Texture and mechanical properties of Al-0.5Mg-1.0Si-0.5Cu alloy sheets manufactured via a cross rolling method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeon, Jae-Yeol; Son, Hyeon-Taek; Woo, Kee-Do; Lee, Kwang-Jin

2012-04-01

The relationship between the texture and mechanical properties of 6xxx aluminum alloy sheets processed via cross rolling was investigated. The microstructures of the conventional rolled and cross rolled sheets after annealing were analyzed using optical micrographs (OM). The texture distribution across the thickness in the Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloy, conventional rolled sheets, and cross rolled sheets both before and after annealing was investigated via X-ray texture measurements. The texture was analyzed in three layers from the surface to the center of the sheet. The β-fiber texture of the conventional rolled sheet was typical of the texture obtained using aluminumoll ring. After annealing, the typical β-fiber orientations were changed to recrystallization textures: cube{001}<100> and normal direction (ND)-rotated cubes. However, the texture of the cross rolled sheet was composed of an asymmetrical, rolling direction (RD)-rotated cubes. After annealing, the asymmetrical orientations in the cross rolled sheet were changed to a randomized texture. The average R-value of the annealed cross rolled sheets was higher than that of the conventional rolled sheets. The limit dome height (LDH) test results demonstrated that cross rolling is effective in improving the formability of the Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloy sheets.

In-plane orientation and composition dependences of crystal structure and electrical properties of {100}-oriented Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films grown on (100) Si substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okamoto, Shoji; Sankara Rama Krishnan, P. S.; Okamoto, Satoshi; Yokoyama, Shintaro; Akiyama, Kensuke; Funakubo, Hiroshi

2017-10-01

In-plane orientation-controlled Pb(Zr x ,Ti1- x )O3 (PZT) films with a thickness of approximately 2 µm and a Zr/(Zr + Ti) ratio of 0.39-0.65 were grown on (100) Si substrates by pulsed metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). In-plane-oriented epitaxial PZT films and in-plane random fiber-textured PZT films with {100} out-of-plane orientation were grown on (100)c SrRuO3//(100)c LaNiO3//(100) CeO2//(100) YSZ//(100) Si and (100)c SrRuO3/(100)c LaNiO3/(111) Pt/TiO2/SiO2/(100) Si substrates, respectively. The effects of Zr/(Zr + Ti) ratio and in-plane orientation on the crystal structure, dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of the films were systematically investigated. The X-ray diffraction measurement showed that the epitaxial PZT films had a higher volume fraction of (100) orientation than the fiber-textured PZT films in the tetragonal Zr/(Zr + Ti) ratio region. A large difference was not detected between the epitaxial films and the fiber-textured films for Zr/(Zr + Ti) ratio dependence of the dielectric constant, and remanent polarization. However, in the rhombohedral phase region [Zr/(Zr + Ti) = 0.65], coercive field was found to be 1.5-fold different between the epitaxial and fiber-textured PZT films. The maximum field-induced strains measured at 0-100 kV/cm by scanning atomic force microscopy were obtained at approximately Zr/(Zr + Ti) = 0.50 and were about 0.5 and 0.3% for the epitaxial and fiber-textured PZT films, respectively.

Effects of rice bran fiber on heat-induced gel prepared with pork salt-soluble meat proteins in model system.

PubMed

Choi, Yun-Sang; Choi, Ji-Hun; Han, Doo-Jeong; Kim, Hack-Youn; Lee, Mi-Ai; Kim, Hyun-Wook; Jeong, Jong-Youn; Kim, Cheon-Jei

2011-05-01

The technological effects of rice bran fiber on pork salt-soluble meat proteins in a model system were investigated. Rice bran fiber at levels of 0% (control), 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2% was added at the same time as salt-soluble meat protein to maintain similar moisture levels in all samples. Samples with increasing amounts of added rice bran fiber had higher pH, yellowness, sarcoplasmic and total protein solubilities. The moisture content, myofibrillar protein solubility and water holding capacity were the highest in the treatments containing with 1% rice bran fiber. However, the lightness and redness, textural properties decreased with increasing rice bran fiber levels. SDS gel electrophoresis did not reveal any changes in proteins regardless different rice bran fiber levels. The apparent viscosity indicated that improvements in water holding capacity and decreased texture due to added rice bran fiber. Copyright © 2010 The American Meat Science Association. All rights reserved.

Improved Oxygen-Beam Texturing of Glucose-Monitoring Optics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Bruce A.

2006-01-01

An improved method has been devised for using directed, hyperthermal beams of oxygen atoms and ions to impart desired textures to the tips of polymethylmethacrylate [PMMA] optical fibers to be used in monitoring the glucose content of blood. The improved method incorporates, but goes beyond, the method described in Texturing Blood-Glucose- Monitoring Optics Using Oxygen Beams (LEW-17642-1), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 29, No. 4 (April 2005), page 11a. The basic principle of operation of such a glucose-monitoring sensor is as follows: The textured surface of the optical fiber is coated with chemicals that interact with glucose in such a manner as to change the reflectance of the surface. Light is sent down the optical fiber and is reflected from, the textured surface. The resulting change in reflectance of the light is measured as an indication of the concentration of glucose. The required texture on the ends of the optical fibers is a landscape of microscopic cones or pillars having high aspect ratios (microscopic structures being taller than they are wide). The average distance between hills must be no more than about 5 mso that blood cells (which are wider) cannot enter the valleys between the hills, where they would interfere with optical sensing of glucose in the blood plasma. On the other hand, the plasma is required to enter the valleys, and high aspect ratio structures are needed to maximize the surface area in contact with the plasma, thereby making it possible to obtain a given level of optical glucose-measurement sensitivity with a relatively small volume of blood. There is an additional requirement that the hills be wide enough that a sufficient amount of light can propagate into them and, after reflection, can propagate out of them. The method described in the cited prior article produces a texture comprising cones and pillars that conform to the average-distance and aspect-ratio requirements. However, a significant fraction of the cones and pillars are so narrow that not enough light can propagate along them. The improved method makes it possible to form wider cones and pillars while still satisfying the average-distance and aspect-ratio requirements. In the improved method, as in the previously reported method, multiple optical fibers are first bundled together for simultaneous texturing of their distal tips. However, prior to texturing by exposure to an oxygen beam, the tips are first coated by vapor deposition of a thin, sparse layer of aluminum: The exposure to the aluminum vapor must be short enough (typically of the order of seconds) so that the aluminum nucleates into islands separated by uncoated areas. The coated tips are textured by exposure to a directed beam of hyperthermal (kinetic energy >1 eV) oxygen atoms and/or ions in a vacuum chamber, as in the previously reported method. The aluminum islands partially shield the underlying PMMA from oxidation and erosion by the beam, so that the cones or pillars remaining after texturing are wider than they would otherwise be. To some extent, the dimensions of the hills and the distances between them can be tailored through choice of the thickness of the aluminum coat and/or the oxygen-beam fluence. The figure illustrates an example of texturing of the tip of a PMMA optical fiber without and with prior aluminum coating.

Evolution of Texture from a Single Crystal Ti-6Al-4V Substrate During Electron Beam Directed Energy Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, Todd M.; Brice, Craig A.; Tayon, Wesley A.; Semiatin, S. Lee; Pilchak, Adam L.

2017-10-01

Additive manufacturing of Ti-6Al-4V commonly produces 〈001〉 β -fiber textures aligned with the build direction. We have performed wire-feed electron beam directed energy deposition on the {112} β plane of a single prior β-grain. The build initially grew epitaxially from the substrate with the preferred 〈001〉 growth direction significantly angled away from the build direction. However, continued layer deposition drove the formation of a 〈001〉 β -fiber texture aligned with the build direction and the direction of the strongest thermal gradient.

Effects of addition of different fibers on rheological characteristics of cake batter and quality of cakes.

PubMed

Aydogdu, Ayca; Sumnu, Gulum; Sahin, Serpil

2018-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of addition of dietary fibers on rheological properties of batter and cake quality. Wheat flour was replaced by 5 and 10% (wt%) oat, pea, apple and lemon fibers. All cake batters showed shear thinning behavior. Incorporation of fibers increased consistency index (k), storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G″). As quality parameters, specific volume, hardness, weight loss, color and microstructure of cakes were investigated. Cakes containing oat and pea fibers (5%) had similar specific volume and texture with control cakes which contained no fiber. As fiber concentration increased, specific volume decreased but hardness increased. No significant difference was found between weight loss of control cake and cakes with oat, pea and apple fibers. Lemon fiber enriched cakes had the lowest specific volume, weight loss and color difference. When microstructural images were examined, it was seen that control cake had more porous structure than fiber enriched cakes. In addition, lemon and apple fiber containing cakes had less porous crumb structure as compared to oat and pea containing ones. Oat and pea fiber (5%) enriched cakes had similar physical properties (volume, texture and color) with control cakes.

Seismic properties of the upper mantle beneath Lanzarote (Canary Islands): Model predictions based on texture measurements by EBSD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vonlanthen, Pierre; Kunze, Karsten; Burlini, Luigi; Grobety, Bernard

2006-12-01

We present a petrophysical analysis of upper mantle xenoliths, collected in the Quaternary alkali basalt fields (Series III and IV) from the island of Lanzarote. The samples consist of eight harzburgite and four dunite nodules, 5 to 15 cm in size, and exhibit a typical protogranular to porphyroclastic texture. An anomalous foliation resulting from strong recovery processes is observed in half of the specimens. The lattice preferred orientations (LPO) of olivine, orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene were measured using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). In most samples, olivine exhibits LPOs intermediate between the typical single crystal texture and the [100] fiber texture. Occasionally, the [010] fiber texture was also observed. Simultaneous occurrence of both types of fiber textures suggests the existence of more than one deformation regime, probably dominated by a simple shear component under low strain rate and moderate to high temperature. Orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene display a weaker but significant texture. The LPO data were used to calculate the seismic properties of the xenoliths at PT conditions obtained from geothermobarometry, and were compared to field geophysical data reported from the literature. The velocity of P-waves (7.9 km/s) obtained for a direction corresponding to the existing seismic transect is in good agreement with the most recent geophysical interpretation. Our results are consistent with a roughly W-E oriented fastest P-wave propagation direction in the uppermost mantle beneath the Canary Islands, and with the lithosphere structure proposed by previous authors involving a crust-mantle boundary at around 18 km in depth, overlaid by intermediate material between 11 and 18 km.

The Effects of Fiber Inclusion on Pet Food Sensory Characteristics and Palatability

PubMed Central

Koppel, Kadri; Monti, Mariana; Gibson, Michael; Alavi, Sajid; Donfrancesco, Brizio Di; Carciofi, Aulus Cavalieri

2015-01-01

Simple Summary The results from this research indicate that fibers have an effect on extruded pet food texture and palatability. These results may help pet food companies select ingredients for successful product formulations. Abstract The objectives of this study were to determine (a) the influence of fiber on the sensory characteristics of dry dog foods; (b) differences of coated and uncoated kibbles for aroma and flavor characteristics; (c) palatability of these dry dog foods; and (d) potential associations between palatability and sensory attributes. A total of eight fiber treatments were manufactured: a control (no fiber addition), guava fiber (3%, 6%, and 12%), sugar cane fiber (9%; large and small particle size), and wheat bran fiber (32%; large and small particle size). The results indicated significant effects of fibers on both flavor and texture properties of the samples. Bitter taste and iron and stale aftertaste were examples of flavor attributes that differed with treatment, with highest intensity observed for 12% guava fiber and small particle size sugar cane fiber treatments. Fracturability and initial crispness attributes were lowest for the sugar cane fiber treatments. Flavor of all treatments changed after coating with a palatant, increasing in toasted, brothy, and grainy attributes. The coating also had a masking effect on aroma attributes such as stale, flavor attributes such as iron and bitter taste, and appearance attributes such as porosity. Palatability testing results indicated that the control treatment was preferred over the sugar cane or the wheat bran treatment. The treatment with large sugarcane fiber particles was preferred over the treatment with small particles, while both of the wheat bran treatments were eaten at a similar level. Descriptive sensory analysis data, especially textural attributes, were useful in pinpointing the underlying characteristics and were considered to be reasons that may influence palatability of dog foods manufactured with inclusion of different fibers. PMID:26479141

Influence of the fiber from agro-industrial co-products as functional food ingredient on the acceptance, neophobia and sensory characteristics of cooked sausages.

PubMed

Díaz-Vela, Juan; Totosaus, Alfonso; Escalona-Buendía, Héctor B; Pérez-Chabela, M Lourdes

2017-02-01

The sensory analysis of new products is essential for subsequent acceptance by consumers, moreover in the functional food market. The acceptance and food neophobia of cooked sausages formulated with cactus pear fiber or pineapple pear fiber, as functional ingredient, was complemented with a sensory characterization by R-index and qualitative descriptive analysis (QDA). Female consumers aged between 40 and 50 years showed greater interest in the consumption of healthy foods, with a higher level of food neophobia towards pineapple fiber sausages. R-index for taste was higher in pineapple fiber samples. Cactus pear fiber samples presented higher R-index score for texture. In QDA, color, sweet, astringent and bitter flavors, pork meat smell and a firm and plastic texture were significant, with a good relationship (38%) between the evaluated attributes. Sensory attributes are important on the acceptance and neophobia of functional foods like cooked sausages with fruit peel fiber as functional ingredient.

Texturing of high T(sub c) superconducting polycrystalline fibers/wires by laser-driven directional solidification in an thermal gradient

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Varshney, Usha; Eichelberger, B. Davis, III

1995-01-01

This paper summarizes the technique of laser-driven directional solidification in a controlled thermal gradient of yttria stabilized zirconia core coated Y-Ba-Cu-O materials to produce textured high T(sub c) superconducting polycrystalline fibers/wires with improved critical current densities in the extended range of magnetic fields at temperatures greater than 77 K. The approach involves laser heating to minimize phase segregation by heating very rapidly through the two-phase incongruent melt region to the single phase melt region and directionally solidifying in a controlled thermal gradient to achieve highly textured grains in the fiber axis direction. The technique offers a higher grain growth rate and a lower thermal budget compared with a conventional thermal gradient and is amenable as a continuous process for improving the J(sub c) of high T(sub c) superconducting polycrystalline fibers/wires. The technique has the advantage of suppressing weak-link behavior by orientation of crystals, formation of dense structures with enhanced connectivity, formation of fewer and cleaner grain boundaries, and minimization of phase segregation in the incongruent melt region.

Mechanical and chemical effects of ion-texturing biomedical polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weigand, A. J.; Cenkus, M. A.

1979-01-01

To determine whether sputter etching may provide substantial polymer surface texturing with insignificant changes in chemical and mechanical properties, an 8 cm beam diameter, electron bombardment, argon ion source was used to sputter etch (ion-texture process) nine biomedical polymers. The materials included silicone rubber, 32% carbon impregnated polyolefin, polyoxymethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene, UHMW polyethylene with carbon fibers (10%), and several polyurethanes (bioelectric, segmented, and cross linked). Ion textured microtensile specimens of each material except UHMW polyethylene and UHMW polyethylene with 10% carbon fibers were used to determine the effect of ion texturing on tensile properties. Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine surface morphology changes, and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis was used to analyze the near surface chemical changes that result from ion texturing. Ion energies of 500 eV with beam current densities ranging from 0.08 to 0.19 mA/sq cm were used to ion texture the various materials. Standard microtensile specimens of seven polymers were exposed to a saline environment for 24 hours prior to and during the tensile testing. The surface chemical changes resulting from sputter etching are minimal in spite of the often significant changes in the surface morphology.

Comparison of the properties of tonpilz transducers fabricated with 001 fiber-textured lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate ceramic and single crystals.

PubMed

Brosnan, Kristen H; Messing, Gary L; Markley, Douglas C; Meyer, Richard J

2009-11-01

Tonpilz transducers are fabricated from 001 fiber-textured 0.72Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3)-0.28PbTiO(3) (PMN-28PT) ceramics, obtained by the templated grain growth process, and PMN-28PT ceramic and Bridgman grown single crystals of the same composition. In-water characterization of single element transducers shows higher source levels, higher in-water coupling, and more usable bandwidth for the 81 vol % textured PMN-28PT device than for the ceramic PMN-28PT element. The 81 vol % textured PMN-28PT tonpilz element measured under large signals shows linearity in sound pressure levels up to 0.23 MV/m drive field but undergoes a phase transition due to a lowered transition temperature from the SrTiO(3) template particles. Although the textured ceramic performs well in this application, it could be further improved with compositional tailoring to raise the transition temperature and better processing to improve the texture quality. With these improvements textured piezoelectric ceramics will be viable options for medical ultrasound, actuators, and sonar applications because of their ease of processing, compositional homogeneity, and potentially lower cost than single crystal.

Effect of Phase Contiguity and Morphology on the Evolution of Deformation Texture in Two-Phase Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurao, N. P.; Suwas, Satyam

2017-02-01

Deformation texture evolution in two-phase xFe- yNi-(100- x- y)Cr model alloys and Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy was studied during rolling to develop an understanding of micro-mechanisms of deformation in industrially relevant two-phase FCC-BCC steels and HCP-BCC titanium alloys, respectively. It was found that volume fraction and contiguity of phases lead to systematic changes in texture, while morphology affects the strength of texture. There was a characteristic change in texture from typical Brass-type to a weaker Copper-type texture in the austenite phase accompanied with a change from alpha fiber to gamma fiber in ferrite phase for Fe-Ni-Cr alloys with increase in fraction of harder ferrite phase. However, similar characteristic texture evolution was noted in both α and β phase irrespective of the different initial morphologies in Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy. Viscoplastic self-consistent simulations with two-phase scheme were able to qualitatively predict texture evolution in individual phases. It is proposed that the transition from iso-strain-type behavior for equiaxed microstructure at low strain to iso-stress-type behavior at higher strain is aided by the presence of higher volume fraction of the second phase and increasing aspect ratio of individual phases in two-phase alloys.

The Comparative Effect of Carrot and Lemon Fiber as a Fat Replacer on Physico-chemical, Textural, and Organoleptic Quality of Low-fat Beef Hamburger.

PubMed

Soncu, Eda Demirok; Kolsarıcı, Nuray; Çiçek, Neslihan; Öztürk, Görsen Salman; Akoğlu, Ilker T; Arıcı, Yeliz Kaşko

2015-01-01

This study was designed to determine the usability of lemon fiber (LF-2%, 4%, 6%) and carrot fiber (CF-2%, 4%, 6%) to produce low-fat beef hamburgers. To that end, a certain amount of fat was replaced with each fiber. The proximate composition, pH value, cholesterol content, cooking characteristics, color, texture profile, and sensory properties of low-fat beef hamburgers were investigated. LF increased moisture content and cooking yield due to its better water binding properties, while CF caused higher fat and cholesterol contents owing to its higher fat absorption capacity (p<0.05). LF resulted in a lighter, redder, and more yellow color (p<0.05). Hardness, gumminess, springiness, and chewiness parameters decreased when the usage level of both fibers increased (p<0.05). However, more tender, gummy, springy, and smoother hamburgers were produced by the addition of CF in comparison with LF (p<0.05). Moreover, hamburgers including CF were rated with higher sensory scores (p<0.05). In conclusion, LF demonstrated better technological results in terms of cooking yield, shrinkage, moisture retention, and fat retention. However it is suggested that CF produces better low-fat hamburgers since up to 2% CF presented sensory and textural properties similar to those of regular hamburgers.

Microstructure and Property Modifications of Cold Rolled IF Steel by Local Laser Annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallberg, Håkan; Adamski, Frédéric; Baïz, Sarah; Castelnau, Olivier

2017-10-01

Laser annealing experiments are performed on cold rolled IF steel whereby highly localized microstructure and property modification are achieved. The microstructure is seen to develop by strongly heterogeneous recrystallization to provide steep gradients, across the submillimeter scale, of grain size and crystallographic texture. Hardness mapping by microindentation is used to reveal the corresponding gradients in macroscopic properties. A 2D level set model of the microstructure development is established as a tool to further optimize the method and to investigate, for example, the development of grain size variations due to the strong and transient thermal gradient. Particular focus is given to the evolution of the beneficial γ-fiber texture during laser annealing. The simulations indicate that the influence of selective growth based on anisotropic grain boundary properties only has a minor effect on texture evolution compared to heterogeneous stored energy, temperature variations, and nucleation conditions. It is also shown that although the α-fiber has an initial frequency advantage, the higher probability of γ-nucleation, in combination with a higher stored energy driving force in this fiber, promotes a stronger presence of the γ-fiber as also observed in experiments.

Effect of wheel speed and annealing temperature on microstructure and texture evolution of Ni{sub 45}Mn{sub 36.6}In{sub 13.4}Co{sub 5} ribbon

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

Feng, Yan, E-mail: yanfeng@nwpu.edu.cn

Ni{sub 45}Mn{sub 36.6}In{sub 13.4}Co{sub 5} magnetic shape memory alloy was successfully produced as preferentially textured ribbon by melting spinning with different wheel speed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD) were used to study structure and texture evolution of these melt-spun ribbons. The thickness of melt-spun ribbon is 42 μm, 65 μm and 30 μm depending on wheel speed of 1 0 m/s, 15 m/s and 20 m/s, respectively. Density of α fiber texture (〈100〉//ND) vary with wheel speed changes, and is most intensive in the ribbon with wheel speed of 15 m/s. Grains of the ribbons growmore » after being annealed at 873 K, 973 K, 1073 K and 1173 K, recrystallization was not observed in ribbons after being annealed at 873 K but occurred in ribbons after being annealed at higher temperatures. The α fiber texture becomes weaker to some extent after annealing at different temperatures, due to new recrystallization texture formed at the process of annealing. - Highlights: •Sectional part of shape memory ribbon is firstly investigated by EBSD method. •Thickness and texture of ribbons vary with wheel speed. •Annealing temperature affect texture and microstructure evolution greatly. •Recrystallization textures were observed in ribbons after being annealed.« less

Muscle fiber characteristics of broiler breast fillets with the wooden breast condition.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Broiler breast fillets exhibiting the wooden breast condition are described as having a rigid feel and abnormal texture attributes; however, changes at the muscle fiber level in wooden breast fillets are not well understood. The objective of this study was to compare the histochemical muscle fiber ...

The Comparative Effect of Carrot and Lemon Fiber as a Fat Replacer on Physico-chemical, Textural, and Organoleptic Quality of Low-fat Beef Hamburger

PubMed Central

Soncu, Eda Demirok; Kolsarıcı, Nuray; Çiçek, Neslihan; Öztürk, Görsen Salman; Akoğlu, ilker T.; Arıcı, Yeliz Kaşko

2015-01-01

This study was designed to determine the usability of lemon fiber (LF-2%, 4%, 6%) and carrot fiber (CF-2%, 4%, 6%) to produce low-fat beef hamburgers. To that end, a certain amount of fat was replaced with each fiber. The proximate composition, pH value, cholesterol content, cooking characteristics, color, texture profile, and sensory properties of low-fat beef hamburgers were investigated. LF increased moisture content and cooking yield due to its better water binding properties, while CF caused higher fat and cholesterol contents owing to its higher fat absorption capacity (p<0.05). LF resulted in a lighter, redder, and more yellow color (p<0.05). Hardness, gumminess, springiness, and chewiness parameters decreased when the usage level of both fibers increased (p<0.05). However, more tender, gummy, springy, and smoother hamburgers were produced by the addition of CF in comparison with LF (p<0.05). Moreover, hamburgers including CF were rated with higher sensory scores (p<0.05). In conclusion, LF demonstrated better technological results in terms of cooking yield, shrinkage, moisture retention, and fat retention. However it is suggested that CF produces better low-fat hamburgers since up to 2% CF presented sensory and textural properties similar to those of regular hamburgers. PMID:26761851

Influence of the addition of soy product and wheat fiber on rheological, textural, and other quality characteristics of pizza.

PubMed

Glicerina, Virginia; Balestra, Federica; Capozzi, Francesco; Dalla Rosa, Marco; Romani, Santina

2017-11-17

The effect of partial replacement of wheat flour with soy paste and wheat fiber on rheological, textural, physicochemical, and organoleptic characteristics of an enriched pizza base (E) was investigated in comparison with those of a control pizza base (C). New ingredients (e.g., enriched cooked ham, whey cheese, and tomato sauce realized using food industry by-products) were also used in E pizza topping to further increase its nutritional properties. Enriched dough was developed first at a laboratory level. Large and small deformation, moisture, leavening activity, and metabolic heat were tested. On the final product, produced at the industrial level, textural, color, sensory, and nutritional analyses were performed. Preliminary rheological analysis was essential to evaluate the suitability of the new pizza to be processed at industrial level. Both pizza dough samples showed a solid elastic-like behavior; however, the addition of soy and fiber increased moisture content of E pizza, due to the water binding ability of soy protein and to the effect of fibers that also decreased E dough elasticity. No differences in extensibility between the two samples were observed, whereas significantly lower values of resistance to extension and dough force were shown in sample E. These differences were likely due to the presence of soy that interfere with gluten formation and to the dietary fibers that interact with water. Ingredients used in E pizza improved its nutritional quality increasing dietary fibers and protein, and decreasing saturated fatty acids and cholesterol content, which contributed to decrease energy value, in terms of kilocalorie reduction. In this work, the effects of using new ingredients (e.g., soy paste, wheat fiber) on the rheological, textural, physicochemical, nutritional, and organoleptic characteristics of an enriched pizza type were investigated both at laboratory and industrial levels. The new pizza provides a product that combines solid technological performances, in terms of rheological properties and dough elasticity, with improved and balanced nutritional quality, thanks also to the ingredients used in the topping. Results demonstrate the possibility of obtaining new pizza products characterized by nutritional and sensorial properties tailored for different group of consumers. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Elasticity study of textured barium strontium titanate thin films by X-ray diffraction and laser acoustic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaabani, Anouar; Njeh, Anouar; Donner, Wolfgang; Klein, Andreas; Hédi Ben Ghozlen, Mohamed

2017-05-01

Ba0.65Sr0.35TiO3 (BST) thin films of 300 nm were deposited on Pt(111)/TiO2/SiO2/Si(001) substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Two thin films with different (111) and (001) fiber textures were prepared. X-ray diffraction was applied to measure texture. The raw pole figure data were further processed using the MTEX quantitative texture analysis software for plotting pole figures and calculating elastic constants and Young’s modulus from the orientation distribution function (ODF) for each type of textured fiber. The calculated elastic constants were used in the theoretical studies of surface acoustics waves (SAW) propagating in two types of multilayered BST systems. Theoretical dispersion curves were plotted by the application of the ordinary differential equation (ODE) and the stiffness matrix methods (SMM). A laser acoustic waves (LAW) technique was applied to generate surface acoustic waves (SAW) propagating in the BST films, and from a recursive process, the effective Young’s modulus are determined for the two samples. These methods are used to extract and compare elastic properties of two types of BST films, and quantify the influence of texture on the direction-dependent Young’s modulus.

Characterization of Tubing from Advanced ODS alloy (FCRD-NFA1)

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

Maloy, Stuart Andrew; Aydogan, Eda; Anderoglu, Osman

2016-09-20

Fabrication methods are being developed and tested for producing fuel clad tubing of the advanced ODS 14YWT and FCRD-NFA1 ferritic alloys. Three fabrication methods were based on plastically deforming a machined thick-wall tube sample of the ODS alloys by pilgering, hydrostatic extrusion or drawing to decrease the outer diameter and wall thickness and increase the length of the final tube. The fourth fabrication method consisted of the additive manufacturing approach involving solid-state spray deposition (SSSD) of ball milled and annealed powder of 14YWT for producing thin-wall tubes. Of the four fabrication methods, two methods were successful at producing tubing formore » further characterization: production of tubing by high-velocity oxy-fuel spray forming and production of tubing using high-temperature hydrostatic extrusion. The characterization described shows through neutron diffraction the texture produced during extrusion while maintaining the beneficial oxide dispersion. In this research, the parameters for innovative thermal spray deposition and hot extrusion processing methods have been developed to produce the final nanostructured ferritic alloy (NFA) tubes having approximately 0.5 mm wall thickness. Effect of different processing routes on texture and grain boundary characteristics has been investigated. It was found that hydrostatic extrusion results in combination of plane strain and shear deformations which generate rolling textures of α- and γ-fibers on {001}<110> and {111}<110> together with a shear texture of ζ-fiber on {011}<211> and {011}<011>. On the other hand, multi-step plane strain deformation in cross directions leads to a strong rolling textures of θ- and ε-fiber on {001}<110> together with weak γ-fiber on {111}<112>. Even though the amount of the equivalent strain is similar, shear deformation leads to much lower texture indexes compared to the plane strain deformations. Moreover, while 50% of hot rolling brings about a large number of high-angle grain boundaries (HAB), 44% of shear deformation results in large amount of low-angle boundaries (LAB) showing the incomplete recrystallization.« less

Hot forming of silicon sheet, silicon sheet growth development for the large area silicon sheet task of the low cost silicon solar array project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graham, C. D., Jr.; Pope, D. P.; Kulkarni, S.; Wolf, M.

1978-01-01

The hot workability of polycrystalline silicon was studied. Uniaxail stress-strain curves are given for strain rates in the range of .0001 to .1/sec and temperatures from 1100 to 1380 C. At the highest strain rates at 1380 C axial strains in excess of 20% were easily obtainable without cracking. After deformations of 36%, recrystallization was completed within 0.1 hr at 1380 C. When the recrystallization was complete, there was still a small volume fraction of unrecyrstallized material which appeared very stable and may degrade the electronic properties of the bulk materials. Texture measurements showed that the as-produced vapor deposited polycrystalline rods have a 110 fiber texture with the 110 direction parallel to the growth direction and no preferred orientation about this axis. Upon axial compression perpendicular to the growth direction, the former 110 fiber axis changed to 111 and the compression axis became 110 . Recrystallization changed the texture to 110 along the former fiber axis and to 100 along the compression axis.

Effect of dietary fibers on physico-chemical, sensory and textural properties of Misti Dahi.

PubMed

Raju, P Narender; Pal, Dharam

2014-11-01

Misti dahi, a popular ethnic delicacy of eastern India analogous to caramel coloured set style sweetened yoghurt, besides several therapeutic virtues, contains high fat and sugar. Alike people elsewhere in the world, people in India too are now becoming health conscious and are aware of the relation between diet and health. Hence, high fat and sugar contents are causes of concern for the successful marketing of misti dahi in India. With a view to enhance the health attributes of misti dahi and improve marketability, three commercial dietary fiber preparations (inulin, soy fiber and oat fiber) were incorporated and their effect on the product's quality in terms of physicochemical, sensory and textural quality was assessed. Standard method was followed for the preparation of fiber fortified misti dahi (FFMD). Among the three dietary fibers, inulin significantly decreased viscosity and instrumental firmness and increased lightness (L*), redness (a*), yellowness (b*), syneresis and work of shear values of FFMD. Oat fiber settled at the bottom and gave a poor appearance. Soy fiber did not affect the flavor of FFMD. Although overall acceptability scores of inulin and soy fiber containing FFMD were significantly lower than control, they were still above the minimum acceptable score. Based on the results obtained in the present study, it was concluded that acceptable quality FFMD could be prepared using inulin and soy fiber at 1.5 % level of fortification.

Texture and anisotropy in the bismuth sodium titanate system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fancher, Christoher M.

Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 has received interest as a potential replacement for lead containing ferroelectrics. However, the piezoelectric response of pure Bi0.5Na0.5TiO 3 does not compare to the strong piezoelectric response of lead based piezoelectrics. To increase the piezoelectric response, Bi0.5Na 0.5TiO3 has been alloyed with BaTiO3 and K 0.5Na0.5NbO3. Another route to enhance the response is to take advantage of the anisotropic properties by inducing a preferred crystallographic orientation. Both routes were used to investigate the effect a crystallographic texture has on the strain response of Bi0.5Na 0.5TiO3-based ceramics. A crystallographic texture was induced by templated grain growth of pure phase Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 templates using the tape casting method to orient template particles relative to the tape cast normal. Sintered Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-based materials developed a strong (00l)pc fiber texture relative to the tape cast normal, with no preferential alignment relative to the tape cast plane. Textured Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-(5)BaTiO3 showed a piezoelectric response of 245 pC/N, a better than 50% enhancement from the 150 pC/N response of randomly oriented samples. The Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-(5)BaTiO3-(2)K 0.5Na0.5NbO3 (x,y) system has been shown to undergo electric-field-induced phase transformation from a pseudocubic to polar phase. For (7,2) a strong 8.7 multiples of a random distribution (MRD) crystallographic texture increased the macroscopic strain response by 50%. Applying the electric field perpendicular to the fiber texture axis reduces the macroscopic strain response of textured (7,2) by 17%. The affect field direction has on the electric-field-induced phase transformations of textured (7,2) was investigated using in situ electric field dependent diffraction. In situ diffraction data showed the high strain response of textured (7,2) can be attributed to a reversible pseudocubic to tetragonal transformation. The field-induced tetragonal phase nucleates preferentially with a strong c-axis alignment in the electric field direction, ferroelastic domain texture. In situ diffraction data suggests the origin of the reduction in strain associated with a field applied perpendicular to the fiber texture axis is the result of a shorter induced lattice spacing and lower domain texture.

Transmission Electron Microscopy of Bombyx Mori Silk Fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Y.; Martin, D. C.

1997-03-01

The microstructure of B. Mori silk fibers before and after degumming was examined by TEM, selected area electron diffraction (SAED), WAXS and low voltage SEM. SEM micrographs of the neat cocoon revealed a network of pairs of twisting filaments. After degumming, there were only individual filaments showing a surface texture consistent with an oriented fibrillar structure in the fiber interior. WAXS patterns confirmed the oriented beta-sheet crystal structure common to silkworm and spider silks. Low dose SAED results were fully consistent with the WAXS data, and revealed that the crystallographic texture did not vary significantly across the fiber diameter. TEM observations of microtomed fiber cross sections indicated a somewhat irregular shape, and also revealed a 0.5-2 micron sericin coating which was removed by the degumming process. TEM observations of the degummed silk fiber showed banded features with a characteristic spacing of nominally 600 nm along the fiber axis. These bands were oriented in a roughly parabolic or V-shape pointing along one axis within a given fiber. We hypothesize that this orientation is induced by the extrusion during the spinning process. Equatorial DF images revealed that axial and lateral sizes of the β-sheet crystallites in silk fibroin ranged from 20 to 170 nm and from 1 to 24 nm, respectively. Crazes developed in the degummed silk fiber parallel to the fiber direction. The formation of these crazes suggests that there are significant lateral interactions between fibrils in silk fibers.

X-ray diffraction analysis of residual stresses in textured ZnO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobročka, E.; Novák, P.; Búc, D.; Harmatha, L.; Murín, J.

2017-02-01

Residual stresses are commonly generated in thin films during the deposition process and can influence the film properties. Among a number of techniques developed for stress analysis, X-ray diffraction methods, especially the grazing incidence set-up, are of special importance due to their capability to analyze the stresses in very thin layers as well as to investigate the depth variation of the stresses. In this contribution a method combining multiple {hkl} and multiple χ modes of X-ray diffraction stress analysis in grazing incidence set-up is used for the measurement of residual stress in strongly textured ZnO thin films. The method improves the precision of the stress evaluation in textured samples. Because the measurements are performed at very low incidence angles, the effect of refraction of X-rays on the measured stress is analyzed in details for the general case of non-coplanar geometry. It is shown that this effect cannot be neglected if the angle of incidence approaches the critical angle. The X-ray stress factors are calculated for hexagonal fiber-textured ZnO for the Reuss model of grain-interaction and the effect of texture on the stress factors is analyzed. The texture in the layer is modelled by Gaussian distribution function. Numerical results indicate that in the process of stress evaluation the Reuss model can be replaced by much simpler crystallite group method if the standard deviation of Gaussian describing the texture is less than 6°. The results can be adapted for fiber-textured films of various hexagonal materials.

Microstructure, texture evolution and magnetic properties of strip-casting non-oriented 6.5 wt.% Si electrical steel doped with cerium

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

Li, Hao-Ze, E-mail: lhzqq83@163.com; Liu, Hai-Tao; Liu, Zhen-Yu, E-mail: zyliu@mail.neu.edu.cn

A 0.3 mm thick non-oriented 6.5 wt.% Si electrical steel sheet doped with cerium is produced by twin-roll strip casting, hot rolling, warm rolling and annealing. A detailed study of the cerium precipitates in the as-cast strip, microstructure and texture evolution at different processing stages is carried out by electron probe micro-analysis, optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron backscattered diffraction analysis. Grain interior distributing precipitates identified as Ce-oxides, Ce-oxysulfides and Ce-phosphides, and boundary distributing Ce-oxides and Ce-phosphides are observed in the as-cast strip. The initial as-cast strip is characterized by a much finer solidification microstructure and dominated by obvious //ND texture through the strip thickness. After hot and warm rolling, inhomogeneous microstructure containing large amounts of in-grain shear bands is characterized by mixed < 110 >//RD and < 111 >//ND textures. The texture of the annealed sheet with a relatively large average grain size is far more optimized by the domination of the beneficial cube, rotated cube, (001)< 120 > to (001)< 130 > and Goss texture components, and the elimination of the detrimental γ-fiber texture, leading to a superior magnetic induction and improved iron loss. - Highlights: • An Fe–6.5 wt.% Si as-cast strip doped with cerium was produced. • A thin warm rolled sheet with limited edge cracks was obtained. • Microstructure and texture evolution at each stage were investigated. • Strong λ-fiber and Goss recrystallization textures were formed. • The magnetic properties of the annealed sheet were significantly improved.« less

Factors affecting the establishment of direct-seeded pine on surface-mine spoils

Treesearch

William T. Plass

1974-01-01

In a greenhouse study the emergence, survival, and growth of seven species of pine were related to chemical and textural characteristics of 12 Kentucky spoils. The results identify three factors that may affect the establishment of direct-seeded pine on surface-mine spoils. First, fine-textured spoil material may restrict seedling emergence. Coarse-textured sandstones...

Development of protein, dietary fiber, and micronutrient enriched extruded corn snacks.

PubMed

Shah, Faiz-Ul-Hassan; Sharif, Mian Kamran; Butt, Masood Sadiq; Shahid, Muhammad

2017-06-01

The study was aimed to develop protein, dietary fiber, and micronutrient enriched corn snacks through extrusion processing. Corn snacks supplemented with chickpea, defatted soy flour (20-40/100 g) and guar gum (7/100 g) were prepared through extrusion processing. Micronutrients (iron, zinc, iodine, and vitamins A, C, and folic acid) at recommended daily values were added in all formulations. Extruded corn snacks were analyzed for physical, textural, and sensory attributes. Results showed that piece density (0.34-0.44 g/cm 3 ), moisture (3.40-5.25%), water activity (0.203-0.361), hardness (64.4-133.2 N), and cohesiveness (0.25-0.44) was increased Whereas, expansion ratio (3.72-2.64), springiness (0.82-0.69), chewiness (1.63-0.42), and resilience (1.37-0.14) was decreased as supplementation with soy and chickpea flour increased from 20 to 40/100 g. Overall corn snack supplemented with 15/100 g of soy and 15/100 g of chickpea flour got the highest acceptance from the sensory panelists. The article focuses on physical, textural, and sensory attributes of extruded corn snacks enriched with protein, dietary fiber, and micronutrients Awareness about the importance of healthy snacks has grown among the consumers during the last decade. Extruded snacks developed using nutrient rich ingredients with good textural and sensory properties has always remained a challenge for the snack industry. Texture of the extruded snacks varies a lot with high levels of protein and dietary fiber. This study is helpful for the development of healthy snacks especially in developing countries lacking storage infrastructure or tropical environment. Nutrient rich extruded snacks can also be used to alleviate malnutrition by incorporating in school lunch programs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evaluation of Wear on Macro-Surface Textures Generated by ns Fiber Laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harish, V.; Soundarapandian, S.; Vijayaraghavan, L.; Bharatish, A.

2018-03-01

The demand for improved performance and long term reliability of mechanical systems dictate the use of advanced materials and surface engineering techniques. A small change in the surface topography can lead to substantial improvements in the tribological behaviour of the contact surfaces. One way of altering the surface topography is by surface texturing by introducing dimples or channels on the surfaces. Surface texturing is already a successful technique which finds a wide area of applications ranging from heavy industries to small scale devices. This paper reports the effect of macro texture shapes generated using a nanosecond fiber laser on wear of high carbon chromium steel used in large size bearings having rolling contacts. Circular and square shaped dimples were generated on the surface to assess the effect of sliding velocities on friction coefficient. Graphite was used as solid lubricant to minimise the effect of wear on textured surfaces. The laser parameters such as power, scan speed and passes were optimised to obtain macro circular and square dimples which was characterised using a laser confocal microscope. The friction coefficients of the circular and square dimples were observed to lie in the same range due to minimum wear on the surface. On the contrary, at medium and higher sliding velocities, square dimples exhibited lower friction coefficient values compared to circular dimples. The morphology of textured specimen was characterised using Scanning Electron Microscope.

Effect of Rolling and Subsequent Annealing on Microstructure, Microtexture, and Properties of an Experimental Duplex Stainless Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandal, Arka; Patra, Sudipta; Chakrabarti, Debalay; Singh, Shiv Brat

2017-12-01

A lean duplex stainless steel (LDSS) has been prepared with low-N content and processed by different thermo-mechanical schedules, similar to the industrial processing that comprised hot-rolling, cold-rolling, and annealing treatments. The microstructure developed in the present study on low-N LDSS has been compared to that of high-N LDSS as reported in the literature. As N is an austenite stabilizer, lower-N content reduced the stability of austenite and the austenite content in low-N LDSS with respect to the conventional LDSS. Due to low stability of austenite in low-N LDSS, cold rolling resulted in strain-induced martensitic transformation and the reversion of martensite to austenite during subsequent annealing contributed to significant grain refinement within the austenite regions. δ-ferrite grains in low-N LDSS, on the other hand, are refined by extended recovery mechanism. Initial solidification texture (mainly cube texture) within the δ-ferrite region finally converted into gamma-fiber texture after cold rolling and annealing. Although MS-brass component dominated the austenite texture in low-N LDSS after hot rolling and cold rolling, that even transformed into alpha-fiber texture after the final annealing. Due to the significant grain refinement and formation of beneficial texture within both austenite and ferrite, good combination of strength and ductility has been achieved in cold-rolled and annealed sample of low-N LDSS steel.

Importance of consumer perceptions in fiber-enriched food products. A case study with sponge cakes.

PubMed

Tarrega, Amparo; Quiles, Amparo; Morell, Pere; Fiszman, Susana; Hernando, Isabel

2017-02-22

Sponge cakes enriched with fiber from different sources (maltodextrin, wheat, apple, blackcurrant and a mixture of potato and Plantago ovata) were studied. Profiling of the different cakes was carried out, first using a check-all-that-apply (CATA) question then evaluating the consumers' likings using a hedonic scale. The consumers also completed a nutrition knowledge (NK) questionnaire that was used to classify them according to their NK level. The instrumental texture of the cakes was evaluated by the texture profile analysis (TPA) method. The consumers' response was not linked to their NK level, but it mainly depended on the importance they gave to the cakes' distinctive sensory characteristics. In general, liking increased for samples considered easy to chew, spongy, soft and sweet, and decreased for samples perceived as tasteless, dry or having a fruity or an odd flavor. The sponge cakes containing maltodextrin or wheat fiber, which mostly resembled a conventional cake, were the most liked in general. Those containing the other three fibers were rejected by part of the consumers, for being tasteless in the case of potato plus Plantago ovata fiber, for being dry and doughy in the case of apple fiber and for having an odd flavor in the case of blackcurrant fiber.

Substitution of modified starch with hydrogen peroxide-modified rice bran in salad dressing formulation: physicochemical, texture, rheological and sensory properties.

PubMed

Maani, Bahareh; Alimi, Mazdak; Shokoohi, Shirin; Fazeli, Fatemeh

2017-06-01

Rice bran samples were treated under different conditions including hydrogen peroxide content (1, 4, and 7 wt%) and media pH (10.5, 11.5, and 12.5). Water holding capacity and color measurement results showed acceptable improvements compared with the untreated native bran confirmed by Fourier transform infrared analysis. Optimization of modification conditions upon characterization results suggested the introduction of 7% hydrogen peroxide at pH = 12.5. Accordingly, 1, 2 and 3 wt% of the rice bran treated under the optimized conditions, was used in salad dressing formulation; as for .3 wt% of modified starch in the formulation of blank sample, 1 wt% of treated rice bran dietary fiber was substituted. Biopolymer swelling and formation of a stable viscous gel network promoted by the chemical treatment of lignocellulosic rice bran restrict the mobility of oil droplets dispersed in the continuous phase which would consequently retard the emulsion instability phenomena. This effect was also confirmed by flow behavior and viscoelastic characterization results. Salad dressing samples containing 1 and 2 wt% treated rice bran showed acceptable physicochemical, rheological and organoleptic properties besides superior nutritional characteristics compared with the commercial modified starch traditionally used in salad dressing formulations. Despite recommended consumption of dietary fibers, addition of unprocessed lignocellulosic materials to food products usually raise negative effects in sensory, color, and texture quality. This study investigates the modification of rice bran, the byproduct of brown rice milling, to substitute modified starch traditionally used in salad dressing formulations to achieve optimum properties desirable for the final product. Optimization of modification conditions upon characterization of the formulated samples in this study would suggest new improved formulation for the commercial product. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Compression-induced texture change in NiMnGa-polymer composites observed by synchrotron radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheerbaum, Nils; Hinz, Dietrich; Gutfleisch, Oliver; Skrotzki, Werner; Schultz, Ludwig

2007-05-01

Composites consisting of magnetic shape memory (MSM) particles embedded in a polyester matrix were prepared. Single-crystalline MSM particles were obtained by mortar grinding of melt-extracted and subsequently annealed Ni50.9Mn27.1Ga22.0 (at. %) fibers. The crystal structure of the martensite is tetragonal (5M) with c

Textural Evolution During Micro Direct Metal Deposition of NiTi Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khademzadeh, Saeed; Bariani, Paolo F.; Bruschi, Stefania

2018-03-01

In this research, a micro direct metal deposition process, newly developed as a potential method for micro additive manufacturing was used to fabricate NiTi builds. The effect of scanning strategy on grain growth and textural evolution was investigated using scanning electron microscope equipped with electron backscattered diffraction detector. Investigations showed that, the angle between the successive single tracks has an important role in grain size distribution and textural evolution of NiTi phase. Unidirectional laser beam scanning pattern developed a fiber texture; conversely, a backward and forward scanning pattern developed a strong < {100} > ‖‖ RD texture on the surface of NiTi cubic samples produced by micro direct metal deposition.

Textural Evolution During Micro Direct Metal Deposition of NiTi Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khademzadeh, Saeed; Bariani, Paolo F.; Bruschi, Stefania

2018-07-01

In this research, a micro direct metal deposition process, newly developed as a potential method for micro additive manufacturing was used to fabricate NiTi builds. The effect of scanning strategy on grain growth and textural evolution was investigated using scanning electron microscope equipped with electron backscattered diffraction detector. Investigations showed that, the angle between the successive single tracks has an important role in grain size distribution and textural evolution of NiTi phase. Unidirectional laser beam scanning pattern developed a fiber texture; conversely, a backward and forward scanning pattern developed a strong < {100} > ‖‖ RD texture on the surface of NiTi cubic samples produced by micro direct metal deposition.

Structure-Property Correlations in Al-Li Alloy Integrally Stiffened Extrusions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hales, Stephen J.; Hafley, Robert A.

2001-01-01

The objective of this investigation was to establish the relationship between mechanical property anisotropy, microstructure and crystallographic texture in integrally 'T'-stiffened extruded panels fabricated from the Al-Li alloys 2195, 2098 and 2096. In-plane properties were measured as a function of orientation at two locations in the panels, namely mid-way between (Skin), and directly beneath (Base), the integral 'T' stiffeners. The 2195 extrusion exhibited the best combination of strength and toughness, but was the most anisotropic. The 2098 extrusion exhibited lower strength and comparable toughness, but was more isotropic than 2195. The 2096 extrusion exhibited the lowest strength and poor toughness, but was the most isotropic. All three alloys exhibited highly elongated grain structures and similar location-dependent variations in grain morphology. The textural characteristics comprised a beta + <100> fiber texture, similar to rolled product, in the Skin regions and alpha <111> + <100> fiber texture, comparable to axisymmetric extruded product, in the Base regions. In an attempt to quantitatively correlate texture with yield strength anisotropy, the original 'full constraint' Taylor model and a variant of the 'relaxed constraint' model, explored by Wert et al., were applied to the data. A comparison of the results revealed that the Wert model was consistently more accurate than the Taylor model.

Characterizing commercial pureed foods: sensory, nutritional, and textural analysis.

PubMed

Ettinger, Laurel; Keller, Heather H; Duizer, Lisa M

2014-01-01

Dysphagia (swallowing impairment) is a common consequence of stroke and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Limited research is available on pureed foods, specifically the qualities of commercial products. Because research has linked pureed foods, specifically in-house pureed products, to malnutrition due to inferior sensory and nutritional qualities, commercial purees also need to be investigated. Proprietary research on sensory attributes of commercial foods is available; however direct comparisons of commercial pureed foods have never been reported. Descriptive sensory analysis as well as nutritional and texture analysis of commercially pureed prepared products was performed using a trained descriptive analysis panel. The pureed foods tested included four brands of carrots, of turkey, and two of bread. Each commercial puree was analyzed for fat (Soxhlet), protein (Dumas), carbohydrate (proximate analysis), fiber (total fiber), and sodium content (Quantab titrator strips). The purees were also texturally compared with a line spread test and a back extrusion test. Differences were found in the purees for sensory attributes as well as nutritional and textural properties. Findings suggest that implementation of standards is required to reduce variability between products, specifically regarding the textural components of the products. This would ensure all commercial products available in Canada meet standards established as being considered safe for swallowing.

Texture in steel plates revealed by laser ultrasonic surface acoustic waves velocity dispersion analysis.

PubMed

Yin, Anmin; Wang, Xiaochen; Glorieux, Christ; Yang, Quan; Dong, Feng; He, Fei; Wang, Yanlong; Sermeus, Jan; Van der Donck, Tom; Shu, Xuedao

2017-07-01

A photoacoustic, laser ultrasonics based approach in an Impulsive Stimulated Scattering (ISS) implementation was used to investigate the texture in polycrystalline metal plates. The angular dependence of the 'polycrystalline' surface acoustic wave (SAW) velocity measured along regions containing many grains was experimentally determined and compared with simulated results that were based on the angular dependence of the 'single grain' SAW velocity within single grains and the grain orientation distribution. The polycrystalline SAW velocities turn out to vary with texture. The SAW velocities and their angular variations for {110} texture were found to be larger than that the ones for {111} texture or the strong γ fiber texture. The SAW velocities for {001} texture were larger than for {111} texture, but with almost the same angular dependence. The results infer the feasibility to apply angular SAW angular dispersion measurements by laser ultrasonics for on-line texture monitoring. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Fiber Inclusion on Pet Food Sensory Characteristics and Palatability.

PubMed

Koppel, Kadri; Monti, Mariana; Gibson, Michael; Alavi, Sajid; Donfrancesco, Brizio Di; Carciofi, Aulus Cavalieri

2015-02-16

The objectives of this study were to determine (a) the influence of fiber on the sensory characteristics of dry dog foods; (b) differences of coated and uncoated kibbles for aroma and flavor characteristics; (c) palatability of these dry dog foods; and (d) potential associations between palatability and sensory attributes. A total of eight fiber treatments were manufactured: a control (no fiber addition), guava fiber (3%, 6%, and 12%), sugar cane fiber (9%; large and small particle size), and wheat bran fiber (32%; large and small particle size). The results indicated significant effects of fibers on both flavor and texture properties of the samples. Bitter taste and iron and stale aftertaste were examples of flavor attributes that differed with treatment, with highest intensity observed for 12% guava fiber and small particle size sugar cane fiber treatments. Fracturability and initial crispness attributes were lowest for the sugar cane fiber treatments. Flavor of all treatments changed after coating with a palatant, increasing in toasted, brothy, and grainy attributes. The coating also had a masking effect on aroma attributes such as stale, flavor attributes such as iron and bitter taste, and appearance attributes such as porosity. Palatability testing results indicated that the control treatment was preferred over the sugar cane or the wheat bran treatment. The treatment with large sugarcane fiber particles was preferred over the treatment with small particles, while both of the wheat bran treatments were eaten at a similar level. Descriptive sensory analysis data, especially textural attributes, were useful in pinpointing the underlying characteristics and were considered to be reasons that may influence palatability of dog foods manufactured with inclusion of different fibers.

75 FR 75664 - Determination Under the Textile and Apparel Commercial Availability Provision of the Dominican...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-06

.../or staple fiber; textured and/or non- textured). Yarn Size(s): Various. Thread Count (warp): 43 to 56 ends per cm. Thread Count (weft): 29 to 38 filling pics per cm. Weave Type: Woven twill. Fabric Weight...-dyed. Finishing Processes: Napped on both sides. Janet E. Heinzen, Acting Chairman, Committee for the...

Visual Representations of Texture

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-15

mm 󈧏 I I I In o,. ITY CkASISIFICATION OF THIS G , - - -REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE la. REPORT SECURITY CLASSIFICATION b . RESTRICTIVE MARKINGS ,ij...experiments investigating the interaction of size and contrast in texture segregation,( b ) compared our experimental results with the calculated outputs of a M...investigating the interaction of size and contrast in texture segregation, ( b ) compared our experimental results with the calculated outputs of a 2D

Application of inulin in cheese as prebiotic, fat replacer and texturizer: a review.

PubMed

Karimi, Reza; Azizi, Mohammad Hossein; Ghasemlou, Mehran; Vaziri, Moharam

2015-03-30

Inulin is a food ingredient that belongs to a class of carbohydrates known as fructans. Nutritionally it has functional properties and health-promoting effects that include reduced calorie value, dietary fiber and prebiotic effects. Inulin is increasingly used in industrially processed dairy and non-dairy products because it is a bulking agent for use in fat replacement, textural modification and organoleptic improvement. Addition of inulin to different kinds of cheese can be beneficial in the manufacture of a reduced- or low-fat, texturized, symbiotic product. This paper gives an overview of some aspects of the microstructural, textural, rheological, prebiotic and sensorial effects of inulin incorporated in cheese as fat replacer, prebiotic and texture modifier. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of tube processing methods on the texture and grain boundary characteristics of 14YWT nanostructured ferritic alloys

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

Aydogan, E.; Pal, S.; Anderoglu, O.

In this paper, texture and microstructure of tubes and plates fabricated from a nanostructured ferritic alloy (14YWT), produced either by spray forming followed by hydrostatic extrusion (Process I) or hot extrusion and cross-rolling a plate followed by hydrostatic tube extrusion (Process II) have been characterized in terms of their effects on texture and grain boundary character. Hydrostatic extrusion results in a combination of plane strain and shear deformations which generate low intensity α- and γ-fiber components of {001}<110> and {111}<110> together with a weak ζ-fiber component of {011}<211> and {011}<011>. In contrast, multi-step plane strain deformation by hot extrusion andmore » cross-rolling of the plate leads to a strong texture component of {001}<110> together with a weaker {111}<112> component. Although the total strains are similar, shear dominated deformation leads to much lower texture indexes compared to plane strain deformations. Further, the texture intensity decreases after hydrostatic extrusion of the alloy plate formed by plane strain deformation, due to a lower number of activated slip systems during shear dominated deformation. Finally and notably, hot extruded and cross-rolled plate subjected to plane strain deformation to ~50% engineering strain creates only a modest population of low angle grain boundaries, compared to the much larger population observed following the combination of plane strain and shear deformation of ~44% engineering strain resulting from subsequent hydrostatic extrusion.« less

Effect of tube processing methods on the texture and grain boundary characteristics of 14YWT nanostructured ferritic alloys

DOE PAGES

Aydogan, E.; Pal, S.; Anderoglu, O.; ...

2016-03-08

In this paper, texture and microstructure of tubes and plates fabricated from a nanostructured ferritic alloy (14YWT), produced either by spray forming followed by hydrostatic extrusion (Process I) or hot extrusion and cross-rolling a plate followed by hydrostatic tube extrusion (Process II) have been characterized in terms of their effects on texture and grain boundary character. Hydrostatic extrusion results in a combination of plane strain and shear deformations which generate low intensity α- and γ-fiber components of {001}<110> and {111}<110> together with a weak ζ-fiber component of {011}<211> and {011}<011>. In contrast, multi-step plane strain deformation by hot extrusion andmore » cross-rolling of the plate leads to a strong texture component of {001}<110> together with a weaker {111}<112> component. Although the total strains are similar, shear dominated deformation leads to much lower texture indexes compared to plane strain deformations. Further, the texture intensity decreases after hydrostatic extrusion of the alloy plate formed by plane strain deformation, due to a lower number of activated slip systems during shear dominated deformation. Finally and notably, hot extruded and cross-rolled plate subjected to plane strain deformation to ~50% engineering strain creates only a modest population of low angle grain boundaries, compared to the much larger population observed following the combination of plane strain and shear deformation of ~44% engineering strain resulting from subsequent hydrostatic extrusion.« less

A cellulose fiber-based diet for screwworm (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae.

PubMed

Chaudhury, M F; Skoda, S R

2007-02-01

A highly absorbent cellulose fiber from recycled paper was tested and compared with a polyacrylate gelling agent, Aquatain, normally used for bulking and solidifying larval rearing medium of screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). The absorbent fiber, when mixed with water and dietary ingredients, produced a diet medium of homogeneous texture that supported larval growth and development comparable with the standard gelled diet. Larval and pupal weights from two concentrations of cellulose fiber-based diet were significantly higher than those obtained using gelled diet. The number of pupae per tray, percentage of adult emergence, oviposition, percentage of egg hatch, and adult longevity obtained from the insects reared in the cellulose fiber-based diet were comparable or slightly better than the biological parameters recorded from flies reared in the gelled diet. Moreover, results indicate that a lesser amount of the cellulose fiber-based diet than the normal amount of gelled diet per tray would support normal larval growth. Physical properties and texture of the new diet seem to allow the larvae to move and feed more freely than they do on the semisolid gelled diet, resulting in less wasted diet. The cellulose fiber is biodegradable and inexpensive, whereas the polyacrylate gel polymer is not biodegradable and is relatively expensive. Replacing gel with cellulose fiber in the screwworm larval diet for mass rearing should result in substantial cost savings in material and labor as well as eliminating concern of environmental pollution due to diet waste disposal.

Effect of Dietary Fiber Enrichment and Different Cooking Methods on Quality of Chicken Nuggets.

PubMed

Pathera, Ashok K; Riar, C S; Yadav, Sanjay; Sharma, D P

2017-01-01

The effect of dietary fiber enrichment (wheat bran) and cooking methods (oven, steam and microwave) on functional and physico-chemical properties of raw nuggets formulation as well as nutritional, color and textural properties of chicken nuggets were analyzed in this study. Among different cooking methods used for nuggets preparation, steam cooked nuggets had significantly ( p <0.05) higher water holding capacity (56.65%), cooking yield (97.16%) and total dietary fiber content (4.32%) in comparison to oven and microwave cooked nuggets. The effect of cooking methods and wheat bran incorporation was also noticed on textural properties of the nuggets. Hardness, firmness and toughness values of oven and steam cooked nuggets were significantly ( p <0.05) higher than microwave cooked nuggets. Among nuggets prepared by different cooking methods, cohesiveness of microwave cooked nuggets was found to be significantly ( p <0.05) highest, whereas, oven cooked nuggets had significantly ( p <0.05) highest gumminess and chewiness values. Steam cooked nuggets were found to be better among all nuggets due to their higher cooking yield and dietary fiber content.

Effect of Dietary Fiber Enrichment and Different Cooking Methods on Quality of Chicken Nuggets

PubMed Central

Yadav, Sanjay; Sharma, D. P.

2017-01-01

The effect of dietary fiber enrichment (wheat bran) and cooking methods (oven, steam and microwave) on functional and physico-chemical properties of raw nuggets formulation as well as nutritional, color and textural properties of chicken nuggets were analyzed in this study. Among different cooking methods used for nuggets preparation, steam cooked nuggets had significantly (p<0.05) higher water holding capacity (56.65%), cooking yield (97.16%) and total dietary fiber content (4.32%) in comparison to oven and microwave cooked nuggets. The effect of cooking methods and wheat bran incorporation was also noticed on textural properties of the nuggets. Hardness, firmness and toughness values of oven and steam cooked nuggets were significantly (p<0.05) higher than microwave cooked nuggets. Among nuggets prepared by different cooking methods, cohesiveness of microwave cooked nuggets was found to be significantly (p<0.05) highest, whereas, oven cooked nuggets had significantly (p<0.05) highest gumminess and chewiness values. Steam cooked nuggets were found to be better among all nuggets due to their higher cooking yield and dietary fiber content. PMID:28747827

Active Structural Fibers for Multifunctional Composite Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-06

capacitors. Lastly, a cathodic electrolytic deposition process has been investigated for the coating of carbon fibers with a PZT shell. The...results have demonstrated the ability to use the process to coat fibers with a thin shell of PZT . The results thus far have demonstrated the feasibility...Journal of Composite Materials, In Review. 2. Zhou, Z., Lin, Y. and Sodano, H.A., Synthesis and Characterization of Textured BaTiO3 Thin Films

A tactile sensing element based on a hetero-core optical fiber for force measurement and texture detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamazaki, Hiroshi; Koyama, Yuya; Watanabe, Kazuhiro

2014-05-01

Tactile sensing technology can measure a given property of an object through physical contact between a sensing element and the object. Various tactile sensing techniques have been developed for several applications such as intelligent robots, tactile interface, medical support and nursing care support. A desirable tactile sensing element for supporting human daily life can be embedded in the soft material with high sensitivity and accuracy in order to prevent from damaging to human or object physically. This report describes a new tactile sensing element. Hetero-core optical fibers have high sensitivity of macro-bending at local sensor portion and temperature independency, including advantages of optical fiber itself; thin size, light weight, flexible transmission line, and immunity to electro-magnetic interference. The proposed tactile sensing element could detect textures of touched objects through the optical loss caused by the force applied to the sensing element. The characteristics of the sensing element have been evaluated, in which the sensing element has the monotonic and non-linear sensitivity against the normal force ranged from 0 to 5 N with lower accuracy than 0.25 dB. Additionally, texture detection have been successfully demonstrated in which small surface figures of 0.1 mm in height were detected with spatial resolution of 0.4 mm.

Effects of feeding milk replacer at 2 rates with pelleted, low-starch or texturized, high-starch starters on calf performance and digestion.

PubMed

Quigley, J D; Hill, T M; Dennis, T S; Suarez-Mena, F X; Schlotterbeck, R L

2018-04-11

Milk replacer (MR) feeding programs have traditionally fed at less than ad libitum amounts to promote calf starter (CS) intake and allow early weaning. More recently, increased amounts of MR preweaning have been shown to increase preweaning ADG, although postweaning growth may be reduced. Several studies suggest that limited postweaning digestion of nutrients in CS may contribute to postweaning growth impairment. It is not clear whether CS formulation might also contribute to differences in postweaning nutrient digestion when calves are fed different MR programs. A 56-d feeding and digestion trial was conducted to compare growth and digestion in 2- to 3-d-old male Holstein calves (n = 48; initially 41.9 kg of body weight) fed a moderate (MRM) or high (MRH) MR program and either a pelleted CS containing 9.9% starch or a texturized CS containing 41.3% starch. Programs were 0.66 kg of dry matter (DM)/d of MR to d 46, then 0.33 kg/d to d 49 (MRM) and 0.85 kg of DM/d to d 5, then 1.07 kg/d to d 42, then 0.53 kg/d to d 49 (MRH). The MR contained 25% crude protein and 18.6% fat and was reconstituted to 13 (MRM) or 15% (MRH) solids. Calves were also assigned randomly to receive a pelleted CS (9.9% starch, 36.9% NDF) or a textured CS (41.3% starch, 13.3% NDF) and water for ad libitum intake for 56 d. During d 31 to 35 and 52 to 56, fecal samples were collected from 5 calves per treatment for estimates of digestibility. Selected nutrients and chromic oxide (d 31-35) or acid-insoluble ash (d 52-56) were analyzed in feed and feces to estimate digestibility. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design. Repeated measures analysis was performed when data were measured by week. Calves fed MRH gained more body weight (but not hip width) and were more efficient to weaning compared with calves fed MRM, although fecal scores and days treated with medications were greater. We found no effect of CS on animal performance, although calves fed textured CS had higher fecal scores. Digestibilities of nutrients were affected by treatment and time of sampling (5 or 8 wk). At 5 wk, digestion of DM, organic matter, crude protein, and fat were lower and digestion of acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and starch were higher in calves fed MRM and reflected greater CS intake. Also, digestion of DM, organic matter, acid detergent fiber, starch, crude protein, and fat were greater in calves fed textured CS at 5 wk. By 8 wk, when CS was the only source of nutrients, digestion of DM, organic matter, acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber were greater in calves fed MRM and digestion of DM and organic matter were greater, and acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber digestion were lower in calves fed textured CS. Formulation of CS as well as amount of MR offered to young calves influenced animal performance and digestion in this study. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Texture evolution in Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) steel tubes during pilgering process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakhitova, E.; Sornin, D.; Barcelo, F.; François, M.

2017-10-01

Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) steels are foreseen as fuel cladding material in the coming generation of Sodium Fast Reactors (SFR). Cladding tubes are manufactured by hot extrusion and subsequent cold forming steps. In this study, a 9 wt% Cr ODS steel exhibiting α-γ phase transformation at high temperature is cold formed under industrial conditions with a large section reduction in two pilgering steps. The influence of pilgering process parameters and intermediate heat treatment on the microstructure evolution is studied experimentally using Electron Backscattering Diffraction (EBSD) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) methods. Pilgered samples show elongated grains and a high texture formation with a preferential orientation along the rolling direction. During the heat treatment, grain morphology is recovered from elongated grains to almost equiaxed ones, while the well-known α-fiber texture presents an unexpected increase in intensity. The remarkable temperature stability of this fiber is attributed to a crystallographic structure memory effect during phase transformations.

Correlation of Microstructure and Texture in a Two-Phase High-Mn Twinning-Induced Plasticity Steel During Cold Rolling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashiq, Mohammad; Dhekne, Pushkar; Hamada, Atef Saad; Sahu, Puspendu; Mahato, B.; Minz, R. K.; Ghosh Chowdhury, Sandip; Pentti Karjalainen, L.

2017-10-01

The evolution of microstructure and texture of a two-phase austenite-ferrite twinning-induced plasticity steel during cold rolling was investigated and different deformation mechanisms were found to become active with increasing thickness reductions. Optical microscopy showed the formation of brass-type shear bands across several austenite grains at reductions greater than 50 pct. TEM observations reveal the presence of deformation twinning in austenite. The austenite phase initially shows the Cu-type texture, i.e., Cu {1 1 2}〈1 1 1〉, Goss {0 1 1}〈1 0 0〉 with a spread toward Brass {1 1 0}〈1 1 2〉. With continued cold rolling, the Cu {1 1 2}〈1 1 1〉 component moves toward CuT component {552}〈115〉 and the other two components increase in intensity. There is also emergence of {111} fiber after 90 pct cold rolling. The ferrite phase exhibits the evolution of ND-rotated Cube component {001}〈110〉 along with 〈110〉 fiber at lower as well as at higher rolling reductions. An exception is at 75 pct reduction, when the ferrite texture contains {111} fiber in place of 〈110〉 fiber with a weak rotated-Cube component. Phase fraction analysis by X-ray diffraction indicates a decrease in the austenite fraction up to 75 pct reduction followed by an increase at 90 pct reduction. After 90 pct cold rolling, the phase fraction is similar to that of the "as-received" state. Elongated grains of ferrite phase in finer dimensions after 90 pct cold rolling indicate softening within that phase; at similar stage, there are finer scale austenite grains mostly at the grain boundaries. The above has been suggested to be related with the adiabatic heating during cold rolling due to the high strain hardening of the austenite phase.

Energetic Atomic and Ionic Oxygen Textured Optical Surfaces for Blood Glucose Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Bruce A. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

Disclosed is a method and the resulting product thereof comprising a solid light-conducting fiber with a point of attachment and having a textured surface site consisting of a textured distal end prepared by being placed in a vacuum and then subjected to directed hyperthermal beams comprising oxygen ions or atoms. The textured distal end comprises cones or pillars that are spaced upon from each other by less than 1 micron and are extremely suitable to prevent cellular components of blood from entering the valleys between the cones or pillars so as to effectively separate the cellular components in the blood from interfering with optical sensing of the glucose concentration for diabetic patients.

Energetic atomic and ionic oxygen textured optical surfaces for blood glucose monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Bruce A. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

Disclosed is a method and the resulting product thereof comprising a solid light-conducting fiber with a point of attachment and having a textured surface site consisting a textured distal end prepared by being placed in a vacuum and then subjected to directed hyperthermal beams comprising oxygen ions or atoms. The textured distal end comprises cones or pillars that are spaced upon from each other by less than 1 micron and are extremely suitable to prevent cellular components of blood from entering the valleys between the cones or pillars so as to effectively separate the cellular components in the blood from interfering with optical sensing of the glucose concentration for diabetic patients.

The effect of caloric restriction on the forelimb skeletal muscle fibers of the hypertrophic myostatin null mice.

PubMed

Elashry, Mohamed I; Matsakas, Antonios; Wenisch, Sabine; Arnhold, Stefan; Patel, Ketan

2017-06-01

Skeletal muscle mass loss has a broad impact on body performance and physical activity. Muscle wasting occurs due to genetic mutation as in muscular dystrophy, age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) as well as in chronic wasting disorders as in cancer cachexia. Food restriction reduces muscle mass underpinned by increased muscle protein break down. However the influence of dietary restriction on the morphometry and phenotype of forelimb muscles in a genetically modified myostatin null mice are not fully characterized. The effect of a five week dietary limitation on five anatomically and structurally different forelimb muscles was examined. C57/BL6 wild type (Mstn +/+ ) and myostatin null (Mstn -/- ) mice were either given a standard rodent normal daily diet ad libitum (ND) or 60% food restriction (FR) for a 5 week period. M. triceps brachii Caput laterale (T.lateral), M. triceps brachii Caput longum (T.long), M. triceps brachii Caput mediale (T.medial), M. extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) and M. flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) were dissected, weighted and processed for immunohistochemistry. Muscle mass, fibers cross sectional areas (CSA) and myosin heavy chain types IIB, IIX, IIA and type I were analyzed. We provide evidence that caloric restriction results in muscle specific weight reduction with the fast myofibers being more prone to atrophy. We show that slow fibers are less liable to dietary restriction induced muscle atrophy. The effect of dietary restriction was more pronounced in Mstn -/- muscles to implicate the oxidative fibers compared to Mstn +/+ . Furthermore, peripherally located myofibers are more susceptible to dietary induced reduction compared to deep fibers. We additionally report that dietary restriction alters the glycolytic phenotype of the Mstn -/- into the oxidative form in a muscle dependent manner. In summary our study shows that calorie restriction alters muscle fiber profile of forelimb muscles of Myostatin null mice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Identification of Deformation Mechanisms During Bi-Axial Straining of Superplastic AA5083 Material

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

equiaxed grain structure in FSS along with the prevalence of high - energy boundaries accommodates sliding under the proper shearing conditions. Figure...by a randomized texture and a higher concentration of high disorientation angles. Dislocation creep, which dominates at higher strain rates, is...concentration of high disorientation angles. Dislocation creep, which dominates at higher strain rates, is characterized by fiber texture formation

Confocal microscopy for automatic texture analysis of elastic fibers in histologic preparations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, R. L.; Vieira, G.; Ferro, D. P.; de Thomaz, A. A.; Cesar, C., L.; Metze, K.

2009-07-01

Elastic fibers are an important component of many organs and tissues, such as skin, lungs, arteries, ligaments, intervertebral discs and cartilage Their function is to endow tissues with elastic recoil and resilience, to act as an important adhesion template for cells, and to regulate growth factor availability (1,2). Loss or remodeling of the elastic fiber texture occurs in many diseases. Degeneration and fragmentation of elastic fibers and aging are intimately related (3). Recently, the importance of elastin for the study of malignant tumor progression has been emphasized (4,5). Elastic tissue may be a significant reservoir of angiostatic molecules and soluble elastin as well as elastin peptides, that are inhibitors of the metastatic process in experimental tumor models (4). Elastic fibers are involved in the anatomic remodeling of chronic pulmonary diseases (6) and, especially, of diseases of the arterial wall (7, 8). The study of these phenomena is important for the understanding of the pathophysiologic basis of the diseases. Recently the role of elastic fibers in small diameter vascular graft design has been emphasized (2). The possibility to regenerate or engineer elastic fibres and tissues creates an important challenge, not only to understand the molecular basis of elastic-fibre biology (1,2), but also of its spatial arrangement and remodeling in the diseased tissues. Subtle changes of the complex elastic fiber network may be involved in the pathogenesis of diseases. Therefore a precise and objective histopathologic description is necessary.

Influence of stewing time on the texture, ultrastructure and in vitro digestibility of meat from the yellow-feathered chicken breed.

PubMed

Qi, Jun; Li, Xiao; Zhang, Wenwen; Wang, Huhu; Zhou, Guanghong; Xu, Xinglian

2018-02-01

This study assessed the influence of stewing (1, 2 or 3 h) on the texture, ultrastructure and in vitro digestibility of meat from the yellow-feathered chicken, which is a popular broiler chicken in Asia. Results indicated that longer stewing considerably increased cooking loss of the chicken carcass and tenderness of thigh meat. After 3 h of stewing, protein digestibility decreased from 90.5% to 80.3% and fiber diameter decreased by 8.63 μm. The shear force value of breast meat decreased from 32.34 N at 1 h to 10.29 N at 2 h, and then increased to 39.98 N at 3 h. The texture profile of breast meat remarkably decreased during stewing. Moreover, increased stewing time induced longitudinal and transversal shrinkage of muscle fibers and the degradation of the myosin heavy chain. These findings suggested that prolonged stewing (3 h) resulted in decreased meat qualities, based on the changes in cooking loss, digestibility and texture profile, but that stewing for 2 h increased thigh and breast tenderness. Producers could utilize this information to stew yellow-feathered chicken meat with desirable qualities. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Effects of KCl substitution on textural properties of Queso Fresco

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Partial substitution of KCl for NaCl has been attempted in some common cheese varieties because of restrictions on sodium in the diets of some consumers. The changes in texture of Queso Fresco, a popular Hispanic cheese, were monitored during refrigerated storage after replacing some of the NaCl wi...

Quantitative evaluation of skeletal muscle defects in second harmonic generation images.

PubMed

Liu, Wenhua; Raben, Nina; Ralston, Evelyn

2013-02-01

Skeletal muscle pathologies cause irregularities in the normally periodic organization of the myofibrils. Objective grading of muscle morphology is necessary to assess muscle health, compare biopsies, and evaluate treatments and the evolution of disease. To facilitate such quantitation, we have developed a fast, sensitive, automatic imaging analysis software. It detects major and minor morphological changes by combining texture features and Fourier transform (FT) techniques. We apply this tool to second harmonic generation (SHG) images of muscle fibers which visualize the repeating myosin bands. Texture features are then calculated by using a Haralick gray-level cooccurrence matrix in MATLAB. Two scores are retrieved from the texture correlation plot by using FT and curve-fitting methods. The sensitivity of the technique was tested on SHG images of human adult and infant muscle biopsies and of mouse muscle samples. The scores are strongly correlated to muscle fiber condition. We named the software MARS (muscle assessment and rating scores). It is executed automatically and is highly sensitive even to subtle defects. We propose MARS as a powerful and unbiased tool to assess muscle health.

Quantitative evaluation of skeletal muscle defects in second harmonic generation images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wenhua; Raben, Nina; Ralston, Evelyn

2013-02-01

Skeletal muscle pathologies cause irregularities in the normally periodic organization of the myofibrils. Objective grading of muscle morphology is necessary to assess muscle health, compare biopsies, and evaluate treatments and the evolution of disease. To facilitate such quantitation, we have developed a fast, sensitive, automatic imaging analysis software. It detects major and minor morphological changes by combining texture features and Fourier transform (FT) techniques. We apply this tool to second harmonic generation (SHG) images of muscle fibers which visualize the repeating myosin bands. Texture features are then calculated by using a Haralick gray-level cooccurrence matrix in MATLAB. Two scores are retrieved from the texture correlation plot by using FT and curve-fitting methods. The sensitivity of the technique was tested on SHG images of human adult and infant muscle biopsies and of mouse muscle samples. The scores are strongly correlated to muscle fiber condition. We named the software MARS (muscle assessment and rating scores). It is executed automatically and is highly sensitive even to subtle defects. We propose MARS as a powerful and unbiased tool to assess muscle health.

Textural and viscoelastic properties of pork frankfurters containing canola-olive oils, rice bran, and walnut.

PubMed

Álvarez, D; Xiong, Y L; Castillo, M; Payne, F A; Garrido, M D

2012-09-01

Textural, rheological and microstructural properties of frankfurters made with 20% pork backfat, 20% canola or 20% canola-olive (3:1) oils, including rice bran (RB) and walnut extract (WE) as macronutrients (2.5%) were investigated. Textural parameters, including hardness, gumminess and rupture-force, were highly (P<0.05) influenced by the fat-oil composition. Addition of RB or WE in vegetable oil emulsions improved textural consistency (P<0.05). However, RB addition reduced gelling capacity, suggesting antagonistic interactions between fiber and oil droplets. Vegetable oil addition favored gel network formation, and, when combined with WE, showed the highest improvement of gel elasticity. These textural and gelling properties were corroborated by frankfurter micrographs, which revealed interactions between vegetable oils, RB, or WE with protein matrix and fat globules affecting these parameters. The results suggest that functional plant-derived ingredients can be valuable to the modification of frankfurter formulations for improved nutrition and as well as textural quality. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shear-Coupled Grain Growth and Texture Development in a Nanocrystalline Ni-Fe Alloy during Cold Rolling

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

Li, Li; Ungár, Tamás; Toth, Laszlo S.

