulator is devised to obtain multi degrees of freedom and large workspace ranges. Two-stage amplification mechanisms (consists of the leverage and the rocker mechanisms) and composite parallelogram mechanisms are combined to construct the lower microstage. Meanwhile, the structure design of the upper dual-driven microgripper is based on the bridge-type mechanism and the unilateral parallelogram mechanism. Through finite-element analysis, the structural parameters of the micromanipulator are optimized and the structural interaction performances are examined. Moreover, a cooperative control strategy is proposed to achieve the synchronous control of the motion trajectory, the gripper position and the contact force. Precision motion control in terms of the hysteresis phenomenon and system disturbances is ensured by using an adaptive sliding mode control (SMC). In particular, an improved nonsymmetrical Bouc-Wen model and a fuzzy regulator are proposed in the SMC. Several experimental investigations are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the developed micromanipulator by performing transferring operations of a micro-object. Experimental results demonstrate that the micromanipulator presents good characteristics, and precision and robust operation can be acquired using the cooperative controller.

Network meta-analysis of multiple outcome measures accounting for borrowing of information across outcomes.

PubMed

Achana, Felix A; Cooper, Nicola J; Bujkiewicz, Sylwia; Hubbard, Stephanie J; Kendrick, Denise; Jones, David R; Sutton, Alex J

2014-07-21

Network meta-analysis (NMA) enables simultaneous comparison of multiple treatments while preserving randomisation. When summarising evidence to inform an economic evaluation, it is important that the analysis accurately reflects the dependency structure within the data, as correlations between outcomes may have implication for estimating the net benefit associated with treatment. A multivariate NMA offers a framework for evaluating multiple treatments across multiple outcome measures while accounting for the correlation structure between outcomes. The standard NMA model is extended to multiple outcome settings in two stages. In the first stage, information is borrowed across outcomes as well across studies through modelling the within-study and between-study correlation structure. In the second stage, we make use of the additional assumption that intervention effects are exchangeable between outcomes to predict effect estimates for all outcomes, including effect estimates on outcomes where evidence is either sparse or the treatment had not been considered by any one of the studies included in the analysis. We apply the methods to binary outcome data from a systematic review evaluating the effectiveness of nine home safety interventions on uptake of three poisoning prevention practices (safe storage of medicines, safe storage of other household products, and possession of poison centre control telephone number) in households with children. Analyses are conducted in WinBUGS using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulations. Univariate and the first stage multivariate models produced broadly similar point estimates of intervention effects but the uncertainty around the multivariate estimates varied depending on the prior distribution specified for the between-study covariance structure. The second stage multivariate analyses produced more precise effect estimates while enabling intervention effects to be predicted for all outcomes, including intervention effects on outcomes not directly considered by the studies included in the analysis. Accounting for the dependency between outcomes in a multivariate meta-analysis may or may not improve the precision of effect estimates from a network meta-analysis compared to analysing each outcome separately.

Determination of composition of non-homogeneous GaInNAs layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pucicki, D.; Bielak, K.; Ściana, B.; Radziewicz, D.; Latkowska-Baranowska, M.; Kováč, J.; Vincze, A.; Tłaczała, M.

2016-01-01

Dilute nitride GaInNAs alloys grown on GaAs have become perspective materials for so called low-cost GaAs-based devices working within the optical wavelength range up to 1.6 μm. The multilayer structures of GaInNAs/GaAs multi-quantum well (MQW) samples usually are analyzed by using high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) measurements. However, demands for precise structural characterization of the GaInNAs containing heterostructures requires taking into consideration all inhomogeneities of such structures. This paper describes some of the material challenges and progress in structural characterization of GaInNAs layers. A new algorithm for structural characterization of dilute nitrides which bounds contactless electro-reflectance (CER) or photo-reflectance (PR) measurements and HRXRD analysis results together with GaInNAs quantum well band diagram calculation is presented. The triple quantum well (3QW) GaInNAs/GaAs structures grown by atmospheric-pressure metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy (AP-MOVPE) were investigated according to the proposed algorithm. Thanks to presented algorithm, more precise structural data including the nonuniformity in the growth direction of GaInNAs/GaAs QWs were achieved. Therefore, the proposed algorithm is mentioned as a nondestructive method for characterization of multicomponent inhomogeneous semiconductor structures with quantum wells.

Evaluation of High-Precision Sensors in Structural Monitoring

PubMed Central

Erol, Bihter

2010-01-01

One of the most intricate branches of metrology involves the monitoring of displacements and deformations of natural and anthropogenic structures under environmental forces, such as tidal or tectonic phenomena, or ground water level changes. Technological progress has changed the measurement process, and steadily increasing accuracy requirements have led to the continued development of new measuring instruments. The adoption of an appropriate measurement strategy, with proper instruments suited for the characteristics of the observed structure and its environmental conditions, is of high priority in the planning of deformation monitoring processes. This paper describes the use of precise digital inclination sensors in continuous monitoring of structural deformations. The topic is treated from two viewpoints: (i) evaluation of the performance of inclination sensors by comparing them to static and continuous GPS observations in deformation monitoring and (ii) providing a strategy for analyzing the structural deformations. The movements of two case study objects, a tall building and a geodetic monument in Istanbul, were separately monitored using dual-axes micro-radian precision inclination sensors (inclinometers) and GPS. The time series of continuous deformation observations were analyzed using the Least Squares Spectral Analysis Technique (LSSA). Overall, the inclinometers showed good performance for continuous monitoring of structural displacements, even at the sub-millimeter level. Static GPS observations remained insufficient for resolving the deformations to the sub-centimeter level due to the errors that affect GPS signals. With the accuracy advantage of inclination sensors, their use with GPS provides more detailed investigation of deformation phenomena. Using inclinometers and GPS is helpful to be able to identify the components of structural responses to the natural forces as static, quasi-static, or resonant. PMID:22163499

Influence of Structural Flexibility on the Dynamic Precision of a Vehicle-Mounted Equipment System

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-12

Paramsothy Jayakumar , Dave Mechergui, Ronald Renke U.S.Army RDECOM TARDEC INFLUENCE OF STRUCTURAL FLEXIBILITY ON THE DYNAMIC PRECISION OF A...COVERED 00-00-2015 to 00-00-2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE INFLUENCE OF STRUCTURAL FLEXIBILITY ON THE DYNAMIC PRECISION OF A VEHICLE-MOUNTED EQUIPMENT...Equipment Enclosure CMS Results 23 12. Influence of CMS Method on the Vehicle Dynamics 24 13. Influence of Flexibility on the Vehicle

Operational Modal Analysis of the Cablestayed Footbridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kortiš, Ján; Daniel, Ľuboš; Farbák, Matúš; Maliar, Lukáš; Škarupa, Milan

2017-12-01

Modern architecture leads to design subtle bridge structures that are more sensitive to increased dynamic loading than the massive ones. This phenomenon can be especially observed on lightweight steel structures such as suspended footbridges. As a result, it is necessary to know precisely its dynamic characteristics, such as natural frequencies, natural shapes and damping of construction. This information can be used for further analysis such as damage detection, system identification, health monitoring, etc. or also for the design of new types of construction. For this purpose, classical modal analysis using trigger load or harmonic vibration exciter in combination with acceleration sensors is used in practice. However, there are many situations where it is not possible to stop the traffic or operation of the bridge. The article presents an experimental measurement of the dynamic parameters of the structure at the operating load using the operational modal analysis.

Identification of phases, symmetries and defects through local crystallography

DOE PAGES

Belianinov, Alex; He, Qian; Kravchenko, Mikhail; ...

2015-07-20

Here we report that advances in electron and probe microscopies allow 10 pm or higher precision in measurements of atomic positions. This level of fidelity is sufficient to correlate the length (and hence energy) of bonds, as well as bond angles to functional properties of materials. Traditionally, this relied on mapping locally measured parameters to macroscopic variables, for example, average unit cell. This description effectively ignores the information contained in the microscopic degrees of freedom available in a high-resolution image. Here we introduce an approach for local analysis of material structure based on statistical analysis of individual atomic neighbourhoods. Clusteringmore » and multivariate algorithms such as principal component analysis explore the connectivity of lattice and bond structure, as well as identify minute structural distortions, thus allowing for chemical description and identification of phases. This analysis lays the framework for building image genomes and structure–property libraries, based on conjoining structural and spectral realms through local atomic behaviour.« less

Standard Operating Procedure for Surface Paint Sample Collection using a Modified Wood Drill Bit with a Variable Speed Portable Electric Drill

EPA Science Inventory

This standard operating procedure (SOP) describes a new, rapid, and relatively inexpensive way to remove a precise area of paint from the substrate of building structures in preparation for quantitative analysis. This method has been applied successfully in the laboratory, as we...

COSMOS: accurate detection of somatic structural variations through asymmetric comparison between tumor and normal samples.

PubMed

Yamagata, Koichi; Yamanishi, Ayako; Kokubu, Chikara; Takeda, Junji; Sese, Jun

2016-05-05

An important challenge in cancer genomics is precise detection of structural variations (SVs) by high-throughput short-read sequencing, which is hampered by the high false discovery rates of existing analysis tools. Here, we propose an accurate SV detection method named COSMOS, which compares the statistics of the mapped read pairs in tumor samples with isogenic normal control samples in a distinct asymmetric manner. COSMOS also prioritizes the candidate SVs using strand-specific read-depth information. Performance tests on modeled tumor genomes revealed that COSMOS outperformed existing methods in terms of F-measure. We also applied COSMOS to an experimental mouse cell-based model, in which SVs were induced by genome engineering and gamma-ray irradiation, followed by polymerase chain reaction-based confirmation. The precision of COSMOS was 84.5%, while the next best existing method was 70.4%. Moreover, the sensitivity of COSMOS was the highest, indicating that COSMOS has great potential for cancer genome analysis. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Kernel Tuning and Nonuniform Influence on Optical and Electrochemical Gaps of Bimetal Nanoclusters.

PubMed

He, Lizhong; Yuan, Jinyun; Xia, Nan; Liao, Lingwen; Liu, Xu; Gan, Zibao; Wang, Chengming; Yang, Jinlong; Wu, Zhikun

2018-03-14

Fine tuning nanoparticles with atomic precision is exciting and challenging and is critical for tuning the properties, understanding the structure-property correlation and determining the practical applications of nanoparticles. Some ultrasmall thiolated metal nanoparticles (metal nanoclusters) have been shown to be precisely doped, and even the protecting staple metal atom could be precisely reduced. However, the precise addition or reduction of the kernel atom while the other metal atoms in the nanocluster remain the same has not been successful until now, to the best of our knowledge. Here, by carefully selecting the protecting ligand with adequate steric hindrance, we synthesized a novel nanocluster in which the kernel can be regarded as that formed by the addition of two silver atoms to both ends of the Pt@Ag 12 icosohedral kernel of the Ag 24 Pt(SR) 18 (SR: thiolate) nanocluster, as revealed by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Interestingly, compared with the previously reported Ag 24 Pt(SR) 18 nanocluster, the as-obtained novel bimetal nanocluster exhibits a similar absorption but a different electrochemical gap. One possible explanation for this result is that the kernel tuning does not essentially change the electronic structure, but obviously influences the charge on the Pt@Ag 12 kernel, as demonstrated by natural population analysis, thus possibly resulting in the large electrochemical gap difference between the two nanoclusters. This work not only provides a novel strategy to tune metal nanoclusters but also reveals that the kernel change does not necessarily alter the optical and electrochemical gaps in a uniform manner, which has important implications for the structure-property correlation of nanoparticles.

Control/structure interaction conceptual design tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Briggs, Hugh C.

1990-01-01

The JPL Control/Structure Interaction Program is developing new analytical methods for designing micro-precision spacecraft with controlled structures. One of these, the Conceptual Design Tool, will illustrate innovative new approaches to the integration of multi-disciplinary analysis and design methods. The tool will be used to demonstrate homogeneity of presentation, uniform data representation across analytical methods, and integrated systems modeling. The tool differs from current 'integrated systems' that support design teams most notably in its support for the new CSI multi-disciplinary engineer. The design tool will utilize a three dimensional solid model of the spacecraft under design as the central data organization metaphor. Various analytical methods, such as finite element structural analysis, control system analysis, and mechanical configuration layout, will store and retrieve data from a hierarchical, object oriented data structure that supports assemblies of components with associated data and algorithms. In addition to managing numerical model data, the tool will assist the designer in organizing, stating, and tracking system requirements.

Structural analysis of gluten-free doughs by fractional rheological model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orczykowska, Magdalena; Dziubiński, Marek; Owczarz, Piotr

2015-02-01

This study examines the effects of various components of tested gluten-free doughs, such as corn starch, amaranth flour, pea protein isolate, and cellulose in the form of plantain fibers on rheological properties of such doughs. The rheological properties of gluten-free doughs were assessed by using the rheological fractional standard linear solid model (FSLSM). Parameter analysis of the Maxwell-Wiechert fractional derivative rheological model allows to state that gluten-free doughs present a typical behavior of viscoelastic quasi-solid bodies. We obtained the contribution dependence of each component used in preparations of gluten-free doughs (either hard-gel or soft-gel structure). The complicate analysis of the mechanical structure of gluten-free dough was done by applying the FSLSM to explain quite precisely the effects of individual ingredients of the dough on its rheological properties.

D2 Delta Robot Structural Design and Kinematics Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xudong; wang, Song; Dong, Yu; Yang, Hai

2017-12-01

In this paper, a new type of Delta robot with only two degrees of freedom is proposed on the basis of multi - degree - of - freedom delta robot. In order to meet our application requirements, we have carried out structural design and analysis of the robot. Through SolidWorks modeling, combined with 3D printing technology to determine the final robot structure. In order to achieve the precise control of the robot, the kinematics analysis of the robot was carried out. The SimMechanics toolbox of MATLAB is used to establish the mechanism model, and the kinematics mathematical model is used to simulate the robot motion control in Matlab environment. Finally, according to the design mechanism, the working space of the robot is drawn by the graphic method, which lays the foundation for the motion control of the subsequent robot.

Coupled Finite Volume and Finite Element Method Analysis of a Complex Large-Span Roof Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szafran, J.; Juszczyk, K.; Kamiński, M.

2017-12-01

The main goal of this paper is to present coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics and structural analysis for the precise determination of wind impact on internal forces and deformations of structural elements of a longspan roof structure. The Finite Volume Method (FVM) serves for a solution of the fluid flow problem to model the air flow around the structure, whose results are applied in turn as the boundary tractions in the Finite Element Method problem structural solution for the linear elastostatics with small deformations. The first part is carried out with the use of ANSYS 15.0 computer system, whereas the FEM system Robot supports stress analysis in particular roof members. A comparison of the wind pressure distribution throughout the roof surface shows some differences with respect to that available in the engineering designing codes like Eurocode, which deserves separate further numerical studies. Coupling of these two separate numerical techniques appears to be promising in view of future computational models of stochastic nature in large scale structural systems due to the stochastic perturbation method.

Fluid-structure interaction analysis of deformation of sail of 30-foot yacht

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bak, Sera; Yoo, Jaehoon; Song, Chang Yong

2013-06-01

Most yacht sails are made of thin fabric, and they have a cambered shape to generate lift force; however, their shape can be easily deformed by wind pressure. Deformation of the sail shape changes the flow characteristics over the sail, which in turn further deforms the sail shape. Therefore, fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis is applied for the precise evaluation or optimization of the sail design. In this study, fluid flow analyses are performed for the main sail of a 30-foot yacht, and the results are applied to loading conditions for structural analyses. By applying the supporting forces from the rig, such as the mast and boom-end outhaul, as boundary conditions for structural analysis, the deformed sail shape is identified. Both the flow analyses and the structural analyses are iteratively carried out for the deformed sail shape. A comparison of the flow characteristics and surface pressures over the deformed sail shape with those over the initial shape shows that a considerable difference exists between the two and that FSI analysis is suitable for application to sail design.

Intact Protein Analysis at 21 Tesla and X-Ray Crystallography Define Structural Differences in Single Amino Acid Variants of Human Mitochondrial Branched-Chain Amino Acid Aminotransferase 2 (BCAT2)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Lissa C.; Håkansson, Maria; Walse, Björn; Nilsson, Carol L.

2017-09-01

Structural technologies are an essential component in the design of precision therapeutics. Precision medicine entails the development of therapeutics directed toward a designated target protein, with the goal to deliver the right drug to the right patient at the right time. In the field of oncology, protein structural variants are often associated with oncogenic potential. In a previous proteogenomic screen of patient-derived glioblastoma (GBM) tumor materials, we identified a sequence variant of human mitochondrial branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase 2 as a putative factor of resistance of GBM to standard-of-care-treatments. The enzyme generates glutamate, which is neurotoxic. To elucidate structural coordinates that may confer altered substrate binding or activity of the variant BCAT2 T186R, a 45 kDa protein, we applied combined ETD and CID top-down mass spectrometry in a LC-FT-ICR MS at 21 T, and X-Ray crystallography in the study of both the variant and non-variant intact proteins. The combined ETD/CID fragmentation pattern allowed for not only extensive sequence coverage but also confident localization of the amino acid variant to its position in the sequence. The crystallographic experiments confirmed the hypothesis generated by in silico structural homology modeling, that the Lys59 side-chain of BCAT2 may repulse the Arg186 in the variant protein (PDB code: 5MPR), leading to destabilization of the protein dimer and altered enzyme kinetics. Taken together, the MS and novel 3D structural data give us reason to further pursue BCAT2 T186R as a precision drug target in GBM. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

[Evaluation of the quality of three-dimensional data acquired by using two kinds of structure light intra-oral scanner to scan the crown preparation model].

PubMed

Zhang, X Y; Li, H; Zhao, Y J; Wang, Y; Sun, Y C

2016-07-01

To quantitatively evaluate the quality and accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) data acquired by using two kinds of structure intra-oral scanner to scan the typical teeth crown preparations. Eight typical teeth crown preparations model were scanned 3 times with two kinds of structured light intra-oral scanner(A, B), as test group. A high precision model scanner were used to scan the model as true value group. The data above the cervical margin was extracted. The indexes of quality including non-manifold edges, the self-intersections, highly-creased edges, spikes, small components, small tunnels, small holes and the anount of triangles were measured with the tool of mesh doctor in Geomagic studio 2012. The scanned data of test group were aligned to the data of true value group. 3D deviations of the test group compared with true value group were measured for each scanned point, each preparation and each group. Independent-samples Mann-Whitney U test was applied to analyze 3D deviations for each scanned point of A and B group. Correlation analysis was applied to index values and 3D deviation values. The total number of spikes in A group was 96, and that in B group and true value group were 5 and 0 respectively. Trueness: A group 8.0 (8.3) μm, B group 9.5 (11.5) μm(P>0.05). Correlation analysis of the number of spikes with data precision of A group was r=0.46. In the study, the qulity of the scanner B is better than scanner A, the difference of accuracy is not statistically significant. There is correlation between quality and data precision of the data scanned with scanner A.

The future of crystallography in drug discovery

PubMed Central

Zheng, Heping; Hou, Jing; Zimmerman, Matthew D; Wlodawer, Alexander; Minor, Wladek

2014-01-01

Introduction X-ray crystallography plays an important role in structure-based drug design (SBDD), and accurate analysis of crystal structures of target macromolecules and macromolecule–ligand complexes is critical at all stages. However, whereas there has been significant progress in improving methods of structural biology, particularly in X-ray crystallography, corresponding progress in the development of computational methods (such as in silico high-throughput screening) is still on the horizon. Crystal structures can be overinterpreted and thus bias hypotheses and follow-up experiments. As in any experimental science, the models of macromolecular structures derived from X-ray diffraction data have their limitations, which need to be critically evaluated and well understood for structure-based drug discovery. Areas covered This review describes how the validity, accuracy and precision of a protein or nucleic acid structure determined by X-ray crystallography can be evaluated from three different perspectives: i) the nature of the diffraction experiment; ii) the interpretation of an electron density map; and iii) the interpretation of the structural model in terms of function and mechanism. The strategies to optimally exploit a macromolecular structure are also discussed in the context of ‘Big Data’ analysis, biochemical experimental design and structure-based drug discovery. Expert opinion Although X-ray crystallography is one of the most detailed ‘microscopes’ available today for examining macromolecular structures, the authors would like to re-emphasize that such structures are only simplified models of the target macromolecules. The authors also wish to reinforce the idea that a structure should not be thought of as a set of precise coordinates but rather as a framework for generating hypotheses to be explored. Numerous biochemical and biophysical experiments, including new diffraction experiments, can and should be performed to verify or falsify these hypotheses. X-ray crystallography will find its future application in drug discovery by the development of specific tools that would allow realistic interpretation of the outcome coordinates and/or support testing of these hypotheses. PMID:24372145

Optimal actuator placement in adaptive precision trusses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baycan, C. M.; Utku, S.; Das, S. K.; Wada, B. K.

1992-01-01

Actuator placement in adaptive truss structures is to cater to two needs: displacement control of precision points and preloading the elements to overcome joint slackness. Due to technological and financial considerations, the number of actuators available is much less than the degrees of freedom of precision points to be controlled and the degree of redundancy of the structure. An approach for optimal actuator location is outlined. Test cases to demonstrate the effectiveness of the scheme are applied to the Precision Segmented Reflector Truss.

Chiral dynamics with (non)strange quarks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubis, Bastian; Meißner, Ulf-G.

2017-01-01

We review the results and achievements of the project B.3. Topics addressed include pion photoproduction off the proton and off deuterium, three-flavor chiral perturbation theory studies, chiral symmetry tests in Goldstone boson decays, the development of unitarized chiral perturbation theory to next-to-leading order, the two-pole structure of the Λ(1405), the dynamical generation of the lowest S11 resonances, the theory of hadronic atoms and its application to various systems, precision studies in light-meson decays based on dispersion theory, the Roy-Steiner analysis of pion-nucleon scattering, a high-precision extraction of the elusive pion-nucleon σ-term, and aspects of chiral dynamics in few-nucleon systems.

A design pathfinder with material correlation points for inflatable systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fulcher, Jared Terrell

The incorporation of inflatable structures into aerospace systems can produce significant advantages in stowed volume to mechanical effectiveness and overall weight. Many applications of these ultra-lightweight systems are designed to precisely control internal or external surfaces, or both, to achieve desired performance. The modeling of these structures becomes complex due to the material nonlinearities inherent to the majority of construction materials used in inflatable structures. Furthermore, accurately modeling the response and behavior of the interfacing boundaries that are common to many inflatable systems will lead to better understanding of the entire class of structures. The research presented involved using nonlinear finite element simulations correlated with photogrammetry testing to develop a procedure for defining material properties for commercially available polyurethane-coated woven nylon fabric, which is representative of coated materials that have been proven materials for use in many inflatable systems. Further, the new material model was used to design and develop an inflatable pathfinder system which employs only internal pressure to control an assembly of internal membranes. This canonical inflatable system will be used for exploration and development of general understanding of efficient design methodology and analysis of future systems. Canonical structures are incorporated into the design of the phased pathfinder system to allow for more universal insight. Nonlinear finite element simulations were performed to evaluate the effect of various boundary conditions, loading configurations, and material orientations on the geometric precision of geometries representing typical internal/external surfaces commonly incorporated into inflatable pathfinder system. The response of the inflatable system to possible damage was also studied using nonlinear finite element simulations. Development of a correlated material model for analysis of the inflatable pathfinder system has improved the efficiency of design and analysis techniques of future inflatable structures. KEYWORDS: Nonlinear Finite Element, Inflatable Structures, Gossamer Space Systems, Photogrammetry Measurements, Coated Woven Fabric.

Genetic analysis of Apuleia leiocarpa as revealed by random amplified polymorphic DNA markers: prospects for population genetic studies.

PubMed

Lencina, K H; Konzen, E R; Tsai, S M; Bisognin, D A

2016-12-19

Apuleia leiocarpa (Vogel) J.F. MacBride is a hardwood species native to South America, which is at serious risk of extinction. Therefore, it is of prime importance to examine the genetic diversity of this species, information required for developing conservation, sustainable management, and breeding strategies. Although scarcely used in recent years, random amplified polymorphic DNA markers are useful resources for the analysis of genetic diversity and structure of tree species. This study represents the first genetic analysis based on DNA markers in A. leiocarpa that aimed to investigate the levels of polymorphism and to select markers for the precise characterization of its genetic structure. We adapted the original DNA extraction protocol based on cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, and describe a simple procedure that can be used to obtain high-quality samples from leaf tissues of this tree. Eighteen primers were selected, revealing 92 bands, from which 75 were polymorphic and 61 were sufficient to represent the overall genetic structure of the population without compromising the precision of the analysis. Some fragments were conserved among individuals, which can be sequenced and used to analyze nucleotide diversity parameters through a wider set of A. leiocarpa individuals and populations. The individuals were separated into 11 distinct groups with variable levels of genetic diversity, which is important for selecting desirable genotypes and for the development of a conservation and sustainable management program. Our results are of prime importance for further investigations concerning the genetic characterization of this important, but vulnerable species.

Scientific and Technological Principles of Development of New Cold-Resistant Arc-Steels (Steels for Arctic Applications)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sych, O. V.; Khlusova, E. I.; Yashin, E. A.

2017-12-01

The paper presents the results of quantitative analysis of C, Mn, Ni and Cu content on strength and cold-resistance of rolled plates. Relations between the ferritic-bainitic structure morphology and anisotropy and steel performance characteristics have been established. Influence of thermal and deformation rolling patterns on steel structure has been studied. The steel chemical composition has been improved and precision thermomechanical processing conditions for production of cold-resistant Arc-steel plates have been developed.

Proportional spike-timing precision and firing reliability underlie efficient temporal processing of periodicity and envelope shape cues

PubMed Central

Zheng, Y.

2013-01-01

Temporal sound cues are essential for sound recognition, pitch, rhythm, and timbre perception, yet how auditory neurons encode such cues is subject of ongoing debate. Rate coding theories propose that temporal sound features are represented by rate tuned modulation filters. However, overwhelming evidence also suggests that precise spike timing is an essential attribute of the neural code. Here we demonstrate that single neurons in the auditory midbrain employ a proportional code in which spike-timing precision and firing reliability covary with the sound envelope cues to provide an efficient representation of the stimulus. Spike-timing precision varied systematically with the timescale and shape of the sound envelope and yet was largely independent of the sound modulation frequency, a prominent cue for pitch. In contrast, spike-count reliability was strongly affected by the modulation frequency. Spike-timing precision extends from sub-millisecond for brief transient sounds up to tens of milliseconds for sounds with slow-varying envelope. Information theoretic analysis further confirms that spike-timing precision depends strongly on the sound envelope shape, while firing reliability was strongly affected by the sound modulation frequency. Both the information efficiency and total information were limited by the firing reliability and spike-timing precision in a manner that reflected the sound structure. This result supports a temporal coding strategy in the auditory midbrain where proportional changes in spike-timing precision and firing reliability can efficiently signal shape and periodicity temporal cues. PMID:23636724

Teachers' Needs and Predesigned Instructional Practices: An Analysis of a Reading/Language Arts Coursebook for a Second Grade Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ajayi, Lasisi

2005-01-01

Coursebooks are an indispensable tool of the language arts instruction in elementary schools across California State. They are designed for teachers with precise indications of instructional practices, classroom social and participatory structures. However, these pre-designed practices are hardly evaluated for their appropriateness to meet…

Experimental evaluation of active-member control of precision structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fanson, James; Blackwood, Gary; Chu, Cheng-Chih

1989-01-01

The results of closed loop experiments that use piezoelectric active-members to control the flexible motion of a precision truss structure are described. These experiments are directed toward the development of high-performance structural systems as part of the Control/Structure Interaction (CSI) program at JPL. The focus of CSI activity at JPL is to develop the technology necessary to accurately control both the shape and vibration levels in the precision structures from which proposed large space-based observatories will be built. Structural error budgets for these types of structures will likely be in the sub-micron regime; optical tolerances will be even tighter. In order to achieve system level stability and local positioning at this level, it is generally expected that some form of active control will be required.

An Analysis of Cassini Observations Regarding the Structure of Jupiter's Equatorial Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, David S.; Simon-Miller, Amy A.

2012-01-01

A variety of intriguing atmospheric phenomena reside on both sides of Jupiter's equator. 5-micron bright hot spots and opaque plumes prominently exhibit dynamic behavior to the north, whereas compact, dark chevron-shaped features and isolated anticyclonic disturbances periodically occupy the southern equatorial latitudes. All of these phenomena are associated with the vertical and meridional perturbations of Rossby waves disturbing the mean atmospheric state. As previous observational analysis and numerical simulations have investigated the dynamics of the region, an examination of the atmosphere's vertical structure though radiative transfer analysis is necessary for improved understanding of this unique environment. Here we present preliminary analysis of a multispectral Cassini imaging data set acquired during the spacecraft's flyby of Jupiter in 2000. We evaluated multiple methane and continuum spectral channels at available viewing angles to improve constraints on the vertical structure of the haze and cloud layers comprising these interesting features. Our preliminary results indicate distinct differences in the structure for both hemispheres. Upper troposphere hazes and cloud layers are prevalent in the northern equatorial latitudes, but are not present in corresponding southern latitudes. Continued analysis will further constrain the precise structure present in these phenomena and the differences between them.

Sensitivity study and parameter optimization of OCD tool for 14nm finFET process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhensheng; Chen, Huiping; Cheng, Shiqiu; Zhan, Yunkun; Huang, Kun; Shi, Yaoming; Xu, Yiping

2016-03-01

Optical critical dimension (OCD) measurement has been widely demonstrated as an essential metrology method for monitoring advanced IC process in the technology node of 90 nm and beyond. However, the rapidly shrunk critical dimensions of the semiconductor devices and the increasing complexity of the manufacturing process bring more challenges to OCD. The measurement precision of OCD technology highly relies on the optical hardware configuration, spectral types, and inherently interactions between the incidence of light and various materials with various topological structures, therefore sensitivity analysis and parameter optimization are very critical in the OCD applications. This paper presents a method for seeking the optimum sensitive measurement configuration to enhance the metrology precision and reduce the noise impact to the greatest extent. In this work, the sensitivity of different types of spectra with a series of hardware configurations of incidence angles and azimuth angles were investigated. The optimum hardware measurement configuration and spectrum parameter can be identified. The FinFET structures in the technology node of 14 nm were constructed to validate the algorithm. This method provides guidance to estimate the measurement precision before measuring actual device features and will be beneficial for OCD hardware configuration.

Computational analysis of particle reinforced viscoelastic polymer nanocomposites - statistical study of representative volume element

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Anqi; Li, Xiaolin; Ajdari, Amin; Jiang, Bing; Burkhart, Craig; Chen, Wei; Brinson, L. Catherine

2018-05-01

The concept of representative volume element (RVE) is widely used to determine the effective material properties of random heterogeneous materials. In the present work, the RVE is investigated for the viscoelastic response of particle-reinforced polymer nanocomposites in the frequency domain. The smallest RVE size and the minimum number of realizations at a given volume size for both structural and mechanical properties are determined for a given precision using the concept of margin of error. It is concluded that using the mean of many realizations of a small RVE instead of a single large RVE can retain the desired precision of a result with much lower computational cost (up to three orders of magnitude reduced computation time) for the property of interest. Both the smallest RVE size and the minimum number of realizations for a microstructure with higher volume fraction (VF) are larger compared to those of one with lower VF at the same desired precision. Similarly, a clustered structure is shown to require a larger minimum RVE size as well as a larger number of realizations at a given volume size compared to the well-dispersed microstructures.

Design Through Manufacturing: The Solid Model - Finite Element Analysis Interface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, Carol

2003-01-01

State-of-the-art computer aided design (CAD) presently affords engineers the opportunity to create solid models of machine parts which reflect every detail of the finished product. Ideally, these models should fulfill two very important functions: (1) they must provide numerical control information for automated manufacturing of precision parts, and (2) they must enable analysts to easily evaluate the stress levels (using finite element analysis - FEA) for all structurally significant parts used in space missions. Today's state-of-the-art CAD programs perform function (1) very well, providing an excellent model for precision manufacturing. But they do not provide a straightforward and simple means of automating the translation from CAD to FEA models, especially for aircraft-type structures. The research performed during the fellowship period investigated the transition process from the solid CAD model to the FEA stress analysis model with the final goal of creating an automatic interface between the two. During the period of the fellowship a detailed multi-year program for the development of such an interface was created. The ultimate goal of this program will be the development of a fully parameterized automatic ProE/FEA translator for parts and assemblies, with the incorporation of data base management into the solution, and ultimately including computational fluid dynamics and thermal modeling in the interface.

The McMillan and Newton polygons of a feedback system and the construction of root loci

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Byrnes, C. I.; Stevens, P. K.

1982-01-01

The local behaviour of root loci around zeros and poles is investigated. This is done by relating the Newton diagrams which arise in the local analysis to the McMillan structure of the open-loop system, by means of what we shall call the McMillan polygon. This geometric construct serves to clarify the precise relationship between the McMillan structure, the principal structure, and the branching patterns of the root loci. In addition, several rules are obtained which are useful in the construction of the root loci of multivariable control systems.

Finite-strain large-deflection elastic-viscoplastic finite-element transient response analysis of structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodal, J. J. A.; Witmer, E. A.

1979-01-01

A method of analysis for thin structures that incorporates finite strain, elastic-plastic, strain hardening, time dependent material behavior implemented with respect to a fixed configuration and is consistently valid for finite strains and finite rotations is developed. The theory is formulated systematically in a body fixed system of convected coordinates with materially embedded vectors that deform in common with continuum. Tensors are considered as linear vector functions and use is made of the dyadic representation. The kinematics of a deformable continuum is treated in detail, carefully defining precisely all quantities necessary for the analysis. The finite strain theory developed gives much better predictions and agreement with experiment than does the traditional small strain theory, and at practically no additional cost. This represents a very significant advance in the capability for the reliable prediction of nonlinear transient structural responses, including the reliable prediction of strains large enough to produce ductile metal rupture.

Structural Feasibility Analysis of a Robotically Assembled Very Large Aperture Optical Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkie, William Keats; Williams, R. Brett; Agnes, Gregory S.; Wilcox, Brian H.

2007-01-01

This paper presents a feasibility study of robotically constructing a very large aperture optical space telescope on-orbit. Since the largest engineering challenges are likely to reside in the design and assembly of the 150-m diameter primary reflector, this preliminary study focuses on this component. The same technology developed for construction of the primary would then be readily used for the smaller optical structures (secondary, tertiary, etc.). A reasonable set of ground and on-orbit loading scenarios are compiled from the literature and used to define the structural performance requirements and size the primary reflector. A surface precision analysis shows that active adjustment of the primary structure is required in order to meet stringent optical surface requirements. Two potential actuation strategies are discussed along with potential actuation devices at the current state of the art. The finding of this research effort indicate that successful technology development combined with further analysis will likely enable such a telescope to be built in the future.

Current Issues and Challenges in Global Analysis of Parton Distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tung, Wu-Ki

2007-01-01

A new implementation of precise perturbative QCD calculation of deep inelastic scattering structure functions and cross sections, incorporating heavy quark mass effects, is applied to the global analysis of the full HERA I data sets on NC and CC cross sections, in conjunction with other experiments. Improved agreement between the NLO QCD theory and the global data sets are obtained. Comparison of the new results to that of previous analysis based on conventional zero-mass parton formalism is made. Exploratory work on implications of new fixed-target neutrino scattering and Drell-Yan data on global analysis is also discussed.

An exploration of the structure of mentors' behavior in nursing education using exploratory factor analysis and Mokken scale analysis.

PubMed

Chen, Yanhua; Watson, Roger; Hilton, Andrea

2016-05-01

To understand nursing students' expectation from their mentors and assess mentors' performance, a scale of mentors' behavior was developed based on literature review and focus group in China. This study aims to explore the structure of mentors' behavior. A cross-sectional survey. Data were collected from nursing students in three hospitals in southwest China in 2014. A total of 669 pre-registered nursing students in their final year clinical learning participated in this study. Exploratory factor analysis and Mokken scale analysis was employed to explore the structure and hierarchical property of mentors' behavior. Three dimensions (professional development, facilitating learning and psychosocial support) were identified by factor analysis and confirmed by Mokken scaling analysis. The three sub-scales showed internal consistency reliability from 87% to 91%, and moderate to strong precision in ordering students' expectation about mentors' behavior and a small Mokken scale showing hierarchy was identified. Some insight into the structure of mentoring in nursing education has been obtained and a scale which could be used in the study of mentoring and in the preparation of mentors has been developed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Terrain matching image pre-process and its format transform in autonomous underwater navigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Xuejun; Zhang, Feizhou; Yang, Dongkai; Yang, Bogang

2007-06-01

Underwater passive navigation technology is one of the important development orientations in the field of modern navigation. With the advantage of high self-determination, stealth at sea, anti-jamming and high precision, passive navigation is completely meet with actual navigation requirements. Therefore passive navigation has become a specific navigating method for underwater vehicles. The scientists and researchers in the navigating field paid more attention to it. The underwater passive navigation can provide accurate navigation information with main Inertial Navigation System (INS) for a long period, such as location and speed. Along with the development of micro-electronics technology, the navigation of AUV is given priority to INS assisted with other navigation methods, such as terrain matching navigation. It can provide navigation ability for a long period, correct the errors of INS and make AUV not emerge from the seabed termly. With terrain matching navigation technique, in the assistance of digital charts and ocean geographical characteristics sensors, we carry through underwater image matching assistant navigation to obtain the higher location precision, therefore it is content with the requirement of underwater, long-term, high precision and all-weather of the navigation system for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. Tertian-assistant navigation (TAN) is directly dependent on the image information (map information) in the navigating field to assist the primary navigation system according to the path appointed in advance. In TAN, a factor coordinative important with the system operation is precision and practicability of the storable images and the database which produce the image data. If the data used for characteristics are not suitable, the system navigation precision will be low. Comparing with terrain matching assistant navigation system, image matching navigation system is a kind of high precision and low cost assistant navigation system, and its matching precision directly influences the final precision of integrated navigation system. Image matching assistant navigation is spatially matching and aiming at two underwater scenery images coming from two different sensors matriculating of the same scenery in order to confirm the relative displacement of the two images. In this way, we can obtain the vehicle's location in fiducial image known geographical relation, and the precise location information given from image matching location is transmitted to INS to eliminate its location error and greatly enhance the navigation precision of vehicle. Digital image data analysis and processing of image matching in underwater passive navigation is important. In regard to underwater geographic data analysis, we focus on the acquirement, disposal, analysis, expression and measurement of database information. These analysis items structure one of the important contents of underwater terrain matching and are propitious to know the seabed terrain configuration of navigation areas so that the best advantageous seabed terrain district and dependable navigation algorithm can be selected. In this way, we can improve the precision and reliability of terrain assistant navigation system. The pre-process and format transformation of digital image during underwater image matching are expatiated in this paper. The information of the terrain status in navigation areas need further study to provide the reliable data terrain characteristic and underwater overcast for navigation. Through realizing the choice of sea route, danger district prediction and navigating algorithm analysis, TAN can obtain more high location precision and probability, hence provide technological support for image matching of underwater passive navigation.

Increasing the electron-transfer ability of Cyanidioschyzon merolae ferredoxin by a one-point mutation – A high resolution and Fe-SAD phasing crystal structure analysis of the Asp58Asn mutant

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

Ueno, Yuko; Matsumoto, Takashi; Yamano, Akihito

2013-07-12

Highlights: •A single amino acid change on the ferredoxin surface affects electron transfer. •Precise positions of amide atoms were located utilizing no prior structural data. •Ultra high resolution and SAD phasing may be used for bias-free model building. -- Abstract: Cyanidioschyzon merolae (Cm) is a single cell red algae that grows in rather thermophilic (40–50 °C) and acidic (pH 1–3) conditions. Ferredoxin (Fd) was purified from this algae and characterized as a plant-type [2Fe–2S] Fd by physicochemical techniques. A high resolution (0.97 Å) three-dimensional structure of the CmFd D58N mutant molecule has been determined using the Fe-SAD phasing method tomore » clarify the precise position of the Asn58 amide, as this substitution increases the electron-transfer ability relative to wild-type CmFd by a factor of 1.5. The crystal structure reveals an electro-positive surface surrounding Asn58 that may interact with ferredoxin NADP{sup +} reductase or cytochrome c.« less

HPMSS(High Precision Magnetic Survey System) and InterRidge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isezaki, N.; Sayanagi, K.

2012-12-01

From the beginning of 1990s to the beginning of 2000s, the Japanese group of IntreRidge conducted many cruises for three component magnetic survey using Shipboard Three Component Magnetometer (STCM) and Deep Towed Three Component Magnetometer (DTCM) in the world wide oceans. We have been developing HPMSS during this time with support of Dr.Tamaki(the late representative of InterRidge Japan) who understood the advantages of three component geomagnetic anomalies (TCGA). TCGA measured by STCM determines the direction of geomagnetic anomaly lineations precisely at every point where TCGA were observed, which playes the important role in magnetic anomaly lineation analysis. Even in the beginning of 2000s, almost all marine magnetic scientists believed that the total intensity anomly (TIA) is the better data than TCGA for analysis because the scalar magnetometers (e.g. proton precession magnetometer) have the better accuracy than any other magnetometers (e.g.flux gate magnetometer (FGM)). We employed the high accrate gyroscope (e.g.ring lase gyroscope (RLG)/optical fiber gyroscope (OFG)) to improve the accuracy of STCM/DTCM equipped with FGM. Moreover we employed accurate and precise FGM which was selected among the market. Finally we developed the new magnetic survey system with high precision usable as airborn, shipboard and dee-ptowed magnetometers which we call HPMSS(High Precision Magnetic Survey System). As an optional equipment, we use LAN to communicate between a data aquisiitin part and a data logging part, and GPS for a position fix. For the deep-towed survey, we use the acoustic position fix (super short base line method) and the acoustic communication to monitor the DTCM status. First we used HPMSS to obtain the magnetization structure of the volcanic island, Aogashima located 300km south of Tokyo using a hellcopter in 2006 and 2009. Next we used HPMSS installed in DTCM in 2010,2011 and 2012 using R/V Bosei-maru belonging to Tokai University. Also we used HPMSS installed in AUV (automonous undersea vehicle), belonging to JAMSTEC in 2009,2010 and 2011. We have been emphasizing the importnace of TCGA compared to TIA because TIA does not obey the Laplace equation which means TIA is not harmonic, then we cannot apply the Fourier analysis on TIA. We will show the structure of three component magnetization of the mineral deposit in the volcanic thermal area in Izu-Ogasawara island Arc, called Hakurei Deposit. TCGA of DTCM and AUV survey data were used and the depth section and the vertical section of three components of magnetization of Hakurei Deposit area will be presented. We emphasize that reliable 3D structure of three component of magnetization was obtained from TCGA using HPMSS as the result of deep support of InterRidge Japan, especially deep support of Dr. Tamaki.

Finite element analysis of displacement actuator based on giant magnetostrictive thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Shaopeng; Wang, Bowen; Zhang, Changgeng; Cui, Baozhi

2018-05-01

With the rapid development of science and technology, mechanical and electrical equipment become more and more miniature. In order to achieve precise control in less than 1cm3, the giant magnetostrictive thin film has become a research hotspot. The micro displacement actuator with planar and arc film is designed by the dynamic coupling model based on J-A model and magneto-mechanical effect method which is proposed in this paper. The different structure and thickness of films are analyzed by COMSOL Multiphysics software when the current flows through driving coil. After comparing the simulation results with the test ones, it can be seen that the coupling model is accurate and the structure is reliable. At the same time, MATLAB is used to fit the current density-displacement curve and higher order equation is obtained, and then the feasibility of design can be verified. The actuator with arc structure had advantages of small volume, fast response, high precision, easy integration, etc., which has a broad application prospect in the field of vibration control, micro positioning, robot and so on.

In-situ and real-time growth observation of high-quality protein crystals under quasi-microgravity on earth.

PubMed

Nakamura, Akira; Ohtsuka, Jun; Kashiwagi, Tatsuki; Numoto, Nobutaka; Hirota, Noriyuki; Ode, Takahiro; Okada, Hidehiko; Nagata, Koji; Kiyohara, Motosuke; Suzuki, Ei-Ichiro; Kita, Akiko; Wada, Hitoshi; Tanokura, Masaru

2016-02-26

Precise protein structure determination provides significant information on life science research, although high-quality crystals are not easily obtained. We developed a system for producing high-quality protein crystals with high throughput. Using this system, gravity-controlled crystallization are made possible by a magnetic microgravity environment. In addition, in-situ and real-time observation and time-lapse imaging of crystal growth are feasible for over 200 solution samples independently. In this paper, we also report results of crystallization experiments for two protein samples. Crystals grown in the system exhibited magnetic orientation and showed higher and more homogeneous quality compared with the control crystals. The structural analysis reveals that making use of the magnetic microgravity during the crystallization process helps us to build a well-refined protein structure model, which has no significant structural differences with a control structure. Therefore, the system contributes to improvement in efficiency of structural analysis for "difficult" proteins, such as membrane proteins and supermolecular complexes.

Network meta-analysis of multiple outcome measures accounting for borrowing of information across outcomes

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Network meta-analysis (NMA) enables simultaneous comparison of multiple treatments while preserving randomisation. When summarising evidence to inform an economic evaluation, it is important that the analysis accurately reflects the dependency structure within the data, as correlations between outcomes may have implication for estimating the net benefit associated with treatment. A multivariate NMA offers a framework for evaluating multiple treatments across multiple outcome measures while accounting for the correlation structure between outcomes. Methods The standard NMA model is extended to multiple outcome settings in two stages. In the first stage, information is borrowed across outcomes as well across studies through modelling the within-study and between-study correlation structure. In the second stage, we make use of the additional assumption that intervention effects are exchangeable between outcomes to predict effect estimates for all outcomes, including effect estimates on outcomes where evidence is either sparse or the treatment had not been considered by any one of the studies included in the analysis. We apply the methods to binary outcome data from a systematic review evaluating the effectiveness of nine home safety interventions on uptake of three poisoning prevention practices (safe storage of medicines, safe storage of other household products, and possession of poison centre control telephone number) in households with children. Analyses are conducted in WinBUGS using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulations. Results Univariate and the first stage multivariate models produced broadly similar point estimates of intervention effects but the uncertainty around the multivariate estimates varied depending on the prior distribution specified for the between-study covariance structure. The second stage multivariate analyses produced more precise effect estimates while enabling intervention effects to be predicted for all outcomes, including intervention effects on outcomes not directly considered by the studies included in the analysis. Conclusions Accounting for the dependency between outcomes in a multivariate meta-analysis may or may not improve the precision of effect estimates from a network meta-analysis compared to analysing each outcome separately. PMID:25047164

[Relations between biomedical variables: mathematical analysis or linear algebra?].

PubMed

Hucher, M; Berlie, J; Brunet, M

1977-01-01

The authors, after a short reminder of one pattern's structure, stress on the possible double approach of relations uniting the variables of this pattern: use of fonctions, what is within the mathematical analysis sphere, use of linear algebra profiting by matricial calculation's development and automatiosation. They precise the respective interests on these methods, their bounds and the imperatives for utilization, according to the kind of variables, of data, and the objective for work, understanding phenomenons or helping towards decision.

Practical alignment method for X-ray spectral measurement in micro-CT system based on 3D printing technology.

PubMed

Ren, Liqiang; Wu, Di; Li, Yuhua; Zheng, Bin; Chen, Yong; Yang, Kai; Liu, Hong

2016-06-01

This study presents a practical alignment method for X-ray spectral measurement in a rotating gantry based micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) system using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. In order to facilitate the spectrometer placement inside the gantry, supporting structures including a cover and a stand were dedicatedly designed and printed using a 3D printer. According to the relative position between the spectrometer and the stand, the upright projection of the spectrometer collimator onto the stand was determined and then marked by a tungsten pinhole. Thus, a visible alignment indicator of the X-ray central beam and the spectrometer collimator represented by the pinhole was established in the micro-CT live mode. Then, a rough alignment could be achieved through repeatedly adjusting and imaging the stand until the pinhole was located at the center of the acquired projection image. With the spectrometer being positioned back onto the stand, the precise alignment was completed by slightly translating the spectrometer-stand assembly around the rough location, until finding a "sweet spot" with the highest photon rate and proper distribution of the X-ray photons in the resultant spectrum. The spectra were acquired under precise alignment and misalignment of approximately 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0mm away from the precise alignment position, and then were compared in qualitative and quantitative analyses. Qualitative analysis results show that, with slight misalignment, the photon rate is reduced from 1302 to 1098, 1031, and 416 photons/second (p/s), respectively, and the characteristic peaks in the acquired spectra are gradually deteriorated. Quantitative analysis indicates that the energy resolutions for characteristic peak of K α1 were calculated as 1.56% for precise alignment, while were 1.84% and 2.40% for slight misalignment of 0.2mm and 0.5mm. The mean energies were reduced from 43.93keV under precise alignment condition to 40.97, 39.63 and 37.78keV when misaligned. Accurate spectral measurements in micro-CT systems are significantly influenced by the alignment precision. This practical alignment method using 3D printing technology could be readily applied to other rotating gantry based micro-CT systems with modified design of the supporting structures and careful considerations of the spectrometer and gantry dimensions.

Practical alignment method for X-ray spectral measurement in micro-CT system based on 3D printing technology

PubMed Central

Ren, Liqiang; Wu, Di; Li, Yuhua; Zheng, Bin; Chen, Yong; Yang, Kai; Liu, Hong

2016-01-01

This study presents a practical alignment method for X-ray spectral measurement in a rotating gantry based micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) system using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. In order to facilitate the spectrometer placement inside the gantry, supporting structures including a cover and a stand were dedicatedly designed and printed using a 3D printer. According to the relative position between the spectrometer and the stand, the upright projection of the spectrometer collimator onto the stand was determined and then marked by a tungsten pinhole. Thus, a visible alignment indicator of the X-ray central beam and the spectrometer collimator represented by the pinhole was established in the micro-CT live mode. Then, a rough alignment could be achieved through repeatedly adjusting and imaging the stand until the pinhole was located at the center of the acquired projection image. With the spectrometer being positioned back onto the stand, the precise alignment was completed by slightly translating the spectrometer-stand assembly around the rough location, until finding a “sweet spot” with the highest photon rate and proper distribution of the X-ray photons in the resultant spectrum. The spectra were acquired under precise alignment and misalignment of approximately 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0mm away from the precise alignment position, and then were compared in qualitative and quantitative analyses. Qualitative analysis results show that, with slight misalignment, the photon rate is reduced from 1302 to 1098, 1031, and 416 photons/second (p/s), respectively, and the characteristic peaks in the acquired spectra are gradually deteriorated. Quantitative analysis indicates that the energy resolutions for characteristic peak of Kα1 were calculated as 1.56% for precise alignment, while were 1.84% and 2.40% for slight misalignment of 0.2mm and 0.5mm. The mean energies were reduced from 43.93keV under precise alignment condition to 40.97, 39.63 and 37.78keV when misaligned. Accurate spectral measurements in micro-CT systems are significantly influenced by the alignment precision. This practical alignment method using 3D printing technology could be readily applied to other rotating gantry based micro-CT systems with modified design of the supporting structures and careful considerations of the spectrometer and gantry dimensions. PMID:27777787

Evaluation of the accuracy of 7 digital scanners: An in vitro analysis based on 3-dimensional comparisons.

PubMed

Renne, Walter; Ludlow, Mark; Fryml, John; Schurch, Zach; Mennito, Anthony; Kessler, Ray; Lauer, Abigail

2017-07-01

As digital impressions become more common and more digital impression systems are released onto the market, it is essential to systematically and objectively evaluate their accuracy. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate and compare the trueness and precision of 6 intraoral scanners and 1 laboratory scanner in both sextant and complete-arch scenarios. Furthermore, time of scanning was evaluated and correlated with trueness and precision. A custom complete-arch model was fabricated with a refractive index similar to that of tooth structure. Seven digital impression systems were used to scan the custom model for both posterior sextant and complete arch scenarios. Analysis was performed using 3-dimensional metrology software to measure discrepancies between the master model and experimental casts. Of the intraoral scanners, the Planscan was found to have the best trueness and precision while the 3Shape Trios was found to have the poorest for sextant scanning (P<.001). The order of trueness for complete arch scanning was as follows: 3Shape D800 >iTero >3Shape TRIOS 3 >Carestream 3500 >Planscan >CEREC Omnicam >CEREC Bluecam. The order of precision for complete-arch scanning was as follows: CS3500 >iTero >3Shape D800 >3Shape TRIOS 3 >CEREC Omnicam >Planscan >CEREC Bluecam. For the secondary outcome evaluating the effect time has on trueness and precision, the complete- arch scan time was highly correlated with both trueness (r=0.771) and precision (r=0.771). For sextant scanning, the Planscan was found to be the most precise and true scanner. For complete-arch scanning, the 3Shape Trios was found to have the best balance of speed and accuracy. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Møller, Jacob Schach

These notes provide an introduction to the spectral analysis of Pauli-Fierz systems at zero and positive temperature. More precisely, we study finite dimensional quantum systems linearly coupled to a single reservoir, a massless scalar quantum field. We emphasize structure results valid at arbitrary system-reservoir coupling strength. The notes contain a mixture of known, refined, and new results and each section ends with a discussion of open problems.

[Factor structure validity of the social capital scale used at baseline in the ELSA-Brasil study].

PubMed

Souto, Ester Paiva; Vasconcelos, Ana Glória Godoi; Chor, Dora; Reichenheim, Michael E; Griep, Rosane Härter

2016-07-21

This study aims to analyze the factor structure of the Brazilian version of the Resource Generator (RG) scale, using baseline data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Health Study in Adults (ELSA-Brasil). Cross-validation was performed in three random subsamples. Exploratory factor analysis using exploratory structural equation models was conducted in the first two subsamples to diagnose the factor structure, and confirmatory factor analysis was used in the third to corroborate the model defined by the exploratory analyses. Based on the 31 initial items, the model with the best fit included 25 items distributed across three dimensions. They all presented satisfactory convergent validity (values greater than 0.50 for the extracted variance) and precision (values greater than 0.70 for compound reliability). All factor correlations were below 0.85, indicating full discriminative factor validity. The RG scale presents acceptable psychometric properties and can be used in populations with similar characteristics.

Thermal-mechanical behavior of high precision composite mirrors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuo, C. P.; Lou, M. C.; Rapp, D.

1993-01-01

Composite mirror panels were designed, constructed, analyzed, and tested in the framework of a NASA precision segmented reflector task. The deformations of the reflector surface during the exposure to space enviroments were predicted using a finite element model. The composite mirror panels have graphite-epoxy or graphite-cyanate facesheets, separated by an aluminum or a composite honeycomb core. It is pointed out that in order to carry out detailed modeling of composite mirrors with high accuracy, it is necessary to have temperature dependent properties of the materials involved and the type and magnitude of manufacturing errors and material nonuniformities. The structural modeling and analysis efforts addressed the impact of key design and materials parameters on the performance of mirrors.

Shape optimization using a NURBS-based interface-enriched generalized FEM

DOE PAGES

Najafi, Ahmad R.; Safdari, Masoud; Tortorelli, Daniel A.; ...

