The impact of parental separation/divorce on grandparent-grandchild relationships.

PubMed

Drew, L A; Smith, P K

1999-01-01

Eighty-six members of the Grandparents' Federation in Britain returned questionnaires about changes in contact with their grandchildren following parental divorce; ten grandparents were also interviewed to obtain more contextual information and measures of health and coping strategies. Three questionnaire measures of the grandparent-grandchild relationship, proximity, contact frequency, and emotional involvement, were interrelated and a significant decrease was reported after parental divorce. There were no significant differences on these measures between grandparents all of whose grandchildren were affected by parental divorce, and grandparents for whom only some grandchildren were so affected; but the latter group did show a greater decline in emotional involvement and also had less recourse to legal action to sustain contact. With grandchildren affected by parental divorce, proximity to grandparents was not significantly less than for grandchildren not so affected, but contact and emotional involvement were significantly less. Many grandparents reported emotional and physical health problems related to the loss of contact. Results are discussed in terms of the extent to which grandparents are victims of the divorce situation, or agents involved in cross-generational family dysfunction; the victim model appears to get more support from our data. Recommendations are made for further research, as well as counseling to help move grandparents through the grief process and to a better quality of life.

Dynamic and impact contact mechanics of geologic materials: Grain-scale experiments and modeling

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

Cole, David M.; Hopkins, Mark A.; Ketcham, Stephen A.

2013-06-18

High fidelity treatments of the generation and propagation of seismic waves in naturally occurring granular materials is becoming more practical given recent advancements in our ability to model complex particle shapes and their mechanical interaction. Of particular interest are the grain-scale processes that are activated by impact events and the characteristics of force transmission through grain contacts. To address this issue, we have developed a physics based approach that involves laboratory experiments to quantify the dynamic contact and impact behavior of granular materials and incorporation of the observed behavior indiscrete element models. The dynamic experiments do not involve particle damagemore » and emphasis is placed on measured values of contact stiffness and frictional loss. The normal stiffness observed in dynamic contact experiments at low frequencies (e.g., 10 Hz) are shown to be in good agreement with quasistatic experiments on quartz sand. The results of impact experiments - which involve moderate to extensive levels of particle damage - are presented for several types of naturally occurring granular materials (several quartz sands, magnesite and calcium carbonate ooids). Implementation of the experimental findings in discrete element models is discussed and the results of impact simulations involving up to 5 Multiplication-Sign 105 grains are presented.« less

History-Dependent Problems with Applications to Contact Models for Elastic Beams

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

Bartosz, Krzysztof; Kalita, Piotr; Migórski, Stanisław

We prove an existence and uniqueness result for a class of subdifferential inclusions which involve a history-dependent operator. Then we specialize this result in the study of a class of history-dependent hemivariational inequalities. Problems of such kind arise in a large number of mathematical models which describe quasistatic processes of contact. To provide an example we consider an elastic beam in contact with a reactive obstacle. The contact is modeled with a new and nonstandard condition which involves both the subdifferential of a nonconvex and nonsmooth function and a Volterra-type integral term. We derive a variational formulation of the problemmore » which is in the form of a history-dependent hemivariational inequality for the displacement field. Then, we use our abstract result to prove its unique weak solvability. Finally, we consider a numerical approximation of the model, solve effectively the approximate problems and provide numerical simulations.« less

Contact dermatitis.

PubMed

Gurwood, A S; Altenderfer, D S

2001-01-01

Anatomically, the eyelid can be divided microscopically into (1) skin, which is made up of epidermis and dermis; (2) submucosa (3) muscular layer; (4) submuscular layer (dense connective tissue); (5) fibrous layer; and (6) palpebral conjunctiva. The thin nature of the eyelid makes it susceptible to inflammation resulting from allergy. Minimum levels of irritants contacting the adnexal area can penetrate the skin to initiate the allergic cascade. Allergic reactions that involve the eye may begin via contact to the skin, but often involve the conjunctiva. Eczema is the general term that describes the superficial inflammatory process involving the epidermis. Contact eczema is characterized by varying elements of epidermal erythema, papules, and vesicles. Allergic dermatoconjunctivitis connotes involvement of both the skin and conjunctiva. A 24-year-old man came to the clinic with a red, swollen left eye. Based on the history, the constellation of signs and symptoms (lack of diffuse or focal pain, presence of periorbital and conjunctival edema, absence of fever), and failed resolution after treatment with injectable antibiotics, the diagnosis of type IV delayed hypersensitivity reaction secondary to toxic/chemical exposure was made. Speedy resolution was accomplished using a sequenced therapy, which included oral antihistamines, topical cycloplegics, topical antibiotics, topical steroids, and palliative therapies. Optometrists should be familiar with the signs and symptoms of contact eczema and allergic dermatoconjunctivitis. Treatment includes management of the skin and adnexae, as well as the ocular manifestations.

Processes linked to contact changes in adoptive kinship networks.

PubMed

Dunbar, Nora; van Dulmen, Manfred H M; Ayers-Lopez, Susan; Berge, Jerica M; Christian, Cinda; Gossman, Ginger; Henney, M Susan M; Mendenhall, Tai J; Grotevant, Harold D; McRoy, Ruth G

2006-12-01

The purpose of this study was to reveal underlying processes in adoptive kinship networks that experienced increases or decreases in levels of openness during the child's adolescent years. Intensive case study analyses were conducted for 8 adoptive kinship networks (each including an adoptive mother, adoptive father, adopted adolescent, and birth mother), half of whom had experienced an increase in openness from indirect (mediated) to direct (fully disclosed) contact and half of whom had ceased indirect contact between Waves 1 and 2 of a longitudinal study. Adoptive mothers tended to be more involved in contact with the birth mother than were adoptive fathers or adopted adolescents. Members of adoptive kinship networks in which a decrease in level of contact took place had incongruent perspectives about who initiated the stop in contact and why the stop took place. Birth mothers were less satisfied with their degree of contact than were adoptive parents. Adults' satisfaction with contact was related to feelings of control over type and amount of interactions and permeability of family boundaries. In all adoptive kinship networks, responsibility for contact had shifted toward the adopted adolescent regardless of whether the adolescent was aware of this change in responsibility.

Sociocultural determinants of the help-seeking behavior of patients with mental illness.

PubMed

Lin, K M; Inui, T S; Kleinman, A M; Womack, W M

1982-02-01

This descriptive study employed semistructured interviewing and questionnaire administration to delineate the sociocultural determinants of the help-seeking process in 48 psychiatric patients. The help-seeking process is considered in two stages. The first stage starts from the recognition of initial symptoms and ends in the first contact with a mental health professional. The second stage is defined as that time between the first contact and actual participation in a planned treatment program. In both stages, patients typically go through phases of lay consultation, nonpsychiatric professional consultation, and referral. The multiple steps which are usually involved in help seeking often result in significant delay of both mental health contact and treatment. The help-seeking process was found to correlate strongly with ethnicity. Both Asians and Blacks showed more extended family involvement, and the involvement of key family members tended to be persistent and intensive in Asians. Ethnicity was also associated with the length of delay, with Asians showing the longest delay and Caucasians the least. These ethnic differences were also reflected in help-seeking pathway assignment using Lin's criteria. Although modernity and parochialism, as measured by the level of modernization and the cohesiveness of the social network system of the subjects, were also found to be correlated with delay, they appeared to exert an influence independent from that of ethnicity.

Dynamic history-dependent variational-hemivariational inequalities with applications to contact mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Migórski, Stanislaw; Ogorzaly, Justyna

2017-02-01

In the paper we deliver a new existence and uniqueness result for a class of abstract nonlinear variational-hemivariational inequalities which are governed by two operators depending on the history of the solution, and include two nondifferentiable functionals, a convex and a nonconvex one. Then, we consider an initial boundary value problem which describes a model of evolution of a viscoelastic body in contact with a foundation. The contact process is assumed to be dynamic, and the friction is described by subdifferential boundary conditions. Both the constitutive law and the contact condition involve memory operators. As an application of the abstract theory, we provide a result on the unique weak solvability of the contact problem.

Effect of direct eye contact in PTSD related to interpersonal trauma: an fMRI study of activation of an innate alarm system.

PubMed

Steuwe, Carolin; Daniels, Judith K; Frewen, Paul A; Densmore, Maria; Pannasch, Sebastian; Beblo, Thomas; Reiss, Jeffrey; Lanius, Ruth A

2014-01-01

In healthy individuals, direct eye contact initially leads to activation of a fast subcortical pathway, which then modulates a cortical route eliciting social cognitive processes. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the neurobiological effects of direct eye-to-eye contact using a virtual reality paradigm in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to prolonged childhood abuse. We examined 16 healthy comparison subjects and 16 patients with a primary diagnosis of PTSD using a virtual reality functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigm involving direct vs averted gaze (happy, sad, neutral) as developed by Schrammel et al. in 2009. Irrespective of the displayed emotion, controls exhibited an increased blood oxygenation level-dependent response during direct vs averted gaze within the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, left temporoparietal junction and right temporal pole. Under the same conditions, individuals with PTSD showed increased activation within the superior colliculus (SC)/periaqueductal gray (PAG) and locus coeruleus. Our findings suggest that healthy controls react to the exposure of direct gaze with an activation of a cortical route that enhances evaluative 'top-down' processes underlying social interactions. In individuals with PTSD, however, direct gaze leads to sustained activation of a subcortical route of eye-contact processing, an innate alarm system involving the SC and the underlying circuits of the PAG.

Effect of direct eye contact in PTSD related to interpersonal trauma: an fMRI study of activation of an innate alarm system

PubMed Central

Steuwe, Carolin; Daniels, Judith K.; Frewen, Paul A.; Densmore, Maria; Pannasch, Sebastian; Beblo, Thomas; Reiss, Jeffrey; Lanius, Ruth A.

2014-01-01

In healthy individuals, direct eye contact initially leads to activation of a fast subcortical pathway, which then modulates a cortical route eliciting social cognitive processes. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the neurobiological effects of direct eye-to-eye contact using a virtual reality paradigm in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to prolonged childhood abuse. We examined 16 healthy comparison subjects and 16 patients with a primary diagnosis of PTSD using a virtual reality functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigm involving direct vs averted gaze (happy, sad, neutral) as developed by Schrammel et al. in 2009. Irrespective of the displayed emotion, controls exhibited an increased blood oxygenation level-dependent response during direct vs averted gaze within the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, left temporoparietal junction and right temporal pole. Under the same conditions, individuals with PTSD showed increased activation within the superior colliculus (SC)/periaqueductal gray (PAG) and locus coeruleus. Our findings suggest that healthy controls react to the exposure of direct gaze with an activation of a cortical route that enhances evaluative ‘top–down’ processes underlying social interactions. In individuals with PTSD, however, direct gaze leads to sustained activation of a subcortical route of eye-contact processing, an innate alarm system involving the SC and the underlying circuits of the PAG. PMID:22977200

77 FR 21991 - Federal Housing Administration (FHA): Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP)-Lender and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-12

... Administration (FHA): Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP)--Lender and Underwriter Eligibility Criteria and....gov . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terry W. Clark, Office of Multifamily Development, Office of... qualifications could underwrite loans involving more complex multifamily housing programs and transactions. II...

[Establishment of model of traditional Chinese medicine injections post-marketing safety monitoring].

PubMed

Guo, Xin-E; Zhao, Yu-Bin; Xie, Yan-Ming; Zhao, Li-Cai; Li, Yan-Feng; Hao, Zhe

2013-09-01

To establish a nurse based post-marketing safety surveillance model for traditional Chinese medicine injections (TCMIs). A TCMIs safety monitoring team and a research hospital team engaged in the research, monitoring processes, and quality control processes were established, in order to achieve comprehensive, timely, accurate and real-time access to research data, to eliminate errors in data collection. A triage system involving a study nurse, as the first point of contact, clinicians and clinical pharmacists was set up in a TCM hospital. Following the specified workflow involving labeling of TCM injections and using improved monitoring forms it was found that there were no missing reports at the ratio of error was zero. A research nurse as the first and main point of contact in post-marketing safety monitoring of TCM as part of a triage model, ensures that research data collected has the characteristics of authenticity, accuracy, timeliness, integrity, and eliminate errors during the process of data collection. Hospital based monitoring is a robust and operable process.

Neural mechanisms of eye contact when listening to another person talking

PubMed Central

Borowiak, Kamila; Tudge, Luke; Otto, Carolin; von Kriegstein, Katharina

2017-01-01

Abstract Eye contact occurs frequently and voluntarily during face-to-face verbal communication. However, the neural mechanisms underlying eye contact when it is accompanied by spoken language remain unexplored to date. Here we used a novel approach, fixation-based event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), to simulate the listener making eye contact with a speaker during verbal communication. Participants’ eye movements and fMRI data were recorded simultaneously while they were freely viewing a pre-recorded speaker talking. The eye tracking data were then used to define events for the fMRI analyses. The results showed that eye contact in contrast to mouth fixation involved visual cortical areas (cuneus, calcarine sulcus), brain regions related to theory of mind/intentionality processing (temporoparietal junction, posterior superior temporal sulcus, medial prefrontal cortex) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In addition, increased effective connectivity was found between these regions for eye contact in contrast to mouth fixations. The results provide first evidence for neural mechanisms underlying eye contact when watching and listening to another person talking. The network we found might be well suited for processing the intentions of communication partners during eye contact in verbal communication. PMID:27576745

Inner-city African American parental involvement in children's schooling: racial socialization and social support from the parent community.

PubMed

McKay, Mary McKernan; Atkins, Marc S; Hawkins, Tracie; Brown, Catherine; Lynn, Cynthia J

2003-09-01

Parents (n = 161) and teachers (n = 18) from an urban elementary school serving primarily African American children completed questionnaires regarding racial socialization, social support, and involvement in activities that support youth educational achievement at home and school. Parental reports of racism awareness, and contact with school staff were significantly correlated with parent reports of at-home involvement and at-school involvement. Parent reports of social support from the parent community were significantly related to at-home involvement only. Relative to teacher reports, parents reported more formal contacts with school staff, and higher levels of racism awareness, religiosity, and African American cultural pride. Teachers and parents agreed on school climate and parental levels of at-home and at-school involvement. The results suggest that racial socialization processes are related to parent involvement in children's schooling and that increased efforts are needed to bridge a cultural gap between parents and teachers in inner-city communities.

Contact lines on silicone elastomers promote contamination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hourlier-Fargette, Aurelie; Antkowiak, Arnaud; Neukirch, Sebastien

2017-11-01

Silicone elastomers are used in contact with aqueous liquids in a large range of applications. Due to numerous advantages such as its flexibility, optical transparency, or gas permeability, polydimethylsiloxane is widely spread in rapid prototyping for microfluidics or elastocapillarity experiments. However, silicone elastomers are known to contain a small fraction of uncrosslinked low-molecular-weight oligomers, the effects of which are not completely understood. We show that in various setups involving an air-water-silicone elastomer contact line, a capillarity-induced extraction of uncrosslinked oligomers occurs, leading to a contamination of water-air interfaces. We investigate the case of a static air-water-PDMS contact line, before focusing on moving contact lines. A water droplet sliding down on a PDMS inclined plane or an air bubble rising on an immersed PDMS plane exhibits two successive speed regimes: the second regime is reached only when a monolayer of oligomers completely covers the water-air interface. These experiments involve processes occurring at the polymer network scale that have significant macroscopic consequences, and therefore provide a simple test to evaluate the presence of uncrosslinked oligomers in an elastomer sample.

Numerical investigation of contact stresses for fretting fatigue damage initiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatti, N. A.; Abdel Wahab, M.

2017-05-01

Fretting fatigue phenomena occurs due to interaction between contacting bodies under application of cyclic and normal loads. In addition to environmental conditions and material properties, the response at the contact interface highly depends on the combination of applied loads. High stress concentration is present at the contact interface, which can start the damage nucleation process. At the culmination of nucleation process several micro cracks are initiated, ultimately leading to the structural failure. In this study, effect of ratio of tangential to normal load on contact stresses, slip amplitude and damage initiation is studied using finite element analysis. The results are evaluated for Ruiz parameter as it involves the slip amplitude which in an important factor in fretting fatigue conditions. It is observed that tangential to normal load ratio influences the stick zone size and damage initiation life. Furthermore, it is observed that tensile stress is the most important factor that drives the damage initiation to failure for the cases where failure occurs predominantly in mode I manner.

Contact stiffness considerations when simulating tyre/road noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winroth, Julia; Kropp, Wolfgang; Hoever, Carsten; Höstmad, Patrik

2017-11-01

Tyre/road simulation tools that can capture tyre vibrations, rolling resistance and noise generation are useful for understanding the complex processes that are involved and thereby promoting further development and optimisation. The most detailed tyre/road contact models use a spatial discretisation of the contact and assume an interfacial stiffness to account for the small-scale roughness within the elements. This interfacial stiffness has been found to have a significant impact on the simulated noise emissions but no thorough investigations of this sensitivity have been conducted. Three mechanisms are thought to be involved: The horn effect, the modal composition of the vibrational field of the tyre and the contact forces exciting the tyre vibrations. This study used a numerical tyre/road noise simulation tool based on physical relations to investigate these aspects. The model includes a detailed time-domain contact model with linear or non-linear contact springs that accounts for the effect of local tread deformation on smaller length scales. Results confirm that an increase in contact spring stiffness causes a significant increase of the simulated tyre/road noise. This is primarily caused by a corresponding increase in the contact forces, resulting in larger vibrational amplitudes. The horn effect and the modal composition are relatively unaffected and have minor effects on the radiated noise. A more detailed non-linear contact spring formulation with lower stiffness at small indentations results in a reduced high-frequency content in the contact forces and the simulated noise.

Scaling Effects on Materials Tribology: From Macro to Micro Scale.

PubMed

Stoyanov, Pantcho; Chromik, Richard R

2017-05-18

The tribological study of materials inherently involves the interaction of surface asperities at the micro to nanoscopic length scales. This is the case for large scale engineering applications with sliding contacts, where the real area of contact is made up of small contacting asperities that make up only a fraction of the apparent area of contact. This is why researchers have sought to create idealized experiments of single asperity contacts in the field of nanotribology. At the same time, small scale engineering structures known as micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS) have been developed, where the apparent area of contact approaches the length scale of the asperities, meaning the real area of contact for these devices may be only a few asperities. This is essentially the field of microtribology, where the contact size and/or forces involved have pushed the nature of the interaction between two surfaces towards the regime where the scale of the interaction approaches that of the natural length scale of the features on the surface. This paper provides a review of microtribology with the purpose to understand how tribological processes are different at the smaller length scales compared to macrotribology. Studies of the interfacial phenomena at the macroscopic length scales (e.g., using in situ tribometry) will be discussed and correlated with new findings and methodologies at the micro-length scale.

Scaling Effects on Materials Tribology: From Macro to Micro Scale

PubMed Central

Stoyanov, Pantcho; Chromik, Richard R.

2017-01-01

The tribological study of materials inherently involves the interaction of surface asperities at the micro to nanoscopic length scales. This is the case for large scale engineering applications with sliding contacts, where the real area of contact is made up of small contacting asperities that make up only a fraction of the apparent area of contact. This is why researchers have sought to create idealized experiments of single asperity contacts in the field of nanotribology. At the same time, small scale engineering structures known as micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS) have been developed, where the apparent area of contact approaches the length scale of the asperities, meaning the real area of contact for these devices may be only a few asperities. This is essentially the field of microtribology, where the contact size and/or forces involved have pushed the nature of the interaction between two surfaces towards the regime where the scale of the interaction approaches that of the natural length scale of the features on the surface. This paper provides a review of microtribology with the purpose to understand how tribological processes are different at the smaller length scales compared to macrotribology. Studies of the interfacial phenomena at the macroscopic length scales (e.g., using in situ tribometry) will be discussed and correlated with new findings and methodologies at the micro-length scale. PMID:28772909

ER-PM Contacts Define Actomyosin Kinetics for Proper Contractile Ring Assembly.

PubMed

Zhang, Dan; Bidone, Tamara C; Vavylonis, Dimitrios

2016-03-07

The cortical endoplasmic reticulum (ER), an elaborate network of tubules and cisternae [1], establishes contact sites with the plasma membrane (PM) through tethering machinery involving a set of conserved integral ER proteins [2]. The physiological consequences of forming ER-PM contacts are not fully understood. Here, we reveal a kinetic restriction role of ER-PM contacts over ring compaction process for proper actomyosin ring assembly in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We show that fission yeast cells deficient in ER-PM contacts exhibit aberrant equatorial clustering of actin cables during ring assembly and are particularly susceptible to compromised actin filament crosslinking activity. Using quantitative image analyses and computer simulation, we demonstrate that ER-PM contacts function to modulate the distribution of ring components and to constrain their compaction kinetics. We propose that ER-PM contacts have evolved as important physical modulators to ensure robust ring assembly. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Family Involvement and Changes in Child Behavior during Residential Mental Health Treatment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robst, John; Rohrer, Lodi; Armstrong, Mary; Dollard, Norin; Sharrock, Patty; Batsche, Catherine; Reader, Steven

2013-01-01

Background: Family involvement is viewed as an important component of the treatment process for children in residential treatment centers, but little is known about the impact of contact with family members on changes in youth functioning. Objective: The goal of this study was to use administrative data to examine the association between family…

Implementing long-term EAP follow-up with clients and family members to help prevent relapse-With implications for primary prevention.

PubMed

Foote, A; Googins, B; Moriarty, M; Sandonato, C; Nadolski, J; Jefferson, C

1994-12-01

This paper reports on a study in progress which involves (a) regular post-treatment contact by employee assistance program (EAP) staff with employees who seek help through the EAP, and (b) contact with a family member or other support person designated by the employee. The contacts are designed to provide support for maintenance of therapeutic gains, assistance in adjusting to current life situations, and early identification and prevention of relapse. The study will evaluate the process of initiating these contacts and will examine their effectiveness at reducing relapse. Factors associated with implementing these services in an EAP context are discussed.

Applicability of Macroscopic Wear and Friction Laws on the Atomic Length Scale.

PubMed

Eder, S J; Feldbauer, G; Bianchi, D; Cihak-Bayr, U; Betz, G; Vernes, A

2015-07-10

Using molecular dynamics, we simulate the abrasion process of an atomically rough Fe surface with multiple hard abrasive particles. By quantifying the nanoscopic wear depth in a time-resolved fashion, we show that Barwell's macroscopic wear law can be applied at the atomic scale. We find that in this multiasperity contact system, the Bowden-Tabor term, which describes the friction force as a function of the real nanoscopic contact area, can predict the kinetic friction even when wear is involved. From this the Derjaguin-Amontons-Coulomb friction law can be recovered, since we observe a linear dependence of the contact area on the applied load in accordance with Greenwood-Williamson contact mechanics.

Academic Libraries, Information Sources, and Shared Decision Making.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClure, Charles R.

1980-01-01

Analyzes the relationship of academic librarians' contact with information sources and their involvement in library decision making. Findings suggest that individuals rich in information sources are most closely linked to the decision-making process. (RAA)

Neural mechanisms of eye contact when listening to another person talking.

PubMed

Jiang, Jing; Borowiak, Kamila; Tudge, Luke; Otto, Carolin; von Kriegstein, Katharina

2017-02-01

Eye contact occurs frequently and voluntarily during face-to-face verbal communication. However, the neural mechanisms underlying eye contact when it is accompanied by spoken language remain unexplored to date. Here we used a novel approach, fixation-based event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), to simulate the listener making eye contact with a speaker during verbal communication. Participants' eye movements and fMRI data were recorded simultaneously while they were freely viewing a pre-recorded speaker talking. The eye tracking data were then used to define events for the fMRI analyses. The results showed that eye contact in contrast to mouth fixation involved visual cortical areas (cuneus, calcarine sulcus), brain regions related to theory of mind/intentionality processing (temporoparietal junction, posterior superior temporal sulcus, medial prefrontal cortex) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In addition, increased effective connectivity was found between these regions for eye contact in contrast to mouth fixations. The results provide first evidence for neural mechanisms underlying eye contact when watching and listening to another person talking. The network we found might be well suited for processing the intentions of communication partners during eye contact in verbal communication. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Biological and Clinical Implications of Lysozyme Deposition on Soft Contact Lenses

PubMed Central

Omali, Negar Babaei; Subbaraman, Lakshman N.; Coles-Brennan, Chantal; Fadli, Zohra; Jones, Lyndon W.

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Within a few minutes of wear, contact lenses become rapidly coated with a variety of tear film components, including proteins, lipids, and mucins. Tears have a rich and complex composition, allowing a wide range of interactions and competitive processes, with the first event observed at the interface between a contact lens and tear fluid being protein adsorption. Protein adsorption on hydrogel contact lenses is a complex process involving a variety of factors relating to both the protein in question and the lens material. Among tear proteins, lysozyme is a major protein that has both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory functions. Contact lens materials that have high ionicity and high water content have an increased affinity to accumulate lysozyme during wear, when compared with other soft lens materials, notably silicone hydrogel lenses. This review provides an overview of tear film proteins, with a specific focus on lysozyme, and examines various factors that influence protein deposition on contact lenses. In addition, the impact of lysozyme deposition on various ocular physiological responses and bacterial adhesion to lenses and the interaction of lysozyme with other tear proteins are reviewed. This comprehensive review suggests that deposition of lysozyme on contact lens materials may provide a number of beneficial effects during contact lens wear. PMID:26002002

Possibilities of Particle Finite Element Methods in Industrial Forming Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver, J.; Cante, J. C.; Weyler, R.; Hernandez, J.

2007-04-01

The work investigates the possibilities offered by the particle finite element method (PFEM) in the simulation of forming problems involving large deformations, multiple contacts, and new boundaries generation. The description of the most distinguishing aspects of the PFEM, and its application to simulation of representative forming processes, illustrate the proposed methodology.

URANIUM SEPARATION PROCESS

DOEpatents

McVey, W.H.; Reas, W.H.

1959-03-10

The separation of uranium from an aqueous solution containing a water soluble uranyl salt is described. The process involves adding an alkali thiocyanate to the aqueous solution, contacting the resulting solution with methyl isobutyl ketons and separating the resulting aqueous and organic phase. The uranium is extracted in the organic phase as UO/sub 2/(SCN)/sub/.

Color-gradient lattice Boltzmann model for simulating droplet motion with contact-angle hysteresis.

PubMed

Ba, Yan; Liu, Haihu; Sun, Jinju; Zheng, Rongye

2013-10-01

Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is an effective tool for simulating the contact-line motion due to the nature of its microscopic dynamics. In contact-line motion, contact-angle hysteresis is an inherent phenomenon, but it is neglected in most existing color-gradient based LBMs. In this paper, a color-gradient based multiphase LBM is developed to simulate the contact-line motion, particularly with the hysteresis of contact angle involved. In this model, the perturbation operator based on the continuum surface force concept is introduced to model the interfacial tension, and the recoloring operator proposed by Latva-Kokko and Rothman is used to produce phase segregation and resolve the lattice pinning problem. At the solid surface, the color-conserving wetting boundary condition [Hollis et al., IMA J. Appl. Math. 76, 726 (2011)] is applied to improve the accuracy of simulations and suppress spurious currents at the contact line. In particular, we present a numerical algorithm to allow for the effect of the contact-angle hysteresis, in which an iterative procedure is used to determine the dynamic contact angle. Numerical simulations are conducted to verify the developed model, including the droplet partial wetting process and droplet dynamical behavior in a simple shear flow. The obtained results are compared with theoretical solutions and experimental data, indicating that the model is able to predict the equilibrium droplet shape as well as the dynamic process of partial wetting and thus permits accurate prediction of contact-line motion with the consideration of contact-angle hysteresis.

Study of role of meniscus and viscous forces during liquid-mediated contacts separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhital, Prabin

Menisci may form between two solid surfaces with the presence of an ultra-thin liquid film. When the separation operation is needed, meniscus and viscous forces contribute to an adhesion leading stiction, high friction, possibly high wear and potential failure of the contact systems, for instance microdevices, magnetic head disks and diesel fuel injectors. The situation may become more pronounced when the contacting surfaces are ultra-smooth and the normal load is small. Various design parameters, such as contact angle, initial separation height, surface tension and liquid viscosity, have been investigated during liquid-mediated contact separation. However, how the involved forces will change roles for various liquid is of interest and is necessary to be studied. In this study, meniscus and viscous forces due to water and liquid lubricants during separation of two flat surfaces are studied. Previously established mathematical model for meniscus and viscous forces during flat on flat contact separation is simulated. The effect of meniscus and viscous force on critical meniscus area at which those forces change role is studied with different liquid properties for flat on flat contact surfaces. The roles of the involved forces at various meniscus areas are analyzed. Experiments are done in concerns to studying the effect of surface roughness on contact angle. The impact of liquid properties, initial separation heights and contact angle on critical meniscus area for different liquid properties are analyzed. The study provides a fundamental understanding of the forces of the separation process and its value for the design of interfaces. The effect of surface roughness and liquid properties on contact angle are studied.

Light metal production

DOEpatents

Fan, Qinbai

2016-04-19

An electrochemical process for the production of light metals, particularly aluminum. Such a process involves contacting a light metal source material with an inorganic acid to form a solution containing the light metal ions in high concentration. The solution is fed to an electrochemical reactor assembly having an anode side containing an anode and a cathode side containing a cathode, with anode side and the cathode side separated by a bipolar membrane, with the solution being fed to the anode side. Light metal ions are electrochemically transferred through the bipolar membrane to the cathode side. The process further involves reducing the light metal ions to light metal powder. An associated processing system is also provided.

Charging of multiple interacting particles by contact electrification.

PubMed

Soh, Siowling; Liu, Helena; Cademartiri, Rebecca; Yoon, Hyo Jae; Whitesides, George M

2014-09-24

Many processes involve the movement of a disordered collection of small particles (e.g., powders, grain, dust, and granular foods). These particles move chaotically, interact randomly among themselves, and gain electrical charge by contact electrification. Understanding the mechanisms of contact electrification of multiple interacting particles has been challenging, in part due to the complex movement and interactions of the particles. To examine the processes contributing to contact electrification at the level of single particles, a system was constructed in which an array of millimeter-sized polymeric beads of different materials were agitated on a dish. The dish was filled almost completely with beads, such that beads did not exchange positions. At the same time, during agitation, there was sufficient space for collisions with neighboring beads. The charge of the beads was measured individually after agitation. Results of systematic variations in the organization and composition of the interacting beads showed that three mechanisms determined the steady-state charge of the beads: (i) contact electrification (charging of beads of different materials), (ii) contact de-electrification (discharging of beads of the same charge polarity to the atmosphere), and (iii) a long-range influence across beads not in contact with one another (occurring, plausibly, by diffusion of charge from a bead with a higher charge to a bead with a lower charge of the same polarity).

The role of contact chemoreception in the host location process of an egg parasitoid.

PubMed

Iacovone, Alessia; French, Alice Sarah; Tellier, Frédérique; Cusumano, Antonino; Clément, Gilles; Gaertner, Cyril; Conti, Eric; Salerno, Gianandrea; Marion-Poll, Frédéric

2016-01-01

Taste allows insects to detect palatable or toxic foods, identify a mate, and select appropriate oviposition sites. The gustatory system strongly contributes to the survival and reproductive success of many species, yet it is rarely studied in insect parasitoids. In order to locate and assess a host in which they will lay their eggs, female wasps actively search for chemical cues using their sensory organs present mainly on the antennae. In this paper, we studied the role of antennal taste sensilla chaetica in the perception of contact semiochemicals in Trissolcus brochymenae (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), an egg parasitoid of the brassicaceae pest Murgantia histrionica (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). Methanolic extracts obtained from male and female hosts elicited action potentials in taste neurons housed in antennal sensilla chaetica, indicating that these sensilla are involved in the perception of non volatile host kairomones. In behavioural assays, wasp females displayed an intense searching behaviour in open arenas treated with host extracts, thus confirming that these kairomones are soluble in polar solvents. We further investigated the extracts by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and found that they contain several compounds which are good candidates for these contact kairomones. This study contributes to better understanding contact chemoreception in egg parasitoids and identifying gustatory receptor neurons involved in the host location process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vacuum pull down method for an enhanced bonding process

DOEpatents

Davidson, James C.; Balch, Joseph W.

1999-01-01

A process for effectively bonding arbitrary size or shape substrates. The process incorporates vacuum pull down techniques to ensure uniform surface contact during the bonding process. The essence of the process for bonding substrates, such as glass, plastic, or alloys, etc., which have a moderate melting point with a gradual softening point curve, involves the application of an active vacuum source to evacuate interstices between the substrates while at the same time providing a positive force to hold the parts to be bonded in contact. This enables increasing the temperature of the bonding process to ensure that the softening point has been reached and small void areas are filled and come in contact with the opposing substrate. The process is most effective where at least one of the two plates or substrates contain channels or grooves that can be used to apply vacuum between the plates or substrates during the thermal bonding cycle. Also, it is beneficial to provide a vacuum groove or channel near the perimeter of the plates or substrates to ensure bonding of the perimeter of the plates or substrates and reduce the unbonded regions inside the interior region of the plates or substrates.

Principles of Stagewise Separation Process Calculations: A Simple Algebraic Approach Using Solvent Extraction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crittenden, Barry D.

1991-01-01

A simple liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) system involving a constant partition coefficient based on solute ratios is used to develop an algebraic understanding of multistage contacting in a first-year separation processes course. This algebraic approach to the LLE system is shown to be operable for the introduction of graphical techniques…

A Class of time-fractional hemivariational inequalities with application to frictional contact problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Shengda; Migórski, Stanisław

2018-03-01

In this paper a class of elliptic hemivariational inequalities involving the time-fractional order integral operator is investigated. Exploiting the Rothe method and using the surjectivity of multivalued pseudomonotone operators, a result on existence of solution to the problem is established. Then, this abstract result is applied to provide a theorem on the weak solvability of a fractional viscoelastic contact problem. The process is quasistatic and the constitutive relation is modeled with the fractional Kelvin-Voigt law. The friction and contact conditions are described by the Clarke generalized gradient of nonconvex and nonsmooth functionals. The variational formulation of this problem leads to a fractional hemivariational inequality.

Plates for vacuum thermal fusion

DOEpatents

Davidson, James C.; Balch, Joseph W.

2002-01-01

A process for effectively bonding arbitrary size or shape substrates. The process incorporates vacuum pull down techniques to ensure uniform surface contact during the bonding process. The essence of the process for bonding substrates, such as glass, plastic, or alloys, etc., which have a moderate melting point with a gradual softening point curve, involves the application of an active vacuum source to evacuate interstices between the substrates while at the same time providing a positive force to hold the parts to be bonded in contact. This enables increasing the temperature of the bonding process to ensure that the softening point has been reached and small void areas are filled and come in contact with the opposing substrate. The process is most effective where at least one of the two plates or substrates contain channels or grooves that can be used to apply vacuum between the plates or substrates during the thermal bonding cycle. Also, it is beneficial to provide a vacuum groove or channel near the perimeter of the plates or substrates to ensure bonding of the perimeter of the plates or substrates and reduce the unbonded regions inside the interior region of the plates or substrates.

Review of the Potential of the Ni/Cu Plating Technique for Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

PubMed Central

Rehman, Atteq ur; Lee, Soo Hong

2014-01-01

Developing a better method for the metallization of silicon solar cells is integral part of realizing superior efficiency. Currently, contact realization using screen printing is the leading technology in the silicon based photovoltaic industry, as it is simple and fast. However, the problem with metallization of this kind is that it has a lower aspect ratio and higher contact resistance, which limits solar cell efficiency. The mounting cost of silver pastes and decreasing silicon wafer thicknesses encourages silicon solar cell manufacturers to develop fresh metallization techniques involving a lower quantity of silver usage and not relying pressing process of screen printing. In recent times nickel/copper (Ni/Cu) based metal plating has emerged as a metallization method that may solve these issues. This paper offers a detailed review and understanding of a Ni/Cu based plating technique for silicon solar cells. The formation of a Ni seed layer by adopting various deposition techniques and a Cu conducting layer using a light induced plating (LIP) process are appraised. Unlike screen-printed metallization, a step involving patterning is crucial for opening the masking layer. Consequently, experimental procedures involving patterning methods are also explicated. Lastly, the issues of adhesion, back ground plating, process complexity and reliability for industrial applications are also addressed. PMID:28788516

Review of the Potential of the Ni/Cu Plating Technique for Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells.

PubMed

Rehman, Atteq Ur; Lee, Soo Hong

2014-02-18

Developing a better method for the metallization of silicon solar cells is integral part of realizing superior efficiency. Currently, contact realization using screen printing is the leading technology in the silicon based photovoltaic industry, as it is simple and fast. However, the problem with metallization of this kind is that it has a lower aspect ratio and higher contact resistance, which limits solar cell efficiency. The mounting cost of silver pastes and decreasing silicon wafer thicknesses encourages silicon solar cell manufacturers to develop fresh metallization techniques involving a lower quantity of silver usage and not relying pressing process of screen printing. In recent times nickel/copper (Ni/Cu) based metal plating has emerged as a metallization method that may solve these issues. This paper offers a detailed review and understanding of a Ni/Cu based plating technique for silicon solar cells. The formation of a Ni seed layer by adopting various deposition techniques and a Cu conducting layer using a light induced plating (LIP) process are appraised. Unlike screen-printed metallization, a step involving patterning is crucial for opening the masking layer. Consequently, experimental procedures involving patterning methods are also explicated. Lastly, the issues of adhesion, back ground plating, process complexity and reliability for industrial applications are also addressed.

DNA–protein π-interactions in nature: abundance, structure, composition and strength of contacts between aromatic amino acids and DNA nucleobases or deoxyribose sugar

PubMed Central

Wilson, Katie A.; Kellie, Jennifer L.; Wetmore, Stacey D.

2014-01-01

Four hundred twenty-eight high-resolution DNA–protein complexes were chosen for a bioinformatics study. Although 164 crystal structures (38% of those searched) contained no interactions, 574 discrete π–contacts between the aromatic amino acids and the DNA nucleobases or deoxyribose were identified using strict criteria, including visual inspection. The abundance and structure of the interactions were determined by unequivocally classifying the contacts as either π–π stacking, π–π T-shaped or sugar–π contacts. Three hundred forty-four nucleobase–amino acid π–π contacts (60% of all interactions identified) were identified in 175 of the crystal structures searched. Unprecedented in the literature, 230 DNA–protein sugar–π contacts (40% of all interactions identified) were identified in 137 crystal structures, which involve C–H···π and/or lone–pair···π interactions, contain any amino acid and can be classified according to sugar atoms involved. Both π–π and sugar–π interactions display a range of relative monomer orientations and therefore interaction energies (up to –50 (–70) kJ mol−1 for neutral (charged) interactions as determined using quantum chemical calculations). In general, DNA–protein π-interactions are more prevalent than perhaps currently accepted and the role of such interactions in many biological processes may yet to be uncovered. PMID:24744240

The TFOS International Workshop on Contact Lens Discomfort: Report of the Subcommittee on Neurobiology

PubMed Central

Stapleton, Fiona; Marfurt, Carl; Golebiowski, Blanka; Rosenblatt, Mark; Bereiter, David; Begley, Carolyn; Dartt, Darlene; Gallar, Juana; Belmonte, Carlos; Hamrah, Pedram; Willcox, Mark

2013-01-01

This report characterizes the neurobiology of the ocular surface and highlights relevant mechanisms that may underpin contact lens–related discomfort. While there is limited evidence for the mechanisms involved in contact lens–related discomfort, neurobiological mechanisms in dry eye disease, the inflammatory pathway, the effect of hyperosmolarity on ocular surface nociceptors, and subsequent sensory processing of ocular pain and discomfort have been at least partly elucidated and are presented herein to provide insight in this new arena. The stimulus to the ocular surface from a contact lens is likely to be complex and multifactorial, including components of osmolarity, solution effects, desiccation, thermal effects, inflammation, friction, and mechanical stimulation. Sensory input will arise from stimulation of the lid margin, palpebral and bulbar conjunctiva, and the cornea. PMID:24058137

Using facebook to maximize follow-up response rates in a longitudinal study of adults who use methamphetamine.

PubMed

Bolanos, Franklin; Herbeck, Diane; Christou, Dayna; Lovinger, Katherine; Pham, Aurora; Raihan, Adnan; Rodriguez, Luz; Sheaff, Patricia; Brecht, Mary-Lynn

2012-01-01

This study examines the process and effects of using facebook (FB) to locate and re-contact study participants targeted for follow up in a longitudinal study of adult methamphetamine users (N = 649). A follow-up interview was conducted in 2009-11 approximately 8 years after previous study participation. Our paper describes re-contact efforts involving FB, including IRB regulatory issues and the effectiveness of using FB compared to mailings and phone calls. A total of 48 of the 551 surviving non-incarcerated participants who agreed to be contacted for follow up studies were contacted via FB, of whom 11 completed the follow-up interview. Those contacted through FB were more likely to be younger, female, relocated out-of-state, and reported somewhat higher rates of anxiety and cognitive problems compared to those not located on FB. Although participants contacted through FB are likely to differ demographically from those contacted by phone or mail, FB provides a potentially effective means to expand conventional methods of correspondence for contacting hard to reach participants.

Using Facebook to Maximize Follow-Up Response Rates in a Longitudinal Study of Adults Who Use Methamphetamine

PubMed Central

Bolanos, Franklin; Herbeck, Diane; Christou, Dayna; Lovinger, Katherine; Pham, Aurora; Raihan, Adnan; Rodriguez, Luz; Sheaff, Patricia; Brecht, Mary-Lynn

2012-01-01

This study examines the process and effects of using facebook (FB) to locate and re-contact study participants targeted for follow up in a longitudinal study of adult methamphetamine users (N = 649). A follow-up interview was conducted in 2009–11 approximately 8 years after previous study participation. Our paper describes re-contact efforts involving FB, including IRB regulatory issues and the effectiveness of using FB compared to mailings and phone calls. A total of 48 of the 551 surviving non-incarcerated participants who agreed to be contacted for follow up studies were contacted via FB, of whom 11 completed the follow-up interview. Those contacted through FB were more likely to be younger, female, relocated out-of-state, and reported somewhat higher rates of anxiety and cognitive problems compared to those not located on FB. Although participants contacted through FB are likely to differ demographically from those contacted by phone or mail, FB provides a potentially effective means to expand conventional methods of correspondence for contacting hard to reach participants. PMID:22879750

Optimal contact definition for reconstruction of contact maps.

PubMed

Duarte, Jose M; Sathyapriya, Rajagopal; Stehr, Henning; Filippis, Ioannis; Lappe, Michael

2010-05-27

Contact maps have been extensively used as a simplified representation of protein structures. They capture most important features of a protein's fold, being preferred by a number of researchers for the description and study of protein structures. Inspired by the model's simplicity many groups have dedicated a considerable amount of effort towards contact prediction as a proxy for protein structure prediction. However a contact map's biological interest is subject to the availability of reliable methods for the 3-dimensional reconstruction of the structure. We use an implementation of the well-known distance geometry protocol to build realistic protein 3-dimensional models from contact maps, performing an extensive exploration of many of the parameters involved in the reconstruction process. We try to address the questions: a) to what accuracy does a contact map represent its corresponding 3D structure, b) what is the best contact map representation with regard to reconstructability and c) what is the effect of partial or inaccurate contact information on the 3D structure recovery. Our results suggest that contact maps derived from the application of a distance cutoff of 9 to 11A around the Cbeta atoms constitute the most accurate representation of the 3D structure. The reconstruction process does not provide a single solution to the problem but rather an ensemble of conformations that are within 2A RMSD of the crystal structure and with lower values for the pairwise average ensemble RMSD. Interestingly it is still possible to recover a structure with partial contact information, although wrong contacts can lead to dramatic loss in reconstruction fidelity. Thus contact maps represent a valid approximation to the structures with an accuracy comparable to that of experimental methods. The optimal contact definitions constitute key guidelines for methods based on contact maps such as structure prediction through contacts and structural alignments based on maximum contact map overlap.

Optimal contact definition for reconstruction of Contact Maps

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Contact maps have been extensively used as a simplified representation of protein structures. They capture most important features of a protein's fold, being preferred by a number of researchers for the description and study of protein structures. Inspired by the model's simplicity many groups have dedicated a considerable amount of effort towards contact prediction as a proxy for protein structure prediction. However a contact map's biological interest is subject to the availability of reliable methods for the 3-dimensional reconstruction of the structure. Results We use an implementation of the well-known distance geometry protocol to build realistic protein 3-dimensional models from contact maps, performing an extensive exploration of many of the parameters involved in the reconstruction process. We try to address the questions: a) to what accuracy does a contact map represent its corresponding 3D structure, b) what is the best contact map representation with regard to reconstructability and c) what is the effect of partial or inaccurate contact information on the 3D structure recovery. Our results suggest that contact maps derived from the application of a distance cutoff of 9 to 11Å around the Cβ atoms constitute the most accurate representation of the 3D structure. The reconstruction process does not provide a single solution to the problem but rather an ensemble of conformations that are within 2Å RMSD of the crystal structure and with lower values for the pairwise average ensemble RMSD. Interestingly it is still possible to recover a structure with partial contact information, although wrong contacts can lead to dramatic loss in reconstruction fidelity. Conclusions Thus contact maps represent a valid approximation to the structures with an accuracy comparable to that of experimental methods. The optimal contact definitions constitute key guidelines for methods based on contact maps such as structure prediction through contacts and structural alignments based on maximum contact map overlap. PMID:20507547

Non-resident fathers' relationships with their secondary school age children: determinants and children's mental health outcomes.

PubMed

Flouri, Eirini

2006-08-01

Data from 520 British secondary school age children were used to explore determinants of and mental health outcomes (measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) from their non-resident fathers' relationships (child-reported father's involvement and frequency of contact) with them. Frequency of contact was negatively related to time elapsed since parents separated, and was higher if fathers were single than partnered. Compared to White, non-White adolescents reported lower frequency of father's contact but not lower father's involvement. Father's involvement was related positively to mother's involvement and negatively to interparental conflict. As a whole, non-resident father's involvement and frequency of contact did not improve the regression models predicting children's total difficulties or pro-social behaviour. Even after controlling for other factors non-resident father's involvement did not predict child's difficulties or pro-social behaviour, although frequency of contact was negatively associated with child's emotional symptoms. Neither child's ethnicity or gender nor mother's partner status moderated the link between child's mental health outcomes and non-resident father's involvement or frequency of contact.

Ohmic contact formation between metal and AlGaN/GaN heterostructure via graphene insertion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sung Park, Pil; Reddy, Kongara M.; Nath, Digbijoy N.; Yang, Zhichao; Padture, Nitin P.; Rajan, Siddharth

2013-04-01

A simple method for the creation of Ohmic contact to 2D electron gas in AlGaN/GaN high electron-mobility transistors using Cr/graphene layer is demonstrated. A weak temperature dependence of this Ohmic contact observed in the range 77 to 300 K precludes thermionic emission or trap-assisted hopping as possible carrier-transport mechanisms. It is suggested that the Cr/graphene combination acts akin to a doped n-type semiconductor in contact with AlGaN/GaN heterostructure, and promotes carrier transport along percolating Al-lean paths through the AlGaN layer. This use of graphene offers a simple method for making Ohmic contacts to AlGaN/GaN heterostructures, circumventing complex additional processing steps involving high temperatures. These results could have important implications for the fabrication and manufacturing of AlGaN/GaN-based microelectronic and optoelectronic devices/sensors of the future.

Non-Contact Measurement Using A Laser Scanning Probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Modjarrad, Amir

1989-03-01

Traditional high accuracy touch-trigger probing can now be complemented by high speed, non-contact, profile scanning to give another "dimension" to the three-dimensional Co-ordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs). Some of the features of a specially developed laser scanning probe together with the trade-offs involved in the design of inspection systems that use triangulation are examined. Applications of such a laser probe on CMMs are numerous since high speed scanning allows inspection of many different components and surfaces. For example, car body panels, tyre moulds, aircraft wing skins, turbine blades, wax and clay models, plastics, etc. Other applications include in-process surveillance in manufacturing and food processing, robotics vision and many others. Some of these applications are discussed and practical examples, case studies and experimental results are given with particular reference to use on CMMs. In conclusion, future developments and market trends in high speed non-contact measurement are discussed.

Effect of direct eye contact in women with PTSD related to interpersonal trauma: Psychophysiological interaction analysis of connectivity of an innate alarm system.

PubMed

Steuwe, Carolin; Daniels, Judith K; Frewen, Paul A; Densmore, Maria; Theberge, Jean; Lanius, Ruth A

2015-05-30

In healthy individuals, direct eye contact is thought to modulate a cortical route eliciting social cognitive processes via activation of a fast subcortical pathway. This study aimed to examine functional brain connectivity during direct eye contact in women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to childhood abuse as compared with healthy controls. We conducted psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analyses in Statistical Parametric Mapping-8 (SPM8) using the superior colliculus (SC) and locus coeruleus (LC) as seed regions while 16 healthy subjects and 16 patients with a primary diagnosis of PTSD related to childhood maltreatment viewed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigm involving direct (D) versus averted (A) gaze (happy, sad, neutral). The PTSD group showed a significantly enhanced connectivity between the SC and the anterior cingulate, and between the LC and the thalamus, caudate, putamen, insula, cingulate gyrus, and amygdala, as compared with healthy individuals. Symptom severity scores on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) showed significant positive correlations with superior colliculus connectivity with the perigenual and posterior cingulate, insula, and sublenticular extended amygdala. Functional connectivity data suggest increased recruitment of brain regions involved in emotion processing during direct gaze in PTSD in association with the fast subcortical pathway. The interpretation of eye contact as a signal of threat may require more emotion regulatory capacities in patients with PTSD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Apparatus and method for carbon fiber surface treatment

DOEpatents

Paulauskas, Felix L; Sherman, Daniel M

2014-06-03

An apparatus and method for enhancing the surface energy and/or surface chemistry of carbon fibers involves exposing the fibers to direct or indirect contact with atmospheric pressure plasma generated using a background gas containing at least some oxygen or other reactive species. The fiber may be exposed directly to the plasma, provided that the plasma is nonfilamentary, or the fiber may be exposed indirectly through contact with gases exhausting from a plasma discharge maintained in a separate volume. In either case, the process is carried out at or near atmospheric pressure, thereby eliminating the need for vacuum equipment. The process may be further modified by moistening the fibers with selected oxygen-containing liquids before exposure to the plasma.

Apparatus and method for carbon fiber surface treatment

DOEpatents

Paulauskas, Felix L [Knoxville, TN; Sherman, Daniel M [Knoxville, TN

2012-07-24

An apparatus and method for enhancing the surface energy and/or surface chemistry of carbon fibers involves exposing the fibers to direct or indirect contact with atmospheric pressure plasma generated using a background gas containing at least some oxygen or other reactive species. The fiber may be exposed directly to the plasma, provided that the plasma is nonfilamentary, or the fiber may be exposed indirectly through contact with gases exhausting from a plasma discharge maintained in a separate volume. In either case, the process is carried out at or near atmospheric pressure, thereby eliminating the need for vacuum equipment. The process may be further modified by moistening the fibers with selected oxygen-containing liquids before exposure to the plasma.

Stress concentration in the vicinity of a hole defect under conditions of Hertzian contact

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yamamoto, T.; Eguchi, M.; Murayama, K.

1981-01-01

Two dimensional photoelastic stress analyses were conducted for epoxy resin models containing a hole defect under the conditions of Hertzian contact. Stress concentrations around the defect were determined as a function of several parameters. The effect of tangential traction on the stress concentration was also determined. Sharp stress concentrations occur in the vicinity of both the left and the right side of the hole. The stress concentration becomes more distinct the larger the hole diameter and the smaller distance between the hole and the contact surface. The stress concentration is greatest when the disk imposing a normal load is located at the contact surface directly over the hole. The magnitude and the location of stress concentration varies with the distance between the Hertzian contact area and the hole. The area involved in a process of rolling contact fatigue is confined to a shallow region at both sides of the hole. It was found that the effect of tangential traction is comparatively small on the stress concentration around the hole.

77 FR 26736 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-07

... an Internet Push methodology, in an effort to obtain early response rate indicators for the 2020... contact strategies involving optimizing the Internet push strategy are proposed, such as implementing... reducing and/or eliminating back-end processing. Affected Public: Individuals or households. Frequency: One...

75 FR 34088 - Fisheries in the Western Pacific; Community Development Program Process

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-16

.... Consist of community residents descended from aboriginal people indigenous to the western Pacific area who... involvement by the indigenous community members including the name, address, telephone and other contact... descended from aboriginal people indigenous to the western Pacific area who conducted commercial or...

New Method Developed to Measure Contact Angles of a Sessile Drop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chao, David F.; Zhang, Nengli

2002-01-01

The spreading of an evaporating liquid on a solid surface occurs in many practical processes and is of importance in a number of practical situations such as painting, textile dyeing, coating, gluing, and thermal engineering. Typical processes involving heat transfer where the contact angle plays an important role are film cooling, boiling, and the heat transfer through heat pipes. The biological phenomenon of cell spreading also is analogous to a drop spreading (ref. 1). In the study of spreading, the dynamic contact angle describes the interfacial properties on solid substrates and, therefore, has been studied by physicists and fluid mechanics investigators. The dynamic contact angle of a spreading nonvolatile liquid drop provides a simple tool in the study of the free-boundary problem, but the study of the spreading of a volatile liquid drop is of more practical interest because the evaporation of common liquids is inevitable in practical processes. The most common method to measure the contact angle, the contact radius, and the height of a sessile drop on a solid surface is to view the drop from its edge through an optical microscope. However, this method gives only local information in the view direction. Zhang and Yang (ref. 2) developed a laser shadowgraphy method to investigate the evaporation of sessile drop on a glass plate. As described here, Zhang and Chao (refs. 3 and 4) improved the method and suggested a new optical arrangement to measure the dynamic contact angle and the instant evaporation rate of a sessile drop with much higher accuracy (less than 1 percent). With this method, any fluid motion in the evaporating drop can be visualized through shadowgraphy without using a tracer, which often affects the field under investigation.

Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of the Stability of an Evaporating Constrained Vapor Bubble

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wayner, P. C., Jr.; Plawsky, J. L.; Wong, Harris

2004-01-01

The major accomplishments of the experimental portion of the research were documented in Ling Zheng's doctoral dissertation. Using Pentane, he obtained a considerable amount of data on the stability and heat transfer characteristics of an evaporating meniscus. The important points are that experimental equipment to obtain data on the stability and heat transfer characteristics of an evaporating meniscus were built and successfully operated. The data and subsequent analyses were accepted by the Journal of Heat Transfer for publication in 2004 [PU4]. The work was continued by a new graduate student using HFE-7000 [PU3] and then Pentane at lower heat fluxes. The Pentane results are being analyzed for publication. The experimental techniques are currently being used in our other NASA Grant. The oscillation of the contact line observed in the experiments involves evaporation (retraction part) and spreading. Since both processes occur with finite contact angles, it is important to derive a precise equation of the intermolecular forces (disjoining pressure) valid for non-zero contact angles. This theoretical derivation was accepted for publication by Journal of Fluid Mechanics [PU5]. The evaporation process near the contact line is complicated, and an idealized micro heat pipe has been proposed to help in elucidating the detailed evaporation process [manuscripts in preparation].

Recovery of cesium and palladium from nuclear reactor fuel processing waste

DOEpatents

Campbell, David O.

1976-01-01

A method of recovering cesium and palladium values from nuclear reactor fission product waste solution involves contacting the solution with a source of chloride ions and oxidizing palladium ions present in the solution to precipitate cesium and palladium as Cs.sub.2 PdCl.sub.6.

REMOVAL OF CHLORIDE FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS

DOEpatents

Schulz, W.W.

1959-08-01

The removal of chlorides from aqueons solutions is described. The process involves contacting the aqueous chloride containing solution with a benzene solution about 0.005 M in phenyl mercuric acetate whereby the chloride anions are taken up by the organic phase and separating the organic phase from the aqueous solutions.

Hybridization patterns in two contact zones of grass snakes reveal a new Central European snake species.

PubMed

Kindler, Carolin; Chèvre, Maxime; Ursenbacher, Sylvain; Böhme, Wolfgang; Hille, Axel; Jablonski, Daniel; Vamberger, Melita; Fritz, Uwe

2017-08-07

Recent studies found major conflicts between traditional taxonomy and genetic differentiation of grass snakes and identified previously unknown secondary contact zones. Until now, little is known about gene flow across these contact zones. Using two mitochondrial markers and 13 microsatellite loci, we examined two contact zones. One, largely corresponding to the Rhine region, involves the western subspecies Natrix natrix helvetica and the eastern subspecies N. n. natrix, whereas in the other, more easterly, contact zone two lineages meet that are currently identified with N. n. natrix and N. n. persa. This second contact zone runs across Central Europe to the southern Balkans. Our analyses reveal that the western contact zone is narrow, with parapatrically distributed mitochondrial lineages and limited, largely unidirectional nuclear gene flow. In contrast, the eastern contact zone is very wide, with massive nuclear admixture and broadly overlapping mitochondrial lineages. In combination with additional lines of evidence (morphology, phylogeny, divergence times), we conclude that these differences reflect different stages in the speciation process and that Natrix helvetica should be regarded as a distinct species. We suggest a nomenclatural framework for presently recognized grass snake taxa and highlight the need for reconciling the conflicts between genetics and taxonomy.

Infiltration of Liquid Droplets Into Porous Media: Effects of Dynamic Contact Angle and Contact Angle Hysteresis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilpert, M.

2008-12-01

Infiltration of liquid droplets into dry porous media occurs when rain drops fall onto soil, when accidentally spilling organic liquid (e.g., gasoline and chlorinated solvents) onto ground, or when aerosol pesticides are not intercepted by the vegetation and then released to soils. If harmful chemicals are released from the droplet into the atmosphere through evaporation, it is important to know the time of infiltration. We developed a theory for infiltration, which accounts for a general model for the dynamic contact angle between the droplet and the porous medium as well as contact angle hysteresis. Our theory assumes the droplet to have the shape of a spherical cap and the pressure within the droplet to be uniform. The theory shows that droplet infiltration involves three phases due to contact angle hysteresis: (1) an increasing drawing area (IDA) phase during which the interface between the droplet and the porous medium increases, (2) a constant drawing area (CDA) phase during which the contact line of the droplet remains pinned, and (3) a decreasing drawing area (DDA) phase. We find that infiltration always consists of a cascade process formed by the IDA, CDA, and DDA phases, where the entire process may begin or end in any of the three phases. The entire process is formulated with four nondimensional parameters: three contact angles (initial, advancing, and receding) and a porous permeability parameter that depends on porous medium geometry. The total time of infiltration and the time dependence of drawing area are critically affected by the occurrence of the IDA, CDA, and DDA phases as well as by the permeability. In general, the IDA and DDA phases are described by integro-differential equations. With ordinary differential equations (ODEs), we are able to approximate the IDA phase and to describe exactly infiltration processes that starts out with the CDA or DDA phase.

Critical behavior of the contact process in a multiscale network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, Silvio C.; Martins, Marcelo L.

2007-09-01

Inspired by dengue and yellow fever epidemics, we investigated the contact process (CP) in a multiscale network constituted by one-dimensional chains connected through a Barabási-Albert scale-free network. In addition to the CP dynamics inside the chains, the exchange of individuals between connected chains (travels) occurs at a constant rate. A finite epidemic threshold and an epidemic mean lifetime diverging exponentially in the subcritical phase, concomitantly with a power law divergence of the outbreak’s duration, were found. A generalized scaling function involving both regular and SF components was proposed for the quasistationary analysis and the associated critical exponents determined, demonstrating that the CP on this hybrid network and nonvanishing travel rates establishes a new universality class.

Processing of Global Area Coverage (GAC) Data of the TIROS-N/NOAA Series Polar Orbiters.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-10-01

National Climatic Data Center as tape copies that generally contain calibration information. In order to process the data on the SPADS , the data must be...the SPADS Eclipse S250, for maintenance of the software and for understanding data formats as well as the techniques involved in processing the GAC...constructive response will be appreciated. * 2. The Raw Data 2.1 How to Order Data Everybody working for the SPAD should contact the department head to

Interaction of Mitochondria with the Endoplasmic Reticulum and Plasma Membrane in Calcium Homeostasis, Lipid Trafficking and Mitochondrial Structure.

PubMed

Szymański, Jędrzej; Janikiewicz, Justyna; Michalska, Bernadeta; Patalas-Krawczyk, Paulina; Perrone, Mariasole; Ziółkowski, Wiesław; Duszyński, Jerzy; Pinton, Paolo; Dobrzyń, Agnieszka; Więckowski, Mariusz R

2017-07-20

Studying organelles in isolation has been proven to be indispensable for deciphering the underlying mechanisms of molecular cell biology. However, observing organelles in intact cells with the use of microscopic techniques reveals a new set of different junctions and contact sites between them that contribute to the control and regulation of various cellular processes, such as calcium and lipid exchange or structural reorganization of the mitochondrial network. In recent years, many studies focused their attention on the structure and function of contacts between mitochondria and other organelles. From these studies, findings emerged showing that these contacts are involved in various processes, such as lipid synthesis and trafficking, modulation of mitochondrial morphology, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, apoptosis, autophagy, inflammation and Ca 2 + handling. In this review, we focused on the physical interactions of mitochondria with the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane and summarized present knowledge regarding the role of mitochondria-associated membranes in calcium homeostasis and lipid metabolism.

Novel Sessile Drop Software for Quantitative Estimation of Slag Foaming in Carbon/Slag Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khanna, Rita; Rahman, Mahfuzur; Leow, Richard; Sahajwalla, Veena

2007-08-01

Novel video-processing software has been developed for the sessile drop technique for a rapid and quantitative estimation of slag foaming. The data processing was carried out in two stages: the first stage involved the initial transformation of digital video/audio signals into a format compatible with computing software, and the second stage involved the computation of slag droplet volume and area of contact in a chosen video frame. Experimental results are presented on slag foaming from synthetic graphite/slag system at 1550 °C. This technique can be used for determining the extent and stability of foam as a function of time.

Substrate interactions and promiscuity in a viral DNA packaging motor.

PubMed

Aathavan, K; Politzer, Adam T; Kaplan, Ariel; Moffitt, Jeffrey R; Chemla, Yann R; Grimes, Shelley; Jardine, Paul J; Anderson, Dwight L; Bustamante, Carlos

2009-10-01

The ASCE (additional strand, conserved E) superfamily of proteins consists of structurally similar ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities involving metabolism and transport of proteins and nucleic acids in all forms of life. A subset of these enzymes consists of multimeric ringed pumps responsible for DNA transport in processes including genome packaging in adenoviruses, herpesviruses, poxviruses and tailed bacteriophages. Although their mechanism of mechanochemical conversion is beginning to be understood, little is known about how these motors engage their nucleic acid substrates. Questions remain as to whether the motors contact a single DNA element, such as a phosphate or a base, or whether contacts are distributed over several parts of the DNA. Furthermore, the role of these contacts in the mechanochemical cycle is unknown. Here we use the genome packaging motor of the Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage varphi29 (ref. 4) to address these questions. The full mechanochemical cycle of the motor, in which the ATPase is a pentameric-ring of gene product 16 (gp16), involves two phases-an ATP-loading dwell followed by a translocation burst of four 2.5-base-pair (bp) steps triggered by hydrolysis product release. By challenging the motor with a variety of modified DNA substrates, we show that during the dwell phase important contacts are made with adjacent phosphates every 10-bp on the 5'-3' strand in the direction of packaging. As well as providing stable, long-lived contacts, these phosphate interactions also regulate the chemical cycle. In contrast, during the burst phase, we find that DNA translocation is driven against large forces by extensive contacts, some of which are not specific to the chemical moieties of DNA. Such promiscuous, nonspecific contacts may reflect common translocase-substrate interactions for both the nucleic acid and protein translocases of the ASCE superfamily.

