Sample records for sequential injection schemes

  1. Sequential Feedback Scheme Outperforms the Parallel Scheme for Hamiltonian Parameter Estimation.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Haidong

    2016-10-14

    Measurement and estimation of parameters are essential for science and engineering, where the main quest is to find the highest achievable precision with the given resources and design schemes to attain it. Two schemes, the sequential feedback scheme and the parallel scheme, are usually studied in the quantum parameter estimation. While the sequential feedback scheme represents the most general scheme, it remains unknown whether it can outperform the parallel scheme for any quantum estimation tasks. In this Letter, we show that the sequential feedback scheme has a threefold improvement over the parallel scheme for Hamiltonian parameter estimations on two-dimensional systems, and an order of O(d+1) improvement for Hamiltonian parameter estimation on d-dimensional systems. We also show that, contrary to the conventional belief, it is possible to simultaneously achieve the highest precision for estimating all three components of a magnetic field, which sets a benchmark on the local precision limit for the estimation of a magnetic field.

  2. Therapeutic effect for liver-metastasized tumor by sequential intravenous injection of anionic polymer and cationic lipoplex of siRNA.

    PubMed

    Hattori, Yoshiyuki; Arai, Shohei; Kikuchi, Takuto; Ozaki, Kei-Ichi; Kawano, Kumi; Yonemochi, Etsuo

    2016-04-01

    Previously, we developed a novel siRNA transfer method to the liver by sequential intravenous injection of anionic polymer and cationic liposome/siRNA complex (cationic lipoplex). In this study, we investigated whether siRNA delivered by this sequential injection could significantly suppress mRNA expression of the targeted gene in liver metastasis and inhibit tumor growth. When cationic lipoplex was intravenously injected into mice bearing liver metastasis of human breast tumor MCF-7 at 1 min after intravenous injection of chondroitin sulfate C (CS) or poly-l-glutamic acid (PGA), siRNA was accumulated in tumor-metastasized liver. In terms of a gene silencing effect, sequential injections of CS or PGA plus cationic lipoplex of luciferase siRNA could reduce luciferase activity in liver MCF-7-Luc metastasis. Regarding the side effects, sequential injections of CS plus cationic lipoplex did not exhibit hepatic damage or induction of inflammatory cytokines in serum after repeated injections, but sequential injections of PGA plus cationic lipoplex did. Finally, sequential injections of CS plus cationic lipoplex of protein kinase N3 siRNA could suppress tumor growth in the mice bearing liver metastasis. From these findings, sequential injection of CS and cationic lipoplex of siRNA might be a novel systemic method of delivering siRNA to liver metastasis.

  3. Analysis of Optimal Sequential State Discrimination for Linearly Independent Pure Quantum States.

    PubMed

    Namkung, Min; Kwon, Younghun

    2018-04-25

    Recently, J. A. Bergou et al. proposed sequential state discrimination as a new quantum state discrimination scheme. In the scheme, by the successful sequential discrimination of a qubit state, receivers Bob and Charlie can share the information of the qubit prepared by a sender Alice. A merit of the scheme is that a quantum channel is established between Bob and Charlie, but a classical communication is not allowed. In this report, we present a method for extending the original sequential state discrimination of two qubit states to a scheme of N linearly independent pure quantum states. Specifically, we obtain the conditions for the sequential state discrimination of N = 3 pure quantum states. We can analytically provide conditions when there is a special symmetry among N = 3 linearly independent pure quantum states. Additionally, we show that the scenario proposed in this study can be applied to quantum key distribution. Furthermore, we show that the sequential state discrimination of three qutrit states performs better than the strategy of probabilistic quantum cloning.

  4. Sequential intravenous injection of anionic polymer and cationic lipoplex of siRNA could effectively deliver siRNA to the liver.

    PubMed

    Hattori, Yoshiyuki; Arai, Shohei; Okamoto, Ryou; Hamada, Megumi; Kawano, Kumi; Yonemochi, Etsuo

    2014-12-10

    In this study, we developed novel siRNA transfer method to the liver by sequential intravenous injection of anionic polymer and cationic liposome/cholesterol-modified siRNA complex (cationic lipoplex). When cationic lipoplex was intravenously injected into mice, the accumulation of siRNA was mainly observed in the lungs. In contrast, when cationic lipoplex was intravenously injected at 1 min after intravenous injection of poly-L-glutamic acid (PGA) or chondroitin sulfate C (CS), siRNA was accumulated in the liver. In terms of suppression of gene expression in vivo, apolipoprotein B (ApoB) mRNA in the liver and low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) and very low-density-lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol level in serum were reduced at 48 h after single sequential injection of PGA or CS plus cationic lipoplex of cholesterol-modified ApoB siRNA. Furthermore, sequential injections of PGA plus cationic lipoplex of cholesterol-modified luciferase siRNA could reduce luciferase activity in tumor xenografts bearing liver metastasis of human breast tumor MCF-7-Luc. From these findings, sequential injection of anionic polymer and cationic lipoplex of siRNA might produce a systemic vector of siRNA to the liver. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. In vivo comparison of simultaneous versus sequential injection technique for thermochemical ablation in a porcine model.

    PubMed

    Cressman, Erik N K; Shenoi, Mithun M; Edelman, Theresa L; Geeslin, Matthew G; Hennings, Leah J; Zhang, Yan; Iaizzo, Paul A; Bischof, John C

    2012-01-01

    To investigate simultaneous and sequential injection thermochemical ablation in a porcine model, and compare them to sham and acid-only ablation. This IACUC-approved study involved 11 pigs in an acute setting. Ultrasound was used to guide placement of a thermocouple probe and coaxial device designed for thermochemical ablation. Solutions of 10 M acetic acid and NaOH were used in the study. Four injections per pig were performed in identical order at a total rate of 4 mL/min: saline sham, simultaneous, sequential, and acid only. Volume and sphericity of zones of coagulation were measured. Fixed specimens were examined by H&E stain. Average coagulation volumes were 11.2 mL (simultaneous), 19.0 mL (sequential) and 4.4 mL (acid). The highest temperature, 81.3°C, was obtained with simultaneous injection. Average temperatures were 61.1°C (simultaneous), 47.7°C (sequential) and 39.5°C (acid only). Sphericity coefficients (0.83-0.89) had no statistically significant difference among conditions. Thermochemical ablation produced substantial volumes of coagulated tissues relative to the amounts of reagents injected, considerably greater than acid alone in either technique employed. The largest volumes were obtained with sequential injection, yet this came at a price in one case of cardiac arrest. Simultaneous injection yielded the highest recorded temperatures and may be tolerated as well as or better than acid injection alone. Although this pilot study did not show a clear advantage for either sequential or simultaneous methods, the results indicate that thermochemical ablation is attractive for further investigation with regard to both safety and efficacy.

  6. Development of high-accuracy convection schemes for sequential solvers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thakur, Siddharth; Shyy, Wei

    1993-01-01

    An exploration is conducted of the applicability of such high resolution schemes as TVD to the resolving of sharp flow gradients using a sequential solution approach borrowed from pressure-based algorithms. It is shown that by extending these high-resolution shock-capturing schemes to a sequential solver that treats the equations as a collection of scalar conservation equations, the speed of signal propagation in the solution has to be coordinated by assigning the local convection speed as the characteristic speed for the entire system. A higher amount of dissipation is therefore needed to eliminate oscillations near discontinuities.

  7. Sequential sampling: a novel method in farm animal welfare assessment.

    PubMed

    Heath, C A E; Main, D C J; Mullan, S; Haskell, M J; Browne, W J

    2016-02-01

    Lameness in dairy cows is an important welfare issue. As part of a welfare assessment, herd level lameness prevalence can be estimated from scoring a sample of animals, where higher levels of accuracy are associated with larger sample sizes. As the financial cost is related to the number of cows sampled, smaller samples are preferred. Sequential sampling schemes have been used for informing decision making in clinical trials. Sequential sampling involves taking samples in stages, where sampling can stop early depending on the estimated lameness prevalence. When welfare assessment is used for a pass/fail decision, a similar approach could be applied to reduce the overall sample size. The sampling schemes proposed here apply the principles of sequential sampling within a diagnostic testing framework. This study develops three sequential sampling schemes of increasing complexity to classify 80 fully assessed UK dairy farms, each with known lameness prevalence. Using the Welfare Quality herd-size-based sampling scheme, the first 'basic' scheme involves two sampling events. At the first sampling event half the Welfare Quality sample size is drawn, and then depending on the outcome, sampling either stops or is continued and the same number of animals is sampled again. In the second 'cautious' scheme, an adaptation is made to ensure that correctly classifying a farm as 'bad' is done with greater certainty. The third scheme is the only scheme to go beyond lameness as a binary measure and investigates the potential for increasing accuracy by incorporating the number of severely lame cows into the decision. The three schemes are evaluated with respect to accuracy and average sample size by running 100 000 simulations for each scheme, and a comparison is made with the fixed size Welfare Quality herd-size-based sampling scheme. All three schemes performed almost as well as the fixed size scheme but with much smaller average sample sizes. For the third scheme, an overall association between lameness prevalence and the proportion of lame cows that were severely lame on a farm was found. However, as this association was found to not be consistent across all farms, the sampling scheme did not prove to be as useful as expected. The preferred scheme was therefore the 'cautious' scheme for which a sampling protocol has also been developed.

  8. Accelerated drug release and clearance of PEGylated epirubicin liposomes following repeated injections: a new challenge for sequential low-dose chemotherapy

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Qiang; Ma, Yanling; Zhao, Yongxue; She, Zhennan; Wang, Long; Li, Jie; Wang, Chunling; Deng, Yihui

    2013-01-01

    Background Sequential low-dose chemotherapy has received great attention for its unique advantages in attenuating multidrug resistance of tumor cells. Nevertheless, it runs the risk of producing new problems associated with the accelerated blood clearance phenomenon, especially with multiple injections of PEGylated liposomes. Methods Liposomes were labeled with fluorescent phospholipids of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-snglycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-(7-nitro-2-1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl) and epirubicin (EPI). The pharmacokinetics profile and biodistribution of the drug and liposome carrier following multiple injections were determined. Meanwhile, the antitumor effect of sequential low-dose chemotherapy was tested. To clarify this unexpected phenomenon, the production of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM), drug release, and residual complement activity experiments were conducted in serum. Results The first or sequential injections of PEGylated liposomes within a certain dose range induced the rapid clearance of subsequently injected PEGylated liposomal EPI. Of note, the clearance of EPI was two- to three-fold faster than the liposome itself, and a large amount of EPI was released from liposomes in the first 30 minutes in a complement-activation, direct-dependent manner. The therapeutic efficacy of liposomal EPI following 10 days of sequential injections in S180 tumor-bearing mice of 0.75 mg EPI/kg body weight was almost completely abolished between the sixth and tenth day of the sequential injections, even although the subsequently injected doses were doubled. The level of PEG-specific IgM in the blood increased rapidly, with a larger amount of complement being activated while the concentration of EPI in blood and tumor tissue was significantly reduced. Conclusion Our investigation implied that the accelerated blood clearance phenomenon and its accompanying rapid leakage and clearance of drug following sequential low-dose injections may reverse the unique pharmacokinetic–toxicity profile of liposomes which deserved our attention. Therefore, a more reasonable treatment regime should be selected to lessen or even eliminate this phenomenon. PMID:23576868

  9. Automated tagging of pharmaceutically active thiols under flow conditions using monobromobimane.

    PubMed

    Tzanavaras, Paraskevas D; Karakosta, Theano D

    2011-03-25

    The thiol-specific derivatization reagent monobromobimane (MBB) is applied--for the first time--under flow conditions. Sequential injection analysis allows the handling of precise volumes of the reagent in the micro-liter range. The effect of the main chemical and instrumental variables was investigated using captopril (CAP), N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and penicillamine (PEN) as representative pharmaceutically active thiols. Previously reported hydrolysis of MBB due to interaction with nucleophilic components of the buffers was avoided kinetically under flow conditions. The proposed analytical scheme is suitable for the fluorimetric determination of thiols at a sampling rate of 36 h(-1). Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Coupled Hydro-Mechanical Modeling of Fluid Geological Storage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Castelletto, N.; Garipov, T.; Tchelepi, H. A.

    2013-12-01

    The accurate modeling of the complex coupled physical processes occurring during the injection and the post-injection period is a key factor for assessing the safety and the feasibility of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in subsurface formations. In recent years, it has become widely accepted the importance of the coupling between fluid flow and geomechanical response in constraining the sustainable pressure buildup caused by fluid injection relative to the caprock sealing capacity, induced seismicity effects and ground surface stability [e.g., Rutqvist, 2012; Castelletto et al., 2013]. Here, we present a modeling approach based on a suitable combination of Finite Volumes (FVs) and Finite Elements (FEs) to solve the coupled system of partial differential equations governing the multiphase flow in a deformable porous medium. Specifically, a FV method is used for the flow problem while the FE method is adopted to address the poro-elasto-plasticity equations. The aim of the present work is to compare the performance and the robustness of unconditionally stable sequential-implicit schemes [Kim et al., 2011] and the fully-implicit method in solving the algebraic systems arising from the discretization of the governing equations, for both normally conditioned and severely ill-conditioned problems. The two approaches are tested against well-known analytical solutions and experimented with in a realistic application of CO2 injection in a synthetic aquifer. References: - Castelletto N., G. Gambolati, and P. Teatini (2013), Geological CO2 sequestration in multi-compartment reservoirs: Geomechanical challenges, J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, 118, 2417-2428, doi:10.1002/jgrb.50180. - Kim J., H. A. Tchelepi, and R. Juanes (2011), Stability, accuracy and efficiency of sequential methods for coupled flow and geomechanics, SPE J., 16(2), 249-262. - Rutqvist J. (2012), The geomechanics of CO2 storage in deep sedimentary formations, Geotech. Geol. Eng., 30, 525-551.

  11. Polymeric microchip for the simultaneous determination of anions and cations by hydrodynamic injection using a dual-channel sequential injection microchip electrophoresis system.

    PubMed

    Gaudry, Adam J; Nai, Yi Heng; Guijt, Rosanne M; Breadmore, Michael C

    2014-04-01

    A dual-channel sequential injection microchip capillary electrophoresis system with pressure-driven injection is demonstrated for simultaneous separations of anions and cations from a single sample. The poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microchips feature integral in-plane contactless conductivity detection electrodes. A novel, hydrodynamic "split-injection" method utilizes background electrolyte (BGE) sheathing to gate the sample flows, while control over the injection volume is achieved by balancing hydrodynamic resistances using external hydrodynamic resistors. Injection is realized by a unique flow-through interface, allowing for automated, continuous sampling for sequential injection analysis by microchip electrophoresis. The developed system was very robust, with individual microchips used for up to 2000 analyses with lifetimes limited by irreversible blockages of the microchannels. The unique dual-channel geometry was demonstrated by the simultaneous separation of three cations and three anions in individual microchannels in under 40 s with limits of detection (LODs) ranging from 1.5 to 24 μM. From a series of 100 sequential injections the %RSDs were determined for every fifth run, resulting in %RSDs for migration times that ranged from 0.3 to 0.7 (n = 20) and 2.3 to 4.5 for peak area (n = 20). This system offers low LODs and a high degree of reproducibility and robustness while the hydrodynamic injection eliminates electrokinetic bias during injection, making it attractive for a wide range of rapid, sensitive, and quantitative online analytical applications.

  12. Unsteady, one-dimensional gas dynamics computations using a TVD type sequential solver

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thakur, Siddharth; Shyy, Wei

    1992-01-01

    The efficacy of high resolution convection schemes to resolve sharp gradient in unsteady, 1D flows is examined using the TVD concept based on a sequential solution algorithm. Two unsteady flow problems are considered which include the problem involving the interaction of the various waves in a shock tube with closed reflecting ends and the problem involving the unsteady gas dynamics in a tube with closed ends subject to an initial pressure perturbation. It is concluded that high accuracy convection schemes in a sequential solution framework are capable of resolving discontinuities in unsteady flows involving complex gas dynamics. However, a sufficient amount of dissipation is required to suppress oscillations near discontinuities in the sequential approach, which leads to smearing of the solution profiles.

  13. Computational aspects of helicopter trim analysis and damping levels from Floquet theory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gaonkar, Gopal H.; Achar, N. S.

    1992-01-01

    Helicopter trim settings of periodic initial state and control inputs are investigated for convergence of Newton iteration in computing the settings sequentially and in parallel. The trim analysis uses a shooting method and a weak version of two temporal finite element methods with displacement formulation and with mixed formulation of displacements and momenta. These three methods broadly represent two main approaches of trim analysis: adaptation of initial-value and finite element boundary-value codes to periodic boundary conditions, particularly for unstable and marginally stable systems. In each method, both the sequential and in-parallel schemes are used and the resulting nonlinear algebraic equations are solved by damped Newton iteration with an optimally selected damping parameter. The impact of damped Newton iteration, including earlier-observed divergence problems in trim analysis, is demonstrated by the maximum condition number of the Jacobian matrices of the iterative scheme and by virtual elimination of divergence. The advantages of the in-parallel scheme over the conventional sequential scheme are also demonstrated.

  14. Microfluidic Device for Sequential Injection and Flushing of Solutions and its Application to Immunosensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nashida, Norihiro; Suzuki, Hiroaki

    A microfluidic system with injecting and flushing functions was developed. In the system, hydrophilic flow channels have a dry-film photoresist layer which facilitates the introduction of solutions from four injection ports. The injection and flushing of solutions are controlled by valves operated by electrowetting. The valves consist of gold working electrodes in the flow channels or a through-hole in the glass substrate. Solutions can be sequentially introduced through the injection ports into a reaction chamber and flushed through a valve in the through-hole. Necessary immunoassay steps can be conducted on the chip, and a target antibody can be detected electrochemically.

  15. Considering User's Access Pattern in Multimedia File Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cho, KyoungWoon; Ryu, YeonSeung; Won, Youjip; Koh, Kern

    2002-12-01

    Legacy buffer cache management schemes for multimedia server are grounded at the assumption that the application sequentially accesses the multimedia file. However, user access pattern may not be sequential in some circumstances, for example, in distance learning application, where the user may exploit the VCR-like function(rewind and play) of the system and accesses the particular segments of video repeatedly in the middle of sequential playback. Such a looping reference can cause a significant performance degradation of interval-based caching algorithms. And thus an appropriate buffer cache management scheme is required in order to deliver desirable performance even under the workload that exhibits looping reference behavior. We propose Adaptive Buffer cache Management(ABM) scheme which intelligently adapts to the file access characteristics. For each opened file, ABM applies either the LRU replacement or the interval-based caching depending on the Looping Reference Indicator, which indicates that how strong temporally localized access pattern is. According to our experiment, ABM exhibits better buffer cache miss ratio than interval-based caching or LRU, especially when the workload exhibits not only sequential but also looping reference property.

  16. Sequential-Injection Analysis: Principles, Instrument Construction, and Demonstration by a Simple Experiment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Economou, A.; Tzanavaras, P. D.; Themelis, D. G.

    2005-01-01

    The sequential-injection analysis (SIA) is an approach to sample handling that enables the automation of manual wet-chemistry procedures in a rapid, precise and efficient manner. The experiments using SIA fits well in the course of Instrumental Chemical Analysis and especially in the section of Automatic Methods of analysis provided by chemistry…

  17. Exploring Liquid Sequential Injection Chromatography to Teach Fundamentals of Separation Methods: A Very Fast Analytical Chemistry Experiment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Penteado, Jose C.; Masini, Jorge Cesar

    2011-01-01

    Influence of the solvent strength determined by the addition of a mobile-phase organic modifier and pH on chromatographic separation of sorbic acid and vanillin has been investigated by the relatively new technique, liquid sequential injection chromatography (SIC). This technique uses reversed-phase monolithic stationary phase to execute fast…

  18. Development of enantioselective chemiluminescence flow- and sequential-injection immunoassays for alpha-amino acids.

    PubMed

    Silvaieh, Hossein; Schmid, Martin G; Hofstetter, Oliver; Schurig, Volker; Gübitz, Gerald

    2002-01-01

    The development of an enantioselective flow-through chemiluminescence immunosensor for amino acids is described. The approach is based on a competitive assay using enantioselective antibodies. Two different instrumental approaches, a flow-injection (FIA) and a sequential-injection system (SIA), are used. Compared to the flow-injection technique, the sequential injection-mode showed better repeatability. Both systems use an immunoreactor consisting of a flow cell packed with immobilized haptens. The haptens (4-amino-L- or D-phenylalanine) are immobilized onto a hydroxysuccinimide-activated polymer (Affi-prep 10) via a tyramine spacer. Stereoselective antibodies, raised against 4-amino-L- or D-phenylalanine, are labeled with an acridinium ester. Stereoselective inhibition of binding of the acridinum-labeled antibodies to the immobilized hapten by amino acids takes place. Chiral recognition was observed not only for the hapten molecule but also for a series of different amino acids. One assay cycle including regeneration takes 6:30 min in the FIA mode and 4:40 min in the SIA mode. Using D-phenylalanine as a sample, the detection limit was found to be 6.13 pmol/ml (1.01 ng/ml) for the flow-injection immunoassay (FIIA) and 1.76 pmol/ml (0.29 ng/ml ) for the sequential-injection immunoassay (SIIA) which can be lowered to 0.22 pmol/ml (0.036 ng/ml) or 0.064 pmol/ml (0.01 ng/ml) by using a stopped flow system. The intra-assay repeatability was found to be about 5% RSD and the inter-assay repeatability below 6% (within 3 days).

  19. Sequential injection-bead injection-lab-on-valve coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography for online renewable micro-solid-phase extraction of carbamate residues in food and environmental samples.

    PubMed

    Vichapong, Jitlada; Burakham, Rodjana; Srijaranai, Supalax; Grudpan, Kate

    2011-07-01

    A sequential injection-bead injection-lab-on-valve system was hyphenated to HPLC for online renewable micro-solid-phase extraction of carbamate insecticides. The carbamates studied were isoprocarb, methomyl, carbaryl, carbofuran, methiocarb, promecarb, and propoxur. LiChroprep(®) RP-18 beads (25-40 μm) were employed as renewable sorbent packing in a microcolumn situated inside the LOV platform mounted above the multiposition valve of the sequential injection system. The analytes sorbed by the microcolumn were eluted using 80% acetonitrile in 0.1% acetic acid before online introduction to the HPLC system. Separation was performed on an Atlantis C-18 column (4.6 × 150 mm, 5 μm) utilizing gradient elution with a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and a detection wavelength at 270 nm. The sequential injection system offers the means of performing automated handling of sample preconcentration and matrix removal. The enrichment factors ranged between 20 and 125, leading to limits of detection (LODs) in the range of 1-20 μg/L. Good reproducibility was obtained with relative standard deviations of <0.7 and 5.4% for retention time and peak area, respectively. The developed method has been successfully applied to the determination of carbamate residues in fruit, vegetable, and water samples. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Determination of ambroxol hydrochloride, methylparaben and benzoic acid in pharmaceutical preparations based on sequential injection technique coupled with monolithic column.

    PubMed

    Satínský, Dalibor; Huclová, Jitka; Ferreira, Raquel L C; Montenegro, Maria Conceição B S M; Solich, Petr

    2006-02-13

    The porous monolithic columns show high performance at relatively low pressure. The coupling of short monoliths with sequential injection technique (SIA) results in a new approach to implementation of separation step to non-separation low-pressure method. In this contribution, a new separation method for simultaneous determination of ambroxol, methylparaben and benzoic acid was developed based on a novel reversed-phase sequential injection chromatography (SIC) technique with UV detection. A Chromolith SpeedROD RP-18e, 50-4.6 mm column with 10 mm precolumn and a FIAlab 3000 system with a six-port selection valve and 5 ml syringe were used for sequential injection chromatographic separations in our study. The mobile phase used was acetonitrile-tetrahydrofuran-0.05M acetic acid (10:10:90, v/v/v), pH 3.75 adjusted with triethylamine, flow rate 0.48 mlmin(-1), UV-detection was at 245 nm. The analysis time was <11 min. A new SIC method was validated and compared with HPLC. The method was found to be useful for the routine analysis of the active compounds ambroxol and preservatives (methylparaben or benzoic acid) in various pharmaceutical syrups and drops.

  1. Update schemes of multi-velocity floor field cellular automaton for pedestrian dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Lin; Fu, Zhijian; Cheng, Han; Yang, Lizhong

    2018-02-01

    Modeling pedestrian movement is an interesting problem both in statistical physics and in computational physics. Update schemes of cellular automaton (CA) models for pedestrian dynamics govern the schedule of pedestrian movement. Usually, different update schemes make the models behave in different ways, which should be carefully recalibrated. Thus, in this paper, we investigated the influence of four different update schemes, namely parallel/synchronous scheme, random scheme, order-sequential scheme and shuffled scheme, on pedestrian dynamics. The multi-velocity floor field cellular automaton (FFCA) considering the changes of pedestrians' moving properties along walking paths and heterogeneity of pedestrians' walking abilities was used. As for parallel scheme only, the collisions detection and resolution should be considered, resulting in a great difference from any other update schemes. For pedestrian evacuation, the evacuation time is enlarged, and the difference in pedestrians' walking abilities is better reflected, under parallel scheme. In face of a bottleneck, for example a exit, using a parallel scheme leads to a longer congestion period and a more dispersive density distribution. The exit flow and the space-time distribution of density and velocity have significant discrepancies under four different update schemes when we simulate pedestrian flow with high desired velocity. Update schemes may have no influence on pedestrians in simulation to create tendency to follow others, but sequential and shuffled update scheme may enhance the effect of pedestrians' familiarity with environments.

  2. Parallel algorithm for computation of second-order sequential best rotations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Redif, Soydan; Kasap, Server

    2013-12-01

    Algorithms for computing an approximate polynomial matrix eigenvalue decomposition of para-Hermitian systems have emerged as a powerful, generic signal processing tool. A technique that has shown much success in this regard is the sequential best rotation (SBR2) algorithm. Proposed is a scheme for parallelising SBR2 with a view to exploiting the modern architectural features and inherent parallelism of field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology. Experiments show that the proposed scheme can achieve low execution times while requiring minimal FPGA resources.

  3. Determination of nitrite and nitrate in water samples by an automated hydrodynamic sequential injection method.

    PubMed

    Somnam, Sarawut; Jakmunee, Jaroon; Grudpan, Kate; Lenghor, Narong; Motomizu, Shoji

    2008-12-01

    An automated hydrodynamic sequential injection (HSI) system with spectrophotometric detection was developed. Thanks to the hydrodynamic injection principle, simple devices can be used for introducing reproducible microliter volumes of both sample and reagent into the flow channel to form stacked zones in a similar fashion to those in a sequential injection system. The zones were then pushed to the detector and a peak profile was recorded. The determination of nitrite and nitrate in water samples by employing the Griess reaction was chosen as a model. Calibration graphs with linearity in the range of 0.7 - 40 muM were obtained for both nitrite and nitrate. Detection limits were found to be 0.3 muM NO(2)(-) and 0.4 muM NO(3)(-), respectively, with a sample throughput of 20 h(-1) for consecutive determination of both the species. The developed system was successfully applied to the analysis of water samples, employing simple and cost-effective instrumentation and offering higher degrees of automation and low chemical consumption.

  4. A high accuracy sequential solver for simulation and active control of a longitudinal combustion instability

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shyy, W.; Thakur, S.; Udaykumar, H. S.

    1993-01-01

    A high accuracy convection scheme using a sequential solution technique has been developed and applied to simulate the longitudinal combustion instability and its active control. The scheme has been devised in the spirit of the Total Variation Diminishing (TVD) concept with special source term treatment. Due to the substantial heat release effect, a clear delineation of the key elements employed by the scheme, i.e., the adjustable damping factor and the source term treatment has been made. By comparing with the first-order upwind scheme previously utilized, the present results exhibit less damping and are free from spurious oscillations, offering improved quantitative accuracy while confirming the spectral analysis reported earlier. A simple feedback type of active control has been found to be capable of enhancing or attenuating the magnitude of the combustion instability.

  5. Sequential capillary electrophoresis analysis using optically gated sample injection and UV/vis detection.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xiaoxia; Tian, Miaomiao; Camara, Mohamed Amara; Guo, Liping; Yang, Li

    2015-10-01

    We present sequential CE analysis of amino acids and L-asparaginase-catalyzed enzyme reaction, by combing the on-line derivatization, optically gated (OG) injection and commercial-available UV-Vis detection. Various experimental conditions for sequential OG-UV/vis CE analysis were investigated and optimized by analyzing a standard mixture of amino acids. High reproducibility of the sequential CE analysis was demonstrated with RSD values (n = 20) of 2.23, 2.57, and 0.70% for peak heights, peak areas, and migration times, respectively, and the LOD of 5.0 μM (for asparagine) and 2.0 μM (for aspartic acid) were obtained. With the application of the OG-UV/vis CE analysis, sequential online CE enzyme assay of L-asparaginase-catalyzed enzyme reaction was carried out by automatically and continuously monitoring the substrate consumption and the product formation every 12 s from the beginning to the end of the reaction. The Michaelis constants for the reaction were obtained and were found to be in good agreement with the results of traditional off-line enzyme assays. The study demonstrated the feasibility and reliability of integrating the OG injection with UV/vis detection for sequential online CE analysis, which could be of potential value for online monitoring various chemical reaction and bioprocesses. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Dynamic leaching and fractionation of trace elements from environmental solids exploiting a novel circulating-flow platform.

    PubMed

    Mori, Masanobu; Nakano, Koji; Sasaki, Masaya; Shinozaki, Haruka; Suzuki, Shiho; Okawara, Chitose; Miró, Manuel; Itabashi, Hideyuki

    2016-02-01

    A dynamic flow-through microcolumn extraction system based on extractant re-circulation is herein proposed as a novel analytical approach for simplification of bioaccessibility tests of trace elements in sediments. On-line metal leaching is undertaken in the format of all injection (AI) analysis, which is a sequel of flow injection analysis, but involving extraction under steady-state conditions. The minimum circulation times and flow rates required to determine the maximum bioaccessible pools of target metals (viz., Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) from lake and river sediment samples were estimated using Tessier's sequential extraction scheme and an acid single extraction test. The on-line AIA method was successfully validated by mass balance studies of CRM and real sediment samples. Tessier's test in on-line AI format demonstrated to be carried out by one third of extraction time (6h against more than 17 h by the conventional method), with better analytical precision (<9.2% against >15% by the conventional method) and significant decrease in blank readouts as compared with the manual batch counterpart. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Computational flow field in energy efficient engine (EEE)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miki, Kenji; Moder, Jeff; Liou, Meng-Sing

    2016-11-01

    In this paper, preliminary results for the recently-updated Open National Combustor Code (Open NCC) as applied to the EEE are presented. The comparison between two different numerical schemes, the standard Jameson-Schmidt-Turkel (JST) scheme and the advection upstream splitting method (AUSM), is performed for the cold flow and the reacting flow calculations using the RANS. In the cold flow calculation, the AUSM scheme predicts a much stronger reverse flow in the central recirculation zone. In the reacting flow calculation, we test two cases: gaseous fuel injection and liquid spray injection. In the gaseous fuel injection case, the overall flame structures of the two schemes are similar to one another, in the sense that the flame is attached to the main nozzle, but is detached from the pilot nozzle. However, in the exit temperature profile, the AUSM scheme shows a more uniform profile than that of the JST scheme, which is close to the experimental data. In the liquid spray injection case, we expect different flame structures in this scenario. We will give a brief discussion on how two numerical schemes predict the flame structures inside the Eusing different ways to introduce the fuel injection. Supported by NASA's Transformational Tools and Technologies project.

  8. Computational Flow Field in Energy Efficient Engine (EEE)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miki, Kenji; Moder, Jeff; Liou, Meng-Sing

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, preliminary results for the recently-updated Open National Combustion Code (Open NCC) as applied to the EEE are presented. The comparison between two different numerical schemes, the standard Jameson-Schmidt-Turkel (JST) scheme and the advection upstream splitting method (AUSM), is performed for the cold flow and the reacting flow calculations using the RANS. In the cold flow calculation, the AUSM scheme predicts a much stronger reverse flow in the central recirculation zone. In the reacting flow calculation, we test two cases: gaseous fuel injection and liquid spray injection. In the gaseous fuel injection case, the overall flame structures of the two schemes are similar to one another, in the sense that the flame is attached to the main nozzle, but is detached from the pilot nozzle. However, in the exit temperature profile, the AUSM scheme shows a more uniform profile than that of the JST scheme, which is close to the experimental data. In the liquid spray injection case, we expect different flame structures in this scenario. We will give a brief discussion on how two numerical schemes predict the flame structures inside the EEE using different ways to introduce the fuel injection.

  9. An on-line potentiometric sequential injection titration process analyser for the determination of acetic acid.

    PubMed

    van Staden, J F; Mashamba, Mulalo G; Stefan, Raluca I

    2002-09-01

    An on-line potentiometric sequential injection titration process analyser for the determination of acetic acid is proposed. A solution of 0.1 mol L(-1) sodium chloride is used as carrier. Titration is achieved by aspirating acetic acid samples between two strong base-zone volumes into a holding coil and by channelling the stack of well-defined zones with flow reversal through a reaction coil to a potentiometric sensor where the peak widths were measured. A linear relationship between peak width and logarithm of the acid concentration was obtained in the range 1-9 g/100 mL. Vinegar samples were analysed without any sample pre-treatment. The method has a relative standard deviation of 0.4% with a sample frequency of 28 samples per hour. The results revealed good agreement between the proposed sequential injection and an automated batch titration method.

  10. Superparamagnetic And Paramagnetic MRI Contrast Agents: Application Of Rapid Magnetic Resonance Imaging To Assess Renal Function

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carvlin, Mark J.; Renshaw, Perry F.; Arger, Peter; Kundel, Harold L.; Dougherty, Larry; Axel, Leon; Kassab, Eleanor; Moore, Bethanne

    1988-06-01

    The paramagnetic chelate complex, gadolinium-diethylene-triamine-pentaacetic acid, Gd-DTPA, and superparamagnetic particles, such as those composed of dextran coated magnetite, function as magnetic resonance contrast agents by changing the relaxation rates, 1/T1 and 1/T2. The effects that these agents have upon MR signal intensity are determined by: the inherent biophysical properties of the tissue being imaged, the concentration of the contrast agent and the data acquisition scheme (pulse sequence parameters) employed. Following the time course of MR signal change in the first minutes after the injection of contrast agent(s) allows a dynamic assessment of organ functions in a manner analogous to certain nuclear medicine studies. In order to study renal function, sequential MR fast scan images, gradient echo (TR=35/TE=7 msec, flip angle=25 degrees), were acquired, one every 12 seconds, after intravenous injection of Gd-DTPA and/or dextran-magnetite. Gd-DTPA, which is freely filtered at the glomerulus and is neither secreted nor reabsorbed, provides information concerning renal perfusion, glomerular filtration and tubular concentrating ability. Dextran-magnetite (200 A diameter), which is primarily contained within the intravascular space shortly after injection, provides information on blood flow to and distribution within the kidney. The MR signal change observed after administration of contrast agents varied dramatically depending upon the agents injected and the imaging parameters used. Hence a broad range of physiolgic processes may be described using these techniques, i.e. contrast agent enhanced functional MR examinations.

  11. Systolic array processing of the sequential decoding algorithm

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chang, C. Y.; Yao, K.

    1989-01-01

    A systolic array processing technique is applied to implementing the stack algorithm form of the sequential decoding algorithm. It is shown that sorting, a key function in the stack algorithm, can be efficiently realized by a special type of systolic arrays known as systolic priority queues. Compared to the stack-bucket algorithm, this approach is shown to have the advantages that the decoding always moves along the optimal path, that it has a fast and constant decoding speed and that its simple and regular hardware architecture is suitable for VLSI implementation. Three types of systolic priority queues are discussed: random access scheme, shift register scheme and ripple register scheme. The property of the entries stored in the systolic priority queue is also investigated. The results are applicable to many other basic sorting type problems.

  12. DUAL STATE-PARAMETER UPDATING SCHEME ON A CONCEPTUAL HYDROLOGIC MODEL USING SEQUENTIAL MONTE CARLO FILTERS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noh, Seong Jin; Tachikawa, Yasuto; Shiiba, Michiharu; Kim, Sunmin

    Applications of data assimilation techniques have been widely used to improve upon the predictability of hydrologic modeling. Among various data assimilation techniques, sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) filters, known as "particle filters" provide the capability to handle non-linear and non-Gaussian state-space models. This paper proposes a dual state-parameter updating scheme (DUS) based on SMC methods to estimate both state and parameter variables of a hydrologic model. We introduce a kernel smoothing method for the robust estimation of uncertain model parameters in the DUS. The applicability of the dual updating scheme is illustrated using the implementation of the storage function model on a middle-sized Japanese catchment. We also compare performance results of DUS combined with various SMC methods, such as SIR, ASIR and RPF.

  13. The Solution to Pollution is Distribution: Design Your Own Chaotic Flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tigera, R. G.; Roth, E. J.; Neupauer, R.; Mays, D. C.

    2015-12-01

    Plume spreading promotes the molecular mixing that drives chemical reactions in porous media in general, and remediation reactions in groundwater aquifers in particular. Theoretical analysis suggests that engineered injection and extraction, a specific sequence of pumping through wells surrounding a contaminant plume, can improve groundwater remediation through chaotic advection. Selection of an engineered injection and extraction scheme is difficult, however, because the engineer is faced with the difficulty of recommending a pumping scheme for a contaminated site without having any previous knowledge of how the scheme will perform. To address this difficulty, this presentation describes a Graphical User Interface (GUI) designed to help engineers develop, test, and observe pumping schemes as described in previous research (Mays, D.C. and Neupauer, R.M., 2012, Plume spreading in groundwater by stretching and folding, Water Resour. Res., 48, W07501, doi:10.1029/2011WR011567). The inputs allow the user to manipulate the model conditions such as number of wells, plume size, and pumping scheme. Plume evolution is modeled, assuming no diffusion or dispersion, using analytical solutions for injection or extraction through individual wells or pairs or wells (i.e., dipoles). Using the GUI, an engineered injection and extraction scheme can be determined that best fits the remediation needs of the contaminated site. By creating multiple injection and extraction schemes, the user can learn about the plume shapes created from different schemes and, ultimately, recommend a pumping scheme based on some experience of fluid flow as shown in the GUI. The pumping schemes developed through this GUI are expected to guide more advanced modeling and laboratory studies that account for the crucial role of dispersion in groundwater remediation.

  14. Simultaneous versus Sequential Intratympanic Steroid Treatment for Severe-to-Profound Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

    PubMed

    Yoo, Myung Hoon; Lim, Won Sub; Park, Joo Hyun; Kwon, Joong Keun; Lee, Tae-Hoon; An, Yong-Hwi; Kim, Young-Jin; Kim, Jong Yang; Lim, Hyun Woo; Park, Hong Ju

    2016-01-01

    Severe-to-profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) has a poor prognosis. We aimed to compare the efficacy of simultaneous and sequential oral and intratympanic steroids for this condition. Fifty patients with severe-to-profound SSNHL (>70 dB HL) were included from 7 centers. The simultaneous group (27 patients) received oral and intratympanic steroid injections for 2 weeks. The sequential group (23 patients) was treated with oral steroids for 2 weeks and intratympanic steroids for the subsequent 2 weeks. Pure-tone averages (PTA) and word discrimination scores (WDS) were compared before treatment and 2 weeks and 1 and 2 months after treatment. Treatment outcomes according to the modified American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) criteria were also analyzed. The improvement in PTA and WDS at the 2-week follow-up was 23 ± 21 dB HL and 20 ± 39% in the simultaneous group and 31 ± 29 dB HL and 37 ± 42% in the sequential group; this was not statistically significant. Complete or partial recovery at the 2-week follow-up was observed in 26% of the simultaneous group and 30% of the sequential group; this was also not significant. The improvement in PTA and WDS at the 2-month follow-up was 40 ± 20 dB HL and 37 ± 35% in the simultaneous group and 41 ± 25 dB HL and 48 ± 41% in the sequential group; this was not statistically significant. Complete or partial recovery at the 2-month follow-up was observed in 33% of the simultaneous group and 35% of the sequential group; this was also not significant. Seven patients in the sequential group did not need intratympanic steroid injections for sufficient improvement after oral steroids alone. Simultaneous oral/intratympanic steroid treatment yielded a recovery similar to that produced by sequential treatment. Because the addition of intratympanic steroids can be decided upon based on the improvement after an oral steroid, the sequential regimen can be recommended to avoid unnecessary intratympanic injections. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  15. Effective Control of Computationally Simulated Wing Rock in Subsonic Flow

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kandil, Osama A.; Menzies, Margaret A.

    1997-01-01

    The unsteady compressible, full Navier-Stokes (NS) equations and the Euler equations of rigid-body dynamics are sequentially solved to simulate the delta wing rock phenomenon. The NS equations are solved time accurately, using the implicit, upwind, Roe flux-difference splitting, finite-volume scheme. The rigid-body dynamics equations are solved using a four-stage Runge-Kutta scheme. Once the wing reaches the limit-cycle response, an active control model using a mass injection system is applied from the wing surface to suppress the limit-cycle oscillation. The active control model is based on state feedback and the control law is established using pole placement techniques. The control law is based on the feedback of two states: the roll-angle and roll velocity. The primary model of the computational applications consists of a 80 deg swept, sharp edged, delta wing at 30 deg angle of attack in a freestream of Mach number 0.1 and Reynolds number of 0.4 x 10(exp 6). With a limit-cycle roll amplitude of 41.1 deg, the control model is applied, and the results show that within one and one half cycles of oscillation, the wing roll amplitude and velocity are brought to zero.

  16. A Method To Determine the Kinetics of Solute Mixing in Liquid/Liquid Formulation Dual-Chamber Syringes.

    PubMed

    Werk, Tobias; Mahler, Hanns-Christian; Ludwig, Imke Sonja; Luemkemann, Joerg; Huwyler, Joerg; Hafner, Mathias

    Dual-chamber syringes were originally designed to separate a solid substance and its diluent. However, they can also be used to separate liquid formulations of two individual drug products, which cannot be co-formulated due to technical or regulatory issues. A liquid/liquid dual-chamber syringe can be designed to achieve homogenization and mixing of both solutions prior to administration, or it can be used to sequentially inject both solutions. While sequential injection can be easily achieved by a dual-chamber syringe with a bypass located at the needle end of the syringe barrel, mixing of the two fluids may provide more challenges. Within this study, the mixing behavior of surrogate solutions in different dual-chamber syringes is assessed. Furthermore, the influence of parameters such as injection angle, injection speed, agitation, and sample viscosity were studied. It was noted that mixing was poor for the commercial dual-chamber syringes (with a bypass designed as a longitudinal ridge) when the two liquids significantly differ in their physical properties (viscosity, density). However, an optimized dual-chamber syringe design with multiple bypass channels resulted in improved mixing of liquids. Dual-chamber syringes were originally designed to separate a solid substance and its diluent. However, they can also be used to separate liquid formulations of two individual drug products. A liquid/liquid dual-chamber syringe can be designed to achieve homogenization and mixing of both solutions prior to administration, or it can be used to sequentially inject both solutions. While sequential injection can be easily achieved by a dual-chamber syringe with a bypass located at the needle end of the syringe barrel, mixing of the two fluids may provide more challenges. Within this study, the mixing behavior of surrogate solutions in different dual-chamber syringes is assessed. Furthermore, the influence of parameters such as injection angle, injection speed, agitation, and sample viscosity were studied. It was noted that mixing was poor for the commercially available dual-chamber syringes when the two liquids significantly differ in viscosity and density. However, an optimized dual-chamber syringe design resulted in improved mixing of liquids. © PDA, Inc. 2017.

  17. A remediation performance model for enhanced metabolic reductive dechlorination of chloroethenes in fractured clay till

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manoli, Gabriele; Chambon, Julie C.; Bjerg, Poul L.; Scheutz, Charlotte; Binning, Philip J.; Broholm, Mette M.

    2012-04-01

    A numerical model of metabolic reductive dechlorination is used to describe the performance of enhanced bioremediation in fractured clay till. The model is developed to simulate field observations of a full scale bioremediation scheme in a fractured clay till and thereby to assess remediation efficiency and timeframe. A relatively simple approach is used to link the fermentation of the electron donor soybean oil to the sequential dechlorination of trichloroethene (TCE) while considering redox conditions and the heterogeneous clay till system (clay till matrix, fractures and sand stringers). The model is tested on lab batch experiments and applied to describe sediment core samples from a TCE-contaminated site. Model simulations compare favorably to field observations and demonstrate that dechlorination may be limited to narrow bioactive zones in the clay matrix around fractures and sand stringers. Field scale simulations show that the injected donor is expected to be depleted after 5 years, and that without donor re-injection contaminant rebound will occur in the high permeability zones and the mass removal will stall at 18%. Long remediation timeframes, if dechlorination is limited to narrow bioactive zones, and the need for additional donor injections to maintain dechlorination activity may limit the efficiency of ERD in low-permeability media. Future work should address the dynamics of the bioactive zones, which is essential to understand for predictions of long term mass removal.

  18. Development of a sequential injection-square wave voltammetry method for determination of paraquat in water samples employing the hanging mercury drop electrode.

    PubMed

    dos Santos, Luciana B O; Infante, Carlos M C; Masini, Jorge C

    2010-03-01

    This work describes the development and optimization of a sequential injection method to automate the determination of paraquat by square-wave voltammetry employing a hanging mercury drop electrode. Automation by sequential injection enhanced the sampling throughput, improving the sensitivity and precision of the measurements as a consequence of the highly reproducible and efficient conditions of mass transport of the analyte toward the electrode surface. For instance, 212 analyses can be made per hour if the sample/standard solution is prepared off-line and the sequential injection system is used just to inject the solution towards the flow cell. In-line sample conditioning reduces the sampling frequency to 44 h(-1). Experiments were performed in 0.10 M NaCl, which was the carrier solution, using a frequency of 200 Hz, a pulse height of 25 mV, a potential step of 2 mV, and a flow rate of 100 µL s(-1). For a concentration range between 0.010 and 0.25 mg L(-1), the current (i(p), µA) read at the potential corresponding to the peak maximum fitted the following linear equation with the paraquat concentration (mg L(-1)): i(p) = (-20.5 ± 0.3)C (paraquat) - (0.02 ± 0.03). The limits of detection and quantification were 2.0 and 7.0 µg L(-1), respectively. The accuracy of the method was evaluated by recovery studies using spiked water samples that were also analyzed by molecular absorption spectrophotometry after reduction of paraquat with sodium dithionite in an alkaline medium. No evidence of statistically significant differences between the two methods was observed at the 95% confidence level.

  19. Efficient flow injection and sequential injection methods for spectrophotometric determination of oxybenzone in sunscreens based on reaction with Ni(II).

    PubMed

    Chisvert, A; Salvador, A; Pascual-Martí, M C; March, J G

    2001-04-01

    Spectrophotometric determination of a widely used UV-filter, such as oxybenzone, is proposed. The method is based on the complexation reaction between oxybenzone and Ni(II) in ammoniacal medium. The stoichiometry of the reaction, established by the Job method, was 1:1. Reaction conditions were studied and the experimental parameters were optimized, for both flow injection (FI) and sequential injection (SI) determinations, with comparative purposes. Sunscreen formulations containing oxybenzone were analyzed by the proposed methods and results compared with those obtained by HPLC. Data show that both FI and SI procedures provide accurate and precise results. The ruggedness, sensitivity and LOD are adequate to the analysis requirements. The sample frequency obtained by FI is three-fold higher than that of SI analysis. SI is less reagent-consuming than FI.

  20. Treatment of menopausal symptoms with three low-dose continuous sequential 17β-estradiol/progesterone parenteral monthly formulations using novel non-polymeric microsphere technology

    PubMed Central

    Cortés-Bonilla, Manuel; Bernardo-Escudero, Roberto; Alonso-Campero, Rosalba; Francisco-Doce, María T.; Hernández-Valencia, Marcelino; Celis-González, Cuauhtémoc; Márquez-Oñate, Ricardo; Chedraui, Peter; Uribe, Juan A.

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Objective: To analyze the short-term efficacy and safety over menopausal symptoms of three low-dose continuous sequential 17β-estradiol (E)/progesterone (P) parental monthly formulations using novel non-polymeric microspheres. Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized, single blinded study in which peri- and postmenopausal women were assigned to receive a monthly intramuscular injection of 0.5 mg E + 15 mg P (Group A, n = 34), 1 mg E + 20 mg P (Group B, n = 24) or 1 mg E + 30 mg P (Group C, n = 26) for 6 months. Primary efficacy endpoints included mean change in the frequency and severity of hot flushes and the effect over urogenital atrophy symptoms at 3 and 6 months. Safety variables included changes in the rate of amenorrhea, endometrial thickness and histopathology, and local and systemic adverse events. Results: Compared to baseline at month 6, the three treatment schemes significantly decreased the rate of urogenital atrophy symptoms and the frequency (mean number per day) and severity (mean number graded as moderate and severe per month) of hot flushes. No differences in studied efficacy parameters were observed between studied groups at baseline or at the end of the study. For all groups the most frequent adverse event was pain at the injection site; however they were all rated as mild. At the end of the study peri- and postmenopausal women displayed no significant changes in endometrial thickness or histopathology in all treated groups. The rate of amenorrhea at the end of the study decreased for all studied groups yet was less evident among postmenopausal women as compared to perimenopausal ones. Conclusions: The three low-dose continuous sequential intramuscular monthly treatments of E/P using novel microsphere technology were effective at reducing menopausal symptoms at short-term with a low rate of adverse events. More long-term and comparative research is warranted to support our positive findings. PMID:26062108

  1. On resilience studies of system detection and recovery techniques against stealthy insider attacks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, Sixiao; Zhang, Hanlin; Chen, Genshe; Shen, Dan; Yu, Wei; Pham, Khanh D.; Blasch, Erik P.; Cruz, Jose B.

    2016-05-01

    With the explosive growth of network technologies, insider attacks have become a major concern to business operations that largely rely on computer networks. To better detect insider attacks that marginally manipulate network traffic over time, and to recover the system from attacks, in this paper we implement a temporal-based detection scheme using the sequential hypothesis testing technique. Two hypothetical states are considered: the null hypothesis that the collected information is from benign historical traffic and the alternative hypothesis that the network is under attack. The objective of such a detection scheme is to recognize the change within the shortest time by comparing the two defined hypotheses. In addition, once the attack is detected, a server migration-based system recovery scheme can be triggered to recover the system to the state prior to the attack. To understand mitigation of insider attacks, a multi-functional web display of the detection analysis was developed for real-time analytic. Experiments using real-world traffic traces evaluate the effectiveness of Detection System and Recovery (DeSyAR) scheme. The evaluation data validates the detection scheme based on sequential hypothesis testing and the server migration-based system recovery scheme can perform well in effectively detecting insider attacks and recovering the system under attack.

  2. Top-up injection schemes for future circular lepton collider

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aiba, M.; Goddard, B.; Oide, K.; Papaphilippou, Y.; Saá Hernández, Á.; Shwartz, D.; White, S.; Zimmermann, F.

    2018-02-01

    Top-up injection is an essential ingredient for the future circular lepton collider (FCC-ee) to maximize the integrated luminosity and it determines the design performance. In ttbar operation mode, with a beam energy of 175 GeV, the design lifetime of ∼1 h is the shortest of the four anticipated operational modes, and the beam lifetime may be even shorter in actual operation. A highly robust top-up injection scheme is consequently imperative. Various top-up methods are investigated and a number of suitable schemes are considered in developing alternative designs for the injection straight section of the collider ring. For the first time, we consider multipole-kicker off-energy injection, for minimizing detector background in top-up operation, and the use of a thin wire septum in a lepton storage ring, for maximizing the luminosity.

  3. Optical flip-flops in a polarization-encoded optical shadow-casting scheme.

    PubMed

    Rizvi, R A; Zubairy, M S

    1994-06-10

    We propose a novel scheme that optically implements various types of binary sequential logic elements. This is based on a polarization-encoded optical shadow-casting system. The proposed system architecture is capable of implementing synchronous as well as asynchronous sequential circuits owing to the inherent structural flexibility of optical shadow casting. By employing the proposed system, we present the design and implementation schemes of a J-K flip-flop and clocked R-S and D latches. The main feature of these flip-flops is that the propagation of the signal from the input plane to the output (i.e., processing) and from the output plane to the source plane (i.e., feedback) is all optical. Consequently the efficiency of these elements in terms of speed is increased. The only electronic part in the system is the detection of the outputs and the switching of the source plane.

  4. Recent Electrochemical and Optical Sensors in Flow-Based Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Chailapakul, Orawon; Ngamukot, Passapol; Yoosamran, Alongkorn; Siangproh, Weena; Wangfuengkanagul, Nattakarn

    2006-01-01

    Some recent analytical sensors based on electrochemical and optical detection coupled with different flow techniques have been chosen in this overview. A brief description of fundamental concepts and applications of each flow technique, such as flow injection analysis (FIA), sequential injection analysis (SIA), all injection analysis (AIA), batch injection analysis (BIA), multicommutated FIA (MCFIA), multisyringe FIA (MSFIA), and multipumped FIA (MPFIA) were reviewed.

  5. Improved numerical methods for turbulent viscous flows aerothermal modeling program, phase 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Karki, K. C.; Patankar, S. V.; Runchal, A. K.; Mongia, H. C.

    1988-01-01

    The details of a study to develop accurate and efficient numerical schemes to predict complex flows are described. In this program, several discretization schemes were evaluated using simple test cases. This assessment led to the selection of three schemes for an in-depth evaluation based on two-dimensional flows. The scheme with the superior overall performance was incorporated in a computer program for three-dimensional flows. To improve the computational efficiency, the selected discretization scheme was combined with a direct solution approach in which the fluid flow equations are solved simultaneously rather than sequentially.

  6. Investigation of combustion characteristics in a scramjet combustor using a modified flamelet model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Guoyan; Sun, Mingbo; Wang, Hongbo; Ouyang, Hao

    2018-07-01

    In this study, the characteristics of supersonic combustion inside an ethylene-fueled scramjet combustor equipped with multi-cavities were investigated with different injection schemes. Experimental results showed that the flames concentrated in the cavity and separated boundary layer downstream of the cavity, and they occupied the flow channel further enhancing the bulk flow compression. The flame structure in distributed injection scheme differed from that in centralized injection scheme. In numerical simulations, a modified flamelet model was introduced to consider that the pressure distribution is far from homogenous inside the scramjet combustor. Compared with original flamelet model, numerical predictions based on the modified model showed better agreement with the experimental results, validating the reliability of the calculations. Based on the modified model, the simulations with different injection schemes were analysed. The predicted flame agreed reasonably with the experimental observations in structure. The CO masses were concentrated in cavity and subsonic region adjacent to the cavity shear layer leading to intense heat release. Compared with centralized scheme, the higher jet mixing efficiency in distributed scheme induced an intense combustion in posterior upper cavity and downstream of the cavity. From streamline and isolation surfaces, the combustion at trail of lower cavity was depressed since the bulk flow downstream of the cavity is pushed down.

  7. Sampling strategies for subsampled segmented EPI PRF thermometry in MR guided high intensity focused ultrasound

    PubMed Central

    Odéen, Henrik; Todd, Nick; Diakite, Mahamadou; Minalga, Emilee; Payne, Allison; Parker, Dennis L.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate k-space subsampling strategies to achieve fast, large field-of-view (FOV) temperature monitoring using segmented echo planar imaging (EPI) proton resonance frequency shift thermometry for MR guided high intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU) applications. Methods: Five different k-space sampling approaches were investigated, varying sample spacing (equally vs nonequally spaced within the echo train), sampling density (variable sampling density in zero, one, and two dimensions), and utilizing sequential or centric sampling. Three of the schemes utilized sequential sampling with the sampling density varied in zero, one, and two dimensions, to investigate sampling the k-space center more frequently. Two of the schemes utilized centric sampling to acquire the k-space center with a longer echo time for improved phase measurements, and vary the sampling density in zero and two dimensions, respectively. Phantom experiments and a theoretical point spread function analysis were performed to investigate their performance. Variable density sampling in zero and two dimensions was also implemented in a non-EPI GRE pulse sequence for comparison. All subsampled data were reconstructed with a previously described temporally constrained reconstruction (TCR) algorithm. Results: The accuracy of each sampling strategy in measuring the temperature rise in the HIFU focal spot was measured in terms of the root-mean-square-error (RMSE) compared to fully sampled “truth.” For the schemes utilizing sequential sampling, the accuracy was found to improve with the dimensionality of the variable density sampling, giving values of 0.65 °C, 0.49 °C, and 0.35 °C for density variation in zero, one, and two dimensions, respectively. The schemes utilizing centric sampling were found to underestimate the temperature rise, with RMSE values of 1.05 °C and 1.31 °C, for variable density sampling in zero and two dimensions, respectively. Similar subsampling schemes with variable density sampling implemented in zero and two dimensions in a non-EPI GRE pulse sequence both resulted in accurate temperature measurements (RMSE of 0.70 °C and 0.63 °C, respectively). With sequential sampling in the described EPI implementation, temperature monitoring over a 192 × 144 × 135 mm3 FOV with a temporal resolution of 3.6 s was achieved, while keeping the RMSE compared to fully sampled “truth” below 0.35 °C. Conclusions: When segmented EPI readouts are used in conjunction with k-space subsampling for MR thermometry applications, sampling schemes with sequential sampling, with or without variable density sampling, obtain accurate phase and temperature measurements when using a TCR reconstruction algorithm. Improved temperature measurement accuracy can be achieved with variable density sampling. Centric sampling leads to phase bias, resulting in temperature underestimations. PMID:25186406

  8. Energy-efficient writing scheme for magnetic domain-wall motion memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Kab-Jin; Yoshimura, Yoko; Ham, Woo Seung; Ernst, Rick; Hirata, Yuushou; Li, Tian; Kim, Sanghoon; Moriyama, Takahiro; Nakatani, Yoshinobu; Ono, Teruo

    2017-04-01

    We present an energy-efficient magnetic domain-writing scheme for domain wall (DW) motion-based memory devices. A cross-shaped nanowire is employed to inject a domain into the nanowire through current-induced DW propagation. The energy required for injecting the magnetic domain is more than one order of magnitude lower than that for the conventional field-based writing scheme. The proposed scheme is beneficial for device miniaturization because the threshold current for DW propagation scales with the device size, which cannot be achieved in the conventional field-based technique.

  9. The composite sequential clustering technique for analysis of multispectral scanner data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Su, M. Y.

    1972-01-01

    The clustering technique consists of two parts: (1) a sequential statistical clustering which is essentially a sequential variance analysis, and (2) a generalized K-means clustering. In this composite clustering technique, the output of (1) is a set of initial clusters which are input to (2) for further improvement by an iterative scheme. This unsupervised composite technique was employed for automatic classification of two sets of remote multispectral earth resource observations. The classification accuracy by the unsupervised technique is found to be comparable to that by traditional supervised maximum likelihood classification techniques. The mathematical algorithms for the composite sequential clustering program and a detailed computer program description with job setup are given.

  10. Six Basic Plan Concepts Used for California School Housing. A Sequential Development from 1900 to Today.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento. Bureau of School Planning.

    A floor plan accompanies each of six chronologically arranged schemes for housing educational programs. Scheme A represents the in-line corridor plan whose main characteristics are--(1) double loaded corridors with fixed bearing walls, (2) single window walls providing minimal light and ventilation, and (3) small classrooms with fixed desks and…

  11. R & D on Beam Injection and Bunching Schemes in the Fermilab Booster

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

    Bhat, C. M.

    2016-01-01

    Fermilab is committed to upgrade its accelerator complex to support HEP experiments at the intensity frontier. The ongoing Proton Improvement Plan (PIP) enables us to reach 700 kW beam power on the NuMI neutrino targets. By the end of the next decade, the current 400 MeV normal conducting LINAC will be replaced by an 800 MeV superconducting LINAC (PIP-II) with an increased beam power >50% of the PIP design goal. Both in PIP and PIP-II era, the existing Booster is going to play a very significant role, at least for next two decades. In the meanwhile, we have recently developedmore » an innovative beam injection and bunching scheme for the Booster called "early injection scheme" that continues to use the existing 400 MeV LINAC and implemented into operation. This scheme has the potential to increase the Booster beam intensity by >40% from the PIP design goal. Some benefits from the scheme have already been seen. In this paper, I will describe the basic principle of the scheme, results from recent beam experiments, our experience with the new scheme in operation, current status, issues and future plans. This scheme fits well with the current and future intensity upgrade programs at Fermilab.« less

  12. Imaging the photoinduced charge injection in CdS/TiO2 nanoparticles by the sequential fluorescence mapping method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frederice, Rafael; Lencione, Diego; Gehlen, Marcelo H.

    2017-03-01

    The combination of a sensitizer and TiO2 nanoparticles forming a photocatalytic material is a central issue in many fields of applied photochemistry. The charge injection of emissive sensitizers into the conduction band of the semiconductor TiO2 may form a photoactive region that becomes dark, or it has a very low emission signal due to the generation of sensitizer radicals. However, by sequential coupling of a selected photoredox dye, such as resazurin, the dark region may become fluorescent at the interfaces where the charge injection has taken place due to the concomitant formation of fluorescent resorufin by cascade electron transfer. Using this strategy and a total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) image, the charge injection in TiO2/CdS and SiO2/TiO2/CdS nanoparticles is investigated The method allows the charge injection efficiency of the excited CdS into TiO2 to be evaluated qualitatively, explaining the differences observed for these photocatalytic materials in H2 generation.

  13. Imaging the photoinduced charge injection in CdS/TiO2 nanoparticles by the sequential fluorescence mapping method.

    PubMed

    Frederice, Rafael; Lencione, Diego; Gehlen, Marcelo H

    2017-02-10

    The combination of a sensitizer and TiO 2 nanoparticles forming a photocatalytic material is a central issue in many fields of applied photochemistry. The charge injection of emissive sensitizers into the conduction band of the semiconductor TiO 2 may form a photoactive region that becomes dark, or it has a very low emission signal due to the generation of sensitizer radicals. However, by sequential coupling of a selected photoredox dye, such as resazurin, the dark region may become fluorescent at the interfaces where the charge injection has taken place due to the concomitant formation of fluorescent resorufin by cascade electron transfer. Using this strategy and a total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) image, the charge injection in TiO 2 /CdS and SiO 2 /TiO 2 /CdS nanoparticles is investigated The method allows the charge injection efficiency of the excited CdS into TiO 2 to be evaluated qualitatively, explaining the differences observed for these photocatalytic materials in H 2 generation.

  14. Sequential Injection Analysis for Optimization of Molecular Biology Reactions

    PubMed Central

    Allen, Peter B.; Ellington, Andrew D.

    2011-01-01

    In order to automate the optimization of complex biochemical and molecular biology reactions, we developed a Sequential Injection Analysis (SIA) device and combined this with a Design of Experiment (DOE) algorithm. This combination of hardware and software automatically explores the parameter space of the reaction and provides continuous feedback for optimizing reaction conditions. As an example, we optimized the endonuclease digest of a fluorogenic substrate, and showed that the optimized reaction conditions also applied to the digest of the substrate outside of the device, and to the digest of a plasmid. The sequential technique quickly arrived at optimized reaction conditions with less reagent use than a batch process (such as a fluid handling robot exploring multiple reaction conditions in parallel) would have. The device and method should now be amenable to much more complex molecular biology reactions whose variable spaces are correspondingly larger. PMID:21338059

  15. Free energy computations by minimization of Kullback-Leibler divergence: An efficient adaptive biasing potential method for sparse representations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bilionis, I.; Koutsourelakis, P. S.

    2012-05-01

    The present paper proposes an adaptive biasing potential technique for the computation of free energy landscapes. It is motivated by statistical learning arguments and unifies the tasks of biasing the molecular dynamics to escape free energy wells and estimating the free energy function, under the same objective of minimizing the Kullback-Leibler divergence between appropriately selected densities. It offers rigorous convergence diagnostics even though history dependent, non-Markovian dynamics are employed. It makes use of a greedy optimization scheme in order to obtain sparse representations of the free energy function which can be particularly useful in multidimensional cases. It employs embarrassingly parallelizable sampling schemes that are based on adaptive Sequential Monte Carlo and can be readily coupled with legacy molecular dynamics simulators. The sequential nature of the learning and sampling scheme enables the efficient calculation of free energy functions parametrized by the temperature. The characteristics and capabilities of the proposed method are demonstrated in three numerical examples.

  16. Separation of left and right lungs using 3D information of sequential CT images and a guided dynamic programming algorithm

    PubMed Central

    Park, Sang Cheol; Leader, Joseph Ken; Tan, Jun; Lee, Guee Sang; Kim, Soo Hyung; Na, In Seop; Zheng, Bin

    2011-01-01

    Objective this article presents a new computerized scheme that aims to accurately and robustly separate left and right lungs on CT examinations. Methods we developed and tested a method to separate the left and right lungs using sequential CT information and a guided dynamic programming algorithm using adaptively and automatically selected start point and end point with especially severe and multiple connections. Results the scheme successfully identified and separated all 827 connections on the total 4034 CT images in an independent testing dataset of CT examinations. The proposed scheme separated multiple connections regardless of their locations, and the guided dynamic programming algorithm reduced the computation time to approximately 4.6% in comparison with the traditional dynamic programming and avoided the permeation of the separation boundary into normal lung tissue. Conclusions The proposed method is able to robustly and accurately disconnect all connections between left and right lungs and the guided dynamic programming algorithm is able to remove redundant processing. PMID:21412104

  17. Separation of left and right lungs using 3-dimensional information of sequential computed tomography images and a guided dynamic programming algorithm.

    PubMed

    Park, Sang Cheol; Leader, Joseph Ken; Tan, Jun; Lee, Guee Sang; Kim, Soo Hyung; Na, In Seop; Zheng, Bin

    2011-01-01

    This article presents a new computerized scheme that aims to accurately and robustly separate left and right lungs on computed tomography (CT) examinations. We developed and tested a method to separate the left and right lungs using sequential CT information and a guided dynamic programming algorithm using adaptively and automatically selected start point and end point with especially severe and multiple connections. The scheme successfully identified and separated all 827 connections on the total 4034 CT images in an independent testing data set of CT examinations. The proposed scheme separated multiple connections regardless of their locations, and the guided dynamic programming algorithm reduced the computation time to approximately 4.6% in comparison with the traditional dynamic programming and avoided the permeation of the separation boundary into normal lung tissue. The proposed method is able to robustly and accurately disconnect all connections between left and right lungs, and the guided dynamic programming algorithm is able to remove redundant processing.

  18. Sequential injection spectrophotometric determination of oxybenzone in lipsticks.

    PubMed

    Salvador, A; Chisvert, A; Camarasa, A; Pascual-Martí, M C; March, J G

    2001-08-01

    A sequential injection (SI) procedure for the spectrophotometric determination of oxybenzone in lipsticks is reported. The colorimetric reaction between nickel and oxybenzone was used. SI parameters such as sample solution volume, reagent solution volume, propulsion flow rate and reaction coil length were studied. The limit of detection was 3 microg ml(-1). The sensitivity was 0.0108+/-0.0002 ml microg(-1). The relative standard deviations of the results were between 6 and 12%. The real concentrations of samples and the values obtained by HPLC were comparable. Microwave sample pre-treatment allowed the extraction of oxybenzone with ethanol, thus avoiding the use of toxic organic solvents. Ethanol was also used as carrier in the SI system. Seventy-two injections per hour can be performed, which means a sample frequency of 24 h(-1) if three replicates are measured for each sample.

  19. Simultaneous detection of creatine and creatinine using a sequential injection analysis/biosensor system.

    PubMed

    Stefan-van Staden, Raluca-Ioana; Bokretsion, Rahel Girmai; van Staden, Jacobus F; Aboul-Enein, Hassan Y

    2006-01-01

    Carbon paste based biosensors for the determination of creatine and creatinine have been integrated into a sequential injection system. Applying the multi-enzyme sequence of creatininase (CA), and/or creatinase (CI) and sarcosine oxidase (SO), hydrogen peroxide has been detected amperometrically. The linear concentration ranges are of pmol/L to nmol/L magnitude, with very low limits of detection. The proposed SIA system can be utilized reliably for the on-line simultaneous detection of creatine and creatinine in pharmaceutical products, as well as in serum samples, with a rate of 34 samples per hour and RSD values better than 0.16% (n=10).

  20. Hierarchical Control Scheme for Improving Transient Voltage Recovery of a DFIG-Based WPP

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

    Kim, Jinho; Muljadi, Eduard; Kang, Yong Cheol

    Modern grid codes require that wind power plants (WPPs) inject reactive power according to the voltage dip at a point of interconnection (POI). This requirement helps to support a POI voltage during a fault. However, if a fault is cleared, the POI and wind turbine generator (WTG) voltages are likely to exceed acceptable levels unless the WPP reduces the injected reactive power quickly. This might deteriorate the stability of a grid by allowing the disconnection of WTGs to avoid any damage. This paper proposes a hierarchical control scheme of a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG)-based WPP. The proposed scheme aims tomore » improve the reactive power injecting capability during the fault and suppress the overvoltage after the fault clearance. To achieve the former, an adaptive reactive power-to-voltage scheme is implemented in each DFIG controller so that a DFIG with a larger reactive power capability will inject more reactive power. To achieve the latter, a washout filter is used to capture a high frequency component contained in the WPP voltage, which is used to remove the accumulated values in the proportional-integral controllers. Test results indicate that the scheme successfully supports the grid voltage during the fault, and recovers WPP voltages without exceeding the limit after the fault clearance.« less

  1. Sequential elution process

    DOEpatents

    Kingsley, I.S.

    1987-01-06

    A process and apparatus are disclosed for the separation of complex mixtures of carbonaceous material by sequential elution with successively stronger solvents. In the process, a column containing glass beads is maintained in a fluidized state by a rapidly flowing stream of a weak solvent, and the sample is injected into this flowing stream such that a portion of the sample is dissolved therein and the remainder of the sample is precipitated therein and collected as a uniform deposit on the glass beads. Successively stronger solvents are then passed through the column to sequentially elute less soluble materials. 1 fig.

  2. Injection Process Control of the Well at the Hydrodynamic Research of Coalbed

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Odnokopylov, I. G.; Galtseva, O. V.; Krasnov, I. Yu; Smirnov, A. O.; Karpov, M. S.; Surzhikova, O. A.; Kuznetsov, V. V.; Li, J.

    2017-04-01

    This scientific work is devoted to the study results of water injection process into the well at the hydrodynamic research by using the high pressure unregulated pump. The injection process should be accompanied by the retention of some hydraulic parameters at constant level during some time. Various variants for use of mechatronic nodes for automatization of water injection process are considered. Scheme for reducing the load on the pump and equipment in hydraulic system and also for improving the quality control system with high accuracy is shown. Simulation results of injection process into the well at the pressure and consumption fixation and recommendations for the use of the proposed schemes depending on the technological process are given.

  3. New image compression scheme for digital angiocardiography application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anastassopoulos, George C.; Lymberopoulos, Dimitris C.; Kotsopoulos, Stavros A.; Kokkinakis, George C.

    1993-06-01

    The present paper deals with the development and evaluation of a new compression scheme, for angiocardiography images. This scheme provides considerable compression of the medical data file, through two different stages. The first stage obliterates the redundancy inside a single frame domain since the second stage obliterates the redundancy among the sequential frames. Within these stages the employed data compression ratio can be easily adjusted according to the needs of the angiocardiography applications, where still or moving (in slow or full motion) images are hauled. The developed scheme has been tailored on the real needs of the diagnosis oriented conferencing-teleworking processes, where Unified Image Viewing facilities are required.

  4. On a comparison of two schemes in sequential data assimilation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grishina, Anastasiia A.; Penenko, Alexey V.