2016-11-26

This study presents a gradient-based shape optimization over a fixed mesh using a non-uniform rational B-splines-based interface-enriched generalized finite element method, applicable to multi-material structures. In the proposed method, non-uniform rational B-splines are used to parameterize the design geometry precisely and compactly by a small number of design variables. An analytical shape sensitivity analysis is developed to compute derivatives of the objective and constraint functions with respect to the design variables. Subtle but important new terms involve the sensitivity of shape functions and their spatial derivatives. As a result, verification and illustrative problems are solved to demonstrate the precision andmore » capability of the method.« less

Toward Repurposing Metformin as a Precision Anti-Cancer Therapy Using Structural Systems Pharmacology

PubMed Central

Hart, Thomas; Dider, Shihab; Han, Weiwei; Xu, Hua; Zhao, Zhongming; Xie, Lei

2016-01-01

Metformin, a drug prescribed to treat type-2 diabetes, exhibits anti-cancer effects in a portion of patients, but the direct molecular and genetic interactions leading to this pleiotropic effect have not yet been fully explored. To repurpose metformin as a precision anti-cancer therapy, we have developed a novel structural systems pharmacology approach to elucidate metformin’s molecular basis and genetic biomarkers of action. We integrated structural proteome-scale drug target identification with network biology analysis by combining structural genomic, functional genomic, and interactomic data. Through searching the human structural proteome, we identified twenty putative metformin binding targets and their interaction models. We experimentally verified the interactions between metformin and our top-ranked kinase targets. Notably, kinases, particularly SGK1 and EGFR were identified as key molecular targets of metformin. Subsequently, we linked these putative binding targets to genes that do not directly bind to metformin but whose expressions are altered by metformin through protein-protein interactions, and identified network biomarkers of phenotypic response of metformin. The molecular targets and the key nodes in genetic networks are largely consistent with the existing experimental evidence. Their interactions can be affected by the observed cancer mutations. This study will shed new light into repurposing metformin for safe, effective, personalized therapies. PMID:26841718

Response analysis of a nuclear containment structure with nonlinear soil-structure interaction under bi-directional ground motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Santosh; Raychowdhury, Prishati; Gundlapalli, Prabhakar

2015-06-01

Design of critical facilities such as nuclear power plant requires an accurate and precise evaluation of seismic demands, as any failure of these facilities poses immense threat to the community. Design complexity of these structures reinforces the necessity of a robust 3D modeling and analysis of the structure and the soil-foundation interface. Moreover, it is important to consider the multiple components of ground motion during time history analysis for a realistic simulation. Present study is focused on investigating the seismic response of a nuclear containment structure considering nonlinear Winkler-based approach to model the soil-foundation interface using a distributed array of inelastic springs, dashpots and gap elements. It is observed from this study that the natural period of the structure increases about 10 %, whereas the force demands decreases up to 24 % by considering the soil-structure interaction. Further, it is observed that foundation deformations, such as rotation and sliding are affected by the embedment ratio, indicating an increase of up to 56 % in these responses for a reduction of embedment from 0.5 to 0.05× the width of the footing.

Precision of DVC approaches for strain analysis in bone imaged with μCT at different dimensional levels.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dall'Ara, Enrico; Peña-Fernández, Marta; Palanca, Marco; Giorgi, Mario; Cristofolini, Luca; Tozzi, Gianluca

2017-11-01

Accurate measurement of local strain in heterogeneous and anisotropic bone tissue is fundamental to understand the pathophysiology of musculoskeletal diseases, to evaluate the effect of interventions from preclinical studies, and to optimize the design and delivery of biomaterials. Digital volume correlation (DVC) can be used to measure the three-dimensional displacement and strain fields from micro-Computed Tomography (µCT) images of loaded specimens. However, this approach is affected by the quality of the input images, by the morphology and density of the tissue under investigation, by the correlation scheme, and by the operational parameters used in the computation. Therefore, for each application the precision of the method should be evaluated. In this paper we present the results collected from datasets analyzed in previous studies as well as new data from a recent experimental campaign for characterizing the relationship between the precision of two different DVC approaches and the spatial resolution of the outputs. Different bone structures scanned with laboratory source µCT or Synchrotron light µCT (SRµCT) were processed in zero-strain tests to evaluate the precision of the DVC methods as a function of the subvolume size that ranged from 8 to 2500 micrometers. The results confirmed that for every microstructure the precision of DVC improves for larger subvolume size, following power laws. However, for the first time large differences in the precision of both local and global DVC approaches have been highlighted when SRµCT or in vivo µCT images were used instead of conventional ex vivo µCT. These findings suggest that in situ mechanical testing protocols applied in SRµCT facilities should be optimized in order to allow DVC analyses of localized strain measurements. Moreover, for in vivo µCT applications DVC analyses should be performed only with relatively course spatial resolution for achieving a reasonable precision of the method. In conclusion, we have extensively shown that the precision of both tested DVC approaches is affected by different bone structures, different input image resolution and different subvolume sizes. Before each specific application DVC users should always apply a similar approach to find the best compromise between precision and spatial resolution of the measurements.

A Study of the Surface Structure of Polymorphic Graphene and Other Two-Dimensional Materials for Use in Novel Electronics and Organic Photovoltaics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grady, Maxwell

For some time there has been interest in the fundamental physical properties of low- dimensional material systems. The discovery of graphene as a stable two-dimensional form of solid carbon lead to an exponential increase in research in two-dimensional and other re- duced dimensional systems. It is now known that there is a wide range of materials which are stable in two-dimensional form. These materials span a large configuration space of struc- tural, mechanical, and electronic properties, which results in the potential to create novel electronic devices from nano-scale heterostructures with exactly tailored device properties. Understanding the material properties at the nanoscale level requires specialized tools to probe materials with atomic precision. Here I present the growth and analysis of a novel graphene-ruthenium system which exhibits unique polymorphism in its surface structure, hereby referred to as polymorphic graphene. Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) investigations of the polymorphic graphene surface reveal a periodically rippled structure with a vast array of domains, each exhibiting xvia unique moire period. The majority of moire domains found in this polymorphic graphene system are previously unreported in past studies of the structure of graphene on ruthenium. To better understand many of the structural properties of this system, characterization methods beyond those available at the UNH surface science lab are employed. Further investigation using Low Energy Electron Microscopy (LEEM) has been carried out at Sandia National Laboratory's Center for Integrated Nanotechnology and the Brookhaven National Laboratory Center for Functional Nanomaterials. To aid in analysis of the LEEM data, I have developed an open source software package to automate extraction of electron reflectivity curves from real space and reciprocal space data sets. This software has been used in the study of numerous other two-dimensional materials beyond graphene. When combined with computational modeling, the analysis of electron I(V) curves presents a method to quantify structural parameters in a material with angstrom level precision. While many materials studied in this thesis offer unique electronic properties, my work focuses primarily on their structural aspects, as well as the instrumentation required to characterize the structure with ultra high resolution.

Ontology-based coupled optimisation design method using state-space analysis for the spindle box system of large ultra-precision optical grinding machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qianren; Chen, Xing; Yin, Yuehong; Lu, Jian

2017-08-01

With the increasing complexity of mechatronic products, traditional empirical or step-by-step design methods are facing great challenges with various factors and different stages having become inevitably coupled during the design process. Management of massive information or big data, as well as the efficient operation of information flow, is deeply involved in the process of coupled design. Designers have to address increased sophisticated situations when coupled optimisation is also engaged. Aiming at overcoming these difficulties involved in conducting the design of the spindle box system of ultra-precision optical grinding machine, this paper proposed a coupled optimisation design method based on state-space analysis, with the design knowledge represented by ontologies and their semantic networks. An electromechanical coupled model integrating mechanical structure, control system and driving system of the motor is established, mainly concerning the stiffness matrix of hydrostatic bearings, ball screw nut and rolling guide sliders. The effectiveness and precision of the method are validated by the simulation results of the natural frequency and deformation of the spindle box when applying an impact force to the grinding wheel.

Local precision nets for monitoring movements of faults and large engineering structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henneberg, H. G.

1978-01-01

Along Bocono Fault were installed local high precision geodetic nets to observe the possible horizontal crustal deformations and movements. In the fault area there are few big structures which are also included in the mentioned investigation. In the near future, measurements shall be extended to other sites of Bocono Fault and also to the El Pilar Fault. In the same way and by similar methods high precision geodetic nets are applied in Venezuela to observe the behavior of big structures, as bridges and large dams and of earth surface deformations due to industrial activities.

Using Time Evolution of the Bunch Structure to Extract the Muon Momentum Distribution in the Fermilab Muon g-2 Experiment

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

Wu, W.; Quinn, B.; Crnkovic, J. D.

Beam dynamics plays an important role in achieving the unprecedented precision on measurement of the muon anomalous magnetic moment in the Fermilab Muon g-2 Experiment. It needs to find the muon momentum distribution in the storage ring in order to evaluate the electric field correction to muon anomalous precession frequency. We will show how to use time evolution of the beam bunch structure to extract the muon momentum distribution by applying a fast rotation analysis on the decay electron signals.

RCWA and FDTD modeling of light emission from internally structured OLEDs.

PubMed

Callens, Michiel Koen; Marsman, Herman; Penninck, Lieven; Peeters, Patrick; de Groot, Harry; ter Meulen, Jan Matthijs; Neyts, Kristiaan

2014-05-05

We report on the fabrication and simulation of a green OLED with an Internal Light Extraction (ILE) layer. The optical behavior of these devices is simulated using both Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis (RCWA) and Finite Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) methods. Results obtained using these two different techniques show excellent agreement and predict the experimental results with good precision. By verifying the validity of both simulation methods on the internal light extraction structure we pave the way to optimization of ILE layers using either of these methods.

X-ray diffraction study of Penicillium Vitale catalase in the complex with aminotriazole

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

Borovik, A. A.; Grebenko, A. I.; Melik-Adamyan, V. R., E-mail: mawr@ns.crys.ras.ru

2011-07-15

The three-dimensional structure of the enzyme catalase from Penicillium vitale in a complex with the inhibitor aminotriazole was solved and refined by protein X-ray crystallography methods. An analysis of the three-dimensional structure of the complex showed that the inhibition of the enzyme occurs as a result of the covalent binding of aminotriazole to the amino-acid residue His64 in the active site of the enzyme. An investigation of the three-dimensional structure of the complex resulted in the amino-acid residues being more precisely identified. The binding sites of saccharide residues and calcium ions in the protein molecule were found.

The Deformations of Carbon Nanotubes under Cutting.

PubMed

Deng, Jue; Wang, Chao; Guan, Guozhen; Wu, Hao; Sun, Hong; Qiu, Longbin; Chen, Peining; Pan, Zhiyong; Sun, Hao; Zhang, Bo; Che, Renchao; Peng, Huisheng

2017-08-22

The determination of structural evolution at the atomic level is essential to understanding the intrinsic physics and chemistries of nanomaterials. Mechanochemistry represents a promising method to trace structural evolution, but conventional mechanical tension generates random breaking points, which makes it unavailable for effective analysis. It remains difficult to find an appropriate model to study shear deformations. Here, we synthesize high-modulus carbon nanotubes that can be cut precisely, and the structural evolution is efficiently investigated through a combination of geometry phase analysis and first-principles calculations. The lattice fluctuation depends on the anisotropy, chirality, curvature, and slicing rate. The strain distribution further reveals a plastic breaking mechanism for the conjugated carbon atoms under cutting. The resulting sliced carbon nanotubes with controllable sizes and open ends are promising for various applications, for example, as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

Morphologies of precise polyethylene-based acid copolymers and ionomers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buitrago, C. Francisco

Acid copolymers and ionomers are polymers that contain a small fraction of covalently bound acidic or ionic groups, respectively. For the specific case of polyethylene (PE), acid and ionic pendants enhance many of the physical properties such as toughness, adhesion and rheological properties. These improved properties result from microphase separated aggregates of the polar pendants in the non-polar PE matrix. Despite the widespread industrial use of these materials, rigorous chemical structure---morphology---property relationships remain elusive due to the inevitable structural heterogeneities in the historically-available acid copolymers and ionomers. Recently, precise acid copolymers and ionomers were successfully synthesized by acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization. These precise materials are linear, high molecular weight PEs with pendant acid or ionic functional groups separated by a precisely controlled number of carbon atoms. The morphologies of nine precise acid copolymers and eleven precise ionomers were investigated by X-ray scattering, solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). For comparison, the morphologies of linear PEs with pseudo-random placement of the pendant groups were also studied. Previous studies of precise copolymers with acrylic acid (AA) found that the microstructural precision produces a new morphology in which PE crystals drive the acid aggregates into layers perpendicular to the chain axes and presumably at the interface between crystalline and amorphous phases. In this dissertation, a second new morphology for acid copolymers is identified in which the aggregates arrange on cubic lattices. The fist report of a cubic morphology was observed at room and elevated temperatures for a copolymer functionalized with two phosphonic acid (PA) groups on every 21st carbon atom. The cubic lattice has been identified as face-centered cubic (FCC). Overall, three morphology types have been identified for precise acid copolymers and ionomers at room temperature: (1) liquid-like order of aggregates dispersed throughout an amorphous PE matrix, (2) one-dimensional long-range order of aggregates in layers coexisting with PE crystals, and (3) three-dimensional periodicity of aggregates in cubic lattices in a PE matrix featuring defective packing. The liquid-like morphology is a result of high content of acid or ionic substituents deterring PE crystallinity due to steric hindrance. The layered morphology occurs when the content of pendants is low and the PE segments are long enough to crystallize. The cubic morphologies occur in precise copolymers with geminal substitution of phosphonic acid (PA) groups and long, flexible PE segments. At temperatures above the thermal transitions of the PE matrix, all but one material present a liquid-like morphology. Those conditions are ideal to study the evolution of the interaggregate spacing (d*) in X-ray scattering as a function of PE segment length between pendants, pendant type and pendant architecture (specifically, mono or geminal substitution). Also at elevated temperatures, the morphologies of precise acrylic acid (AA) copolymers and ionomers were investigated further via atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The simulations complement X-ray scattering by providing real space visualization of the aggregates, demonstrating the occurrence of isolated, string-like and even percolated aggregate structures. This is the first dissertation completely devoted to the morphology of precise acid copolymers and precise ionomers. The complete analysis of the morphologies in these novel materials provides new insights into the shapes of aggregates in acid copolymers and ionomers in general. A key aspect of this thesis is the complementary use of experimental and simulation methods to unlock a wealth of new understanding.

Structure-function analysis of the extracellular domain of the pneumococcal cell division site positioning protein MapZ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manuse, Sylvie; Jean, Nicolas L.; Guinot, Mégane; Lavergne, Jean-Pierre; Laguri, Cédric; Bougault, Catherine M.; Vannieuwenhze, Michael S.; Grangeasse, Christophe; Simorre, Jean-Pierre

2016-06-01

Accurate placement of the bacterial division site is a prerequisite for the generation of two viable and identical daughter cells. In Streptococcus pneumoniae, the positive regulatory mechanism involving the membrane protein MapZ positions precisely the conserved cell division protein FtsZ at the cell centre. Here we characterize the structure of the extracellular domain of MapZ and show that it displays a bi-modular structure composed of two subdomains separated by a flexible serine-rich linker. We further demonstrate in vivo that the N-terminal subdomain serves as a pedestal for the C-terminal subdomain, which determines the ability of MapZ to mark the division site. The C-terminal subdomain displays a patch of conserved amino acids and we show that this patch defines a structural motif crucial for MapZ function. Altogether, this structure-function analysis of MapZ provides the first molecular characterization of a positive regulatory process of bacterial cell division.

Automatic Inference of Cryptographic Key Length Based on Analysis of Proof Tightness

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

within an attack tree structure, then expand attack tree methodology to include cryptographic reductions. We then provide the algorithms for...maintaining and automatically reasoning about these expanded attack trees . We provide a software tool that utilizes machine-readable proof and attack metadata...and the attack tree methodology to provide rapid and precise answers regarding security parameters and effective security. This eliminates the need

High symmetry effects on hydrogen bond rearrangement: The 4.1 THz vibrational band of (D2O)4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Mac G.; Keutsch, Frank N.; Braly, Linda B.; Saykally, Richard J.

1999-11-01

Vibration-rotation-tunneling (VRT) spectroscopy has been extended to the 4 THz spectral region through the observation of a second intermolecular vibration of (D2O)4. Analysis of the precisely measured perpendicular transition confirms the previously reported cyclic homodromic structure and reveals a dramatically increased (30×) hydrogen bond rearrangement rate in the excited state.

Concept analysis of mentoring.

PubMed

2013-10-01

The purpose of a concept analysis is to examine the structure and function of a concept by defining its attributes and internal structure. Concept analysis can clarify an overused or vague concept and promote mutual understanding by providing a precise operational definition. Mentoring is a concept more fully used by other fields, such as business, than in nursing and may not always translate well for use in nursing. Therefore, clarifying the meaning of the existing concept of mentoring and developing an operational definition for use in nursing are aims of this concept analysis. Mentoring is broadly based and concentrates on developing areas such as career progression, scholarly achievements, and personal development. Mentoring relationships are based around developing reciprocity and accountability between each partner. Mentoring is seen related to transition in practice, role acquisition, and socialization, as a way to support new colleagues. Mentorship is related to nurses' success in nursing practice linked to professionalism, nursing quality improvement, and self-confidence.

Meta-Analysis of Effect Sizes Reported at Multiple Time Points Using General Linear Mixed Model.

PubMed

Musekiwa, Alfred; Manda, Samuel O M; Mwambi, Henry G; Chen, Ding-Geng

2016-01-01

Meta-analysis of longitudinal studies combines effect sizes measured at pre-determined time points. The most common approach involves performing separate univariate meta-analyses at individual time points. This simplistic approach ignores dependence between longitudinal effect sizes, which might result in less precise parameter estimates. In this paper, we show how to conduct a meta-analysis of longitudinal effect sizes where we contrast different covariance structures for dependence between effect sizes, both within and between studies. We propose new combinations of covariance structures for the dependence between effect size and utilize a practical example involving meta-analysis of 17 trials comparing postoperative treatments for a type of cancer, where survival is measured at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months post randomization. Although the results from this particular data set show the benefit of accounting for within-study serial correlation between effect sizes, simulations are required to confirm these results.

Observation of crystalline changes of titanium dioxide during lithium insertion by visible spectrum analysis.

PubMed

Nam, Inho; Park, Jongseok; Park, Soomin; Bae, Seongjun; Yoo, Young Geun; Han, Jeong Woo; Yi, Jongheop

2017-05-24

Real-time analysis of changes in the atomic environment of materials is a cutting edge technology that is being used to explain reaction dynamics in many fields of science. Previously, this kind of analysis was only possible using heavy nucleonic equipment such as XANES and EXAFS, or Raman spectroscopy on a moderate scale. Here, a new methodology is described that can be used to track changes in crystalline developments during complex Li insertion reactions via the observation of structural color. To be specific, the changes in atomic crystalline and nanostructure are shown during Li insertion in a complex TiO 2 polymorph. Structural color corresponds to the refractive indices of materials originating from their atomic bonding nature and precise wave interferences in accordance with their nanostructure. Therefore, this new analysis simultaneously reveals changes in the nanostructure as well as changes in the atomic bonding nature of materials.

Aspects of conversational style—linguistic versus behavioral analysis

PubMed Central

Hall, Genae A.

1992-01-01

Skinner's functional analysis of verbal behavior has been contrasted with formal linguistic analysis which studies the grammatical structure and “meaning” of verbal response-products, regardless of the circumstances under which they are produced. Nevertheless, it appears that certain areas of linguistic analysis are not entirely structural. In her recent books That's Not What I Meant (1986) and You Just Don't Understand (1990), the linguist Deborah Tannen purports to explain how people exhibit different “conversation styles”—that is, how they speak and achieve effects on listeners in different ways. There are indications, however, that the linguistic model may not be the most functional and precise one that could be used in analyzing conversational style. This paper takes concepts presented in Deborah Tannen's book That's Not What I Meant (1986), analyzes them from a linguistic and a behavioral perspective, and compares the relative utility of the two approaches. PMID:22477048

Aspects of conversational style-linguistic versus behavioral analysis.

PubMed

Hall, G A

1992-01-01

Skinner's functional analysis of verbal behavior has been contrasted with formal linguistic analysis which studies the grammatical structure and "meaning" of verbal response-products, regardless of the circumstances under which they are produced. Nevertheless, it appears that certain areas of linguistic analysis are not entirely structural. In her recent books That's Not What I Meant (1986) and You Just Don't Understand (1990), the linguist Deborah Tannen purports to explain how people exhibit different "conversation styles"-that is, how they speak and achieve effects on listeners in different ways. There are indications, however, that the linguistic model may not be the most functional and precise one that could be used in analyzing conversational style. This paper takes concepts presented in Deborah Tannen's book That's Not What I Meant (1986), analyzes them from a linguistic and a behavioral perspective, and compares the relative utility of the two approaches.

RegPrecise 3.0--a resource for genome-scale exploration of transcriptional regulation in bacteria.

PubMed

Novichkov, Pavel S; Kazakov, Alexey E; Ravcheev, Dmitry A; Leyn, Semen A; Kovaleva, Galina Y; Sutormin, Roman A; Kazanov, Marat D; Riehl, William; Arkin, Adam P; Dubchak, Inna; Rodionov, Dmitry A

2013-11-01

Genome-scale prediction of gene regulation and reconstruction of transcriptional regulatory networks in prokaryotes is one of the critical tasks of modern genomics. Bacteria from different taxonomic groups, whose lifestyles and natural environments are substantially different, possess highly diverged transcriptional regulatory networks. The comparative genomics approaches are useful for in silico reconstruction of bacterial regulons and networks operated by both transcription factors (TFs) and RNA regulatory elements (riboswitches). RegPrecise (http://regprecise.lbl.gov) is a web resource for collection, visualization and analysis of transcriptional regulons reconstructed by comparative genomics. We significantly expanded a reference collection of manually curated regulons we introduced earlier. RegPrecise 3.0 provides access to inferred regulatory interactions organized by phylogenetic, structural and functional properties. Taxonomy-specific collections include 781 TF regulogs inferred in more than 160 genomes representing 14 taxonomic groups of Bacteria. TF-specific collections include regulogs for a selected subset of 40 TFs reconstructed across more than 30 taxonomic lineages. Novel collections of regulons operated by RNA regulatory elements (riboswitches) include near 400 regulogs inferred in 24 bacterial lineages. RegPrecise 3.0 provides four classifications of the reference regulons implemented as controlled vocabularies: 55 TF protein families; 43 RNA motif families; ~150 biological processes or metabolic pathways; and ~200 effectors or environmental signals. Genome-wide visualization of regulatory networks and metabolic pathways covered by the reference regulons are available for all studied genomes. A separate section of RegPrecise 3.0 contains draft regulatory networks in 640 genomes obtained by an conservative propagation of the reference regulons to closely related genomes. RegPrecise 3.0 gives access to the transcriptional regulons reconstructed in bacterial genomes. Analytical capabilities include exploration of: regulon content, structure and function; TF binding site motifs; conservation and variations in genome-wide regulatory networks across all taxonomic groups of Bacteria. RegPrecise 3.0 was selected as a core resource on transcriptional regulation of the Department of Energy Systems Biology Knowledgebase, an emerging software and data environment designed to enable researchers to collaboratively generate, test and share new hypotheses about gene and protein functions, perform large-scale analyses, and model interactions in microbes, plants, and their communities.

Single-anchor support and supercritical CO2 drying enable high-precision microfabrication of three-dimensional structures.

PubMed

Maruo, Shoji; Hasegawa, Takuya; Yoshimura, Naoki

2009-11-09

In high-precision two-photon microfabrication of three-dimensional (3-D) polymeric microstructures, supercritical CO(2) drying was employed to reduce surface tension, which tends to cause the collapse of micro/nano structures. Use of supercritical drying allowed high-aspect ratio microstructures, such as micropillars and cantilevers, to be fabricated. We also propose a single-anchor supporting method to eliminate non-uniform shrinkage of polymeric structures otherwise caused by attachment to the substrate. Use of this method permitted frame models such as lattices to be produced without harmful distortion. The combination of supercritical CO(2) drying and the single-anchor supporting method offers reliable high-precision microfabrication of sophisticated, fragile 3-D micro/nano structures.

A modified precise integration method for transient dynamic analysis in structural systems with multiple damping models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Zhe; Li, Li; Hu, Yujin

2018-01-01

Sophisticated engineering systems are usually assembled by subcomponents with significantly different levels of energy dissipation. Therefore, these damping systems often contain multiple damping models and lead to great difficulties in analyzing. This paper aims at developing a time integration method for structural systems with multiple damping models. The dynamical system is first represented by a generally damped model. Based on this, a new extended state-space method for the damped system is derived. A modified precise integration method with Gauss-Legendre quadrature is then proposed. The numerical stability and accuracy of the proposed integration method are discussed in detail. It is verified that the method is conditionally stable and has inherent algorithmic damping, period error and amplitude decay. Numerical examples are provided to assess the performance of the proposed method compared with other methods. It is demonstrated that the method is more accurate than other methods with rather good efficiency and the stable condition is easy to be satisfied in practice.

Optimized merging of search coil and fluxgate data for MMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, David; Magnes, Werner; Hagen, Christian; Dors, Ivan; Chutter, Mark W.; Needell, Jerry; Torbert, Roy B.; Le Contel, Olivier; Strangeway, Robert J.; Kubin, Gernot; Valavanoglou, Aris; Plaschke, Ferdinand; Nakamura, Rumi; Mirioni, Laurent; Russell, Christopher T.; Leinweber, Hannes K.; Bromund, Kenneth R.; Le, Guan; Kepko, Lawrence; Anderson, Brian J.; Slavin, James A.; Baumjohann, Wolfgang

2016-11-01

The Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS) targets the characterization of fine-scale current structures in the Earth's tail and magnetopause. The high speed of these structures, when traversing one of the MMS spacecraft, creates magnetic field signatures that cross the sensitive frequency bands of both search coil and fluxgate magnetometers. Higher data quality for analysis of these events can be achieved by combining data from both instrument types and using the frequency bands with best sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio from both sensors. This can be achieved by a model-based frequency compensation approach which requires the precise knowledge of instrument gain and phase properties. We discuss relevant aspects of the instrument design and the ground calibration activities, describe the model development and explain the application on in-flight data. Finally, we show the precision of this method by comparison of in-flight data. It confirms unity gain and a time difference of less than 100 µs between the different magnetometer instruments.

Synaptotagmin-11 inhibits clathrin-mediated and bulk endocytosis.

PubMed

Wang, Changhe; Wang, Yeshi; Hu, Meiqin; Chai, Zuying; Wu, Qihui; Huang, Rong; Han, Weiping; Zhang, Claire Xi; Zhou, Zhuan

2016-01-01

Precise and efficient endocytosis is essential for vesicle recycling during a sustained neurotransmission. The regulation of endocytosis has been extensively studied, but inhibitors have rarely been found. Here, we show that synaptotagmin-11 (Syt11), a non-Ca(2+)-binding Syt implicated in schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, inhibits clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) and bulk endocytosis in dorsal root ganglion neurons. The frequency of both types of endocytic event increases in Syt11 knockdown neurons, while the sizes of endocytosed vesicles and the kinetics of individual bulk endocytotic events remain unaffected. Specifically, clathrin-coated pits and bulk endocytosis-like structures increase on the plasma membrane in Syt11-knockdown neurons. Structural-functional analysis reveals distinct domain requirements for Syt11 function in CME and bulk endocytosis. Importantly, Syt11 also inhibits endocytosis in hippocampal neurons, implying a general role of Syt11 in neurons. Taken together, we propose that Syt11 functions to ensure precision in vesicle retrieval, mainly by limiting the sites of membrane invagination at the early stage of endocytosis. © 2015 The Authors.

A light and faster regional convolutional neural network for object detection in optical remote sensing images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Peng; Zhang, Ye; Deng, Wei-Jian; Jia, Ping; Kuijper, Arjan

2018-07-01

Detection of objects from satellite optical remote sensing images is very important for many commercial and governmental applications. With the development of deep convolutional neural networks (deep CNNs), the field of object detection has seen tremendous advances. Currently, objects in satellite remote sensing images can be detected using deep CNNs. In general, optical remote sensing images contain many dense and small objects, and the use of the original Faster Regional CNN framework does not yield a suitably high precision. Therefore, after careful analysis we adopt dense convoluted networks, a multi-scale representation and various combinations of improvement schemes to enhance the structure of the base VGG16-Net for improving the precision. We propose an approach to reduce the test-time (detection time) and memory requirements. To validate the effectiveness of our approach, we perform experiments using satellite remote sensing image datasets of aircraft and automobiles. The results show that the improved network structure can detect objects in satellite optical remote sensing images more accurately and efficiently.

Eddy current loss analysis of open-slot fault-tolerant permanent-magnet machines based on conformal mapping method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Jinghua; Luo, Jianhua; Lei, Qian; Bian, Fangfang

2017-05-01

This paper proposed an analytical method, based on conformal mapping (CM) method, for the accurate evaluation of magnetic field and eddy current (EC) loss in fault-tolerant permanent-magnet (FTPM) machines. The aim of modulation function, applied in CM method, is to change the open-slot structure into fully closed-slot structure, whose air-gap flux density is easy to calculate analytically. Therefore, with the help of Matlab Schwarz-Christoffel (SC) Toolbox, both the magnetic flux density and EC density of FTPM machine are obtained accurately. Finally, time-stepped transient finite-element method (FEM) is used to verify the theoretical analysis, showing that the proposed method is able to predict the magnetic flux density and EC loss precisely.

Aeroservoelasticity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noll, Thomas E.

1990-01-01

The paper describes recent accomplishments and current research projects along four main thrusts in aeroservoelasticity at NASA Langley. One activity focuses on enhancing the modeling and analysis procedures to accurately predict aeroservoelastic interactions. Improvements to the minimum-state method of approximating unsteady aerodynamics are shown to provide precise low-order models for design and simulation tasks. Recent extensions in aerodynamic correction-factor methodology are also described. With respect to analysis procedures, the paper reviews novel enhancements to matched filter theory and random process theory for predicting the critical gust profile and the associated time-correlated gust loads for structural design considerations. Two research projects leading towards improved design capability are also summarized: (1) an integrated structure/control design capability and (2) procedures for obtaining low-order robust digital control laws for aeroelastic applications.

Multi-fractal detrended texture feature for brain tumor classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reza, Syed M. S.; Mays, Randall; Iftekharuddin, Khan M.

2015-03-01

We propose a novel non-invasive brain tumor type classification using Multi-fractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MFDFA) [1] in structural magnetic resonance (MR) images. This preliminary work investigates the efficacy of the MFDFA features along with our novel texture feature known as multifractional Brownian motion (mBm) [2] in classifying (grading) brain tumors as High Grade (HG) and Low Grade (LG). Based on prior performance, Random Forest (RF) [3] is employed for tumor grading using two different datasets such as BRATS-2013 [4] and BRATS-2014 [5]. Quantitative scores such as precision, recall, accuracy are obtained using the confusion matrix. On an average 90% precision and 85% recall from the inter-dataset cross-validation confirm the efficacy of the proposed method.

Robust one-Tube Ω-PCR Strategy Accelerates Precise Sequence Modification of Plasmids for Functional Genomics

PubMed Central

Chen, Letian; Wang, Fengpin; Wang, Xiaoyu; Liu, Yao-Guang

2013-01-01

Functional genomics requires vector construction for protein expression and functional characterization of target genes; therefore, a simple, flexible and low-cost molecular manipulation strategy will be highly advantageous for genomics approaches. Here, we describe a Ω-PCR strategy that enables multiple types of sequence modification, including precise insertion, deletion and substitution, in any position of a circular plasmid. Ω-PCR is based on an overlap extension site-directed mutagenesis technique, and is named for its characteristic Ω-shaped secondary structure during PCR. Ω-PCR can be performed either in two steps, or in one tube in combination with exonuclease I treatment. These strategies have wide applications for protein engineering, gene function analysis and in vitro gene splicing. PMID:23335613

Laboratory technology and cosmochemistry

PubMed Central

Zinner, Ernst K.; Moynier, Frederic; Stroud, Rhonda M.

2011-01-01

Recent developments in analytical instrumentation have led to revolutionary discoveries in cosmochemistry. Instrumental advances have been made along two lines: (i) increase in spatial resolution and sensitivity of detection, allowing for the study of increasingly smaller samples, and (ii) increase in the precision of isotopic analysis that allows more precise dating, the study of isotopic heterogeneity in the Solar System, and other studies. A variety of instrumental techniques are discussed, and important examples of discoveries are listed. Instrumental techniques and instruments include the ion microprobe, laser ablation gas MS, Auger EM, resonance ionization MS, accelerator MS, transmission EM, focused ion-beam microscopy, atom probe tomography, X-ray absorption near-edge structure/electron loss near-edge spectroscopy, Raman microprobe, NMR spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma MS. PMID:21498689

Clustering algorithms for identifying core atom sets and for assessing the precision of protein structure ensembles.

PubMed

Snyder, David A; Montelione, Gaetano T

2005-06-01

An important open question in the field of NMR-based biomolecular structure determination is how best to characterize the precision of the resulting ensemble of structures. Typically, the RMSD, as minimized in superimposing the ensemble of structures, is the preferred measure of precision. However, the presence of poorly determined atomic coordinates and multiple "RMSD-stable domains"--locally well-defined regions that are not aligned in global superimpositions--complicate RMSD calculations. In this paper, we present a method, based on a novel, structurally defined order parameter, for identifying a set of core atoms to use in determining superimpositions for RMSD calculations. In addition we present a method for deciding whether to partition that core atom set into "RMSD-stable domains" and, if so, how to determine partitioning of the core atom set. We demonstrate our algorithm and its application in calculating statistically sound RMSD values by applying it to a set of NMR-derived structural ensembles, superimposing each RMSD-stable domain (or the entire core atom set, where appropriate) found in each protein structure under consideration. A parameter calculated by our algorithm using a novel, kurtosis-based criterion, the epsilon-value, is a measure of precision of the superimposition that complements the RMSD. In addition, we compare our algorithm with previously described algorithms for determining core atom sets. The methods presented in this paper for biomolecular structure superimposition are quite general, and have application in many areas of structural bioinformatics and structural biology.

Common View Time Transfer Using Worldwide GPS and DMA Monitor Stations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reid, Wilson G.; McCaskill, Thomas B.; Oaks, Orville J.; Buisson, James A.; Warren, Hugh E.

1996-01-01

Analysis of the on-orbit Navstar clocks and the Global Positioning System (GPS) monitor station reference clocks is performed by the Naval Research Laboratory using both broadcast and postprocessed precise ephemerides. The precise ephemerides are produced by the Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) for each of the GPS space vehicles from pseudo-range measurements collected at five GPS and at five DMA monitor stations spaced around the world. Recently, DMA established an additional site co-located with the US Naval Observatory precise time site. The time reference for the new DMA site is the DoD Master Clock. Now, for the first time, it is possible to transfer time every 15 minutes via common view from the DoD Master Clock to the 11 GPS and DMA monitor stations. The estimated precision of a single common-view time transfer measurement taken over a 15-minute interval was between 1.4 and 2.7 nanoseconds. Using the measurements from all Navstar space vehicles in common view during the 15-minute interval, typically 3-7 space vehicles, improved the estimate of the precision to between 0.65 and 1.13 nanoseconds. The mean phase error obtained from closure of the time transfer around the world using the 11 monitor stations and the 25 space vehicle clocks over a period of 4 months had a magnitude of 31 picoseconds. Analysis of the low noise time transfer from the DoD Master Clock to each of the monitor stations yields not only the bias in the time of the reference clock, but also focuses attention on structure in the behaviour of the reference clock not previously seen. Furthermore, the time transfer provides a a uniformly sampled database of 15-minute measurements that make possible, for the first time, the direct and exhaustive computation of the frequency stability of the monitor station reference clocks. To lend perspective to the analysis, a summary is given of the discontinuities in phase and frequency that occurred in the reference clock at the Master Control Station during the period covered by the analysis.

Design and implementation of active members for precision space structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Webster, M. S.; Fanson, J. L.; Lurie, B. J.; O'Brien, J. F.

1992-01-01

This paper describes the development and implementation of an active member in a precision truss structure. The active member utilizes a piezoelectric actuator motor imbedded in a steel case with built-in displacement sensor. This active member is used in structural quieting. Collocated active damping control loops are designed in order to impedance match piezoelectric active members to the structure. Results from application of these controllers and actuators to the JPL Phase B testbed are given.

Precise side-chain conformation analysis of L-phenylalanine in α-helical polypeptide by quantum-chemical calculation and 13C CP-MAS NMR measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niimura, Subaru; Suzuki, Junya; Kurosu, Hiromichi; Yamanobe, Takeshi; Shoji, Akira

2010-04-01

To clarify the positive role of side-chain conformation in the stability of protein secondary structure (main-chain conformation), we successfully calculated the optimization structure of a well-defined α-helical octadecapeptide composed of L-alanine (Ala) and L-phenylalanine (Phe) residues, H-(Ala) 8-Phe-(Ala) 9-OH, based on the molecular orbital calculation with density functional theory (DFT/B3LYP/6-31G(d)). From the total energy and the precise secondary structural parameters such as main-chain dihedral angles and hydrogen-bond parameters of the optimized structure, we confirmed that the conformational stability of an α-helix is affected dominantly by the side-chain conformation ( χ1) of the Phe residue in this system: model A ( T form: around 180° of χ1) is most stable in α-helix and model B ( G + form: around -60° of χ1) is next stable, but model C ( G - form: around 60° of χ1) is less stable. In addition, we demonstrate that the stable conformation of poly( L-phenylalanine) is an α-helix with the side-chain T form, by comparison of the carbonyl 13C chemical shift measured by 13C CP-MAS NMR and the calculated one.

Epitaxial Growth of an Organic p-n Heterojunction: C60 on Single-Crystal Pentacene.

PubMed

Nakayama, Yasuo; Mizuno, Yuta; Hosokai, Takuya; Koganezawa, Tomoyuki; Tsuruta, Ryohei; Hinderhofer, Alexander; Gerlach, Alexander; Broch, Katharina; Belova, Valentina; Frank, Heiko; Yamamoto, Masayuki; Niederhausen, Jens; Glowatzki, Hendrik; Rabe, Jürgen P; Koch, Norbert; Ishii, Hisao; Schreiber, Frank; Ueno, Nobuo

2016-06-01

Designing molecular p-n heterojunction structures, i.e., electron donor-acceptor contacts, is one of the central challenges for further development of organic electronic devices. In the present study, a well-defined p-n heterojunction of two representative molecular semiconductors, pentacene and C60, formed on the single-crystal surface of pentacene is precisely investigated in terms of its growth behavior and crystallographic structure. C60 assembles into a (111)-oriented face-centered-cubic crystal structure with a specific epitaxial orientation on the (001) surface of the pentacene single crystal. The present experimental findings provide molecular scale insights into the formation mechanisms of the organic p-n heterojunction through an accurate structural analysis of the single-crystalline molecular contact.

Research on the Problem of High-Precision Deployment for Large-Aperture Space-Based Science Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lake, Mark S.; Peterson, Lee D.; Hachkowski, M. Roman; Hinkle, Jason D.; Hardaway, Lisa R.

1998-01-01

The present paper summarizes results from an ongoing research program conducted jointly by the University of Colorado and NASA Langley Research Center since 1994. This program has resulted in general guidelines for the design of high-precision deployment mechanisms, and tests of prototype deployable structures incorporating these mechanisms have shown microdynamically stable behavior (i.e., dimensional stability to parts per million). These advancements have resulted from the identification of numerous heretofore unknown microdynamic and micromechanical response phenomena, and the development of new test techniques and instrumentation systems to interrogate these phenomena. In addition, recent tests have begun to interrogate nanomechanical response of materials and joints and have been used to develop an understanding of nonlinear nanodynamic behavior in microdynamically stable structures. The ultimate goal of these efforts is to enable nano-precision active control of micro-precision deployable structures (i.e., active control to a resolution of parts per billion).

Further Simplification of the Simple Erosion Narrowing Score With Item Response Theory Methodology.

PubMed

Oude Voshaar, Martijn A H; Schenk, Olga; Ten Klooster, Peter M; Vonkeman, Harald E; Bernelot Moens, Hein J; Boers, Maarten; van de Laar, Mart A F J

2016-08-01

To further simplify the simple erosion narrowing score (SENS) by removing scored areas that contribute the least to its measurement precision according to analysis based on item response theory (IRT) and to compare the measurement performance of the simplified version to the original. Baseline and 18-month data of the Combinatietherapie Bij Reumatoide Artritis (COBRA) trial were modeled using longitudinal IRT methodology. Measurement precision was evaluated across different levels of structural damage. SENS was further simplified by omitting the least reliably scored areas. Discriminant validity of SENS and its simplification were studied by comparing their ability to differentiate between the COBRA and sulfasalazine arms. Responsiveness was studied by comparing standardized change scores between versions. SENS data showed good fit to the IRT model. Carpal and feet joints contributed the least statistical information to both erosion and joint space narrowing scores. Omitting the joints of the foot reduced measurement precision for the erosion score in cases with below-average levels of structural damage (relative efficiency compared with the original version ranged 35-59%). Omitting the carpal joints had minimal effect on precision (relative efficiency range 77-88%). Responsiveness of a simplified SENS without carpal joints closely approximated the original version (i.e., all Δ standardized change scores were ≤0.06). Discriminant validity was also similar between versions for both the erosion score (relative efficiency = 97%) and the SENS total score (relative efficiency = 84%). Our results show that the carpal joints may be omitted from the SENS without notable repercussion for its measurement performance. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the calcaneus: preliminary assessment of trabecular bone-dependent regional variations in marrow relaxation time compared with dual X-ray absorptiometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guglielmi, G.; Selby, K.; Blunt, B. A.; Jergas, M.; Newitt, D. C.; Genant, H. K.; Majumdar, S.

1996-01-01

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Marrow transverse relaxation time (T2*) in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging may be related to the density and structure of the surrounding trabecular network. We investigated regional variations of T2* in the human calcaneus and compared the findings with bone mineral density (BMD), as measured by dual X-ray absorpiometry (DXA). Short- and long-term precisions were evaluated first to determine whether MR imaging would be useful for the clinical assessment of disease status and progression in osteoporosis. METHODS: Gradient-recalled echo MR images of the calcaneus were acquired at 1.5 T from six volunteers. Measurements of T2* were compared with BMD and (for one volunteer) conventional radiography. RESULTS: T2* values showed significant regional variation; they typically were shortest in the superior region of the calcaneus. There was a linear correlation between MR and DXA measurements (r = .66 for 1/T2* versus BMD). Differences in T2* attributable to variations in analysis region-of-interest placement were not significant for five of the six volunteers. Sagittal MR images had short- and long-term precision errors of 4.2% and 3.3%, respectively. For DXA, the precision was 1.3% (coefficient of variation). CONCLUSION: MR imaging may be useful for trabecular bone assessment in the calcaneus. However, given the large regional variations in bone density and structure, the choice of an ROI is likely to play a major role in the accuracy, precision, and overall clinical efficacy of T2* measurements.

Applications of the Cambridge Structural Database in organic chemistry and crystal chemistry.

PubMed

Allen, Frank H; Motherwell, W D Samuel

2002-06-01

The Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) and its associated software systems have formed the basis for more than 800 research applications in structural chemistry, crystallography and the life sciences. Relevant references, dating from the mid-1970s, and brief synopses of these papers are collected in a database, DBUse, which is freely available via the CCDC website. This database has been used to review research applications of the CSD in organic chemistry, including supramolecular applications, and in organic crystal chemistry. The review concentrates on applications that have been published since 1990 and covers a wide range of topics, including structure correlation, conformational analysis, hydrogen bonding and other intermolecular interactions, studies of crystal packing, extended structural motifs, crystal engineering and polymorphism, and crystal structure prediction. Applications of CSD information in studies of crystal structure precision, the determination of crystal structures from powder diffraction data, together with applications in chemical informatics, are also discussed.

Thermo-mechanical performance of precision C/SiC mounts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodman, William A.; Mueller, Claus E.; Jacoby, Marc T.; Wells, Jim D.

2001-12-01

For complex shaped, lightweight, high precision opto- mechanical structures that must operate in adverse environments and over wide ranges of temperature, we consider IABG's optical grade silicon carbide composite ceramic (C/SiC) as the material of choice. C/SiC employs conventional NC machining/milling equipment to rapidly fabricate near-net shape parts, providing substantial schedule, cost, and risk savings for high precision components. Unlike powder based SiC ceramics, C/SiC does not experience significant shrinkage during processing, nor does it suffer from incomplete densification. If required, e.g. for large-size components, a fully-monolithic ceramic joining technique can be applied. Generally, the thermal and mechanical properties of C/SiC are tunable in certain ranges by modifying certain process steps. This paper focuses on the thermo-mechanical performance of new, high precision mounts designed by Schafer Corporation and manufactured by IABG. The mounts were manufactured using standard optical grade C/SiC (formulation internally called A-3). The A-3 formulation has a near-perfect CTE match with silicon, making it the ideal material to athermally support Schafer produced Silicon Lightweight Mirrors (SLMs) that will operate in a cryogenic environment. Corresponding thermo- mechanical testing and analysis is presented in this manuscript.

Scaling up the precision in a ytterbium Bose-Einstein condensate interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McAlpine, Katherine; Plotkin-Swing, Benjamin; Gochnauer, Daniel; Saxberg, Brendan; Gupta, Subhadeep

2016-05-01

We report on progress toward a high-precision ytterbium (Yb) Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) interferometer, with the goal of measuring h/m and thus the fine structure constant α. Here h is Planck's constant and m is the mass of a Yb atom. The use of the non-magnetic Yb atom makes our experiment insensitive to magnetic field noise. Our chosen symmetric 3-path interferometer geometry suppresses errors from vibration, rotation, and acceleration. The precision scales with the phase accrued due to the kinetic energy difference between the interferometer arms, resulting in a quadratic sensitivity to the momentum difference. We are installing and testing the laser pulses for large momentum transfer via Bloch oscillations. We will report on Yb BEC production in a new apparatus and progress toward realizing the atom optical elements for high precision measurements. We will also discuss approaches to mitigate two important systematics: (i) atom interaction effects can be suppressed by creating the BEC in a dynamically shaped optical trap to reduce the density; (ii) diffraction phase effects from the various atom-optical elements can be accounted for through an analysis of the light-atom interaction for each pulse.

Analysis and control on changeable wheel tool system of hybrid grinding and polishing machine tool for blade finishing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Qiuwei; Lv, Xingming; Wang, Xin; Qu, Xingtian; Zhao, Ji

2017-01-01

Blade is the key component in the energy power equipment of turbine, aircraft engines and so on. Researches on the process and equipment for blade finishing become one of important and difficult point. To control precisely tool system of developed hybrid grinding and polishing machine tool for blade finishing, the tool system with changeable wheel for belt polishing is analyzed in this paper. Firstly, the belt length and wrap angle of each wheel in different position of tension wheel swing angle in the process of changing wheel is analyzed. The reasonable belt length is calculated by using MATLAB, and relationships between wrap angle of each wheel and cylinder expansion amount of contact wheel are obtained. Then, the control system for changeable wheel tool structure is developed. Lastly, the surface roughness of blade finishing is verified by experiments. Theoretical analysis and experimental results show that reasonable belt length and wheel wrap angle can be obtained by proposed analysis method, the changeable wheel tool system can be controlled precisely, and the surface roughness of blade after grinding meets the design requirements.

[Influence of trabecular microstructure modeling on finite element analysis of dental implant].

PubMed

Shen, M J; Wang, G G; Zhu, X H; Ding, X

2016-09-01

To analyze the influence of trabecular microstructure modeling on the biomechanical distribution of implant-bone interface with a three-dimensional finite element mandible model of trabecular structure. Dental implants were embeded in the mandibles of a beagle dog. After three months of the implant installation, the mandibles with dental implants were harvested and scaned by micro-CT and cone-beam CT. Two three-dimensional finite element mandible models, trabecular microstructure(precise model) and macrostructure(simplified model), were built. The values of stress and strain of implant-bone interface were calculated using the software of Ansys 14.0. Compared with the simplified model, the precise models' average values of the implant bone interface stress increased obviously and its maximum values did not change greatly. The maximum values of quivalent stress of the precise models were 80% and 110% of the simplified model and the average values were 170% and 290% of simplified model. The maximum and average values of equivalent strain of precise models were obviously decreased, and the maximum values of the equivalent effect strain were 17% and 26% of simplified model and the average ones were 21% and 16% of simplified model respectively. Stress and strain concentrations at implant-bone interface were obvious in the simplified model. However, the distributions of stress and strain were uniform in the precise model. The precise model has significant effect on the distribution of stress and strain at implant-bone interface.

Data-Driven Significance Estimation for Precise Spike Correlation

PubMed Central

Grün, Sonja

2009-01-01

The mechanisms underlying neuronal coding and, in particular, the role of temporal spike coordination are hotly debated. However, this debate is often confounded by an implicit discussion about the use of appropriate analysis methods. To avoid incorrect interpretation of data, the analysis of simultaneous spike trains for precise spike correlation needs to be properly adjusted to the features of the experimental spike trains. In particular, nonstationarity of the firing of individual neurons in time or across trials, a spike train structure deviating from Poisson, or a co-occurrence of such features in parallel spike trains are potent generators of false positives. Problems can be avoided by including these features in the null hypothesis of the significance test. In this context, the use of surrogate data becomes increasingly important, because the complexity of the data typically prevents analytical solutions. This review provides an overview of the potential obstacles in the correlation analysis of parallel spike data and possible routes to overcome them. The discussion is illustrated at every stage of the argument by referring to a specific analysis tool (the Unitary Events method). The conclusions, however, are of a general nature and hold for other analysis techniques. Thorough testing and calibration of analysis tools and the impact of potentially erroneous preprocessing stages are emphasized. PMID:19129298

Depth-resolved multilayer pigment identification in paintings: combined use of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT).

PubMed

Kaszewska, Ewa A; Sylwestrzak, Marcin; Marczak, Jan; Skrzeczanowski, Wojciech; Iwanicka, Magdalena; Szmit-Naud, Elżbieta; Anglos, Demetrios; Targowski, Piotr

2013-08-01

A detailed feasibility study on the combined use of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy with optical coherence tomography (LIBS/OCT), aiming at a realistic depth-resolved elemental analysis of multilayer stratigraphies in paintings, is presented. Merging a high spectral resolution LIBS system with a high spatial resolution spectral OCT instrument significantly enhances the quality and accuracy of stratigraphic analysis. First, OCT mapping is employed prior to LIBS analysis in order to assist the selection of specific areas of interest on the painting surface to be examined in detail. Then, intertwined with LIBS, the OCT instrument is used as a precise profilometer for the online determination of the depth of the ablation crater formed by individual laser pulses during LIBS depth-profile analysis. This approach is novel and enables (i) the precise in-depth scaling of elemental concentration profiles, and (ii) the recognition of layer boundaries by estimating the corresponding differences in material ablation rate. Additionally, the latter is supported, within the transparency of the object, by analysis of the OCT cross-sectional views. The potential of this method is illustrated by presenting results on the detailed analysis of the structure of an historic painting on canvas performed to aid planned restoration of the artwork.

Cable Effects Study. Tangents, Rabbit Holes, Dead Ends, and Valuable Results

DOE PAGES

Ardelean, Emil V.; Babuška, Vít; Goodding, James C.; ...

2014-08-04

Lessons learned during a study on the effects that electrical power and signal wiring harness cables introduce on the dynamic response of precision spacecraft is presented, along with the most significant results. Our study was a three year effort to discover a set of practical approaches for updating well-defined dynamic models of harness-free structures where knowledge of the cable type, position, and tie-down method are known. Although cables are found on every satellite, the focus was on precision, low damping, and very flexible structures. Obstacles encountered, classified as tangents, rabbit holes, and dead ends, offer practical lessons for structural dynamicsmore » research. The paper traces the historical, experiential progression of the project, describing how the obstacles affected the project. Methods were developed to estimate cable properties. Problems were encountered because of the flexible, highly damped nature of cables. A beam was used as a test article to validate experimentally derived cable properties and to refine the assumptions regarding boundary conditions. Furthermore, a spacecraft bus-like panel with cables attached was designed, and finite element models were developed and validated through experiment. Various paths were investigated at each stage before a consistent test and analysis methodology was developed« less

Cable Effects Study. Tangents, Rabbit Holes, Dead Ends, and Valuable Results

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

Ardelean, Emil V.; Babuška, Vít; Goodding, James C.

Lessons learned during a study on the effects that electrical power and signal wiring harness cables introduce on the dynamic response of precision spacecraft is presented, along with the most significant results. Our study was a three year effort to discover a set of practical approaches for updating well-defined dynamic models of harness-free structures where knowledge of the cable type, position, and tie-down method are known. Although cables are found on every satellite, the focus was on precision, low damping, and very flexible structures. Obstacles encountered, classified as tangents, rabbit holes, and dead ends, offer practical lessons for structural dynamicsmore » research. The paper traces the historical, experiential progression of the project, describing how the obstacles affected the project. Methods were developed to estimate cable properties. Problems were encountered because of the flexible, highly damped nature of cables. A beam was used as a test article to validate experimentally derived cable properties and to refine the assumptions regarding boundary conditions. Furthermore, a spacecraft bus-like panel with cables attached was designed, and finite element models were developed and validated through experiment. Various paths were investigated at each stage before a consistent test and analysis methodology was developed« less

Experimental Tensile Strength Analysis of Woven-Glass/Epoxy Composite Plates with Central Circular Hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadi, Bambang K.; Rofa, Bima K.

2018-04-01

The use of composite materials in aerospace engineering, as well as in maritime structure has increased significantly during the recent years. The extensive use of composite materials in industrial applications should make composite structural engineers and scientists more aware of the advantage and disadvantage of this material and provide them with necessary data and certification process. One of the problems in composite structures is the existence of hole. Hole can not be avoided in actual structures, since it may be the necessity of providing access for maintenance or due to impact damage. The presence of hole will weaken the structures. Therefore, in this paper, the effect of hole on the strength of glass-woven/epoxy composite will be discussed. Extensive tests have been carried out to study the effect of hole-diameter on the tensile strengths of these specimens. The results showed that the bigger the hole-diameter compared to the width of the specimens has weakened the structures further, as expected. Further study should be carried in the future to model it with the finite element and theoretical analysis precisely.

Difficult macromolecular structures determined using X-ray diffraction techniques.

PubMed

Hernández-Santoyo, Alejandra

2012-07-01

Macromolecular crystallography has been, for the last few decades, the main source of structural information of biological macromolecular systems and it is one of the most powerful techniques for the analysis of enzyme mechanisms and macromolecular interactions at the atomic level. In addition, it is also an extremely powerful tool for drug design. Recent technological and methodological developments in macromolecular X-ray crystallography have allowed solving structures that until recently were considered difficult or even impossible, such as structures at atomic or subatomic resolution or large macromolecular complexes and assemblies at low resolution. These developments have also helped to solve the 3D-structure of macromolecules from twin crystals. Recently, this technique complemented with cryo-electron microscopy and neutron crystallography has provided the structure of large macromolecular machines with great precision allowing understanding of the mechanisms of their function.

Microwave limb sounder, graphite epoxy support structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pynchon, G.

1980-01-01

The manufacturing and processing procedures which were used to fabricate a precision graphite/epoxy support structure for a spherical microwave reflecting surface are described. The structure was made fromm GY-70/930 ultra high modulus graphite prepreg, laminated to achieve an isotropic in plane thermal expansion of less than + or - 0.1 PPM/F. The structure was hand assembled to match the interface of the reflective surface, which was an array of 18 flexure supported, aluminum, spherically contoured tiles. Structural adhesives were used in the final assembly to bond the elements into their final configuration. A eutectic metal coating was applied to the composite surface to reduce dimensional instabilities arising from changes in the composite epoxy moisture content due to environmental effects. Basic materials properties data are reported and the results of a finite element structural analysis are referenced.

Update on Integrated Optical Design Analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, James D., Jr.; Troy, Ed

2003-01-01

Updated information on the Integrated Optical Design Analyzer (IODA) computer program has become available. IODA was described in Software for Multidisciplinary Concurrent Optical Design (MFS-31452), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 25, No. 10 (October 2001), page 8a. To recapitulate: IODA facilitates multidisciplinary concurrent engineering of highly precise optical instruments. The architecture of IODA was developed by reviewing design processes and software in an effort to automate design procedures. IODA significantly reduces design iteration cycle time and eliminates many potential sources of error. IODA integrates the modeling efforts of a team of experts in different disciplines (e.g., optics, structural analysis, and heat transfer) working at different locations and provides seamless fusion of data among thermal, structural, and optical models used to design an instrument. IODA is compatible with data files generated by the NASTRAN structural-analysis program and the Code V (Registered Trademark) optical-analysis program, and can be used to couple analyses performed by these two programs. IODA supports multiple-load-case analysis for quickly accomplishing trade studies. IODA can also model the transient response of an instrument under the influence of dynamic loads and disturbances.