Substrate Interactions and Promiscuity in a Viral DNA Packaging Motor

PubMed Central

Aathavan, K.; Politzer, Adam T.; Kaplan, Ariel; Moffitt, Jeffrey R.; Chemla, Yann R.; Grimes, Shelley; Jardine, Paul J.; Anderson, Dwight L.; Bustamante, Carlos

2009-01-01

The ASCE superfamily of proteins consists of structurally similar ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities involving metabolism and transport of proteins and nucleic acids in all forms of life1. A subset of these enzymes are multimeric ringed pumps responsible for DNA transport in processes including genome packaging in adenoviruses, herpesviruses, poxviruses, and tailed bacteriophages2. While their mechanism of mechanochemical conversion is beginning to be understood3, little is known about how these motors engage their nucleic acid substrates. Do motors contact a single DNA element, such as a phosphate or a base, or are contacts distributed over multiple parts of the DNA? In addition, what role do these contacts play in the mechanochemical cycle? Here we use the genome packaging motor of the Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage φ294 to address these questions. The full mechanochemical cycle of the motor, whose ATPase is a pentameric-ring5 of gene product 16, involves two phases-- an ATP loading dwell followed by a translocation burst of four 2.5-bp steps6 triggered by hydrolysis product release7. By challenging the motor with a variety of modified DNA substrates, we find that during the dwell phase important contacts are made with adjacent phosphates every 10-bp on the 5’-3’ strand in the direction of packaging. In addition to providing stable, long-lived contacts, these phosphate interactions also regulate the chemical cycle. In contrast, during the burst phase, we find that DNA translocation is driven against large forces by extensive contacts, some of which are not specific to the chemical moieties of DNA. Such promiscuous, non-specific contacts may reflect common translocase-substrate interactions for both the nucleic acid and protein translocases of the ASCE superfamily1. PMID:19794496

"To Establish an Effective Community Spirit": A Land Grant Extension and Deliberative Dialogue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrera, Monica; Hoelting, Joyce

2010-01-01

In January 2003, the Northwest Area Foundation (NWAF) contacted land grant universities in Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Washington to involve them in a program initiative to address rural poverty. After a strategic planning process, NWAF had shifted from traditional grant making to operating programs that…

The Police Response to Mental Illness on Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Margolis, Gary J.; Shtull, Penny R.

2012-01-01

Campus police officers are often among the initial contacts for behavioral incidents involving people with mental illness. Their training and access to resources influence decisions to direct the individual to support services and/or through campus disciplinary processes and/or the criminal justice system. Over the past decade, there has been an…

Prioritized Contact Transport Stream

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunt, Walter Lee, Jr. (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A detection process, contact recognition process, classification process, and identification process are applied to raw sensor data to produce an identified contact record set containing one or more identified contact records. A prioritization process is applied to the identified contact record set to assign a contact priority to each contact record in the identified contact record set. Data are removed from the contact records in the identified contact record set based on the contact priorities assigned to those contact records. A first contact stream is produced from the resulting contact records. The first contact stream is streamed in a contact transport stream. The contact transport stream may include and stream additional contact streams. The contact transport stream may be varied dynamically over time based on parameters such as available bandwidth, contact priority, presence/absence of contacts, system state, and configuration parameters.

T regulatory cells in contact hypersensitivity.

PubMed

Cavani, Andrea

2008-08-01

The review summarizes the recent investigations focused on T regulatory cells in hapten diseases. Multiple mechanisms ensure tolerance to small chemicals penetrating the skin. Among these, specific T regulatory cells play a major role in controlling harmful immune responses to environmental antigens. Most of the T regulatory cells involved in this process belongs to the CD4 subset and suppress hapten-specific immune response through the release of IL-10 and through direct interaction with effector T cells, blocking their function. Methods for in-vitro and in-vivo expansion of specific T regulatory cells may represent an innovative approach for the cure of contact hypersensitivity.

Method for producing functionally graded nanocrystalline layer on metal surface

DOEpatents

Ajayi, Oyelayo O.; Hershberger, Jeffrey G.

2010-03-23

An improved process for the creation or formation of nanocrystalline layers on substrates' surfaces is provided. The process involves "prescuffing" the surface of a substrate such as a metal by allowing friction to occur on the surface by a load-bearing entity making rubbing contact and moving along and on the substrate's surface. The "prescuffing" action is terminated when the coefficient of friction between the surface and the noise is rising significantly. Often, the significant rise in the coefficient of friction is signaled by a change in pitch of the scuffing action sound emanating from the buffeted surface. The "prescuffing" gives rise to a harder and smoother surface which withstands better any inadequate lubrication that may take place when the "prescuffed" surface is contacted by other surfaces.

Treatment of evaporator condensates by pervaporation

DOEpatents

Blume, Ingo; Baker, Richard W.

1990-01-01

A pervaporation process for separating organic contaminants from evaporator condensate streams is disclosed. The process employs a permselective membrane that is selectively permeable to an organic component of the condensate. The process involves contacting the feed side of the membrane with a liquid condensate stream, and withdrawing from the permeate side a vapor enriched in the organic component. The driving force for the process is the in vapor pressure across the membrane. This difference may be provided for instance by maintaining a vacuum on the permeate side, or by condensing the permeate. The process offers a simple, economic alternative to other separation techniques.

Stress concentration in the vicinity of a hole defect under conditions of Hertzian contact

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yamamoto, T.; Eguchi, M.; Murayama, K.

1981-01-01

Two-dimensional photoelastic stress analyses were conducted for epoxy resin models containing a hole defect under the conditions of Hertzian contact. Stress concentrations around the defect were determined as a function of several parameters. These were hole diameter, its vertical distance from the contact surface, and the horizontal distance from the Hertzian contact area. Also determined was the effect of tangential traction (generated by a friction coefficient of 0.1) on the stress concentration. Sharp stress concentrations occur in the vicinity of both the left and the right side of the hole. The stress concentration becomes more distinct the larger the hole diameter and the smaller the distance between the hole and the contact surface. The stress concentration is greatest when the disk imposing a normal load is located at the contact surface directly over the hole. The magnitude and the location of stress concentration varies with the distance between the Hertzian contact area and the hole. Taking into account the stress amplitude, the area which can be involved in a process of rolling contact fatigue seems to be confined to a shallow region at both sides of the hole. The effect of tangential traction is comparatively small on the stress concentration around the hole.

Cytoskeletal actin dynamics shape a ramifying actin network underpinning immunological synapse formation

PubMed Central

Fritzsche, Marco; Fernandes, Ricardo A.; Chang, Veronica T.; Colin-York, Huw; Clausen, Mathias P.; Felce, James H.; Galiani, Silvia; Erlenkämper, Christoph; Santos, Ana M.; Heddleston, John M.; Pedroza-Pacheco, Isabela; Waithe, Dominic; de la Serna, Jorge Bernardino; Lagerholm, B. Christoffer; Liu, Tsung-li; Chew, Teng-Leong; Betzig, Eric; Davis, Simon J.; Eggeling, Christian

2017-01-01

T cell activation and especially trafficking of T cell receptor microclusters during immunological synapse formation are widely thought to rely on cytoskeletal remodeling. However, important details on the involvement of actin in the latter transport processes are missing. Using a suite of advanced optical microscopes to analyze resting and activated T cells, we show that, following contact formation with activating surfaces, these cells sequentially rearrange their cortical actin across the entire cell, creating a previously unreported ramifying actin network above the immunological synapse. This network shows all the characteristics of an inward-growing transportation network and its dynamics correlating with T cell receptor rearrangements. This actin reorganization is accompanied by an increase in the nanoscale actin meshwork size and the dynamic adjustment of the turnover times and filament lengths of two differently sized filamentous actin populations, wherein formin-mediated long actin filaments support a very flat and stiff contact at the immunological synapse interface. The initiation of immunological synapse formation, as highlighted by calcium release, requires markedly little contact with activating surfaces and no cytoskeletal rearrangements. Our work suggests that incipient signaling in T cells initiates global cytoskeletal rearrangements across the whole cell, including a stiffening process for possibly mechanically supporting contact formation at the immunological synapse interface as well as a central ramified transportation network apparently directed at the consolidation of the contact and the delivery of effector functions. PMID:28691087

Design, Development, Testing, and Evaluation: Human Factors Engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adelstein, Bernard; Hobbs, Alan; OHara, John; Null, Cynthia

2006-01-01

While human-system interaction occurs in all phases of system development and operation, this chapter on Human Factors in the DDT&E for Reliable Spacecraft Systems is restricted to the elements that involve "direct contact" with spacecraft systems. Such interactions will encompass all phases of human activity during the design, fabrication, testing, operation, and maintenance phases of the spacecraft lifespan. This section will therefore consider practices that would accommodate and promote effective, safe, reliable, and robust human interaction with spacecraft systems. By restricting this chapter to what the team terms "direct contact" with the spacecraft, "remote" factors not directly involved in the development and operation of the vehicle, such as management and organizational issues, have been purposely excluded. However, the design of vehicle elements that enable and promote ground control activities such as monitoring, feedback, correction and reversal (override) of on-board human and automation process are considered as per NPR8705.2A, Section 3.3.

Mercury-free dissolution of aluminum-clad fuel in nitric acid

DOEpatents

Christian, Jerry D.; Anderson, Philip A.

1994-01-01

A mercury-free dissolution process for aluminum involves placing the aluminum in a dissolver vessel in contact with nitric acid-fluoboric acid mixture at an elevated temperature. By maintaining a continuous flow of the acid mixture through the dissolver vessel, an effluent containing aluminum nitrate, nitric acid, fluoboric acid and other dissolved components are removed.

Mercury-free dissolution of aluminum-clad fuel in nitric acid

DOEpatents

Christian, J.D.; Anderson, P.A.

1994-11-15

A mercury-free dissolution process for aluminum involves placing the aluminum in a dissolver vessel in contact with nitric acid-fluoboric acid mixture at an elevated temperature. By maintaining a continuous flow of the acid mixture through the dissolver vessel, an effluent containing aluminum nitrate, nitric acid, fluoboric acid and other dissolved components are removed. 5 figs.

Finite Element Modeling of a Cylindrical Contact Using Hertzian Assumptions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knudsen, Erik

2003-01-01

The turbine blades in the high-pressure fuel turbopump/alternate turbopump (HPFTP/AT) are subjected to hot gases rapidly flowing around them. This flow excites vibrations in the blades. Naturally, one has to worry about resonance, so a damping device was added to dissipate some energy from the system. The foundation is now laid for a very complex problem. The damper is in contact with the blade, so now there are contact stresses (both normal and tangential) to contend with. Since these stresses can be very high, it is not all that difficult to yield the material. Friction is another non-linearity and the blade is made out of a Nickel-based single-crystal superalloy that is orthotropic. A few approaches exist to solve such a problem and computer models, using contact elements, have been built with friction, plasticity, etc. These models are quite cumbersome and require many hours to solve just one load case and material orientation. A simpler approach is required. Ideally, the model should be simplified so the analysis can be conducted faster. When working with contact problems determining the contact patch and the stresses in the material are the main concerns. Closed-form solutions for non-conforming bodies, developed by Hertz, made out of isotropic materials are readily available. More involved solutions for 3-D cases using different materials are also available. The question is this: can Hertzian1 solutions be applied, or superimposed, to more complicated problems-like those involving anisotropic materials? That is the point of the investigation here. If these results agree with the more complicated computer models, then the analytical solutions can be used in lieu of the numerical solutions that take a very long time to process. As time goes on, the analytical solution will eventually have to include things like friction and plasticity. The models in this report use no contact elements and are essentially an applied load problem using Hertzian assumptions to determine the contact patch dimensions.

Insilico study of the A(2A)R-D (2)R kinetics and interfacial contact surface for heteromerization.

PubMed

Prakash, Amresh; Luthra, Pratibha Mehta

2012-10-01

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are cell surface receptors. The dynamic property of receptor-receptor interactions in GPCRs modulates the kinetics of G-protein signaling and stability. In the present work, the structural and dynamic study of A(2A)R-D(2)R interactions was carried to acquire the understanding of the A(2A)R-D(2)R receptor activation and deactivation process, facilitating the design of novel drugs and therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease. The structure-based features (Alpha, Beta, SurfAlpha, and SurfBeta; GapIndex, Leakiness and Gap Volume) and slow mode model (ENM) facilitated the prediction of kinetics (K (off), K (on), and K (d)) of A(2A)R-D(2)R interactions. The results demonstrated the correlation coefficient 0.294 for K (d) and K (on) and the correlation coefficient 0.635 for K (d) and K (off), and indicated stable interfacial contacts in the formation of heterodimer. The coulombic interaction involving the C-terminal tails of the A(2A)R and intracellular loops (ICLs) of D(2)R led to the formation of interfacial contacts between A(2A)R-D(2)R. The properties of structural dynamics, ENM and KFC server-based hot-spot analysis illustrated the stoichiometry of A(2A)R-D(2)R contact interfaces as dimer. The propensity of amino acid residues involved in A(2A)R-D(2)R interaction revealed the presence of positively (R, H and K) and negatively (E and D) charged structural motif of TMs and ICL3 of A(2A)R and D(2)R at interface of dimer contact. Essentially, in silico structural and dynamic study of A(2A)R-D(2)R interactions will provide the basic understanding of the A(2A)R-D(2)R interfacial contact surface for activation and deactivation processes, and could be used as constructive model to recognize the protein-protein interactions in receptor assimilations.

The Effect of Carbonate, Oxalate and Peroxide on the Cesium Loading of Ionsiv IE-910 and IE-911

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

Fondeur, F.F.

2000-12-19

The Savannah River Site (SRS) continues to examine three processes for the removal of radiocesium from high-level waste. One option involves the use of crystalline silicotitanate (CST) as a non-elutable ion exchange medium. The process uses CST in its engineered form - IONSIV IE-911 made by UOP, LLC. - in a column to contact the liquid waste. Cesium exchanges with sodium ions residing inside the CST particles. The design disposes of the cesium-loaded CST by vitrification within the Defense Waste Processing Facility.

Water-mediated contacts in the trp-repressor operator complex recognition process.

PubMed

Wibowo, Fajar R; Rauch, Christine; Trieb, Michael; Wellenzohn, Bernd; Liedl, Klaus R

2004-04-15

Water-mediated contacts are known as an important recognition tool in trp-repressor operator systems. One of these contacts involves two conserved base pairs (G(6).C(-6) and A(5). T(-5)) and three amino acids (Lys 72, Ile 79, and Ala 80). To investigate the nature of these contacts, we analyzed the X-ray structure (PDB code: 1TRO) of the trp-repressor operator complex by means of molecular dynamics simulations. This X-ray structure contains two dimers that exhibit structural differences. From these two different starting structures, two 10 ns molecular dynamics simulations have been performed. Both of our simulations show an increase of water molecules in the major groove at one side of the dimer, while the other side remains unchanged compared to the X-ray structure. Though the maximum residence time of the concerned water molecules decreases with an increase of solvent at the interface, these water molecules continue to play an important role in mediating DNA-protein contacts. This is shown by new stable amino acids-DNA distances and a long water residence time compared to free DNA simulation. To maintain stability of the new contacts, the preferential water binding site on O6(G6) is extended. This extension agrees with mutation experiment data on A5 and G6, which shows different relative affinity due to mutation on these bases [A. Joachimiak, T. E. Haran, P. B. Sigler, EMBO Journal 1994, Vol. 13, No. (2) pp. 367-372]. Due to the rearrangements in the system, the phosphate of the base G6 is able to interconvert to the B(II) substate, which is not observed on the other half side of the complex. The decrease of the number of hydrogen bonds between protein and DNA backbone could be the initial step of the dissociation process of the complex, or in other words an intermediate complex conformation of the association process. Thus, we surmise that these features show the importance of water-mediated contacts in the trp-repressor operator recognition process. Copyright 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Longitudinal genomic surveillance of MRSA in the UK reveals transmission patterns in hospitals and the community.

PubMed

Coll, Francesc; Harrison, Ewan M; Toleman, Michelle S; Reuter, Sandra; Raven, Kathy E; Blane, Beth; Palmer, Beverley; Kappeler, A Ruth M; Brown, Nicholas M; Török, M Estée; Parkhill, Julian; Peacock, Sharon J

2017-10-25

Genome sequencing has provided snapshots of the transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) during suspected outbreaks in isolated hospital wards. Scale-up to populations is now required to establish the full potential of this technology for surveillance. We prospectively identified all individuals over a 12-month period who had at least one MRSA-positive sample processed by a routine diagnostic microbiology laboratory in the East of England, which received samples from three hospitals and 75 general practitioner (GP) practices. We sequenced at least 1 MRSA isolate from 1465 individuals (2282 MRSA isolates) and recorded epidemiological data. An integrated epidemiological and phylogenetic analysis revealed 173 transmission clusters containing between 2 and 44 cases and involving 598 people (40.8%). Of these, 118 clusters (371 people) involved hospital contacts alone, 27 clusters (72 people) involved community contacts alone, and 28 clusters (157 people) had both types of contact. Community- and hospital-associated MRSA lineages were equally capable of transmission in the community, with instances of spread in households, long-term care facilities, and GP practices. Our study provides a comprehensive picture of MRSA transmission in a sampled population of 1465 people and suggests the need to review existing infection control policy and practice. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Chromatin-associated RNA sequencing (ChAR-seq) maps genome-wide RNA-to-DNA contacts

PubMed Central

Jukam, David; Teran, Nicole A; Risca, Viviana I; Smith, Owen K; Johnson, Whitney L; Skotheim, Jan M; Greenleaf, William James

2018-01-01

RNA is a critical component of chromatin in eukaryotes, both as a product of transcription, and as an essential constituent of ribonucleoprotein complexes that regulate both local and global chromatin states. Here, we present a proximity ligation and sequencing method called Chromatin-Associated RNA sequencing (ChAR-seq) that maps all RNA-to-DNA contacts across the genome. Using Drosophila cells, we show that ChAR-seq provides unbiased, de novo identification of targets of chromatin-bound RNAs including nascent transcripts, chromosome-specific dosage compensation ncRNAs, and genome-wide trans-associated RNAs involved in co-transcriptional RNA processing. PMID:29648534

N-cadherin in adult rat cardiomyocytes in culture. II. Spatio-temporal appearance of proteins involved in cell-cell contact and communication. Formation of two distinct N-cadherin/catenin complexes.

PubMed

Hertig, C M; Butz, S; Koch, S; Eppenberger-Eberhardt, M; Kemler, R; Eppenberger, H M

1996-01-01

The spatio-temporal appearance and distribution of proteins forming the intercalated disc were investigated in adult rat cardiomyocytes (ARC). The 'redifferentiation model' of ARC involves extensive remodelling of the plasma membrane and of the myofibrillar apparatus. It represents a valuable system to elucidate the formation of cell-cell contact between cardiomyocytes and to assess the mechanisms by which different proteins involved in the cell-cell adhesion process are sorted in a precise manner to the sites of function. Appearance of N-cadherin, the catenins and connexin43 within newly formed adherens and gap junctions was studied. Here first evidence is provided for a formation of two distinct and separable N-cadherin/catenin complexes in cardiomyocytes. Both complexes are composed of N-cadherin and alpha-catenin which bind to either beta-catenin or plakoglobin in a mutually exclusive manner. The two N-cadherin/catenin complexes are assumed to be functionally involved in the formation of cell-cell contacts in ARC; however, the differential appearance and localization of the two types of complexes may also point to a specific role during ARC differentiation. The newly synthesized beta-catenin containing complex is more abundant during the first stages in culture after ARC isolation, while the newly synthesized plakoglobin containing complex progressively accumulates during the morphological changes of ARC. ARC formed a tissue-like pattern in culture whereby the new cell-cell contacts could be dissolved through Ca2+ depletion. Presence of cAMP and replenishment of Ca2+ content in the culture medium not only allowed reformation of cell-cell contacts but also affected the relative protein ratio between the two N-cadherin/catenin complexes, increasing the relative amount of newly synthesized beta-catenin over plakoglobin at a particular stage of ARC differentiation. The clustered N-cadherin/catenin complexes at the plasma membrane appear to be a prerequisite for the following gap junction formation; a temporal sequence of the appearance of adherens junction proteins and of gap junctions forming connexin-43 is suggested.

A study on using pre-forming blank in single point incremental forming process by finite element analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abass, K. I.

2016-11-01

Single Point Incremental Forming process (SPIF) is a forming technique of sheet material based on layered manufacturing principles. The edges of sheet material are clamped while the forming tool is moved along the tool path. The CNC milling machine is used to manufacturing the product. SPIF involves extensive plastic deformation and the description of the process is more complicated by highly nonlinear boundary conditions, namely contact and frictional effects have been accomplished. However, due to the complex nature of these models, numerical approaches dominated by Finite Element Analysis (FEA) are now in widespread use. The paper presents the data and main results of a study on effect of using preforming blank in SPIF through FEA. The considered SPIF has been studied under certain process conditions referring to the test work piece, tool, etc., applying ANSYS 11. The results show that the simulation model can predict an ideal profile of processing track, the behaviour of contact tool-workpiece, the product accuracy by evaluation its thickness, surface strain and the stress distribution along the deformed blank section during the deformation stages.

Sensory-motor interactions for vocal pitch monitoring in non-primary human auditory cortex.

PubMed

Greenlee, Jeremy D W; Behroozmand, Roozbeh; Larson, Charles R; Jackson, Adam W; Chen, Fangxiang; Hansen, Daniel R; Oya, Hiroyuki; Kawasaki, Hiroto; Howard, Matthew A

2013-01-01

The neural mechanisms underlying processing of auditory feedback during self-vocalization are poorly understood. One technique used to study the role of auditory feedback involves shifting the pitch of the feedback that a speaker receives, known as pitch-shifted feedback. We utilized a pitch shift self-vocalization and playback paradigm to investigate the underlying neural mechanisms of audio-vocal interaction. High-resolution electrocorticography (ECoG) signals were recorded directly from auditory cortex of 10 human subjects while they vocalized and received brief downward (-100 cents) pitch perturbations in their voice auditory feedback (speaking task). ECoG was also recorded when subjects passively listened to playback of their own pitch-shifted vocalizations. Feedback pitch perturbations elicited average evoked potential (AEP) and event-related band power (ERBP) responses, primarily in the high gamma (70-150 Hz) range, in focal areas of non-primary auditory cortex on superior temporal gyrus (STG). The AEPs and high gamma responses were both modulated by speaking compared with playback in a subset of STG contacts. From these contacts, a majority showed significant enhancement of high gamma power and AEP responses during speaking while the remaining contacts showed attenuated response amplitudes. The speaking-induced enhancement effect suggests that engaging the vocal motor system can modulate auditory cortical processing of self-produced sounds in such a way as to increase neural sensitivity for feedback pitch error detection. It is likely that mechanisms such as efference copies may be involved in this process, and modulation of AEP and high gamma responses imply that such modulatory effects may affect different cortical generators within distinctive functional networks that drive voice production and control.

Sensory-Motor Interactions for Vocal Pitch Monitoring in Non-Primary Human Auditory Cortex

PubMed Central

Larson, Charles R.; Jackson, Adam W.; Chen, Fangxiang; Hansen, Daniel R.; Oya, Hiroyuki; Kawasaki, Hiroto; Howard, Matthew A.

2013-01-01

The neural mechanisms underlying processing of auditory feedback during self-vocalization are poorly understood. One technique used to study the role of auditory feedback involves shifting the pitch of the feedback that a speaker receives, known as pitch-shifted feedback. We utilized a pitch shift self-vocalization and playback paradigm to investigate the underlying neural mechanisms of audio-vocal interaction. High-resolution electrocorticography (ECoG) signals were recorded directly from auditory cortex of 10 human subjects while they vocalized and received brief downward (−100 cents) pitch perturbations in their voice auditory feedback (speaking task). ECoG was also recorded when subjects passively listened to playback of their own pitch-shifted vocalizations. Feedback pitch perturbations elicited average evoked potential (AEP) and event-related band power (ERBP) responses, primarily in the high gamma (70–150 Hz) range, in focal areas of non-primary auditory cortex on superior temporal gyrus (STG). The AEPs and high gamma responses were both modulated by speaking compared with playback in a subset of STG contacts. From these contacts, a majority showed significant enhancement of high gamma power and AEP responses during speaking while the remaining contacts showed attenuated response amplitudes. The speaking-induced enhancement effect suggests that engaging the vocal motor system can modulate auditory cortical processing of self-produced sounds in such a way as to increase neural sensitivity for feedback pitch error detection. It is likely that mechanisms such as efference copies may be involved in this process, and modulation of AEP and high gamma responses imply that such modulatory effects may affect different cortical generators within distinctive functional networks that drive voice production and control. PMID:23577157

Cell-matrix interactions of Entamoeba histolytica and E. dispar. A comparative study by electron-, atomic force- and confocal microscopy

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

Talamás-Lara, Daniel, E-mail: daniel_talamas@hotmail.com; Talamás-Rohana, Patricia, E-mail: ptr@cinvestav.mx; Fragoso-Soriano, Rogelio Jaime, E-mail: rogelio@fis.cinvestav.mx

Invasion of tissues by Entamoeba histolytica is a multistep process that initiates with the adhesion of the parasite to target tissues. The recognition of the non-invasive Entamoeba dispar as a distinct, but closely related protozoan species raised the question as to whether the lack of its pathogenic potential could be related to a weaker adhesion due to limited cytoskeleton restructuring capacity. We here compared the adhesion process of both amebas to fibronectin through scanning, transmission, atomic force, and confocal microscopy. In addition, electrophoretic and western blot assays of actin were also compared. Adhesion of E. histolytica to fibronectin involves amore » dramatic reorganization of the actin network that results in a tighter contact to and the subsequent focal degradation of the fibronectin matrix. In contrast, E. dispar showed no regions of focal adhesion, the cytoskeleton was poorly reorganized and there was little fibronectin degradation. In addition, atomic force microscopy using topographic, error signal and phase modes revealed clear-cut differences at the site of contact of both amebas with the substrate. In spite of the morphological and genetic similarities between E. histolytica and E. dispar the present results demonstrate striking differences in their respective cell-to-matrix adhesion processes, which may be of relevance for understanding the invasive character of E. histolytica. - Highlights: • Striking differences in adhesion to FN between E. histolytica and E. dispar. • A greater degree of cell stiffness in E. histolytica with respect to E. dispar. • E. histolytica but not E. dispar forms regions of close contact with FN. • The actin cytoskeleton is involved in the pathogenicity of E. histolytica.« less

Optimization of informed consent for umbilical cord blood banking.

PubMed

Sugarman, Jeremy; Kurtzberg, Joanne; Box, Tamara L; Horner, Ronnie D

2002-12-01

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the informed consent process for donation to a public umbilical cord blood bank. Telephone interviews were conducted with 170 women who had given consent to donate their newborn infants' umbilical cord blood. Of the 170 women who were contacted, 96.8% of the women reported that all their questions had been answered. Nevertheless, approximately one third of the respondents did not consider themselves to be in research, and almost one quarter of the respondents did not know how to contact the umbilical cord blood bank if they or their infant became seriously ill. Further, a substantial proportion of the respondents did not understand the full range of alternatives to donation and incorrectly endorsed potential benefits. Informed consent could be optimized by (1) having those personnel who obtain consent emphasize that banking involves research and to explain the true benefits of donation, (2) ensuring that parents know how and when to contact the umbilical cord blood bank after donation, and (3) using phone surveys to continue assessments and to monitor changes in the process.

Brain Network Activity During Face Perception: The Impact of Perceptual Familiarity and Individual Differences in Childhood Experience.

PubMed

Cloutier, Jasmin; Li, Tianyi; Mišic, Bratislav; Correll, Joshua; Berman, Marc G

2017-09-01

An extended distributed network of brain regions supports face perception. Face familiarity influences activity in brain regions involved in this network, but the impact of perceptual familiarity on this network has never been directly assessed with the use of partial least squares analysis. In the present work, we use this multivariate statistical analysis to examine how face-processing systems are differentially recruited by characteristics of the targets (i.e. perceptual familiarity and race) and of the perceivers (i.e. childhood interracial contact). Novel faces were found to preferentially recruit a large distributed face-processing network compared with perceptually familiar faces. Additionally, increased interracial contact during childhood led to decreased recruitment of distributed brain networks previously implicated in face perception, salience detection, and social cognition. Current results provide a novel perspective on the impact of cross-race exposure, suggesting that interracial contact early in life may dramatically shape the neural substrates of face perception generally. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Egocentric Mapping of Body Surface Constraints.

PubMed

Molla, Eray; Debarba, Henrique Galvan; Boulic, Ronan

2018-07-01

The relative location of human body parts often materializes the semantics of on-going actions, intentions and even emotions expressed, or performed, by a human being. However, traditional methods of performance animation fail to correctly and automatically map the semantics of performer postures involving self-body contacts onto characters with different sizes and proportions. Our method proposes an egocentric normalization of the body-part relative distances to preserve the consistency of self contacts for a large variety of human-like target characters. Egocentric coordinates are character independent and encode the whole posture space, i.e., it ensures the continuity of the motion with and without self-contacts. We can transfer classes of complex postures involving multiple interacting limb segments by preserving their spatial order without depending on temporal coherence. The mapping process exploits a low-cost constraint relaxation technique relying on analytic inverse kinematics; thus, we can achieve online performance animation. We demonstrate our approach on a variety of characters and compare it with the state of the art in online retargeting with a user study. Overall, our method performs better than the state of the art, especially when the proportions of the animated character deviate from those of the performer.

[Protective role of autotypic contacts under cerebellar neural net injury by toxic doses of NO-generative compounds].

PubMed

Samosudova, N V; Reutov, V P; Larionova, N P; Chaĭlakhian, L M

2005-01-01

In the present work, cerebellar neural net injury was induced by toxic doses of NO-generative compound (NaNO2). A protective role of glial cells was revealed in such conditions. The present results were compared with those of the previous work concerning the action of high concentration glutamate on the frog cerebellum (Samosudova et al., 1996). In both cases we observed the appearance of spiral-like structures--"wrappers)"--involving several rows of transformed glial processes with smaller width and bridges connecting the inner sides of row (autotypic contact). A statistic analysis was made according to both previous and present data. We calculated the number and width of rows, and intervals between bridges depending on experimental conditions. As the injury increased (stimulation in the NO-presence), the row number in "wrappers" also increased, while the row width and intervals between bridges decreased. The presence of autotypic contacts in glial "wrappers" enables us to suppose the involvement of adhesive proteins--cadherins in its formation. The obtained data suggested that the formation of spiral structures--"wrappers" may be regarded as a compensative-adaptive reaction on the injury of cerebellar neural net glutamate and NO-generative compounds.

Amyloid β (1-40) Toxicity Depends on the Molecular Contact between Phenylalanine 19 and Leucine 34.

PubMed

Korn, Alexander; McLennan, Steffane; Adler, Juliane; Krueger, Martin; Surendran, Dayana; Maiti, Sudipta; Huster, Daniel

2018-04-18

The formation of the hydrophobic contact between phenylalanine 19 (F19) and leucine 34 (L34) of amyloid β (1-40) (Aβ(1-40)) is known to be an important step in the fibrillation of Aβ(1-40) peptides. Mutations of this putatively early molecular contact were shown to strongly influence the toxicity of Aβ(1-40) ( Das et al. ( 2015 ) ACS Chem. Neurosci. 6 , 1290 - 1295 ). Any mutation of residue F19 completely abolished the toxicity of Aβ(1-40), suggesting that a proper F19-L34 contact is crucial also for the formation of transient oligomers. In this work, we investigate a series of isomeric substitutions of L34, namely, d-leucine, isoleucine, and valine, to study further details of this molecular contact. These replacements represent very minor alterations in the Aβ(1-40) structure posing the question how these alterations challenge the fibrillation kinetics, structure, dynamics, and toxicity of the Aβ(1-40) aggregates. Our work involves kinetic studies using thioflavin T, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction for the analysis of the fibril morphology, and nuclear magnetic resonance experiments for local structure and molecular dynamics investigations. Combined with cell toxicity assays of the mutated Aβ(1-40) peptides, the physicochemical and biological importance of the early folding contact between F19 and L34 in Aβ(1-40) is underlined. This implies that the F19-L34 contact influences a broad range of different processes including the initiation of fibrillation, oligomer stability, fibril elongation, local fibril structure, and dynamics and cellular toxicity. These processes do not only cover a broad range of diverse mechanisms, but also proved to be highly sensitive to minor modulations of this crucial contact. Furthermore, our work shows that the contact is not simply mediated by general hydrophobic interactions, but also depends on stereospecific mechanisms.

Shigella gets captured to gain entry.

PubMed

McCormick, Beth A

2011-06-16

The type III secretion system-dependent epithelial invasion and dissemination of Shigella is stimulated by ATP released through hemichannels. Romero et al. (2011) show that prior to epithelial contact, Shigella is captured by nanometer-thin micropodial extensions at a distance from the cell surface, in a process involving ATP and connexin-mediated signaling. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neuronal Categorization and Discrimination of Social Behaviors in Primate Prefrontal Cortex

PubMed Central

Tsunada, Joji; Sawaguchi, Toshiyuki

2012-01-01

It has been implied that primates have an ability to categorize social behaviors between other individuals for the execution of adequate social-interactions. Since the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) is involved in both the categorization and the processing of social information, the primate LPFC may be involved in the categorization of social behaviors. To test this hypothesis, we examined neuronal activity in the LPFC of monkeys during presentations of two types of movies of social behaviors (grooming, mounting) and movies of plural monkeys without any eye- or body-contacts between them (no-contacts movies). Although the monkeys were not required to categorize and discriminate the movies in this task, a subset of neurons sampled from the LPFC showed a significantly different activity during the presentation of a specific type of social behaviors in comparison with the others. These neurons categorized social behaviors at the population level and, at the individual neuron level, the majority of the neurons discriminated each movie within the same category of social behaviors. Our findings suggest that a fraction of LPFC neurons process categorical and discriminative information of social behaviors, thereby contributing to the adaptation to social environments. PMID:23285110

Analysis of ER–mitochondria contacts using correlative fluorescence microscopy and soft X-ray tomography of mammalian cells

PubMed Central

Elgass, Kirstin D.; Smith, Elizabeth A.; LeGros, Mark A.; Larabell, Carolyn A.; Ryan, Michael T.

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Mitochondrial fission is important for organelle transport, quality control and apoptosis. Changes to the fission process can result in a wide variety of neurological diseases. In mammals, mitochondrial fission is executed by the GTPase dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1; encoded by DNM1L), which oligomerizes around mitochondria and constricts the organelle. The mitochondrial outer membrane proteins Mff, MiD49 (encoded by MIEF2) and MiD51 (encoded by MIEF1) are involved in mitochondrial fission by recruiting Drp1 from the cytosol to the organelle surface. In addition, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) tubules have been shown to wrap around and constrict mitochondria before a fission event. Up to now, the presence of MiD49 and MiD51 at ER–mitochondrial division foci has not been established. Here, we combine confocal live-cell imaging with correlative cryogenic fluorescence microscopy and soft x-ray tomography to link MiD49 and MiD51 to the involvement of the ER in mitochondrial fission. We gain further insight into this complex process and characterize the 3D structure of ER–mitochondria contact sites. PMID:26101352

Full Characterization of CO2-Oil Properties On-Chip: Solubility, Diffusivity, Extraction Pressure, Miscibility, and Contact Angle.

PubMed

Sharbatian, Atena; Abedini, Ali; Qi, ZhenBang; Sinton, David

2018-02-20

Carbon capture, storage, and utilization technologies target a reduction in net CO 2 emissions to mitigate greenhouse gas effects. The largest such projects worldwide involve storing CO 2 through enhanced oil recovery-a technologically and economically feasible approach that combines both storage and oil recovery. Successful implementation relies on detailed measurements of CO 2 -oil properties at relevant reservoir conditions (P = 2.0-13.0 MPa and T = 23 and 50 °C). In this paper, we demonstrate a microfluidic method to quantify the comprehensive suite of mutual properties of a CO 2 and crude oil mixture including solubility, diffusivity, extraction pressure, minimum miscibility pressure (MMP), and contact angle. The time-lapse oil swelling/extraction in response to CO 2 exposure under stepwise increasing pressure was quantified via fluorescence microscopy, using the inherent fluorescence property of the oil. The CO 2 solubilities and diffusion coefficients were determined from the swelling process with measurements in strong agreement with previous results. The CO 2 -oil MMP was determined from the subsequent oil extraction process with measurements within 5% of previous values. In addition, the oil-CO 2 -silicon contact angle was measured throughout the process, with contact angle increasing with pressure. In contrast with conventional methods, which require days and ∼500 mL of fluid sample, the approach here provides a comprehensive suite of measurements, 100-fold faster with less than 1 μL of sample, and an opportunity to better inform large-scale CO 2 projects.

Effects of industrial processing on folate content in green vegetables.

PubMed

Delchier, Nicolas; Ringling, Christiane; Le Grandois, Julie; Aoudé-Werner, Dalal; Galland, Rachel; Georgé, Stéphane; Rychlik, Michael; Renard, Catherine M G C

2013-08-15

Folates are described to be sensitive to different physical parameters such as heat, light, pH and leaching. Most studies on folates degradation during processing or cooking treatments were carried out on model solutions or vegetables only with thermal treatments. Our aim was to identify which steps were involved in folates loss in industrial processing chains, and which mechanisms were underlying these losses. For this, the folates contents were monitored along an industrial canning chain of green beans and along an industrial freezing chain of spinach. Folates contents decreased significantly by 25% during the washing step for spinach in the freezing process, and by 30% in the green beans canning process after sterilisation, with 20% of the initial amount being transferred into the covering liquid. The main mechanism involved in folate loss during both canning green beans and freezing spinach was leaching. Limiting the contact between vegetables and water or using steaming seems to be an adequate measure to limit folates losses during processing. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metathesis process for preparing an alpha, omega-functionalized olefin

DOEpatents

Burdett, Kenneth A.; Mokhtarzadeh, Morteza; Timmers, Francis J.

2010-10-12

A cross-metathesis process for preparing an .alpha.,.omega.-functionalized olefin, such as methyl 9-decenoate, and an .alpha.-olefin having three or more carbon atoms, such as 1-decene. The process involves contacting in a first reaction zone an .alpha.-functionalized internal olefin, such as methyl oleate, and an .alpha.-olefinic monomer having three or more carbon atoms, such as 1-decene, with a first metathesis catalyst to prepare an effluent stream containing the .alpha.,.omega.-functionalized olefin, such as methyl 9-decenoate, an unfunctionalized internal olefin, such as 9-octadecene, unconverted reactant olefins, and optionally, an .alpha.,.omega.-difunctionalized internal olefinic dimer, such as dimethyl 9-octadecen-1,18-dioate; separating said effluent streams; then contacting in a second reaction zone the unfunctionalized internal olefin with ethylene in the presence of a second metathesis catalyst to obtain a second product effluent containing the .alpha.-olefinic monomer having three or more carbon atoms; and cycling a portion of the .alpha.-olefinic monomer stream(s) to the first zone.

Technology Transfer: A Contact Sport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paynter, Nina P.

1995-01-01

Technology transfer is a dynamic process, involving dynamic people as the bridge between NASA Langley Research Center and the outside world. This bridge, for nonaerospace applications, is known as the Technology Applications Group. The introduction of new innovations and expertise where they are needed occurs through a 'push' and 'pull' process. A 'push' occurs when a new technology is first developed with high commercial potential and then a company is found to licence or further develop the technology. The 'pull' process occurs through problem statements. A company or group will submit a written statement of what they need and the shortcomings of commercially available technology. The Technology Transfer Team (T3) reviews these problem statements and decides where NASA LaRC can offer assistance. A researcher or group of researchers are then identified who can help solve the problem and they are put in contact with the company. Depending upon the situation in either method, a Space Act Agreement (SAA), or outline of the responsibilities for each party, is developed.

Friction and Wear on the Atomic Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gnecco, Enrico; Bennewitz, Roland; Pfeiffer, Oliver; Socoliuc, Anisoara; Meyer, Ernst

Friction has long been the subject of research: the empirical da Vinci-Amontons friction laws have been common knowledge for centuries. Macroscopic experiments performed by the school of Bowden and Tabor revealed that macroscopic friction can be related to the collective action of small asperities. Over the last 15 years, experiments performed with the atomic force microscope have provided new insights into the physics of single asperities sliding over surfaces. This development, together with the results from complementary experiments using surface force apparatus and the quartz microbalance, have led to the new field of nanotribology. At the same time, increasing computing power has permitted the simulation of processes that occur during sliding contact involving several hundreds of atoms. It has become clear that atomic processes cannot be neglected when interpreting nanotribology experiments. Even on well-defined surfaces, experiments have revealed that atomic structure is directly linked to friction force. This chapter will describe friction force microscopy experiments that reveal, more or less directly, atomic processes during sliding contact.

From micronutrient recommendations to policy: consumer and stakeholder involvement.

PubMed

Timotijevic, L; Raats, M M; Barnett, J; Brown, K; Shepherd, R; Fernandez, L; Dömölki, L; Ruprich, J; Sonne, A-M; Hermoso, M; Koletzko, B; Frost-Andersen, L; Timmer, A

2010-06-01

To achieve the nutritional goals stipulated by micronutrient recommendations, greater attention must be paid to the behavioural routes to such nutritional outcomes. Coopting stakeholders and consumers into decisions regarding micronutrient recommendations is an important step towards achieving a greater link between micronutrient recommendations and behaviour. This study aims to examine the rationale and processes associated with consumer and stakeholder involvement in setting micronutrient recommendations across Europe. Using the contacts established through the Eurreca network of excellence (commissioned by the European Commission), the research involved in-depth desk research of key documents and communication channels linked to the process of setting micronutrient recommendations across seven countries: the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Spain, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Stakeholder engagement is recognized by most countries as an important aspect of the process of setting micronutrient recommendations and their translation into policy, although there is notable variation in the extent to which this has been achieved across the seven countries and its effect on final decisions. Stakeholders were not involved at the outset of the process ('framing' of the problem) in any of the countries, and there was no evidence of consumer involvement and open public fora. Some of the key explanatory factors for diversity in the degree of involvement include historical sociopolitical context; the extent to which food and nutrition are key policy agenda; and the relative power of stakeholders in influencing food and nutrition policy.

Highly efficient secondary dewatering of dewatered sewage sludge using low boiling point solvents.

PubMed

He, Chao; Chena, Chia-Lung; Xu, Zhirong; Wang, Jing-Yuan

2014-01-01

Secondary dewatering of dewatered sludge is imperative to make conventional drying and incineration of sludge more economically feasible. In this study, a secondary dewatering of dewatered sludge with selected solvents (i.e. acetone and ethanol) followed by vacuum filtration and nature drying was investigated to achieve in-depth dewatering. After the entire secondary dewatering process, the sludge was shown to be odourless and the organic matter content was greatly retained. Increased mean particle size of sludge after solvent contact improved solid-liquid separation. With an acetone/sludge ratio of 3:1 (mL:g) in solvent contact and subsequent nature drying at ambient temperature after 24 h, the moisture content of sludge can be reduced to a level less than 20%. It is found that the polysaccharides were mainly precipitated by acetone, whereas the release ratios of protein and DNA were increased significantly as the added acetone volumes were elevated. During nature drying, accumulated evaporation rates of the sludge after solvent contact were 5-6 times higher than original dewatered sludge. Furthermore, sludge after acetone contact had better nature drying performance than ethanol. The two-stage dewatering involves solvent contact dewatering and solvent enhanced evaporation dewatering. Through selecting an appropriate solvent/sludge ratio as well as economical solvents and minimizing the solvent loss in a closed-pilot system, this dewatering process can be competitive in industrial applications. Therefore, this solvent-aided secondary dewatering is an energy-saving technology for effective in-depth dewatering of dewatered sludge and subsequent sludge utilization.

Strength Analysis and Process Simulation of Subway Contact Rail Support Bracket of Composite Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedulov, Boris N.; Safonov, Alexander A.; Sergeichev, Ivan V.; Ushakov, Andrey E.; Klenin, Yuri G.; Makarenko, Irina V.

2016-10-01

An application of composites for construction of subway brackets is a very effective approach to extend their lifetime. However, this approach involves the necessity to prevent process-induced distortions of the bracket due to thermal deformation and chemical shrinkage. At present study, a process simulation has been carried out to support the design of the production tooling. The simulation was based on the application of viscoelastic model for the resin. Simulation results were verified by comparison with results of manufacturing experiments. To optimize the bracket structure the strength analysis was carried out as well.

On the the Contact Lens Problem: Modeling Rigid and Elastic Beams on Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trinh, Philippe; Wilson, Stephen; Stone, Howard

2011-11-01

Generally, contact lenses are prescribed by the practitioner to fit each individual patient's eye, but these fitting-philosophies are based on empirical studies and a certain degree of trial-and-error. A badly fitted lens can cause a range of afflictions, which varies from mild dry-eye-discomfort, to more serious corneal diseases. Thus, at this heart of this problem, is the question of how a rigid or elastic plate interacts with the free-surface of a thin viscous film. In this talk, we present several mathematical models for the study of these plate-and-fluid problems. Asymptotic and numerical results are described, and we explain the role of elasticity, surface tension, viscosity, and pressure in determining the equilibrium solutions. Finally, we discuss the implications of our work on the contact lens problem, as well as on other coating processes which involve elastic substrates.

Contact formation in gallium arsenide solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weizer, Victor G.; Fatemi, Navid S.

1988-01-01

Gold and gold-based alloys, commonly used as solar cell contact materials, are known to react readily with gallium arsenide. Experiments were performed to identify the mechanisms involved in these GaAs-metal interactions. It is shown that the reaction of GaAs with gold takes place via a dissociative diffusion process. It is shown further that the GaAs-metal reaction rate is controlled to a very great extent by the condition of the free surface of the contact metal, an interesting example of which is the previously unexplained increase in the reaction rate that has been observed for samples annealed in a vacuum environment as compared to those annealed in a gaseous ambient. A number of other hard-to-explain observations, such as the low-temperature formation of voids in the gold lattice and crystallite growth on the gold surface, are explained by invoking this mechanism.

Removal of arsenic compounds from spent catecholated polymer

DOEpatents

Fish, Richard H.

1985-01-01

Described is a process for removing arsenic from petroliferous derived liquids by contacting said liquid at an elevated temperature with a divinylbenzene-crosslinked polystyrene having catechol ligands anchored thereon. Also, described is a process for regenerating spent catecholated polystyrene by removal of the arsenic bound to it from contacting petroliferous liquid as described above and involves: a. treating said spent catecholated polystyrene, at a temperature in the range of about 20.degree. to 100.degree. C. with an aqueous solution of at least one carbonate and/or bicarbonate of ammonium, alkali and alkaline earth metals, said solution having a pH between about 8 and 10 and, b. separating the solids and liquids from each other. Preferably the regeneration treatment is in two steps wherein step (a) is carried out with an aqueous alcoholic carbonate solution containing lower alkyl alcohol, and, steps (a) and (b) are repeated using a bicarbonate.

Removal of arsenic compounds from petroliferous liquids

DOEpatents

Fish, Richard H.

1985-01-01

Described is a process for removing arsenic from petroliferous derived liquids by contacting said liquid at an elevated temperature with a divinylbenzene-crosslinked polystyrene having catechol ligands anchored thereon. Also, described is a process for regenerating spent catecholated polystyrene by removal of the arsenic bound to it from contacting petroliferous liquid as described above and involves: a. treating said spent catecholated polystyrene, at a temperature in the range of about 20.degree. to 100.degree. C. with an aqueous solution of at least one carbonate and/or bicarbonate of ammonium, alkali and alkaline earth metals, said solution having a pH between about 8 and 10 and, b. separating the solids and liquids from each other. Preferably the regeneration treatment is in two steps wherein step (a) is carried out with an aqueous alcoholic carbonate solution containing lower alkyl alcohol, and, steps (a) and (b) are repeated using a bicarbonate.

Statistical analysis of native contact formation in the folding of designed model proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiana, Guido; Broglia, Ricardo A.

2001-02-01

The time evolution of the formation probability of native bonds has been studied for designed sequences which fold fast into the native conformation. From this analysis a clear hierarchy of bonds emerge: (a) local, fast forming highly stable native bonds built by some of the most strongly interacting amino acids of the protein; (b) nonlocal bonds formed late in the folding process, in coincidence with the folding nucleus, and involving essentially the same strongly interacting amino acids already participating in the fast bonds; (c) the rest of the native bonds whose behavior is subordinated, to a large extent, to that of the strong local and nonlocal native contacts.

Contact electrification of insulating materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacks, Daniel J.; Mohan Sankaran, R.

2011-11-01

The electrostatic charge that is generated when two materials are contacted or rubbed and then separated is a well-known physical process that has been studied for more than 2500 years. Contact electrification occurs in many contexts, both natural and technological. For example, in dust storms the collisions between particles lead to electrostatic charging and in extreme cases, extraordinary lightning displays. In electrophotography, toner particles are intentionally charged to guide their deposition in well-defined patterns. Despite such a long history and so many important consequences, a fundamental understanding of the mechanism behind contact electrification remains elusive. An open question is what type of species are transferred between the surfaces to generate charge—experiments suggest various species ranging from electrons to ions to nanoscopic bits of material, and theoretical work suggests that non-equilibrium states may play an important role. Another open question is the contact electrification that occurs when two insulating materials with identical physical properties touch—since there is no apparent driving force, it is not clear why charge transfer occurs. A third open question involves granular systems—models and experiments have shown that a particle-size dependence for the charging often exists. In this review, we discuss the fundamental aspects of contact electrification and highlight recent research efforts aimed at understanding these open questions.

Carbon dioxide/brine wettability of porous sandstone versus solid quartz: An experimental and theoretical investigation.

PubMed

Alnili, Firas; Al-Yaseri, Ahmed; Roshan, Hamid; Rahman, Taufiq; Verall, Michael; Lebedev, Maxim; Sarmadivaleh, Mohammad; Iglauer, Stefan; Barifcani, Ahmed

2018-08-15

Wettability plays an important role in underground geological storage of carbon dioxide because the fluid flow and distribution mechanism within porous media is controlled by this phenomenon. CO 2 pressure, temperature, brine composition, and mineral type have significant effects on wettability. Despite past research on this subject, the factors that control the wettability variation for CO 2 /water/minerals, particularly the effects of pores in the porous substrate on the contact angle at different pressures, temperatures, and salinities, as well as the physical processes involved are not fully understood. We measured the contact angle of deionised water and brine/CO 2 /porous sandstone samples at different pressures, temperatures, and salinities. Then, we compared the results with those of pure quartz. Finally, we developed a physical model to explain the observed phenomena. The measured contact angle of sandstone was systematically greater than that of pure quartz because of the pores present in sandstone. Moreover, the effect of pressure and temperature on the contact angle of sandstone was similar to that of pure quartz. The results showed that the contact angle increases with increase in temperature and pressure and decreases with increase in salinity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Follicular contact dermatitis revisited: A review emphasizing neomycin-associated follicular contact dermatitis

PubMed Central

Cohen, Philip R

2014-01-01

Follicular contact dermatitis clinically presents as individual papules that include a central hair follicle. Pathologic features involve the follicle and the surrounding dermis: spongiosis and vesicle formation of the follicular epithelium associated with perifollicular and perivascular lymphocytic inflammation. Using the PubMed database, an extensive literature search was performed on follicular contact dermatitis and neomycin. Relevant papers were reviewed and the clinical and pathologic features, the associated chemicals (including a more detailed description of neomycin), the hypothesized pathogenesis, and the management of follicular contact dermatitis were described. Several agents-either as allergens or irritants-have been reported to elicit follicular contact dermatitis. Several hypotheses have been suggested for the selective involvement of the follicles in follicular contact dermatitis: patient allergenicity, characteristics of the agent, vehicle containing the agent, application of the agent, and external factors. The differential diagnosis of follicular contact dermatitis includes not only recurrent infundibulofolliculitis, but also drug eruption, mite infestation, viral infection, and dermatoses that affect hair follicles. The primary therapeutic intervention for follicular contact dermatitis is withdrawal of the causative agent; treatment with a topical corticosteroid preparation may also promote resolution of the dermatitis. In conclusion, follicular contact dermatitis may be secondary to allergens or irritants; topical antibiotics, including neomycin, may cause this condition. Several factors may account for the selective involvement of the hair follicle in this condition. Treatment of the dermatitis requires withdrawal of the associated topical agent; in addition, topical corticosteroids may be helpful to promote resolution of lesions. PMID:25516854

Removal of mercury from coal via a microbial pretreatment process

DOEpatents

Borole, Abhijeet P [Knoxville, TN; Hamilton, Choo Y [Knoxville, TN

2011-08-16

A process for the removal of mercury from coal prior to combustion is disclosed. The process is based on use of microorganisms to oxidize iron, sulfur and other species binding mercury within the coal, followed by volatilization of mercury by the microorganisms. The microorganisms are from a class of iron and/or sulfur oxidizing bacteria. The process involves contacting coal with the bacteria in a batch or continuous manner. The mercury is first solubilized from the coal, followed by microbial reduction to elemental mercury, which is stripped off by sparging gas and captured by a mercury recovery unit, giving mercury-free coal. The mercury can be recovered in pure form from the sorbents via additional processing.

Weak imposition of frictionless contact constraints on automatically recovered high-order, embedded interfaces using the finite cell method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bog, Tino; Zander, Nils; Kollmannsberger, Stefan; Rank, Ernst

2018-04-01

The finite cell method (FCM) is a fictitious domain approach that greatly simplifies simulations involving complex structures. Recently, the FCM has been applied to contact problems. The current study continues in this field by extending the concept of weakly enforced boundary conditions to inequality constraints for frictionless contact. Furthermore, it formalizes an approach that automatically recovers high-order contact surfaces of (implicitly defined) embedded geometries by means of an extended Marching Cubes algorithm. To further improve the accuracy of the discretization, irregularities at the boundary of contact zones are treated with multi-level hp-refinements. Numerical results and a systematic study of h-, p- and hp-refinements show that the FCM can efficiently provide accurate results for problems involving contact.

Analytical solutions for combined close-contact and natural convection melting in horizontal cylindrical heat storage capsule

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

Saitoh, T.S.; Hoshi, A.

1998-07-01

Melting and solidification of a phase change material (PCM) in a capsule is of practical importance in latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems which are considered to be very promising to reduce a peak demand of electricity in the summer season and carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) emissions. Two melting modes are involved in melting of capsules. One is close-contact melting between the solid bulk and the capsule wall, and another is natural convection melting in the liquid region. Close-contact melting processes for a single enclosure have been solved using several numerical methods (e.g., Saitoh and Kato (1994)). In additionmore » close-contact melting heat transfer characteristics including melt flow in the liquid film under inner wall temperature distribution were analyzed and simple approximate equations were already presented by Saitoh and Hoshi (1997). The effects of Stefan number and variable temperature profile etc. were clarified in detail. And the melting velocity of the solid bulk under various conditions was also studied theoretically. In addition the effects of variable inner wall temperature on molten mass fraction were investigated. The present paper reports analytical solutions for combined close-contact and natural convection melting in horizontal cylindrical capsule. Moreover, natural convection melting in the liquid region were analyzed in this report. The upper interface shape of the solid bulk is approximated by a circular arc throughout the melting process. For the sake of verification, close-contact melting heat-transfer characteristics including natural convection in the liquid region were studied experimentally. Apparent shift of upper solid-liquid interface is good agreement with the experiment. The present simple approximate solutions will be useful to facilitate designing of the practical capsule bed LHTES systems.« less

Latent profile analysis of teacher perceptions of parent contact and comfort.

PubMed

Stormont, Melissa; Herman, Keith C; Reinke, Wendy M; David, Kimberly B; Goel, Nidhi

2013-09-01

The purpose of the study was to explore patterns of parent involvement as perceived by teachers and identify correlates of these patterns. Parent involvement indicators and correlates were selected from a review of existing research. Participants included 34 teachers and 577 children in kindergarten through third grade. The vast majority of the sample was African American (78%), followed by Caucasian (19%) and other ethnic backgrounds (2%). Two subscales from the Parent Involvement-Teacher scale, contact and comfort, were entered as indicators in a latent profile analysis to determine the number and types of parent involvement classes. Contact included the frequency of interactions between parents and teachers; comfort included the quality of their relationship with the parent and how well their goals were aligned. Subsequent latent class regressions were conducted to identify student, school, and family characteristics associated with class membership. Three classes provided the optimal solution. This included two classes of parents with low contact with teachers but different comfort levels; one with low contact and low comfort (11%), and one with low contact but high comfort (71%). The remaining class, representing 18% of parents, was rated high on both contact and comfort. Low income status, family problems, and social, emotional, academic, and self-regulation problems distinguished the low comfort class from the other two classes. It is imperative to help teachers feel more comfortable working with families who may be experiencing substantial stressors and who also have children who need support across school and home settings.

Concordant morphological and molecular clines in a contact zone of the Common and Spined toad (Bufo bufo and B. spinosus) in the northwest of France.

PubMed

Arntzen, Jan W; Trujillo, Tania; Butôt, Roland; Vrieling, Klaas; Schaap, Onno; Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, Jorge; Martínez-Solano, Iñigo

2016-01-01

Hybrid zones are regions where individuals of two species meet and produce hybrid progeny, and are often regarded as natural laboratories to understand the process of species formation. Two microevolutionary processes can take place in hybrid zones, with opposing effects on population differentiation. Hybridization tends to produce genetic homogenization, reducing species differences, whereas the presence of mechanisms of reproductive isolation result in barriers to gene flow, maintaining or increasing differences between taxa. Here we study a contact zone between two hybridizing toad species, Bufo bufo and B. spinosus , through a combination of molecular (12 polymorphic microsatellites, four nuclear and two mitochondrial SNP markers) and morphological data in a transect in the northwest of France. The results show largely concordant clines across markers, defining a narrow hybrid zone of ca. 30 km wide. Most hybrids in the centre of the contact zone are classified as F 2 or backcrossed individuals, with no individuals assigned to the F 1 hybrid class. We discuss the implications of these results for our understanding of the evolutionary history of these species. We anticipate that the toad contact zone here described will become an important asset in the study of hybrid zone dynamics and evolutionary biology because of its easy access and the abundance of the species involved.

Complex cytogeographical patterns reveal a dynamic tetraploid–octoploid contact zone

PubMed Central

Castro, Mariana; Castro, Sílvia; Figueiredo, Albano; Husband, Brian; Loureiro, João

2018-01-01

Abstract The distribution of cytotypes in mixed-ploidy species is crucial for evaluating ecological processes involved in the establishment and evolution of polyploid taxa. Here, we use flow cytometry and chromosome counts to explore cytotype diversity and distributions within a tetraploid–octoploid contact zone. We then use niche modelling and ploidy seed screening to assess the roles of niche differentiation among cytotypes and reproductive interactions, respectively, in promoting cytotype coexistence. Two cytotypes, tetraploids and octoploids, were dominant within the contact zone. They were most often distributed parapatrically or allopatrically, resulting in high geographic isolation. Still, 16.7 % of localities comprised two or more cytotypes, including the intermediate hexaploid cytotype. Tetraploids and octoploids had high environmental niche overlap and associated with similar climatic environments, suggesting they have similar ecological requirements. Given the geographical separation and habitat similarity among cytotypes, mixed-ploidy populations may be transitional and subject to the forces of minority cytotype exclusion which lead to pure-ploidy populations. However, seed ploidy analysis suggests that strong reproductive barriers may enforce assortative mating which favours stable cytotype coexistence. High cytogenetic diversity detected in the field suggests that unreduced gamete formation and hybridization events seem frequent in the studied polyploid complex and might be involved with the recurrent polyploid formation, governing, as well, the gene flow between cytogenetic entities. PMID:29593853

Complex cytogeographical patterns reveal a dynamic tetraploid-octoploid contact zone.

PubMed

Castro, Mariana; Castro, Sílvia; Figueiredo, Albano; Husband, Brian; Loureiro, João

2018-03-01

The distribution of cytotypes in mixed-ploidy species is crucial for evaluating ecological processes involved in the establishment and evolution of polyploid taxa. Here, we use flow cytometry and chromosome counts to explore cytotype diversity and distributions within a tetraploid-octoploid contact zone. We then use niche modelling and ploidy seed screening to assess the roles of niche differentiation among cytotypes and reproductive interactions, respectively, in promoting cytotype coexistence. Two cytotypes, tetraploids and octoploids, were dominant within the contact zone. They were most often distributed parapatrically or allopatrically, resulting in high geographic isolation. Still, 16.7 % of localities comprised two or more cytotypes, including the intermediate hexaploid cytotype. Tetraploids and octoploids had high environmental niche overlap and associated with similar climatic environments, suggesting they have similar ecological requirements. Given the geographical separation and habitat similarity among cytotypes, mixed-ploidy populations may be transitional and subject to the forces of minority cytotype exclusion which lead to pure-ploidy populations. However, seed ploidy analysis suggests that strong reproductive barriers may enforce assortative mating which favours stable cytotype coexistence. High cytogenetic diversity detected in the field suggests that unreduced gamete formation and hybridization events seem frequent in the studied polyploid complex and might be involved with the recurrent polyploid formation, governing, as well, the gene flow between cytogenetic entities.

Dental abrasion as a cutting process.

PubMed

Lucas, Peter W; Wagner, Mark; Al-Fadhalah, Khaled; Almusallam, Abdulwahab S; Michael, Shaji; Thai, Lidia A; Strait, David S; Swain, Michael V; van Casteren, Adam; Renno, Waleed M; Shekeban, Ali; Philip, Swapna M; Saji, Sreeja; Atkins, Anthony G

2016-06-06

A mammalian tooth is abraded when a sliding contact between a particle and the tooth surface leads to an immediate loss of tooth tissue. Over time, these contacts can lead to wear serious enough to impair the oral processing of food. Both anatomical and physiological mechanisms have evolved in mammals to try to prevent wear, indicating its evolutionary importance, but it is still an established survival threat. Here we consider that many wear marks result from a cutting action whereby the contacting tip(s) of such wear particles acts akin to a tool tip. Recent theoretical developments show that it is possible to estimate the toughness of abraded materials via cutting tests. Here, we report experiments intended to establish the wear resistance of enamel in terms of its toughness and how friction varies. Imaging via atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to assess the damage involved. Damage ranged from pure plastic deformation to fracture with and without lateral microcracks. Grooves cut with a Berkovich diamond were the most consistent, suggesting that the toughness of enamel in cutting is 244 J m(-2), which is very high. Friction was higher in the presence of a polyphenolic compound, indicating that this could increase wear potential.

