Bioprospecting for Exopolysaccharides from Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Bacteria: Relationship between Bacterial Diversity and Chemical Diversity

PubMed Central

Delbarre-Ladrat, Christine; Leyva Salas, Marcia; Zykwinska, Agata; Colliec-Jouault, Sylvia

2017-01-01

Many bacteria biosynthesize structurally diverse exopolysaccharides (EPS) and excrete them into their surrounding environment. The EPS functional features have found many applications in industries such as cosmetics and pharmaceutics. In particular, some EPS produced by marine bacteria are composed of uronic acids, neutral sugars, and N-acetylhexosamines, and may also bear some functional sulfate groups. This suggests that they can share common structural features with glycosaminoglycans (GAG) like the two EPS (HE800 and GY785) originating from the deep sea. In an attempt to discover new EPS that may be promising candidates as GAG-mimetics, fifty-one marine bacterial strains originating from deep-sea hydrothermal vents were screened. The analysis of the EPS chemical structure in relation to bacterial species showed that Vibrio, Alteromonas, and Pseudoalteromonas strains were the main producers. Moreover, they produced EPS with distinct structural features, which might be useful for targeting marine bacteria that could possibly produce structurally GAG-mimetic EPS. PMID:28930185

Information and the Ecology of Scholars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackburn, Thomas R.

1973-01-01

Suggests a logical basis for the use of ecological concepts in modeling a special subculture; that of scholars (and in particular scientists), who produce, barter, and structure information as an ecosystem produces, exchanges, and structures biomass. (JR)

Integrated support structure for GASCAN 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The focus of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Advanced Space Design Program was the preliminary design of the Integrated Support Structure for GASCAN II, a Get Away Special canister donated by the MITRE Corporation. Two teams of three students each worked on the support structure. There was a structural design team and a thermal design team. The structure will carry three experiments also undergoing preliminary design this year, the mu-gravity Ignition Experiment, the Rotational Flow in Low Gravity Experiment, and the Ionospheric Properties and Propagation Experiment. The structural design team was responsible for the layout of the GASCAN and the preliminary design of the structure itself. They produced the physical interface specifications defining the baseline weights and volumes for the equipment and produced layout drawings of the system. The team produced static and modal finite element analysis of the structure using ANSYS. The thermal design team was responsible for the power and timing requirements of the payload and for the identification and preliminary analysis of potential thermal problems. The team produced the power, timing, and energy interface specifications and assisted in the development of the specification of the battery pack. The thermal parameters of each experiment were cataloged and the experiments were subjected to worst case heat transfer scenarios.

DNA Based Molecular Scale Nanofabrication

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-04

structure. We developed a method to produce nanoscale patterns on SAM. (d) Studied the molecular imprinting of DNA origami structure using polymer...to produce nanoscale patterns on SAM. (d) Studied the molecular imprinting of DNA origami structure using polymer substrates. Developed a high... imprinting using DNA nanostructure templates. Soft lithography uses polymeric stamps with certain features to transfer the pattern for printing

Structural attachments for large space structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pruett, E. C.; Loughead, T. E.; Robertson, K. B., III

1980-01-01

The feasibility of fabricating beams in space and using them as components of a large, crew assembled structure, was investigated. Two projects were undertaken: (1) design and development of a ground version of an automated beam builder capable of producing triangular cross section aluminum beams; and (2) design and fabrication of lap joints to connect the beams orthogonally and centroidal end caps to connect beams end to end at any desired angle. The first project produced a beam building machine which fabricates aluminum beams suitable for neutral buoyancy evaluation. The second project produced concepts for the lap joint and end cap. However, neither of these joint concepts was suitable for use by a pressure suited crew member in a zero gravity environment. It is concluded that before the beams can be evaluated the joint designs need to be completed and sufficient joints produced to allow assembly of a complex structure.

Evolution of structural diversity of trichothecenes, a family of toxins produced by plant pathogenic and entomopathogenic fungi

PubMed Central

McCormick, Susan P.; Lee, Theresa; Vaughan, Martha M.; Alexander, Nancy J.; Busman, Mark

2018-01-01

Trichothecenes are a family of terpenoid toxins produced by multiple genera of fungi, including plant and insect pathogens. Some trichothecenes produced by the fungus Fusarium are among the mycotoxins of greatest concern to food and feed safety because of their toxicity and frequent occurrence in cereal crops, and trichothecene production contributes to pathogenesis of some Fusarium species on plants. Collectively, fungi produce over 150 trichothecene analogs: i.e., molecules that share the same core structure but differ in patterns of substituents attached to the core structure. Here, we carried out genomic, phylogenetic, gene-function, and analytical chemistry studies of strains from nine fungal genera to identify genetic variation responsible for trichothecene structural diversity and to gain insight into evolutionary processes that have contributed to the variation. The results indicate that structural diversity has resulted from gain, loss, and functional changes of trichothecene biosynthetic (TRI) genes. The results also indicate that the presence of some substituents has arisen independently in different fungi by gain of different genes with the same function. Variation in TRI gene duplication and number of TRI loci was also observed among the fungi examined, but there was no evidence that such genetic differences have contributed to trichothecene structural variation. We also inferred ancestral states of the TRI cluster and trichothecene biosynthetic pathway, and proposed scenarios for changes in trichothecene structures during divergence of TRI cluster homologs. Together, our findings provide insight into evolutionary processes responsible for structural diversification of toxins produced by pathogenic fungi. PMID:29649280

Evolution of structural diversity of trichothecenes, a family of toxins produced by plant pathogenic and entomopathogenic fungi.

PubMed

Proctor, Robert H; McCormick, Susan P; Kim, Hye-Seon; Cardoza, Rosa E; Stanley, April M; Lindo, Laura; Kelly, Amy; Brown, Daren W; Lee, Theresa; Vaughan, Martha M; Alexander, Nancy J; Busman, Mark; Gutiérrez, Santiago

2018-04-01

Trichothecenes are a family of terpenoid toxins produced by multiple genera of fungi, including plant and insect pathogens. Some trichothecenes produced by the fungus Fusarium are among the mycotoxins of greatest concern to food and feed safety because of their toxicity and frequent occurrence in cereal crops, and trichothecene production contributes to pathogenesis of some Fusarium species on plants. Collectively, fungi produce over 150 trichothecene analogs: i.e., molecules that share the same core structure but differ in patterns of substituents attached to the core structure. Here, we carried out genomic, phylogenetic, gene-function, and analytical chemistry studies of strains from nine fungal genera to identify genetic variation responsible for trichothecene structural diversity and to gain insight into evolutionary processes that have contributed to the variation. The results indicate that structural diversity has resulted from gain, loss, and functional changes of trichothecene biosynthetic (TRI) genes. The results also indicate that the presence of some substituents has arisen independently in different fungi by gain of different genes with the same function. Variation in TRI gene duplication and number of TRI loci was also observed among the fungi examined, but there was no evidence that such genetic differences have contributed to trichothecene structural variation. We also inferred ancestral states of the TRI cluster and trichothecene biosynthetic pathway, and proposed scenarios for changes in trichothecene structures during divergence of TRI cluster homologs. Together, our findings provide insight into evolutionary processes responsible for structural diversification of toxins produced by pathogenic fungi.

Analysis of the N-glycans of recombinant human Factor IX purified from transgenic pig milk

PubMed Central

Gil, Geun-Cheol; Velander, William H; Van Cott, Kevin E

2008-01-01

Glycosylation of recombinant proteins is of particular importance because it can play significant roles in the clinical properties of the glycoprotein. In this work, the N-glycan structures of recombinant human Factor IX (tg-FIX) produced in the transgenic pig mammary gland were determined. The majority of the N-glycans of transgenic pig-derived Factor IX (tg-FIX) are complex, bi-antennary with one or two terminal N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) moieties. We also found that the N-glycan structures of tg-FIX produced in the porcine mammary epithelial cells differed with respect to N-glycans from glycoproteins produced in other porcine tissues. tg-FIX contains no detectable Neu5Gc, the sialic acid commonly found in porcine glycoproteins produced in other tissues. Additionally, we were unable to detect glycans in tg-FIX that have a terminal Galα(1,3)Gal disaccharide sequence, which is strongly antigenic in humans. The N-glycan structures of tg-FIX are also compared to the published N-glycan structures of recombinant human glycoproteins produced in other transgenic animal species. While tg-FIX contains only complex structures, antithrombin III (goat), C1 inhibitor (rabbit), and lactoferrin (cow) have both high mannose and complex structures. Collectively, these data represent a beginning point for the future investigation of species-specific and tissue/cell-specific differences in N-glycan structures among animals used for transgenic animal bioreactors. PMID:18456721

Method for making a bio-compatible scaffold

DOEpatents

Cesarano, III, Joseph; Stuecker, John N [Albuquerque, NM; Dellinger, Jennifer G [Champaigne, IL; Jamison, Russell D [Urbana, IL

2006-01-31

A method for forming a three-dimensional, biocompatible, porous scaffold structure using a solid freeform fabrication technique (referred to herein as robocasting) that can be used as a medical implant into a living organism, such as a human or other mammal. Imaging technology and analysis is first used to determine the three-dimensional design required for the medical implant, such as a bone implant or graft, fashioned as a three-dimensional, biocompatible scaffold structure. The robocasting technique is used to either directly produce the three-dimensional, porous scaffold structure or to produce an over-sized three-dimensional, porous scaffold lattice which can be machined to produce the designed three-dimensional, porous scaffold structure for implantation.

Estimation of Uncertainties in the Global Distance Test (GDT_TS) for CASP Models.

PubMed

Li, Wenlin; Schaeffer, R Dustin; Otwinowski, Zbyszek; Grishin, Nick V

2016-01-01

The Critical Assessment of techniques for protein Structure Prediction (or CASP) is a community-wide blind test experiment to reveal the best accomplishments of structure modeling. Assessors have been using the Global Distance Test (GDT_TS) measure to quantify prediction performance since CASP3 in 1998. However, identifying significant score differences between close models is difficult because of the lack of uncertainty estimations for this measure. Here, we utilized the atomic fluctuations caused by structure flexibility to estimate the uncertainty of GDT_TS scores. Structures determined by nuclear magnetic resonance are deposited as ensembles of alternative conformers that reflect the structural flexibility, whereas standard X-ray refinement produces the static structure averaged over time and space for the dynamic ensembles. To recapitulate the structural heterogeneous ensemble in the crystal lattice, we performed time-averaged refinement for X-ray datasets to generate structural ensembles for our GDT_TS uncertainty analysis. Using those generated ensembles, our study demonstrates that the time-averaged refinements produced structure ensembles with better agreement with the experimental datasets than the averaged X-ray structures with B-factors. The uncertainty of the GDT_TS scores, quantified by their standard deviations (SDs), increases for scores lower than 50 and 70, with maximum SDs of 0.3 and 1.23 for X-ray and NMR structures, respectively. We also applied our procedure to the high accuracy version of GDT-based score and produced similar results with slightly higher SDs. To facilitate score comparisons by the community, we developed a user-friendly web server that produces structure ensembles for NMR and X-ray structures and is accessible at http://prodata.swmed.edu/SEnCS. Our work helps to identify the significance of GDT_TS score differences, as well as to provide structure ensembles for estimating SDs of any scores.

Reusable EGaIn-Injected Substrate-Integrated-Waveguide Resonator for Wireless Sensor Applications

PubMed Central

Memon, Muhammad Usman; Lim, Sungjoon

2015-01-01

The proposed structure in this research is constructed on substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technology and has a mechanism that produces 16 different and distinct resonant frequencies between 2.45 and 3.05 GHz by perturbing a fundamental TE10 mode. It is a unique method for producing multiple resonances in a radio frequency planar structure without any extra circuitry or passive elements is developed. The proposed SIW structure has four vertical fluidic holes (channels); injecting eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn), also known commonly as liquid metal (LM), into these vertical channels produces different resonant frequencies. Either a channel is empty, or it is filled with LM. In total, the combination of different frequencies produced from four vertical channels is 16. PMID:26569257

System for plotting subsoil structure and method therefor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Narasimhan, K. Y.; Nathan, R.; Parthasarathy, S. P. (Inventor)

1980-01-01

Data for use in producing a tomograph of subsoil structure between boreholes is derived by pacing spaced geophones in one borehole, on the Earth surface if desired, and by producing a sequence of shots at spaced apart locations in the other borehole. The signals, detected by each of the geophones from the various shots, are processed either on a time of arrival basis, or on the basis of signal amplitude, to provide information of the characteristics of a large number of incremental areas between the boreholes. Such information is useable to produce a tomograph of the subsoil structure between the boreholes. By processing signals of relatively high frequencies, e.g., up to 100 Hz, and by closely spacing the geophones, a high resolution tomograph can be produced.

A review of experimental techniques to produce a nacre-like structure.

PubMed

Corni, I; Harvey, T J; Wharton, J A; Stokes, K R; Walsh, F C; Wood, R J K

2012-09-01

The performance of man-made materials can be improved by exploring new structures inspired by the architecture of biological materials. Natural materials, such as nacre (mother-of-pearl), can have outstanding mechanical properties due to their complicated architecture and hierarchical structure at the nano-, micro- and meso-levels which have evolved over millions of years. This review describes the numerous experimental methods explored to date to produce composites with structures and mechanical properties similar to those of natural nacre. The materials produced have sizes ranging from nanometres to centimetres, processing times varying from a few minutes to several months and a different range of mechanical properties that render them suitable for various applications. For the first time, these techniques have been divided into those producing bulk materials, coatings and free-standing films. This is due to the fact that the material's application strongly depends on its dimensions and different results have been reported by applying the same technique to produce materials with different sizes. The limitations and capabilities of these methodologies have been also described.

Crystal morphology variation in inkjet-printed organic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ihnen, Andrew C.; Petrock, Anne M.; Chou, Tsengming; Samuels, Phillip J.; Fuchs, Brian E.; Lee, Woo Y.

2011-11-01

The recent commercialization of piezoelectric-based drop-on-demand inkjet printers provides an additive processing platform for producing and micropatterning organic crystal structures. We report an inkjet printing approach where macro- and nano-scale energetic composites composed of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) crystals dispersed in a cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) matrix are produced by direct phase transformation from organic solvent-based all-liquid inks. The characterization of printed composites illustrates distinct morphological changes dependent on ink deposition parameters. When 10 pL ink droplets rapidly formed a liquid pool, a coffee ring structure containing dendritic RDX crystals was produced. By increasing the substrate temperature, and consequently the evaporation rate of the pooled ink, the coffee ring structure was mitigated and shorter dendrites from up to ∼1 to 0.2 mm with closer arm spacing from ∼15 to 1 μm were produced. When the nucleation and growth of RDX and CAB were confined within the evaporating droplets, a granular structure containing nanoscale RDX crystals was produced. The results suggest that evaporation rate and microfluidic droplet confinement can effectively be used to tailor the morphology of inkjet-printed energetic composites.

Method and apparatus for molecular imaging using x-rays at resonance wavelengths

DOEpatents

Chapline, G.F. Jr.

Holographic x-ray images are produced representing the molecular structure of a microscopic object, such as a living cell, by directing a beam of coherent x-rays upon the object to produce scattering of the x-rays by the object, producing interference on a recording medium between the scattered x-rays from the object and unscattered coherent x-rays and thereby producing holograms on the recording surface, and establishing the wavelength of the coherent x-rays to correspond with a molecular resonance of a constituent of such object and thereby greatly improving the contrast, sensitivity and resolution of the holograms as representations of molecular structures involving such constituent. For example, the coherent x-rays may be adjusted to the molecular resonant absorption line of nitrogen at about 401.3 eV to produce holographic images featuring molecular structures involving nitrogen.

Structural changes evaluation with Raman spectroscopy in meat batters prepared by different processes.

PubMed

Kang, Zhuang-Li; Li, Xiang; He, Hong-Ju; Ma, Han-Jun; Song, Zhao-Jun

2017-08-01

A comprehensive study was conducted to evaluate the structural changes of meat and protein of pork batters produced by chopping or beating process through the phase-contrast micrograph, laser light scattering analyzer, scanning electronic microscopy and Raman spectrometer. The results showed that the shattered myofibrilla fragments were shorter and particle-sizes were smaller in the raw batter produced by beating process than those in the chopping process. Compared with the raw and cooked batters produced by chopping process, modifications in amide I and amide III bands revealed a significant decrease of α -helix content and an increase of β -sheet, β -turn and random coils content in the beating process. The changes in secondary structure of protein in the batter produced by beating process was thermally stable. Moreover, more tyrosine residues were buried, and more gauche-gauche-trans disulfide bonds conformations and hydrophobic interactions were formed in the batter produced by beating process.

Method and apparatus for molecular imaging using X-rays at resonance wavelengths

DOEpatents

Chapline, Jr., George F.

1985-01-01

Holographic X-ray images are produced representing the molecular structure of a microscopic object, such as a living cell, by directing a beam of coherent X-rays upon the object to produce scattering of the X-rays by the object, producing interference on a recording medium between the scattered X-rays from the object and unscattered coherent X-rays and thereby producing holograms on the recording surface, and establishing the wavelength of the coherent X-rays to correspond with a molecular resonance of a constituent of such object and thereby greatly improving the contrast, sensitivity and resolution of the holograms as representations of molecular structures involving such constituent. For example, the coherent X-rays may be adjusted to the molecular resonant absorption line of nitrogen at about 401.3 eV to produce holographic images featuring molecular structures involving nitrogen.

Structure of the exopolysaccharide produced by Enterobacter amnigenus.

PubMed

Cescutti, Paola; Kallioinen, Anne; Impallomeni, Giuseppe; Toffanin, Renato; Pollesello, Piero; Leisola, Matti; Eerikäinen, Tero

2005-02-28

The bacterial species Enterobacter amnigenus was isolated from sugar beets harvested in Finland. It produced an exopolysaccharide rich in l-fucose, which gave viscous water solutions. Its primary structure was determined mainly by NMR spectroscopy and ESIMS of oligosaccharides and a polysaccharide with decreased molecular weight, obtained by Smith degradation of the O-deacetylated native polymer [carbohydrate structure: see text

Using cuttlefish ink as an additive to produce -non-iridescent structural colors of high color visibility.

PubMed

Zhang, Yafeng; Dong, Biqin; Chen, Ang; Liu, Xiaohan; Shi, Lei; Zi, Jian

2015-08-26

Non-iridescent structural colors of high color visibility are produced by amorphous photonic structures, in which -natural cuttlefish ink is used as an additive to break down the long-range order of the structures. The color hue and its spectral purity can be tuned by adjusting the diameter of the polystyrene (PS) spheres and the proportion of ink particles. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Auxetic textiles.

PubMed

Rant, Darja; Rijavec, Tatjana; Pavko-Čuden, Alenka

2013-01-01

Common materials have Poisson's ratio values ranging from 0.0 to 0.5. Auxetic materials exhibit negative Poisson's ratio. They expand laterally when stretched longitudinally and contract laterally when compressed. In recent years the use of textile technology to fabricate auxetic materials has attracted more and more attention. It is reflected in the extent of available research work exploring the auxetic potential of various textile structures and subsequent increase in the number of research papers published. Generally there are two approaches to producing auxetic textiles. The first one includes the use of auxetic fibers to produce an auxetic textile structure, whereas the other utilizes conventional fibres to produce a textile structure with auxetic properties. This review deals with auxetic materials in general and in the specific context of auxetic polymers, auxetic fibers, and auxetic textile structures made from conventional fibers and knitted structures with auxetic potential.

3D Printing Variable Stiffness Foams Using Viscous Thread Instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipton, Jeffrey I.; Lipson, Hod

2016-08-01

Additive manufacturing of cellular structures has numerous applications ranging from fabrication of biological scaffolds and medical implants, to mechanical weight reduction and control over mechanical properties. Various additive manufacturing processes have been used to produce open regular cellular structures limited only by the resolution of the printer. These efforts have focused on printing explicitly designed cells or explicitly planning offsets between strands. Here we describe a technique for producing cellular structures implicitly by inducing viscous thread instability when extruding material. This process allows us to produce complex cellular structures at a scale that is finer than the native resolution of the printer. We demonstrate tunable effective elastic modulus and density that span two orders of magnitude. Fine grained cellular structures allow for fabrication of foams for use in a wide range of fields ranging from bioengineering, to robotics to food printing.

Femtosecond laser structuring of titanium implants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vorobyev, A. Y.; Guo, Chunlei

2007-06-01

In this study we perform the first femtosecond laser surface treatment of titanium in order to determine the potential of this technology for surface structuring of titanium implants. We find that the femtosecond laser produces a large variety of nanostructures (nanopores, nanoprotrusions) with a size down to 20 nm, multiple parallel grooved surface patterns with a period on the sub-micron level, microroughness in the range of 1-15 μm with various configurations, smooth surface with smooth micro-inhomogeneities, and smooth surface with sphere-like nanostructures down to 10 nm. Also, we have determined the optimal conditions for producing these surface structural modifications. Femtosecond laser treatment can produce a richer variety of surface structures on titanium for implants and other biomedical applications than long-pulse laser treatments.

Using Bonding Enamel-Coated Steel Fixtures to Produce More Durable Brick/Masonry Structures

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

Initial tests with enameled metal straps cracked all the test cylinders and straps would not pull out BUILDING STRONG® New Strong Durable Ties...BUILDING STRONG® Using Bonding Enamel -Coated Steel Fixtures to Produce More Durable Brick/Masonry Structures Principal Investigator: Steven C...COVERED 00-00-2010 to 00-00-2010 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Using Bonding Enamel -Coated Steel Fixtures to Produce More Durable Brick/Masonry

Different strokes for different bugs-Examples of stridulatory diversity in the Hemiptera

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many Hemipteran insects communicate through substrate-borne vibrations produced by a diversity of stridulatory structures. Examples are presented of stridulations produced by different structures of two little-studied Hemipterans, a Rhopalid, Jadera haematoloma, and a pentatomid, Euschistus servus. ...

Thunderstorm Charge Structures Producing Negative Gigantic Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boggs, L.; Liu, N.; Riousset, J. A.; Shi, F.; Rassoul, H.

2016-12-01

Here we present observational and modeling results that provide insight into thunderstorm charge structures that produce gigantic jet discharges. The observational results include data from four different thunderstorms producing 9 negative gigantic jets from 2010 to 2014. We used radar, very high frequency (VHF) and low frequency (LF) lightning data to analyze the storm characteristics, charge structures, and lightning activity when the gigantic jets emerged from the parent thunderstorms. A detailed investigation of the evolution of one of the charge structures by analyzing the VHF data is also presented. The newly found charge structure obtained from the observations was analyzed with fractal modeling and compared with previous fractal modeling studies [Krehbiel et al., Nat. Geosci., 1, 233-237, 2008; Riousset et al., JGR, 115, A00E10, 2010] of gigantic jet discharges. Our work finds that for normal polarity thunderstorms, gigantic jet charge structures feature a narrow upper positive charge region over a wide middle negative charge region. There also likely exists a `ring' of negative screening charge located around the perimeter of the upper positive charge. This is different from previously thought charge structures of the storms producing gigantic jets, which had a very wide upper positive charge region over a wide middle negative charge region, with a very small negative screening layer covering the cloud top. The newly found charge structure results in leader discharge trees in the fractal simulations that closely match the parent flashes of gigantic jets inside and outside the thundercloud. The previously used charge structures, while vital to the understanding of gigantic jet initiation and the role of charge imbalances inside the cloud, do not produce leader discharge trees that agree with observed gigantic jet discharges.Finally, the newly discovered gigantic jet charge structures are formed near the end of a convective pulse [Meyer et al., JGR, 118, 2013; Lazarus et al., JGR, 120, 8469-8490, 2015] that pushes the negative screening charge radially outward and causes mixing around the updraft.

Photonic structures in biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vukusic, Pete; Sambles, J. Roy

2003-08-01

Millions of years before we began to manipulate the flow of light using synthetic structures, biological systems were using nanometre-scale architectures to produce striking optical effects. An astonishing variety of natural photonic structures exists: a species of Brittlestar uses photonic elements composed of calcite to collect light, Morpho butterflies use multiple layers of cuticle and air to produce their striking blue colour and some insects use arrays of elements, known as nipple arrays, to reduce reflectivity in their compound eyes. Natural photonic structures are providing inspiration for technological applications.

Vibration sensing method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Barna, B.A.

1989-04-25

A method and apparatus for nondestructive evaluation of a structure are disclosed. Resonant audio frequency vibrations are excited in the structure to be evaluated and the vibrations are measured and characterized to obtain information about the structure. The vibrations are measured and characterized by reflecting a laser beam from the vibrating structure and directing a substantial portion of the reflected beam back into the laser device used to produce the beam which device is capable of producing an electric signal containing information about the vibration. 4 figs.

Vibration sensing method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Barna, B.A.

1987-07-07

A method and apparatus for nondestructive evaluation of a structure is disclosed. Resonant audio frequency vibrations are excited in the structure to be evaluated and the vibrations are measured and characterized to obtain information about the structure. The vibrations are measured and characterized by reflecting a laser beam from the vibrating structure and directing a substantial portion of the reflected beam back into the laser device used to produce the beam which device is capable of producing an electric signal containing information about the vibration. 4 figs.

Vibration sensing method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Barna, Basil A.

1989-04-25

A method and apparatus for nondestructive evaluation of a structure is disclosed. Resonant audio frequency vibrations are excited in the structure to be evaluated and the vibrations are measured and characterized to obtain information about the structure. The vibrations are measured and characterized by reflecting a laser beam from the vibrating structure and directing a substantial portion of the reflected beam back into the laser device used to produce the beam which device is capable of producing an electric signal containing information about the vibration.

The type of carbohydrates specifically selects microbial community structures and fermentation patterns.

PubMed

Chatellard, Lucile; Trably, Eric; Carrère, Hélène

2016-12-01

The impact on dark fermentation of seven carbohydrates as model substrates of lignocellulosic fractions (glucose, cellobiose, microcrystalline cellulose, arabinose, xylose, xylan and wheat straw) was investigated. Metabolic patterns and bacterial communities were characterized at the end of batch tests inoculated with manure digestate. It was found that hydrogen production was linked to the sugar type (pentose or hexose) and the degree of polymerisation. Hexoses produced less hydrogen, with a specific selection of lactate-producing bacterial community structures. Maximal hydrogen production was five times higher on pentose-based substrates, with specific bacterial community structures producing acetate and butyrate as main metabolites. Low hydrogen amounts accumulated from complex sugars (cellulose, xylan and wheat straw). A relatively high proportion of the reads was affiliated to Ruminococcaceae suggesting an efficient hydrolytic activity. Knowing that the bacterial community structure is very specific to a particular substrate offers new possibilities to design more efficient H 2 -producing biological systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

3D Printing Variable Stiffness Foams Using Viscous Thread Instability

PubMed Central

Lipton, Jeffrey I.; Lipson, Hod

2016-01-01

Additive manufacturing of cellular structures has numerous applications ranging from fabrication of biological scaffolds and medical implants, to mechanical weight reduction and control over mechanical properties. Various additive manufacturing processes have been used to produce open regular cellular structures limited only by the resolution of the printer. These efforts have focused on printing explicitly designed cells or explicitly planning offsets between strands. Here we describe a technique for producing cellular structures implicitly by inducing viscous thread instability when extruding material. This process allows us to produce complex cellular structures at a scale that is finer than the native resolution of the printer. We demonstrate tunable effective elastic modulus and density that span two orders of magnitude. Fine grained cellular structures allow for fabrication of foams for use in a wide range of fields ranging from bioengineering, to robotics to food printing. PMID:27503148

Zika virus produces noncoding RNAs using a multi-pseudoknot structure that confounds a cellular exonuclease

DOE PAGES

Akiyama, Benjamin M.; Laurence, Hannah M.; Massey, Aaron R.; ...

2016-11-10

The outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) and associated fetal microcephaly mandates efforts to understand the molecular processes of infection. Related flaviviruses produce noncoding subgenomic flaviviral RNAs (sfRNAs) that are linked to pathogenicity in fetal mice. These viruses make sfRNAs by co-opting a cellular exonuclease via structured RNAs called xrRNAs. We found that ZIKV-infected monkey and human epithelial cells, mouse neurons, and mosquito cells produce sfRNAs. The RNA structure that is responsible for ZIKV sfRNA production forms a complex fold that is likely found in many pathogenic flaviviruses. Mutations that disrupt the structure affect exonuclease resistance in vitro and sfRNA formationmore » during infection. The complete ZIKV xrRNA structure clarifies the mechanism of exonuclease resistance and identifies features that may modulate function in diverse flaviviruses.« less

Coal as an abundant source of graphene quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Ruquan; Xiang, Changsheng; Lin, Jian; Peng, Zhiwei; Huang, Kewei; Yan, Zheng; Cook, Nathan P.; Samuel, Errol L. G.; Hwang, Chih-Chau; Ruan, Gedeng; Ceriotti, Gabriel; Raji, Abdul-Rahman O.; Martí, Angel A.; Tour, James M.

2013-12-01

Coal is the most abundant and readily combustible energy resource being used worldwide. However, its structural characteristic creates a perception that coal is only useful for producing energy via burning. Here we report a facile approach to synthesize tunable graphene quantum dots from various types of coal, and establish that the unique coal structure has an advantage over pure sp2-carbon allotropes for producing quantum dots. The crystalline carbon within the coal structure is easier to oxidatively displace than when pure sp2-carbon structures are used, resulting in nanometre-sized graphene quantum dots with amorphous carbon addends on the edges. The synthesized graphene quantum dots, produced in up to 20% isolated yield from coal, are soluble and fluorescent in aqueous solution, providing promise for applications in areas such as bioimaging, biomedicine, photovoltaics and optoelectronics, in addition to being inexpensive additives for structural composites.

Coal as an abundant source of graphene quantum dots.

PubMed

Ye, Ruquan; Xiang, Changsheng; Lin, Jian; Peng, Zhiwei; Huang, Kewei; Yan, Zheng; Cook, Nathan P; Samuel, Errol L G; Hwang, Chih-Chau; Ruan, Gedeng; Ceriotti, Gabriel; Raji, Abdul-Rahman O; Martí, Angel A; Tour, James M

2013-01-01

Coal is the most abundant and readily combustible energy resource being used worldwide. However, its structural characteristic creates a perception that coal is only useful for producing energy via burning. Here we report a facile approach to synthesize tunable graphene quantum dots from various types of coal, and establish that the unique coal structure has an advantage over pure sp2-carbon allotropes for producing quantum dots. The crystalline carbon within the coal structure is easier to oxidatively displace than when pure sp2-carbon structures are used, resulting in nanometre-sized graphene quantum dots with amorphous carbon addends on the edges. The synthesized graphene quantum dots, produced in up to 20% isolated yield from coal, are soluble and fluorescent in aqueous solution, providing promise for applications in areas such as bioimaging, biomedicine, photovoltaics and optoelectronics, in addition to being inexpensive additives for structural composites.

Method of fabricating a catalytic structure

DOEpatents

Rollins, Harry W [Idaho Falls, ID; Petkovic, Lucia M [Idaho Falls, ID; Ginosar, Daniel M [Idaho Falls, ID

2009-09-22

A precursor to a catalytic structure comprising zinc oxide and copper oxide. The zinc oxide has a sheet-like morphology or a spherical morphology and the copper oxide comprises particles of copper oxide. The copper oxide is reduced to copper, producing the catalytic structure. The catalytic structure is fabricated by a hydrothermal process. A reaction mixture comprising a zinc salt, a copper salt, a hydroxyl ion source, and a structure-directing agent is formed. The reaction mixture is heated under confined volume conditions to produce the precursor. The copper oxide in the precursor is reduced to copper. A method of hydrogenating a carbon oxide using the catalytic structure is also disclosed, as is a system that includes the catalytic structure.

Targeted Structural Optimization with Additive Manufacturing of Metals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burt, Adam; Hull, Patrick

2015-01-01

The recent advances in additive manufacturing (AM) of metals have now improved the state-of-the-art such that traditionally non-producible parts can be readily produced in a cost-effective way. Because of these advances in manufacturing technology, structural optimization techniques are well positioned to supplement and advance this new technology. The goal of this project is to develop a structural design, analysis, and optimization framework combined with AM to significantly light-weight the interior of metallic structures while maintaining the selected structural properties of the original solid. This is a new state-of-the-art capability to significantly reduce mass, while maintaining the structural integrity of the original design, something that can only be done with AM. In addition, this framework will couple the design, analysis, and fabrication process, meaning that what has been designed directly represents the produced part, thus closing the loop on the design cycle and removing human iteration between design and fabrication. This fundamental concept has applications from light-weighting launch vehicle components to in situ resource fabrication.

Precision alignment device

DOEpatents

Jones, N.E.

1988-03-10

Apparatus for providing automatic alignment of beam devices having an associated structure for directing, collimating, focusing, reflecting, or otherwise modifying the main beam. A reference laser is attached to the structure enclosing the main beam producing apparatus and produces a reference beam substantially parallel to the main beam. Detector modules containing optical switching devices and optical detectors are positioned in the path of the reference beam and are effective to produce an electrical output indicative of the alignment of the main beam. This electrical output drives servomotor operated adjustment screws to adjust the position of elements of the structure associated with the main beam to maintain alignment of the main beam. 5 figs.

Precision alignment device

DOEpatents

Jones, Nelson E.

1990-01-01

Apparatus for providing automatic alignment of beam devices having an associated structure for directing, collimating, focusing, reflecting, or otherwise modifying the main beam. A reference laser is attached to the structure enclosing the main beam producing apparatus and produces a reference beam substantially parallel to the main beam. Detector modules containing optical switching devices and optical detectors are positioned in the path of the reference beam and are effective to produce an electrical output indicative of the alignment of the main beam. This electrical output drives servomotor operated adjustment screws to adjust the position of elements of the structure associated with the main beam to maintain alignment of the main beam.

Computer program simplifies selection of structural steel columns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vissing, G. S.

1966-01-01

Computer program rapidly selects appropriate size steel columns and base plates for construction of multistory structures. The program produces a printed record containing the size of a section required at a particular elevation, the stress produced by the loads, and the allowable stresses for that section.

Proposed correlation of structure network inherited from producing techniques and deformation behavior for Ni-Ti-Mo metallic glasses via atomistic simulations

PubMed Central

Yang, M. H.; Li, J. H.; Liu, B. X.

2016-01-01

Based on the newly constructed n-body potential of Ni-Ti-Mo system, Molecular Dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations predict an energetically favored glass formation region and an optimal composition sub-region with the highest glass-forming ability. In order to compare the producing techniques between liquid melt quenching (LMQ) and solid-state amorphization (SSA), inherent hierarchical structure and its effect on mechanical property were clarified via atomistic simulations. It is revealed that both producing techniques exhibit no pronounced differences in the local atomic structure and mechanical behavior, while the LMQ method makes a relatively more ordered structure and a higher intrinsic strength. Meanwhile, it is found that the dominant short-order clusters of Ni-Ti-Mo metallic glasses obtained by LMQ and SSA are similar. By analyzing the structural evolution upon uniaxial tensile deformation, it is concluded that the gradual collapse of the spatial structure network is intimately correlated to the mechanical response of metallic glasses and acts as a structural signature of the initiation and propagation of shear bands. PMID:27418115

Commentary: Are Three Waves of Data Sufficient for Assessing Mediation?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reichardt, Charles S.

2011-01-01

Maxwell, Cole, and Mitchell (2011) demonstrated that simple structural equation models, when used with cross-sectional data, generally produce biased estimates of meditated effects. I extend those results by showing how simple structural equation models can produce biased estimates of meditated effects when used even with longitudinal data. Even…

Nightside Structure of the Venusian Ionosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ledvina, S. A.; Brecht, S. H.

2017-12-01

The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, PVO, was the first mission to detect large-scale structure in the nightside region of Venus. This structure is often referred to as "tail rays." Since this discovery, there has been continuous discussion as to the cause of the structure. There have been theoretical attempts to explain the structure but no definitive determination of the mechanism. Typically, the wavelengths of the structure were not always consistent with the theory. Three-dimensional hybrid simulations are reported that produce structure on the nightside of Venus. The structure seems consistent with the data. This paper will present the results of the simulations as well as a variety of numerical tests that offer some insight into the mechanism driving the development of the structure. The tests reveal that the ambipolar electric fields as produced by the gradient of the electron pressure seems to be the root cause of the structure. It will be shown that different realizations of the neutral wind modify the structure. The hybrid simulations are three dimensional with neutral winds included in the simulations. The resolution of the simulation is 50 km/cell and lower. The spherical grid used in the simulations to handle chemistry and collisions has a resolution of 5 km radially and under 50 km in the angular directions. It is these high resolution simulations that produce the structure to be discussed in this paper.

Structural study of the exopolysaccharide produced by a clinical isolate of Burkholderia cepacia.

PubMed

Cescutti, P; Bosco, M; Picotti, F; Impallomeni, G; Leitão, J H; Richau, J A; Sá-Correia, I

2000-07-14

The primary structure of the exopolysaccharide produced by a clinical isolate of the bacterium Burkholderia cepacia was studied by means of methylation analysis, selective degradation, NMR spectroscopy, and electrospray mass spectrometry. The resulting data showed that the parent repeating unit of the exopolysaccharide is a highly branched heptasaccharide with the following structure: Two acetyl groups are present per repeating unit, as noncarbohydrate substituents. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Polymer of phosphonylmethyl-2,4- and -2,6-diamino benzene and polyfunctional monomer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikroyannidis, J. A. (Inventor); Kourtides, D. A. (Inventor)

1986-01-01

A phosphonyl methyl benzene is prepared by nitration to produce a 2,4-dinitro phosphonyl methyl benzene, which is then reduced to a diamino compound. The diamino compound is then used to cure a polymerizable monomer. The diamino compound may be polymerized with polyfunctional epoxides to produce heat and fire resistant polymer structures for making flame and fire resistant polymer structures such as for aircraft secondary structures.

Complete wavefront and polarization control for ultrashort-pulse laser microprocessing.

PubMed

Allegre, O J; Jin, Y; Perrie, W; Ouyang, J; Fearon, E; Edwardson, S P; Dearden, G

2013-09-09

We report on new developments in wavefront and polarization control for ultrashort-pulse laser microprocessing. We use two Spatial Light Modulators in combination to structure the optical fields of a picosecond-pulse laser beam, producing vortex wavefronts and radial or azimuthal polarization states. We also carry out the first demonstration of multiple first-order beams with vortex wavefronts and radial or azimuthal polarization states, produced using Computer Generated Holograms. The beams produced are used to nano-structure a highly polished metal surface. Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures are observed and used to directly verify the state of polarization in the focal plane and help to characterize the optical properties of the setup.

Process for producing advanced ceramics

DOEpatents

Kwong, Kyei-Sing

1996-01-01

A process for the synthesis of homogeneous advanced ceramics such as SiC+AlN, SiAlON, SiC+Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, and Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 +AlN from natural clays such as kaolin, halloysite and montmorillonite by an intercalation and heat treatment method. Included are the steps of refining clays, intercalating organic compounds into the layered structure of clays, drying the intercalated mixture, firing the treated atmospheres and grinding the loosely agglomerated structure. Advanced ceramics produced by this procedure have the advantages of homogeneity, cost effectiveness, simplicity of manufacture, ease of grind and a short process time. Advanced ceramics produced by this process can be used for refractory, wear part and structure ceramics.

Method of producing buried porous silicon-geramanium layers in monocrystalline silicon lattices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fathauer, Robert W. (Inventor); George, Thomas (Inventor); Jones, Eric W. (Inventor)

1997-01-01

Lattices of alternating layers of monocrystalline silicon and porous silicon-germanium have been produced. These single crystal lattices have been fabricated by epitaxial growth of Si and Si--Ge layers followed by patterning into mesa structures. The mesa structures are stain etched resulting in porosification of the Si--Ge layers with a minor amount of porosification of the monocrystalline Si layers. Thicker Si--Ge layers produced in a similar manner emitted visible light at room temperature.

RELATIONSHIP OF URANIUM ORE DEPOSITS TO PETROLEUM AND GAS-BEARING STRUCTURES

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

Russell, R.T.

eposits are located on producing or breached oil and gas structures, or in the immediate vicinity of such structures. Individual deposits associated with these structures contain ore reserves which may exceed one million tons. Data derived from a study of the known deposits should be useful in evaluating the potentiality of other areas where similar structural relations and abnormal radioactivity are known to exist. Uranium deposits located in producing oil or gas fields include a deposit of more than one million tons of uranium ore on a single salt dome in Texas, and uranium deposits in the Poison Basin, Wyoming,more » which are situated over a producing naturalgas structure, having a potential of 100,000 to 200,000 tons. Important uranium mining districts are also located near producing oil fields or near structures which may have contained oil at some time in the past. The Gas Hills district to Wyoming is on the flanks of a breached anticline and within one mile of natural-gas seeps. Deposits in the Brown's Park formation near Maybell, Colorado, are witin 10 miles of producing oil wells and natural-gas seeps are known within one mile of some of the uranium mines; and at Morrison, Colorado, uranium ore is associated with tar seeps. On th Colorado Plateau, large ore bodies with total reserves of at least 30 million tons of 0.3% U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ ore in the Ambrosia Lake district near Grants, New Mexico, and produce ore associated with asphaltite.'' The uraniferous asphaltite'' ore at Temple Mountain, Utah has been known for nearly 50 years. At both Circle Cliffs and the Inter- River area in Utah, uranium ore is associated with asphaltic material on anticlinal structures. Many other deposits are on breached strucIn Wyoming, uranium deposits in Tertiary sandstone and arkose generally lack carbon trash, but are located near oil or gas structures that contain hydrocarbons and natural gases capable of precititating uranium. Also, many uranium deposits on the Colorado Plateau have insufficient plant remains present to be the fixing agent for uranium, but petroleum and/or natural gas are proposed as possible extractants. The hydrogen sulfide contaned in natural gas or dissolved in oil-field water has been a factor in the formation of some uranium deposits. Oil-type structural traps must have been effective in localizing both petroleum and uranium ore in some districts. Although petroleum may contain small amounts of uranium, it is doubtful if either oil or natural gas are important transporting agents for uranium. Careful consideration of these various factors will provide a basis upon which to evaluate more effectively many ore producing areas. (auth)« less

Shared Information Structure: Evidence from Cross-Linguistic Priming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleischer, Zuzanna; Pickering, Martin J.; McLean, Janet F.

2012-01-01

This study asked whether bilinguals construct a language-independent level of information structure for the sentences that they produce. It reports an experiment in which a Polish-English bilingual and a confederate of the experimenter took turns to describe pictures to each other and to find those pictures in an array. The confederate produced a…

Simulations of the flocculent spiral M33: what drives the spiral structure?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobbs, C. L.; Pettitt, A. R.; Corbelli, E.; Pringle, J. E.

2018-05-01

We perform simulations of isolated galaxies in order to investigate the likely origin of the spiral structure in M33. In our models, we find that gravitational instabilities in the stars and gas are able to reproduce the observed spiral pattern and velocity field of M33, as seen in HI, and no interaction is required. We also find that the optimum models have high levels of stellar feedback which create large holes similar to those observed in M33, whilst lower levels of feedback tend to produce a large amount of small scale structure, and undisturbed long filaments of high surface density gas, hardly detected in the M33 disc. The gas component appears to have a significant role in producing the structure, so if there is little feedback, both the gas and stars organise into clear spiral arms, likely due to a lower combined Q (using gas and stars), and the ready ability of cold gas to undergo spiral shocks. By contrast models with higher feedback have weaker spiral structure, especially in the stellar component, compared to grand design galaxies. We did not see a large difference in the behaviour of Qstars with most of these models, however, because Qstars stayed relatively constant unless the disc was more strongly unstable. Our models suggest that although the stars produce some underlying spiral structure, this is relatively weak, and the gas physics has a considerable role in producing the large scale structure of the ISM in flocculent spirals.

Method of producing superplastic alloys and superplastic alloys produced by the method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Troeger, Lillianne P. (Inventor); Starke, Jr., Edgar A. (Inventor); Crooks, Roy (Inventor)

2002-01-01

A method for producing new superplastic alloys by inducing in an alloy the formation of precipitates having a sufficient size and homogeneous distribution that a sufficiently refined grain structure to produce superplasticity is obtained after subsequent PSN processing. An age-hardenable alloy having at least one dispersoid phase is selected for processing. The alloy is solution heat-treated and cooled to form a supersaturated solid solution. The alloy is plastically deformed sufficiently to form a high-energy defect structure useful for the subsequent heterogeneous nucleation of precipitates. The alloy is then aged, preferably by a multi-stage low and high temperature process, and precipitates are formed at the defect sites. The alloy then is subjected to a PSN process comprising plastically deforming the alloy to provide sufficient strain energy in the alloy to ensure recrystallization, and statically recrystallizing the alloy. A grain structure exhibiting new, fine, equiaxed and uniform grains is produced in the alloy. An exemplary 6xxx alloy of the type capable of being produced by the present invention, and which is useful for aerospace, automotive and other applications, is disclosed and claimed. The process is also suitable for processing any age-hardenable aluminum or other alloy.

Formation of bulk refractive index structures

DOEpatents

Potter, Jr., Barrett George; Potter, Kelly Simmons; Wheeler, David R.; Jamison, Gregory M.

2003-07-15

A method of making a stacked three-dimensional refractive index structure in photosensitive materials using photo-patterning where first determined is the wavelength at which a photosensitive material film exhibits a change in refractive index upon exposure to optical radiation, a portion of the surfaces of the photosensitive material film is optically irradiated, the film is marked to produce a registry mark. Multiple films are produced and aligned using the registry marks to form a stacked three-dimensional refractive index structure.

Multifunctional structural energy storage composite supercapacitors.

PubMed

Shirshova, Natasha; Qian, Hui; Houllé, Matthieu; Steinke, Joachim H G; Kucernak, Anthony R J; Fontana, Quentin P V; Greenhalgh, Emile S; Bismarck, Alexander; Shaffer, Milo S P

2014-01-01

This paper addresses the challenge of producing multifunctional composites that can simultaneously carry mechanical loads whilst storing (and delivering) electrical energy. The embodiment is a structural supercapacitor built around laminated structural carbon fibre (CF) fabrics. Each cell consists of two modified structural CF fabric electrodes, separated by a structural glass fibre fabric or polymer membrane, infused with a multifunctional polymeric electrolyte. Rather than using conventional activated carbon fibres, structural carbon fibres were treated to produce a mechanically robust, high surface area material, using a variety of methods, including direct etching, carbon nanotube sizing, and carbon nanotube in situ growth. One of the most promising approaches is to integrate a porous bicontinuous monolithic carbon aerogel (CAG) throughout the matrix. This nanostructured matrix both provides a dramatic increase in active surface area of the electrodes, and has the potential to address mechanical issues associated with matrix-dominated failures. The effect of the initial reaction mixture composition is assessed for both the CAG modified carbon fibre electrodes and resulting devices. A low temperature CAG modification of carbon fibres was evaluated using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) to enhance the electrochemical performance. For the multifunctional structural electrolyte, simple crosslinked gels have been replaced with bicontinuous structural epoxy-ionic liquid hybrids that offer a much better balance between the conflicting demands of rigidity and molecular motion. The formation of both aerogel precursors and the multifunctional electrolyte are described, including the influence of key components, and the defining characteristics of the products. Working structural supercapacitor composite prototypes have been produced and characterised electrochemically. The effect of introducing the necessary multifunctional resin on the mechanical properties has also been assessed. Larger scale demonstrators have been produced including a full size car boot/trunk lid.

Aircraft Structural Mass Property Prediction Using Conceptual-Level Structural Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sexstone, Matthew G.

1998-01-01

This paper describes a methodology that extends the use of the Equivalent LAminated Plate Solution (ELAPS) structural analysis code from conceptual-level aircraft structural analysis to conceptual-level aircraft mass property analysis. Mass property analysis in aircraft structures has historically depended upon parametric weight equations at the conceptual design level and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) at the detailed design level. ELAPS allows for the modeling of detailed geometry, metallic and composite materials, and non-structural mass coupled with analytical structural sizing to produce high-fidelity mass property analyses representing fully configured vehicles early in the design process. This capability is especially valuable for unusual configuration and advanced concept development where existing parametric weight equations are inapplicable and FEA is too time consuming for conceptual design. This paper contrasts the use of ELAPS relative to empirical weight equations and FEA. ELAPS modeling techniques are described and the ELAPS-based mass property analysis process is detailed. Examples of mass property stochastic calculations produced during a recent systems study are provided. This study involved the analysis of three remotely piloted aircraft required to carry scientific payloads to very high altitudes at subsonic speeds. Due to the extreme nature of this high-altitude flight regime, few existing vehicle designs are available for use in performance and weight prediction. ELAPS was employed within a concurrent engineering analysis process that simultaneously produces aerodynamic, structural, and static aeroelastic results for input to aircraft performance analyses. The ELAPS models produced for each concept were also used to provide stochastic analyses of wing structural mass properties. The results of this effort indicate that ELAPS is an efficient means to conduct multidisciplinary trade studies at the conceptual design level.

Aircraft Structural Mass Property Prediction Using Conceptual-Level Structural Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sexstone, Matthew G.

1998-01-01

This paper describes a methodology that extends the use of the Equivalent LAminated Plate Solution (ELAPS) structural analysis code from conceptual-level aircraft structural analysis to conceptual-level aircraft mass property analysis. Mass property analysis in aircraft structures has historically depended upon parametric weight equations at the conceptual design level and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) at the detailed design level ELAPS allows for the modeling of detailed geometry, metallic and composite materials, and non-structural mass coupled with analytical structural sizing to produce high-fidelity mass property analyses representing fully configured vehicles early in the design process. This capability is especially valuable for unusual configuration and advanced concept development where existing parametric weight equations are inapplicable and FEA is too time consuming for conceptual design. This paper contrasts the use of ELAPS relative to empirical weight equations and FEA. ELAPS modeling techniques are described and the ELAPS-based mass property analysis process is detailed Examples of mass property stochastic calculations produced during a recent systems study are provided This study involved the analysis of three remotely piloted aircraft required to carry scientific payloads to very high altitudes at subsonic speeds. Due to the extreme nature of this high-altitude flight regime,few existing vehicle designs are available for use in performance and weight prediction. ELAPS was employed within a concurrent engineering analysis process that simultaneously produces aerodynamic, structural, and static aeroelastic results for input to aircraft performance analyses. The ELAPS models produced for each concept were also used to provide stochastic analyses of wing structural mass properties. The results of this effort indicate that ELAPS is an efficient means to conduct multidisciplinary trade studies at the conceptual design level.

W-waves Explain Gravitropism, Phototropism, Sap Flow, Plant Structure, and other Plant Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Raymond E.; Wagner, Orvin E.

1996-11-01

Eight years of research here confirm that plants act as wave guides for W-waves: The wavelengths of these longitudinal plant waves depend on the angle with which they are traveling with respect to the gravitational field. A structure grows tuned to a particular angle under the influence of genetics. If a structure is displaced from this angle plant action produces a correction. (2) Light waves produce certain W-wave modes in the W-wave medium and a plant's response to light results. (3) Wave action produces forces in the plant (that cancel gravity in the vertical case), combined with other affects, and sap flow results. (4) Plant structures are determined by genetics and environment from a set of quantized wavelengths available to all plants. The quantized values available to plants and all life provide templates for life to develop. Compare with quantum mechanics as a template for the structure of matter. Life processes suggest that templates also influence the development and stability of all structures in the universe (see www.chatlink.com/ oedphd/ for references).

Modular fabrication and characterization of complex silicon carbide composite structures Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) Research Final Report (Feb 2015 – May 2017)

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

Khalifa, Hesham

Advanced ceramic materials exhibit properties that enable safety and fuel cycle efficiency improvements in advanced nuclear reactors. In order to fully exploit these desirable properties, new processing techniques are required to produce the complex geometries inherent to nuclear fuel assemblies and support structures. Through this project, the state of complex SiC-SiC composite fabrication for nuclear components has advanced significantly. New methods to produce complex SiC-SiC composite structures have been demonstrated in the form factors needed for in-core structural components in advanced high temperature nuclear reactors. Advanced characterization techniques have been employed to demonstrate that these complex SiC-SiC composite structures providemore » the strength, toughness and hermeticity required for service in harsh reactor conditions. The complex structures produced in this project represent a significant step forward in leveraging the excellent high temperature strength, resistance to neutron induced damage, and low neutron cross section of silicon carbide in nuclear applications.« less

Using Carbon-14 Isotope Tracing to Investigate Molecular Structure Effects of the Oxygenate Dibutyl Maleate on Soot Emissions from a DI Diesel Engine

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

Buchholz, B A; Mueller, C J; Upatnieks, A

2004-01-07

The effect of oxygenate molecular structure on soot emissions from a DI diesel engine was examined using carbon-14 ({sup 14}C) isotope tracing. Carbon atoms in three distinct chemical structures within the diesel oxygenate dibutyl maleate (DBM) were labeled with {sup 14}C. The {sup 14}C from the labeled DBM was then detected in engine-out particulate matter (PM), in-cylinder deposits, and CO{sub 2} emissions using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The results indicate that molecular structure plays an important role in determining whether a specific carbon atom either does or does not form soot. Chemical-kinetic modeling results indicate that structures that produce CO{submore » 2} directly from the fuel are less effective at reducing soot than structures that produce CO before producing CO{sub 2}. Because they can follow individual carbon atoms through a real combustion process, {sup 14}C isotope tracing studies help strengthen the connection between actual engine emissions and chemical-kinetic models of combustion and soot formation/oxidation processes.« less

Direct protein photoinduced conformational changes using porphyrins.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brancaleon, Lorenzo; Silva, Ivan; Fernandez, Nicholas; Johnson, Eric; Sansone, Samuel

2008-03-01

Most proteins functions depend on the interaction with other ligands. These interactions depend on uniquely structured binding sites formed by the folding of the proteins. Ligands can often prompt intended as well as ``accidental'' protein structural changes. One can foresee that the ability to prompt and control post-translational protein folding could be a powerful tool to investigate protein folding mechanisms but also to inhibit certain proteins or induce new properties to proteins. One possible way to produce such structural disruption is the combination of light and photoactive ligands. This option has been investigated in recent years by exploiting photoisomerization and other properties of non-physiological dyes. We used an alternative approach which uses porphyrins as the ``triggers'' of structural changes. The advantage of porphyrins is that they can be found naturally in living cells. The photophysical properties of porphyrins can induce local as well as long range effects on the structure of the bound protein. Porphyrins are known to produce structural changes in porphyrin-specific proteins, however the novelty of our results is that we demonstrated that these dyes can also produce structural changes in non-porphyrin-specific globular proteins. We will present an overview of our research to-date in this field and its potential applications.

Optimal lattice-structured materials

DOE PAGES

Messner, Mark C.

2016-07-09

This paper describes a method for optimizing the mesostructure of lattice-structured materials. These materials are periodic arrays of slender members resembling efficient, lightweight macroscale structures like bridges and frame buildings. Current additive manufacturing technologies can assemble lattice structures with length scales ranging from nanometers to millimeters. Previous work demonstrates that lattice materials have excellent stiffness- and strength-to-weight scaling, outperforming natural materials. However, there are currently no methods for producing optimal mesostructures that consider the full space of possible 3D lattice topologies. The inverse homogenization approach for optimizing the periodic structure of lattice materials requires a parameterized, homogenized material model describingmore » the response of an arbitrary structure. This work develops such a model, starting with a method for describing the long-wavelength, macroscale deformation of an arbitrary lattice. The work combines the homogenized model with a parameterized description of the total design space to generate a parameterized model. Finally, the work describes an optimization method capable of producing optimal mesostructures. Several examples demonstrate the optimization method. One of these examples produces an elastically isotropic, maximally stiff structure, here called the isotruss, that arguably outperforms the anisotropic octet truss topology.« less

Highly tunable porous organic polymer (POP) supports for metallocene-based ethylene polymerization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiong; Li, Zhenyou; Han, Xiaoyu; Han, Zhengang; Bai, Yongxiao

2017-10-01

Porous organic Polymers (POPs) can not only exhibit high specific surface area and pore volume, but also tunable pore size distribution. Herein, copolymers of 2-hydroxyethylmethylacrylate (HEMA) and divinylbenzene (DVB) with specific pore structure were synthesized via a dispersion polymerization strategy, and then immobilized metallocene catalysts with well-defined pore structure were obtained on the produced POP supports. The nitrogen sorption and Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) results demonstrate that the pore structure of the immobilized metallocene catalyst is highly dependent on the pore structure of the POPs, and the pore structure of metallocene catalysts or the POPs has a significant influence on the molecular chain growth of the produced polyethylene. By tuning the distribution of the active species scattered in the micro- and the narrow meso-pore range (roughly ≤4 nm), the chain growth of the polyolefin can be tailored effectively during the polymerization process, although differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and temperature rising elution fractionation (TREF) results show that the chemical composition distributions (CCDs) of produced PE from the POPs-supported metallocene catalysts are not determined by polymerization activity or molecule chain length, but mainly by the active site species scattered in the supported catalysts. Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) shows that the produced polyethylene has highly porous fabric which consists of nanofiber and spherical beads of micron dimension.

Processing of large grain Y-123 superconductors with pre-defined porous structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudhakar Reddy, E.; Babu, N. Hari; Shi, Y.; Cardwell, D. A.; Schmitz, G. J.

2005-02-01

Porous superconductors have inherent cooling advantages over their bulk counterparts and, as a result, are emerging as an important class of materials for practical applications. Single-domain Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) foams processed with a pre-defined, open porous structure, for example, have significant potential for use as elements in resistive superconducting fault current limiters. In this case, the interconnected porosity is ideal for producing reinforced composites with improved mechanical and heat conducting properties. In this paper we describe a few simple methods for fabricating large grain YBCO superconductors with various predefined porous structures via an infiltration process from tailored, porous Y2BaCuO5 (Y-211) pre-forms manufactured by a variety of techniques, including slurry-coating of standard polyurethane foams to replicate their structure. Foams produced by this method typically have a strut thickness of a few hundred µm and pore sizes ranging from 10 to 100 pores per inch (PPI). Foams with increased strut thickness of up to millimetre dimensions can be produced by embedding organic ball spacers within the Y-211 pre-form followed by a burn-out and sintering process. Single-domain YBCO bulk materials with cellular and pre-defined 3D interconnected porosity may be produced by a similar process using tailored wax structures in Y-211 castings.

Characterization of nanoscale oxide and oxyhydroxide powders using EXAFS spectroscopy

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

Darab, J.G.; Linehan, J.C.; Matson, D.W.