Laboratory and Modeling Studies of Insect Swarms

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-10

and measuring the response. These novel methods allowed us for the first time to characterize precisely properties of the swarm at the group level... Time series for a randomly chosen pair as well as its continuous wavelet transform (CWT; bottom panel). Nearly all of the power in the signal for... based time -frequency analysis to identify such transient interactions, as long as they modified the frequency structure of the insect flight

Two Mathematical Models of Nonlinear Vibrations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brugarolas, Paul; Bayard, David; Spanos, John; Breckenridge, William

2007-01-01

Two innovative mathematical models of nonlinear vibrations, and methods of applying them, have been conceived as byproducts of an effort to develop a Kalman filter for highly precise estimation of bending motions of a large truss structure deployed in outer space from a space-shuttle payload bay. These models are also applicable to modeling and analysis of vibrations in other engineering disciplines, on Earth as well as in outer space.

Existing Resources, Standards, and Procedures for Precise Monitoring and Analysis of Structural Deformations. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-09-01

Vsurveyors’ at the technician level or even without any formal education. In this case, even the most technologically advanced instrumentation will not... technologically advanced instrumentation system will not supply the expected information. UNB Report on Deformation Monitoring, 1992 163 The worldwide review... Technology ( CANMET ) Report 77-15. Lazzarini, T. (1975). "The identification of reference points in trigonometrical and linear networks established for

Towards the unification of inference structures in medical diagnostic tasks.

PubMed

Mira, J; Rives, J; Delgado, A E; Martínez, R

1998-01-01

The central purpose of artificial intelligence applied to medicine is to develop models for diagnosis and therapy planning at the knowledge level, in the Newell sense, and software environments to facilitate the reduction of these models to the symbol level. The usual methodology (KADS, Common-KADS, GAMES, HELIOS, Protégé, etc) has been to develop libraries of generic tasks and reusable problem-solving methods with explicit ontologies. The principal problem which clinicians have with these methodological developments concerns the diversity and complexity of new terms whose meaning is not sufficiently clear, precise, unambiguous and consensual for them to be accessible in the daily clinical environment. As a contribution to the solution of this problem, we develop in this article the conjecture that one inference structure is enough to describe the set of analysis tasks associated with medical diagnoses. To this end, we first propose a modification of the systematic diagnostic inference scheme to obtain an analysis generic task and then compare it with the monitoring and the heuristic classification task inference schemes using as comparison criteria the compatibility of domain roles (data structures), the similarity in the inferences, and the commonality in the set of assumptions which underlie the functionally equivalent models. The equivalences proposed are illustrated with several examples. Note that though our ongoing work aims to simplify the methodology and to increase the precision of the terms used, the proposal presented here should be viewed more in the nature of a conjecture.

Interplay of weak interactions in the atom-by-atom condensation of xenon within quantum boxes

PubMed Central

Nowakowska, Sylwia; Wäckerlin, Aneliia; Kawai, Shigeki; Ivas, Toni; Nowakowski, Jan; Fatayer, Shadi; Wäckerlin, Christian; Nijs, Thomas; Meyer, Ernst; Björk, Jonas; Stöhr, Meike; Gade, Lutz H.; Jung, Thomas A.

2015-01-01

Condensation processes are of key importance in nature and play a fundamental role in chemistry and physics. Owing to size effects at the nanoscale, it is conceptually desired to experimentally probe the dependence of condensate structure on the number of constituents one by one. Here we present an approach to study a condensation process atom-by-atom with the scanning tunnelling microscope, which provides a direct real-space access with atomic precision to the aggregates formed in atomically defined ‘quantum boxes’. Our analysis reveals the subtle interplay of competing directional and nondirectional interactions in the emergence of structure and provides unprecedented input for the structural comparison with quantum mechanical models. This approach focuses on—but is not limited to—the model case of xenon condensation and goes significantly beyond the well-established statistical size analysis of clusters in atomic or molecular beams by mass spectrometry. PMID:25608225

A Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire Very Short Form: An Item Response Theory Analysis of Infant Temperament in New Zealand.

PubMed

Peterson, Elizabeth R; Mohal, Jatender; Waldie, Karen E; Reese, Elaine; Atatoa Carr, Polly E; Grant, Cameron C; Morton, Susan M B

2017-01-01

The Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Very Short Form (IBQ-R VSF; Putnam, Helbig, Gartstein, Rothbart, & Leerkes, 2014 ) is a newly published measure of infant temperament with a 3-factor structure. Recently Peterson et al. ( 2017 ) suggested that a 5-factor structure (Positive Affectivity/Surgency, Negative Emotionality, Orienting Capacity, Affiliation/Regulation, and Fear) was more parsimonious and showed promising reliability and predictive validity in a large, diverse sample. However, little is known about the 5-factor model's precision across the temperament dimensions range and whether it discriminates equally well across ethnicities. A total of 5,567 mothers responded to the IBQ-R VSF in relation to their infants (N = 5,639) between 23 and 52 weeks old. Using item response theory, we conducted a series of 2 parameter logistic item response models and found that 5 IBQ-R VSF temperament dimensions showed a good distribution of estimates across each latent trait range and these estimates centered close to the population mean. The IBQ-R VSF was also similarly precise across 4 ethnic groups (European, Māori, Pacific peoples, and Asians), suggesting that it can be used as comparable measure for infant temperament in a diversity of ethnic groups.

A novel imaging method for photonic crystal fiber fusion splicer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Weihong; Fu, Guangwei; Guo, Xuan

2007-01-01

Because the structure of Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) is very complex, and it is very difficult that traditional fiber fusion splice obtains optical axial information of PCF. Therefore, we must search for a bran-new optical imaging method to get section information of Photonic Crystal Fiber. Based on complex trait of PCF, a novel high-precision optics imaging system is presented in this article. The system uses a thinned electron-bombarded CCD (EBCCD) which is a kind of image sensor as imaging element, the thinned electron-bombarded CCD can offer low light level performance superior to conventional image intensifier coupled CCD approaches, this high-performance device can provide high contrast high resolution in low light level surveillance imaging; in order to realize precision focusing of image, we use a ultra-highprecision pace motor to adjust position of imaging lens. In this way, we can obtain legible section information of PCF. We may realize further concrete analysis for section information of PCF by digital image processing technology. Using this section information may distinguish different sorts of PCF, compute some parameters such as the size of PCF ventage, cladding structure of PCF and so on, and provide necessary analysis data for PCF fixation, adjustment, regulation, fusion and cutting system.

Preliminary neutron crystallographic analysis of selectively CH3-protonated, deuterated rubredoxin from Pyrococcus furiosus

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

Weiss, Kevin L; Meilleur, Flora; Blakeley, Matthew

2008-01-01

Neutron crystallography is used to locate hydrogen atoms in biological materials and can distinguish between negatively scattering hydrogen and positively scattering deuterium substituted positions in isomorphous neutron structures. Recently, Hauptman and Langs (2003) have shown that neutron diffraction data can be used to solve macromolecular structures by direct methods and that solution is aided by the presence of negatively scattering hydrogen atoms in the structure. Selective labeling protocols allow the design and production of H/D-labeled macromolecular structures in which the ratio of hydrogen to deuterium atoms can be precisely controlled. We have applied methyl-selective labeling protocols to introduce (1H-delta methyl)-leucinemore » and (1H-gamma methyl)-valine into deuterated rubredoxin from Pyrococcus furiosus (PfRd). Here we report on the production, crystallization, and preliminary neutron analysis of the selectively CH3-protonated, deuterated PfRd sample, which provided a high quality neutron data set extending to 1.75 resolution at the new LADI-III instrument at the Insititut Laue-Langevin. Preliminary analysis of neutron density maps allows unambiguous assignment of the positions of hydrogen atoms at the methyl groups of the valine and leucine residues in the otherwise deuterated rubredoxin structure.« less

Accuracy and Precision of Silicon Based Impression Media for Quantitative Areal Texture Analysis

PubMed Central

Goodall, Robert H.; Darras, Laurent P.; Purnell, Mark A.

2015-01-01

Areal surface texture analysis is becoming widespread across a diverse range of applications, from engineering to ecology. In many studies silicon based impression media are used to replicate surfaces, and the fidelity of replication defines the quality of data collected. However, while different investigators have used different impression media, the fidelity of surface replication has not been subjected to quantitative analysis based on areal texture data. Here we present the results of an analysis of the accuracy and precision with which different silicon based impression media of varying composition and viscosity replicate rough and smooth surfaces. Both accuracy and precision vary greatly between different media. High viscosity media tested show very low accuracy and precision, and most other compounds showed either the same pattern, or low accuracy and high precision, or low precision and high accuracy. Of the media tested, mid viscosity President Jet Regular Body and low viscosity President Jet Light Body (Coltène Whaledent) are the only compounds to show high levels of accuracy and precision on both surface types. Our results show that data acquired from different impression media are not comparable, supporting calls for greater standardisation of methods in areal texture analysis. PMID:25991505

Parameter-tolerant design of high contrast gratings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chevallier, Christyves; Fressengeas, Nicolas; Jacquet, Joel; Almuneau, Guilhem; Laaroussi, Youness; Gauthier-Lafaye, Olivier; Cerutti, Laurent; Genty, Frédéric

2015-02-01

This work is devoted to the design of high contrast grating mirrors taking into account the technological constraints and tolerance of fabrication. First, a global optimization algorithm has been combined to a numerical analysis of grating structures (RCWA) to automatically design HCG mirrors. Then, the tolerances of the grating dimensions have been precisely studied to develop a robust optimization algorithm with which high contrast gratings, exhibiting not only a high efficiency but also large tolerance values, could be designed. Finally, several structures integrating previously designed HCGs has been simulated to validate and illustrate the interest of such gratings.

Atomic Chain Electronics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yamada, Toshishige; Saini, Subhash (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

Adatom chains, precise structures artificially created on an atomically regulated surface, are the smallest possible candidates for future nanoelectronics. Since all the devices are created by combining adatom chains precisely prepared with atomic precision, device characteristics are predictable, and free from deviations due to accidental structural defects. In this atomic dimension, however, an analogy to the current semiconductor devices may not work. For example, Si structures are not always semiconducting. Adatom states do not always localize at the substrate surface when adatoms form chemical bonds to the substrate atoms. Transport properties are often determined for the entire system of the chain and electrodes, and not for chains only. These fundamental issues are discussed, which will be useful for future device considerations.

Grating exchange system of independent mirror supported by floating rotary stage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jianhuan; Tao, Jin; Liu, Yan; Nan, Yan

2015-10-01

The performance of The Grating Exchange System can satisfy the Thirty Meter Telescope - TMT for astronomical observation WFOS index requirements and satisfy the requirement of accuracy in the grating exchange. It is used to install in the MOBIE and a key device of MOBIE. The Wide Field Optical Spectrograph (WFOS) is one of the three first-light observing capabilities selected by the TMT Science Advisory Committee. The Multi-Object Broadband Imaging Echellette (MOBIE) instrument design concept has been developed to address the WFOS requirements as described in the TMT Science-Based Requirements Document (SRD). The Grating Exchange System uses a new type of separate movement way of three grating devices and a mirror device. Three grating devices with a mirror are able to achieve independence movement. This kind of grating exchange system can effectively solve the problem that the volume of the grating change system is too large and that the installed space of MOBIE instruments is too limit. This system adopts the good stability, high precision of rotary stage - a kind of using air bearing (Air bearing is famous for its ultra-high precision, and can meet the optical accuracy requirement) and rotation positioning feedback gauge turntable to support grating device. And with a kind of device which can carry greater weight bracket fixed on the MOBIE instrument, with two sets of servo motor control rotary stage and the mirror device respectively. And we use the control program to realize the need of exercising of the grating device and the mirror device. Using the stress strain analysis software--SolidWorks for stress and strain analysis of this structure. And then checking the structure of the rationality and feasibility. And prove that this system can realize the positioning precision under different working conditions can meet the requirements of imaging optical grating diffraction efficiency and error by the calculation and optical performance analysis.

Asymmetrical reverse vortex flow due to induced-charge electro-osmosis around carbon stacking structures.

PubMed

Sugioka, Hideyuki

2011-05-01

Broken symmetry of vortices due to induced-charge electro-osmosis (ICEO) around stacking structures is important for the generation of a large net flow in a microchannel. Following theoretical predictions in our previous study, we herein report experimental observations of asymmetrical reverse vortex flows around stacking structures of carbon posts with a large height (~110 μm) in water, prepared by the pyrolysis of a photoresist film in a reducing gas. Further, by the use of a coupled calculation method that considers boundary effects precisely, the experimental results, except for the problem of anomalous flow reversal, are successfully explained. That is, unlike previous predictions, the precise calculations here show that stacking structures accelerate a reverse flow rather than suppressing it for a microfluidic channel because of the deformation of electric fields near the stacking portions; these structures can also generate a large net flow theoretically in the direction opposite that of a previous prediction for a standard vortex flow. Furthermore, by solving the one-dimensional Poisson-Nernst-Plank (PNP) equations in the presence of ac electric fields, we find that the anomalous flow reversal occurs by the phase retardation between the induced diffuse charge and the tangential electric field. In addition, we successfully explain the nonlinearity of the flow velocity on the applied voltage by the PNP analysis. In the future, we expect to improve the pumping performance significantly by using stacking structures of conductive posts along with a low-cost process. © 2011 American Physical Society

Understanding the many-body expansion for large systems. I. Precision considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richard, Ryan M.; Lao, Ka Un; Herbert, John M.

2014-07-01

Electronic structure methods based on low-order "n-body" expansions are an increasingly popular means to defeat the highly nonlinear scaling of ab initio quantum chemistry calculations, taking advantage of the inherently distributable nature of the numerous subsystem calculations. Here, we examine how the finite precision of these subsystem calculations manifests in applications to large systems, in this case, a sequence of water clusters ranging in size up to (H_2O)_{47}. Using two different computer implementations of the n-body expansion, one fully integrated into a quantum chemistry program and the other written as a separate driver routine for the same program, we examine the reproducibility of total binding energies as a function of cluster size. The combinatorial nature of the n-body expansion amplifies subtle differences between the two implementations, especially for n ⩾ 4, leading to total energies that differ by as much as several kcal/mol between two implementations of what is ostensibly the same method. This behavior can be understood based on a propagation-of-errors analysis applied to a closed-form expression for the n-body expansion, which is derived here for the first time. Discrepancies between the two implementations arise primarily from the Coulomb self-energy correction that is required when electrostatic embedding charges are implemented by means of an external driver program. For reliable results in large systems, our analysis suggests that script- or driver-based implementations should read binary output files from an electronic structure program, in full double precision, or better yet be fully integrated in a way that avoids the need to compute the aforementioned self-energy. Moreover, four-body and higher-order expansions may be too sensitive to numerical thresholds to be of practical use in large systems.

Understanding the many-body expansion for large systems. I. Precision considerations

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

Richard, Ryan M.; Lao, Ka Un; Herbert, John M., E-mail: herbert@chemistry.ohio-state.edu

2014-07-07

Electronic structure methods based on low-order “n-body” expansions are an increasingly popular means to defeat the highly nonlinear scaling of ab initio quantum chemistry calculations, taking advantage of the inherently distributable nature of the numerous subsystem calculations. Here, we examine how the finite precision of these subsystem calculations manifests in applications to large systems, in this case, a sequence of water clusters ranging in size up to (H{sub 2}O){sub 47}. Using two different computer implementations of the n-body expansion, one fully integrated into a quantum chemistry program and the other written as a separate driver routine for the same program,more » we examine the reproducibility of total binding energies as a function of cluster size. The combinatorial nature of the n-body expansion amplifies subtle differences between the two implementations, especially for n ⩾ 4, leading to total energies that differ by as much as several kcal/mol between two implementations of what is ostensibly the same method. This behavior can be understood based on a propagation-of-errors analysis applied to a closed-form expression for the n-body expansion, which is derived here for the first time. Discrepancies between the two implementations arise primarily from the Coulomb self-energy correction that is required when electrostatic embedding charges are implemented by means of an external driver program. For reliable results in large systems, our analysis suggests that script- or driver-based implementations should read binary output files from an electronic structure program, in full double precision, or better yet be fully integrated in a way that avoids the need to compute the aforementioned self-energy. Moreover, four-body and higher-order expansions may be too sensitive to numerical thresholds to be of practical use in large systems.« less

Development of an active member using piezoelectric and electrostrictive actuation for control of precision structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, E. H.; Moore, D. M.; Fanson, J. L.; Ealey, M. A.

1990-01-01

The design and development of a zero stiction active member containing piezoelectric and electrostrictive actuator motors is presented. The active member is intended for use in submicron control of structures. Experimental results are shown which illustrate actuator and device characteristics relevant to precision control applications.

Structural analysis of the HLA-A/HLA-F subregion: Precise localization of two new multigene families closely associated with the HLA class I sequences

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

Pichon, L.; Carn, G.; Bouric, P.

1996-03-01

Positional cloning strategies for the hemochromatosis gene have previously concentrated on a target area restricted to a maximum genomic expanse of 400 kb around the HLA-A and HLA-F loci. Recently, the candidate region has been extended to 2-3 Mb on the distal side of the MHC. In this study, 10 coding sequences [hemochromatosis candidate genes (HCG) I to X] were isolated by cDNA selection using YACs covering the HLA-A/HLA-F subregion. Two of these (HCG II and HCG IV) belong to multigene families, as well as other sequences already described in this region, i.e., P5, pMC 6.7, and HLA class I.more » Fingerprinting of the four YACSs overlapping the region was performed and allowed partial localization of the different multigene family sequences on each YAC without defining their exact positions. Fingerprinting on cosmids isolated from the ICRF chromosome 6-specific cosmid library allowed more precise localization of the redundant sequences in all of the multigene families and revealed their apparent organization in clusters. Further examination of these intertwined sequences demonstrated that this structural organization resulted from a succession of complex phenomena, including duplications and contractions. This study presents a precise description of the structural organization of the HLA-A/HLA-F region and a determination of the sequences involved in the megabase size polymorphism observed among the A3, A24, and A31 haplotypes. 29 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Three-dimensional facial anthropometry of unilateral cleft lip infants with a structured light scanning system.

PubMed

Li, Guanghui; Wei, Jianhua; Wang, Xi; Wu, Guofeng; Ma, Dandan; Wang, Bo; Liu, Yanpu; Feng, Xinghua

2013-08-01

Cleft lip in the presence or absence of a cleft palate is a major public health problem. However, few studies have been published concerning the soft-tissue morphology of cleft lip infants. Currently, obtaining reliable three-dimensional (3D) surface models of infants remains a challenge. The aim of this study was to investigate a new way of capturing 3D images of cleft lip infants using a structured light scanning system. In addition, the accuracy and precision of the acquired facial 3D data were validated and compared with direct measurements. Ten unilateral cleft lip patients were enrolled in the study. Briefly, 3D facial images of the patients were acquired using a 3D scanner device before and after the surgery. Fourteen items were measured by direct anthropometry and 3D image software. The accuracy and precision of the 3D system were assessed by comparative analysis. The anthropometric data obtained using the 3D method were in agreement with the direct anthropometry measurements. All data calculated by the software were 'highly reliable' or 'reliable', as defined in the literature. The localisation of four landmarks was not consistent in repeated experiments of inter-observer reliability in preoperative images (P<0.05), while the intra-observer reliability in both pre- and postoperative images was good (P>0.05). The structured light scanning system is proven to be a non-invasive, accurate and precise method in cleft lip anthropometry. Copyright © 2013 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Controlling the intermediate structure of an ionic liquid for f-block element separations

DOE PAGES

Abney, Carter W.; Do, Changwoo; Luo, Huimin; ...

2017-04-19

Recent research has revealed molecular structure beyond the inner coordination sphere is essential in defining the performance of separations processes, but nevertheless remains largely unexplored. Here we apply small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy to investigate the structure of an ionic liquid system studied for f-block element separations. SANS data reveal dramatic changes in the ionic liquid microstructure (~150 Å) which we demonstrate can be controlled by judicious selection of counter ion. Mesoscale structural features (> 500 Å) are also observed as a function of metal concentration. XAFS analysis supports formation of extended aggregatemore » structures, similar to those observed in traditional solvent extraction processes, and suggest additional parallels may be drawn from further study. As a result, achieving precise tunability over the intermediate features is an important development in controlling mesoscale structure and realizing advanced new forms of soft matter.« less

In-Depth View of the Structure and Growth of SnO2 Nanowires and Nanobrushes.

PubMed

Stuckert, Erin P; Geiss, Roy H; Miller, Christopher J; Fisher, Ellen R

2016-08-31

Strategic application of an array of complementary imaging and diffraction techniques is critical to determine accurate structural information on nanomaterials, especially when also seeking to elucidate structure-property relationships and their effects on gas sensors. In this work, SnO2 nanowires and nanobrushes grown via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) displayed the same tetragonal SnO2 structure as revealed via powder X-ray diffraction bulk crystallinity data. Additional characterization using a range of electron microscopy imaging and diffraction techniques, however, revealed important structure and morphology distinctions between the nanomaterials. Tailoring scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) modes combined with transmission electron backscatter diffraction (t-EBSD) techniques afforded a more detailed view of the SnO2 nanostructures. Indeed, upon deeper analysis of individual wires and brushes, we discovered that, despite a similar bulk structure, wires and brushes grew with different crystal faces and lattice spacings. Had we not utilized multiple STEM diffraction modes in conjunction with t-EBSD, differences in orientation related to bristle density would have been overlooked. Thus, it is only through a methodical combination of several structural analysis techniques that precise structural information can be reliably obtained.

How precise are reported protein coordinate data?

PubMed

Konagurthu, Arun S; Allison, Lloyd; Abramson, David; Stuckey, Peter J; Lesk, Arthur M

2014-03-01

Atomic coordinates in the Worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB) are generally reported to greater precision than the experimental structure determinations have actually achieved. By using information theory and data compression to study the compressibility of protein atomic coordinates, it is possible to quantify the amount of randomness in the coordinate data and thereby to determine the realistic precision of the reported coordinates. On average, the value of each C(α) coordinate in a set of selected protein structures solved at a variety of resolutions is good to about 0.1 Å.

High precision detector robot arm system

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

Shu, Deming; Chu, Yong

A method and high precision robot arm system are provided, for example, for X-ray nanodiffraction with an X-ray nanoprobe. The robot arm system includes duo-vertical-stages and a kinematic linkage system. A two-dimensional (2D) vertical plane ultra-precision robot arm supporting an X-ray detector provides positioning and manipulating of the X-ray detector. A vertical support for the 2D vertical plane robot arm includes spaced apart rails respectively engaging a first bearing structure and a second bearing structure carried by the 2D vertical plane robot arm.

Evaluation Applied to Reliability Analysis of Reconfigurable, Highly Reliable, Fault-Tolerant, Computing Systems for Avionics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Migneault, G. E.

1979-01-01

Emulation techniques are proposed as a solution to a difficulty arising in the analysis of the reliability of highly reliable computer systems for future commercial aircraft. The difficulty, viz., the lack of credible precision in reliability estimates obtained by analytical modeling techniques are established. The difficulty is shown to be an unavoidable consequence of: (1) a high reliability requirement so demanding as to make system evaluation by use testing infeasible, (2) a complex system design technique, fault tolerance, (3) system reliability dominated by errors due to flaws in the system definition, and (4) elaborate analytical modeling techniques whose precision outputs are quite sensitive to errors of approximation in their input data. The technique of emulation is described, indicating how its input is a simple description of the logical structure of a system and its output is the consequent behavior. The use of emulation techniques is discussed for pseudo-testing systems to evaluate bounds on the parameter values needed for the analytical techniques.

Precision of hard structures used to estimate age of mountain Whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watkins, Carson J.; Ross, Tyler J.; Hardy, Ryan S.; Quist, Michael C.

2015-01-01

The mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) is a widely distributed salmonid in western North America that has decreased in abundance over portions of its distribution due to anthropogenic disturbances. In this investigation, we examined precision of age estimates derived from scales, pectoral fin rays, and sagittal otoliths from 167 mountain whitefish. Otoliths and pectoral fin rays were mounted in epoxy and cross-sectioned before examination. Scales were pressed onto acetate slides and resulting impressions were examined. Between-reader precision (i.e., between 2 readers), between-reader variability, and reader confidence ratings were compared among hard structures. Coefficient of variation (CV) in age estimates was lowest and percentage of exact agreement (PA-0) was highest for scales (CV = 5.9; PA-0 = 70%) compared to pectoral fin rays (CV =11.0; PA-0 = 58%) and otoliths (CV = 12.3; PA-0 = 55%). Median confidence ratings were significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) among all structures, with scales having the highest median confidence. Reader confidence decreased with fish age for scales and pectoral fin rays, but reader confidence increased with fish age for otoliths. In general, age estimates were more precise and reader confidence was higher for scales compared to pectoral fin rays and otoliths. This research will help fisheries biologists in selecting the most appropriate hard structure to use for future age and growth studies on mountain whitefish. In turn, selection of the most precise hard structure will lead to better estimates of dynamic rate functions.

The Precision Formation Flying Integrated Analysis Tool (PFFIAT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoneking, Eric; Lyon, Richard G.; Sears, Edie; Lu, Victor

2004-01-01

Several space missions presently in the concept phase (e.g. Stellar Imager, Submillimeter Probe of Evolutionary Cosmic Structure, Terrestrial Planet Finder) plan to use multiple spacecraft flying in precise formation to synthesize unprecedently large aperture optical systems. These architectures present challenges to the attitude and position determination and control system; optical performance is directly coupled to spacecraft pointing with typical control requirements being on the scale of milliarcseconds and nanometers. To investigate control strategies, rejection of environmental disturbances, and sensor and actuator requirements, a capability is needed to model both the dynamical and optical behavior of such a distributed telescope system. This paper describes work ongoing at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center toward the integration of a set of optical analysis tools (Optical System Characterization and Analysis Research software, or OSCAR) with the Formation Flying Test Bed (FFTB). The resulting system is called the Precision Formation Flying Integrated Analysis Tool (PFFIAT), and it provides the capability to simulate closed-loop control of optical systems composed of elements mounted on multiple spacecraft. The attitude and translation spacecraft dynamics are simulated in the FFTB, including effects of the space environment (e.g. solar radiation pressure, differential orbital motion). The resulting optical configuration is then processed by OSCAR to determine an optical image. From this image, wavefront sensing (e.g. phase retrieval) techniques are being developed to derive attitude and position errors. These error signals will be fed back to the spacecraft control systems, completing the control loop. A simple case study is presented to demonstrate the present capabilities of the tool.

The Precision Formation Flying Integrated Analysis Tool (PFFIAT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoneking, Eric; Lyon, Richard G.; Sears, Edie; Lu, Victor

2004-01-01

Several space missions presently in the concept phase (e.g. Stellar Imager, Sub- millimeter Probe of Evolutionary Cosmic Structure, Terrestrial Planet Finder) plan to use multiple spacecraft flying in precise formation to synthesize unprecedently large aperture optical systems. These architectures present challenges to the attitude and position determination and control system; optical performance is directly coupled to spacecraft pointing with typical control requirements being on the scale of milliarcseconds and nanometers. To investigate control strategies, rejection of environmental disturbances, and sensor and actuator requirements, a capability is needed to model both the dynamical and optical behavior of such a distributed telescope system. This paper describes work ongoing at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center toward the integration of a set of optical analysis tools (Optical System Characterization and Analysis Research software, or OSCAR) with the Formation J?lying Test Bed (FFTB). The resulting system is called the Precision Formation Flying Integrated Analysis Tool (PFFIAT), and it provides the capability to simulate closed-loop control of optical systems composed of elements mounted on multiple spacecraft. The attitude and translation spacecraft dynamics are simulated in the FFTB, including effects of the space environment (e.g. solar radiation pressure, differential orbital motion). The resulting optical configuration is then processed by OSCAR to determine an optical image. From this image, wavefront sensing (e.g. phase retrieval) techniques are being developed to derive attitude and position errors. These error signals will be fed back to the spacecraft control systems, completing the control loop. A simple case study is presented to demonstrate the present capabilities of the tool.

Development of X-ray laser media. Measurement of gain and development of cavity resonators for wavelengths near 130 angstroms, volume 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forsyth, J. M.

1983-02-01

In this document the authors summarize our investigation of the reflecting properties of X-ray multilayers. The breadth of this investigation indicates the utility of the difference equation formalism in the analysis of such structure. The formalism is particularly useful in analyzing multilayers whose structure is not a simple periodic bilayer. The complexity in structure can be either intentional, as in multilayers made by in-situ reflectance monitoring, or it can be a consequence of a degradation mechanism, such as random thickness errors or interlayer diffusion. Both the analysis of thickness errors and the analysis of interlayer diffusion are conceptually simple, effectively one dimensional problems that are straightforwared to pose. In the authors analysis of in-situ reflectance monitoring, they provide a quantitative understanding of an experimentally successful process that has not previously been treated theoretically. As X-ray multilayers come into wider use, there will undoubtedly be an increasing need for a more precise understanding of their reflecting properties. Thus, it is expected that in the future more detailed modeling will be undertaken of less easily specified structures than those above. The authors believe that their formalism will continue to prove useful in the modeling of these more complex structures. One such structure that may be of interest is that of a multilayer degraded by interfacial roughness.

Determining Tooth Occlusal Surface Relief Indicator by Means of Automated 3d Shape Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaboutchian, A. V.; Knyaz, V. A.

2017-05-01

Determining occlusal surface relief indicator plays an important role in odontometric tooth shape analysis. An analysis of the parameters of surface relief indicators provides valuable information about closure of dental arches (occlusion) and changes in structure of teeth in lifetime. Such data is relevant for dentistry or anthropology applications. Descriptive techniques commonly used for surface relief evaluation have limited precision which, as a result, does not provide for reliability of conclusions about structure and functioning of teeth. Parametric techniques developed for such applications need special facilities and are time-consuming which limits their spread and ease to access. Nevertheless the use of 3D models, obtained by photogrammetric techniques, allows attaining required measurements accuracy and has a potential for process automation. We introduce new approaches for determining tooth occlusal surface relief indicator and provide data on efficiency in use of different indicators in natural attrition evaluation.

Water vapor weathering of Taurus-Littrow orange soil - A pore-structure analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cadenhead, D. A.; Mikhail, R. S.

1975-01-01

A pore-volume analysis was performed on water vapor adsorption data previously obtained on a fresh sample of Taurus-Littrow orange soil, and the analysis was repeated on the same sample after its exposure to moist air for a period of approximately six months. The results indicate that exposure of an outgassed sample to high relative pressures of water vapor can result in the formation of substantial micropore structure, the precise amount being dependent on the sample pretreatment, particularly the outgassing temperature. Micropore formation is explained in terms of water penetration into surface defects. In contrast, long-term exposure to moist air at low relative pressures appears to reverse the process with the elimination of micropores and enlargement of mesopores possibly through surface diffusion of metastable adsorbent material. The results are considered with reference to the storage of lunar samples.

NMR studies of protein-nucleic acid interactions.

PubMed

Varani, Gabriele; Chen, Yu; Leeper, Thomas C

2004-01-01

Protein-DNA and protein-RNA complexes play key functional roles in every living organism. Therefore, the elucidation of their structure and dynamics is an important goal of structural and molecular biology. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of protein and nucleic acid complexes have common features with studies of protein-protein complexes: the interaction surfaces between the molecules must be carefully delineated, the relative orientation of the two species needs to be accurately and precisely determined, and close intermolecular contacts defined by nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs) must be obtained. However, differences in NMR properties (e.g., chemical shifts) and biosynthetic pathways for sample productions generate important differences. Chemical shift differences between the protein and nucleic acid resonances can aid the NMR structure determination process; however, the relatively limited dispersion of the RNA ribose resonances makes the process of assigning intermolecular NOEs more difficult. The analysis of the resulting structures requires computational tools unique to nucleic acid interactions. This chapter summarizes the most important elements of the structure determination by NMR of protein-nucleic acid complexes and their analysis. The main emphasis is on recent developments (e.g., residual dipolar couplings and new Web-based analysis tools) that have facilitated NMR studies of these complexes and expanded the type of biological problems to which NMR techniques of structural elucidation can now be applied.

Three-Dimensional Reconstruction and Solar Energy Potential Estimation of Buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y.; Li, M.; Cheng, L.; Xu, H.; Li, S.; Liu, X.

2017-12-01

In the context of the construction of low-carbon cities, green cities and eco-cities, the ability of the airborne and mobile LiDAR should be explored in urban renewable energy research. As the main landscape in urban environment, buildings have large regular envelopes could receive a huge amount of solar radiation. In this study, a relatively complete calculation scheme about building roof and façade solar utilization potential is proposed, using building three-dimensional geometric feature information. For measuring the city-level building solar irradiance, the precise three-dimensional building roof and façade models should be first reconstructed from the airborne and mobile LiDAR, respectively. In order to obtaining the precise geometric structure of building facades from the mobile LiDAR data, a new method for structure detection and the three-dimensional reconstruction of building façades from mobile LiDAR data is proposed. The method consists of three steps: the preprocessing of façade points, the detection of façade structure, the restoration and reconstruction of building façade. As a result, the reconstruction method can effectively deal with missing areas caused by occlusion, viewpoint limitation, and uneven point density, as well as realizing the highly complete 3D reconstruction of a building façade. Furthermore, the window areas can be excluded for more accurate estimation of solar utilization potential. After then, the solar energy utilization potential of global building roofs and facades is estimate by using the solar irradiance model, which combine the analysis of the building shade and sky diffuse, based on the analysis of the geometrical structure of buildings.

Engineering analyses of large precision cathode strip chambers for GEM

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

Horvath, J.A.; Belser, F.C.; Pratuch, S.M.

Structural analyses of large precision cathode strip chambers performed up to the date of this publication are documented. Mechanical property data for typical chamber materials are included. This information, originally intended to be an appendix to the {open_quotes}CSC Structural Design Bible,{close_quotes} is presented as a guide for future designers of large chambers.

Technologies for Future Precision Strike Missile Systems (les Technologies des futurs systemes de missiles pour frappe de precision)

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-07-01

hardware - in - loop (HWL) simulation is also developed...Firings / Engine Tests Structure Test Hardware In - Loop Simulation Subsystem Test Lab Tests Seeker Actuators Sensors Electronics Propulsion Model Aero Model...Structure Test Hardware In - Loop Simulation Subsystem Test Lab Tests Seeker Actuators Sensors Electronics Propulsion Model Aero Model Model

Evaluation of a High Throughput Starch Analysis Optimised for Wood

PubMed Central

Bellasio, Chandra; Fini, Alessio; Ferrini, Francesco

2014-01-01

Starch is the most important long-term reserve in trees, and the analysis of starch is therefore useful source of physiological information. Currently published protocols for wood starch analysis impose several limitations, such as long procedures and a neutralization step. The high-throughput standard protocols for starch analysis in food and feed represent a valuable alternative. However, they have not been optimised or tested with woody samples. These have particular chemical and structural characteristics, including the presence of interfering secondary metabolites, low reactivity of starch, and low starch content. In this study, a standard method for starch analysis used for food and feed (AOAC standard method 996.11) was optimised to improve precision and accuracy for the analysis of starch in wood. Key modifications were introduced in the digestion conditions and in the glucose assay. The optimised protocol was then evaluated through 430 starch analyses of standards at known starch content, matrix polysaccharides, and wood collected from three organs (roots, twigs, mature wood) of four species (coniferous and flowering plants). The optimised protocol proved to be remarkably precise and accurate (3%), suitable for a high throughput routine analysis (35 samples a day) of specimens with a starch content between 40 mg and 21 µg. Samples may include lignified organs of coniferous and flowering plants and non-lignified organs, such as leaves, fruits and rhizomes. PMID:24523863

Precision microwave measurement of the 2(3)P(1)-2(3)P(0) interval in atomic helium: a determination of the fine-structure constant.

PubMed

George, M C; Lombardi, L D; Hessels, E A

2001-10-22

The 2(3)P(1)-to- 2(3)P(0) interval in atomic helium is measured using a thermal beam of metastable helium atoms excited to the 2(3)P state using a 1.08-microm diode laser. The 2(3)P(1)-to- 2(3)P(0) transition is driven by 29.6-GHz microwaves in a rectangular waveguide cavity. Our result of 29,616,950.9+/-0.9 kHz is the most precise measurement of helium 2(3)P fine structure. When compared to precise theory for this interval, this measurement leads to a determination of the fine-structure constant of 1/137.0359864(31).

The Effect of Quantum-Mechanical Interference on Precise Measurements of the n = 2 Triplet P Fine Structure of Helium

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

Marsman, A.; Horbatsch, M.; Hessels, E. A., E-mail: hessels@yorku.ca

2015-09-15

For many decades, improvements in both theory and experiment of the fine structure of the n = 2 triplet P levels of helium have allowed for an increasingly precise determination of the fine-structure constant. Recently, it has been observed that quantum-mechanical interference between neighboring resonances can cause significant shifts, even if such neighboring resonances are separated by thousands of natural widths. The shifts depend in detail on the experimental method used for the measurement, as well as the specific experimental parameters employed. Here, we review how these shifts apply for the most precise measurements of the helium 2{sup 3}P fine-structuremore » intervals.« less

Precision medicine in myasthenia graves: begin from the data precision

PubMed Central

Hong, Yu; Xie, Yanchen; Hao, Hong-Jun; Sun, Ren-Cheng

2016-01-01

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a prototypic autoimmune disease with overt clinical and immunological heterogeneity. The data of MG is far from individually precise now, partially due to the rarity and heterogeneity of this disease. In this review, we provide the basic insights of MG data precision, including onset age, presenting symptoms, generalization, thymus status, pathogenic autoantibodies, muscle involvement, severity and response to treatment based on references and our previous studies. Subgroups and quantitative traits of MG are discussed in the sense of data precision. The role of disease registries and scientific bases of precise analysis are also discussed to ensure better collection and analysis of MG data. PMID:27127759

Existing Resources, Standards, and Procedures for Precise Monitoring and Analysis of Structural Deformations. Volume 2. Appendices

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-09-01

deformations in underground mines has been developed in Canada in cooperation with the Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology ( CANMET ). The... technological developments in both geodetic and geotechnical instrumentation, at a cost one may achieve almost any, practically needed, instrumental...Due to the ever growing technological progress in all fields of engineering and, connected with it, the growing demand for higher accuracy, efficiency

Precision and accuracy of age estimates obtained from anal fin spines, dorsal fin spines, and sagittal otoliths for known-age largemouth bass

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klein, Zachary B.; Bonvechio, Timothy F.; Bowen, Bryant R.; Quist, Michael C.

2017-01-01

Sagittal otoliths are the preferred aging structure for Micropterus spp. (black basses) in North America because of the accurate and precise results produced. Typically, fisheries managers are hesitant to use lethal aging techniques (e.g., otoliths) to age rare species, trophy-size fish, or when sampling in small impoundments where populations are small. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the precision and accuracy of 2 non-lethal aging structures (i.e., anal fin spines, dorsal fin spines) in comparison to that of sagittal otoliths from known-age Micropterus salmoides (Largemouth Bass; n = 87) collected from the Ocmulgee Public Fishing Area, GA. Sagittal otoliths exhibited the highest concordance with true ages of all structures evaluated (coefficient of variation = 1.2; percent agreement = 91.9). Similarly, the low coefficient of variation (0.0) and high between-reader agreement (100%) indicate that age estimates obtained from sagittal otoliths were the most precise. Relatively high agreement between readers for anal fin spines (84%) and dorsal fin spines (81%) suggested the structures were relatively precise. However, age estimates from anal fin spines and dorsal fin spines exhibited low concordance with true ages. Although use of sagittal otoliths is a lethal technique, this method will likely remain the standard for aging Largemouth Bass and other similar black bass species.

Testing Models of Stellar Structure and Evolution I. Comparison with Detached Eclipsing Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

del Burgo, C.; Allende Prieto, C.

2018-05-01

We present the results of an analysis aimed at testing the accuracy and precision of the PARSEC v1.2S library of stellar evolution models, combined with a Bayesian approach, to infer stellar parameters. We mainly employ the online DEBCat catalogue by Southworth, a compilation of detached eclipsing binary systems with published measurements of masses and radii to ˜ 2 per cent precision. We select a sample of 318 binary components, with masses between 0.10 and 14.5 solar units, and distances between 1.3 pc and ˜ 8 kpc for Galactic objects and ˜ 44-68 kpc for the extragalactic ones. The Bayesian analysis applied takes on input effective temperature, radius, and [Fe/H], and their uncertainties, returning theoretical predictions for other stellar parameters. From the comparison with dynamical masses, we conclude inferred masses are precisely derived for stars on the main-sequence and in the core-helium-burning phase, with respective uncertainties of 4 per cent and 7 per cent, on average. Subgiants and red giants masses are predicted within 14 per cent, and early asymptotic giant branch stars within 24 per cent. These results are helpful to further improve the models, in particular for advanced evolutionary stages for which our understanding is limited. We obtain distances and ages for the binary systems and compare them, whenever possible, with precise literature estimates, finding excellent agreement. We discuss evolutionary effects and the challenges associated with the inference of stellar ages from evolutionary models. We also provide useful polynomial fittings to theoretical zero-age main-sequence relations.

bpRNA: large-scale automated annotation and analysis of RNA secondary structure.

PubMed

Danaee, Padideh; Rouches, Mason; Wiley, Michelle; Deng, Dezhong; Huang, Liang; Hendrix, David

2018-05-09

While RNA secondary structure prediction from sequence data has made remarkable progress, there is a need for improved strategies for annotating the features of RNA secondary structures. Here, we present bpRNA, a novel annotation tool capable of parsing RNA structures, including complex pseudoknot-containing RNAs, to yield an objective, precise, compact, unambiguous, easily-interpretable description of all loops, stems, and pseudoknots, along with the positions, sequence, and flanking base pairs of each such structural feature. We also introduce several new informative representations of RNA structure types to improve structure visualization and interpretation. We have further used bpRNA to generate a web-accessible meta-database, 'bpRNA-1m', of over 100 000 single-molecule, known secondary structures; this is both more fully and accurately annotated and over 20-times larger than existing databases. We use a subset of the database with highly similar (≥90% identical) sequences filtered out to report on statistical trends in sequence, flanking base pairs, and length. Both the bpRNA method and the bpRNA-1m database will be valuable resources both for specific analysis of individual RNA molecules and large-scale analyses such as are useful for updating RNA energy parameters for computational thermodynamic predictions, improving machine learning models for structure prediction, and for benchmarking structure-prediction algorithms.

Optimization design combined with coupled structural-electrostatic analysis for the electrostatically controlled deployable membrane reflector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chao; Yang, Guigeng; Zhang, Yiqun

2015-01-01

The electrostatically controlled deployable membrane reflector (ECDMR) is a promising scheme to construct large size and high precision space deployable reflector antennas. This paper presents a novel design method for the large size and small F/D ECDMR considering the coupled structure-electrostatic problem. First, the fully coupled structural-electrostatic system is described by a three field formulation, in which the structure and passive electrical field is modeled by finite element method, and the deformation of the electrostatic domain is predicted by a finite element formulation of a fictitious elastic structure. A residual formulation of the structural-electrostatic field finite element model is established and solved by Newton-Raphson method. The coupled structural-electrostatic analysis procedure is summarized. Then, with the aid of this coupled analysis procedure, an integrated optimization method of membrane shape accuracy and stress uniformity is proposed, which is divided into inner and outer iterative loops. The initial state of relatively high shape accuracy and uniform stress distribution is achieved by applying the uniform prestress on the membrane design shape and optimizing the voltages, in which the optimal voltage is computed by a sensitivity analysis. The shape accuracy is further improved by the iterative prestress modification using the reposition balance method. Finally, the results of the uncoupled and coupled methods are compared and the proposed optimization method is applied to design an ECDMR. The results validate the effectiveness of this proposed methods.

Numerical Simulation Analysis of High-precision Dispensing Needles for Solid-liquid Two-phase Grinding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Junye; Hu, Jinglei; Wang, Binyu; Sheng, Liang; Zhang, Xinming

2018-03-01

In order to investigate the effect of abrasive flow polishing surface variable diameter pipe parts, with high precision dispensing needles as the research object, the numerical simulation of the process of polishing high precision dispensing needle was carried out. Analysis of different volume fraction conditions, the distribution of the dynamic pressure and the turbulence viscosity of the abrasive flow field in the high precision dispensing needle, through comparative analysis, the effectiveness of the abrasive grain polishing high precision dispensing needle was studied, controlling the volume fraction of silicon carbide can change the viscosity characteristics of the abrasive flow during the polishing process, so that the polishing quality of the abrasive grains can be controlled.

Research on Bell-Shaped Vibratory Angular Rate Gyro's Character of Resonator

PubMed Central

Su, Zhong; Fu, Mengyin; Li, Qing; Liu, Ning; Liu, Hong

2013-01-01

Bell-shaped vibratory angular rate gyro (abbreviated as BVG) is a new type Coriolis vibratory gyro that was inspired by Chinese traditional clocks. The resonator fuses based on a variable thickness axisymmetric multicurved surface shell. Its characteristics can directly influence the performance of BVG. The BVG structure not only has capabilities of bearing high overload, high impact and, compared with the tuning fork, vibrating beam, shell and a comb structure, but also a higher frequency to overcome the influence of the disturbance of the exterior environment than the same sized hemispherical resonator gyroscope (HRG) and the traditional cylinder vibratory gyroscope. It can be widely applied in high dynamic low precision angular rate measurement occasions. The main work is as follows: the issue mainly analyzes the structure and basic principle, and investigates the bell-shaped resonator's mathematical model. The reasonable structural parameters are obtained from finite element analysis and an intelligent platform. Using the current solid vibration gyro theory analyzes the structural characteristics and principles of BVG. The bell-shaped resonator is simplified as a paraboloid of the revolution mechanical model, which has a fixed closed end and a free opened end. It obtains the natural frequency and vibration modes based on the theory of elasticity. The structural parameters are obtained from the orthogonal method by the research on the structural parameters of the resonator analysis. It obtains the modal analysis, stress analysis and impact analysis with the chosen parameters. Finally, using the turntable experiment verifies the gyro effect of the BVG. PMID:23575033

Investigation of Alternative Return Strategies for Orion Trans-earth Injection Design Options

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marchand, Belinda G.; Scarritt, Sara K.; Howell, Kathleen C.; Weeks, Michael W.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate alternative return strategies for the Orion trans-Earth injection (TEI) phase. A dynamical systems analysis approach considers the structure of the stable and unstable Sun perturbed Earth-Moon manifolds near the Earth-Moon interface region. A hybrid approach, then, combines the results from this analysis with classical two-body methods in a targeting process that seeks to expand the window of return opportunities in a precision entry scenario. The resulting startup arcs can be used, for instance, to enhance the block set of solutions available onboard during an autonomous targeting process.

Analytical Ultrasonics in Materials Research and Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vary, A.

1986-01-01

Research results in analytical ultrasonics for characterizing structural materials from metals and ceramics to composites are presented. General topics covered by the conference included: status and advances in analytical ultrasonics for characterizing material microstructures and mechanical properties; status and prospects for ultrasonic measurements of microdamage, degradation, and underlying morphological factors; status and problems in precision measurements of frequency-dependent velocity and attenuation for materials analysis; procedures and requirements for automated, digital signal acquisition, processing, analysis, and interpretation; incentives for analytical ultrasonics in materials research and materials processing, testing, and inspection; and examples of progress in ultrasonics for interrelating microstructure, mechanical properites, and dynamic response.

From LIDAR Scanning to 3d FEM Analysis for Complex Surface and Underground Excavations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chun, K.; Kemeny, J.

2017-12-01

Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) has been a prevalent remote-sensing technology applied in the geological fields due to its high precision and ease to use. One of the major applications is to use the detailed geometrical information of underground structures as a basis for the generation of three-dimensional numerical model that can be used in FEM analysis. To date, however, straightforward techniques in reconstructing numerical model from the scanned data of underground structures have not been well established or tested. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive approach integrating from LIDAR scanning to finite element numerical analysis, specifically converting LIDAR 3D point clouds of object containing complex surface geometry into finite element model. This methodology has been applied to the Kartchner Caverns in Arizona for the stability analysis. Numerical simulations were performed using the finite element code ABAQUS. The results indicate that the highlights of our technologies obtained from LIDAR is effective and provide reference for other similar engineering project in practice.

Simulation of multispectral multisource for device of consumer and medicine products analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korolev, Timofey K.; Peretyagin, Vladimir S.

2017-06-01

One of the results of intensive development of led technology was the creation of a multi-component, managed devices and illumination/irradiation used in various fields of production (e.g., food industry analysis, food quality). The use of LEDs has become possible due to their structure determining spatial, energy, electrical, thermal and other characteristics. However, the development of the devices for illumination/irradiation require closer attention in the case if you want to provide precise illumination to the area of analysis, located at a specified distance from the radiation source. The present work is devoted to the development and modelling of a specialized source of radiation intended for solving problems of analysis of food products, medicines and water for suitability in drinking. In this work, we provided a mathematical model of spatial and spectral distribution of irridation from the source of infrared radiation ring structure. When you create this kind of source, you address factors such spectral component, the power settings, the spatial and energy components of the diodes.

Effects of Prepolymerized Particle Size and Polymerization Kinetics on Volumetric Shrinkage of Dental Modeling Resins

PubMed Central

Ha, Jung-Yun; Chun, Ju-Na; Son, Jun Sik; Kim, Kyo-Han

2014-01-01

Dental modeling resins have been developed for use in areas where highly precise resin structures are needed. The manufacturers claim that these polymethyl methacrylate/methyl methacrylate (PMMA/MMA) resins show little or no shrinkage after polymerization. This study examined the polymerization shrinkage of five dental modeling resins as well as one temporary PMMA/MMA resin (control). The morphology and the particle size of the prepolymerized PMMA powders were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and laser diffraction particle size analysis, respectively. Linear polymerization shrinkage strains of the resins were monitored for 20 minutes using a custom-made linometer, and the final values (at 20 minutes) were converted into volumetric shrinkages. The final volumetric shrinkage values for the modeling resins were statistically similar (P > 0.05) or significantly larger (P < 0.05) than that of the control resin and were related to the polymerization kinetics (P < 0.05) rather than the PMMA bead size (P = 0.335). Therefore, the optimal control of the polymerization kinetics seems to be more important for producing high-precision resin structures rather than the use of dental modeling resins. PMID:24779020

Multiple search methods for similarity-based virtual screening: analysis of search overlap and precision

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Data fusion methods are widely used in virtual screening, and make the implicit assumption that the more often a molecule is retrieved in multiple similarity searches, the more likely it is to be active. This paper tests the correctness of this assumption. Results Sets of 25 searches using either the same reference structure and 25 different similarity measures (similarity fusion) or 25 different reference structures and the same similarity measure (group fusion) show that large numbers of unique molecules are retrieved by just a single search, but that the numbers of unique molecules decrease very rapidly as more searches are considered. This rapid decrease is accompanied by a rapid increase in the fraction of those retrieved molecules that are active. There is an approximately log-log relationship between the numbers of different molecules retrieved and the number of searches carried out, and a rationale for this power-law behaviour is provided. Conclusions Using multiple searches provides a simple way of increasing the precision of a similarity search, and thus provides a justification for the use of data fusion methods in virtual screening. PMID:21824430

Filling the gap: adding super-resolution to array tomography for correlated ultrastructural and molecular identification of electrical synapses at the C. elegans connectome.

PubMed

Markert, Sebastian Matthias; Britz, Sebastian; Proppert, Sven; Lang, Marietta; Witvliet, Daniel; Mulcahy, Ben; Sauer, Markus; Zhen, Mei; Bessereau, Jean-Louis; Stigloher, Christian

2016-10-01

Correlating molecular labeling at the ultrastructural level with high confidence remains challenging. Array tomography (AT) allows for a combination of fluorescence and electron microscopy (EM) to visualize subcellular protein localization on serial EM sections. Here, we describe an application for AT that combines near-native tissue preservation via high-pressure freezing and freeze substitution with super-resolution light microscopy and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis on the same section. We established protocols that combine SEM with structured illumination microscopy (SIM) and direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM). We devised a method for easy, precise, and unbiased correlation of EM images and super-resolution imaging data using endogenous cellular landmarks and freely available image processing software. We demonstrate that these methods allow us to identify and label gap junctions in Caenorhabditis elegans with precision and confidence, and imaging of even smaller structures is feasible. With the emergence of connectomics, these methods will allow us to fill in the gap-acquiring the correlated ultrastructural and molecular identity of electrical synapses.

[Application of target restoration space quantity and quantitative relation in precise esthetic prosthodontics].

PubMed

Haiyang, Yu; Tian, Luo

2016-06-01

Target restoration space (TRS) is the most precise space required for designing optimal prosthesis. TRS consists of an internal or external tooth space to confirm the esthetics and function of the final restoration. Therefore, assisted with quantitive analysis transfer, TRS quantitative analysis is a significant improvement for minimum tooth preparation. This article presents TRS quantity-related measurement, analysis, transfer, and internal relevance of three TR. classifications. Results reveal the close bond between precision and minimally invasive treatment. This study can be used to improve the comprehension and execution of precise esthetic prosthodontics.

Nanoscopic imaging of thick heterogeneous soft-matter structures in aqueous solution

PubMed Central

Bartsch, Tobias F.; Kochanczyk, Martin D.; Lissek, Emanuel N.; Lange, Janina R.; Florin, Ernst-Ludwig

2016-01-01

Precise nanometre-scale imaging of soft structures at room temperature poses a major challenge to any type of microscopy because fast thermal fluctuations lead to significant motion blur if the position of the structure is measured with insufficient bandwidth. Moreover, precise localization is also affected by optical heterogeneities, which lead to deformations in the imaged local geometry, the severity depending on the sample and its thickness. Here we introduce quantitative thermal noise imaging, a three-dimensional scanning probe technique, as a method for imaging soft, optically heterogeneous and porous matter with submicroscopic spatial resolution in aqueous solution. By imaging both individual microtubules and collagen fibrils in a network, we demonstrate that structures can be localized with a precision of ∼10 nm and that their local dynamics can be quantified with 50 kHz bandwidth and subnanometre amplitudes. Furthermore, we show how image distortions caused by optically dense structures can be corrected for. PMID:27596919

Charged structure constants from modularity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Diptarka; Datta, Shouvik; Pal, Sridip

2017-11-01

We derive a universal formula for the average heavy-heavy-light structure constants for 2 d CFTs with non-vanishing u(1) charge. The derivation utilizes the modular properties of one-point functions on the torus. Refinements in N=2 SCFTs, show that the resulting Cardy-like formula for the structure constants has precisely the same shifts in the central charge as that of the thermodynamic entropy found earlier. This analysis generalizes the recent results by Kraus and Maloney for CFTs with an additional global u(1) symmetry [1]. Our results at large central charge are also shown to match with computations from the holographic dual, which suggest that the averaged CFT three-point coefficient also serves as a useful probe of detecting black hole hair.

Modelling heterogeneity variances in multiple treatment comparison meta-analysis--are informative priors the better solution?