The negative effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy at the acute phase of electrochemical esophageal burn induced by button battery ingestion.

PubMed

Aydin, Atakan; Aktas, Samil; Hafiz, Gunter; Kabakas, Fatih; Erer, Metin; Bilgic, Bilge

2004-07-01

Ingestion of button battery, if lodges in esophagus, causes mucosal destruction in esophagus and may damage surrounding tissues due to electrochemical reactions which may lead to esophagus perforation, tracheosefageal fistula and other serious problems. We designed an experimental study to test the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on battery induced electrochemical tissue damage in the esophagus of a rabbit model and possible change with duration of contact time. Button batteries were inserted in esophagus of 40 rabbits which were divided into four groups. Groups 1 and 2 had 15 min of duration of contact time of battery in esophagus, while Groups 3 and 4 had 30 min. Groups 1 and 3 had hyperbaric oxygen therapy for 3 days; Groups 2 and 4 did not. At the end of 3rd day all animals were sacrified and samples were taken from the esophagus for determination of malondialdehyde levels and for histopathological examination to compare: mucosal destruction, muscular layer involvement, perforation and tracheal involvement between groups. Malondialdehyde levels, mucosal destruction, muscular layer involvement, perforation and tracheal involvement were significantly higher in groups which had 30 min of contact time compared to groups which had 15 min. The same assessments were significantly higher in Group 1 (15 min of contact time with hyperbaric oxygen therapy) compared to Group 2 (15 min of contact time without hyperbaric oxygen therapy). However, the difference between Group 3 (30 min of contact time with hyperbaric oxygen therapy) and Group 4 (30 min of contact time, no hyperbaric oxygen therapy) was not significant. Our study demonstrated that if contact time is 15 min HBO had an additive adverse effect to electrochemically burned esophagus by increasing free radicals and eventually tissue damage. However, if the contact time is 30 min its adverse effect is shielded by huge electrochemical destruction due to long contact time.

Dynamics of epidemics outbreaks in heterogeneous populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brockmann, Dirk; Morales-Gallardo, Alejandro; Geisel, Theo

2007-03-01

The dynamics of epidemic outbreaks have been investigated in recent years within two alternative theoretical paradigms. The key parameter of mean field type of models such as the SIR model is the basic reproduction number R0, the average number of secondary infections caused by one infected individual. Recently, scale free network models have received much attention as they account for the high variability in the number of social contacts involved. These models predict an infinite basic reproduction number in some cases. We investigate the impact of heterogeneities of contact rates in a generic model for epidemic outbreaks. We present a system in which both the time periods of being infectious and the time periods between transmissions are Poissonian processes. The heterogeneities are introduced by means of strongly variable contact rates. In contrast to scale free network models we observe a finite basic reproduction number and, counterintuitively a smaller overall epidemic outbreak as compared to the homogeneous system. Our study thus reveals that heterogeneities in contact rates do not necessarily facilitate the spread to infectious disease but may well attenuate it.

An Elmo–Dock complex locally controls Rho GTPases and actin remodeling during cadherin-mediated adhesion

PubMed Central

Collins, Caitlin

2014-01-01

Cell–cell contact formation is a dynamic process requiring the coordination of cadherin-based cell–cell adhesion and integrin-based cell migration. A genome-wide RNA interference screen for proteins required specifically for cadherin-dependent cell–cell adhesion identified an Elmo–Dock complex. This was unexpected as Elmo–Dock complexes act downstream of integrin signaling as Rac guanine-nucleotide exchange factors. In this paper, we show that Elmo2 recruits Dock1 to initial cell–cell contacts in Madin–Darby canine kidney cells. At cell–cell contacts, both Elmo2 and Dock1 are essential for the rapid recruitment and spreading of E-cadherin, actin reorganization, localized Rac and Rho GTPase activities, and the development of strong cell–cell adhesion. Upon completion of cell–cell adhesion, Elmo2 and Dock1 no longer localize to cell–cell contacts and are not required subsequently for the maintenance of cell–cell adhesion. These studies show that Elmo–Dock complexes are involved in both integrin- and cadherin-based adhesions, which may help to coordinate the transition of cells from migration to strong cell–cell adhesion. PMID:25452388

Identification and dynamics of a cryptic suture zone in tropical rainforest

PubMed Central

Moritz, C.; Hoskin, C.J.; MacKenzie, J.B.; Phillips, B.L.; Tonione, M.; Silva, N.; VanDerWal, J.; Williams, S.E.; Graham, C.H.

2009-01-01

Suture zones, shared regions of secondary contact between long-isolated lineages, are natural laboratories for studying divergence and speciation. For tropical rainforest, the existence of suture zones and their significance for speciation has been controversial. Using comparative phylogeographic evidence, we locate a morphologically cryptic suture zone in the Australian Wet Tropics rainforest. Fourteen out of 18 contacts involve morphologically cryptic phylogeographic lineages, with mtDNA sequence divergences ranging from 2 to 15 per cent. Contact zones are significantly clustered in a suture zone located between two major Quaternary refugia. Within this area, there is a trend for secondary contacts to occur in regions with low environmental suitability relative to both adjacent refugia and, by inference, the parental lineages. The extent and form of reproductive isolation among interacting lineages varies across species, ranging from random admixture to speciation, in one case via reinforcement. Comparative phylogeographic studies, combined with environmental analysis at a fine-scale and across varying climates, can generate new insights into suture zone formation and to diversification processes in species-rich tropical rainforests. As arenas for evolutionary experimentation, suture zones merit special attention for conservation. PMID:19203915

Are the children of fathers whose jobs involve contact with many people at an increased risk of leukaemia?

PubMed Central

Fear, N. T.; Roman, E.; Reeves, G.; Pannett, B.

1999-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the hypothesis that children of men whose jobs involve contact with many people (particularly children) are at an increased risk of leukaemia. METHODS: A population based dataset obtained from routinely collected death certificates involving 14,168 cancer deaths occurring before the age of 15 years registered in England and Wales between 1959-63 and 1970-90. Associations were assessed with the proportional cancer mortality ratio (PCMR), with all childhood cancer deaths forming the standard for comparison. The PCMRs were adjusted, by stratification, for age and year of death (in 1-year bands) and paternal social class (nine categories). Analyses were performed by estimated level of paternal occupational social contact (high, medium, and low) for all leukaemias, leukaemia subtype, age at death, year of death, and individual occupation. RESULTS: Out of 223 occupations, 36 (16%) were identified as having potentially high levels of social contact, and 27 (12%) as having potentially medium levels of social contact. No associations were found between paternal occupational social contact and death during childhood from leukaemia (high social contact: PCMR 94, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 87 to 102; medium social contact: 101, 95 to 106). No associations were found when the data were analysed by leukaemia subtype, age at death, year of death, or individual occupation. CONCLUSION: The findings presented here do not support the suggestion that childhood leukaemia is related to the amount of social contact that fathers experience at work.   PMID:10472313

Metal Contacts in Semiconductors.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-11-01

greater understanding of the role that imperfec- tions, defects etc. play in the formation of Schottk~y barriers and related devices. In section 1 of...these effects. In Section 2 of this report we consider the role of surface defects in the pinning of the Fermi level at free semiconductor surfaces and...in the adsorption and oxidation processes involved when these surfaces interact with gases and metals. The role of imperfections at metal

Protein contact dermatitis: allergens, pathogenesis, and management.

PubMed

Levin, Cheryl; Warshaw, Erin

2008-01-01

Protein contact dermatitis is an allergic skin reaction induced principally by proteins of either animal or plant origin. The clinical presentation is that of a chronic dermatitis, and it is often difficult to differentiate between allergic contact dermatitis and other eczematous dermatoses. One distinguishing clinical feature is that acute flares of pruritus, urticaria, edema, or vesiculation are noted minutes after contact with the causative substances. Additionally, the patch-test result is typically negative, and the scratch- or prick-test result is positive. The pathogenesis of protein contact dermatitis is unclear but may involve a type I (immunoglobulin E [IgE], immediate) hypersensitivity reaction, type IV (cell-mediated delayed) hypersensitivity reaction, and/or a delayed reaction due to IgE-bearing Langerhans' cells. Management involves avoidance of the allergen.

The fraction of total hand surface area involved in young children's outdoor hand-to-object contacts.

PubMed

AuYeung, Willa; Canales, Robert A; Leckie, James O

2008-11-01

Information on the fraction of total hand surface area touching a contaminated object is necessary in accurately estimating contaminant (e.g., pesticides, pathogens) loadings onto the hands during hand-to-object contacts. While several existing physical-stochastic human exposure models require such surface area data to estimate dermal and non-dietary ingestion exposure, there are very limited data sets. This paper provides statistical distributions of fractional surface areas (FSAs) for children's outdoor hand contacts. These distributions were constructed by combining information collected from two distinct studies exploring children's activity patterns and quantifying hand contact surface area. Results show that for outdoor contacts with "All Objects", a range of 0.13-0.27 captured median FSAs, while a range of 0.12-0.24 captured time-weighted FSAs. Overall, an FSA of 0.31 captured 80-100% of FSAs involved in each child's outdoor hand contacts, depending upon the object of interest. These values are much lower than the often conservative assumptions of up to 1 (i.e., the entire hand) that researchers currently make regarding FSAs involved in indoor and outdoor contacts [USEPA, 1997. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for residential exposure assessments. Contract no. 68-W6-0030. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/trac/science/trac6a05.pdf].

Distributed decision making in action: diagnostic imaging investigations within the bigger picture.

PubMed

Makanjee, Chandra R; Bergh, Anne-Marie; Hoffmann, Willem A

2018-03-01

Decision making in the health care system - specifically with regard to diagnostic imaging investigations - occurs at multiple levels. Professional role players from various backgrounds are involved in making these decisions, from the point of referral to the outcomes of the imaging investigation. The aim of this study was to map the decision-making processes and pathways involved when patients are referred for diagnostic imaging investigations and to explore distributed decision-making events at the points of contact with patients within a health care system. A two-phased qualitative study was conducted in an academic public health complex with the district hospital as entry point. The first phase included case studies of 24 conveniently selected patients, and the second phase involved 12 focus group interviews with health care providers. Data analysis was based on Rapley's interpretation of decision making as being distributed across time, situations and actions, and including different role players and technologies. Clinical decisions incorporating imaging investigations are distributed across the three vital points of contact or decision-making events, namely the initial patient consultation, the diagnostic imaging investigation and the post-investigation consultation. Each of these decision-making events is made up of a sequence of discrete decision-making moments based on the transfer of retrospective, current and prospective information and its transformation into knowledge. This paper contributes to the understanding of the microstructural processes (the 'when' and 'where') involved in the distribution of decisions related to imaging investigations. It also highlights the interdependency in decision-making events of medical and non-medical providers within a single medical encounter. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy and New Zealand Institute of Medical Radiation Technology.

Disproportionate minority contact.

PubMed

Piquero, Alex R

2008-01-01

For many years, notes Alex Piquero, youth of color have been overrepresented at every stage of the U.S. juvenile justice system. As with racial disparities in a wide variety of social indicators, the causes of these disparities are not immediately apparent. Some analysts attribute the disparities to "differential involvement"--that is, to differences in offending by minorities and whites. Others attribute them to "differential selection"--that is, to the fact that the justice system treats minority and white offenders in different ways. Still others believe the explanation lies in a combination of the two. Differential involvement may be important earlier in the judicial process, especially in youths' contacts with police, and may influence differential selection later as individuals make their way through the juvenile justice system. Adjudicating between these options, says Piquero, is difficult and may even be impossible. Asking how much minority overrepresentation is due to differences in offending and how much to differences in processing no longer seems a helpful way to frame the discussion. Piquero urges future research to move beyond the debate over "which one matters more" and seek to understand how each of the two hypotheses can explain both the fact of minority overrepresentation in the juvenile justice system and how best to address it. Piquero cites many sizable gaps in the research and policy-relevant literature. Work is needed especially, he says, in analyzing the first stage of the justice system that juveniles confront: police contacts. The police are a critical part of the juvenile justice decision-making system and are afforded far more discretion than any other formal agent of social control, but researchers have paid surprisingly little attention to contacts between police and citizens, especially juveniles. Piquero notes that some states and localities are undertaking initiatives to reduce racial and ethnic disparities. He urges researchers and policymakers to evaluate such initiatives, especially those using strategies with a track record of success. Researchers should also examine empirically the far-reaching consequences of disproportionate minority representation in the juvenile justice system, such as poor outcomes in education, labor force participation, and family formation. Finally, Piquero emphasizes that one critical research area involves updating justice system data systems and repositories, which have failed to track changes in U.S. demographic and immigration patterns.

Control of laser-ablated aluminum surface wettability to superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic through simple heat treatment or water boiling post-processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngo, Chi-Vinh; Chun, Doo-Man

2018-03-01

Recently, controlling the wettability of a metallic surface so that it is either superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic has become important for many applications. However, conventional techniques require long fabrication times or involve toxic chemicals. Herein, through a combination of pulse laser ablation and simple post-processing, the surface of aluminum was controlled to either superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic in a short time of only a few hours. In this study, grid patterns were first fabricated on aluminum using a nanosecond pulsed laser, and then additional post-processing without any chemicals was used. Under heat treatment, the surface became superhydrophobic with a contact angle (CA) greater than 150° and a sliding angle (SA) lower than 10°. Conversely, when immersed in boiling water, the surface became superhydrophilic with a low contact angle. The mechanism for wettability change was also explained. The surfaces, obtained in a short time with environmentally friendly fabrication and without the use of toxic chemicals, could potentially be applied in various industry and manufacturing applications such as self-cleaning, anti-icing, and biomedical devices.

Picosecond laser micro/nano surface texturing of nickel for superhydrophobicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, X. C.; Wang, B.; Xie, H.; Zheng, H. Y.; Lam, Y. C.

2018-03-01

A single step direct picosecond laser texturing process was demonstrated to be able to obtain a superhydrophobic surface on a nickel substrate, a key material for mold fabrication in the manufacture of various devices, including polymeric microfluidic devices. A two-scale hierarchical surface structure of regular 2D array micro-bumps with nano-ripples was produced on a nickel surface. The laser textured surface initially showed superhydrophilicity with almost complete wetting of the structured surface just after laser treatment, then quickly changed to nearly superhydrophobic with a water contact angle (WCA) of 140° in less than 1 d, and finally became superhydrophobic with a WCA of more than 150° and a contact angle hysteresis (CAH) of less than 5°. The mechanism involved in the process is discussed in terms of surface morphology and surface chemistry. The ultra-fast laser induced NiO catalytic effect was thought to play a key role in modifying the surface chemistry so as to lower the surface energy. The developed process has the potential to improve the performance of nickel mold in the fabrication of microfluidic devices.

The role of skin barrier in occupational contact dermatitis.

PubMed

Jakasa, Ivone; Thyssen, Jacob P; Kezic, Sanja

2018-06-12

Skin diseases represent one of the most common work-related diseases and may have a detrimental effect on social, personal and occupational aspects of life. Contact dermatitis, which comprises predominately irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) and allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) accounts for vast majority of occupational skin diseases, especially in occupations associated with frequent skin contact with irritants and contact allergens. Although ICD and ACD have similar clinical manifestation, their pathophysiology and the role of the skin barrier is different. In ICD, perturbation of the skin barrier is the primary event which sets into motion diverse metabolic processes and triggers activation of innate immunity without involvement of adaptive immune system. In ACD, a type IV hypersensitivity reaction induced by contact allergens, the skin barrier impairment may evoke innate signaling pathways during the sensitization phase required for the activation of T-cell adaptive response. Thus, skin barrier impairment may increase the risk of ICD or ACD not only because of enhanced permeability and ingress of irritants and allergens, but also by generation of innate immune signal needed for the induction of allergic response. Hence, an efficient way to prevent CD is to avoid skin barrier damage in the workplace. This review focuses on the skin barrier, how it is affected by skin irritants and how its impairment contributes to development of ICD and ACD. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The disruption of the epithelial mesenchymal trophic unit in COPD.

PubMed

Behzad, Ali R; McDonough, John E; Seyednejad, Nazgol; Hogg, James C; Walker, David C

2009-12-01

Progression of COPD is associated with a measurable increase in small airway wall thickness resulting from a repair and remodeling process that involves fibroblasts of the epithelial mesenchymal trophic unit (EMTU). The present study was designed to examine the organization of fibroblasts within the lamina propria of small airways with respect to their contacts with the epithelium and with each other in persons with COPD. Transmission electron microcopy (TEM) and three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of serial TEM sections were used to estimate the frequency and determine the nature of the contacts between the epithelium and fibroblasts within the EMTU in small airways from 5 controls (smokers with normal lung function), from 6 persons with mild (GOLD-1) and 5 with moderate (GOLD-2) COPD. In airways from control lungs fibroblasts make frequent contact with cytoplasmic extensions of epithelial cells through apertures in the epithelial basal lamina, but the frequency of these fibroblast-epithelial contacts is reduced in both mild and moderate COPD compared to controls (p < 0.01). The 3D reconstructions showed that the cytoplasmic extensions of lamina propria fibroblasts form a reticulum with fibroblast-fibroblast contacts in an airway from a control subject but this reticulum may be reorganized in airways of COPD patients. Development of COPD is associated with significant disruption of the EMTU due to a reduction of contacts between fibroblasts and the epithelium.

Fabricating solar cells with silicon nanoparticles

DOEpatents

Loscutoff, Paul; Molesa, Steve; Kim, Taeseok

2014-09-02

A laser contact process is employed to form contact holes to emitters of a solar cell. Doped silicon nanoparticles are formed over a substrate of the solar cell. The surface of individual or clusters of silicon nanoparticles is coated with a nanoparticle passivation film. Contact holes to emitters of the solar cell are formed by impinging a laser beam on the passivated silicon nanoparticles. For example, the laser contact process may be a laser ablation process. In that case, the emitters may be formed by diffusing dopants from the silicon nanoparticles prior to forming the contact holes to the emitters. As another example, the laser contact process may be a laser melting process whereby portions of the silicon nanoparticles are melted to form the emitters and contact holes to the emitters.

Identification of the mechanism that confers superhydrophobicity on 316L stainless steel

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

Escobar, Ana M.; Llorca-Isern, Nuria; Rius-Ayra, Oriol

This study develops a rapid method to confer superhydrophobicity on 316L stainless steel surfaces with an amphiphilic reagent such as dodecanoic acid. The highest contact angle (approaching 173°) was obtained after forming hierarchical structures with a non-aqueous electrolyte by an electrolytic process. Our goal was to induce superhydrophobicity directly on 316L stainless steel substrates and to establish which molecules cause the effect. The superhydrophobic behaviour is analysed by contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), IR spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The growth mechanism is analysed using FE-SEM, TOF-SIMS and XPS in order to determine the molecules involved inmore » the reaction and the growth. The TOF-SIMS analysis revealed that the Ni{sup 2+} ions react with lauric acid to create an ester on the stainless steel surface. - Highlights: • This study develops a rapid and facile approach to impart superhydrophobicity properties to 316L stainless steel surfaces with an amphiphilic reagent such as dodecanoic acid. Surface character changes from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity. • This process changes the surface character from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity. • The process based on electrolysis of a nickel salt in lauric acid provides superhydrophobic behaviour in 316L stainless steel. • The growth mechanism is proposed as a mode island (Volmert- Weber mode). • TOF-SIMS and XPS provided the identification of the molecules involved in the surface modification reaction on AISI 316L inducing superhydrophobicity.« less

A review of induction and attachment times of wetting thin films between air bubbles and particles and its relevance in the separation of particles by flotation.

PubMed

Albijanic, Boris; Ozdemir, Orhan; Nguyen, Anh V; Bradshaw, Dee

2010-08-11

Bubble-particle attachment in water is critical to the separation of particles by flotation which is widely used in the recovery of valuable minerals, the deinking of wastepaper, the water treatment and the oil recovery from tar sands. It involves the thinning and rupture of wetting thin films, and the expansion and relaxation of the gas-liquid-solid contact lines. The time scale of the first two processes is referred to as the induction time, whereas the time scale of the attachment involving all the processes is called the attachment time. This paper reviews the experimental studies into the induction and attachment times between minerals and air bubbles, and between oil droplets and air bubbles. It also focuses on the experimental investigations and mathematical modelling of elementary processes of the wetting film thinning and rupture, and the three-phase contact line expansion relevant to flotation. It was confirmed that the time parameters, obtained by various authors, are sensitive enough to show changes in both flotation surface chemistry and physical properties of solid surfaces of pure minerals. These findings should be extended to other systems. It is proposed that measurements of the bubble-particle attachment can be used to interpret changes in flotation behaviour or, in conjunction with other factors, such as particle size and gas dispersion, to predict flotation performance. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Proteomics analysis of dendritic cell activation by contact allergens reveals possible biomarkers regulated by Nrf2

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

Mussotter, Franz, E-mail: franz.mussotter@bfr.bund

Allergic contact dermatitis is a widespread disease with high clinical relevance affecting approximately 20% of the general population. Typically, contact allergens are low molecular weight electrophilic compounds which can activate the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway. We performed a proteomics study to reveal possible biomarkers for dendritic cell (DC) activation by contact allergens and to further elucidate the role of Keap1/Nrf2 signaling in this process. We used bone marrow derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) of wild-type (nrf2{sup +/+}) and Nrf2 knockout (nrf2{sup −/−}) mice and studied their response against the model contact sensitizers 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), cinnamaldehyde (CA) and nickel(II) sulfate by 2-dimensional polyacrylamide gelmore » electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) in combination with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS, 100 μM) served as irritant control. While treatment with nickel(II) sulfate and SDS had only little effects, CA and DNCB led to significant changes in protein expression. We found 18 and 30 protein spots up-regulated in wild-type cells treated with 50 and 100 μM CA, respectively. For 5 and 10 μM DNCB, 32 and 37 spots were up-regulated, respectively. Almost all of these proteins were not differentially expressed in nrf2{sup −/−} BMDCs, indicating an Nrf2-dependent regulation. Among them proteins were detected which are involved in oxidative stress and heat shock responses, as well as in signal transduction or basic cellular pathways. The applied approach allowed us to differentiate between Nrf2-dependent and Nrf2-independent cellular biomarkers differentially regulated upon allergen-induced DC activation. The data presented might contribute to the further development of suitable in vitro testing methods for chemical-mediated sensitization. - Highlights: • Contact allergens induce proteins involved in DC maturation Nrf2-dependently. • Induction of these proteins points to a functional role of Nrf2 in DC maturation. • Evidence that metabolic reprogramming enables DC activation by contact allergens. • Identification of biomarker candidates for development of in vitro testing methods.« less

Natural variations in maternal and paternal care are associated with systematic changes in oxytocin following parent-infant contact.

PubMed

Feldman, Ruth; Gordon, Ilanit; Schneiderman, Inna; Weisman, Omri; Zagoory-Sharon, Orna

2010-09-01

Animal studies have demonstrated that the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) plays a critical role in processes of parent-infant bonding through mechanisms of early parental care, particularly maternal grooming and contact. Yet, the involvement of OT in human parenting remains poorly understood, no data are available on the role of OT in the development of human fathering, and the links between patterns of parental care and the OT response have not been explored in humans. One hundred and twelve mothers and fathers engaged in a 15-min play-and-contact interaction with their 4-6-month-old infants and interactions were micro-coded for patterns of parental touch. Results showed that baseline levels of plasma and salivary OT in mothers and fathers were similar, OT levels in plasma and saliva were inter-related, and OT was associated with the parent-specific mode of tactile contact. Human mothers who provided high levels of affectionate contact showed an OT increase following mother-infant interaction but such increase was not observed among mothers displaying low levels of affectionate contact. Among fathers, only those exhibiting high levels of stimulatory contact showed an OT increase. These results demonstrate consistency in the neuroendocrine basis of human parental interactions with those seen in other mammals. The findings underscore the need to provide opportunities for paternal care to trigger the biological basis of fatherhood and suggest that interventions that permit social engagement may be recommended in conditions of diminished maternal-infant contact, such as prematurity or postpartum depression. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Threatening scenes but not threatening faces shorten time-to-contact estimates.

PubMed

DeLucia, Patricia R; Brendel, Esther; Hecht, Heiko; Stacy, Ryan L; Larsen, Jeff T

2014-08-01

We previously reported that time-to-contact (TTC) judgments of threatening scene pictures (e.g., frontal attacks) resulted in shortened estimations and were mediated by cognitive processes, and that judgments of threatening (e.g., angry) face pictures resulted in a smaller effect and did not seem cognitively mediated. In the present study, the effects of threatening scenes and faces were compared in two different tasks. An effect of threatening scene pictures occurred in a prediction-motion task, which putatively requires cognitive motion extrapolation, but not in a relative TTC judgment task, which was designed to be less reliant on cognitive processes. An effect of threatening face pictures did not occur in either task. We propose that an object's explicit potential of threat per se, and not only emotional valence, underlies the effect of threatening scenes on TTC judgments and that such an effect occurs only when the task allows sufficient cognitive processing. Results are consistent with distinctions between predator and social fear systems and different underlying physiological mechanisms. Not all threatening information elicits the same responses, and whether an effect occurs at all may depend on the task and the degree to which the task involves cognitive processes.

Child Support, Father–Child Contact, and Preteens’ Involvement with Nonresidential Fathers: Racial/Ethnic Differences

PubMed Central

Forry, Nicole D.; Peters, H. Elizabeth

2010-01-01

This study examined how child support, frequency of contact with children, and the relationship between nonresidential parents influenced preteens’ reports of the involvement of fathers and mothers in their life. Data are from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79) that has followed the children of NLSY mothers from birth into their twenties. Results showed that increases in child support and in contact with the child over time after separation are linked to a better coparental relationship when children are age 11 or 12. This better relationship between parents is, in turn, associated with greater involvement of both mothers and nonresidential fathers with their children. PMID:20357896

Home disadvantage in professional ice hockey.

PubMed

Loignon, Andrew; Gayton, William F; Brown, Melissa; Steinroeder, William; Johnson, Carrie

2007-06-01

Occurrence of the home field disadvantage in professional ice hockey was examined by analyzing data on penalty shots from 1983-2004. This datum was used as it does not involve physical contact for only the player taking the penalty shot is involved in the outcome. As a result, inhibition of anxiety associated with physical contact should not occur, and diffusion of responsibility would not occur since only the shooter is involved. Analysis indicated the player who took the penalty shot did not make significantly fewer shots at home than in away games. The result did not support hypotheses about roles of physical contact and diffusion of responsibility in accounting for past failures to find the home disadvantage in professional ice hockey.

Contact: Releasing the news

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinotti, Roberto

The problem of mass behavior after man's future contacts with other intelligences in the universe is not only a challenge for social scientists and political leaders all over the world, but also a cultural time bomb as well. In fact, since the impact of CETI (Contact with Extraterrestrial Intelligence) on human civilization, with its different cultures, might cause a serious socio-anthropological shock, a common and predetermined worldwide strategy is necessary in releasing the news after the contact, in order to keep possible manifestations of fear, panic and hysteria under control. An analysis of past studies in this field and of parallel historical situations as analogs suggests a definite "authority crisis" in the public as a direct consequence of an unexpected release of the news, involving a devastating "chain reaction" process (from both the psychological and sociological viewpoints) of anomie and maybe the collapse of today's society. The only way to prevent all this is to prepare the world's public opinion concerning contact before releasing the news, and to develop a long-term strategy through the combined efforts of scientists, political leaders, intelligence agencies and the mass media, in order to create the cultural conditions in which a confrontation with ETI won't affect mankind in a traumatic way. Definite roles and tasks in this multi-level model are suggested.

Skin-to-skin contact by fathers and the impact on infant and paternal outcomes: an integrative review.

PubMed

Shorey, Shefaly; He, Hong-Gu; Morelius, Evalotte

2016-09-01

to summarise research evidence on the impact of father-infant skin-to-skin contact on infant and paternal outcomes. an integrative literature review. PubMed, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, and Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health. studies included were: (1) published in English between January 1995 to September 2015; (2) primary researches; and (3) focused on fathers providing skin-to-skin contact with their infants and its impact on infant and paternal outcomes. The Joanna Briggs Institute's Critical Appraisal Checklists were used to appraise the scientific rigour of the studies. twelve studies (10 quantitative and two qualitative) were included in this review. Father-infant skin-to-skin contact had positive impacts on infants' outcomes, including temperature and pain, bio-physiological markers, behavioural response, as well as paternal outcomes, which include parental role attainment, paternal interaction behaviour, and paternal stress and anxiety. a father's involvement in providing skin-to-skin contact seems to be feasible and beneficial to both infants and fathers. However, there has been a scarcity of literature that exclusively examines fathers' involvement and perceptions related to skin-to-skin contact in the postpartum period. Future research should examine skin-to-skin contact by fathers and its associated benefits, as well as fathers' perceptions on father-infant SSC among varied populations. a father's involvement in providing skin-to-skin contact should be promoted during the postnatal period. Father-infant skin-to-skin contact is a valuable alternative, especially during the unavailability of mothers due to special circumstances, including medical emergencies and caesarean section. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-Residential Father-Child Involvement, Interparental Conflict and Mental Health of Children Following Divorce: A Person-Focused Approach.

PubMed

Elam, Kit K; Sandler, Irwin; Wolchik, Sharlene; Tein, Jenn-Yun

2016-03-01

Variable-centered research has found complex relationships between child well-being and two critical aspects of the post-divorce family environment: the level of non-residential father involvement (i.e., contact and supportive relationship) with their children and the level of conflict between the father and mother. However, these analyses fail to capture individual differences based on distinct patterns of interparental conflict, father support and father contact. Using a person-centered latent profile analysis, the present study examined (1) profiles of non-residential father contact, support, and interparental conflict in the 2 years following divorce (N = 240), when children (49 % female) were between 9 and 12 years of age and (2) differences across profiles in concurrent child adjustment outcomes as well as outcomes 6 years later. Four profiles of father involvement were identified: High Contact-Moderate Conflict-Moderate Support, Low Contact-Moderate Conflict-Low Support, High Conflict-Moderate Contact-Moderate Support, and Low Conflict-Moderate Contact-Moderate Support. Concurrently, children with fathers in the group with high conflict were found to have significantly greater internalizing and externalizing problems compared to all other groups. Six years later, children with fathers in the group with low contact and low support were found to have greater internalizing and externalizing problems compared to children with fathers in the high conflict group, and also greater internalizing problems compared to children with fathers in the low conflict group. These results provide insight into the complex relationship among non-residential fathers' conflict, contact, and support in child adjustment within divorcing families.

Apparatus and method for detecting electromagnetic radiation using electron photoemission in a micromechanical sensor

DOEpatents

Datskos, Panagiotis G.; Rajic, Slobodan; Datskou, Irene C.; Egert, Charles M.

2002-01-01

A micromechanical sensor and method for detecting electromagnetic radiation involve producing photoelectrons from a metal surface in contact with a semiconductor. The photoelectrons are extracted into the semiconductor, which causes photo-induced bending. The resulting bending is measured, and a signal corresponding to the measured bending is generated and processed. A plurality of individual micromechanical sensors can be arranged in a two-dimensional matrix for imaging applications.

Environmental Assessment of a Central Heating Plant.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-02-01

control equipment will be required. One proven system for SO2 control is flue gas desulfurization (FGt). A variety of systems are currently in use on...low sulfur coal, but it could be further reduced by flue gas desulfur - ization. This option, however, entails greater capital and operating costs and an... wet or dry. Wet processes involve contacting the flue gas with aqueous slurries or solutions of absorbents and produce liquid wastes for direct

The impact of coercion on services from the perspective of mental health care consumers with co-occurring disorders.

PubMed

Stanhope, Victoria; Marcus, Steven; Solomon, Phyllis

2009-02-01

Disengagement from services by people with serious mental illnesses continues to be a major challenge for the mental health system. Assertive community treatment combined with Housing First services is an intervention targeted toward consumers whom the system has failed to engage. The processes involved in engaging and maintaining consumers in mental health services play an important role but remain an understudied aspect of the intervention. This study examined the social interaction between consumers and case managers from the perspective of consumers. Seventy service contacts between unique consumer-case manager dyads were sampled. Consumers with co-occurring serious mental illness and substance use disorders completed interviews after each service contact. They provided information on sociodemographic characteristics, service contact characteristics, consumer-provider relationship, utilization of coercive strategies, perceived coercion, and service contact evaluation. Multivariate regression analyses examined the association of consumer-provider relationship and perceived coercion with service contact evaluation. Consumer-provider relationship was negatively associated with perceived coercion (effect size=.08). Perceived coercion was negatively associated with service contact evaluation (effect size=.34). Perceived coercion was positively associated with time in the program (effect size=.17) and negatively associated with length of the service contact (effect size=.14). Effect sizes ranging from .08 to .34 are typically considered small to medium. Findings demonstrate that for consumers, a positive response to service contacts indicated that they did not feel coerced. With consumers whose connection to services is tenuous, an immediate positive response to service contacts may be vital to maintain engagement. Research is needed to identify supportive case manager strategies that facilitate relationship building.

Subsurface Stress Fields in FCC Single Crystal Anisotropic Contacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arakere, Nagaraj K.; Knudsen, Erik; Swanson, Gregory R.; Duke, Gregory; Ham-Battista, Gilda

2004-01-01

Single crystal superalloy turbine blades used in high pressure turbomachinery are subject to conditions of high temperature, triaxial steady and alternating stresses, fretting stresses in the blade attachment and damper contact locations, and exposure to high-pressure hydrogen. The blades are also subjected to extreme variations in temperature during start-up and shutdown transients. The most prevalent high cycle fatigue (HCF) failure modes observed in these blades during operation include crystallographic crack initiation/propagation on octahedral planes, and non-crystallographic initiation with crystallographic growth. Numerous cases of crack initiation and crack propagation at the blade leading edge tip, blade attachment regions, and damper contact locations have been documented. Understanding crack initiation/propagation under mixed-mode loading conditions is critical for establishing a systematic procedure for evaluating HCF life of single crystal turbine blades. This paper presents analytical and numerical techniques for evaluating two and three dimensional subsurface stress fields in anisotropic contacts. The subsurface stress results are required for evaluating contact fatigue life at damper contacts and dovetail attachment regions in single crystal nickel-base superalloy turbine blades. An analytical procedure is presented for evaluating the subsurface stresses in the elastic half-space, based on the adaptation of a stress function method outlined by Lekhnitskii. Numerical results are presented for cylindrical and spherical anisotropic contacts, using finite element analysis (FEA). Effects of crystal orientation on stress response and fatigue life are examined. Obtaining accurate subsurface stress results for anisotropic single crystal contact problems require extremely refined three-dimensional (3-D) finite element grids, especially in the edge of contact region. Obtaining resolved shear stresses (RSS) on the principal slip planes also involves considerable post-processing work. For these reasons it is very advantageous to develop analytical solution schemes for subsurface stresses, whenever possible.

Electrical Resistivity Measurement of Petroleum Coke Powder by Means of Four-Probe Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouget, G.; Majidi, B.; Picard, D.; Gauvin, G.; Ziegler, D.; Mashreghi, J.; Alamdari, H.

2017-10-01

Carbon anodes used in Hall-Héroult electrolysis cells are involved in both electrical and chemical processes of the cell. Electrical resistivity of anodes depends on electrical properties of its constituents, of which carbon coke aggregates are the most prevalent. Electrical resistivity of coke aggregates is usually characterized according to the ISO 10143 standardized test method, which consists of measuring the voltage drop in the bed of particles between two electrically conducing plungers through which the current is also applied. Estimation of the electrical resistivity of coke particles from the resistivity of particle bed is a challenging task and needs consideration of the contribution of the interparticle void fraction and the particle/particle contact resistances. In this work, the bed resistivity was normalized by subtracting the interparticle void fraction. Then, the contact size was obtained from discrete element method simulation and the contact resistance was calculated using Holm's theory. Finally, the resistivity of the coke particles was obtained from the bed resistivity.

The fraction of total hand surface area involved in young children's outdoor hand-to-object contacts

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

AuYeung, Willa; Canales, Robert A.; Leckie, James O.

2008-11-15

Information on the fraction of total hand surface area touching a contaminated object is necessary in accurately estimating contaminant (e.g., pesticides, pathogens) loadings onto the hands during hand-to-object contacts. While several existing physical-stochastic human exposure models require such surface area data to estimate dermal and non-dietary ingestion exposure, there are very limited data sets. This paper provides statistical distributions of fractional surface areas (FSAs) for children's outdoor hand contacts. These distributions were constructed by combining information collected from two distinct studies exploring children's activity patterns and quantifying hand contact surface area. Results show that for outdoor contacts with 'All Objects',more » a range of 0.13-0.27 captured median FSAs, while a range of 0.12-0.24 captured time-weighted FSAs. Overall, an FSA of 0.31 captured 80-100% of FSAs involved in each child's outdoor hand contacts, depending upon the object of interest. These values are much lower than the often conservative assumptions of up to 1 (i.e., the entire hand) that researchers currently make regarding FSAs involved in indoor and outdoor contacts [USEPA, 1997. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for residential exposure assessments. Contract no. 68-W6-0030. < (http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/trac/science/trac6a05.pdf)>].« less

Method for the preparation of thin-skinned asymmetric reverse osmosis membranes and products thereof

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wydeven, T. J. (Inventor); Katz, M. G.

1984-01-01

A method for preparing water insoluble asymmetric membranes from water soluble polymers is discussed. The process involves casting a film of the polymer, partially drying it, and then contacting it with a concentrated solution of a transition metal salt. The transition metal ions render the polymer insoluable and are believed to form a complex with it. Optionally, the polymer is crosslinked with heat or radiation. The most preferred polymer is poly(vinyl alcohol). The most preferred complexing salt is copper sulfate. The process and the metal ion linked membranes are discussed. The membranes are reverse osmosis membranes.

Fabricating Copper Nanotubes by Electrodeposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, E. H.; Ramsey, Christopher; Bae, Youngsam; Choi, Daniel

2009-01-01

Copper tubes having diameters between about 100 and about 200 nm have been fabricated by electrodeposition of copper into the pores of alumina nanopore membranes. Copper nanotubes are under consideration as alternatives to copper nanorods and nanowires for applications involving thermal and/or electrical contacts, wherein the greater specific areas of nanotubes could afford lower effective thermal and/or electrical resistivities. Heretofore, copper nanorods and nanowires have been fabricated by a combination of electrodeposition and a conventional expensive lithographic process. The present electrodeposition-based process for fabricating copper nanotubes costs less and enables production of copper nanotubes at greater rate.

The First View Concept: introduction of industrial flow techniques into emergency medicine organization.

PubMed

Hogan, Barbara; Rasche, Christoph; von Reinersdorff, Andrea Braun

2012-06-01

The number of patients seeking treatment in emergency departments is rising, although many governments are seeking to reduce expenditure on health. Emergency departments must achieve more with the same resources or perform the same functions with fewer resources. Patients demand higher emergency clinical care quality, with low waiting times viewed as a key quality criterion by many patients. The objective of this study was to create an improved working system in emergency departments that cuts patient waiting times for first specialty physician contact. Techniques from industrial flow management were applied to the working process of an emergency department and the concept was named 'First View.' A total of 3269 patient contacts using the First View Concept during a treatment month showed statistical significance. Before introduction, a total 3230 patients in a comparative treatment month had a median waiting time before the first doctor contact of 47.6 min, a first quartile waiting time of 36.1 min, and a third quartile waiting time of 62.7 min. After introduction, 3269 patients had a median waiting time before first specialty physician contact of 11.2 min, a first quartile waiting time of 9.1 min, and a third quartile waiting time of 15.2 min. Industrial flow concepts can achieve significant improvements in emergency department workflows in countries in which sufficient numbers of specialty physicians are available. More attention to the organization of emergency department working processes is needed, especially involving lean management.

Method for acid oxidation of radioactive, hazardous, and mixed organic waste materials

DOEpatents

Pierce, Robert A.; Smith, James R.; Ramsey, William G.; Cicero-Herman, Connie A.; Bickford, Dennis F.

1999-01-01

The present invention is directed to a process for reducing the volume of low level radioactive and mixed waste to enable the waste to be more economically stored in a suitable repository, and for placing the waste into a form suitable for permanent disposal. The invention involves a process for preparing radioactive, hazardous, or mixed waste for storage by contacting the waste starting material containing at least one organic carbon-containing compound and at least one radioactive or hazardous waste component with nitric acid and phosphoric acid simultaneously at a contacting temperature in the range of about 140.degree. C. to about 210 .degree. C. for a period of time sufficient to oxidize at least a portion of the organic carbon-containing compound to gaseous products, thereby producing a residual concentrated waste product containing substantially all of said radioactive or inorganic hazardous waste component; and immobilizing the residual concentrated waste product in a solid phosphate-based ceramic or glass form.

Forces and thin water film drainage in deformable asymmetric nanoscale contacts.

PubMed

Schönherr, Holger

2015-01-27

Gas-liquid interfaces are omnipresent in daily life, and processes involving these interfaces are the basis for a broad range of applications that span from established industrial processes to modern microengineering, technology, and medical applications for diagnosis and treatment. Despite the rapid progress in understanding intermolecular forces at such interfaces from a theoretical point of view and, in particular, from an experimental point of view down to sub-nanometer length scales, the quantitative description of all relevant forces, particularly the hydrophobic interaction and the dynamic behavior of nanometer-scale confined water films, was until now unsatisfactory. This situation is particularly the case for the elusive description and understanding of the origins of the so-called hydrophobic interaction. For soft, deformable interfaces, such as those found in asymmetric contacts between gas bubbles and a solid, a complete picture has begun to emerge that has direct consequences for interfacial water at (bio)interfaces, functionalized gas microbubbles, surface nanobubbles, and beyond.

Pinpoint and bulk electrochemical reduction of insulating silicon dioxide to silicon.

PubMed

Nohira, Toshiyuki; Yasuda, Kouji; Ito, Yasuhiko

2003-06-01

Silicon dioxide (SiO(2)) is conventionally reduced to silicon by carbothermal reduction, in which the oxygen is removed by a heterogeneous-homogeneous reaction sequence at approximately 1,700 degrees C. Here we report pinpoint and bulk electrochemical methods for removing oxygen from solid SiO(2) in a molten CaCl(2) electrolyte at 850 degrees C. This approach involves a 'contacting electrode', in which a metal wire supplies electrons to a selected region of the insulating SiO(2). Bulk reduction of SiO(2) is possible by increasing the number of contacting points. The same method was also demonstrated with molten LiCl-KCl-CaCl(2) at 500 degrees C. The novelty and relative simplicity of this method might lead to new processes in silicon semiconductor technology, as well as in high-purity silicon production. The methodology may be applicable to electrochemical processing of a wide variety of insulating materials, provided that the electrolyte dissolves the appropriate constituent ion(s) of the material.

Thermal reactive hazards of HMX with contaminants.

PubMed

Peng, Deng-Jr; Chang, Cheng-Ming; Chiu, Miin

2004-10-18

In the past, many unexpected runaway accidents occurred in manufacturing processes, involving volatile chemical and explosive storage and transportation. Incompatible product reactions of high explosives must be carefully considered using loss prevention strategies for thermal hazards risk analysis. High explosive reactions vary via environmental changes, contact materials, or process situations, such as onset temperature and shifts in reaction type when high explosives are in contact with contaminants. Therefore, the manufacture and handling of high explosives require the utmost in safety and loss prevention. HMX (cyclotetramethyene tetranitramine) is one kind of high explosive widely used around the world which is stable with high detonation strength properties. In this study, the influences of contaminants on HMX are investigated. The studied contaminants include ferrous chloride tetrahydrate, ferric chloride hexahydrate, acetone solution, acetic acid, and nitric acid. DSC thermal curves and incompatible reaction kinetic evaluations were preformed using iron, chlorine and acid. Organic acetone solution has lesser effects on HMX. Hopefully, this study will lead to improved thermal hazards risk analysis and reduce accidents.

Does relative out-group size in neighborhoods drive down associational life of Whites in the U.S.? Testing constrict, conflict and contact theories.

PubMed

Savelkoul, Michael; Hewstone, Miles; Scheepers, Peer; Stolle, Dietlind

2015-07-01

We test whether a larger percentage of non-Whites in neighborhoods decreases associational involvement and build on earlier research in three ways. First, we explicitly consider the ethnic composition of organizations, distinguishing involvement in bridging (with out-group members) and bonding (only in-group members) organizations. Second, we start from constrict theory and test competing sets of predictions derived from conflict and contact theories to explain these relationships. Third, we examine whether relative out-group size affects involvement in different types of voluntary organizations equally. Using data from the 2005 U.S. 'Citizenship, Involvement, Democracy' survey, the percentage of non-Whites in neighborhoods is largely unrelated with associational involvement or perceived ethnic threat. However, perceiving ethnic threat is consistently negatively related with involvement in bridging organizations. Simultaneously, a larger percentage of non-Whites fosters intergroup contact, which is negatively related with perceptions of ethnic threat and involvement in bonding leisure organizations. Our results shed more light on the relationship between the relative out-group size in neighborhoods and associational involvement as well as underlying explanations for this link. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Telemedicine utilization to support the management of the burns treatment involving patient pathways in both developed and developing countries: a case study.

PubMed

Syed-Abdul, Shabbir; Scholl, Jeremiah; Chen, Chiehfeng Cliff; Santos, Martinho D P S; Jian, Wen-Shan; Liou, Der-Ming; Li, Yu-Chuan

2012-01-01

This case study reports on the utilization of telemedicine to support the management of the burns treatment in the islands of Sao Tome and Principe by Taipei Medical University-affiliated hospital in Taiwan. The authors share experiences about usage of telemedicine to support treatment of the burn victims in a low-income country that receive reconstructive surgery in a developed country. Throughout the entire care process, telemedicine has been used not only to provide an expert advice from distance but also to help establish and maintain the doctor-patient relationship, to keep patients in contact with their families, and to help educate and consult the medical personal physically present in Sao Tome and Principe. This case study presents the details of how this process has been conducted to date, on what were learned from this process, and on issues that should be considered to improve this process in the future. The authors plan to create instructional videos and post them on YouTube to aid clinical workers providing similar treatment during the acute care and rehabilitation process and also to support eLearning in many situations where it otherwise is not possible to use videoconferencing to establish real-time contact between doctors at the local site and remote specialists.

Infectious disease transmission: survey of contacts between hospital-based healthcare workers and working adults from the general population.

PubMed

Jiang, Lili; Ng, Isabel Hui Leng; Hou, Yan'an; Li, Dunli; Tan, Linda Wei Lin; Ho, Hanley Jian An; Chen, Mark I-Cheng

2018-04-01

Healthcare workers (HCWs) may be the inadvertent interface between the healthcare setting and the community for infectious diseases transmission. To investigate HCWs' contacts during a work day and compare these against working adults from the general population. Prospective survey of contacts through 24 h self-reported diary in three public sector tertiary care hospitals and community-based working adults in Singapore. Participants were HCWs and working adults from the community. In all, 211 HCWs and 1028 working adults reported a total of 4066 and 9206 contacts. HCWs reported more work-related contacts than community-based working adults (median of 13 versus 4), and more contacts that were neither household nor work-related (1 versus 0) but fewer household contacts (2 versus 3). HCWs reported more work-related contacts involving physical contacts, and more new contacts particularly with short duration (≤15 min) compared to community-based working adults. Among different HCW types, doctors reported the highest whereas ward-based nurses reported the lowest total work-related contacts. Around half of ward-based and clinic-based nurses' contacts involved physical touch. Work-related contacts reported by clinic-based nurses, doctors, and assorted HCWs were shorter than in ward-based nurses, with a substantial number effectively occurring with new contacts. Institutional effects significant on univariate analyses were much reduced and non-significant after adjusting for confounding by HCW type. HCWs' contacts differ substantially from those of community-based working adults. HCWs may thus be at higher risk of acquiring and spreading contact-transmissible and respiratory infections due to the nature of their work. Whereas total number of contacts was fairly similar between HCW types, the characteristics of their contacts differed substantively. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

U.K. standards of care for occupational contact dermatitis and occupational contact urticaria

PubMed Central

Adisesh, A; Robinson, E; Nicholson, PJ; Sen, D; Wilkinson, M

2013-01-01

The diagnosis of occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) and occupational contact urticaria (OCU) is a process that involves fastidious clinical and occupational history taking, clinical examination, patch testing and skin-prick testing. A temporal relationship of work and/or the presence of a rash on the hands only raises suspicion of an occupational cause, and does not necessarily confirm an occupational causation. The identification of allergy by patch or prick tests is a major objective, as exclusion of an offending allergen from the environment can contribute to clinical recovery in the individual worker and avoidance of new cases of disease. This can be a complex process where allergens and irritants, and therefore allergic and irritant contact dermatitis, may coexist. This article provides guidance to healthcare professionals dealing with workers exposed to agents that potentially cause OCD and OCU. Specifically it aims to summarize the 2010 British Occupational Health Research Foundation (BOHRF) systematic review, and also to help practitioners translate the BOHRF guideline into clinical practice. As such, it aims to be of value to physicians and nurses based in primary and secondary care, as well as occupational health and public health clinicians. It is hoped that it will also be of value to employers, interested workers and those with responsibility for workplace standards, such as health and safety representatives. Note that it is not intended, nor should it be taken to imply, that these standards of care override existing statutory and legal obligations. Duties under the U.K. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, the Equality Act 2010 and other relevant legislation and guidance must be given due consideration, as should laws relevant to other countries. PMID:23374107

The electrochemistry of "solid/water" interfaces involved in PEM-H2O reactors: part I. The "Pt/water" interfaces.

PubMed

Wang, Qiang; Cha, Chuan-Sin; Lu, Juntao; Zhuang, Lin

2009-01-28

The nature and properties of Pt surfaces in contact with pure water in PEM-H2O reactors were mimetically studied by employing CV measurements with microelectrode techniques. These "Pt/water" interfaces were found to be electrochemically polarizable, and the local interfacial potential relative to reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) potential in pure water is numerically the same as the potential value measured against a RHE in contact with PEM as the reference electrode. However, the structural parameters of the electric double layer at the "Pt/water" interfaces can be quite different from those at the "Pt/PEM" interfaces, and the kinetics of electrode processes could be seriously affected by the structure of electric double layer in pure water media. Besides, there is active diffusional flow of intermediates of electrode reactions between the "Pt/water" and the "Pt/PEM" interfaces, thus facilitating the active involvement of the "Pt/water" interfaces in the current-generation mechanism of PEM fuel cells and other types of PEM-H2O reactors.

Face format at encoding affects the other-race effect in face memory.

PubMed

Zhao, Mintao; Hayward, William G; Bülthoff, Isabelle

2014-08-07

Memory of own-race faces is generally better than memory of other-races faces. This other-race effect (ORE) in face memory has been attributed to differences in contact, holistic processing, and motivation to individuate faces. Since most studies demonstrate the ORE with participants learning and recognizing static, single-view faces, it remains unclear whether the ORE can be generalized to different face learning conditions. Using an old/new recognition task, we tested whether face format at encoding modulates the ORE. The results showed a significant ORE when participants learned static, single-view faces (Experiment 1). In contrast, the ORE disappeared when participants learned rigidly moving faces (Experiment 2). Moreover, learning faces displayed from four discrete views produced the same results as learning rigidly moving faces (Experiment 3). Contact with other-race faces was correlated with the magnitude of the ORE. Nonetheless, the absence of the ORE in Experiments 2 and 3 cannot be readily explained by either more frequent contact with other-race faces or stronger motivation to individuate them. These results demonstrate that the ORE is sensitive to face format at encoding, supporting the hypothesis that relative involvement of holistic and featural processing at encoding mediates the ORE observed in face memory. © 2014 ARVO.

Macrophages influence a competition of contact guidance and chemotaxis for fibroblast alignment in a fibrin gel coculture assay.

PubMed

Bromberek, B A; Enever, P A J; Shreiber, D I; Caldwell, M D; Tranquillo, R T

2002-05-01

Rat dermal fibroblasts were dispersed initially in the outer shell of a fibrin gel sphere, while the inner core either was devoid of cells or contained peritoneal exudate cells (primarily macrophages), thereby mimicking the inflammatory phase of wound healing. The fibroblasts compacted floating fibrin microspheres over time. In the absence of macrophages, the initial distribution of fibroblasts (only in the shell) induced circumferential alignment of fibrin fibrils via compaction of the shell relative to the core. The aligned fibrils created a contact guidance field, which was manifested by strong circumferential alignment of the fibroblasts. However, in the presence of macrophages, the fibroblasts exhibited more radial alignment despite the simultaneous contact guidance field in the circumferential direction associated with compaction. This was attributed to a chemotactic gradient emanating from the core due to a putative factor(s) released by the macrophages. The presence of a radial chemotactic stimulus was supported by the finding of even greater radial alignment when fibrin microspheres were embedded in an agarose-fibrin gel that abolished compaction and consequently the contact guidance field. Our assay permits the simulation of tissue morphogenetic processes that involve cell guidance phenomena and tractional restructuring of the extracellular matrix.

Not spreading in reverse: The dewetting of a liquid film into a single drop

PubMed Central

Edwards, Andrew M. J.; Ledesma-Aguilar, Rodrigo; Newton, Michael I.; Brown, Carl V.; McHale, Glen

2016-01-01

Wetting and dewetting are both fundamental modes of motion of liquids on solid surfaces. They are critically important for processes in biology, chemistry, and engineering, such as drying, coating, and lubrication. However, recent progress in wetting, which has led to new fields such as superhydrophobicity and liquid marbles, has not been matched by dewetting. A significant problem has been the inability to study the model system of a uniform film dewetting from a nonwetting surface to a single macroscopic droplet—a barrier that does not exist for the reverse wetting process of a droplet spreading into a film. We report the dewetting of a dielectrophoresis-induced film into a single equilibrium droplet. The emergent picture of the full dewetting dynamics is of an initial regime, where a liquid rim recedes at constant speed and constant dynamic contact angle, followed by a relatively short exponential relaxation of a spherical cap shape. This sharply contrasts with the reverse wetting process, where a spreading droplet follows a smooth sequence of spherical cap shapes. Complementary numerical simulations and a hydrodynamic model reveal a local dewetting mechanism driven by the equilibrium contact angle, where contact line slip dominates the dewetting dynamics. Our conclusions can be used to understand a wide variety of processes involving liquid dewetting, such as drop rebound, condensation, and evaporation. In overcoming the barrier to studying single film-to-droplet dewetting, our results provide new approaches to fluid manipulation and uses of dewetting, such as inducing films of prescribed initial shapes and slip-controlled liquid retraction. PMID:27704042

Not spreading in reverse: The dewetting of a liquid film into a single drop.

PubMed

Edwards, Andrew M J; Ledesma-Aguilar, Rodrigo; Newton, Michael I; Brown, Carl V; McHale, Glen

2016-09-01

Wetting and dewetting are both fundamental modes of motion of liquids on solid surfaces. They are critically important for processes in biology, chemistry, and engineering, such as drying, coating, and lubrication. However, recent progress in wetting, which has led to new fields such as superhydrophobicity and liquid marbles, has not been matched by dewetting. A significant problem has been the inability to study the model system of a uniform film dewetting from a nonwetting surface to a single macroscopic droplet-a barrier that does not exist for the reverse wetting process of a droplet spreading into a film. We report the dewetting of a dielectrophoresis-induced film into a single equilibrium droplet. The emergent picture of the full dewetting dynamics is of an initial regime, where a liquid rim recedes at constant speed and constant dynamic contact angle, followed by a relatively short exponential relaxation of a spherical cap shape. This sharply contrasts with the reverse wetting process, where a spreading droplet follows a smooth sequence of spherical cap shapes. Complementary numerical simulations and a hydrodynamic model reveal a local dewetting mechanism driven by the equilibrium contact angle, where contact line slip dominates the dewetting dynamics. Our conclusions can be used to understand a wide variety of processes involving liquid dewetting, such as drop rebound, condensation, and evaporation. In overcoming the barrier to studying single film-to-droplet dewetting, our results provide new approaches to fluid manipulation and uses of dewetting, such as inducing films of prescribed initial shapes and slip-controlled liquid retraction.

Collective Cell Migration in Embryogenesis Follows the Laws of Wetting.

PubMed

Wallmeyer, Bernhard; Trinschek, Sarah; Yigit, Sargon; Thiele, Uwe; Betz, Timo

2018-01-09

Collective cell migration is a fundamental process during embryogenesis and its initial occurrence, called epiboly, is an excellent in vivo model to study the physical processes involved in collective cell movements that are key to understanding organ formation, cancer invasion, and wound healing. In zebrafish, epiboly starts with a cluster of cells at one pole of the spherical embryo. These cells are actively spreading in a continuous movement toward its other pole until they fully cover the yolk. Inspired by the physics of wetting, we determine the contact angle between the cells and the yolk during epiboly. By choosing a wetting approach, the relevant scale for this investigation is the tissue level, which is in contrast to other recent work. Similar to the case of a liquid drop on a surface, one observes three interfaces that carry mechanical tension. Assuming that interfacial force balance holds during the quasi-static spreading process, we employ the physics of wetting to predict the temporal change of the contact angle. Although the experimental values vary dramatically, the model allows us to rescale all measured contact-angle dynamics onto a single master curve explaining the collective cell movement. Thus, we describe the fundamental and complex developmental mechanism at the onset of embryogenesis by only three main parameters: the offset tension strength, α, that gives the strength of interfacial tension compared to other force-generating mechanisms; the tension ratio, δ, between the different interfaces; and the rate of tension variation, λ, which determines the timescale of the whole process. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Acanthamoeba keratitis: an emerging disease gathering importance worldwide?

PubMed

Lorenzo-Morales, Jacob; Martín-Navarro, Carmen María; López-Arencibia, Atteneri; Arnalich-Montiel, Francisco; Piñero, José E; Valladares, Basilio

2013-04-01

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is increasingly being recognized as a severe sight-threatening ocular infection worldwide. Although contact lens wear is the leading risk factor for AK, Acanthamoeba parasites are also an important cause of keratitis in non-contact lens wearers. Diagnosis of AK is challenging, and the available treatments are lengthy and not fully effective against all strains. The pathogenesis of Acanthamoeba is still under study, and the identification of the key factors involved in this process should be useful for the development of fully effective therapies. This review focuses on recent developments on AK pathogenesis and diagnosis as well as novel strategies for the evaluation of anti-amoebic agents that could be applied in the near future against these pathogens. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-Residential Father-Child Involvement, Interparental Conflict and Mental Health of Children Following Divorce: A Person-Focused Approach

PubMed Central

Elam, Kit K.; Sandler, Irwin; Wolchik, Sharlene; Tein, Jenn-Yun

2015-01-01

Variable-centered research has found complex relationships between child well-being and two critical aspects of the post-divorce family environment: the level of non-residential father involvement (i.e., contact and supportive relationship) with their children and the level of conflict between the father and mother. However, these analyses fail to capture individual differences based on distinct patterns of interparental conflict, father support and father contact. Using a person-centered latent profile analysis, the present study examined (1) profiles of non-residential father contact, support, and interparental conflict in the two years following divorce (N = 240), when children (49% female) were between 9 and 12 years of age and (2) differences across profiles in concurrent child adjustment outcomes as well as outcomes six years later. Four profiles of father involvement were identified: High Contact – Moderate Conflict – Moderate Support, Low Contact – Moderate Conflict – Low Support, High Conflict – Moderate Contact –Moderate Support, and Low Conflict – Moderate Contact – Moderate Support. Concurrently, children with fathers in the group with high conflict were found to have significantly greater internalizing and externalizing problems compared to all other groups. Six years later, children with fathers in the group with low contact and low support were found to have greater internalizing and externalizing problems compared to children with fathers in the high conflict group, and also greater internalizing problems compared to children with fathers in the low conflict group. These results provide insight into the complex relationship among non-residential fathers’ conflict, contact, and support in child adjustment within divorcing families. PMID:26692236

Cox17 Protein Is an Auxiliary Factor Involved in the Control of the Mitochondrial Contact Site and Cristae Organizing System.

PubMed

Chojnacka, Magdalena; Gornicka, Agnieszka; Oeljeklaus, Silke; Warscheid, Bettina; Chacinska, Agnieszka

2015-06-12

The mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system (MICOS) is a recently discovered protein complex that is crucial for establishing and maintaining the proper inner membrane architecture and contacts with the outer membrane of mitochondria. The ways in which the MICOS complex is assembled and its integrity is regulated remain elusive. Here, we report a direct link between Cox17, a protein involved in the assembly of cytochrome c oxidase, and the MICOS complex. Cox17 interacts with Mic60, thereby modulating MICOS complex integrity. This interaction does not involve Sco1, a partner of Cox17 in transferring copper ions to cytochrome c oxidase. However, the Cox17-MICOS interaction is regulated by copper ions. We propose that Cox17 is a newly identified factor involved in maintaining the architecture of the MICOS complex. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Bonobo habituation in a forest-savanna mosaic habitat: influence of ape species, habitat type, and sociocultural context.

PubMed

Narat, Victor; Pennec, Flora; Simmen, Bruno; Ngawolo, Jean Christophe Bokika; Krief, Sabrina

2015-10-01

Habituation is the term used to describe acceptance by wild animals of a human observer as a neutral element in their environment. Among primates, the process takes from a few days for Galago spp. to several years for African apes. There are also intraspecies differences reflecting differences in habitat, home range, and ape-human relationship history. Here, we present the first study of the process of bonobo habituation in a fragmented habitat, a forest-savanna mosaic in the community-based conservation area led by the Congolese nongovernmental organization Mbou-Mon-Tour, Democratic Republic of the Congo. In this area, local people use the forest almost every day for traditional activities but avoid bonobos because of a traditional taboo. Because very few flight reactions were observed during habituation, we focused on quantitative parameters to assess the development of ape tolerance and of the tracking efficiency of observer teams. During the 18-month study period (May 2012-October 2013), 4043 h (319 days) were spent in the forest and bonobos were observed for a total of 405 h (196 contacts on 134 days). The average contact duration was stable over time (124 min), but the minimal distance during a contact decreased with habituation effort. Moreover, bonobo location and tracking efficiency, daily ratio of contact time to habituation effort, and the number of observations at ground level were positively correlated with habituation effort. Our observations suggest that bonobos become habituated relatively rapidly. These results are discussed in relation to the habitat type, ape species, and the local sociocultural context of villagers. The habituation process involves changes in ape behavior toward observers and also more complex interactions concerning the ecosystem, including the building of an efficient local team. Before starting a habituation process, knowledge of the human sociocultural context is essential to assess the balance between risks and benefits.

A comparison of pectoral fin contact between two different wild dolphin populations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dudzinski, K.M.; Gregg, J.D.; Ribic, C.A.; Kuczaj, S.A.