    2017-11-01

    This paper is focused on variational data assimilation as an approach to mathematical modeling. Realization of the approach requires a sequence of connected inverse problems with different sets of observational data to be solved. Two variational data assimilation schemes, "implicit" and "explicit", are considered in the article. Their equivalence is shown and the numerical results are given on a basis of non-linear Robertson system. To avoid the "inverse problem crime" different schemes were used to produce synthetic measurement and to solve the data assimilation problem.

  5. Monitoring lipase/esterase activity by stopped flow in a sequential injection analysis system using p-nitrophenyl butyrate.

    PubMed

    Pliego, Jorge; Mateos, Juan Carlos; Rodriguez, Jorge; Valero, Francisco; Baeza, Mireia; Femat, Ricardo; Camacho, Rosa; Sandoval, Georgina; Herrera-López, Enrique J

    2015-01-27

    Lipases and esterases are biocatalysts used at the laboratory and industrial level. To obtain the maximum yield in a bioprocess, it is important to measure key variables, such as enzymatic activity. The conventional method for monitoring hydrolytic activity is to take out a sample from the bioreactor to be analyzed off-line at the laboratory. The disadvantage of this approach is the long time required to recover the information from the process, hindering the possibility to develop control systems. New strategies to monitor lipase/esterase activity are necessary. In this context and in the first approach, we proposed a lab-made sequential injection analysis system to analyze off-line samples from shake flasks. Lipase/esterase activity was determined using p-nitrophenyl butyrate as the substrate. The sequential injection analysis allowed us to measure the hydrolytic activity from a sample without dilution in a linear range from 0.05-1.60 U/mL, with the capability to reach sample dilutions up to 1000 times, a sampling frequency of five samples/h, with a kinetic reaction of 5 min and a relative standard deviation of 8.75%. The results are promising to monitor lipase/esterase activity in real time, in which optimization and control strategies can be designed.

  6. Monitoring Lipase/Esterase Activity by Stopped Flow in a Sequential Injection Analysis System Using p-Nitrophenyl Butyrate

    PubMed Central

    Pliego, Jorge; Mateos, Juan Carlos; Rodriguez, Jorge; Valero, Francisco; Baeza, Mireia; Femat, Ricardo; Camacho, Rosa; Sandoval, Georgina; Herrera-López, Enrique J.

    2015-01-01

    Lipases and esterases are biocatalysts used at the laboratory and industrial level. To obtain the maximum yield in a bioprocess, it is important to measure key variables, such as enzymatic activity. The conventional method for monitoring hydrolytic activity is to take out a sample from the bioreactor to be analyzed off-line at the laboratory. The disadvantage of this approach is the long time required to recover the information from the process, hindering the possibility to develop control systems. New strategies to monitor lipase/esterase activity are necessary. In this context and in the first approach, we proposed a lab-made sequential injection analysis system to analyze off-line samples from shake flasks. Lipase/esterase activity was determined using p-nitrophenyl butyrate as the substrate. The sequential injection analysis allowed us to measure the hydrolytic activity from a sample without dilution in a linear range from 0.05–1.60 U/mL, with the capability to reach sample dilutions up to 1000 times, a sampling frequency of five samples/h, with a kinetic reaction of 5 min and a relative standard deviation of 8.75%. The results are promising to monitor lipase/esterase activity in real time, in which optimization and control strategies can be designed. PMID:25633600

  7. Determination of dasatinib in the tablet dosage form by ultra high performance liquid chromatography, capillary zone electrophoresis, and sequential injection analysis.

    PubMed

    Gonzalez, Aroa Garcia; Taraba, Lukáš; Hraníček, Jakub; Kozlík, Petr; Coufal, Pavel

    2017-01-01

    Dasatinib is a novel oral prescription drug proposed for treating adult patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. Three analytical methods, namely ultra high performance liquid chromatography, capillary zone electrophoresis, and sequential injection analysis, were developed, validated, and compared for determination of the drug in the tablet dosage form. The total analysis time of optimized ultra high performance liquid chromatography and capillary zone electrophoresis methods was 2.0 and 2.2 min, respectively. Direct ultraviolet detection with detection wavelength of 322 nm was employed in both cases. The optimized sequential injection analysis method was based on spectrophotometric detection of dasatinib after a simple colorimetric reaction with folin ciocalteau reagent forming a blue-colored complex with an absorbance maximum at 745 nm. The total analysis time was 2.5 min. The ultra high performance liquid chromatography method provided the lowest detection and quantitation limits and the most precise and accurate results. All three newly developed methods were demonstrated to be specific, linear, sensitive, precise, and accurate, providing results satisfactorily meeting the requirements of the pharmaceutical industry, and can be employed for the routine determination of the active pharmaceutical ingredient in the tablet dosage form. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Bit-rate transparent DPSK demodulation scheme based on injection locking FP-LD

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Hanlin; Xiao, Shilin; Yi, Lilin; Zhou, Zhao; Yang, Pei; Shi, Jie

    2013-05-01

    We propose and demonstrate a bit-rate transparent differential phase shift-keying (DPSK) demodulation scheme based on injection locking multiple-quantum-well (MQW) strained InGaAsP FP-LD. By utilizing frequency deviation generated by phase modulation and unstable injection locking state with Fabry-Perot laser diode (FP-LD), DPSK to polarization shift-keying (PolSK) and PolSK to intensity modulation (IM) format conversions are realized. We analyze bit error rate (BER) performance of this demodulation scheme. Experimental results show that different longitude modes, bit rates and seeding power have influences on demodulation performance. We achieve error free DPSK signal demodulation under various bit rates of 10 Gbit/s, 5 Gbit/s, 2.5 Gbit/s and 1.25 Gbit/s with the same demodulation setting.

  9. Sequential Quantum Secret Sharing Using a Single Qudit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bai, Chen-Ming; Li, Zhi-Hui; Li, Yong-Ming

    2018-05-01

    In this paper we propose a novel and efficient quantum secret sharing protocol using d-level single particle, which it can realize a general access structure via the thought of concatenation. In addition, Our scheme includes all advantages of Tavakoli’s scheme [Phys. Rev. A 92 (2015) 030302(R)]. In contrast to Tavakoli’s scheme, the efficiency of our scheme is 1 for the same situation, and the access structure is more general and has advantages in practical significance. Furthermore, we also analyze the security of our scheme in the primary quantum attacks. Sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 61373150 and 61602291, and Industrial Research and Development Project of Science and Technology of Shaanxi Province under Grant No. 2013k0611

  10. Automated Registration of Sequential Breath-Hold Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI Images: a Comparison of 3 Techniques

    PubMed Central

    Rajaraman, Sivaramakrishnan; Rodriguez, Jeffery J.; Graff, Christian; Altbach, Maria I.; Dragovich, Tomislav; Sirlin, Claude B.; Korn, Ronald L.; Raghunand, Natarajan

    2011-01-01

    Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) is increasingly in use as an investigational biomarker of response in cancer clinical studies. Proper registration of images acquired at different time-points is essential for deriving diagnostic information from quantitative pharmacokinetic analysis of these data. Motion artifacts in the presence of time-varying intensity due to contrast-enhancement make this registration problem challenging. DCE-MRI of chest and abdominal lesions is typically performed during sequential breath-holds, which introduces misregistration due to inconsistent diaphragm positions, and also places constraints on temporal resolution vis-à-vis free-breathing. In this work, we have employed a computer-generated DCE-MRI phantom to compare the performance of two published methods, Progressive Principal Component Registration and Pharmacokinetic Model-Driven Registration, with Sequential Elastic Registration (SER) to register adjacent time-sample images using a published general-purpose elastic registration algorithm. In all 3 methods, a 3-D rigid-body registration scheme with a mutual information similarity measure was used as a pre-processing step. The DCE-MRI phantom images were mathematically deformed to simulate misregistration which was corrected using the 3 schemes. All 3 schemes were comparably successful in registering large regions of interest (ROIs) such as muscle, liver, and spleen. SER was superior in retaining tumor volume and shape, and in registering smaller but important ROIs such as tumor core and tumor rim. The performance of SER on clinical DCE-MRI datasets is also presented. PMID:21531108

  11. A new numerical approach to solve Thomas-Fermi model of an atom using bio-inspired heuristics integrated with sequential quadratic programming.

    PubMed

    Raja, Muhammad Asif Zahoor; Zameer, Aneela; Khan, Aziz Ullah; Wazwaz, Abdul Majid

    2016-01-01

    In this study, a novel bio-inspired computing approach is developed to analyze the dynamics of nonlinear singular Thomas-Fermi equation (TFE) arising in potential and charge density models of an atom by exploiting the strength of finite difference scheme (FDS) for discretization and optimization through genetic algorithms (GAs) hybrid with sequential quadratic programming. The FDS procedures are used to transform the TFE differential equations into a system of nonlinear equations. A fitness function is constructed based on the residual error of constituent equations in the mean square sense and is formulated as the minimization problem. Optimization of parameters for the system is carried out with GAs, used as a tool for viable global search integrated with SQP algorithm for rapid refinement of the results. The design scheme is applied to solve TFE for five different scenarios by taking various step sizes and different input intervals. Comparison of the proposed results with the state of the art numerical and analytical solutions reveals that the worth of our scheme in terms of accuracy and convergence. The reliability and effectiveness of the proposed scheme are validated through consistently getting optimal values of statistical performance indices calculated for a sufficiently large number of independent runs to establish its significance.

  12. Evaluation of viscous drag reduction schemes for subsonic transports

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Marino, A.; Economos, C.; Howard, F. G.

    1975-01-01

    The results are described of a theoretical study of viscous drag reduction schemes for potential application to the fuselage of a long-haul subsonic transport aircraft. The schemes which were examined included tangential slot injection on the fuselage and various synergetic combinations of tangential slot injection and distributed suction applied to wing and fuselage surfaces. Both passive and mechanical (utilizing turbo-machinery) systems were examined. Overall performance of the selected systems was determined at a fixed subsonic cruise condition corresponding to a flight Mach number of free stream M = 0.8 and an altitude of 11,000 m. The nominal aircraft to which most of the performance data was referenced was a wide-body transport of the Boeing 747 category. Some of the performance results obtained with wing suction are referenced to a Lockheed C-141 Star Lifter wing section. Alternate designs investigated involved combinations of boundary layer suction on the wing surfaces and injection on the fuselage, and suction and injection combinations applied to the fuselage only.

  13. Simulations of RF capture with barrier bucket in booster at injection

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

    Gardner, C.J.

    2012-01-23

    As part of the effort to increase the number of ions per bunch in RHIC, a new scheme for RF capture of EBIS ions in Booster at injection has been developed. The scheme was proposed by M. Blaskiewicz and J.M. Brennan. It employs a barrier bucket to hold a half turn of beam in place during capture into two adjacent harmonic 4 buckets. After acceleration, this allows for 8 transfers of 2 bunches from Booster into 16 buckets on the AGS injection porch. During the Fall of 2011 the necessary hardware was developed and implemented by the RF and Controlsmore » groups. The scheme is presently being commissioned by K.L. Zeno with Au32+ ions from EBIS. In this note we carry out simulations of the RF capture. These are meant to serve as benchmarks for what can be achieved in practice. They also allow for an estimate of the longitudinal emittance of the bunches on the AGS injection porch.« less

  14. Improved performance of laser wakefield acceleration by tailored self-truncated ionization injection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Irman, A.; Couperus, J. P.; Debus, A.; Köhler, A.; Krämer, J. M.; Pausch, R.; Zarini, O.; Schramm, U.

    2018-04-01

    We report on tailoring ionization-induced injection in laser wakefield acceleration so that the electron injection process is self-truncating following the evolution of the plasma bubble. Robust generation of high-quality electron beams with shot-to-shot fluctuations of the beam parameters better than 10% is presented in detail. As a novelty, the scheme was found to enable well-controlled yet simple tuning of the injected charge while preserving acceleration conditions and beam quality. Quasi-monoenergetic electron beams at several 100 MeV energy and 15% relative energy spread were routinely demonstrated with a total charge of the monoenergetic feature reaching 0.5 nC. Finally these unique beam parameters, suggesting unprecedented peak currents of several 10 kA, are systematically related to published data on alternative injection schemes.

  15. Injection of electrons with predominantly perpendicular energy into an area of toroidal field ripple in a tokamak plasma to improve plasma confinement

    DOEpatents

    Ono, Masayuki; Furth, Harold

    1993-01-01

    An electron injection scheme for controlling transport in a tokamak plasma. Electrons with predominantly perpendicular energy are injected into a ripple field region created by a group of localized poloidal field bending magnets. The trapped electrons then grad-B drift vertically toward the plasma interior until they are detrapped, charging the plasma negative. Calculations indicate that the highly perpendicular velocity electrons can remain stable against kinetic instabilities in the regime of interest for tokamak experiments. The penetration distance can be controlled by controlling the "ripple mirror ratio", the energy of the injected electrons, and their v.sub..perp. /v.sub.51 ratio. In this scheme, the poloidal torque due to the injected radial current is taken by the magnets and not by the plasma. Injection is accomplished by the flat cathode containing an ECH cavity to pump electrons to high v.sub..perp..

  16. Comparison of simultaneous and sequential administration of fentanyl-propofol for surgical abortion: a randomized single-blinded controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Gao, Wei; Sha, Baoyong; Zhao, Yuan; Fan, Zhe; Liu, Lin; Shen, Xin

    2017-08-01

    Propofol lipid emulsion (PLE) is a nanosized sedative, and it is used with a combination of salted antalgic prodrug, fentanyl citrate (FC). To illustrate the synergistic effect of mixing, we compared the sedation/analgesia resulting from simultaneous and sequential administration in surgically induced abortion (No. ChiCTR-IPC-15006153). Simultaneous group showed lower bispectral index, blood pressure, and heart rate, when cannula was inserted into the uterus. It also showed less frequency of hypertension, sinus tachycardia, movement, pain at the injection site, and additional FC. Therefore, premixing of PLE and FC enhanced the sedation and analgesia; stabilized the hemodynamics; lessened the incidence of movement and injection pain; and reduced the requirement of drugs.

  17. Miniaturization of environmental chemical assays in flowing systems: the lab-on-a-valve approach vis-à-vis lab-on-a-chip microfluidic devices.

    PubMed

    Miró, Manuel; Hansen, Elo Harald

    2007-09-26

    The analytical capabilities of the microminiaturized lab-on-a-valve (LOV) module integrated into a microsequential injection (muSI) fluidic system in terms of analytical chemical performance, microfluidic handling and on-line sample processing are compared to those of the micro total analysis systems (muTAS), also termed lab-on-a-chip (LOC). This paper illustrates, via selected representative examples, the potentials of the LOV scheme vis-à-vis LOC microdevices for environmental assays. By means of user-friendly programmable flow and the exploitation of the interplay between the thermodynamics and the kinetics of the chemical reactions at will, LOV allows accommodation of reactions which, at least at the present stage, are not feasible by application of microfluidic LOC systems. Thus, in LOV one may take full advantage of kinetic discriminations schemes, where even subtle differences in reactions are utilized for analytical purposes. Furthermore, it is also feasible to handle multi-step sequential reactions of divergent kinetics; to conduct multi-parametric determinations without manifold reconfiguration by utilization of the inherent open-architecture of the micromachined unit for implementation of peripheral modules and automated handling of a variety of reagents; and most importantly, it offers itself as a versatile front end to a plethora of detection schemes. Not the least, LOV is regarded as an emerging downscaled tool to overcome the dilemma of LOC microsystems to admit real-life samples. This is nurtured via its intrinsic flexibility for accommodation of sample pre-treatment schemes aimed at the on-line manipulation of complex samples. Thus, LOV is playing a prominent role in the environmental field, whenever the monitoring of trace level concentration of pollutants is pursued, because both matrix isolation and preconcentration of target analytes is most often imperative, or in fact necessary, prior to sample presentation to the detector.

  18. Modulation limit of semiconductor lasers by some parametric modulation schemes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iga, K.

    1985-07-01

    Using the simple rate equations and small signal analysis, the modulation speed limit of semiconductor lasers with modulation schemes such as gain switching, modulation of nonradiative recombination lifetime of minority carriers, and cavity Q modulation, is calculated and compared with the injection modulation scheme of Ikegami and Suematsu (1968). It is found that the maximum modulation frequency for the gain and Q modulation can exceed the resonance-like frequency by a factor equal to the coefficient of the time derivative of the modulation parameter, though the nonradiative lifetime modulation is not shown to be different from the injection modulation. A solution for the carrier lifetime modulation of LED is obtained, and the possibility of wideband modulation in this scheme is demonstrated.

  19. Sequential self-assembly of DNA functionalized droplets

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

    Zhang, Yin; McMullen, Angus; Pontani, Lea-Laetitia

    Complex structures and devices, both natural and manmade, are often constructed sequentially. From crystallization to embryogenesis, a nucleus or seed is formed and built upon. Sequential assembly allows for initiation, signaling, and logical programming, which are necessary for making enclosed, hierarchical structures. Though biology relies on such schemes, they have not been available in materials science. We demonstrate programmed sequential self-assembly of DNA functionalized emulsions. The droplets are initially inert because the grafted DNA strands are pre-hybridized in pairs. Active strands on initiator droplets then displace one of the paired strands and thus release its complement, which in turn activatesmore » the next droplet in the sequence, akin to living polymerization. This strategy provides time and logic control during the self-assembly process, and offers a new perspective on the synthesis of materials.« less

  20. Sequential self-assembly of DNA functionalized droplets

    DOE PAGES

    Zhang, Yin; McMullen, Angus; Pontani, Lea-Laetitia; ...

    2017-06-16

    Complex structures and devices, both natural and manmade, are often constructed sequentially. From crystallization to embryogenesis, a nucleus or seed is formed and built upon. Sequential assembly allows for initiation, signaling, and logical programming, which are necessary for making enclosed, hierarchical structures. Though biology relies on such schemes, they have not been available in materials science. We demonstrate programmed sequential self-assembly of DNA functionalized emulsions. The droplets are initially inert because the grafted DNA strands are pre-hybridized in pairs. Active strands on initiator droplets then displace one of the paired strands and thus release its complement, which in turn activatesmore » the next droplet in the sequence, akin to living polymerization. This strategy provides time and logic control during the self-assembly process, and offers a new perspective on the synthesis of materials.« less

  1. Sequential Injection/Electrochemical Immunoassay for Quantifying the Pesticide Metabolite 3, 5, 6-Trichloro-2-Pyridinol

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

    Liu, Guodong; Riechers, Shawn L.; Timchalk, Chuck

    2005-12-04

    An automated and sensitive sequential injection electrochemical immunoassay was developed to monitor a potential insecticide biomarker, 3, 5, 6-trichloro-2-pyridinol. The current method involved a sequential injection analysis (SIA) system equipped with a thin-layer electrochemical flow cell and permanent magnet, which was used to fix 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP) antibody coated magnetic beads (TCP-Ab-MBs) in the reaction zone. After competitive immunoreactions among TCP-Ab-MBs, TCP analyte, and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeled TCP, a 3, 3?, 5, 5?-tetramethylbenzidine dihydrochloride and hydrogen peroxide (TMB-H2O2) substrate solution was injected to produce an electroactive enzymatic product. The activity of HRP tracers was monitored by a square wave voltammetricmore » scanning electroactive enzymatic product in the thin-layer flow cell. The voltammetric characteristics of the substrate and the enzymatic product were investigated under batch conditions, and the parameters of the immunoassay were optimized in the SIA system. Under the optimal conditions, the system was used to measure as low as 6 ng L-1 (ppt) TCP, which is around 50-fold lower than the value indicated by the manufacturer of the TCP RaPID Assay? kit (0.25 ug/L, colorimetric detection). The performance of the developed immunoassay system was successfully evaluated on tap water and river water samples spiked with TCP. This technique could be readily used for detecting other environmental contaminants by developing specific antibodies against contaminants and is expected to open new opportunities for environmental and biological monitoring.« less

  2. High-Order Multioperator Compact Schemes for Numerical Simulation of Unsteady Subsonic Airfoil Flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Savel'ev, A. D.

    2018-02-01

    On the basis of high-order schemes, the viscous gas flow over the NACA2212 airfoil is numerically simulated at a free-stream Mach number of 0.3 and Reynolds numbers ranging from 103 to 107. Flow regimes sequentially varying due to variations in the free-stream viscosity are considered. Vortex structures developing on the airfoil surface are investigated, and a physical interpretation of this phenomenon is given.

  3. Sampling strategies for subsampled segmented EPI PRF thermometry in MR guided high intensity focused ultrasound

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

    Odéen, Henrik, E-mail: h.odeen@gmail.com; Diakite, Mahamadou; Todd, Nick

    2014-09-15

    Purpose: To investigate k-space subsampling strategies to achieve fast, large field-of-view (FOV) temperature monitoring using segmented echo planar imaging (EPI) proton resonance frequency shift thermometry for MR guided high intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU) applications. Methods: Five different k-space sampling approaches were investigated, varying sample spacing (equally vs nonequally spaced within the echo train), sampling density (variable sampling density in zero, one, and two dimensions), and utilizing sequential or centric sampling. Three of the schemes utilized sequential sampling with the sampling density varied in zero, one, and two dimensions, to investigate sampling the k-space center more frequently. Two of the schemesmore » utilized centric sampling to acquire the k-space center with a longer echo time for improved phase measurements, and vary the sampling density in zero and two dimensions, respectively. Phantom experiments and a theoretical point spread function analysis were performed to investigate their performance. Variable density sampling in zero and two dimensions was also implemented in a non-EPI GRE pulse sequence for comparison. All subsampled data were reconstructed with a previously described temporally constrained reconstruction (TCR) algorithm. Results: The accuracy of each sampling strategy in measuring the temperature rise in the HIFU focal spot was measured in terms of the root-mean-square-error (RMSE) compared to fully sampled “truth.” For the schemes utilizing sequential sampling, the accuracy was found to improve with the dimensionality of the variable density sampling, giving values of 0.65 °C, 0.49 °C, and 0.35 °C for density variation in zero, one, and two dimensions, respectively. The schemes utilizing centric sampling were found to underestimate the temperature rise, with RMSE values of 1.05 °C and 1.31 °C, for variable density sampling in zero and two dimensions, respectively. Similar subsampling schemes with variable density sampling implemented in zero and two dimensions in a non-EPI GRE pulse sequence both resulted in accurate temperature measurements (RMSE of 0.70 °C and 0.63 °C, respectively). With sequential sampling in the described EPI implementation, temperature monitoring over a 192 × 144 × 135 mm{sup 3} FOV with a temporal resolution of 3.6 s was achieved, while keeping the RMSE compared to fully sampled “truth” below 0.35 °C. Conclusions: When segmented EPI readouts are used in conjunction with k-space subsampling for MR thermometry applications, sampling schemes with sequential sampling, with or without variable density sampling, obtain accurate phase and temperature measurements when using a TCR reconstruction algorithm. Improved temperature measurement accuracy can be achieved with variable density sampling. Centric sampling leads to phase bias, resulting in temperature underestimations.« less

  4. CEPC booster design study

    DOE PAGES

    Bian, Tianjian; Gao, Jie; Zhang, Chuang; ...

    2017-12-10

    In September 2012, Chinese scientists proposed a Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) in China at 240 GeV center-of-mass energy for Higgs studies. The booster provides 120 GeV electron and positron beams to the CEPC collider for top-up injection at 0.1 Hz. The design of the full energy booster ring of the CEPC is a challenge. The ejected beam energy is 120 GeV and the injected beam energy is 6 GeV. Here in this paper we describe two alternative schemes, the wiggler bend scheme and the normal bend scheme. For the wiggler bend scheme, we propose to operate the booster ringmore » as a large wiggler at low energy and as a normal ring at high energy to avoid the problem of very low dipole magnet fields. Finally, for the normal bend scheme, we implement the orbit correction to correct the earth field.« less

  5. CEPC booster design study

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

    Bian, Tianjian; Gao, Jie; Zhang, Chuang

    In September 2012, Chinese scientists proposed a Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) in China at 240 GeV center-of-mass energy for Higgs studies. The booster provides 120 GeV electron and positron beams to the CEPC collider for top-up injection at 0.1 Hz. The design of the full energy booster ring of the CEPC is a challenge. The ejected beam energy is 120 GeV and the injected beam energy is 6 GeV. Here in this paper we describe two alternative schemes, the wiggler bend scheme and the normal bend scheme. For the wiggler bend scheme, we propose to operate the booster ringmore » as a large wiggler at low energy and as a normal ring at high energy to avoid the problem of very low dipole magnet fields. Finally, for the normal bend scheme, we implement the orbit correction to correct the earth field.« less

  6. Cluster designs to assess the prevalence of acute malnutrition by lot quality assurance sampling: a validation study by computer simulation.

    PubMed

    Olives, Casey; Pagano, Marcello; Deitchler, Megan; Hedt, Bethany L; Egge, Kari; Valadez, Joseph J

    2009-04-01

    Traditional lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) methods require simple random sampling to guarantee valid results. However, cluster sampling has been proposed to reduce the number of random starting points. This study uses simulations to examine the classification error of two such designs, a 67x3 (67 clusters of three observations) and a 33x6 (33 clusters of six observations) sampling scheme to assess the prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM). Further, we explore the use of a 67x3 sequential sampling scheme for LQAS classification of GAM prevalence. Results indicate that, for independent clusters with moderate intracluster correlation for the GAM outcome, the three sampling designs maintain approximate validity for LQAS analysis. Sequential sampling can substantially reduce the average sample size that is required for data collection. The presence of intercluster correlation can impact dramatically the classification error that is associated with LQAS analysis.

  7. Simultaneous injection-effective mixing analysis of palladium.

    PubMed

    Teshima, Norio; Noguchi, Daisuke; Joichi, Yasutaka; Lenghor, Narong; Ohno, Noriko; Sakai, Tadao; Motomizu, Shoji

    2010-01-01

    A novel concept of simultaneous injection-effective mixing analysis (SIEMA) is proposed, and a SIEMA method applied to the spectrophotometric determination of palladium using a water-soluble chromogenic reagent has been demonstrated. The flow configuration of SIEMA is a hybrid format of flow injection analysis (FIA), sequential injection analysis (SIA) and multicommutation in flow-based analysis. Sample and reagent solutions are aspirated into each holding coil through each solenoid valve by a syringe pump, and then the zones are simultaneously dispensed (injected) into a mixing coil by reversed flow toward a detector through a confluence point. This results in effective mixing and rapid detection with low reagent consumption.

  8. Differential effects of progesterone and genital stimulation on sequential inhibition of estrous behavior and progesterone receptor expression in the rat brain.

    PubMed

    Gómez-Camarillo, Madaí A; Beyer, Carlos; Lucio, Rosa Angélica; García-Juárez, Marcos; González-Arenas, Aliesha; Camacho-Arroyo, Ignacio; Komisaruk, Barry R; González-Flores, Oscar

    2011-05-30

    The effect of genital stimulation, either by vaginocervical stimulation (VCS) using a calibrated vaginal probe combined with manual flank stimulation (FS), or by mounts performed by the male, on the hypothalamus and preoptic area concentration of the progesterone receptors A (PR-A) and B (PR-B) was assessed in ovariectomized (ovx) estrogen-primed rats. VCS/FS or stimulation provided by male mounts, even without intromission, significantly decreased PR-B concentration in the hypoythalamus. Down regulation of PR produced by genital stimulation was quantitatively similar to that elicited by progesterone (P) administration. Bilateral or unilateral transection of the pelvic or the pudendal nerves prevented down regulation elicited by VCS/FS. Repeated VCS/FS elicited lordosis behavior in most ovx estrogen primed rats, but the lordosis intensity was lower than that observed in response to P. P administered to ovx estrogen primed rats, induced sequential inhibition, i.e., failure to display estrous behavior in response to a second P injection (24h after the initial P injection). VCS/FS failed to elicit sequential inhibition, since rats responded with normal estrous behavior to the second injection of P. This suggests that down regulation by VCS, by contrast with P, failed to inhibit the subpopulation of PR involved in the facilitation of estrous behavior by P. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Applications of 1.55 μm optically injection-locked VCSELs in wavelength division multiplexed passive optical networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wong, Elaine; Zhao, Xiaoxue; Chang-Hasnain, Connie J.; Hofmann, Werner; Amann, Marcus C.

    2007-11-01

    In this paper, we will discuss the utilization of optically injection-locked (OIL) 1.55 μm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) for operation as low-cost, stable, directly modulated, and potentially uncooled transmitters, whereby the injection-locking master source is furnished by modulated downstream signals. Such a transmitter will find useful application in wavelength division multiplexed passive optical networks (WDM-PONs) which is actively being developed to meet the ever-increasing bandwidth demands of end users. Our scheme eliminates the need for external injection locking optical sources, external modulators, and wavelength stabilization circuitry. We show through experiments that the injection-locked VCSEL favors low injection powers and responds only strongly to the carrier but not the modulated data of the downstream signal. Further, we will discuss results from experimental studies performed on the dependence of OIL-VCSELs in bidirectional networks on the degree of Rayleigh backscattered signal and extinction ratio. We show that error-free upstream performance can be achieved when the upstream signal to Rayleigh backscattering ratio is greater than 13.4 dB, and with minimal dependence on the downstream extinction ratio. We will also review a fault monitoring and localization scheme based on a highly-sensitive yet low-cost monitor comprising a low output power broadband source and low bandwidth detectors. The proposed scheme benefits from the high reflectivity top distributed Bragg reflector mirror of the OIL-VCSEL, incurring only a minimal penalty on the upstream transmissions of the existing infrastructure. Such a scheme provides fault monitoring without having to further invest in the upgrade of customer premises.

  10. Early Beam Injection Scheme for the Fermilab Booster: A Path for Intensity Upgrade

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

    Bhat, C. M.

    Over the past decade, Fermilab has focused efforts on the intensity frontier physics and is committed to increase the average beam power delivered to the neutrino and muon programs substantially. Many upgrades to the existing injector accelerators, namely, the current 400 MeV LINAC and the Booster, are in progress under the Proton Improvement Plan (PIP). Proton Improvement Plan-II (PIP-II) proposes to replace the existing 400 MeV LINAC by a new 800 MeV LINAC, as an injector to the Booster which will increase Booster output power by nearly a factor of two from the PIP design value by the end ofmore » its completion. In any case, the Fermilab Booster is going to play a very significant role for nearly next two decades. In this context, I have developed and investigated a new beam injection scheme called "early injection scheme" (EIS) for the Booster with the goal to significantly increase the beam intensity output from the Booster thereby increasing the beam power to the HEP experiments even before PIP-II era. The scheme, if implemented, will also help improve the slip-stacking efficiency in the MI/RR. Here I present results from recent simulations, beam studies, current status and future plans for the new scheme.« less

  11. Theoretical analysis and simulation study of the deep overcompression mode of velocity bunching for a comblike electron bunch train

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Dan; Yan, Lixin; Du, YingChao; Huang, Wenhui; Gai, Wei; Tang, Chuanxiang

    2018-02-01

    Premodulated comblike electron bunch trains are used in a wide range of research fields, such as for wakefield-based particle acceleration and tunable radiation sources. We propose an optimized compression scheme for bunch trains in which a traveling wave accelerator tube and a downstream drift segment are together used as a compressor. When the phase injected into the accelerator tube for the bunch train is set to ≪-10 0 ° , velocity bunching occurs in a deep overcompression mode, which reverses the phase space and maintains a velocity difference within the injected beam, thereby giving rise to a compressed comblike electron bunch train after a few-meter-long drift segment; we call this the deep overcompression scheme. The main benefits of this scheme are the relatively large phase acceptance and the uniformity of compression for the bunch train. The comblike bunch train generated via this scheme is widely tunable: For the two-bunch case, the energy and time spacings can be continuously adjusted from +1 to -1 MeV and from 13 to 3 ps, respectively, by varying the injected phase of the bunch train from -22 0 ° to -14 0 ° . Both theoretical analysis and beam dynamics simulations are presented to study the properties of the deep overcompression scheme.

  12. iHADAMAC: A complementary tool for sequential resonance assignment of globular and highly disordered proteins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feuerstein, Sophie; Plevin, Michael J.; Willbold, Dieter; Brutscher, Bernhard

    2012-01-01

    An experiment, iHADAMAC, is presented that yields information on the amino-acid type of individual residues in a protein by editing the 1H- 15N correlations into seven different 2D spectra, each corresponding to a different class of amino-acid types. Amino-acid type discrimination is realized via a Hadamard encoding scheme based on four different spin manipulations as recently introduced in the context of the sequential HADAMAC experiment. Both sequential and intra-residue HADAMAC experiments yield highly complementary information that greatly facilitate resonance assignment of proteins with high frequency degeneracy, as demonstrated here for a 188-residue intrinsically disordered protein fragment of the hepatitis C virus protein NS5A.

  13. Suppressing correlations in massively parallel simulations of lattice models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kelling, Jeffrey; Ódor, Géza; Gemming, Sibylle

    2017-11-01

    For lattice Monte Carlo simulations parallelization is crucial to make studies of large systems and long simulation time feasible, while sequential simulations remain the gold-standard for correlation-free dynamics. Here, various domain decomposition schemes are compared, concluding with one which delivers virtually correlation-free simulations on GPUs. Extensive simulations of the octahedron model for 2 + 1 dimensional Kardar-Parisi-Zhang surface growth, which is very sensitive to correlation in the site-selection dynamics, were performed to show self-consistency of the parallel runs and agreement with the sequential algorithm. We present a GPU implementation providing a speedup of about 30 × over a parallel CPU implementation on a single socket and at least 180 × with respect to the sequential reference.

  14. Tailoring Meridional and Seasonal Radiative Forcing by Sulfate Aerosol Solar Geoengineering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dai, Z.; Weisenstein, D. K.; Keith, D. W.

    2018-01-01

    We study the possibility of designing solar radiation management schemes to achieve a desired meridional radiative forcing (RF) profile using a two-dimensional chemistry-transport-aerosol model. Varying SO2 or H2SO4 injection latitude, altitude, and season, we compute RF response functions for a broad range of possible injection schemes, finding that linear combinations of these injection cases can roughly achieve RF profiles that have been proposed to accomplish various climate objectives. Globally averaged RF normalized by the sulfur injection rate (the radiative efficacy) is largest for injections at high altitudes, near the equator, and using emission of H2SO4 vapor into an aircraft wake to produce accumulation-mode particles. There is a trade-off between radiative efficacy and control as temporal and spatial control is best achieved with injections at lower altitudes and higher latitudes. These results may inform studies using more realistic models that couple aerosol microphysics, chemistry, and stratospheric dynamics.

  15. Automated detection and quantification of residual brain tumor using an interactive computer-aided detection scheme

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaffney, Kevin P.; Aghaei, Faranak; Battiste, James; Zheng, Bin

    2017-03-01

    Detection of residual brain tumor is important to evaluate efficacy of brain cancer surgery, determine optimal strategy of further radiation therapy if needed, and assess ultimate prognosis of the patients. Brain MR is a commonly used imaging modality for this task. In order to distinguish between residual tumor and surgery induced scar tissues, two sets of MRI scans are conducted pre- and post-gadolinium contrast injection. The residual tumors are only enhanced in the post-contrast injection images. However, subjective reading and quantifying this type of brain MR images faces difficulty in detecting real residual tumor regions and measuring total volume of the residual tumor. In order to help solve this clinical difficulty, we developed and tested a new interactive computer-aided detection scheme, which consists of three consecutive image processing steps namely, 1) segmentation of the intracranial region, 2) image registration and subtraction, 3) tumor segmentation and refinement. The scheme also includes a specially designed and implemented graphical user interface (GUI) platform. When using this scheme, two sets of pre- and post-contrast injection images are first automatically processed to detect and quantify residual tumor volume. Then, a user can visually examine segmentation results and conveniently guide the scheme to correct any detection or segmentation errors if needed. The scheme has been repeatedly tested using five cases. Due to the observed high performance and robustness of the testing results, the scheme is currently ready for conducting clinical studies and helping clinicians investigate the association between this quantitative image marker and outcome of patients.

  16. Sequential injection gas guns for accelerating projectiles

    DOEpatents

    Lacy, Jeffrey M [Idaho Falls, ID; Chu, Henry S [Idaho Falls, ID; Novascone, Stephen R [Idaho Falls, ID

    2011-11-15

    Gas guns and methods for accelerating projectiles through such gas guns are described. More particularly, gas guns having a first injection port located proximate a breech end of a barrel and a second injection port located longitudinally between the first injection port and a muzzle end of the barrel are described. Additionally, modular gas guns that include a plurality of modules are described, wherein each module may include a barrel segment having one or more longitudinally spaced injection ports. Also, methods of accelerating a projectile through a gas gun, such as injecting a first pressurized gas into a barrel through a first injection port to accelerate the projectile and propel the projectile down the barrel past a second injection port and injecting a second pressurized gas into the barrel through the second injection port after passage of the projectile and to further accelerate the projectile are described.

  17. Energetic electron injections and dipolarization events in Mercury's magnetotail: Substorm dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dewey, R. M.; Slavin, J. A.; Raines, J. M.; Imber, S.; Baker, D. N.; Lawrence, D. J.

    2017-12-01

    Despite its small size, Mercury's terrestrial-like magnetosphere experiences brief, yet intense, substorm intervals characterized by features similar to at Earth: loading/unloading of the tail lobes with open magnetic flux, dipolarization of the magnetic field at the inner edge of the plasma sheet, and, the focus of this presentation, energetic electron injection. We use the Gamma-Ray Spectrometer's high-time resolution (10 ms) energetic electron measurements to determine the relationship between substorm activity and energetic electron injections coincident with dipolarization fronts in the magnetotail. These dipolarizations were detected on the basis of their rapid ( 2 s) increase in the northward component of the tail magnetic field (ΔBz 30 nT), which typically persists for 10 s. We estimate the typical flow channel to be 0.15 RM, planetary convection speed of 750 km/s, cross-tail potential drop of 7 kV, and flux transport of 0.08 MWb for each dipolarization event, suggesting multiple simultaneous and sequential dipolarizations are required to unload the >1 MWb of magnetic flux typically returned to the dayside magnetosphere during a substorm interval. Indeed, while we observe most dipolarization-injections to be isolated or in small chains of events (i.e., 1-3 events), intervals of sawtooth-like injections with >20 sequential events are also present. The typical separation between dipolarization-injection events is 10 s. Magnetotail dipolarization, in addition to being a powerful source of electron acceleration, also plays a significant role in the substorm process at Mercury.

  18. An unsupervised classification technique for multispectral remote sensing data.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Su, M. Y.; Cummings, R. E.

    1973-01-01

    Description of a two-part clustering technique consisting of (a) a sequential statistical clustering, which is essentially a sequential variance analysis, and (b) a generalized K-means clustering. In this composite clustering technique, the output of (a) is a set of initial clusters which are input to (b) for further improvement by an iterative scheme. This unsupervised composite technique was employed for automatic classification of two sets of remote multispectral earth resource observations. The classification accuracy by the unsupervised technique is found to be comparable to that by traditional supervised maximum-likelihood classification techniques.

  19. Unsupervised classification of earth resources data.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Su, M. Y.; Jayroe, R. R., Jr.; Cummings, R. E.

    1972-01-01

    A new clustering technique is presented. It consists of two parts: (a) a sequential statistical clustering which is essentially a sequential variance analysis and (b) a generalized K-means clustering. In this composite clustering technique, the output of (a) is a set of initial clusters which are input to (b) for further improvement by an iterative scheme. This unsupervised composite technique was employed for automatic classification of two sets of remote multispectral earth resource observations. The classification accuracy by the unsupervised technique is found to be comparable to that by existing supervised maximum liklihood classification technique.

  20. Treating convection in sequential solvers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shyy, Wei; Thakur, Siddharth

    1992-01-01

    The treatment of the convection terms in the sequential solver, a standard procedure found in virtually all pressure based algorithms, to compute the flow problems with sharp gradients and source terms is investigated. Both scalar model problems and one-dimensional gas dynamics equations have been used to study the various issues involved. Different approaches including the use of nonlinear filtering techniques and adoption of TVD type schemes have been investigated. Special treatments of the source terms such as pressure gradients and heat release have also been devised, yielding insight and improved accuracy of the numerical procedure adopted.

  1. Error Control Coding Techniques for Space and Satellite Communications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Costello, Daniel J., Jr.; Cabral, Hermano A.; He, Jiali

    1997-01-01

    Bootstrap Hybrid Decoding (BHD) (Jelinek and Cocke, 1971) is a coding/decoding scheme that adds extra redundancy to a set of convolutionally encoded codewords and uses this redundancy to provide reliability information to a sequential decoder. Theoretical results indicate that bit error probability performance (BER) of BHD is close to that of Turbo-codes, without some of their drawbacks. In this report we study the use of the Multiple Stack Algorithm (MSA) (Chevillat and Costello, Jr., 1977) as the underlying sequential decoding algorithm in BHD, which makes possible an iterative version of BHD.

  2. Airborne Network Data Availability Using Peer to Peer Database Replication on a Distributed Hash Table

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-03-01

    DSR Dynamic Source Routing DSSS Direct -sequence spread spectrum GUID Globally Unique ID MANET Mobile Ad-hoc Network NS3 Network Simulator 3 OLSR...networking schemes for safe maneuvering and data communication. Imagine needing to maintain an operational picture of an overall environment using a...as simple as O(n) where every node is sequentially queried to O log(n), or O(1). These schemes will be discussed with each individual DHT. Four of the

  3. Molten salt electrodeposition of high temperature superconductors. Final report, 7 September 1990-30 November 1992

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

    Tench, D.M.; Kendig, M.W.; Jeanjaquet, S.

    1993-06-01

    The overall objective of this project was to develop a process for direct electrodeposition of Y-Ba-Cu superconducting oxides from a molten salt at relatively low temperatures (300-550 deg C). An important finding was that cathodic deposition of metallic oxides, rather than free metals, generally occurs from nitrate melts, apparently via reduction of metal nitrato complexes. Oxide deposition was confirmed for Cu as CuO, Y as Y2O3, and Co as Co3O4, and apparently also occurs for Ba. Deposition of mixed Ba-Y-Cu oxides was demonstrated on both Cu and Pt substrates. Data were compiled that provide a good basis for designing schemesmore » for deposition of various mixed oxides from nitrate melts. A sequential anodic injection method was conceived for depositing ultrathin mixed oxide layers, which can be viewed as an analog of molecular beam epitaxy. Results obtained with this approach were encouraging but were inconclusive because of contamination with Gd from the Y injection anode. Based on the results of this program and literature studies, cathodic metal oxide deposition from nitrate melts is a general phenomenon that could ultimately prove to be a practical means of preparing a variety of single and mixed anhydrous metal oxide films. It is recommended that future work focus initially on deposition of perovskite materials, which are of considerable practical interest and involve only two metallic components so that the required deposition schemes are inherently simpler.« less

  4. A Computational Model of Coupled Multiphase Flow and Geomechanics to Study Fault Slip and Induced Seismicity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Juanes, R.; Jha, B.

    2014-12-01

    The coupling between subsurface flow and geomechanical deformation is critical in the assessment of the environmental impacts of groundwater use, underground liquid waste disposal, geologic storage of carbon dioxide, and exploitation of shale gas reserves. In particular, seismicity induced by fluid injection and withdrawal has emerged as a central element of the scientific discussion around subsurface technologies that tap into water and energy resources. Here we present a new computational approach to model coupled multiphase flow and geomechanics of faulted reservoirs. We represent faults as surfaces embedded in a three-dimensional medium by using zero-thickness interface elements to accurately model fault slip under dynamically evolving fluid pressure and fault strength. We incorporate the effect of fluid pressures from multiphase flow in the mechanical stability of faults and employ a rigorous formulation of nonlinear multiphase geomechanics that is capable of handling strong capillary effects. We develop a numerical simulation tool by coupling a multiphase flow simulator with a mechanics simulator, using the unconditionally stable fixed-stress scheme for the sequential solution of two-way coupling between flow and geomechanics. We validate our modeling approach using several synthetic, but realistic, test cases that illustrate the onset and evolution of earthquakes from fluid injection and withdrawal. We also present the application of the coupled flow-geomechanics simulation technology to the post mortem analysis of the Mw=5.1, May 2011 Lorca earthquake in south-east Spain, and assess the potential that the earthquake was induced by groundwater extraction.

  5. CLAss-Specific Subspace Kernel Representations and Adaptive Margin Slack Minimization for Large Scale Classification.

    PubMed

    Yu, Yinan; Diamantaras, Konstantinos I; McKelvey, Tomas; Kung, Sun-Yuan

    2018-02-01

    In kernel-based classification models, given limited computational power and storage capacity, operations over the full kernel matrix becomes prohibitive. In this paper, we propose a new supervised learning framework using kernel models for sequential data processing. The framework is based on two components that both aim at enhancing the classification capability with a subset selection scheme. The first part is a subspace projection technique in the reproducing kernel Hilbert space using a CLAss-specific Subspace Kernel representation for kernel approximation. In the second part, we propose a novel structural risk minimization algorithm called the adaptive margin slack minimization to iteratively improve the classification accuracy by an adaptive data selection. We motivate each part separately, and then integrate them into learning frameworks for large scale data. We propose two such frameworks: the memory efficient sequential processing for sequential data processing and the parallelized sequential processing for distributed computing with sequential data acquisition. We test our methods on several benchmark data sets and compared with the state-of-the-art techniques to verify the validity of the proposed techniques.

  6. Simulations of Merging Helion Bunches on the AGS Injection Porch

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

    Gardner, C. J.

    During the setup of helions for the FY2014 RHIC run it was discovered that the standard scheme for merging bunches on the AGS injection porch required an injection kicker pulse shorter than what was available. To overcome this difficulty, K. Zeno proposed and developed an interesting and unusual alternative which uses RF harmonic numbers 12, 4, 2 (rather than the standard 8, 4, 2) to merge 8 helion bunches into 2. In this note we carry out simulations that illustrate how the alternative scheme works and how it compares with the standard scheme. This is done in Sections 13 andmore » 14. A scheme in which 6 bunches are merged into 1 is simulated in Section 15. This may be useful if more helions per merged bunch are needed in future runs. General formulae for the simulations are given in Sections 9 through 12. For completeness, Sections 1 through 8 give a derivation of the turn-by-turn equations of longitudinal motion at constant magnetic field. The derivation is based on the work of MacLachlan. The reader may wish to skip over these Sections and start with Section 9.« less

  7. Design of LabVIEW®-based software for the control of sequential injection analysis instrumentation for the determination of morphine

    PubMed Central

    Lenehan, Claire E.; Lewis, Simon W.

    2002-01-01

    LabVIEW®-based software for the automation of a sequential injection analysis instrument for the determination of morphine is presented. Detection was based on its chemiluminescence reaction with acidic potassium permanganate in the presence of sodium polyphosphate. The calibration function approximated linearity (range 5 × 10-10 to 5 × 10-6 M) with a line of best fit of y=1.05x+8.9164 (R2 =0.9959), where y is the log10 signal (mV) and x is the log10 morphine concentration (M). Precision, as measured by relative standard deviation, was 0.7% for five replicate analyses of morphine standard (5 × 10-8 M). The limit of detection (3σ) was determined as 5 × 10-11 M morphine. PMID:18924729

  8. Design of LabVIEW-based software for the control of sequential injection analysis instrumentation for the determination of morphine.

    PubMed

    Lenehan, Claire E; Barnett, Neil W; Lewis, Simon W

    2002-01-01

    LabVIEW-based software for the automation of a sequential injection analysis instrument for the determination of morphine is presented. Detection was based on its chemiluminescence reaction with acidic potassium permanganate in the presence of sodium polyphosphate. The calibration function approximated linearity (range 5 x 10(-10) to 5 x 10(-6) M) with a line of best fit of y=1.05(x)+8.9164 (R(2) =0.9959), where y is the log10 signal (mV) and x is the log10 morphine concentration (M). Precision, as measured by relative standard deviation, was 0.7% for five replicate analyses of morphine standard (5 x 10(-8) M). The limit of detection (3sigma) was determined as 5 x 10(-11) M morphine.

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

    Usman, Yasir; Kim, Jinho; Muljadi, Eduard

    Wake effects cause wind turbine generators (WTGs) within a wind power plant (WPP) to produce different levels of active power and subsequent reactive power capabilities. Further, the impedance between a WTG and the point of interconnection (POI)-which depends on the distance between them-impacts the WPP's reactive power injection capability at the POI. This paper proposes a voltage control scheme for a WPP based on the available reactive current of the doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs) and its impacts on the POI to improve the reactive power injection capability of the WPP. In this paper, a design strategy for modifying the gainmore » of DFIG controller is suggested and the comprehensive properties of these control gains are investigated. In the proposed scheme, the WPP controller, which operates in a voltage control mode, sends the command signal to the DFIGs based on the voltage difference at the POI. The DFIG controllers, which operate in a voltage control mode, employ a proportional controller with a limiter. The gain of the proportional controller is adjusted depending on the available reactive current of the DFIG and the series impedance between the DFIG and the POI. The performance of the proposed scheme is validated for various disturbances such as a reactive load connection and grid fault using an EMTP-RV simulator. Furthermore, simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme promptly recovers the POI voltage by injecting more reactive power after a disturbance than the conventional scheme.« less

  10. Diesel engine emissions reduction by multiple injections having increasing pressure

    DOEpatents

    Reitz, Rolf D.; Thiel, Matthew P.

    2003-01-01

    Multiple fuel charges are injected into a diesel engine combustion chamber during a combustion cycle, and each charge after the first has successively greater injection pressure (a higher injection rate) than the prior charge. This injection scheme results in reduced emissions, particularly particulate emissions, and can be implemented by modifying existing injection system hardware. Further enhancements in emissions reduction and engine performance can be obtained by using known measures in conjunction with the invention, such as Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR).

  11. Feasibility of removing furfurals from sugar solutions using activated biochars made from agricultural residues

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Lignocellulosic feedstocks are often prepared for ethanol fermentation by treatment with a dilute mineral acid catalyst that hydrolyzes the hemicellulose and possibly cellulose into soluble carbohydrates. The acid catalyzed reaction scheme is sequential whereby released monosaccharides are further ...

  12. Simultaneous detoxification, saccharification, and ethanol fermentation of weak-acid hydrolyzates

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Lignocellulosic feedstocks can be prepared for ethanol fermentation by pre-treatment with a dilute mineral acid catalyst that hydrolyzes the hemicellulose and opens up the plant cell wall fibers for subsequent enzymatic saccharification. The acid catalyzed reaction scheme is sequential whereby rele...

  13. Cluster designs to assess the prevalence of acute malnutrition by lot quality assurance sampling: a validation study by computer simulation

    PubMed Central

    Olives, Casey; Pagano, Marcello; Deitchler, Megan; Hedt, Bethany L; Egge, Kari; Valadez, Joseph J

    2009-01-01

    Traditional lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) methods require simple random sampling to guarantee valid results. However, cluster sampling has been proposed to reduce the number of random starting points. This study uses simulations to examine the classification error of two such designs, a 67×3 (67 clusters of three observations) and a 33×6 (33 clusters of six observations) sampling scheme to assess the prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM). Further, we explore the use of a 67×3 sequential sampling scheme for LQAS classification of GAM prevalence. Results indicate that, for independent clusters with moderate intracluster correlation for the GAM outcome, the three sampling designs maintain approximate validity for LQAS analysis. Sequential sampling can substantially reduce the average sample size that is required for data collection. The presence of intercluster correlation can impact dramatically the classification error that is associated with LQAS analysis. PMID:20011037

  14. A Computerized English-Spanish Correlation Index to Five Biomedical Library Classification Schemes Based on MeSH*

    PubMed Central

    Muench, Eugene V.

    1971-01-01

    A computerized English/Spanish correlation index to five biomedical library classification schemes and a computerized English/Spanish, Spanish/English listings of MeSH are described. The index was accomplished by supplying appropriate classification numbers of five classification schemes (National Library of Medicine; Library of Congress; Dewey Decimal; Cunningham; Boston Medical) to MeSH and a Spanish translation of MeSH The data were keypunched, merged on magnetic tape, and sorted in a computer alphabetically by English and Spanish subject headings and sequentially by classification number. Some benefits and uses of the index are: a complete index to classification schemes based on MeSH terms; a tool for conversion of classification numbers when reclassifying collections; a Spanish index and a crude Spanish translation of five classification schemes; a data base for future applications, e.g., automatic classification. Other classification schemes, such as the UDC, and translations of MeSH into other languages can be added. PMID:5172471

  15. Injection-controlled laser resonator

    DOEpatents

    Chang, J.J.

    1995-07-18

    A new injection-controlled laser resonator incorporates self-filtering and self-imaging characteristics with an efficient injection scheme. A low-divergence laser signal is injected into the resonator, which enables the injection signal to be converted to the desired resonator modes before the main laser pulse starts. This injection technique and resonator design enable the laser cavity to improve the quality of the injection signal through self-filtering before the main laser pulse starts. The self-imaging property of the present resonator reduces the cavity induced diffraction effects and, in turn, improves the laser beam quality. 5 figs.

  16. Injection-controlled laser resonator

    DOEpatents

    Chang, Jim J.

    1995-07-18

    A new injection-controlled laser resonator incorporates self-filtering and self-imaging characteristics with an efficient injection scheme. A low-divergence laser signal is injected into the resonator, which enables the injection signal to be converted to the desired resonator modes before the main laser pulse starts. This injection technique and resonator design enable the laser cavity to improve the quality of the injection signal through self-filtering before the main laser pulse starts. The self-imaging property of the present resonator reduces the cavity induced diffraction effects and, in turn, improves the laser beam quality.

  17. Application of separate pressure test in oilfield development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jingjun, Guo

    2018-06-01

    Based on the analysis of separate pressure testing data of injection wells and the actual situations of oilfield development, this paper discusses several application examples of these testing data in evaluating the effect of reservoir development, optimizating injection wells scheme adjustment, guiding oil and water wells to increase production and injection and preventing casing damage.

  18. Supernova feedback in numerical simulations of galaxy formation: separating physics from numerics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, Matthew C.; Sijacki, Debora; Shen, Sijing

    2018-07-01

    While feedback from massive stars exploding as supernovae (SNe) is thought to be one of the key ingredients regulating galaxy formation, theoretically it is still unclear how the available energy couples to the interstellar medium and how galactic scale outflows are launched. We present a novel implementation of six sub-grid SN feedback schemes in the moving-mesh code AREPO, including injections of thermal and/or kinetic energy, two parametrizations of delayed cooling feedback and a `mechanical' feedback scheme that injects the correct amount of momentum depending on the relevant scale of the SN remnant resolved. All schemes make use of individually time-resolved SN events. Adopting isolated disc galaxy set-ups at different resolutions, with the highest resolution runs reasonably resolving the Sedov-Taylor phase of the SN, we aim to find a physically motivated scheme with as few tunable parameters as possible. As expected, simple injections of energy overcool at all but the highest resolution. Our delayed cooling schemes result in overstrong feedback, destroying the disc. The mechanical feedback scheme is efficient at suppressing star formation, agrees well with the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation, and leads to converged star formation rates and galaxy morphologies with increasing resolution without fine-tuning any parameters. However, we find it difficult to produce outflows with high enough mass loading factors at all but the highest resolution, indicating either that we have oversimplified the evolution of unresolved SN remnants, require other stellar feedback processes to be included, and require a better star formation prescription or most likely some combination of these issues.

  19. Supernova feedback in numerical simulations of galaxy formation: separating physics from numerics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, Matthew C.; Sijacki, Debora; Shen, Sijing

    2018-04-01

    While feedback from massive stars exploding as supernovae (SNe) is thought to be one of the key ingredients regulating galaxy formation, theoretically it is still unclear how the available energy couples to the interstellar medium and how galactic scale outflows are launched. We present a novel implementation of six sub-grid SN feedback schemes in the moving-mesh code AREPO, including injections of thermal and/or kinetic energy, two parametrizations of delayed cooling feedback and a `mechanical' feedback scheme that injects the correct amount of momentum depending on the relevant scale of the SN remnant resolved. All schemes make use of individually time-resolved SN events. Adopting isolated disk galaxy setups at different resolutions, with the highest resolution runs reasonably resolving the Sedov-Taylor phase of the SN, we aim to find a physically motivated scheme with as few tunable parameters as possible. As expected, simple injections of energy overcool at all but the highest resolution. Our delayed cooling schemes result in overstrong feedback, destroying the disk. The mechanical feedback scheme is efficient at suppressing star formation, agrees well with the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation and leads to converged star formation rates and galaxy morphologies with increasing resolution without fine tuning any parameters. However, we find it difficult to produce outflows with high enough mass loading factors at all but the highest resolution, indicating either that we have oversimplified the evolution of unresolved SN remnants, require other stellar feedback processes to be included, require a better star formation prescription or most likely some combination of these issues.

  20. Tenascin-C Prevents Articular Cartilage Degeneration in Murine Osteoarthritis Models.

    PubMed

    Matsui, Yuriyo; Hasegawa, Masahiro; Iino, Takahiro; Imanaka-Yoshida, Kyoko; Yoshida, Toshimichi; Sudo, Akihiro

    2018-01-01

    Objective The objective of this study was to determine whether intra-articular injections of tenascin-C (TNC) could prevent cartilage damage in murine models of osteoarthritis (OA). Design Fluorescently labeled TNC was injected into knee joints and its distribution was examined at 1 day, 4 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks postinjection. To investigate the effects of TNC on cartilage degeneration after surgery to knee joints, articular spaces were filled with 100 μg/mL (group I), 10 μg/mL (group II) of TNC solution, or control (group III). TNC solution of 10 μg/mL was additionally injected twice after 3 weeks (group IV) or weekly after 1 week, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks (group V). Joint tissues were histologically assessed using the Mankin score and the modified Chambers system at 2 to 8 weeks after surgery. Results Exogenous TNC was maintained in the cartilage and synovium for 1 week after administration. Histological scores in groups I and II were better than scores in group III at 4 and 6 weeks, but progressive cartilage damage was seen in all groups 8 weeks postoperatively. Sequential TNC injections (groups IV and V) showed significantly better Mankin score than single injection (group II) at 8 weeks. Conclusion TNC administered exogenously remained in the cartilage of knee joints for 1 week, and could decelerate articular cartilage degeneration in murine models of OA. We also showed that sequential administration of TNC was more effective than a single injection. TNC could be an important molecule for prevention of articular cartilage damage.

  1. Adaptive Online Sequential ELM for Concept Drift Tackling

    PubMed Central

    Basaruddin, Chan

    2016-01-01

    A machine learning method needs to adapt to over time changes in the environment. Such changes are known as concept drift. In this paper, we propose concept drift tackling method as an enhancement of Online Sequential Extreme Learning Machine (OS-ELM) and Constructive Enhancement OS-ELM (CEOS-ELM) by adding adaptive capability for classification and regression problem. The scheme is named as adaptive OS-ELM (AOS-ELM). It is a single classifier scheme that works well to handle real drift, virtual drift, and hybrid drift. The AOS-ELM also works well for sudden drift and recurrent context change type. The scheme is a simple unified method implemented in simple lines of code. We evaluated AOS-ELM on regression and classification problem by using concept drift public data set (SEA and STAGGER) and other public data sets such as MNIST, USPS, and IDS. Experiments show that our method gives higher kappa value compared to the multiclassifier ELM ensemble. Even though AOS-ELM in practice does not need hidden nodes increase, we address some issues related to the increasing of the hidden nodes such as error condition and rank values. We propose taking the rank of the pseudoinverse matrix as an indicator parameter to detect “underfitting” condition. PMID:27594879

  2. A Node Linkage Approach for Sequential Pattern Mining

    PubMed Central

    Navarro, Osvaldo; Cumplido, René; Villaseñor-Pineda, Luis; Feregrino-Uribe, Claudia; Carrasco-Ochoa, Jesús Ariel

    2014-01-01

    Sequential Pattern Mining is a widely addressed problem in data mining, with applications such as analyzing Web usage, examining purchase behavior, and text mining, among others. Nevertheless, with the dramatic increase in data volume, the current approaches prove inefficient when dealing with large input datasets, a large number of different symbols and low minimum supports. In this paper, we propose a new sequential pattern mining algorithm, which follows a pattern-growth scheme to discover sequential patterns. Unlike most pattern growth algorithms, our approach does not build a data structure to represent the input dataset, but instead accesses the required sequences through pseudo-projection databases, achieving better runtime and reducing memory requirements. Our algorithm traverses the search space in a depth-first fashion and only preserves in memory a pattern node linkage and the pseudo-projections required for the branch being explored at the time. Experimental results show that our new approach, the Node Linkage Depth-First Traversal algorithm (NLDFT), has better performance and scalability in comparison with state of the art algorithms. PMID:24933123

  3. Hybrid Model Predictive Control for Sequential Decision Policies in Adaptive Behavioral Interventions.

    PubMed

    Dong, Yuwen; Deshpande, Sunil; Rivera, Daniel E; Downs, Danielle S; Savage, Jennifer S

    2014-06-01

    Control engineering offers a systematic and efficient method to optimize the effectiveness of individually tailored treatment and prevention policies known as adaptive or "just-in-time" behavioral interventions. The nature of these interventions requires assigning dosages at categorical levels, which has been addressed in prior work using Mixed Logical Dynamical (MLD)-based hybrid model predictive control (HMPC) schemes. However, certain requirements of adaptive behavioral interventions that involve sequential decision making have not been comprehensively explored in the literature. This paper presents an extension of the traditional MLD framework for HMPC by representing the requirements of sequential decision policies as mixed-integer linear constraints. This is accomplished with user-specified dosage sequence tables, manipulation of one input at a time, and a switching time strategy for assigning dosages at time intervals less frequent than the measurement sampling interval. A model developed for a gestational weight gain (GWG) intervention is used to illustrate the generation of these sequential decision policies and their effectiveness for implementing adaptive behavioral interventions involving multiple components.

  4. Dynamic fractionation of trace metals in soil and sediment samples using rotating coiled column extraction and sequential injection microcolumn extraction: a comparative study.

    PubMed

    Rosende, Maria; Savonina, Elena Yu; Fedotov, Petr S; Miró, Manuel; Cerdà, Víctor; Wennrich, Rainer

    2009-09-15

    Dynamic fractionation has been recognized as an appealing alternative to conventional equilibrium-based sequential extraction procedures (SEPs) for partitioning of trace elements (TE) in environmental solid samples. This paper reports the first attempt for harmonization of flow-through dynamic fractionation using two novel methods, the so-called sequential injection microcolumn (SIMC) extraction and rotating coiled column (RCC) extraction. In SIMC extraction, a column packed with the solid sample is clustered in a sequential injection system, while in RCC, the particulate matter is retained under the action of centrifugal forces. In both methods, the leachants are continuously pumped through the solid substrates by the use of either peristaltic or syringe pumps. A five-step SEP was selected for partitioning of Cu, Pb and Zn in water soluble/exchangeable, acid-soluble, easily reducible, easily oxidizable and moderately reducible fractions from 0.2 to 0.5 g samples at an extractant flow rate of 1.0 mL min(-1) prior to leachate analysis by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. Similarities and discrepancies between both dynamic approaches were ascertained by fractionation of TE in certified reference materials, namely, SRM 2711 Montana Soil and GBW 07311 sediment, and two real soil samples as well. Notwithstanding the different extraction conditions set by both methods, similar trends of metal distribution were in generally found. The most critical parameters for reliable assessment of mobilizable pools of TE in worse-case scenarios are the size-distribution of sample particles, the density of particles, the content of organic matter and the concentration of major elements. For reference materials and a soil rich in organic matter, the extraction in RCC results in slightly higher recoveries of environmentally relevant fractions of TE, whereas SIMC leaching is more effective for calcareous soils.

  5. Violation of the Wiedemann-Franz law in a single-electron transistor.

    PubMed

    Kubala, Björn; König, Jürgen; Pekola, Jukka

    2008-02-15

    We study the influence of Coulomb interaction on the thermoelectric transport coefficients for a metallic single-electron transistor. By performing a perturbation expansion up to second order in the tunnel-barrier conductance, we include sequential and cotunneling processes as well as quantum fluctuations that renormalize the charging energy and the tunnel conductance. We find that Coulomb interaction leads to a strong violation of the Wiedemann-Franz law: the Lorenz ratio becomes gate-voltage dependent for sequential tunneling, and is increased by a factor 9/5 in the cotunneling regime. Finally, we suggest a measurement scheme for an experimental realization.

  6. Optical Injection Locking of a VCSEL in an OEO

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Strekalov, Dmitry; Matsko, Andrey; Savchenkov, Anatoliy; Yu, Nan; Maleki, Lute

    2009-01-01

    Optical injection locking has been demonstrated to be effective as a means of stabilizing the wavelength of light emitted by a vertical-cavity surface- emitting laser (VCSEL) that is an active element in the frequency-control loop of an opto-electronic oscillator (OEO) designed to implement an atomic clock based on an electromagnetically- induced-transparency resonance. This particular optical-injection- locking scheme is expected to enable the development of small, low-power, high-stability atomic clocks that would be suitable for use in applications involving precise navigation and/or communication. In one essential aspect of operation of an OEO of the type described above, a microwave modulation signal is coupled into the VCSEL. Heretofore, it has been well known that the wavelength of light emitted by a VCSEL depends on its temperature and drive current, necessitating thorough stabilization of these operational parameters. Recently, it was discovered that the wavelength also depends on the microwave power coupled into the VCSEL. Inasmuch as the microwave power circulating in the frequency-control loop is a dynamic frequency-control variable (and, hence, cannot be stabilized), there arises a need for another means of stabilizing the wavelength. The present optical-injection-locking scheme satisfies the need for a means to stabilize the wavelength against microwave- power fluctuations. It is also expected to afford stabilization against temperature and current fluctuations. In an experiment performed to demonstrate this scheme, wavelength locking was observed when about 200 W of the output power of a commercial tunable diode laser was injected into a commercial VCSEL, designed to operate in the wavelength range of 795+/-3 nm, that was generating about 200 microW of optical power. (The use of relatively high injection power levels is a usual practice in injection locking of VCSELs.)

  7. Electron injection and acceleration in the plasma bubble regime driven by an ultraintense laser pulse combined with using dense-plasma wall and block

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Xue-Yan; Xie, Bai-Song; Wu, Hai-Cheng; Zhang, Shan; Hong, Xue-Ren; Aimidula, Aimierding

    2012-03-01

    An optimizing and alternative scheme for electron injection and acceleration in the wake bubble driven by an ultraintense laser pulse is presented. In this scheme, the dense-plasma wall with an inner diameter matching the expected bubble size is placed along laser propagation direction. Meanwhile, a dense-plasma block dense-plasma is adhered inward transversely at some certain position of the wall. Particle-in-cell simulations are performed, which demonstrate that the block plays an important role in the first electron injection and acceleration. The result shows that a collimated electron bunch with a total number of about 4.04×108μm-1 can be generated and accelerated stably to 1.61 GeV peak energy with 2.6% energy spread. The block contributes about 50% to the accelerated electron injection bunch by tracing and sorting statistically the source.

  8. Study Trapped Charge Distribution in P-Channel Silicon-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon Memory Device Using Dynamic Programming Scheme

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Fu-Hai; Chiu, Yung-Yueh; Lee, Yen-Hui; Chang, Ru-Wei; Yang, Bo-Jun; Sun, Wein-Town; Lee, Eric; Kuo, Chao-Wei; Shirota, Riichiro

    2013-04-01

    In this study, we precisely investigate the charge distribution in SiN layer by dynamic programming of channel hot hole induced hot electron injection (CHHIHE) in p-channel silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) memory device. In the dynamic programming scheme, gate voltage is increased as a staircase with fixed step amplitude, which can prohibits the injection of holes in SiN layer. Three-dimensional device simulation is calibrated and is compared with the measured programming characteristics. It is found, for the first time, that the hot electron injection point quickly traverses from drain to source side synchronizing to the expansion of charged area in SiN layer. As a result, the injected charges quickly spread over on the almost whole channel area uniformly during a short programming period, which will afford large tolerance against lateral trapped charge diffusion by baking.

  9. What Do Lead and Copper Sampling Protocols Mean, and Which Is Right for You?

    EPA Science Inventory

    this presentation will provide a short review of the explicit and implicit concepts behind most of the currently-used regulatory and diagnostic sampling schemes for lead, such as: random daytime sampling; automated proportional sampler; 30 minute first draw stagnation; Sequential...

  10. Analysis of Anthrax Immune Globulin Intravenous with Antimicrobial Treatment in Injection Drug Users, Scotland, 2009-2010.

    PubMed

    Cui, Xizhong; Nolen, Leisha D; Sun, Junfeng; Booth, Malcolm; Donaldson, Lindsay; Quinn, Conrad P; Boyer, Anne E; Hendricks, Katherine; Shadomy, Sean; Bothma, Pieter; Judd, Owen; McConnell, Paul; Bower, William A; Eichacker, Peter Q

    2017-01-01

    We studied anthrax immune globulin intravenous (AIG-IV) use from a 2009-2010 outbreak of Bacillus anthracis soft tissue infection in injection drug users in Scotland, UK, and we compared findings from 15 AIG-IV recipients with findings from 28 nonrecipients. Death rates did not differ significantly between recipients and nonrecipients (33% vs. 21%). However, whereas only 8 (27%) of 30 patients at low risk for death (admission sequential organ failure assessment score of 0-5) received AIG-IV, 7 (54%) of the 13 patients at high risk for death (sequential organ failure assessment score of 6-11) received treatment. AIG-IV recipients had surgery more often and, among survivors, had longer hospital stays than did nonrecipients. AIG-IV recipients were sicker than nonrecipients. This difference and the small number of higher risk patients confound assessment of AIG-IV effectiveness in this outbreak.

  11. Universal scheme for finite-probability perfect transfer of arbitrary multispin states through spin chains

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

    Man, Zhong-Xiao, E-mail: zxman@mail.qfnu.edu.cn; An, Nguyen Ba, E-mail: nban@iop.vast.ac.vn; Xia, Yun-Jie, E-mail: yjxia@mail.qfnu.edu.cn

    In combination with the theories of open system and quantum recovering measurement, we propose a quantum state transfer scheme using spin chains by performing two sequential operations: a projective measurement on the spins of ‘environment’ followed by suitably designed quantum recovering measurements on the spins of interest. The scheme allows perfect transfer of arbitrary multispin states through multiple parallel spin chains with finite probability. Our scheme is universal in the sense that it is state-independent and applicable to any model possessing spin–spin interactions. We also present possible methods to implement the required measurements taking into account the current experimental technologies.more » As applications, we consider two typical models for which the probabilities of perfect state transfer are found to be reasonably high at optimally chosen moments during the time evolution. - Highlights: • Scheme that can achieve perfect quantum state transfer is devised. • The scheme is state-independent and applicable to any spin-interaction models. • The scheme allows perfect transfer of arbitrary multispin states. • Applications to two typical models are considered in detail.« less

  12. Extremely short relativistic-electron-bunch generation in the laser wakefield via novel bunch injection scheme

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khachatryan, A. G.; van Goor, F. A.; Boller, K.-J.; Reitsma, A. J.; Jaroszynski, D. A.

    2004-12-01

    Recently a new electron-bunch injection scheme for the laser wakefield accelerator has been proposed [

    JETP Lett. 74, 371 (2001)JTPLA20021-364010.1134/1.1427124
    ;
    Phys. Rev. E 65, 046504 (2002)PLEEE81063-651X10.1103/PhysRevE.65.046504
    ]. In this scheme, a low energy electron bunch, sent in a plasma channel just before a high-intensity laser pulse, is trapped in the laser wakefield, considerably compressed and accelerated to an ultrarelativistic energy. In this paper we show the possibility of the generation of an extremely short (on the order of 1 μm long or a few femtoseconds in duration) relativistic-electron-bunch by this mechanism. The initial electron bunch, which can be generated, for example, by a laser-driven photocathode rf gun, should have an energy of a few hundred keVs to a few MeVs, a duration in the picosecond range or less and a relatively low concentration. The trapping conditions and parameters of an accelerated bunch are investigated. The laser pulse dynamics as well as a possible experimental setup for the demonstration of the injection scheme are also considered.