The evolution of texture, grain size, grain shape, dislocation and twin density has been determined by synchrotron X-ray diffraction and line profile analysis in a nanocrystalline Ni- Fe alloy after cold rolling along different directions related to the initial fiber and the long axis of grains. The texture evolution has been simulated by the Taylor-type relaxed constraints viscoplastic polycrystal model. The simulations were based on the activity of partial dislocations in correlation with the experimental results of dislocation density determination. The concept of stress-induced shear-coupling is supported and strengthened by both the texture simulations and the experimentally determined evolution ofmore » the microstructure parameters. Grain-growth and texture evolution are shown to proceed by the shear-coupling mechanism supported by dislocation activity as long as the grain size is not smaller than about 20 nm.« less

Functionalization of carbon fiber tows with ZnO nanorods for stress sensor integration in smart composite materials.

PubMed

Calestani, D; Culiolo, M; Villani, M; Delmonte, D; Solzi, M; Kim, Tae-Yun; Kim, Sang-Woo; Marchini, L; Zappettini, A

2018-08-17

The physical and operating principle of a stress sensor, based on two crossing carbon fibers functionalized with ZnO nanorod-shaped nanostructures, was recently demonstrated. The functionalization process has been here extended to tows made of one thousand fibers, like those commonly used in industrial processing, to prove the idea that the same working principle can be exploited in the creation of smart sensing carbon fiber composites. A stress-sensing device made of two functionalized tows, fixed with epoxy resin and crossing like in a typical carbon fiber texture, was successfully tested. Piezoelectric properties of single nanorods, as well as those of the test device, were measured and discussed.

Incident flux angle induced crystal texture transformation in nanostructured molybdenum films

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

Chen, L.; Lu, T.-M.; Wang, G.-C.

2012-07-15

Molybdenum films were observed to undergo a dramatic change in crystal texture orientation when the incident flux angle was varied in an oblique angle sputter deposition on amorphous substrates. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction pole figure and scanning electron microscopy were used to analyze in detail the texture orientation of the films. The normal incident deposition resulted in a fiber texture film with the minimum energy (110) crystal plane parallel to the substrate surface. A (110)[110] biaxial texture was observed for the samples grown with low incident angles of less than 45 Degree-Sign , with respect to the surface normal. Onmore » the other hand, for an oblique angle deposition of larger than 60 Degree-Sign , a (111)[112] biaxial texture was observed and appeared to be consistent with a zone T structure where the geometrically fastest growth [001] direction of a crystal plays a dominant role in defining the texture. We argue that a structural transition had occurred when the incident flux was varied from near normal incidence to a large angle.« less

Characterization of low thermal conductivity PAN-based carbon fibers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katzman, Howard A.; Adams, P. M.; Le, T. D.; Hemminger, Carl S.

1992-01-01

The microstructure and surface chemistry of eight low thermal conductivity (LTC) PAN-based carbon fibers were determined and compared with PAN-based fibers heat treated to higher temperatures. Based on wide-angle x ray diffraction, the LTC PAN fibers all appear to have a similar turbostratic structure with large 002 d-spacings, small crystallite sizes, and moderate preferred orientation. Limited small-angle x ray scattering (SAXS) results indicate that, with the exception of LTC fibers made by BASF, the LTC fibers do not have well developed pores. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the texture of the two LTC PAN-based fibers studied (Amoco T350/23X and /25X) consists of multiple sets of parallel, wavy, bent layers that interweave with each other forming a complex three dimensional network oriented randomly around the fiber axis. X ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis finds correlations between heat treated temperatures and the surface composition chemistry of the carbon fiber samples.

Improvement of texture and sensory properties of cakes by addition of potato peel powder with high level of dietary fiber and protein.

PubMed

Ben Jeddou, Khawla; Bouaziz, Fatma; Zouari-Ellouzi, Soumaya; Chaari, Fatma; Ellouz-Chaabouni, Semia; Ellouz-Ghorbel, Raoudha; Nouri-Ellouz, Oumèma

2017-02-15

Demand for health oriented products such as low calories and high fiber product is increasing. The aim of the present work was to determine the effect of the addition of potato peel powders as protein and dietary fiber source on the quality of the dough and the cake. Powders obtained from the two types of peel flour showed interesting water binding capacity and fat absorption capacity. Potato peel flours were incorporated in wheat flours at different concentration. The results showed that peel powders additionally considerably improved the Alveograph profile of dough and the texture of the prepared cakes. In addition color measurements showed a significant difference between the control dough and the dough containing potato peels. The replacement of wheat flour with the potato powders reduced the cake hardness significantly and the L(*) and b(*) dough color values. The increased consumption of cake enriched with potato peel fiber is proposed for health reasons. The study demonstrated that protein/fiber-enriched cake with good sensory quality could be produced by the substitution of wheat flour by 5% of potato peel powder. In addition and technological point of view, the incorporation of potato peel powder at 5% increase the dough strength and elasticity-to-extensibility ratio (P/L). Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Applications of ion beam technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gelerinter, E.; Spielberg, N.

1980-01-01

Wire adhesion in steel belted radial tires; carbon fibers and composite; cold welding, brazing, and fabrication; hydrogen production, separation, and storage; membrane use; catalysis; sputtering and texture; and ion beam implantation are discussed.

Diffusion Restrictions Surrounding Mitochondria: A Mathematical Model of Heart Muscle Fibers

PubMed Central

Ramay, Hena R.; Vendelin, Marko

2009-01-01

Abstract Several experiments on permeabilized heart muscle fibers suggest the existence of diffusion restrictions grouping mitochondria and surrounding ATPases. The specific causes of these restrictions are not known, but intracellular structures are speculated to act as diffusion barriers. In this work, we assume that diffusion restrictions are induced by sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), cytoskeleton proteins localized near SR, and crowding of cytosolic proteins. The aim of this work was to test whether such localization of diffusion restrictions would be consistent with the available experimental data and evaluate the extent of the restrictions. For that, a three-dimensional finite-element model was composed with the geometry based on mitochondrial and SR structural organization. Diffusion restrictions induced by SR and cytoskeleton proteins were varied with other model parameters to fit the set of experimental data obtained on permeabilized rat heart muscle fibers. There are many sets of model parameters that were able to reproduce all experiments considered in this work. However, in all the sets, <5–6% of the surface formed by SR and associated cytoskeleton proteins is permeable to metabolites. Such a low level of permeability indicates that the proteins should play a dominant part in formation of the diffusion restrictions. PMID:19619458

Effect of deformation path on microstructure, microhardness and texture evolution of interstitial free steel fabricated by differential speed rolling

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

Hamad, Kotiba; Chung, Bong Kwon; Ko, Young Gun, E-mail: younggun@ynu.ac.kr

2014-08-15

This paper reports the effect of the deformation path on the microstructure, microhardness, and texture evolution of interstitial free (IF) steel processed by differential speed rolling (DSR) method. For this purpose, total height reductions of 50% and 75% were imposed on the samples by a series of differential speed rolling operations with various height reductions per pass (deformation levels) ranging from 10 to 50% under a fixed roll speed ratio of 1:4 for the upper and lower rolls, respectively. Microstructural observations using transmission electron microscopy and electron backscattered diffraction measurements showed that the samples rolled at deformation level of 50%more » had the finest mean grain size (∼ 0.5 μm) compared to the other counterparts; also the samples rolled at deformation level of 50% showed a more uniform microstructure. Based on the microhardness measurements along the thickness direction of the deformed samples, gradual evolution of the microhardness value and its homogeneity was observed with the increase of the deformation level per pass. Texture analysis showed that, as the deformation level per pass increased, the fraction of alpha fiber and gamma fiber in the deformed samples increased. The textures obtained by the differential speed rolling process under the lubricated condition would be equivalent to those obtained by the conventional rolling. - Highlights: • Effect of DSR deformation path on microstructure of IF steel is significant. • IF steel rolled at deformation level of 50% has the ultrafine grains of ∼ 0.5 μm. • Rolling texture components are pronounced with increasing deformation level.« less

Mechanical properties of woven glass fiber-reinforced composites.

PubMed

Kanie, Takahito; Arikawa, Hiroyuki; Fujii, Koichi; Ban, Seiji

2006-06-01

The aim of this investigation was to measure the flexural and compressive strengths and the corresponding moduli of cylindrical composite specimens reinforced with woven glass fiber. Test specimens were made by light-curing urethane dimethacrylate oligomer with woven glass fiber of 0.18-mm standard thickness. Tests were conducted using four reinforcement methods and two specimen diameters. Flexural strength and modulus of woven glass fiber-reinforced specimens were significantly greater than those without woven glass fiber (p < 0.01). Likewise, compressive strength of reinforced specimens was significantly greater than those without woven glass fiber (p < 0.01), except for specimens reinforced with woven glass fiber oriented at a tilt direction in the texture (p > 0.05). In terms of comparison between the two specimen diameters, no statistically significant differences in flexural strength and compressive strength (p > 0.05) were observed.

Major Cereal Grain Fibers and Psyllium in Relation to Cardiovascular Health

PubMed Central

Bernstein, Adam M.; Titgemeier, Brigid; Kirkpatrick, Kristin; Golubic, Mladen; Roizen, Michael F.

2013-01-01

Numerous studies reveal the cardiovascular benefits of consuming dietary fiber and, especially, cereal fiber. Cereal fiber is associated with cardiovascular risk reduction through multiple mechanisms and consuming a variety of cereal fiber sources offers health benefits specific to the source. Certain cereal fibers have been studied more extensively than others and provide greater support for their incorporation into a healthful diet. β-glucan from oats or barley, or a combination of whole oats and barley, and soluble fiber from psyllium reduces the risk of coronary heart disease; inulin-type fructans added to foods and beverages may modestly decrease serum triacylglycerols; arabinoxylan and resistant starch may improve glycemic control. Individuals with low cereal fiber intake should increase their intake of whole grains in order to receive the benefits of whole grains in addition to fiber. For those adjusting to the texture and palatability of whole grains, turning to added-fiber products rich in β-glucan and psyllium may allow them to reach their fiber goals without increasing caloric intake. PMID:23628720

In vivo placental MRI shape and textural features predict fetal growth restriction and postnatal outcome.

PubMed

Dahdouh, Sonia; Andescavage, Nickie; Yewale, Sayali; Yarish, Alexa; Lanham, Diane; Bulas, Dorothy; du Plessis, Adre J; Limperopoulos, Catherine

2018-02-01

To investigate the ability of three-dimensional (3D) MRI placental shape and textural features to predict fetal growth restriction (FGR) and birth weight (BW) for both healthy and FGR fetuses. We recruited two groups of pregnant volunteers between 18 and 39 weeks of gestation; 46 healthy subjects and 34 FGR. Both groups underwent fetal MR imaging on a 1.5 Tesla GE scanner using an eight-channel receiver coil. We acquired T2-weighted images on either the coronal or the axial plane to obtain MR volumes with a slice thickness of either 4 or 8 mm covering the full placenta. Placental shape features (volume, thickness, elongation) were combined with textural features; first order textural features (mean, variance, kurtosis, and skewness of placental gray levels), as well as, textural features computed on the gray level co-occurrence and run-length matrices characterizing placental homogeneity, symmetry, and coarseness. The features were used in two machine learning frameworks to predict FGR and BW. The proposed machine-learning based method using shape and textural features identified FGR pregnancies with 86% accuracy, 77% precision and 86% recall. BW estimations were 0.3 ± 13.4% (mean percentage error ± standard error) for healthy fetuses and -2.6 ± 15.9% for FGR. The proposed FGR identification and BW estimation methods using in utero placental shape and textural features computed on 3D MR images demonstrated high accuracy in our healthy and high-risk cohorts. Future studies to assess the evolution of each feature with regard to placental development are currently underway. 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:449-458. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Ultrastructural characterization and Fourier analysis of fiber cell cytoplasm in the hyperbaric oxygen treated guinea pig lens opacification model.

PubMed

Freel, Christopher D; Gilliland, Kurt O; Mekeel, Harold E; Giblin, Frank J; Costello, M Joseph

2003-04-01

The structural characteristics of differentiated fiber cells in control and hyperbaric oxygen (HBO)-treated guinea pig lenses were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Emphasis was placed on cell damage, membrane integrity, and cytoplasmic texture. Given the faint gross opacities observed in HBO-treated lenses in previous studies, it was hypothesized that subtle but significant morphological differences due to oxidative damage exist between control and treated animals. Experimental animals received either 70 or 85 treatments with HBO (2.5 atm of 100% O(2) for 2.5 hr, 3 times per week for 5-7 months). All specimens were obtained within 24 hr of death. Freshly cut Vibratome lens sections were fixed and processed for low and high-magnification thin-section TEM analysis. Cytoplasmic texture was analyzed using Fourier and autocorrelation image processing techniques. Low-magnification analysis revealed relatively insignificant differences in general appearance between the fiber cells of the inner fetal and embryonic nuclei in control and HBO-treated guinea pigs. Both groups demonstrated cells of similar morphology with equivalent membrane complexity and homogeneous cytoplasmic texture. Evidence of any major cellular damage or extracellular space debris was not obvious. High-magnification analysis of the cytoplasm of the treated lenses exhibited a mild, yet detectable increase in texture compared with controls and was confirmed by Fourier analysis. Cytoplasmic texture increased in complexity with additional treatments. The absence of major cellular damage in the lenses of HBO-treated animals suggests a less conspicuous source of light scattering. The small changes in cytoplasmic organization observed between treated and control animals may entirely account for the increase in nuclear light scattering observed by slit lamp. The results obtained with this guinea pig/HBO model parallel many of the morphological data associated with human nuclear cataracts. The high-angle scattering observed in the lens of the HBO-treated guinea pig may represent the type of cytoplasmic reorganization that occurs with mild oxidation, effectively making it a valuable model for human lens aging.

Investigation of ASE and SRS effects on 1018nm short-wavelength Yb3+-doped fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Zhaoxin; Shi, Wei; Sheng, Quan; Fu, Shijie; Fang, Qiang; Zhang, Haiwei; Bai, Xiaolei; Shi, Guannan; Yao, Jianquan

2017-03-01

1018nm short wavelength Yb3+-doped fiber laser can be widely used for tandem-pumped fiber laser system in 1 μm regime because of its high brightness and low quantum defect (QD). In order to achieve 1018nm short wavelength Yb3+-doped fiber laser with high output power, a steady-state rate equations considering the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) has been established. We theoretically analyzed the ASE and SRS effects in 1018nm short wavelength Yb3+-doped fiber laser and the simulation results show that the ASE is the main restriction rather than SRS for high power 1018nm short wavelength Yb3+-doped fiber laser, besides the high temperature of fiber is also the restriction for high output power. We use numerical solution of steady-state rate equations to discuss how to suppress ASE in 1018nm short wavelength fiber laser and how to achieve high power 1018nm short-wavelength fiber laser.

Equal channel angular extrusion for bulk processing of Fe–Co–2V soft magnetic alloys, part II: Texture analysis and magnetic properties

DOE PAGES

Kustas, Andrew B.; Michael, Joseph R.; Susan, Don F.; ...

2018-06-04

In Part I, equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) was demonstrated as a novel, simple-shear deformation process for producing bulk forms of the low ductility Fe–Co–2V (Hiperco 50A®) soft ferromagnetic alloy with refined grain sizes. Microstructures and mechanical properties were discussed. In this Part II contribution, the crystallographic textures and quasi-static magnetic properties of ECAE-processed Hiperco were characterized. The textures were of a simple-shear character defined by partial {110} and <111> fibers inclined relative to the extrusion direction, in agreement with the expectations for simple-shear deformation textures of BCC metals. These textures were observed throughout all processing conditions and only slightlymore » reduced in intensity by subsequent recrystallization heat treatments. Characterization of the magnetic properties revealed a lower coercivity and higher permeability for ECAE-processed Hiperco specimens relative to the conventionally processed and annealed Hiperco bar. In conclusion, the effects of the resultant microstructure and texture on the coercivity and permeability magnetic properties are discussed.« less

Equal channel angular extrusion for bulk processing of Fe–Co–2V soft magnetic alloys, part II: Texture analysis and magnetic properties

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

Kustas, Andrew B.; Michael, Joseph R.; Susan, Don F.

In Part I, equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) was demonstrated as a novel, simple-shear deformation process for producing bulk forms of the low ductility Fe–Co–2V (Hiperco 50A®) soft ferromagnetic alloy with refined grain sizes. Microstructures and mechanical properties were discussed. In this Part II contribution, the crystallographic textures and quasi-static magnetic properties of ECAE-processed Hiperco were characterized. The textures were of a simple-shear character defined by partial {110} and <111> fibers inclined relative to the extrusion direction, in agreement with the expectations for simple-shear deformation textures of BCC metals. These textures were observed throughout all processing conditions and only slightlymore » reduced in intensity by subsequent recrystallization heat treatments. Characterization of the magnetic properties revealed a lower coercivity and higher permeability for ECAE-processed Hiperco specimens relative to the conventionally processed and annealed Hiperco bar. In conclusion, the effects of the resultant microstructure and texture on the coercivity and permeability magnetic properties are discussed.« less

Mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of Mg-HAP composites.

PubMed

Campo, R Del; Savoini, B; Muñoz, A; Monge, M A; Garcés, G

2014-11-01

Mg and Mg-HAP composites containing 5, 10 and 15 wt% of hydroxyapatite have been produced following a powder metallurgy route that consists of mixing raw powders and consolidation by extrusion. The microstructure, texture, mechanical behavior and resistance to corrosion under a PBS solution have been studied. Addition of HAP increases the microhardness of the composites, however the yield strength under compression slightly decreases. Texture analyses reveal a fiber texture for pure Mg that is weakened increasing the HAP fraction. This texture promotes twinning and softening of Mg and Mg-5HAP during the initial deformation stages. Mg-10HAP and Mg-15HAP present a strain-hardening dependence showing no softening. The volume fraction of HAP particles weakens the texture and favors the activation of secondary slip systems. Corrosion experiments in PBS solution have shown that Mg-5HAP exhibits the best resistance to corrosion. Texture and porosity appear to be the main material features controlling the corrosion rates of Mg-HAP composites under the present conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adjoint-based optimization of mechanical performance in polycrystalline materials and structures through texture control

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

Gu, Grace; Brown, Judith Alice; Bishop, Joseph E.

The texture of a polycrystalline material refers to the preferred orientation of the grains within the material. In metallic materials, texture can significantly affect the mechanical properties such as elastic moduli, yield stress, strain hardening, and fracture toughness. Recent advances in additive manufacturing of metallic materials offer the possibility in the not too distant future of controlling the spatial variation of texture. In this work, we investigate the advantages, in terms of mechanical performance, of allowing the texture to vary spatially. We use an adjoint-based gradient optimization algorithm within a finite element solver (COMSOL) to optimize several engineering quantities ofmore » interest in a simple structure (hole in a plate) and loading (uniaxial tension) condition. As a first step to general texture optimization, we consider the idealized case of a pure fiber texture in which the homogenized properties are transversely isotropic. In this special case, the only spatially varying design variables are the three Euler angles that prescribe the orientation of the homogenized material at each point within the structure. This work paves a new way to design metallic materials for tunable mechanical properties at the microstructure level.« less

'The effect of inulin addition on structural and textural properties of extruded products under several extrusion conditions': The effect of inulin addition on structural and textural properties of rice flour extrudates.

PubMed

Tsokolar-Tsikopoulos, Konstantinos C; Katsavou, Ioanna D; Krokida, Magdalini K

2015-10-01

The growing consumer demand for healthy snacks has turned the interest of industry and research in the development of new ready-to-eat products, enriched with dietary fibers. Inulin is a soluble fiber with a neutral taste that promotes the good function of the intestine. Rice flour extrudates were produced under various extrusion temperatures, screw speeds, feed moisture concentrations and inulin replacement levels. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the material characteristics and the extrusion conditions on the structural and textural properties of the extrudates. Simple mathematical models were used for properties correlation with process conditions and through regression analysis it was revealed that there is a significant effect of extrusion temperature, screw speed, feed moisture content and inulin concentration on the final properties. Both density and maximum stress increased when moisture content and inulin concentration increased, while they decreased when extrusion temperature and screw speed increased. These results were also strengthened by scanning electron microscopy. The highest expansion ratio was presented when decreasing all process conditions apart from screw speed.

Microstructural change in electroformed copper liners of shaped charges upon plastic deformation at ultra-high strain rate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, W. H.; Hu, S. L.; Fan, A. L.; Wang, Z.

2002-01-01

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations were carried out for examining the as-formed and post-deformed microstructures in a variety of electroformed copper liners of shaped charges. The deformation was carried out at an ultra-high strain rate. Specifically, the electron backscattering Kikuchi pattern (EBSP) technique was utilized to examine the micro-texture of these materials. TEM observations revealed that these electroformed copper liners of shaped charges have a grain size of about 1-3 mum, EBSP analysis demonstrated that the as-grown copper liners of shaped charges exhibit a l 10) fiber micro-texture which is parallel to the normal direction of the surface of the liners of shaped charges. Having undergone plastic deformation at ultra-high strain rate (10(7) s(-1)), the specimens which were recovered from the copper slugs were found to have grain size of the same order as that before deformation. EBSP analysis revealed that the (110) fiber texture existed in the as-formed copper liners disappears in the course of deformation. TEM examination results indicate that dynamic recovery and recrystallization play a significant role in this deformation process.

The effect of precipitation on the evolution of recrystallization textures in an AA 8011 aluminum alloy sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryu, Jong-Ho; Lee, Yoon-Soo; Lee, Dong Nyung

2001-06-01

The texture of an AA 8011 aluminum alloy sheet cold rolled by 95% showed a typical β-fiber, which runs from the copper orientation [C={112}<111>] over S [{123}<634>] to brass [B={011}<112>]. The development of annealing textures depended on annealing temperatures due to the interaction between precipitation and recrystallization. Upon annealing at a low temperature of 275°C, precipitation took place before recrystallization. This led to a weak recrystallization texture consisting of {011}<122>, {001˜<100>, and {hk0}<001>, among which the {011}<122> orientation developed near large FeAl3 particles as the main orientation and the cube [{001}<100>] orientation originating from the matrix was relatively weak. After annealing at 350 and 500°C, a strong cube texture developed along with a weak {011}<122> orientation. When the cube orientation developed, the copper orientation disappeared most rapidly. These results were discussed based on the interaction between precipitation and recrystallization.

Intracellular diffusion restrictions in isolated cardiomyocytes from rainbow trout.

PubMed

Sokolova, Niina; Vendelin, Marko; Birkedal, Rikke

2009-12-17

Restriction of intracellular diffusion of adenine nucleotides has been studied intensively on adult rat cardiomyocytes. However, their cause and role in vivo is still uncertain. Intracellular membrane structures have been suggested to play a role. We therefore chose to study cardiomyocytes from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), which are thinner and have fewer intracellular membrane structures than adult rat cardiomyocytes. Previous studies suggest that trout permeabilized cardiac fibers also have diffusion restrictions. However, results from fibers may be affected by incomplete separation of the cells. This is avoided when studying permeabilized, isolated cardiomyocytes. The aim of this study was to verify the existence of diffusion restrictions in trout cardiomyocytes by comparing ADP-kinetics of mitochondrial respiration in permeabilized fibers, permeabilized cardiomyocytes and isolated mitochondria from rainbow trout heart. Experiments were performed at 10, 15 and 20 degrees C in the absence and presence of creatine. Trout cardiomyocytes hypercontracted in the solutions used for mammalian cardiomyocytes. We developed a new solution in which they retained their shape and showed stable steady state respiration rates throughout an experiment. The apparent ADP-affinity of permeabilized cardiomyocytes was different from that of fibers. It was higher, independent of temperature and not increased by creatine. However, it was still about ten times lower than in isolated mitochondria. The differences between fibers and cardiomyocytes suggest that results from trout heart fibers were affected by incomplete separation of the cells. However, the lower ADP-affinity of cardiomyocytes compared to isolated mitochondria indicate that intracellular diffusion restrictions are still present in trout cardiomyocytes despite their lower density of intracellular membrane structures. The lack of a creatine effect indicates that trout heart lacks mitochondrial creatine kinase tightly coupled to respiration. This argues against diffusion restriction by the outer mitochondrial membrane. These results from rainbow trout cardiomyocytes resemble those from other low-performance hearts such as neonatal rat and rabbit hearts. Thus, it seems that metabolic regulation is related to cardiac performance, and it is likely that rainbow trout can be used as a model animal for further studies of the localization and role of diffusion restrictions in low-performance hearts.

Using different fibers to replace fat in sponge cakes: In vitro starch digestion and physico-structural studies.

PubMed

Diez-Sánchez, Elena; Llorca, Empar; Quiles, Amparo; Hernando, Isabel

2018-01-01

This study assessed the effect of substituting 30% of fat by soluble, insoluble fiber, or a mix of both fibers in sponge cake quality, structure, acceptability, and starch digestibility. The apparent viscosity of the different formulations was measured and micro-baking was simulated. Texture profile tests were carried out and the crumb structure was examined. In vitro digestion was performed to study the digestibility of starch and a sensory test was carried out to know consumer acceptance. The soluble fiber (maltodextrin) affected the structure and quality of the cakes less than the insoluble fiber (potato fiber) and the use of soluble fiber in the formulation resulted in lower glucose release under in vitro conditions. Moreover, the consumer did not find differences among the control cake and the cakes prepared with soluble fiber. Considering the results as a whole, soluble fiber may be used for partial replacement of fat in sponge cake formulations and may constitute an appropriate strategy for obtaining healthy sponge cakes.

Controlling microstructure and texture in magnesium alloy sheet by shear-based deformation processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagapuram, Dinakar

Application of lightweight Mg sheet is limited by its low workability, both in production of sheet (typically by multistep hot and cold-rolling) and forming of sheet into components. Large strain extrusion machining (LSEM), a constrained chip formation process, is used to create Mg alloy AZ31B sheet in a single deformation step. The deformation in LSEM is shown to be intense simple shear that is confined to a narrow zone, which results in significant deformation-induced heating up to ~ 200°C and reduces the need for pre-heating to realize continuous sheet forms. This study focuses on the texture and microstructure development in the sheet processed by LSEM. Interestingly, deep, highly twinned steady-state layer develops in the workpiece subsurface due to the compressive field ahead of the shear zone. The shear deformation, in conjunction with this pre-deformed twinned layer, results in tilted-basal textures in the sheet with basal planes tilted well away from the surface. These textures are significantly different from those in rolled sheet, where basal planes are nearly parallel to the surface. By controlling the strain path, the basal plane inclination from the surface could be varied in the range of 32-53°. B-fiber (basal plane parallel to LSEM shear plane), associated with basal slip, is the major texture component in the sheet. An additional minor C2-fiber component appears above 250°C due to the thermal activation of pyramidal slip. Together with these textures, microstructure ranges from severely cold-worked to (dynamically) recrystallized type, with the corresponding grain sizes varying from ultrafine- (~ 200 nm) to fine- (2 mum) grained. Small-scale limiting dome height (LDH) confirmed enhanced formability (~ 50% increase in LDH) of LSEM sheet over the conventional rolled sheet. Premature, twinning-driven shear fractures are observed in the rolled sheet with the basal texture. In contrast, LSEM sheet with a tilted-basal texture favorably oriented for basal slip exhibits ductile tensile-type fracture. A two-fold increase in ductility is also observed for the LSEM sheet under uniaxial tensile testing without significant changes in the strength. Among texture and microstructure (grain size), texture is shown to be more critical for Mg sheet formability. However, in conjunction with a favorable texture, fine recrystallized microstructure provides for additional enhancement of strain-hardening capacity and formability. In-situ imaging of material flow during uniaxial tensile testing revealed new, interesting flow localization phenomena and fracture behavior. It is shown that the deformation behavior of Mg sheet is highly texture dependent, and also radically different from that of conventional ductile metals both in terms of necking and fracture. The implications of these observations for the LDH test results and formability of Mg sheet, in general, are briefly discussed.

Texture and quality properties of Chinese fresh egg noodles formulated with green seaweed (Monostroma nitidum) powder.

PubMed

Chang, H C; Wu, L-C

2008-10-01

The objective of this study was to compare fresh Chinese noodles made with different levels of green seaweed. Green seaweed powder was incorporated in proportions of 4%, 6%, and 8% in noodles, which were made with or without additional eggs. Proximate compositions, cooking properties, textural intensities, and sensory qualities of noodles were assessed. The addition of seaweed powder increased the crude fiber contents of raw fresh noodles; the fiber contents were 0.100%+/- 0.015 to 0.449%+/- 0.013 for noodles made with eggs from 0% to 8% additional seaweed and 0.247%+/- 0.018 to 0.344%+/- 0.021 for those without eggs. Higher cooking yields were found in the noodles, due to water absorption during cooking by the fibers and polysaccharides in the seaweed. Significantly higher cooking yields (P < 0.05) were found in the noodles with 8% additional seaweed powder; water uptake readings measured 2.39 +/- 0.38 and 2.43 +/- 0.25 g H(2)O/g noodle for samples made without and with eggs, respectively. Higher water absorption by the seaweed led to softer and spongier textural intensities in the noodles. Breaking energy of cooked fresh egg noodles were 28.94 +/- 3.42 to 6.43 +/- 1.01 N x mm for 8% to 0% additional seaweed, and the intensities decreased as the amount of seaweed increased; the same pattern was observed in noodles without eggs, where readings were 8.66 +/- 1.02 to 3.49 +/- 0.25 N x mm. Capacities of extensibility measured 61.81 +/- 2.04 to 30.74 +/- 0.90 mm for fresh egg noodles with additional seaweed powder from 0% to 8%, and 47.46 +/- 2.41 to 28.36 +/- 2.25 mm for cooked fresh noodles without eggs. The results from Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that textural parameters were influenced not only by additional eggs and seaweed powder, but also by cooking properties.

Carbohydrate Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bemiller, James N.

Carbohydrates are important in foods as a major source of energy, to impart crucial textural properties, and as dietary fiber which influences physiological processes. Digestible carbohydrates, which are converted into monosaccharides, which are absorbed, provide metabolic energy. Worldwide, carbohydrates account for more than 70% of the caloric value of the human diet. It is recommended that all persons should limit calories from fat (the other significant source) to not more than 30% and that most of the carbohydrate calories should come from starch. Nondigestible polysaccharides (all those other than starch) comprise the major portion of dietary fiber (Sect. 10.5). Carbohydrates also contribute other attributes, including bulk, body, viscosity, stability to emulsions and foams, water-holding capacity, freeze-thaw stability, browning, flavors, aromas, and a range of desirable textures (from crispness to smooth, soft gels). They also provide satiety. Basic carbohydrate structures, chemistry, and terminology can be found in references (1, 2).

Formulation and characterization of bread using coconut-pulp flour and wheat flour composite with addition of xanthan-gum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erminawati; Sidik, W.; Listanti, R.; Zulfakar, H.

2018-01-01

Coconut-pulp flour is coconut flour made from by-product of coconut-milk based food products. The flour contains no gluten and high fibre, which can be considered as functional potential food. Bread made from composite-flour of coconut-pulp flour and wheat flour was studied for its physic-chemical and sensory characteristics. Addition of hydrocolloid, like xanthan-gum, was aimed to provide viscoelasticity for the dough which is essential for baked product. Composite-flour proportion used in this study was; 10CPF/90WF, 15CPF/85WF and 20CPF/80WF; and xanthan gum to total flour of 0,1% and 0,4%. Variable observed were; crumb-texture, crumb-colour, taste of coconut, preference and flavour; moisture, ash, fiber and soluble-protein contents. The research showed that addition of coconut-pulp flour in the composite-flour decreased specific volume value and increased the bread texture produced. It also increased the bread moisture-content, ash-content, fibre-content and soluble protein-content. Moreover, the xanthan-gum addition resulted in decreased specific-volume value and increased texture and fiber-content of the bread produced. Overall, the sensory characteristic of crumb colour, flavour and panellist preference revealed better than control bread made from wheat flour, however its crumb texture harder compare to control bread made from wheat flour. This study showed that coconut-pulp flour potential to be developed for production of functional food.

X-ray combined analysis of fiber-textured and epitaxial Ba(Sr,Ti)O{sub 3} thin films deposited by radio frequency sputtering

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

Remiens, D.; Ponchel, F.; Legier, J. F.

2011-06-01

A complete study is given in this paper on the structural properties of Ba(Sr,Ti)O{sub 3} (BST) thin films which present various preferred orientations: (111) and (001) fiber and epitaxial textures. The films are deposited in situ at 800 deg. C by sputtering on Si/SiO{sub 2}/TiO{sub x}/Pt substrates and the orientation is controlled by monitoring the concentration of O{sub 2} in the reactive plasma or by prior deposition of a very thin TiO{sub x} buffer layer between BST films and substrates. The epitaxial films are obtained on (001)-alpha-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrates covered with TiO{sub x} buffer layers. In order to analyzemore » finely the preferred orientations, the texture, the microstructural features, and the anisotropy-related quantities such as residual stresses in the films, the conventional Bragg-Brentano {theta} - 2{theta} x-ray diffraction diagrams is shown not to be sufficient. So, we systematically used x-ray combined analysis, a recently developed methodology which gives access to precise determination of the structure (cell parameters and space group) of the films, their orientation distributions (texture strengths and types) and mean crystallite sizes, their residual stresses. This fine structural analysis shows important modifications between the film qualities which induce differences in BST films electrical behavior, permittivity, loss tangent, and tunability.« less

Effect of pullulan on the water distribution, microstructure and textural properties of rice starch gels during cold storage.

PubMed

Chen, Long; Tian, Yaoqi; Tong, Qunyi; Zhang, Zipei; Jin, Zhengyu

2017-01-01

The effects of pullulan on the water distribution, microstructure and textural properties of rice starch gels during cold storage were investigated by low field-nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and texture profile analysis (TPA). The addition of pullulan reduced the transversal relaxation time of rice starch gels during cold storage. The microstructure of rice starch gel with 0.5% pullulan was denser and more uniform compared with that of rice starch without pullulan in each period of storage time. With regard to textural properties, 0.01% pullulan addition did not significantly change the texture of rice starch gels, while 0.5% pullulan addition appeared to reduce the hardness and retain the springiness of rice starch gels (P⩽0.05). The restriction effects of pullulan on water mobility and starch retrogradation were hypothesized to be mainly responsible for the water retention, gel structure maintenance, and modification of the textural attributes of rice starch gels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surface Texture-Based Surface Treatments on Ti6Al4V Titanium Alloys for Tribological and Biological Applications: A Mini Review

PubMed Central

Li, Dali; Zou, Jiaojuan; Xie, Ruizhen; Wang, Zhihua; Tang, Bin

2018-01-01

Surface texture (ST) has been confirmed as an effective and economical surface treatment technique that can be applied to a great range of materials and presents growing interests in various engineering fields. Ti6Al4V which is the most frequently and successfully used titanium alloy has long been restricted in tribological-related operations due to the shortcomings of low surface hardness, high friction coefficient, and poor abrasive wear resistance. Ti6Al4V has benefited from surface texture-based surface treatments over the last decade. This review begins with a brief introduction, analysis approaches, and processing methods of surface texture. The specific applications of the surface texture-based surface treatments for improving surface performance of Ti6Al4V are thoroughly reviewed from the point of view of tribology and biology. PMID:29587358

Protective coating and hyperthermal atomic oxygen texturing of optical fibers used for blood glucose monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Bruce A. (Inventor)

2008-01-01

Disclosed is a method of producing cones and pillars on polymethylmethacralate (PMMA) optical fibers for glucose monitoring. The method, in one embodiment, consists of using electron beam evaporation to deposit a non-contiguous thin film of aluminum on the distal ends of the PMMA fibers. The partial coverage of aluminum on the fibers is randomly, but rather uniformly distributed across the end of the optical fibers. After the aluminum deposition, the ends of the fibers are then exposed to hyperthermal atomic oxygen, which oxidizes the areas that are not protected by aluminum. The resulting PMMA fibers have a greatly increased surface area and the cones or pillars are sufficiently close together that the cellular components in blood are excluded from passing into the valleys between the cones and pillars. The optical fibers are then coated with appropriated surface chemistry so that they can optically sense the glucose level in the blood sample than that with conventional glucose monitoring.

76 FR 71831 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Fire-Resistant Fiber for Production of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-18

..., suppliers, or distributors of fire-resistant fibers, yarns, fabrics, or military uniforms) submitted.... The law does not restrict DoD's selection and use of fabrics containing fire-resistant rayon fiber... from selecting fabrics that include fire- resistant rayon fibers. Response: These responses have...

Processing, properties, and application of textured 0.72lead(magnesium niobate)-0.28lead titanate ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brosnan, Kristen H.

In this study, XRD and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) techniques were used to characterize the fiber texture in oriented PMN-28PT and the intensity data were fit with a texture model (the March-Dollase equation) that describes the texture in terms of texture fraction (f), and the width of the orientation distribution (r). EBSD analysis confirmed the <001> orientation of the microstructure, with no distinguishable randomly oriented, fine grain matrix. Although XRD rocking curve and EBSD data analysis gave similar f and r values, XRD rocking curve analysis was the most efficient and gave a complete description of texture fraction and texture orientation (f = 0.81 and r = 0.21, respectively). XRD rocking curve analysis was the preferred approach for characterization of the texture volume and the orientation distribution of texture in fiber-oriented PMN-PT. The dielectric, piezoelectric and electromechanical properties for random ceramic, 69 vol% textured, 81 vol% textured, and single crystal PMN-28PT were fully characterized and compared. The room temperature dielectric constant at 1 kHz for highly textured PMN-28PT was epsilonr ≥ 3600 with low dielectric loss (tan delta = 0.004). The temperature dependence of the dielectric constant for 81 vol% textured ceramic followed a similar trend as the single crystal PMN-28PT up to the rhombohedral to tetragonal transition temperature (TRT) at 104°C. 81 vol% textured PMN-28PT consistently displayed 60 to 65% of the single crystal PMN-28PT piezoelectric coefficient (d33) and 1.5 to 3.0 times greater than the random ceramic d33 (measured by Berlincourt meter, unipolar strain-field curves, IEEE standard resonance method, and laser vibrometry). The 81 vol% textured PMN-28PT displayed similarly low piezoelectric hysteresis as single crystal PMN-28PT measured by strain-field curves at 5 kV/cm. 81 vol% textured PMN-28PT and single crystal PMN-28PT displayed similar mechanical quality factors of QM = 74 and 76, respectively. The electromechanical coupling (k 33) of 81 vol% textured PMN-28PT (k33 = 0.79) was a significant fraction of single crystal (k33 = 0.91) and was higher than a commercial PMN-PT ceramic (k33 ˜ 0.74). The nonlinearity of the dielectric and piezoelectric response were investigated in textured ceramics and single crystal PMN-28PT using the Rayleigh approach. The reversible piezoelectric coefficient was found to increase significantly and the hysteretic contribution to the piezoelectric coefficient decreased significantly with an increase in texture volume. This indicates that increasing the texture volume decreases the non-180° domain wall contribution to the piezoelectric response in PMN-28PT. Finally, 81 vol% textured ceramics were also integrated into a Navy SONAR transducer design. In-water characterization of the transducers showed higher source levels, higher in-water coupling, higher acoustic intensity, and more bandwidth for the 81 vol% textured PMN-28PT tonpilz single elements compared to the ceramic PMN-28PT tonpilz element. In addition, an 81 vol% textured PMN-28PT tonpilz element showed large scale linearity in sound pressure levels as a function of drive level under high drive conditions (up to 2.33 kV/cm). The maximum electromechanical coupling obtained by the 81 vol% textured PMN-28PT transducer under high drive conditions was keff = 0.69. However, the resonance frequency shifted significantly during high drive tests (Deltafs = -19% at 3.7 kV/cm), evidence of a "soft" characteristic of the 81 vol% textured PMN-28PT, possibly caused by Sr2+ from the template particles. The results suggest there are limitations on the preload compressive stress (and thus drive level) for these textured ceramics, but this could be addressed with compositional modifications. The dielectric, piezoelectric and electromechanical properties have been significantly improved in textured PMN-PT ceramics of this study. Furthermore, scale-up in processing for incorporation into devices of highly textured ceramics with reproducible texture (and hence narrow properties distribution) was achieved in these materials. SONAR applications could benefit from textured ceramic parts because of their ease of processing, compositional homogeneity and potentially lower cost. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Dynamic illumination of spatially restricted or large brain volumes via a single tapered optical fiber

PubMed Central

Pisanello, Marco; Oldenburg, Ian A.; Sileo, Leonardo; Markowitz, Jeffrey E.; Peterson, Ralph E.; Della Patria, Andrea; Haynes, Trevor M.; Emara, Mohamed S.; Spagnolo, Barbara; Datta, Sandeep Robert; De Vittorio, Massimo; Sabatini, Bernardo L.

2017-01-01

Optogenetics promises spatiotemporal precise control of neural processes using light. However, the spatial extent of illumination within the brain is difficult to control and cannot be adjusted using standard fiber optics. We demonstrate that optical fibers with tapered tips can be used to illuminate either spatially restricted or large brain volumes. Remotely adjusting the light input angle to the fiber varies the light-emitting portion of the taper over several millimeters without movement of the implant. We use this mode to activate dorsal versus ventral striatum of individual mice and reveal different effects of each manipulation on motor behavior. Conversely, injecting light over the full numerical aperture of the fiber results in light emission from the entire taper surface, achieving broader and more efficient optogenetic activation of neurons when compared to the standard flat-faced fiber stimulation. Thus, tapered fibers permit focal or broad illumination that can be precisely and dynamically matched to experimental needs. PMID:28628101

Dynamic illumination of spatially restricted or large brain volumes via a single tapered optical fiber.

PubMed

Pisanello, Ferruccio; Mandelbaum, Gil; Pisanello, Marco; Oldenburg, Ian A; Sileo, Leonardo; Markowitz, Jeffrey E; Peterson, Ralph E; Della Patria, Andrea; Haynes, Trevor M; Emara, Mohamed S; Spagnolo, Barbara; Datta, Sandeep Robert; De Vittorio, Massimo; Sabatini, Bernardo L

2017-08-01

Optogenetics promises precise spatiotemporal control of neural processes using light. However, the spatial extent of illumination within the brain is difficult to control and cannot be adjusted using standard fiber optics. We demonstrate that optical fibers with tapered tips can be used to illuminate either spatially restricted or large brain volumes. Remotely adjusting the light input angle to the fiber varies the light-emitting portion of the taper over several millimeters without movement of the implant. We use this mode to activate dorsal versus ventral striatum of individual mice and reveal different effects of each manipulation on motor behavior. Conversely, injecting light over the full numerical aperture of the fiber results in light emission from the entire taper surface, achieving broader and more efficient optogenetic activation of neurons, compared to standard flat-faced fiber stimulation. Thus, tapered fibers permit focal or broad illumination that can be precisely and dynamically matched to experimental needs.

Development of a Multi-Scale Methodology for Prediction of the Microscopic Anisotropic Stress-Strain Response of Textured Metals under Dynamic Loading

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-21

will be denoted by v ⊗ u. Superscript T indicates the transpose operation (AT )ij = Aji for any second-order tensor A while symbol ‘tr‘ denotes the...indicated in red . which was subsequently marked on the plate as shown in Figure 2. Note that the plate exhibits fiber texture resulting from the...specimen deformed to 10% strain reveals that many grains have twinned (twins appear red in Figure 9). The twin volume fraction was estimated to be 17

Soybean Photosynthesis and Yield as Influenced by Heterodera glycines, Soil Type and Irrigation.

PubMed

Koenning, S R; Barker, K R

1995-03-01

The effects of soil types and soil water matric pressure on the Heterodera glycines-Glycine max interaction were examined in microplots in 1988 and 1989. Reproduction of H. glycines was restricted in fine-textured soils as compared with coarse-textured ones. Final population densities of this pathogen in both years of the study were greater in nonirrigated soils than in irrigated soils. The net photosynthetic rate of soybean (per unit area of leaf) was suppressed only slightly or not at all in response to infection by H. glycines and other stresses. Relative soybean-yield suppression in response to H. glycines was not affected by water content in fine-textured soils, but slopes of the damage functions were steepest in sand, sandy loam, and muck soils at high water content (irrigated plots). Yield restriction of soybean in response to this pathogen under irrigation was equal to or greater than the yield suppression under dry conditions. Although yield potential may be elevated by irrigation when soil-water content is inadequate, supplemental irrigation cannot be used to circumvent nematode damage to soybean.

Composition and consumer acceptability of a novel extrusion-cooked salmon snack.

PubMed

Kong, J; Dougherty, M P; Perkins, L B; Camire, M E

2008-04-01

The objectives of this study were to develop a value-added jerky-style snack from salmon flesh and to minimize loss of healthful lipids during processing. Three formulations were extruded in a laboratory-scale twin-screw extruder. The base formulation included Atlantic salmon (82%, w/w), sucrose (4%), pregelatinized starch (3%), modified tapioca starch (3%), salt (2%), and teriyaki flavoring (2%). Three oil binding agents (tapioca starch, high-amylose cornstarch, oat fiber) were each studied at the 4% level. Barrel temperature, from feed to die, was 65, 155, 155, and 80 degrees C. Screw speed was 250 rpm. Feed rate was 220 g/min. Extrudates were convection-dried at 93 degrees C for 40 min. A texture analyzer was used to evaluate textural properties. Sixty-three consumers evaluated the hedonic attributes of the snacks. Extrusion cooking did not adversely affect content of omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in Atlantic salmon. The oat fiber formulation had the highest lipid (17.49%) content. The other formulations had higher moisture content. A serving (28 g) of the oat formulation provides 0.6 g EPA + DHA. Snacks containing oat fiber had the highest CIE L* and b* values. Snacks containing oat fiber required greater force to bend, cut, and puncture. The oat fiber formulation had the lowest overall acceptability. This portable snack could appeal to consumers who are interested in the health benefits of fish and omega-3 fatty acids and provide salmon processors with a value-added solution for processing by-products.

Effect of maternal dietary restriction during pregnancy on lamb carcass characteristics and muscle fiber composition.

PubMed

Daniel, Z C T R; Brameld, J M; Craigon, J; Scollan, N D; Buttery, P J

2007-06-01

Two experiments were conducted to determine whether the decreased proportion of fast muscle fibers seen previously in 2-wk-old lambs from ewes that were dietary restricted from d 30 to 70 of gestation are still evident in older lambs and what the consequences may be in terms of growth rates and carcass composition. Throughout both experiments, ewes were fed on an individual basis according to the recommended dietary allowance throughout pregnancy relative to metabolic BW (BW(0.73)). Control groups were fed as above, and the treatment groups had their nutrient supply reduced to 50% of this recommended allowance from d 30 to 70 (Exp. 1) or d 30 to 85 (Exp. 2) of gestation, after which they were returned to the same level of nutrition as the control group. All twin lambs were kept with their dams, and at 2 wk were given access to creep. After weaning, lambs were individually housed and fed ad libitum to 24 or 17 wk of age for Exp. 1 and 2, respectively. Although not significant (P = 0.18), growth to 24 wk (Exp. 1) resulted in a small decrease in the protein content and therefore an increase in the fat:lean ratio in the carcass of lambs subjected to maternal dietary restriction. This was not apparent when animals were slaughtered at 17 wk (Exp. 2; P > 0.68). Few significant effects of maternal dietary restriction on the fiber type composition of muscles were observed. In Exp. 1 the number of fast fibers increased (P < 0.008) with no effect on slow fiber number in LM. In Exp. 2 an increase in the total number of fibers in male lambs and an increase in type II (A and B) fibers in female lambs were observed in the LM, and an increase in IIB fiber number was observed in semitendinosus (ST) muscle from male lambs. Prenatal maternal dietary restriction during the time of muscle differentiation demonstrated an increase in type IIB muscle fibers and increase in intramuscular fat; although significant, effects on subsequent carcass quality of lambs were relatively small. These data suggest that the lambs adapted to changes in muscle fiber composition previously observed at 2 wk. However, lambs in this study were well fed during postnatal growth. Whether offspring would still have been able to compensate if they had received poor nutrition postnatally and whether that failure to compensate would have influenced carcass composition remain to be determined.

Texturing Blood-Glucose-Monitoring Optics Using Oxygen Beams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Bruce

2005-01-01

A method has been invented for utilizing directed, hyperthermal oxygen atoms and ions for texturing tips of polymeric optical fibers or other polymeric optical components for use in optical measurement of concentration of glucose in blood. The required texture of the sensory surface of such a component amounts to a landscape of microscopic hills having high aspect ratios (hills taller than they are wide), with an average distance between hills of no more than about 5 m. This limit on the average distance between hills is chosen so that blood cells (which are wider) cannot enter the valleys between the hills, where they could obstruct optical sensing of glucose in the blood plasma. On the other hand, the plasma is required to enter the valleys, and a high aspect ratio is intended to maximize the hillside and valley surface area in contact with the plasma, thereby making it possible to obtain a given level of optical glucose- measurement sensitivity with a relatively small volume of blood. The present method of texturing by use of directed, hyperthermal (particle energy >1 eV) oxygen atoms and ions stands in contrast to a prior method of texturing by use of thermal monatomic oxygen characterized by a temperature of the order of 0.5 eV. The prior method yields low-aspect- ratio (approximately hemispherical) craters that are tens of microns wide . too wide to exclude blood cells. The figure schematically depicts parts of a typical apparatus for texturing according to the present method. One or more polymeric optical components to be textured (e.g., multiple optical fibers bundled together for simultaneous processing) are mounted in a vacuum chamber facing a suitable ion- or atom-accelerating device capable of generating a beam of oxygen atoms and/or ions having kinetic energies >1 eV. Typically, such a device includes a heated cathode, in which case it is desirable to interpose a water-cooled thermal-radiation shield to prevent melting of the polymeric component(s) to be textured. In operation, the chamber is evacuated to a pressure .10.5 torr (less than or equal to approximately 1.3 mPa), then the beam is turned on. The resulting texture is characterized by approximately conical hills having aspect ratios greater than 1. In experiments, it was demonstrated that separations between adjacent hills can be made .1 m and that the separations and heights of the hills can be varied by varying the fluence of monatomic oxygen and/or oxygen ions.

Effects of rolling conditions on recrystallization microstructure and texture in magnetostrictive Fe-Ga-Al rolled sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiheng; Liu, Yangyang; Li, Xiaojuan; Mu, Xing; Bao, Xiaoqian; Gao, Xuexu

2018-07-01

The effects of different rolling conditions on the microstructure and texture of primary and secondary recrystallization in magnetostrictive Fe82Ga9Al9+0.1at%NbC alloy sheets were investigated. After the primary recrystallization annealing at 850 °C for 5 min, the as-rolled sheets prepared by warm-cold rolling with an intermediate annealing, can be fully recrystallized, and obtain the homogeneous matrix in which the fine dispersed NbC precipitate particles are distributed. The primary recrystallization textures of sheets with different rolling conditions consist mostly of strong {1 0 0} textures, γ-fiber textures, {4 1 1}〈1 4 8〉 texture and weak Goss texture. In the primary recrystallized sheets prepared by warm-cold rolling with an intermediate annealing, the high energy grain boundaries and ∑9 boundaries have the highest proportion. After high temperature annealing, the secondary recrystallizations of Goss grains in these sheets are more complete, and the size of abnormal grown Goss grain is up to several centimeters, which results in the strongest Goss texture. Correspondingly, the largest magnetostriction of 183 ppm is observed. The sample prepared by warm-cold rolling with an intermediate annealing, has homogeneous primary matrix, special texture components and grain boundary distribution, all of which provide a better surrounding for the abnormal growth of Goss grains. This work indicates that the control of rolling conditions of Fe-Ga-Al alloy sheets is necessary to achieve the strong Goss texture and obtain a possible high magnetostriction if other appropriate conditions (stress, domain structure) are achieved.

Blow spinning of food-grade-gelatin nanofibers (abstract)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nanofibers have been examined for many diverse applications, including catalysis, filtration, controlled release of drugs and active agents, sensor, and tissue engineering and as texturized food ingredients. The primary advantage of nanofibers over larger diameter fibers is the larger surface area t...

Usefulness of the HMRPGV method for simultaneous selection of upland cotton genotypes with greater fiber length and high yield stability.

PubMed

Farias, F J C; Carvalho, L P; Silva Filho, J L; Teodoro, P E

2016-08-19

The harmonic mean of the relative performance of genotypic predicted value (HMRPGV) method has been used to measure the genotypic stability and adaptability of various crops. However, its use in cotton is still restricted. This study aimed to use mixed models to select cotton genotypes that simultaneously result in longer fiber length, higher fiber yield, and phenotypic stability in both of these traits. Eight trials with 16 cotton genotypes were conducted in the 2008/2009 harvest in Mato Grosso State. The experimental design was randomized complete blocks with four replicates of each of the 16 genotypes. In each trial, we evaluated fiber yield and fiber length. The genetic parameters were estimated using the restricted maximum likelihood/best linear unbiased predictor method. Joint selection considering, simultaneously, fiber length, fiber yield, stability, and adaptability is possible with the HMRPGV method. Our results suggested that genotypes CNPA MT 04 2080 and BRS CEDRO may be grown in environments similar to those tested here and may be predicted to result in greater fiber length, fiber yield, adaptability, and phenotypic stability. These genotypes may constitute a promising population base in breeding programs aimed at increasing these trait values.

Formation mechanisms of periodic longitudinal microstructure and texture patterns in friction stir welded magnesium AZ80

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

Hiscocks, J., E-mail: j.hiscocks@queensu.ca

Many studies of friction stir welding have shown that periodicity of metal flow around the tool pin may result in the formation of periodic differences in microstructure and texture in the weld nugget area correlated with the weld pitch. The current work investigates the periodicity of magnesium weld microtexture in the nugget region and its association with material flow using optical and electron microscopy. Two welds created in AZ80 at different processing conditions are presented in detail, one illustrating periodic longitudinal texture change, and one showing for the first time that periodic variations in texture, grain size, or composition aremore » not defining features of periodic nugget flow. While nugget texture is dominated by shear deformation, it was found here to be affected to a lesser degree by compaction of material behind the welding tool, which led to reduction in intensity of the shear texture fiber. The decreased tendency for magnesium based alloys to form periodic patterns as compared to aluminum based alloys is explained with reference to the shear textures. - Highlights: •It is shown here that periodic material flow in the nugget does not necessitate longitudinal texture patterns. •Longitudinal texture patterns are shown to be present or absent in Mg AZ80 based on processing conditions. •Texture in the nugget is mainly dictated by shear deformation, but has measurable effects from other deformation modes. •Explanation of why longitudinal texture change is frequently reported in aluminum but not magnesium alloys is provided. •A new vector visualization of material flow based on EBSD data analysis is shown.« less

Strain and in-plane orientation effects on the ferroelectricity of (111)-oriented tetragonal Pb(Zr0.35Ti0.65)O3 thin films prepared by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuwabara, Hiroki; Menou, Nicolas; Funakubo, Hiroshi

2007-05-01

The growth and characterization of epitaxial (111)-oriented Pb(Zr0.35Ti0.65)O3 films deposited by metal organic chemical vapor deposition on (100)-oriented silicon substrates [(111)SrRuO3‖(111)Pt ‖(100)yttria-stabilizedzirconia‖(100)Si] are reported. The orientation, microstructure, and electric properties of these films are compared to those of fiber-textured highly (111)-oriented lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films deposited on (111)SrRuO3/(111)Pt/TiOx/SiO2/(100)Si substrates and epitaxial (111)-oriented PZT films deposited on (111)SrRuO3‖(111)SrTiO3 substrates. The ferroelectric properties of these films are not drastically influenced by the in-plane orientation of the film and by the strain state imposed by the underlying substrate. These results support the use of fiber-textured highly (111)-oriented films in highly stable ferroelectric capacitors.

Quantifying the impact of material-model error on macroscale quantities-of-interest using multiscale a posteriori error-estimation techniques

DOE PAGES

Brown, Judith A.; Bishop, Joseph E.

2016-07-20

An a posteriori error-estimation framework is introduced to quantify and reduce modeling errors resulting from approximating complex mesoscale material behavior with a simpler macroscale model. Such errors may be prevalent when modeling welds and additively manufactured structures, where spatial variations and material textures may be present in the microstructure. We consider a case where a <100> fiber texture develops in the longitudinal scanning direction of a weld. Transversely isotropic elastic properties are obtained through homogenization of a microstructural model with this texture and are considered the reference weld properties within the error-estimation framework. Conversely, isotropic elastic properties are considered approximatemore » weld properties since they contain no representation of texture. Errors introduced by using isotropic material properties to represent a weld are assessed through a quantified error bound in the elastic regime. Lastly, an adaptive error reduction scheme is used to determine the optimal spatial variation of the isotropic weld properties to reduce the error bound.« less

Irradiation direction from texture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koenderink, Jan J.; Pont, Sylvia C.

2003-10-01

We present a theory of image texture resulting from the shading of corrugated (three-dimensional textured) surfaces, Lambertian on the micro scale, in the domain of geometrical optics. The derivation applies to isotropic Gaussian random surfaces, under collimated illumination, in normal view. The theory predicts the structure tensors from either the gradient or the Hessian of the image intensity and allows inferences of the direction of irradiation of the surface. Although the assumptions appear prima facie rather restrictive, even for surfaces that are not at all Gaussian, with the bidirectional reflectance distribution function far from Lambertian and vignetting and multiple scattering present, we empirically recover the direction of irradiation with an accuracy of a few degrees.

Feeding motivation and plasma metabolites in pregnant sows fed diets rich in dietary fiber either once or twice daily.

PubMed

Jensen, M B; Pedersen, L J; Theil, P K; Yde, C C; Bach Knudsen, K E

2012-06-01

The present study investigated the effects of source and level of dietary fiber (DF) and feeding frequency (once vs. twice daily) on feeding motivation and plasma metabolites at 4 different time points post feeding. Sixty pregnant sows (Sus scrofa, 4 blocks of 15 sows) were allocated to 1 of 5 diets within blocks. Four diets were restricted (approximately 35 MJ ME/d): a barley and wheat control diet (171 g DF/kg DM; 12 g DF/MJ ME), and 3 fiber diets formulated to contain 35% DF by including pectin residue (323 g DF/kg DM; 25 g DF/MJ ME), potato pulp (404 g DF/kg DM; 29 g DF/MJ ME), or sugar beet pulp (367 g DF/kg DM; 25 g DF/MJ ME). The fifth diet was a mixture including an equal amount of the 3 fiber diets offered semi ad libitum (ad libitum access to feed during 6 periods of 1 h starting at 0300, 0600, 1100, 1500, 1800, and 2300; 354 g DF/kg DM; 25 g DF/MJ ME). The experimental period included 2 periods of 4 wk each. Restricted-fed sows were fed once daily (0800 h) during the first period and twice daily (0800 and 1500 h) during the second period, or vice versa. Semi ad libitum fed sows had access to feed 6 times a day in both periods. In each period, the feeding motivation was assessed in an operant conditioning test, and samples of peripheral blood were taken in a balanced design, at 0900, 1200, 1900, and 0700 h, corresponding to 1, 4, 11, and 23 h after feeding for restricted sows fed once daily. No differences in the feeding motivation were found between the 4 restricted diets at any of the time points post feeding, but semi ad libitum fed sows had a decreased feeding motivation (P < 0.001). Among the restricted-fed sows, feeding twice daily resulted in decreased feeding motivation at 1900 h (P < 0.001) and at 0700h (P < 0.05) compared with feeding once daily, but not at 0900 and 1200 h, indicating that feeding twice daily reduced feeding motivation during the night compared with feeding once daily. Among restricted-fed sows, plasma concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) were greater in sows fed high-fiber diets compared with the control (P = 0.02). Nonesterified fatty acid was least in sows on the control diet and greatest in sows on the potato diet, whereas sows on the pectin and sugar beet diets were intermediate (P < 0.001). Less diurnal variation in glucose (P < 0.001) was seen in sows on high-fiber diets. In spite of the found effects on plasma metabolites, the applied level of fiber in the diet of restrictedly fed sows did not reduce their feeding motivation irrespective of fiber source.

Textural analyses of carbon fiber materials by 2D-FFT of complex images obtained by high frequency eddy current imaging (HF-ECI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulze, Martin H.; Heuer, Henning

2012-04-01

Carbon fiber based materials are used in many lightweight applications in aeronautical, automotive, machine and civil engineering application. By the increasing automation in the production process of CFRP laminates a manual optical inspection of each resin transfer molding (RTM) layer is not practicable. Due to the limitation to surface inspection, the quality parameters of multilayer 3 dimensional materials cannot be observed by optical systems. The Imaging Eddy- Current (EC) NDT is the only suitable inspection method for non-resin materials in the textile state that allows an inspection of surface and hidden layers in parallel. The HF-ECI method has the capability to measure layer displacements (misaligned angle orientations) and gap sizes in a multilayer carbon fiber structure. EC technique uses the variation of the electrical conductivity of carbon based materials to obtain material properties. Beside the determination of textural parameters like layer orientation and gap sizes between rovings, the detection of foreign polymer particles, fuzzy balls or visualization of undulations can be done by the method. For all of these typical parameters an imaging classification process chain based on a high resolving directional ECimaging device named EddyCus® MPECS and a 2D-FFT with adapted preprocessing algorithms are developed.

Effect of four types of dietary fiber on the technological quality of pasta.

PubMed

Bustos, M C; Pérez, G T; León, A E

2011-06-01

The development of dietary fiber-enriched foods permits to obtain products with functional properties but can cause several problems in technological quality. The aim of this study was to study the quality of pasta obtained by replacing bread wheat flour with resistant starch II (RSII), resistant starch IV (RSIV), oat bran (OB) and inulin (IN) with the purpose of improving their nutritional quality. RSII, RSIV, OB and IN were substituted for a portion of bread wheat flour at levels 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5% and 10.0%. Cooking properties, amylose and inulin losses, color and texture were measured. Finally, nutritional quality of enriched pasta was evaluated by protein losses during cooking and total dietary fiber. Microstructure of pasta was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Addition of RSII into pasta formulation improved the quality of the final product. RSIV-enriched pasta presented an improvement in textural characteristics and OB affected cooking properties positively up to 5% of substitution. Inulin was lost during cooking; besides, its addition negatively affected the technological quality of pasta. The results obtained in this study prove that it is possible to elaborate pasta with acceptable cooking quality and with improved nutritional characteristics by adding 10% of RSII and RSIV and 5% of OB.

Surface roughness analysis of fiber post conditioning processes.

PubMed

Mazzitelli, C; Ferrari, M; Toledano, M; Osorio, E; Monticelli, F; Osorio, R

2008-02-01

The chemo-mechanical surface treatment of fiber posts increases their bonding properties. The combined use of atomic force and confocal microscopy allows for the assessment and quantification of the changes on surface roughness that justify this behavior. Quartz fiber posts were conditioned with different chemicals, as well as by sandblasting, and by an industrial silicate/silane coating. We analyzed post surfaces by atomic force microscopy, recording average roughness (R(a)) measurements of fibers and resin matrix. A confocal image profiler allowed for the quantitative assessment of the average superficial roughness (R(a)). Hydrofluoric acid, potassium permanganate, sodium ethoxide, and sandblasting increased post surface roughness. Modifications of the epoxy resin matrix occurred after the surface pre-treatments. Hydrofluoric acid affected the superficial texture of quartz fibers. Surface-conditioning procedures that selectively react with the epoxy-resin matrix of the fiber post enhance roughness and improve the surface area available for adhesion by creating micro-retentive spaces without affecting the post's inner structure.

Effects of soy hull pectin and insoluble fiber on physicochemical and oxidative characteristics of fresh and frozen/thawed beef patties.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun-Wook; Miller, Danika K; Lee, Yong Jae; Kim, Yuan H Brad

2016-07-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of pectin and insoluble fiber isolated from soy hulls on water-holding capacity (WHC), texture, color, and lipid oxidation of fresh and frozen/thawed beef patties. Beef patties were formulated with no dietary fiber (control), 1% soy hull pectin, insoluble fiber, or their mixture (1:1), respectively. The addition of soy hull pectin significantly decreased display weight loss and increased cook yield of both fresh and frozen/thawed beef patties. In addition, no significant difference in hardness between fresh and frozen/thawed beef patties was observed for all dietary fiber treatments. However, incorporation of insoluble soy hull fiber decreased color and lipid oxidation stabilities of both fresh and frozen/thawed beef patties. Our results indicate that the incorporation of soy hull pectin could be an effective non-meat ingredient to minimize water loss and hardness defects of frozen beef patties. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growing Backyard Textiles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Eleanor Hall

1975-01-01

For those involved in creative work with textiles, the degree of control possible in texture, finish, and color of fiber by growing and processing one's own (perhaps with students' help) can make the experience rewarding. The author describes the processes for flax and nettles and gives tips on necessary equipment. (Author/AJ)

Effect of age on the occurrence of muscle fiber degeneration associated with myopathies in broiler chickens submitted to feed restriction.

PubMed

Radaelli, G; Piccirillo, A; Birolo, M; Bertotto, D; Gratta, F; Ballarin, C; Vascellari, M; Xiccato, G; Trocino, A

2017-02-01

To evaluate muscle fiber degeneration (MFD) associated with white striping and wooden breast, pectoralis major of 192 broilers differing for genotype (standard vs. high breast yield), gender, and feeding regime (ad libitum vs. restricted rate 80% from 13 to 21 d of age) were sampled at 14, 21, 28, 35, and 46 d of age for histological analyses by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining to evaluate tissue morphology, Masson's trichrome to identify collagen presence, and Oil red and Nile blue for lipid presence. Microvessels (diameter ≤15 μm), nuclei positive to anti-cleaved lamin A and monoclonal proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) antisera were counted to assess apoptotic and regenerative processes, respectively. Significant differences were found according to feeding system, age, and their interactions. The frequency of chickens with MFD was higher with ad libitum than restricted feeding (75.0% vs. 62.5%; P = 0.01) and increased with age (18.8%, 28.1%, 75.1%, 96.9%, and 96.9% at 14, 21, 28, 35, and 46 d). However, at 14 d a similar frequency (18.8%) was found in all broilers; at 21 d, MFD occurred more in broilers fed ad libitum than in those under restriction (50.0% vs. 6.3%; P < 0.01); at 28 d differences were reduced (87.5% vs. 62.5%; P  = 0.10) to disappear by 35 (100% and 93.8%) and 46 d (96.9% and 96.9%). The number of microvessels decreased with age (20.7 to 9.46; P < 0.001) and the number of nuclei positive to the anti-cleaved lamin A antibody increased. At histology, MFD at 46 d corresponded to loss of typical cross striations, massive necrotic process, degenerating fibers surrounded by inflammatory cells, scattered fibers in an abundant collagen-rich connective tissue, numerous adipose cells; necrotic fibers showed a high percentage of apoptotic nuclei, and regenerating fibers appeared positive to anti-PCNA antibody. In conclusion, MFD soon occurred after 2 wk of growth and increased dramatically within 28 d. Early feed restriction reduced MFD as long as animals were restricted, but no residual effect was recorded after re-alimentation. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

The Work Softening Behavior of Pure Mg Wire during Cold Drawing.

PubMed

Sun, Liuxia; Bai, Jing; Xue, Feng; Chu, Chenglin; Meng, Jiao

2018-04-13

We performed multiple-pass cold drawing for pure Mg wire which showed excellent formability (~138% accumulative true strain) at room temperature. Different from the continuous work hardening occurring during cold drawing of Mg alloy wires, for pure Mg, an initially rapid increase in hardness and strength was followed by significant work softening and finally reached a steady-state level, approximately 40~45 HV. The work softening can be attributed to the dynamic recovery and recrystallization of pure Mg at room temperature. Meanwhile, an abrupt change in texture component also was detected with the transition from work hardening to softening in the strain range of 28~34%. During the whole drawing, the strongest texture component gradually transformed from as-extruded basal to <10 1 ¯ 0> fiber (~28% accumulative true strain), and then rapidly returned to the weak basal texture.

Thickness related textural properties of retinal nerve fiber layer in color fundus images.

PubMed

Odstrcilik, Jan; Kolar, Radim; Tornow, Ralf-Peter; Jan, Jiri; Budai, Attila; Mayer, Markus; Vodakova, Martina; Laemmer, Robert; Lamos, Martin; Kuna, Zdenek; Gazarek, Jiri; Kubena, Tomas; Cernosek, Pavel; Ronzhina, Marina

2014-09-01

Images of ocular fundus are routinely utilized in ophthalmology. Since an examination using fundus camera is relatively fast and cheap procedure, it can be used as a proper diagnostic tool for screening of retinal diseases such as the glaucoma. One of the glaucoma symptoms is progressive atrophy of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) resulting in variations of the RNFL thickness. Here, we introduce a novel approach to capture these variations using computer-aided analysis of the RNFL textural appearance in standard and easily available color fundus images. The proposed method uses the features based on Gaussian Markov random fields and local binary patterns, together with various regression models for prediction of the RNFL thickness. The approach allows description of the changes in RNFL texture, directly reflecting variations in the RNFL thickness. Evaluation of the method is carried out on 16 normal ("healthy") and 8 glaucomatous eyes. We achieved significant correlation (normals: ρ=0.72±0.14; p≪0.05, glaucomatous: ρ=0.58±0.10; p≪0.05) between values of the model predicted output and the RNFL thickness measured by optical coherence tomography, which is currently regarded as a standard glaucoma assessment device. The evaluation thus revealed good applicability of the proposed approach to measure possible RNFL thinning. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Effect of Starting As-cast Structure on the Microstructure-Texture Evolution During Subsequent Processing and Finally Ridging Behavior of Ferritic Stainless Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Modak, Pranabananda; Patra, Sudipta; Mitra, Rahul; Chakrabarti, Debalay

2018-03-01

Effect of the initial as-cast structure on the microstructure-texture evolution during thermomechanical processing of 409L grade ferritic stainless steel was studied. Samples from the regions of cast slab having `columnar,' `equiaxed,' and a mixture of `columnar' and `equiaxed' grains were subjected to two different processing schedules: one with intermediate hot-band annealing before cold-rolling followed by final annealing, and another without any hot-band annealing. EBSD study reveals that large columnar crystals with cube orientation are very difficult to deform and recrystallize uniformly. Resultant variations in ferrite grain structure and retention of cube-textured band in cold-rolled and annealed sheet contribute to ridging behavior during stretch forming. Initial equiaxed grain structure is certainly beneficial to reduce or even eliminate ridging defect by producing uniform ferrite grain structure, free from any texture banding. Application of hot-band annealing treatment is also advantageous as it can maximize the evolution of beneficial gamma-fiber texture and eliminate the ridging defect in case of completely `equiaxed' starting structure. Such treatment reduces the severity of ridging even if the initial structure contains typically mixed `columnar-equiaxed' grains.

Effect of Starting As-cast Structure on the Microstructure-Texture Evolution During Subsequent Processing and Finally Ridging Behavior of Ferritic Stainless Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Modak, Pranabananda; Patra, Sudipta; Mitra, Rahul; Chakrabarti, Debalay

2018-06-01

Effect of the initial as-cast structure on the microstructure-texture evolution during thermomechanical processing of 409L grade ferritic stainless steel was studied. Samples from the regions of cast slab having `columnar,' `equiaxed,' and a mixture of `columnar' and `equiaxed' grains were subjected to two different processing schedules: one with intermediate hot-band annealing before cold-rolling followed by final annealing, and another without any hot-band annealing. EBSD study reveals that large columnar crystals with cube orientation are very difficult to deform and recrystallize uniformly. Resultant variations in ferrite grain structure and retention of cube-textured band in cold-rolled and annealed sheet contribute to ridging behavior during stretch forming. Initial equiaxed grain structure is certainly beneficial to reduce or even eliminate ridging defect by producing uniform ferrite grain structure, free from any texture banding. Application of hot-band annealing treatment is also advantageous as it can maximize the evolution of beneficial gamma-fiber texture and eliminate the ridging defect in case of completely `equiaxed' starting structure. Such treatment reduces the severity of ridging even if the initial structure contains typically mixed `columnar-equiaxed' grains.

Validation of an in vitro model for predicting rumen and total-tract fiber digestibility in dairy cows fed corn silages with different in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibilities at 2 levels of dry matter intake.

PubMed

Lopes, F; Cook, D E; Combs, D K

2015-01-01

An in vivo study was performed to validate an in vitro procedure that predicts rate of fiber digestion and total-tract neutral detergent fiber digestibility (TTNDFD). Two corn silages that differed in fiber digestibility were used in this trial. The corn silage with lower fiber digestibility (LFDCS) had the TTNDFD prediction of 36.0% of total NDF, whereas TTNDFD for the corn silage with higher fiber digestibility (HFDCS) was 44.9% of total neutral detergent fiber (NDF). Two diets (1 with LFDCS and 1 with HFDCS) were formulated and analyzed using the in vitro assay to predict the TTNDFD and rumen potentially digestible NDF (pdNDF) digestion rate. Similar diets were fed to 8 ruminally cannulated, multiparous, high-producing dairy cows in 2 replicated 4×4 Latin squares with 21-d periods. A 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used with main effects of intake (restricted to approximately 90% of ad libitum intake vs. ad libitum) and corn silage of different fiber digestibility. Treatments were restricted and ad libitum LFDCS as well as restricted and ad libitum HFDCS. The input and output values predicted from the in vitro model were compared with in vivo measurements. The pdNDF intake predicted by the in vitro model was similar to pdNDF intake observed in vivo. Also, the pdNDF digestion rate predicted in vitro was similar to what was observed in vivo. The in vitro method predicted TTNDFD of 50.2% for HFDCS and 42.9% for LFDCS as a percentage of total NDF in the diets, whereas the in vivo measurements of TTNDFD averaged 50.3 and 48.6% of total NDF for the HFDCS and LFDCS diets, respectively. The in vitro TTNDFD assay predicted total-tract NDF digestibility of HFDCS diets similar to the digestibility observed in vivo, but for LFDCS diets the assay underestimated the digestibility compared with in vivo. When the in vitro and in vivo measurements were compared without intake effect (ad libitum and restricted) considering only diet effect of silage fiber digestibility (HFDCS and LFDCS), no differences were observed between methods. These values suggest that our in vitro TTNDFD model could be used to predicted rate of fiber digestion and NDF digestibility for dairy cattle. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Caloric restriction induces energy-sparing alterations in skeletal muscle contraction, fiber composition and local thyroid hormone metabolism that persist during catch-up fat upon refeeding

PubMed Central

De Andrade, Paula B. M.; Neff, Laurence A.; Strosova, Miriam K.; Arsenijevic, Denis; Patthey-Vuadens, Ophélie; Scapozza, Leonardo; Montani, Jean-Pierre; Ruegg, Urs T.; Dulloo, Abdul G.; Dorchies, Olivier M.

2015-01-01

Weight regain after caloric restriction results in accelerated fat storage in adipose tissue. This catch-up fat phenomenon is postulated to result partly from suppressed skeletal muscle thermogenesis, but the underlying mechanisms are elusive. We investigated whether the reduced rate of skeletal muscle contraction-relaxation cycle that occurs after caloric restriction persists during weight recovery and could contribute to catch-up fat. Using a rat model of semistarvation-refeeding, in which fat recovery is driven by suppressed thermogenesis, we show that contraction and relaxation of leg muscles are slower after both semistarvation and refeeding. These effects are associated with (i) higher expression of muscle deiodinase type 3 (DIO3), which inactivates tri-iodothyronine (T3), and lower expression of T3-activating enzyme, deiodinase type 2 (DIO2), (ii) slower net formation of T3 from its T4 precursor in muscles, and (iii) accumulation of slow fibers at the expense of fast fibers. These semistarvation-induced changes persisted during recovery and correlated with impaired expression of transcription factors involved in slow-twitch muscle development. We conclude that diminished muscle thermogenesis following caloric restriction results from reduced muscle T3 levels, alteration in muscle-specific transcription factors, and fast-to-slow fiber shift causing slower contractility. These energy-sparing effects persist during weight recovery and contribute to catch-up fat. PMID:26441673

Efficient optical analysis of surface texture combinations for silicon solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tucher, Nico; Eisenlohr, Johannes; Kiefel, Peter; Gebrewold, Habtamu; Höhn, Oliver; Hauser, Hubert; Müller, Claas; Goldschmidt, Jan Christoph; Bläsi, Benedikt

2016-04-01

Surface textures can significantly improve anti-reflective and light trapping properties of silicon solar cells. Combining standard pyramidal front side textures with scattering or diffractive rear side textures has the potential to further increase the light path length inside the silicon and thereby increase the solar cell efficiency. In this work we introduce the OPTOS (Optical Properties of Textured Optical Sheets) simulation formalism and apply it to the modelling of silicon solar cells with different surface textures at front and rear side. OPTOS is a matrix-based method that allows for the computationally-efficient calculation of non-coherent light propagation within textured solar cells, featuring multiple textures that may operate in different optical regimes. After calculating redistribution matrices for each individual surface texture with the most appropriate technique, optical properties like angle dependent reflectance, transmittance or absorptance can be determined via matrix multiplications. Using OPTOS, we demonstrate for example that the integration of a diffractive grating at the rear side of solar cells with random pyramids at the front results in an absorptance gain that corresponds to a photocurrent density enhancement of 0.73 mA/cm2 for a 250 μm thick cell. The re-usability of matrices enables the investigation of different solar cell thicknesses within minutes. For thicknesses down to 50 μm the simulated gain increases up to 1.22 mA/cm2. The OPTOS formalism is furthermore not restricted with respect to the number of textured interfaces. By combining two or more textured sheets to effective interfaces, it is possible to optically model a complete photovoltaic module including EVA and potentially textured glass layers with one calculation tool.