PubMed

Thorlund, Kristian; Thabane, Lehana; Mills, Edward J

2013-01-11

Multiple treatment comparison (MTC) meta-analyses are commonly modeled in a Bayesian framework, and weakly informative priors are typically preferred to mirror familiar data driven frequentist approaches. Random-effects MTCs have commonly modeled heterogeneity under the assumption that the between-trial variance for all involved treatment comparisons are equal (i.e., the 'common variance' assumption). This approach 'borrows strength' for heterogeneity estimation across treatment comparisons, and thus, ads valuable precision when data is sparse. The homogeneous variance assumption, however, is unrealistic and can severely bias variance estimates. Consequently 95% credible intervals may not retain nominal coverage, and treatment rank probabilities may become distorted. Relaxing the homogeneous variance assumption may be equally problematic due to reduced precision. To regain good precision, moderately informative variance priors or additional mathematical assumptions may be necessary. In this paper we describe four novel approaches to modeling heterogeneity variance - two novel model structures, and two approaches for use of moderately informative variance priors. We examine the relative performance of all approaches in two illustrative MTC data sets. We particularly compare between-study heterogeneity estimates and model fits, treatment effect estimates and 95% credible intervals, and treatment rank probabilities. In both data sets, use of moderately informative variance priors constructed from the pair wise meta-analysis data yielded the best model fit and narrower credible intervals. Imposing consistency equations on variance estimates, assuming variances to be exchangeable, or using empirically informed variance priors also yielded good model fits and narrow credible intervals. The homogeneous variance model yielded high precision at all times, but overall inadequate estimates of between-trial variances. Lastly, treatment rankings were similar among the novel approaches, but considerably different when compared with the homogenous variance approach. MTC models using a homogenous variance structure appear to perform sub-optimally when between-trial variances vary between comparisons. Using informative variance priors, assuming exchangeability or imposing consistency between heterogeneity variances can all ensure sufficiently reliable and realistic heterogeneity estimation, and thus more reliable MTC inferences. All four approaches should be viable candidates for replacing or supplementing the conventional homogeneous variance MTC model, which is currently the most widely used in practice.

Pushover analysis of reinforced concrete frames considering shear failure at beam-column joints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sung, Y. C.; Lin, T. K.; Hsiao, C. C.; Lai, M. C.

2013-09-01

Since most current seismic capacity evaluations of reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures are implemented by either static pushover analysis (PA) or dynamic time history analysis, with diverse settings of the plastic hinges (PHs) on such main structural components as columns, beams and walls, the complex behavior of shear failure at beam-column joints (BCJs) during major earthquakes is commonly neglected. This study proposes new nonlinear PA procedures that consider shear failure at BCJs and seek to assess the actual damage to RC structures. Based on the specifications of FEMA-356, a simplified joint model composed of two nonlinear cross struts placed diagonally over the location of the plastic hinge is established, allowing a sophisticated PA to be performed. To verify the validity of this method, the analytical results for the capacity curves and the failure mechanism derived from three different full-size RC frames are compared with the experimental measurements. By considering shear failure at BCJs, the proposed nonlinear analytical procedures can be used to estimate the structural behavior of RC frames, including seismic capacity and the progressive failure sequence of joints, in a precise and effective manner.

Thermal protection system gap analysis using a loosely coupled fluid-structural thermal numerical method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jie; Li, Piao; Yao, Weixing

2018-05-01

A loosely coupled fluid-structural thermal numerical method is introduced for the thermal protection system (TPS) gap thermal control analysis in this paper. The aerodynamic heating and structural thermal are analyzed by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and numerical heat transfer (NHT) methods respectively. An interpolation algorithm based on the control surface is adopted for the data exchanges on the coupled surface. In order to verify the analysis precision of the loosely coupled method, a circular tube example was analyzed, and the wall temperature agrees well with the test result. TPS gap thermal control performance was studied by the loosely coupled method successfully. The gap heat flux is mainly distributed in the small region at the top of the gap which is the high temperature region. Besides, TPS gap temperature and the power of the active cooling system (CCS) calculated by the traditional uncoupled method are higher than that calculated by the coupled method obviously. The reason is that the uncoupled method doesn't consider the coupled effect between the aerodynamic heating and structural thermal, however the coupled method considers it, so TPS gap thermal control performance can be analyzed more accurately by the coupled method.

Precision Spectral Variability of L Dwarfs from the Ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgasser, Adam J.; Schlawin, Everett; Teske, Johanna K.; Karalidi, Theodora; Gizis, John

2017-01-01

L dwarf photospheres (1500 K < T < 2500 K) contain mineral and metal condensates, which appear to organize into cloud structures as inferred from observed periodic photometric variations with amplitudes of <1%-30%. Studying the vertical structure, composition, and long-term evolution of these clouds necessitates precision spectroscopic monitoring, until recently limited to space-based facilities. Building on techniques developed for ground-based exoplanet transit spectroscopy, we present a method for precision spectral monitoring of L dwarfs with nearby visual companions. Using IRTF/SpeX, we demonstrate <0.5% spectral variability precision across the 0.9-2.4 micron band, and present results for two known L5 dwarf variables, J0835-0819 and J1821+1414, both of which show evidence of 3D cloud structure similar to that seen in space-based observations. We describe a survey of 30 systems which would sample the full L dwarf sequence and allow characterization of temperature, surface gravity, metallicity, rotation period and orientation effects on cloud structure, composition and evolution.This research is supported by funding from the National Science Foundation under award No. AST-1517177, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Grant No. NNX15AI75G.

Mapping nuclear craters on Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hampson, John C., Jr.

1986-01-01

In 1984, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a detailed geologic analysis of two nuclear test craters at Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands, on behalf of the Defense Nuclear Agency. A multidisciplinary task force mapped the morphology, surface character, and subsurface structure of two craters, OAK and KOA. The field mapping techniques include echo sounding, sidescan sonar imaging, single-channel and multichannel seismic reflection profiling, a seismic refraction survey, and scuba and submersible operations. All operations had to be navigated precisely and correlatable with subsequent drilling and sampling operations. Mapping with a high degree of precision at scales as large as 1:1500 required corrections that often are not considered in marine mapping. Corrections were applied to the bathymetric data for location of the echo- sounding transducer relative to the navigation transponder on the ship and for transducer depth, speed of sound, and tidal variations. Sidescan sonar, single-channel seismic reflection, and scuba and submersible data were correlated in depth and map position with the bathymetric data to provide a precise, internally consistent data set. The multichannel and refraction surveys were conducted independently but compared well with bathymetry. Examples drawn from processing the bathymetric, sidescan sonar, and single- channel reflection data help illustrate problems and procedures in precision mapping.

A new fabrication method for precision antenna reflectors for space flight and ground test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharp, G. Richard; Wanhainen, Joyce S.; Ketelsen, Dean A.

1991-01-01

Communications satellites are using increasingly higher frequencies that require increasingly precise antenna reflectors for use in space. Traditional industry fabrication methods for space antenna reflectors employ successive modeling techniques using high- and low-temperature molds for reflector face sheets and then a final fit-up of the completed honeycomb sandwich panel antenna reflector to a master pattern. However, as new missions are planned at much higher frequencies, greater accuracies will be necessary than are achievable using these present methods. A new approach for the fabrication of ground-test solid-surface antenna reflectors is to build a rigid support structure with an easy-to-machine surface. This surface is subsequently machined to the desired reflector contour and coated with a radio-frequency-reflective surface. This method was used to fabricate a 2.7-m-diameter ground-test antenna reflector to an accuracy of better than 0.013 mm (0.0005 in.) rms. A similar reflector for use on spacecraft would be constructed in a similar manner but with space-qualified materials. The design, analysis, and fabrication of the 2.7-m-diameter precision antenna reflector for antenna ground tests and the extension of this technology to precision, space-based antenna reflectors are described.

Precision medicine driven by cancer systems biology.

PubMed

Filipp, Fabian V

2017-03-01

Molecular insights from genome and systems biology are influencing how cancer is diagnosed and treated. We critically evaluate big data challenges in precision medicine. The melanoma research community has identified distinct subtypes involving chronic sun-induced damage and the mitogen-activated protein kinase driver pathway. In addition, despite low mutation burden, non-genomic mitogen-activated protein kinase melanoma drivers are found in membrane receptors, metabolism, or epigenetic signaling with the ability to bypass central mitogen-activated protein kinase molecules and activating a similar program of mitogenic effectors. Mutation hotspots, structural modeling, UV signature, and genomic as well as non-genomic mechanisms of disease initiation and progression are taken into consideration to identify resistance mutations and novel drug targets. A comprehensive precision medicine profile of a malignant melanoma patient illustrates future rational drug targeting strategies. Network analysis emphasizes an important role of epigenetic and metabolic master regulators in oncogenesis. Co-occurrence of driver mutations in signaling, metabolic, and epigenetic factors highlights how cumulative alterations of our genomes and epigenomes progressively lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation. Precision insights have the ability to identify independent molecular pathways suitable for drug targeting. Synergistic treatment combinations of orthogonal modalities including immunotherapy, mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors, epigenetic inhibitors, and metabolic inhibitors have the potential to overcome immune evasion, side effects, and drug resistance.

Genome Editing of Structural Variations: Modeling and Gene Correction.

PubMed

Park, Chul-Yong; Sung, Jin Jea; Kim, Dong-Wook

2016-07-01

The analysis of chromosomal structural variations (SVs), such as inversions and translocations, was made possible by the completion of the human genome project and the development of genome-wide sequencing technologies. SVs contribute to genetic diversity and evolution, although some SVs can cause diseases such as hemophilia A in humans. Genome engineering technology using programmable nucleases (e.g., ZFNs, TALENs, and CRISPR/Cas9) has been rapidly developed, enabling precise and efficient genome editing for SV research. Here, we review advances in modeling and gene correction of SVs, focusing on inversion, translocation, and nucleotide repeat expansion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temperature induced distortions in space telescope mirrors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nied, H. F.; Rudmann, A. A.

1993-01-01

In this paper, it is illustrated how measured instantaneous coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) can be accurately taken into account when modeling the structural behavior of space based optical systems. In particular, the importance of including CTE spatial variations in the analysis of optical elements is emphasized. A comparison is made between the CTE's of three optical materials commonly used in the construction of space mirrors (ULE, Zerodur, and beryllium). The overall impact that selection of any one of these materials has on thermal distortions is briefly discussed. As an example of how temperature dependent spatial variations in thermal strain can be accurately incorporated in the thermo-structural analysis of a precision optical system, a finite element model is developed, which is used to estimate the thermally induced distortions in the Hubble Space Telescope's (HST) primary mirror. In addition to the structural analysis, the optical aberrations due to thermally induced distortions are also examined. These calculations indicate that thermal distortions in HST's primary mirror contribute mainly to defocus error with a relatively small contribution to spherical aberration.

The Precision Efficacy Analysis for Regression Sample Size Method.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Gordon P.; Barcikowski, Robert S.

The general purpose of this study was to examine the efficiency of the Precision Efficacy Analysis for Regression (PEAR) method for choosing appropriate sample sizes in regression studies used for precision. The PEAR method, which is based on the algebraic manipulation of an accepted cross-validity formula, essentially uses an effect size to…

Precision and Accuracy of Analysis for Boron in ITP Samples

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

Tovo, L.L.

'Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectroscopy (ICPES) has been used by the Analytical Development Section (ADS) to measure boron in catalytic tetraphenylboron decomposition studies performed by the Waste Processing Technology (WPT) section. Analysis of these samples is complicated due to the presence of high concentrations of sodium and organic compounds. Previously, we found signal suppression in samples analyzed "as received". We suspected that the suppression was due to the high organic concentration (up to 0.01 molar organic decomposition products) in the samples. When the samples were acid digested prior to analysis, the suppression was eliminated. The precision of the reported boronmore » concentration was estimated as 10 percent based on the known precision of the inorganic boron standard used for calibration and quality control check of the ICPES analysis. However, a precision better than 10 percent was needed to evaluate ITP process operating parameters. Therefore, the purpose of this work was (1) to measure, instead of estimating, the precision of the boron measurement on ITP samples and (2) to determine the optimum precision attainable with current instrumentation.'« less

Joint denoising and distortion correction of atomic scale scanning transmission electron microscopy images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berkels, Benjamin; Wirth, Benedikt

2017-09-01

Nowadays, modern electron microscopes deliver images at atomic scale. The precise atomic structure encodes information about material properties. Thus, an important ingredient in the image analysis is to locate the centers of the atoms shown in micrographs as precisely as possible. Here, we consider scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), which acquires data in a rastering pattern, pixel by pixel. Due to this rastering combined with the magnification to atomic scale, movements of the specimen even at the nanometer scale lead to random image distortions that make precise atom localization difficult. Given a series of STEM images, we derive a Bayesian method that jointly estimates the distortion in each image and reconstructs the underlying atomic grid of the material by fitting the atom bumps with suitable bump functions. The resulting highly non-convex minimization problems are solved numerically with a trust region approach. Existence of minimizers and the model behavior for faster and faster rastering are investigated using variational techniques. The performance of the method is finally evaluated on both synthetic and real experimental data.

A T-Type Capacitive Sensor Capable of Measuring 5-DOF Error Motions of Precision Spindles

PubMed Central

Xiang, Kui; Qiu, Rongbo; Mei, Deqing; Chen, Zichen

2017-01-01

The precision spindle is a core component of high-precision machine tools, and the accurate measurement of its error motions is important for improving its rotation accuracy as well as the work performance of the machine. This paper presents a T-type capacitive sensor (T-type CS) with an integrated structure. The proposed sensor can measure the 5-degree-of-freedom (5-DOF) error motions of a spindle in-situ and simultaneously by integrating electrode groups in the cylindrical bore of the stator and the outer end face of its flange, respectively. Simulation analysis and experimental results show that the sensing electrode groups with differential measurement configuration have near-linear output for the different types of rotor displacements. What’s more, the additional capacitance generated by fringe effects has been reduced about 90% with the sensing electrode groups fabricated based on flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) and related processing technologies. The improved signal processing circuit has also been increased one times in the measuring performance and makes the measured differential output capacitance up to 93% of the theoretical values. PMID:28846631

Electromagnetic Scattering Analysis of Large Size Asteroids/Comets for Reflection/Transmission Tomography (RTT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deshpande, Manohar

2011-01-01

A precise knowledge of the interior structure of asteroids, comets, and Near Earth Objects (NEO) is important to assess the consequences of their impacts with the Earth and develop efficient mitigation strategies. Knowledge of their interior structure also provides opportunities for extraction of raw materials for future space activities. Low frequency radio sounding is often proposed for investigating interior structures of asteroids and NEOs. For designing and optimizing radio sounding instrument it is advantageous to have an accurate and efficient numerical simulation model of radio reflection and transmission through large size bodies of asteroid shapes. In this presentation we will present electromagnetic (EM) scattering analysis of electrically large size asteroids using (1) a weak form formulation and (2) also a more accurate hybrid finite element method/method of moments (FEM/MOM) to help estimate their internal structures. Assuming the internal structure with known electrical properties of a sample asteroid, we first develop its forward EM scattering model. From the knowledge of EM scattering as a function of frequency and look angle we will then present the inverse scattering procedure to extract its interior structure image. Validity of the inverse scattering procedure will be presented through few simulation examples.

Determination of the proton spin structure functions for 0.05

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fersch, R. G.; Guler, N.; Bosted, P.; Deur, A.; Griffioen, K.; Keith, C.; Kuhn, S. E.; Minehart, R.; Prok, Y.; Adhikari, K. P.; Adhikari, S.; Akbar, Z.; Amaryan, M. J.; Anefalos Pereira, S.; Asryan, G.; Avakian, H.; Ball, J.; Balossino, I.; Baltzell, N. A.; Battaglieri, M.; Bedlinskiy, I.; Biselli, A. S.; Briscoe, W. J.; Brooks, W. K.; Bültmann, S.; Burkert, V. D.; Thanh Cao, Frank; Carman, D. S.; Careccia, S.; Celentano, A.; Chandavar, S.; Charles, G.; Chetry, T.; Ciullo, G.; Clark, L.; Colaneri, L.; Cole, P. L.; Compton, N.; Contalbrigo, M.; Cortes, O.; Crede, V.; D'Angelo, A.; Dashyan, N.; De Vita, R.; De Sanctis, E.; Djalali, C.; Dodge, G. E.; Dupre, R.; Egiyan, H.; El Alaoui, A.; El Fassi, L.; Elouadrhiri, L.; Eugenio, P.; Fanchini, E.; Fedotov, G.; Filippi, A.; Fleming, J. A.; Forest, T. A.; Garçon, M.; Gavalian, G.; Ghandilyan, Y.; Gilfoyle, G. P.; Giovanetti, K. L.; Girod, F. X.; Gleason, C.; Golovatch, E.; Gothe, R. W.; Guidal, M.; Guo, L.; Hafidi, K.; Hakobyan, H.; Hanretty, C.; Harrison, N.; Hattawy, M.; Heddle, D.; Hicks, K.; Holtrop, M.; Hughes, S. M.; Ilieva, Y.; Ireland, D. G.; Ishkhanov, B. S.; Isupov, E. L.; Jenkins, D.; Joo, K.; Keller, D.; Khachatryan, G.; Khachatryan, M.; Khandaker, M.; Kim, A.; Kim, W.; Klein, A.; Klein, F. J.; Kubarovsky, V.; Lagerquist, V. G.; Lanza, L.; Lenisa, P.; Livingston, K.; Lu, H. Y.; McKinnon, B.; Meyer, C. A.; Mirazita, M.; Mokeev, V.; Montgomery, R. A.; Movsisyan, A.; Munoz Camacho, C.; Murdoch, G.; Nadel-Turonski, P.; Niccolai, S.; Niculescu, G.; Niculescu, I.; Osipenko, M.; Ostrovidov, A. I.; Paolone, M.; Paremuzyan, R.; Park, K.; Pasyuk, E.; Phelps, W.; Pierce, J.; Pisano, S.; Pogorelko, O.; Price, J. W.; Protopopescu, D.; Raue, B. A.; Ripani, M.; Riser, D.; Rizzo, A.; Rosner, G.; Rossi, P.; Roy, P.; Sabatié, F.; Salgado, C.; Schumacher, R. A.; Sharabian, Y. G.; Simonyan, A.; Skorodumina, Iu.; Smith, G. D.; Sokhan, D.; Sparveris, N.; Stankovic, I.; Stepanyan, S.; Strakovsky, I. I.; Strauch, S.; Taiuti, M.; Tian, Ye; Torayev, B.; Ungaro, M.; Voskanyan, H.; Voutier, E.; Walford, N. K.; Watts, D. P.; Wei, X.; Weinstein, L. B.; Zachariou, N.; Zhang, J.; CLAS Collaboration

2017-12-01

We present the results of our final analysis of the full data set of g1p(Q2) , the spin structure function of the proton, collected using CLAS at Jefferson Laboratory in 2000-2001. Polarized electrons with energies of 1.6, 2.5, 4.2, and 5.7 GeV were scattered from proton targets (NH153 dynamically polarized along the beam direction) and detected with CLAS. From the measured double spin asymmetries, we extracted virtual photon asymmetries A1p and A2p and spin structure functions g1p and g2p over a wide kinematic range (0.05 GeV2

Analysis about diamond tool wear in nano-metric cutting of single crystal silicon using molecular dynamics method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhiguo; Liang, Yingchun; Chen, Mingjun; Tong, Zhen; Chen, Jiaxuan

2010-10-01

Tool wear not only changes its geometry accuracy and integrity, but also decrease machining precision and surface integrity of workpiece that affect using performance and service life of workpiece in ultra-precision machining. Scholars made a lot of experimental researches and stimulant analyses, but there is a great difference on the wear mechanism, especially on the nano-scale wear mechanism. In this paper, the three-dimensional simulation model is built to simulate nano-metric cutting of a single crystal silicon with a non-rigid right-angle diamond tool with 0 rake angle and 0 clearance angle by the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation approach, which is used to investigate the diamond tool wear during the nano-metric cutting process. A Tersoff potential is employed for the interaction between carbon-carbon atoms, silicon-silicon atoms and carbon-silicon atoms. The tool gets the high alternating shear stress, the tool wear firstly presents at the cutting edge where intension is low. At the corner the tool is splitted along the {1 1 1} crystal plane, which forms the tipping. The wear at the flank face is the structure transformation of diamond that the diamond structure transforms into the sheet graphite structure. Owing to the tool wear the cutting force increases.

Architecture with GIDEON, A Program for Design in Structural DNA Nanotechnology

PubMed Central

Birac, Jeffrey J.; Sherman, William B.; Kopatsch, Jens; Constantinou, Pamela E.; Seeman, Nadrian C.

2012-01-01

We present geometry based design strategies for DNA nanostructures. The strategies have been implemented with GIDEON – a Graphical Integrated Development Environment for OligoNucleotides. GIDEON has a highly flexible graphical user interface that facilitates the development of simple yet precise models, and the evaluation of strains therein. Models are built on a simple model of undistorted B-DNA double-helical domains. Simple point and click manipulations of the model allow the minimization of strain in the phosphate-backbone linkages between these domains and the identification of any steric clashes that might occur as a result. Detailed analysis of 3D triangles yields clear predictions of the strains associated with triangles of different sizes. We have carried out experiments that confirm that 3D triangles form well only when their geometrical strain is less than 4% deviation from the estimated relaxed structure. Thus geometry-based techniques alone, without energetic considerations, can be used to explain general trends in DNA structure formation. We have used GIDEON to build detailed models of double crossover and triple crossover molecules, evaluating the non-planarity associated with base tilt and junction mis-alignments. Computer modeling using a graphical user interface overcomes the limited precision of physical models for larger systems, and the limited interaction rate associated with earlier, command-line driven software. PMID:16630733

Vulnerabilities to Rock-Slope Failure Impacts from Christchurch, NZ Case History Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grant, A.; Wartman, J.; Massey, C. I.; Olsen, M. J.; Motley, M. R.; Hanson, D.; Henderson, J.

2015-12-01

Rock-slope failures during the 2010/11 Canterbury (Christchurch), New Zealand Earthquake Sequence resulted in 5 fatalities and caused an estimated US$400 million of damage to buildings and infrastructure. Reducing losses from rock-slope failures requires consideration of both hazard (i.e. likelihood of occurrence) and risk (i.e. likelihood of losses given an occurrence). Risk assessment thus requires information on the vulnerability of structures to rock or boulder impacts. Here we present 32 case histories of structures impacted by boulders triggered during the 2010/11 Canterbury earthquake sequence, in the Port Hills region of Christchurch, New Zealand. The consequences of rock fall impacts on structures, taken as penetration distance into structures, are shown to follow a power-law distribution with impact energy. Detailed mapping of rock fall sources and paths from field mapping, aerial lidar digital elevation model (DEM) data, and high-resolution aerial imagery produced 32 well-constrained runout paths of boulders that impacted structures. Impact velocities used for structural analysis were developed using lumped mass 2-D rock fall runout models using 1-m resolution lidar elevation data. Model inputs were based on calibrated surface parameters from mapped runout paths of 198 additional boulder runouts. Terrestrial lidar scans and structure from motion (SfM) imagery generated 3-D point cloud data used to measure structural damage and impacting boulders. Combining velocity distributions from 2-D analysis and high-precision boulder dimensions, kinetic energy distributions were calculated for all impacts. Calculated impact energy versus penetration distance for all cases suggests a power-law relationship between damage and impact energy. These case histories and resulting fragility curve should serve as a foundation for future risk analysis of rock fall hazards by linking vulnerability data to the predicted energy distributions from the hazard analysis.

Autonomous molecular cascades for evaluation of cell surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudchenko, Maria; Taylor, Steven; Pallavi, Payal; Dechkovskaia, Alesia; Khan, Safana; Butler, Vincent P., Jr.; Rudchenko, Sergei; Stojanovic, Milan N.

2013-08-01

Molecular automata are mixtures of molecules that undergo precisely defined structural changes in response to sequential interactions with inputs. Previously studied nucleic acid-based automata include game-playing molecular devices (MAYA automata) and finite-state automata for the analysis of nucleic acids, with the latter inspiring circuits for the analysis of RNA species inside cells. Here, we describe automata based on strand-displacement cascades directed by antibodies that can analyse cells by using their surface markers as inputs. The final output of a molecular automaton that successfully completes its analysis is the presence of a unique molecular tag on the cell surface of a specific subpopulation of lymphocytes within human blood cells.

Analytical Kinematics and Coupled Vibrations Analysis of Mechanical System Operated by Solar Array Drive Assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sattar, M.; Wei, C.; Jalali, A.; Sattar, R.

2017-07-01

To address the impact of solar array (SA) anomalies and vibrations on performance of precision space-based operations, it is important to complete its accurate jitter analysis. This work provides mathematical modelling scheme to approximate kinematics and coupled micro disturbance dynamics of rigid load supported and operated by solar array drive assembly (SADA). SADA employed in analysis provides a step wave excitation torque to activate the system. Analytical investigations into kinematics is accomplished by using generalized linear and Euler angle coordinates, applying multi-body dynamics concepts and transformations principles. Theoretical model is extended, to develop equations of motion (EoM), through energy method (Lagrange equation). The main emphasis is to research coupled frequency response by determining energies dissipated and observing dynamic behaviour of internal vibratory systems of SADA. The disturbance model captures discrete active harmonics of SADA, natural modes and vibration amplifications caused by interactions between active harmonics and structural modes of mechanical assembly. The proposed methodology can help to predict true micro disturbance nature of SADA operating rigid load. Moreover, performance outputs may be compared against actual mission requirements to assess precise spacecraft controller design to meet next space generation stringent accuracy goals.

Development of a candidate reference measurement procedure for the analysis of cortisol in human serum samples by isotope dilution-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Kawaguchi, Migaku; Takatsu, Akiko

2009-08-01

A candidate reference measurement procedure involving isotope dilution coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been developed and critically evaluated. An isotopically labeled internal standard, cortisol-d(2), was added to a serum sample. After equilibration, solid-phase extractions (SPE) for sample preparation and derivatization with heptafluorobutyric anhydride (HFBA) were performed for GC-MS analysis. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were 5 and 20 ng g(-1), respectively. The recovery of the added cortisol ranged from 99.8 to 101.0%. Excellent precision was obtained with a within-day variation (RSD) of 0.7% for GC-MS analysis. The accuracy of the measurement was evaluated by comparing of results of this reference measurement procedure on lyophilized human serum reference materials for cortisol (European Reference Materials (ERM)-DA 192) as Certified Reference Materials (CRMs). The results of this method for total cortisol agreed with the certified values within some uncertainty. This method, which demonstrates simply, easy, good accuracy, high precision, and is free from interferences from structural analogues, qualifies as a reference measurement procedure.

Characterising molecules for fundamental physics: an accurate spectroscopic model of methyltrioxorhenium derived from new infrared and millimetre-wave measurements.

PubMed

Asselin, Pierre; Berger, Yann; Huet, Thérèse R; Margulès, Laurent; Motiyenko, Roman; Hendricks, Richard J; Tarbutt, Michael R; Tokunaga, Sean K; Darquié, Benoît

2017-02-08

Precise spectroscopic analysis of polyatomic molecules enables many striking advances in physical chemistry and fundamental physics. We use several new high-resolution spectroscopic devices to improve our understanding of the rotational and rovibrational structure of methyltrioxorhenium (MTO), the achiral parent of a family of large oxorhenium compounds that are ideal candidate species for a planned measurement of parity violation in chiral molecules. Using millimetre-wave and infrared spectroscopy in a pulsed supersonic jet, a cryogenic buffer gas cell, and room temperature absorption cells, we probe the ground state and the Re[double bond, length as m-dash]O antisymmetric and symmetric stretching excited states of both CH 3 187 ReO 3 and CH 3 185 ReO 3 isotopologues in the gas phase with unprecedented precision. By extending the rotational spectra to the 150-300 GHz range, we characterize the ground state rotational and hyperfine structure up to J = 43 and K = 41, resulting in refinements to the rotational, quartic and hyperfine parameters, and the determination of sextic parameters and a centrifugal distortion correction to the quadrupolar hyperfine constant. We obtain rovibrational data for temperatures between 6 and 300 K in the 970-1015 cm -1 range, at resolutions down to 8 MHz and accuracies of 30 MHz. We use these data to determine more precise excited-state rotational, Coriolis and quartic parameters, as well as the ground-state centrifugal distortion parameter D K of the 187 Re isotopologue. We also account for hyperfine structure in the rovibrational transitions and hence determine the upper state rhenium atom quadrupole coupling constant eQq'.

Analytical cytology applied to detection of induced cytogenetic abnormalities

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

Gray, J.W.; Lucas, J.; Straume, T.

1987-08-06

Radiation-induced biological damage results in formation of a broad spectrum of cytogenetic changes such as translocations, dicentrics, ring chromosomes, and acentric fragments. A battery of analytical cytologic techniques are now emerging that promise to significantly improve the precision and ease with which these radiation induced cytogenetic changes can be quantified. This report summarizes techniques to facilitate analysis of the frequency of occurrence of structural and numerical aberrations in control and irradiated human cells. 14 refs., 2 figs.

Conceptual Memory: A Theory and Computer Program for Processing the Meaning Content of Natural Language Utterances

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-07-01

iiWU -immmemmmmm This document was generated by the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory’s document compiler, "PUB" and reproducec’ on a...for more sophisticated artificial (programming) languages. The new issues became those of how to represent a grammar as precise syntactic structures...challenge lies in discovering - either by synthesis of an artificial system, or by analysis of a natural one - the underlying logical (a. opposed to

Seborrheic dermatitis: predisposing factors and ITS2 secondary structure for Malassezia phylogenic analysis.

PubMed

Amado, Yulien; Patiño-Uzcátegui, Anelvi; Cepero de García, Maria C; Tabima, Javier; Motta, Adriana; Cárdenas, Martha; Bernal, Adriana; Restrepo, Silvia; Celis, Adriana

2013-11-01

Seborrheic dermatitis (SD) is a chronic, widespread skin condition, which is considered a multifactorial disease influenced, in part, by Malassezia spp. opportunistic activities, as well as various endogenous and exogenous factors. Malassezia species are lipophilic, lipid-dependent yeasts that are members of the normal mycobiota of the human skin. Their isolation from SD lesions varies around the world and the study of the relationship among factors such as gender, age, immunosuppressive condition of the patient and SD development, can lead to a better understanding of this disease. To elucidate the association of age and gender with the development of SD and to precisely determine the Malassezia species involved in the disease, samples were obtained from 134 individuals, including individuals without lesions, human immunodeficiency virus positive patients, individuals with seborrheic dermatitis, and HIV patients with seborrheic dermatitis. Malassezia spp. were identified by phenotypic and genotypic methods and a phylogenetic analysis was performed using Bayesian inference. This study revealed that age and gender are not predisposing factors for SD development, and that the most frequent species of Malassezia related to SD development among the Colombian population is M. restricta. We also report the isolation of M. yamatoensis for the first time in Colombia, and propose an ITS2 secondary structure from Malassezia taxa that can be used for precise identification and to establish more robust phylogenetic relationships.

Probing voltage sensing domain of KCNQ2 channel as a potential target to combat epilepsy: a comparative study.

PubMed

Mehta, Pakhuri; Srivastava, Shubham; Choudhary, Bhanwar Singh; Sharma, Manish; Malik, Ruchi

2017-12-01

Multidrug resistance along with side-effects of available anti-epileptic drugs and unavailability of potent and effective agents in submicromolar quantities presents the biggest therapeutic challenges in anti-epileptic drug discovery. The molecular modeling techniques allow us to identify agents with novel structures to match the continuous urge for its discovery. KCNQ2 channel represents one of the validated targets for its therapy. The present study involves identification of newer anti-epileptic agents by means of a computer-aided drug design adaptive protocol involving both structure-based virtual screening of Asinex library using homology model of KCNQ2 and 3D-QSAR based virtual screening with docking analysis, followed by dG bind and ligand efficiency calculations with ADMET studies, of which 20 hits qualified all the criterions. The best ligands of both screenings with least potential for toxicity predicted computationally were then taken for molecular dynamic simulations. All the crucial amino acid interactions were observed in hits of both screenings such as Glu130, Arg207, Arg210 and Phe137. Robustness of docking protocol was analyzed through Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve values 0.88 (Area under curve AUC = 0.87) in Standard Precision and 0.84 (AUC = 0.82) in Extra Precision modes. Novelty analysis indicates that these compounds have not been reported previously as anti-epileptic agents.

Acoustic fine structure may encode biologically relevant information for zebra finches.

PubMed

Prior, Nora H; Smith, Edward; Lawson, Shelby; Ball, Gregory F; Dooling, Robert J

2018-04-18

The ability to discriminate changes in the fine structure of complex sounds is well developed in birds. However, the precise limit of this discrimination ability and how it is used in the context of natural communication remains unclear. Here we describe natural variability in acoustic fine structure of male and female zebra finch calls. Results from psychoacoustic experiments demonstrate that zebra finches are able to discriminate extremely small differences in fine structure, which are on the order of the variation in acoustic fine structure that is present in their vocal signals. Results from signal analysis methods also suggest that acoustic fine structure may carry information that distinguishes between biologically relevant categories including sex, call type and individual identity. Combined, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that zebra finches can encode biologically relevant information within the fine structure of their calls. This study provides a foundation for our understanding of how acoustic fine structure may be involved in animal communication.

3D RNA and functional interactions from evolutionary couplings

PubMed Central

Weinreb, Caleb; Riesselman, Adam; Ingraham, John B.; Gross, Torsten; Sander, Chris; Marks, Debora S.

2016-01-01

Summary Non-coding RNAs are ubiquitous, but the discovery of new RNA gene sequences far outpaces research on their structure and functional interactions. We mine the evolutionary sequence record to derive precise information about function and structure of RNAs and RNA-protein complexes. As in protein structure prediction, we use maximum entropy global probability models of sequence co-variation to infer evolutionarily constrained nucleotide-nucleotide interactions within RNA molecules, and nucleotide-amino acid interactions in RNA-protein complexes. The predicted contacts allow all-atom blinded 3D structure prediction at good accuracy for several known RNA structures and RNA-protein complexes. For unknown structures, we predict contacts in 160 non-coding RNA families. Beyond 3D structure prediction, evolutionary couplings help identify important functional interactions, e.g., at switch points in riboswitches and at a complex nucleation site in HIV. Aided by accelerating sequence accumulation, evolutionary coupling analysis can accelerate the discovery of functional interactions and 3D structures involving RNA. PMID:27087444

Wrinkling reduction of membrane structure by trimming edges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Mingjun; Huang, Jin; Liu, Mingyue

2017-05-01

Thin membranes have negligible bending stiffness, compressive stresses inevitably lead to wrinkling. Therefore, it is important to keep the surface of membrane structures flat in order to guarantee high precision. Edge-trimming is an effective method to passively diminish wrinkles, however a key difficulty in this process is the determination of the optimal trimming level. In this paper, regular polygonal membrane structures subjected to equal radial forces were analyzed, and a new stress field distribution model for arc-edge square membrane structure was proposed to predict the optimal trimming level. This model is simple and applicable to any polygonal membrane structures. Comparison among the results of the finite element analysis, and the experimental and analytical results showed that the proposed model accurately described the stress field distribution and guaranteed that there are no wrinkles appear inside the effective inscribed circle region for the optimal trimming level.

Structured vs. Unstructured: Factors Affecting Adverse Drug Reaction Documentation in an EMR Repository

PubMed Central

Skentzos, Stephen; Shubina, Maria; Plutzky, Jorge; Turchin, Alexander

2011-01-01

Adverse reactions to medications to which the patient was known to be intolerant are common. Electronic decision support can prevent them but only if history of adverse reactions to medications is recorded in structured format. We have conducted a retrospective study of 31,531 patients with adverse reactions to statins documented in the notes, as identified with natural language processing. The software identified statin adverse reactions with sensitivity of 86.5% and precision of 91.9%. Only 9020 of these patients had an adverse reaction to a statin recorded in structured format. In multivariable analysis the strongest predictor of structured documentation was utilization of EMR functionality that integrated the medication list with the structured medication adverse reaction repository (odds ratio 48.6, p < 0.0001). Integration of information flow between EMR modules can help improve documentation and potentially prevent adverse drug events. PMID:22195188

Heterointerface engineering of broken-gap InAs/GaSb multilayer structures.

PubMed

Liu, Jheng-Sin; Zhu, Yan; Goley, Patrick S; Hudait, Mantu K

2015-02-04

Broken-gap InAs/GaSb strain balanced multilayer structures were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and their structural, morphological, and band alignment properties were analyzed. Precise shutter sequence during the MBE growth process, enable to achieve the strain balanced structure. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy exhibited sharp heterointerfaces, and the lattice line extended from the top GaSb layer to the bottom InAs layer. X-ray analysis further confirmed a strain balanced InAs/GaSb multilayer structure. A smooth surface morphology with surface roughness of ∼0.5 nm was demonstrated. The effective barrier height -0.15 eV at the GaSb/InAs heterointerface was determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and it was further corroborated by simulation. These results are important to demonstrate desirable characteristics of mixed As/Sb material systems for high-performance and low-power tunnel field-effect transistor applications.

A bio-physical basis of mathematics in synaptic function of the nervous system: a theory.

PubMed

Dempsher, J

1980-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present a bio-physical basis of mathematics. The essence of the theory is that function in the nervous system is mathematical. The mathematics arises as a result of the interaction of energy (a wave with a precise curvature in space and time) and matter (a molecular or ionic structure with a precise form in space and time). In this interaction, both energy and matter play an active role. That is, the interaction results in a change in form of both energy and matter. There are at least six mathematical operations in a simple synaptic region. It is believed the form of both energy and matter are specific, and their interaction is specific, that is, function in most of the 'mind' and placed where it belongs - in nature and the synaptic regions of the nervous system; it results in both places from a precise interaction between energy (in a precise form) and matter ( in a precise structure).

A Bayesian network model for predicting aquatic toxicity mode ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The mode of toxic action (MoA) has been recognized as a key determinant of chemical toxicity but MoA classification in aquatic toxicology has been limited. We developed a Bayesian network model to classify aquatic toxicity mode of action using a recently published dataset containing over one thousand chemicals with MoA assignments for aquatic animal toxicity. Two dimensional theoretical chemical descriptors were generated for each chemical using the Toxicity Estimation Software Tool. The model was developed through augmented Markov blanket discovery from the data set with the MoA broad classifications as a target node. From cross validation, the overall precision for the model was 80.2% with a R2 of 0.959. The best precision was for the AChEI MoA (93.5%) where 257 chemicals out of 275 were correctly classified. Model precision was poorest for the reactivity MoA (48.5%) where 48 out of 99 reactive chemicals were correctly classified. Narcosis represented the largest class within the MoA dataset and had a precision and reliability of 80.0%, reflecting the global precision across all of the MoAs. False negatives for narcosis most often fell into electron transport inhibition, neurotoxicity or reactivity MoAs. False negatives for all other MoAs were most often narcosis. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis was undertaken for each MoA to examine the sensitivity to individual and multiple descriptor findings. The results show that the Markov blanket of a structurally

Quantitative Phase Analysis of Plasma-Treated High-Silica Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosmachev, P. V.; Abzaev, Yu. A.; Vlasov, V. A.

2018-06-01

The paper presents the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the crystal structure of SiO2 in two modifications, namely quartzite and quartz sand before and after plasma treatment. Plasma treatment enables the raw material to melt and evaporate after which the material quenches and condenses to form nanoparticles. The Rietveld refinement method is used to identify the lattice parameters of SiO2 phases. It is found that after plasma treatment SiO2 oxides are in the amorphous state, which are modeled within the microcanonical ensemble. Experiments show that amorphous phases are stable, and model X-ray reflection intensities approximate the experimental XRD patterns with fine precision. Within the modeling, full information is obtained for SiO2 crystalline and amorphous phases, which includes atom arrangement, structural parameters, atomic population of silicon and oxygen atoms in lattice sites.

Analysis investigation of supporting and restraint conditions on the surface deformation of a collimator primary mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Chia-Yen; You, Zhen-Ting; Huang, Bo-Kai; Chen, Yi-Cheng; Huang, Ting-Ming

2015-09-01

For meeting the requirements of the high-precision telescopes, the design of collimator is essential. The diameter of the collimator should be larger than that of the target for the using of alignment. Special supporting structures are demanded to reduce the deformation of gravity and to control the surface deformation induced by the mounting force when inspecting large-aperture primary mirrors. By using finite element analysis, a ZERODUR® mirror of a diameter of 620 mm will be analyzed to obtain the deformation induced by the supporting structures. Zernike polynomials will also be adopted to fit the optical surface and separate corresponding aberrations. Through the studies under different boundary conditions and supporting positions of the inner ring, it is concluded that the optical performance will be excellent under a strong enough supporter.

GABA-Mediated Presynaptic Inhibition Is Required for Precision of Long-Term Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cullen, Patrick K.; Dulka, Brooke N.; Ortiz, Samantha; Riccio, David C.; Jasnow, Aaron M.

2014-01-01

Though much attention has been given to the neural structures that underlie the long-term consolidation of contextual memories, little is known about the mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of memory precision. Here, we demonstrate a rapid time-dependent decline in memory precision in GABA [subscript B(1a)] receptor knockout mice. First, we…

Modulation of Temporal Precision in Thalamic Population Responses to Natural Visual Stimuli

PubMed Central

Desbordes, Gaëlle; Jin, Jianzhong; Alonso, Jose-Manuel; Stanley, Garrett B.

2010-01-01

Natural visual stimuli have highly structured spatial and temporal properties which influence the way visual information is encoded in the visual pathway. In response to natural scene stimuli, neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) are temporally precise – on a time scale of 10–25 ms – both within single cells and across cells within a population. This time scale, established by non stimulus-driven elements of neuronal firing, is significantly shorter than that of natural scenes, yet is critical for the neural representation of the spatial and temporal structure of the scene. Here, a generalized linear model (GLM) that combines stimulus-driven elements with spike-history dependence associated with intrinsic cellular dynamics is shown to predict the fine timing precision of LGN responses to natural scene stimuli, the corresponding correlation structure across nearby neurons in the population, and the continuous modulation of spike timing precision and latency across neurons. A single model captured the experimentally observed neural response, across different levels of contrasts and different classes of visual stimuli, through interactions between the stimulus correlation structure and the nonlinearity in spike generation and spike history dependence. Given the sensitivity of the thalamocortical synapse to closely timed spikes and the importance of fine timing precision for the faithful representation of natural scenes, the modulation of thalamic population timing over these time scales is likely important for cortical representations of the dynamic natural visual environment. PMID:21151356

Gate Set Tomography on a trapped ion qubit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nielsen, Erik; Blume-Kohout, Robin; Gamble, John; Rundinger, Kenneth; Mizrahi, Jonathan; Sterk, Johathan; Maunz, Peter

2015-03-01

We present enhancements to gate-set tomography (GST), which is a framework in which an entire set of quantum logic gates (including preparation and measurement) can be fully characterized without need for pre-calibrated operations. Our new method, ``extended Linear GST'' (eLGST) uses fast, reliable analysis of structured long gate sequences to deliver tomographic precision at the Heisenberg limit with GST's calibration-free framework. We demonstrate this precision on a trapped-ion qubit, and show significant (orders of magnitude) advantage over both standard process tomography and randomized benchmarking. This work was supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program at Sandia National Laboratories. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

ELM: super-resolution analysis of wide-field images of fluorescent shell structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manton, James D.; Xiao, Yao; Turner, Robert D.; Christie, Graham; Rees, Eric J.

2018-07-01

It is often necessary to precisely quantify the size of specimens in biological studies. When measuring feature size in fluorescence microscopy, significant biases can arise due to blurring of its edges if the feature is smaller than the diffraction limit of resolution. This problem is avoided if an equation describing the feature’s entire image is fitted to its image data. In this paper we present open-source software, ELM, which uses this approach to measure the size of spheroidal or cylindrical fluorescent shells with a precision of around 10 nm. This has been used to measure coat protein locations in bacterial spores and cell wall diameter in vegetative bacilli, and may also be valuable in microbiological studies of algae, fungi and viruses. ELM is available for download at https://github.com/quantitativeimaging/ELM.

ELM: super-resolution analysis of wide-field images of fluorescent shell structures.

PubMed

Manton, James; Xiao, Yao; Turner, Robert; Christie, Graham; Rees, Eric

2018-05-04

It is often necessary to precisely quantify the size of specimens in biological studies. When measuring feature size in fluorescence microscopy, significant biases can arise due to blurring of its edges if the feature is smaller than the diffraction limit of resolution. This problem is avoided if an equation describing the feature's entire image is fitted to its image data. In this paper we present open-source software, ELM, which uses this approach to measure the size of spheroidal or cylindrical fluorescent shells with a precision of around 10 nm. This has been used to measure coat protein locations in bacterial spores and cell wall diameter in vegetative bacilli, and may also be valuable in microbiological studies of algae, fungi and viruses. ELM is available for download at https://github.com/quantitativeimaging/ELM. Creative Commons Attribution license.

3-dimensional digital reconstruction of the murine coronary system for the evaluation of chronic allograft vasculopathy.

PubMed

Fónyad, László; Shinoda, Kazunobu; Farkash, Evan A; Groher, Martin; Sebastian, Divya P; Szász, A Marcell; Colvin, Robert B; Yagi, Yukako

2015-03-28

Chronic allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a major mechanism of graft failure of transplanted organs in humans. Morphometric analysis of coronary arteries enables the quantitation of CAV in mouse models of heart transplantation. However, conventional histological procedures using single 2-dimensional sections limit the accuracy of CAV quantification. The aim of this study is to improve the accuracy of CAV quantification by reconstructing the murine coronary system in 3-dimensions (3D) and using virtual reconstruction and volumetric analysis to precisely assess neointimal thickness. Mouse tissue samples, native heart and transplanted hearts with chronic allograft vasculopathy, were collected and analyzed. Paraffin embedded samples were serially sectioned, stained and digitized using whole slide digital imaging techniques under normal and ultraviolet lighting. Sophisticated software tools were used to generate and manipulate 3D reconstructions of the major coronary arteries and branches. The 3D reconstruction provides not only accurate measurements but also exact volumetric data of vascular lesions. This virtual coronary arteriography demonstrates that the vasculopathy lesions in this model are localized to the proximal coronary segments. In addition, virtual rotation and volumetric analysis enabled more precise measurements of CAV than single, randomly oriented histologic sections, and offer an improved readout for this important experimental model. We believe 3D reconstruction of 2D histological slides will provide new insights into pathological mechanisms in which structural abnormalities play a role in the development of a disease. The techniques we describe are applicable to the analysis of arteries, veins, bronchioles and similar sized structures in a variety of tissue types and disease model systems. The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/3772457541477230 .

Biotemplated Morpho Butterfly Wings for Tunable Structurally Colored Photocatalysts.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Robin E; Agarwal, Sneha P; An, Shun; Kazyak, Eric; Das, Debashree; Shang, Wen; Skye, Rachael; Deng, Tao; Dasgupta, Neil P

2018-02-07

Morpho sulkowskyi butterfly wings contain naturally occurring hierarchical nanostructures that produce structural coloration. The high aspect ratio and surface area of these wings make them attractive nanostructured templates for applications in solar energy and photocatalysis. However, biomimetic approaches to replicate their complex structural features and integrate functional materials into their three-dimensional framework are highly limited in precision and scalability. Herein, a biotemplating approach is presented that precisely replicates Morpho nanostructures by depositing nanocrystalline ZnO coatings onto wings via low-temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD). This study demonstrates the ability to precisely tune the natural structural coloration while also integrating multifunctionality by imparting photocatalytic activity onto fully intact Morpho wings. Optical spectroscopy and finite-difference time-domain numerical modeling demonstrate that ALD ZnO coatings can rationally tune the structural coloration across the visible spectrum. These structurally colored photocatalysts exhibit an optimal coating thickness to maximize photocatalytic activity, which is attributed to trade-offs between light absorption and catalytic quantum yield with increasing coating thickness. These multifunctional photocatalysts present a new approach to integrating solar energy harvesting into visually attractive surfaces that can be integrated into building facades or other macroscopic structures to impart aesthetic appeal.

Quantitative Protein Topography Analysis and High-Resolution Structure Prediction Using Hydroxyl Radical Labeling and Tandem-Ion Mass Spectrometry (MS)*

PubMed Central

Kaur, Parminder; Kiselar, Janna; Yang, Sichun; Chance, Mark R.

2015-01-01

Hydroxyl radical footprinting based MS for protein structure assessment has the goal of understanding ligand induced conformational changes and macromolecular interactions, for example, protein tertiary and quaternary structure, but the structural resolution provided by typical peptide-level quantification is limiting. In this work, we present experimental strategies using tandem-MS fragmentation to increase the spatial resolution of the technique to the single residue level to provide a high precision tool for molecular biophysics research. Overall, in this study we demonstrated an eightfold increase in structural resolution compared with peptide level assessments. In addition, to provide a quantitative analysis of residue based solvent accessibility and protein topography as a basis for high-resolution structure prediction; we illustrate strategies of data transformation using the relative reactivity of side chains as a normalization strategy and predict side-chain surface area from the footprinting data. We tested the methods by examination of Ca+2-calmodulin showing highly significant correlations between surface area and side-chain contact predictions for individual side chains and the crystal structure. Tandem ion based hydroxyl radical footprinting-MS provides quantitative high-resolution protein topology information in solution that can fill existing gaps in structure determination for large proteins and macromolecular complexes. PMID:25687570

Solid Lubricants for Space Structures

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-04-17

will utilize mechanically interlocked hardware (caged bearings or bearings for ultra precision gimbals pointing mechanisms) controlled through precision...structure unless the lubricant were of low vapor pressure and/or suitably sealed to I prevent molecular effusion . While temperatures within spacecraft or...incorporation in the continuous cast system. The die made of graphite, consists of a plurality of openings or holes located in the die and positioned (unlined

Formation of precise 2D Au particle arrays via thermally induced dewetting on pre-patterned substrates

PubMed Central

Ji, Ran

2011-01-01

Summary The fabrication of precise 2D Au nanoparticle arrays over a large area is presented. The technique was based on pre-patterning of the substrate before the deposition of a thin Au film, and the creation of periodic particle arrays by subsequent dewetting induced by annealing. Two types of pre-patterned substrates were used: The first comprised an array of pyramidal pits and the second an array of circular holes. For the dewetting of Au films on the pyramidal pit substrate, the structural curvature-driven diffusion cooperates with capillarity-driven diffusion, resulting in the formation of precise 2D particle arrays for films within a structure dependent thickness-window. For the dewetting of Au films on the circular hole substrate, the periodic discontinuities in the films, induced by the deposition, can limit the diffusion paths and lead to the formation of one particle per individual separated region (holes or mesas between holes), and thus, result in the evolution of precise 2D particle arrays. The influence of the pre-patterned structures and the film thickness is analyzed and discussed. For both types of pre-patterned substrate, the Au film thickness had to be adjusted in a certain thickness-window in order to achieve the precise 2D particle arrays. PMID:21977445

High precision optical spectroscopy and quantum state selected photodissociation of ultracold 88Sr2 molecules in an optical lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonald, Mickey Patrick

Over the past several decades, rapid progress has been made toward the accurate characterization and control of atoms, made possible largely by the development of narrow-linewidth lasers and techniques for trapping and cooling at ultracold temperatures. Extending this progress to molecules will have exciting implications for chemistry, condensed matter physics, and precision tests of physics beyond the Standard Model. These possibilities are all consequences of the richness of molecular structure, which is governed by physics substantially different from that characterizing atomic structure. This same richness of structure, however, increases the complexity of any molecular experiment manyfold over its atomic counterpart, magnifying the difficulty of everything from trapping and cooling to the comparison of theory with experiment. This thesis describes work performed over the past six years to establish the state of the art in manipulation and quantum control of ultracold molecules. Our molecules are produced via photoassociation of ultracold strontium atoms followed by spontaneous decay to a stable ground state. We describe a thorough set of measurements characterizing the rovibrational structure of very weakly bound (and therefore very large) 88Sr2 molecules from several different perspectives, including determinations of binding energies; linear, quadratic, and higher order Zeeman shifts; transition strengths between bound states; and lifetimes of narrow subradiant states. The physical intuition gained in these experiments applies generally to weakly bound diatomic molecules, and suggests extensive applications in precision measurement and metrology. In addition, we present a detailed analysis of the thermally broadened spectroscopic lineshape of molecules in a non-magic optical lattice trap, showing how such lineshapes can be used to directly determine the temperature of atoms or molecules in situ, addressing a long-standing problem in ultracold physics. Finally, we discuss the measurement of photofragment angular distributions produced by photodissociation, leading to an exploration of quantum-state-resolved ultracold chemistry.

An Innovative Electrolysis Approach for the Synthesis of Metal Matrix Bulk Nanocomposites: A Case Study on Copper-Niobium System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shokrvash, Hussein; Rad, Rahim Yazdani; Massoudi, Abouzar

2018-04-01

Design and synthesis of a prototype Cu-Nb nanocomposite are presented. Oxygen-free Cu-Nb nanocomposites were prepared using an electrolysis facility with special emphasis on the cathodic deoxidation of Cu and nanometric Nb2O5 blends in a molten NaCl-CaCl2 electrolyte. The as-prepared nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The elemental analysis of the Cu matrix and Nb phase revealed the high solubility of Nb in the Cu structure (0.85 at. pct) and Cu in the Nb structure (10.59 at. pct) over short synthesis times (4-5 hours). Furthermore, precise analysis using field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy confirmed the unique structure and nanocomposite morphology of the Cu-Nb nanocomposite. The successful synthesis of Cu-Nb nanocomposites offers a new conceptual and empirical outlook on the generation of bulk nanostructures of immiscible bimetals using electro-synthesis.

Inner structural vibration isolation method for a single control moment gyroscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jingrui; Guo, Zixi; Zhang, Yao; Tang, Liang; Guan, Xin

2016-01-01

Assembling and manufacturing errors of control moment gyros (CMG) often generate high frequency vibrations which are detrimental to spacecrafts with high precision pointing requirement. In this paper, some design methods of vibration isolation between CMG and spacecraft is dealt with. As a first step, the dynamic model of the CMG with and without supporting isolation structures is studied and analyzed. Subsequently, the frequency domain analysis of CMG with isolation system is performed and the effectiveness of the designed system is ascertained. Based on the above studies, an adaptive design suitable with appropriate design parameters are carried out. A numerical analysis is also performed to understand the effectiveness of the system and the comparison made. The simulation results clearly indicate that when the ideal isolation structure was implemented in the spacecraft, the vibrations generated by the rotor were found to be greatly reduced, while the capacity of the output torque was not lost, which means that the isolation system will not affect the performance of attitude control.

Comprehensive insights into the structural and chemical changes in mixed-anion FeOF electrodes by using operando PDF and NMR spectroscopy.

PubMed

Wiaderek, Kamila M; Borkiewicz, Olaf J; Castillo-Martínez, Elizabeth; Robert, Rosa; Pereira, Nathalie; Amatucci, Glenn G; Grey, Clare P; Chupas, Peter J; Chapman, Karena W

2013-03-13

In-depth analysis of operando X-ray pair distribution function (PDF) data is combined with Li NMR spectroscopy to gain comprehensive insights into the electrochemical reaction mechanism of high-performance iron oxyfluoride electrodes. While the full discharge capacity could be recovered upon charge, implying reversibility of the electrochemical reaction, the atomic structure of the electrode formed after cycling (discharge-charge) differs from the pristine uncycled electrode material. Instead, the "active" electrode that forms upon cycling is a nanocomposite of an amorphous rutile phase and a nanoscale rock salt phase. Bond valence sum analysis, based on the precise structural parameters (bond lengths and coordination number) extracted from the in situ PDF data, suggests that anion partitioning occurs during the electrochemical reaction, with the rutile phase being F-rich and the rock salt phase being O-rich. The F- and O-rich phases react sequentially; Fe in a F-rich environment reacts preferentially during both discharge and charge.

Au crystal growth on natural occurring Au-Ag aggregate elucidated by means of precession electron diffraction (PED)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roqué Rosell, Josep; Portillo Serra, Joaquim; Aiglsperger, Thomas; Plana-Ruiz, Sergi; Trifonov, Trifon; Proenza, Joaquín A.