  13. Evaluation of concurrent priority queue algorithms. Technical report

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

    Huang, Q.

    1991-02-01

    The priority queue is a fundamental data structure that is used in a large variety of parallel algorithms, such as multiprocessor scheduling and parallel best-first search of state-space graphs. This thesis addresses the design and experimental evaluation of two novel concurrent priority queues: a parallel Fibonacci heap and a concurrent priority pool, and compares them with the concurrent binary heap. The parallel Fibonacci heap is based on the sequential Fibonacci heap, which is theoretically the most efficient data structure for sequential priority queues. This scheme not only preserves the efficient operation time bounds of its sequential counterpart, but also hasmore » very low contention by distributing locks over the entire data structure. The experimental results show its linearly scalable throughput and speedup up to as many processors as tested (currently 18). A concurrent access scheme for a doubly linked list is described as part of the implementation of the parallel Fibonacci heap. The concurrent priority pool is based on the concurrent B-tree and the concurrent pool. The concurrent priority pool has the highest throughput among the priority queues studied. Like the parallel Fibonacci heap, the concurrent priority pool scales linearly up to as many processors as tested. The priority queues are evaluated in terms of throughput and speedup. Some applications of concurrent priority queues such as the vertex cover problem and the single source shortest path problem are tested.« less

  14. Drug delivery into the cochlear apex: Improved control to sequentially affect finely spaced regions along the entire length of the cochlear spiral.

    PubMed

    Lichtenhan, J T; Hartsock, J; Dornhoffer, J R; Donovan, K M; Salt, A N

    2016-11-01

    Administering pharmaceuticals to the scala tympani of the inner ear is a common approach to study cochlear physiology and mechanics. We present here a novel method for in vivo drug delivery in a controlled manner to sealed ears. Injections of ototoxic solutions were applied from a pipette sealed into a fenestra in the cochlear apex, progressively driving solutions along the length of scala tympani toward the cochlear aqueduct at the base. Drugs can be delivered rapidly or slowly. In this report we focus on slow delivery in which the injection rate is automatically adjusted to account for varying cross sectional area of the scala tympani, therefore driving a solution front at uniform rate. Objective measurements originating from finely spaced, low- to high-characteristic cochlear frequency places were sequentially affected. Comparison with existing methods(s): Controlled administration of pharmaceuticals into the cochlear apex overcomes a number of serious limitations of previously established methods such as cochlear perfusions with an injection pipette in the cochlear base: The drug concentration achieved is more precisely controlled, drug concentrations remain in scala tympani and are not rapidly washed out by cerebrospinal fluid flow, and the entire length of the cochlear spiral can be treated quickly or slowly with time. Controlled administration of solutions into the cochlear apex can be a powerful approach to sequentially effect objective measurements originating from finely spaced cochlear regions and allows, for the first time, the spatial origin of CAPs to be objectively defined. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Drug delivery into the cochlear apex: Improved control to sequentially affect finely spaced regions along the entire length of the cochlear spiral

    PubMed Central

    Lichtenhan, JT; Hartsock, J; Dornhoffer, JR; Donovan, KM; Salt, AN

    2016-01-01

    Background Administering pharmaceuticals to the scala tympani of the inner ear is a common approach to study cochlear physiology and mechanics. We present here a novel method for in vivo drug delivery in a controlled manner to sealed ears. New method Injections of ototoxic solutions were applied from a pipette sealed into a fenestra in the cochlear apex, progressively driving solutions along the length of scala tympani toward the cochlear aqueduct at the base. Drugs can be delivered rapidly or slowly. In this report we focus on slow delivery in which the injection rate is automatically adjusted to account for varying cross sectional area of the scala tympani, therefore driving a solution front at uniform rate. Results Objective measurements originating from finely spaced, low- to high-characteristic cochlear frequency places were sequentially affected. Comparison with existing methods(s): Controlled administration of pharmaceuticals into the cochlear apex overcomes a number of serious limitations of previously established methods such as cochlear perfusions with an injection pipette in the cochlear base: The drug concentration achieved is more precisely controlled, drug concentrations remain in scala tympani and are not rapidly washed out by cerebrospinal fluid flow, and the entire length of the cochlear spiral can be treated quickly or slowly with time. Conclusions Controlled administration of solutions into the cochlear apex can be a powerful approach to sequentially effect objective measurements originating from finely spaced cochlear regions and allows, for the first time, the spatial origin of CAPs to be objectively defined. PMID:27506463

  16. An Adaptable Investigative Graduate Laboratory Course for Teaching Protein Purification

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carroll, Christopher W.; Keller, Lani C.

    2014-01-01

    This adaptable graduate laboratory course on protein purification offers students the opportunity to explore a wide range of techniques while allowing the instructor the freedom to incorporate their own personal research interests. The course design involves two sequential purification schemes performed in a single semester. The first part…

  17. Newquay Treviglas School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ingham, Donald

    1995-01-01

    Describes a long-term scheme to develop a pond, nature trail, and tree-planting project (in Cornwall, England). The project was designed by teams of students. Plans included a large pond, meadow area, sequential cuttings of school fields to encourage insects, butterfly garden, extensive tree plantings (including a dwindling native species), and a…

  18. An integrated error estimation and lag-aware data assimilation scheme for real-time flood forecasting

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The performance of conventional filtering methods can be degraded by ignoring the time lag between soil moisture and discharge response when discharge observations are assimilated into streamflow modelling. This has led to the ongoing development of more optimal ways to implement sequential data ass...

  19. Effect of different wall injection schemes on the flow-field of hydrogen fuelled strut-based scramjet combustor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choubey, Gautam; Pandey, K. M.

    2018-04-01

    The multi-strut injector is one of the most favourable perspectives for the mixing improvement in between the hydrogen and the high-speed air, and its parametric investigation has drawn an increasing attention among the researchers. Hence the flow-field aspects of a particular multi-strut based scramjet combustor have been investigated numerically with the addition of four wall injectors and at the same time, the influence of combination of different strut as well as wall injector scheme on the performance of multi-strut scramjet engine has also been explored. Moreover, the current computational approach has been validated against the experimental data present in the open literature in case of single strut scramjet engine. The attained results reveal that the collaboration of multi-strut along with 2 wall injectors' improves the efficiency of scramjet as compared to other multi-strut + wall injection scheme as this combination achieve higher penetration height which will boost to a wider temperature and robust combustion area adjacent to the wall. Again, the appearance of extra H2 in the separated flow region precisely ahead of the wall injection region is mainly reasonable for the abrupt decrease in the mixing as well combustion efficiency plot in all the multi-strut + wall injection strategy.

  20. Use of Anticlines for Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide in a Saline Aquifer in Northwestern Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Shin-Hsun; Liou, Tai-Sheng

    2013-04-01

    In this study, migration of CO2 in a deep saline aquifer with anticlines under various injection schemes was numerically simulated using the ECO2N simulator. The hypothetical study site was selected at the Taoyuan Plateau near the second largest coal-fired power plant, Datan power plant (annual CO2 emission of 1.5 Mt/yr), in Northwestern Taiwan. A 15x15 km2 simulation domain, containing two sub-parallel east-northeast Hukou and Pingzhen anticlines, was discretized into unstructured grid with spatial refinement at the injection borehole. Kueichulin sandstone and Chinshui shale in the simulation domain were considered as the storage formation and the cap rock, respectively. It was assumed that no CO2 exists in the aquifer prior to injection, and that the aquifer has a hydrostatic pressure distribution and a constant salinity of 3%. All boundaries were assumed to be "open". Isothermal simulations with 1 Mt/yr injection rate and 20 years of injection period were considered. van Genuchten capillary pressure and Corey relative permeability were assumed for all rock formations. Simulation results indicated that pressure buildup characterized the CO2 migration into three different phases: drainage of brine, formation dry-out, and dissolution and gravity take-over . It was found that the worst leakage scenario occurs if a single injection borehole is placed along the anticline axis. In this case, rock formations near the anticline axis provide a leakage path such that CO2 ultimately leaks out of the upper boundary. On the other hand, CO2 can be safely sequestrated in the storage formation if the injection borehole was placed away from the anticline axis. This is because gas phase CO2 migrates along the counter dipping direction of the anticline as a result of buoyancy. More favorable scenarios were found if a multiple-borehole injection scheme was used. In such cases, not only pressure buildup was significantly mitigated but the amount of precipitated salt was reduced. If a five-borehole scheme was used, for example, pressure buildup and the amount of precipitated salt can be reduced by 20% and 90%, respectively. More interestingly, if injection borehole was placed midway between the two anticlines, buoyancy dominates the migration of CO2 such that most CO2 is accumulated under the apex of anticline. Therefore, it is suggested that a multiple-borehole injection scheme would be a preferable scenario because of the reduced risks of pressure buildup and salt precipitation. Moreover, it would be better to place the injection boreholes away from the anticline axis in order to make good use of all possible trapping mechanisms to permanently sequestrate CO2 in deep rock formations.

  1. Gain and temperature in a slit nozzle supersonic chemical oxygen-iodine laser with transonic and supersonic injection of iodine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosenwaks, Salman; Barmashenko, Boris D.; Bruins, Esther; Furman, Dov; Rybalkin, Victor; Katz, Arje

    2002-05-01

    Spatial distributions of the gain and temperament across the flow were studied for transonic and supersonic schemes of the iodine injection in a slit nozzle supersonic chemical oxygen-iodine laser as a function of the iodine and secondary nitrogen flow rate, jet penetration parameter and gas pumping rate. The mixing efficiency for supersonic injection of iodine is found to be much larger than for transonic injection, the maximum values of the gain being approximately 0.65 percent/cm for both injection schemes. Measurements of the gain distribution as a function of the iodine molar flow rate nI2 were carried out. For transonic injection the optimal value of nI2 at the flow centerline is smaller than that at the off axis location. The temperature is distributed homogeneously across the flow, increasing only in the narrow boundary layers near the walls. Opening a leak downstream of the cavity in order to decease the Mach number results in a decrease of the gain and increase of the temperature. The mixing efficiency in this case is much larger than for closed leak.

  2. Drinking Water Quality Criterion - Based site Selection of Aquifer Storage and Recovery Scheme in Chou-Shui River Alluvial Fan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, H. E.; Liang, C. P.; Jang, C. S.; Chen, J. S.

    2015-12-01

    Land subsidence due to groundwater exploitation is an urgent environmental problem in Choushui river alluvial fan in Taiwan. Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), where excess surface water is injected into subsurface aquifers for later recovery, is one promising strategy for managing surplus water and may overcome water shortages. The performance of an ASR scheme is generally evaluated in terms of recovery efficiency, which is defined as percentage of water injected in to a system in an ASR site that fulfills the targeted water quality criterion. Site selection of an ASR scheme typically faces great challenges, due to the spatial variability of groundwater quality and hydrogeological condition. This study proposes a novel method for the ASR site selection based on drinking quality criterion. Simplified groundwater flow and contaminant transport model spatial distributions of the recovery efficiency with the help of the groundwater quality, hydrological condition, ASR operation. The results of this study may provide government administrator for establishing reliable ASR scheme.

  3. [Pro re nata anti-VEGF treatment results for neovascular age-related macular degeneration in routine clinical treatment: comparison of single with triple injections].

    PubMed

    Wintergerst, M W M; Larsen, P P; Heimes, B; Pauleikhoff, D; Holz, F G; Finger, R P

    2018-06-19

    Different injection regimens from continuous to pro re nata (PRN) have been proposed for treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). So far the PRN single injection on reactivation regimen has not been compared to the PRN triple injection on reactivation regimen (IVAN scheme). Comparison of the two nAMD PRN injection regimens with single and triple injections on reactivation in a real-world setting in a retrospective case series in two German treatment centers. Naïve nAMD patients, who started treatment according to either the single or triple injection regimen were included. Endpoints were best corrected visual acuity (LogMAR), central retinal thickness on optical coherence tomography (μm) and number of injections, all at 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after treatment initiation. A total of 146 patients with single injection and 148 patients with triple injection regimens were included. There were no significant differences between the two treatment regimens in best corrected visual acuity (single vs. triple injection scheme: 0.50 ± 0.42 vs. 0.56 ± 0.42, p = 0.14), central retinal thickness (303 ± 76.2 vs. 306 ± 110, p = 0.79) and number of injections (13 ± 4.4 vs. 12 ± 5.4, p = 0.31). This was the case for all analyzed time points. There were no significant functional or morphological differences between the two PRN injection regimens with single and triple injections on reactivation after 24 months. For evaluation of long-term therapy results further studies are warranted.

  4. Pre-evaluation of metal ions as a catalyst on chemiluminometric sequential injection analysis with luminol-H2O2 system.

    PubMed

    Takayanagi, Toshio; Inaba, Yuya; Kanzaki, Hiroyuki; Jyoichi, Yasutaka; Motomizu, Shoji

    2009-09-15

    Catalytic effect of metal ions on luminol chemiluminescence (CL) was investigated by sequential injection analysis (SIA). The SIA system was set up with two solenoid micropumps, an eight-port selection valve, and a photosensor module with a fountain-type chemiluminescence cell. The SIA system was controlled and the CL signals were collected by a LabVIEW program. Aqueous solutions of luminol, H(2)O(2), and a sample solution containing metal ion were sequentially aspirated to the holding coil, and the zones were immediately propelled to the detection cell. After optimizing the parameters using 1 x 10(-5)M Fe(3+) solution, catalytic effect of some metal species was compared. Among 16 metal species examined, relatively strong CL responses were obtained with Fe(3+), Fe(2+), VO(2+), VO(3)(-), MnO(4)(-), Co(2+), and Cu(2+). The limits of detection by the present SIA system were comparable to FIA systems. Permanganate ion showed the highest CL sensitivity among the metal species examined; the calibration graph for MnO(4)(-) was linear at the concentration level of 10(-8)M and the limit of detection for MnO(4)(-) was 4.0 x 10(-10)M (S/N=3).

  5. Preliminary results of sequential extraction experiments for selenium on mine waste and stream sediments from Vermont, Maine, and New Zealand

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Piatak, N.M.; Seal, R.R.; Sanzolone, R.F.; Lamothe, P.J.; Brown, Z.A.

    2006-01-01

    We report the preliminary results of sequential partial dissolutions used to characterize the geochemical distribution of selenium in stream sediments, mine wastes, and flotation-mill tailings. In general, extraction schemes are designed to extract metals associated with operationally defined solid phases. Total Se concentrations and the mineralogy of the samples are also presented. Samples were obtained from the Elizabeth, Ely, and Pike Hill mines in Vermont, the Callahan mine in Maine, and the Martha mine in New Zealand. These data are presented here with minimal interpretation or discussion. Further analysis of the data will be presented elsewhere.

  6. Programming scheme based optimization of hybrid 4T-2R OxRAM NVSRAM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Majumdar, Swatilekha; Kingra, Sandeep Kaur; Suri, Manan

    2017-09-01

    In this paper, we present a novel single-cycle programming scheme for 4T-2R NVSRAM, exploiting pulse engineered input signals. OxRAM devices based on 3 nm thick bi-layer active switching oxide and 90 nm CMOS technology node were used for all simulations. The cell design is implemented for real-time non-volatility rather than last-bit, or power-down non-volatility. Detailed analysis of the proposed single-cycle, parallel RRAM device programming scheme is presented in comparison to the two-cycle sequential RRAM programming used for similar 4T-2R NVSRAM bit-cells. The proposed single-cycle programming scheme coupled with the 4T-2R architecture leads to several benefits such as- possibility of unconventional transistor sizing, 50% lower latency, 20% improvement in SNM and ∼20× reduced energy requirements, when compared against two-cycle programming approach.

  7. Study of phase-locked diode laser array and DFB/DBR surface emitting laser diode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hsin, Wei

    New types of phased-array and surface-emitting lasers are designed. The importance and approaches (or structures) of different phased array and surface emitting laser diodes are reviewed. The following are described: (1) a large optical cavity channel substrate planar laser array with layer thickness chirping; (2) a vertical cavity surface emitter with distributed feedback (DFB) optical cavity and a transverse junction buried heterostructure; (3) a microcavity distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) surface emitter; and (4) two surface emitting laser structures which utilized lateral current injection schemes to overcome the problems occurring in the vertical injection scheme.

  8. Sequential Designs Based on Bayesian Uncertainty Quantification in Sparse Representation Surrogate Modeling

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

    Chen, Ray -Bing; Wang, Weichung; Jeff Wu, C. F.

    A numerical method, called OBSM, was recently proposed which employs overcomplete basis functions to achieve sparse representations. While the method can handle non-stationary response without the need of inverting large covariance matrices, it lacks the capability to quantify uncertainty in predictions. We address this issue by proposing a Bayesian approach which first imposes a normal prior on the large space of linear coefficients, then applies the MCMC algorithm to generate posterior samples for predictions. From these samples, Bayesian credible intervals can then be obtained to assess prediction uncertainty. A key application for the proposed method is the efficient construction ofmore » sequential designs. Several sequential design procedures with different infill criteria are proposed based on the generated posterior samples. As a result, numerical studies show that the proposed schemes are capable of solving problems of positive point identification, optimization, and surrogate fitting.« less

  9. Sequential and parallel image restoration: neural network implementations.

    PubMed

    Figueiredo, M T; Leitao, J N

    1994-01-01

    Sequential and parallel image restoration algorithms and their implementations on neural networks are proposed. For images degraded by linear blur and contaminated by additive white Gaussian noise, maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation and regularization theory lead to the same high dimension convex optimization problem. The commonly adopted strategy (in using neural networks for image restoration) is to map the objective function of the optimization problem into the energy of a predefined network, taking advantage of its energy minimization properties. Departing from this approach, we propose neural implementations of iterative minimization algorithms which are first proved to converge. The developed schemes are based on modified Hopfield (1985) networks of graded elements, with both sequential and parallel updating schedules. An algorithm supported on a fully standard Hopfield network (binary elements and zero autoconnections) is also considered. Robustness with respect to finite numerical precision is studied, and examples with real images are presented.

  10. Sequential Designs Based on Bayesian Uncertainty Quantification in Sparse Representation Surrogate Modeling

    DOE PAGES

    Chen, Ray -Bing; Wang, Weichung; Jeff Wu, C. F.

    2017-04-12

    A numerical method, called OBSM, was recently proposed which employs overcomplete basis functions to achieve sparse representations. While the method can handle non-stationary response without the need of inverting large covariance matrices, it lacks the capability to quantify uncertainty in predictions. We address this issue by proposing a Bayesian approach which first imposes a normal prior on the large space of linear coefficients, then applies the MCMC algorithm to generate posterior samples for predictions. From these samples, Bayesian credible intervals can then be obtained to assess prediction uncertainty. A key application for the proposed method is the efficient construction ofmore » sequential designs. Several sequential design procedures with different infill criteria are proposed based on the generated posterior samples. As a result, numerical studies show that the proposed schemes are capable of solving problems of positive point identification, optimization, and surrogate fitting.« less

  11. Exploring the Utility of Sequential Analysis in Studying Informal Formative Assessment Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Furtak, Erin Marie; Ruiz-Primo, Maria Araceli; Bakeman, Roger

    2017-01-01

    Formative assessment is a classroom practice that has received much attention in recent years for its established potential at increasing student learning. A frequent analytic approach for determining the quality of formative assessment practices is to develop a coding scheme and determine frequencies with which the codes are observed; however,…

  12. Understanding the Periodic Table of Elements via Iconic Mapping and Sequential Diagramming: The Roundhouse Strategy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ward, Robin E.; Lee, William D.

    2006-01-01

    Roundhouse is a visually creative information-processing tool (J. E. Trowbridge and J. H. Wandersee 1998). The procedure requires learners to construct knowledge using "mindful" connections to replace less effective practices of memorizing fragmented information. Students create observable organization schemes of related ideas and icons in a…

  13. Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of 2,2-disubstituted oxetanes from ketones by using a one-pot sequential addition of sulfur ylide.

    PubMed

    Sone, Toshihiko; Lu, Gang; Matsunaga, Shigeki; Shibasaki, Masakatsu

    2009-01-01

    Better the second time around: The title compounds were synthesized by using a one-pot double methylene transfer catalyzed by a heterobimetallic La/Li complex. Chiral amplification in the second step was the key to obtaining oxetanes in high enantiomeric excess (see scheme).

  14. Adult Learners' Knowledge of Fraction Addition and Subtraction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Muckridge, Nicole A.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine adult developmental mathematics (ADM) students' knowledge of fraction addition and subtraction as it relates to their demonstrated fraction schemes and ability to disembed in multiplicative contexts with whole numbers. The study was conducted using a mixed methods sequential explanatory design. In the first…

  15. Voltage control for a wind power plant based on the available reactive current of a DFIG and its impacts on the point of interconnection

    DOE PAGES

    Usman, Yasir; Kim, Jinho; Muljadi, Eduard; ...

    2016-01-01

    Wake effects cause wind turbine generators (WTGs) within a wind power plant (WPP) to produce different levels of active power and subsequent reactive power capabilities. Further, the impedance between a WTG and the point of interconnection (POI)-which depends on the distance between them-impacts the WPP's reactive power injection capability at the POI. This paper proposes a voltage control scheme for a WPP based on the available reactive current of the doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs) and its impacts on the POI to improve the reactive power injection capability of the WPP. In this paper, a design strategy for modifying the gainmore » of DFIG controller is suggested and the comprehensive properties of these control gains are investigated. In the proposed scheme, the WPP controller, which operates in a voltage control mode, sends the command signal to the DFIGs based on the voltage difference at the POI. The DFIG controllers, which operate in a voltage control mode, employ a proportional controller with a limiter. The gain of the proportional controller is adjusted depending on the available reactive current of the DFIG and the series impedance between the DFIG and the POI. The performance of the proposed scheme is validated for various disturbances such as a reactive load connection and grid fault using an EMTP-RV simulator. Furthermore, simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme promptly recovers the POI voltage by injecting more reactive power after a disturbance than the conventional scheme.« less

  16. Microcellular injection molding process for producing lightweight thermoplastic polyurethane with customizable properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ellingham, Thomas; Kharbas, Hrishikesh; Manitiu, Mihai; Scholz, Guenter; Turng, Lih-Sheng

    2018-03-01

    A three-stage molding process involving microcellular injection molding with core retraction and an "out-of-mold" expansion was developed to manufacture thermoplastic polyurethane into lightweight foams of varying local densities, microstructures, and mechanical properties in the same microcellular injection molded part. Two stages of cavity expansion through sequential core retractions and a third expansion in a separate mold at an elevated temperature were carried out. The densities varied from 0.25 to 0.42 g/cm3 (77% to 62% weight reduction). The mechanical properties varied as well. Cyclic compressive strengths and hysteresis loss ratios, together with the microstructures, were characterized and reported.

  17. Efficient spin-current injection in single-molecule magnet junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Haiqing; Xu, Fuming; Jiao, Hujun; Wang, Qiang; Liang, J.-Q.

    2018-01-01

    We study theoretically spin transport through a single-molecule magnet (SMM) in the sequential and cotunneling regimes, where the SMM is weakly coupled to one ferromagnetic and one normal-metallic leads. By a master-equation approach, it is found that the spin polarization injected from the ferromagnetic lead is amplified and highly polarized spin-current can be generated, due to the exchange coupling between the transport electron and the anisotropic spin of the SMM. Moreover, the spin-current polarization can be tuned by the gate or bias voltage, and thus an efficient spin injection device based on the SMM is proposed in molecular spintronics.

  18. Effectiveness of leukocyte immunotherapy in primary recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA).

    PubMed

    Gharesi-Fard, Behrouz; Zolghadri, Jaleh; Foroughinia, Leila; Tavazoo, Fahimeh; Samsami Dehaghani, Alamtaj

    2007-09-01

    Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is defined as three or more sequential abortions before the twentieth week of gestation. There are evidences to support an allo-immunologic mechanism for RSA. One of the methods for treatment of RSA is leukocyte therapy; however there is still controversy about effectiveness of this method. To evaluate the effectiveness of leukocyte therapy for treatment of RSA. Ninety two non-pregnant women with at least three sequential abortions (60 primary & 32 secondary aborters) recognized as RSA were referred to our Laboratory for immunotherapy. All the cases were immunized by isolated lymphocytes from their husbands. Fifty to 100 million washed and resuspended mononuclear cells were injected by I.V., S.C., and I.D. route. The result of each injection was checked by WBC cross matching between couples after four weeks of injections. Immunization was repeated in fifth week to a maximum of 3 times if needed. Eighty one age-matched non-pregnant RSA women (52 primary and 29 secondary aborters) with at least three sequential abortions were also included in this study as controls. The control group was not immunized. 67 out of 92 (72.8%) immunized cases and 44 out of 81 controls (54.3%) showed a successful outcome of pregnancy (p<0.02). Comparison of primary and secondary aborters indicated a significantly better outcome only in primary (75% vs. 42.3%. p<0.001) but not in secondary aborters (68.8% vs. 75.9%, p = 0.7). The present investigation showed the effectiveness of leukocyte therapy in primary but not in secondary RSA patients. Despite the current controversy and limitation of leukocyte therapy in RSA, the results of our investigation provide evidence supporting the use of allo-immunization in improving the outcome of pregnancy in primary RSA patients.

  19. Sub-1min separation in sequential injection chromatography for determination of synthetic water-soluble dyes in pharmaceutical formulation.

    PubMed

    Davletbaeva, Polina; Chocholouš, Petr; Bulatov, Andrey; Šatínský, Dalibor; Solich, Petr

    2017-09-05

    Sequential Injection Chromatography (SIC) evolved from fast and automated non-separation Sequential Injection Analysis (SIA) into chromatographic separation method for multi-element analysis. However, the speed of the measurement (sample throughput) is due to chromatography significantly reduced. In this paper, a sub-1min separation using medium polar cyano monolithic column (5mm×4.6mm) resulted in fast and green separation with sample throughput comparable with non-separation flow methods The separation of three synthetic water-soluble dyes (sunset yellow FCF, carmoisine and green S) was in a gradient elution mode (0.02% ammonium acetate, pH 6.7 - water) with flow rate of 3.0mLmin -1 corresponding with sample throughput of 30h -1 . Spectrophotometric detection wavelengths were set to 480, 516 and 630nm and 10Hz data collection rate. The performance of the separation was described and discussed (peak capacities 3.48-7.67, peak symmetries 1.72-1.84 and resolutions 1.42-1.88). The method was represented by validation parameters: LODs of 0.15-0.35mgL -1 , LOQs of 0.50-1.25mgL -1 , calibration ranges 0.50-150.00mgL -1 (r>0.998) and repeatability at 10.0mgL -1 of RSD≤0.98% (n=6). The method was used for determination of the dyes in "forest berries" colored pharmaceutical cough-cold formulation. The sample matrix - pharmaceuticals and excipients were not interfering with vis determination because of no retention in the separation column and colorless nature. The results proved the concept of fast and green chromatography approach using very short medium polar monolithic column in SIC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Simultaneous determination of rutin and ascorbic acid in a sequential injection lab-at-valve system.

    PubMed

    Al-Shwaiyat, Mohammed Khair E A; Miekh, Yuliia V; Denisenko, Tatyana A; Vishnikin, Andriy B; Andruch, Vasil; Bazel, Yaroslav R

    2018-02-05

    A green, simple, accurate and highly sensitive sequential injection lab-at-valve procedure has been developed for the simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (Asc) and rutin using 18-molybdo-2-phosphate Wells-Dawson heteropoly anion (18-MPA). The method is based on the dependence of the reaction rate between 18-MPA and reducing agents on the solution pH. Only Asc is capable of interacting with 18-MPA at pH 4.7, while at pH 7.4 the reaction with both Asc and rutin proceeds simultaneously. In order to improve the precision and sensitivity of the analysis, to minimize reagent consumption and to remove the Schlieren effect, the manifold for the sequential injection analysis was supplemented with external reaction chamber, and the reaction mixture was segmented. By the reduction of 18-MPA with reducing agents one- and two-electron heteropoly blues are formed. The fraction of one-electron heteropoly blue increases at low concentrations of the reducer. Measurement of the absorbance at a wavelength corresponding to the isobestic point allows strictly linear calibration graphs to be obtained. The calibration curves were linear in the concentration ranges of 0.3-24mgL -1 and 0.2-14mgL -1 with detection limits of 0.13mgL -1 and 0.09mgL -1 for rutin and Asc, respectively. The determination of rutin was possible in the presence of up to a 20-fold molar excess of Asc. The method was applied to the determination of Asc and rutin in ascorutin tablets with acceptable accuracy and precision (1-2%). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Miniaturizing and automation of free acidity measurements for uranium (VI)-HNO3 solutions: Development of a new sequential injection analysis for a sustainable radio-analytical chemistry.

    PubMed

    Néri-Quiroz, José; Canto, Fabrice; Guillerme, Laurent; Couston, Laurent; Magnaldo, Alastair; Dugas, Vincent

    2016-10-01

    A miniaturized and automated approach for the determination of free acidity in solutions containing uranium (VI) is presented. The measurement technique is based on the concept of sequential injection analysis with on-line spectroscopic detection. The proposed methodology relies on the complexation and alkalimetric titration of nitric acid using a pH 5.6 sodium oxalate solution. The titration process is followed by UV/VIS detection at 650nm thanks to addition of Congo red as universal pH indicator. Mixing sequence as well as method validity was investigated by numerical simulation. This new analytical design allows fast (2.3min), reliable and accurate free acidity determination of low volume samples (10µL) containing uranium/[H(+)] moles ratio of 1:3 with relative standard deviation of <7.0% (n=11). The linearity range of the free nitric acid measurement is excellent up to 2.77molL(-1) with a correlation coefficient (R(2)) of 0.995. The method is specific, presence of actinide ions up to 0.54molL(-1) does not interfere on the determination of free nitric acid. In addition to automation, the developed sequential injection analysis method greatly improves the standard off-line oxalate complexation and alkalimetric titration method by reducing thousand fold the required sample volume, forty times the nuclear waste per analysis as well as the analysis time by eight fold. These analytical parameters are important especially in nuclear-related applications to improve laboratory safety, personnel exposure to radioactive samples and to drastically reduce environmental impacts or analytical radioactive waste. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Injection order effects on efficacy of calcium chloride and sodium tripolyphosphate in controlling the pink color defect in uncured, intact turkey breast.

    PubMed

    Claus, James R; Sawyer, Christopher A; Vogel, Kurt D

    2010-04-01

    An experiment was conducted to test sequential injection of sodium tripolyphosphate (STP; 0.5% meat weight basis, mwb) followed by injection with or without addition of calcium chloride (CaCl(2), 500 ppm mwb), and to test the effect of post-injection delay prior to cooking. A second experiment evaluated the impact of injection order and delay time between independent addition of CaCl(2) (500 ppm mwb) and STP (0.5% mwb). Turkey was formulated without an added pink generating ligand (NONE), with nicotinamide (NIC; 0.1% mwb), or with sodium nitrite (NIT; 10 ppm mwb). A white colloid was observed in the extracellular space of treatments containing both STP and CaCl(2.) Addition of CaCl(2) decreased nitrosylhemochrome but did not reduce levels of nicotinamide hemochrome or CIE a(*) values. Injection order or delay between injections did not contribute to controlling the pink defect in cooked, intact turkey breast. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  3. Stacking with stochastic cooling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caspers, Fritz; Möhl, Dieter

    2004-10-01

    Accumulation of large stacks of antiprotons or ions with the aid of stochastic cooling is more delicate than cooling a constant intensity beam. Basically the difficulty stems from the fact that the optimized gain and the cooling rate are inversely proportional to the number of particles 'seen' by the cooling system. Therefore, to maintain fast stacking, the newly injected batch has to be strongly 'protected' from the Schottky noise of the stack. Vice versa the stack has to be efficiently 'shielded' against the high gain cooling system for the injected beam. In the antiproton accumulators with stacking ratios up to 105 the problem is solved by radial separation of the injection and the stack orbits in a region of large dispersion. An array of several tapered cooling systems with a matched gain profile provides a continuous particle flux towards the high-density stack core. Shielding of the different systems from each other is obtained both through the spatial separation and via the revolution frequencies (filters). In the 'old AA', where the antiproton collection and stacking was done in one single ring, the injected beam was further shielded during cooling by means of a movable shutter. The complexity of these systems is very high. For more modest stacking ratios, one might use azimuthal rather than radial separation of stack and injected beam. Schematically half of the circumference would be used to accept and cool new beam and the remainder to house the stack. Fast gating is then required between the high gain cooling of the injected beam and the low gain stack cooling. RF-gymnastics are used to merge the pre-cooled batch with the stack, to re-create free space for the next injection, and to capture the new batch. This scheme is less demanding for the storage ring lattice, but at the expense of some reduction in stacking rate. The talk reviews the 'radial' separation schemes and also gives some considerations to the 'azimuthal' schemes.

  4. Prediction of convective activity using a system of parasitic-nested numerical models

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Perkey, D. J.

    1976-01-01

    A limited area, three dimensional, moist, primitive equation (PE) model is developed to test the sensitivity of quantitative precipitation forecasts to the initial relative humidity distribution. Special emphasis is placed on the squall-line region. To accomplish the desired goal, time dependent lateral boundaries and a general convective parameterization scheme suitable for mid-latitude systems were developed. The sequential plume convective parameterization scheme presented is designed to have the versatility necessary in mid-latitudes and to be applicable for short-range forecasts. The results indicate that the scheme is able to function in the frontally forced squallline region, in the gently rising altostratus region ahead of the approaching low center, and in the over-riding region ahead of the warm front. Three experiments are discussed.

  5. Index files for Belle II - very small skim containers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sevior, Martin; Bloomfield, Tristan; Kuhr, Thomas; Ueda, I.; Miyake, H.; Hara, T.

    2017-10-01

    The Belle II experiment[1] employs the root file format[2] for recording data and is investigating the use of “index-files” to reduce the size of data skims. These files contain pointers to the location of interesting events within the total Belle II data set and reduce the size of data skims by 2 orders of magnitude. We implement this scheme on the Belle II grid by recording the parent file metadata and the event location within the parent file. While the scheme works, it is substantially slower than a normal sequential read of standard skim files using default root file parameters. We investigate the performance of the scheme by adjusting the “splitLevel” and “autoflushsize” parameters of the root files in the parent data files.

  6. Immunogenicity of simultaneous versus sequential administration of a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine and a quadrivalent influenza vaccine in older individuals: A randomized, open-label, non-inferiority trial.

    PubMed

    Nakashima, Kei; Aoshima, Masahiro; Ohfuji, Satoko; Yamawaki, Satoshi; Nemoto, Masahiro; Hasegawa, Shinya; Noma, Satoshi; Misawa, Masafumi; Hosokawa, Naoto; Yaegashi, Makito; Otsuka, Yoshihito

    2018-03-21

    It is unclear whether simultaneous administration of a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) and a quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) produces immunogenicity in older individuals. This study tested the hypothesis that the pneumococcal antibody response elicited by simultaneous administration of PPSV23 and QIV in older individuals is not inferior to that elicited by sequential administration of PPSV23 and QIV. We performed a single-center, randomized, open-label, non-inferiority trial comprising 162 adults aged ≥65 years randomly assigned to either the simultaneous (simultaneous injections of PPSV23 and QIV) or sequential (control; PPSV23 injected 2 weeks after QIV vaccination) groups. Pneumococcal immunoglobulin G (IgG) titers of serotypes 23F, 3, 4, 6B, 14, and 19A were assessed. The primary endpoint was the serotype 23F response rate (a ≥2-fold increase in IgG concentrations 4-6 weeks after PPSV23 vaccination). With the non-inferiority margin set at 20% fewer patients, the response rate of serotype 23F in the simultaneous group (77.8%) was not inferior to that of the sequential group (77.6%; difference, 0.1%; 90% confidence interval, -10.8% to 11.1%). None of the pneumococcal IgG serotype titers were significantly different between the groups 4-6 weeks after vaccination. Simultaneous administration did not show a significant decrease in seroprotection odds ratios for H1N1, H3N2, or B/Phuket influenza strains other than B/Texas. Additionally, simultaneous administration did not increase adverse reactions. Hence, simultaneous administration of PPSV23 and QIV shows an acceptable immunogenicity that is comparable to sequential administration without an increase in adverse reactions. (This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov [NCT02592486]).

  7. Visual detection and sequential injection determination of aluminium using a cinnamoyl derivative.

    PubMed

    Elečková, Lenka; Alexovič, Michal; Kuchár, Juraj; Balogh, Ioseph S; Andruch, Vasil

    2015-02-01

    A cinnamoyl derivative, 3-[4-(dimethylamino)cinnamoyl]-4-hydroxy-6-methyl-3,4-2H-pyran-2-one, was used as a ligand for the determination of aluminium. Upon the addition of an acetonitrile solution of the ligand to an aqueous solution containing Al(III) and a buffer solution at pH 8, a marked change in colour from yellow to orange is observed. The colour intensity is proportional to the concentration of Al(III); thus, the 'naked-eye' detection of aluminium is possible. The reaction is also applied for sequential injection determination of aluminium. Beer׳s law is obeyed in the range from 0.055 to 0.66 mg L(-1) of Al(III). The limit of detection, calculated as three times the standard deviation of the blank test (n=10), was found to be 4 μg L(-1) for Al(III). The method was applied for the determination of aluminium in spiked water samples and pharmaceutical preparations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Sequential Injection Chromatography with an Ultra-short Monolithic Column for the Low-Pressure Separation of α-Tocopherol and γ-Oryzanol in Vegetable Oils and Nutrition Supplements.

    PubMed

    Thaithet, Sujitra; Kradtap Hartwell, Supaporn; Lapanantnoppakhun, Somchai

    2017-01-01

    A low-pressure separation procedure of α-tocopherol and γ-oryzanol was developed based on a sequential injection chromatography (SIC) system coupled with an ultra-short (5 mm) C-18 monolithic column, as a lower cost and more compact alternative to the HPLC system. A green sample preparation, dilution with a small amount of hexane followed by liquid-liquid extraction with 80% ethanol, was proposed. Very good separation resolution (R s = 3.26), a satisfactory separation time (10 min) and a total run time including column equilibration (16 min) were achieved. The linear working range was found to be 0.4 - 40 μg with R 2 being more than 0.99. The detection limits of both analytes were 0.28 μg with the repeatability within 5% RSD (n = 7). Quantitative analyses of the two analytes in vegetable oil and nutrition supplement samples, using the proposed SIC method, agree well with the results from HPLC.

  9. Method for operating a spark-ignition, direct-injection internal combustion engine

    DOEpatents

    Narayanaswamy, Kushal; Koch, Calvin K.; Najt, Paul M.; Szekely, Jr., Gerald A.; Toner, Joel G.

    2015-06-02

    A spark-ignition, direct-injection internal combustion engine is coupled to an exhaust aftertreatment system including a three-way catalytic converter upstream of an NH3-SCR catalyst. A method for operating the engine includes operating the engine in a fuel cutoff mode and coincidentally executing a second fuel injection control scheme upon detecting an engine load that permits operation in the fuel cutoff mode.

  10. Rematching AGS Booster synchrotron injection lattice for smaller transverse beam emittances

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

    Liu, C.; Beebe-Wang, J.; Brown, K.

    2017-01-25

    The polarized proton beam is injected into the booster via the charge-exchange (H- to H+) scheme. The emittance growth due to scattering at the stripping foil is proportional to the beta functions at the foil. It was demonstrated that the current scheme of reducing the beta functions at the stripping foil preserves the emittance better; however the betatron tunes are above but very close to half integer. Due to concern of space charge and half integer in general, options of lattice designs aimed towards reducing the beta functions at the stripping foil with tunes at more favorable places are explored.

  11. Use of Protein G Microcolumns in Chromatographic Immunoassays: A Comparison of Competitive Binding Formats

    PubMed Central

    Pfaunmiller, Erika L.; Anguizola, Jeanethe A.; Milanuk, Mitchell L.; Carter, NaTasha; Hage, David S.

    2016-01-01

    Affinity microcolumns containing protein G were used as general platforms for creating chromatographic-based competitive binding immunoassays. Human serum albumin (HSA) was used as a model target for this work and HSA tagged with a near infrared fluorescent dye was utilized as the label. The protein G microcolumns were evaluated for use in several assay formats, including both solution-based and column-based competitive binding immunoassays and simultaneous or sequential injection formats. All of these methods were characterized by using the same amounts of labeled HSA and anti-HSA antibodies per sample, as chosen for the analysis of a protein target in the low-to-mid ng/mL range. The results were used to compare these formats in terms of their response, precision, limits of detection, and analysis time. All these methods gave detection limits in the range of 8–19 ng/mL and precisions ranging from ± 5% to ± 10% when using an injection flow rate of 0.10 mL/min. The column-based sequential injection immunoassay provided the best limit of detection and the greatest change in response at low target concentrations, while the solution-based simultaneous injection method had the broadest linear and dynamic ranges. These results provided valuable guidelines that can be employed to develop and extend the use of protein G microcolumns and these competitive binding formats to other protein biomarkers or biological agents of clinical or pharmaceutical interest. PMID:26777776

  12. Time-lapse evaluation of human embryo development in single versus sequential culture media--a sibling oocyte study.

    PubMed

    Ciray, Haydar Nadir; Aksoy, Turan; Goktas, Cihan; Ozturk, Bilgen; Bahceci, Mustafa

    2012-09-01

    To compare the dynamics of early development between embryos cultured in single and sequential media. Randomized, comparative study. Private IVF centre. A total of 446 metaphase II oocytes from 51 couples who underwent oocyte retrieval procedure for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Forty-nine resulted in embryo transfer. Oocytes were split between single and sequential media produced by the same manufacturer and cultured in a time-lapse incubator. Morphokinetic parameters until the embryos reached the 5-cell stage (t5), utilization, clinical pregnancy and implantation rates. Embryos cultured in single media were advanced from the first mitosis cycle and reached 2- to 5-cell stages earlier. There was not any difference between the durations for cell cycle two (cc2 = t3-t2) and s2 (t4-t3). The utilization, clinical pregnancy and implantation rates did not differ between groups. The proportion of cryopreserved day 6 embryos to two pronuclei oocytes was significantly higher in sequential than in single media. Morphokinetics of embryo development vary between single and sequential culture media at least until the 5-cell stage. The overall clinical and embryological parameters remain similar regardless of the culture system.

  13. Reset Tree-Based Optical Fault Detection

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Dong-Geon; Choi, Dooho; Seo, Jungtaek; Kim, Howon

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, we present a new reset tree-based scheme to protect cryptographic hardware against optical fault injection attacks. As one of the most powerful invasive attacks on cryptographic hardware, optical fault attacks cause semiconductors to misbehave by injecting high-energy light into a decapped integrated circuit. The contaminated result from the affected chip is then used to reveal secret information, such as a key, from the cryptographic hardware. Since the advent of such attacks, various countermeasures have been proposed. Although most of these countermeasures are strong, there is still the possibility of attack. In this paper, we present a novel optical fault detection scheme that utilizes the buffers on a circuit's reset signal tree as a fault detection sensor. To evaluate our proposal, we model radiation-induced currents into circuit components and perform a SPICE simulation. The proposed scheme is expected to be used as a supplemental security tool. PMID:23698267

  14. Phase Recovery Acceleration of Quantum-Dot Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers by Optical Pumping to Quantum-Well Wetting Layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jungho

    2013-11-01

    We theoretically investigate the phase recovery acceleration of quantum-dot (QD) semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) by means of the optical pump injection to the quantum-well (QW) wetting layer (WL). We compare the ultrafast gain and phase recovery responses of QD SOAs in either the electrical or the optical pumping scheme by numerically solving 1088 coupled rate equations. The ultrafast gain recovery responses on the order of sub-picosecond are nearly the same for the two pumping schemes. The ultrafast phase recovery is not significantly accelerated by increasing the electrical current density, but greatly improved by increasing the optical pumping power to the QW WL. Because the phase recovery time of QD SOAs with the optical pumping scheme can be reduced down to several picoseconds, the complete phase recovery can be achieved when consecutive pulse signals with a repetition rate of 100 GHz is injected.

  15. How Do Parents Acquire Information to Support Their Child with a Disability and Navigate Individualised Funding Schemes?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tracey, Danielle; Johnston, Christine; Papps, Fiona Ann; Mahmic, Sylvana

    2018-01-01

    With the international trend towards individualised funding packages that allocate funds to individuals to spend on disability support needs, the challenge of ensuring parents can readily access useful information to make decisions becomes paramount. The present research used a two stage, mixed method sequential approach (with 291 parents surveyed…

  16. Reduced 3d modeling on injection schemes for laser wakefield acceleration at plasma scale lengths

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Helm, Anton; Vieira, Jorge; Silva, Luis; Fonseca, Ricardo

    2017-10-01

    Current modelling techniques for laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) are based on particle-in-cell (PIC) codes which are computationally demanding. In PIC simulations the laser wavelength λ0, in μm-range, has to be resolved over the acceleration lengths in meter-range. A promising approach is the ponderomotive guiding center solver (PGC) by only considering the laser envelope for laser pulse propagation. Therefore only the plasma skin depth λp has to be resolved, leading to speedups of (λp /λ0) 2. This allows to perform a wide-range of parameter studies and use it for λ0 <<λp studies. We present the 3d version of a PGC solver in the massively parallel, fully relativistic PIC code OSIRIS. Further, a discussion and characterization of the validity of the PGC solver for injection schemes on the plasma scale lengths, such as down-ramp injection, magnetic injection and ionization injection, through parametric studies, full PIC simulations and theoretical scaling, is presented. This work was partially supported by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, through Grant No. PTDC/FIS-PLA/2940/2014 and PD/BD/105882/2014.

  17. Monte Carlo analysis of the Titan III/Transfer Orbit Stage guidance system for the Mars Observer mission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bell, Stephen C.; Ginsburg, Marc A.; Rao, Prabhakara P.

    An important part of space launch vehicle mission planning for a planetary mission is the integrated analysis of guidance and performance dispersions for both booster and upper stage vehicles. For the Mars Observer mission, an integrated trajectory analysis was used to maximize the scientific payload and to minimize injection errors by optimizing the energy management of both vehicles. This was accomplished by designing the Titan III booster vehicle to inject into a hyperbolic departure plane, and the Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS) to correct any booster dispersions. An integrated Monte Carlo analysis of the performance and guidance dispersions of both vehicles provided sensitivities, an evaluation of their guidance schemes and an injection error covariance matrix. The polynomial guidance schemes used for the Titan III variable flight azimuth computations and the TOS solid rocket motor ignition time and burn direction derivations accounted for a wide variation of launch times, performance dispersions, and target conditions. The Mars Observer spacecraft was launched on 25 September 1992 on the Titan III/TOS vehicle. The post flight analysis indicated that a near perfect park orbit injection was achieved, followed by a trans-Mars injection with less than 2sigma errors.

  18. Modulation response characteristics of optical injection-locked cascaded microring laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Shaowei; Pei, Li; Liu, Chao; Wang, Yiqun; Weng, Sijun

    2014-09-01

    Modulation bandwidth and frequency chirping of the optical injection-locked (OIL) microring laser (MRL) in the cascaded configuration are investigated. The unidirectional operation of the MRL under strong injection allows simple and cost-saving monolithic integration of the OIL system on one chip as it does not need the use of isolators between the master and slave lasers. Two cascading schemes are discussed in detail by focusing on the tailorable modulation response. The chip-to-power ratio of the cascaded optical injection-locked configuration has decreased by up to two orders of magnitude, compared with the single optical injection-locked configuration.

  19. Application of the sequential quadratic programming algorithm for reconstructing the distribution of optical parameters based on the time-domain radiative transfer equation.

    PubMed

    Qi, Hong; Qiao, Yao-Bin; Ren, Ya-Tao; Shi, Jing-Wen; Zhang, Ze-Yu; Ruan, Li-Ming

    2016-10-17

    Sequential quadratic programming (SQP) is used as an optimization algorithm to reconstruct the optical parameters based on the time-domain radiative transfer equation (TD-RTE). Numerous time-resolved measurement signals are obtained using the TD-RTE as forward model. For a high computational efficiency, the gradient of objective function is calculated using an adjoint equation technique. SQP algorithm is employed to solve the inverse problem and the regularization term based on the generalized Gaussian Markov random field (GGMRF) model is used to overcome the ill-posed problem. Simulated results show that the proposed reconstruction scheme performs efficiently and accurately.

  20. Sequential injection system for simultaneous determination of sucrose and phosphate in cola drinks using paired emitter-detector diode sensor.

    PubMed

    Saetear, Phoonthawee; Khamtau, Kittiwut; Ratanawimarnwong, Nuanlaor; Sereenonchai, Kamonthip; Nacapricha, Duangjai

    2013-10-15

    This work presents the simultaneous determination of sucrose and phosphate by using sequential injection (SI) system with a low cost paired emitter-detector diode (PEDD) light sensor. The PEDD uses two 890 nm LEDs. Measurement of sucrose in Brix unit was carried out based on the detection of light refraction occurring at the liquid interface (the schlieren effect) between the sucrose solution and water. Phosphate was measured from the formation of calcium phosphate with turbidimetric detection. With careful design of the loading sequence and volume (sample--precipitating reagent--sample), simultaneous detection of sucrose and phosphate was accomplished with the single PEDD detector. At the optimized condition, linear calibrations from 1 to 7 Brix sucrose and from 50 to 200mg PO4(3-)L(-1) were obtained. Good precision at lower than 2% RSD (n=10) for both analytes with satisfactory throughput of 21 injections h(-1) was achieved. The method was successfully applied for the determination of sucrose and phosphate in cola drinks. The proposed method is readily applicable for automation and is found to be an alternative method to conventional procedures for on-line quality control process in cola drink industry. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. A novel laser-induced fluorescence scheme for Ar-I in a plasma.

    PubMed

    Short, Zachary D; Siddiqui, M Umair; Henriquez, Miguel F; McKee, John S; Scime, Earl E

    2016-01-01

    Here we describe a novel infrared laser-induced fluorescence scheme for the 1s2 state of Ar-I using an 841.052 nm (vacuum) Sacher tunable diode laser oscillator and compare it to an established 667.913 nm (vacuum) 1s4-pumping Ar-I LIF scheme using a master oscillator power amplifier laser [A. M. Keesee et al. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 75, 4091 (2004)]. The novel scheme exhibits a significantly greater signal-to-noise ratio for a given injected laser power than the established scheme. We argue that this is caused by less intense spontaneous Ar-I radiation near the LIF emission wavelength for the 1s2 scheme as compared to the 1s4 scheme. In addition we present an updated iodine cell spectrum around the 1s4 LIF scheme pump wavelength.

  2. 21 THz quantum-cascade laser operating up to 144 K based on a scattering-assisted injection design

    DOE PAGES

    Khanal, Sudeep; Reno, John L.; Kumar, Sushil

    2015-07-22

    A 2.1 THz quantum cascade laser (QCL) based on a scattering-assisted injection and resonant-phonon depopulation design scheme is demonstrated. The QCL is based on a four-well period implemented in the GaAs/Al 0.15Ga 0.85As material system. The QCL operates up to a heat-sink temperature of 144 K in pulsed-mode, which is considerably higher than that achieved for previously reported THz QCLs operating around the frequency of 2 THz. At 46 K, the threshold current-density was measured as ~745 A/cm 2 with a peak-power output of ~10 mW. Electrically stable operation in a positive differential-resistance regime is achieved by a careful choicemore » of design parameters. The results validate the robustness of scattering-assisted injection schemes for development of low-frequency (ν < 2.5 THz) QCLs.« less

  3. Effects of Injection Scheme on Rotating Detonation Engine Operation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chacon, Fabian; Duvall, James; Gamba, Mirko

    2017-11-01

    In this work, we experimentally investigate the operation and performance characteristics of a rotating detonation engine (RDE) operated with different fuel injection schemes and operating conditions. In particular, we investigate the detonation and operation characteristics produced with an axial flow injector configuration and semi-impinging injector configurations. These are compared to the characteristics produced with a canonical radial injection system (AFRL injector). Each type produces a different flowfield and mixture distribution, leading to a different detonation initiation, injector dynamic response, and combustor pressure rise. By using a combination of diagnostics, we quantify the pressure loses and gains in the system, the ability to maintain detonation over a range of operating points, and the coupling between the detonation and the air/fuel feed lines. We particularly focus on how this coupling affects both the stability and the performance of the detonation wave. This work is supported by the DOE/UTSR program under project DE-FE0025315.

  4. 2.1 THz quantum-cascade laser operating up to 144 K based on a scattering-assisted injection design.

    PubMed

    Khanal, Sudeep; Reno, John L; Kumar, Sushil

    2015-07-27

    A 2.1 THz quantum cascade laser (QCL) based on a scattering-assisted injection and resonant-phonon depopulation design scheme is demonstrated. The QCL is based on a four-well period implemented in the GaAs/Al0.15Ga0.85As material system. The QCL operates up to a heat-sink temperature of 144 K in pulsed-mode, which is considerably higher than that achieved for previously reported THz QCLs operating around the frequency of 2 THz. At 46 K, the threshold current-density was measured as ∼ 745 A/cm2 with a peak-power output of ∼10 mW. Electrically stable operation in a positive differential-resistance regime is achieved by a careful choice of design parameters. The results validate the robustness of scattering-assisted injection schemes for development of low-frequency (ν < 2.5 THz) QCLs.

  5. Sensitivity of Optimal Solutions to Control Problems for Second Order Evolution Subdifferential Inclusions.

    PubMed

    Bartosz, Krzysztof; Denkowski, Zdzisław; Kalita, Piotr

    In this paper the sensitivity of optimal solutions to control problems described by second order evolution subdifferential inclusions under perturbations of state relations and of cost functionals is investigated. First we establish a new existence result for a class of such inclusions. Then, based on the theory of sequential [Formula: see text]-convergence we recall the abstract scheme concerning convergence of minimal values and minimizers. The abstract scheme works provided we can establish two properties: the Kuratowski convergence of solution sets for the state relations and some complementary [Formula: see text]-convergence of the cost functionals. Then these two properties are implemented in the considered case.

  6. Adaptive time-sequential binary sensing for high dynamic range imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Chenhui; Lu, Yue M.

    2012-06-01

    We present a novel image sensor for high dynamic range imaging. The sensor performs an adaptive one-bit quantization at each pixel, with the pixel output switched from 0 to 1 only if the number of photons reaching that pixel is greater than or equal to a quantization threshold. With an oracle knowledge of the incident light intensity, one can pick an optimal threshold (for that light intensity) and the corresponding Fisher information contained in the output sequence follows closely that of an ideal unquantized sensor over a wide range of intensity values. This observation suggests the potential gains one may achieve by adaptively updating the quantization thresholds. As the main contribution of this work, we propose a time-sequential threshold-updating rule that asymptotically approaches the performance of the oracle scheme. With every threshold mapped to a number of ordered states, the dynamics of the proposed scheme can be modeled as a parametric Markov chain. We show that the frequencies of different thresholds converge to a steady-state distribution that is concentrated around the optimal choice. Moreover, numerical experiments show that the theoretical performance measures (Fisher information and Craḿer-Rao bounds) can be achieved by a maximum likelihood estimator, which is guaranteed to find globally optimal solution due to the concavity of the log-likelihood functions. Compared with conventional image sensors and the strategy that utilizes a constant single-photon threshold considered in previous work, the proposed scheme attains orders of magnitude improvement in terms of sensor dynamic ranges.

  7. Dynamic control of droplets and pockets formation in homogeneous porous media immiscible displacements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lins, T. F.; Azaiez, J.

    2018-03-01

    Interfacial instabilities of immiscible two-phase radial flow displacements in homogeneous porous media are analyzed for constant and time-dependent sinusoidal cyclic injection schemes. The analysis is carried out through numerical simulations based on the immersed interface and level set methods. The effects of the fluid properties and the injection flow parameters, namely, the period and the amplitude, on the formation of droplets and pockets are analyzed. It was found that larger capillary numbers or smaller viscosity ratios lead to more droplets/pockets that tend to appear earlier in time. Furthermore, the period and amplitude of the cyclic schemes were found to have a strong effect on droplets/pockets formations, and depending on their values, these can be enhanced or attenuated. In particular, the results revealed that there is a critical amplitude above which droplets and pockets formation is suppressed up to a specified time. This critical amplitude depends on the fluid properties, namely, the viscosity ratio and surface tension as well as on the period of the time-dependent scheme. The results of this study indicate that it is possible to use time-dependent cyclic schemes to control the formation and development of droplets/pockets in the flow and in particular to delay their appearance through an appropriate combination of the displacement scheme's amplitude and period.

  8. Laser-induced microjet injection into preablated skin for more effective transdermal drug delivery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jang, Hun-jae; Hur, Eugene; Kim, Yoonkwan; Lee, Seol-Hoon; Kang, Nae G.; Yoh, Jack J.

    2014-11-01

    A breakthrough in the efficient transdermal delivery of drug via the laser-driven microjet is reported. A single source of laser beam is split into two: one beam ablates a targeted spot on a skin and another beam drives the injector for fast microjet ejection into a preablated spot. This combined ablation and microjet injection scheme using a beam splitter utilizes 1∶4 laser energy sharing between generation of the microhole via ablation and the microjet which is generated using the Er:YAG laser beam at a 2940-nm wavelength and 150-μs pulse duration. A careful analysis of the injection mechanism is carried out by studying the response of the elastic membrane that separates a driving water unit for bubble expansion from a drug unit for a microjet ejection. The efficiency of the present delivery scheme is evaluated by the abdominal porcine skin test using the fluorescein isothiocyanate staining and the confocal microscopy for quantitative delivery confirmation. The depth of penetration and the injected volume of the drug are also confirmed by polyacrylamide gel tests.

  9. Laser-induced microjet injection into preablated skin for more effective transdermal drug delivery.

    PubMed

    Jang, Hun-Jae; Hur, Eugene; Kim, Yoonkwan; Lee, Seol-Hoon; Kang, Nae G; Yoh, Jack J

    2014-11-01

    A breakthrough in the efficient transdermal delivery of drug via the laser-driven microjet is reported. A single source of laser beam is split into two: one beam ablates a targeted spot on a skin and another beam drives the injector for fast microjet ejection into a preablated spot. This combined ablation and microjet injection scheme using a beam splitter utilizes laser energy sharing between generation of the microhole via ablation and the microjet which is generated using the Er:YAG laser beam at a 2940-nm wavelength and pulse duration. A careful analysis of the injection mechanism is carried out by studying the response of the elastic membrane that separates a driving water unit for bubble expansion from a drug unit for a microjet ejection. The efficiency of the present delivery scheme is evaluated by the abdominal porcine skin test using the fluorescein isothiocyanate staining and the confocal microscopy for quantitative delivery confirmation. The depth of penetration and the injected volume of the drug are also confirmed by polyacrylamide gel tests.

  10. A fully-automated multiscale kernel graph cuts based particle localization scheme for temporal focusing two-photon microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Xia; Li, Chunqiang; Xiao, Chuan; Sun, Wenqing; Qian, Wei

    2017-03-01

    The temporal focusing two-photon microscope (TFM) is developed to perform depth resolved wide field fluorescence imaging by capturing frames sequentially. However, due to strong nonignorable noises and diffraction rings surrounding particles, further researches are extremely formidable without a precise particle localization technique. In this paper, we developed a fully-automated scheme to locate particles positions with high noise tolerance. Our scheme includes the following procedures: noise reduction using a hybrid Kalman filter method, particle segmentation based on a multiscale kernel graph cuts global and local segmentation algorithm, and a kinematic estimation based particle tracking method. Both isolated and partial-overlapped particles can be accurately identified with removal of unrelated pixels. Based on our quantitative analysis, 96.22% isolated particles and 84.19% partial-overlapped particles were successfully detected.

  11. SIMULATIONS OF TRANSVERSE STACKING IN THE NSLS-II BOOSTER

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

    Fliller III, R.; Shaftan, T.

    2011-03-28

    The NSLS-II injection system consists of a 200 MeV linac and a 3 GeV booster. The linac needs to deliver 15 nC in 80 - 150 bunches to the booster every minute to achieve current stability goals in the storage ring. This is a very stringent requirement that has not been demonstrated at an operating light source. We have developed a scheme to transversely stack two bunch trains in the NSLS-II booster in order to alleviate the charge requirements on the linac. This scheme has been outlined previously. In this paper we show particle tracking simulations of the tracking scheme.more » We show simulations of the booster ramp with a stacked beam for a variety of lattice errors and injected beam parameters. In all cases the performance of the proposed stacking method is sufficient to reduce the required charge from the linac. For this reason the injection system of the NSLS-II booster is being designed to include this feature. The NSLS-II injection system consists of a 200 MeV linac and a 3 GeV booster. The injectors must provide 7.5nC in bunch trains 80-150 bunches long every minute for top off operation of the storage ring. Top off then requires that the linac deliver 15nC of charge once losses in the injector chain are taken into consideration. This is a very stringent requirement that has not been demonstrated at an operating light source. For this reason we have developed a method to transversely stack two bunch trains in the booster while maintaining the charge transport efficiency. This stacking scheme has been discussed previously. In this paper we show the simulations of the booster ramp with a single bunch train in the booster. Then we give a brief overview of the stacking scheme. Following, we show the results of stacking two bunch trains in the booster with varying beam emittances and train separations. The behavior of the beam through the ramp is examined showing that it is possible to stack two bunch trains in the booster.« less

  12. An ocean data assimilation system and reanalysis of the World Ocean hydrophysical fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zelenko, A. A.; Vil'fand, R. M.; Resnyanskii, Yu. D.; Strukov, B. S.; Tsyrulnikov, M. D.; Svirenko, P. I.

    2016-07-01

    A new version of the ocean data assimilation system (ODAS) developed at the Hydrometcentre of Russia is presented. The assimilation is performed following the sequential scheme analysis-forecast-analysis. The main components of the ODAS are procedures for operational observation data processing, a variational analysis scheme, and an ocean general circulation model used to estimate the first guess fields involved in the analysis. In situ observations of temperature and salinity in the upper 1400-m ocean layer obtained from various observational platforms are used as input data. In the new ODAS version, the horizontal resolution of the assimilating model and of the output products is increased, the previous 2D-Var analysis scheme is replaced by a more general 3D-Var scheme, and a more flexible incremental analysis updating procedure is introduced to correct the model calculations. A reanalysis of the main World Ocean hydrophysical fields over the 2005-2015 period has been performed using the updated ODAS. The reanalysis results are compared with data from independent sources.

  13. Sequential defense against random and intentional attacks in complex networks.

    PubMed

    Chen, Pin-Yu; Cheng, Shin-Ming

    2015-02-01

    Network robustness against attacks is one of the most fundamental researches in network science as it is closely associated with the reliability and functionality of various networking paradigms. However, despite the study on intrinsic topological vulnerabilities to node removals, little is known on the network robustness when network defense mechanisms are implemented, especially for networked engineering systems equipped with detection capabilities. In this paper, a sequential defense mechanism is first proposed in complex networks for attack inference and vulnerability assessment, where the data fusion center sequentially infers the presence of an attack based on the binary attack status reported from the nodes in the network. The network robustness is evaluated in terms of the ability to identify the attack prior to network disruption under two major attack schemes, i.e., random and intentional attacks. We provide a parametric plug-in model for performance evaluation on the proposed mechanism and validate its effectiveness and reliability via canonical complex network models and real-world large-scale network topology. The results show that the sequential defense mechanism greatly improves the network robustness and mitigates the possibility of network disruption by acquiring limited attack status information from a small subset of nodes in the network.

  14. A novel laser-induced fluorescence scheme for Ar-I in a plasma

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

    Short, Zachary D., E-mail: zdshort@mix.wvu.edu; Siddiqui, M. Umair; Henriquez, Miguel F.

    Here we describe a novel infrared laser-induced fluorescence scheme for the 1s{sub 2} state of Ar-I using an 841.052 nm (vacuum) Sacher tunable diode laser oscillator and compare it to an established 667.913 nm (vacuum) 1s{sub 4}-pumping Ar-I LIF scheme using a master oscillator power amplifier laser [A. M. Keesee et al. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 75, 4091 (2004)]. The novel scheme exhibits a significantly greater signal-to-noise ratio for a given injected laser power than the established scheme. We argue that this is caused by less intense spontaneous Ar-I radiation near the LIF emission wavelength for the 1s{sub 2} scheme asmore » compared to the 1s{sub 4} scheme. In addition we present an updated iodine cell spectrum around the 1s{sub 4} LIF scheme pump wavelength.« less

  15. Convergence Properties of a Class of Probabilistic Adaptive Schemes Called Sequential Reproductive Plans. Psychology and Education Series, Technical Report No. 210.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Nancy

    Presented is a technical report concerning the use of a mathematical model describing certain aspects of the duplication and selection processes in natural genetic adaptation. This reproductive plan/model occurs in artificial genetics (the use of ideas from genetics to develop general problem solving techniques for computers). The reproductive…

  16. Multilevel Mixture Kalman Filter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Dong; Wang, Xiaodong; Chen, Rong

    2004-12-01

    The mixture Kalman filter is a general sequential Monte Carlo technique for conditional linear dynamic systems. It generates samples of some indicator variables recursively based on sequential importance sampling (SIS) and integrates out the linear and Gaussian state variables conditioned on these indicators. Due to the marginalization process, the complexity of the mixture Kalman filter is quite high if the dimension of the indicator sampling space is high. In this paper, we address this difficulty by developing a new Monte Carlo sampling scheme, namely, the multilevel mixture Kalman filter. The basic idea is to make use of the multilevel or hierarchical structure of the space from which the indicator variables take values. That is, we draw samples in a multilevel fashion, beginning with sampling from the highest-level sampling space and then draw samples from the associate subspace of the newly drawn samples in a lower-level sampling space, until reaching the desired sampling space. Such a multilevel sampling scheme can be used in conjunction with the delayed estimation method, such as the delayed-sample method, resulting in delayed multilevel mixture Kalman filter. Examples in wireless communication, specifically the coherent and noncoherent 16-QAM over flat-fading channels, are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed multilevel mixture Kalman filter.

  17. The duration of hyaluronidase and optimal timing of hyaluronic acid (HA) filler reinjection after hyaluronidase injection.

    PubMed

    Kim, H J; Kwon, S B; Whang, K U; Lee, J S; Park, Y L; Lee, S Y

    2018-02-01

    Hyaluronidase injection is a commonly performed treatment for overcorrection or misplacement of hyaluronic acid (HA) filler. Many patients often wants the HA filler reinjection after the use of hyaluronidase, though the optimal timing of reinjection of HA filler still remains unknown. To provide the optimal time interval between hyaluronidase injections and HA filler reinjections. 6 Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with single monophasic HA filler. 1 week after injection, the injected sites were treated with hyaluronidase. Then, HA fillers were reinjected sequentially with differing time intervals from 30 minutes to 14 days. 1 hour after the reinjection of the last HA filler, all injection sites were excised for histologic evaluation. 3 hours after reinjection of HA filler, the appearance of filler material became evident again, retaining its shape and volume. 6 hours after reinjection, the filler materials restored almost its original volume and there were no significant differences from the positive control. Our data suggest that the hyaluronidase loses its effect in dermis and subcutaneous tissue within 3-6 hours after the injection and successful engraftment of reinjected HA filler can be accomplished 6 hours after the injection.

  18. Phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Hibiscus cannabinus L. seed extracts after sequential solvent extraction.

    PubMed

    Yusri, Noordin Mohd; Chan, Kim Wei; Iqbal, Shahid; Ismail, Maznah

    2012-10-25

    A sequential solvent extraction scheme was employed for the extraction of antioxidant compounds from kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) seeds. Yield of extracts varied widely among the solvents and was the highest for hexane extract (16.6% based on dry weight basis), while water extract exhibited the highest total phenolic content (18.78 mg GAE/g extract), total flavonoid content (2.49 mg RE/g extract), and antioxidant activities (p < 0.05). DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging, β-carotene bleaching, metal chelating activity, ferric thiocyanate and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assays were employed to comprehensively assess the antioxidant potential of different solvent extracts prepared sequentially. Besides water, methanolic extract also exhibited high retardation towards the formation of hydroperoxides and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in the total antioxidant activity tests (p < 0.05). As conclusion, water and methanol extracts of kenaf seed may potentially serve as new sources of antioxidants for food and nutraceutical applications.

  19. Sequential segmental classification of feline congenital heart disease.

    PubMed

    Scansen, Brian A; Schneider, Matthias; Bonagura, John D

    2015-12-01

    Feline congenital heart disease is less commonly encountered in veterinary medicine than acquired feline heart diseases such as cardiomyopathy. Understanding the wide spectrum of congenital cardiovascular disease demands a familiarity with a variety of lesions, occurring both in isolation and in combination, along with an appreciation of complex nomenclature and variable classification schemes. This review begins with an overview of congenital heart disease in the cat, including proposed etiologies and prevalence, examination approaches, and principles of therapy. Specific congenital defects are presented and organized by a sequential segmental classification with respect to their morphologic lesions. Highlights of diagnosis, treatment options, and prognosis are offered. It is hoped that this review will provide a framework for approaching congenital heart disease in the cat, and more broadly in other animal species based on the sequential segmental approach, which represents an adaptation of the common methodology used in children and adults with congenital heart disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Sequential enzymatic derivatization coupled with online microdialysis sampling for simultaneous profiling of mouse tumor extracellular hydrogen peroxide, lactate, and glucose.

    PubMed

    Su, Cheng-Kuan; Tseng, Po-Jen; Chiu, Hsien-Ting; Del Vall, Andrea; Huang, Yu-Fen; Sun, Yuh-Chang

    2017-03-01

    Probing tumor extracellular metabolites is a vitally important issue in current cancer biology. In this study an analytical system was constructed for the in vivo monitoring of mouse tumor extracellular hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), lactate, and glucose by means of microdialysis (MD) sampling and fluorescence determination in conjunction with a smart sequential enzymatic derivatization scheme-involving a loading sequence of fluorogenic reagent/horseradish peroxidase, microdialysate, lactate oxidase, pyruvate, and glucose oxidase-for step-by-step determination of sampled H 2 O 2 , lactate, and glucose in mouse tumor microdialysate. After optimization of the overall experimental parameters, the system's detection limit reached as low as 0.002 mM for H 2 O 2 , 0.058 mM for lactate, and 0.055 mM for glucose, based on 3 μL of microdialysate, suggesting great potential for determining tumor extracellular concentrations of lactate and glucose. Spike analyses of offline-collected mouse tumor microdialysate and monitoring of the basal concentrations of mouse tumor extracellular H 2 O 2 , lactate, and glucose, as well as those after imparting metabolic disturbance through intra-tumor administration of a glucose solution through a prior-implanted cannula, were conducted to demonstrate the system's applicability. Our results evidently indicate that hyphenation of an MD sampling device with an optimized sequential enzymatic derivatization scheme and a fluorescence spectrometer can be used successfully for multi-analyte monitoring of tumor extracellular metabolites in living animals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Active Flow Separation Control of a Stator Vane Using Surface Injection in a Multistage Compressor Experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Culley, Dennis E.; Bright, Michelle M.; Prahst, Patricia S.; Strazisar, Anthony J.

    2003-01-01

    Micro-flow control actuation embedded in a stator vane was used to successfully control separation and improve near stall performance in a multistage compressor rig at NASA Glenn. Using specially designed stator vanes configured with internal actuation to deliver pulsating air through slots along the suction surface, a research study was performed to identify performance benefits using this microflow control approach. Pressure profiles and unsteady pressure measurements along the blade surface and at the shroud provided a dynamic look at the compressor during microflow air injection. These pressure measurements lead to a tracking algorithm to identify the onset of separation. The testing included steady air injection at various slot locations along the vane. The research also examined the benefit of pulsed injection and actively controlled air injection along the stator vane. Two types of actuation schemes were studied, including an embedded actuator for on-blade control. Successful application of an online detection and flow control scheme will be discussed. Testing showed dramatic performance benefit for flow reattachment and subsequent improvement in diffusion through the use of pulsed controlled injection. The paper will discuss the experimental setup, the blade configurations, and preliminary CFD results which guided the slot location along the blade. The paper will also show the pressure profiles and unsteady pressure measurements used to track flow control enhancement, and will conclude with the tracking algorithm for adjusting the control.