1993-06-01

Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy has been used to determine the structural environment local to iron(HI) and zircorium(IV) cations in respectively, nanoscale iron oxyhydroxide and nanoscale zirconium oxide powders. The iron oxyhydroxide powder, produced by the modified reverse micelle (MRM) technology, was found to have a short-range structure most similar to that of goethite ([alpha]-FeOOH). The short-range structure of the zirconium oxide powder, produced using the rapid thermal decomposition of solutes (RTDS) technology, was found to be a mixture of monoclinic zirconia and cubic zirconia environments.

Characterization of nanoscale oxide and oxyhydroxide powders using EXAFS spectroscopy

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

Darab, J.G.; Linehan, J.C.; Matson, D.W.

1993-06-01

Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy has been used to determine the structural environment local to iron(HI) and zircorium(IV) cations in respectively, nanoscale iron oxyhydroxide and nanoscale zirconium oxide powders. The iron oxyhydroxide powder, produced by the modified reverse micelle (MRM) technology, was found to have a short-range structure most similar to that of goethite ({alpha}-FeOOH). The short-range structure of the zirconium oxide powder, produced using the rapid thermal decomposition of solutes (RTDS) technology, was found to be a mixture of monoclinic zirconia and cubic zirconia environments.

Detection of structural changes and mechanical properties of light alloys after severe plastic deformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasnoveikin, V. A.; Kozulin, A. A.; Skripnyak, V. A.

2017-11-01

Severe plastic deformation by equal channel angular pressing has been performed to produce light aluminum and magnesium alloy billets with ultrafine-grained structure. The physical and mechanical properties of the processed alloys are examined by studying their microstructure, measuring microhardness, yield strength, and uniaxial tensile strength. A nondestructive testing technique using three-dimensional X-ray tomography is proposed for detecting internal structural defects and monitoring damage formation in the structure of alloys subjected to severe plastic deformation. The investigation results prove the efficiency of the chosen method and selected mode of producing ultrafine-grained light alloys.

The relationship between the structures of four beta-lactamases obtained from Bacillus cereus.

PubMed

Cid, H; Carrillo, O; Bunster, M; Martínez, J; Vargas, V

1988-06-01

Bacillus cereus has proved to be one of the most interesting microorganisms in the study of beta-lactamases. It secrets these enzymes very efficiently and, frequently, in multiple forms. Three different forms are produced by strain 569/H; mutant 5/B of the same microorganism is constitutive for the secretion of beta-lactamases I and II. The present study, based on secondary structure prediction by two independent methods, states the relationship among the structures of beta-lactamases I, II and III produced by B. cereus 569/H and beta-lactamase I from the strain 5/B of this microorganism. A strong similarity is also established for the enzyme type III of B. cereus and the enzyme type I produced by B. licheniformis which could have an evolutionary explanation. A structural analysis of the leader peptide regions of these enzymes by the method of Mohana and Argos is also reported.

Analysis of noise produced by an orderly structure of turbulent jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hardin, J. C.

1973-01-01

The orderly structure which has been observed recently by numerous researchers within the transition region of subsonic turbulent jets is analyzed to reveal its noise-producing potential. For a circular jet, this structure is molded as a train of toroidal vortex rings which are formed near the jet exit and propagate downstream. The noise produced by the model is evaluated from a reformulation of Lighthill's expression for the far-field acoustic density, which emphasizes the importance of the vorticity within the turbulent flow field. It is shown that the noise production occurs mainly close to the jet exit and depends primarily upon temporal changes in the toroidal radii. The analysis suggests that the process of formation of this regular structure may also be an important contribution of the high-frequency jet noise. These results may be helpful in the understanding of jet-noise generation and in new approaches to jet-noise suppression.

Structure and Function of CutC Choline Lyase from Human Microbiota Bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae*

PubMed Central

Kalnins, Gints; Kuka, Janis; Grinberga, Solveiga; Makrecka-Kuka, Marina; Liepinsh, Edgars; Dambrova, Maija; Tars, Kaspars

2015-01-01

CutC choline trimethylamine-lyase is an anaerobic bacterial glycyl radical enzyme (GRE) that cleaves choline to produce trimethylamine (TMA) and acetaldehyde. In humans, TMA is produced exclusively by the intestinal microbiota, and its metabolite, trimethylamine oxide, has been associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, information about the three-dimensional structures of TMA-producing enzymes is important for microbiota-targeted drug discovery. We have cloned, expressed, and purified the CutC GRE and the activating enzyme CutD from Klebsiella pneumoniae, a representative of the human microbiota. We have determined the first crystal structures of both the choline-bound and choline-free forms of CutC and have discovered that binding of choline at the ligand-binding site triggers conformational changes in the enzyme structure, a feature that has not been observed for any other characterized GRE. PMID:26187464

Utilization of kinematical redundancy of a rehabilitation robot to produce compliant motions under limitation on actuator performance.

PubMed

Goto, Takaaki; Dobashi, Hiroki; Yoshikawa, Tsuneo; Loureiro, Rui C V; Harwin, William S; Miyamura, Yuga; Nagai, Kiyoshi

2017-07-01

This paper addresses the mechanical structure and control method of a redundant drive robot (RDR) to produce compliant motions, and show how the design parameters of the RDR can effect the produced motions and the mechanical and performance limitations of the actuators of the RDR. The structure and control method of the RDR can have been proper to produce compliant motions, but the effect of the design parameters of the RDR to the mechanical and performance limitations have not been clear. Therefore, the feasibility of producing compliant motions in the case of the prototype of the RDR is confirmed by conducting simulations and experiments, and then the design parameters of the RDR to the mechanical and performance limitations are verified by conducting simulations.

Wood as inspiration for new stimuli-responsive structures and materials

Treesearch

Joseph E. Jakes; Nayomi Plaza-Rodriguez; Samuel L. Zelinka; Donald S. Stone; Sophie-Charlotte Gleber; Stefan Vogt

2014-01-01

Nature has often provided inspiration for new smart structures and materials. Recently, we showed a bundle of a few wood cells are moisture-activated torsional actuators that can reversibly twist multiple revolutions per centimeter of length. The bundles produce specific torque higher than that produced by electric motors and possess shape memory twist capabilities....

Vacuum arc plasma thrusters with inductive energy storage driver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schein, Jochen (Inventor); Gerhan, Andrew N. (Inventor); Woo, Robyn L. (Inventor); Au, Michael Y. (Inventor); Krishnan, Mahadevan (Inventor)

2004-01-01

An apparatus for producing a vacuum arc plasma source device using a low mass, compact inductive energy storage circuit powered by a low voltage DC supply acts as a vacuum arc plasma thruster. An inductor is charged through a switch, subsequently the switch is opened and a voltage spike of Ldi/dt is produced initiating plasma across a resistive path separating anode and cathode. The plasma is subsequently maintained by energy stored in the inductor. Plasma is produced from cathode material, which allows for any electrically conductive material to be used. A planar structure, a tubular structure, and a coaxial structure allow for consumption of cathode material feed and thereby long lifetime of the thruster for long durations of time.

Tailored composite wings with elastically produced chordwise camber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rehfield, Lawrence W.; Chang, Stephen; Zischka, Peter J.; Pickings, Richard D.; Holl, Michael W.

1991-01-01

Four structural concepts were created which produce chordwise camber deformation that results in enhanced lift. A wing box can be tailored to utilize each of these with composites. In attempting to optimize the aerodynamic benefits, researchers found that there are two optimum designs that are of interest. There is a weight optimum which corresponds to the maximum lift per unit structural weight. There is also a lift optimum that corresponds to maximum absolute lift. Experience indicates that a large weight penalty accompanies the transition from weight to lift optimum designs. New structural models, the basic deformation mechanisms that are utilized, and typical analytical results are presented. It appears that lift enhancements of sufficient magnitude can be produced to render this type of wing tailoring of practical interest.

Method of microbially producing metal gallate spinel nano-objects, and compositions produced thereby

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

Duty, Chad E.; Jellison, Jr., Gerald E.; Love, Lonnie J.

A method of forming a metal gallate spinel structure that includes mixing a divalent metal-containing salt and a gallium-containing salt in solution with fermentative or thermophilic bacteria. In the process, the bacteria nucleate metal gallate spinel nano-objects from the divalent metal-containing salt and the gallium-containing salt without requiring reduction of a metal in the solution. The metal gallate spinel structures, as well as light-emitting structures in which they are incorporated, are also described.

Complex food webs prevent competitive exclusion among producer species.

PubMed

Brose, Ulrich

2008-11-07

Herbivorous top-down forces and bottom-up competition for nutrients determine the coexistence and relative biomass patterns of producer species. Combining models of predator-prey and producer-nutrient interactions with a structural model of complex food webs, I investigated these two aspects in a dynamic food-web model. While competitive exclusion leads to persistence of only one producer species in 99.7% of the simulated simple producer communities without consumers, embedding the same producer communities in complex food webs generally yields producer coexistence. In simple producer communities, the producers with the most efficient nutrient-intake rates increase in biomass until they competitively exclude inferior producers. In food webs, herbivory predominantly reduces the biomass density of those producers that dominated in producer communities, which yields a more even biomass distribution. In contrast to prior analyses of simple modules, this facilitation of producer coexistence by herbivory does not require a trade-off between the nutrient-intake efficiency and the resistance to herbivory. The local network structure of food webs (top-down effects of the number of herbivores and the herbivores' maximum consumption rates) and the nutrient supply (bottom-up effect) interactively determine the relative biomass densities of the producer species. A strong negative feedback loop emerges in food webs: factors that increase producer biomasses also increase herbivory, which reduces producer biomasses. This negative feedback loop regulates the coexistence and biomass patterns of the producers by balancing biomass increases of producers and biomass fluxes to herbivores, which prevents competitive exclusion.

Substitution Structures of Large Molecules and Medium Range Correlations in Quantum Chemistry Calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evangelisti, Luca; Pate, Brooks

2017-06-01

A study of the minimally exciting topic of agreement between experimental and measured rotational constants of molecules was performed on a set of large molecules with 16-18 heavy atoms (carbon and oxygen). The molecules are: nootkatone (C_{15}H_{22}O), cedrol (C_{15}H_{26}O), ambroxide (C_{16}H_{28}O), sclareolide (C_{16}H_{22}O_{2}), and dihydroartemisinic acid (C_{15}H_{24}O_{2}). For this set of molecules we obtained 13C-subsitution structures for six molecules (this includes two conformers of nootkatone). A comparison of theoretical structures and experimental substitution structures was performed in the spirit of the recent work of Grimme and Steinmetz.[1] Our analysis focused the center-of-mass distance of the carbon atoms in the molecules. Four different computational methods were studied: standard DFT (B3LYP), dispersion corrected DFT (B3LYP-D3BJ), hybrid DFT with dispersion correction (B2PLYP-D3), and MP2. A significant difference in these theories is how they handle medium range correlation of electrons that produce dispersion forces. For larger molecules, these dispersion forces produce an overall contraction of the molecule around the center-of-mass. DFT poorly treats this effect and produces structures that are too expanded. MP2 calculations overestimate the correction and produce structures that are too compact. Both dispersion corrected DFT methods produce structures in excellent agreement with experiment. The analysis shows that the difference in computational methods can be described by a linear error in the center-of-mass distance. This makes it possible to correct poorer performing calculations with a single scale factor. We also reexamine the issue of the "Costain error" in substitution structures and show that it is significantly larger in these systems than in the smaller molecules used by Costain to establish the error limits. [1] Stefan Grimme and Marc Steinmetz, "Effects of London dispersion correction in density functional theory on structures of organic molecules in the gas phase", Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15, 16031-16042 (2013).

Omnidirectional light absorption of disordered nano-hole structure inspired from Papilio ulysses.

PubMed

Wang, Wanlin; Zhang, Wang; Fang, Xiaotian; Huang, Yiqiao; Liu, Qinglei; Bai, Mingwen; Zhang, Di

2014-07-15

Butterflies routinely produce nanostructured surfaces with useful properties. Here, we report a disordered nano-hole structure with ridges inspired by Papilio ulysses that produce omnidirectional light absorption compared with the common ordered structure. The result shows that the omnidirectional light absorption is affected by polarization, the incident angle, and the wavelength. Using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, the stable omnidirectional light absorption is achieved in the structure inspired from the Papilio ulysses over a wide incident angle range and with various wavelengths. This explains some of the mysteries of the structure of the Papilio ulysses butterfly. These conclusions can guide the design of omnidirectional absorption materials.

Structure of the oligomers obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of the glucomannan produced by the plant Amorphophallus konjac.

PubMed

Cescutti, Paola; Campa, Cristiana; Delben, Franco; Rizzo, Roberto

2002-11-29

Dimers and trimers obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of the glucomannan produced by the plant Amorphophallus konjac were analysed in order to obtain information on the saccharidic sequences present in the polymer. The polysaccharide was digested with cellulase and beta-mannanase and the oligomers produced were isolated by means of size-exclusion chromatography. They were structurally characterised using electrospray mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis, and NMR. The investigation revealed that many possible sequences were present in the polymer backbone suggesting a Bernoulli-type chain.

Development of RTM and powder prepreg resins for subsonic aircraft primary structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woo, Edmund P.; Groleau, Michael R.; Bertram, James L.; Puckett, Paul M.; Maynard, Shawn J.

1993-01-01

Dow developed a thermoset resin which could be used to produce composites via the RTM process. The composites formed are useful at 200 F service temperatures after moisture saturation, and are tough systems that are suitable for subsonic aircraft primary structure. At NASA's request, Dow also developed a modified version of the RTM resin system which was suitable for use in producing powder prepreg. In the course of developing the RTM and powder versions of these resins, over 50 different new materials were produced and evaluated.

Screening and characterization of extracellular polysaccharides produced by Leuconostoc kimchii isolated from traditional fermented pulque beverage.

PubMed

Torres-Rodríguez, Ingrid; Rodríguez-Alegría, María Elena; Miranda-Molina, Alfonso; Giles-Gómez, Martha; Conca Morales, Rodrigo; López-Munguía, Agustín; Bolívar, Francisco; Escalante, Adelfo

2014-01-01

We report the screening and characterization of EPS produced by LAB identified as Leuconostoc kimchii isolated from pulque, a traditional Mexican fermented, non-distilled alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of the sap extracted from several (Agave) maguey species. EPS-producing LAB constitutes an abundant bacterial group relative to total LAB present in sap and during fermentation, however, only two EPS-producing colony phenotypes (EPSA and EPSB, respectively) were detected and isolated concluding that despite the high number of polymer-producing LAB their phenotypic diversity is low. Scanning electron microcopy analysis during EPS-producing conditions revealed that both types of EPS form a uniform porous structure surrounding the bacterial cells. The structural characterization of the soluble and cell-associated EPS fractions of each polymer by enzymatic and acid hydrolysis, as by 1D- and 2D-NMR, showed that polymers produced by the soluble and cell-associated fractions of EPSA strain are dextrans consisting of a linear backbone of linked α-(1→6) Glcp in the main chain with α-(1→2) and α-(1→3)-linked branches. The polymer produced by the soluble fraction of EPSB strain was identified as a class 1 dextran with a linear backbone containing consecutive α-(1→6)-linked D-glucopyranosyl units with few α-(1→3)-linked branches, whereas the cell-associated EPS is a polymer mixture consisting of a levan composed of linear chains of (2→6)-linked β-D-fructofuranosyl residues with β-(2→6) connections, and a class 1 dextran. According to our knowledge this is the first report of dextrans and a levan including their structural characterization produced by L. kimchii isolated from a traditional fermented source.

Effect of Sn-Ag-Cu on the Improvement of Electromigration Behavior in Sn-58Bi Solder Joint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Fengjiang; Zhou, Lili; Zhang, Zhijie; Wang, Jiheng; Wang, Xiaojing; Wu, Mingfang

2017-10-01

Reliability issues caused by the formation of a Bi-rich layer at the anode interface usually occurs in the Sn-58Bi eutectic solder joint during electromigration (EM). To improve the EM performance of a Sn-58Bi solder joint, Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder was introduced into it to produce SnBi-SnAgCu structural or compositional composite joints, and their EM behaviors were investigated with the current density of 1.0 × 104 A/cm2 for different stressing times. The structure of the compositional composite solder joint was obtained by the occurrence of partial or full mixing between Sn-Bi and Sn-Ag-Cu solder with a suitable soldering temperature. In the structural composite joint, melted Sn-Bi was partially mixed with Sn-Ag-Cu solder to produce a Cu/Sn-Bi/Sn-Ag-Cu/Sn-Bi/Cu structure. In the compositional composite joint, full melting and mixing between these two solders occurred to produce a Cu/Sn-Ag-Cu-Bi/Cu structure, in which the solder matrix was a homogeneous structure including Sn, Bi phases, Cu6Sn5 and Ag3Sn IMCs. After current stressing, the EM performance of Sn-Bi solder was obviously improved with the structural or the compositional composite joint. In Sn-58Bi joints, a thick Bi-rich layer was easily produced at the anode interface, and obviously increased with stressing time. However, after current stressing on the structural composite joints, the existence of s Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu interlayer between the two Sn-58Bi solders effectively acted as a diffusion barrier and significantly slowed the formation of the Bi-rich layer at the anode side and the IMC thicknesses at the interfaces.

Variations in killer whale food-associated calls produced during different prey behavioural contexts.

PubMed

Samarra, Filipa I P

2015-07-01

Killer whales produce herding calls to increase herring school density but previous studies suggested that these calls were made only when feeding upon spawning herring. Herring schools less densely when spawning compared to overwintering; therefore, producing herding calls may be advantageous only when feeding upon less dense spawning schools. To investigate if herding calls were produced across different prey behavioural contexts and whether structural variants occurred and correlated with prey behaviour, this study recorded killer whales when feeding upon spawning and overwintering herring. Herding calls were produced by whales feeding on both spawning and overwintering herring, however, calls recorded during overwintering had significantly different duration and peak frequency to those recorded during spawning. Calls recorded in herring overwintering grounds were more variable and sometimes included nonlinear phenomena. Thus, herding calls were not produced exclusively when feeding upon spawning herring, likely because the call increases feeding efficiency regardless of herring school density or behaviour. Variations in herding call structure were observed between prey behavioural contexts and did not appear to be adapted to prey characteristics. Herding call structural variants may be more likely a result of individual or group variation rather than a reflection of properties of the food source. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Plasmonic-based colorimetric and spectroscopic discrimination of acetic and butyric acids produced by different types of Escherichia coli through the different assembly structures formation of gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

La, Ju A; Lim, Sora; Park, Hyo Jeong; Heo, Min-Ji; Sang, Byoung-In; Oh, Min-Kyu; Cho, Eun Chul

2016-08-24

We present a plasmonic-based strategy for the colourimetric and spectroscopic differentiation of various organic acids produced by bacteria. The strategy is based on our discovery that particular concentrations of dl-lactic, acetic, and butyric acids induce different assembly structures, colours, and optical spectra of gold nanoparticles. We selected wild-type (K-12 W3110) and genetically-engineered (JHL61) Escherichia coli (E. coli) that are known to primarily produce acetic and butyric acid, respectively. Different assembly structures and optical properties of gold nanoparticles were observed when different organic acids, obtained after the removal of acid-producing bacteria, were mixed with gold nanoparticles. Moreover, at moderate cell concentrations of K-12 W3110 E. coli, which produce sufficient amounts of acetic acid to induce the assembly of gold nanoparticles, a direct estimate of the number of bacteria was possible based on time-course colour change observations of gold nanoparticle aqueous suspensions. The plasmonic-based colourimetric and spectroscopic methods described here may enable onsite testing for the identification of organic acids produced by bacteria and the estimation of bacterial numbers, which have applications in health and environmental sciences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent advances in the biomimicry of structural colours.

PubMed

Dumanli, Ahu Gümrah; Savin, Thierry

2016-12-21

Nature has mastered the construction of nanostructures with well-defined macroscopic effects and purposes. Structural colouration is a visible consequence of the particular patterning of a reflecting surface with regular structures at submicron length scales. Structural colours usually appear bright, shiny, iridescent or with a metallic look, as a result of physical processes such as diffraction, interference, or scattering with a typically small dissipative loss. These features have recently attracted much research effort in materials science, chemistry, engineering and physics, in order to understand and produce structural colours. In these early stages of photonics, researchers facing an infinite array of possible colour-producing structures are heavily inspired by the elaborate architectures they find in nature. We review here the recent technological strategies employed to artificially mimic the structural colours found in nature, as well as some of their current and potential applications.

Who Does Critical Pedagogy Think You Are? Investigating How Teachers Are Produced in Critical Pedagogy Scholarship to Inform Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pittard, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

In this post-structural feminist analysis, I review recent literature focusing on critical pedagogy to analyse the ways teachers are discursively produced within the sampled literature to ask: who does critical pedagogy think you are? Additionally, I extend earlier post-structural feminist critiques of critical pedagogy and underlying assumptions…

Genetic and orthopedic aspects of collagen disorders.

PubMed

Carter, Erin M; Raggio, Cathleen L

2009-02-01

'Collagens' are a family of structurally related proteins that play a wide variety of roles in the extracellular matrix. To date, there are at least 29 known types of collagen. Accordingly, abnormality in the various collagens produces a large category of diseases with heterogeneous symptoms. This review presents genetic and orthopedic aspects of type II, IX, and XI collagen disorders. Although a diverse group of conditions, mutation of collagens affecting the articular cartilage typically produces an epiphyseal skeletal dysplasia phenotype. Often, the ocular or auditory systems or both are also involved. Treatment of these collagenopathies is symptomatic and individualized. Study of tissue from animal models allows examination of mutation effects on the abnormal protein structure and function. The collagen superfamily comprises an important structural protein in mammalian connective tissue. Mutation of collagens produces a wide variety of genetic disorders, and those mutations affecting types II, IX, and XI collagens produce an overlapping spectrum of skeletal dysplasias. Findings range from lethal to mild, depending on the mutation of the collagen gene and its subsequent effect on the structure and/or metabolism of the resultant procollagen and/or collagen protein and its function in the body.

Strontium ranelate changes the composition and crystal structure of the biological bone-like apatite produced in osteoblast cell cultures.

PubMed

Querido, William; Campos, Andrea P C; Martins Ferreira, Erlon H; San Gil, Rosane A S; Rossi, Alexandre M; Farina, Marcos

2014-09-01

We evaluate the effects of strontium ranelate on the composition and crystal structure of the biological bone-like apatite produced in osteoblast cell cultures, a system that gave us the advantage of obtaining mineral samples produced exclusively during treatment. Cells were treated with strontium ranelate at concentrations of 0.05 and 0.5 mM Sr(2+). Mineral substances were isolated and analyzed by using a combination of methods: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, solid-state (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The minerals produced in all cell cultures were typical bone-like apatites. No changes occurred in the local structural order or crystal size of the minerals. However, we noticed several relevant changes in the mineral produced under 0.5 mM Sr(2+): (1) increase in type-B CO3 (2-) substitutions, which often lead to the creation of vacancies in Ca(2+) and OH(-) sites; (2) incorporation of Sr(2+) by substituting slightly less than 10 % of Ca(2+) in the apatite crystal lattice, resulting in an increase in both lattice parameters a and c; (3) change in the PO4 (3-) environments, possibly because of the expansion of the lattice; (4) the Ca/P ratio of this mineral was reduced, but its (Ca+Sr)/P ratio was the same as that of the control, indicating that its overall cation/P ratio was preserved. Thus, strontium ranelate changes the composition and crystal structure of the biological bone-like apatite produced in osteoblast cell cultures.

Composite bacterial hopanoids and their microbial producers across oxygen gradients in the water column of the California Current.

PubMed

Kharbush, Jenan J; Ugalde, Juan A; Hogle, Shane L; Allen, Eric E; Aluwihare, Lihini I

2013-12-01

Hopanoids are pentacyclic triterpenoid lipids produced by many prokaryotes as cell membrane components. The structural variations of composite hopanoids, or bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs), produced by various bacterial genera make them potentially useful molecular biomarkers of bacterial communities and metabolic processes in both modern and ancient environments. Building on previous work suggesting that organisms in low-oxygen environments are important contributors to BHP production in the marine water column and that there may be physiological roles for BHPs specific to these environments, this study investigated the relationship between trends in BHP structural diversity and abundance and the genetic diversity of BHP producers for the first time in a low-oxygen environment of the Eastern Tropical North Pacific. Amplification of the hopanoid biosynthesis gene for squalene hopene cyclase (sqhC) indicated far greater genetic diversity than would be predicted by examining BHP structural diversity alone and that greater sqhC genetic diversity exists in the marine environment than is represented by cultured representatives and most marine metagenomes. In addition, the genetic relationships in this data set suggest microaerophilic environments as potential "hot spots" of BHP production. Finally, structural analysis of BHPs showed that an isomer of the commonly observed BHP bacteriohopanetetrol may be linked to a producer that is more abundant in low-oxygen environments. Results of this study increase the known diversity of BHP producers and provide a detailed phylogeny with implications for the role of hopanoids in modern bacteria, as well as the evolutionary history of hopanoid biosynthesis, both of which are important considerations for future interpretations of the marine sedimentary record.

Production and characterization of europium doped sol-gel yttrium oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krebs, J. K.; Hobson, Christopher; Silversmith, Ann

2004-03-01

Sol-gel produced materials have recently gained attention for their use in producing nanoscale dielectric materials for confinement studies. Lanthanide impurities in the dielectric enable experimenters to optically probe the structure and dynamic properties of the nanoparticle hosts. We report on an alkoxide sol-gel production method used to produce trivalent europium doped yttrium oxide. Our process follows the standard hydrolysis of an alkoxide precursor with water containing the lanthanide ions. The sol is then aged and calcined at 800 ^oC to produce the powder samples. X-ray diffraction confirms the structure of the powder is that of Y_2O_3. The emission and excitation of the europium impurities is consistent with that of europium doped single crystal yttrium oxide, where it is known that the europium ions substitute for yttrium in the lattice. We therefore conclude that the sol-gel process enables the incorporation of europium ions into the yttrium oxide structure at temperatures far below the melting temperature. The results of preliminary dynamics measurements will also be discussed.

Small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering demonstrates that cell-free expression produces properly formed disc-shaped nanolipoprotein particles

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

Cleveland, Thomas E.; He, Wei; Evans, Angela C.

Nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs), composed of membrane scaffold proteins and lipids, have been used to support membrane proteins in a native-like bilayer environment for biochemical and structural studies. Traditionally, these NLPs have been prepared by the controlled removal of detergent from a detergent-solubilized protein-lipid mixture. Recently, an alternative method has been developed using direct cell-free expression of the membrane scaffold protein in the presence of preformed lipid vesicles, which spontaneously produces NLPs without the need for detergent at any stage. Using SANS/SAXS, we show here that NLPs produced by this cell-free expression method are structurally indistinguishable from those produced using detergentmore » removal methodologies. This further supports the utility of single step cell-free methods for the production of lipid binding proteins. Lastly, in addition, detailed structural information describing these NLPs can be obtained by fitting a capped core-shell cylinder type model to all SANS/SAXS data simultaneously.« less

Acetobacter xylinum Mutant with High Cellulose Productivity and an Ordered Structure.

PubMed

Watanabe, K; Tabuchi, M; Ishikawa, A; Takemura, H; Tsuchida, T; Morinaga, Y; Yoshinaga, F

1998-01-01

Acetobacter xylinum subsp. sucrofermentans BPR2001, a cellulose-producing bacterium, that was newly isolated from a natural source, produced large amounts of the water-soluble polysaccharide, acetan. UDP-glucose is known to be the direct precursor in the synthetic pathways of both cellulose and acetan. We attempted to breed mutant strains and succeeded in obtaining one, BPR3001A, which produced 65% more bacterial cellulose and accumulated 83% less acetan than the parent strain, BPR2001. The cellulose formed was found to be structurally ordered, with higher degrees of polymerization and crystallinity and larger crystallite size than those produced by BPR2001 and other conventional strains. Furthermore, a processed dry sheet of this cellulose exhibited a higher Young's modulus than that of the wild strain. The ordered structure of the cellulose obtained was probably due to the decreased amount of acetan which may reflect the ribbon assembly of cellulose fibrils without prevention of hydrogen bonding between microfibrils.

Co-producing social inclusion: the structure/agency conundrum.

PubMed

Clifton, A; Repper, J; Banks, D; Remnant, J

2013-08-01

There is a raft of policy guidelines indicating that mental health nurses should be increasing the social inclusion of mental health service users. Despite this there is no universally accepted definition of social inclusion and there is a dearth of empirical evidence on the successful outcome of increasing inclusion for mental health service users. Recognizing the lack of clarity surrounding the concept we have a produced a social inclusion framework to assist mental health professionals and service users to co-produce social inclusive outcomes. Although we agree that social inclusion can be a positive aspect of recovery, we question the extent to which mental health nurses and service users in co-production can overcome the social, economic and political structures that have created the social exclusion in the first place. An understanding and appreciation of the structure/agency conundrum is required if mental health nurses are to engage with service users in an attempt to co-produce socially inclusive outcomes. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering demonstrates that cell-free expression produces properly formed disc-shaped nanolipoprotein particles

DOE PAGES

Cleveland, Thomas E.; He, Wei; Evans, Angela C.; ...

2018-02-13

Nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs), composed of membrane scaffold proteins and lipids, have been used to support membrane proteins in a native-like bilayer environment for biochemical and structural studies. Traditionally, these NLPs have been prepared by the controlled removal of detergent from a detergent-solubilized protein-lipid mixture. Recently, an alternative method has been developed using direct cell-free expression of the membrane scaffold protein in the presence of preformed lipid vesicles, which spontaneously produces NLPs without the need for detergent at any stage. Using SANS/SAXS, we show here that NLPs produced by this cell-free expression method are structurally indistinguishable from those produced using detergentmore » removal methodologies. This further supports the utility of single step cell-free methods for the production of lipid binding proteins. Lastly, in addition, detailed structural information describing these NLPs can be obtained by fitting a capped core-shell cylinder type model to all SANS/SAXS data simultaneously.« less

Design rules for quasi-linear nonlinear optical structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lytel, Richard; Mossman, Sean M.; Kuzyk, Mark G.

2015-09-01

The maximization of the intrinsic optical nonlinearities of quantum structures for ultrafast applications requires a spectrum scaling as the square of the energy eigenstate number or faster. This is a necessary condition for an intrinsic response approaching the fundamental limits. A second condition is a design generating eigenstates whose ground and lowest excited state probability densities are spatially separated to produce large differences in dipole moments while maintaining a reasonable spatial overlap to produce large off-diagonal transition moments. A structure whose design meets both conditions will necessarily have large first or second hyperpolarizabilities. These two conditions are fundamental heuristics for the design of any nonlinear optical structure.

Results from a first production of enhanced Silicon Sensor Test Structures produced by ITE Warsaw

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergauer, T.; Dragicevic, M.; Frey, M.; Grabiec, P.; Grodner, M.; Hänsel, S.; Hartmann, F.; Hoffmann, K.-H.; Hrubec, J.; Krammer, M.; Kucharski, K.; Macchiolo, A.; Marczewski, J.

2009-01-01

Monitoring the manufacturing process of silicon sensors is essential to ensure stable quality of the produced detectors. During the CMS silicon sensor production we were utilising small Test Structures (TS) incorporated on the cut-away of the wafers to measure certain process-relevant parameters. Experience from the CMS production and quality assurance led to enhancements of these TS. Another important application of TS is the commissioning of new vendors. The measurements provide us with a good understanding of the capabilities of a vendor's process. A first batch of the new TS was produced at the Institute of Electron Technology in Warsaw Poland. We will first review the improvements to the original CMS test structures and then discuss a selection of important measurements performed on this first batch.

Noise produced by the large-scale transition region structure of turbulent jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hardin, J. C.

1974-01-01

The 'orderly' structure which has been observed recently by numerous researchers within the transition region of subsonic turbulent jets is analyzed to reveal its noise-producing potential. For the case of a circular jet, this structure is modeled as a train of toroidal vortex rings which are formed near the jet exit and propagate downstream. The noise produced by the model is evaluated from a reformulation of Lighthill's expression for the far-field acoustic density which emphasizes the importance of the vorticity within the turbulent flow field. It is shown that the noise production occurs mainly close to the jet exit and depends primarily upon temporal changes in the toroidal radii. These results suggest a new approach to noise suppression which has been substantiated experimentally.

Sex-biased dispersal creates spatial genetic structure in a parthenogenetic ant with a dependent-lineage reproductive system.

PubMed

Kuhn, A; Bauman, D; Darras, H; Aron, S

2017-10-01

Reproduction and dispersal are key aspects of species life history that influence spatial genetic structure in populations. Several ant species in the genus Cataglyphis have evolved a unique breeding system in which new reproductives (that is, queens and males) are produced asexually by parthenogenesis; in contrast, non-reproductives (that is, workers) are produced via sexual reproduction by mates from distinct genetic lineages. We investigated how these two coexisting reproductive methods affect population-level spatial genetic structure using the ant Cataglyphis mauritanica as a model. We obtained genotypes for queens and their male mates from 338 colonies, and we found that the two lineages present in the study population occurred with equal frequency. Furthermore, analysis of spatial genetic structure revealed strong sex-biased dispersal. Because queens were produced by parthenogenesis and because they dispersed over short distances, there was an extreme level of spatial structuring: a mosaic of patches composed of clonal queens was formed. Males, on the other hand, dispersed over several hundred metres and, thus, across patches, ensuring successful interlineage mating.

Application of fully stressed design procedures to redundant and non-isotropic structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adelman, H. M.; Haftka, R. T.; Tsach, U.

1980-01-01

An evaluation is presented of fully stressed design procedures for sizing highly redundant structures including structures made of composite materials. The evaluation is carried out by sizing three structures: a simple box beam of either composite or metal construction; a low aspect ratio titanium wing; and a titanium arrow wing for a conceptual supersonic cruise aircraft. All three structures are sized by ordinary fully-stressed design (FSD) and thermal fully stressed design (TFSD) for combined mechanical and thermal loads. Where possible, designs are checked by applying rigorous mathematical programming techniques to the structures. It is found that FSD and TFSD produce optimum designs for the metal box beam, but produce highly non-optimum designs for the composite box beam. Results from the delta wing and arrow wing indicate that FSD and TFSD exhibits slow convergence for highly redundant metal structures. Further, TFSD exhibits slow oscillatory convergence behavior for the arrow wing for very high temperatures. In all cases where FSD and TFSD perform poorly either in obtaining nonoptimum designs or in converging slowly, the assumptions on which the algorithms are based are grossly violated. The use of scaling, however, is found to be very effective in obtaining fast convergence and efficiently produces safe designs even for those cases when FSD and TFSD alone are ineffective.

Femtosecond laser structuring of silver-containing glass: Silver redistribution, selective etching, and surface topology engineering

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

Desmoulin, Jean-Charles; Petit, Yannick; Cardinal, Thierry, E-mail: thierry.cardinal@icmcb.cnrs.fr

2015-12-07

Femtosecond direct laser writing in silver-containing phosphate glasses allows for the three-dimensional (3D) implementation of complex photonic structures. Sample translation along or perpendicular to the direction of the beam propagation has been performed, which led to the permanent formation of fluorescent structures, either corresponding to a tubular shape or to two parallel planes at the vicinity of the interaction voxel, respectively. These optical features are related to significant modifications of the local material chemistry. Indeed, silver depletion areas with a diameter below 200 nm were evidenced at the center of the photo-produced structures while photo-produced luminescence properties are attributed to themore » formation of silver clusters around the multiphoton interaction voxel. The laser-triggered oxidation-reduction processes and the associated photo-induced silver redistribution are proposed to be at the origin of the observed original 3D luminescent structures. Thanks to such material structuring, surface engineering has been also demonstrated. Selective surface chemical etching of the glass has been obtained subsequently to laser writing at the location of the photo-produced structures, revealing features with nanometric depth profiles and radial dimensions strongly related to the spatial distributions of the silver clusters.« less

Major Oil Plays In Utah And Vicinity

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

Thomas Chidsey

2007-12-31

Utah oil fields have produced over 1.33 billion barrels (211 million m{sup 3}) of oil and hold 256 million barrels (40.7 million m{sup 3}) of proved reserves. The 13.7 million barrels (2.2 million m3) of production in 2002 was the lowest level in over 40 years and continued the steady decline that began in the mid-1980s. However, in late 2005 oil production increased, due, in part, to the discovery of Covenant field in the central Utah Navajo Sandstone thrust belt ('Hingeline') play, and to increased development drilling in the central Uinta Basin, reversing the decline that began in the mid-1980s.more » The Utah Geological Survey believes providing play portfolios for the major oil-producing provinces (Paradox Basin, Uinta Basin, and thrust belt) in Utah and adjacent areas in Colorado and Wyoming can continue this new upward production trend. Oil plays are geographic areas with petroleum potential caused by favorable combinations of source rock, migration paths, reservoir rock characteristics, and other factors. The play portfolios include descriptions and maps of the major oil plays by reservoir; production and reservoir data; case-study field evaluations; locations of major oil pipelines; identification and discussion of land-use constraints; descriptions of reservoir outcrop analogs; and summaries of the state-of-the-art drilling, completion, and secondary/tertiary recovery techniques for each play. The most prolific oil reservoir in the Utah/Wyoming thrust belt province is the eolian, Jurassic Nugget Sandstone, having produced over 288 million barrels (46 million m{sup 3}) of oil and 5.1 trillion cubic feet (145 billion m{sup 3}) of gas. Traps form on discrete subsidiary closures along major ramp anticlines where the depositionally heterogeneous Nugget is also extensively fractured. Hydrocarbons in Nugget reservoirs were generated from subthrust Cretaceous source rocks. The seals for the producing horizons are overlying argillaceous and gypsiferous beds in the Jurassic Twin Creek Limestone, or a low-permeability zone at the top of the Nugget. The Nugget Sandstone thrust belt play is divided into three subplays: (1) Absaroka thrust - Mesozoic-cored shallow structures, (2) Absaroka thrust - Mesozoic-cored deep structures, and (3) Absaroka thrust - Paleozoic-cored shallow structures. Both of the Mesozoic-cored structures subplays represent a linear, hanging wall, ramp anticline parallel to the leading edge of the Absaroka thrust. Fields in the shallow Mesozoic subplay produce crude oil and associated gas; fields in the deep subplay produce retrograde condensate. The Paleozoic-cored structures subplay is located immediately west of the Mesozoic-cored structures subplays. It represents a very continuous and linear, hanging wall, ramp anticline where the Nugget is truncated against a thrust splay. Fields in this subplay produce nonassociated gas and condensate. Traps in these subplays consist of long, narrow, doubly plunging anticlines. Prospective drilling targets are delineated using high-quality, two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic data, forward modeling/visualization tools, and other state-of-the-art techniques. Future Nugget Sandstone exploration could focus on more structurally complex and subtle, thrust-related traps. Nugget structures may be present beneath the leading edge of the Hogsback thrust and North Flank fault of the Uinta uplift. The Jurassic Twin Creek Limestone play in the Utah/Wyoming thrust belt province has produced over 15 million barrels (2.4 million m{sup 3}) of oil and 93 billion cubic feet (2.6 billion m{sup 3}) of gas. Traps form on discrete subsidiary closures along major ramp anticlines where the low-porosity Twin Creek is extensively fractured. Hydrocarbons in Twin Creek reservoirs were generated from subthrust Cretaceous source rocks. The seals for the producing horizons are overlying argillaceous and clastic beds, and non-fractured units within the Twin Creek. The Twin Creek Limestone thrust belt play is divided into two subplays: (1) Absaroka thrust-Mesozoic-cored structures and (2) Absaroka thrust - Paleozoic-cored structures. The Mesozoic-cored structures subplay represents a linear, hanging wall, ramp anticline parallel to the leading edge of the Absaroka thrust. Fields in this subplay produce crude oil and associated gas. The Paleozoic-cored structures subplay is located immediately west of the Mesozoic-cored structures subplay. It represents a very continuous and linear, hanging wall, ramp anticline where the Twin Creek is truncated against a thrust splay. Fields in this subplay produce nonassociated gas and condensate. Traps in both subplays consist of long, narrow, doubly plunging anticlines.« less

Acoustic emission-based sensor analysis and damage classification for structural health monitoring of composite structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uprety, Bibhisha

Within the aerospace industry the need to detect and locate impact events, even when no visible damage is present, is important both from the maintenance and design perspectives. This research focused on the use of Acoustic Emission (AE) based sensing technologies to identify impact events and characterize damage modes in composite structures for structural health monitoring. Six commercially available piezoelectric AE sensors were evaluated for use with impact location estimation algorithms under development at the University of Utah. Both active and passive testing were performed to estimate the time of arrival and plate wave mode velocities for impact location estimation. Four sensors were recommended for further comparative investigations. Furthermore, instrumented low-velocity impact experiments were conducted on quasi-isotropic carbon/epoxy composite laminates to initiate specific types of damage: matrix cracking, delamination and fiber breakage. AE signal responses were collected during impacting and the test panels were ultrasonically C-scanned after impact to identify the internal damage corresponding to the AE signals. Matrix cracking and delamination damage produced using more compliant test panels and larger diameter impactor were characterized by lower frequency signals while fiber breakage produced higher frequency responses. The results obtained suggest that selected characteristics of sensor response signals can be used both to determine whether damage is produced during impacting and to characterize the types of damage produced in an impacted composite structure.

Morphology and characterization of 3D micro-porous structured chitosan scaffolds for tissue engineering.

PubMed

Hsieh, Wen-Chuan; Chang, Chih-Pong; Lin, Shang-Ming

2007-06-15

This research studies the morphology and characterization of three-dimensional (3D) micro-porous structures produced from biodegradable chitosan for use as scaffolds for cells culture. The chitosan 3D micro-porous structures were produced by a simple liquid hardening method, which includes the processes of foaming by mechanical stirring without any chemical foaming agent added, and hardening by NaOH cross linking. The pore size and porosity were controlled with mechanical stirring strength. This study includes the morphology of chitosan scaffolds, the characterization of mechanical properties, water absorption properties and in vitro enzymatic degradation of the 3D micro-porous structures. The results show that chitosan 3D micro-porous structures were successfully produced. Better formation samples were obtained when chitosan concentration is at 1-3%, and concentration of NaOH is at 5%. Faster stirring rate would produce samples of smaller pore diameter, but when rotation speed reaches 4000 rpm and higher the changes in pore size is minimal. Water absorption would reduce along with the decrease of chitosan scaffolds' pore diameter. From stress-strain analysis, chitosan scaffolds' mechanical properties are improved when it has smaller pore diameter. From in vitro enzymatic degradation results, it shows that the disintegration rate of chitosan scaffolds would increase along with the processing time increase, but approaching equilibrium when the disintegration rate reaches about 20%.

Management issues in systems engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shishko, Robert; Chamberlain, Robert G.; Aster, Robert; Bilardo, Vincent; Forsberg, Kevin; Mooz, Hal; Polaski, Lou; Wade, Ron

When applied to a system, the doctrine of successive refinement is a divide-and-conquer strategy. Complex systems are sucessively divided into pieces that are less complex, until they are simple enough to be conquered. This decomposition results in several structures for describing the product system and the producing system. These structures play important roles in systems engineering and project management. Many of the remaining sections in this chapter are devoted to describing some of these key structures. Structures that describe the product system include, but are not limited to, the requirements tree, system architecture and certain symbolic information such as system drawings, schematics, and data bases. The structures that describe the producing system include the project's work breakdown, schedules, cost accounts and organization.

Light-induced dynamic structural color by intracellular 3D photonic crystals in brown algae.

PubMed

Lopez-Garcia, Martin; Masters, Nathan; O'Brien, Heath E; Lennon, Joseph; Atkinson, George; Cryan, Martin J; Oulton, Ruth; Whitney, Heather M

2018-04-01

Natural photonic crystals are responsible for strong reflectance at selective wavelengths in different natural systems. We demonstrate that intracellular opal-like photonic crystals formed from lipids within photosynthetic cells produce vivid structural color in the alga Cystoseira tamariscifolia . The reflectance of the opaline vesicles is dynamically responsive to environmental illumination. The structural color is present in low light-adapted samples, whereas higher light levels produce a slow disappearance of the structural color such that it eventually vanishes completely. Once returned to low-light conditions, the color re-emerges. Our results suggest that these complex intracellular natural photonic crystals are responsive to environmental conditions, changing their packing structure reversibly, and have the potential to manipulate light for roles beyond visual signaling.

Management issues in systems engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shishko, Robert; Chamberlain, Robert G.; Aster, Robert; Bilardo, Vincent; Forsberg, Kevin; Mooz, Hal; Polaski, Lou; Wade, Ron

1993-01-01

When applied to a system, the doctrine of successive refinement is a divide-and-conquer strategy. Complex systems are sucessively divided into pieces that are less complex, until they are simple enough to be conquered. This decomposition results in several structures for describing the product system and the producing system. These structures play important roles in systems engineering and project management. Many of the remaining sections in this chapter are devoted to describing some of these key structures. Structures that describe the product system include, but are not limited to, the requirements tree, system architecture and certain symbolic information such as system drawings, schematics, and data bases. The structures that describe the producing system include the project's work breakdown, schedules, cost accounts and organization.

Structural insights into simocyclinone as an antibiotic, effector ligand and substrate

PubMed Central

Buttner, Mark J; Schäfer, Martin; Lawson, David M

2017-01-01

Abstract Simocyclinones are antibiotics produced by Streptomyces and Kitasatospora species that inhibit the validated drug target DNA gyrase in a unique way, and they are thus of therapeutic interest. Structural approaches have revealed their mode of action, the inducible-efflux mechanism in the producing organism, and given insight into one step in their biosynthesis. The crystal structures of simocyclinones bound to their target (gyrase), the transcriptional repressor SimR and the biosynthetic enzyme SimC7 reveal fascinating insight into how molecular recognition is achieved with these three unrelated proteins. PMID:29126195

Structural insights into simocyclinone as an antibiotic, effector ligand and substrate.

PubMed

Buttner, Mark J; Schäfer, Martin; Lawson, David M; Maxwell, Anthony

2018-01-01

Simocyclinones are antibiotics produced by Streptomyces and Kitasatospora species that inhibit the validated drug target DNA gyrase in a unique way, and they are thus of therapeutic interest. Structural approaches have revealed their mode of action, the inducible-efflux mechanism in the producing organism, and given insight into one step in their biosynthesis. The crystal structures of simocyclinones bound to their target (gyrase), the transcriptional repressor SimR and the biosynthetic enzyme SimC7 reveal fascinating insight into how molecular recognition is achieved with these three unrelated proteins. © FEMS 2017.

The rodent ultrasound production mechanism.

PubMed

Roberts, L H

1975-03-01

Rodents produce two types of sounds, audible and ultrasonic, that differ markedly in physical structure. Studies of sound production in light gases show that whereas the audible cries appear to be produced, as in the case of most other mammals, by vibrating structures in the larynx, the ultrasonic cries are produced by a different mechanism, probably a whistle. 'Bird-call' whistles are shown to have all the properties of rodent ultrasonic cries and to mimic them in almost every detail. Thus it is concluded that rodents have two distinct sound production mechanisms, one for audible cries and one for ultrasonic cries.

Graphene-like carbon synthesized from popcorn flakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendoza, D.; Flores, C. B.; Berrú, R. Y. Sato

2015-01-01

The synthesis of graphene-like carbon using popcorn kernels as a renewable resource is presented. In a first step popcorn kernels were heated to produce popcorn flakes with a spongy appearance consisting of a polygonal cellular structure. In a second step, the flakes were treated at high temperature in an inert atmosphere to produce carbonization. Raman spectroscopy shows graphene-like structure with a high degree of disorder.

Space fabrication demonstration system, technical volume

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

The automatic beam builder ABB was developed, fabricated, and demonstrated within the established contract cost and schedule constraints. The ABB demonstrated the feasibility of: producing lightweight beams automatically within the required rate of 1 to 5 ft of completed beam per minute and producing structurally sound beams with axial design load of 5538 N based on the Grumman photovoltaic satellite solar power system design reference structure.

Ultrasonic pipe assessment

DOEpatents

Thomas, Graham H.; Morrow, Valerie L.; Levie, Harold; Kane, Ronald J.; Brown, Albert E.

2003-12-23

An ultrasonic pipe or other structure assessment system includes an ultrasonic transducer positioned proximate the pipe or other structure. A fluid connection between the ultrasonic transducer and the pipe or other structure is produced. The ultrasonic transducer is moved relative to the pipe or other structure.

Structural color and its interaction with other color-producing elements: perspectives from spiders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsiung, Bor-Kai; Blackledge, Todd A.; Shawkey, Matthew D.

2014-09-01

Structural color is produced when nanostructures called schemochromes alter light reflected from a surface through different optic principles, in contrast with other types of colors that are produced when pigments selectively absorb certain wavelengths of light. Research on biogenic photonic nanostructures has focused primarily on bird feathers, butterfly wings and beetle elytra, ignoring other diverse groups such as spiders. We argue that spiders are a good model system to study the functions and evolution of colors in nature for the following reasons. First, these colors clearly function in spiders such as the tarantulas outside of sexual selection, which is likely the dominant driver of the evolution of structural colors in birds and butterflies. Second, within more than 44,000 currently known spider species, colors are used in every possible way based on the same sets of relatively simple materials. Using spiders, we can study how colors evolve to serve different functions under a variety of combinations of driving forces, and how those colors are produced within a relatively simple system. Here, we first review the different color-producing materials and mechanisms (i.e., light absorbing, reflecting and emitting) in birds, butterflies and beetles, the interactions between these different elements, and the functions of colors in different organisms. We then summarize the current state of knowledge of spider colors and compare it with that of birds and insects. We then raise questions including: 1. Could spiders use fluorescence as a mechanism to protect themselves from UV radiation, if they do not have the biosynthetic pathways to produce melanins? 2. What functions could color serve for nearly blind tarantulas? 3. Why are only multilayer nanostructures (thus far) found in spiders, while birds and butterflies use many diverse nanostructures? And, does this limit the diversity of structural colors found in spiders? Answering any of these questions in the future will bring spiders to the forefront of the study of structural colors in nature.

WE-H-BRA-08: A Monte Carlo Cell Nucleus Model for Assessing Cell Survival Probability Based On Particle Track Structure Analysis

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

Lee, B; Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA; Wang, C

Purpose: To correlate the damage produced by particles of different types and qualities to cell survival on the basis of nanodosimetric analysis and advanced DNA structures in the cell nucleus. Methods: A Monte Carlo code was developed to simulate subnuclear DNA chromatin fibers (CFs) of 30nm utilizing a mean-free-path approach common to radiation transport. The cell nucleus was modeled as a spherical region containing 6000 chromatin-dense domains (CDs) of 400nm diameter, with additional CFs modeled in a sparser interchromatin region. The Geant4-DNA code was utilized to produce a particle track database representing various particles at different energies and dose quantities.more » These tracks were used to stochastically position the DNA structures based on their mean free path to interaction with CFs. Excitation and ionization events intersecting CFs were analyzed using the DBSCAN clustering algorithm for assessment of the likelihood of producing DSBs. Simulated DSBs were then assessed based on their proximity to one another for a probability of inducing cell death. Results: Variations in energy deposition to chromatin fibers match expectations based on differences in particle track structure. The quality of damage to CFs based on different particle types indicate more severe damage by high-LET radiation than low-LET radiation of identical particles. In addition, the model indicates more severe damage by protons than of alpha particles of same LET, which is consistent with differences in their track structure. Cell survival curves have been produced showing the L-Q behavior of sparsely ionizing radiation. Conclusion: Initial results indicate the feasibility of producing cell survival curves based on the Monte Carlo cell nucleus method. Accurate correlation between simulated DNA damage to cell survival on the basis of nanodosimetric analysis can provide insight into the biological responses to various radiation types. Current efforts are directed at producing cell survival curves for high-LET radiation.« less

Environmental control of reproductive phenology and the effect of pollen supplementation on resource allocation in the cleistogamous weed, Ruellia nudiflora (Acanthaceae).

PubMed

Munguía-Rosas, Miguel A; Parra-Tabla, Victor; Ollerton, Jeff; Cervera, J Carlos

2012-02-01

Mixed reproductive strategies may have evolved as a response of plants to cope with environmental variation. One example of a mixed reproductive strategy is dimorphic cleistogamy, where a single plant produces closed, obligately self-pollinated (CL) flowers and open, potentially outcrossed (CH) flowers. Frequently, optimal environmental conditions favour production of more costly CH structures whilst economical and reliable CL structures are produced under less favourable conditions. In this study we explore (1) the effect of light and water on the reproductive phenology and (2) the effect of pollen supplementation on resource allocation to seeds in the cleistogamous weed Ruellia nudiflora. Split-plot field experiments were carried out to assess the effect of shade (two levels: ambient light vs. a reduction of 50 %) and watering (two levels: non-watered vs. watered) on the onset, end and duration of the production of three reproductive structures: CH flowers, CH fruit and CL fruit. We also looked at the effect of these environmental factors on biomass allocation to seeds (seed weight) from obligately self-pollinated flowers (CL), open-pollinated CH flowers and pollen-supplemented CH flowers. CH structures were produced for a briefer period and ended earlier under shaded conditions. These conditions also resulted in an earlier production of CL fruit. Shaded conditions also produced greater biomass allocation to CH seeds receiving extra pollen. Sub-optimal (shaded) conditions resulted in a briefer production period of CH structures whilst these same conditions resulted in an earlier production of CL structures. However, under sub-optimal conditions, plants also allocated more resources to seeds sired from CH flowers receiving large pollen loads. Earlier production of reproductive structures and relatively larger seed might improve subsequent success of CL and pollen-supplemented CH seeds, respectively.

Anodization: a promising nano-modification technique of titanium implants for orthopedic applications.

PubMed

Yao, Chang; Webster, Thomas J

2006-01-01

Anodization is a well-established surface modification technique that produces protective oxide layers on valve metals such as titanium. Many studies have used anodization to produce micro-porous titanium oxide films on implant surfaces for orthopedic applications. An additional hydrothermal treatment has also been used in conjunction with anodization to deposit hydroxyapatite on titanium surfaces; this is in contrast to using traditional plasma spray deposition techniques. Recently, the ability to create nanometer surface structures (e.g., nano-tubular) via anodization of titanium implants in fluorine solutions have intrigued investigators to fabricate nano-scale surface features that mimic the natural bone environment. This paper will present an overview of anodization techniques used to produce micro-porous titanium oxide structures and nano-tubular oxide structures, subsequent properties of these anodized titanium surfaces, and ultimately their in vitro as well as in vivo biological responses pertinent for orthopedic applications. Lastly, this review will emphasize why anodized titanium structures that have nanometer surface features enhance bone forming cell functions.

Blue reflectance in tarantulas is evolutionarily conserved despite nanostructural diversity

PubMed Central

Hsiung, Bor-Kai; Deheyn, Dimitri D.; Shawkey, Matthew D.; Blackledge, Todd A.

2015-01-01

Slight shifts in arrangement within biological photonic nanostructures can produce large color differences, and sexual selection often leads to high color diversity in clades with structural colors. We use phylogenetic reconstruction, electron microscopy, spectrophotometry, and optical modeling to show an opposing pattern of nanostructural diversification accompanied by unusual conservation of blue color in tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae). In contrast to other clades, blue coloration in phylogenetically distant tarantulas peaks within a narrow 20-nm region around 450 nm. Both quasi-ordered and multilayer nanostructures found in different tarantulas produce this blue color. Thus, even within monophyletic lineages, tarantulas have evolved strikingly similar blue coloration through divergent mechanisms. The poor color perception and lack of conspicuous display during courtship of tarantulas argue that these colors are not sexually selected. Therefore, our data contrast with sexual selection that typically produces a diverse array of colors with a single structural mechanism by showing that natural selection on structural color in tarantulas resulted in convergence on similar color through diverse structural mechanisms. PMID:26702433

Selected issues of the universal communication environment implementation for CII standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zagoździńska, Agnieszka; Poźniak, Krzysztof T.; Drabik, Paweł K.

2011-10-01

In the contemporary FPGA market there is the wide assortment of structures, integrated development environments, and boards of different producers. The variety allows to fit resources to requirements of the individual designer. There is the need of standardization of the projects to make it useful in research laboratories equipped with different producers tools. Proposed solution is CII standardization of VHDL components. This paper contains specification of the universal communication environment for CII standard. The link can be used in different FPGA structures. Implementation of the link enables object oriented VHDL programming with the use of CII standardization. The whole environment contains FPGA environment and PC software. The paper contains description of the selected issues of FPGA environment. There is description of some specific solutions that enables environment usage in structures of different producers. The flexibility of different size data transmissions with the use of CII is presented. The specified tool gives the opportunity to use FPGA structures variety fully and design faster and more effectively.

Fatigue of Ti6Al4V Structural Health Monitoring Systems Produced by Selective Laser Melting.

PubMed

Strantza, Maria; Vafadari, Reza; de Baere, Dieter; Vrancken, Bey; van Paepegem, Wim; Vandendael, Isabelle; Terryn, Herman; Guillaume, Patrick; van Hemelrijck, Danny

2016-02-11

Selective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing (AM) process which is used for producing metallic components. Currently, the integrity of components produced by SLM is in need of improvement due to residual stresses and unknown fracture behavior. Titanium alloys produced by AM are capable candidates for applications in aerospace and industrial fields due to their fracture resistance, fatigue behavior and corrosion resistance. On the other hand, structural health monitoring (SHM) system technologies are promising and requested from the industry. SHM systems can monitor the integrity of a structure and during the last decades the research has primarily been influenced by bionic engineering. In that aspect a new philosophy for SHM has been developed: the so-called effective structural health monitoring (eSHM) system. The current system uses the design freedom provided by AM. The working principle of the system is based on crack detection by means of a network of capillaries that are integrated in a structure. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the functionality of Ti6Al4V produced by the SLM process in the novel SHM system and to confirm that the eSHM system can successfully detect cracks in SLM components. In this study four-point bending fatigue tests on Ti6Al4V SLM specimens with an integrated SHM system were conducted. Fractographic analysis was performed after the final failure, while finite element simulations were used in order to determine the stress distribution in the capillary region and on the component. It was proven that the SHM system does not influence the crack initiation behavior during fatigue. The results highlight the effectiveness of the eSHM on SLM components, which can potentially be used by industrial and aerospace applications.

The effect of ultrasonic intensity on the crystal structure of palm oil.

