Determination of differential cross sections and kinetic energy release of co-products from central sliced images in photo-initiated dynamic processes.

PubMed

Chen, Kuo-mei; Chen, Yu-wei

2011-04-07

For photo-initiated inelastic and reactive collisions, dynamic information can be extracted from central sliced images of state-selected Newton spheres of product species. An analysis framework has been established to determine differential cross sections and the kinetic energy release of co-products from experimental images. When one of the reactants exhibits a high recoil speed in a photo-initiated dynamic process, the present theory can be employed to analyze central sliced images from ion imaging or three-dimensional sliced fluorescence imaging experiments. It is demonstrated that the differential cross section of a scattering process can be determined from the central sliced image by a double Legendre moment analysis, for either a fixed or continuously distributed recoil speeds in the center-of-mass reference frame. Simultaneous equations which lead to the determination of the kinetic energy release of co-products can be established from the second-order Legendre moment of the experimental image, as soon as the differential cross section is extracted. The intensity distribution of the central sliced image, along with its outer and inner ring sizes, provide all the clues to decipher the differential cross section and the kinetic energy release of co-products.

Modelling of nectarine drying under near infrared - Vacuum conditions.

PubMed

Alaei, Behnam; Chayjan, Reza Amiri

2015-01-01

Drying of nectarine slices was performed to determine the thermal and physical properties in order to reduce product deterioration due to chemical reactions, facilitate storage and lower transportation costs. Because nectarine slices are sensitive to heat with long drying period, the selection of a suitable drying approach is a challenging task. Infrared-vacuum drying can be used as an appropriate method for susceptible materials with high moisture content such as nectarine slices. Modelling of nectarine slices drying was carried out in a thin layer near infraredvacuum conditions. Drying of the samples was implemented at the absolute pressures of 20, 40 and 60 kPa and drying temperatures of 50, 60 and 70°C. Drying behaviour of nectarine slices, as well as the effect of drying conditions on moisture loss trend, drying rate, effective diffusion coefficient, activation energy, shrinkage, colour and energy consumption of nectarine slices, dried in near infrared-vacuum dryer are discussed in this study. Six mathematical models were used to predict the moisture ratio of the samples in thin layer drying. The Midilli model had supremacy in prediction of nectarine slices drying behaviour. The maximum drying rates of the samples were between 0.014-0.047 gwater/gdry material·min. Effective moisture diffusivity of the samples was estimated in the ranges of 2.46·10-10 to 6.48·10-10 m2/s. Activation energy were computed between 31.28 and 35.23 kJ/mol. Minimum shrinkage (48.4%) and total colour difference (15.1) were achieved at temperature of 50°C and absolute pressure of 20 kPa. Energy consumption of the tests was estimated in the ranges of 0.129 to 0.247 kWh. Effective moisture diffusivity was increased with decrease of vacuum pressure and increase of drying temperature but effect of drying temperature on effective moisture diffusivity of nectarine slices was more than vacuum pressure. Activation energy was decreased with decrease in absolute pressure. Total colour difference and shrinkage of nectarine slices on near infrared-vacuum drying was decreased with decrease of vacuum pressure and decrease of drying temperature.

Reaction dynamics of Al + O₂ → AlO + O studied by a crossed-beam velocity map imaging technique: vib-rotational state selected angular-kinetic energy distribution.

PubMed

Honma, Kenji; Miyashita, Kazuki; Matsumoto, Yoshiteru

2014-06-07

Oxidation reaction of a gas-phase aluminum atom by a molecular oxygen was studied by a crossed-beam condition at 12.4 kJ/mol of collision energy. A (1+1) resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) via the D(2)Σ(+)-X(2)Σ(+) transition of AlO was applied to ionize the product. The REMPI spectrum was analyzed to determine rotational state distributions for v = 0-2 of AlO. For several vib-rotational states of AlO, state selected angular and kinetic energy distributions were determined by a time-sliced ion imaging technique for the first time. Kinetic energy distributions were well represented by that taken into account initial energy spreads of collision energy and the population of the spin-orbit levels of the counter product O((3)P(J)) determined previously. All angular distributions showed forward and backward peaks, and the forward peaks were more pronounced than the backward one for the states of low internal energy. The backward peak intensity became comparable to the forward one for the states of high internal energy. These results and the rotational state distributions suggested that the reaction proceeds via an intermediate which has a lifetime comparable to or shorter than its rotational period.

Towards quantitative imaging: stability of fully automated nodule segmentation across varied dose levels and reconstruction parameters in a low-dose CT screening patient cohort

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahi-Anwar, M. Wasil; Emaminejad, Nastaran; Hoffman, John; Kim, Grace H.; Brown, Matthew S.; McNitt-Gray, Michael F.

2018-02-01

Quantitative imaging in lung cancer CT seeks to characterize nodules through quantitative features, usually from a region of interest delineating the nodule. The segmentation, however, can vary depending on segmentation approach and image quality, which can affect the extracted feature values. In this study, we utilize a fully-automated nodule segmentation method - to avoid reader-influenced inconsistencies - to explore the effects of varied dose levels and reconstruction parameters on segmentation. Raw projection CT images from a low-dose screening patient cohort (N=59) were reconstructed at multiple dose levels (100%, 50%, 25%, 10%), two slice thicknesses (1.0mm, 0.6mm), and a medium kernel. Fully-automated nodule detection and segmentation was then applied, from which 12 nodules were selected. Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) was used to assess the similarity of the segmentation ROIs of the same nodule across different reconstruction and dose conditions. Nodules at 1.0mm slice thickness and dose levels of 25% and 50% resulted in DSC values greater than 0.85 when compared to 100% dose, with lower dose leading to a lower average and wider spread of DSC values. At 0.6mm, the increased bias and wider spread of DSC values from lowering dose were more pronounced. The effects of dose reduction on DSC for CAD-segmented nodules were similar in magnitude to reducing the slice thickness from 1.0mm to 0.6mm. In conclusion, variation of dose and slice thickness can result in very different segmentations because of noise and image quality. However, there exists some stability in segmentation overlap, as even at 1mm, an image with 25% of the lowdose scan still results in segmentations similar to that seen in a full-dose scan.

Constant mean curvature slicings of Kantowski-Sachs spacetimes

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

Heinzle, J. Mark

2011-04-15

We investigate existence, uniqueness, and the asymptotic properties of constant mean curvature (CMC) slicings in vacuum Kantowski-Sachs spacetimes with positive cosmological constant. Since these spacetimes violate the strong energy condition, most of the general theorems on CMC slicings do not apply. Although there are in fact Kantowski-Sachs spacetimes with a unique CMC foliation or CMC time function, we prove that there also exist Kantowski-Sachs spacetimes with an arbitrary number of (families of) CMC slicings. The properties of these slicings are analyzed in some detail.

Using 31P NMR spectroscopy at 14.1 Tesla to investigate PARP-1 associated energy failure and metabolic rescue in cerebrocortical slices.

PubMed

Zeng, Jianying; Hirai, Kiyoshi; Yang, Guo-Yuan; Ying, Weihai; Swanson, Raymond A; Kelly, Mark; Mayer, Moriz; James, Thomas L; Litt, Lawrence

2004-08-01

PARP-1 activation by H(2)O(2) in an acute preparation of superfused, respiring, neonatal cerebrocortical slices was assessed from PAR-polymer formation detected with immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. (31)P NMR spectroscopy at 14.1 Tesla of perchloric acid slice extracts was used to assess energy failure in a 1-h H(2)O(2) exposure as well as in a subsequent 4-h recovery period where the superfusate had no H(2)O(2) and specifically chosen metabolic substrates. Although more data are needed to fully characterize different bioenergetic responses, a high NMR spectral resolution (PCr full-width at half-max approximately.01 ppm) and narrow widths for most metabolites (<.2 ppm) permitted accurate quantifications of spectrally resolved resonances for ADP, ATP, NAD(+)/NADH, and other high energy phosphates. It appears possible to use brain slices to quantitatively study PARP-related, NAD-associated energy failure, and rescue with TCA metabolites.

Direct acceleration of electrons by a CO2 laser in a curved plasma waveguide

PubMed Central

Yi, Longqing; Pukhov, Alexander; Shen, Baifei

2016-01-01

Laser plasma interaction with micro-engineered targets at relativistic intensities has been greatly promoted by recent progress in the high contrast lasers and the manufacture of advanced micro- and nano-structures. This opens new possibilities for the physics of laser-matter interaction. Here we propose a novel approach that leverages the advantages of high-pressure CO2 laser, laser-waveguide interaction, as well as micro-engineered plasma structure to accelerate electrons to peak energy greater than 1 GeV with narrow slice energy spread (~1%) and high overall efficiency. The acceleration gradient is 26 GV/m for a 1.3 TW CO2 laser system. The micro-bunching of a long electron beam leads to the generation of a chain of ultrashort electron bunches with the duration roughly equal to half-laser-cycle. These results open a way for developing a compact and economic electron source for diverse applications. PMID:27320197

Transcriptional dysregulation causes altered modulation of inhibition by haloperidol.

PubMed

Brady, Lillian J; Bartley, Aundrea F; Li, Qin; McMeekin, Laura J; Hablitz, John J; Cowell, Rita M; Dobrunz, Lynn E

2016-12-01

Many neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism involve interneuron transcriptional dysregulation. The transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α regulates gene expression in GABAergic interneurons, which are important for regulating hippocampal network activity. Genetic deletion of PGC-1α causes a decrease in parvalbumin expression, similar to what is observed in schizophrenia postmortem tissue. Our lab has previously shown that PGC-1α -/- mice have enhanced GABAergic inhibition onto CA1 pyramidal cells, which increases the inhibition/excitation (I/E) ratio, alters hippocampal circuit function, and impairs hippocampal dependent behavior. The typical antipsychotic haloperidol, a dopamine receptor antagonist with selectivity for D2-like receptors, has previously been shown to increase excitation in the CA1 region of hippocampus. We therefore tested whether haloperidol could normalize the I/E balance in CA1 of PGC-1α -/- mice, potentially improving circuit function and behavior. Surprisingly, we discovered instead that interneuron transcriptional dysregulation caused by loss of PGC-1α alters the effects of haloperidol on hippocampal synaptic transmission and circuit function. Acute administration of haloperidol causes disinhibition in CA1 and decreases the I/E ratio onto CA1 pyramidal cells in slices from PGC-1α +/+ mice, but not PGC-1α -/- mice. The spread of activity in CA1, assessed by voltage sensitive dye imaging, is increased by haloperidol in slices from PGC-1α +/+ mice; however haloperidol decreases the spread of activity in slices from PGC-1α -/- mice. Haloperidol increased the power of hippocampal gamma oscillation in slices from PGC-1α +/+ mice but reduced the power of gamma oscillations in slices from PGC-1α -/- mice. Nest construction, an innate hippocampal-dependent behavior, is inhibited by haloperidol in PGC-1α +/+ mice, but not in PGC-1α -/- mice, which already have impaired nest building. The effects of haloperidol are mimicked and occluded by a D2 receptor antagonist in slices from PGC-1α +/+ mice, and the effects of blocking D2 receptors are lost in slices from PGC-1α -/- mice, although there is no change in D2 receptor transcript levels. Together, our results show that hippocampal inhibitory synaptic transmission, CA1 circuit function, and hippocampal dependent behavior are modulated by the antipsychotic haloperidol, and that these effects of haloperidol are lost in PGC-1α -/- mice. These results have implications for the treatment of individuals with conditions involving PGC-1α deficiency. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transcriptional dysregulation causes altered modulation of inhibition by haloperidol

PubMed Central

Brady, Lillian J.; Bartley, Aundrea F.; Li, Qin; McMeekin, Laura J.; Hablitz, John J.; Cowell, Rita M.; Dobrunz, Lynn E.

2016-01-01

Many neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism involve interneuron transcriptional dysregulation. The transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α regulates gene expression in GABAergic interneurons, which are important for regulating hippocampal network activity. Genetic deletion of PGC-1α causes a decrease in parvalbumin expression, similar to what is observed in schizophrenia postmortem tissue. Our lab has previously shown that PGC-1α−/− mice have enhanced GABAergic inhibition onto CA1 pyramidal cells, which increases the inhibition/excitation (I/E) ratio, alters hippocampal circuit function, and impairs hippocampal dependent behavior. The typical antipsychotic haloperidol, a dopamine receptor antagonist with selectivity for D2-like receptors, has previously been shown to increase excitation in the CA1 region of hippocampus. We therefore tested whether haloperidol could normalize the I/E balance in CA1 of PGC-1α−/− mice, potentially improving circuit function and behavior. Surprisingly, we discovered instead that interneuron transcriptional dysregulation caused by loss of PGC-1α alters the effects of haloperidol on hippocampal synaptic transmission and circuit function. Acute administration of haloperidol causes disinhibition in CA1 and decreases the I/E ratio onto CA1 pyramidal cells in slices from PGC-1α+/+ mice, but not PGC-1α−/− mice. The spread of activity in CA1, assessed by voltage sensitive dye imaging, is increased by haloperidol in slices from PGC-1α+/+ mice; however haloperidol decreases the spread of activity in slices from PGC-1α−/− mice. Haloperidol increased the power of hippocampal gamma oscillation in slices from PGC-1α+/+ mice but reduced the power of gamma oscillations in slices from PGC-1α−/− mice. Nest construction, an innate hippocampal-dependent behavior, is inhibited by haloperidol in PGC-1α+/+ mice, but not in PGC-1α−/− mice, which already have impaired nest building. The effects of haloperidol are mimicked and occluded by a D2 receptor antagonist in slices from PGC-1α+/+ mice, and the effects of blocking D2 receptors are lost in slices from PGC-1α−/− mice, although there is no change in D2 receptor transcript levels. Together, our results show that hippocampal inhibitory synaptic transmission, CA1 circuit function, and hippocampal dependent behavior are modulated by the antipsychotic haloperidol, and that these effects of haloperidol are lost in PGC-1α−/− mice. These results have implications for the treatment of individuals with conditions involving PGC-1α deficiency. PMID:27480797

α-Synuclein transfer between neurons and astrocytes indicates that astrocytes play a role in degradation rather than in spreading.