  2. Towards electrical spin injection into LaAlO3-SrTiO3.

    PubMed

    Bibes, M; Reyren, N; Lesne, E; George, J-M; Deranlot, C; Collin, S; Barthélémy, A; Jaffrès, H

    2012-10-28

    Future spintronics devices will be built from elemental blocks allowing the electrical injection, propagation, manipulation and detection of spin-based information. Owing to their remarkable multi-functional and strongly correlated character, oxide materials already provide such building blocks for charge-based devices such as ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FETs), as well as for spin-based two-terminal devices such as magnetic tunnel junctions, with giant responses in both cases. Until now, the lack of suitable channel materials and the uncertainty of spin-injection conditions in these compounds had however prevented the exploration of similar giant responses in oxide-based lateral spin transport structures. In this paper, we discuss the potential of oxide-based spin FETs and report magnetotransport data that suggest electrical spin injection into the LaAlO(3)-SrTiO(3) interface system. In a local, three-terminal measurement scheme, we analyse the voltage variation associated with the precession of the injected spin accumulation driven by perpendicular or longitudinal magnetic fields (Hanle and 'inverted' Hanle effects). The spin accumulation signal appears to be much larger than expected, probably owing to amplification effects by resonant tunnelling through localized states in the LaAlO(3). We give perspectives on how to achieve direct spin injection with increased detection efficiency, as well on the implementation of efficient top gating schemes for spin manipulation.

  3. Acceleration of the chemistry solver for modeling DI engine combustion using dynamic adaptive chemistry (DAC) schemes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shi, Yu; Liang, Long; Ge, Hai-Wen; Reitz, Rolf D.

    2010-03-01

    Acceleration of the chemistry solver for engine combustion is of much interest due to the fact that in practical engine simulations extensive computational time is spent solving the fuel oxidation and emission formation chemistry. A dynamic adaptive chemistry (DAC) scheme based on a directed relation graph error propagation (DRGEP) method has been applied to study homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine combustion with detailed chemistry (over 500 species) previously using an R-value-based breadth-first search (RBFS) algorithm, which significantly reduced computational times (by as much as 30-fold). The present paper extends the use of this on-the-fly kinetic mechanism reduction scheme to model combustion in direct-injection (DI) engines. It was found that the DAC scheme becomes less efficient when applied to DI engine simulations using a kinetic mechanism of relatively small size and the accuracy of the original DAC scheme decreases for conventional non-premixed combustion engine. The present study also focuses on determination of search-initiating species, involvement of the NOx chemistry, selection of a proper error tolerance, as well as treatment of the interaction of chemical heat release and the fuel spray. Both the DAC schemes were integrated into the ERC KIVA-3v2 code, and simulations were conducted to compare the two schemes. In general, the present DAC scheme has better efficiency and similar accuracy compared to the previous DAC scheme. The efficiency depends on the size of the chemical kinetics mechanism used and the engine operating conditions. For cases using a small n-heptane kinetic mechanism of 34 species, 30% of the computational time is saved, and 50% for a larger n-heptane kinetic mechanism of 61 species. The paper also demonstrates that by combining the present DAC scheme with an adaptive multi-grid chemistry (AMC) solver, it is feasible to simulate a direct-injection engine using a detailed n-heptane mechanism with 543 species with practical computer time.

  4. Unsupervised classification of remote multispectral sensing data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Su, M. Y.

    1972-01-01

    The new unsupervised classification technique for classifying multispectral remote sensing data which can be either from the multispectral scanner or digitized color-separation aerial photographs consists of two parts: (a) a sequential statistical clustering which is a one-pass sequential variance analysis and (b) a generalized K-means clustering. In this composite clustering technique, the output of (a) is a set of initial clusters which are input to (b) for further improvement by an iterative scheme. Applications of the technique using an IBM-7094 computer on multispectral data sets over Purdue's Flight Line C-1 and the Yellowstone National Park test site have been accomplished. Comparisons between the classification maps by the unsupervised technique and the supervised maximum liklihood technique indicate that the classification accuracies are in agreement.

  5. Process-model simulations of cloud albedo enhancement by aerosols in the Arctic.

    PubMed

    Kravitz, Ben; Wang, Hailong; Rasch, Philip J; Morrison, Hugh; Solomon, Amy B

    2014-12-28

    A cloud-resolving model is used to simulate the effectiveness of Arctic marine cloud brightening via injection of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), either through geoengineering or other increased sources of Arctic aerosols. An updated cloud microphysical scheme is employed, with prognostic CCN and cloud particle numbers in both liquid and mixed-phase marine low clouds. Injection of CCN into the marine boundary layer can delay the collapse of the boundary layer and increase low-cloud albedo. Albedo increases are stronger for pure liquid clouds than mixed-phase clouds. Liquid precipitation can be suppressed by CCN injection, whereas ice precipitation (snow) is affected less; thus, the effectiveness of brightening mixed-phase clouds is lower than for liquid-only clouds. CCN injection into a clean regime results in a greater albedo increase than injection into a polluted regime, consistent with current knowledge about aerosol-cloud interactions. Unlike previous studies investigating warm clouds, dynamical changes in circulation owing to precipitation changes are small. According to these results, which are dependent upon the representation of ice nucleation processes in the employed microphysical scheme, Arctic geoengineering is unlikely to be effective as the sole means of altering the global radiation budget but could have substantial local radiative effects. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  6. Process-model simulations of cloud albedo enhancement by aerosols in the Arctic

    PubMed Central

    Kravitz, Ben; Wang, Hailong; Rasch, Philip J.; Morrison, Hugh; Solomon, Amy B.

    2014-01-01

    A cloud-resolving model is used to simulate the effectiveness of Arctic marine cloud brightening via injection of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), either through geoengineering or other increased sources of Arctic aerosols. An updated cloud microphysical scheme is employed, with prognostic CCN and cloud particle numbers in both liquid and mixed-phase marine low clouds. Injection of CCN into the marine boundary layer can delay the collapse of the boundary layer and increase low-cloud albedo. Albedo increases are stronger for pure liquid clouds than mixed-phase clouds. Liquid precipitation can be suppressed by CCN injection, whereas ice precipitation (snow) is affected less; thus, the effectiveness of brightening mixed-phase clouds is lower than for liquid-only clouds. CCN injection into a clean regime results in a greater albedo increase than injection into a polluted regime, consistent with current knowledge about aerosol–cloud interactions. Unlike previous studies investigating warm clouds, dynamical changes in circulation owing to precipitation changes are small. According to these results, which are dependent upon the representation of ice nucleation processes in the employed microphysical scheme, Arctic geoengineering is unlikely to be effective as the sole means of altering the global radiation budget but could have substantial local radiative effects. PMID:25404677

  7. Using Quasi-3D OSIRIS simulations of LWFA to study generating high brightness electron beams using ionization and density downramp injection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dalichaouch, Thamine; Davidson, Asher; Xu, Xinlu; Yu, Peicheng; Tsung, Frank; Mori, Warren; Li, Fei; Zhang, Chaojie; Lu, Wei; Vieira, Jorge; Fonseca, Ricardo

    2016-10-01

    In the past few decades, there has been much progress in theory, simulation, and experiment towards using Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) as the basis for designing and building compact x-ray free-electron-lasers (XFEL) as well as a next generation linear collider. Recently, ionization injection and density downramp injection have been proposed and demonstrated as a controllable injection scheme for creating higher quality and ultra-bright relativistic electron beams using LWFA. However, full-3D simulations of plasma-based accelerators are computationally intensive, sometimes taking 100 millions of core-hours on today's computers. A more efficient quasi-3D algorithm was developed and implemented into OSIRIS using a particle-in-cell description with a charge conserving current deposition scheme in r - z and a gridless Fourier expansion in ϕ. Due to the azimuthal symmetry in LWFA, quasi-3D simulations are computationally more efficient than 3D cartesian simulations since only the first few harmonics in are needed ϕ to capture the 3D physics of LWFA. Using the quasi-3D approach, we present preliminary results of ionization and down ramp triggered injection and compare the results against 3D LWFA simulations. This work was supported by DOE and NSF.

  8. Adaptive Q–V Scheme for the Voltage Control of a DFIG-Based Wind Power Plant

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

    Kim, Jinho; Seok, Jul-Ki; Muljadi, Eduard

    Wind generators within a wind power plant (WPP) will produce different amounts of active power because of the wake effect, and therefore, they have different reactive power capabilities. This paper proposes an adaptive reactive power to the voltage (Q-V) scheme for the voltage control of a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)-based WPP. In the proposed scheme, the WPP controller uses a voltage control mode and sends a voltage error signal to each DFIG. The DFIG controller also employs a voltage control mode utilizing the adaptive Q-V characteristics depending on the reactive power capability such that a DFIG with a largermore » reactive power capability will inject more reactive power to ensure fast voltage recovery. Test results indicate that the proposed scheme can recover the voltage within a short time, even for a grid fault with a small short-circuit ratio, by making use of the available reactive power of a WPP and differentiating the reactive power injection in proportion to the reactive power capability. This will, therefore, help to reduce the additional reactive power and ensure fast voltage recovery.« less

  9. 9 CFR 113.43 - Detection of chlamydial agents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... in a filed Outline of Production. (a) The yolk sac of 6-day-old chicken embryos shall be injected. Three groups of 10 embryos shall be used sequentially. (1) The inoculum for each embryo in the first... embryos shall be harvested, pooled, homogenized as a 20 percent suspension in phosphate buffered saline...

  10. 9 CFR 113.43 - Detection of chlamydial agents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... in a filed Outline of Production. (a) The yolk sac of 6-day-old chicken embryos shall be injected. Three groups of 10 embryos shall be used sequentially. (1) The inoculum for each embryo in the first... embryos shall be harvested, pooled, homogenized as a 20 percent suspension in phosphate buffered saline...

  11. 9 CFR 113.43 - Detection of chlamydial agents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... in a filed Outline of Production. (a) The yolk sac of 6-day-old chicken embryos shall be injected. Three groups of 10 embryos shall be used sequentially. (1) The inoculum for each embryo in the first... embryos shall be harvested, pooled, homogenized as a 20 percent suspension in phosphate buffered saline...

  12. 9 CFR 113.43 - Detection of chlamydial agents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... in a filed Outline of Production. (a) The yolk sac of 6-day-old chicken embryos shall be injected. Three groups of 10 embryos shall be used sequentially. (1) The inoculum for each embryo in the first... embryos shall be harvested, pooled, homogenized as a 20 percent suspension in phosphate buffered saline...

  13. A Simple Automated Method for the Determination of Nitrate and Nitrite in Infant Formula and Milk Powder Using Sequential Injection Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Pistón, Mariela; Mollo, Alicia; Knochen, Moisés

    2011-01-01

    A fast and efficient automated method using a sequential injection analysis (SIA) system, based on the Griess, reaction was developed for the determination of nitrate and nitrite in infant formulas and milk powder. The system enables to mix a measured amount of sample (previously constituted in the liquid form and deproteinized) with the chromogenic reagent to produce a colored substance whose absorbance was recorded. For nitrate determination, an on-line prereduction step was added by passing the sample through a Cd minicolumn. The system was controlled from a PC by means of a user-friendly program. Figures of merit include linearity (r2 > 0.999 for both analytes), limits of detection (0.32 mg kg−1 NO3-N, and 0.05 mg kg−1 NO2-N), and precision (sr%) 0.8–3.0. Results were statistically in good agreement with those obtained with the reference ISO-IDF method. The sampling frequency was 30 hour−1 (nitrate) and 80 hour−1 (nitrite) when performed separately. PMID:21960750

  14. LabVIEW-based sequential-injection analysis system for the determination of trace metals by square-wave anodic and adsorptive stripping voltammetry on mercury-film electrodes.

    PubMed

    Economou, Anastasios; Voulgaropoulos, Anastasios

    2003-01-01

    The development of a dedicated automated sequential-injection analysis apparatus for anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) and adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) is reported. The instrument comprised a peristaltic pump, a multiposition selector valve and a home-made potentiostat and used a mercury-film electrode as the working electrodes in a thin-layer electrochemical detector. Programming of the experimental sequence was performed in LabVIEW 5.1. The sequence of operations included formation of the mercury film, electrolytic or adsorptive accumulation of the analyte on the electrode surface, recording of the voltammetric current-potential response, and cleaning of the electrode. The stripping step was carried out by applying a square-wave (SW) potential-time excitation signal to the working electrode. The instrument allowed unattended operation since multiple-step sequences could be readily implemented through the purpose-built software. The utility of the analyser was tested for the determination of copper(II), cadmium(II), lead(II) and zinc(II) by SWASV and of nickel(II), cobalt(II) and uranium(VI) by SWAdSV.

  15. LabVIEW-based sequential-injection analysis system for the determination of trace metals by square-wave anodic and adsorptive stripping voltammetry on mercury-film electrodes

    PubMed Central

    Economou, Anastasios; Voulgaropoulos, Anastasios

    2003-01-01

    The development of a dedicated automated sequential-injection analysis apparatus for anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) and adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) is reported. The instrument comprised a peristaltic pump, a multiposition selector valve and a home-made potentiostat and used a mercury-film electrode as the working electrodes in a thin-layer electrochemical detector. Programming of the experimental sequence was performed in LabVIEW 5.1. The sequence of operations included formation of the mercury film, electrolytic or adsorptive accumulation of the analyte on the electrode surface, recording of the voltammetric current-potential response, and cleaning of the electrode. The stripping step was carried out by applying a square-wave (SW) potential-time excitation signal to the working electrode. The instrument allowed unattended operation since multiple-step sequences could be readily implemented through the purpose-built software. The utility of the analyser was tested for the determination of copper(II), cadmium(II), lead(II) and zinc(II) by SWASV and of nickel(II), cobalt(II) and uranium(VI) by SWAdSV. PMID:18924623

  16. Sequential injection system with multi-parameter analysis capability for water quality measurement.

    PubMed

    Kaewwonglom, Natcha; Jakmunee, Jaroon

    2015-11-01

    A simple sequential injection (SI) system with capability to determine multi-parameter has been developed for the determination of iron, manganese, phosphate and ammonium. A simple and compact colorimeter was fabricated in the laboratory to be employed as a detector. The system was optimized for suitable conditions for determining each parameter by changing software program and without reconfiguration of the hardware. Under the optimum conditions, the methods showed linear ranges of 0.2-10 mg L(-1) for iron and manganese determinations, and 0.3-5.0 mg L(-1) for phosphate and ammonium determinations, with correlation coefficients of 0.9998, 0.9973, 0.9987 and 0.9983, respectively. The system provided detection limits of 0.01, 0.14, 0.004 and 0.02 mg L(-1) for iron, manganese, phosphate and ammonium, respectively. The proposed system has good precision, low chemical consumption and high throughput. It was applied for monitoring water quality of Ping river in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Recoveries of the analysis were obtained in the range of 82-119%. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Deferiprone, a non-toxic reagent for determination of iron in samples via sequential injection analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pragourpun, Kraivinee; Sakee, Uthai; Fernandez, Carlos; Kruanetr, Senee

    2015-05-01

    We present for the first time the use of deferiprone as a non-toxic complexing agent for the determination of iron by sequential injection analysis in pharmaceuticals and food samples. The method was based on the reaction of Fe(III) and deferiprone in phosphate buffer at pH 7.5 to give a Fe(III)-deferiprone complex, which showed a maximum absorption at 460 nm. Under the optimum conditions, the linearity range for iron determination was found over the range of 0.05-3.0 μg mL-1 with a correlation coefficient (r2) of 0.9993. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 0.032 μg mL-1 and 0.055 μg mL-1, respectively. The relative standard deviation (%RSD) of the method was less than 5.0% (n = 11), and the percentage recovery was found in the range of 96.0-104.0%. The proposed method was satisfactorily applied for the determination of Fe(III) in pharmaceuticals, water and food samples with a sampling rate of 60 h-1.

  18. Sequential PLD in oxygen/argon gas mixture of Al-doped ZnO thin films with improved electrical and optical properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coman, Tudor; Timpu, Daniel; Nica, Valentin; Vitelaru, Catalin; Rambu, Alicia Petronela; Stoian, George; Olaru, Mihaela; Ursu, Cristian

    2017-10-01

    Highly conductive transparent Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films were obtained at room temperature through sequential PLD (SPLD) from Zn and Al metallic targets in an oxygen/argon gas mixture. We have investigated the structural, electrical and optical properties as a function of the oxygen/argon pressure ratio in the chamber. The measured Hall carrier concentration was found to increase with argon injection from 1.3 × 1020 to 6.7 × 1020 cm-3, while the laser shots ratio for Al/Zn targets ablation was kept constant. This increase was attributed to an enhancement of the substitution doping into the ZnO lattice. The argon injection also leads to an increase of the Hall mobility up to 20 cm2 V-1 s-1, attributed to a reduction of interstitial-type defects. Thus, the approach of using an oxygen/argon gas mixture during SPLD from metallic targets allows obtaining at room temperature AZO samples with high optical transmittance (about 90%) and low electrical resistivity (down to 5.1 × 10-4 Ω cm).

  19. On-line sequential injection-capillary electrophoresis for near-real-time monitoring of extracellular lactate in cell culture flasks.

    PubMed

    Alhusban, Ala A; Gaudry, Adam J; Breadmore, Michael C; Gueven, Nuri; Guijt, Rosanne M

    2014-01-03

    Cell culture has replaced many in vivo studies because of ethical and regulatory measures as well as the possibility of increased throughput. Analytical assays to determine (bio)chemical changes are often based on end-point measurements rather than on a series of sequential determinations. The purpose of this work is to develop an analytical system for monitoring cell culture based on sequential injection-capillary electrophoresis (SI-CE) with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C(4)D). The system was applied for monitoring lactate production, an important metabolic indicator, during mammalian cell culture. Using a background electrolyte consisting of 25mM tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, 35mM cyclohexyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid with 0.02% poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) at pH 8.65 and a multilayer polymer coated capillary, lactate could be resolved from other compounds present in media with relative standard deviations 0.07% for intraday electrophoretic mobility and an analysis time of less than 10min. Using the human embryonic kidney cell line HEK293, lactate concentrations in the cell culture medium were measured every 20min over 3 days, requiring only 8.73μL of sample per run. Combining simplicity, portability, automation, high sample throughput, low limits of detection, low sample consumption and the ability to up- and outscale, this new methodology represents a promising technique for near real-time monitoring of chemical changes in diverse cell culture applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Exploiting an automated microfluidic hydrodynamic sequential injection system for determination of phosphate.

    PubMed

    Khongpet, Wanpen; Pencharee, Somkid; Puangpila, Chanida; Kradtap Hartwell, Supaporn; Lapanantnoppakhun, Somchai; Jakmunee, Jaroon

    2018-01-15

    A microfluidic hydrodynamic sequential injection (μHSI) spectrophotometric system was designed and fabricated. The system was built by laser engraving a manifold pattern on an acrylic block and sealing with another flat acrylic plate to form a microfluidic channel platform. The platform was incorporated with small solenoid valves to obtain a portable setup for programmable control of the liquid flow into the channel according to the HSI principle. The system was demonstrated for the determination of phosphate using a molybdenum blue method. An ascorbic acid, standard or sample, and acidic molybdate solutions were sequentially aspirated to fill the channel forming a stack zone before flowing to the detector. Under the optimum condition, a linear calibration graph in the range of 0.1-6mg P L -1 was obtained. The detection limit was 0.1mgL -1 . The system is compact (5.0mm thick, 80mm wide × 140mm long), durable, portable, cost-effective, and consumes little amount of chemicals (83μL each of molybdate and ascorbic acid, 133μL of the sample solution and 1.7mL of water carrier/run). It was applied for the determination of phosphate content in extracted soil samples. The percent recoveries of the analysis were obtained in the range of 91.2-107.3. The results obtained agreed well with those of the batch spectrophotometric method. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Sequential injection titration method using second-order signals: determination of acidity in plant oils and biodiesel samples.

    PubMed

    del Río, Vanessa; Larrechi, M Soledad; Callao, M Pilar

    2010-06-15

    A new concept of flow titration is proposed and demonstrated for the determination of total acidity in plant oils and biodiesel. We use sequential injection analysis (SIA) with a diode array spectrophotometric detector linked to chemometric tools such as multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS). This system is based on the evolution of the basic specie of an acid-base indicator, alizarine, when it comes into contact with a sample that contains free fatty acids. The gradual pH change in the reactor coil due to diffusion and reaction phenomenona allows the sequential appearance of both species of the indicator in the detector coil, recording a data matrix for each sample. The SIA-MCR-ALS method helps to reduce the amounts of sample, the reagents and the time consumed. Each determination consumes 0.413ml of sample, 0.250ml of indicator and 3ml of carrier (ethanol) and generates 3.333ml of waste. The frequency of the analysis is high (12 samples h(-1) including all steps, i.e., cleaning, preparing and analysing). The utilized reagents are of common use in the laboratory and it is not necessary to use the reagents of perfect known concentration. The method was applied to determine acidity in plant oil and biodiesel samples. Results obtained by the proposed method compare well with those obtained by the official European Community method that is time consuming and uses large amounts of organic solvents.

  2. Mache: No-Loss Trace Compaction

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-09-15

    Data Compression . IEEE Computer 176 (June 1984), 8-19. 10. ZIV , J. AND LEMPEL , A. A Universal Algorithm for Sequential Data Com- pression. IEEE... compression scheme which takes ad- vantage of repeating patterns in the sequence of bytes. I have used the Lempel - Ziv compression algorithm [9,10,11...Transactions on Information Theory 23 (1976), 75-81. 11. ZIV , J. AND LEMPEL , A. Compression of Individual Sequences via Variable-

  3. A Comparison of Sequential Assimilation Schemes for Ocean Prediction with the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM): Twin Experiments with Static Forecast Error Covariances

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-01-01

    A.J.. Lozano. C. Tolman, H.L. Srinivasan. A.. Hankin. S„ Cornillon. P.. Weisberg, R.. Barth. A.. He. R.. Werner. C. Wilkin .. J.. 2009. U.S. GODAE...Halliwell. G.R., Wallcrart. A.J.. Metzger, E.J.. Blanton, B.O., a. CL. Rao, D.B., Hogan , P.J.. Srinivasan. A., 2006. Generalized vertical

  4. Phased array ghost elimination.

    PubMed

    Kellman, Peter; McVeigh, Elliot R

    2006-05-01

    Parallel imaging may be applied to cancel ghosts caused by a variety of distortion mechanisms, including distortions such as off-resonance or local flow, which are space variant. Phased array combining coefficients may be calculated that null ghost artifacts at known locations based on a constrained optimization, which optimizes SNR subject to the nulling constraint. The resultant phased array ghost elimination (PAGE) technique is similar to the method known as sensitivity encoding (SENSE) used for accelerated imaging; however, in this formulation is applied to full field-of-view (FOV) images. The phased array method for ghost elimination may result in greater flexibility in designing acquisition strategies. For example, in multi-shot EPI applications ghosts are typically mitigated by the use of an interleaved phase encode acquisition order. An alternative strategy is to use a sequential, non-interleaved phase encode order and cancel the resultant ghosts using PAGE parallel imaging. Cancellation of ghosts by means of phased array processing makes sequential, non-interleaved phase encode acquisition order practical, and permits a reduction in repetition time, TR, by eliminating the need for echo-shifting. Sequential, non-interleaved phase encode order has benefits of reduced distortion due to off-resonance, in-plane flow and EPI delay misalignment. Furthermore, the use of EPI with PAGE has inherent fat-water separation and has been used to provide off-resonance correction using a technique referred to as lipid elimination with an echo-shifting N/2-ghost acquisition (LEENA), and may further generalized using the multi-point Dixon method. Other applications of PAGE include cancelling ghosts which arise due to amplitude or phase variation during the approach to steady state. Parallel imaging requires estimates of the complex coil sensitivities. In vivo estimates may be derived by temporally varying the phase encode ordering to obtain a full k-space dataset in a scheme similar to the autocalibrating TSENSE method. This scheme is a generalization of the UNFOLD method used for removing aliasing in undersampled acquisitions. The more general scheme may be used to modulate each EPI ghost image to a separate temporal frequency as described in this paper. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Phased array ghost elimination

    PubMed Central

    Kellman, Peter; McVeigh, Elliot R.

    2007-01-01

    Parallel imaging may be applied to cancel ghosts caused by a variety of distortion mechanisms, including distortions such as off-resonance or local flow, which are space variant. Phased array combining coefficients may be calculated that null ghost artifacts at known locations based on a constrained optimization, which optimizes SNR subject to the nulling constraint. The resultant phased array ghost elimination (PAGE) technique is similar to the method known as sensitivity encoding (SENSE) used for accelerated imaging; however, in this formulation is applied to full field-of-view (FOV) images. The phased array method for ghost elimination may result in greater flexibility in designing acquisition strategies. For example, in multi-shot EPI applications ghosts are typically mitigated by the use of an interleaved phase encode acquisition order. An alternative strategy is to use a sequential, non-interleaved phase encode order and cancel the resultant ghosts using PAGE parallel imaging. Cancellation of ghosts by means of phased array processing makes sequential, non-interleaved phase encode acquisition order practical, and permits a reduction in repetition time, TR, by eliminating the need for echo-shifting. Sequential, non-interleaved phase encode order has benefits of reduced distortion due to off-resonance, in-plane flow and EPI delay misalignment. Furthermore, the use of EPI with PAGE has inherent fat-water separation and has been used to provide off-resonance correction using a technique referred to as lipid elimination with an echo-shifting N/2-ghost acquisition (LEENA), and may further generalized using the multi-point Dixon method. Other applications of PAGE include cancelling ghosts which arise due to amplitude or phase variation during the approach to steady state. Parallel imaging requires estimates of the complex coil sensitivities. In vivo estimates may be derived by temporally varying the phase encode ordering to obtain a full k-space dataset in a scheme similar to the autocalibrating TSENSE method. This scheme is a generalization of the UNFOLD method used for removing aliasing in undersampled acquisitions. The more general scheme may be used to modulate each EPI ghost image to a separate temporal frequency as described in this paper. PMID:16705636

  6. Injectable 3-D Fabrication of Medical Electronics at the Target Biological Tissues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Chao; Zhang, Jie; Li, Xiaokang; Yang, Xueyao; Li, Jingjing; Liu, Jing

    2013-12-01

    Conventional transplantable biomedical devices generally request sophisticated surgery which however often causes big trauma and serious pain to the patients. Here, we show an alternative way of directly making three-dimensional (3-D) medical electronics inside the biological body through sequential injections of biocompatible packaging material and liquid metal ink. As the most typical electronics, a variety of medical electrodes with different embedded structures were demonstrated to be easily formed at the target tissues. Conceptual in vitro experiments provide strong evidences for the excellent performances of the injectable electrodes. Further in vivo animal experiments disclosed that the formed electrode could serve as both highly efficient ECG (Electrocardiograph) electrode and stimulator electrode. These findings clarified the unique features and practicability of the liquid metal based injectable 3-D fabrication of medical electronics. The present strategy opens the way for directly manufacturing electrophysiological sensors or therapeutic devices in situ via a truly minimally invasive approach.

  7. Hydrogen injection scheme influence on flow structure in supersonic combustor of constant cross-section

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Starov, A. V.; Goldfeld, M. A.

    2017-10-01

    The efficiency of using two variants of hydrogen injection (distributed and non-distributed injection from vertical pylons) is experimentally investigated. The tests are performed in the attached pipeline regime with the Mach number at the model combustor entrance M=2. The combustion chamber has a backward-facing step at the entrance and slotted channels for combustion stabilization. The tested variants of injection differ basically by the shapes of the fuel jets and, correspondingly, by the hydrogen distribution over the combustor. As a result, distributed injection is found to provide faster ignition, upstream displacement of the elevated pressure region, and more intense combustion over the entire combustor volume.

  8. Attenuation-difference radar tomography: results of a multiple-plane experiment at the U.S. Geological Survey Fractured-Rock Research Site, Mirror Lake, New Hampshire

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lane, J.W.; Day-Lewis, F. D.; Harris, J.M.; Haeni, F.P.; Gorelick, S.M.

    2000-01-01

    Attenuation-difference, borehole-radar tomography was used to monitor a series of sodium chloride tracer injection tests conducted within the FSE, wellfield at the U.S. Geological Survey Fractured-Rock Hydrology Research Site in Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA. Borehole-radar tomography surveys were conducted using the sequential-scanning and injection method in three boreholes that form a triangular prism of adjoining tomographic image planes. Results indicate that time-lapse tomography methods provide high-resolution images of tracer distribution in permeable zones.

  9. Downlink Cooperative Broadcast Transmission Based on Superposition Coding in a Relaying System for Future Wireless Sensor Networks.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yang; Han, Guangjie; Shi, Sulong; Li, Zhengquan

    2018-06-20

    This study investigates the superiority of cooperative broadcast transmission over traditional orthogonal schemes when applied in a downlink relaying broadcast channel (RBC). Two proposed cooperative broadcast transmission protocols, one with an amplify-and-forward (AF) relay, and the other with a repetition-based decode-and-forward (DF) relay, are investigated. By utilizing superposition coding (SupC), the source and the relay transmit the private user messages simultaneously instead of sequentially as in traditional orthogonal schemes, which means the channel resources are reused and an increased channel degree of freedom is available to each user, hence the half-duplex penalty of relaying is alleviated. To facilitate a performance evaluation, theoretical outage probability expressions of the two broadcast transmission schemes are developed, based on which, we investigate the minimum total power consumption of each scheme for a given traffic requirement by numerical simulation. The results provide details on the overall system performance and fruitful insights on the essential characteristics of cooperative broadcast transmission in RBCs. It is observed that better overall outage performances and considerable power gains can be obtained by utilizing cooperative broadcast transmissions compared to traditional orthogonal schemes.

  10. Large Eddy Simulation of the fuel transport and mixing process in a scramjet combustor with rearwall-expansion cavity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cai, Zun; Liu, Xiao; Gong, Cheng; Sun, Mingbo; Wang, Zhenguo; Bai, Xue-Song

    2016-09-01

    Large Eddy Simulation (LES) was employed to investigate the fuel/oxidizer mixing process in an ethylene fueled scramjet combustor with a rearwall-expansion cavity. The numerical solver was first validated for an experimental flow, the DLR strut-based scramjet combustor case. Shock wave structures and wall-pressure distribution from the numerical simulations were compared with experimental data and the numerical results were shown in good agreement with the available experimental data. Effects of the injection location on the flow and mixing process were then studied. It was found that with a long injection distance upstream the cavity, the fuel is transported much further into the main flow and a smaller subsonic zone is formed inside the cavity. Conversely, with a short injection distance, the fuel is entrained more into the cavity and a larger subsonic zone is formed inside the cavity, which is favorable for ignition in the cavity. For the rearwall-expansion cavity, it is suggested that the optimized ignition location with a long upstream injection distance should be in the bottom wall in the middle part of the cavity, while the optimized ignition location with a short upstream injection distance should be in the bottom wall in the front side of the cavity. By employing a cavity direct injection on the rear wall, the fuel mass fraction inside the cavity and the local turbulent intensity will both be increased due to this fueling, and it will also enhance the mixing process which will also lead to increased mixing efficiency. For the rearwall-expansion cavity, the combined injection scheme is expected to be an optimized injection scheme.

  11. Phantom auditory sensation in rats: an animal model for tinnitus.

    PubMed

    Jastreboff, P J; Brennan, J F; Coleman, J K; Sasaki, C T

    1988-12-01

    In order to measure tinnitus induced by sodium salicylate injections, 84 pigmented rats, distributed among 14 groups in five experiments, were used in a conditioned suppression paradigm. In Experiment 1, all groups were trained with a conditioned stimulus (CS) consisting of the offset of a continuous background noise. One group began salicylate injections before Pavlovian training, a second group started injections after training, and a control group received daily saline injections. Resistance to extinction was profound when injections started before training, but minimal when initiated after training, which suggests that salicylate-induced effects acquired differential conditioned value. In Experiment 2 we mimicked the salicylate treatments by substituting a 7 kHz tone in place of respective injections, resulting in effects equivalent to salicylate-induced behavior. In a third experiment we included a 3 kHz CS, and again replicated the salicylate findings. In Experiment 4 we decreased the motivational level, and the sequential relation between salicylate-induced effects and suppression training was retained. Finally, no salicylate effects emerged when the visual modality was used. These findings support the demonstration of phantom auditory sensations in animals.

  12. Effects of neostriatal 6-OHDA lesion on performance in a rat sequential reaction time task.

    PubMed

    Domenger, D; Schwarting, R K W

    2008-10-31

    Work in humans and monkeys has provided evidence that the basal ganglia, and the neurotransmitter dopamine therein, play an important role for sequential learning and performance. Compared to primates, experimental work in rodents is rather sparse, largely due to the fact that tasks comparable to the human ones, especially serial reaction time tasks (SRTT), had been lacking until recently. We have developed a rat model of the SRTT, which allows to study neural correlates of sequential performance and motor sequence execution. Here, we report the effects of dopaminergic neostriatal lesions, performed using bilateral 6-hydroxydopamine injections, on performance of well-trained rats tested in our SRTT. Sequential behavior was measured in two ways: for one, the effects of small violations of otherwise well trained sequences were examined as a measure of attention and automation. Secondly, sequential versus random performance was compared as a measure of sequential learning. Neurochemically, the lesions led to sub-total dopamine depletions in the neostriatum, which ranged around 60% in the lateral, and around 40% in the medial neostriatum. These lesions led to a general instrumental impairment in terms of reduced speed (response latencies) and response rate, and these deficits were correlated with the degree of striatal dopamine loss. Furthermore, the violation test indicated that the lesion group conducted less automated responses. The comparison of random versus sequential responding showed that the lesion group did not retain its superior sequential performance in terms of speed, whereas they did in terms of accuracy. Also, rats with lesions did not improve further in overall performance as compared to pre-lesion values, whereas controls did. These results support previous results that neostriatal dopamine is involved in instrumental behaviour in general. Also, these lesions are not sufficient to completely abolish sequential performance, at least when acquired before lesion as tested here.

  13. FDDI network test adaptor error injection circuit

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eckenrode, Thomas (Inventor); Stauffer, David R. (Inventor); Stempski, Rebecca (Inventor)

    1994-01-01

    An apparatus for injecting errors into a FDDI token ring network is disclosed. The error injection scheme operates by fooling a FORMAC into thinking it sent a real frame of data. This is done by using two RAM buffers. The RAM buffer normally accessed by the RBC/DPC becomes a SHADOW RAM during error injection operation. A dummy frame is loaded into the shadow RAM in order to fool the FORMAC. This data is just like the data that would be used if sending a normal frame, with the restriction that it must be shorter than the error injection data. The other buffer, the error injection RAM, contains the error injection frame. The error injection data is sent out to the media by switching a multiplexor. When the FORMAC is done transmitting the data, the multiplexor is switched back to the normal mode. Thus, the FORMAC is unaware of what happened and the token ring remains operational.

  14. Studies of beam injection with a compensated bump and uncompensated bump in a synchrotron

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

    Akbar Fakhri, Ali; Prajapati, S. K.; Ghodke, A. D.

    2013-08-15

    Synchrotron radiation sources Indus-1 and Indus-2 have a synchrotron as the common injector. A three kicker compensated bump injection scheme was employed for beam injection into this synchrotron. The stored beam current in the synchrotron is higher, when all the three kickers are operated at the same current than when kickers are operated at currents required to generate compensated bump. Beam dynamics studies have been done to understand why this happens. Theoretical studies indicate that higher stored current in the later case is attributed to smaller residual oscillations of injected beam. These studies also reveal that if the angle ofmore » the injected beam during beam injection is kept varying, the performance could be further improved. This is experimentally confirmed by injecting the beam on rising part of the injection septum magnet current pulse.« less

  15. A sequential data assimilation approach for the joint reconstruction of mantle convection and surface tectonics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bocher, M.; Coltice, N.; Fournier, A.; Tackley, P. J.

    2016-01-01

    With the progress of mantle convection modelling over the last decade, it now becomes possible to solve for the dynamics of the interior flow and the surface tectonics to first order. We show here that tectonic data (like surface kinematics and seafloor age distribution) and mantle convection models with plate-like behaviour can in principle be combined to reconstruct mantle convection. We present a sequential data assimilation method, based on suboptimal schemes derived from the Kalman filter, where surface velocities and seafloor age maps are not used as boundary conditions for the flow, but as data to assimilate. Two stages (a forecast followed by an analysis) are repeated sequentially to take into account data observed at different times. Whenever observations are available, an analysis infers the most probable state of the mantle at this time, considering a prior guess (supplied by the forecast) and the new observations at hand, using the classical best linear unbiased estimate. Between two observation times, the evolution of the mantle is governed by the forward model of mantle convection. This method is applied to synthetic 2-D spherical annulus mantle cases to evaluate its efficiency. We compare the reference evolutions to the estimations obtained by data assimilation. Two parameters control the behaviour of the scheme: the time between two analyses, and the amplitude of noise in the synthetic observations. Our technique proves to be efficient in retrieving temperature field evolutions provided the time between two analyses is ≲10 Myr. If the amplitude of the a priori error on the observations is large (30 per cent), our method provides a better estimate of surface tectonics than the observations, taking advantage of the information within the physics of convection.

  16. Effect of nicergoline on cerebral blood flow

    PubMed Central

    Iliff, L. D.; Boulay, G. H. Du; Marshall, John; Russell, R. W. Ross; Symon, Lindsay

    1977-01-01

    Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured before and after intravenous injection of the cerebral vasodilator nicergoline in 13 patients with cerebrovascular disease. CBF increased in seven. The possibility that the effect of the drug in the remainder may have been masked by a fall of CBF which occurs during sequential measurement of patients at rest is discussed. PMID:925694

  17. Production and sequential decay of charmed hyperons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fäldt, Göran

    2018-03-01

    We investigate production and decay of the Λc+ hyperon. The production considered is through the e+e- annihilation channel, e+e-→Λc+Λ¯c - , with summation over the Λ¯c- antihyperon spin directions. It is in this situation that the Λc+ decay chain is identified. Two kinds of sequential decays are studied. The first one is the doubly weak decay B1→B2M2 , followed by B2→B3M3. The other one is the mixed weak-electromagnetic decay B1→B2M2, followed by B2→B3γ . In both schemes B denotes baryons and M mesons. We should also mention that the initial state of the Λc+ hyperon is polarized.

  18. Identification of inorganic improvised explosive devices using sequential injection capillary electrophoresis and contactless conductivity detection.

    PubMed

    Blanco, Gustavo A; Nai, Yi H; Hilder, Emily F; Shellie, Robert A; Dicinoski, Greg W; Haddad, Paul R; Breadmore, Michael C

    2011-12-01

    A simple sequential injection capillary electrophoresis (SI-CE) instrument with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C(4)D) has been developed for the rapid separation of anions relevant to the identification of inorganic improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Four of the most common explosive tracer ions, nitrate, perchlorate, chlorate, and azide, and the most common background ions, chloride, sulfate, thiocyanate, fluoride, phosphate, and carbonate, were chosen for investigation. Using a separation electrolyte comprising 50 mM tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, 50 mM cyclohexyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, pH 8.9 and 0.05% poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) in a hexadimethrine bromide (HDMB)-coated capillary it was possible to partially separate all 10 ions within 90 s. The combination of two cationic polymer additives (PEI and HDMB) was necessary to achieve adequate selectivity with a sufficiently stable electroosmotic flow (EOF), which was not possible with only one polymer. Careful optimization of variables affecting the speed of separation and injection timing allowed a further reduction of separation time to 55 s while maintaining adequate efficiency and resolution. Software control makes high sample throughput possible (60 samples/h), with very high repeatability of migration times [0.63-2.07% relative standard deviation (RSD) for 240 injections]. The separation speed does not compromise sensitivity, with limits of detection ranging from 23 to 50 μg·L(-1) for all the explosive residues considered, which is 10× lower than those achieved by indirect absorbance detection and 2× lower than those achieved by C(4)D using portable benchtop instrumentation. The combination of automation, high sample throughput, high confidence of peak identification, and low limits of detection makes this methodology ideal for the rapid identification of inorganic IED residues.

  19. A concept for canceling the leakage field inside the stored beam chamber of a septum magnet

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abliz, M.; Jaski, M.; Xiao, A.; Jain, A.; Wienands, U.; Cease, H.; Borland, M.; Decker, G.; Kerby, J.

    2018-04-01

    The Advanced Photon Source (APS) is planning to upgrade its storage ring from a double-bend achromat to a multi-bend achromat lattice as part of the APS Upgrade Project (APS-U). A swap-out injection scheme is planned for the APS-U in order to keep the beam current constant and to reduce the dynamic aperture requirements. The injection scheme, combined with the constraints in the booster to storage ring transfer region of the APS-U, results in requiring a septum magnet which deflects the injected 6 GeV electron beam by 89 mrad, while not appreciably disturbing the stored beam. The proposed magnet is straight; however, it is rotated in yaw, roll, and pitch from the stored beam chamber to meet the on-axis swap-out injection requirements for the APS-U lattice. The concept utilizes cancellation of the leakage field inside the 8 mm x 6 mm super-ellipsoidal stored beam chamber. As a result, the horizontal deflection angle of the 6 GeV stored beam is reduced to less than 1 μrad with only a 2-mm-thick septum separating the stored beam and the 1.06 T field seen by the injected beam. This design also helps to minimize the integrated skew quadrupole and normal sextupole fields inside the stored beam chamber.

  20. Memetic computing through bio-inspired heuristics integration with sequential quadratic programming for nonlinear systems arising in different physical models.

    PubMed

    Raja, Muhammad Asif Zahoor; Kiani, Adiqa Kausar; Shehzad, Azam; Zameer, Aneela

    2016-01-01

    In this study, bio-inspired computing is exploited for solving system of nonlinear equations using variants of genetic algorithms (GAs) as a tool for global search method hybrid with sequential quadratic programming (SQP) for efficient local search. The fitness function is constructed by defining the error function for systems of nonlinear equations in mean square sense. The design parameters of mathematical models are trained by exploiting the competency of GAs and refinement are carried out by viable SQP algorithm. Twelve versions of the memetic approach GA-SQP are designed by taking a different set of reproduction routines in the optimization process. Performance of proposed variants is evaluated on six numerical problems comprising of system of nonlinear equations arising in the interval arithmetic benchmark model, kinematics, neurophysiology, combustion and chemical equilibrium. Comparative studies of the proposed results in terms of accuracy, convergence and complexity are performed with the help of statistical performance indices to establish the worth of the schemes. Accuracy and convergence of the memetic computing GA-SQP is found better in each case of the simulation study and effectiveness of the scheme is further established through results of statistics based on different performance indices for accuracy and complexity.

  1. Sequential Systemic Administrations of Combretastatin A4 Phosphate and Radioiodinated Hypericin Exert Synergistic Targeted Theranostic Effects with Prolonged Survival on SCID Mice Carrying Bifocal Tumor Xenografts

    PubMed Central

    Li, Junjie; Cona, Marlein Miranda; Chen, Feng; Feng, Yuanbo; Zhou, Lin; Zhang, Guozhi; Nuyts, Johan; de Witte, Peter; Zhang, Jian; Yu, Jie; Oyen, Raymond; Verbruggen, Alfons; Ni, Yicheng

    2013-01-01

    Objectives: Based on the soil-to-seeds principle, we explored the small-molecular sequential dual-targeting theranostic strategy (SMSDTTS) for prolonged survival and imaging detectability in a xenograft tumor model. Materials and Methods: Thirty severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice bearing bilateral radiation-induced fibrosarcoma-1 (RIF-1) subcutaneously were divided into group A of SMSDTTS with sequential intravenous injections of combretastatin A4 phosphate (CA4P) and 131I-iodohypericin (131I-Hyp) at a 24 h interval; group B of single targeting control with CA4P and vehicle of 131I-Hyp; and group C of vehicle control (10 mice per group). Tumoricidal events were monitored by in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and planar gamma scintiscan, and validated by ex vivo autoradiography and histopathology. Besides, 9 mice received sequential intravenous injections of CA4P and 131I-Hyp were subjected to biodistribution analysis at 24, 72 and 120 h. Results: Gamma counting revealed fast clearance of 131I-Hyp from normal organs but intense accumulation in necrotic tumor over 120 h. After only one treatment, significantly prolonged survival (p<0.001) was found in group A compared to group B and C with median survival of 33, 22, and 21 days respectively. Tumor volume on day 15 was 2.0 ± 0.89, 5.66 ± 1.66, and 5.02 ± 1.0 cm3 with tumor doubling time 7.8 ± 2.8, 4.4 ± 0.67, and 4.5 ± 0.5 days respectively. SMSDTTS treated tumors were visualized as hot spots on gamma scintiscans, and necrosis over tumor ratio remained consistently high on MRI, autoradiography and histology. Conclusion: The synergistic antitumor effects, multifocal targetability, simultaneous theranostic property, and good tolerance of the SMSDTTS were evident in this experiment, which warrants further development for preclinical and clinical applications. PMID:23423247

  2. Sequential Bayesian Geostatistical Inversion and Evaluation of Combined Data Worth for Aquifer Characterization at the Hanford 300 Area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murakami, H.; Chen, X.; Hahn, M. S.; Over, M. W.; Rockhold, M. L.; Vermeul, V.; Hammond, G. E.; Zachara, J. M.; Rubin, Y.

    2010-12-01

    Subsurface characterization for predicting groundwater flow and contaminant transport requires us to integrate large and diverse datasets in a consistent manner, and quantify the associated uncertainty. In this study, we sequentially assimilated multiple types of datasets for characterizing a three-dimensional heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity field at the Hanford 300 Area. The datasets included constant-rate injection tests, electromagnetic borehole flowmeter tests, lithology profile and tracer tests. We used the method of anchored distributions (MAD), which is a modular-structured Bayesian geostatistical inversion method. MAD has two major advantages over the other inversion methods. First, it can directly infer a joint distribution of parameters, which can be used as an input in stochastic simulations for prediction. In MAD, in addition to typical geostatistical structural parameters, the parameter vector includes multiple point values of the heterogeneous field, called anchors, which capture local trends and reduce uncertainty in the prediction. Second, MAD allows us to integrate the datasets sequentially in a Bayesian framework such that it updates the posterior distribution, as a new dataset is included. The sequential assimilation can decrease computational burden significantly. We applied MAD to assimilate different combinations of the datasets, and then compared the inversion results. For the injection and tracer test assimilation, we calculated temporal moments of pressure build-up and breakthrough curves, respectively, to reduce the data dimension. A massive parallel flow and transport code PFLOTRAN is used for simulating the tracer test. For comparison, we used different metrics based on the breakthrough curves not used in the inversion, such as mean arrival time, peak concentration and early arrival time. This comparison intends to yield the combined data worth, i.e. which combination of the datasets is the most effective for a certain metric, which will be useful for guiding the further characterization effort at the site and also the future characterization projects at the other sites.

  3. Deltoid Injections of Risperidone Long-acting Injectable in Patients with Schizophrenia

    PubMed Central

    Quiroz, Jorge A.; Rusch, Sarah; Thyssen, An; Kushner, Stuart

    2011-01-01

    Background Risperidone long-acting injectable was previously approved for treatment of schizophrenia as biweekly injections in the gluteal muscle only. We present data on local injection-site tolerability and safety of risperidone long-acting injectable and comparability of systemic exposure of deltoid versus gluteal injections. Methods Risperidone long-acting injectable was administered in an open-label, single-dose, two-way crossover study, with patients randomized to receive either 25mg gluteal/37.5mg deltoid crossover in two treatment periods or 50mg gluteal/50mg deltoid injections crossover; each treatment period was separated by an 85-day observation period (Study 1) and an open-label, multiple-dose study (4 sequential 37.5mg or 50mg deltoid injections every 2 weeks) (Study 2). The pharmacokinetic results from both the studies have already been published. Results In Study 1 (n=170), the majority of patients had no local injection-site findings, based on investigator and patient-rated evaluations. In Study 2 (n=53), seven of the 51 patients who received at least two deltoid injections discontinued (primary endpoint). However, none of the discontinuations were due to injection-site related reasons. The 90-percent upper confidence limit of the true proportion of injection-site issue withdrawals was 5.7 percent. No moderate or severe injection-site reactions were reported. Conclusion Intramuscular injections via the deltoid and gluteal sites are equivalent routes of administration of risperidone long-acting injectable with respect to local injection-site tolerability. The overall safety and tolerability profile of risperidone long-acting injectable was comparable when administered as an intramuscular injection in the deltoid (37.5mg and 50mg) and gluteal (25mg and 50mg) sites. PMID:21779538

  4. Proton Beam Intensity Upgrades for the Neutrino Program at Fermilab

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

    Bhat, C. M.

    2016-12-15

    Fermilab is committed to upgrading its accelerator complex towards the intensity frontier to pursue HEP research in the neutrino sector and beyond. The upgrade has two steps: 1) the Proton Improvement Plan (PIP), which is underway, has its primary goal to start providing 700 kW beam power on NOvA target by the end of 2017 and 2) the foreseen PIP–II will replace the existing LINAC, a 400 MeV injector to the Booster, by an 800 MeV superconducting LINAC by the middle of next decade, with output beam intensity from the Booster increased significantly and the beam power on the NOvAmore » target increased to <1.2 MW. In any case, the Fermilab Booster is going to play a very significant role for the next two decades. In this context, we have recently developed and commissioned an innovative beam injection scheme for the Booster called "early injection scheme". This scheme is already in operation and has a potential to increase the Booster beam intensity from the PIP design goal by a considerable amount with a reduced beam emittance and beam loss. In this paper, we will present results from our experience from the new scheme in operation, current status and future plans.« less

  5. [Pharmacokinetics and safety of aripiprazole long-acting injection, following multiple deltoid administrations in schizophrenia patients in Japan].

    PubMed

    Ishigooka, Jun; Noda, Takamasa; Nishiyama, Kosuke; Tamaru, Noriko; Shima, Tomoko; Yamasaki, Yumiko; Tadori, Yoshihiro

    2016-06-01

    Aripiprazole once-monthly (AOM) was previously approved for treatment of schizophrenia as monthly injections in the gluteal muscle. The deltoid muscle provides a more accessible injection site. The present study was conducted in Japanese schizophrenia patients as a 24-week, open-label trial that assessed the pharmacokinetics and safety of 5 sequential doses of AOM 400 mg (AOM 400) once every 4 weeks administered in the deltoid muscle. Patients treated with an oral atypical antipsychotic (other than aripiprazole) continued to receive their pre-study medication up to 14 days after the first AOM 400 injection. The completion rate was 76.5% (n = 13/17). Mean aripiprazole plasma C(min) almost reached steady-state by the fourth AOM 400 injection. After the fifth AOM 400 injection, mean aripiprazole AUC(28d), C(max) and C(min) were 165 μg x h/ml, 331 ng/ml and 201 ng/ml, respectively, which were similar to previously published pharmacokinetic parameters after the fifth gluteal injection of AOM 400. The most common treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE) was injection site pain (35.3%). Most TEAEs were classified as mild in intensity. In conclusion, the deltoid injection of AOM can be considered an alternative route of administration, as deltoid and gluteal injections are interchangeable in terms of aripiprazole plasma concentrations, with no additional safety issues.

  6. AFFINE-CORRECTED PARADISE: FREE-BREATHING PATIENT-ADAPTIVE CARDIAC MRI WITH SENSITIVITY ENCODING

    PubMed Central

    Sharif, Behzad; Bresler, Yoram

    2013-01-01

    We propose a real-time cardiac imaging method with parallel MRI that allows for free breathing during imaging and does not require cardiac or respiratory gating. The method is based on the recently proposed PARADISE (Patient-Adaptive Reconstruction and Acquisition Dynamic Imaging with Sensitivity Encoding) scheme. The new acquisition method adapts the PARADISE k-t space sampling pattern according to an affine model of the respiratory motion. The reconstruction scheme involves multi-channel time-sequential imaging with time-varying channels. All model parameters are adapted to the imaged patient as part of the experiment and drive both data acquisition and cine reconstruction. Simulated cardiac MRI experiments using the realistic NCAT phantom show high quality cine reconstructions and robustness to modeling inaccuracies. PMID:24390159

  7. INJECTION SYSTEM DESIGN FOR THE BSNS/RCS.

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

    WEI, J.; TANG, J.Y.; CHEN, Y.

    2006-06-23

    The BSNS injection system is designed to take one uninterrupted long drift in one of the four dispersion-free straight sections to host all the injection devices. Painting bumper magnets are used for both horizontal and vertical phase space painting. Closed-orbit bumper magnets are used for facilitating the installation of the injection septa and decreasing proton traversal in the stripping foil. Even with large beam emittance of about 300 {pi}mm.mrad used, BSNS/RCS still approaches the space charge limit during the injection/trapping phase for the accumulated particles of 1.9*10{sup 13} and at the low injection energy of 80 MeV. Uniform-like beam distributionmore » by well-designed painting scheme is then obtained to decrease the tune shift/spread. ORBIT code is used for the 3D simulations. Upgrading to higher injection energy has also been considered.« less

  8. Enhanced capabilities of separation in Sequential Injection Chromatography--fused-core particle column and its comparison with narrow-bore monolithic column.

    PubMed

    Chocholouš, Petr; Kosařová, Lucie; Satínský, Dalibor; Sklenářová, Hana; Solich, Petr

    2011-08-15

    In the Sequential Injection Chromatography (SIC) only monolithic columns for chromatographic separations have been used so far. This article presents the first use of fused-core particle packed column in an attempt to extend of the chromatographic capabilities of the SIC system. A new fused-core particle column (2.7 μm) Ascentis(®) Express C18 (Supelco™ Analytical) 30 mm × 4.6 mm brings high separation efficiency within flow rates and pressures comparable to monolithic column Chromolith(®) Performance RP-18e 100-3 (Merck(®)) 100 mm × 3 mm. Both columns matches the conditions of the commercially produced SIC system - SIChrom™ (8-port high-pressure selection valve and medium-pressure Sapphire™ syringe pump with 4 mL reservoir - maximal work pressure 1000 PSI) (FIAlab(®), USA). The system was tested by the separation of four estrogens with similar structure and an internal standard - ethylparaben. The mobile phase composed of acetonitrile/water (40/60 (v/v)) was pumped isocratic at flow rate 0.48 mL min(-1). Spectrophotometric detection was performed at wavelength of 225 nm and injected volume of sample solutions was 10 μL. The chromatographic characteristics of both columns were compared. Obtained results and conclusions have shown that both fused-core particle column and longer narrow shaped monolithic column bring benefits into the SIC method. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Injection locked coupled opto-electronic oscillator for optical frequency comb generation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, Charles; Mandridis, Dimitrios; Davila-Rodriguez, Josue; Delfyett, Peter J.

    2011-06-01

    A CW injection locked Coupled Opto-Electronic Oscillator (COEO) is presented with a 10.24 GHz spaced optical frequency comb output as well as a low noise RF output. A modified Pound-Drever-Hall scheme is employed to ensure long-term stability of the injection lock, feeding back into the cavity length to compensate for cavity resonance drifts relative to the injection seed frequency. Error signal comparison to an actively mode-locked injection locked laser is presented. High optical signal-to-noise ratio of ~35 dB is demonstrated with >20 comblines of useable bandwidth. The optical linewidth, in agreement with injection locking theory, reduces to that of the injection seed frequency, <5 kHz. Low amplitude and absolute phase noise are presented from the optical output of the laser system. The integrated pulse-to-pulse energy fluctuation was found to be reduced by up to a factor of two due to optical injection. Additional decreases were shown for varying injection powers.

  10. Effect of short-term sequential administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the stomach and proximal portion of the duodenum in healthy dogs.

    PubMed

    Dowers, Kristy L; Uhrig, Samantha R; Mama, Khursheed R; Gaynor, James S; Hellyer, Peter W

    2006-10-01

    To evaluate effects of injection with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) followed by oral administration of an NSAID on the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of healthy dogs. 6 healthy Walker Hounds. In a randomized, crossover design, dogs were administered 4 treatments consisting of an SC injection of an NSAID or control solution (day 0), followed by oral administration of an NSAID or inert substance for 4 days (days 1 through 4). Treatment regimens included carprofen (4 mg/kg) followed by inert substance; saline (0.9% NaCl) solution followed by deracoxib (4 mg/kg); carprofen (4 mg/kg) followed by carprofen (4 mg/kg); and carprofen (4 mg/kg) followed by deracoxib (4 mg/kg). Hematologic, serum biochemical, and fecal evaluations were conducted weekly, and clinical scores were obtained daily. Endoscopy of the GIT was performed before and on days 1, 2, and 5 for each treatment. Lesions were scored by use of a 6-point scale. No significant differences existed for clinical data, clinicopathologic data, or lesion scores in the esophagus, cardia, or duodenum. For the gastric fundus, antrum, and lesser curvature, an effect of time was observed for all treatments, with lesions worsening from before to day 2 of treatments but improving by day 5. Sequential administration of NSAIDs in this experiment did not result in clinically important gastroduodenal ulcers. A larger study to investigate the effect of sequential administration of NSAIDs for longer durations and in dogs with signs of acute and chronic pain is essential to substantiate these findings.

  11. Energy spread minimization in a cascaded laser wakefield accelerator via velocity bunching

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

    Zhang, Zhijun; Li, Wentao; Wang, Wentao

    2016-05-15

    We propose a scheme to minimize the energy spread of an electron beam (e-beam) in a cascaded laser wakefield accelerator to the one-thousandth-level by inserting a stage to compress its longitudinal spatial distribution. In this scheme, three-segment plasma stages are designed for electron injection, e-beam length compression, and e-beam acceleration, respectively. The trapped e-beam in the injection stage is transferred to the zero-phase region at the center of one wakefield period in the compression stage where the length of the e-beam can be greatly shortened owing to the velocity bunching. After being seeded into the third stage for acceleration, themore » e-beam can be accelerated to a much higher energy before its energy chirp is compensated owing to the shortened e-beam length. A one-dimensional theory and two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations have demonstrated this scheme and an e-beam with 0.2% rms energy spread and low transverse emittance could be generated without loss of charge.« less

  12. Optical arbitrary waveform generation based on multi-wavelength semiconductor fiber ring laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Peili; Ma, Xiaolu; Shi, Weihua; Xu, Enming

    2017-09-01

    A new scheme of generating optical arbitrary waveforms based on multi-wavelength semiconductor fiber ring laser (SFRL) is proposed. In this novel scheme, a wide and flat optical frequency comb (OFC) is provided directly by multi-wavelength SFRL, whose central frequency and comb spacing are tunable. OFC generation, de-multiplexing, amplitude and phase modulation, and multiplexing are implementing in an intensity and phase tunable comb filter, as induces the merits of high spectral coherence, satisfactory waveform control and low system loss. By using the mode couple theory and the transfer matrix method, the theoretical model of the scheme is established. The impacts of amplitude control, phase control, number of spectral line, and injection current of semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) on the waveform similarity are studied using the theoretical model. The results show that, amplitude control and phase control error should be smaller than 1% and 0.64% respectively to achieve high similarity. The similarity of the waveform is improved with the increase of the number of spectral line. When the injection current of SOA is in a certain range, the optical arbitrary waveform reaches a high similarity.

  13. Simulation of the Transverse Injection of a Pulsed Jet from the Surface of a Flat Plate into a Supersonic Flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Volkov, K. N.; Emelyanov, V. N.; Yakovchuk, M. S.

    2017-11-01

    The transverse injection of a pulsed jet into a supersonic flow for thrust vectoring in solid rocket motors is investigated. The gas flow through the injection nozzle is controlled by a piston which performs reciprocating motion. Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations and the ( k- ɛ) turbulence model equations are discretized using the finite volume method and moving grids. The pressure distributions on the plate surface obtained using various approaches to the description of the flow field and difference schemes are compared. The solution obtained for the case of injection of a pulsed jet is compared with the solution for the case where a valve prevents gas flow through the injection nozzle. The dependence of the control force produced by gas injection on time is investigated.

  14. Brain serotonin content - Increase following ingestion of carbohydrate diet.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fernstrom, J. D.; Wurtman, R. J.

    1971-01-01

    In the rat, the injection of insulin or the consumption of carbohydrate causes sequential increases in the concentrations of tryptophan in the plasma and the brain and of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin-containing neurons may thus participate in systems whereby the rat brain integrates information about the metabolic state in its relation to control of homeostasis and behavior.

  15. Sequential injection ionic liquid dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for thallium preconcentration and determination with flame atomic absorption spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Anthemidis, Aristidis N; Ioannou, Kallirroy-Ioanna G

    2012-08-01

    A novel, automatic on-line sequential injection dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (SI-DLLME) method, based on 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([Hmim][PF(6)]) ionic liquid as an extractant solvent was developed and demonstrated for trace thallium determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The ionic liquid was on-line fully dispersed into the aqueous solution in a continuous flow format while the TlBr(4)(-) complex was easily migrated into the fine droplets of the extractant due to the huge contact area of them with the aqueous phase. Furthermore, the extractant was simply retained onto the surface of polyurethane foam packed into a microcolumn. No specific conditions like low temperature are required for extractant isolation. All analytical parameters of the proposed method were investigated and optimized. For 15 mL of sample solution, an enhancement factor of 290, a detection limit of 0.86 μg L(-1) and a precision (RSD) of 2.7% at 20.0 μg L(-1) Tl(I) concentration level, was obtained. The developed method was evaluated by analyzing certified reference materials while good recoveries from environmental and biological samples proved that present method was competitive in practical applications.

  16. Determination of yeast assimilable nitrogen content in wine fermentations by sequential injection analysis with spectrophotometric detetection.

    PubMed

    Muik, Barbara; Edelmann, Andrea; Lendl, Bernhard; Ayora-Cañada, María José

    2002-09-01

    An automated method for measuring the primary amino acid concentration in wine fermentations by sequential injection analysis with spectrophotometric detection was developed. Isoindole-derivatives from the primary amino acid were formed by reaction with o-phthaldialdehyde and N-acetyl- L-cysteine and measured at 334 nm with respect to a baseline point at 700 nm to compensate the observed Schlieren effect. As the reaction kinetic was strongly matrix dependent the analytical readout at the final reaction equilibrium has been evaluated. Therefore four parallel reaction coils were included in the flow system to be capable of processing four samples simultaneously. Using isoleucine as the representative primary amino acid in wine fermentations a linear calibration curve from 2 to 10 mM isoleucine, corresponding to 28 to 140 mg nitrogen/L (N/L) was obtained. The coefficient of variation of the method was 1.5% at a throughput of 12 samples per hour. The developed method was successfully used to monitor two wine fermentations during alcoholic fermentation. The results were in agreement with an external reference method based on high performance liquid chromatography. A mean-t-test showed no significant differences between the two methods at a confidence level of 95%.

  17. Sequential injection redox or acid-base titration for determination of ascorbic acid or acetic acid.

    PubMed

    Lenghor, Narong; Jakmunee, Jaroon; Vilen, Michael; Sara, Rolf; Christian, Gary D; Grudpan, Kate

    2002-12-06

    Two sequential injection titration systems with spectrophotometric detection have been developed. The first system for determination of ascorbic acid was based on redox reaction between ascorbic acid and permanganate in an acidic medium and lead to a decrease in color intensity of permanganate, monitored at 525 nm. A linear dependence of peak area obtained with ascorbic acid concentration up to 1200 mg l(-1) was achieved. The relative standard deviation for 11 replicate determinations of 400 mg l(-1) ascorbic acid was 2.9%. The second system, for acetic acid determination, was based on acid-base titration of acetic acid with sodium hydroxide using phenolphthalein as an indicator. The decrease in color intensity of the indicator was proportional to the acid content. A linear calibration graph in the range of 2-8% w v(-1) of acetic acid with a relative standard deviation of 4.8% (5.0% w v(-1) acetic acid, n=11) was obtained. Sample throughputs of 60 h(-1) were achieved for both systems. The systems were successfully applied for the assays of ascorbic acid in vitamin C tablets and acetic acid content in vinegars, respectively.

  18. Iodine speciation in coastal and inland bathing waters and seaweeds extracts using a sequential injection standard addition flow-batch method.

    PubMed

    Santos, Inês C; Mesquita, Raquel B R; Bordalo, Adriano A; Rangel, António O S S

    2015-02-01

    The present work describes the development of a sequential injection standard addition method for iodine speciation in bathing waters and seaweeds extracts without prior sample treatment. Iodine speciation was obtained by assessing the iodide and iodate content, the two inorganic forms of iodine in waters. For the determination of iodide, an iodide ion selective electrode (ISE) was used. The indirect determination of iodate was based on the spectrophotometric determination of nitrite (Griess reaction). For the iodate measurement, a mixing chamber was employed (flow batch approach) to explore the inherent efficient mixing, essential for the indirect determination of iodate. The application of the standard addition method enabled detection limits of 0.14 µM for iodide and 0.02 µM for iodate, together with the direct introduction of the target water samples, coastal and inland bathing waters. The results obtained were in agreement with those obtained by ICP-MS and a colorimetric reference procedure. Recovery tests also confirmed the accuracy of the developed method which was effectively applied to bathing waters and seaweed extracts. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Marker retention in the cochlea following injections through the round window membrane

    PubMed Central

    Salt, Alec N.; Sirjani, Davud B.; Hartsock, Jared J.; Gill, Ruth M.; Plontke, Stefan K.

    2007-01-01

    Local delivery of drugs to the inner ear is increasingly being used in both clinical and experimental studies. Although direct injection of drugs into perilymph appears to be the most promising way of administering drugs quantitatively, no studies have yet demonstrated the pharmacokinetics in perilymph following direct injections. In this study, we have investigated the retention of substance in perilymph following a single injection into the basal turn of scala tympani (ST). The substance injected was a marker, trimethylphenylammonium (TMPA) that can be detected in low concentrations with ion-selective microelectrodes. Perilymph pharmacokinetics of TMPA was assessed using sequential apical sampling to obtain perilymph for analysis. The amount of TMPA retained in perilymph was compared for different injection and sampling protocols. TMPA concentrations measured in fluid samples were close to those predicted by simulations when the injection pipette was sealed into the bony wall of ST but were systematically lower when the injection pipette was inserted through the round window membrane (RWM). In the latter condition it was estimated that over 60% of the injected TMPA was lost due to leakage of perilymph around the injection pipette at a rate estimated to be 0.09 μL/min. The effects of leakage during and after injections through the RWM were dramatically reduced when the round window niche was filled with 1% sodium hyaluronate gel before penetrating the RWM with the injection pipette. The findings demonstrate that in order to perform quantitative drug injections into perilymph, even small rates of fluid leakage at the injection site must be controlled. PMID:17662546

  20. Sequential data assimilation for a distributed hydrologic model considering different time scale of internal processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noh, S.; Tachikawa, Y.; Shiiba, M.; Kim, S.

    2011-12-01

    Applications of the sequential data assimilation methods have been increasing in hydrology to reduce uncertainty in the model prediction. In a distributed hydrologic model, there are many types of state variables and each variable interacts with each other based on different time scales. However, the framework to deal with the delayed response, which originates from different time scale of hydrologic processes, has not been thoroughly addressed in the hydrologic data assimilation. In this study, we propose the lagged filtering scheme to consider the lagged response of internal states in a distributed hydrologic model using two filtering schemes; particle filtering (PF) and ensemble Kalman filtering (EnKF). The EnKF is one of the widely used sub-optimal filters implementing an efficient computation with limited number of ensemble members, however, still based on Gaussian approximation. PF can be an alternative in which the propagation of all uncertainties is carried out by a suitable selection of randomly generated particles without any assumptions about the nature of the distributions involved. In case of PF, advanced particle regularization scheme is implemented together to preserve the diversity of the particle system. In case of EnKF, the ensemble square root filter (EnSRF) are implemented. Each filtering method is parallelized and implemented in the high performance computing system. A distributed hydrologic model, the water and energy transfer processes (WEP) model, is applied for the Katsura River catchment, Japan to demonstrate the applicability of proposed approaches. Forecasted results via PF and EnKF are compared and analyzed in terms of the prediction accuracy and the probabilistic adequacy. Discussions are focused on the prospects and limitations of each data assimilation method.

  1. 'Pink eye' or 'zere oogjes' or keratoconjunctivitis infectiosa ovis (KIO). Clinical efficacy of a number of antimicrobial therapies.

    PubMed

    König, C D

    1983-07-01

    In a comparative study the clinical efficacy of five different treatments of keratoconjunctivitis infectiosa ovis (KIO) were tested, namely an intramuscular injection of chloramphenicol base (dosage 15 mg/kg), spiramycin base (Suanovil dosages 10 to 25 mg/kg), oxytetracycline (Engemycine Forte, Terramycin LA, dosages respectively 5 and 10 mg/kg), tiamulin (Dynamutulin, dosage 10 mg/kg) and subcutaneous injection of procaine penicillin G, benzathine penicillin G. and dihydrostreptomycin in the lower eyelid. It appeared from these field trials that spiramycin base, oxytetracycline and tiamulin had a clearly positive effect on the clinical course of 'pink eye', although with tiamulin there was only a temporary effect (high percentage of relapses). In view of the field data the following dosage schemes are, for the time being, advised: spiramycin base (Suanovil), and oxytetracycline (formulation with a good biological availability) both 20 to 30 mg/kg and, if necessary, to be repeated on days 5 and 10 after the first intramuscular injection. The dosage scheme advised for tiamulin is 20-30 mg/kg to be repeated on day 3 and if necessary on days 6 and 9 after the intramuscular injection. In mild cases it is sufficient to rub the eyes with for example oxytetracycline eye-ointment, a few times a day.

  2. High-field neutral beam injection for improving the Q of a gas dynamic trap-based fusion neutron source

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zeng, Qiusun; Chen, Dehong; Wang, Minghuang

    2017-12-01

    In order to improve the fusion energy gain (Q) of a gas dynamic trap (GDT)-based fusion neutron source, a method in which the neutral beam is obliquely injected at a higher magnetic field position rather than at the mid-plane of the GDT is proposed. This method is beneficial for confining a higher density of fast ions at the turning point in the zone with a higher magnetic field, as well as obtaining a higher mirror ratio by reducing the mid-plane field rather than increasing the mirror field. In this situation, collision scattering loss of fast ions with higher density will occur and change the confinement time, power balance and particle balance. Using an updated calculation model with high-field neutral beam injection for a GDT-based fusion neutron source conceptual design, we got four optimal design schemes for a GDT-based fusion neutron source in which Q was improved to two- to three-fold compared with a conventional design scheme and considering the limitation for avoiding plasma instabilities, especially the fire-hose instability. The distribution of fast ions could be optimized by building a proper magnetic field configuration with enough space for neutron shielding and by multi-beam neutral particle injection at different axial points.

  3. Combined treatment in punctate inner choroidopathy

    PubMed Central

    Terelak-Borys, Barbara; Zagajewska, Katarzyna; Jankowska-Lech, Irmina; Tesla, Piotr; Grabska-Liberek, Iwona

    2016-01-01

    Purpose The purpose of this study was to describe a combination treatment for choroidal neovascular (CNV) membrane, secondary to punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC). Patient and methods A 44-year-old female patient was diagnosed with PIC complicated by the development of recurrent juxtafoveal neovascular membrane. The treatment included a sequence of monotherapy regimens: systemic steroid therapy, photodynamic therapy, and intravitreal injections of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor (anti-VEGF). Owing to the CNV membrane resistance to various types of monotherapy, a combination treatment consisting of local injections of steroid underneath the Tenon’s capsule and intravitreal anti-VEGF injections was used. Results Systemic steroid therapy resulted in rapid local improvement with a very short remission period. No positive effects of photodynamic therapy were observed. Sequential anti-VEGF injections led to remission periods of several months. Permanent regression of CNV membrane was achieved following combined local application of steroid and intravitreal anti-VEGF injections. Conclusion A combination treatment including steroid and anti-VEGF medication characterized by anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenic effects may be a very beneficial option for the treatment of recurrent CNV membrane as a complication of PIC. PMID:27729795

  4. Error control techniques for satellite and space communications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Costello, Daniel J., Jr.