Dynamic recrystallization and texture evolution of Mg–Y–Zn alloy during hot extrusion process

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

Tong, L.B.; Li, X.; Guangzhou Research Institute of Non-ferrous Metals, Guangzhou 510651

2014-06-01

The microstructure and texture evolution of Mg{sub 98.5}Y{sub 1}Zn{sub 0.5} and Mg{sub 92.5}Y{sub 5}Zn{sub 2.5} (atomic percent) alloys during hot extrusion were systematically investigated. The coarse LPSO phases with higher volume fraction (∼ 57%) suppressed the twinning generation in the initial stage of extrusion, and accelerated the dynamic recrystallization through the particle deformation zones. Therefore, the volume fraction of DRXed grains in as-extruded Mg{sub 92.5}Y{sub 5}Zn{sub 2.5} alloy was much higher than that of Mg{sub 98.5}Y{sub 1}Zn{sub 0.5} alloy. The intensive recrystallization process resulted in the conventional basal texture weakening, although the texture evolution was mainly dominated by flow behavior.more » The dynamic recrystallization behavior in Mg{sub 92.5}Y{sub 5}Zn{sub 2.5} alloy restricted the formation of deformation texture, and thus the more random texture was observed during the whole extrusion process. - Highlights: • The densely coarse LPSO phases suppressed the twinning deformation. • Coarse LPSO phases induced the particle stimulated nucleation effect. • Dynamic recrystallization resulted in the basal texture weakening effect.« less

Probing Majorana neutrino textures at DUNE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bora, Kalpana; Borah, Debasish; Dutta, Debajyoti

2017-10-01

We study the possibility of probing different texture zero neutrino mass matrices at the long baseline neutrino experiment DUNE, particularly focusing on its sensitivity to the octant of atmospheric mixing angle θ23 and leptonic Dirac C P phase δcp. Assuming a diagonal charged lepton basis and Majorana nature of light neutrinos, we first classify the possible light neutrino mass matrices with one and two texture zeros and then numerically evaluate the parameter space which satisfies the texture zero conditions. Apart from using the latest global fit 3 σ values of neutrino oscillation parameters, we also use the latest bound on the sum of absolute neutrino masses (∑i |mi|) from the Planck mission data and the updated bound on effective neutrino mass Me e from neutrinoless double beta decay (0 ν β β ) experiments to find the allowed Majorana texture zero mass matrices. For the allowed texture zero mass matrices from all these constraints, we then feed the corresponding light neutrino parameter values satisfying the texture zero conditions into the numerical analysis in order to study the capability of DUNE to allow or exclude them once it starts taking data. We find that DUNE will be able to exclude some of these texture zero mass matrices which restrict (θ23-δcp) to a very specific range of values, depending on the values of the parameters that nature has chosen.

Confocal microscopy for automatic measurement of the density and distance between elastin fibers of histologic preparations of normotensive and hypertensive patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, G.; Ferro, D. P.; Adam, R. L.; de Thomaz, A. A.; Cesar, C. L.; Metze, K.

2010-02-01

Elastic fibers are essential components of the human aorta, and there is an association between elastin fibers remodeling and several diseases. Hypertension is one such example of a disease leading to elastin fibers remodeling. These fibers can be easily seen in eosin-hematoxilin (HE) stained histologic sections when observed by UV-excited fluorescence microscopy or by a much more precise Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope (LSCM). In order to study the effect of the hypertension on the elastin fibers pattern we developed an automatic system (software and hardware) to count the number of elastin fibers and to measure the distance between them in a LSCM and used it compare the statistical distribution of the distance between these fibers in normotensive and hypertensive patients. The full image of the whole sample (2 or 3mm long) was composed by several 220×220μm frames with 512×512 pixels. The software counters fiber and distance between fibers. We compared the elastic fiber texture in routinely HE-stained histologic slides of the aorta ascendens in 24 normotensive and 30 hypertensive adult patients of both sexes and of similar age from our autopsy files. Our results show that the average number of fibers is the same for both cases but the distance between the fibers are larger for hypertensive patients than for normotensive ones.

Texturing effects in molybdenum and aluminum nitride films correlated to energetic bombardment during sputter deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drüsedau, T. P.; Koppenhagen, K.; Bläsing, J.; John, T.-M.

Molybdenum films sputter-deposited at low pressure show a (110) to (211) texture turnover with increasing film thickness, which is accompanied by a transition from a fiber texture to a mosaic-like texture. The degree of (002) texturing of sputtered aluminum nitride (AlN) films strongly depends on nitrogen pressure in Ar/N2 or in a pure N2 atmosphere. For the understanding of these phenomena, the power density at the substrate during sputter deposition was measured by a calorimetric method and normalized to the flux of deposited atoms. For the deposition of Mo films and various other elemental films, the results of the calorimetric measurements are well described by a model. This model takes into account the contributions of plasma irradiation, the heat of condensation and the kinetic energy of sputtered atoms and reflected Ar neutrals. The latter two were calculated by TRIM.SP Monte Carlo simulations. An empirical rule is established showing that the total energy input during sputter deposition is proportional to the ratio of target atomic mass to sputtering yield. For the special case of a circular planar magnetron the radial dependence of the Mo and Ar fluxes and related momentum components at the substrate were calculated. It is concluded that mainly the lateral inhomogeneous radial momentum component of the Mo atoms is the cause of the in-plane texturing. For AlN films, maximum (002) texturing appears at about 250 eV per atom energy input.

Effects of Calorie Restriction and Fiber Type on Glucose Uptake and Abundance of Electron Transport Chain and Oxidative Phosphorylation Proteins in Single Fibers from Old Rats.

PubMed

Wang, Haiyan; Arias, Edward B; Yu, Carmen S; Verkerke, Anthony R P; Cartee, Gregory D

2017-11-09

Calorie restriction (CR; reducing calorie intake by ~40% below ad libitum) can increase glucose uptake by insulin-stimulated muscle. Because skeletal muscle is comprised of multiple, heterogeneous fiber types, our primary aim was to determine the effects of CR (initiated at 14 weeks old) and fiber type on insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by single fibers of diverse fiber types in 23-26-month-old rats. Isolated epitrochlearis muscles from AL and CR rats were incubated with [3H]-2-deoxyglucose ± insulin. Glucose uptake and fiber type were determined for single fibers dissected from the muscles. We also determined CR-effects on abundance of several key metabolic proteins in single fibers. CR resulted in: (a) significantly (p < .05 to .001) greater glucose uptake by insulin-stimulated type I, IIA, IIB, IIBX, and IIX fibers; (b) significantly (p < .05 to .001) reduced abundance of several mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) and oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) proteins in type I, IIA, and IIBX but not IIB and IIX fibers; and (c) unaltered hexokinase II abundance in each fiber type. These results demonstrate that CR can enhance glucose uptake in each fiber type of rat skeletal muscle in the absence of upregulation of the abundance of hexokinase II or key mitochondrial ETC and OxPhos proteins. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Non-destructive investigation of thermoplastic reinforced composites

DOE PAGES

Hassen, Ahmed; Taheri, Hossein; Vaidya, Uday

2016-05-09

This paper studies various manufacturing defects in glass fiber/Polypropylene (PP) composite parts and their methods of detection. Foreign Object Inclusion (FOI) of different shapes, sizes, and materials were placed in a glass fiber/PP panel made by compression molding. The paper aims to characterize the fiber orientation and fiber related defects such as fiber waviness in the composite specimen. Comprehensive investigation for different Non Destructive Evaluation (NDE) techniques, namely X-ray radiography and Ultrasonic Testing (UT) techniques to trace and characterize the embedded defects and the composite texture are presented. Conventional X-ray radiography successfully identified the fiber orientation in two dimension (2-D)more » plane; however, information for the sample depth was not captured. The radiography techniques showed low relative errors for the defect size measurements (maximum error was below 9.5%) when compared to the ultrasonic techniques. Ultrasonic techniques were able to map all the embedded artificial defects. Phase Array (PA) ultrasonic technique was able to precisely locate the FOI in the glass fiber/PP specimen. Nerveless, the shape and size of the defects were not accurately determined due to the high signal attenuation and distortion characteristics of the E-glass fiber.« less

Molecular modeling of the microstructure evolution during carbon fiber processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, Saaketh; Li, Chunyu; Shen, Tongtong; Strachan, Alejandro

2017-12-01

The rational design of carbon fibers with desired properties requires quantitative relationships between the processing conditions, microstructure, and resulting properties. We developed a molecular model that combines kinetic Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics techniques to predict the microstructure evolution during the processes of carbonization and graphitization of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers. The model accurately predicts the cross-sectional microstructure of the fibers with the molecular structure of the stabilized PAN fibers and physics-based chemical reaction rates as the only inputs. The resulting structures exhibit key features observed in electron microcopy studies such as curved graphitic sheets and hairpin structures. In addition, computed X-ray diffraction patterns are in good agreement with experiments. We predict the transverse moduli of the resulting fibers between 1 GPa and 5 GPa, in good agreement with experimental results for high modulus fibers and slightly lower than those of high-strength fibers. The transverse modulus is governed by sliding between graphitic sheets, and the relatively low value for the predicted microstructures can be attributed to their perfect longitudinal texture. Finally, the simulations provide insight into the relationships between chemical kinetics and the final microstructure; we observe that high reaction rates result in porous structures with lower moduli.

Intrauterine growth-restricted sheep fetuses exhibit smaller hindlimb muscle fibers and lower proportions of insulin-sensitive Type I fibers near term.

PubMed

Yates, Dustin T; Cadaret, Caitlin N; Beede, Kristin A; Riley, Hannah E; Macko, Antoni R; Anderson, Miranda J; Camacho, Leticia E; Limesand, Sean W

2016-06-01

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) reduces muscle mass and insulin sensitivity in offspring. Insulin sensitivity varies among muscle fiber types, with Type I fibers being most sensitive. Differences in fiber-type ratios are associated with insulin resistance in adults, and thus we hypothesized that near-term IUGR sheep fetuses exhibit reduced size and proportions of Type I fibers. Placental insufficiency-induced IUGR fetuses were ∼54% smaller (P < 0.05) than controls and exhibited hypoxemia and hypoglycemia, which contributed to 6.9-fold greater (P < 0.05) plasma norepinephrine and ∼53% lower (P < 0.05) plasma insulin concentrations. IUGR semitendinosus muscles contained less (P < 0.05) myosin heavy chain-I protein (MyHC-I) and proportionally fewer (P < 0.05) Type I and Type I/IIa fibers than controls, but MyHC-II protein concentrations, Type II fibers, and Type IIx fibers were not different. IUGR biceps femoris muscles exhibited similar albeit less dramatic differences in fiber type proportions. Type I and IIa fibers are more responsive to adrenergic and insulin regulation than Type IIx and may be more profoundly impaired by the high catecholamines and low insulin in our IUGR fetuses, leading to their proportional reduction. In both muscles, fibers of each type were uniformly smaller (P < 0.05) in IUGR fetuses than controls, which indicates that fiber hypertrophy is not dependent on type but rather on other factors such as myoblast differentiation or protein synthesis. Together, our findings show that IUGR fetal muscles develop smaller fibers and have proportionally fewer Type I fibers, which is indicative of developmental adaptations that may help explain the link between IUGR and adulthood insulin resistance. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Texture sensing of cytoskeletal dynamics in cell migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Satarupa; Lee, Rachel; Hourwitz, Matthew J.; Sun, Xiaoyu; Parent, Carole; Fourkas, John T.; Losert, Wolfgang

Migrating cells can be directed towards a target by gradients in properties such as chemical concentration or mechanical properties of the surrounding microenvironment. In previous studies we have shown that micro/nanotopographical features on scales comparable to those of natural collagen fibers can guide fast migrating amoeboid cells by aligning actin polymerization waves to such nanostructures. We find that actin microfilaments and microtubules are aligned along the nanoridge topographies, modulating overall cell polarity and directional migration in epithelial cells. This work shows that topographic features on a biologically relevant length scale can modulate migration outcomes by affecting the texture sensing property of the cytoskeleton.

Broadband absorption enhancement in amorphous Si solar cells using metal gratings and surface texturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magdi, Sara; Swillam, Mohamed A.

2017-02-01

The efficiencies of thin film amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cells are restricted by the small thickness required for efficient carrier collection. This thickness limitations result in poor light absorption. In this work, broadband absorption enhancement is theoretically achieved in a-Si solar cells by using nanostructured back electrode along with surface texturing. The back electrode is formed of Au nanogratings and the surface texturing consists of Si nanocones. The results were then compared to random texturing surfaces. Three dimensional finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations are used to design and optimize the structure. The Au nanogratings achieved absorption enhancement in the long wavelengths due to sunlight coupling to surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) modes. High absorption enhancement was achieved at short wavelengths due to the decreased reflection and enhanced scattering inside the a-Si absorbing layer. Optimizations have been performed to obtain the optimal geometrical parameters for both the nanogratings and the periodic texturing. In addition, an enhancement factor (i.e. absorbed power in nanostructured device/absorbed power in reference device) was calculated to evaluate the enhancement obtained due to the incorporation of each nanostructure.

Texture Development and Material Flow Behavior During Refill Friction Stir Spot Welding of AlMgSc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Junjun; Lage, Sara B. M.; Suhuddin, Uceu F. H.; Bolfarini, Claudemiro; dos Santos, Jorge F.

2018-01-01

The microstructural evolution during refill friction stir spot welding of an AlMgSc alloy was studied. The primary texture that developed in all regions, with the exception of the weld center, was determined to be 〈110〉 fibers and interpreted as a simple shear texture with the 〈110〉 direction aligned with the shear direction. The material flow is mainly driven by two components: the simple shear acting on the horizontal plane causing an inward-directed spiral flow and the extrusion acting on the vertical plane causing an upward-directed or downward-directed flow. Under such a complex material flow, the weld center, which is subjected to minimal local strain, is the least recrystallized. In addition to the geometric effects of strain and grain subdivision, thermally activated high-angle grain boundary migration, particularly continuous dynamic recrystallization, drives the formation of refined grains in the stirred zone.

Innovative Ingredients and Emerging Technologies for Controlling Ice Recrystallization, Texture, and Structure Stability in Frozen Dairy Desserts: A Review.

PubMed

Soukoulis, Christos; Fisk, Ian

2016-11-17

Over the past decade, ice cream manufacturers have developed a strong understanding of the functionality of key ingredients and processing, developing effective explanations for the link between structure forming agents, stability mechanisms, and perceived quality. Increasing demand for products perceived as healthier/more natural with minimal processing has identified a number of new tools to improve quality and storage stability of frozen dairy desserts. Ingredients such as dietary fiber, polysaccharides, prebiotics, alternate sweeteners, fat sources rich in unsaturated fatty acids and ice strucsturing proteins (ISP) have been successfully applied as cryoprotective, texturizing, and structuring agents. Emerging minimal processing technologies including hydrostatic pressure processing, ultrasonic or high pressure assisted freezing, low temperature extrusion and enzymatically induced biopolymers crosslinking have been evaluated for their ability to improve colloidal stability, texture and sensory quality. It is therefore timely for a comprehensive review.

Internal stresses at the crystalline scale in textured ZrO2 films before lateral cracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berdin, Clotilde; Pascal, Serge; Tang, Yan

2015-05-01

Zirconium oxide layers are submitted to internal stresses that play a role in damage of the layer. Lateral cracking is often observed during Zr alloys oxidation. In this paper, we investigated the influence of the microstresses at the crystalline scale on the lateral cracking within a growing oxide on a plane substrate. A parametric study was carried out taking into account the crystallographic texture of the oxide and the presence of a tetragonal zirconia at the metal-oxide interface. Macroscopic computations and polycrystalline aggregate computations were performed. The result indicating the (1 0 6 bar) fiber texture as the most favorable was recovered. It was found that under macroscopic compressive stresses parallel to the plane metal-oxide interface, positive microstresses perpendicular to the interface develops. They can trigger the lateral cracking and the phenomenon is promoted by the presence of tetragonal zirconia at the metal-oxide interface.

Optimization model for UDWDM-PON deployment based on physical restrictions and asymmetric user's clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arévalo, Germán. V.; Hincapié, Roberto C.; Sierra, Javier E.

2015-09-01

UDWDM PON is a leading technology oriented to provide ultra-high bandwidth to final users while profiting the physical channels' capability. One of the main drawbacks of UDWDM technique is the fact that the nonlinear effects, like FWM, become stronger due to the close spectral proximity among channels. This work proposes a model for the optimal deployment of this type of networks taking into account the fiber length limitations imposed by physical restrictions related with the fiber's data transmission as well as the users' asymmetric distribution in a provided region. The proposed model employs the data transmission related effects in UDWDM PON as restrictions in the optimization problem and also considers the user's asymmetric clustering and the subdivision of the users region though a Voronoi geometric partition technique. Here it is considered de Voronoi dual graph, it is the Delaunay Triangulation, as the planar graph for resolving the problem related with the minimum weight of the fiber links.

Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Muscle Fiber Composition Under Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenthal, Nadia A.

1999-01-01

The overall goal of this project is to reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying the selective and debilitating atrophy of specific skeletal muscle fiber types that accompanies sustained conditions of microgravity. Since little is currently known about the regulation of fiber-specific gene expression programs in mammalian muscle, elucidation of the basic mechanisms of fiber diversification is a necessary prerequisite to the generation of therapeutic strategies for attenuation of muscle atrophy on earth or in space. Vertebrate skeletal muscle development involves the fusion of undifferentiated mononucleated myoblasts to form multinucleated myofibers, with a concomitant activation of muscle-specific genes encoding proteins that form the force-generating contractile apparatus. The regulatory circuitry controlling skeletal muscle gene expression has been well studied in a number of vertebrate animal systems. The goal of this project has been to achieve a similar level of understanding of the mechanisms underlying the further specification of muscles into different fiber types, and the role played by innervation and physical activity in the maintenance and adaptation of different fiber phenotypes into adulthood. Our recent research on the genetic basis of fiber specificity has focused on the emergence of mature fiber types and have implicated a group of transcriptional regulatory proteins, known as E proteins, in the control of fiber specificity. The restriction of E proteins to selected muscle fiber types is an attractive hypothetical mechanism for the generation of muscle fiber-specific patterns of gene expression. To date our results support a model wherein different E proteins are selectively expressed in muscle cells to determine fiber-restricted gene expression. These studies are a first step to define the molecular mechanisms responsible for the shifts in fiber type under conditions of microgravity, and to determine the potential importance of E proteins as upstream targets for the effects of weightlessness. In the past year we have determined that the expression of E Proteins is restricted to specific fiber types by post-transcriptional mechanisms. By far, the most prevalent mechanism of cellular control for achieving post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression is selective proteolysis -through the ubiquitin -proteasome pathway. Steady-state levels of HEB message are similar in all fast and slow skeletal muscle fiber types, yet the protein is restricted to Type IIX fibers. HEB appears to be a nodal point for regulating fiber-specific transcription, as expression of the transcription factor is regulated at the post-transcriptional level. It is not clear at present whether the regulation is at the level of protein synthesis or degradation. We are now poised to evaluate the biological role of ubiquitination in fiber specific-gene expression by controlling the post-transcriptional expression of E Proteins. The use of metabolic labelling and pharmacological inhibitors of the ubiquitin pathway will be used to identify the mode of regulation of the Type IIX expression pattern. The potential role of specific kinases in effecting the restriction of HEB expression will be examined by using both inhibitors and activators. The results of these studies will provide the necessary information to evaluate the biological role of E proteins in controlling fiber type transitions, and in potentially attenuating the atrophic effects of microgravity conditions. We have also recently shown that ectopic expression of the HEB protein transactivates the Type IIX-specific skeletal a-actin reporter. The 218 bp skeletal a-actin promoter drives transgene expression solely in mature Type IIX fibers. A mouse also carrying the transgene MLCI/HEB (which ectopically expresses the E Protein HEB in Type IIB fibers) forces expression of the skeletal a-actin reporter gene in Type IIB fibers. We can now dissect the composition of this fiber-specific cis-element. The skeletal a-actin promoter is quite compact and has been extensively characterized in vitro for activity and binding factors. The single E box may act as a binding target of myogenic factor/HEB heterodimer to allow for IIX expression. The HEB transcription factor may recognize either the precise flanking sequences of the E Box, or perhaps interacting with other proteins bound nearby, and activating expression in Type IIX fibers. This E box will be both ablated, and alternatively, as ablation may well destroy any muscle-specific transcriptional activity, flanking sequences substituted with those surrounding the E box (El) of the myogenin promoter. Modification of fiber-specific transgene expression will be tested in transgenic mice. The results of these studies will provide basic information on the regulatory circuitry underlying fiber specificity, and will form the basis for building appropriate transgenic regulatory cassettes to effect fiber transitions in subsequent experimental manipulations on unweighted muscles.

Optimization of replacing pork back fat with grape seed oil and rice bran fiber for reduced-fat meat emulsion systems.

PubMed

Choi, Yun-Sang; Choi, Ji-Hun; Han, Doo-Jeong; Kim, Hack-Youn; Lee, Mi-Ai; Kim, Hyun-Wook; Lee, Ju-Woon; Chung, Hai-Jung; Kim, Cheon-Jei

2010-01-01

The effects of reducing pork fat levels from 30% to 20% and partially substituting the pork fat with a mix of grape seed oil (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%) and 2% rice bran fiber were investigated based on chemical composition, cooking characteristics, physicochemical and textural properties, and viscosity of reduced-fat meat batters. For reduced-fat meat batters containing grape seed oil and rice bran fiber the moisture and ash contents, uncooked and cooked pH values, yellowness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and sarcoplasmic protein solubility were higher than in the control samples. The reduced-fat samples with increasing grape seed oil concentrations had lower cooking loss, emulsion stability, and apparent viscosity. The incorporation of grape seed oil and rice bran fiber successfully reduced the animal fat content in the final products while improving other characteristics.

Registration of adaptive optics corrected retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) images

PubMed Central

Ramaswamy, Gomathy; Lombardo, Marco; Devaney, Nicholas

2014-01-01

Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the western world. Investigation of high-resolution retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) images in patients may lead to new indicators of its onset. Adaptive optics (AO) can provide diffraction-limited images of the retina, providing new opportunities for earlier detection of neuroretinal pathologies. However, precise processing is required to correct for three effects in sequences of AO-assisted, flood-illumination images: uneven illumination, residual image motion and image rotation. This processing can be challenging for images of the RNFL due to their low contrast and lack of clearly noticeable features. Here we develop specific processing techniques and show that their application leads to improved image quality on the nerve fiber bundles. This in turn improves the reliability of measures of fiber texture such as the correlation of Gray-Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM). PMID:24940551

Registration of adaptive optics corrected retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) images.

PubMed

Ramaswamy, Gomathy; Lombardo, Marco; Devaney, Nicholas

2014-06-01

Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the western world. Investigation of high-resolution retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) images in patients may lead to new indicators of its onset. Adaptive optics (AO) can provide diffraction-limited images of the retina, providing new opportunities for earlier detection of neuroretinal pathologies. However, precise processing is required to correct for three effects in sequences of AO-assisted, flood-illumination images: uneven illumination, residual image motion and image rotation. This processing can be challenging for images of the RNFL due to their low contrast and lack of clearly noticeable features. Here we develop specific processing techniques and show that their application leads to improved image quality on the nerve fiber bundles. This in turn improves the reliability of measures of fiber texture such as the correlation of Gray-Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM).

An Archeological Overview and Management Plan for the U.S. Army Natick Research and Development Laboratories.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-06-01

bifurcate-base points, Kirk points, Plano points). During this time period temperate species were expanding their ranges northward and eastward. Early...textured. A second type of ceramics is smooth-bodled or incised , fiber-or-steatite tempered, manufactured by modeling, has flat bottoms and shows

A Microstructure Study on an AZ31 Magnesium Alloy Tube after Hot Metal Gas Forming Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yi; Wu, Xin

2007-06-01

An AZ31 magnesium alloy tube has been deformed by the hot metal gas forming (HMGF) technique. Microstructures before and after deformation have been investigated by using Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) and Electron Microscopy. Due to the inhomogeneous distribution by induction heating, there is a temperature gradient distribution along the tube axis. Accordingly, the deformation mechanism is also different. In the middle area of deformation zone where the temperature is ˜410 °C, almost no twinning has been found, whereas at the edge areas of deformation zone where the temperature is ˜200 °C, a high density of twins has been found. EBSD experiments show a weak (0001) fiber texture along the radial direction of the tube before and after deformation in the high-temperature zone. EBSD experiments on the low temperature deformation region were not successful due to the high stored energy. Schmid factor analysis on the EBSD data shows that, despite the (0001) fiber texture, there are still many grains favoring basal slip along both the axis direction and hoop direction.

The effect of CMC and arabic gum stabilizer combination on the characteristics of soursop velva (Annona muricata L.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parnanto, N. H. R.; Yudhistira, B.; Pertiwi, S. R.; Pangestika, A.

2018-03-01

The aims of this study were to determine the effect of the combination of CMC and Arabic Gum stabilizer toward the soursop velva characteristics and to determine the best stabilizer combination of soursop velva. This study was performed using Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with one factor: combination of CMC and Arabic Gum stabilizer using two sample replications and the analysis was repeated three times. The result showed that the use of the combination of CMC and Arabic Gum stabilizer gave a significant effect on the overrun value, melting power, total dissolved solids, moisture content, dietary fiber, taste, texture and overalls. Moreover, there were no significant effect on color and flavor of the soursop velva. The experiment showed that soursop velva F4 (3:1) was the best formula with overrun value 9.93%, the melting power was 22 minutes 52 seconds, the total dissolved solids 19,10°Brix, the moisture content 71.508%, dietary fiber 3.301% and it has sensory values of color, taste, flavor, texture, overall at 3.66, 3.267, 3.33, 4.06, 3.10 respectively.

Enrichment of probiotic ice cream with different dietary fibers: Structural characteristics and culture viability.

PubMed

Akalın, A S; Kesenkas, H; Dinkci, N; Unal, G; Ozer, E; Kınık, O

2018-01-01

This study evaluated the effect of 5 dietary fibers (apple, orange, oat, bamboo, and wheat) on the physicochemical, rheological, and textural characteristics; sensory properties; and culture viability of probiotic ice cream stored at -18°C for 180 d. The presence of orange and apple fibers increased the titratable acidity, decreased the lightness (color) value of the ice creams, and enhanced the red and yellow coloration. Compared with the control sample, the consistency indices and apparent viscosities of the experimental samples increased with the addition of all dietary fibers except oat fiber. The highest viscosity was obtained in the sample fortified with apple fiber, whereas the ice cream containing orange fiber showed the highest hardness after d 60 of storage. The addition of orange and apple fibers significantly increased melting resistance; however, panelists did not generally like these samples in terms of taste-flavor. All ice creams had viable counts of Lactobacillus acidophilus of ≥7 log cfu/g during storage except the samples with orange and bamboo fiber. Bifidobacterium lactis counts were also found to be >6 log cfu/g in those samples until d 150 of storage. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of different fibers on dough properties and biscuit quality.

PubMed

Blanco Canalis, María S; Steffolani, María E; León, Alberto E; Ribotta, Pablo D

2017-03-01

This study forms part of a broader project aimed at understanding the role of fibers from different sources in high-fat, high-sugar biscuits and at selecting the best fibers for biscuit quality. The main purpose of this work was to understand the rheological and structural properties involved in fiber-enriched biscuit dough. High-amylose corn starch (RSII), chemically modified starch (RSIV), oat fiber (OF) and inulin (IN) were used at two different levels of incorporation (6 and 12 g) in dough formulation. The influence of fiber on the properties of biscuit dough was studied via dynamic rheological tests, confocal microscopy and spreading behavior. Biscuit quality was assessed by width/thickness factor, texture and surface characteristics, total dietary fiber and sensory evaluation. Main results indicated that IN incorporation increased the capacity of dough spreading during baking and thus improved biscuit quality. OF reduced dough spreading during baking and strongly increased its resistance to deformation. RSII and RSIV slightly affected the quality of the biscuits. Sensory evaluation revealed that the panel liked IN-incorporated biscuits as much as control biscuits. The increase in total dietary fiber modified dough behavior and biscuit properties, and the extent of these effects depended on the type of fiber incorporated. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

In-Depth Analysis of the Structure and Properties of Two Varieties of Natural Luffa Sponge Fibers

PubMed Central

Chen, Yuxia; Su, Na; Zhang, Kaiting; Zhu, Shiliu; Zhao, Lei; Fang, Fei; Ren, Linyan; Guo, Yong

2017-01-01

The advancement in science and technology has led to luffa sponge (LS) being widely used as a natural material in industrial application because of its polyporous structure and light texture. To enhance the utility of LS fibers as the reinforcement of lightweight composite materials, the current study investigates their water absorption, mechanical properties, anatomical characteristics and thermal performance. Hence, moisture regain and tensile properties of LS fiber bundles were measured in accordance with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards while their structural characteristics were investigated via microscopic observation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the surface morphology and fractured surface of fiber bundles. The test results show that the special structure where the phloem tissues degenerate to cavities had a significant influence on the mechanical properties of LS fiber bundles. Additionally, the transverse sectional area occupied by fibers in a fiber bundle (SF), wall thickness, ratio of wall to lumen of fiber cell, and crystallinity of cellulose had substantial impact on the mechanical properties of LS fiber bundles. Furthermore, the density of fiber bundles of LS ranged within 385.46–468.70 kg/m3, significantly less than that of jute (1360.40 kg/m3) and Arenga engleri (950.20 kg/m3). However, LS fiber bundles demonstrated superior specific modulus than Arenga engleri. PMID:28772838

Effects of Post-Weld Heat Treatment on the Microstructure and Toughness of Flash Butt Welded High-Strength Low-Alloy Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shajan, Nikhil; Arora, Kanwer Singh; Asati, Brajesh; Sharma, Vikram; Shome, Mahadev

2018-04-01

Effect of post-weld heat treatment on the weld microstructure, texture, and its correlation to the toughness of flash butt welded joints were investigated. Upon flash butt welding, the α and γ-fiber in the parent material converted to Goss (110)[001], rotated Goss (110)[1 \\bar{1} 0], and rotated cube (001)[1 \\bar{1} 0], (001)[ \\overline{11} 0] textures along the fracture plane. Formation of these detrimental texture components was a result of shear deformation and recrystallization of austenite at temperatures above T nr resulting in a drop of toughness at the weld zone. Inter-critical and sub-critical annealing cycles proved to be less effective in reducing the Goss (110)[001], rotated Goss (110)[1 \\bar{1} 0], and rotated cube (001)[1 \\bar{1} 0], (001)[ \\overline{11} 0] texture components, and therefore, toughness values remained unaffected. Post-weld heat treatment in the austenite phase field at 1000 °C for 5 seconds resulted in the formation of new grains with different orientations leading to a reduction in the texture intensities of both Goss and rotated Goss components and therefore improved weld zone toughness. Prolonged annealing time was found to be ineffective in improving the toughness due to grain growth.

[Comparison of texture distribution of cold rolled DC and CC AA 5052 aluminum alloy at different positions through thickness direction by XRD].

PubMed

Chen, Ming-biao; Ma, Min; Yang, Qing-xiang; Wang, Shan; Liu, Wen-chang; Zhao, Ying-mei

2013-09-01

To provide gist of DC AA 5052 and CC AA 5052 aluminum alloy to industry production and application, the texture variation of cold rolled sheets through thickness direction was studied by X-ray diffraction method, and the difference in texture at surface, quarter and center layer was analyzed. The hot plates of direct chill cast (DC) AA 5052 and continuous cast (CC) AA 5052 aluminum alloy were annealed at 454 degrees C for 4 hours and then cold rolled to different reductions. The strength and volume fraction of the fiber in CC AA 5052 aluminum alloy is larger than in DC AA 5052 aluminum alloy after same rolling reduction The volume fraction of the recrystallization texture cube in the CC AA 5052 aluminum alloy is less than in the DC AA 5052 aluminum alloy, which result in that CC AA 5052 aluminum alloy needs less cold rolling reduction than DC AA 5052 aluminum alloy for generating the texture with same intensity and volume fraction at surface layer, quarter layer and center layer. The manufacturability and performance of CC AA 5052 aluminum alloy is superior to DC AA 5052 aluminum alloy for use in stamping.

Fiber optic evanescent wave biosensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duveneck, Gert L.; Ehrat, Markus; Widmer, H. M.

1991-09-01

The role of modern analytical chemistry is not restricted to quality control and environmental surveillance, but has been extended to process control using on-line analytical techniques. Besides industrial applications, highly specific, ultra-sensitive biochemical analysis becomes increasingly important as a diagnostic tool, both in central clinical laboratories and in the doctor's office. Fiber optic sensor technology can fulfill many of the requirements for both types of applications. As an example, the experimental arrangement of a fiber optic sensor for biochemical affinity assays is presented. The evanescent electromagnetic field, associated with a light ray guided in an optical fiber, is used for the excitation of luminescence labels attached to the biomolecules in solution to be analyzed. Due to the small penetration depth of the evanescent field into the medium, the generation of luminescence is restricted to the close proximity of the fiber, where, e.g., the luminescent analyte molecules combine with their affinity partners, which are immobilized on the fiber. Both cw- and pulsed light excitation can be used in evanescent wave sensor technology, enabling the on-line observation of an affinity assay on a macroscopic time scale (seconds and minutes), as well as on a microscopic, molecular time scale (nanoseconds or microseconds).

Surface patterning of CRFP composites using femtosecond laser interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, V.; Moreira, R. D. F.; de Moura, M. F. S. F.; Vilar, R.

2018-03-01

We report on the surface patterning of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites using femtosecond laser interferometry. The effect of experimental processing parameters, such as the pulse energy and scanning speed, on the quality of the patterns is studied. Using the appropriate processing parameters, a selective removal of the epoxy resin can be achieved, leaving the carbon fibers exposed and textured with the desired pattern. The period of the patterns can be controlled by changing the distance between the two interfering beams. On the other hand, the amplitude of the patterns can be controlled by changing the pulse energy or the number of laser pulses applied. In addition, sub-micron ripples are created on the carbon fibers surface allowing multiscale surface modification which may contribute to improve bonding between CFRP parts.

Secondary electron emission from textured surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huerta, C. E.; Patino, M. I.; Wirz, R. E.

2018-04-01

In this work, a Monte Carlo model is used to investigate electron induced secondary electron emission for varying effects of complex surfaces by using simple geometric constructs. Geometries used in the model include: vertical fibers for velvet-like surfaces, tapered pillars for carpet-like surfaces, and a cage-like configuration of interlaced horizontal and vertical fibers for nano-structured fuzz. The model accurately captures the secondary electron emission yield dependence on incidence angle. The model shows that unlike other structured surfaces previously studied, tungsten fuzz exhibits secondary electron emission yield that is independent of primary electron incidence angle, due to the prevalence of horizontally-oriented fibers in the fuzz geometry. This is confirmed with new data presented herein of the secondary electron emission yield of tungsten fuzz at incidence angles from 0-60°.

Skeletal muscle fiber type composition and performance during repeated bouts of maximal, concentric contractions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colliander, E. B.; Dudley, G. A.; Tesch, P. A.

1988-01-01

Force output and fatigue and recovery patterns were studied during intermittent short-term exercise. 27 men performed three bouts of 30 maximal unilateral knee extensions on 2 different occasions. Blood flow was maintained or occluded during recovery periods (60 s). Blood flow was restricted by inflating a pneumatic cuff placed around the proximal thigh. Muscle biopsies from vastus lateralis were analyzed for identification of fast twitch (FT) and slow twitch (ST) fibers and relative FT area. Peak torque decreased during each bout of exercise and more when blood flow was restricted during recovery. Initial peak torque (IPT) and average peak torque (APT) decreased over the three exercise bouts. This response was 3 fold greater without than with blood flow during recovery. IPT and APT decreased more in individuals with mainly FT fibers than in those with mainly ST fibers. It is suggested that performance during repeated bouts of maximal concentric contractions differs between individuals with different fiber type composition. Specifically, in high intensity, intermittent exercise with emphasis on anaerobic energy release a high FT composition may not necessarily be advantageous for performance.

Effect of corn bran particle size on rheology and pasting characteristics of flour gels

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dietary fiber in corn bran is known for its beneficial effects on human health and nutrition. Corn bran substitution has shown to affect batter viscosity, and volume, crumb grain, color, and texture of cakes. Purified food-grade corn bran was milled to pass through 80, 100 and 120 mesh sieve, resu...

Mammographic texture synthesis using genetic programming and clustered lumpy background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castella, Cyril; Kinkel, Karen; Descombes, François; Eckstein, Miguel P.; Sottas, Pierre-Edouard; Verdun, Francis R.; Bochud, François O.

2006-03-01

In this work we investigated the digital synthesis of images which mimic real textures observed in mammograms. Such images could be produced in an unlimited number with tunable statistical properties in order to study human performance and model observer performance in perception experiments. We used the previously developed clustered lumpy background (CLB) technique and optimized its parameters with a genetic algorithm (GA). In order to maximize the realism of the textures, we combined the GA objective approach with psychophysical experiments involving the judgments of radiologists. Thirty-six statistical features were computed and averaged, over 1000 real mammograms regions of interest. The same features were measured for the synthetic textures, and the Mahalanobis distance was used to quantify the similarity of the features between the real and synthetic textures. The similarity, as measured by the Mahalanobis distance, was used as GA fitness function for evolving the free CLB parameters. In the psychophysical approach, experienced radiologists were asked to qualify the realism of synthetic images by considering typical structures that are expected to be found on real mammograms: glandular and fatty areas, and fiber crossings. Results show that CLB images found via optimization with GA are significantly closer to real mammograms than previously published images. Moreover, the psychophysical experiments confirm that all the above mentioned structures are reproduced well on the generated images. This means that we can generate an arbitrary large database of textures mimicking mammograms with traceable statistical properties.

Fiber Bragg grating sensor-based communication assistance device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padma, Srivani; Umesh, Sharath; Pant, Shweta; Srinivas, Talabattula; Asokan, Sundarrajan

2016-08-01

Improvements in emergency medicine in the form of efficient life supporting systems and intensive care have increased the survival rate in critically injured patients; however, in some cases, severe brain and spinal cord injuries can result in a locked-in syndrome or other forms of paralysis, and communication with these patients may become restricted or impossible. The present study proposes a noninvasive, real-time communication assistive methodology for those with restricted communication ability, employing a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor. The communication assistive methodology comprises a breath pattern analyzer using an FBG sensor, which acquires the exhalation force that is converted into strain variations on a cantilever. The FBG breath pattern analyzer along with specific breath patterns, which are programmed to give specific audio output commands, constitutes the proposed fiber Bragg grating sensor-based communication assistive device. The basic communication can be carried out by instructing the patients with restricted communication ability to perform the specific breath patterns. The present approach is intended to be an alternative to the common approach of brain-computer interface in which an instrument is utilized for learning of brain responses.

Electron backscatter diffraction study of deformation and recrystallization textures of individual phases in a cross-rolled duplex steel

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

Zaid, Md; Bhattacharjee, P.P., E-mail: pinakib@iith.ac.in

2014-10-15

The evolution of microstructure and texture during cross-rolling and annealing was investigated by electron backscatter diffraction in a ferritic–austenitic duplex stainless steel. For this purpose an alloy with nearly equal volume fraction of the two phases was deformed by multi-pass cross-rolling process up to 90% reduction in thickness. The rolling and transverse directions were mutually interchanged in each pass by rotating the sample by 90° around the normal direction. In order to avoid deformation induced phase transformation and dynamic strain aging, the rolling was carried out at an optimized temperature of 898 K (625 °C) at the warm-deformation range. Themore » microstructure after cross warm-rolling revealed a lamellar structure with alternate arrangement of the bands of two phases. Strong brass and rotated brass components were observed in austenite in the steel after processing by cross warm-rolling. The ferrite in the cross warm-rolling processed steel showed remarkably strong RD-fiber (RD//< 011 >) component (001)< 011 >. The development of texture in the two phases after processing by cross warm-rolling could be explained by the stability of the texture components. During isothermal annealing of the 90% cross warm-rolling processed material the lamellar morphology was retained before collapse of the lamellar structure to the mutual interpenetration of the phase bands. Ferrite showed recovery resulting in annealing texture similar to the deformation texture. In contrast, the austenite showed primary recrystallization without preferential orientation selection leading to the retention of deformation texture. The evolution of deformation and annealing texture in the two phases of the steel was independent of one another. - Highlights: • Effect of cross warm-rolling on texture formation is studied in duplex steel. • Brass texture in austenite and (001)<110 > in ferrite are developed. • Ferrite shows recovery during annealing retaining the (001)<110 > component. • Austenite shows recrystallization during annealing retaining the deformation texture. • The deformation of recrystallization of two phases is independent of one other.« less

77 FR 76435 - Connect America Fund

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-28

... excluding Phase I fiber from Phase II support is that the Bureau would not likely receive information... carriers should be restricted in building fiber, what information carriers should be required to provide... additional information on the rulemaking process, see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document...

Repeated blood flow restriction induces muscle fiber hypertrophy.

PubMed

Sudo, Mizuki; Ando, Soichi; Kano, Yutaka

2017-02-01

We recently developed an animal model to investigate the effects of eccentric contraction (ECC) and blood flow restriction (BFR) on muscle tissue at the cellular level. This study clarified the effects of repeated BFR, ECC, and BFR combined with ECC (BFR+ECC) on muscle fiber hypertrophy. Male Wistar rats were assigned to 3 groups: BFR, ECC, and BFR+ECC. The contralateral leg in the BFR group served as a control (CONT). Muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA) of the tibialis anterior was determined after the respective treatments for 6 weeks. CSA was greater in the BFR+ECC group than in the CONT (P < 0.01) and ECC (P < 0.05) groups. CSA was greater in the BFR group than that in the CONT group (P < 0.05). These results suggest that repeated BFR alone as well as BFR+ECC induces muscle fiber hypertrophy at the cellular level. Muscle Nerve 55: 274-276, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

3D texture analysis for classification of second harmonic generation images of human ovarian cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Bruce; Campbell, Kirby R.; Tilbury, Karissa; Nadiarnykh, Oleg; Brewer, Molly A.; Patankar, Manish; Singh, Vikas; Eliceiri, Kevin. W.; Campagnola, Paul J.

2016-10-01

Remodeling of the collagen architecture in the extracellular matrix (ECM) has been implicated in ovarian cancer. To quantify these alterations we implemented a form of 3D texture analysis to delineate the fibrillar morphology observed in 3D Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy image data of normal (1) and high risk (2) ovarian stroma, benign ovarian tumors (3), low grade (4) and high grade (5) serous tumors, and endometrioid tumors (6). We developed a tailored set of 3D filters which extract textural features in the 3D image sets to build (or learn) statistical models of each tissue class. By applying k-nearest neighbor classification using these learned models, we achieved 83-91% accuracies for the six classes. The 3D method outperformed the analogous 2D classification on the same tissues, where we suggest this is due the increased information content. This classification based on ECM structural changes will complement conventional classification based on genetic profiles and can serve as an additional biomarker. Moreover, the texture analysis algorithm is quite general, as it does not rely on single morphological metrics such as fiber alignment, length, and width but their combined convolution with a customizable basis set.

Volume illustration of muscle from diffusion tensor images.

PubMed

Chen, Wei; Yan, Zhicheng; Zhang, Song; Crow, John Allen; Ebert, David S; McLaughlin, Ronald M; Mullins, Katie B; Cooper, Robert; Ding, Zi'ang; Liao, Jun

2009-01-01

Medical illustration has demonstrated its effectiveness to depict salient anatomical features while hiding the irrelevant details. Current solutions are ineffective for visualizing fibrous structures such as muscle, because typical datasets (CT or MRI) do not contain directional details. In this paper, we introduce a new muscle illustration approach that leverages diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data and example-based texture synthesis techniques. Beginning with a volumetric diffusion tensor image, we reformulate it into a scalar field and an auxiliary guidance vector field to represent the structure and orientation of a muscle bundle. A muscle mask derived from the input diffusion tensor image is used to classify the muscle structure. The guidance vector field is further refined to remove noise and clarify structure. To simulate the internal appearance of the muscle, we propose a new two-dimensional example based solid texture synthesis algorithm that builds a solid texture constrained by the guidance vector field. Illustrating the constructed scalar field and solid texture efficiently highlights the global appearance of the muscle as well as the local shape and structure of the muscle fibers in an illustrative fashion. We have applied the proposed approach to five example datasets (four pig hearts and a pig leg), demonstrating plausible illustration and expressiveness.

Holograms for laser diode: Single mode optical fiber coupling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuhr, P. L.

1982-01-01

The low coupling efficiency of semiconductor laser emissions into a single mode optical fibers place a severe restriction on their use. Associated with these conventional optical coupling techniques are stringent alignment sensitivities. Using holographic elements, the coupling efficiency may be increased and the alignment sensitivity greatly reduced. Both conventional and computer methods used in the generation of the holographic couplers are described and diagrammed. The reconstruction geometries used are shown to be somewhat restrictive but substantially less rigid than their conventional optical counterparts. Single and double hologram techniques are examined concerning their respective ease of fabrication and relative merits.

A Community Database of Quartz Microstructures: Can we make measurements that constrain rheology?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toy, Virginia; Peternell, Mark; Morales, Luiz; Kilian, Ruediger

2014-05-01

Rheology can be explored by performing deformation experiments, and by examining resultant microstructures and textures as links to naturally deformed rocks. Certain deformation processes are assumed to result in certain microstructures or textures, of which some might be uniquely indicative, while most cannot be unequivocally used to interpret the deformation mechanism and hence rheology. Despite our lack of a sufficient understanding of microstructure and texture forming processes, huge advances in texture measurements and quantification of microstructural parameters have been made. Unfortunately, there are neither standard procedures nor a common consensus on interpretation of many parameters (e.g. texture, grain size, shape preferred orientation). Textures (crystallographic preferred orientations) have been extensively correlated to the interpretation of deformation mechanisms. For example the strength of textures can be measured either from the orientation distribution function (e.g. the J-index (Bunge, 1983) or texture entropy (Hielscher et al., 2007) or via the intensity of polefigures. However, there are various ways to identify a representative volume, to measure, to process the data and to calculate an odf and texture descriptors, which restricts their use as a comparative and diagnostic measurement. Microstructural parameters such as grain size, grain shape descriptors and fabric descriptors are similarly used to deduce and quantify deformation mechanisms. However there is very little consensus on how to measure and calculate some of these very important parameters, e.g. grain size which makes comparison of a vast amount of precious data in the literature very difficult. We propose establishing a community database of a standard set of such measurements, made using typical samples of different types of quartz rocks through standard methods of microstructural and texture quantification. We invite suggestions and discussion from the community about the worth of proposed parameters, methodology and usefulness and willingness to contribute to a database with free access of the community. We further invite institutions to participate on a benchmark analysis of a set of 'standard' thin sections. Bunge, H.J. 1983, Texture Analysis in Materials Science: mathematical methods. Butterworth-Heinemann, 593pp. Hielscher, R., Schaeben, H., Chateigner, D., 2007, On the entropy to texture index relationship in quantitative texture analysis: Journal of Applied Crystallography 40, 371-375.

Laser ablation of persistent twist cells in Drosophila: muscle precursor fate is not segmentally restricted

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrell, E. R.; Keshishian, H.

1999-01-01

In Drosophila the precursors of the adult musculature arise during embryogenesis. These precursor cells have been termed Persistent Twist Cells (PTCs), as they continue to express the transcription factor Twist after that gene ceases expression elsewhere in the mesoderm. In the larval abdomen, the PTCs are associated with peripheral nerves in stereotypic ventral, dorsal, and lateral clusters, which give rise, respectively, to the ventral, dorsal, and lateral muscle fiber groups of the adult. We tested the developmental potential of the PTCs by using a microbeam laser to ablate specific clusters in larvae. We found that the ablation of a single segmental PTC cluster does not usually result in the deletion of the corresponding adult fibers of that segment. Instead, normal or near normal numbers of adult fibers can form after the ablation. Examination of pupae following ablation showed that migrating PTCs from adjacent segments are able to invade the affected segment, replenishing the ablated cells. However, the ablation of homologous PTCs in multiple segments does result in the deletion of the corresponding adult muscle fibers. These data indicate that the PTCs in an abdominal segment can contribute to the formation of muscle fibers in adjacent abdominal segments, and thus are not inherently restricted to the formation of muscle fibers within their segment of origin.

Effect of oxygen and hydrogen on microstructure of pyrolytic carbon deposited from thermal decomposition of methane and ethanol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Biyun; Zhang, Shouyang; He, LiQun; Gu, Shengyue

2018-05-01

Chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) is the most extensive industrial preparation of carbon/carbon (C/C) composites. Precursor affects the CVI process considerably. In the present study, using carbon fiber bundles as preforms, methane and ethanol as precursors, the C/C composites were densified by decomposition of various gases in CVI. The thickness and texture of deposited pyrolytic carbon (PyC) were characterized by polarized light microscopy (PLM). The microstructure of PyC was analyzed by Raman spectroscopy. The morphologies of PyC were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The composition of PyC was detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Adding hydrogen in methane precursor resulted in a sharp decrease in the deposition rate and texture of PyC. Mixture of methane and ethanol as the precursor improved the deposition rate and texture remarkably. Besides, O element in ethanol was not remained as a constitution of PyC, and it was removed before the formation of PyC.

Effect of cold rolling on the microstructural evolution of new β-typed Ti–6Mo–6V–5Cr–3Sn–2.5Zr alloys

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

Choi, Gwnaghyo; Lee, Kwangmin, E-mail: kmlee@jnu.a

A Ti–6Mo–6V–5Cr–3Sn–2.5Zr (wt.%) alloy was designed as a new metastable β-Ti alloy. The effect that cold rolling had on the microstructural evolution of the material was investigated via optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. A single β phase formed in the alloy after solution treatment at 780 °C for 30 min followed by water quenching. The solution-treated alloy was cold rolled with thickness reductions of 10%, 30%, 50% and 70%, and the hardness values increased as the thickness of the specimen decreased. The textures of the cold rolled specimen weremore » characterized according to the 〈110〉 partial parallel to the rolling direction as the rolling reduction increased. The crystallographic orientation showed principal α-fiber textures for (111)〈110〉 and (112)〈110〉. The cold deformation led to the appearance of martensite α″ phases, particularly stress-induced martensite (SIM) α″ phases. - Highlights: • Effect of cold rolling on new β-typed Ti-6Mo-6V-5Cr-3Sn-2.5Zr alloy was studied. • A single β phase was obtained after solution treatment at 780 °C for 30 min. • α-Fiber textures became dominated with the increase in cold rolling reduction. • A stress-induced α″ martensite was caused by cold rolling.« less

Prediction of texture and colour of dry-cured ham by visible and near infrared spectroscopy using a fiber optic probe.

PubMed

García-Rey, R M; García-Olmo, J; De Pedro, E; Quiles-Zafra, R; Luque de Castro, M D

2005-06-01

The potential of visible and near infrared spectroscopy to predict texture and colour of dry-cured ham samples was investigated. Sensory evaluation was performed on 117 boned and cross-sectioned dry-cured ham samples. Slices of approximate thickness 4cm were cut, vacuum-packaged and kept under frozen storage until spectral analysis. Then, Biceps femoris muscle from the thawed slices was taken and scanned (400-2200nm) using a fiber optic probe. The exploratory analysis using principal component analysis shows that there are two ham groups according to the appearance or not of defects. Then, a K nearest neighbours was used to classify dry-cured hams into defective or no defective classes. The overall accuracy of the classification as a function of pastiness was 88.5%; meanwhile, according to colour was 79.7%. Partial least squares regression was used to formulate prediction equations for pastiness and colour. The correlation coefficients of calibration and cross-validation were 0.97 and 0.86 for optimal equation predicting pastiness, and 0.82 and 0.69 for optimal equation predicting colour. The standard error of cross-validation for predicting pastiness and colour is between 1 and 2 times the standard deviation of the reference method (the error involved in the sensory evaluation by the experts). The magnitude of this error demonstrates the good precision of the methods for predicting pastiness and colour. Furthermore, the samples were classified into defective or no defective classes, with a correct classification of 94.2% according to pasty texture evaluation and 75.7% as regard to colour evaluation.

Effect of apple pomace fiber and pork fat levels on quality characteristics of uncured, reduced-fat chicken sausages.

PubMed

Choi, Yun-Sang; Kim, Young-Boong; Hwang, Ko-Eun; Song, Dong-Heon; Ham, Youn-Kyung; Kim, Hyun-Wook; Sung, Jung-Min; Kim, Cheon-Jei

2016-06-01

The effects of reducing pork fat level from 30 to 25 and 20% by partially substituting pork fat with 1 and 2% apple pomace fiber were investigated based on the evaluation of physicochemical properties and textural properties of uncured, reduced-fat chicken sausages. Increased fat level resulted in decreased moisture content, cooking loss, total expressible fluid separation, fat separation, and yellowness of uncured, reduced-fat chicken sausages, whereas, an increase in fat content, caloric energy, pH, lightness, redness, hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness was observed. The results showed that uncured, reduced-fat chicken sausage samples with increased apple pomace fiber level had lower cooking loss, total expressible fluid separation, fat separation, pH, and redness. The results from this study show that inclusion of apple pomace fiber in the formulation will successfully reduce fat content in emulsion sausages, while improving quality characteristics relative to regular-fat (30%) control. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Electrospun fiber membranes enable proliferation of genetically modified cells

PubMed Central

Borjigin, Mandula; Eskridge, Chris; Niamat, Rohina; Strouse, Bryan; Bialk, Pawel; Kmiec, Eric B

2013-01-01

Polycaprolactone (PCL) and its blended composites (chitosan, gelatin, and lecithin) are well-established biomaterials that can enrich cell growth and enable tissue engineering. However, their application in the recovery and proliferation of genetically modified cells has not been studied. In the study reported here, we fabricated PCL-biomaterial blended fiber membranes, characterized them using physicochemical techniques, and used them as templates for the growth of genetically modified HCT116-19 colon cancer cells. Our data show that the blended polymers are highly miscible and form homogenous electrospun fiber membranes of uniform texture. The aligned PCL nanofibers support robust cell growth, yielding a 2.5-fold higher proliferation rate than cells plated on standard plastic plate surfaces. PCL-lecithin fiber membranes yielded a 2.7-fold higher rate of proliferation, while PCL-chitosan supported a more modest growth rate (1.5-fold higher). Surprisingly, PCL-gelatin did not enhance cell proliferation when compared to the rate of cell growth on plastic surfaces. PMID:23467983

Quality changes during storage of minced fish products containing dietary fiber and fortified with ω3 fatty acids.

PubMed

Cardoso, C; Mendes, R; Pedro, S; Vaz-Pires, P; Nunes, M L

2010-02-01

Two ready-to-eat minced fish products from hake were developed, their proximate composition and fatty acid profiles determined and their quality changes followed during 3.5 months under refrigeration at 2 ± 1 °C and 10 ± 1 °C. These products contain dietary fiber and are innovative and healthy. The formulation was identical, except vegetable oil (VO), 5.6% (w/w) in one group and 2.7% (w/w) plus 2.9% (w/w) cod liver oil (CLO) in the other. CLO products had a higher ω3/ω6 ratio (0.54 ± 0.02 versus 0.08 ± 0.02) and ensured, per 100 g serving, the 500 mg recommended daily intake of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. CLO products showed lower gel strength (p ≤ 0.05), however, other textural properties were similar to those of the VO group. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values were higher in CLO products. All groups presented acceptable sensory scores and no microbiological growth. During storage products became redder and less yellow, while seafood aroma and flavor declined and saltiness perception augmented. Temperature had a negative effect on sensory elasticity and instrumental texture.

[Evaluation of soy bean proteins obtained by pressure].

PubMed

Bau, H M; Poullain, B; Debry, G

1978-01-01

Besides the processes of extrusion and protein fiber spinning, analogous utilization research with a range of protein sources is continuing at an accelerated pace. However, the pressure forming process, an attractive process for producing protein foods, has not received the attention as it merits. The fabrication techniques contribute the advantages of nutritional value, economic and simplicity in manufacture; it can be extend to utilize in the development of useful textured vegetable protein foods. Here, we present a pressure forming process for producing protein foods with soybean grains. In this paper, we evaluated the composition, and the yield of the products obtained by this process; the trypsin inhibitor and enzymatic proteolyse of the products were also studied. The product obtained contents soluble and insoluble proteins of soybean, 45 p. 100 of protein (N x 6,25), 20-25 p. 100 of carbohydrates of which the fibers are included; moreover it contents 6-7 p. 100 of ash and 20-22 p. 100 of fat. It does not content any starch, the oligosaccharides and antinutritional factors were almost eliminated. This product presents in acceptable textural form resembling traditional animal protein foodstuffs; its fonctional and nutritional properties can meet different utilizations in foodstuffs such as dietetic products and protein complements.

Healthy hair: what is it?

PubMed

Sinclair, Rodney D

2007-12-01

Shiny hair with a smooth texture and clean-cut ends or tapered tips is generally perceived to be healthy. Hair texture and shine relate to hair surface properties, whereas the integrity of hair ends relates to the hair cortex. Hair can be straight, wavy or curly, blonde, black, brown, red, gray white, and its natural variations are important to our identity. Manipulation of the normal structure of the hair shaft is epidemic and dictated by culture, fashion, and above all, celebrity. Although cosmetic procedures are intrinsically safe, there is potential for damage to the hair. Loss of lustre, frizz, split ends, and other hair problems are particularly prevalent among people who repeatedly alter the natural style of their hair or among people with hair that is intrinsically weak. This may be due to individual or racial variation or less commonly an inherited structural abnormality in hair fiber formation. Hair health is also affected by common afflictions of the scalp as well as age-related phenomena such as graying and androgenetic alopecia. Hair products that improve the structural integrity of hair fibers and increase tensile strength are available, as are products that increase hair volume, reduce frizz, improve hair manageability, and stimulate new hair growth.

Stem cell responses to plasma surface modified electrospun polyurethane scaffolds.

PubMed

Zandén, Carl; Hellström Erkenstam, Nina; Padel, Thomas; Wittgenstein, Julia; Liu, Johan; Kuhn, H Georg

2014-07-01

The topographical effects from functional materials on stem cell behavior are currently of interest in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Here we investigate the influence of argon, oxygen, and hydrogen plasma surface modification of electrospun polyurethane fibers on human embryonic stem cell (hESC) and rat postnatal neural stem cell (NSC) responses. The plasma gases were found to induce three combinations of fiber surface functionalities and roughness textures. On randomly oriented fibers, plasma treatments lead to substantially increased hESC attachment and proliferation as compared to native fibers. Argon plasma was found to induce the most optimal combination of surface functionality and roughness for cell expansion. Contact guided migration of cells and alignment of cell processes were observed on aligned fibers. Neuronal differentiation around 5% was found for all samples and was not significantly affected by the induced variations of surface functional group distribution or individual fiber topography. In this study the influence of argon, oxygen, and hydrogen plasma surface modification of electrospun polyurethane fibers on human embryonic stem cell and rat postnatal neural stem cell (NSC) responses is studied with the goal of clarifying the potential effects of functional materials on stem cell behavior, a topic of substantial interest in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Strain Insensitive Optical Phase Locked Loop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Egalon, Claudio Oliviera (Inventor); Rogowski, Robert S. (Inventor)

1996-01-01

An apparatus is provided to allow for quasi distributed sensing of strain within a test object. Strain insensitive fiber is used to deliver a light signal to a strain sensitive fiber in an optical phase locked loop sensor configuration. The use of strain insensitive delivery fiber allows for non-integrated measurements of strain without the use of expensive electronics such as those employed in ODTR techniques. The novelty of the present invention lies in the use of strain insensitive multimode fiber. The inventors had previously developed a similar sensor with strain insensitive fiber, however it was restricted to the use of single or few mode fibers. The use of an optical phase locked loop arrangement allows for the use of multimode strain insensitive fiber.

Acoustoelectric current saturation in c-axis fiber-textured polycrystalline zinc oxide films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pompe, T.; Srikant, V.; Clarke, D. R.

1996-12-01

Acoustoelectric current saturation, which until now has only been observed in piezoelectric single crystals, is observed in thin polycrystalline zinc oxide films. Epitaxial ZnO films on c-plane sapphire and textured ZnO polycrystalline films on fused silica both exhibit current saturation phenomenon. The values of the saturation current densities are in the range 105-106 A/cm2, depending on the carrier concentration in the film, with corresponding saturation electric fields of 3-5×103 V/cm. In addition to the current saturation, the electrical properties of the films degraded with the onset of the acoustoelectric effect but could be restored by annealing at 250 °C in a vacuum for 30 min.

Microstructural control of FeCrAl alloys using Mo and Nb additions

DOE PAGES

Sun, Zhiqian; Bei, Hongbin; Yamamoto, Yukinori

2017-08-14

The effects of Mo and Nb additions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of two FeCrAl alloys were studied in this paper. Fine and uniform recrystallized grain structures (~ 20–30 μm) were achieved in both alloys through suitable annealing after warm-rolling. The formation of Fe 2Nb-type Laves phase precipitates in the Nb-containing FeCrAl alloy effectively stabilized the deformed and recrystallized microstructures. The Mo-containing FeCrAl alloy exhibited strong γ texture fiber after annealing at 650–900 °C, whereas the annealed Nb-containing FeCrAl alloy had much weaker texture. Finally, both strength and ductility decreased as the grain size increased in both alloys.

Manipulation of mammalian cells using a single-fiber optical microbeam

PubMed Central

Mohanty, Samarendra K.; Mohanty, Khyati S.; Berns, Michael W.

2014-01-01

The short working distance of microscope objectives has severely restricted the application of optical micromanipulation techniques at larger depths. We show the first use of fiber-optic tweezers toward controlled guidance of neuronal growth cones and stretching of neurons. Further, by mode locking, the fiber-optic tweezers beam was converted to fiber-optic scissors, enabling dissection of neuronal processes and thus allowing study of the subsequent response of neurons to localized injury. At high average powers, lysis of a three-dimensionally trapped cell was accomplished. PMID:19021429

Context and Spoken Word Recognition in a Novel Lexicon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Revill, Kathleen Pirog; Tanenhaus, Michael K.; Aslin, Richard N.

2008-01-01

Three eye movement studies with novel lexicons investigated the role of semantic context in spoken word recognition, contrasting 3 models: restrictive access, access-selection, and continuous integration. Actions directed at novel shapes caused changes in motion (e.g., looming, spinning) or state (e.g., color, texture). Across the experiments,…

Macroscopic elastic properties of textured ZrN-AlN polycrystalline aggregates: From ab initio calculations to grain-scale interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holec, D.; Tasnádi, F.; Wagner, P.; Friák, M.; Neugebauer, J.; Mayrhofer, P. H.; Keckes, J.

2014-11-01

Despite the fast development of computational material modeling, the theoretical description of macroscopic elastic properties of textured polycrystalline aggregates starting from basic principles remains a challenging task. In this study we use a supercell-based approach to obtain the elastic properties of a random solid solution cubic Zr1 -xAlxN system as a function of the metallic sublattice composition and texture descriptors. The employed special quasirandom structures are optimized not only with respect to short-range-order parameters, but also to make the three cubic directions [1 0 0 ] , [0 1 0 ] , and [0 0 1 ] as similar as possible. In this way, only a small spread of elastic constant tensor components is achieved and an optimum trade-off between modeling of chemical disorder and computational limits regarding the supercell size and calculational time is proposed. The single-crystal elastic constants are shown to vary smoothly with composition, yielding x ≈0.5 an alloy constitution with an almost isotropic response. Consequently, polycrystals with this composition are suggested to have Young's modulus independent of the actual microstructure. This is indeed confirmed by explicit calculations of polycrystal elastic properties, both within the isotropic aggregate limit and with fiber textures with various orientations and sharpness. It turns out that for low AlN mole fractions, the spread of the possible Young's modulus data caused by the texture variation can be larger than 100 GPa. Consequently, our discussion of Young's modulus data of cubic Zr1 -xAlxN contains also the evaluation of the texture typical for thin films.

[Immunocytochemical study of cholinergic innervation in the neurosensory epithelia of human vestibule].

PubMed

Kong, W; Hussl, B; Schrott-Fischer, A

1998-02-01

To investigate the cholinergic innervation of the neurosensory epithelia of human vestibule. A modified preembedding immunostaining technique for immunoelectronmicroscopy was applied to this study. A polyclonal antibody to choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) was used as the marker of cholinergic fibers. ChAT-immunoreactive products were restricted to the nerve fibers and terminals which were rich in synaptic vesicles. The ChAT-immunoreactive fibers synaps with afferent chalice as well as with type II sensory hair cells. This study demonstrates that cholinergic fibers innervate the neurosensory epithelia of human vestible. The cholinergic fibers of human vestibular sensory epithelia belong to the vestibular efferent system.

Nutrition knowledge, attitudes and dietary restriction behaviour of Taiwanese elderly.

PubMed

Lin, Wei; Lee, Ya-Wen

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study is to understand knowledge about and general attitudes towards nutrition, dietary restriction attitudes, and dietary restriction behavior in the Taiwanese elderly, and the relationship of these various components to each other. Data from the Elderly Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (1999-2000) were used for analysis and included 1937 elderly persons aged over 65. The results indicated that the elderly had poor nutrition knowledge, especially about the relationship between nutrition and disease. Elderly nutrition attitudes were fair; they tended to disagree with misconceptions about "healthy" or functional foods and also had quite positive general eating attitudes. However, the Taiwanese elderly hold quite strong attitudes influenced by Chinese traditional or food-texture-related dietary restrictions. Elderly people frequently avoid eating foods considered unhealthy by modern medical science (e.g. high fat/cholesterol foods) as well as foods forbidden by Chinese traditional medicine (e.g. "heating" foods, "cooling" foods). Most of the elderly regularly eat three meals a day, however, they seldom pay attention to dietary and nutrition information. The most important sources of nutrition information are offspring or family members, TV, and medical practitioners. In general, elderly men with a higher educational level and living in less remote areas had better nutrition knowledge, held more positive nutrition attitudes, and kept to dietary restrictions less frequently. Elderly people's nutrition knowledge was positively related to their health-care attitudes, general eating attitudes, high- fat or high-cholesterol food restriction behavior, fermented or pickled food restriction behavior, attention to nutrition information, and regularity of meals. However, nutrition knowledge was inversely related to Chinese traditional or food-texture-related dietary restriction behaviors. The results of this study suggest that education of elderly people about nutrition is important, and the design of such nutrition education programs should consider the low educational levels of the elderly. Children or other family members may also be included in the program. The use of TV as a medium for nutrition education of the elderly may also be important for nutrition educators.

Growth, meat and feed efficiency traits of lambs born to ewes submitted to energy restriction during mid-gestation.

PubMed

Piaggio, L; Quintans, G; San Julián, R; Ferreira, G; Ithurralde, J; Fierro, S; Pereira, A S C; Baldi, F; Banchero, G E

2018-02-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the energy restriction of gestation of adult ewes from day 45 to day 115 on lamb live performance parameters, carcass and meat traits. In experiment I, dietary energy was restricted at 70% of the metabolizable energy (ME) requirements, after which ewes were re-fed ad libitum until lambing. In experiment II, dietary energy was restricted at 60% of the ME requirements, and ewes were re-fed to ME requirements until lambing. All ewes grazed together from the end of the restriction periods to weaning. Lambs were weaned and lot fed until slaughter. Feed intake, weight gain and feed efficiency were recorded, and body fat thickness and ribeye area (REA) were measured in the longissimus thoracis muscle. After slaughter, carcass weight and yield, fat depth, carcass and leg length, and frenched rack and leg weights and yields were determined. Muscle fiber type composition, Warner-Bratzler shear force, pH and color were determined in the longissimus lumborum muscle. In experiment I, energy restriction followed by ad libitum feeding affected lamb birth weight (P0.05) were observed on later BW, REA, BF or carcass traits. Lambs born to non-restricted-fed ewes had higher (P<0.05) weight and yield of the frenched rack cut and their meat tended (P=0.11) to be tender compared with that of lambs from restricted ewes. The percentage of oxidative muscle fibers was lower for lambs born to non-restricted ewes (P<0.05); however, no effects of ewe treatment were observed on other muscle fiber types. For experiment II, energy restriction followed by ME requirements feeding, affected (P<0.01) pre-weaning live weight gain, weaning and final weights. Lambs from restricted ewes had higher (P<0.05) feed intake as % of leg weight and a trend to be less efficient (P=0.16) than lambs from unrestricted dams. Ribeye area and BF were not influenced by treatment. Treatment significantly affected slaughter weight, but had no effects on carcass yield and traits or on meat traits. The results obtained in both experiments indicate submitting ewes to energy restriction during gestation affects the performance of their progeny but the final outcome would depend on the ewe's re-feeding level during late gestation and the capacity of the offspring to compensate the in utero restriction after birth.

Improved cutback method measuring beat-length for high-birefringence optical fiber by fitting data of photoelectric signal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Zhi-Dong; Lin, Jian-Qiang; Bao, Huan-Huan; Liu, Shu; Xiang, Xue-Nong

2008-03-01

A photoelectric measurement system for measuring the beat length of birefringence fiber is set up including a set of rotating-wave-plate polarimeter using single photodiode. And two improved cutback methods suitable for measuring beat-length within millimeter range of high birefringence fiber are proposed through data processing technique. The cut length needs not to be restricted shorter than one centimeter so that the auto-cleaving machine is freely used, and no need to carefully operate the manually cleaving blade with low efficiency and poor success. The first method adopts the parameter-fitting to a saw-tooth function of tried beat length by the criterion of minimum square deviations, without special limitation on the cut length. The second method adopts linear-fitting in the divided length ranges, only restrict condition is the increment between different cut lengths less than one beat-length. For a section of holey high-birefringence fiber, we do experiments respectively by the two methods. The detecting error of beat-length is discussed and the advantage is compared.

Assessing Toxicity of Obscurant Grade Pan-Based Carbon Fiber Aquatic Species Chronic Tests

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-12-01

ASSESSING TOXICITY OF OBSCURANT GRADE PAN-BASED CARBON FIBER: AQUATIC SPECIES CHRONIC TESTS N. A. Chester, M. V. Haley, C. W. Kurnas and R. T...with minimal restrictions. To this end we are investigating the toxicity of PAN-based carbon fibers to the aquatic species Ceriodaphnia dubia (water... toxicity methods to provide ecotoxicological results for both lethal and sub-lethal parameters, including LC50 (24-, 48- and 96-h), IC50, EC20, and

Hyperelastic remodeling in the intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) carotid artery in the near-term fetus

PubMed Central

Dodson, R. Blair; Rozance, Paul J.; Reina-Romo, Esther; Ferguson, Virginia L.; Hunter, Kendall S.

2013-01-01

A constitutive model for a fiber reinforced hyperelastic material was applied to understand arterial fiber remodeling in a sheep model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR). IUGR is associated altered hemodynamics characterized by increased resistance to blood flow in the placenta and elevated fetal arterial pressure and pulsatility. The constitutive model describes the collagen contribution to the mechanics within the arterial wall in both control and IUGR carotid artery through defining the material modulus and the orientation of the microstructure. A sheep model of placental insufficiency induced IUGR (PI-IUGR) was created by exposure of the pregnant ewe to elevated ambient temperatures. Experimental data was collected using pressure–diameter measurements to measure passive compliance in control and PI-IUGR carotid arteries. The constitutive model was optimized to fit the experimental data predicting the material parameters. Specifically, the collagen fiber predicted angle (γ) in the control artery was 49.9° from the circumferential axis while the PI-IUGR was 16.6° with a 23.5% increase in fiber orientation (κ). Quantitative assessment of collagen fiber orientation in secondary harmonic generation images confirmed the shift in orientation between the two groups. Together these suggest vascular remodeling of the ECM fiber orientation plays a major role in arterial stiffening in the PI-IUGR near-term fetal sheep. PMID:23332229

Reflectance Speckle of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Reveals Axonal Activity

PubMed Central

Huang, Xiang-Run; Knighton, Robert W.; Zhou, Ye; Zhao, Xiao-Peng

2013-01-01

Purpose. This study investigated the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) reflectance speckle and tested the hypothesis that temporal change of RNFL speckle reveals axonal dynamic activity. Methods. RNFL reflectance speckle of isolated rat retinas was studied with monochromatic illumination. A series of reflectance images was collected every 5 seconds for approximately 15 minutes. Correlation coefficients (CC) of selected areas between a reference and subsequent images were calculated and plotted as a function of the time intervals between images. An exponential function fit to the time course was used to evaluate temporal change of speckle pattern. To relate temporal change of speckle to axonal activity, in vitro living retina perfused at a normal (34°C) and a lower (24°C) temperature, paraformaldehyde-fixed retina, and retina treated with microtubule depolymerization were used. Results. RNFL reflectance was not uniform; rather nerve fiber bundles had a speckled texture that changed with time. In normally perfused retina, the time constant of the CC change was 0.56 ± 0.26 minutes. In retinas treated with lower temperature and microtubule depolymerization, the time constants increased by two to four times, indicating that the speckle pattern changed more slowly. The speckled texture in fixed retina was stationary. Conclusions. Fixation stops axonal activity; treatments with either lower temperature or microtubule depolymerization are known to decrease axonal transport. The results obtained in this study suggest that temporal change of RNFL speckle reveals structural change due to axonal activity. Assessment of RNFL reflectance speckle may offer a new means of evaluating axonal function. PMID:23532525

Comparative study between Federer and Gomez method for number of replication in complete randomized design using simulation: study of Areca Palm (Areca catechu) as organic waste for producing handicraft paper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ihwah, A.; Deoranto, P.; Wijana, S.; Dewi, I. A.

2018-03-01

The part of Areca Palm (Areca catechu) that economical is the seed. It is commercially available in dried, cured and fresh forms, while the fibre is usually thrown away. Cellulose fibers from agricultural waste can be utilized as raw material for handicraft paper. Laboratory research showed that Areca palm fibre contained 70.2% of cellulose, 10.92% of water, and 6.02% of ash. This indicated that Areca palm fibre is very potential to be processed as handicraft paper. Handicraft paper is made of wastepaper or plants which cointain celluloce to produce rough-textured paper. In order to obtain preferred sensory quality of handicraft paper such as color, fiber appearance and texture as well as good physical quantity such as tensile strength, tear resistance and grammage, the addition of wastepaper to provide secondary fibre and sometimes adhesive are needed in making handicraft paper. Handicraft paper making was one alternative to treat the solid waste and to reduce the use of wood fiber as paper raw material. The aim of this study is to compare the two most famous method, i.e. Federer and Gomez Method, for calculate the number of replications. This study is preliminary research before do the research in order to get the best treatment to produce handicraft paper. The Gomez method calculates fewer replications than the Federer method. Based on data simulation the error generated using 3 replicates of 0.0876 while using 2 replicates of 0.1032.

Correlation of concentration of modified cassava flour for banana fritter flour using simple linear regression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herminiati, A.; Rahman, T.; Turmala, E.; Fitriany, C. G.

2017-12-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation of different concentrations of modified cassava flour that was processed for banana fritter flour. The research method consists of two stages: (1) to determine the different types of flour: cassava flour, modified cassava flour-A (using the method of the lactid acid bacteria), and modified cassava flour-B (using the method of the autoclaving cooling cycle), then conducted on organoleptic test and physicochemical analysis; (2) to determine the correlation of concentration of modified cassava flour for banana fritter flour, by design was used simple linear regression. The factors were used different concentrations of modified cassava flour-B (y1) 40%, (y2) 50%, and (y3) 60%. The response in the study includes physical analysis (whiteness of flour, water holding capacity-WHC, oil holding capacity-OHC), chemical analysis (moisture content, ash content, crude fiber content, starch content), and organoleptic (color, aroma, taste, texture). The results showed that the type of flour selected from the organoleptic test was modified cassava flour-B. Analysis results of modified cassava flour-B component containing whiteness of flour 60.42%; WHC 41.17%; OHC 21.15%; moisture content 4.4%; ash content 1.75%; crude fiber content 1.86%; starch content 67.31%. The different concentrations of modified cassava flour-B with the results of the analysis provides correlation to the whiteness of flour, WHC, OHC, moisture content, ash content, crude fiber content, and starch content. The different concentrations of modified cassava flour-B does not affect the color, aroma, taste, and texture.

The double capsules in macro-textured breast implants.

PubMed

Giot, Jean-Philippe; Paek, Laurence S; Nizard, Nathanael; El-Diwany, Mostafa; Gaboury, Louis A; Nelea, Monica; Bou-Merhi, Joseph S; Harris, Patrick G; Danino, Michel A

2015-10-01

Breast implants are amongst the most widely used types of permanent implants in modern medicine and have both aesthetic and reconstructive applications with excellent biocompatibility. The double capsule is a complication associated with textured prostheses that leads to implant displacement; however, its etiology has yet to be elucidated. In this study, 10 double capsules were sampled from breast expander implants for in-depth analysis; histologically, the inner capsular layer demonstrated highly organized collagen in sheets with delamination of fibers. At the prosthesis interface (PI) where the implant shell contacts the inner capsular layer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a thin layer which mirrored the three-dimensional characteristics of the implant texture; the external surface of the inner capsular layer facing the intercapsular space (ICS) was flat. SEM examination of the inner capsule layer revealed both a large bacterial presence as well as biofilm deposition at the PI; a significantly lower quantity of bacteria and biofilm were found at the ICS interface. These findings suggest that the double capsule phenomenon's etiopathogenesis is of mechanical origin. Delamination of the periprosthetic capsule leads to the creation of the ICS; the maintained separation of the 2 layers subsequently alters the biostability of the macro-textured breast implant. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical and Functional Properties of Chia Seed (Salvia hispanica L.) Gum

PubMed Central

Segura-Campos, Maira Rubi; Ciau-Solís, Norma; Rosado-Rubio, Gabriel; Chel-Guerrero, Luis; Betancur-Ancona, David

2014-01-01

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) constitutes a potential alternative raw material and ingredient in food industry applications due to its dietary fiber content. Gum can be extracted from its dietary fiber fractions for use as an additive to control viscosity, stability, texture, and consistency in food systems. The gum extracted from chia seeds was characterized to determine their quality and potential as functional food additives. The extracted chia gum contained 26.2% fat and a portion was submitted to fat extraction, producing two fractions: gum with fat (FCG) and gum partly defatted (PDCG). Proximal composition and physicochemical characterization showed these fractions to be different (P < 0.05). The PDCG had higher protein, ash, and carbohydrates content than the FCG, in addition to higher water-holding (110.5 g water/g fiber) and water-binding capacities (0.84 g water/g fiber). The FCG had greater oil-holding capacity (25.7 g oil/g fiber) and water absorption capacity (44 g water/g fiber). In dispersion trials, the gums exhibited a non-Newtonian fluid behavior, specifically shear thinning or pseudoplastic type. PDCG had more viscosity than FCG. Chia seed is an excellent natural source of gum with good physicochemical and functional qualities, and is very promising for use in food industry. PMID:26904622

Effect of substrate on texture and mechanical properties of Mg-Cu-Zn thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eshaghi, F.; Zolanvari, A.