2009-01-01

Contact behaviour involving the pectoral fin has been documented in a number of dolphin species, and various explanations about its function have been offered. Pectoral fin contact can take a variety of forms, and involves a number of body parts and movements, likely differing depending upon social or ecological context. For this study, we compare the pectoral fin contact behaviour of two species of wild dolphins: Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) from around Mikura Island, Japan, and Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) from The Bahamas. The two study populations exhibit surprising similarity in the ways in which pectoral fin contacts are used, despite differences in species and environmental conditions at the two sites. Differences in contact rates for calves between the two sites suggest that calf-focused aggression from adult dolphins is more prevalent at Mikura than in The Bahamas. Our results suggest that pectoral fin contact behaviour seems to be driven primarily by social pressures, and may be similar in function to allogrooming described in primates. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V.

A review of technology-assisted self-help and minimal contact therapies for drug and alcohol abuse and smoking addiction: is human contact necessary for therapeutic efficacy?

PubMed

Newman, Michelle G; Szkodny, Lauren E; Llera, Sandra J; Przeworski, Amy

2011-02-01

Technology-based self-help and minimal contact therapies have been proposed as effective and low-cost interventions for addictive disorders, such as nicotine, alcohol, and drug abuse and addiction. The present article reviews the literature published before 2010 on computerized treatments for drug and alcohol abuse and dependence and smoking addiction. Treatment studies are examined by disorder as well as amount of therapist contact, ranging from self-administered therapy and predominantly self-help interventions to minimal contact therapy where the therapist is actively involved in treatment but to a lesser degree than traditional therapy and predominantly therapist-administered treatments involving regular contact with a therapist for a typical number of sessions. In the treatment of substance use and abuse it is concluded that self-administered and predominantly self-help computer-based cognitive and behavioral interventions are efficacious, but some therapist contact is important for greater and more sustained reductions in addictive behavior. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ER-driven membrane contact sites: Evolutionary conserved machineries for stress response and autophagy regulation?

PubMed Central

Molino, Diana; Nascimbeni, Anna Chiara; Giordano, Francesca; Codogno, Patrice

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER), spreading in the whole cell cytoplasm, is a central player in eukaryotic cell homeostasis, from plants to mammals. Beside crucial functions, such as membrane lipids and proteins synthesis and outward transport, the ER is able to connect to virtually every endomembrane compartment by specific tethering molecular machineries, which enables the establishment of membrane-membrane contact sites. ER-mitochondria contact sites have been shown to be involved in autophagosome biogenesis, the main organelle of the autophagy degradation pathway. More recently we demonstrated that also ER-plasma membrane contact sites are sites for autophagosomes assembly, suggesting that more generally ER-organelles contacts are involved in autophagy and organelle biogenesis. Here we aim to discuss the functioning of ER-driven contact sites in mammals and plants and more in particular emphasize on their recently highlighted function in autophagy to finally conclude on some key questions that may be useful for further research in the field. PMID:29259731

A 20-Amino Acid Module of Protein Kinase Cϵ Involved in Translocation and Selective Targeting at Cell-Cell Contacts*

PubMed Central

Diouf, Barthélémy; Collazos, Alejandra; Labesse, Gilles; Macari, Françoise; Choquet, Armelle; Clair, Philippe; Gauthier-Rouvière, Cécile; Guérineau, Nathalie C.; Jay, Philippe; Hollande, Frédéric; Joubert, Dominique

2009-01-01

In the pituitary gland, activated protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms accumulate either selectively at the cell-cell contact (α and ϵ) or at the entire plasma membrane (β1 and δ). The molecular mechanisms underlying these various subcellular locations are not known. Here, we demonstrate the existence within PKCϵ of a cell-cell contact targeting sequence (3CTS) that, upon stimulation, is capable of targeting PKCδ, chimerin-α1, and the PKCϵ C1 domain to the cell-cell contact. We show that this selective targeting of PKCϵ is lost upon overexpression of 3CTS fused to a (R-Ahx-R)4 (where Ahx is 6-aminohexanoic acid) vectorization peptide, reflecting a dominant-negative effect of the overexpressed 3CTS on targeting selectivity. 3CTS contains a putative amphipathic α-helix, a 14-3-3-binding site, and the Glu-374 amino acid, involved in targeting selectivity. We show that the integrity of the α-helix is important for translocation but that 14-3-3 is not involved in targeting selectivity. However, PKCϵ translocation is increased when PKCϵ/14-3-3 interaction is abolished, suggesting that phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate activation may initiate two sets of PKCϵ functions, those depending on 14-3-3 and those depending on translocation to cell-cell contacts. Thus, 3CTS is involved in the modulation of translocation via its 14-3-3-binding site, in cytoplasmic desequestration via the α-helix, and in selective PKCϵ targeting at the cell-cell contact via Glu-374. PMID:19429675

Face-to-face interference in typical and atypical development

PubMed Central

Riby, Deborah M; Doherty-Sneddon, Gwyneth; Whittle, Lisa

2012-01-01

Visual communication cues facilitate interpersonal communication. It is important that we look at faces to retrieve and subsequently process such cues. It is also important that we sometimes look away from faces as they increase cognitive load that may interfere with online processing. Indeed, when typically developing individuals hold face gaze it interferes with task completion. In this novel study we quantify face interference for the first time in Williams syndrome (WS) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These disorders of development impact on cognition and social attention, but how do faces interfere with cognitive processing? Individuals developing typically as well as those with ASD (n = 19) and WS (n = 16) were recorded during a question and answer session that involved mathematics questions. In phase 1 gaze behaviour was not manipulated, but in phase 2 participants were required to maintain eye contact with the experimenter at all times. Looking at faces decreased task accuracy for individuals who were developing typically. Critically, the same pattern was seen in WS and ASD, whereby task performance decreased when participants were required to hold face gaze. The results show that looking at faces interferes with task performance in all groups. This finding requires the caveat that individuals with WS and ASD found it harder than individuals who were developing typically to maintain eye contact throughout the interaction. Individuals with ASD struggled to hold eye contact at all points of the interaction while those with WS found it especially difficult when thinking. PMID:22356183

Relations among measures of trait empathy, empathetic response, and willingness to get involved in customer-contact situations.

PubMed

Su, Hung-Jen; Lee, Sanghyun; Ding, Jing; Comer, Lucette B

2005-10-01

This study examined anticipated reactions to nonroutine occurrences in the context of emotionally laden customer-contact situations in retail stores. Correlations between measures of the dimensions of trait empathy, anticipated emotional responses to the situations, and self-rated willingness to be involved were examined. Anticipated Compassion mediated the relation of Empathetic Concern on Involvement Willingness in 3 of 4 imaginary compassion-evoking situations. No corresponding effect was observed for Anticipated Distress in the imaginary distress-evoking situations.

Involvement in the Juvenile Justice System for African American Adolescents: Examining Associations with Behavioral Health Problems

PubMed Central

Voisin, Dexter R.; Kim, Dongha; Takahashi, Lois; Morotta, Phillip; Bocanegra, Kathryn

2017-01-01

While researchers have found that African American youth experience higher levels of juvenile justice involvement at every system level (arrest, sentencing, and incarceration) relative to their other ethnic counterparts, few studies have explored how juvenile justice involvement and number of contacts might be correlated with this broad range of problems. A convenience sample of 638 African American adolescents living in predominantly low-income, urban communities participated in a survey related to juvenile justice involvement. Major findings using logistic regression models indicated that adolescents who reported juvenile justice system involvement versus no involvement were 2.3 times as likely to report mental health problems, substance abuse, and delinquent or youth offending behaviors. Additional findings documented that the higher the number of juvenile justice system contacts, the higher the rates of delinquent behaviors, alcohol and marijuana use, sex while high on drugs, and commercial sex. These findings suggest that identifying and targeting youth who have multiple juvenile justice system contacts, especially those in low-resourced communities for early intervention services, may be beneficial. Future research should examine whether peer network norms might mediate the relationships between juvenile justice involvement and youth problem behaviors. PMID:28966415

Involvement in the Juvenile Justice System for African American Adolescents: Examining Associations with Behavioral Health Problems.

PubMed

Voisin, Dexter R; Kim, Dongha; Takahashi, Lois; Morotta, Phillip; Bocanegra, Kathryn

2017-01-01

While researchers have found that African American youth experience higher levels of juvenile justice involvement at every system level (arrest, sentencing, and incarceration) relative to their other ethnic counterparts, few studies have explored how juvenile justice involvement and number of contacts might be correlated with this broad range of problems. A convenience sample of 638 African American adolescents living in predominantly low-income, urban communities participated in a survey related to juvenile justice involvement. Major findings using logistic regression models indicated that adolescents who reported juvenile justice system involvement versus no involvement were 2.3 times as likely to report mental health problems, substance abuse, and delinquent or youth offending behaviors. Additional findings documented that the higher the number of juvenile justice system contacts, the higher the rates of delinquent behaviors, alcohol and marijuana use, sex while high on drugs, and commercial sex. These findings suggest that identifying and targeting youth who have multiple juvenile justice system contacts, especially those in low-resourced communities for early intervention services, may be beneficial. Future research should examine whether peer network norms might mediate the relationships between juvenile justice involvement and youth problem behaviors.

Safe handling of cytotoxic compounds in a biopharmaceutical environment.

PubMed

Hensgen, Miriam I; Stump, Bernhard

2013-01-01

Handling cytotoxic drugs such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in a biopharmaceutical environment represents a challenge based on the potency of the compounds. These derivatives are dangerous to humans if they accidentally get in contact with the skin, are inhaled, or are ingested, either as pure compounds in their solid state or as a solution dissolved in a co-solvent. Any contamination of people involved in the manufacturing process has to be avoided. On the other hand, biopharmaceuticals need to be protected simultaneously against any contamination from the manufacturing personnel. Therefore, a tailor-made work environment is mandatory in order to manufacture ADCs. This asks for appropriate technical equipment to keep potential hazardous substances contained. In addition, clearly defined working procedures based on risk assessments as well as proper training for all personnel involved in the manufacturing process are needed to safely handle these highly potent pharmaceuticals.

Predictive modeling of multicellular structure formation by using Cellular Particle Dynamics simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCune, Matthew; Shafiee, Ashkan; Forgacs, Gabor; Kosztin, Ioan

2014-03-01

Cellular Particle Dynamics (CPD) is an effective computational method for describing and predicting the time evolution of biomechanical relaxation processes of multicellular systems. A typical example is the fusion of spheroidal bioink particles during post bioprinting structure formation. In CPD cells are modeled as an ensemble of cellular particles (CPs) that interact via short-range contact interactions, characterized by an attractive (adhesive interaction) and a repulsive (excluded volume interaction) component. The time evolution of the spatial conformation of the multicellular system is determined by following the trajectories of all CPs through integration of their equations of motion. CPD was successfully applied to describe and predict the fusion of 3D tissue construct involving identical spherical aggregates. Here, we demonstrate that CPD can also predict tissue formation involving uneven spherical aggregates whose volumes decrease during the fusion process. Work supported by NSF [PHY-0957914]. Computer time provided by the University of Missouri Bioinformatics Consortium.

Analysis of eroded bovine teeth through laser speckle imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koshoji, Nelson H.; Bussadori, Sandra K.; Bortoletto, Carolina C.; Oliveira, Marcelo T.; Prates, Renato A.; Deana, Alessandro M.

2015-02-01

Dental erosion is a non-carious lesion that causes progressive tooth wear of structure through chemical processes that do not involve bacterial action. Its origin is related to eating habits or systemic diseases involving tooth contact with substances that pose a very low pH. This work demonstrates a new methodology to quantify the erosion by coherent light scattering of tooth surface. This technique shows a correlation between acid etch duration and laser speckle contrast map (LASCA). The experimental groups presented a relative contrast between eroded and sound tissue of 17.8(45)%, 23.4 (68)% 39.2 (40)% and 44.3 (30)%, for 10 min, 20 min, 30 min and 40 min of acid etching, respectively.

Direct patterning of highly-conductive graphene@copper composites using copper naphthenate as a resist for graphene device applications.

PubMed

Bi, Kaixi; Xiang, Quan; Chen, Yiqin; Shi, Huimin; Li, Zhiqin; Lin, Jun; Zhang, Yongzhe; Wan, Qiang; Zhang, Guanhua; Qin, Shiqiao; Zhang, Xueao; Duan, Huigao

2017-11-09

We report an electron-beam lithography process to directly fabricate graphene@copper composite patterns without involving metal deposition, lift-off and etching processes using copper naphthenate as a high-resolution negative-tone resist. As a commonly used industrial painting product, copper naphthenate is extremely cheap with a long shelf time but demonstrates an unexpected patterning resolution better than 10 nm. With appropriate annealing under a hydrogen atmosphere, the produced graphene@copper composite patterns show high conductivity of ∼400 S cm -1 . X-ray diffraction, conformal Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to analyze the chemical composition of the final patterns. With the properties of high resolution and high conductivity, the patterned graphene@copper composites could be used as conductive pads and interconnects for graphene electronic devices with ohmic contacts. Compared to common fabrication processes involving metal evaporation and lift-off steps, this pattern-transfer-free fabrication process using copper naphthenate resist is direct and simple but allows comparable device performance in practical device applications.

Contact angle studies on anodic porous alumina.

PubMed

Redón, Rocío; Vázquez-Olmos, A; Mata-Zamora, M E; Ordóñez-Medrano, A; Rivera-Torres, F; Saniger, J M

2005-07-15

The preparation of nanostructures using porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) as templates involves the introduction of dissolved materials into the pores of the membranes; one way to determine which materials are preferred to fill the pores involves the measurement of the contact angles (theta) of different solvents or test liquids on the AAOs. Thus, we present measurements of contact angles of nine solvents on four different AAO sheets by tensiometric and goniometric methods. From the solvents tested, we found dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and N,N(')-dimethylformamide (DMF) to interact with the AAOs, the polarity of the solvents and the surfaces being the driving force.

Contact | FNLCR Staging

Cancer.gov

The ATOM Consortium is actively seeking additional partnerships with qualified pharma, biotech, technology, academic, government, and other organizations. If you are interested in getting involved,please contact: info@atomscience.org F

Innate immunity and effector and regulatory mechanisms involved in allergic contact dermatitis.

PubMed

Silvestre, Marilene Chaves; Sato, Maria Notomi; Reis, Vitor Manoel Silva Dos

2018-03-01

Skin's innate immunity is the initial activator of immune response mechanisms, influencing the development of adaptive immunity. Some contact allergens are detected by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and inflammasome NLR3. Keratinocytes participate in innate immunity and, in addition to functioning as an anatomical barrier, secrete cytokines, such as TNF, IL-1β, and IL-18, contributing to the development of Allergic Contact Dermatitis. Dendritic cells recognize and process antigenic peptides into T cells. Neutrophils cause pro-inflammatory reactions, mast cells induce migration/maturation of skin DCs, the natural killer cells have natural cytotoxic capacity, the γδ T cells favor contact with hapten during the sensitization phase, and the innate lymphoid cells act in the early stages by secreting cytokines, as well as act in inflammation and tissue homeostasis. The antigen-specific inflammation is mediated by T cells, and each subtype of T cells (Th1/Tc1, Th2/Tc2, and Th17/Tc17) activates resident skin cells, thus contributing to inflammation. Skin's regulatory T cells have a strong ability to inhibit the proliferation of hapten-specific T cells, acting at the end of the Allergic Contact Dermatitis response and in the control of systemic immune responses. In this review, we report how cutaneous innate immunity is the first line of defense and focus its role in the activation of the adaptive immune response, with effector response induction and its regulation.

Improved Ohmic-contact to AlGaN/GaN using Ohmic region recesses by self-terminating thermal oxidation assisted wet etching technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, J.; Wang, J.; Wang, H.; Zhu, L.; Wu, W.

2017-06-01

Lower Ti/Al/Ni/Au Ohmic contact resistance on AlGaN/GaN with wider rapid thermal annealing (RTA) temperature window was achieved using recessed Ohmic contact structure based on self-terminating thermal oxidation assisted wet etching technique (STOAWET), in comparison with conventional Ohmic contacts. Even at lower temperature such as 650°C, recessed structure by STOAWET could still obtain Ohmic contact with contact resistance of 1.97Ω·mm, while conventional Ohmic structure mainly featured as Schottky contact. Actually, both Ohmic contact recess and mesa isolation processes could be accomplished by STOAWET in one process step and the process window of STOAWET is wide, simplifying AlGaN/GaN HEMT device process. Our experiment shows that the isolation leakage current by STOAWET is about one order of magnitude lower than that by inductivity coupled plasma (ICP) performed on the same wafer.

40 CFR 170.150 - Decontamination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... and temperature that will not cause illness or injury when it contacts the skin or eyes or if it is... worker contacts anything that has been treated with the pesticide, including, but not limited to soil... permitted by § 170.112 and involving contact with treated surfaces and the decontamination supplies would...

Intergroup Contact and Ingroup Reappraisal: Examining the Deprovincialization Thesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verkuyten, Maykel; Thijs, Jochem; Bekhuis, Hidde

2010-01-01

According to the deprovincialization thesis, interethnic contact involves a reappraisal and distancing from the ingroup. Contact can broaden one's horizon by acknowledging and recognizing the value of other cultures and thereby putting the taken-for-granted own cultural standards into perspective. The current research uses data from three surveys…

Social Contact and Loneliness in a University Population.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corty, Eric; Young, Richard David

To explore the relation between social contact and loneliness in a college student population, 40 male and 41 female undergraduates kept daily calendars of social contacts, recorded their activities for one week, and completed inventories on feelings and social interactions. A replication study involved 64 male undergraduates. The absolute level…

Secondary Transfer Effects of Intergroup Contact: A Cross-National Comparison in Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmid, Katharina; Hewstone, Miles; Kupper, Beate; Zick, Andreas; Wagner, Ulrich

2012-01-01

This article examines so-called secondary transfer effects of intergroup contact, a phenomenon whereby positive intergroup contact experiences can influence attitudes not only toward encountered (primary) outgroups but also toward other (secondary) outgroups that were not initially involved in the intergroup encounter. The current study relies on…

High-density plasma etching of III-nitrides: Process development, device applications and damage remediation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Rajwinder

Plasma-assisted etching is a key technology for III-nitride device fabrication. The inevitable etch damage resulting from energetic pattern transfer is a challenge that needs to be addressed in order to optimize device performance and reliability. This dissertation focuses on the development of a high-density inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) etch process for III-nitrides, the demonstration of its applicability to practical device fabrication using a custom built ICP reactor, and development of techniques for remediation of etch damage. A chlorine-based standard dry etch process has been developed and utilized in fabrication of a number of electronic and optoelectronic III-nitride devices. Annealing studies carried out at 700°C have yielded the important insight that the annealing time necessary for making good-quality metal contacts to etch processed n-GaN is very short (<30 sec), comparable with the annealing times necessary for dopant activation of p-GaN films and provides an opportunity for streamlining process flow. Plasma etching degrades contact quality on n-GaN films and this degradation has been found to increase with the rf bias levels (ion energies) used, most notably in films with higher doping levels. Immersion in 1:1 mixture of hydrochloric acid and de-ionized water, prior to metallization, removes some of the etch damage and is helpful in recovering contact quality. In-situ treatment consisting of a slow ramp-down of rf bias at the end of the etch is found to achieve the same effect as the ex-situ treatment. This insitu technique is significantly advantageous in a large-scale production environment because it eliminates a process step, particularly one involving treatment in hydrochloric acid. ICP equipment customization for scaling up the process to full 2-inch wafer size is described. Results on etching of state of the art 256 x 256 AlGaN focal plane arrays of ultraviolet photodetectors are reported, with excellent etch uniformity over the wafer area.

High-efficiency screen-printed belt co-fired solar cells on cast multicrystalline silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Upadhyaya, Ajay; Sheoran, Manav; Rohatgi, Ajeet

2005-01-01

High-efficiency 4cm2 untextured screen-printed solar cells were achieved on cast multicrystalline silicon. These cells were fabricated using a simple manufacturable process involving POCl3 diffusion for emitter, PECVD SiNx:H deposition for a single-layer antireflection coating and rapid co-firing of Ag grid, Al backcontact, and Al-BSF in a belt furnace. An optimized process sequence contributed to effective impurity gettering and defect passivation, resulting in high average bulk lifetimes in the range of 100-250 μs after the cell processing. The contact firing contributed to good ohmic contacts with low series resistance of <1Ωcm2, low backsurface recombination velocity of <500cm/s, and high fill factors of ˜0.78. These parameters resulted in 16.9% and 16.8% efficient untextured screen-printed cells with a single layer AR coating on heat exchanger method (HEM) and Baysix mc-Si. The identical process applied to the untextured float zone wafers gave an efficiency of 17.2%. The same optimized co-firing cycle, when applied to HEM mc-Si wafers with starting lifetimes varying over a wide range of 4-70 μs, resulted in cell efficiencies in the range of 16.5%-17%.

Contacting graphene in a 200 mm wafer silicon technology environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lisker, Marco; Lukosius, Mindaugas; Kitzmann, Julia; Fraschke, Mirko; Wolansky, Dirk; Schulze, Sebastian; Lupina, Grzegorz; Mai, Andreas

2018-06-01

Two different approaches for contacting graphene in a 200 mm wafer silicon technology environment were tested. The key is the opportunity to create a thin SiN passivation layer on top of the graphene protecting it from the damage by plasma processes. The first approach uses pure Ni contacts with a thickness of 200 nm. For the second attempt, Ni is used as the contact metal which substitutes the Ti compared to a standard contact hole filling process. Accordingly, the contact hole filling of this "stacked via" approach is Ni/TiN/W. We demonstrate that the second "stacked Via" is beneficial and shows contact resistances of a wafer scale process with values below 200 Ohm μm.

Development of a countywide recycling program for Polk County, Wisconsin

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

Not Available

Designing a recycling program for a rural county presents many more challenges in terms of transportation of materials and funding sources. Rural counties and communities typically have much smaller budgets and resources to draw from. In order to create a program that could realistically be implemented and also have widespread support, it was decided to allow ample time for public involvement in the design process. A multi-faceted approach was adopted to facilitate participation by individuals involved in solid waste handling and the general public. The approach included the use of surveys, formation of an advisory committee, public meetings, presentations tomore » civic groups, personal contacts, news releases, and a logo contest. The public involvement turned out to be invaluable. Throughout the year, many concepts and ideas were presented for feedback. Consequently, some aspects of the program were modified, some were scrapped altogether, and a few new ideas were added. Undoubtedly, the process of refinement will continue as the program moves into the implementation phase. The extensive public involvement has resulted in strong support for the countywide program from many sectors, including private haulers and recycling businesses, local officials and county board supervisors, civic groups, environmental groups, and the general public.« less

Conjugate gradient based projection - A new explicit methodology for frictional contact

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tamma, Kumar K.; Li, Maocheng; Sha, Desong

1993-01-01

With special attention towards the applicability to parallel computation or vectorization, a new and effective explicit approach for linear complementary formulations involving a conjugate gradient based projection methodology is proposed in this study for contact problems with Coulomb friction. The overall objectives are focussed towards providing an explicit methodology of computation for the complete contact problem with friction. In this regard, the primary idea for solving the linear complementary formulations stems from an established search direction which is projected to a feasible region determined by the non-negative constraint condition; this direction is then applied to the Fletcher-Reeves conjugate gradient method resulting in a powerful explicit methodology which possesses high accuracy, excellent convergence characteristics, fast computational speed and is relatively simple to implement for contact problems involving Coulomb friction.

Postplacement relationships between birth mothers and their romantic partners.

PubMed

Henney, Susan M; French, Cynthia A; Ayers-Lopez, Susan; McRoy, Ruth G; Grotevant, Harold D

2011-08-01

Using a mixed-methods approach, the understudied population of birth mothers who placed their infants for adoption 12-20 years ago was explored in the context of their romantic relationships. In a semistructured interview, 104 birth mothers answered detailed questions about their romantic relationships and adoption-related experiences. All birth mothers had disclosed the adoption placement to their romantic partners, and most had done so early because they wanted to be truthful about their past. On average, the birth mothers were satisfied with their romantic relationships and almost half did not believe that the adoption had affected it. Regarding contact in the adoption, a majority of the birth mothers' romantic partners (63.5%) were not directly involved in contact with the adoptive family or adopted youth. Implications about how adoption is perceived and processed within intimate relationships are discussed.

Interactions of silicate glasses with aqueous environments under conditions of prolonged contact and flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barkatt, Aaron; Saad, E. E.; Adiga, R. B.; Sousanpour, W.; Barkatt, AL.; Feng, X.; O'Keefe, J. A.; Alterescu, S.

1988-01-01

This paper discusses mechanisms involving saturation and reactions that lead to the formation of altered phases in silicate glasses considered for use in geologic repositories for nuclear waste. It is shown that the rate of dissolution of silicate glasses exposed to a broad range of contact times, leachant compositions, and surface-to-volume ratios is strongly affected by the presence of reactive species such as Al, Mg, and Fe. The reactive materials may originate in the leachant or, under conditions of high surface-to-volume ratio, in the glass itself. The effects of glass composition on the course of the corrosion process can be viewed in terms of the formation of a surface layer on the leached glass; the type, composition, and structure of this layer control the dissolution behavior of the glass.

Commentary: Transdiagnostic neuroscience of child and adolescent mental disorders--differentiating decision-making in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, depression and anxiety. A commentary on Sonuga-Barke et al. (2016).

PubMed

Rohde, Luis Augusto

2016-03-01

Sonuga-Barke, Cortese, Fairchild, and Stringaris offer us new insights not only on the neuropsychological processes and neurobiological mechanisms involved in the decision-making process but also how some of the most relevant child mental disorders might impact this process through a very comprehensive review of the pertinent literature. Although it is difficult to select specific points for discussing in a so dense review, I would like to highlight some aspects for 'whetting readers appetite' and seduce them to be in contact with the fascinating neurobiology behind an essential aspect of our lives. © 2016 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Competitive cluster growth in complex networks.

PubMed

Moreira, André A; Paula, Demétrius R; Costa Filho, Raimundo N; Andrade, José S

2006-06-01

In this work we propose an idealized model for competitive cluster growth in complex networks. Each cluster can be thought of as a fraction of a community that shares some common opinion. Our results show that the cluster size distribution depends on the particular choice for the topology of the network of contacts among the agents. As an application, we show that the cluster size distributions obtained when the growth process is performed on hierarchical networks, e.g., the Apollonian network, have a scaling form similar to what has been observed for the distribution of a number of votes in an electoral process. We suggest that this similarity may be due to the fact that social networks involved in the electoral process may also possess an underlining hierarchical structure.

An Examination of Two Policy Networks Involved in Advancing Smokefree Policy Initiatives.

PubMed

Moreland-Russell, Sarah; Carothers, Bobbi J

2015-09-08

This study examines smokefree policy networks in two cities—Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri—one that was successful in achieving widespread policy success, and one that was not. Descriptive social network analyses and visual network mapping were used to compare importance and contact relationships among actors involved in the smokefree policy initiatives. In Kansas City, where policy adoption was achieved, there was a higher level of connectivity among members, with network members being in contact with an average of more than five people, compared to just over two people for the St. Louis network. For both cities, despite being recognized as important, politicians were in contact with the fewest number of people. Results highlight the critical need to actively engage a variety of stakeholders when attempting city wide public health policy change. As evident by the success in smokefree policy adoption throughout Kansas City compared to St. Louis, closer linkages and continued communication among stakeholders including the media, coalitions, public health agencies, policymakers, and other partners are essential if we are to advance and broaden the impact of public health policy. Results indicate that the presence of champions, or those that play leadership roles in actively promoting policy by linking individuals and organizations, play an important role in advancing public health policy. Those working in public health should examine their level of engagement with the policy process and implement strategies for improving that engagement through relationship building and ongoing interactions with a variety of stakeholders, including policymakers.

MicroRNA expression profile and functional analysis reveal their roles in contact inhibition and its disruption switch of rat vascular smooth muscle cells.

PubMed

Sun, Ye-Ying; Qin, Shan-Shan; Cheng, Yun-Hui; Wang, Chao-Yun; Liu, Xiao-Jun; Liu, Ying; Zhang, Xiu-Li; Zhang, Wendy; Zhan, Jia-Xin; Shao, Shuai; Bian, Wei-Hua; Luo, Bi-Hui; Lu, Dong-Feng; Yang, Jian; Wang, Chun-Hua; Zhang, Chun-Xiang

2018-05-01

Contact inhibition and its disruption of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are important cellular events in vascular diseases. But the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. In this study we investigated the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the contact inhibition and its disruption of VSMCs and the molecular mechanisms involved. Rat VSMCs were seeded at 30% or 90% confluence. MiRNA expression profiles in contact-inhibited confluent VSMCs (90% confluence) and non-contact-inhibited low-density VSMCs (30% confluence) were determined. We found that multiple miRNAs were differentially expressed between the two groups. Among them, miR-145 was significantly increased in contact-inhibited VSMCs. Serum could disrupt the contact inhibition as shown by the elicited proliferation of confluent VSMCs. The contact inhibition disruption accompanied with a down-regulation of miR-145. Serum-induced contact inhibition disruption of VSMCs was blocked by overexpression of miR-145. Moreover, downregulation of miR-145 was sufficient to disrupt the contact inhibition of VSMCs. The downregulation of miR-145 in serum-induced contact inhibition disruption was related to the activation PI3-kinase/Akt pathway, which was blocked by the PI3-kinase inhibitor LY294002. KLF5, a target gene of miR-145, was identified to be involved in miR-145-mediated effect on VSMC contact inhibition disruption, as it could be inhibited by knockdown of KLF5. In summary, our results show that multiple miRNAs are differentially expressed in contact-inhibited VSMCs and in non-contact-inhibited VSMCs. Among them, miR-145 is a critical gene in contact inhibition and its disruption of VSMCs. PI3-kinase/Akt/miR-145/KLF5 is a critical signaling pathway in serum-induced contact inhibition disruption. Targeting of miRNAs related to the contact inhibition of VSMCs may represent a novel therapeutic approach for vascular diseases.

Healthcare Industry Injuries by Patient Contact Status in Kentucky, 2012-2014.

PubMed

Ranzenberger, Kristen; Bunn, Terry L; Slavova, Svetla

2016-10-01

The healthcare industry continues to have a high number of reported injuries. The purpose of this study was to characterize healthcare industry injuries by patient contact status, identify the occupations associated with healthcare injuries by patient contact status, and determine healthcare injury rates by occupation to gain a better understanding of healthcare industry-compensated injuries and better target safety practices and programs in the healthcare industry. Kentucky healthcare industry workers' compensation first reports of injuries from calendar years 2012-2014 were categorized into injuries involved in direct patient contact versus injuries without direct patient contact using narrative text analysis. Injury numbers and rates were calculated for a number of data variables. Healthcare injuries without direct patient contact (55% of all first reports of injuries) occurred more frequently among older workers (45 years old and older [51%]), in "other" occupations such as housekeeping and maintenance (28%), and as a result of falls/slips/trips (39%) and sprains/tears (38%). In contrast, a higher percentage of healthcare injuries involving direct patient contact occurred among workers younger than 35 years (48%), in healthcare support occupations (50%), and resulting from sprains/tears (66%) and lifting/handling (52%), compared with those without direct patient contact. Findings from this study can better target the need for new and/or additional specific workplace safety training, especially in the healthcare support and nursing occupations with and without patient contact.

77 FR 47361 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; 2013 Alternative Contact Strategy Test

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-08

... research will be conducted through a series of projects and tests throughout the decade. Contact involving... 2020 Research and Testing Project tests and design options for the 2020 Census. II. Method of... Alternative Contact Strategy Test is the first test to support this research. The Census Bureau will test...

The performance and decolourization kinetics of O3/H2O2 oxidation of reactive green 19 dye in wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabri, S. N.; Abidin, C. Z. A.; Fahmi; Kow, S. H.; Razali, N. A.

2018-03-01

The degradations characteristic of azo dye Reactive Green 19 (RG19) was investigated using advanced oxidation process (AOPs). It was evaluated based on colour and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal. The effect of operational parameters such as initial dye concentration, initial dosage of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), contact time, and pH was also being studied. The samples were treated by ozonation (O3) and peroxone O3/H2O2 process. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) involve two stages of oxidation; firstly is the formation of strong oxidant and secondly the reaction of organic contaminants in water. In addition, the term advanced oxidation is referring to the processes in which oxidation of organic contaminants occurs primarily through reactions with hydroxyl radicals. There are several analyses that use to determine the efficiency of the treatment process, which are UV-Vis absorption spectra, COD, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), and pH. The results demonstrated that the ozone oxidation was efficient in decolourization and good in mineralization, based on the reduction of colour and COD. Additionally, results indicate that H2O2 is able to perform better than ozonation in order to decolourize the dye wastewater with 0.5 mL H2O2/L dye dosage of H2O2 at different initial concentration, initial pH, with contact time.

Learning and feedback from the Danish patient safety incident reporting system can be improved.

PubMed

Moeller, Anders Damgaard; Rasmussen, Kurt; Nielsen, Kent Jacob

2016-06-01

The perceived usefulness of incident reporting systems is an important motivational factor for reporting. The usefulness may be facilitated by well-established feedback mechanisms and by learning processes. The aim of this study was to investigate how feedback mechanisms and learning processes were implemented at four Danish hospital units all located in one of the five Danish regions. Based on the concepts of feedback and learning from incident processes, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to 335 patient safety representatives from 200 departments at four Danish hospital units in one of the five Danish regions. The study showed that external reporters were rarely contacted for dialogue, grouped front-line staff were sparsely involved in the learning process, few evaluated the effectiveness of implemented interventions and personal factors were frequently perceived as a primary contributory factor to these incidents. In contrast, the patient safety representatives perceived their competencies as sufficient for the job, internal reporters were often contacted for dialogue, evaluation was widely used and management supported the work with incident reports. The results of the study identified several shortcomings in the implementation of learning processes and feedback mechanisms. The apparent existence of a person-focused approach stands out as an element of notice. The insufficient implementation we observed indicates that there is room for improvement in the efforts made to maximise learning from incidents in the investigated population. not relevant. not relevant.

Better Ohmic Contacts For InP Semiconductor Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weizer, Victor G.; Fatemi, Navid S.

1995-01-01

Four design modifications enable fabrication of improved ohmic contacts on InP-based semiconductor devices. First modification consists of insertion of layer of gold phosphide between n-doped InP and metal or other overlayer of contact material. Second, includes first modification plus use of particular metal overlayer to achieve very low contact resistivities. Third, also involves deposition of Au(2)P(3) interlayer; in addition, refractory metal (W or Ta) deposited to form contact overlayer. In fourth, contact layer of Auln alloy deposited directly on InP. Improved contacts exhibit low electrical resistances and fabricated without exposing devices to destructive predeposition or postdeposition treatments.

40 CFR 63.1329 - Process contact cooling towers provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... DDD, shall maintain an ethylene glycol concentration in the process contact cooling tower at or below... to the process contact cooling tower. (1) To determine the ethylene glycol concentration, owners or... procedures specified in 40 CFR 60.564(j)(1)(i). An average ethylene glycol concentration by weight shall be...

Live-cell imaging of ER-PM contact architecture by a novel TIRFM approach reveals extension of junctions in response to store-operated Ca2+-entry.

PubMed

Poteser, Michael; Leitinger, Gerd; Pritz, Elisabeth; Platzer, Dieter; Frischauf, Irene; Romanin, Christoph; Groschner, Klaus

2016-10-19

Nanometer-spaced appositions between endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane (ER-PM junctions) stabilized by membrane-joining protein complexes are critically involved in cellular Ca 2+ -handling and lipid trafficking. ER-PM junctional architecture and plasticity associated with inter-membrane communication are as yet barely understood. Here, we introduce a method to precisely characterize ER-PM junction morphology and dynamics with high temporal resolution and minimal disturbance of junctional intermembrane communication. We show that expression of soluble cytosolic fluorophores in combination with TIRFM enables to delineate ER and PM distance in the range of 10-150 nm. Live-cell imaging of sub-plasmalemmal structures in RBL-2H3 mast cells by this method, designated as fluorescence density mapping (FDM), revealed profound dynamics of ER-PM contact sites in response to store-depletion. We report the existence of a Ca 2+ -dependent process that expands the junctional ER to enlarge its contact surface with the PM, thereby promoting and stabilizing STIM1-Orai1 competent ER-PM junctions.

The failure of poly (ether ether ketone) in high speed contacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briscoe, B. J.; Stuart, B. H.; Sebastian, S.; Tweedale, P. J.

1993-04-01

The paper describes an experimental study, with an associated analysis incorporating supplementary data, of the anti-boundary lubricating action of an alkane-aliphatic carboxylic acid lubricant system in a poly (ether ether ketone)-mild steel contact. The experiments involve progressively increasing the load in a contact formed between a polymer plate and a rotating steel shaft and estimating the frictional work dissipated. Scuffing is identified when a rapid increase in frictional work is noted at a characteristic normal load. It is shown that the additive induces premature scuffing. Subsidiary data is provided using Raman spectroscopy and hardness probes, and confirms that certain additives such as decanoic acid and dodecylamine will induce surface plasticization in poly (ether ether ketone). The trends in the frictional data have been interpreted using the adhesive model of friction in conjunction with temperature-dependent interfacial theology and bulk mechanical property data. It is proposed that the scuffing process is induced prematurely as a consequence of excessive additive-induced subsurface plasticization. Restricted surface plasticization in this system provides an enhanced self-lubricating capacity.

Maintaining Sibling Relationships for Children in Foster and Adoptive Placements.

PubMed

James, Sigrid; Monn, Amy R; Palinkas, Lawrence A; Leslie, Laurel K

2008-01-01

To better understand the nature of sibling relationships among children in foster or adoptive placement and the challenges and processes involved in maintaining these relationships, we conducted an exploratory analysis of data collected from semi-structured interviews with caregivers of 14 foster and adopted children in San Diego County. We identified three patterns of placement histories and living situations which appeared to impact the degree of contact maintained with siblings: (1) children who had never lived together and were not currently placed together; (2) children who at some point lived with or were placed together with their siblings, but were now separated from them; and (3) children who had lived with their siblings all their life and were placed together with at least some of their siblings at the time of the interview. Children's current living situations and placement histories, caregivers' experiences and perceptions of feasibility and desirability of sibling contact, and the sibling relationship itself are primary determinants in the development and maintenance of contact between siblings. Implications for child welfare policy and practice are discussed.

Maintaining Sibling Relationships for Children in Foster and Adoptive Placements

PubMed Central

James, Sigrid; Monn, Amy R.; Palinkas, Lawrence A.; Leslie, Laurel K.

2008-01-01

To better understand the nature of sibling relationships among children in foster or adoptive placement and the challenges and processes involved in maintaining these relationships, we conducted an exploratory analysis of data collected from semi-structured interviews with caregivers of 14 foster and adopted children in San Diego County. We identified three patterns of placement histories and living situations which appeared to impact the degree of contact maintained with siblings: (1) children who had never lived together and were not currently placed together; (2) children who at some point lived with or were placed together with their siblings, but were now separated from them; and (3) children who had lived with their siblings all their life and were placed together with at least some of their siblings at the time of the interview. Children’s current living situations and placement histories, caregivers’ experiences and perceptions of feasibility and desirability of sibling contact, and the sibling relationship itself are primary determinants in the development and maintenance of contact between siblings. Implications for child welfare policy and practice are discussed. PMID:19122749

Profiles of criminal justice system involvement of mentally ill homeless adults.

PubMed

Roy, Laurence; Crocker, Anne G; Nicholls, Tonia L; Latimer, Eric; Gozdzik, Agnes; O'Campo, Patricia; Rae, Jennifer

2016-01-01

This study aims to examine the rates of self-reported contacts with the criminal justice system among homeless adults with mental illness, to identify the characteristics of participants who have had contacts with the criminal justice system, to report the dimensional structure of criminal justice system involvement in this sample, and to identify typologies of justice-involved participants. Self-report data on criminal justice system involvement of 2221 adults participating in a Canadian Housing First trial were analyzed using multiple correspondence and cluster analysis. Almost half of the participants had at least one contact with the criminal justice system in the 6months prior to study enrollment. Factors associated with justice involvement included age, gender, ethnic background, diagnosis, substance misuse, impulse control, compliance, victimization, service use, and duration of homelessness. A typology of criminal justice involvement was developed. Seven criminal justice system involvement profiles emerged; substance use and impulse control distinguished the clusters, whereas demographic and contextual variables did not. The large number of profiles indicates the need for a diverse and flexible range of interventions that could be integrated within or in addition to current support of housing services, including integrated substance use and mental health interventions, risk management strategies, and trauma-oriented services. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fractal modeling of fluidic leakage through metal sealing surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qiang; Chen, Xiaoqian; Huang, Yiyong; Chen, Yong

2018-04-01

This paper investigates the fluidic leak rate through metal sealing surfaces by developing fractal models for the contact process and leakage process. An improved model is established to describe the seal-contact interface of two metal rough surface. The contact model divides the deformed regions by classifying the asperities of different characteristic lengths into the elastic, elastic-plastic and plastic regimes. Using the improved contact model, the leakage channel under the contact surface is mathematically modeled based on the fractal theory. The leakage model obtains the leak rate using the fluid transport theory in porous media, considering that the pores-forming percolation channels can be treated as a combination of filled tortuous capillaries. The effects of fractal structure, surface material and gasket size on the contact process and leakage process are analyzed through numerical simulations for sealed ring gaskets.

Modular Organization of Residue-Level Contacts Shapes the Selection Pressure on Individual Amino Acid Sites of Ribosomal Proteins.

PubMed

Mallik, Saurav; Kundu, Sudip

2017-04-01

Understanding the molecular evolution of macromolecular complexes in the light of their structure, assembly, and stability is of central importance. Here, we address how the modular organization of native molecular contacts shapes the selection pressure on individual residue sites of ribosomal complexes. The bacterial ribosomal complex is represented as a residue contact network where nodes represent amino acid/nucleotide residues and edges represent their van der Waals interactions. We find statistically overrepresented native amino acid-nucleotide contacts (OaantC, one amino acid contacts one or multiple nucleotides, internucleotide contacts are disregarded). Contact number is defined as the number of nucleotides contacted. Involvement of individual amino acids in OaantCs with smaller contact numbers is more random, whereas only a few amino acids significantly contribute to OaantCs with higher contact numbers. An investigation of structure, stability, and assembly of bacterial ribosome depicts the involvement of these OaantCs in diverse biophysical interactions stabilizing the complex, including high-affinity protein-RNA contacts, interprotein cooperativity, intersubunit bridge, packing of multiple ribosomal RNA domains, etc. Amino acid-nucleotide constituents of OaantCs with higher contact numbers are generally associated with significantly slower substitution rates compared with that of OaantCs with smaller contact numbers. This evolutionary rate heterogeneity emerges from the strong purifying selection pressure that conserves the respective amino acid physicochemical properties relevant to the stabilizing interaction with OaantC nucleotides. An analysis of relative molecular orientations of OaantC residues and their interaction energetics provides the biophysical ground of purifying selection conserving OaantC amino acid physicochemical properties. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

[Evaluation of tuberculosis transmission routes in an outbreak among young adults for developing an effective method for contact investigations].

PubMed

Toyota, Makoto

2012-12-01

To evaluate the various transmission routes of tuberculosis in an outbreak among young adults in order to develop an effective method for contact investigations. We reviewed the records of 21 tuberculosis patients involved in an outbreak of tuberculosis; the records were collected by conventional epidemiological studies. Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates were genotyped using IS6110-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The index patient was a 26-year-old man whose 32-year-old brother was identified as the source patient of tuberculosis through a contact investigation. Investigation of their contacts led to the identification of 10 tuberculosis patients. Further, 5 more patients with only casual contact with the index or source patients developed tuberculosis 18-25 months after identification of the index patient. The RFLP analysis of strains obtained from these 5 patients as well as the index and source patients revealed an identical pattern. Further, 4 persons, among those who had epidemiological links with some of the above-mentioned 5 patients, developed tuberculosis 22-34 months after identification of the index patient. All 21 patients were relatively young. In total, 15 strains obtained from these patients were sent for the RFLP analysis, all of which showed an identical pattern. The epidemiological links were categorized into a household environment, an entertainment area, a university, a music band, and a construction site. Molecular epidemiology can provide insights into the process of tuberculosis transmission, which may otherwise go unrecognized by conventional contact investigations. Additionally, it can play an important role in identifying places of tuberculosis outbreaks and routes of transmission in a contact investigation.

Examining the challenges of family recruitment to behavioral intervention trials: factors associated with participation and enrollment in a multi-state colonoscopy intervention trial

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Colonoscopy is one of the most effective methods of cancer prevention and detection, particularly for individuals with familial risk. Recruitment of family members to behavioral intervention trials remains uniquely challenging, owing to the intensive process required to identify and contact them. Recruiting at-risk family members involves contacting the original cancer cases and asking them to provide information about their at-risk relatives, who must then be contacted for study enrollment. Though this recruitment strategy is common in family trials, few studies have compared influences of patient and relative participation to nonparticipation. Furthermore, although use of cancer registries to identify initial cases has increased, to our knowledge no study has examined the relationship between registries and family recruitment outcomes. Methods This study assessed predictors of case participation and relative enrollment in a recruitment process that utilized state cancer registries. Participation characteristics were analyzed with separate multivariable logistic regressions in three stages: (1) cancer registry-contacted colorectal cancer (CRC) cases who agreed to study contact; (2) study-contacted CRC cases who provided at-risk relative information; and (3) at-risk relatives contacted for intervention participation. Results Cancer registry source was predictive of participation for both CRC cases and relatives, though relative associations (odds ratios) varied across registries. Cases were less likely to participate if they were Hispanic or nonwhite, and were more likely to participate if they were female or younger than 50 at cancer diagnosis. At-risk relatives were more likely to participate if they were from Utah, if another family member was also participating in the study, or if they had previously had a colonoscopy. The number of eligible cases who had to be contacted to enroll one eligible relative varied widely by registry, from 7 to 81. Conclusions Family recruitment utilizing cancer registry-identified cancer cases is feasible, but highly dependent on both the strategies and protocols of those who are recruiting and on participant characteristics such as sex, race, or geography. Devising comprehensive recruitment protocols that specifically target those less likely to enroll may help future research meet recruitment goals. Trial registration Family Colorectal Cancer Awareness and Risk Education Project NCT01274143. PMID:23782890

Nickel adsorption onto polyurethane ethylene and vinyl acetate sorbents.

PubMed

Iqbal, Munawar; Ali, Zahid; Qamar, M Afzal; Ali, Abid; Hussain, Fida; Abbas, Mazhar; Nisar, Jan

2017-07-01

The present study was conducted to appraise the efficiencies of polyurethane ethylene sorbent (PES) and vinyl acetate sorbent (VAS) for nickel (Ni) adsorption. Process variables, i.e. Ni(II) ions initial concentration, pH, contact time and adsorbent dosage were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) approach. The Ni(II) adsorption was fitted to the kinetic models (pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order) and adsorption isotherms (Freundlich and Langmuir). At optimum conditions of process variables, 171.99 mg/g (64.7%) and 388.08 mg/g (92.7%) Ni(II) was adsorbed onto PES and VAS, respectively. The RSM analysis revealed that maximum Ni(II) adsorption can be achieved at 299 mg/L Ni(II) ions initial concentration, 4.5 pH, 934 min contact time and 1.3 g adsorbent dosage levels for PES, whereas the optimum values for VAS were found to be 402 mg/L Ni(II) ions initial concentration, 4.6 pH, 881 min contact time and 1.2 g adsorbent dosage, respectively. The -OH and -C = O- were involved in the Ni(II) adsorption onto PES and VAS adsorbents. At optimum levels, up to 53.67% and 80.0% Ni(II) was removed from chemical industry wastewater using PES and VAS, respectively, which suggest that PES and VAS could possibly be used for Ni(II) adsorption from industrial wastewater.

Single closed contact for 0.18-micron photolithography process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheung, Cristina; Phan, Khoi A.; Chiu, Robert J.

2000-06-01

With the rapid advances of deep submicron semiconductor technology, identifying defects is converted into a challenge for different modules in the fabrication of chips. Yield engineers often do bitmap on a memory circuit array (SRAM) to identify the failure bits. This is followed by a wafer stripback to look for visual defects at each deprocessed layer for feedback to the Fab. However, to identify the root cause of a problem, Fab engineers must be able to detect similar defects either on the product wafers in process or some short loop test wafers. In the photolithography process, we recognize that the detection of defects is becoming as important as satisfying the critical dimension (CD) of the device. For a multi-level metallization chemically mechanical polish backend process, it is very difficult to detect missing contacts or via at the masking steps due to metal grain roughness, film color variation and/or previous layer defects. Often, photolithography engineer must depend on Photo Cell Monitor (PCM) and short loop experiments for controlling baseline defects and improvement. In this paper, we discuss the findings on the Poly mask PCM and the Contact mask PCM. We present the comparison between the Poly mask and the Contact mask of the I-line Phase Shifted Via mask and DUV mask process for a 0.18 micron process technology. The correlation and the different type of defects between the Contact PCM and the Poly Mask are discussed. The Contact PCM was found to be more sensitive and correlated to contact failure at sort yield better. We also dedicate to study the root cause of a single closed contact hole in the Contact mask short loop experiment for a 0.18 micron process technology. A single closed contact defect was often caused by the developer process, such as bubbles in the line, resist residue left behind, and the rinse mechanism. We also found surfactant solution helps to improve the surface tension of the wafer for the developer process and this prevents/eliminates a single closed contact hole defects. The applications and effects of using different substrates like SiON, different thicknesses of Oxides, and Poly in the Contact Photo Mask is shown. Finally, some defect troubleshooting techniques and the root cause analysis are also discussed.

Analysis of close-contact melting with inner wall temperature variation in a horizontal cylindrical capsule

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

Saitoh, T.S.; Hoshi, Akira

1997-12-31

Melting and solidification of a phase change material (PCM) in a capsule is of practical importance in latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems which are considered to be very promising to reduce a peak demand of electricity in the summer season. Two melting modes are involved in melting in capsules. One is close-contact melting between the solid bulk and the capsule wall, and another is natural convection melting in the liquid region. In recent years, close-contact melting processes for a single enclosure have been solved using several numerical methods (e.g., Saitoh and Kato (1994)). However, there is no theoreticalmore » solution considering the inner wall temperature variation within cylindrical or spherical capsules. In this report close-contact melting heat transfer characteristics including melt flow in the liquid film under inner wall temperature distribution were analyzed and simple approximate equations are presented, which facilitates designing of the practical capsule bed LHTES systems. The effects of Stefan number and variable temperature profile etc. were clarified in detail. And the melting velocity of the solid bulk under various conditions was also studied theoretically. In addition, the effects of variable inner wall temperature on molten mass fraction were investigated.« less

Geometrical effect, optimal design and controlled fabrication of bio-inspired micro/nanotextures for superhydrophobic surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, F. M.; Li, W.; Liu, A. H.; Yu, Z. L.; Ruan, M.; Feng, W.; Chen, H. X.; Chen, Y.

2017-09-01

Superhydrophobic surfaces with high water contact angles and low contact angle hysteresis or sliding angles have received tremendous attention for both academic research and industrial applications in recent years. In general, such surfaces possess rough microtextures, particularly, show micro/nano hierarchical structures like lotus leaves. Now it has been recognized that to achieve the artificial superhydrophobic surfaces, the simple and effective strategy is to mimic such hierarchical structures. However, fabrications of such structures for these artificial surfaces involve generally expensive and complex processes. On the other hand, the relationships between structural parameters of various surface topography and wetting properties have not been fully understood yet. In order to provide guidance for the simple fabrication and particularly, to promote practical applications of superhydrophobic surfaces, the geometrical designs of optimal microtextures or patterns have been proposed. In this work, the recent developments on geometrical effect, optimal design and controlled fabrication of various superhydrophobic structures, such as unitary, anisotropic, dual-scale hierarchical, and some other surface geometries, are reviewed. The effects of surface topography and structural parameters on wetting states (composite and noncomposite) and wetting properties (contact angle, contact angle hysteresis and sliding angle) as well as adhesive forces are discussed in detail. Finally, the research prospects in this field are briefly addressed.

First identification of baddeleyite related/linked to contact metamorphism from carbonatites in the world's largest REE deposit, Bayan Obo in North China Craton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shuan-Hong; Zhao, Yue; Li, Qiu-Li; Hu, Zhao-Chu; Chen, Zhen-Yu

2017-07-01

Baddeleyite has been recognized as a key mineral to determine the crystallization age of silica-undersaturated igneous rocks. Here we report a new occurrence of baddeleyite identified from REE-Nb-Th-rich carbonatite in the world's largest REE deposit, Bayan Obo, in the North China Craton (China). U-Th-Pb dating of three baddeleyite samples yields crystallization ages of 310-270 Ma with the best estimated crystallization age of ca. 280 Ma. These ages are significantly younger than the ca. 1300 Ma Bayan Obo carbonatites, but broadly coeval to nearby Permian granitoids intruding into the carbonatites. Hence, the Bayan Obo baddeleyite did not crystallize from the carbonatitic magma that led to the formation of the Bayan Obo carbonatites and related REE-Nb-Th deposit. Instead, it crystallized from hydrothermal fluids and/or a reaction involving zircon and dolomite during contact metamorphism related to the Permian granitoid emplacement. This is in agreement with the results of electron microprobe analysis that show humite inclusions in baddeleyite, since humite is a typical magnesian skarn mineral and occurs in close proximity to the intrusive contacts between carbonatites and granitoids. Our results show that baddeleyite can be used for dating hydrothermal and contact metamorphic processes.

Factors Associated with Infant Feeding Choices in the Adolescent Population.

PubMed

Godbout, Jennifer M; Goldsberry, Whitney N; Franklin, Tanya E

2016-11-01

Strong recommendations have been made for exclusive breastfeeding of infants for the first 6 months of life, with continuation throughout the first year. In an attempt to optimize support for breastfeeding, particular barriers in populations with decreased rates need to be analyzed. This study aimed to determine if participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food voucher program, involvement of the infant's father, involvement of the adolescent mother's parents or other caregivers, and participation in early skin-to-skin contact after birth are associated with the decision to breastfeed or bottle feed among this adolescent population. A retrospective chart review of 457 adolescent patients who delivered January 2010 through May 2013 at the University of Louisville Hospital was conducted. Nursing documentation was used to determine the patient's intention to breastfeed or bottle feed, participation in WIC, involvement of the infant's father, involvement of the patient's parents, and participation in early skin-to-skin contact after delivery. These factors were compared using Fisher exact test. Three hundred one adolescents reported a plan to breastfeed (65.9%) and 156 reported a plan to bottle feed (34.1%) when questioned pre-delivery. There was no significant difference between the groups with respect to WIC participation or involvement of the infant's father. The bottle-feeding group had a significantly higher percentage who reported parental involvement (80.1% vs 67.8%, P = .0059). The breastfeeding group had a significantly higher percentage who participated in early skin-to-skin contact after birth (74.5% vs 58.1%, P = .0064). Involvement of the adolescent mothers' parents or caregivers was associated with the decision to bottle feed. Participation in early skin-to-skin contact after birth was associated with the decision to breastfeed.

Contact Us | Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

The ATOM Consortium is actively seeking additional partnerships with qualified pharma, biotech, technology, academic, government, and other organizations. If you are interested in getting involved,please contact: info@atomscience.org F

Estimating the Size of the Methamphetamine-Using Population in New York City Using Network Sampling Techniques.

PubMed

Dombrowski, Kirk; Khan, Bilal; Wendel, Travis; McLean, Katherine; Misshula, Evan; Curtis, Ric

2012-12-01

As part of a recent study of the dynamics of the retail market for methamphetamine use in New York City, we used network sampling methods to estimate the size of the total networked population. This process involved sampling from respondents' list of co-use contacts, which in turn became the basis for capture-recapture estimation. Recapture sampling was based on links to other respondents derived from demographic and "telefunken" matching procedures-the latter being an anonymized version of telephone number matching. This paper describes the matching process used to discover the links between the solicited contacts and project respondents, the capture-recapture calculation, the estimation of "false matches", and the development of confidence intervals for the final population estimates. A final population of 12,229 was estimated, with a range of 8235 - 23,750. The techniques described here have the special virtue of deriving an estimate for a hidden population while retaining respondent anonymity and the anonymity of network alters, but likely require larger sample size than the 132 persons interviewed to attain acceptable confidence levels for the estimate.

Modelling of tunnelling processes and rock cutting tool wear with the particle finite element method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carbonell, Josep Maria; Oñate, Eugenio; Suárez, Benjamín

2013-09-01

Underground construction involves all sort of challenges in analysis, design, project and execution phases. The dimension of tunnels and their structural requirements are growing, and so safety and security demands do. New engineering tools are needed to perform a safer planning and design. This work presents the advances in the particle finite element method (PFEM) for the modelling and the analysis of tunneling processes including the wear of the cutting tools. The PFEM has its foundation on the Lagrangian description of the motion of a continuum built from a set of particles with known physical properties. The method uses a remeshing process combined with the alpha-shape technique to detect the contacting surfaces and a finite element method for the mechanical computations. A contact procedure has been developed for the PFEM which is combined with a constitutive model for predicting the excavation front and the wear of cutting tools. The material parameters govern the coupling of frictional contact and wear between the interacting domains at the excavation front. The PFEM allows predicting several parameters which are relevant for estimating the performance of a tunnelling boring machine such as wear in the cutting tools, the pressure distribution on the face of the boring machine and the vibrations produced in the machinery and the adjacent soil/rock. The final aim is to help in the design of the excavating tools and in the planning of the tunnelling operations. The applications presented show that the PFEM is a promising technique for the analysis of tunnelling problems.

Touching moments: desire modulates the neural anticipation of active romantic caress

PubMed Central

Ebisch, Sjoerd J.; Ferri, Francesca; Gallese, Vittorio

2014-01-01

A romantic caress is a basic expression of affiliative behavior and a primary reinforcer. Given its inherent affective valence, its performance also would imply the prediction of reward values. For example, touching a person for whom one has strong passionate feelings likely is motivated by a strong desire for physical contact and associated with the anticipation of hedonic experiences. The present study aims at investigating how the anticipatory neural processes of active romantic caress are modulated by the intensity of the desire for affective contact as reflected by passionate feelings for the other. Functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning was performed in romantically involved partners using a paradigm that allowed to isolate the specific anticipatory representations of active romantic caress, compared with control caress, while testing for the relationship between neural activity and measures of feelings of passionate love for the other. The results demonstrated that right posterior insula activity in anticipation of romantic caress significantly co-varied with the intensity of desire for union with the other. This effect was independent of the sensory-affective properties of the performed touch, like its pleasantness. Furthermore, functional connectivity analysis showed that the same posterior insula cluster interacted with brain regions related to sensory-motor functions as well as to the processing and anticipation of reward. The findings provide insight on the neural substrate mediating between the desire for and the performance of romantic caress. In particular, we propose that anticipatory activity patterns in posterior insula may modulate subsequent sensory-affective processing of skin-to-skin contact. PMID:24616676

Surface conductance of graphene from non-contact resonant cavity.

PubMed

Obrzut, Jan; Emiroglu, Caglar; Kirillov, Oleg; Yang, Yanfei; Elmquist, Randolph E

2016-06-01

A method is established to reliably determine surface conductance of single-layer or multi-layer atomically thin nano-carbon graphene structures. The measurements are made in an air filled standard R100 rectangular waveguide configuration at one of the resonant frequency modes, typically at TE 103 mode of 7.4543 GHz. Surface conductance measurement involves monitoring a change in the quality factor of the cavity as the specimen is progressively inserted into the cavity in quantitative correlation with the specimen surface area. The specimen consists of a nano-carbon-layer supported on a low loss dielectric substrate. The thickness of the conducting nano-carbon layer does not need to be explicitly known, but it is assumed that the lateral dimension is uniform over the specimen area. The non-contact surface conductance measurements are illustrated for a typical graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition process, and for a high quality monolayer epitaxial graphene grown on silicon carbide wafers for which we performed non-gated quantum Hall resistance measurements. The sequence of quantized transverse Hall resistance at the Landau filling factors ν = ±6 and ±2, and the absence of the Hall plateau at ν = 4 indicate that the epitaxially grown graphene is a high quality mono-layer. The resonant microwave cavity measurement is sensitive to the surface and bulk conductivity, and since no additional processing is required, it preserves the integrity of the conductive graphene layer. It allows characterization with high speed, precision and efficiency, compared to transport measurements where sample contacts must be defined and applied in multiple processing steps.

Laser-fired contact formation on metallized and passivated silicon wafers under short pulse durations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raghavan, Ashwin S.

The objective of this work is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the physical processes governing laser-fired contact (LFC) formation under microsecond pulse durations. Primary emphasis is placed on understanding how processing parameters influence contact morphology, passivation layer quality, alloying of Al and Si, and contact resistance. In addition, the research seeks to develop a quantitative method to accurately predict the contact geometry, thermal cycles, heat and mass transfer phenomena, and the influence of contact pitch distance on substrate temperatures in order to improve the physical understanding of the underlying processes. Finally, the work seeks to predict how geometry for LFCs produced with microsecond pulses will influence fabrication and performance factors, such as the rear side contacting scheme, rear surface series resistance and effective rear surface recombination rates. The characterization of LFC cross-sections reveals that the use of microsecond pulse durations results in the formation of three-dimensional hemispherical or half-ellipsoidal contact geometries. The LFC is heavily alloyed with Al and Si and is composed of a two-phase Al-Si microstructure that grows from the Si wafer during resolidification. As a result of forming a large three-dimensional contact geometry, the total contact resistance is governed by the interfacial contact area between the LFC and the wafer rather than the planar contact area at the original Al-Si interface within an opening in the passivation layer. By forming three-dimensional LFCs, the total contact resistance is significantly reduced in comparison to that predicted for planar contacts. In addition, despite the high energy densities associated with microsecond pulse durations, the passivation layer is well preserved outside of the immediate contact region. Therefore, the use of microsecond pulse durations can be used to improve device performance by leading to lower total contact resistances while preserving the passivation layer. A mathematical model was developed to accurately predict LFC geometry over a wide range of processing parameters by accounting for transient changes in Al and Si alloy composition within the LFC. Since LFC geometry plays a critical role in device performance, an accurate method to predict contact geometry is an important tool that can facilitate further process development. Dimensionless analysis was also conducted to evaluate the relative importance of heat and mass transfer mechanisms. It is shown that convection plays a dominant role in the heat and mass transfer within the molten pool. Due to convective mass transfer, the contacts are heavily doped with Al and Si within 10 is after contact formation, which contributes to the entire resolidified region behaving as the electrically active LFC. The validated model is also used to determine safe operating regimes during laser processing to avoid excessively high operating temperatures. By maintaining processing temperatures below a critical temperature threshold, the onset of liquid metal expulsion and loss of alloying elements can be avoided. The process maps provide a framework that can be used to tailor LFC geometry for device fabrication. Finally, using various geometric relationships for the rear side contacting scheme for photovoltaic devices, it is shown that by employing hemispherical contacts, the number of LFCs required on the rear side can be reduced 75% while doubling the pitch distance and increasing the passivation fraction. Reducing the number of backside contacts required can have a noteworthy impact of manufacturing throughput. In addition, the analytical models suggest that device performance can be maintained at levels comparable to those achieved for planar contacts when producing three-dimensional contacts. The materials and electrical characterization results, device simulations, and design considerations presented in this thesis indicate that by forming three-dimensional LFCs, performance levels of Si-based photovoltaic devices can be maintained while greatly enhancing manufacturing efficiency. The research lays a solid foundation for future development of the LFC process with microsecond pulse durations and indicates that device fabrication employing this method is a critical step moving forward.