    1989-01-01

    The performance of bandwidth efficient trellis codes on channels with phase jitter, or those disturbed by jamming and impulse noise is analyzed. An heuristic algorithm for construction of bandwidth efficient trellis codes with any constraint length up to about 30, any signal constellation, and any code rate was developed. Construction of good distance profile trellis codes for sequential decoding and comparison of random coding bounds of trellis coded modulation schemes are also discussed.

  5. Reinjected water return at Miravalles geothermal reservoir, Costa Rica: Numerical modelling and observations

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

    Parini, Mauro; Acuna, Jorge A.; Laudiano, Michele

    1996-01-24

    The first 55 MW power plant at Miravalles started operation in March, 1994. During the first few months of production, a gradual increase in chloride content was observed in some production wells. The cause was assumed to be a rapid return of injectate from two in.jection wells located fairly near to the main production area. A tracer test was performed and showed a relatively rapid breakthrough, confirming the assumption made. Numerical modeling was then carried out to try to reproduce the observed behavior. The reservoir was modelled with an idealized three-dimensional network of fractures embedded into a low permeability matrix.more » The “two waters” feature of TOUGH2 simulator was used. The numerical simulation showed good agreement with observations. A “porous medium” model with equivalent hydraulic characteristics was unable to reproduce the observations. The fractured model, when applied to investigate the mid and long term expected behavior, indicated a reservoir cooling risk associated to the present injection scheme. Work is currently underway to modify this scheme.« less

  6. Reinjected water return at Miravalles geothermal reservoir, Costa Rica: Numerical modelling and observations

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

    Parini, M.; Laudiano, M.; Acuna, J.A.

    1996-12-31

    The first 55 MW power plant at Miravalles started operation in March, 1994. During the first few months of production, a gradual increase in chloride content was observed in some production wells. The cause was assumed to be a rapid return of injectate from two injection wells located fairly near to the main production area. A tracer test was performed and showed a relatively rapid breakthrough, confirming the assumption made. Numerical modeling was then carried out to try to reproduce the observed behavior. The reservoir was modelled with an idealized three-dimensional network of fractures embedded into a low permeability matrix.more » The {open_quotes}two waters{close_quotes} feature of TOUGH2 simulator was used. The numerical simulation showed good agreement with observations. A {open_quotes}porous medium{close_quotes} model with equivalent hydraulic characteristics was unable to reproduce the observations. The fractured model, when applied to investigate the mid and long term expected behavior, indicated a reservoir cooling risk associated to the present injection scheme. Work is currently underway to modify this scheme.« less

  7. Issues surrounding lethal injection as a means of capital punishment.

    PubMed

    Romanelli, Frank; Whisman, Tyler; Fink, Joseph L

    2008-12-01

    Lethal injection as a method of state-sanctioned capital punishment was initially proposed in the United States in 1977 and used for the first time in 1982. Most lethal injection protocols use a sequential drug combination of sodium thiopental, pancuronium bromide, and potassium chloride. Lethal injection was originally introduced as a more humane form of execution compared with existing mechanical methods such as electrocution, toxic gassing, hanging, or firing squad. Lethal injection has not, however, been without controversy. Several states are considering whether lethal injection meets constitutional scrutiny forbidding cruel and unusual punishment. Recently in the case of Ralph Baze and Thomas C. Bowling, Petitioners, v John D. Rees, Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Corrections et al, the United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the lethal injection protocol as carried out in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Most of the debate has surrounded the dosing and procedures used in lethal injection and whether the drug combinations and measures for administering the drugs truly produce a timely, pain-free, and fail-safe death. Many have also raised issues regarding the "medicalization" of execution and the ethics of health care professionals' participation in any part of the lethal injection process. As a result of all these issues, the future of lethal injection as a means of execution in the United States is under significant scrutiny. Outcomes of ongoing legislative and judicial reviews might result in cessation of lethal injection in totality or in alterations involving specific drug combinations or administration procedures.

  8. An analog neural hardware implementation using charge-injection multipliers and neutron-specific gain control.

    PubMed

    Massengill, L W; Mundie, D B

    1992-01-01

    A neural network IC based on a dynamic charge injection is described. The hardware design is space and power efficient, and achieves massive parallelism of analog inner products via charge-based multipliers and spatially distributed summing buses. Basic synaptic cells are constructed of exponential pulse-decay modulation (EPDM) dynamic injection multipliers operating sequentially on propagating signal vectors and locally stored analog weights. Individually adjustable gain controls on each neutron reduce the effects of limited weight dynamic range. A hardware simulator/trainer has been developed which incorporates the physical (nonideal) characteristics of actual circuit components into the training process, thus absorbing nonlinearities and parametric deviations into the macroscopic performance of the network. Results show that charge-based techniques may achieve a high degree of neural density and throughput using standard CMOS processes.

  9. A new rat model of portal hypertension induced by intraportal injection of microspheres

    PubMed Central

    Li, Xiang-Nong; Benjamin, IS; Alexander, B

    1998-01-01

    AIM: To produce a new rat model of portal hypertension by intraportal injection of microspheres. METHODS: Measured aliquots of single or different-sized microspheres (15, 40, 80μm) were injected into the portal vein to block intrahepatic portal radicals. The resultant changes in arterial,portal,hepatic venous and splenic pulp pressures were monitored. The liver and lungs were excised for histological examination. RESULTS: Portal venous pressure was elevated from basal value of 0.89-1.02 kPa to a steady-state of 1.98-3.19 kPa following the sequential injections of single- or different-sized microspheres, with a markedly lowered mean arterial pressure. However, a small-dose injection of 80 μm microspheres (1.8 × 105) produced a steady-state portal venous pressure of 2.53 × 0.17 kPa, and all rats showed normal arterial pressures. In addition, numerous microspheres were found in the lungs in all experimental groups. CONCLUSION: Portal hypertension can be reproduced in rats by intraportal injection of microspheres at a small dose of 80 μm (1.8 × 105). Intrahepatic portal-systemic shunts probably exist in the normal rat liver. PMID:11819236

  10. Efficient parallel resolution of the simplified transport equations in mixed-dual formulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barrault, M.; Lathuilière, B.; Ramet, P.; Roman, J.

    2011-03-01

    A reactivity computation consists of computing the highest eigenvalue of a generalized eigenvalue problem, for which an inverse power algorithm is commonly used. Very fine modelizations are difficult to treat for our sequential solver, based on the simplified transport equations, in terms of memory consumption and computational time. A first implementation of a Lagrangian based domain decomposition method brings to a poor parallel efficiency because of an increase in the power iterations [1]. In order to obtain a high parallel efficiency, we improve the parallelization scheme by changing the location of the loop over the subdomains in the overall algorithm and by benefiting from the characteristics of the Raviart-Thomas finite element. The new parallel algorithm still allows us to locally adapt the numerical scheme (mesh, finite element order). However, it can be significantly optimized for the matching grid case. The good behavior of the new parallelization scheme is demonstrated for the matching grid case on several hundreds of nodes for computations based on a pin-by-pin discretization.

  11. Eulerian-Lagrangian Simulations of Transonic Flutter Instabilities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bendiksen, Oddvar O.

    1994-01-01

    This paper presents an overview of recent applications of Eulerian-Lagrangian computational schemes in simulating transonic flutter instabilities. This approach, the fluid-structure system is treated as a single continuum dynamics problem, by switching from an Eulerian to a Lagrangian formulation at the fluid-structure boundary. This computational approach effectively eliminates the phase integration errors associated with previous methods, where the fluid and structure are integrated sequentially using different schemes. The formulation is based on Hamilton's Principle in mixed coordinates, and both finite volume and finite element discretization schemes are considered. Results from numerical simulations of transonic flutter instabilities are presented for isolated wings, thin panels, and turbomachinery blades. The results suggest that the method is capable of reproducing the energy exchange between the fluid and the structure with significantly less error than existing methods. Localized flutter modes and panel flutter modes involving traveling waves can also be simulated effectively with no a priori knowledge of the type of instability involved.

  12. Active inference and learning.

    PubMed

    Friston, Karl; FitzGerald, Thomas; Rigoli, Francesco; Schwartenbeck, Philipp; O Doherty, John; Pezzulo, Giovanni

    2016-09-01

    This paper offers an active inference account of choice behaviour and learning. It focuses on the distinction between goal-directed and habitual behaviour and how they contextualise each other. We show that habits emerge naturally (and autodidactically) from sequential policy optimisation when agents are equipped with state-action policies. In active inference, behaviour has explorative (epistemic) and exploitative (pragmatic) aspects that are sensitive to ambiguity and risk respectively, where epistemic (ambiguity-resolving) behaviour enables pragmatic (reward-seeking) behaviour and the subsequent emergence of habits. Although goal-directed and habitual policies are usually associated with model-based and model-free schemes, we find the more important distinction is between belief-free and belief-based schemes. The underlying (variational) belief updating provides a comprehensive (if metaphorical) process theory for several phenomena, including the transfer of dopamine responses, reversal learning, habit formation and devaluation. Finally, we show that active inference reduces to a classical (Bellman) scheme, in the absence of ambiguity. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  13. Single well tracer method to evaluate enhanced recovery

    DOEpatents

    Sheely, Jr., Clyde Q.; Baldwin, Jr., David E.

    1978-01-01

    Data useful to evaluate the effectiveness of or to design an enhanced recovery process (the recovery process involving mobilizing and moving hydrocarbons through a hydrocarbon-bearing subterranean formation from an injection well to a production well by injecting a mobilizing fluid into the injection well) are obtained by a process which comprises sequentially: determining hydrocarbon saturation in the formation in a volume in the formation near a well bore penetrating the formation, injecting sufficient of the mobilizing fluid to mobilize and move hydrocarbons from a volume in the formation near the well bore penetrating the formation, and determining by the single well tracer method a hydrocarbon saturation profile in a volume from which hydrocarbons are moved. The single well tracer method employed is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,842. The process is useful to evaluate surfactant floods, water floods, polymer floods, CO.sub.2 floods, caustic floods, micellar floods, and the like in the reservoir in much less time at greatly reduced costs, compared to conventional multi-well pilot test.

  14. A prospective randomized study comparing two commercially available types of human embryo culture media: G1-PLUS™/G2-PLUS™ sequential medium (Vitrolife) and the GL BLAST™ sole medium (Ingamed).

    PubMed

    Ceschin, Ianae I; Ribas, Mariana H; Ceschin, Alvaro P; Nishikawa, Lucileine; Rocha, Claudia C; Pic-Taylor, Aline; Baroneza, José Eduardo

    2016-03-01

    To check the efficacy of two types of commercially available embryo culture medium: G1-PLUS™/G2-PLUS™ sequential (Vitrolife, Gothenburg, Sweden) and GV BLAST™ sole (Ingamed, Maringá, Brazil) with regards to fertilization, cleavage, blastocyst and pregnancy rates. Prospective and randomized study conducted from March to July 2015, using the medical records of 60 patients submitted to Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection techniques (ICSI). Data regarding the age of patients, together with fertilization, cleavage, blastocyst and pregnancy rates, were collected and compared in relation to the: G1-PLUS™/G2-PLUS™ sequential and GV BLAST™ sole mediums. The data were tabulated and compared using the Pearson's Chi-Square test (95% CI). There was no significant difference when comparing patients divided into higher and lower fertility age. No significant statistical difference was noted between the fertilization rates (P=0.59), cleavage (P=0.91), evolution to blastocyst (P=0.33) and total pregnancy (P=0.83) when comparing the embryos cultured in the different media analysed. We conclude that the G1-PLUS™/G2-PLUS™ sequential and GV BLAST™ sole mediums are equally effective with regards to fertilization, cleavage, blastocyst development and total pregnancy rates.

  15. A novel sequential process for remediating rare-earth wastewater.

    PubMed

    Cui, Mingcan; Jang, Min; Kang, Kyounglim; Kim, Dukmin; Snyder, Shane A; Khim, Jeehyeong

    2016-02-01

    A novel and economic sequential process consisting of precipitation, adsorption, and oxidation was developed to remediate actual rare-earth (RE) wastewater containing various toxic pollutants, including radioactive species. In the precipitation step, porous air stones (PAS) containing waste oyster shell (WOS), PASWOS, was prepared and used to precipitate most heavy metals with >97% removal efficiencies. The SEM-EDS analysis revealed that PAS plays a key role in preventing the surface coating of precipitants on the surface of WOS and in releasing the dissolved species of WOS successively. For the adsorption step, a polyurethane (PU) impregnated by coal mine drainage sludge (CMDS), PUCMDS, was synthesized and applied to deplete fluoride (F), arsenic (As), uranium (U), and thorium (Th) that remained after precipitation. The continuous-mode sequential process using PAS(WOS), PU(CMDS), and ozone (O3) had 99.9-100% removal efficiencies of heavy metals, 99.3-99.9% of F and As, 95.8-99.4% of U and Th, and 92.4% of COD(Cr) for 100 days. The sequential process can treat RE wastewater economically and effectively without stirred-tank reactors, pH controller, continuous injection of chemicals, and significant sludge generation, as well as the quality of the outlet met the EPA recommended limits. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Design and evaluation of prosthetic shoulder controller

    PubMed Central

    Barton, Joseph E.; Sorkin, John D.

    2015-01-01

    We developed a 2-degree-of-freedom (DOF) shoulder position transducer (sensing shoulder protraction-retraction and elevation-depression) that can be used to control two of a powered prosthetic humerus' DOFs. We also developed an evaluation protocol based on Fitts' law to assess the performance of our device. The primary motivation for this work was to support development of powered prosthetic shoulder joints of a new generation of prosthetic arms for people with shoulder disarticulation and very high-level transhumeral amputation. We found that transducers that provided resistance to shoulder movement performed better than those providing no resistance. We also found that a position control scheme, where effector position is proportional to shoulder position, performed better than a velocity control scheme, where effector velocity is proportional to shoulder position. More generally, our transducer can be used to control motion along any two DOFs. It can also be used in a more general 4-DOF control scheme by sequentially controlling two DOFs at a time. The evaluation protocol has general applicability for researchers and practitioners. Researchers can employ it to compare different prosthesis designs and control schemes, while practitioners may find the evaluation protocol useful in evaluating and training people with amputation in the use of prostheses. PMID:25357185

  17. An RGB colour image steganography scheme using overlapping block-based pixel-value differencing

    PubMed Central

    Pal, Arup Kumar

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a steganographic scheme based on the RGB colour cover image. The secret message bits are embedded into each colour pixel sequentially by the pixel-value differencing (PVD) technique. PVD basically works on two consecutive non-overlapping components; as a result, the straightforward conventional PVD technique is not applicable to embed the secret message bits into a colour pixel, since a colour pixel consists of three colour components, i.e. red, green and blue. Hence, in the proposed scheme, initially the three colour components are represented into two overlapping blocks like the combination of red and green colour components, while another one is the combination of green and blue colour components, respectively. Later, the PVD technique is employed on each block independently to embed the secret data. The two overlapping blocks are readjusted to attain the modified three colour components. The notion of overlapping blocks has improved the embedding capacity of the cover image. The scheme has been tested on a set of colour images and satisfactory results have been achieved in terms of embedding capacity and upholding the acceptable visual quality of the stego-image. PMID:28484623

  18. Mirror Birefringence in a Fabry-Perot Cavity and the Detection of Vacuum Birefringence in a Magnetic Field

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chui, T. C. P.; Shao, M.; Redding, D.; Gursel, Y.; Boden, A.

    1995-01-01

    We discuss the effect of mirror birefringence in two optical schemes designed to detect the quantum-electrodynamics (QED) predictions of vacuum birefringence under the influence of a strong magnetic field, B. Both schemes make use of a high finesse Fabry-Perot cavity (F-P) to increase the average path length of the light in the magnetic field. The first scheme, which we called the frequency scheme, is based on measurement of the beat frequency of two orthogonal polarized laser beams in the cavity. We show that mirror birefringence contributes to the detection uncertainties in first order, resulting in a high susceptibility to small thermal disturbances. We estimate that an unreasonably high thermal stability of 10-9 K is required to resolve the effect to 0.1%. In the second scheme, which we called the polarization rotation scheme, laser polarized at 45 relative to the B field is injected into the cavity.

  19. An all-digital receiver for satellite audio broadcasting signals using trellis coded quasi-orthogonal code-division multiplexing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Braun, Walter; Eglin, Peter; Abello, Ricard

    1993-02-01

    Spread Spectrum Code Division Multiplex is an attractive scheme for the transmission of multiple signals over a satellite transponder. By using orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal spreading codes the interference between the users can be virtually eliminated. However, the acquisition and tracking of the spreading code phase can not take advantage of the code orthogonality since sequential acquisition and Delay-Locked loop tracking depend on correlation with code phases other than the optimal despreading phase. Hence, synchronization is a critical issue in such a system. A demonstration hardware for the verification of the orthogonal CDM synchronization and data transmission concept is being designed and implemented. The system concept, the synchronization scheme, and the implementation are described. The performance of the system is discussed based on computer simulations.

  20. A performance study of sparse Cholesky factorization on INTEL iPSC/860

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zubair, M.; Ghose, M.

    1992-01-01

    The problem of Cholesky factorization of a sparse matrix has been very well investigated on sequential machines. A number of efficient codes exist for factorizing large unstructured sparse matrices. However, there is a lack of such efficient codes on parallel machines in general, and distributed machines in particular. Some of the issues that are critical to the implementation of sparse Cholesky factorization on a distributed memory parallel machine are ordering, partitioning and mapping, load balancing, and ordering of various tasks within a processor. Here, we focus on the effect of various partitioning schemes on the performance of sparse Cholesky factorization on the Intel iPSC/860. Also, a new partitioning heuristic for structured as well as unstructured sparse matrices is proposed, and its performance is compared with other schemes.

  1. Micronutrient dynamics after thermal pretreatment of olive mill solid waste.

    PubMed

    Almansa, Ana R; Rodriguez-Galan, Monica; Borja, Rafael; Fermoso, Fernando G

    2015-09-01

    This study investigated metal dynamics, and their bioavailability, before and after thermal pretreatment of olive mill solid waste (OMSW), using a sequential metal extraction scheme. The 11.5% increase of cobalt in the most available fraction after the pretreatment coupled to the increase of methane production rate have been a good indicator that the OMSW anaerobic digestion might be metal limited due to the lack of cobalt. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Aerosol specification in single-column Community Atmosphere Model version 5

    DOE PAGES

    Lebassi-Habtezion, B.; Caldwell, P. M.

    2015-03-27

    Single-column model (SCM) capability is an important tool for general circulation model development. In this study, the SCM mode of version 5 of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM5) is shown to handle aerosol initialization and advection improperly, resulting in aerosol, cloud-droplet, and ice crystal concentrations which are typically much lower than observed or simulated by CAM5 in global mode. This deficiency has a major impact on stratiform cloud simulations but has little impact on convective case studies because aerosol is currently not used by CAM5 convective schemes and convective cases are typically longer in duration (so initialization is less important).more » By imposing fixed aerosol or cloud-droplet and crystal number concentrations, the aerosol issues described above can be avoided. Sensitivity studies using these idealizations suggest that the Meyers et al. (1992) ice nucleation scheme prevents mixed-phase cloud from existing by producing too many ice crystals. Microphysics is shown to strongly deplete cloud water in stratiform cases, indicating problems with sequential splitting in CAM5 and the need for careful interpretation of output from sequentially split climate models. Droplet concentration in the general circulation model (GCM) version of CAM5 is also shown to be far too low (~ 25 cm −3) at the southern Great Plains (SGP) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site.« less

  3. Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) with Adaptive Randomization for Quality Improvement in Depression Treatment Program

    PubMed Central

    Chakraborty, Bibhas; Davidson, Karina W.

    2015-01-01

    Summary Implementation study is an important tool for deploying state-of-the-art treatments from clinical efficacy studies into a treatment program, with the dual goals of learning about effectiveness of the treatments and improving the quality of care for patients enrolled into the program. In this article, we deal with the design of a treatment program of dynamic treatment regimens (DTRs) for patients with depression post acute coronary syndrome. We introduce a novel adaptive randomization scheme for a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial of DTRs. Our approach adapts the randomization probabilities to favor treatment sequences having comparatively superior Q-functions used in Q-learning. The proposed approach addresses three main concerns of an implementation study: it allows incorporation of historical data or opinions, it includes randomization for learning purposes, and it aims to improve care via adaptation throughout the program. We demonstrate how to apply our method to design a depression treatment program using data from a previous study. By simulation, we illustrate that the inputs from historical data are important for the program performance measured by the expected outcomes of the enrollees, but also show that the adaptive randomization scheme is able to compensate poorly specified historical inputs by improving patient outcomes within a reasonable horizon. The simulation results also confirm that the proposed design allows efficient learning of the treatments by alleviating the curse of dimensionality. PMID:25354029

  4. Dissipation of post-disruption runaway electron plateaus by shattered pellet injection in DIII-D

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shiraki, D.; Commaux, N.; Baylor, L. R.; Cooper, C. M.; Eidietis, N. W.; Hollmann, E. M.; Paz-Soldan, C.; Combs, S. K.; Meitner, S. J.

    2018-05-01

    We report on the first demonstration of dissipation of fully avalanched post-disruption runaway electron (RE) beams by shattered pellet injection in the DIII-D tokamak. Variation of the injected species shows that dissipation depends strongly on the species mixture, while comparisons with massive gas injection do not show a significant difference between dissipation by pellets or by gas, suggesting that the shattered pellet is rapidly ablated by the relativistic electrons before significant radial penetration into the runaway beam can occur. Pure or dominantly neon injection increases the RE current dissipation through pitch-angle scattering due to collisions with impurity ions. Deuterium injection is observed to have the opposite effect from neon, reducing the high-Z impurity content and thus decreasing the dissipation, and causing the background thermal plasma to completely recombine. When injecting mixtures of the two species, deuterium levels as low as  ∼10% of the total injected atoms are observed to adversely affect the resulting dissipation, suggesting that complete elimination of deuterium from the injection may be important for optimizing RE mitigation schemes.

  5. Dissipation of post-disruption runaway electron plateaus by shattered pellet injection in DIII-D

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

    Shiraki, D.; Commaux, N.; Baylor, L. R.

    Here, we report on the first demonstration of dissipation of fully avalanched post-disruption runaway electron (RE) beams by shattered pellet injection in the DIII-D tokamak. Variation of the injected species shows that dissipation depends strongly on the species mixture, while comparisons with massive gas injection do not show a significant difference between dissipation by pellets or by gas, suggesting that the shattered pellet is rapidly ablated by the relativistic electrons before significant radial penetration into the runaway beam can occur. Pure or dominantly neon injection increases the RE current dissipation through pitch-angle scattering due to collisions with impurity ions. Deuteriummore » injection is observed to have the opposite effect from neon, causing the background thermal plasma to completely recombine, reducing the high-Z impurity content and thus decreasing the dissipation. When injecting mixtures of the two species, deuterium levels as low as ~10% of the total injected atoms are observed to adversely affect the resulting dissipation, suggesting that complete elimination of deuterium from the injection may be important for optimizing RE mitigation schemes.« less

  6. Dissipation of post-disruption runaway electron plateaus by shattered pellet injection in DIII-D

    DOE PAGES

    Shiraki, D.; Commaux, N.; Baylor, L. R.; ...

    2018-03-07

    Here, we report on the first demonstration of dissipation of fully avalanched post-disruption runaway electron (RE) beams by shattered pellet injection in the DIII-D tokamak. Variation of the injected species shows that dissipation depends strongly on the species mixture, while comparisons with massive gas injection do not show a significant difference between dissipation by pellets or by gas, suggesting that the shattered pellet is rapidly ablated by the relativistic electrons before significant radial penetration into the runaway beam can occur. Pure or dominantly neon injection increases the RE current dissipation through pitch-angle scattering due to collisions with impurity ions. Deuteriummore » injection is observed to have the opposite effect from neon, causing the background thermal plasma to completely recombine, reducing the high-Z impurity content and thus decreasing the dissipation. When injecting mixtures of the two species, deuterium levels as low as ~10% of the total injected atoms are observed to adversely affect the resulting dissipation, suggesting that complete elimination of deuterium from the injection may be important for optimizing RE mitigation schemes.« less

  7. Demonstration of self-truncated ionization injection for GeV electron beams

    PubMed Central

    Mirzaie, M.; Li, S.; Zeng, M.; Hafz, N. A. M.; Chen, M.; Li, G. Y.; Zhu, Q. J.; Liao, H.; Sokollik, T.; Liu, F.; Ma, Y. Y.; Chen, L.M.; Sheng, Z. M.; Zhang, J.

    2015-01-01

    Ionization-induced injection mechanism was introduced in 2010 to reduce the laser intensity threshold for controllable electron trapping in laser wakefield accelerators (LWFA). However, usually it generates electron beams with continuous energy spectra. Subsequently, a dual-stage target separating the injection and acceleration processes was regarded as essential to achieve narrow energy-spread electron beams by ionization injection. Recently, we numerically proposed a self-truncation scenario of the ionization injection process based upon overshooting of the laser-focusing in plasma which can reduce the electron injection length down to a few hundred micrometers, leading to accelerated beams with extremely low energy-spread in a single-stage. Here, using 100 TW-class laser pulses we report experimental observations of this injection scenario in centimeter-long plasma leading to the generation of narrow energy-spread GeV electron beams, demonstrating its robustness and scalability. Compared with the self-injection and dual-stage schemes, the self-truncated ionization injection generates higher-quality electron beams at lower intensities and densities, and is therefore promising for practical applications. PMID:26423136

  8. Continuous inline blending of antimisting kerosene

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parikh, P.; Yavrouian, A.; Sarohia, V.

    1985-01-01

    A continuous inline blender was developed to blend polymer slurries with a stream of jet A fuel. The viscosity of the slurries ranged widely. The key element of the blender was a static mixer placed immediately downstream of the slurry injection point. A positive displacement gear pump for jet A was employed, and a progressive cavity rotary screw pump was used for slurry pumping. Turbine flow meters were employed for jet A metering while the slurry flow rate was calibrated against the pressure drop in the injection tube. While using one of the FM-9 variant slurries, a provision was made for a time delay between the addition of slurry and the addition of amine sequentially into the jet A stream.

  9. Optimization of 64-MDCT urography: effect of dual-phase imaging with furosemide on collecting system opacification and radiation dose.

    PubMed

    Portnoy, Orith; Guranda, Larisa; Apter, Sara; Eiss, David; Amitai, Marianne Michal; Konen, Eli

    2011-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare opacification of the urinary collecting system and radiation dose associated with three-phase 64-MDCT urographic protocols and those associated with a split-bolus dual-phase protocol including furosemide. Images from 150 CT urographic examinations performed with three scanning protocols were retrospectively evaluated. Group A consisted of 50 sequentially registered patients who underwent a three-phase protocol with saline infusion. Group B consisted of 50 sequentially registered patients who underwent a reduced-radiation three-phase protocol with saline. Group C consisted of 50 sequentially registered patients who underwent a dual-phase split-bolus protocol that included a low-dose furosemide injection. Opacification of the urinary collecting system was evaluated with segmental binary scoring. Contrast artifacts were evaluated, and radiation doses were recorded. Results were compared by analysis of variance. A significant reduction in mean effective radiation dose was found between groups A and B (p < 0.001) and between groups B and C (p < 0.001), resulting in 65% reduction between groups A and C (p < 0.001). This reduction did not significantly affect opacification score in any of the 12 urinary segments (p = 0.079). In addition, dense contrast artifacts overlying the renal parenchyma observed with the three-phase protocols (groups A and B) were avoided with the dual-phase protocol (group C) (p < 0.001). A dual-phase protocol with furosemide injection is the preferable technique for CT urography. In comparison with commonly used three-phase protocols, the dual-phase protocol significantly reduces radiation exposure dose without reduction in image quality.

  10. SR high-speed K-edge subtraction angiography in the small animal (abstract)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takeda, T.; Akisada, M.; Nakajima, T.; Anno, I.; Ueda, K.; Umetani, K.; Yamaguchi, C.

    1989-07-01

    To assess the ability of the high-speed K-edge energy subtraction system which was made at beamline 8C of Photon Factory, Tsukuba, we performed an animal experiment. Rabbits were used for the intravenous K-edge subtraction angiography. In this paper, the actual images of the artery obtained by this system, are demonstrated. The high-speed K-edge subtraction system consisted of movable silicon (111) monocrystals, II-ITV, and digital memory system. Image processing was performed by 68000-IP computer. The monochromatic x-ray beam size was 50×60 mm. Photon energy above and below iodine K edge was changed within 16 ms and 32 frames of images were obtained sequentially. The rabbits were anaesthetized by phenobarbital and a 5F catheter was inserted into inferior vena cava via the femoral vein. 1.5 ml/kg of contrast material (Conlaxin H) was injected at the rate of 0.5 ml/kg/s. TV images were obtained 3 s after the starting point of injection. By using this system, the clear K-edge subtracted images were obtained sequentially as a conventional DSA system. The quality of the images were better than that obtained by DSA. The dynamical blood flow was analyzed, and the best arterial image could be selected from the sequential images. The structures of aortic arch, common carotid arteries, right subclavian artery, and internal thoracic artery were obtained at the chest. Both common carotid arteries and vertebral arteries were recorded at the neck. The diameter of about 0.3-0.4 mm artery could be clearly revealed. The high-speed K-edge subtraction system demonstrates the very sharp arterial images clearly and dynamically.

  11. Concomitant or sequential administration of live attenuated japanese encephalitis chimeric virus vaccine and yellow fever 17D vaccine

    PubMed Central

    Nasveld, Peter E; Marjason, Joanne; Bennett, Sonya; Aaskov, John; Elliott, Suzanne; McCarthy, Karen; Kanesa-thasan, Niranjan; Feroldi, Emmanuel

    2010-01-01

    A randomized, double-blind, study was conducted to evaluate the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of a live attenuated Japanese encephalitis chimeric virus vaccine (JE-CV) co-administered with live attenuated yellow fever (YF) vaccine (YF-17D strain; Stamaril®, Sanofi Pasteur) or administered sequentially. Participants (n = 108) were randomized to receive: YF followed by JE-CV 30 days later, JE followed by YF 30 days later, or the co-administration of JE and YF followed or preceded by placebo 30 days later or earlier. Placebo was used in a double-dummy fashion to ensure masking. Neutralizing antibody titers against JE-CV, YF-17D and selected wild-type JE virus strains was determined using a 50% serum-dilution plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT50). Seroconversion was defined as the appearance of a neutralizing antibody titer above the assay cut-off post-immunization when not present pre-injection at day 0, or a least a four-fold rise in neutralizing antibody titer measured before the pre-injection day 0 and later post vaccination samples. There were no serious adverse events. Most adverse events (AEs) after JE vaccination were mild to moderate in intensity, and similar to those reported following YF vaccination. Seroconversion to JE-CV was 100% and 91% in the JE/YF and YF/JE sequential vaccination groups, respectively, compared with 96% in the co-administration group. All participants seroconverted to YF vaccine and retained neutralizing titers above the assay cut-off at month six. Neutralizing antibodies against JE vaccine were detected in 82–100% of participants at month six. These results suggest that both vaccines may be successfully co-administered simultaneously or 30 days apart. PMID:20864814

  12. Electrochemical immunoassay for vitellogenin based on sequential injection using antigen-immobilized magnetic microbeads.

    PubMed

    Hirakawa, Koji; Katayama, Masaaki; Soh, Nobuaki; Nakano, Koji; Imato, Toshihiko

    2006-01-01

    A rapid and sensitive immunoassay for the determination of vitellogenin (Vg) is described. The method involves a sequential injection analysis (SIA) system equipped with an amperometric detector and a neodymium magnet. Magnetic beads, onto which an antigen (Vg) was immobilized, were used as a solid support in an immunoassay. The introduction, trapping and release of magnetic beads in an immunoreaction cell were controlled by means of the neodymium magnet and by adjusting the flow of the carrier solution. The immunoassay was based on an indirect competitive immunoreaction of an alkaline phosphatase (ALP) labeled anti-Vg monoclonal antibody between the fraction of Vg immobilized on the magnetic beads and Vg in the sample solution. The immobilization of Vg on the beads involved coupling an amino group moiety of Vg with the magnetic beads after activation of a carboxylate moiety on the surface of magnetic beads that had been coated with a polylactate film. The Vg-immobilized magnetic beads were introduced and trapped in the immunoreaction cell equipped with the neodymium magnet; a Vg sample solution containing an ALP labeled anti-Vg antibody at a constant concentration and a p-aminophenyl phosphate (PAPP) solution were sequentially introduced into the immunoreaction cell. The product of the enzyme reaction of PAPP with ALP on the antibody, paminophenol, was transported to an amperometric detector, the applied voltage of which was set at +0.2 V vs. an Ag/AgCl reference electrode. A sigmoid calibration curve was obtained when the logarithm of the concentration of Vg was plotted against the peak current of the amperometric detector using various concentrations of standard Vg sample solutions (0-500 ppb). The time required for the analysis is less than 15 min.

  13. Murmur intensity in adult dogs with pulmonic and subaortic stenosis reflects disease severity.

    PubMed

    Caivano, D; Dickson, D; Martin, M; Rishniw, M

    2018-03-01

    The aims of this study were to determine whether murmur intensity in adult dogs with pulmonic stenosis or subaortic stenosis reflects echocardiographic disease severity and to determine whether a six-level murmur grading scheme provides clinical advantages over a four-level scheme. In this retrospective multi-investigator study on adult dogs with pulmonic stenosis or subaortic stenosis, murmur intensity was compared to echocardiographically determined pressure gradient across the affected valve. Disease severity, based on pressure gradients, was assessed between sequential murmur grades to identify redundancy in classification. A simplified four-level murmur intensity classification scheme ('soft', 'moderate', 'loud', 'palpable') was evaluated. In total, 284 dogs (153 with pulmonic stenosis, 131 with subaortic stenosis) were included; 55 dogs had soft, 59 had moderate, 72 had loud and 98 had palpable murmurs. 95 dogs had mild stenosis, 46 had moderate stenosis, and 143 had severe stenosis. No dogs with soft murmurs of either pulmonic or subaortic stenosis had transvalvular pressure gradients greater than 50 mmHg. Dogs with loud or palpable murmurs mostly, but not always, had severe stenosis. Stenosis severity increased with increasing murmur intensity. The traditional six-level murmur grading scheme provided no additional clinical information than the four-level descriptive murmur grading scheme. A simplified descriptive four-level murmur grading scheme differentiated stenosis severity without loss of clinical information, compared to the traditional six-level scheme. Soft murmurs in dogs with pulmonic or subaortic stenosis are strongly indicative of mild lesions. Loud or palpable murmurs are strongly suggestive of severe stenosis. © 2017 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

  14. Supermode noise suppression with mutual injection locking for coupled optoelectronic oscillator.

    PubMed

    Dai, Jian; Liu, Anni; Liu, Jingliang; Zhang, Tian; Zhou, Yue; Yin, Feifei; Dai, Yitang; Liu, Yuanan; Xu, Kun

    2017-10-30

    The coupled optoelectronic oscillator (COEO) is typically used to generate high frequency spectrally pure microwave signal with serious sidemodes noise. We propose and experimentally demonstrate a simple scheme for supermode suppression with mutual injection locking between the COEO (master oscillator with multi-modes oscillation) and the embedded free-running oscillator (slave oscillator with single-mode oscillation). The master and slave oscillators share the same electrical feedback path, which means that the mutually injection-locked COEO brings no additional hardware complexity. Owing to the mode matching and mutually injection locking effect, 9.999 GHz signal has been successfully obtained by the mutually injection-locked COEO with the phase noise about -117 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset frequency. Besides, the supermode noise can be significantly suppressed more than 50 dB to below -120 dBc.

  15. Implementing a finite-state off-normal and fault response system for disruption avoidance in tokamaks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eidietis, N. W.; Choi, W.; Hahn, S. H.; Humphreys, D. A.; Sammuli, B. S.; Walker, M. L.

    2018-05-01

    A finite-state off-normal and fault response (ONFR) system is presented that provides the supervisory logic for comprehensive disruption avoidance and machine protection in tokamaks. Robust event handling is critical for ITER and future large tokamaks, where plasma parameters will necessarily approach stability limits and many systems will operate near their engineering limits. Events can be classified as off-normal plasmas events, e.g. neoclassical tearing modes or vertical displacements events, or faults, e.g. coil power supply failures. The ONFR system presented provides four critical features of a robust event handling system: sequential responses to cascading events, event recovery, simultaneous handling of multiple events and actuator prioritization. The finite-state logic is implemented in Matlab®/Stateflow® to allow rapid development and testing in an easily understood graphical format before automated export to the real-time plasma control system code. Experimental demonstrations of the ONFR algorithm on the DIII-D and KSTAR tokamaks are presented. In the most complex demonstration, the ONFR algorithm asynchronously applies ‘catch and subdue’ electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) injection scheme to suppress a virulent 2/1 neoclassical tearing mode, subsequently shuts down ECCD for machine protection when the plasma becomes over-dense, and enables rotating 3D field entrainment of the ensuing locked mode to allow a safe rampdown, all in the same discharge without user intervention. When multiple ONFR states are active simultaneously and requesting the same actuator (e.g. neutral beam injection or gyrotrons), actuator prioritization is accomplished by sorting the pre-assigned priority values of each active ONFR state and giving complete control of the actuator to the state with highest priority. This early experience makes evident that additional research is required to develop an improved actuator sharing protocol, as well as a methodology to minimize the number and topological complexity of states as the finite-state ONFR system is scaled to a large, highly constrained device like ITER.

  16. Implementing a finite-state off-normal and fault response system for disruption avoidance in tokamaks

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

    Eidietis, N. W.; Choi, W.; Hahn, S. H.

    A finite-state off-normal and fault response (ONFR) system is presented that provides the supervisory logic for comprehensive disruption avoidance and machine protection in tokamaks. Robust event handling is critical for ITER and future large tokamaks, where plasma parameters will necessarily approach stability limits and many systems will operate near their engineering limits. Events can be classified as off-normal plasmas events, e.g. neoclassical tearing modes or vertical displacements events, or faults, e.g. coil power supply failures. The ONFR system presented provides four critical features of a robust event handling system: sequential responses to cascading events, event recovery, simultaneous handling of multiplemore » events and actuator prioritization. The finite-state logic is implemented in Matlab*/Stateflow* to allow rapid development and testing in an easily understood graphical format before automated export to the real-time plasma control system code. Experimental demonstrations of the ONFR algorithm on the DIII-D and KSTAR tokamaks are presented. In the most complex demonstration, the ONFR algorithm asynchronously applies “catch and subdue” electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) injection scheme to suppress a virulent 2/1 neoclassical tearing mode, subsequently shuts down ECCD for machine protection when the plasma becomes over-dense, and enables rotating 3D field entrainment of the ensuing locked mode to allow a safe rampdown, all in the same discharge without user intervention. When multiple ONFR states are active simultaneously and requesting the same actuator (e.g. neutral beam injection or gyrotrons), actuator prioritization is accomplished by sorting the pre-assigned priority values of each active ONFR state and giving complete control of the actuator to the state with highest priority. This early experience makes evident that additional research is required to develop an improved actuator sharing protocol, as well as a methodology to minimize the number and topological complexity of states as the finite-state ONFR system is scaled to a large, highly constrained device like ITER.« less

  17. Implementing a finite-state off-normal and fault response system for disruption avoidance in tokamaks

    DOE PAGES

    Eidietis, N. W.; Choi, W.; Hahn, S. H.; ...

    2018-03-29

    A finite-state off-normal and fault response (ONFR) system is presented that provides the supervisory logic for comprehensive disruption avoidance and machine protection in tokamaks. Robust event handling is critical for ITER and future large tokamaks, where plasma parameters will necessarily approach stability limits and many systems will operate near their engineering limits. Events can be classified as off-normal plasmas events, e.g. neoclassical tearing modes or vertical displacements events, or faults, e.g. coil power supply failures. The ONFR system presented provides four critical features of a robust event handling system: sequential responses to cascading events, event recovery, simultaneous handling of multiplemore » events and actuator prioritization. The finite-state logic is implemented in Matlab*/Stateflow* to allow rapid development and testing in an easily understood graphical format before automated export to the real-time plasma control system code. Experimental demonstrations of the ONFR algorithm on the DIII-D and KSTAR tokamaks are presented. In the most complex demonstration, the ONFR algorithm asynchronously applies “catch and subdue” electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) injection scheme to suppress a virulent 2/1 neoclassical tearing mode, subsequently shuts down ECCD for machine protection when the plasma becomes over-dense, and enables rotating 3D field entrainment of the ensuing locked mode to allow a safe rampdown, all in the same discharge without user intervention. When multiple ONFR states are active simultaneously and requesting the same actuator (e.g. neutral beam injection or gyrotrons), actuator prioritization is accomplished by sorting the pre-assigned priority values of each active ONFR state and giving complete control of the actuator to the state with highest priority. This early experience makes evident that additional research is required to develop an improved actuator sharing protocol, as well as a methodology to minimize the number and topological complexity of states as the finite-state ONFR system is scaled to a large, highly constrained device like ITER.« less

  18. Nonlinear Fluid Migration Patterns in Fractured Reservoirs due to Stress-Pressure Coupling induced Changes in Reservoir Permeabilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Annewandter, R.; Geiger, S.; Main, I. G.

    2011-12-01

    Sustainable storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) requires a thorough understanding of injection induced pressure build-up and its effects on the storage formation's integrity, since it determines the cap rock's sealing properties as well as the total storable amount of carbon dioxide. Fractures are abundant in the subsurface and difficult to detect due to their subseismic characteristic. If present in the cap during injection, they can be primary pathways for CO2 leakage. The North Sea is considered as Europe's most important carbon dioxide storage area. However, almost all of the potential storage formations have been exposed to post-glacial lithospheric flexure, possibly causing the generation of new fracture networks in the overburden whilst rebounding. Drawing upon, fast carbon dioxide uprise can be facilitated due to opening of fractures caused by changes in the stress field over time. The overall effective permeability, and hence possible leakage rates, of a fractured storage formation is highly sensitive to the fracture aperture which itself depends on the far field and in situ stress field. For this reason, our in-house general purpose reservoir simulator Complex System Modeling Platform (CSMP++) has been expanded, which is particularly designed to simulate multiphase flow on fractured porous media. It combines finite element (FE) and finite volume (FV) methods on mixed-dimensional hybrid-element meshes. The unstructured FE-FV based scheme allows us to model complex geological structures, such as fractures, at great detail. The simulator uses a compositional model for NaCl-H2O-CO2-systems for compressible fluids for computing thermophysical properties as a function of formation pressure and temperature. A fixed stress-split sequential procedure is being used to calculate coupled fluid flow and geomechanics. Numerical proof of concept studies will be presented showing the impact of fracture opening and closure on fluid migration patterns due to coupled stress-pressure induced changes in effective permeabilities.

  19. Sequential variable fuel injection

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

    Weglarz, M.W.; Vincent, M.T.; Prestel, J.F.

    This patent describes a fuel injection system for an engine of an automotive vehicle including cylinders, a spark plug for each of the cylinders, a distributor electrically connected to the spark plug, a throttle body having a throttle valve connected to the engine to allow or prevent air to the cylinders, a fuel source at least one fuel line connected to the fuel source, fuel injectors connected to the fuel line for delivering fuel to the cylinders, a sensor located near the distributor for sensing predetermined states of the distributor, and an electronic control unit (ECU) electrically connected to themore » sensor, distributor and fuel injectors. It comprises calculating a desired total injector on time for current engine conditions; calculating a variable injection time (VIT) and a turn on time based on the VIT; and firing the fuel injectors at the calculated turn on time for the calculated total injector on time.« less

  20. CFD simulation of MSW combustion and SNCR in a commercial incinerator

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

    Xia, Zihong; Li, Jian; Wu, Tingting

    Highlights: • Presented a CFD scheme for modeling MSW incinerator including SNCR process. • Performed a sensitivity analysis of SNCR operating conditions. • Non-uniform distributions of gas velocity, temperature and NO{sub x} in the incinerator. • The injection position of reagent was critical for a desirable performance of SNCR. • A NSR 1.5 was recommended as a compromise of NO{sub x} reduction rates and NH{sub 3} slip. - Abstract: A CFD scheme was presented for modeling municipal solid waste (MSW) combustion in a moving-grate incinerator, including the in-bed burning of solid wastes, the out-of-bed burnout of gaseous volatiles, and themore » selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) process between urea (CO(NH{sub 2}){sub 2}) and NO{sub x}. The in-bed calculations provided 2-D profiles of the gas–solid temperatures and the gas species concentrations along the bed length, which were then used as inlet conditions for the out-of-bed computations. The over-bed simulations provided the profiles of incident radiation heat flux on the top of bed. A 3-dimensional benchmark simulation was conducted with a 750 t/day commercial incinerator using the present coupling scheme incorporating with a reduced SNCR reduction mechanism. Numerical tests were performed to investigate the effects of operating parameters such as injection position, injection speed and the normalized stoichiometric ratio (NSR) on the SNCR performance. The simulation results showed that the distributions of gas velocity, temperature and NO{sub x} concentration were highly non-uniform, which made the injection position one of the most sensitive operating parameters influencing the SNCR performance of moving grate incinerators. The simulation results also showed that multi-layer injections were needed to meet the EU2000 standard, and a NSR 1.5 was suggested as a compromise of a satisfactory NO{sub x} reduction and reasonable NH{sub 3} slip rates. This work provided useful guides to the design and operation of SNCR process in moving-grate incinerators.« less

  1. Development of a Blood Pressure Measurement Instrument with Active Cuff Pressure Control Schemes.

    PubMed

    Kuo, Chung-Hsien; Wu, Chun-Ju; Chou, Hung-Chyun; Chen, Guan-Ting; Kuo, Yu-Cheng

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents an oscillometric blood pressure (BP) measurement approach based on the active control schemes of cuff pressure. Compared with conventional electronic BP instruments, the novelty of the proposed BP measurement approach is to utilize a variable volume chamber which actively and stably alters the cuff pressure during inflating or deflating cycles. The variable volume chamber is operated with a closed-loop pressure control scheme, and it is activated by controlling the piston position of a single-acting cylinder driven by a screw motor. Therefore, the variable volume chamber could significantly eliminate the air turbulence disturbance during the air injection stage when compared to an air pump mechanism. Furthermore, the proposed active BP measurement approach is capable of measuring BP characteristics, including systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), during the inflating cycle. Two modes of air injection measurement (AIM) and accurate dual-way measurement (ADM) were proposed. According to the healthy subject experiment results, AIM reduced 34.21% and ADM reduced 15.78% of the measurement time when compared to a commercial BP monitor. Furthermore, the ADM performed much consistently (i.e., less standard deviation) in the measurements when compared to a commercial BP monitor.

  2. A two-photon laser induced fluorescence diagnostic with improved sensitivity, localization, and measurement rate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elliott, Drew; Scime, Earl; Short, Zachary

    2016-10-01

    A two-photon absorption laser induced fluorescence diagnostic has been developed for measuring neutrals in fusion plasmas. Implementation of this diagnostic on the HIT-SI3 spheromak has demonstrated the sensitivity of the diagnostic and shown that measurements taken over several plasma pulses are possible. These measurements yielded an unexpected loss of signal when complex collection optics were utilized. Simulations show that this loss of signal can be explained by chromatic aberrations caused by the disparate Kr and D emission. This loss of signal has been addressed with the development of a new calibration scheme involving xenon gas. The Xe calibration scheme emission occurs at 656.00 nm while the deuterium emission is 656.09 nm. This nearly identical emission allows for advanced optical techniques such as confocal collection/injection and spatial filtering to be employed without loss of signal. Spatial filtering has been demonstrated to decrease noise while improving measurement localization, while confocal collection/injection allows for probing and measuring to occur through one viewport. The Xe scheme also allows for a Doppler-free hydrogen measurement. Doppler-free measurements eliminate the need to scan the laser spectrally thus greatly increasing the rate of measurement.

  3. Design of a Vehicle-Based Intervention System to Prevent Ozone Loss

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mason, William H.; Kirchbaum, Nathan; Kay, Jacob; Benoliel, Alexander M.; Lynn, Sean R.; Bunker, Deborah; Hesbach, Thomas D., Jr.; Howerton, Everett B.; Hreinsson, Gudbjoern; Mistr, E. Kirk

    1993-01-01

    Reduced quantities of ozone in the atmosphere allow greater levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation to reach the earth's surface. The 1992/1993 project goals for the Virginia Tech Senior Design Team were to 1) understand the processes which contribute to stratospheric ozone loss, 2) examine ways to prevent ozone loss, and 3) define the requirements for an implementation vehicle to carry out the prevention scheme. A scheme proposed by R.J. Cicerone, el al late in 1991 was selected because of its supporting research and economic feasibility. This scheme uses hydrocarbon injected into the Antarctic ozone hole to form stable compounds with free chlorine, thus reducing ozone depletion. A study of the hydrocarbon injection requirements determined that 130 aircraft traveling Mach 2.4 at a maximum altitude of 66,000 ft. would provide the most economic approach to preventing ozone loss. Each aircraft would require an 8,000 nm. range and be able to carry 35,000 lbs. of propane. The propane would be stored in a three-tank high pressure system. Modularity and multi-role functionality were selected to be key design features. Missions originate from airports located in South America and Australia.

  4. Nonvolatile reconfigurable sequential logic in a HfO2 resistive random access memory array.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Ya-Xiong; Li, Yi; Su, Yu-Ting; Wang, Zhuo-Rui; Shih, Ling-Yi; Chang, Ting-Chang; Chang, Kuan-Chang; Long, Shi-Bing; Sze, Simon M; Miao, Xiang-Shui

    2017-05-25

    Resistive random access memory (RRAM) based reconfigurable logic provides a temporal programmable dimension to realize Boolean logic functions and is regarded as a promising route to build non-von Neumann computing architecture. In this work, a reconfigurable operation method is proposed to perform nonvolatile sequential logic in a HfO 2 -based RRAM array. Eight kinds of Boolean logic functions can be implemented within the same hardware fabrics. During the logic computing processes, the RRAM devices in an array are flexibly configured in a bipolar or complementary structure. The validity was demonstrated by experimentally implemented NAND and XOR logic functions and a theoretically designed 1-bit full adder. With the trade-off between temporal and spatial computing complexity, our method makes better use of limited computing resources, thus provides an attractive scheme for the construction of logic-in-memory systems.

  5. Investigations of Cu, Pb and Zn partitioning by sequential extraction in harbour sediments after electrodialytic remediation.

    PubMed

    Kirkelund, Gunvor M; Ottosen, Lisbeth M; Villumsen, Arne

    2010-05-01

    Electrodialytic remediation was used to remove Cu, Zn and Pb from three different contaminated harbour sediments. Electrodialytic experiments lasting 2 and 4 weeks were performed and 48-86% Cu, 74-90% Zn and 62-88% Pb were removed from the different sediments and the removal increased with longer remediation time. A three step sequential extraction scheme (BCR), with an extra residual step, was used to evaluate the heavy metal distribution in the sediments before and after electrodialytic remediation. Cu was mainly associated with the oxidisable phase of the sediment, both before and after remediation. Zn and Pb were found in the exchangeable and reducible phases before remediation. Zn was still found in the exchangeable and reducible phases after remediation, whereas most Pb was removed from these phases during electrodialytic remediation. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Power-Aware Compiler Controllable Chip Multiprocessor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shikano, Hiroaki; Shirako, Jun; Wada, Yasutaka; Kimura, Keiji; Kasahara, Hironori

    A power-aware compiler controllable chip multiprocessor (CMP) is presented and its performance and power consumption are evaluated with the optimally scheduled advanced multiprocessor (OSCAR) parallelizing compiler. The CMP is equipped with power control registers that change clock frequency and power supply voltage to functional units including processor cores, memories, and an interconnection network. The OSCAR compiler carries out coarse-grain task parallelization of programs and reduces power consumption using architectural power control support and the compiler's power saving scheme. The performance evaluation shows that MPEG-2 encoding on the proposed CMP with four CPUs results in 82.6% power reduction in real-time execution mode with a deadline constraint on its sequential execution time. Furthermore, MP3 encoding on a heterogeneous CMP with four CPUs and four accelerators results in 53.9% power reduction at 21.1-fold speed-up in performance against its sequential execution in the fastest execution mode.

  7. Optimal mode transformations for linear-optical cluster-state generation

    DOE PAGES

    Uskov, Dmitry B.; Lougovski, Pavel; Alsing, Paul M.; ...

    2015-06-15

    In this paper, we analyze the generation of linear-optical cluster states (LOCSs) via sequential addition of one and two qubits. Existing approaches employ the stochastic linear-optical two-qubit controlled-Z (CZ) gate with success rate of 1/9 per operation. The question of optimality of the CZ gate with respect to LOCS generation has remained open. We report that there are alternative schemes to the CZ gate that are exponentially more efficient and show that sequential LOCS growth is indeed globally optimal. We find that the optimal cluster growth operation is a state transformation on a subspace of the full Hilbert space. Finally,more » we show that the maximal success rate of postselected entangling n photonic qubits or m Bell pairs into a cluster is (1/2) n-1 and (1/4) m-1, respectively, with no ancilla photons, and we give an explicit optical description of the optimal mode transformations.« less

  8. Reliability-based design optimization using a generalized subset simulation method and posterior approximation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Yuan-Zhuo; Li, Hong-Shuang; Yao, Wei-Xing

    2018-05-01

    The evaluation of the probabilistic constraints in reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) problems has always been significant and challenging work, which strongly affects the performance of RBDO methods. This article deals with RBDO problems using a recently developed generalized subset simulation (GSS) method and a posterior approximation approach. The posterior approximation approach is used to transform all the probabilistic constraints into ordinary constraints as in deterministic optimization. The assessment of multiple failure probabilities required by the posterior approximation approach is achieved by GSS in a single run at all supporting points, which are selected by a proper experimental design scheme combining Sobol' sequences and Bucher's design. Sequentially, the transformed deterministic design optimization problem can be solved by optimization algorithms, for example, the sequential quadratic programming method. Three optimization problems are used to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method.

  9. High energy protons generation by two sequential laser pulses

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

    Wang, Xiaofeng; Shen, Baifei, E-mail: bfshen@mail.shcnc.ac.cn, E-mail: zhxm@siom.ac.cn; Zhang, Xiaomei, E-mail: bfshen@mail.shcnc.ac.cn, E-mail: zhxm@siom.ac.cn

    2015-04-15

    The sequential proton acceleration by two laser pulses of relativistic intensity is proposed to produce high energy protons. In the scheme, a relativistic super-Gaussian (SG) laser pulse followed by a Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) pulse irradiates dense plasma attached by underdense plasma. A proton beam is produced from the target and accelerated in the radiation pressure regime by the short SG pulse and then trapped and re-accelerated in a special bubble driven by the LG pulse in the underdense plasma. The advantages of radiation pressure acceleration and LG transverse structure are combined to achieve the effective trapping and acceleration of protons. Inmore » a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation, protons of 6.7 GeV are obtained from a 2 × 10{sup 22 }W/cm{sup 2} SG laser pulse and a LG pulse at a lower peak intensity.« less

  10. Image analysis for microelectronic retinal prosthesis.

    PubMed

    Hallum, L E; Cloherty, S L; Lovell, N H

    2008-01-01

    By way of extracellular, stimulating electrodes, a microelectronic retinal prosthesis aims to render discrete, luminous spots-so-called phosphenes-in the visual field, thereby providing a phosphene image (PI) as a rudimentary remediation of profound blindness. As part thereof, a digital camera, or some other photosensitive array, captures frames, frames are analyzed, and phosphenes are actuated accordingly by way of modulated charge injections. Here, we present a method that allows the assessment of image analysis schemes for integration with a prosthetic device, that is, the means of converting the captured image (high resolution) to modulated charge injections (low resolution). We use the mutual-information function to quantify the amount of information conveyed to the PI observer (device implantee), while accounting for the statistics of visual stimuli. We demonstrate an effective scheme involving overlapping, Gaussian kernels, and discuss extensions of the method to account for shortterm visual memory in observers, and their perceptual errors of omission and commission.

  11. Investigation of transient ignition process in a cavity based scramjet combustor using combined ethylene injectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Xiao; Cai, Zun; Tong, Yiheng; Zheng, Hongtao

    2017-08-01

    Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and experiment were employed to investigate the transient ignition and flame propagation process in a rearwall-expansion cavity scramjet combustor using combined fuel injection schemes. The compressible supersonic solver and three ethylene combustion mechanisms were first validated against experimental data and results show in reasonably good agreement. Fuel injection scheme combining transverse and direct injectors in the cavity provides a benefit mixture distribution and could achieve a successful ignition. Four stages are illustrated in detail from both experiment and LES. After forced ignition in the cavity, initial flame kernel propagates upstream towards the cavity front edge and ignites the mixture, which acts as a continuous pilot flame, and then propagates downstream along the cavity shear layer rapidly to the combustor exit. Cavity shear layer flame stabilization mode can be concluded from the heat release rate and local high temperature distribution during the combustion process.

  12. Creating fractional quantum Hall states with atomic clusters using light-assisted insertion of angular momentum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Junyi; Beugnon, Jerome; Nascimbene, Sylvain

    We describe a protocol to prepare clusters of ultracold bosonic atoms in strongly interacting states reminiscent of fractional quantum Hall states. Our scheme consists in injecting a controlled amount of angular momentum to an atomic gas using Raman transitions carrying orbital angular momentum. By injecting one unit of angular momentum per atom, one realizes a single-vortex state, which is well described by mean-field theory for large enough particle numbers. We also present schemes to realize fractional quantum Hall states, namely, the bosonic Laughlin and Moore-Read states. We investigate the requirements for adiabatic nucleation of such topological states, in particular comparing linear Landau-Zener ramps and arbitrary ramps obtained from optimized control methods. We also show that this protocol requires excellent control over the isotropic character of the trapping potential. ERC-Synergy Grant UQUAM, ANR-10-IDEX-0001-02, DIM NanoK Atocirc project.

  13. Measuring optical fiber length by use of a short-pulse optical fiber ring laser in a self-injection seeding scheme.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yi-Ping; Wang, Dong Ning; Jin, Wei

    2006-09-01

    A method for measuring the length of an optical fiber by use of an optical fiber ring laser pulse source is proposed and demonstrated. The key element of the optical fiber ring laser is a gain-switched Fabry-Perot laser diode operated in a self-injection seeding scheme. This method is especially suitable for measuring a medium or long fiber, and a resolution of 0.1 m is experimentally achieved. The measurement is implemented by accurately determining the pulse frequency that can maximize the output power of the fiber ring laser. The measurement results depend only on the refractive index of the fiber corresponding to this single wavelength, instead of the group index of the fiber, which represents a great advantage over both optical time-domain reflectometry and optical low-coherence reflectometry methods.

  14. Optical speedup at transparency of the gain recovery in semiconductor optical amplifiers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hessler, T. P.; Dupertuis, M.-A.; Deveaud, B.; Emery, J.-Y.; Dagens, B.

    2002-10-01

    Experimental demonstration of optical speedup at transparency (OSAT) has been performed on a 1 mm long semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA). OSAT is a recently proposed scheme that decreases the recovery time of an SOA while maintaining the available gain. It is achieved by externally injecting into the SOA the beam of a separate high power laser at energies around the transparency point. Even though the experimental conditions were not optimal, a beam of 100 mW decreases the recovery time by a third when it is injected in the vicinity of the material transparency point of the device. This acceleration of the device response without detrimental reduction of the gain is found to be effective over a broad wavelength window of about 20 nm around transparency. The injection of the accelerating beam into the gain region is a less efficient solution not only because the gain is then strongly diminished but also because speeding is reduced. This originates from the reduction of the amplified spontaneous emission power in the device, which counterbalances the speeding capabilities of the external laser beam. Another advantage of the OSAT scheme is realized in relatively long SOAs, which suffer from gain overshoot under strong current injection. Simulations show that OSAT decreases the gain overshoot, which should enable us to use OSAT to further speedup the response of long SOAs.

  15. Relativistic Acceleration of Electrons Injected by a Plasma Mirror into a Radially Polarized Laser Beam.

    PubMed

    Zaïm, N; Thévenet, M; Lifschitz, A; Faure, J

    2017-09-01

    We propose a method to generate femtosecond, relativistic, and high-charge electron bunches using few-cycle and tightly focused radially polarized laser pulses. In this scheme, the incident laser pulse reflects off an overdense plasma that injects electrons into the reflected pulse. Particle-in-cell simulations show that the plasma injects electrons ideally, resulting in a dramatic increase of charge and energy of the accelerated electron bunch in comparison to previous methods. This method can be used to generate femtosecond pC bunches with energies in the 1-10 MeV range using realistic laser parameters corresponding to current kHz laser systems.

  16. A Simulation Approach to Assessing Sampling Strategies for Insect Pests: An Example with the Balsam Gall Midge

    PubMed Central

    Carleton, R. Drew; Heard, Stephen B.; Silk, Peter J.

    2013-01-01

    Estimation of pest density is a basic requirement for integrated pest management in agriculture and forestry, and efficiency in density estimation is a common goal. Sequential sampling techniques promise efficient sampling, but their application can involve cumbersome mathematics and/or intensive warm-up sampling when pests have complex within- or between-site distributions. We provide tools for assessing the efficiency of sequential sampling and of alternative, simpler sampling plans, using computer simulation with “pre-sampling” data. We illustrate our approach using data for balsam gall midge (Paradiplosis tumifex) attack in Christmas tree farms. Paradiplosis tumifex proved recalcitrant to sequential sampling techniques. Midge distributions could not be fit by a common negative binomial distribution across sites. Local parameterization, using warm-up samples to estimate the clumping parameter k for each site, performed poorly: k estimates were unreliable even for samples of n∼100 trees. These methods were further confounded by significant within-site spatial autocorrelation. Much simpler sampling schemes, involving random or belt-transect sampling to preset sample sizes, were effective and efficient for P. tumifex. Sampling via belt transects (through the longest dimension of a stand) was the most efficient, with sample means converging on true mean density for sample sizes of n∼25–40 trees. Pre-sampling and simulation techniques provide a simple method for assessing sampling strategies for estimating insect infestation. We suspect that many pests will resemble P. tumifex in challenging the assumptions of sequential sampling methods. Our software will allow practitioners to optimize sampling strategies before they are brought to real-world applications, while potentially avoiding the need for the cumbersome calculations required for sequential sampling methods. PMID:24376556

  17. Sequentially reweighted TV minimization for CT metal artifact reduction.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiaomeng; Xing, Lei

    2013-07-01

    Metal artifact reduction has long been an important topic in x-ray CT image reconstruction. In this work, the authors propose an iterative method that sequentially minimizes a reweighted total variation (TV) of the image and produces substantially artifact-reduced reconstructions. A sequentially reweighted TV minimization algorithm is proposed to fully exploit the sparseness of image gradients (IG). The authors first formulate a constrained optimization model that minimizes a weighted TV of the image, subject to the constraint that the estimated projection data are within a specified tolerance of the available projection measurements, with image non-negativity enforced. The authors then solve a sequence of weighted TV minimization problems where weights used for the next iteration are computed from the current solution. Using the complete projection data, the algorithm first reconstructs an image from which a binary metal image can be extracted. Forward projection of the binary image identifies metal traces in the projection space. The metal-free background image is then reconstructed from the metal-trace-excluded projection data by employing a different set of weights. Each minimization problem is solved using a gradient method that alternates projection-onto-convex-sets and steepest descent. A series of simulation and experimental studies are performed to evaluate the proposed approach. Our study shows that the sequentially reweighted scheme, by altering a single parameter in the weighting function, flexibly controls the sparsity of the IG and reconstructs artifacts-free images in a two-stage process. It successfully produces images with significantly reduced streak artifacts, suppressed noise and well-preserved contrast and edge properties. The sequentially reweighed TV minimization provides a systematic approach for suppressing CT metal artifacts. The technique can also be generalized to other "missing data" problems in CT image reconstruction.

  18. Solid State Television Camera (CID)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Steele, D. W.; Green, W. T.

    1976-01-01

    The design, development and test are described of a charge injection device (CID) camera using a 244x248 element array. A number of video signal processing functions are included which maximize the output video dynamic range while retaining the inherently good resolution response of the CID. Some of the unique features of the camera are: low light level performance, high S/N ratio, antiblooming, geometric distortion, sequential scanning and AGC.

  19. Kinetics of the neuroinflammation-oxidative stress correlation in rat brain following the injection of fibrillar amyloid-beta onto the hippocampus in vivo.

    PubMed

    Rosales-Corral, Sergio; Tan, Dun-Xian; Reiter, Russel J; Valdivia-Velázquez, Miguel; Acosta-Martínez, J Pablo; Ortiz, Genaro G

    2004-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe-following the injection of a single intracerebral dose of fibrillar amyloid-beta(1-40) in vivo-some correlations between proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress indicators in function of time, as well as how these variables fit in a regression model. We found a positive, significant correlation between interleukin (IL)-1beta or IL-6 and the activity of the glutathione peroxidase enzyme (GSH-Px), but IL-1beta or IL-6 maintained a strong, negative correlation with the lipid peroxidation (LPO). The first 12 h marked a positive correlation between IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), but starting from the 36 h, this relationship became negative. We found also particular patterns of behavior through the time for IL-1beta, nitrites and IL-6, with parallel or sequential interrelationships. Results shows clearly that, in vivo, the fibrillar amyloid-beta (Abeta) disrupts the oxidative balance and initiate a proinflammatory response, which in turn feeds the oxidative imbalance in a coordinated, sequential way. This work contributes to our understanding of the positive feedbacks, focusing the "cytokine cycle" along with the oxidative stress mediators in a complex, multicellular, and interactive environment.

  20. The sequential injection system with adsorptive stripping voltammetric detection.

    PubMed

    Kubiak, W W; Latonen, R M; Ivaska, A

    2001-03-16

    Two sequential injection systems have been developed for adsorptive stripping voltammetric measurement. One is for substances adsorbing at mercury, e.g. riboflavin. In this case, a simple arrangement with only sample aspiration is needed. Reproducibility was 3% and detection limit 0.07 muM. The measuring system was applied to determination of riboflavin in vitamin pills and to study the photodegradation process of riboflavin in aqueous solutions. In the second case, metal ions were determined. They have to be complexed before deposition on the mercury surface. Thus, both the sample and the ligand have to be aspirated in the system. In this case, the reproducibility was approximately 6% and the detection limit <0.1 ppm for cadmium, lead and copper when complexation with oxine was used. Dimethylglyoxime was used in determination of nickel and cobalt and nioxime complexes were used in determination of nickel and copper. With these complexing agents, the reproducibility was the same as with oxine, but the metals could be determined at concentrations lower than 0.01 ppm. Application of two ligands in a SIA system with AdSV detection was also studied. Simultaneous determination of copper, lead, cadmium and cobalt was possible by using oxine and dimethylglyoxime. Copper and nickel were simultaneously determined by using dimethylglyoxime and nioxime.

  1. A 400 MHz Wireless Neural Signal Processing IC With 625 $\\times$ On-Chip Data Reduction and Reconfigurable BFSK/QPSK Transmitter Based on Sequential Injection Locking.

    PubMed

    Teng, Kok-Hin; Wu, Tong; Liu, Xiayun; Yang, Zhi; Heng, Chun-Huat

    2017-06-01

    An 8-channel wireless neural signal processing IC, which can perform real-time spike detection, alignment, and feature extraction, and wireless data transmission is proposed. A reconfigurable BFSK/QPSK transmitter (TX) at MICS/MedRadio band is incorporated to support different data rate requirement. By using an Exponential Component-Polynomial Component (EC-PC) spike processing unit with an incremental principal component analysis (IPCA) engine, the detection of neural spikes with poor SNR is possible while achieving 625× data reduction. For the TX, a dual-channel at 401 MHz and 403.8 MHz are supported by applying sequential injection locked techniques while attaining phase noise of -102 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset. From the measurement, error vector magnitude (EVM) of 4.60%/9.55% with power amplifier (PA) output power of -15 dBm is achieved for the QPSK at 8 Mbps and the BFSK at 12.5 kbps. Fabricated in 65 nm CMOS with an active area of 1 mm 2 , the design consumes a total current of 5  ∼ 5.6 mA with a maximum energy efficiency of 0.7 nJ/b.

  2. Bioremediation of PAHs contaminated river sediment by an integrated approach with sequential injection of co-substrate and electron acceptor: Lab-scale study.

    PubMed

    Liu, Tongzhou; Zhang, Zhen; Dong, Wenyi; Wu, Xiaojing; Wang, Hongjie

    2017-11-01

    In this study, the feasibility of employing an integrated bioremediation approach in contaminated river sediment was evaluated. Sequential addition of co-substrate (acetate) and electron acceptor (NO 3 - ) in a two-phase treatment was capable of effectively removing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in river sediment. The residual concentration of total PAHs decreased to far below effect range low (ERL) value within 91 days of incubation, at which concentration it could rarely pose biological impairment. The biodegradation of high molecular weight PAHs were found to be mainly occurred in the sediment treated with co-substrates (i.e. acetate or methanol), in which acetate was found to be more suitable for PAHs degradation. The role of co-substrates in influencing PAHs biodegradation was tentatively discussed herein. Additionally, the sediment odorous problem and blackish appearance were intensively addressed by NO 3 - injection. The results of this study demonstrated that integrating two or more approaches/processes would be a helpful option in sediment remediation. It can lead to a more effective remediation performance, handle multiple contamination issues, as well as mitigate environmental risks caused by one of the single methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Performance comparison of supersonic ejectors with different motive gas injection schemes applicable for flowing medium gas laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singhal, G.; Subbarao, P. M. V.; Mainuddin; Tyagi, R. K.; Dawar, A. L.

    2017-05-01

    A class of flowing medium gas lasers with low generator pressures employ supersonic flows with low cavity pressure and are primarily categorized as high throughput systems capable of being scaled up to MW class. These include; Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL) and Hydrogen (Deuterium) Fluoride (HF/DF). The practicability of such laser systems for various applications is enhanced by exhausting the effluents directly to ambient atmosphere. Consequently, ejector based pressure recovery forms a potent configuration for open cycle operation. Conventionally these gas laser systems require at least two ejector stages with low pressure stage being more critical, since it directly entrains the laser media, and the ensuing perturbation of cavity flow, if any, may affect laser operation. Hence, the choice of plausible motive gas injection schemes viz., peripheral or central is a fluid dynamic issue of interest, and a parametric experimental performance comparison would be beneficial. Thus, the focus is to experimentally characterize the effect of variation in motive gas supply pressure, entrainment ratio, back pressure conditions, nozzle injection position operated together with a COIL device and discern the reasons for the behavior.

  4. Influence of preseasonal treatment with L-tyrosine-adsorbed allergoids on IgE-mediated histamine release from basophils of children suffering from allergic diseases.

    PubMed

    Wegner, F; Fenkes, A; Stemmann, E A; Reinhardt, D

    1981-04-01

    In 10 children suffering from allergic pollinosis and/or asthma, a preseasonal hyposensitization scheme with 3 weekly injections of a glutaraldehyde-modified, tyrosine-adsorbed grass-pollen allergen reduced the histamine release from basophils in response to increasing concentrations of antigen. The decrease in histamine release which occurred 1 week after the injection course was even maintained during the pollen season. The inhibition was only obtained when basophils were incubated with the serum of patients, but not with the serum of normals, indicating that blocking antibodies may have occurred. In contrast to what has been observed in the treated patients' group, 5 patients, who were not included in the hyposensitization scheme, showed identical histamine release curves during the whole investigation period. Specific IgE did not increase after the treatment course and shows the same behaviour as the untreated patients. Thus, as treatment with glutaraldehyde modified, tyrosine-adsorbed allergoids is safe to administer, requires only 3 injections, reduces histamine release from basophils by production of "blocking" antibodies, it appears to be a useful tool in the hyposensitization treatment.