2018-04-01

In this work, thin films of Mg-Cu-Zn with 60 nm thicknesses have been deposited on the Si(100), Al, stainless steel, and Cu substrates using DC magnetron sputtering. FESEM images displayed uniformity of Mg-Cu-Zn particles on the different substrates. AFM micrograph revealed the roughness of thin film changes due to the different kinds of the substrates. XRD measurements showed the existence of strong Mg (002) reflections and weak Mg (101) peaks. Residual stress and adhesion force have been measured as the mechanical properties of the Mg-Cu-Zn thin films. The residual stresses of thin films which have been investigated by X-ray diffraction method revealed that the thin films sputtered on the Si and Cu substrates endure minimum and maximum stresses, respectively, during the deposition process. However, the force spectroscopy analysis indicated that the films grew on the Si and Cu experienced maximum and minimum adhesion force. The texture analysis has been done using XRD instrument to make pole figures of Mg (002) and Mg (101) reflections. ODFs have been calculated to evaluate the distribution of the orientations within the thin films. It was found that the texture and stress have an inverse relation, while the texture and the adhesion force of the Mg-Cu-Zn thin films have direct relation. A thin film that sustains the lowest residual stresses and highest adhesive force had the strongest {001} basal fiber texture.

Patient-specific bronchoscopy visualization through BRDF estimation and disocclusion correction.

PubMed

Chung, Adrian J; Deligianni, Fani; Shah, Pallav; Wells, Athol; Yang, Guang-Zhong

2006-04-01

This paper presents an image-based method for virtual bronchoscope with photo-realistic rendering. The technique is based on recovering bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) parameters in an environment where the choice of viewing positions, directions, and illumination conditions are restricted. Video images of bronchoscopy examinations are combined with patient-specific three-dimensional (3-D) computed tomography data through two-dimensional (2-D)/3-D registration and shading model parameters are then recovered by exploiting the restricted lighting configurations imposed by the bronchoscope. With the proposed technique, the recovered BRDF is used to predict the expected shading intensity, allowing a texture map independent of lighting conditions to be extracted from each video frame. To correct for disocclusion artefacts, statistical texture synthesis was used to recreate the missing areas. New views not present in the original bronchoscopy video are rendered by evaluating the BRDF with different viewing and illumination parameters. This allows free navigation of the acquired 3-D model with enhanced photo-realism. To assess the practical value of the proposed technique, a detailed visual scoring that involves both real and rendered bronchoscope images is conducted.

Incorporation of buriti endocarp flour in gluten-free whole cookies as potential source of dietary fiber.

PubMed

Becker, Fernanda Salamoni; Damiani, Clarissa; de Melo, Adriane Alexandre Machado; Borges, Paulo Rogério Siriano; Boas, Eduardo Valério de Barros Vilas

2014-12-01

Cookies were prepared by replacing a mixture of brown rice flour (70%) and corn starch (30%) (BRFCS) by buriti endocarp flour (BEF) (0, 5, 10, 15 or 20%). BEF figured as a potential source of dietary fiber (70.53 g 100 g(-1)), especially of insoluble fiber (67.50 g 100 g(-1)), and gluten-free whole cookies showed increased dietary fiber content by adding 5, 10, 15 and 20% BEF (8.58 to 20.02 g 100 g(-1)) when compared to control cookie (6.91 g 100 g(-1)). The addition of BEF affected diameter, spread ratio, color and texture of cookies. All cookies added with BEF were darker, harder and presented smaller diameter and smaller spread ratio than the control cookie. These difference increased proportionally to level of substitution of BRFSC by BEF. Gluten-free whole cookies with up to 15% BEF were well accepted by consumers. Therefore, the use of BEF in cookies may increase the availability of functional ingredients source of dietary fiber for celiac consumers, add economic value to buriti processing by-products and decrease environmental impacts due to the high amounts of waste generated by buriti processing industries.

Effects of concentrated and dephytinized wheat bran and rice bran addition on bread properties.

PubMed

Özkaya, Berrin; Baumgartner, Burcu; Özkaya, Hazım

2018-02-01

Wheat bran and rice bran were concentrated in terms of dietary fiber and were dephytinized by two different methods (fermentation and hydrothermal). Untreated, concentrated, concentrated-dephytinized by fermentation method, and concentrated-dephytinized by hydrothermal method bran samples were each incorporated into flour at levels of 0, 10, 15, and 20%, and their effects on bread properties were investigated. Unprocessed wheat bran and rice bran addition decreased the volume yield, and the specific volume of the bread depends on the incorporation level. A further decrease was observed with the addition of concentrated bran. However, the dephytinization treatments slightly improved these values. The same pattern was observed for the total number of cells and the total cell area of bread crumbs. Both wheat bran and rice bran were observed to cause a darker crumb color, and the effects of bran samples on crumb color were more pronounced after the dephytinization treatment. The addition of concentrated wheat bran and rice bran significantly increased hardness, as well as decreasing springiness, cohesiveness, and resilience of the bread, depending on the bran levels. Although dephytinization treatments enhanced the textural properties of bread, these results were still inferior to those obtained using bread produced with untreated bran. Regarding the dephytinization treatments, the influence of fermentation treatment on bread properties was slightly beneficial compared to hydrothermal treatment. Consumption of dietary fiber offers a range of health benefits. Cereal bran has great potential as a dietary fiber source. However, this bran's high phytic acid content and adverse effects on bread quality limit that potential. It is possible to obtain high dietary fiber and low phytic acid bran samples through bran concentration and dephytinization treatments. The dephytinization treatment is an effective method for degradation of phytic acid. The negative effects of wheat bran and rice bran on bread quality decreased significantly following the dephytinization treatments. This study demonstrated that fiber-enriched bread with low phytic acid content and acceptable texture can be produced using concentrated and dephytinized bran. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Optical Signal Processing

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-02-28

domain; we therefore conclude that um dioxide ( TeO2 ) is used in a slow shear wave mode; in this case we might have W - 50 MHz and T - 40 As d (4) I so...8 and L = 5.1 mm. fiber-to-fiber coupling loss and inefficiency in The acousto-optic cell is made from flint glass and has acousto-optic diffraction...The mode mismatch loss can be estimated using well-known optical fiber splice Flint glass I loss theory; reflection and restricted-aperture related

A tunable erbium-doped fiber ring laser with power-equalized output

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeh, Chien-Hung; Lin, Ming-Ching; Chi, Sien

2006-12-01

We propose and demonstrate a tunable erbium-based fiber ring laser with power-equalized output. When a mode-restricting intracavity fiber Fabry-Perot tunable filter (FFP-TF) is combined, the proposed resonator can guarantee a tunable laser oscillation. This proposed laser can obtain the flatter lasing wavelength in an effectively operating range of 1533.3 to 1574.6 nm without any other operating mechanism. Moreover, the performances of the output power, wavelength tuning range, and side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) were studied.

Low birth weight is associated with adiposity, impaired skeletal muscle energetics, and weight loss resistance in mice

PubMed Central

Beauchamp, Brittany; Ghosh, Sujoy; Dysart, Michael; Kanaan, Georges N.; Chu, Alphonse; Blais, Alexandre; Rajamanickam, Karunanithi; Tsai, Eve C.; Patti, Mary-Elizabeth; Harper, Mary-Ellen

2014-01-01

Background In utero undernutrition is associated with obesity and insulin resistance, although its effects on skeletal muscle remain poorly defined. Therefore, in the current study we explored the effects of in utero food restriction on muscle energy metabolism in mice. Methods We used an experimental mouse model system of maternal undernutrition during late pregnancy to examine offspring from undernourished dams (U) and control offspring from ad libitum fed dams (C). Weight loss of 10 wk old offspring on a 4 wk 40% calorie restricted diet was also followed. Experimental approaches included bioenergetic analyses in isolated mitochondria, intact (permeabilized) muscle and at the whole body level. Results U have increased adiposity and decreased glucose tolerance compared to C. Strikingly, when U are put on a 40% calorie restricted diet they lose half as much weight as calorie restricted controls. Mitochondria from muscle overall from U had decreased coupled (state 3) and uncoupled (state 4) respiration and increased maximal respiration compared to C. Mitochondrial yield was lower in U than C. In permeabilized fiber preparations from mixed fiber type muscle U had decreased mitochondrial content and decreased adenylate free leak respiration, fatty acid oxidative capacity, and state 3 respiratory capacity through complex I. Fiber maximal oxidative phosphorylation capacity did not differ between U and C but was decreased with calorie restriction. Conclusions Our results reveal that in utero undernutrition alters metabolic physiology through a profound effect on skeletal muscle energetics and blunts response to a hypocaloric diet in adulthood. We propose that mitochondrial dysfunction links undernutrition in utero with metabolic disease in adulthood. PMID:25091727

Texture in thin film silicides and germanides: A review

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

De Schutter, B., E-mail: bob.deschutter@ugent.be; De Keyser, K.; Detavernier, C.

Silicides and germanides are compounds consisting of a metal and silicon or germanium. In the microelectronics industry, silicides are the material of choice for contacting silicon based devices (over the years, CoSi{sub 2}, C54-TiSi{sub 2}, and NiSi have been adopted), while germanides are considered as a top candidate for contacting future germanium based electronics. Since also strain engineering through the use of Si{sub 1−x}Ge{sub x} in the source/drain/gate regions of MOSFET devices is an important technique for improving device characteristics in modern Si-based microelectronics industry, a profound understanding of the formation of silicide/germanide contacts to silicon and germanium is ofmore » utmost importance. The crystallographic texture of these films, which is defined as the statistical distribution of the orientation of the grains in the film, has been the subject of scientific studies since the 1970s. Different types of texture like epitaxy, axiotaxy, fiber, or combinations thereof have been observed in such films. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that film texture can have a profound influence on the formation and stability of silicide/germanide contacts, as it controls the type and orientation of grain boundaries (affecting diffusion and agglomeration) and the interface energy (affecting nucleation during the solid-state reaction). Furthermore, the texture also has an impact on the electrical characteristics of the contact, as the orientation and size of individual grains influences functional properties such as contact resistance and sheet resistance and will induce local variations in strain and Schottky barrier height. This review aims to give a comprehensive overview of the scientific work that has been published in the field of texture studies on thin film silicide/germanide contacts.« less

Texture in thin film silicides and germanides: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Schutter, B.; De Keyser, K.; Lavoie, C.; Detavernier, C.

2016-09-01

Silicides and germanides are compounds consisting of a metal and silicon or germanium. In the microelectronics industry, silicides are the material of choice for contacting silicon based devices (over the years, CoSi2, C54-TiSi2, and NiSi have been adopted), while germanides are considered as a top candidate for contacting future germanium based electronics. Since also strain engineering through the use of Si1-xGex in the source/drain/gate regions of MOSFET devices is an important technique for improving device characteristics in modern Si-based microelectronics industry, a profound understanding of the formation of silicide/germanide contacts to silicon and germanium is of utmost importance. The crystallographic texture of these films, which is defined as the statistical distribution of the orientation of the grains in the film, has been the subject of scientific studies since the 1970s. Different types of texture like epitaxy, axiotaxy, fiber, or combinations thereof have been observed in such films. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that film texture can have a profound influence on the formation and stability of silicide/germanide contacts, as it controls the type and orientation of grain boundaries (affecting diffusion and agglomeration) and the interface energy (affecting nucleation during the solid-state reaction). Furthermore, the texture also has an impact on the electrical characteristics of the contact, as the orientation and size of individual grains influences functional properties such as contact resistance and sheet resistance and will induce local variations in strain and Schottky barrier height. This review aims to give a comprehensive overview of the scientific work that has been published in the field of texture studies on thin film silicide/germanide contacts.

Satiety and energy intake after single and repeated exposure to gel-forming dietary fiber: post-ingestive effects.

PubMed

Wanders, A J; Mars, M; Borgonjen-van den Berg, K J; de Graaf, C; Feskens, E J M

2014-06-01

Viscous or gel-forming dietary fibers can increase satiety by a more firm texture and increased eating time. Effects of viscous or gel-forming fibers on satiety by post-ingestive mechanisms such as gastric emptying, hormonal signals, nutrient absorption or fermentation are unclear. Moreover, it is unclear whether the effects persist after repeated exposure. To investigate satiety and energy intake after single and repeated exposure to gelled fiber by post-ingestive mechanisms. In a two-arm crossover design, 32 subjects (24 female subjects, 21±2 y, BMI 21.8±1.9 kg m(-2)) consumed test foods once daily for 15 consecutive days, with 2 weeks of washout. Test foods were isocaloric (0.5 MJ, 200 g) with either 10 g gel-forming pectin or 3 g gelatin and 2 g starch, matched for texture and eating time. Hourly satiety ratings, ad libitum energy intake and body weight were measured on days 1 (single exposure) and 15 (repeated exposure). In addition, hourly breath hydrogen, fasting glucose, insulin, leptin and short-chain fatty acids were measured. Subjects rated hunger, desire to eat and prospective intake about 2% lower (P<0.015) and fullness higher (+1.4%; P=0.041) when they received pectin compared with control. This difference was similar after single and repeated exposure (P>0.64). After receiving pectin, energy intake was lower (-5.6%, P=0.012) and breath hydrogen was elevated (+12.6%, P=0.008) after single exposure, but not after repeated exposure. Fasting glucose concentrations were higher both after single and repeated exposure to pectin (+2.1%, P=0.019). Body weight and concentrations of insulin, leptin and short-chain fatty acids did not change during the study. Gelled pectin can increase satiety and reduce energy intake by post-ingestive mechanisms. Although the effects were small, the effects on satiety were consistent over time, whereas the effects on energy intake reduction were not.

Modelling the impact of altered axonal morphometry on the response of regenerative nervous tissue to electrical stimulation through macro-sieve electrodes.

PubMed

Zellmer, Erik R; MacEwan, Matthew R; Moran, Daniel W

2018-04-01

Regenerated peripheral nervous tissue possesses different morphometric properties compared to undisrupted nerve. It is poorly understood how these morphometric differences alter the response of the regenerated nerve to electrical stimulation. In this work, we use computational modeling to explore the electrophysiological response of regenerated and undisrupted nerve axons to electrical stimulation delivered by macro-sieve electrodes (MSEs). A 3D finite element model of a peripheral nerve segment populated with mammalian myelinated axons and implanted with a macro-sieve electrode has been developed. Fiber diameters and morphometric characteristics representative of undisrupted or regenerated peripheral nervous tissue were assigned to core conductor models to simulate the two tissue types. Simulations were carried out to quantify differences in thresholds and chronaxie between undisrupted and regenerated fiber populations. The model was also used to determine the influence of axonal caliber on recruitment thresholds for the two tissue types. Model accuracy was assessed through comparisons with in vivo recruitment data from chronically implanted MSEs. Recruitment thresholds of individual regenerated fibers with diameters  >2 µm were found to be lower compared to same caliber undisrupted fibers at electrode to fiber distances of less than about 90-140 µm but roughly equal or higher for larger distances. Caliber redistributions observed in regenerated nerve resulted in an overall increase in average recruitment thresholds and chronaxie during whole nerve stimulation. Modeling results also suggest that large diameter undisrupted fibers located close to a longitudinally restricted current source such as the MSE have higher average recruitment thresholds compared to small diameter fibers. In contrast, large diameter regenerated nerve fibers located in close proximity of MSE sites have, on average, lower recruitment thresholds compared to small fibers. Utilizing regenerated fiber morphometry and caliber distributions resulted in accurate predictions of in vivo recruitment data. Our work uses computational modeling to show how morphometric differences between regenerated and undisrupted tissue results in recruitment threshold discrepancies, quantifies these differences, and illustrates how large undisrupted nerve fibers close to longitudinally restricted current sources have higher recruitment thresholds compared to adjacently positioned smaller fibers while the opposite is true for large regenerated fibers.

Modelling the impact of altered axonal morphometry on the response of regenerative nervous tissue to electrical stimulation through macro-sieve electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellmer, Erik R.; MacEwan, Matthew R.; Moran, Daniel W.

2018-04-01

Objective. Regenerated peripheral nervous tissue possesses different morphometric properties compared to undisrupted nerve. It is poorly understood how these morphometric differences alter the response of the regenerated nerve to electrical stimulation. In this work, we use computational modeling to explore the electrophysiological response of regenerated and undisrupted nerve axons to electrical stimulation delivered by macro-sieve electrodes (MSEs). Approach. A 3D finite element model of a peripheral nerve segment populated with mammalian myelinated axons and implanted with a macro-sieve electrode has been developed. Fiber diameters and morphometric characteristics representative of undisrupted or regenerated peripheral nervous tissue were assigned to core conductor models to simulate the two tissue types. Simulations were carried out to quantify differences in thresholds and chronaxie between undisrupted and regenerated fiber populations. The model was also used to determine the influence of axonal caliber on recruitment thresholds for the two tissue types. Model accuracy was assessed through comparisons with in vivo recruitment data from chronically implanted MSEs. Main results. Recruitment thresholds of individual regenerated fibers with diameters  >2 µm were found to be lower compared to same caliber undisrupted fibers at electrode to fiber distances of less than about 90-140 µm but roughly equal or higher for larger distances. Caliber redistributions observed in regenerated nerve resulted in an overall increase in average recruitment thresholds and chronaxie during whole nerve stimulation. Modeling results also suggest that large diameter undisrupted fibers located close to a longitudinally restricted current source such as the MSE have higher average recruitment thresholds compared to small diameter fibers. In contrast, large diameter regenerated nerve fibers located in close proximity of MSE sites have, on average, lower recruitment thresholds compared to small fibers. Utilizing regenerated fiber morphometry and caliber distributions resulted in accurate predictions of in vivo recruitment data. Significance. Our work uses computational modeling to show how morphometric differences between regenerated and undisrupted tissue results in recruitment threshold discrepancies, quantifies these differences, and illustrates how large undisrupted nerve fibers close to longitudinally restricted current sources have higher recruitment thresholds compared to adjacently positioned smaller fibers while the opposite is true for large regenerated fibers.

Structural evolution and growth mechanisms of RF-magnetron sputter-deposited hydroxyapatite thin films on the basis of unified principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanova, Anna A.; Surmeneva, Maria A.; Surmenev, Roman A.; Depla, Diederik

2017-12-01

The structural features of RF-magnetron sputter-deposited hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings are investigated in order to reveal the effect of the working gas composition and the sample position of the substrate relative to the target erosion zone. The film properties were observed to change as a result of bombardment with energetic ions. XRD analysis of the coated substrates indicates that with the increase of the ion-to-atom ratio, the fiber texture changes from a mixed (11 2 bar 2) + (0002) over (0002) orientation, finally reaching a (30 3 bar 0) out-of-plane orientation at high ion-to-atom ratios. TEM reveals that the microstructure of the HA coating consists of columnar grains and differs with the coating texture. The contribution of Ji/Ja to the development of microstructure and texture of the HA coating is schematically represented and discussed. The obtained results may contribute substantially to the progress of research into the development of HA coatings with tailored properties, and these coatings may be applied on the surfaces of metal implants used in bone surgery.

Effect of Extrusion Temperature on the Plastic Deformation of an Mg-Y-Zn Alloy Containing LPSO Phase Using In Situ Neutron Diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garces, G.; Perez, P.; Cabeza, S.; Kabra, S.; Gan, W.; Adeva, P.

2017-11-01

The evolution of the internal strains during in situ tension and compression tests has been measured in an MgY2Zn1 alloy containing long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase using neutron diffraction. The alloy was extruded at two different temperatures to study the influence of the microstructure and texture of the magnesium and the LPSO phases on the deformation mechanisms. The alloy extruded at 623 K (350 °C) exhibits a strong fiber texture with the basal plane parallel to the extrusion direction due to the presence of areas of coarse non-recrystallised grains. However, at 723 K (450 °C), the magnesium phase is fully recrystallised with grains randomly oriented. On the other hand, at the two extrusion temperatures, the LPSO phase orients their basal plane parallel to the extrusion direction. Yield stress is always slightly higher in compression than in tension. Independently on the stress sign and the extrusion temperature, the beginning of plasticity is controlled by the activation of the basal slip system in the dynamic recrystallized grains. Therefore, the elongated fiber-shaped LPSO phase which behaves as the reinforcement in a metal matrix composite is responsible for this tension-compression asymmetry.

Characterization of Al-Cu-Li Alloy 2090 Near Net Shape Extrusion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birt, M. J.; Domack, M. S.; Hafley, R. A.; Pollock, W. D.

1998-01-01

Aluminum-lithium (Al-Li) alloys near net shape extrusions are being evaluated for potential application in launch vehicle structures. The objective of this study was to determine tensile and fracture properties, corrosion resistance, and weldability of integrally stiffened panels of Al-Cu-Li alloy 2090 in the T8 temper. The microstructure was pre-dominantly unrecrystallized. Texture analyses revealed the presence of fiber components in the stiffeners and a combination of fiber and rolling components in the skin. Variations in grain morphology and texture through the extruded cross section were correlated with the tensile, fracture, and corrosion behavior. Tensile strengths at room and cryogenic temperatures of the 2090 extrusions were similar to other 2090 product forms and were higher than 2219-T87, the primary structural material in the Space Shuttle external tank; however, ductilities were lower. The fracture resistance of the 2090 extrusion was lower than 2219-T87 plate at room temperature. At cryogenic temperatures, tensile ductility and fracture behavior of the 2090 extrusion were similar to other 2090 product forms but were lower than 2219-T87 plate. The exfoliation and stress corrosion resistance of the 2090 extrusion compared favorably with the characteristics of other 2090 product forms. The weldability and weldment properties of the extrusions were similar to 2090 and 2219 plates.

The effect of a crunchy pseudo-chewing sound on perceived texture of softened foods.

PubMed

Endo, Hiroshi; Ino, Shuichi; Fujisaki, Waka

2016-12-01

Elderly individuals whose ability to chew and swallow has declined are often restricted to unpleasant diets of very soft food, leading to a poor appetite. To address this problem, we aimed to investigate the influence of altered auditory input of chewing sounds on the perception of food texture. The modified chewing sound was reported to influence the perception of food texture in normal foods. We investigated whether the perceived sensations of nursing care foods could be altered by providing altered auditory feedback of chewing sounds, even if the actual food texture is dull. Chewing sounds were generated using electromyogram (EMG) of the masseter. When the frequency properties of the EMG signal are modified and it is heard as a sound, it resembles a "crunchy" sound, much like that emitted by chewing, for example, root vegetables (EMG chewing sound). Thirty healthy adults took part in the experiment. In two conditions (with/without the EMG chewing sound), participants rated the taste, texture and evoked feelings of five kinds of nursing care foods using two questionnaires. When the "crunchy" EMG chewing sound was present, participants were more likely to evaluate food as having the property of stiffness. Moreover, foods were perceived as rougher and to have a greater number of ingredients in the condition with the EMG chewing sound, and satisfaction and pleasantness were also greater. In conclusion, the "crunchy" pseudo-chewing sound could influence the perception of food texture, even if the actual "crunchy" oral sensation is lacking. Considering the effect of altered auditory feedback while chewing, we can suppose that such a tool would be a useful technique to help people on texture-modified diets to enjoy their food. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Minimal type-I seesaw model with maximally restricted texture zeros

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barreiros, D. M.; Felipe, R. G.; Joaquim, F. R.

2018-06-01

In the context of Standard Model (SM) extensions, the seesaw mechanism provides the most natural explanation for the smallness of neutrino masses. In this work we consider the most economical type-I seesaw realization in which two right-handed neutrinos are added to the SM field content. For the sake of predictability, we impose the maximum number of texture zeros in the lepton Yukawa and mass matrices. All possible patterns are analyzed in the light of the most recent neutrino oscillation data, and predictions for leptonic C P violation are presented. We conclude that, in the charged-lepton mass basis, eight different texture combinations are compatible with neutrino data at 1 σ , all of them for an inverted-hierarchical neutrino mass spectrum. Four of these cases predict a C P -violating Dirac phase close to 3 π /2 , which is around the current best-fit value from the global analysis of neutrino oscillation data. If one further reduces the number of free parameters by considering three equal elements in the Dirac neutrino Yukawa coupling matrix, several texture combinations are still compatible with data but only at 3 σ . For all viable textures, the baryon asymmetry of the Universe is computed in the context of thermal leptogenesis, assuming (mildly) hierarchical heavy Majorana neutrino masses M1 ,2. It is shown that the flavored regime is ruled out, while the unflavored one requires M1˜1014 GeV .

New fiber optics illumination system for application to electronics holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sciammarella, Cesar A.

1995-08-01

The practical application of electronic holography requires the use of fiber optics. The need of employing coherent fiber optics imposes restrictions in the efficient use of laser light. This paper proposes a new solution to this problem. The proposed method increases the efficiency in the use of the laser light and simplifies the interface between the laser source and the fiber optics. This paper will present the theory behind the proposed method. A discussion of the effect of the different parameters that influence the formation of interference fringes is presented. Limitations and results that can be achieved are given. An example of application is presented.

Effects of Restricted Launch Conditions for the Enhancement of Bandwidth-Distance Product of Multimode Fiber Links

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andrawis, Alfred S.

2000-01-01

Several techniques had been proposed to enhance multimode fiber bandwidth-distance product. Single mode-to-multimode offset launch condition technique had been experimented with at Kennedy Space Center. Significant enhancement in multimode fiber link bandwidth is achieved using this technique. It is found that close to three-fold bandwidth enhancement can be achieved compared to standard zero offset launch technique. Moreover, significant reduction in modal noise has been observed as a function of offset launch displacement. However, significant reduction in the overall signal-to-noise ratio is also observed due to signal attenuation due to mode radiation from fiber core to its cladding.

Maximum-performance fiber-optic irradiation with nonimaging designs.

PubMed

Fang, Y; Feuermann, D; Gordon, J M

1997-10-01

A range of practical nonimaging designs for optical fiber applications is presented. Rays emerging from a fiber over a restricted angular range (small numerical aperture) are needed to illuminate a small near-field detector at maximum radiative efficiency. These designs range from pure reflector (all-mirror), to pure dielectric (refractive and based on total internal reflection) to lens-mirror combinations. Sample designs are shown for a specific infrared fiber-optic irradiation problem of practical interest. Optical performance is checked with computer three-dimensional ray tracing. Compared with conventional imaging solutions, nonimaging units offer considerable practical advantages in compactness and ease of alignment as well as noticeably superior radiative efficiency.

Experimental evaluation and simulation of volumetric shrinkage and warpage on polymeric composite reinforced with short natural fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Jonnathan D.; Fajardo, Jorge I.; Cuji, Alvaro R.; García, Jaime A.; Garzón, Luis E.; López, Luis M.

2015-09-01

A polymeric natural fiber-reinforced composite is developed by extrusion and injection molding process. The shrinkage and warpage of high-density polyethylene reinforced with short natural fibers of Guadua angustifolia Kunth are analyzed by experimental measurements and computer simulations. Autodesk Moldflow® and Solid Works® are employed to simulate both volumetric shrinkage and warpage of injected parts at different configurations: 0 wt.%, 20 wt.%, 30 wt.% and 40 wt.% reinforcing on shrinkage and warpage behavior of polymer composite. Become evident the restrictive effect of reinforcing on the volumetric shrinkage and warpage of injected parts. The results indicate that volumetric shrinkage of natural composite is reduced up to 58% with fiber increasing, whereas the warpage shows a reduction form 79% to 86% with major fiber content. These results suggest that it is a highly beneficial use of natural fibers to improve the assembly properties of polymeric natural fiber-reinforced composites.

75 FR 32676 - Revision of Department of Homeland Security Acquisition Regulation; Restrictions on Foreign...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-09

... needed to meet the fire resistant standards and had an exemption to have the uniform makers purchase the... restrictions on clothing and fabrics. Neither section 604 nor the DFARS define these terms; their meaning is... manufactured from or containing any of the fibers, yarns, fabrics, or materials listed in this paragraph (b...

Nondestructive evaluation of loading and fatigue effects in Haynes(R) 230(R) alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh, Tarik Adel

Nondestructive evaluation is a useful method for studying the effects of deformation and fatigue. In this dissertation I employed neutron and X-ray diffraction, nonlinear resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (NRUS), and infrared thermography to study the effects of deformation and fatigue on two different nickel based superalloys. The alloys studied were HAYNES 230, a solid solution strengthened alloy with 4% M6C carbides, and secondarily HASTELLOY C-2000 a similar single phase alloy. Using neutron and X-ray diffraction, the deformation behavior of HAYNES 230 was revealed to be composite-like during compression, but unusual in tension, where the carbides provide strengthening until just after the macroscopic yield strength and then they begin to debond and crack, creating a tension-compression asymmetry that is revealed clearly by in situ diffraction. In fatigue of HAYNES 230, the hkl elastic strains changed very little in tension-tension fatigue. However, in situ tension-compression studies showed large changes over the initial stages of fatigue. The HAYNES 230 samples studies had two distinct starting textures, measured by neutron diffraction. Some samples were texture free initially and deformed in tension and compression to fiber textures. Other samples started with a bimodal texture due to cross-rolling and incomplete annealing. The final texture of these bimodal samples is shown through modeling to be a superposition of the initial texture and typical FCC deformation mechanisms. The texture-free samples deformed significantly more macroscopically and in internal elastic strains than the samples with the cross-rolled texture. In contrast to the relative insensitivity of neutron diffraction to the effects of tension-tension fatigue, NRUS revealed large differences between as-received and progressively fatigued samples. This showed that microcracking and void formation are the primary mechanisms responsible for fatigue damage in tension-tension fatigue. NRUS is shown to be a useful complimentary technique to neutron diffraction to evaluate fatigue damage. Finally, infrared thermography is used to show temperature changes over the course of fatigue in HASTELLOY C-2000. Four stages of temperature are shown over the course of a single fatigue test. Both empirical and theoretical relationships between steady state temperature and fatigue life are developed and presented.

Deciphering the Possible Role of Strain Path on the Evolution of Microstructure, Texture, and Magnetic Properties in a Fe-Cr-Ni Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Amit; Khatirkar, Rajesh Kisni; Gupta, Aman; Shekhawat, Satish K.; Suwas, Satyam

2018-06-01

In the present work, the influence of strain path on the evolution of microstructure, crystallographic texture, and magnetic properties of a two-phase Fe-Cr-Ni alloy was investigated. The Fe-Cr-Ni alloy had nearly equal proportion of austenite and ferrite and was cold rolled up to a true strain of 1.6 (thickness reduction) using two different strain paths—unidirectional rolling and multi-step cross rolling. The microstructures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), while crystallographic textures were determined using X-ray diffraction. For magnetic characterization, B-H loops and M-H curves were measured and magnetic force microscopy was performed. After unidirectional rolling, ferrite showed the presence of strong α-fiber (rolling direction, RD//<110>) and austenite showed strong brass type texture (consisting of Brass (Bs) ({110}<112>), Goss ({110}<001>), and S ({123}<634>)). After multi-step cross rolling, strong rotated cube ({100}<110>) was developed in ferrite, while austenite showed ND (normal direction) rotated brass ( 10 deg) texture. The strain-induced martensite (SIM) was found to be higher in unidirectionally rolled samples than multi-step cross-rolled samples. The coherently diffracting domain size, micro-strain, coercivity, and core loss also showed a strong correlation with strain and strain path. More strain was partitioned into austenite than ferrite during deformation (unidirectional as well as cross rolling). Further, the strain partitioning (in both austenite and ferrite) was found to be higher in unidirectionally rolled samples.

New constraints on the textural and geochemical evolution of the upper mantle beneath the Styrian basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aradi, Laszlo; Hidas, Károly; Zanetti, Alberto; János Kovács, István; Patkó, Levente; Szabó, Csaba

2016-04-01

Plio-Pleistocene alkali basaltic volcanism sampled sporadically the upper mantle beneath the Carpathian-Pannonian Region (CPR, e.g. [1]). Lavas and pyroclasts often contain mantle derived xenoliths, and the majority of them have been extensively studied [1], except the westernmost Styrian Basin Volcanic Field (SBVF, Eastern Austria and Slovenia). In the SBVF only a few volcanic centers have been studied in details (e.g. Kapfenstein & Tobaj). Based on these studies, the upper mantle beneath the SBVF is consists of dominantly high temperature, texturally and geochemically homogeneous protogranular spinel lherzolite. New major and trace element data from rock-forming minerals of ultramafic xenoliths, coupled with texture and deformation analysis from 12 volcanic outcrops across the SBVF, suggest that the lithospheric roots of the region are more heterogeneous than described previously. The studied xenoliths are predominantly lherzolite, amphibole is a common phase that replaces pyroxenes and spinels and proves modal metasomatism. Phlogopite coupled with apatite is also present in amphibole-rich samples. The texture of the xenoliths is usually coarse-grained and annealed with low abundance of subgrain boundaries in both olivine and pyroxenes. Olivine crystal preferred orientation (CPO) varies between the three most abundant one: [010]-fiber, orthogonal and [100]-fiber symmetry [2]. The CPO of pyroxenes is usually coherent with coeval deformation with olivine, however the CPO of amphibole is suggesting postkinematic epitaxial overgrowth on the precursor pyroxenes. According to equilibrium temperatures, the studied xenolith suite samples a broader temperature range (850-1100 °C) than the literature data, corresponding to mantle depths between 30 and 60 km, which indicates that the xenolith suite only represents the shallower part of the recent 100 km thick lithospheric mantle beneath the SBVF. The equilibrium temperatures show correlation with the varying CPO symmetries, with [100]-fiber and orthorhombic symmetry appear in the high temperature (>1000 °C) xenoliths, which are thought to have an asthenospheric origin [3]. Based on our study, the subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath the western part of the CPR is not as homogeneous as it was reported before. The shallower part of the mantle lithosphere contains peridotites, where the pervasive deformation and subsequent thermal recovery of the upper mantle was followed by melt percolation events causing extensive metasomatism. This research was granted by the Hungarian Science Foundation (OTKA, 78425 to Cs. Szabó). K. Hidas' research leading to these results was funded by the European Union Framework Programme 7 (EU-FP7) Marie Curie postdoctoral grant PIEF-GA-2012- 327226. References: [1]Szabó, C. et al. 2004. Tectonophysics, 393(1), 119-137. [2] Tommasi, A., Vauchez, A. 2015. Tectonophysics, 661, 11-37. [3] Kovács, I. et al. 2012. Tectonophysics, 514, 168-179.

Effects of membrane-filtered soy hull pectin and pre-emulsified fiber/oil on chemical and technological properties of low fat and low salt meat emulsions.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun-Wook; Lee, Yong Jae; Kim, Yuan H Brad

2016-06-01

The objectives of this study were to determine efficacy of a membrane filtration in soy hull pectin purification and evaluate combined effects of soy hull pectin and pre-emulsified fiber/oil (PE) on chemical composition and technological properties of low fat and low salt meat emulsions. Soy hull pectin was purified through two different methods (alcohol-washed (ASP) and membrane-filtered (MSP)). Insoluble soy hull residues after pectin extraction were incorporated with sunflower oil and water for the PE preparation. Meat emulsion was formulated with 58 % pork, 20 % ice, 20 % pork backfat, and 2 % NaCl as control. A total of six low fat and low salt meat emulsions (1 % NaCl and 10 % backfat) was manufactured with 1 % pectin (with/without ASP or MSP) and 10 % PE (with/without). The pectin content of ASP and MSP was 0.84 and 0.64 g L-galacturonic acid/g dry sample, respectively. The inclusion of soy hull pectin caused similar results on chemical composition, color, cooking loss, and texture of the meat emulsions, regardless of the purification method. In addition, positive impacts of the combined treatments with soy hull pectin and PE compared to single treatments on cooking loss and texture of the meat emulsions were observed. Results suggest that membrane filtration could be an effective alternative method to purify pectin, instead of alcohol-washing, and both soluble pectin and insoluble fiber from soy hulls could be used as a functional non-meat ingredient to manufacture various low fat and low salt meat products.

Diclofenac degradation by heterogeneous photocatalysis with Fe3O4/Ti x O y /activated carbon fiber composite synthesized by ultrasound irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno-Valencia, E. I.; Paredes-Carrera, S. P.; Sánchez-Ochoa, J. C.; Flores-Valle, S. O.; Avendaño-Gómez, J. R.

2017-11-01

In this work, a photocatalytic system to degrade diclofenac was developed using a composite Fe3O4/Ti x O y on an activated carbon fiber. Diclofenac is widely used as an anti-inflammatory compound worldwide and it is constantly being added as waste in the environment (Heberer 2002 J. Hydrol. 266 175-89), exceeding the permissible maximum concentration in the wastewater (GEO-3 2002 Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente; Golet et al 2003 Environ. Sci. Technol. 37 3243-9 Oviedo et al 2010 Environ. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 29 9-43 Le-Minh et al 2010 Water Res. 44 4295-323 Legrini et al 1993 Chem. Rev. 1093 671-98). The composite was synthesized by sol-gel technique with and without ultrasound irradiation (Singh and Nakate 2014 J. Nanopart. 2014 326747). The solids were deposited by ultrasound irradiation on active carbon fiber in order to optimize the diclofenac degradation. The solids were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen physisorption (BET), and scanning electron microscopy with EDS microanalysis (SEM-EDS). The crystal size was calculated with the Debye-Scherrer equation, and the band gap values by the diffuse reflectance method. The evaluation process was studied by UV-vis spectroscopy (Rizzoa et al 2009 Water Res. 43 979-88). It was found that in this synthesis method (ultrasound), textural properties such as porosity, specific surface area and morphology depend on the ultrasound irradiation. The proposed system, Fe3O4/titanium oxide hydrate showed better degradation profile than TiO2 anatase phase; the increase of diclofenac degradation was attributed to the textural properties of the composite, it avoids the filtering process since the separation can be achieved by magnetizing and/or decantation.

A test for interfacial effects and stress transfer in ceramic matrix composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

A test specimen was devised for measuring stress transfer between a high modulus fiber and a ceramic matrix. Single filaments of SiC were embedded in chemically vapor deposited SiC on a thin plate of molybdenum. The CVD overcoating which encapsulated the fiber was continuous with a coating of SiC on the molybdenum. When placed in a microtensile test device and loaded in the fiber direction, the fiber fracture characteristics provide information on the fiber/matrix adhesion and stress transfer. Problems were encountered due to the formation of a weak boundary between the SiC and the molybdenum which obviated any meaningful tensile tests. Also, the high CVD temperature used in fabricating these specimens restrict the fiber, matrix (and substrate) to materials having similar thermal coefficients of expansion in order to minimize thermal stresses.

[Use of nopal dietary fiber in a powder dessert formulation].

PubMed

Sáenz, Carmen; Sepúlveda, Elena; Pak, Nelly; Vallejos, Ximena

2002-12-01

The development of diverse types of foods of low caloric value and with high content in dietary fiber have occupied a preponderant place in the food industry in the last years, due to the growing interest of the consumers for a healthy and nutritious diet. Pre-cooked or quick to prepare foods are attractive for the time they save; if to this you add their nutritious value, the attractiveness is even greater. For this reason, this study analyzes different formulations of a powder to prepare a dessert (flan), with different percentages of incorporation of nopal flour, as a source of dietary fiber (16%, 18%, 20%). Two flavors (melon and banana) were tried. It was observed that the flan flavored with banana and with 16% of nopal flour, reached better sensorial characteristics. Greater percentages of nopal flour negatively affected the sensorial characteristics, mainly flavor, color and texture. The analysis showed that the powder presented 5.7% of moisture, low water activity (0.48) and therefore a low total recount of microorganisms. The content of protein was high (27.2%), the ether extract low (2.0%) similar to the caloric contribution (40 Kcal/portion). The flan showed a 9.8% of total dietary fiber, being greater the contribution of soluble fiber (6.1%) than that of insoluble fiber (3.7%). Due to these characteristics this formulation could be considered as a food that provides benefits for the human health.

Chemical and Physical Properties, Safety and Application of Partially Hydrolized Guar Gum as Dietary Fiber

PubMed Central

Yoon, Seon-Joo; Chu, Djong-Chi; Raj Juneja, Lekh

2008-01-01

The ideal water-soluble dietary fiber for the fiber-enrichment of foods must be very low in viscosity, tasteless, odorless, and should produce clear solutions in beverages. Partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) produced from guar gum by enzymatic process has the same chemical structure with intact guar gum but less than one-tenth the original molecular length of guar gum, which make available to be used as film former, foam stabilizer and swelling agent. The viscosity of PHGG is about 10 mPa·s in 5% aqueous solution, whereas 1% solution of guar gum shows range from 2,000 to 3,000 mPa·s. In addition, PHGG is greatly stable against low pH, heat, acid and digestive enzyme. For these reasons, PHGG seems to be one of the most beneficial dietary fiber materials. It also showed that interesting physiological functions still fully exert the nutritional function of a dietary fiber. PHGG has, therefore, been used primarily for a nutritional purpose and became fully integrated food material without altering the rheology, taste, texture and color of final products. PHGG named as Benefiber® in USA has self-affirmation on GRAS status of standard grade PHGG. PHGG named as Sunfiber® is now being used in various beverages, food products and medicinal foods as a safe, natural and functional dietary fiber in all over the world. PMID:18231623

Modification of the anisotropy and strength differential effect of extruded AZ31 by extrusion-shear

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaehnke, M.; Gensch, F.; Mueller, S.

2018-05-01

The extrusion of magnesium alloys results in a pronounced fiber texture in which the basal planes are mostly oriented parallel and the c-axes are oriented perpendicular to the extrusion direction. Due to this texture the Strength Differential Effect (SDE), which describes the strength difference between tensile and compression yield strength, and the elastic anisotropy in the sheet plane are obtained during extrusion. The objective of the investigation was to decrease the SDE and anisotropy through specifically influencing the microstructure and texture. To accomplish this objective, the forming processes extrusion (EX) and equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) were combined and integrated into one extrusion die. This combination is called extrusion-shear (ES). With an ES-die, billets of the magnesium alloy AZ31B were formed into a sheet with the thickness of 4 mm and the width of 70 mm. The angles of the used ECAP-applications in the ES-dies were set to 90° and 135°. The results show that the extrusion-shear process is able to decrease the anisotropy and SDE through transformation of the texture compared to conventional extrusion process. Also grain refinement could be observed. However, the outcomes seem to be very sensitive to the process parameters. Only by using the ES-die with an angle of 135° the desired effect could be accomplished.

Assessment of different dietary fibers (tomato fiber, beet root fiber, and inulin) for the manufacture of chopped cooked chicken products.

PubMed

Cava, Ramón; Ladero, Luis; Cantero, V; Rosario Ramírez, M

2012-04-01

Three dietary fibers (tomato fiber [TF], beet root fiber [BRF], and inulin) at 3 levels of addition (1%, 2%, and 3%) were assessed for the manufacture of chopped, cooked chicken products and compared with a control product without fiber added. The effect of fiber incorporation on (i) batters, (ii) cooked (30 min at 70 °C), and (iii) cooked and stored (for 10 d at 4 °C) chicken products were studied. The addition of the fiber to chicken meat products reduced the pH of chicken batters in proportional to the level of fiber addition. Fiber incorporation increased water-holding capacity but only the addition of TF reduced cook losses. The color of batters and cooked products was significantly modified by the type and level of fiber added. These changes were more noticeable when TF was added. Texture parameters were affected by the incorporation of TF and BRF; they increased the hardness in proportional to the level of addition. The addition of tomato and BRF to chicken meat products reduced lipid oxidation processes. These changes were dependent on the level of fiber added. The reduction of lipid oxidation processes was more marked in TF meat products than in products with other types of fibers. In contrast, the addition level of inulin increased TBA-RS numbers in chicken meat products. Although the addition of TF increased the redness of the meat products, the use of this fiber was more suitable as it reduced the extent of lipid oxidation processes. INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION: Nowadays, the reduction of fat and the increase of fiber content in meat products is one of the main goals of meat industry. Numerous sources of fiber can be added to the meat products; however, before that it is necessary to study their technological effect on raw and cooked meat products in order to evaluate their suitability for meat products manufacture. In addition, some of them could have beneficial effect on meat products conservation that could also increase their shelf life. © 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®

5-HT3A -driven green fluorescent protein delineates gustatory fibers innervating sour-responsive taste cells: A labeled line for sour taste?

PubMed

Stratford, J M; Larson, E D; Yang, R; Salcedo, E; Finger, T E

2017-07-01

Taste buds contain multiple cell types with each type expressing receptors and transduction components for a subset of taste qualities. The sour sensing cells, Type III cells, release serotonin (5-HT) in response to the presence of sour (acidic) tastants and this released 5-HT activates 5-HT 3 receptors on the gustatory nerves. We show here, using 5-HT 3A GFP mice, that 5-HT 3 -expressing nerve fibers preferentially contact and receive synaptic contact from Type III taste cells. Further, these 5-HT 3 -expressing nerve fibers terminate in a restricted central-lateral portion of the nucleus of the solitary tract (nTS)-the same area that shows increased c-Fos expression upon presentation of a sour tastant (30 mM citric acid). This acid stimulation also evokes c-Fos in the laterally adjacent mediodorsal spinal trigeminal nucleus (DMSp5), but this trigeminal activation is not associated with the presence of 5-HT 3 -expressing nerve fibers as it is in the nTS. Rather, the neuronal activation in the trigeminal complex likely is attributable to direct depolarization of acid-sensitive trigeminal nerve fibers, for example, polymodal nociceptors, rather than through taste buds. Taken together, these findings suggest that transmission of sour taste information involves communication between Type III taste cells and 5-HT 3 -expressing afferent nerve fibers that project to a restricted portion of the nTS consistent with a crude mapping of taste quality information in the primary gustatory nucleus. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Gender classification system in uncontrolled environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Pingping; Zhang, Yu-Jin; Duan, Fei

2011-01-01

Most face analysis systems available today perform mainly on restricted databases of images in terms of size, age, illumination. In addition, it is frequently assumed that all images are frontal and unconcealed. Actually, in a non-guided real-time supervision, the face pictures taken may often be partially covered and with head rotation less or more. In this paper, a special system supposed to be used in real-time surveillance with un-calibrated camera and non-guided photography is described. It mainly consists of five parts: face detection, non-face filtering, best-angle face selection, texture normalization, and gender classification. Emphases are focused on non-face filtering and best-angle face selection parts as well as texture normalization. Best-angle faces are figured out by PCA reconstruction, which equals to an implicit face alignment and results in a huge increase of the accuracy for gender classification. Dynamic skin model and a masked PCA reconstruction algorithm are applied to filter out faces detected in error. In order to fully include facial-texture and shape-outline features, a hybrid feature that is a combination of Gabor wavelet and PHoG (pyramid histogram of gradients) was proposed to equitable inner texture and outer contour. Comparative study on the effects of different non-face filtering and texture masking methods in the context of gender classification by SVM is reported through experiments on a set of UT (a company name) face images, a large number of internet images and CAS (Chinese Academy of Sciences) face database. Some encouraging results are obtained.

Fiber Orientation Effects in Fused Filament Fabrication of Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulholland, T.; Goris, S.; Boxleitner, J.; Osswald, T. A.; Rudolph, N.

2018-03-01

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is a type of additive manufacturing based on material extrusion that has long been considered a prototyping technology. However, the right application of material, process, and product can be used for manufacturing of end-use products, such as air-cooled heat exchangers made by adding fillers to the base polymer, enhancing the thermal conductivity. Fiber fillers lead to anisotropic thermal conductivity, which is governed by the process-induced fiber orientation. This article presents an experimental study on the microstructure-property relationship for carbon fiber-filled polyamide used in FFF. The fiber orientation is measured by micro-computed tomography, and the thermal conductivity of manufactured samples is measured. Although the thermal conductivity is raised by more than three times in the fiber orientation direction at a load of only 12 vol.%, the enhancement is low in the other directions, and this anisotropy, along with certain manufacturing restrictions, influences the final part performance.

Cellulosic fibers with high aspect ratio from cornhusks via controlled swelling and alkaline penetration.

PubMed

Ma, Zhuanzhuan; Pan, Gangwei; Xu, Helan; Huang, Yiling; Yang, Yiqi

2015-06-25

Cellulosic fibers with high aspect ratio have been firstly obtained from cornhusks via controlled swelling in organic solvent and simultaneous tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH) post treatment within restricted depth. Cornhusks, with around 42% cellulose content, are a copious and inexpensive source for natural fibers. However, cornhusk fibers at 20tex obtained via small-molecule alkaline extraction were too coarse for textile applications. Continuous NaOH treatment would result in fine fibers but with length of about 0.5-1.5mm, too short for textile use. In this research, post treatment using TMAOH and under controlled swelling significantly reduced fineness of cornhusk fibers from 21.3±2.88 to 5.72±0.21tex. Fiber length was reduced from 105.47±10.03 to47.2±27.4mm. The cornhusk fibers had more oriented microstructures and cellulose content increased to 84.47%. Besides, cornhusk fibers had similar tenacity, longer elongation, and lower modulus compared to cotton and linen, which endowed them with durability and flexibility. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Removal of SO2 from O2-containing flue gas by activated carbon fiber (ACF) impregnated with NH3.

PubMed

Xu, Lüsi; Guo, Jia; Jin, Feng; Zeng, Hancai

2006-02-01

Adsorption of SO(2) from the O(2)-containing flue gas by granular activated carbons (GACs) and activated carbon fibers (ACFs) impregnated with NH(3) was studied in this technical note. Experimental results showed that the ACFs were high-quality adsorbents due to their unique textural properties. In the presence of moisture, the desulphurization efficiency for the ACFs was improved significantly due to the formation of sulfuric acid. After NH(3) impregnation of ACF samples, nitrogen-containing functional groups (pyridyl C(5)H(4)N- and pyrrolyl C(4)H(4)N-) were detected on the sample surface by using an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer. These functional groups accounted for the enhanced SO(2) adsorption via chemisorption and/or catalytic oxidization.

Mechanical evaluation of the resistance and elastance of post-burn scars after topical treatment with tretinoin

PubMed Central

Dematte, Maria Fernanda; Gemperli, Rolf; Salles, Alessandra Grassi; Dolhnikoff, Marisa; Lanças, Tatiana; Saldiva, Paulo Hilário Nascimento; Ferreira, Marcus Castro

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVE: After burn injuries, scarred skin lacks elasticity, especially in hypertrophic scars. Topical treatment with tretinoin can improve the appearance and quality of the skin (i.e., texture, distensibility, color, and hydration). The objective of this prospective study was to examine the effects of treatment with 0.05% tretinoin for one year on the biomechanical behavior and histological changes undergone by facial skin with post-burn scarring. Setting: Tertiary, Institutional. METHOD: Fifteen female patients who had suffered partial thickness burns with more than two years of evolution were selected. Skin biopsies were obtained initially and after one year of treatment. The resistance and elastance of these skin biopsies were measured using a mechanical oscillation analysis system. The density of collagen fibers, elastic fibers, and versican were determined using immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: Tretinoin treatment significantly lowered skin resistance and elastance, which is a result that indicates higher distensibility of the skin. However, tretinoin treatment did not significantly affect the density of collagen fibers, elastic fibers, or versican. CONCLUSION: Topical tretinoin treatment alters the mechanical behavior of post-burn scarred skin by improving its distensibility and thus leads to improved quality of life for patients. PMID:22086527

Mechanical evaluation of the resistance and elastance of post-burn scars after topical treatment with tretinoin.

PubMed

Dematte, Maria Fernanda; Gemperli, Rolf; Salles, Alessandra Grassi; Dolhnikoff, Marisa; Lanças, Tatiana; Saldiva, Paulo Hilário Nascimento; Ferreira, Marcus Castro

2011-01-01

After burn injuries, scarred skin lacks elasticity, especially in hypertrophic scars. Topical treatment with tretinoin can improve the appearance and quality of the skin (i.e., texture, distensibility, color, and hydration). The objective of this prospective study was to examine the effects of treatment with 0.05% tretinoin for one year on the biomechanical behavior and histological changes undergone by facial skin with post-burn scarring. Tertiary, Institutional. Fifteen female patients who had suffered partial thickness burns with more than two years of evolution were selected. Skin biopsies were obtained initially and after one year of treatment. The resistance and elastance of these skin biopsies were measured using a mechanical oscillation analysis system. The density of collagen fibers, elastic fibers, and versican were determined using immunohistochemical analysis. Tretinoin treatment significantly lowered skin resistance and elastance, which is a result that indicates higher distensibility of the skin. However, tretinoin treatment did not significantly affect the density of collagen fibers, elastic fibers, or versican. Topical tretinoin treatment alters the mechanical behavior of post-burn scarred skin by improving its distensibility and thus leads to improved quality of life for patients.

Electric Field-Assisted Orientation of Short Phosphate Glass Fibers on Stainless Steel for Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

Chen, Qiang; Jing, Jiajia; Qi, Hongfei; Ahmed, Ifty; Yang, Haiou; Liu, Xianhu; Lu, T L; Boccaccini, Aldo R

2018-04-11

Structural and compositional modifications of metallic implant surfaces are being actively investigated to achieve improved bone-to-implant bonding. In this study, a strategy to modify bulk metallic surfaces by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of short phosphate glass fibers (sPGF) is presented. Random and aligned orientation of sPGF embedded in a poly(acrylic acid) matrix is achieved by vertical and horizontal EPD, respectively. The influence of EPD parameters on the degree of alignment is investigated to pave the way for the fabrication of highly aligned sPGF structures in large areas. Importantly, the oriented sPGF structure in the coating, owing to the synergistic effects of bioactive composition and fiber orientation, plays an important role in directional cell migration and enhanced proliferation. Moreover, gene expression of MC3T3-E1 cells cultured with different concentrations of sPGF is thoroughly assessed to elucidate the potential stimulating effect of sPGF on osteogenic differentiation. This study represents an innovative exploitation of EPD to develop textured surfaces by orientation of fibers in the macroscale, which shows great potential for directional functionalization of metallic implants.

Lithology and chemical analyses of core and cuttings from USGS drill hole near Gold Acres, Lander County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wrucke, Chester T.

1975-01-01

Upper Paleozoic to Mesozoic eolian blanket sandstones of the Colorado Plateau and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and southern Wyoming are texturally complex. As petroleum reservoirs they commonly have poor performance histories. They contain the sediments of a depositional system comprised of three closely associated depositional subenvironments: dune, interdune, and extradune. Sediments of each subenvironment have different textural properties which resulted from different depositional processes. Dune sediments are usually more porous and permeable than interdune or extradune sediments and may be better quality reservoirs than interdune or extradune sediments. Interdune sediments are here restricted to those nondune sediments deposited in the relatively flat areas between dunes. Extradune sediments (a new term) include all deposits adjacent to a dune field and are mainly subaqueous deposits. Dune sediments may be enveloped by extradune sediments as the depositional system evolves resulting in a texturally inhomogeneous reservoir having poor fluid migration properties. This model of textural inhomogeneity in eolian blanket sandstones. was applied to the Weber (Tensleep) Sandstone in Brady, Wertz, and Lost Soldier fields, Sweetwater County, Wyoming. Data were obtained from both outcrop and subsurface and included environmental interpretation, textural analysis, and plotting of the distribution of depositional subenvironments. As predicted from the model, the texture of dune sediments in Brady field differed markedly from interdune and extradune sediments. The predicted geometric distribution of subenvironments was confirmed in Lost Soldier and Wertz fields. However, secondary cementation and fracturing there has obscured the original porosity and permeability contrasts. The porosity and permeability distribution, a characteristic depending partly on depositional processes, could impede fluid migration in the reservoir and significantly reduce recovery of hydrocarbons.

Opportunities to Enhance Multimode Fiber Links by Application of Overfilled Launch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onlagic, Denis

2005-11-01

This paper investigates possibilities for the practical design of high-performance multimode fibers (MMFs) that can provide bandwidths in excess of 10 GHz ...km in an overfilled regime of operation. Analysis of standard MMF in an overfilled launch demonstrates that the theoretical bandwidth limitations arise from the influence of cladding on the propagation of the highest order modes. Practical MMF profile designs that overcome this problem are investigated. The standard 50-and 62.5- μm fiber profiles are redesigned first to allow for the performance in an overfilled launch with the differential mode delays (DMDs) below 0.055 and 0.250 ns/km, respectively. It is shown that such fibers can exhibit the same or better theoretical bandwidth in an overfilled launch when compared to standard fiber under restricted launch. Elimination of the need for the restricted mode launch in high-performance multimode transmission systems can improve reliability issues and can relax the range of tolerance requirements imposed on terminal equipment, optical components, and link installation. Furthermore, MMFs that can be operated in an overfilled launched are compatible with emerging vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) array technologies. A successfully controlled higher order mode DMD also allows for the reduction of MMF core size and mit Delta that can be beneficial for low-cost high-performance single-channel links. It is demonstrated that properly designed reduced core fibers can achieve theoretical DMDs in the range of 0.005-0.02 ns/km. The bend loss properties of redesigned fibers are investigated in detail, showing that the proposed modifications do not lead to significant degradation of bend loss performance. Moreover, they can be manufactured at considerably lower cost while utilizing commercially readily available low-cost VCSELs. Even where the theoretical limit is not achieved by practical fiber making, the reduced core size and mit Delta MMF can provide higher production yield, lower cost, and higher average bandwidth.

Age-related alterations in the sarcolemmal environment are attenuated by lifelong caloric restriction and voluntary exercise.

PubMed

Hord, Jeffrey M; Botchlett, Rachel; Lawler, John M

2016-10-01

Age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, referred to as sarcopenia, is mitigated by lifelong calorie restriction as well as exercise. In aged skeletal muscle fibers there is compromised integrity of the cell membrane that may contribute to sarcopenia. The purpose of this study was to determine if lifelong mild (8%) caloric restriction (CR) and lifelong CR+voluntary wheel running (WR) could ameliorate disruption of membrane scaffolding and signaling proteins during the aging process, thus maintaining a favorable, healthy membrane environment in plantaris muscle fibers. Fischer-344 rats were divided into four groups: 24-month old adults fed ad libitum (OAL); 24-month old on 8% caloric restriction (OCR); 24month old 8% caloric restriction+wheel running (OCRWR); and 6-month old sedentary adults fed ad libitum (YAL) were used to determine age-related changes. Aging resulted in discontinuous membrane expression of dystrophin glycoprotein complex (DGC) proteins: dystrophin and α-syntrophin. Older muscle also displayed decreased content of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), a key DGC signaling protein. In contrast, OCR and OCRWR provided significant protection against age-related DGC disruption. In conjunction with the age-related decline in membrane DGC patency, key membrane repair proteins (MG53, dysferlin, annexin A6, and annexin A2) were significantly increased in the OAL plantaris. However, lifelong CR and CRWR interventions were effective at maintaining membrane repair proteins near YAL levels of. OAL fibers also displayed reduced protein content of NADPH oxidase isoform 2 (Nox2) subunits (p67phox and p47phox), consistent with a perturbed sarcolemmal environment. Loss of Nox2 subunits was prevented by lifelong CR and CRWR. Our results are therefore consistent with the hypothesis that lifelong CR and WR are effective countermeasures against age-related alterations in the myofiber membrane environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integration of air separation membrane and coalescing filter for use on an inlet air system of an engine

DOEpatents

Moncelle, Michael E.

2003-01-01

An intake air separation system suitable for combustion air of an internal combustion engine. An air separation device of the system includes a plurality of fibers, each fiber having a tube with a permeation barrier layer on the outer surface thereof and a coalescing layer on the inner surface thereof, to restrict fluid droplets from contacting the permeation barrier layer.

Developmental Programming in Response to Intrauterine Growth Restriction Impairs Myoblast Function and Skeletal Muscle Metabolism

PubMed Central

Yates, D. T.; Macko, A. R.; Nearing, M.; Chen, X.; Rhoads, R. P.; Limesand, S. W.

2012-01-01

Fetal adaptations to placental insufficiency alter postnatal metabolic homeostasis in skeletal muscle by reducing glucose oxidation rates, impairing insulin action, and lowering the proportion of oxidative fibers. In animal models of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), skeletal muscle fibers have less myonuclei at birth. This means that myoblasts, the sole source for myonuclei accumulation in fibers, are compromised. Fetal hypoglycemia and hypoxemia are complications that result from placental insufficiency. Hypoxemia elevates circulating catecholamines, and chronic hypercatecholaminemia has been shown to reduce fetal muscle development and growth. We have found evidence for adaptations in adrenergic receptor expression profiles in myoblasts and skeletal muscle of IUGR sheep fetuses with placental insufficiency. The relationship of β-adrenergic receptors shifts in IUGR fetuses because Adrβ2 expression levels decline and Adrβ1 expression levels are unaffected in myofibers and increased in myoblasts. This adaptive response would suppress insulin signaling, myoblast incorporation, fiber hypertrophy, and glucose oxidation. Furthermore, this β-adrenergic receptor expression profile persists for at least the first month in IUGR lambs and lowers their fatty acid mobilization. Developmental programming of skeletal muscle adrenergic receptors partially explains metabolic and endocrine differences in IUGR offspring, and the impact on metabolism may result in differential nutrient utilization. PMID:22900186

Endocrine regulation of fetal skeletal muscle growth: impact on future metabolic health

PubMed Central

Brown, Laura D.

2014-01-01

Establishing sufficient skeletal muscle mass is essential for lifelong metabolic health. The intrauterine environment is a major determinant of the muscle mass that is present for the life course of an individual, because muscle fiber number is set at the time of birth. Thus, a compromised intrauterine environment from maternal nutrient restriction or placental insufficiency that restricts development of muscle fiber number can have permanent effects on the amount of muscle an individual will live with. Reduced muscle mass due to fewer muscle fibers persists even after compensatory or “catch up” postnatal growth occurs. Furthermore, muscle hypertrophy can only partially compensate for this limitation in fiber number. Compelling associations link low birth weight and decreased muscle mass to future insulin resistance, which can drive the development of the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, and risk for cardiovascular events later in life. There are gaps in knowledge about the origins of reduced muscle growth at the cellular level and how these patterns are set during fetal development. By understanding the nutrient and endocrine regulation of fetal skeletal muscle growth and development, we can direct research efforts towards improving muscle growth early in life in order to prevent the development of chronic metabolic disease later in life. PMID:24532817

Biscuit-making potential of millet/pigeon pea flour blends.

PubMed

Eneche, E H

1999-01-01

Biscuits were produced from millet flour (MF) and pigeon pea flour (PPF) blends. The various ratios of MF to PPF used were 100:0, 75:25, 65:35, and 50:50. The biscuits were analyzed for their nutritional composition. They all contained high proportions of protein (7.5-15.2%), fat (17.1-18.1%) and digestible carbohydrate (60.2-66.5%). The moisture content was in the range 5.0 to 6.6%, ash 1.5-2.3% and crude fiber 0-0.1%. Sensory evaluation results indicated that all the biscuits had high sensory ratings for all the selected attributes evaluated. The recipe with the 65% MF/35% PPF blend resulted in the highest scores for flavor, texture and general acceptability. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between all the biscuits and the familiar Nasco short cake biscuit (reference) in flavor, color, texture and general acceptability.

Carbohydrates as Fat Replacers.

PubMed

Peng, Xingyun; Yao, Yuan

2017-02-28

The overconsumption of dietary fat contributes to various chronic diseases, which encourages attempts to develop and consume low-fat foods. Simple fat reduction causes quality losses that impede the acceptance of foods. Fat replacers are utilized to minimize the quality deterioration after fat reduction or removal to achieve low-calorie, low-fat claims. In this review, the forms of fats and their functions in contributing to food textural and sensory qualities are discussed in various food systems. The connections between fat reduction and quality loss are described in order to clarify the rationales of fat replacement. Carbohydrate fat replacers usually have low calorie density and provide gelling, thickening, stabilizing, and other texture-modifying properties. In this review, carbohydrates, including starches, maltodextrins, polydextrose, gums, and fibers, are discussed with regard to their interactions with other components in foods as well as their performances as fat replacers in various systems.

On a Fast and Accurate In Situ Measuring Strategy for Recrystallization Kinetics and Its Application to an Al-Fe-Si Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kühbach, Markus; Brüggemann, Thiemo; Molodov, Konstantin D.; Gottstein, Günter

2015-03-01

In the current study, we detail a novel in situ X-ray diffraction-based bulk measurement technique, which allows for the continuous tracking of primary recrystallization kinetics. The approach is based on measuring the diffracted intensity that is correlated with the evolution of the volume fraction of particular texture components during annealing of a sample within a texture goniometer. The method is applied in an experimental study on a cold-rolled industrial Al-Fe-Si alloy. For comparison purposes, the macrotexture and the hardness evolution were monitored ex situ along isothermal and nonisothermal annealing. These measurements were then contrasted to the in situ obtained growth kinetics of recrystallizing grains in beta-fiber deformation and cube orientation. The results showed clearly that this method can be reliably utilized for the characterization of recrystallization kinetics in an industrial context.

Zwitterionic Nanofibers of Super-Glue for Transparent and Biocompatible Multi-Purpose Coatings

PubMed Central

Mele, Elisa; Heredia-Guerrero, José A.; Bayer, Ilker S.; Ciofani, Gianni; Genchi, Giada G.; Ceseracciu, Luca; Davis, Alexander; Papadopoulou, Evie L.; Barthel, Markus J.; Marini, Lara; Ruffilli, Roberta; Athanassiou, Athanassia

2015-01-01

Here we show that macrozwitterions of poly(ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate), commonly called Super Glue, can easily assemble into long and well defined fibers by electrospinning. The resulting fibrous networks are thermally treated on glass in order to create transparent coatings whose superficial morphology recalls the organization of the initial electrospun mats. These textured coatings are characterized by low liquid adhesion and anti-staining performance. Furthermore, the low friction coefficient and excellent scratch resistance make them attractive as solid lubricants. The inherent texture of the coatings positively affects their biocompatibility. In fact, they are able to promote the proliferation and differentiation of myoblast stem cells. Optically-transparent and biocompatible coatings that simultaneously possess characteristics of low water contact angle hysteresis, low friction and mechanical robustness can find application in a wide range of technological sectors, from the construction and automotive industries to electronic and biomedical devices. PMID:26357936

Zwitterionic Nanofibers of Super-Glue for Transparent and Biocompatible Multi-Purpose Coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mele, Elisa; Heredia-Guerrero, José A.; Bayer, Ilker S.; Ciofani, Gianni; Genchi, Giada G.; Ceseracciu, Luca; Davis, Alexander; Papadopoulou, Evie L.; Barthel, Markus J.; Marini, Lara; Ruffilli, Roberta; Athanassiou, Athanassia

2015-09-01

Here we show that macrozwitterions of poly(ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate), commonly called Super Glue, can easily assemble into long and well defined fibers by electrospinning. The resulting fibrous networks are thermally treated on glass in order to create transparent coatings whose superficial morphology recalls the organization of the initial electrospun mats. These textured coatings are characterized by low liquid adhesion and anti-staining performance. Furthermore, the low friction coefficient and excellent scratch resistance make them attractive as solid lubricants. The inherent texture of the coatings positively affects their biocompatibility. In fact, they are able to promote the proliferation and differentiation of myoblast stem cells. Optically-transparent and biocompatible coatings that simultaneously possess characteristics of low water contact angle hysteresis, low friction and mechanical robustness can find application in a wide range of technological sectors, from the construction and automotive industries to electronic and biomedical devices.

A Genetically Modified Adenoviral Vector with a Phage Display-Derived Peptide Incorporated into Fiber Fibritin Chimera Prolongs Survival in Experimental Glioma.

PubMed

Kim, Julius W; Kane, J Robert; Young, Jacob S; Chang, Alan L; Kanojia, Deepak; Morshed, Ramin A; Miska, Jason; Ahmed, Atique U; Balyasnikova, Irina V; Han, Yu; Zhang, Lingjiao; Curiel, David T; Lesniak, Maciej S

2015-09-01

The dismal clinical context of advanced-grade glioma demands the development of novel therapeutic strategies with direct patient impact. Adenovirus-mediated virotherapy represents a potentially effective approach for glioma therapy. In this research, we generated a novel glioma-specific adenovirus by instituting more advanced genetic modifications that can maximize the efficiency and safety of therapeutic adenoviral vectors. In this regard, a glioma-specific targeted fiber was developed through the incorporation of previously published glioma-specific, phage-panned peptide (VWT peptide) on a fiber fibritin-based chimeric fiber, designated as "GliomaFF." We showed that the entry of this virus was highly restricted to glioma cells, supporting the specificity imparted by the phage-panned peptide. In addition, the stability of the targeting moiety presented by fiber fibritin structure permitted greatly enhanced infectivity. Furthermore, the replication of this virus was restricted in glioma cells by controlling expression of the E1 gene under the activity of the tumor-specific survivin promoter. Using this approach, we were able to explore the combinatorial efficacy of various adenoviral modifications that could amplify the specificity, infectivity, and exclusive replication of this therapeutic adenovirus in glioma. Finally, virotherapy with this modified virus resulted in up to 70% extended survival in an in vivo murine glioma model. These data demonstrate that this novel adenoviral vector is a safe and efficient treatment for this difficult malignancy.

Mechanical Properties of Steel Fiber Reinforced all Lightweight Aggregate Concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y. M.; Li, J. Y.; Zhen, Y.; Nie, Y. N.; Dong, W. L.

2018-05-01

In order to study the basic mechanical properties and failure characteristics of all lightweight aggregate concrete with different volume of steel fiber (0%, 1%, 2%), shale ceramsite is used as light coarse aggregate. The shale sand is made of light fine aggregate and mixed with different volume of steel fiber, and the mix proportion design of all lightweight aggregate concrete is carried out. The cubic compressive strength, axial compressive strength, flexural strength, splitting strength and modulus of elasticity of steel fiber all lightweight aggregate concrete were studied. Test results show that the incorporation of steel fiber can restrict the cracking of concrete, improve crack resistance; at the same time, it shows good plastic deformation ability and failure morphology. It lays a theoretical foundation for further research on the application of all lightweight aggregate concrete in structural systems.

Processing and characterization of phase boundaries in ceramic and metallic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Liang

The goal of this dissertation work was to explore and describe advanced characterization of novel materials processing. These characterizations were carried out using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), and X-ray diffraction techniques. The materials studied included ceramics and metallic materials. The first part of this dissertation focuses on the processing, and the resulting interfacial microstructure of ceramics joined using spin-on interlayers. SEM, TEM, and indentation tests were used to investigate the interfacial microstructural and mechanical property evolution of polycrystalline zirconia bonded to glass ceramic MaCor(TM), and polycrystalline alumina to single crystal alumina. Interlayer assisted specimens were joined using a thin amorphous silica interlayer. This interlayer was produced by spin coating an organic based silica bond material precursor and curing at 200°C, followed by joining in a microwave cavity or conventional electric furnace. Experimental results indicate that in the joining of the zirconia and MaCor(TM) no significant interfacial microstructural and mechanical property differences developed between materials joined either with or without interlayers, due to the glassy nature of MaCor(TM). The bond interface was non-planar, as a result of the strong wetting of MaCor(TM) and silica and dissolution of the zirconia. However, without the aid of a silica interlayer, sapphire and 98% polycrystalline alumina failed to join under the experimental conditions under this study. A variety of interfacial morphologies have been observed, including amorphous regions, fine crystalline alumina, and intimate contact between the sapphire and polycrystalline alumina. In addition, the evolution of the joining process from the initial sputter-cure to the final joining state and joining mechanisms were characterized. The second part of this dissertation focused on the effects of working and heat treatment on microstructure, texture, phase boundary movement, and mechanical property evolution in Ti-6Al-4V wire. The as-received wire consisted of equilibrium a and metastable beta phases and had a moderately strong fiber texture with prism plane normals aligned with the wire axis. The wire was worked by extrusion, solution heat-treatment and water quenching, and aging. The extrusion process strengthened the as-received texture. After solutionization and quenching, microstrucual observations showed the presence of many needlelike martensitic platelets in the prior beta phase regions. Texture analysis revealed that a secondary fiber with basal plane normals aligned with the wire axis emerged at the expense of the initial texture, indicating that highly preferred phase boundary motion (variant selection) occurred during the beta → alpha transformation. The strength of the variant selection consistently increased with solutionization temperature and time. In addition, the effects of dislocation type and density on variant selections were further investigated. This implies that strategic prior deformation and heat treatment can be exploited to design the resulting texture and microstructure and consequently optimize the properties of titanium products.

Ignimbrite textural properties as determinants of endolithic colonization patterns from hyper-arid Atacama Desert.

PubMed

Cámara, Beatriz; Suzuki, Shino; Nealson, Kenneth H; Wierzchos, Jacek; Ascaso, Carmen; Artieda, Octavio; de los Ríos, Asunción

2014-12-01

This study explores the photosynthetic microbial colonization of rhyolitic ignimbrites in Lomas de Tilocalar, a hyper-arid region of the Atacama Desert, Chile. Colonization appeared in the form of a green layer a few millimeters beneath the ignimbrite surface. Some ignimbrite rocks revealed two distinct micromorphological areas of identical mineralogical and chemical composition but different textural properties. According to texture, colonization patterns varied in terms of the extension and depth of colonization. The diversity of photosynthetic microorganisms was assessed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of the 23S rRNA gene and by generating clone libraries of the 16S rRNA gene. We observed a low diversity of photosynthetic microorganisms colonizing the ignimbrite microhabitat. Most rRNA gene sequences recovered greatly resembled those of Chroococcidiopsis hypolith clones from arid deserts. These results point to highly restrictive conditions of the hyper-arid Atacama Desert conditioning the diversity of cyanobacteria, and suggest that microbial colonization and composition patterns might be determined by the microscale physico-chemical properties of the ignimbrite rocks. Copyright© by the Spanish Society for Microbiology and Institute for Catalan Studies.

Solid state NMR and LVSEM studies on the hardening of latex modified tile mortar systems

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

Rottstegge, J.; Arnold, M.; Herschke, L.

Construction mortars contain a broad variety of both inorganic and organic additives beside the cement powder. Here we present a study of tile mortar systems based on portland cement, quartz, methyl cellulose and different latex additives. As known, the methyl cellulose stabilizes the freshly prepared cement paste, the latex additive enhances final hydrophobicity, flexibility and adhesion. Measurements were performed by solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and low voltage scanning electron microscopy (LVSEM) to probe the influence of the latex additives on the hydration, hardening and the final tile mortar properties. While solid state NMR enables monitoring of the bulkmore » composition, scanning electron microscopy affords visualization of particles and textures with respect to their shape and the distribution of the different phases. Within the alkaline cement paste, the poly(vinyl acetate) (VAc)-based latex dispersions stabilized by poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were found to be relatively stable against hydrolysis. The influence of the combined organic additives methyl cellulose, poly(vinyl alcohol) and latexes stabilized by poly(vinyl alcohol) on the final silicate structure of the cement hydration products is small. But even small amounts of additives result in an increased ratio of ettringite to monosulfate within the final hydrated tile mortar as monitored by {sup 27}Al NMR. The latex was found to be adsorbed to the inorganic surfaces, acting as glue to the inorganic components. For similar latex water interfaces built up by poly(vinyl alcohol), a variation in the latex polymer composition results in modified organic textures. In addition to the networks of the inorganic cement and of the latex, there is a weak network build up by thin polymer fibers, most probably originating from poly(vinyl alcohol). Besides the weak network, polymer fibers form well-ordered textures covering inorganic crystals such as portlandite.« less

Optimizing pulse compressibility in completely all-fibered Ytterbium chirped pulse amplifiers for in vivo two photon laser scanning microscopy

PubMed Central

Fernández, A.; Grüner-Nielsen, L.; Andreana, M.; Stadler, M.; Kirchberger, S.; Sturtzel, C.; Distel, M.; Zhu, L.; Kautek, W.; Leitgeb, R.; Baltuska, A.; Jespersen, K.; Verhoef, A.