Local finite element enrichment strategies for 2D contact computations and a corresponding post-processing scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauer, Roger A.

2013-08-01

Recently an enriched contact finite element formulation has been developed that substantially increases the accuracy of contact computations while keeping the additional numerical effort at a minimum reported by Sauer (Int J Numer Meth Eng, 87: 593-616, 2011). Two enrich-ment strategies were proposed, one based on local p-refinement using Lagrange interpolation and one based on Hermite interpolation that produces C 1-smoothness on the contact surface. Both classes, which were initially considered for the frictionless Signorini problem, are extended here to friction and contact between deformable bodies. For this, a symmetric contact formulation is used that allows the unbiased treatment of both contact partners. This paper also proposes a post-processing scheme for contact quantities like the contact pressure. The scheme, which provides a more accurate representation than the raw data, is based on an averaging procedure that is inspired by mortar formulations. The properties of the enrichment strategies and the corresponding post-processing scheme are illustrated by several numerical examples considering sliding and peeling contact in the presence of large deformations.

150-nm DR contact holes die-to-database inspection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo, Shen C.; Wu, Clare; Eran, Yair; Staud, Wolfgang; Hemar, Shirley; Lindman, Ofer

2000-07-01

Using a failure analysis-driven yield enhancements concept, based on an optimization of the mask manufacturing process and UV reticle inspection is studied and shown to improve the contact layer quality. This is achieved by relating various manufacturing processes to very fine tuned contact defect detection. In this way, selecting an optimized manufacturing process with fine-tuned inspection setup is achieved in a controlled manner. This paper presents a study, performed on a specially designed test reticle, which simulates production contact layers of design rule 250nm, 180nm and 150nm. This paper focuses on the use of advanced UV reticle inspection techniques as part of the process optimization cycle. Current inspection equipment uses traditional and insufficient methods of small contact-hole inspection and review.

75 FR 22148 - Request for the Technical Review of 22 Draft Skin Notation Assignments and Skin Notation Profiles

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-27

... notation is used for substances identified as causing or contributing to allergic contact dermatitis (ACD... CONTACT: G. Scott Dotson, NIOSH, Robert A Taft Laboratories, MS-C32, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH... chemical contact with the skin. This strategy involves the assignment of multiple skin notations for...

Suicidal Ideation and Behavior in Youth in the Juvenile Justice System: A Review of the Literature

PubMed Central

Stokes, Marquita L.; McCoy, Kathleen P.; Abram, Karen M.; Byck, Gayle R.

2017-01-01

Suicide is prevalent among youth, especially those involved in the juvenile justice system. Although many studies have examined suicidal ideation and behavior in delinquent youth, prevalence rates vary widely. This paper reviews studies of suicidal ideation and behavior in youth in the juvenile justice system, focusing on the point of contact: incarceration status and stage of judicial processing. Suicidal ideation and behavior are prevalent, and increase with greater involvement in the juvenile justice system. Depression, sexual abuse, and trauma were the most commonly identified predictors of suicidal ideation and behavior. Prevalence rates of suicidal ideation and behavior vary by gender and race/ethnicity, indicating the need for gender-specific and culturally relevant interventions. PMID:26084946

Suicidal Ideation and Behavior in Youth in the Juvenile Justice System: A Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Stokes, Marquita L; McCoy, Kathleen P; Abram, Karen M; Byck, Gayle R; Teplin, Linda A

2015-07-01

Suicide is prevalent among youth, especially those involved in the juvenile justice system. Although many studies have examined suicidal ideation and behavior in delinquent youth, prevalence rates vary widely. This article reviews studies of suicidal ideation and behavior in youth in the juvenile justice system, focusing on the point of contact: incarceration status and stage of judicial processing. Suicidal ideation and behavior are prevalent and increase with greater involvement in the juvenile justice system. Depression, sexual abuse, and trauma were the most commonly identified predictors of suicidal ideation and behavior. Prevalence rates of suicidal ideation and behavior vary by gender and race/ethnicity, indicating the need for gender-specific and culturally relevant interventions. © The Author(s) 2015.

Implicit Multibody Penalty-BasedDistributed Contact.

PubMed

Xu, Hongyi; Zhao, Yili; Barbic, Jernej

2014-09-01

The penalty method is a simple and popular approach to resolving contact in computer graphics and robotics. Penalty-based contact, however, suffers from stability problems due to the highly variable and unpredictable net stiffness, and this is particularly pronounced in simulations with time-varying distributed geometrically complex contact. We employ semi-implicit integration, exact analytical contact gradients, symbolic Gaussian elimination and a SVD solver to simulate stable penalty-based frictional contact with large, time-varying contact areas, involving many rigid objects and articulated rigid objects in complex conforming contact and self-contact. We also derive implicit proportional-derivative control forces for real-time control of articulated structures with loops. We present challenging contact scenarios such as screwing a hexbolt into a hole, bowls stacked in perfectly conforming configurations, and manipulating many objects using actively controlled articulated mechanisms in real time.

Integrin receptor involvement in actin cable formation in an in vitro model of events associated with wound contraction.

PubMed

Stephens, P; Genever, P G; Wood, E J; Raxworthy, M J

1997-01-01

Actin cables have been reported to act in vivo as contractile 'purse strings' capable of closing embryonic wounds through generation of circumferential tension. Furthermore, their involvement in wounds within in vitro model systems suggests that actin cable contraction may be an important mechanism involved in the process of wound closure. The aim of this study therefore, was to investigate the appearance of actin cables in a contracting fibroblast populated collagen lattice, an in vitro model of events associated with wound contraction. Utilising this in vitro model, the time-course of actin cable production was investigated and the involvement of integrin receptors analysed using immunofluorescent labelling techniques. Over a period of hours distinct cellular cable-like structures developed at the edges of collagen lattices coinciding with the onset of contraction. Cellular organisation within the cable was evident as was polymerisation of actin microfilaments into elongated stress fibres forming a continuous cell-cell 'actin cable' around the circumference of the lattice. Immunolocalisation demonstrated that integrin receptor subunits beta 1 and alpha 2 but not alpha 5 were involved in apparent intimate cell-cell contact between juxtaposed fibroblasts within this actin cable. This study demonstrates the involvement of integrin receptors in actin cable formation within collagen lattice systems undergoing reorganisation. Such integrin involvement may enable participating cells to respond to the tensional status of their surrounding environment and via cell-cell communication, to permit a co-ordinated contraction of the cable. It is concluded that integrin receptor involvement in active actin cable contraction may be involved in the process of wound contraction.

Innate immunity and effector and regulatory mechanisms involved in allergic contact dermatitis*

PubMed Central

Silvestre, Marilene Chaves; Sato, Maria Notomi; dos Reis, Vitor Manoel Silva

2018-01-01

Skin's innate immunity is the initial activator of immune response mechanisms, influencing the development of adaptive immunity. Some contact allergens are detected by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and inflammasome NLR3. Keratinocytes participate in innate immunity and, in addition to functioning as an anatomical barrier, secrete cytokines, such as TNF, IL-1β, and IL-18, contributing to the development of Allergic Contact Dermatitis. Dendritic cells recognize and process antigenic peptides into T cells. Neutrophils cause pro-inflammatory reactions, mast cells induce migration/maturation of skin DCs, the natural killer cells have natural cytotoxic capacity, the γδ T cells favor contact with hapten during the sensitization phase, and the innate lymphoid cells act in the early stages by secreting cytokines, as well as act in inflammation and tissue homeostasis. The antigen-specific inflammation is mediated by T cells, and each subtype of T cells (Th1/Tc1, Th2/Tc2, and Th17/Tc17) activates resident skin cells, thus contributing to inflammation. Skin's regulatory T cells have a strong ability to inhibit the proliferation of hapten-specific T cells, acting at the end of the Allergic Contact Dermatitis response and in the control of systemic immune responses. In this review, we report how cutaneous innate immunity is the first line of defense and focus its role in the activation of the adaptive immune response, with effector response induction and its regulation. PMID:29723367

A Novel DNA Binding Mechanism for maf Basic Region-Leucine Zipper Factors Inferred from a MafA-DNA Complex Structure and Binding Specificities

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

Lu, Xun; Guanga, Gerald P; Wan, Cheng

2012-11-13

MafA is a proto-oncoprotein and is critical for insulin gene expression in pancreatic β-cells. Maf proteins belong to the AP1 superfamily of basic region-leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors. Residues in the basic helix and an ancillary N-terminal domain, the Extended Homology Region (EHR), endow maf proteins with unique DNA binding properties: binding a 13 bp consensus site consisting of a core AP1 site (TGACTCA) flanked by TGC sequences and binding DNA stably as monomers. To further characterize maf DNA binding, we determined the structure of a MafA–DNA complex. MafA forms base-specific hydrogen bonds with the flanking G –5C –4 andmore » central C 0/G 0 bases, but not with the core-TGA bases. However, in vitro binding studies utilizing a pulse–chase electrophoretic mobility shift assay protocol revealed that mutating either the core-TGA or flanking-TGC bases dramatically increases the binding off rate. Comparing the known maf structures, we propose that DNA binding specificity results from positioning the basic helix through unique phosphate contacts. The EHR does not contact DNA directly but stabilizes DNA binding by contacting the basic helix. Collectively, these results suggest a novel multistep DNA binding process involving a conformational change from contacting the core-TGA to contacting the flanking-TGC bases.« less

Optical contacting of quartz

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Payne, L. L.

1982-01-01

The strength of the bond between optically contacted quartz surfaces was investigated. The Gravity Probe-B (GP-B) experiment to test the theories of general relativity requires extremely precise measurements. The quartz components of the instruments to make these measurements must be held together in a very stable unit. Optical contacting is suggested as a possible method of joining these components. The fundamental forces involved in optical contacting are reviewed and relates calculations of these forces to the results obtained in experiments.

A methodology for analysing lateral coupled behavior of high speed railway vehicles and structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antolín, P.; Goicolea, J. M.; Astiz, M. A.; Alonso, A.

2010-06-01

Continuous increment of the speed of high speed trains entails the increment of kinetic energy of the trains. The main goal of this article is to study the coupled lateral behavior of vehicle-structure systems for high speed trains. Non linear finite element methods are used for structures whereas multibody dynamics methods are employed for vehicles. Special attention must be paid when dealing with contact rolling constraints for coupling bridge decks and train wheels. The dynamic models must include mixed variables (displacements and creepages). Additionally special attention must be paid to the contact algorithms adequate to wheel-rail contact. The coupled vehicle-structure system is studied in a implicit dynamic framework. Due to the presence of very different systems (trains and bridges), different frequencies are involved in the problem leading to stiff systems. Regarding to contact methods, a main branch is studied in normal contact between train wheels and bridge decks: penalty method. According to tangential contact FastSim algorithm solves the tangential contact at each time step solving a differential equation involving relative displacements and creepage variables. Integration for computing the total forces in the contact ellipse domain is performed for each train wheel and each solver iteration. Coupling between trains and bridges requires a special treatment according to the kinetic constraints imposed in the wheel-rail pair and the load transmission. A numerical example is performed.

Food drying process by power ultrasound.

PubMed

de la Fuente-Blanco, S; Riera-Franco de Sarabia, E; Acosta-Aparicio, V M; Blanco-Blanco, A; Gallego-Juárez, J A

2006-12-22

Drying processes, which have a great significance in the food industry, are frequently based on the use of thermal energy. Nevertheless, such methods may produce structural changes in the products. Consequently, a great emphasis is presently given to novel treatments where the quality will be preserved. Such is the case of the application of high-power ultrasound which represents an emergent and promising technology. During the last few years, we have been involved in the development of an ultrasonic dehydration process, based on the application of the ultrasonic vibration in direct contact with the product. Such a process has been the object of a detailed study at laboratory stage on the influence of the different parameters involved. This paper deals with the development and testing of a prototype system for the application and evaluation of the process at a pre-industrial stage. Such prototype is based on a high-power rectangular plate transducer, working at a frequency of 20 kHz, with a power capacity of about 100 W. In order to study mechanical and thermal effects, the system is provided with a series of sensors which permit monitoring the parameters of the process. Specific software has also been developed to facilitate data collection and analysis. The system has been tested with vegetable samples.

Friction of atomically stepped surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dikken, R. J.; Thijsse, B. J.; Nicola, L.

2017-03-01

The friction behavior of atomically stepped metal surfaces under contact loading is studied using molecular dynamics simulations. While real rough metal surfaces involve roughness at multiple length scales, the focus of this paper is on understanding friction of the smallest scale of roughness: atomic steps. To this end, periodic stepped Al surfaces with different step geometry are brought into contact and sheared at room temperature. Contact stress that continuously tries to build up during loading, is released with fluctuating stress drops during sliding, according to the typical stick-slip behavior. Stress release occurs not only through local slip, but also by means of step motion. The steps move along the contact, concurrently resulting in normal migration of the contact. The direction of migration depends on the sign of the step, i.e., its orientation with respect to the shearing direction. If the steps are of equal sign, there is a net migration of the entire contact accompanied by significant vacancy generation at room temperature. The stick-slip behavior of the stepped contacts is found to have all the characteristic of a self-organized critical state, with statistics dictated by step density. For the studied step geometries, frictional sliding is found to involve significant atomic rearrangement through which the contact roughness is drastically changed. This leads for certain step configurations to a marked transition from jerky sliding motion to smooth sliding, making the final friction stress approximately similar to that of a flat contact.

Contact formation during fibroblast locomotion: involvement of membrane ruffles and microtubules

PubMed Central

1988-01-01

We have correlated the motility of the leading edge of fibroblasts, monitored by phase-contrast cinematography, with the relative distributions of several cytoskeletal elements (vinculin, tubulin, and actin) as well as with the contact patterns determined by interference reflection microscopy. This analysis has revealed the involvement of both ruffles and microspikes, as well as microtubules in the initiation of focal contact formation. Nascent vinculin sites within the leading edge or at its base, taken as primordial cell-substrate contacts, were invariably colocalized with sites that showed a history of transient, prolonged, or cyclic ruffling activity. Extended microspike structures, often preceded the formation of ruffles. Immunofluorescent labeling indicated that some of these primordial contacts were in close apposition to the ends of microtubules that penetrated into the leading edge. By fluorescence and electron microscopy short bundles of actin filaments found at the base of the leading edge were identified as presumptive, primordial contacts. It is concluded that ruffles and microspikes, either independently or in combination, initiate and mark the sites for future contact. Plaque proteins then accumulate (within 10-30 s) at the contract site and, beneath ruffles, induce localized bundling of actin filaments. We propose that all primordial contacts support traction for leading edge protrusion but that only some persist long enough to nucleate stress fiber assembly. Microtubules are postulated as the elements that select, stabilize, and potentiate the formation of these latter, long-lived contacts. PMID:3126193

U.K. standards of care for occupational contact dermatitis and occupational contact urticaria.

PubMed

Adisesh, A; Robinson, E; Nicholson, P J; Sen, D; Wilkinson, M

2013-06-01

The diagnosis of occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) and occupational contact urticaria (OCU) is a process that involves fastidious clinical and occupational history taking, clinical examination, patch testing and skin-prick testing. A temporal relationship of work and/or the presence of a rash on the hands only raises suspicion of an occupational cause, and does not necessarily confirm an occupational causation. The identification of allergy by patch or prick tests is a major objective, as exclusion of an offending allergen from the environment can contribute to clinical recovery in the individual worker and avoidance of new cases of disease. This can be a complex process where allergens and irritants, and therefore allergic and irritant contact dermatitis, may coexist. This article provides guidance to healthcare professionals dealing with workers exposed to agents that potentially cause OCD and OCU. Specifically it aims to summarize the 2010 British Occupational Health Research Foundation (BOHRF) systematic review, and also to help practitioners translate the BOHRF guideline into clinical practice. As such, it aims to be of value to physicians and nurses based in primary and secondary care, as well as occupational health and public health clinicians. It is hoped that it will also be of value to employers, interested workers and those with responsibility for workplace standards, such as health and safety representatives. Note that it is not intended, nor should it be taken to imply, that these standards of care override existing statutory and legal obligations. Duties under the U.K. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, the Equality Act 2010 and other relevant legislation and guidance must be given due consideration, as should laws relevant to other countries. © 2013 Crown Copyright BJD © 2013 British Association of Dermatologists This article is published with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

Stabilization of posture by precision touch of the index finger with rigid and flexible filaments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lackner, J. R.; Rabin, E.; DiZio, P.

2001-01-01

Light touch of the index finger with a stationary surface at non-mechanically supportive force levels (<100 g) greatly attenuates the body sway of standing subjects. In three experiments, we evaluated the properties of finger contact and of the contacted object necessary to produce postural stabilization in subjects standing heel-to-toe with eyes closed, as well as how accurately hand position can be controlled. Experiment 1 involved finger contact with flexible filaments of different bending strengths, a flat surface, and an imagined spatial position. Contact with the flat surface was most effective in attenuating sway; the flexible filaments were much less effective but still significantly better than imagined contact. Experiment 2 compared the effectiveness of finger contact with a flexible filament, a rigid filament of the same diameter, a flat surface, and an imagined spatial position. The rigid filament and flat surface conditions were equally effective in attenuating body sway and were greatly superior to contact with the flexible filament, which was superior to imagined contact. Experiment 3 included five conditions: arms by sides; finger "contact" with an imagined spatial position; finger contact with a flat surface; finger contact with a flexible filament attempting to maintain it bent; and contact with the flexible filament attempting not to bend it. The arms by sides and finger "contact" with an imagined position conditions did not differ significantly; all three conditions involving actual finger contact showed significantly less center of pressure and hand sway, but contact with the flat surface was most effective in attenuating both postural and hand displacement. In all three experiments, the level of force applied in fingertip contact conditions was far below that necessary to provide mechanical stabilization. Our findings indicate that: (1) stimulation of a small number of receptors in the fingertip is adequate to allow stabilization of sway, (2) fingertip force levels as low as 5-10 g provide some stabilization, (3) contact with a stationary spatial referent is most effective, and (4) independent control of arm and torso occurs when finger contact is allowed.

Intercultural Communication as Viewed from the Perspective of Cross-cultural Psychology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niikura, Ryoko

The encounter with foreign nationals in everyday life calls for not only understanding of the other on the level of recognition but also the ability to cope with the whole spectrum of emotional reactions associated with direct experience of other cultures. Viewing the subject from the perspective of cross-cultural psychology, this paper outlines the course of human information processing that restricts cross-cultural personal acceptance and the psychological process involved in contact with other cultures. Building on this basis, it then discusses the significance of understanding other cultures and examines requirements for communication with people who have different cultural backgrounds. A particular focus is the approach to communication with international students in Japanese universities.

Unveiling the mechanisms of dressed-photon-phonon etching based on hierarchical surface roughness measure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naruse, Makoto; Yatsui, Takashi; Nomura, Wataru; Kawazoe, Tadashi; Aida, Masaki; Ohtsu, Motoichi

2013-02-01

Dressed-photon-phonon (DPP) etching is a disruptive technology in planarizing material surfaces because it completely eliminates mechanical contact processes. However, adequate metrics for evaluating the surface roughness and the underlying physical mechanisms are still not well understood. Here, we propose a two-dimensional hierarchical surface roughness measure, inspired by the Allan variance, that represents the effectiveness of DPP etching while conserving the original two-dimensional surface topology. Also, we build a simple physical model of DPP etching that agrees well with the experimental observations, which clearly shows the involvement of the intrinsic hierarchical properties of dressed photons, or optical near-fields, in the surface processing.

Conversion coatings prepared or treated with calcium hydroxide solutions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maxey, Jason (Inventor); Nelson, Carl (Inventor); Eylem, Cahit (Inventor); Minevski, Zoran (Inventor); Clarke, Eric (Inventor)

2002-01-01

A conversion coating process that forms a stable and corrosion-resistant oxide layer on metal or metal oxide substrates or layers. Particularly, the conversion coating process involves contacting the metal or metal oxide substrate or layer with the aqueous calcium hydroxide solutions in order to convert the surface of the substrate to a stable metal oxide layer or coating. According to the present invention, the calcium hydroxide solution is prepared by removing carbon dioxide from water or an aqueous solution before introducing the calcium hydroxide. In this manner, formation of calcium carbonate particles is avoided and the porosity of the conversion coating produced by the calcium hydroxide solution is reduced to below about 1%.

Vision-aided Monitoring and Control of Thermal Spray, Spray Forming, and Welding Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agapakis, John E.; Bolstad, Jon

1993-01-01

Vision is one of the most powerful forms of non-contact sensing for monitoring and control of manufacturing processes. However, processes involving an arc plasma or flame such as welding or thermal spraying pose particularly challenging problems to conventional vision sensing and processing techniques. The arc or plasma is not typically limited to a single spectral region and thus cannot be easily filtered out optically. This paper presents an innovative vision sensing system that uses intense stroboscopic illumination to overpower the arc light and produce a video image that is free of arc light or glare and dedicated image processing and analysis schemes that can enhance the video images or extract features of interest and produce quantitative process measures which can be used for process monitoring and control. Results of two SBIR programs sponsored by NASA and DOE and focusing on the application of this innovative vision sensing and processing technology to thermal spraying and welding process monitoring and control are discussed.

High performance MoS2 TFT using graphene contact first process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang Chien, Chih-Shiang; Chang, Hsun-Ming; Lee, Wei-Ta; Tang, Ming-Ru; Wu, Chao-Hsin; Lee, Si-Chen

2017-08-01

An ohmic contact of graphene/MoS2 heterostructure is determined by using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). Since graphene shows a great potential to replace metal contact, a direct comparison of Cr/Au contact and graphene contact on the MoS2 thin film transistor (TFT) is made. Different from metal contacts, the work function of graphene can be modulated. As a result, the subthreshold swing can be improved. And when Vg

Analysis of the temperature of the hot tool in the cut of woven fabric using infrared images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borelli, Joao E.; Verderio, Leonardo A.; Gonzaga, Adilson; Ruffino, Rosalvo T.

2001-03-01

Textile manufacture occupies a prominence place in the national economy. By virtue of its importance researches have been made on the development of new materials, equipment and methods used in the production process. The cutting of textiles starts in the basic stage, to be followed within the process of the making of clothes and other articles. In the hot cutting of fabric, one of the variables of great importance in the control of the process is the contact temperature between the tool and the fabric. The work presents a technique for the measurement of the temperature based on the processing of infrared images. For this a system was developed composed of an infrared camera, a framegrabber PC board and software that analyzes the punctual temperature in the cut area enabling the operator to achieve the necessary control of the other variables involved in the process.

Carbon Nanotube Bonding Strength Enhancement Using Metal "Wicking" Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lamb, James L.; Dickie, Matthew R.; Kowalczyk, Robert S.; Liao, Anna; Bronikowski, Michael J.

2012-01-01

Carbon nanotubes grown from a surface typically have poor bonding strength at the interface. A process has been developed for adding a metal coat to the surface of carbon nano tubes (CNTs) through a wicking process, which could lead to an enhanced bonding strength at the interface. This process involves merging CNTs with indium as a bump-bonding enhancement. Classical capillary theory would not normally allow materials that do not wet carbon or graphite to be drawn into the spacings by capillary action because the contact angle is greater than 90 degrees. However, capillary action can be induced through JPL's ability to fabricate oriented CNT bundles to desired spacings, and through the use of deposition techniques and temperature to control the size and mobility of the liquid metal streams and associated reservoirs. A reflow and plasma cleaning process has also been developed and demonstrated to remove indium oxide, and to obtain smooth coatings on the CNT bundles.

Pediatric cervical spondylolysis and American football.

PubMed

Alton, Timothy B; Patel, Amit M; Lee, Michael J; Chapman, Jens R

2014-06-01

Cervical spondylolysis (CS) is a rare condition and is even more uncommon in pediatric patients. It is characterized by a disruption of the articular mass at the junction of the superior and inferior facet joints and often is diagnosed incidentally. The C6 level is most commonly involved, and the cause of CS remains unknown. There are no recommendations in the literature regarding activity modification in patients with CS and no discussion as to risks of participation in American football or other contact sports. To report a case of C6 bilateral cervical spondylolysis with bicuspid spinous process and to discuss radiographic/clinical findings and issues related to participation in contact sports and minimizing the risk of spinal cord injury. Case report with 6 months clinical/radiographic follow-up Radiographic description, clinical findings, and current review of the literature. A pediatric patient presented with a bilateral C6 cervical spondylolysis and bicuspid spinous process after an American football-related minor cervical spine trauma. Findings on radiographs indicated that the spondylolysis appeared to be chronic in nature, without evidence of instability. The patient and his family were educated on ways to decrease the risk of spinal cord injury with contact sports, after which the patient was allowed to participate fully in sports without restrictions or adverse events. Pediatric cervical spondylolysis is a rare condition, the cause of which remains debated. Although there is theoretical risk, more than 1.5 million youth participate in American football annually, and there have been no reported cases of significant spinal cord injury in patients with CS from football or other contact sports. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The interaction of gold with gallium arsenide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weizer, Victor G.; Fatemi, Navid S.

1988-01-01

Gold and gold-based alloys, commonly used as solar-cell contact materials, are known to react readily with gallium arsenide. Experiments designed to identify the mechanisms involved in these GaAs-metal interactions have yielded several interesting results. It is shown that the reaction of GaAs with gold takes place via a dissociative diffusion process. It is shown further that the GaAs-metal reaction rate is controlled to a very great extent by the condition of the free surface of the contact metal, an interesting example of which is the previously unexplained increase in the reaction rate that has been observed for samples annealed in a vacuum environment as compared to those annealed in a gaseous ambient. A number of other hard-to-explain observations, such as the low-temperature formation of voids in the gold lattice and crystallite growth on the gold surface, are also explained by invoking this mechanism.

Inter-Cellular Forces Orchestrate Contact Inhibition of Locomotion

PubMed Central

Davis, John R.; Luchici, Andrei; Mosis, Fuad; Thackery, James; Salazar, Jesus A.; Mao, Yanlan; Dunn, Graham A.; Betz, Timo; Miodownik, Mark; Stramer, Brian M.

2015-01-01

Summary Contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL) is a multifaceted process that causes many cell types to repel each other upon collision. During development, this seemingly uncoordinated reaction is a critical driver of cellular dispersion within embryonic tissues. Here, we show that Drosophila hemocytes require a precisely orchestrated CIL response for their developmental dispersal. Hemocyte collision and subsequent repulsion involves a stereotyped sequence of kinematic stages that are modulated by global changes in cytoskeletal dynamics. Tracking actin retrograde flow within hemocytes in vivo reveals synchronous reorganization of colliding actin networks through engagement of an inter-cellular adhesion. This inter-cellular actin-clutch leads to a subsequent build-up in lamellar tension, triggering the development of a transient stress fiber, which orchestrates cellular repulsion. Our findings reveal that the physical coupling of the flowing actin networks during CIL acts as a mechanotransducer, allowing cells to haptically sense each other and coordinate their behaviors. PMID:25799385

Sensory empathy and enactment.

PubMed

Zanocco, Giorgio; De Marchi, Alessandra; Pozzi, Francesco

2006-02-01

The authors propose the concept of sensory empathy which emerges through contact between analyst and patient as they get in touch with an area concerning the primary bond. This area is not so much based on thoughts and fantasies as it is on physical sensations. Sensory empathy has to do with that instrument described by Freud as pertaining to the unconscious of any human, which enables one person to interpret unconscious communications of another person. The authors link this concept to that of enactment precisely because the latter concerns unconscious, early elements that fi nd in the act a fi rst meaningful expression. It involves both analyst and patient. In other words, the authors wish to emphasize the importance of the analytical process maintaining contact with that immense field of human interaction that can be defined as primary sensory area and which becomes intertwined with the evolution of affects. Clinical examples are provided to clarify these hypotheses.

Dispersed bubble reactor for enhanced gas-liquid-solids contact and mass transfer

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

Vimalchand, Pannalal; Liu, Guohai; Peng, WanWang

An apparatus to promote gas-liquid contact and facilitate enhanced mass transfer. The dispersed bubble reactor (DBR) operates in the dispersed bubble flow regime to selectively absorb gas phase constituents into the liquid phase. The dispersion is achieved by shearing the large inlet gas bubbles into fine bubbles with circulating liquid and additional pumped liquid solvent when necessary. The DBR is capable of handling precipitates that may form during absorption or fine catalysts that may be necessary to promote liquid phase reactions. The DBR can be configured with multistage counter current flow sections by inserting concentric cylindrical sections into the risermore » to facilitate annular flow. While the DBR can absorb CO.sub.2 in liquid solvents that may lead to precipitates at high loadings, it is equally capable of handling many different types of chemical processes involving solids (precipitates/catalysts) along with gas and liquid phases.« less

Permafrost and Subsurface Ice in the Solar System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, D. M.

1985-01-01

The properties and behavior of planetary permafrost are discussed with reference to the ability of such surfaces to sustain loads characteristics of spacecraft landing and planetary bases. In most occurrences, water ice is in close proximity to, or in contact with, finely divided silicate mineral matter. When ice contacts silicate mineral surfaces, a liquid-like, transition zone is created. Its thickness ranges from several hundred Angstron units at temperatures near 0 degrees C to about three Angstrom units at -150 degrees C. When soluble substances are present, the resulting brine enlarges the interfacial zone. When clays are involved, although the interfacial zone may be small, its extent is large. The unfrozen, interfacial water may amount to 100% or more weight at a temperature of -5 degrees C. The presence of this interfacial unfrozen water acts to confer plasticity to permafrost, enabling it to exhibit creep at all imposed levels of stress. Nucleation processes and load-bearing capacity are examined.

40 CFR 63.1329 - Process contact cooling towers provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... viscosity multiple end finisher process that utilizes a process contact cooling tower shall comply with... high viscosity multiple end finisher process and who is subject or becomes subject to 40 CFR part 60...

40 CFR 63.1329 - Process contact cooling towers provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... viscosity multiple end finisher process that utilizes a process contact cooling tower shall comply with... high viscosity multiple end finisher process, and who is subject or becomes subject to 40 CFR part 60...

46 CFR 148.11 - Hazardous or potentially dangerous characteristics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Contact with water may cause evolution of flammable gases, which may form explosive mixtures with air. 3 Contact with water may cause evolution of toxic gases. 4 If involved in a fire, will greatly intensify the...

46 CFR 148.11 - Hazardous or potentially dangerous characteristics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Contact with water may cause evolution of flammable gases, which may form explosive mixtures with air. 3 Contact with water may cause evolution of toxic gases. 4 If involved in a fire, will greatly intensify the...

46 CFR 148.11 - Hazardous or potentially dangerous characteristics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Contact with water may cause evolution of flammable gases, which may form explosive mixtures with air. 3 Contact with water may cause evolution of toxic gases. 4 If involved in a fire, will greatly intensify the...

46 CFR 148.11 - Hazardous or potentially dangerous characteristics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Contact with water may cause evolution of flammable gases, which may form explosive mixtures with air. 3 Contact with water may cause evolution of toxic gases. 4 If involved in a fire, will greatly intensify the...

40 CFR 1054.625 - What requirements apply under the Transition Program for Equipment Manufacturers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... number to contact for further information, or a Web site that includes this contact information. (5) The... configuration. Use good engineering judgment for these measurements, which may involve sampling exhaust upstream...

Arguments for zero tolerance of sexual contact between doctors and patients.

PubMed Central

Cullen, R M

1999-01-01

Some doctors do enter into sexual relationships with patients. These relationships can be damaging to the patient involved. One response available to both individual doctors and to disciplinary bodies is to prohibit sexual contact between doctors and patients ("zero tolerance"). This paper considers five ways of arguing for a zero tolerance policy. The first rests on an empirical claim that such contact is almost always harmful to the patient involved. The second is based on a "principles" approach while the third originates in "virtues" ethics. The fourth argues that zero tolerance is an "a priori" truth. These four attempt to establish that the behaviour is always wrong and ought, therefore, to be prohibited. The fifth argument is counterfactual. It claims a policy that allowed sexual contact would have unacceptable consequences. Given the responsibility of regulatory bodies to protect the public, zero tolerance is a natural policy to develop. PMID:10635503

Structure and kinematics of a major tectonic contact, Michipicoten greenstone belt, Ontario

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcgill, George E.

1992-01-01

The Michipicoten greenstone belt, Ontario, experienced a complex history of folding, faulting, and fabric development. Near Wawa, a major east-west contact, here named the Steep Hill Falls (SHF) contact, extends entirely across the belt. The SHF contact is both an angular unconformity and a fault and is interpreted to be a regionally significant tectonic contact separating distinct northern and southern terranes, both of which include volcanic rocks of probable island-arc origin. The amount of horizontal transport involved in bringing the two terranes together along the SHF contact is not known. Mapping and structural analysis suggest that regionally significant horizontal displacements took place, with movement vectors that changed with time. Early faults, folds, and fabrics imply north-south to northeast-southwest (with respect to present directions) convergence, with a vergence reversal occurring during this complex event. The most likely models infer early south vergence and later north vergence. Transecting the earliest structures are younger (but still Archean) northeast-striking steep cleavages with associated upright folds that may relate to northwest-southeast assembly of the Superior Province craton. The craton assembly event thus involved a transport direction at a high angle to that inferred for the earlier assembly of the Michipicoten greenstone belt.

Process and structures for fabrication of solar cells with laser ablation steps to form contact holes

DOEpatents

Harley, Gabriel; Smith, David D; Dennis, Tim; Waldhauer, Ann; Kim, Taeseok; Cousins, Peter John

2013-11-19

Contact holes of solar cells are formed by laser ablation to accomodate various solar cell designs. Use of a laser to form the contact holes is facilitated by replacing films formed on the diffusion regions with a film that has substantially uniform thickness. Contact holes may be formed to deep diffusion regions to increase the laser ablation process margins. The laser configuration may be tailored to form contact holes through dielectric films of varying thickness.

Preferences for family involvement in care among consumers with serious mental illness.

PubMed

Cohen, Amy N; Drapalski, Amy L; Glynn, Shirley M; Medoff, Deborah; Fang, Li Juan; Dixon, Lisa B

2013-03-01

Despite robust evidence of efficacy, family services for individuals diagnosed as having serious mental illness are of limited availability and drastically underutilized. This underutilization may be due to a mismatch between consumer and family preferences and the services offered. This study is the first systematic report on preferences expressed by consumers with serious mental illness for family involvement. The study enrolled 232 mental health consumers with serious mental illness who had contact with family but did not have any family regularly involved in their mental health care. Consumers were recruited from outpatient mental health clinics at three large medical centers in two Veterans Integrated Service Networks. Interviews elicited demographic characteristics, treatment preferences regarding family involvement, and perceived benefits and barriers to involvement. Chart diagnoses and measures of symptom severity, family functioning, and contact were collected. Seventy-eight percent (171 of 219) of the consumers wanted family members to be involved in their care, and many desired involvement through several methods. Consumers were concerned with the impact of involvement on both themselves and their family member. The consumer's degree of perceived benefit of family involvement significantly predicted the degree of desire for family involvement after analyses controlled for service need (family conflict, family-related quality of life, and symptom severity), enabling factors (family contact and family capacity), demographic variables (age, gender, race, living with family, and marital status), and barriers perceived by the consumer. The extent of overall support for family involvement in care coupled with the heterogeneity of preferred modes and concerns and anticipated benefits underscore the imperative to offer diverse family services and to elicit consumers' preferences regarding whether and how to involve their families.

Assessing the role of contact tracing in a suspected H7N2 influenza A outbreak in humans in Wales

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The detailed analysis of an outbreak database has been undertaken to examine the role of contact tracing in controlling an outbreak of possible avian influenza in humans. The outbreak, initiating from the purchase of infected domestic poultry, occurred in North Wales during May and June 2007. During this outbreak, extensive contact tracing was carried out. Following contact tracing, cases and contacts believed to be at risk of infection were given treatment/prophylaxis. Methods We analyse the database of cases and their contacts identified for the purposes of contact tracing in relation to both the contact tracing burden and effectiveness. We investigate the distribution of numbers of contacts identified, and use network structure to explore the speed with which treatment/prophylaxis was made available and to estimate the risk of transmission in different settings. Results Fourteen cases of suspected H7N2 influenza A in humans were associated with a confirmed outbreak among poultry in May-June 2007. The contact tracing dataset consisted of 254 individuals (cases and contacts, of both poultry and humans) who were linked through a network of social contacts. Of these, 102 individuals were given treatment or prophylaxis. Considerable differences between individuals' contact patterns were observed. Home and workplace encounters were more likely to result in transmission than encounters in other settings. After an initial delay, while the outbreak proceeded undetected, contact tracing rapidly caught up with the cases and was effective in reducing the time between onset of symptoms and treatment/prophylaxis. Conclusions Contact tracing was used to link together the individuals involved in this outbreak in a social network, allowing the identification of the most likely paths of transmission and the risks of different types of interactions to be assessed. The outbreak highlights the substantial time and cost involved in contact tracing, even for an outbreak affecting few individuals. However, when sufficient resources are available, contact tracing enables cases to be identified before they result in further transmission and thus possibly assists in preventing an outbreak of a novel virus. PMID:20509927

Assessing the role of contact tracing in a suspected H7N2 influenza A outbreak in humans in Wales.

PubMed

Eames, Ken T D; Webb, Cerian; Thomas, Kathrin; Smith, Josie; Salmon, Roland; Temple, J Mark F

2010-05-28

The detailed analysis of an outbreak database has been undertaken to examine the role of contact tracing in controlling an outbreak of possible avian influenza in humans. The outbreak, initiating from the purchase of infected domestic poultry, occurred in North Wales during May and June 2007. During this outbreak, extensive contact tracing was carried out. Following contact tracing, cases and contacts believed to be at risk of infection were given treatment/prophylaxis. We analyse the database of cases and their contacts identified for the purposes of contact tracing in relation to both the contact tracing burden and effectiveness. We investigate the distribution of numbers of contacts identified, and use network structure to explore the speed with which treatment/prophylaxis was made available and to estimate the risk of transmission in different settings. Fourteen cases of suspected H7N2 influenza A in humans were associated with a confirmed outbreak among poultry in May-June 2007. The contact tracing dataset consisted of 254 individuals (cases and contacts, of both poultry and humans) who were linked through a network of social contacts. Of these, 102 individuals were given treatment or prophylaxis. Considerable differences between individuals' contact patterns were observed. Home and workplace encounters were more likely to result in transmission than encounters in other settings. After an initial delay, while the outbreak proceeded undetected, contact tracing rapidly caught up with the cases and was effective in reducing the time between onset of symptoms and treatment/prophylaxis. Contact tracing was used to link together the individuals involved in this outbreak in a social network, allowing the identification of the most likely paths of transmission and the risks of different types of interactions to be assessed. The outbreak highlights the substantial time and cost involved in contact tracing, even for an outbreak affecting few individuals. However, when sufficient resources are available, contact tracing enables cases to be identified before they result in further transmission and thus possibly assists in preventing an outbreak of a novel virus.

Characteristics of joining and hybrid composite forging of aluminum solid parts and galvanized steel sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wesling, V.; Treutler, K.; Bick, T.; Stonis, M.; Langner, J.; Kriwall, M.

2018-06-01

In lightweight construction, light metals like aluminum are used in addition to high-strength steels. However, a welded joint of aluminum and steel leads to the precipitation of brittle, intermetallic phases and contact corrosion. Nevertheless, to use the advantages of this combination in terms of weight saving composite hybrid forging has been developed. In this process, an aluminum solid part and a steel sheet were formed in a single step and joined at the same time with zinc as brazing material. For this purpose, the zinc was applied by hot dipping on the aluminum in order to produce a connection via this layer in a forming process, under pressure and heat. Due to the formed intermediate layer of zinc, the formation of the Fe-Al intermetallic phases and the contact corrosion are excluded. By determining the mathematical relationships between joining parameters and the connection properties the strength of a specific joint geometry could be adjusted to reach the level of conventional joining techniques. In addition to the presentation of the joint properties, the influence of the joining process on the structure of the involved materials is also shown. Furthermore, the failure behavior under static tensile and shear stress will be shown.

Rugged Low-Resistance Contacts To High-Tc Superconductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caton, Randall; Selim, Raouf; Byvik, Charles E.; Buoncristiani, A. Martin

1992-01-01

Newly developed technique involving use of gold makes possible to fabricate low-resistance contacts with rugged connections to high-Tc superconductors. Gold diffused into specimen of superconducting material by melting gold beads onto surface of specimen, making strong mechanical contacts. Shear strength of gold bead contacts greater than epoxy or silver paste. Practical use in high-current-carrying applications of new high-Tc materials, including superconducting magnets, long-wavelength sensors, electrical ground planes at low temperatures, and efficient transmission of power.

Demographics.

PubMed

Gillis, Artha J; Bath, Eraka

2016-01-01

There is a large proportion of minority youth involved in the juvenile justice system. Disproportionate minority contact (DMC) occurs when the proportion of any ethnic group is higher at any given stage in the juvenile justice process than the proportion of this group in the general population. There are several theories explaining the presence and persistence of DMC. This article reviews the history of DMC and the theories and implications of this problem. It discusses several targets for interventions designed to reduce DMC and offer resources in this area. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dynamic survey of mitochondria by ubiquitin

PubMed Central

Escobar-Henriques, Mafalda; Langer, Thomas

2014-01-01

Ubiquitin is a post-translational modifier with proteolytic and non-proteolytic roles in many biological processes. At mitochondria, it performs regulatory homeostatic functions and contributes to mitochondrial quality control. Ubiquitin is essential for mitochondrial fusion, regulates mitochondria-ER contacts, and participates in maternal mtDNA inheritance. Under stress, mitochondrial dysfunction induces ubiquitin-dependent responses that involve mitochondrial proteome remodeling and culminate in organelle removal by mitophagy. In addition, many ubiquitin-dependent mechanisms have been shown to regulate innate immune responses and xenophagy. Here, we review the emerging roles of ubiquitin at mitochondria. PMID:24569520

Hydrodynamic skin-friction reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, Jason C. (Inventor); Bushnell, Dennis M. (Inventor); Weinstein, Leonard M. (Inventor)

1989-01-01

A process for reducing skin friction, inhibiting the effects of liquid turbulence, and decreasing heat transfer in a system involving flow of a liquid along a surface of a body includes applying a substantially integral sheet of a gas, e.g., air, immediately adjacent to the surface of the body; a marine vehicle, which has a longitudinally grooved surface in proximity with the liquid and with a surface material having high contact angle between the liquid and said wall to reduce interaction of the liquid; water, with the surface of the body; and the hull of the marine vehicle.

Generated spiral bevel gears: Optimal machine-tool settings and tooth contact analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litvin, F. L.; Tsung, W. J.; Coy, J. J.; Heine, C.

1985-01-01

Geometry and kinematic errors were studied for Gleason generated spiral bevel gears. A new method was devised for choosing optimal machine settings. These settings provide zero kinematic errors and an improved bearing contact. The kinematic errors are a major source of noise and vibration in spiral bevel gears. The improved bearing contact gives improved conditions for lubrication. A computer program for tooth contact analysis was developed, and thereby the new generation process was confirmed. The new process is governed by the requirement that during the generation process there is directional constancy of the common normal of the contacting surfaces for generator and generated surfaces of pinion and gear.

Drug prescriptions in Danish out-of-hours primary care: a 1-yearpopulation-based study

PubMed Central

Christensen, Morten Bondo; Nørøxe, Karen Busk; Moth, Grete; Vedsted, Peter; Huibers, Linda

2016-01-01

Objective General practitioners are the first point of contact in Danish out-of-hours (OOH) primary care. The large number of contacts implies that prescribing behaviour may have considerable impact on health-care expenditures and quality of care. The aim of this study was to examine the prevailing practices for medication prescription in Danish OOH with a particular focus on patient characteristics and contact type. Design and setting A one-year population-based retrospective observational study was performed of all contacts to OOH primary care in the Central Denmark Region using registry data. Main outcome measures Prescriptions were categorised according to Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification (ATC) codes and stratified for patient age, gender and contact type (telephone consultation, clinic consultation or home visit). Prescription rates were calculated as number of prescriptions per 100 contacts. Results Of 644,777 contacts, 154,668 (24.0%) involved medication prescriptions; 21.9% of telephone consultations, 32.9% of clinic consultations and 14.3% of home visits. Around 53% of all drug prescriptions were made in telephone consultations. Anti-infective medications for systemic use accounted for 45.5% of all prescriptions and were the most frequently prescribed drug group for all contact types, although accounting for less than 1/3 of telephone prescriptions. Other frequently prescribed drugs were ophthalmological anti-infectives (10.5%), NSAIDs (6.4%), opioids (3.9%), adrenergic inhalants (3.0%) and antihistamines (2.3%). Conclusion About 25% of all OOH contacts involved one or more medication prescriptions. The highest prescription rate was found for clinic consultations, but more than half of all prescriptions were made by telephone. KEY POINTSAs the out-of-hours (OOH) primary care services cover more than 75% of all hours during a normal week, insight into the extent and type of OOH drug prescription is important.General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for more than 80% of all drug prescriptions in Denmark.Of all contacts 24.0% involved medication prescriptions; 21.9% of telephone consultations, 32.9% of clinic consultations and 14.3% of home visits.Of all prescriptions, 53% were made in telephone consultations.Anti-infective medications for systemic use accounted for 45.5% of all prescriptions, thereby being the most frequently prescribed drug group for all three contact types. PMID:27804314

Drug prescriptions in Danish out-of-hours primary care: a 1-yearpopulation-based study.

PubMed

Christensen, Morten Bondo; Nørøxe, Karen Busk; Moth, Grete; Vedsted, Peter; Huibers, Linda

2016-12-01

General practitioners are the first point of contact in Danish out-of-hours (OOH) primary care. The large number of contacts implies that prescribing behaviour may have considerable impact on health-care expenditures and quality of care. The aim of this study was to examine the prevailing practices for medication prescription in Danish OOH with a particular focus on patient characteristics and contact type. A one-year population-based retrospective observational study was performed of all contacts to OOH primary care in the Central Denmark Region using registry data. Prescriptions were categorised according to Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification (ATC) codes and stratified for patient age, gender and contact type (telephone consultation, clinic consultation or home visit). Prescription rates were calculated as number of prescriptions per 100 contacts. Of 644,777 contacts, 154,668 (24.0%) involved medication prescriptions; 21.9% of telephone consultations, 32.9% of clinic consultations and 14.3% of home visits. Around 53% of all drug prescriptions were made in telephone consultations. Anti-infective medications for systemic use accounted for 45.5% of all prescriptions and were the most frequently prescribed drug group for all contact types, although accounting for less than 1/3 of telephone prescriptions. Other frequently prescribed drugs were ophthalmological anti-infectives (10.5%), NSAIDs (6.4%), opioids (3.9%), adrenergic inhalants (3.0%) and antihistamines (2.3%). About 25% of all OOH contacts involved one or more medication prescriptions. The highest prescription rate was found for clinic consultations, but more than half of all prescriptions were made by telephone. KEY POINTS As the out-of-hours (OOH) primary care services cover more than 75% of all hours during a normal week, insight into the extent and type of OOH drug prescription is important. General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for more than 80% of all drug prescriptions in Denmark. Of all contacts 24.0% involved medication prescriptions; 21.9% of telephone consultations, 32.9% of clinic consultations and 14.3% of home visits. Of all prescriptions, 53% were made in telephone consultations. Anti-infective medications for systemic use accounted for 45.5% of all prescriptions, thereby being the most frequently prescribed drug group for all three contact types.

Fabrication and icing property of superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces derived from anodizing aluminum foil in a sodium chloride aqueous solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Meirong; Liu, Yuru; Cui, Shumin; Liu, Long; Yang, Min

2013-10-01

An aluminum foil with a rough surface was first prepared by anodic treatment in a neutral aqueous solution with the help of pitting corrosion of chlorides. First, the hydrophobic Al surface (contact angle around 79°) became superhydrophilic (contact angle smaller than 5°) after the anodizing process. Secondly, the superhydrophilic Al surface became superhydrophobic (contact angle larger than 150°) after being modified by oleic acid. Finally, the icing property of superhydrophilic, untreated, and superhydrophobic Al foils were investigated in a refrigerated cabinet at -12 °C. The mean total times to freeze a water droplet (6 μL) on the three foils were 17 s, 158 s and 1604 s, respectively. Thus, the superhydrophilic surface accelerates the icing process, while the superhydrophobic surface delays the process. The main reason for this transition might mainly result from the difference of the contact area of the water droplet with Al substrate: the increase in contact area with Al substrate will accelerate the heat conduct process, as well as the icing process; the decrease in contact area with Al substrate will delay the heat conduct process, as well as the icing process. Compared to the untreated Al foil, the contact area of the water droplet with the Al substrate was higher on superhydrophilic surface and smaller on the superhydrophobic surface, which led to the difference of the heat transfer time as well as the icing time.

Effects of SOV-induced phosphatase inhibition and expression of protein tyrosine phosphatases in rat corneal endothelial cells.

PubMed

Chen, Wei-Li; Harris, Deshea L; Joyce, Nancy C

2005-11-01

Contact inhibition is an important mechanism for maintaining corneal endothelium in a non-replicative state. Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) play a role in regulating the integrity of cell-cell contacts, differentiation, and growth. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether phosphatases are involved in the maintenance of contact-dependent inhibition of proliferation in corneal endothelial cells and to identify candidate PTPs that are expressed in these cells and might be involved in regulation of contact inhibition. Confluent cultures of rat corneal endothelial cells or endothelium in ex vivo corneas were treated with the general phosphatase inhibitor, sodium orthovanadate (SOV). Immunocytochemistry (ICC) evaluated the effect of SOV on cell-cell contacts by staining for ZO-1, and on cell cycle progression by staining for Ki67. Transverse sections of rat cornea and cultured rat corneal endothelial cells were used to test for expression of the candidate PTPs: PTP-mu, PTP-LAR, PTP1B, SHP-1, SHP-2, and PTEN using ICC and either Western blots or RT-PCR. ZO-1 staining demonstrated that SOV induced a time-dependent release of cell-cell contacts in confluent cultures of corneal endothelial cells and in the endothelium of ex vivo corneas. Staining for Ki67 indicated that SOV promoted limited cell cycle progression in the absence of serum. PTP-mu, PTP1B, SHP-1, SHP-2, and PTEN, but not PTP-LAR, were expressed in rat corneal endothelial cells in situ and in culture. The subcellular location of PTP-mu and PTP1B differed in subconfluent and confluent cells, while that of SHP-1, SHP-2, and PTEN was similar, regardless of confluent status. Western blots confirmed the expression of PTP1B, SHP-1, SHP-2, and PTEN. RT-PCR confirmed expression of PTP-mu mRNA. Phosphatases are involved in regulation of junctional integrity and of cell proliferation in corneal endothelial cells. PTP-mu, PTP1B, SHP-1, SHP-2, and PTEN are expressed in rat corneal endothelium and may be involved in regulation of contact inhibition in these normally non-proliferating cells.

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Eye Contact Affects Object Representation in 9-Month-Old Infants.

PubMed

Okumura, Yuko; Kobayashi, Tessei; Itakura, Shoji

2016-01-01

Social cues in interaction with others enable infants to extract useful information from their environment. Although previous research has shown that infants process and retain different information about an object depending on the presence of social cues, the effect of eye contact as an isolated independent variable has not been investigated. The present study investigated how eye contact affects infants' object processing. Nine-month-olds engaged in two types of social interactions with an experimenter. When the experimenter showed an object without eye contact, the infants processed and remembered both the object's location and its identity. In contrast, when the experimenter showed the object while making eye contact with the infant, the infant preferentially processed object's identity but not its location. Such effects might assist infants to selectively attend to useful information. Our findings revealed that 9-month-olds' object representations are modulated in accordance with the context, thus elucidating the function of eye contact for infants' object representation.

Contact and non-contact ultrasonic measurement in the food industry: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taufiq Mohd Khairi, Mohd; Ibrahim, Sallehuddin; Yunus, Mohd Amri Md; Faramarzi, Mahdi

2016-01-01

The monitoring of the food manufacturing process is vital since it determines the safety and quality level of foods which directly affect the consumers’ health. Companies which produce high quality products will gain trust from consumers. This factor helps the companies to make profits. The use of efficient and appropriate sensors for the monitoring process can also reduce cost. The food assessing process based on an ultrasonic sensor has attracted the attention of the food industry due to its excellent capabilities in several applications. The utilization of low or high frequencies for the ultrasonic transducer has provided an enormous benefit for analysing, modifying and guaranteeing the quality of food. The contact and non-contact ultrasonic modes for measurement also contributed significantly to the food processing. This paper presents a review of the application of the contact and non-contact mode of ultrasonic measurement focusing on safety and quality control areas. The results from previous researches are shown and elaborated.

Low light CMOS contact imager with an integrated poly-acrylic emission filter for fluorescence detection.

PubMed

Dattner, Yonathan; Yadid-Pecht, Orly

2010-01-01

This study presents the fabrication of a low cost poly-acrylic acid (PAA) based emission filter integrated with a low light CMOS contact imager for fluorescence detection. The process involves the use of PAA as an adhesive for the emission filter. The poly-acrylic solution was chosen due its optical transparent properties, adhesive properties, miscibility with polar protic solvents and most importantly its bio-compatibility with a biological environment. The emission filter, also known as an absorption filter, involves dissolving an absorbing specimen in a polar protic solvent and mixing it with the PAA to uniformly bond the absorbing specimen and harden the filter. The PAA is optically transparent in solid form and therefore does not contribute to the absorbance of light in the visible spectrum. Many combinations of absorbing specimen and polar protic solvents can be derived, yielding different filter characteristics in different parts of the spectrum. We report a specific combination as a first example of implementation of our technology. The filter reported has excitation in the green spectrum and emission in the red spectrum, utilizing the increased quantum efficiency of the photo sensitive sensor array. The thickness of the filter (20 μm) was chosen by calculating the desired SNR using Beer-Lambert's law for liquids, Quantum Yield of the fluorophore and the Quantum Efficiency of the sensor array. The filters promising characteristics make it suitable for low light fluorescence detection. The filter was integrated with a fully functional low noise, low light CMOS contact imager and experimental results using fluorescence polystyrene micro-spheres are presented.

Large-area triple-junction a-Si alloy production scaleup. Annual subcontract report, 17 March 1993--18 March 1994

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

Oswald, R.; Morris, J.

1994-11-01

The objective of this subcontract over its three-year duration is to advance Solarex`s photovoltaic manufacturing technologies, reduce its a-Si:H module production costs, increase module performance and expand the Solarex commercial production capacity. Solarex shall meet these objectives by improving the deposition and quality of the transparent front contact, by optimizing the laser patterning process, scaling-up the semiconductor deposition process, improving the back contact deposition, scaling-up and improving the encapsulation and testing of its a-Si:H modules. In the Phase 2 portion of this subcontract, Solarex focused on improving deposition of the front contact, investigating alternate feed stocks for the front contact,more » maximizing throughput and area utilization for all laser scribes, optimizing a-Si:H deposition equipment to achieve uniform deposition over large-areas, optimizing the triple-junction module fabrication process, evaluating the materials to deposit the rear contact, and optimizing the combination of isolation scribe and encapsulant to pass the wet high potential test. Progress is reported on the following: Front contact development; Laser scribe process development; Amorphous silicon based semiconductor deposition; Rear contact deposition process; Frit/bus/wire/frame; Materials handling; and Environmental test, yield and performance analysis.« less

Effect of knee flexion angle on ground reaction forces, knee moments and muscle co-contraction during an impact-like deceleration landing: implications for the non-contact mechanism of ACL injury.

PubMed

Podraza, Jeffery T; White, Scott C

2010-08-01

Investigating landing kinetics and neuromuscular control strategies during rapid deceleration movements is a prerequisite to understanding the non-contact mechanism of ACL injury. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effect of knee flexion angle on ground reaction forces, net knee joint moments, muscle co-contraction and lower extremity muscles during an impact-like, deceleration task. Ground reaction forces and knee joint moments were determined from video and force plate records of 10 healthy male subjects performing rapid deceleration single leg landings from a 10.5 cm height with different degrees of knee flexion at landing. Muscle co-contraction was based on muscle moments calculated from an EMG-to-moment processing model. Ground reaction forces and co-contraction indices decreased while knee extensor moments increased significantly with increased degrees of knee flexion at landing (all p<0.005). Higher ground reaction forces when landing in an extended knee position suggests they are a contributing factor in non-contact ACL injuries. Increased knee extensor moments and less co-contraction with flexed knee landings suggest that quadriceps overload may not be the primary cause of non-contact ACL injuries. The results bring into question the counterbalancing role of the hamstrings during dynamic movements. The soleus may be a valuable synergist stabilizing the tibia against anterior translation at landing. Movement strategies that lessen the propagation of reaction forces up the kinetic chain may help prevent non-contact ACL injuries. The relative interaction of all involved thigh and lower leg muscles, not just the quadriceps and hamstrings should be considered when interpreting non-contact ACL injury mechanisms. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Non-contact temperature measurement requirements for electronic materials processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lehoczky, S. L.; Szofran, F. R.

1988-01-01

The requirements for non-contact temperature measurement capabilities for electronic materials processing in space are assessed. Non-contact methods are probably incapable of sufficient accuracy for the actual absolute measurement of temperatures in most such applications but would be useful for imaging in some applications.

40 CFR 463.11 - Specialized definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) PLASTICS MOLDING AND FORMING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Contact Cooling and... one plastics molding and forming process that uses contact cooling and heating water is the sum of the... heating water process and comes in contact with the plastic product over a period of one year. ...

40 CFR 463.11 - Specialized definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) PLASTICS MOLDING AND FORMING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Contact Cooling and... one plastics molding and forming process that uses contact cooling and heating water is the sum of the... heating water process and comes in contact with the plastic product over a period of one year. ...

Multi-step process for concentrating magnetic particles in waste sludges

DOEpatents

Watson, John L.

1990-01-01

This invention involves a multi-step, multi-force process for dewatering sludges which have high concentrations of magnetic particles, such as waste sludges generated during steelmaking. This series of processing steps involves (1) mixing a chemical flocculating agent with the sludge; (2) allowing the particles to aggregate under non-turbulent conditions; (3) subjecting the mixture to a magnetic field which will pull the magnetic aggregates in a selected direction, causing them to form a compacted sludge; (4) preferably, decanting the clarified liquid from the compacted sludge; and (5) using filtration to convert the compacted sludge into a cake having a very high solids content. Steps 2 and 3 should be performed simultaneously. This reduces the treatment time and increases the extent of flocculation and the effectiveness of the process. As partially formed aggregates with active flocculating groups are pulled through the mixture by the magnetic field, they will contact other particles and form larger aggregates. This process can increase the solids concentration of steelmaking sludges in an efficient and economic manner, thereby accomplishing either of two goals: (a) it can convert hazardous wastes into economic resources for recycling as furnace feed material, or (b) it can dramatically reduce the volume of waste material which must be disposed.

Multi-step process for concentrating magnetic particles in waste sludges

DOEpatents

Watson, J.L.

1990-07-10

This invention involves a multi-step, multi-force process for dewatering sludges which have high concentrations of magnetic particles, such as waste sludges generated during steelmaking. This series of processing steps involves (1) mixing a chemical flocculating agent with the sludge; (2) allowing the particles to aggregate under non-turbulent conditions; (3) subjecting the mixture to a magnetic field which will pull the magnetic aggregates in a selected direction, causing them to form a compacted sludge; (4) preferably, decanting the clarified liquid from the compacted sludge; and (5) using filtration to convert the compacted sludge into a cake having a very high solids content. Steps 2 and 3 should be performed simultaneously. This reduces the treatment time and increases the extent of flocculation and the effectiveness of the process. As partially formed aggregates with active flocculating groups are pulled through the mixture by the magnetic field, they will contact other particles and form larger aggregates. This process can increase the solids concentration of steelmaking sludges in an efficient and economic manner, thereby accomplishing either of two goals: (a) it can convert hazardous wastes into economic resources for recycling as furnace feed material, or (b) it can dramatically reduce the volume of waste material which must be disposed. 7 figs.

Control system for maximum use of adhesive forces of a railway vehicle in a tractive mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spiryagin, Maksym; Lee, Kwan Soo; Yoo, Hong Hee

2008-04-01

The realization of maximum adhesive forces for a railway vehicle is a very difficult process, because it involves using tractive efforts and depends on friction characteristics in the contact zone between wheels and rails. Tractive efforts are realized by means of tractive torques of motors, and their maximum values can provide negative effects such as slip and skid. These situations usually happen when information about friction conditions is lacking. The negative processes have a major influence on wearing of contact bodies and tractive units. Therefore, many existing control systems for vehicles use an effect of a prediction of a friction coefficient between wheels and rails because measuring a friction coefficient at the moment of running vehicle movement is very difficult. One of the ways to solve this task is to use noise spectrum analysis for friction coefficient detection. This noise phenomenon has not been clearly studied and analyzed. In this paper, we propose an adhesion control system of railway vehicles based on an observer, which allows one to determine the maximum tractive torque based on the optimal adhesive force between the wheels (wheel pair) of a railway vehicle and rails (rail track) depending on weight load from a wheel to a rail, friction conditions in the contact zone, a lateral displacement of wheel set and wheel sleep. As a result, it allows a railway vehicle to be driven in a tractive mode by the maximum adhesion force for real friction conditions.

Non-contact temperature measurement requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Higgins, D. B.; Witherow, W. K.

1989-01-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center is involved with levitation experiments for Spacelab, Space Station, and drop tube/tower operations. These experiments have temperature measurement requirements, that of course must be non-contact in nature. The experiment modules involved are the Acoustic Levitator Furnace (ALF), and the Modular Electromagnetic Levitator (MEL). User requirements of the ALF and drop tube are presented. The center also has temperature measurement needs that are not microgravity experiment oriented, but rather are related to the propulsion system for the STS. This requirement will also be discussed.

Will Johnny See Daddy This Week?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Linda S.