2018-02-01

In the present work, a lamella from an Au-Ag aggregate found in Ni-laterites has been examined using Transmission Electron Microscope to produce a series of Precision Electron Diffraction (PED) patterns. The analysis of the structural data obtained, coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray microanalysis, made it possible to determine the orientation of twinned native gold growing on the Au-Ag aggregate. The native Au crystal domains are found to have grown at the outermost part of the aggregate whereas the inner core of the aggregate is an Au-Ag alloy (∼4 wt% Ag). The submicron structural study of the natural occurring Au aggregate points to the mobilization and precipitation of gold in laterites and provides insights on Au aggregates development at supergene conditions. This manuscript demonstrates the great potential of electron crystallographic analysis, and in particular, PED to study submicron structural features of micron sized mineral aggregates by using the example of a gold grain found in a Ni-laterite deposits.

A psychometric analysis of the reading the mind in the eyes test: toward a brief form for research and applied settings

PubMed Central

Olderbak, Sally; Wilhelm, Oliver; Olaru, Gabriel; Geiger, Mattis; Brenneman, Meghan W.; Roberts, Richard D.

2015-01-01

The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test is a popular measure of individual differences in Theory of Mind that is often applied in the assessment of particular clinical populations (primarily, individuals on the autism spectrum). However, little is known about the test's psychometric properties, including factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent validity evidence. We present a psychometric analysis of the test followed by an evaluation of other empirically proposed and statistically identified structures. We identified, and cross-validated in a second sample, an adequate short-form solution that is homogeneous with adequate internal consistency, and is moderately related to Cognitive Empathy, Emotion Perception, and strongly related to Vocabulary. We recommend the use of this short-form solution in normal adults as a more precise measure over the original version. Future revisions of the test should seek to reduce the test's reliance on one's vocabulary and evaluate the short-form structure in clinical populations. PMID:26500578

Structural characteristics and harmonic vibrational analysis of the stable conformer of 2,3-epoxypropanol by quantum chemical methods.

PubMed

Arjunan, V; Rani, T; Santhanam, R; Mohan, S

2012-10-01

The FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra of H bond inner conformer of 2,3-epoxypropanol have been recorded in the regions 3700-400 and 3700-100 cm(-1), respectively. The spectra were interpreted in terms of fundamentals modes, combination and overtone bands. The normal coordinate analysis was carried out to confirm the precision of the assignments. The structure of the conformers H bond inner and H bond outer1 were optimised and the structural characteristics were determined by density functional theory (DFT) using B3LYP and MP2 methods with 6-31G** and 6-311++G** basis sets. The vibrational frequencies were calculated in all these methods and were compared with the experimental frequencies which yield good agreement between observed and calculated frequencies. The electronic properties HOMO and LUMO energies were measured by time-dependent TD-DFT approach. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Precise Truss Assembly using Commodity Parts and Low Precision Welding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Komendera, Erik; Reishus, Dustin; Dorsey, John T.; Doggett, William R.; Correll, Nikolaus

2013-01-01

We describe an Intelligent Precision Jigging Robot (IPJR), which allows high precision assembly of commodity parts with low-precision bonding. We present preliminary experiments in 2D that are motivated by the problem of assembling a space telescope optical bench on orbit using inexpensive, stock hardware and low-precision welding. An IPJR is a robot that acts as the precise "jigging", holding parts of a local assembly site in place while an external low precision assembly agent cuts and welds members. The prototype presented in this paper allows an assembly agent (in this case, a human using only low precision tools), to assemble a 2D truss made of wooden dowels to a precision on the order of millimeters over a span on the order of meters. We report the challenges of designing the IPJR hardware and software, analyze the error in assembly, document the test results over several experiments including a large-scale ring structure, and describe future work to implement the IPJR in 3D and with micron precision.

Precession technique and electron diffractometry as new tools for crystal structure analysis and chemical bonding determination.

PubMed

Avilov, A; Kuligin, K; Nicolopoulos, S; Nickolskiy, M; Boulahya, K; Portillo, J; Lepeshov, G; Sobolev, B; Collette, J P; Martin, N; Robins, A C; Fischione, P

2007-01-01

We have developed a new fast electron diffractometer working with high dynamic range and linearity for crystal structure determinations. Electron diffraction (ED) patterns can be scanned serially in front of a Faraday cage detector; the total measurement time for several hundred ED reflections can be tens of seconds having high statistical accuracy for all measured intensities (1-2%). This new tool can be installed to any type of TEM without any column modification and is linked to a specially developed electron beam precession "Spinning Star" system. Precession of the electron beam (Vincent-Midgley technique) reduces dynamical effects allowing also use of accurate intensities for crystal structure analysis. We describe the technical characteristics of this new tool together with the first experimental results. Accurate measurement of electron diffraction intensities by electron diffractometer opens new possibilities not only for revealing unknown structures, but also for electrostatic potential determination and chemical bonding investigation. As an example, we present detailed atomic bonding information of CaF(2) as revealed for the first time by precise electron diffractometry.

Reference geometry-based detection of (4D-)CT motion artifacts: a feasibility study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werner, René; Gauer, Tobias

2015-03-01

Respiration-correlated computed tomography (4D or 3D+t CT) can be considered as standard of care in radiation therapy treatment planning for lung and liver lesions. The decision about an application of motion management devices and the estimation of patient-specific motion effects on the dose distribution relies on precise motion assessment in the planning 4D CT data { which is impeded in case of CT motion artifacts. The development of image-based/post-processing approaches to reduce motion artifacts would benefit from precise detection and localization of the artifacts. Simple slice-by-slice comparison of intensity values and threshold-based analysis of related metrics suffer from- depending on the threshold- high false-positive or -negative rates. In this work, we propose exploiting prior knowledge about `ideal' (= artifact free) reference geometries to stabilize metric-based artifact detection by transferring (multi-)atlas-based concepts to this specific task. Two variants are introduced and evaluated: (S1) analysis and comparison of warped atlas data obtained by repeated non-linear atlas-to-patient registration with different levels of regularization; (S2) direct analysis of vector field properties (divergence, curl magnitude) of the atlas-to-patient transformation. Feasibility of approaches (S1) and (S2) is evaluated by motion-phantom data and intra-subject experiments (four patients) as well as - adopting a multi-atlas strategy- inter-subject investigations (twelve patients involved). It is demonstrated that especially sorting/double structure artifacts can be precisely detected and localized by (S1). In contrast, (S2) suffers from high false positive rates.

Homogeneous Characterization of Transiting Exoplanet Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez Maqueo Chew, Yilen; Faedi, Francesca; Hebb, Leslie; Pollacco, Don; Stassun, Keivan; Ghezzi, Luan; Cargile, Phillip; Barros, Susana; Smalley, Barry; Mack, Claude

2012-02-01

We aim to obtain a homogeneous set of high resolution, high signal- to-noise (S/N) spectra for a large and diverse sample of stars with transiting planets, using the Kitt Peak 4-m echelle spectrograph for bright Northern targets (7.7150) in combination with high precision light curves shows an improvement in the precision of the stellar parameters of 60% in Teff, 75% in FeH, 82% in mstar, and 73% in rstar, which translates into a 64% improvement in the precision of rpl, and more than 2% on mpl, relative to the discovery paper's values.

A double sealing technique for increasing the precision of headspace-gas chromatographic analysis.

PubMed

Xie, Wei-Qi; Yu, Kong-Xian; Gong, Yi-Xian

2018-01-19

This paper investigates a new double sealing technique for increasing the precision of the headspace gas chromatographic method. The air leakage problem caused by the high pressure in the headspace vial during the headspace sampling process has a great impact to the measurement precision in the conventional headspace analysis (i.e., single sealing technique). The results (using ethanol solution as the model sample) show that the present technique is effective to minimize such a problem. The double sealing technique has an excellent measurement precision (RSD < 0.15%) and accuracy (recovery = 99.1%-100.6%) for the ethanol quantification. The detection precision of the present method was 10-20 times higher than that in earlier HS-GC work that use conventional single sealing technique. The present double sealing technique may open up a new avenue, and also serve as a general strategy for improving the performance (i.e., accuracy and precision) of headspace analysis of various volatile compounds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Unscented predictive variable structure filter for satellite attitude estimation with model errors when using low precision sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Lu; Li, Hengnian

2016-10-01

For the satellite attitude estimation problem, the serious model errors always exist and hider the estimation performance of the Attitude Determination and Control System (ACDS), especially for a small satellite with low precision sensors. To deal with this problem, a new algorithm for the attitude estimation, referred to as the unscented predictive variable structure filter (UPVSF) is presented. This strategy is proposed based on the variable structure control concept and unscented transform (UT) sampling method. It can be implemented in real time with an ability to estimate the model errors on-line, in order to improve the state estimation precision. In addition, the model errors in this filter are not restricted only to the Gaussian noises; therefore, it has the advantages to deal with the various kinds of model errors or noises. It is anticipated that the UT sampling strategy can further enhance the robustness and accuracy of the novel UPVSF. Numerical simulations show that the proposed UPVSF is more effective and robustness in dealing with the model errors and low precision sensors compared with the traditional unscented Kalman filter (UKF).

Electronic Health Record Phenotypes for Precision Medicine: Perspectives and Caveats From Treatment of Breast Cancer at a Single Institution

PubMed Central

Liu, Hongfang; Maxwell, Kara N.; Pathak, Jyotishman; Zhang, Rui

2018-01-01

Abstract Precision medicine is at the forefront of biomedical research. Cancer registries provide rich perspectives and electronic health records (EHRs) are commonly utilized to gather additional clinical data elements needed for translational research. However, manual annotation is resource‐intense and not readily scalable. Informatics‐based phenotyping presents an ideal solution, but perspectives obtained can be impacted by both data source and algorithm selection. We derived breast cancer (BC) receptor status phenotypes from structured and unstructured EHR data using rule‐based algorithms, including natural language processing (NLP). Overall, the use of NLP increased BC receptor status coverage by 39.2% from 69.1% with structured medication information alone. Using all available EHR data, estrogen receptor‐positive BC cases were ascertained with high precision (P = 0.976) and recall (R = 0.987) compared with gold standard chart‐reviewed patients. However, status negation (R = 0.591) decreased 40.2% when relying on structured medications alone. Using multiple EHR data types (and thorough understanding of the perspectives offered) are necessary to derive robust EHR‐based precision medicine phenotypes. PMID:29084368

Dimensional measurement of micro parts with high aspect ratio in HIT-UOI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dang, Hong; Cui, Jiwen; Feng, Kunpeng; Li, Junying; Zhao, Shiyuan; Zhang, Haoran; Tan, Jiubin

2016-11-01

Micro parts with high aspect ratios have been widely used in different fields including aerospace and defense industries, while the dimensional measurement of these micro parts becomes a challenge in the field of precision measurement and instrument. To deal with this contradiction, several probes for the micro parts precision measurement have been proposed by researchers in Center of Ultra-precision Optoelectronic Instrument (UOI), Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT). In this paper, optical fiber probes with structures of spherical coupling(SC) with double optical fibers, micro focal-length collimation (MFL-collimation) and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) are described in detail. After introducing the sensing principles, both advantages and disadvantages of these probes are analyzed respectively. In order to improve the performances of these probes, several approaches are proposed. A two-dimensional orthogonal path arrangement is propounded to enhance the dimensional measurement ability of MFL-collimation probes, while a high resolution and response speed interrogation method based on differential method is used to improve the accuracy and dynamic characteristics of the FBG probes. The experiments for these special structural fiber probes are given with a focus on the characteristics of these probes, and engineering applications will also be presented to prove the availability of them. In order to improve the accuracy and the instantaneity of the engineering applications, several techniques are used in probe integration. The effectiveness of these fiber probes were therefore verified through both the analysis and experiments.

Precision and Accuracy Parameters in Structured Light 3-D Scanning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eiríksson, E. R.; Wilm, J.; Pedersen, D. B.; Aanæs, H.

2016-04-01

Structured light systems are popular in part because they can be constructed from off-the-shelf low cost components. In this paper we quantitatively show how common design parameters affect precision and accuracy in such systems, supplying a much needed guide for practitioners. Our quantitative measure is the established VDI/VDE 2634 (Part 2) guideline using precision made calibration artifacts. Experiments are performed on our own structured light setup, consisting of two cameras and a projector. We place our focus on the influence of calibration design parameters, the calibration procedure and encoding strategy and present our findings. Finally, we compare our setup to a state of the art metrology grade commercial scanner. Our results show that comparable, and in some cases better, results can be obtained using the parameter settings determined in this study.

Plant Architecture: A Dynamic, Multilevel and Comprehensive Approach to Plant Form, Structure and Ontogeny

PubMed Central

Barthélémy, Daniel; Caraglio, Yves

2007-01-01

Background and Aims The architecture of a plant depends on the nature and relative arrangement of each of its parts; it is, at any given time, the expression of an equilibrium between endogenous growth processes and exogenous constraints exerted by the environment. The aim of architectural analysis is, by means of observation and sometimes experimentation, to identify and understand these endogenous processes and to separate them from the plasticity of their expression resulting from external influences. Scope Using the identification of several morphological criteria and considering the plant as a whole, from germination to death, architectural analysis is essentially a detailed, multilevel, comprehensive and dynamic approach to plant development. Despite their recent origin, architectural concepts and analysis methods provide a powerful tool for studying plant form and ontogeny. Completed by precise morphological observations and appropriated quantitative methods of analysis, recent researches in this field have greatly increased our understanding of plant structure and development and have led to the establishment of a real conceptual and methodological framework for plant form and structure analysis and representation. This paper is a summarized update of current knowledge on plant architecture and morphology; its implication and possible role in various aspects of modern plant biology is also discussed. PMID:17218346

A high-precision Jacob's staff with improved spatial accuracy and laser sighting capability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patacci, Marco

2016-04-01

A new Jacob's staff design incorporating a 3D positioning stage and a laser sighting stage is described. The first combines a compass and a circular spirit level on a movable bracket and the second introduces a laser able to slide vertically and rotate on a plane parallel to bedding. The new design allows greater precision in stratigraphic thickness measurement while restricting the cost and maintaining speed of measurement to levels similar to those of a traditional Jacob's staff. Greater precision is achieved as a result of: a) improved 3D positioning of the rod through the use of the integrated compass and spirit level holder; b) more accurate sighting of geological surfaces by tracing with height adjustable rotatable laser; c) reduced error when shifting the trace of the log laterally (i.e. away from the dip direction) within the trace of the laser plane, and d) improved measurement of bedding dip and direction necessary to orientate the Jacob's staff, using the rotatable laser. The new laser holder design can also be used to verify parallelism of a geological surface with structural dip by creating a visual planar datum in the field and thus allowing determination of surfaces which cut the bedding at an angle (e.g., clinoforms, levees, erosion surfaces, amalgamation surfaces, etc.). Stratigraphic thickness measurements and estimates of measurement uncertainty are valuable to many applications of sedimentology and stratigraphy at different scales (e.g., bed statistics, reconstruction of palaeotopographies, depositional processes at bed scale, architectural element analysis), especially when a quantitative approach is applied to the analysis of the data; the ability to collect larger data sets with improved precision will increase the quality of such studies.

STAMPS: development and verification of swallowing kinematic analysis software.

PubMed

Lee, Woo Hyung; Chun, Changmook; Seo, Han Gil; Lee, Seung Hak; Oh, Byung-Mo

2017-10-17

Swallowing impairment is a common complication in various geriatric and neurodegenerative diseases. Swallowing kinematic analysis is essential to quantitatively evaluate the swallowing motion of the oropharyngeal structures. This study aims to develop a novel swallowing kinematic analysis software, called spatio-temporal analyzer for motion and physiologic study (STAMPS), and verify its validity and reliability. STAMPS was developed in MATLAB, which is one of the most popular platforms for biomedical analysis. This software was constructed to acquire, process, and analyze the data of swallowing motion. The target of swallowing structures includes bony structures (hyoid bone, mandible, maxilla, and cervical vertebral bodies), cartilages (epiglottis and arytenoid), soft tissues (larynx and upper esophageal sphincter), and food bolus. Numerous functions are available for the spatiotemporal parameters of the swallowing structures. Testing for validity and reliability was performed in 10 dysphagia patients with diverse etiologies and using the instrumental swallowing model which was designed to mimic the motion of the hyoid bone and the epiglottis. The intra- and inter-rater reliability tests showed excellent agreement for displacement and moderate to excellent agreement for velocity. The Pearson correlation coefficients between the measured and instrumental reference values were nearly 1.00 (P < 0.001) for displacement and velocity. The Bland-Altman plots showed good agreement between the measurements and the reference values. STAMPS provides precise and reliable kinematic measurements and multiple practical functionalities for spatiotemporal analysis. The software is expected to be useful for researchers who are interested in the swallowing motion analysis.

Collaborative Genomics Study Advances Precision Oncology

Cancer.gov

A collaborative study conducted by two Office of Cancer Genomics (OCG) initiatives highlights the importance of integrating structural and functional genomics programs to improve cancer therapies, and more specifically, contribute to precision oncology treatments for children.

Emulation applied to reliability analysis of reconfigurable, highly reliable, fault-tolerant computing systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Migneault, G. E.

1979-01-01

Emulation techniques applied to the analysis of the reliability of highly reliable computer systems for future commercial aircraft are described. The lack of credible precision in reliability estimates obtained by analytical modeling techniques is first established. The difficulty is shown to be an unavoidable consequence of: (1) a high reliability requirement so demanding as to make system evaluation by use testing infeasible; (2) a complex system design technique, fault tolerance; (3) system reliability dominated by errors due to flaws in the system definition; and (4) elaborate analytical modeling techniques whose precision outputs are quite sensitive to errors of approximation in their input data. Next, the technique of emulation is described, indicating how its input is a simple description of the logical structure of a system and its output is the consequent behavior. Use of emulation techniques is discussed for pseudo-testing systems to evaluate bounds on the parameter values needed for the analytical techniques. Finally an illustrative example is presented to demonstrate from actual use the promise of the proposed application of emulation.

Bias, precision and statistical power of analysis of covariance in the analysis of randomized trials with baseline imbalance: a simulation study.

PubMed

Egbewale, Bolaji E; Lewis, Martyn; Sim, Julius

2014-04-09

Analysis of variance (ANOVA), change-score analysis (CSA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) respond differently to baseline imbalance in randomized controlled trials. However, no empirical studies appear to have quantified the differential bias and precision of estimates derived from these methods of analysis, and their relative statistical power, in relation to combinations of levels of key trial characteristics. This simulation study therefore examined the relative bias, precision and statistical power of these three analyses using simulated trial data. 126 hypothetical trial scenarios were evaluated (126,000 datasets), each with continuous data simulated by using a combination of levels of: treatment effect; pretest-posttest correlation; direction and magnitude of baseline imbalance. The bias, precision and power of each method of analysis were calculated for each scenario. Compared to the unbiased estimates produced by ANCOVA, both ANOVA and CSA are subject to bias, in relation to pretest-posttest correlation and the direction of baseline imbalance. Additionally, ANOVA and CSA are less precise than ANCOVA, especially when pretest-posttest correlation ≥ 0.3. When groups are balanced at baseline, ANCOVA is at least as powerful as the other analyses. Apparently greater power of ANOVA and CSA at certain imbalances is achieved in respect of a biased treatment effect. Across a range of correlations between pre- and post-treatment scores and at varying levels and direction of baseline imbalance, ANCOVA remains the optimum statistical method for the analysis of continuous outcomes in RCTs, in terms of bias, precision and statistical power.

Bias, precision and statistical power of analysis of covariance in the analysis of randomized trials with baseline imbalance: a simulation study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Analysis of variance (ANOVA), change-score analysis (CSA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) respond differently to baseline imbalance in randomized controlled trials. However, no empirical studies appear to have quantified the differential bias and precision of estimates derived from these methods of analysis, and their relative statistical power, in relation to combinations of levels of key trial characteristics. This simulation study therefore examined the relative bias, precision and statistical power of these three analyses using simulated trial data. Methods 126 hypothetical trial scenarios were evaluated (126 000 datasets), each with continuous data simulated by using a combination of levels of: treatment effect; pretest-posttest correlation; direction and magnitude of baseline imbalance. The bias, precision and power of each method of analysis were calculated for each scenario. Results Compared to the unbiased estimates produced by ANCOVA, both ANOVA and CSA are subject to bias, in relation to pretest-posttest correlation and the direction of baseline imbalance. Additionally, ANOVA and CSA are less precise than ANCOVA, especially when pretest-posttest correlation ≥ 0.3. When groups are balanced at baseline, ANCOVA is at least as powerful as the other analyses. Apparently greater power of ANOVA and CSA at certain imbalances is achieved in respect of a biased treatment effect. Conclusions Across a range of correlations between pre- and post-treatment scores and at varying levels and direction of baseline imbalance, ANCOVA remains the optimum statistical method for the analysis of continuous outcomes in RCTs, in terms of bias, precision and statistical power. PMID:24712304

Fine Structure in Helium-like Fluorine by Fast-Beam Laser Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, E. G.; Thompson, J. K.; Silver, J. D.

1998-05-01

With the aim of providing an additional precise test of higher-order corrections to high precision calculations of fine structure in helium and helium-like ions(T. Zhang, Z.-C. Yan and G.W.F. Drake, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77), 1715 (1996)., a measurement of the 2^3P_2,F - 2^3P_1,F' fine structure in ^19F^7+ is in progress. The method involves doppler-tuned laser spectroscopy using a CO2 laser on a foil-stripped fluorine ion beam. We aim to achieve a higher precision, compared to an earlier measurement(E.G. Myers, P. Kuske, H.J. Andrae, I.A. Armour, H.A. Klein, J.D. Silver, and E. Traebert, Phys. Rev. Lett. 47), 87 (1981)., by using laser beams parallel and anti-parallel to the ion beam, to obtain partial cancellation of the doppler shift(J.K. Thompson, D.J.H. Howie and E.G. Myers, Phys. Rev. A 57), 180 (1998).. A calculation of the hyperfine structure, allowing for relativistic, QED and nuclear size effects, will be required to obtain the ``hyperfine-free'' fine structure interval from the measurements.

Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize Talk: Measuring the Electron Magnetic Moment and the Fine Structure Constant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabrielse, Gerald

2011-05-01

The electron magnetic moment in Bohr magnetons has been measured to a precision of 3 parts in 1013. This measurement, with quantum electrodynamics (AED) theory, provides the most precise value of the fine structure constant. This measurement, with a value of the fine structure from other measurements, also tests QED and sets a limit on the internal structure of the electron. A one-electron quantum cyclotron is at the heart of the measurement -- an electron suspended in a magnetic field and cooled enough that its lowest cyclotron and spin quantum states can be deduced with quantum nondemolition (QND) measurements. A cylindrical Penning trap cavity inhibits spontaneous emission and feedback methods make the electron excite and sustain its own motion for detection. A new apparatus is being commissioned in pursuit of more precise measurements. Adapted methods are promising for observing a proton spin flip, which should make it possible to compare the antiproton and proton magnetic moments a million times more accurately than is currently possible.

Tri-axial tactile sensing element

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castellanos-Ramos, Julián.; Navas-González, Rafael; Vidal-Verdú, F.

2013-05-01

A 13 x 13 square millimetre tri-axial taxel is presented which is suitable for some medical applications, for instance in assistive robotics that involves contact with humans or in prosthetics. Finite Element Analysis is carried out to determine what structure is the best to obtain a uniform distribution of pressure on the sensing areas underneath the structure. This structure has been fabricated in plastic with a 3D printer and a commercial tactile sensor has been used to implement the sensing areas. A three axis linear motorized translation stage with a tri-axial precision force sensor is used to find the parameters of the linear regression model and characterize the proposed taxel. The results are analysed to see to what extent the goal has been reached in this specific implementation.

An Analysis of Type IV Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory Logistical Support Relative to the Implementation of F-15/F-16 Two-Level Maintenance

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-09-01

wife, Margie, for her patience and understanding. Graduate school definitely affects the family . Margie allowed me to use many valuable family hours...Consolidations and reorganizations, in which the face of logistics is changing day -by- day , are taking place throughout the Department of Defense. Two...will focus on Type IV F-15 and Type IV F-16 PMELs. Imporane of Research The two-level maintenance concept significantly alters the structure of

Constraints on large- x parton distributions from new weak boson production and deep-inelastic scattering data

DOE PAGES

Accardi, A.; Brady, L. T.; Melnitchouk, W.; ...

2016-06-20

A new set of leading twist parton distribution functions, referred to as "CJ15", is presented, which take advantage of developments in the theoretical treatment of nuclear corrections as well as new data. The analysis includes for the first time data on the free neutron structure function from Jefferson Lab, and new high-precision charged lepton and W-boson asymmetry data from Fermilab, which significantly reduce the uncertainty on the d/u ratio at large values of x.

Low Temperature Creep of a Titanium Alloy Ti-6Al-2Cb-1Ta-0.8Mo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chu, H. P.

1997-01-01

This paper presents a methodology for the analysis of low temperature creep of titanium alloys in order to establish design limitations due to the effect of creep. The creep data on a titanium Ti-6Al-2Cb-1Ta-0.8Mo are used in the analysis. A creep equation is formulated to determine the allowable stresses so that creep at ambient temperatures can be kept within an acceptable limit during the service life of engineering structures or instruments. Microcreep which is important to design of precision instruments is included in the discussion also.

Calibration method for a large-scale structured light measurement system.

PubMed

Wang, Peng; Wang, Jianmei; Xu, Jing; Guan, Yong; Zhang, Guanglie; Chen, Ken

2017-05-10

The structured light method is an effective non-contact measurement approach. The calibration greatly affects the measurement precision of structured light systems. To construct a large-scale structured light system with high accuracy, a large-scale and precise calibration gauge is always required, which leads to an increased cost. To this end, in this paper, a calibration method with a planar mirror is proposed to reduce the calibration gauge size and cost. An out-of-focus camera calibration method is also proposed to overcome the defocusing problem caused by the shortened distance during the calibration procedure. The experimental results verify the accuracy of the proposed calibration method.

Reduced-Order Modeling and Wavelet Analysis of Turbofan Engine Structural Response Due to Foreign Object Damage (FOD) Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turso, James; Lawrence, Charles; Litt, Jonathan

2004-01-01

The development of a wavelet-based feature extraction technique specifically targeting FOD-event induced vibration signal changes in gas turbine engines is described. The technique performs wavelet analysis of accelerometer signals from specified locations on the engine and is shown to be robust in the presence of significant process and sensor noise. It is envisioned that the technique will be combined with Kalman filter thermal/health parameter estimation for FOD-event detection via information fusion from these (and perhaps other) sources. Due to the lack of high-frequency FOD-event test data in the open literature, a reduced-order turbofan structural model (ROM) was synthesized from a finite element model modal analysis to support the investigation. In addition to providing test data for algorithm development, the ROM is used to determine the optimal sensor location for FOD-event detection. In the presence of significant noise, precise location of the FOD event in time was obtained using the developed wavelet-based feature.

Reduced-Order Modeling and Wavelet Analysis of Turbofan Engine Structural Response Due to Foreign Object Damage "FOD" Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turso, James A.; Lawrence, Charles; Litt, Jonathan S.

2007-01-01

The development of a wavelet-based feature extraction technique specifically targeting FOD-event induced vibration signal changes in gas turbine engines is described. The technique performs wavelet analysis of accelerometer signals from specified locations on the engine and is shown to be robust in the presence of significant process and sensor noise. It is envisioned that the technique will be combined with Kalman filter thermal/ health parameter estimation for FOD-event detection via information fusion from these (and perhaps other) sources. Due to the lack of high-frequency FOD-event test data in the open literature, a reduced-order turbofan structural model (ROM) was synthesized from a finite-element model modal analysis to support the investigation. In addition to providing test data for algorithm development, the ROM is used to determine the optimal sensor location for FOD-event detection. In the presence of significant noise, precise location of the FOD event in time was obtained using the developed wavelet-based feature.

Groupwise shape analysis of the hippocampus using spectral matching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakeri, Mahsa; Lombaert, Hervé; Lippé, Sarah; Kadoury, Samuel

2014-03-01

The hippocampus is a prominent subcortical feature of interest in many neuroscience studies. Its subtle morphological changes often predicate illnesses, including Alzheimer's, schizophrenia or epilepsy. The precise location of structural differences requires a reliable correspondence between shapes across a population. In this paper, we propose an automated method for groupwise hippocampal shape analysis based on a spectral decomposition of a group of shapes to solve the correspondence problem between sets of meshes. The framework generates diffeomorphic correspondence maps across a population, which enables us to create a mean shape. Morphological changes are then located between two groups of subjects. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated on a dataset of 42 hippocampus shapes and compared with a state-of-the-art structural shape analysis approach, using spherical harmonics. Difference maps between mean shapes of two test groups demonstrates that the two approaches showed results with insignificant differences, while Gaussian curvature measures calculated between matched vertices showed a better fit and reduced variability with spectral matching.

A new method for comparing rankings through complex networks: Model and analysis of competitiveness of major European soccer leagues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Criado, Regino; García, Esther; Pedroche, Francisco; Romance, Miguel

2013-12-01

In this paper, we show a new technique to analyze families of rankings. In particular, we focus on sports rankings and, more precisely, on soccer leagues. We consider that two teams compete when they change their relative positions in consecutive rankings. This allows to define a graph by linking teams that compete. We show how to use some structural properties of this competitivity graph to measure to what extend the teams in a league compete. These structural properties are the mean degree, the mean strength, and the clustering coefficient. We give a generalization of the Kendall's correlation coefficient to more than two rankings. We also show how to make a dynamic analysis of a league and how to compare different leagues. We apply this technique to analyze the four major European soccer leagues: Bundesliga, Italian Lega, Spanish Liga, and Premier League. We compare our results with the classical analysis of sport ranking based on measures of competitive balance.

Molecularly precise dendrimer-drug conjugates with tunable drug release for cancer therapy.

PubMed

Zhou, Zhuxian; Ma, Xinpeng; Murphy, Caitlin J; Jin, Erlei; Sun, Qihang; Shen, Youqing; Van Kirk, Edward A; Murdoch, William J

2014-10-06

The structural preciseness of dendrimers makes them perfect drug delivery carriers, particularly in the form of dendrimer-drug conjugates. Current dendrimer-drug conjugates are synthesized by anchoring drug and functional moieties onto the dendrimer peripheral surface. However, functional groups exhibiting the same reactivity make it impossible to precisely control the number and the position of the functional groups and drug molecules anchored to the dendrimer surface. This structural heterogeneity causes variable pharmacokinetics, preventing such conjugates to be translational. Furthermore, the highly hydrophobic drug molecules anchored on the dendrimer periphery can interact with blood components and alter the pharmacokinetic behavior. To address these problems, we herein report molecularly precise dendrimer-drug conjugates with drug moieties buried inside the dendrimers. Surprisingly, the drug release rates of these conjugates were tailorable by the dendrimer generation, surface chemistry, and acidity. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Precision Muonium Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jungmann, Klaus P.

2016-09-01

The muonium atom is the purely leptonic bound state of a positive muon and an electron. It has a lifetime of 2.2 µs. The absence of any known internal structure provides for precision experiments to test fundamental physics theories and to determine accurate values of fundamental constants. In particular ground state hyperfine structure transitions can be measured by microwave spectroscopy to deliver the muon magnetic moment. The frequency of the 1s-2s transition in the hydrogen-like atom can be determined with laser spectroscopy to obtain the muon mass. With such measurements fundamental physical interactions, in particular quantum electrodynamics, can also be tested at highest precision. The results are important input parameters for experiments on the muon magnetic anomaly. The simplicity of the atom enables further precise experiments, such as a search for muonium-antimuonium conversion for testing charged lepton number conservation and searches for possible antigravity of muons and dark matter.

Precisely Tailored DNA Nanostructures and their Theranostic Applications.

PubMed

Zhu, Bing; Wang, Lihua; Li, Jiang; Fan, Chunhai

2017-12-01

A critical challenge in nanotechnology is the limited precision and controllability of the structural parameters, which brings about concerns in uniformity, reproducibility and performance. Self-assembled DNA nanostructures, as a newly emerged type of nano-biomaterials, possess low-nanometer precision, excellent programmability and addressability. They can precisely arrange various molecules and materials to form spatially ordered complex, resulting in unambiguous physical or chemical properties. Because of these, DNA nanostructures have shown great promise in numerous biomedical theranostic applications. In this account, we briefly review the history and advances on construction of DNA nanoarchitectures and superstructures with accurate structural parameters. We focus on recent progress in exploiting these DNA nanostructures as platforms for quantitative biosensing, intracellular diagnosis, imaging, and smart drug delivery. We also discuss key challenges in practical applications. © 2017 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Efficient exploration of cosmology dependence in the EFT of LSS

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

Cataneo, Matteo; Foreman, Simon; Senatore, Leonardo, E-mail: matteoc@dark-cosmology.dk, E-mail: sfore@stanford.edu, E-mail: senatore@stanford.edu

The most effective use of data from current and upcoming large scale structure (LSS) and CMB observations requires the ability to predict the clustering of LSS with very high precision. The Effective Field Theory of Large Scale Structure (EFTofLSS) provides an instrument for performing analytical computations of LSS observables with the required precision in the mildly nonlinear regime. In this paper, we develop efficient implementations of these computations that allow for an exploration of their dependence on cosmological parameters. They are based on two ideas. First, once an observable has been computed with high precision for a reference cosmology, formore » a new cosmology the same can be easily obtained with comparable precision just by adding the difference in that observable, evaluated with much less precision. Second, most cosmologies of interest are sufficiently close to the Planck best-fit cosmology that observables can be obtained from a Taylor expansion around the reference cosmology. These ideas are implemented for the matter power spectrum at two loops and are released as public codes. When applied to cosmologies that are within 3σ of the Planck best-fit model, the first method evaluates the power spectrum in a few minutes on a laptop, with results that have 1% or better precision, while with the Taylor expansion the same quantity is instantly generated with similar precision. The ideas and codes we present may easily be extended for other applications or higher-precision results.« less

Efficient exploration of cosmology dependence in the EFT of LSS

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

Cataneo, Matteo; Foreman, Simon; Senatore, Leonardo

The most effective use of data from current and upcoming large scale structure (LSS) and CMB observations requires the ability to predict the clustering of LSS with very high precision. The Effective Field Theory of Large Scale Structure (EFTofLSS) provides an instrument for performing analytical computations of LSS observables with the required precision in the mildly nonlinear regime. In this paper, we develop efficient implementations of these computations that allow for an exploration of their dependence on cosmological parameters. They are based on two ideas. First, once an observable has been computed with high precision for a reference cosmology, formore » a new cosmology the same can be easily obtained with comparable precision just by adding the difference in that observable, evaluated with much less precision. Second, most cosmologies of interest are sufficiently close to the Planck best-fit cosmology that observables can be obtained from a Taylor expansion around the reference cosmology. These ideas are implemented for the matter power spectrum at two loops and are released as public codes. When applied to cosmologies that are within 3σ of the Planck best-fit model, the first method evaluates the power spectrum in a few minutes on a laptop, with results that have 1% or better precision, while with the Taylor expansion the same quantity is instantly generated with similar precision. Finally, the ideas and codes we present may easily be extended for other applications or higher-precision results.« less

Efficient exploration of cosmology dependence in the EFT of LSS

DOE PAGES

Cataneo, Matteo; Foreman, Simon; Senatore, Leonardo

2017-04-18

The most effective use of data from current and upcoming large scale structure (LSS) and CMB observations requires the ability to predict the clustering of LSS with very high precision. The Effective Field Theory of Large Scale Structure (EFTofLSS) provides an instrument for performing analytical computations of LSS observables with the required precision in the mildly nonlinear regime. In this paper, we develop efficient implementations of these computations that allow for an exploration of their dependence on cosmological parameters. They are based on two ideas. First, once an observable has been computed with high precision for a reference cosmology, formore » a new cosmology the same can be easily obtained with comparable precision just by adding the difference in that observable, evaluated with much less precision. Second, most cosmologies of interest are sufficiently close to the Planck best-fit cosmology that observables can be obtained from a Taylor expansion around the reference cosmology. These ideas are implemented for the matter power spectrum at two loops and are released as public codes. When applied to cosmologies that are within 3σ of the Planck best-fit model, the first method evaluates the power spectrum in a few minutes on a laptop, with results that have 1% or better precision, while with the Taylor expansion the same quantity is instantly generated with similar precision. Finally, the ideas and codes we present may easily be extended for other applications or higher-precision results.« less

Structural control of ultra-fine CoPt nanodot arrays via electrodeposition process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wodarz, Siggi; Hasegawa, Takashi; Ishio, Shunji; Homma, Takayuki

2017-05-01

CoPt nanodot arrays were fabricated by combining electrodeposition and electron beam lithography (EBL) for the use of bit-patterned media (BPM). To achieve precise control of deposition uniformity and coercivity of the CoPt nanodot arrays, their crystal structure and magnetic properties were controlled by controlling the diffusion state of metal ions from the initial deposition stage with the application of bath agitation. Following bath agitation, the composition gradient of the CoPt alloy with thickness was mitigated to have a near-ideal alloy composition of Co:Pt =80:20, which induces epitaxial-like growth from Ru substrate, thus resulting in the improvement of the crystal orientation of the hcp (002) structure from its initial deposition stages. Furthermore, the cross-sectional transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis of the nanodots deposited with bath agitation showed CoPt growth along its c-axis oriented in the perpendicular direction, having uniform lattice fringes on the hcp (002) plane from the Ru underlayer interface, which is a significant factor to induce perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Magnetic characterization of the CoPt nanodot arrays showed increase in the perpendicular coercivity and squareness of the hysteresis loops from 2.0 kOe and 0.64 (without agitation) to 4.0 kOe and 0.87 with bath agitation. Based on the detailed characterization of nanodot arrays, the precise crystal structure control of the nanodot arrays with ultra-high recording density by electrochemical process was successfully demonstrated.

Control structural interaction testbed: A model for multiple flexible body verification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chory, M. A.; Cohen, A. L.; Manning, R. A.; Narigon, M. L.; Spector, V. A.

1993-01-01

Conventional end-to-end ground tests for verification of control system performance become increasingly complicated with the development of large, multiple flexible body spacecraft structures. The expense of accurately reproducing the on-orbit dynamic environment and the attendant difficulties in reducing and accounting for ground test effects limits the value of these tests. TRW has developed a building block approach whereby a combination of analysis, simulation, and test has replaced end-to-end performance verification by ground test. Tests are performed at the component, subsystem, and system level on engineering testbeds. These tests are aimed at authenticating models to be used in end-to-end performance verification simulations: component and subassembly engineering tests and analyses establish models and critical parameters, unit level engineering and acceptance tests refine models, and subsystem level tests confirm the models' overall behavior. The Precision Control of Agile Spacecraft (PCAS) project has developed a control structural interaction testbed with a multibody flexible structure to investigate new methods of precision control. This testbed is a model for TRW's approach to verifying control system performance. This approach has several advantages: (1) no allocation for test measurement errors is required, increasing flight hardware design allocations; (2) the approach permits greater latitude in investigating off-nominal conditions and parametric sensitivities; and (3) the simulation approach is cost effective, because the investment is in understanding the root behavior of the flight hardware and not in the ground test equipment and environment.

Study on textile comfort properties of polypropylene blended stainless steel woven fabric for the application of electromagnetic shielding effectiveness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palanisamy, S.; Tunakova, V.; Karthik, D.; Ali, A.; Militky, J.

2017-10-01

In this study, the different proportion of conductive component blended with polypropylene yarn were taken for making conductive textile samples for analysis of electromagnetic shielding effectiveness, fabric bending moment and air permeability. The ASTM D4935 coaxial transmission line method was used to study the electromagnetic shielding. Electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of textile structures containing different percentage of metal content ranges from 1 to 50 dB at high frequency range. Breathability of structures, more precisely air permeability was considered as one of important parameters for designing of electromagnetic radiation protective fabrics for certain applications. The bending moment of samples is decreases with increasing metal component percent.

Effects of thermal cycling on composite materials for space structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tompkins, Stephen S.

1989-01-01

The effects of thermal cycling on the thermal and mechanical properties of composite materials that are candidates for space structures are briefly described. The results from a thermal analysis of the orbiting Space Station Freedom is used to define a typical thermal environment and the parameters that cause changes in the thermal history. The interactions of this environment with composite materials are shown and described. The effects of this interaction on the integrity as well as the properties of GR/thermoset, Gr/thermoplastic, Gr/metal and Gr/glass composite materials are discussed. Emphasis is placed on the effects of the interaction that are critical to precision spacecraft. Finally, ground test methodology are briefly discussed.

Optical head tracking for functional magnetic resonance imaging using structured light.

PubMed

Zaremba, Andrei A; MacFarlane, Duncan L; Tseng, Wei-Che; Stark, Andrew J; Briggs, Richard W; Gopinath, Kaundinya S; Cheshkov, Sergey; White, Keith D

2008-07-01

An accurate motion-tracking technique is needed to compensate for subject motion during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) procedures. Here, a novel approach to motion metrology is discussed. A structured light pattern specifically coded for digital signal processing is positioned onto a fiduciary of the patient. As the patient undergoes spatial transformations in 6 DoF (degrees of freedom), a high-resolution CCD camera captures successive images for analysis on a computing platform. A high-speed image processing algorithm is used to calculate spatial transformations in a time frame commensurate with patient movements (10-100 ms) and with a precision of at least 0.5 microm for translations and 0.1 deg for rotations.

3D light harnessing based on coupling engineering between 1D-2D Photonic Crystal membranes and metallic nano-antenna.

PubMed

Belarouci, Ali; Benyattou, Taha; Letartre, Xavier; Viktorovitch, Pierre

2010-09-13

A new approach is proposed for the optimum addressing of a metallic nano-antenna (NA) with a free space optical beam. This approach relies on the use of an intermediate resonator structure that provides the appropriate modal conversion of the incoming beam. More precisely, the intermediate resonator consists in a Photonic Crystal (PC) membrane resonant structure that takes benefit of surface addressable slow Bloch modes. First, a phenomenological approach including a deep physical understanding of the NA-PC coupling and its optimization is presented. In a second step, the main features of this analysis are confirmed by numerical simulations (FDTD).

The effect of dental artifacts, contrast media, and experience on interobserver contouring variations in head and neck anatomy.

PubMed

O'Daniel, Jennifer C; Rosenthal, David I; Garden, Adam S; Barker, Jerry L; Ahamad, Anesa; Ang, K Kian; Asper, Joshua A; Blanco, Angel I; de Crevoisier, Renaud; Holsinger, F Christopher; Patel, Chirag B; Schwartz, David L; Wang, He; Dong, Lei

2007-04-01

To investigate interobserver variability in the delineation of head-and-neck (H&N) anatomic structures on CT images, including the effects of image artifacts and observer experience. Nine observers (7 radiation oncologists, 1 surgeon, and 1 physician assistant) with varying levels of H&N delineation experience independently contoured H&N gross tumor volumes and critical structures on radiation therapy treatment planning CT images alongside reference diagnostic CT images for 4 patients with oropharynx cancer. Image artifacts from dental fillings partially obstructed 3 images. Differences in the structure volumes, center-of-volume positions, and boundary positions (1 SD) were measured. In-house software created three-dimensional overlap distributions, including all observers. The effects of dental artifacts and observer experience on contouring precision were investigated, and the need for contrast media was assessed. In the absence of artifacts, all 9 participants achieved reasonable precision (1 SD < or =3 mm all boundaries). The structures obscured by dental image artifacts had larger variations when measured by the 3 metrics (1 SD = 8 mm cranial/caudal boundary). Experience improved the interobserver consistency of contouring for structures obscured by artifacts (1 SD = 2 mm cranial/caudal boundary). Interobserver contouring variability for anatomic H&N structures, specifically oropharyngeal gross tumor volumes and parotid glands, was acceptable in the absence of artifacts. Dental artifacts increased the contouring variability, but experienced participants achieved reasonable precision even with artifacts present. With a staging contrast CT image as a reference, delineation on a noncontrast treatment planning CT image can achieve acceptable precision.

Comparison of the precision of age estimates generated from fin rays, scales, and otoliths of Blue Sucker

USGS Publications Warehouse

Acre, Matthew R.; Alejandrez, Celeste; East, Jessica; Massure, Wade A.; Miyazono, S.; Pease, Jessica E.; Roesler, Elizabeth L.; Williams, H.M.; Grabowski, Timothy B.

2017-01-01

Evaluating the precision of age estimates generated by different readers and different calcified structures is an important part of generating reliable estimations of growth, recruitment, and mortality for fish populations. Understanding the potential loss of precision associated with using structures harvested without sacrificing individuals, such as scales or fin rays, is particularly important when working with imperiled species, such as Cycleptus elongatus (Blue Sucker). We collected otoliths (lapilli), scales, and the first fin rays of the dorsal, anal, pelvic, and pectoral fins of 9 Blue Suckers. We generated age estimates from each structure by both experienced (n = 5) and novice (n = 4) readers. We found that, independent of the structure used to generate the age estimates, the mean coefficient of variation (CV) of experienced readers was approximately 29% lower than that of novice readers. Further, the mean CV of age estimates generated from pectoral-fin rays, pelvic-fin rays, and scales were statistically indistinguishable and less than those of dorsal-fin rays, anal-fin rays, and otoliths. Anal-, dorsal-, and pelvic-fin rays and scales underestimated age compared to otoliths, but age estimates from pectoral-fin rays were comparable to those from otoliths. Skill level, structure, and fish total-length influenced reader precision between subsequent reads of the same aging structure from a particular fish. Using structures that can be harvested non-lethally to estimate the age of Blue Sucker can provide reliable and reproducible results, similar to those that would be expected from using otoliths. Therefore, we recommend the use of pectoral-fin rays as a non-lethal method to obtain age estimates for Blue Suckers.

Precision Health Economics and Outcomes Research to Support Precision Medicine: Big Data Meets Patient Heterogeneity on the Road to Value.

PubMed

Chen, Yixi; Guzauskas, Gregory F; Gu, Chengming; Wang, Bruce C M; Furnback, Wesley E; Xie, Guotong; Dong, Peng; Garrison, Louis P

2016-11-02

The "big data" era represents an exciting opportunity to utilize powerful new sources of information to reduce clinical and health economic uncertainty on an individual patient level. In turn, health economic outcomes research (HEOR) practices will need to evolve to accommodate individual patient-level HEOR analyses. We propose the concept of "precision HEOR", which utilizes a combination of costs and outcomes derived from big data to inform healthcare decision-making that is tailored to highly specific patient clusters or individuals. To explore this concept, we discuss the current and future roles of HEOR in health sector decision-making, big data and predictive analytics, and several key HEOR contexts in which big data and predictive analytics might transform traditional HEOR into precision HEOR. The guidance document addresses issues related to the transition from traditional to precision HEOR practices, the evaluation of patient similarity analysis and its appropriateness for precision HEOR analysis, and future challenges to precision HEOR adoption. Precision HEOR should make precision medicine more realizable by aiding and adapting healthcare resource allocation. The combined hopes for precision medicine and precision HEOR are that individual patients receive the best possible medical care while overall healthcare costs remain manageable or become more cost-efficient.

Precision Health Economics and Outcomes Research to Support Precision Medicine: Big Data Meets Patient Heterogeneity on the Road to Value

PubMed Central

Chen, Yixi; Guzauskas, Gregory F.; Gu, Chengming; Wang, Bruce C. M.; Furnback, Wesley E.; Xie, Guotong; Dong, Peng; Garrison, Louis P.

2016-01-01

The “big data” era represents an exciting opportunity to utilize powerful new sources of information to reduce clinical and health economic uncertainty on an individual patient level. In turn, health economic outcomes research (HEOR) practices will need to evolve to accommodate individual patient–level HEOR analyses. We propose the concept of “precision HEOR”, which utilizes a combination of costs and outcomes derived from big data to inform healthcare decision-making that is tailored to highly specific patient clusters or individuals. To explore this concept, we discuss the current and future roles of HEOR in health sector decision-making, big data and predictive analytics, and several key HEOR contexts in which big data and predictive analytics might transform traditional HEOR into precision HEOR. The guidance document addresses issues related to the transition from traditional to precision HEOR practices, the evaluation of patient similarity analysis and its appropriateness for precision HEOR analysis, and future challenges to precision HEOR adoption. Precision HEOR should make precision medicine more realizable by aiding and adapting healthcare resource allocation. The combined hopes for precision medicine and precision HEOR are that individual patients receive the best possible medical care while overall healthcare costs remain manageable or become more cost-efficient. PMID:27827859

Structural integrity of engineering composite materials: a cracking good yarn.

PubMed

Beaumont, Peter W R; Soutis, Costas

2016-07-13

Predicting precisely where a crack will develop in a material under stress and exactly when in time catastrophic fracture of the component will occur is one the oldest unsolved mysteries in the design and building of large-scale engineering structures. Where human life depends upon engineering ingenuity, the burden of testing to prove a 'fracture safe design' is immense. Fitness considerations for long-life implementation of large composite structures include understanding phenomena such as impact, fatigue, creep and stress corrosion cracking that affect reliability, life expectancy and durability of structure. Structural integrity analysis treats the design, the materials used, and figures out how best components and parts can be joined, and takes service duty into account. However, there are conflicting aims in the complete design process of designing simultaneously for high efficiency and safety assurance throughout an economically viable lifetime with an acceptable level of risk. This article is part of the themed issue 'Multiscale modelling of the structural integrity of composite materials'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Analysis of the dynamic behavior of structures using the high-rate GNSS-PPP method combined with a wavelet-neural model: Numerical simulation and experimental tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaloop, Mosbeh R.; Yigit, Cemal O.; Hu, Jong W.

2018-03-01

Recently, the high rate global navigation satellite system-precise point positioning (GNSS-PPP) technique has been used to detect the dynamic behavior of structures. This study aimed to increase the accuracy of the extraction oscillation properties of structural movements based on the high-rate (10 Hz) GNSS-PPP monitoring technique. A developmental model based on the combination of wavelet package transformation (WPT) de-noising and neural network prediction (NN) was proposed to improve the dynamic behavior of structures for GNSS-PPP method. A complicated numerical simulation involving highly noisy data and 13 experimental cases with different loads were utilized to confirm the efficiency of the proposed model design and the monitoring technique in detecting the dynamic behavior of structures. The results revealed that, when combined with the proposed model, GNSS-PPP method can be used to accurately detect the dynamic behavior of engineering structures as an alternative to relative GNSS method.

Structural coloration of metallic surfaces with micro/nano-structures induced by elliptical vibration texturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yang; Pan, Yayue; Guo, Ping

2017-04-01

Creating orderly periodic micro/nano-structures on metallic surfaces, or structural coloration, for control of surface apparent color and optical reflectivity has been an exciting research topic over the years. The direct applications of structural coloration include color marking, display devices, and invisibility cloak. This paper presents an efficient method to colorize metallic surfaces with periodic micro/nano-gratings using elliptical vibration texturing. When the tool vibration is coupled with a constant cutting velocity, controlled periodic ripples can be generated due to the overlapping tool trajectory. These periodic ripples with a wavelength near visible spectrum can act as micro-gratings to introduce iridescent colors. The proposed technique also provides a flexible method for color marking of metallic surfaces with arbitrary patterns and images by precise control of the spacing distance and orientation of induced micro/nano-ripples. Theoretical analysis and experimental results are given to demonstrate structural coloration of metals by a direct mechanical machining technique.

A refined methodology for modeling volume quantification performance in CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Baiyu; Wilson, Joshua; Samei, Ehsan

2014-03-01

The utility of CT lung nodule volume quantification technique depends on the precision of the quantification. To enable the evaluation of quantification precision, we previously developed a mathematical model that related precision to image resolution and noise properties in uniform backgrounds in terms of an estimability index (e'). The e' was shown to predict empirical precision across 54 imaging and reconstruction protocols, but with different correlation qualities for FBP and iterative reconstruction (IR) due to the non-linearity of IR impacted by anatomical structure. To better account for the non-linearity of IR, this study aimed to refine the noise characterization of the model in the presence of textured backgrounds. Repeated scans of an anthropomorphic lung phantom were acquired. Subtracted images were used to measure the image quantum noise, which was then used to adjust the noise component of the e' calculation measured from a uniform region. In addition to the model refinement, the validation of the model was further extended to 2 nodule sizes (5 and 10 mm) and 2 segmentation algorithms. Results showed that the magnitude of IR's quantum noise was significantly higher in structured backgrounds than in uniform backgrounds (ASiR, 30-50%; MBIR, 100-200%). With the refined model, the correlation between e' values and empirical precision no longer depended on reconstruction algorithm. In conclusion, the model with refined noise characterization relfected the nonlinearity of iterative reconstruction in structured background, and further showed successful prediction of quantification precision across a variety of nodule sizes, dose levels, slice thickness, reconstruction algorithms, and segmentation software.

Arterial stiffness estimation based photoplethysmographic pulse wave analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huotari, Matti; Maatta, Kari; Kostamovaara, Juha

2010-11-01

Arterial stiffness is one of the indices of vascular healthiness. It is based on pulse wave analysis. In the case we decompose the pulse waveform for the estimation and determination of arterial elasticity. Firstly, optically measured with photoplethysmograph and then investigating means by four lognormal pulse waveforms for which we can find very good fit between the original and summed decomposed pulse wave. Several studies have demonstrated that these kinds of measures predict cardiovascular events. While dynamic factors, e.g., arterial stiffness, depend on fixed structural features of the vascular wall. Arterial stiffness is estimated based on pulse wave decomposition analysis in the radial and tibial arteries. Elucidation of the precise relationship between endothelial function and vascular stiffness awaits still further study.

Conformation and dynamics of the ligand shell of a water-soluble Au102 nanoparticle.

PubMed

Salorinne, Kirsi; Malola, Sami; Wong, O Andrea; Rithner, Christopher D; Chen, Xi; Ackerson, Christopher J; Häkkinen, Hannu

2016-01-21

Inorganic nanoparticles, stabilized by a passivating layer of organic molecules, form a versatile class of nanostructured materials with potential applications in material chemistry, nanoscale physics, nanomedicine and structural biology. While the structure of the nanoparticle core is often known to atomic precision, gaining precise structural and dynamical information on the organic layer poses a major challenge. Here we report a full assignment of (1)H and (13)C NMR shifts to all ligands of a water-soluble, atomically precise, 102-atom gold nanoparticle stabilized by 44 para-mercaptobenzoic acid ligands in solution, by using a combination of multidimensional NMR methods, density functional theory calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. Molecular dynamics simulations augment the data by giving information about the ligand disorder and visualization of possible distinct ligand conformations of the most dynamic ligands. The method demonstrated here opens a way to controllable strategies for functionalization of ligated nanoparticles for applications.

Conformation and dynamics of the ligand shell of a water-soluble Au102 nanoparticle

PubMed Central

Salorinne, Kirsi; Malola, Sami; Wong, O. Andrea; Rithner, Christopher D.; Chen, Xi; Ackerson, Christopher J.; Häkkinen, Hannu

2016-01-01

Inorganic nanoparticles, stabilized by a passivating layer of organic molecules, form a versatile class of nanostructured materials with potential applications in material chemistry, nanoscale physics, nanomedicine and structural biology. While the structure of the nanoparticle core is often known to atomic precision, gaining precise structural and dynamical information on the organic layer poses a major challenge. Here we report a full assignment of 1H and 13C NMR shifts to all ligands of a water-soluble, atomically precise, 102-atom gold nanoparticle stabilized by 44 para-mercaptobenzoic acid ligands in solution, by using a combination of multidimensional NMR methods, density functional theory calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. Molecular dynamics simulations augment the data by giving information about the ligand disorder and visualization of possible distinct ligand conformations of the most dynamic ligands. The method demonstrated here opens a way to controllable strategies for functionalization of ligated nanoparticles for applications. PMID:26791253

High precision position sensor based on CPA in a composite multi-layered system.