2017-01-01

A simple and completely all-fiber Yb chirped pulse amplifier that uses a dispersion matched fiber stretcher and a spliced-on hollow core photonic bandgap fiber compressor is applied in nonlinear optical microscopy. This stretching-compression approach improves compressibility and helps to maximize the fluorescence signal in two-photon laser scanning microscopy as compared with approaches that use standard single mode fibers as stretcher. We also show that in femtosecond all-fiber systems, compensation of higher order dispersion terms is relevant even for pulses with relatively narrow bandwidths for applications relying on nonlinear optical effects. The completely all-fiber system was applied to image green fluorescent beads, a stained lily-of-the-valley root and rat-tail tendon. We also demonstrated in vivo imaging in zebrafish larvae, where we simultaneously measure second harmonic and fluorescence from two-photon excited red-fluorescent protein. Since the pulses are compressed in a fiber, this source is especially suited for upgrading existing laser scanning (confocal) microscopes with multiphoton imaging capabilities in space restricted settings or for incorporation in endoscope-based microscopy. PMID:28856032

Activated Carbon Fibers with Hierarchical Nanostructure Derived from Waste Cotton Gloves as High-Performance Electrodes for Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Wei, Chao; Yu, Jianlin; Yang, Xiaoqing; Zhang, Guoqing

2017-12-01

One of the most challenging issues that restrict the biomass/waste-based nanocarbons in supercapacitor application is the poor structural inheritability during the activating process. Herein, we prepare a class of activated carbon fibers by carefully selecting waste cotton glove (CG) as the precursor, which mainly consists of cellulose fibers that can be transformed to carbon along with good inheritability of their fiber morphology upon activation. As prepared, the CG-based activated carbon fiber (CGACF) demonstrates a surface area of 1435 m 2  g -1 contributed by micropores of 1.3 nm and small mesopores of 2.7 nm, while the fiber morphology can be well inherited from the CG with 3D interconnected frameworks created on the fiber surface. This hierarchically porous structure and well-retained fiber-like skeleton can simultaneously minimize the diffusion/transfer resistance of the electrolyte and electron, respectively, and maximize the surface area utilization for charge accumulation. Consequently, CGACF presents a higher specific capacitance of 218 F g -1 and an excellent high-rate performance as compared to commercial activated carbon.

Optimizing pulse compressibility in completely all-fibered Ytterbium chirped pulse amplifiers for in vivo two photon laser scanning microscopy.

PubMed

Fernández, A; Grüner-Nielsen, L; Andreana, M; Stadler, M; Kirchberger, S; Sturtzel, C; Distel, M; Zhu, L; Kautek, W; Leitgeb, R; Baltuska, A; Jespersen, K; Verhoef, A

2017-08-01

A simple and completely all-fiber Yb chirped pulse amplifier that uses a dispersion matched fiber stretcher and a spliced-on hollow core photonic bandgap fiber compressor is applied in nonlinear optical microscopy. This stretching-compression approach improves compressibility and helps to maximize the fluorescence signal in two-photon laser scanning microscopy as compared with approaches that use standard single mode fibers as stretcher. We also show that in femtosecond all-fiber systems, compensation of higher order dispersion terms is relevant even for pulses with relatively narrow bandwidths for applications relying on nonlinear optical effects. The completely all-fiber system was applied to image green fluorescent beads, a stained lily-of-the-valley root and rat-tail tendon. We also demonstrated in vivo imaging in zebrafish larvae, where we simultaneously measure second harmonic and fluorescence from two-photon excited red-fluorescent protein. Since the pulses are compressed in a fiber, this source is especially suited for upgrading existing laser scanning (confocal) microscopes with multiphoton imaging capabilities in space restricted settings or for incorporation in endoscope-based microscopy.

Study on the Microstructure, Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Behavior of Mg-Zn-Ca Alloy Wire for Biomaterial Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Maobo; Xu, Guangquan; Liu, Debao; Zhao, Yue; Ning, Baoqun; Chen, Minfang

2018-03-01

Due to their excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability, magnesium alloy wires have attracted much attention for biomaterial applications including orthopedic K-wires and sutures in wound closure. In this study, Mg-3Zn-0.2Ca alloy wires were prepared by cold drawing combined with proper intermediate annealing process. Microstructures, texture, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of Mg-3Zn-0.2Ca alloy wire in a simulated body fluid were investigated. The results showed that the secondary phase and average grain size of the Mg-3Zn-0.2Ca alloy were refined in comparison with the as-extruded alloy and a strong (0002)<10-10>//DD basal fiber texture system was formed after multi-pass cold drawing. After the annealing, most of the basal planes were tilted to the drawing direction (DD) by about 35°, presenting the characteristics of random texture, and the texture intensity decreased. The as-annealed wire shows good mechanical properties with the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS) and elongation of 253 ± 8.5 MPa, 212 ± 11.3 MPa and 9.2 ± 0.9%, respectively. Electrochemical and hydrogen evolution measurements showed that the corrosion resistance of the Mg-3Zn-0.2Ca alloy wire was improved after the annealing. The immersion test indicated that the Mg-3Zn-0.2Ca wire exhibited uniform corrosion behavior during the initial period of immersion, but then exhibited local corrosion behavior.

Soft matter strategies for controlling food texture: formation of hydrogel particles by biopolymer complex coacervation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Bi-cheng; Degner, Brian; McClements, David Julian

2014-11-01

Soft matter physics principles can be used to address important problems in the food industry. Starch granules are widely used in foods to create desirable textural attributes, but high levels of digestible starch may pose a risk of diabetes. Consequently, there is a need to find healthier replacements for starch granules. The objective of this research was to create hydrogel particles from protein and dietary fiber with similar dimensions and functional attributes as starch granules. Hydrogel particles were formed by mixing gelatin (0.5 wt%) with pectin (0 to 0.2 wt%) at pH values above the isoelectric point of the gelatin (pH 9, 30 °C). When the pH was adjusted to pH 5, the biopolymer mixture spontaneously formed micron-sized particles due to electrostatic attraction of cationic gelatin with anionic pectin through complex coacervation. Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy showed that the hydrogel particles were translucent and spheroid, and that their dimensions were determined by pectin concentration. At 0.01 wt% pectin, hydrogel particles with similar dimensions to swollen starch granules (D3,2 ≈ 23 µm) were formed. The resulting hydrogel suspensions had similar appearances to starch pastes and could be made to have similar textural attributes (yield stress and shear viscosity) by adjusting the effective hydrogel particle concentration. These hydrogel particles may therefore be used to improve the texture of reduced-calorie foods and thereby help tackle obesity and diabetes.

Laser intensity scaling through stimulated scattering in optical fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, Timothy H.

The influence of stimulated scattering on laser intensity in fiber optic waveguides is examined. Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in long, multimode optical waveguides is found to generate a Stokes beam that propagates in the fiber LP01 mode. This characteristic of the Stokes beam was first applied to beam cleanup, where an aberrated pump generated a Gaussian-like Stokes beam. Additionally, the same process is found to combine multiple laser beams into a single spatially coherent source. The mean square difference between the two beams was used to measure the degree of spatial overlap, demonstrating spatial coherence between the Stokes beams even when the pump beams are not spatially correlated. This result is obtained regardless of whether the pump beams are at the same or different frequencies; producing two temporally coherent or incoherent Stokes beams respectively. Limitations in beam cleanup and combining are also examined to identify ways to overcome them. Output couplers are designed that could be used to spatially filter the Stokes beam from the pump, thus increasing the number of beams that could be combined. The combined power restriction induced by second order Stokes threshold is examined experimentally and theoretically and is not found to be a significant limitation. Finally, stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) beam cleanup is examined to overcome the stringent spectral requirements on the pump beams required by SBS. The last portion of the dissertation theoretically examines suppression of stimulated Raman scattering in fibers to eliminate the restriction this imposes on the power of a fiber laser or amplifier. The suppression was modeled using both a holmium dopant and adding a long period grating to the fiber. Both methods were shown to have a significant effect on the SRS threshold.

Intermetallic Matrix Composites 3 Symposium Held in San Francisco, California on April 4 - 6, 1994. Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings. Volume 350

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-04-06

Structure. Texture , Properties and Applications. M. Parker. K. Barmak. R. Sinclair. D.A. Smith. J. Floro. 1994. ISBN: 1-55899-243-X Volume 344- Materials...Schematic of the tensile Fractography revealed that the Ni specimen, layer in the Ni-Al composites necked to a knife edge and multiple cracks formed...fibers. Thermochemical and mechanical properties, as well as fractography and microstructure will be presented. INTRODUCTION Polycrystalline silicon

Precooked bran-enriched wheat flour using extrusion: dietary fiber profile and sensory characteristics.

PubMed

Gajula, H; Alavi, S; Adhikari, K; Herald, T

2008-05-01

The effect of precooking by extrusion processing on the dietary fiber profile of wheat flour substituted with 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% wheat bran was evaluated. Depending on the level of bran, total dietary fiber (TDF) and soluble dietary fiber (SDF) in uncooked flours ranged from 4.2% to 17.2% and 1.5% to 2.4%, respectively. Precooking by extrusion significantly increased SDF in flours (by 22% to 73%); although in most cases it also led to a significant decrease in TDF. Cookies and tortillas produced from uncooked and precooked flours with 0% and 20% substituted bran were evaluated for consumer acceptability using a 9-point hedonic scale. With a few exceptions, all cookies had scores ranging from 6 to 7 ("like slightly" to "like moderately") for each attribute, including overall acceptability, appearance, texture, crumbliness, and flavor. Tortillas were rated for the same attributes except for crumbliness, which was replaced with chewiness. In most cases, tortilla scores ranged from 5 to 7 ("neither like nor dislike" to "like moderately"). Consumer acceptability scores of cookies from uncooked flour did not change significantly with increase in bran substitution from 0% to 20%. However, consumer scores for tortillas did decrease significantly with increase in bran level. Extrusion precooking of the flours did not improve the consumer acceptability of cookies and tortillas; however, it did improve their dietary fiber profile by increasing the SDF significantly.

Alternative Dietary Fiber Sources in Companion Animal Nutrition

PubMed Central

de Godoy, Maria R. C.; Kerr, Katherine R.; Fahey, George C.

2013-01-01

The US has a pet population of approximately 70 million dogs and 74 million cats. Humans have developed a strong emotional bond with companion animals. As a consequence, pet owners seek ways to improve health, quality of life and longevity of their pets. Advances in canine and feline nutrition have contributed to improved longevity and well-being. Dietary fibers have gained renewed interest in the pet food industry, due to their important role in affecting laxation and stool quality. More recently, because of increased awareness of the beneficial effects of dietary fibers in health, as well as the popularity of functional foods and holistic and natural diets, alternative and novel carbohydrates have become widespread in human and pet nutrition. Fiber sources from cereal grains, whole grains and fruits have received increasing attention by the pet food industry and pet owners. While limited scientific information is available on the nutritional and nutraceutical properties of alternative fiber sources, studies indicate that corn fiber is an efficacious fiber source for pets, showing no detrimental effects on palatability or nutrient digestibility, while lowering the glycemic response in adult dogs. Fruit fiber and pomaces have good water-binding properties, which may be advantageous in wet pet food production, where a greater water content is required, along with low water activity and a firm texture of the final product. Rice bran is a palatable fiber source for dogs and may be an economical alternative to prebiotic supplementation of pet foods. However, it increases the dietary requirement of taurine in cats. Barley up to 40% in a dry extruded diet is well tolerated by adult dogs. In addition, consumption of complex carbohydrates has shown a protective effect on cardiovascular disease and oxidative stress. Alternative fiber sources are suitable ingredients for pet foods. They have been shown to be nutritionally adequate and to have potential nutraceutical properties. PMID:23925042

Alternative dietary fiber sources in companion animal nutrition.

PubMed

de Godoy, Maria R C; Kerr, Katherine R; Fahey, George C

2013-08-06

The US has a pet population of approximately 70 million dogs and 74 million cats. Humans have developed a strong emotional bond with companion animals. As a consequence, pet owners seek ways to improve health, quality of life and longevity of their pets. Advances in canine and feline nutrition have contributed to improved longevity and well-being. Dietary fibers have gained renewed interest in the pet food industry, due to their important role in affecting laxation and stool quality. More recently, because of increased awareness of the beneficial effects of dietary fibers in health, as well as the popularity of functional foods and holistic and natural diets, alternative and novel carbohydrates have become widespread in human and pet nutrition. Fiber sources from cereal grains, whole grains and fruits have received increasing attention by the pet food industry and pet owners. While limited scientific information is available on the nutritional and nutraceutical properties of alternative fiber sources, studies indicate that corn fiber is an efficacious fiber source for pets, showing no detrimental effects on palatability or nutrient digestibility, while lowering the glycemic response in adult dogs. Fruit fiber and pomaces have good water-binding properties, which may be advantageous in wet pet food production, where a greater water content is required, along with low water activity and a firm texture of the final product. Rice bran is a palatable fiber source for dogs and may be an economical alternative to prebiotic supplementation of pet foods. However, it increases the dietary requirement of taurine in cats. Barley up to 40% in a dry extruded diet is well tolerated by adult dogs. In addition, consumption of complex carbohydrates has shown a protective effect on cardiovascular disease and oxidative stress. Alternative fiber sources are suitable ingredients for pet foods. They have been shown to be nutritionally adequate and to have potential nutraceutical properties.

Analysis of Visual Appearance of Retinal Nerve Fibers in High Resolution Fundus Images: A Study on Normal Subjects

PubMed Central

Tornow, Ralf P.; Odstrcilik, Jan; Mayer, Markus A.; Gazarek, Jiri; Jan, Jiri; Kubena, Tomas; Cernosek, Pavel

2013-01-01

The retinal ganglion axons are an important part of the visual system, which can be directly observed by fundus camera. The layer they form together inside the retina is the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL). This paper describes results of a texture RNFL analysis in color fundus photographs and compares these results with quantitative measurement of RNFL thickness obtained from optical coherence tomography on normal subjects. It is shown that local mean value, standard deviation, and Shannon entropy extracted from the green and blue channel of fundus images are correlated with corresponding RNFL thickness. The linear correlation coefficients achieved values 0.694, 0.547, and 0.512 for respective features measured on 439 retinal positions in the peripapillary area from 23 eyes of 15 different normal subjects. PMID:24454526

Analysis of visual appearance of retinal nerve fibers in high resolution fundus images: a study on normal subjects.

PubMed

Kolar, Radim; Tornow, Ralf P; Laemmer, Robert; Odstrcilik, Jan; Mayer, Markus A; Gazarek, Jiri; Jan, Jiri; Kubena, Tomas; Cernosek, Pavel

2013-01-01

The retinal ganglion axons are an important part of the visual system, which can be directly observed by fundus camera. The layer they form together inside the retina is the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL). This paper describes results of a texture RNFL analysis in color fundus photographs and compares these results with quantitative measurement of RNFL thickness obtained from optical coherence tomography on normal subjects. It is shown that local mean value, standard deviation, and Shannon entropy extracted from the green and blue channel of fundus images are correlated with corresponding RNFL thickness. The linear correlation coefficients achieved values 0.694, 0.547, and 0.512 for respective features measured on 439 retinal positions in the peripapillary area from 23 eyes of 15 different normal subjects.

Toughening Mechanisms in Nanolayered MAX Phase Ceramics—A Review

PubMed Central

Chen, Xinhua; Bei, Guoping

2017-01-01

Advanced engineering and functional ceramics are sensitive to damage cracks, which delay the wide applications of these materials in various fields. Ceramic composites with enhanced fracture toughness may trigger a paradigm for design and application of the brittle components. This paper reviews the toughening mechanisms for the nanolayered MAX phase ceramics. The main toughening mechanisms for these ternary compounds were controlled by particle toughening, phase-transformation toughening and fiber-reinforced toughening, as well as texture toughening. Based on the various toughening mechanisms in MAX phase, models of SiC particles and fibers toughening Ti3SiC2 are established to predict and explain the toughening mechanisms. The modeling work provides insights and guidance to fabricate MAX phase-related composites with optimized microstructures in order to achieve the desired mechanical properties required for harsh application environments. PMID:28772723

[Airborne asbestos fibers: law references, TLV, considerations].

PubMed

Massola, A

2003-01-01

The ACGIH proposal of 0.1 fibers/liter as TLV for airborne asbestos fibers isn't a properly parameter, because it is applicable in work environments and the Italian legislation has forbidden every work which employs asbestos from 1993 [Law 257/92 and Min.Dec. 6/9/94]. Actually in Italy the application of a TLV is only referred to two analytical results: A) 20 ff/liter by CPOM analysis, B) 2 ff/liter by SEM analysis. We think that a CPOM 4-5 ff/liter is a no trespassing limit and over this concentration alarm may be notified. Waste disposal of asbestos materials must be properly disposed in a restricted area.

Quantifying white matter tract diffusion parameters in the presence of increased extra-fiber cellularity and vasogenic edema

PubMed Central

Chiang, Chia-Wen; Wang, Yong; Sun, Peng; Lin, Tsen-Hsuan; Trinkaus, Kathryn; Cross, Anne H.; Song, Sheng-Kwei

2014-01-01

The effect of extra-fiber structural and pathological components confounding diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) computation was quantitatively investigated using data generated by both Monte-Carlo simulations and tissue phantoms. Increased extent of vasogenic edema, by addition of various amount of gel to fixed normal mouse trigeminal nerves or by increasing non-restricted isotropic diffusion tensor components in Monte-Carlo simulations, significantly decreased fractional anisotropy (FA), increased radial diffusivity, while less significantly increased axial diffusivity derived by DTI. Increased cellularity, mimicked by graded increase of the restricted isotropic diffusion tensor component in Monte-Carlo simulations, significantly decreased FA and axial diffusivity with limited impact on radial diffusivity derived by DTI. The MC simulation and tissue phantom data were also analyzed by the recently developed diffusion basis spectrum imaging (DBSI) to simultaneously distinguish and quantify the axon/myelin integrity and extra-fiber diffusion components. Results showed that increased cellularity or vasogenic edema did not affect the DBSI-derived fiber FA, axial or radial diffusivity. Importantly, the extent of extra-fiber cellularity and edema estimated by DBSI correlated with experimentally added gel and Monte-Carlo simulations. We also examined the feasibility of applying 25-direction diffusion encoding scheme for DBSI analysis on coherent white matter tracts. Results from both phantom experiments and simulations suggested that the 25-direction diffusion scheme provided comparable DBSI estimation of both fiber diffusion parameters and extra-fiber cellularity/edema extent as those by 99-direction scheme. An in vivo 25-direction DBSI analysis was performed on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE, an animal model of human multiple sclerosis) optic nerve as an example to examine the validity of derived DBSI parameters with post-imaging immunohistochemistry verification. Results support that in vivo DBSI using 25-direction diffusion scheme correctly reflect the underlying axonal injury, demyelination, and inflammation of optic nerves in EAE mice. PMID:25017446

Optimization of an organic yogurt based on sensorial, nutritional, and functional perspectives.

PubMed

Karnopp, Ariadne Roberto; Oliveira, Katherine Guimarães; de Andrade, Eriel Forville; Postingher, Bruna Mara; Granato, Daniel

2017-10-15

The effects of purple grape juice (PGJ), grape skin flour (GSF), and oligofructose (OLI) on proximate composition, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AA), sensory, physicochemical, and textural properties of yogurts were analyzed using response surface methodology. Multiple regression models were proposed and results showed that PGJ increased the viscosity, AA, and TPC, while GSF increased the ash and total fiber contents of yogurts. GSF and OLI increased the hardness and consistency. A simultaneous optimization was performed to maximize TPC, ash and fibers contents, and sensory acceptance: a yogurt containing 1.7% GSF and 8.0% PGJ had a high fiber (5.60±0.13%) and ash (0.76±0.02%) contents, TPC (28.32±2.10mg GAE/100g), AA toward DPPH (57.85±1.36mg AAE/100g), and total reducing capacity (28.86±5.19mg QE/100g). The optimized yogurt had 79% acceptability index, indicating the use of PGJ and GSF is a feasible alternative to increase the functional properties of yogurts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality characteristics of pork burger added with albedo-fiber powder obtained from yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis var. flavicarpa) co-products.

PubMed

López-Vargas, Jairo H; Fernández-López, Juana; Pérez-Álvarez, José Ángel; Viuda-Martos, Manuel

2014-06-01

The aim of this work determined the technological, nutritional and sensory characteristics of pork burgers, added with different concentrations (2.5 and 5%) of passion fruit albedo (PFA) co-product, obtained from passion fruit juice processing. The addition of PFA on pork burgers improves their nutritional value (higher fiber content). In raw and cooked burger, all textural parameters, except springiness and cohesiveness, were affected by the incorporation of PFA. PFA addition was found to be effective improving the cooking yield, moisture retention and fat retention. The raw and cooked pork burgers added with PFA had lower TBA values and lower counts of aerobic mesophilic bacteria and enterobacteria than the control samples. No Escherichia coli and molds were found in the samples. The overall acceptability scores showed that the most appreciated sample was the one containing 2.5% PFA. According to the results obtained, 2.5 and 5% of PFA addition can be recommended in pork burger production as a new dietary fiber source. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Light backscatter fiber optic sensor: a new tool for predicting the stability of pork emulsions containing antioxidative potato protein hydrolysate.

PubMed

Nieto, Gema; Xiong, Youling L; Payne, Fred; Castillo, Manuel

2015-02-01

The objective of this study was to determine whether light backscatter response from fresh pork meat emulsions is correlated to final product stability indices. A specially designed fiber optic measurement system was used in combination with a miniature fiber optic spectrometer to determine the intensity of light backscatter within the wavelength range 300-1100 nm (UV/VIS/NIR) at different radial distances (2, 2.5 and 3mm) with respect to the light source in pork meat emulsions with two fat levels (15%, 30%) and two levels (0, 2.5%) of the natural antioxidant hydrolyzed potato protein (HPP). Textural parameters (hardness, deformability, cohesiveness and breaking force), cooking loss, TBARS (1, 2, 3, and 7 days of storage at 4 °C) and CIELAB color coordinates of cooked emulsions were measured. The light backscatter was directly correlated with cooking losses, color, breaking force and TBARS. The optical configuration proposed would compensate for the emulsion heterogeneity, maximizing the existing correlation between the optical signal and the emulsion quality metrics.

Evaluation of rheological, bioactives and baking characteristics of mango ginger (curcuma amada) enriched soup sticks.

PubMed

Crassina, K; Sudha, M L

2015-09-01

Wheat flour was replaced with mango ginger powder (MGP) at 0, 5, 10 and 15 %. Influence of MGP on rheological and baking characteristics was studied. Farinograph was used to study the mixing profile of wheat flour-MGP blend. Pasting profile of the blends namely gelatinization and retrogradation were carried out using micro-visco-amylograph. Test baking was done to obtain the optimum level of replacement and processing conditions. Sensory attributes consisting texture, taste, overall quality and breaking strength were assessed. Nutritional characterization of the soup sticks in terms of protein and starch in vitro digestibility, dietary fiber, minerals, polyphenols and antioxidant activity were determined using standard methods. With the increasing levels of MGP from 0 to 15 %, the farinograph water absorption increased from 60 to 66.7 %. A marginal increase in the gelatinization temperature from 65.4 to 66.2 °C was observed. Retrogradation of gelatinized starch granules decreased with the addition of MGP. The results indicated that the soup stick with 10 % MG had acceptable sensory attributes. The soup stick showed further improvement in terms of texture and breaking strength with the addition of gluten powder, potassium bromate and glycerol monostearate. The total dietary fiber and antioxidant activity of the soup sticks having 10 % MGP increased from 3.31 to 8.64 % and 26.83 to 48.06 % respectively as compared to the control soup sticks. MGP in soup sticks improved the nutritional profile.

The mechanisms of filter feeding on oil droplets: Theoretical considerations.

PubMed

Mehrabian, Sasan; Letendre, Francis; Cameron, Christopher B

2018-04-01

Filter feeding animals capture food particles and oil droplets from the fluid environment using cilia or appendages composed of arrays of fibers. Here we review the theoretical models that have provided a foundation for observations on the efficiency of particle capture. We then provide the mathematical theoretical framework to characterize the efficient filtration of oil droplets. In the aquatic and marine environments oil droplets are released from the decay of organisms or as hydrocarbons. Droplet size and flow velocity, oil-to-water viscosity ratio, oil-water interfacial tension, oil and water density difference, and the surface wettability, or surface texture, of the filter fiber are the key parameters for oil droplet capture. Following capture, capillary force maintains the droplet at its location due to the oil-water interfacial tension. If the oil-coated fiber is subject to any external force such as viscous or gravitational forces, it may deform and separate from the fiber and re-enter the fluid stream. We show oil droplet capture in Daphnia and the barnacle Balanus glandula, and outline some of the ecological unknowns regarding oil capture in the oceans. Awareness of these mechanisms and their interrelationships will provide a foundation for investigations into the efficiency of various modes of filter feeding on oil droplets. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tactile discrimination and representations of texture, shape, and softness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srinivasan, M. A.; Lamotte, R. H.

1991-01-01

We present here some of the salient results on the tactual discriminabilities of human subjects obtained through psychophysical experiments, and the associated peripheral neural codes obtained through electrophysiological recordings from monkey single nerve fibers. Humans can detect the presence of a 2 micron high single dot on a smooth glass plate stroked on the skin, based on the responses of Meissner type rapidly adapting fibers (RAs). They can also detect a 0.06 micron high grating on the plate, owing to the response of Pacinian corpuscle fibers. Among all the possible representations of the shapes of objects, the surface curvature distribution seems to be the most relevant for tactile sensing. Slowly adapting fibers respond to both the change and rate of change of curvature of the skin surface at the most sensitive spot in their receptive fields, whereas RAs respond only to the rate of change of curvature. Human discriminability of compliance of objects depends on whether the object has a deformable or rigid surface. When the surface is deformable, the spatial pressure distribution within the contact region is dependent on object compliance, and hence information from cutaneous mechanoreceptors is sufficient for discrimination of subtle differences in compliance. When the surface is rigid, kinesthetic information is necessary for discrimination, and the discriminability is much poorer than that for objects with deformable surfaces.

Effect of reduction of area on microstructure and mechanical properties of twinning-induced plasticity steel during wire drawing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Joong-Ki; Son, Il-Heon; Yoo, Jang-Yong; Zargaran, A.; Kim, Nack J.

2015-09-01

The effect of reduction of area (RA), 10%, 20%, and 30%, during wire drawing on the inhomogeneities in microstructure and mechanical properties along the radial direction of Fe-Mn-Al-C twinning-induced plasticity steel has been investigated. After wire drawing, the deformation texture developed into the major <111> and minor <100> duplex fiber texture. However, the <111> texture became more pronounced in both center and surface areas as the RA per pass increased. It also shows that a larger RA per pass resulted in a higher yield strength and smaller elongation than a smaller RA per pass at all strain levels. Although inhomogeneities in microstructure and mechanical properties along the radial direction decreased with increasing RA per pass, there existed an optimum RA per pass for maximum drawing limit. Insufficient penetration of strain from surface to center at small RA per pass (e.g., 10%) and high friction and unsound metal flow at large RA per pass (e.g., 30%) all resulted in heterogeneous microstructure and mechanical properties along the radial direction of drawn wire. On the other hand, 20% RA per pass improved the drawing limit by about 30% as compared to the 10% and 30% RAs per pass.

Influence of intermediate annealing on abnormal Goss grain growth in the rolled columnar-grained Fe-Ga-Al alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yangyang; Li, Jiheng; Gao, Xuexu

2017-08-01

Magnetostrictive Fe82Ga4.5Al13.5 sheets with 0.1 at% NbC were prepared from directional solidified alloys with <0 0 1> preferred orientation. The slabs were hot rolled at 650 °C and warm rolled at 500 °C. Then some warm-rolled sheets were annealed intermediately at 850 °C for 5 min but the others not. After that, all the sheets were cold rolled to a final thickness of ∼0.3 mm. The microstructures, the textures and the distributions of second phase particles in the primary recrystallized samples were investigated. With intermediate annealing, the inhomogeneous microstructure was improved remarkably and strong Goss ({1 1 0}<0 0 1>) and γ-fiber (<1 1 1>//normal direction [ND]) textures were produced in the primary recrystallized samples. But, an evident disadvantage in size and quantity was observed for Goss grains in the primary recrystallized sample without intermediate annealing. After a final annealing, the final textures and magnetostrictions of samples with and without intermediate annealing were characterized. For samples without intermediate annealing, abnormal growth of {1 1 3} grains occurred and deteriorated the magnetostriction. In contrast, abnormal Goss grain growth occurred completely in samples with intermediate annealing and led to saturation magnetostriction as high as 156 ppm.

A novel ultra-low carbon grain oriented silicon steel produced by twin-roll strip casting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yang; Zhang, Yuan-Xiang; Lu, Xiang; Fang, Feng; Xu, Yun-Bo; Cao, Guang-Ming; Li, Cheng-Gang; Misra, R. D. K.; Wang, Guo-Dong

2016-12-01

A novel ultra-low carbon grain oriented silicon steel was successfully produced by strip casting and two-stage cold rolling method. The microstructure, texture and precipitate evolution under different first cold rolling reduction were investigated. It was shown that the as-cast strip was mainly composed of equiaxed grains and characterized by very weak Goss texture ({110}<001>) and λ-fiber (<001>//ND). The coarse sulfides of size 100 nm were precipitated at grain boundaries during strip casting, while nitrides remained in solution in the as-cast strip and the fine AlN particles of size 20-50 nm, which were used as grain growth inhibitors, were formed in intermediate annealed sheet after first cold rolling. In addition, the suitable Goss nuclei for secondary recrystallization were also formed during intermediate annealing, which is totally different from the conventional process that the Goss nuclei originated in the subsurface layer of the hot rolled sheet. Furthermore, the number of AlN inhibitors and the intensity of desirable Goss texture increased with increasing first cold rolling reduction. After secondary recrystallization annealing, very large grains of size 10-40 mm were formed and the final magnetic induction, B8, was as high as 1.9 T.

Effect of Sn Micro-alloying on Recrystallization Nucleation and Growth Processes of Ferritic Stainless Steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Tong; Bai, Yang; Liu, Xiuting; Guo, Dan; Liu, Yandong

2018-04-01

We investigated the effect of Sn micro-alloying on recrystallization nucleation and growth processes of ferritic stainless steels. The as-received hot rolled sheets were cold rolled up to 80% reduction and then annealed at 740-880 °C for 5 min. The cold rolling and recrystallization microstructures and micro-textures of Sn-containing and Sn-free ferritic stainless steels were all determined by electron backscatter diffraction. Our Results show that Sn micro-alloying has important effects on recrystallization nucleation and growth processes of ferritic stainless steels. Sn micro-alloying conduces to grain fragmentation in the deformation band, more fragmented grains are existed in Sn-containing cold rolled sheets, which provides more sites for recrystallization nucleation. Sn micro-alloying also promotes recrystallization process and inhibits the growth of recrystallized grains. The recrystallization nucleation and growth mechanism of Sn-containing and Sn-free ferritic stainless steels are both characterized by orientation nucleation and selective growth, but Sn micro-alloying promotes the formation of γ-oriented grains. Furthermore, Sn micro-alloying contributes to the formation of Σ13b CSL boundaries and homogeneous γ-fiber texture. Combining the results of microstructure and micro-texture, the formability of Sn-containing ferritic stainless steels will be improved to some extent.

Effect of CMC and arabic gum in the manufacture of jackfruit velva (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yudhistira, B.; Riyadi, N. H.; Pangestika, A. D.; Pertiwi, S. R.

2018-03-01

Velva is one type of frozen dessert which is made from fruit/vegetable with ice cream maker, low fat and high fiber content. Jackfruit is a raw material for the manufacture of velva because of the high fiber content of 2.31 gr. The use of a stabilizers combination of CMC and arabic gum in the manufacture of velva will provide a better gel mix than single use. The purpose of this research is to know the influence of variation of CMC and arabic gum stabilizer on the characteristics (physical, chemical, and sensory) of jackfruit velva (Artocarpus heterophyllus) and determine variations in the most appropriate combinations of stabilizers to produce jackfruit velva with the best quality. This research applied Completely Randomized Design consist of one factor which is the combination of CMC and arabic gum levels in the making of jackfruit velva with two replicates and two replications of the analysis. The data obtained then analyzed statistically using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA), when there is a significant difference, then followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at significance level of 0.05. The results of this study concluded that the jackfruit velva with the addition of various concentrations of CMC and arabic gum is significantly affecting the taste, texture and overall parameters, but no significant difference on the color and flavor parameters of jackfruit velva. Based on the results of physical characteristics, chemical and sensory jackfruit velva with the addition of a stabilizing concentration of CMC and arabic gum 1: 1 result in best jackfruit velva. The best jackfruit velva with stabilizing the concentration of CMC and arabic gum 1: 1 contains a water content of 61.95%, dietary fiber 2.231%, total dissolved solids 20.38 °Brix, overrun 19.709%, meltdown 28.215 minutes. As for the color attribute score 3.72; Taste 4; flavor 3.60; Texture 3.68, and overall 3.88.

Stretching single fibrin fibers hampers their lysis.

PubMed

Li, Wei; Lucioni, Tomas; Li, Rongzhong; Bonin, Keith; Cho, Samuel S; Guthold, Martin

2017-09-15

Blood clots, whose main structural component is a mesh of microscopic fibrin fibers, experience mechanical strain from blood flow, clot retraction and interactions with platelets and other cells. We developed a transparent, striated and highly stretchable substrate made from fugitive glue (a styrenic block copolymer) to investigate how mechanical strain affects lysis of single, suspended fibrin fibers. In this suspended fiber assay, lysis manifested itself by fiber elongation, thickening (disassembly), fraying and collapse. Stretching single fibrin fibers significantly hampered their lysis. This effect was seen in uncrosslinked and crosslinked fibers. Crosslinking (without stretching) also hampered single fiber lysis. Our data suggest that strain is a novel mechanosensitive factor that regulates blood clot dissolution (fibrinolysis) at the single fiber level. At the molecular level of single fibrin molecules, strain may distort, or hinder access to, plasmin cleavage sites and thereby hamper lysis. Fibrin fibers are the major structural component of a blood clot. We developed a highly stretchable substrate made from fugitive glue and a suspended fibrin fiber lysis assay to investigate the effect of stretching on single fibrin fibers lysis. The key findings from our experiments are: 1) Fibers thicken and elongate upon lysis; 2) stretching strongly reduces lysis; 3) this effect is more pronounced for uncrosslinked fibers; and 4) stretching fibers has a similar effect on reducing lysis as crosslinking fibers. At the molecular level, strain may distort plasmin cleavage sites, or restrict access to those sites. Our results suggest that strain may be a novel mechanobiological factor that regulates fibrinolysis. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of whole wheat flour on the quality, texture profile, and oxidation stability of instant fried noodles.

PubMed

Cao, Xinlei; Zhou, Sumei; Yi, Cuiping; Wang, Li; Qian, Haifeng; Zhang, Hui; Qi, Xiguang

2017-12-01

The effects of whole wheat flour (WWF) on pasting properties of instant fried noodle dry mix and quality of final product were investigated in this research. Refined wheat flour in the recipe for instant-fried noodle was replaced by WWF at different levels. The peak and final viscosities were significantly and negatively correlated to WWF substitution level. With increasing WWF level, the hardness, cohesiveness, adhesiveness, and resilience values of instant fried noodles decreased by 11.63, 16.23, 16.67, 20.00%, respectively. WWF darkened noodle's surface color and increased its oil content (26.63%). A porous and less uniformed structure of the WWF instant fried noodles was observed by a scanning electron microscope. Moreover, the WWF incorporation lowered peroxide values of the instant fried noodles during storage. In conclusion, even though the oil content increased, WWF was helpful to inhibit the oil oxidation and produce instant fried noodles with softer texture and less sticky surface. Refined wheat flour in the recipe for instant-fried noodle was replaced by whole wheat flour (WWF), which is rich in dietary fibers, vitamins, and other bioactive compounds. The addition of WWF delayed the retrogradation tendency of starch in the dry mix. WWF-added instant noodles had softer texture, less sticky surface, and lower peroxide value. Based on the results of this study, the refined wheat flour in the recipe for instant-fried noodle could be partially replaced by WWF to make noodles with better texture profile and higher consumer acceptance. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Multiple-Fiber-Optic Probe For Light-Scattering Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dhadwal, Harbans Singh; Ansari, Rafat R.

1996-01-01

Multiple-fiber-optical probe developed for use in measuring light scattered at various angles from specimens of materials. Designed for both static and dynamic light-scattering measurements of colloidal dispersions. Probe compact, rugged unit containing no moving parts and remains stationary during operation. Not restricted to operation in controlled, research-laboratory environment. Positioned inside or outside light-scattering chamber. Provides simultaneous measurements at small angular intervals over range of angles, made to include small scattering angles by orienting probe in appropriate direction.

Role of xyloglucan in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fiber elongation of the short fiber mutant Ligon lintless-2 (Li2).

PubMed

Naoumkina, Marina; Hinchliffe, Doug J; Fang, David D; Florane, Christopher B; Thyssen, Gregory N

2017-08-30

Xyloglucan is a matrix polysaccharide found in the cell walls of all land plants. In growing cells, xyloglucan is thought to connect cellulose microfibrils and regulate their separation during wall extension. Ligon lintless-2 (Li 2 ) is a monogenic dominant cotton fiber mutation that causes extreme reduction in lint fiber length with no pleiotropic effects on vegetative growth. Li 2 represents an excellent model system to study fiber elongation. To understand the role of xyloglucan in cotton fiber elongation we used the short fiber mutant Li 2 and its near isogenic wild type for analysis of xyloglucan content and expression of xyloglucan-related genes in developing fibers. Accumulation of xyloglucan was significantly higher in Li 2 developing fibers than in wild type. Genes encoding enzymes for nine family members of xyloglucan biosynthesis were identified in the draft Gossypium hirsutum genome. RNAseq analysis revealed that most differentially expressed xyloglucan-related genes were down-regulated in Li 2 fiber cells. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that the peak of expression for the majority of xyloglucan-related genes in wild type developing fibers was 5-16days post anthesis (DPA) compared to 1-3 DPA in Li 2 fibers. Thus, our results suggest that early activation of xyloglucan-related genes and down regulation of xyloglucan degradation genes during the elongation phase lead to elevated accumulation of xyloglucan that restricts elongation of fiber cells in Li 2 . Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Effects of Vitamin D Restricted Diet Administered during Perinatal and Postnatal Periods on the Penis of Wistar Rats

PubMed Central

Fernandes-Lima, Flávia; Gregório, Bianca M.; Nascimento, Fernanda A. M.; Costa, Waldemar S.; Sampaio, Francisco J. B.

2018-01-01

Vitamin D deficiency is common in pregnant women and infants. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin D restricted diet on the Wistar rats offspring penis morphology. Mother rats received either standard diet (SC) or vitamin D restricted (VitD) diet. At birth, offspring were divided into SC/SC (from SC mothers, fed with SC diet) and VitD/VitD (from VitD mothers, fed with VitD diet). After euthanasia the penises were processed for histomorphometric analysis. The VitD/VitD offspring displayed metabolic changes and reduction in the cross-sectional area of the penis, corpus cavernosum, tunica albuginea, and increased area of the corpus spongiosum. The connective tissue, smooth muscle, and cell proliferation percentages were greater in the corpus cavernosum and corpus spongiosum in the VitD/VitD offspring. The percentages of sinusoidal spaces and elastic fibers in the corpus cavernosum decreased. The elastic fibers in the tunica albuginea of the corpus spongiosum in the VitD/VitD offspring were reduced. Vitamin D restriction during perinatal and postnatal periods induced metabolic and structural changes and represented important risk factors for erectile dysfunction in the penis of the adult offspring. These findings suggest that vitamin D is an important micronutrient in maintaining the cytoarchitecture of the penis. PMID:29850540

Sensory, Physico-Chemical and Water Sorption Properties of Corn Extrudates Enriched with Spirulina.

PubMed

Tańska, Małgorzata; Konopka, Iwona; Ruszkowska, Millena

2017-09-01

This study compares the quality of extrudates made from corn grits with the addition of up to 8% of spirulina powder. The sensory properties (shape, color, aroma, taste and crispness), chemicals (content of water, protein, fat, ash, fiber, carbohydrates, carotenoids, chlorophyll and phycocyanin) and physical properties (color, water absorption index, expansion indices, texture and water sorption properties) were determined. It has been found that spirulina-enriched extrudates had slightly lower sensory scores, but the addition of spirulina improved their nutritional value. The contents of protein, ash, fiber and β-carotene increased in extrudates with 8% of spirulina by 34, 36, 140 and 1,260%, respectively. The increasing addition of spirulina caused a decrease in extrudates lightness, an increase in their greenness and yellowness accompanied by a decrease of expansion indices and an increase of softness. Only small differences were found in water sorption properties, suggesting a similar behavior of spirulina-enriched extrudates during storage.

Femtosecond laser surface texturing of 3D poly-ε-caprolactone matrices for bone tissue engineering applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daskalova, A.; Bliznakova, I.; Zhelyazkova, A.; Ostrowska, B.; Trifonov, A.; Buchvarov, I.; Avramov, L.; Husinsky, W.

2018-03-01

Fibrous 3D matrices were fabricated from poly-ɛ-caprolactone (PCL) by fused deposition modeling. Femtosecond laser irradiation was then used to demonstrate the possibility to affect the porosity of the 3D PCL fiber meshes. The surface characteristics were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal microscopy. The interrelationship was examined between the laser processing parameters (number of pulses, pulse energy applied) and the response of the biomaterial. The formation was demonstrated of well-defined micropores, while the original fiber structure was retained. The study of cells cultivation on the laser-modified scaffolds showed good adhesion compared to a non-modified scaffold. The results obtained showed that femtosecond laser processing can be used as an alternative non-contact tool in enhancing the porosity of artificial constructs, thus influencing the cell adhesion into fibrous meshes.

Effect of enzymatic depolymerization on physicochemical and rheological properties of guar gum.

PubMed

Mudgil, Deepak; Barak, Sheweta; Khatkar, B S

2012-09-01

Depolymerization of guar gum using enzymatic hydrolysis was performed to obtain depolymerized guar gum having functional application as soluble dietary fiber. Enzymatic hydrolysis of guar gum significantly affected the physicochemical and rheological characteristics of guar gum. The depolymerized guar gum showed a significant increase in crystallinity index from 3.86% to 13.2% and flow behavior index from 0.31 to 1.7 as compared to native guar gum. Remarkable decrease in intrinsic viscosity and consistency index was also observed from 9 to 0.28 and 4.04 to 0.07, respectively. Results revealed that enzymatic hydrolysis of guar gum resulted in a polysaccharide with low degree of polymerization, viscosity and consistency which could make it useful for incorporation in food products as dietary fiber without affecting the rheology, consistency and texture of the products. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance improvements of wavelength-shifting-fiber neutron detectors using high-resolution positioning algorithms

DOE PAGES

Wang, C. L.

2016-05-17

On the basis of FluoroBancroft linear-algebraic method [S.B. Andersson, Opt. Exp. 16, 18714 (2008)] three highly-resolved positioning methods were proposed for wavelength-shifting fiber (WLSF) neutron detectors. Using a Gaussian or exponential-decay light-response function (LRF), the non-linear relation of photon-number profiles vs. x-pixels was linearized and neutron positions were determined. The proposed algorithms give an average 0.03-0.08 pixel position error, much smaller than that (0.29 pixel) from a traditional maximum photon algorithm (MPA). The new algorithms result in better detector uniformity, less position misassignment (ghosting), better spatial resolution, and an equivalent or better instrument resolution in powder diffraction than the MPA.more » Moreover, these characters will facilitate broader applications of WLSF detectors at time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction beamlines, including single-crystal diffraction and texture analysis.« less

Pea and Broad Bean Pods as a Natural Source of Dietary Fiber: The Impact on Texture and Sensory Properties of Cake.

PubMed

Belghith-Fendri, Lilia; Chaari, Fatma; Kallel, Fatma; Zouari-Ellouzi, Soumaya; Ghorbel, Raoudha; Besbes, Souhail; Ellouz-Chaabouni, Semia; Ghribi-Aydi, Dhouha

2016-10-01

Attention has focused on bakery products such as cake which is one of the most common bakery products consumed by people in the world. Legume by-products, pea pods (PPs) (Pisum sativum L.) and broad bean pods (BBPs) (Vicia faba L.) mediterranean (Tunisian), has been studied for its high dietary fiber content (PP: 43.87 g/100 g; BBP: 53.01 g/100 g). Protein content was also a considerable component for both by-products. We investigated the effect of substituted of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% of PP and BBP flours on the sensory and technological properties in cake. Cakes hardness increased whereas L * and a * color values decreased. The overall acceptability rate showed that a maximum of 15% of PP and BBP flours can be added to prepare acceptable quality cakes. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Addition of soluble soybean polysaccharides to dairy products as a source of dietary fiber.

PubMed

Chen, Wenpu; Duizer, Lisa; Corredig, Milena; Goff, H Douglas

2010-08-01

Increasing consumption of dietary fiber in food leads to many important health benefits: for example, reduction in blood cholesterol, reduced risk of diabetes, and improved laxation. Water soluble soybean polysaccharide (SSPS) is a dietary fiber extracted and refined from okara, a byproduct of soy manufacturing. It was incorporated into 3 categories of dairy-based products, thickened milkshake-style beverages, puddings, and low-fat ice cream, to the maximum amount without over-texturing the food. Rheological measurements and sensory tests were used to develop desirable SSPS-fortified products. From the rheological data, 4% SSPS-fortified dairy beverages and 4% SSPS -fortified puddings were in the range of commercial products. From sensory analyses, 4% SSPS-fortified dairy beverage with 0.015%kappa-carrageenan, 4% SSPS-fortified pudding with 0.1%kappa-carrageenan, and 2% SSPS-fortified low-fat ice cream gained the highest scores in consumer hedonic rating. Panelists also indicated their willingness to consume those products if they were available commercially. Practical Application: Since the dietary fiber intake of many people is below their suggested adequate intake values, strategies to successfully fortify foods with fiber may help alleviate this gap. We have developed 3 dairy products, a beverage, a pudding, and a low-fat ice cream, that have been fortified with soluble soybean polysaccharide at levels of 4%, 4%, and 2%, respectively. These products were within acceptable ranges of rheological parameters and other physical stability measurements and were judged to be acceptable by sensory analyses.

Responses of plant available water and forest productivity to variably layered coarse textured soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Mingbin; Barbour, Lee; Elshorbagy, Amin; Si, Bing; Zettl, Julie

2010-05-01

Reforestation is a primary end use for reconstructed soils following oil sands mining in northern Alberta, Canada. Limited soil water conditions strongly restrict plant growth. Previous research has shown that layering of sandy soils can produce enhanced water availability for plant growth; however, the effect of gradation on these enhancements is not well defined. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of soil texture (gradation and layering) on plant available water and consequently on forest productivity for reclaimed coarse textured soils. A previously validated system dynamics (SD) model of soil moisture dynamics was coupled with ecophysiological and biogeochemical processes model, Biome-BGC-SD, to simulate forest dynamics for different soil profiles. These profiles included contrasting 50 cm textural layers of finer sand overlying coarser sand in which the sand layers had either a well graded or uniform soil texture. These profiles were compared to uniform profiles of the same sands. Three tree species of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), white spruce (Picea glauce Voss.), and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) were simulated using a 50 year climatic data base from northern Alberta. Available water holding capacity (AWHC) was used to identify soil moisture regime, and leaf area index (LAI) and net primary production (NPP) were used as indices of forest productivity. Published physiological parameters were used in the Biome-BGC-SD model. Relative productivity was assessed by comparing model predictions to the measured above-ground biomass dynamics for the three tree species, and was then used to study the responses of forest leaf area index and potential productivity to AWHC on different soil profiles. Simulated results indicated soil layering could significantly increase AWHC in the 1-m profile for coarse textured soils. This enhanced AWHC could result in an increase in forest LAI and NPP. The increased extent varied with soil textures and vegetative types. The simulated results showed that the presence of 50 cm of coarser graded sand overlying 50 cm of finer graded sand is the most effective reclaimed prescription to increase AWHC and forest productivity among the studied soil profiles.

FIBER AND INTEGRATED OPTICS: Anisotropic waveguides with an elliptic stress-inducing cladding and a circular core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arutyunyan, Z. É.; Grudinin, A. B.; Gur'yanov, A. N.; Gusovskiĭ, D. D.; Dianov, Evgenii M.; Ignat'ev, S. V.; Smirnov, O. B.

1990-10-01

A technology of fabrication of anisotropic single-mode fiber waveguides with an elliptic stress-inducing cladding and a circular core was developed. This technology was used to make fiber waveguides with a birefringence (1-3) × 10 - 4, a coefficient representing the coupling between the polarization modes h = (5-7) × 10 - 5 m - 1, and optical losses a = 0.5 dB/km in the vicinity of 1.6 μm. A comparison was made of the experimental data with the results of a theoretical analysis. It was found that certain mechanisms restricted the ability of these waveguides to maintain a constant polarization of the injected linearly polarized radiation.

Laser linewidth dependence to the transverse mode instability (TMI) nonlinear gain in kW-class fiber amplifiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mermelstein, Marc D.

2018-02-01

The thermal grating (TG) and inversion grating (IG) TMI gain dependence on the light beating intensity spectrum is investigated. TMI gain is restricted to intensity bandwidths comparable to the thermal gain bandwidth of 20 kHz. Seed laser phase noise generates intensity spectra determined by the laser linewidth and the relative group delay time of the gain fiber. These spectral bandwidths exceed the thermal gain bandwidth by orders of magnitude in both the coherent and incoherent regimes, making them unlikely sources of TMI. It is suggested that phase noise generated in the gain fiber due to external perturbations may be the source of the TMI.

Cell/surface interactions on laser micro-textured titanium-coated silicon surfaces.

PubMed

Mwenifumbo, Steven; Li, Mingwei; Chen, Jianbo; Beye, Aboubaker; Soboyejo, Wolé

2007-01-01

This paper examines the effects of nano-scale titanium coatings, and micro-groove/micro-grid patterns on cell/surface interactions on silicon surfaces. The nature of the cellular attachment and adhesion to the coated/uncoated micro-textured surfaces was elucidated by the visualization of the cells and relevant cytoskeletal & focal adhesion proteins through scanning electron microscopy and immunofluorescence staining. Increased cell spreading and proliferation rates are observed on surfaces with 50 nm thick Ti coatings. The micro-groove geometries have been shown to promote contact guidance, which leads to reduced scar tissue formation. In contrast, smooth surfaces result in random cell orientations and the increased possibility of scar tissue formation. Immunofluorescence cell staining experiments also reveal that the actin stress fibers are aligned along the groove dimensions, with discrete focal adhesions occurring along the ridges, within the grooves and at the ends of the cell extensions. The implications of the observed cell/surface interactions are discussed for possible applications of silicon in implantable biomedical systems.

Germinated brown rice and its bio-functional compounds.

PubMed

Cho, Dong-Hwa; Lim, Seung-Taik

2016-04-01

Brown rice (BR) contains bran layers and embryo, where a variety of nutritional and biofunctional components, such as dietary fibers, γ-oryzanol, vitamins, and minerals, exist. However, BR is consumed less than white rice because it has an inferior eating texture when cooked. Germination is one of the techniques used to improve the texture of the cooked BR. In addition, it induces numerous changes in the composition and chemical structure of the bioactive components. Moreover, many studies reported that the germination could induce the formation of new bioactive compounds, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The consumption of germinated brown rice (GBR) is increasing in many Asian countries because of its improved eating quality and potential health-promoting functions. However, there is still a lack of studies on the compositional and functional changes of the bioactive components during germination. This review contains recent research findings, especially on the bioactive components in GBR. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality assessment of noodles made from blends of rice flour and canna starch.

PubMed

Wandee, Yuree; Uttapap, Dudsadee; Puncha-arnon, Santhanee; Puttanlek, Chureerat; Rungsardthong, Vilai; Wetprasit, Nuanchawee

2015-07-15

Canna starch and its derivatives (retrograded, retrograded debranched, and cross-linked) were evaluated for their suitability to be used as prebiotic sources in a rice noodle product. Twenty percent of the rice flour was replaced with these tested starches, and the noodles obtained were analyzed for morphology, cooking qualities, textural properties, and capability of producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Cross-linked canna starch could increase tensile strength and elongation of rice noodles. Total dietary fiber (TDF) content of noodles made from rice flour was 3.0% and increased to 5.1% and 7.3% when rice flour was replaced with retrograded and retrograded debranched starches, respectively. Cooking qualities and textural properties of noodles containing 20% retrograded debranched starch were mostly comparable, while the capability of producing SCFAs and butyric acid was superior to the control rice noodles; the cooked noodle strips also showed fewer tendencies to stick together. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Theoretical and experimental study of highly textured GaAs on silicon using a graphene buffer layer

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

Alaskar, Yazeed; Arafin, Shamsul; Lin, Qiyin

2015-09-01

A novel heteroepitaxial growth technique, quasi-van der Waals epitaxy, promises the ability to deposit three-dimensional GaAs materials on silicon using two-dimensional graphene as a buffer layer by overcoming the lattice and thermal expansion mismatch. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) simulations were performed to understand the interactions at the GaAs/graphene hetero-interface as well as the growth orientations of GaAs on graphene. To develop a better understanding of the molecular beam epitaxy-grown GaAs films on graphene, samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction (..theta..-2..theta.. scan, ..omega..-scan, grazing incidence XRD and pole figure measurement) and transmission electron microscopy. The realizations of smoothmore » GaAs films with a strong (111) oriented fiber-texture on graphene/silicon using this deposition technique are a milestone towards an eventual demonstration of the epitaxial growth of GaAs on silicon, which is necessary for integrated photonics application.« less

The combined effect of thermal and chemotherapy on HeLa cells using magnetically actuated smart textured fibrous system.

PubMed

Tiwari, Pranav; Agarwal, Sakshi; Srivastava, Sachchidanand; Jain, Shilpee

2018-01-01

Thermal therapy combined with chemotherapy is one of the advanced and efficient methods to eradicate cancer. In this work, we fabricated magnetically actuated smart textured (MAST) fibrous systems and studied their candidacy for cancer treatment. The polycaprolactone-Fe 3 O 4 based MAST fibers were fabricated using electrospinning technique. These MAST fibrous systems contained carbogenic quantum dots as a tracking agent and doxorubicin hydrochloride anticancer drug. Additionally, as fabricated MAST fibrous systems were able to deliver anticancer drug and heat energy simultaneously to kill HeLa cells in a 10 min period in vitro. After treatment, the metabolic activity and morphology of HeLa cells were analyzed. In addition, the mechanism of cell death was studied using flow cytometry. Interestingly, the navigation of these systems in the fluid can be controlled with the application of gradient magnetic field. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 40-51, 2018. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Plasma treatment of polymers for improved adhesion

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

Kelber, J.A.

1988-01-01

A variety of plasma treatments of polymer surfaces for improved adhesion are reviewed: noble and reactive gas treatment of fluoropolymers; noble and reactive treatment of polyolefins, and plasma-induced amination of polymer fibers. The plasma induced surface chemical and morphological changes are discussed, as are the mechanisms of adhesion to polymeric adhesives, particularly epoxy. Noble gas plasma etching of flouropolymers produces a partially defluorinated, textured surface. The mechanical interlocking of this textured surface is the primary cause of improved adhesion to epoxy. Reactive gas plasmas also induce defluorination, but oxygen containing gases cause continual ablation of the fluoropolymer surface. Noble andmore » reactive gas (exept for hydrogen) etching of polyolefins results in surface oxidation and improved adhesion via hydrogen bonding of these oxygen containing groups across the interface. The introduction of amine groups to a polymer surface by amonia or amine plasma treatment generally results in improved adhesion to epoxy. However, amine-epoxy ring interactions can be severely effected by steric factors due to chemical groups surrounding the amine. 41 refs.« less

Tunisian date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) by-products: Characterization and potential effects on sensory, textural and antioxidant properties of dairy desserts.

PubMed

Jridi, Mourad; Souissi, Nabil; Salem, Marwa Ben; Ayadi, M A; Nasri, Moncef; Azabou, Samia

2015-12-01

Three Tunisian date varieties, Deglet Nour, Kentichi and Allig, served to produce syrups and powders, which were then examined for their physico-chemical composition and antioxidant properties. Different proportions of these sweetening-like agents were incorporated to produce nine different formulations of dairy desserts, with lower amount of added sugars to avoid any artificial flavoring or coloring agents. Sensory and color evaluation data revealed that incorporating Deglet Nour and Kentichi syrup offers the most desirable formulation. Furthermore, syrup polysaccharides and fibers contribute to better maintain the final product texture. In addition, date by-products create a good source of natural thickening agents, involved in enhancing apparent viscosity and spontaneous exudation. Thanks to their high content in phenolic compounds, date by-products considerably improve antioxidant activities of the formulated desserts. Therefore, they could be valued as natural ingredients in the formulation of novel dairy products with high nutritional-properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Limitation of Current Hardening Models in Predicting Anisotropy by Twinning in HCP Metals: Application to a Rod-Textured AM30 Magnesium Alloy

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

model and a phenomenological Voce hard- ening model. The HCP material is exemplified by an extruded AM30 magnesium alloy with a 〈101̄0〉-fiber...effect accounted for by a sort of slip-twin latent hardening in the Voce type hardening model was not able to inflect the simulated curves with loading... Voce model is unable to cap- ture this effect, but the dislocation model [2] is. A pragmatic factor distinctly increasing the stored dis- locations in

Masticatory myosin unveiled: first determination of contractile parameters of muscle fibers from carnivore jaw muscles.

PubMed

Toniolo, Luana; Cancellara, Pasqua; Maccatrozzo, Lisa; Patruno, Marco; Mascarello, Francesco; Reggiani, Carlo

2008-12-01

Masticatory myosin heavy chain (M MyHC) is a myosin subunit isoform with expression restricted to muscles derived from the first branchial arch, such as jaw-closer muscles, with pronounced interspecies variability. Only sparse information is available on the contractile properties of muscle fibers expressing M MyHC (M fibers). In this study, we characterized M fibers isolated from the jaw-closer muscles (temporalis and masseter) of two species of domestic carnivores, the cat and the dog, compared with fibers expressing slow or fast (2A, 2X, and 2B) isoforms. In each fiber, during maximally calcium-activated contractions at 12 degrees C, we determined isometric-specific tension (P(o)), unloaded shortening velocity (v(o)) with the slack test protocol, and the rate constant of tension redevelopment (K(TR)) after a fast shortening-relengthening cycle. At the end of the mechanical experiment, we identified MyHC isoform composition of each fiber with gel electrophoresis. Electrophoretic migration rate of M MyHC was similar in both species. We found that in both species the kinetic parameters v(o) and K(TR) of M fibers were similar to those of 2A fibers, whereas P(o) values were significantly greater than in any other fiber types. The similarity between 2A and M fibers and the greater tension development of M fibers were confirmed also in mechanical experiments performed at 24 degrees C. Myosin concentration was determined in single fibers and found not different in M fibers compared with slow and fast fibers, suggesting that the higher tension developed by M fibers does not find an explanation in a greater number of force generators. The specific mechanical characteristics of M fibers might be attributed to a diversity in cross-bridge kinetics.

The atypical structure and function of newborn arterial endothelium is mediated by Rho/Rho kinase signaling.

PubMed

Flavahan, Sheila; Flavahan, Nicholas A

2014-08-15

Endothelium of fetal or newborn arteries is atypical, displaying actin stress fibers and reduced nitric oxide (NO)-mediated dilatation. This study tested the hypothesis that Rho/Rho kinase signaling, which promotes endothelial stress fibers and inhibits endothelial dilatation, contributed to this phenotype. Carotid arteries were isolated from newborn [postnatal day 1 (P1)], P7, and P21 mice. Endothelial dilatation to acetylcholine (pressure myograph) was minimal at P1, increased at P7, and further increased at P21. Inhibition of Rho (C3 transferase) or Rho kinase (Y27632, fasudil) significantly increased dilatation to acetylcholine in P1 arteries but had no effect in P7 or P21 arteries. After inhibition of NO synthase (N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester), Rho kinase inhibition no longer increased acetylcholine responses in P1 arteries. Rho kinase inhibition did not affect dilatation to the NO donor DEA-NONOate. The endothelial actin cytoskeleton was labeled with phalloidin and visualized by laser-scanning microscopy. In P1 arteries, the endothelium had prominent transcytoplasmic stress fibers, whereas in P7 and P21 arteries, the actin fibers had a significantly reduced intensity and were restricted to cell borders. Phosphorylation of myosin light chains, a Rho kinase substrate, was highest in P1 endothelium and significantly reduced in P7 and P21 endothelium (laser-scanning microscopy). In P1 arteries, inhibition of Rho (C3 transferase) or Rho kinase (Y27632) significantly reduced the intensity of actin fibers, which were restricted to cell borders. Similarly, in P1 arteries, Rho inhibition significantly reduced endothelial levels of phosphorylated myosin light chains. These results indicate that the atypical function and morphology of newborn endothelium is mediated by Rho/Rho kinase signaling. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

Preparation of thick silica coatings on carbon fibers with fine-structured silica nanotubes induced by a self-assembly process.

PubMed

Baumgärtner, Benjamin; Möller, Hendrik; Neumann, Thomas; Volkmer, Dirk

2017-01-01

A facile method to coat carbon fibers with a silica shell is presented in this work. By immobilizing linear polyamines on the carbon fiber surface, the high catalytic activity of polyamines in the sol-gel-processing of silica precursors is used to deposit a silica coating directly on the fiber's surface. The surface localization of the catalyst is achieved either by attaching short-chain polyamines (e.g., tetraethylenepentamine) via covalent bonds to the carbon fiber surface or by depositing long-chain polyamines (e.g., linear poly(ethylenimine)) on the carbon fiber by weak non-covalent bonding. The long-chain polyamine self-assembles onto the carbon fiber substrate in the form of nanoscopic crystallites, which serve as a template for the subsequent silica deposition. The silicification at close to neutral pH is spatially restricted to the localized polyamine and consequently to the fiber surface. In case of the linear poly(ethylenimine), silica shells of several micrometers in thickness can be obtained and their morphology is easily controlled by a considerable number of synthesis parameters. A unique feature is the hierarchical biomimetic structure of the silica coating which surrounds the embedded carbon fiber by fibrillar and interconnected silica fine-structures. The high surface area of the nanostructured composite fiber may be exploited for catalytic applications and adsorption purposes.

Reliability model for ductile hybrid FRP rebar using randomly dispersed chopped fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behnam, Bashar Ramzi

Fiber reinforced polymer composites or simply FRP composites have become more attractive to civil engineers in the last two decades due to their unique mechanical properties. However, there are many obstacles such as low elasticity modulus, non-ductile behavior, high cost of the fibers, high manufacturing costs, and absence of rigorous characterization of the uncertainties of the mechanical properties that restrict the use of these composites. However, when FRP composites are used to develop reinforcing rebars in concrete structural members to replace the conventional steel, a huge benefit can be achieved since FRP materials don't corrode. Two FRP rebar models are proposed that make use of multiple types of fibers to achieve ductility, and chopped fibers are used to reduce the manufacturing costs. In order to reach the most optimum fractional volume of each type of fiber, to minimize the cost of the proposed rebars, and to achieve a safe design by considering uncertainties in the materials and geometry of sections, appropriate material resistance factors have been developed, and a Reliability Based Design Optimization (RBDO), has been conducted for the proposed schemes.

High amylose resistant starch diet ameliorates oxidative stress, inflammation, and progression of chronic kidney disease.

PubMed

Vaziri, Nosratola D; Liu, Shu-Man; Lau, Wei Ling; Khazaeli, Mahyar; Nazertehrani, Sohrab; Farzaneh, Seyed H; Kieffer, Dorothy A; Adams, Sean H; Martin, Roy J

2014-01-01

Inflammation is a major mediator of CKD progression and is partly driven by altered gut microbiome and intestinal barrier disruption, events which are caused by: urea influx in the intestine resulting in dominance of urease-possessing bacteria; disruption of epithelial barrier by urea-derived ammonia leading to endotoxemia and bacterial translocation; and restriction of potassium-rich fruits and vegetables which are common sources of fermentable fiber. Restriction of these foods leads to depletion of bacteria that convert indigestible carbohydrates to short chain fatty acids which are important nutrients for colonocytes and regulatory T lymphocytes. We hypothesized that a high resistant starch diet attenuates CKD progression. Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed a chow containing 0.7% adenine for 2 weeks to induce CKD. Rats were then fed diets supplemented with amylopectin (low-fiber control) or high fermentable fiber (amylose maize resistant starch, HAM-RS2) for 3 weeks. CKD rats consuming low fiber diet exhibited reduced creatinine clearance, interstitial fibrosis, inflammation, tubular damage, activation of NFkB, upregulation of pro-inflammatory, pro-oxidant, and pro-fibrotic molecules; impaired Nrf2 activity, down-regulation of antioxidant enzymes, and disruption of colonic epithelial tight junction. The high resistant starch diet significantly attenuated these abnormalities. Thus high resistant starch diet retards CKD progression and attenuates oxidative stress and inflammation in rats. Future studies are needed to explore the impact of HAM-RS2 in CKD patients.

High Amylose Resistant Starch Diet Ameliorates Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease

PubMed Central

Vaziri, Nosratola D.; Liu, Shu-Man; Lau, Wei Ling; Khazaeli, Mahyar; Nazertehrani, Sohrab; Farzaneh, Seyed H.; Kieffer, Dorothy A.; Adams, Sean H.; Martin, Roy J.

2014-01-01

Inflammation is a major mediator of CKD progression and is partly driven by altered gut microbiome and intestinal barrier disruption, events which are caused by: urea influx in the intestine resulting in dominance of urease-possessing bacteria; disruption of epithelial barrier by urea-derived ammonia leading to endotoxemia and bacterial translocation; and restriction of potassium-rich fruits and vegetables which are common sources of fermentable fiber. Restriction of these foods leads to depletion of bacteria that convert indigestible carbohydrates to short chain fatty acids which are important nutrients for colonocytes and regulatory T lymphocytes. We hypothesized that a high resistant starch diet attenuates CKD progression. Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed a chow containing 0.7% adenine for 2 weeks to induce CKD. Rats were then fed diets supplemented with amylopectin (low-fiber control) or high fermentable fiber (amylose maize resistant starch, HAM-RS2) for 3 weeks. CKD rats consuming low fiber diet exhibited reduced creatinine clearance, interstitial fibrosis, inflammation, tubular damage, activation of NFkB, upregulation of pro-inflammatory, pro-oxidant, and pro-fibrotic molecules; impaired Nrf2 activity, down-regulation of antioxidant enzymes, and disruption of colonic epithelial tight junction. The high resistant starch diet significantly attenuated these abnormalities. Thus high resistant starch diet retards CKD progression and attenuates oxidative stress and inflammation in rats. Future studies are needed to explore the impact of HAM-RS2 in CKD patients. PMID:25490712

Analytical theory for extracellular electrical stimulation of nerve with focal electrodes. I. Passive unmyelinated axon.

PubMed Central

Rubinstein, J T; Spelman, F A

1988-01-01

The cable model of a passive, unmyelinated fiber in an applied extracellular field is derived. The solution is valid for an arbitrary, time-varying, applied field, which may be determined analytically or numerically. Simple analytical computations are presented. They explain a variety of known phenomena and predict some previously undescribed properties of extracellular electrical stimulation. The polarization of a fiber in an applied field behaves like the output of a spatial high-pass and temporal low-pass filter of the stimulus. High-frequency stimulation results in a more spatially restricted region of fiber excitation, effectively reducing current spread relative to that produced by low-frequency stimulation. Chronaxie measured extracellularly is a function of electrode position relative to the stimulated fiber, and its value may differ substantially from that obtained intracellularly. Frequency dependence of psychophysical threshold obtained by electrical stimulation of the macaque cochlea closely follows the frequency dependence of single-fiber passive response. PMID:3233274

Mt. Etna plumbing system revealed by combined textural, compositional, and thermobarometric studies in clinopyroxenes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giacomoni, P. P.; Coltorti, M.; Bryce, J. G.; Fahnestock, M. F.; Guitreau, M.

2016-04-01

Coupled textural and in situ geochemical studies of clinopyroxene (cpx) phenocrysts, from both historical and recent eruptions of Mt. Etna volcano, provide a means to investigate the processes occurring in the deepest portion of the feeding system (>10 km depth). Five distinct textures were recognized: (1) normal oscillatory zoning, (2) normal zoning with Fe-rich rim, (3) sieve-textured core, (4) reverse oscillatory zoning, and (5) dusty rim. Electron microprobe analyses indicate an almost constant diopside-augite composition, with a slight enrichment in the enstatite for more recent erupted cpx. Core-to-rim compositional profiles, performed along the cpx, reveal distinct compositional characteristics. Normal oscillatory zoning is often characterized by a sharp increase in FeO (Δ ~ 2 wt%) accompanied by a drop in Al2O3 on the outermost 30 μm. Reverse oscillatory zoning, by contrast, exhibits a drop in FeO, Al2O3 (Δ ~ 2 wt%), and a remarkable crystal rim increase in MgO (up to 5 wt%). Similar compositional changes are evident in dusty-textured rims, which are characterized by dissolution edges and overgrowth containing glass pockets and channels. No significant compositional variations have been observed across crystals with sieve-textured cores. Trace element concentrations show enrichments in Sr, La, Zr, and REE, together with a decreasing La/Yb ratio (from ~7 to ~4) in rims of normally zoned crystals. Cpx with reverse zoning and dusty rims has low Sr, La, Zr, and REE contents toward crystal rims. Thermometers and barometers, based on equilibrium cpx-melt pairs, suggest that cpx cores start nucleating at 720 MPa, with the majority of them forming between 600 and 400 MPa but continuing to crystallize until very shallow depths (<100 MPa). Normal oscillatory-zoned phenocrysts surrounded by rims form at pressures shallower than 400 MPa, while reverse zoning and dusty rims occur between 400 and 500 MPa. Coupled petrologic and thermobarometric studies on both clinopyroxenes and plagioclases, associated with detailed textural and in situ geochemical analyses, are promising tools to reconstruct the entire magma ascent path beneath open-system volcanoes. At Mt. Etna, two distinct processes could account for the observed textures: Fe-rich rims in normal oscillatory-zoned crystals can be related to decompression-induced crystallization, while reverse zoning and dusty rims can be produced by mixing with a more basic magma at 400-500 MPa (i.e., ~10 km). Textural features are not restricted to a particular evolutionary phase of the volcano, which suggest that the deep feeding system has not changed significantly since the first alkaline volcanic phase.

Failure modes of microstructured fibers with sacrificial bonds made by instability-assisted 3D printing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Shibo; Therriault, Daniel; Gosselin, Frederick

A simple modification by increasing the deposition height on a commercially available 3D printer makes it a mechanical sewing machine due to the fluid mechanical instability. A variety of stitches-like patterns can be produced, similar to those by the Newtonian fluid mechanical sewing machine\\x9D, but with more interesting characteristics in the additional third dimension, which creates weakly fused bonds in some patterns. With these bonds, the fabricated fibers exhibit improved toughness in uniaxial tensile test. The toughening mechanism is found to be similar to the one in spider silk - the breaking of sacrificial bonds and the releasing of hidden length contribute significant dissipated energy to the system. However, the mechanical performance of these microstructured fibers is restricted by early fiber breakage as the number of sacrificial bonds increases. Here, we seek to understand the failure mechanisms of the microstructured fibers through tensile tests and finite element simulations. Static and dynamic failure are both found to cause early fiber breakage. These findings are helpful for the design optimization of microstructured fibers with high toughness and ductility, which can find potential use in impact protection and safety-critical applications.

A plasmonic optical fiber patterned by template transfer as a high-performance flexible nanoprobe for real-time biosensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Peipei; Yang, Jun

2014-07-01

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) on metal nanostructures offers a promising route for manipulation and interrogation of light in the subwavelength regime. However, the utility of SPR structures is largely limited by currently used complex nanofabrication methods and relatively sophisticated optical components. Here to relieve these restrictions, plasmonic optical fibers are constructed by transferring periodic metal nanostructures from patterned templates onto endfaces of optical fibers using an epoxy adhesive. Patterned metal structures are generally extended from two-dimensional (2D) nanohole arrays to one-dimensional (1D) nanoslit arrays. By controlling the viscosity of the adhesive layer, diverse surface topographies of metal structures are realized with the same template. We design a special plasmonic fiber that simultaneously implements multimode refractive index sensing (transmission and reflection) with remarkably narrow linewidth (6.6 nm) and high figure of merit (60.7), which are both among the best reported values for SPR sensors. We further demonstrate a real-time immunoassay relying on our plasmonic fiber integrated with a special flow cell. Plasmonic optical fibers also take advantages of excellent stability during fiber bending and capability of spectrum filtering. These features enable our plasmonic fibers to open up an alternative avenue for the general community in biosensing and nanoplasmonics.

A plasmonic optical fiber patterned by template transfer as a high-performance flexible nanoprobe for real-time biosensing.

PubMed

Jia, Peipei; Yang, Jun

2014-08-07

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) on metal nanostructures offers a promising route for manipulation and interrogation of light in the subwavelength regime. However, the utility of SPR structures is largely limited by currently used complex nanofabrication methods and relatively sophisticated optical components. Here to relieve these restrictions, plasmonic optical fibers are constructed by transferring periodic metal nanostructures from patterned templates onto endfaces of optical fibers using an epoxy adhesive. Patterned metal structures are generally extended from two-dimensional (2D) nanohole arrays to one-dimensional (1D) nanoslit arrays. By controlling the viscosity of the adhesive layer, diverse surface topographies of metal structures are realized with the same template. We design a special plasmonic fiber that simultaneously implements multimode refractive index sensing (transmission and reflection) with remarkably narrow linewidth (6.6 nm) and high figure of merit (60.7), which are both among the best reported values for SPR sensors. We further demonstrate a real-time immunoassay relying on our plasmonic fiber integrated with a special flow cell. Plasmonic optical fibers also take advantages of excellent stability during fiber bending and capability of spectrum filtering. These features enable our plasmonic fibers to open up an alternative avenue for the general community in biosensing and nanoplasmonics.

Isomalto/malto-polysaccharide, a novel soluble dietary fiber made via enzymatic conversion of starch.

PubMed

Leemhuis, Hans; Dobruchowska, Justyna M; Ebbelaar, Monique; Faber, Folkert; Buwalda, Pieter L; van der Maarel, Marc J E C; Kamerling, Johannis P; Dijkhuizen, Lubbert

2014-12-10

Dietary fibers are at the forefront of nutritional research because they positively contribute to human health. Much of our processed foods contain, however, only small quantities of dietary fiber, because their addition often negatively affects the taste, texture, and mouth feel. There is thus an urge for novel types of dietary fibers that do not cause unwanted sensory effects when applied as ingredient, while still positively contributing to the health of consumers. Here, we report the generation and characterization of a novel type of soluble dietary fiber with prebiotic properties, derived from starch via enzymatic modification, yielding isomalto/malto-polysaccharides (IMMPs), which consist of linear (α1 → 6)-glucan chains attached to the nonreducing ends of starch fragments. The applied Lactobacillus reuteri 121 GTFB 4,6-α-glucanotransferase enzyme synthesizes these molecules by transferring the nonreducing glucose moiety of an (α1 → 4)-glucan chain to the nonreducing end of another (α1 → 4)-α-glucan chain, forming an (α1 → 6)-glycosidic linkage. Once elongated in this way, the molecule becomes a better acceptor substrate and is then further elongated with (α1 → 6)-linked glucose residues in a linear way. Comparison of 30 starches, maltodextrins, and α-glucans of various botanical sources, demonstrated that substrates with long and linear (α1 → 4)-glucan chains deliver products with the highest percentage of (α1 → 6) linkages, up to 92%. In vitro experiments, serving as model of the digestive power of the gastrointestinal tract, revealed that the IMMPs, or more precisely the IMMP fraction rich in (α1 → 6) linkages, will largely pass the small intestine undigested and therefore end up in the large intestine. IMMPs are a novel type of dietary fiber that may have health promoting activity.

A new optical post-equalization based on self-imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guizani, S.; Cheriti, A.; Razzak, M.; Boulslimani, Y.; Hamam, H.

2005-09-01

Driven by the world's growing need for communication bandwidth, progress is constantly being reported in building newer fibers that are capable of handling the rapid increase in traffic. However, building an optical fiber link is a major investment, one that is very expensive to replace. A major impairment that restricts the achievement of higher bit rates with standard single mode fiber is chromatic dispersion. This is particularly problematic for systems operating in the 1550 nm band, where the chromatic dispersion limit decreases rapidly in inverse proportion to the square of the bit rate. For the first time, to the best of our knowledge, this document illustrates a new optical technique to post compensate optically the chromatic dispersion in fiber using temporal Talbot effect in ranges exceeding the 40G bit/s. We propose a new optical post equalization solutions based on the self imaging of Talbot effect.

Site-percolation threshold of carbon nanotube fibers-Fast inspection of percolation with Markov stochastic theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Fangbo; Xu, Zhiping; Yakobson, Boris I.

2014-08-01

We present a site-percolation model based on a modified FCC lattice, as well as an efficient algorithm of inspecting percolation which takes advantage of the Markov stochastic theory, in order to study the percolation threshold of carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers. Our Markov-chain based algorithm carries out the inspection of percolation by performing repeated sparse matrix-vector multiplications, which allows parallelized computation to accelerate the inspection for a given configuration. With this approach, we determine that the site-percolation transition of CNT fibers occurs at pc=0.1533±0.0013, and analyze the dependence of the effective percolation threshold (corresponding to 0.5 percolation probability) on the length and the aspect ratio of a CNT fiber on a finite-size-scaling basis. We also discuss the aspect ratio dependence of percolation probability with various values of p (not restricted to pc).

Storage related changes of cell wall based dietary fiber components of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) stems.