PubMed

Patrick, Maria; Blindt, Renoo; Janssen, Jo

2004-05-01

It has been known for a long time that both the crystal structure and kinetics of crystallisation can be affected by ultrasound. In the past systems used have relied on high power ultrasonic probes to produce crystals. The majority of these probes produce cavitation in the system and it has been difficult to differentiate between effects caused by the ultrasound alone or by the cavitation produced by ultrasound on the crystal structure. Some materials, such as fats, are very susceptible to the production of free radicals that lead to "off-flavours" being obtained. These "off-flavours" are easily produced when the standard high power probes are used. This has meant that, although the crystal structure of the final product might be improved, the presence of 'off' flavours has prevented ultrasound being considered as a commercial technique for the crystallisation of edible fats. At Unilever R&D a system has been developed which can investigate the effect of ultrasound on the crystallisation of fats under controlled conditions covering a range of intensities and cooling rates. The intensity levels used were both below and above the cavitational threshold. By keeping the cooling regime constant it has been possible to show that the structure of the final product can vary from a material looking similar to cottage cheese through to a fine cream simply by varying the ultrasonic intensity. This paper describes the effect of ultrasound on both the crystal structure and kinetics of palm oil crystallisation at intensities below and above the cavitational threshold.

High regression rate hybrid rocket fuel grains with helical port structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Sean D.

Hybrid rockets are popular in the aerospace industry due to their storage safety, simplicity, and controllability during rocket motor burn. However, they produce fuel regression rates typically 25% lower than solid fuel motors of the same thrust level. These lowered regression rates produce unacceptably high oxidizer-to-fuel (O/F) ratios that produce a potential for motor instability, nozzle erosion, and reduced motor duty cycles. To achieve O/F ratios that produce acceptable combustion characteristics, traditional cylindrical fuel ports are fabricated with very long length-to-diameter ratios to increase the total burning area. These high aspect ratios produce further reduced fuel regression rate and thrust levels, poor volumetric efficiency, and a potential for lateral structural loading issues during high thrust burns. In place of traditional cylindrical fuel ports, it is proposed that by researching the effects of centrifugal flow patterns introduced by embedded helical fuel port structures, a significant increase in fuel regression rates can be observed. The benefits of increasing volumetric efficiencies by lengthening the internal flow path will also be observed. The mechanisms of this increased fuel regression rate are driven by enhancing surface skin friction and reducing the effect of boundary layer "blowing" to enhance convective heat transfer to the fuel surface. Preliminary results using additive manufacturing to fabricate hybrid rocket fuel grains from acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) with embedded helical fuel port structures have been obtained, with burn-rate amplifications up to 3.0x than that of cylindrical fuel ports.

Quantum Entanglement in Double Quantum Systems and Jaynes-Cummings Model.

PubMed

Jakubczyk, Paweł; Majchrowski, Klaudiusz; Tralle, Igor

2017-12-01

In the paper, we proposed a new approach to producing the qubits in electron transport in low-dimensional structures such as double quantum wells or double quantum wires (DQW). The qubit could arise as a result of quantum entanglement of two specific states of electrons in DQW structure. These two specific states are the symmetric and antisymmetric (with respect to inversion symmetry) states arising due to tunneling across the structure, while entanglement could be produced and controlled by means of the source of nonclassical light. We examined the possibility to produce quantum entanglement in the framework of Jaynes-Cummings model and have shown that at least in principle, the entanglement can be achieved due to series of "revivals" and "collapses" in the population inversion due to the interaction of a quantized single-mode EM field with a two-level system.

Homogeneity and structure of CuZrAlY metallic glass ribbons

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

Fetić, A. Salčinović, E-mail: amra.s@pmf.unsa.ba; Selimović, A.; Hrvat, K.

2016-03-25

Metallic glasses are metastable amorphous structures produced by quenching-rapid cooling technique. Due to very high cooling rates during the production process, it is very difficult to produce homogeneous samples with identical chemical composition. In this paper we will present preliminary results of homogeneity and structure examinations of a CuZrAlY metallic glass ribbon. The ribbon, approximately 1.5 m long and 1 mm wide, was produced using melt spinning technique. Samples from the middle and the end of the ribbon were chosen for further examination. Surface was checked by metallographic and electron scanning microscopy. Chemical composition in different areas of each sample was checkedmore » by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Electrical resistivity measurements in the temperature range from 80 K to 280 K were also conducted.« less

How do "mute" cicadas produce their calling songs?

PubMed

Luo, Changqing; Wei, Cong; Nansen, Christian

2015-01-01

Insects have evolved a variety of structures and mechanisms to produce sounds, which are used for communication both within and between species. Among acoustic insects, cicada males are particularly known for their loud and diverse sounds which function importantly in communication. The main method of sound production in cicadas is the tymbal mechanism, and a relative small number of cicada species possess both tymbal and stridulatory organs. However, cicadas of the genus Karenia do not have any specialized sound-producing structures, so they are referred to as "mute". This denomination is quite misleading, as they indeed produce sounds. Here, we investigate the sound-producing mechanism and acoustic communication of the "mute" cicada, Karenia caelatata, and discover a new sound-production mechanism for cicadas: i.e., K. caelatata produces impact sounds by banging the forewing costa against the operculum. The temporal, frequency and amplitude characteristics of the impact sounds are described. Morphological studies and reflectance-based analyses reveal that the structures involved in sound production of K. caelatata (i.e., forewing, operculum, cruciform elevation, and wing-holding groove on scutellum) are all morphologically modified. Acoustic playback experiments and behavioral observations suggest that the impact sounds of K. caelatata are used in intraspecific communication and function as calling songs. The new sound-production mechanism expands our knowledge on the diversity of acoustic signaling behavior in cicadas and further underscores the need for more bioacoustic studies on cicadas which lack tymbal mechanism.

Measuring the Effect of Fuel Structures and Blend Distribution on Diesel Emissions Using Isotope Tracing

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

Cheng, A S; Mueller, C J; Buchholz, B A

2004-02-10

Carbon atoms occupying specific positions within fuel molecules can be labeled and followed in emissions. Renewable bio-derived fuels possess a natural uniform carbon-14 ({sup 14}C) tracer several orders of magnitude above petroleum-derived fuels. These fuels can be used to specify sources of carbon in particulate matter (PM) or other emissions. Differences in emissions from variations in the distribution of a fuel component within a blend can also be measured. Using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), we traced fuel components with biological {sup 14}C/C levels of 1 part in 10{sup 12} against a {sup 14}C-free petroleum background in PM and CO{sub 2}.more » Different carbon atoms in the ester structure of the diesel oxygenate dibutyl maleate displayed far different propensities to produce PM. Homogeneous cosolvent and heterogeneous emulsified ethanol-in-diesel blends produced significantly different PM despite having the same oxygen content in the fuel. Emulsified blends produced PM with significantly more volatile species. Although ethanol-derived carbon was less likely to produce PM than diesel fuel, it formed non-volatile structures when it resided in PM. The contribution of lubrication oil to PM was determined by measuring an isotopic difference between 100% bio-diesel and the PM it produced. Data produced by the experiments provides validation for combustion models.« less

Parametric modelling design applied to weft knitted surfaces and its effects in their physical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, N. P.; Maciel, L.; Catarino, A. P.; Rocha, A. M.

2017-10-01

This work proposes the creation of models of surfaces using a parametric computer modelling software to obtain three-dimensional structures in weft knitted fabrics produced on single needle system machines. Digital prototyping, another feature of digital modelling software, was also explored in three-dimensional drawings generated using the Rhinoceros software. With this approach, different 3D structures were developed and produced. Physical characterization tests were then performed on the resulting 3D weft knitted structures to assess their ability to promote comfort. From the obtained results, it is apparent that the developed structures have potential for application in different market segments, such as clothing and interior textiles.

Refinement of the crystal structures of biomimetic weddellites produced by microscopic fungus Aspergillus niger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusakov, A. V.; Frank-Kamenetskaya, O. V.; Gurzhiy, V. V.; Zelenskaya, M. S.; Izatulina, A. R.; Sazanova, K. V.

2014-05-01

The single-crystal structures of four biomimetic weddellites CaC2O4 · (2 + x)H2O with different contents of zeolitic water ( x = 0.10-0.24 formula units) produced by the microscopic fungus Aspergillus niger were refined from X-ray diffraction data ( R = 0.029-0.038). The effect of zeolitic water content on the structural stability of weddellite was analyzed. The parameter a was shown to increase with increasing x due to the increase in the distance between water molecules along this direction. The water content and structural parameters of the synthesized weddellites are similar to those of weddellites from biofilms and kidney stones.

Hierarchical classification with a competitive evolutionary neural tree.

PubMed

Adams, R G.; Butchart, K; Davey, N

1999-04-01

A new, dynamic, tree structured network, the Competitive Evolutionary Neural Tree (CENT) is introduced. The network is able to provide a hierarchical classification of unlabelled data sets. The main advantage that the CENT offers over other hierarchical competitive networks is its ability to self determine the number, and structure, of the competitive nodes in the network, without the need for externally set parameters. The network produces stable classificatory structures by halting its growth using locally calculated heuristics. The results of network simulations are presented over a range of data sets, including Anderson's IRIS data set. The CENT network demonstrates its ability to produce a representative hierarchical structure to classify a broad range of data sets.

Biosynthesis, Chemical Structure, and Structure-Activity Relationship of Orfamide Lipopeptides Produced by Pseudomonas protegens and Related Species

PubMed Central

Ma, Zongwang; Geudens, Niels; Kieu, Nam P.; Sinnaeve, Davy; Ongena, Marc; Martins, José C.; Höfte, Monica

2016-01-01

Orfamide-type cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs) are biosurfactants produced by Pseudomonas and involved in lysis of oomycete zoospores, biocontrol of Rhizoctonia and insecticidal activity against aphids. In this study, we compared the biosynthesis, structural diversity, in vitro and in planta activities of orfamides produced by rhizosphere-derived Pseudomonas protegens and related Pseudomonas species. Genetic characterization together with chemical identification revealed that the main orfamide compound produced by the P. protegens group is orfamide A, while the related strains Pseudomonas sp. CMR5c and CMR12a produce orfamide B. Comparison of orfamide fingerprints led to the discovery of two new orfamide homologs (orfamide F and orfamide G) in Pseudomonas sp. CMR5c. The structures of these two CLPs were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. Mutagenesis and complementation showed that orfamides determine the swarming motility of parental Pseudomonas sp. strain CMR5c and their production was regulated by luxR type regulators. Orfamide A and orfamide B differ only in the identity of a single amino acid, while orfamide B and orfamide G share the same amino acid sequence but differ in length of the fatty acid part. The biological activities of orfamide A, orfamide B, and orfamide G were compared in further bioassays. The three compounds were equally active against Magnaporthe oryzae on rice, against Rhizoctonia solani AG 4-HGI in in vitro assays, and caused zoospore lysis of Phytophthora and Pythium. Furthermore, we could show that orfamides decrease blast severity in rice plants by blocking appressorium formation in M. oryzae. Taken all together, our study shows that orfamides produced by P. protegens and related species have potential in biological control of a broad spectrum of fungal plant pathogens. PMID:27065956

Advancements in the Quantification of the Crystal Structure of ZNS Materials Produced in Variable Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castillo, Martin

2016-07-01

Screens and displays consume tremendous amounts of power. Global trends to significantly consume less power and increase battery life have led to the reinvestigation of electroluminescent materials. The state of the art in ZnS materials has not been furthered in the past 30 years and there is much potential in improving electroluminescent properties of these materials with advanced processing techniques. Self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) utilises a rapid exothermic process involving high energy and nonlinearity coupled with a high cooling rate to produce materials formed outside of normal equilibrium boundaries thus possessing unique properties. The elimination of gravity during this process allows capillary forces to dominate mixing of the reactants which results in a superior and enhanced homogeneity in the product materials. ZnS type materials have been previously conducted in reduced gravity and normal gravity. It has been claimed in literature that a near perfect phases of ZnS wurtzite was produced. Although, the SHS of this material is possible at high pressures, there has been no quantitative information on the actual crystal structures and lattice parameters that were produced in this work. Utilising this process with ZnS doped with Cu, Mn, or rare earth metals such as Eu and Pr leads to electroluminescence properties, thus making this an attractive electroluminescent material. The work described here will revisit the synthesis of ZnS via high pressure SHS and will re-examine the work performed in both normal gravity and in reduced gravity within the ZARM drop tower facility. Quantifications in the lattice parameters, crystal structures, and phases produced will be presented to further explore the unique structure-property performance relationships produced from the SHS of ZnS materials.

Process for structural geologic analysis of topography and point data

DOEpatents

Eliason, Jay R.; Eliason, Valerie L. C.

1987-01-01

A quantitative method of geologic structural analysis of digital terrain data is described for implementation on a computer. Assuming selected valley segments are controlled by the underlying geologic structure, topographic lows in the terrain data, defining valley bottoms, are detected, filtered and accumulated into a series line segments defining contiguous valleys. The line segments are then vectorized to produce vector segments, defining valley segments, which may be indicative of the underlying geologic structure. Coplanar analysis is performed on vector segment pairs to determine which vectors produce planes which represent underlying geologic structure. Point data such as fracture phenomena which can be related to fracture planes in 3-dimensional space can be analyzed to define common plane orientation and locations. The vectors, points, and planes are displayed in various formats for interpretation.

Light-induced dynamic structural color by intracellular 3D photonic crystals in brown algae

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Natural photonic crystals are responsible for strong reflectance at selective wavelengths in different natural systems. We demonstrate that intracellular opal-like photonic crystals formed from lipids within photosynthetic cells produce vivid structural color in the alga Cystoseira tamariscifolia. The reflectance of the opaline vesicles is dynamically responsive to environmental illumination. The structural color is present in low light–adapted samples, whereas higher light levels produce a slow disappearance of the structural color such that it eventually vanishes completely. Once returned to low-light conditions, the color re-emerges. Our results suggest that these complex intracellular natural photonic crystals are responsive to environmental conditions, changing their packing structure reversibly, and have the potential to manipulate light for roles beyond visual signaling. PMID:29651457

Sulfolobus turreted icosahedral virus c92 protein responsible for the formation of pyramid-like cellular lysis structures.

PubMed

Snyder, Jamie C; Brumfield, Susan K; Peng, Nan; She, Qunxin; Young, Mark J

2011-07-01

Host cells infected by Sulfolobus turreted icosahedral virus (STIV) have been shown to produce unusual pyramid-like structures on the cell surface. These structures represent a virus-induced lysis mechanism that is present in Archaea and appears to be distinct from the holin/endolysin system described for DNA bacteriophages. This study investigated the STIV gene products required for pyramid formation in its host Sulfolobus solfataricus. Overexpression of STIV open reading frame (ORF) c92 in S. solfataricus alone is sufficient to produce the pyramid-like lysis structures in cells. Gene disruption of c92 within STIV demonstrates that c92 is an essential protein for virus replication. Immunolocalization of c92 shows that the protein is localized to the cellular membranes forming the pyramid-like structures.

Method of producing microchannel and nanochannel articles

DOEpatents

D'Urso, Brian R.

2010-05-04

A method of making an article having channels therethrough includes the steps of: providing a ductile structure defining at least one macro-channel, the macro-channel containing a salt; drawing the ductile structure in the axial direction of the at least one macro-channel to reduce diameter of the macro-channel; and contacting the salt with a solvent to dissolve the salt to produce an article having at least one microchannel.

Sea Spray Generation at a Rocky Shoreline

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-01

exploration, and 47 production platforms—will face increased hazards from freezing sea spray. 48 Based on sea spray observations made with a cloud...produce higher waves (e.g., Perrie et al. 2012; Asplin et 65 al. 2012). Such evolving conditions will present new hazards for artificial structures like...wind and waves themselves will create hazards for 68 these structures, my interest here is the attendant sea spray produced. 69 Jones and Andreas

University-Industry Teaching Collaborations: A Case Study of the MSc in Structural Integrity Co-Produced by Brunel University London and The Welding Institute

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samuel, Gabrielle; Donovan, Claire; Lee, Jeung

2018-01-01

The paper presents an evaluation of an MSc in Structural Integrity co-produced by Brunel University London and industry partner The Welding Institute (TWI), designed to supply 'work-ready' graduates. Pre-, mid- and post-course quantitative surveys were administered to students, and two mid-term focus groups were conducted. Pre- and post-course…

Novel Catalyst for the Chirality Selective Synthesis of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-12

hierarchical structures comprising nitrogen- doped reduced GO (rGO) and acid- oxidized SWCNTs was produced using a linear hydrothermal microreactor. Fiber...structures comprising nitrogen- doped reduced GO (rGO) and acidoxidized SWCNTs was produced using a linear hydrothermal microreactor. Fiber micro... doped into Co/SiO2 catalysts to change their chirality selectivity. Further, enrichment of (9,8) nanotubes was carried out by extraction using fluorene

Extremely hard amorphous-crystalline hybrid steel surface produced by deformation induced cementite amorphization

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

Guo, Wei; Meng, Yifei; Zhang, Xie

Amorphous and nanograined (NG) steels are two categories of strong steels. However, over the past decade, their application has been hindered by their limited plasticity, the addition of expensive alloying elements, and processing challenges associated with producing bulk materials. Here in this work, we report that the surface of a carburized Fe-Mn-Si martensitic steel with extremely low elemental alloying additions can be economically fabricated into an amorphous-nanocrystalline hybrid structure. Atom probe tomography and nanobeam diffraction of a hard turned steel surface together with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal that the original cementite surface structure experiences a size-dependent amorphization and phasemore » transformation during heavy plastic deformation. MD simulations further show that the martensite-cementite interface serves as a nucleation site for cementite amorphization, and that cementite can become disordered if further strained when the cementite particles are relatively small. These graded structures exhibit a surface hardness of ~16.2 GPa, which exceeds the value of ~8.8 GPa for the original nanocrystalline martensitic steel and most nanocrystalline steels reported before. Finally, this practical and cost-efficient approach for producing a hard surface with retained bulk ductility and toughness can provide expanded opportunities for producing an amorphous-crystalline hybrid structure in steels and other alloy systems.« less

Extremely hard amorphous-crystalline hybrid steel surface produced by deformation induced cementite amorphization

DOE PAGES

Guo, Wei; Meng, Yifei; Zhang, Xie; ...

2018-04-11

Amorphous and nanograined (NG) steels are two categories of strong steels. However, over the past decade, their application has been hindered by their limited plasticity, the addition of expensive alloying elements, and processing challenges associated with producing bulk materials. Here in this work, we report that the surface of a carburized Fe-Mn-Si martensitic steel with extremely low elemental alloying additions can be economically fabricated into an amorphous-nanocrystalline hybrid structure. Atom probe tomography and nanobeam diffraction of a hard turned steel surface together with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal that the original cementite surface structure experiences a size-dependent amorphization and phasemore » transformation during heavy plastic deformation. MD simulations further show that the martensite-cementite interface serves as a nucleation site for cementite amorphization, and that cementite can become disordered if further strained when the cementite particles are relatively small. These graded structures exhibit a surface hardness of ~16.2 GPa, which exceeds the value of ~8.8 GPa for the original nanocrystalline martensitic steel and most nanocrystalline steels reported before. Finally, this practical and cost-efficient approach for producing a hard surface with retained bulk ductility and toughness can provide expanded opportunities for producing an amorphous-crystalline hybrid structure in steels and other alloy systems.« less

The Interface of Syntax with Pragmatics and Prosody in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

PubMed

Terzi, Arhonto; Marinis, Theodoros; Francis, Kostantinos

2016-08-01

In order to study problems of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) with morphosyntax, we investigated twenty high-functioning Greek-speaking children (mean age: 6;11) and twenty age- and language-matched typically developing children on environments that allow or forbid object clitics or their corresponding noun phrase. Children with ASD fell behind typically developing children in comprehending and producing simple clitics and producing noun phrases in focus structures. The two groups performed similarly in comprehending and producing clitics in clitic left dislocation and in producing noun phrases in non-focus structures. We argue that children with ASD have difficulties at the interface of (morpho)syntax with pragmatics and prosody, namely, distinguishing a discourse prominent element, and considering intonation relevant for a particular interpretation that excludes clitics.

A methodology for producing reliable software, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stucki, L. G.; Moranda, P. B.; Foshee, G.; Kirchoff, M.; Omre, R.

1976-01-01

An investigation into the areas having an impact on producing reliable software including automated verification tools, software modeling, testing techniques, structured programming, and management techniques is presented. This final report contains the results of this investigation, analysis of each technique, and the definition of a methodology for producing reliable software.

Energy storage in structural composites by introducing CNT fiber/polymer electrolyte interleaves.

PubMed

Senokos, Evgeny; Ou, Yunfu; Torres, Juan Jose; Sket, Federico; González, Carlos; Marcilla, Rebeca; Vilatela, Juan J

2018-02-21

This work presents a method to produce structural composites capable of energy storage. They are produced by integrating thin sandwich structures of CNT fiber veils and an ionic liquid-based polymer electrolyte between carbon fiber plies, followed by infusion and curing of an epoxy resin. The resulting structure behaves simultaneously as an electric double-layer capacitor and a structural composite, with flexural modulus of 60 GPa and flexural strength of 153 MPa, combined with 88 mF/g of specific capacitance and the highest power (30 W/kg) and energy (37.5 mWh/kg) densities reported so far for structural supercapacitors. In-situ electrochemical measurements during 4-point bending show that electrochemical performance is retained up to fracture, with minor changes in equivalent series resistance for interleaves under compressive stress. En route to improving interlaminar properties we produce grid-shaped interleaves that enable mechanical interconnection of plies by the stiff epoxy. Synchrotron 3D X-ray tomography analysis of the resulting hierarchical structure confirms the formation of interlaminar epoxy joints. The manuscript discusses encapsulation role of epoxy, demonstrated by charge-discharge measurements of composites immersed in water, a deleterious agent for ionic liquids. Finally, we show different architectures free of current collector and electrical insulators, in which both CNT fiber and CF act as active electrodes.

Mechanical Models of Fault-Related Folding

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

Johnson, A. M.

2003-01-09

The subject of the proposed research is fault-related folding and ground deformation. The results are relevant to oil-producing structures throughout the world, to understanding of damage that has been observed along and near earthquake ruptures, and to earthquake-producing structures in California and other tectonically-active areas. The objectives of the proposed research were to provide both a unified, mechanical infrastructure for studies of fault-related foldings and to present the results in computer programs that have graphical users interfaces (GUIs) so that structural geologists and geophysicists can model a wide variety of fault-related folds (FaRFs).

Ordered iron aluminide alloys having an improved room-temperature ductility and method thereof

DOEpatents

Sikka, Vinod K.

1992-01-01

A process is disclosed for improving the room temperature ductility and strength of iron aluminide intermetallic alloys. The process involves thermomechanically working an iron aluminide alloy by means which produce an elongated grain structure. The worked alloy is then heated at a temperature in the range of about 650.degree. C. to about 800.degree. C. to produce a B2-type crystal structure. The alloy is rapidly cooled in a moisture free atmosphere to retain the B2-type crystal structure at room temperature, thus providing an alloy having improved room temperature ductility and strength.

Structure of CdTe nanoparticles in glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, T. M.; Nagpal, Swati; Persans, P. D.

2000-03-01

Optical long-pass wavelength filters are generally made by growing small crystallites of appropriate semiconductors in a transparent glass matrix. Depending on the semiconductor, these systems are candidates for interesting and important nonlinear optical switching applications. The structure of these nanocrystals has been shown to be a valuable indicator of the chemical and thermodynamic processes during crystallite growth and dissolution. We have used x-ray absorption spectroscopy to study the structure of the crystallites produced during heat treatment of filter glasses containing Cd and Te and producing optical absorption edges at the band gap of bulk CdTe. The results will be discussed.

Characterization of Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Nickel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gill, Hansel; Hudson, Steve; Bhat, Biliyar; Munafo, Paul M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Carbon nanotubes are cylindrical molecules composed of carbon atoms in a regular hexagonal arrangement. If nanotubes can be uniformly dispersed in a supporting matrix to form structural materials, the resulting structures could be significantly lighter and stronger than current aerospace materials. Work is currently being done to develop an electrolyte-based self-assembly process that produces a Carbon Nanotube/Nickel composite material with high specific strength. This process is expected to produce a lightweight metal matrix composite material, which maintains it's thermal and electrical conductivities, and is potentially suitable for applications such as advanced structures, space based optics, and cryogenic tanks.

Surface transmission enhancement of ZnS via continuous-wave laser microstructuring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Major, Kevin J.; Florea, Catalin M.; Poutous, Menelaos K.; Busse, Lynda E.; Sanghera, Jasbinder S.; Aggarwal, Ishwar D.

2014-03-01

Fresnel reflectivity at dielectric boundaries between optical components, lenses, and windows is a major issue for the optics community. The most common method to reduce the index mismatch and subsequent surface reflection is to apply a thin film or films of intermediate indices to the optical materials. More recently, surface texturing or roughening has been shown to approximate a stepwise refractive index thin-film structure, with a gradient index of refraction transition from the bulk material to the surrounding medium. Short-pulse laser ablation is a recently-utilized method to produce such random anti-reflective structured surfaces (rARSS). Typically, high-energy femtosecond pulsed lasers are focused on the surface of the desired optical material to produce periodic or quasi-periodic assemblies of nanostructures which provide reduced surface reflection. This technique is being explored to generate a variety of structures across multiple optical materials. However, femtosecond laser systems are relatively expensive and more difficult to maintain. We present here a low power and low-cost alternative to femtosecond laser ablation, demonstrating random antireflective structures on the surface of Cleartran ZnS windows produced with a continuous-wave laser. In particular, we find that irradiation with a low-powered (<10 mW), defocused, CW 325nm-wavelength laser produces a random surface with significant roughness on ZnS substrates. The transmission through the structured ZnS windows is shown to increase by up to 9% across a broad wavelength range from the visible to the near-infrared.

Method and apparatus for synthesizing filamentary structures

DOEpatents

Height, Murray J [Somerville, MA; Howard, Jack B [Winchester, MA; Vandersande, John B [Newbury, MA

2008-02-26

Method and apparatus for producing filamentary structures. The structures include single-walled nanotubes. The method includes combusting hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen to establish a non-sooting flame and providing an unsupported catalyst to synthesize the filamentary structure in a post-flame region of the flame. Residence time is selected to favor filamentary structure growth.

Honeycomb-laminate composite structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilwee, W. J., Jr.; Parker, J. A. (Inventor)

1977-01-01

A honeycomb-laminate composite structure was comprised of: (1) a cellular core of a polyquinoxaline foam in a honeycomb structure, and (2) a layer of a noncombustible fibrous material impregnated with a polyimide resin laminated on the cellular core. A process for producing the honeycomb-laminate composite structure and articles containing the honeycomb-laminate composite structure is described.

Microwave Synthesized ZnO Nanorod Arrays for UV Sensors: A Seed Layer Annealing Temperature Study.

PubMed

Pimentel, Ana; Ferreira, Sofia Henriques; Nunes, Daniela; Calmeiro, Tomas; Martins, Rodrigo; Fortunato, Elvira

2016-04-20

The present work reports the influence of zinc oxide (ZnO) seed layer annealing temperature on structural, optical and electrical properties of ZnO nanorod arrays, synthesized by hydrothermal method assisted by microwave radiation, to be used as UV sensors. The ZnO seed layer was produced using the spin-coating method and several annealing temperatures, ranging from 100 to 500 °C, have been tested. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and spectrophotometry measurements have been used to investigate the structure, morphology, and optical properties variations of the produced ZnO nanorod arrays regarding the seed layer annealing temperatures employed. After the growth of ZnO nanorod arrays, the whole structure was tested as UV sensors, showing an increase in the sensitivity with the increase of seed layer annealing temperature. The UV sensor response of ZnO nanorod arrays produced with the seed layer annealed temperature of 500 °C was 50 times superior to the ones produced with a seed layer annealed at 100 °C.

Microwave Synthesized ZnO Nanorod Arrays for UV Sensors: A Seed Layer Annealing Temperature Study

PubMed Central

Pimentel, Ana; Ferreira, Sofia Henriques; Nunes, Daniela; Calmeiro, Tomas; Martins, Rodrigo; Fortunato, Elvira

2016-01-01

The present work reports the influence of zinc oxide (ZnO) seed layer annealing temperature on structural, optical and electrical properties of ZnO nanorod arrays, synthesized by hydrothermal method assisted by microwave radiation, to be used as UV sensors. The ZnO seed layer was produced using the spin-coating method and several annealing temperatures, ranging from 100 to 500 °C, have been tested. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and spectrophotometry measurements have been used to investigate the structure, morphology, and optical properties variations of the produced ZnO nanorod arrays regarding the seed layer annealing temperatures employed. After the growth of ZnO nanorod arrays, the whole structure was tested as UV sensors, showing an increase in the sensitivity with the increase of seed layer annealing temperature. The UV sensor response of ZnO nanorod arrays produced with the seed layer annealed temperature of 500 °C was 50 times superior to the ones produced with a seed layer annealed at 100 °C. PMID:28773423

Structural modification of polysaccharides: A biochemical-genetic approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kern, Roger G.; Petersen, Gene R.

1991-01-01

Polysaccharides have a wide range of industrial and biomedical applications. An industry trend is underway towards the increased use of bacteria to produce polysaccharides. Long term goals of this work are the adaptation and enhancement of saccharide properties for electronic and optic applications. In this report we illustrate the application of enzyme-bearing bacteriophage on strains of the enteric bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae, which produces a polysaccharide with the relatively rare rheological property of drag-reduction. This has resulted in the production of new polysaccharides with enhanced rheological properties. Our laboratory is developing techniques for processing and structurally modifying bacterial polysaccharides and oligosaccharides which comprise their basic polymeric repeat units. Our research has focused on bacteriophage which produce specific polysaccharide degrading enzymes. This has lead to the development of enzymes generated by bacteriophage as tools for polysaccharide modification and purification. These enzymes were used to efficiently convert the native material to uniform-sized high molecular weight polymers, or alternatively into high-purity oligosaccharides. Enzyme-bearing bacteriophage also serve as genetic selection tools for bacteria that produce new families of polysaccharides with modified structures.

Properties of barium strontium titanate and niobate nanoparticles produced in gas discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plyaka, Pavel; Kazaryan, Mishik; Pavlenko, Anatoly

2018-03-01

Dust particles produced in the gas-discharge plasma by barium-strontium titanate and niobate targets sputtering have been investigated in the paper. Particles shape, size and chemical composition were identified. It have been established by Raman scattering investigation and X-ray structure analysis that a part of the collected dust particles retained original crystal structure of the sputtering target. For electro-physical investigations two discs were formed by pressuring from produced particles, and electrodes were deposited on disc flat surface. Capacitance and dielectric loss temperature dependences measurement resulted in the frequency range proving the ferroelectric properties of assembled nanoparticles, similar to the sputtered material.

Nanofibre production in spiders without electric charge.

PubMed

Joel, Anna-Christin; Baumgartner, Werner

2017-06-15

Technical nanofibre production is linked to high voltage, because nanofibres are typically produced by electrospinning. In contrast, spiders have evolved a way to produce nanofibres without high voltage. These spiders are called cribellate spiders and produce nanofibres within their capture thread production. It is suggested that their nanofibres become frictionally charged when brushed over a continuous area on the calamistrum, a comb-like structure at the metatarsus of the fourth leg. Although there are indications that electrostatic charges are involved in the formation of the thread structure, final proof is missing. We proposed three requirements to validate this hypothesis: (1) the removal of any charge during or after thread production has an influence on the structure of the thread; (2) the characteristic structure of the thread can be regenerated by charging; and (3) the thread is attracted to or repelled from differently charged objects. None of these three requirements were proven true. Furthermore, mathematical calculations reveal that even at low charges, the calculated structural assembly of the thread does not match the observed reality. Electrostatic forces are therefore not involved in the production of cribellate capture threads. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Structural characterization of an all-aminosugar-containing capsular polysaccharide from Colwellia psychrerythraea 34H

PubMed Central

Casillo, Angela; Ståhle, Jonas; Parrilli, Ermenegilda; Sannino, Filomena; Mitchell, Daniel E.; Pieretti, Giuseppina; Gibson, Matthew I.; Marino, Gennaro; Lanzetta, Rosa; Parrilli, Michelangelo; Widmalm, Göran; Tutino, Maria L.; Corsaro, Maria M.

2017-01-01

Colwellia psychrerythraea strain 34H, a Gram-negative bacterium isolated from Arctic marine sediments, is considered a model to study the adaptation to cold environments. Recently, we demonstrated that C. psychrerythraea 34H produces two different extracellular polysaccharides, a capsular polysaccharide and a medium released polysaccharide, which confer cryoprotection to the bacterium. In this study, we report the structure of an additional capsular polysaccharide produced by Colwellia grown at a different temperature. The structure was determined using chemical methods, and one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The results showed a trisaccharide repeating unit made up of only amino-sugar residues: N-acetyl-galactosamine, 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-glucose (bacillosamine), and 2-acetamido-2-deoxyglucuronic acid with the following structure: →4)-β-d-GlcpNAcA-(1→3)-β-d-QuipNAc4NAc-(1→3)-β-d-GalpNAc-(1→. The 3D model, generated in accordance with 1H,1H-NOE NMR correlations and consisting of ten repeating units, shows a helical structure. In contrast with the other extracellular polysaccharides produced from Colwellia at 4 °C, this molecule displays only a low ice recrystallization inhibition activity. PMID:28161737

The Rock Elm meteorite impact structure, Wisconsin: Geology and shock-metamorphic effects in quartz

USGS Publications Warehouse

French, B.M.; Cordua, W.S.; Plescia, J.B.

2004-01-01

The Rock Elm structure in southwest Wisconsin is an anomalous circular area of highly deformed rocks, ???6.5 km in diameter, located in a region of virtually horizontal undeformed sedimentary rocks. Shock-produced planar microstructures (PMs) have been identified in quartz grains in several lithologies associated with the structure: sandstones, quartzite pebbles, and breccia. Two distinct types of PMs are present: P1 features, which appear identical to planar fractures (PFs or cleavage), and P2 features, which are interpreted as possible incipient planar deformation features (PDFs). The latter are uniquely produced by the shock waves associated with meteorite impact events. Both types of PMs are oriented parallel to specific crystallographic planes in the quartz, most commonly to c(0001), ??112??2, and r/z101??1. The association of unusual, structurally deformed strata with distinct shock-produced microdeformation features in their quartz-bearing rocks establishes Rock Elm as a meteorite impact structure and supports the view that the presence of multiple parallel cleavages in quartz may be used independently as a criterion for meteorite impact. Preliminary paleontological studies indicate a minimum age of Middle Ordovician for the Rock Elm structure. A similar age estimate (450-400 Ma) is obtained independently by combining the results of studies of the general morphology of complex impact structures with estimated rates of sedimentation for the region. Such methods may be applicable to dating other old and deeply eroded impact structures formed in sedimentary target rocks.

Method of driving liquid flow at or near the free surface using magnetic microparticles

DOEpatents

Snezhko, Oleksiy [Woodridge, IL; Aronson, Igor [Darien, IL; Kwok, Wai-Kwong [Evanston, IL; Belkin, Maxim V [Woodridge, IL

2011-10-11

The present invention provides a method of driving liquid flow at or near a free surface using self-assembled structures composed of magnetic particles subjected to an external AC magnetic field. A plurality of magnetic particles are supported at or near a free surface of liquid by surface tension or buoyancy force. An AC magnetic field traverses the free surface and dipole-dipole interaction between particles produces in self-assembled snake structures which oscillate at the frequency of the traverse AC magnetic field. The snake structures independently move across the free surface and may merge with other snake structures or break up and coalesce into additional snake structures experiencing independent movement across the liquid surface. During this process, the snake structures produce asymmetric flow vortices across substantially the entirety of the free surface, effectuating liquid flow across the free surface.

Method of determining the extent to which a nickel structure has been attached by a fluorine-containing gas

DOEpatents

Brusie, James P.

2004-07-13

The method of determining the extent to which a nickel structure has been attacked by a halogen containing gas to which it has been exposed which comprises preparing a quantity of water substantially free from dissolved oxygen, passing ammonia gas through a cuprammonium solution to produce ammonia substantially free from oxygen, dissolving said oxygen-free ammonia in said water to produce a saturated aqueous ammonia solution free from uncombined oxygen, treating at least a portion of said nickel structure of predetermined weight with said solution to dissolve nickel compounds from the surface of said structure without dissolving an appreciable amount of said nickel and analyzing the resulting solution to determine the quantity of said nickel compounds that was associated with said said portion of said structure to determine the proportion of combined nickel in said nickel structure.

[Characterization of microbial community in produced water from a petroleum reservoir subjected to alkali-surfactant-polymer ASP flooding].

PubMed

Hao, Qin Qin; Shi, Rong Jiu; Hao, Jin Sheng; Zhao, Jin Yi; Li, Guo Qiao; Zhao, Feng; Han, Si Qin; Zhang, Ying

2017-10-01

Injection of alkali, surfactant and polymer (ASP) into oil reservoir can substantially increase oil recovery compared with water-flooding strategy. However, the effects of these agents on the microbial diversity and community structure, which is important for water management and corrosion control in oil industry, are hitherto poorly understood. Here, we disclosed the microbial diversity and community structure in the produced water collected from four producing wells of an ASP-flooded oilfield at Daqing, China, using high-throughput sequencing technique. Results showed that the average pH in produced water was as high as 9.65. The microbial diversity varied from well to well, and the Shannon diversity index was between 2.00 to 3.56. The Proteobacteria (85.5%-98.3%), γ-proteobacteria (83.7%-97.8%), and alkaliphilic Nitrincola (51.8%-82.5%) were the most dominant phylogenetic taxa at the phylum, class, and genus levels, respectively. A total of 12 potentially sulfide-producing genera were detected, and the most abundant taxon was Sulfurospirillum (0.4%-7.4%). The microbial community of ASP-flooded petroleum reservoir was distinct, showing an alkaliphilic or alkalitolerant potential; a reduced diversity and more simple structure were observed compared with those of the water-flooded petroleum reservoirs that were previously reported.

Higher-order vector beams produced by photonic-crystal lasers.

PubMed

Iwahashi, Seita; Kurosaka, Yoshitaka; Sakai, Kyosuke; Kitamura, Kyoko; Takayama, Naoki; Noda, Susumu

2011-06-20

We have successfully generated vector beams with higher-order polarization states using photonic-crystal lasers. We have analyzed and designed lattice structures that provide cavity modes with different symmetries. Fabricated devices based on these lattice structures produced doughnut-shaped vector beams, with symmetries corresponding to the cavity modes. Our study enables the systematic analysis of vector beams, which we expect will lead to applications such as high-resolution microscopy, laser processing, and optical trapping.

Mechanical Properties of Be-Al Alloys

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-02-22

technology (sand and mold casting) producing a coarse dendritic structure that did not produce mechanical properties appropriate for structural ... Mechanical Properties of Be-AI Alloys 2. REPORT TYPE Technical Report 6. AUTHOR(S) E. U. Lee K. George V. V. Agarwala H. Sanders 3. DATES...SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT ~ — — This study was conducted to define the mechanical properties of a wrought 62Be-38A1 alloy and a cast 65Be-32A1

The structure of the magnetosphere as deduced from magnetospherically reflected whistlers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edgar, B. C.

1972-01-01

Very low frequency (VLF) electromagnetic wave phenomenon called the magnetospherically reflected (MR) whistler was investigated. VLF (0.3 to 12.5 kHz) data obtained from the Orbiting Geophysical Observatories 1 and 3 from October 1964 to December 1966 were used. MR whistlers are produced by the dispersive propagation of energy from atmospheric lightning through the magnetosphere to the satellite along ray paths which undergo one or more reflections due to the presence of ions. The gross features of MR whistler frequency-time spectrograms are explained in terms of propagation through a magnetosphere composed of thermal ions and electrons and having small density gradients across L-shells. Irregularities observed in MR spectra were interpreted in terms of propagation through field-aligned density structures. Trough and enhancement density structures were found to produce unique and easily recognizable signatures in MR spectra. Sharp cross-field density dropoff produces extra traces in MR spectrograms.

Atomic model for the dimeric FO region of mitochondrial ATP synthase.

PubMed

Guo, Hui; Bueler, Stephanie A; Rubinstein, John L

2017-11-17

Mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase produces the majority of ATP in eukaryotic cells, and its dimerization is necessary to create the inner membrane folds, or cristae, characteristic of mitochondria. Proton translocation through the membrane-embedded F O region turns the rotor that drives ATP synthesis in the soluble F 1 region. Although crystal structures of the F 1 region have illustrated how this rotation leads to ATP synthesis, understanding how proton translocation produces the rotation has been impeded by the lack of an experimental atomic model for the F O region. Using cryo-electron microscopy, we determined the structure of the dimeric F O complex from Saccharomyces cerevisiae at a resolution of 3.6 angstroms. The structure clarifies how the protons travel through the complex, how the complex dimerizes, and how the dimers bend the membrane to produce cristae. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Overview of Microwave and Millimeter Wave Testing Activities for the Inspection of the Space Shuttle SOH and Heat Tiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zoughi, R.

2005-01-01

Microwave and millimeter wave nondestructive testing and evaluation methods, have shown great potential for inspecting the Space Shuttle s external tank spray on foam insulation (SOFI) and acreage heat tiles. These methods are capable of producing high-resolution images of et interior of these structures. To this end, several different microwave and millimeter wave nondestructive testing methods have been investigated for this purpose. These methods have included near-field as well as focused approaches ranging in frequency from 10 GHz to beyond 100 GHz. Additionally, synthetic aperture focusing methods have also been developed in this regime for obtaining high-resolution images of the interior of these critical structures. These methods possess the potential for producing 3D images of these structures in a relatively short amount of time. This paper presents a summary of these activities in addition to providing examples of images produced using these diverse methods.

Polymeric binder for explosives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bissell, E. R.

1972-01-01

Chemical reaction for producing a polymer which can be mixed with explosives to produce a rigid material is discussed. Physical and chemical properties of polymers are described and chemical structure of the polymer is illustrated.

Influence of culture medium supplementation of tobacco NT1 cell suspension cultures on the N-glycosylation of human secreted alkaline phosphatase.

PubMed

Becerra-Arteaga, Alejandro; Shuler, Michael L

2007-08-15

We report for the first time that culture conditions, specifically culture medium supplementation with nucleotide-sugar precursors, can alter significantly the N-linked glycosylation of a recombinant protein in plant cell culture. Human secreted alkaline phosphatase produced in tobacco NT1 cell suspension cultures was used as a model system. Plant cell cultures were supplemented with ammonia (30 mM), galactose (1 mM) and glucosamine (10 mM) to improve the extent of N-linked glycosylation. The highest levels of cell density and active extracellular SEAP in supplemented cultures were on average 260 g/L and 0.21 U/mL, respectively, compared to 340 g/L and 0.4 U/mL in unsupplemented cultures. The glycosylation profile of SEAP produced in supplemented cultures was determined via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry with precursor ion scanning and compared to that of SEAP produced in unsupplemented cultures. In supplemented and unsupplemented cultures, two biantennary complex-type structures terminated with one or two N-acetylglucosamines and one paucimannosidic glycan structure comprised about 85% of the SEAP glycan pool. These three structures contained plant-specific xylose and fucose residues and their relative abundances were affected by each supplement. High mannose structures (6-9 mannose residues) accounted for the remaining 15% glycans in all cases. The highest proportion (approximately 66%) of a single complex-type biantennary glycan structure terminated in both antennae by N- acetylglucosamine was obtained with glucosamine supplementation versus only 6% in unsupplemented medium. This structure is amenable for in vitro modification to yield a more human-like glycan and could serve as a route to plant cell culture produced therapeutic glycoproteins. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The structure of the electron diffusion region during asymmetric anti-parallel magnetic reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swisdak, M.; Drake, J. F.; Price, L.; Burch, J. L.; Cassak, P.

2017-12-01

The structure of the electron diffusion region during asymmetric magnetic reconnection is ex- plored with high-resolution particle-in-cell simulations that focus on an magnetopause event ob- served by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS). A major surprise is the development of a standing, oblique whistler-like structure with regions of intense positive and negative dissipation. This structure arises from high-speed electrons that flow along the magnetosheath magnetic sepa- ratrices, converge in the dissipation region and jet across the x-line into the magnetosphere. The jet produces a region of negative charge and generates intense parallel electric fields that eject the electrons downstream along the magnetospheric separatrices. The ejected electrons produce the parallel velocity-space crescents documented by MMS.

Creation of current filaments in the solar corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikic, Z.; Schnack, D. D.; Van Hoven, G.

1989-01-01

It has been suggested that the solar corona is heated by the dissipation of electric currents. The low value of the resistivity requires the magnetic field to have structure at very small length scales if this mechanism is to work. In this paper it is demonstrated that the coronal magnetic field acquires small-scale structure through the braiding produced by smooth, randomly phased, photospheric flows. The current density develops a filamentary structure and grows exponentially in time. Nonlinear processes in the ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations produce a cascade effect, in which the structure introduced by the flow at large length scales is transferred to smaller scales. If this process continues down to the resistive dissipation length scale, it would provide an effective mechanism for coronal heating.

Methods for freeform fabrication of structures

DOEpatents

Kaufman, Stephen G.; Spletzer, Barry L.

2000-01-01

Rapid prototyping methods and apparatuses that produce structures made of continuous-fiber polymer-matrix composites without the use of molds. Instead of using molds, the composite structure is fabricated patch by patch in layers or wraps, using a two- or three-axis stage connected to a rapidly-reconfigurable forming surface, and a robot arm to position the evolving composite structure, which are both programmable devices. Because programmable devices are included, i.e., a robot and a two- or three-axis stage connected to the reconfigurable forming surface, the control program needed to produce a desired shape can be easily modified to automatically generate the desired shape from an electronic model (e.g., using a CAD/CAM system) of the desired (predetermined) shape.

3-D photo-patterning of refractive index structures in photosensitive thin film materials

DOEpatents

Potter, Jr., Barrett George; Potter, Kelly Simmons

2002-01-01

A method of making a three-dimensional refractive index structure in a photosensitive material using photo-patterning. The wavelengths at which a photosensitive material exhibits a change in refractive index upon exposure to optical radiation is first determined and then a portion of the surface of the photosensitive material is optically irradiated at a wavelength at which the photosensitive material exhibits a change in refractive index using a designed illumination system to produce a three-dimensional refractive index structure. The illumination system can be a micro-lenslet array, a macroscopic refractive lens array, or a binary optic phase mask. The method is a single-step, direct-write procedure to produce a designed refractive index structure.

Optimization of composite wood structural components : processing and design choices

Treesearch

Theodore L. Laufenberg

1985-01-01

Decreasing size and quality of the world's forest resources are responsible for interest in producing composite wood structural components. Process and design optimization methods are offered in this paper. Processing concepts for wood composite structural products are reviewed to illustrate manufacturing boundaries and areas of high potential. Structural...

Encounters with Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connell, R. W.

2004-01-01

A discussion of poststructuralism may be helped by reflecting on the trajectory of ideas and practices that produced it. Structuralism as an intellectual movement has had a bad press and doubtless some of that is deserved. But structuralism was more diverse and creative, and structural analysis as a procedure in social science is more important,…

Intracellular Virus-Specific Structures and RNAs in Oncornavirus-Producing Human Cells

PubMed Central

Bukrinskaya, A. G.; Miller, G. G.; Lebedeva, E. N.; Zhdanov, V. M.

1974-01-01

Two kinds of virus-specific structures were isolated from the cytoplasm of Detroit-6 and human amnion cells producing oncornavirus-like particles. These structures represented A particles with the diameter of 70 to 80 nm and aggregated strands of nucleocapsids with the diameter of 3 and 6 nm. The structures were separated from cellular contaminants by isopycnic banding in linear sucrose gradients and subsequently further purified by sedimentation in velocity sucrose gradients. Their sedimentation coefficient was 250 and 150S, respectively. Both structures contain 60, 45, and 35S RNA species, and 150S structures also contained 20S RNA. The 35 and 20S RNA from the 150S structure formed hybrids with DNA enzymatically synthesized on extracellular virions. The structures displayed endogeneous polymerase activity, DNA product of the reaction being predominantly associated with 60S RNA. No 70S RNA was found in the cell structures of various densities. Also, the virions purified from tissue culture fluid contained 70S RNA. These findings are consistent with those on extracellular maturation of oncornavirus RNA. Images PMID:4810779

Sequential search leads to faster, more efficient fragment-based de novo protein structure prediction.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Saulo H P; Law, Eleanor C; Shi, Jiye; Deane, Charlotte M

2018-04-01

Most current de novo structure prediction methods randomly sample protein conformations and thus require large amounts of computational resource. Here, we consider a sequential sampling strategy, building on ideas from recent experimental work which shows that many proteins fold cotranslationally. We have investigated whether a pseudo-greedy search approach, which begins sequentially from one of the termini, can improve the performance and accuracy of de novo protein structure prediction. We observed that our sequential approach converges when fewer than 20 000 decoys have been produced, fewer than commonly expected. Using our software, SAINT2, we also compared the run time and quality of models produced in a sequential fashion against a standard, non-sequential approach. Sequential prediction produces an individual decoy 1.5-2.5 times faster than non-sequential prediction. When considering the quality of the best model, sequential prediction led to a better model being produced for 31 out of 41 soluble protein validation cases and for 18 out of 24 transmembrane protein cases. Correct models (TM-Score > 0.5) were produced for 29 of these cases by the sequential mode and for only 22 by the non-sequential mode. Our comparison reveals that a sequential search strategy can be used to drastically reduce computational time of de novo protein structure prediction and improve accuracy. Data are available for download from: http://opig.stats.ox.ac.uk/resources. SAINT2 is available for download from: https://github.com/sauloho/SAINT2. saulo.deoliveira@dtc.ox.ac.uk. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

On the origin of the Monoceros Ring - I. Kinematics, proper motions, and the nature of the progenitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guglielmo, Magda; Lane, Richard R.; Conn, Blair C.; Ho, Anna Y. Q.; Ibata, Rodrigo A.; Lewis, Geraint F.

2018-03-01

The Monoceros Ring (MRi) structure is an apparent stellar overdensity that has been postulated to entirely encircle the Galactic plane and has been variously described as being due to line-of-sight effects of the Galactic warp and flare or of extragalactic origin (via accretion). Despite being intensely scrutinized in the literature for more than a decade, no studies to date have been able to definitively uncover its origins. Here we use N-body simulations and a genetic algorithm to explore the parameter space for the initial position, orbital parameters, and, for the first time, the final location of a satellite progenitor. We fit our models to the latest Pan-STARRS data to determine whether an accretion scenario is capable of producing an in-plane ring-like structure matching the known parameters of the MRi. Our simulations produce streams that closely match the location, proper motion, and kinematics of the MRi structure. However, we are not able to reproduce the mass estimates from earlier studies based on Pan-STARRS data. Furthermore, in contrast to earlier studies, our best-fitting models are those for progenitors on retrograde orbits. If the MRi was produced by satellite accretion, we find that its progenitor has an initial mass upper limit of ˜1010 M⊙ and the remnant is likely located behind the Galactic bulge, making it difficult to locate observationally. While our models produce realistic MRi-like structures, we cannot definitively conclude that the MRi was produced by the accretion of a satellite galaxy.

Methods for producing complex films, and films produced thereby

DOEpatents

Duty, Chad E.; Bennett, Charlee J. C.; Moon, Ji -Won; Phelps, Tommy J.; Blue, Craig A.; Dai, Quanqin; Hu, Michael Z.; Ivanov, Ilia N.; Jellison, Jr., Gerald E.; Love, Lonnie J.; Ott, Ronald D.; Parish, Chad M.; Walker, Steven

2015-11-24

A method for producing a film, the method comprising melting a layer of precursor particles on a substrate until at least a portion of the melted particles are planarized and merged to produce the film. The invention is also directed to a method for producing a photovoltaic film, the method comprising depositing particles having a photovoltaic or other property onto a substrate, and affixing the particles to the substrate, wherein the particles may or may not be subsequently melted. Also described herein are films produced by these methods, methods for producing a patterned film on a substrate, and methods for producing a multilayer structure.

Polyols, not sugars, determine the structural diversity of anti-streptococcal liamocins produced by Aureobasidium pullulans strain NRRL 50380

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Liamocins are polyol-lipids produced by the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans, and have selective antibacterial activity against Streptococcus species. Liamocins produced by A. pullulans strain NRRL 50380 on sucrose medium have a D-mannitol head-group ester linked to 3,5-dihydroxydecanoate acyl chains,...

Volatility, house edge and prize structure of gambling games.

PubMed

Turner, Nigel E

2011-12-01

This study used simulations to examine the effect of prize structure on the outcome volatility and the number of winners of various game configurations. The two most common prize structures found in gambling games are even money payoff games (bet $1; win $2) found on most table games and multilevel prizes structures found in gambling machine games. Simulations were set up to examine the effect of prize structure on the long-term outcomes of these games. Eight different prize structures were compared in terms of the number of winners and volatility. It was found that the standard table game and commercial gambling machines produced fairly high numbers of short term winners (1 h), but few long term winners (50 h). It was found that the typical even money game set up produced the lowest level of volatility. Of the multilevel prize structures examined, the three simulations based on commercial gambling machines were the least volatile. The results are examined in terms of the pragmatics of game design.

Relationships between physical properties and sequence in silkworm silks

PubMed Central

Malay, Ali D.; Sato, Ryota; Yazawa, Kenjiro; Watanabe, Hiroe; Ifuku, Nao; Masunaga, Hiroyasu; Hikima, Takaaki; Guan, Juan; Mandal, Biman B.; Damrongsakkul, Siriporn; Numata, Keiji

2016-01-01

Silk has attracted widespread attention due to its superlative material properties and promising applications. However, the determinants behind the variations in material properties among different types of silk are not well understood. We analysed the physical properties of silk samples from a variety of silkmoth cocoons, including domesticated Bombyx mori varieties and several species from Saturniidae. Tensile deformation tests, thermal analyses, and investigations on crystalline structure and orientation of the fibres were performed. The results showed that saturniid silks produce more highly-defined structural transitions compared to B. mori, as seen in the yielding and strain hardening events during tensile deformation and in the changes observed during thermal analyses. These observations were analysed in terms of the constituent fibroin sequences, which in B. mori are predicted to produce heterogeneous structures, whereas the strictly modular repeats of the saturniid sequences are hypothesized to produce structures that respond in a concerted manner. Within saturniid fibroins, thermal stability was found to correlate with the abundance of poly-alanine residues, whereas differences in fibre extensibility can be related to varying ratios of GGX motifs versus bulky hydrophobic residues in the amorphous phase. PMID:27279149

New Trends on Green Buildings: Investigation of the Feasibility of Using Plastic Members in RC Buildings with SWs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arslan, M. H.; Arslan, H. D.

2017-08-01

Shear walled (SW) reinforced concrete (RC) buildings are considered to be a type of high seismic safety building. Although this structural system has an important seismic advantage, it also has some disadvantages, especially in acoustic and thermal comfort. In this study, experimental studies have been conducted on RC members produced with plastic material having circular sections to determine structural performance. RC members have been produced with and without 6 cm diameter balls to analyze the structural behaviour under loading and to investigate the thermal performance and sound absorption behaviour of the members. In the study, structural parameters have been determined for RC members such as slabs and SWs produced with and without balls to discover the feasibility of the research and discuss the findings comparatively. The results obtained from the experimental studies show that PB used in RC with suitable positions do not significantly decrease strength but improve the thermal and acoustic features. It has been also seen that using plastic balls reduce the total concrete materials.

Bio-inspired Structural Colors from Deposition of Synthetic Melanin Nanoparticles by Evaporative Self-assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Ming; Li, Yiwen; Deheyn, Dimitri; Yue, Xiujun; Gianneschi, Nathan; Shawkey, Matthew; Dhinojwala, Ali

2015-03-01

Melanin, a ubiquitous black or brown pigment in the animal kingdom, is a unique but poorly understood biomaterial. Many bird feathers contain melanosomes (melanin-containing organelles), which pack into ordered nanostructures, like multilayer or two-dimensional photonic crystal structures, to produce structural colors. To understand the optical properties of melanin and how melanosomes assemble into certain structures to produce colors, we prepared synthetic melanin (polydopamine) particles with variable sizes and aspect ratios. We have characterized the absorption and refractive index of the synthetic melanin particles. We have also shown that we can use an evaporative process to self-assemble melanin films with a wide range of colors. The colors obtained using this technique is modeled using a thin-film interference model and the optical properties of the synthetic melanin nanoparticles. Our results on self-assembly of synthetic melanin nanoparticles provide an explanation as why the use of melanosomes to produce colors is prevalent in the animal kingdom. National science foundation, air force office of scientific research, human frontier science program.

Implicit preferences: the role(s) of familiarity in the structural mere exposure effect.

PubMed

Zizak, Diane M; Reber, Arthur S

2004-06-01

In four experiments using an artificial grammar (AG) learning procedure, the authors examined the links between the "classic" mere exposure effect [heightened affect for previously encountered stimulus items (Bornstein, 1989; Zajonc, 1968)] and the "structural" mere exposure effect [greater hedonic appreciation for novel stimuli that conform to an implicitly acquired underlying rule system (Gordon & Holyoak, 1983)]. After learning, participants: (a) classified stimuli according to whether they conformed to the principles of the grammar and, (b) rated them in terms of how much they liked them. In some experiments unusual and unfamiliar symbols were used to instantiate the AG, in others highly familiar characters were used. In all cases participants showed standard AG learning. However, whether the two exposure effects emerged was dependent on symbol familiarity. Symbols with high a priori familiarity produced a structural mere exposure effect. Moderately familiar symbols produced only the classic, but not the structural, mere exposure effect. Highly unfamiliar symbols produced neither exposure effect. Results are discussed in the context of implicit learning theory and implications for a general theory of aesthetics are presented.

Relationships between physical properties and sequence in silkworm silks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malay, Ali D.; Sato, Ryota; Yazawa, Kenjiro; Watanabe, Hiroe; Ifuku, Nao; Masunaga, Hiroyasu; Hikima, Takaaki; Guan, Juan; Mandal, Biman B.; Damrongsakkul, Siriporn; Numata, Keiji

2016-06-01

Silk has attracted widespread attention due to its superlative material properties and promising applications. However, the determinants behind the variations in material properties among different types of silk are not well understood. We analysed the physical properties of silk samples from a variety of silkmoth cocoons, including domesticated Bombyx mori varieties and several species from Saturniidae. Tensile deformation tests, thermal analyses, and investigations on crystalline structure and orientation of the fibres were performed. The results showed that saturniid silks produce more highly-defined structural transitions compared to B. mori, as seen in the yielding and strain hardening events during tensile deformation and in the changes observed during thermal analyses. These observations were analysed in terms of the constituent fibroin sequences, which in B. mori are predicted to produce heterogeneous structures, whereas the strictly modular repeats of the saturniid sequences are hypothesized to produce structures that respond in a concerted manner. Within saturniid fibroins, thermal stability was found to correlate with the abundance of poly-alanine residues, whereas differences in fibre extensibility can be related to varying ratios of GGX motifs versus bulky hydrophobic residues in the amorphous phase.