PubMed

Loria, Frida; Vargas, Jessica Y; Bousset, Luc; Syan, Sylvie; Salles, Audrey; Melki, Ronald; Zurzolo, Chiara

2017-11-01

Recent evidence suggests that disease progression in Parkinson's disease (PD) could occur by the spreading of α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates between neurons. Here we studied the role of astrocytes in the intercellular transfer and fate of α-syn fibrils, using in vitro and ex vivo models. α-Syn fibrils can be transferred to neighboring cells; however, the transfer efficiency changes depending on the cell types. We found that α-syn is efficiently transferred from astrocytes to astrocytes and from neurons to astrocytes, but less efficiently from astrocytes to neurons. Interestingly, α-syn puncta are mainly found inside the lysosomal compartments of the recipient cells. However, differently from neurons, astrocytes are able to efficiently degrade fibrillar α-syn, suggesting an active role for these cells in clearing α-syn deposits. Astrocytes co-cultured with organotypic brain slices are able to take up α-syn fibrils from the slices. Altogether our data support a role for astrocytes in trapping and clearing α-syn pathological deposits in PD.

Simultaneous application of microwave energy and hot air to whole drying process of apple slices: drying kinetics, modeling, temperature profile and energy aspect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horuz, Erhan; Bozkurt, Hüseyin; Karataş, Haluk; Maskan, Medeni

2018-02-01

Drying kinetics, modeling, temperature profile and energy indices were investigated in apple slices during drying by a specially designed microwave-hot air domestic hybrid oven at the following conditions: 120, 150 and 180 W microwave powers coupled with 50, 60 and 70 °C air temperatures. Both sources of energy were applied simultaneously during the whole drying processes. The drying process continued until the moisture content of apple slices reached to 20% from 86.3% (wet basis, w.b). Drying times ranged from 330 to 800 min and decreased with increasing microwave power and air temperatures. The constant rate period was only observed at low microwave powers and air temperatures. Two falling rate periods were observed. Temperature of apple slices sharply increased within the first 60 min, then reached equilibrium with drying medium and finally increased at the end of the drying process. In order to describe drying behavior of apple slices nine empirical models were applied. The Modified Logistic Model fitted the best our experimental data ( R 2 = 0.9955-0.9998; χ 2 = 3.46 × 10-5-7.85 × 10-4 and RMSE = 0.0052-0.0221). The effective moisture and thermal diffusivities were calculated by Fick's second law and ranged from 1.42 × 10-9 to 3.31 × 10-9 m2/s and 7.70 × 10-9 to 12.54 × 10-9 m2/s, respectively. The activation energy ( Ea) values were calculated from effective moisture diffusivity ( Deff), thermal diffusivity ( α) and the rate constant of the best model ( k). The Ea values found from these three terms were similar and varied from 13.04 to 33.52 kJ/mol. Energy consumption and specific energy requirement of the hybrid drying of apple slices decreased and energy efficiency of the drying system increased with increasing microwave power and air temperature. Apples can be dried rapidly and effectively by use of the hybrid technique.

MRI segmentation by active contours model, 3D reconstruction, and visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez-Hernandez, Juan M.; Velasquez-Aguilar, J. Guadalupe

2005-02-01

The advances in 3D data modelling methods are becoming increasingly popular in the areas of biology, chemistry and medical applications. The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMRI) technique has progressed at a spectacular rate over the past few years, its uses have been spread over many applications throughout the body in both anatomical and functional investigations. In this paper we present the application of Zernike polynomials for 3D mesh model of the head using the contour acquired of cross-sectional slices by active contour model extraction and we propose the visualization with OpenGL 3D Graphics of the 2D-3D (slice-surface) information for the diagnostic aid in medical applications.

Hexose transport by brain slices: further studies on energy dependence

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

Kyle-Lillegard, J.; Gold, B.I.

1983-04-01

We studied the uptake of (/sup 3/H)2-deoxyglucose ((/sup 3/H)2DG) by slices of rat cerebral cortex in vitro as a model of glucose transport by brain. Slices were incubated with (/sup 3/H)2DG, or with L-(/sup 3/H)glucose as a marker for diffusion; the difference between (/sup 3/H)2DG uptake and L-(/sup 3/H)glucose uptake was defined as net (/sup 3/H)2DG transport. Net (/sup 3/H)2DG transport was a function of incubation temperature, with an estimated temperature coefficient of 1.87 from 15 degrees C to 25 degrees C. The net uptake of (/sup 3/H)2DG was not inhibited by phlorizin or phloretin in concentrations well above themore » reported Ki of these inhibitors for hexose uptake in other systems. To examine the hypothesis that (/sup 3/H)2DG transport by brain slices is dependent on mitochondrial energy, we studied net (/sup 3/H)2DG uptake by slices which had been preincubated in media designed to alter intracellular ATP stores. The transport process was very sensitive to inhibition by DNP, but the correlation between (/sup 3/H)2DG transport and ATP levels was unclear. In contrast to our published hypothesis that the transport process required mitochondrial energy, these data indicate that dependence on energy is not absolute.« less

A Unified Approach to Diffusion Direction Sensitive Slice Registration and 3-D DTI Reconstruction From Moving Fetal Brain Anatomy

PubMed Central

Fogtmann, Mads; Seshamani, Sharmishtaa; Kroenke, Christopher; Cheng, Xi; Chapman, Teresa; Wilm, Jakob; Rousseau, François

2014-01-01

This paper presents an approach to 3-D diffusion tensor image (DTI) reconstruction from multi-slice diffusion weighted (DW) magnetic resonance imaging acquisitions of the moving fetal brain. Motion scatters the slice measurements in the spatial and spherical diffusion domain with respect to the underlying anatomy. Previous image registration techniques have been described to estimate the between slice fetal head motion, allowing the reconstruction of 3-D a diffusion estimate on a regular grid using interpolation. We propose Approach to Unified Diffusion Sensitive Slice Alignment and Reconstruction (AUDiSSAR) that explicitly formulates a process for diffusion direction sensitive DW-slice-to-DTI-volume alignment. This also incorporates image resolution modeling to iteratively deconvolve the effects of the imaging point spread function using the multiple views provided by thick slices acquired in different anatomical planes. The algorithm is implemented using a multi-resolution iterative scheme and multiple real and synthetic data are used to evaluate the performance of the technique. An accuracy experiment using synthetically created motion data of an adult head and a experiment using synthetic motion added to sedated fetal monkey dataset show a significant improvement in motion-trajectory estimation compared to a state-of-the-art approaches. The performance of the method is then evaluated on challenging but clinically typical in utero fetal scans of four different human cases, showing improved rendition of cortical anatomy and extraction of white matter tracts. While the experimental work focuses on DTI reconstruction (second-order tensor model), the proposed reconstruction framework can employ any 5-D diffusion volume model that can be represented by the spatial parameterizations of an orientation distribution function. PMID:24108711

Dispersion-based Fresh-slice Scheme for Free-Electron Lasers

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

Guetg, Marc

The Fresh-slice technique improved the performance of several Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission Free-Electron laser schemes by granting selective control on the temporal lasing slice without spoiling the other electron bunch slices. So far, the implementation required a special insertion device to create the beam yaw, called dechirper. We demonstrate a novel scheme to enable Freshslice operation based on electron energy chirp and orbit dispersion that can be implemented at any free-electron laser facility without additional hardware.

Claustrum of the short-tailed fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata: Alignment of cellular orientation and functional connectivity.

PubMed

Orman, Rena; Kollmar, Richard; Stewart, Mark

2017-04-15

The claustrum is a gray-matter structure that underlies neocortex and reciprocates connections with cortical and subcortical targets. In lower mammals, the claustrum is directly adjacent to neocortex, making the definition of claustral boundaries challenging. Latexin, an endogenous inhibitor of metallocarboxypeptidases, localizes to claustral cells, enabling a clear delineation of claustrum. Given its proportionately large claustrum, we hypothesized that the short-tailed fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata, can be a useful model for claustral structure-function relations. We used latexin immunohistochemistry to identify claustral boundaries and intrinsic structure and multielectrode recordings from brain slices to explore intrinsic excitatory connectivity of the claustrum. Carollia's claustrum contains cells whose intrinsic connectivity and alignment permit the generation of spontaneous, synchronous population events and mirror their pattern of spread in disinhibited brain slices over millimeters. Carollia shows cellular alignment and spontaneous population-activity spread along both horizontal and dorsoventral axes. Carollia claustrum possesses intrinsic excitatory connectivity sufficient to: 1) generate single, spontaneous, synchronized burst discharges, 2) support activity spread along axes where claustral cells are aligned, and 3), because of multiple axes for cell alignment, support activity spread along both rostrocaudal and dorsoventral axes. The smaller event sizes in bat claustrum compared with rat claustrum are consistent with events occurring in population subsets rather than the full claustral cell population. The overall size of claustrum, its pronounced vascularity, and its more complex intrinsic connectivity than rat suggest that the bat is an animal model for claustral structure and function that will permit unique access to claustrum's processing capabilities. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:1459-1474, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of garlic extract on spreading depression: In vitro and in vivo investigations.

PubMed

Marschollek, Claudia; Karimzadeh, Fariba; Jafarian, Maryam; Ahmadi, Milad; Mohajeri, Seyed Mohammad Reza; Rahimi, Sadegh; Speckmann, Erwin-Josef; Gorji, Ali

2017-02-01

The potential use of garlic for prevention and treatment of different types of headaches has been suggested by several medieval literatures. Cortical spreading depression (CSD), a propagating wave of neuroglial depolarization, was established as a target for anti-migraine drugs. This study was designed to investigate the effect of garlic extract on CSD in adult rats. CSD was induced by KCl microinjection in the somatosensory cortex. The effects of five different concentrations of garlic oil (1-500 μl/l) were tested on different characteristic features of CSD in necocortical slices. In in vivo experiments, the effects of garlic oil on electrophysiological and morphological changes induced by CSD were investigated. Garlic oil in a dose-dependent manner decreased the amplitude of CSD but not its duration and velocity in neocortical brain slices. Garlic oil at concentration of 500 μl/l reversibly reduced the amplitude of the field excitatory post-synaptic potentials and inhibited induction of long-term potentiation in the third layer of neocortical slices. In in vivo studies, systemic application of garlic oil (1 ml/l) for three consecutive days reduced the amplitude and repetition rate of CSD. Garlic oil also prevented of CSD-induced reactive astrocytosis in the neocortex. Garlic oil suppresses CSD, likely via inhibition of synaptic plasticity, and prevents its harmful effects on astrocyte. Further studies are required to identify the exact active ingredient(s) of garlic oil that inhibit CSD and may have the potential to use in treatment of CSD-related disorders.

Chesapeake Bay plume dynamics from LANDSAT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Munday, J. C., Jr.; Fedosh, M. S.

1981-01-01

LANDSAT images with enhancement and density slicing show that the Chesapeake Bay plume usually frequents the Virginia coast south of the Bay mouth. Southwestern (compared to northern) winds spread the plume easterly over a large area. Ebb tide images (compared to flood tide images) show a more dispersed plume. Flooding waters produce high turbidity levels over the shallow northern portion of the Bay mouth.

Fresh Slice Self-Seeding and Fresh Slice Harmonic Lasing at LCLS

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

Amann, J.W.

We present results from the successful demonstration of fresh slice self-seeding at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS).* The performance is compared with SASE and regular self-seeding at photon energy of 5.5 keV, resulting in a relative average brightness increase of a factor of 12 and a factor of 2 respectively. Following this proof-of-principle we discuss the forthcoming plans to use the same technique** for fresh slice harmonic lasing in an upcoming experiment. The demonstration of fresh slice harmonic lasing provides an attractive solution for future XFELs aiming to achieve high efficiency, high brightness X-ray pulses at high photon energiesmore » (>12 keV).***« less

Theoretical and numerical analyses of a slit-masked chicane for modulated bunch generation

DOE PAGES

Zhu, Xiaofang; Broemmelsiek, Daniel R.; Shin, Young -Min; ...