PubMed

Schäfer, Judith; Stanojlovic, Luisa; Trierweiler, Bernhard; Bunzel, Mirko

2017-03-01

Storage related changes in the cell wall composition potentially affect the texture of plant-based foods and the physiological effects of cell wall based dietary fiber components. Therefore, a detailed characterization of cell wall polysaccharides and lignins from broccoli stems was performed. Freshly harvested broccoli and broccoli stored at 20°C and 1°C for different periods of time were analyzed. Effects on dietary fiber contents, polysaccharide composition, and on lignin contents/composition were much more pronounced during storage at 20°C than at 1°C. During storage, insoluble dietary fiber contents of broccoli stems increased up to 13%. Storage related polysaccharide modifications include an increase of the portions of cellulose, xylans, and homogalacturonans and a decrease of the neutral pectic side-chains arabinans and galactans. Broccoli stem lignins are generally rich in guaiacyl units. Lignins from freshly harvested broccoli stems contain slightly larger amounts of p-hydroxyphenyl units than syringyl units. Syringyl units are predominantly incorporated into the lignin polymers during storage, resulting in increased acetyl bromide soluble lignin contents. NMR-based analysis of the interunit linkage types of broccoli stem lignins revealed comparably large portions of resinol structures for a guaiacyl rich lignin. Incorporation of syringyl units into the polymers over storage predominantly occurs through β-O-4-linkages. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Compositional profiling and sensorial analysis of multi-wholegrain extruded puffs as affected by fructan inclusion.

PubMed

Handa, C; Goomer, S

2015-09-01

Rice grits, corn grits, pulse, wholegrain - finger millet and sorghum were utilized in the production of multigrain extruded puffs using a single screw extruder. The effect of inclusion of fructan - fructoligosaccharide in multi-wholegrain (MWG) extruded puffs was examined. MWG fructan enriched puffs puffs had 450 % higher dietary fiber content than the control puff (CP). These puffs can be categorized as 'Good Source' of fiber as it suffices 17.2 % DV of fiber. Puffs were rated 8.1 ± 0.6, 8.3 ± 0.7, 8.1 ± 0.6, 7.5 ± 0.5 and 8.2 ± 0.6 for color, flavor, texture, appearance and overall acceptability respectively. The scores for all the attributes were found to be not significantly different (p < 0.05) from CP. The MWG fructan puffs were rated higher on flavor than the CP having a score of 8.3 ± 0.7 as opposed to 8.2 ± 0.4 for CP. This indicates that the nutritional quality and acceptability of MWG extruded puffs could be improved by the inclusion of fructans.

A map of brain neuropils and fiber systems in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior.

PubMed

Bressan, Joris M A; Benz, Martin; Oettler, Jan; Heinze, Jürgen; Hartenstein, Volker; Sprecher, Simon G

2014-01-01

A wide spectrum of occupied ecological niches and spectacular morphological adaptations make social insects a prime object for comparative neuroanatomical studies. Eusocial insects have evolved complex societies based on caste polyphenism. A diverse behavioral repertoire of morphologically distinct castes of the same species requires a high degree of plasticity in the central nervous system. We have analyzed the central brain neuropils and fiber tract systems of the worker of the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior, a model for the study of social traits. Our analysis is based on whole mount preparations of adult brains labeled with an antibody against Drosophila-Synapsin, which cross-reacts strongly with synapses in Cardiocondyla. Neuropil compartments stand out as domains with a certain texture and intensity of the anti-Synapsin signal. By contrast, fiber tracts, which are composed of bundles of axons accompanied by glia and are devoid of synapses, appear as channels or sheaths with low anti-Synapsin signal. We have generated a digital 3D atlas of the Cardiocondyla brain neuropil. The atlas provides a reference for future studies of brain polymorphisms in distinct castes, brain development or localization of neurotransmitter systems.

Tailored interphase structure for improved strength and energy absorption of composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Xiao

Fiber reinforced polymeric composites are lightweight, high-strength and high impact-resistant materials used widely for various applications. It has been shown that the mechanical performance of composites are dependent on the interphase, a three-dimensional region of nanometer size in the vicinity of the fiber-matrix boundary that possesses properties different from those of either the fiber reinforcement or the matrix resin and governs the load transfer from matrix to fiber. This research conducts a systematic study on glass fiber-epoxy interphase structure by tailoring adhesion between constituents and the creation of textures to control strength and energy absorption through mechanical interlocking between glass fiber and epoxy matrix. Our objective is to establish the foundation for microstructural design and optimization of the composite's structural and impact performance. Two ways of roughening the glass fiber surface have been studied to create the mechanical interlocking between fiber and resin; the first technique involves forming in-situ islands on the glass fiber surface by using silane blends of Glycidoxypropyltrimethoxy silane (GPS) and Tetraethoxy silane (TEOS); the second technique applies a silane coupling agents based sizing with the incorporation of silica nanoparticles (Ludox TMA, 22 nm) onto the fiber surface. The microdroplet test was selected to characterize the influence of adhesion and mechanical interlocking effects on interphase properties of different sizing sized glass fiber reinforced epoxy systems. A suitable data reduction scheme enables the strength and specified energy absorbed due to debonding, dynamic sliding, and quasi-static sliding to be quantified. In order to validate the effect of tailored interphase structure, which is induced by creating mechanical interlocking between fiber and resin, on macroscopic composite properties, composite panels were made from these four different sizing sized glass fibers and tested using the punch shear test. The composite panel made from the hybrid sizing sized glass fiber exhibited improved strength and energy absorption consistent with the trends in micromechanical measurements. Through all failure stages under macromechanical testing, hybrid sizing sized glass fiber/epoxyamine composite panel shows an increase in the strength and total energy absorption by 13% and 26%, respectively, compared to the compatible sizing sized baseline. Both micromechanical and macromechanical tests demonstrate the significant influence of tailoring the interphase structure on improving the impact performance of the composites. The hybrid sizing with the incorporation of nanoparticles, in particular, can greatly improve the impact resistance (i.e. energy absorption) of composites without sacrificing its structural performance (i.e. strength).

Modeling uncertainty and correlation in soil properties using Restricted Pairing and implications for ensemble-based hillslope-scale soil moisture and temperature estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores, A. N.; Entekhabi, D.; Bras, R. L.

2007-12-01

Soil hydraulic and thermal properties (SHTPs) affect both the rate of moisture redistribution in the soil column and the volumetric soil water capacity. Adequately constraining these properties through field and lab analysis to parameterize spatially-distributed hydrology models is often prohibitively expensive. Because SHTPs vary significantly at small spatial scales individual soil samples are also only reliably indicative of local conditions, and these properties remain a significant source of uncertainty in soil moisture and temperature estimation. In ensemble-based soil moisture data assimilation, uncertainty in the model-produced prior estimate due to associated uncertainty in SHTPs must be taken into account to avoid under-dispersive ensembles. To treat SHTP uncertainty for purposes of supplying inputs to a distributed watershed model we use the restricted pairing (RP) algorithm, an extension of Latin Hypercube (LH) sampling. The RP algorithm generates an arbitrary number of SHTP combinations by sampling the appropriate marginal distributions of the individual soil properties using the LH approach, while imposing a target rank correlation among the properties. A previously-published meta- database of 1309 soils representing 12 textural classes is used to fit appropriate marginal distributions to the properties and compute the target rank correlation structure, conditioned on soil texture. Given categorical soil textures, our implementation of the RP algorithm generates an arbitrarily-sized ensemble of realizations of the SHTPs required as input to the TIN-based Realtime Integrated Basin Simulator with vegetation dynamics (tRIBS+VEGGIE) distributed parameter ecohydrology model. Soil moisture ensembles simulated with RP- generated SHTPs exhibit less variance than ensembles simulated with SHTPs generated by a scheme that neglects correlation among properties. Neglecting correlation among SHTPs can lead to physically unrealistic combinations of parameters that exhibit implausible hydrologic behavior when input to the tRIBS+VEGGIE model.

From Intermolecular Interactions to Texture in Polycrystalline Surfaces of 1,ω-alkanediols (ω = 10-13).

PubMed

Luis-Raya, Gilgamesh; Ramírez-Cardona, Màrius; Luna-Bárcenas, Gabriel; Hernández-Landaverde, Martín A; Jiménez-Nieto, Adair; García-Rivas, Jose Luis; España-Sánchez, Beatriz Liliana; Sanchez, Isaac C

2017-06-08

Differences on herringbone molecular arrangement in two forms of long-chain 1,ω-alkanediols (C n H 2 n +2 O₂ with n = 10, 11, 12, 13) are explained from the analysis of O-H···O hydrogen-bond sequences in infinite chains and the role of a C-H···O intramolecular hydrogen-bond in stabilization of a gauche defect, as well as the inter-grooving effectiveness on molecular packing. GIXD (Glancing Incidence X-ray Diffraction) experiments were conducted on polycrystalline monophasic samples. Diffracted intensities were treated with the multi-axial March-Dollase method to correlate energetic and geometrical features of molecular interactions with the crystalline morphology and textural pattern of samples. The monoclinic (P 2 ₁/ c , Z = 2) crystals of the even-numbered members ( n = 10, 12; DEDOL and DODOL, respectively) are diametrical prisms with combined form {104}/{-104}/{001} and present a two-fold platelet-like preferred orientation, whereas orthorhombic (P 2 ₁ 2 ₁ 2 ₁, Z = 4) odd-numbered members ( n = 11, 13; UNDOL and TRDOL, respectively) present a dominant needle-like orientation on direction [101] (fiber texture). We show that crystalline structures of medium complexity and their microstructures can be determined from rapid GIXD experiments from standard radiation, combined with molecular replacement procedure using crystal structures of compounds with higher chain lengths as reference data.

Preparation of thick silica coatings on carbon fibers with fine-structured silica nanotubes induced by a self-assembly process

PubMed Central

Baumgärtner, Benjamin; Möller, Hendrik; Neumann, Thomas

2017-01-01

A facile method to coat carbon fibers with a silica shell is presented in this work. By immobilizing linear polyamines on the carbon fiber surface, the high catalytic activity of polyamines in the sol–gel-processing of silica precursors is used to deposit a silica coating directly on the fiber’s surface. The surface localization of the catalyst is achieved either by attaching short-chain polyamines (e.g., tetraethylenepentamine) via covalent bonds to the carbon fiber surface or by depositing long-chain polyamines (e.g., linear poly(ethylenimine)) on the carbon fiber by weak non-covalent bonding. The long-chain polyamine self-assembles onto the carbon fiber substrate in the form of nanoscopic crystallites, which serve as a template for the subsequent silica deposition. The silicification at close to neutral pH is spatially restricted to the localized polyamine and consequently to the fiber surface. In case of the linear poly(ethylenimine), silica shells of several micrometers in thickness can be obtained and their morphology is easily controlled by a considerable number of synthesis parameters. A unique feature is the hierarchical biomimetic structure of the silica coating which surrounds the embedded carbon fiber by fibrillar and interconnected silica fine-structures. The high surface area of the nanostructured composite fiber may be exploited for catalytic applications and adsorption purposes. PMID:28685115

Assessment of risk of femoral neck fracture with radiographic texture parameters: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Thevenot, Jérôme; Hirvasniemi, Jukka; Pulkkinen, Pasi; Määttä, Mikko; Korpelainen, Raija; Saarakkala, Simo; Jämsä, Timo

2014-07-01

To investigate whether femoral neck fracture can be predicted retrospectively on the basis of clinical radiographs by using the combined analysis of bone geometry, textural analysis of trabecular bone, and bone mineral density (BMD). Formal ethics committee approval was obtained for the study, and all participants gave informed written consent. Pelvic radiographs and proximal femur BMD measurements were obtained in 53 women aged 79-82 years in 2006. By 2012, 10 of these patients had experienced a low-impact femoral neck fracture. A Laplacian-based semiautomatic custom algorithm was applied to the radiographs to calculate the texture parameters along the trabecular fibers in the lower neck area for all subjects. Intra- and interobserver reproducibility was calculated by using the root mean square average coefficient of variation to evaluate the robustness of the method. The best predictors of hip fracture were entropy (P = .007; reproducibility coefficient of variation < 1%), the neck-shaft angle (NSA) (P = .017), and the BMD (P = .13). For prediction of fracture, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.753 for entropy, 0.608 for femoral neck BMD, and 0.698 for NSA. The area increased to 0.816 when entropy and NSA were combined and to 0.902 when entropy, NSA, and BMD were combined. Textural analysis of pelvic radiographs enables discrimination of patients at risk for femoral neck fracture, and our results show the potential of this conventional imaging method to yield better prediction than that achieved with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry-based BMD. The combination of the entropy parameter with NSA and BMD can further enhance predictive accuracy. © RSNA, 2014.

Association of Diet With Skin Histological Features in UV-B-Exposed Mice.

PubMed

Bhattacharyya, Tapan K; Hsia, Yvonne; Weeks, David M; Dixon, Tatiana K; Lepe, Jessica; Thomas, J Regan

2017-09-01

Long-term exposure to solar radiation produces deleterious photoaging of the skin. It is not known if diet can influence skin photoaging. To study the influence of a calorie-restricted diet and an obesity diet in mice exposed to long-term UV-B irradiation to assess if there is an association between diet and histopathological response to UV-B irradiation. In this animal model study in an academic setting, the dorsal skin of SKH1 hairless mice receiving normal, calorie-restricted, and obesity diets was exposed to UV-B irradiation 3 times a week for 10 weeks and were compared with corresponding controls. The mice were placed in the following groups, with 8 animals in each group: (1) intact control (C) with regular diet and no UV-B exposure, (2) intact control with UV-B exposure (CR), (3) calorie-restricted diet (CrC), (4) calorie-restricted diet with UV-B exposure (CrR), (5) obesity diet (OC), and (6) obesity diet with UV-B exposure (OR). The experiment was conducted during October through December 2013. Tissue processing and histological analysis were completed in 2016. Histomorphometric analysis was performed on paraffin-embedded skin sections stained by histological and immunohistochemical methods for estimation of epidermal thickness, epidermal proliferating cell nuclear antigen index, collagen I, elastic fibers, fibroblasts, mast cells, dermal cellularity, and adipose layer ratio. Changes in wrinkles were noted. Hairless female mice (age range, 6-8 weeks) were obtained. With a normal diet, changes from UV-B irradiation occurred in epidermal thickness, epidermal proliferating cell nuclear antigen index, collagen I, elastic fibers, fibroblasts, and mast cells, which were modestly influenced by an obesity diet. Calorie restriction influenced the skin in nonirradiated control animals, with higher values for most variables. After UV-B exposure in animals with calorie restriction, epidermal thickness was increased, but other variables were unaffected. Animals receiving the calorie-restricted diet lost weight when exposed to long-term UV-B irradiation. Wrinkles were reduced in the calorie-restricted control group and in UV-B-exposed animals who received the obesity diet. Dietary alterations seem to modify histopathological responses to UV-B exposure in the skin of hairless mice. NA.

Nutritional adequacy of plant-based diets for weight management: observations from the NHANES.

PubMed

Farmer, Bonnie

2014-07-01

Observational studies have shown that body mass indexes of vegetarians are lower than those of nonvegetarians and that caloric intake of vegetarians is typically lower than that of nonvegetarians, suggesting that a vegetarian diet could be an approach for weight management. However, vegetarians may be at risk of inadequate intakes of certain vitamins and minerals. Population-based studies indicate that vegetarians have lower mean intakes of vitamin B-12 and zinc and higher intakes of fiber, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and E than do nonvegetarians. Usual intake data suggest a similar prevalence of inadequacy between vegetarians and nonvegetarians for magnesium and vitamins A, C, and E, with both groups at high risk of inadequate intakes of these nutrients. These same data report that vegetarians have a higher prevalence of inadequacy for iron, vitamin B-12, protein, and zinc than do nonvegetarians. Although mean intake data suggest that a vegetarian diet may be a useful approach for weight management, combined with energy restriction it may have a detrimental effect on diet quality. Mean intakes of fiber, vitamins A and C, magnesium, and iron were significantly lower for vegetarians with energy intakes ≥ 500 kcal below Estimated Energy Requirements than for vegetarians who did not restrict energy. Vegetarian diets should be recommended for weight management; however, care should be taken to optimize food intake to provide adequate intakes of nutrients of concern when energy restriction is used in conjunction with a vegetarian dietary pattern. At any caloric amount, vegetarians should optimize intakes of vitamin B-12, zinc, and protein; and both vegetarians and nonvegetarians need to increase intakes of calcium, magnesium, fiber, and vitamins A, C, and E. © 2014 American Society for Nutrition.

Bion 11 Spaceflight Project: Effect of Weightlessness on Single Muscle Fiber Function in Rhesus Monkeys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fitts, Robert H.; Romatowski, Janell G.; Widrick, Jeffrey J.; DeLaCruz, Lourdes

1999-01-01

Although it is well known that microgravity induces considerable limb muscle atrophy, little is known about how weightlessness alters cell function. In this study, we investigated how weightlessness altered the functional properties of single fast and slow striated muscle fibers. Physiological studies were carried out to test the hypothesis that microgravity causes fiber atrophy, a decreased peak force (Newtons), tension (Newtons/cross-sectional area) and power, an elevated peak rate of tension development (dp/dt), and an increased maximal shortening velocity (V(sub o)) in the slow type I fiber, while changes in the fast-twitch fiber are restricted to atrophy and a reduced peak force. For each fiber, we determined the peak force (P(sub o)), V(sub o), dp/dt, the force-velocity relationship, peak power, the power-force relationship, the force-pCa relationship, and fiber stiffness. Biochemical studies were carried out to assess the effects of weightlessness on the enzyme and substrate profile of the fast- and slow-twitch fibers. We predicted that microgravity would increase resting muscle glycogen and glycolytic metabolism in the slow fiber type, while the fast-twitch fiber enzyme profile would be unaltered. The increased muscle glycogen would in part result from an elevated hexokinase and glycogen synthase. The enzymes selected for study represent markers for mitochondrial function (citrate synthase and 0-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase), glycolysis (Phosphofructokinase and lactate dehydrogenase), and fatty acid transport (Carnitine acetyl transferase). The substrates analyzed will include glycogen, lactate, adenosine triphosphate, and phosphocreatine.

Soil Bacteria and Fungi Respond on Different Spatial Scales to Invasion by the Legume Lespedeza cuneata

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-24

of 230   community similarity (Legendre and Legendre 1998). 231   232   Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance ( PerMANOVA ) (McArdle...241   null hypothesis can be rejected with a type I error rate of a. We used an implementation 242   of PerMANOVA that involved sequential removal...TEXTURE, and 249   HABITAT. 250   251   The null distribution for PerMANOVA tests for site-scale effects was generated 252   using a restricted

Disordered eating and food restrictions in children with PANDAS/PANS.

PubMed

Toufexis, Megan D; Hommer, Rebecca; Gerardi, Diana M; Grant, Paul; Rothschild, Leah; D'Souza, Precilla; Williams, Kyle; Leckman, James; Swedo, Susan E; Murphy, Tanya K

2015-02-01

Sudden onset clinically significant eating restrictions are a defining feature of the clinical presentation of some of the cases of pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS). Restrictions in food intake are typically fueled by contamination fears; fears of choking, vomiting, or swallowing; and/or sensory issues, such as texture, taste, or olfactory concerns. However, body image distortions may also be present. We investigate the clinical presentation of PANS disordered eating and compare it with that of other eating disorders. We describe 29 patients who met diagnostic criteria for PANS. Most also exhibited evidence that the symptoms might be sequelae of infections with Group A streptococcal bacteria (the pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections [PANDAS] subgroup of PANS). The clinical presentations are remarkable for a male predominance (2:1 M:F), young age of the affected children (mean=9 years; range 5-12 years), acuity of symptom onset, and comorbid neuropsychiatric symptoms. The food refusal associated with PANS is compared with symptoms listed for the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. (DSM-V) diagnosis of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Treatment implications are discussed, as well as directions for further research.

Experiment K-314: Fetal and neonatal rat bone and joint development following in Utero spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sabelman, E. E.; Holton, E. M.; Arnaud, C. D.

1981-01-01

Infant rat limb specimens from Soviet and U.S. ground-based studies were examined by radiography, macrophotography, histologic sectioning and staining and scanning electron microscopy. A comparison was conducted between vivarium and flight-type diets suggesting that nutritional obesity may adversely affect pregnancy. Data were obtained on maturation of ossification centers, orientation of collagen fibers in bone, tendon and ligaments, joint surface texture and spatial relationships of bones of the hind limb. Computer reconstructions of the knee and hip show promise as a means of investigating the etiology of congenital hip dislocation.

Dietary Composition Independent of Weight Loss in the Management of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

PubMed Central

Eslamparast, Tannaz; Tandon, Puneeta; Raman, Maitreyi

2017-01-01

Poor dietary composition is an important factor in the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The majority of NAFLD patients follow diets with overconsumption of simple carbohydrates, total and saturated fat, with reduced intake of dietary fiber and omega-3 rich foods. Although lifestyle modifications including weight loss and exercise remain the keystone of NAFLD management, modifying dietary composition with or without a calorie-restricted diet may also be a feasible and sustainable strategy for NAFLD treatment. In the present review article, we highlight the potential therapeutic role of a “high quality healthy diet” to improve hepatic steatosis and metabolic dysfunction in patients with NAFLD, independent of caloric restriction and weight loss. We provide a literature review evaluating the evidence behind dietary components including fiber-, meat- and omega-3-rich diets and, pending further evidence, we concur with the EASL-EASD-EASO Clinical Guidelines recommendation of the Mediterranean diet as the diet of choice in these patients. PMID:28933748

Exploring the effects of electrospinning processing protocols on fiber surface morphology and polymer chain conformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, Jean S.

Electrospinning is a fiber formation technique that uses electrostatic forces to create continuous, nanometer diameter fibers. The work presented here focuses on the continuing efforts to build a stronger fundamental understanding of electrospinning by exploring structure/property/process relationships by investigating the effects of process protocols on fiber surface morphology and polymer chain conformation. By varying the processing parameters it has been possible to produce fibers with unique surface features, microtextured/nanoporous fibers and nanowebs. In the microtextured/nanoporous fiber studies, changing the solution concentration, solvent volatility, and relative humidity was found to alter the size, shape, and distribution of pores on the fiber surface. The mechanisms that can explain the pore formation and texturing on the surface of the fibers are phase separation (aggregation into polymer rich and polymer lean regions) and breath figures (evaporative cooling and vapor condensation). Through a judicious choice of the electrospinning processing parameters we have also been able to create "web" like structures of nanofibers (5--25 nm) from collagen, dragline silk analog, nylon, and denatured collagen. Electrostatic repulsion and thin film dewetting are thought to be responsible for the formation of the nanowebs. These unique structures were characterized using FESEM, TEM, OM, and AFM. Raman spectroscopy, initially developed as a "real time" characterization technique to study electrospun fiber formation, has also been used to investigate the effect of electrospinning on the chain conformation of bioinspired polymers. Comparing the spectrum of the bulk material to that of the electrospun material identified conformational changes in nylon 6 and dragline silk analog. The conformational change in nylon 6 (alpha-form to gamma-form) results from the stresses induced on the electrospinning jet during fiber formation, whereas the conformational change in the silk analog (beta-sheet to alpha-helical) result from electric field assembling of the charged a-helical segments of the protein polymer in solution. The investigations described here have allowed us to build a virtual database of the processing conditions needed to create materials for tissue engineering constructs. Electrospun collagen membranes have been used in preliminary cell attachment studies. From the trials it was observed that the cells migrated into the membranes indicating that the membranes are suitable for tissue engineering scaffolds.

Muscle ultrastructural changes from exhaustive exercise performed after prolonged restricted activity and retraining in dogs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nazar, K.; Greenleaf, J. E.; Philpott, D.; Pohoska, E.; Olszewska, K.; Kaciuba-Uscilko, H.

1991-01-01

The effect of exhaustive treadmill exercise on ultrastructural changes in the quadriceps femoris muscle was studied in 7 normal, healthy dogs, before and after restricted activity (RA), and following a subsequent 2 month treadmill exercise retraining period for the 5 mo group. Mean time to exhaustion in the 2 mo group decreased from 177 + or - 22 min before to 90 + or - 32 min after RA. Retraining increased tolerance to 219 + or - 73 min; 24 pct. above the before RA and 143 pct. above the after RA time. After RA exhaustion time in the 5 mo group was 25 and 45 min. Before RA, pre-exercise muscle structure was normal and post exercise there was only slight swelling of mitochondria. After RA, pre-exercise, numerous glycogen granules and lipid droplets appeared in the muscle fibers, mitochondria were smaller, and sarcoplasmic reticulum channels widened; post exercise these changes were accentuated and some areas were devoid of glycogen, and there was fiber degradation. After 5 mo RA pre-exercise there were more pronounced changes; mitochondria were very small and dense, there were many lipid droplets, myofibrils were often separated, and the fibers appeared edematous and degenerating; post exercise the sarcoplasmic reticulum was swollen, no glycogen was present, and there was marked swelling and deformation of mitochondria. After retraining, both pre-exercise and post exercise there was still evidence of fiber degeneration. Thus, susceptibility of active skeletal muscle structures and subcellular elements, e.g., mitochondria, to the action of damaging factors occurring during exhaustive exercise is enhanced considerably by prolonged disuse.

Mechanical and optical characteristics of a new fiber optical system used for cardiac contraction measurement.

PubMed

Kloppe, A; Hoeland, K; Müller, S; Hexamer, M; Nowack, G; Mügge, A; Werner, J

2004-10-01

In order to obtain a better physiological performance and a closer restoration of the regular rhythm of failing hearts, a new fiber optical sensor system for the measurement of cardiac contraction has been developed. It consists of an opto-electrical unit and a sensing fiber which has to be positioned in the heart. The objective of this new fiber optic sensor system is to use the inotropic information to adjust a stimulation algorithm in single or multichamber pacing or to detect arrhythmia in insufficient heart function. In this study, the mechanical and optical characteristics of different fibers are investigated. The relationship between the attenuation (with an achieved numerical maximum of 0.3 dB), the bending diameter and the angle of bending is determined in a range of 20-160 mm. The most suitable fiber for the application in cardiological problems is determined (WT8 fiber), for which the sensitivity is analyzed. Additionally, power spectra are calculated from WT8 fiber signals obtained from pig hearts, working under physiological conditions. The maximal frequency response was 23 Hz. It is concluded that the fiber optical measurement of cardiac contraction is not only feasible and reproducible, but the WT8 fiber also shows optimal behavior in the range of parameters occurring in the heart chambers. Nevertheless, in order to restrict the measured signal reliably to bending processes within the chambers only, it is concluded that a special combined fiber has to be constructed with a high sensitivity only at its terminal section within the heart.

Genetic Targeting of an Adenovirus Vector via Replacement of the Fiber Protein with the Phage T4 Fibritin

PubMed Central

Krasnykh, Victor; Belousova, Natalya; Korokhov, Nikolay; Mikheeva, Galina; Curiel, David T.

2001-01-01

The utility of adenovirus (Ad) vectors for gene therapy is restricted by their inability to selectively transduce disease-affected tissues. This limitation may be overcome by the derivation of vectors capable of interacting with receptors specifically expressed in the target tissue. Previous attempts to alter Ad tropism by genetic modification of the Ad fiber have had limited success due to structural conflicts between the fiber and the targeting ligand. Here we present a strategy to derive an Ad vector with enhanced targeting potential by a radical replacement of the fiber protein in the Ad capsid with a chimeric molecule containing a heterologous trimerization motif and a receptor-binding ligand. Our approach, which capitalized upon the overall structural similarity between the human Ad type 5 (Ad5) fiber and bacteriophage T4 fibritin proteins, has resulted in the generation of a genetically modified Ad5 incorporating chimeric fiber-fibritin proteins targeted to artificial receptor molecules. Gene transfer studies employing this novel viral vector have demonstrated its capacity to efficiently deliver a transgene payload to the target cells in a receptor-specific manner. PMID:11287567

Miniaturized tool for optogenetics based on an LED and an optical fiber interfaced by a silicon housing.

PubMed

Schwaerzle, M; Elmlinger, P; Paul, O; Ruther, P

2014-01-01

This paper reports on the design, simulation, fabrication and characterization of a tool for optogenetic experiments based on a light emitting diode (LED). A minimized silicon (Si) interface houses the LED and aligns it to an optical fiber. With a Si housing size of 550×500×380 μm(3) and an electrical interconnection of the LED by a highly flexible polyimide (PI) ribbon cable is the system very variable. PI cables and Si housings are fabricated using established microsystem technologies. A 270×220×50 μm(3) bare LED chip is flip-chip-bonded onto the PI cable. The Si housing is adhesively attached to the PI cable, thereby hosting the LED in a recess. An opposite recess guides the optical fiber with a diameter of 125 μm. An aperture in-between restricts the emitted LED light to the fiber core. The optical fiber is adhesively fixed into the Si housing recess. An optical output intensity at the fiber end facet of 1.71 mW/mm(2) was achieved at a duty cycle of 10 % and a driving current of 30 mA.

Dietary fiber intake reduces risk for Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer.

PubMed

Sun, Lingli; Zhang, Zhizhong; Xu, Jian; Xu, Gelin; Liu, Xinfeng

2017-09-02

Observational studies suggest an association between dietary fiber intake and risk of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer. However, the results are inconsistent. To conduct a meta-analysis of observational studies to assess this association. All eligible studies were identified by electronic searches in PubMed and Embase through February 2015. Dose-response, subgroup, sensitivity, and publication bias analyses were performed. A total of 15 studies involving 16,885 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled odds ratio for the highest compared with the lowest dietary fiber intake was 0.52 (95% CI, 0.43-0.64). Stratified analyses for tumor subtype, study design, geographic location, fiber type, publication year, total sample size, and quality score yielded consistent results. Dose-response analysis indicated that a 10-g/d increment in dietary fiber intake was associated with a 31% reduction in Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer risk. Sensitivity analysis restricted to studies with control for conventional risk factors produced similar results, and omission of any single study had little effect on the overall risk estimate. Our findings indicate that dietary fiber intake is inversely associated with risk of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer. Further large prospective studies are warranted.

All Fiber-Coupled OH Planar Laser-Induced-Fluorescence (OH-PLIF)-Based Two-Dimensional Thermometry.

PubMed

Hsu, Paul S; Jiang, Naibo; Patnaik, Anil K; Katta, Vish; Roy, Sukesh; Gord, James R

2018-04-01

Two-color, planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF)-based two-dimensional (2D) thermometry techniques for reacting flows, which are typically developed in the laboratory conditions, face a stiff challenge in their practical implementation in harsh environments such as combustion rigs. In addition to limited optical access, the critical experimental conditions (i.e., uncontrolled humidity, vibration, and large thermal gradients) often restrict sensitive laser system operation and cause difficulties maintaining beam-overlap. Thus, an all fiber-coupled, two-color OH-PLIF system has been developed, employing two long optical fibers allowing isolation of the laser and signal-collection systems. Two OH-excitation laser beams (∼283 nm and ∼286 nm) are delivered through a common 6 m long, 400 µm core, deep ultraviolet (UV)-enhanced multimode fiber. The fluorescence signal (∼310 nm) is collected by a 3 m long, UV-grade imaging fiber. Proof-of-principle temperature measurements are demonstrated in atmospheric pressure, near adiabatic, CH 4 /O 2 /N 2 jet flames. The effects of the excitation pulse interval on fiber transmission are investigated. The proof-of-principle measurements show significant promise for thermometry in harsh environments such as gas turbine engine tests.

A novel structure photonic crystal fiber based on bismuth-oxide for optical parametric amplification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Cang; Yuan, Jinhui; Yu, Chongxiu

2010-11-01

The heavy metal oxide glasses containing bismuth such as bismuth sesquioxide show unique high refractive index. In addition, the bismuth-oxide based glass does not include toxic elements such as Pb, As, Se, Te, and exhibits well chemical, mechanical and thermal stability. Hence, it is used to fabricate high nonlinear fiber for nonlinear optical application. Although the bismuth-oxide based high nonlinear fiber can be fusion-spliced to conventional silica fibers and have above advantages, yet it suffers from large group velocity dispersion because of material chromatic dispersion which restricts its utility. In regard to this, the micro-structure was introduced to adjust the dispersion of bismuth-oxide high nonlinear fiber in the 1550nm wave-band. In this paper, a hexagonal solid-core micro-structure is developed to balance its dispersion and nonlinearity. Our simulation and calculation results show that the bismuth-oxide based photonic crystal fiber has near zero dispersion around 1550nm where the optical parametric amplification suitable wavelength is. Its dispersion slop in the communication wavelength range is also relatively flat. Moreover, both nonlinear coefficient and model filed distribution were simulated, respectively.

Hierarchical MnO2 nanowire/graphene hybrid fibers with excellent electrochemical performance for flexible solid-state supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Wujun; Chen, Shaohua; Yang, Shengyuan; Chen, Wenping; Cheng, Yanhua; Guo, Yiwei; Peng, Shengjie; Ramakrishna, Seeram; Zhu, Meifang

2016-02-01

Towards rapid development of lightweight, flexible, and even wearable electronics, a highly efficient energy-storage device is required for their energy supply management. Graphene fiber-based supercapacitor is considered as one of the promising candidates because of the remarkable mechanical and electrical properties of graphene fibers. However, supercapacitors based on bare graphene fibers generally suffer a low capacitance, which certainly restricts their potentially wide applications. In this work, hierarchically structured MnO2 nanowire/graphene hybrid fibers are fabricated through a simple, scalable wet-spinning method. The hybrid fibers form mesoporous structure with large specific surface area of 139.9 m2 g-1. The mass loading of MnO2 can be as high as 40 wt%. Due to the synergistic effect between MnO2 nanowires and graphene, the main pseudocapacitance of MnO2 and the electric double-layer capacitance of graphene are improved simultaneously. In view of the practical demonstration, a highly flexible solid-state supercapacitor is fabricated by twisting of two MnO2/graphene fibers coated by polyvinyl alcohol/H3PO4 electrolyte. The supercapacitor exhibits a high volumetric capacitance (66.1 F cm-3, normalized by the total volume of two fiber electrodes), excellent cycling stability (96% capacitance retention over 10,000 cycles), high energy and power density (5.8 mWh cm-3 and 0.51 W cm-3, respectively).

Current strategies for sustaining drug release from electrospun nanofibers

PubMed Central

Chou, Shih-Feng; Carson, Daniel; Woodrow, Kim A.

2017-01-01

Electrospun drug-eluting fibers are emerging as a novel dosage form for multipurpose prevention against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and unintended pregnancy. Previous work from our lab and others show the versatility of this platform to deliver large doses of physico-chemically diverse agents. However, there is still an unmet need to develop practical fiber formulations for water-soluble small molecule drugs needed at high dosing due to intrinsic low potency or desire for sustained prevention. To date, most sustained release fibers have been restricted to the delivery of biologics or hydrophobic small molecules at low drug loading of typically < 1 wt.%, which is often impractical for most clinical applications. For hydrophilic small molecule drugs, their high aqueous solubility and poor partitioning and incompatibility with insoluble polymers make long-term release even more challenging. Here we investigate several existing strategies to sustain release of hydrophilic small molecule drugs that are highly-loaded in electrospun fibers. In particular, we investigate what is known about the design constraints required to realize multi-day release from fibers fabricated from uniaxial and coaxial electrospinning. PMID:26363300

Scalable waveguide design for three-level operation in Neodymium doped fiber laser

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

Pax, Paul H.; Khitrov, Victor V.; Drachenberg, Derrek R.

We have constructed a double clad neodymium doped fiber laser operating on the three-level 4F 3/2 → 4I 9/2 transition. The laser has produced 11.5 W at 925 nm with 55% slope efficiency when pumped at 808 nm, comparable to the best previous results for a double-clad fiber configuration on this transition. Higher power pumping with both 808 nm and 880 nm sources resulted in an output of 27 W, albeit at lower slope efficiency. In both cases, output power was limited by available pump, indicating the potential for further power scaling. To suppress the stronger four-level 4F 3/2 →more » 4I 11/2 transition we developed a waveguide that provides spectral filtering distributed along the length of the fiber, based on an all-solid micro-structured optical fiber design, with resonant inclusions creating a leakage path to the cladding. Furthermore, the waveguide supports large mode areas and provides strong suppression at selectable wavelength bands, thus easing the restrictions on core and cladding sizes that limited power scaling of previous approaches.« less

Scalable waveguide design for three-level operation in Neodymium doped fiber laser

DOE PAGES

Pax, Paul H.; Khitrov, Victor V.; Drachenberg, Derrek R.; ...

2016-12-12

We have constructed a double clad neodymium doped fiber laser operating on the three-level 4F 3/2 → 4I 9/2 transition. The laser has produced 11.5 W at 925 nm with 55% slope efficiency when pumped at 808 nm, comparable to the best previous results for a double-clad fiber configuration on this transition. Higher power pumping with both 808 nm and 880 nm sources resulted in an output of 27 W, albeit at lower slope efficiency. In both cases, output power was limited by available pump, indicating the potential for further power scaling. To suppress the stronger four-level 4F 3/2 →more » 4I 11/2 transition we developed a waveguide that provides spectral filtering distributed along the length of the fiber, based on an all-solid micro-structured optical fiber design, with resonant inclusions creating a leakage path to the cladding. Furthermore, the waveguide supports large mode areas and provides strong suppression at selectable wavelength bands, thus easing the restrictions on core and cladding sizes that limited power scaling of previous approaches.« less

Materials Development for Next Generation Optical Fiber

PubMed Central

Ballato, John; Dragic, Peter

2014-01-01

Optical fibers, the enablers of the Internet, are being used in an ever more diverse array of applications. Many of the rapidly growing deployments of fibers are in high-power and, particularly, high power-per-unit-bandwidth systems where well-known optical nonlinearities have historically not been especially consequential in limiting overall performance. Today, however, nominally weak effects, most notably stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) are among the principal phenomena restricting continued scaling to higher optical power levels. In order to address these limitations, the optical fiber community has focused dominantly on geometry-related solutions such as large mode area (LMA) designs. Since such scattering, and all other linear and nonlinear optical phenomena including higher order mode instability (HOMI), are fundamentally materials-based in origin, this paper unapologetically advocates material solutions to present and future performance limitations. As such, this paper represents a ‘call to arms’ for material scientists and engineers to engage in this opportunity to drive the future development of optical fibers that address many of the grand engineering challenges of our day. PMID:28788683

Current strategies for sustaining drug release from electrospun nanofibers.

PubMed

Chou, Shih-Feng; Carson, Daniel; Woodrow, Kim A

2015-12-28

Electrospun drug-eluting fibers are emerging as a novel dosage form for multipurpose prevention against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and unintended pregnancy. Previous work from our lab and others show the versatility of this platform to deliver large doses of physico-chemically diverse agents. However, there is still an unmet need to develop practical fiber formulations for water-soluble small molecule drugs needed at high dosing due to intrinsic low potency or desire for sustained prevention. To date, most sustained release fibers have been restricted to the delivery of biologics or hydrophobic small molecules at low drug loading of typically <1 wt.%, which is often impractical for most clinical applications. For hydrophilic small molecule drugs, their high aqueous solubility and poor partitioning and incompatibility with insoluble polymers make long-term release even more challenging. Here we investigate several existing strategies to sustain release of hydrophilic small molecule drugs that are highly-loaded in electrospun fibers. In particular, we investigate what is known about the design constraints required to realize multi-day release from fibers fabricated from uniaxial and coaxial electrospinning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spectral and spatial characterization of perfluorinated graded-index polymer optical fibers for the distribution of optical wireless communication cells.

PubMed

Hajjar, Hani Al; Montero, David S; Lallana, Pedro C; Vázquez, Carmen; Fracasso, Bruno

2015-02-10

In this paper, the characterization of a perfluorinated graded-index polymer optical fiber (PF-GIPOF) for a high-bitrate indoor optical wireless system is reported. PF-GIPOF is used here to interconnect different optical wireless access points that distribute optical free-space high-bitrate wireless communication cells. The PF-GIPOF channel is first studied in terms of transmission attenuation and frequency response and, in a second step, the spatial power profile distribution at the fiber output is analyzed. Both characterizations are performed under varying restricted mode launch conditions, enabling us to assess the transmission channel performance subject to potential connectorization errors within an environment where the end users may intervene by themselves on the home network infrastructure.

Optical Spectroscopy Of Materials With Restricted Dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yen, William M...

1989-05-01

In this paper, we discuss various experimental advantages which are gained by using samples which have special dimensions and/or geometries. We limit our discussion here to the cylindrical geometry appropriate for optical fibers which are employed for various optoelectronic applications. We present results of laser spectroscopic studies of nominally pure and activated single crystal and glass fibers to illustrate some of these advantages. For example, we have succeeded for the first time in obtaining the dependence of the ruby R-lines and of the Raman spectra of sapphire on tensile stress. We further discuss a novel laser spectroscopic method, Dilution Narrowed Laser Spectroscopy or DNLS; we demonstrate this form of spectroscopy on single mode glass fibers activated with rare earth ions and consider the possibilities inherent in this technique.

Fundamental-mode MMF transmission enabled by mode conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Zhongying; Li, Juhao; Tian, Yu; Ge, Dawei; Zhu, Jinglong; Ren, Fang; Mo, Qi; Yu, Jinyi; Li, Zhengbin; Chen, Zhangyuan; He, Yongqi

2018-03-01

Modal dispersion in conventional multi-mode fiber (MMF) will cause serious signal degradation and an effective solution is to restrict the signal transmission in the fundamental mode of MMF. In this paper, unlike previous methods by filtering out higher-order modes, we propose to adopt low-modal-crosstalk mode converters to realize fundamental-mode MMF transmission. We design and fabricate all-fiber mode-selective couplers (MSC), which perform mode conversion between the fundamental mode in single-mode fiber (SMF) and fundamental mode in MMF. The proposed scheme is experimentally compared with center launching method under different MMF links and then its wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmission performance is investigated. Experimental results indicate that the proposed mode conversion scheme could achieve better transmission performance and works well for the whole C-band.

Impact of divergent selection for ultimate pH of pectoralis major muscle on biochemical, histological, and sensorial attributes of broiler meat.

PubMed

Alnahhas, N; Le Bihan-Duval, E; Baéza, E; Chabault, M; Chartrin, P; Bordeau, T; Cailleau-Audouin, E; Meteau, K; Berri, C

2015-09-01

The impact of divergent selection based on the ultimate pH (pHu) of pectoralis major (P. major) muscle on the chemical, biochemical, and histological profiles of the muscle and sensorial quality of meat was investigated in broiler chickens. The protein, lipid, DM, glycogen and lactate content, glycolytic potential, proteolysis, lipid and protein oxidation index, muscle fiber cross-sectional area, capillary density, and collagen surface were determined on the breast P. major muscle of 6-wk-old broilers issued from the high-pHu (pHu+) and low-pHu (pHu-) lines. Sensory attributes were also evaluated on the breast (roasted or grilled) and thigh (roasted) meat of the 2 lines. Protein, lipid, and DM content of P. major muscle were not affected by selection ( > 0.05). However, the P. major muscle of the pHu+ line was characterized by lower residual glycogen (-16%; ≤ 0.001) and lactate (-14%; ≤ 0.001) content and lower glycolytic potential (-14%; ≤ 0.001) compared with the pHu- line. Although the average cross-sectional area of muscle fibers and surface occupied by collagen were similar ( > 0.05) in both lines, fewer capillaries per fiber (-15%; ≤ 0.05) were observed in the pHu+ line. The pHu+ line was also characterized by lower lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substance index: -23%; ≤ 0.05) but protein oxidation and proteolysis index were not different ( > 0.05) between the 2 lines. At the sensory level, selection on breast muscle pHu mainly affected the texture of grilled and roast breast meat, which was judged significantly more tender ( ≤ 0.001) in the pHu+ line, and the acid taste, which was less pronounced in the roasted breast meat of the pHu+ line ( ≤ 0.002). This study highlighted that selection based on pHu does not affect the chemical composition and structure of breast meat. However, by modifying muscle blood supply and glycogen turnover, it affects meat acidity and oxidant status, both of which are likely to contribute to the large differences in texture observed between the 2 lines.

Invited review liquid crystal models of biological materials and silk spinning.

PubMed

Rey, Alejandro D; Herrera-Valencia, Edtson E

2012-06-01

A review of thermodynamic, materials science, and rheological liquid crystal models is presented and applied to a wide range of biological liquid crystals, including helicoidal plywoods, biopolymer solutions, and in vivo liquid crystals. The distinguishing characteristics of liquid crystals (self-assembly, packing, defects, functionalities, processability) are discussed in relation to biological materials and the strong correspondence between different synthetic and biological materials is established. Biological polymer processing based on liquid crystalline precursors includes viscoelastic flow to form and shape fibers. Viscoelastic models for nematic and chiral nematics are reviewed and discussed in terms of key parameters that facilitate understanding and quantitative information from optical textures and rheometers. It is shown that viscoelastic modeling the silk spinning process using liquid crystal theories sheds light on textural transitions in the duct of spiders and silk worms as well as on tactoidal drops and interfacial structures. The range and consistency of the predictions demonstrates that the use of mesoscopic liquid crystal models is another tool to develop the science and biomimetic applications of mesogenic biological soft matter. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Measuring twinning and slip in shock-compressed Ta from in-situ x-ray diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wehrenberg, Christopher; McGonegle, David; Sliwa, Marcin; Suggit, Matt; Wark, Justin; Lee, Hae Ja; Nagler, Bob; Tavella, Franz; Remington, Bruce; Rudd, Rob; Lazicki, Amy; Park, Hye-Sook; Swift, Damian; Zepeda-Ruiz, Louis; Higginbotham, Andrew; Bolme, Cindy

2017-06-01

A fundamental understanding of high-pressure and high-strain-rate deformation rests on grasping the underlying microstructural processes, such as twinning and dislocation generation and transport (slip), yet simulations and ex-post-facto recovery experiments provide conflicting answers to these basic issues. Here, we report direct, in-situ observation of twinning and slip in shock compressed Ta using in-situ x-ray diffraction. A series of shock experiments were performed on the Matter in Extreme Conditions end station at LCLS. Direct laser ablation was used to drive a shock, ranging in pressure from 10-300 GPa, into a Ta sample with an initial (110) fiber texture. The subsequent changes in texture were observed in-situ by examining the azimuthal distribution of the diffraction intensity and found to match twinning and lattice rotation. Measurements of the twin fraction and lattice rotation were used to calculate the equivalent plastic strain from twinning and slip. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Quality and storability of chicken nuggets formulated with green banana and soybean hulls flours.

PubMed

Kumar, Vinay; Biswas, Ashim Kumar; Sahoo, Jhari; Chatli, Manish Kumar; Sivakumar, S

2013-12-01

The present study was envisaged to investigate the effect of green banana (GBF) and soybean hulls flours (SHF) on the physicochemical characteristics, colour, texture and storage stability of chicken meat nuggets. The addition of GBF and SHF in the nugget formulations was effective in sustaining desired cooking yield and emulsion stability besides nutritional benefits. Protein and fat contents were decreased (p > 0.05), but fibers and ash contents was increased (p < 0.05) amongst treatments. The flour formulated samples were lighter (L* value) less dark (a*) than control. Textural values were affected significantly. On storage, samples with GBF showed lower pH (p > 0.05%) than control and treatments. Lipid oxidation products, however, unaffected (p > 0.05) but increased in all samples over storage time. Flour treatments showed a positive impact in respect to microbiological quality, however, sensory evaluation indicated comparable scores for all attributes at all times. So, incorporation of GBF and SHF in the formulation could improve the quality and storage stability of chicken nuggets.

Defatted wheat germ application: Influence on cookies' properties with regard to its particle size and dough moisture content.

PubMed

Petrović, Jovana; Rakić, Dušan; Fišteš, Aleksandar; Pajin, Biljana; Lončarević, Ivana; Tomović, Vladimir; Zarić, Danica

2017-10-01

The introduction of agro-food industry by-products rich in bioactive compounds represents major challenge in food industry sector. The influence of wheat germ particle size (<150 µm, 150-1000 µm, and 800-2000 µm), wheat germ content (5, 10, and 15%), and dough moisture content (20, 22, and 24%) on chemical, textural, and sensory characteristics of cookies was investigated using the Box-Behnken experimental design. The substitution of wheat flour with wheat germ increased the protein, fat, mineral, and fiber content of the cookies. The particle size of wheat germ affected the textural properties of cookies. As the particle size of wheat germ increased, the hardness of cookies decreased. The color of the cookie was most influenced by the interaction of dough moisture content and wheat germ particle size. Wheat germ level up to 15% had no significant effect on the sensory characteristics of cookies. A suitable combination of defatted wheat germ level, its particle size, and dough moisture content can improve the nutritional value of cookies, without causing a negative effect on the cookies' sensory characteristics.

Electrospinning of Biodegradable and Biocompatible Nanofiber Patches from Solutions of ``Green'' Materials for Plant Protection against Fungi Attack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sett, Soumyadip; Lee, Minwook; Yarin, Alexander; Moghadam, S. M. Alavi; Meinke, Matthias; Schroeder, Wolfgang

2015-11-01

Biodegradable and biocompatible soy protein/petroleum-derived polymer monolithic fibers containing adhesives were electrospun on commercial rayon pads. The polymers used, PVA and PCL, are widely used in the biomedical industry, including such applications as drug delivery and scaffold manufacturing. Soy protein is an abundant waste of SoyDiesel production, and is widely used as a nutrient. The soy content in our fibers was as high as 40% w/w. Four different adhesives, including ordinary wood glue, repositionable glue and FDA-approved pressure-sensitive glue were used for electrospinning and electrospraying. The normal and shear adhesive strengths of the patches developed in this work were measured and compared. The adhesive strength was sufficient enough to withstand normal atmospheric conditions. These biodegradable and biocompatible nano-textured patches are ready to be used on prune locations without being carried away by wind and will protect plants against fungi attack at these locations, preventing diseases like Vine Decline.

In-vivo gingival sulcus imaging using full-range, complex-conjugate-free, endoscopic spectral domain optical coherence tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yong; Zhang, Kang; Yi, WonJin; Kang, Jin U.

2012-01-01

Frequent monitoring of gingival sulcus will provide valuable information for judging the presence and severity of periodontal disease. Optical coherence tomography, as a 3D high resolution high speed imaging modality is able to provide information for pocket depth, gum contour, gum texture, gum recession simultaneously. A handheld forward-viewing miniature resonant fiber-scanning probe was developed for in-vivo gingival sulcus imaging. The fiber cantilever driven by magnetic force vibrates at resonant frequency. A synchronized linear phase-modulation was applied in the reference arm by the galvanometer-driven reference mirror. Full-range, complex-conjugate-free, real-time endoscopic SD-OCT was achieved by accelerating the data process using graphics processing unit. Preliminary results showed a real-time in-vivo imaging at 33 fps with an imaging range of lateral 2 mm by depth 3 mm. Gap between the tooth and gum area was clearly visualized. Further quantification analysis of the gingival sulcus will be performed on the image acquired.

Physicochemical and functional properties of micronized jincheng orange by-products (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) dietary fiber and its application as a fat replacer in yogurt.

PubMed

Yi, Tian; Huang, Xingjian; Pan, Siyi; Wang, Lufeng

2014-08-01

Orange by-products from juice extraction are generally discarded or used in animal feed due to their low market value. However, orange by-products show potential as dietary fiber (DF) and fat replacers in products such as yogurt. This study assessed the benefits of using orange by-products in DF-enriched materials such as DF powders (OP) and micronized DF with ball-milling (MDF). The study also investigated the effects of adding different levels of OP and MDF on the quality of low-fat yogurt. Results show that MDF showed better physicochemical and functional properties than OP, and that 2% MDF as a fat replacer in yogurt retained most of the textural and sensory properties of full-fat yogurt. Therefore, this study showed that MDF is a promising alternative as a fat replacer in low-fat yogurt, without sacrificing good taste and other qualities of full-fat yogurt.

Effect of Fiber Orientation on Ball Failures Under Rolling-contact Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, Robert H; Bear, H Robert; Carter, Thomas L

1957-01-01

The rolling-contact fatigue spin rig was used to test bails of a bearing steel at maximum Hertz stresses of 600,000 to 750,000 psi. The effect of fiber orientation was observed with the ball track restricted to passing directly over the poles, coincident with the equator, or randomly around the ball. The polar areas were found to be weaker in fatigue than the nonpolar areas. This resulted in a much greater portion of the failures occurring in the polar areas than would be expected from a homogeneous material. The early failures are discussed.

Quality assessment of dried okara as a source of production of gluten-free flour.

PubMed

Ostermann-Porcel, María V; Rinaldoni, Ana N; Rodriguez-Furlán, Laura T; Campderrós, Mercedes E

2017-07-01

Okara is a by-product of soymilk and of tofu elaboration that is rich in protein, fiber and vegetable oils as a source of gluten-free flour. In order to take advantage of the nutritional characteristics of okara and to be able to determine an appropriate drying methodology, microwave, rotary dryer and freeze-drying were assessed. Furthermore, flour with an enzymatic treatment was characterized as well as its functional, physicochemical, and textural properties. The results showed that the physiochemical characteristics of the flour were affected by the drying process, reaching adequate water content, and high protein and fiber content. The freeze-drying process produced clearer flours with porous structure and high water absorption capacity, and with a higher protein denaturation. Okara dried by microwave and rotary dryer exhibited a denser structure with similar functional properties and improved textural characteristics such as firmness and consistency. The microwave-produced flour was darker due to the non-enzymatic browning reactions. The enzymatic treatment employed improved the consistency of the flour. It was possible to choose the drying process to be applied according to the feasible use of the flour, intended to preserve the favorable nutritional aspects of the okara flour. Based on the results, it can be affirmed that the physicochemical properties and attributes of okara are influenced by the drying process employed. Okara dried by freeze-drying resulted in a better product because it had a low final moisture content and the highest whiteness index. The flour presented a porous structure with high solubility, which is an indicator of potential applications in foods developments. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of tillage and N fertilizer on cotton growth, yield, and fiber quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Increasing restrictions on ammonium nitrate have spurred interest in alternative sources of N fertilizer, including urea-ammonium sulfate (UAS). However, UAS has not been widely tested, particularly in row crop agriculture. A cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) field study was conducted in Central Alabam...

Self-organization of glucose oxidase-polymer surfactant nanoconstructs in solvent-free soft solids and liquids.

PubMed

Sharma, Kamendra P; Zhang, Yixiong; Thomas, Michael R; Brogan, Alex P S; Perriman, Adam W; Mann, Stephen

2014-10-02

An anisotropic glucose oxidase-polymer surfactant nanoconjugate is synthesized and shown to exhibit complex temperature-dependent phase behavior in the solvent-free state. At close to room temperature, the nanoconjugate crystallizes as a mesolamellar soft solid with an expanded interlayer spacing of ca. 12 nm and interchain correlation lengths consistent with alkyl tail-tail and PEO-PEO ordering. The soft solid displays a birefringent spherulitic texture and melts at 40 °C to produce a solvent-free liquid protein without loss of enzyme secondary structure. The nanoconjugate melt exhibits a birefringent dendritic texture below the conformation transition temperature (Tc) of glucose oxidase (58 °C) and retains interchain PEO-PEO ordering. Our results indicate that the shape anisotropy of the protein-polymer surfactant globular building block plays a key role in directing mesolamellar formation in the solvent-free solid and suggests that the microstructure observed in the solvent-free liquid protein below Tc is associated with restrictions in the intramolecular motions of the protein core of the nanoconjugate.

Ground-water quality in the Red River of the North Basin, Minnesota and North Dakota, 1991-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cowdery, T.K.

1998-01-01

Agricultural land use and soil texture can explain pesticide distributions; soil texture best explains nutrient distributions in waters in surficial aquifers. Confining beds protect waters in buried glacial aquifers from land use effects, resulting in no or low concentrations of nutrients and pesticides. Upward movement of bedrock waters high in dissolved solids concentration can increase concentrations in waters in buried glacial and, to a lesser degree, waters in surficial aquifers in the Lake Plain and Drift Prairie areas. Waters in surficial aquifers exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) maximum contaminant level in drinking water for nitrate in the Drift Prairie (27 percent) and Moraine (8 percent) areas. Their limited areal extent and susceptibility to contamination restrict the usefulness of surficial aquifers as a drinking water source. Waters in buried glacial aquifers exceeded USEPA health advisories for dissolved solids, sodium, and manganese. Sixty-six percent of waters in surficial aquifers also exceeded the Health Advisory for manganese.

Detection of small degree of nonuniformity in dialysate flow in hollow-fiber dialyzer using proton magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Osuga, T; Obata, T; Ikehira, H

2004-04-01

A small degree of nonuniformity in dialysate flow in a hollow-fiber dialyzer was detected using proton magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Since paramagnetic ions reduce the spin-lattice relaxation time of protons around them, MRI can detect Gd in water. An aqueous solution of a chelate compound of Gd was impulsively injected into the dialysate flow path at a flow rate of 500 cm(3) /m, which is that utilized in actual dialysis. Despite the apparent elimination of Gd from the dialysate flow path by the newly injected dialysate fluid after the injection of Gd was terminated, MRI revealed that Gd remained in the interior of the hollow fiber. The observed structure pattern of the Gd concentration profile revealed that the dialysate flow had a small degree of nonuniformity despite the currently established design to restrict channeling in dialysate flow. Local nonuniformity of the hollow-fiber density and vortex generation in the dialysate flow were considered to cause the nonuniformity in the dialysate flow.

Fiber-dependent deautonomization of integrable 2D mappings and discrete Painlevé equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carstea, Adrian Stefan; Dzhamay, Anton; Takenawa, Tomoyuki

2017-10-01

It is well known that two-dimensional mappings preserving a rational elliptic fibration, like the Quispel-Roberts-Thompson mappings, can be deautonomized to discrete Painlevé equations. However, the dependence of this procedure on the choice of a particular elliptic fiber has not been sufficiently investigated. In this paper we establish a way of performing the deautonomization for a pair of an autonomous mapping and a fiber. Starting from a single autonomous mapping but varying the type of a chosen fiber, we obtain different types of discrete Painlevé equations using this deautonomization procedure. We also introduce a technique for reconstructing a mapping from the knowledge of its induced action on the Picard group and some additional geometric data. This technique allows us to obtain factorized expressions of discrete Painlevé equations, including the elliptic case. Further, by imposing certain restrictions on such non-autonomous mappings we obtain new and simple elliptic difference Painlevé equations, including examples whose symmetry groups do not appear explicitly in Sakai’s classification.

Spatially distributed fiber sensor with dual processed outputs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, X.; Spillman, William B., Jr.; Claus, Richard O.; Meissner, K. E.; Chen, K.

2005-05-01

Given the rapid aging of the world"s population, improvements in technology for automation of patient care and documentation are badly needed. We have previously demonstrated a 'smart bed' that can non-intrusively monitor a patient in bed and determine a patient's respiration, heart rate and movement without intrusive or restrictive medical measurements. This is an application of spatially distributed integrating fiber optic sensors. The basic concept is that any patient movement that also moves an optical fiber within a specified area will produce a change in the optical signal. Two modal modulation approaches were considered, a statistical mode (STM) sensor and a high order mode excitation (HOME) sensor. The present design includes an STM sensor combined with a HOME sensor, using both modal modulation approaches. A special lens system allows only the high order modes of the optical fiber to be excited and coupled into the sensor. For handling output from the dual STM-HOME sensor, computer processing methods are discussed that offer comprehensive perturbation analysis for more reliable patient monitoring.

Can the Palatability of Healthy, Satiety-Promoting Foods Increase with Repeated Exposure during Weight Loss?

PubMed Central

Anguah, Katherene O.-B.; Lovejoy, Jennifer C.; Craig, Bruce A.; Gehrke, Malinda M.; Palmer, Philip A.; Eichelsdoerfer, Petra E.; McCrory, Megan A.

2017-01-01

Repeated exposure to sugary, fatty, and salty foods often enhances their appeal. However, it is unknown if exposure influences learned palatability of foods typically promoted as part of a healthy diet. We tested whether the palatability of pulse containing foods provided during a weight loss intervention which were particularly high in fiber and low in energy density would increase with repeated exposure. At weeks 0, 3, and 6, participants (n = 42; body mass index (BMI) 31.2 ± 4.3 kg/m2) were given a test battery of 28 foods, approximately half which had been provided as part of the intervention, while the remaining half were not foods provided as part of the intervention. In addition, about half of each of the foods (provided as part or not provided as part of the intervention) contained pulses. Participants rated the taste, appearance, odor, and texture pleasantness of each food, and an overall flavor pleasantness score was calculated as the mean of these four scores. Linear mixed model analyses showed an exposure type by week interaction effect for taste, texture and overall flavor pleasantness indicating statistically significant increases in ratings of provided foods in taste and texture from weeks 0 to 3 and 0 to 6, and overall flavor from weeks 0 to 6. Repeated exposure to these foods, whether they contained pulses or not, resulted in a ~4% increase in pleasantness ratings. The long-term clinical relevance of this small increase requires further study. PMID:28231094

CW laser damage testing of RAR nano-textured fused silica and YAG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacLeod, Bruce D.; Hobbs, Douglas S.; Manni, Anthony D.; Sabatino, Ernest; Bernot, David M.; DeFrances, Sage; Randi, Joseph A.; Thomas, Jeffrey

2017-11-01

A study of the continuous wave (CW) laser induced damage threshold (LiDT) of fused silica and yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) optics was conducted to further illustrate the enhanced survivability within high power laser systems of an anti-reflection (AR) treatment consisting of randomly distributed surface relief nanostructures (RAR). A series of three CW LiDT tests using the 1070nm wavelength, 16 KW fiber laser test bed at Penn State Electro-Optic Center (PSEOC) were designed and completed, with improvements in the testing protocol, areal coverage, and maximum exposure intensities implemented between test cycles. Initial results for accumulated power, stationary site exposures of RAR nano-textured optics showed no damage and low surface temperatures similar to the control optics with no AR treatment. In contrast, optics with thin-film AR coatings showed high surface temperatures consistent with absorption by the film layers. Surface discriminating absorption measurements made using the Photothermal Common-path Interferometry (PCI) method, showed zero added surface absorption for the RAR nanotextured optics, and absorption levels in the 2-5 part per million range for thin-film AR coated optics. In addition, the surface absorption of thin-film AR coatings was also found to have localized absorption spikes that are likely pre-cursors for damage. Subsequent CW LiDT testing protocol included raster scanning an increased intensity focused beam over the test optic surface where it was found that thin-film AR coated optics damaged at intensities in the 2 to 5 MW/cm2 range with surface temperatures over 250C during the long-duration exposures. Significantly, none of the 10 RAR nano-textured fused silica optics tested could be damaged up to the maximum system intensity of 15.5 MW/cm2, and surface temperatures remained low. YAG optics tested during the final cycle exhibited a similar result with RAR nano-textured surfaces surviving intensities over 3 times higher than thin-film AR coated surfaces. This result was correlated with PCI measurements that also show zero-added surface absorption for the RAR nano-textured YAG optics.

Electrospun fiber surface nanotopography influences astrocyte-mediated neurite outgrowth.

PubMed

Johnson, Christopher D; D'Amato, Anthony R; Puhl, Devan L; Wich, Douglas M; Vespermann, Amanda; Gilbert, Ryan J

2018-05-15

Aligned, electrospun fiber scaffolds provide topographical guidance for regenerating neurons and glia after central nervous system injury. To date, no study has explored how fiber surface nanotopography affects astrocyte response to fibrous scaffolds. Astrocytes play important roles in the glial scar, the blood brain barrier, and in maintaining homeostasis in the central nervous system. In this study, electrospun poly L-lactic acid fibers were engineered with smooth, pitted, or divoted surface nanotopography. Cortical or spinal cord primary rat astrocytes were cultured on the surfaces for either 1 or 3 days to examine the astrocyte response over time. The results showed that cortical astrocytes were significantly shorter and broader on the pitted and divoted fibers compared to those on smooth fibers. However, spinal cord astrocyte morphology was not significantly altered by the surface features. These findings indicate that astrocytes from unique anatomical locations respond differently to the presence of nanotopography. Western Blot results show that the differences in morphology were not associated with significant changes in GFAP or vinculin in either astrocyte population, suggesting that surface pits and divots do not induce a reactive phenotype in either cortical or spinal cord astrocytes. Finally, astrocytes were co-cultured with dorsal root ganglia to determine how the surfaces affected astrocyte-mediated neurite outgrowth. Astrocytes cultured on the fibers for shorter periods of time (1 day) generally supported longer neurite outgrowth. Pitted and divoted fibers restricted spinal cord astrocyte-mediated neurite outgrowth, while smooth fibers increased 3 day spinal cord astrocyte-mediated neurite outgrowth. In total, fiber surface nanotopography can influence astrocyte elongation and influence the capability of astrocytes to direct neurites. Therefore, fiber surface characteristics should be carefully controlled to optimize astrocyte-mediated axonal regeneration. . © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

High Efficiency Coupling of Optical Fibres with SU8 Micro-droplet Using Laser Welding Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yardi, Seema; Gupta, Ankur; Sundriyal, Poonam; Bhatt, Geeta; Kant, Rishi; Boolchandani, D.; Bhattacharya, Shantanu

2016-09-01

Apart from micro- structure fabrication, ablation, lithography etc., lasers find a lot of utility in various areas like precision joining, device fabrication, local heat delivery for surface texturing and local change of microstructure fabrication of standalone optical micro-devices (like microspheres, micro-prisms, micro-scale ring resonators, optical switches etc). There is a wide utility of such systems in chemical/ biochemical diagnostics and also communications where the standalone optical devices exist at a commercial scale but chip based devices with printed optics are necessary due to coupling issues between printed structures and external optics. This paper demonstrates a novel fabrication strategy used to join standalone optical fibres to microchip based printed optics using a simple SU8 drop. The fabrication process is deployed for fiber to fiber optical coupling and coupling between fiber and printed SU-8 waveguides. A CO2 laser is used to locally heat the coupling made up of SU8 material. Optimization of various dimensional parameters using design of experiments (DOE) on the bonded assembly has been performed as a function of laser power, speed, cycle control, spot size so on so forth. Exclusive optical [RF] modelling has been performed to estimate the transmissibility of the optical fibers bonded to each other on a surface with SU8. Our studies indicate the formation of a Whispering gallery mode (WGM) across the micro-droplet leading to high transmissibility of the signal. Through this work we have thus been able to develop a method of fabrication for optical coupling of standalone fibers or coupling of on-chip optics with off-chip illumination/detection.

CARS and SHG microscopy of artificial bioengineered tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enejder, Annika; Brackmann, Christian; Dahlberg, Jan-Olof; Vrana, Engin; Gatenholm, Paul

2010-02-01

Major efforts are presently made to develop artificial replacement tissues with optimal architectural and material characteristics, mimicking those of their natural correspondents. Encouraged by the readiness with which cellulose fibers woven by the bacteria Acetobacter xylinum can be formed into organ-like macroscopic shapes and with different microscopic textures, it emerges as an interesting material within tissue engineering. We have developed a protocol employing simultaneous CARS and SHG microscopy for monitoring the cellulose network characteristics and its impact on the integration of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) for functionalized artificial tissues. CARS and SHG overlay images of the cells and the cellulose fibers reveal an immediate interaction irrespective of scaffold morphology and that the SMCs attach to the cellulose fibers already during the first cultivation day without cell-adhesive coatings. During the subsequent 28 days, SMCs were found to readily proliferate and differentiate on the cellulose scaffold without the need for exogenous growth factors. However, the efficiency with which this occurred depended on the topography of the cellulose constructs, benefited by porous and less compact matrices. This brings forward the need for in-depth studies on how the microstructure of tissue scaffolds influences and can be optimized for native cell integration and proliferation, studies where the benefits of multi-modal non-linear microscopy can be fully exploited.

The use of neural networks and texture analysis for rapid objective selection of regions of interest in cytoskeletal images.

PubMed

Derkacs, Amanda D Felder; Ward, Samuel R; Lieber, Richard L

2012-02-01

Understanding cytoskeletal dynamics in living tissue is prerequisite to understanding mechanisms of injury, mechanotransduction, and mechanical signaling. Real-time visualization is now possible using transfection with plasmids that encode fluorescent cytoskeletal proteins. Using this approach with the muscle-specific intermediate filament protein desmin, we found that a green fluorescent protein-desmin chimeric protein was unevenly distributed throughout the muscle fiber, resulting in some image areas that were saturated as well as others that lacked any signal. Our goal was to analyze the muscle fiber cytoskeletal network quantitatively in an unbiased fashion. To objectively select areas of the muscle fiber that are suitable for analysis, we devised a method that provides objective classification of regions of images of striated cytoskeletal structures into "usable" and "unusable" categories. This method consists of a combination of spatial analysis of the image using Fourier methods along with a boosted neural network that "decides" on the quality of the image based on previous training. We trained the neural network using the expert opinion of three scientists familiar with these types of images. We found that this method was over 300 times faster than manual classification and that it permitted objective and accurate classification of image regions.

Label-Free 3D Visualization of Cellular and Tissue Structures in Intact Muscle with Second and Third Harmonic Generation Microscopy

PubMed Central

Rehberg, Markus; Krombach, Fritz; Pohl, Ulrich; Dietzel, Steffen

2011-01-01

Second and Third Harmonic Generation (SHG and THG) microscopy is based on optical effects which are induced by specific inherent physical properties of a specimen. As a multi-photon laser scanning approach which is not based on fluorescence it combines the advantages of a label-free technique with restriction of signal generation to the focal plane, thus allowing high resolution 3D reconstruction of image volumes without out-of-focus background several hundred micrometers deep into the tissue. While in mammalian soft tissues SHG is mostly restricted to collagen fibers and striated muscle myosin, THG is induced at a large variety of structures, since it is generated at interfaces such as refraction index changes within the focal volume of the excitation laser. Besides, colorants such as hemoglobin can cause resonance enhancement, leading to intense THG signals. We applied SHG and THG microscopy to murine (Mus musculus) muscles, an established model system for physiological research, to investigate their potential for label-free tissue imaging. In addition to collagen fibers and muscle fiber substructure, THG allowed us to visualize blood vessel walls and erythrocytes as well as white blood cells adhering to vessel walls, residing in or moving through the extravascular tissue. Moreover peripheral nerve fibers could be clearly identified. Structure down to the nuclear chromatin distribution was visualized in 3D and with more detail than obtainable by bright field microscopy. To our knowledge, most of these objects have not been visualized previously by THG or any label-free 3D approach. THG allows label-free microscopy with inherent optical sectioning and therefore may offer similar improvements compared to bright field microscopy as does confocal laser scanning microscopy compared to conventional fluorescence microscopy. PMID:22140560

Association of Diet With Skin Histological Features in UV-B–Exposed Mice

PubMed Central

Hsia, Yvonne; Weeks, David M.; Dixon, Tatiana K.; Lepe, Jessica; Thomas, J. Regan

2017-01-01

Importance Long-term exposure to solar radiation produces deleterious photoaging of the skin. It is not known if diet can influence skin photoaging. Objectives To study the influence of a calorie-restricted diet and an obesity diet in mice exposed to long-term UV-B irradiation to assess if there is an association between diet and histopathological response to UV-B irradiation. Design, Setting, and Participants In this animal model study in an academic setting, the dorsal skin of SKH1 hairless mice receiving normal, calorie-restricted, and obesity diets was exposed to UV-B irradiation 3 times a week for 10 weeks and were compared with corresponding controls. The mice were placed in the following groups, with 8 animals in each group: (1) intact control (C) with regular diet and no UV-B exposure, (2) intact control with UV-B exposure (CR), (3) calorie-restricted diet (CrC), (4) calorie-restricted diet with UV-B exposure (CrR), (5) obesity diet (OC), and (6) obesity diet with UV-B exposure (OR). The experiment was conducted during October through December 2013. Tissue processing and histological analysis were completed in 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures Histomorphometric analysis was performed on paraffin-embedded skin sections stained by histological and immunohistochemical methods for estimation of epidermal thickness, epidermal proliferating cell nuclear antigen index, collagen I, elastic fibers, fibroblasts, mast cells, dermal cellularity, and adipose layer ratio. Changes in wrinkles were noted. Results Hairless female mice (age range, 6-8 weeks) were obtained. With a normal diet, changes from UV-B irradiation occurred in epidermal thickness, epidermal proliferating cell nuclear antigen index, collagen I, elastic fibers, fibroblasts, and mast cells, which were modestly influenced by an obesity diet. Calorie restriction influenced the skin in nonirradiated control animals, with higher values for most variables. After UV-B exposure in animals with calorie restriction, epidermal thickness was increased, but other variables were unaffected. Animals receiving the calorie-restricted diet lost weight when exposed to long-term UV-B irradiation. Wrinkles were reduced in the calorie-restricted control group and in UV-B–exposed animals who received the obesity diet. Conclusions and Relevance Dietary alterations seem to modify histopathological responses to UV-B exposure in the skin of hairless mice. Level of Evidence NA. PMID:28418519

Dietary fiber intake reduces risk of inflammatory bowel disease: result from a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaoqin; Wu, Yili; Li, Fang; Zhang, Dongfeng

2015-09-01

Several epidemiological investigations have been conducted to evaluate the relationship between dietary fiber intake and inflammatory bowel diseases, but the results are inconsistent. This meta-analysis was performed to quantitatively summarize the evidence from observational studies. PubMed, Embase, and Web of Knowledge were searched for relevant articles published up to November 2014. The combined relative risks were calculated with the fixed- or random-effects model. Dose-response relationship was assessed using restricted cubic spline model. We hypothesized that the meta-analysis could yield a summary effect, which would indicate that dietary fiber intake could decrease the risk of ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease (CD). Overall, 8 articles involving 2 cohort studies, 1 nested case-control study, and 5 case-control studies were finally included in this study. The pooled relative risks with 95% confidence intervals of ulcerative colitis and CD for the highest vs lowest categories of dietary fiber intake were 0.80 (0.64-1.00) and 0.44 (0.29-0.69), respectively. A linear dose-response relationship was found between dietary fiber and CD risk, and the risk of CD decreased by 13% (P < .05) for every 10 g/d increment in fiber intake. The results from this meta-analysis indicated that the intake of dietary fiber was significantly associated with a decreased risk of inflammatory bowel disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Wavelength-agile high-power sources via four-wave mixing in higher-order fiber modes.

PubMed

Demas, J; Prabhakar, G; He, T; Ramachandran, S

2017-04-03

Frequency doubling of conventional fiber lasers in the near-infrared remains the most promising method for generating integrated high-peak-power lasers in the visible, while maintaining the benefits of a fiber geometry; but since the shortest wavelength power-scalable fiber laser sources are currently restricted to either the 10XX nm or 15XX nm wavelength ranges, accessing colors other than green or red remains a challenge with this schematic. Four-wave mixing using higher-order fiber modes allows for control of dispersion while maintaining large effective areas, thus enabling a power-scalable method to extend the bandwidth of near-infrared fiber lasers, and in turn, the bandwidth of potential high-power sources in the visible. Here, two parametric sources using the LP_0,7 and LP_0,6 modes of two step-index multi-mode fibers are presented. The output wavelengths for the sources are 880, 974, 1173, and 1347 nm with peak powers of 10.0, 16.2, 14.7, and 6.4 kW respectively, and ~300-ps pulse durations. The efficiencies of the sources are analyzed, along with a discussion of wavelength tuning and further power scaling, representing an advance in increasing the bandwidth of near-infrared lasers as a step towards high-peak-power sources at wavelengths across the visible spectrum.

Nonlinear effects of a modal domain optical fiber sensor in a vibration suppression control loop for a flexible structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindner, D. K.; Zvonar, G. A.; Baumann, W. T.; Delos, P. L.

1993-01-01

Recently, a modal domain optical fiber sensor has been demonstrated as a sensor in a control system for vibration suppression of a flexible cantilevered beam. This sensor responds to strain through a mechanical attachment to the structure. Because this sensor is of the interferometric type, the output of the sensor has a sinusoidal nonlinearity. For small levels of strain, the sensor can be operated in its linear region. For large levels of strain, the detection electronics can be configured to count fringes. In both of these configurations, the sensor nonlinearity imposes some restrictions on the performance of the control system. In this paper we investigate the effects of these sensor nonlinearities on the control system, and identify the region of linear operation in terms of the optical fiber sensor parameters.

Feasibility study for distributed dose monitoring in ionizing radiation environments with standard and custom-made optical fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Uffelen, Marco; Berghmans, Francis; Brichard, Benoit; Borgermans, Paul; Decréton, Marc C.

2002-09-01

Optical fibers stimulate much interest since many years for their potential use in various nuclear environments, both for radiation tolerant and EMI-free data communication as well as for distributed sensing. Besides monitoring temperature and stress, measuring ionizing doses with optical fibers is particularly essential in applications such as long-term nuclear waste disposal monitoring, and for real-time aging monitoring of power and signal cables installed inside a reactor containment building. Two distinct options exist to perform optical fiber dosimetry. First, find an accurate model for a restricted application field that accounts for all the parameters that influence the radiation response of a standard fiber, or second, develop a dedicated fiber with a response that will solely depend on the deposited energy. Using various models presented in literature, we evaluate both standard commercially available and custom-made optical fibers under gamma radiation, particularly for distributed dosimetry applications with an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR). We therefore present the radiation induced attenuation at near-infrared telecom wavelengths up to MGy total dose levels, with dose rates ranging from about 1 Gy/h up to 1 kGy/h, whereas temperature was raised step-wise from 25 °C to 85 °C. Our results allow to determine and compare the practical limitations of distributed dose measurements with both fiber types in terms of temperature sensitivity, dose estimation accuracy and spatial resolution.

Impact Strength and Flexural Properties Enhancement of Methacrylate Silane Treated Oil Palm Mesocarp Fiber Reinforced Biodegradable Hybrid Composites

PubMed Central

Ibrahim, Nor Azowa; Ariffin, Hidayah; Yunus, Wan Md. Zin Wan

2014-01-01

Natural fiber as reinforcement filler in polymer composites is an attractive approach due to being fully biodegradable and cheap. However, incompatibility between hydrophilic natural fiber and hydrophobic polymer matrix restricts the application. The current studies focus on the effects of incorporation of silane treated OPMF into polylactic acid (PLA)/polycaprolactone (PCL)/nanoclay/OPMF hybrid composites. The composites were prepared by melt blending technique and characterize the composites with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FTIR spectra indicated that peak shifting occurs when silane treated OPMF was incorporated into hybrid composites. Based on mechanical properties results, incorporation of silane treated OPMF enhances the mechanical properties of unmodified OPMF hybrid composites with the enhancement of flexural and impact strength being 17.60% and 48.43%, respectively, at 10% fiber loading. TGA thermogram shows that incorporation of silane treated OPMF did not show increment in thermal properties of hybrid composites. SEM micrographs revealed that silane treated OPMF hybrid composites show good fiber/matrix adhesion as fiber is still embedded in the matrix and no cavity is present on the surface. Water absorption test shows that addition of less hydrophilic silane treated OPMF successfully reduces the water uptake of hybrid composites. PMID:25254230

Mechanical and thermal properties of biocomposites from nonwoven industrial Fique fiber mats with Epoxy Resin and Linear Low Density Polyethylene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidalgo-Salazar, Miguel A.; Correa, Juan P.