1996-01-01

Examines the determinants of postdivorce contact between nonresidential fathers and their children after martial disruption and to evaluate the relative merit of three sociological perspectives on postdivorce contact: social parenting, marital-involvement parenting, and socioeconomic-advantaged parenting. Results suggest that fathers have limited…

A novel method to study contact inhibition of locomotion using micropatterned substrates

PubMed Central

Scarpa, Elena; Roycroft, Alice; Theveneau, Eric; Terriac, Emmanuel; Piel, Matthieu; Mayor, Roberto

2013-01-01

Summary The concept of contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL) describes the ability of a cell to change the direction of its movement after contact with another cell. It has been shown to be responsible for physiological and developmental processes such as wound healing, macrophage dispersion and neural crest cell migration; whereas its loss facilitates cancer cell invasion and metastatic dissemination. Different assays have been developed to analyze CIL in tissue culture models. However, these methods have several caveats. Collisions happen at low frequency between freely migrating cells and the orientation of the cells at the time of contact is not predictable. Moreover, the computational analysis required by these assays is often complicated and it retains a certain degree of discretion. Here, we show that confinement of neural crest cell migration on a single dimension by using a micropatterned substrate allows standardized and predictable cell–cell collision. CIL can thus easily be quantified by direct measurement of simple cellular parameters such as the distance between nuclei after collision. We tested some of the signaling pathways previously identified as involved in CIL, such as small GTPases and non-canonical Wnt signaling, using this new method for CIL analysis. The restricted directionality of migration of cells in lines is a powerful strategy to obtain higher predictability and higher efficiency of the CIL response upon cell–cell collisions. PMID:24143276

Microtubule and Cell Contact Dependency of ER-bound PTP1B Localization in Growth Cones

PubMed Central

Fuentes, Federico

2009-01-01

PTP1B is an ER-bound protein tyrosine phosphatase implied in the regulation of cell adhesion. Here we investigated mechanisms involved in the positioning and dynamics of PTP1B in axonal growth cones and evaluated the role of this enzyme in axons. In growth cones, PTP1B consistently localizes in the central domain, and occasionally at the peripheral region and filopodia. Live imaging of GFP-PTP1B reveals dynamic excursions of fingerlike processes within the peripheral region and filopodia. PTP1B and GFP-PTP1B colocalize with ER markers and coalign with microtubules at the peripheral region and redistribute to the base of the growth cone after treatment with nocodazole, a condition that is reversible. Growth cone contact with cellular targets is accompanied by invasion of PTP1B and stable microtubules in the peripheral region aligned with the contact axis. Functional impairment of PTP1B causes retardation of axon elongation, as well as reduction of growth cone filopodia lifetime and Src activity. Our results highlight the role of microtubules and cell contacts in the positioning of ER-bound PTP1B to the peripheral region of growth cones, which may be required for the positive role of PTP1B in axon elongation, filopodia stabilization, and Src activity. PMID:19158394

Rac-WAVE-mediated actin reorganization is required for organization and maintenance of cell-cell adhesion.

PubMed

Yamazaki, Daisuke; Oikawa, Tsukasa; Takenawa, Tadaomi

2007-01-01

During cadherin-dependent cell-cell adhesion, the actin cytoskeleton undergoes dynamic reorganization in epithelial cells. Rho-family small GTPases, which regulate actin dynamics, play pivotal roles in cadherin-dependent cell-cell adhesion; however, the precise molecular mechanisms that underlie cell-cell adhesion formation remain unclear. Here we show that Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family verprolin-homologous protein (WAVE)-mediated reorganization of actin, downstream of Rac plays an important role in normal development of cadherin-dependent cell-cell adhesions in MDCK cells. Rac-induced development of cadherin-dependent adhesions required WAVE2-dependent actin reorganization. The process of cell-cell adhesion is divided into three steps: formation of new cell-cell contacts, stabilization of these new contacts and junction maturation. WAVE1 and WAVE2 were expressed in MDCK cells. The functions of WAVE1 and WAVE2 were redundant in this system but WAVE2 appeared to play a more significant role. During the first step, WAVE2-dependent lamellipodial protrusions facilitated formation of cell-cell contacts. During the second step, WAVE2 recruited actin filaments to new cell-cell contacts and stabilized newly formed cadherin clusters. During the third step, WAVE2-dependent actin reorganization was required for organization and maintenance of mature cell-cell adhesions. Thus, Rac-WAVE-dependent actin reorganization is not only involved in formation of cell-cell adhesions but is also required for their maintenance.

Chemical unfolding of chicken villin headpiece in aqueous dimethyl sulfoxide solution: cosolvent concentration dependence, pathway, and microscopic mechanism.

PubMed

Roy, Susmita; Bagchi, Biman

2013-04-25

Unfolding of a protein often proceeds through partial unfolded intermediate states (PUIS). PUIS have been detected in several experimental and simulation studies. However, complete analyses of transitions between different PUIS and the unfolding trajectory are sparse. To understand such dynamical processes, we study chemical unfolding of a small protein, chicken villin head piece (HP-36), in aqueous dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution. We carry out molecular dynamics simulations at various solution compositions under ambient conditions. In each concentration, the initial step of unfolding involves separation of two adjacent native contacts, between phenyl alanine residues (11-18 and 7-18). This first step induces, under appropriate conditions, subsequent separation among other hydrophobic contacts, signifying a high degree of cooperativity in the unfolding process. The observed sequence of structural changes in HP-36 on increasing DMSO concentration and the observed sequence of PUIS, are in approximate agreement with earlier simulation results (in pure water) and experimental observations on unfolding of HP-36. Peculiar to water-DMSO mixture, an intervening structural transformation (around 15% of DMSO) in the binary mixture solvent retards the progression of unfolding as composition is increased. This is reflected in a remarkable nonmonotonic composition dependence of RMSD, radius of gyration and the fraction of native contacts. At 30% mole fraction of DMSO, we find the extended randomly coiled structure of the unfolded protein. The molecular mechanism of DMSO induced unfolding process is attributed to the initial preferential solvation of the hydrophobic side chain atoms through the methyl groups of DMSO, followed by the hydrogen bonding of the oxygen atom of DMSO to the exposed backbone NH groups of HP-36.

Structural and functional implications in the eubacterial ribosome as revealed by protein-rRNA and antibiotic contact sites.

PubMed

Wittmann-Liebold, B; Uhlein, M; Urlaub, H; Müller, E C; Otto, A; Bischof, O

1995-01-01

Contact sites between protein and rRNA in 30S and 50S ribosomal subunits of Escherichia coli and Bacillus stearothermophilus were investigated at the molecular level using UV and 2-iminothiolane as cross-linkers. Thirteen ribosomal proteins (S3, S4, S7, S14, S17, L2, L4, L6, L14, L27, L28, L29, and L36) from these organisms were cross-linked in direct contact with the RNAs, and the peptide stretches as well as amino acids involved were identified. Further, the binding sites of puromycin and spiramycin were established at the peptide level in several proteins that were found to constitute the antibiotic-binding sites. Peptide stretches of puromycin binding were identified from proteins S7, S14, S18, L18, AND L29; those of spiramycin attachment were derived from proteins S12, S14, L17, L18, L27, and L35. Comparison of the RNA-peptide contact sites with the peptides identified for antibiotic binding and with those altered in antibiotic-resistant mutants clearly showed identical peptide areas to be involved and, hence, demonstrated the functional importance of these peptides. Further evidence for a functional implication of ribosomal proteins in the translational process came from complementation experiments in which protein L2 from Halobacterium marismortui was incorporated into the E. coli ribosomes that were active. The incorporated protein was present in 50S subunits and 70S particles, in disomes, and in higher polysomes. These results clearly demonstrate the functional implication of protein L2 in protein biosynthesis. Incorporation studies with a mutant of HmaL2 with a replacement of histidine-229 by glycine completely abolished the functional activity of the ribosome. Accordingly, protein L2 with histidine-229 is a crucial element of the translational machinery.

Deformation processes within wheel-rail adhesion in contact area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albagachiev, A. Yu; Keropyan, A. M.

2018-03-01

The study of working surface deformation during interaction of open-pit locomotive tires allowed defining outstanding features of phenomena occurring in the contact area of interacting surfaces. It was found that processes typical for plastic saturated contact occur in the area of wheel-rail interaction of industrial railway transport. In case of plastic deformation exposed to heavy loads typical for open-pit locomotives, upon all rough surfaces of the contour contact area being fully deformed, the frame on which they are found is exposed to plastic deformation. Plastic deformation of roughness within the contact area of interacting surfaces leads to the increase in the actual area of their contact and, therefore, increases the towing capacity of mining machines. Finally, the available data on deformation characteristics with regard to processes occurring in the contact area of wheel-rail interaction will allow making theoretical forecasts on the expected design value of friction coefficient and, therefore, the towing capacity of open-pit locomotives.

Eye Contact Facilitates Awareness of Faces during Interocular Suppression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stein, Timo; Senju, Atsushi; Peelen, Marius V.; Sterzer, Philipp

2011-01-01

Eye contact captures attention and receives prioritized visual processing. Here we asked whether eye contact might be processed outside conscious awareness. Faces with direct and averted gaze were rendered invisible using interocular suppression. In two experiments we found that faces with direct gaze overcame such suppression more rapidly than…

Interaction between Paracoccidioides brasiliensis conidia and the coagulation system: involvement of fibrinogen

PubMed Central

Tamayo, Diana; Hernández, Orville; Muñoz-Cadavid, Cesar; Cano, Luz Elena; González, Angel

2013-01-01

The infectious process starts with an initial contact between pathogen and host. We have previously demonstrated that Paracoccidioides brasiliensis conidia interact with plasma proteins including fibrinogen, which is considered the major component of the coagulation system. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro capacity of P. brasiliensis conidia to aggregate with plasma proteins and compounds involved in the coagulation system. We assessed the aggregation of P. brasiliensis conidia after incubation with human serum or plasma in the presence or absence of anticoagulants, extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, metabolic and protein inhibitors, monosaccharides and other compounds. Additionally, prothrombin and partial thromboplastin times were determined after the interaction of P. brasiliensis conidia with human plasma. ECM proteins, monosaccharides and human plasma significantly induced P. brasiliensis conidial aggregation; however, anticoagulants and metabolic and protein inhibitors diminished the aggregation process. The extrinsic coagulation pathway was not affected by the interaction between P. brasiliensis conidia and plasma proteins, while the intrinsic pathway was markedly altered. These results indicate that P. brasiliensis conidia interact with proteins involved in the coagulation system. This interaction may play an important role in the initial inflammatory response, as well as fungal disease progression caused by P. brasiliensis dissemination. PMID:23827999

[Tuberculosis: plasma levels of vitamin D and its relation with infection and disease].

PubMed

Esteve Palau, Erika; Sánchez Martínez, Francesca; Knobel Freud, Hernando; López Colomés, José-Luís; Diez Pérez, Adolfo

2015-02-02

Vitamin D (vitD) is involved in the phosphor-calcium metabolism and bone pathology, but also in inflammatory and infectious processes such as tuberculosis. The present study evaluates the clinical and epidemiological aspects of active tuberculosis cases and latently infected contacts in whom plasma concentrations of vitD were obtained to determine whether the deficiency of vitD is a risk factor to develop active tuberculosis, especially the more severe forms. Observational, retrospective study that included 86 tuberculosis patients and 80 contacts with latent infection in a 2-year period. When comparing active tuberculosis cases with latent infection contacts, deficiency of vitD (vitD levels <10 ng/mL, odds ratio [OR]: 2.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04 to 3.93), male sex (OR: 1.9, 95% CI: 0.96 to 3.71) and non-white race (OR: 0.7, 95% CI: 0.34 to 1.42) were factors independently associated with the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Despite the limited number of subjects studied, there was a association between severe deficit of vitD and the presentation of tuberculosis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Adducin at the Neuromuscular Junction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Hanging on for Dear Life

PubMed Central

Krieger, Charles; Wang, Simon Ji Hau; Yoo, Soo Hyun; Harden, Nicholas

2016-01-01

The neurological dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/motor neurone disease (MND) is associated with defective nerve-muscle contacts early in the disease suggesting that perturbations of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) linking the pre- and post-synaptic components of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) are involved. To search for candidate proteins implicated in this degenerative process, researchers have studied the Drosophila larval NMJ and find that the cytoskeleton-associated protein, adducin, is ideally placed to regulate synaptic contacts. By controlling the levels of synaptic proteins, adducin can de-stabilize synaptic contacts. Interestingly, elevated levels of phosphorylated adducin have been reported in ALS patients and in a mouse model of the disease. Adducin is regulated by phosphorylation through protein kinase C (PKC), some isoforms of which exhibit Ca2+-dependence, raising the possibility that changes in intracellular Ca2+ might alter PKC activation and secondarily influence adducin phosphorylation. Furthermore, adducin has interactions with the alpha subunit of the Na+/K+-ATPase. Thus, the phosphorylation of adducin may secondarily influence synaptic stability at the NMJ and so influence pre- and post-synaptic integrity at the NMJ in ALS. PMID:26858605

The role of contact resistance in graphene field-effect devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giubileo, Filippo; Di Bartolomeo, Antonio

2017-08-01

The extremely high carrier mobility and the unique band structure, make graphene very useful for field-effect transistor applications. According to several works, the primary limitation to graphene based transistor performance is not related to the material quality, but to extrinsic factors that affect the electronic transport properties. One of the most important parasitic element is the contact resistance appearing between graphene and the metal electrodes functioning as the source and the drain. Ohmic contacts to graphene, with low contact resistances, are necessary for injection and extraction of majority charge carriers to prevent transistor parameter fluctuations caused by variations of the contact resistance. The International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, toward integration and down-scaling of graphene electronic devices, identifies as a challenge the development of a CMOS compatible process that enables reproducible formation of low contact resistance. However, the contact resistance is still not well understood despite it is a crucial barrier towards further improvements. In this paper, we review the experimental and theoretical activity that in the last decade has been focusing on the reduction of the contact resistance in graphene transistors. We will summarize the specific properties of graphene-metal contacts with particular attention to the nature of metals, impact of fabrication process, Fermi level pinning, interface modifications induced through surface processes, charge transport mechanism, and edge contact formation.

All-optical lithography process for contacting nanometer precision donor devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, D. R.; Marshall, M. T.; Campbell, D. M.; Lu, T. M.; Koepke, J. C.; Scrymgeour, D. A.; Bussmann, E.; Misra, S.

2017-11-01

We describe an all-optical lithography process that can make electrical contact to nanometer-precision donor devices fabricated in silicon using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). This is accomplished by implementing a cleaning procedure in the STM that allows the integration of metal alignment marks and ion-implanted contacts at the wafer level. Low-temperature transport measurements of a patterned device establish the viability of the process.

All-optical lithography process for contacting nanometer precision donor devices

DOE PAGES

Ward, Daniel Robert; Marshall, Michael Thomas; Campbell, DeAnna Marie; ...

2017-11-06

In this article, we describe an all-optical lithography process that can make electrical contact to nanometer-precision donor devices fabricated in silicon using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). This is accomplished by implementing a cleaning procedure in the STM that allows the integration of metal alignment marks and ion-implanted contacts at the wafer level. Low-temperature transport measurements of a patterned device establish the viability of the process.

All-optical lithography process for contacting nanometer precision donor devices

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

Ward, Daniel Robert; Marshall, Michael Thomas; Campbell, DeAnna Marie

In this article, we describe an all-optical lithography process that can make electrical contact to nanometer-precision donor devices fabricated in silicon using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). This is accomplished by implementing a cleaning procedure in the STM that allows the integration of metal alignment marks and ion-implanted contacts at the wafer level. Low-temperature transport measurements of a patterned device establish the viability of the process.

Fathers of Children in Public Preschool Programs: A Study of School Involvement and Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noggle, Amy Kappel

2012-01-01

In this quantitative study, I examined the involvement levels of fathers of children attending public preschool programs using the Family Involvement Questionnaire; I also examined fathers' satisfaction with school contact and involvement experiences using the Parent Satisfaction with Educational Experiences scale. Additionally, I…

Tungsten Contact and Line Resistance Reduction with Advanced Pulsed Nucleation Layer and Low Resistivity Tungsten Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandrashekar, Anand; Chen, Feng; Lin, Jasmine; Humayun, Raashina; Wongsenakhum, Panya; Chang, Sean; Danek, Michal; Itou, Takamasa; Nakayama, Tomoo; Kariya, Atsushi; Kawaguchi, Masazumi; Hizume, Shunichi

2010-09-01

This paper describes electrical testing results of new tungsten chemical vapor deposition (CVD-W) process concepts that were developed to address the W contact and bitline scaling issues on 55 nm node devices. Contact resistance (Rc) measurements in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices indicate that the new CVD-W process for sub-32 nm and beyond - consisting of an advanced pulsed nucleation layer (PNL) combined with low resistivity tungsten (LRW) initiation - produces a 20-30% drop in Rc for diffused NiSi contacts. From cross-sectional bright field and dark field transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, such Rc improvement can be attributed to improved plugfill and larger in-feature W grain size with the advanced PNL+LRW process. More experiments that measured contact resistance for different feature sizes point to favorable Rc scaling with the advanced PNL+LRW process. Finally, 40% improvement in line resistance was observed with this process as tested on 55 nm embedded dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices, confirming that the advanced PNL+LRW process can be an effective metallization solution for sub-32 nm devices.

Water evaporation on highly viscoelastic polymer surfaces.

PubMed

Pu, Gang; Severtson, Steven J

2012-07-03

Results are reported for a study on the evaporation of water droplets from a highly viscoelastic acrylic polymer surface. These are contrasted with those collected for the same measurements carried out on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). For PDMS, the evaporation process involves the expected multistep process including constant drop area, constant contact angle, and finally a combination of these steps until the liquid is gone. In contrast, water evaporation from the acrylic polymer shows a constant drop area mode throughout. Furthermore, during the evaporation process, the drop area actually expands on the acrylic polymer. The single mode evaporation process is consistent with formation of wetting structures, which cannot be propagated by the capillary forces. Expansion of the drop area is attributed to the influence of the drop capillary pressure. Furthermore, the rate of drop area expansion is shown to be dependent on the thickness of the polymer film.

Perception of Emotional Facial Expressions in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) at Behavioural and Brain Metabolic Level.

PubMed

Aho-Özhan, Helena E A; Keller, Jürgen; Heimrath, Johanna; Uttner, Ingo; Kassubek, Jan; Birbaumer, Niels; Ludolph, Albert C; Lulé, Dorothée

2016-01-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) primarily impairs motor abilities but also affects cognition and emotional processing. We hypothesise that subjective ratings of emotional stimuli depicting social interactions and facial expressions is changed in ALS. It was found that recognition of negative emotions and ability to mentalize other's intentions is reduced. Processing of emotions in faces was investigated. A behavioural test of Ekman faces expressing six basic emotions was presented to 30 ALS patients and 29 age-, gender and education matched healthy controls. Additionally, a subgroup of 15 ALS patients that were able to lie supine in the scanner and 14 matched healthy controls viewed the Ekman faces during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Affective state and a number of daily social contacts were measured. ALS patients recognized disgust and fear less accurately than healthy controls. In fMRI, reduced brain activity was seen in areas involved in processing of negative emotions replicating our previous results. During processing of sad faces, increased brain activity was seen in areas associated with social emotions in right inferior frontal gyrus and reduced activity in hippocampus bilaterally. No differences in brain activity were seen for any of the other emotional expressions. Inferior frontal gyrus activity for sad faces was associated with increased amount of social contacts of ALS patients. ALS patients showed decreased brain and behavioural responses in processing of disgust and fear and an altered brain response pattern for sadness. The negative consequences of neurodegenerative processes in the course of ALS might be counteracted by positive emotional activity and positive social interactions.

Germ layer differentiation during early hindgut and cloaca formation in rabbit and pig embryos

PubMed Central

Hassoun, Romia; Schwartz, Peter; Rath, Detlef; Viebahn, Christoph; Männer, Jörg

2010-01-01

Relative to recent advances in understanding molecular requirements for endoderm differentiation, the dynamics of germ layer morphology and the topographical distribution of molecular factors involved in endoderm formation at the caudal pole of the embryonic disc are still poorly defined. To discover common principles of mammalian germ layer development, pig and rabbit embryos at late gastrulation and early neurulation stages were analysed as species with a human-like embryonic disc morphology, using correlative light and electron microscopy. Close intercellular contact but no direct structural evidence of endoderm formation such as mesenchymal–epithelial transition between posterior primitive streak mesoderm and the emerging posterior endoderm were found. However, a two-step process closely related to posterior germ layer differentiation emerged for the formation of the cloacal membrane: (i) a continuous mesoderm layer and numerous patches of electron-dense flocculent extracellular matrix mark the prospective region of cloacal membrane formation; and (ii) mesoderm cells and all extracellular matrix including the basement membrane are lost locally and close intercellular contact between the endoderm and ectoderm is established. The latter process involves single cells at first and then gradually spreads to form a longitudinally oriented seam-like cloacal membrane. These gradual changes were found from gastrulation to early somite stages in the pig, whereas they were found from early somite to mid-somite stages in the rabbit; in both species cloacal membrane formation is complete prior to secondary neurulation. The results highlight the structural requirements for endoderm formation during development of the hindgut and suggest new mechanisms for the pathogenesis of common urogenital and anorectal malformations. PMID:20874819

78 FR 63458 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-24

..., access to conduct research involving DoDEA students, staff, parents or data. Additionally will establish researcher accountability, enable future contact with researchers, and support preparation of statistical and... students, staff, parents or data. To establish researcher accountability, enable future contact with...

Study of intermolecular contacts in proteins and oligomer interfaces and preliminary investigations into the design and production of nanomaterials from proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iyer, Ganesh Hariharan

The first part of this research involved a study of the nature and extent of nonbonded interactions at crystal and oligomer interfaces. A survey was compiled of several characteristics of intersubunit contacts in 58 different oligomeric proteins, and of the intermolecular contacts in 223 protein crystal structures. Routines written in "S" language were utilized for the generation of the observed and expected contacts. The information in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) was extracted using the database management system, Protein Knowledge Base (PKB). Potentials of mean force for atom-atom contacts and residue-residue contacts were derived by comparison of the number of observed interactions with the number expected by mass action. Preference association matrices and log-linear analyses were applied to determine the different factors that could contribute to the overall interactions at the interfaces of oligomers and crystals. Surface patches at oligomer and crystal interfaces were also studied to further investigate the origin of the differences in their stabilities. Total number of atoms in contact and the secondary structure elements involved are similar in the two types of interfaces. Crystal contacts result from more numerous interactions by polar residues, compared with a tendency toward nonpolar amino acid prominent in oligomer interfaces. Contact potentials indicate that hydrophobic interactions at oligomer interfaces favor aromatic amino acids and methionine over aliphatic amino acids; and that crystal contacts form in such a way as to avoid inclusion of hydrophobic interactions. The second part involved the development of a new class of biomaterials from two-dimensional arrays of ordered proteins. Point mutations were planned to introduce cysteine residues at appropriate locations to enable cross-linking at the molecular interface within given crystallographic planes. Crystallization and subsequent cross-linking of the modified protein would lead to the formation of arrays on subsequent dissociation of the crystal. Novel protein architectures can be generated from these cross-linked nanostructures. Experiments with model protein, maltose-binding protein (MBP) were performed to develop purification, cross-linking and crystallization techniques. The long-term goal of this project is to apply the experience gained with MBP to the fabrication of nanomaterials from other, application-specific proteins for ultrafiltration and microelectronic devices.

Bioleaching of serpentine group mineral by fungus Talaromyces flavus: application for mineral carbonation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Z.; Lianwen, L.; Zhao, L.; Teng, H.

2011-12-01

Many studies of serpentine group mineral dissolution for mineral carbonation have been published in recent years. However, most of them focus mainly on either physical and chemical processes or on bacterial function, rather than fungal involvement in the bioleaching of serpentine group mineral. Due to the excessive costs of the magnesium dissolution process, finding a lower energy consumption method will be meaningful. A fungal strain Talaromyces flavus was isolated from serpentinic rock of Donghai (China). No study of its bioleaching ability is currently available. It is thus of great significance to explore the impact of T. flavus on the dissolution of serpentine group mineral. Serpentine rock-inhabiting fungi belonging to Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Botryotinia, Cladosporium, Clavicipitaceae, Cosmospora, Fusarium, Monascus, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Talaromyces, Trichoderma were isolated. These strains were chosen on the basis of resistance to magnesium and nickel characterized in terms of minimum inhibiting concentration (MIC). Specifically, the strain Talaromyces flavus has a high tolerance to both magnesium (1 mol/L) and nickel (10 mM/L), and we examine its bioleaching ability on serpentine group mineral. Contact and separation experiments (cut-off 8 000-14 000 Da), as well as three control experiments, were set up for 30 days. At least three repeated tests were performed for each individual experiment. The results of our experiments demonstrate that the bioleaching ability of T. flavus towards serpentine group mineral is evident. 39.39 wt% of magnesium was extracted from lizardite during the bioleaching period in the contact experiment, which showed a dissolution rate at about a constant 0.126 mM/d before reaching equilibrium in 13 days. The amount of solubilized Mg from chrysotile and antigorite were respectively 37.79 wt% and 29.78 wt% in the contact experiment. These results make clear the influence of mineral structure on mineral bioleaching. In comparison to the results from the three control experiments, the solubilized Mg from the contact and separation experiments were higher. The concentration of magnesium was pH-dependent both in the contact and separation experiments. The Mg/Si atomic ratio in the solution was about 6-8 in the contact experiments, which may indicate that T. flavus is more attracted to magnesium when deteriorating serpentine group mineral. SEM analyses of the minerals at the conclusion of experiments revealed that the minerals were extensively etched. Moreover, fungal hyphae-mineral aggregates manifest physical process accelerated the degradation of serpentine group mineral. These observations may imply that the fungal leaching of serpentine group mineral could potentially serve as a method for mineral carbonation.

Thermally stable, low resistance contact systems for use with shallow junction p(+) nn(+) and n(+)pp(+) InP solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weizer, V. G.; Fatemi, N. S.; Hoffman, R. W.

1995-01-01

Two contact systems for use on shallow junction InP solar cells are described. The feature shared by these two contact systems is the absence of the metallurgical intermixing that normally takes place between the semiconductor and the contact metallization during the sintering process. The n(+)pp(+) cell contact system, consisting of a combination of Au and Ge, not only exhibits very low resistance in the as-fabricated state, but also yields post-sinter resistivity values of 1(exp -7) ohms-sq cm, with effectively no metal-InP interdiffusion. The n(+)pp(+)cell contact system, consisting of a combination of Ag and Zn, permits low resistance ohmic contact to be made directly to a shallow junction p/n InP device without harming the device itself during the contacting process.

Mapping of the Rsd Contact Site on the Sigma 70 Subunit of Escherichia coli RNA Polymerase

PubMed Central

Jishage, Miki; Dasgupta, Dipak; Ishihama, Akira

2001-01-01

Rsd (regulator of sigma D) is an anti-sigma factor for the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase ς70 subunit. The contact site of Rsd on ς70 was analyzed after mapping of the contact-dependent cleavage sites by Rsd-tethered iron-p-bromoacetamidobenzyl EDTA and by analysis of the complex formation between Ala-substituted ς70 and Rsd. Results indicate that the Rsd contact site is located downstream of the promoter −35 recognition helix-turn-helix motif within region 4, overlapping with the regions involved in interaction with both core enzyme and ς70 contact transcription factors. PMID:11292818

Mapping of the Rsd contact site on the sigma 70 subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase.

PubMed

Jishage, M; Dasgupta, D; Ishihama, A

2001-05-01

Rsd (regulator of sigma D) is an anti-sigma factor for the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase sigma(70) subunit. The contact site of Rsd on sigma(70) was analyzed after mapping of the contact-dependent cleavage sites by Rsd-tethered iron-p-bromoacetamidobenzyl EDTA and by analysis of the complex formation between Ala-substituted sigma(70) and Rsd. Results indicate that the Rsd contact site is located downstream of the promoter -35 recognition helix-turn-helix motif within region 4, overlapping with the regions involved in interaction with both core enzyme and sigma(70) contact transcription factors.

Small polaronic hole hopping mechanism and Maxwell-Wagner relaxation in NdFeO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, I.; Akhtar, M. J.; Younas, M.; Siddique, M.; Hasan, M. M.

2012-10-01

In the modern micro-electronics, transition metal oxides due to their colossal values of dielectric permittivity possess huge potential for the development of capacitive energy storage devices. In the present work, the dielectric permittivity and the effects of temperature and frequency on the electrical transport properties of polycrystalline NdFeO3, prepared by solid state reaction method, are discussed. Room temperature Mossbauer spectrum confirms the phase purity, octahedral environment for Fe ion, and high spin state of Fe3+ ion. From the impedance spectroscopic measurements, three relaxation processes are observed, which are related to grains, grain boundaries (gbs), and electrode-semiconductor contact in the measured temperature and frequency ranges. Decrease in resistances and relaxation times of the grains and grain boundaries with temperature confirms the involvement of thermally activated conduction mechanisms. Same type of charge carriers (i.e., small polaron hole hopping) have been found responsible for conduction and relaxation processes through the grain and grain boundaries. The huge value of the dielectric constant (˜8 × 103) at high temperature and low frequency is correlated to the Maxwell-Wagner relaxation due to electrode-sample contact.

Removal of arsenic, vanadium, and/or nickel compounds from petroliferous liquids

DOEpatents

Fish, Richard H.

1986-01-01

Described is a process for removing arsenic, vanadium, and/or nickel from petroliferous derived liquids by contacting said liquid at an elevated temperature with a divinylbenzene-crosslinked polystyrene having catechol ligands anchored thereon. For vanadium and nickel removal an amine, preferably a diamine is included. Also, described is a process for regenerating spent catecholated polystyrene by removal of the arsenic, vanadium, and/or nickel bound to it from contacting petroliferous liquid as described above and involves: treating the spent polymer containing any vanadium and/or nickel with an aqueous acid to achieve an acid pH; and, separating the solids from the liquid; and then treating said spent catecholated polystyrene, at a temperature in the range of about 20.degree. to 100.degree. C. with an aqueous solution of at least one carbonate and/or bicarbonate of ammonium, alkali and alkaline earth metals, said solution having a pH between about 8 and 10; and, separating the solids and liquids from each other. Preferably the regeneration treatment of arsenic containing catecholated polymer is in two steps wherein the first step is carried out with an aqueous alcoholic carbonate solution containing lower alkyl alcohol, and, the steps are repeated using a bicarbonate.

Removal of arsenic, vanadium and/or nickel compounds from spent catecholated polymer

DOEpatents

Fish, R.H.

1987-04-21

Described is a process for removing arsenic, vanadium, and/or nickel from petroliferous derived liquids by contacting said liquid at an elevated temperature with a divinylbenzene-crosslinked polystyrene having catechol ligands anchored thereon. For vanadium and nickel removal an amine, preferably a diamine is included. Also, described is a process for regenerating spent catecholated polystyrene by removal of the arsenic, vanadium, and/or nickel bound to it from contacting petroliferous liquid as described above and involves: treating the spent polymer containing any vanadium and/or nickel with an aqueous acid to achieve an acid pH; and, separating the solids from the liquid; and then treating said spent catecholated polystyrene, at a temperature in the range of about 20 to 100 C with an aqueous solution of at least one carbonate and/or bicarbonate of ammonium, alkali and alkaline earth metals, said solution having a pH between about 8 and 10; and, separating the solids and liquids from each other. Preferably the regeneration treatment of arsenic containing catecholated polymer is in two steps wherein the first step is carried out with an aqueous alcoholic carbonate solution containing lower alkyl alcohol, and, the steps are repeated using a bicarbonate.

Removal of arsenic, vanadium and/or nickel compounds from spent catecholated polymer

DOEpatents

Fish, Richard H.

1987-01-01

Described is a process for removing arsenic, vanadium, and/or nickel from petroliferous derived liquids by contacting said liquid at an elevated temperature with a divinylbenzene-crosslinked polystyrene having catechol ligands anchored thereon. For vanadium and nickel removal an amine, preferably a diamine is included. Also, described is a process for regenerating spent catecholated polystyrene by removal of the arsenic, vanadium, and/or nickel bound to it from contacting petroliferous liquid as described above and involves: treating the spent polymer containing any vanadium and/or nickel with an aqueous acid to achieve an acid pH; and, separating the solids from the liquid; and then treating said spent catecholated polystyrene, at a temperature in the range of about 20.degree. to 100.degree. C. with an aqueous solution of at least one carbonate and/or bicarbonate of ammonium, alkali and alkaline earth metals, said solution having a pH between about 8 and 10; and, separating the solids and liquids from each other. Preferably the regeneration treatment of arsenic containing catecholated polymer is in two steps wherein the first step is carried out with an aqueous alcoholic carbonate solution containing lower alkyl alcohol, and, the steps are repeated using a bicarbonate.

Printing medicines as orodispersible dosage forms: Effect of substrate on the printed micro-structure.

PubMed

Planchette, C; Pichler, H; Wimmer-Teubenbacher, M; Gruber, M; Gruber-Woelfler, H; Mohr, S; Tetyczka, C; Hsiao, W-K; Paudel, A; Roblegg, E; Khinast, J

2016-07-25

We present our recent advancements in developing a viable manufacturing process for printed medicine. Our approach involves using a non-contact printing system that incorporates both piezoelectric- and solenoid valve-based inkjet printing technologies, to deliver both active and inactive pharmaceutical materials onto medical-graded orodispersible films. By using two complimentary inkjet technologies, we were able to dispense an extensive range of fluids, from aqueous drug solutions to viscous polymer coating materials. Essentially, we demonstrate printing of a wide range of formulations for patient-ready, orodispersible drug dosage forms, without the risk of drug degradation by ink heating and of substrate damages (by contact printing). In addition, our printing process has been optimized to ensure that the drug doses can be loaded onto the orally dissolvable films without introducing defects, such as holes or tears, while retaining a smooth surface texture that promotes patient adherence and allows for uniform post-coatings. Results show that our platform technology can address key issues in manufacturing orodispersible drug dosage forms and bring us closer to delivering personalized and precision medicine to targeted patient populations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An experimental comparison of web-push vs. paper-only survey procedures for conducting an in-depth health survey of military spouses.

PubMed

McMaster, Hope Seib; LeardMann, Cynthia A; Speigle, Steven; Dillman, Don A

2017-04-26

Previous research has found that a "web-push" approach to data collection, which involves contacting people by mail to request an Internet survey response while withholding a paper response option until later in the contact process, consistently achieves lower response rates than a "paper-only" approach, whereby all respondents are contacted and requested to respond by mail. An experiment was designed, as part of the Millennium Cohort Family Study, to compare response rates, sample representativeness, and cost between a web-push and a paper-only approach; each approach comprised 3 stages of mail contacts. The invited sample (n = 4,935) consisted of spouses married to U.S. Service members, who had been serving in the military between 2 and 5 years as of October, 2011. The web-push methodology produced a significantly higher response rate, 32.8% compared to 27.8%. Each of the 3 stages of postal contact significantly contributed to response for both treatments with 87.1% of the web-push responses received over the Internet. The per-respondent cost of the paper-only treatment was almost 40% higher than the web-push treatment group. Analyses revealed no meaningfully significant differences between treatment groups in representation. These results provide evidence that a web-push methodology is more effective and less expensive than a paper-only approach among young military spouses, perhaps due to their heavy reliance on the internet, and we suggest that this approach may be more effective with the general population as they become more uniformly internet savvy.

Une formulation variationnelle du problème de contact avec frottement de Coulomb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le van, Anh; Nguyen, Tai H. T.

2008-07-01

A variational relationship is proposed as the weak form of the large deformation contact problem with Coulomb friction. It is a mixed relationship involving both the displacements and the multipliers; the weighting functions are the virtual displacements and the virtual multipliers. It is shown that the proposed weak form is equivalent to the strong form of the initial/boundary value contact problem and the multipliers are equal to the contact tractions. To cite this article: A. Le van, T.H.T. Nguyen, C. R. Mecanique 336 (2008).

Contact stiffness and damping identification for hardware-in-the-loop contact simulator with measurement delay compensation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Chenkun; Zhao, Xianchao; Gao, Feng; Ren, Anye; Sun, Qiao

2016-06-01

The hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) contact simulator is to simulate the contact process of two flying objects in space. The contact stiffness and damping are important parameters used for the process monitoring, compliant contact control and force compensation control. In this study, a contact stiffness and damping identification approach is proposed for the HIL contact simulation with the force measurement delay. The actual relative position of two flying objects can be accurately measured. However, the force measurement delay needs to be compensated because it will lead to incorrect stiffness and damping identification. Here, the phase lead compensation is used to reconstruct the actual contact force from the delayed force measurement. From the force and position data, the contact stiffness and damping are identified in real time using the recursive least squares (RLS) method. The simulations and experiments are used to verify that the proposed stiffness and damping identification approach is effective.

Technology transfer into the solid propulsion industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, Ralph L.; Thomson, Lawrence J.

1995-01-01

This paper is a survey of the waste minimization efforts of industries outside of aerospace for possible applications in the manufacture of solid rocket motors (SRM) for NASA. The Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) manufacturing plan was used as the model for processes involved in the production of an SRM. A literature search was conducted to determine the recycling, waste minimization, and waste treatment methods used in the commercial sector that might find application in SRM production. Manufacturers, trade organizations, and professional associations were also contacted. Waste minimization efforts for current processes and replacement technologies, which might reduce the amount or severity of the wastes generated in SRM production, were investigated. An overview of the results of this effort are presented in this paper.

Eye Contact Modulates Cognitive Processing Differently in Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falck-Ytter, Terje; Carlström, Christoffer; Johansson, Martin

2015-01-01

In humans, effortful cognitive processing frequently takes place during social interaction, with eye contact being an important component. This study shows that the effect of eye contact on memory for nonsocial information is different in children with typical development than in children with autism, a disorder of social communication. Direct…

Inactivation disinfection property of Moringa Oleifera seed extract: optimization and kinetic studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Idris, M. A.; Jami, M. S.; Hammed, A. M.

2017-05-01

This paper presents the statistical optimization study of disinfection inactivation parameters of defatted Moringa oleifera seed extract on Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial cells. Three level factorial design was used to estimate the optimum range and the kinetics of the inactivation process was also carried. The inactivation process involved comparing different disinfection models of Chicks-Watson, Collins-Selleck and Homs models. The results from analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the statistical optimization process revealed that only contact time was significant. The optimum disinfection range of the seed extract was 125 mg/L, 30 minutes and 120rpm agitation. At the optimum dose, the inactivation kinetics followed the Collin-Selleck model with coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.6320. This study is the first of its kind in determining the inactivation kinetics of pseudomonas aeruginosa using the defatted seed extract.

Evolution of real contact area under shear and the value of static friction of soft materials.

PubMed

Sahli, R; Pallares, G; Ducottet, C; Ben Ali, I E; Al Akhrass, S; Guibert, M; Scheibert, J

2018-01-16

The frictional properties of a rough contact interface are controlled by its area of real contact, the dynamical variations of which underlie our modern understanding of the ubiquitous rate-and-state friction law. In particular, the real contact area is proportional to the normal load, slowly increases at rest through aging, and drops at slip inception. Here, through direct measurements on various contacts involving elastomers or human fingertips, we show that the real contact area also decreases under shear, with reductions as large as 30[Formula: see text], starting well before macroscopic sliding. All data are captured by a single reduction law enabling excellent predictions of the static friction force. In elastomers, the area-reduction rate of individual contacts obeys a scaling law valid from micrometer-sized junctions in rough contacts to millimeter-sized smooth sphere/plane contacts. For the class of soft materials used here, our results should motivate first-order improvements of current contact mechanics models and prompt reinterpretation of the rate-and-state parameters.

Laser processing of solar cells with anti-reflective coating

DOEpatents

Harley, Gabriel; Smith, David D.; Dennis, Tim; Waldhauer, Ann; Kim, Taeseok; Cousins, Peter John

2016-02-16

Contact holes of solar cells are formed by laser ablation to accommodate various solar cell designs. Use of a laser to form the contact holes is facilitated by replacing films formed on the diffusion regions with a film that has substantially uniform thickness. Contact holes may be formed to deep diffusion regions to increase the laser ablation process margins. The laser configuration may be tailored to form contact holes through dielectric films of varying thicknesses.

Piling-to-buckling transition in the drying process of polymer solution drop on substrate having a large contact angle.

PubMed

Kajiya, Tadashi; Nishitani, Eisuke; Yamaue, Tatsuya; Doi, Masao

2006-01-01

We studied the drying process of polymer solution drops placed on a substrate having a large contact angle with the drop. The drying process takes place in three stages. First, the droplet evaporates keeping the contact line fixed. Second, the droplet shrinks uniformly with receding contact line. Finally the contact line is pinned again, and the droplet starts to be deformed. The shape of the final polymer deposit changes from concave dot, to flat dot, and then to concave dot again with the increase of the initial polymer concentration. This shape change is caused by the gradual transition from the solute piling mechanism proposed by Deegan to the crust buckling mechanism proposed by de Gennes and Pauchard.

Fingertip contact influences human postural control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeka, J. J.; Lackner, J. R.

1994-01-01

Touch and pressure stimulation of the body surface can strongly influence apparent body orientation, as well as the maintenance of upright posture during quiet stance. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between postural sway and contact forces at the fingertip while subjects touched a rigid metal bar. Subjects were tested in the tandem Romberg stance with eyes open or closed under three conditions of fingertip contact: no contact, touch contact (< 0.98 N of force), and force contact (as much force as desired). Touch contact was as effective as force contact or sight of the surroundings in reducing postural sway when compared to the no contact, eyes closed condition. Body sway and fingertip forces were essentially in phase with force contact, suggesting that fingertip contact forces are physically counteracting body sway. Time delays between body sway and fingertip forces were much larger with light touch contact, suggesting that the fingertip is providing information that allows anticipatory innervation of musculature to reduce body sway. The results are related to observations on precision grip as well as the somatosensory, proprioceptive, and motor mechanisms involved in the reduction of body sway.

Depressive symptoms in nonresident african american fathers and involvement with their sons.

PubMed

Davis, R Neal; Caldwell, Cleopatra Howard; Clark, Sarah J; Davis, Matthew M

2009-12-01

Our objective was to determine whether paternal depressive symptoms were associated with less father involvement among African American fathers not living with their children (ie, nonresident fathers). We analyzed survey data for 345 fathers enrolled in a program for nonresident African American fathers and their preteen sons. Father involvement included measures of contact, closeness, monitoring, communication, and conflict. We used bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression analysis to examine associations between father involvement and depressive symptoms. Thirty-six percent of fathers reported moderate depressive symptoms, and 11% reported severe depressive symptoms. In bivariate analyses, depressive symptoms were associated with less contact, less closeness, low monitoring, and increased conflict. In multivariate analyses controlling for basic demographic features, fathers with moderate depressive symptoms were more likely to have less contact (adjusted odds ratio: 1.7 [95% confidence interval: 1.1-2.8]), less closeness (adjusted odds ratio: 2.1 [95% confidence interval: 1.3-3.5]), low monitoring (adjusted odds ratio: 2.7 [95% confidence interval: 1.4-5.2]), and high conflict (adjusted odds ratio: 2.1 [95% confidence interval: 1.2-3.6]). Fathers with severe depressive symptoms also were more likely to have less contact (adjusted odds ratio: 3.1 [95% confidence interval: 1.4-7.2]), less closeness (adjusted odds ratio: 2.6 [95% confidence interval: 1.2-5.7]), low monitoring (adjusted odds ratio: 2.8 [95% confidence interval: 1.1-7.1]), and high conflict (adjusted odds ratio: 2.6 [95% confidence interval: 1.1-5.9]). Paternal depressive symptoms may be an important, but modifiable, barrier for nonresident African American fathers willing to be more involved with their children.

Evaluation of Contact Heat Transfer Coefficient and Phase Transformation during Hot Stamping of a Hat-Type Part

PubMed Central

Kim, Heung-Kyu; Lee, Seong Hyeon; Choi, Hyunjoo

2015-01-01

Using an inverse analysis technique, the heat transfer coefficient on the die-workpiece contact surface of a hot stamping process was evaluated as a power law function of contact pressure. This evaluation was to determine whether the heat transfer coefficient on the contact surface could be used for finite element analysis of the entire hot stamping process. By comparing results of the finite element analysis and experimental measurements of the phase transformation, an evaluation was performed to determine whether the obtained heat transfer coefficient function could provide reasonable finite element prediction for workpiece properties affected by the hot stamping process. PMID:28788046

Transmembrane Domains of Attraction on the TSH Receptor

PubMed Central

Ali, M. Rejwan; Mezei, Mihaly; Davies, Terry F.

2015-01-01

The TSH receptor (TSHR) has the propensity to form dimers and oligomers. Our data using ectodomain-truncated TSHRs indicated that the predominant interfaces for oligomerization reside in the transmembrane (TM) domain. To map the potentially interacting residues, we first performed in silico studies of the TSHR transmembrane domain using a homology model and using Brownian dynamics (BD). The cluster of dimer conformations obtained from BD analysis indicated that TM1 made contact with TM4 and two residues in TM2 made contact with TM5. To confirm the proximity of these contact residues, we then generated cysteine mutants at all six contact residues predicted by the BD analysis and performed cysteine cross-linking studies. These results showed that the predicted helices in the protomer were indeed involved in proximity interactions. Furthermore, an alternative experimental approach, receptor truncation experiments and LH receptor sequence substitution experiments, identified TM1 harboring a major region involved in TSHR oligomerization, in agreement with the conclusion from the cross-linking studies. Point mutations of the predicted interacting residues did not yield a substantial decrease in oligomerization, unlike the truncation of the TM1, so we concluded that constitutive oligomerization must involve interfaces forming domains of attraction in a cooperative manner that is not dominated by interactions between specific residues. PMID:25406938

Contact Angle of Drops Measured on Nontransparent Surfaces and Capillary Flow Visualized

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chao, David F.; Zhang, Nengli

2003-01-01

The spreading of a liquid on a solid surface is important for various practical processes, and contact-angle measurements provide an elegant method to characterize the interfacial properties of the liquid with the solid substrates. The complex physical processes occurring when a liquid contacts a solid play an important role in determining the performance of chemical processes and materials. Applications for these processes are in printing, coating, gluing, textile dyeing, and adhesives and in the pharmaceutical industry, biomedical research, adhesives, flat panel display manufacturing, surfactant chemistry, and thermal engineering.

Identifying factors for optimal development of health-related websites: a delphi study among experts and potential future users.

PubMed

Schneider, Francine; van Osch, Liesbeth; de Vries, Hein

2012-02-14

The Internet has become a popular medium for offering tailored and targeted health promotion programs to the general public. However, suboptimal levels of program use in the target population limit the public health impact of these programs. Optimizing program development is considered as one of the main processes to increase usage rates. To distinguish factors potentially related to optimal development of health-related websites by involving both experts and potential users. By considering and incorporating the opinions of experts and potential users in the development process, involvement in the program is expected to increase, consequently resulting in increased appreciation, lower levels of attrition, and higher levels of sustained use. We conducted a systematic three-round Delphi study through the Internet. Both national and international experts (from the fields of health promotion, health psychology, e-communication, and technical Web design) and potential users were invited via email to participate. During this study an extensive list of factors potentially related to optimal development of health-related websites was identified, by focusing on factors related to layout, general and risk information provision, questionnaire use, additional services, and ease of use. Furthermore, we assessed the extent to which experts and potential users agreed on the importance of these factors. Differences as well as similarities among experts and potentials users were deduced. In total, 20 of 62 contacted experts participated in the first round (32% response rate); 60 of 200 contacted experts (30% response rate) and 210 potential users (95% response rate) completed the second-round questionnaire, and 32 of 60 contacted experts completed the third round (53% response rate). Results revealed important factors consented upon by experts and potential users (eg, ease of use, clear structure, and detailed health information provision), as well as differences regarding important factors consented upon by experts (eg, visual aids, self-monitoring tool, and iterative health feedback) or by potential users only (eg, bread crumb navigation and prevention of receiving spam). This study is an important first step in determining the agreed-upon factors that should be taken into account when developing online health promotion programs. The public health impact of these programs will be improved by optimizing the development process in line with these factors.

Contact Networks in a Wildlife-Livestock Host Community: Identifying High-Risk Individuals in the Transmission of Bovine TB among Badgers and Cattle

PubMed Central

Böhm, Monika; Hutchings, Michael R.; White, Piran C. L.

2009-01-01

Background The management of many pathogens, which are of concern to humans and their livestock, is complicated by the pathogens' ability to cross-infect multiple host species, including wildlife. This has major implications for the management of such diseases, since the dynamics of infection are dependent on the rates of both intra- and inter-specific transmission. However, the difficulty of studying transmission networks in free-living populations means that the relative opportunities for intra- versus inter-specific disease transmission have not previously been demonstrated empirically within any wildlife-livestock disease system. Methodology/Principal Findings Using recently-developed proximity data loggers, we quantify both intra-and inter-specific contacts in a wildlife-livestock disease system, using bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in badgers and cattle in the UK as our example. We assess the connectedness of individuals within the networks in order to identify whether there are certain ‘high-risk’ individuals or groups of individuals for disease transmission within and between species. Our results show that contact patterns in both badger and cattle populations vary widely, both between individuals and over time. We recorded only infrequent interactions between badger social groups, although all badgers fitted with data loggers were involved in these inter-group contacts. Contacts between badgers and cattle occurred more frequently than contacts between different badger groups. Moreover, these inter-specific contacts involved those individual cows, which were highly connected within the cattle herd. Conclusions/Significance This work represents the first continuous time record of wildlife-host contacts for any free-living wildlife-livestock disease system. The results highlight the existence of specific individuals with relatively high contact rates in both livestock and wildlife populations, which have the potential to act as hubs in the spread of disease through complex contact networks. Targeting testing or preventive measures at high-contact groups and individuals within livestock populations would enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of disease management strategies. PMID:19401755

Pilot production and testing of high efficiency wraparound contact solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gillanders, M.

1981-01-01

Modifications were made to the process sequence until a device capable of high performance and satisfactory processing yields could be fabricated on a production line. Pilot production resulted in a 2 x 4 cm screen printed dielectric wraparound contact solar cell with average 28 C, Air Mass Zero (AMO) conversion efficiencies of 14.2% and reasonable process yields. This high performance was obtained with two different back contact configurations, making the device acceptable for many applications.

Development of Low Cost Contacts to Silicon Solar Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iles, P. A.; Tanner, D. P.

1979-01-01

Different electroless plating systems were evaluated in conjunction with copper electroplating. All tests involved simultaneous deposition of front and back contacts using a standard cell materials. Cells with good adhesion and good curve fill factors were obtained using a palladium-chromium-copper metallization system. The final copper contact system was evaluated to determine if the copper would migrate at elevated temperatures. The copper migrated at elevated temperatures causing cell output degradation.

Complex networks in confined comminution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, David M.; Tordesillas, Antoinette; Einav, Itai; Small, Michael

2011-08-01

The physical process of confined comminution is investigated within the framework of complex networks. We first characterize the topology of the unweighted contact networks as generated by the confined comminution process. We find this process gives rise to an ultimate contact network which exhibits a scale-free degree distribution and small world properties. In particular, if viewed in the context of networks through which information travels along shortest paths, we find that the global average of the node vulnerability decreases as the comminution process continues, with individual node vulnerability correlating with grain size. A possible application to the design of synthetic networks (e.g., sensor networks) is highlighted. Next we turn our attention to the physics of the granular comminution process and examine force transmission with respect to the weighted contact networks, where each link is weighted by the inverse magnitude of the normal force acting at the associated contact. We find that the strong forces (i.e., force chains) are transmitted along pathways in the network which are mainly following shortest-path routing protocols, as typically found, for example, in communication systems. Motivated by our earlier studies of the building blocks for self-organization in dense granular systems, we also explore the properties of the minimal contact cycles. The distribution of the contact strain energy intensity of 4-cycle motifs in the ultimate state of the confined comminution process is shown to be consistent with a scale-free distribution with infinite variance, thereby suggesting that 4-cycle arrangements of grains are capable of storing vast amounts of energy in their contacts without breaking.

Laser process and corresponding structures for fabrication of solar cells with shunt prevention dielectric

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

Harley, Gabriel; Smith, David D.; Dennis, Tim

Contact holes of solar cells are formed by laser ablation to accommodate various solar cell designs. Use of a laser to form the contact holes is facilitated by replacing films formed on the diffusion regions with a film that has substantially uniform thickness. Contact holes may be formed to deep diffusion regions to increase the laser ablation process margins. The laser configuration may be tailored to form contact holes through dielectric films of varying thicknesses.

Importance of tread inertia and damping on the tyre/road contact stiffness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winroth, J.; Andersson, P. B. U.; Kropp, W.

2014-10-01

Predicting tyre/road interaction processes like roughness excitation, stick-slip, stick-snap, wear and traction requires detailed information about the road surface, the tyre dynamics and the local deformation of the tread at the interface. Aspects of inertia and damping when the tread is locally deformed are often neglected in many existing tyre/road interaction models. The objective of this paper is to study how the dynamic features of the tread affect contact forces and contact stiffness during local deformation. This is done by simulating the detailed contact between an elastic layer and a rough road surface using a previously developed numerical time domain contact model. Road roughness on length scales smaller than the discretisation scale is included by the addition of nonlinear contact springs between each pair of contact elements. The dynamic case, with an elastic layer impulse response extending in time, is compared with the case where the corresponding quasi-static response is used. Results highlight the difficulty of estimating a constant contact stiffness as it increases during the indentation process between the elastic layer and the rough road surface. The stiffness-indentation relation additionally depends on how rapidly the contact develops; a faster process gives a stiffer contact. Material properties like loss factor and density also alter the contact development. This work implies that dynamic properties of the local tread deformation may be of importance when simulating contact details during normal tyre/road interaction conditions. There are however indications that the significant effect of damping could approximately be included as an increased stiffness in a quasi-static tread model.

RNA polymerase II conserved protein domains as platforms for protein-protein interactions

PubMed Central

García-López, M Carmen

2011-01-01

RNA polymerase II establishes many protein-protein interactions with transcriptional regulators to coordinate gene expression, but little is known about protein domains involved in the contact with them. We use a new approach to look for conserved regions of the RNA pol II of S. cerevisiae located at the surface of the structure of the complex, hypothesizing that they might be involved in the interaction with transcriptional regulators. We defined five different conserved domains and demonstrate that all of them make contact with transcriptional regulators. PMID:21922063

Finite element analysis of steady and transiently moving/rolling nonlinear viscoelastic structure. III - Impact/contact simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakajima, Yukio; Padovan, Joe

1987-01-01

In a three-part series of papers, a generalized finite element methodology is formulated to handle traveling load problems involving large deformation fields in structure composed of viscoelastic media. The main thrust of this paper is to develop an overall finite element methodology and associated solution algorithms to handle the transient aspects of moving problems involving contact impact type loading fields. Based on the methodology and algorithms formulated, several numerical experiments are considered. These include the rolling/sliding impact of tires with road obstructions.

34 CFR 106.34 - Access to classes and schools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... its students on the basis of sex. (1) Contact sports in physical education classes. This section does not prohibit separation of students by sex within physical education classes or activities during... major activity of which involves bodily contact. (2) Ability grouping in physical education classes...

Modeling of electric and heat processes in spot resistance welding of cross-wire steel bars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iatcheva, Ilona; Darzhanova, Denitsa; Manilova, Marina

2018-03-01

The aim of this work is the modeling of coupled electric and heat processes in a system for spot resistance welding of cross-wire reinforced steel bars. The real system geometry, dependences of material properties on the temperature, and changes of contact resistance and released power during the welding process have been taken into account in the study. The 3D analysis of the coupled AC electric and transient thermal field distributions is carried out using the finite element method. The novel feature is that the processes are modeled for several successive time stages, corresponding to the change of contact area, related contact resistance, and reduction of the released power, occurring simultaneously with the creation of contact between the workpieces. The values of contact resistance and power changes have been determined on the basis of preliminary experimental and theoretical investigations. The obtained results present the electric and temperature field distributions in the system. Special attention has been paid to the temperature evolution at specified observation points and lines in the contact area. The obtained information could be useful for clarification of the complicated nature of interrelated electric, thermal, mechanical, and physicochemical welding processes. Adequate modeling is also an opportunity for proper control and improvement of the system.

NPL-PAD (National Priorities List Publication Assistance Database) for Region 7

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

THIS DATA ASSET NO LONGER ACTIVE: This is metadata documentation for the National Priorities List (NPL) Publication Assistance Databsae (PAD), a Lotus Notes application that holds Region 7's universe of NPL site information such as site description, threats and contaminants, cleanup approach, environmental process, community involvement, site repository, and regional contacts. This database used to be updated annually, at different times for different NPLs, but it is currently no longer being used. This work fell under objectives for EPA's 2003-2008 Strategic Plan (Goal 3) for Land Preservation & Restoration, which are to clean up and reuse contaminated land.

Hydrodynamic skin-friction reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, Jason C. (Inventor); Bushnell, Dennis M. (Inventor); Weinstein, Leonard M. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

A process for reducing skin friction, inhibiting the effects of liquid turbulence, and decreasing heat transfer in a system involving flow of a liquid along a surface of a body includes applying a substantially integral sheet of a gas, e.g., air, immediately adjacent to the surface of the body, e.g., a marine vehicle, which has a longitudinally grooved surface in proximity with the liquid and with a surface material having high contact angle between the liquid and said wall to reduce interaction of the liquid, e.g., water, with the surface of the body, e.g., the hull of the marine vehicle.

Liver Biopsy

MedlinePlus

... Funding Current Funding Opportunities Research Programs & Contacts Human Subjects Research Funding Process Research Training & Career Development Funded ... Funding Current Funding Opportunities Research Programs & Contacts Human Subjects Research Funding Process Research Training & Career Development Funded ...

The Process of People Gold Mining in Paningkaban Village Banyumas Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muslihudin; Bambang, Azis Nur; Hendarto, Eko; Putranto, Thomas Triadi

2018-02-01

Gold mining in Paningkaban Banyumas conducted by the community is called the People gold mining. At the beginning, many miners from outside the region have involved and transferred of method, technic and knowledge about gold mining to local people. The aim of the study is to identify the existing process of public gold mining. The method of the study is qualitative by using observation and interview. The result showed that the mining process are: 1. Determining the location of mining well; in this determination there are two references; rational and intuition 2. Mining; at this stage, a deep well is drawn about 50-100 meters that leads vertically and horizontally. It is the most high-risk stage because of work accidents that occurred and potentially environment destruction. 3. Pulverization; this stage is classified as the lowest level of difficulty and risk, therefore in this work many woman included. 4. Rolling; in this stage involves enough technology, electrical mechanic and energy with the dynamo and using mercury that potentially contaminate environment. 5. Filtering; this stage is a quite risky because the workers contact directly with mercury. 6. Burning; is the shortest process to separate mercury with gold grains. 7. Sales to local buyer guided by the international gold market in every Thursday.

Seroprevalence of SARS coronavirus antibody in household contacts.

PubMed Central

Lee, C-C; Chen, S-Y; Chang, I-J; Tsai, P-C; Lu, T-C; Wu, P-L; Chen, W-J; Huang, L-M; Chang, S-C

2005-01-01

Between March and July 2003, 671 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) were diagnosed in Taiwan with a total of 84 fatalities. After the epidemic, a serological survey was conducted involving the asymptomatic household contacts. Household contacts of 13 index patients were enrolled in the study. Contact history and clinical symptoms of the household contacts were recorded by standardized questionnaires. Blood samples of patients and household contacts were collected at least 28 days after symptom onset in the index patients or household exposure in the contacts for SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) IgG testing. On the basis of this investigation, 29 persons (25 adults and 4 children) were identified as having had unprotected exposure to the index cases before infection-control practices were implemented. Laboratory evaluation of clinical specimens showed no evidence of transmission of SARS-CoV infection to any contacts. This investigation demonstrated that subclinical transmission among household contacts was low in the described setting. PMID:16274510

Men pressured and forced into sexual experience.

PubMed

Struckman-Johnson, C; Struckman-Johnson, D

1994-02-01

A predominantly heterosexual sample of 204 college men were asked to report incidents of pressured or forced sexual touch or intercourse since age 16. About 34% indicated they had received coercive sexual contact: 24% from women, 4% from men, and 6% from both sexes. Contact involved only sexual touching for 12% and intercourse for 22%. Sexual contact was pressured in 88% of the 81 reported incidents by tactics of persuasion, intoxication, threat of love withdrawal, and bribery. In 12% of the incidents, sexual contact was forced through physical restraint, physical intimidation, threat of harm, or harm. Contact was initiated by an acquaintance or intimate in 77% of incidents. The negative emotional impact of male contact was rated significantly higher than the impact of female contact. Men with and without coercion experience did not differ, however, for scale scores on sexual esteem, depression, and preoccupation. Interviews with 10 subjects revealed complex reactions to coercive male and female contact, including doubts about one's sexuality, resentment of unexpected or forceful contact, and fear of telling others about the event.

Analysis of Electrowetting Dynamics with Level Set Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jun Kwon; Hong, Jiwoo; Kang, Kwan Hyoung

2009-11-01

Electrowetting is a versatile tool to handle tiny droplets and forms a backbone of digital microfluidics. Numerical analysis is necessary to fully understand the dynamics of electrowetting, especially in designing electrowetting-based liquid lenses and reflective displays. We developed a numerical method to analyze the general contact-line problems, incorporating dynamic contact angle models. The method was applied to the analysis of spreading process of a sessile droplet for step input voltages in electrowetting. The result was compared with experimental data and analytical result which is based on the spectral method. It is shown that contact line friction significantly affects the contact line motion and the oscillation amplitude. The pinning process of contact line was well represented by including the hysteresis effect in the contact angle models.

Contact Kinetics in Fractal Macromolecules.

PubMed

Dolgushev, Maxim; Guérin, Thomas; Blumen, Alexander; Bénichou, Olivier; Voituriez, Raphaël

2015-11-13

We consider the kinetics of first contact between two monomers of the same macromolecule. Relying on a fractal description of the macromolecule, we develop an analytical method to compute the mean first contact time for various molecular sizes. In our theoretical description, the non-Markovian feature of monomer motion, arising from the interactions with the other monomers, is captured by accounting for the nonequilibrium conformations of the macromolecule at the very instant of first contact. This analysis reveals a simple scaling relation for the mean first contact time between two monomers, which involves only their equilibrium distance and the spectral dimension of the macromolecule, independently of its microscopic details. Our theoretical predictions are in excellent agreement with numerical stochastic simulations.

The integration of audio-tactile information is modulated by multimodal social interaction with physical contact in infancy.

PubMed

Tanaka, Yukari; Kanakogi, Yasuhiro; Kawasaki, Masahiro; Myowa, Masako

2018-04-01

Interaction between caregivers and infants is multimodal in nature. To react interactively and smoothly to such multimodal signals, infants must integrate all these signals. However, few empirical infant studies have investigated how multimodal social interaction with physical contact facilitates multimodal integration, especially regarding audio - tactile (A-T) information. By using electroencephalogram (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERPs), the present study investigated how neural processing involved in A-T integration is modulated by tactile interaction. Seven- to 8-months-old infants heard one pseudoword both whilst being tickled (multimodal 'A-T' condition), and not being tickled (unimodal 'A' condition). Thereafter, their EEG was measured during the perception of the same words. Compared to the A condition, the A-T condition resulted in enhanced ERPs and higher beta-band activity within the left temporal regions, indicating neural processing of A-T integration. Additionally, theta-band activity within the middle frontal region was enhanced, which may reflect enhanced attention to social information. Furthermore, differential ERPs correlated with the degree of engagement in the tickling interaction. We provide neural evidence that the integration of A-T information in infants' brains is facilitated through tactile interaction with others. Such plastic changes in neural processing may promote harmonious social interaction and effective learning in infancy. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Physics of direct-contact ultrasonic cloth drying process

DOE PAGES

Peng, Chang; Ravi, Saitej; Patel, Viral K.; ...