How Do “Mute” Cicadas Produce Their Calling Songs?

PubMed Central

Luo, Changqing; Wei, Cong; Nansen, Christian

2015-01-01

Insects have evolved a variety of structures and mechanisms to produce sounds, which are used for communication both within and between species. Among acoustic insects, cicada males are particularly known for their loud and diverse sounds which function importantly in communication. The main method of sound production in cicadas is the tymbal mechanism, and a relative small number of cicada species possess both tymbal and stridulatory organs. However, cicadas of the genus Karenia do not have any specialized sound-producing structures, so they are referred to as “mute”. This denomination is quite misleading, as they indeed produce sounds. Here, we investigate the sound-producing mechanism and acoustic communication of the “mute” cicada, Karenia caelatata, and discover a new sound-production mechanism for cicadas: i.e., K. caelatata produces impact sounds by banging the forewing costa against the operculum. The temporal, frequency and amplitude characteristics of the impact sounds are described. Morphological studies and reflectance-based analyses reveal that the structures involved in sound production of K. caelatata (i.e., forewing, operculum, cruciform elevation, and wing-holding groove on scutellum) are all morphologically modified. Acoustic playback experiments and behavioral observations suggest that the impact sounds of K. caelatata are used in intraspecific communication and function as calling songs. The new sound-production mechanism expands our knowledge on the diversity of acoustic signaling behavior in cicadas and further underscores the need for more bioacoustic studies on cicadas which lack tymbal mechanism. PMID:25714608

Digital Archive Issues from the Perspective of an Earth Science Data Producer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barkstrom, Bruce R.

2004-01-01

Contents include the following: Introduction. A Producer Perspective on Earth Science Data. Data Producers as Members of a Scientific Community. Some Unique Characteristics of Scientific Data. Spatial and Temporal Sampling for Earth (or Space) Science Data. The Influence of the Data Production System Architecture. The Spatial and Temporal Structures Underlying Earth Science Data. Earth Science Data File (or Relation) Schemas. Data Producer Configuration Management Complexities. The Topology of Earth Science Data Inventories. Some Thoughts on the User Perspective. Science Data User Communities. Spatial and Temporal Structure Needs of Different Users. User Spatial Objects. Data Search Services. Inventory Search. Parameter (Keyword) Search. Metadata Searches. Documentation Search. Secondary Index Search. Print Technology and Hypertext. Inter-Data Collection Configuration Management Issues. An Archive View. Producer Data Ingest and Production. User Data Searching and Distribution. Subsetting and Supersetting. Semantic Requirements for Data Interchange. Tentative Conclusions. An Object Oriented View of Archive Information Evolution. Scientific Data Archival Issues. A Perspective on the Future of Digital Archives for Scientific Data. References Index for this paper.

Dynamic surface tension measurement for the screening of biosurfactants produced by Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum PTCC 1896.

PubMed

Bakhshi, Nafiseh; Soleimanian-Zad, Sabihe; Sheikh-Zeinoddin, Mahmoud

2017-06-01

Currently, screening of microbial biosurfactants (BSs) is based on their equilibrium surface tension values obtained using static surface tension measurement. However, a good surfactant should not only have a low equilibrium surface tension, but its dynamic surface tension (DST) should also decrease rapidly with time. In this study, screening of BSs produced by Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum PTCC 1896 (probiotic) was performed based on their DST values measured by Wilhelmy plate tensiometry. The relationship between DST and structural and functional properties (anti-adhesive activity) of the BSs was investigated. The results showed that the changes in the yield, productivity and structure of the BSs were growth medium and incubation time dependent (p<0.05). Structurally different BSs produced exhibited identical equilibrium surface tension values. However, differences among the structure/yield of the BSs were observed through the measurement of their DST. The considerable dependence of DST on the concentration and composition of the BS proteins was observed (p<0.05). Moreover, the anti-adhesive activity of the BS was found to be positively correlated with its DST. The results suggest that the DST measurement could serve as an efficient method for the clever screening of BSs producer/production condition, and consequently, for the investigation of probiotic features of bacteria, since the anti-adhesive activity is an important criterion of probiotics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The pore-lining region of shaker voltage-gated potassium channels: comparison of beta-barrel and alpha-helix bundle models.

PubMed Central

Kerr, I D; Sansom, M S

1997-01-01

Although there is a large body of site-directed mutagenesis data that identify the pore-lining sequence of the voltage-gated potassium channel, the structure of this region remains unknown. We have interpreted the available biochemical data as a set of topological and orientational restraints and employed these restraints to produce molecular models of the potassium channel pore region, H5. The H5 sequence has been modeled either as a tetramer of membrane-spanning beta-hairpins, thus producing an eight-stranded beta-barrel, or as a tetramer of incompletely membrane-spanning alpha-helical hairpins, thus producing an eight-staved alpha-helix bundle. In total, restraints-directed modeling has produced 40 different configurations of the beta-barrel model, each configuration comprising an ensemble of 20 structures, and 24 different configurations of the alpha-helix bundle model, each comprising an ensemble of 24 structures. Thus, over 1300 model structures for H5 have been generated. Configurations have been ranked on the basis of their predicted pore properties and on the extent of their agreement with the biochemical data. This ranking is employed to identify particular configurations of H5 that may be explored further as models of the pore-lining region of the voltage-gated potassium channel pore. Images FIGURE 7 FIGURE 12 PMID:9251779

Cabin-fuselage-wing structural design concept with engine installation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ariotti, Scott; Garner, M.; Cepeda, A.; Vieira, J.; Bolton, D.

1993-01-01

The purpose of this project is to provide a fuselage structural assembly and wing structural design that will be able to withstand the given operational parameters and loads provided by Federal Aviation Regulation Part 23 (FAR 23) and the Statement of Work (SOW). The goal is to provide a durable lightweight structure that will transfer the applied loads through the most efficient load path. Areas of producibility and maintainability of the structure will also be addressed. All of the structural members will also meet or exceed the desired loading criteria, along with providing adequate stiffness, reliability, and fatigue life as stated in the SOW. Considerations need to be made for control system routing and cabin heating/ventilation. The goal of the wing structure and carry through structure is also to provide a simple, lightweight structure that will transfer the aerodynamic forces produced by the wing, tailboom, and landing gear. These forces will be channeled through various internal structures sized for the pre-determined loading criteria. Other considerations were to include space for flaps, ailerons, fuel tanks, and electrical and control system routing. The difficulties encountered in the fuselage design include expanding the fuselage cabin to accept a third occupant in a staggered configuration and providing ample volume for their safety. By adding a third person the CG of aircraft will move forward so the engine needs to be moved aft to compensate for the difference in the moment. This required the provisions of a ring frame structure for the new position of the engine mount. The difficulties encountered in the wing structural design include resizing the wing for the increased capacity and weight, and compensating for a large torsion produced by the tail boom by placing a great number of stiffeners inside the boom, which will result in the relocation of the fuel tank. Finally, an adequate carry through structure for the wing and fuselage interface will be designed to effectively transmit loads through the fuselage.

Acoustic Mechanical Feed-Throughs for Producing Work Across a Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherril, Stewart (Inventor); Bar-Cohen, Yoseph (Inventor); Bao, Xiaoqi (Inventor)

2017-01-01

An apparatus that passes vibrational energy across a mechanical structure lacking a perforation. The disclosed apparatus and method provide the ability to transfer work (rotary or linear motion) across pressure or thermal barriers or in a sterile environment without generating contaminants; the presence of reflectors in the solid barrier to enhance the efficiency of the energy/power transmission, and the ability to produce a bi-directional driving mechanism using a plurality of different mode resonances, such as a fundamental frequency resonance and a higher frequency resonance. In some instances, a plane within the mechanical structure lacking a perforation is a nodal plane of the vibrational energy field.

Laser-driven deflection arrangements and methods involving charged particle beams

DOEpatents

Plettner, Tomas [San Ramon, CA; Byer, Robert L [Stanford, CA

2011-08-09

Systems, methods, devices and apparatus are implemented for producing controllable charged particle beams. In one implementation, an apparatus provides a deflection force to a charged particle beam. A source produces an electromagnetic wave. A structure, that is substantially transparent to the electromagnetic wave, includes a physical structure having a repeating pattern with a period L and a tilted angle .alpha., relative to a direction of travel of the charged particle beam, the pattern affects the force of the electromagnetic wave upon the charged particle beam. A direction device introduces the electromagnetic wave to the structure to provide a phase-synchronous deflection force to the charged particle beam.

Finite-element nonlinear transient response computer programs PLATE 1 and CIVM-PLATE 1 for the analysis of panels subjected to impulse or impact loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spilker, R. L.; Witmer, E. A.; French, S. E.; Rodal, J. J. A.

1980-01-01

Two computer programs are described for predicting the transient large deflection elastic viscoplastic responses of thin single layer, initially flat unstiffened or integrally stiffened, Kirchhoff-Lov ductile metal panels. The PLATE 1 program pertains to structural responses produced by prescribed externally applied transient loading or prescribed initial velocity distributions. The collision imparted velocity method PLATE 1 program concerns structural responses produced by impact of an idealized nondeformable fragment. Finite elements are used to represent the structure in both programs. Strain hardening and strain rate effects of initially isotropic material are considered.

Microbial-Catalyzed Biotransformation of Multifunctional Triterpenoids Derived from Phytonutrients

PubMed Central

Shah, Syed Adnan Ali; Tan, Huey Ling; Sultan, Sadia; Mohd Faridz, Muhammad Afifi Bin; Mohd Shah, Mohamad Azlan Bin; Nurfazilah, Sharifah; Hussain, Munawar

2014-01-01

Microbial-catalyzed biotransformations have considerable potential for the generation of an enormous variety of structurally diversified organic compounds, especially natural products with complex structures like triterpenoids. They offer efficient and economical ways to produce semi-synthetic analogues and novel lead molecules. Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi could catalyze chemo-, regio- and stereospecific hydroxylations of diverse triterpenoid substrates that are extremely difficult to produce by chemical routes. During recent years, considerable research has been performed on the microbial transformation of bioactive triterpenoids, in order to obtain biologically active molecules with diverse structures features. This article reviews the microbial modifications of tetranortriterpenoids, tetracyclic triterpenoids and pentacyclic triterpenoids. PMID:25003642

To use or not to use (direct laser interference patterning), that is the question

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lasagni, A. F.; Roch, T.; Berger, J.; Kunze, T.; Lang, V.; Beyer, E.

2015-03-01

Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP) has shown to be a fabrication technology capable of producing large area periodic surface patterns on almost any kind of material. The produced structures have been used in the past to provide surfaces with new enhanced properties. On the other hand, the industrial use of this technology is still at the beginning due to the lack of appropriate and affordable systems, especially for small and medium enterprises. In this paper, the use of DLIP for the fabrication of periodic structures using different structuring strategies and optical concepts is discussed. Different technological challenges are addressed.

Fragmentation of structural energetic materials: implications for performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aydelotte, B.; Braithwaite, C. H.; Thadhani, N. N.

2014-05-01

Fragmentation results for structural energetic materials based on intermetallic forming mixtures are reviewed and the implications of the fragment populations are discussed. Cold sprayed Ni+Al and explosively compacted mixtures of Ni+Al+W and Ni+Al+W+Zr powders were fabricated into ring shaped samples and explosively fragmented. Ring velocity was monitored and fragments were soft captured in order to study the fragmentation process. It was determined that the fragments produced by these structural energetic materials are much smaller than those typically produced by ductile metals such as steel or aluminum. This has implications for combustion processes that may occur subsequent to the fragmentation process.

Preparation of TiO(2) layers on cp-Ti and Ti6Al4V by thermal and anodic oxidation and by sol-gel coating techniques and their characterization.

PubMed

Velten, D; Biehl, V; Aubertin, F; Valeske, B; Possart, W; Breme, J

2002-01-01

The excellent biocompatibility of titanium and its alloys used, for example, for medical devices, is associated with the properties of their surface oxide. For a better understanding of the tissue reaction in contact with the oxide layer, knowledge of the chemical and physical properties of this layer is of increasing interest. In this study, titania films were produced on cp-Ti and Ti6Al4V substrates by thermal oxidation, anodic oxidation, and by the sol-gel process. The thickness and structure of the films produced under different conditions were determined by ellipsometry, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction measurements. The corrosion properties of these layers were investigated by current density-potential curves under physiological conditions. The oxide layers produced on cp-Ti and Ti6Al4V by thermal oxidation consist of TiO(2) in the rutile structure. For the anodized samples the structure of TiO(2) is a mixture of amorphous phase and anatase. The structure of the coatings produced by the sol-gel process for a constant annealing time depends on the annealing temperature, and with increasing temperature successively amorphous, anatase, and rutile structure is observed. Compared to the uncoated, polished substrate with a natural oxide layer, the corrosion resistance of cp-Ti and Ti6Al4V is increased for the samples with an oxide layer thickness of about 100 nm, independent of the oxidation procedure. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Exopolysaccharides produced by Inquilinus limosus, a new pathogen of cystic fibrosis patients: novel structures with usual components.

PubMed

Herasimenka, Yury; Cescutti, Paola; Impallomeni, Giuseppe; Rizzo, Roberto

2007-11-26

The major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis, an autosomal recessive disorder, is chronic microbial colonisation of the major airways that leads to exacerbation of pulmonary infection. Several different microbes colonise cystic fibrosis lungs, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most threatening, since the establishment of mucoid (alginate producing) strains is ultimately associated with the patient's death. Very recently a new bacterium, named Inquilinus limosus, was repeatedly found infecting the respiratory tract of cystic fibrosis patients. Its multi-resistance characteristic to antibiotics might result in the spreading of I. limosus infection among the cystic fibrosis community, as recently happened with strains of the Burkholderia cepacia complex. Since exopolysaccharides are recognised as important virulence factors in lung infections, the primary structure of the polysaccharide produced by I. limosus strain LMG 20952(T) was investigated as the first step in understanding its role in pathogenesis. The structure was determined by means of methylation analysis, acid degradations, mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. The results showed that the bacterium produced a mixture constituted of the following polymers: [3)-[4,6-O-(1-carboxyethylidene)]-beta-D-Glcp(1-->]n; [2)-[4,6-O-(1-carboxyethylidene)]-alpha-D-Manp(1-->]n. Both polymers were completely substituted with pyruvyl ketal groups, a novel structural characteristic not previously found in bacterial polysaccharides. The absolute configuration of all pyruvyl groups was S. Inspection of possible local conformations assumed by the two polysaccharide chains showed features, which might provide interesting clues for understanding structure-function relationships.

Formation and chemical reactivity of carbon fibers prepared by defluorination of graphite fluoride

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hung, Ching-Cheh

1994-01-01

Defluorination of graphite fluoride (CFX) by heating to temperatures of 250 to 450 C in chemically reactive environments was studied. This is a new and possibly inexpensive process to produce new carbon-based materials. For example, CF 0.68 fibers, made from P-100 carbon fibers, can be defluorinated in BrH2C-CH = CH-CH2Br (1,4-dibromo-2butene) heated to 370 C, and graphitized to produce fibers with an unusually high modulus and a graphite layer structure that is healed and cross-linked. Conversely, a sulfur-doped, visibly soft carbon fiber was produced by defluorinating CF 0.9 fibers, made from P-25, in sulfur (S) vapor at 370 C and then heating to 660 C in nitrogen (N2). Furthermore, defluorination of the CF 0.68 fibers in bromine (Br2) produced fragile, structurally damaged carbon fibers. Heating these fragile fibers to 1100 C in N2 caused further structural damage, whereas heating to 150 C in bromoform (CHBr3) and then to 1100 C in N2 healed the structural defects. The defluorination product of CFX, tentatively called activated graphite, has the composition and molecular structure of graphite, but is chemically more reactive. Activated graphite is a scavenger of manganese (Mn), and can be intercalated with magnesium (Mg). Also, it can easily collect large amounts of an alloy made from copper (Cu) and type 304 stainless steel to form a composite. Finally, there are indications that activated graphite can wet metals or ceramics, thereby forming stronger composites with them than the pristine carbon fibers can form.

Interactions of Twisted Ω-loops in a Model Solar Convection Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jouve, L.; Brun, A. S.; Aulanier, G.

2018-04-01

This study aims at investigating the ability of strong interactions between magnetic field concentrations during their rise through the convection zone to produce complex active regions at the solar surface. To do so, we perform numerical simulations of buoyant magnetic structures evolving and interacting in a model solar convection zone. We first produce a 3D model of rotating convection and then introduce idealized magnetic structures close to the bottom of the computational domain. These structures possess a certain degree of field line twist and they are made buoyant on a particular extension in longitude. The resulting twisted Ω-loops will thus evolve inside a spherical convective shell possessing large-scale mean flows. We present results on the interaction between two such loops with various initial parameters (mainly buoyancy and twist) and on the complexity of the emerging magnetic field. In agreement with analytical predictions, we find that if the loops are introduced with opposite handedness and same axial field direction or the same handedness but opposite axial field, they bounce against each other. The emerging region is then constituted of two separated bipolar structures. On the contrary, if the loops are introduced with the same direction of axial and peripheral magnetic fields and are sufficiently close, they merge while rising. This more interesting case produces complex magnetic structures with a high degree of non-neutralized currents, especially when the convective motions act significantly on the magnetic field. This indicates that those interactions could be good candidates to produce eruptive events like flares or CMEs.

Environmental control of reproductive phenology and the effect of pollen supplementation on resource allocation in the cleistogamous weed, Ruellia nudiflora (Acanthaceae)

PubMed Central

Munguía-Rosas, Miguel A.; Parra-Tabla, Victor; Ollerton, Jeff; Cervera, J. Carlos

2012-01-01

• Background and Aims Mixed reproductive strategies may have evolved as a response of plants to cope with environmental variation. One example of a mixed reproductive strategy is dimorphic cleistogamy, where a single plant produces closed, obligately self-pollinated (CL) flowers and open, potentially outcrossed (CH) flowers. Frequently, optimal environmental conditions favour production of more costly CH structures whilst economical and reliable CL structures are produced under less favourable conditions. In this study we explore (1) the effect of light and water on the reproductive phenology and (2) the effect of pollen supplementation on resource allocation to seeds in the cleistogamous weed Ruellia nudiflora. • Methods Split-plot field experiments were carried out to assess the effect of shade (two levels: ambient light vs. a reduction of 50 %) and watering (two levels: non-watered vs. watered) on the onset, end and duration of the production of three reproductive structures: CH flowers, CH fruit and CL fruit. We also looked at the effect of these environmental factors on biomass allocation to seeds (seed weight) from obligately self-pollinated flowers (CL), open-pollinated CH flowers and pollen-supplemented CH flowers. • Key Results CH structures were produced for a briefer period and ended earlier under shaded conditions. These conditions also resulted in an earlier production of CL fruit. Shaded conditions also produced greater biomass allocation to CH seeds receiving extra pollen. • Conclusions Sub-optimal (shaded) conditions resulted in a briefer production period of CH structures whilst these same conditions resulted in an earlier production of CL structures. However, under sub-optimal conditions, plants also allocated more resources to seeds sired from CH flowers receiving large pollen loads. Earlier production of reproductive structures and relatively larger seed might improve subsequent success of CL and pollen-supplemented CH seeds, respectively. PMID:22095920

Structure and functions of fungal cell surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nozawa, Y.

1984-01-01

A review with 24 references on the biochemistry, molecular structure, and function of cell surfaces of fungi, especially dermatophytes: the chemistry and structure of the cell wall, the effect of polyene antibiotics on the morphology and function of cytoplasmic membranes, and the chemical structure and function of pigments produced by various fungi are discussed.

Optimization of superconducting tiling pattern for superconducting bearings

DOEpatents

Hull, John R.

1996-01-01

An apparatus and method for reducing magnetic field inhomogeneities which produce rotational loss mechanisms in high temperature superconducting magnetic bearings. Magnetic field inhomogeneities are reduced by dividing high temperature superconducting structures into smaller structures, and arranging the smaller structures into tiers which stagger the magnetic field maximum locations of the smaller structures.

Durable and mass producible polymer surface structures with different combinations of micro-micro hierarchy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Yu; Suvanto, Mika; Pakkanen, Tapani A.

2016-01-01

Extensive studies have been performed with the aim of fabricating hierarchical surface structures inspired by nature. However, synthetic hierarchical structures have to sacrifice mechanical resistance to functionality by introducing finer scaled structures. Therefore, surfaces are less durable. Surface micro-micro hierarchy has been proven to be effective in replacing micro-nano hierarchy in the sense of superhydrophobicity. However, less attention has been paid to the combined micro-micro hierarchies with surface pillars and pits incorporated together. The fabrication of this type of hierarchy may be less straightforward, with the possibility of being a complicated multi-step process. In this study, we present a simple yet mass producible fabrication method for hierarchical structures with different combinations of surface pillars and pits. The fabrication was based on only one aluminum (Al) mold with sequential mountings. The fabricated structures exhibit high mechanical durability and structural stabilities with a normal load up to 100 kg. In addition, the theoretical estimation of the wetting state shows a promising way of stabilizing a water droplet on the surface pit structures with a more stable Cassie-Baxter state.

Structural simplicity as a restraint on the structure of amorphous silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cliffe, Matthew J.; Bartók, Albert P.; Kerber, Rachel N.; Grey, Clare P.; Csányi, Gábor; Goodwin, Andrew L.

2017-06-01

Understanding the structural origins of the properties of amorphous materials remains one of the most important challenges in structural science. In this study, we demonstrate that local "structural simplicity", embodied by the degree to which atomic environments within a material are similar to each other, is a powerful concept for rationalizing the structure of amorphous silicon (a -Si) a canonical amorphous material. We show, by restraining a reverse Monte Carlo refinement against pair distribution function (PDF) data to be simpler, that the simplest model consistent with the PDF is a continuous random network (CRN). A further effect of producing a simple model of a -Si is the generation of a (pseudo)gap in the electronic density of states, suggesting that structural homogeneity drives electronic homogeneity. That this method produces models of a -Si that approach the state-of-the-art without the need for chemically specific restraints (beyond the assumption of homogeneity) suggests that simplicity-based refinement approaches may allow experiment-driven structural modeling techniques to be developed for the wide variety of amorphous semiconductors with strong local order.

Genetic structure of Tribolium castaneum (Coleptera: Tenebrionidae) populations in mills

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, is primarily found associated with human structures such as wheat and rice mills, which are spatially isolated resource patches with apparently limited immigration that could produce genetically structured populations. We investigated genetic diversity and...

Population structure and diversity of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid producing fluorescent pseudomonas spp. from dryland cereal fields of central Washington State (U.S.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Certain strains of the rhizosphere bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens contain the phenazine biosynthesis operon (phzABCEDF) and produce redox-active phenazine antibiotics that suppress a wide variety of soilborne plant pathogens. In 2007 and 2008 we isolated 412 phenazine-producing (Phz+) fluorescent...

An Annotated Bibliography of Patents Related to Coastal Engineering. Volume II. 1971-1973. Appendix.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-11-01

a- depth sounder of the type which produces an acoustic ranging pulse and which includes a transducer producing a receive signal representing the...having body-forming cavities for producing or repairing concrete strUctures of many shapes and sizes The apparatus includes such laminated sheeting formed...in two intersecting vertical planes. Thereafter, by / / - \\47 producing successive sets of such records , quadratic surfaces . . in which the true

Structure and biosynthesis of two exopolysaccharides produced by Lactobacillus johnsonii FI9785.

PubMed

Dertli, Enes; Colquhoun, Ian J; Gunning, A Patrick; Bongaerts, Roy J; Le Gall, Gwénaëlle; Bonev, Boyan B; Mayer, Melinda J; Narbad, Arjan

2013-11-01

Exopolysaccharides were isolated and purified from Lactobacillus johnsonii FI9785, which has previously been shown to act as a competitive exclusion agent to control Clostridium perfringens in poultry. Structural analysis by NMR spectroscopy revealed that L. johnsonii FI9785 can produce two types of exopolysaccharide: EPS-1 is a branched dextran with the unusual feature that every backbone residue is substituted with a 2-linked glucose unit, and EPS-2 was shown to have a repeating unit with the following structure: -6)-α-Glcp-(1-3)-β-Glcp-(1-5)-β-Galf-(1-6)-α-Glcp-(1-4)-β-Galp-(1-4)-β-Glcp-(1-. Sites on both polysaccharides were partially occupied by substituent groups: 1-phosphoglycerol and O-acetyl groups in EPS-1 and a single O-acetyl group in EPS-2. Analysis of a deletion mutant (ΔepsE) lacking the putative priming glycosyltransferase gene located within a predicted eps gene cluster revealed that the mutant could produce EPS-1 but not EPS-2, indicating that epsE is essential for the biosynthesis of EPS-2. Atomic force microscopy confirmed the localization of galactose residues on the exterior of wild type cells and their absence in the ΔepsE mutant. EPS2 was found to adopt a random coil structural conformation. Deletion of the entire 14-kb eps cluster resulted in an acapsular mutant phenotype that was not able to produce either EPS-2 or EPS-1. Alterations in the cell surface properties of the EPS-specific mutants were demonstrated by differences in binding of an anti-wild type L. johnsonii antibody. These findings provide insights into the biosynthesis and structures of novel exopolysaccharides produced by L. johnsonii FI9785, which are likely to play an important role in biofilm formation, protection against harsh environment of the gut, and colonization of the host.

Structure and Biosynthesis of Two Exopolysaccharides Produced by Lactobacillus johnsonii FI9785*

PubMed Central

Dertli, Enes; Colquhoun, Ian J.; Gunning, A. Patrick; Bongaerts, Roy J.; Le Gall, Gwénaëlle; Bonev, Boyan B.; Mayer, Melinda J.; Narbad, Arjan

2013-01-01

Exopolysaccharides were isolated and purified from Lactobacillus johnsonii FI9785, which has previously been shown to act as a competitive exclusion agent to control Clostridium perfringens in poultry. Structural analysis by NMR spectroscopy revealed that L. johnsonii FI9785 can produce two types of exopolysaccharide: EPS-1 is a branched dextran with the unusual feature that every backbone residue is substituted with a 2-linked glucose unit, and EPS-2 was shown to have a repeating unit with the following structure: -6)-α-Glcp-(1–3)-β-Glcp-(1–5)-β-Galf-(1–6)-α-Glcp-(1–4)-β-Galp-(1–4)-β-Glcp-(1-. Sites on both polysaccharides were partially occupied by substituent groups: 1-phosphoglycerol and O-acetyl groups in EPS-1 and a single O-acetyl group in EPS-2. Analysis of a deletion mutant (ΔepsE) lacking the putative priming glycosyltransferase gene located within a predicted eps gene cluster revealed that the mutant could produce EPS-1 but not EPS-2, indicating that epsE is essential for the biosynthesis of EPS-2. Atomic force microscopy confirmed the localization of galactose residues on the exterior of wild type cells and their absence in the ΔepsE mutant. EPS2 was found to adopt a random coil structural conformation. Deletion of the entire 14-kb eps cluster resulted in an acapsular mutant phenotype that was not able to produce either EPS-2 or EPS-1. Alterations in the cell surface properties of the EPS-specific mutants were demonstrated by differences in binding of an anti-wild type L. johnsonii antibody. These findings provide insights into the biosynthesis and structures of novel exopolysaccharides produced by L. johnsonii FI9785, which are likely to play an important role in biofilm formation, protection against harsh environment of the gut, and colonization of the host. PMID:24019531

In-volume structuring of a bilayered polymer foil using direct laser interference patterning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rößler, Florian; Günther, Katja; Lasagni, Andrés F.

2018-05-01

Periodic surface patterns can provide materials with special optical properties, which are usable in decorative or security applications. However, they can be sensitive to contact wear and thus their lifetime and functionality are limited. This study describes the use of direct laser interference patterning for structuring a multilayered polymer film at its interface creating periodic in-volume structures which are resistant to contact wear. The spatial period of the structures are varied in the range of 1.0 μm to 2.0 μm in order to produce decorative elements. The pattern formation at the interface is explained using cross sectional observations and a thermal simulation of the temperature evolution during the laser treatment at the interface. Both, the diffraction efficiency and direct transmission are characterized by light intensity measurements to describe the optical behavior of the produced periodic structures and a decorative application example is presented.

Validation of Structures in the Protein Data Bank.

PubMed

Gore, Swanand; Sanz García, Eduardo; Hendrickx, Pieter M S; Gutmanas, Aleksandras; Westbrook, John D; Yang, Huanwang; Feng, Zukang; Baskaran, Kumaran; Berrisford, John M; Hudson, Brian P; Ikegawa, Yasuyo; Kobayashi, Naohiro; Lawson, Catherine L; Mading, Steve; Mak, Lora; Mukhopadhyay, Abhik; Oldfield, Thomas J; Patwardhan, Ardan; Peisach, Ezra; Sahni, Gaurav; Sekharan, Monica R; Sen, Sanchayita; Shao, Chenghua; Smart, Oliver S; Ulrich, Eldon L; Yamashita, Reiko; Quesada, Martha; Young, Jasmine Y; Nakamura, Haruki; Markley, John L; Berman, Helen M; Burley, Stephen K; Velankar, Sameer; Kleywegt, Gerard J

2017-12-05

The Worldwide PDB recently launched a deposition, biocuration, and validation tool: OneDep. At various stages of OneDep data processing, validation reports for three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules are produced. These reports are based on recommendations of expert task forces representing crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and cryoelectron microscopy communities. The reports provide useful metrics with which depositors can evaluate the quality of the experimental data, the structural model, and the fit between them. The validation module is also available as a stand-alone web server and as a programmatically accessible web service. A growing number of journals require the official wwPDB validation reports (produced at biocuration) to accompany manuscripts describing macromolecular structures. Upon public release of the structure, the validation report becomes part of the public PDB archive. Geometric quality scores for proteins in the PDB archive have improved over the past decade. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Burner liner thermal/structural load modeling: TRANCITS program user's manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maffeo, R.

1985-01-01

Transfer Analysis Code to Interface Thermal/Structural Problems (TRANCITS) is discussed. The TRANCITS code satisfies all the objectives for transferring thermal data between heat transfer and structural models of combustor liners and it can be used as a generic thermal translator between heat transfer and stress models of any component, regardless of the geometry. The TRANCITS can accurately and efficiently convert the temperature distributions predicted by the heat transfer programs to those required by the stress codes. It can be used for both linear and nonlinear structural codes and can produce nodal temperatures, elemental centroid temperatures, or elemental Gauss point temperatures. The thermal output of both the MARC and SINDA heat transfer codes can be interfaced directly with TRANCITS, and it will automatically produce stress model codes formatted for NASTRAN and MARC. Any thermal program and structural program can be interfaced by using the neutral input and output forms supported by TRANCITS.

Turbine exhaust diffuser with a gas jet producing a coanda effect flow control

DOEpatents

Orosa, John; Montgomery, Matthew

2014-02-11

An exhaust diffuser system and method for a turbine engine includes an inner boundary and an outer boundary with a flow path defined therebetween. The inner boundary is defined at least in part by a hub structure that has an upstream end and a downstream end. The outer boundary may include a region in which the outer boundary extends radially inward toward the hub structure and may direct at least a portion of an exhaust flow in the diffuser toward the hub structure. The hub structure includes at least one jet exit located on the hub structure adjacent to the upstream end of the tail cone. The jet exit discharges a flow of gas substantially tangential to an outer surface of the tail cone to produce a Coanda effect and direct a portion of the exhaust flow in the diffuser toward the inner boundary.

PBxplore: a tool to analyze local protein structure and deformability with Protein Blocks

PubMed Central

Craveur, Pierrick; Joseph, Agnel Praveen; Jallu, Vincent

2017-01-01

This paper describes the development and application of a suite of tools, called PBxplore, to analyze the dynamics and deformability of protein structures using Protein Blocks (PBs). Proteins are highly dynamic macromolecules, and a classical way to analyze their inherent flexibility is to perform molecular dynamics simulations. The advantage of using small structural prototypes such as PBs is to give a good approximation of the local structure of the protein backbone. More importantly, by reducing the conformational complexity of protein structures, PBs allow analysis of local protein deformability which cannot be done with other methods and had been used efficiently in different applications. PBxplore is able to process large amounts of data such as those produced by molecular dynamics simulations. It produces frequencies, entropy and information logo outputs as text and graphics. PBxplore is available at https://github.com/pierrepo/PBxplore and is released under the open-source MIT license. PMID:29177113

Dielectrophoretic systems without embedded electrodes

DOEpatents

Cummings, Eric B [Livermore, CA; Singh, Anup K [San Francisco, CA

2006-03-21

Method and apparatus for dielectrophoretic separation of particles in a fluid based using array of insulating structures arranged in a fluid flow channel. By utilizing an array of insulating structures, a spatially inhomogeneous electric field is created without the use of the embedded electrodes conventionally employed for dielectrophoretic separations. Moreover, by using these insulating structures a steady applied electric field has been shown to provide for dielectrophoresis in contrast to the conventional use of an alternating electric field. In a uniform array of posts, dielectrophoretic effects have been produced flows having significant pressure-driven and electrokinetic transport. Above a threshold applied electric field, filaments of concentrated and rarefied particles appear in the flow as a result of dielectrophoresis. Above a higher threshold applied voltage, dielectrophoresis produces zones of highly concentrated and immobilized particles. These patterns are strongly influenced by the angle of the array of insulating structures with respect to the mean applied electric field and the shape of the insulating structures.

Sensing Properties of a Fabry-Perot Dielectric Structure and Dimer Nanoparticles

DOE PAGES

Polemi, A.; Shuford, K. L.

2012-01-01

We investigate the use of a Fabry-Perot dielectric structure combined with differently shaped nanoparticles for Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering. In particular, we show how an ideal two-layer Fabry-Perot configuration enhances the local surface field of silver nanoparticles positioned on the surface of the structure. We develop the concept using disc dimers and then extend the discussion to bowtie nanoparticles. The structure is excited by a single emitter, which couples to the nanoparticles through the dielectric layers, producing a wide aperture field that can be used to excite multiple dimers. We show how an array of nanoparticles can be properly arrangedmore » in order to increase the total scattering signal generated from the structure. The layered geometry produces robust field properties in between nanoparticles, making the overall sensing characteristics less sensitive to the interparticle seperation distance and incident polarization.« less

Multilayer porous structures of HVPE and MOCVD grown GaN for photonic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braniste, T.; Ciers, Joachim; Monaico, Ed.; Martin, D.; Carlin, J.-F.; Ursaki, V. V.; Sergentu, V. V.; Tiginyanu, I. M.; Grandjean, N.

2017-02-01

In this paper we report on a comparative study of electrochemical processes for the preparation of multilayer porous structures in hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) and metal organic chemical vapor phase deposition (MOCVD) grown GaN. It was found that in HVPE-grown GaN, multilayer porous structures are obtained due to self-organization processes leading to a fine modulation of doping during the crystal growth. However, these processes are not totally under control. Multilayer porous structures with a controlled design have been produced by optimizing the technological process of electrochemical etching in MOCVD-grown samples, consisting of five pairs of thin layers with alternating-doping profiles. The samples have been characterized by SEM imaging, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and micro-reflectivity measurements, accompanied by transfer matrix analysis and simulations by a method developed for the calculation of optical reflection spectra. We demonstrate the applicability of the produced structures for the design of Bragg reflectors.

Comparative performance study of smart structure for thermal microactuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yahya, Zulkarnain; Johar, Muhammad Akmal

2017-04-01

Thermal microactuator is one of earliest types of microactuators. Typical thermal actuators are in the form of Bimorph and Chevron structures. A bimorph thermal actuator has a complex movement direction, in arc motion and thus it is not feasible in the most MEMS designs. While Chevron actuator has a tendency to produce an off-plane movement which lead to low precision in lateral movement. A new thermal actuator design in the form of serpentine structures shows promising feature to have better performances in terms of more predictive lateral movement with smaller off-plane displacement. In MEMS chip design, areas play a critical role as it will impact with the cost of the final product. In this study, four different structures of thermal actuator were simulated using ANSYS v15. Three different set of area sizes which are 240 µm x 1000 µm, 240 µm x 1500 µm and 240 µm x 2000 µm have been analyzed. All four structures were named as Serpentine01, Serpentine02, Bimorph and Chevron. The data with regards to temperature produced by the structure and z-axis directional deformation were collected and analyzed. This paper reported the investigation result of comparison between these three types of thermal actuator structures design with a given area. From all of the result obtained, it is shown that the area 240 µm x 1500 µm showed a well balance performance in term of huge deformations and low power consumption. The Serpentine01 structure produced 16.7 µm deformation at 4mA of current. The results shows the potential of Serpentine01 structure as a new candidate for thermal microactuator for MEMS applications.

The structure and development of streamwise vortex arrays embedded in a turbulent boundary layer. Ph.D. Thesis - Case Western Reserve Univ.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wendt, Bruce J.; Greber, Isaac; Hingst, Warren R.

1991-01-01

An investigation of the structure and development of streamwise vortices embedded in a turbulent boundary layer was conducted. The vortices were generated by a single spanwise row of rectangular vortex generator blades. A single embedded vortex was examined, as well as arrays of embedded counter rotating vortices produced by equally spaced vortex generators. Measurements of the secondary velocity field in the crossplane provided the basis for characterization of vortex structure. Vortex structure was characterized by four descriptors. The center of each vortex core was located at the spanwise and normal position of peak streamwise vorticity. Vortex concentration was characterized by the magnitude of the peak streamwise vorticity, and the vortex strength by its circulation. Measurements of the secondary velocity field were conducted at two crossplane locations to examine the streamwise development of the vortex arrays. Large initial spacings of the vortex generators produced pairs of strong vortices which tended to move away from the wall region while smaller spacings produced tight arrays of weak vortices close to the wall. A model of vortex interaction and development is constructed using the experimental results. The model is based on the structure of the Oseen Vortex. Vortex trajectories are modelled by including the convective effects of neighbors.

Microstructure of the smart composite structures with embedded fiber optic sensing nerves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jingyuan; Luo, Fei; Li, Changchun; Ma, Naibin

1997-11-01

The composite structures with embedded optical fiber sensors construct a smart composite structure system, which may have the characteristics of the in-service self-measurement, self- recognition and self-judgement action. In the present work, we studied the microstructures of carbon/epoxy composite laminates with embedded sensing optical fibers, and the integration of optical fiber with composites was also discussed. The preliminary experiment results show that because of the difference between the sensing optical fibers and the reinforcing fibers in their size, the microstructure of the composites with embedded optical fibers will produce partial local changes in the area of embedded optical fiber, these changes may affect the mechanical properties of composite structures. When the optical fibers are embedded parallel to the reinforcing fibers, due to the composite prepregs are formed under a press action during its curing process, the reinforcing fibers can be arranged equably around the optical fibers. But when the optical fibers are embedded perpendicularly to the reinforcement fibers, the resin rich pocket will appear in the composite laminates surrounding the embedded optical fiber. The gas holes will be easily produced in these zones which may produce a premature failure of the composite structure. The photoelastic experiments are also given in the paper.

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

Akiyama, Benjamin M.; Laurence, Hannah M.; Massey, Aaron R.

The outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) and associated fetal microcephaly mandates efforts to understand the molecular processes of infection. Related flaviviruses produce noncoding subgenomic flaviviral RNAs (sfRNAs) that are linked to pathogenicity in fetal mice. These viruses make sfRNAs by co-opting a cellular exonuclease via structured RNAs called xrRNAs. We found that ZIKV-infected monkey and human epithelial cells, mouse neurons, and mosquito cells produce sfRNAs. The RNA structure that is responsible for ZIKV sfRNA production forms a complex fold that is likely found in many pathogenic flaviviruses. Mutations that disrupt the structure affect exonuclease resistance in vitro and sfRNA formationmore » during infection. The complete ZIKV xrRNA structure clarifies the mechanism of exonuclease resistance and identifies features that may modulate function in diverse flaviviruses.« less

Optimization of the structural configuration of ICBA/P3HT photovoltaic cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemnes, G. A.; Iftimie, Sorina; Palici, Alexandra; Nicolaev, Adela; Mitran, T. L.; Radu, A.; Antohe, S.

2017-12-01

We investigate a possible route for optimization of organic P3HT:ICBA photovoltaic cells. In order to ensure a more efficient charge separation and collection at the electrodes, two- and three-layer structures are produced, where additional P3HT and ICBA single layers are placed adjacent to the mixed layer. The J-V characteristics are modeled using Monte-Carlo simulations in a flexible computational framework, reproducing the typical morphologies of the active layers. We discuss the implications of the structural modifications, in particular the enhancement of the open circuit voltage. Qualitative features of the theoretical simulations are validated by experiment. The proposed fabrication technique of using solvents with different boiling points for successive deposition of the individual layers may constitute an accessible route for producing optimized solar cell structures.

Neutron measurements of stresses in a test artifact produced by laser-based additive manufacturing

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

Gnäupel-Herold, Thomas; Slotwinski, John; Moylan, Shawn

2014-02-18

A stainless steel test artifact produced by Direct Metal Laser Sintering and similar to a proposed standardized test artifact was examined using neutron diffraction. The artifact contained a number of structures with different aspect ratios pertaining to wall thickness, height above base plate, and side length. Through spatial resolutions of the order of one millimeter the volumetric distribution of stresses in several was measured. It was found that the stresses peak in the tensile region around 500 MPa near the top surface, with balancing compressive stresses in the interior. The presence of a support structure (a one millimeter high, thinmore » walled, hence weaker, lattice structure deposited on the base plate, followed by a fully dense AM structure) has only minor effects on the stresses.« less

Americium alloys with gold and copper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radchenko, V. M.; Ryabinin, M. A.; Chernakova, T. A.; Tomilin, S. V.

2010-03-01

Presented are results of the production and X-ray examination of micro-samples of americium-241 compounds with gold and copper produced by high-temperature condensation of metal americium vapor onto corresponding substrates. No mutual solubility of the investigated system components was revealed at room temperature. The following three intermetallic compounds were revealed in the Am-Au system: Au6Am with tetragonal lattice of the Au6Sm structural type, AuAm with orthorhombic lattice of the CuCe structural type and AuAm with cubic lattice. The Am-Cu system showed the intermetallic compound Cu5Am (Cu7Am) with a hexagonal lattice of the Cu5Ca(Cu7Tb) structure type. An effect of the 241Am nuclide alpha-activity on the crystal structure of the produced intermetallide was studied.

Method of manufacture of atomically thin boron nitride

DOEpatents

Zettl, Alexander K

2013-08-06

The present invention provides a method of fabricating at least one single layer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes (1) suspending at least one multilayer boron nitride across a gap of a support structure and (2) performing a reactive ion etch upon the multilayer boron nitride to produce the single layer hexagonal boron nitride suspended across the gap of the support structure. The present invention also provides a method of fabricating single layer hexagonal boron nitride. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes (1) providing multilayer boron nitride suspended across a gap of a support structure and (2) performing a reactive ion etch upon the multilayer boron nitride to produce the single layer hexagonal boron nitride suspended across the gap of the support structure.

Diamond field emitter array cathodes and possibilities for employing additive manufacturing for dielectric laser accelerating structures

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

Simakov, Evgenya Ivanovna; Andrews, Heather Lynn; Herman, Matthew Joseph

2016-09-20

These are slides for a presentation at Stanford University. The outline is as follows: Motivation: customers for compact accelerators, LANL's technologies for laser acceleration, DFEA cathodes, and additive manufacturing of micron-size structures. Among the stated conclusions are the following: preliminary study identified DFEA cathodes as promising sources for DLAs--high beam current and small emittance; additive manufacturing with Nanoscribe Professional GT can produce structures with the right scale features for a DLA operating at micron wavelengths (fabrication tolerances need to be studied, DLAs require new materials). Future plans include DLA experiment with a beam produced by the DFEA cathode with fieldmore » emission, demonstration of photoemission from DFEAs, and new structures to print and test.« less

Direct femtosecond laser surface structuring of crystalline silicon at 400 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nivas, Jijil JJ; Anoop, K. K.; Bruzzese, Riccardo; Philip, Reji; Amoruso, Salvatore

2018-03-01

We have analyzed the effects of the laser pulse wavelength (400 nm) on femtosecond laser surface structuring of silicon. The features of the produced surface structures are investigated as a function of the number of pulses, N, and compared with the surface textures produced by more standard near-infrared (800 nm) laser pulses at a similar level of excitation. Our experimental findings highlight the importance of the light wavelength for the formation of the supra-wavelength grooves, and, for a large number of pulses (N ≈ 1000), the generation of other periodic structures (stripes) at 400 nm, which are not observed at 800 nm. These results provide interesting information on the generation of various surface textures, addressing the effect of the laser pulse wavelength on the generation of grooves and stripes.

Diversity of exophillic acid derivatives in strains of an endophytic Exophiala sp.

PubMed

Cheikh-Ali, Zakaria; Glynou, Kyriaki; Ali, Tahir; Ploch, Sebastian; Kaiser, Marcel; Thines, Marco; Bode, Helge B; Maciá-Vicente, Jose G

2015-10-01

Members of the fungal genus Exophiala are common saprobes in soil and water environments, opportunistic pathogens of animals, or endophytes in plant roots. Their ecological versatility could imply a capacity to produce diverse secondary metabolites, but only a few studies have aimed at characterizing their chemical profiles. Here, we assessed the secondary metabolites produced by five Exophiala sp. strains of a particular phylotype, isolated from roots of Microthlaspi perfoliatum growing in different European localities. Exophillic acid and two previously undescribed compounds were isolated from these strains, and their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods using MS, 1D and 2D NMR. Bioassays revealed a weak activity of these compounds against disease-causing protozoa and mammalian cells. In addition, 18 related structures were identified by UPLC/MS based on comparisons with the isolated structures. Three Exophiala strains produced derivatives containing a β-d-glucopyranoside moiety, and their colony morphology was distinct from the other two strains, which produced derivatives lacking β-d-glucopyranoside. Whether the chemical/morphological strain types represent variants of the same genotype or independent genetic populations within Exophiala remains to be evaluated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure of a novel exopolysaccharide produced by Burkholderia vietnamiensis, a cystic fibrosis opportunistic pathogen.

PubMed

Cescutti, Paola; Cuzzi, Bruno; Herasimenka, Yury; Rizzo, Roberto

2013-04-15

Burkholderia vietnamiensis belongs to the Burkholderia cepacia complex and is an opportunistic pathogen for cystic fibrosis patients. As many other Burkholderia species, it has a mucoide phenotype, producing abundant exopolysaccharide. In general, polysaccharides contribute to bacterial survival in a hostile environment, are recognised as virulence factors and as important components in biofilm formation. The primary structure of the exopolysaccharide produced by B. vietnamiensis LMG 10929 was determined mainly by use of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and ESI mass spectrometry. The polymer consists of the trisaccharidic backbone 3)-β-D-Glcp-(1→4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→3)-α-L-Fucp-(1→ with the side chain α-D-Glcp-(1→4)-α-D-GlcAp-(1→3)-α-L-Fucp-(1→ linked to C-3 of the α-D-Glcp residue. The polysaccharide also bears acetyl substituents on about 20% of its repeating units and on at least two different positions. The presence of fucose residues is a novel structural feature among the exopolysaccharides produced by species of the B. cepacia complex. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physical constraints of cultural evolution of dialects in killer whales.

PubMed

Filatova, Olga A; Samarra, Filipa I P; Barrett-Lennard, Lance G; Miller, Patrick J O; Ford, John K B; Yurk, Harald; Matkin, Craig O; Hoyt, Erich

2016-11-01

Odontocete sounds are produced by two pairs of phonic lips situated in soft nares below the blowhole; the right pair is larger and is more likely to produce clicks, while the left pair is more likely to produce whistles. This has important implications for the cultural evolution of delphinid sounds: the greater the physical constraints, the greater the probability of random convergence. In this paper the authors examine the call structure of eight killer whale populations to identify structural constraints and to determine if they are consistent among all populations. Constraints were especially pronounced in two-voiced calls. In the calls of all eight populations, the lower component of two-voiced (biphonic) calls was typically centered below 4 kHz, while the upper component was typically above that value. The lower component of two-voiced calls had a narrower frequency range than single-voiced calls in all populations. This may be because some single-voiced calls are homologous to the lower component, while others are homologous to the higher component of two-voiced calls. Physical constraints on the call structure reduce the possible variation and increase the probability of random convergence, producing similar calls in different populations.

Siderophore-promoted dissolution of smectite by fluorescent Pseudomonas.

PubMed

Ferret, Claire; Sterckeman, Thibault; Cornu, Jean-Yves; Gangloff, Sophie; Schalk, Isabelle J; Geoffroy, Valérie A

2014-10-01

Siderophores are organic chelators produced by microorganisms to fulfil their iron requirements. Siderophore-promoted dissolution of iron-bearing minerals has been clearly documented for some siderophores, but few studies have addressed metabolizing siderophore-producing bacteria. We investigated iron acquisition from clays by fluorescent Pseudomonads, bacteria that are ubiquitous in the environment. We focused on the interactions between smectite and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium producing two structurally different siderophores: pyoverdine and pyochelin. The presence of smectite in iron-limited growth media promoted planktonic growth of P. aeruginosa and biofilm surrounding the smectite aggregates. Chemical analysis of the culture media indicated increases in the dissolved silicon, iron and aluminium concentrations following smectite supplementation. The use of P. aeruginosa mutants unable to produce either one or both of the two siderophores indicated that pyoverdine, the siderophore with the higher affinity for iron, was involved in iron and aluminium solubilization by the wild-type strain. However, in the absence of pyoverdine, pyochelin was also able to solubilize iron but with a twofold lower efficiency. In conclusion, pyoverdine and pyochelin, two structurally different siderophores, can solubilize structural iron from smectite and thereby make it available for bacterial growth.

Structures associated with strike-slip faults that bound landslide elements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fleming, R.W.; Johnson, A.M.

1989-01-01

Large landslides are bounded on their flanks and on elements within the landslides by structures analogous to strike-slip faults. We observed the formation of thwse strike-slip faults and associated structures at two large landslides in central Utah during 1983-1985. The strike-slip faults in landslides are nearly vertical but locally may dip a few degrees toward or away from the moving ground. Fault surfaces are slickensided, and striations are subparallel to the ground surface. Displacement along strike-slip faults commonly produces scarps; scarps occur where local relief of the failure surface or ground surface is displaced and becomes adjacent to higher or lower ground, or where the landslide is thickening or thinning as a result of internal deformation. Several types of structures are formed at the ground surface as a strike-slip fault, which is fully developed at some depth below the ground surface, propagates upward in response to displacement. The simplest structure is a tension crack oriented at 45?? clockwise or counterclockwise from the trend of an underlying right- or left-lateral strike-slip fault, respectively. The tension cracks are typically arranged en echelon with the row of cracks parallel to the trace of the underlying strike-slip fault. Another common structure that forms above a developing strike-slip fault is a fault segment. Fault segments are discontinuous strike-slip faults that contain the same sense of slip but are turned clockwise or counterclockwise from a few to perhaps 20?? from the underlying strike-slip fault. The fault segments are slickensided and striated a few centimeters below the ground surface; continued displacement of the landslide causes the fault segments to open and a short tension crack propagates out of one or both ends of the fault segments. These structures, open fault segments containing a short tension crack, are termed compound cracks; and the short tension crack that propagates from the tip of the fault segment is typically oriented 45?? to the trend of the underlying fault. Fault segments are also typically arranged en echelon above the upward-propagating strike-slip fault. Continued displacement of the landslide causes the ground to buckle between the tension crack portions of the compound cracks. Still more displacement produces a thrust fault on one or both limbs of the buckle fold. These compressional structures form at right angles to the short tension cracks at the tips of the fault segments. Thus, the compressional structures are bounded on their ends by one face of a tension crack and detached from underlying material by thrusting or buckling. The tension cracks, fault segments, compound cracks, folds, and thrusts are ephemeral; they are created and destroyed with continuing displacement of the landslide. Ultimately, the structures are replaced by a throughgoing strike-slip fault. At one landslide, we observed the creation and destruction of the ephemeral structures as the landslide enlarged. Displacement of a few centimeters to about a decimeter was sufficient to produce scattered tension cracks and fault segments. Sets of compound cracks with associated folds and thrusts were produced by displacements of up to 1 m, and 1 to 2 m of displacement was required to produce a throughgoing strike-slip fault. The type of first-formed structure above an upward-propagating strike-slip fault is apparently controlled by the rheology of the material. Brittle material such as dry topsoil or the compact surface of a gravel road produces echelon tension cracks and sets of tension cracks and compressional structures, wherein the cracks and compressional structures are normal to each other and 45?? to the strike-slip fault at depth. First-formed structures in more ductile material such as moist cohesive soil are fault segments. In very ductile material such as soft clay and very wet soil in swampy areas, the first-formed structure is a throughgoing strike-slip fault. There are othe

Crystal Structure of the Zorbamycin-Binding Protein ZbmA, the Primary Self-Resistance Element in Streptomyces flavoviridis ATCC21892

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

Rudolf, Jeffrey D.; Bigelow, Lance; Chang, Changsoo

The bleomycins (BLMs), tallysomycins (TLMs), phleomycin, and zorbamycin (ZBM) are members of the BLM family of glycopeptide-derived antitumor antibiotics. The BLM-producing Streptomyces verticillus ATCC15003 and the TLM-producing Streptoalloteichus hindustanus E465-94 ATCC31158 both possess at least two self-resistance elements, an N-acetyltransferase and a binding protein. The N-acetyltransferase provides resistance by disrupting the metal-binding domain of the antibiotic that is required for activity, while the binding protein confers resistance by sequestering the metal-bound antibiotic and preventing drug activation via molecular oxygen. We recently established that the ZBM producer, Streptomyces flavoviridis ATCC21892, lacks the N-acetyltransferase resistance gene and that the ZBM-binding protein, ZbmA,more » is sufficient to confer resistance in the producing strain. To investigate the resistance mechanism attributed to ZbmA, we determined the crystal structures of apo and Cu(II)-ZBM-bound ZbmA at high resolutions of 1.90 and 1.65 angstrom, respectively. A comparison and contrast with other structurally characterized members of the BLM-binding protein family revealed key differences in the protein ligand binding environment that fine-tunes the ability of ZbmA to sequester metal-bound ZBM and supports drug sequestration as the primary resistance mechanism in the producing organisms of the BLM family of antitumor antibiotics.« less

Explosive Deep Sea Volcanism Produces Composite Volcanoes (Stratocones) with Predominantly Diffuse Flow Hydrothermal Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubin, K. H.; Chadwick, W. C.; Embley, R. W.; Butterfield, D. A.

2018-05-01

Newly-discovered extensive explosive deep sea volcanism produces distinct stratovolcano structures and physical rock characteristics, and host primarily diffuse flow hydrothermal activity, unlike focused flow systems at effusive submarine volcanoes.

Vocal effort modulates the motor planning of short speech structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taitz, Alan; Shalom, Diego E.; Trevisan, Marcos A.

2018-05-01

Speech requires programming the sequence of vocal gestures that produce the sounds of words. Here we explored the timing of this program by asking our participants to pronounce, as quickly as possible, a sequence of consonant-consonant-vowel (CCV) structures appearing on screen. We measured the delay between visual presentation and voice onset. In the case of plosive consonants, produced by sharp and well defined movements of the vocal tract, we found that delays are positively correlated with the duration of the transition between consonants. We then used a battery of statistical tests and mathematical vocal models to show that delays reflect the motor planning of CCVs and transitions are proxy indicators of the vocal effort needed to produce them. These results support that the effort required to produce the sequence of movements of a vocal gesture modulates the onset of the motor plan.

Apparatus and method of direct water cooling several parallel circuit cards each containing several chip packages

DOEpatents

Cipolla, Thomas M [Katonah, NY; Colgan, Evan George [Chestnut Ridge, NY; Coteus, Paul W [Yorktown Heights, NY; Hall, Shawn Anthony [Pleasantville, NY; Tian, Shurong [Mount Kisco, NY

2011-12-20

A cooling apparatus, system and like method for an electronic device includes a plurality of heat producing electronic devices affixed to a wiring substrate. A plurality of heat transfer assemblies each include heat spreaders and thermally communicate with the heat producing electronic devices for transferring heat from the heat producing electronic devices to the heat transfer assemblies. The plurality of heat producing electronic devices and respective heat transfer assemblies are positioned on the wiring substrate having the regions overlapping. A heat conduit thermally communicates with the heat transfer assemblies. The heat conduit circulates thermally conductive fluid therethrough in a closed loop for transferring heat to the fluid from the heat transfer assemblies via the heat spreader. A thermally conductive support structure supports the heat conduit and thermally communicates with the heat transfer assemblies via the heat spreader transferring heat to the fluid of the heat conduit from the support structure.

The Theory for the Mechanism of Chromium Plating: The Theory for the Physical Characteristics of Chromium Plate

DTIC Science & Technology

1947-01-01

first, to produce a cathode film containing highly reducing atomic hydro- gen, and, second , to raise the cathode film pH above that of the solution...those of a face-centered cubic structure with a lattice parameter (a0) of 3.84 A. It was concluded that a second unstable structure of chrom- ium...plates similar to those produced from cathode films of relatively low pH, Second , the sulphate ion is strongly adsorbed by the trivalent chromium

Thermoelectric generator for motor vehicle

DOEpatents

Bass, John C.

1997-04-29

A thermoelectric generator for producing electric power for a motor vehicle from the heat of the exhaust gasses produced by the engine of the motor vehicle. The exhaust gasses pass through a finned heat transfer support structure which has seat positions on its outside surface for the positioning of thermoelectric modules. A good contact cylinder provides a framework from which a spring force can be applied to the thermoelectric modules to hold them in good contact on their seats on the surface of the heat transfer support structure.

Mechanically durable superoleophobic aluminum surfaces with microstep and nanoreticula hierarchical structure for self-cleaning and anti-smudge properties.