2018-03-01

In this work Linear Low Density Polyethylene-nonwoven industrial Fique fiber mat (LLDPE-Fique) and Epoxy Resin-nonwoven industrial Fique fiber mat (EP-Fique) biocomposites were prepared using thermocompression and resin film infusion processes. Neat polymeric matrices and its biocomposites were tested following ASTM standards in order to evaluate tensile and flexural mechanical properties. Also, thermal behavior of these materials has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Tensile and flexural test revealed that nonwoven Fique reinforced composites exhibited higher modulus and strength but lower deformation capability as compared with LLDPE and EP neat matrices. TG thermograms showed that nonwoven Fique fibers incorporation has an effect on the thermal stability of the composites. On the other hand, Fique fibers did not change the crystallization and melting processes of the LLDPE matrix but restricts the motion of EP macromolecules chains thus increases the Tg of the EP-Fique composite. Finally, this work opens the possibility of considering non-woven Fique fibers as a reinforcement material with a high potential for the manufacture of biocomposites for automotive applications. In addition to the processing test specimens, it was also possible to manufacture a part of LLDPE-Fique, and one part of EP-Fique.

Restricting calcium currents is required for correct fiber type specification in skeletal muscle

PubMed Central

Sultana, Nasreen; Dienes, Beatrix; Benedetti, Ariane; Tuluc, Petronel; Szentesi, Peter; Sztretye, Monika; Rainer, Johannes; Hess, Michael W.; Schwarzer, Christoph; Obermair, Gerald J.; Csernoch, Laszlo

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Skeletal muscle excitation-contraction (EC) coupling is independent of calcium influx. In fact, alternative splicing of the voltage-gated calcium channel CaV1.1 actively suppresses calcium currents in mature muscle. Whether this is necessary for normal development and function of muscle is not known. However, splicing defects that cause aberrant expression of the calcium-conducting developmental CaV1.1e splice variant correlate with muscle weakness in myotonic dystrophy. Here, we deleted CaV1.1 (Cacna1s) exon 29 in mice. These mice displayed normal overall motor performance, although grip force and voluntary running were reduced. Continued expression of the developmental CaV1.1e splice variant in adult mice caused increased calcium influx during EC coupling, altered calcium homeostasis, and spontaneous calcium sparklets in isolated muscle fibers. Contractile force was reduced and endurance enhanced. Key regulators of fiber type specification were dysregulated and the fiber type composition was shifted toward slower fibers. However, oxidative enzyme activity and mitochondrial content declined. These findings indicate that limiting calcium influx during skeletal muscle EC coupling is important for the secondary function of the calcium signal in the activity-dependent regulation of fiber type composition and to prevent muscle disease. PMID:26965373

Impact strength and flexural properties enhancement of methacrylate silane treated oil palm mesocarp fiber reinforced biodegradable hybrid composites.

PubMed

Eng, Chern Chiet; Ibrahim, Nor Azowa; Zainuddin, Norhazlin; Ariffin, Hidayah; Yunus, Wan Md Zin Wan

2014-01-01

Natural fiber as reinforcement filler in polymer composites is an attractive approach due to being fully biodegradable and cheap. However, incompatibility between hydrophilic natural fiber and hydrophobic polymer matrix restricts the application. The current studies focus on the effects of incorporation of silane treated OPMF into polylactic acid (PLA)/polycaprolactone (PCL)/nanoclay/OPMF hybrid composites. The composites were prepared by melt blending technique and characterize the composites with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FTIR spectra indicated that peak shifting occurs when silane treated OPMF was incorporated into hybrid composites. Based on mechanical properties results, incorporation of silane treated OPMF enhances the mechanical properties of unmodified OPMF hybrid composites with the enhancement of flexural and impact strength being 17.60% and 48.43%, respectively, at 10% fiber loading. TGA thermogram shows that incorporation of silane treated OPMF did not show increment in thermal properties of hybrid composites. SEM micrographs revealed that silane treated OPMF hybrid composites show good fiber/matrix adhesion as fiber is still embedded in the matrix and no cavity is present on the surface. Water absorption test shows that addition of less hydrophilic silane treated OPMF successfully reduces the water uptake of hybrid composites.

Artificial intelligence techniques for embryo and oocyte classification.

PubMed

Manna, Claudio; Nanni, Loris; Lumini, Alessandra; Pappalardo, Sebastiana

2013-01-01

One of the most relevant aspects in assisted reproduction technology is the possibility of characterizing and identifying the most viable oocytes or embryos. In most cases, embryologists select them by visual examination and their evaluation is totally subjective. Recently, due to the rapid growth in the capacity to extract texture descriptors from a given image, a growing interest has been shown in the use of artificial intelligence methods for embryo or oocyte scoring/selection in IVF programmes. This work concentrates the efforts on the possible prediction of the quality of embryos and oocytes in order to improve the performance of assisted reproduction technology, starting from their images. The artificial intelligence system proposed in this work is based on a set of Levenberg-Marquardt neural networks trained using textural descriptors (the local binary patterns). The proposed system was tested on two data sets of 269 oocytes and 269 corresponding embryos from 104 women and compared with other machine learning methods already proposed in the past for similar classification problems. Although the results are only preliminary, they show an interesting classification performance. This technique may be of particular interest in those countries where legislation restricts embryo selection. One of the most relevant aspects in assisted reproduction technology is the possibility of characterizing and identifying the most viable oocytes or embryos. In most cases, embryologists select them by visual examination and their evaluation is totally subjective. Recently, due to the rapid growth in our capacity to extract texture descriptors from a given image, a growing interest has been shown in the use of artificial intelligence methods for embryo or oocyte scoring/selection in IVF programmes. In this work, we concentrate our efforts on the possible prediction of the quality of embryos and oocytes in order to improve the performance of assisted reproduction technology, starting from their images. The artificial intelligence system proposed in this work is based on a set of Levenberg-Marquardt neural networks trained using textural descriptors (the 'local binary patterns'). The proposed system is tested on two data sets, of 269 oocytes and 269 corresponding embryos from 104 women, and compared with other machine learning methods already proposed in the past for similar classification problems. Although the results are only preliminary, they showed an interesting classification performance. This technique may be of particular interest in those countries where legislation restricts embryo selection. Copyright © 2012 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Directional x-ray dark-field imaging of strongly ordered systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, Torben Haugaard; Bech, Martin; Zanette, Irene; Weitkamp, Timm; David, Christian; Deyhle, Hans; Rutishauser, Simon; Reznikova, Elena; Mohr, Jürgen; Feidenhans'L, Robert; Pfeiffer, Franz

2010-12-01

Recently a novel grating based x-ray imaging approach called directional x-ray dark-field imaging was introduced. Directional x-ray dark-field imaging yields information about the local texture of structures smaller than the pixel size of the imaging system. In this work we extend the theoretical description and data processing schemes for directional dark-field imaging to strongly scattering systems, which could not be described previously. We develop a simple scattering model to account for these recent observations and subsequently demonstrate the model using experimental data. The experimental data includes directional dark-field images of polypropylene fibers and a human tooth slice.

Spontaneous droplet trampolining on rigid superhydrophobic surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schutzius, Thomas M.; Jung, Stefan; Maitra, Tanmoy; Graeber, Gustav; Köhme, Moritz; Poulikakos, Dimos

2015-11-01

Spontaneous removal of condensed matter from surfaces is exploited in nature and in a broad range of technologies to achieve self-cleaning, anti-icing and condensation control. But despite much progress, our understanding of the phenomena leading to such behaviour remains incomplete, which makes it challenging to rationally design surfaces that benefit from its manifestation. Here we show that water droplets resting on superhydrophobic textured surfaces in a low-pressure environment can self-remove through sudden spontaneous levitation and subsequent trampoline-like bouncing behaviour, in which sequential collisions with the surface accelerate the droplets. These collisions have restitution coefficients (ratios of relative speeds after and before collision) greater than unity despite complete rigidity of the surface, and thus seemingly violate the second law of thermodynamics. However, these restitution coefficients result from an overpressure beneath the droplet produced by fast droplet vaporization while substrate adhesion and surface texture restrict vapour flow. We also show that the high vaporization rates experienced by the droplets and the associated cooling can result in freezing from a supercooled state that triggers a sudden increase in vaporization, which in turn boosts the levitation process. This effect can spontaneously remove surface icing by lifting away icy drops the moment they freeze. Although these observations are relevant only to systems in a low-pressure environment, they show how surface texturing can produce droplet-surface interactions that prohibit liquid and freezing water-droplet retention on surfaces.

Periodontal plastic surgery: thermal effect analysis using Erbium:YAG Kesler's handpiece. Histochemical evaluation by Picrosirius red stain and polarization microscopy for collagen determination: in

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kesler, Gavriel; Koren, Rumelia; Kesler, Anat; Kristt, Don; Gal, Rivka

2000-03-01

Recent technological advances lead to an increase in the options for the treatment of the periodontal diseases. Lasers utilized for gingival soft tissue resurfacing mainly for esthetics purposes, require careful histopathological evaluation of the effects on tissue. Up to date no comparative clinical or histological studies have been performed, aiming at demonstration of the effects of laser irradiation on connective tissue, especially its most important component -- the collagen fibers. The alteration in the structures of this tissue plays the most important role in the healing process. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the influence of Erbium: YAG - Kesler's hand piece on gingival tissue. This handpiece is designed for gingival resurfacing, in cases of 'Gummy smile' and gingival pigmentation. The following irradiation parameters were used: energy per pulse -- 500 mJ, repetition rate 10 pps, spot size 3 mm. Gingival biopsies specimens of 10 patients, 6 with 'Gummy smile' and 4 with gingival pigmentation were examined before laser treatment, and at 7 and 14 days after laser treatment. The tissues were fixed in LNRS, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned into 5 micrometer thickness, dewaxed in xylol and stained with H&E and Picrosirius Red (PSR). The sections were examined by polarization microscopy. PSR is a collagen stain that differentiates collagen fiber density by the range of colors from green through yellow to red, and/or fiber size. This was utilized in the present study to evaluate the hypothesis that Erbium -- YAG (Er: YAG) laser energy is capable of remodeling the collagen fibers in the gingival connective tissue through a photothermal process. We found a significant difference between the structures of collagen fibers at the first week and at 14 days post treatment. In the normal gingiva the predominant polarization colors were in the red-orange range, signifying tightly packed, mature collagen. During the first postoperative week, collagen fibers exhibit mainly polarization colors in the green to green-yellow range implying less packed intermediate collagen fibers. After two weeks, collagen fibers required their preoperative polarizing texture. These findings strongly suggest that the 'quality' rather than the quantity of gingival collagen fibers play an important role in order for collagen shrinkage and reproduction to occur.

Friction Stir Back Extrusion of Aluminium Alloys for Automotive Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zeren

Since the invention of Friction Stir Welding in 1991 as a solid state joining technique, extensive scientific investigations have been carried out to understand fundamental aspects of material behaviors when processed by this technique, in order to optimize processing conditions as well as mechanical properties of the welds. Based on the basic principles of Friction Stir Welding, several derivatives have also been developed such as Friction Stir Processing, Friction Extrusion and Friction Stir Back Extrusion. Friction Stir Back Extrusion is a novel technique that is proposed recently and designed for fabricating tubes from lightweight alloys. Some preliminary results have been reported regarding microstructure and mechanical properties of Friction Stir Back Extrusion processed AZ31 magnesium alloy, however, systematic study and in-depth investigations are still needed to understand the materials behaviors and underlying mechanisms when subjected to Friction Stir Back Extrusion, especially for age-hardenable Al alloys. In the present study, Friction Stir Back Extrusion processed AA6063-T5 and AA7075-T6 alloys are analyzed with respect to grain structure evolution, micro-texture change, recrystallization mechanisms, precipitation sequence as well as mechanical properties. Optical Microscopy, Electron Backscatter Diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Vickers Hardness measurements and uniaxial tensile tests are carried out to characterize the microstructural change as well as micro and macro mechanical properties of the processed tubes. Special attention is paid to the micro-texture evolution across the entire tube and dynamic recrystallization mechanisms that are responsible for grain refinement. Significant grain refinement has been observed near the processing zone while the tube wall is characterized by inhomogeneous grain structure across the thickness for both alloys. Dissolution of existing precipitates is noticed under the thermal hysterias imposed by Friction Stir Back Extrusion process, resulting in decreased strength but improved elongation of the processed tubes; a post-process aging step can effectively restore the mechanical properties of the processed tubes by allowing for the reprecipitation of solute elements in the form of fine, dispersed precipitates. Texture analysis performed for AA6063 alloy suggests the dominance of simple shear type textures with clear transition from initial texture to stable B/ ?B components via intermediate types that are stable under moderate strain levels. In order to identify the texture components properly, rigid body rotations are applied to the existing coordinate system to align it to local shear reference frame. Surprisingly, for AA7075 tubes, and fibers are observed to be the dominant texture components in the transition region as well as thermomechanically affected zone while the processing zone is characterized by random texture. The underlying mechanisms responsible for the formation of random texture are discussed in Chapter 5 based on Electron Backscatter Diffraction analysis. Comparative discussions are also carried out for the recrystallization mechanisms that are responsible for grain structure evolution of both alloys. Continuous grain subdivision and reorientation is cited as the dominant mechanism for the recrystallization of AA6063 alloys, while dynamic recrystallization occurs mainly in the form of Geometric Dynamic Recrystallization and progressive subgrain rotations near grain boundaries in AA7075 alloys.

Implementation of advanced fiber optic and piezoelectric sensors : fabrication and laboratory testing of piezoelectric ceramic-polymer composite sensors for weigh-in-motion systems.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-02-01

Weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems might soon replace the conventional techniques used to enforce : weight restrictions for large vehicles on highways. Currently WIM systems use a piezoelectric : polymer sensor that produces a voltage proportional to an a...

Nitrogen fertilizer sources and tillage effects on cotton growth, yield, and fiber quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Interest in urea-ammonium sulfate (UAS) as a N fertilizer is increasing due, in part, to increased restriction on ammonium nitrate. This has resulted in UAS being marketed as an alternative fertilizer source; however, UAS has not been widely tested. A cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) field study was c...

60-GHz Millimeter-wave Over Fiber with Directly Modulated Dual-mode Laser Diode

PubMed Central

Tsai, Cheng-Ting; Lin, Chi-Hsiang; Lin, Chun-Ting; Chi, Yu-Chieh; Lin, Gong-Ru

2016-01-01

A directly modulated dual-mode laser diode (DMLD) with third-order intermodulation distortion (IMD3) suppression is proposed for a 60-GHz millimeter-wave over fiber (MMWoF) architecture, enabling new fiber-wireless communication access to cover 4-km single-mode-fiber (SMF) and 3-m wireless 16-QAM OFDM transmissions. By dual-mode injection-locking, the throughput degradation of the DMLD is mitigated with saturation effect to reduce its threshold, IMD3 power and relative intensity noise to 7.7 mA, −85 dBm and −110.4 dBc/Hz, respectively, providing huge spurious-free dynamic range of 85.8 dB/Hz2/3. This operation suppresses the noise floor of the DMLD carried QPSK-OFDM spectrum by 5 dB. The optical receiving power is optimized to restrict the power fading effect for improving the bit error rate to 1.9 × 10−3 and the receiving power penalty to 1.1 dB. Such DMLD based hybrid architecture for 60-GHz MMW fiber-wireless access can directly cover the current optical and wireless networks for next-generation indoor and short-reach mobile communications. PMID:27297267

Development of a Fiber-Optics Microspatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy Sensor for Probing Layered Materials.

PubMed

Vandenabeele, Peter; Conti, Claudia; Rousaki, Anastasia; Moens, Luc; Realini, Marco; Matousek, Pavel

2017-09-05

Microspatially offset Raman spectroscopy (micro-SORS) has been proposed as a valuable approach to sample molecular information from layers that are covered by a turbid (nontransparent) layer. However, when large magnifications are involved, the approach is not straightforward, as spatial constraints exist to position the laser beam and the objective lens with the external beam delivery or, with internal beam delivery, the maximum spatial offset achievable is restricted. To overcome these limitations, we propose here a prototype of a new micro-SORS sensor, which uses bare glass fibers to transfer the laser radiation to the sample and to collect the Raman signal from a spatially offset zone to the Raman spectrometer. The concept also renders itself amenable to remote delivery and to the miniaturization of the probe head which could be beneficial for special applications, e.g., where access to sample areas is restricted. The basic applicability of this approach was demonstrated by studying several layered structure systems. Apart from proving the feasibility of the technique, also, practical aspects of the use of the prototype sensor are discussed.

Degassing of basaltic magma: decompression experiments and implications for interpreting the textures of volcanic rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Gall, Nolwenn; Pichavant, Michel; Cai, Biao; Lee, Peter; Burton, Mike

2017-04-01

Decompression experiments were performed to simulate the ascent of basaltic magma, with the idea of approaching the textural features of volcanic rocks to provide insights into degassing processes. The experiments were conducted in an internally heated pressure vessel between NNO-1.4 and +0.9. H2O-only (4.9 wt%) and H2O-CO2-bearing (0.71-2.45 wt% H2O, 818-1094 ppm CO2) melts, prepared from Stromboli pumice, were synthesized at 1200°C and 200 MPa, continuously decompressed between 200 and 25 MPa at a rate of either 39 or 78 kPa/s (or 1.5 and 3 m/s, respectively), and rapidly quenched. Run products were characterized both texturally (by X-ray computed tomography and scanning electron microscopy) and chemically (by IR spectroscopy and electron microprobe analysis), and then compared with products from basaltic Plinian eruptions and Stromboli paroxysms (bubble textures, glass inclusions). The obtained results demonstrate that textures are controlled by the kinetics of nucleation, growth, coalescence and outgassing of the bubbles, as well as by fragmentation, which largely depend on the presence of CO2 in the melt and the achievement in chemical equilibrium. Textures of the H2O-only melts result from two nucleation events, the first at high pressure (200 < P < 150 MPa) and the second at low pressure (50 < P < 25 MPa), preceding fragmentation. Both events, restricted to narrow P intervals, are driven by melt H2O supersaturation. In contrast, textures of the H2O-CO2-bearing basaltic melts result from continuous bubble nucleation, which is driven by the generation of melts supersaturated in CO2. This persistent non-equilibrium degassing causes the bubbles to evolve through power law distributions, as small bubbles continue to form and grow. This is what is observed in Plinian products. From our results, the evolution to mixed power law-exponential distributions, as found in Stromboli products, is indicative of the prevalence of bubble coalescence and an evolution toward chemical equilibrium. In line with this, a strong correlation was found between experimental and natural bubble textures (bubble number densities, shapes, sizes and distributions), having implications for interpreting bubbles in volcanic rocks and quantifying magma ascent rates. Next step will be to perform in situ decompression experiments to simulate both degassing and crystallization of basaltic magma during ascent in the shallow volcanic conduit (P < 50 MPa), using synchrotron X-ray imaging. The obtained 4D (3D + time) data will help us refine our understanding of magma ascent processes. This experimental programme requires first technology adaptation and development, which is in progress.

Effects of broiler breeder management on pullet body weight and carcass uniformity.

PubMed

Zuidhof, M J; Holm, D E; Renema, R A; Jalal, M A; Robinson, F E

2015-06-01

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of broiler breeder feeding management practices on pullet performance, BW uniformity, and carcass traits during rearing (to 22 wk of age). At 3 wk of age, 1,200 Ross 308 breeder pullets were assigned to one of 5 treatments: 1) control: standard mash diet, fed daily; 2) high fiber: mash diet containing 25% lower nutrient density, fed daily; 3) scatter: standard diet in pellet form scattered on litter, fed daily; 4) skip-a-day: standard mash diet, fed on alternate days; or 5) grading: standard mash diet, fed daily (birds sorted into low, average, and high BW groups every 4 wk). Birds on the high fiber treatment consumed more feed (P<0.0001) and had the highest feed conversion ratio (FCR; P<0.004) but the lowest ME to gain and CP to gain ratios (P≤0.002). Skip-a-day treatment pullets consumed more ME and CP than birds in any other treatment (P<0.001). Grading yielded the highest BW uniformity at 22 wk of age (CV=6.2%), while control and high fiber treatment groups were least uniform (CV>15%; P<0.0001). Skip-a-day feed restriction produced birds with the significantly lowest breast muscle and highest liver weight compared to all other treatments (P<0.05). Variation in shank length, chest width, and breast muscle was lowest in the grading treatment, whereas the CV for fat pad and liver was lowest in the skip-a-day treatment. In this trial, broiler breeder target BW profiles were achieved using combinations of quantitative and qualitative feed restriction, or preemptive management practices. Qualitative diet dilution and skip-a-day management did little to increase flock uniformity relative to the control during the most intense period of feed restriction (7 to 19 wk). Scatter feeding increased flock uniformity to a small degree, whereas grading yielded the highest increase in BW and carcass trait uniformity. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Biological Functionalization of Drug Delivery Carriers to Bypass Size Restrictions of Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis Independently from Receptor Targeting

PubMed Central

Ansar, Maria; Serrano, Daniel; Papademetriou, Iason; Bhowmick, Tridib Kumar; Muro, Silvia

2014-01-01

Targeting of drug carriers to cell-surface receptors involved in endocytosis is commonly used for intracellular drug delivery. However, most endocytic receptors mediate uptake via clathrin or caveolar pathways associated with ≤200-nm vesicles, restricting carrier design. We recently showed that endocytosis mediated by intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), which differs from clathrin- and caveolar-mediated pathways, allows uptake of nano- and micro-carriers in cell culture and in vivo due to recruitment of cellular sphingomyelinases to the plasmalemma. This leads to ceramide generation at carrier binding sites and formation of actin stress-fibers, enabling engulfment and uptake of a wide size-range of carriers. Here we adapted this paradigm to enhance uptake of drug carriers targeted to receptors associated with size-restricted pathways. We coated sphingomyelinase onto model (polystyrene) submicro- and micro-carriers targeted to clathrin-associated mannose-6-phosphate receptor. In endothelial cells, this provided ceramide enrichment at the cell surface and actin stress-fiber formation, modifying the uptake pathway and enhancing carrier endocytosis without affecting targeting, endosomal transport, cell-associated degradation, or cell viability. This improvement depended on the carrier size and enzyme dose, and similar results were observed for other receptors (transferrin receptor) and cell types (epithelial cells). This phenomenon also enhanced tissue accumulation of carriers after intravenous injection in mice. Hence, it is possible to maintain targeting toward a selected receptor while bypassing natural size-restrictions of its associated endocytic route by functionalization of drug carriers with biological elements mimicking the ICAM-1 pathway. This strategy holds considerable promise to enhance flexibility of design of targeted drug delivery systems. PMID:24237309

Biological functionalization of drug delivery carriers to bypass size restrictions of receptor-mediated endocytosis independently from receptor targeting.

PubMed

Ansar, Maria; Serrano, Daniel; Papademetriou, Iason; Bhowmick, Tridib Kumar; Muro, Silvia

2013-12-23

Targeting of drug carriers to cell-surface receptors involved in endocytosis is commonly used for intracellular drug delivery. However, most endocytic receptors mediate uptake via clathrin or caveolar pathways associated with ≤200-nm vesicles, restricting carrier design. We recently showed that endocytosis mediated by intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), which differs from clathrin- and caveolae-mediated pathways, allows uptake of nano- and microcarriers in cell culture and in vivo due to recruitment of cellular sphingomyelinases to the plasmalemma. This leads to ceramide generation at carrier binding sites and formation of actin stress-fibers, enabling engulfment and uptake of a wide size-range of carriers. Here we adapted this paradigm to enhance uptake of drug carriers targeted to receptors associated with size-restricted pathways. We coated sphingomyelinase onto model (polystyrene) submicro- and microcarriers targeted to clathrin-associated mannose-6-phosphate receptor. In endothelial cells, this provided ceramide enrichment at the cell surface and actin stress-fiber formation, modifying the uptake pathway and enhancing carrier endocytosis without affecting targeting, endosomal transport, cell-associated degradation, or cell viability. This improvement depended on the carrier size and enzyme dose, and similar results were observed for other receptors (transferrin receptor) and cell types (epithelial cells). This phenomenon also enhanced tissue accumulation of carriers after intravenous injection in mice. Hence, it is possible to maintain targeting toward a selected receptor while bypassing natural size restrictions of its associated endocytic route by functionalization of drug carriers with biological elements mimicking the ICAM-1 pathway. This strategy holds considerable promise to enhance flexibility of design of targeted drug delivery systems.

Chronic transgenerational vitamin B12 deficiency of severe and moderate magnitudes modulates adiposity-probable underlying mechanisms.

PubMed

Ghosh, Shampa; Sinha, Jitendra Kumar; Muralikrishna, Bojanapalli; Putcha, Uday Kumar; Raghunath, Manchala

2017-05-06

We have demonstrated previously that severe but not moderate vitamin B12 deficiency altered body composition and induced adiposity in female C57BL/6 mice. This study aims to elucidate the effects of chronic transgenerational dietary vitamin B12 restriction on body composition and various biochemical parameters in the F1 generation offspring of our mouse models of severe and moderate vitamin B12 deficiency established earlier. Female weanling C57BL/6 mice received, ad libitum, for 4 weeks a (i) control diet, (ii) vitamin B12-restricted diet with pectin as dietary fiber (severely deficient diet), or (iii) vitamin B12-restricted diet with cellulose as dietary fiber (moderately deficient diet) and then mated with control males. The offspring of control and severely deficient dams continued on the respective diets of their mothers. Few moderately deficient dams were rehabilitated to control diet from parturition and their pups were weaned to control diet. Also, some offspring born to moderately B12 deficient dams were weaned to control diet, while others continued on the same diet as their mothers. Various parameters were determined in the F1 offspring after 12 and 36 weeks of feeding. The results indicate that both severe and moderate maternal vitamin B12 restrictions were associated with accelerated catch-up growth, increased body fat percentage, visceral adiposity, dyslipidemia, fasting hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in the F1 offspring. Inflammation, increased glucocorticoid and oxidative stress and poor antioxidant defence probably underlie these adverse effects. Rehabilitation from parturition but not weaning was beneficial in delaying the onset of the adverse outcomes in the offspring. © 2016 BioFactors, 43(3):400-414, 2017. © 2017 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Severe but Not Moderate Vitamin B12 Deficiency Impairs Lipid Profile, Induces Adiposity, and Leads to Adverse Gestational Outcome in Female C57BL/6 Mice

PubMed Central

Ghosh, Shampa; Sinha, Jitendra Kumar; Putcha, Uday Kumar; Raghunath, Manchala

2016-01-01

Vitamin B12 deficiency is widely prevalent in women of childbearing age, especially in developing countries. In the present study, through dietary restriction, we have established mouse models of severe and moderate vitamin B12 deficiencies to elucidate the impact on body composition, biochemical parameters, and reproductive performance. Female weanling C57BL/6 mice were fed for 4 weeks: (a) control AIN-76A diet, (b) vitamin B12-restricted AIN-76A diet with pectin as dietary fiber (severe deficiency group, as pectin inhibits vitamin B12 absorption), or (c) vitamin B12-restricted AIN-76A diet with cellulose as dietary fiber (moderate deficiency group as cellulose does not interfere with vitamin B12 absorption). After confirming deficiency, the mice were mated with male colony mice and maintained on their respective diets throughout pregnancy, lactation, and thereafter till 12 weeks. Severe vitamin B12 deficiency increased body fat% significantly, induced adiposity and altered lipid profile. Pregnant dams of both the deficient groups developed anemia. Severe vitamin B12 deficiency decreased the percentage of conception and litter size, pups were small-for-gestational-age and had significantly lower body weight at birth as well as weaning. Most of the offspring born to severely deficient dams died within 24 h of birth. Stress markers and adipocytokines were elevated in severe deficiency with concomitant decrease in antioxidant defense. The results show that severe but not moderate vitamin B12 restriction had profound impact on the physiology of C57BL/6 mice. Oxidative and corticosteroid stress, inflammation and poor antioxidant defense seem to be the probable underlying mechanisms mediating the deleterious effects. PMID:26835453

Severe but Not Moderate Vitamin B12 Deficiency Impairs Lipid Profile, Induces Adiposity, and Leads to Adverse Gestational Outcome in Female C57BL/6 Mice.

PubMed

Ghosh, Shampa; Sinha, Jitendra Kumar; Putcha, Uday Kumar; Raghunath, Manchala

2016-01-01

Vitamin B12 deficiency is widely prevalent in women of childbearing age, especially in developing countries. In the present study, through dietary restriction, we have established mouse models of severe and moderate vitamin B12 deficiencies to elucidate the impact on body composition, biochemical parameters, and reproductive performance. Female weanling C57BL/6 mice were fed for 4 weeks: (a) control AIN-76A diet, (b) vitamin B12-restricted AIN-76A diet with pectin as dietary fiber (severe deficiency group, as pectin inhibits vitamin B12 absorption), or (c) vitamin B12-restricted AIN-76A diet with cellulose as dietary fiber (moderate deficiency group as cellulose does not interfere with vitamin B12 absorption). After confirming deficiency, the mice were mated with male colony mice and maintained on their respective diets throughout pregnancy, lactation, and thereafter till 12 weeks. Severe vitamin B12 deficiency increased body fat% significantly, induced adiposity and altered lipid profile. Pregnant dams of both the deficient groups developed anemia. Severe vitamin B12 deficiency decreased the percentage of conception and litter size, pups were small-for-gestational-age and had significantly lower body weight at birth as well as weaning. Most of the offspring born to severely deficient dams died within 24 h of birth. Stress markers and adipocytokines were elevated in severe deficiency with concomitant decrease in antioxidant defense. The results show that severe but not moderate vitamin B12 restriction had profound impact on the physiology of C57BL/6 mice. Oxidative and corticosteroid stress, inflammation and poor antioxidant defense seem to be the probable underlying mechanisms mediating the deleterious effects.

Morphological and neurochemical differences in peptidergic nerve fibers of the mouse vagina.

PubMed

Barry, Christine M; Ji, Esther; Sharma, Harman; Beukes, Lara; Vilimas, Patricia I; DeGraaf, Yvette C; Matusica, Dusan; Haberberger, Rainer V

2017-07-01

The vagina is innervated by a complex arrangement of sensory, sympathetic, and parasympathetic nerve fibers that contain classical transmitters plus an array of neuropeptides and enzymes known to regulate diverse processes including blood flow and nociception. The neurochemical characteristics and distributions of peptide-containing nerves in the mouse vagina are unknown. This study used multiple labeling immunohistochemistry, confocal maging and analysis to investigate the presence and colocalization of the peptides vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP), neuropeptide tyrosine (NPY), and the nitric oxide synthesizing enzyme neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in nerve fibers of the murine vaginal wall. We compared cervical and vulvar areas of the vagina in young nullipara and older multipara C57Bl/6 mice, and identified differences including that small ganglia were restricted to cervical segments, epithelial fibers were mainly present in vulvar segments and most nerve fibers were found in the lamina propria of the cervical region of the vagina, where a higher number of fibers containing immunoreactivity for VIP, CGRP, SP, or nNOS were found. Two populations of VIP-containing fibers were identified: fibers containing CGRP and fibers containing VIP but not CGRP. Differences between young and older mice were present in multiple layers of the vaginal wall, with older mice showing overall loss of innervation of epithelium of the proximal vagina and reduced proportions of VIP, CGRP, and SP containing nerve fibers in the distal epithelium. The distal vagina also showed increased vascularization and perivascular fibers containing NPY. Immunolabeling of ganglia associated with the vagina indicated the likely origin of some peptidergic fibers. Our results reveal regional differences and age- or parity-related changes in innervation of the mouse vagina, effecting the distribution of neuropeptides with diverse roles in function of the female genital tract. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effect of fiber fractions of prickly pear cactus (nopal) on quality and sensory properties of wheat bread rolls.

PubMed

Guevara-Arauza, Juan Carlos; Bárcenas, Diego Guadalupe; Ortega-Rivas, Enrique; Martínez, Jaime David Pérez; Hernández, Jaime Reyes; de Jesús Ornelas-Paz, José

2015-05-01

In this study the addition of total fiber (TF), insoluble fiber (IF), and soluble fiber (SF) from nopal to wheat flour used to make bread rolls was assessed. The rheological properties of dough as well as quality, texture, sensorial and physical characteristics of the crumb rolls produced were evaluated. The storage (23.50 MPa) and loss modulus (11.95 MPa) for SF-dough were the lowest indicating that a less visco-elastic behavior was obtained. Polarized light microscopy showed that a more homogeneous size and a better distribution of starch granules were developed into SF-dough. Crumb hardness (3.25-4.78 N) and chewiness (0.31-0.81 N) of SF-rolls were lower than the control experiment (3.99-5.81 N and 0.35-1.01 N respectively). Springiness for all treatments was constant (1.0) compared with the control (1.02-0.87) for 2 days of storage. The lowest cohesiveness values (0.24-014) were computed by IF treatment for a similar storage time. The specific crumb volume increased by 12.46, 9.03 and 1.10 % by the addition of SF, TF and IF respectively. The lowest rate of staling was shown by SF-rolls (0.199) and it was followed by TF (0.296), IF (0.381) and control (0.458) treatments. As a result, the highest scores on quality (9.3 out of 10) and sensorial attributes (from 8.9 up to 9.7) were assigned to SF-rolls.

Spatial Mapping of Translational Diffusion Coefficients Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging: A Mathematical Description

PubMed Central

SHETTY, ANIL N.; CHIANG, SHARON; MALETIC-SAVATIC, MIRJANA; KASPRIAN, GREGOR; VANNUCCI, MARINA; LEE, WESLEY

2016-01-01

In this article, we discuss the theoretical background for diffusion weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging. Molecular diffusion is a random process involving thermal Brownian motion. In biological tissues, the underlying microstructures restrict the diffusion of water molecules, making diffusion directionally dependent. Water diffusion in tissue is mathematically characterized by the diffusion tensor, the elements of which contain information about the magnitude and direction of diffusion and is a function of the coordinate system. Thus, it is possible to generate contrast in tissue based primarily on diffusion effects. Expressing diffusion in terms of the measured diffusion coefficient (eigenvalue) in any one direction can lead to errors. Nowhere is this more evident than in white matter, due to the preferential orientation of myelin fibers. The directional dependency is removed by diagonalization of the diffusion tensor, which then yields a set of three eigenvalues and eigenvectors, representing the magnitude and direction of the three orthogonal axes of the diffusion ellipsoid, respectively. For example, the eigenvalue corresponding to the eigenvector along the long axis of the fiber corresponds qualitatively to diffusion with least restriction. Determination of the principal values of the diffusion tensor and various anisotropic indices provides structural information. We review the use of diffusion measurements using the modified Stejskal–Tanner diffusion equation. The anisotropy is analyzed by decomposing the diffusion tensor based on symmetrical properties describing the geometry of diffusion tensor. We further describe diffusion tensor properties in visualizing fiber tract organization of the human brain. PMID:27441031

Fast and Exact Fiber Surfaces for Tetrahedral Meshes.

PubMed

Klacansky, Pavol; Tierny, Julien; Carr, Hamish; Zhao Geng

2017-07-01

Isosurfaces are fundamental geometrical objects for the analysis and visualization of volumetric scalar fields. Recent work has generalized them to bivariate volumetric fields with fiber surfaces, the pre-image of polygons in range space. However, the existing algorithm for their computation is approximate, and is limited to closed polygons. Moreover, its runtime performance does not allow instantaneous updates of the fiber surfaces upon user edits of the polygons. Overall, these limitations prevent a reliable and interactive exploration of the space of fiber surfaces. This paper introduces the first algorithm for the exact computation of fiber surfaces in tetrahedral meshes. It assumes no restriction on the topology of the input polygon, handles degenerate cases and better captures sharp features induced by polygon bends. The algorithm also allows visualization of individual fibers on the output surface, better illustrating their relationship with data features in range space. To enable truly interactive exploration sessions, we further improve the runtime performance of this algorithm. In particular, we show that it is trivially parallelizable and that it scales nearly linearly with the number of cores. Further, we study acceleration data-structures both in geometrical domain and range space and we show how to generalize interval trees used in isosurface extraction to fiber surface extraction. Experiments demonstrate the superiority of our algorithm over previous work, both in terms of accuracy and running time, with up to two orders of magnitude speedups. This improvement enables interactive edits of range polygons with instantaneous updates of the fiber surface for exploration purpose. A VTK-based reference implementation is provided as additional material to reproduce our results.

Intravital multiphoton fluorescence imaging and optical manipulation of spinal cord in mice, using a compact fiber laser system.

PubMed

Oshima, Yusuke; Horiuch, Hideki; Honkura, Naoki; Hikita, Atsuhiko; Ogata, Tadanori; Miura, Hiromasa; Imamura, Takeshi

2014-09-01

Near-infrared ultrafast lasers are widely used for multiphoton excited fluorescence microscopy in living animals. Ti:Sapphire lasers are typically used for multiphoton excitation, but their emission wavelength is restricted below 1,000 nm. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of a compact Ytterbium-(Yb-) fiber laser at 1,045 nm for multiphoton excited fluorescence microscopy in spinal cord injury. In this study, we employed a custom-designed microscopy system with a compact Yb-fiber laser and evaluated the performance of this system in in vivo imaging of brain cortex and spinal cord in YFP-H transgenic mice. For in vivo imaging of brain cortex, sharp images of basal dendrites, and pyramidal cells expressing EYFP were successfully captured using the Yb-fiber laser in our microscopy system. We also performed in vivo imaging of axon fibers of spinal cord in the transgenic mice. The obtained images were almost as sharp as those obtained using a conventional ultrafast laser system. In addition, laser ablation and multi-color imaging could be performed simultaneously using the Yb-fiber laser. The high-peak pulse Yb-fiber laser is potentially useful for multimodal bioimaging methods based on a multiphoton excited fluorescence microscopy system that incorporates laser ablation techniques. Our results suggest that microscopy systems of this type could be utilized in studies of neuroscience and clinical use in diagnostics and therapeutic tool for spinal cord injury in the future. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Fruit, vegetable, and fiber intake in relation to cancer risk: findings from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).

PubMed

Bradbury, Kathryn E; Appleby, Paul N; Key, Timothy J

2014-07-01

Fruit, vegetables, and certain components of plant foods, such as fiber, have long been thought to protect against cancer. The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) is a prospective cohort that includes >500,000 participants from 10 European countries and has made a substantial contribution to knowledge in this research area. The purpose of this article is to summarize the findings published thus far from the EPIC study on the associations between fruit, vegetable, or fiber consumption and the risk of cancer at 14 different sites. The risk of cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract was inversely associated with fruit intake but was not associated with vegetable intake. The risk of colorectal cancer was inversely associated with intakes of total fruit and vegetables and total fiber, and the risk of liver cancer was also inversely associated with the intake of total fiber. The risk of cancer of the lung was inversely associated with fruit intake but was not associated with vegetable intake; this association with fruit intake was restricted to smokers and might be influenced by residual confounding due to smoking. There was a borderline inverse association of fiber intake with breast cancer risk. For the other 9 cancer sites studied (stomach, biliary tract, pancreas, cervix, endometrium, prostate, kidney, bladder, and lymphoma) there were no reported significant associations of risk with intakes of total fruit, vegetables, or fiber. © 2014 American Society for Nutrition.

Effects of rice bran on sensory and physico-chemical properties of emulsified pork meatballs.

PubMed

Huang, S C; Shiau, C Y; Liu, T E; Chu, C L; Hwang, D F

2005-08-01

Four kinds of bran, which are milled from important rice cultivators in Taiwan, have high contents of dietary fiber, fat and protein. The use of rice bran in Kung-wan, an emulsified pork meatball, was investigated. It was found that protein and fat contents, and white index of meatballs decreased as the amount of bran increased. A texture profile analysis (TPA) also indicated the hardness, gumminess and chewiness of the Kung-wan decreased. The sensory scores of taste, texture and overall acceptability of meatballs with less than 10% added bran showed no significant difference from those for meatballs without bran. However, the added amount of 15% enriched meatballs resulted in inferior sensory scores. The bran's particle size profoundly affected the sensory and physico-chemical properties of the meat products. Meatballs enriched with smaller bran particles possessed higher TPA indices and sensory scores than those added with larger ones. No significant differences in proximate composition, cooking yield, color and sensory quality were found among emulsified meatballs enriched with four different kinds of bran. Conclusively, the suitable amount of rice bran that should be added to emulsified pork meatballs was less than 10% and a smaller particle size would result in better quality.

Effect of additional of Hoodia Gordonii and seaweed powder on the sensory and physicochemical properties of brown rice bar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hajal, Masturah Ebni; Ghani, Maaruf Abd; Daud, Norlida Mat

2015-09-01

Awareness of the nutritional content of food has increased with the emergence of various health products in the market. Cereal bar is one of the beneficial foods among consumer that concern on their healthy food. This study was conducted to develop a brown rice bar that contain active ingredients (H. gordonii and seaweed powder) and to determine the effect on sensory evaluation and physicochemical properties (colour, texture and proximate analysis) of this product. This study consisted of two phases in which the first phase consisted of development of ten formulations including control. All of the formulations were undergo analysis of colour, texture and sensory evaluation. Based on the sensory evaluation, Control (H. gordonii: 0%, seaweed: 0%) and two best formulations that consist of formulation 6 (H. gordonii: 1.6%; seaweed: 2.8%) and formulation 9 (H. gordonii: 2.4%, seaweed: 2.8%) were chosen to undergo the second phase which is proximate analysis. Base on the result, were significant different (p<0.05) on proximate analysis except for the protein and moisture content. Therefore, it can be concluded that H. gordonii is a good source of fiber when adding in a bar.

Impact of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) on functional characteristics of emulsified sausages.

PubMed

Schuh, Valerie; Allard, Karin; Herrmann, Kurt; Gibis, Monika; Kohlus, Reinhard; Weiss, Jochen

2013-02-01

Inclusion of fibers, such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), at the expense of fat or protein in meat batters could be used to produce healthier sausages while lowering production costs. To study the impact of CMC/MCC on structural/functional characteristics of emulsified sausages, standard-fat Lyoner-style sausages were formulated with CMC/MCC at concentrations of 0.3-2.0%. Methods of analysis included rheology, water binding capacity (WBC), texture measurements, and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). WBC, texture measurements, and rheology all indicated that addition of CMC (>0.7%) led to destabilization of the batter, which upon heating could no longer be converted into a coherent protein network, a fact that was also revealed in CLSM images. In contrast, MCC was highly compatible with the matrix and improved firmness (1405-1651N/100g) with increasing concentration compared to control (1381N/100g) while keeping WBC (4.6-5.9%) with <2% MCC at the level of the control (4.8%). Results were discussed in terms of molecular interactions of meat proteins with celluloses. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rheological, thermo-mechanical, and baking properties of wheat-millet flour blends.

PubMed

Aprodu, Iuliana; Banu, Iuliana

2015-07-01

Millet has long been known as a good source of fiber and antioxidants, but only lately started to be exploited by food scientists and food industry as a consequence of increased consumer awareness. In this study, doughs and breads were produced using millet flour in different ratios (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%) to white, dark, and whole wheat flour. The flour blends were evaluated in terms of rheological and thermo-mechanical properties. Fundamental rheological measurements revealed that the viscosity of the flour formulations increases with wheat flour-extraction rate and decreases with the addition of millet flour. Doughs behavior during mixing, overmixing, pasting, and gelling was established using the Mixolab device. The results of this bread-making process simulation indicate that dough properties become critical for the flour blends with millet levels higher than 30%. The breads were evaluated for volume, texture, and crumb-grain characteristics. The baking test and sensory evaluation results indicated that substitution levels of up to 30% millet flour could be used in composite bread flour. High levels of millet flour (40 and 50%) negatively influenced the loaf volume, crumb texture, and taste. © The Author(s) 2014.

Improving Tensile and Compressive Properties of an Extruded AZ91 Rod by the Combined Use of Torsion Deformation and Aging Treatment

PubMed Central

Song, Bo; Wang, Chunpeng; Guo, Ning; Pan, Hucheng; Xin, Renlong

2017-01-01

In this study, AZ91 magnesium alloy rods were used to investigate the effects of torsion deformation on microstructure and subsequent aging behavior. Extruded AZ91 rod has a uniform microstructure and typical fiber texture. Torsion deformation can generate a gradient microstructure on the cross-section of the rod. After torsion, from the center to the edge in the cross-section of the rod, both stored dislocations and area fraction of {10-12} twins gradually increase, and the basal pole of the texture tends to rotate in the ED direction. Direct aging usually generates coarse discontinuous precipitates and fine continuous precipitates simultaneously. Both twin structures and dislocations via torsion deformation can be effective microstructures for the nucleation of continuous precipitates during subsequent aging. Thus, aging after torsion can promote continuous precipitation and generate gradient precipitation characteristics. Both aging treatment and torsion deformation can reduce yield asymmetry, and torsion deformation enhances the aging hardening effect by promoting continuous precipitation. Therefore, combined use of torsion deformation and aging treatment can effectively enhance the yield strength and almost eliminate the yield asymmetry of the present extruded AZ91 rod. Finally, the relevant mechanisms are discussed. PMID:28772638

Use of sourdough made with quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) flour and autochthonous selected lactic acid bacteria for enhancing the nutritional, textural and sensory features of white bread.

PubMed

Rizzello, Carlo Giuseppe; Lorusso, Anna; Montemurro, Marco; Gobbetti, Marco

2016-06-01

Lactic acid bacteria were isolated and identified from quinoa flour, spontaneously fermented quinoa dough, and type I quinoa sourdough. Strains were further selected based on acidification and proteolytic activities. Selected Lactobacillus plantarum T6B10 and Lactobacillus rossiae T0A16 were used as mixed starter to get quinoa sourdough. Compared to non-fermented flour, organic acids, free amino acids, soluble fibers, total phenols, phytase and antioxidant activities, and in vitro protein digestibility markedly increased during fermentation. A wheat bread was made using 20% (w/w) of quinoa sourdough, and compared to baker's yeast wheat breads manufactured with or without quinoa flour. The use of quinoa sourdough improved the chemical, textural, and sensory features of wheat bread, showing better performances compared to the use of quinoa flour. Protein digestibility and quality, and the rate of starch hydrolysis were also nutritional features that markedly improved using quinoa sourdough as an ingredient. This study exploited the potential of quinoa flour through sourdough fermentation. A number of advantages encouraged the manufacture of novel and healthy leavened baked goods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Variation of mechanical and thermal properties of the thermoplastics reinforced with natural fibers by electron beam processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sok Won; Oh, Seungmin; Lee, Kyuse

2007-11-01

With restrictions for environmental protection being strengthened, the thermoplastics reinforced with natural fibers (NFs) such as jute, kenaf, flax, etc., appeared as an automobile interior material instead of the chemical plastics. Regardless of many advantages, one shortcoming is the deformation after being formed in high temperature of about 200 °C, caused by the poor adhesion between the natural fibers and thermoplastics. Also, the energy saving in connection with car air-conditioning becomes very important. In this study, the thermal conductivity, tensile strength, and deformation of several kinds of thermoplastic composites composing of 50% polypropylene (PP) and 50% natural fiber irradiated by the electron beam (energy: 0.5 MeV, dose: 0-20 kGy) were measured. The length and thickness of PP and NF are 80±10 mm and 40-120 μm, respectively. The results show that the thermal conductivity and the tensile strength changed and became minimum when the dose of electron beam is 10 kGy, and the deformation after the thermal cycle were reduced by the electron beam.

Neurotransmitter measurement with a fiber optic probe using pulsed ultraviolet resonance Raman spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulze, H. Georg; Greek, L. Shane; Blades, Michael W.; Bree, Alan V.; Gorzalka, Boris B.; Turner, Robin F. B.

1997-05-01

Many techniques have been developed to investigate the chemistry associated with brain activity. These techniques generally fall into two categories: fast techniques with species restricted sensitivity and slow techniques with generally unrestricted species sensitivity. Therefore, a need exists for a fast non-invasive technique sensitive to a wide array of biologically relevant compounds in order to measure chemical brain events in real time. The work presented here describes the progress made toward the development of a novel neurotransmitter probe. A fiber-optic linked Raman and tunable ultraviolet resonance Raman system was assembled with custom designed optical fiber probes. Probes of several different geometries were constructed and their working curves obtained in aqueous mixtures of methyl orange and potassium nitrate to determine the best probe configuration given particular sample characteristics. Using this system, the ultraviolet resonance Raman spectra of some neurotransmitters were measured with a fiber-optic probe and are reported here for the first time. The probe has also been used to measure neurotransmitter secretions obtained from depolarized rat pheochromocytoma cells.

Analysis of the timber situation in Florida, 1995- 2025

Treesearch

Roger C. Conner; Raymond M. Sheffield

2005-01-01

The demand for wood fiber nationwide is expected to increase in the foreseeable future. Harvesting restrictions on forest lands in the West have increased pressure on the South's forest resources to provide more wood. The ability of Florida and other Southern States to respond is uncertain. The authors describe the current extent, condition, and availability of...

Activated Carbon Fibers For Gas Storage

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

Burchell, Timothy D; Contescu, Cristian I; Gallego, Nidia C

The advantages of Activated Carbon Fibers (ACF) over Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) are reviewed and their relationship to ACF structure and texture are discussed. These advantages make ACF very attractive for gas storage applications. Both adsorbed natural gas (ANG) and hydrogen gas adsorption performance are discussed. The predicted and actual structure and performance of lignin-derived ACF is reviewed. The manufacture and performance of ACF derived monolith for potential automotive natural gas (NG) storage applications is reported Future trends for ACF for gas storage are considered to be positive. The recent improvements in NG extraction coupled with the widespread availability ofmore » NG wells means a relatively inexpensive and abundant NG supply in the foreseeable future. This has rekindled interest in NG powered vehicles. The advantages and benefit of ANG compared to compressed NG offer the promise of accelerated use of ANG as a commuter vehicle fuel. It is to be hoped the current cost hurdle of ACF can be overcome opening ANG applications that take advantage of the favorable properties of ACF versus GAC. Lastly, suggestions are made regarding the direction of future work.« less

Dietary fiber in management of diabetes.

PubMed

Vinik, A I; Jenkins, D J

1988-02-01

Current evidence suggests that high-fiber diets, especially of the soluble variety, and soluble fiber supplements may offer some improvement in carbohydrate metabolism, lower total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and have other beneficial effects in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Diets enriched with wheat bran and guar gum induce 10-20% reductions in serum cholesterol and LDL in both normo- and hypercholesterolemic subjects and have the ability to blunt the hypertriglyceridemic effects of diets high in carbohydrate and low in fiber. In insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) the situation is less clear, but a decrement of the circadian glucose profile has been shown. Americans, in general, consume too little fiber. With the need to restrict fat and reduce protein, an increase in carbohydrates is mandatory. A practical goal would be to establish the present level of fiber intake (15-30 g/day) and to gradually increase it. An intake of up to 40 g of fiber per day or 25 g/1000 kcal of food intake appears beneficial; in many individuals on weight-reducing diets higher levels may be unacceptable because of gastrointestinal side effects. The level of maximum benefit has not been determined. Fiber supplementation appears beneficial only if given with a diet comprising approximately half of the calories as carbohydrate. Foods should be selected with moderate to high amounts of dietary fiber from a wide variety of choices to include both soluble and insoluble types of fiber. Insufficient data are available on the long-term safety of high-fiber supplements. People at risk for deficiencies, such as postmenopausal women, the elderly, or growing children, may require supplements of calcium and trace minerals. People with upper gastrointestinal dysfunction are at risk of bezoar formation and cautioned against a diet high in fiber of the leafy vegetable type. Careful attention must be paid to insulin dose because hypoglycemia can result if there is a radical change in fiber intake and insulin dose is not reduced appropriately. Care must be exercised in the use of "novel" fibers, including the wood celluloses, because little is known of their safety and efficacy.

Enhancement of the Electrical Conductivity and Interlaminar Shear Strength of CNT/GFRP Hierarchical Composite Using an Electrophoretic Deposition Technique

PubMed Central

Haghbin, Amin; Liaghat, Gholamhossein; Arabi, Amir Masoud; Pol, Mohammad Hossein

2017-01-01

In this work, an electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique has been used for deposition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the surface of glass fiber textures (GTs) to increase the volume conductivity and the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of CNT/glass fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRPs) composites. Comprehensive experimental studies have been conducted to establish the influence of electric field strength, CNT concentration in EPD suspension, surface quality of GTs, and process duration on the quality of deposited CNT layers. CNT deposition increased remarkably when the surface of glass fibers was treated with coupling agents. Deposition of CNTs was optimized by measuring CNT’s deposition mass and process current density diagrams. The effect of optimum field strength on CNT deposition mass is around 8.5 times, and the effect of optimum suspension concentration on deposition rate is around 5.5 times. In the optimum experimental setting, the current density values of EPD were bounded between 0.5 and 1 mA/cm2. Based on the cumulative deposition diagram, it was found that the first three minutes of EPD is the effective deposition time. Applying optimized EPD in composite fabrication of treated GTs caused a drastic improvement on the order of 108 times in the volume conductivity of the nanocomposite laminate in comparison with simple GTs specimens. Optimized CNT deposition also enhanced the ILSS of hierarchical nanocomposites by 42%. PMID:28937635

Synchrotron x-ray microdiffraction reveals intrinsic structural features of amyloid deposits in situ.

PubMed

Briki, Fatma; Vérine, Jérôme; Doucet, Jean; Bénas, Philippe; Fayard, Barbara; Delpech, Marc; Grateau, Gilles; Riès-Kautt, Madeleine

2011-07-20

Amyloidoses are increasingly recognized as a major public health concern in Western countries. All amyloidoses share common morphological, structural, and tinctorial properties. These consist of staining by specific dyes, a fibrillar aspect in electron microscopy and a typical cross-β folding in x-ray diffraction patterns. Most studies that aim at deciphering the amyloid structure rely on fibers generated in vitro or extracted from tissues using protocols that may modify their intrinsic structure. Therefore, the fine details of the in situ architecture of the deposits remain unknown. Here, we present to our knowledge the first data obtained on ex vivo human renal tissue sections using x-ray microdiffraction. The typical cross-β features from fixed paraffin-embedded samples are similar to those formed in vitro or extracted from tissues. Moreover, the fiber orientation maps obtained across glomerular sections reveal an intrinsic texture that is correlated with the glomerulus morphology. These results are of the highest importance to understanding the formation of amyloid deposits and are thus expected to trigger new incentives for tissue investigation. Moreover, the access to intrinsic structural parameters such as fiber size and orientation using synchrotron x-ray microdiffraction, could provide valuable information concerning in situ mechanisms and deposit formation with potential benefits for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Copyright © 2011 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Production of Barbari Bread (Traditional Iranian Bread) Using Different Levels of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) and Sodium Stearoyl Lactate (SSL).

PubMed

Pourafshar, Shirin; Rosentrater, Kurt A; Krishnan, Padmanaban G

2018-03-01

Bread is one of the oldest foods known throughout history and even though it is one of the principal types of staple around the world, it usually lacks enough nutrients, including protein and fiber. As such, fortification is one of the best solutions to overcome this problem. Thus, the objective this study was to examine the effect of three levels of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) (0%, 10% and 20%) in conjunction with three levels of SSL (sodium stearoyl lactate) (0%, 2% and 5%) on physical and chemical properties of Barbari bread (traditional Iranian bread). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate DDGS and Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactilate (SSL), as sources of fortification in Barbari bread. The results showed that incorporation of 20% of DDGS and 0% SSL caused a significant increase in the amount of fiber and protein. As for the physical attributes, using higher amount of DDGS caused a darker color, and as for the texture parameters, the highest firmness was measured when 10% DDGS and 5% of SSL were used. Different Mixolab and Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) parameters also were measured with varying results. The findings of this study show that DDGS can be a valuable source of fiber and protein, which can be used as a cost effective source to fortify cereal-based products.

Sensory qualities of pastry products enriched with dietary fiber and polyphenolic substances.

PubMed

Komolka, Patrycja; Górecka, Danuta; Szymandera-Buszka, Krystyna; Jędrusek-Golińska, Anna; Dziedzic, Krzysztof; Waszkowiak, Katarzyna

2016-01-01

Growing consumer demand for products with pro-health properties is forcing food manufacturers to introduce new food items onto the market, which will not only possess such health-enhancing properties but will also compete on the grounds of sensory attributes - taste, flavour, texture etc. The aim was to evaluate these sensory attributes of pastry products enhanced with biologically active compounds, such as inulin, buckwheat hull and buckwheat flour. For decreasing the energy value of the products tested (crispy cookies, muesli cookies, waffles and pancakes) some ingredients were replaced: vegetable butter or oil by inulin and wheat flour by roasted buckwheat flour and thermally processed buckwheat hull. The substances mentioned are rich sources of soluble and insoluble buckwheat fiber, and also polyphenolic substances. Dry chokeberry and mulberry leaf extract were added as a rich source of flavonoids and 1-deoxynorijimycin, respectively. These substances are recommended for people with obesity. The processing was carried out at 175°C for 15 minutes using a convection oven (Rational Combi-Steamer CCC). Pastry products with buckwheat flour, buckwheat hulls, mulberry extract, chokeberry and inulin had a lower food energy, a higher dietary fiber content and scored high on customer desirability. Pastry products which contain ingredients carrying biologically active substances are not only attractive from the sensory point of view, but also low in calories, and are thus recommendable for obesity people.

Rheological, physico-sensory, nutritional and storage characteristics of bread enriched with roller milled fractions of black gram (Phaseolus mungo L.).

PubMed

Indrani, D; Sakhare, Suresh D; Milind; Inamdar, Aashitosh A

2015-08-01

Black gram grains were fractionated using roller flour mill. Effect of combination of additives (CA) namely dry gluten powder, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, fungal α-amylase on the rheological and bread making characteristics of wheat flour partly replaced with roller milled fractions of black gram was studied. With increase in the addition of straight run flour (SRF), protein rich fraction (PRF), protein and fiber rich fraction (P&FRF) from 0 to 20 %, fiber rich fraction, FRF (0-15 %), the farinograph water absorption increased and dough stability decreased; amylograph pasting temperature increased and peak viscosity decreased; bread volume decreased and crumb firmness value increased indicating adverse effect of these fractions on the rheological and bread making characteristics of wheat flour. Sensory evaluation showed that breads were acceptable only up to the level of 15 % for SRF, PRF & P&FRF and 10 % for FRF. However, when CA containing dry gluten powder, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate and fungal α-amylase was incorporated the overall quality of the products improved. Use of these fractions increased the protein and fiber contents of bread by 1.24-1.66 and 1.48-3.79 times respectively. The results showed that possibility of utilising roller milled black gram fractions along with CA to improve the taste, texture and nutritional quality of bread.

Resistance to radial expansion limits muscle strain and work

PubMed Central

Deslauriers, A. R.; Holt, N. C.; Eaton, C. E.

2018-01-01

The collagenous extracellular matrix (ECM) of skeletal muscle functions to transmit force, protect sensitive structures, and generate passive tension to resist stretch. The mechanical properties of the ECM change with age, atrophy, and neuromuscular pathologies, resulting in an increase in the relative amount of collagen and an increase in stiffness. Although numerous studies have focused on the effect of muscle fibrosis on passive muscle stiffness, few have examined how these structural changes may compromise contractile performance. Here we combine a mathematical model and experimental manipulations to examine how changes in the mechanical properties of the ECM constrain the ability of muscle fibers and fascicles to radially expand and how such a constraint may limit active muscle shortening. We model the mechanical interaction between a contracting muscle and the ECM using a constant volume, pressurized, fiber-wound cylinder. Our model shows that as the proportion of a muscle cross section made up of ECM increases, the muscle’s ability to expand radially is compromised, which in turn restricts muscle shortening. In our experiments, we use a physical constraint placed around the muscle to restrict radial expansion during a contraction. Our experimental results are consistent with model predictions and show that muscles restricted from radial expansion undergo less shortening and generate less mechanical work under identical loads and stimulation conditions. This work highlights the intimate mechanical interaction between contractile and connective tissue structures within skeletal muscle and shows how a deviation from a healthy, well-tuned relationship can compromise performance. PMID:28432448

Dietary fibers and crude protein content alleviate hepatic fat deposition and obesity in broiler breeder hens.

PubMed

Mohiti-Asli, M; Shivazad, M; Zaghari, M; Aminzadeh, S; Rezaian, M; Mateos, G G

2012-12-01

The effects of inclusion of cellulose or inulin as a source of dietary fiber and CP content of the diet on hepatic fat deposition were investigated in hens fed restricted or close to ad libitum consumption. There were 12 dietary treatments forming a 2 × 3 × 2 factorial with 2 feeding regimens [restricted and liberal (close to ad libitum consumption; LIB)], 3 fiber sources (control, 3% inulin, and 3% cellulose), and 2 levels of CP (14.5 and 17.4%). Hens were assigned in groups of 6 to 60 floor pens. From 43 to 55 wk of age, hens fed LIB showed increased activity of the hepatic malic enzyme (MalE; P < 0.01), which led to an increase (P < 0.001) in liver weight and hepatic lipid deposition and was associated with enhancements (P < 0.05) in plasma levels of glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Abdominal fat deposition and BW of the hens increased (P < 0.001) with liberal feeding. Inclusion of inulin in the diet reduced (P < 0.05) liver and abdominal fat weight, whereas cellulose inclusion decreased (P < 0.05) feed intake, abdominal fat, and BW. An increase in CP content of the diet from 14.5 to 17.4% reduced MalE activity (P < 0.001), liver weight (P < 0.001), and the accumulation of lipids and cholesterol in the liver, as well as plasma triglyceride concentration and abdominal fat pad weight (P < 0.05). It is concluded that fiber inclusion reduced abdominal fat and liver weight, with effects being more pronounced with cellulose than with inulin. An increase in dietary CP reduced MalE activity and alleviated hepatic and plasma lipid concentration; therefore, it might be a practical approach to reduce the incidence of obesity-linked problems in broiler breeder hens. The combination of high-CP diets and the inclusion of a fiber source did not suppress liver lipid content over that observed with the high-CP diet, exclusively.

CP-violating phase on magnetized toroidal orbifolds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Tatsuo; Nishiwaki, Kenji; Tatsuta, Yoshiyuki

2017-04-01

We study the CP-violating phase of the quark sector on T 2 /Z N ( N = 2 , 3 , 4 , 6) with non-vanishing magnetic fluxes, where properties of possible origins of the CP violation are investigated minutely. In this system, a non-vanishing value is mandatory in the real part of the complex modulus parameter τ of the two-dimensional torus in order to explain the CP violation in the quark sector. On T 2 without orbifolding, underlying discrete flavor symmetries severely restrict the form of Yukawa couplings and it is very difficult to reproduce the observed pattern in the quark sector including the CP-violating phase δ CP. When multiple Higgs doublets emerge on T 2 /Z 2, the mass matrices of the zero-mode fermions can be written in the Gaussian textures by choosing appropriate configurations of vacuum expectation values of the Higgs fields. When such Gaussian textures of mass matrices are realized, we show that all of the quark profiles, which are mass hierarchies among the quarks, quark mixing angles, and δ CP can be simultaneously realized.

Characterization of textural, rheological, thermal, microstructural, and water mobility in wheat flour dough and bread affected by trehalose.

PubMed

Peng, Bo; Li, Youqian; Ding, Shiyong; Yang, Jun

2017-10-15

The study aims to elucidate the effects of trehalose on the mechanical, thermal, and rheological properties of wheat flour dough and water distribution in bread. Texture profile analysis, DSC, farinograph, extensograph, and frequency sweep were applied in dough. The results from SEM revealed that the gluten film became less notable with the presence of trehalose. The kinetics of staling process, low-field 1 H NMR, and water-binding capacity were employed to characterize physicochemical properties of bread. Trehalose decreased the staling rate constant k, indicating an inhibitory effect on firming process in bread. Trehalose had the ability to retain water by hindering the interaction among water molecules, gluten and starch, thus relatively increasing the immobility of the part of water represented by T 22 in low-field 1 H NMR tests. Trehalose restricted water mobilization during storage, resulting in a better water-holding capacity. Our findings reveal that trehalose could be an improver in dough and bread-making performance, as well as an antistaling agent in bread. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethylene-dependent regulation of an α-L-arabinofuranosidase is associated to firmness loss in 'Gala' apples under long term cold storage.

PubMed

Storch, Tatiane Timm; Finatto, Taciane; Pegoraro, Camila; Dal Cero, Joceani; Laurens, François; Rombaldi, Cesar Valmor; Quecini, Vera; Girardi, César Luís

2015-09-01

Fruit texture changes impair the quality of apples submitted to long term storage, especially under cold. The changes are due to cell wall modifications during ripening and senescence and are associated to ethylene. We have investigated the activity of α-l-arabinofuranosidase, a glycosyl hydrolase acting on the side chains of pectin in the cell wall and middle lamella. The transcription of arabinofuranosidase coding sequences 1 and 3 was investigated in plant organs and in response to ethylene, employing hormone application and 1-methylcyclopropene. The transcription of arabinofuranosidase genes is not restricted to fruits, although upregulated by ripening and ethylene. Transcripts of the genes were detected under cold storage up to 180 days. Similarly, arabinofuranosidase activity increased with rising levels of ethylene and under cold storage. Levels of arabinofuranosidase3 transcripts were higher than those of arabinofuranosidase1, suggesting that the first is an important contributor to enzyme activity and texture changes during cold storage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advanced texture filtering: a versatile framework for reconstructing multi-dimensional image data on heterogeneous architectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellmann, Stefan; Percan, Yvonne; Lang, Ulrich

2015-01-01

Reconstruction of 2-d image primitives or of 3-d volumetric primitives is one of the most common operations performed by the rendering components of modern visualization systems. Because this operation is often aided by GPUs, reconstruction is typically restricted to first-order interpolation. With the advent of in situ visualization, the assumption that rendering algorithms are in general executed on GPUs is however no longer adequate. We thus propose a framework that provides versatile texture filtering capabilities: up to third-order reconstruction using various types of cubic filtering and interpolation primitives; cache-optimized algorithms that integrate seamlessly with GPGPU rendering or with software rendering that was optimized for cache-friendly "Structure of Array" (SoA) access patterns; a memory management layer (MML) that gracefully hides the complexities of extra data copies necessary for memory access optimizations such as swizzling, for rendering on GPGPUs, or for reconstruction schemes that rely on pre-filtered data arrays. We prove the effectiveness of our software architecture by integrating it into and validating it using the open source direct volume rendering (DVR) software DeskVOX.

Hollow Fiber Methodology for Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Studies of Antimalarial Compounds

PubMed Central

Caton, Emily; Nenortas, Elizabeth; Bakshi, Rahul P.; Shapiro, Theresa A.

2016-01-01

Knowledge of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) relationships can enhance the speed and economy of drug development by enabling informed and rational decisions at every step, from lead selection to clinical dosing. For anti-infective agents in particular, dynamic in vitro hollow fiber cartridge experiments permit exquisite control of kinetic parameters and the study of their consequent impact on pharmacodynamic efficacy. Such information is of great interest for the cost-restricted but much-needed development of new antimalarial drugs, especially since major human pathogen Plasmodium falciparum can be cultivated in vitro but is not readily available in animal models. This protocol describes the materials and procedures for determining the PK/PD relationships of antimalarial compounds. PMID:26995353

Restricting lignin and enhancing sugar deposition in secondary cell walls enhances monomeric sugar release after low temperature ionic liquid pretreatment

DOE PAGES

Scullin, Chessa; Cruz, Alejandro G.; Chuang, Yi -De; ...

2015-07-04

Lignocellulosic biomass has the potential to be a major source of renewable sugar for biofuel production. Before enzymatic hydrolysis, biomass must first undergo a pretreatment step in order to be more susceptible to saccharification and generate high yields of fermentable sugars. Lignin, a complex, interlinked, phenolic polymer, associates with secondary cell wall polysaccharides, rendering them less accessible to enzymatic hydrolysis. Herein, we describe the analysis of engineered Arabidopsis lines where lignin biosynthesis was repressed in fiber tissues but retained in the vessels, and polysaccharide deposition was enhanced in fiber cells with little to no apparent negative impact on growth phenotype.

Restricting lignin and enhancing sugar deposition in secondary cell walls enhances monomeric sugar release after low temperature ionic liquid pretreatment

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

Scullin, Chessa; Cruz, Alejandro G.; Chuang, Yi -De

Lignocellulosic biomass has the potential to be a major source of renewable sugar for biofuel production. Before enzymatic hydrolysis, biomass must first undergo a pretreatment step in order to be more susceptible to saccharification and generate high yields of fermentable sugars. Lignin, a complex, interlinked, phenolic polymer, associates with secondary cell wall polysaccharides, rendering them less accessible to enzymatic hydrolysis. Herein, we describe the analysis of engineered Arabidopsis lines where lignin biosynthesis was repressed in fiber tissues but retained in the vessels, and polysaccharide deposition was enhanced in fiber cells with little to no apparent negative impact on growth phenotype.

Characterization of wavelength-swept active mode locking fiber laser based on reflective semiconductor optical amplifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hwi Don; Lee, Ju Han; Yung Jeong, Myung; Kim, Chang-Seok

2011-07-01

The static and dynamic characteristics of a wavelength-swept active mode locking (AML) fiber laser are presented in both the time-region and wavelength-region. This paper shows experimentally that the linewidth of a laser spectrum and the bandwidth of the sweeping wavelength are dependent directly on the length and dispersion of the fiber cavity as well as the modulation frequency and sweeping rate under the mode-locking condition. To achieve a narrower linewidth, a longer length and higher dispersion of the fiber cavity as well as a higher order mode locking condition are required simultaneously. For a broader bandwidth, a lower order of the mode locking condition is required using a lower modulation frequency. The dynamic sweeping performance is also analyzed experimentally to determine its applicability to optical coherence tomography imaging. It is shown that the maximum sweeping rate can be improved by the increased free spectral range from the shorter length of the fiber cavity. A reflective semiconductor optical amplifier (RSOA) was used to enhance the modulation and dispersion efficiency. Overall a triangular electrical signal can be used instead of the sinusoidal signal to sweep the lasing wavelength at a high sweeping rate due to the lack of mechanical restrictions in the wavelength sweeping mechanism.

Interface Bond Improvement of Sisal Fibre Reinforced Polylactide Composites with Added Epoxy Oligomer

PubMed Central

Hao, Mingyang; Qiu, Feng; Wang, Xiwen

2018-01-01

To improve the interfacial bonding of sisal fiber-reinforced polylactide biocomposites, polylactide (PLA) and sisal fibers (SF) were melt-blended to fabricate bio-based composites via in situ reactive interfacial compatibilization with addition of a commercial grade epoxy-functionalized oligomer Joncryl ADR@-4368 (ADR). The FTIR (Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy) analysis and SEM (scanning electron microscope) characterization demonstrated that the PLA molecular chain was bonded to the fiber surface and the epoxy-functionalized oligomer played a hinge-like role between the sisal fibers and the PLA matrix, which resulted in improved interfacial adhesion between the fibers and the PLA matrix. The interfacial reaction and microstructures of composites were further investigated by thermal and rheological analyses, which indicated that the mobility of the PLA molecular chain in composites was restricted because of the introduction of the ADR oligomer, which in turn reflected the improved interfacial interaction between SF and the PLA matrix. These results were further justified with the calculation of activation energies of glass transition relaxation (∆Ea) by dynamic mechanical analysis. The mechanical properties of PLA/SF composites were simultaneously reinforced and toughened with the addition of ADR oligomer. The interfacial interaction and structure–properties relationship of the composites are the key points of this study. PMID:29518949

Interface Bond Improvement of Sisal Fibre Reinforced Polylactide Composites with Added Epoxy Oligomer.

PubMed

Hao, Mingyang; Wu, Hongwu; Qiu, Feng; Wang, Xiwen

2018-03-07

To improve the interfacial bonding of sisal fiber-reinforced polylactide biocomposites, polylactide (PLA) and sisal fibers (SF) were melt-blended to fabricate bio-based composites via in situ reactive interfacial compatibilization with addition of a commercial grade epoxy-functionalized oligomer Joncryl ADR @ -4368 (ADR). The FTIR (Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy) analysis and SEM (scanning electron microscope) characterization demonstrated that the PLA molecular chain was bonded to the fiber surface and the epoxy-functionalized oligomer played a hinge-like role between the sisal fibers and the PLA matrix, which resulted in improved interfacial adhesion between the fibers and the PLA matrix. The interfacial reaction and microstructures of composites were further investigated by thermal and rheological analyses, which indicated that the mobility of the PLA molecular chain in composites was restricted because of the introduction of the ADR oligomer, which in turn reflected the improved interfacial interaction between SF and the PLA matrix. These results were further justified with the calculation of activation energies of glass transition relaxation (∆ E a ) by dynamic mechanical analysis. The mechanical properties of PLA/SF composites were simultaneously reinforced and toughened with the addition of ADR oligomer. The interfacial interaction and structure-properties relationship of the composites are the key points of this study.

Primary afferent neurons express functional delta opioid receptors in inflamed skin.

PubMed

Brederson, Jill-Desiree; Honda, Christopher N

2015-07-21

Peripherally-restricted opiate compounds attenuate hyperalgesia in experimental models of inflammatory pain, but have little discernable effect on nociceptive behavior in normal animals. This suggests that activation of opioid receptors on peripheral sensory axons contributes to decreased afferent activity after injury. Previously, we reported that direct application of morphine to cutaneous receptive fields decreased mechanical and heat-evoked responses in a population of C-fiber nociceptors in inflamed skin. Consistent with reported behavioral studies, direct application of morphine had no effect on fiber activity in control skin. The aim of the present study was to determine whether mechanical responsiveness of nociceptors innervating inflamed skin was attenuated by direct activation of delta opioid receptors (DORs) on peripheral terminals. An ex vivo preparation of rat plantar skin and tibial nerve was used to examine effects of a selective DOR agonist, deltorphin II, on responsiveness of single fibers innervating inflamed skin. Electrical recordings were made eighteen hours after injection of complete Freund's adjuvant into the hindpaw. Deltorphin II produced an inhibition of the mechanical responsiveness of single fibers innervating inflamed skin; an effect blocked by the DOR-selective antagonist, naltrindole. The population of units responsive to deltorphin II was identified as consisting of C fiber mechanical nociceptors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Organized polysaccharide fibers as stable drug carriers

PubMed Central

Janaswamy, Srinivas; Gill, Kristin L.; Campanella, Osvaldo H.; Pinal, Rodolfo

2013-01-01

Many challenges arise during the development of new drug carrier systems, and paramount among them are safety, solubility and controlled release requirements. Although synthetic polymers are effective, the possibility of side effects imposes restrictions on their acceptable use and dose limits. Thus, a new drug carrier system that is safe to handle and free from side effects is very much in need and food grade polysaccharides stand tall as worthy alternatives. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time the feasibility of sodium iota-carrageenan fibers and their distinctive water pockets to embed and release a wide variety of drug molecules. Structural analysis has revealed the existence of crystalline network in the fibers even after encapsulating the drug molecules, and iota-carrageenan maintains its characteristic and reproducible double helical structure suggesting that the composites thus produced are reminiscent of cocrystals. The melting properties of iota-carrageenan:drug complexes are distinctly different from those of either drug or iota-carrageenan fiber. The encapsulated drugs are released in a sustained manner from the fiber matrix. Overall, our research provides an elegant opportunity for developing effective drug carriers with stable network toward enhancing and/or controlling bioavailability and extending shelf-life of drug molecules using GRAS excipients, food polysaccharides, that are inexpensive and non–toxic. PMID:23544530

Wearable Contactless Respiration Sensor Based on Multi-Material Fibers Integrated into Textile.

PubMed

Guay, Philippe; Gorgutsa, Stepan; LaRochelle, Sophie; Messaddeq, Younes

2017-05-06

In this paper, we report on a novel sensor for the contactless monitoring of the respiration rate, made from multi-material fibers arranged in the form of spiral antenna (2.45 GHz central frequency). High flexibility of the used composite metal-glass-polymer fibers permits their integration into a cotton t-shirt without compromising comfort or restricting movement of the user. At the same time, change of the antenna geometry, due to the chest expansion and the displacement of the air volume in the lungs, is found to cause a significant shift of the antenna operational frequency, thus allowing respiration detection. In contrast with many current solutions, respiration is detected without attachment of the electrodes of any kind to the user's body, neither direct contact of the fiber with the skin is required. Respiration patterns for two male volunteers were recorded with the help of a sensor prototype integrated into standard cotton t-shirt in sitting, standing, and lying scenarios. The typical measured frequency shift for the deep and shallow breathing was found to be in the range 120-200 MHz and 10-15 MHz, respectively. The same spiral fiber antenna is also shown to be suitable for short-range wireless communication, thus allowing respiration data transmission, for example, via the Bluetooth protocol, to mobile handheld devices.

Functional amyloids in bacteria.