2015-10-28

Density modulations on electron beams can improve machine performance of beam-driven accelerators and FELs with resonance beam-wave coupling. The beam modulation is studied with a masked chicane by the analytic model and simulations with the beam parameters of the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology (FAST) facility. With the chicane design parameters (bending angle of 18o, bending radius of 0.95 m and R 56 ~ –0.19 m) and a nominal beam of 3 ps bunch length, the analytic model showed that a slit-mask with slit period 900 μ m and aperture width 300 μ m induces a modulation of bunch-to-bunch spacingmore » ~ 100 μ m to the bunch with 2.4% correlated energy spread. With the designed slit mask and a 3 ps bunch, particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, including nonlinear energy distributions, space charge force, and coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) effect, also result in beam modulation with bunch-to-bunch distance around 100 μ m and a corresponding modulation frequency of 3 THz. The beam modulation has been extensively examined with three different beam conditions, 2.25 ps (0.25 nC), 3.25 ps (1 nC), and 4.75 ps (3.2 nC), by tracking code Elegant. The simulation analysis indicates that the sliced beam by the slit-mask with 3 ~ 6% correlated energy spread has modulation lengths about 187 μ m (0.25 nC), 270 μ m (1 nC) and 325 μ m (3.2 nC). As a result, the theoretical and numerical data proved the capability of the designed masked chicane in producing modulated bunch train with micro-bunch length around 100 fs.« less

Theoretical and numerical analyses of a slit-masked chicane for modulated bunch generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, X.; Broemmelsiek, D. R.; Shin, Y.-M.

2015-10-01

Density modulations on electron beams can improve machine performance of beam-driven accelerators and FELs with resonance beam-wave coupling. The beam modulation is studied with a masked chicane by the analytic model and simulations with the beam parameters of the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology (FAST) facility. With the chicane design parameters (bending angle of 18o, bending radius of 0.95 m and R56 ~ -0.19 m) and a nominal beam of 3 ps bunch length, the analytic model showed that a slit-mask with slit period 900 μ m and aperture width 300 μ m induces a modulation of bunch-to-bunch spacing ~ 100 μ m to the bunch with 2.4% correlated energy spread. With the designed slit mask and a 3 ps bunch, particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, including nonlinear energy distributions, space charge force, and coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) effect, also result in beam modulation with bunch-to-bunch distance around 100 μ m and a corresponding modulation frequency of 3 THz. The beam modulation has been extensively examined with three different beam conditions, 2.25 ps (0.25 nC), 3.25 ps (1 nC), and 4.75 ps (3.2 nC), by tracking code Elegant. The simulation analysis indicates that the sliced beam by the slit-mask with 3 ~ 6% correlated energy spread has modulation lengths about 187 μ m (0.25 nC), 270 μ m (1 nC) and 325 μ m (3.2 nC). The theoretical and numerical data proved the capability of the designed masked chicane in producing modulated bunch train with micro-bunch length around 100 fs.

Community Geothermal Technology Program: Fruit drying with geothermal energy. Final report

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

Not Available

1988-03-14

Largest problem was lack of proper recording and controlling instrumentation. Agricultural products tested were green papaya powder, banana slices, and pineapple slices. Results show that a temperature of 120 F is a good drying temperature. Papaya should be mature green and not overly ripe; banana ripeness is also important; and pineapple slice thickness should be very uniform for even drying. Geothermal drying is feasible. Figs, tabs.

Gunshot energy transfer profile in ballistic gelatine, determined with computed tomography using the total crack length method.

PubMed

Bolliger, Stephan A; Thali, Michael J; Bolliger, Michael J; Kneubuehl, Beat P

2010-11-01

By measuring the total crack lengths (TCL) along a gunshot wound channel simulated in ordnance gelatine, one can calculate the energy transferred by a projectile to the surrounding tissue along its course. Visual quantitative TCL analysis of cut slices in ordnance gelatine blocks is unreliable due to the poor visibility of cracks and the likely introduction of secondary cracks resulting from slicing. Furthermore, gelatine TCL patterns are difficult to preserve because of the deterioration of the internal structures of gelatine with age and the tendency of gelatine to decompose. By contrast, using computed tomography (CT) software for TCL analysis in gelatine, cracks on 1-cm thick slices can be easily detected, measured and preserved. In this, experiment CT TCL analyses were applied to gunshots fired into gelatine blocks by three different ammunition types (9-mm Luger full metal jacket, .44 Remington Magnum semi-jacketed hollow point and 7.62 × 51 RWS Cone-Point). The resulting TCL curves reflected the three projectiles' capacity to transfer energy to the surrounding tissue very accurately and showed clearly the typical energy transfer differences. We believe that CT is a useful tool in evaluating gunshot wound profiles using the TCL method and is indeed superior to conventional methods applying physical slicing of the gelatine.

Contribution of Discretionary Foods and Drinks to Australian Children's Intake of Energy, Saturated Fat, Added Sugars and Salt.

PubMed

Johnson, Brittany J; Bell, Lucinda K; Zarnowiecki, Dorota; Rangan, Anna M; Golley, Rebecca K

2017-12-01

Interventions are required to reduce children's consumption of discretionary foods and drinks. To intervene we need to identify appropriate discretionary choice targets. This study aimed to determine the main discretionary choice contributors to energy and key nutrient intakes in children aged 2-18 years. Secondary analyses were performed with population weighted, single 24 h dietary recall data from the 2011-2012 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. Cakes, muffins, and slices; sweet biscuits; potato crisps and similar snacks; and, processed meats and sugar-sweetened drinks were relatively commonly consumed and were within the top three to five contributors to per capita energy, saturated fat, sodium, and/or added sugars. Per consumer intake identified cereal-based takeaway foods; cakes, muffins and slices; meat pies and other savoury pastries; and, processed meats as top contributors to energy, saturated fat, and sodium across most age groups. Subgroups of sugar-sweetened drinks and cakes, muffins and slices were consistently key contributors to added sugars intake. This study identified optimal targets for interventions to reduce discretionary choices intake, likely to have the biggest impact on moderating energy intake while also reducing intakes of saturated fat, sodium and/or added sugars.

A novel dehydration technique for carrot slices implementing ultrasound and vacuum drying methods.

PubMed

Chen, Zhi-Gang; Guo, Xiao-Yu; Wu, Tao

2016-05-01

A novel drying technique using a combination of ultrasound and vacuum dehydration was developed to shorten the drying time and improve the quality of carrot slices. Carrot slices were dried with ultrasonic vacuum (USV) drying and vacuum drying at 65 °C and 75 °C. The drying rate was significantly influenced by the drying techniques and temperatures. Compared with vacuum drying, USV drying resulted in a 41-53% decrease in the drying time. The drying time for the USV and vacuum drying techniques at 75 °C was determined to be 140 and 340 min for carrot slices, respectively. The rehydration potential, nutritional value (retention of β-carotene and ascorbic acid), color, and textural properties of USV-dried carrot slices are predominately better compared to vacuum-dried carrot slices. Moreover, lower energy consumption was used in the USV technique. The drying data (time versus moisture ratio) were successfully fitted to Wang and Singh model. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

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

Ratner, D.; Behrens, C.; Ding, Y.

The microbunching instability (MBI) is a well known problem for high brightness electron beams and has been observed at accelerator facilities around the world. Free-electron lasers (FELs) are particularly susceptible to MBI, which can distort the longitudinal phase space and increase the beam’s slice energy spread (SES). Past studies of MBI at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) relied on optical transition radiation to infer the existence of microbunching. With the development of the x-band transverse deflecting cavity (XTCAV), we can for the first time directly image the longitudinal phase space at the end of the accelerator and complete amore » comprehensive study of MBI, revealing both detailed MBI behavior as well as insights into mitigation schemes. The fine time resolution of the XTCAV also provides the first LCLS measurements of the final SES, a critical parameter for many advanced FEL schemes. As a result, detailed MBI and SES measurements can aid in understanding MBI mechanisms, benchmarking simulation codes, and designing future high- brightness accelerators.« less

Technical Note: Comparison of first- and second-generation photon-counting slit-scanning tomosynthesis systems.

PubMed

Berggren, Karl; Cederström, Björn; Lundqvist, Mats; Fredenberg, Erik

2018-02-01

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is an emerging tool for breast-cancer screening and diagnostics. The purpose of this study is to present a second-generation photon-counting slit-scanning DBT system and compare it to the first-generation system in terms of geometry and image quality. The study presents the first image-quality measurements on the second-generation system. The geometry of the new system is based on a combined rotational and linear motion, in contrast to a purely rotational scan motion in the first generation. In addition, the calibration routines have been updated. Image quality was measured in the center of the image field in terms of in-slice modulation transfer function (MTF), artifact spread function (ASF), and in-slice detective quantum efficiency (DQE). Images were acquired using a W/Al 29 kVp spectrum at 13 mAs with 2 mm Al additional filtration and reconstructed using simple back-projection. The in-slice 50% MTF was improved in the chest-mammilla direction, going from 3.2 to 3.5 lp/mm, and the zero-frequency DQE increased from 0.71 to 0.77. The MTF and ASF were otherwise found to be on par for the two systems. The new system has reduced in-slice variation of the tomographic angle. The new geometry is less curved, which reduces in-slice tomographic-angle variation, and increases the maximum compression height, making the system accessible for a larger population. The improvements in MTF and DQE were attributed to the updated calibration procedures. We conclude that the second-generation system maintains the key features of the photon-counting system while maintaining or improving image quality and improving the maximum compression height. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Very-low-energy-spread ion sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Y.

1997-05-01

Ion beams with low axial energy spread are required in many applications such as ion projection lithography, isobaric separation in radioactive ion beam experiments, and ion beam deposition processes. In an ion source, the spread of the axial ion energy is caused by the nonuniformity of the plasma potential distribution along the source axis. Multicusp ion sources are capable of production positive and negative ions with good beam quality and relatively low energy spread. By intorducing a magnetic filter inside the multicusp source chamber, the axial plasma potential distribution is modified and the energy spread of positive hydrogen ions can be reduced to as low as 1 eV. The energy spread measurements of multicusp sources have been conducted by employing three different techniques: an electrostatic energy analyzer at the source exit; a magnetic deflection spectrometer; and a retarding-field energy analyzer for the accelerated beam. These different measurements confirmed tha! t ! the axial energy spread of positive and negative ions generated in the filter-equipped multicusp sources are small. New ion source configurations are now being investigated at LBNL with the purpose of achieving enen lower energy spread (<1eV) and of maximizing source performance such as reliability and lifetime.

High resolution wind measurements for offshore wind energy development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nghiem, Son Van (Inventor); Neumann, Gregory (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A method, apparatus, system, article of manufacture, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to measure wind. Data at a first resolution (i.e., low resolution data) is collected by a satellite scatterometer. Thin slices of the data are determined. A collocation of the data slices are determined at each grid cell center to obtain ensembles of collocated data slices. Each ensemble of collocated data slices is decomposed into a mean part and a fluctuating part. The data is reconstructed at a second resolution from the mean part and a residue of the fluctuating part. A wind measurement is determined from the data at the second resolution using a wind model function. A description of the wind measurement is output.

Exploring high dimensional free energy landscapes: Temperature accelerated sliced sampling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awasthi, Shalini; Nair, Nisanth N.

2017-03-01

Biased sampling of collective variables is widely used to accelerate rare events in molecular simulations and to explore free energy surfaces. However, computational efficiency of these methods decreases with increasing number of collective variables, which severely limits the predictive power of the enhanced sampling approaches. Here we propose a method called Temperature Accelerated Sliced Sampling (TASS) that combines temperature accelerated molecular dynamics with umbrella sampling and metadynamics to sample the collective variable space in an efficient manner. The presented method can sample a large number of collective variables and is advantageous for controlled exploration of broad and unbound free energy basins. TASS is also shown to achieve quick free energy convergence and is practically usable with ab initio molecular dynamics techniques.

Effect of low temperature on metabolism of rat liver slices and epididymal fat pads.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hillyard, L. A.; Entenman, C.

1973-01-01

Study of low temperature effects on the metabolism of radioisotope-tagged glucose and palmitate in rat liver slices and epididymal fat pads. The obtained data suggest that the oxidative capacity of rat liver and adipose tissue is maintained at low temperatures to a greater degree than the synthetic capacity. It was concluded that sufficient energy can be produced at 17 C for maintenance of essential tissue functions by these two tissues but that the energy requirements may not be met at 7 C.

RARE/Turbo Spin Echo Imaging with Simultaneous MultiSlice Wave-CAIPI

PubMed Central

Eichner, Cornelius; Bhat, Himanshu; Grant, P. Ellen; Wald, Lawrence L.; Setsompop, Kawin

2014-01-01

Purpose To enable highly accelerated RARE/Turbo Spin Echo (TSE) imaging using Simultaneous MultiSlice (SMS) Wave-CAIPI acquisition with reduced g-factor penalty. Methods SMS Wave-CAIPI incurs slice shifts across simultaneously excited slices while playing sinusoidal gradient waveforms during the readout of each encoding line. This results in an efficient k-space coverage that spreads aliasing in all three dimensions to fully harness the encoding power of coil sensitivities. The novel MultiPINS radiofrequency (RF) pulses dramatically reduce the power deposition of multiband (MB) refocusing pulse, thus allowing high MB factors within the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) limit. Results Wave-CAIPI acquisition with MultiPINS permits whole brain coverage with 1 mm isotropic resolution in 70 seconds at effective MB factor 13, with maximum and average g-factor penalties of gmax=1.34 and gavg=1.12, and without √R penalty. With blipped-CAIPI, the g-factor performance was degraded to gmax=3.24 and gavg=1.42; a 2.4-fold increase in gmax relative to Wave-CAIPI. At this MB factor, the SAR of the MultiBand and PINS pulses are 4.2 and 1.9 times that of the MultiPINS pulse, while the peak RF power are 19.4 and 3.9 times higher. Conclusion Combination of the two technologies, Wave-CAIPI and MultiPINS pulse, enables highly accelerated RARE/TSE imaging with low SNR penalty at reduced SAR. PMID:25640187

Accuracy of lung nodule density on HRCT: analysis by PSF-based image simulation.