PubMed

Dey, Sanjeeb; Singh, Suneel; Rao, Desai Narayana

2018-04-16

We propose a scheme for high precision position sensing based on coherent perfect absorption (CPA) in a five-layered structure comprising three layers of metal-dielectric composites and two spacer (air) layers. Both the outermost interfaces of the five layered medium are irradiated by two identical coherent light waves at the same angle of incidence. We first investigate the occurrence of CPA in a symmetric layered structure as a function of different system parameters for oblique incidence. Thereafter, by shifting the middle layer, beginning from one end of the structure to the other, we observe the periodic occurrence of extremely narrow CPA resonances at several positions of the middle layer. Moreover this phenomenon is seen to recur even at many other wavelengths. We discuss how the position sensitivity of this phenomenon can be utilized for designing a CPA based high precision position sensing device.

A Deployable Primary Mirror for Space Telescopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lake, Mark S.; Phelps, James E.; Dyer, Jack E.; Caudle, David A.; Tam, Anthony; Escobedo, Javier; Kasl, Eldon P.

1999-01-01

NASA Langley Research Center, Composite Optics, Inc., and Nyma/ADF have developed jointly a deployable primary mirror for space telescopes that combines over five years of research on deployment of optical-precision structures and over ten years of development of fabrication techniques for optical-precision composite mirror panels and structures. The deployable mirror is directly applicable to a broad class of non-imaging "lidar" (light direction a nd ranging) telescopes whose figure-error requirements are in the range of one to ten microns RMS. Furthermore, the mirror design can be readily modified to accommodate imaging-quality reflector panels and active panel-alignment control mechanisms for application to imaging telescopes. The present paper: 1) describes the deployable mirror concept; 2) explains the status of the mirror development; and 3) provides some technical specifications for a 2.55- m-diameter, proof-of-concept mirror. Keywords: precision deployment, hinge joint, latch joint, deployable structures, fabrication, space telescopes, optical instruments, microdynamics.

The effect of radiation on the thermal properties of chitosan/mimosa tenuiflora and chitosan/mimosa tenuiflora/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) composites for bone tissue engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martel-Estrada, S. A.; Santos-Rodríguez, E.; Olivas-Armendáriz, I.; Cruz-Zaragoza, E.; Martínez-Pérez, C. A.

2014-07-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of gamma radiation and UV radiation on the microstructure, chemical structure and thermal stability of Chitosan/Mimosa Tenuiflora and Chitosan/Mimosa Tenuiflora/MWCNT composites scaffolds produced by thermally induced phase separation. The composites were irradiated and observed to undergo radiation-induced degradation through chain scission. Morphology, thermal properties and effects on chemical and semi-crystalline structures were obtained by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), FT-IR analysis and X-ray Diffraction. A relationship between radiation type and the thermal stability of the composites, were also established. This relationship allows a more accurate and precise control of the life span of Chitosan/Mimosa Tenuiflora and Chitosan/Mimosa Tenuiflora/MWCNT composites through the use of radiation in materials for use in tissue engineering.

Comprehensive DFT study on molecular structures of Lewisites in support of the Chemical Weapons Convention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saeidian, Hamid; Sahandi, Morteza

2015-11-01

The structure of all of Lewisite's stereoisomers has been examined by B3LYP/6-311++G(3df,3pd) calculations. The geometry analysis for trans Lewisite L1-1 shows that the calculated bond angles, bond distances and dipole moment have a satisfactory relation compared with experimental values. HOMO-LUMO analysis of Lewisites reveals that L1-2 and L3-7 have the maximum and minimum electrophilicity index, respectively. The calculated chemical shifts were compared with experimental data, showing a very good agreement both for 1H and 13C. The vibrational and Raman frequencies of Lewisites have been precisely assigned and theoretical data were compared with the experimental vibrations. The bonding trends and Mulliken and atomic polar tensor charge distribution in Lewisites can be explained by the Bent's rule and the donor-acceptor interaction, respectively.

Synthesis, fungicidal evaluation and 3D-QSAR studies of novel 1,3,4-thiadiazole xylofuranose derivatives

PubMed Central

Zong, Guanghui; Yan, Xiaojing; Bi, Jiawei; Jiang, Rui; Qin, Yinan; Yuan, Huizhu; Lu, Huizhe; Dong, Yanhong; Jin, Shuhui; Zhang, Jianjun

2017-01-01

1,3,4-Thiadiazole and sugar-derived molecules have proven to be promising agrochemicals with growth promoting, insecticidal and fungicidal activities. In the research field of agricultural fungicide, applying union of active group we synthesized a new set of 1,3,4-thiadiazole xylofuranose derivatives and all of the compounds were characterized by 1H NMR and HRMS. In precise toxicity measurement, some of compounds exhibited more potent fungicidal activities than the most widely used commercial fungicide Chlorothalonil, promoting further research and development. Based on our experimental data, 3D-QSAR (three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship) was established and investigated using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) techniques, helping to better understand the structural requirements of lead compounds with high fungicidal activity and environmental compatibility. PMID:28746366

Modeling random methyl branching in ethylene/ propylene copolymers using metathesis chemistry: synthesis and thermal behavior.

PubMed

Sworen, John C; Smith, Jason A; Wagener, Kenneth B; Baugh, Lisa S; Rucker, Steven P

2003-02-26

The structure of random ethylene/propylene (EP) copolymers has been modeled using step polymerization chemistry. Six ethylene/propylene model copolymers have been prepared via acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization and characterized for primary and higher level structure using in-depth NMR, IR, DSC, WAXD, and GPC analysis. These copolymers possess 1.5, 7.1, 13.6, 25.0, 43.3, and 55.6 methyl branches per 1000 carbons. Examination of these macromolecules by IR and WAXD analysis has demonstrated the first hexagonal phase in EP copolymers containing high ethylene content (90%) without the influence of sample manipulation (temperature, pressure, or radiation). Thermal behavior studies have shown that the melting point and heat of fusion decrease as the branch content increases. Further, comparisons have been made between these random ADMET EP copolymers, random EP copolymers made by typical chain addition techniques, and precisely branched ADMET EP copolymers.

Scale of attitudes toward alcohol - Spanish version: evidences of validity and reliability 1

PubMed Central

Ramírez, Erika Gisseth León; de Vargas, Divane

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: validate the Scale of attitudes toward alcohol, alcoholism and individuals with alcohol use disorders in its Spanish version. Method: methodological study, involving 300 Colombian nurses. Adopting the classical theory, confirmatory factor analysis was applied without prior examination, based on the strong historical evidence of the factorial structure of the original scale to determine the construct validity of this Spanish version. To assess the reliability, Cronbach’s Alpha and Mc Donalid’s Omega coefficients were used. Results: the confirmatory factor analysis indicated the good fit of the scale model in a four-factor distribution, with a cut-off point at 3.2, demonstrating 66.7% of sensitivity. Conclusions: the Scale of attitudes toward alcohol, alcoholism and individuals with alcohol use disorders in Spanish presented robust psychometric qualities, affirming that the instrument possesses a solid factorial structure and reliability and is capable of precisely measuring the nurses’ atittudes towards the phenomenon proposed. PMID:28793126

Great Red Spot's detection with the Juno gravity experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parisi, M.; Folkner, W. M.

2017-12-01

The Juno spacecraft entered orbit about Jupiter in July 2016. During the perijoves (or closest approaches to Jupiter), Juno carries out observations of the magnetosphere, atmosphere and gravity field of the planet. The gravity field is estimated from precise measurements of the Doppler shift of the Juno radio signal and provides information on the Jovian interior structure.In July 2017 the 7th Juno perijove was over the Great Red Spot. The primary goal was determining differences in ammonia and water abundance in the GRS using the Microwave Radiometer instrument, while Doppler data was acquired acquired on a secondary basis. We present results of analysis of the PJ7 Doppler data to constrain the mass density variations of the GRS relative to the global average. We also present analysis to determine whether future Juno data will provide stronger constraints on the structure of the GRS.

System and method for floating-substrate passive voltage contrast

DOEpatents

Jenkins, Mark W [Albuquerque, NM; Cole, Jr., Edward I.; Tangyunyong, Paiboon [Albuquerque, NM; Soden, Jerry M [Placitas, NM; Walraven, Jeremy A [Albuquerque, NM; Pimentel, Alejandro A [Albuquerque, NM

2009-04-28

A passive voltage contrast (PVC) system and method are disclosed for analyzing ICs to locate defects and failure mechanisms. During analysis a device side of a semiconductor die containing the IC is maintained in an electrically-floating condition without any ground electrical connection while a charged particle beam is scanned over the device side. Secondary particle emission from the device side of the IC is detected to form an image of device features, including electrical vias connected to transistor gates or to other structures in the IC. A difference in image contrast allows the defects or failure mechanisms be pinpointed. Varying the scan rate can, in some instances, produce an image reversal to facilitate precisely locating the defects or failure mechanisms in the IC. The system and method are useful for failure analysis of ICs formed on substrates (e.g. bulk semiconductor substrates and SOI substrates) and other types of structures.

Research regarding the influence of driving-wires length change on positioning precision of a robotic arm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciofu, C.; Stan, G.

2016-08-01

The paper emphasise positioning precision of an elephant's trunk robotic arm which has joints driven by wires with variable length while operating The considered 5 degrees of freedom robotic arm has a particular structure of joint that makes possible inner actuation with wire-driven mechanism. We analyse solely the length change of wires as a consequence due inner winding and unwinding on joints for certain values of rotational angles. Variations in wires length entail joint angular displacements. We analyse positioning precision by taking into consideration equations from inverse kinematics of the elephant's trunk robotic arm. The angular displacements of joints are considered into computational method after partial derivation of positioning equations. We obtain variations of wires length at about tenths of micrometers. These variations employ angular displacements which are about minutes of sexagesimal degree and, thus, define positioning precision of elephant's trunk robotic arms. The analytical method is used for determining aftermath design structure of an elephant's trunk robotic arm with inner actuation through wires on positioning precision. Thus, designers could take suitable decisions on accuracy specifications limits of the robotic arm.

Determination of the structure and composition of Au-Ag bimetallic spherical nanoparticles using single particle ICP-MS measurements performed with normal and high temporal resolution.

PubMed

Kéri, Albert; Kálomista, Ildikó; Ungor, Ditta; Bélteki, Ádám; Csapó, Edit; Dékány, Imre; Prohaska, Thomas; Galbács, Gábor

2018-03-01

In this study, the information that can be obtained by combining normal and high resolution single particle ICP-MS (spICP-MS) measurements for spherical bimetallic nanoparticles (BNPs) was assessed. One commercial certified core-shell Au-Ag nanoparticle and three newly synthesized and fully characterized homogenous alloy Au-Ag nanoparticle batches of different composition were used in the experiments as BNP samples. By scrutinizing the high resolution spICP-MS signal time profiles, it was revealed that the width of the signal peak linearly correlates with the diameter of nanoparticles. It was also observed that the width of the peak for same-size nanoparticles is always significantly larger for Au than for Ag. It was also found that it can be reliably determined whether a BNP is of homogeneus alloy or core-shell structure and that, in the case of the latter, the core comprises of which element. We also assessed the performance of several ICP-MS based analytical methods in the analysis of the quantitative composition of bimetallic nanoparticles. Out of the three methods (normal resolution spICP-MS, direct NP nebulization with solution-mode ICP-MS, and solution-mode ICP-MS after the acid dissolution of the nanoparticles), the best accuracy and precision was achieved by spICP-MS. This method allows the determination of the composition with less than 10% relative inaccuracy and better than 3% precision. The analysis is fast and only requires the usual standard colloids for size calibration. Combining the results from both quantitative and structural analyses, the core diameter and shell thickness of core-shell particles can also be calculated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Category Theoretic Analysis of Hierarchical Protein Materials and Social Networks

PubMed Central

Spivak, David I.; Giesa, Tristan; Wood, Elizabeth; Buehler, Markus J.

2011-01-01

Materials in biology span all the scales from Angstroms to meters and typically consist of complex hierarchical assemblies of simple building blocks. Here we describe an application of category theory to describe structural and resulting functional properties of biological protein materials by developing so-called ologs. An olog is like a “concept web” or “semantic network” except that it follows a rigorous mathematical formulation based on category theory. This key difference ensures that an olog is unambiguous, highly adaptable to evolution and change, and suitable for sharing concepts with other olog. We consider simple cases of beta-helical and amyloid-like protein filaments subjected to axial extension and develop an olog representation of their structural and resulting mechanical properties. We also construct a representation of a social network in which people send text-messages to their nearest neighbors and act as a team to perform a task. We show that the olog for the protein and the olog for the social network feature identical category-theoretic representations, and we proceed to precisely explicate the analogy or isomorphism between them. The examples presented here demonstrate that the intrinsic nature of a complex system, which in particular includes a precise relationship between structure and function at different hierarchical levels, can be effectively represented by an olog. This, in turn, allows for comparative studies between disparate materials or fields of application, and results in novel approaches to derive functionality in the design of de novo hierarchical systems. We discuss opportunities and challenges associated with the description of complex biological materials by using ologs as a powerful tool for analysis and design in the context of materiomics, and we present the potential impact of this approach for engineering, life sciences, and medicine. PMID:21931622

Crystal structure of a multi-domain human smoothened receptor in complex with a super stabilizing ligand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xianjun; Zhao, Fei; Wu, Yiran; Yang, Jun; Han, Gye Won; Zhao, Suwen; Ishchenko, Andrii; Ye, Lintao; Lin, Xi; Ding, Kang; Dharmarajan, Venkatasubramanian; Griffin, Patrick R.; Gati, Cornelius; Nelson, Garrett; Hunter, Mark S.; Hanson, Michael A.; Cherezov, Vadim; Stevens, Raymond C.; Tan, Wenfu; Tao, Houchao; Xu, Fei

2017-05-01

The Smoothened receptor (SMO) belongs to the Class Frizzled of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily, constituting a key component of the Hedgehog signalling pathway. Here we report the crystal structure of the multi-domain human SMO, bound and stabilized by a designed tool ligand TC114, using an X-ray free-electron laser source at 2.9 Å. The structure reveals a precise arrangement of three distinct domains: a seven-transmembrane helices domain (TMD), a hinge domain (HD) and an intact extracellular cysteine-rich domain (CRD). This architecture enables allosteric interactions between the domains that are important for ligand recognition and receptor activation. By combining the structural data, molecular dynamics simulation, and hydrogen-deuterium-exchange analysis, we demonstrate that transmembrane helix VI, extracellular loop 3 and the HD play a central role in transmitting the signal employing a unique GPCR activation mechanism, distinct from other multi-domain GPCRs.

A novel vibration structure for dynamic balancing measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Peng; Cai, Ping; Hu, Qinghan; Li, Yingxia

2006-11-01

Based on the conception of instantaneous motion center in theoretical mechanics, the paper presents a novel virtual vibration structure for dynamic balancing measurement with high precision. The structural features and the unbalancing response characteristics of this vibration structure are analyzed in depth. The relation between the real measuring system and the virtual one is emphatically expounded. Theoretical analysis indicates that the flexibly hinged integrative plate spring sets holds fixed vibration center, with the result that this vibration system has the most excellent effect of plane separation. In addition, the sensors are mounted on the same longitudinal section. Thus the influence of phase error on the primary unbalance reduction ratio is eliminated. Furthermore, the performance changes in sensors caused by environmental factor have less influence on the accuracy of the measurement. The result for this system is more accurate measurement with lower requirement for a second correction run.

Atomic resolution structure of the E. coli YajR transporter YAM domain.

PubMed

Jiang, Daohua; Zhao, Yan; Fan, Junping; Liu, Xuehui; Wu, Yan; Feng, Wei; Zhang, Xuejun C

2014-07-25

YajR is an Escherichia coli transporter that belongs to the major facilitator superfamily. Unlike most MFS transporters, YajR contains a carboxyl terminal, cytosolic domain of 67 amino acid residues termed YAM domain. Although it is speculated that the function of this small soluble domain is to regulate the conformational change of the 12-helix transmembrane domain, its precise regulatory role remains unclear. Here, we report the crystal structure of the YAM domain at 1.07-Å resolution, along with its structure determined using nuclear magnetic resonance. Detailed analysis of the high resolution structure revealed a symmetrical dimer in which a belt of well-ordered poly-pentagonal water molecules is embedded. A mutagenesis experiment and a thermal stability assay were used to analyze the putative role of this dimerization in response to changes in halogen concentration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fringe image processing based on structured light series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gai, Shaoyan; Da, Feipeng; Li, Hongyan

2009-11-01

The code analysis of the fringe image is playing a vital role in the data acquisition of structured light systems, which affects precision, computational speed and reliability of the measurement processing. According to the self-normalizing characteristic, a fringe image processing method based on structured light is proposed. In this method, a series of projective patterns is used when detecting the fringe order of the image pixels. The structured light system geometry is presented, which consist of a white light projector and a digital camera, the former projects sinusoidal fringe patterns upon the object, and the latter acquires the fringe patterns that are deformed by the object's shape. Then the binary images with distinct white and black strips can be obtained and the ability to resist image noise is improved greatly. The proposed method can be implemented easily and applied for profile measurement based on special binary code in a wide field.

Probabilistic Structural Analysis of SSME Turbopump Blades: Probabilistic Geometry Effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nagpal, V. K.

1985-01-01

A probabilistic study was initiated to evaluate the precisions of the geometric and material properties tolerances on the structural response of turbopump blades. To complete this study, a number of important probabilistic variables were identified which are conceived to affect the structural response of the blade. In addition, a methodology was developed to statistically quantify the influence of these probabilistic variables in an optimized way. The identified variables include random geometric and material properties perturbations, different loadings and a probabilistic combination of these loadings. Influences of these probabilistic variables are planned to be quantified by evaluating the blade structural response. Studies of the geometric perturbations were conducted for a flat plate geometry as well as for a space shuttle main engine blade geometry using a special purpose code which uses the finite element approach. Analyses indicate that the variances of the perturbations about given mean values have significant influence on the response.

Spatio-temporal conditional inference and hypothesis tests for neural ensemble spiking precision

PubMed Central

Harrison, Matthew T.; Amarasingham, Asohan; Truccolo, Wilson

2014-01-01

The collective dynamics of neural ensembles create complex spike patterns with many spatial and temporal scales. Understanding the statistical structure of these patterns can help resolve fundamental questions about neural computation and neural dynamics. Spatio-temporal conditional inference (STCI) is introduced here as a semiparametric statistical framework for investigating the nature of precise spiking patterns from collections of neurons that is robust to arbitrarily complex and nonstationary coarse spiking dynamics. The main idea is to focus statistical modeling and inference, not on the full distribution of the data, but rather on families of conditional distributions of precise spiking given different types of coarse spiking. The framework is then used to develop families of hypothesis tests for probing the spatio-temporal precision of spiking patterns. Relationships among different conditional distributions are used to improve multiple hypothesis testing adjustments and to design novel Monte Carlo spike resampling algorithms. Of special note are algorithms that can locally jitter spike times while still preserving the instantaneous peri-stimulus time histogram (PSTH) or the instantaneous total spike count from a group of recorded neurons. The framework can also be used to test whether first-order maximum entropy models with possibly random and time-varying parameters can account for observed patterns of spiking. STCI provides a detailed example of the generic principle of conditional inference, which may be applicable in other areas of neurostatistical analysis. PMID:25380339

A Model Program for Translational Medicine in Epilepsy Genetics

PubMed Central

Smith, Lacey A.; Ullmann, Jeremy F. P.; Olson, Heather E.; El Achkar, Christelle M.; Truglio, Gessica; Kelly, McKenna; Rosen-Sheidley, Beth; Poduri, Annapurna

2017-01-01

Recent technological advances in gene sequencing have led to a rapid increase in gene discovery in epilepsy. However, the ability to assess pathogenicity of variants, provide functional analysis, and develop targeted therapies has not kept pace with rapid advances in sequencing technology. Thus, although clinical genetic testing may lead to a specific molecular diagnosis for some patients, test results often lead to more questions than answers. As the field begins to focus on therapeutic applications of genetic diagnoses using precision medicine, developing processes that offer more than equivocal test results is essential. The success of precision medicine in epilepsy relies on establishing a correct genetic diagnosis, analyzing functional consequences of genetic variants, screening potential therapeutics in the preclinical laboratory setting, and initiating targeted therapy trials for patients. We describe the structure of a comprehensive, pediatric Epilepsy Genetics Program that can serve as a model for translational medicine in epilepsy. PMID:28056630

New Insights into Shape Memory Alloy Bimorph Actuators Formed by Electron Beam Evaporation

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

Sun, Hao; Nykypanchuk, Dmytro

In order to create shape memory alloy (SMA) bimorph microactuators with high-precision features, a novel fabrication process combined with electron beam (E-beam) evaporation, lift-off resist and isotropic XeF2 dry etching method was developed. To examine the effect of E-beam deposition and annealing process on nitinol (NiTi) characteristics, the NiTi thin film samples with different deposition rate and overflow conditions during annealing process were investigated. With the characterizations using scanning electron microscope and x-ray diffraction, the results indicated that low E-beam deposition rate and argon employed annealing process could benefit the formation of NiTi crystalline structure. In addition, SMA bimorph microactuatorsmore » with high-precision features as small as 5 microns were successfully fabricated. Furthermore, the thermomechanical performance was experimentally verified and compared with finite element analysis simulation results.« less

Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis for human pregnane X receptor for the prediction of CYP3A4 induction in human hepatocytes: structure-based comparative molecular field analysis.

PubMed

Handa, Koichi; Nakagome, Izumi; Yamaotsu, Noriyuki; Gouda, Hiroaki; Hirono, Shuichi

2015-01-01

The pregnane X receptor [PXR (NR1I2)] induces the expression of xenobiotic metabolic genes and transporter genes. In this study, we aimed to establish a computational method for quantifying the enzyme-inducing potencies of different compounds via their ability to activate PXR, for the application in drug discovery and development. To achieve this purpose, we developed a three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) model using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) for predicting enzyme-inducing potencies, based on computer-ligand docking to multiple PXR protein structures sampled from the trajectory of a molecular dynamics simulation. Molecular mechanics-generalized born/surface area scores representing the ligand-protein-binding free energies were calculated for each ligand. As a result, the predicted enzyme-inducing potencies for compounds generated by the CoMFA model were in good agreement with the experimental values. Finally, we concluded that this 3D-QSAR model has the potential to predict the enzyme-inducing potencies of novel compounds with high precision and therefore has valuable applications in the early stages of the drug discovery process. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

Precision Laser Spectroscopic Measurement of Helium -4(1S2S S(3) to 1S2P P(3)) Lamb Shift and Fine Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dixson, Ronald Gene

This thesis is a presentation of the results of a precise measurement of the absolute wavelength and fine structure splitting of the 1s2s ^3S to 1s2p ^3P transition of the ^4He atom. The experiment described in this thesis is the first one in which laser spectroscopy has been done on the 2 ^3S to 2^3 P transition in a metastable atomic beam. The energy interval between the 2^3S and the 2^3P state is precisely determined by comparison of the absolute wavelength of the transition with our standard laser (an iodine stabilized He-Ne laser with an accuracy of 1.6 parts in 10^{10 }) in a Fabry-Perot interferometer. The experimental Lamb shift of the transition is determined by subtracting from the measured frequency the precisely known non-quantum electrodynamic contributions to the theoretical value of the interval. From our measurements of the absolute wavelength, the following weighted (2J + 1) average for the 2^3S to 2^3P transition frequency and experimental Lamb Shift are obtained:eqalign{& rm f_{2S{-}2P} = 276 736 495.59 (5) rm MHz.cr& {bf L}[ 2^3Sto2 ^3P] = 5311.26 (5) rm MHz.cr} Our value for the Lamb Shift is in agreement with the best previous measurement but a factor of 60 more precise. It is also two orders of magnitude more precise than the present theoretical calculation, presenting quite a challenge to theorists. Nevertheless, this work is very timely since it is anticipated (DRA94) (MOR94) that the theory will reach this level in the near future. The measured fine structure splittings of the 2^3P level are: eqalign{rm 2^3P_0to rm2^3P_2 &: 31908.135 (3) rm MHzcrrm 2^3P_1to rm2^3P_2 &: sk{5}2291.173 (3) rm MHz}These results are more precise than previous microwave measurements and in significant disagreement with them, a situation which is especially timely and interesting since new theoretical calculations of these fine structure intervals (DRA94) at this level of precision are nearing completion.

Unfolding stabilities of two structurally similar proteins as probed by temperature-induced and force-induced molecular dynamics simulations.

PubMed

Gorai, Biswajit; Prabhavadhni, Arasu; Sivaraman, Thirunavukkarasu

2015-09-01

Unfolding stabilities of two homologous proteins, cardiotoxin III and short-neurotoxin (SNTX) belonging to three-finger toxin (TFT) superfamily, have been probed by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Combined analysis of data obtained from steered MD and all-atom MD simulations at various temperatures in near physiological conditions on the proteins suggested that overall structural stabilities of the two proteins were different from each other and the MD results are consistent with experimental data of the proteins reported in the literature. Rationalization for the differential structural stabilities of the structurally similar proteins has been chiefly attributed to the differences in the structural contacts between C- and N-termini regions in their three-dimensional structures, and the findings endorse the 'CN network' hypothesis proposed to qualitatively analyse the thermodynamic stabilities of proteins belonging to TFT superfamily of snake venoms. Moreover, the 'CN network' hypothesis has been revisited and the present study suggested that 'CN network' should be accounted in terms of 'structural contacts' and 'structural strengths' in order to precisely describe order of structural stabilities of TFTs.

Error analysis of high-rate GNSS precise point positioning for seismic wave measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shu, Yuanming; Shi, Yun; Xu, Peiliang; Niu, Xiaoji; Liu, Jingnan

2017-06-01

High-rate GNSS precise point positioning (PPP) has been playing a more and more important role in providing precise positioning information in fast time-varying environments. Although kinematic PPP is commonly known to have a precision of a few centimeters, the precision of high-rate PPP within a short period of time has been reported recently with experiments to reach a few millimeters in the horizontal components and sub-centimeters in the vertical component to measure seismic motion, which is several times better than the conventional kinematic PPP practice. To fully understand the mechanism of mystified excellent performance of high-rate PPP within a short period of time, we have carried out a theoretical error analysis of PPP and conducted the corresponding simulations within a short period of time. The theoretical analysis has clearly indicated that the high-rate PPP errors consist of two types: the residual systematic errors at the starting epoch, which affect high-rate PPP through the change of satellite geometry, and the time-varying systematic errors between the starting epoch and the current epoch. Both the theoretical error analysis and simulated results are fully consistent with and thus have unambiguously confirmed the reported high precision of high-rate PPP, which has been further affirmed here by the real data experiments, indicating that high-rate PPP can indeed achieve the millimeter level of precision in the horizontal components and the sub-centimeter level of precision in the vertical component to measure motion within a short period of time. The simulation results have clearly shown that the random noise of carrier phases and higher order ionospheric errors are two major factors to affect the precision of high-rate PPP within a short period of time. The experiments with real data have also indicated that the precision of PPP solutions can degrade to the cm level in both the horizontal and vertical components, if the geometry of satellites is rather poor with a large DOP value.

Compositionality in neural control: an interdisciplinary study of scribbling movements in primates

PubMed Central

Abeles, Moshe; Diesmann, Markus; Flash, Tamar; Geisel, Theo; Herrmann, Michael; Teicher, Mina

2013-01-01

This article discusses the compositional structure of hand movements by analyzing and modeling neural and behavioral data obtained from experiments where a monkey (Macaca fascicularis) performed scribbling movements induced by a search task. Using geometrically based approaches to movement segmentation, it is shown that the hand trajectories are composed of elementary segments that are primarily parabolic in shape. The segments could be categorized into a small number of classes on the basis of decreasing intra-class variance over the course of training. A separate classification of the neural data employing a hidden Markov model showed a coincidence of the neural states with the behavioral categories. An additional analysis of both types of data by a data mining method provided evidence that the neural activity patterns underlying the behavioral primitives were formed by sets of specific and precise spike patterns. A geometric description of the movement trajectories, together with precise neural timing data indicates a compositional variant of a realistic synfire chain model. This model reproduces the typical shapes and temporal properties of the trajectories; hence the structure and composition of the primitives may reflect meaningful behavior. PMID:24062679

Reproducibility of UAV-based earth topography reconstructions based on Structure-from-Motion algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clapuyt, Francois; Vanacker, Veerle; Van Oost, Kristof

2016-05-01

Combination of UAV-based aerial pictures and Structure-from-Motion (SfM) algorithm provides an efficient, low-cost and rapid framework for remote sensing and monitoring of dynamic natural environments. This methodology is particularly suitable for repeated topographic surveys in remote or poorly accessible areas. However, temporal analysis of landform topography requires high accuracy of measurements and reproducibility of the methodology as differencing of digital surface models leads to error propagation. In order to assess the repeatability of the SfM technique, we surveyed a study area characterized by gentle topography with an UAV platform equipped with a standard reflex camera, and varied the focal length of the camera and location of georeferencing targets between flights. Comparison of different SfM-derived topography datasets shows that precision of measurements is in the order of centimetres for identical replications which highlights the excellent performance of the SfM workflow, all parameters being equal. The precision is one order of magnitude higher for 3D topographic reconstructions involving independent sets of ground control points, which results from the fact that the accuracy of the localisation of ground control points strongly propagates into final results.

Nonparametric Online Learning Control for Soft Continuum Robot: An Enabling Technique for Effective Endoscopic Navigation

PubMed Central

Lee, Kit-Hang; Fu, Denny K.C.; Leong, Martin C.W.; Chow, Marco; Fu, Hing-Choi; Althoefer, Kaspar; Sze, Kam Yim; Yeung, Chung-Kwong

2017-01-01

Abstract Bioinspired robotic structures comprising soft actuation units have attracted increasing research interest. Taking advantage of its inherent compliance, soft robots can assure safe interaction with external environments, provided that precise and effective manipulation could be achieved. Endoscopy is a typical application. However, previous model-based control approaches often require simplified geometric assumptions on the soft manipulator, but which could be very inaccurate in the presence of unmodeled external interaction forces. In this study, we propose a generic control framework based on nonparametric and online, as well as local, training to learn the inverse model directly, without prior knowledge of the robot's structural parameters. Detailed experimental evaluation was conducted on a soft robot prototype with control redundancy, performing trajectory tracking in dynamically constrained environments. Advanced element formulation of finite element analysis is employed to initialize the control policy, hence eliminating the need for random exploration in the robot's workspace. The proposed control framework enabled a soft fluid-driven continuum robot to follow a 3D trajectory precisely, even under dynamic external disturbance. Such enhanced control accuracy and adaptability would facilitate effective endoscopic navigation in complex and changing environments. PMID:29251567

Nonparametric Online Learning Control for Soft Continuum Robot: An Enabling Technique for Effective Endoscopic Navigation.

PubMed

Lee, Kit-Hang; Fu, Denny K C; Leong, Martin C W; Chow, Marco; Fu, Hing-Choi; Althoefer, Kaspar; Sze, Kam Yim; Yeung, Chung-Kwong; Kwok, Ka-Wai

2017-12-01

Bioinspired robotic structures comprising soft actuation units have attracted increasing research interest. Taking advantage of its inherent compliance, soft robots can assure safe interaction with external environments, provided that precise and effective manipulation could be achieved. Endoscopy is a typical application. However, previous model-based control approaches often require simplified geometric assumptions on the soft manipulator, but which could be very inaccurate in the presence of unmodeled external interaction forces. In this study, we propose a generic control framework based on nonparametric and online, as well as local, training to learn the inverse model directly, without prior knowledge of the robot's structural parameters. Detailed experimental evaluation was conducted on a soft robot prototype with control redundancy, performing trajectory tracking in dynamically constrained environments. Advanced element formulation of finite element analysis is employed to initialize the control policy, hence eliminating the need for random exploration in the robot's workspace. The proposed control framework enabled a soft fluid-driven continuum robot to follow a 3D trajectory precisely, even under dynamic external disturbance. Such enhanced control accuracy and adaptability would facilitate effective endoscopic navigation in complex and changing environments.

Assessment of fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis: a psychometric comparison of single-item, multiitem, and multidimensional measures.

PubMed

Oude Voshaar, Martijn A H; Ten Klooster, Peter M; Bode, Christina; Vonkeman, Harald E; Glas, Cees A W; Jansen, Tim; van Albada-Kuipers, Iet; van Riel, Piet L C M; van de Laar, Mart A F J

2015-03-01

To compare the psychometric functioning of multidimensional disease-specific, multiitem generic, and single-item measures of fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and longitudinal item response theory (IRT) modeling were used to evaluate the measurement structure and local reliability of the Bristol RA Fatigue Multi-Dimensional Questionnaire (BRAF-MDQ), the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) vitality scale, and the BRAF Numerical Rating Scales (BRAF-NRS) in a sample of 588 patients with RA. A 1-factor CFA model yielded a similar fit to a 5-factor model with subscale-specific dimensions, and the items from the different instruments adequately fit the IRT model, suggesting essential unidimensionality in measurement. The SF-36 vitality scale outperformed the BRAF-MDQ at lower levels of fatigue, but was less precise at moderate to higher levels of fatigue. At these levels of fatigue, the living, cognition, and emotion subscales of the BRAF-MDQ provide additional precision. The BRAF-NRS showed a limited measurement range with its highest precision centered on average levels of fatigue. The different instruments appear to access a common underlying domain of fatigue severity, but differ considerably in their measurement precision along the continuum. The SF-36 vitality scale can be used to measure fatigue severity in samples with relatively mild fatigue. For samples expected to have higher levels of fatigue, the multidimensional BRAF-MDQ appears to be a better choice. The BRAF-NRS are not recommended if precise assessment is required, for instance in longitudinal settings.

Precision matrix expansion - efficient use of numerical simulations in estimating errors on cosmological parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedrich, Oliver; Eifler, Tim

2018-01-01

Computing the inverse covariance matrix (or precision matrix) of large data vectors is crucial in weak lensing (and multiprobe) analyses of the large-scale structure of the Universe. Analytically computed covariances are noise-free and hence straightforward to invert; however, the model approximations might be insufficient for the statistical precision of future cosmological data. Estimating covariances from numerical simulations improves on these approximations, but the sample covariance estimator is inherently noisy, which introduces uncertainties in the error bars on cosmological parameters and also additional scatter in their best-fitting values. For future surveys, reducing both effects to an acceptable level requires an unfeasibly large number of simulations. In this paper we describe a way to expand the precision matrix around a covariance model and show how to estimate the leading order terms of this expansion from simulations. This is especially powerful if the covariance matrix is the sum of two contributions, C = A+B, where A is well understood analytically and can be turned off in simulations (e.g. shape noise for cosmic shear) to yield a direct estimate of B. We test our method in mock experiments resembling tomographic weak lensing data vectors from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). For DES we find that 400 N-body simulations are sufficient to achieve negligible statistical uncertainties on parameter constraints. For LSST this is achieved with 2400 simulations. The standard covariance estimator would require >105 simulations to reach a similar precision. We extend our analysis to a DES multiprobe case finding a similar performance.

Local Atomic Arrangements and Band Structure of Boron Carbide.

PubMed

Rasim, Karsten; Ramlau, Reiner; Leithe-Jasper, Andreas; Mori, Takao; Burkhardt, Ulrich; Borrmann, Horst; Schnelle, Walter; Carbogno, Christian; Scheffler, Matthias; Grin, Yuri

2018-05-22

Boron carbide, the simple chemical combination of boron and carbon, is one of the best-known binary ceramic materials. Despite that, a coherent description of its crystal structure and physical properties resembles one of the most challenging problems in materials science. By combining ab initio computational studies, precise crystal structure determination from diffraction experiments, and state-of-the-art high-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging, this concerted investigation reveals hitherto unknown local structure modifications together with the known structural alterations. The mixture of different local atomic arrangements within the real crystal structure reduces the electron deficiency of the pristine structure CBC+B 12 , answering the question about electron precise character of boron carbide and introducing new electronic states within the band gap, which allow a better understanding of physical properties. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Precision Attitude Determination System (PADS) design and analysis. Two-axis gimbal star tracker

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

Development of the Precision Attitude Determination System (PADS) focused chiefly on the two-axis gimballed star tracker and electronics design improved from that of Precision Pointing Control System (PPCS), and application of the improved tracker for PADS at geosynchronous altitude. System design, system analysis, software design, and hardware design activities are reported. The system design encompasses the PADS configuration, system performance characteristics, component design summaries, and interface considerations. The PADS design and performance analysis includes error analysis, performance analysis via attitude determination simulation, and star tracker servo design analysis. The design of the star tracker and electronics are discussed. Sensor electronics schematics are included. A detailed characterization of the application software algorithms and computer requirements is provided.

Hologic QDR 2000 whole-body scans: a comparison of three combinations of scan modes and analysis software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spector, E.; LeBlanc, A.; Shackelford, L.

1995-01-01

This study reports on the short-term in vivo precision and absolute measurements of three combinations of whole-body scan modes and analysis software using a Hologic QDR 2000 dual-energy X-ray densitometer. A group of 21 normal, healthy volunteers (11 male and 10 female) were scanned six times, receiving one pencil-beam and one array whole-body scan on three occasions approximately 1 week apart. The following combinations of scan modes and analysis software were used: pencil-beam scans analyzed with Hologic's standard whole-body software (PB scans); the same pencil-beam analyzed with Hologic's newer "enhanced" software (EPB scans); and array scans analyzed with the enhanced software (EA scans). Precision values (% coefficient of variation, %CV) were calculated for whole-body and regional bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), fat mass, lean mass, %fat and total mass. In general, there was no significant difference among the three scan types with respect to short-term precision of BMD and only slight differences in the precision of BMC. Precision of BMC and BMD for all three scan types was excellent: < 1% CV for whole-body values, with most regional values in the 1%-2% range. Pencil-beam scans demonstrated significantly better soft tissue precision than did array scans. Precision errors for whole-body lean mass were: 0.9% (PB), 1.1% (EPB) and 1.9% (EA). Precision errors for whole-body fat mass were: 1.7% (PB), 2.4% (EPB) and 5.6% (EA). EPB precision errors were slightly higher than PB precision errors for lean, fat and %fat measurements of all regions except the head, although these differences were significant only for the fat and % fat of the arms and legs. In addition EPB precision values exhibited greater individual variability than PB precision values. Finally, absolute values of bone and soft tissue were compared among the three combinations of scan and analysis modes. BMC, BMD, fat mass, %fat and lean mass were significantly different between PB scans and either of the EPB or EA scans. Differences were as large as 20%-25% for certain regional fat and BMD measurements. Additional work may be needed to examine the relative accuracy of the scan mode/software combinations and to identify reasons for the differences in soft tissue precision with the array whole-body scan mode.

Phases and interfaces from real space atomically resolved data: Physics-based deep data image analysis

DOE PAGES

Vasudevan, Rama K.; Ziatdinov, Maxim; Jesse, Stephen; ...

2016-08-12

Advances in electron and scanning probe microscopies have led to a wealth of atomically resolved structural and electronic data, often with ~1–10 pm precision. However, knowledge generation from such data requires the development of a physics-based robust framework to link the observed structures to macroscopic chemical and physical descriptors, including single phase regions, order parameter fields, interfaces, and structural and topological defects. Here, we develop an approach based on a synergy of sliding window Fourier transform to capture the local analog of traditional structure factors combined with blind linear unmixing of the resultant 4D data set. This deep data analysismore » is ideally matched to the underlying physics of the problem and allows reconstruction of the a priori unknown structure factors of individual components and their spatial localization. We demonstrate the principles of this approach using a synthetic data set and further apply it for extracting chemical and physically relevant information from electron and scanning tunneling microscopy data. Furthermore, this method promises to dramatically speed up crystallographic analysis in atomically resolved data, paving the road toward automatic local structure–property determinations in crystalline and quasi-ordered systems, as well as systems with competing structural and electronic order parameters.« less

Precision measurement of the three 2(3)P(J) helium fine structure intervals.

PubMed

Zelevinsky, T; Farkas, D; Gabrielse, G

2005-11-11

The three 2(3)P fine structure intervals of 4H are measured at an improved accuracy that is sufficient to test two-electron QED theory and to determine the fine structure constant alpha to 14 parts in 10(9). The more accurate determination of alpha, to a precision higher than attained with the quantum Hall and Josephson effects, awaits the reconciliation of two inconsistent theoretical calculations now being compared term by term. A low pressure helium discharge presents experimental uncertainties quite different than for earlier measurements and allows direct measurements of light pressure shifts.

Results of the Advanced Space Structures Technology Research Experiments (ASTREX) hardware and control development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cossey, Derek F.

1993-01-01

Future DOD, NASA, and SDI space systems will be larger than any spacecraft flown before. The economics of placing these Precision Space Systems (PSS) into orbit dictates that they be as low in mass as possible. This stringent weight reduction creates structural flexibility causing severe technical problems when combined with the precise shape and pointing requirements associated with many future PSS missions. Development of new Control Structure Interaction (CSI) technologies which can solve these problems and enable future space missions is being conducted at the Phillips Laboratory, On-Location Site, CA.

Determination of the proton spin structure functions for 0.05 < Q 2 < 5 GeV 2 using CLAS

DOE PAGES

Fersch, R. G.; Guler, N.; Bosted, P.; ...

2017-12-27

In this work, we present the results of our final analysis of the full data set of gmore » $$p\\atop{1}$$ (Q 2), the spin structure function of the proton, collected using CLAS at Jefferson Laboratory in 2000–2001. Polarized electrons with energies of 1.6, 2.5, 4.2, and 5.7 GeV were scattered from proton targets ( 15NH 3 dynamically polarized along the beam direction) and detected with CLAS. From the measured double spin asymmetries, we extracted virtual photon asymmetries A$$p\\atop{1}$$ and A$$p\\atop{2}$$ and spin structure functions g$$p\\atop{1}$$ and g$$p\\atop{2}$$ over a wide kinematic range (0.05 GeV 2 < Q 2 < 5 GeV 2 and 1.08 GeV < W < 3 GeV) and calculated moments of g$$p\\atop{1}$$. We compare our final results with various theoretical models and expectations, as well as with parametrizations of the world data. Lastly, our data, with their precision and dense kinematic coverage, are able to constrain fits of polarized parton distributions, test pQCD predictions for quark polarizations at large x, offer a better understanding of quark-hadron duality, and provide more precise values of higher twist matrix elements in the framework of the operator product expansion.« less

Automated analysis of Physarum network structure and dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fricker, Mark D.; Akita, Dai; Heaton, Luke LM; Jones, Nick; Obara, Boguslaw; Nakagaki, Toshiyuki

2017-06-01

We evaluate different ridge-enhancement and segmentation methods to automatically extract the network architecture from time-series of Physarum plasmodia withdrawing from an arena via a single exit. Whilst all methods gave reasonable results, judged by precision-recall analysis against a ground-truth skeleton, the mean phase angle (Feature Type) from intensity-independent, phase-congruency edge enhancement and watershed segmentation was the most robust to variation in threshold parameters. The resultant single pixel-wide segmented skeleton was converted to a graph representation as a set of weighted adjacency matrices containing the physical dimensions of each vein, and the inter-vein regions. We encapsulate the complete image processing and network analysis pipeline in a downloadable software package, and provide an extensive set of metrics that characterise the network structure, including hierarchical loop decomposition to analyse the nested structure of the developing network. In addition, the change in volume for each vein and intervening plasmodial sheet was used to predict the net flow across the network. The scaling relationships between predicted current, speed and shear force with vein radius were consistent with predictions from Murray’s law. This work was presented at PhysNet 2015.

A Flexile and High Precision Calibration Method for Binocular Structured Light Scanning System

PubMed Central

Yuan, Jianying; Wang, Qiong; Li, Bailin

2014-01-01

3D (three-dimensional) structured light scanning system is widely used in the field of reverse engineering, quality inspection, and so forth. Camera calibration is the key for scanning precision. Currently, 2D (two-dimensional) or 3D fine processed calibration reference object is usually applied for high calibration precision, which is difficult to operate and the cost is high. In this paper, a novel calibration method is proposed with a scale bar and some artificial coded targets placed randomly in the measuring volume. The principle of the proposed method is based on hierarchical self-calibration and bundle adjustment. We get initial intrinsic parameters from images. Initial extrinsic parameters in projective space are estimated with the method of factorization and then upgraded to Euclidean space with orthogonality of rotation matrix and rank 3 of the absolute quadric as constraint. Last, all camera parameters are refined through bundle adjustment. Real experiments show that the proposed method is robust, and has the same precision level as the result using delicate artificial reference object, but the hardware cost is very low compared with the current calibration method used in 3D structured light scanning system. PMID:25202736

Precise determination, cross-recognition, and functional analysis of the double-strand origins of the rolling-circle replication plasmids in haloarchaea.

PubMed

Zhou, Ligang; Zhou, Meixian; Sun, Chaomin; Han, Jing; Lu, Qiuhe; Zhou, Jian; Xiang, Hua

2008-08-01

The precise nick site in the double-strand origin (DSO) of pZMX201, a 1,668-bp rolling-circle replication (RCR) plasmid from the haloarchaeon Natrinema sp. CX2021, was determined by electron microscopy and DSO mapping. In this plasmid, DSO nicking occurred between residues C404 and G405 within a heptanucleotide sequence (TCTC/GGC) located in the stem region of an imperfect hairpin structure. This nick site sequence was conserved among the haloarchaeal RCR plasmids, including pNB101, suggesting that the DSO nick site might be the same for all members of this plasmid family. Interestingly, the DSOs of pZMX201 and pNB101 were found to be cross-recognized in RCR initiation and termination in a hybrid plasmid system. Mutation analysis of the DSO from pZMX201 (DSO(Z)) in this hybrid plasmid system revealed that: (i) the nucleotides in the middle of the conserved TCTCGGC sequence play more-important roles in the initiation and termination process; (ii) the left half of the hairpin structure is required for initiation but not for termination; and (iii) a 36-bp sequence containing TCTCGGC and the downstream sequence is essential and sufficient for termination. In conclusion, these haloarchaeal plasmids, with novel features that are different from the characteristics of both single-stranded DNA phages and bacterial RCR plasmids, might serve as a good model for studying the evolution of RCR replicons.

The influence of the focus position on laser machining and laser micro-structuring monocrystalline diamond surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Mingtao; Guo, Bing; Zhao, Qingliang; Fan, Rongwei; Dong, Zhiwei; Yu, Xin

2018-06-01

Micro-structured surface on diamond is widely used in microelectronics, optical elements, MEMS and NEMS components, ultra-precision machining tools, etc. The efficient micro-structuring of diamond material is still a challenging task. In this article, the influence of the focus position on laser machining and laser micro-structuring monocrystalline diamond surface were researched. At the beginning, the ablation threshold and its incubation effect of monocrystalline diamond were determined and discussed. As the accumulated laser pulses ranged from 40 to 5000, the laser ablation threshold decreased from 1.48 J/cm2 to 0.97 J/cm2. Subsequently, the variation of the ablation width and ablation depth in laser machining were studied. With enough pulse energy, the ablation width mainly depended on the laser propagation attributes while the ablation depth was a complex function of the focus position. Raman analysis was used to detect the variation of the laser machined diamond surface after the laser machining experiments. Graphite formation was discovered on the machined diamond surface and graphitization was enhanced after the defocusing quantity exceeded 45 μm. At last, several micro-structured surfaces were successfully fabricated on diamond surface with the defined micro-structure patterns and structuring ratios just by adjusting the defocusing quantity. The experimental structuring ratio was consistent with the theoretical analysis.

OPTIMA: sensitive and accurate whole-genome alignment of error-prone genomic maps by combinatorial indexing and technology-agnostic statistical analysis.

PubMed

Verzotto, Davide; M Teo, Audrey S; Hillmer, Axel M; Nagarajan, Niranjan

2016-01-01

Resolution of complex repeat structures and rearrangements in the assembly and analysis of large eukaryotic genomes is often aided by a combination of high-throughput sequencing and genome-mapping technologies (for example, optical restriction mapping). In particular, mapping technologies can generate sparse maps of large DNA fragments (150 kilo base pairs (kbp) to 2 Mbp) and thus provide a unique source of information for disambiguating complex rearrangements in cancer genomes. Despite their utility, combining high-throughput sequencing and mapping technologies has been challenging because of the lack of efficient and sensitive map-alignment algorithms for robustly aligning error-prone maps to sequences. We introduce a novel seed-and-extend glocal (short for global-local) alignment method, OPTIMA (and a sliding-window extension for overlap alignment, OPTIMA-Overlap), which is the first to create indexes for continuous-valued mapping data while accounting for mapping errors. We also present a novel statistical model, agnostic with respect to technology-dependent error rates, for conservatively evaluating the significance of alignments without relying on expensive permutation-based tests. We show that OPTIMA and OPTIMA-Overlap outperform other state-of-the-art approaches (1.6-2 times more sensitive) and are more efficient (170-200 %) and precise in their alignments (nearly 99 % precision). These advantages are independent of the quality of the data, suggesting that our indexing approach and statistical evaluation are robust, provide improved sensitivity and guarantee high precision.

An integrated clinical and genomic information system for cancer precision medicine.

PubMed

Jang, Yeongjun; Choi, Taekjin; Kim, Jongho; Park, Jisub; Seo, Jihae; Kim, Sangok; Kwon, Yeajee; Lee, Seungjae; Lee, Sanghyuk

2018-04-20

Increasing affordability of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has created an opportunity for realizing genomically-informed personalized cancer therapy as a path to precision oncology. However, the complex nature of genomic information presents a huge challenge for clinicians in interpreting the patient's genomic alterations and selecting the optimum approved or investigational therapy. An elaborate and practical information system is urgently needed to support clinical decision as well as to test clinical hypotheses quickly. Here, we present an integrated clinical and genomic information system (CGIS) based on NGS data analyses. Major components include modules for handling clinical data, NGS data processing, variant annotation and prioritization, drug-target-pathway analysis, and population cohort explorer. We built a comprehensive knowledgebase of genes, variants, drugs by collecting annotated information from public and in-house resources. Structured reports for molecular pathology are generated using standardized terminology in order to help clinicians interpret genomic variants and utilize them for targeted cancer therapy. We also implemented many features useful for testing hypotheses to develop prognostic markers from mutation and gene expression data. Our CGIS software is an attempt to provide useful information for both clinicians and scientists who want to explore genomic information for precision oncology.

To address accuracy and precision using methods from analytical chemistry and computational physics.

PubMed

Kozmutza, Cornelia; Picó, Yolanda

2009-04-01

In this work the pesticides were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). In present study the occurrence of imidacloprid in 343 samples of oranges, tangerines, date plum, and watermelons from Valencian Community (Spain) has been investigated. The nine additional pesticides were chosen as they have been recommended for orchard treatment together with imidacloprid. The Mulliken population analysis has been applied to present the charge distribution in imidacloprid. Partitioned energy terms and the virial ratios have been calculated for certain molecules entering in interaction. A new technique based on the comparison of the decomposed total energy terms at various configurations is demonstrated in this work. The interaction ability could be established correctly in the studied case. An attempt is also made in this work to address accuracy and precision. These quantities are well-known in experimental measurements. In case precise theoretical description is achieved for the contributing monomers and also for the interacting complex structure some properties of this latter system can be predicted to quite a good accuracy. Based on simple hypothetical considerations we estimate the impact of applying computations on reducing the amount of analytical work.

Hemojuvelin-hepcidin axis modeled and analyzed using Petri nets.

PubMed

Formanowicz, Dorota; Kozak, Adam; Głowacki, Tomasz; Radom, Marcin; Formanowicz, Piotr

2013-12-01

Systems biology approach to investigate biological phenomena seems to be very promising because it is capable to capture one of the fundamental properties of living organisms, i.e. their inherent complexity. It allows for analysis biological entities as complex systems of interacting objects. The first and necessary step of such an analysis is building a precise model of the studied biological system. This model is expressed in the language of some branch of mathematics, as for example, differential equations. During the last two decades the theory of Petri nets has appeared to be very well suited for building models of biological systems. The structure of these nets reflects the structure of interacting biological molecules and processes. Moreover, on one hand, Petri nets have intuitive graphical representation being very helpful in understanding the structure of the system and on the other hand, there is a lot of mathematical methods and software tools supporting an analysis of the properties of the nets. In this paper a Petri net based model of the hemojuvelin-hepcidin axis involved in the maintenance of the human body iron homeostasis is presented. The analysis based mainly on T-invariants of the model properties has been made and some biological conclusions have been drawn. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Translocation-Competent Secretory Proteins by HDX-MS.

PubMed

Tsirigotaki, A; Papanastasiou, M; Trelle, M B; Jørgensen, T J D; Economou, A

2017-01-01

Protein folding is an intricate and precise process in living cells. Most exported proteins evade cytoplasmic folding, become targeted to the membrane, and then trafficked into/across membranes. Their targeting and translocation-competent states are nonnatively folded. However, once they reach the appropriate cellular compartment, they can fold to their native states. The nonnative states of preproteins remain structurally poorly characterized since increased disorder, protein sizes, aggregation propensity, and the observation timescale are often limiting factors for typical structural approaches such as X-ray crystallography and NMR. Here, we present an alternative approach for the in vitro analysis of nonfolded translocation-competent protein states and their comparison with their native states. We make use of hydrogen/deuterium exchange coupled with mass spectrometry (HDX-MS), a method based on differentiated isotope exchange rates in structured vs unstructured protein states/regions, and highly dynamic vs more rigid regions. We present a complete structural characterization pipeline, starting from the preparation of the polypeptides to data analysis and interpretation. Proteolysis and mass spectrometric conditions for the analysis of the labeled proteins are discussed, followed by the analysis and interpretation of HDX-MS data. We highlight the suitability of HDX-MS for identifying short structured regions within otherwise highly flexible protein states, as illustrated by an exported protein example, experimentally tested in our lab. Finally, we discuss statistical analysis in comparative HDX-MS. The protocol is applicable to any protein and protein size, exhibiting slow or fast loss of translocation competence. It could be easily adapted to more complex assemblies, such as the interaction of chaperones with nonnative protein states. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identifiability of PBPK Models with Applications to ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Any statistical model should be identifiable in order for estimates and tests using it to be meaningful. We consider statistical analysis of physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models in which parameters cannot be estimated precisely from available data, and discuss different types of identifiability that occur in PBPK models and give reasons why they occur. We particularly focus on how the mathematical structure of a PBPK model and lack of appropriate data can lead to statistical models in which it is impossible to estimate at least some parameters precisely. Methods are reviewed which can determine whether a purely linear PBPK model is globally identifiable. We propose a theorem which determines when identifiability at a set of finite and specific values of the mathematical PBPK model (global discrete identifiability) implies identifiability of the statistical model. However, we are unable to establish conditions that imply global discrete identifiability, and conclude that the only safe approach to analysis of PBPK models involves Bayesian analysis with truncated priors. Finally, computational issues regarding posterior simulations of PBPK models are discussed. The methodology is very general and can be applied to numerous PBPK models which can be expressed as linear time-invariant systems. A real data set of a PBPK model for exposure to dimethyl arsinic acid (DMA(V)) is presented to illustrate the proposed methodology. We consider statistical analy

Conformational analysis of α-helical polypeptide included L-proline residue by high-resolution solid-state NMR measurement and quantum chemical calculation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Souma, Hiroyuki; Shoji, Akira; Kurosu, Hiromichi

2008-10-01

We challenged the problem about the stabilization mechanism of an α-helix formation for polypeptides containing L-proline (Pro) residue. We computed the optimized structure of α-helical poly( L-alanine) molecules including a Pro residue, H-(Ala) 8-Pro-(Ala) 9-OH, based on the molecular orbital calculation with density functional theory, B3LYP/6-31G(d) and the 13C and 15N chemical shift values based on the GIAO-CHF method with B3LYP/6-311G(d,p), respectively. It was found that two kinds of optimized structures, 'Bent structure' and 'Included α-helix structure', were preferred structures in H-(Ala) 8-Pro-(Ala) 9-OH. In addition, based on the precise 13C and 15N chemical shift data of the simple model, we successfully analyzed the secondary structure of well-defined synthetic polypeptide H-(Phe-Leu-Ala) 3-Phe C-Pro-Ala N-(Phe-Leu-Ala) 2-OH (FLA-11P), the secondary structure of which was proven to the 'Included α-helix structure'.