PubMed

Peng, Shan; Bhushan, Bharat

2016-01-01

Superoleophobic aluminum surfaces are of interest for self-cleaning, anti-smudge (fingerprint resistance), anti-fouling, and corrosion resistance applications. In the published literature on superoleophobic aluminum surfaces, mechanical durability, self-cleaning, and anti-smudge properties data are lacking. Microstep structure has often been used to prepare superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces which produce the microstructure. The nanoreticula structure has also been used, and is reported to be able to trap air-pockets, which are desirable for a high contact angle. In this work, the microstep and nanoreticula structures were produced on aluminum surfaces to form a hierarchical micro/nanostructure by a simple two-step chemical etching process. The hierarchical structure, when modified with fluorosilane, made the surface superoleophobic. The effect of nanostructure, microstructure, and hierarchical structure on wettability and durability were studied and compared. The superoleophobic aluminum surfaces were found to be wear resistant, self-cleaning, and have anti-smudge and corrosion resistance properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Solid-State NMR Investigation of Bio-chars Produced from Biomass Components and Whole Biomasses

DOE PAGES

Ben, Haoxi; Hao, Naijia; Liu, Qian; ...

2017-08-24

Bio-char is a by-product from thermochemical treatment of biomass and has been identified as an energy condensed product with a comparable heating value as commercial coal. However, the combustion of such solid product as an energy resource is only a preliminary application. It is highly possible to convert bio-char, which always has a condensed aromatic and porous structure to various high-value products. The investigations of the structures and formation pathways for the bio-char are very important to any future applications. In this study, six different biomass components, including cellulose, lignin, and tannin, and three whole biomasses—pine wood, pine residue, andmore » pine bark—have been used to produce bio-char at 400, 500, and 600 °C. Solid-state NMR and FT-IR have been employed in this study to characterize the structures for the bio-chars. The results indicated that the bio-chars produced from lignin contained some methoxyl groups, and the bio-chars produced from tannin contained significantly higher amount of phenolic hydroxyl groups. Compared to the bio-chars produced from pine wood and residue, the bio-chars produced from pine bark contained more aromatic C–O bonds, and aliphatic C–O and C–C bonds, which may be due to the significantly higher amount of lignin and tannin in the pine bark. Furthermore, the elevated amounts of aromatic C–O and aliphatic C–O and C–C bonds in the bio-chars from pine bark appeared to be completely decomposed at 600 °C.« less

PRODUCTION OF HIGHLY-ALIGNED COLLAGEN LAMELLAE BY COMBINING SHEAR FORCE AND THIN-FILM CONFINEMENT

PubMed Central

Saeidi, Nima; Sander, Edward A.; Zareian, Ramin

2012-01-01

Load-bearing tissues owe their mechanical strength to their highly-anisotropic collagenous structure. To date, attempts to engineer mechanically strong connective tissue have failed mainly due to the lack of the ability to reproduce native collagen organization in constructs synthesized by cultured cells in vitro. The ability to influence the direction of the self-assembling collagen molecules and produce highly anisotropic structures has applications ranging from de novo engineering of complex tissues to the production of organized scaffolds for cell culture contact guidance. In this investigation we have used the simple technique of spin coating to produce highly-aligned arrays of collagen fibrils. By a simple modification of the method we have also successfully produced orthogonal collagen lamellae. Alternating collagen lamellae are frequently seen in load-bearing tissues such as cornea, annulus fibrosus, and cortical bone. Culturing of corneal fibroblasts onto aligned collagen shows that the cells adopt the organization of the fibrils. In this investigation, we observed the reversal of fibrillar growth direction or “hook” formation similar to those seen previously in a microfluidic shear-flow chamber. Although the results of this investigation clearly show that it is possible to produce small areas (O) 1 cm2 of collagen fibrils with enough alignment to guide fibroblasts, there is evidence that thin film instabilities are likely to be a significant barrier to producing organized collagen fibrils over larger areas. Successful application of this method to produce highly-controlled and organized collagenous structures will require the development of techniques to control thin film instability and will be the subject of the future work. PMID:21362500

Solid-State NMR Investigation of Bio-chars Produced from Biomass Components and Whole Biomasses

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

Ben, Haoxi; Hao, Naijia; Liu, Qian

Bio-char is a by-product from thermochemical treatment of biomass and has been identified as an energy condensed product with a comparable heating value as commercial coal. However, the combustion of such solid product as an energy resource is only a preliminary application. It is highly possible to convert bio-char, which always has a condensed aromatic and porous structure to various high-value products. The investigations of the structures and formation pathways for the bio-char are very important to any future applications. In this study, six different biomass components, including cellulose, lignin, and tannin, and three whole biomasses—pine wood, pine residue, andmore » pine bark—have been used to produce bio-char at 400, 500, and 600 °C. Solid-state NMR and FT-IR have been employed in this study to characterize the structures for the bio-chars. The results indicated that the bio-chars produced from lignin contained some methoxyl groups, and the bio-chars produced from tannin contained significantly higher amount of phenolic hydroxyl groups. Compared to the bio-chars produced from pine wood and residue, the bio-chars produced from pine bark contained more aromatic C–O bonds, and aliphatic C–O and C–C bonds, which may be due to the significantly higher amount of lignin and tannin in the pine bark. Furthermore, the elevated amounts of aromatic C–O and aliphatic C–O and C–C bonds in the bio-chars from pine bark appeared to be completely decomposed at 600 °C.« less

Exopolysaccharides produced by clinical strains belonging to the Burkholderia cepacia complex.

PubMed

Herasimenka, Yury; Cescutti, Paola; Impallomeni, Giuseppe; Campana, Silvia; Taccetti, Giovanni; Ravenni, Novella; Zanetti, Flavio; Rizzo, Roberto

2007-04-01

In the frame of a research line dedicated to better clarify the role of exopolysaccharides (EPS) in bacterial virulence, EPS produced by species of the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc), namely Burkholderia multivorans, Burkholderia cenocepacia, and a Bcc member of undetermined genomovar, all isolated at the Cystic Fibrosis Regional Centre of Florence (Italy), were investigated for they structural properties. Three strains of B. multivorans, three of B. cenocepacia and one of a Bcc member of undetermined genomovar were isolated from CF patients. The reference strains C1576 and J2315, for genomovar II and III, respectively, were included in the study. The bacteria were grown on solid media, the exopolysaccharides produced were purified, and their structures were determined. In addition, sugar analysis of sputum samples was accomplished to search for EPS produced in vivo. Six strains out of seven produced the exopolysaccharide cepacian, while one strain of B. multivorans produced a completely different polymer, previously known in the literature as PS1. Two strains synthesised very small amounts of EPS. No definitive evidence for the presence of cepacian in sputum samples was found. Most strains examined produced abundant amounts of polysaccharides. Cepacian was the most common EPS isolated and its production was not associated to a particular genomovar.

Characterization of Structural and Pigmentary Colors in Common Emigrant (Catopsilia Pomona) Butterfly

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

Ghate, Ekata; Kulkarni, G. R.; Bhoraskar, S. V.

2011-10-20

Study of structural colors in case of insects and butterflies is important for their biomimic and biophotonics applications. Structural color is the color which is produced by physical structures and their interaction with light while pigmentary color is produced by absorption of light by pigments. Common Emigrant butterfly is widely distributed in India. It is of moderate size with wing span of about 60-80 mm. The wings are broadly white with yellow or sulphur yellow coloration at places as well as few dark black patches. It belongs to family Pieridae. A study of structural color in case of Common Emigrantmore » butterfly has been carried out in the present work. The characterization of wing color was performed using absorption spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopic study of the wings of Common Emigrant butterfly showed that three different types of scales are present on the wing surface dorsally. Diffracting structures are present in certain parts of the surfaces of the various scales. Bead like structures are embedded in the intricate structures of the scales. Absorption spectra revealed that a strong absorption peak is seen in the UV-range. Crystalline structure of beads was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction analysis.« less

Tribological behavior of Ti6Al4V cellular structures produced by Selective Laser Melting.

PubMed

Bartolomeu, F; Sampaio, M; Carvalho, O; Pinto, E; Alves, N; Gomes, J R; Silva, F S; Miranda, G

2017-05-01

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies enable the fabrication of innovative structures with complex geometries not easily manufactured by traditional processes. Regarding metallic cellular structures with tailored/customized mechanical and wear performance aiming to biomedical applications, Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is a remarkable solution for their production. Focusing on prosthesis and implants, in addition to a suitable Young's modulus it is important to assess the friction response and wear resistance of these cellular structures in a natural environment. In this sense, five cellular Ti6Al4V structures with different open-cell sizes (100-500µm) were designed and produced by SLM. These structures were tribologicaly tested against alumina using a reciprocating sliding ball-on-plate tribometer. Samples were submerged in Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) fluid at 37°C, in order to mimic in some extent the human body environment. The results showed that friction and wear performance of Ti6Al4V cellular structures is influenced by the structure open-cell size. The higher wear resistance was obtained for structures with 100µm designed open-cell size due to the higher apparent area of contact to support tribological loading. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimization of superconducting tiling pattern for superconducting bearings

DOEpatents

Hull, J.R.

1996-09-17

An apparatus and method for reducing magnetic field inhomogeneities which produce rotational loss mechanisms in high temperature superconducting magnetic bearings are disclosed. Magnetic field inhomogeneities are reduced by dividing high temperature superconducting structures into smaller structures, and arranging the smaller structures into tiers which stagger the magnetic field maximum locations of the smaller structures. 20 figs.

Study of Improved Aluminum Materials for Vehicular Armor

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-04-07

and along cell walls. Dislocations generated during deformation cf the 17 -------------- recrystallized structure interacted with the grain...unrecrystallized (HR) 7475 plate containing dislocations within subgrains and along cell walls. Hot rolling the recrystallized structure at 750OF produced...a structure after solution heat treatment that consisted of elongated recrystallized grains containing polygonized cells . This structure developed

Surface modification of platinum by laser-produced X-rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latif, Hamid; Shahid Rafique, M.; Khaleeq-ur-Rahaman, M.; Sattar, Abdul; Anjum, S.; Usman, A.; Zaheer, S.; Rawat, R. S.

2014-11-01

Laser-induced plasma is used as an X-ray source for the growth of hillocks like nanostructures on platinum surface. To generate X-rays, plasma is produced by Nd:YAG laser, which is operated at second harmonics (λ = 532 nm, E = 400 mJ). Analytical grade 5 N pure Al, Cu and W are used as laser targets for X-rays production. X-rays produced from Al, Cu and W plasmas are used to irradiate three analytical grade (5 N pure) platinum substrates, respectively, under the vacuum ∼10-4 torr. XRD analysis shows considerable structural changes in the exposed platinum. The decrement in reflection intensities, increment in dislocation line density, change in d-spacing and disturbance in the periodicity of planes evidently prove these structural changes. Atomic force microscope AFM topographic analysis of the platinum exposed to X-rays emitted from Al, Cu and W targets showed that nanometer-size hillocks are produced on the platinum surface irrespective of the source. It has also been observed that due to these hillocks, the roughness of the surface has increased. Conductivity of hillocks produced from X-rays produced by Al, Cu and W targets is compared and it is shown that the hillocks produced by Al target X-rays have better conductivity compared to the hillocks produced by X-rays from Cu and W targets.

Tungsten-reinforced tantalum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bacigalupi, R. J.; Breitwieser, R.

1972-01-01

Method is described for producing tungsten-reinforced tantalum, a material possessing the high temperature strength of tungsten and room temperature ductility and weldability of tantalum. This material is produced by bonding together and overlaying structure of tungsten wires with chemical vapor deposited tantalum.

Metallurgical/Alloy Optimization of High Strength and Wear Resistant Structural Quench and Tempered Steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stalheim, Douglas G.; Peimao, Fu; Linhao, Gu; Yongqing, Zhang

Structural steels with yield strength requirements greater or equal to 690 MPa can be produced through controlled recrystallization hot rolling coupled with precipitation strengthening or purposeful heat treatment through quench and tempering (Q&T). High strength structural steel and wear/abrasion resistant requirements greater or equal to 360 Brinell hardness (BHN) are produced by the development of microstructures of tempered lower bainite and/or martensite through the Q&T process. While these Q&T microstructures can produce very high strengths and hardness levels making them ideal for 690 MPa plus yield strength or wear/abrasion resistant applications, they lack toughness/ductility and hence are very brittle and prone to cracking. While tempering the microstructures helps in improving the toughness/ductility and reducing the brittleness, strength and hardness can be sacrificed. In addition, these steels typically consist of alloy designs containing boron with carbon equivalents (CE) greater than 0.50 to achieve the desired microstructures. The higher CE has a negative influence on weldability.

A Close Look At The Relationship Between WMAP (ILC) Small-Scale Features And Galactic HI Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verschuur, Gerrit L.

2012-05-01

Galactic HI emission profiles surrounding two pairs of features located where large-scale filaments at very different velocities overlap were decomposed into Gaussian components. Families of components defined by similarity of center velocities and line widths were identified and found to be spatially related. Each of the two pairs of HI peaks straddle a high-frequency continuum source revealed in the WMAP survey data. It is suggested that where filamentary HI features are directly interacting high-frequency continuum radiation is being produced. The previously hypothesized mechanism for producing high-frequency continuum radiation involving free-free emission from electrons in the interstellar medium, in this case created where HI filaments interact to produce fractional ionizations of order 5 to 15%, fit the data very closely. The results confirm that WMAP data on small-scale structures believed to be cosmological in origin are in fact compromised by the presence of intervening galactic sources of interstellar electrons clumped on scales typical of interstellar HI structure.

Structural determination of the polysaccharide isolated from biofilms produced by a clinical strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

PubMed

Cescutti, Paola; De Benedetto, Gianluigi; Rizzo, Roberto

2016-07-22

Klebsiella pneumoniae are Gram negative opportunistic pathogens producing capsular (K) polysaccharides. Seventy-seven different K antigens have been described and they are the basis for K serotyping. Capsular polysaccharides are important virulence factors and have a relevant role for the structure of biofilm communities. Nevertheless, little information is available on the polysaccharides produced in biofilm matrices by Klebsiella spp. In the present study, a clinical isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae was grown both on cellulose membranes deposited on agar plates, where it formed an adherent biofilm, and in liquid medium, where it formed floating biofilms (flocs). Extraction and purification of the polysaccharide fraction showed that only one main carbohydrate polymer was present in both adherent biofilms and flocs. Composition and linkage analysis, Smith degradation followed by ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy revealed that the polysaccharide belong to the type K24 and has the following structure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Production of Structured Triacylglycerols Containing Palmitic Acids at sn-2 Position and Docosahexaenoic Acids at sn-1, 3 Positions.

PubMed

Liu, Yanjun; Guo, Yongli; Sun, Zhaomin; Jie, Xu; Li, Zhaojie; Wang, Jingfeng; Wang, Yuming; Xue, Changhu

2015-01-01

Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation has been shown well-established health benefits that justify their use as functional ingredients in healthy foods and nutraceutical products. Structured triacylglycerols rich in 1,3-docosahexenoyl-2-palmitoyl-sn-glycerol were produced from algal oil (Schizochytrium sp) which was prepared by a two-step process. Novozym 435 lipase was used to produce tripalmitin. Tripalmitin was then used to produce the final structured triacylglycerol (STAG) through interesterification reactions using Lipozyme RM IM. The optimum conditions for the enzymatic reaction were a mole ratio of tripalmitin/fatty acid ethyl esters 1:9, 60°C, 10% enzyme load (wt % of substrates), 10 h; the enzymatic product contained 51.6% palmitic acid (PA), 30.13% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6 n-3) and 5.33% docosapentanoic acid (DPA, C22:5 n-3), 12.15% oleic acid (OLA). This STAG can be used as a functional ingredient in dietary supplementation to provide the benefits of DHA.

Cellulose nanomaterials review: structure, properties and nanocomposites

Treesearch

Robert J. Moon; Ashlie Martini; John Nairn; John Simonsen; Jeff Youngblood

2011-01-01

This critical review provides a processing-structure-property perspective on recent advances in cellulose nanoparticles and composites produced from them. It summarizes cellulose nanoparticles in terms of particle morphology, crystal structure, and properties. Also described are the self-assembly and rheological properties of cellulose nanoparticle suspensions. The...

Persistent Structural Priming from Language Comprehension to Language Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bock, Kathryn; Dell, Gary S.; Chang, Franklin; Onishi, Kristine H.

2007-01-01

To examine the relationship between syntactic processes in language comprehension and language production, we compared structural persistence from sentence primes that speakers heard to persistence from primes that speakers produced. [Bock, J. K., & Griffin, Z. M. (2000). The persistence of structural priming: transient activation or implicit…

Microbial shaping of wrinkle structures in siliciclastic deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosak, T.; Mariotti, G.; Pruss, S. B.; Perron, J.; O'Grady, M.

2013-12-01

Wrinkle structures are millimeter- to centimeter-scale elongated or reticulate sedimentary structures that resemble symmetric ripples. Sharp-crested and flat-topped wrinkle structures up to 1 cm wide occur on numerous bedding planes in the Neoproterozoic and Cambrian, as well as in some Archean and Phanerozoic siliciclastic deposits. Because similar, but unlithified structures occur in some modern, microbially-colonized sands, wrinkle structures are typically interpreted as microbially induced sedimentary structures. However, it is unclear if physical processes, such as the motion of suspended sand grains, can produce similar features in sand even before microbial colonization. We introduced mat fragments to the surface of silica sand in wave tanks and generated sharp-crested, flat-topped and pitted wrinkle structures. The abrasion of the sandy surface by rolling, low density, millimeter-size fragments of microbial mats produces wrinkle structures at extremely weak orbital velocities that cannot move sand grains in the absence of light particles. Wrinkle structures form in a few hours and can become colonized by microbial mats within weeks. Thus, wrinkle structures are patterns formed by microbially mediated sand motion at low orbital velocities in the absence of bioturbation. Once formed, wrinkle structures can be colonized and stabilized by microbial mats, but the shape of these mats does not dictate the shape of wrinkle structures. These experiments bolster the interpretation of wrinkle structures as morphological signatures of organic particles and early life in Archean and Proterozoic siliciclastic deposits.

GCM studies on Jovian polar dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabataba-Vakili, F.; Orton, G.; Li, C.; Young, R. M.; Read, P. L.; Ingersoll, A. P.

2017-12-01

The Juno spacecraft has produced unparalleled measurements of the polar regions of Jupiter. Observations from JunoCAM and JIRAM (Jupiter Infrared Auroral Mapper) have revealed a structure of cyclonic vortices near the poles. We report simulations of the observed polar dynamics using a hierarchy of models from shallow-water to general circulation models with increasing detail. An initialized, unforced shallow-water model of the polar region results in merging cyclones, producing a Saturn-like polar vortex. Further investigations with more detailed models aim to recreate the observed polar structures on Jupiter and investigate the difference between vortical structures on Saturn and Jupiter. Identifying this difference may shed light on the formation and maintenance mechanisms of the observed vortices.

Constructing superconductors by graphene Chern-Simons wormholes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capozziello, Salvatore; Pincak, Richard; Saridakis, Emmanuel N.

2018-03-01

We propose a new model which simulates the motion of free electrons in graphene by the evolution of strings on manifolds. In this model, molecules which constitute sheets of graphene are polygonal point-like structures which build (N + 1) -dimensional manifolds. By breaking the gravitational-analogue symmetry of graphene sheets, we show that two separated child sheets and a Chern-Simons bridge are produced giving rise to a wormhole. In this structure, free electrons are transmitted from one child sheet to the other producing superconductivity. An analogue between "effective gravitons" and "Cooper pairs" is found. In principle, this phenomenology provides the possibility to construct superconductor structures by using the analogue of cosmological models.

An application of artificial intelligence to the interpretation of mass spectra.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buchanan, B. G.; Duffield, A. M.; Robertson, A. V.

1971-01-01

Description of the DENDRAL (Dendritic Algorithm) project, the objectives of which were to base the computer program on an alogorithm that generates an exhaustive, nonredundant list of all the structural isomers of a given chemical composition, and to devise a computer program that would perform an organic structure determination, given a molecular formula and a mass spectrum. This program is called 'Heuristic DENDRAL' and it operates by using the known structure/spectrum correlations to constrain the DENDRAL isomer generator to produce a single isomer for that composition. The collaboration of chemists and computer scientists has produced a tool of some practical utility from the chemical viewpoint, and an interesting program from the viewpoint of artificial intelligence.

Fabrication of locally micro-structured fiber Bragg gratings by fs-laser machining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutz, Franz J.; Stephan, Valentin; Marchi, Gabriele; Koch, Alexander W.; Roths, Johannes; Huber, Heinz P.

2018-06-01

Here, we describe a method for producing locally micro-structured fiber Bragg gratings (LMFGB) by fs-laser machining. This technique enables the precise and reproducible ablation of cladding material to create circumferential grooves inside the claddings of optical fibers. From initial ablation experiments we acquired optimized process parameters. The fabricated grooves were located in the middle of uniform type I fiber Bragg gratings. LMFBGs with four different groove widths of 48, 85, 135 and 205 μ { {m}} were produced. The grooves exhibited constant depths of about 30 μ {m} and steep sidewall angles. With the combination of micro-structures and fiber Bragg gratings, fiber optic sensor elements with enhanced functionalities can be achieved.

Amorphous metal formulations and structured coatings for corrosion and wear resistance

DOEpatents

Farmer, Joseph C.

2014-07-15

A system for coating a surface comprising providing a source of amorphous metal that contains more than 11 elements and applying the amorphous metal that contains more than 11 elements to the surface by a spray. Also a coating comprising a composite material made of amorphous metal that contains more than 11 elements. An apparatus for producing a corrosion-resistant amorphous-metal coating on a structure comprises a deposition chamber, a deposition source in the deposition chamber that produces a deposition spray, the deposition source containing a composite material made of amorphous metal that contains more than 11 elements, and a system that directs the deposition spray onto the structure.

Amorphous metal formulations and structured coatings for corrosion and wear resistance

DOEpatents

Farmer, Joseph C [Tracy, CA

2011-12-13

A system for coating a surface comprising providing a source of amorphous metal that contains more than 11 elements and applying the amorphous metal that contains more than 11 elements to the surface by a spray. Also a coating comprising a composite material made of amorphous metal that contains more than 11 elements. An apparatus for producing a corrosion-resistant amorphous-metal coating on a structure comprises a deposition chamber, a deposition source in the deposition chamber that produces a deposition spray, the deposition source containing a composite material made of amorphous metal that contains more than 11 elements, and a system that directs the deposition spray onto the structure.

Internal motions of HII regions and giant HII regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chu, You-Hua; Kennicutt, Robert C., Jr.

1994-01-01

We report new echelle observations of the kinematics of 30 HII regions in the Large Magellanic Clouds (LMC), including the 30 Doradus giant HII region. All of the HII regions possess supersonic velocity dispersions, which can be attributed to a combination of turbulent motions and discrete velocity splitting produced by stellar winds and/or embedded supernova remnants (SNRs). The core of 30 Dor is unique, with a complex velocity structure that parallels its chaotic optical morphology. We use our calibrated echelle data to measure the physical properties and energetic requirements of these velocity structures. The most spectacular structures in 30 Dor are several fast expanding shells, which appear to be produced at least partially by SNRs.

The aftershock signature of supershear earthquakes.

PubMed

Bouchon, Michel; Karabulut, Hayrullah

2008-06-06

Recent studies show that earthquake faults may rupture at speeds exceeding the shear wave velocity of rocks. This supershear rupture produces in the ground a seismic shock wave similar to the sonic boom produced by a supersonic airplane. This shock wave may increase the destruction caused by the earthquake. We report that supershear earthquakes are characterized by a specific pattern of aftershocks: The fault plane itself is remarkably quiet whereas aftershocks cluster off the fault, on secondary structures that are activated by the supershear rupture. The post-earthquake quiescence of the fault shows that friction is relatively uniform over supershear segments, whereas the activation of off-fault structures is explained by the shock wave radiation, which produces high stresses over a wide zone surrounding the fault.

Proactive interference effects on sentence production

PubMed Central

FERREIRA, VICTOR S.; FIRATO, CARLA E.

2007-01-01

Proactive interference refers to recall difficulties caused by prior similar memory-related processing. Information-processing approaches to sentence production predict that retrievability affects sentence form: Speakers may word sentences so that material that is difficult to retrieve is spoken later. In this experiment, speakers produced sentence structures that could include an optional that, thereby delaying the mention of a subsequent noun phrase. This subsequent noun phrase was either (1) conceptually similar to three previous noun phrases in the same sentence, leading to greater proactive interference, or (2) conceptually dissimilar, leading to less proactive interference. Speakers produced more thats (and were more disfluencies) before conceptually similar noun phrases, suggesting that retrieval difficulties during sentence production affect the syntactic structures of sentences that speakers produce. PMID:12613685

Final Progress Report

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

Josef Michl

2011-10-31

In this project we have established guidelines for the design on organic chromophores suitable for producing high triplet yields via singlet fission. We have proven their utility by identifying a chromophore of a structural class that had never been examined for singlet fission before, 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran, and demonstrating in two independent ways that a thin layer of this material produces a triplet yield of 200% within experimental error. We have also designed a second chromophore of a very different type, again of a structural class that had not been examined for singlet fission before, and found that in a thin layermore » it produces a 70% triplet yield. Finally, we have enhanced the theoretical understanding of the quantum mechanical nature of the singlet fission process.« less

Epitope-based recombinant diagnostic antigen to distinguish natural infection from vaccination with hepatitis A virus vaccines.

PubMed

Su, Qiudong; Guo, Minzhuo; Jia, Zhiyuan; Qiu, Feng; Lu, Xuexin; Gao, Yan; Meng, Qingling; Tian, Ruiguang; Bi, Shengli; Yi, Yao

2016-07-01

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection can stimulate the production of antibodies to structural and non-structural proteins of the virus. However, vaccination with an inactivated or attenuated HAV vaccine produces antibodies mainly against structural proteins, whereas no or very limited antibodies are produced against the non-structural proteins. Current diagnostic assays to determine exposure to HAV, such as the Abbott HAV AB test, detect antibodies only to the structural proteins and so are not able to distinguish a natural infection from vaccination with an inactivated or attenuated virus. Here, we constructed a recombinant tandem multi-epitope diagnostic antigen (designated 'H1') based on the immune-dominant epitopes of the non-structural proteins of HAV to distinguish the two situations. H1 protein expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by affinity and anion exchange chromatography was applied in a double-antigen sandwich ELISA for the detection of anti-non-structural HAV proteins, which was confirmed to distinguish a natural infection from vaccination with an inactivated or attenuated HAV vaccine. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Oil-producing flowers within the Iridoideae (Iridaceae): evolutionary trends in the flowers of the New World genera.

PubMed

Chauveau, Olivier; Eggers, Lilian; Souza-Chies, Tatiana T; Nadot, Sophie

2012-08-01

Oil-producing flowers related to oil-bee pollination are a major innovation in Neotropical and Mexican Iridaceae. In this study, phylogenetic relationships were investigated among a wide array of New World genera of the tribes Sisyrinchieae, Trimezieae and Tigridieae (Iridaceae: Iridoideae) and the evolution of floral glandular structures, which are predominantly trichomal elaiophores, was examined in relation to the diversification of New World Iridaceae. Phylogenetic analyses based on seven molecular markers obtained from 97 species were conducted to produce the first extensive phylogeny of the New World tribes of subfamily Iridoideae. The resulting phylogenetic hypothesis was used to trace the evolutionary history of glandular structures present in the flowers of numerous species in each tribe. Hypotheses of differential diversification rates among lineages were also investigated using both topological and Binary-State Speciation and Extinction methods. Floral glandular structures and especially trichomal elaiophores evolved multiple times independently in the American tribes of Iridoideae. The distribution pattern of species displaying glandular trichomes across the phylogeny reveals lability in the pollination system and suggests that these structures may have played a significant role in the diversification of the Iridoideae on the American continent.

Anatomically Realistic Three-Dimensional Meshes of the Pelvic Floor & Anal Canal for Finite Element Analysis

PubMed Central

Noakes, Kimberley F.; Bissett, Ian P.; Pullan, Andrew J.; Cheng, Leo K.

2014-01-01

Three anatomically realistic meshes, suitable for finite element analysis, of the pelvic floor and anal canal regions have been developed to provide a framework with which to examine the mechanics, via finite element analysis of normal function within the pelvic floor. Two cadaver-based meshes were produced using the Visible Human Project (male and female) cryosection data sets, and a third mesh was produced based on MR image data from a live subject. The Visible Man (VM) mesh included 10 different pelvic structures while the Visible Woman and MRI meshes contained 14 and 13 structures respectively. Each image set was digitized and then finite element meshes were created using an iterative fitting procedure with smoothing constraints calculated from ‘L’-curves. These weights produced accurate geometric meshes of each pelvic structure with average Root Mean Square (RMS) fitting errors of less than 1.15 mm. The Visible Human cadaveric data provided high resolution images, however, the cadaveric meshes lacked the normal dynamic form of living tissue and suffered from artifacts related to postmortem changes. The lower resolution MRI mesh was able to accurately portray structure of the living subject and paves the way for dynamic, functional modeling. PMID:18317929

Colloidal assembly directed by virtual magnetic moulds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demirörs, Ahmet F.; Pillai, Pramod P.; Kowalczyk, Bartlomiej; Grzybowski, Bartosz A.

2013-11-01

Interest in assemblies of colloidal particles has long been motivated by their applications in photonics, electronics, sensors and microlenses. Existing assembly schemes can position colloids of one type relatively flexibly into a range of desired structures, but it remains challenging to produce multicomponent lattices, clusters with precisely controlled symmetries and three-dimensional assemblies. A few schemes can efficiently produce complex colloidal structures, but they require system-specific procedures. Here we show that magnetic field microgradients established in a paramagnetic fluid can serve as `virtual moulds' to act as templates for the assembly of large numbers (~108) of both non-magnetic and magnetic colloidal particles with micrometre precision and typical yields of 80 to 90 per cent. We illustrate the versatility of this approach by producing single-component and multicomponent colloidal arrays, complex three-dimensional structures and a variety of colloidal molecules from polymeric particles, silica particles and live bacteria and by showing that all of these structures can be made permanent. In addition, although our magnetic moulds currently resemble optical traps in that they are limited to the manipulation of micrometre-sized objects, they are massively parallel and can manipulate non-magnetic and magnetic objects simultaneously in two and three dimensions.

How high energy fluxes may affect Rayleigh-Taylor instability growth in young supernova remnants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuranz, C. C.; Park, H.-S.; Huntington, C. M.; Miles, A. R.; Remington, B. A.; Drake, R. P.; Tranthan, M. A.; Handy, T. A.; Shvarts, D.; Malamud, G.; Shimony, A.; Shvarts, D.; Kline, J.; Flippo, K. A.; Doss, F. W.; Plewa, T.

2017-10-01

Energy-transport effects can alter the structure that develops as a supernova evolves into a supernova remnant. The Rayleigh Taylor instability is thought to produce structure at the interface between the stellar ejecta and the circumstellar matter, based on simple models and hydrodynamic simulations. Simulations predict that RT produces structures at this interface, having a range of spatial scales. When the CSM is dense enough, as in the case of SN 1993J, the hot shocked matter can produce significant radiative fluxes that affect the emission from the SNR. Here we report experimental results from the National Ignition Facility to explore how large energy fluxes, which are present in supernovae such as SN 1993J, might affect this structure. We present data and simulations from Rayleigh-Taylor instability experiments in high- and low- energy flux experiments performed at the National Ignition Facility. We also will discuss the apparent, larger role of heat conduction when we closely examined the comparison between the experimental results, and the SNR observations and models. This work is funded by the NNSA-DS and SC-OFES Joint Program in High-Energy-Density Laboratory Plasmas, Grant Number DE-NA0002956.

Structural Characterization of New Peptide Variants Produced by Cyanobacteria from the Brazilian Atlantic Coastal Forest Using Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Tandem Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Sanz, Miriam; Andreote, Ana Paula Dini; Fiore, Marli Fatima; Dörr, Felipe Augusto; Pinto, Ernani

2015-01-01

Cyanobacteria from underexplored and extreme habitats are attracting increasing attention in the search for new bioactive substances. However, cyanobacterial communities from tropical and subtropical regions are still largely unknown, especially with respect to metabolite production. Among the structurally diverse secondary metabolites produced by these organisms, peptides are by far the most frequently described structures. In this work, liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization coupled to high resolution quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry with positive ion detection was applied to study the peptide profile of a group of cyanobacteria isolated from the Southeastern Brazilian coastal forest. A total of 38 peptides belonging to three different families (anabaenopeptins, aeruginosins, and cyanopeptolins) were detected in the extracts. Of the 38 peptides, 37 were detected here for the first time. New structural features were proposed based on mass accuracy data and isotopic patterns derived from full scan and MS/MS spectra. Interestingly, of the 40 surveyed strains only nine were confirmed to be peptide producers; all of these strains belonged to the order Nostocales (three Nostoc sp., two Desmonostoc sp. and four Brasilonema sp.). PMID:26096276

Potential use of avocado oil on structured lipids MLM-type production catalysed by commercial immobilised lipases.

PubMed

Caballero, Eduardo; Soto, Carmen; Olivares, Araceli; Altamirano, Claudia

2014-01-01

Structured Lipids are generally constituents of functional foods. Growing demands for SL are based on a fuller understanding of nutritional requirements, lipid metabolism, and improved methods to produce them. Specifically, this work was aimed to add value to avocado oil by producing dietary triacylglycerols (TAG) containing medium-chain fatty acids (M) at positions sn-1,3 and long-chain fatty acids (L) at position sn-2. These MLM-type structured lipids (SL) were produced by interesterification of caprylic acid (CA) (C8:0) and avocado oil (content of C18:1). The regiospecific sn-1,3 commercial lipases Lipozyme RM IM and TL IM were used as biocatalysts to probe the potential of avocado oil to produce SL. Reactions were performed at 30-50°C for 24 h in solvent-free media with a substrate molar ratio of 1∶2 (TAG:CA) and 4-10% w/w enzyme content. The lowest incorporation of CA (1.1% mol) resulted from Lipozyme RM IM that was incubated at 50°C. The maximum incorporation of CA into sn-1,3 positions of TAG was 29.2% mol. This result was obtained at 30°C with 10% w/w Lipozyme TL IM, which is the highest values obtained in solvent-free medium until now for structured lipids of low-calories. This strategy opens a new market to added value products based on avocado oil.

Potential Use of Avocado Oil on Structured Lipids MLM-Type Production Catalysed by Commercial Immobilised Lipases

PubMed Central

Caballero, Eduardo; Soto, Carmen; Olivares, Araceli; Altamirano, Claudia

2014-01-01

Structured Lipids are generally constituents of functional foods. Growing demands for SL are based on a fuller understanding of nutritional requirements, lipid metabolism, and improved methods to produce them. Specifically, this work was aimed to add value to avocado oil by producing dietary triacylglycerols (TAG) containing medium-chain fatty acids (M) at positions sn-1,3 and long-chain fatty acids (L) at position sn-2. These MLM-type structured lipids (SL) were produced by interesterification of caprylic acid (CA) (C8:0) and avocado oil (content of C18:1). The regiospecific sn-1,3 commercial lipases Lipozyme RM IM and TL IM were used as biocatalysts to probe the potential of avocado oil to produce SL. Reactions were performed at 30–50°C for 24 h in solvent-free media with a substrate molar ratio of 1∶2 (TAG:CA) and 4–10% w/w enzyme content. The lowest incorporation of CA (1.1% mol) resulted from Lipozyme RM IM that was incubated at 50°C. The maximum incorporation of CA into sn-1,3 positions of TAG was 29.2% mol. This result was obtained at 30°C with 10% w/w Lipozyme TL IM, which is the highest values obtained in solvent-free medium until now for structured lipids of low-calories. This strategy opens a new market to added value products based on avocado oil. PMID:25248107

Structure and properties of binder gels formed in the system Mg(OH)2-SiO2-H2O for immobilisation of Magnox sludge.

PubMed

Walling, Sam A; Kinoshita, Hajime; Bernal, Susan A; Collier, Nick C; Provis, John L

2015-05-07

A cementitious system for the immobilisation of magnesium rich Magnox sludge was produced by blending an Mg(OH)2 slurry with silica fume and an inorganic phosphate dispersant. The Mg(OH)2 was fully consumed after 28 days of curing, producing a disordered magnesium silicate hydrate (M-S-H) with cementitious properties. The structural characterisation of this M-S-H phase by (29)Si and (25)Mg MAS NMR showed clearly that it has strong nanostructural similarities to a disordered form of lizardite, and does not take on the talc-like structure as has been proposed in the past for M-S-H gels. The addition of sodium hexametaphosphate (NaPO3)6 as a dispersant enabled the material to be produced at a much lower water/solids ratio, while still maintaining the fluidity which is essential in practical applications, and producing a solid monolith. Significant retardation of M-S-H formation was observed with larger additions of phosphate, however the use of 1 wt% (NaPO3)6 was beneficial in increasing fluidity without a deleterious effect on M-S-H formation. This work has demonstrated the feasibility of using M-S-H as binder to structurally immobilise Magnox sludge, enabling the conversion of a waste into a cementitious binder with potentially very high waste loadings, and providing the first detailed nanostructural description of the material thus formed.

PDB2CD: a web-based application for the generation of circular dichroism spectra from protein atomic coordinates.

PubMed

Mavridis, Lazaros; Janes, Robert W

2017-01-01

Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy is extensively utilized for determining the percentages of secondary structure content present in proteins. However, although a large contributor, secondary structure is not the only factor that influences the shape and magnitude of the CD spectrum produced. Other structural features can make contributions so an entire protein structural conformation can give rise to a CD spectrum. There is a need for an application capable of generating protein CD spectra from atomic coordinates. However, no empirically derived method to do this currently exists. PDB2CD has been created as an empirical-based approach to the generation of protein CD spectra from atomic coordinates. The method utilizes a combination of structural features within the conformation of a protein; not only its percentage secondary structure content, but also the juxtaposition of these structural components relative to one another, and the overall structure similarity of the query protein to proteins in our dataset, the SP175 dataset, the 'gold standard' set obtained from the Protein Circular Dichroism Data Bank (PCDDB). A significant number of the CD spectra associated with the 71 proteins in this dataset have been produced with excellent accuracy using a leave-one-out cross-validation process. The method also creates spectra in good agreement with those of a test set of 14 proteins from the PCDDB. The PDB2CD package provides a web-based, user friendly approach to enable researchers to produce CD spectra from protein atomic coordinates. http://pdb2cd.cryst.bbk.ac.uk CONTACT: r.w.janes@qmul.ac.ukSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

3D freeform printing of silk fibroin.

PubMed

Rodriguez, Maria J; Dixon, Thomas A; Cohen, Eliad; Huang, Wenwen; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G; Kaplan, David L

2018-04-15

Freeform fabrication has emerged as a key direction in printing biologically-relevant materials and structures. With this emerging technology, complex structures with microscale resolution can be created in arbitrary geometries and without the limitations found in traditional bottom-up or top-down additive manufacturing methods. Recent advances in freeform printing have used the physical properties of microparticle-based granular gels as a medium for the submerged extrusion of bioinks. However, most of these techniques require post-processing or crosslinking for the removal of the printed structures (Miller et al., 2015; Jin et al., 2016) [1,2]. In this communication, we introduce a novel method for the one-step gelation of silk fibroin within a suspension of synthetic nanoclay (Laponite) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Silk fibroin has been used as a biopolymer for bioprinting in several contexts, but chemical or enzymatic additives or bulking agents are needed to stabilize 3D structures. Our method requires no post-processing of printed structures and allows for in situ physical crosslinking of pure aqueous silk fibroin into arbitrary geometries produced through freeform 3D printing. 3D bioprinting has emerged as a technology that can produce biologically relevant structures in defined geometries with microscale resolution. Techniques for fabrication of free-standing structures by printing into granular gel media has been demonstrated previously, however, these methods require crosslinking agents and post-processing steps on printed structures. Our method utilizes one-step gelation of silk fibroin within a suspension of synthetic nanoclay (Laponite), with no need for additional crosslinking compounds or post processing of the material. This new method allows for in situ physical crosslinking of pure aqueous silk fibroin into defined geometries produced through freeform 3D printing. Copyright © 2018 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tolerances of the human face to crash impact.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1965-07-01

Evaluation of the injury potentials of commercial airline seat structures, light-aircraft instrument panels, and other deforming structures requires data on forces that produce fractures, lacerations, or unconsciousness when applied to different part...

Instructional Approach to Molecular Electronic Structure Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dykstra, Clifford E.; Schaefer, Henry F.

1977-01-01

Describes a graduate quantum mechanics projects in which students write a computer program that performs ab initio calculations on the electronic structure of a simple molecule. Theoretical potential energy curves are produced. (MLH)

Formation of propagation invariant laser beams with anamorphic optical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soskind, Y. G.

2015-03-01

Propagation invariant structured laser beams play an important role in several photonics applications. A majority of propagation invariant beams are usually produced in the form of laser modes emanating from stable laser cavities. This work shows that anamorphic optical systems can be effectively employed to transform input propagation invariant laser beams and produce a variety of alternative propagation invariant structured laser beam distributions with different shapes and phase structures. This work also presents several types of anamorphic lens systems suitable for transforming the input laser modes into a variety of structured propagation invariant beams. The transformations are applied to different laser mode types, including Hermite-Gaussian, Laguerre-Gaussian, and Ince-Gaussian field distributions. The influence of the relative azimuthal orientation between the input laser modes and the anamorphic optical systems on the resulting transformed propagation invariant beams is presented as well.

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

Polemi, A.; Shuford, K. L.

We investigate the use of a Fabry-Perot dielectric structure combined with differently shaped nanoparticles for Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering. In particular, we show how an ideal two-layer Fabry-Perot configuration enhances the local surface field of silver nanoparticles positioned on the surface of the structure. We develop the concept using disc dimers and then extend the discussion to bowtie nanoparticles. The structure is excited by a single emitter, which couples to the nanoparticles through the dielectric layers, producing a wide aperture field that can be used to excite multiple dimers. We show how an array of nanoparticles can be properly arrangedmore » in order to increase the total scattering signal generated from the structure. The layered geometry produces robust field properties in between nanoparticles, making the overall sensing characteristics less sensitive to the interparticle seperation distance and incident polarization.« less

3D WHOLE-PROMINENCE FINE STRUCTURE MODELING

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

Gunár, Stanislav; Mackay, Duncan H.

2015-04-20

We present the first 3D whole-prominence fine structure model. The model combines a 3D magnetic field configuration of an entire prominence obtained from nonlinear force-free field simulations, with a detailed description of the prominence plasma. The plasma is located in magnetic dips in hydrostatic equilibrium and is distributed along multiple fine structures within the 3D magnetic model. Through the use of a novel radiative transfer visualization technique for the Hα line such plasma-loaded magnetic field model produces synthetic images of the modeled prominence comparable with high-resolution observations. This allows us for the first time to use a single technique tomore » consistently study, in both emission on the limb and absorption against the solar disk, the fine structures of prominences/filaments produced by a magnetic field model.« less

High performance railgun barrels for laboratory use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, David P.; Newman, Duane C.

1993-01-01

High performance low-cost, laboratory railgun barrels are now available, comprised of an inherently stiff containment structure which surrounds the bore components machined from 'off the-shelf' materials. The shape of the containment structure was selected to make the barrel inherently stiff. The structure consists of stainless steel laminations which do not compromise the electrical efficiency of the railgun. The modular design enhances the utility of the barrel, as it is easy to service between shots, and can be 're-cored' to produce different configurations and sizes using the same structure. We have produced barrels ranging from 15 mm to 90 mm square bore, a 30 mm round bore, and in lengths varying from 0.25 meters to 10 meters long. Successful tests with both plasma and solid metal armatures have demonstrated the versatility and performance of this design.

Polar Oxides without Inversion Symmetry through Vacancy and Chemical Order.

PubMed

Young, Joshua; Moon, Eun Ju; Mukherjee, Debangshu; Stone, Greg; Gopalan, Venkatraman; Alem, Nasim; May, Steven J; Rondinelli, James M

2017-02-22

One synthetic modality for materials discovery proceeds by forming mixtures of two or more compounds. In transition metal oxides (TMOs), chemical substitution often obeys Vegard's principle, and the resulting structure and properties of the derived phase follow from its components. A change in the assembly of the components into a digital nanostructure, however, can stabilize new polymorphs and properties not observed in the constituents. Here we formulate and demonstrate a crystal-chemistry design approach for realizing digital TMOs without inversion symmetry by combining two centrosymmetric compounds, utilizing periodic anion-vacancy order to generate multiple polyhedra that together with cation order produce a polar structure. We next apply this strategy to two brownmillerite-structured TMOs known to display centrosymmetric crystal structures in their bulk, Ca 2 Fe 2 O 5 and Sr 2 Fe 2 O 5 . We then realize epitaxial (SrFeO 2.5 ) 1 /(CaFeO 2.5 ) 1 thin film superlattices possessing both anion-vacancy order and Sr and Ca chemical order at the subnanometer scale, confirmed through synchrotron-based diffraction and aberration corrected electron microscopy. Through a detailed symmetry analysis and density functional theory calculations, we show that A-site cation ordering lifts inversion symmetry in the superlattice and produces a polar compound. Our results demonstrate how control of anion and cation order at the nanoscale can be utilized to produce acentric structures markedly different than their constituents and open a path toward novel structure-based property design.

Breakthrough: Record-Setting Cavity

ScienceCinema

Ciovati, Gianluigi

2018-02-06

Gianluigi "Gigi" Ciovati, a superconducting radiofrequency scientist, discusses how scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Jefferson Lab in Newport News, VA, used ARRA funds to fabricate a niobium cavity for superconducting radiofrequency accelerators that has set a world record for energy efficiency. Jefferson Lab's scientists developed a new, super-hot treatment process that could soon make it possible to produce cavities more quickly and at less cost, benefitting research and healthcare around the world. Accelerators are critical to our efforts to study the structure of matter that builds our visible universe. They also are used to produce medical isotopes and particle beams for diagnosing and eradicating disease. And they offer the potential to power future nuclear power plants that produce little or no radioactive waste.around the world. Accelerators are critical to our efforts to study the structure of matter that builds our visible universe. They also are used to produce medical isotopes and particle beams for diagnosing and eradicating disease. And they offer the potential to power future nuclear power plants that produce little or no radioactive waste.

Community analysis of hydrogen-producing extreme thermophilic anaerobic microflora enriched from cow manure with five substrates.

PubMed

Yokoyama, Hiroshi; Moriya, Naoko; Ohmori, Hideyuki; Waki, Miyoko; Ogino, Akifumi; Tanaka, Yasuo

2007-11-01

The present study analyzed the community structures of anaerobic microflora producing hydrogen under extreme thermophilic conditions by two culture-independent methods: denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and clone library analyses. Extreme thermophilic microflora (ETM) was enriched from cow manure by repeated batch cultures at 75 degrees C, using a substrate of xylose, glucose, lactose, cellobiose, or soluble starch, and produced hydrogen at yields of 0.56, 2.65, 2.17, 2.68, and 1.73 mol/mol-monosaccharide degraded, respectively. The results from the DGGE and clone library analyses were consistent and demonstrated that the community structures of ETM enriched with the four hexose-based substrates (glucose, lactose, cellobiose, and soluble starch) consisted of a single species, closely related to a hydrogen-producing extreme thermophile, Caldoanaerobacter subterraneus, with diversity at subspecies levels. The ETM enriched with xylose was more diverse than those enriched with the other substrates, and contained the bacterium related to C. subterraneus and an unclassified bacterium, distantly related to a xylan-degrading and hydrogen-producing extreme thermophile, Caloramator fervidus.

Structural changes in S. epidermidis biofilms after transmission between stainless steel surfaces.

PubMed

Gusnaniar, Niar; Sjollema, Jelmer; Nuryastuti, Titik; Peterson, Brandon W; van de Belt-Gritter, Betsy; de Jong, Ed D; van der Mei, Henny C; Busscher, Henk J

2017-10-01

Transmission is a main route for bacterial contamination, involving bacterial detachment from a donor and adhesion to receiver surfaces. This work aimed to compare transmission of an extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) producing and a non-EPS producing Staphylococcus epidermidis strain from biofilms on stainless steel. After transmission, donor surfaces remained fully covered with biofilm, indicating transmission through cohesive failure in the biofilm. Counter to the numbers of biofilm bacteria, the donor and receiver biofilm thicknesses did not add up to the pre-transmission donor biofilm thickness, suggesting more compact biofilms after transmission, especially for non-EPS producing staphylococci. Accordingly, staphylococcal density per unit biofilm volume had increased from 0.20 to 0.52 μm -3 for transmission of the non-EPS producing strain under high contact pressure. The EPS producing strain had similar densities before and after transmission (0.17 μm -3 ). This suggests three phases in biofilm transmission: (1) compression, (2) separation and (3) relaxation of biofilm structure to its pre-transmission density in EPS-rich biofilms.

New rifamycins produced by a recombinant strain of Nocardia mediterranei.

PubMed

Schupp, T; Traxler, P; Auden, J A

1981-08-01

A recombinant strain of Nocardia mediterranei was found to produce a number of new rifamycins which are structurally related to rifamycin S, rifamycin W and rifamycin G. This strain was derived from two Nocardia mediterranei mutants by intraspecific recombination.

7 CFR 1980.402 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... structures from a microburst wind occurrence in calendar year 1992. Commercially available. Energy projects... energy production, wood waste and wood residues, plants, including aquatic plants and grasses, fibers.... Commercially available projects that produce or distribute energy or power and/or projects that produce biomass...

78 FR 21818 - Schedules of Controlled Substances: Placement of Methylone Into Schedule I

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-12

...- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), cathinone and other related substances. The addition of a beta-keto ([beta]-ketone) substituent to the phenethylamine core structure produces a group of substances that have [beta]-keto-phenethylamine as the core structure. Methylone has a [beta]-keto-phenethylamine core structure. Methylone has...

Evidence for Syntactic Alignment in Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Melissa L.; Haywood, Sarah; Rajendran, Gnanathusharan; Branigan, Holly

2011-01-01

We report an experiment that examined whether children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) spontaneously converge, or align, syntactic structure with a conversational partner. Children with ASD were more likely to produce a passive structure to describe a picture after hearing their interlocutor use a passive structure to describe an unrelated…

School Communities That Work for Results and Equity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown Univ., Providence, RI. Annenberg Inst. for School Reform.

The primary organizational structure for a city's schools is the district. Its critics, however, consider that dysfunction was designed into school districts structure by virtue of their history. District structure was built on the notions that intelligence was innate, that the "scientific management" model produced optimal results, and that…

Method to reduce dislocation density in silicon using stress

DOEpatents

Buonassisi, Anthony; Bertoni, Mariana; Argon, Ali; Castellanos, Sergio; Fecych, Alexandria; Powell, Douglas; Vogl, Michelle

2013-03-05

A crystalline material structure with reduced dislocation density and method of producing same is provided. The crystalline material structure is annealed at temperatures above the brittle-to-ductile transition temperature of the crystalline material structure. One or more stress elements are formed on the crystalline material structure so as to annihilate dislocations or to move them into less harmful locations.

Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (ICSD)

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

SRD 84 FIZ/NIST Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (ICSD) (PC database for purchase)   The Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (ICSD) is produced cooperatively by the Fachinformationszentrum Karlsruhe(FIZ) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The ICSD is a comprehensive collection of crystal structure data of inorganic compounds containing more than 140,000 entries and covering the literature from 1915 to the present.

Wind turbine generator rotor blade concepts with low cost potential

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullivan, T. L.; Cahill, T. P.; Griffee, D. G., Jr.; Gewehr, H. W.

1977-01-01

Four processed for producing blades are examined. Two use filament winding techniques and two involve filling a mold or form to produce all or part of a blade. The processes are described and a comparison is made of cost, material properties, design and free vibration characteristics. Conclusions are made regarding the feasibility of each process to produce low cost, structurally adequate blades.

Wind-turbine-generator rotor-blade concepts with low-cost potential

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullivan, T. L.; Cahill, T. P.; Griffee, D. G., Jr.; Gewehr, H. W.

1978-01-01

Four processes for producing blades are examined. Two use filament winding techniques and two involve filling a mold or form to produce all or part of a blade. The processes are described and a comparison is made of costs, material properties, designs and free vibration characteristics. Conclusions are made regarding the feasibility of each process to produce low-cost, structurally adequate blades.

Monitoring Stone Degradation on Coastal Structures in the Great Lakes - Summary Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-01

Iron Mountain Quarry, Iron Mountain, MI). The Iron Mountain Quarry produces taconite . c. Quarry sample microstructural analyses. Microstructural...Iron Mountain Quarry, Iron Mountain, MI. The Iron Mountain Quarry produces taconite . Also, stone from a tenth quarry (Cedarville Quarry, Cedarville, MI...Quarry, Iron Mountain, MI). The Iron Mountain Quarry produces taconite . Samples of taconite from the Iron Mountain Quarry also were evaluated by

Evidence for Ring Structures and Fracture Zones in the Tectonics of Kerguelen Archipelago, Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathieu, L.; Byrne, P. K.; van Wyk de Vries, B.; Moine, B.

2009-12-01

Little work has been done on the tectonics of the emergent areas of the Kerguelen Archipelago, even though the extensive outcrop renders the islands especially good for structural work. The results of two field campaigns and remote sensing analysis carried out in the central part of the archipelago around the Val Travers valley and the Mt Ross volcano are presented. The Archipelago is part of the Kerguelen Plateau, a Large Igneous Province that has developed in the Indian Ocean from the early Cretaceous. It spread along the newly formed SE Indian mid-oceanic ridge (SEIR) during the early Tertiary. The rifting event produced NW-SE, N-S and E-W striking grabens in the plateau that are respectively, parallel to the SEIR, related to sinistral strike-slip movements along the SEIR, and of unknown origin. The Kerguelen Archipelago formed after the rifting event over the plateau but nevertheless, it contains the bulk of structural directions mentioned above. The lavas (Plateau Basalts) that make up most of the area are densely fractured, crossed by many veins and some small faults as well as dykes. The rare faults identified are either normal or affected by sinistral transtensional movements. The fractures have mainly a NW-SE orientation that is consistent with extension related to the SEIR. Dykes, veins and normal faults strike E-W and are related to a dominant N-S directed regional extension. The scarcity of discrete faults contrasts with the density of fractures and other lineaments that appear to cover the bulk of land exposed to remote sensing observations. Such structures were formed by regional deformation too small to produce large discrete faults. We also have found a 20 km-wide polygonal fracture pattern encircling Mt Ross Volcano. This structure could be linked to repeated deflation and inflation of the ground related to a buried intrusive complex. Again, the movements are too small to produce discrete faults. Instead, they produce a polygon of deformation whose edges are parallel to buried rifting faults re-activated by the vertical movements. This work outlines the structure of the central part of the Kerguelen Archipelago that is affected by regional stresses and is imprinted by local tectonic structures related to intrusive activity. Kerguelen provides a structural situation that can be compared with Iceland and also with volcano-tectonic structures on other planets.

Surfactants tailored by the class Actinobacteria

PubMed Central

Kügler, Johannes H.; Le Roes-Hill, Marilize; Syldatk, Christoph; Hausmann, Rudolf

2015-01-01

Globally the change towards the establishment of a bio-based economy has resulted in an increased need for bio-based applications. This, in turn, has served as a driving force for the discovery and application of novel biosurfactants. The class Actinobacteria represents a vast group of microorganisms with the ability to produce a diverse range of secondary metabolites, including surfactants. Understanding the extensive nature of the biosurfactants produced by actinobacterial strains can assist in finding novel biosurfactants with new potential applications. This review therefore presents a comprehensive overview of the knowledge available on actinobacterial surfactants, the chemical structures that have been completely or partly elucidated, as well as the identity of the biosurfactant-producing strains. Producer strains of not yet elucidated compounds are discussed, as well as the original habitats of all the producer strains, which seems to indicate that biosurfactant production is environmentally driven. Methodology applied in the isolation, purification and structural elucidation of the different types of surface active compounds, as well as surfactant activity tests, are also discussed. Overall, actinobacterial surfactants can be summarized to include the dominantly occurring trehalose-comprising surfactants, other non-trehalose containing glycolipids, lipopeptides and the more rare actinobacterial surfactants. The lack of structural information on a large proportion of actinobacterial surfactants should be considered as a driving force to further explore the abundance and diversity of these compounds. This would allow for a better understanding of actinobacterial surface active compounds and their potential for biotechnological application. PMID:25852670

Carbon Nanotube-Based Structural Health Monitoring Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wincheski, Russell; Jordan, Jeffrey; Oglesby, Donald; Watkins, Anthony; Patry, JoAnne; Smits, Jan; Williams, Phillip

2011-01-01

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-based sensors for structural health monitoring (SHM) can be embedded in structures of all geometries to monitor conditions both inside and at the surface of the structure to continuously sense changes. These CNTs can be manipulated into specific orientations to create small, powerful, and flexible sensors. One of the sensors is a highly flexible sensor for crack growth detection and strain field mapping that features a very dense and highly ordered array of single-walled CNTs. CNT structural health sensors can be mass-produced, are inexpensive, can be packaged in small sizes (0.5 micron(sup 2)), require less power than electronic or piezoelectric transducers, and produce less waste heat per square centimeter than electronic or piezoelectric transducers. Chemically functionalized lithographic patterns are used to deposit and align the CNTs onto metallic electrodes. This method consistently produces aligned CNTs in the defined locations. Using photo- and electron-beam lithography, simple Cr/Au thin-film circuits are patterned onto oxidized silicon substrates. The samples are then re-patterned with a CNT-attracting, self-assembled monolayer of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to delineate the desired CNT locations between electrodes. During the deposition of the solution-suspended single- wall CNTs, the application of an electric field to the metallic contacts causes alignment of the CNTs along the field direction. This innovation is a prime candidate for smart skin technologies with applications ranging from military, to aerospace, to private industry.

The chemical, mechanical, and physical properties of 3D printed materials composed of TiO2-ABS nanocomposites

PubMed Central

Skorski, Matthew R.; Esenther, Jake M.; Ahmed, Zeeshan; Miller, Abigail E.; Hartings, Matthew R.

2016-01-01

Abstract To expand the chemical capabilities of 3D printed structures generated from commercial thermoplastic printers, we have produced and printed polymer filaments that contain inorganic nanoparticles. TiO2 was dispersed into acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and extruded into filaments with 1.75 mm diameters. We produced filaments with TiO2 compositions of 1, 5, and 10% (kg/kg) and printed structures using a commercial 3D printer. Our experiments suggest that ABS undergoes minor degradation in the presence of TiO2 during the different processing steps. The measured mechanical properties (strain and Young’s modulus) for all of the composites are similar to those of structures printed from the pure polymer. TiO2 incorporation at 1% negatively affects the stress at breaking point and the flexural stress. Structures produced from the 5 and 10% nanocomposites display a higher breaking point stress than those printed from the pure polymer. TiO2 within the printed matrix was able to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of the polymer. TiO2 was also able to photocatalyze the degradation of a rhodamine 6G in solution. These experiments display chemical reactivity in nanocomposites that are printed using commercial 3D printers, and we expect that our methodology will help to inform others who seek to incorporate catalytic nanoparticles in 3D printed structures. PMID:27375367

Formation of mixed-layer structures in smectites intercalated with tryptone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Block, K. A.; Trusiak, A.; Steiner, J. C.; Katz, A.; Gottlieb, P.; Alimova, A.