PubMed

Ohno, Ken; Ohkubo, Masaki; Marasinghe, Janaka C; Murao, Kohei; Matsumoto, Toru; Wada, Shinichi

2012-11-08

A computed tomography (CT) image simulation technique based on the point spread function (PSF) was applied to analyze the accuracy of CT-based clinical evaluations of lung nodule density. The PSF of the CT system was measured and used to perform the lung nodule image simulation. Then, the simulated image was resampled at intervals equal to the pixel size and the slice interval found in clinical high-resolution CT (HRCT) images. On those images, the nodule density was measured by placing a region of interest (ROI) commonly used for routine clinical practice, and comparing the measured value with the true value (a known density of object function used in the image simulation). It was quantitatively determined that the measured nodule density depended on the nodule diameter and the image reconstruction parameters (kernel and slice thickness). In addition, the measured density fluctuated, depending on the offset between the nodule center and the image voxel center. This fluctuation was reduced by decreasing the slice interval (i.e., with the use of overlapping reconstruction), leading to a stable density evaluation. Our proposed method of PSF-based image simulation accompanied with resampling enables a quantitative analysis of the accuracy of CT-based evaluations of lung nodule density. These results could potentially reveal clinical misreadings in diagnosis, and lead to more accurate and precise density evaluations. They would also be of value for determining the optimum scan and reconstruction parameters, such as image reconstruction kernels and slice thicknesses/intervals.

Contribution of Discretionary Foods and Drinks to Australian Children’s Intake of Energy, Saturated Fat, Added Sugars and Salt

PubMed Central

Zarnowiecki, Dorota; Golley, Rebecca K.

2017-01-01

Interventions are required to reduce children’s consumption of discretionary foods and drinks. To intervene we need to identify appropriate discretionary choice targets. This study aimed to determine the main discretionary choice contributors to energy and key nutrient intakes in children aged 2–18 years. Secondary analyses were performed with population weighted, single 24 h dietary recall data from the 2011–2012 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. Cakes, muffins, and slices; sweet biscuits; potato crisps and similar snacks; and, processed meats and sugar-sweetened drinks were relatively commonly consumed and were within the top three to five contributors to per capita energy, saturated fat, sodium, and/or added sugars. Per consumer intake identified cereal-based takeaway foods; cakes, muffins and slices; meat pies and other savoury pastries; and, processed meats as top contributors to energy, saturated fat, and sodium across most age groups. Subgroups of sugar-sweetened drinks and cakes, muffins and slices were consistently key contributors to added sugars intake. This study identified optimal targets for interventions to reduce discretionary choices intake, likely to have the biggest impact on moderating energy intake while also reducing intakes of saturated fat, sodium and/or added sugars. PMID:29194425

Multiphoton Rydberg and valence dynamics of CH3Br probed by mass spectrometry and slice imaging.

PubMed

Hafliðason, Arnar; Glodic, Pavle; Koumarianou, Greta; Samartzis, Peter C; Kvaran, Ágúst

2018-06-18

The multiphoton dynamics of CH3Br were probed by Mass Resolved MultiPhoton Ionization (MR-MPI), Slice Imaging and Photoelectron Imaging in the two-photon excitation region of 66 000 to 80 000 cm-1. Slice images of the CH3+ and Br+ photoproducts of ten two-photon resonant transitions to np and nd Rydberg states of the parent molecule were recorded. CH3+ ions dominate the mass spectra. Kinetic energy release spectra (KERs) were derived from slice and photoelectron images and anisotropy parameters were extracted from the angular distributions of the ions to identify the processes and the dynamics involved. At all wavelengths we observe three-photon excitations, via the two-photon resonant transitions to molecular Rydberg states, forming metastable, superexcited (CH3Br#) states which dissociate to form CH3 Rydberg states (CH3**) along with Br/Br*. A correlation between the parent Rydberg states excited and CH3** formed is evident. For the three highest excitation energies used, the CH3Br# metastable states also generate high kinetic energy fragments of CH3(X) and Br/Br*. In addition for two out of these three wavelengths we also measure one-photon photolysis of CH3Br in the A band forming CH3(X) in various vibrational modes and bromine atoms in the ground (Br) and spin-orbit excited (Br*) states.

3D Modeling of Iran and Surrounding Areas From Simultaneous Inversion of Multiple Geophysical Datasets

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

which are primarily sensitive to upper crustal structures, are difficult to measure and especially true in tectonically and geologically complex areas...slice through the model (compare Figure 6 and Figure 9). The fit to the receiver function is not perfect and the spread of the slower deep crustal ...Although the final fit is certainly not perfect, note the improvement in timing of the main crustal conversion and reverberation (vertical lines) from the

(Non-adiabatic) string creation on nice slices in Schwarzschild black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puhm, Andrea; Rojas, Francisco; Ugajin, Tomonori

2017-04-01

Nice slices have played a pivotal role in the discussion of the black hole information paradox as they avoid regions of strong spacetime curvature and yet smoothly cut through the infalling matter and the outgoing Hawking radiation, thus, justifying the use of low energy field theory. To avoid information loss it has been argued recently, however, that local effective field theory has to break down at the horizon. To assess the extent of this breakdown in a UV complete framework we study string-theoretic effects on nice slices in Schwarzschild black holes. Our purpose is two-fold. First, we use nice slices to address various open questions and caveats of [1] where it was argued that boost-enhanced non-adiabatic string-theoretic effects at the horizon could provide a dynamical mechanism for the firewall. Second, we identify two non-adiabatic effects on nice slices in Schwarzschild black holes: pair production of open strings near the horizon enhanced by the presence of the infinite tower of highly excited string states and a late-time non-adiabatic effect intrinsic to nice slices.

(Non-adiabatic) string creation on nice slices in Schwarzschild black holes

DOE PAGES

Puhm, Andrea; Rojas, Francisco; Ugajin, Tomonori

2017-04-27

Nice slices have played a pivotal role in the discussion of the black hole information paradox as they avoid regions of strong spacetime curvature and yet smoothly cut through the infalling matter and the outgoing Hawking radiation, thus, justifying the use of low energy field theory. To avoid information loss it has been argued recently, however, that local effective field theory has to break down at the horizon. To assess the extent of this breakdown in a UV complete framework we study string-theoretic effects on nice slices in Schwarzschild black holes. Here, our purpose is two-fold. First, we use nicemore » slices to address various open questions and caveats of [1] where it was argued that boost-enhanced non-adiabatic string-theoretic effects at the horizon could provide a dynamical mechanism for the firewall. Second, we identify two non-adiabatic effects on nice slices in Schwarzschild black holes: pair production of open strings near the horizon enhanced by the presence of the infinite tower of highly excited string states and a late-time non-adiabatic effect intrinsic to nice slices.« less

(Non-adiabatic) string creation on nice slices in Schwarzschild black holes

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

Puhm, Andrea; Rojas, Francisco; Ugajin, Tomonori

Nice slices have played a pivotal role in the discussion of the black hole information paradox as they avoid regions of strong spacetime curvature and yet smoothly cut through the infalling matter and the outgoing Hawking radiation, thus, justifying the use of low energy field theory. To avoid information loss it has been argued recently, however, that local effective field theory has to break down at the horizon. To assess the extent of this breakdown in a UV complete framework we study string-theoretic effects on nice slices in Schwarzschild black holes. Here, our purpose is two-fold. First, we use nicemore » slices to address various open questions and caveats of [1] where it was argued that boost-enhanced non-adiabatic string-theoretic effects at the horizon could provide a dynamical mechanism for the firewall. Second, we identify two non-adiabatic effects on nice slices in Schwarzschild black holes: pair production of open strings near the horizon enhanced by the presence of the infinite tower of highly excited string states and a late-time non-adiabatic effect intrinsic to nice slices.« less

Lesion detection performance of cone beam CT images with anatomical background noise: single-slice vs. multi-slice human and model observer study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Minah; Jang, Hanjoo; Baek, Jongduk

2018-03-01

We investigate lesion detectability and its trends for different noise structures in single-slice and multislice CBCT images with anatomical background noise. Anatomical background noise is modeled using a power law spectrum of breast anatomy. Spherical signal with a 2 mm diameter is used for modeling a lesion. CT projection data are acquired by the forward projection and reconstructed by the Feldkamp-Davis-Kress algorithm. To generate different noise structures, two types of reconstruction filters (Hanning and Ram-Lak weighted ramp filters) are used in the reconstruction, and the transverse and longitudinal planes of reconstructed volume are used for detectability evaluation. To evaluate single-slice images, the central slice, which contains the maximum signal energy, is used. To evaluate multislice images, central nine slices are used. Detectability is evaluated using human and model observer studies. For model observer, channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) with dense difference-of-Gaussian (D-DOG) channels are used. For all noise structures, detectability by a human observer is higher for multislice images than single-slice images, and the degree of detectability increase in multislice images depends on the noise structure. Variation in detectability for different noise structures is reduced in multislice images, but detectability trends are not much different between single-slice and multislice images. The CHO with D-DOG channels predicts detectability by a human observer well for both single-slice and multislice images.

Analysis and evaluation in the production process and equipment area of the low-cost solar array project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldman, H.; Wolf, M.

1979-01-01

Analyses of slicing processes and junction formation processes are presented. A simple method for evaluation of the relative economic merits of competing process options with respect to the cost of energy produced by the system is described. An energy consumption analysis was developed and applied to determine the energy consumption in the solar module fabrication process sequence, from the mining of the SiO2 to shipping. The analysis shows that, in current technology practice, inordinate energy use in the purification step, and large wastage of the invested energy through losses, particularly poor conversion in slicing, as well as inadequate yields throughout. The cell process energy expenditures already show a downward trend based on increased throughput rates. The large improvement, however, depends on the introduction of a more efficient purification process and of acceptable ribbon growing techniques.

Neuronal and Astrocytic Monoacylglycerol Lipase Limit the Spread of Endocannabinoid Signaling in the Cerebellum.

PubMed

Chen, Yao; Liu, Xiaojie; Vickstrom, Casey R; Liu, Michelle J; Zhao, Li; Viader, Andreu; Cravatt, Benjamin F; Liu, Qing-Song

2016-01-01

Endocannabinoids are diffusible lipophilic molecules that may spread to neighboring synapses. Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is the principal enzyme that degrades the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). Using knock-out mice in which MAGL is deleted globally or selectively in neurons and astrocytes, we investigated the extent to which neuronal and astrocytic MAGL limit the spread of 2-AG-mediated retrograde synaptic depression in cerebellar slices. A brief tetanic stimulation of parallel fibers in the molecular layer induced synaptically evoked suppression of excitation (SSE) in Purkinje cells, and both neuronal and astrocytic MAGL contribute to the termination of this form of endocannabinoid-mediated synaptic depression. The spread of SSE among Purkinje cells occurred only after global knock-out of MAGL or pharmacological blockade of either MAGL or glutamate uptake, but no spread was detected following neuron- or astrocyte-specific deletion of MAGL. The spread of endocannabinoid signaling was also influenced by the spatial pattern of synaptic stimulation, because it did not occur at spatially dispersed parallel fiber synapses induced by stimulating the granular layer. The tetanic stimulation of parallel fibers did not induce endocannabinoid-mediated synaptic suppression in Golgi cells even after disruption of MAGL and glutamate uptake, suggesting that heightened release of 2-AG by Purkinje cells does not spread the retrograde signal to parallel fibers that innervate Golgi cells. These results suggest that both neuronal and astrocytic MAGL limit the spatial diffusion of 2-AG and confer synapse-specificity of endocannabinoid signaling.

A Novel Slicing Method for Thin Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Sun, Hao; Fu, Xuemei; Xie, Songlin; Jiang, Yishu; Guan, Guozhen; Wang, Bingjie; Li, Houpu; Peng, Huisheng

2016-08-01

Thin and flexible supercapacitors with low cost and individual variation are fabricated by a new and efficient slicing method. Tunable output voltage and energy can be realized with a high specific capacitance of 248.8 F g(-1) or 150.8 F cm(-3) , which is well maintained before and after bending. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Non-signalling energy use in the developing rat brain

PubMed Central

Engl, Elisabeth; Jolivet, Renaud; Hall, Catherine N

2016-01-01

Energy use in the brain constrains its information processing power, but only about half the brain's energy consumption is directly related to information processing. Evidence for which non-signalling processes consume the rest of the brain's energy has been scarce. For the first time, we investigated the energy use of the brain's main non-signalling tasks with a single method. After blocking each non-signalling process, we measured oxygen level changes in juvenile rat brain slices with an oxygen-sensing microelectrode and calculated changes in oxygen consumption throughout the slice using a modified diffusion equation. We found that the turnover of the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton, followed by lipid synthesis, are significant energy drains, contributing 25%, 22% and 18%, respectively, to the rate of oxygen consumption. In contrast, protein synthesis is energetically inexpensive. We assess how these estimates of energy expenditure relate to brain energy use in vivo, and how they might differ in the mature brain. PMID:27170699

Excitatory action of GABA on immature neurons is not due to absence of ketone bodies metabolites or other energy substrates.