Semi-automated measurement of anatomical structures using statistical and morphological priors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashton, Edward A.; Du, Tong

2004-05-01

Rapid, accurate and reproducible delineation and measurement of arbitrary anatomical structures in medical images is a widely held goal, with important applications in both clinical diagnostics and, perhaps more significantly, pharmaceutical trial evaluation. This process requires the ability first to localize a structure within the body, and then to find a best approximation of the structure"s boundaries within a given scan. Structures that are tortuous and small in cross section, such as the hippocampus in the brain or the abdominal aorta, present a particular challenge. Their apparent shape and position can change significantly from slice to slice, and accurate prior shape models for such structures are often difficult to form. In this work, we have developed a system that makes use of both a user-defined shape model and a statistical maximum likelihood classifier to identify and measure structures of this sort in MRI and CT images. Experiments show that this system can reduce analysis time by 75% or more with respect to manual tracing with no loss of precision or accuracy.

Exploring Human Diseases and Biological Mechanisms by Protein Structure Prediction and Modeling.

PubMed

Wang, Juexin; Luttrell, Joseph; Zhang, Ning; Khan, Saad; Shi, NianQing; Wang, Michael X; Kang, Jing-Qiong; Wang, Zheng; Xu, Dong

2016-01-01

Protein structure prediction and modeling provide a tool for understanding protein functions by computationally constructing protein structures from amino acid sequences and analyzing them. With help from protein prediction tools and web servers, users can obtain the three-dimensional protein structure models and gain knowledge of functions from the proteins. In this chapter, we will provide several examples of such studies. As an example, structure modeling methods were used to investigate the relation between mutation-caused misfolding of protein and human diseases including epilepsy and leukemia. Protein structure prediction and modeling were also applied in nucleotide-gated channels and their interaction interfaces to investigate their roles in brain and heart cells. In molecular mechanism studies of plants, rice salinity tolerance mechanism was studied via structure modeling on crucial proteins identified by systems biology analysis; trait-associated protein-protein interactions were modeled, which sheds some light on the roles of mutations in soybean oil/protein content. In the age of precision medicine, we believe protein structure prediction and modeling will play more and more important roles in investigating biomedical mechanism of diseases and drug design.

Modelling heterogeneity variances in multiple treatment comparison meta-analysis – Are informative priors the better solution?

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Multiple treatment comparison (MTC) meta-analyses are commonly modeled in a Bayesian framework, and weakly informative priors are typically preferred to mirror familiar data driven frequentist approaches. Random-effects MTCs have commonly modeled heterogeneity under the assumption that the between-trial variance for all involved treatment comparisons are equal (i.e., the ‘common variance’ assumption). This approach ‘borrows strength’ for heterogeneity estimation across treatment comparisons, and thus, ads valuable precision when data is sparse. The homogeneous variance assumption, however, is unrealistic and can severely bias variance estimates. Consequently 95% credible intervals may not retain nominal coverage, and treatment rank probabilities may become distorted. Relaxing the homogeneous variance assumption may be equally problematic due to reduced precision. To regain good precision, moderately informative variance priors or additional mathematical assumptions may be necessary. Methods In this paper we describe four novel approaches to modeling heterogeneity variance - two novel model structures, and two approaches for use of moderately informative variance priors. We examine the relative performance of all approaches in two illustrative MTC data sets. We particularly compare between-study heterogeneity estimates and model fits, treatment effect estimates and 95% credible intervals, and treatment rank probabilities. Results In both data sets, use of moderately informative variance priors constructed from the pair wise meta-analysis data yielded the best model fit and narrower credible intervals. Imposing consistency equations on variance estimates, assuming variances to be exchangeable, or using empirically informed variance priors also yielded good model fits and narrow credible intervals. The homogeneous variance model yielded high precision at all times, but overall inadequate estimates of between-trial variances. Lastly, treatment rankings were similar among the novel approaches, but considerably different when compared with the homogenous variance approach. Conclusions MTC models using a homogenous variance structure appear to perform sub-optimally when between-trial variances vary between comparisons. Using informative variance priors, assuming exchangeability or imposing consistency between heterogeneity variances can all ensure sufficiently reliable and realistic heterogeneity estimation, and thus more reliable MTC inferences. All four approaches should be viable candidates for replacing or supplementing the conventional homogeneous variance MTC model, which is currently the most widely used in practice. PMID:23311298

Multilayer network of language: A unified framework for structural analysis of linguistic subsystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinčić-Ipšić, Sanda; Margan, Domagoj; Meštrović, Ana

2016-09-01

Recently, the focus of complex networks' research has shifted from the analysis of isolated properties of a system toward a more realistic modeling of multiple phenomena - multilayer networks. Motivated by the prosperity of multilayer approach in social, transport or trade systems, we introduce the multilayer networks for language. The multilayer network of language is a unified framework for modeling linguistic subsystems and their structural properties enabling the exploration of their mutual interactions. Various aspects of natural language systems can be represented as complex networks, whose vertices depict linguistic units, while links model their relations. The multilayer network of language is defined by three aspects: the network construction principle, the linguistic subsystem and the language of interest. More precisely, we construct a word-level (syntax and co-occurrence) and a subword-level (syllables and graphemes) network layers, from four variations of original text (in the modeled language). The analysis and comparison of layers at the word and subword-levels are employed in order to determine the mechanism of the structural influences between linguistic units and subsystems. The obtained results suggest that there are substantial differences between the networks' structures of different language subsystems, which are hidden during the exploration of an isolated layer. The word-level layers share structural properties regardless of the language (e.g. Croatian or English), while the syllabic subword-level expresses more language dependent structural properties. The preserved weighted overlap quantifies the similarity of word-level layers in weighted and directed networks. Moreover, the analysis of motifs reveals a close topological structure of the syntactic and syllabic layers for both languages. The findings corroborate that the multilayer network framework is a powerful, consistent and systematic approach to model several linguistic subsystems simultaneously and hence to provide a more unified view on language.

A Method for Assessing the Accuracy of a Photogrammetry System for Precision Deployable Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Ashley

2005-01-01

The measurement techniques used to validate analytical models of large deployable structures are an integral Part of the technology development process and must be precise and accurate. Photogrammetry and videogrammetry are viable, accurate, and unobtrusive methods for measuring such large Structures. Photogrammetry uses Software to determine the three-dimensional position of a target using camera images. Videogrammetry is based on the same principle, except a series of timed images are analyzed. This work addresses the accuracy of a digital photogrammetry system used for measurement of large, deployable space structures at JPL. First, photogrammetry tests are performed on a precision space truss test article, and the images are processed using Photomodeler software. The accuracy of the Photomodeler results is determined through, comparison with measurements of the test article taken by an external testing group using the VSTARS photogrammetry system. These two measurements are then compared with Australis photogrammetry software that simulates a measurement test to predict its accuracy. The software is then used to study how particular factors, such as camera resolution and placement, affect the system accuracy to help design the setup for the videogrammetry system that will offer the highest level of accuracy for measurement of deploying structures.

Effect of Correlated Precision Errors on Uncertainty of a Subsonic Venturi Calibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hudson, S. T.; Bordelon, W. J., Jr.; Coleman, H. W.

1996-01-01

An uncertainty analysis performed in conjunction with the calibration of a subsonic venturi for use in a turbine test facility produced some unanticipated results that may have a significant impact in a variety of test situations. Precision uncertainty estimates using the preferred propagation techniques in the applicable American National Standards Institute/American Society of Mechanical Engineers standards were an order of magnitude larger than precision uncertainty estimates calculated directly from a sample of results (discharge coefficient) obtained at the same experimental set point. The differences were attributable to the effect of correlated precision errors, which previously have been considered negligible. An analysis explaining this phenomenon is presented. The article is not meant to document the venturi calibration, but rather to give a real example of results where correlated precision terms are important. The significance of the correlated precision terms could apply to many test situations.

Analysis of energy states in modulation doped multiquantum well heterostructures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ji, G.; Henderson, T.; Peng, C. K.; Huang, D.; Morkoc, H.

1990-01-01

A precise and effective numerical procedure to model the band diagram of modulation doped multiquantum well heterostructures is presented. This method is based on a self-consistent iterative solution of the Schroedinger equation and the Poisson equation. It can be used rather easily in any arbitrary modulation-doped structure. In addition to confined energy subbands, the unconfined states can be calculated as well. Examples on realistic device structures are given to demonstrate capabilities of this procedure. The numerical results are in good agreement with experiments. With the aid of this method the transitions involving both the confined and unconfined conduction subbands in a modulation doped AlGaAs/GaAs superlattice, and in a strained layer InGaAs/GaAs superlattice are identified. These results represent the first observation of unconfined transitions in modulation doped multiquantum well structures.

Tools reference manual for a Requirements Specification Language (RSL), version 2.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, Gene L.; Cohen, Gerald C.

1993-01-01

This report describes a general-purpose Requirements Specification Language, RSL. The purpose of RSL is to specify precisely the external structure of a mechanized system and to define requirements that the system must meet. A system can be comprised of a mixture of hardware, software, and human processing elements. RSL is a hybrid of features found in several popular requirements specification languages, such as SADT (Structured Analysis and Design Technique), PSL (Problem Statement Language), and RMF (Requirements Modeling Framework). While languages such as these have useful features for structuring a specification, they generally lack formality. To overcome the deficiencies of informal requirements languages, RSL has constructs for formal mathematical specification. These constructs are similar to those found in formal specification languages such as EHDM (Enhanced Hierarchical Development Methodology), Larch, and OBJ3.

Analyzing Cyber Security Threats on Cyber-Physical Systems Using Model-Based Systems Engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerzhner, Aleksandr; Pomerantz, Marc; Tan, Kymie; Campuzano, Brian; Dinkel, Kevin; Pecharich, Jeremy; Nguyen, Viet; Steele, Robert; Johnson, Bryan

2015-01-01

The spectre of cyber attacks on aerospace systems can no longer be ignored given that many of the components and vulnerabilities that have been successfully exploited by the adversary on other infrastructures are the same as those deployed and used within the aerospace environment. An important consideration with respect to the mission/safety critical infrastructure supporting space operations is that an appropriate defensive response to an attack invariably involves the need for high precision and accuracy, because an incorrect response can trigger unacceptable losses involving lives and/or significant financial damage. A highly precise defensive response, considering the typical complexity of aerospace environments, requires a detailed and well-founded understanding of the underlying system where the goal of the defensive response is to preserve critical mission objectives in the presence of adversarial activity. In this paper, a structured approach for modeling aerospace systems is described. The approach includes physical elements, network topology, software applications, system functions, and usage scenarios. We leverage Model-Based Systems Engineering methodology by utilizing the Object Management Group's Systems Modeling Language to represent the system being analyzed and also utilize model transformations to change relevant aspects of the model into specialized analyses. A novel visualization approach is utilized to visualize the entire model as a three-dimensional graph, allowing easier interaction with subject matter experts. The model provides a unifying structure for analyzing the impact of a particular attack or a particular type of attack. Two different example analysis types are demonstrated in this paper: a graph-based propagation analysis based on edge labels, and a graph-based propagation analysis based on node labels.

Mission Report on the Orbiter Camera Payload System (OCPS) Large Format Camera (LFC) and Attitude Reference System (ARS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mollberg, Bernard H.; Schardt, Bruton B.

1988-01-01

The Orbiter Camera Payload System (OCPS) is an integrated photographic system which is carried into earth orbit as a payload in the Space Transportation System (STS) Orbiter vehicle's cargo bay. The major component of the OCPS is a Large Format Camera (LFC), a precision wide-angle cartographic instrument that is capable of producing high resolution stereo photography of great geometric fidelity in multiple base-to-height (B/H) ratios. A secondary, supporting system to the LFC is the Attitude Reference System (ARS), which is a dual lens Stellar Camera Array (SCA) and camera support structure. The SCA is a 70-mm film system which is rigidly mounted to the LFC lens support structure and which, through the simultaneous acquisition of two star fields with each earth-viewing LFC frame, makes it possible to determine precisely the pointing of the LFC optical axis with reference to the earth nadir point. Other components complete the current OCPS configuration as a high precision cartographic data acquisition system. The primary design objective for the OCPS was to maximize system performance characteristics while maintaining a high level of reliability compatible with Shuttle launch conditions and the on-orbit environment. The full-up OCPS configuration was launched on a highly successful maiden voyage aboard the STS Orbiter vehicle Challenger on October 5, 1984, as a major payload aboard mission STS 41-G. This report documents the system design, the ground testing, the flight configuration, and an analysis of the results obtained during the Challenger mission STS 41-G.

Towards Precision Spectroscopy of Baryonic Resonances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Döring, Michael; Mai, Maxim; Rönchen, Deborah

2017-01-01

Recent progress in baryon spectroscopy is reviewed. In a common effort, various groups have analyzed a set of new high-precision polarization observables from ELSA. The Jülich-Bonn group has finalized the analysis of pion-induced meson-baryon production, the potoproduction of pions and eta mesons, and (almost) the KΛ final state. As data become preciser, statistical aspects in the analysis of excited baryons become increasingly relevant and several advances in this direction are proposed.

Towards precision spectroscopy of baryonic resonances

DOE PAGES

Doring, Michael; Mai, Maxim; Ronchen, Deborah

2017-01-26

Recent progress in baryon spectroscopy is reviewed. In a common effort, various groups have analyzed a set of new high-precision polarization observables from ELSA. The Julich-Bonn group has finalized the analysis of pion-induced meson-baryon production, the potoproduction of pions and eta mesons, and (almost) the KΛ final state. Lastly, as data become preciser, statistical aspects in the analysis of excited baryons become increasingly relevant and several advances in this direction are proposed.

Accelerating calculations of RNA secondary structure partition functions using GPUs

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background RNA performs many diverse functions in the cell in addition to its role as a messenger of genetic information. These functions depend on its ability to fold to a unique three-dimensional structure determined by the sequence. The conformation of RNA is in part determined by its secondary structure, or the particular set of contacts between pairs of complementary bases. Prediction of the secondary structure of RNA from its sequence is therefore of great interest, but can be computationally expensive. In this work we accelerate computations of base-pair probababilities using parallel graphics processing units (GPUs). Results Calculation of the probabilities of base pairs in RNA secondary structures using nearest-neighbor standard free energy change parameters has been implemented using CUDA to run on hardware with multiprocessor GPUs. A modified set of recursions was introduced, which reduces memory usage by about 25%. GPUs are fastest in single precision, and for some hardware, restricted to single precision. This may introduce significant roundoff error. However, deviations in base-pair probabilities calculated using single precision were found to be negligible compared to those resulting from shifting the nearest-neighbor parameters by a random amount of magnitude similar to their experimental uncertainties. For large sequences running on our particular hardware, the GPU implementation reduces execution time by a factor of close to 60 compared with an optimized serial implementation, and by a factor of 116 compared with the original code. Conclusions Using GPUs can greatly accelerate computation of RNA secondary structure partition functions, allowing calculation of base-pair probabilities for large sequences in a reasonable amount of time, with a negligible compromise in accuracy due to working in single precision. The source code is integrated into the RNAstructure software package and available for download at http://rna.urmc.rochester.edu. PMID:24180434

Market-based control strategy for long-span structures considering the multi-time delay issue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hongnan; Song, Jianzhu; Li, Gang

2017-01-01

To solve the different time delays that exist in the control device installed on spatial structures, in this study, discrete analysis using a 2 N precise algorithm was selected to solve the multi-time-delay issue for long-span structures based on the market-based control (MBC) method. The concept of interval mixed energy was introduced from computational structural mechanics and optimal control research areas, and it translates the design of the MBC multi-time-delay controller into a solution for the segment matrix. This approach transforms the serial algorithm in time to parallel computing in space, greatly improving the solving efficiency and numerical stability. The designed controller is able to consider the issue of time delay with a linear controlling force combination and is especially effective for large time-delay conditions. A numerical example of a long-span structure was selected to demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented controller, and the time delay was found to have a significant impact on the results.

Nanotomography of brain networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saiga, Rino; Mizutani, Ryuta; Takekoshi, Susumu; Osawa, Motoki; Arai, Makoto; Takeuchi, Akihisa; Uesugi, Kentaro; Terada, Yasuko; Suzuki, Yoshio; de Andrade, Vincent; de Carlo, Francesco

The first step to understanding how the brain functions is to analyze its 3D network. The brain network consists of neurons having micrometer to nanometer sized structures. Therefore, 3D analysis of brain tissue at the relevant resolution is essential for elucidating brain's functional mechanisms. Here, we report 3D structures of human and fly brain networks revealed with synchrotron radiation nanotomography, or nano-CT. Neurons were stained with high-Z elements to visualize their structures with X-rays. Nano-CT experiments were then performed at the 32-ID beamline of the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory and at the BL37XU and BL47XU beamlines of SPring-8. Reconstructed 3D images illustrated precise structures of human neurons, including dendritic spines responsible for synaptic connections. The network of the fly brain hemisphere was traced to build a skeletonized wire model. An article reviewing our study appeared in MIT Technology Review. Movies of the obtained structures can be found in our YouTube channel.

Two-point motional Stark effect diagnostic for Madison Symmetric Torus

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

Ko, J.; Den Hartog, D. J.; Caspary, K. J.

2010-10-15

A high-precision spectral motional Stark effect (MSE) diagnostic provides internal magnetic field measurements for Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) plasmas. Currently, MST uses two spatial views - on the magnetic axis and on the midminor (off-axis) radius, the latter added recently. A new analysis scheme has been developed to infer both the pitch angle and the magnitude of the magnetic field from MSE spectra. Systematic errors are reduced by using atomic data from atomic data and analysis structure in the fit. Reconstructed current density and safety factor profiles are more strongly and globally constrained with the addition of the off-axis radiusmore » measurement than with the on-axis one only.« less

Analysis and testing of a soft actuation system for segmented reflector articulation and isolation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jandura, Louise; Agronin, Michael L.

1991-01-01

Segmented reflectors have been proposed for space-based applications such as optical communication and large-diameter telescopes. An actuation system for mirrors in a space-based segmented mirror array has been developed as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration-sponsored Precision Segmented Reflector program. The actuation system, called the Articulated Panel Module (APM), articulates a mirror panel in 3 degrees of freedom in the submicron regime, isolates the panel from structural motion, and simplifies space assembly of the mirrors to the reflector backup truss. A breadboard of the APM has been built and is described. Three-axis modeling, analysis, and testing of the breadboard is discussed.

Unraveling protein catalysis through neutron diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myles, Dean

Neutron scattering and diffraction are exquisitely sensitive to the location, concentration and dynamics of hydrogen atoms in materials and provide a powerful tool for the characterization of structure-function and interfacial relationships in biological systems. Modern neutron scattering facilities offer access to a sophisticated, non-destructive suite of instruments for biophysical characterization that provide spatial and dynamic information spanning from Angstroms to microns and from picoseconds to microseconds, respectively. Applications range from atomic-resolution analysis of individual hydrogen atoms in enzymes, through to multi-scale analysis of hierarchical structures and assemblies in biological complexes, membranes and in living cells. Here we describe how the precise location of protein and water hydrogen atoms using neutron diffraction provides a more complete description of the atomic and electronic structures of proteins, enabling key questions concerning enzyme reaction mechanisms, molecular recognition and binding and protein-water interactions to be addressed. Current work is focused on understanding how molecular structure and dynamics control function in photosynthetic, cell signaling and DNA repair proteins. We will highlight recent studies that provide detailed understanding of the physiochemical mechanisms through which proteins recognize ligands and catalyze reactions, and help to define and understand the key principles involved.

Galaxies and Their Host Dark Matter Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahn, ChangHoon

Through their connection with dark matter structures, galaxies act as tracers of the underlying matter distribution in the Universe. Their observed spatial distribution allows us to precisely measure large scale structure and effectively test cosmological models that explain the content, geometry, and history of the Universe. Current observations from galaxy surveys such as the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey have already probed vast cosmic volumes with millions of galaxies and ushered in an era of precision cosmology. The next surveys will probe over an order of magnitude more. With this unprecedented statistical power, the bottleneck of scientific discovery is in the methodology. In this dissertation, I address major methodological challenges in constraining cosmology with the large-scale distribution of galaxies. I develop a robust framework for treating systematic effects, which significantly bias galaxy clustering measurements. I apply new innovative approaches to probabilistic parameter inference that challenge and test the in- correct assumptions of the standard approach. Furthermore, I use precise predictions of structure formation from cosmology and observations of galaxies during the last eight billion years to develop detailed models of how galaxies are impacted by their host dark matter structures. These models provide key insight into the galaxy-halo connection, which bridges the gap between cosmology theory and observations. They also answer crucial questions of how galaxies form and evolve. The developments in this dissertation will help unlock the full potential of future observations and allow us to precisely test cosmological models, General Relativity and modified gravity scenarios, and even particle physics theory beyond the Standard Model.

Novel linear piezoelectric motor for precision position stage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chao; Shi, Yunlai; Zhang, Jun; Wang, Junshan

2016-03-01

Conventional servomotor and stepping motor face challenges in nanometer positioning stages due to the complex structure, motion transformation mechanism, and slow dynamic response, especially directly driven by linear motor. A new butterfly-shaped linear piezoelectric motor for linear motion is presented. A two-degree precision position stage driven by the proposed linear ultrasonic motor possesses a simple and compact configuration, which makes the system obtain shorter driving chain. Firstly, the working principle of the linear ultrasonic motor is analyzed. The oscillation orbits of two driving feet on the stator are produced successively by using the anti-symmetric and symmetric vibration modes of the piezoelectric composite structure, and the slider pressed on the driving feet can be propelled twice in only one vibration cycle. Then with the derivation of the dynamic equation of the piezoelectric actuator and transient response model, start-upstart-up and settling state characteristics of the proposed linear actuator is investigated theoretically and experimentally, and is applicable to evaluate step resolution of the precision platform driven by the actuator. Moreover the structure of the two-degree position stage system is described and a special precision displacement measurement system is built. Finally, the characteristics of the two-degree position stage are studied. In the closed-loop condition the positioning accuracy of plus or minus <0.5 μm is experimentally obtained for the stage propelled by the piezoelectric motor. A precision position stage based the proposed butterfly-shaped linear piezoelectric is theoretically and experimentally investigated.

How Structure Defines Affinity in Protein-Protein Interactions

PubMed Central

Erijman, Ariel; Rosenthal, Eran; Shifman, Julia M.

2014-01-01

Protein-protein interactions (PPI) in nature are conveyed by a multitude of binding modes involving various surfaces, secondary structure elements and intermolecular interactions. This diversity results in PPI binding affinities that span more than nine orders of magnitude. Several early studies attempted to correlate PPI binding affinities to various structure-derived features with limited success. The growing number of high-resolution structures, the appearance of more precise methods for measuring binding affinities and the development of new computational algorithms enable more thorough investigations in this direction. Here, we use a large dataset of PPI structures with the documented binding affinities to calculate a number of structure-based features that could potentially define binding energetics. We explore how well each calculated biophysical feature alone correlates with binding affinity and determine the features that could be used to distinguish between high-, medium- and low- affinity PPIs. Furthermore, we test how various combinations of features could be applied to predict binding affinity and observe a slow improvement in correlation as more features are incorporated into the equation. In addition, we observe a considerable improvement in predictions if we exclude from our analysis low-resolution and NMR structures, revealing the importance of capturing exact intermolecular interactions in our calculations. Our analysis should facilitate prediction of new interactions on the genome scale, better characterization of signaling networks and design of novel binding partners for various target proteins. PMID:25329579

Study of the In2O3 molecule in the free state and in the crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplan, Ilya G.; Miranda, Ulises; Trakhtenberg, Leonid I.

2018-03-01

The nanomaterials based on the In2O3 molecule are widely used as catalysts and sensors among other applications. In the present study, we discuss the possibility of using nanoclusters of In2O3 as molecular photomotors. A comparative analysis of the electronic structure of the In2O3 molecule in the free state and in the crystal is performed. For the free In2O3 molecule the geometry of its lowest structures, V-shape and linear, was optimised at the CCSD(T) level, which is the most precise computational method applied up to date to study In2O3. Using experimental crystallographic data, we determined the geometry of In2O3 in the crystal. It has a zigzag, not symmetric structure and possesses a dipole moment with magnitude slightly smaller than that of the V-structure of the free molecule (the linear structure due to its symmetry has no dipole moment). According to the Natural Atomic population analysis, the chemical structure of the linear In2O3 can be represented as O = In-O-In = O; the V-shaped molecule has the similar double- and single-bond structure. The construction of nanoclusters from ´bricksʼ of In2O3 with geometry extracted from crystal (or nanoclusters extracted directly from crystal) and their use as photo-driven molecular motors are discussed.

Experimental validation of a numerical 3-D finite model applied to wind turbines design under vibration constraints: TREVISE platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sellami, Takwa; Jelassi, Sana; Darcherif, Abdel Moumen; Berriri, Hanen; Mimouni, Med Faouzi

2018-04-01

With the advancement of wind turbines towards complex structures, the requirement of trusty structural models has become more apparent. Hence, the vibration characteristics of the wind turbine components, like the blades and the tower, have to be extracted under vibration constraints. Although extracting the modal properties of blades is a simple task, calculating precise modal data for the whole wind turbine coupled to its tower/foundation is still a perplexing task. In this framework, this paper focuses on the investigation of the structural modeling approach of modern commercial micro-turbines. Thus, the structural model a complex designed wind turbine, which is Rutland 504, is established based on both experimental and numerical methods. A three-dimensional (3-D) numerical model of the structure was set up based on the finite volume method (FVM) using the academic finite element analysis software ANSYS. To validate the created model, experimental vibration tests were carried out using the vibration test system of TREVISE platform at ECAM-EPMI. The tests were based on the experimental modal analysis (EMA) technique, which is one of the most efficient techniques for identifying structures parameters. Indeed, the poles and residues of the frequency response functions (FRF), between input and output spectra, were calculated to extract the mode shapes and the natural frequencies of the structure. Based on the obtained modal parameters, the numerical designed model was up-dated.

Measurement Model and Precision Analysis of Accelerometers for Maglev Vibration Isolation Platforms.

PubMed

Wu, Qianqian; Yue, Honghao; Liu, Rongqiang; Zhang, Xiaoyou; Ding, Liang; Liang, Tian; Deng, Zongquan

2015-08-14

High precision measurement of acceleration levels is required to allow active control for vibration isolation platforms. It is necessary to propose an accelerometer configuration measurement model that yields such a high measuring precision. In this paper, an accelerometer configuration to improve measurement accuracy is proposed. The corresponding calculation formulas of the angular acceleration were derived through theoretical analysis. A method is presented to minimize angular acceleration noise based on analysis of the root mean square noise of the angular acceleration. Moreover, the influence of installation position errors and accelerometer orientation errors on the calculation precision of the angular acceleration is studied. Comparisons of the output differences between the proposed configuration and the previous planar triangle configuration under the same installation errors are conducted by simulation. The simulation results show that installation errors have a relatively small impact on the calculation accuracy of the proposed configuration. To further verify the high calculation precision of the proposed configuration, experiments are carried out for both the proposed configuration and the planar triangle configuration. On the basis of the results of simulations and experiments, it can be concluded that the proposed configuration has higher angular acceleration calculation precision and can be applied to different platforms.

Measurement Model and Precision Analysis of Accelerometers for Maglev Vibration Isolation Platforms

PubMed Central

Wu, Qianqian; Yue, Honghao; Liu, Rongqiang; Zhang, Xiaoyou; Ding, Liang; Liang, Tian; Deng, Zongquan

2015-01-01

High precision measurement of acceleration levels is required to allow active control for vibration isolation platforms. It is necessary to propose an accelerometer configuration measurement model that yields such a high measuring precision. In this paper, an accelerometer configuration to improve measurement accuracy is proposed. The corresponding calculation formulas of the angular acceleration were derived through theoretical analysis. A method is presented to minimize angular acceleration noise based on analysis of the root mean square noise of the angular acceleration. Moreover, the influence of installation position errors and accelerometer orientation errors on the calculation precision of the angular acceleration is studied. Comparisons of the output differences between the proposed configuration and the previous planar triangle configuration under the same installation errors are conducted by simulation. The simulation results show that installation errors have a relatively small impact on the calculation accuracy of the proposed configuration. To further verify the high calculation precision of the proposed configuration, experiments are carried out for both the proposed configuration and the planar triangle configuration. On the basis of the results of simulations and experiments, it can be concluded that the proposed configuration has higher angular acceleration calculation precision and can be applied to different platforms. PMID:26287203

High-numerical-aperture cryogenic light microscopy for increased precision of superresolution reconstructions

PubMed Central

Nahmani, Marc; Lanahan, Conor; DeRosier, David; Turrigiano, Gina G.

2017-01-01

Superresolution microscopy has fundamentally altered our ability to resolve subcellular proteins, but improving on these techniques to study dense structures composed of single-molecule-sized elements has been a challenge. One possible approach to enhance superresolution precision is to use cryogenic fluorescent imaging, reported to reduce fluorescent protein bleaching rates, thereby increasing the precision of superresolution imaging. Here, we describe an approach to cryogenic photoactivated localization microscopy (cPALM) that permits the use of a room-temperature high-numerical-aperture objective lens to image frozen samples in their native state. We find that cPALM increases photon yields and show that this approach can be used to enhance the effective resolution of two photoactivatable/switchable fluorophore-labeled structures in the same frozen sample. This higher resolution, two-color extension of the cPALM technique will expand the accessibility of this approach to a range of laboratories interested in more precise reconstructions of complex subcellular targets. PMID:28348224

Review of probabilistic analysis of dynamic response of systems with random parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kozin, F.; Klosner, J. M.

1989-01-01

The various methods that have been studied in the past to allow probabilistic analysis of dynamic response for systems with random parameters are reviewed. Dynamic response may have been obtained deterministically if the variations about the nominal values were small; however, for space structures which require precise pointing, the variations about the nominal values of the structural details and of the environmental conditions are too large to be considered as negligible. These uncertainties are accounted for in terms of probability distributions about their nominal values. The quantities of concern for describing the response of the structure includes displacements, velocities, and the distributions of natural frequencies. The exact statistical characterization of the response would yield joint probability distributions for the response variables. Since the random quantities will appear as coefficients, determining the exact distributions will be difficult at best. Thus, certain approximations will have to be made. A number of techniques that are available are discussed, even in the nonlinear case. The methods that are described were: (1) Liouville's equation; (2) perturbation methods; (3) mean square approximate systems; and (4) nonlinear systems with approximation by linear systems.

Electromagnetic field analysis and modeling of a relative position detection sensor for high speed maglev trains.

PubMed

Xue, Song; He, Ning; Long, Zhiqiang

2012-01-01

The long stator track for high speed maglev trains has a tooth-slot structure. The sensor obtains precise relative position information for the traction system by detecting the long stator tooth-slot structure based on nondestructive detection technology. The magnetic field modeling of the sensor is a typical three-dimensional (3-D) electromagnetic problem with complex boundary conditions, and is studied semi-analytically in this paper. A second-order vector potential (SOVP) is introduced to simplify the vector field problem to a scalar field one, the solution of which can be expressed in terms of series expansions according to Multipole Theory (MT) and the New Equivalent Source (NES) method. The coefficients of the expansions are determined by the least squares method based on the boundary conditions. Then, the solution is compared to the simulation result through Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The comparison results show that the semi-analytical solution agrees approximately with the numerical solution. Finally, based on electromagnetic modeling, a difference coil structure is designed to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of the sensor.

Electromagnetic Field Analysis and Modeling of a Relative Position Detection Sensor for High Speed Maglev Trains

PubMed Central

Xue, Song; He, Ning; Long, Zhiqiang

2012-01-01

The long stator track for high speed maglev trains has a tooth-slot structure. The sensor obtains precise relative position information for the traction system by detecting the long stator tooth-slot structure based on nondestructive detection technology. The magnetic field modeling of the sensor is a typical three-dimensional (3-D) electromagnetic problem with complex boundary conditions, and is studied semi-analytically in this paper. A second-order vector potential (SOVP) is introduced to simplify the vector field problem to a scalar field one, the solution of which can be expressed in terms of series expansions according to Multipole Theory (MT) and the New Equivalent Source (NES) method. The coefficients of the expansions are determined by the least squares method based on the boundary conditions. Then, the solution is compared to the simulation result through Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The comparison results show that the semi-analytical solution agrees approximately with the numerical solution. Finally, based on electromagnetic modeling, a difference coil structure is designed to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of the sensor. PMID:22778652

Dynamic analysis of suspension cable based on vector form intrinsic finite element method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Jian; Qiao, Liang; Wan, Jiancheng; Jiang, Ming; Xia, Yongjun

2017-10-01

A vector finite element method is presented for the dynamic analysis of cable structures based on the vector form intrinsic finite element (VFIFE) and mechanical properties of suspension cable. Firstly, the suspension cable is discretized into different elements by space points, the mass and external forces of suspension cable are transformed into space points. The structural form of cable is described by the space points at different time. The equations of motion for the space points are established according to the Newton’s second law. Then, the element internal forces between the space points are derived from the flexible truss structure. Finally, the motion equations of space points are solved by the central difference method with reasonable time integration step. The tangential tension of the bearing rope in a test ropeway with the moving concentrated loads is calculated and compared with the experimental data. The results show that the tangential tension of suspension cable with moving loads is consistent with the experimental data. This method has high calculated precision and meets the requirements of engineering application.

Characterization of Geologic Structures and Host Rock Properties Relevant to the Hydrogeology of the Standard Mine in Elk Basin, Gunnison County, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Caine, Jonathan S.; Manning, Andrew H.; Berger, Byron R.; Kremer, Yannick; Guzman, Mario A.; Eberl, Dennis D.; Schuller, Kathryn

2010-01-01

The Standard Mine Superfund Site is a source of mine drainage and associated heavy metal contamination of surface and groundwaters. The site contains Tertiary polymetallic quartz veins and fault zones that host precious and base metal sulfide mineralization common in Colorado. To assist the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in its effort to remediate mine-related contamination, we characterized geologic structures, host rocks, and their potential hydraulic properties to better understand the sources of contaminants and the local hydrogeology. Real time kinematic and handheld global positioning systems were used to locate and map precisely the geometry of the surface traces of structures and mine-related features, such as portals. New reconnaissance geologic mapping, field and x-ray diffraction mineralogy, rock sample collection, thin-section analysis, and elemental geochemical analysis were completed to characterize hydrothermal alteration, mineralization, and subsequent leaching of metallic phases. Surface and subsurface observations, fault vein and fracture network characterization, borehole geophysical logging, and mercury injection capillary entry pressure data were used to document potential controls on the hydrologic system.

A numerical similarity approach for using retired Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for electronic phenotyping in the Scalable Collaborative Infrastructure for a Learning Health System (SCILHS).

PubMed

Klann, Jeffrey G; Phillips, Lori C; Turchin, Alexander; Weiler, Sarah; Mandl, Kenneth D; Murphy, Shawn N

2015-12-11

Interoperable phenotyping algorithms, needed to identify patient cohorts meeting eligibility criteria for observational studies or clinical trials, require medical data in a consistent structured, coded format. Data heterogeneity limits such algorithms' applicability. Existing approaches are often: not widely interoperable; or, have low sensitivity due to reliance on the lowest common denominator (ICD-9 diagnoses). In the Scalable Collaborative Infrastructure for a Learning Healthcare System (SCILHS) we endeavor to use the widely-available Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) procedure codes with ICD-9. Unfortunately, CPT changes drastically year-to-year - codes are retired/replaced. Longitudinal analysis requires grouping retired and current codes. BioPortal provides a navigable CPT hierarchy, which we imported into the Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) data warehouse and analytics platform. However, this hierarchy does not include retired codes. We compared BioPortal's 2014AA CPT hierarchy with Partners Healthcare's SCILHS datamart, comprising three-million patients' data over 15 years. 573 CPT codes were not present in 2014AA (6.5 million occurrences). No existing terminology provided hierarchical linkages for these missing codes, so we developed a method that automatically places missing codes in the most specific "grouper" category, using the numerical similarity of CPT codes. Two informaticians reviewed the results. We incorporated the final table into our i2b2 SCILHS/PCORnet ontology, deployed it at seven sites, and performed a gap analysis and an evaluation against several phenotyping algorithms. The reviewers found the method placed the code correctly with 97 % precision when considering only miscategorizations ("correctness precision") and 52 % precision using a gold-standard of optimal placement ("optimality precision"). High correctness precision meant that codes were placed in a reasonable hierarchal position that a reviewer can quickly validate. Lower optimality precision meant that codes were not often placed in the optimal hierarchical subfolder. The seven sites encountered few occurrences of codes outside our ontology, 93 % of which comprised just four codes. Our hierarchical approach correctly grouped retired and non-retired codes in most cases and extended the temporal reach of several important phenotyping algorithms. We developed a simple, easily-validated, automated method to place retired CPT codes into the BioPortal CPT hierarchy. This complements existing hierarchical terminologies, which do not include retired codes. The approach's utility is confirmed by the high correctness precision and successful grouping of retired with non-retired codes.

Precision pointing of scientific instruments on space station: The LFGGREC perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blackwell, C. C.; Sirlin, S. W.; Laskin, R. A.

1988-01-01

An application of Lyapunov function-gradient-generated robustness-enhancing control (LFGGREC) is explored. The attention is directed to a reduced-complexity representation of the pointing problem presented by the system composed of the Space Infrared Telescope Facility gimbaled to a space station configuration. Uncertainties include disturbance forces applied in the crew compartment area and control moments applied to adjacent scientific payloads (modeled as disturbance moments). Also included are uncertainties in gimbal friction and in the structural component of the system, as reflected in the inertia matrix, the damping matrix, and the stiffness matrix, and the effect of the ignored vibrational dynamics of the structure. The emphasis is on the adaptation of LFGGREC to this particular configuration and on the robustness analysis.

Analysis of background irradiation in thermal IR hyper-spectral imaging systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Weiming; Yuan, Liyin; Lin, Ying; He, Zhiping; Shu, Rong; Wang, Jianyu

2010-04-01

Our group designed a thermal IR hyper-spectral imaging system in this paper mounted in a vacuum encapsulated cavity with temperature controlling equipments. The spectral resolution is 80 nm; the spatial resolution is 1.0 mrad; the spectral channels are 32. By comparing and verifying the theoretical simulated calculation and experimental results for this system, we obtained the precise relationship between the temperature and background irradiation of optical and mechanical structures, and found the most significant components in the optic path for improving imaging quality that should be traded especially, also we had a conclusion that it should cool the imaging optics and structures to about 100K if we need utilize the full dynamic range and capture high quality of imagery.

Development of a precision, six-axis laboratory dynamometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Champagne, P. J.; Cordova, S. A.; Jacoby, M. S.; Lorell, K. R.

1992-01-01

This paper describes the design, fabrication, test, and operation of a unique six axis force/torque dynamometer The specimen table used to hold components under test is supported in a full six axis kinematic mount. Support struts fabricated from high strength steel with special integral two axis flexures link the specimen table to the load cell transducers. Realtime force/torque coordinate transform, root mean squared calculation, and data averaging, and color six axis display with controllable scaling are provided by a specially programmed desktop computer. The extensive structural analysis and design optimization required to obtain a stiff, well damped, lightweight structure is described in detail. Geometric optimization of the kinematic mount and fabrication details of the struts are also described.

Development of an integrated BEM approach for hot fluid structure interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dargush, Gary F.; Banerjee, Prasanta K.; Honkala, Keith A.

1988-01-01

In the present work, the boundary element method (BEM) is chosen as the basic analysis tool, principally because the definition of temperature, flux, displacement and traction are very precise on a boundary-based discretization scheme. One fundamental difficulty is, of course, that a BEM formulation requires a considerable amount of analytical work, which is not needed in the other numerical methods. Progress made toward the development of a boundary element formulation for the study of hot fluid-structure interaction in Earth-to-Orbit engine hot section components is reported. The primary thrust of the program to date has been directed quite naturally toward the examination of fluid flow, since boundary element methods for fluids are at a much less developed state.

On the structural logic of curriculum system for the optical instrument major

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Yufeng; Yan, Juncen; Li, Yang; Shi, Lixia

2017-08-01

The theories of optical instrument are the Interdisciplinary of Optical Engineering and Instrument Science and Technology. The undergraduates should study the knowledge about the optics, precision machine and electronics. The courses such as Theory of Machine, Engineering Optics, even include some courses about Accuracy Analysis of Instrument are offered in the college. There are a lot of correlatives among these courses. This paper focuses on the structural logic of these courses. The order of these courses is researched, The aims of all the courses are clear completely to avoid the same topics to be taught twice in different courses. Therefore, the undergraduates would get the main line of the knowledge, and the professors would teach efficiently.

Silicon-carbon bond inversions driven by 60-keV electrons in graphene.

PubMed

Susi, Toma; Kotakoski, Jani; Kepaptsoglou, Demie; Mangler, Clemens; Lovejoy, Tracy C; Krivanek, Ondrej L; Zan, Recep; Bangert, Ursel; Ayala, Paola; Meyer, Jannik C; Ramasse, Quentin

2014-09-12

We demonstrate that 60-keV electron irradiation drives the diffusion of threefold-coordinated Si dopants in graphene by one lattice site at a time. First principles simulations reveal that each step is caused by an electron impact on a C atom next to the dopant. Although the atomic motion happens below our experimental time resolution, stochastic analysis of 38 such lattice jumps reveals a probability for their occurrence in a good agreement with the simulations. Conversions from three- to fourfold coordinated dopant structures and the subsequent reverse process are significantly less likely than the direct bond inversion. Our results thus provide a model of nondestructive and atomically precise structural modification and detection for two-dimensional materials.

Precision Medicine: Functional Advancements.

PubMed

Caskey, Thomas

2018-01-29

Precision medicine was conceptualized on the strength of genomic sequence analysis. High-throughput functional metrics have enhanced sequence interpretation and clinical precision. These technologies include metabolomics, magnetic resonance imaging, and I rhythm (cardiac monitoring), among others. These technologies are discussed and placed in clinical context for the medical specialties of internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, and gynecology. Publications in these fields support the concept of a higher level of precision in identifying disease risk. Precise disease risk identification has the potential to enable intervention with greater specificity, resulting in disease prevention-an important goal of precision medicine.

Directing Matter: Toward Atomic-Scale 3D Nanofabrication.

PubMed

Jesse, Stephen; Borisevich, Albina Y; Fowlkes, Jason D; Lupini, Andrew R; Rack, Philip D; Unocic, Raymond R; Sumpter, Bobby G; Kalinin, Sergei V; Belianinov, Alex; Ovchinnikova, Olga S

2016-06-28

Enabling memristive, neuromorphic, and quantum-based computing as well as efficient mainstream energy storage and conversion technologies requires the next generation of materials customized at the atomic scale. This requires full control of atomic arrangement and bonding in three dimensions. The last two decades witnessed substantial industrial, academic, and government research efforts directed toward this goal through various lithographies and scanning-probe-based methods. These technologies emphasize 2D surface structures, with some limited 3D capability. Recently, a range of focused electron- and ion-based methods have demonstrated compelling alternative pathways to achieving atomically precise manufacturing of 3D structures in solids, liquids, and at interfaces. Electron and ion microscopies offer a platform that can simultaneously observe dynamic and static structures at the nano- and atomic scales and also induce structural rearrangements and chemical transformation. The addition of predictive modeling or rapid image analytics and feedback enables guiding these in a controlled manner. Here, we review the recent results that used focused electron and ion beams to create free-standing nanoscale 3D structures, radiolysis, and the fabrication potential with liquid precursors, epitaxial crystallization of amorphous oxides with atomic layer precision, as well as visualization and control of individual dopant motion within a 3D crystal lattice. These works lay the foundation for approaches to directing nanoscale level architectures and offer a potential roadmap to full 3D atomic control in materials. In this paper, we lay out the gaps that currently constrain the processing range of these platforms, reflect on indirect requirements, such as the integration of large-scale data analysis with theory, and discuss future prospects of these technologies.

Directing Matter: Toward Atomic-Scale 3D Nanofabrication

DOE PAGES

Jesse, Stephen; Borisevich, Albina Y.; Fowlkes, Jason D.; ...

2016-05-16

Here we report that enabling memristive, neuromorphic, and quantum based computing as well as efficient mainstream energy storage and conversion technologies requires next generation of materials customized at the atomic scale. This requires full control of atomic arrangement and bonding in three dimensions. The last two decades witnessed substantial industrial, academic, and government research efforts directed towards this goal through various lithographies and scanning probe based methods. These technologies emphasize 2D surface structures, with some limited 3D capability. Recently, a range of focused electron and ion based methods have demonstrated compelling alternative pathways to achieving atomically precise manufacturing of 3Dmore » structures in solids, liquids, and at interfaces. Electron and ion microscopies offer a platform that can simultaneously observe dynamic and static structures at the nano and atomic scales, and also induce structural rearrangements and chemical transformation. The addition of predictive modeling or rapid image analytics and feedback enables guiding these in a controlled manner. Here, we review the recent results that used focused electron and ion beams to create free-standing nanoscale 3D structures, radiolysis and the fabrication potential with liquid precursors, epitaxial crystallization of amorphous oxides with atomic layer precision, as well as visualization and control of individual dopant motion within a 3D crystal lattice. These works lay the foundation for new approaches to directing nanoscale level architectures and offer a potential roadmap to full 3D atomic control in materials. Lastly, in this perspective we lay out the gaps that currently constrain the processing range of these platforms, reflect on indirect requirements, such as the integration of large scale data analysis with theory, and discuss future prospects of these technologies.« less

System and method for high precision isotope ratio destructive analysis

DOEpatents

Bushaw, Bruce A; Anheier, Norman C; Phillips, Jon R

2013-07-02

A system and process are disclosed that provide high accuracy and high precision destructive analysis measurements for isotope ratio determination of relative isotope abundance distributions in liquids, solids, and particulate samples. The invention utilizes a collinear probe beam to interrogate a laser ablated plume. This invention provides enhanced single-shot detection sensitivity approaching the femtogram range, and isotope ratios that can be determined at approximately 1% or better precision and accuracy (relative standard deviation).

In vivo glenohumeral analysis using 3D MRI models and a flexible software tool: feasibility and precision.

PubMed

Busse, Harald; Thomas, Michael; Seiwerts, Matthias; Moche, Michael; Busse, Martin W; von Salis-Soglio, Georg; Kahn, Thomas

2008-01-01

To implement a PC-based morphometric analysis platform and to evaluate the feasibility and precision of MRI measurements of glenohumeral translation. Using a vertically open 0.5T MRI scanner, the shoulders of 10 healthy subjects were scanned in apprehension (AP) and in neutral position (NP), respectively. Surface models of the humeral head (HH) and the glenoid cavity (GC) were created from segmented MR images by three readers. Glenohumeral translation was determined by the projection point of the manually fitted HH center on the GC plane defined by the two main principal axes of the GC model. Positional precision, given as mean (extreme value at 95% confidence level), was 0.9 (1.8) mm for the HH center and 0.7 (1.6) mm for the GC centroid; angular GC precision was 1.3 degrees (2.3 degrees ) for the normal and about 4 degrees (7 degrees ) for the anterior and superior coordinate axes. The two-dimensional (2D) precision of the HH projection point was 1.1 (2.2) mm. A significant HH translation between AP and NP was found. Despite a limited quality of the underlying model data, our PC-based analysis platform allows a precise morphometric analysis of the glenohumeral joint. The software is easily extendable and may potentially be used for an objective evaluation of therapeutical measures.

An Abstraction-Based Data Model for Information Retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McAllister, Richard A.; Angryk, Rafal A.

Language ontologies provide an avenue for automated lexical analysis that may be used to supplement existing information retrieval methods. This paper presents a method of information retrieval that takes advantage of WordNet, a lexical database, to generate paths of abstraction, and uses them as the basis for an inverted index structure to be used in the retrieval of documents from an indexed corpus. We present this method as a entree to a line of research on using ontologies to perform word-sense disambiguation and improve the precision of existing information retrieval techniques.

What are the correct ρ0(770 ) meson mass and width values?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartoš, Erik; Dubnička, Stanislav; Liptaj, Andrej; Dubničková, Anna Zuzana; Kamiński, Robert

2017-12-01

The accuracy of the Gounaris-Sakurai pion electromagnetic form factor model at the elastic region, in which just the ρ0(770 ) resonance appears, is investigated by the particular analysis of the most accurate P-wave isovector π π scattering phase shift δ11(t ) data, obtained by the Garcia-Martin-Kamiński-Peláez-Yndurain approach, and by an application of the Unitary&Analytic pion electromagnetic structure model to a description of the newest precise data on the e+e-→π+π- process.

Living Nanocrystals: Synthesis of Precisely Defined Metal Oxide Nanocrystals Through a Continuous Growth Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jansons, Adam Wayne

Colloidal nanocrystals offer new and improved performance in applications as well as less environmental impact when compared to traditional device fabrication methods. The important properties that enable improved applications are a direct result of nanocrystal structure. While there have been many great advances in the production of colloidal nanocrystals over the past three decades, precise, atomic-level control of the size, composition, and structure of the inorganic core remains challenging. Rather than dictate these material aspects through traditional synthetic routes, this dissertation details the development and exploitation of a colloidal nanocrystal synthetic method inspired by polymerization reactions. Living polymerization reactions offer precise control of polymer size and structure and have tremendously advanced polymer science, allowing the intuitive production of polymers and block co-polymers of well-defined molecular weights. Similarly, living nanocrystal synthetic methods allow an enhanced level of structural control, granting the synthesis of binary, doped, and core/shell nanocrystals of well-defined size, composition, and structure. This improved control in turn grants enhanced nanocrystal property performance and deepens our understanding of structure/property relationships. This dissertation defines living nanocrystal growth and demonstrates the potential of the living methods in the colloidal production of oxide nanocrystals. After a brief introduction, living growth is defined and discussed in the context of synthetic prerequisites, attributes, and outcomes. Living growth is also compared to more traditional colloidal nanocrystal synthetic methods. The following chapters then demonstrate the precise control living approaches offer in three separate studies; the first highlights sub-nanometer control of nanocrystal size from 2-22+ nm in diameter. Next the improvement in nanocrystal composition is illustrated using several transition metal dopants into an oxide nanocrystal matrix at near thermodynamically allowed compositions. Additionally, precise radial dopant placement is demonstrated, which has striking implications for material properties. The radial position of tin in tin-doped indium oxide nanocrystals and the resulting differences on the localized surface plasmon resonance are discussed. Finally, future opportunities are reviewed. This dissertation includes previously published co-authored material.

Investigation of the Stability of a Two-Span Bridge with the use of a High-Precision Laser Displacement Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poddaeva, O.; Churin, P.; Fedosova, A.; Truhanov, S.

2018-03-01

Studies of aerodynamics of bridge structures are an actual problem. Such attention is paid to the study of wind influence on bridge structures not at all by chance; a large number of cases of loss of stability of such structures are known under the influence of wind up to their complete destruction. The development of non-contact systems of measuring equipment allows solving this problem with a high level of accuracy and reliability. This article presents the results of experimental studies of wind impact on a two-span bridge using specialized measuring system based on high-precision laser displacement sensors.

Computer aided flexible envelope designs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Resch, R. D.

1975-01-01

Computer aided design methods are presented for the design and construction of strong, lightweight structures which require complex and precise geometric definition. The first, flexible structures, is a unique system of modeling folded plate structures and space frames. It is possible to continuously vary the geometry of a space frame to produce large, clear spans with curvature. The second method deals with developable surfaces, where both folding and bending are explored with the observed constraint of available building materials, and what minimal distortion result in maximum design capability. Alternative inexpensive fabrication techniques are being developed to achieve computer defined enclosures which are extremely lightweight and mathematically highly precise.

Real-Time PPP Based on the Coupling Estimation of Clock Bias and Orbit Error with Broadcast Ephemeris.

PubMed

Pan, Shuguo; Chen, Weirong; Jin, Xiaodong; Shi, Xiaofei; He, Fan

2015-07-22

Satellite orbit error and clock bias are the keys to precise point positioning (PPP). The traditional PPP algorithm requires precise satellite products based on worldwide permanent reference stations. Such an algorithm requires considerable work and hardly achieves real-time performance. However, real-time positioning service will be the dominant mode in the future. IGS is providing such an operational service (RTS) and there are also commercial systems like Trimble RTX in operation. On the basis of the regional Continuous Operational Reference System (CORS), a real-time PPP algorithm is proposed to apply the coupling estimation of clock bias and orbit error. The projection of orbit error onto the satellite-receiver range has the same effects on positioning accuracy with clock bias. Therefore, in satellite clock estimation, part of the orbit error can be absorbed by the clock bias and the effects of residual orbit error on positioning accuracy can be weakened by the evenly distributed satellite geometry. In consideration of the simple structure of pseudorange equations and the high precision of carrier-phase equations, the clock bias estimation method coupled with orbit error is also improved. Rovers obtain PPP results by receiving broadcast ephemeris and real-time satellite clock bias coupled with orbit error. By applying the proposed algorithm, the precise orbit products provided by GNSS analysis centers are rendered no longer necessary. On the basis of previous theoretical analysis, a real-time PPP system was developed. Some experiments were then designed to verify this algorithm. Experimental results show that the newly proposed approach performs better than the traditional PPP based on International GNSS Service (IGS) real-time products. The positioning accuracies of the rovers inside and outside the network are improved by 38.8% and 36.1%, respectively. The PPP convergence speeds are improved by up to 61.4% and 65.9%. The new approach can change the traditional PPP mode because of its advantages of independence, high positioning precision, and real-time performance. It could be an alternative solution for regional positioning service before global PPP service comes into operation.

Real-Time PPP Based on the Coupling Estimation of Clock Bias and Orbit Error with Broadcast Ephemeris

PubMed Central

Pan, Shuguo; Chen, Weirong; Jin, Xiaodong; Shi, Xiaofei; He, Fan

2015-01-01

Satellite orbit error and clock bias are the keys to precise point positioning (PPP). The traditional PPP algorithm requires precise satellite products based on worldwide permanent reference stations. Such an algorithm requires considerable work and hardly achieves real-time performance. However, real-time positioning service will be the dominant mode in the future. IGS is providing such an operational service (RTS) and there are also commercial systems like Trimble RTX in operation. On the basis of the regional Continuous Operational Reference System (CORS), a real-time PPP algorithm is proposed to apply the coupling estimation of clock bias and orbit error. The projection of orbit error onto the satellite-receiver range has the same effects on positioning accuracy with clock bias. Therefore, in satellite clock estimation, part of the orbit error can be absorbed by the clock bias and the effects of residual orbit error on positioning accuracy can be weakened by the evenly distributed satellite geometry. In consideration of the simple structure of pseudorange equations and the high precision of carrier-phase equations, the clock bias estimation method coupled with orbit error is also improved. Rovers obtain PPP results by receiving broadcast ephemeris and real-time satellite clock bias coupled with orbit error. By applying the proposed algorithm, the precise orbit products provided by GNSS analysis centers are rendered no longer necessary. On the basis of previous theoretical analysis, a real-time PPP system was developed. Some experiments were then designed to verify this algorithm. Experimental results show that the newly proposed approach performs better than the traditional PPP based on International GNSS Service (IGS) real-time products. The positioning accuracies of the rovers inside and outside the network are improved by 38.8% and 36.1%, respectively. The PPP convergence speeds are improved by up to 61.4% and 65.9%. The new approach can change the traditional PPP mode because of its advantages of independence, high positioning precision, and real-time performance. It could be an alternative solution for regional positioning service before global PPP service comes into operation. PMID:26205276

Lessons on RNA Silencing Mechanisms in Plants from Eukaryotic Argonaute Structures[W

PubMed Central

Poulsen, Christian; Vaucheret, Hervé; Brodersen, Peter

2013-01-01

RNA silencing refers to a collection of gene regulatory mechanisms that use small RNAs for sequence specific repression. These mechanisms rely on ARGONAUTE (AGO) proteins that directly bind small RNAs and thereby constitute the central component of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). AGO protein function has been probed extensively by mutational analyses, particularly in plants where large allelic series of several AGO proteins have been isolated. Structures of entire human and yeast AGO proteins have only very recently been obtained, and they allow more precise analyses of functional consequences of mutations obtained by forward genetics. To a large extent, these analyses support current models of regions of particular functional importance of AGO proteins. Interestingly, they also identify previously unrecognized parts of AGO proteins with profound structural and functional importance and provide the first hints at structural elements that have important functions specific to individual AGO family members. A particularly important outcome of the analysis concerns the evidence for existence of Gly-Trp (GW) repeat interactors of AGO proteins acting in the plant microRNA pathway. The parallel analysis of AGO structures and plant AGO mutations also suggests that such interactions with GW proteins may be a determinant of whether an endonucleolytically competent RISC is formed. PMID:23303917

Detection of lobular structures in normal breast tissue.