2012-12-01

Stable clay-protein complexes are fundamental to studies of the critical zone, terrestrial ecosystems, pharmacology, and industrial applications such as bioremediation. Two sets of montmorillonite clays were purified and made homoionic for Na and Mg. Mg-montmorillonite and Na-montmorillonite were mixed with tryptone (casein digest) in a 9:1 and 18:1 clay:tryptone ratio, resulting in the formation of reversible intercalated structures. X-ray diffraction analysis of the protein-clay complexes produced profiles consisting of two peaks associated with the smectite 001 reflection and a related tryptone-packet peak similar to that produced by a mixed layer clay structure. Shifts in the 002, 003, and 004 diffraction maxima are attributed to disorder caused by the interaction with the protein. Line broadening in the smectite-tryptone XRD spectra is interpreted to be the result of interlayer absorption. Adsorption produces coherent crystalline packets of regularly interbedded tryptone and smectite platelets. SEM images reveal clay platelets with upwardly rolled edges that tend toward cylindrical structures with the production of occasional tubes in the smaller platelet size range as noted for organic compound-kaolinite intercalation reported by Fenoll Hach-Ali and Weiss (1969). Reference: Fenoll Hach-Ali, P.F., Weiss, A., 1969. Estudio de la reaccion de caolinita y N-metilform- amida. Quimica LXV, 769-790. Scanning electron micrograph of tryptone-intercalated clay platelets exhibiting rolled edge structure.

Effect of solid fat content on structure in ice creams containing palm kernel oil and high-oleic sunflower oil.

PubMed

Sung, Kristine K; Goff, H Douglas

2010-04-01

The development of a structural fat network in ice cream as influenced by the solid:liquid fat ratio at the time of freezing/whipping was investigated. The solid fat content was varied with blends of a hard fraction of palm kernel oil (PKO) and high-oleic sunflower oil ranging from 40% to 100% PKO. Fat globule size and adsorbed protein levels in mix and overrun, fat destabilization, meltdown resistance, and air bubble size in ice cream were measured. It was found that blends comprising 60% to 80% solid fat produced the highest rates of fat destabilization that could be described as partial coalescence (as opposed to coalescence), lowest rates of meltdown, and smallest air bubble sizes. Lower levels of solid fat produced fat destabilization that was better characterized as coalescence, leading to loss of structural integrity, whereas higher levels of solid fat led to lower levels of fat network formation and thus also to reduced structural integrity. Blends of highly saturated palm kernel oil and monounsaturated high-oleic sunflower oil were used to modify the solid:liquid ratio of fat blends used for ice cream manufacture. Blends that contained 60% to 80% solid fat at freezing/whipping temperatures produced optimal structures leading to low rates of meltdown. This provides a useful reference for manufacturers to help in the selection of appropriate fat blends for nondairy-fat ice cream.

The chemical, mechanical, and physical properties of 3D printed materials composed of TiO2-ABS nanocomposites.

PubMed

Skorski, Matthew; Esenther, Jake; Ahmed, Zeeshan; Miller, Abigail E; Hartings, Matthew R

To expand the chemical capabilities of 3D printed structures generated from commercial thermoplastic printers, we have produced and printed polymer filaments that contain inorganic nanoparticles. TiO 2 was dispersed into acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and extruded into filaments with 1.75 mm diameters. We produced filaments with TiO 2 compositions of 1%, 5%, and 10% (kg/kg) and printed structures using a commercial 3D printer. Our experiments suggest that ABS undergoes minor degradation in the presence of TiO 2 during the different processing steps. The measured mechanical properties (strain and Young's modulus) for all of the composites are similar to those of structures printed from the pure polymer. TiO 2 incorporation at 1% negatively affects the stress at breaking point and the flexural stress. Structures produced from the 5 and 10% nanocomposites display a higher breaking point stress than those printed from the pure polymer. TiO 2 within the printed matrix was able to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of the polymer. TiO 2 was also able to photocatalyze the degradation of a rhodamine 6G in solution. These experiments display chemical reactivity in nanocomposites that are printed using commercial 3D printers, and we expect that our methodology will help to inform others who seek to incorporate catalytic nanoparticles in 3D printed structures.

The chemical, mechanical, and physical properties of 3D printed materials composed of TiO2-ABS nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skorski, Matthew R.; Esenther, Jake M.; Ahmed, Zeeshan; Miller, Abigail E.; Hartings, Matthew R.

2016-01-01

To expand the chemical capabilities of 3D printed structures generated from commercial thermoplastic printers, we have produced and printed polymer filaments that contain inorganic nanoparticles. TiO2 was dispersed into acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and extruded into filaments with 1.75 mm diameters. We produced filaments with TiO2 compositions of 1, 5, and 10% (kg/kg) and printed structures using a commercial 3D printer. Our experiments suggest that ABS undergoes minor degradation in the presence of TiO2 during the different processing steps. The measured mechanical properties (strain and Young's modulus) for all of the composites are similar to those of structures printed from the pure polymer. TiO2 incorporation at 1% negatively affects the stress at breaking point and the flexural stress. Structures produced from the 5 and 10% nanocomposites display a higher breaking point stress than those printed from the pure polymer. TiO2 within the printed matrix was able to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of the polymer. TiO2 was also able to photocatalyze the degradation of a rhodamine 6G in solution. These experiments display chemical reactivity in nanocomposites that are printed using commercial 3D printers, and we expect that our methodology will help to inform others who seek to incorporate catalytic nanoparticles in 3D printed structures.

76 FR 8316 - Special Conditions: Gulfstream Model GVI Airplane; Interaction of Systems and Structures

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-14

... considered in isolation but should be included in the overall safety evaluation of the airplane. These... forced structural vibrations (oscillatory failures) must not produce loads that could result in...

High mass throughput particle generation using multiple nozzle spraying

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

Pui, David Y. H.; Chen, Da-Ren

Spraying apparatus and methods that employ multiple nozzle structures for producing multiple sprays of particles, e.g., nanoparticles, for various applications, e.g., pharmaceuticals, are provided. For example, an electrospray dispensing device may include a plurality of nozzle structures, wherein each nozzle structure is separated from adjacent nozzle structures by an internozzle distance. Sprays of particles are established from the nozzle structures by creating a nonuniform electrical field between the nozzle structures and an electrode electrically isolated therefrom.

High mass throughput particle generation using multiple nozzle spraying

DOEpatents

Pui, David Y.H.; Chen, Da-Ren

2004-07-20

Spraying apparatus and methods that employ multiple nozzle structures for producing multiple sprays of particles, e.g., nanoparticles, for various applications, e.g., pharmaceuticals, are provided. For example, an electrospray dispensing device may include a plurality of nozzle structures, wherein each nozzle structure is separated from adjacent nozzle structures by an internozzle distance. Sprays of particles are established from the nozzle structures by creating a nonuniform electrical field between the nozzle structures and an electrode electrically isolated therefrom.

High mass throughput particle generation using multiple nozzle spraying

DOEpatents

Pui, David Y. H. [Plymouth, MN; Chen, Da-Ren [Creve Coeur, MO

2009-03-03

Spraying apparatus and methods that employ multiple nozzle structures for producing multiple sprays of particles, e.g., nanoparticles, for various applications, e.g., pharmaceuticals, are provided. For example, an electrospray dispensing device may include a plurality of nozzle structures, wherein each nozzle structure is separated from adjacent nozzle structures by an internozzle distance. Sprays of particles are established from the nozzle structures by creating a nonuniform electrical field between the nozzle structures and an electrode electrically isolated therefrom.

Hierarchic Agglomerative Clustering Methods for Automatic Document Classification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffiths, Alan; And Others

1984-01-01

Considers classifications produced by application of single linkage, complete linkage, group average, and word clustering methods to Keen and Cranfield document test collections, and studies structure of hierarchies produced, extent to which methods distort input similarity matrices during classification generation, and retrieval effectiveness…

Sol-gel optics for biomeasurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lechna-Marczynska, Monika I.; Podbielska, Halina; Ulatowska-Jarza, Agnieszka; Holowacz, Iwona; Andrzejewski, Damian

2001-10-01

Sol-gel technique is a method for producing of glass-like materials without involving a melting process. Organic compounds such as alcoholates of silicon, sodium or calcium can be used. The irregular non-crystalline network forms a gel structure where the metallic atoms are bonded to oxygen atoms. Low-temperature treatment turns this gel into an inorganic glass-like structure. There are numbers of applications of these materials that can be produced in various forms and shapes. Here, silica based sol-gel bulks and thin films optodes for biomedical applications will be presented.

Preparation of refractory cermet structures for lithium compatibility testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heestand, R. L.; Jones, R. A.; Wright, T. R.; Kizer, D. E.

1973-01-01

High-purity nitride and carbide cermets were synthesized for compatability testing in liquid lithium. A process was developed for the preparation of high-purity hafnium nitride powder, which was subsequently blended with tungsten powder or tantalum nitride and tungsten powders and fabricated into 3 in diameter billets by uniaxial hot pressing. Specimens were then cut from the billets for compatability testing. Similar processing techniques were applied to produce hafnium carbide and zirconium carbide cermets for use in the testing program. All billets produced were characterized with respect to chemistry, structure, density, and strength properties.

Flame resistant fibrous structures development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coskren, Robert J.

1992-01-01

The purpose of the current program was (1) to investigate potentially useful new polymers, both for fire safety and mechanical properties, (2) to produce fibers from these polymers if necessary, and (3) to produce sufficient quantities of qualified fibrous structures, composites, or laminates for use in various areas of the Space Shuttle and Space Station Programs. During the past six years, development efforts have been expended in several major areas in support of Space Shuttle missions and Space Station Freedom projects. The summarized results of several of these major efforts are included in this report.

Biofibers from agricultural byproducts for industrial applications.

PubMed

Reddy, Narendra; Yang, Yiqi

2005-01-01

Lignocellulosic agricultural byproducts are a copious and cheap source for cellulose fibers. Agro-based biofibers have the composition, properties and structure that make them suitable for uses such as composite, textile, pulp and paper manufacture. In addition, biofibers can also be used to produce fuel, chemicals, enzymes and food. Byproducts produced from the cultivation of corn, wheat, rice, sorghum, barley, sugarcane, pineapple, banana and coconut are the major sources of agro-based biofibers. This review analyses the production processes, structure, properties and suitability of these biofibers for various industrial applications.

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

Kim, Kwang Ho; Dutta, Tanmoy; Walter, Eric D.

Chemoselective blocking of the phenolic hydroxyl (Ar–OH) group by methylation was found to suppress secondary repolymerization and charring during lignin depolymerization. Methylation of Ar–OH prevents formation of reactive quinone methide intermediates, which are partly responsible for undesirable secondary repolymerization reactions. Instead, this structurally modified lignin produces more relatively low molecular weight products from lignin depolymerization compared to unmodified lignin. This result demonstrates that structural modification of lignin is desirable for production of low molecular weight phenolic products. Finally, this approach could be directed toward alteration of natural lignification processes to produce biomass that is more amenable to chemical depolymerization.

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

Kim, Kwang Ho; Dutta, Tanmoy; Walter, Eric D.

Chemoselective blocking of the phenolic hydroxyl (Ar-OH) group by methylation was found to suppress secondary repolymerization and charring during lignin depolymerization. Methylation of Ar-OH prevents formation of reactive quinone methide intermediates, which are partly responsible for undesirable secondary repolymerization reactions. Instead, this structurally modified lignin produces more relatively low molecular weight products from lignin depolymerization compared to unmodified lignin. This result demonstrates that structural modification of lignin is desirable for production of low molecular weight phenolic products. This approach could be directed toward alteration of natural lignification processes to produce biomass more amenable to chemical depolymerization.

Theoretical atomic physics code development I: CATS: Cowan Atomic Structure Code

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

Abdallah, J. Jr.; Clark, R.E.H.; Cowan, R.D.

An adaptation of R.D. Cowan's Atomic Structure program, CATS, has been developed as part of the Theoretical Atomic Physics (TAPS) code development effort at Los Alamos. CATS has been designed to be easy to run and to produce data files that can interface with other programs easily. The CATS produced data files currently include wave functions, energy levels, oscillator strengths, plane-wave-Born electron-ion collision strengths, photoionization cross sections, and a variety of other quantities. This paper describes the use of CATS. 10 refs.

Characterization of an RNA aptamer against HPV-16 L1 virus-like particles.

PubMed

Leija-Montoya, Ana Gabriela; Benítez-Hess, María Luisa; Toscano-Garibay, Julia Dolores; Alvarez-Salas, Luis Marat

2014-10-01

The human papillomavirus (HPV) capsid is mainly composed of the L1 protein that can self-assemble into virus-like particles (VLPs) that are structurally and immunologically similar to the infectious virions. We report here the characterization of RNA aptamers that recognize baculovirus-produced HPV-16 L1 VLPs. Interaction and slot-blot binding assays showed that all isolated aptamers efficiently bound HPV-16 VLPs, although the Sc5-c3 aptamer showed the highest specificity and affinity (Kd=0.05 pM). Sc5-c3 secondary structure consisted of a hairpin with a symmetric bubble and an unstructured 3'end. Biochemical and genetic analyses showed that the Sc5-c3 main loop is directly involved on VLPs binding. In particular, binding specificity appeared mediated by five non-consecutive nucleotide positions. Experiments using bacterial-produced HPV-16 L1 resulted in low Sc5-c3 binding, suggesting that recognition of HPV-16 L1 VLPs relies on quaternary structure features not present in bacteria-produced L1 protein. Sc5-c3 produced specific and stable binding to HPV-16 L1 VLPs even in biofluid protein mixes and thus it may provide a potential diagnostic tool for active HPV infection.

Characterization of an RNA Aptamer Against HPV-16 L1 Virus-Like Particles

PubMed Central

Leija-Montoya, Ana Gabriela; Benítez-Hess, María Luisa; Toscano-Garibay, Julia Dolores

2014-01-01

The human papillomavirus (HPV) capsid is mainly composed of the L1 protein that can self-assemble into virus-like particles (VLPs) that are structurally and immunologically similar to the infectious virions. We report here the characterization of RNA aptamers that recognize baculovirus-produced HPV-16 L1 VLPs. Interaction and slot-blot binding assays showed that all isolated aptamers efficiently bound HPV-16 VLPs, although the Sc5-c3 aptamer showed the highest specificity and affinity (Kd=0.05 pM). Sc5-c3 secondary structure consisted of a hairpin with a symmetric bubble and an unstructured 3′end. Biochemical and genetic analyses showed that the Sc5-c3 main loop is directly involved on VLPs binding. In particular, binding specificity appeared mediated by five non-consecutive nucleotide positions. Experiments using bacterial-produced HPV-16 L1 resulted in low Sc5-c3 binding, suggesting that recognition of HPV-16 L1 VLPs relies on quaternary structure features not present in bacteria-produced L1 protein. Sc5-c3 produced specific and stable binding to HPV-16 L1 VLPs even in biofluid protein mixes and thus it may provide a potential diagnostic tool for active HPV infection. PMID:25111024

SSME lifetime prediction and verification, integrating environments, structures, materials: The challenge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, R. S.; Salter, L. D.; Young, G. M., III; Munafo, P. M.

1985-01-01

The planned missions for the space shuttle dictated a unique and technology-extending rocket engine. The high specific impulse requirements in conjunction with a 55-mission lifetime, plus volume and weight constraints, produced unique structural design, manufacturing, and verification requirements. Operations from Earth to orbit produce severe dynamic environments, which couple with the extreme pressure and thermal environments associated with the high performance, creating large low cycle loads and high alternating stresses above endurance limit which result in high sensitivity to alternating stresses. Combining all of these effects resulted in the requirements for exotic materials, which are more susceptible to manufacturing problems, and the use of an all-welded structure. The challenge of integrating environments, dynamics, structures, and materials into a verified SSME structure is discussed. The verification program and developmental flight results are included. The first six shuttle flights had engine performance as predicted with no failures. The engine system has met the basic design challenges.

Disorder in convergent floral nanostructures enhances signalling to bees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moyroud, Edwige; Wenzel, Tobias; Middleton, Rox; Rudall, Paula J.; Banks, Hannah; Reed, Alison; Mellers, Greg; Killoran, Patrick; Westwood, M. Murphy; Steiner, Ullrich; Vignolini, Silvia; Glover, Beverley J.

2017-10-01

Diverse forms of nanoscale architecture generate structural colour and perform signalling functions within and between species. Structural colour is the result of the interference of light from approximately regular periodic structures; some structural disorder is, however, inevitable in biological organisms. Is this disorder functional and subject to evolutionary selection, or is it simply an unavoidable outcome of biological developmental processes? Here we show that disordered nanostructures enable flowers to produce visual signals that are salient to bees. These disordered nanostructures (identified in most major lineages of angiosperms) have distinct anatomies but convergent optical properties; they all produce angle-dependent scattered light, predominantly at short wavelengths (ultraviolet and blue). We manufactured artificial flowers with nanoscale structures that possessed tailored levels of disorder in order to investigate how foraging bumblebees respond to this optical effect. We conclude that floral nanostructures have evolved, on multiple independent occasions, an effective degree of relative spatial disorder that generates a photonic signature that is highly salient to insect pollinators.

Solution Structure of Enterocin HF, an Antilisterial Bacteriocin Produced by Enterococcus faecium M3K31.

PubMed

Arbulu, Sara; Lohans, Christopher T; van Belkum, Marco J; Cintas, Luis M; Herranz, Carmen; Vederas, John C; Hernández, Pablo E

2015-12-16

The solution structure of enterocin HF (EntHF), a class IIa bacteriocin of 43 amino acids produced by Enterococcus faecium M3K31, was evaluated by CD and NMR spectroscopy. Purified EntHF was unstructured in water, but CD analysis supports that EntHF adopts an α-helical conformation when exposed to increasing concentrations of trifluoroethanol. Furthermore, NMR spectroscopy indicates that this bacteriocin adopts an antiparallel β-sheet structure in the N-terminal region (residues 1-17), followed by a well-defined central α-helix (residues 19-30) and a more disordered C-terminal end (residues 31-43). EntHF could be structurally organized into three flexible regions that might act in a coordinated manner. This is in agreement with the absence of long-range nuclear Overhauser effect signals between the β-sheet domain and the C-terminal end of the bacteriocin. The 3D structure recorded for EntHF fits emerging facts regarding target recognition and mode of action of class IIa bacteriocins.

Autotransporter structure reveals intra-barrel cleavage followed by conformational changes.

PubMed

Barnard, Travis J; Dautin, Nathalie; Lukacik, Petra; Bernstein, Harris D; Buchanan, Susan K

2007-12-01

Autotransporters are virulence factors produced by Gram-negative bacteria. They consist of two domains, an N-terminal 'passenger' domain and a C-terminal beta-domain. beta-domains form beta-barrel structures in the outer membrane while passenger domains are translocated into the extracellular space. In some autotransporters, the two domains are separated by proteolytic cleavage. Using X-ray crystallography, we solved the 2.7-A structure of the post-cleavage state of the beta-domain of EspP, an autotransporter produced by Escherichia coli strain O157:H7. The structure consists of a 12-stranded beta-barrel with the passenger domain-beta-domain cleavage junction located inside the barrel pore, approximately midway between the extracellular and periplasmic surfaces of the outer membrane. The structure reveals an unprecedented intra-barrel cleavage mechanism and suggests that two conformational changes occur in the beta-domain after cleavage, one conferring increased stability on the beta-domain and another restricting access to the barrel pore.

Hamiltonian approach to Ehrenfest expectation values and Gaussian quantum states

PubMed Central

Bonet-Luz, Esther

2016-01-01

The dynamics of quantum expectation values is considered in a geometric setting. First, expectation values of the canonical observables are shown to be equivariant momentum maps for the action of the Heisenberg group on quantum states. Then, the Hamiltonian structure of Ehrenfest’s theorem is shown to be Lie–Poisson for a semidirect-product Lie group, named the Ehrenfest group. The underlying Poisson structure produces classical and quantum mechanics as special limit cases. In addition, quantum dynamics is expressed in the frame of the expectation values, in which the latter undergo canonical Hamiltonian motion. In the case of Gaussian states, expectation values dynamics couples to second-order moments, which also enjoy a momentum map structure. Eventually, Gaussian states are shown to possess a Lie–Poisson structure associated with another semidirect-product group, which is called the Jacobi group. This structure produces the energy-conserving variant of a class of Gaussian moment models that have previously appeared in the chemical physics literature. PMID:27279764

Sub-nanometer milling of layered materials by a focused Helium Ion Beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hongzhou; Fox, Daniel; Zhou, Yangbo; O'Connell, Robert

2014-03-01

The modification of the structure and geometry of materials at the nanoscale can be used to tailor their properties. A controllable process which can achieve this is required for the development of next generation nano-devices. We used the highly focused beam of helium ions in a helium ion microscope (HIM) to fabricate nanostructures within various layered materials such as graphene, MoS2, TiO2 and Mn2O3. Arbitrary patterns can be defined in order to produce structures such as nanoribbons. The edge configuration of atoms in such structures plays a large role in defining their properties. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning-TEM (STEM) were used to analyse the structure of the materials after milling. The direct milling of the materials by the helium ions means this approach is suitable for a wide range of nanomaterials. Complex structures can be realized via sophisticated beam control. This also results in the ability to mill along different directions in a crystal, producing edges with different configurations.

Structured Cable for High-Current Coils of Tokamaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benson, Christopher; McIntyre, Peter; Sattarov, Akhdiyor; Mann, Thomas

2011-10-01

The 45 kA superconducting cable for the ITER central solenoid coil has yielded questionable results in two recent tests. In both cases the cable Tc increased after cycling only a fraction of the design life, indicating degradation due to fatigue and fracture among the superconducting strands. The Accelerator Research Lab at Texas A&M University is developing a design for a Nb3Sn structured cable suitable for such tokamak coils. The superconductor is configured in 6 sub-cables, and each subcable is supported within a channel of a central support structure within a high-strength armor sheath. The structured cable addresses two issues that are thought to compromise opposition at high current. The strands are supported without cross-overs (which produce stress concentration); and armor sheath and core structure bypass stress through the coil and among subcables so that the stress within each subcable is only what is produced directly upon it. Details of the design and plans for development will be presented.

In vivo deuteration of a native bacterial biopolymer for structural elucidation using SANS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holden, P. J.; Russell, R. A.; Stone, D. J. M.; Garvey, C. J.; Foster, L. J. R.

2004-07-01

In order to facilitate future structural studies, biodeuteration of bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) was investigated. We report here the in vivo deuteration of poly 3-hydroxyoctanoate (PHO) produced by its native host, the bacterium Pseudomonas oleovorans. Bacterial biomass was produced in bioreactor studies by growth on hydrogenated substrates and PHO was subsequently produced intracellularly (10-20% w/w) during batch fed growth on deuterated octanoic acid under oxygen limitation. GC-MS analyses of the PHO demonstrated that 13 of the 15 hydrogen atoms had been replaced with deuterium (except in position 3), the remaining two hydrogen presumably being derived from water. A SANS contrast variation study was conducted on whole cells and the results indicate the potential to discriminate inclusion bodies formed from deuterated precursor from an otherwise hydrogenated background.

Single-lobed frequency-dependent beam shape in an echolocating false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens).

PubMed

Kloepper, Laura N; Nachtigall, Paul E; Quintos, Christopher; Vlachos, Stephanie A

2012-01-01

Recent studies indicate some odontocetes may produce echolocation beams with a dual-lobed vertical structure. The shape of the odontocete echolocation beam was further investigated in a false killer whale performing an echolocation discrimination task. Clicks were recorded with an array of 16 hydrophones and frequency-dependent amplitude plots were constructed to assess beam shape. The majority of the echolocation clicks were single-lobed in structure with most energy located between 20 and 80 kHz. These data indicate the false killer whale does not produce a dual-lobed structure, as has been shown in bottlenose dolphins, which may be a function of lowered frequencies in the emitted signal due to hearing loss. © 2012 Acoustical Society of America.

Sensitivity of echo enabled harmonic generation to sinusoidal electron beam energy structure

DOE PAGES

Hemsing, E.; Garcia, B.; Huang, Z.; ...

2017-06-19

Here, we analytically examine the bunching factor spectrum of a relativistic electron beam with sinusoidal energy structure that then undergoes an echo-enabled harmonic generation (EEHG) transformation to produce high harmonics. The performance is found to be described primarily by a simple scaling parameter. The dependence of the bunching amplitude on fluctuations of critical parameters is derived analytically, and compared with simulations. Where applicable, EEHG is also compared with high gain harmonic generation (HGHG) and we find that EEHG is generally less sensitive to several types of energy structure. In the presence of intermediate frequency modulations like those produced by themore » microbunching instability, EEHG has a substantially narrower intrinsic bunching pedestal.« less

The structure of the acidic exopolysaccharide produced by Pseudomonas "gingeri" strain Pf9.

PubMed

Cescutti, P; Osman, S F; Fett, W F; Weisleder, D

1995-10-02

The structure of the acidic exopolysaccharide produced by the mushroom pathogen Pseudomonas "gingeri" strain Pf9, a bacterium which causes ginger blotch, was investigated by chemical analysis, mass spectrometry and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The polysaccharide consists of the linear trisaccharide repeating unit [formula: see text] where the cyclic pyruvic acetal groups at O-4 and O-6 of the mannopyranosyl residues have the S-configuration. Methylation analysis under neutral conditions and NMR data showed that the mannose residues are acetylated at O-2. This exopolysaccharide has the same structure as the E. coli K55 capsular polysaccharide and differs from the Klebsiella K5 capsular polysaccharide only in the position of acetylation (C-2 of the glucopyranose residue).

Fragmentation of Structural Energetic Materials: Implications for Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aydelotte, Brady; Braithwaite, Christopher; Thadhani, Naresh

2013-06-01

Fragmentation results for structural energetic materials based on intermetallic forming mixtures are reviewed and the implications of the fragment populations are discussed. Cold Sprayed Ni+Al and explosively compacted mixtures of Ni+Al+W and Ni+Al+W+Zr powders were fabricated into ring shaped samples and subjected to fragmentation tests. Ring velocity was monitored and fragments were soft captured in order to study the fragmentation process. It was determined that the fragments produced by these structural energetic materials are much smaller than those typically produced by ductile metals such as steel or aluminum. This has implications for combustion processes that may occur subsequent to the fragmentation process. ONR/MURI grant No. N00014-07-1-0740 Dr. Cliff Bedford PM.

Structural and optical properties of silicon-carbide nanowires produced by the high-temperature carbonization of silicon nanostructures

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

Pavlikov, A. V., E-mail: pavlikov@physics.msu.ru; Latukhina, N. V.; Chepurnov, V. I.

Silicon-carbide (SiC) nanowire structures 40–50 nm in diameter are produced by the high-temperature carbonization of porous silicon and silicon nanowires. The SiC nanowires are studied by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and infrared reflectance spectroscopy. The X-ray structural and Raman data suggest that the cubic 3C-SiC polytype is dominant in the samples under study. The shape of the infrared reflectance spectrum in the region of the reststrahlen band 800–900 cm{sup –1} is indicative of the presence of free charge carriers. The possibility of using SiC nanowires in microelectronic, photonic, and gas-sensing devices is discussed.

Sources of and Remedies for Removing Unwanted Reflections in Millimeter Wave Images of Complex SOFI-Covered Space Shuttle Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharkovsky, S.; Zoughi, R.; Hepburn, Frank L.

2007-01-01

In the recent years, continuous-wave near-field and lens-focused millimeter wave imaging systems have been effectively used to demonstrate their utility for producing high-resolution images of metallic structures covered with spay on foam insulation (SOFI) such as the Space Shuttle external fuel tank. However, for some specific structures a certain interference -pattern may be superimposed on the produced images. There are methods by which the influence of this unwanted interference can be reduced, such as the incorporation of an incidence .angle and the proper use of signal polarization. This paper presents the basics of this problem and describes the use of the methods for reducing this unwanted influence through specific examples.

Characterizing Crystalline-Vitreous Structures: From Atomically Resolved Silica to Macroscopic Bubble Rafts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burson, Kristen M.; Schlexer, Philomena; Bu¨chner, Christin; Lichtenstein, Leonid; Heyde, Markus; Freund, Hans-Joachim

2015-01-01

A two-part experiment using bubble rafts to analyze amorphous structures is presented. In the first part, the distinctions between crystalline and vitreous structures are examined. In the second part, the interface between crystalline and amorphous regions is considered. Bubble rafts are easy to produce and provide excellent analogy to recent…

76 FR 71121 - Notice of Proposed Buy America Waiver

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-16

... seeking a waiver for the procurement of glass panels needed to construct two structural glass pavilions... produced in the United States. 49 CFR 661.7(c)(1). Structural glass is a manufactured product. As such, it.... The proposals included glass panels to be utilized in the construction of two structural glass...

Complement Constructions in English: Fairly Difficult for EFL Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fazeli, Fatemeh; Shokrpour, Nasrin

2012-01-01

Complement constructions vary significantly in English and Persian. There are more complementation structures in English than in Persian and a complement structure in Persian might have more than one equivalent in English. Producing complement structures (CSs) in English is very difficult for native speakers of Persian, especially in an EFL…

Lithographically defined microporous carbon-composite structures

DOEpatents

Burckel, David Bruce; Washburn, Cody M.; Lambert, Timothy N.; Finnegan, Patrick Sean; Wheeler, David R.

2016-12-06

A microporous carbon scaffold is produced by lithographically patterning a carbon-containing photoresist, followed by pyrolysis of the developed resist structure. Prior to exposure, the photoresist is loaded with a nanoparticulate material. After pyrolysis, the nanonparticulate material is dispersed in, and intimately mixed with, the carbonaceous material of the scaffold, thereby yielding a carbon composite structure.

Distinct Roles for Medial Temporal Lobe Structures in Memory for Objects and Their Locations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buffalo, Elizabeth A.; Bellgowan, Patrick S. F.; Martin, Alex

2006-01-01

The ability to learn and retain novel information depends on a system of structures in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) including the hippocampus and the surrounding entorhinal, perirhinal, and parahippocampal cortices. Damage to these structures produces profound memory deficits; however, the unique contribution to memory of each of these…

76 FR 13227 - Continental Structural Plastics, Including On-Site Leased Workers From Kelly Services and Doepker...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-10

... Plastics, Including On-Site Leased Workers From Kelly Services and Doepker Group, Inc., Formerly Known As... Continental Structural Plastics, North Baltimore, Ohio. The workers produce exterior body panels and under... to TA-W-64,458 is hereby issued as follows: All workers of Continental Structural Plastics, including...

Surface generation and editing operations applied to structural support of aerospace vehicle fuselages. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, Susan K.

1992-01-01

The Solid Modeling Aerospace Research Tool (SMART) is a computer aided design tool used in aerospace vehicle design. Modeling of structural components using SMART includes the representation of the transverse or cross-wise elements of a vehicle's fuselage, ringframes, and bulkheads. Ringframes are placed along a vehicle's fuselage to provide structural support and maintain the shape of the fuselage. Bulkheads are also used to maintain shape, but are placed at locations where substantial structural support is required. Given a Bezier curve representation of a cross sectional cut through a vehicle's fuselage and/or an internal tank, this project produces a first-guess Bezier patch representation of a ringframe or bulkhead at the cross-sectional position. The grid produced is later used in the structural analysis of the vehicle. The graphical display of the generated patches allows the user to edit patch control points in real time. Constraints considered in the patch generation include maintaining 'square-like' patches and placement of longitudinal, or lengthwise along the fuselage, structural elements called longerons.

Modern freshwater microbialite analogues for ancient dendritic reef structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laval, B.; Cady, S. L.; Pollack, J. C.; McKay, C. P.; Bird, J. S.; Grotzinger, J. P.; Ford, D. C.; Bohm, H. R.

2000-01-01

Microbialites are organosedimentary structures that can be constructed by a variety of metabolically distinct taxa. Consequently, microbialite structures abound in the fossil record, although the exact nature of the biogeochemical processes that produced them is often unknown. One such class of ancient calcareous structures, Epiphyton and Girvanella, appear in great abundance during the Early Cambrian. Together with Archeocyathids, stromatolites and thrombolites, they formed major Cambrian reef belts. To a large extent, Middle to Late Cambrian reefs are similar to Precambrian reefs, with the exception that the latter, including terminal Proterozoic reefs, do not contain Epiphyton or Girvanella. Here we report the discovery in Pavilion Lake, British Columbia, Canada, of a distinctive assemblage of freshwater calcite microbialites, some of which display microstructures similar to the fabrics displayed by Epiphyton and Girvanella. The morphologies of the modern microbialites vary with depth, and dendritic microstructures of the deep water (> 30 m) mounds indicate that they may be modern analogues for the ancient calcareous structures. These microbialites thus provide an opportunity to study the biogeochemical interactions that produce fabrics similar to those of some enigmatic Early Cambrian reef structures.

Developing transboundary river basin monitoring programmes using the DPSIR indicator framework.

PubMed

Timmerman, J G; Beinat, E; Termeer, C J A M; Cofino, W P

2011-10-01

Policymakers are often dissatisfied by the lack of what they consider useful information to support water management. Analysis of this 'water information gap' shows that this is caused by a lack of proper communication between information users and information producers. To improve this communication the process of specification of information needs has been structured. Earlier experiences showed that this not only entailed developing a structure to manage the process, but also developing a structure to guide the breakdown of policy objectives into information needs. Such a structure to organise the problem supports policy makers and monitoring specialists in their communication. This paper describes three pilot projects where the DPSIR indicator framework was used to organise the problem. It is concluded that the DPSIR framework is useful for improving the communication between information users and information producers and is helpful in breaking down policy objectives into information needs in a structured way. The structured approach in this way assists in narrowing the water information gap. Use of the DPSIR framework however leads to a bias towards water management problems and does not provide for all the relevant information needs.

Lightweight Thermoformed Structural Components and Optics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeiders, Glenn W.; Bradford, Larry J.

2004-01-01

A technique that involves the use of thermoformed plastics has been developed to enable the design and fabrication of ultra-lightweight structural components and mirrors for use in outer space. The technique could also be used to produce items for special terrestrial uses in which minimization of weight is a primary design consideration. Although the inherent strengths of thermoplastics are clearly inferior to those of metals and composite materials, thermoplastics offer a distinct advantage in that they can be shaped, at elevated temperatures, to replicate surfaces (e.g., prescribed mirror surfaces) precisely. Furthermore, multiple elements can be bonded into structures of homogeneous design that display minimal thermal deformation aside from simple expansion. The design aspect of the present technique is based on the principle that the deflection of a plate that has internal structure depends far more on the overall thickness than on the internal details; thus, a very stiff, light structure can be made from thin plastic that is heatformed to produce a sufficiently high moment of inertia. General examples of such structures include I beams and eggcrates.

Effect of regional slopes on local structure and exploration of tilted paleo-highs

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

Nazarov, D.A.; Chernobrov, B.S.

1986-06-01

Prospects for discovering local highs in old petroleum-producing regions have by now been substantially exhausted. Hence it is of great importance at this stage to seek non-anticlinal accumulations of hydrocarbons, including those in traps genetically associated with tilted paleo-highs, often represented in the modern structural plan by structural noses and terraces. Appropriate exploration for such types of deposits may soon become important in Ciscaucasia and other old petroleum-producing regions. Consequently, problems of the scientific basis for prospecting paleo-highs tilted in the modern structural plan, and developing procedures both for revealing and also for assessing their expression in the structural planmore » during different stages of geological history, and establishing the time and depth of changes in aspect, will become extremely topical. In order to discover possible local highs and to study their features within the margins of the platformal basins and the platformal edges of the marginal troughs, the authors use the method of removing the effect of the regional slope on the local structural plan. This paper describes this method. 13 references.« less

Covering complete proteomes with X-ray structures: A current snapshot

DOE PAGES

Mizianty, Marcin J.; Fan, Xiao; Yan, Jing; ...

2014-10-23

Structural genomics programs have developed and applied structure-determination pipelines to a wide range of protein targets, facilitating the visualization of macromolecular interactions and the understanding of their molecular and biochemical functions. The fundamental question of whether three-dimensional structures of all proteins and all functional annotations can be determined using X-ray crystallography is investigated. A first-of-its-kind large-scale analysis of crystallization propensity for all proteins encoded in 1953 fully sequenced genomes was performed. It is shown that current X-ray crystallographic knowhow combined with homology modeling can provide structures for 25% of modeling families (protein clusters for which structural models can be obtainedmore » through homology modeling), with at least one structural model produced for each Gene Ontology functional annotation. The coverage varies between superkingdoms, with 19% for eukaryotes, 35% for bacteria and 49% for archaea, and with those of viruses following the coverage values of their hosts. It is shown that the crystallization propensities of proteomes from the taxonomic superkingdoms are distinct. The use of knowledge-based target selection is shown to substantially increase the ability to produce X-ray structures. It is demonstrated that the human proteome has one of the highest attainable coverage values among eukaryotes, and GPCR membrane proteins suitable for X-ray structure determination were determined.« less

Optimal structural design of a 5-kW CPV tracking system by considering the ISO 4017/4762 standard through structure and flow simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hyo Geun; Kim, Sang Suk; Kim, Sung Jo; Park, Su-Jin; Yun, Chang-wuk; Im, Gil-pyeong

2015-09-01

Photovoltaic generation systems have disadvantage in that they are usually installed outdoors and are exposed to extreme environments such as wind, snow and rain loadings. The structure of a photovoltaic generation system should be designed to have sufficient stiffness and strength against such loads. Especially, electric power generation by a concentrator photovoltaic(CPV) system can produce enough power if a right angle is main fained between the solar and the CPV panel within 90° ± 1°. To make the CPV tracking system in this study, we designed the structure by calculating the variations in and the strees applied to the structure by the wind load when the CPV tracking was influenced by the wind load. In this study, a 5-kW CPV tracking structure was designed through a structural analysis and a finiteelement analysis for a wind speed of 65 m/s by using ANSYS. The simulation of the structural design showed that the, structure of the 5-kW CPV tracking system corresponded with the ISO4017/ISO4762 standard. Based on this research, we will produce a 5-kW CPV tracking system and proceed to field test.

Plant Mulches Can Help Weed Management in Ukraine

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Producers in the United States are interested in restoring the health of their soils to improve crop production. Decades of tillage have severely damaged soil structure and functioning. Eliminating tillage from production systems has repaired some of this damage to soil. Producers and scientists ...

Development program on a cold cathode electron gun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spindt, C. A.

1979-01-01

A prototype electron gun with a field emitter cathode capable of producing 95 mA in a 1/4 mm diameter beam at 12 kV was produced. Achievement of this goal required supporting studies in cathode fabrication, cathode performance, gun design, cathode mounting and gun fabrication. A series of empirical investigations advanced fabrication technology: More stable emitters were produced and multiple cone failure caused by chain reaction discharges were reduced. The cathode is capable of producing well over 95 mA, but a substantial collector development effort was required to demonstrate emission levels in the 100 mA region. Space charge problems made these levels difficult to achieve. Recommendations are made for future process and materials investigation. Electron gun designs were modeled and tested. A pair of two-electrode gun structures were fabricated and tested; one gun was delivered to NASA. Cathodes were pretested up to 100 mA at SRI and delivered to NASA for test in the gun structure.

Biopolymers from lactic acid bacteria. Novel applications in foods and beverages

PubMed Central

Torino, María I.; Font de Valdez, Graciela; Mozzi, Fernanda

2015-01-01

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are microorganisms widely used in the fermented food industry worldwide. Certain LAB are able to produce exopolysaccharides (EPS) either attached to the cell wall (capsular EPS) or released to the extracellular environment (EPS). According to their composition, LAB may synthesize heteropolysaccharides or homopolysaccharides. A wide diversity of EPS are produced by LAB concerning their monomer composition, molecular mass, and structure. Although EPS-producing LAB strains have been traditionally applied in the manufacture of dairy products such as fermented milks and yogurts, their use in the elaboration of low-fat cheeses, diverse type of sourdough breads, and certain beverages are some of the novel applications of these polymers. This work aims to collect the most relevant issues of the former reviews concerning the monomer composition, structure, and yields and biosynthetic enzymes of EPS from LAB; to describe the recently characterized EPS and to present the application of both EPS-producing strains and their polymers in the fermented (specifically beverages and cereal-based) food industry. PMID:26441845

HCG variants, the growth factors which drive human malignancies

PubMed Central

Cole, Laurence A

2012-01-01

The term human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) refers to a group of 5 molecules, each sharing the common amino acid sequence but each differing in meric structure and carbohydrate side chain structure. The 5 molecules are each produced by separate cells and each having separate biological functions. hCG and sulfated hCG are hormones produced by placental syncytiotrophoblast cells and pituitary gonadotrope cells. Hyperglycosylated hCG is an autocrine produced by placental cytotrophoblast cells. Hyperglycosylated hCG drives malignancy in placental cancers, and in testicular and ovarian germ cell malignancies. hCGβ and hyperglycosylated hCGβ are autocrines produce by most advanced malignancies. These molecules, particularly the malignancy promoters are presented in this review on hCG and cancer. hCGβ and hyperglycosylated hCGβ are critical to the growth and invasion, or malignancy of most advanced cancers. In many ways, while hCG may appear like a nothing, a hormone associated with pregnancy, it is not, and may be at the center of cancer research. PMID:22206043

Unique spin-polarized transmission effects in a QD ring structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hedin, Eric; Joe, Yong

2010-10-01

Spintronics is an emerging field in which the spin of the electron is used for switching purposes and to communicate information. In order to obtain spin-polarized electron transmission, the Zeeman effect is employed to produce spin-split energy states in quantum dots which are embedded in the arms of a mesoscopic Aharonov-Bohm (AB) ring heterostructure. The Zeeman splitting of the QD energy levels can be induced by a parallel magnetic field, or by a perpendicular field which also produces AB-effects. The combination of these effects on the transmission resonances of the structure is studied analytically and several parameter regimes are identified which produce a high degree of spin-polarized output. Contour and line plots of the weighted spin polarization as a function of electron energy and magnetic field are presented to visualize the degree of spin-polarization. Taking advantage of these unique parameter regimes shows the potential promise of such devices for producing spin-polarized currents.

Fabrication and Characterization of Thin Film Ion Implanted Composite Materials for Integrated Nonlinear Optical Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sarkisov, S.; Curley, M.; Williams, E. K.; Wilkosz, A.; Ila, D.; Poker, D. B.; Hensley, D. K.; Smith, C.; Banks, C.; Penn, B.;

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

Wagner, Drew T.; Zeng, Jia; Bailey, Constance B.

In an effort to uncover the structural motifs and biosynthetic logic of the relatively uncharacterized trans-acyltransferase polyketide synthases, we have begun the dissection of the enigmatic dehydrating bimodules common in these enzymatic assembly lines. We report the 1.98 Å resolution structure of a ketoreductase (KR) from the first half of a type A dehydrating bimodule and the 2.22 Å resolution structure of a dehydratase (DH) from the second half of a type B dehydrating bimodule. The KR, from the third module of the bacillaene synthase, and the DH, from the tenth module of the difficidin synthase, possess features not observedmore » in structurally characterized homologs. The DH architecture provides clues for how it catalyzes a unique double dehydration. Correlations between the chemistries proposed for dehydrating bimodules and bioinformatic analysis indicate that type A dehydrating bimodules generally produce an α/β-cis alkene moiety, while type B dehydrating bimodules generally produce an α/β-trans, γ/δ-cis diene moiety.« less

Fabrication and characterization of anode catalyst layers with structural variations for DMFC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dazhi; Shi, Peng; Zhou, Peng; Mao, Qing; Liang, Junsheng; Wang, Suli; Li, Yang; Ren, Tongqun; Sun, Gongquan

2018-04-01

In this work, the electrohydrodynamic jet (E-Jet) Layer-by-Layer (LbL) deposition technique was employed to produce anode catalyst layer (CL) structure for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). The CLs with different thickness and porosity were fabricated with the control of the E-Jet deposition parameters. Then, the deposited anode CLs with structural variations were assembled to membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). The results showed that the anode CL with higher porosity contributed higher dispersed catalyst, which further induced greater electrochemical active surface area (ESA) and higher performance. At optimized working condition the anode CL with high-dispersed catalyst of was produced using the E-Jet LbL deposition technique. It was observed that the peak power density is 72.8 mW cm‑2 for the cell having a porosity of 0.63, which has an increase of about 33% after modification of the CL structure.

Spin Testing of Superalloy Disks With Dual Grain Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hefferman, Tab M.

2006-01-01

This 24-month program was a joint effort between Allison Advanced Development Company (AADC), General Electric Aircraft (GEAE), and NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). AADC led the disk and spin hardware design and analysis utilizing existing Rolls-Royce turbine disk forging tooling. Testing focused on spin testing four disks: two supplied by GEAE and two by AADC. The two AADC disks were made of Alloy 10, and each was subjected to a different heat treat process: one producing dual microstructure with coarse grain size at the rim and fine grain size at the bore and the other produced single fine grain structure throughout. The purpose of the spin tests was to provide data for evaluation of the impact of dual grain structure on disk overspeed integrity (yielding) and rotor burst criteria. The program culminated with analysis and correlation of the data to current rotor overspeed criteria and advanced criteria required for dual structure disks.

Synthesis of gold structures by gold-binding peptide governed by concentration of gold ion and peptide.

PubMed

Kim, Jungok; Kim, Dong-Hun; Lee, Sylvia J; Rheem, Youngwoo; Myung, Nosang V; Hur, Hor-Gil

2016-08-01

Although biological synthesis methods for the production of gold structures by microorganisms, plant extracts, proteins, and peptide have recently been introduced, there have been few reports pertaining to controlling their size and morphology. The gold ion and peptide concentrations affected on the size and uniformity of gold plates by a gold-binding peptide Midas-11. The higher concentration of gold ions produced a larger size of gold structures reached 125.5 μm, but an increased amount of Midas-11 produced a smaller size of gold platelets and increased the yield percentage of polygonal gold particles rather than platelets. The mechanisms governing factors controlling the production of gold structures were primarily related to nucleation and growth. These results indicate that the synthesis of gold architectures can be controlled by newly isolated and substituted peptides under different reaction conditions.

Pectin-modifying enzymes and pectin-derived materials: applications and impacts.

PubMed

Bonnin, Estelle; Garnier, Catherine; Ralet, Marie-Christine

2014-01-01

Pectins are complex branched polysaccharides present in primary cell walls. As a distinctive feature, they contain high amount of partly methyl-esterified galacturonic acid and low amount of rhamnose and carry arabinose and galactose as major neutral sugars. Due to their structural complexity, they are modifiable by many different enzymes, including hydrolases, lyases, and esterases. Their peculiar structure is the origin of their physicochemical properties. Among others, their remarkable gelling properties make them a key additive for food industries. Pectin-degrading enzymes and -modifying enzymes may be used in a wide variety of applications to modulate pectin properties or produce pectin derivatives and oligosaccharides with functional as well as nutritional interests. This paper reviews the scientific information available on pectin structure, pectin-modifying enzymes, and the use of enzymes to produce pectin with controlled structure or pectin-derived oligosaccharides, with functional or nutritional interesting properties.

Cellulose fibres, nanofibrils and microfibrils: The morphological sequence of MFC components from a plant physiology and fibre technology point of view

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chinga-Carrasco, Gary

2011-06-01

During the last decade, major efforts have been made to develop adequate and commercially viable processes for disintegrating cellulose fibres into their structural components. Homogenisation of cellulose fibres has been one of the principal applied procedures. Homogenisation has produced materials which may be inhomogeneous, containing fibres, fibres fragments, fibrillar fines and nanofibrils. The material has been denominated microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). In addition, terms relating to the nano-scale have been given to the MFC material. Several modern and high-tech nano-applications have been envisaged for MFC. However, is MFC a nano-structure? It is concluded that MFC materials may be composed of (1) nanofibrils, (2) fibrillar fines, (3) fibre fragments and (4) fibres. This implies that MFC is not necessarily synonymous with nanofibrils, microfibrils or any other cellulose nano-structure. However, properly produced MFC materials contain nano-structures as a main component, i.e. nanofibrils.

Multi-Functional BN-BN Composite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kang, Jin Ho (Inventor); Bryant, Robert G. (Inventor); Park, Cheol (Inventor); Sauti, Godfrey (Inventor); Gibbons, Luke (Inventor); Lowther, Sharon (Inventor); Thibeault, Sheila A. (Inventor); Fay, Catharine C. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

Multifunctional Boron Nitride nanotube-Boron Nitride (BN-BN) nanocomposites for energy transducers, thermal conductors, anti-penetrator/wear resistance coatings, and radiation hardened materials for harsh environments. An all boron-nitride structured BN-BN composite is synthesized. A boron nitride containing precursor is synthesized, then mixed with boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) to produce a composite solution which is used to make green bodies of different forms including, for example, fibers, mats, films, and plates. The green bodies are pyrolized to facilitate transformation into BN-BN composite ceramics. The pyrolysis temperature, pressure, atmosphere and time are controlled to produce a desired BN crystalline structure. The wholly BN structured materials exhibit excellent thermal stability, high thermal conductivity, piezoelectricity as well as enhanced toughness, hardness, and radiation shielding properties. By substituting with other elements into the original structure of the nanotubes and/or matrix, new nanocomposites (i.e., BCN, BCSiN ceramics) which possess excellent hardness, tailored photonic bandgap and photoluminescence, result.

Wall structure and material properties cause viscous damping of swimbladder sounds in the oyster toadfish Opsanus tau

PubMed Central

King, Terrence L.; Ali, Heba; Sidker, Nehan; Cameron, Timothy M.

2016-01-01

Despite rapid damping, fish swimbladders have been modelled as underwater resonant bubbles. Recent data suggest that swimbladders of sound-producing fishes use a forced rather than a resonant response to produce sound. The reason for this discrepancy has not been formally addressed, and we demonstrate, for the first time, that the structure of the swimbladder wall will affect vibratory behaviour. Using the oyster toadfish Opsanus tau, we find regional differences in bladder thickness, directionality of collagen layers (anisotropic bladder wall structure), material properties that differ between circular and longitudinal directions (stress, strain and Young's modulus), high water content (80%) of the bladder wall and a 300-fold increase in the modulus of dried tissue. Therefore, the swimbladder wall is a viscoelastic structure that serves to damp vibrations and impart directionality, preventing the expression of resonance. PMID:27798293

Wet formation and structural characterization of quasi-hexagonal monolayers.

PubMed

Batys, Piotr; Weroński, Paweł; Nosek, Magdalena

2016-01-01

We have presented a simple and efficient method for producing dense particle monolayers with controlled surface coverage. The method is based on particle sedimentation, manipulation of the particle-substrate electrostatic interaction, and gentle mechanical vibration of the system. It allows for obtaining quasi-hexagonal structures under wet conditions. Using this method, we have produced a monolayer of 3 μm silica particles on a glassy carbon substrate. By optical microscopy, we have determined the coordinates of the particles and surface coverage of the obtained structure to be 0.82. We have characterized the monolayer structure by means of the pair-correlation function and power spectrum. We have also compared the results with those for a 2D hexagonal monolayer and monolayer generated by random sequential adsorption at the coverage 0.50. We have found the surface fractal dimension to be 2.5, independently of the monolayer surface coverage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Different Training Structures in the Establishment of Conditional Discriminations and Subsequent Performance on Tests for Stimulus Equivalence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arntzen, Erik; Grondahl, Terje; Eilifsen, Christoffer

2010-01-01

Previous studies comparing groups of subjects have indicated differential probabilities of stimulus equivalence outcome as a function of training structures. One-to-Many (OTM) and Many-to-One (MTO) training structures seem to produce positive outcomes on tests for stimulus equivalence more often than a Linear Series (LS) training structure does.…

Fatigue and biological properties of Ti-6Al-4V ELI cellular structures with variously arranged cubic cells made by selective laser melting.

PubMed

Dallago, M; Fontanari, V; Torresani, E; Leoni, M; Pederzolli, C; Potrich, C; Benedetti, M

2018-02-01

Traditional implants made of bulk titanium are much stiffer than human bone and this mismatch can induce stress shielding. Although more complex to produce and with less predictable properties compared to bulk implants, implants with a highly porous structure can be produced to match the bone stiffness and at the same time favor bone ingrowth and regeneration. This paper presents the results of the mechanical and dimensional characterization of different regular cubic open-cell cellular structures produced by Selective Laser Melting (SLM) of Ti6Al4V alloy, all with the same nominal elastic modulus of 3GPa that matches that of human trabecular bone. The main objective of this research was to determine which structure has the best fatigue resistance through fully reversed fatigue tests on cellular specimens. The quality of the manufacturing process and the discrepancy between the actual measured cell parameters and the nominal CAD values were assessed through an extensive metrological analysis. The results of the metrological assessment allowed us to discuss the effect of manufacturing defects (porosity, surface roughness and geometrical inaccuracies) on the mechanical properties. Half of the specimens was subjected to a stress relief thermal treatment while the other half to Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP), and we compared the effect of the treatments on porosity and on the mechanical properties. Fatigue strength seems to be highly dependent on the surface irregularities and notches introduced during the manufacturing process. In fully reversed fatigue tests, the high performances of stretching dominated structures compared to bending dominated structures are not found. In fact, with thicker struts, such structures proved to be more resistant, even if bending actions were present. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LiveBench-1: continuous benchmarking of protein structure prediction servers.

PubMed

Bujnicki, J M; Elofsson, A; Fischer, D; Rychlewski, L

2001-02-01

We present a novel, continuous approach aimed at the large-scale assessment of the performance of available fold-recognition servers. Six popular servers were investigated: PDB-Blast, FFAS, T98-lib, GenTHREADER, 3D-PSSM, and INBGU. The assessment was conducted using as prediction targets a large number of selected protein structures released from October 1999 to April 2000. A target was selected if its sequence showed no significant similarity to any of the proteins previously available in the structural database. Overall, the servers were able to produce structurally similar models for one-half of the targets, but significantly accurate sequence-structure alignments were produced for only one-third of the targets. We further classified the targets into two sets: easy and hard. We found that all servers were able to find the correct answer for the vast majority of the easy targets if a structurally similar fold was present in the server's fold libraries. However, among the hard targets--where standard methods such as PSI-BLAST fail--the most sensitive fold-recognition servers were able to produce similar models for only 40% of the cases, half of which had a significantly accurate sequence-structure alignment. Among the hard targets, the presence of updated libraries appeared to be less critical for the ranking. An "ideally combined consensus" prediction, where the results of all servers are considered, would increase the percentage of correct assignments by 50%. Each server had a number of cases with a correct assignment, where the assignments of all the other servers were wrong. This emphasizes the benefits of considering more than one server in difficult prediction tasks. The LiveBench program (http://BioInfo.PL/LiveBench) is being continued, and all interested developers are cordially invited to join.

A Real-Time Microwave Camera at K-Band (24 GHz)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghasr, M. T.; Abou-Khousa, M.; Baumgartner, M. A.; Zoughi, R.

2009-01-01

Nondestructive testing (NDT) community has been moving towards effective and robust inspection systems that can provide real-time information about materials, geometrical, structural and mechanical characteristics of composite materials/structures. Moreover, in many applications it is desired to have an image of the structure, after which the information contained in the image is correlated to the above characteristics. Microwave signals penetrate inside of dielectric composite structures and their interaction with the interior of the structure renders critical information for NDT purposes. Subsequently, this information (i.e., magnitude and phase or reflected signal) may be used to produce an image of the interior of the structure revealing potential flaws or anomalies. Image processing and reconstruction techniques may also be incorporated to produce high-resolution images (i.e., synthetic-aperture, back-propagation, etc.). There are several different approaches for designing areal-time microwave camera system. One approach is based on modulated scatterer technique (MST), which is used to tag scattered electric field in a discrete two-dimensional (2D) spatial domain (e.g. a retina) resulting in the 2D magnitude and phase distribution of the scattered electric field which is required for producing an image of a material or structure under inspection. The ability to rapidly modulate resonant slot antennas in such a retina along with using receivers with fast responses provide for real-time image production capability. Design issue and criteria become more challenging at higher frequencies and for a relatively large retina size. This paper presents the basic design and challenges for a microwave camera with a retina size of 6" by 6" operating at a frequency of 24 GHz.

Solenopsis invicta virus 3: mapping of structural proteins, ribosomal frameshifting, and similarities to Acyrthosiphon pisum virus and Kelp fly virus.

PubMed

Valles, Steven M; Bell, Susanne; Firth, Andrew E

2014-01-01

Solenopsis invicta virus 3 (SINV-3) is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus that infects the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. We show that the second open reading frame (ORF) of the dicistronic genome is expressed via a frameshifting mechanism and that the sequences encoding the structural proteins map to both ORF2 and the 3' end of ORF1, downstream of the sequence that encodes the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The genome organization and structural protein expression strategy resemble those of Acyrthosiphon pisum virus (APV), an aphid virus. The capsid protein that is encoded by the 3' end of ORF1 in SINV-3 and APV is predicted to have a jelly-roll fold similar to the capsid proteins of picornaviruses and caliciviruses. The capsid-extension protein that is produced by frameshifting, includes the jelly-roll fold domain encoded by ORF1 as its N-terminus, while the C-terminus encoded by the 5' half of ORF2 has no clear homology with other viral structural proteins. A third protein, encoded by the 3' half of ORF2, is associated with purified virions at sub-stoichiometric ratios. Although the structural proteins can be translated from the genomic RNA, we show that SINV-3 also produces a subgenomic RNA encoding the structural proteins. Circumstantial evidence suggests that APV may also produce such a subgenomic RNA. Both SINV-3 and APV are unclassified picorna-like viruses distantly related to members of the order Picornavirales and the family Caliciviridae. Within this grouping, features of the genome organization and capsid domain structure of SINV-3 and APV appear more similar to caliciviruses, perhaps suggesting the basis for a "Calicivirales" order.

Crustal shear velocity structure in the Southern Lau Basin constrained by seafloor compliance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zha, Yang; Webb, Spahr C.