  5. Disruption mitigation and avoidance at ASDEX Upgrade

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maraschek, M.; Pautasso, G.; Esposito, B.; Granucci, G.; Stober, J.; Treutterer, W.

    2009-11-01

    Disruptions are a major concern for tokamaks and in particular for ITER. They cause high heat loads during the thermal quench and high mechanical forces during the subsequent current quench. The generation and loss of runaway electrons (highly accelerated electrons carrying large fractions of the plasma current) can produce damage to the vessel structures. Therefore, schemes are implemented in present tokamaks to mitigate or to even avoid them. Mitigation has been proven to be effective through the injection of noble gases causing a reduction of the thermal heat load by radiation and a reduction of the mechanical forces. In addition 25% of the required density for the collisional suppression of runaways in ITER has been reached. For the trigger of the noble gas injection a locked mode detector is routinely used at ASDEX Upgrade. An extension to more complex precursors is planed. A different approach has been used for disruption avoidance by injecting ECRH triggered by the loop voltage increase before the disruption. The avoidance of an ongoing density limit disruption has been achieved when the ECRH is deposited at resonant surfaces where MHD modes, such as the m=2/n=1, occur. Present schemes for the mitigation and eventually avoidance of disruptions will be discussed.

  6. Bubble-free on-chip continuous-flow polymerase chain reaction: concept and application.

    PubMed

    Wu, Wenming; Kang, Kyung-Tae; Lee, Nae Yoon

    2011-06-07

    Bubble formation inside a microscale channel is a significant problem in general microfluidic experiments. The problem becomes especially crucial when performing a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on a chip which is subject to repetitive temperature changes. In this paper, we propose a bubble-free sample injection scheme applicable for continuous-flow PCR inside a glass/PDMS hybrid microfluidic chip, and attempt to provide a theoretical basis concerning bubble formation and elimination. Highly viscous paraffin oil plugs are employed in both the anterior and posterior ends of a sample plug, completely encapsulating the sample and eliminating possible nucleation sites for bubbles. In this way, internal channel pressure is increased, and vaporization of the sample is prevented, suppressing bubble formation. Use of an oil plug in the posterior end of the sample plug aids in maintaining a stable flow of a sample at a constant rate inside a heated microchannel throughout the entire reaction, as compared to using an air plug. By adopting the proposed sample injection scheme, we demonstrate various practical applications. On-chip continuous-flow PCR is performed employing genomic DNA extracted from a clinical single hair root sample, and its D1S80 locus is successfully amplified. Also, chip reusability is assessed using a plasmid vector. A single chip is used up to 10 times repeatedly without being destroyed, maintaining almost equal intensities of the resulting amplicons after each run, ensuring the reliability and reproducibility of the proposed sample injection scheme. In addition, the use of a commercially-available and highly cost-effective hot plate as a potential candidate for the heating source is investigated.

  7. Eos modeling and reservoir simulation study of bakken gas injection improved oil recovery in the elm coulee field, Montana

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pu, Wanli

    The Bakken Formation in the Williston Basin is one of the most productive liquid-rich unconventional plays. The Bakken Formation is divided into three members, and the Middle Bakken Member is the primary target for horizontal wellbore landing and hydraulic fracturing because of its better rock properties. Even with this new technology, the primary recovery factor is believed to be only around 10%. This study is to evaluate various gas injection EOR methods to try to improve on that low recovery factor of 10%. In this study, the Elm Coulee Oil Field in the Williston Basin was selected as the area of interest. Static reservoir models featuring the rock property heterogeneity of the Middle Bakken Member were built, and fluid property models were built based on Bakken reservoir fluid sample PVT data. By employing both compositional model simulation and Todd-Longstaff solvent model simulation methods, miscible gas injections were simulated and the simulations speculated that oil recovery increased by 10% to 20% of OOIP in 30 years. The compositional simulations yielded lower oil recovery compared to the solvent model simulations. Compared to the homogeneous model, the reservoir model featuring rock property heterogeneity in the vertical direction resulted in slightly better oil recovery, but with earlier CO2 break-through and larger CO2 production, suggesting that rock property heterogeneity is an important property for modeling because it has a big effect on the simulation results. Long hydraulic fractures shortened CO2 break-through time greatly and increased CO 2 production. Water-alternating-gas injection schemes and injection-alternating-shut-in schemes can provide more options for gas injection EOR projects, especially for gas production management. Compared to CO2 injection, separator gas injection yielded slightly better oil recovery, meaning separator gas could be a good candidate for gas injection EOR; lean gas generated the worst results. Reservoir simulations also indicate that original rock properties are the dominant factor for the ultimate oil recovery for both primary recovery and gas injection EOR. Because reservoir simulations provide critical inputs for project planning and management, more effort needs to be invested into reservoir modeling and simulation, including building enhanced geologic models, fracture characterization and modeling, and history matching with field data. Gas injection EOR projects are integrated projects, and the viability of a project also depends on different economic conditions.

  8. Progress toward a unified kJ-machine CANDY

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kitagawa, Yoneyoshi; Mori, Yoshitaka; Komeda, Osamu; Hanayama, Ryohei; Ishii, Katsuhiro; Okihara, Shinichiro; Fujita, Kazuhisa; Nakayama, Suisei; Sekine, Takashi; Sato, Nakahiro; Kurita, Takashi; Kawashima, Toshiyuki; Watari, Takeshi; Kan, Hirofumi; Nakamura, Naoki; Kondo, Takuya; Fujine, Manabu; Azuma, Hirozumi; Motohiro, Tomoyoshi; Hioki, Tatsumi; Kakeno, Mitsutaka; Nishimura, Yasuhiko; Sunahara, Atsushi; Sentoku, Yasuhiko; Miura, Eisuke; Arikawa, Yasunobu; Nagai, Takahiro; Abe, Yuki; Ozaki, Satoshi; Noda, Akira

    2016-03-01

    To construct a unified experimental machine CANDY using a kJ DPSSL driver in the fast-ignition scheme, the Laser for Fast Ignition Experiment (LFEX) at Osaka is used, showing that the laser-driven ions heat the preimploded core of a deuterated polystyrene (CD) shell target from 0.8 keV to 2 keV, resulting in 5 x 108 DD neutrons best ever obtained in the scheme. 4-J/10-Hz DPSSL laser HAMA is for the first time applied to the CD shell implosion- core heating experiments in the fast ignition scheme to yield neutrons and also to a continuous target injection, which yields neutrons of 3 x 105 n/4πsr n/shot.

  9. Prime-boost vaccination with plasmid and adenovirus gene vaccines control HER2/neu+ metastatic breast cancer in mice.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiaoyan; Wang, Jian-Ping; Rao, Xiao-Mei; Price, Janet E; Zhou, Heshan S; Lachman, Lawrence B

    2005-01-01

    Once metastasis has occurred, the possibility of completely curing breast cancer is unlikely, particularly for the 30 to 40% of cancers overexpressing the gene for HER2/neu. A vaccine targeting p185, the protein product of the HER2/neu gene, could have therapeutic application by controlling the growth and metastasis of highly aggressive HER2/neu+ cells. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of two gene vaccines targeting HER2/neu in preventive and therapeutic tumor models. The mouse breast cancer cell line A2L2, which expresses the gene for rat HER2/neu and hence p185, was injected into the mammary fat pad of mice as a model of solid tumor growth or was injected intravenously as a model of lung metastasis. SINCP-neu, a plasmid containing Sindbis virus genes and the gene for rat HER2/neu, and Adeno-neu, an E1,E2a-deleted adenovirus also containing the gene for rat HER2/neu, were tested as preventive and therapeutic vaccines. Vaccination with SINCP-neu or Adeno-neu before tumor challenge with A2L2 cells significantly inhibited the growth of the cells injected into the mammary fat or intravenously. Vaccination 2 days after tumor challenge with either vaccine was ineffective in both tumor models. However, therapeutic vaccination in a prime-boost protocol with SINCP-neu followed by Adeno-neu significantly prolonged the overall survival rate of mice injected intravenously with the tumor cells. Naive mice vaccinated using the same prime-boost protocol demonstrated a strong serum immunoglobulin G response and p185-specific cellular immunity, as shown by the results of ELISPOT (enzyme-linked immunospot) analysis for IFNgamma. We report herein that vaccination of mice with a plasmid gene vaccine and an adenovirus gene vaccine, each containing the gene for HER2/neu, prevented growth of a HER2/neu-expressing breast cancer cell line injected into the mammary fat pad or intravenously. Sequential administration of the vaccines in a prime-boost protocol was therapeutically effective when tumor cells were injected intravenously before the vaccination. The vaccines induced high levels of both cellular and humoral immunity as determined by in vitro assessment. These findings indicate that clinical evaluation of these vaccines, particularly when used sequentially in a prime-boost protocol, is justified.

  10. Cloud-Resolving Model Simulations of Aerosol-Cloud Interactions Triggered by Strong Aerosol Emissions in the Arctic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, H.; Kravitz, B.; Rasch, P. J.; Morrison, H.; Solomon, A.

    2014-12-01

    Previous process-oriented modeling studies have highlighted the dependence of effectiveness of cloud brightening by aerosols on cloud regimes in warm marine boundary layer. Cloud microphysical processes in clouds that contain ice, and hence the mechanisms that drive aerosol-cloud interactions, are more complicated than in warm clouds. Interactions between ice particles and liquid drops add additional levels of complexity to aerosol effects. A cloud-resolving model is used to study aerosol-cloud interactions in the Arctic triggered by strong aerosol emissions, through either geoengineering injection or concentrated sources such as shipping and fires. An updated cloud microphysical scheme with prognostic aerosol and cloud particle numbers is employed. Model simulations are performed in pure super-cooled liquid and mixed-phase clouds, separately, with or without an injection of aerosols into either a clean or a more polluted Arctic boundary layer. Vertical mixing and cloud scavenging of particles injected from the surface is still quite efficient in the less turbulent cold environment. Overall, the injection of aerosols into the Arctic boundary layer can delay the collapse of the boundary layer and increase low-cloud albedo. The pure liquid clouds are more susceptible to the increase in aerosol number concentration than the mixed-phase clouds. Rain production processes are more effectively suppressed by aerosol injection, whereas ice precipitation (snow) is affected less; thus the effectiveness of brightening mixed-phase clouds is lower than for liquid-only clouds. Aerosol injection into a clean boundary layer results in a greater cloud albedo increase than injection into a polluted one, consistent with current knowledge about aerosol-cloud interactions. Unlike previous studies investigating warm clouds, the impact of dynamical feedback due to precipitation changes is small. According to these results, which are dependent upon the representation of ice nucleation processes in the employed microphysical scheme, Arctic geoengineering/shipping could have substantial local radiative effects, but is unlikely to be effective as the sole means of counterbalancing warming due to climate change.

  11. Sequential programmable self-assembly: Role of cooperative interactions

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

    Jonathan D. Halverson; Tkachenko, Alexei V.

    Here, we propose a general strategy of “sequential programmable self-assembly” that enables a bottom-up design of arbitrary multi-particle architectures on nano- and microscales. We show that a naive realization of this scheme, based on the pairwise additive interactions between particles, has fundamental limitations that lead to a relatively high error rate. This can be overcome by using cooperative interparticle binding. The cooperativity is a well known feature of many biochemical processes, responsible, e.g., for signaling and regulations in living systems. Here we propose to utilize a similar strategy for high precision self-assembly, and show that DNA-mediated interactions provide a convenientmore » platform for its implementation. In particular, we outline a specific design of a DNA-based complex which we call “DNA spider,” that acts as a smart interparticle linker and provides a built-in cooperativity of binding. We demonstrate versatility of the sequential self-assembly based on spider-functionalized particles by designing several mesostructures of increasing complexity and simulating their assembly process. This includes a number of finite and repeating structures, in particular, the so-called tetrahelix and its several derivatives. Due to its generality, this approach allows one to design and successfully self-assemble virtually any structure made of a “GEOMAG” magnetic construction toy, out of nanoparticles. According to our results, once the binding cooperativity is strong enough, the sequential self-assembly becomes essentially error-free.« less

  12. Sequential programmable self-assembly: Role of cooperative interactions

    DOE PAGES

    Jonathan D. Halverson; Tkachenko, Alexei V.

    2016-03-04

    Here, we propose a general strategy of “sequential programmable self-assembly” that enables a bottom-up design of arbitrary multi-particle architectures on nano- and microscales. We show that a naive realization of this scheme, based on the pairwise additive interactions between particles, has fundamental limitations that lead to a relatively high error rate. This can be overcome by using cooperative interparticle binding. The cooperativity is a well known feature of many biochemical processes, responsible, e.g., for signaling and regulations in living systems. Here we propose to utilize a similar strategy for high precision self-assembly, and show that DNA-mediated interactions provide a convenientmore » platform for its implementation. In particular, we outline a specific design of a DNA-based complex which we call “DNA spider,” that acts as a smart interparticle linker and provides a built-in cooperativity of binding. We demonstrate versatility of the sequential self-assembly based on spider-functionalized particles by designing several mesostructures of increasing complexity and simulating their assembly process. This includes a number of finite and repeating structures, in particular, the so-called tetrahelix and its several derivatives. Due to its generality, this approach allows one to design and successfully self-assemble virtually any structure made of a “GEOMAG” magnetic construction toy, out of nanoparticles. According to our results, once the binding cooperativity is strong enough, the sequential self-assembly becomes essentially error-free.« less

  13. Hybrid Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticle Colloidal Gels are Injectable Fillers for Bone Tissue Engineering

    PubMed Central

    Gu, Zhen; Jamal, Syed; Detamore, Michael S.

    2013-01-01

    Injectable bone fillers have emerged as an alternative to the invasive surgery often required to treat bone defects. Current bone fillers may benefit from improvements in dynamic properties such as shear thinning during injection and recovery of material stiffness after placement. Negatively charged inorganic hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanoparticles (NPs) were assembled with positively charged organic poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) NPs to create a cohesive colloidal gel. This material is held together by electrostatic forces that may be disrupted by shear to facilitate extrusion, molding, or injection. Scanning electron micrographs of the dried colloidal gels showed a well-organized, three-dimensional porous structure. Rheology tests revealed that certain colloidal gels could recover after being sheared. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were also highly viable when seeded on the colloidal gels. HAp/PLGA NP colloidal gels offer an attractive scheme for injectable filling and regeneration of bone tissue. PMID:23815275

  14. Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Injection Molding of Ti-6Al-4V Powders for High-Performance Titanium Parts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Dongguo; Kang, Tae Gon; Han, Jun Sae; Park, Seong Jin; Chung, Seong Taek; Kwon, Young-Sam

    2018-02-01

    Both experimental and numerical analysis of powder injection molding (PIM) of Ti-6Al-4V alloy were performed to prepare a defect-free high-performance Ti-6Al-4V part with low carbon/oxygen contents. The prepared feedstock was characterized with specific experiments to identify its viscosity, pressure-volume-temperature and thermal properties to simulate its injection molding process. A finite-element-based numerical scheme was employed to simulate the thermomechanical process during the injection molding. In addition, the injection molding, debinding, sintering and hot isostatic pressing processes were performed in sequence to prepare the PIMed parts. With optimized processing conditions, the PIMed Ti-6Al-4V part exhibits excellent physical and mechanical properties, showing a final density of 99.8%, tensile strength of 973 MPa and elongation of 16%.

  15. PRELIMINARY TEST RESULTS OF A PROTOTYPE FAST KICKER FOR APS MBA UPGRADE

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

    Yao, C.-Y.; Morrison, L.; Sun, X.

    The APS multi-bend achromatic (MBA) upgrade storage ring plans to support two bunch fill patterns: a 48-bunch and a 324-bunch. A “swap out” injection scheme is required. In order to provide the required kick to injected beam, to minimize the beam loss and residual oscillation of injected beam, and to minimize the perturbation to stored beam during injection, the rise, fall, and flat-top parts of the kicker pulse must be within a 16.9-ns interval. Stripline-type kickers are chosen for both injection and extraction. We developed a prototype kicker that supports a ±15kV differential pulse voltage. We performed high voltage discharge,more » TDR measurement, high voltage pulse test and beam test of the kicker. We report the final design of the fast kicker and the test results.« less

  16. Three Dimensional Solution of Pneumatic Active Control of Forebody Vortex Asymmetry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kandil, Osama A.; SharafEl-Din, Hazem H.; Liu, C. H.

    1995-01-01

    Pneumatic active control of asymmetric vortical flows around a slender pointed forebody is investigated using the three dimensional solution for the compressible thin-layer Navier-Stokes equation. The computational applications cover the normal and tangential injection control of asymmetric flows around a 5 degree semi-apex angle cone at a 40 degree angle of attack, 1.4 freestream Mach number and 6 x 10(exp 6) freestream Reynolds number (based on the cone length). The effective tangential angle range of 67.5 approaches minus 67.5 degrees is used for both normal and tangential ports of injection. The effective axial length of injection is varied from 0.03 to 0.05. The computational solver uses the implicit, upwind, flux difference splitting finite volume scheme, and the grid consists of 161 x 55 x 65 points in the wrap around, normal and axial directions, respectively. The results show that tangential injection is more effective than normal injection.

  17. Bio-inspired computational heuristics to study Lane-Emden systems arising in astrophysics model.

    PubMed

    Ahmad, Iftikhar; Raja, Muhammad Asif Zahoor; Bilal, Muhammad; Ashraf, Farooq

    2016-01-01

    This study reports novel hybrid computational methods for the solutions of nonlinear singular Lane-Emden type differential equation arising in astrophysics models by exploiting the strength of unsupervised neural network models and stochastic optimization techniques. In the scheme the neural network, sub-part of large field called soft computing, is exploited for modelling of the equation in an unsupervised manner. The proposed approximated solutions of higher order ordinary differential equation are calculated with the weights of neural networks trained with genetic algorithm, and pattern search hybrid with sequential quadratic programming for rapid local convergence. The results of proposed solvers for solving the nonlinear singular systems are in good agreements with the standard solutions. Accuracy and convergence the design schemes are demonstrated by the results of statistical performance measures based on the sufficient large number of independent runs.

  18. Quantum nondemolition measurements - Comment on recent developments. [detectability of extremely weak signals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Von Roos, O.

    1978-01-01

    The limitations of the detectability of extremely weak signals (gravitational radiation for instance) imposed by Heisenberg's uncertainty principle on the sequential determination of those signals have been explored recently. A variety of schemes have been proposed to circumvent these limitations. Although all of the earlier attempts have been proven fruitless a recent proposal seems to be quite promising. The scheme, consisting of two harmonic oscillators interacting with each other in a peculiar way, allows for an exact analytical solution which is derived here. If it can be assumed that the expectation value of one of the canonical variables of the total system suffices to monitor the weak signal it can be shown that, in the absence of thermal noise, arbitrarily weak signals can in principle be measured without interference from the uncertainty principle.

  19. Prediction and control of slender-wing rock

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kandil, Osama A.; Salman, Ahmed A.

    1992-01-01

    The unsteady Euler equations and the Euler equations of rigid-body dynamics, both written in the moving frame of reference, are sequentially solved to simulate the limit-cycle rock motion of slender delta wings. The governing equations of the fluid flow and the dynamics of the present multidisciplinary problem are solved using an implicit, approximately-factored, central-difference-like, finite-volume scheme and a four-stage Runge-Kutta scheme, respectively. For the control of wing-rock motion, leading-edge flaps are forced to oscillate anti-symmetrically at prescribed frequency and amplitude, which are tuned in order to suppress the rock motion. Since the computational grid deforms due to the leading-edge flaps motion, the grid is dynamically deformed using the Navier-displacement equations. Computational applications cover locally-conical and three-dimensional solutions for the wing-rock simulation and its control.

  20. Transverse phase space diagnostics for ionization injection in laser plasma acceleration using permanent magnetic quadrupoles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, F.; Nie, Z.; Wu, Y. P.; Guo, B.; Zhang, X. H.; Huang, S.; Zhang, J.; Cheng, Z.; Ma, Y.; Fang, Y.; Zhang, C. J.; Wan, Y.; Xu, X. L.; Hua, J. F.; Pai, C. H.; Lu, W.; Mori, W. B.

    2018-04-01

    We report the transverse phase space diagnostics for electron beams generated through ionization injection in a laser-plasma accelerator. Single-shot measurements of both ultimate emittance and Twiss parameters are achieved by means of permanent magnetic quadrupole. Beams with emittance of μm rad level are obtained in a typical ionization injection scheme, and the dependence on nitrogen concentration and charge density is studied experimentally and confirmed by simulations. A key feature of the transverse phase space, matched beams with Twiss parameter α T ≃ 0, is identified according to the measurement. Numerical simulations that are in qualitative agreement with the experimental results reveal that a sufficient phase mixing induced by an overlong injection length leads to the matched phase space distribution.

  1. DEPEND - A design environment for prediction and evaluation of system dependability

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goswami, Kumar K.; Iyer, Ravishankar K.

    1990-01-01

    The development of DEPEND, an integrated simulation environment for the design and dependability analysis of fault-tolerant systems, is described. DEPEND models both hardware and software components at a functional level, and allows automatic failure injection to assess system performance and reliability. It relieves the user of the work needed to inject failures, maintain statistics, and output reports. The automatic failure injection scheme is geared toward evaluating a system under high stress (workload) conditions. The failures that are injected can affect both hardware and software components. To illustrate the capability of the simulator, a distributed system which employs a prediction-based, dynamic load-balancing heuristic is evaluated. Experiments were conducted to determine the impact of failures on system performance and to identify the failures to which the system is especially susceptible.

  2. Transverse phase space diagnostics for ionization injection in laser plasma acceleration using permanent magnetic quadrupoles

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

    Li, F.; Nie, Z.; Wu, Y. P.

    We report the transverse phase space diagnostics for electron beams generated through ionization injection in a laser-plasma accelerator. Single-shot measurements of both ultimate emittance and Twiss parameters are achieved by means of permanent magnetic quadrupole. Beams with emittance of μm rad level are obtained in a typical ionization injection scheme, and the dependence on nitrogen concentration and charge density is studied experimentally and confirmed by simulations. A key feature of the transverse phase space, matched beams with Twiss parameter α T ≃ 0, is identified according to the measurement. Lastly, numerical simulations that are in qualitative agreement with the experimentalmore » results reveal that a sufficient phase mixing induced by an overlong injection length leads to the matched phase space distribution.« less

  3. A Fully Coupled Simulation and Optimization Scheme for the Design of 3D Powder Injection Molding Processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ayad, G.; Song, J.; Barriere, T.; Liu, B.; Gelin, J. C.

    2007-05-01

    The paper is concerned with optimization and parametric identification of Powder Injection Molding process that consists first in injection of powder mixture with polymer binder and then to the sintering of the resulting powders parts by solid state diffusion. In the first part, one describes an original methodology to optimize the injection stage based on the combination of Design Of Experiments and an adaptive Response Surface Modeling. Then the second part of the paper describes the identification strategy that one proposes for the sintering stage, using the identification of sintering parameters from dilatometer curves followed by the optimization of the sintering process. The proposed approaches are applied to the optimization for manufacturing of a ceramic femoral implant. One demonstrates that the proposed approach give satisfactory results.

  4. Transverse phase space diagnostics for ionization injection in laser plasma acceleration using permanent magnetic quadrupoles

    DOE PAGES

    Li, F.; Nie, Z.; Wu, Y. P.; ...

    2018-02-22

    We report the transverse phase space diagnostics for electron beams generated through ionization injection in a laser-plasma accelerator. Single-shot measurements of both ultimate emittance and Twiss parameters are achieved by means of permanent magnetic quadrupole. Beams with emittance of μm rad level are obtained in a typical ionization injection scheme, and the dependence on nitrogen concentration and charge density is studied experimentally and confirmed by simulations. A key feature of the transverse phase space, matched beams with Twiss parameter α T ≃ 0, is identified according to the measurement. Lastly, numerical simulations that are in qualitative agreement with the experimentalmore » results reveal that a sufficient phase mixing induced by an overlong injection length leads to the matched phase space distribution.« less

  5. An Implicit Finite Difference Solution to the Viscous Radiating Shock Layer with Strong Blowing. Ph.D. Thesis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Garrett, L. B.

    1971-01-01

    An implicit finite difference scheme is developed for the fully coupled solution of the viscous radiating stagnation line equations, including strong blowing. Solutions are presented for both air injection and carbon phenolic ablation products injection into air at conditions near the peak radiative heating point in an earth entry trajectory from interplanetary return missions. A detailed radiative transport code that accounts for the important radiative exchange processes for gaseous mixtures in local thermodynamic and chemical equilibrium is utilized.

  6. Far infrared pump injection using an alumina waveguide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nedvidek, F. J.; Kucerovsky, Z.; Brannen, Eric

    1987-01-01

    An alumina waveguide extension is employed to channel infrared radiation from a CO2 waveguide laser into an optically pumped far IR waveguide laser resonator in order to obtain far IR lasing with methyl alcohol and other media. Low pump transmission losses and efficient free space coupling are possible with proper choice of waveguide bore. The technique compares favorably with other injection schemes using refractive optics, and it offers greater flexibility, easier alignment, and less expense than optical arrangements using lenses.

  7. Numerical Investigation of Hydrogen and Kerosene Combustion in Supersonic Air Streams

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Taha, A. A.; Tiwari, S. N.; Mohieldin, T. O.

    1999-01-01

    The effect of mixing schemes on the combustion of both gaseous hydrogen and liquid kerosene is investigated. Injecting pilot gaseous hydrogen parallel to the supersonic incoming air tends to maintain the stabilization of the main liquid kerosene, which is normally injected. Also the maximum kerosene equivalence ratio that can maintain stable flame can be increased by increasing the pilot energy level. The wedge flame holding contributes to an increased kerosene combustion efficiency by the generation of shock-jet interaction.

  8. Successful pregnancy after spermatid injection.

    PubMed

    Bernabeu, R; Cremades, N; Takahashi, K; Sousa, M

    1998-07-01

    We present nine cases of spermatid intracytoplasmic injection for the treatment of non-obstructive azoospermia. In eight cases, no elongated spermatids or spermatozoa were found in previous spermiograms or testicular biopsies. In these patients, treatment was performed using ejaculated (n = 6) and testicular (n = 2) retrieved round spermatids (Sa type). In cases where ejaculated round spermatids were used, they were isolated on the day before oocyte retrieval and left in culture for 24 h before intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). No pregnancy was obtained in either group, although culturing seemed to increase the fertilization rate. In one other case, elongated spermatids were observed in the previous spermiogram and thus a normal ICSI procedure was scheduled. However, on the day of oocyte retrieval, no spermatids could be recovered from fresh sequential ejaculates, and a testicular open biopsy was then performed. Both round and elongated spermatids were found in the testicular tissue, but only the more mature germinal cells (Sb2) were injected. From this case, a normal pregnancy was obtained which resulted in the birth by Caesarean section at 37 weeks of gestation of a normal healthy baby girl, weighing 2700 g.

  9. A Privacy-Protecting Multi-Coupon Scheme with Stronger Protection Against Splitting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Liqun; Escalante B., Alberto N.; Löhr, Hans; Manulis, Mark; Sadeghi, Ahmad-Reza

    A multi-coupon (MC) represents a collection of k coupons that a user can redeem to a vendor in exchange for some goods or services. Nguyen (FC 2006), deepening the ideas of Chen et al. (FC 2005), introduced an unforgeable privacy-protecting MC system with constant complexity for issuing and redemption of MCs, that discourages sharing of coupons through a property called weak unsplittability, where sharing of a single coupon implies sharing of the whole multi-coupon (all-or-nothing sharing). Both schemes still lack some features required by many applications in practice, and also stronger forms of unsplittability are desirable. In this paper, we propose a new security model for MC systems with stronger definitions, followed by a concrete realization where single coupons within a MC may represent different goods or services, have independent validity periods, and must be redeemed sequentially ensuring a stronger version of unsplittability compared to all-or-nothing sharing. The complexity of the proposed scheme is linear in k for the generation of multi-coupons and constant for each redeemed single coupon.

  10. Agglomeration Multigrid for an Unstructured-Grid Flow Solver

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frink, Neal; Pandya, Mohagna J.

    2004-01-01

    An agglomeration multigrid scheme has been implemented into the sequential version of the NASA code USM3Dns, tetrahedral cell-centered finite volume Euler/Navier-Stokes flow solver. Efficiency and robustness of the multigrid-enhanced flow solver have been assessed for three configurations assuming an inviscid flow and one configuration assuming a viscous fully turbulent flow. The inviscid studies include a transonic flow over the ONERA M6 wing and a generic business jet with flow-through nacelles and a low subsonic flow over a high-lift trapezoidal wing. The viscous case includes a fully turbulent flow over the RAE 2822 rectangular wing. The multigrid solutions converged with 12%-33% of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) time required by the solutions obtained without multigrid. For all of the inviscid cases, multigrid in conjunction with an explicit time-stepping scheme performed the best with regard to the run time memory and CPU time requirements. However, for the viscous case multigrid had to be used with an implicit backward Euler time-stepping scheme that increased the run time memory requirement by 22% as compared to the run made without multigrid.

  11. Dynamic chirp control of all-optical format-converted pulsed data from a multi-wavelength inverse-optical-comb injected semiconductor optical amplifier.

    PubMed

    Lin, Gong-Ru; Pan, Ci-Ling; Yu, Kun-Chieh

    2007-10-01

    By spectrally and temporally reshaping the gain-window of a traveling-wave semiconductor optical amplifier (TWSOA) with a backward injected multi- or single-wavelength inverse-optical-comb, we theoretically and experimentally investigate the dynamic frequency chirp of the all-optical 10GBit/s Return-to-Zero (RZ) data-stream format-converted from the TWSOA under strong cross-gain depletion scheme. The multi-wavelength inverse-optical-comb injection effectively depletes the TWSOA gain spectrally and temporally, remaining a narrow gain-window and a reduced spectral linewidth and provide a converted RZ data with a smaller peak-to-peak frequency chirp of 6.7 GHz. Even at high inverse-optical-comb injection power and highly biased current condition for improving the operational bit-rate, the chirp of the multi-wavelength-injection converted RZ pulse is still 2.1-GHz smaller than that obtained by using single-wavelength injection at a cost of slight pulse-width broadening by 1 ps.

  12. Method for gasification of deep, thin coal seams. [DOE patent

    DOEpatents

    Gregg, D.W.

    1980-08-29

    A method of gasification of coal in deep, thin seams by using controlled bending subsidence to confine gas flow to a region close to the unconsumed coal face is given. The injection point is moved sequentially around the perimeter of a coal removal area from a production well to sweep out the area to cause the controlled bending subsidence. The injection holes are drilled vertically into the coal seam through the overburden or horizontally into the seam from an exposed coal face. The method is particularly applicable to deep, thin seams found in the eastern United States and at abandoned strip mines where thin seams were surface mined into a hillside or down a modest dip until the overburden became too thick for further mining.

  13. Method for gasification of deep, thin coal seams

    DOEpatents

    Gregg, David W.

    1982-01-01

    A method of gasification of coal in deep, thin seams by using controlled bending subsidence to confine gas flow to a region close to the unconsumed coal face. The injection point is moved sequentially around the perimeter of a coal removal area from a production well to sweep out the area to cause the controlled bending subsidence. The injection holes are drilled vertically into the coal seam through the overburden or horizontally into the seam from an exposed coal face. The method is particularly applicable to deep, thin seams found in the eastern United States and at abandoned strip mines where thin seams were surface mined into a hillside or down a modest dip until the overburden became too thick for further mining.

  14. Drug injection into fat tissue with a laser based microjet injector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Tae-hee; Hah, Jung-moo; Yoh, Jack J.

    2011-05-01

    We have investigated a new micro drug jet injector using laser pulse energy. An infrared laser beam of high energy (˜3 J/pulse) is focused inside a driving fluid in a small chamber. The pulse then induces various energy releasing processes, and generates fast microjets through a micronozzle. The elastic membrane of this system plays an important role in transferring mechanical pressure and protecting drug from heat release. In this paper, we offer the sequential images of microjet generation taken by a high speed camera as an evidence of the multiple injections via single pulse. Furthermore, we test the proposed system to penetrate soft animal tissues in order to evaluate its feasibility as an advanced transdermal drug delivery method.

  15. Developing a new case based computer-aided detection scheme and an adaptive cueing method to improve performance in detecting mammographic lesions

    PubMed Central

    Tan, Maxine; Aghaei, Faranak; Wang, Yunzhi; Zheng, Bin

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate a new method to improve performance of computer-aided detection (CAD) schemes of screening mammograms with two approaches. In the first approach, we developed a new case based CAD scheme using a set of optimally selected global mammographic density, texture, spiculation, and structural similarity features computed from all four full-field digital mammography (FFDM) images of the craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) views by using a modified fast and accurate sequential floating forward selection feature selection algorithm. Selected features were then applied to a “scoring fusion” artificial neural network (ANN) classification scheme to produce a final case based risk score. In the second approach, we combined the case based risk score with the conventional lesion based scores of a conventional lesion based CAD scheme using a new adaptive cueing method that is integrated with the case based risk scores. We evaluated our methods using a ten-fold cross-validation scheme on 924 cases (476 cancer and 448 recalled or negative), whereby each case had all four images from the CC and MLO views. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was AUC = 0.793±0.015 and the odds ratio monotonically increased from 1 to 37.21 as CAD-generated case based detection scores increased. Using the new adaptive cueing method, the region based and case based sensitivities of the conventional CAD scheme at a false positive rate of 0.71 per image increased by 2.4% and 0.8%, respectively. The study demonstrated that supplementary information can be derived by computing global mammographic density image features to improve CAD-cueing performance on the suspicious mammographic lesions. PMID:27997380

  16. Adjuvant tamoxifen and exemestane in women with postmenopausal early breast cancer (TEAM): 10-year follow-up of a multicentre, open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial.

    PubMed

    Derks, Marloes G M; Blok, Erik J; Seynaeve, Caroline; Nortier, Johan W R; Kranenbarg, Elma Meershoek-Klein; Liefers, Gerrit-Jan; Putter, Hein; Kroep, Judith R; Rea, Daniel; Hasenburg, Annette; Markopoulos, Christos; Paridaens, Robert; Smeets, Jan B E; Dirix, Luc Y; van de Velde, Cornelis J H

    2017-09-01

    After 5 years of median follow-up, the Tamoxifen Exemestane Adjuvant Multinational (TEAM) trial reported no difference in disease-free survival between exemestane monotherapy and a sequential scheme of tamoxifen followed by exemestane in postmenopausal patients with early-stage, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. As recurrence risk in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer remains linear beyond 5 years after diagnosis, we analysed long-term follow-up outcomes of this trial. The TEAM trial, a multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, included postmenopausal patients with early-stage hormone receptor-positive breast cancer from nine countries. Patients were randomly allocated (1:1) by a computer-generated random permuted block method (block sizes 4-8) to either 5 years of oral exemestane monotherapy (25 mg once a day) or a sequential scheme of oral tamoxifen (20 mg once a day) followed by exemestane for a total duration of 5 years. After the publication of the IES trial, the protocol was amended (Dec 13, 2004). Patients assigned to tamoxifen were switched after 2·5-3·0 years to exemestane therapy for a total duration of 5·0 years of treatment. Randomisation was done centrally in each country. Long-term follow-up data for disease recurrence and survival was collected in six participating countries and analysed by intention to treat. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival at 10 years of follow-up. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, numbers NCT00279448 and NCT00032136; with Netherlands Trial Register, number NTR 267; and the Ethics Commission Trial, number 27/2001. 6120 patients of the original 9776 patients in the TEAM trial were included in the current intention-to-treat analysis. Median follow-up was 9·8 years (IQR 8·0-10·3). During follow-up, 921 (30%) of 3075 patients in the exemestane group and 929 (31%) of 3045 patients in the sequential group had a disease-free survival event. Disease-free survival at 10 years was 67% (95% CI 65-69) for the exemestane group and 67% (65-69) for the sequential group (hazard ratio 0·96, 0·88-1·05; p=0·39). The long-term findings of the TEAM trial confirm that both exemestane alone and sequential treatment with tamoxifen followed by exemestane are reasonable options as adjuvant endocrine therapy in postmenopausal patients with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer. These results suggest that the opportunity to individualise adjuvant endocrine strategy accordingly, based on patient preferences, comorbidities, and tolerability might be possible. Pfizer, Dutch Cancer Foundation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. [Studies on a sequential injection renewable surface reflectance spectrophotometric system using a microchip flow cell].

    PubMed

    Wang, Jian-ya; Fang, Zhao-lun

    2002-02-01

    A microchip flow cell was developed for flow injection renewable surface assay by reflectance spectrophotometry. The flow cell was coupled to a sequential injection system and optical fiber photometric detection system. The flow cell featured a three-layer structure. The flow channel was cut into a silicone rubber membrance which formed the middle layer, and a porous filter was inlayed across a widened section of the channel to trap microbeads introduced into the flow cell. The area of the detection window of the flow cell was approximately 3.6 mm2, the volume of the bead trapped in the flow cell was 2.2 microL, the depth of the bead layer was 600 microns. A multistrand bifurcated optical fiber was coupled with incident light, detector and flow cell. The chromogenic reaction of Cr(VI) with 1,5-diphenylcarbohydrazide (DPC) which was adsorbed on trapped Polysorb C-18 beads was used as a model reaction to optimize the flow cell design and the experimental system. The reflectance of the renewable reaction surface was monitored at 540 nm. With 100 microL sample loaded and 1.0 mL.min-1 carrier flow rate, the linear response range was 0-0.6 microgram.mL-1 Cr(VI). A detection limit (3 sigma) of 6 ng.mL-1, precision of 1.5% RSD(n = 11), and a throughput of 64 samples per hour were achieved. Considerations in system and flow cell design, the influence of depth of the bead layer, weight of beads used, and the flow rates of carrier stream on the performance were discussed.

  18. A flow system for the spectrophotometric determination of lead in different types of waters using ion-exchange for pre-concentration and elimination of interferences.

    PubMed

    Mesquita, Raquel B R; Fernandes, Sílvia M V; Rangel, António O S S

    2004-02-06

    A flow system for the spectrophotometric determination of lead in natural and waste waters is proposed. The determination is based on the colorimetric reaction between malachite green and iodide, followed by the formation of a ternary complex between those reagents and lead cations. The developed flow system includes a lead pre-concentration step in a column packed with a cationic resin (Chelex 100) operating in a sequential injection mode. To improve the mixture of sample and reagents, a flow injection approach was adopted for the colorimetric determination. This way a hybrid flow system, involving both sequential and flow injection concepts was designed. Another feature of the proposed system is the efficient elimination of major interferent species, such as cadmium and copper. The elimination of cadmium interference is obtained by complexing Cd(2+) with chloride and retaining the formed negatively charged complexes in an anionic resin, AG1 X-8. As for copper, with the presence of both ionic resins as well as the conditions for cadmium elimination, it no longer acts as an interferent. Different ranges of lead concentration (50-300 and 300-1000mugl(-1)) can be determined with minor changes in the controlling software, useful for application to both natural and waste waters. Therefore, a detection limit of 25mugl(-1) was achieved. Repeatability was evaluated from 10 consecutive determinations being the results better than 4%. The recoveries of lead spikes added to the samples ranged from 93 to 102%. The sampling frequency was 17 and 24 determinations per hour, for 50-300 and 300-1000mugl(-1) ranges, respectively.

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

    Dyachenko, Sergey A.; Zlotnik, Anatoly; Korotkevich, Alexander O.

    Here, we develop an operator splitting method to simulate flows of isothermal compressible natural gas over transmission pipelines. The method solves a system of nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs) of hydrodynamic type for mass flow and pressure on a metric graph, where turbulent losses of momentum are modeled by phenomenological Darcy-Weisbach friction. Mass flow balance is maintained through the boundary conditions at the network nodes, where natural gas is injected or withdrawn from the system. Gas flow through the network is controlled by compressors boosting pressure at the inlet of the adjoint pipe. Our operator splitting numerical scheme ismore » unconditionally stable and it is second order accurate in space and time. The scheme is explicit, and it is formulated to work with general networks with loops. We test the scheme over range of regimes and network configurations, also comparing its performance with performance of two other state of the art implicit schemes.« less

  20. Input preshaping with frequency domain information for flexible-link manipulator control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tzes, Anthony; Englehart, Matthew J.; Yurkovich, Stephen

    1989-01-01

    The application of an input preshaping scheme to flexible manipulators is considered. The resulting control corresponds to a feedforward term that convolves in real-time the desired reference input with a sequence of impulses and produces a vibration free output. The robustness of the algorithm with respect to injected disturbances and modal frequency variations is not satisfactory and can be improved by convolving the input with a longer sequence of impulses. The incorporation of the preshaping scheme to a closed-loop plant, using acceleration feedback, offers satisfactory disturbance rejection due to feedback and cancellation of the flexible mode effects due to the preshaping. A frequency domain identification scheme is used to estimate the modal frequencies on-line and subsequently update the spacing between the impulses. The combined adaptive input preshaping scheme provides the fastest possible slew that results in a vibration free output.

  1. A novel approach for clock recovery without pattern effect from degraded signal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Zhaoxin; Wang, Tong; Lou, Caiyun; Huo, Li; Gao, Yizhi

    2003-04-01

    A novel clock recovery scheme using two-ring injection mode-locked fiber ring laser based on all 10 GHz bandwidth components was demonstrated. With this scheme, the clock with low timing jitter was obtained from a degraded 10 Gb/s optical data stream. Optical clock recovery was also achieved from a degraded 20 Gb/s optical data train when the clock division technique in the opto-electronic oscillator (OEO) and the rational harmonic mode-locking technique in the fiber ring laser were applied. No pattern effect was observed in the experiments.

  2. Potential contaminants at a dredged spoil placement site, Charles City County, Virginia, as revealed by sequential extraction

    PubMed Central

    Tang, Jianwu; Whittecar, G Richard; Johannesson, Karen H; Daniels, W Lee

    2004-01-01

    Backfills of dredged sediments onto a former sand and gravel mine site in Charles City County, VA may have the potential to contaminate local groundwater. To evaluate the mobility of trace elements and to identify the potential contaminants from the dredged sediments, a sequential extraction scheme was used to partition trace elements associated with the sediments from the local aquifer and the dredged sediments into five fractions: exchangeable, acidic, reducible, oxidizable, and residual phases. Sequential extractions indicate that, for most of the trace elements examined, the residual phases account for the largest proportion of the total concentrations, and their total extractable fractions are mainly from reducible and oxidizable phases. Only Cd, Pb, and Zn have an appreciable extractable proportion from the acidic phase in the filled dredged sediments. Our groundwater monitoring data suggest that the dredged sediments are mainly subject to a decrease in pH and a series of oxidation reactions, when exposed to the atmosphere. Because the trace elements released by carbonate dissolution and the oxidation (e.g., organic matter degradation, iron sulfide and, ammonia oxidation) are subsequently immobilized by sorption to iron, manganese, and aluminum oxides, no potential contaminants to local groundwater are expected by addition of the dredged sediments to this site.

  3. An open-pattern droplet-in-oil planar array for single cell analysis based on sequential inkjet printing technology.

    PubMed

    Wang, Chenyu; Liu, Wenwen; Tan, Manqing; Sun, Hongbo; Yu, Yude

    2017-07-01

    Cellular heterogeneity represents a fundamental principle of cell biology for which a readily available single-cell research tool is urgently required. Here, we present a novel method combining cell-sized well arrays with sequential inkjet printing. Briefly, K562 cells with phosphate buffer saline buffer were captured at high efficiency (74.5%) in a cell-sized well as a "primary droplet" and sealed using fluorinated oil. Then, piezoelectric inkjet printing technology was adapted to precisely inject the cell lysis buffer and the fluorogenic substrate, fluorescein-di-β-D-galactopyranoside, as a "secondary droplet" to penetrate the sealing oil and fuse with the "primary droplet." We thereby successfully measured the intracellular β-galactosidase activity of K562 cells at the single-cell level. Our method allows, for the first time, the ability to simultaneously accommodate the high occupancy rate of single cells and sequential addition of reagents while retaining an open structure. We believe that the feasibility and flexibility of our method will enhance its use as a universal single-cell research tool as well as accelerate the adoption of inkjet printing in the study of cellular heterogeneity.

  4. A Multigrid NLS-4DVar Data Assimilation Scheme with Advanced Research WRF (ARW)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, H.; Tian, X.

    2017-12-01

    The motions of the atmosphere have multiscale properties in space and/or time, and the background error covariance matrix (Β) should thus contain error information at different correlation scales. To obtain an optimal analysis, the multigrid three-dimensional variational data assimilation scheme is used widely when sequentially correcting errors from large to small scales. However, introduction of the multigrid technique into four-dimensional variational data assimilation is not easy, due to its strong dependence on the adjoint model, which has extremely high computational costs in data coding, maintenance, and updating. In this study, the multigrid technique was introduced into the nonlinear least-squares four-dimensional variational assimilation (NLS-4DVar) method, which is an advanced four-dimensional ensemble-variational method that can be applied without invoking the adjoint models. The multigrid NLS-4DVar (MG-NLS-4DVar) scheme uses the number of grid points to control the scale, with doubling of this number when moving from a coarse to a finer grid. Furthermore, the MG-NLS-4DVar scheme not only retains the advantages of NLS-4DVar, but also sufficiently corrects multiscale errors to achieve a highly accurate analysis. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed MG-NLS-4DVar scheme were evaluated by several groups of observing system simulation experiments using the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting Model. MG-NLS-4DVar outperformed NLS-4DVar, with a lower computational cost.

  5. Applying a deep learning based CAD scheme to segment and quantify visceral and subcutaneous fat areas from CT images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yunzhi; Qiu, Yuchen; Thai, Theresa; Moore, Kathleen; Liu, Hong; Zheng, Bin

    2017-03-01

    Abdominal obesity is strongly associated with a number of diseases and accurately assessment of subtypes of adipose tissue volume plays a significant role in predicting disease risk, diagnosis and prognosis. The objective of this study is to develop and evaluate a new computer-aided detection (CAD) scheme based on deep learning models to automatically segment subcutaneous fat areas (SFA) and visceral (VFA) fat areas depicting on CT images. A dataset involving CT images from 40 patients were retrospectively collected and equally divided into two independent groups (i.e. training and testing group). The new CAD scheme consisted of two sequential convolutional neural networks (CNNs) namely, Selection-CNN and Segmentation-CNN. Selection-CNN was trained using 2,240 CT slices to automatically select CT slices belonging to abdomen areas and SegmentationCNN was trained using 84,000 fat-pixel patches to classify fat-pixels as belonging to SFA or VFA. Then, data from the testing group was used to evaluate the performance of the optimized CAD scheme. Comparing to manually labelled results, the classification accuracy of CT slices selection generated by Selection-CNN yielded 95.8%, while the accuracy of fat pixel segmentation using Segmentation-CNN yielded 96.8%. Therefore, this study demonstrated the feasibility of using deep learning based CAD scheme to recognize human abdominal section from CT scans and segment SFA and VFA from CT slices with high agreement compared with subjective segmentation results.

  6. Sustainable long-term conservation of rare cattle breeds using rotational AI sires

    PubMed Central

    Colleau, Jean-Jacques; Avon, Laurent

    2008-01-01

    The development of inbreeding in rotation breeding schemes, sequentially using artificial insemination (AI) sires over generations, was investigated for a full AI scheme. Asymptotic prediction formulae of inbreeding coefficients were established when the first rotation list of AI sires (possibly related) was in use. Simulated annealing provided the optimal rotation order of sires within this list, when the sires were related. These methods were also used for subsequent rotation lists, needed by the exhaustion of semen stores for the first bulls. Simulation was carried out starting with groups of independent sires, with different sizes. To generate a yearly inbreeding rate substantially lower than 0.05% (considered to be within reach by conventional conservation schemes using frequent replacements), the results obtained showed that the number of sires should be at least 10–15 and that the same sires should be used during at least 50 years. The ultimate objective was to examine the relevance of implementing rotation in breeding schemes on the actual rare French cattle breeds under conservation. The best candidate for such a test was the Villard-de-Lans breed (27 bulls and 73 000 doses for only 340 females) and it turned out to be the best performer with an inbreeding coefficient of only 7.4% after 500 years and five different sire lists. Due to the strong requirements on semen stores and on the stability of population size, actual implementation of this kind of conservation scheme was recommended only in special ('niche') cattle populations. PMID:18558074

  7. Comparison of periodontal ligament injection and inferior alveolar nerve block in mandibular primary molars pulpotomy: a randomized control trial.

    PubMed

    Haghgoo, Roza; Taleghani, Ferial

    2015-05-01

    Inferior alveolar nerve block is a common technique for anesthesia of the primary mandibular molars. A number of disadvantages have been shown to be associated with this technique. Periodontal ligament (PDL) injection could be considered as an alternative to inferior alveolar nerve block. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of PDL injection in the anesthesia of primary molar pulpotomy with mandibular block. This study was performed using a sequential double-blind randomized trial design. 80 children aged 3-7 years old who required pulpotomy in symmetrical mandibular primary molars were selected. The teeth of these children were anesthetized with periodontal injection on one side of the mandible and block on the other. Pulpotomy was performed on each patient during the same appointment. Signs of discomfort, including hand and body tension and eye movement, the verbal complaint and crying (SEM scale), were evaluated by a dental assistant who was blinded to the treatment allocation of the patients. Finally, the data were analyzed using the exact Fisher test and Pearson Chi-squared exact test. Success rate was 88/75 and 91/25 in the PDL injection and nerve block groups, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the two techniques (P = 0.250). Results showed that PDL injection can be used as an alternative to nerve block in pulpotomy of the mandibular primary molars.

  8. Pharmacokinetics of dinalbuphine sebacate and nalbuphine in human after intramuscular injection of dinalbuphine sebacate in an extended-release formulation.

    PubMed

    Tien, Yu En; Huang, Wen-Chuan; Kuo, Hui-Yuan; Tai, Lily; Uang, Yow-Shieng; Chern, Wendy H; Huang, Jin-Ding

    2017-11-01

    Nalbuphine is a semi-synthetic opioid indicated for the relief of moderate to severe pain. Its short half-life requires frequent injections in clinical practice, resulting in a greater incidence of adverse events. A prodrug of nalbuphine has been developed, dinalbuphine sebacate (DNS), dissolved in a simple oil-based injectable formulation, which could deliver and maintain an effective blood level of nalbuphine. An open-label, prospective, two-period study was performed in healthy volunteers to verify the extended blood concentration profile of nalbuphine. Twelve healthy Taiwanese were randomized to receive an intramuscular injection of 20 mg nalbuphine HCl and 150 mg DNS sequentially with a washout period of 5 days. To prevent DNS hydrolysis during sample analysis, the effect of four esterase inhibitors was evaluated in the quantitation of DNS in human whole blood and thenoyltrifluoroacetone was chosen. The bioavailability of nalbuphine from intramuscularly injected DNS relative to that from nalbuphine HCl was 85.4%. The mean absorption time of nalbuphine from DNS was 145.2 h. It took approximately 6 days for the complete release of DNS into the blood stream where DNS was rapidly hydrolysed to nalbuphine; suggesting a single injection of 150 mg DNS in our extended-release formulation could provide long-lasting pain relief. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  9. Efficacy of premixed versus sequential administration of clonidine as an adjuvant to hyperbaric bupivacaine intrathecally in cesarean section

    PubMed Central

    Sachan, Prachee; Kumar, Nidhi; Sharma, Jagdish Prasad

    2014-01-01

    Background: Density of the drugs injected intrathecally is an important factor that influences spread in the cerebrospinal fluid. Mixing adjuvants with local anesthetics (LA) alters their density and hence their spread compared to when given sequentially in seperate syringes. Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of intrathecal administration of hyperbaric bupivacaine (HB) and clonidine as a mixture and sequentially in terms of block characteristics, hemodynamics, neonatal outcome, and postoperative pain. Setting and Design: Prospective randomized single blind study at a tertiary center from 2010 to 2012. Materials and Methods: Ninety full-term parturient scheduled for elective cesarean sections were divided into three groups on the basis of technique of intrathecal drug administration. Group M received mixture of 75 μg clonidine and 10 mg HB 0.5%. Group A received 75 μg clonidine after administration of 10 mg HB 0.5% through separate syringe. Group B received 75 μg clonidine before HB 0.5% (10 mg) through separate syringe. Statistical analysis used: Observational descriptive statistics, analysis of variance with Bonferroni multiple comparison post hoc test, and Chi-square test. Results: Time to achieve complete sensory and motor block was less in group A and B in which drugs were given sequentially. Duration of analgesia lasted longer in group B (474.3 ± 20.79 min) and group A (472.50 ± 22.11 min) than in group M (337 ± 18.22 min) with clinically insignificant influence on hemodynamic parameters and sedation. Conclusion: Sequential technique reduces time to achieve complete sensory and motor block, delays block regression, and significantly prolongs the duration of analgesia. However, it did not matter much whether clonidine was administered before or after HB. PMID:25886098

  10. Backup agreements with penalty scheme under supply disruptions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hou, Jing; Zhao, Lindu

    2012-05-01

    This article considers a supply chain for a single product involving one retailer and two independent suppliers, when the main supplier might fail to supply the products, the backup supplier can always supply the products at a higher price. The retailer could use the backup supplier as a regular provider or a stand-by source by reserving some products at the supplier. A backup agreement with penalty scheme is constructed between the retailer and the backup supplier to mitigate the supply disruptions and the demand uncertainty. The expected profit functions and the optimal decisions of the two players are derived through a sequential optimisation process. Then, the sensitivity of two players' expected profits to various input factors is examined through numerical examples. The impacts of the disruption probability and the demand uncertainty on the backup agreement are also investigated, which could provide guideline for how to use each sourcing method.

  11. Generalized Teleportation and Entanglement Recycling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strelchuk, Sergii; Horodecki, Michał; Oppenheim, Jonathan

    2013-01-01

    We introduce new teleportation protocols which are generalizations of the original teleportation protocols that use the Pauli group and the port-based teleportation protocols, introduced by Hiroshima and Ishizaka, that use the symmetric permutation group. We derive sufficient conditions for a set of operations, which in general need not form a group, to give rise to a teleportation protocol and provide examples of such schemes. This generalization leads to protocols with novel properties and is needed to push forward new schemes of computation based on them. Port-based teleportation protocols and our generalizations use a large resource state consisting of N singlets to teleport only a single qubit state reliably. We provide two distinct protocols which recycle the resource state to teleport multiple states with error linearly increasing with their number. The first protocol consists of sequentially teleporting qubit states, and the second teleports them in a bulk.

  12. Generalized teleportation and entanglement recycling.

    PubMed

    Strelchuk, Sergii; Horodecki, Michał; Oppenheim, Jonathan

    2013-01-04

    We introduce new teleportation protocols which are generalizations of the original teleportation protocols that use the Pauli group and the port-based teleportation protocols, introduced by Hiroshima and Ishizaka, that use the symmetric permutation group. We derive sufficient conditions for a set of operations, which in general need not form a group, to give rise to a teleportation protocol and provide examples of such schemes. This generalization leads to protocols with novel properties and is needed to push forward new schemes of computation based on them. Port-based teleportation protocols and our generalizations use a large resource state consisting of N singlets to teleport only a single qubit state reliably. We provide two distinct protocols which recycle the resource state to teleport multiple states with error linearly increasing with their number. The first protocol consists of sequentially teleporting qubit states, and the second teleports them in a bulk.

  13. Dual nozzle single pump fuel injection system

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

    Gonzalez, C.

    1992-02-25

    This patent describes an improvement in a fuel injection system in a stratified charge hybrid internal combustion engine including a main combustion chamber, a precombustion chamber connected with the main chamber, fuel injectors in the main combustion chamber and precombustion chamber which open at higher and lower pressure levels respectively to sequentially inject fuel into the prechamber and the main chamber, timed spark ignition means in the prechamber for ignition of the fuel-air mixture therein, and an engine driven and timed fuel injection pump having a variable output capacity that varies with power level position, the injection pump is suppliedmore » by a low pressure charging pump. The improvement comprises: a shuttle valve including a bore therein; a shuttle spool means positioned within the bore defining a prechamber supply chamber on one side thereof and a spool activation chamber on the opposite side thereof the spool means having a first and second position; biasing means urging the spool towards it first position with the spool actuation chamber at its minimum volume; first conduit means connecting charging pressure to the prechamber supply camber in the first position oil the spool means; second conduit means connecting the injection pump to spool actuation chamber; third conduit means connecting the spool actuating chamber with the main injector; forth conduit means connecting the prechamber supply chamber with the prechamber injector; the initial charge from the injection pump actuates the spool means from its fir to its second position.« less

  14. Numerical investigation of complex flooding schemes for surfactant polymer based enhanced oil recovery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dutta, Sourav; Daripa, Prabir

    2015-11-01

    Surfactant-polymer flooding is a widely used method of chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in which an array of complex fluids containing suitable and varying amounts of surfactant or polymer or both mixed with water is injected into the reservoir. This is an example of multiphase, multicomponent and multiphysics porous media flow which is characterized by the spontaneous formation of complex viscous fingering patterns and is modeled by a system of strongly coupled nonlinear partial differential equations with appropriate initial and boundary conditions. Here we propose and discuss a modern, hybrid method based on a combination of a discontinuous, multiscale finite element formulation and the method of characteristics to accurately solve the system. Several types of flooding schemes and rheological properties of the injected fluids are used to numerically study the effectiveness of various injection policies in minimizing the viscous fingering and maximizing oil recovery. Numerical simulations are also performed to investigate the effect of various other physical and model parameters such as heterogeneity, relative permeability and residual saturation on the quantities of interest like cumulative oil recovery, sweep efficiency, fingering intensity to name a few. Supported by the grant NPRP 08-777-1-141 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of The Qatar Foundation).

  15. A Telescopic and Microscopic Examination of Acceleration in the June 2015 Geomagnetic Storm: Magnetospheric Multiscale and Van Allen Probes Study of Substorm Particle Injection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baker, D. N.; Jaynes, A. N.; Turner, D. L.; Nakamura, R.; Schmid, D.; Mauk, B. H.; Cohen, I. J.; Fennell, J. F.; Blake, J. B.; Strangeway, R. J.; hide

    2016-01-01

    An active storm period in June 2015 showed that particle injection events seen sequentially by the four (MagnetosphericMultiscale) MMS spacecraft subsequently fed the enhancement of the outer radiation belt observed by Van Allen Probes mission sensors. Several episodes of significant southward interplanetary magnetic field along with a period of high solar wind speed (Vsw 500kms) on 22 June occurred following strong interplanetary shock wave impacts on the magnetosphere. Key events on 22 June 2015 show that the magnetosphere progressed through a sequence of energy-loading and stress-developing states until the entire system suddenly reconfigured at 19:32 UT. Energetic electrons, plasma, and magnetic fields measured by the four MMS spacecraft revealed clear dipolarization front characteristics. It was seen that magnetospheric substorm activity provided a seed electron population as observed by MMS particle sensors as multiple injections and related enhancements in electron flux.

  16. Laser-driven three-stage heavy-ion acceleration from relativistic laser-plasma interaction.

    PubMed

    Wang, H Y; Lin, C; Liu, B; Sheng, Z M; Lu, H Y; Ma, W J; Bin, J H; Schreiber, J; He, X T; Chen, J E; Zepf, M; Yan, X Q

    2014-01-01

    A three-stage heavy ion acceleration scheme for generation of high-energy quasimonoenergetic heavy ion beams is investigated using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation and analytical modeling. The scheme is based on the interaction of an intense linearly polarized laser pulse with a compound two-layer target (a front heavy ion layer + a second light ion layer). We identify that, under appropriate conditions, the heavy ions preaccelerated by a two-stage acceleration process in the front layer can be injected into the light ion shock wave in the second layer for a further third-stage acceleration. These injected heavy ions are not influenced by the screening effect from the light ions, and an isolated high-energy heavy ion beam with relatively low-energy spread is thus formed. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that ∼100MeV/u quasimonoenergetic Fe24+ beams can be obtained by linearly polarized laser pulses at intensities of 1.1×1021W/cm2.

  17. Successful outcome after intravenous gasoline injection.

    PubMed

    Domej, Wolfgang; Mitterhammer, Heike; Stauber, Rudolf; Kaufmann, Peter; Smolle, Karl Heinz

    2007-12-01

    Gasoline, ingested intentionally or accidentally, is toxic. The majority of reported cases of gasoline intoxication involve oral ingestion or inhalation. Data are scarce on complications and outcomes following hydrocarbon poisoning by intravenous injection. Following a suicide attempt by intravenous self-injection of 10 ml of gasoline, a 26-year-old medical student was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with hemoptysis, symptoms of acute respiratory failure, chest pain, and severe abdominal cramps. Gas exchange was severely impaired and a chest x-ray indicated chemical pneumonitis. Initial treatment consisted of mechanical ventilation, supportive hyperventilation, administration of nitrogen oxide (NO), and prednisone. Unfortunately, the patient developed multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) complicated by life-threatening severe vasoplegia within 24 hours after gasoline injection. High doses of vasopressors along with massive amounts of parenteral fluids were necessary. Despite fluid replacement, renal function worsened and required hemofiltration on 5 sequential days. After 12 days of intensive care management, the patient recovered completely and was discharged to a psychiatric care facility. Intravenous gasoline injection causes major injury to the lungs, the organ bearing the first capillary bed encountered. Treatment of gasoline poisoning is symptomatic because no specific antidote is available. Early and aggressive supportive care may be conducive to a favorable outcome with minimal residual pulmonary sequelae.

  18. Three-Dimensional Changes in the Midface Following Malar Calcium Hydroxyapatite Injection in a Cadaver Model.

    PubMed

    Gatherwright, James R; Brown, Matthew S; Katira, Kristopher M; Rowe, David J

    2015-08-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) changes in the midface following malar calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHa) injection have not been systematically analyzed. The authors analyzed 3D volume changes in midface and naso-labial fold (NLF) volume, as well as lateral movement in the NLF/naso-labial crease (NLC) junction following malar injection of CaHa in a cadaver model. A single surgeon injected CaHa in the supraperiosteal plane. Sequential images were obtained with the VECTRA 3D system pre- and post-1.5- and 3-cc CaHa injections. All measurements were performed by a single examiner. Injection location was verified anatomically. Injections were performed in 16 fresh cadaver hemi-faces. Maximal increases in projection were centered on the malar injection site, with associated decreases in projection and volume in the infero-medial locations. Relative mean increases in volume of 3.16 cc and 4.94 cc were observed following the 1.5-cc and 3-cc injections, respectively. There was a relative decrease in the volume of the NLF of -0.3 cc and -0.4 cc following the 1.5- and 3-cc injections, respectively. Injection of CaHa was associated with lateral movements of the NLF-NLC junction at the level of the nasal sill, philtral columns, and oral commissure, measuring 2.7, 2.5, and 1.9 mm and 2.8, 2.9, and 2.4 mm following the 1.5- and 3-cc injections, respectively. Anatomical dissection verified the location in the supraperiosteal space and within the middle malar fat pad. Following malar CaHa injection, 3D photographic analysis showed a measureable lifting effect with recruitment of ptotic tissue and lateral movement of the NLF-NLC junction in a cadaver model. © 2015 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. Reprints and permission: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  19. Sequential bottom-up assembly of mechanically stabilized synthetic cells by microfluidics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weiss, Marian; Frohnmayer, Johannes Patrick; Benk, Lucia Theresa; Haller, Barbara; Janiesch, Jan-Willi; Heitkamp, Thomas; Börsch, Michael; Lira, Rafael B.; Dimova, Rumiana; Lipowsky, Reinhard; Bodenschatz, Eberhard; Baret, Jean-Christophe; Vidakovic-Koch, Tanja; Sundmacher, Kai; Platzman, Ilia; Spatz, Joachim P.

    2018-01-01

    Compartments for the spatially and temporally controlled assembly of biological processes are essential towards cellular life. Synthetic mimics of cellular compartments based on lipid-based protocells lack the mechanical and chemical stability to allow their manipulation into a complex and fully functional synthetic cell. Here, we present a high-throughput microfluidic method to generate stable, defined sized liposomes termed `droplet-stabilized giant unilamellar vesicles (dsGUVs)’. The enhanced stability of dsGUVs enables the sequential loading of these compartments with biomolecules, namely purified transmembrane and cytoskeleton proteins by microfluidic pico-injection technology. This constitutes an experimental demonstration of a successful bottom-up assembly of a compartment with contents that would not self-assemble to full functionality when simply mixed together. Following assembly, the stabilizing oil phase and droplet shells are removed to release functional self-supporting protocells to an aqueous phase, enabling them to interact with physiologically relevant matrices.

  20. Comparison of first pass bolus AIFs extracted from sequential 18F-FDG PET and DSC-MRI of mice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evans, Eleanor; Sawiak, Stephen J.; Ward, Alexander O.; Buonincontri, Guido; Hawkes, Robert C.; Adrian Carpenter, T.

    2014-01-01

    Accurate kinetic modelling of in vivo physiological function using positron emission tomography (PET) requires determination of the tracer time-activity curve in plasma, known as the arterial input function (AIF). The AIF is usually determined by invasive blood sampling methods, which are prohibitive in murine studies due to low total blood volumes. Extracting AIFs from PET images is also challenging due to large partial volume effects (PVE). We hypothesise that in combined PET with magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MR), a co-injected bolus of MR contrast agent and PET ligand can be tracked using fast MR acquisitions. This protocol would allow extraction of a MR AIF from MR contrast agent concentration-time curves, at higher spatial and temporal resolution than an image-derived PET AIF. A conversion factor could then be applied to the MR AIF for use in PET kinetic analysis. This work has compared AIFs obtained from sequential DSC-MRI and PET with separate injections of gadolinium contrast agent and 18F-FDG respectively to ascertain the technique‧s validity. An automated voxel selection algorithm was employed to improve MR AIF reproducibility. We found that MR and PET AIFs displayed similar character in the first pass, confirmed by gamma variate fits (p<0.02). MR AIFs displayed reduced PVE compared to PET AIFs, indicating their potential use in PET/MR studies.

  1. Comparison of first pass bolus AIFs extracted from sequential 18F-FDG PET and DSC-MRI of mice.

    PubMed

    Evans, Eleanor; Sawiak, Stephen J; Ward, Alexander O; Buonincontri, Guido; Hawkes, Robert C; Carpenter, T Adrian

    2014-01-11

    Accurate kinetic modelling of in vivo physiological function using positron emission tomography (PET) requires determination of the tracer time-activity curve in plasma, known as the arterial input function (AIF). The AIF is usually determined by invasive blood sampling methods, which are prohibitive in murine studies due to low total blood volumes. Extracting AIFs from PET images is also challenging due to large partial volume effects (PVE). We hypothesise that in combined PET with magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MR), a co-injected bolus of MR contrast agent and PET ligand can be tracked using fast MR acquisitions. This protocol would allow extraction of a MR AIF from MR contrast agent concentration-time curves, at higher spatial and temporal resolution than an image-derived PET AIF. A conversion factor could then be applied to the MR AIF for use in PET kinetic analysis. This work has compared AIFs obtained from sequential DSC-MRI and PET with separate injections of gadolinium contrast agent and 18 F-FDG respectively to ascertain the technique's validity. An automated voxel selection algorithm was employed to improve MR AIF reproducibility. We found that MR and PET AIFs displayed similar character in the first pass, confirmed by gamma variate fits (p<0.02). MR AIFs displayed reduced PVE compared to PET AIFs, indicating their potential use in PET/MR studies.

  2. Application of silver nanoparticles to the chemiluminescence determination of cefditoren pivoxil using the luminol-ferricyanide system.

    PubMed

    Alarfaj, Nawal A; Aly, Fatma A; El-Tohamy, Maha F

    2015-02-01

    A new simple, accurate and sensitive sequential injection analysis chemiluminescence (CL) detection method for the determination of cefditoren pivoxil (CTP) has been developed. The developed method was based on the enhancement effect of silver nanoparticles on the CL signal arising from a luminol-potassium ferricyanide reaction in the presence of CTP. The optimum conditions relevant to the effect of luminol, potassium ferricyanide and silver nanoparticle concentrations were investigated. The proposed method showed linear relationships between relative CL intensity and the investigated drug concentration at the range 0.001-5000 ng/mL, (r = 0.9998, n = 12) with a detection limit of 0.5 pg/mL and quantification limit of 0.001 ng/mL. The relative standard deviation was 1.6%. The proposed method was employed for the determination of CTP in bulk drug, in its pharmaceutical dosage forms and biological fluids such as human serum and urine. The interference of some common additive compounds such as glucose, lactose, starch, talc and magnesium stearate was investigated. In addition, the interference of some related cephalosporins was tested. No interference was recorded. The obtained sequential injection analysis-CL results were statistically compared with those from a reported method and did not show any significant differences. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Sequential determination of multi-nutrient elements in natural water samples with a reverse flow injection system.

    PubMed

    Lin, Kunning; Ma, Jian; Yuan, Dongxing; Feng, Sichao; Su, Haitao; Huang, Yongming; Shangguan, Qipei

    2017-05-15

    An integrated system was developed for automatic and sequential determination of NO 2 - , NO 3 - , PO 4 3- , Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ and Mn 2+ in natural waters based on reverse flow injection analysis combined with spectrophotometric detection. The system operation was controlled by a single chip microcomputer and laboratory-programmed software written in LabVIEW. The experimental parameters for each nutrient element analysis were optimized based on a univariate experimental design, and interferences from common ions were evaluated. The upper limits of the linear range (along with detection limit, µmolL -1 ) of the proposed method was 20 (0.03), 200 (0.7), 12 (0.3), 5 (0.03), 5 (0.03), 9 (0.2) µmolL -1 , for NO 2 - , NO 3 - , PO 4 3- , Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ and Mn 2+ , respectively. The relative standard deviations were below 5% (n=9-13) and the recoveries varied from 88.0±1.0% to 104.5±1.0% for spiked water samples. The sample throughput was about 20h -1 . This system has been successfully applied for the determination of multi-nutrient elements in different kinds of water samples and showed good agreement with reference methods (slope 1.0260±0.0043, R 2 =0.9991, n=50). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Sequential injection system with in-line solid phase extraction and soil mini-column for determination of zinc and copper in soil leachates.

    PubMed

    Paluch, Justyna; Mesquita, Raquel B R; Cerdà, Víctor; Kozak, Joanna; Wieczorek, Marcin; Rangel, António O S S

    2018-08-01

    A sequential injection (SI) system equipped with in-line solid phase extraction column and in-line soil mini-column is proposed for determination of zinc and copper in soil leachates. The spectrophotometric determination (560 nm) is based on the reaction of both analytes with 1-(2-Pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN). Zinc is determined after retaining copper on a cationic resin (Chelex100) whereas copper is determined from the difference of the absorbance measured for both analytes, introduced into the system with the use of a different channel, and zinc absorbance. The influence of several potential interferences was studied. Using the developed method, zinc and copper were determined within the concentration ranges of 0.005-0.300 and 0.011-0.200 mg L -1 , and with a relative standard deviation lower than 6.0% and 5.1%, respectively. The detection limits are 1.4 and 3.0 µg/L for determination of zinc and copper, respectively. The developed SI method was verified by the determination of both analytes in synthetic and certified reference materials of water samples, and applied to the determination of the analytes in rain water and soil leachates from laboratory scale soil core column and in-line soil mini-column. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Sequential effects of severe drought and defoliation on tree growth and survival in a diverse temperate mesic forest

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matthes, J. H.; Pederson, N.; David, O.; Martin-Benito, D.