2017-02-27

Existing methods of drying fabrics involve energy-intensive thermal evaporation of moisture from clothes. Drying fabrics using high-frequency vibrations of piezoelectric transducers can substantially reduce drying time and energy consumption. In this method, vibrational energy generates instability on the liquid-air interface and mechanically ejects water from a wet fabric. For the first time, the physics of the ultrasonic fabric drying process in direct-contact mode is studied. The kinematic and thermal responses of water droplets and fabrics on piezoelectric crystal transducers and metal mesh–based transducers are studied. The results suggest that on piezoelectric crystal transducers, the response of a droplet subjected tomore » ultrasonic excitation is dictated by the relative magnitude of the surface tension and the ultrasonic excitation forces. The drying process for a fabric on the studied transducers consists of two regimes—vibrational and thermal. When the water content is high, the vibrational forces can eject bulk water rapidly. But the more strongly bound water within the smaller fabric pores evaporates by the thermal energy generated as a result of the viscous losses. Our study finds that a metal mesh–based transducer is more suitable for dewatering fabrics, as it facilitates the ejection of water from the fabric–transducer interface to the opposite side of the mesh. A demonstration unit developed consumes 10–20% of the water latent heat energy at water contents greater than 20%.« less

Physics of direct-contact ultrasonic cloth drying process

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

Peng, Chang; Ravi, Saitej; Patel, Viral K.

Existing methods of drying fabrics involve energy-intensive thermal evaporation of moisture from clothes. Drying fabrics using high-frequency vibrations of piezoelectric transducers can substantially reduce drying time and energy consumption. In this method, vibrational energy generates instability on the liquid-air interface and mechanically ejects water from a wet fabric. For the first time, the physics of the ultrasonic fabric drying process in direct-contact mode is studied. The kinematic and thermal responses of water droplets and fabrics on piezoelectric crystal transducers and metal mesh–based transducers are studied. The results suggest that on piezoelectric crystal transducers, the response of a droplet subjected tomore » ultrasonic excitation is dictated by the relative magnitude of the surface tension and the ultrasonic excitation forces. The drying process for a fabric on the studied transducers consists of two regimes—vibrational and thermal. When the water content is high, the vibrational forces can eject bulk water rapidly. But the more strongly bound water within the smaller fabric pores evaporates by the thermal energy generated as a result of the viscous losses. Our study finds that a metal mesh–based transducer is more suitable for dewatering fabrics, as it facilitates the ejection of water from the fabric–transducer interface to the opposite side of the mesh. A demonstration unit developed consumes 10–20% of the water latent heat energy at water contents greater than 20%.« less

Contact solution algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tielking, John T.

1989-01-01

Two algorithms for obtaining static contact solutions are described in this presentation. Although they were derived for contact problems involving specific structures (a tire and a solid rubber cylinder), they are sufficiently general to be applied to other shell-of-revolution and solid-body contact problems. The shell-of-revolution contact algorithm is a method of obtaining a point load influence coefficient matrix for the portion of shell surface that is expected to carry a contact load. If the shell is sufficiently linear with respect to contact loading, a single influence coefficient matrix can be used to obtain a good approximation of the contact pressure distribution. Otherwise, the matrix will be updated to reflect nonlinear load-deflection behavior. The solid-body contact algorithm utilizes a Lagrange multiplier to include the contact constraint in a potential energy functional. The solution is found by applying the principle of minimum potential energy. The Lagrange multiplier is identified as the contact load resultant for a specific deflection. At present, only frictionless contact solutions have been obtained with these algorithms. A sliding tread element has been developed to calculate friction shear force in the contact region of the rolling shell-of-revolution tire model.

Some practical considerations for economical back contact formation on high efficiency solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lesk, I. A.

1985-01-01

The back contact can detract from solar cell performance in a number of ways: high recombination, barrier, photovoltaic, minority carrier collection, resistance. These effects may act in a nonuniform fashion over the cell area, and complicate the analysis of photovoltaic performance aimed at a better understanding of the effects of device geometry and material and/or processing parameters. The back contact is tested by reproducing it on both sides of a substrate. The objective is to find a back contact which performs well as a back contact, can be applied cheaply to large area solar cells, fits well into a practical process sequence, does not introduce structural damage or undesirable impurities into the silicon substrate, is compatible with an effective front contact technology, permits low temperature solder contacting, adheres well to silicon, and is reliable.

The "Generacion Diez" after-school program and Latino parent involvement with schools.

PubMed

Riggs, Nathaniel R; Medina, Carmen

2005-11-01

The current study examines associations between participation in after-school programs and change in Latino parent involvement with schools. Hierarchical linear regression analyses demonstrated that parents of children who had higher after-school program attendance rates were significantly more likely to report increases in the quality of relationships with their children's teachers, frequency of parent-teacher contact, and engagement with their children's schooling over a two-year period. However, greater home educator contacts were related to decreases in quality and quantity of parent-school involvement. A primary implication is that attendance in school-based after-school programs may draw parents into children's regular-day school context. Editors' Strategic Implications The authors illustrate the promising practice of using after-school programs to promote parent involvement and to help integrate the often disparate family and school contexts for Latino children.

Chemical allergens stimulate human epidermal keratinocytes to produce lymphangiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor

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

Bae, Ok-Nam; Ahn, Seyeon; Jin, Sun Hee

2015-03-01

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a cell-mediated immune response that involves skin sensitization in response to contact with various allergens. Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis both play roles in the allergic sensitization process. Epidermal keratinocytes can produce vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in response to UV irradiation and during wound healing. However, the effect of haptenic chemical allergens on the VEGF production of human keratinocytes, which is the primary contact site of toxic allergens, has not been thoroughly researched. We systematically investigated whether immune-regulatory cytokines and chemical allergens would lead to the production of VEGF in normal human keratinocytes (NHKs) in culture.more » VEGF production significantly increased when NHKs were treated with IFNγ, IL-1α, IL-4, IL-6, IL-17A, IL-22 or TNFα. Among the human sensitizers listed in the OECD Test Guideline (TG) 429, we found that CMI/MI, DNCB, 4-phenylenediamine, cobalt chloride, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, citral, HCA, cinnamic alcohol, imidazolidinyl urea and nickel chloride all significantly upregulated VEGF production in NHKs. In addition, common human haptenic allergens such as avobenzone, formaldehyde and urushiol, also induced the keratinocyte-derived VEGF production. VEGF upregulation by pro-inflammatory stimuli, IFNγ, DNCB or formaldehyde is preceded by the production of IL-8, an acute inflammatory phase cytokine. Lymphangiogenic VEGF-C gene transcription was significantly increased when NHKs were treated with formaldehyde, DNCB or urushiol, while transcription of VEGF-A and VEGF-B did not change. Therefore, the chemical allergen-induced VEGF upregulation is mainly due to the increase in lymphangiogenic VEGF-C transcription in NHKs. These results suggest that keratinocyte-derived VEGF may regulate the lymphangiogenic process during the skin sensitization process of ACD. - Highlights: • Pro-inflammatory cytokines induced VEGF production in normal human keratinocytes (NHKs). • Chemical allergens stimulate NHKs to produce VEGF. • VEGF production is preceded by IL-8 production in NHKs. • IFNγ, DNCB and formaldehyde increase lymphangiogenic VEGF-C gene transcription. • VEGF production in NHKs may be a biomarker for the prediction of potential contact allergens.« less

Direct generation of superhydrophobic microstructures in metals by UV laser sources in the nanosecond regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ocaña, Jose L.; Jagdheesh, R.; García-Ballesteros, J. J.

2016-02-01

The current availability of new advanced fiber and DPSS lasers with characteristic pulse lengths ranging from ns to fs has provided a unique frame in which the development of laser-generated microstructures has been made possible for very diverse kinds of materials and applications. At the same time, the development of the appropriate laser-processing workstations granting the appropriate precision and repeatability of the respective laser interaction processes in line with the characteristic dimension features required in the microstructured samples has definitively consolidated laser surface microstructuring as a reference domain, nowadays, unavoidable for the design and manufacturing of current use microsystem: MEMSs, fluidic devices, advanced sensors, biomedical devices and instruments, etc., are all among the most well-known developments of the micromanufacturing technology. Completing the broad spectrum of applications developed mostly involving the generation of geometrical features on a subtrate with specific functional purposes, a relatively new, emerging class of laser-microstructuring techniques is finding an important niche of application in the generation of physically structured surfaces (particularly of metallic materials) with specific contact, friction, and wear functionalities, for whose generation the concourse of different types of laser sources is being found as an appropriate tool. In this paper, the application of laser sources with emission in the UV and at ns time regime to the surface structuration of metal surfaces (specifically Al) for the modification of their wettability properties is described as an attractive application basis for the generation of self-cleaning properties of extended functional surfaces. Flat aluminum sheets of thickness 100 μm were laser machined with ultraviolet laser pulses of 30 ns with different laser parameters to optimize the process parameters. The samples produced at the optimum conditions with respect to contact angle measurement were subjected to microstructure and chemical analysis. The wetting properties were evaluated by static contact angle measurements on the laser-patterned surface. The laser-patterned microstructures exhibited superhydrophobicity with a maximum contact angle of 180° for the droplet volumes in the range of 8-12 μl.

Occupational seafood allergy: a review

PubMed Central

Jeebhay, M; Robins, T; Lehrer, S; Lopata, A

2001-01-01

BACKGROUND—Recent years have seen increased levels of production and consumption of seafood, leading to more frequent reporting of allergic reactions in occupational and domestic settings. This review focuses on occupational allergy in the fishing and seafood processing industry.
REVIEW—Workers involved in either manual or automated processing of crabs, prawns, mussels, fish, and fishmeal production are commonly exposed to various constituents of seafood. Aerosolisation of seafood and cooking fluid during processing are potential occupational situations that could result in sensitisation through inhalation. There is great variability of aerosol exposure within and among various jobs with reported allergen concentrations ranging from 0.001 to 5.061(µg/m3). Occupational dermal exposure occurs as a result of unprotected handling of seafood and its byproducts. Occupational allergies have been reported in workers exposed to arthropods (crustaceans), molluscs, pisces (bony fish) and other agents derived from seafood. The prevalence of occupational asthma ranges from 7% to 36%, and for occupational protein contact dermatitis, from 3% to 11%. These health outcomes are mainly due to high molecular weight proteins in seafood causing an IgE mediated response. Cross reactivity between various species within a major seafood grouping also occurs. Limited evidence from dose-response relations indicate that development of symptoms is related to duration or intensity of exposure. The evidence for atopy as a risk factor for occupational sensitisation and asthma is supportive, whereas evidence for cigarette smoking is limited. Disruption of the intact skin barrier seems to be an important added risk factor for occupational protein contact dermatitis.
CONCLUSION—The range of allergic disease associated with occupational exposure to crab is well characterised, whereas for other seafood agents the evidence is somewhat limited. There is a need for further epidemiological studies to better characterise this risk. More detailed characterisation of specific protein antigens in aerosols and associated establishment of dose-response relations for acute and chronic exposure to seafood; the respective roles of skin contact and inhalational exposure in allergic sensitisation and cross reactivity; and the contribution of host associated factors in the development of occupational seafood allergies are important areas for future research.


Keywords: occupational seafood allergy; occupational asthma; protein contact dermatitis PMID:11511741

Study of industry requirements that can be fulfilled by combustion experimentation aboard space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Priem, Richard J.

1988-01-01

The purpose of this study is to define the requirements of commercially motivated microgravity combustion experiments and the optimal way for space station to accommodate these requirements. Representatives of commercial organizations, universities and government agencies were contacted. Interest in and needs for microgravity combustion studies are identified for commercial/industrial groups involved in fire safety with terrestrial applications, fire safety with space applications, propulsion and power, industrial burners, or pollution control. From these interests and needs experiments involving: (1) no flow with solid or liquid fuels; (2) homogeneous mixtures of fuel and air; (3) low flow with solid or liquid fuels; (4) low flow with gaseous fuel; (5) high pressure combustion; and (6) special burner systems are described and space station resource requirements for each type of experiment provided. Critical technologies involving the creation of a laboratory environment and methods for combining experimental needs into one experiment in order to obtain effective use of space station are discussed. Diagnostic techniques for monitoring combustion process parameters are identified.

76 FR 16459 - Prohibiting Exports Involving Libya by Executive Order

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-23

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2011-0064] Prohibiting Exports Involving Libya by Executive... prohibits any nuclear exports involving the Government of Libya. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Grace Kim... of Libya Suspended by Executive Order Under an Executive Order issued by the President on February 25...

Approaches of health caregivers to young children in a pediatric intensive care unit.

PubMed

Orsuto, J; Corbo, B H

1987-01-01

This study explored the frequency of health caregiver approaches to 12 toddlers and preschool children in a pediatric intensive care unit. Using a time-sampling methodology, 3 hours of observation per child were obtained; half occurred between 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. and half were between 7 P.M. and 7 A.M.. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Caregiver approaches involved either direct or indirect contact. Indirect contacts occurred three times more frequently than direct, with registered nurses initiating more contacts than any other caregivers. The greatest number of direct contacts were categorized as intrusive, while the least number were comforting contacts. The findings suggest that nurses are in optimal positions to promote rest and comforting contact for children in the pediatric intensive care unit.

Flexible, Carbon-Based Ohmic Contacts for Organic Transistors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandon, Erik

2005-01-01

A low-temperature process for fabricating flexible, ohmic contacts for use in organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) has been developed. Typical drainsource contact materials used previously for OTFTs include (1) vacuum-deposited noble-metal contacts and (2) solution-deposited intrinsically conducting molecular or polymeric contacts. Both of these approaches, however, have serious drawbacks.

Allergic contact dermatitis to indium in jewellery: diagnosis made possible through the use of the Contact Allergen Bank Australia.

PubMed

Gamboni, Sarah E; Simmons, Ivan; Palmer, Amanda; Nixon, Rosemary L

2013-05-01

We report a case of a 39-year-old woman from Adelaide who developed allergic contact dermatitis to the rare allergen indium in her ring. The allergen was sourced for patch testing using the Contact Allergen Bank Australia (CABA), based at the Skin and Cancer Foundation in Melbourne, and posted to Adelaide. This case illustrates the usefulness of CABA in facilitating patch testing throughout Australia, especially when rare allergens are involved. © 2013 The Authors. Australasian Journal of Dermatology © 2013 The Australasian College of Dermatologists.

Shooting quasiparticles from Andreev bound states in a superconducting constriction

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

Riwar, R.-P.; Houzet, M.; Meyer, J. S.

2014-12-15

A few-channel superconducting constriction provides a set of discrete Andreev bound states that may be populated with quasiparticles. Motivated by recent experimental research, we study the processes in an a.c. driven constriction whereby a quasiparticle is promoted to the delocalized states outside the superconducting gap and flies away. We distinguish two processes of this kind. In the process of ionization, a quasiparticle present in the Andreev bound state is transferred to the delocalized states leaving the constriction. The refill process involves two quasiparticles: one flies away while another one appears in the Andreev bound state. We notice an interesting asymmetrymore » of these processes. The electron-like quasiparticles are predominantly emitted to one side of the constriction while the hole-like ones are emitted to the other side. This produces a charge imbalance of accumulated quasiparticles, that is opposite on opposite sides of the junction. The imbalance may be detected with a tunnel contact to a normal metal lead.« less

Pi-Pi contacts are an overlooked protein feature relevant to phase separation

PubMed Central

Vernon, Robert McCoy; Chong, Paul Andrew; Tsang, Brian; Kim, Tae Hun; Bah, Alaji; Farber, Patrick; Lin, Hong

2018-01-01

Protein phase separation is implicated in formation of membraneless organelles, signaling puncta and the nuclear pore. Multivalent interactions of modular binding domains and their target motifs can drive phase separation. However, forces promoting the more common phase separation of intrinsically disordered regions are less understood, with suggested roles for multivalent cation-pi, pi-pi, and charge interactions and the hydrophobic effect. Known phase-separating proteins are enriched in pi-orbital containing residues and thus we analyzed pi-interactions in folded proteins. We found that pi-pi interactions involving non-aromatic groups are widespread, underestimated by force-fields used in structure calculations and correlated with solvation and lack of regular secondary structure, properties associated with disordered regions. We present a phase separation predictive algorithm based on pi interaction frequency, highlighting proteins involved in biomaterials and RNA processing. PMID:29424691

Detoxification of biomass derived acetate via metabolic conversion to ethanol, acetone, isopropanol, or ethyl acetate

DOEpatents

Sillers, William Ryan; Van Dijken, Hans; Licht, Steve; Shaw, IV, Arthur J.; Gilbert, Alan Benjamin; Argyros, Aaron; Froehlich, Allan C.; McBride, John E.; Xu, Haowen; Hogsett, David A.; Rajgarhia, Vineet B.

2017-03-28

One aspect of the invention relates to a genetically modified thermophilic or mesophilic microorganism, wherein a first native gene is partially, substantially, or completely deleted, silenced, inactivated, or down-regulated, which first native gene encodes a first native enzyme involved in the metabolic production of an organic acid or a salt thereof, thereby increasing the native ability of said thermophilic or mesophilic microorganism to produce lactate or acetate as a fermentation product. In certain embodiments, the aforementioned microorganism further comprises a first non-native gene, which first non-native gene encodes a first non-native enzyme involved in the metabolic production of lactate or acetate. Another aspect of the invention relates to a process for converting lignocellulosic biomass to lactate or acetate, comprising contacting lignocellulosic biomass with a genetically modified thermophilic or mesophilic microorganism.

Business as a Site of Language Contact.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Sandra; Bargiela-Chiappini, Francesca

2003-01-01

Discusses the field of language for business. Argues for redressing the balance of research into business as a site of language contact in favor of less well-represented languages and cultures through indigenous discourse studies, and notes the increasing frequency and importance of work involving Asian languages. (Author/VWL)

ICAM-1 mediates surface contact between neutrophils and keratocytes following corneal epithelial abrasion in the mouse

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corneal epithelial abrasion elicits an inflammatory response involving neutrophil (PMN) recruitment from the limbal vessels into the corneal stroma. These migrating PMNs make surface contact with collagen and stromal keratocytes. Using mice deficient in PMN integrin CD18, we previously showed that P...

Surface density of accumulated electrons on walls in contact with a plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

De, B. R.

1975-01-01

It is shown that the surface density of accumulated electrons on a wall in contact with a plasma can be expressed as a simple function of the Debye shielding distance in the plasma. The result may have applications to problems involving objects immersed in a space plasma.

40 CFR 29.9 - How does the Administrator receive and respond to comments?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... State office or official is designated to act as a single point of contact between a State process and... program selected under § 29.6. (b) The single point of contact is not obligated to transmit comments from.... However, if a State process recommendation is transmitted by a single point of contact, all comments from...

A Study on Ohmic Contact to Dry-Etched p-GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Cheng-Yu; Ao, Jin-Ping; Okada, Masaya; Ohno, Yasuo

Low-power dry-etching process has been adopted to study the influence of dry-etching on Ohmic contact to p-GaN. When the surface layer of as-grown p-GaN was removed by low-power SiCl4/Cl2-etching, no Ohmic contact can be formed on the low-power dry-etched p-GaN. The same dry-etching process was also applied on n-GaN to understand the influence of the low-power dry-etching process. By capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurement, the Schottky barrier heights (SBHs) of p-GaN and n-GaN were measured. By comparing the change of measured SBHs on p-GaN and n-GaN, it was suggested that etching damage is not the only reason responsible for the degraded Ohmic contacts to dry-etched p-GaN and for Ohmic contact formatin, the original surface layer of as-grown p-GaN have some special properties, which were removed by dry-etching process. To partially recover the original surface of as-grown p-GaN, high temperature annealing (1000°C 30s) was tried on the SiCl4/Cl2-etched p-GaN and Ohmic contact was obtained.

Podiatric involvement in multidisciplinary falls-prevention clinics in Australia.

PubMed

Menz, Hylton B; Hill, Keith D

2007-01-01

Falls in older people are a major public health problem, and there is increasing evidence that foot problems and inappropriate footwear increase the risk of falls. Several multidisciplinary prevention clinics have been established to address the problem of falls; however, the role of podiatry in these clinics has not been clearly defined. The aims of this study were to determine the level of podiatric involvement in multidisciplinary falls clinics in Australia and to describe the assessments undertaken and interventions provided by podiatrists in these settings. A database of falls clinics was developed through consultation with departments of health in each state and territory. Clinic managers were contacted and surveyed as to whether the clinic incorporated podiatry services. If so, the podiatrists were contacted and asked to complete a brief questionnaire regarding their level of involvement and the assessment procedures and interventions offered. Of the 36 clinics contacted, 25 completed the survey. Only four of these clinics reported direct podiatric involvement. Despite the limited involvement of podiatry in these clinics, all of the clinic managers stated that they considered podiatry to have an important role to play in falls prevention. Podiatry service provision in falls clinics varied considerably in relation to eligibility criteria, assessments undertaken, and interventions provided. Despite the recognition that foot problems and inappropriate footwear are risk factors for falls, podiatry currently has a relatively minor and poorly defined role in multidisciplinary falls-prevention clinics in Australia.

Solar Cell Nanotechnology Final Technical Report

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

Das, Biswajit

2014-05-07

The objective of this project is to develop a low cost nonlithographic nanofabrication technology for the fabrication of thin film porous templates as well as uniform arrays of semiconductor nanostructures for the implementation of high efficiency solar cells. Solar cells based on semiconductor nanostructures are expected to have very high energy conversion efficiencies due to the increased absorption coefficients of semiconductor nanostructures. In addition, the thin film porous template can be used for optimum surface texturing of solar cells leading to additional enhancement in energy conversion efficiency. An important requirement for these applications is the ability to synthesize nanostructure arraysmore » of different dimensions with good size control. This project employed nanoporous alumina templates created by the anodization of aluminum thin films deposited on glass substrates for the fabrication of the nanostructures and optimized the process parameters to obtain uniform pore diameters. An additional requirement is uniformity or regularity of the nanostructure arrays. While constant current anodization was observed to provide controlled pore diameters, constant voltage anodization was needed for regularity of the nanostructure arrays. Thus a two-step anodization process was investigated and developed in this project for improving the pore size distribution and pore periodicity of the nanoporous alumina templates. CdTe was selected to be the active material for the nanowires, and the process for the successful synthesis of CdTe nanowires was developed in this project. Two different synthesis approaches were investigated in this project, electrochemical and electrophoretic deposition. While electrochemical synthesis was successfully employed for the synthesis of nanowires inside the pores of the alumina templates, the technique was determined to be non-optimum due to the need of elevated temperature that is detrimental to the structural integrity of the nanoporous alumina templates. In order to eliminate this problem, electrophoretic deposition was selected as the more appropriate technique, which involves the guided deposition of semiconductor nanoparticles in the presence of ultrasonic energy to form the crystalline nanowires. Extensive experimental research was carried out to optimize the process parameters for formation of crystalline nanowires. It was observed that the environmental bath temperature plays a critical role in determining the structural integrity of the nanowires and hence their lengths. Investigation was carried out for the formation of semitransparent ohmic contacts on the nanowires to facilitate photocurrent spectroscopy measurements as well as for solar cell implementation. Formation of such ohmic contacts was found to be challenging and a process involving mechanical and electrochemical polishing was developed to facilitate such contacts. The use of nanoporous alumina templates for the surface texturing of mono- and multi-crystalline solar cells was extensively investigated by electrochemical etching of the silicon through the pores of the nanoporous templates. The processes for template formation as well as etching were optimized and the alumina/silicon interface was investigated using capacitance-voltage characterization. The process developed was found to be viable for improving solar cell performance.« less

The Effect of Different Repeated-High-Intensity-Effort Bouts on Subsequent Running, Skill Performance, and Neuromuscular Function.

PubMed

Johnston, Rich D; Gabbett, Tim J; Jenkins, David G; Speranza, Michael J

2016-04-01

To assess the impact of different repeated-high-intensity-effort (RHIE) bouts on player activity profiles, skill involvements, and neuromuscular fatigue during small-sided games. 22 semiprofessional rugby league players (age 24.0 ± 1.8 y, body mass 95.6 ± 7.4 kg). During 4 testing sessions, they performed RHIE bouts that each differed in the combination of contact and running efforts, followed by a 5-min off-side small-sided game before performing a second bout of RHIE activity and another 5-min small-sided game. Global positioning system microtechnology and video recordings provided information on activity profiles and skill involvements. A countermovement jump and a plyometric push-up assessed changes in lower- and upper-body neuromuscular function after each session. After running-dominant RHIE bouts, players maintained running intensities during both games. In the contact-dominant RHIE bouts, reductions in moderate-speed activity were observed from game 1 to game 2 (ES = -0.71 to -1.06). There was also moderately lower disposal efficiency across both games after contact-dominant RHIE activity compared with running-dominant activity (ES = 0.62-1.02). Greater reductions in lower-body fatigue occurred as RHIE bouts became more running dominant (ES = -0.01 to -1.36), whereas upper-body fatigue increased as RHIE bouts became more contact dominant (ES = -0.07 to -1.55). Physical contact causes reductions in running intensity and the quality of skill involvements during game-based activities. In addition, the neuromuscular fatigue experienced by players is specific to the activities performed.

40 CFR 463.11 - Specialized definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... AND STANDARDS PLASTICS MOLDING AND FORMING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Contact Cooling and Heating Water... process operates. The “average process water usage flow rate” for a plant with more than one plastics... process and comes in contact with the plastic product over a period of one year. ...

Modified Acyl-ACP desaturase

DOEpatents

Cahoon, Edgar B.; Shanklin, John; Lindqvist, Ylva; Schneider, Gunter

1999-03-30

Disclosed is a method for modifying the chain length and double bond positional specificities of a soluble plant fatty acid desaturase. More specifically, the method involves modifying amino acid contact residues in the substrate binding channel of the soluble fatty acid desaturase which contact the fatty acid. Specifically disclosed is the modification of an acyl-ACP desaturase. Amino acid contact residues which lie within the substrate binding channel are identified, and subsequently replaced with different residues to effect the modification of activity.

Modified acyl-ACP desaturase

DOEpatents

Cahoon, Edgar B.; Shanklin, John; Lindgvist, Ylva; Schneider, Gunter

1998-01-06

Disclosed is a methods for modifying the chain length and double bond positional specificities of a soluble plant fatty acid desaturase. More specifically, the method involves modifying amino acid contact residues in the substrate binding channel of the soluble fatty acid desaturase which contact the fatty acid. Specifically disclosed is the modification of an acyl-ACP desaturase. Amino acid contact residues which lie within the substrate binding channel are identified, and subsequently replaced with different residues to effect the modification of activity.

Infection-induced regulation of NK cells by macrophages and collagen at the lymph node subcapsular sinus

PubMed Central

Coombes, Janine L.; Han, Seong-Ji; van Rooijen, Nico; Raulet, David H.; Robey, Ellen A.

2012-01-01

Summary Infection leads to heightened activation of natural killer (NK) cells, a process that likely involves direct cell-to-cell contact, but how this occurs in vivo is poorly understood. We have used two-photon laser-scanning microscopy in conjunction with Toxoplasma gondii-mouse infection models to address this question. We found that NK cells accumulated in the subcapsular region of the lymph node following infection where they formed low motility contacts with collagen fibers and CD169+ macrophages. We provide evidence that interactions with collagen regulate NK cell migration, whereas CD169+ macrophages increase the activation state of NK cells. Interestingly, a subset of CD169+ macrophages that co-express the inflammatory monocyte marker Ly6C had the most potent ability to activate NK cells. Our data reveal pathways through which NK cell migration and function are regulated following infection, and identify an important accessory cell population for activation of NK cell responses in lymph nodes. PMID:22840403

Papaya Seeds as A Low-Cost Sorbent for Removing Cr(VI) from The Aqueous Solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmawati, Atik; Marwoto, Putut; Karunia Z, Anita

2016-08-01

The presence of chromium (VI) contaminants and their toxicity in aqueous streams important environmental problems. Adsorption is one of the effective techniques that can be used for removing metal from wastewater. This research was initiated by preparing sorbent from papaya seeds and determining its functional group contents by using FT-IR. The adsorption process was carried out in a batch method. The study of adsorption aspects involved the pH, initial Cr (VI) concentration and contact time between Cr (VI) and sorbent. FT IR analysis results showed that the main functional groups are carbonyl, hydroxyl, and carboxylic. It was also found that the effective pH for Cr (VI) uptake is 2.0 and increasing contact time would increase the Cr (VI) uptake. In addition, the equilibrium was reached after 40 minutes interaction and the increase of initial chromium (VI) concentration would increase the sorbent uptake percentage. All these results indicated that papaya seed is a potential sorbent for removing Cr (VI) from aqueous solutions.

Inter-cellular forces orchestrate contact inhibition of locomotion.

PubMed

Davis, John R; Luchici, Andrei; Mosis, Fuad; Thackery, James; Salazar, Jesus A; Mao, Yanlan; Dunn, Graham A; Betz, Timo; Miodownik, Mark; Stramer, Brian M

2015-04-09

Contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL) is a multifaceted process that causes many cell types to repel each other upon collision. During development, this seemingly uncoordinated reaction is a critical driver of cellular dispersion within embryonic tissues. Here, we show that Drosophila hemocytes require a precisely orchestrated CIL response for their developmental dispersal. Hemocyte collision and subsequent repulsion involves a stereotyped sequence of kinematic stages that are modulated by global changes in cytoskeletal dynamics. Tracking actin retrograde flow within hemocytes in vivo reveals synchronous reorganization of colliding actin networks through engagement of an inter-cellular adhesion. This inter-cellular actin-clutch leads to a subsequent build-up in lamellar tension, triggering the development of a transient stress fiber, which orchestrates cellular repulsion. Our findings reveal that the physical coupling of the flowing actin networks during CIL acts as a mechanotransducer, allowing cells to haptically sense each other and coordinate their behaviors. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Novel microscopy-based screening method reveals regulators of contact-dependent intercellular transfer

PubMed Central

Michael Frei, Dominik; Hodneland, Erlend; Rios-Mondragon, Ivan; Burtey, Anne; Neumann, Beate; Bulkescher, Jutta; Schölermann, Julia; Pepperkok, Rainer; Gerdes, Hans-Hermann; Kögel, Tanja

2015-01-01

Contact-dependent intercellular transfer (codeIT) of cellular constituents can have functional consequences for recipient cells, such as enhanced survival and drug resistance. Pathogenic viruses, prions and bacteria can also utilize this mechanism to spread to adjacent cells and potentially evade immune detection. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying this intercellular transfer process. Here, we present a novel microscopy-based screening method to identify regulators and cargo of codeIT. Single donor cells, carrying fluorescently labelled endocytic organelles or proteins, are co-cultured with excess acceptor cells. CodeIT is quantified by confocal microscopy and image analysis in 3D, preserving spatial information. An siRNA-based screening using this method revealed the involvement of several myosins and small GTPases as codeIT regulators. Our data indicates that cellular protrusions and tubular recycling endosomes are important for codeIT. We automated image acquisition and analysis to facilitate large-scale chemical and genetic screening efforts to identify key regulators of codeIT. PMID:26271723

The detrimental influence of attention on time-to-contact perception.

PubMed

Baurès, Robin; Balestra, Marianne; Rosito, Maxime; VanRullen, Rufin

2018-04-23

To which extent is attention necessary to estimate the time-to-contact (TTC) of a moving object, that is, determining when the object will reach a specific point? While numerous studies have aimed at determining the visual cues and gaze strategy that allow this estimation, little is known about if and how attention is involved or required in this process. To answer this question, we carried out an experiment in which the participants estimated the TTC of a moving ball, either alone (single-task condition) or concurrently with a Rapid Serial Visual Presentation task embedded within the ball (dual-task condition). The results showed that participants had a better estimation when attention was driven away from the TTC task. This suggests that drawing attention away from the TTC estimation limits cognitive interference, intrusion of knowledge, or expectations that significantly modify the visually-based TTC estimation, and argues in favor of a limited attention to correctly estimate the TTC.

The FDA role in contact lens development and safety.

PubMed

Lippman, R E

1990-01-01

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) exercises a multifaceted role in fulfilling its mission of enforcing the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (Act), functioning not only as industry regulator and consumer protector, but also as scientific advisor and consumer educator regarding medical devices, drugs, foods, cosmetics, and veterinary medicine. Medical devices are regulated within the Center for Devices and Radiological Health. Contact lenses are regulated under the authority of the medical device amendments. The Center is responsible for promulgating regulations, publishing guidelines, and developing written guidance in enforcing the Act, and also for guiding manufacturers of medical devices in safe and effective product development. Other components deal with the compliance of manufacturers with the marketing of medical devices within the meaning of the Act, and through labeling requirements of the Act and consumer education and informational activities. As for contact lenses, the process of updating product development regulations and guidelines is an ongoing activity. The most recent version of the Contact Lens Guideline Document, issued in April 1988, contains two major revisions involving preclinical and clinical testing. The first redefines plastics into one materials category, thus reducing testing requirements with respect to animal toxicology studies and other preclinical areas. The second revision restricts clinical testing requirements to allow confirmatory trials in applications for new daily wear lenses. The intention was to maintain the ability of studies to detect major material or design flaws in lenses, thus boosting confidence in their performance while eliminating unnecessary trials.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Video methods in the quantification of children's exposures.

PubMed

Ferguson, Alesia C; Canales, Robert A; Beamer, Paloma; Auyeung, Willa; Key, Maya; Munninghoff, Amy; Lee, Kevin Tse-Wing; Robertson, Alexander; Leckie, James O

2006-05-01

In 1994, Stanford University's Exposure Research Group (ERG) conducted its first pilot study to collect micro-level activity time series (MLATS) data for young children. The pilot study involved videotaping four children of farm workers in the Salinas Valley of California and converting their videotaped activities to valuable text files of contact behavior using video-translation techniques. These MLATS are especially useful for describing intermittent dermal (i.e., second-by-second account of surfaces and objects contacted) and non-dietary ingestion (second-by-second account of objects or hands placed in the mouth) contact behavior. Second-by-second records of children contact behavior are amenable to quantitative and statistical analysis and allow for more accurate model estimates of human exposure and dose to environmental contaminants. Activity patterns data for modeling inhalation exposure (i.e., accounts of microenvironments visited) can also be extracted from the MLATS data. Since the pilot study, ERG has collected an immense MLATS data set for 92 children using more developed and refined videotaping and video-translation methodologies. This paper describes all aspects required for the collection of MLATS including: subject recruitment techniques, videotaping and video-translation processes, and potential data analysis. This paper also describes the quality assurance steps employed for these new MLATS projects, including: training, data management, and the application of interobserver and intraobserver agreement during video translation. The discussion of these issues and ERG's experiences in dealing with them can assist other groups in the conduct of research that employs these more quantitative techniques.

Isotherm Modelling, Kinetic Study and Optimization of Batch Parameters Using Response Surface Methodology for Effective Removal of Cr(VI) Using Fungal Biomass

PubMed Central

Chidambaram, Ramalingam

2015-01-01

Biosorption is a promising alternative method to replace the existing conventional technique for Cr(VI) removal from the industrial effluent. In the present experimental design, the removal of Cr(VI) from the aqueous solution was studied by Aspergillus niger MSR4 under different environmental conditions in the batch systems. The optimum conditions of biosorption were determined by investigating pH (2.0) and temperature (27°C). The effects of parameters such as biomass dosage (g/L), initial Cr(VI) concentration (mg/L) and contact time (min) on Cr(VI) biosorption were analyzed using a three parameter Box–Behnken design (BBD). The experimental data well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm, in comparison to the other isotherm models tested. The results of the D-R isotherm model suggested that a chemical ion-exchange mechanism was involved in the biosorption process. The biosorption process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, which indicates that the rate limiting step is chemisorption process. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic studies revealed the possible involvement of functional groups, such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, amino and carbonyl group in the biosorption process. The thermodynamic parameters for Cr(VI) biosorption were also calculated, and the negative ∆Gº values indicated the spontaneous nature of biosorption process. PMID:25786227

Parent Involvement Affects Children's Cognitive Growth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irvine, David J.; And Others

As part of a longitudinal study of the New York State Experimental Prekindergarten Program, the effect of degree of parental involvement in the program on children's cognitive development was examined. Parent involvement included employment in the program, school visits, home visits by school personnel, group meetings, and incidental contacts such…

The Role of Parents in College Students' Sociopolitical Awareness, Academic, and Social Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harper, Casandra E.; Sax, Linda J.; Wolf, De'Sha S.

2012-01-01

This study examined the relationship between parental contact (frequency of student-parent communication) and involvement (parents' interest and/or involvement in students' academic progress and decision-making) with college students' personal, social, and academic development. Parental involvement accounted for over two-thirds of the significant…

Cortical integrity of the inferior alveolar canal as a predictor of paresthesia after third-molar extraction.

PubMed

Park, Wonse; Choi, Ji-Wook; Kim, Jae-Young; Kim, Bong-Chul; Kim, Hyung Jun; Lee, Sang-Hwy

2010-03-01

Paresthesia is a well-known complication of extraction of mandibular third molars (MTMs). The authors evaluated the relationship between paresthesia after MTM extraction and the cortical integrity of the inferior alveolar canal (IAC) by using computed tomography (CT). The authors designed a retrospective cohort study involving participants considered, on the basis of panoramic imaging, to be at high risk of experiencing injury of the inferior alveolar nerve who subsequently underwent CT imaging and extraction of the MTMs. The primary predictor variable was the contact relationship between the IAC and the MTM as viewed on a CT image, classified into three groups: group 1, no contact; group 2, contact between the MTM and the intact IAC cortex; group 3, contact between the MTM and the interrupted IAC cortex. The secondary predictor variable was the number of CT image slices showing the cortical interruption around the MTM. The outcome variable was the presence or absence of postoperative paresthesia after MTM extraction. The study sample comprised 179 participants who underwent MTM extraction (a total of 259 MTMs). Their mean age was 23.6 years, and 85 (47.5 percent) were male. The overall prevalence of paresthesia was 4.2 percent (11 of 259 teeth). The prevalence of paresthesia in group 3 (involving an interrupted IAC cortex) was 11.8 percent (10 of 85 cases), while for group 2 (involving an intact IAC cortex) and group 1 (involving no contact) it was 1.0 percent (1 of 98 cases) and 0.0 percent (no cases), respectively. The frequency of nerve damage increased with the number of CT image slices showing loss of cortical integrity (P=.043). The results of this study indicate that loss of IAC cortical integrity is associated with an increased risk of experiencing paresthesia after MTM extraction.

Eutectic Contact Inks for Solar Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, B.

1985-01-01

Low-resistance electrical contacts formed on solar cells by melting powders of eutectic composition of semiconductor and dopant. Process improves cell performance without subjecting cell to processing temperatures high enough to degrade other characteristics.

Simulation and characterization of a laterally-driven inertial micro-switch

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

Chen, Wenguo; Wang, Yang; Wang, Huiying

2015-04-15

A laterally-driven inertial micro-switch was designed and fabricated using surface micromachining technology. The dynamic response process was simulated by ANSYS software, which revealed the vibration process of movable electrode when the proof mass is shocked by acceleration in sensitive direction. The test results of fabricated inertial micro-switches with and without anti-shock beams indicated that the contact process of micro-switch with anti-shock beams is more reliable than the one without anti-shock beams. The test results indicated that three contact signals had been observed in the contact process of the inertial switch without anti-shock beams, and only one contact signal in themore » inertial switch with anti-shock beams, which demonstrated that the anti-shock beams can effectively constrain the vibration in non-sensitive direction.« less

Composition, apparatus, and process, for sorption of gaseous compounds of group II-VII elements

DOEpatents

Tom, Glenn M.; McManus, James V.; Luxon, Bruce A.

1991-08-06

Scavenger compositions are disclosed, which have utility for effecting the sorptive removal of hazardous gases containing Group II-VII elements of the Periodic Table, such as are widely encountered in the manufacture of semiconducting materials and semiconductor devices. Gas sorption processes including the contacting of Group II-VII gaseous compounds with such scavenger compositions are likewise disclosed, together with critical space velocity contacting conditions pertaining thereto. Further described are gas contacting apparatus, including mesh structures which may be deployed in gas contacting vessels containing such scavenger compositions, to prevent solids from being introduced to or discharged from the contacting vessel in the gas stream undergoing treatment. A reticulate heat transfer structure also is disclosed, for dampening localized exothermic reaction fronts when gas mixtures comprising Group II-VII constituents are contacted with the scavenger compositions in bulk sorption contacting vessels according to the invention.

Disease-avoidance processes and stigmatization: cues of substandard health arouse heightened discomfort with physical contact.

PubMed

Park, Justin H; van Leeuwen, Florian; Chochorelou, Ypapanti

2013-01-01

An evolutionary approach to stigmatization suggests that disease-avoidance processes contribute to some instances of social exclusion. Disease-avoidance processes are over-inclusive, targeting even non-threatening individuals who display cues of substandard health. We investigated whether such cues motivate avoidance of physical contact in particular. In Studies 1 and 2, targets with disease (e.g., leprosy) or atypical morphologies (e.g., amputated leg, obesity) were found to arouse differentially heightened discomfort with physical (versus nonphysical) contact, whereas a criminal target (stigmatized for disease-irrelevant reasons) was found to arouse elevated discomfort for both types of contact. Study 3 used a between-subjects design that eliminated the influence of extraneous factors. A diseased target was found to arouse differentially heightened discomfort with physical (versus nonphysical) contact, and to do so more strongly than any other type of target.

Perception of Emotional Facial Expressions in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) at Behavioural and Brain Metabolic Level

PubMed Central

Aho-Özhan, Helena E. A.; Keller, Jürgen; Heimrath, Johanna; Uttner, Ingo; Kassubek, Jan; Birbaumer, Niels; Ludolph, Albert C.; Lulé, Dorothée

2016-01-01

Introduction Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) primarily impairs motor abilities but also affects cognition and emotional processing. We hypothesise that subjective ratings of emotional stimuli depicting social interactions and facial expressions is changed in ALS. It was found that recognition of negative emotions and ability to mentalize other’s intentions is reduced. Methods Processing of emotions in faces was investigated. A behavioural test of Ekman faces expressing six basic emotions was presented to 30 ALS patients and 29 age-, gender and education matched healthy controls. Additionally, a subgroup of 15 ALS patients that were able to lie supine in the scanner and 14 matched healthy controls viewed the Ekman faces during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Affective state and a number of daily social contacts were measured. Results ALS patients recognized disgust and fear less accurately than healthy controls. In fMRI, reduced brain activity was seen in areas involved in processing of negative emotions replicating our previous results. During processing of sad faces, increased brain activity was seen in areas associated with social emotions in right inferior frontal gyrus and reduced activity in hippocampus bilaterally. No differences in brain activity were seen for any of the other emotional expressions. Inferior frontal gyrus activity for sad faces was associated with increased amount of social contacts of ALS patients. Conclusion ALS patients showed decreased brain and behavioural responses in processing of disgust and fear and an altered brain response pattern for sadness. The negative consequences of neurodegenerative processes in the course of ALS might be counteracted by positive emotional activity and positive social interactions. PMID:27741285

Coated substrates and process

DOEpatents

Chu, Wei-kan; Childs, Charles B.

1991-01-01

Disclosed herein is a coated substrate and a process for forming films on substrates and for providing a particularly smooth film on a substrate. The method of this invention involves subjecting a surface of a substrate to contact with a stream of ions of an inert gas having sufficient force and energy to substantially change the surface characteristics of said substrate, and then exposing a film-forming material to a stream of ions of an inert gas having sufficient energy to vaporize the atoms of said film-forming material and to transmit the vaporized atoms to the substrate surface with sufficient force to form a film bonded to the substrate. This process is particularly useful commercially because it forms strong bonds at room temperature. This invention is particularly useful for adhering a gold film to diamond and forming ohmic electrodes on diamond, but also can be used to bond other films to substrates.

Adoption: biological and social processes linked to adaptation.

PubMed

Grotevant, Harold D; McDermott, Jennifer M

2014-01-01

Children join adoptive families through domestic adoption from the public child welfare system, infant adoption through private agencies, and international adoption. Each pathway presents distinctive developmental opportunities and challenges. Adopted children are at higher risk than the general population for problems with adaptation, especially externalizing, internalizing, and attention problems. This review moves beyond the field's emphasis on adoptee-nonadoptee differences to highlight biological and social processes that affect adaptation of adoptees across time. The experience of stress, whether prenatal, postnatal/preadoption, or during the adoption transition, can have significant impacts on the developing neuroendocrine system. These effects can contribute to problems with physical growth, brain development, and sleep, activating cascading effects on social, emotional, and cognitive development. Family processes involving contact between adoptive and birth family members, co-parenting in gay and lesbian adoptive families, and racial socialization in transracially adoptive families affect social development of adopted children into adulthood.

Blinking characterization from high speed video records. Application to biometric authentication

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

The evaluation of eye blinking has been used for the diagnosis of neurological disorders and fatigue. Despite the extensive literature, no objective method has been found to analyze its kinematic and dynamic behavior. A non-contact technique based on the high-speed recording of the light reflected by the eyelid in the blinking process and the off-line processing of the sequence is presented. It allows for objectively determining the start and end of a blink, besides obtaining different physical magnitudes: position, speed, eyelid acceleration as well as the power, work and mechanical impulse developed by the muscles involved in the physiological process. The parameters derived from these magnitudes provide a unique set of features that can be used to biometric authentication. This possibility has been tested with a limited number of subjects with a correct identification rate of up to 99.7%, thus showing the potential application of the method. PMID:29734389

Fabrication of an Aluminum Based Hot Electron Mixer for Terahertz Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Echternach, P. M.; LeDuc, H. G.; Skalare, A.; McGrath, W. R.

2000-01-01

Aluminum based diffusion cooled hot electron bolometers (HEB) mixers, predicted to have better noise, bandwidth and to require less LO power than Nb based diffusion cooled HEBs, have been fabricated. Preliminary DC tests were performed. The bolometer elements consisted of short (0.1 to 0.3 micron), narrow (0.08 to 0. 15 micron) and thin (11 nm) aluminum wires connected to large contact pads consisting of a novel trilayer Al/Ti/Au. The patterns were defined by electron beam lithography and the metal deposition involved a double angle process, the Aluminum wires being deposited straight on and the pads being deposited at a 45 degree angle without breaking vacuum. The Al/Ti/Au trilayer was developed to provide a way of making contact between the aluminum wire and the gold antenna. The Titanium layer acts as a diffusion barrier to avoid damage of the Aluminum contact and bolometer wire and to lower the transition temperature of the pads to below that of the bolometer wire. The Au layer avoids the formation of an oxide on the Ti layer and provides good electrical contact to the IF/antenna structure. The resistance of the bolometers as a function of temperature was measured. It is clear that below the transition temperature of the wire (1.8K) but above the transition temperature of the contact pads (0.6K), the proximity effect drives most of the bolometer wire normal, causing a very broad transition. This effect should not affect the performance of the bolometers since they will be operated at a temperature below the TC of the pads. This is evident from the IV characteristics measured at 0.3K. RF characterization tests will begin shortly.

Continuous non-contact vital sign monitoring in neonatal intensive care unit

PubMed Central

Guazzi, Alessandro; Jorge, João; Davis, Sara; Watkinson, Peter; Green, Gabrielle; Shenvi, Asha; McCormick, Kenny; Tarassenko, Lionel

2014-01-01

Current technologies to allow continuous monitoring of vital signs in pre-term infants in the hospital require adhesive electrodes or sensors to be in direct contact with the patient. These can cause stress, pain, and also damage the fragile skin of the infants. It has been established previously that the colour and volume changes in superficial blood vessels during the cardiac cycle can be measured using a digital video camera and ambient light, making it possible to obtain estimates of heart rate or breathing rate. Most of the papers in the literature on non-contact vital sign monitoring report results on adult healthy human volunteers in controlled environments for short periods of time. The authors' current clinical study involves the continuous monitoring of pre-term infants, for at least four consecutive days each, in the high-dependency care area of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. The authors have further developed their video-based, non-contact monitoring methods to obtain continuous estimates of heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation for infants nursed in incubators. In this Letter, it is shown that continuous estimates of these three parameters can be computed with an accuracy which is clinically useful. During stable sections with minimal infant motion, the mean absolute error between the camera-derived estimates of heart rate and the reference value derived from the ECG is similar to the mean absolute error between the ECG-derived value and the heart rate value from a pulse oximeter. Continuous non-contact vital sign monitoring in the NICU using ambient light is feasible, and the authors have shown that clinically important events such as a bradycardia accompanied by a major desaturation can be identified with their algorithms for processing the video signal. PMID:26609384

Continuous non-contact vital sign monitoring in neonatal intensive care unit.

PubMed

Villarroel, Mauricio; Guazzi, Alessandro; Jorge, João; Davis, Sara; Watkinson, Peter; Green, Gabrielle; Shenvi, Asha; McCormick, Kenny; Tarassenko, Lionel

2014-09-01

Current technologies to allow continuous monitoring of vital signs in pre-term infants in the hospital require adhesive electrodes or sensors to be in direct contact with the patient. These can cause stress, pain, and also damage the fragile skin of the infants. It has been established previously that the colour and volume changes in superficial blood vessels during the cardiac cycle can be measured using a digital video camera and ambient light, making it possible to obtain estimates of heart rate or breathing rate. Most of the papers in the literature on non-contact vital sign monitoring report results on adult healthy human volunteers in controlled environments for short periods of time. The authors' current clinical study involves the continuous monitoring of pre-term infants, for at least four consecutive days each, in the high-dependency care area of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. The authors have further developed their video-based, non-contact monitoring methods to obtain continuous estimates of heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation for infants nursed in incubators. In this Letter, it is shown that continuous estimates of these three parameters can be computed with an accuracy which is clinically useful. During stable sections with minimal infant motion, the mean absolute error between the camera-derived estimates of heart rate and the reference value derived from the ECG is similar to the mean absolute error between the ECG-derived value and the heart rate value from a pulse oximeter. Continuous non-contact vital sign monitoring in the NICU using ambient light is feasible, and the authors have shown that clinically important events such as a bradycardia accompanied by a major desaturation can be identified with their algorithms for processing the video signal.

Influence of the fast-processing technique on the number of the occlusal contacts and occlusal vertical dimension of complete dentures.

PubMed

Atashrazm, Parsa; Alavijeh, Leila Zamani; Afshar, Maryam Sadat Sadrzadeh

2011-03-01

Occlusal errors during acryl processing affect the retention and stability of complete dentures. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of a short curing technique on the number of occlusal contacts and the occlusal vertical dimension (OVD) of complete dentures. Complete dentures were prepared. The number of occlusal contacts was recorded in centric relation (CR) using 60 µ articulation paper. The OVD was recorded with the waxed trial denture in place. Dentures were then invested and processed with compression molding and short cure water bath technique. The number of occlusal contacts was recorded again. The amount of pin opening was measured for all of the complete dentures on the articulator. Data were analyzed with paired t-test to determine the alterations. The mean number of occlusal contacts before and after processing was 10.9 ± 2.4 and 6.3 ± 3.1 respectively (4.7 ± 1.9 decrease; p < 0.001). A 2 mm mean increase in OVD was observed in 47.7% of the dentures with < 6 occlusal contact changes and 88.9% of the dentures with ≥ 6 occlusal contact changes (p < 0.003). A significant change in the number of occlusal contacts was associated with an OVD increased up to two times. The short curing technique seems to be related to the decreased occlusal contacts and increased OVD. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCES: More time is needed to adjust the occlusal errors of this method, because it has a negative effect on the morphologic pattern of artificial teeth of complete dentures and thus should be used carefully.

Self-aligned Ni-P ohmic contact scheme for silicon solar cells by electroless deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Eun Kyung; Lim, Dong Chan; Lee, Kyu Hwan; Lim, Jae-Hong

2012-08-01

We report a Ni-P metallization scheme for low resistance ohmic contacts to n-type Si for silicon solar cells. As-deposited Ni-P contacts to n-type Si showed a specific contact resistance of 6.42 × 10-4 Ω·cm2. The specific contact resistance decreased with increasing thermal annealing temperature. When the Ni-P contact was annealed at 600°C for 30 min in ambient air, the specific contact resistance was greatly decreased, to 6.37 × 10-5Ω·cm2. The improved ohmic property was attributed to the decrease in the work function due to the formation of Ni-silicides from Ni in-diffusion during the thermal annealing process. Effects of the annealing process on the electrical and crystal properties of the contacts were investigated by means of various resistivity measurements (circular transmission line method (c-TLM), 4-point probe), glancing angle x-ray diffraction (GAXRD), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Single-chip microcomputer for image processing in the photonic measuring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smoleva, Olga S.; Ljul, Natalia Y.

2002-04-01

The non-contact measuring system has been designed for rail- track parameters control on the Moscow Metro. It detects some significant parameters: rail-track width, rail-track height, gage, rail-slums, crosslevel, pickets, and car speed. The system consists of three subsystems: non-contact system of rail-track width, height, and gage inspection, non-contact system of rail-slums inspection and subsystem for crosslevel, speed, and pickets detection. Data from subsystems is transferred to pre-processing unit. In order to process data received from subsystems, the single-chip signal processor ADSP-2185 must be used due to providing required processing speed. After data will be processed, it is send to PC, which processes it and outputs it in the readable form.

Automated Detection of a Crossing Contact Based on Its Doppler Shift

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

contacts in passive sonar systems. A common approach is the application of high- gain processing followed by successive classification criteria. Most...contacts in passive sonar systems. A common approach is the application of high-gain processing followed by successive classification criteria...RESEARCH MOTIVATION The trade-off between the false alarm and detection probability is fundamental in radar and sonar . (Chevalier, 2002) A common

Influence of particle size distribution on nanopowder cold compaction processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boltachev, G.; Volkov, N.; Lukyashin, K.; Markov, V.; Chingina, E.

2017-06-01

Nanopowder uniform and uniaxial cold compaction processes are simulated by 2D granular dynamics method. The interaction of particles in addition to wide-known contact laws involves the dispersion forces of attraction and possibility of interparticle solid bridges formation, which have a large importance for nanopowders. Different model systems are investigated: monosized systems with particle diameter of 10, 20 and 30 nm; bidisperse systems with different content of small (diameter is 10 nm) and large (30 nm) particles; polydisperse systems corresponding to the log-normal size distribution law with different width. Non-monotone dependence of compact density on powder content is revealed in bidisperse systems. The deviations of compact density in polydisperse systems from the density of corresponding monosized system are found to be minor, less than 1 per cent.

The psychenet public health intervention for anorexia nervosa: a pre-post-evaluation study in a female patient sample.

PubMed

Gumz, Antje; Weigel, Angelika; Wegscheider, Karl; Romer, Georg; Löwe, Bernd

2018-01-01

Aim This non-randomized pre-post-intervention study investigated the effect of a systemic public health intervention on the length of time between anorexia nervosa symptom onset and contact with the health care system as well as the initiation of treatment. Although systemic public health interventions have successfully been implemented in physical and mental health fields, their effect on the early treatment of patients with anorexia nervosa remains unclear. In total, 59 anorexia nervosa patients (mean age=21.5 years, SD=7.2) were recruited before a systemic public health intervention, and 18 patients (mean age=22.2 years, SD=8.9) were recruited afterwards. Using validated self-report measures and a semi-structured interview, the duration of untreated anorexia nervosa and the duration until first contact with the health care system were investigated. Findings At the beginning of the individual treatment initiation process, participants in both samples most frequently consulted their general practitioner or paediatrician about their eating disorder-related symptoms. Neither the mean duration of untreated anorexia nervosa, that is, the time between illness onset and the initiation of a recommended treatment, nor the duration until first contact with the health care system significantly decreased after the implementation of the systemic public health intervention. The mean duration of untreated anorexia nervosa was 36.5 months (SD=68.2) before the systemic public health intervention and 40.1 months (SD=89.4) after the implementation of the systemic public health intervention. The mean duration until first contact with the health care system was 25.0 months (SD=53.0) before the intervention and 32.8 months (SD=86.5) after the intervention. Primary care providers are crucial to the treatment initiation process and should be involved in future interventions to improve early detection and treatment commencement amongst patients with anorexia nervosa.

Process for solvent refining of coal using a denitrogenated and dephenolated solvent

DOEpatents

Garg, Diwakar; Givens, Edwin N.; Schweighardt, Frank K.

1984-01-01

A process is disclosed for the solvent refining of non-anthracitic coal at elevated temperatures and pressure in a hydrogen atmosphere using a hydrocarbon solvent which before being recycled in the solvent refining process is subjected to chemical treatment to extract substantially all nitrogenous and phenolic constituents from the solvent so as to improve the conversion of coal and the production of oil in the solvent refining process. The solvent refining process can be either thermal or catalytic. The extraction of nitrogenous compounds can be performed by acid contact such as hydrogen chloride or fluoride treatment, while phenolic extraction can be performed by caustic contact or contact with a mixture of silica and alumina.

Contact pair dynamics during folding of two small proteins: Chicken villin head piece and the Alzheimer protein β-amyloid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukherjee, Arnab; Bagchi, Biman

2004-01-01

The folding of an extended protein to its unique native state requires establishment of specific, predetermined, often distant, contacts between amino acid residue pairs. The dynamics of contact pair formation between various hydrophobic residues during folding of two different small proteins, the chicken villin head piece (HP-36) and the Alzheimer protein β-amyloid (βA-40), are investigated by Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations. These two proteins represent two very different classes—HP-36 being globular while βA-40 is nonglobular, stringlike. Hydropathy scale and nonlocal helix propensity of amino acids are used to model the complex interaction potential among the various amino acid residues. The minimalistic model we use here employs a connected backbone chain of atoms of equal size while an amino acid is attached to each backbone atom as an additional atom of differing sizes and interaction parameters, determined by the characteristics of each amino acid. Even for such simple models, we find that the low-energy structures obtained by BD simulations of both the model proteins mimic the native state of the real protein rather well, with a best root-mean-square deviation of 4.5 Å for HP-36. For βA-40 (where a single well-defined structure is not available), the simulated structures resemble the reported ensemble rather well, with the well-known β-bend correctly reproduced. We introduce and calculate a contact pair distance time correlation function, CPij(t), to quantify the dynamical evolution of the pair contact formation between the amino acid residue pairs i and j. The contact pair time correlation function exhibits multistage dynamics, including a two stage fast collapse, followed by a slow (microsecond long) late stage dynamics for several specific pairs. The slow late stage dynamics is in accordance with the findings of Sali et al. [A. Sali, E. Shakhnovich, and M. Karplus, Nature 369, 248 (1994)]. Analysis of the individual trajectories shows that the slow decay is due to the attempt of the protein to form energetically more favorable pair contacts to replace the less favorable ones. This late stage contact formation is a highly cooperative process, involving participation of several pairs and thus entropically unfavorable and expected to face a large free energy barrier. This is because any new pair contact formation among hydrophobic pairs will require breaking of several contacts, before the favorable ones can be formed. This aspect of protein folding dynamics is similar to relaxation in glassy liquids, where also α relaxation requires highly cooperative process of hopping. The present analysis suggests that waiting time for the necessary pair contact formation may obey the Poissonian distribution. We also study the dynamics of Förster energy transfer during folding between two tagged amino acid pairs. This dynamics can be studied by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). It is found that suitably placed donor-acceptor pairs can capture the slow dynamics during folding. The dynamics probed by FRET is predicted to be nonexponential.

Participant recruitment from minority religious groups: the case of the Islamic population in South Australia.

PubMed

Mohammadi, N; Jones, T; Evans, D

2008-12-01

Participant recruitment is a fundamental component of the research process and the methods employed to attract individuals will depend on the nature of the study. Recruitment may be more challenging when the study involves people from a minority religious group. However, this issue has not been well addressed in the literature. To discuss the challenges of recruiting participants from a minority religious group (the Islamic population) to participate in an interpretive, hermeneutic study concerning the experience of hospitalization. The challenges of recruitment encountered during this study are used as the basis for a broader discussion of this important issue. To ensure the success of this phase of the study, a pre-planned recruitment strategy was essential. Multiple recruitment strategies were used, including hospital-based recruitment, snowball sampling, advertising and contact with key people. Despite the use of multiple strategies, recruitment of participants was difficult and required an extended period of time to achieve sufficiently rich data. Thirteen participants shared their lived experience to provide an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon. Recruiting participants from minority religious group involves potentially sensitive issues. There is an increased need for the researchers to carefully consider potential participants' rights and ensure that sound ethical principles underpin the study, as failure to do this may hinder the recruitment process. The two most effective strategies of recruitment were snowball sampling and contact with key Islamic people, with the least effective being advertising. This paper highlights the importance of anticipating potential difficulties and pre-planning strategies to overcome barriers to recruitment. Implementation of multiple strategies is recommended to ensure successful research recruitment.

Interaction between human mature adipocytes and lymphocytes induces T-cell proliferation.

PubMed

Poloni, Antonella; Maurizi, Giulia; Ciarlantini, Marco; Medici, Martina; Mattiucci, Domenico; Mancini, Stefania; Maurizi, Angela; Falconi, Massimo; Olivieri, Attilio; Leoni, Pietro

2015-09-01

Adipose tissue is a critical organ that plays a major role in energy balance regulation and the immune response through intricate signals. We report on the inter-relation between mature adipocytes and lymphocytes in terms of adipocyte-derived T-cell chemo-attractants and adipocyte metabolic effects on lymphocytes. During the culture time, mature adipocytes changed their structural and functional properties into de-differentiated cells. Isolated mature adipocytes expressed significantly higher levels of CIITA, major histocompatibility complex II (human leukocyte antigen [HLA]-DR) and costimulatory signal molecule CD80 compared with adipocytes after the de-differentiation process. Moreover, human leukocyte antigen-G, which may prevent the immune responses of mesenchymal stromal cells, was expressed at lower level in mature adipocytes compared with de-differentiated adipocytes. In line with these molecular data, functional results showed different immunoregulatory properties between adipocytes before and after the de-differentiation process. Mature adipocytes stimulated the proliferation of total lymphocytes and immunoselected cell populations CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ in a direct contact-dependent way that involved the major histocompatibility complex I and II pathways. Moreover, adipocytes secreted potential chemo-attractant factors, but data showed that adipocyte-derived culture medium was not sufficient to activate lymphocyte proliferation, suggesting that a direct contact between adipocytes and immune cells was needed. However, specific mature adipocyte cytokines enhanced lymphocyte proliferation in a mixed lymphocyte reaction. In conclusion, cross-talk occurs between adipocytes and lymphocytes within adipose tissue involving T-cell chemo-attraction by mature adipocytes. Our findings, together with current observations in the field, provide a rationale to identify adipocyte-lymphocyte cross-talk that instigates adipose inflammation. Copyright © 2015 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predicting Transmembrane Helix Packing Arrangements using Residue Contacts and a Force-Directed Algorithm

PubMed Central

Nugent, Timothy; Jones, David T.