PubMed

Ben-Ari, Yehezkel; Tyzio, Roman; Nehlig, Astrid

2011-09-01

Brain slices incubated with glucose have provided most of our knowledge on cellular, synaptic, and network driven mechanisms. It has been recently suggested that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) excites neonatal neurons in conventional glucose-perfused slices but not when ketone bodies metabolites, pyruvate, and/or lactate are added, suggesting that the excitatory actions of GABA are due to energy deprivation when glucose is the sole energy source. In this article, we review the vast number of studies that show that slices are not energy deprived in glucose-containing medium, and that addition of other energy substrates at physiologic concentrations does not alter the excitatory actions of GABA on neonatal neurons. In contrast, lactate, like other weak acids, can produce an intracellular acidification that will cause a reduction of intracellular chloride and a shift of GABA actions. The effects of high concentrations of lactate, and particularly of pyruvate (4-5 mm), as used are relevant primarily to pathologic conditions; these concentrations not being found in the brain in normal "control" conditions. Slices in glucose-containing medium may not be ideal, but additional energy substrates neither correspond to physiologic conditions nor alter GABA actions. In keeping with extensive observations in a wide range of animal species and brain structures, GABA depolarizes immature neurons and the reduction of the intracellular concentration of chloride ([Cl(-)](i)) is a basic property of brain maturation that has been preserved throughout evolution. In addition, this developmental sequence has important clinical implications, notably concerning the higher incidence of seizures early in life and their long-lasting deleterious sequels. Immature neurons have difficulties exporting chloride that accumulates during seizures, leading to permanent increase of [Cl(-)](i) that converts the inhibitory actions of GABA to excitatory and hampers the efficacy of GABA-acting antiepileptic drugs. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2011 International League Against Epilepsy.

Fructose-1,6-Bisphospate does not preserve ATP in hypoxic-ischemic neonatal cerebrocortical slices

PubMed Central

Liu, Jia; Hirai, Kiyoshi; Litt, Lawrence

2008-01-01

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP), an endogenous intracellular metabolite in glycolysis, was found in many preclinical studies to be neuroprotective during hypoxia-ischemia (HI) when administered exogenously. We looked for HI neuroprotection from FBP in a neonatal rat brain slice model, using 14.1 Tesla 1H /31P/13C NMR spectroscopy of perchloric acid slice extracts to ask: 1) if FBP preserves high energy phosphates during HI; and 2) if exogenous [1-13C]FBP enters cells and is glycolytically metabolized to [3-13C]lactate. We also asked: 3) if substantial superoxide production occurs during and after HI, thinking such might be treatable by exogenous FBP's antioxidant effects. Superfused P7 rat cerebrocortical slices (350μm) were treated with 2 mM FBP before and during 30 min of HI, and then given four hours of recovery with an FBP-free oxygenated superfusate. Slices were removed before HI, at the end of HI, and at 1 and 4 hours after HI. FBP did not improve high energy phosphate levels or change 1H metabolite profiles. Large increases in [3-13C]lactate were seen with 13C NMR, but the lactate fractional enrichment was always (1.1±0.5)%, implying that all of lactate's 13C was natural abundance 13C, that none was from metabolism of 13C-FBP. FBP had no effect on the fluorescence of ethidium produced from superoxide oxidation of hydroethidine. Compared to control slices, ethidium fluorescence was 25% higher during HI and 50% higher at the end of recovery. Exogenous FBP did not provide protection or enter glycolysis. Its use as an antioxidant might be worth studying at higher FBP concentrations. PMID:18725216

Representation of deformable motion for compression of dynamic cardiac image data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weinlich, Andreas; Amon, Peter; Hutter, Andreas; Kaup, André

2012-02-01

We present a new approach for efficient estimation and storage of tissue deformation in dynamic medical image data like 3-D+t computed tomography reconstructions of human heart acquisitions. Tissue deformation between two points in time can be described by means of a displacement vector field indicating for each voxel of a slice, from which position in the previous slice at a fixed position in the third dimension it has moved to this position. Our deformation model represents the motion in a compact manner using a down-sampled potential function of the displacement vector field. This function is obtained by a Gauss-Newton minimization of the estimation error image, i. e., the difference between the current and the deformed previous slice. For lossless or lossy compression of volume slices, the potential function and the error image can afterwards be coded separately. By assuming deformations instead of translational motion, a subsequent coding algorithm using this method will achieve better compression ratios for medical volume data than with conventional block-based motion compensation known from video coding. Due to the smooth prediction without block artifacts, particularly whole-image transforms like wavelet decomposition as well as intra-slice prediction methods can benefit from this approach. We show that with discrete cosine as well as with Karhunen-Lo`eve transform the method can achieve a better energy compaction of the error image than block-based motion compensation while reaching approximately the same prediction error energy.

Improved sliced velocity map imaging apparatus optimized for H photofragments.

PubMed

Ryazanov, Mikhail; Reisler, Hanna

2013-04-14

Time-sliced velocity map imaging (SVMI), a high-resolution method for measuring kinetic energy distributions of products in scattering and photodissociation reactions, is challenging to implement for atomic hydrogen products. We describe an ion optics design aimed at achieving SVMI of H fragments in a broad range of kinetic energies (KE), from a fraction of an electronvolt to a few electronvolts. In order to enable consistently thin slicing for any imaged KE range, an additional electrostatic lens is introduced in the drift region for radial magnification control without affecting temporal stretching of the ion cloud. Time slices of ∼5 ns out of a cloud stretched to ⩾50 ns are used. An accelerator region with variable dimensions (using multiple electrodes) is employed for better optimization of radial and temporal space focusing characteristics at each magnification level. The implemented system was successfully tested by recording images of H fragments from the photodissociation of HBr, H2S, and the CH2OH radical, with kinetic energies ranging from <0.4 eV to >3 eV. It demonstrated KE resolution ≲1%-2%, similar to that obtained in traditional velocity map imaging followed by reconstruction, and to KE resolution achieved previously in SVMI of heavier products. We expect it to perform just as well up to at least 6 eV of kinetic energy. The tests showed that numerical simulations of the electric fields and ion trajectories in the system, used for optimization of the design and operating parameters, provide an accurate and reliable description of all aspects of system performance. This offers the advantage of selecting the best operating conditions in each measurement without the need for additional calibration experiments.

Evidence for liquefaction identified in peeled slices of Holocene deposits along the Lower Columbia River, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Takada, K.; Atwater, B.F.

2004-01-01

Peels made from 10 geoslices beneath a riverbank at Washington's Hunting Island, 45 km inland from the Pacific coast, aid in identifying sand that liquefied during prehistoric earthquakes of estimated magnitude 8-9 at the Cascadia subduction zone. Each slice was obtained by driving sheetpile and a shutter plate to depths of 6-8 m. The resulting sample, as long as 8 m, had a trapezoidal cross section 42-55 cm by 8 cm. The slicing created few artifacts other than bending and smearing at slice edges. Each slice is dominated by well-stratified sand and mud deposited by the tidal Columbia River. Nearly 90% of the sand is distinctly laminated. The sand contains mud beds as thick as 0.5 m and at least 20 m long, and it is capped by a mud bed that contains a buried soil that marks the 1700 Cascadia earthquake of estimated magnitude 9. Every slice intersected sills and dikes of fluidized sand, and many slices show folds and faults as well. Sills, which outnumber dikes, mostly follow and locally invade the undersides of mud beds. The mud beds probably impeded diffuse upward flow of water expelled from liquefied sand. Trapped beneath mud beds, this water flowed laterally, destroyed bedding by entraining (fluidizing) sand, and locally scoured the overlying mud. Horizontal zones of folded sand extend at least 10 or 20 m, and some contain low-angle faults. Many of the folds probably formed while sand was weakened by liquefaction. The low-angle faults may mark the soles of river-bottom slumps or lateral spreads. As many as four great Cascadia earthquakes in the past 2000 yr contributed to the intrusions, folds, and faults. This subsurface evidence for fluid escape and deformation casts doubt on maximum accelerations that were previously inferred from local absence of liquefaction features at the ground surface along the Columbia River. The geosliced evidence for liquefaction abounds not only beneath banks riddled with dikes but also beneath banks in which dikes are absent. Such dike-free banks of the Columbia River, if interpreted without study of postdepositional structures in deposits beneath them, provide insufficient basis for setting upper bounds on the strength of shaking from great Cascadia earthquakes. Online material: Data from outcrop surveys, vibracores, and penetrometer tests; tabular summary of depositional and postdepositional features in geoslices.

Role of gap junctions on synchronization in human neocortical networks.

PubMed

Gigout, S; Deisz, R A; Dehnicke, C; Turak, B; Devaux, B; Pumain, R; Louvel, J

2016-04-15

Gap junctions (GJ) have been implicated in the synchronization of epileptiform activities induced by 4-aminopyrine (4AP) in slices from human epileptogenic cortex. Previous evidence implicated glial GJ to govern the frequency of these epileptiform events. The synchrony of these events (evaluated by the phase unlocking index, PUI) in adjacent areas however was attributed to neuronal GJ. In the present study, we have investigated the effects of GAP-134, a recently developed specific activator of glial GJ, on both the PUI and the frequency of the 4AP-induced epileptiform activities in human neocortical slices of temporal lobe epilepsy tissue. To delineate the impact of GJ on spatial spread of synchronous activity we evaluated the effects of carbenoxolone (CBX, a non-selective GJ blocker) on the spread in three axes 1. vertically in a given cortical column, 2. laterally within the deep cortical layers and 3. laterally within the upper cortical layers. GAP-134 slightly increased the frequency of the 4AP-induced spontaneous epileptiform activities while leaving the PUI unaffected. CBX had no effect on the PUI within a cortical column or on the PUI in the deep cortical layers. CBX increased the PUI for long interelectrodes distances in the upper cortical layers. In conclusion we provide new arguments toward the role played by glial GJ to maintain the frequency of spontaneous activities. We show that neuronal GJ control the PUI only in upper cortical layers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Point spread function based classification of regions for linear digital tomosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Israni, Kenny; Avinash, Gopal; Li, Baojun

2007-03-01

In digital tomosynthesis, one of the limitations is the presence of out-of-plane blur due to the limited angle acquisition. The point spread function (PSF) characterizes blur in the imaging volume, and is shift-variant in tomosynthesis. The purpose of this research is to classify the tomosynthesis imaging volume into four different categories based on PSF-driven focus criteria. We considered linear tomosynthesis geometry and simple back projection algorithm for reconstruction. The three-dimensional PSF at every pixel in the imaging volume was determined. Intensity profiles were computed for every pixel by integrating the PSF-weighted intensities contained within the line segment defined by the PSF, at each slice. Classification rules based on these intensity profiles were used to categorize image regions. At background and low-frequency pixels, the derived intensity profiles were flat curves with relatively low and high maximum intensities respectively. At in-focus pixels, the maximum intensity of the profiles coincided with the PSF-weighted intensity of the pixel. At out-of-focus pixels, the PSF-weighted intensity of the pixel was always less than the maximum intensity of the profile. We validated our method using human observer classified regions as gold standard. Based on the computed and manual classifications, the mean sensitivity and specificity of the algorithm were 77+/-8.44% and 91+/-4.13% respectively (t=-0.64, p=0.56, DF=4). Such a classification algorithm may assist in mitigating out-of-focus blur from tomosynthesis image slices.

Action potentials reliably invade axonal arbors of rat neocortical neurons

PubMed Central

Cox, Charles L.; Denk, Winfried; Tank, David W.; Svoboda, Karel

2000-01-01

Neocortical pyramidal neurons have extensive axonal arborizations that make thousands of synapses. Action potentials can invade these arbors and cause calcium influx that is required for neurotransmitter release and excitation of postsynaptic targets. Thus, the regulation of action potential invasion in axonal branches might shape the spread of excitation in cortical neural networks. To measure the reliability and extent of action potential invasion into axonal arbors, we have used two-photon excitation laser scanning microscopy to directly image action-potential-mediated calcium influx in single varicosities of layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in acute brain slices. Our data show that single action potentials or bursts of action potentials reliably invade axonal arbors over a range of developmental ages (postnatal 10–24 days) and temperatures (24°C-30°C). Hyperpolarizing current steps preceding action potential initiation, protocols that had previously been observed to produce failures of action potential propagation in cultured preparations, were ineffective in modulating the spread of action potentials in acute slices. Our data show that action potentials reliably invade the axonal arbors of neocortical pyramidal neurons. Failures in synaptic transmission must therefore originate downstream of action potential invasion. We also explored the function of modulators that inhibit presynaptic calcium influx. Consistent with previous studies, we find that adenosine reduces action-potential-mediated calcium influx in presynaptic terminals. This reduction was observed in all terminals tested, suggesting that some modulatory systems are expressed homogeneously in most terminals of the same neuron. PMID:10931955

Energy spectrum control for modulated proton beams.

PubMed

Hsi, Wen C; Moyers, Michael F; Nichiporov, Dmitri; Anferov, Vladimir; Wolanski, Mark; Allgower, Chris E; Farr, Jonathan B; Mascia, Anthony E; Schreuder, Andries N

2009-06-01

In proton therapy delivered with range modulated beams, the energy spectrum of protons entering the delivery nozzle can affect the dose uniformity within the target region and the dose gradient around its periphery. For a cyclotron with a fixed extraction energy, a rangeshifter is used to change the energy but this produces increasing energy spreads for decreasing energies. This study investigated the magnitude of the effects of different energy spreads on dose uniformity and distal edge dose gradient and determined the limits for controlling the incident spectrum. A multilayer Faraday cup (MLFC) was calibrated against depth dose curves measured in water for nonmodulated beams with various incident spectra. Depth dose curves were measured in a water phantom and in a multilayer ionization chamber detector for modulated beams using different incident energy spreads. Some nozzle entrance energy spectra can produce unacceptable dose nonuniformities of up to +/-21% over the modulated region. For modulated beams and small beam ranges, the width of the distal penumbra can vary by a factor of 2.5. When the energy spread was controlled within the defined limits, the dose nonuniformity was less than +/-3%. To facilitate understanding of the results, the data were compared to the measured and Monte Carlo calculated data from a variable extraction energy synchrotron which has a narrow spectrum for all energies. Dose uniformity is only maintained within prescription limits when the energy spread is controlled. At low energies, a large spread can be beneficial for extending the energy range at which a single range modulator device can be used. An MLFC can be used as part of a feedback to provide specified energy spreads for different energies.