    2017-12-01

    Understanding the effects of climate change and biotic disturbance within diverse temperate mesic forests is complicated by the need to scale between impacts within individuals and across species in the community. It is not clear how these impacts within individuals and across a community influences the stand- and regional-scale response. Furthermore, co-occurring or sequential disturbances can make it challenging to interpret forest responses from observational data. In the northeastern United States, the 1960s drought was perhaps the most severe period of climatic stress within the past 300 years and negatively impacted the growth of individual trees across all species, but unevenly. Additionally, in 1981 the northeast experienced an outbreak of the defoliator Lymantria dispar, which preferentially consumes oak leaves, but in 1981 impacted a high proportion of other species as well. To investigate the effects of drought (across functional groups) and defoliation (within a functional group), we combined a long-term tree-ring dataset from an old-growth forest within the Palmaghatt Ravine in New York with a version of the Ecosystem Demography model that includes a scheme for representing forest insects and pathogens. We explored the sequential impacts of severe drought and defoliation on tree growth, community composition, and ecosystem-atmosphere interactions (carbon, water, and heat flux). W­e also conducted a set of modeling experiments with climate and defoliation disturbance scenarios to bound the potential long-term response of this forest to co-occurring and sequential drought-defoliator disturbances over the next fifty years.

  6. Delta-doped hybrid advanced detector for low energy particle detection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cunningham, Thomas J. (Inventor); Fossum, Eric R. (Inventor); Nikzad, Shouleh (Inventor); Pain, Bedabrata (Inventor); Soli, George A. (Inventor)

    2000-01-01

    A delta-doped hybrid advanced detector (HAD) is provided which combines at least four types of technologies to create a detector for energetic particles ranging in energy from hundreds of electron volts (eV) to beyond several million eV. The detector is sensitive to photons from visible light to X-rays. The detector is highly energy-sensitive from approximately 10 keV down to hundreds of eV. The detector operates with milliwatt power dissipation, and allows non-sequential readout of the array, enabling various advanced readout schemes.

  7. Delta-doped hybrid advanced detector for low energy particle detection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cunningham, Thomas J. (Inventor); Fossum, Eric R. (Inventor); Nikzad, Shouleh (Inventor); Pain, Bedabrata (Inventor); Soli, George A. (Inventor)

    2002-01-01

    A delta-doped hybrid advanced detector (HAD) is provided which combines at least four types of technologies to create a detector for energetic particles ranging in energy from hundreds of electron volts (eV) to beyond several million eV. The detector is sensitive to photons from visible light to X-rays. The detector is highly energy-sensitive from approximately 10 keV down to hundreds of eV. The detector operates with milliwatt power dissipation, and allows non-sequential readout of the array, enabling various advanced readout schemes.

  8. Stochastic porous media modeling and high-resolution schemes for numerical simulation of subsurface immiscible fluid flow transport

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brantson, Eric Thompson; Ju, Binshan; Wu, Dan; Gyan, Patricia Semwaah

    2018-04-01

    This paper proposes stochastic petroleum porous media modeling for immiscible fluid flow simulation using Dykstra-Parson coefficient (V DP) and autocorrelation lengths to generate 2D stochastic permeability values which were also used to generate porosity fields through a linear interpolation technique based on Carman-Kozeny equation. The proposed method of permeability field generation in this study was compared to turning bands method (TBM) and uniform sampling randomization method (USRM). On the other hand, many studies have also reported that, upstream mobility weighting schemes, commonly used in conventional numerical reservoir simulators do not accurately capture immiscible displacement shocks and discontinuities through stochastically generated porous media. This can be attributed to high level of numerical smearing in first-order schemes, oftentimes misinterpreted as subsurface geological features. Therefore, this work employs high-resolution schemes of SUPERBEE flux limiter, weighted essentially non-oscillatory scheme (WENO), and monotone upstream-centered schemes for conservation laws (MUSCL) to accurately capture immiscible fluid flow transport in stochastic porous media. The high-order schemes results match well with Buckley Leverett (BL) analytical solution without any non-oscillatory solutions. The governing fluid flow equations were solved numerically using simultaneous solution (SS) technique, sequential solution (SEQ) technique and iterative implicit pressure and explicit saturation (IMPES) technique which produce acceptable numerical stability and convergence rate. A comparative and numerical examples study of flow transport through the proposed method, TBM and USRM permeability fields revealed detailed subsurface instabilities with their corresponding ultimate recovery factors. Also, the impact of autocorrelation lengths on immiscible fluid flow transport were analyzed and quantified. A finite number of lines used in the TBM resulted into visual artifact banding phenomenon unlike the proposed method and USRM. In all, the proposed permeability and porosity fields generation coupled with the numerical simulator developed will aid in developing efficient mobility control schemes to improve on poor volumetric sweep efficiency in porous media.

  9. The reduced space Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) method for calculating the worst resonance response of nonlinear systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liao, Haitao; Wu, Wenwang; Fang, Daining

    2018-07-01

    A coupled approach combining the reduced space Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) method with the harmonic balance condensation technique for finding the worst resonance response is developed. The nonlinear equality constraints of the optimization problem are imposed on the condensed harmonic balance equations. Making use of the null space decomposition technique, the original optimization formulation in the full space is mathematically simplified, and solved in the reduced space by means of the reduced SQP method. The transformation matrix that maps the full space to the null space of the constrained optimization problem is constructed via the coordinate basis scheme. The removal of the nonlinear equality constraints is accomplished, resulting in a simple optimization problem subject to bound constraints. Moreover, second order correction technique is introduced to overcome Maratos effect. The combination application of the reduced SQP method and condensation technique permits a large reduction of the computational cost. Finally, the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed methodology is demonstrated by two numerical examples.

  10. Random sequential adsorption of straight rigid rods on a simple cubic lattice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    García, G. D.; Sanchez-Varretti, F. O.; Centres, P. M.; Ramirez-Pastor, A. J.

    2015-10-01

    Random sequential adsorption of straight rigid rods of length k (k-mers) on a simple cubic lattice has been studied by numerical simulations and finite-size scaling analysis. The k-mers were irreversibly and isotropically deposited into the lattice. The calculations were performed by using a new theoretical scheme, whose accuracy was verified by comparison with rigorous analytical data. The results, obtained for k ranging from 2 to 64, revealed that (i) the jamming coverage for dimers (k = 2) is θj = 0.918388(16) . Our result corrects the previously reported value of θj = 0.799(2) (Tarasevich and Cherkasova, 2007); (ii) θj exhibits a decreasing function when it is plotted in terms of the k-mer size, being θj(∞) = 0.4045(19) the value of the limit coverage for large k's; and (iii) the ratio between percolation threshold and jamming coverage shows a non-universal behavior, monotonically decreasing to zero with increasing k.

  11. Sequential limiting in continuous and discontinuous Galerkin methods for the Euler equations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dobrev, V.; Kolev, Tz.; Kuzmin, D.; Rieben, R.; Tomov, V.

    2018-03-01

    We present a new predictor-corrector approach to enforcing local maximum principles in piecewise-linear finite element schemes for the compressible Euler equations. The new element-based limiting strategy is suitable for continuous and discontinuous Galerkin methods alike. In contrast to synchronized limiting techniques for systems of conservation laws, we constrain the density, momentum, and total energy in a sequential manner which guarantees positivity preservation for the pressure and internal energy. After the density limiting step, the total energy and momentum gradients are adjusted to incorporate the irreversible effect of density changes. Antidiffusive corrections to bounds-compatible low-order approximations are limited to satisfy inequality constraints for the specific total and kinetic energy. An accuracy-preserving smoothness indicator is introduced to gradually adjust lower bounds for the element-based correction factors. The employed smoothness criterion is based on a Hessian determinant test for the density. A numerical study is performed for test problems with smooth and discontinuous solutions.

  12. Feasibility of bioengineered two-stages sequential batch reactor and filtration-adsorption process for complex agrochemical effluent.

    PubMed

    Manekar, Pravin; Biswas, Rima; Urewar, Chaitali; Pal, Sukdeb; Nandy, Tapas

    2013-11-01

    In the present study, the feasibility of a bioengineered two-stages sequential batch reactor (BTSSBR) followed by filtration-adsorption process was investigated to treat the agrochemical effluent by overcoming factor affecting process stability such as microbial imbalance and substrate sensitivity. An air stripper stripped 90% of toxic ammonia, and combined with other streams for bio-oxidation and filtration-adsorption. The BTSSBR system achieved bio-oxidation at 6 days hydraulic retention time by fending off microbial imbalance and substrate sensitivity. The maximum reduction in COD and BOD by heterotrophic bacteria in the first reactor was 87% and 90%, respectively. Removal of toxic ammoniacal-nitrogen by autotrophic bacteria in a post-second stage bio-oxidation was 97%. The optimum filtration and adsorption of pollutants were achieved at a filtration rate of 10 and 9 m(3)m(-2)h(-1), respectively. The treatment scheme comprising air stripper, BTSSBR and filtration-adsorption process showed a great promise for treating the agrochemical effluent. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. A LabVIEW®-based software for the control of the AUTORAD platform: a fully automated multisequential flow injection analysis Lab-on-Valve (MSFIA-LOV) system for radiochemical analysis.

    PubMed

    Barbesi, Donato; Vicente Vilas, Víctor; Millet, Sylvain; Sandow, Miguel; Colle, Jean-Yves; Aldave de Las Heras, Laura

    2017-01-01

    A LabVIEW ® -based software for the control of the fully automated multi-sequential flow injection analysis Lab-on-Valve (MSFIA-LOV) platform AutoRAD performing radiochemical analysis is described. The analytical platform interfaces an Arduino ® -based device triggering multiple detectors providing a flexible and fit for purpose choice of detection systems. The different analytical devices are interfaced to the PC running LabVIEW ® VI software using USB and RS232 interfaces, both for sending commands and receiving confirmation or error responses. The AUTORAD platform has been successfully applied for the chemical separation and determination of Sr, an important fission product pertinent to nuclear waste.

  14. On the critical charge required for positive leader inception in long air gaps

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Lipeng; Becerra, Marley

    2018-01-01

    The amount of the electric charge injected by the streamer corona bursts during the stage of leader inception determines the energy deposited to thermalize the corona stem into a leader segment. This paper is aimed at investigating the critical charge required for positive leader inception in air by using a thermo-hydrodynamic model with a detailed kinetic scheme. In order to simplify the analysis and to speed up the simulation, a reduced kinetic scheme for air is proposed. Numerical comparisons show that the reduced scheme can obtain almost the same results as the previous comprehensive kinetic scheme but with only half of the number of species and reactions. The thermo-hydrodynamic model with the reduced kinetics is then used to solve the radial dynamics of a single stem heated by current pulses typical of streamer corona bursts. The critical charge necessary for the direct transition of a first streamer corona into a leader under electrodes with large curvature radius is estimated between 0.08 and 0.5 µC per stem. Furthermore, the simulation shows that the gas heating of corona stem formed from electrodes with small curvature radius is mainly determined by the total accumulated charge injected by previous streamer corona bursts and the length of the dark periods in between the current pulses. The shape and the number of the corona current pulses in the discharge also play a role and their effects are discussed. It is suggested that the transition into a leader is triggered when a secondary streamer burst is initiated after the gas temperature is increased by the heating of previous streamers to about 1200 K. In addition, it is found that the heating produced by the charge injected by previous streamer corona bursts can be neglected if the dark period to the next burst is larger than few hundreds of µs for a corona stem with moderate initial stem radius. This indicates that the critical charge criterion obtained from laboratory experiments does not hold to evaluate the inception of positive leaders under conditions when long dark periods are present.

  15. Design of a vehicle based system to prevent ozone loss

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lynn, Sean R.; Bunker, Deborah; Hesbach, Thomas D., Jr.; Howerton, Everett B.; Hreinsson, G.; Mistr, E. Kirk; Palmer, Matthew E.; Rogers, Claiborne; Tischler, Dayna S.; Wrona, Daniel J.

    1993-01-01

    Reduced quantities of ozone in the atmosphere allow greater levels of ultraviolet light (UV) radiation to reach the earth's surface. This is known to cause skin cancer and mutations. Chlorine liberated from Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) and natural sources initiate the destruction of stratospheric ozone through a free radical chain reaction. The project goals are to understand the processes which contribute to stratospheric ozone loss, examine ways to prevent ozone loss, and design a vehicle-based system to carry out the prevention scheme. The 1992/1993 design objectives were to accomplish the first two goals and define the requirements for an implementation vehicle to be designed in detail starting next year. Many different ozone intervention schemes have been proposed though few have been researched and none have been tested. A scheme proposed by R.J. Cicerone, Scott Elliot and R.P.Turco late in 1991 was selected because of its research support and economic feasibility. This scheme uses hydrocarbon injected into the Antarctic ozone hole to form stable compounds with free chlorine, thus reducing ozone depletion. Because most polar ozone depletion takes place during a 3-4 week period each year, the hydrocarbon must be injected during this time window. A study of the hydrocarbon injection requirements determined that 100 aircraft traveling Mach 2.4 at a maximum altitude of 66,000 ft. would provide the most economic approach to preventing ozone loss. Each aircraft would require an 8,000 nm. range and be able to carry 35,000 lbs. of propane. The propane would be stored in a three-tank high pressure system. Missions would be based from airport regions located in South America and Australia. To best provide the requirements of mission analysis, an aircraft with L/D(sub cruise) = 10.5, SFC = 0.65 (the faculty advisor suggested that this number is too low) and a 250,000 lb TOGW was selected as a baseline. Modularity and multi-role functionality were selected to be key design features. Modularity provides ease of turnaround for the down-time critical mission. Multi-role functionality allows the aircraft to be used beyond its design mission, perhaps as an High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) or for high altitude research.

  16. Laser pulse control of ultrafast heterogeneous electron transfer: a computational study.

    PubMed

    Wang, Luxia; May, Volkhard

    2004-10-22

    Laser pulse control of the photoinduced 90 fs charge injection from perylene into the conduction band of TiO2 is studied theoretically. The approach accounts for the electronic-ground state of the dye, the first excited state, the ionized state formed after charge injection, and the continuum of the electronic states in the conduction band, all defined vs a single reaction coordinate. To address different control tasks optimal control theory is combined with a full quantum dynamical description of the electron-vibrational motion accompanying the charge injection process. First it is proved in which way the charge injection time can be changed by tailored laser pulses. In a second step a pump-dump scheme from the perylene ground state to the first excited electronic state and back to the ground state is discussed. Because of the strong coupling of the excited perylene state to the band continuum of TiO2 this control task is more suited to an experimental test than the direct control of the charge injection.

  17. Resonantly Enhanced Betatron Hard X-rays from Ionization Injected Electrons in a Laser Plasma Accelerator

    PubMed Central

    Huang, K.; Li, Y. F.; Li, D. Z.; Chen, L. M.; Tao, M. Z.; Ma, Y.; Zhao, J. R.; Li, M. H.; Chen, M.; Mirzaie, M.; Hafz, N.; Sokollik, T.; Sheng, Z. M.; Zhang, J.

    2016-01-01

    Ultrafast betatron x-ray emission from electron oscillations in laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) has been widely investigated as a promising source. Betatron x-rays are usually produced via self-injected electron beams, which are not controllable and are not optimized for x-ray yields. Here, we present a new method for bright hard x-ray emission via ionization injection from the K-shell electrons of nitrogen into the accelerating bucket. A total photon yield of 8 × 108/shot and 108 photons with energy greater than 110 keV is obtained. The yield is 10 times higher than that achieved with self-injection mode in helium under similar laser parameters. The simulation suggests that ionization-injected electrons are quickly accelerated to the driving laser region and are subsequently driven into betatron resonance. The present scheme enables the single-stage betatron radiation from LWFA to be extended to bright γ-ray radiation, which is beyond the capability of 3rd generation synchrotrons. PMID:27273170

  18. Simulation of subsurface storage and recovery of treated effluent injected in a saline aquifer, St. Petersburg, Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Yobbi, D.K.

    1996-01-01

    The potential for subsurface storage and recovery of treated effluent into the uppermost producing zone (zone A) of the Upper Floridan aquifer in St. Petersburg, Florida, is being studied by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of St. Petersburg and the Southwest Florida Water Management District. A measure of the success of this practice is the recovery efficiency, or the quantity of water relative to the quantity injected, that can be recovered before the water that is withdrawn fails to meet water-quality standards. The feasibility of this practice will depend upon the ability of the injected zone to receive, store, and discharge the injected fluid. A cylindrical model of ground-water flow and solute transport, incorporating available data on aquifer properties and water quality, was developed to determine the relation of recovery efficiency to various aquifer and fluid properties that could prevail in the study area. The reference case for testing was a base model considered representative of the saline aquifer underlying St. Petersburg. Parameter variations in the tests represent possible variations in aquifer conditions in the area. The model also was used to study the effect of various cyclic injection and withdrawal schemes on the recovery efficiency of the well and aquifer system. A base simulation assuming 15 days of injection of effluent at a rate of 1.0 million gallons per day and 15 days of withdrawal at a rate of 1.0 million gallons per day was used as reference to compare changes in various hydraulic and chemical parameters on recovery efficiency. A recovery efficiency of 20 percent was estimated for the base simulation. For practical ranges of hydraulic and fluid properties that could prevail in the study area, the model analysis indicates that (1) the greater the density contrast between injected and resident formation water, the lower the recovery efficiency, (2) recovery efficiency decreases significantly as dispersion increases, (3) high formation permeability favors low recovery efficiencies, and (4) porosity and anisotropy have little effect on recovery efficiencies. In several hypothetical tests, the recovery efficiency fluctuated between about 4 and 76 percent. The sensitivity of recovery efficiency to variations in the rate and duration of injection (0.25, 0.50, 1.0, and 2.0 million gallons per day) and withdrawal cycles (60, 180, and 365 days) was determined. For a given operational scheme, recovery efficiency increased as the injection and withdrawal rate is increased. Model results indicate that recovery efficiencies of between about 23 and 37 percent can be obtained for different subsurface storage and recovery schemes. Five successive injection, storage, and recovery cycles can increase the recovery efficiency to about 46 to 62 percent. There is a larger rate of increase at smaller rates than at larger rates. Over the range of variables studied, recovery efficiency improved with successive cycles, increasing rapidly during initial cycles tyhen more slowly at later cycles. The operation of a single well used for subsurface storage and recovery appears to be technically feasible under moderately favorable conditions; however, the recovery efficiency is higly dependent upon local physical and operational parameters. A combination of hydraulic, chemical, and operational parameters that minimize dispersion and buoyancy flow, maximizes recovery efficiency. Recovery efficiency was optimal where resident formation water density and permeabilities were relatively similar and low.

  19. [Neurotropic effect of B vitamins in the complex treatment of pain syndrome].

    PubMed

    Shavlovskaya, O A

    Combined vitamin preparations in therapeutic doses are used, along with simple analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), muscle and epidural blockade, for the relief of acute pain. It is recommended to use the B vitamin preparation neuromultivit. The tablet form of this preparation contains vitamin thiamine hydrochloride (100 mg), pyridoxine hydrochloride (200 mg), cyanocobalamin (0.2 mg), and injectable form includes thiamine hydrochloride (100mg), pyridoxine hydrochloride (100 mg), cyanocobalamin (1 mg). The efficacy of neuromultivit in a two stage scheme (intramuscular injections of 2 ml daily for 5-10 days with further injections 2-3 times a week for 2-3 weeks at the initial stage and 1 tablet 3 times a day for 4 weeks at the second stage) was shown.

  20. Serve the people or close the sale? Profit-driven overuse of injections and infusions in China's market-based healthcare system.

    PubMed

    Reynolds, Lucy; McKee, Martin

    2011-01-01

    Treatment by injection or infusion is widespread in China. Using the common cold as a tracer condition, we explored the reasons for over-prescription of injections and infusions in Guizhou, China. Interviews with prescribers, patients and key informants were supplemented by focus groups. These revealed how historical ideas encourage unnecessary use of percutaneous treatment: faith in the healing power of needles is locally attributed to association with acupuncture. Many patients and some staff believe that injections per se are therapeutic. However, the structure of health service financing and remuneration now reinforces this irrational faith. Market-based reforms have attempted to control costs and increase productivity with an incentive scheme which rewards prescribers financially for over-prescription in general and for use of injections and infusions in particular. Aggressive marketing has displaced oral treatment from health facilities into independent pharmacies, leaving doctors functioning mainly as injection providers. There is a need for a multi-faceted response encompassing education and reform of financial incentives to reduce the use of unnecessary treatment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. Theoretical investigation of injection-locked high modulation bandwidth quantum cascade lasers.

    PubMed

    Meng, Bo; Wang, Qi Jie

    2012-01-16

    In this study, we report for the first time to our knowledge theoretical investigation of modulation responses of injection-locked mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) at wavelengths of 4.6 μm and 9 μm, respectively. It is shown through a three-level rate equations model that the direct intensity modulation of QCLs gives the maximum modulation bandwidths of ~7 GHz at 4.6 μm and ~20 GHz at 9 μm. By applying the injection locking scheme, we find that the modulation bandwidths of up to ~30 GHz and ~70 GHz can be achieved for QCLs at 4.6 μm and 9 μm, respectively, with an injection ratio of 5 dB. The result also shows that an ultrawide modulation bandwidth of more than 200 GHz is possible with a 10 dB injection ratio for QCLs at 9 μm. An important characteristic of injection-locked QCLs is the nonexistence of unstable locking region in the locking map, in contrast to their diode laser counterparts. We attribute this to the ultra-short upper laser state lifetimes of QCLs.

  2. Photonic generation of ultra-wideband doublet pulse using a semiconductor-optical-amplifier based polarization-diversified loop.

    PubMed

    Luo, Bowen; Dong, Jianji; Yu, Yuan; Yang, Ting; Zhang, Xinliang

    2012-06-15

    We propose and demonstrate a novel scheme of ultra-wideband (UWB) doublet pulse generation using a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) based polarization-diversified loop (PDL) without any assistant light. In our scheme, the incoming gaussian pulse is split into two parts by the PDL, and each of them is intensity modulated by the other due to cross-gain modulation (XGM) in the SOA. Then, both parts are recombined with incoherent summation to form a UWB doublet pulse. Bi-polar UWB doublet pulse generation is demonstrated using an inverted gaussian pulse injection. Moreover, pulse amplitude modulation of UWB doublet is also experimentally demonstrated. Our scheme shows some advantages, such as simple implementation without assistant light and single optical carrier operation with good fiber dispersion tolerance.

  3. Extracting dielectric fixed charge density on highly doped crystalline-silicon surfaces using photoconductance measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    To, A.; Hoex, B.

    2017-11-01

    A novel method for the extraction of fixed interface charge, Qf, and the surface recombination parameters, Sn0 and Sp0, from the injection-level dependent effective minority carrier lifetime measurements is presented. Unlike conventional capacitance-voltage measurements, this technique can be applied to highly doped surfaces provided the surface carrier concentration transitions into strong depletion or inversion with increased carrier injection. By simulating the injection level dependent Auger-corrected inverse lifetime curve of symmetrically passivated and diffused samples after sequential annealing and corona charging, it was revealed that Qf, Sn0, and Sp0 have unique signatures. Therefore, these important electronic parameters, in some instances, can independently be resolved. Furthermore, it was shown that this non-linear lifetime behaviour is exhibited on both p-type and n-type diffused inverted surfaces, by demonstrating the approach with phosphorous diffused n+pn+ structures and boron diffused p+np+ structures passivated with aluminium oxide (AlOx) and silicon nitride, respectively (SiNx). The results show that the approximation of a mid-gap Shockley-Read-Hall defect level with equal capture cross sections is able to, in the samples studied in this work, reproduce the observed injection level dependent lifetime behaviour.

  4. Flow analysis techniques for phosphorus: an overview.

    PubMed

    Estela, José Manuel; Cerdà, Víctor

    2005-04-15

    A bibliographical review on the implementation and the results obtained in the use of different flow analytical techniques for the determination of phosphorus is carried out. The sources, occurrence and importance of phosphorus together with several aspects regarding the analysis and terminology used in the determination of this element are briefly described. A classification as well as a brief description of the basis, advantages and disadvantages of the different existing flow techniques, namely; segmented flow analysis (SFA), flow injection analysis (FIA), sequential injection analysis (SIA), all injection analysis (AIA), batch injection analysis (BIA), multicommutated FIA (MCFIA), multisyringe FIA (MSFIA) and multipumped FIA (MPFIA) is also carried out. The most relevant manuscripts regarding the analysis of phosphorus by means of flow techniques are herein classified according to the detection instrumental technique used with the aim to facilitate their study and obtain an overall scope. Finally, the analytical characteristics of numerous flow-methods reported in the literature are provided in the form of a table and their applicability to samples with different matrixes, namely water samples (marine, river, estuarine, waste, industrial, drinking, etc.), soils leachates, plant leaves, toothpaste, detergents, foodstuffs (wine, orange juice, milk), biological samples, sugars, fertilizer, hydroponic solutions, soils extracts and cyanobacterial biofilms are tabulated.

  5. A novel fault location scheme for power distribution system based on injection method and transient line voltage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Yuehua; Li, Xiaomin; Cheng, Jiangzhou; Nie, Deyu; Wang, Zhuoyuan

    2018-02-01

    This paper presents a novel fault location method by injecting travelling wave current. The new methodology is based on Time Difference Of Arrival(TDOA)measurement which is available measurements the injection point and the end node of main radial. In other words, TDOA is the maximum correlation time when the signal reflected wave crest of the injected and fault appear simultaneously. Then distance calculation is equal to the wave velocity multiplied by TDOA. Furthermore, in case of some transformers connected to the end of the feeder, it’s necessary to combine with the transient voltage comparison of amplitude. Finally, in order to verify the effectiveness of this method, several simulations have been undertaken by using MATLAB/SIMULINK software packages. The proposed fault location is useful to short the positioning time in the premise of ensuring the accuracy, besides the error is 5.1% and 13.7%.

  6. Combustion of hydrogen injected into a supersonic airstream (a guide to the HISS computer program)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dyer, D. F.; Maples, G.; Spalding, D. B.

    1976-01-01

    A computer program based on a finite-difference, implicit numerical integration scheme is described for the prediction of hydrogen injected into a supersonic airstream at an angle ranging from normal to parallel to the airstream main flow direction. Results of calculations for flow and thermal property distributions were compared with 'cold flow data' taken by NASA/Langley and show excellent correlation. Typical results for equilibrium combustion are presented and exhibit qualitatively plausible behavior. Computer time required for a given case is approximately one minute on a CDC 7600. A discussion of the assumption of parabolic flow in the injection region is given which demonstrates that improvement in calculation in this region could be obtained by a partially-parabolic procedure which has been developed. It is concluded that the technique described provides an efficient and reliable means for analyzing hydrogen injection into supersonic airstreams and the subsequent combustion.

  7. Physical Watermarking for Securing Cyber-Physical Systems via Packet Drop Injections

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

    Ozel, Omur; Weekrakkody, Sean; Sinopoli, Bruno

    Physical watermarking is a well known solution for detecting integrity attacks on Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) such as the smart grid. Here, a random control input is injected into the system in order to authenticate physical dynamics and sensors which may have been corrupted by adversaries. Packet drops may naturally occur in a CPS due to network imperfections. To our knowledge, previous work has not considered the role of packet drops in detecting integrity attacks. In this paper, we investigate the merit of injecting Bernoulli packet drops into the control inputs sent to actuators as a new physical watermarking scheme. Withmore » the classical linear quadratic objective function and an independent and identically distributed packet drop injection sequence, we study the effect of packet drops on meeting security and control objectives. Our results indicate that the packet drops could act as a potential physical watermark for attack detection in CPSs.« less

  8. Point-source helicity injection for ST plasma startup in Pegasus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Redd, A. J.; Battaglia, D. J.; Bongard, M. W.; Fonck, R. J.; Schlossberg, D. J.

    2009-11-01

    Plasma current guns are used as point-source DC helicity injectors for forming non-solenoidal tokamak plasmas in the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment. Discharges driven by this injection scheme have achieved Ip>= 100 kA using Iinj<= 4 kA. They form at the outboard midplane, transition to a tokamak-like equilibrium, and continue to grow inward as Ip increases due to helicity injection and outer- PF induction. The maximum Ip is determined by helicity balance (injection rate vs resistive dissipation) and a Taylor relaxation limit, in which Ip√ITF Iinj/w, where w is the radial thickness of the gun-driven edge. Preliminary experiments tentatively confirm these scalings with ITF, Iinj, and w, increasing confidence in this simple relaxation model. Adding solenoidal inductive drive during helicity injection can push Ip up to, but not beyond, the predicted relaxation limit, demonstrating that this is a hard performance limit. Present experiments are focused on increasing the injection voltage (i.e., helicity injection rate) and reducing w. Near-term goals are to further test scalings predicted by the simple relaxation model and to study in detail the observed bursty n=1 activity correlated with rapid increases in Ip.

  9. Do flexible inter-injection intervals improve the effects of botulinum toxin A treatment in reducing impairment and disability in patients with spasticity?

    PubMed

    Trompetto, Carlo; Marinelli, Lucio; Mori, Laura; Puce, Luca; Pelosin, Elisa; Serrati, Carlo; Fattapposta, Francesco; Rinalduzzi, Steno; Abbruzzese, Giovanni; Currà, Antonio

    2017-05-01

    In patients treated with botulinum toxin-A (BoNT-A), toxin-directed antibody formation was related to the dosage and frequency of injections, leading to the empirical adoption of minimum time intervals between injections of 3months or longer. However, recent data suggest that low immunogenicity of current BoNT-A preparations could allow more frequent injections. Our hypothesis is that a short time interval between injections may be safe and effective in reducing upper limb spasticity and related disability. IncobotulinumtoxinA was injected under ultrasound guidance in spastic muscles of 11 subjects, who were evaluated just before BoNT-A injection (T0), and 1month (T1), 2months (T2) and 4months (T3) after injecting. At T1, in the case of persistent disability related to spasticity interfering with normal activities, patients received an additional toxin dose. Seven subjects received the additional dose at T1 because of persistent disability; 4 of them had a decrease of disability 1month later (T2). Rethinking the injection scheme for BoNT-A treatment may have a major impact in the management of spasticity and related disability. Future studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to confirm that injection schedules with short time intervals should no longer be discouraged in clinical practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. A hierarchical clustering scheme approach to assessment of IP-network traffic using detrended fluctuation analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takuma, Takehisa; Masugi, Masao

    2009-03-01

    This paper presents an approach to the assessment of IP-network traffic in terms of the time variation of self-similarity. To get a comprehensive view in analyzing the degree of long-range dependence (LRD) of IP-network traffic, we use a hierarchical clustering scheme, which provides a way to classify high-dimensional data with a tree-like structure. Also, in the LRD-based analysis, we employ detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), which is applicable to the analysis of long-range power-law correlations or LRD in non-stationary time-series signals. Based on sequential measurements of IP-network traffic at two locations, this paper derives corresponding values for the LRD-related parameter α that reflects the degree of LRD of measured data. In performing the hierarchical clustering scheme, we use three parameters: the α value, average throughput, and the proportion of network traffic that exceeds 80% of network bandwidth for each measured data set. We visually confirm that the traffic data can be classified in accordance with the network traffic properties, resulting in that the combined depiction of the LRD and other factors can give us an effective assessment of network conditions at different times.

  11. Sequential updating of multimodal hydrogeologic parameter fields using localization and clustering techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Alexander Y.; Morris, Alan P.; Mohanty, Sitakanta

    2009-07-01

    Estimated parameter distributions in groundwater models may contain significant uncertainties because of data insufficiency. Therefore, adaptive uncertainty reduction strategies are needed to continuously improve model accuracy by fusing new observations. In recent years, various ensemble Kalman filters have been introduced as viable tools for updating high-dimensional model parameters. However, their usefulness is largely limited by the inherent assumption of Gaussian error statistics. Hydraulic conductivity distributions in alluvial aquifers, for example, are usually non-Gaussian as a result of complex depositional and diagenetic processes. In this study, we combine an ensemble Kalman filter with grid-based localization and a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) clustering techniques for updating high-dimensional, multimodal parameter distributions via dynamic data assimilation. We introduce innovative strategies (e.g., block updating and dimension reduction) to effectively reduce the computational costs associated with these modified ensemble Kalman filter schemes. The developed data assimilation schemes are demonstrated numerically for identifying the multimodal heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity distributions in a binary facies alluvial aquifer. Our results show that localization and GMM clustering are very promising techniques for assimilating high-dimensional, multimodal parameter distributions, and they outperform the corresponding global ensemble Kalman filter analysis scheme in all scenarios considered.

  12. Spacecraft Formation Control and Estimation Via Improved Relative Motion Dynamics

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-03-30

    statistical (e.g. batch least-squares or Extended Kalman Filter ) estimator. In addition, the IROD approach can be applied to classical (ground-based...covariance  Test the viability of IROD solutions by injecting them into precise orbit determination schemes (e.g. various strains of Kalman filters

  13. Neuropeptide-Y both Improves and Impairs Delayed Matching-to-Sample Performance in Rats

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-01-01

    Neuropeptide Y distribution in the 422 THOMAS AND AHLERS rat brain. Science 221:877-879; 1983. of animal learning. In: Roitblat , H. L.; Bever, T. G.; Terrace, H...Sources of proactive interference in memory. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum; 1976. animal memory. J. Exp. Psychol. (Anim. Behav.) 1456-70; 1988. 32. Roitblat , H...memory processing by neuropeptide Y varies with brain 33. Roitblat , H. L., Scopatz, R. A. Sequential effects in pigeons de- injection site. Brain Res

  14. Early detection of osteoarthritis in rabbits using MRI with a double-contrast agent.

    PubMed

    Onishi, Okihiro; Ikoma, Kazuya; Kido, Masamitsu; Kabuto, Yukichi; Ueshima, Keiichiro; Matsuda, Ken-Ichi; Tanaka, Masaki; Kubo, Toshikazu

    2018-03-13

    Articular cartilage degeneration has been evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, this method has several problems, including its time-consuming nature and the requirement of a high magnetic field or specialized hardware. The purpose of this study was to sequentially assess early degenerative changes in rabbit knee articular cartilage using MRI with a new double-contrast agent. We induced osteoarthritis (OA) in the right knee of rabbits by anterior cruciate ligament transection and partial medial meniscectomy. Proton density-weighted images and T 2 -calculated images were obtained before and after contrast agent injection into the knee. The signal intensity ratio (SIR) values on the proton density-weighted images were calculated by dividing the signal intensity of the articular cartilage by that of joint fluid. Six rabbits were examined using MRI at 2 (designated 2-w OA) and 4 weeks (4-w OA) after the operation. Histological examination was performed 4 weeks after the operation. One rabbit was histologically examined 2 weeks after the operation. The control consisted of six rabbits that were not subjected to the operation. The SIR values, T 2 values and the thicknesses of the cartilage of the 2-w OA, 4-w OA and the control before and after contrast agent injection were analyzed. The Mankin score and OARSI (Osteoarthritis Research Society International) score were used for the histological evaluation. Significant differences in the SIR and T 2 values of the medial and lateral condyles of the femur were found between the control and the 4-w OA only after contrast agent injection. No significant differences were found in the SIR and T 2 values before contrast agent injection between the control, the 2-w OA and 4-w OA. The thickness of the articular cartilage revealed no significant differences. In the histological assessment, the Mankin score and OARSI score sequentially increased from the control to the 4-w OA. We evaluated the SIR and T 2 values of the knees in a rabbit OA model and a control model using a new double-contrast agent. MRI with this agent enabled OA detection earlier than using conventional MRI.

  15. Towards the operational estimation of a radiological plume using data assimilation after a radiological accidental atmospheric release

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winiarek, Victor; Vira, Julius; Bocquet, Marc; Sofiev, Mikhail; Saunier, Olivier

    2011-06-01

    In the event of an accidental atmospheric release of radionuclides from a nuclear power plant, accurate real-time forecasting of the activity concentrations of radionuclides is required by the decision makers for the preparation of adequate countermeasures. The accuracy of the forecast plume is highly dependent on the source term estimation. On several academic test cases, including real data, inverse modelling and data assimilation techniques were proven to help in the assessment of the source term. In this paper, a semi-automatic method is proposed for the sequential reconstruction of the plume, by implementing a sequential data assimilation algorithm based on inverse modelling, with a care to develop realistic methods for operational risk agencies. The performance of the assimilation scheme has been assessed through the intercomparison between French and Finnish frameworks. Two dispersion models have been used: Polair3D and Silam developed in two different research centres. Different release locations, as well as different meteorological situations are tested. The existing and newly planned surveillance networks are used and realistically large multiplicative observational errors are assumed. The inverse modelling scheme accounts for strong error bias encountered with such errors. The efficiency of the data assimilation system is tested via statistical indicators. For France and Finland, the average performance of the data assimilation system is strong. However there are outlying situations where the inversion fails because of a too poor observability. In addition, in the case where the power plant responsible for the accidental release is not known, robust statistical tools are developed and tested to discriminate candidate release sites.

  16. Operator splitting method for simulation of dynamic flows in natural gas pipeline networks

    DOE PAGES

    Dyachenko, Sergey A.; Zlotnik, Anatoly; Korotkevich, Alexander O.; ...

    2017-09-19

    Here, we develop an operator splitting method to simulate flows of isothermal compressible natural gas over transmission pipelines. The method solves a system of nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs) of hydrodynamic type for mass flow and pressure on a metric graph, where turbulent losses of momentum are modeled by phenomenological Darcy-Weisbach friction. Mass flow balance is maintained through the boundary conditions at the network nodes, where natural gas is injected or withdrawn from the system. Gas flow through the network is controlled by compressors boosting pressure at the inlet of the adjoint pipe. Our operator splitting numerical scheme ismore » unconditionally stable and it is second order accurate in space and time. The scheme is explicit, and it is formulated to work with general networks with loops. We test the scheme over range of regimes and network configurations, also comparing its performance with performance of two other state of the art implicit schemes.« less

  17. Comparison of Periodontal Ligament Injection and Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block in Mandibular Primary Molars Pulpotomy: A Randomized Control Trial

    PubMed Central

    Haghgoo, Roza; Taleghani, Ferial

    2015-01-01

    Background: Inferior alveolar nerve block is a common technique for anesthesia of the primary mandibular molars. A number of disadvantages have been shown to be associated with this technique. Periodontal ligament (PDL) injection could be considered as an alternative to inferior alveolar nerve block. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of PDL injection in the anesthesia of primary molar pulpotomy with mandibular block. Methods: This study was performed using a sequential double-blind randomized trial design. 80 children aged 3-7 years old who required pulpotomy in symmetrical mandibular primary molars were selected. The teeth of these children were anesthetized with periodontal injection on one side of the mandible and block on the other. Pulpotomy was performed on each patient during the same appointment. Signs of discomfort, including hand and body tension and eye movement, the verbal complaint and crying (SEM scale), were evaluated by a dental assistant who was blinded to the treatment allocation of the patients. Finally, the data were analyzed using the exact Fisher test and Pearson Chi-squared exact test. Results: Success rate was 88/75 and 91/25 in the PDL injection and nerve block groups, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the two techniques (P = 0.250). Conclusion: Results showed that PDL injection can be used as an alternative to nerve block in pulpotomy of the mandibular primary molars. PMID:26028895

  18. Sequential Actions of Rab5 and Rab7 Regulate Endocytosis in the Xenopus Oocyte

    PubMed Central

    Mukhopadhyay, Amitabha; Barbieri, Alejandro M.; Funato, Kouichi; Roberts, Richard; Stahl, Philip D.

    1997-01-01

    To explore the role of GTPases in endocytosis, we developed an assay using Xenopus oocytes injected with recombinant proteins to follow the uptake of the fluid phase marker HRP. HRP uptake was inhibited in cells injected with GTPγS or incubated with aluminum fluoride, suggesting a general role for GTPases in endocytosis. Injection of Rab5 into oocytes, as well as Rab5:Q79L, a mutant with decreased GTPase activity, increased HRP uptake. Injection of Rab5:S34N, the dominant-negative mutant, inhibited HRP uptake. Injection of N-ethylmaleimide–sensitive factor (NSF) stimulated HRP uptake, and ATPase-defective NSF mutants inhibited HRP uptake when coinjected with Rab5:Q79L, confirming a requirement for NSF in endocytosis. Surprisingly, injection of Rab7:WT stimulated both uptake and degradation/activation of HRP. The latter appears to be due to enhanced transport to a late endosomal/prelysosomal degradative compartment that is monensin sensitive. Enhancement of uptake by Rab7 appears to function via an Rab5-sensitive pathway in oocytes since the stimulatory effect of Rab7 was blocked by coinjection of Rab5:S34N. Stimulation of uptake by Rab5 was blocked by Rab5:S34N but not by Rab7:T22N. Our results suggest that Rab7, while functioning downstream of Rab5, may be rate limiting for endocytosis in oocytes. PMID:9087439

  19. Testing a fall risk model for injection drug users.

    PubMed

    Pieper, Barbara; Templin, Thomas N; Goldberg, Allon

    2012-01-01

    Fall risk is a critical component of clinical assessment and has not been examined for persons who have injected illicit drugs and are aging. The aim of this study was to test and develop the Fall Risk Model for Injection Drug Users by examining the relationships among injection drug use, chronic venous insufficiency, lower extremity impairments (i.e., decreased ankle range of motion, reduced calf muscle endurance, and leg pain), age and other covariates, and the Tinetti balance and gait total score as a measure of fall risk. A cross-sectional comparative design was used with four crossed factors. Standardized instruments were used to assess the variables. Moderated multiple regression with linear and quadratic trends in age was used to examine the nature of the relationship between the Tinetti balance and gait total and age and the potential moderating role of injection drug use. A prespecified series of models was tested. Participants (n = 713) were men (46.9%) and women with a mean age of 46.26 years and primarily African American (61.7%) in methadone treatment centers. The fall risk of a 48-year-old leg injector was comparable with the fall risk of a 69-year-old who had not injected drugs. Variables were added to the model sequentially, resulting in some lost significance of some when they were explained by subsequent variables. Final significant variables in the model were employment status, number of comorbidities, ankle range of motion, leg pain, and calf muscle endurance. Fall risk was associated with route of drug use. Lower extremity impairments accounted for the effects of injection drug use and chronic venous insufficiency on risk for falls. Further understanding of fall risk in injection users is necessary as they age, attempt to work, and participate in activities.

  20. Clinical Study on Prospective Efficacy of All-Trans Acid, Realgar-Indigo Naturalis Formula Combined with Chemotherapy as Maintenance Treatment of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

    PubMed Central

    Lu-Qun, Wang; Hao, Li; Xiao-Peng, He; Fang-Lin, Li; Ling-Ling, Wang; Xue-Liang, Chen; Ming, Hou

    2014-01-01

    Objectives. To test the efficiency and safety of sequential application of retinoic acid (ATRA), Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula (RIF) and chemotherapy (CT) were used as the maintenance treatment in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Methods. This was a retrospective study of 98 patients with newly diagnosed APL who accepted two different maintenance treatments. After remission induction and consolidation chemotherapy according to their Sanz scores, patients received two different kinds of maintenance scheme. The first regimen was using ATRA, RIF, and standard dose of CT sequentially (ATRA/RIF/CT regimen), while the second one was using ATRA and low dose of chemotherapy with methotrexate (MTX) plus 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) alternately (ATRA/CTlow regimen). The OS, DFS, relapse rate, minimal residual disease, and adverse reactions in two groups were monitored and evaluated. Results. ATRA/RIF/CT regimen could effectively reduce the chance of relapse in different risk stratification of patients, but there was no significant difference in 5-year DFS rate and OS rate between the two groups. Besides, the patients in the experimental group suffered less severe adverse reactions than those in the control group. Conclusions. The repeated sequential therapeutic regimen to APL with ATRA, RIF, and chemotherapy is worth popularizing for its high effectiveness and low toxicity. PMID:24963332

  1. Clinical study on prospective efficacy of all-trans Acid, realgar-indigo naturalis formula combined with chemotherapy as maintenance treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia.

    PubMed

    Xiang-Xin, Li; Lu-Qun, Wang; Hao, Li; Xiao-Peng, He; Fang-Lin, Li; Ling-Ling, Wang; Xue-Liang, Chen; Ming, Hou

    2014-01-01

    Objectives. To test the efficiency and safety of sequential application of retinoic acid (ATRA), Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula (RIF) and chemotherapy (CT) were used as the maintenance treatment in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Methods. This was a retrospective study of 98 patients with newly diagnosed APL who accepted two different maintenance treatments. After remission induction and consolidation chemotherapy according to their Sanz scores, patients received two different kinds of maintenance scheme. The first regimen was using ATRA, RIF, and standard dose of CT sequentially (ATRA/RIF/CT regimen), while the second one was using ATRA and low dose of chemotherapy with methotrexate (MTX) plus 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) alternately (ATRA/CTlow regimen). The OS, DFS, relapse rate, minimal residual disease, and adverse reactions in two groups were monitored and evaluated. Results. ATRA/RIF/CT regimen could effectively reduce the chance of relapse in different risk stratification of patients, but there was no significant difference in 5-year DFS rate and OS rate between the two groups. Besides, the patients in the experimental group suffered less severe adverse reactions than those in the control group. Conclusions. The repeated sequential therapeutic regimen to APL with ATRA, RIF, and chemotherapy is worth popularizing for its high effectiveness and low toxicity.

  2. Application of Sequential Extractions and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy to Determine the Speciation of Chromium in Northern New Jersey Marsh Soils Developed in Chromite ore Processing Residue (COPR)

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

    Elzinga, E.; Cirmo, A

    2010-01-01

    The Cr speciation in marsh soils developed in weathering chromite ore processing residue (COPR) was characterized using sequential extractions and synchrotron microbeam and bulk X-ray absorption spectroscopic (XAS) analyses. The sequential extractions suggested substantial Cr associated with reducible and oxidizable soil components, and significant non-extractable residual Cr. Notable differences in Cr speciation estimates from three extraction schemes underscore the operationally defined nature of Cr speciation provided by these methods. Micro X-ray fluorescence maps and {mu}-XAS data indicated the presence of {micro}m-sized chromite particles scattered throughout the weathered COPR matrix. These particles derive from the original COPR material, and have relativelymore » high resistance towards weathering, and therefore persist even after prolonged leaching. Bulk XAS data further indicated Cr(III) incorporated in Fe(OH){sub 3}, and Cr(III) associated with organic matter. The low Cr contents of the weathered material (200-850 ppm) compared to unweathered COPR (20,000-60,000 ppm) point to substantial Cr leaching during COPR weathering, with partial repartitioning of released Cr into secondary Fe(OH){sub 3} phases and organics. The effects of anoxia on Cr speciation, and the potential of active COPR weathering releasing Cr(VI) deeper in the profile require further study.« less

  3. Implementation of digital equality comparator circuit on memristive memory crossbar array using material implication logic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haron, Adib; Mahdzair, Fazren; Luqman, Anas; Osman, Nazmie; Junid, Syed Abdul Mutalib Al

    2018-03-01

    One of the most significant constraints of Von Neumann architecture is the limited bandwidth between memory and processor. The cost to move data back and forth between memory and processor is considerably higher than the computation in the processor itself. This architecture significantly impacts the Big Data and data-intensive application such as DNA analysis comparison which spend most of the processing time to move data. Recently, the in-memory processing concept was proposed, which is based on the capability to perform the logic operation on the physical memory structure using a crossbar topology and non-volatile resistive-switching memristor technology. This paper proposes a scheme to map digital equality comparator circuit on memristive memory crossbar array. The 2-bit, 4-bit, 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, and 64-bit of equality comparator circuit are mapped on memristive memory crossbar array by using material implication logic in a sequential and parallel method. The simulation results show that, for the 64-bit word size, the parallel mapping exhibits 2.8× better performance in total execution time than sequential mapping but has a trade-off in terms of energy consumption and area utilization. Meanwhile, the total crossbar area can be reduced by 1.2× for sequential mapping and 1.5× for parallel mapping both by using the overlapping technique.

  4. Demonstration of L-band DP-QPSK transmission over FSO and fiber channels employing InAs/InP quantum-dash laser source

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shemis, M. A.; Khan, M. T. A.; Alkhazraji, E.; Ragheb, A. M.; Esmail, M. A.; Fathallah, H.; Qureshi, K. K.; Alshebeili, S.; Khan, M. Z. M.

    2018-03-01

    The next generation of optical access communication networks that support 100 Gbps and beyond, require advances in modulation schemes, spectrum utilization, new transmission bands, and efficient devices, particularly laser diodes. In this paper, we investigated the viability of new-class of InAs/InP Quantum-dash laser diode (Qdash-LD) exhibiting multiple longitudinal light modes in the L-band to carry high-speed data rate for access network applications. We exploited external and self injection-locking techniques on Qdash-LD to generate large number of stable and tunable locked modes, and compared them. To stem the capability of each locked mode as a potential subcarrier, data transmission is carried out over two mediums; single mode fiber (SMF) and free space optics (FSO) to emulate real deployment scenarios of optical networks. The results showed that with external-injection locking (EIL), an error-free transmission of 100 Gbps dual polarization quadrature phase shift keying (DP-QPSK) signal is demonstrated over 10 km SMF and 4 m indoor FSO channels, with capability of reaching up to 128 Gbps, demonstrated under back-to-back (BTB) configuration. On the other hand, using self-injection locking (SIL) scheme, a successful data transmission of 64 Gbps and 128 Gbps DP-QPSK signal over 20 km SMF and 10 m indoor FSO links, respectively, is achieved.

  5. In situ laser-induced photochemical silver substrate synthesis and sequential SERS detection in a flow cell.

    PubMed

    Herman, Krisztian; Szabó, László; Leopold, Loredana F; Chiş, Vasile; Leopold, Nicolae

    2011-05-01

    A new, simple, and effective approach for multianalyte sequential surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection in a flow cell is reported. The silver substrate was prepared in situ by laser-induced photochemical synthesis. By focusing the laser on the 320 μm inner diameter glass capillary at 0.5 ml/min continuous flow of 1 mM silver nitrate and 10 mM sodium citrate mixture, a SERS active silver spot on the inner wall of the glass capillary was prepared in a few seconds. The test analytes, dacarbazine, 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR) complex with Cu(II), and amoxicillin, were sequentially injected into the flow cell. Each analyte was adsorbed to the silver surface, enabling the recording of high intensity SERS spectra even at 2 s integration times, followed by desorption from the silver surface and being washed away from the capillary. Before and after each analyte passed the detection window, citrate background spectra were recorded, and thus, no "memory effects" perturbed the SERS detection. A good reproducibility of the SERS spectra obtained under flow conditions was observed. The laser-induced photochemically synthesized silver substrate enables high Raman enhancement, is characterized by fast preparation with a high success rate, and represents a valuable alternative for silver colloids as SERS substrate in flow approaches.

  6. Kinetic Titration Series with Biolayer Interferometry

    PubMed Central

    Frenzel, Daniel; Willbold, Dieter

    2014-01-01

    Biolayer interferometry is a method to analyze protein interactions in real-time. In this study, we illustrate the usefulness to quantitatively analyze high affinity protein ligand interactions employing a kinetic titration series for characterizing the interactions between two pairs of interaction patterns, in particular immunoglobulin G and protein G B1 as well as scFv IC16 and amyloid beta (1–42). Kinetic titration series are commonly used in surface plasmon resonance and involve sequential injections of analyte over a desired concentration range on a single ligand coated sensor chip without waiting for complete dissociation between the injections. We show that applying this method to biolayer interferometry is straightforward and i) circumvents problems in data evaluation caused by unavoidable sensor differences, ii) saves resources and iii) increases throughput if screening a multitude of different analyte/ligand combinations. PMID:25229647

  7. Kinetic titration series with biolayer interferometry.

    PubMed

    Frenzel, Daniel; Willbold, Dieter

    2014-01-01

    Biolayer interferometry is a method to analyze protein interactions in real-time. In this study, we illustrate the usefulness to quantitatively analyze high affinity protein ligand interactions employing a kinetic titration series for characterizing the interactions between two pairs of interaction patterns, in particular immunoglobulin G and protein G B1 as well as scFv IC16 and amyloid beta (1-42). Kinetic titration series are commonly used in surface plasmon resonance and involve sequential injections of analyte over a desired concentration range on a single ligand coated sensor chip without waiting for complete dissociation between the injections. We show that applying this method to biolayer interferometry is straightforward and i) circumvents problems in data evaluation caused by unavoidable sensor differences, ii) saves resources and iii) increases throughput if screening a multitude of different analyte/ligand combinations.

  8. Skin friction reduction in supersonic flow by injection through slots, porous sections and combinations of the two

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schetz, J. A.; Vanovereem, J.

    1975-01-01

    An experimental study of skin friction reduction in a Mach 3.0 air steam with gaseous injection through a tangential slot, a porous wall section, and combinations of the two was conducted. The primary data obtained were wall shear values measured directly with a floating element balance and also inferred from Preston Tube measurements. Detailed profiles at several axial stations, wall pressure distributions and schlieren photographs are presented. The data indicate that a slot provides the greatest skin friction reduction in comparison with a reference flat plate experiment. The porous wall section arrangement suffers from an apparent roughness-induced rise in skin friction at low injection rates compared to the flat plate. The combination schemes demonstrated a potential for gain.

  9. Targeted Drug Delivery in the Suprachoroidal Space by Swollen Hydrogel Pushing.

    PubMed

    Jung, Jae Hwan; Desit, Patcharin; Prausnitz, Mark R

    2018-04-01

    The purpose is to target model drug particles to the posterior region of the suprachoroidal space (SCS) of the eye controlled via pushing by hydrogel swelling. A particle formulation containing 1% hyaluronic acid (HA) with fluorescent polymer particles and a hydrogel formulation containing 4% HA were introduced in a single syringe as two layers without mixing, and injected sequentially into the SCS of the rabbit eye ex vivo and in vivo using a microneedle. Distribution of particles in the eye was determined by microscopy. During injection, the particle formulation was pushed toward the middle of the SCS by the viscous hydrogel formulation, but less than 12% of particles reached the posterior SCS. After injection, the particle formulation was pushed further toward the macula and optic nerve in the posterior SCS by hydrogel swelling and spreading. Heating the eye to 37°C, or injecting in vivo decreased viscosity and mechanical strength of the hydrogel, thereby allowing it to swell and flow further in the SCS. A high salt concentration (9% NaCl) in the hydrogel formulation further increased hydrogel swelling due to osmotic flow into the hydrogel. In this way, up to 76% of particles were delivered to the posterior SCS from an injection made near the limbus. This study shows that model drug particles can be targeted to the posterior SCS by HA hydrogel swelling and pushing without particle functionalization or administering external driving forces.

  10. Histopathological Alterations after Single Epidural Injection of Ropivacaine, Methylprednizolone Acetate, or Contrast Material in Swine

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

    Kitsou, Maria-Chrysanthi; Kostopanagiotou, Georgia; Kalimeris, Konstantinos

    Purpose: The consequences from the injection of different types of drugs in the epidural space remains unknown. Increasing evidence suggests that localized inflammation, fibrosis, and arachnoiditis can complicate sequential epidural blockades, or even epidural contrast injection. We investigate the in vivo effect of epidural injections in the epidural space in an animal model. Materials and Methods: A group of ten male adult pigs, five punctures to each at distinct vertebral interspaces under general anesthesia, were examined, testing different drugs, used regularly in the epidural space (iopamidol, methylprednisolone acetate, ropivacaine). Each site was marked with a percutaneous hook wire marker. Histologicalmore » analysis of the epidural space, the meninges, and the underlying spinal cord of the punctured sites along with staining for caspase-3 followed 20 days later. Results: The epidural space did not manifest adhesions or any other pathology, and the outer surface of the dura was not impaired in any specimen. The group that had the contrast media injection showed a higher inflammation response compared to the other groups (P = 0.001). Positive staining for caspase-3 was limited to <5% of neurons with all substances used. Conclusion: No proof of arachnoiditis and/or fibrosis was noted in the epidural space with the use of the above-described drugs. A higher inflammation rate was noted with the use of contrast media.« less

  11. Measurement of density and affinity for dopamine D2 receptors by a single positron emission tomography scan with multiple injections of [11C]raclopride

    PubMed Central

    Ikoma, Yoko; Watabe, Hiroshi; Hayashi, Takuya; Miyake, Yoshinori; Teramoto, Noboru; Minato, Kotaro; Iida, Hidehiro

    2010-01-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) with [11C]raclopride has been used to investigate the density (Bmax) and affinity (Kd) of dopamine D2 receptors related to several neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, in assessing the Bmax and Kd, multiple PET scans are necessary under variable specific activities of administered [11C]raclopride, resulting in a long study period and unexpected physiological variations. In this paper, we have developed a method of multiple-injection graphical analysis (MI-GA) that provides the Bmax and Kd values from a single PET scan with three sequential injections of [11C]raclopride, and we validated the proposed method by performing numerous simulations and PET studies on monkeys. In the simulations, the three-injection protocol was designed according to prior knowledge of the receptor kinetics, and the errors of Bmax and Kd estimated by MI-GA were analyzed. Simulations showed that our method could support the calculation of Bmax and Kd, despite a slight overestimation compared with the true magnitudes. In monkey studies, we could calculate the Bmax and Kd of diseased or normal striatum in a 150 mins scan with the three-injection protocol of [11C]raclopride. Estimated Bmax and Kd values of D2 receptors in normal or partially dopamine-depleted striatum were comparable to the previously reported values. PMID:19904285

  12. Microbially Enhanced Oil Recovery by Sequential Injection of Light Hydrocarbon and Nitrate in Low- And High-Pressure Bioreactors.

    PubMed

    Gassara, Fatma; Suri, Navreet; Stanislav, Paul; Voordouw, Gerrit

    2015-10-20

    Microbially enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) often involves injection of aqueous molasses and nitrate to stimulate resident or introduced bacteria. Use of light oil components like toluene, as electron donor for nitrate-reducing bacteria (NRB), offers advantages but at 1-2 mM toluene is limiting in many heavy oils. Because addition of toluene to the oil increased reduction of nitrate by NRB, we propose an MEOR technology, in which water amended with light hydrocarbon below the solubility limit (5.6 mM for toluene) is injected to improve the nitrate reduction capacity of the oil along the water flow path, followed by injection of nitrate, other nutrients (e.g., phosphate) and a consortium of NRB, if necessary. Hydrocarbon- and nitrate-mediated MEOR was tested in low- and high-pressure, water-wet sandpack bioreactors with 0.5 pore volumes of residual oil in place (ROIP). Compared to control bioreactors, those with 11-12 mM of toluene in the oil (gained by direct addition or by aqueous injection) and 80 mM of nitrate in the aqueous phase produced 16.5 ± 4.4% of additional ROIP (N = 10). Because toluene is a cheap commodity chemical, HN-MEOR has the potential to be a cost-effective method for additional oil production even in the current low oil price environment.

  13. Flexible $$I_{Q}\\!\\!-\\!\\!V$$ Scheme of a DFIG for Rapid Voltage Regulation of a Wind Power Plant

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

    Kim, Jinho; Muljadi, Eduard; Park, Jung -Wook

    This paper proposes a flexible reactive current-to-voltage (I Q-V) scheme of a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) for the rapid voltage regulation of a wind power plant (WPP). In the proposed scheme, the WPP controller dispatches different voltage set points to the DFIGs depending on their rotor voltage margins. The DFIGs inject different reactive power with the flexible I Q-V schemes implemented in the rotor-side and grid-side converters. The I Q-V characteristic, which consists of the gain and width of a linear band and I Q capability, varies with time depending on the I Q capability of the converters and amore » voltage dip at the point of interconnection (POI). To increase the I Q capability during a fault, the active current is reduced in proportion to a voltage dip. If the I Q capability and/or the POI voltage dip are large, the I Q-V gain is set to be high, thereby providing rapid voltage regulation. To avoid an overvoltage after the fault clearance, a rapid I Q reduction scheme is implemented in the WPP and DFIG controllers. The performance of the proposed flexible scheme was verified under scenarios with various disturbances. In conclusion, the proposed scheme can help increase wind power penetration without jeopardizing voltage stability.« less

  14. Flexible $$I_{Q}\\!\\!-\\!\\!V$$ Scheme of a DFIG for Rapid Voltage Regulation of a Wind Power Plant

    DOE PAGES

    Kim, Jinho; Muljadi, Eduard; Park, Jung -Wook; ...

    2017-04-28

    This paper proposes a flexible reactive current-to-voltage (I Q-V) scheme of a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) for the rapid voltage regulation of a wind power plant (WPP). In the proposed scheme, the WPP controller dispatches different voltage set points to the DFIGs depending on their rotor voltage margins. The DFIGs inject different reactive power with the flexible I Q-V schemes implemented in the rotor-side and grid-side converters. The I Q-V characteristic, which consists of the gain and width of a linear band and I Q capability, varies with time depending on the I Q capability of the converters and amore » voltage dip at the point of interconnection (POI). To increase the I Q capability during a fault, the active current is reduced in proportion to a voltage dip. If the I Q capability and/or the POI voltage dip are large, the I Q-V gain is set to be high, thereby providing rapid voltage regulation. To avoid an overvoltage after the fault clearance, a rapid I Q reduction scheme is implemented in the WPP and DFIG controllers. The performance of the proposed flexible scheme was verified under scenarios with various disturbances. In conclusion, the proposed scheme can help increase wind power penetration without jeopardizing voltage stability.« less

  15. Structural and spectrophotometric characterization of 2-[4-(dimethylamino)styryl]-1-ethylquinolinium iodide as a reagent for sequential injection determination of tungsten

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bazel, Yaroslav; Lešková, Martina; Rečlo, Michal; Šandrejová, Jana; Simon, András; Fizer, Maksym; Sidey, Vasyl

    2018-05-01

    Structure, spectrophotometric and protolytic properties of the styryl dye 2-[4-(dimethylamino)styryl]-1-ethylquinolinium iodide (R) as well as its complex with tungsten were studied. The selective protonation of dimethylamino group was confirmed by density functional theory investigation through the computation of Fukui function, NPA partial atomic charges, and NICS(0) aromaticity indexes. The TD-DFT study explains the experimental change of color by excluding the dimethylamino group from HOMO orbital upon protonation. The acid dissociation constant, the optimum wavelength and the molar absorptivity of R were found to be: 3.02, 501 nm and 4.0 × 104 L mol-1 cm-1, respectively. The protolytic properties of the reagent were found to change significantly in the presence of tungsten(VI). Analysis of bond critical points between the anions and Quinaldine Red cation gives the selectivity raw HWO4- > MoO4-> H2VO4- > ReO4- > ClO4-, that perfectly match with the experimental data. Based on this observation, a non-extractive sequential-injection spectrophotometric method for the determination of tungsten was developed. The absorbance of the colored extracts obeys Beer's law up to 55.2 mg L-1 of W at 520 nm wavelength. The limit of detection calculated from a blank test (n = 10) based on 3 s was 0.96 mg L-1. The developed method was applied for the determination of tungsten in model samples.

  16. Sequential changes in the expression of Wnt- and Notch-related genes in the vagina and uterus of ovariectomized mice after estrogen exposure.

    PubMed

    Nakamura, Takeshi; Miyagawa, Shinichi; Katsu, Yoshinao; Sato, Tomomi; Iguchi, Taisen; Ohta, Yasuhiko

    2012-01-01

    Estrogen regulates morphological changes in reproductive organs, such as the vagina and uterus, during the estrous cycles in mice. Estrogen depletion by ovariectomy in adults results in atrophy accompanied by apoptosis in vaginal and uterine cells, while estrogen treatment following ovariectomy elicits cell proliferation in both organs. Sequential changes in mRNA expression of wingless-related MMTV integration site (Wnt) and Notch signaling genes were analyzed in the vagina and uterus of ovariectomized adult mice after a single injection of 17β-estradiol to provide understanding over the molecular basis of differences in response to estrogen in these organs. We found estrogen-dependent up-regulation of Wnt4, Wnt5a and p21 and down-regulation of Wnt11, hairy/enhancer-of-split related with YRPW motif-1 (Hey1) and delta-like 4 (Dll4) in the vagina, and up-regulation of Wnt4, Wnt5a, Hey1, Heyl, Dll1, p21 and p53 and down-regulation of Wnt11, Hey2 and Dll4 in the uterus. The expression of Wnt4, Hey1, Hey2, Heyl, Dll1 and p53 showed different patterns after the estrogen injection. Expression patterns for Wnt5a, Wnt11, Dll4 and p21 in the vagina and uterus were similar, suggesting that these genes are involved in the proliferation of cells in both those organs in mice.

  17. Automated solid-phase extraction hyphenated to voltammetry for the determination of quercetin using magnetic nanoparticles and sequential injection lab-on-valve approach.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yang; Wang, Lu; Tian, Tian; Hu, Xiaoya; Yang, Chun; Xu, Qin

    2012-05-21

    In this study, an automated sequential injection lab-on-valve (SI-LOV) system was designed for the on-line matrix removal and preconcentration of quercetin. Octadecyl functionalized magnetic silica nanoparticles were prepared and packed into the microcolumn of the LOV as adsorbents. After being adsorbed through hydrophobic interaction, the analyte was eluted and subsequently introduced into the electrochemical flow cell by voltammetric quantification. The main parameters affecting the performance of solid-phase extraction, such as sample pH and flow rate, eluent solution and volume, accumulation potential and accumulation time were investigated in detail. Under the optimum experimental conditions, a linear calibration curve was obtained in the range of 1.0 × 10(-8) to 1 × 10(-5) mol L(-1) with R(2) = 0.9979. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 1.3 × 10(-9) and 4.3 × 10(-9) mol L(-1), respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) for the determination of 1.0 × 10(-6) mol L(-1) quercetin was found to be 2.9% (n = 11) along with a sampling frequency of 40 h(-1). The applicability and reliability of the automated method described here had been applied to the determination of quercetin in human urine and red wine samples through recovery experiments, and the obtained results were in good agreement with those obtained by the HPLC method.

  18. Massively parallel GPU-accelerated minimization of classical density functional theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stopper, Daniel; Roth, Roland

    2017-08-01

    In this paper, we discuss the ability to numerically minimize the grand potential of hard disks in two-dimensional and of hard spheres in three-dimensional space within the framework of classical density functional and fundamental measure theory on modern graphics cards. Our main finding is that a massively parallel minimization leads to an enormous performance gain in comparison to standard sequential minimization schemes. Furthermore, the results indicate that in complex multi-dimensional situations, a heavy parallel minimization of the grand potential seems to be mandatory in order to reach a reasonable balance between accuracy and computational cost.

  19. Advanced Millimeter-Wave Imaging Enhances Security Screening

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

    Sheen, David M.; Bernacki, Bruce E.; McMakin, Douglas L.

    2012-01-12

    Millimeter-wave imaging is rapidly gaining acceptance for passenger screening at airports and other secured facilities. This paper details a number of techniques developed over the last several years including novel image reconstruction and display techniques, polarimetric imaging techniques, array switching schemes, as well as high frequency high bandwidth techniques. Implementation of some of these methods will increase the cost and complexity of the mm-wave security portal imaging systems. RF photonic methods may provide new solutions to the design and development of the sequentially switched linear mm-wave arrays that are the key element in the mm-wave portal imaging systems.

  20. Advanced Millimeter-Wave Security Portal Imaging Techniques

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

    Sheen, David M.; Bernacki, Bruce E.; McMakin, Douglas L.

    2012-04-01

    Millimeter-wave imaging is rapidly gaining acceptance for passenger screening at airports and other secured facilities. This paper details a number of techniques developed over the last several years including novel image reconstruction and display techniques, polarimetric imaging techniques, array switching schemes, as well as high frequency high bandwidth techniques. Implementation of some of these methods will increase the cost and complexity of the mm-wave security portal imaging systems. RF photonic methods may provide new solutions to the design and development of the sequentially switched linear mm-wave arrays that are the key element in the mm-wave portal imaging systems.

  1. Quantum rotation gates with controlled nonadiabatic evolutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdelrahim, Abdelrahman A. H.; Benmachiche, Abderrahim; Subhi Mahmoud, Gharib; Messikh, Azeddine

    2018-04-01

    Quantum gates can be implemented adiabatically and nonadiabatically. Many schemes used at least two sequentially implemented gates to obtain an arbitrary one-qubit gate. Recently, it has been shown that nonadiabatic gates can be realized by single-shot implementation. It has also been shown that quantum gates can be implemented with controlled adiabatic evolutions. In this paper, we combine the advantage of single-shot implementation with controlled adiabatic evolutions to obtain controlled nonadiabatic evolutions. We also investigate the robustness to different types of errors. We find that the fidelity is close to unity for realistic decoherence rates.

  2. Digital Image Speckle Correlation for the Quantification of the Cosmetic Treatment with Botulinum Toxin Type A (BTX-A)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhatnagar, Divya; Conkling, Nicole; Rafailovich, Miriam; Dagum, Alexander

    2012-02-01

    The skin on the face is directly attached to the underlying muscles. Here, we successfully introduce a non-invasive, non-contact technique, Digital Image Speckle Correlation (DISC), to measure the precise magnitude and duration of facial muscle paralysis inflicted by BTX-A. Subjective evaluation by clinicians and patients fail to objectively quantify the direct effect and duration of BTX-A on the facial musculature. By using DISC, we can (a) Directly measure deformation field of the facial skin and determine the locus of facial muscular tension(b)Quantify and monitor muscular paralysis and subsequent re-innervation following injection; (c) Continuously correlate the appearance of wrinkles and muscular tension. Two sequential photographs of slight facial motion (frowning, raising eyebrows) are taken. DISC processes the images to produce a vector map of muscular displacement from which spatially resolved information is obtained regarding facial tension. DISC can track the ability of different muscle groups to contract and can be used to predict the site of injection, quantify muscle paralysis and the rate of recovery following BOTOX injection.

  3. Redesigning flow injection after 40 years of development: Flow programming.

    PubMed

    Ruzicka, Jaromir Jarda

    2018-01-01

    Automation of reagent based assays, by means of Flow Injection (FI), is based on sample processing, in which a sample flows continuously towards and through a detector for quantification of the target analyte. The Achilles heel of this methodology, the legacy of Auto Analyzer®, is continuous reagent consumption, and continuous generation of chemical waste. However, flow programming, assisted by recent advances in precise pumping, combined with the lab-on-valve technique, allows the FI manifold to be designed around a single confluence point through which sample and reagents are sequentially directed by means of a series of flow reversals. This approach results in sample/reagent mixing analogous to the traditional FI, reduces sample and reagent consumption, and uses the stop flow technique for enhancement of the yield of chemical reactions. The feasibility of programmable Flow Injection (pFI) is documented by example of commonly used spectrophotometric assays of, phosphate, nitrate, nitrite and glucose. Experimental details and additional information are available in online tutorial http://www.flowinjectiontutorial.com/. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Effect of injection current and temperature on signal strength in a laser diode optical feedback interferometer.

    PubMed

    Al Roumy, Jalal; Perchoux, Julien; Lim, Yah Leng; Taimre, Thomas; Rakić, Aleksandar D; Bosch, Thierry

    2015-01-10

    We present a simple analytical model that describes the injection current and temperature dependence of optical feedback interferometry signal strength for a single-mode laser diode. The model is derived from the Lang and Kobayashi rate equations, and is developed both for signals acquired from the monitoring photodiode (proportional to the variations in optical power) and for those obtained by amplification of the corresponding variations in laser voltage. The model shows that both the photodiode and the voltage signal strengths are dependent on the laser slope efficiency, which itself is a function of the injection current and the temperature. Moreover, the model predicts that the photodiode and voltage signal strengths depend differently on injection current and temperature. This important model prediction was proven experimentally for a near-infrared distributed feedback laser by measuring both types of signals over a wide range of injection currents and temperatures. Therefore, this simple model provides important insight into the radically different biasing strategies required to achieve optimal sensor sensitivity for both interferometric signal acquisition schemes.

  5. Process-model Simulations of Cloud Albedo Enhancement by Aerosols in the Arctic

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

    Kravitz, Benjamin S.; Wang, Hailong; Rasch, Philip J.