PubMed

Romero, Diego; Kolter, Roberto

2014-06-01

The term amyloidosis is used to refer to a family of pathologies altering the homeostasis of human organs. Despite having a name that alludes to starch content, the amyloid accumulations are made up of proteins that polymerize as long and rigid fibers. Amyloid proteins vary widely with respect to their amino acid sequences but they share similarities in their quaternary structure; the amyloid fibers are enriched in β-sheets arranged perpendicular to the axis of the fiber. This structural feature provides great robustness, remarkable stability, and insolubility. In addition, amyloid proteins specifically stain with certain dyes such as Congo red and thioflavin-T. The aggregation into amyloid fibers, however, it is not restricted to pathogenic processes, rather it seems to be widely distributed among proteins and polypeptides. Amyloid fibers are present in insects, fungi and bacteria, and they are important in maintaining the homeostasis of the organism. Such findings have motivated the use of the term "functional amyloid" to differentiate these amyloid proteins from their toxic siblings. This review focuses on systems that have evolved in bacteria that control the expression and assembly of amyloid proteins on cell surfaces, such that the robustness of amyloid proteins are used towards a beneficial end. Copyright© by the Spanish Society for Microbiology and Institute for Catalan Studies.

Cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum) pulp, probiotic, and prebiotic: Influence on color, apparent viscosity, and texture of goat milk yogurts.

PubMed

Costa, Marion P; Frasao, Beatriz S; Silva, Adriana Cristina O; Freitas, Mônica Q; Franco, Robson M; Conte-Junior, Carlos A

2015-09-01

Cupuassu is an acidic fruit that has a characteristic aroma, flavor, and texture; its fiber-rich pulp can provide a different consistency than other fruit pulps. Goat milk is an excellent source of amino acids, fatty acids, and minerals, and is widely used for processing fermented milks, such as yogurt. However, compared with cow milk yogurts, it is difficult to make goat milk yogurts with a good consistency. Therefore, it is necessary to use certain technological strategies. This study was carried out to investigate the possibility of adding cupuassu pulp, probiotic (Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5), and prebiotic (inulin) to improve the texture of goat milk yogurt. A total of 6 treatments were performed: natural (N), probiotic (Pro), prebiotic (Pre), synbiotic (S), cupuassu (C), and probiotic with cupuassu (PC). The viability of probiotic in yogurts (Pro, S, and PC) was evaluated. In addition, instrumental analyses (pH, color, apparent viscosity, and texture) were performed to evaluate the influence of these different ingredients on goat milk yogurts. The probiotic bacteria remained viable (≥7 log cfu·mL(-1)) throughout the 28d of refrigerated storage, which exceeded the minimum count required to confer probiotic physiological benefits. The pH levels of the yogurts inoculated with L. acidophilus (Pro, S, and PC) were lower than others yogurts (N, Pre, and C). However, all yogurt samples underwent gradual decreases in pH until 7 to 14d of storage. The lightness (L*) was affected initially by addition of all ingredients (cupuassu pulp, probiotic, and prebiotic). The addition of cupuassu pulp (C and PC) increased the L* during the period of storage. Apparent viscosity and firmness decreased in the PC yogurt. The consistency was highest in the yogurts with added prebiotic (Pre and S) than the other yogurts (N, Pro, C, and PC) at the end of the storage period (d 28). The cohesiveness remained constant in all yogurts (N, Pro, Pre, S, C, and PC). Based on the results obtained from the current study, it was concluded that cupuassu pulp addition improves the texture of goat milk yogurts. Therefore, this pulp could be an important technological strategy for the dairy goat industry. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Catalytic property of fiber media supported palladium containing alloy nanoparticles and electrospun ceramic fibers biodurability study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Hyeon Ung

The nanoscale of the supporting fibers may provide enhancements such as restricting the migration of metal catalyst particles. In this work, palladium nanoparticle doped alumina fibers were electrospun into template submicron fibers. These fibers were calcined at temperatures between 650°C and 1150°C to vary the crystal structures of the calcined fibers with the Pd particle size. Higher calcination temperatures led to higher reaction temperatures from 250 to about 450°C for total conversion, indicating the effective reactivity of the fiber-supported catalysts decreased with increase in calcination temperature. Pd-Au alloy nanoparticle doped titania fibers were also fabricated using an electrospinning method and assembled into a fibrous porous medium structure by a vacuum molding process. In reactor tests, the fiber media with Pd-Au alloy nanoparticle catalyst had greater reactivity in conversion of NO and CO gases than that of fiber media with Pd monometallic catalyst alone, attributed to a lower activation energy of the Pd-Au catalyst particles. In carbon monoxide oxidation reaction tests, the results showed that the performance was optimal for a catalyst of composition Pd2Au1 molar ratio that was active at 125°C, which had higher dispersion of active components and better catalytic performance compared to monometallic particle Au/TiO 2 and Pd/TiO2 fiber media. Moreover, the improved reaction activity of Pd2Au1/TiO2 fiber medium was attributed to a decreased in the activation energy. Further experiments were conducted using the electrospun ceramic fibers biodurability study. The properties of nano-sized fiber structures have attracted the attention of recent research on ceramic nanostructures as nonwoven media for applications in hazardous chemical and high temperature environments. However, health and safety concerns of micro and nano scale ceramic materials have not been fully investigated. Little is known about the physicochemical effects of the properties of small alumina fibers, including fiber sizes, surface morphologies, crystalline, phases, and surface areas with respect to submicron sized alumina fibers formed by calcination of electrospun polymeric fibers. Therefore, in this work, sub-micron sized alumina fibers were fabricated by electrospinning and calcination of a polymer template fiber. In the calcination step, different controlled temperature heating cycles were conducted to obtain fibers of different crystalline structures. Their biodurabilities were evaluated in two types of artificial lung fluids (i.e., mimicking the airway and alveolar macrophages). Though the variation in the soak temperature, their dissolution half times were not significantly affected. The solubility half-times of the alumina fibers were shortest for fibers calcined at the fastest temperature ramp rate (though soak temperature did not have an effect).

Comparison of Free-Beam- and Fiber-Type CO2 Laser Delivery Systems in Stapes Surgery.

PubMed

Chang, Mun Young; Choi, Hyun Seok; Lee, Sang-Youp; Koo, Ja-Won

2017-07-01

A free-beam-type CO 2 laser, which use a micromanipulator mounted on a microscope as the delivery system, has the merit of not being affected by hand tremor at the time of shooting. However, this delivery system has several disadvantages, including a restricted operation range and a risk of incorrect focusing. A fiber-type CO 2 laser uses a hand-held delivery system and has the opposite merits and demerits. We compared the results of stapes surgery with free-beam and fiber type delivery systems. The study enrolled 36 patients who underwent stapedotomy with free-beam- (n=26) or fiber- (n=10) type CO 2 lasers. The air-bone (AB) gap closure, bone conduction (BC) change, and operating time were evaluated. The AB gap closure was calculated by subtracting the preoperative BC thresholds from the postoperative air conduction thresholds. The BC change was calculated by subtracting the postoperative BC thresholds from the preoperative BC thresholds. The mean operating time was significantly ( p =0.035) shorter in the fiber-type group (72.5±8.2 min) than in the free-beam-type group (80.5±11.4 min). The mean AB gap closure did not differ significantly ( p =0.297) between the free-beamand fiber-type groups (5.8±10.1 and 1.4±6.8 dB, respectively). The mean BC change did not differ significantly ( p =0.873) between the free-beam- and fiber-type groups (2.4±6.9 and 2.8±5.3 dB, respectively). The hearing outcomes did not differ significantly between the two groups. Operating times were significantly shorter using the fiber-type CO 2 laser, while hearing outcomes did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Simvastatin inhibits Staphylococcus aureus host cell invasion through modulation of isoprenoid intermediates

PubMed Central

Horn, Mary P.; Knecht, Sharmon M.; Rushing, Frances L.; Birdsong, Julie; Siddall, C. Parker; Johnson, Charron M.; Abraham, Terri N.; Brown, Amy; Volk, Catherine B.; Gammon, Kelly; Bishop, Derron L.; McKillip, John L.; McDowell, Susan A.

2015-01-01

Patients on a statin regimen are at a decreased risk of death due to bacterial sepsis. We have found that protection by simvastatin includes the inhibition of host cell invasion by Staphylococcus aureus, the most common etiologic agent of sepsis. Inhibition was due in part to depletion of isoprenoid intermediates within the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway and led to the cytosolic accumulation of the small-guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) CDC42, Rac, and RhoB. Actin stress fiber disassembly required for host invasion was attenuated by simvastatin and by the inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activity. PI3K relies on coupling to prenylated proteins, such as this subset of small-GTPases, for access to membrane-bound phosphoinositide to mediate stress fiber disassembly. Therefore, we examined whether simvastatin restricts PI3K cellular localization. In response to simvastatin, the PI3K isoform p85, coupled to these small-GTPases, was sequestered within the cytosol. From these findings, we propose a mechanism whereby simvastatin restricts p85 localization, inhibiting actin dynamics required for bacterial endocytosis. This may provide the basis for protection at the level of the host in invasive infections by S. aureus. PMID:18388257

Nondestructive identification of dye mixtures in polyester and cotton fibers using raman spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) microspectrophotometry.

PubMed

Was-Gubala, Jolanta; Starczak, Roza

2015-01-01

Presented in this paper is an assessment of the applicability of Raman spectroscopy and microspectrophotometry (MSP) in visible and ultraviolet light (UV-Vis) in the examination of textile fibers dyed with mixtures of synthetic dyes. Fragments of single polyester fibers, stained with ternary mixtures of disperse dyes in small mass concentrations, and fragments of single cotton fibers, dyed with binary or ternary mixtures of reactive dyes, were subjected to the study. Three types of excitation sources, 514, 633, and 785 nm, were used during Raman examinations, while the MSP study was conducted in the 200 to 800 nm range. The results indicate that the capabilities for discernment of dye mixtures are similar in the spectroscopic methods that were employed. Both methods have a limited capacity to distinguish slightly dyed polyester fiber; additionally, it was found that Raman spectroscopy enables identification of primarily the major components in dye mixtures. The best results, in terms of the quality of Raman spectra, were obtained using an excitation source from the near infrared. MSP studies led to the conclusion that polyester testing should be carried out in the range above 310 nm, while for cotton fibers there is no limitation or restriction of the applied range. Also, MSP UV-Vis showed limited possibilities for discriminatory analysis of cotton fibers dyed with a mixture of reactive dyes, where the ratio of the concentration of the main dye used in the dyeing process to minor dye was higher than four. The results presented have practical applications in forensic studies, inter alia.

Creation and Initial Validation of the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale

PubMed Central

Steele, Catriona M.; Namasivayam-MacDonald, Ashwini M.; Guida, Brittany T.; Cichero, Julie A.; Duivestein, Janice; MRSc; Hanson, Ben; Lam, Peter; Riquelme, Luis F.

2018-01-01

Objective To assess consensual validity, interrater reliability, and criterion validity of the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale, a new functional outcome scale intended to capture the severity of oropharyngeal dysphagia, as represented by the degree of diet texture restriction recommended for the patient. Design Participants assigned International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale scores to 16 clinical cases. Consensual validity was measured against reference scores determined by an author reference panel. Interrater reliability was measured overall and across quartile subsets of the dataset. Criterion validity was evaluated versus Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) scores assigned by survey respondents to the same case scenarios. Feedback was requested regarding ease and likelihood of use. Setting Web-based survey. Participants Respondents (NZ170) from 29 countries. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Consensual validity (percent agreement and Kendall t), criterion validity (Spearman rank correlation), and interrater reliability (Kendall concordance and intraclass coefficients). Results The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale showed strong consensual validity, criterion validity, and interrater reliability. Scenarios involving liquid-only diets, transition from nonoral feeding, or trial diet advances in therapy showed the poorest consensus, indicating a need for clear instructions on how to score these situations. The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale showed greater sensitivity than the FOIS to specific changes in diet. Most (>70%) respondents indicated enthusiasm for implementing the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale. Conclusions This initial validation study suggests that the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale has strong consensual and criterion validity and can be used reliably by clinicians to capture diet texture restriction and progression in people with dysphagia. PMID:29428348

Creation and Initial Validation of the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale.

PubMed

Steele, Catriona M; Namasivayam-MacDonald, Ashwini M; Guida, Brittany T; Cichero, Julie A; Duivestein, Janice; Hanson, Ben; Lam, Peter; Riquelme, Luis F

2018-05-01

To assess consensual validity, interrater reliability, and criterion validity of the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale, a new functional outcome scale intended to capture the severity of oropharyngeal dysphagia, as represented by the degree of diet texture restriction recommended for the patient. Participants assigned International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale scores to 16 clinical cases. Consensual validity was measured against reference scores determined by an author reference panel. Interrater reliability was measured overall and across quartile subsets of the dataset. Criterion validity was evaluated versus Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) scores assigned by survey respondents to the same case scenarios. Feedback was requested regarding ease and likelihood of use. Web-based survey. Respondents (N=170) from 29 countries. Not applicable. Consensual validity (percent agreement and Kendall τ), criterion validity (Spearman rank correlation), and interrater reliability (Kendall concordance and intraclass coefficients). The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale showed strong consensual validity, criterion validity, and interrater reliability. Scenarios involving liquid-only diets, transition from nonoral feeding, or trial diet advances in therapy showed the poorest consensus, indicating a need for clear instructions on how to score these situations. The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale showed greater sensitivity than the FOIS to specific changes in diet. Most (>70%) respondents indicated enthusiasm for implementing the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale. This initial validation study suggests that the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale has strong consensual and criterion validity and can be used reliably by clinicians to capture diet texture restriction and progression in people with dysphagia. Copyright © 2018 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dietary assessment of adolescents undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery: macro- and micronutrient, fiber and supplement intake

PubMed Central

Jeffreys, Renee M.; Hrovat, Kathleen; Woo, Jessica G.; Schmidt, Marcia; Inge, Thomas H.; Xanthakos, Stavra A.

2011-01-01

Background Extremely obese adolescents are increasingly undergoing bariatric procedures, which restrict dietary intake. However, there are as yet no data available which describe the change in caloric density or composition of the adolescent bariatric patient’s diet pre- and post-operatively. Objective Assess the 1-year change in dietary composition of adolescents undergoing bariatric surgery. Setting Tertiary care children’s hospital Methods Twenty-seven subjects [67% female, 77% white, age 16.7 ± 1.4 years, baseline body mass index (BMI) 60.1 ± 14.1 kg/m2] were prospectively enrolled into an observational cohort study one month prior to laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) between August 2005 and March 2008. Three-day dietary intake was recorded at baseline (n=24), at 2 weeks (n=16), 3 months (n=11), and 1 year (n=9) post-operatively. Dietary record data were verified by structured interview and compared with Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) values for ages 14–18. Results By 1 year post-surgery, mean caloric intake adjusted for BMI was 1015 ± 182 kcal/day, a 35% reduction from baseline. The proportion of fat, protein and carbohydrate intake did not differ from baseline. However, protein intake was lower than recommended postoperatively. Calcium and fiber intake was also persistently lower than recommended. Calcium and vitamin B12 supplementation increased the likelihood of meeting daily minimal recommendations (p≤0.02). Conclusions One year after RYGB, adolescents’ caloric intake remained restricted with satisfactory macronutrient composition, but with lower than desirable intake of calcium, fiber and protein. PMID:22260884

Effects of weight loss with a moderate-protein, high-fiber diet on body composition, voluntary physical activity, and fecal microbiota of obese cats.

PubMed

Pallotto, Marissa R; de Godoy, Maria R C; Holscher, Hannah D; Buff, Preston R; Swanson, Kelly S

2018-02-01

OBJECTIVE To determine effects of restriction feeding of a moderate-protein, high-fiber diet on loss of body weight (BW), voluntary physical activity, body composition, and fecal microbiota of overweight cats. ANIMALS 8 neutered male adult cats. PROCEDURES After BW maintenance for 4 weeks (week 0 = last week of baseline period), cats were fed to lose approximately 1.5% of BW/wk for 18 weeks. Food intake (daily), BW (twice per week), body condition score (weekly), body composition (every 4 weeks), serum biochemical analysis (weeks 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16), physical activity (every 6 weeks), and fecal microbiota (weeks 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16) were assessed. RESULTS BW, body condition score, serum triglyceride concentration, and body fat mass and percentage decreased significantly over time. Lean mass decreased significantly at weeks 12 and 16. Energy required to maintain BW was 14% less than National Research Council estimates for overweight cats and 16% more than resting energy requirement estimates. Energy required for weight loss was 11% more, 6% less, and 16% less than American Animal Hospital Association recommendations for weight loss (80% of resting energy requirement) at weeks 1 through 4, 5 through 8, and 9 through 18, respectively. Relative abundance of Actinobacteria increased and Bacteroidetes decreased with weight loss. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Restricted feeding of a moderate-protein, high-fiber diet appeared to be a safe and effective means for weight loss in cats. Energy requirements for neutered cats may be overestimated and should be reconsidered.

Controlled crystal growth of layered-perovskite thin films as an approach to study their basic properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Takayuki; Funakubo, Hiroshi

2006-09-01

This article describes the current progress in thin bismuth layer-structured ferroelectric films (BLSFs) including SrBi2Ta2O9 and (Bi,La)4Ti3O12, particularly those developed in the last ten years. BLSF thin films can be applied to ferroelectric random access memories because of their durable fatigue-free properties and lead-free composition. We will briefly introduce epitaxial thin films grown on a variety of substrates. Because of the difficulty in growing single crystals of sufficient size to characterize the ferroelectric behavior in specific crystal growth directions, we will characterize epitaxially grown thin films to obtain basic information about the anisotropic switching behavior, which is important for evaluating the performance of emerging materials. We will then discuss the fiber-textured growth on the (111)Pt-covered Si substrates of SrBi2Ta2O9 and Bi4Ti3O12 thin films. Because we expect that the spread crystal orientation will affect the bit-to-bit errors, we believe that the fiber-textured growth and the characterization technique for the deposited film orientation are interesting from a practical standpoint. Another specific challenge of thin film growth is the growth of a-axis-(polar axis)-oriented films. a-/b-axis-oriented films are characterized both crystallographically and by electric hysteresis loop. The hysteresis performance was in accordance with the volume fraction of the a /b domains; however, no evidence for 90° switching of the b domain by an external electric field was obtained. The control of film orientation also allows systematic studies on the effects of a structural modification and relation between spontaneous polarization and Curie temperature, examples of which are given in this paper. After a short description of the piezoelectric properties, we will conclude with a summary and the future prospects of BLSF thin films for research and applications.

Investigation of the shear response and geometrically necessary dislocation densities in shear localization in high-purity titanium

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

Zhu, Chaoyi; Livescu, Veronica; Harrington, Tyler

The influence of microstructural anisotropy on shear response of high-purity titanium was studied using the compact forced-simple-shear specimen (CFSS) loaded under quasi-static loading conditions. Post-mortem characterization reveals significant difference in shear response of different directions in the same material due to material crystallographic texture anisotropy. Shear bands are narrower in specimens in which the shear zone is aligned along the direction with a strong {0001} basal texture. Twinning was identified as an active mechanism to accommodate strains in the shear region in both orientations. This paper confirms the applicability of the CFSS design for the investigation of differences in themore » shear response of materials as a function of process-induced crystallographic texture. A detailed, systematic approach to quantifying shear band evolution by evaluating geometrically necessary dislocations (GND) associated with crystallographic anisotropy is presented. Finally, the results show that: i) line average GND density profiles, for Ti samples that possess a uniform equiaxed-grain structure, but with strong crystallographic anisotropy, exhibit significant differences in GND density close to the shear band center; ii) GND profiles decrease steadily away from the shear band as the plastic strain diminishes, in agreement with Ashby's theory of work hardening, where the higher GND density in the through-thickness (TT) orientation is a result of restricted < a > type slip in the shear band compared with in-plane (IP) samples; iii) the anisotropy in deformation response is derived from initial crystallographic texture of the materials, where GND density of < a > GNDs are higher adjacent to the shear band in the through-thickness sample oriented away from easy slip, but the density of < c+a > type GNDs are very similar in these two samples; and iv) the increase in grain average GND density was determined to have strong correlation to an increase in the Euler Φ angle of the grain average orientation, indicating an increased misorientation angle evolution.« less

Investigation of the shear response and geometrically necessary dislocation densities in shear localization in high-purity titanium

DOE PAGES

Zhu, Chaoyi; Livescu, Veronica; Harrington, Tyler; ...

2017-03-31

The influence of microstructural anisotropy on shear response of high-purity titanium was studied using the compact forced-simple-shear specimen (CFSS) loaded under quasi-static loading conditions. Post-mortem characterization reveals significant difference in shear response of different directions in the same material due to material crystallographic texture anisotropy. Shear bands are narrower in specimens in which the shear zone is aligned along the direction with a strong {0001} basal texture. Twinning was identified as an active mechanism to accommodate strains in the shear region in both orientations. This paper confirms the applicability of the CFSS design for the investigation of differences in themore » shear response of materials as a function of process-induced crystallographic texture. A detailed, systematic approach to quantifying shear band evolution by evaluating geometrically necessary dislocations (GND) associated with crystallographic anisotropy is presented. Finally, the results show that: i) line average GND density profiles, for Ti samples that possess a uniform equiaxed-grain structure, but with strong crystallographic anisotropy, exhibit significant differences in GND density close to the shear band center; ii) GND profiles decrease steadily away from the shear band as the plastic strain diminishes, in agreement with Ashby's theory of work hardening, where the higher GND density in the through-thickness (TT) orientation is a result of restricted < a > type slip in the shear band compared with in-plane (IP) samples; iii) the anisotropy in deformation response is derived from initial crystallographic texture of the materials, where GND density of < a > GNDs are higher adjacent to the shear band in the through-thickness sample oriented away from easy slip, but the density of < c+a > type GNDs are very similar in these two samples; and iv) the increase in grain average GND density was determined to have strong correlation to an increase in the Euler Φ angle of the grain average orientation, indicating an increased misorientation angle evolution.« less

Landscape metrics as functional traits in plants: perspectives from a glacier foreland

PubMed Central

Dainese, Matteo; Krüsi, Bertil O.; McCollin, Duncan

2017-01-01

Spatial patterns of vegetation arise from an interplay of functional traits, environmental characteristics and chance. The retreat of glaciers offers exposed substrates which are colonised by plants forming distinct patchy patterns. The aim of this study was to unravel whether patch-level landscape metrics of plants can be treated as functional traits. We sampled 46 plots, each 1 m × 1 m, distributed along a restricted range of terrain age and topsoil texture on the foreland of the Nardis glacier, located in the South-Eastern Alps, Italy. Nine quantitative functional traits were selected for 16 of the plant species present, and seven landscape metrics were measured to describe the spatial arrangement of the plant species’ patches on the study plots, at a resolution of 1 cm × 1 cm. We studied the relationships among plant communities, landscape metrics, terrain age and topsoil texture. RLQ-analysis was used to examine trait-spatial configuration relationships. To assess the effect of terrain age and topsoil texture variation on trait performance, we applied a partial-RLQ analysis approach. Finally, we used the fourth-corner statistic to quantify and test relationships between traits, landscape metrics and RLQ axes. Floristically-defined relevé clusters differed significantly with regard to several landscape metrics. Diversity in patch types and size increased and patch size decreased with increasing canopy height, leaf size and weight. Moreover, more compact patch shapes were correlated with an increased capacity for the conservation of nutrients in leaves. Neither plant species composition nor any of the landscape metrics were found to differ amongst the three classes of terrain age or topsoil texture. We conclude that patch-level landscape metrics of plants can be treated as species-specific functional traits. We recommend that existing databases of functional traits should incorporate these type of data. PMID:28785514

Landscape metrics as functional traits in plants: perspectives from a glacier foreland.

PubMed

Sitzia, Tommaso; Dainese, Matteo; Krüsi, Bertil O; McCollin, Duncan

2017-01-01

Spatial patterns of vegetation arise from an interplay of functional traits, environmental characteristics and chance. The retreat of glaciers offers exposed substrates which are colonised by plants forming distinct patchy patterns. The aim of this study was to unravel whether patch-level landscape metrics of plants can be treated as functional traits. We sampled 46 plots, each 1 m × 1 m, distributed along a restricted range of terrain age and topsoil texture on the foreland of the Nardis glacier, located in the South-Eastern Alps, Italy. Nine quantitative functional traits were selected for 16 of the plant species present, and seven landscape metrics were measured to describe the spatial arrangement of the plant species' patches on the study plots, at a resolution of 1 cm × 1 cm. We studied the relationships among plant communities, landscape metrics, terrain age and topsoil texture. RLQ-analysis was used to examine trait-spatial configuration relationships. To assess the effect of terrain age and topsoil texture variation on trait performance, we applied a partial-RLQ analysis approach. Finally, we used the fourth-corner statistic to quantify and test relationships between traits, landscape metrics and RLQ axes. Floristically-defined relevé clusters differed significantly with regard to several landscape metrics. Diversity in patch types and size increased and patch size decreased with increasing canopy height, leaf size and weight. Moreover, more compact patch shapes were correlated with an increased capacity for the conservation of nutrients in leaves. Neither plant species composition nor any of the landscape metrics were found to differ amongst the three classes of terrain age or topsoil texture. We conclude that patch-level landscape metrics of plants can be treated as species-specific functional traits. We recommend that existing databases of functional traits should incorporate these type of data.

Effects of heat treatment on the gel properties of the body wall of sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus).

PubMed

Zhang, Kai; Hou, Hu; Bu, Lin; Li, Bafang; Xue, Changhu; Peng, Zhe; Su, Shiwei

2017-03-01

The sensory texture of sea cucumber ( Apostichopus japonicus ) was dramatically affected by heat treatment. In this study, sea cucumbers were heated under different thermal conditions (HSC), and divided into five groups (HSC-80, HSC-90, HSC-100, HSC-110, and HSC-120) according to the heating temperature (from 80 to 120 °C). The changes in texture, moisture, gel structure, and biochemical parameters of the HSC were investigated. With increasing heating time (from 10 to 80 min), the hardness and gel structure changed slightly, and the water activity decreased as the proportion of T 21 increased by 133.33, 55.56, and 59.09% in the HSC-80, HSC-90, and HSC-100 groups, respectively. This indicated that moderate heating conditions (below 100 °C) caused gelation of sea cucumbers in HSC-80, HSC-90, and HSC-100 groups. However, as the water activity increased, the hardness declined rapidly by 2.56 and 2.7% in the HSC-110 and HSC-120 groups, with heating time increased from 10 to 80 min. Meanwhile, free hydroxyproline and ammonia nitrogen contents increased by 81.24 and 63.16% in the HSC-110 group; and by 63.09 and 54.99% in the HSC-120 group, as the gel structure of the sea cucumbers decomposed in these two groups. These results demonstrated that, severe heat treatment (above 100 °C) destroyed the chemical bonds, triggered the disintegration of collagen fibers and the gel structure of sea cucumbers, and transformed the migration and distribution of moisture, finally causing the deterioration of the sensory texture of the sea cucumbers.

Ground water contamination and costs of pesticide restrictions in the southeastern coastal plain

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

Danielson, L.E.; Carlson, G.A.; Liu, S.

The project developed new methodology for estimating: (1) groundwater contamination potential (GWCP) in the Southeast Coastal Plain, and (2) the potential economic impacts of selected policies that restrict pesticide use. The potential for ground water contamination was estimated by use of a simple matrix for combining ratings for both soil leaching potential and pesticide leaching potential. Key soil variables included soil texture, soil acidity and organic matter content. Key pesticide characteristics included Koc, pesticide half-life, the rate of application and the fraction of the pesticide hitting the soil. Comparisons of pesticide use from various farmer and expert opinion surveys weremore » made for pesticide groups and for individual pesticide products. Methodology for merging the GWCP changes and lost benefits from selected herbicide cancellations was developed using corn production in the North Carolina Coastal Plain. Economic evaluations of pesticide cancellations for corn included national and Coastal Plain estimates for atrazine; metolachlor; dicamba; dicamba and atrazine; and dicamba, atrazine and metolachlor.« less

A case of tactile agnosia with a lesion restricted to the post-central gyrus.

PubMed

Estañol, Bruno; Baizabal-Carvallo, José Fidel; Sentíes-Madrid, Horacio

2008-01-01

Tactile agnosia has been described after lesions of the primary sensory cortex but the exact location and extension of those lesions is not clear. We report the clinical features and imaging findings in a patient with an acute ischemic stroke restricted to the primary sensory area (S1). A 73-year-old man had a sudden onset of a left alien hand, without left hemiparesis. Neurological examination showed intact primary sensory functions, but impaired recognition of shape, size (macrogeometrical) and texture (microgeometrical) of objects; damage confined to the post-central gyrus, sparing the posterior parietal cortex was demonstrated on MRI. An embolic occlusion of the anterior parietal artery was suspected as mechanism of stroke. Tactile agnosia with impaired microgeometrical and macrogeometrical features' recognition can result from a single lesion in the primary sensory cortex (S1) in the right parietal hemisphere, sparing other regions of the cerebral cortex which presumably participate in tactile object recognition.

New twist on artificial muscles.

PubMed

Haines, Carter S; Li, Na; Spinks, Geoffrey M; Aliev, Ali E; Di, Jiangtao; Baughman, Ray H

2016-10-18

Lightweight artificial muscle fibers that can match the large tensile stroke of natural muscles have been elusive. In particular, low stroke, limited cycle life, and inefficient energy conversion have combined with high cost and hysteretic performance to restrict practical use. In recent years, a new class of artificial muscles, based on highly twisted fibers, has emerged that can deliver more than 2,000 J/kg of specific work during muscle contraction, compared with just 40 J/kg for natural muscle. Thermally actuated muscles made from ordinary polymer fibers can deliver long-life, hysteresis-free tensile strokes of more than 30% and torsional actuation capable of spinning a paddle at speeds of more than 100,000 rpm. In this perspective, we explore the mechanisms and potential applications of present twisted fiber muscles and the future opportunities and challenges for developing twisted muscles having improved cycle rates, efficiencies, and functionality. We also demonstrate artificial muscle sewing threads and textiles and coiled structures that exhibit nearly unlimited actuation strokes. In addition to robotics and prosthetics, future applications include smart textiles that change breathability in response to temperature and moisture and window shutters that automatically open and close to conserve energy.

Selective expression of the type 3 isoform of ryanodine receptor Ca{sup 2+} release channel (RyR3) in a subset of slow fibers in diaphragm and cephalic muscles of adult rabbits

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

Conti, Antonio; Reggiani, Carlo; Sorrentino, Vincenzo

2005-11-11

The expression pattern of the RyR3 isoform of Ca{sup 2+} release channels was analysed by Western blot in neonatal and adult rabbit skeletal muscles. The results obtained show that the expression of the RyR3 isoform is developmentally regulated. In fact, RyR3 expression was detected in all muscles analysed at 2 and 15 days after birth while, in adult animals, it was restricted to a subset of muscles that includes diaphragm, masseter, pterygoideus, digastricus, and tongue. Interestingly, all of these muscles share a common embryonic origin being derived from the somitomeres or from the cephalic region of the embryo. Immunofluorescence analysismore » of rabbit skeletal muscle cross-sections showed that RyR3 staining was detected in all fibers of neonatal muscles. In contrast, in those adult muscles expressing RyR3 only a fraction of fibers was labelled. Staining of these muscles with antibodies against fast and slow myosins revealed a close correlation between expression of RyR3 and fibers expressing slow myosin isoform.« less

Intermediate conductance calcium-activated potassium channels modulate summation of parallel fiber input in cerebellar Purkinje cells.

PubMed

Engbers, Jordan D T; Anderson, Dustin; Asmara, Hadhimulya; Rehak, Renata; Mehaffey, W Hamish; Hameed, Shahid; McKay, Bruce E; Kruskic, Mirna; Zamponi, Gerald W; Turner, Ray W

2012-02-14

Encoding sensory input requires the expression of postsynaptic ion channels to transform key features of afferent input to an appropriate pattern of spike output. Although Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels are known to control spike frequency in central neurons, Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels of intermediate conductance (KCa3.1) are believed to be restricted to peripheral neurons. We now report that cerebellar Purkinje cells express KCa3.1 channels, as evidenced through single-cell RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry, pharmacology, and single-channel recordings. Furthermore, KCa3.1 channels coimmunoprecipitate and interact with low voltage-activated Cav3.2 Ca(2+) channels at the nanodomain level to support a previously undescribed transient voltage- and Ca(2+)-dependent current. As a result, subthreshold parallel fiber excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) activate Cav3 Ca(2+) influx to trigger a KCa3.1-mediated regulation of the EPSP and subsequent after-hyperpolarization. The Cav3-KCa3.1 complex provides powerful control over temporal summation of EPSPs, effectively suppressing low frequencies of parallel fiber input. KCa3.1 channels thus contribute to a high-pass filter that allows Purkinje cells to respond preferentially to high-frequency parallel fiber bursts characteristic of sensory input.

New twist on artificial muscles

PubMed Central

Haines, Carter S.; Li, Na; Spinks, Geoffrey M.; Aliev, Ali E.; Di, Jiangtao; Baughman, Ray H.

2016-01-01

Lightweight artificial muscle fibers that can match the large tensile stroke of natural muscles have been elusive. In particular, low stroke, limited cycle life, and inefficient energy conversion have combined with high cost and hysteretic performance to restrict practical use. In recent years, a new class of artificial muscles, based on highly twisted fibers, has emerged that can deliver more than 2,000 J/kg of specific work during muscle contraction, compared with just 40 J/kg for natural muscle. Thermally actuated muscles made from ordinary polymer fibers can deliver long-life, hysteresis-free tensile strokes of more than 30% and torsional actuation capable of spinning a paddle at speeds of more than 100,000 rpm. In this perspective, we explore the mechanisms and potential applications of present twisted fiber muscles and the future opportunities and challenges for developing twisted muscles having improved cycle rates, efficiencies, and functionality. We also demonstrate artificial muscle sewing threads and textiles and coiled structures that exhibit nearly unlimited actuation strokes. In addition to robotics and prosthetics, future applications include smart textiles that change breathability in response to temperature and moisture and window shutters that automatically open and close to conserve energy. PMID:27671626

In vivo photothermal treatment with real-time monitoring by optical fiber-needle array.

PubMed

Yang, Taeseok Daniel; Park, Kwanjun; Kim, Hyung-Jin; Im, Nu-Ri; Kim, Byoungjae; Kim, TaeHoon; Seo, Sohyun; Lee, Jae-Seung; Kim, Beop-Min; Choi, Youngwoon; Baek, Seung-Kuk

2017-07-01

Photothermal treatment (PTT) using gold nanoshells (gold-NSs) is accepted as a method for treating cancer. However, owing to restrictions in therapeutic depth and skin damage caused by excessive light exposure, its application has been limited to lesions close to the epidermis. Here, we demonstrate an in vivo PTT method that uses gold-NSs with a flexible optical fiber-needle array (OFNA), which is an array of multiple needles in which multimode optical fibers are inserted, one in each, for light delivery. The light for PTT was directly administrated to subcutaneous tissues through the OFNA, causing negligible thermal damage to the skin. Enhancement of light energy delivery assisted by the OFNA in a target area was confirmed by investigation using artificial tissues. The ability of OFNA to treat cancer without causing cutaneous thermal damage was also verified by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and optical coherence tomography in cancer models in mice. In addition, the OFNA allowed for observation of the target site through an imaging fiber bundle. By imaging the activation of the injected gold-NSs, we were able to obtain information on the PTT process in real-time.

Bidirectional Interplay between Vimentin Intermediate Filaments and Contractile Actin Stress Fibers.

PubMed

Jiu, Yaming; Lehtimäki, Jaakko; Tojkander, Sari; Cheng, Fang; Jäälinoja, Harri; Liu, Xiaonan; Varjosalo, Markku; Eriksson, John E; Lappalainen, Pekka

2015-06-16

The actin cytoskeleton and cytoplasmic intermediate filaments contribute to cell migration and morphogenesis, but the interplay between these two central cytoskeletal elements has remained elusive. Here, we find that specific actin stress fiber structures, transverse arcs, interact with vimentin intermediate filaments and promote their retrograde flow. Consequently, myosin-II-containing arcs are important for perinuclear localization of the vimentin network in cells. The vimentin network reciprocally restricts retrograde movement of arcs and hence controls the width of flat lamellum at the leading edge of the cell. Depletion of plectin recapitulates the vimentin organization phenotype of arc-deficient cells without affecting the integrity of vimentin filaments or stress fibers, demonstrating that this cytoskeletal cross-linker is required for productive interactions between vimentin and arcs. Collectively, our results reveal that plectin-mediated interplay between contractile actomyosin arcs and vimentin intermediate filaments controls the localization and dynamics of these two cytoskeletal systems and is consequently important for cell morphogenesis. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adaptive weighted local textural features for illumination, expression, and occlusion invariant face recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Chen; Asari, Vijayan K.

2014-03-01

Biometric features such as fingerprints, iris patterns, and face features help to identify people and restrict access to secure areas by performing advanced pattern analysis and matching. Face recognition is one of the most promising biometric methodologies for human identification in a non-cooperative security environment. However, the recognition results obtained by face recognition systems are a affected by several variations that may happen to the patterns in an unrestricted environment. As a result, several algorithms have been developed for extracting different facial features for face recognition. Due to the various possible challenges of data captured at different lighting conditions, viewing angles, facial expressions, and partial occlusions in natural environmental conditions, automatic facial recognition still remains as a difficult issue that needs to be resolved. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to tackling some of these issues by analyzing the local textural descriptions for facial feature representation. The textural information is extracted by an enhanced local binary pattern (ELBP) description of all the local regions of the face. The relationship of each pixel with respect to its neighborhood is extracted and employed to calculate the new representation. ELBP reconstructs a much better textural feature extraction vector from an original gray level image in different lighting conditions. The dimensionality of the texture image is reduced by principal component analysis performed on each local face region. Each low dimensional vector representing a local region is now weighted based on the significance of the sub-region. The weight of each sub-region is determined by employing the local variance estimate of the respective region, which represents the significance of the region. The final facial textural feature vector is obtained by concatenating the reduced dimensional weight sets of all the modules (sub-regions) of the face image. Experiments conducted on various popular face databases show promising performance of the proposed algorithm in varying lighting, expression, and partial occlusion conditions. Four databases were used for testing the performance of the proposed system: Yale Face database, Extended Yale Face database B, Japanese Female Facial Expression database, and CMU AMP Facial Expression database. The experimental results in all four databases show the effectiveness of the proposed system. Also, the computation cost is lower because of the simplified calculation steps. Research work is progressing to investigate the effectiveness of the proposed face recognition method on pose-varying conditions as well. It is envisaged that a multilane approach of trained frameworks at different pose bins and an appropriate voting strategy would lead to a good recognition rate in such situation.

Breaking through the bandwidth barrier in distributed fiber vibration sensing by sub-Nyquist randomized sampling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jingdong; Zhu, Tao; Zheng, Hua; Kuang, Yang; Liu, Min; Huang, Wei

2017-04-01

The round trip time of the light pulse limits the maximum detectable frequency response range of vibration in phase-sensitive optical time domain reflectometry (φ-OTDR). We propose a method to break the frequency response range restriction of φ-OTDR system by modulating the light pulse interval randomly which enables a random sampling for every vibration point in a long sensing fiber. This sub-Nyquist randomized sampling method is suits for detecting sparse-wideband- frequency vibration signals. Up to MHz resonance vibration signal with over dozens of frequency components and 1.153MHz single frequency vibration signal are clearly identified for a sensing range of 9.6km with 10kHz maximum sampling rate.

Performance Characterization of Polyimide-Carbon Fiber Composites for Future Hypersonic Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-01

already being processed for leading edge primary structures and engine components for present and future stealth aircraft. In addition to describing our...The form of entry is the last name, first name, middle initial, and additional qualifiers separated by commas, e.g. Smith, Richard, Jr. 7...availability or distribution limitations of the report. If additional limitations/restrictions or special markings are indicated, follow agency

The Berry Amendment: Requiring Defense Procurement to Come from Domestic Sources

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-24

domestic source restrictions that prohibit DOD from acquiring food, clothing (including military uniforms), fabrics (including ballistic fibers...the procurement of American flags, footwear for enlisted service members, contracts for textiles and clothing , and periodic audits by the Inspector...and enforcement, and other requirements relating to DOD’s contracting for textiles, clothing , and athletic footwear. P.L. 113-66, the NDAA for FY2014

Effects of dietary protein restriction on muscle fiber characteristics and mTORC1 pathway in the skeletal muscle of growing-finishing pigs.

PubMed

Li, Yinghui; Li, Fengna; Wu, Li; Wei, Hongkui; Liu, Yingying; Li, Tiejun; Tan, Bie; Kong, Xiangfeng; Yao, Kang; Chen, Shuai; Wu, Fei; Duan, Yehui; Yin, Yulong

2016-01-01

To investigate the effects of dietary crude protein (CP) restriction on muscle fiber characteristics and key regulators related to protein deposition in skeletal muscle, a total of 18 growing-finishing pigs (62.30 ± 0.88 kg) were allotted to 3 groups and fed with the recommended adequate protein (AP, 16 % CP) diet, moderately restricted protein (MP, 13 % CP) diet and low protein (LP, 10 % CP) diet, respectively. The skeletal muscle of different locations in pigs, including longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM), psoas major muscle (PMM) and biceps femoris muscle (BFM) were collected and analyzed. Results showed that growing-finishing pigs fed the MP or AP diet improved (P < 0.01) the average daily gain and feed: gain ratio compared with those fed the LP diet, and the MP diet tended to increase (P = 0.09) the weight of LDM. Moreover, the ATP content and energy charge value were varied among muscle samples from different locations of pigs fed the reduced protein diets. We also observed that pigs fed the MP diet up-regulated (P < 0.05) muscular mRNA expression of all the selected key genes, except that myosin heavy chain (MyHC) IIb, MyHC IIx, while mRNA expression of ubiquitin ligases genes was not affected by dietary CP level. Additionally, the activation of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway was stimulated (P < 0.05) in skeletal muscle of the pigs fed the MP or AP diet compared with those fed the LP diet. The results suggest that the pigs fed the MP diet could catch up to the growth performance and the LDM weight of the pigs fed the AP diet, and the underlying mechanism may be partly due to the alteration in energy status, modulation of muscle fiber characteristics and mTORC1 activation as well as its downstream effectors in skeletal muscle of different locations in growing-finishing pigs.

Effect of Reheating Temperature and Cooling Treatment on the Microstructure, Texture, and Impact Transition Behavior of Heat-Treated Naval Grade HSLA Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sk, Md. Basiruddin; Ghosh, A.; Rarhi, N.; Balamuralikrishnan, R.; Chakrabarti, D.

2017-07-01

In order to achieve the desired mechanical properties [YS > 390 MPa, total elongation >16 pct and Charpy impact toughness of 78 J at 213 K (-60 °C)] for naval application, samples from a low-carbon microalloyed steel have been subjected to different austenitization (1223 K to 1523 K) (950 °C to 1250 °C) and cooling treatments (furnace, air, or water cooling). The as-rolled steel and the sample air cooled from 1223 K (950 °C) could only achieve the required tensile properties, while the sample furnace cooled from 1223 K (950 °C) showed the best Charpy impact properties. Water quenching from 1223 K (950 °C) certainly contributed to the strength but affected the impact toughness. Overall, predominantly ferrite matrix with fine effective grain size and intense gamma-fiber texture was found to be beneficial for impact toughness as well as impact transition behavior. Small size and fraction of precipitates (like TiN, Nb, and V carbonitrides) eliminated the possibility of particle-controlled crack propagation and grain size-controlled crack propagation led to cleavage fracture. A simplified analytical approach has been used to explain the difference in impact transition behavior of the investigated samples.

Total Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB), Antioxidant Activity, and Acceptance of Synbiotic Yoghurt with Binahong Leaf Extract (Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lestari, R. P.; Nissa, C.; Afifah, D. N.; Anjani, G.; Rustanti, N.

2018-02-01

Alternative treatment for metabolic syndrome can be done by providing a diet consist of functional foods or beverages. Synbiotic yoghurt containing binahong leaf extract which high in antioxidant, total LAB and fiber can be selected to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome. The effect of binahong leaf extract in synbiotic yoghurt against total LAB, antioxidant activity, and acceptance were analyzed. The experiment was done with complete randomized design with addition of binahong leaf extract 0% (control); 0.12%; 0.25%; 0.5% in synbiotic yoghurt. Analysis of total LAB using Total Plate Count test, antioxidant activity using DPPH, and acceptance were analyzed by hedonic test. The addition of binahong leaf extract in various doses in synbiotic yoghurt decreased total LAB without significant effect (p=0,145). There was no effect of addition binahong leaf extract on antioxidant activity (p=0,297). The addition of binahong leaf extract had an effect on color, but not on aroma, texture and taste. The best result was yoghurt synbiotic with addition of 0,12% binahong leaf extract. Conclusion of the research was the addition of binahong leaf extract to synbiotic yogurt did not significantly affect total LAB, antioxidant activity, aroma, texture and taste; but had a significant effect on color.

Impact of laser anneal on NiPt silicide texture and chemical composition

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

Feautrier, C.; Ozcan, A. S.; Lavoie, C.

We have combined synchrotron X-ray pole figure measurements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) nano-beam diffraction to study the impact of millisecond laser anneal on the texture and microstructure of NiPt silicide thin films. The powerful use of nano-beam diffraction in plan-view geometry allows here for both a mapping of grain orientation and intra-grain measurements even if these crystalline grains become very small. With this unique combination of local and large-scale probes, we find that silicide formation on n and p doped substrates using laser annealing results in smaller grains compared with the films processed using standard rapid thermal annealing. Themore » laser annealed samples also result in grains that are more epitaxially oriented with respect to the Si substrate. For n-type substrate, the film is dominated by (020) and (013) oriented fibers with significant levels of intra-grain bending (transrotation) observed in both types of grains. For p-type substrates, mostly epitaxially aligned grains are detected. TEM coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis was also used to study the elemental distribution in the silicide samples. Here, we confirm that laser anneal leads to a larger accumulation of platinum at the silicide-substrate interface and modifies the distribution of dopants throughout the film.« less

Structure and thermomechanical behavior of NiTiPt shape memory alloy wires.

PubMed

Lin, Brian; Gall, Ken; Maier, Hans J; Waldron, Robbie

2009-01-01

The objective of this work is to understand the structure-property relationships in polycrystalline NiTiPt (Ti 42.7 at.% Ni 7.5 at %Pt) with a composition showing pseudoelasticity at ambient temperatures. Structural characterization of the alloy includes grain size determination and texture analysis while the thermomechanical properties are explored using tensile testing. Variation in heat treatment is used as a vehicle to modify microstructure. The results are compared to experiments on Ni-rich NiTi alloy wires (Ti-51.0 at.% Ni), which are in commercial use in various biomedical applications. With regards to microstructure, both alloys exhibit a <111> fiber texture along the wire drawing axis; however, the NiTiPt alloy grain size is smaller than that of the Ni-rich NiTi wires, while the latter materials contain second-phase precipitates. Given the nanometer-scale grain size in NiTiPt and the dispersed, nanometer-scale precipitate size in NiTi, the overall strength and ductility of the alloys are essentially identical when given appropriate heat treatments. Property differences include a much smaller stress hysteresis and smaller temperature dependence of the transformation stress for NiTiPt alloys compared to NiTi alloys. Potential benefits and implications for use in vascular stent applications are discussed.

Residual Ductility and Microstructural Evolution in Continuous-Bending-under-Tension of AA-6022-T4

PubMed Central

Zecevic, Milovan; Roemer, Timothy J.; Knezevic, Marko; Korkolis, Yannis P.; Kinsey, Brad L.

2016-01-01

A ubiquitous experiment to characterize the formability of sheet metal is the simple tension test. Past research has shown that if the material is repeatedly bent and unbent during this test (i.e., Continuous-Bending-under-Tension, CBT), the percent elongation at failure can significantly increase. In this paper, this phenomenon is evaluated in detail for AA-6022-T4 sheets using a custom-built CBT device. In particular, the residual ductility of specimens that are subjected to CBT processing is investigated. This is achieved by subjecting a specimen to CBT processing and then creating subsize tensile test and microstructural samples from the specimens after varying numbers of CBT cycles. Interestingly, the engineering stress initially increases after CBT processing to a certain number of cycles, but then decreases with less elongation achieved for increasing numbers of CBT cycles. Additionally, a detailed microstructure and texture characterization are performed using standard scanning electron microscopy and electron backscattered diffraction imaging. The results show that the material under CBT preserves high integrity to large plastic strains due to a uniform distribution of damage formation and evolution in the material. The ability to delay ductile fracture during the CBT process to large plastic strains, results in formation of a strong <111> fiber texture throughout the material. PMID:28773257

Physical and chemical characterization of masa and tortillas from parental lines, crosses, and one hybrid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valderrama-Bravo, C.; Domínguez-Pacheco, A.; Hernández-Aguilar, C.; Zepeda-Bautista, R.; del Real-López, A.; Pahua-Ramos, M. E.; Arellano-Vázquez, J. L.; Moreno-Martínez, E.

2017-01-01

In maize plant breeding aimed at producing a hybrid, it is necessary to characterize the parents and hybrids by their agronomic aspects and grain quality so that the processing industry may offer consumers a quality product and also improve its efficiency. This study evaluated the viscoelastic parameters of masa and the chemical and texture properties of tortillas obtained from parent lines (M-54, M55, and CML-242), two single crosses (M54xM55 and M55xM54), and one hybrid (H-70). The morphology of the maize grains and tortillas was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. The firmness of masa obtained from CML-242 and H-70 maize was higher than that from the other maize genotypes. M-54 tortillas showed the lowest crude fiber content. Otherwise, tortillas obtained from the M55xM54 hard grain had the lowest fat content and extensibility, while H-70 tortillas showed an intermediate breaking point and extensibility. M-54 and M54xM55 tortillas were softer due to their more swollen starch granules. In contrast, rigid tortillas were obtained from CML-242 and H-70. Grain hardness causes different morphology in starch and tortilla of maize genotypes. However, grain hardness did not influence the characteristics of texture in tortillas.

Application of seaweeds to develop new food products with enhanced shelf-life, quality and health-related beneficial properties.

PubMed

Roohinejad, Shahin; Koubaa, Mohamed; Barba, Francisco J; Saljoughian, Sania; Amid, Mehrnoush; Greiner, Ralf

2017-09-01

Edible seaweeds are a good source of antioxidants, dietary fibers, essential amino acids, vitamins, phytochemicals, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and minerals. Many studies have evaluated the gelling, thickening and therapeutic properties of seaweeds when they are used individually. This review gives an overview on the nutritional, textural, sensorial, and health-related properties of food products enriched with seaweeds and seaweed extracts. The effect of seaweed incorporation on properties of meat, fish, bakery, and other food products were highlighted in depth. Moreover, the positive effects of foods enriched with seaweeds and seaweed extracts on different lifestyle diseases such as obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes were also discussed. The results of the studies demonstrated that the addition of seaweeds, in powder or extract form, can improve the nutritional and textural properties of food products. Additionally, low-fat products with less calories and less saturated fatty acids can be prepared using seaweeds. Moreover, the addition of seaweeds also affected the health properties of food products. The results of these studies demonstrated that the health value, shelf-life and overall quality of foods can be improved through the addition of either seaweeds or seaweed extracts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of laser anneal on NiPt silicide texture and chemical composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feautrier, C.; Ozcan, A. S.; Lavoie, C.; Valery, A.; Beneyton, R.; Borowiak, C.; Clément, L.; Pofelski, A.; Salem, B.

2017-06-01

We have combined synchrotron X-ray pole figure measurements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) nano-beam diffraction to study the impact of millisecond laser anneal on the texture and microstructure of NiPt silicide thin films. The powerful use of nano-beam diffraction in plan-view geometry allows here for both a mapping of grain orientation and intra-grain measurements even if these crystalline grains become very small. With this unique combination of local and large-scale probes, we find that silicide formation on n and p doped substrates using laser annealing results in smaller grains compared with the films processed using standard rapid thermal annealing. The laser annealed samples also result in grains that are more epitaxially oriented with respect to the Si substrate. For n-type substrate, the film is dominated by (020) and (013) oriented fibers with significant levels of intra-grain bending (transrotation) observed in both types of grains. For p-type substrates, mostly epitaxially aligned grains are detected. TEM coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis was also used to study the elemental distribution in the silicide samples. Here, we confirm that laser anneal leads to a larger accumulation of platinum at the silicide-substrate interface and modifies the distribution of dopants throughout the film.

MoS2 synthesis by gas source MBE for transition metal dichalcogenides integration on large scale substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Kazzi, S.; Mortelmans, W.; Nuytten, T.; Meersschaut, J.; Carolan, P.; Landeloos, L.; Conard, T.; Radu, I.; Heyns, M.; Merckling, C.

2018-04-01

We present in this paper the use of Gas Source Molecular Beam Epitaxy for the large-scale growth of transition metal dichalcogenides. Fiber-textured MoS2 co-deposited thin films (down to 1 MLs) are grown on commercially 200 mm wafer size templates where MX2 crystalline layers are achieved at temperatures ranging from RT to 550 °C. Raman Spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements along with X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy show that a low growth rate is essential for complete Mo sulfurization during MoS2 co-deposition. Finally, cross-section Transmission Electron Microscopy investigations are discussed to highlight the influence of SiO2 and Al2O3 used surfaces on MoS2 deposition.

Chemical characterization of selected LDEF polymeric materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Philip R.; Slemp, Wayne S.

1991-01-01

Chemical characterization of selected polymeric materials which received exposure on the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) is reported. The specimens examined include silvered fluorinated ethylene propylene Teflon thermal blanket material, polysulfone, epoxy, polyimide matrix resin/graphite fiber reinforced composites, and several high performance polymer films. These specimens came from numerous LDEF locations, and thus received different environmental exposures. The results to date show no significant change at the molecular level in the polymer that survived exposure. Scanning electron and scanning tunneling microscopes show resin loss and a texturing of some specimens which resulted in a change in optical properties. The potential effect of a silicon-containing molecular contamination on these materials is addressed. The possibility of continued post-exposure degradation of some polymeric films is also proposed.

Surface modifications induced by pulsed-laser texturing—Influence of laser impact on the surface properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costil, S.; Lamraoui, A.; Langlade, C.; Heintz, O.; Oltra, R.

2014-01-01

Laser cleaning technology provides a safe, environmentally friendly and very cost effective way to improve cleaning and surface preparation of metallic materials. Compared with efficient cleaning processes, it can avoid the disadvantages of ductile materials prepared by conventional technologies (cracks induced by sand-blasting for example) and treat only some selected areas (due to the optical fibers). By this way, laser technology could have several advantages and expand the range of thermal spraying. Moreover, new generations of lasers (fiber laser, disc laser) allow the development of new methods. Besides a significant bulk reduction, no maintenance, low operating cost, laser fibers can introduce alternative treatments. Combining a short-pulse laser with a scanner allows new applications in terms of surface preparation. By multiplying impacts using scanning laser, it is possible to shape the substrate surface to improve the coating adhesion as well as the mechanical behaviour. In addition, during the interactions of the laser beam with metallic surfaces, several modifications can be induced and particularly thermal effects. Indeed, under ambient conditions, a limited oxidation of the clean surface can occur. This phenomenon has been investigated in detail for silicon but few works have been reported concerning metallic materials. This paper aims at studying the surface modifications induced on aluminium alloy substrates after laser texturing. After morphological observations (SEM), a deeper surface analysis will be performed using XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) measures and microhardness testing.

Wearable Contactless Respiration Sensor Based on Multi-Material Fibers Integrated into Textile

PubMed Central

Guay, Philippe; Gorgutsa, Stepan; LaRochelle, Sophie; Messaddeq, Younes

2017-01-01

In this paper, we report on a novel sensor for the contactless monitoring of the respiration rate, made from multi-material fibers arranged in the form of spiral antenna (2.45 GHz central frequency). High flexibility of the used composite metal-glass-polymer fibers permits their integration into a cotton t-shirt without compromising comfort or restricting movement of the user. At the same time, change of the antenna geometry, due to the chest expansion and the displacement of the air volume in the lungs, is found to cause a significant shift of the antenna operational frequency, thus allowing respiration detection. In contrast with many current solutions, respiration is detected without attachment of the electrodes of any kind to the user’s body, neither direct contact of the fiber with the skin is required. Respiration patterns for two male volunteers were recorded with the help of a sensor prototype integrated into standard cotton t-shirt in sitting, standing, and lying scenarios. The typical measured frequency shift for the deep and shallow breathing was found to be in the range 120–200 MHz and 10–15 MHz, respectively. The same spiral fiber antenna is also shown to be suitable for short-range wireless communication, thus allowing respiration data transmission, for example, via the Bluetooth protocol, to mobile handheld devices. PMID:28481252

Effects of Spatial Variability of Soil Properties on the Triggering of Rainfall-Induced Shallow Landslides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Linfeng; Lehmann, Peter; Or, Dani

2015-04-01

Naturally-occurring spatial variations in soil properties (e.g., soil depth, moisture, and texture) affect key hydrological processes and potentially the mechanical response of soil to hydromechanical loading (relative to the commonly-assumed uniform soil mantle). We quantified the effects of soil spatial variability on the triggering of rainfall-induced shallow landslides at the hillslope- and catchment-scales, using a physically-based landslide triggering model that considers interacting soil columns with mechanical strength thresholds (represented by the Fiber Bundle Model). The spatial variations in soil properties are represented as Gaussian random distributions and the level of variation is characterized by the coefficient of variation and correlation lengths of soil properties (i.e., soil depth, soil texture and initial water content in this study). The impacts of these spatial variations on landslide triggering characteristics were measured by comparing the times to triggering and landslide volumes for heterogeneous soil properties and homogeneous cases. Results at hillslope scale indicate that for spatial variations of an individual property (without cross correlation), the increasing of coefficient of variation introduces weak spots where mechanical damage is accelerated and leads to earlier onset of landslide triggering and smaller volumes. Increasing spatial correlation length of soil texture and initial water content also induces early landslide triggering and small released volumes due to the transition of failure mode from brittle to ductile failure. In contrast, increasing spatial correlation length of soil depth "reduces" local steepness and postpones landslide triggering. Cross-correlated soil properties generally promote landslide initiation, but depending on the internal structure of spatial distribution of each soil property, landslide triggering may be reduced. The effects of cross-correlation between initial water content and soil texture were investigated in detail at the catchment scale by incorporating correlations of both variables with topography. Results indicate that the internal structure of the spatial distribution of each soil property together with their interplays determine the overall performance of the coupled spatial variability. This study emphasizes the importance of both the randomness and spatial structure of soil properties on landslide triggering and characteristics.

Dietary protein restriction for renal patients: don't forget protein-free foods.

PubMed

D'Alessandro, Claudia; Rossi, Andrea; Innocenti, Maurizio; Ricchiuti, Guido; Bozzoli, Laura; Sbragia, Giulietta; Meola, Mario; Cupisti, Adamasco

2013-09-01

The treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) consists of pharmacological, nutritional, and psychological-social approaches. The dietary therapy of CKD, namely a low-protein low-phosphorus diet, plays a crucial role in contributing to delay the onset of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and to protect cardiovascular and nutritional status. The protein-free food products represent a very important tool for the implementation of a low-protein diet to ensure adequate energy supply, reducing the production of nitrogenous waste products. This survey included 100 consecutive CKD patients who were asked their opinion about the use of protein-free foods. Ninety-eight patients (98%) reported a regular daily intake of protein-free pasta (as macaroni, spaghetti, etc.), which was the preferred product consumed. Actually, the taste and texture of protein-free pasta were considered as "good" or "very good" by 70% of patients. Conversely, 43% of CKD patients perceived the taste and texture of protein-free bread as "bad" or "very bad", and 30% found it "acceptable". Therefore, the main concern for the implementation of low-protein diets is the use and palatability of the protein-free products, bread in particular. The use of these products may help in reducing protein, phosphorus, and sodium intake while supplying an adequate energy intake, which represents the basis for a nutritionally safe and successful dietary treatment of advanced CKD patients. Manufacturers and food technology should make more efforts to finding new solutions to improve the taste and texture of protein-free products. Copyright © 2013 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of dietary fiber on cecal short-chain fatty acid and cecal microbiota of broiler and laying-hen chicks.

PubMed

Walugembe, M; Hsieh, J C F; Koszewski, N J; Lamont, S J; Persia, M E; Rothschild, M F

2015-10-01

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding dietary fiber on cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration and cecal microbiota of broiler and laying-hen chicks. The lower fiber diet was based on corn-soybean meal (SBM) and the higher fiber diet was formulated using corn-SBM-dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) and wheat bran to contain 60.0 g/kg of both DDGS and wheat bran from 1 to 12 d and 80.0 g/kg of both DDGS and wheat bran from 13 to 21 d. Diets were formulated to meet or exceed NRC nutrient requirements. Broiler and laying-hen chicks were randomly assigned to the high and low fiber diets with 11 replicates of 8 chicks for each of the 4 treatments. One cecum from 3 chicks was collected from each replicate: one cecum underwent SCFA concentration analysis, one underwent bacterial DNA isolation for terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP), and the third cecum was used for metagenomics analyses. There were interactions between bird line and dietary fiber for acetic acid (P = 0.04) and total SCFA (P = 0.04) concentration. There was higher concentration of acetic acid (P = 0.02) and propionic acid (P < 0.01) in broiler chicks compared to laying-hen chicks. TRFLP analysis showed that cecal microbiota varied due to diet (P = 0.02) and chicken line (P = 0.03). Metagenomics analyses identified differences in the relative abundance of Helicobacter pullorum and Megamonas hypermegale and the genera Enterobacteriaceae, Campylobacter, Faecalibacterium, and Bacteroides in different treatment groups. These results provide insights into the effect of dietary fiber on SCFA concentration and modulation of cecal microbiota in broiler and laying-hen chicks. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Carbon Dioxide Laser Fiber Optics In Endoscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuller, Terry A.

1982-12-01

Carbon dioxide laser surgery has been limited to a great extent to surgical application on the integument and accessible cavities such as the cervix, vagina, oral cavities, etc. This limitation has been due to the rigid delivery systems available to all carbon dioxide lasers. Articulating arms (series of hollow tubes connected by articulating mirrors) have provided an effective means of delivery of laser energy to the patient as long as the lesion was within the direct line of sight. Even direct line-of-sight applications were restricted to physical dimension of the articulating arm or associated hand probes, manipulators and hollow tubes. The many attempts at providing straight endoscopic systems to the laser only stressed the need for a fiber optic capable of carrying the carbon dioxide laser wavelength. Rectangular and circular hollow metal waveguides, hollow dielectric waveguides have proven ineffective to the stringent requirements of a flexible surgical delivery system. One large diameter (1 cm) fiber optic delivery system, incorporates a toxic thalliumAbased fiber optic material. The device is an effective alternative to an articulating arm for external or conventional laser surgery, but is too large and stiff to use as a flexible endoscopic tool. The author describes the first highly flexible inexpensive series of fiber optic systems suitable for either conventional or endoscopic carbon dioxide laser surgery. One system (IRFLEX 3) has been manufactured by Medlase, Inc. for surgical uses capable of delivering 2000w, 100 mJ pulsed energy and 15w continuous wave. The system diameter is 0.035 inches in diameter. Surgically suitable fibers as small as 120 um have been manufactured. Other fibers (IRFLEX 142,447) have a variety of transmission characteristics, bend radii, etc.

[Quality of pastas supplemented with rice bran].

PubMed

Sangronis, E; Rebolledo, M A

1997-06-01

The objective of this research was to investigate the potential of using rice bran as an ingredient in pastas spaghetti type. Two of the pastas were made with semolina from durum as raw material, supplemented with 10 and 20% rice bran. The other two were made with granular flour and the same percentage of rice bran. Proximate composition of raw material was analyzed. Pastas were elaborated in a local industry. Composition, proximal, color, texture, and sensorial quality of pastas were determined. Protein content (13.9-15.0%), ash (1.47-3.09%) and dietary fiber (6.71-8.45%) of pastas increased according to the percentage of rice bran added. The hardest pastas were those elaborated with semolina from durum wheat and with a 10% of substitution. Also, they were the most yellow. The sensory panel found differences in quality among the pastas evaluated. Pastas with 10% rice bran had the best quality. The results demonstrated that is possible to elaborate pastas with 20% as maximum of rice bran resulting products with high protein, ash and dietetic fiber content, but some undesirable characteristics were given by the rice bran as white spots, wrinkles and color changes.

Impact of high hydrostatic pressure and pasteurization on the structure and the extractability of bioactive compounds of persimmon “Rojo Brillante”.

PubMed

Hernández-Carrión, M; Vázquez-Gutiérrez, J L; Hernando, I; Quiles, A

2014-01-01

Rojo Brillante is an astringent oriental persimmon variety with high levels of bioactive compounds such as soluble tannins, carotenoids, phenolic acids, and dietary fiber. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and pasteurization on the structure of the fruit and on the extractability of certain bioactive compounds. The microstructure was studied using light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and low temperature scanning electron microscopy, and certain physicochemical properties (carotenoid and total soluble tannin content, antioxidant activity, fiber content, color, and texture properties) were measured. The structural changes induced by HHP caused a rise in solute circulation in the tissues that could be responsible for the increased carotenoid level and the unchanged antioxidant activity in comparison with the untreated persimmon. In contrast, the changes that took place during pasteurization lowered the tannin content and antioxidant activity. Consequently, HHP treatment could improve the extraction of potentially bioactive compoundsxsts from persimmons. A high nutritional value ingredient to be used when formulating new functional foods could be obtained using HHP. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®

Durability of Intercalated Graphite Epoxy Composites in Low Earth Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.; Davidson, Michelle L.; Shively, Rhonda

1996-01-01

The electrical conductivity of graphite epoxy composites can be substantially increased by intercalating (inserting guest atoms or molecules between the graphene planes) the graphite fibers before composite formation. The resulting high strength, low density, electrically conducting composites have been proposed for EMI shielding in spacecraft. Questions have been raised, however, about their durability in the space environment, especially with respect to outgassing of the intercalates, which are corrosive species such as bromine. To answer those concerns, six samples of bromine intercalated graphite epoxy composites were included in the third Evaluation of Oxygen Interaction with Materials (EOIM-3) experiment flown on the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-46). Changes in electrical conductivity, optical reflectance, surface texture, and mass loss for SiO2 protected and unprotected samples were measured after being exposed to the LEO environment for 42 hours. SiO2 protected samples showed no degradation, verifying conventional protection strategies are applicable to bromine intercalated composites. The unprotected samples showed that bromine intercalation does not alter the degradation of graphite-epoxy composites. No bromine was detected to have been released by the fibers allaying fears that outgassing could be disruptive to the sensitive electronics the EMI shield is meant to protect.

Effects of photoperiod and food restriction on the reproductive physiology of female California mice

PubMed Central

Steinman, Michael Q.; Knight, Jennifer A.; Trainor, Brian C.

2012-01-01

Many temperate-zone animals use changes in photoperiod to time breeding. Shorter term cues, like food availability, are integrated with photoperiod to adjust reproductive timing under unexpected conditions. Many mice of the genus Peromyscus breed in the summer. California mice (Peromyscus californicus), however, can breed year round, but tend to begin breeding in the winter. Glial cells may be involved in transduction of environmental signals that regulate gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) activity. We examined the effects of diet and photoperiod on reproduction in female California mice. Mice placed on either short days (8L:16D) or long days (16L:8D) were food restricted (80% of normal intake) or fed ad libitum. Short day-food restricted mice showed significant regression of the reproductive system. GnRH-immunoreactivity was increased in the tuberal hypothalamus of long day-food restricted mice. This may be associated with the sparing effect long days have when mice are food restricted. The number of GFAP-immunoreactive fibers in proximity to GnRH nerve terminals correlated negatively with uterine size in ad libitum but not food restricted mice, suggesting diet may alter glial regulation of the reproductive axis. There was a trend towards food restriction increasing uterine expression of c-fos mRNA, an estrogen dependent gene. Similar to other seasonally breeding rodents, short days render the reproductive system of female California mice more susceptible to effects of food restriction. This may be vestigial, or it may have evolved to mitigate consequences of unexpectedly poor winter food supplies. PMID:22245263

Reliable Classification of Geologic Surfaces Using Texture Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foil, G.; Howarth, D.; Abbey, W. J.; Bekker, D. L.; Castano, R.; Thompson, D. R.; Wagstaff, K.

2012-12-01

Communication delays and bandwidth constraints are major obstacles for remote exploration spacecraft. Due to such restrictions, spacecraft could make use of onboard science data analysis to maximize scientific gain, through capabilities such as the generation of bandwidth-efficient representative maps of scenes, autonomous instrument targeting to exploit targets of opportunity between communications, and downlink prioritization to ensure fast delivery of tactically-important data. Of particular importance to remote exploration is the precision of such methods and their ability to reliably reproduce consistent results in novel environments. Spacecraft resources are highly oversubscribed, so any onboard data analysis must provide a high degree of confidence in its assessment. The TextureCam project is constructing a "smart camera" that can analyze surface images to autonomously identify scientifically interesting targets and direct narrow field-of-view instruments. The TextureCam instrument incorporates onboard scene interpretation and mapping to assist these autonomous science activities. Computer vision algorithms map scenes such as those encountered during rover traverses. The approach, based on a machine learning strategy, trains a statistical model to recognize different geologic surface types and then classifies every pixel in a new scene according to these categories. We describe three methods for increasing the precision of the TextureCam instrument. The first uses ancillary data to segment challenging scenes into smaller regions having homogeneous properties. These subproblems are individually easier to solve, preventing uncertainty in one region from contaminating those that can be confidently classified. The second involves a Bayesian approach that maximizes the likelihood of correct classifications by abstaining from ambiguous ones. We evaluate these two techniques on a set of images acquired during field expeditions in the Mojave Desert. Finally, the algorithm was expanded to perform robust texture classification across a wide range of lighting conditions. We characterize both the increase in precision achieved using different input data representations as well as the range of conditions under which reliable performance can be achieved. An ensemble learning approach is used to increase performance by leveraging the illumination-dependent statistics of an image. Our results show that the three algorithmic modifications lead to a significant increase in classification performance as well as an increase in precision using an adjustable and human-understandable metric of confidence.

Impact of Western and Mediterranean Diets and Vitamin D on Muscle Fibers of Sedentary Rats

PubMed Central

Purrello, Francesco

2018-01-01

Background: The metabolic syndrome is associated with sarcopenia. Decreased serum levels of Vitamin D (VitD) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and their mutual relationship were also reported. We aimed to evaluate whether different dietary profiles, containing or not VitD, may exert different effects on muscle molecular morphology. Methods: Twenty-eight male rats were fed for 10 weeks in order to detect early defects induced by different dietary regimens: regular diet (R); regular diet with vitamin D supplementation (R-DS) and regular diet with vitamin D restriction (R-DR); high-fat butter-based diets (HFB-DS and HFB-DR) with 41% energy from fat; high-fat extra-virgin olive oil-based diets (HFEVO-DS and HFEVO-DR) with 41% energy from fat. IL-1β, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)1, Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1), and VitD-receptor (VDR) expressions were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Muscle fiber perimeter was measured by histology and morphometric analysis. Results: The muscle fibers of the HEVO-DS rats were hypertrophic, comparable to those of the R-DS rats. An inverse correlation existed between the dietary fat content and the perimeter of the muscle fibers (p < 0.01). In the HFB-DR rats, the muscle fibers appeared hypotrophic with an increase of IL-1β and a dramatic decrease of IGF-1 expression. Conclusions: High-fat western diet could impair muscle metabolism and lay the ground for subsequent muscle damage. VitD associated with a Mediterranean diet showed trophic action on the muscle fibers. PMID:29462978

Water deprivation affects serotoninergic system and glycoprotein secretion in the sub-commissural organ of a desert rodent Meriones shawi.

PubMed

Elgot, Abdeljalil; Ahboucha, Samir; Bouyatas, My Mustapha; Fèvre-Montange, Michèlle; Gamrani, Halima

2009-11-27

Water deprivation is a stress that has been associated with activation of several endocrine systems, including circumventricular organs of the central nervous system. The sub-comissural organ (SCO), characterized by its glycoprotein secretion called Reissner's fiber has been suggested to play a role in the regulation of body water balance. Meriones shawi, a semi-desertic rodent characterized by its resistance to long periods of thirst was subjected to water deprivation for 1 and 3 months. Effect of water deprivation was evaluated immunohistochemically on 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin) system and glycoprotein secretion of the SCO. Our findings demonstrate significant reduction of anti-Reissner's fiber immunoreactive materials within basal and apical parts of the SCO ependymocytes. These changes seem to be the consequence of reduced control by 5-HT fibers reaching the SCO as a concomitant and significant reduction of anti-5-HT immunoreactive fibers are also observed following water deprivation. 5-HT immunoreactive reduction is seen in several regions in the brain including the neurons of origin within the dorsal raphe nucleus and the projecting supra and sub-ependymal fibers reaching the classical ependyma of the third ventricle. The extent of Reissner's fiber and 5-HT immunoreactive changes significantly correlates with the severity of water restriction. We suggest that water deprivation causes changes of the classical ependyma and the specialized ependyma that differentiates into the SCO as well as other cirumventricular organs such as the subfornical organ and the organum vasculosum laminae terminalis known to control drinking behaviors.

Dietary assessment of adolescents undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery: macro- and micronutrient, fiber, and supplement intake.

PubMed

Jeffreys, Renee M; Hrovat, Kathleen; Woo, Jessica G; Schmidt, Marcia; Inge, Thomas H; Xanthakos, Stavra A

2012-01-01

Extremely obese adolescents are increasingly undergoing bariatric procedures, which restrict dietary intake. However, as yet, no data are available describing the change in caloric density or composition of the adolescent bariatric patient's diet pre- and postoperatively. Our objective was to assess the 1-year change in the dietary composition of adolescents undergoing bariatric surgery at a tertiary care children's hospital. A total of 27 subjects (67% female, 77% white, age 16.7 ± 1.4 yr, baseline body mass index 60.1 ± 14.1 kg/m(2)) were prospectively enrolled into an observational cohort study 1 month before undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass from August 2005 to March 2008. The 3-day dietary intake was recorded at baseline (n = 24) and 2 weeks (n = 16), 3 months (n = 11), and 1 year (n = 9) postoperatively. The dietary record data were verified by structured interview and compared with the Dietary Reference Intake values for ages 14-18 years. By 1 year after surgery, the mean caloric intake, adjusted for body mass index was 1015 ± 182 kcal/d, a 35% reduction from baseline. The proportion of fat, protein, and carbohydrate intake did not differ from baseline. However, the protein intake was lower than recommended postoperatively. The calcium and fiber intake was also persistently lower than recommended. Calcium and vitamin B(12) supplementation increased the likelihood of meeting the daily minimal recommendations (P ≤ .02). At 1 year after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the adolescents' caloric intake remained restricted, with satisfactory macronutrient composition but a lower than desirable intake of calcium, fiber, and protein. Copyright © 2012 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Permeabilized Rat Cardiomyocyte Response Demonstrates Intracellular Origin of Diffusion Obstacles

PubMed Central

Jepihhina, Natalja; Beraud, Nathalie; Sepp, Mervi; Birkedal, Rikke; Vendelin, Marko

2011-01-01

Intracellular diffusion restrictions for ADP and other molecules have been predicted earlier based on experiments on permeabilized fibers or cardiomyocytes. However, it is possible that the effective diffusion distance is larger than the cell dimensions due to clumping of cells and incomplete separation of cells in fiber preparations. The aim of this work was to check whether diffusion restrictions exist inside rat cardiomyocytes or are caused by large effective diffusion distance. For that, we determined the response of oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) to exogenous ADP and ATP stimulation in permeabilized rat cardiomyocytes using fluorescence microscopy. The state of OxPhos was monitored via NADH and flavoprotein autofluorescence. By varying the ADP or ATP concentration in flow chamber, we determined that OxPhos has a low affinity in cardiomyocytes. The experiments were repeated in a fluorometer on cardiomyocyte suspensions leading to similar autofluorescence changes induced by ADP as recorded under the microscope. ATP stimulated OxPhos more in a fluorometer than under the microscope, which was attributed to accumulation of ADP in fluorometer chamber. By calculating the flow profile around the cell in the microscope chamber and comparing model solutions to measured data, we demonstrate that intracellular structures impose significant diffusion obstacles in rat cardiomyocytes. PMID:22067148

Speckle Filtering of GF-3 Polarimetric SAR Data with Joint Restriction Principle.

PubMed

Xie, Jinwei; Li, Zhenfang; Zhou, Chaowei; Fang, Yuyuan; Zhang, Qingjun

2018-05-12

Polarimetric SAR (PolSAR) scattering characteristics of imagery are always obtained from the second order moments estimation of multi-polarization data, that is, the estimation of covariance or coherency matrices. Due to the extra-paths that signal reflected from separate scatterers within the resolution cell has to travel, speckle noise always exists in SAR images and has a severe impact on the scattering performance, especially on single look complex images. In order to achieve high accuracy in estimating covariance or coherency matrices, three aspects are taken into consideration: (1) the edges and texture of the scene are distinct after speckle filtering; (2) the statistical characteristic should be similar to the object pixel; and (3) the polarimetric scattering signature should be preserved, in addition to speckle reduction. In this paper, a joint restriction principle is proposed to meet the requirement. Three different restriction principles are introduced to the processing of speckle filtering. First, a new template, which is more suitable for the point or line targets, is designed to ensure the morphological consistency. Then, the extent sigma filter is used to restrict the pixels in the template aforementioned to have an identical statistic characteristic. At last, a polarimetric similarity factor is applied to the same pixels above, to guarantee the similar polarimetric features amongst the optional pixels. This processing procedure is named as speckle filtering with joint restriction principle and the approach is applied to GF-3 polarimetric SAR data acquired in San Francisco, CA, USA. Its effectiveness of keeping the image sharpness and preserving the scattering mechanism as well as speckle reduction is validated by the comparison with boxcar filters and refined Lee filter.