N* resonances from KΛ amplitudes in sliced bins in energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anisovich, A. V.; Burkert, V.; Hadžimehmedović, M.; Ireland, D. G.; Klempt, E.; Nikonov, V. A.; Omerović, R.; Sarantsev, A. V.; Stahov, J.; Švarc, A.; Thoma, U.

2017-12-01

The two reactions γ p→ K+Λ and π- p→ K0Λ are analyzed to determine the leading photoproduction multipoles and the pion-induced partial wave amplitudes in slices of the invariant mass. The multipoles and the partial-wave amplitudes are simultaneously fitted in a multichannel Laurent+Pietarinen model (L+P model), which determines the poles in the complex energy plane on the second Riemann sheet close to the physical axes. The results from the L+P fit are compared with the results of an energy-dependent fit based on the Bonn-Gatchina (BnGa) approach. The study confirms the existence of several poles due to nucleon resonances in the region at about 1.9 GeV with quantum numbers JP = 1/2+, 3/2+, 1/2-, 3/2-, 5/2-.

Free energy analysis of cell spreading.

PubMed

McEvoy, Eóin; Deshpande, Vikram S; McGarry, Patrick

2017-10-01

In this study we present a steady-state adaptation of the thermodynamically motivated stress fiber (SF) model of Vigliotti et al. (2015). We implement this steady-state formulation in a non-local finite element setting where we also consider global conservation of the total number of cytoskeletal proteins within the cell, global conservation of the number of binding integrins on the cell membrane, and adhesion limiting ligand density on the substrate surface. We present a number of simulations of cell spreading in which we consider a limited subset of the possible deformed spread-states assumed by the cell in order to examine the hypothesis that free energy minimization drives the process of cell spreading. Simulations suggest that cell spreading can be viewed as a competition between (i) decreasing cytoskeletal free energy due to strain induced assembly of cytoskeletal proteins into contractile SFs, and (ii) increasing elastic free energy due to stretching of the mechanically passive components of the cell. The computed minimum free energy spread area is shown to be lower for a cell on a compliant substrate than on a rigid substrate. Furthermore, a low substrate ligand density is found to limit cell spreading. The predicted dependence of cell spread area on substrate stiffness and ligand density is in agreement with the experiments of Engler et al. (2003). We also simulate the experiments of Théry et al. (2006), whereby initially circular cells deform and adhere to "V-shaped" and "Y-shaped" ligand patches. Analysis of a number of different spread states reveals that deformed configurations with the lowest free energy exhibit a SF distribution that corresponds to experimental observations, i.e. a high concentration of highly aligned SFs occurs along free edges, with lower SF concentrations in the interior of the cell. In summary, the results of this study suggest that cell spreading is driven by free energy minimization based on a competition between decreasing cytoskeletal free energy and increasing passive elastic free energy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NTP and PCr responses to hypoxia by hypothermic and normothermic respiring, superfused, neonatal rat cerebrocortical slices: an NMR spectroscopy study at 14.1 Tesla.

PubMed

Litt, L; Hirai, K; Basus, V J; James, T L

2003-01-01

Although mechanisms of hypothermic neuroprotection during oxygen deprivation have long been investigated, further characterizations of various molecular mechanisms are appropriate. Anticipating future studies of hypothermia and hypoxia/ischemia, we investigated the extent to which our ex vivo, NMR-based, superfused brain slice model might be helpful. (Slices are approximately 350 microm thick, with 18 slices per 8 mm NMR tube.) 31P NMR spectroscopic measurements were made of hypothermia-induced changes in high energy phosphates, while simultaneously monitoring and controlling tissue temperature, using 1H NMR, the high spectroscopic resolution available at 14.1 Tesla (600 MHz for protons), and a recently published protocol. NTP and PCr concentrations in healthy, well-oxygenated slices decreased to (55 +/- 15)% and (66 +/- 30)% of their respective values at 28.0 degrees C when warmed to 38.0 degrees C, in approximate agreement with earlier in vivo studies by others. During 30 min hypoxia NTP and PCr decreased to non-observable values, regardless of temperature. After reoxygenation, NTP and PCr recoveries as percentages of respective prehypoxia values were (63% +/- 16%; 70%) +/- 5%) for hypothermic slices (28.0 degrees C), and (46% +/- 13%; 41% +/- hypothermic neuroprotection during oxygen deprivation in this model, which appears suitable for use in further studies.

Use of incomplete energy recovery for the energy compression of large energy spread charged particle beams

DOEpatents

Douglas, David R [Newport News, VA; Benson, Stephen V [Yorktown, VA

2007-01-23

A method of energy recovery for RF-base linear charged particle accelerators that allows energy recovery without large relative momentum spread of the particle beam involving first accelerating a waveform particle beam having a crest and a centroid with an injection energy E.sub.o with the centroid of the particle beam at a phase offset f.sub.o from the crest of the accelerating waveform to an energy E.sub.full and then recovering the beam energy centroid a phase f.sub.o+Df relative to the crest of the waveform particle beam such that (E.sub.full-E.sub.o)(1+cos(f.sub.o+Df))>dE/2 wherein dE=the full energy spread, dE/2=the full energy half spread and Df=the wave form phase distance.

Beam energy spread in FERMI@elettra gun and linac induced by intrabeam scattering

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

Zholents, Alexander A; Zholents, Alexander A; Zolotorev, Max S.

Intrabeam scattering (IBS) of electrons in the pre-cathode area in the electron guns know in the literature as Boersh effect is responsible for a growth of the electron beam energy spread there. Albeit most visible within the electron gun where the electron beam density is large and the energy spread is small, the IBS acts all along the entire electron beam pass through the Linac. In this report we calculate the energy spread induced by IBS in the FERMI@elettra electron gun.

Evaluation of Timepix silicon detector for the detection of 18F positrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Q.; Tous, J.; Liu, Z.; Ziegler, S.; Shi, K.

2014-05-01

Timepix is an evolving energy and position sensitive pixel detector. It consists of a silicon detector (sensitive layer 300 μm thick) bump-bonded to the Timepix readout chip developed by the Medipix2 collaboration. This study aims to test the feasibility of using the acquired energy and position signals from Timepix for positron imaging. The signals of the commonly used fluorine-18 PET (positron emission tomography) tracer [18F]FDG were measured using Timepix operated both in single particle counting (Medipix) and in time over threshold (TOT) modes. The spatial resolution (SR) was measured using the absorber edge method (AEM) and was calculated from the over-sampled line spread function. The track of a positron in the Timepix detector was characterized as a cluster and the energy weighted centroid of each cluster was considered as readout for the position of the positron incidence. The measurement results were compared with theoretical predictions using Monte-Carlo simulations. In addition, imaging of a tissue slice of a mouse heart was analysed with reference to standard phosphor plate imaging. Our results show that the SR was improved from 177.1±4.1 μm (centroid without energy weighting) to 155.5±3.1 μm μm (centroid with energy weighting). About 12% enhancement of SR was achieved with energy information in TOT mode. The sensitivity of Timepix was 0.35 cps/Bq based on the measurements. The measuring background and the ratio between detected positrons and gamma rays were also evaluated and were found to be consistent with theoretical predictions. A small enhancement of image quality was also achieved by applying energy information to the data of the measured tissue sample. Our results show that the inclusion of energy information could slightly enhance the positron measurement compared to without energy information and the Timepix provides a high SR and sensitivity for positron detection. Thus, Timepix is a potentially effective tool for 2D positron imaging.

The CT image standardization based on the verified PSF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wada, Shinichi; Ohkubo, Masaki; Kunii, Masayuki; Matsumoto, Toru; Murao, Kohei; Awai, Kazuo; Ikeda, Mitsuru

2007-03-01

This study discusses a method of CT image quality standardization that uses a point-spread function (PSF) in MDCT. CT image I(x,y,z) is represented by the following formula: I(x,y,z) = O(x,y,z)***PSF(x,y,z). Standardization was performed by measuring the three-dimensional (3-D) PSFs of two CT images with different image qualities. The image conversion method was constructed and tested using the 3-D PSFs and CT images of the CT scanners of three different manufacturers. The CT scanners used were Lightspeed QX/i, Somatom Volume Zoom, and Brilliance-40. To obtain the PSF(x,y) of these CT scanners, the line spread functions of the respective reconstruction kernels were measured using a phantom described by J.M. Boone. The kernels for each scanner were: soft, standard, lung, bone, and bone plus (GE); B20f, B40f, B41f, B50f, and B60f (Siemens); and B, C, D, E, and L (Philips). Slice sensitivity profile (SSP) were measured using a micro-disk phantom (50 μm* φ1 mm) with 5 mm slice thickness and beam pitch of 1.5 (GE, Siemens) and 0.626 (Philips). 3-D PSF was verified using an MDCT QA phantom. Real chest CT images were converted to images with contrasting standard image quality. Comparison between the converted CT image and the original standard image showed good agreement. The usefulness of the image conversion method is discussed using clinical CT images acquired by CT scanners produced by different manufacturers.

Estimation of cauliflower mass transfer parameters during convective drying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahin, Medine; Doymaz, İbrahim

2017-02-01

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of pre-treatments such as citric acid and hot water blanching and air temperature on drying and rehydration characteristics of cauliflower slices. Experiments were carried out at four different drying air temperatures of 50, 60, 70 and 80 °C with the air velocity of 2.0 m/s. It was observed that drying and rehydration characteristics of cauliflower slices were greatly influenced by air temperature and pre-treatment. Six commonly used mathematical models were evaluated to predict the drying kinetics of cauliflower slices. The Midilli et al. model described the drying behaviour of cauliflower slices at all temperatures better than other models. The values of effective moisture diffusivities ( D eff ) were determined using Fick's law of diffusion and were between 4.09 × 10-9 and 1.88 × 10-8 m2/s. Activation energy was estimated by an Arrhenius type equation and was 23.40, 29.09 and 26.39 kJ/mol for citric acid, blanch and control samples, respectively.

Investigation of drying kinetics of tomato slices dried by using a closed loop heat pump dryer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coşkun, Salih; Doymaz, İbrahim; Tunçkal, Cüneyt; Erdoğan, Seçil

2017-06-01

In this study, tomato slices were dried at three different drying air temperatures (35, 40 and 45 °C) and at 1 m/s air velocities by using a closed loop heat pump dryer (HPD). To explain the drying characteristics of tomato slices, ten thin-layer drying models were applied. The drying of tomato slices at each temperature occurred in falling-rate period; no constant-rate period of drying was observed. The drying rate was significantly influenced by drying temperature. The effective moisture diffusivity varied between 8.28 × 10-11 and 1.41 × 10-10 m2/s, the activation energy was found to be 43.12 kJ/mol. Besides, at the end of drying process, the highest mean specific moisture extraction ratio and coefficient of performance of HPD system were obtained as 0.324 kg/kWh and 2.71, respectively, at the highest drying air temperature (45 °C).

Fresh-slice multicolour X-ray free-electron lasers

DOE PAGES

Lutman, Alberto A.; Maxwell, Timothy J.; MacArthur, James P.; ...

2016-10-24

X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) provide femtosecond X-ray pulses with a narrow energy bandwidth and unprecedented brightness. Ultrafast physical and chemical dynamics, initiated with a site-specific X-ray pulse, can be explored using XFELs with a second ultrashort X-ray probe pulse. However, existing double-pulse schemes are complicated, difficult to customize or provide only low-intensity pulses. Here we present the novel fresh-slice technique for multicolour pulse production, wherein different temporal slices of an electron bunch lase to saturation in separate undulator sections. This method combines electron bunch tailoring from a passive wakefield device with trajectory control to provide multicolour pulses. The fresh-slice schememore » outperforms existing techniques at soft X-ray wavelengths. It produces femtosecond pulses with a power of tens of gigawatts and flexible colour separation. The pulse delay can be varied from temporal overlap to almost one picosecond. As a result, we also demonstrate the first three-colour XFEL and variably polarized two-colour pulses.« less

Drying characteristics of pumpkin ( Cucurbita moschata) slices in convective and freeze dryer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caliskan, Gulsah; Dirim, Safiye Nur

2017-06-01

This study was intended to determine the drying and rehydration kinetics of convective and freeze dried pumpkin slices (0.5 × 3.5 × 0.5 cm). A pilot scale tray drier (at 80 ± 2 °C inlet temperature, 1 m s-1 air velocity) and freeze drier (13.33 kPa absolute pressure, condenser temperature of -48 ± 2 °C) were used for the drying experiments. Drying curves were fitted to six well-known thin layer drying models. Nonlinear regression analysis was used to evaluate the parameters of the selected models by using statistical software SPSS 16.0 (SPSS Inc., USA). For the convective and freeze drying processes of pumpkin slices, the highest R2 values, and the lowest RMSE as well as χ2 values were obtained from Page model. The effective moisture diffusivity (Deff) of the convective and freeze dried pumpkin slices were obtained from the Fick's diffusion model, and they were found to be 2.233 × 10-7 and 3.040 × 10-9 m2s-1, respectively. Specific moisture extraction rate, moisture extraction rate, and specific energy consumption values were almost twice in freeze drying process. Depending on the results, moisture contents and water activity values of pumpkin slices were in acceptable limits for safe storage of products. The rehydration behaviour of [at 18 ± 2 and 100 ± 2 °C for 1:25, 1:50, 1:75, 1:100, and 1:125 solid:liquid ratios (w:w)] dried pumpkin slices was determined by Peleg's model with the highest R2. The highest total soluble solid loss of pumpkin slices was observed for the rehydration experiment which performed at 1:25 solid: liquid ratio (w:w). Rehydration ratio of freeze dried slices was found 2-3 times higher than convective dried slices.