    2014-11-17

    A cloud-resolving model is used to simulate the effectiveness of Arctic marine cloud brightening via injection of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). An updated cloud microphysical scheme is employed, with prognostic CCN and cloud particle numbers in both liquid and mixed-phase marine low clouds. Injection of CCN into the marine boundary layer can delay the collapse of the boundary layer and increase low-cloud albedo. Because nearly all of the albedo effects are in the liquid phase due to the removal of ice water by snowfall when ice processes are involved, albedo increases are stronger for pure liquid clouds than mixed-phase clouds.more » Liquid precipitation can be suppressed by CCN injection, whereas ice precipitation (snow) is affected less; thus the effectiveness of brightening mixed-phase clouds is lower than for liquid-only clouds. CCN injection into a clean regime results in a greater albedo increase than injection into a polluted regime, consistent with current knowledge about aerosol-cloud interactions. Unlike previous studies investigating warm clouds, dynamical changes in circulation due to precipitation changes are small.« less

  6. Frequency division multiplexed radio-over-fiber transmission using an optically injected laser diode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chan, Sze-Chun

    2008-04-01

    Nonlinear dynamics of semiconductor lasers have recently attracted much attention in the area of microwave photonics. By invoking the nonlinear dynamics of an optically injected laser diode, high-speed microwave oscillation can be generated using the period-one oscillation state. The oscillation is harnessed for application as a photonic microwave source in radio-over-fiber (RoF) systems. It is advantageous over conventional direct current modulation because it alleviates the modulation bandwidth limitation and naturally generates single sideband signals. The method is thus applicable to wireless communication systems even when the subcarrier frequency increases to 60 GHz. Because RoF is usually incorporated with standard wireless schemes that involve frequency division multiplexing (FDM), we investigate the performance of the optical injection system under simultaneous current injection of multiple data streams. Frequency mixings and competition for locking among subcarriers result in intermodulation distortion (IMD). The relative weightings of different channels should be optimized to ensure acceptable signal qualities. The results illustrate the feasibility of applying the optical injection system for FDM RoF transmission at high subcarrier frequencies.

  7. Active Management of Integrated Geothermal-CO2 Storage Reservoirs in Sedimentary Formations

    DOE Data Explorer

    Buscheck, Thomas A.

    2012-01-01

    Active Management of Integrated Geothermal–CO2 Storage Reservoirs in Sedimentary Formations: An Approach to Improve Energy Recovery and Mitigate Risk: FY1 Final Report The purpose of phase 1 is to determine the feasibility of integrating geologic CO2 storage (GCS) with geothermal energy production. Phase 1 includes reservoir analyses to determine injector/producer well schemes that balance the generation of economically useful flow rates at the producers with the need to manage reservoir overpressure to reduce the risks associated with overpressure, such as induced seismicity and CO2 leakage to overlying aquifers. Based on a range of well schemes, techno-economic analyses of the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) are conducted to determine the economic benefits of integrating GCS with geothermal energy production. In addition to considering CO2 injection, reservoir analyses are conducted for nitrogen (N2) injection to investigate the potential benefits of incorporating N2 injection with integrated geothermal-GCS, as well as the use of N2 injection as a potential pressure-support and working-fluid option. Phase 1 includes preliminary environmental risk assessments of integrated geothermal-GCS, with the focus on managing reservoir overpressure. Phase 1 also includes an economic survey of pipeline costs, which will be applied in Phase 2 to the analysis of CO2 conveyance costs for techno-economics analyses of integrated geothermal-GCS reservoir sites. Phase 1 also includes a geospatial GIS survey of potential integrated geothermal-GCS reservoir sites, which will be used in Phase 2 to conduct sweet-spot analyses that determine where promising geothermal resources are co-located in sedimentary settings conducive to safe CO2 storage, as well as being in adequate proximity to large stationary CO2 sources.

  8. Mixing and combustion enhancement of Turbocharged Solid Propellant Ramjet

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Shichang; Li, Jiang; Zhu, Gen; Wang, Wei; Liu, Yang

    2018-02-01

    Turbocharged Solid Propellant Ramjet is a new concept engine that combines the advantages of both solid rocket ramjet and Air Turbo Rocket, with a wide operation envelope and high performance. There are three streams of the air, turbine-driving gas and augment gas to mix and combust in the afterburner, and the coaxial intake mode of the afterburner is disadvantageous to the mixing and combustion. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out mixing and combustion enhancement research. In this study, the numerical model of Turbocharged Solid Propellant Ramjet three-dimensional combustion flow field is established, and the numerical simulation of the mixing and combustion enhancement scheme is conducted from the aspects of head region intake mode to injection method in afterburner. The results show that by driving the compressed air to deflect inward and the turbine-driving gas to maintain strong rotation, radial and tangential momentum exchange of the two streams can be enhanced, thereby improving the efficiency of mixing and combustion in the afterburner. The method of injecting augment gas in the transverse direction and making sure the injection location is as close as possible to the head region is beneficial to improve the combustion efficiency. The outer combustion flow field of the afterburner is an oxidizer-rich environment, while the inner is a fuel-rich environment. To improve the efficiency of mixing and combustion, it is necessary to control the injection velocity of the augment gas to keep it in the oxygen-rich zone of the outer region. The numerical simulation for different flight conditions shows that the optimal mixing and combustion enhancement scheme can obtain high combustion efficiency and have excellent applicability in a wide working range.

  9. Investigation of trailing mass in Z-pinch implosions and comparison to experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Edmund

    2007-11-01

    Wire-array Z pinches represent efficient, high-power x-ray sources with application to inertial confinement fusion, high energy density plasmas, and laboratory astrophysics. The first stage of a wire-array Z pinch is described by a mass ablation phase, during which stationary wires cook off material, which is then accelerated radially inwards by the JxB force. The mass injection rate varies axially and azimuthally, so that once the ablation phase concludes, the subsequent implosion is highly 3D in nature. In particular, a network of trailing mass and current is left behind the imploding plasma sheath, which can significantly affect pinch performance. In this work we focus on the implosion phase, electing to model the mass ablation via a mass injection scheme. Such a scheme has a number of injection parameters, but this freedom also allows us to gain understanding into the nature of the trailing mass network. For instance, a new result illustrates the role of azimuthal correlation. For an implosion which is 100% azimuthally correlated (corresponding to an azimuthally symmetric 2D r-z problem), current is forced to flow on the imploding plasma sheath, resulting in strong Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) growth. If, however, the implosion is not azimuthally symmetric, the additional azimuthal degree of freedom opens up new conducting paths of lower magnetic energy through the trailing mass network, effectively reducing RT growth. Consequently the 3D implosion experiences lower RT growth than the 2D r-z equivalent, and actually results in a more shell-like implosion. A second major goal of this work is to constrain the injection parameters by comparison to a well-diagnosed experimental data set, in which array mass was varied. In collaboration with R. Lemke, M. Desjarlais, M. Cuneo, C. Jennings, D. Sinars, E. Waisman

  10. Highly selective micro-sequential injection lab-on-valve (muSI-LOV) method for the determination of ultra-trace concentrations of nickel in saline matrices using detection by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Long, Xiangbao; Miró, Manuel; Jensen, Rikard; Hansen, Elo Harald

    2006-10-01

    A highly selective procedure is proposed for the determination of ultra-trace level concentrations of nickel in saline aqueous matrices exploiting a micro-sequential injection Lab-On-Valve (muSI-LOV) sample pretreatment protocol comprising bead injection separation/pre-concentration and detection by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). Based on the dimethylglyoxime (DMG) reaction used for nickel analysis, the sample, as contained in a pH 9.0 buffer, is, after on-line merging with the chelating reagent, transported to a reaction coil attached to one of the external ports of the LOV to assure sufficient reaction time for the formation of Ni(DMG)(2) chelate. The non-ionic coordination compound is then collected in a renewable micro-column packed with a reversed-phase copolymeric sorbent [namely, poly(divinylbenzene-co-N-vinylpyrrolidone)] containing a balanced ratio of hydrophilic and lipophilic monomers. Following elution by a 50-muL methanol plug in an air-segmented modality, the nickel is finally quantified by ETAAS. Under the optimized conditions and for a sample volume of 1.8 mL, a retention efficiency of 70 % and an enrichment factor of 25 were obtained. The proposed methodology showed a high tolerance to the commonly encountered alkaline earth matrix elements in environmental waters, that is, calcium and magnesium, and was successfully applied for the determination of nickel in an NIST standard reference material (NIST 1640-Trace elements in natural water), household tap water of high hardness and local seawater. Satisfying recoveries were achieved for all spiked environmental water samples with maximum deviations of 6 %. The experimental results for the standard reference material were not statistically different to the certified value at a significance level of 0.05.

  11. Development of a dynamic coupled hydro-geomechanical code and its application to induced seismicity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miah, Md Mamun

    This research describes the importance of a hydro-geomechanical coupling in the geologic sub-surface environment from fluid injection at geothermal plants, large-scale geological CO2 sequestration for climate mitigation, enhanced oil recovery, and hydraulic fracturing during wells construction in the oil and gas industries. A sequential computational code is developed to capture the multiphysics interaction behavior by linking a flow simulation code TOUGH2 and a geomechanics modeling code PyLith. Numerical formulation of each code is discussed to demonstrate their modeling capabilities. The computational framework involves sequential coupling, and solution of two sub-problems- fluid flow through fractured and porous media and reservoir geomechanics. For each time step of flow calculation, pressure field is passed to the geomechanics code to compute effective stress field and fault slips. A simplified permeability model is implemented in the code that accounts for the permeability of porous and saturated rocks subject to confining stresses. The accuracy of the TOUGH-PyLith coupled simulator is tested by simulating Terzaghi's 1D consolidation problem. The modeling capability of coupled poroelasticity is validated by benchmarking it against Mandel's problem. The code is used to simulate both quasi-static and dynamic earthquake nucleation and slip distribution on a fault from the combined effect of far field tectonic loading and fluid injection by using an appropriate fault constitutive friction model. Results from the quasi-static induced earthquake simulations show a delayed response in earthquake nucleation. This is attributed to the increased total stress in the domain and not accounting for pressure on the fault. However, this issue is resolved in the final chapter in simulating a single event earthquake dynamic rupture. Simulation results show that fluid pressure has a positive effect on slip nucleation and subsequent crack propagation. This is confirmed by running a sensitivity analysis that shows an increase in injection well distance results in delayed slip nucleation and rupture propagation on the fault.

  12. Determination of picloram in natural waters employing sequential injection square wave voltammetry using the hanging mercury drop electrode.

    PubMed

    Dos Santos, Luciana B O; Masini, Jorge C

    2007-05-15

    This paper describes the development of a sequential injection analysis method to automate the determination of picloram by square wave voltammetry exploiting the concept of monosegmented flow analysis to perform in-line sample conditioning and standard addition. To perform these tasks, an 800muL monosegment is formed, composed by 400muL of sample and 400muL of conditioning/standard solution, in medium of 0.10molL(-1) H(2)SO(4). Homogenization of the monosegment is achieved by three flow reversals. After homogenization the mixture zone is injected toward the flow cell, which is adapted to the capillary of a hanging drop mercury electrode, at a flow rate of 50muLs(-1). After a suitable delay time, the potential is scanned from -0.5 to -1.0V versus Ag/AgCl at frequency of 300Hz and pulse height of 25mV. The linear dynamic range is observed for picloram concentrations between 0.10 and 2.50mgL(-1) fitting to the linear equation I(p)=(-2.19+/-0.03)C(picloram)+(0.096+/-0.039), with R(2)=0.9996, for which the slope is given in muALmg(-1). The detection and quantification limits are 0.036 and 0.12mgL(-1), respectively. The sampling frequency is 37h(-1) when the standard addition protocol is followed, but can be increased to 41h(-1) if the protocol to obtain in-line external calibration curve is used for quantification. The method was applied for determination of picloram in spiked water samples and the accuracy was evaluated by comparison with high performance liquid chromatography using molecular absorption at 220nm for detection. No evidences of statistically significant differences between the two methods were observed.

  13. On the Specification of Smoke Injection Heights for Aerosol Forecasting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    da Silva, A.; Schaefer, C.; Randles, C. A.

    2014-12-01

    The proper forecasting of biomass burning (BB) aerosols in global or regional transport models requires not only the specification of emission rates with sufficient temporal resolution but also the injection layers of such emissions. While current near realtime biomass burning inventories such as GFAS, QFED, FINN, GBBEP and FLAMBE provide such emission rates, it is left for each modeling system to come up with its own scheme for distributing these emissions in the vertical. A number of operational aerosol forecasting models deposits BB emissions in the near surface model layers, relying on the model's parameterization of turbulent and convective transport to determine the vertical mass distribution of BB aerosols. Despite their simplicity such schemes have been relatively successful reproducing the vertical structure of BB aerosols, except for those large fires that produce enough buoyancy to puncture the PBL and deposit the smoke at higher layers. Plume Rise models such as the so-called 'Freitas model', parameterize this sub-grid buoyancy effect, but require the specification of fire size and heat fluxes, none of which is readily available in near real-time from current remotely-sensed products. In this talk we will introduce a bayesian algorithm for estimating file size and heat fluxes from MODIS brightness temperatures. For small to moderate fires the Freitas model driven by these heat flux estimates produces plume tops that are highly correlated with the GEOS-5 model estimate of PBL height. Comparison to MINX plume height estimates from MISR indicates moderate skill of this scheme predicting the injection height of large fires. As an alternative, we make use of OMPS UV aerosol index data in combination with estimates of Overshooting Convective Tops (from MODIS and Geo-stationary satellites) to detect PyCu events and specify the BB emission vertical mass distribution in such cases. We will present a discussion of case studies during the SEAC4RS field campaign in August-September 2013.

  14. [Clinical research of analgesic for labor with acupoint injection and electroacupuncture].

    PubMed

    Liu, Xiaohui; Wu, Lingling; Yi, Wei

    2015-11-01

    To explore a safe and effective scheme of analgesic for labor. Eighty-four primiparas without contraindication of vaginal delivery were divided into an observation group and a control group, 42 cases in each one. In the observation group, the acupoint injection was given at Zusanli (ST 36) combined with electroacupuncture (EA) at Hegu (LI 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) till the cervical opening at the end of first stage labor. In the control group, the routine respiratory instruction was applied. In 5 min, 10 min and 60 min of acupuncture (the same time points in the control group) as well as at the end of the first and second stage labor, the analgesic effect was assessed for the primiparas of the two groups. The labor stages, adverse reactions, postpartum hemorrhage, postpartum urine retention, newborn asphyxia rate and usage rate of oxytocin were compared between the two groups. In the observation group, in 5 min, 10 min and 60 min of acupuncture as well as at the end of the first and second stages, the visual analogue scale (VAS) was lower apparently as compared with the control group at the corresponding time points (all P < 0.05). The differences in the time limit in the active period, the second and third stages were not significant between the two groups (all P > 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions and the usage rate of oxytocin were lower than those in the control group [2.4% (1/42) vs 31.0% (13/42); 2.4% (1/42) vs 23.8% (10/42), both P < 0.05]. The differences in postpartum hemorrhage, postpartum urine retention and newborn asphyxia rate were not significant between the two groups (all P > 0.05). The combination of acupoint injection and EA is the effective analgesic scheme for labor. This scheme effectively alleviates labor pain and has no maternal and child complications.

  15. Evaluation of Impinging Stream Vortex Chamber Concepts for Liquid Rocket Engine Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Trinh, Huu P.; Bullard, Brad; Kopicz, Charles; Michaels, Scott; Turner, James (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    To pursue technology developments for future launch vehicles, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is examining vortex chamber concepts for liquid rocket engine applications. Past studies indicated that the vortex chamber schemes potentially have a number of advantages over conventional chamber methods. Due to the nature of the vortex flow, relatively cooler propellant streams tend to flow along the chamber wall. Hence, the thruster chamber can be operated without the need of any cooling techniques. This vortex flow also creates strong turbulence, which promotes the propellant mixing process. Consequently, the subject chamber concepts not only offer the system simplicity, but they also would enhance the combustion performance. The test results showed that the chamber performance was markedly high even at a low chamber length-to-diameter ratio (L/D). This incentive can be translated to a convenience in the thrust chamber packaging. Variations of the vortex chamber concepts have been introduced in the past few decades. These investigations include an ongoing work at Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC). By injecting the oxidizer tangentially at the chamber convergence and fuel axially at the chamber head end, Knuth et al. were able to keep the wall relatively cold. A recent investigation of the low L/D vortex chamber concept for gel propellants was conducted by Michaels. He used both triplet (two oxidizer and one fuel orifices) and unlike impinging schemes to inject propellants tangentially along the chamber wall. Michaels called the subject injection scheme as Impinging Stream Vortex Chamber (ISVC). His preliminary tests showed that high performance, with an Isp efficiency of 92%, can be obtained. MSFC and the U.S. Army are jointly investigating an application of the ISVC concept for the cryogenic oxygen/hydrocarbon propellant system. This vortex chamber concept is currently tested with gel propellants at AMCOM at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. A version of this concept for the liquid oxygen (LOX)/hydrocarbon fuel (RPM) system has been derived from the one for the gel propellant.

  16. Modern control concepts in hydrology. [parameter identification in adaptive stochastic control approach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duong, N.; Winn, C. B.; Johnson, G. R.

    1975-01-01

    Two approaches to an identification problem in hydrology are presented, based upon concepts from modern control and estimation theory. The first approach treats the identification of unknown parameters in a hydrologic system subject to noisy inputs as an adaptive linear stochastic control problem; the second approach alters the model equation to account for the random part in the inputs, and then uses a nonlinear estimation scheme to estimate the unknown parameters. Both approaches use state-space concepts. The identification schemes are sequential and adaptive and can handle either time-invariant or time-dependent parameters. They are used to identify parameters in the Prasad model of rainfall-runoff. The results obtained are encouraging and confirm the results from two previous studies; the first using numerical integration of the model equation along with a trial-and-error procedure, and the second using a quasi-linearization technique. The proposed approaches offer a systematic way of analyzing the rainfall-runoff process when the input data are imbedded in noise.

  17. Compile-time estimation of communication costs in multicomputers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gupta, Manish; Banerjee, Prithviraj

    1991-01-01

    An important problem facing numerous research projects on parallelizing compilers for distributed memory machines is that of automatically determining a suitable data partitioning scheme for a program. Any strategy for automatic data partitioning needs a mechanism for estimating the performance of a program under a given partitioning scheme, the most crucial part of which involves determining the communication costs incurred by the program. A methodology is described for estimating the communication costs at compile-time as functions of the numbers of processors over which various arrays are distributed. A strategy is described along with its theoretical basis, for making program transformations that expose opportunities for combining of messages, leading to considerable savings in the communication costs. For certain loops with regular dependences, the compiler can detect the possibility of pipelining, and thus estimate communication costs more accurately than it could otherwise. These results are of great significance to any parallelization system supporting numeric applications on multicomputers. In particular, they lay down a framework for effective synthesis of communication on multicomputers from sequential program references.

  18. Non-volatile Clocked Spin Wave Interconnect for Beyond-CMOS Nanomagnet Pipelines

    PubMed Central

    Dutta, Sourav; Chang, Sou-Chi; Kani, Nickvash; Nikonov, Dmitri E.; Manipatruni, Sasikanth; Young, Ian A.; Naeemi, Azad

    2015-01-01

    The possibility of using spin waves for information transmission and processing has been an area of active research due to the unique ability to manipulate the amplitude and phase of the spin waves for building complex logic circuits with less physical resources and low power consumption. Previous proposals on spin wave logic circuits have suggested the idea of utilizing the magneto-electric effect for spin wave amplification and amplitude- or phase-dependent switching of magneto-electric cells. Here, we propose a comprehensive scheme for building a clocked non-volatile spin wave device by introducing a charge-to-spin converter that translates information from electrical domain to spin domain, magneto-electric spin wave repeaters that operate in three different regimes - spin wave transmitter, non-volatile memory and spin wave detector, and a novel clocking scheme that ensures sequential transmission of information and non-reciprocity. The proposed device satisfies the five essential requirements for logic application: nonlinearity, amplification, concatenability, feedback prevention, and complete set of Boolean operations. PMID:25955353

  19. Modern control concepts in hydrology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duong, N.; Johnson, G. R.; Winn, C. B.

    1974-01-01

    Two approaches to an identification problem in hydrology are presented based upon concepts from modern control and estimation theory. The first approach treats the identification of unknown parameters in a hydrologic system subject to noisy inputs as an adaptive linear stochastic control problem; the second approach alters the model equation to account for the random part in the inputs, and then uses a nonlinear estimation scheme to estimate the unknown parameters. Both approaches use state-space concepts. The identification schemes are sequential and adaptive and can handle either time invariant or time dependent parameters. They are used to identify parameters in the Prasad model of rainfall-runoff. The results obtained are encouraging and conform with results from two previous studies; the first using numerical integration of the model equation along with a trial-and-error procedure, and the second, by using a quasi-linearization technique. The proposed approaches offer a systematic way of analyzing the rainfall-runoff process when the input data are imbedded in noise.

  20. [Response of Calliphora vicina larval hemocytes to abiotic and biotic foreign particles injection].

    PubMed

    Kind, T V

    2012-01-01

    Human erythrocytes injection into the body cavity of Calliphora vicina postfeeding larvae results to their fast binding by thrombocytoidal fragments with agglutinates formation. There were almost none sites of lysis and degradation of erythrocytes in agglutinates even after shape modification and strands generation. Exceptions are zones of agglutinates with juvenile hemocytes, where destruction of erythrocytes is seen. The sequential injection of erythrocytes and charcoal particles leads to charcoal adhesion at first to agglutinates periphery and later to more deep stratum of cytoplasm between the erythrocytes. Under such conditions agglutinate formation period is accompanied with morphology variations which do not influence the intensity of agglutinating reaction. Juvenile plasmatocytes phagocytized the charcoal particles regardless of their concentration and duration of previous contact with erythrocytes. When mixture of abiotic and biotic particles was injected into post feeding larvae, crythrocytes and charcoal generate independent aggregations in the range of separate agglutinates. At the same time plasmatocytes form nodules consisting of temporary cell aggregations covered with cores of non phagocytized charcoal particles. These data testified that presumably lectin receptors responsible for foreign biotic and abiotic particles recognition are very near but not identical for different types of hemocytes. They may be specifical (for plasmatocytes) or integrated to different parts of cellular membrane (in thrombocytoids).

  1. Maximizing the value of pressure data in saline aquifer characterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoon, Seonkyoo; Williams, John R.; Juanes, Ruben; Kang, Peter K.

    2017-11-01

    The injection and storage of freshwater in saline aquifers for the purpose of managed aquifer recharge is an important technology that can help ensure sustainable water resources. As a result of the density difference between the injected freshwater and ambient saline groundwater, the pressure field is coupled to the spatial salinity distribution, and therefore experiences transient changes. The effect of variable density can be quantified by the mixed convection ratio, which is a ratio between the strength of two convection processes: free convection due to the density differences and forced convection due to hydraulic gradients. We combine a density-dependent flow and transport simulator with an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) to analyze the effects of freshwater injection rates on the value-of-information of transient pressure data for saline aquifer characterization. The EnKF is applied to sequentially estimate heterogeneous aquifer permeability fields using real-time pressure data. The performance of the permeability estimation is analyzed in terms of the accuracy and the uncertainty of the estimated permeability fields as well as the predictability of breakthrough curve arrival times in a realistic push-pull setting. This study demonstrates that injecting fluids at a rate that balances the two characteristic convections can maximize the value of pressure data for saline aquifer characterization.

  2. Four-channel surface coil array for sequential CW-EPR image acquisition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Enomoto, Ayano; Emoto, Miho; Fujii, Hirotada; Hirata, Hiroshi

    2013-09-01

    This article describes a four-channel surface coil array to increase the area of visualization for continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW-EPR) imaging. A 776-MHz surface coil array was constructed with four independent surface coil resonators and three kinds of switches. Control circuits for switching the resonators were also built to sequentially perform EPR image acquisition for each resonator. The resonance frequencies of the resonators were shifted using PIN diode switches to decouple the inductively coupled coils. To investigate the area of visualization with the surface coil array, three-dimensional EPR imaging was performed using a glass cell phantom filled with a solution of nitroxyl radicals. The area of visualization obtained with the surface coil array was increased approximately 3.5-fold in comparison to that with a single surface coil resonator. Furthermore, to demonstrate the applicability of this surface coil array to animal imaging, three-dimensional EPR imaging was performed in a living mouse with an exogenously injected nitroxyl radical imaging agent.

  3. Monitoring proteins using in vivo near-infrared time-domain optical imaging after 2-O-hexyldiglycerol-mediated transfer to the brain.

    PubMed

    Hülper, Petra; Dullin, Christian; Kugler, Wilfried; Lakomek, Max; Erdlenbruch, Bernhard

    2011-04-01

    The aim of the present study was to gain insight into the penetration, biodistribution, and fate of globulins in the brain after 2-O-hexyldiglycerol-induced blood-brain barrier opening. The spatial distribution of fluorescence probes was investigated after blood-brain barrier opening with intracarotid 2-O-hexyldiglycerol injection. Fluorescence intensity was visualized by microscopy (mice and rats) and by in vivo time-domain optical imaging. There was an increased 2-O-hexyldiglycerol-mediated transfer of fluorescence-labeled globulins into the ipsilateral hemisphere. Sequential in vivo measurements revealed that the increase in protein concentration lasted at least 96 h after administration. Ex vivo detection of tissue fluorescence confirmed the results obtained in vivo. Globulins enter the healthy brain in conjunction with 2-O-hexyldiglycerol. Sequential in vivo near-infrared fluorescence measurements enable the visualization of the spatial distribution of antibodies in the brain of living small animals.

  4. Use of High-Resolution Continuum Source Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (HR-CS FAAS) for Sequential Multi-Element Determination of Metals in Seawater and Wastewater Samples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peña-Vázquez, E.; Barciela-Alonso, M. C.; Pita-Calvo, C.; Domínguez-González, R.; Bermejo-Barrera, P.

    2015-09-01

    The objective of this work is to develop a method for the determination of metals in saline matrices using high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS FAAS). Module SFS 6 for sample injection was used in the manual mode, and flame operating conditions were selected. The main absorption lines were used for all the elements, and the number of selected analytical pixels were 5 (CP±2) for Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn, and 3 pixels for Mn (CP±1). Samples were acidified (0.5% (v/v) nitric acid), and the standard addition method was used for the sequential determination of the analytes in diluted samples (1:2). The method showed good precision (RSD(%) < 4%, except for Pb (6.5%)) and good recoveries. Accuracy was checked after the analysis of an SPS-WW2 wastewater reference material diluted with synthetic seawater (dilution 1:2), showing a good agreement between certified and experimental results.

  5. Simultaneous and Sequential MS/MS Scan Combinations and Permutations in a Linear Quadrupole Ion Trap.

    PubMed

    Snyder, Dalton T; Szalwinski, Lucas J; Cooks, R Graham

    2017-10-17

    Methods of performing precursor ion scans as well as neutral loss scans in a single linear quadrupole ion trap have recently been described. In this paper we report methodology for performing permutations of MS/MS scan modes, that is, ordered combinations of precursor, product, and neutral loss scans following a single ion injection event. Only particular permutations are allowed; the sequences demonstrated here are (1) multiple precursor ion scans, (2) precursor ion scans followed by a single neutral loss scan, (3) precursor ion scans followed by product ion scans, and (4) segmented neutral loss scans. (5) The common product ion scan can be performed earlier in these sequences, under certain conditions. Simultaneous scans can also be performed. These include multiple precursor ion scans, precursor ion scans with an accompanying neutral loss scan, and multiple neutral loss scans. We argue that the new capability to perform complex simultaneous and sequential MS n operations on single ion populations represents a significant step in increasing the selectivity of mass spectrometry.

  6. Spectrophotometric determination of sulphate in automotive fuel ethanol by sequential injection analysis using dimethylsulphonazo(III) reaction.

    PubMed

    de Oliveira, Fabio Santos; Korn, Mauro

    2006-01-15

    A sensitive SIA method was developed for sulphate determination in automotive fuel ethanol. This method was based on the reaction of sulphate with barium-dimethylsulphonazo(III) leading to a decrease on the magnitude of analytical signal monitored at 665 nm. Alcohol fuel samples were previously burned up to avoid matrix effects for sulphate determinations. Binary sampling and stop-flow strategies were used to increase the sensitivity of the method. The optimization of analytical parameter was performed by response surface method using Box-Behnker and central composite designs. The proposed sequential flow procedure permits to determine up to 10.0mg SO(4)(2-)l(-1) with R.S.D. <2.5% and limit of detection of 0.27 mg l(-1). The method has been successfully applied for sulphate determination in automotive fuel alcohol and the results agreed with the reference volumetric method. In the optimized condition the SIA system carried out 27 samples per hour.

  7. Hydraulic fracture development in granite during cyclic injection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Diaz, M.; Jung, S. G.; Nam, Y. J.; Yeom, S.; Zhuang, L.; Kim, K. Y.

    2017-12-01

    The concept of fatigue hydraulic fracturing was introduced by Zang et al. (2013) as an alternative stimulation scheme to mitigate seismicity during hydraulic stimulation. In situ experiments in hard rock, and laboratory tests in granite have shown a decrease in breakdown pressure during cyclic injection. However, little work has been done in relation to the study of fracture evolution with increasing number of injection cycles. This study uses cylindrical granite specimens to observe induced fractures under continuous injection and fracture development during cyclic injection, aided by X-ray CT technology and AE monitoring. The rock specimens have 30 mm in diameter, 48 mm in height, and a 5 mm diameter central borehole drilled along its axis. Each specimen was axially loaded with 10 MPa, and without confining pressure. The first specimen was continuously injected with water at a rate of 50 mm3/s. For the second specimen, the same injection rate was used, but it was stopped multiple times when the pressure reached a value of 4 MPa in order to create cycles. The time during each injection peak was 2 min. The results show how induced fractures are likely to initiate at the borehole wall and between grain mineral boundaries. Also, the fractures increase true length and height with increasing number of cycles, and mineral distribution affected fracture orientation during its development. These observations could shed light into the physics involved behind this process

  8. Non-local opto-electrical spin injection and detection in germanium at room temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jamet, Matthieu; Rortais, Fabien; Zucchetti, Carlo; Ghirardini, Lavinia; Ferrari, Alberto; Vergnaud, Celine; Widiez, Julie; Marty, Alain; Attane, Jean-Philippe; Jaffres, Henri; George, Jean-Marie; Celebrano, Michele; Isella, Giovanni; Ciccacci, Franco; Finazzi, Marco; Bottegoni, Federico

    Non-local charge carriers injection/detection schemes lie at the foundation of information manipulation in integrated systems. The next generation electronics may operate on the spin instead of the charge and germanium appears as the best hosting material to develop such spintronics for its compatibility with mainstream silicon technology and long spin lifetime at room temperature. Moreover, the energy proximity between the direct and indirect bandgaps allows for optical spin orientation. In this presentation, we demonstrate injection of pure spin currents in Ge, combined with non-local spin detection blocks at room temperature. Spin injection is performed either electrically through a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) or optically, by using lithographed nanostructures to diffuse the light and create an in-plane polarized electron spin population. Pure spin current detection is achieved using either a MTJ or the inverse spin-Hall effect across a Pt stripe. Supported by the ANR project SiGeSPIN #ANR-13-BS10-0002 and the CARIPLO project SEARCH-IV (Grant 2013-0623).

  9. Towards the Integration of Dark- and Photo-Fermentative Waste Treatment. 4. Repeated Batch Sequential Dark- and Photofermentation using Starch as Substrate

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

    Laurinavichene, T. V.; Belokopytov, B. F.; Laurinavichius, K. S.

    In this study we demonstrated the technical feasibility of a prolonged, sequential two-stage integrated process under a repeated batch mode of starch fermentation. In this durable scheme, the photobioreactor with purple bacteria in the second stage was fed directly with dark culture from the first stage without centrifugation, filtration, or sterilization (not demonstrated previously). After preliminary optimization, both the dark- and the photo-stages were performed under repeated batch modes with different process parameters. Continuous H{sub 2} production in this system was observed at a H{sub 2} yield of up to 1.4 and 3.9 mole mole{sup -1} hexose during the dark-more » and photo-stage, respectively (for a total of 5.3 mole mole{sup -1} hexose), and rates of 0.9 and 0.5 L L{sup -1} d{sup -1}, respectively. Prolonged repeated batch H{sub 2} production was maintained for up to 90 days in each stage and was rather stable under non-aseptic conditions. Potential for improvements in these results are discussed.« less

  10. Heavy metal extractable forms in sludge from wastewater treatment plants.

    PubMed

    Alvarez, E Alonso; Mochón, M Callejón; Jiménez Sánchez, J C; Ternero Rodríguez, M

    2002-05-01

    The analysis of heavy metals is a very important task to assess the potential environmental and health risk associated with the sludge coming from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, it is widely accepted that the determination of total elements does not give an accurate estimation of the potential environmental impact. So, it is necessary to apply sequential extraction techniques to obtain a suitable information about their bioavailability or toxicity. In this paper, a sequential extraction scheme according to the BCR's guidelines was applied to sludge samples collected from each sludge treatment step of five municipal activated sludge plants. Al. Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Ti and Zn were determined in the sludge extracts by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. In relation to current international legislation for the use of sludge for agricultural purposes none of metal concentrations exceeded maximum permitted levels. In most of the metal elements under considerations, results showed a clear rise along the sludge treatment in the proportion of two less-available fractions (oxidizable metal and residual metal).

  11. Sequential state estimation of nonlinear/non-Gaussian systems with stochastic input for turbine degradation estimation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanachi, Houman; Liu, Jie; Banerjee, Avisekh; Chen, Ying

    2016-05-01

    Health state estimation of inaccessible components in complex systems necessitates effective state estimation techniques using the observable variables of the system. The task becomes much complicated when the system is nonlinear/non-Gaussian and it receives stochastic input. In this work, a novel sequential state estimation framework is developed based on particle filtering (PF) scheme for state estimation of general class of nonlinear dynamical systems with stochastic input. Performance of the developed framework is then validated with simulation on a Bivariate Non-stationary Growth Model (BNGM) as a benchmark. In the next step, three-year operating data of an industrial gas turbine engine (GTE) are utilized to verify the effectiveness of the developed framework. A comprehensive thermodynamic model for the GTE is therefore developed to formulate the relation of the observable parameters and the dominant degradation symptoms of the turbine, namely, loss of isentropic efficiency and increase of the mass flow. The results confirm the effectiveness of the developed framework for simultaneous estimation of multiple degradation symptoms in complex systems with noisy measured inputs.

  12. Parallel Implementation of MAFFT on CUDA-Enabled Graphics Hardware.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Xiangyuan; Li, Kenli; Salah, Ahmad; Shi, Lin; Li, Keqin

    2015-01-01

    Multiple sequence alignment (MSA) constitutes an extremely powerful tool for many biological applications including phylogenetic tree estimation, secondary structure prediction, and critical residue identification. However, aligning large biological sequences with popular tools such as MAFFT requires long runtimes on sequential architectures. Due to the ever increasing sizes of sequence databases, there is increasing demand to accelerate this task. In this paper, we demonstrate how graphic processing units (GPUs), powered by the compute unified device architecture (CUDA), can be used as an efficient computational platform to accelerate the MAFFT algorithm. To fully exploit the GPU's capabilities for accelerating MAFFT, we have optimized the sequence data organization to eliminate the bandwidth bottleneck of memory access, designed a memory allocation and reuse strategy to make full use of limited memory of GPUs, proposed a new modified-run-length encoding (MRLE) scheme to reduce memory consumption, and used high-performance shared memory to speed up I/O operations. Our implementation tested in three NVIDIA GPUs achieves speedup up to 11.28 on a Tesla K20m GPU compared to the sequential MAFFT 7.015.

  13. Accelerated Combinatorial High Throughput Star Polymer Synthesis via a Rapid One-Pot Sequential Aqueous RAFT (rosa-RAFT) Polymerization Scheme.

    PubMed

    Cosson, Steffen; Danial, Maarten; Saint-Amans, Julien Rosselgong; Cooper-White, Justin J

    2017-04-01

    Advanced polymerization methodologies, such as reversible addition-fragmentation transfer (RAFT), allow unprecedented control over star polymer composition, topology, and functionality. However, using RAFT to produce high throughput (HTP) combinatorial star polymer libraries remains, to date, impracticable due to several technical limitations. Herein, the methodology "rapid one-pot sequential aqueous RAFT" or "rosa-RAFT," in which well-defined homo-, copolymer, and mikto-arm star polymers can be prepared in very low to medium reaction volumes (50 µL to 2 mL) via an "arm-first" approach in air within minutes, is reported. Due to the high conversion of a variety of acrylamide/acrylate monomers achieved during each successive short reaction step (each taking 3 min), the requirement for intermediary purification is avoided, drastically facilitating and accelerating the star synthesis process. The presented methodology enables RAFT to be applied to HTP polymeric bio/nanomaterials discovery pipelines, in which hundreds of complex polymeric formulations can be rapidly produced, screened, and scaled up for assessment in a wide range of applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Intratympanic Iodine Contrast Injection Diffuses Across the Round Window Membrane Allowing for Perilymphatic CT Volume Acquisition Imaging

    PubMed Central

    Abt, Nicholas B.; Lehar, Mohamed; Guajardo, Carolina Trevino; Penninger, Richard T.; Ward, Bryan K.; Pearl, Monica S.; Carey, John P.

    2016-01-01

    Hypothesis Whether the RWM is permeable to iodine-based contrast agents (IBCA) is unknown; therefore, our goal was to determine if IBCAs could diffuse through the RWM using CT volume acquisition imaging. Introduction Imaging of hydrops in the living human ear has attracted recent interest. Intratympanic (IT) injection has shown gadolinium's ability to diffuse through the round window membrane (RWM), enhancing the perilymphatic space. Methods Four unfixed human cadaver temporal bones underwent intratympanic IBCA injection using three sequentially studied methods. The first method was direct IT injection. The second method used direct RWM visualization via tympanomeatal flap for IBCA-soaked absorbable gelatin pledget placement. In the third method, the middle ear was filled with contrast after flap elevation. Volume acquisition CT images were obtained immediately post-exposure, and at 1, 6, and 24 hour intervals. Post-processing was accomplished using color ramping and subtraction imaging. Results Following the third method, positive RWM and perilymphatic enhancement were seen with endolymph sparing. Gray scale and color ramp multiplanar reconstructions displayed increased signal within the cochlea compared to pre-contrast imaging. The cochlea was measured for attenuation differences compared to pure water, revealing a pre-injection average of −1,103 HU and a post-injection average of 338 HU. Subtraction imaging shows enhancement remaining within the cochlear space, Eustachian tube, middle ear epithelial lining, and mastoid. Conclusions Iohexol iodine contrast is able to diffuse across the RWM. Volume acquisition CT imaging was able to detect perilymphatic enhancement at 0.5mm slice thickness. The clinical application of IBCA IT injection appears promising but requires further safety studies. PMID:26859543

  15. Increase of heat-shock protein and induction of gamma/delta T cells in peritoneal exudate of mice after injection of live Fusobacterium nucleatum.

    PubMed Central

    Saito, K; Katsuragi, H; Mikami, M; Kato, C; Miyamaru, M; Nagaso, K

    1997-01-01

    Fusobacterium nucleatum and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans are Gram-negative rod periodontal pathogens. The peritoneal cavity of Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice was used as the local infection model. In vivo production of heat-shock proteins (hsp) was studied by injection of 1/10 minimum lethal dose (MLD) of each live bacteria into mice. Heat-shock proteins 70 and 60 were examined in the extract of peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) from mice injected intraperitoneally with either F. nucleatum or A. actinomycetemcomitans by using sodium dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting analysis. Although hsp are present in PEC without injection of the bacteria, both hsp increased and reached a peak on day 3 after F. nucleatum injection but not after A. actinomycetemcomitans. Kinetic study of gamma/delta cells in PEC after injection of bacteria showed that the increase of gamma/delta T cells was observed only in the PEC from mice injected with F. nucleatum but not A. actinomycetemcomitans. The gamma/delta T cells in PEC were either CD3+ and CD4+ or CD3+ and CD8+. The differential cell count of PEC suggested that gamma/delta T-cell induction is related to the expansion of the macrophage population. The phagocytic and chemiluminescence responses of macrophages against the same bacteria were compared after intensive immunization with live F. nucleatum and A. actinomycetemcomitans. Elevations of chemiluminescence response and phagocytic function by immunization were observed in the macrophages of mice immunized with F. nucleatum. These results suggest the sequential appearance of hsp, gamma/delta T cells and macrophage activation after fusobacterial infection. Images Figure 2 PMID:9135551

  16. Binary counting with chemical reactions.

    PubMed

    Kharam, Aleksandra; Jiang, Hua; Riedel, Marc; Parhi, Keshab

    2011-01-01

    This paper describes a scheme for implementing a binary counter with chemical reactions. The value of the counter is encoded by logical values of "0" and "1" that correspond to the absence and presence of specific molecular types, respectively. It is incremented when molecules of a trigger type are injected. Synchronization is achieved with reactions that produce a sustained three-phase oscillation. This oscillation plays a role analogous to a clock signal in digital electronics. Quantities are transferred between molecular types in different phases of the oscillation. Unlike all previous schemes for chemical computation, this scheme is dependent only on coarse rate categories for the reactions ("fast" and "slow"). Given such categories, the computation is exact and independent of the specific reaction rates. Although conceptual for the time being, the methodology has potential applications in domains of synthetic biology such as biochemical sensing and drug delivery. We are exploring DNA-based computation via strand displacement as a possible experimental chassis.

  17. Multistage Coupling of Laser-Wakefield Accelerators with Curved Plasma Channels.

    PubMed

    Luo, J; Chen, M; Wu, W Y; Weng, S M; Sheng, Z M; Schroeder, C B; Jaroszynski, D A; Esarey, E; Leemans, W P; Mori, W B; Zhang, J

    2018-04-13

    Multistage coupling of laser-wakefield accelerators is essential to overcome laser energy depletion for high-energy applications such as TeV-level electron-positron colliders. Current staging schemes feed subsequent laser pulses into stages using plasma mirrors while controlling electron beam focusing with plasma lenses. Here a more compact and efficient scheme is proposed to realize the simultaneous coupling of the electron beam and the laser pulse into a second stage. A partly curved channel, integrating a straight acceleration stage with a curved transition segment, is used to guide a fresh laser pulse into a subsequent straight channel, while the electrons continue straight. This scheme benefits from a shorter coupling distance and continuous guiding of the electrons in plasma while suppressing transverse beam dispersion. Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that the electron beam from a previous stage can be efficiently injected into a subsequent stage for further acceleration while maintaining high capture efficiency, stability, and beam quality.

  18. A Charge-Based Low-Power High-SNR Capacitive Sensing Interface Circuit

    PubMed Central

    Peng, Sheng-Yu; Qureshi, Muhammad S.; Hasler, Paul E.; Basu, Arindam; Degertekin, F. L.

    2008-01-01

    This paper describes a low-power approach to capacitive sensing that achieves a high signal-to-noise ratio. The circuit is composed of a capacitive feedback charge amplifier and a charge adaptation circuit. Without the adaptation circuit, the charge amplifier only consumes 1 μW to achieve the audio band SNR of 69.34dB. An adaptation scheme using Fowler-Nordheim tunneling and channel hot electron injection mechanisms to stabilize the DC output voltage is demonstrated. This scheme provides a very low frequency pole at 0.2Hz. The measured noise spectrums show that this slow-time scale adaptation does not degrade the circuit performance. The DC path can also be provided by a large feedback resistance without causing extra power consumption. A charge amplifier with a MOS-bipolar pseudo-resistor feedback scheme is interfaced with a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach for ultrasound applications. PMID:18787650

  19. Multistage Coupling of Laser-Wakefield Accelerators with Curved Plasma Channels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, J.; Chen, M.; Wu, W. Y.; Weng, S. M.; Sheng, Z. M.; Schroeder, C. B.; Jaroszynski, D. A.; Esarey, E.; Leemans, W. P.; Mori, W. B.; Zhang, J.

    2018-04-01

    Multistage coupling of laser-wakefield accelerators is essential to overcome laser energy depletion for high-energy applications such as TeV-level electron-positron colliders. Current staging schemes feed subsequent laser pulses into stages using plasma mirrors while controlling electron beam focusing with plasma lenses. Here a more compact and efficient scheme is proposed to realize the simultaneous coupling of the electron beam and the laser pulse into a second stage. A partly curved channel, integrating a straight acceleration stage with a curved transition segment, is used to guide a fresh laser pulse into a subsequent straight channel, while the electrons continue straight. This scheme benefits from a shorter coupling distance and continuous guiding of the electrons in plasma while suppressing transverse beam dispersion. Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that the electron beam from a previous stage can be efficiently injected into a subsequent stage for further acceleration while maintaining high capture efficiency, stability, and beam quality.

  20. EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL STUDIES OF REFLECTRO CONTROL FOR THE ADVANCED ENGINEERING TEST REACTOR. PART A. EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES WITH THE REFLECTOR CONTROL SYSTEM MODEL. PART B. ANALYTICAL STUDIES OF REFLECTOR CONTROL

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

    Bertelson, P.C.; Francis, T.L.

    1959-10-21

    Studies of reflector control for the Advanced Engineering Test Reactor were made. The performance of various parts of the reflector control system model such as the safety reflector and the water jet educator, boric acid injection, and demineralizer systems is discussed. The experimental methods and results obtained are discussed. Four reflector control schemes were studied. The schemes were a single-region and three-region reflector schemes two separate reflectors, and two connected reflectors. Calculations were made of shim and safety reflector worth for a variety of parameters. Safety reflector thickness was varied from 7.75 to 0 inches, with and without boron. Boricmore » acid concentration was varied from 100 to 2% of saturation in the shim reflectors. Neutron flux plots are presented (C.J.G.)« less

  1. Laser ion source activities at Brookhaven National Laboratory

    DOE PAGES

    Kanesue, Takeshi; Okamura, Masahiro

    2015-07-31

    In Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), we have been developing laser ion sources for diverse accelerators. Tabletop Nd:YAG lasers with up to several Joules of energy are mainly used to create ablation plasmas for stable operations. The obtained charge states depend on laser power density and target species. Two types of ion extraction schemes, Direct Plasma Injection Scheme (DPIS) and conventional static extraction, are used depending on application. We optimized and select a suitable laser irradiation condition and a beam extraction scheme to meet the requirement of the following accelerator system. We have demonstrated to accelerate more than 5 x 10more » 10 of C 6+ ions using the DPIS. We successfully commissioned low charge ion beam provider to the user facilities in BNL. As a result, to achieve higher current, higher charge state and lower emittance, further studies will continue.« less

  2. A Nonmetal Plasmonic Z-Scheme Photocatalyst with UV- to NIR-Driven Photocatalytic Protons Reduction.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Zhenyi; Huang, Jindou; Fang, Yurui; Zhang, Mingyi; Liu, Kuichao; Dong, Bin

    2017-05-01

    Ultrabroad-spectrum absorption and highly efficient generation of available charge carriers are two essential requirements for promising semiconductor-based photocatalysts, towards achieving the ultimate goal of solar-to-fuel conversion. Here, a fascinating nonmetal plasmonic Z-scheme photocatalyst with the W 18 O 49 /g-C 3 N 4 heterostructure is reported, which can effectively harvest photon energies spanning from the UV to the nearinfrared region and simultaneously possesses improved charge-carrier dynamics to boost the generation of long-lived active electrons for the photocatalytic reduction of protons into H 2 . By combining with theoretical simulations, a unique synergistic photocatalysis effect between the semiconductive Z-scheme charge-carrier separation and metal-like localized-surface-plasmon-resonance-induced "hot electrons" injection process is demonstrated within this binary heterostructure. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Experimental study on combustion modes and thrust performance of a staged-combustor of the scramjet with dual-strut

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Qingchun; Chetehouna, Khaled; Gascoin, Nicolas; Bao, Wen

    2016-05-01

    To enable the scramjet operate in a wider flight Mach number, a staged-combustor with dual-strut is introduced to hold more heat release at low flight Mach conditions. The behavior of mode transition was examined using a direct-connect model scramjet experiment along with pressure measurements. The typical operating modes of the staged-combustor are analyzed. Fuel injection scheme has a significant effect on the combustor operating modes, particularly for the supersonic combustion mode. Thrust performances of the combustor with different combustion modes and fuel distributions are reported in this paper. The first-staged strut injection has a better engine performance in the operation of subsonic combustion mode. On the contrast, the second-staged strut injection has a better engine performance in the operation of supersonic combustion mode.

  4. The feasibility of water injection into the turbine coolant to permit gas turbine contingency power for helicopter application

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Van Fossen, G. J.

    1983-01-01

    It is pointed out that in certain emergency situations it may be desirable to obtain power from a helicopter engine at levels greater than the maximum rating. Yost (1976) has reported studies concerning methods of power augmentation in the one engine inoperative (OEI) case. It was found that a combination of water/alcohol injection into the inlet and overtemperature/overspeed could provide adequate emergency power. The present investigation is concerned with the results of a feasibility study which analytically investigated the maximum possible level of augmentation with constant gas generator turbine stress rupture life as a constraint. In the proposed scheme, the increased engine output is obtained by turbine overtemperature, however, the temperature of the compressor bleed air used for hot section cooling is lowered by injecting and evaporating water.

  5. Accelerated high-resolution photoacoustic tomography via compressed sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arridge, Simon; Beard, Paul; Betcke, Marta; Cox, Ben; Huynh, Nam; Lucka, Felix; Ogunlade, Olumide; Zhang, Edward

    2016-12-01

    Current 3D photoacoustic tomography (PAT) systems offer either high image quality or high frame rates but are not able to deliver high spatial and temporal resolution simultaneously, which limits their ability to image dynamic processes in living tissue (4D PAT). A particular example is the planar Fabry-Pérot (FP) photoacoustic scanner, which yields high-resolution 3D images but takes several minutes to sequentially map the incident photoacoustic field on the 2D sensor plane, point-by-point. However, as the spatio-temporal complexity of many absorbing tissue structures is rather low, the data recorded in such a conventional, regularly sampled fashion is often highly redundant. We demonstrate that combining model-based, variational image reconstruction methods using spatial sparsity constraints with the development of novel PAT acquisition systems capable of sub-sampling the acoustic wave field can dramatically increase the acquisition speed while maintaining a good spatial resolution: first, we describe and model two general spatial sub-sampling schemes. Then, we discuss how to implement them using the FP interferometer and demonstrate the potential of these novel compressed sensing PAT devices through simulated data from a realistic numerical phantom and through measured data from a dynamic experimental phantom as well as from in vivo experiments. Our results show that images with good spatial resolution and contrast can be obtained from highly sub-sampled PAT data if variational image reconstruction techniques that describe the tissues structures with suitable sparsity-constraints are used. In particular, we examine the use of total variation (TV) regularization enhanced by Bregman iterations. These novel reconstruction strategies offer new opportunities to dramatically increase the acquisition speed of photoacoustic scanners that employ point-by-point sequential scanning as well as reducing the channel count of parallelized schemes that use detector arrays.

  6. Development of the precerebellar nuclei in the rat: IV. The anterior precerebellar extramural migratory stream and the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis and the basal pontine gray.

    PubMed

    Altman, J; Bayer, S A

    1987-03-22

    Sequential thymidine radiograms from rats injected on days E16, E17, E18, and E19 and killed 2 hours after injection and at daily intervals up to day E22 were used to establish the site of origin, migratory route, and settling patterns of neurons of the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis and basal pontine gray. The nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis neurons, which are produced predominantly on days E15 and E16, derive from the primary precerebellar neuroepithelium. These cells, unlike those of the lateral reticular and external cuneate nuclei, take an anteroventral subpial route, forming the anterior precerebellar extramural migratory stream. This migratory stream reaches the anterior pole of the pons by day E18. In rats injected on day E16 and killed on day E18 some of the cells that reach the pons are unlabeled, indicating that they represent the early component of neurons generated on day E15. The cells labeled on day E16 begin to settle in the pons on day E19, 3 days after their production. These cells, migrating in an orderly temporal sequence, form a posterodorsal-to-anteroventral gradient in the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis. Unlike the neurons of all the other precerebellar nuclei, the basal pontine gray neurons derive from the secondary precerebellar neuroepithelium. The secondary precerebellar neuroepithelium forms on day E16 as an outgrowth of the primary precerebellar neuroepithelium, and it remains mitotically active through day E19, spanning the entire period of basal pontine gray neurogenesis. The secondary precerebellar neuroepithelium is surrounded by a horizontal layer of postmitotic cells, representing the head-waters of the anterior precerebellar extramural migratory stream. In rats injected on day E18 and killed on day E19 the cells are labeled in the proximal half of the stream around the medulla but those closer to the pons are unlabeled, indicating an orderly sequence of migration. In rats injected on day E18 and killed on day E20 the labeled cells reach the pole of the pons. In the basal pontine gray the sequentially generated neurons settle in a precise order. The neurons generated on day E16 form a small core posteriorly and the neurons generated on days E17, E18, and E19 form regular concentric rings around the core in an inside-out sequence.

  7. Emergence of methadone as a street drug in St. Petersburg, Russia.

    PubMed

    Heimer, Robert; Lyubimova, Aleksandra; Barbour, Russell; Levina, Olga S

    2016-01-01

    The syndemic of opioid addiction, HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, imprisonment, and overdose in Russia has been worsened by the illegality of opioid substitution therapy. As part of on-going serial studies, we sought to explore the influence of opioid availability on aspects of the syndemic as it has affected the city of St. Petersburg. We employed a sequential approach in which quantitative data collection and statistical analysis were followed by a qualitative phase. Quantitative data were obtained in 2013-2014 from a respondent-driven sample (RDS) of people who inject drugs (PWID). Individuals recruited by RDS were tested for antibodies to HIV and interviewed about drug use and injection practices, sociodemographics, health status, and access to medical care. Subsequently, we collected in-depth qualitative data on methadone use, knowledge, and market availability from PWID recruited at nine different locations within St. Petersburg. Analysis of interview data from the sample revealed the percentage of PWID injecting methadone in the 30 days prior to interview increased from 3.6% in 2010 to 53.3% in 2012-2013. Injection of only methadone, as compared to injecting only heroin or both drugs, was associated with less frequent injection and reduced HIV-related injected risk, especially a lower rate of injecting with a previously used syringe. In-depth questioning of methadone injectors corroborated the finding from serial quantitative surveys of PWID that methadone's black market availability is a recent phenomenon. Spatial analysis revealed widespread methadone availability but no concentration in any specific districts of the city. Despite the prohibition of substitution therapy and demonization of methadone, the drug has emerged to rival heroin as the most commonly available opioid in St. Petersburg. Ironically, its use is associated with reduced injection-related HIV risk even when its use is illegal. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Emergence of Methadone as a Street Drug in St. Petersburg, Russia

    PubMed Central

    Heimer, Robert; Lyubimova, Aleksandra; Barbour, Russell; Levina, Olga S.

    2015-01-01

    Background The syndemic of opioid addiction, HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, imprisonment, and overdose in Russia has been worsened by the illegality of opioid substitution therapy. As part of on-going serial studies, we sought to explore the influence of opioid availability on aspects of the syndemic as it has affected the city of St. Petersburg. Methods We employed a sequential approach in which quantitative data collection and statistical analysis were followed by a qualitative phase. Quantitative data were obtained from a respondent-driven sample (RDS) of people who inject drugs (PWID) obtained in 2012–13. Individuals recruited by RDS were tested for antibodies to HIV and interviewed about drug use and injection practices, sociodemographics, health status, and access to medical care. Subsequently, we collected in-depth qualitative data on methadone use, knowledge, and market availability from PWID recruited at nine different locations within St. Petersburg. Results Analysis of interview data from the sample revealed he percentage of PWID injecting methadone in the 30 days prior to interview increased from 3.6% in 2010 to 53.3% in 2012–13. Injection of only methadone, as compared to injecting only heroin or both drugs, was associated with less frequent injection and reduced HIV-related injected risk, especially a lower rate of injecting with a previously used syringe. In-depth questioning of methadone injectors corroborated the finding from serial quantitative surveys of PWID that methadone’s black market availability is a recent phenomenon. Spatial analysis revealed widespread methadone availability but no concentration in any specific districts of the city. Conclusion Despite the prohibition of substitution therapy and demonization of methadone, the drug has emerged to rival heroin as the most commonly available opioid in St. Petersburg. Ironically, its use is associated with reduced injection-related HIV risk even when its use is illegal. PMID:26573380

  9. Factors influencing discomfort during anterior ultrasound-guided injection for hip arthrography.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Yi-Chih; Wu, Yu-Cheng; Kao, Hao-Lun; Pan, Ru-Yu; Lee, Meei-Shyuan; Huang, Guo-Shu

    2013-09-01

    Although ultrasound (US)-guided injection techniques for magnetic resonance arthrography of the hip have been used with increasing frequency to diagnose internal joint derangements, little is known about patient tolerance, which is relevant information for patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate prospectively the association between possible influencing factors and discomfort felt during the performance of anterior US-guided injection techniques targeting the femoral head-neck junction during hip arthrography. Forty-four consecutive patients (21 women and 23 men; mean age, 41 years) undergoing magnetic resonance hip arthrography were sequentially assigned to receive injection alternating between fixed and freehand US-guided injection. Discomfort was assessed using a visual analog scale and relative ratings. Patient body mass index, extra-articular contrast leakage, the duration of the procedure, the needle advancement distance, and the fixed trajectory of the needle were assessed. Pearson's correlation coefficients and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to determine the association. Puncture was successfully accomplished in all cases, and no relevant complications were reported. The only significant relationships were between discomfort and the time required for needle manipulation (r = 0.8) and fixed US-guided injection (r = 0.6; p < 0.001). Compared with the freehand technique, the fixed technique resulted in significantly less pain and took significantly less time to perform (p < 0.001). The procedure time during needle manipulation in the fixed US-guided injections (4.0 ± 0.9 seconds) was significantly less than that in the freehand US-guided injections (19.4 ± 17.6 seconds; p < 0.001). No significant relationships were found between discomfort and other parameters (r < 0.3, p > 0.05). The procedure time appears to be the most important factor influencing patient discomfort. Fixed US-guided injection is a time-saving technique that alleviates procedure-related discomfort. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. Properties of radio-frequency heated argon confined uranium plasmas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1976-01-01

    Pure uranium hexafluoride (UF6) was injected into an argon confined, steady state, rf-heated plasma within a fused silica peripheral wall test chamber. Exploratory tests conducted using an 80 kW rf facility and different test chamber flow configurations permitted selection of the configuration demonstrating the best confinement characteristics and minimum uranium compound wall coating. The overall test results demonstrated applicable flow schemes and associated diagnostic techniques were developed for the fluid mechanical confinement and characterization of uranium within an rf plasma discharge when pure UF6 is injected for long test times into an argon-confined, high-temperature, high-pressure, rf-heated plasma.

  11. Status of the laser ion source at IMP

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

    Sha, S.; Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049; School of Nuclear science and technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 73000

    2012-02-15

    A laser (Nd:YAG laser, 3 J, 1064 nm, 8-10 ns) ion source has been built and under development at IMP to provide pulsed high-charge-state heavy ion beams to a radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) for upgrading the IMP accelerators with a new low-energy beam injector. The laser ion source currently operates in a direct plasma injection scheme to inject the high charge state ions produced from a solid target into the RFQ. The maximum power density on the target was about 8.4 x 10{sup 12} W/cm{sup 2}. The preliminary experimental results will be presented and discussed in this paper.

  12. Fractional Steps methods for transient problems on commodity computer architectures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krotkiewski, M.; Dabrowski, M.; Podladchikov, Y. Y.

    2008-12-01

    Fractional Steps methods are suitable for modeling transient processes that are central to many geological applications. Low memory requirements and modest computational complexity facilitates calculations on high-resolution three-dimensional models. An efficient implementation of Alternating Direction Implicit/Locally One-Dimensional schemes for an Opteron-based shared memory system is presented. The memory bandwidth usage, the main bottleneck on modern computer architectures, is specially addressed. High efficiency of above 2 GFlops per CPU is sustained for problems of 1 billion degrees of freedom. The optimized sequential implementation of all 1D sweeps is comparable in execution time to copying the used data in the memory. Scalability of the parallel implementation on up to 8 CPUs is close to perfect. Performing one timestep of the Locally One-Dimensional scheme on a system of 1000 3 unknowns on 8 CPUs takes only 11 s. We validate the LOD scheme using a computational model of an isolated inclusion subject to a constant far field flux. Next, we study numerically the evolution of a diffusion front and the effective thermal conductivity of composites consisting of multiple inclusions and compare the results with predictions based on the differential effective medium approach. Finally, application of the developed parabolic solver is suggested for a real-world problem of fluid transport and reactions inside a reservoir.

  13. Robust low-dose dynamic cerebral perfusion CT image restoration via coupled dictionary learning scheme.

    PubMed

    Tian, Xiumei; Zeng, Dong; Zhang, Shanli; Huang, Jing; Zhang, Hua; He, Ji; Lu, Lijun; Xi, Weiwen; Ma, Jianhua; Bian, Zhaoying

    2016-11-22

    Dynamic cerebral perfusion x-ray computed tomography (PCT) imaging has been advocated to quantitatively and qualitatively assess hemodynamic parameters in the diagnosis of acute stroke or chronic cerebrovascular diseases. However, the associated radiation dose is a significant concern to patients due to its dynamic scan protocol. To address this issue, in this paper we propose an image restoration method by utilizing coupled dictionary learning (CDL) scheme to yield clinically acceptable PCT images with low-dose data acquisition. Specifically, in the present CDL scheme, the 2D background information from the average of the baseline time frames of low-dose unenhanced CT images and the 3D enhancement information from normal-dose sequential cerebral PCT images are exploited to train the dictionary atoms respectively. After getting the two trained dictionaries, we couple them to represent the desired PCT images as spatio-temporal prior in objective function construction. Finally, the low-dose dynamic cerebral PCT images are restored by using a general DL image processing. To get a robust solution, the objective function is solved by using a modified dictionary learning based image restoration algorithm. The experimental results on clinical data show that the present method can yield more accurate kinetic enhanced details and diagnostic hemodynamic parameter maps than the state-of-the-art methods.

  14. Evaluation of Silicone as an Artificial Lubricant in Osteoarthrotic Joints

    PubMed Central

    Wright, V.; Haslock, D. I.; Dowson, D.; Seller, P. C.; Reeves, B.

    1971-01-01

    Silicone 300 has been evaluated as an artificial lubricant in osteoarthrotic joints by means of a pilot study in five inpatients and a control trial of 25 outpatients with 40 osteoarthrotic knees. Sequential analysis showed a significant benefit from saline compared with silicone at one week follow-up and no significant difference at one month. Measurement of stiffness with a knee arthrograph showed no difference in reduction of stiffness between the two substances. In a study of 18 rabbits there was no evidence that silicone was retained in the joint cavity for longer than 48 hours. There was a failure of clearance of iodinated serum albumin for as long as three to four days after the injection of silicone, suggesting some obstruction to lymphatic outflow. Experimentally produced cartilaginous defects did not heal quicker with the injection of silicone into the joint. PMID:5575973

  15. Speciation of chromium (VI) and total chromium determination in welding dust samples by flow-injection analysis coupled to atomic absorption spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Girard, L; Hubert, J

    1996-11-01

    We have studied the speciation of chromium (VI) in stainless-steel welding dusts. The approach used for the analysis of Cr(VI) and total Cr relies on a flow-injection analyzer (FIA) equipped with two different sequential detectors. The system measures Cr(VI). by colorimetry (with 1,5-diphenyl carbohydrazide) and total chromium content by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The extraction of the samples of welding-fume dusts is achieved in a buffer solution (acetic acid and sodium acetate at pH 4). This extraction procedure gives a 96% recovery of chromium (VI). The FIA-AAS system that has been described is also more sensitive, has a lower detection limit (0.005 mug ml(-1)) and gives a better precision (< 1%) than other equivalent systems that have been previously described.

  16. Design of three-well indirect pumping terahertz quantum cascade lasers for high optical gain based on nonequilibrium Green's function analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Tao; Kubis, Tillmann; Jie Wang, Qi; Klimeck, Gerhard

    2012-03-01

    The nonequilibrium Green's function approach is applied to the design of three-well indirect pumping terahertz (THz) quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) based on a resonant phonon depopulation scheme. The effects of the anticrossing of the injector states and the dipole matrix element of the laser levels on the optical gain of THz QCLs are studied. The results show that a design that results in a more pronounced anticrossing of the injector states will achieve a higher optical gain in the indirect pumping scheme compared to the traditional resonant-tunneling injection scheme. This offers in general a more efficient coherent resonant-tunneling transport of electrons in the indirect pumping scheme. It is also shown that, for operating temperatures below 200 K and low lasing frequencies, larger dipole matrix elements, i.e., vertical optical transitions, offer a higher optical gain. In contrast, in the case of high lasing frequencies, smaller dipole matrix elements, i.e., diagonal optical transitions are better for achieving a higher optical gain.

  17. Improving ASR Recovery Efficiency by Partially-penetrating Wells in Brackish Aquifers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Y.

    2015-12-01

    Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is a proven cost-effective powerful technology for environmental protection and water resources optimization. The recovery efficiency (RE) is regarded as the key criteria for evaluating the ASR performance. In this study, a particular ASR scheme with the fully-penetrating well (FPW) for injection and the partially-penetrating well (PPW) for recovery is proposed to improve the RE for ASR schemes implemented in brackish aquifers. This design appreciates the tilting shape of the interface with underlying heavier salt water. For the FPW, recovery has to be terminated as soon as the interface toe reaches the well, while the toe can be pulled up to the PPW for recovery termination, resulting in later breakthrough of salt water into the pumping well, more recoverable water extracted from the shallow layers, and a higher RE. Key hydrogeological and operational parameters affecting the RE were investigated by numerical simulations. Results demonstrated the effectiveness and efficiency of the new ASR scheme and provided practical guidance for designing such a scheme in various hydrogeological conditions.

  18. Targeted Drug Delivery in the Suprachoroidal Space by Swollen Hydrogel Pushing

    PubMed Central

    Jung, Jae Hwan; Desit, Patcharin; Prausnitz, Mark R.

    2018-01-01

    Purpose The purpose is to target model drug particles to the posterior region of the suprachoroidal space (SCS) of the eye controlled via pushing by hydrogel swelling. Methods A particle formulation containing 1% hyaluronic acid (HA) with fluorescent polymer particles and a hydrogel formulation containing 4% HA were introduced in a single syringe as two layers without mixing, and injected sequentially into the SCS of the rabbit eye ex vivo and in vivo using a microneedle. Distribution of particles in the eye was determined by microscopy. Results During injection, the particle formulation was pushed toward the middle of the SCS by the viscous hydrogel formulation, but less than 12% of particles reached the posterior SCS. After injection, the particle formulation was pushed further toward the macula and optic nerve in the posterior SCS by hydrogel swelling and spreading. Heating the eye to 37°C, or injecting in vivo decreased viscosity and mechanical strength of the hydrogel, thereby allowing it to swell and flow further in the SCS. A high salt concentration (9% NaCl) in the hydrogel formulation further increased hydrogel swelling due to osmotic flow into the hydrogel. In this way, up to 76% of particles were delivered to the posterior SCS from an injection made near the limbus. Conclusions This study shows that model drug particles can be targeted to the posterior SCS by HA hydrogel swelling and pushing without particle functionalization or administering external driving forces. PMID:29677369

  19. In situ bioremediation of uranium with emulsified vegetable oil as the electron donor.

    PubMed

    Watson, David B; Wu, Wei-Min; Mehlhorn, Tonia; Tang, Guoping; Earles, Jennifer; Lowe, Kenneth; Gihring, Thomas M; Zhang, Gengxin; Phillips, Jana; Boyanov, Maxim I; Spalding, Brian P; Schadt, Christopher; Kemner, Kenneth M; Criddle, Craig S; Jardine, Philip M; Brooks, Scott C

    2013-06-18

    A field test with a one-time emulsified vegetable oil (EVO) injection was conducted to assess the capacity of EVO to sustain uranium bioreduction in a high-permeability gravel layer with groundwater concentrations of (mM) U, 0.0055; Ca, 2.98; NO3(-), 0.11; HCO3(-), 5.07; and SO4(2-), 1.23. Comparison of bromide and EVO migration and distribution indicated that a majority of the injected EVO was retained in the subsurface from the injection wells to 50 m downgradient. Nitrate, uranium, and sulfate were sequentially removed from the groundwater within 1-2 weeks, accompanied by an increase in acetate, Mn, Fe, and methane concentrations. Due to the slow release and degradation of EVO with time, reducing conditions were sustained for approximately one year, and daily U discharge to a creek, located approximately 50 m from the injection wells, decreased by 80% within 100 days. Total U discharge was reduced by 50% over the one-year period. Reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) was confirmed by synchrotron analysis of recovered aquifer solids. Oxidants (e.g., dissolved oxygen, nitrate) flowing in from upgradient appeared to reoxidize and remobilize uranium after the EVO was exhausted as evidenced by a transient increase of U concentration above ambient values. Occasional (e.g., annual) EVO injection into a permeable Ca and bicarbonate-containing aquifer can sustain uranium bioreduction/immobilization and decrease U migration/discharge.

  20. Development and optimization of a wildfire plume rise model based on remote sensing data inputs - Part 2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paugam, R.; Wooster, M.; Atherton, J.; Freitas, S. R.; Schultz, M. G.; Kaiser, J. W.

    2015-03-01

    Biomass burning is one of a relatively few natural processes that can inject globally significant quantities of gases and aerosols into the atmosphere at altitudes well above the planetary boundary layer, in some cases at heights in excess of 10 km. The "injection height" of biomass burning emissions is therefore an important parameter to understand when considering the characteristics of the smoke plumes emanating from landscape scale fires, and in particular when attempting to model their atmospheric transport. Here we further extend the formulations used within a popular 1D plume rise model, widely used for the estimation of landscape scale fire smoke plume injection height, and develop and optimise the model both so that it can run with an increased set of remotely sensed observations. The model is well suited for application in atmospheric Chemistry Transport Models (CTMs) aimed at understanding smoke plume downstream impacts, and whilst a number of wildfire emission inventories are available for use in such CTMs, few include information on plume injection height. Since CTM resolutions are typically too spatially coarse to capture the vertical transport induced by the heat released from landscape scale fires, approaches to estimate the emissions injection height are typically based on parametrizations. Our extensions of the existing 1D plume rise model takes into account the impact of atmospheric stability and latent heat on the plume up-draft, driving it with new information on active fire area and fire radiative power (FRP) retrieved from MODIS satellite Earth Observation (EO) data, alongside ECMWF atmospheric profile information. We extend the model by adding an equation for mass conservation and a new entrainment scheme, and optimise the values of the newly added parameters based on comparison to injection heights derived from smoke plume height retrievals made using the MISR EO sensor. Our parameter optimisation procedure is based on a twofold approach using sequentially a Simulating Annealing algorithm and a Markov chain Monte Carlo uncertainty test, and to try to ensure the appropriate convergence on suitable parameter values we use a training dataset consisting of only fires where a number of specific quality criteria are met, including local ambient wind shear limits derived from the ECMWF and MISR data, and "steady state" plumes and fires showing only relatively small changes between consecutive MODIS observations. Using our optimised plume rise model (PRMv2) with information from all MODIS-detected active fires detected in 2003 over North America, with outputs gridded to a 0.1° horizontal and 500 m vertical resolution mesh, we are able to derive wildfire injection height distributions whose maxima extend to the type of higher altitudes seen in actual observation-based wildfire plume datasets than are those derived either via the original plume model or any other parametrization tested herein. We also find our model to be the only one tested that more correctly simulates the very high plume (6 to 8 km a.s.l.), created by a large fire in Alberta (Canada) on the 17 August 2003, though even our approach does not reach the stratosphere as the real plume is expected to have done. Our results lead us to believe that our PRMv2 approach to modelling the injection height of wildfire plumes is a strong candidate for inclusion into CTMs aiming to represent this process, but we note that significant advances in the spatio-temporal resolutions of the data required to feed the model will also very likely bring key improvements in our ability to more accurately represent such phenomena, and that there remain challenges to the detailed validation of such simulations due to the relative sparseness of plume height observations and their currently rather limited temporal coverage which are not necessarily well matched to when fires are most active (MISR being confined to morning observations for example).

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