2016-05-01

Seafloor morphology and crustal structure vary significantly in the Lau back-arc basin, which contains regions of island arc formation, rifting, and seafloor spreading. We analyze seafloor compliance: deformation under long period ocean wave forcing, at 30 ocean bottom seismometers to constrain crustal shear wave velocity structure along and across the Eastern Lau Spreading Center (ELSC). Velocity models obtained through Monte Carlo inversion of compliance data show systematic variation of crustal structure in the basin. Sediment thicknesses range from zero thickness at the ridge axis to 1400 m near the volcanic arc. Sediment thickness increases faster to the east than to the west of the ELSC, suggesting a more abundant source of sediment near the active arc volcanoes. Along the ELSC, upper crustal velocities increase from the south to the north where the ridge has migrated farther away from the volcanic arc front. Along the axial ELSC, compliance analysis did not detect a crustal low-velocity body, indicating less melt in the ELSC crustal accretion zone compared to the fast spreading East Pacific Rise. Average upper crust shear velocities for the older ELSC crust produced when the ridge was near the volcanic arc are 0.5-0.8 km/s slower than crust produced at the present-day northern ELSC, consistent with a more porous extrusive layer. Crust in the western Lau Basin, which although thought to have been produced through extension and rifting of old arc crust, is found to have upper crustal velocities similar to older oceanic crust produced at the ELSC.

A Novel Exopolysaccharide with Metal Adsorption Capacity Produced by a Marine Bacterium Alteromonas sp. JL2810

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

Zhang, Zilian; Cai, Ruanhong; Zhang, Wenhui

Most marine bacteria can produce exopolysaccharides (EPS). However, very few structures of EPS produced by marine bacteria have been determined. The characterization of EPS structure is important for the elucidation of their biological functions and ecological roles. In this study, the structure of EPS produced by a marine bacterium, Alteromonas sp. JL2810, was characterized, and the biosorption of the EPS for heavy metals Cu 2+, Ni 2+, and Cr 6+ was also investigated. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis indicated that the JL2810 EPS have a novel structure consisting of the repeating unit of [-3)-α-Rhap-(1→3)-α-Manp-(1→4)-α-3OAc-GalAp-(1→]. The biosorption of the EPS formore » heavy metals was affected by a medium pH; the maximum biosorption capacities for Cu 2+ and Ni 2+ were 140.8-8.2 mg/g and 226.3-3.3 mg/g at pH 5.0; however, for Cr 6+ it was 215.2-5.1 mg/g at pH 5.5. Infrared spectrometry analysis demonstrated that the groups of O-H, C=O, and C-O-C were the main function groups for the adsorption of JL2810 EPS with the heavy metals. The adsorption equilibrium of JL2810 EPS for Ni 2+ was further analyzed, and the equilibrium data could be better represented by the Langmuir isotherm model. The novel EPS could be potentially used in industrial applications as a novel bio-resource for the removal of heavy metals.« less

A Novel Exopolysaccharide with Metal Adsorption Capacity Produced by a Marine Bacterium Alteromonas sp. JL2810

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Zilian; Cai, Ruanhong; Zhang, Wenhui; ...

2017-06-12

Most marine bacteria can produce exopolysaccharides (EPS). However, very few structures of EPS produced by marine bacteria have been determined. The characterization of EPS structure is important for the elucidation of their biological functions and ecological roles. In this study, the structure of EPS produced by a marine bacterium, Alteromonas sp. JL2810, was characterized, and the biosorption of the EPS for heavy metals Cu 2+, Ni 2+, and Cr 6+ was also investigated. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis indicated that the JL2810 EPS have a novel structure consisting of the repeating unit of [-3)-α-Rhap-(1→3)-α-Manp-(1→4)-α-3OAc-GalAp-(1→]. The biosorption of the EPS formore » heavy metals was affected by a medium pH; the maximum biosorption capacities for Cu 2+ and Ni 2+ were 140.8-8.2 mg/g and 226.3-3.3 mg/g at pH 5.0; however, for Cr 6+ it was 215.2-5.1 mg/g at pH 5.5. Infrared spectrometry analysis demonstrated that the groups of O-H, C=O, and C-O-C were the main function groups for the adsorption of JL2810 EPS with the heavy metals. The adsorption equilibrium of JL2810 EPS for Ni 2+ was further analyzed, and the equilibrium data could be better represented by the Langmuir isotherm model. The novel EPS could be potentially used in industrial applications as a novel bio-resource for the removal of heavy metals.« less

Reconstitution of hepatic tissue architectures from fetal liver cells obtained from a three-dimensional culture with a rotating wall vessel bioreactor.

PubMed

Ishikawa, Momotaro; Sekine, Keisuke; Okamura, Ai; Zheng, Yun-wen; Ueno, Yasuharu; Koike, Naoto; Tanaka, Junzo; Taniguchi, Hideki

2011-06-01

Reconstitution of tissue architecture in vitro is important because it enables researchers to investigate the interactions and mutual relationships between cells and cellular signals involved in the three-dimensional (3D) construction of tissues. To date, in vitro methods for producing tissues with highly ordered structure and high levels of function have met with limited success although a variety of 3D culture systems have been investigated. In this study, we reconstituted functional hepatic tissue including mature hepatocyte and blood vessel-like structures accompanied with bile duct-like structures from E15.5 fetal liver cells, which contained more hepatic stem/progenitor cells comparing with neonatal liver cells. The culture was performed in a simulated microgravity environment produced by a rotating wall vessel (RWV) bioreactor. The hepatocytes in the reconstituted 3D tissue were found to be capable of producing albumin and storing glycogen. Additionally, bile canaliculi between hepatocytes, characteristics of adult hepatocyte in vivo were also formed. Apart from this, bile duct structure secreting mucin was shown to form complicated tubular branches. Furthermore, gene expression analysis by semi-quantitative RT-PCR revealed the elevated levels of mature hepatocyte markers as well as genes with the hepatic function. With RWV culture system, we could produce functionally reconstituted liver tissue and this might be useful in pharmaceutical industry including drug screening and testing and other applications such as an alternative approach to experimental animals. Copyright © 2011 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Dyad as a Centerless Structure: a Philosophical, Sociological and Psychoanalytic Study.

PubMed

Cohen, Tsiky

2018-06-04

This paper attempts to elucidate the phenomenological experience produced in the dyad from a structural perspective. It proposes to regard the dyadic configuration as a "centerless structure", containing the highest potential for actualization as "free play", both in a negative sense and a positive one. In the first part of the paper, the author uses Wittgenstein's "family- resemblances" method, to illustrate how the descriptions given to diverse dyadic relations in different domains and disciplines, share similarities and closeness with two main types of dyadic relations: a "synonymy relation" based on a common sense of similarity and likeness and an "antonymy relation" characterized by dominant and complementary relations. Although the two types of relations reflect through additional social forms, the author proposes that what is unique to the dyad structure is the repetitive movement that takes place, back and forth, between them. It indicates a lack of structural function that can organize, regulate and balance the intersubjective space. In the second part of the paper, inspired by Derrida and Simmel (Derrida, 1966; Simmel, 1950), the author suggests that the dyadic configuration struggles to produce a structured, stable center of meaning, and therefore it encourages the structure's free play potential.

High-speed atomic force microscopy reveals structural dynamics of amyloid β1–42 aggregates

PubMed Central

Watanabe-Nakayama, Takahiro; Ono, Kenjiro; Itami, Masahiro; Takahashi, Ryoichi; Teplow, David B.; Yamada, Masahito

2016-01-01

Aggregation of amyloidogenic proteins into insoluble amyloid fibrils is implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases. This process involves protein assembly into oligomeric intermediates and fibrils with highly polymorphic molecular structures. These structural differences may be responsible for different disease presentations. For this reason, elucidation of the structural features and assembly kinetics of amyloidogenic proteins has been an area of intense study. We report here the results of high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) studies of fibril formation and elongation by the 42-residue form of the amyloid β-protein (Aβ1–42), a key pathogenetic agent of Alzheimer's disease. Our data demonstrate two different growth modes of Aβ1–42, one producing straight fibrils and the other producing spiral fibrils. Each mode depends on initial fibril nucleus structure, but switching from one growth mode to another was occasionally observed, suggesting that fibril end structure fluctuated between the two growth modes. This switching phenomenon was affected by buffer salt composition. Our findings indicate that polymorphism in fibril structure can occur after fibril nucleation and is affected by relatively modest changes in environmental conditions. PMID:27162352

Ti-Si-C thin films produced by magnetron sputtering: correlation between physical properties, mechanical properties and tribological behavior.

PubMed

Cunha, L; Vaz, F; Moura, C; Munteanu, D; Ionescu, C; Rivière, J P; Le Bourhis, E

2010-04-01

Ti-Si-C thin films were deposited onto silicon, stainless steel and high-speed steel substrates by magnetron sputtering, using different chamber configurations. The composition of the produced films was obtained by Electron Probe Micro-Analysis (EPMA) and the structure by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The hardness and residual stresses were obtained by depth-sensing indentation and substrate deflection measurements (using Stoney's equation), respectively. The tribological behavior of the produced films was studied by pin-on-disc. The increase of the concentration of non-metallic elements (carbon and silicon) caused significant changes in their properties. Structural analysis revealed the possibility of the coexistence of different phases in the prepared films, namely Ti metallic phase (alpha-Ti or beta-Ti) in the films with higher Ti content. The coatings with highest carbon contents, exhibited mainly a sub-stoichiometric fcc NaCI TiC-type structure. These structural changes were also confirmed by resistivity measurements, whose values ranged from 10(3) omega/sq for low non-metal concentration, up to 10(6) omega/sq for the highest metalloid concentration. A strong increase of hardness and residual stresses was observed with the increase of the non-metal concentration in the films. The hardness (H) values ranged between 11 and 27 GPa, with a clear dependence on both crystalline structure and composition features. Following the mechanical behavior, the tribological results showed similar trends, with both friction coefficients and wear revealing also a straight correlation with the composition and crystalline structure of the coatings.

Space and time aliasing structure is monthly mean polar-orbiting satellite data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeng, Lixin; Levy, Gad

1995-01-01

Monthly mean wind fields from the European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS1) scatterometer are presented. A banded structure which resembles the satellite subtrack is clearly and consistently apparent in the isotachs as well as the u and v components of the routinely produced fields. The structure also appears in the means of data from other polar-orbiting satellites and instruments. An experiment is designed to trace the cause of the banded structure. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) gridded surface wind analyses are used as a control set. These analyses are also sampled with the ERS1 temporal-spatial samplig pattern to form a simulated scatterometer wind set. Both sets are used to create monthly averages. The banded structures appear in the monthly mean simulated data but do not appear in the control set. It is concluded that the source of the banded structure lies in the spatial and temporal sampling of the polar-orbiting satellite which results in undersampling. The problem involves multiple timescales and space scales, oversampling and under-sampling in space, aliasing in the time and space domains, and preferentially sampled variability. It is shown that commonly used spatial smoothers (or filters), while producing visually pleasing results, also significantly bias the true mean. A three-dimensional spatial-temporal interpolator is designed and used to determine the mean field. It is found to produce satisfactory monthly means from both simulated and real ERS1 data. The implications to climate studies involving polar-orbiting satellite data are discussed.

Diversity in the structure of electrocommunication signals within a genus of electric fish, Apteronotus.

PubMed

Dunlap, K D; Larkins-Ford, J

2003-02-01

Some gymnotiform electric fish modulate their electric organ discharge for intraspecific communication. In Apteronotus leptorhynchus, chirps are usually rapid (10-30 ms) modulations that are activated through non- N-methyl- d-aspartate (non-NMDA) glutamate receptors in the hindbrain pacemaker nucleus. Males produce longer chirp types than females and chirp at higher rates. In Apteronotus albifrons, chirp rate is sexually monomorphic, but chirp structure (change in frequency and amplitude during a chirp) was unknown. To better understand the neural regulation and evolution of chirping behavior, we compared chirp structure in these two species under identical stimulus regimes. A. albifrons, like A. leptorhynchus, produced distinct types of chirps that varied, in part, by frequency excursion. However, unlike in A. leptorhynchus, chirp types in A. albifrons varied little in duration, and chirps were all longer (70-200 ms) than those of A. leptorhynchus. Chirp type production was not sexually dimorphic in A. albifrons, but within two chirp types males produced longer chirps than females. We suggest that species differences in chirp duration might be attributable to differences in the relative proportions of fast-acting (non-NMDA) and slow-acting (NMDA) glutamate receptors in the pacemaker. Additionally, we map species difference onto a phylogeny and hypothesize an evolutionary sequence for the diversification of chirp structure.

Flow Energy Piezoelectric Bimorph Nozzle Harvester

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherrit, Stewart; Lee, Hyeong Jae; Kim, Namhyo; Sun, Kai; Corbett, Gary; Walkemeyer, Phillip; Hasenoehrl, Jennifer; Hall, Jeffery L.; Colonius, Tim; Tosi, Luis Phillipe;

Oil-producing flowers within the Iridoideae (Iridaceae): evolutionary trends in the flowers of the New World genera

PubMed Central

Chauveau, Olivier; Eggers, Lilian; Souza-Chies, Tatiana T.; Nadot, Sophie

2012-01-01

Background and Aims Oil-producing flowers related to oil-bee pollination are a major innovation in Neotropical and Mexican Iridaceae. In this study, phylogenetic relationships were investigated among a wide array of New World genera of the tribes Sisyrinchieae, Trimezieae and Tigridieae (Iridaceae: Iridoideae) and the evolution of floral glandular structures, which are predominantly trichomal elaiophores, was examined in relation to the diversification of New World Iridaceae. Methods Phylogenetic analyses based on seven molecular markers obtained from 97 species were conducted to produce the first extensive phylogeny of the New World tribes of subfamily Iridoideae. The resulting phylogenetic hypothesis was used to trace the evolutionary history of glandular structures present in the flowers of numerous species in each tribe. Hypotheses of differential diversification rates among lineages were also investigated using both topological and Binary-State Speciation and Extinction methods. Key Results and Conclusions Floral glandular structures and especially trichomal elaiophores evolved multiple times independently in the American tribes of Iridoideae. The distribution pattern of species displaying glandular trichomes across the phylogeny reveals lability in the pollination system and suggests that these structures may have played a significant role in the diversification of the Iridoideae on the American continent. PMID:22782239

An Investigation of High-Cycle Fatigue Models for Metallic Structures Exhibiting Snap-Through Response

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Przekop, Adam; Rizzi, Stephen A.; Sweitzer, Karl A.

2007-01-01

A study is undertaken to develop a methodology for determining the suitability of various high-cycle fatigue models for metallic structures subjected to combined thermal-acoustic loadings. Two features of this problem differentiate it from the fatigue of structures subject to acoustic loading alone. Potentially large mean stresses associated with the thermally pre- and post-buckled states require models capable of handling those conditions. Snap-through motion between multiple post-buckled equilibrium positions introduces very high alternating stress. The thermal-acoustic time history response of a clamped aluminum beam structure with geometric and material nonlinearities is determined via numerical simulation. A cumulative damage model is employed using a rainflow cycle counting scheme and fatigue estimates are made for 2024-T3 aluminum using various non-zero mean fatigue models, including Walker, Morrow, Morrow with true fracture strength, and MMPDS. A baseline zero-mean model is additionally considered. It is shown that for this material, the Walker model produces the most conservative fatigue estimates when the stress response has a tensile mean introduced by geometric nonlinearity, but remains in the linear elastic range. However, when the loading level is sufficiently high to produce plasticity, the response becomes more fully reversed and the baseline, Morrow, and Morrow with true fracture strength models produce the most conservative fatigue estimates.

Flow energy piezoelectric bimorph nozzle harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherrit, Stewart; Lee, Hyeong Jae; Walkemeyer, Phillip; Hasenoehrl, Jennifer; Hall, Jeffrey L.; Colonius, Tim; Tosi, Luis Phillipe; Arrazola, Alvaro; Kim, Namhyo; Sun, Kai; Corbett, Gary

2014-04-01

There is a need for a long-life power generation scheme that could be used downhole in an oil well to produce 1 Watt average power. There are a variety of existing or proposed energy harvesting schemes that could be used in this environment but each of these has its own limitations. The vibrating piezoelectric structure is in principle capable of operating for very long lifetimes (decades) thereby possibly overcoming a principle limitation of existing technology based on rotating turbo-machinery. In order to determine the feasibility of using piezoelectrics to produce suitable flow energy harvesting, we surveyed experimentally a variety of nozzle configurations that could be used to excite a vibrating piezoelectric structure in such a way as to enable conversion of flow energy into useful amounts of electrical power. These included reed structures, spring mass-structures, drag and lift bluff bodies and a variety of nozzles with varying flow profiles. Although not an exhaustive survey we identified a spline nozzle/piezoelectric bimorph system that experimentally produced up to 3.4 mW per bimorph. This paper will discuss these results and present our initial analyses of the device using dimensional analysis and constitutive electromechanical modeling. The analysis suggests that an order-of-magnitude improvement in power generation from the current design is possible.

Energy neutral: the human foot and ankle subsections combine to produce near zero net mechanical work during walking.

PubMed

Takahashi, Kota Z; Worster, Kate; Bruening, Dustin A

2017-11-13

The human foot and ankle system is equipped with structures that can produce mechanical work through elastic (e.g., Achilles tendon, plantar fascia) or viscoelastic (e.g., heel pad) mechanisms, or by active muscle contractions. Yet, quantifying the work distribution among various subsections of the foot and ankle can be difficult, in large part due to a lack of objective methods for partitioning the forces acting underneath the stance foot. In this study, we deconstructed the mechanical work production during barefoot walking in a segment-by-segment manner (hallux, forefoot, hindfoot, and shank). This was accomplished by isolating the forces acting within each foot segment through controlling the placement of the participants' foot as it contacted a ground-mounted force platform. Combined with an analysis that incorporated non-rigid mechanics, we quantified the total work production distal to each of the four isolated segments. We found that various subsections within the foot and ankle showed disparate work distribution, particularly within structures distal to the hindfoot. When accounting for all sources of positive and negative work distal to the shank (i.e., ankle joint and all foot structures), these structures resembled an energy-neutral system that produced net mechanical work close to zero (-0.012 ± 0.054 J/kg).

Diversity in the protein N-glycosylation pathways within the Campylobacter genus.

PubMed

Nothaft, Harald; Scott, Nichollas E; Vinogradov, Evgeny; Liu, Xin; Hu, Rui; Beadle, Bernadette; Fodor, Christopher; Miller, William G; Li, Jianjun; Cordwell, Stuart J; Szymanski, Christine M

2012-11-01

The foodborne bacterial pathogen, Campylobacter jejuni, possesses an N-linked protein glycosylation (pgl) pathway involved in adding conserved heptasaccharides to asparagine-containing motifs of >60 proteins, and releasing the same glycan into its periplasm as free oligosaccharides. In this study, comparative genomics of all 30 fully sequenced Campylobacter taxa revealed conserved pgl gene clusters in all but one species. Structural, phylogenetic and immunological studies showed that the N-glycosylation systems can be divided into two major groups. Group I includes all thermotolerant taxa, capable of growth at the higher body temperatures of birds, and produce the C. jejuni-like glycans. Within group I, the niche-adapted C. lari subgroup contain the smallest genomes among the epsilonproteobacteria, and are unable to glucosylate their pgl pathway glycans potentially reminiscent of the glucosyltransferase regression observed in the O-glycosylation system of Neisseria species. The nonthermotolerant Campylobacters, which inhabit a variety of hosts and niches, comprise group II and produce an unexpected diversity of N-glycan structures varying in length and composition. This includes the human gut commensal, C. hominis, which produces at least four different N-glycan structures, akin to the surface carbohydrate diversity observed in the well-studied commensal, Bacteroides. Both group I and II glycans are immunogenic and cell surface exposed, making these structures attractive targets for vaccine design and diagnostics.

Soil microbial community structure: mechanical disturbance alters soil microbial community

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil microbes are responsible for soil nutrient cycling in both perennial and annual management systems for beef cattle and grain production. In the Southern Plains of Oklahoma, producers plant winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) in rotation with winter canola (Brassica rapa). Producers in the Southern...

Structural feasibility of parallel-laminated veneer crossarms

Treesearch

John Youngquist; Frank Brey; Joseph Jung

1977-01-01

Experimentally and commercially produced laminated M-19 crossarms were tested by standard Rural Electrification Administration (REA) crossarm tests. The laminated crossarms, produced by laminating veneer and by laminating solid-sawn dimension stock, generally performed satisfactorily according to REA specified standards. Materials tested are described and results on...

Raman spectra and DFT calculations for botryococcene and methylsqualene hydrocarbons from the B race of the green microalga Botryococcus braunii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tatli, Mehmet; Chun, Hye Jin; Camp, Charles H.; Li, Jingting; Cicerone, Marcus T.; Shih, Wei-Chuan; Laane, Jaan; Devarenne, Timothy P.

2017-11-01

Botryococcus braunii, a green colonial microalga, is a prodigious producer of liquid hydrocarbon oils that can be used as renewable feedstocks for producing combustion engine fuels. The B race of B. braunii mainly produces the triterpene hydrocarbons known as botryococcenes, which have over twenty known structures. Minor hydrocarbons in the B race include the triterpene methylsqualenes. Here we report an examination of the molecular structure for ten botryococcenes and five methylsqualenes using Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations in an effort to distinguish between these structurally similar molecules by spectroscopic approaches. The DFT calculations show that these molecules have between 243 and 271 vibrational frequencies. A comparison of the experimental Raman spectroscopy and DFT calculations indicates several spectral regions such as those for ν(Cdbnd C) stretching, CH2/CH3 bending, and ring bending can be used to distinguish between these molecules. In an extension of this analysis, a broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (BCARS) analysis was used to clearly distinguish between several botryococcenes isomers.

Regional Spread of CTX-M-2-Producing Proteus mirabilis with the Identical Genetic Structure in Japan.

PubMed

Kato, Karin; Matsumura, Yasufumi; Yamamoto, Masaki; Nagao, Miki; Takakura, Shunji; Ichiyama, Satoshi

2017-07-01

In this study, we analyzed the molecular epidemiology of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Proteus mirabilis isolates collected from the central region of Japan. Between 2005 and 2012, 820 clinical P. mirabilis isolates were obtained from ten acute care hospitals in Japan. We characterized ESBL confirmatory test-positive isolates by sequencing the ESBL genes and their flanking regions, detecting plasmid replicons, and performing pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Ninety-six isolates (12%) were positive according to the ESBL confirmatory test; all these isolates possessed bla CTX-M-2 with the same flanking structure of upstream ΔISEcp1 and a downstream region identical to downstream bla KLUA-1 . IncT was the prevalent, and only, replicon found in 63 isolates. PFGE analysis detected eight clusters with more than one isolate, among which three included 56 isolates and six included isolates from multiple hospitals. CTX-M-2-producing P. mirabilis with an identical genetic structure flanking bla CTX-M-2 is dominant in this Japanese region, and there is evidence for the clonal spread of isolates.

Crystallization of a pentapeptide-repeat protein by reductive cyclic pentylation of free amines with glutaraldehyde

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

Vetting, Matthew W., E-mail: vetting@aecom.yu.edu; Hegde, Subray S.; Blanchard, John S.

2009-05-01

A method to modify proteins with glutaraldehyde under reducing conditions is presented. Treatment with glutaraldehyde and dimethylaminoborane was found to result in cyclic pentylation of free amines and facilitated the structural determination of a protein previously recalcitrant to the formation of diffraction quality crystals. The pentapeptide-repeat protein EfsQnr from Enterococcus faecalis protects DNA gyrase from inhibition by fluoroquinolones. EfsQnr was cloned and purified to homogeneity, but failed to produce diffraction-quality crystals in initial crystallization screens. Treatment of EfsQnr with glutaraldehyde and the strong reducing agent borane–dimethylamine resulted in a derivatized protein which produced crystals that diffracted to 1.6 Å resolution;more » their structure was subsequently determined by single-wavelength anomalous dispersion. Analysis of the derivatized protein using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry indicated a mass increase of 68 Da per free amino group. Electron-density maps about a limited number of structurally ordered lysines indicated that the modification was a cyclic pentylation of free amines, producing piperidine groups.« less

Unusual behavior in magnesium-copper cluster matter produced by helium droplet mediated deposition.

PubMed

Emery, S B; Xin, Y; Ridge, C J; Buszek, R J; Boatz, J A; Boyle, J M; Little, B K; Lindsay, C M

2015-02-28

We demonstrate the ability to produce core-shell nanoclusters of materials that typically undergo intermetallic reactions using helium droplet mediated deposition. Composite structures of magnesium and copper were produced by sequential condensation of metal vapors inside the 0.4 K helium droplet baths and then gently deposited onto a substrate for analysis. Upon deposition, the individual clusters, with diameters ∼5 nm, form a cluster material which was subsequently characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopies. Results of this analysis reveal the following about the deposited cluster material: it is in the un-alloyed chemical state, it maintains a stable core-shell 5 nm structure at sub-monolayer quantities, and it aggregates into unreacted structures of ∼75 nm during further deposition. Surprisingly, high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy images revealed that the copper appears to displace the magnesium at the core of the composite cluster despite magnesium being the initially condensed species within the droplet. This phenomenon was studied further using preliminary density functional theory which revealed that copper atoms, when added sequentially to magnesium clusters, penetrate into the magnesium cores.

Structure-activity relationships in the fusion of small unilamellar phosphatidylcholine vesicles induced by a model peptide.

PubMed

da Costa, M H; Chaimovich, H

1997-09-01

Limited proteolysis of fatty acid-free bovine serum albumin by pepsin yields several well characterized peptides, one of which (P9, M(r) 9,000), induces fusion of small unilamellar vesicles (SUV) of phosphatidylcholine at pH 3.6. Circular dichroism (CD) of P9 solutions confirmed that the peptide undergoes a reversible transition between pH 7 and pH 3.6. The spectral changes observed with CD suggest that in the low pH conformation there is a decrease in the alpha-helical contents and an exposure of hydrophobic residues. CD and differential ultraviolet spectroscopy demonstrated that P9 binds to micelles of hexadecylphosphorylcholine and the binding produces changes in the tertiary structure of the peptide. Reduction and carboxymethylation of the two disulfide bridges of P9 produced loss of the ability to induce fusion of SUV, although the reduced peptide binds to vesicles, induces loss of entrapped marker and produces vesicle disruption. In the active form P9 exposes hydrophobic groups, one amphiphilic alpha-helix and requires the integrity of the disulfide bridge-stabilized tertiary structure.

Planar waveguide sensor of ammonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogoziński, Roman; Tyszkiewicz, Cuma; Karasiński, Paweł; Izydorczyk, Weronika

2015-12-01

The paper presents the concept of forming ammonia sensor based on a planar waveguide structure. It is an amplitude sensor produced on the basis of the multimode waveguide. The technological base for this kind of structure is the ion exchange method and the sol-gel method. The planar multimode waveguide of channel type is produced in glass substrate (soda-lime glass of Menzel-Glaser company) by the selective Ag+↔Na+ ion exchange. On the surface of the glass substrate a porous (~40%) silica layer is produced by the sol-gel method. This layer is sensitized to the presence of ammonia in the surrounding atmosphere by impregnation with Bromocresol Purple (BCP) dye. Therefore it constitutes a sensor layer. Spectrophotometric tests carried out showed about 50% reduction of cross-transmission changes of such sensor layer for a wave λ=593 nm caused by the presence of 25% ammonia water vapor in its ambience. The radiation source used in this type of sensor structure is a light emitting diode LED. The gradient channel waveguide is designed for frontal connection (optical glue) with a standard multimode telecommunications waveguide 62.5/125μm.

Fine- and hyperfine-structure effects in molecular photoionization. II. Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization and hyperfine-selective generation of molecular cations

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

Germann, Matthias; Willitsch, Stefan, E-mail: stefan.willitsch@unibas.ch

2016-07-28

Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) is a widely used technique for studying molecular photoionization and producing molecular cations for spectroscopy and dynamics studies. Here, we present a model for describing hyperfine-structure effects in the REMPI process and for predicting hyperfine populations in molecular ions produced by this method. This model is a generalization of our model for fine- and hyperfine-structure effects in one-photon ionization of molecules presented in Paper I [M. Germann and S. Willitsch, J. Chem. Phys. 145, 044314 (2016)]. This generalization is achieved by covering two main aspects: (1) treatment of the neutral bound-bound transition including the hyperfine structuremore » that makes up the first step of the REMPI process and (2) modification of our ionization model to account for anisotropic populations resulting from this first excitation step. Our findings may be used for analyzing results from experiments with molecular ions produced by REMPI and may serve as a theoretical background for hyperfine-selective ionization experiments.« less

Size, time, and asynchrony matter: the species-area relationship for parasites of freshwater fishes.

PubMed

Zelmer, Derek A

2014-10-01

The tendency to attribute species-area relationships to "island biogeography" effectively bypasses the examination of specific mechanisms that act to structure parasite communities. Positive covariation between fish size and infrapopulation richness should not be examined within the typical extinction-based paradigm, but rather should be addressed from the standpoint of differences in colonization potential among individual hosts. Although most mechanisms producing the aforementioned pattern constitute some variation of passive sampling, the deterministic aspects of the accumulation of parasite individuals by fish hosts makes untenable the suggestion that infracommunities of freshwater fishes are stochastic assemblages. At the component community level, application of extinction-dependent mechanisms might be appropriate, given sufficient time for colonization, but these structuring forces likely act indirectly through their effects on the host community to increase the probability of parasite persistence. At all levels, the passive sampling hypothesis is a relevant null model. The tendency for mechanisms that produce species-area relationships to produce nested subset patterns means that for most systems, the passive sampling hypothesis can be addressed through the application of appropriate null models of nested subset structure.

Integrated structure vacuum tube: A Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dimeff, J.; Kerwin, W. J.

1974-01-01

Cathode emission is made to occur by heating entire structure to 600 C, and positive potential is applied to anode with negative potential on grids. Electron flow takes place from ring to circular anode through electric field produced by grids.

Characterization and mediation of microbial deterioration of concrete bridge structures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-04-01

Samples obtained from deteriorated bridge structures in Texas were cultured in growth medium containing thiosulfate as an energy source and investigated for acid production, type of acid produced by microbes and the bio-deterioration of concrete cyli...

Controlling light with freeform optics: recent progress in computational methods for optical design of freeform lenses with prescribed irradiance properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliker, Vladimir I.; Cherkasskiy, Boris

2014-09-01

Structural color is produced when nanostructures called schemochromes alter light reflected from a surface through different optic principles, in contrast with other types of colors that are produced when pigments selectively absorb certain wavelengths of light. Research on biogenic photonic nanostructures has focused primarily on bird feathers, butterfly wings and beetle elytra, ignoring other diverse groups such as spiders. We argue that spiders are a good model system to study the functions and evolution of colors in nature for the following reasons. First, these colors clearly function in spiders such as the tarantulas outside of sexual selection, which is likely the dominant driver of the evolution of structural colors in birds and butterflies. Second, within more than 44,000 currently known spider species, colors are used in every possible way based on the same sets of relatively simple materials. Using spiders, we can study how colors evolve to serve different functions under a variety of combinations of driving forces, and how those colors are produced within a relatively simple system. Here, we first review the different color-producing materials and mechanisms (i.e., light absorbing, reflecting and emitting) in birds, butterflies and beetles, the interactions between these different elements, and the functions of colors in different organisms. We then summarize the current state of knowledge of spider colors and compare it with that of birds and insects. We then raise questions including: 1. Could spiders use fluorescence as a mechanism to protect themselves from UV radiation, if they do not have the biosynthetic pathways to produce melanins? 2. What functions could color serve for nearly blind tarantulas? 3. Why are only multilayer nanostructures (thus far) found in spiders, while birds and butterflies use many diverse nanostructures? And, does this limit the diversity of structural colors found in spiders? Answering any of these questions in the future will bring spiders to the forefront of the study of structural colors in nature.

Structured On-the-Job Training: Unleashing Employee Experience in the Workplace. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Ronald L.

This book presents detailed guidelines for conducting structured on-the-job training (S-OJT), which is training based on the premise that OJT can be structured and planned so as to produce more predictable and reliable training outcomes. Together, the book's 15 chapters systematically examine the topics of meeting the demand for employee…

Structured Hypermedia Application Development Model (SHADM): A structured Model for Technical Documentation Application Design

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-01

effective (19:15) Figure 2 details a flowchart of the basic steps in prototyping. The basic concept behind prototyping is to quickly produce a working...One approach to overcoming this is to structure the document relative to the experience level of the user (14:49). A "novice" or beginner would

Nano-fabricated superconducting radio-frequency composites, method for producing nano-fabricated superconducting rf composites

DOEpatents

Norem, James H.; Pellin, Michael J.

2013-06-11

Superconducting rf is limited by a wide range of failure mechanisms inherent in the typical manufacture methods. This invention provides a method for fabricating superconducting rf structures comprising coating the structures with single atomic-layer thick films of alternating chemical composition. Also provided is a cavity defining the invented laminate structure.

Wood-Boring Gribbles Intrigue Researchers | News | NREL

Science.gov Websites

the crystal structure of a key enzyme produced by the gribble. The report was recently published in . One of them, dubbed Cel7B, is the subject of the latest paper describing its crystal structure. " diffraction to solve the structure of the gribble enzyme and biochemical techniques to understand its activity

Analysis of Progressive Collapse of Complex Structures.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

tions of wing spar roots, although developed from experimental measure- ments, did not produce purely rigid body motions for reasons explained in...support structures in the same manner as the wings had been attached to aircraft fuselages. The support structures were extremely rigid compared to the...support structures and pinned into place within small tolerance; however, some motion of the wing spar roots with respect to the supports was

Investigating energy-based pool structure selection in the structure ensemble modeling with experimental distance constraints: The example from a multidomain protein Pub1.

PubMed

Zhu, Guanhua; Liu, Wei; Bao, Chenglong; Tong, Dudu; Ji, Hui; Shen, Zuowei; Yang, Daiwen; Lu, Lanyuan

2018-05-01

The structural variations of multidomain proteins with flexible parts mediate many biological processes, and a structure ensemble can be determined by selecting a weighted combination of representative structures from a simulated structure pool, producing the best fit to experimental constraints such as interatomic distance. In this study, a hybrid structure-based and physics-based atomistic force field with an efficient sampling strategy is adopted to simulate a model di-domain protein against experimental paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) data that correspond to distance constraints. The molecular dynamics simulations produce a wide range of conformations depicted on a protein energy landscape. Subsequently, a conformational ensemble recovered with low-energy structures and the minimum-size restraint is identified in good agreement with experimental PRE rates, and the result is also supported by chemical shift perturbations and small-angle X-ray scattering data. It is illustrated that the regularizations of energy and ensemble-size prevent an arbitrary interpretation of protein conformations. Moreover, energy is found to serve as a critical control to refine the structure pool and prevent data overfitting, because the absence of energy regularization exposes ensemble construction to the noise from high-energy structures and causes a more ambiguous representation of protein conformations. Finally, we perform structure-ensemble optimizations with a topology-based structure pool, to enhance the understanding on the ensemble results from different sources of pool candidates. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Preparation and characterization of silk fibroin as a biomaterial with potential for drug delivery

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Degummed silk fibroin from Bombyx mori (silkworm) has potential carrier capabilities for drug delivery in humans; however, the processing methods have yet to be comparatively analyzed to determine the differential effects on the silk protein properties, including crystalline structure and activity. Methods In this study, we treated degummed silk with four kinds of calcium-alcohol solutions, and performed secondary structure measurements and enzyme activity test to distinguish the differences between the regenerated fibroins and degummed silk fibroin. Results Gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that Ca(NO3)2-methanol, Ca(NO3)2-ethanol, or CaCl2-methanol treatments produced more lower molecular weights of silk fibroin than CaCl2-ethanol. X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed that CaCl2-ethanol produced a crystalline structure with more silk I (α-form, type II β-turn), while the other treatments produced more silk II (β-form, anti-parallel β-pleated sheet). Solid-State 13C cross polarization and magic angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance measurements suggested that regenerated fibroins from CaCl2-ethanol were nearly identical to degummed silk fibroin, while the other treatments produced fibroins with significantly different chemical shifts. Finally, enzyme activity test indicated that silk fibroins from CaCl2-ethanol had higher activity when linked to a known chemotherapeutic drug, L-asparaginase, than the fibroins from other treatments. Conclusions Collectively, these results suggest that the CaCl2-ethanol processing method produces silk fibroin with biomaterial properties that are appropriate for drug delivery. PMID:22676291

Detecting and characterizing N-acyl-homoserine lactone signal molecules by thin-layer chromatography

PubMed Central

Shaw, Paul D.; Ping, Gao; Daly, Sean L.; Cha, Chung; Cronan, John E.; Rinehart, Kenneth L.; Farrand, Stephen K.

1997-01-01

Many Gram-negative bacteria regulate gene expression in response to their population size by sensing the level of acyl-homoserine lactone signal molecules which they produce and liberate to the environment. We have developed an assay for these signals that couples separation by thin-layer chromatography with detection using Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring lacZ fused to a gene that is regulated by autoinduction. With the exception of N-butanoyl-l-homoserine lactone, the reporter detected acyl-homoserine lactones with 3-oxo-, 3-hydroxy-, and 3-unsubstituted side chains of all lengths tested. The intensity of the response was proportional to the amount of the signal molecule chromatographed. Each of the 3-oxo- and the 3-unsubstituted derivatives migrated with a unique mobility. Using the assay, we showed that some bacteria produce as many as five detectable signal molecules. Structures could be assigned tentatively on the basis of mobility and spot shape. The dominant species produced by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci chromatographed with the properties of N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone, a structure that was confirmed by mass spectrometry. An isolate of Pseudomonas fluorescens produced five detectable species, three of which had novel chromatographic properties. These were identified as the 3-hydroxy- forms of N-hexanoyl-, N-octanoyl-, and N-decanoyl-l-homoserine lactone. The assay can be used to screen cultures of bacteria for acyl-homoserine lactones, for quantifying the amounts of these molecules produced, and as an analytical and preparative aid in determining the structures of these signal molecules. PMID:9177164

Method of synthesis of anhydrous thorium(IV) complexes

DOEpatents

Kiplinger, Jaqueline L; Cantat, Thibault

2013-04-30

Method of producing anhydrous thorium(IV) tetrahalide complexes, utilizing Th(NO.sub.3).sub.4(H.sub.2O).sub.x, where x is at least 4, as a reagent; method of producing thorium-containing complexes utilizing ThCl.sub.4(DME).sub.2 as a precursor; method of producing purified ThCl.sub.4(ligand).sub.x compounds, where x is from 2 to 9; and novel compounds having the structures: ##STR00001##

Controlling silk fibroin particle features for drug delivery

PubMed Central

Lammel, Andreas; Hu, Xiao; Park, Sang-Hyug; Kaplan, David L.; Scheibel, Thomas

2010-01-01

Silk proteins are a promising material for drug delivery due to their aqueous processability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. A simple aqueous preparation method for silk fibroin particles with controllable size, secondary structure and zeta potential is reported. The particles were produced by salting out a silk fibroin solution with potassium phosphate. The effect of ionic strength and pH of potassium phosphate solution on the yield and morphology of the particles was determined. Secondary structure and zeta potential of the silk particles could be controlled by pH. Particles produced by salting out with 1.25 M potassium phosphate pH 6 showed a dominating silk II (crystalline) structure whereas particles produced at pH 9 were mainly composed of silk I (less crystalline). The results show that silk I rich particles possess chemical and physical stability and secondary structure which remained unchanged during post treatments even upon exposure to 100% ethanol or methanol. A model is presented to explain the process of particle formation based on intra- and intermolecular interactions of the silk domains, influenced by pH and kosmotrope salts. The reported silk fibroin particles can be loaded with small molecule model drugs, such as alcian blue, rhodamine B, and crystal violet, by simple absorption based on electrostatic interactions. In vitro release of these compounds from the silk particles depends on charge – charge interactions between the compounds and the silk. With crystal violet we demonstrated that the release kinetics are dependent on the secondary structure of the particles. PMID:20219241

Interfacially polymerized layers for oxygen enrichment: a method to overcome Robeson's upper-bound limit.

PubMed

Tsai, Ching-Wei; Tsai, Chieh; Ruaan, Ruoh-Chyu; Hu, Chien-Chieh; Lee, Kueir-Rarn

2013-06-26

Interfacial polymerization of four aqueous phase monomers, diethylenetriamine (DETA), m-phenylenediamine (mPD), melamine (Mela), and piperazine (PIP), and two organic phase monomers, trimethyl chloride (TMC) and cyanuric chloride (CC), produce a thin-film composite membrane of polymerized polyamide layer capable of O2/N2 separation. To achieve maximum efficiency in gas permeance and O2/N2 permselectivity, the concentrations of monomers, time of interfacial polymerization, number of reactive groups in monomers, and the structure of monomers need to be optimized. By controlling the aqueous/organic monomer ratio between 1.9 and 2.7, we were able to obtain a uniformly interfacial polymerized layer. To achieve a highly cross-linked layer, three reactive groups in both the aqueous and organic phase monomers are required; however, if the monomers were arranged in a planar structure, the likelihood of structural defects also increased. On the contrary, linear polymers are less likely to result in structural defects, and can also produce polymer layers with moderate O2/N2 selectivity. To minimize structural defects while maximizing O2/N2 selectivity, the planar monomer, TMC, containing 3 reactive groups, was reacted with the semirigid monomer, PIP, containing 2 reactive groups to produce a membrane with an adequate gas permeance of 7.72 × 10(-6) cm(3) (STP) s(-1) cm(-2) cm Hg(-1) and a high O2/N2 selectivity of 10.43, allowing us to exceed the upper-bound limit of conventional thin-film composite membranes.

Inverse Photonic Glasses by Packing Bidisperse Hollow Microspheres with Uniform Cores.

PubMed

Kim, Seung-Hyun; Magkiriadou, Sofia; Rhee, Do Kyung; Lee, Doo Sung; Yoo, Pil J; Manoharan, Vinothan N; Yi, Gi-Ra

2017-07-19

A major fabrication challenge is producing disordered photonic materials with an angle-independent structural red color. Theoretical work has shown that such a color can be produced by fabricating inverse photonic glasses with monodisperse, nontouching voids in a silica matrix. Here, we demonstrate a route toward such materials and show that they have an angle-independent red color. We first synthesize monodisperse hollow silica particles with precisely controlled shell thickness and then make glassy colloidal structures by mixing two types of hollow particles with the same core size and different shell thicknesses. We then infiltrate the interstices with index-matched polymers, producing disordered porous materials with uniform, nontouching air voids. This procedure allows us to control the light-scattering form factor and structure factor of these porous materials independently, which is not possible to do in photonic glasses consisting of packed solid particles. The structure factor can be controlled by the shell thickness, which sets the distance between pores, whereas the pore size determines the peak wave vector of the form factor, which can be set below the visible range to keep the main structural color pure. By using a binary mixture of 246 and 268 nm hollow silica particles with 180 nm cores in an index-matched polymer matrix, we achieve angle-independent red color that can be tuned by controlling the shell thickness. Importantly, the width of the reflection peak can be kept constant, even for larger interparticle distances.

Microbiological characterisation of Burkholderia cepacia isolates from cystic fibrosis patients: investigation of the exopolysaccharides produced.

PubMed

Lagatolla, Cristina; Skerlavaj, Silvia; Dolzani, Lucilla; Tonin, Enrico A; Monti Bragadin, Carlo; Bosco, Marco; Rizzo, Roberto; Giglio, Luisella; Cescutti, Paola

2002-03-19

Eleven strains of Burkholderia cepacia were isolated directly from clinical specimens: 10 from sputum of cystic fibrosis patients, and one from a vaginal swab. They were biochemically identified using API20NE and confirmed by a PCR-based assay. The genomovar characterisation obtained by specific PCR amplification revealed seven strains belonging to genomovar I, three belonging to genomovar IIIA and one belonging to genomovar IV. All isolates were also typed by ribotyping and random amplification of polymorphic DNA analysis. Some of the characterised strains were examined for the ability to produce exopolysaccharides, with the aim of correlating the genomovar with the exopolysaccharide structure. The polysaccharides were analysed by means of methylation analysis and 1H-NMR spectroscopy in order to determine structural similarities. It was shown that different strains are capable of producing chemically different polysaccharides.

Structural insights into photocatalytic performance of carbon nitrides for degradation of organic pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Junghoon; Shim, Yeonjun; Lee, Soomin; Park, Sunghee; Jang, Dawoon; Shin, Yunseok; Ohn, Saerom; Kim, Jeongho; Park, Sungjin

2018-02-01

Degradation of organic pollutants has a large environmental impact, with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) being a promising metal-free, low cost, and environment-friendly photocatalyst well suited for this purpose. Herein, we investigate the photocatalytic performance of g-C3N4-based materials and correlate it with their structural properties, using three different precursors (dicyandiamide, melamine, and urea) and two heating processes (direct heating at 550 °C and sequential heating at 300 and 550 °C) to produce the above photocatalysts. We further demonstrate that sequential heating produces photocatalysts with grain sizes and activities larger than those of the catalysts produced by direct heating and that the use of urea as a precursor affords photocatalysts with larger surface areas, allowing efficient rhodamine B degradation under visible light.

An investigation of squeeze-cast alloy 718

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gamwell, W. R.

1993-01-01

Alloy 718 billets produced by the squeeze-cast process have been evaluated for use as potential replacements for propulsion engine components which are normally produced from forgings. Alloy 718 billets were produced using various processing conditions. Structural characterizations were performed on 'as-cast' billets. As-cast billets were then homogenized and solution treated and aged according to conventional heat-treatment practices for this alloy. Mechanical property evaluations were performed on heat-treated billets. As-cast macrostructures and microstructures varied with squeeze-cast processing parameters. Mechanical properties varied with squeeze-cast processing parameters and heat treatments. One billet exhibited a defect free, refined microstructure, with mechanical properties approaching those of wrought alloy 718 bar, confirming the feasibility of squeeze-casting alloy 718. However, further process optimization is required, and further structural and mechanical property improvements are expected with process optimization.

The Impact of Culture Age, Aeration, and Agitation on the Production of Microsclerotia of the Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae Using 100-Liter Fermentors

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Microsclerotia are desiccation-tolerant, compact hyphal aggregates produced by numerous fungi as overwintering structures. We recently discovered that the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae produced microsclerotia during liquid culture fermentation. When air-dried microsclerotial granu...

Contamination of Pinus radiata Seeds in California by Fusarium circinatum

Treesearch

L. David Dwinell

1999-01-01

The pitch canker fugus, Fusarium circinatum (= F. subglutinans f sp. pini), causes several serious diseases of pines. The pathogen infects a variety of vegetative and reproductive pine structures at diierent stages of maturity and produces a diversity of symptoms. In addition to producing resinous cankers on the...

The Post-Piagetian Child: Early Mathematical Developments and a Role for Structured Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wing, Tony

2009-01-01

It is argued that the discourse currently regulating early years mathematical development in the UK and elsewhere is "producing its own truths" in an unhelpfully narrowing way, restricting the objects, imagery, and symbols involved to those arising within "everyday" or "realistic" situations, and producing an…

Antimicrobial and cold plasma treatments for inactivation of listeria monocytogenes on whole apple surface

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Introduction: Produce and bacterial cell surface structure play an important role as to where and how bacteria attach to produce surfaces. The efficacy of a novel antimicrobial solution developed in our laboratory was investigated in combination with cold plasma treatments for inactivation of Liste...

Hypervelocity impact tests on Space Shuttle Orbiter thermal protection material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Humes, D. H.

1977-01-01

Hypervelocity impact tests were conducted to simulate the damage that meteoroids will produce in the Shuttle Orbiter leading edge structural subsystem material. The nature and extent of the damage is reported and the probability of encountering meteoroids with sufficient energy to produce such damage is discussed.

Dominant Discourses of Teachers in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ebrahim, H. B.

2010-01-01

This article examines the dominant discourses teachers in early childhood education (ECE) used to produce understandings of children and educational practice for them. Seven teachers from two early childhood centres in urban KwaZulu-Natal participated in this qualitative study. Data were produced through semi-structured interviews and…

Structure and function of indigenous antibiotic-producing microbial communities in the rhizosphere of wheat

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phenazines are among the most widely studied metabolites produced by fluorescent Pseudomonas spp., not only because of their role in biological control but also because they function in biofilm formation, redox homeostasis, mineral acquisition, and, in some cases, pathogenesis. Despite the frequency...

New insights into the organization and regulation of trichothecene biosynthetic genes in Trichoderma

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Collectively, species of the genus Trichoderma can produce numerous structurally diverse secondary metabolites (SM). This ability is conferred by the presence of SM biosynthetic gene clusters in their genomes. Species of Trichoderma in the Brevicompactum clade are able to produce trichothecenes, a f...

Hops (Humulus lupulus) ß-acid as an inhibitor of caprine rumen hyper-ammonia-producing bacteria in vitro

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Antimicrobial plant secondary metabolites increase rumen efficiency and decrease waste products (i.e. ammonia, methane) in some cases. A promising source of bioactive secondary metabolites is the hops plant (Humulus lupulus L.), which produces '-acid, a suite of structurally similar, potent antibact...

The hydroentanglement system of producing nonwoven fabrics of certain specific attributes and functionalities

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Although the traditional technologies and processes of producing fabric structures, via yarn spinning, weaving, knitting, lacing, tufting, or the like, continue to be the ‘major league’ players in textile manufacturing today, the modern hydroentanglement system, commonly known as “spunlacing,” has a...

Xchanging the World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blythe, Chris; Richards, Dave

This activity pack goes beyond exposing the low prices paid to commodity producers and explores broader structures that govern world trade and produce poverty and inequality. The pack encourages young people to look beyond the labels and consider the responsibilities consumers have toward the people who feed and clothe the world, or make the…

UV-induced solvent free synthesis of truxillic acid-bile acid conjugates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koivukorpi, Juha; Kolehmainen, Erkki

2009-07-01

The solvent free UV-induced [2 + 2] intermolecular cycloaddition of two molecules of 3α-cinnamic acid ester of methyl lithocholate produced in 99% yield of α- and ɛ-truxillic acid-bis(methyl lithocholate) isomers, which possess two structurally different potential binding sites. A prerequisite for this effective solid state reaction is a proper self-assembled crystal structure of the starting conjugate crystallized from acetonitrile. The crystallization of cinnamic acid ester of methyl lithocholate from acetonitrile produces two different crystalline forms (polymorphs), which is the reason for the solid state formation of two isomers of truxillic acid-bis(methyl lithocholate).

Tough, high performance, addition-type thermoplastic polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pater, Ruth H. (Inventor)

1992-01-01

A tough, high performance polyimide is provided by reacting a triple bond conjugated with an aromatic ring in a bisethynyl compound with the active double bond in a compound containing a double bond activated toward the formation of a Diels-Adler type adduct, especially a bismaleimide, a biscitraconimide, or a benzoquinone, or mixtures thereof. Addition curing of this product produces a high linear polymeric structure and heat treating the highly linear polymeric structure produces a thermally stable aromatic addition-type thermoplastic polyimide, which finds utility in the preparation of molding compounds, adhesive compositions, and polymer matrix composites.

First-principles study of giant thermoelectric power in incommensurate TlInSe2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishikawa, M.; Nakayama, T.; Wakita, K.; Shim, Y. G.; Mamedov, N.

2018-04-01

Ternary thallium compound TlInSe2 exhibits a giant Seebeck effect below around 410 K, where Tl atoms form one dimensional incommensurate (IC) arrays. To clarify the origin of large thermoelectric power in the IC phase, the electronic properties of Tl-atom super-structured TlInSe2 were studied using the first-principles calculations. It was shown that the super-structures induce strong binding states between Se-p orbitals in the nearest neighboring layers and produce large density of states near lower conduction bands, which might be one of the origins to produce large thermoelectric power.

Metal-assisted chemical etching using sputtered gold: a simple route to black silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurek, Agnieszka; Barry, Seán T.

2011-08-01

We report an accessible and simple method of producing 'black silicon' with aspect ratios as high as 8 using common laboratory equipment. Gold was sputtered to a thickness of 8 nm using a low-vacuum sputter coater. The structures were etched into silicon substrates using an aqueous H2O2/HF solution, and the gold was then removed using aqua regia. Ultrasonication was necessary to produce columnar structures, and an etch time of 24 min gave a velvety, non-reflective surface. The surface features after 24 min etching were uniformly microstructured over an area of square centimetres.

Microfluidic channel fabrication method

DOEpatents

Arnold, Don W.; Schoeniger, Joseph S.; Cardinale, Gregory F.

2001-01-01

A new channel structure for microfluidic systems and process for fabricating this structure. In contrast to the conventional practice of fabricating fluid channels as trenches or grooves in a substrate, fluid channels are fabricated as thin walled raised structures on a substrate. Microfluidic devices produced in accordance with the invention are a hybrid assembly generally consisting of three layers: 1) a substrate that can or cannot be an electrical insulator; 2) a middle layer, that is an electrically conducting material and preferably silicon, forms the channel walls whose height defines the channel height, joined to and extending from the substrate; and 3) a top layer, joined to the top of the channels, that forms a cover for the channels. The channels can be defined by photolithographic techniques and are produced by etching away the material around the channel walls.

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

Ballouz, Ronald-Louis; Richardson, Derek C.; Morishima, Ryuji

We study the B ring’s complex optical depth structure. The source of this structure may be the complex dynamics of the Keplerian shear and the self-gravity of the ring particles. The outcome of these dynamic effects depends sensitively on the collisional and physical properties of the particles. Two mechanisms can emerge that dominate the macroscopic physical structure of the ring: self-gravity wakes and viscous overstability. Here we study the interplay between these two mechanisms by using our recently developed particle collision method that allows us to better model the inter-particle contact physics. We find that for a constant ring surfacemore » density and particle internal density, particles with rough surfaces tend to produce axisymmetric ring features associated with the viscous overstability, while particles with smoother surfaces produce self-gravity wakes.« less

A crystallographic perspective on sharing data and knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruno, Ian J.; Groom, Colin R.

2014-10-01

The crystallographic community is in many ways an exemplar of the benefits and practices of sharing data. Since the inception of the technique, virtually every published crystal structure has been made available to others. This has been achieved through the establishment of several specialist data centres, including the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, which produces the Cambridge Structural Database. Containing curated structures of small organic molecules, some containing a metal, the database has been produced for almost 50 years. This has required the development of complex informatics tools and an environment allowing expert human curation. As importantly, a financial model has evolved which has, to date, ensured the sustainability of the resource. However, the opportunities afforded by technological changes and changing attitudes to sharing data make it an opportune moment to review current practices.

Packaging double-helical DNA into viral capsids.

PubMed

LaMarque, Jaclyn C; Le, Thuc-Vy L; Harvey, Stephen C

2004-02-15

DNA packaging in bacteriophage P4 has been examined using a molecular mechanics model with a reduced representation containing one pseudoatom per turn of the double helix. The model is a discretized version of an elastic continuum model. The DNA is inserted piecewise into the model capsid, with the structure being reoptimized after each piece is inserted. Various optimization protocols were investigated, and it was found that molecular dynamics at a very low temperature (0.3 K) produces the optimal packaged structure. This structure is a concentric spool, rather than the coaxial spool that has been commonly accepted for so many years. This geometry, which was originally suggested by Hall and Schellman in 1982 (Biopolymers Vol. 21, pp. 2011-2031), produces a lower overall elastic energy than coaxial spooling. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

High strength, wire-reinforced electroformed structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kazaroff, J. M.; Duscha, R. A.; Mccandless, L. C.

1974-01-01

Using half-round reinforcing wires, electrodeposited matrix metal readily fills spaces between wires in intimate contact with wires and without voids. Procedure combines advantages of electroforming with high-strength of commonly available wire to produce non-welded shell structures for high pressure uses.

Social, contextual, and individual factors affecting the occurrence and acoustic structure of drumming bouts in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

PubMed

Babiszewska, Magdalena; Schel, Anne Marijke; Wilke, Claudia; Slocombe, Katie E

2015-01-01

The production of structured and repetitive sounds by striking objects is a behavior found not only in humans, but also in a variety of animal species, including chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). In this study we examined individual and social factors that may influence the frequency with which individuals engage in drumming behavior when producing long distance pant hoot vocalizations, and analyzed the temporal structure of those drumming bouts. Male chimpanzees from Budongo Forest, Uganda, drummed significantly more frequently during travel than feeding or resting and older individuals were significantly more likely to produce drumming bouts than younger ones. In contrast, we found no evidence that the presence of estrus females, high ranking males and preferred social partners in the caller's vicinty had an effect on the frequency with which an individual accompanied their pant hoot vocalization with drumming. Through acoustic analyses, we demonstrated that drumming sequences produced with pant hoots may have contained information on individual identity and that qualitatively, there was individual variation in the complexity of the temporal patterns produced. We conclude that drumming patterns may act as individually distinctive long-distance signals that, together with pant hoot vocalizations, function to coordinate the movement and spacing of dispersed individuals within a community, rather than as signals to group members in the immediate audience. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Synthesis of TiO 2 nanostructured reservoir with temozolomide: Structural evolution of the occluded drug

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López, T.; Sotelo, J.; Navarrete, J.; Ascencio, J. A.

2006-10-01

Sol-gel synthesized nanostructured TiO 2 matrix were produced with different channel sizes, where drug are immersed, producing a reservoir with Temozolomide (TMZ). This drug is particularly important for the treatment of cancer tumors, which are fundamentally a consequence of the uncontrolled reproduction of human cell. In this way the chemotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of both recurrent and newly diagnosed patients. In the handling of brain tumors TMZ has been discovered as a recent and efficient second generation drug employed in the control of advanced brain gliomas, and it is a welcome addition. Its active component binds to the cancerous DNA cells, thus preventing their disordered growth, destroying them. In this work, we report the synthesis of TiO 2 nanostructured reservoir with TMZ, focusing the effort to the understanding of structural effects on the TMZ configuration by using nuclear magnetic resonance, Raman and IR spectroscopy methods. Our results establish that TMZ molecules are quite sensible to chemical processes and it produces the activation of the molecule, which is followed and understood with help of quantum molecular simulation methods. The study of the molecules allows determining the conditions that produce the activation and chemical selectivity of the molecules, which determines the conditions of synthesis. This information gives parameters for the reservoir structural and chemical optimization.

The Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor: a medium-altitude, digitisation-only, airborne laser altimeter for mapping vegetation and topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blair, J. Bryan; Rabine, David L.; Hofton, Michelle A.

The Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS) is an airborne, scanning laser altimeter, designed and developed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). LVIS operates at altitudes up to 10 km above ground, and is capable of producing a data swath up to 1000 m wide nominally with 25-m wide footprints. The entire time history of the outgoing and return pulses is digitised, allowing unambiguous determination of range and return pulse structure. Combined with aircraft position and attitude knowledge, this instrument produces topographic maps with dm accuracy and vertical height and structure measurements of vegetation. The laser transmitter is a diode-pumped Nd:YAG oscillator producing 1064 nm, 10 ns, 5 mJ pulses at repetition rates up to 500 Hz. LVIS has recently demonstrated its ability to determine topography (including sub-canopy) and vegetation height and structure on flight missions to various forested regions in the US and Central America. The LVIS system is the airborne simulator for the Vegetation Canopy Lidar (VCL) mission (a NASA Earth remote sensing satellite due for launch in year 2000), providing simulated data sets and a platform for instrument proof-of-concept studies. The topography maps and return waveforms produced by LVIS provide Earth scientists with a unique data set allowing studies of topography, hydrology, and vegetation with unmatched accuracy and coverage.

Colony social structure in native and invasive populations of the social wasp Vespula pensylvanica

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanna, Cause; Cook, Erin D.; Thompson, Ariel R.; Dare, Lyndzey E.; Palaski, Amanda L.; Foote, David; Goodisman, Michael A. D.

2014-01-01

Social insects rank among the most invasive of terrestrial species. The success of invasive social insects stems, in part, from the flexibility derived from their social behaviors. We used genetic markers to investigate if the social system of the invasive wasp, Vespula pensylvanica, differed in its introduced and native habitats in order to better understand variation in social phenotype in invasive social species. We found that (1) nestmate workers showed lower levels of relatedness in introduced populations than native populations, (2) introduced colonies contained workers produced by multiple queens whereas native colonies contained workers produced by only a single queen, (3) queen mate number did not differ significantly between introduced and native colonies, and (4) workers from introduced colonies were frequently produced by queens that originated from foreign nests. Thus, overall, native and introduced colonies differed substantially in social phenotype because introduced colonies more frequently contained workers produced by multiple, foreign queens. In addition, the similarity in levels of genetic variation in introduced and native habitats, as well as observed variation in colony social phenotype in native populations, suggest that colony structure in invasive populations may be partially associated with social plasticity. Overall, the differences in social structure observed in invasive V. pensylvanica parallel those in other, distantly related invasive social insects, suggesting that insect societies often develop similar social phenotypes upon introduction into new habitats.

Slip-additive migration, surface morphology, and performance on injection moulded high-density polyethylene closures.

PubMed

Dulal, Nabeen; Shanks, Robert; Gengenbach, Thomas; Gill, Harsharn; Chalmers, David; Adhikari, Benu; Pardo Martinez, Isaac

2017-11-01

The amount and distribution of slip agents, erucamide, and behenamide, on the surface of high-density polyethene, is determined by integral characteristics of slip agent structure and polymer morphology. A suite of surface analysis techniques was applied to correlate physicochemical properties with slip-additive migration behaviour and their surface morphology. The migration, surface morphology and physicochemical properties of the slip additives, crystallinity and orientation of polyethene spherulites and interaction between slip additives and high-density polyethene influence the surface characteristics. The high-density polyethene closures were produced with erucamide and behenamide separately and stored until they produced required torque. Surface composition was determined employing spectroscopy and gas chromatography. The distribution of additives was observed under optical, scanning electron and atomic force microscopes. The surface energy, crystallinity and application torque were measured using contact angle, differential scanning calorimeter and a torque force tester respectively. Each slip additive produced a characteristic amide peak at 1645cm -1 in infrared spectroscopy and peaks of oxygen and nitrogen in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, suggesting their presence on the surface. The erucamide produced placoid scale-like structures and behenamide formed denticulate structures. The surface erucamide and behenamide responsible for reducing the torque was found to be 15.7µg/cm 2 and 1.7µg/cm 2 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Weak Shall Inherit: Bacteriocin-Mediated Interactions in Bacterial Populations

PubMed Central

Majeed, Hadeel; Lampert, Adam; Ghazaryan, Lusine; Gillor, Osnat

2013-01-01

Background Evolutionary arms race plays a major role in shaping biological diversity. In microbial systems, competition often involves chemical warfare and the production of bacteriocins, narrow-spectrum toxins aimed at killing closely related strains by forming pores in their target’s membrane or by degrading the target’s RNA or DNA. Although many empirical and theoretical studies describe competitive exclusion of bacteriocin-sensitive strains by producers of bacteriocins, the dynamics among producers are largely unknown. Methodology/Principal findings We used a reporter-gene assay to show that the bacterial response to bacteriocins’ treatment mirrors the inflicted damage Potent bacteriocins are lethal to competing strains, but at sublethal doses can serve as strong inducing agents, enhancing their antagonists’ bacteriocin production. In contrast, weaker bacteriocins are less toxic to their competitors and trigger mild bacteriocin expression. We used empirical and numerical models to explore the role of cross-induction in the arms race between bacteriocin-producing strains. We found that in well-mixed, unstructured environments where interactions are global, producers of weak bacteriocins are selectively advantageous and outcompete producers of potent bacteriocins. However, in spatially structured environments, where interactions are local, each producer occupies its own territory, and competition takes place only in “no man’s lands” between territories, resulting in much slower dynamics. Conclusion/Significance The models we present imply that producers of potent bacteriocins that trigger a strong response in neighboring bacteriocinogenic strains are doomed, while producers of weak bacteriocins that trigger a mild response in bacteriocinogenic strains flourish. This counter-intuitive outcome might explain the preponderance of weak bacteriocin producers in nature. However, the described scenario is prolonged in spatially structured environments thus promoting coexistence, allowing migration and evolution, and maintaining bacterial diversity. PMID:23704942

Polarimetric and Multi-Doppler Radar Observations of Sprite-producing Storms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lang, TImothy J.; Lyons, Walter A.; Rutledge, Steven A.; Dolan, Brenda; Cummer, Steven A.; Krehbiel, Paul; Rison, William

2014-01-01

Sprites are caused by luminous electrical breakdown of the upper atmosphere, and frequently occur over large mesoscale precipitation systems. Two sprite-producing storms (on 8 and 25 June) were observed in Colorado during the summer of 2012. Unlike most past studies of sprites, these storms were observed by a polarimetric radar - the CSU-CHILL facility - which provided both PPI and RHI scans of the cases. Also available were multiple-Doppler syntheses from CSU-CHILL, local NEXRAD radars, and the CSU-Pawnee radar; as well as data from the Colorado Lightning Mapping Array (COLMA), high speed cameras, and other lightning-detection instrumentation. This unique dataset provided an unprecedented look at the detailed kinematic and microphysical structures of the thunderstorms as they produced sprites, including electrical alignment signatures in the immediate location of the charge layers neutralized by sprite-parent positive cloud-to-ground lightning strokes. One of the sprite-producing cases (25 June) featured an anomalous charge structure and may serve as a model for how sprites can be produced over convection rather than the more typical stratiform regions. Also to be presented will be evidence for advection of charge into a common stratiform precipitation region (on 8 June), which was then tapped by lightning originating from multiple different convective cores to produce sprites. Depending on the outcome of the 2013 convective season, polarimetric data from additional storms that produce sprites and other transient luminous events (TLEs) may be presented.

Litho-structural analysis of eastern part of Ilesha schist belt, Southwestern Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fagbohun, Babatunde Joseph; Adeoti, Blessing; Aladejana, Olabanji Odunayo

2017-09-01

The Ilesha schist belt is an excellent example of high strain shear belt within basement complex of southwestern Nigeria which is part of the larger West African Shield. The Ilesha schist belt is characterised by metasediment-metavolcanic, migmatite-gneiss and older granite rocks and the occurrence of a Shear zone which has been traced to and correlated with the central Hoggar Neoproterozoic shear zone as part of the Trans-Saharan Belt. Although the area is interesting in terms of geologic-tectonic setting, however, detailed geological assessment and structural interpretation of features in this area is lacking due accessibility problem. For these reasons we applied principal component analysis (PCA) and band ratio (BR) techniques on Landsat 8 OLI data for lithological discrimination while for structural interpretation, filtering techniques of edge enhancement and edge detection was applied on digital elevation model (DEM) acquired by shuttle radar topographic mission (SRTM) sensor. The PCA outperform BR for discrimination between quartzite and granite which are the most exposed rock units in the area. For structural interpretation, DEM was used to generate shaded relief model and edge maps which enable detailed structural interpretation. Geologic fieldwork was further conducted to validate structures and units identified from image processing. Based image interpretation, three deformation events were identified. The first event (D1) which is majorly a ductile deformation produced foliations and folds whose axial planes trend in NNE-SSW. The second event (D2) resulted in reactivation and rotation of the D1 structures particularly the folds in the NE-SW. The third event (D3) produced a transgressive deformation starting with the ductile deformation resulting in the development of sigmoidal structures oriented in NE-SW to E-W direction and the brittle deformation occurring at later stages producing fractures oriented in the E-W to NE-SW directions. These results have important implications in terms of regional tectonics and geological mapping as well as in land-use planning and other areas such as hydrogeology or geotechnics.

Preparation of Protein Samples for NMR Structure, Function, and Small Molecule Screening Studies

PubMed Central

Acton, Thomas B.; Xiao, Rong; Anderson, Stephen; Aramini, James; Buchwald, William A.; Ciccosanti, Colleen; Conover, Ken; Everett, John; Hamilton, Keith; Huang, Yuanpeng Janet; Janjua, Haleema; Kornhaber, Gregory; Lau, Jessica; Lee, Dong Yup; Liu, Gaohua; Maglaqui, Melissa; Ma, Lichung; Mao, Lei; Patel, Dayaban; Rossi, Paolo; Sahdev, Seema; Shastry, Ritu; Swapna, G.V.T.; Tang, Yeufeng; Tong, Saichiu; Wang, Dongyan; Wang, Huang; Zhao, Li; Montelione, Gaetano T.

2014-01-01

In this chapter, we concentrate on the production of high quality protein samples for NMR studies. In particular, we provide an in-depth description of recent advances in the production of NMR samples and their synergistic use with recent advancements in NMR hardware. We describe the protein production platform of the Northeast Structural Genomics Consortium, and outline our high-throughput strategies for producing high quality protein samples for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies. Our strategy is based on the cloning, expression and purification of 6X-His-tagged proteins using T7-based Escherichia coli systems and isotope enrichment in minimal media. We describe 96-well ligation-independent cloning and analytical expression systems, parallel preparative scale fermentation, and high-throughput purification protocols. The 6X-His affinity tag allows for a similar two-step purification procedure implemented in a parallel high-throughput fashion that routinely results in purity levels sufficient for NMR studies (> 97% homogeneity). Using this platform, the protein open reading frames of over 17,500 different targeted proteins (or domains) have been cloned as over 28,000 constructs. Nearly 5,000 of these proteins have been purified to homogeneity in tens of milligram quantities (see Summary Statistics, http://nesg.org/statistics.html), resulting in more than 950 new protein structures, including more than 400 NMR structures, deposited in the Protein Data Bank. The Northeast Structural Genomics Consortium pipeline has been effective in producing protein samples of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic origin. Although this paper describes our entire pipeline for producing isotope-enriched protein samples, it focuses on the major updates introduced during the last 5 years (Phase 2 of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences Protein Structure Initiative). Our advanced automated and/or parallel cloning, expression, purification, and biophysical screening technologies are suitable for implementation in a large individual laboratory or by a small group of collaborating investigators for structural biology, functional proteomics, ligand screening and structural genomics research. PMID:21371586

Understanding of the Formation of Micro/Nanoscale Structures on Metal Surfaces by Ultrafast Pulse Laser Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Edwin

In the recent decades, there has been much interest in functionalized surfaces produced by ultrafast laser processing. Using pulse lasers with nanosecond to femtosecond time scale, a wide range of micro/nanoscale structures can be produced on virtually all metal surfaces. These surface structures create special optoelectronic, wetting, and tribological properties with a diverse range of potential applications. The formation mechanisms of these surface structures, especially microscale, mound-like structures, are not fully understood. There has been wide study of ultrafast laser processing of metals. Yet, the proposed formation models present in current literature often lack sufficient experimental verification. Specifically, many studies are limited to surface characterization, e.g. scanning electron microscopy of the surfaces of these micro/nanoscale structures. Valuable insight into the physical processes responsible for formation can be obtained if standard material science characterization methods are performed across the entire mound. In our study, we examined mound-like structures formed on three metal alloys. Using cross section and 3D slice and view operations by a dual beam scanning electron microscope-focused ion beam, the interior microstructures of these mounds are revealed. Taking advantage of amorphous phase formation during laser processing of Ni60Nb40, we verified the fluence-dependent formation model: mounds formed at low fluence are primarily the result of ablation while mounds formed at high fluence are formed by both ablation and rapid resolidification by hydrodynamical fluid flow. For the first time, we revealed the cross section of a wide variety of mound-like structures on titanium surfaces. The increased contribution to mound formation by fluid flow with increasing fluence was observed. Finally, a 3D scanning electron microscopy technique was applied for mounds produced on silver surface by delayed-pulse laser processing. The interior microstructure demonstrated that most of the volume comprised of resolidified silver grains with 1% porosity.

SWS grating for UV band filter by nano-imprint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Jian-Shian; Liao, Ke-Hao; Chen, Chang-Tai; Lai, Chieh-Lung; Ko, Cheng-Hao

2009-05-01

Regarding to researches on manufacturing process, the fabrication of nano structures on SWS (subwavelength structured) grating are mainly produced by photo lithography. We find that UV light transmission efficiency of PET film significantly drops 50% when we put nano structures on the surface of material. In this paper, we add nano structures on the surface of PET film and create a UV band filter. Decent optical filtering effects can be achieved by combining the characteristics of PET materials with nano structures on their surfaces.

Template-assisted mineral formation via an amorphous liquid phase precursor route

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amos, Fairland F.

The search for alternative routes to synthesize inorganic materials has led to the biomimetic route of producing ceramics. In this method, materials are manufactured at ambient temperatures and in aqueous solutions with soluble additives and insoluble matrix, similar to the biological strategy for the formation of minerals by living organisms. Using this approach, an anionic polypeptide additive was used to induce an amorphous liquid-phase precursor to either calcium carbonate or calcium phosphate. This precursor was then templated on either organic or inorganic substrates. Non-equilibrium morphologies, such as two-dimensional calcium carbonate films, one-dimensional calcium carbonate mesostructures and "molten" calcium phosphate spherulites were produced, which are not typical of the traditional (additive-free) solution grown crystals in the laboratory. In the study of calcium carbonate, the amorphous calcium carbonate mineral formed via the liquid-phase precursor, either underwent a dissolution-recrystallization event or a pseudo-solid-state transformation to produce different morphologies and polymorphs of the mineral. Discrete or aggregate calcite crystals were formed via the dissolution of the amorphous phase to allow the reprecipitation of the stable crystal. Non-equilibrium morphologies, e.g., films, mesotubules and mesowires were templated using organic and inorganic substrates and compartments. These structures were generated via an amorphous solid to crystalline solid transformation. Single crystalline tablets and mesowires of aragonite, which are reported to be found only in nature as skeletal structures of marine organisms, such as mollusk nacre and echinoderm teeth, were successfully synthesized. These biomimetic structures were grown via the polymer-induced liquid-phase precursor route in the presence of magnesium. Only low magnesium-bearing calcite was formed in the absence of the polymer. A similar approach of using a polymeric additive was implemented in calcium phosphate. Spherulitic crystals and films, seemingly formed from a molten state, were produced. These structures served as nucleating surfaces for the radial formation of calcium oxalate minerals. The composite calcium phosphate-calcium oxalate assemblies are similar to the core-shell structures found in certain kidney stones.

Structural insights into the catalytic mechanism of cysteine (hydroxyl) lyase from the hydrogen sulfide-producing oral pathogen, Fusobacterium nucleatum.

PubMed

Kezuka, Yuichiro; Ishida, Tetsuo; Yoshida, Yasuo; Nonaka, Takamasa

2018-02-16

Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) plays important roles in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. Oral pathogens typically produce H 2 S from l-cysteine in addition to pyruvate and [Formula: see text] However, fn1055 from Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. nucleatum ATCC 25586 encodes a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the production of H 2 S and l-serine from l-cysteine and H 2 O, an unusual cysteine (hydroxyl) lyase reaction (β-replacement reaction). To reveal the reaction mechanism, the crystal structure of substrate-free Fn1055 was determined. Based on this structure, a model of the l-cysteine-PLP Schiff base suggested that the thiol group forms hydrogen bonds with Asp 232 and Ser 74 , and the substrate α-carboxylate interacts with Thr 73 and Gln 147 Asp 232 is a unique residue to Fn1055 and its substitution to asparagine (D232N) resulted in almost complete loss of β-replacement activity. The D232N structure obtained in the presence of l-cysteine contained the α-aminoacrylate-PLP Schiff base in the active site, indicating that Asp 232 is essential for the addition of water to the α-aminoacrylate to produce the l-serine-PLP Schiff base. Rapid-scan stopped-flow kinetic analyses showed an accumulation of the α-aminoacrylate intermediate during the reaction cycle, suggesting that water addition mediated by Asp 232 is the rate-limiting step. In contrast, mutants containing substitutions of other active-site residues (Ser 74 , Thr 73 , and Gln 147 ) exhibited reduced β-replacement activity by more than 100-fold. Finally, based on the structural and biochemical analyses, we propose a mechanism of the cysteine (hydroxyl) lyase reaction by Fn1055. The present study leads to elucidation of the H 2 S-producing mechanism in F. nucleatum . © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Synthesis and Characterization of LaTiO2N

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rugen, Evan E.

Photocatalysts offer an excellent opportunity to shift the global energy landscape from a fossil fuel-dependent paradigm to sustainable and carbon-neutral solar fuels. Oxynitride materials such as LaTiO2N are potential photocatalysts for the water splitting reaction due to their high oxidative stability and their narrow band gaps, which are suitable for visible light absorption. However, facile synthetic routes to metal oxynitrides with controlled morphologies are rare, and the local structures of these materials are under-characterized. Ultrasonic spray synthesis (USS) offers a facile method toward complex metal oxides which can potentially be converted to oxynitrides with preservation of the microsphere structures that typify the products from such aerosol routes. Here, La-Ti-O microspheres were facilely produced by USS and converted by ammonolysis to LaTiO2N microspheres with porous shells and hollow interiors. This particle architecture is accounted for by coupling suitable combustion chemistry with the aerosol technique, producing precursor particles where the La3+ and Ti4+ are well-mixed at small length scales; this feature enables preservation of the microsphere morphology during nitridation despite the crystallographic changes that occur. The LaTiO2N microspheres are comparable oxygen evolving photocatalysts to samples produced by conventional solid state methods. Pair distribution function (PDF) analysis is a local probe designed to examine the structure of disordered crystalline materials, and is an ideal technique for characterizing the ordering of anions in oxynitrides. Preliminary studies using PDF analysis to determine the presence of anion ordering and local structure in LaTiO2N produced by solid state methods are presented here. Future experiments are proposed that will grant detailed insight into the factors driving the degree of anion ordering in these types of materials. These results demonstrate the utility of USS as a facile, potentially scalable route to complex photocatalytic materials and their precursors, and the feasibility of PDF analysis for the determination of local structures in complex oxynitrides.

Fine structural dependence of ultraviolet reflections in the King Penguin beak horn.

PubMed

Dresp, Birgitta; Langley, Keith

2006-03-01

The visual perception of many birds extends into the near-ultraviolet (UV) spectrum and ultraviolet is used by some to communicate. The beak horn of the King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) intensely reflects in the ultraviolet and this appears to be implicated in partner choice. In a preliminary study, we recently demonstrated that this ultraviolet reflectance has a structural basis, resulting from crystal-like photonic structures, capable of reflecting in the near-UV. The present study attempted to define the origin of the photonic elements that produce the UV reflectance and to better understand how the UV signal is optimized by their fine structure. Using light and electron microscopic analysis combined with new spectrophotometric data, we describe here in detail the fine structure of the entire King Penguin beak horn in addition to that of its photonic crystals. The data obtained reveal a one-dimensional structural periodicity within this tissue and demonstrate a direct relationship between its fine structure and its function. In addition, they suggest how the photonic structures are produced and how they are stabilized. The measured lattice dimensions of the photonic crystals, together with morphological data on its composition, permit predictions of the wavelength of reflected light. These correlate well with experimentally observed values. The way the UV signal is optimized by the fine structure of the beak tissue is discussed with regard to its putative biological role.

Improved process for forming a three-dimensional undersurface on a printed cantilever

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanazawa, Shusuke; Kusaka, Yasuyuki; Yamamoto, Noritaka; Ushijima, Hirobumi

2018-05-01

An improvement in the lift-on offset printing process is reported as a means of enabling the structural customization of hollow structures used as moving parts of sensors and actuators. The improved process can add structures to the underside of a hollow structure by modifying the preparation of the pre-structure. As a demonstration, the mechanical displacement of a cantilever in a gravitational acceleration sensor was enhanced by the addition of a proof mass. The improved process can be expected to further produce functionalized hollow structures by an efficient manufacturing process.

Analysing photonic structures in plants

PubMed Central

Vignolini, Silvia; Moyroud, Edwige; Glover, Beverley J.; Steiner, Ullrich

2013-01-01

The outer layers of a range of plant tissues, including flower petals, leaves and fruits, exhibit an intriguing variation of microscopic structures. Some of these structures include ordered periodic multilayers and diffraction gratings that give rise to interesting optical appearances. The colour arising from such structures is generally brighter than pigment-based colour. Here, we describe the main types of photonic structures found in plants and discuss the experimental approaches that can be used to analyse them. These experimental approaches allow identification of the physical mechanisms producing structural colours with a high degree of confidence. PMID:23883949

Structured Sensory Trauma Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steele, William; Kuban, Caelan

2010-01-01

This article features the National Institute of Trauma and Loss in Children (TLC), a program that has demonstrated via field testing, exploratory research, time series studies, and evidence-based research studies that its Structured Sensory Intervention for Traumatized Children, Adolescents, and Parents (SITCAP[R]) produces statistically…

Necessities for the First Life to Emerge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikehara, K.

2017-07-01

For the first life to emerge, the first protein must be produced by random joining of amino acids in protein 0th-order structure. In addition, the first genetic code and the first double-stranded gene must encode the protein 0th-order structure.

Method and system for automated on-chip material and structural certification of MEMS devices

DOEpatents

Sinclair, Michael B.; DeBoer, Maarten P.; Smith, Norman F.; Jensen, Brian D.; Miller, Samuel L.

2003-05-20

A new approach toward MEMS quality control and materials characterization is provided by a combined test structure measurement and mechanical response modeling approach. Simple test structures are cofabricated with the MEMS devices being produced. These test structures are designed to isolate certain types of physical response, so that measurement of their behavior under applied stress can be easily interpreted as quality control and material properties information.

Probing Actinide Electronic Structure through Pu Cluster Calculations

DOE PAGES

Ryzhkov, Mickhail V.; Mirmelstein, Alexei; Yu, Sung-Woo; ...

2013-02-26

The calculations for the electronic structure of clusters of plutonium have been performed, within the framework of the relativistic discrete-variational method. Moreover, these theoretical results and those calculated earlier for related systems have been compared to spectroscopic data produced in the experimental investigations of bulk systems, including photoelectron spectroscopy. Observation of the changes in the Pu electronic structure as a function of size provides powerful insight for aspects of bulk Pu electronic structure.

The structural coloration of textile materials using self-assembled silica nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Weihong; Rigout, Muriel; Owens, Huw

2017-09-01

The work presented investigates how to produce structural colours on textile materials by applying a surface coating of silica nanoparticles (SNPs). Uniform SNPs with particle diameters in a controlled micron size range (207-350 nm) were synthesized using a Stöber-based solvent varying (SV) method which has been reported previously. Photonic crystals (PCs) were formed on the surface of a piece of textile fabric through a process of natural sedimentation self-assembly of the colloidal suspension containing uniform SNPs. Due to the uniformity and a particular diameter range of the prepared SNPs, structural colours were observed from the fabric surface due to the Bragg diffraction of white light with the ordered structure of the silica PCs. By varying the mean particle diameter, a wide range of spectral colours from red to blue were obtained. The comparison of structural colours on fabrics and on glasses suggests that a smooth substrate is critical when producing materials with high colour intensity and spatial uniformity. This work suggested a promising approach to colour textile materials without the need for traditional dyes and/or pigments. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Assessing the effects of microbial metabolism and metabolities on reservoir pore structure

USGS Publications Warehouse

Udegbunam, E.O.; Adkins, J.P.; Knapp, R.M.; McInerney, M.J.; Tanner, R.S.

1991-01-01

The effect of microbial treatment on pore structure of sandstone and carbonatereservoirs was determined. Understanding how different bacterial strains and their metabolic bioproducts affect reservoir pore structure will permit the prudent application of microorganisms for enhanced oil recovery. The microbial strains tested included Clostridium acetobutylicum, a polymer-producing Bacillus strain, and an unidentified halophilic anaerobe that mainly produced acids and gases. Electrical conductivity, absolute permeability, porosity and centrifuge capillary pressure were used to examine rock pore structures. Modifications of the pore structure observed in the laboratory cores included pore enlargement due to acid dissolution of carbonates and poare throat reduction due to biomass plugging. This paper shows that careful selection of microbes based on proper understanding of the reservoir petrophysical characteristics is necessary for applications of microbially enhanced oil recovery. These methods and results can be useful to field operators and laboratory researchers involved in design and screening of reservoirs for MEOR. The methods are also applicable in evaluation of formation damage caused by drilling, injection or completion fluids or stimulation caused by acids.

A study of structure of phenomenology of consciousness in meditative and non-meditative states.

PubMed

Venkatesh, S; Raju, T R; Shivani, Y; Tompkins, G; Meti, B L

1997-04-01

Twelve senior Kundalini (Chakra) meditators were assessed during meditation session and non-meditation or control session using Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory. The data has been analyzed using structural analysis to measure the altered state of consciousness and the identity state by comparing meditative state with non-meditative state. The structural analysis of pattern of consciousness during the meditative state revealed altered experience in perception (percentile rank PR = 90), meaning (PR = 82) and time sense (PR = 87), while positive affect dimension showed increased joy (PR = 73) and love (PR = 67). The imagery vividness (PR = 72), self-awareness (PR = 77), rationality (PR = 73) and arousal (PR = 69) were found to be structurally different from the ordinary state. With regards to identity state meditative experience was found to produce statistically significant changes in terms of intensity in meaning (P < 0.05), time sense (P < 0.05), joy (P < 0.05), love (P < 0.05) and state of awareness (P < 0.01). Our results indicate that long term practice of meditation appears to produce structural as well as intensity changes in phenomenological experiences of consciousness.

Multifunctional 3D printing of heterogeneous hydrogel structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadernezhad, Ali; Khani, Navid; Skvortsov, Gözde Akdeniz; Toprakhisar, Burak; Bakirci, Ezgi; Menceloglu, Yusuf; Unal, Serkan; Koc, Bahattin

2016-09-01

Multimaterial additive manufacturing or three-dimensional (3D) printing of hydrogel structures provides the opportunity to engineer geometrically dependent functionalities. However, current fabrication methods are mostly limited to one type of material or only provide one type of functionality. In this paper, we report a novel method of multimaterial deposition of hydrogel structures based on an aspiration-on-demand protocol, in which the constitutive multimaterial segments of extruded filaments were first assembled in liquid state by sequential aspiration of inks into a glass capillary, followed by in situ gel formation. We printed different patterned objects with varying chemical, electrical, mechanical, and biological properties by tuning process and material related parameters, to demonstrate the abilities of this method in producing heterogeneous and multi-functional hydrogel structures. Our results show the potential of proposed method in producing heterogeneous objects with spatially controlled functionalities while preserving structural integrity at the switching interface between different segments. We anticipate that this method would introduce new opportunities in multimaterial additive manufacturing of hydrogels for diverse applications such as biosensors, flexible electronics, tissue engineering and organ printing.

Structure and Chemical Synthesis of a Biologically Active Form of Renilla (Sea Pansy) Luciferin*

PubMed Central

Hori, Kazuo; Cormier, Milton J.

1973-01-01

The structure of a biologically active form of Renilla (sea pansy) luciferin has been elucidated; this structure, confirmed by total chemical synthesis, is 3,7-dihydro-2-methyl-6-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-8-benzylimidazo [1,2-a] pyrazin-3-one. In the natural compound the methyl group at the 2 position is replaced by an unknown, more complex group. For this reason the synthetic compound is 10% as active as the natural compound in producing light with Renilla luciferase. However, the spectral properties of the two compounds are identical. In addition the rates of the luminescent reaction with both compounds are similar, and the color of the light produced is identical in each case. A compound isolated from the calcium-triggered photoprotein aequorin has been identified by Shimomura and Johnson [(1972) Biochemistry 11, 1602] to be 2-amino-3-benzyl-5-(p-hydroxyphenyl)pyrazine. This compound forms an integral part of the structure of Renilla luciferin. This, and other evidence, suggests that the structure elucidated for Renilla luciferin is a more general one associated with the luciferins of most, if not all, bioluminescent coelenterates. PMID:16592045

The structural coloration of textile materials using self-assembled silica nanoparticles.

PubMed

Gao, Weihong; Rigout, Muriel; Owens, Huw

2017-01-01

The work presented investigates how to produce structural colours on textile materials by applying a surface coating of silica nanoparticles (SNPs). Uniform SNPs with particle diameters in a controlled micron size range (207-350 nm) were synthesized using a Stöber-based solvent varying (SV) method which has been reported previously. Photonic crystals (PCs) were formed on the surface of a piece of textile fabric through a process of natural sedimentation self-assembly of the colloidal suspension containing uniform SNPs. Due to the uniformity and a particular diameter range of the prepared SNPs, structural colours were observed from the fabric surface due to the Bragg diffraction of white light with the ordered structure of the silica PCs. By varying the mean particle diameter, a wide range of spectral colours from red to blue were obtained. The comparison of structural colours on fabrics and on glasses suggests that a smooth substrate is critical when producing materials with high colour intensity and spatial uniformity. This work suggested a promising approach to colour textile materials without the need for traditional dyes and/or pigments. Graphical abstract.

Recent Advances in Exopolysaccharides from Paenibacillus spp.: Production, Isolation, Structure, and Bioactivities

PubMed Central

Liang, Tzu-Wen; Wang, San-Lang

2015-01-01

This review provides a comprehensive summary of the most recent developments of various aspects (i.e., production, purification, structure, and bioactivity) of the exopolysaccharides (EPSs) from Paenibacillus spp. For the production, in particular, squid pen waste was first utilized successfully to produce a high yield of inexpensive EPSs from Paenibacillus sp. TKU023 and P. macerans TKU029. In addition, this technology for EPS production is prevailing because it is more environmentally friendly. The Paenibacillus spp. EPSs reported from various references constitute a structurally diverse class of biological macromolecules with different applications in the broad fields of pharmacy, cosmetics and bioremediation. The EPS produced by P. macerans TKU029 can increase in vivo skin hydration and may be a new source of natural moisturizers with potential value in cosmetics. However, the relationships between the structures and activities of these EPSs in many studies are not well established. The contents and data in this review will serve as useful references for further investigation, production, structure and application of Paenibacillus spp. EPSs in various fields. PMID:25837984

Closed-cage (fullerene-like) structures of NiBr{sub 2}

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

Bar-Sadan, M.; Popovitz-Biro, R.; Prior, Yehiam

It is well accepted by now that nanoparticles of inorganic layered compounds form closed-cage structures (IF). In particular closed-cage nanoparticles of metal dihalides, like NiCl{sub 2}, CdCl{sub 2} and CdI{sub 2} were shown to produce such structures in the past. In the present report IF-NiBr{sub 2} polyhedra and quasi-spherical structures were obtained by the evaporation/recrystallization technique as well as by laser ablation. When the nanoclusters were formed in humid atmosphere, nickel perbromate hydrate [Ni(BrO{sub 4}){sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 6}] polyhedra and short tubules were produced, as a result of a reaction with water. Nanooctahedra of NiBr{sub 2} were found occasionally inmore » the irradiated soot. The reoccurrence of this structure in the IF family suggests that it is a generic one. Consistent with previous observations, this study showed that formation of the IF materials stabilized the material under the electron-beam irradiation. The growth mechanism of these nanostructures is briefly discussed.« less

Structure-borne sound from magnetic resonance imaging systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ungar, Eric E.; Zapfe, Jeffrey A.

2003-10-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems are known to produce a considerable amount of audible noise. The recent tendency to install such systems on above-grade floors has led to increasing concerns about structure-borne noise transmission from the MRI to adjacent occupied areas. This paper presents the results of a study in which structure-borne noise forces produced by two operational MRI systems were determined via measurement of the floor vibrations induced by the systems and of the impedance of their supporting floors. Forces with known spectra were applied to the floors of planned MRI suites in a hospital extension and the corresponding noise in adjacent areas was measured. Similarly, airborne noise was introduced in the planned suites and the related noise in adjacent areas was measured. The results then were scaled to correspond to the measured MRI forces and airborne noise. It was found that in areas below the planned MRI installations structure-borne noise would predominate, unless it is mitigated. Structure-borne noise isolation of MRI systems, whose environments must meet stringent vibration criteria, is discussed briefly.

Thermo-Mechanical Behavior of Textile Heating Fabric Based on Silver Coated Polymeric Yarn

PubMed Central

Hamdani, Syed Talha Ali; Potluri, Prasad; Fernando, Anura

2013-01-01

This paper presents a study conducted on the thermo-mechanical properties of knitted structures, the methods of manufacture, effect of contact pressure at the structural binding points, on the degree of heating. The test results also present the level of heating produced as a function of the separation between the supply terminals. The study further investigates the rate of heating and cooling of the knitted structures. The work also presents the decay of heating properties of the yarn due to overheating. Thermal images were taken to study the heat distribution over the surface of the knitted fabric. A tensile tester having constant rate of extension was used to stretch the fabric. The behavior of temperature profile of stretched fabric was observed. A comparison of heat generation by plain, rib and interlock structures was studied. It was observed from the series of experiments that there is a minimum threshold force of contact at binding points of a knitted structure is required to pass the electricity. Once this force is achieved, stretching the fabric does not affect the amount of heat produced. PMID:28809358

Multifunctional 3D printing of heterogeneous hydrogel structures

PubMed Central

Nadernezhad, Ali; Khani, Navid; Skvortsov, Gözde Akdeniz; Toprakhisar, Burak; Bakirci, Ezgi; Menceloglu, Yusuf; Unal, Serkan; Koc, Bahattin

2016-01-01

Multimaterial additive manufacturing or three-dimensional (3D) printing of hydrogel structures provides the opportunity to engineer geometrically dependent functionalities. However, current fabrication methods are mostly limited to one type of material or only provide one type of functionality. In this paper, we report a novel method of multimaterial deposition of hydrogel structures based on an aspiration-on-demand protocol, in which the constitutive multimaterial segments of extruded filaments were first assembled in liquid state by sequential aspiration of inks into a glass capillary, followed by in situ gel formation. We printed different patterned objects with varying chemical, electrical, mechanical, and biological properties by tuning process and material related parameters, to demonstrate the abilities of this method in producing heterogeneous and multi-functional hydrogel structures. Our results show the potential of proposed method in producing heterogeneous objects with spatially controlled functionalities while preserving structural integrity at the switching interface between different segments. We anticipate that this method would introduce new opportunities in multimaterial additive manufacturing of hydrogels for diverse applications such as biosensors, flexible electronics, tissue engineering and organ printing. PMID:27630079

Self-assembling DNA nanotubes to connect molecular landmarks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammed, Abdul M.; Šulc, Petr; Zenk, John; Schulman, Rebecca

2017-05-01

Within cells, nanostructures are often organized using local assembly rules that produce long-range order. Because these rules can take into account the cell's current structure and state, they can enable complexes, organelles or cytoskeletal structures to assemble around existing cellular components to form architectures. Although many methods for self-assembling biomolecular nanostructures have been developed, few can be programmed to assemble structures whose form depends on the identity and organization of structures already present in the environment. Here, we demonstrate that DNA nanotubes can grow to connect pairs of molecular landmarks with different separation distances and relative orientations. DNA tile nanotubes nucleate at these landmarks and grow while their free ends diffuse. The nanotubes can then join end to end to form stable connections, with unconnected nanotubes selectively melted away. Connections form between landmark pairs separated by 1-10 µm in more than 75% of cases and can span a surface or three dimensions. This point-to-point assembly process illustrates how self-assembly kinetics can be designed to produce structures with a desired physical property rather than a specific shape.

Recent advances in exopolysaccharides from Paenibacillus spp.: production, isolation, structure, and bioactivities.

PubMed

Liang, Tzu-Wen; Wang, San-Lang

2015-04-01

This review provides a comprehensive summary of the most recent developments of various aspects (i.e., production, purification, structure, and bioactivity) of the exopolysaccharides (EPSs) from Paenibacillus spp. For the production, in particular, squid pen waste was first utilized successfully to produce a high yield of inexpensive EPSs from Paenibacillus sp. TKU023 and P. macerans TKU029. In addition, this technology for EPS production is prevailing because it is more environmentally friendly. The Paenibacillus spp. EPSs reported from various references constitute a structurally diverse class of biological macromolecules with different applications in the broad fields of pharmacy, cosmetics and bioremediation. The EPS produced by P. macerans TKU029 can increase in vivo skin hydration and may be a new source of natural moisturizers with potential value in cosmetics. However, the relationships between the structures and activities of these EPSs in many studies are not well established. The contents and data in this review will serve as useful references for further investigation, production, structure and application of Paenibacillus spp. EPSs in various fields.

Genetic evolution and clinical impact in extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

PubMed

Chong, Yong; Ito, Yoshikiyo; Kamimura, Tomohiko

2011-10-01

The emergence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria, particularly Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, is now a critical concern for the development of therapies against bacterial infection. ESBLs consist of three major genetic groups: TEM, SHV, and CTX-M types. Nosocomial infections due to TEM and SHV-producing K. pneumoniae strains were frequently documented until the late 1990s. The number of reports on community-acquired infections caused by CTX-M-producing E. coli strains have dramatically increased over the last decade; however, K. pneumoniae strains, of either the TEM or SHV types, are persistent and important ESBL producers. The spread of ESBL genes is associated with various mobile genetic elements, such as transposons, insertion sequences, and integrons. The rapid dissemination of ESBL genes of the CTX-M type may be related to highly complicated genetic structures. These structures harboring ESBL genes and mobile elements are found in a variety of plasmids, which often carry many other antibiotic resistance genes. Multidrug-resistant CTX-M-15-producing E. coli strains disseminate worldwide. Efficient mobile elements and plasmids may have accelerated the genetic diversity and the rapid spread of ESBL genes, and their genetic evolution has caused an emerging threat to the bacteria for which few effective drugs have been identified. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

History of adaptation determines short-term shifts in performance and community structure of hydrogen-producing microbial communities degrading wheat straw.

PubMed

Valdez-Vazquez, Idania; Morales, Ana L; Escalante, Ana E

2017-11-01

This study addresses the question of ecological interest for the determination of structure and diversity of microbial communities that degrade lignocellulosic biomasses to produce biofuels. Two microbial consortia with different history, native of wheat straw (NWS) and from a methanogenic digester (MD) fed with cow manure, were contrasted in terms of hydrogen performance, substrate disintegration and microbial diversity. NWS outperformed the hydrogen production rate of MD. Microscopic images revealed that NWS acted on the cuticle and epidermis, generating cellulose strands with high crystallinity, while MD degraded deeper layers, equally affecting all polysaccharides. The bacterial composition markedly differed according to the inocula origin. NWS almost solely comprised hydrogen producers of the phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, with 38% members of Enterococcus. After hydrogen fermentation, NWS comprised 8% Syntrophococcus, an acetogen that cleaves aryl ethers of constituent groups on the aromatic components of lignin. Conversely, MD comprised thirteen phyla, primarily including Firmicutes with H 2 -producing members, and Bacteroidetes with non-H 2 -producing members, which reduced the hydrogen performance. Overall, the results of this study provide clear evidence that the history of adaptation of NWS enhanced the hydrogen performance from untreated wheat straw. Further, native wheat straw communities have the potential to refine cellulose fibers and produce biofuels simultaneously. © 2017 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

3D FDM production and mechanical behavior of polymeric sandwich specimens embedding classical and honeycomb cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brischetto, Salvatore; Ferro, Carlo Giovanni; Torre, Roberto; Maggiore, Paolo

2018-04-01

Desktop 3D FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) printers are usually employed for the production of nonstructural objects. In recent years, the present authors tried to use this technology also to produce structural elements employed in the construction of small UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). Mechanical stresses are not excessive for small multirotor UAVs. Therefore, the FDM technique combined with polymers, such as the ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) and the PLA(Poly Lactic Acid), can be successfully employed to produce structural components. The present new work is devoted to the production and preliminary structural analysis of sandwich configurations. These new lamination schemes could lead to an important weight reduction without significant decreases of mechanical properties. Therefore, it could be possible, for the designed application (e.g., a multifunctional small UAV produced via FDM), to have stiffener and lighter structures easy to be manufactured with a low-cost 3D printer. The new sandwich specimens here proposed are PLA sandwich specimens embedding a PLA honeycomb core produced by means of the same extruder, multilayered specimens with ABS external layers and an internal homogeneous PLA core using different extruders for the two materials, sandwich specimens with external ABS skins and an internal PLA honeycomb core using different extruders for the two materials, and sandwich specimens where two different extruders have been employed for PLA material used for skins and for the internal honeycomb core. For all the proposed configurations, a detailed description of the production activity is given.Moreover, several preliminary results about three-point bending tests, different mechanical behaviors and relative delamination problems for each sandwich configuration will be discussed in depth.

CTX-M Enzymes: Origin and Diffusion

PubMed Central

Cantón, Rafael; González-Alba, José María; Galán, Juan Carlos

2012-01-01

CTX-M β-lactamases are considered a paradigm in the evolution of a resistance mechanism. Incorporation of different chromosomal blaCTX-M related genes from different species of Kluyvera has derived in different CTX-M clusters. In silico analyses have shown that this event has occurred at least nine times; in CTX-M-1 cluster (3), CTX-M-2 and CTX-M-9 clusters (2 each), and CTX-M-8 and CTX-M-25 clusters (1 each). This has been mainly produced by the participation of genetic mobilization units such as insertion sequences (ISEcp1 or ISCR1) and the later incorporation in hierarchical structures associated with multifaceted genetic structures including complex class 1 integrons and transposons. The capture of these blaCTX-M genes from the environment by highly mobilizable structures could have been a random event. Moreover, after incorporation within these structures, β-lactam selective force such as that exerted by cefotaxime and ceftazidime has fueled mutational events underscoring diversification of different clusters. Nevertheless, more variants of CTX-M enzymes, including those not inhibited by β-lactamase inhibitors such as clavulanic acid (IR-CTX-M variants), only obtained under in in vitro experiments, are still waiting to emerge in the clinical setting. Penetration and the later global spread of CTX-M producing organisms have been produced with the participation of the so-called “epidemic resistance plasmids” often carried in multi-drug resistant and virulent high-risk clones. All these facts but also the incorporation and co-selection of emerging resistance determinants within CTX-M producing bacteria, such as those encoding carbapenemases, depict the currently complex pandemic scenario of multi-drug resistant isolates. PMID:22485109

Teach for America, Relay Graduate School, and the Charter School Networks: The Making of a Parallel Education Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mungal, Angus Shiva

2016-01-01

In New York City, a partnership between Teach For America (TFA), the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), the Relay Graduate School of Education (Relay), and three charter school networks produced a "parallel education structure" within the public school system. Driving the partnership and the parallel education structure are…

Differential accumulation of nif structural gene mRNA in Azotobacter vinelandii.

PubMed

Hamilton, Trinity L; Jacobson, Marty; Ludwig, Marcus; Boyd, Eric S; Bryant, Donald A; Dean, Dennis R; Peters, John W

2011-09-01

Northern analysis was employed to investigate mRNA produced by mutant strains of Azotobacter vinelandii with defined deletions in the nif structural genes and in the intergenic noncoding regions. The results indicate that intergenic RNA secondary structures effect the differential accumulation of transcripts, supporting the high Fe protein-to-MoFe protein ratio required for optimal diazotrophic growth.

Parsimonious or Profligate: How Many and Which Discourse Structure Relations?

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-08-01

argument structure (the development and reasoning underlying the argument) [ Toulmin 58, Birnbaum et al. 80, Sycara 87]; affective structure (also...sub- fields, various researchers have produced lists of intersegment relations - from philosophers (e.g., [ Toulmin 58]) to linguists (e.g., [Quirk...SSN:Exception Exception SSN:Opposition Antithesis SSN:Enumeration Joint, Pres-Sequence SSN:Concession Concession ST: [ Toulmin 58] ST:Claim

NCI Scientists Solve Structure of Protein that Enables MERS Virus to Spread | Poster

Cancer.gov

Scientists at the Frederick National Lab have produced three crystal structures that reveal a specific part of a protein that can be targeted to fight the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which causes an emerging viral respiratory illness. Senior Investigator David Waugh, Ph.D., Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory, has solved the structure of an

IDENTIFICATION OF THE STRUCTURE AND ORIGIN OF A THIOACIDOLYSIS MARKER COMPOUND FOR FERULIC ACID INCORPORATION INTO ANGIOSPERM LIGNINS (AND AN INDICATOR FOR CINNAMOYL-CoA REDUCTASE DEFICIENCY)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A molecular marker compound, derived from lignin by the thioacidolysis degradative method, for structures produced when ferulic acid is incorporated into lignification in angiosperms (poplar, Arabidopsis, tobacco), has been structurally identified as 1,2,2-trithioethyl ethylguaiacol [1-(4-hydroxy-3-...

Solar selective absorption coatings

DOEpatents

Mahoney, Alan R [Albuquerque, NM; Reed, Scott T [Albuquerque, NM; Ashley, Carol S [Albuquerque, NM; Martinez, F Edward [Horseheads, NY

2004-08-31

A new class of solar selective absorption coatings are disclosed. These coatings comprise a structured metallic overlayer such that the overlayer has a sub-micron structure designed to efficiently absorb solar radiation, while retaining low thermal emissivity for infrared thermal radiation. A sol-gel layer protects the structured metallic overlayer from mechanical, thermal, and environmental degradation. Processes for producing such solar selective absorption coatings are also disclosed.

Solar selective absorption coatings

DOEpatents

Mahoney, Alan R [Albuquerque, NM; Reed, Scott T [Albuquerque, NM; Ashley, Carol S [Albuquerque, NM; Martinez, F Edward [Horseheads, NY

2003-10-14

A new class of solar selective absorption coatings are disclosed. These coatings comprise a structured metallic overlayer such that the overlayer has a sub-micron structure designed to efficiently absorb solar radiation, while retaining low thermal emissivity for infrared thermal radiation. A sol-gel layer protects the structured metallic overlayer from mechanical, thermal, and environmental degradation. Processes for producing such solar selective absorption coatings are also disclosed.

Method for Fabricating Composite Structures Using Pultrusion Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farley, Gary L. (Inventor)

2000-01-01

A method for fabricating composite structures at a low-cost, moderate-to-high production rate. A first embodiment of the method includes employing a continuous press forming fabrication process. A second embodiment of the method includes employing a pultrusion process for obtaining composite structures. The methods include coating yarns with matrix material, weaving the yarn into fabric to produce a continuous fabric supply and feeding multiple layers of net-shaped fabrics having optimally oriented fibers into a debulking tool to form an undebulked preform. The continuous press forming fabrication process includes partially debulking the preform, cutting the partially debulked preform and debulking the partially debulked preform to form a net-shape. An electron-beam or similar technique then cures the structure. The pultrusion fabric process includes feeding the undebulked preform into a heated die and gradually debulking the undebulked preform. The undebulked preform in the heated die changes dimension until a desired cross-sectional dimension is achieved. This process further includes obtaining a net-shaped infiltrated uncured preform, cutting the uncured preform to a desired length and electron-beam curing (or similar technique) the uncured preform. These fabrication methods produce superior structures formed at higher production rates, resulting in lower cost and high structural performance.

Method for Fabricating Composite Structures Using Continuous Press Forming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farley, Gary L. (Inventor)

1997-01-01

A method for fabricating composite structures at a low-cost. moderate-to-high production rate. A first embodiment of the method includes employing a continuous press forming fabrication process. A second embodiment of the method includes employing a pultrusion process for obtaining composite structures. The methods include coating yarns with matrix material, weaving the yarn into fabric to produce a continuous fabric supply and feeding multiple layers of net-shaped fabrics having optimally oriented fibers into a debulking tool to form an undebulked preform. The continuous press forming fabrication process includes partially debulking the preform, cutting the partially debulked preform and debulking the partially debulked preform to form a net-shape. An electron-beam or similar technique then cures the structure. The pultrusion fabric process includes feeding the undebulked preform into a heated die and gradually debulking the undebulked preform. The undebulked preform in the heated die changes dimension until a desired cross-sectional dimension is achieved. This process further includes obtaining a net-shaped infiltrated uncured preform, cutting the uncured preform to a desired length and electron-beam curing (or similar technique) the uncured preform. These fabrication methods produce superior structures formed at higher production rates. resulting in lower cost and high structural performance.

Structural and immunomodulatory differences among lactobacilli exopolysaccharides isolated from intestines of mice with experimentally induced inflammatory bowel disease.

PubMed

Górska, Sabina; Sandstrőm, Corine; Wojas-Turek, Justyna; Rossowska, Joanna; Pajtasz-Piasecka, Elżbieta; Brzozowska, Ewa; Gamian, Andrzej

2016-11-21

Characteristic changes in the microbiota biostructure and a decreased tolerance to intestinal bacteria have been associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, few studies have examined the constituents of the intestinal microbiota, including the surface molecules of the bacteria, in healthy and IBD subsets. Here, we compare the chemical structures and immunomodulatory properties of the exopolysaccharides (EPS) of lactobacilli isolated from mice with induced IBD (IBD "+") versus those of healthy mice (IBD "-"). Classical structural analyses were performed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Immunomodulatory properties were assessed by stimulation of dendritic cells derived from mouse bone marrow or human peripheral mononuclear blood cells. Our results revealed that EPS produced by IBD "+" species are structurally different from those isolated from IBD "-". Moreover, the structurally different EPS generate different immune responses by dendritic cells. We speculate that resident strains could, upon gut inflammation, switch to producing EPS with specific motifs that are absent from lactobacilli IBD "-", and/or that bacteria with a particular EPS structure might inhabit the inflamed intestinal mucosa. This study may shed light on the role of EPS in IBD and help the development of a specific probiotic therapy for this disease.

In situ plasma fabrication of ceramic-like structure on polymeric implant with enhanced surface hardness, cytocompatibility and antibacterial capability.

PubMed

Liu, Jun; Zhang, Wei; Shi, Haigang; Yang, Kun; Wang, Gexia; Wang, Pingli; Ji, Junhui; Chu, Paul K

2016-05-01

Polymeric materials are commonly found in orthopedic implants due to their unique mechanical properties and biocompatibility but the poor surface hardness and bacterial infection hamper many biomedical applications. In this study, a ceramic-like surface structure doped with silver is produced by successive plasma implantation of silicon (Si) and silver (Ag) into the polyamine 66 (PA66) substrate. Not only the surface hardness and elastic modulus are greatly enhanced due to the partial surface carbonization and the ceramic-like structure produced by the reaction between energetic Si and the carbon chain of PA66, but also the antibacterial activity is improved because of the combined effects rendered by Ag and SiC structure. Furthermore, the modified materials which exhibit good cytocompatibility upregulate bone-related genes and proteins expressions of the contacted bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). For the first time, it explores out that BMSCs osteogenesis on the antibacterial ceramic-like structure is mediated via the iNOS and nNOS signal pathways. The results reveal that in situ plasma fabrication of an antibacterial ceramic-like structure can endow PA66 with excellent surface hardness, cytocompatibility, as well as antibacterial capability. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Method for Fabricating Composite Structures Using Pultrusion Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farley, Gary L. (Inventor)

2000-01-01

A method for fabricating composite structures at a low-cost, moderate-to-high production rate. A first embodiment of the method includes employing a continuous press forming fabrication process. A second embodiment of the method includes employing a pultrusion process for obtaining composite structures. The methods include coating yarns with matrix material, weaving the yarn into fabric to produce a continuous fabric supply and feeding multiple layers of net-shaped fabrics having optimally oriented fibers into a debulking tool to form an undebulked preform. The continuous press forming fabrication process includes partially debulking the preform, cutting the partially debulked preform and debulking the partially debulked preform to form a netshape. An electron-beam or similar technique then cures the structure. The pultrusion fabric process includes feeding the undebulked preform into a heated die and gradually debulking the undebulked preform. The undebulked preform in the heated die changes dimension until a desired cross-sectional dimension is achieved. This process further includes obtaining a net-shaped infiltrated uncured preform, cutting the uncured preform to a desired length and electronbeam curing (or similar technique) the uncured preform. These fabrication methods produce superior structures formed at higher production rates, resulting in lower cost and high structural performance.

Composition, structure and functional properties of protein concentrates and isolates produced from walnut (Juglans regia L.).

PubMed

Mao, Xiaoying; Hua, Yufei

2012-01-01

In this study, composition, structure and the functional properties of protein concentrate (WPC) and protein isolate (WPI) produced from defatted walnut flour (DFWF) were investigated. The results showed that the composition and structure of walnut protein concentrate (WPC) and walnut protein isolate (WPI) were significantly different. The molecular weight distribution of WPI was uniform and the protein composition of DFWF and WPC was complex with the protein aggregation. H(0) of WPC was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of DFWF and WPI, whilst WPI had a higher H(0) compared to DFWF. The secondary structure of WPI was similar to WPC. WPI showed big flaky plate like structures; whereas WPC appeared as a small flaky and more compact structure. The most functional properties of WPI were better than WPC. In comparing most functional properties of WPI and WPC with soybean protein concentrate and isolate, WPI and WPC showed higher fat absorption capacity (FAC). Emulsifying properties and foam properties of WPC and WPI in alkaline pH were comparable with that of soybean protein concentrate and isolate. Walnut protein concentrates and isolates can be considered as potential functional food ingredients.

The crystal structure of the calcium-bound con-G[Q6A] peptide reveals a novel metal-dependent helical trimer

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

Cnudde, Sara E.; Prorok, Mary; Jia, Xaofei

2012-02-15

The ability to form and control both secondary structure and oligomerization in short peptides has proven to be challenging owing to the structural instability of such peptides. The conantokin peptides are a family of {gamma}-carboxyglutamic acid containing peptides produced in the venoms of predatory sea snails of the Conus family. They are examples of short peptides that form stable helical structures, especially in the presence of divalent cations. Both monomeric and dimeric conantokin peptides have been identified and represent a new mechanism of helix association, 'the metallozipper motif' that is devoid of a hydrophobic interface between monomers. In the presentmore » study, a parallel/antiparallel three-helix bundle was identified and its crystal structure determined at high resolution. The three helices are almost perfectly parallel and represent a novel helix-helix association. The trimer interface is dominated by metal chelation between the three helices, and contains no interfacial hydrophobic interactions. It is now possible to produce stable monomeric, dimeric, or trimeric metallozippers depending on the peptide sequence and metal ion. Such structures have important applications in protein design.« less

Improving emission uniformity and linearizing band dispersion in nanowire arrays using quasi-aperiodicity

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

Anderson, P. Duke; Koleske, Daniel D.; Povinelli, Michelle L.

For this study, we experimentally investigate a new class of quasi-aperiodic structures for improving the emission pattern in nanowire arrays. Efficient normal emission, as well as lasing, can be obtained from III-nitride photonic crystal (PhC) nanowire arrays that utilize slow group velocity modes near the Γ-point in reciprocal space. However, due to symmetry considerations, the emitted far-field pattern of such modes are often ‘donut’-like. Many applications, including lighting for displays or lasers, require a more uniform beam profile in the far-field. Previous work has improved far-field beam uniformity of uncoupled modes by changing the shape of the emitting structure. However,more » in nanowire systems, the shape of nanowires cannot always be arbitrarily changed due to growth or etch considerations. Here, we investigate breaking symmetry by instead changing the position of emitters. Using a quasi-aperiodic geometry, which changes the emitter position within a photonic crystal supercell (2x2), we are able to linearize the photonic bandstructure near the Γ-point and greatly improve emitted far-field uniformity. We realize the III-nitride nanowires structures using a top-down fabrication procedure that produces nanowires with smooth, vertical sidewalls. Comparison of room-temperature micro-photoluminescence (µ-PL) measurements between periodic and quasi-aperiodic nanowire arrays reveal resonances in each structure, with the simple periodic structure producing a donut beam in the emitted far-field and the quasi-aperiodic structure producing a uniform Gaussian-like beam. We investigate the input pump power vs. output intensity in both systems and observe the simple periodic array exhibiting a non-linear relationship, indicative of lasing. We believe that the quasi-aperiodic approach studied here provides an alternate and promising strategy for shaping the emission pattern of nanoemitter systems.« less

AN INVESTIGATION OF TIME LAG MAPS USING THREE-DIMENSIONAL SIMULATIONS OF HIGHLY STRATIFIED HEATING

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

Winebarger, Amy R.; Lionello, Roberto; Downs, Cooper

2016-11-10

The location and frequency of coronal energy release provide a significant constraint on the coronal heating mechanism. The evolution of the intensity observed in coronal structures found from time lag analysis of Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) data has been used to argue that heating must occur sporadically. Recently, we have demonstrated that quasi-steady, highly stratified (footpoint) heating can produce results qualitatively consistent with the evolution of observed coronal structures. The goals of this paper are to demonstrate that time lag analysis of 3D simulations of footpoint heating are qualitatively consistent with time lag analysis of observations and to use themore » 3D simulations to further understand whether time lag analysis is a useful tool in defining the evolution of coronal structures. We find the time lag maps generated from simulated data are consistent with the observed time lag maps. We next investigate several example points. In some cases, the calculated time lag reflects the evolution of a unique loop along the line of sight, though there may be additional evolving structures along the line of sight. We confirm that using the multi-peak AIA channels can produce time lags that are difficult to interpret. We suggest using a different high temperature channel, such as an X-ray channel. Finally, we find that multiple evolving structures along the line of sight can produce time lags that do not represent the physical properties of any structure along the line of sight, although the cross-correlation coefficient of the lightcurves is high. Considering the projected geometry of the loops may reduce some of the line-of-sight confusion.« less