Beam-energy-spread minimization using cell-timing optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rose, C. R.; Ekdahl, C.; Schulze, M.

2012-04-01

Beam energy spread, and related beam motion, increase the difficulty in tuning for multipulse radiographic experiments at the dual-axis radiographic hydrodynamic test facility’s axis-II linear induction accelerator (LIA). In this article, we describe an optimization method to reduce the energy spread by adjusting the timing of the cell voltages (both unloaded and loaded), either advancing or retarding, such that the injector voltage and summed cell voltages in the LIA result in a flatter energy profile. We developed a nonlinear optimization routine which accepts as inputs the 74 cell-voltage, injector voltage, and beam current waveforms. It optimizes cell timing per user-selected groups of cells and outputs timing adjustments, one for each of the selected groups. To verify the theory, we acquired and present data for both unloaded and loaded cell-timing optimizations. For the unloaded cells, the preoptimization baseline energy spread was reduced by 34% and 31% for two shots as compared to baseline. For the loaded-cell case, the measured energy spread was reduced by 49% compared to baseline.

Non-destructive X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) Analysis of Sediment Variance in Marine Cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oti, E.; Polyak, L. V.; Dipre, G.; Sawyer, D.; Cook, A.

2015-12-01

Benthic activity within marine sediments can alter the physical properties of the sediment as well as indicate nutrient flux and ocean temperatures. We examine burrowing features in sediment cores from the western Arctic Ocean collected during the 2005 Healy-Oden TransArctic Expedition (HOTRAX) and from the Gulf of Mexico Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 308. While traditional methods for studying bioturbation require physical dissection of the cores, we assess burrowing using an X-ray computed tomography (XCT) scanner. XCT noninvasively images the sediment cores in three dimensions and produces density sensitive images suitable for quantitative analysis. XCT units are recorded as Hounsfield Units (HU), where -999 is air, 0 is water, and 4000-5000 would be a higher density mineral, such as pyrite. We rely on the fundamental assumption that sediments are deposited horizontally, and we analyze the variance over each flat-lying slice. The variance describes the spread of pixel values over a slice. When sediments are reworked, drawing higher and lower density matrix into a layer, the variance increases. Examples of this can be seen in two slices in core 19H-3A from Site U1324 of IODP Expedition 308. The first slice, located 165.6 meters below sea floor consists of relatively undisturbed sediment. Because of this, the majority of the sediment values fall between 1406 and 1497 HU, thus giving the slice a comparatively small variance of 819.7. The second slice, located 166.1 meters below sea floor, features a lower density sediment matrix disturbed by burrow tubes and the inclusion of a high density mineral. As a result, the Hounsfield Units have a larger variance of 1,197.5, which is a result of sediment matrix values that range from 1220 to 1260 HU, the high-density mineral value of 1920 HU and the burrow tubes that range from 1300 to 1410 HU. Analyzing this variance allows us to observe changes in the sediment matrix and more specifically capture where, and to what extent, the burrow tubes deviate from the sediment matrix. Future research will correlate changes in variance due to bioturbation to other features indicating ocean temperatures and nutrient flux, such as foraminifera counts and oxygen isotope data.

Drying characteristics of garlic ( Allium sativum L) slices in a convective hot air dryer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demiray, Engin; Tulek, Yahya

2014-06-01

The effects of drying temperatures on the drying kinetics of garlic slices were investigated using a cabinet-type dryer. The experimental drying data were fitted best to the Page and Modified Page models apart from other theoretical models to predict the drying kinetics. The effective moisture diffusivities varied from 4.214 × 10-10 to 2.221 × 10-10 m2 s-1 over the temperature range studied, and activation energy was 30.582 kJ mol-1.

Kinetics of mass transfer during deep fat frying of yellow fleshed cassava root slices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oyedeji, A. B.; Sobukola, O. P.; Henshaw, F. O.; Adegunwa, M. O.; Sanni, L. O.; Tomlins, K. I.

2016-05-01

Kinetics of mass transfer [moisture content, oil uptake, total carotenoid (TC) and shrinkage] during frying of yellow fleshed cassava roots (TMS 01/1371) was investigated. Slices were divided into (i) fresh and (ii) pre-dried to 75 % moisture content before atmospheric frying and (iii) vacuum fried. Percentage TC and activation energies of vacuum, fresh and pre-dried fried samples were 76, 63 and 61 %; and 82, 469.7, 213.7 kJ/mol, respectively.

Apparatus for producing laser targets

DOEpatents

Jarboe, T.R.; Baker, W.R.

1975-09-23

This patent relates to an apparatus and method for producing deuterium targets or pellets of 25u to 75u diameter. The pellets are sliced from a continuously spun solid deuterium thread at a rate of up to 10 pellets/second. The pellets after being sliced from the continuous thread of deuterium are collimated and directed to a point of use, such as a laser activated combustion or explosion chamber wherein the pellets are imploded by laser energy or laser produced target plasmas for neutral beam injection. (auth)

N* resonances from K $$\\Lambda$$ Λ amplitudes in sliced bins in energy

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

Anisovich, A. V.; Burkert, V.; Hadžimehmedović, M.

The two reactionsmore » $$\\gamma p\\to K^+\\Lambda$$ and $$\\pi^-p\\to K^0\\Lambda$$ are analyzed to determine the leading photoproduction multipoles and the pion-induced partial wave amplitudes in slices of the invariant mass. The multipoles and the partial-wave amplitudes are simultaneously fitted in a multichannel Laurent+Pietarinen model (L+P model), which determines the poles in the complex energy plane on the second Riemann sheet close to the physical axes. The results from the L+P fit are compared with the results of an energy-dependent fit based on the Bonn-Gatchina (BnGa) approach. The study confirms the existence of several poles due to nucleon resonances in the region at about 1.9\\,GeV with quantum numbers $J^P = 1/2^+$, $3/2^+, 1/2^-, 3/2^-, 5/2^-$.« less

N* resonances from K $$\\Lambda$$ Λ amplitudes in sliced bins in energy

DOE PAGES

Anisovich, A. V.; Burkert, V.; Hadžimehmedović, M.; ...

2017-12-22

The two reactionsmore » $$\\gamma p\\to K^+\\Lambda$$ and $$\\pi^-p\\to K^0\\Lambda$$ are analyzed to determine the leading photoproduction multipoles and the pion-induced partial wave amplitudes in slices of the invariant mass. The multipoles and the partial-wave amplitudes are simultaneously fitted in a multichannel Laurent+Pietarinen model (L+P model), which determines the poles in the complex energy plane on the second Riemann sheet close to the physical axes. The results from the L+P fit are compared with the results of an energy-dependent fit based on the Bonn-Gatchina (BnGa) approach. The study confirms the existence of several poles due to nucleon resonances in the region at about 1.9\\,GeV with quantum numbers $J^P = 1/2^+$, $3/2^+, 1/2^-, 3/2^-, 5/2^-$.« less

Axial energy spread measurements of an accelerated positive ion beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Y.; Gough, R. A.; Kunkel, W. B.; Leung, K. N.; Perkins, L. T.; Pickard, D. S.; Sun, L.; Vujic, J.; Williams, M. D.; Wutte, D.; Mondelli, Alfred A.; Stengl, Gerhard

1997-01-01

A multicusp ion source has been designed for use in ion projection lithography. Longitudinal energy spreads of the extracted positive hydrogen ion beam have been studied using a retarding field energy analyzer. It has been found that the filament-discharge multicusp ion source can deliver a beam with an energy spread less than 3 eV which is required for the ALG-1000 machine. The multicusp ion source can also deliver the current required for the application.

Spreading convulsions, spreading depolarization and epileptogenesis in human cerebral cortex

PubMed Central

Major, Sebastian; Pannek, Heinz-Wolfgang; Woitzik, Johannes; Scheel, Michael; Wiesenthal, Dirk; Martus, Peter; Winkler, Maren K.L.; Hartings, Jed A.; Fabricius, Martin; Speckmann, Erwin-Josef; Gorji, Ali

2012-01-01

Spreading depolarization of cells in cerebral grey matter is characterized by massive ion translocation, neuronal swelling and large changes in direct current-coupled voltage recording. The near-complete sustained depolarization above the inactivation threshold for action potential generating channels initiates spreading depression of brain activity. In contrast, epileptic seizures show modest ion translocation and sustained depolarization below the inactivation threshold for action potential generating channels. Such modest sustained depolarization allows synchronous, highly frequent neuronal firing; ictal epileptic field potentials being its electrocorticographic and epileptic seizure its clinical correlate. Nevertheless, Leão in 1944 and Van Harreveld and Stamm in 1953 described in animals that silencing of brain activity induced by spreading depolarization changed during minimal electrical stimulations. Eventually, epileptic field potentials were recorded during the period that had originally seen spreading depression of activity. Such spreading convulsions are characterized by epileptic field potentials on the final shoulder of the large slow potential change of spreading depolarization. We here report on such spreading convulsions in monopolar subdural recordings in 2 of 25 consecutive aneurismal subarachnoid haemorrhage patients in vivo and neocortical slices from 12 patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy in vitro. The in vitro results suggest that γ-aminobutyric acid-mediated inhibition protects from spreading convulsions. Moreover, we describe arterial pulse artefacts mimicking epileptic field potentials in three patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage that ride on the slow potential peak. Twenty-one of the 25 subarachnoid haemorrhage patients (84%) had 656 spreading depolarizations in contrast to only three patients (12%) with 55 ictal epileptic events isolated from spreading depolarizations. Spreading depolarization frequency and depression periods per 24 h recording episodes showed an early and a delayed peak on Day 7. Patients surviving subarachnoid haemorrhage with poor outcome at 6 months showed significantly higher total and peak numbers of spreading depolarizations and significantly longer total and peak depression periods during the electrocorticographic monitoring than patients with good outcome. In a semi-structured telephone interview 3 years after the initial haemorrhage, 44% of the subarachnoid haemorrhage survivors had developed late post-haemorrhagic seizures requiring anti-convulsant medication. In those patients, peak spreading depolarization number had been significantly higher [15.1 (11.4–30.8) versus 7.0 (0.8–11.2) events per day, P = 0.045]. In summary, monopolar recordings here provided unequivocal evidence of spreading convulsions in patients. Hence, practically all major pathological cortical network events in animals have now been observed in people. Early spreading depolarizations may indicate a risk for late post-haemorrhagic seizures. PMID:22120143

Glucose regulates hypothalamic long-chain fatty acid metabolism via AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) in neurons and astrocytes.

PubMed

Taïb, Bouchra; Bouyakdan, Khalil; Hryhorczuk, Cécile; Rodaros, Demetra; Fulton, Stephanie; Alquier, Thierry

2013-12-27

Hypothalamic controls of energy balance rely on the detection of circulating nutrients such as glucose and long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) by the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH). LCFA metabolism in the MBH plays a key role in the control of food intake and glucose homeostasis, yet it is not known if glucose regulates LCFA oxidation and esterification in the MBH and, if so, which hypothalamic cell type(s) and intracellular signaling mechanisms are involved. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of glucose on LCFA metabolism, assess the role of AMP-activated Kinase (AMPK), and to establish if changes in LCFA metabolism and its regulation by glucose vary as a function of the kind of LCFA, cell type, and brain region. We show that glucose inhibits palmitate oxidation via AMPK in hypothalamic neuronal cell lines, primary hypothalamic astrocyte cultures, and MBH slices ex vivo but not in cortical astrocytes and slice preparations. In contrast, oleate oxidation was not affected by glucose or AMPK inhibition in MBH slices. In addition, our results show that glucose increases palmitate, but not oleate, esterification into neutral lipids in neurons and MBH slices but not in hypothalamic astrocytes. These findings reveal for the first time the metabolic fate of different LCFA in the MBH, demonstrate AMPK-dependent glucose regulation of LCFA oxidation in both astrocytes and neurons, and establish metabolic coupling of glucose and LCFA as a distinguishing feature of hypothalamic nuclei critical for the control of energy balance.

Notepad-like triboelectric generator for efficiently harvesting low-velocity motion energy by interconversion between kinetic energy and elastic potential energy.

PubMed

Liu, Guanlin; Leng, Qiang; Lian, Jiawei; Guo, Hengyu; Yi, Xi; Hu, Chenguo

2015-01-21

Great attention has been paid to nanogenerators that harvest energy from ambient environments lately. In order to give considerable output current, most nanogenerators require high-velocity motion that in most cases can hardly be provided in our daily life. Here we report a notepad-like triboelectric generator (NTEG), which uses simple notepad-like structure to generate elastic deformation so as to turn a low-velocity kinetic energy into high-velocity kinetic energy through the conversion of elastic potential energy. Therefore, the NTEG can achieve high current output under low-velocity motion, which completely distinguishes it from tribogenerators previously reported. The factors that may affect the output performance are explored, including the number of slices, active length of slice, press speed, and vertical displacement. In addition, the working mechanism is systematically studied, indicating that the efficiency of the generator can be greatly enhanced by interconversion between kinetic energy and elastic potential energy. The short-circuit current, the open-circuit voltage, and power density are 205 μA and 470 V and 9.86 W/m(2), respectively, which is powerful enough to light up hundreds of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and charge a commercial capacitor. Besides, NTEGs have been successfully applied to a self-powered door monitor.