2010-01-01

Alpha-helical transmembrane proteins constitute roughly 30% of a typical genome and are involved in a wide variety of important biological processes including cell signalling, transport of membrane-impermeable molecules and cell recognition. Despite significant efforts to predict transmembrane protein topology, comparatively little attention has been directed toward developing a method to pack the helices together. Here, we present a novel approach to predict lipid exposure, residue contacts, helix-helix interactions and finally the optimal helical packing arrangement of transmembrane proteins. Using molecular dynamics data, we have trained and cross-validated a support vector machine (SVM) classifier to predict per residue lipid exposure with 69% accuracy. This information is combined with additional features to train a second SVM to predict residue contacts which are then used to determine helix-helix interaction with up to 65% accuracy under stringent cross-validation on a non-redundant test set. Our method is also able to discriminate native from decoy helical packing arrangements with up to 70% accuracy. Finally, we employ a force-directed algorithm to construct the optimal helical packing arrangement which demonstrates success for proteins containing up to 13 transmembrane helices. This software is freely available as source code from http://bioinf.cs.ucl.ac.uk/memsat/mempack/. PMID:20333233

Intergroup Contact Effects via Ingroup Distancing among Majority and Minority Groups: Moderation by Social Dominance Orientation.

PubMed

Kauff, Mathias; Schmid, Katharina; Lolliot, Simon; Al Ramiah, Ananthi; Hewstone, Miles

2016-01-01

Five studies tested whether intergroup contact reduces negative outgroup attitudes through a process of ingroup distancing. Based on the deprovincialization hypothesis and Social Dominance Theory, we hypothesized that the indirect effect of cross-group friendship on outgroup attitudes via reduced ingroup identification is moderated by individuals' Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), and occurs only for members of high status majority groups. We tested these predictions in three different intergroup contexts, involving conflictual relations between social groups in Germany (Study 1; N = 150; longitudinal Study 2: N = 753), Northern Ireland (Study 3: N = 160; Study 4: N = 1,948), and England (Study 5; N = 594). Cross-group friendship was associated with reduced ingroup identification and the link between reduced ingroup identification and improved outgroup attitudes was moderated by SDO (the indirect effect of cross-group friendship on outgroup attitudes via reduced ingroup only occurred for individuals scoring high, but not low, in SDO). Although there was a consistent moderating effect of SDO in high-status majority groups (Studies 1-5), but not low-status minority groups (Studies 3, 4, and 5), the interaction by SDO was not reliably stronger in high- than low-status groups. Findings are discussed in terms of better understanding deprovincialization effects of contact.

Adapting an evidence-based model to retain adolescent study participants in longitudinal research.

PubMed

Davis, Erin; Demby, Hilary; Jenner, Lynne Woodward; Gregory, Alethia; Broussard, Marsha

2016-02-01

Maintaining contact with and collecting outcome data from adolescent study participants can present a significant challenge for researchers conducting longitudinal studies. Establishing an organized and effective protocol for participant follow-up is crucial to reduce attrition and maintain high retention rates. This paper describes our methods in using and adapting the evidence-based Engagement, Verification, Maintenance, and Confirmation (EVMC) model to follow up with adolescents 6 and 12 months after implementation of a health program. It extends previous research by focusing on two key modifications to the model: (1) the central role of cell phones and texting to maintain contact with study participants throughout the EVMC process and, (2) use of responsive two-way communication between staff and participants and flexible administration modes and methods in the confirmation phase to ensure that busy teens not only respond to contacts, but also complete data collection. These strategies have resulted in high overall retention rates (87-91%) with adolescent study participants at each follow-up data collection point without the utilization of other, more involved tracking measures. The methods and findings presented may be valuable for other researchers with limited resources planning for or engaged in collecting follow-up outcome data from adolescents enrolled in longitudinal studies. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Intergroup Contact Effects via Ingroup Distancing among Majority and Minority Groups: Moderation by Social Dominance Orientation

PubMed Central

Kauff, Mathias; Schmid, Katharina; Lolliot, Simon; Al Ramiah, Ananthi; Hewstone, Miles

2016-01-01

Five studies tested whether intergroup contact reduces negative outgroup attitudes through a process of ingroup distancing. Based on the deprovincialization hypothesis and Social Dominance Theory, we hypothesized that the indirect effect of cross-group friendship on outgroup attitudes via reduced ingroup identification is moderated by individuals’ Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), and occurs only for members of high status majority groups. We tested these predictions in three different intergroup contexts, involving conflictual relations between social groups in Germany (Study 1; N = 150; longitudinal Study 2: N = 753), Northern Ireland (Study 3: N = 160; Study 4: N = 1,948), and England (Study 5; N = 594). Cross-group friendship was associated with reduced ingroup identification and the link between reduced ingroup identification and improved outgroup attitudes was moderated by SDO (the indirect effect of cross-group friendship on outgroup attitudes via reduced ingroup only occurred for individuals scoring high, but not low, in SDO). Although there was a consistent moderating effect of SDO in high-status majority groups (Studies 1–5), but not low-status minority groups (Studies 3, 4, and 5), the interaction by SDO was not reliably stronger in high- than low-status groups. Findings are discussed in terms of better understanding deprovincialization effects of contact. PMID:26751203

Patient-centered variables in primary and team nursing.

PubMed

Hamera, E; O'Connell, K A

1981-03-01

Patient-centered variables and their relationship to primary and team nursing have rarely been studied. In the present study the investigation focused on the following patient-centered variables: nurturance received, patient involvement, and frequency of nurse-patient contacts. Baseline observational data were collected on 12 adult medical patients experiencing team nursing care. A primary nursing care approach was then implemented on the same nursing unit, and 6 months later 12 patients were observed under this system. Patients were directly observed 24 hours a day for 5 days of hospitalization and audiotaped, using a specimen record method. This method produced transcripts that were coded for nurturance, involvement, and nurse-patient contacts. Results of the study showed that there were no differences between primary and team nursing care groups in the number of contacts, nurturance, or patient involvement with all nursing personnel or with professional nurses. However, when the primary group was adjusted to include only those patients for whom primary nursing care was fully implemented, the primary group received more nurturance (p less than .05) and had a tendency to be more active involved than did the team group (p less than .10). These findings indicate that the institution of primary nursing care is related to increased quality of nursing care.

Chondroitin sulphate-mediated fusion of brain neural folds in rat embryos.

PubMed

Alonso, M I; Moro, J A; Martín, C; de la Mano, A; Carnicero, E; Martínez-Alvarez, C; Navarro, N; Cordero, J; Gato, A

2009-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that during neural fold fusion in different species, an apical extracellular material rich in glycoconjugates is involved. However, the composition and the biological role of this material remain undetermined. In this paper, we show that this extracellular matrix in rat increases notably prior to contact between the neural folds, suggesting the dynamic behaviour of the secretory process. Immunostaining has allowed us to demonstrate that this extracellular matrix contains chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan (CSPG), with a spatio-temporal distribution pattern, suggesting a direct relationship with the process of adhesion. The degree of CSPG involvement in cephalic neural fold fusion in rat embryos was determined by treatment with specific glycosidases.In vitro rat embryo culture and microinjection techniques were employed to carry out selective digestion, with chondroitinase AC, of the CSPG on the apical surface of the neural folds; this was done immediately prior to the bonding of the cephalic neural folds. In all the treated embryos, cephalic defects of neural fold fusion could be detected. These results show that CSPG plays an important role in the fusion of the cephalic neural folds in rat embryos, which implies that this proteoglycan could be involved in cellular recognition and adhesion. (c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Racial Disparity in Police Contacts

PubMed Central

Crutchfield, Robert D.; Haggerty, Kevin P.; McGlynn, Anne; Catalano, Richard F.

2013-01-01

Criminologists agree the race disparity in arrests cannot be fully explained by differences in criminal behavior. We examine social environment factors that may lead to racial differences in police contact in early adolescence, including family, peers, school, and community. Data are from 331 8th-grade students. Blacks were almost twice as likely as Whites to report a police contact. Blacks reported more property crime but not more violent crime than Whites. Police contacts were increased by having a parent who had been arrested, a sibling involved in criminal activity, higher observed reward for negative behavior, having school disciplinary actions, and knowing adults who engaged in substance abuse or criminal behavior. Race differences in police contacts were partially attributable to more school discipline. PMID:24363956

[Nickel contact dermatitis. A ring signal in actual pathology].

PubMed

Cherciu, Mirela; Zbranca, Anca

2004-01-01

Contact dermatitis produced by nickel is extremely common in women by earrings or other items of jewelry which contain nickel. Areas of involvement are under rings, bracelets, watches, spectacle frames, coins in pockets, jeans studs and other sites of direct contact with the metal. The frequency of nickel dermatitis is increasing in the male population and this may be due of body-piercing or professional contact in the field of metallic constructions. The treatment is difficult because of the presence of nickel in so many substances, things or even food. The management of contact dermatitis include the reduction or elimination of the allergen, the use of topical or systemic steroids, oral desensitisation and use of nickel in selected cases.

Modified acyl-ACP desaturase

DOEpatents

Cahoon, E.B.; Shanklin, J.; Lindgvist, Y.; Schneider, G.

1998-01-06

Disclosed is a method for modifying the chain length and double bond positional specificities of a soluble plant fatty acid desaturase. More specifically, the method involves modifying amino acid contact residues in the substrate binding channel of the soluble fatty acid desaturase which contact the fatty acid. Specifically disclosed is the modification of an acyl-ACP desaturase. Amino acid contact residues which lie within the substrate binding channel are identified, and subsequently replaced with different residues to effect the modification of activity. 1 fig.

Modified Acyl-ACP desaturase

DOEpatents

Cahoon, E.B.; Shanklin, J.; Lindqvist, Y.; Schneider, G.

1999-03-30

Disclosed is a method for modifying the chain length and double bond positional specificities of a soluble plant fatty acid desaturase. More specifically, the method involves modifying amino acid contact residues in the substrate binding channel of the soluble fatty acid desaturase which contact the fatty acid. Specifically disclosed is the modification of an acyl-ACP desaturase. Amino acid contact residues which lie within the substrate binding channel are identified, and subsequently replaced with different residues to effect the modification of activity. 2 figs.

Rare electrocution due to powerline contact in a hot-air balloon: comparison with fatalities from blunt trauma.

PubMed

McConnell, T S; Zumwalt, R E; Wahe, J; Haikal, N A; McFeeley, P J

1992-09-01

Powerline contact by hot-air balloons is one of the most frequent concurrences in balloon accidents resulting in injury or death. Injuries and deaths are usually a result of blunt trauma from falls. In this report, we describe the aircraft, the circumstances of the accidents and the autopsy data in two powerline contact accidents involving three deaths, one from electrocution and two, from blunt trauma sustained in falls. Appropriate pilot behavior is briefly discussed.

Parental Involvement with College Students in Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, and the United States

PubMed Central

Fingerman, Karen L.; Cheng, Yen-Pi; Kim, Kyungmin; Fung, Helene H.; Han, Gyounghae; Lang, Frieder R.; Lee, Wonkyung; Wagner, Jenny

2014-01-01

Rates of college attendance have increased throughout the world. This study asked whether students across nations experience high involvement with parents (frequent contact and support) and how satisfied they are with parental involvement. College students from four major Western and Asian economies participated: Germany (n = 458), Hong Kong (n = 276), Korea (n = 257), and the United States (n = 310). Consistent with solidarity theory, students across nations reported frequent contact with parents and receiving several forms of social support (e.g., practical, emotional, and advice) every month. Multilevel models revealed Asian students received more frequent parental support than German or US students, but were less satisfied with that support. Students in Hong Kong resided with parents more often and gave more support to parents than students in other cultures. Discussion focuses on cultural (i.e., filial obligation) and structural (i.e., coresidence) factors explaining parental involvement. PMID:27594722

Face-to-Face Contact in Blended Learning for Intercultural Education: The Role of Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin, Roger; Rickard, Angela; Reilly, Jacqueline

2017-01-01

In societies experiencing or emerging from conflict, teachers often deliver educational programmes designed to build community cohesion. We report on research which examined teachers' views of the implementation of a programme involving both face-to-face and online contact between pupils. Findings suggest that this blended approach is highly…

Exploring the Influences on Classroom-Based Contact via Shared Education in Northern Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loader, Rebecca

2017-01-01

Initiatives in intercultural education have frequently involved the promotion of contact between members of different groups as a means of improving intergroup relations. Experience from Northern Ireland suggests, however, that such schemes have often been organised and delivered in such a way that opportunities for sustained, high-quality contact…

Language and cultural contacts among Yukatekan Mayans.

PubMed

Hofling, Charles A

2004-01-01

The Yukatekan branch of the Maya language family, spread across the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, northern Guatemala, and Belize, began to diversify approximately 1,000 years ago. Today it has four branches: Mopan Maya, Itzaj Maya, Lakantun Maya and Yukatek Maya proper, which have widely varying language statuses. Lakantun and Itzaj Maya are seriously threatened, while Mopan appears to have a stable or growing population of approximately 10,000 speakers and Yukatek has a very large number of speakers, perhaps 750,000. However, even many Yukateks believe that their language is threatened and that shift to Spanish is underway. During the past millennia there has been a series of contacts involving migration, trade, warfare, and flight among the different branches, as well as with other Mayan languages and with the Spanish. This paper examines a variety of different kinds of contact, and how the different language varieties were involved and affected. One goal of the paper is to better understand how the dynamics of inter-cultural contacts affects language practices resulting in very different language statuses and ideologies.

Electrical injury from subway third rails: serious injury associated with intermediate voltage contact.

PubMed

Rabban, J; Adler, J; Rosen, C; Blair, J; Sheridan, R

1997-09-01

Railway and subway-associated electrical trauma is rare and typically involves high voltage (> 20,000) arc injuries. Not all rail systems utilize such high voltage. We report 16 cases of electrical trauma due to 600 V direct contact with subway 'third' rails. A case series of injured patients presenting to Shriners Burns Institute, Boston or Massachusetts General Hospital between 1970 and 1995 was retrospectively analyzed. A total of 16 cases was identified. Among seven subway workers, the mechanism of rail contact was unintentional by a tool, a hand or by falling; no deaths occurred. Among nine non-occupational victims, injuries involved suicide attempts, unintentional falls, or risk-taking behavior. This group suffered greater burn severity, operative procedures, and complications; three deaths occurred. This is the largest report series of direct electrical trauma from a subway third rail. The high morbidity and mortality from this 600 V contact suggests that the traditional classification of low voltage (< 1000 V) exposure can be subdivided to reflect the serious and lethal potential of intermediate range exposures compared to household range exposures (0-220 V).

Vps39 Interacts with Tom40 to Establish One of Two Functionally Distinct Vacuole-Mitochondria Contact Sites.

PubMed

González Montoro, Ayelén; Auffarth, Kathrin; Hönscher, Carina; Bohnert, Maria; Becker, Thomas; Warscheid, Bettina; Reggiori, Fulvio; van der Laan, Martin; Fröhlich, Florian; Ungermann, Christian

2018-06-04

The extensive subcellular network of membrane contact sites plays central roles in organelle biogenesis and communication, yet the precise contributions of the involved machineries remain largely enigmatic. The yeast vacuole forms a membrane contact site with mitochondria, called vacuolar and mitochondrial patch (vCLAMP). Formation of vCLAMPs involves the vacuolar Rab GTPase Ypt7 and the Ypt7-interacting Vps39 subunit of the HOPS tethering complex. Here, we uncover the general preprotein translocase of the outer membrane (TOM) subunit Tom40 as the direct binding partner of Vps39 on mitochondria. We identify Vps39 mutants defective in TOM binding, but functional for HOPS. Cells that cannot form vCLAMPs show reduced growth under stress conditions and impaired survival upon starvation. Unexpectedly, our mutant analysis revealed the existence of two functionally independent vacuole-mitochondria MCSs: one formed by the Ypt7-Vps39-Tom40 tether and a second one by Vps13-Mcp1, which is redundant with ER-mitochondrial contacts formed by ERMES. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Process for reducing series resistance of solar-cell metal-contact systems with a soldering-flux etchant

DOEpatents

Coyle, R.T.; Barrett, J.M.

1982-05-04

Disclosed is a process for substantially reducing the series resistance of a solar cell having a thick film metal contact assembly thereon while simultaneously removing oxide coatings from the surface of the assembly prior to applying solder therewith. The process includes applying a flux to the contact assembly and heating the cell for a period of time sufficient to substantially remove the series resistance associated with the assembly by etching the assembly with the flux while simultaneously removing metal oxides from said surface of said assembly.

Process for reducing series resistance of solar cell metal contact systems with a soldering flux etchant

DOEpatents

Coyle, R. T.; Barrett, Joy M.

1984-01-01

Disclosed is a process for substantially reducing the series resistance of a solar cell having a thick film metal contact assembly thereon while simultaneously removing oxide coatings from the surface of the assembly prior to applying solder therewith. The process includes applying a flux to the contact assembly and heating the cell for a period of time sufficient to substantially remove the series resistance associated with the assembly by etching the assembly with the flux while simultaneously removing metal oxides from said surface of said assembly.

Social contact patterns relevant to the spread of respiratory infectious diseases in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Leung, Kathy; Jit, Mark; Lau, Eric H Y; Wu, Joseph T

2017-08-11

The spread of many respiratory infections is determined by contact patterns between infectious and susceptible individuals in the population. There are no published data for quantifying social contact patterns relevant to the spread of respiratory infectious diseases in Hong Kong which is a hotspot for emerging infectious diseases due to its high population density and connectivity in the air transportation network. We adopted a commonly used diary-based design to conduct a social contact survey in Hong Kong in 2015/16 using both paper and online questionnaires. Participants using paper questionnaires reported more contacts and longer contact duration than those using online questionnaires. Participants reported 13 person-hours of contact and 8 contacts per day on average, which decreased over age but increased with household size, years of education and income level. Prolonged and frequent contacts, and contacts at home, school and work were more likely to involve physical contacts. Strong age-assortativity was observed in all age groups. We evaluated the characteristics of social contact patterns relevant to the spread of respiratory infectious diseases in Hong Kong. Our findings could help to improve the design of future social contact surveys, parameterize transmission models of respiratory infectious diseases, and inform intervention strategies based on model outputs.

A rural community's involvement in the design and usability testing of a computer-based informed consent process for the Personalized Medicine Research Project.

PubMed

Mahnke, Andrea N; Plasek, Joseph M; Hoffman, David G; Partridge, Nathan S; Foth, Wendy S; Waudby, Carol J; Rasmussen, Luke V; McManus, Valerie D; McCarty, Catherine A

2014-01-01

Many informed consent studies demonstrate that research subjects poorly retain and understand information in written consent documents. Previous research in multimedia consent is mixed in terms of success for improving participants' understanding, satisfaction, and retention. This failure may be due to a lack of a community-centered design approach to building the interventions. The goal of this study was to gather information from the community to determine the best way to undertake the consent process. Community perceptions regarding different computer-based consenting approaches were evaluated, and a computer-based consent was developed and tested. A second goal was to evaluate whether participants make truly informed decisions to participate in research. Simulations of an informed consent process were videotaped to document the process. Focus groups were conducted to determine community attitudes towards a computer-based informed consent process. Hybrid focus groups were conducted to determine the most acceptable hardware device. Usability testing was conducted on a computer-based consent prototype using a touch-screen kiosk. Based on feedback, a computer-based consent was developed. Representative study participants were able to easily complete the consent, and all were able to correctly answer the comprehension check questions. Community involvement in developing a computer-based consent proved valuable for a population-based genetic study. These findings may translate to other types of informed consents, including those for trials involving treatment of genetic disorders. A computer-based consent may serve to better communicate consistent, clear, accurate, and complete information regarding the risks and benefits of study participation. Additional analysis is necessary to measure the level of comprehension of the check-question answers by larger numbers of participants. The next step will involve contacting participants to measure whether understanding of what they consented to is retained over time. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Contact symmetries and Hamiltonian thermodynamics

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

Bravetti, A., E-mail: bravetti@correo.nucleares.unam.mx; Lopez-Monsalvo, C.S., E-mail: cesar.slm@correo.nucleares.unam.mx; Nettel, F., E-mail: Francisco.Nettel@roma1.infn.it

It has been shown that contact geometry is the proper framework underlying classical thermodynamics and that thermodynamic fluctuations are captured by an additional metric structure related to Fisher’s Information Matrix. In this work we analyse several unaddressed aspects about the application of contact and metric geometry to thermodynamics. We consider here the Thermodynamic Phase Space and start by investigating the role of gauge transformations and Legendre symmetries for metric contact manifolds and their significance in thermodynamics. Then we present a novel mathematical characterization of first order phase transitions as equilibrium processes on the Thermodynamic Phase Space for which the Legendremore » symmetry is broken. Moreover, we use contact Hamiltonian dynamics to represent thermodynamic processes in a way that resembles the classical Hamiltonian formulation of conservative mechanics and we show that the relevant Hamiltonian coincides with the irreversible entropy production along thermodynamic processes. Therefore, we use such property to give a geometric definition of thermodynamically admissible fluctuations according to the Second Law of thermodynamics. Finally, we show that the length of a curve describing a thermodynamic process measures its entropy production.« less

Food allergy preceded by contact urticaria due to the same food: involvement of epicutaneous sensitization in food allergy.

PubMed

Inomata, Naoko; Nagashima, Mayumi; Hakuta, Amiko; Aihara, Michiko

2015-01-01

There have recently been reports suggesting that sensitization to food allergens may occur outside the intestinal tract, especially through the skin. To clarify the role of epicutaneous sensitization in food allergy, we investigated the clinical characteristics of adult patients with food allergies preceded by contact urticaria due to the same foods. We investigated clinical characteristics of 15 patients (20-51 years of age; 5 men and 10 women), who had food allergies preceded by contact urticaria. Fourteen patients were contact urticaria due to the causative foods during occupationally cooking, whereas 1 patient during face pack. In the occupational group, causative foods included rice, wheat, fruits, vegetables, fish, shrimp and cuttlefish; in the fresh cucumber paste case the cause was cucumber. In the 15 patients, the causative foods were fresh, not processed, and were tolerated by most (9/15, 60%) after heating. Regarding to symptoms after ingestion of the causative foods, the most frequently induced symptoms was oral symptoms (14/15, 93.3%), followed by urticaria (4/15, 26.7%), abdominal symptoms (3/15, 20%). The duration between the start of jobs or face pack, and the onset of contact urticaria was from 1 month to 19 years (mean, 8.7 years). The duration between the onset of contact urticaria and the onset of food allergy was from a few weeks to 6 years (mean, 11 months). One sushi cook experienced severe anaphylactic shock after ingestion of fish. In the occupational group, 13 of 15 patients (86.7%) had atopic dermatitis or hand eczema, indicating that the impaired skin barrier might be a risk for food allergies induced by epicutaneous sensitization. Epicutaneous sensitization of foods could induce food allergy under occupational cooking and skin-care treatment with foods in adults. Copyright © 2014 Japanese Society of Allergology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Where the lake meets the sea: strong reproductive isolation is associated with adaptive divergence between lake resident and anadromous three-spined sticklebacks.

PubMed

Ravinet, Mark; Hynes, Rosaleen; Poole, Russell; Cross, Tom F; McGinnity, Phil; Harrod, Chris; Prodöhl, Paulo A

2015-01-01

Contact zones between divergent forms of the same species are often characterised by high levels of phenotypic diversity over small geographic distances. What processes are involved in generating such high phenotypic diversity? One possibility is that introgression and recombination between divergent forms in contact zones results in greater phenotypic and genetic polymorphism. Alternatively, strong reproductive isolation between forms may maintain distinct phenotypes, preventing homogenisation by gene flow. Contact zones between divergent freshwater-resident and anadromous stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) forms are numerous and common throughout the species distribution, offering an opportunity to examine these contrasting hypotheses in greater detail. This study reports on an interesting new contact zone located in a tidally influenced lake catchment in western Ireland, characterised by high polymorphism for lateral plate phenotypes. Using neutral and QTL-linked microsatellite markers, we tested whether the high diversity observed in this contact zone arose as a result of introgression or reproductive isolation between divergent forms: we found strong support for the latter hypothesis. Three phenotypic and genetic clusters were identified, consistent with two divergent resident forms and a distinct anadromous completely plated population that migrates in and out of the system. Given the strong neutral differentiation detected between all three morphotypes (mean FST = 0.12), we hypothesised that divergent selection between forms maintains reproductive isolation. We found a correlation between neutral genetic and adaptive genetic differentiation that support this. While strong associations between QTL linked markers and phenotypes were also observed in this wild population, our results support the suggestion that such associations may be more complex in some Atlantic populations compared to those in the Pacific. These findings provide an important foundation for future work investigating the dynamics of gene flow and adaptive divergence in this newly discovered stickleback contact zone.

Where the Lake Meets the Sea: Strong Reproductive Isolation Is Associated with Adaptive Divergence between Lake Resident and Anadromous Three-Spined Sticklebacks

PubMed Central

Ravinet, Mark; Hynes, Rosaleen; Poole, Russell; Cross, Tom F.; McGinnity, Phil; Harrod, Chris; Prodöhl, Paulo A.

2015-01-01

Contact zones between divergent forms of the same species are often characterised by high levels of phenotypic diversity over small geographic distances. What processes are involved in generating such high phenotypic diversity? One possibility is that introgression and recombination between divergent forms in contact zones results in greater phenotypic and genetic polymorphism. Alternatively, strong reproductive isolation between forms may maintain distinct phenotypes, preventing homogenisation by gene flow. Contact zones between divergent freshwater-resident and anadromous stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) forms are numerous and common throughout the species distribution, offering an opportunity to examine these contrasting hypotheses in greater detail. This study reports on an interesting new contact zone located in a tidally influenced lake catchment in western Ireland, characterised by high polymorphism for lateral plate phenotypes. Using neutral and QTL-linked microsatellite markers, we tested whether the high diversity observed in this contact zone arose as a result of introgression or reproductive isolation between divergent forms: we found strong support for the latter hypothesis. Three phenotypic and genetic clusters were identified, consistent with two divergent resident forms and a distinct anadromous completely plated population that migrates in and out of the system. Given the strong neutral differentiation detected between all three morphotypes (mean FST = 0.12), we hypothesised that divergent selection between forms maintains reproductive isolation. We found a correlation between neutral genetic and adaptive genetic differentiation that support this. While strong associations between QTL linked markers and phenotypes were also observed in this wild population, our results support the suggestion that such associations may be more complex in some Atlantic populations compared to those in the Pacific. These findings provide an important foundation for future work investigating the dynamics of gene flow and adaptive divergence in this newly discovered stickleback contact zone. PMID:25874617

40 CFR 463.20 - Applicability; description of the cleaning water subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

.... Processes in the cleaning water subcategory are processes where water comes in contact with the plastic product for the purpose of cleaning the surface of the product and where water comes in contact with...

40 CFR 463.20 - Applicability; description of the cleaning water subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

.... Processes in the cleaning water subcategory are processes where water comes in contact with the plastic product for the purpose of cleaning the surface of the product and where water comes in contact with...

40 CFR 463.20 - Applicability; description of the cleaning water subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

.... Processes in the cleaning water subcategory are processes where water comes in contact with the plastic product for the purpose of cleaning the surface of the product and where water comes in contact with...

Centralized processing of contact-handled TRU waste feasibility analysis

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

Not Available

1986-12-01

This report presents work for the feasibility study of central processing of contact-handled TRU waste. Discussion of scenarios, transportation options, summary of cost estimates, and institutional issues are a few of the subjects discussed. (JDL)

Friction Mapping as a Tool for Measuring the Elastohydrodynamic Contact Running-in Process

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

ARL-TR-7501 ● OCT 2015 US Army Research Laboratory Friction Mapping as a Tool for Measuring the Elastohydrodynamic Contact...Research Laboratory Friction Mapping as a Tool for Measuring the Elastohydrodynamic Contact Running-in Process by Stephen Berkebile Vehicle...YYYY) October 2015 2. REPORT TYPE Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 1 January–30 June 2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Friction Mapping as a Tool for

Spontaneous imbibition in fractal tortuous micro-nano pores considering dynamic contact angle and slip effect: phase portrait analysis and analytical solutions.

PubMed

Li, Caoxiong; Shen, Yinghao; Ge, Hongkui; Zhang, Yanjun; Liu, Tao

2018-03-02

Shales have abundant micro-nano pores. Meanwhile, a considerable amount of fracturing liquid is imbibed spontaneously in the hydraulic fracturing process. The spontaneous imbibition in tortuous micro-nano pores is special to shale, and dynamic contact angle and slippage are two important characteristics. In this work, we mainly investigate spontaneous imbibition considering dynamic contact angle and slip effect in fractal tortuous capillaries. We introduce phase portrait analysis to analyse the dynamic state and stability of imbibition. Moreover, analytical solutions to the imbibition equation are derived under special situations, and the solutions are verified by published data. Finally, we discuss the influences of slip length, dynamic contact angle and gravity on spontaneous imbibition. The analysis shows that phase portrait is an ideal tool for analysing spontaneous imbibition because it can evaluate the process without solving the complex governing ordinary differential equations. Moreover, dynamic contact angle and slip effect play an important role in fluid imbibition in fractal tortuous capillaries. Neglecting slip effect in micro-nano pores apparently underestimates imbibition capability, and ignoring variations in contact angle causes inaccuracy in predicting imbibition speed at the initial stage of the process. Finally, gravity is one of the factors that control the stabilisation of the imbibition process.

The different facets of organelle interplay-an overview of organelle interactions.

PubMed

Schrader, Michael; Godinho, Luis F; Costello, Joseph L; Islinger, Markus

2015-01-01

Membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria, peroxisomes, or the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) create distinct environments to promote specific cellular tasks such as ATP production, lipid breakdown, or protein export. During recent years, it has become evident that organelles are integrated into cellular networks regulating metabolism, intracellular signaling, cellular maintenance, cell fate decision, and pathogen defence. In order to facilitate such signaling events, specialized membrane regions between apposing organelles bear distinct sets of proteins to enable tethering and exchange of metabolites and signaling molecules. Such membrane associations between the mitochondria and a specialized site of the ER, the mitochondria associated-membrane (MAM), as well as between the ER and the plasma membrane (PAM) have been partially characterized at the molecular level. However, historical and recent observations imply that other organelles like peroxisomes, lysosomes, and lipid droplets might also be involved in the formation of such apposing membrane contact sites. Alternatively, reports on so-called mitochondria derived-vesicles (MDV) suggest alternative mechanisms of organelle interaction. Moreover, maintenance of cellular homeostasis requires the precise removal of aged organelles by autophagy-a process which involves the detection of ubiquitinated organelle proteins by the autophagosome membrane, representing another site of membrane associated-signaling. This review will summarize the available data on the existence and composition of organelle contact sites and the molecular specializations each site uses in order to provide a timely overview on the potential functions of organelle interaction.

Early Left Parietal Activity Elicited by Direct Gaze: A High-Density EEG Study

PubMed Central

Burra, Nicolas; Kerzel, Dirk; George, Nathalie

2016-01-01

Gaze is one of the most important cues for human communication and social interaction. In particular, gaze contact is the most primary form of social contact and it is thought to capture attention. A very early-differentiated brain response to direct versus averted gaze has been hypothesized. Here, we used high-density electroencephalography to test this hypothesis. Topographical analysis allowed us to uncover a very early topographic modulation (40–80 ms) of event-related responses to faces with direct as compared to averted gaze. This modulation was obtained only in the condition where intact broadband faces–as opposed to high-pass or low-pas filtered faces–were presented. Source estimation indicated that this early modulation involved the posterior parietal region, encompassing the left precuneus and inferior parietal lobule. This supports the idea that it reflected an early orienting response to direct versus averted gaze. Accordingly, in a follow-up behavioural experiment, we found faster response times to the direct gaze than to the averted gaze broadband faces. In addition, classical evoked potential analysis showed that the N170 peak amplitude was larger for averted gaze than for direct gaze. Taken together, these results suggest that direct gaze may be detected at a very early processing stage, involving a parallel route to the ventral occipito-temporal route of face perceptual analysis. PMID:27880776

Enhancing interacting residue prediction with integrated contact matrix prediction in protein-protein interaction.

PubMed

Du, Tianchuan; Liao, Li; Wu, Cathy H

2016-12-01

Identifying the residues in a protein that are involved in protein-protein interaction and identifying the contact matrix for a pair of interacting proteins are two computational tasks at different levels of an in-depth analysis of protein-protein interaction. Various methods for solving these two problems have been reported in the literature. However, the interacting residue prediction and contact matrix prediction were handled by and large independently in those existing methods, though intuitively good prediction of interacting residues will help with predicting the contact matrix. In this work, we developed a novel protein interacting residue prediction system, contact matrix-interaction profile hidden Markov model (CM-ipHMM), with the integration of contact matrix prediction and the ipHMM interaction residue prediction. We propose to leverage what is learned from the contact matrix prediction and utilize the predicted contact matrix as "feedback" to enhance the interaction residue prediction. The CM-ipHMM model showed significant improvement over the previous method that uses the ipHMM for predicting interaction residues only. It indicates that the downstream contact matrix prediction could help the interaction site prediction.

32 CFR 806.29 - Administrative processing of Air Force FOIA requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... section. (c) Contacts with FOIA requesters and non-Air Force submitters of data. (1) Contacts with Air... memoranda documenting requester contacts with Air Force elements regarding a pending FOIA request in the requester's FOIA file. If the requester contacts Air Force elements telephonically about a pending FOIA...

32 CFR 806.29 - Administrative processing of Air Force FOIA requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... section. (c) Contacts with FOIA requesters and non-Air Force submitters of data. (1) Contacts with Air... memoranda documenting requester contacts with Air Force elements regarding a pending FOIA request in the requester's FOIA file. If the requester contacts Air Force elements telephonically about a pending FOIA...

32 CFR 806.29 - Administrative processing of Air Force FOIA requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... section. (c) Contacts with FOIA requesters and non-Air Force submitters of data. (1) Contacts with Air... memoranda documenting requester contacts with Air Force elements regarding a pending FOIA request in the requester's FOIA file. If the requester contacts Air Force elements telephonically about a pending FOIA...

Tribological properties of silicon carbide in metal removal process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, K.; Buckley, D. H.

1980-01-01

Material properties are considered as they relate to adhesion, friction, and wear of single crystal silicon carbide in contact with metals and alloys that are likely to be involved in a metal removal process such as grinding. Metal removal from adhesion between sliding surfaces in contact and metal removal as a result of the silicon carbide sliding against a metal, indenting into it, and plowing a series of grooves or furrows are discussed. Fracture and deformation characteristics of the silicon carbide surface are also covered. The adhesion, friction, and metal transfer to silicon carbide is related to the relative chemical activity of the metals. The more active the metal, the higher the adhesion and friction, and the greater the metal transfer to silicon carbide. Atomic size and content of alloying elements play a dominant role in controlling adhesion, friction, and abrasive wear properties of alloys. The friction and abrasive wear (metal removal) decrease linearly as the shear strength of the bulk metal increases. They decrease as the solute to solvent atomic radius ratio increases or decreases linearly from unity, and with an increase of solute content. The surface fracture of silicon carbide is due to cleavages of 0001, 10(-1)0, and/or 11(-2)0 planes.

Removal of arsenic, vanadium, and/or nickel compounds from petroliferous liquids

DOEpatents

Fish, R.H.

1985-05-17

Described is a process for removing arsenic, vanadium, and/or nickel from petroliferous derived liquids (shale oil, SRC, etc.) by contacting said liquid at an elevated temperature with a divinylbenzene-crosslinked polystyrene having catechol ligands anchored thereon. For vanadium and nickel removal an amine, preferably a diamine is included. Also, described is a process for regenerating spent catecholated polystyrene by removal of the arsenic, vanadium, and/or nickel bound to it from contacting petroliferous liquid as described above and involves: treating the spent polymer containing any vanadium and/or nickel with an aqueous acid to achieve an acid pH; and, separating the solids from the liquid; and then treating said spent catecholated polystyrene, at a temperature in the range of about 20/sup 0/ to 100/sup 0/C with an aqueous solution of at least one carbonate and/or bicarbonate of ammonium, alkali and alkaline earth metals, said solution having a pH between about 8 and 10; and, separating the solids and liquids from each other. Preferably the regeneration treatment of arsenic containing catecholated polymer is in two steps wherein the first step is carried out with an aqueous alcoholic carbonate solution containing lower alkyl alcohol, and, the steps are repeated using a bicarbonate.

Advanced engineering tools for design and fabrication of a custom nasal prosthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, Inês; Leal, Nuno; Silva, Pedro; da Costa Ferreira, A.; Neto, Rui J.; Lino, F. Jorge; Reis, Ana

2012-09-01

Unexpected external defects resulting from neoplasms, burns, congenital malformations, trauma or other diseases, particularly when involving partial or total loss of an external organ, can be emotionally devastating. These defects can be restored with prosthesis, obtained by different techniques, materials and methods. The increase of patient numbers and cost constraints lead to the need of exploring new techniques that can increase efficiency. The main goal of this project was to develop a full engineering-based manufacturing process to obtain soft-tissue prosthesis that could provide faster and less expensive options in the manufacturing of customized prosthesis, and at the same time being able to reproduce the highest degree of details, with the maximum comfort for the patient. Design/methodology/approach - This case report describes treatment using silicone prosthesis with an anatomic retention for an 80-years-old woman with a rhinectomy. The proposed methodology integrates non-contact structured light scanning, CT and reverse engineering with CAD/CAM and additive manufacturing technology. Findings - The proposed protocol showed encouraging results since reveals being a better solution for fabricating custom-made facial prostheses for asymmetrical organs than conventional approaches. The process allows the attainment of prosthesis with the minimum contact and discomfort for the patient, disclosing excellent results in terms of aesthetic, prosthesis retention and in terms of time and resources consumed.

Processes for producing low cost, high efficiency silicon solar cells

DOEpatents

Rohatgi, Ajeet; Doshi, Parag; Tate, John Keith; Mejia, Jose; Chen, Zhizhang

1998-06-16

Processes which utilize rapid thermal processing (RTP) are provided for inexpensively producing high efficiency silicon solar cells. The RTP processes preserve minority carrier bulk lifetime .tau. and permit selective adjustment of the depth of the diffused regions, including emitter and back surface field (bsf), within the silicon substrate. In a first RTP process, an RTP step is utilized to simultaneously diffuse phosphorus and aluminum into the front and back surfaces, respectively, of a silicon substrate. Moreover, an in situ controlled cooling procedure preserves the carrier bulk lifetime .tau. and permits selective adjustment of the depth of the diffused regions. In a second RTP process, both simultaneous diffusion of the phosphorus and aluminum as well as annealing of the front and back contacts are accomplished during the RTP step. In a third RTP process, the RTP step accomplishes simultaneous diffusion of the phosphorus and aluminum, annealing of the contacts, and annealing of a double-layer antireflection/passivation coating SiN/SiO.sub.x. In a fourth RTP process, the process of applying front and back contacts is broken up into two separate respective steps, which enhances the efficiency of the cells, at a slight time expense. In a fifth RTP process, a second RTP step is utilized to fire and adhere the screen printed or evaporated contacts to the structure.

Watch your step! A frustrated total internal reflection approach to forensic footwear imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Needham, J. A.; Sharp, J. S.

2016-02-01

Forensic image retrieval and processing are vital tools in the fight against crime e.g. during fingerprint capture. However, despite recent advances in machine vision technology and image processing techniques (and contrary to the claims of popular fiction) forensic image retrieval is still widely being performed using outdated practices involving inkpads and paper. Ongoing changes in government policy, increasing crime rates and the reduction of forensic service budgets increasingly require that evidence be gathered and processed more rapidly and efficiently. A consequence of this is that new, low-cost imaging technologies are required to simultaneously increase the quality and throughput of the processing of evidence. This is particularly true in the burgeoning field of forensic footwear analysis, where images of shoe prints are being used to link individuals to crime scenes. Here we describe one such approach based upon frustrated total internal reflection imaging that can be used to acquire images of regions where shoes contact rigid surfaces.

Watch your step! A frustrated total internal reflection approach to forensic footwear imaging.

PubMed

Needham, J A; Sharp, J S

2016-02-16

Forensic image retrieval and processing are vital tools in the fight against crime e.g. during fingerprint capture. However, despite recent advances in machine vision technology and image processing techniques (and contrary to the claims of popular fiction) forensic image retrieval is still widely being performed using outdated practices involving inkpads and paper. Ongoing changes in government policy, increasing crime rates and the reduction of forensic service budgets increasingly require that evidence be gathered and processed more rapidly and efficiently. A consequence of this is that new, low-cost imaging technologies are required to simultaneously increase the quality and throughput of the processing of evidence. This is particularly true in the burgeoning field of forensic footwear analysis, where images of shoe prints are being used to link individuals to crime scenes. Here we describe one such approach based upon frustrated total internal reflection imaging that can be used to acquire images of regions where shoes contact rigid surfaces.

Nicotine, alcohol and cocaine coupling to reward processes via endogenous morphine signaling: the dopamine-morphine hypothesis.

PubMed

Stefano, George B; Bianchi, Enrica; Guarna, Massimo; Fricchione, Gregory L; Zhu, Wei; Cadet, Patrick; Mantione, Kirk J; Casares, Federico M; Kream, Richard M; Esch, Tobias

2007-06-01

Pleasure is described as a state or feeling of happiness and satisfaction resulting from an experience that one enjoys. We examine the neurobiological factors underlying reward processes and pleasure phenomena. With regard to possible negative effects of pleasure, we focus on addiction and motivational toxicity. Pleasure can serve cognition, productivity and health, but simultaneously promotes addiction and other negative behaviors. It is a complex neurobiological phenomenon, relying on reward circuitry or limbic activity. These processes involve dopaminergic signaling. Moreover, nicotine, cocaine and alcohol appear to exert their pleasure providing action via endogenous morphinergic mechanisms. Natural rewarding activities are necessary for survival and appetitive motivation, usually governing beneficial biological behaviors like eating, sex and reproduction. Social contacts can further facilitate the positive effects exerted by pleasurable experiences. However, artificial stimulants can be detrimental, since flexibility and normal control of behavior are deteriorated. Additionally, addictive drugs are capable of directly acting on reward pathways, now, in part, via endogenous morphine processes.

Multiple-objective optimization in precision laser cutting of different thermoplastics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamrin, K. F.; Nukman, Y.; Choudhury, I. A.; Shirley, S.

2015-04-01

Thermoplastics are increasingly being used in biomedical, automotive and electronics industries due to their excellent physical and chemical properties. Due to the localized and non-contact process, use of lasers for cutting could result in precise cut with small heat-affected zone (HAZ). Precision laser cutting involving various materials is important in high-volume manufacturing processes to minimize operational cost, error reduction and improve product quality. This study uses grey relational analysis to determine a single optimized set of cutting parameters for three different thermoplastics. The set of the optimized processing parameters is determined based on the highest relational grade and was found at low laser power (200 W), high cutting speed (0.4 m/min) and low compressed air pressure (2.5 bar). The result matches with the objective set in the present study. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is then carried out to ascertain the relative influence of process parameters on the cutting characteristics. It was found that the laser power has dominant effect on HAZ for all thermoplastics.

Stamp forming optimization for formability and crystallinity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donderwinkel, T. G.; Rietman, B.; Haanappel, S. P.; Akkerman, R.

2016-10-01

The stamp forming process is well suited for high volume production of thermoplastic composite parts. The process can be characterized as highly non-isothermal as it involves local quench-cooling of a molten thermoplastic composite blank where it makes contact with colder tooling. The formability of the thermoplastic composite depends on the viscoelastic material behavior of the matrix material, which is sensitive to temperature and degree of crystallinity. An experimental study was performed to determine the effect of temperature and crystallinity on the storage modulus during cooling for a woven glass fiber polyamide-6 composite material. An increase of two decades in modulus was observed during crystallization. As this will significantly impede the blank formability, the onset of crystallization effectively governs the time available for forming. Besides the experimental work, a numerical model is developed to study the temperature and crystallinity throughout the stamp forming process. A process window can be determined by feeding the model with the experimentally obtained data on crystallization.

Involvement of the cannabinoid CB2 receptor and its endogenous ligand 2-arachidonoylglycerol in oxazolone-induced contact dermatitis in mice.

PubMed

Oka, Saori; Wakui, Junichi; Ikeda, Shinobu; Yanagimoto, Shin; Kishimoto, Seishi; Gokoh, Maiko; Nasui, Miwako; Sugiura, Takayuki

2006-12-15

The possible involvement of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), an endogenous ligand for the cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2), in contact dermatitis in mouse ear was investigated. We found that the level of 2-AG was markedly elevated in the ear following a challenge with oxazolone in sensitized mice. Of note, the swelling following the challenge was suppressed by either the administration of SR144528, a CB2 receptor antagonist, immediately after sensitization, or the administration of SR144528 upon the challenge. The effect of AM251, a CB1 receptor antagonist, was marginal in either case. It seems apparent, therefore, that the CB2 receptor and its endogenous ligand 2-AG are closely involved in both the sensitization phase and the elicitation phase of oxazolone-induced contact dermatitis. In line with this, we found that Langerhans cells (MHC class II(+)) contain a substantial amount of CB2 receptor mRNA, whereas keratinocytes (MHC class II(-)) do not. We also obtained evidence that the expression of mRNAs for proinflammatory cytokines following a challenge with oxazolone was markedly suppressed by treatment with SR144528. We next examined whether the CB2 receptor and 2-AG participate in chronic contact dermatitis accompanied by the infiltration of tissues by eosinophils. The amount of 2-AG in mouse ear dramatically increased following repeated challenge with oxazolone. Importantly, treatment with SR144528 attenuated both the recruitment of eosinophils and ear swelling in chronic contact dermatitis induced by repeated challenge with oxazolone. These results strongly suggest that the CB2 receptor and 2-AG play important stimulative roles in the sensitization, elicitation, and exacerbation of allergic inflammation.

Numerical study on the stick-slip motion of contact line moving on heterogeneous surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ming; Chen, Xiao-Peng

2017-08-01

We present a numerical study of a moving contact line (CL) crossing the intersecting region of hydrophilic and hydrophobic patterns on a solid wall using lattice Boltzmann methods (LBMs). To capture the interface between the two phases properly, we applied a phase field model coupled with the LBM. The evolutions of the CL velocity, dynamic contact angle, and apparent contact angle are analyzed for the so-called "stick" and "slip" processes. In the two processes, the evolution of the quantities follows different rules shortly after the initial quick transition, which is probably caused by finite interfacial thickness or non-equilibrium effects. For the stick process, the CL is almost fixed and energy is extracted from the main flow to rebuild the meniscus' profile. The evolution of the meniscus is mainly governed by mass conservation. The CL is depinned after the apparent contact angle surpasses the dynamic one, which implies that the interfacial segment in the vicinity of contact line is bended. For the slip process, the quantities evolve with features of relaxation. In the microscopic scale, the velocity of the CL depends on the balance between unbalanced Young's capillary force and viscous drag. To predict the apparent contact angle evolution, a model following the dynamics of an overdamped spring-mass system is proposed. Our results also show that the capillary flows in a channel with heterogeneous wall can be described generally with the Poiseuille flow superimposed by the above transient one.

Do Oncologists Engage in Bereavement Practices? A Survey of the Israeli Society of Clinical Oncology and Radiation Therapy (ISCORT)

PubMed Central

Shabtai, Esther; Merimsky, Ofer; Inbar, Moshe; Rosenbaum, Eli; Meirovitz, Amichay; Wexler, Isaiah D.

2010-01-01

Purpose. We sought to determine the level of involvement of oncologists in bereavement rituals after a patient dies. Subjects and Methods. Members of the Israeli Society for Clinical Oncology and Radiation Therapy (ISCORT) were surveyed. The survey instrument consisted of questions regarding participation in bereavement rituals for patients in general and those with whom the oncologist had a special bond. Oncologists were queried as to the reasons for nonparticipation in bereavement rituals. Results. Nearly 70% of the ISCORT membership (126 of 182) completed the survey tool. Respondents included radiation, surgical, and medical oncologists. In general, oncologists rarely participated in bereavement rituals that involved direct contact with families such as funerals and visitations. Twenty-eight percent of physicians at least occasionally participated in rituals involving direct contact whereas 45% had indirect contact (e.g., letter of condolence) with the family on an occasional basis. There was significantly greater involvement in bereavement rituals when oncologists developed a special bond with the patient. In a stepwise linear regression model, the only factor significantly associated with greater participation in bereavement rituals was self-perceived spirituality in those claiming not to be religious. The major reasons offered for nonparticipation were time constraints, need to maintain appropriate boundaries between physicians and patients, and fear of burnout. Conclusion. Although many oncologists participate at least occasionally in some sort of bereavement ritual, a significant proportion of oncologists are not involved in these practices at all. PMID:20228130

Leading-process actomyosin coordinates organelle positioning and adhesion receptor dynamics in radially migrating cerebellar granule neurons

DOE PAGES

Trivedi, Niraj; Ramahi, Joseph S.; Karakaya, Mahmut; ...

2014-12-02

During brain development, neurons migrate from germinal zones to their final positions to assemble neural circuits. A unique saltatory cadence involving cyclical organelle movement (e.g., centrosome motility) and leading-process actomyosin enrichment prior to nucleokinesis organizes neuronal migration. While functional evidence suggests that leading-process actomyosin is essential for centrosome motility, the role of the actin-enriched leading process in globally organizing organelle transport or traction forces remains unexplored. Our results show that myosin ii motors and F-actin dynamics are required for Golgi apparatus positioning before nucleokinesis in cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) migrating along glial fibers. Moreover, we show that primary cilia aremore » motile organelles, localized to the leading-process F-actin-rich domain and immobilized by pharmacological inhibition of myosin ii and F-actin dynamics. Finally, leading process adhesion dynamics are dependent on myosin ii and F-actin. In conclusion, we propose that actomyosin coordinates the overall polarity of migrating CGNs by controlling asymmetric organelle positioning and cell-cell contacts as these cells move along their glial guides.« less

Leading-process actomyosin coordinates organelle positioning and adhesion receptor dynamics in radially migrating cerebellar granule neurons

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

Trivedi, Niraj; Ramahi, Joseph S.; Karakaya, Mahmut

During brain development, neurons migrate from germinal zones to their final positions to assemble neural circuits. A unique saltatory cadence involving cyclical organelle movement (e.g., centrosome motility) and leading-process actomyosin enrichment prior to nucleokinesis organizes neuronal migration. While functional evidence suggests that leading-process actomyosin is essential for centrosome motility, the role of the actin-enriched leading process in globally organizing organelle transport or traction forces remains unexplored. Our results show that myosin ii motors and F-actin dynamics are required for Golgi apparatus positioning before nucleokinesis in cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) migrating along glial fibers. Moreover, we show that primary cilia aremore » motile organelles, localized to the leading-process F-actin-rich domain and immobilized by pharmacological inhibition of myosin ii and F-actin dynamics. Finally, leading process adhesion dynamics are dependent on myosin ii and F-actin. In conclusion, we propose that actomyosin coordinates the overall polarity of migrating CGNs by controlling asymmetric organelle positioning and cell-cell contacts as these cells move along their glial guides.« less

Pi-Pi contacts are an overlooked protein feature relevant to phase separation.

PubMed

Vernon, Robert McCoy; Chong, Paul Andrew; Tsang, Brian; Kim, Tae Hun; Bah, Alaji; Farber, Patrick; Lin, Hong; Forman-Kay, Julie Deborah

2018-02-09

Protein phase separation is implicated in formation of membraneless organelles, signaling puncta and the nuclear pore. Multivalent interactions of modular binding domains and their target motifs can drive phase separation. However, forces promoting the more common phase separation of intrinsically disordered regions are less understood, with suggested roles for multivalent cation-pi, pi-pi, and charge interactions and the hydrophobic effect. Known phase-separating proteins are enriched in pi-orbital containing residues and thus we analyzed pi-interactions in folded proteins. We found that pi-pi interactions involving non-aromatic groups are widespread, underestimated by force-fields used in structure calculations and correlated with solvation and lack of regular secondary structure, properties associated with disordered regions. We present a phase separation predictive algorithm based on pi interaction frequency, highlighting proteins involved in biomaterials and RNA processing. © 2018, Vernon et al.

[PRECHORDAL AND MYOEPICARDIAL PLATES: TERMINOLOGICAL ASPECTS, THE PROBLEMS OF DEFINITION].

PubMed

Korolyov, V A; Pototskaya, O Yu

2015-01-01

Most accurately, the prechordal plate (PCP) can be defined as the zone of close contact of cells of endodermal epithelium and mesenchyme in the region between the oropharyngeal membrane and the notochord. This structure is involved in the induction of the anterior parts of the brain and, in particular, the pituitary gland, as well as in the formation of some of eye muscles and bones of the skull base (chordal chondrocranium). Further studies are needed to clarify PCP involvement in the development of pharynx, esophagus, and their derivatives, as well as to determine the source and the mechanisms of development of PCP mesenchymal cells. The term "prechordal plate" should not be confused with the Spemann's organizer, head organizer, oropharyngeal membrane, mesendoderm, head process and the prechordal mesoderm, which is common in the scientific literature. The term "myoepicardial plate" falsely indicates the common origin of myocardium and epicardium, thus its usage should be avoided.

Stasis Dermatitis: Pathophysiology, Evaluation, and Management.

PubMed

Sundaresan, Swaminathan; Migden, Michael R; Silapunt, Sirunya

2017-06-01

Stasis dermatitis commonly occurs in older age. It is caused by venous hypertension resulting from retrograde flow due to incompetent venous valves, valve destruction, or obstruction of the venous system. Further tissue changes arise from an inflammatory process mediated by metalloproteinases, which are up-regulated by ferric ion from extravasated red blood cells. Stasis dermatitis presents initially as poorly demarcated erythematous plaques of the lower legs bilaterally, classically involving the medial malleolus. It is one of the spectrum of cutaneous findings that may result from chronic venous insufficiency. Its mimics include cellulitis, contact dermatitis, and pigmented purpuric dermatoses. Duplex ultrasound is useful in demonstrating venous reflux when the clinical diagnosis of stasis dermatitis is inadequate. Conservative treatment involves the use of compression therapy directed at improving ambulatory venous pressure. Interventional therapy currently includes minimally invasive techniques such as endovenous thermal ablation and ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy, which have supplanted the use of open surgical techniques.

Thermally stable ohmic contacts to n-type GaAs. VII. Addition of Ge or Si to NiInW ohmic contacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murakami, Masanori; Price, W. H.; Norcott, M.; Hallali, P.-E.

1990-09-01

The effects of Si or Ge addition to NiInW ohmic contacts on their electrical behavior were studied, where the samples were prepared by evaporating Ni(Si) or Ni(Ge) pellets with In and W and annealed by a rapid thermal annealing method. An addition of Si affected the contact resistances of NiInW contacts: the resistances decreased with increasing the Si concentrations in the Ni(Si) pellets and the lowest value of ˜0.1 Ω mm was obtained in the contact prepared with the Ni-5 at. % Si pellets after annealing at temperatures around 800 °C. The contact resistances did not deteriorate during isothermal annealing at 400 °C for more than 100 h, far exceeding process requirements for self-aligned GaAs metal-semiconductor field-effect-transistor devices. In addition, the contacts were compatible with TiAlCu interconnects which have been widely used in the current Si process. Furthermore, the addition of Si to the NiInW contacts eliminated an annealing step for activation of implanted dopants and low resistance (˜0.2 Ω mm) contacts were fabricated for the first time by a ``one-step'' anneal. In contrast, an addition of Ge to the NiInW contacts did not significantly reduce the contact resistances.

Evaluating the effectiveness of gel formulation of irradiated seed lectin Cratylia mollis during bone repair in rats

PubMed Central

Santos-Oliveira, Ralph; Lima-Ribeiro, Maria Helena Madruga; Carneiro-Leão, Ana Maria dos Anjos; Cruz, Adriana Ferreira; de Santana, Mauricélia Firmino; Cavalcanti, Carmelita de Lima Bezerra; de Pontes Filho, Nicodemos Teles; Coelho, Luana Cassandra Breitenbach Barroso; dos Santos Correia, Maria Tereza

2013-01-01

Context: Regeneration corresponds to the replacement of damaged cells with ones that have the same morphology and function. For experimental evaluation of materials that may favor the process of bone healing, defects are created with dimensions that prevent spontaneous regeneration. For the development and use of new drugs, it is necessary to study its effects in vitro, which depends on the formulation, concentration, and rate of irradiation in vivo and the route and frequency of administration; thus, it is possible to characterize the physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in the response and cellular effects. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the effect of Cramoll-1,4 on the process of bone repair. Materials and Methods: A formulation of biopharmaceutical lectin Cramoll-1,4 at a concentration of 300 mg/100 mL was applied in a single application via gamma radiation and its effect on the process of bone repair in rats was assessed. Results: Histologically, it was observed that the bone defect is coated by loose connective tissue rich in fibroblasts, providing a range similar to the thick bone original and competing with site of new bone formation. This prevented direct contact between the formulation and experimental bone tissue, as, despite its proven effectiveness in experiments on the repair of skin lesions, the formulation used did not promote bone stimulation that would have promoted the tissue repair process. Conclusion: Because of the direct interference of loose tissue repair that prevented direct contact of the implant with the bone interface, the formulation did not promote bone stimulation. PMID:24083142

Water-saving liquid-gas conditioning system

DOEpatents

Martin, Christopher; Zhuang, Ye

2014-01-14

A method for treating a process gas with a liquid comprises contacting a process gas with a hygroscopic working fluid in order to remove a constituent from the process gas. A system for treating a process gas with a liquid comprises a hygroscopic working fluid comprising a component adapted to absorb or react with a constituent of a process gas, and a liquid-gas contactor for contacting the working fluid and the process gas, wherein the constituent is removed from the process gas within the liquid-gas contactor.

Automated fabrication of back surface field silicon solar cells with screen printed wraparound contacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thornhill, J. W.

1977-01-01

The development of a process for fabricating 2 x 4 cm back surface field silicon solar cells having screen printed wraparound contacts is described. This process was specifically designed to be amenable for incorporation into the automated nonvacuum production line. Techniques were developed to permit the use of screen printing for producing improved back surface field structures, wraparound dielectric layers, and wraparound contacts. The optimized process sequence was then used to produce 1852 finished cells. Tests indicated an average conversion efficiency of 11% at AMO and 28 C, with an average degradation of maximum power output of 1.5% after boiling water immersion or thermal shock cycling. Contact adherence was satisfactory after these tests, as well as long term storage at high temperature and high humidity.

[Eye contact effects: A therapeutic issue?

PubMed

Baltazar, M; Conty, L

2016-12-01

The perception of a direct gaze - that is, of another individual's gaze directed at the observer that leads to eye contact - is known to influence a wide range of cognitive processes and behaviors. We stress that these effects mainly reflect positive impacts on human cognition and may thus be used as relevant tools for therapeutic purposes. In this review, we aim (1) to provide an exhaustive review of eye contact effects while discussing the limits of the dominant models used to explain these effects, (2) to illustrate the therapeutic potential of eye contact by targeting those pathologies that show both preserved gaze processing and deficits in one or several functions that are targeted by the eye contact effects, and (3) to propose concrete ways in which eye contact could be employed as a therapeutic tool. (1) We regroup the variety of eye contact effects into four categories, including memory effects, activation of prosocial behavior, positive appraisals of self and others and the enhancement of self-awareness. We emphasize that the models proposed to account for these effects have a poor predictive value and that further descriptions of these effects is needed. (2) We then emphasize that people with pathologies that affect memory, social behavior, and self and/or other appraisal, and self-awareness could benefit from eye contact effects. We focus on depression, autism and Alzheimer's disease to illustrate our proposal. To our knowledge, no anomaly of eye contact has been reported in depression. Patients suffering from Alzheimer disease, at the early and moderate stage, have been shown to maintain a normal amount of eye contact with their interlocutor. We take into account that autism is controversial regarding whether gaze processing is preserved or altered. In the first view, individuals are thought to elude or omit gazing at another's eyes while in the second, individuals are considered to not be able to process the gaze of others. We adopt the first stance following the view that people with autism are not interested in processing social signals such as gaze but could do so efficiently if properly motivated. For each pathology we emphasize that eye contact could be used, for example, to enhance sensitivity to bodily states, thus improving emotional decision making (in autism); to lead to more positive appraisal of the self and others (in depression); to improve memory performances (in Alzheimer disease) and, more generally, to motivate the recipient to engage in the therapeutic process. (3) Finally we propose two concrete ways to employ eye contact effects as a therapeutic tool. The first is to develop cognitive-behavioral tools to learn and/or motivate the recipient to create frequent and prolonged eye contact periods. The second is to raise awareness among caregivers of the beneficial effects of eye contact and to teach them the way to use eye contact to reach its optimum effects. Future investigations are however needed to explore the ways in which eye contact effects can be efficiently integrated in therapeutic strategies, as well as to identify the clinical populations that can benefit from such therapeutic interventions. Copyright © 2016 L’Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Astronomy in the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moiteiro, Bárbara; Rodrigues, Berta

2016-04-01

The motivation of young students to science is much higher when the theoretical teaching is accompanied by practice and these are engaged in activities that involve real problems of their society and requiring a scientific basis for its discussion. Several activities such as collaboration on current scientific experiments, direct contact with scientists, participation in science competitions, visits to Science Museums, artistic and craft activities, the use of simulators and virtual laboratories, increase the degree of student satisfaction and motivate them in their learning processes. This poster shows some of Astronomy activities with students of schools Agrupamento de Escolas José Belchior Viegas within the Physics and Chemistry classes.

Material recognition based on thermal cues: Mechanisms and applications.

PubMed

Ho, Hsin-Ni

2018-01-01

Some materials feel colder to the touch than others, and we can use this difference in perceived coldness for material recognition. This review focuses on the mechanisms underlying material recognition based on thermal cues. It provides an overview of the physical, perceptual, and cognitive processes involved in material recognition. It also describes engineering domains in which material recognition based on thermal cues have been applied. This includes haptic interfaces that seek to reproduce the sensations associated with contact in virtual environments and tactile sensors aim for automatic material recognition. The review concludes by considering the contributions of this line of research in both science and engineering.

Material recognition based on thermal cues: Mechanisms and applications

PubMed Central

Ho, Hsin-Ni

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Some materials feel colder to the touch than others, and we can use this difference in perceived coldness for material recognition. This review focuses on the mechanisms underlying material recognition based on thermal cues. It provides an overview of the physical, perceptual, and cognitive processes involved in material recognition. It also describes engineering domains in which material recognition based on thermal cues have been applied. This includes haptic interfaces that seek to reproduce the sensations associated with contact in virtual environments and tactile sensors aim for automatic material recognition. The review concludes by considering the contributions of this line of research in both science and engineering. PMID:29687043