PubMed

Apou, Grégory; Schaadt, Nadine S; Naegel, Benoît; Forestier, Germain; Schönmeyer, Ralf; Feuerhake, Friedrich; Wemmert, Cédric; Grote, Anne

2016-07-01

Ongoing research into inflammatory conditions raises an increasing need to evaluate immune cells in histological sections in biologically relevant regions of interest (ROIs). Herein, we compare different approaches to automatically detect lobular structures in human normal breast tissue in digitized whole slide images (WSIs). This automation is required to perform objective and consistent quantitative studies on large data sets. In normal breast tissue from nine healthy patients immunohistochemically stained for different markers, we evaluated and compared three different image analysis methods to automatically detect lobular structures in WSIs: (1) a bottom-up approach using the cell-based data for subsequent tissue level classification, (2) a top-down method starting with texture classification at tissue level analysis of cell densities in specific ROIs, and (3) a direct texture classification using deep learning technology. All three methods result in comparable overall quality allowing automated detection of lobular structures with minor advantage in sensitivity (approach 3), specificity (approach 2), or processing time (approach 1). Combining the outputs of the approaches further improved the precision. Different approaches of automated ROI detection are feasible and should be selected according to the individual needs of biomarker research. Additionally, detected ROIs could be used as a basis for quantification of immune infiltration in lobular structures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lessons on RNA silencing mechanisms in plants from eukaryotic argonaute structures.

PubMed

Poulsen, Christian; Vaucheret, Hervé; Brodersen, Peter

2013-01-01

RNA silencing refers to a collection of gene regulatory mechanisms that use small RNAs for sequence specific repression. These mechanisms rely on ARGONAUTE (AGO) proteins that directly bind small RNAs and thereby constitute the central component of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). AGO protein function has been probed extensively by mutational analyses, particularly in plants where large allelic series of several AGO proteins have been isolated. Structures of entire human and yeast AGO proteins have only very recently been obtained, and they allow more precise analyses of functional consequences of mutations obtained by forward genetics. To a large extent, these analyses support current models of regions of particular functional importance of AGO proteins. Interestingly, they also identify previously unrecognized parts of AGO proteins with profound structural and functional importance and provide the first hints at structural elements that have important functions specific to individual AGO family members. A particularly important outcome of the analysis concerns the evidence for existence of Gly-Trp (GW) repeat interactors of AGO proteins acting in the plant microRNA pathway. The parallel analysis of AGO structures and plant AGO mutations also suggests that such interactions with GW proteins may be a determinant of whether an endonucleolytically competent RISC is formed.

High-precision relocation of long-period events beneath the summit region of Kı̄lauea Volcano, Hawai‘i, from 1986 to 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Matoza, Robin S.; Shearer, Peter M.; Okubo, Paul G.

2016-01-01

Long-period (0.5–5 Hz, LP) seismicity has been recorded for decades in the summit region of Kı̄lauea Volcano, Hawai‘i, and is postulated as linked with the magma transport and shallow hydrothermal systems. To better characterize its spatiotemporal occurrence, we perform a systematic analysis of 49,030 seismic events occurring in the Kı̄lauea summit region from January 1986 to March 2009 recorded by the ∼50-station Hawaiian Volcano Observatory permanent network. We estimate 215,437 P wave spectra, considering all events on all stations, and use a station-averaged spectral metric to consistently classify LP and non-LP seismicity. We compute high-precision relative relocations for 5327 LP events (43% of all classified LP events) using waveform cross correlation and cluster analysis with 6.4 million event pairs, combined with the source-specific station term method. The majority of intermediate-depth (5–15 km) LPs collapse to a compact volume, with remarkable source location stability over 23 years indicating a source process controlled by geological or conduit structure.

Glass microneedles for force measurements: a finite-element analysis model

PubMed Central

Ayittey, Peter N.; Walker, John S.; Rice, Jeremy J.; de Tombe, Pieter P.

2010-01-01

Changes in developed force (0.1–3.0 μN) observed during contraction of single myofibrils in response to rapidly changing calcium concentrations can be measured using glass microneedles. These microneedles are calibrated for stiffness and deflect on response to developed myofibril force. The precision and accuracy of kinetic measurements are highly dependent on the structural and mechanical characteristics of the microneedles, which are generally assumed to have a linear force–deflection relationship. We present a finite-element analysis (FEA) model used to simulate the effects of measurable geometry on stiffness as a function of applied force and validate our model with actual measured needle properties. In addition, we developed a simple heuristic constitutive equation that best describes the stiffness of our range of microneedles used and define limits of geometry parameters within which our predictions hold true. Our model also maps a relation between the geometry parameters and natural frequencies in air, enabling optimum parametric combinations for microneedle fabrication that would reflect more reliable force measurement in fluids and physiological environments. We propose a use for this model to aid in the design of microneedles to improve calibration time, reproducibility, and precision for measuring myofibrillar, cellular, and supramolecular kinetic forces. PMID:19104827

Quantitative analysis of a novel HIV fusion inhibitor (sifuvirtide) in HIV infected human plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Che, Jinjing; Meng, Qingfang; Chen, Zhihang; Hou, Yunan; Shan, Chengqi; Cheng, Yuanguo

2010-03-11

A sensitive method for measuring sifuvirtide, a novel HIV fusion inhibitor peptide drug in HIV-1(+) human plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed. The plasma samples were treated by solvent/detergent (S/D) method to inactivate viral activity before analysis. After protein precipitation sifuvirtide was determined by LC-MS/MS. A structure analog was used as internal standard (IS). The mass spectrometer was operated in positive ion and multiple reaction monitoring mode with transitions m/z 946.3-->159.0 for sifuvirtide and 951.7-->159.2 for IS. The intra-day precision ranged from 2.74% to 7.57% with accuracy from 91.63% to 102.53%. The inter-day precision ranged from 2.65% to 3.58% and the accuracy from 95.53% to 105.28%. Stability studies showed that sifuvirtide was stable both during the assay procedure and long-term storage. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) was 9.75ngml(-1). The method was used for analyzing samples from phase IIa clinical study of sifuvirtide in China. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

O-Acetyl Side-Chains in Monosaccharides: Redundant NMR Spin-Couplings and Statistical Models for Acetate Ester Conformational Analysis.

PubMed

Turney, Toby; Pan, Qingfeng; Sernau, Luke; Carmichael, Ian; Zhang, Wenhui; Wang, Xiaocong; Woods, Robert J; Serianni, Anthony S

2017-01-12

α- and β-d-glucopyranose monoacetates 1-3 were prepared with selective 13 C enrichment in the O-acetyl side-chain, and ensembles of 13 C- 1 H and 13 C- 13 C NMR spin-couplings (J-couplings) were measured involving the labeled carbons. Density functional theory (DFT) was applied to a set of model structures to determine which J-couplings are sensitive to rotation of the ester bond θ. Eight J-couplings ( 1 J CC , 2 J CH , 2 J CC , 3 J CH , and 3 J CC ) were found to be sensitive to θ, and four equations were parametrized to allow quantitative interpretations of experimental J-values. Inspection of J-coupling ensembles in 1-3 showed that O-acetyl side-chain conformation depends on molecular context, with flanking groups playing a dominant role in determining the properties of θ in solution. To quantify these effects, ensembles of J-couplings containing four values were used to determine the precision and accuracy of several 2-parameter statistical models of rotamer distributions across θ in 1-3. The statistical method used to generate these models has been encoded in a newly developed program, MA'AT, which is available for public use. These models were compared to O-acetyl side-chain behavior observed in a representative sample of crystal structures, and in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of O-acetylated model structures. While the functional form of the model had little effect on the precision of the calculated mean of θ in 1-3, platykurtic models were found to give more precise estimates of the width of the distribution about the mean (expressed as circular standard deviations). Validation of these 2-parameter models to interpret ensembles of redundant J-couplings using the O-acetyl system as a test case enables future extension of the approach to other flexible elements in saccharides, such as glycosidic linkage conformation.

Effects of Hormone Therapy on Brain Volumes Changes of Postmenopausal Women Revealed by Optimally-Discriminative Voxel-Based Morphometry

PubMed Central

Zhang, Tianhao; Casanova, Ramon; Resnick, Susan M.; Manson, JoAnn E.; Baker, Laura D.; Padual, Claudia B.; Kuller, Lewis H.; Bryan, R. Nick; Espeland, Mark A.; Davatzikos, Christos

2016-01-01

Backgrounds The Women's Health Initiative Memory Study Magnetic Resonance Imaging (WHIMS-MRI) provides an opportunity to evaluate how menopausal hormone therapy (HT) affects the structure of older women’s brains. Our earlier work based on region of interest (ROI) analysis demonstrated potential structural changes underlying adverse effects of HT on cognition. However, the ROI-based analysis is limited in statistical power and precision, and cannot provide fine-grained mapping of whole-brain changes. Methods We aimed to identify local structural differences between HT and placebo groups from WHIMS-MRI in a whole-brain refined level, by using a novel method, named Optimally-Discriminative Voxel-Based Analysis (ODVBA). ODVBA is a recently proposed imaging pattern analysis approach for group comparisons utilizing a spatially adaptive analysis scheme to accurately locate areas of group differences, thereby providing superior sensitivity and specificity to detect the structural brain changes over conventional methods. Results Women assigned to HT treatments had significant Gray Matter (GM) losses compared to the placebo groups in the anterior cingulate and the adjacent medial frontal gyrus, and the orbitofrontal cortex, which persisted after multiple comparison corrections. There were no regions where HT was significantly associated with larger volumes compared to placebo, although a trend of marginal significance was found in the posterior cingulate cortical area. The CEE-Alone and CEE+MPA groups, although compared with different placebo controls, demonstrated similar effects according to the spatial patterns of structural changes. Conclusions HT had adverse effects on GM volumes and risk for cognitive impairment and dementia in older women. These findings advanced our understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of HT effects. PMID:26974440

Optimization of deformation monitoring networks using finite element strain analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alizadeh-Khameneh, M. Amin; Eshagh, Mehdi; Jensen, Anna B. O.

2018-04-01

An optimal design of a geodetic network can fulfill the requested precision and reliability of the network, and decrease the expenses of its execution by removing unnecessary observations. The role of an optimal design is highlighted in deformation monitoring network due to the repeatability of these networks. The core design problem is how to define precision and reliability criteria. This paper proposes a solution, where the precision criterion is defined based on the precision of deformation parameters, i. e. precision of strain and differential rotations. A strain analysis can be performed to obtain some information about the possible deformation of a deformable object. In this study, we split an area into a number of three-dimensional finite elements with the help of the Delaunay triangulation and performed the strain analysis on each element. According to the obtained precision of deformation parameters in each element, the precision criterion of displacement detection at each network point is then determined. The developed criterion is implemented to optimize the observations from the Global Positioning System (GPS) in Skåne monitoring network in Sweden. The network was established in 1989 and straddled the Tornquist zone, which is one of the most active faults in southern Sweden. The numerical results show that 17 out of all 21 possible GPS baseline observations are sufficient to detect minimum 3 mm displacement at each network point.

Precision segmented reflector, figure verification sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manhart, Paul K.; Macenka, Steve A.

1989-01-01

The Precision Segmented Reflector (PSR) program currently under way at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a test bed and technology demonstration program designed to develop and study the structural and material technologies required for lightweight, precision segmented reflectors. A Figure Verification Sensor (FVS) which is designed to monitor the active control system of the segments is described, a best fit surface is defined, and an image or wavefront quality of the assembled array of reflecting panels is assessed

Precision and accuracy of 3D lower extremity residua measurement systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Commean, Paul K.; Smith, Kirk E.; Vannier, Michael W.; Hildebolt, Charles F.; Pilgram, Thomas K.

1996-04-01

Accurate and reproducible geometric measurement of lower extremity residua is required for custom prosthetic socket design. We compared spiral x-ray computed tomography (SXCT) and 3D optical surface scanning (OSS) with caliper measurements and evaluated the precision and accuracy of each system. Spiral volumetric CT scanned surface and subsurface information was used to make external and internal measurements, and finite element models (FEMs). SXCT and OSS were used to measure lower limb residuum geometry of 13 below knee (BK) adult amputees. Six markers were placed on each subject's BK residuum and corresponding plaster casts and distance measurements were taken to determine precision and accuracy for each system. Solid models were created from spiral CT scan data sets with the prosthesis in situ under different loads using p-version finite element analysis (FEA). Tissue properties of the residuum were estimated iteratively and compared with values taken from the biomechanics literature. The OSS and SXCT measurements were precise within 1% in vivo and 0.5% on plaster casts, and accuracy was within 3.5% in vivo and 1% on plaster casts compared with caliper measures. Three-dimensional optical surface and SXCT imaging systems are feasible for capturing the comprehensive 3D surface geometry of BK residua, and provide distance measurements statistically equivalent to calipers. In addition, SXCT can readily distinguish internal soft tissue and bony structure of the residuum. FEM can be applied to determine tissue material properties interactively using inverse methods.

Analysis of Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids in Selected Algae and Cyanobacteria by Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography and a Novel MAA from the Red Alga Catenella repens

PubMed Central

Hartmann, Anja; Becker, Kathrin; Karsten, Ulf; Remias, Daniel; Ganzera, Markus

2015-01-01

Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), a group of small secondary metabolites found in algae, cyanobacteria, lichens and fungi, have become ecologically and pharmacologically relevant because of their pronounced UV-absorbing and photo-protective potential. Their analytical characterization is generally achieved by reversed phase HPLC and the compounds are often quantified based on molar extinction coefficients. As an alternative approach, in our study a fully validated hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) method is presented. It enables the precise quantification of several analytes with adequate retention times in a single run, and can be coupled directly to MS. Excellent linear correlation coefficients (R2 > 0.9991) were obtained, with limit of detection (LOD) values ranging from 0.16 to 0.43 µg/mL. Furthermore, the assay was found to be accurate (recovery rates from 89.8% to 104.1%) and precise (intra-day precision: 5.6%, inter-day precision ≤6.6%). Several algae were assayed for their content of known MAAs like porphyra-334, shinorine, and palythine. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) data indicated a novel compound in some of them, which could be isolated from the marine species Catenella repens and structurally elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) as (E)-3-hydroxy-2-((5-hydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methoxy-3-((2-sulfoethyl)amino)cyclohex-2-en-1-ylidene)amino) propanoic acid, a novel MAA called catenelline. PMID:26473886

Analysis of Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids in Selected Algae and Cyanobacteria by Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography and a Novel MAA from the Red Alga Catenella repens.

PubMed

Hartmann, Anja; Becker, Kathrin; Karsten, Ulf; Remias, Daniel; Ganzera, Markus

2015-10-09

Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), a group of small secondary metabolites found in algae, cyanobacteria, lichens and fungi, have become ecologically and pharmacologically relevant because of their pronounced UV-absorbing and photo-protective potential. Their analytical characterization is generally achieved by reversed phase HPLC and the compounds are often quantified based on molar extinction coefficients. As an alternative approach, in our study a fully validated hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) method is presented. It enables the precise quantification of several analytes with adequate retention times in a single run, and can be coupled directly to MS. Excellent linear correlation coefficients (R² > 0.9991) were obtained, with limit of detection (LOD) values ranging from 0.16 to 0.43 µg/mL. Furthermore, the assay was found to be accurate (recovery rates from 89.8% to 104.1%) and precise (intra-day precision: 5.6%, inter-day precision ≤6.6%). Several algae were assayed for their content of known MAAs like porphyra-334, shinorine, and palythine. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) data indicated a novel compound in some of them, which could be isolated from the marine species Catenella repens and structurally elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) as (E)-3-hydroxy-2-((5-hydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methoxy-3-((2-sulfoethyl)amino)cyclohex-2-en-1-ylidene)amino) propanoic acid, a novel MAA called catenelline.

Droplet-counting Microtitration System for Precise On-site Analysis.

PubMed

Kawakubo, Susumu; Omori, Taichi; Suzuki, Yasutada; Ueta, Ikuo

2018-01-01

A new microtitration system based on the counting of titrant droplets has been developed for precise on-site analysis. The dropping rate was controlled by inserting a capillary tube as a flow resistance in a laboratory-made micropipette. The error of titration was 3% in a simulated titration with 20 droplets. The pre-addition of a titrant was proposed for precise titration within an error of 0.5%. The analytical performances were evaluated for chelate titration, redox titration and acid-base titration.

SETI in vivo: testing the we-are-them hypothesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makukov, Maxim A.; Shcherbak, Vladimir I.

2018-04-01

After it was proposed that life on Earth might descend from seeding by an earlier extraterrestrial civilization motivated to secure and spread life, some authors noted that this alternative offers a testable implication: microbial seeds could be intentionally supplied with a durable signature that might be found in extant organisms. In particular, it was suggested that the optimal location for such an artefact is the genetic code, as the least evolving part of cells. However, as the mainstream view goes, this scenario is too speculative and cannot be meaningfully tested because encoding/decoding a signature within the genetic code is something ill-defined, so any retrieval attempt is doomed to guesswork. Here we refresh the seeded-Earth hypothesis in light of recent observations, and discuss the motivation for inserting a signature. We then show that `biological SETI' involves even weaker assumptions than traditional SETI and admits a well-defined methodological framework. After assessing the possibility in terms of molecular and evolutionary biology, we formalize the approach and, adopting the standard guideline of SETI that encoding/decoding should follow from first principles and be convention-free, develop a universal retrieval strategy. Applied to the canonical genetic code, it reveals a non-trivial precision structure of interlocked logical and numerical attributes of systematic character (previously we found these heuristically). To assess this result in view of the initial assumption, we perform statistical, comparison, interdependence and semiotic analyses. Statistical analysis reveals no causal connection of the result to evolutionary models of the genetic code, interdependence analysis precludes overinterpretation, and comparison analysis shows that known variations of the code lack any precision-logic structures, in agreement with these variations being post-LUCA (i.e. post-seeding) evolutionary deviations from the canonical code. Finally, semiotic analysis shows that not only the found attributes are consistent with the initial assumption, but that they make perfect sense from SETI perspective, as they ultimately maintain some of the most universal codes of culture.

Usage of digital image correlation in assessment of behavior of block element pavement structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grygierek, M.; Grzesik, B.; Rokitowski, P.; Rusin, T.

2018-05-01

In diagnostics of existing road pavement structures deflection measurements have fundamental meaning, because of ability to assess present stiffness (bearing capacity) of whole layered construction. During test loading the reaction of pavement structure to applied load is measured in central point or in a few points located along a straight on a 1.5 ÷ 1.8 m distance (i.e. Falling Weight Deflectometer) in similar spacing equal to 20 ÷ 30 cm. Typical measuring techniques are productive and precise enough for most common pavement structures such as flexible, semi-rigid and rigid. It should be noted that in experimental research as well as in pavements in complex stress state, measurement techniques allowing observation of pavement deformation in 3D would have been very helpful. A great example of that type of pavements is a block element pavement structure consisting of i.e. paving blocks or stone slabs. Due to high stiffness and confined ability of cooperation of surrounding block elements, in that type of pavements fatigue life is strongly connected with displacement distribution. Unfortunately, typical deflection measurement methods forefend displacement observations and rotation of single block elements like paving blocks or slabs. Another difficult problem is to carry out unmistakable analysis of cooperation between neighboring elements. For more precise observations of displacements state of block element pavements under a wheel load a Digital Image Correlation (DIC) was used. Application of this method for assessment of behavior of stone slabs pavement under a traffic load enabled the monitoring of deformations distribution and encouraged to formulate conclusions about the initiation mechanism and development of damages in this type of pavement structures. Results shown in this article were obtained in field tests executed on an exploited pavement structure with a surface course made of granite slabs with dimensions 0.5x1.0x0.14 m.

Ultra-high-resolution X-ray structure of proteins.

PubMed

Lecomte, C; Guillot, B; Muzet, N; Pichon-Pesme, V; Jelsch, C

2004-04-01

The constant advances in synchrotron radiation sources and crystallogenesis methods and the impulse of structural genomics projects have brought biocrystallography to a context favorable to subatomic resolution protein and nucleic acid structures. Thus, as soon as such precision can be frequently obtained, the amount of information available in the precise electron density should also be easily and naturally exploited, similarly to the field of small molecule charge density studies. Indeed, the use of a nonspherical model for the atomic electron density in the refinement of subatomic resolution protein structures allows the experimental description of their electrostatic properties. Some methods we have developed and implemented in our multipolar refinement program MoPro for this purpose are presented. Examples of successful applications to several subatomic resolution protein structures, including the 0.66 angstrom resolution human aldose reductase, are described.

Validation of Laser-Induced Fluorescent Photogrammetric Targets on Membrane Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Thomas W.; Dorrington, Adrian A.; Shortis, Mark R.; Hendricks, Aron R.

2004-01-01

The need for static and dynamic characterization of a new generation of inflatable space structures requires the advancement of classical metrology techniques. A new photogrammetric-based method for non-contact ranging and surface profiling has been developed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) to support modal analyses and structural validation of this class of space structures. This full field measurement method, known as Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) photogrammetry, has previously yielded promising experimental results. However, data indicating the achievable measurement precision had not been published. This paper provides experimental results that indicate the LIF-photogrammetry measurement precision for three different target types used on a reflective membrane structure. The target types were: (1) non-contact targets generated using LIF, (2) surface attached retro-reflective targets, and (3) surface attached diffuse targets. Results from both static and dynamic investigations are included.

Sensor-based precision fertilization for field crops

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

From the development of the first viable variable-rate fertilizer systems in the upper Midwest USA, precision agriculture is now approaching three decades old. Early precision fertilization practice relied on laboratory analysis of soil samples collected on a spatial pattern to define the nutrient-s...

Modeling corrosion inhibition efficacy of small organic molecules as non-toxic chromate alternatives using comparative molecular surface analysis (CoMSA).

PubMed

Fernandez, Michael; Breedon, Michael; Cole, Ivan S; Barnard, Amanda S

2016-10-01

Traditionally many structural alloys are protected by primer coatings loaded with corrosion inhibiting additives. Strontium Chromate (or other chromates) have been shown to be extremely effectively inhibitors, and find extensive use in protective primer formulations. Unfortunately, hexavalent chromium which imbues these coatings with their corrosion inhibiting properties is also highly toxic, and their use is being increasingly restricted by legislation. In this work we explore a novel tridimensional Quantitative-Structure Property Relationship (3D-QSPR) approach, comparative molecular surface analysis (CoMSA), which was developed to recognize "high-performing" corrosion inhibitor candidates from the distributions of electronegativity, polarizability and van der Waals volume on the molecular surfaces of 28 small organic molecules. Multivariate statistical analysis identified five prototypes molecules, which are capable of explaining 71% of the variance within the inhibitor data set; whilst a further five molecules were also identified as archetypes, describing 75% of data variance. All active corrosion inhibitors, at a 80% threshold, were successfully recognized by the CoMSA model with adequate specificity and precision higher than 70% and 60%, respectively. The model was also capable of identifying structural patterns, that revealed reasonable starting points for where structural changes may augment corrosion inhibition efficacy. The presented methodology can be applied to other functional molecules and extended to cover structure-activity studies in a diverse range of areas such as drug design and novel material discovery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shock wave structure in rarefied polyatomic gases with large relaxation time for the dynamic pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taniguchi, Shigeru; Arima, Takashi; Ruggeri, Tommaso; Sugiyama, Masaru

2018-05-01

The shock wave structure in rarefied polyatomic gases is analyzed based on extended thermodynamics (ET). In particular, the case with large relaxation time for the dynamic pressure, which corresponds to large bulk viscosity, is considered by adopting the simplest version of extended thermodynamics with only 6 independent fields (ET6); the mass density, the velocity, the temperature and the dynamic pressure. Recently, the validity of the theoretical predictions by ET was confirmed by the numerical analysis based on the kinetic theory in [S Kosuge and K Aoki: Phys. Rev. Fluids, Vol. 3, 023401 (2018)]. It was shown that numerical results using the polyatomic version of ellipsoidal statistical model agree with the theoretical predictions by ET for small or moderately large Mach numbers. In the present paper, first, we compare the theoretical predictions by ET6 with the ones by kinetic theory for large Mach number under the same assumptions, that is, the gas is polytropic and the bulk viscosity is proportional to the temperature. Second, the shock wave structure for large Mach number in a non-polytropic gas is analyzed with the particular interest in the effect of the temperature dependence of specific heat and the bulk viscosity on the shock wave structure. Through the analysis of the case of a rarefied carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, it is shown that these temperature dependences play important roles in the precise analysis of the structure for strong shock waves.

Accurate Vibrational-Rotational Parameters and Infrared Intensities of 1-Bromo-1-fluoroethene: A Joint Experimental Analysis and Ab Initio Study.

PubMed

Pietropolli Charmet, Andrea; Stoppa, Paolo; Giorgianni, Santi; Bloino, Julien; Tasinato, Nicola; Carnimeo, Ivan; Biczysko, Malgorzata; Puzzarini, Cristina

2017-05-04

The medium-resolution gas-phase infrared (IR) spectra of 1-bromo-1-fluoroethene (BrFC═CH 2 , 1,1-C 2 H 2 BrF) were investigated in the range 300-6500 cm -1 , and the vibrational analysis led to the assignment of all fundamentals as well as many overtone and combination bands up to three quanta, thus giving an accurate description of its vibrational structure. Integrated band intensity data were determined with high precision from the measurements of their corresponding absorption cross sections. The vibrational analysis was supported by high-level ab initio investigations. CCSD(T) computations accounting for extrapolation to the complete basis set and core correlation effects were employed to accurately determine the molecular structure and harmonic force field. The latter was then coupled to B2PLYP and MP2 computations in order to account for mechanical and electrical anharmonicities. Second-order perturbative vibrational theory was then applied to the thus obtained hybrid force fields to support the experimental assignment of the IR spectra.

Accelerated life assessment of coating on the radar structure components in coastal environment.

PubMed

Liu, Zhe; Ming, ZhiMao

2016-07-04

This paper aimed to build an accelerated life test scheme and carry out quantitative analysis between accelerated life test in the laboratory and actual service for the coating composed of epoxy primer and polyurethane paint on structure components of some kind of radar served in the coastal environment of South China Sea. The accelerated life test scheme was built based on the service environment and failure analysis of the coating. The quantitative analysis between accelerated life test and actual service was conducted by comparing the gloss loss, discoloration, chalking, blistering, cracking and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the coating. The main factors leading to the coating failure were ultraviolet radiation, temperature, moisture, salt fog and loads, the accelerated life test included ultraviolet radiation, damp heat, thermal shock, fatigue and salt spray. The quantitative relationship was that one cycle of the accelerated life test was equal to actual service for one year. It was established that one cycle of the accelerated life test was equal to actual service for one year. It provided a precise way to predict actual service life of newly developed coatings for the manufacturer.

Deriving and Analyzing Analytical Structures of a Class of Typical Interval Type-2 TS Fuzzy Controllers.

PubMed

Zhou, Haibo; Ying, Hao

2017-09-01

A conventional controller's explicit input-output mathematical relationship, also known as its analytical structure, is always available for analysis and design of a control system. In contrast, virtually all type-2 (T2) fuzzy controllers are treated as black-box controllers in the literature in that their analytical structures are unknown, which inhibits precise and comprehensive understanding and analysis. In this regard, a long-standing fundamental issue remains unresolved: how a T2 fuzzy set's footprint of uncertainty, a key element differentiating a T2 controller from a type-1 (T1) controller, affects a controller's analytical structure. In this paper, we describe an innovative technique for deriving analytical structures of a class of typical interval T2 (IT2) TS fuzzy controllers. This technique makes it possible to analyze the analytical structures of the controllers to reveal the role of footprints of uncertainty in shaping the structures. Specifically, we have mathematically proven that under certain conditions, the larger the footprints, the more the IT2 controllers resemble linear or piecewise linear controllers. When the footprints are at their maximum, the IT2 controllers actually become linear or piecewise linear controllers. That is to say the smaller the footprints, the more nonlinear the controllers. The most nonlinear IT2 controllers are attained at zero footprints, at which point they become T1 controllers. This finding implies that sometimes if strong nonlinearity is most important and desired, one should consider using a smaller footprint or even just a T1 fuzzy controller. This paper exemplifies the importance and value of the analytical structure approach for comprehensive analysis of T2 fuzzy controllers.

Development of laser-guided precision sprayers for tree crop applications

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Tree crops in nurseries and orchards have great variations in shapes, sizes, canopy densities and gaps between in-row trees. The variability requires future sprayers to be flexible to spray the amount of chemicals that can match tree structures. A precision air-assisted sprayer was developed to appl...

Optimal Design for Two-Level Random Assignment and Regression Discontinuity Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhoads, Christopher H.; Dye, Charles

2016-01-01

An important concern when planning research studies is to obtain maximum precision of an estimate of a treatment effect given a budget constraint. When research designs have a "multilevel" or "hierarchical" structure changes in sample size at different levels of the design will impact precision differently. Furthermore, there…

Stochastic precision analysis of 2D cardiac strain estimation in vivo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bunting, E. A.; Provost, J.; Konofagou, E. E.

2014-11-01

Ultrasonic strain imaging has been applied to echocardiography and carries great potential to be used as a tool in the clinical setting. Two-dimensional (2D) strain estimation may be useful when studying the heart due to the complex, 3D deformation of the cardiac tissue. Increasing the framerate used for motion estimation, i.e. motion estimation rate (MER), has been shown to improve the precision of the strain estimation, although maintaining the spatial resolution necessary to view the entire heart structure in a single heartbeat remains challenging at high MERs. Two previously developed methods, the temporally unequispaced acquisition sequence (TUAS) and the diverging beam sequence (DBS), have been used in the past to successfully estimate in vivo axial strain at high MERs without compromising spatial resolution. In this study, a stochastic assessment of 2D strain estimation precision is performed in vivo for both sequences at varying MERs (65, 272, 544, 815 Hz for TUAS; 250, 500, 1000, 2000 Hz for DBS). 2D incremental strains were estimated during left ventricular contraction in five healthy volunteers using a normalized cross-correlation function and a least-squares strain estimator. Both sequences were shown capable of estimating 2D incremental strains in vivo. The conditional expected value of the elastographic signal-to-noise ratio (E(SNRe|ɛ)) was used to compare strain estimation precision of both sequences at multiple MERs over a wide range of clinical strain values. The results here indicate that axial strain estimation precision is much more dependent on MER than lateral strain estimation, while lateral estimation is more affected by strain magnitude. MER should be increased at least above 544 Hz to avoid suboptimal axial strain estimation. Radial and circumferential strain estimations were influenced by the axial and lateral strain in different ways. Furthermore, the TUAS and DBS were found to be of comparable precision at similar MERs.

Comparison of two viewing methods for estimating largemouth bass and walleye ages from sectioned otoliths and dorsal spines

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wegleitner, Eric J.; Isermann, Daniel A.

2017-01-01

Many biologists use digital images for estimating ages of fish, but the use of images could lead to differences in age estimates and precision because image capture can produce changes in light and clarity compared to directly viewing structures through a microscope. We used sectioned sagittal otoliths from 132 Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides and sectioned dorsal spines and otoliths from 157 Walleyes Sander vitreus to determine whether age estimates and among‐reader precision were similar when annuli were enumerated directly through a microscope or from digital images. Agreement of ages between viewing methods for three readers were highest for Largemouth Bass otoliths (75–89% among readers), followed by Walleye otoliths (63–70%) and Walleye dorsal spines (47–64%). Most discrepancies (72–96%) were ±1 year, and differences were more prevalent for age‐5 and older fish. With few exceptions, mean ages estimated from digital images were similar to ages estimated via directly viewing the structures through the microscope, and among‐reader precision did not vary between viewing methods for each structure. However, the number of disagreements we observed suggests that biologists should assess potential differences in age structure that could arise if images of calcified structures are used in the age estimation process.

[Medical imaging in tumor precision medicine: opportunities and challenges].

PubMed

Xu, Jingjing; Tan, Yanbin; Zhang, Minming

2017-05-25

Tumor precision medicine is an emerging approach for tumor diagnosis, treatment and prevention, which takes account of individual variability of environment, lifestyle and genetic information. Tumor precision medicine is built up on the medical imaging innovations developed during the past decades, including the new hardware, new imaging agents, standardized protocols, image analysis and multimodal imaging fusion technology. Also the development of automated and reproducible analysis algorithm has extracted large amount of information from image-based features. With the continuous development and mining of tumor clinical and imaging databases, the radiogenomics, radiomics and artificial intelligence have been flourishing. Therefore, these new technological advances bring new opportunities and challenges to the application of imaging in tumor precision medicine.

SCOPe: Manual Curation and Artifact Removal in the Structural Classification of Proteins - extended Database.

PubMed

Chandonia, John-Marc; Fox, Naomi K; Brenner, Steven E

2017-02-03

SCOPe (Structural Classification of Proteins-extended, http://scop.berkeley.edu) is a database of relationships between protein structures that extends the Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) database. SCOP is an expert-curated ordering of domains from the majority of proteins of known structure in a hierarchy according to structural and evolutionary relationships. SCOPe classifies the majority of protein structures released since SCOP development concluded in 2009, using a combination of manual curation and highly precise automated tools, aiming to have the same accuracy as fully hand-curated SCOP releases. SCOPe also incorporates and updates the ASTRAL compendium, which provides several databases and tools to aid in the analysis of the sequences and structures of proteins classified in SCOPe. SCOPe continues high-quality manual classification of new superfamilies, a key feature of SCOP. Artifacts such as expression tags are now separated into their own class, in order to distinguish them from the homology-based annotations in the remainder of the SCOPe hierarchy. SCOPe 2.06 contains 77,439 Protein Data Bank entries, double the 38,221 structures classified in SCOP. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The emerging potential for network analysis to inform precision cancer medicine.

PubMed

Ozturk, Kivilcim; Dow, Michelle; Carlin, Daniel E; Bejar, Rafael; Carter, Hannah

2018-06-14

Precision cancer medicine promises to tailor clinical decisions to patients using genomic information. Indeed, successes of drugs targeting genetic alterations in tumors, such as imatinib that targets BCR-ABL in chronic myelogenous leukemia, have demonstrated the power of this approach. However biological systems are complex, and patients may differ not only by the specific genetic alterations in their tumor, but by more subtle interactions among such alterations. Systems biology and more specifically, network analysis, provides a framework for advancing precision medicine beyond clinical actionability of individual mutations. Here we discuss applications of network analysis to study tumor biology, early methods for N-of-1 tumor genome analysis and the path for such tools to the clinic. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Vibrational spectroscopy of the silicate mineral plumbotsumite Pb5(OH)10Si4O8 - An assessment of the molecular structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López, Andrés; Frost, Ray L.; Scholz, Ricardo; Gobac, Željka Žigovečki; Xi, Yunfei

2013-12-01

We have used scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis to determine the precise formula of plumbotsumite, a rare lead silicate mineral of formula Pb5(OH)10Si4O8. This study forms the first systematic study of plumbotsumite from the Bigadic deposits, Turkey. Vibrational spectroscopy was used to assess the molecular structure of plumbotsumite as the structure is not known. The mineral is characterized by sharp Raman bands at 1047, 1055 and 1060 cm-1 assigned to SiO stretching vibrational modes and sharp Raman bands at 673, 683 and 697 cm-1 assigned to OSiO bending modes. The observation of multiple bands offers support for a layered structure with variable SiO3 structural units. Little information may be obtained from the infrared spectra because of broad spectral profiles. Intense Raman bands at 3510, 3546 and 3620 cm-1 are ascribed to OH stretching modes. Evidence for the presence of water in the plumbotsumite structure was inferred from the infrared spectra.

SEGMENTATION OF MITOCHONDRIA IN ELECTRON MICROSCOPY IMAGES USING ALGEBRAIC CURVES.

PubMed

Seyedhosseini, Mojtaba; Ellisman, Mark H; Tasdizen, Tolga

2013-01-01

High-resolution microscopy techniques have been used to generate large volumes of data with enough details for understanding the complex structure of the nervous system. However, automatic techniques are required to segment cells and intracellular structures in these multi-terabyte datasets and make anatomical analysis possible on a large scale. We propose a fully automated method that exploits both shape information and regional statistics to segment irregularly shaped intracellular structures such as mitochondria in electron microscopy (EM) images. The main idea is to use algebraic curves to extract shape features together with texture features from image patches. Then, these powerful features are used to learn a random forest classifier, which can predict mitochondria locations precisely. Finally, the algebraic curves together with regional information are used to segment the mitochondria at the predicted locations. We demonstrate that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithms in segmentation of mitochondria in EM images.

Formation metrology and control for large separated optics space telescopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mettler, E.; Quadrelli, M.; Breckenridge, W.

2002-01-01

In this paper we present formation flying performance analysis initial results for a representative large space telescope composed of separated optical elements [Mett 02]. A virtual-structure construct (an equivalent rigid body) is created by unique metrology and control that combines both centralized and decentralized methods. The formation may be in orbit at GEO for super-resolution Earth observation, as in the case of Figure 1, or it may be in an Earth-trailing orbit for astrophysics, Figure 2. Extended applications are envisioned for exo-solar planet interferometric imaging by a formation of very large separated optics telescopes, Figure 3. Space telescopes, with such large apertures and f/10 to f/100 optics, are not feasible if connected by massive metering structures. Instead, the new virtual-structure paradigm of information and control connectivity between the formation elements provides the necessary spatial rigidity and alignment precision for the telescope.

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

Zhang, Xianjun; Zhao, Fei; Wu, Yiran

Here, the Smoothened receptor (SMO) belongs to the Class Frizzled of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily, constituting a key component of the Hedgehog signalling pathway. Here we report the crystal structure of the multi-domain human SMO, bound and stabilized by a designed tool ligand TC114, using an X-ray free-electron laser source at 2.9 Å. The structure reveals a precise arrangement of three distinct domains: a seven-transmembrane helices domain (TMD), a hinge domain (HD) and an intact extracellular cysteine-rich domain (CRD). This architecture enables allosteric interactions between the domains that are important for ligand recognition and receptor activation. By combiningmore » the structural data, molecular dynamics simulation, and hydrogen-deuterium-exchange analysis, we demonstrate that transmembrane helix VI, extracellular loop 3 and the HD play a central role in transmitting the signal employing a unique GPCR activation mechanism, distinct from other multi-domain GPCRs.« less

Atomic electron tomography: 3D structures without crystals

DOE PAGES

Miao, Jianwei; Ercius, Peter; Billinge, S. J. L.

2016-09-23

Crystallography has been fundamental to the development of many fields of science over the last century. However, much of our modern science and technology relies on materials with defects and disorders, and their three-dimensional (3D) atomic structures are not accessible to crystallography. One method capable of addressing this major challenge is atomic electron tomography. By combining advanced electron microscopes and detectors with powerful data analysis and tomographic reconstruction algorithms, it is now possible to determine the 3D atomic structure of crystal defects such as grain boundaries, stacking faults, dislocations, and point defects, as well as to precisely localize the 3Dmore » coordinates of individual atoms in materials without assuming crystallinity. In this work, we review the recent advances and the interdisciplinary science enabled by this methodology. We also outline further research needed for atomic electron tomography to address long-standing unresolved problems in the physical sciences.« less

Neutron diffraction study of layered Ni dioxides: Ag2NiO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nozaki, Hiroshi; Sugiyama, Jun; Janoschek, Marc; Roessli, Bertrand; Pomjakushin, Vladimir; Keller, Lukas; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Hiroi, Zenji

2008-03-01

In order to elucidate the antiferromagnetic (AF) nature of hexagonal Ag2NiO2 with TN = 56 K and to know the mechanism of the structural phase transition of TS~270 K, neutron powder diffraction patterns have been measured in the temperature range between 1.5 and 330 K. One magnetic Bragg peak indexed as \\frac {1}{3}~\\frac {1}{3}~0 is clearly observed below TN, confirming the formation of long-range AF order, reported by a muon-spin spectroscopy measurement. The weak intensity of the magnetic peak also suggests the two-dimensional nature of the AF order, but the spin structure is still unknown. In addition, the precise structural analysis of the data between 160 and 330 K shows that only the cH-axis length changes drastically at TS, which suggests the appearance of local Jahn-Teller distortion below TS.

Self-organizing linear output map (SOLO): An artificial neural network suitable for hydrologic modeling and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Kuo-Lin; Gupta, Hoshin V.; Gao, Xiaogang; Sorooshian, Soroosh; Imam, Bisher

2002-12-01

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) can be useful in the prediction of hydrologic variables, such as streamflow, particularly when the underlying processes have complex nonlinear interrelationships. However, conventional ANN structures suffer from network training issues that significantly limit their widespread application. This paper presents a multivariate ANN procedure entitled self-organizing linear output map (SOLO), whose structure has been designed for rapid, precise, and inexpensive estimation of network structure/parameters and system outputs. More important, SOLO provides features that facilitate insight into the underlying processes, thereby extending its usefulness beyond forecast applications as a tool for scientific investigations. These characteristics are demonstrated using a classic rainfall-runoff forecasting problem. Various aspects of model performance are evaluated in comparison with other commonly used modeling approaches, including multilayer feedforward ANNs, linear time series modeling, and conceptual rainfall-runoff modeling.

A Computational Approach From Gene to Structure Analysis of the Human ABCA4 Transporter Involved in Genetic Retinal Diseases.

PubMed

Trezza, Alfonso; Bernini, Andrea; Langella, Andrea; Ascher, David B; Pires, Douglas E V; Sodi, Andrea; Passerini, Ilaria; Pelo, Elisabetta; Rizzo, Stanislao; Niccolai, Neri; Spiga, Ottavia

2017-10-01

The aim of this article is to report the investigation of the structural features of ABCA4, a protein associated with a genetic retinal disease. A new database collecting knowledge of ABCA4 structure may facilitate predictions about the possible functional consequences of gene mutations observed in clinical practice. In order to correlate structural and functional effects of the observed mutations, the structure of mouse P-glycoprotein was used as a template for homology modeling. The obtained structural information and genetic data are the basis of our relational database (ABCA4Database). Sequence variability among all ABCA4-deposited entries was calculated and reported as Shannon entropy score at the residue level. The three-dimensional model of ABCA4 structure was used to locate the spatial distribution of the observed variable regions. Our predictions from structural in silico tools were able to accurately link the functional effects of mutations to phenotype. The development of the ABCA4Database gathers all the available genetic and structural information, yielding a global view of the molecular basis of some retinal diseases. ABCA4 modeled structure provides a molecular basis on which to analyze protein sequence mutations related to genetic retinal disease in order to predict the risk of retinal disease across all possible ABCA4 mutations. Additionally, our ABCA4 predicted structure is a good starting point for the creation of a new data analysis model, appropriate for precision medicine, in order to develop a deeper knowledge network of the disease and to improve the management of patients.

Precision Machining Technologies. Occupational Competency Analysis Profile.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Vocational Instructional Materials Lab.

This Occupational Competency Analysis Profile (OCAP), which is one of a series of OCAPs developed to identify the skills that Ohio employers deem necessary to entering a given occupation/occupational area, lists the occupational, academic, and employability skills required of individuals entering the occupation of precision machinist. The…

A Pilot Study of Contextual UMLS Indexing to Improve the Precision of Concept-based Representation in XML-structured Clinical Radiology Reports

PubMed Central

Huang, Yang; Lowe, Henry J.; Hersh, William R.

2003-01-01

Objective: Despite the advantages of structured data entry, much of the patient record is still stored as unstructured or semistructured narrative text. The issue of representing clinical document content remains problematic. The authors' prior work using an automated UMLS document indexing system has been encouraging but has been affected by the generally low indexing precision of such systems. In an effort to improve precision, the authors have developed a context-sensitive document indexing model to calculate the optimal subset of UMLS source vocabularies used to index each document section. This pilot study was performed to evaluate the utility of this indexing approach on a set of clinical radiology reports. Design: A set of clinical radiology reports that had been indexed manually using UMLS concept descriptors was indexed automatically by the SAPHIRE indexing engine. Using the data generated by this process the authors developed a system that simulated indexing, at the document section level, of the same document set using many permutations of a subset of the UMLS constituent vocabularies. Measurements: The precision and recall scores generated by simulated indexing for each permutation of two or three UMLS constituent vocabularies were determined. Results: While there was considerable variation in precision and recall values across the different subtypes of radiology reports, the overall effect of this indexing strategy using the best combination of two or three UMLS constituent vocabularies was an improvement in precision without significant impact of recall. Conclusion: In this pilot study a contextual indexing strategy improved overall precision in a set of clinical radiology reports. PMID:12925544

A pilot study of contextual UMLS indexing to improve the precision of concept-based representation in XML-structured clinical radiology reports.

PubMed

Huang, Yang; Lowe, Henry J; Hersh, William R

2003-01-01

Despite the advantages of structured data entry, much of the patient record is still stored as unstructured or semistructured narrative text. The issue of representing clinical document content remains problematic. The authors' prior work using an automated UMLS document indexing system has been encouraging but has been affected by the generally low indexing precision of such systems. In an effort to improve precision, the authors have developed a context-sensitive document indexing model to calculate the optimal subset of UMLS source vocabularies used to index each document section. This pilot study was performed to evaluate the utility of this indexing approach on a set of clinical radiology reports. A set of clinical radiology reports that had been indexed manually using UMLS concept descriptors was indexed automatically by the SAPHIRE indexing engine. Using the data generated by this process the authors developed a system that simulated indexing, at the document section level, of the same document set using many permutations of a subset of the UMLS constituent vocabularies. The precision and recall scores generated by simulated indexing for each permutation of two or three UMLS constituent vocabularies were determined. While there was considerable variation in precision and recall values across the different subtypes of radiology reports, the overall effect of this indexing strategy using the best combination of two or three UMLS constituent vocabularies was an improvement in precision without significant impact of recall. In this pilot study a contextual indexing strategy improved overall precision in a set of clinical radiology reports.

Mechanism Design Principle for Optical-Precision, Deployable Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lake, Mark S.; Hachkowski, M. Roman

2000-01-01

The present paper is intended to be a guide for the design of 'microdynamically quiet' deployment mechanisms for optical-precision structures, such as deployable telescope mirrors and optical benches. Many of the guidelines included herein come directly from the field of optomechanical engineering, and are neither newly developed guidelines nor are they uniquely applicable to high-precision deployment mechanisms. However, the application of these guidelines to the design of deployment mechanisms is a rather new practice, so efforts are made herein to illustrate the process through the discussion of specific examples. The present paper summarizes a more extensive set of design guidelines for optical-precision mechanisms that are under development.

High-precision multiband spectroscopy of ultracold fermions in a nonseparable optical lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fläschner, Nick; Tarnowski, Matthias; Rem, Benno S.; Vogel, Dominik; Sengstock, Klaus; Weitenberg, Christof

2018-05-01

Spectroscopic tools are fundamental for the understanding of complex quantum systems. Here, we demonstrate high-precision multiband spectroscopy in a graphenelike lattice using ultracold fermionic atoms. From the measured band structure, we characterize the underlying lattice potential with a relative error of 1.2 ×10-3 . Such a precise characterization of complex lattice potentials is an important step towards precision measurements of quantum many-body systems. Furthermore, we explain the excitation strengths into different bands with a model and experimentally study their dependency on the symmetry of the perturbation operator. This insight suggests the excitation strengths as a suitable observable for interaction effects on the eigenstates.

Smart reconfigurable parabolic space antenna for variable electromagnetic patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalra, Sahil; Datta, Rituparna; Munjal, B. S.; Bhattacharya, Bishakh

2018-02-01

An application of reconfigurable parabolic space antenna for satellite is discussed in this paper. The present study focuses on shape morphing of flexible parabolic antenna actuated with Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wires. The antenna is able to transmit the signals to the desired footprint on earth with a desired gain value. SMA wire based actuation with a locking device is developed for a precise control of Antenna shape. The locking device is efficient to hold the structure in deformed configuration during power cutoff from the system. The maximum controllable deflection at any point using such actuation system is about 25mm with a precision of ±100 m. In order to control the shape of the antenna in a closed feedback loop, a Proportional, Integral and Derivative (PID) based controller is developed using LabVIEW (NI) and experiments are performed. Numerical modeling and analysis of the structure is carried out using finite element software ABAQUS. For data reduction and fast computation, stiffness matrix generated by ABAQUS is condensed by Guyan Reduction technique and shape optimization is performed using Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II). The matching in comparative study between numerical and experimental set-up shows efficacy of our method. Thereafter, Electro-Magnetic (EM) simulations of the deformed shape is carried out using electromagnetic field simulation, High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS). The proposed design is envisaged to be very effective for multipurpose application of satellite system in the future missions of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

Tuning the structure and habit of iron oxide mesocrystals

DOE PAGES

Wetterskog, Erik; Klapper, Alice; Disch, Sabrina; ...

2016-07-11

A precise control over the meso- and microstructure of ordered and aligned nanoparticle assemblies, i.e., mesocrystals, is essential in the quest for exploiting the collective material properties for potential applications. In this work, we produced evaporation-induced self-assembled mesocrystals with different mesostructures and crystal habits based on iron oxide nanocubes by varying the nanocube size and shape and by applying magnetic fields. A full 3D characterization of the mesocrystals was performed using image analysis, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-ray Scattering (GISAXS). This enabled the structural determination of e.g. multi-domain mesocrystals with complex crystal habits and themore » quantification of interparticle distances with sub-nm precision. Mesocrystals of small nanocubes (l = 8.6 12.6 nm) are isostructural with a body centred tetragonal (bct ) lattice whereas assemblies of the largest nanocubes in this study (l = 13.6 nm) additionally form a simple cubic (sc) lattice. The mesocrystal habit can be tuned from a square, hexagonal to star-like and pillar shapes depending on the particle size and shape and the strength of the applied magnetic field. Finally, we outline a qualitative phase diagram of the evaporation-induced self-assembled superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocube mesocrystals based on nanocube edge length and magnetic field strength.« less

Development and validation of an automated and marker-free CT-based spatial analysis method (CTSA) for assessment of femoral hip implant migration: In vitro accuracy and precision comparable to that of radiostereometric analysis (RSA).

PubMed

Scheerlinck, Thierry; Polfliet, Mathias; Deklerck, Rudi; Van Gompel, Gert; Buls, Nico; Vandemeulebroucke, Jef

2016-01-01

We developed a marker-free automated CT-based spatial analysis (CTSA) method to detect stem-bone migration in consecutive CT datasets and assessed the accuracy and precision in vitro. Our aim was to demonstrate that in vitro accuracy and precision of CTSA is comparable to that of radiostereometric analysis (RSA). Stem and bone were segmented in 2 CT datasets and both were registered pairwise. The resulting rigid transformations were compared and transferred to an anatomically sound coordinate system, taking the stem as reference. This resulted in 3 translation parameters and 3 rotation parameters describing the relative amount of stem-bone displacement, and it allowed calculation of the point of maximal stem migration. Accuracy was evaluated in 39 comparisons by imposing known stem migration on a stem-bone model. Precision was estimated in 20 comparisons based on a zero-migration model, and in 5 patients without stem loosening. Limits of the 95% tolerance intervals (TIs) for accuracy did not exceed 0.28 mm for translations and 0.20° for rotations (largest standard deviation of the signed error (SD(SE)): 0.081 mm and 0.057°). In vitro, limits of the 95% TI for precision in a clinically relevant setting (8 comparisons) were below 0.09 mm and 0.14° (largest SD(SE): 0.012 mm and 0.020°). In patients, the precision was lower, but acceptable, and dependent on CT scan resolution. CTSA allows detection of stem-bone migration with an accuracy and precision comparable to that of RSA. It could be valuable for evaluation of subtle stem loosening in clinical practice.

Synthesis and structural analysis of Fe doped TiO2 nanoparticles using Williamson Hall and Scherer Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patle, L. B.; Labhane, P. K.; Huse, V. R.; Gaikwad, K. D.; Chaudhari, A. L.

2018-05-01

The nanoparticles of Pure and doped Ti1-xFexO were synthesized by modified co-precipitation method successfully with nominal composite of x=0.0, 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 at room temperature. The precursors were further calcined at 500°C for 6hrs in muffle furnace which results in the formation of different TiO2 phase compositions. The structural analysis carried out by XRD (Bruker D8 Cu-Kα1). X-ray peak broadening analysis was used to evaluate the crystalline sizes, the lattice parameters, atomic packing fraction, c/a ratio, X-ray density and Volume of unit cell. The Williamson Hall analysis is used to find grain size and Strain of prepared TiO2 nano particles. Crystalline TiO2 with a Tetragonal Anatase phase is confirmed by XRD results. The grain size of pure and Fe doped samples were found in the range of 10nm to 18nm. All the physical parameters of anatase tetragonal TiO2 nanoparticles were calculated more precisely using modified W-H plot a uniform deformation model (UDM). The results calculated from both the techniques were approximately similar.

Atomically Precise Interfaces from Non-stoichiometric Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Yuefeng; Zhu, Ye; Lee, Che-Hui; Kourkoutis, Lena; Mundy, Julia; Junquera, Javier; Ghosez, Philippe; Baek, David; Sung, Suk Hyun; Xi, Xiaoxing; Shen, Kyle; Muller, David; Schlom, Darrell

2015-03-01

Complex oxide heterostructures display some of the most chemically abrupt, atomically precise interfaces, which is advantageous when constructing new interface phases with emergent properties by juxtaposing incompatible ground states. One might assume that atomically precise interfaces result from stoichiometric growth. Here we show that the most precise control is, however, obtained by using deliberate and specific non-stoichiometric growth conditions. For the precise growth of Srn+1TinO3n+1 Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) phases, stoichiometric deposition leads to the loss of the first RP rock-salt double layer, but growing with a strontium-rich surface layer restores the bulk stoichiometry and ordering of the subsurface RP structure. Our results dramatically expand the materials that can be prepared in epitaxial heterostructures with precise interface control--from just the n = 1 end members (perovskites) to the entire RP homologous series--enabling the exploration of novel quantum phenomena at a richer variety of oxide interfaces.

Atomically precise interfaces from non-stoichiometric deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Y. F.; Zhu, Y.; Lee, C.-H.; Kourkoutis, L. F.; Mundy, J. A.; Junquera, J.; Ghosez, Ph.; Baek, D. J.; Sung, S.; Xi, X. X.; Shen, K. M.; Muller, D. A.; Schlom, D. G.

2014-08-01

Complex oxide heterostructures display some of the most chemically abrupt, atomically precise interfaces, which is advantageous when constructing new interface phases with emergent properties by juxtaposing incompatible ground states. One might assume that atomically precise interfaces result from stoichiometric growth. Here we show that the most precise control is, however, obtained by using deliberate and specific non-stoichiometric growth conditions. For the precise growth of Srn+1TinOn+1 Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) phases, stoichiometric deposition leads to the loss of the first RP rock-salt double layer, but growing with a strontium-rich surface layer restores the bulk stoichiometry and ordering of the subsurface RP structure. Our results dramatically expand the materials that can be prepared in epitaxial heterostructures with precise interface control—from just the n=∞ end members (perovskites) to the entire RP homologous series—enabling the exploration of novel quantum phenomena at a richer variety of oxide interfaces.