Regioselective Biolistic Targeting in Organotypic Brain Slices Using a Modified Gene Gun

PubMed Central

Arsenault, Jason; Nagy, Andras; Henderson, Jeffrey T.; O'Brien, John A.

2014-01-01

Transfection of DNA has been invaluable for biological sciences and with recent advances to organotypic brain slice preparations, the effect of various heterologous genes could thus be investigated easily while maintaining many aspects of in vivo biology. There has been increasing interest to transfect terminally differentiated neurons for which conventional transfection methods have been fraught with difficulties such as low yields and significant losses in viability. Biolistic transfection can circumvent many of these difficulties yet only recently has this technique been modified so that it is amenable for use in mammalian tissues. New modifications to the accelerator chamber have enhanced the gene gun's firing accuracy and increased its depths of penetration while also allowing the use of lower gas pressure (50 psi) without loss of transfection efficiency as well as permitting a focused regioselective spread of the particles to within 3 mm. In addition, this technique is straight forward and faster to perform than tedious microinjections. Both transient and stable expression are possible with nanoparticle bombardment where episomal expression can be detected within 24 hr and the cell survival was shown to be better than, or at least equal to, conventional methods. This technique has however one crucial advantage: it permits the transfection to be localized within a single restrained radius thus enabling the user to anatomically isolate the heterologous gene's effects. Here we present an in-depth protocol to prepare viable adult organotypic slices and submit them to regioselective transfection using an improved gene gun. PMID:25407047

Intracellular ATP influences synaptic plasticity in area CA1 of rat hippocampus via metabolism to adenosine and activity-dependent activation of adenosine A1 receptors.

PubMed

zur Nedden, Stephanie; Hawley, Simon; Pentland, Naomi; Hardie, D Grahame; Doney, Alexander S; Frenguelli, Bruno G

2011-04-20

The extent to which brain slices reflect the energetic status of the in vivo brain has been a subject of debate. We addressed this issue to investigate the recovery of energetic parameters and adenine nucleotides in rat hippocampal slices and the influence this has on synaptic transmission and plasticity. We show that, although adenine nucleotide levels recover appreciably within 10 min of incubation, it takes 3 h for a full recovery of the energy charge (to ≥ 0.93) and that incubation of brain slices at 34°C results in a significantly higher ATP/AMP ratio and a threefold lower activity of AMP-activated protein kinase compared with slices incubated at room temperature. Supplementation of artificial CSF with d-ribose and adenine (Rib/Ade) increased the total adenine nucleotide pool of brain slices, which, when corrected for the influence of the dead cut edges, closely approached in vivo values. Rib/Ade did not affect basal synaptic transmission or paired-pulse facilitation but did inhibit long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by tetanic or weak theta-burst stimulation. This decrease in LTP was reversed by strong theta-burst stimulation or antagonizing the inhibitory adenosine A(1) receptor suggesting that the elevated tissue ATP levels had resulted in greater activity-dependent adenosine release during LTP induction. This was confirmed by direct measurement of adenosine release with adenosine biosensors. These observations provide new insight into the recovery of adenine nucleotides after slice preparation, the sources of loss of such compounds in brain slices, the means by which to restore them, and the functional consequences of doing so.

Characterizing and Optimizing the TITAN facility from Energy Spread Determinations with a Retarding Energy Field Analyzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champagne, Christian

The TITAN (TRIUMF's Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear science) experiment uses a Measurement Penning Trap (MPET) to perform high precision mass measurements (deltam/m ≈ 10--8) on short-lived (t1/2 ≈ 10 ms) isotopes. The ISAC (Isotope Separation and ACceleration) facility provides a 60 keV rare isotope beam to the experiments. A Radio-Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) ion trap cools and bunches the incoming radioactive beam. An Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT) charge breeds the ions to a high charged state q. Since the MPET mass resolution is proportional to the charge state q, an improvement up to two orders of magnitude can be achieved. Further enhancements are obtained by the reduction of the uncertainty on the MPET measurements, such as from the ion bunch longitudinal kinetic energy spread. A Retarding Field energy Analyzer (RFA) was designed and constructed to measure this uncertainty. An energy resolution DeltaE/E ≈ 10--3 was expected from to simulated RFQ ion extraction longitudinal energy spread measurements. An experimental energy resolution DeltaE/E = 2.4x10--3 was obtained. Suggestions to improve the energy resolution are provided. Two testing sessions were undertaken using the RFQ and TITAN ion source to provide a singly charged pulsed ion beam. The first session used a 6Li+ beam with a 1--4 keV energy range. The RFA collimating slits were removed to insure the beam entered the RFA, increasing the energy resolution to DeltaE/E = 5 x 10 --3. An energy resolution DeltaE/E = (1.4 +/- 0.5) x 10--2 was obtained from the longitudinal energy spread measurements as a function of the beam energy. No correlation between the RFQ buffer gas pressure and the longitudinal energy spread was observed. The second session used 6,7Li, 23Na, 39,41K beams with a 1--5 keV energy range and the slits were reincorporated. A linear correlation with the RFQ extraction potentials magnitude is visible with both 2.5 keV 7Li+ and 23Na+ beams. No correlations between the RFQ buffer gas pressure, the space charge, beamgate size and beam composition with respect to the longitudinal energy spread were otherwise found. Further reduction of the RFA energy resolution is necessary to resolve longitudinal energy spread variations under different RFQ parameter settings.

Aerosol-Assisted Extraction of Silicon Nanoparticles from Wafer Slicing Waste for Lithium Ion Batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Hee Dong; Kim, Hyekyoung; Chang, Hankwon; Kim, Jiwoong; Roh, Kee Min; Choi, Ji-Hyuk; Cho, Bong-Gyoo; Park, Eunjun; Kim, Hansu; Luo, Jiayan; Huang, Jiaxing

2015-03-01

A large amount of silicon debris particles are generated during the slicing of silicon ingots into thin wafers for the fabrication of integrated-circuit chips and solar cells. This results in a significant loss of valuable materials at about 40% of the mass of ingots. In addition, a hazardous silicon sludge waste is produced containing largely debris of silicon, and silicon carbide, which is a common cutting material on the slicing saw. Efforts in material recovery from the sludge and recycling have been largely directed towards converting silicon or silicon carbide into other chemicals. Here, we report an aerosol-assisted method to extract silicon nanoparticles from such sludge wastes and their use in lithium ion battery applications. Using an ultrasonic spray-drying method, silicon nanoparticles can be directly recovered from the mixture with high efficiency and high purity for making lithium ion battery anode. The work here demonstrated a relatively low cost approach to turn wafer slicing wastes into much higher value-added materials for energy applications, which also helps to increase the sustainability of semiconductor material and device manufacturing.

Aerosol-Assisted Extraction of Silicon Nanoparticles from Wafer Slicing Waste for Lithium Ion Batteries

PubMed Central

Jang, Hee Dong; Kim, Hyekyoung; Chang, Hankwon; Kim, Jiwoong; Roh, Kee Min; Choi, Ji-Hyuk; Cho, Bong-Gyoo; Park, Eunjun; Kim, Hansu; Luo, Jiayan; Huang, Jiaxing

2015-01-01

A large amount of silicon debris particles are generated during the slicing of silicon ingots into thin wafers for the fabrication of integrated-circuit chips and solar cells. This results in a significant loss of valuable materials at about 40% of the mass of ingots. In addition, a hazardous silicon sludge waste is produced containing largely debris of silicon, and silicon carbide, which is a common cutting material on the slicing saw. Efforts in material recovery from the sludge and recycling have been largely directed towards converting silicon or silicon carbide into other chemicals. Here, we report an aerosol-assisted method to extract silicon nanoparticles from such sludge wastes and their use in lithium ion battery applications. Using an ultrasonic spray-drying method, silicon nanoparticles can be directly recovered from the mixture with high efficiency and high purity for making lithium ion battery anode. The work here demonstrated a relatively low cost approach to turn wafer slicing wastes into much higher value-added materials for energy applications, which also helps to increase the sustainability of semiconductor material and device manufacturing. PMID:25819285

Astrocyte Sodium Signalling and Panglial Spread of Sodium Signals in Brain White Matter.

PubMed

Moshrefi-Ravasdjani, Behrouz; Hammel, Evelyn L; Kafitz, Karl W; Rose, Christine R

2017-09-01

In brain grey matter, excitatory synaptic transmission activates glutamate uptake into astrocytes, inducing sodium signals which propagate into neighboring astrocytes through gap junctions. These sodium signals have been suggested to serve an important role in neuro-metabolic coupling. So far, it is unknown if astrocytes in white matter-that is in brain regions devoid of synapses-are also able to undergo such intra- and intercellular sodium signalling. In the present study, we have addressed this question by performing quantitative sodium imaging in acute tissue slices of mouse corpus callosum. Focal application of glutamate induced sodium transients in SR101-positive astrocytes. These were largely unaltered in the presence of ionotropic glutamate receptors blockers, but strongly dampened upon pharmacological inhibition of glutamate uptake. Sodium signals induced in individual astrocytes readily spread into neighboring SR101-positive cells with peak amplitudes decaying monoexponentially with distance from the stimulated cell. In addition, spread of sodium was largely unaltered during pharmacological inhibition of purinergic and glutamate receptors, indicating gap junction-mediated, passive diffusion of sodium between astrocytes. Using cell-type-specific, transgenic reporter mice, we found that sodium signals also propagated, albeit less effectively, from astrocytes to neighboring oligodendrocytes and NG2 cells. Again, panglial spread was unaltered with purinergic and glutamate receptors blocked. Taken together, our results demonstrate that activation of sodium-dependent glutamate transporters induces sodium signals in white matter astrocytes, which spread within the astrocyte syncytium. In addition, we found a panglial passage of sodium signals from astrocytes to NG2 cells and oligodendrocytes, indicating functional coupling between these macroglial cells in white matter.

Mechanisms contributing to cluster formation in the inferior olivary nucleus in brainstem slices from postnatal mice

PubMed Central

Kølvraa, Mathias; Müller, Felix C; Jahnsen, Henrik; Rekling, Jens C

2014-01-01

Abstract The inferior olivary nucleus (IO) in in vitro slices from postnatal mice (P5.5–P15.5) spontaneously generates clusters of neurons with synchronous calcium transients, and intracellular recordings from IO neurons suggest that electrical coupling between neighbouring IO neurons may serve as a synchronizing mechanism. Here, we studied the cluster-forming mechanism and find that clusters overlap extensively with an overlap distribution that resembles the distribution for a random overlap model. The average somatodendritic field size of single curly IO neurons was ∼6400 μm2, which is slightly smaller than the average IO cluster size. Eighty-seven neurons with overlapping dendrites were estimated to be contained in the principal olive mean cluster size, and about six non-overlapping curly IO neurons could be contained within the largest clusters. Clusters could also be induced by iontophoresis with glutamate. Induced clusters were inhibited by tetrodotoxin, carbenoxelone and 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid, suggesting that sodium action potentials and electrical coupling are involved in glutamate-induced cluster formation, which could also be induced by activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors. Spikelets and a small transient depolarizing response were observed during glutamate-induced cluster formation. Calcium transients spread with decreasing velocity during cluster formation, and somatic action potentials and cluster formation are accompanied by large dendritic calcium transients. In conclusion, cluster formation depends on gap junctions, sodium action potentials and spontaneous clusters occur randomly throughout the IO. The relative slow signal spread during cluster formation, combined with a strong dendritic influx of calcium, may signify that active dendritic properties contribute to cluster formation. PMID:24042500

Narrow Energy Spread Protons and Ions from High-Intensity, High-Contrast Laser Solid Target Interactions

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

Dollar, Franklin; Matsuoka, Takeshi; McGuffey, Christopher

2010-11-04

Recent simulations show that an idealized, high intensity, short pulse laser can generate quasi-monoenergetic proton beams with energies over 100 MeV in an interaction with a thin film. However, most short pulse laser facilities with sufficient intensity have difficulty controlling the nanosecond and picosecond contrast necessary to realize such a regime. Experiments were performed to investigate proton and ion acceleration from a high contrast, short pulse laser by employing dual plasma mirrors along with a deformable mirror at the HERCULES laser facility at the Center for Ultrafast Optical Sciences, University of Michigan. Plasma mirrors were characterized, allowing a 50% throughputmore » with an intensity contrast increase of 105. The focal spot quality was also exceptional, showing a 1.1 micron full width at half maximum (FWHM) focal diameter. Experiments were done using temporally cleaned 30 TW, 32 fs pulses to achieve an intensity of up to 10{sup 21} Wcm{sup -2} on Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} and Mylar targets with thicknesses ranging 50 nm to 13 microns. Proton beams with energy spreads below 2 MeV were observed from all thicknesses, peaking with energies up to 10.3 MeV and an energy spread of 0.8 MeV. Similar narrow energy spreads were observed for oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon at the silicon nitride thickness of 50 nm with energies up to 24 MeV with an energy spread of 3 MeV, whereas the energy spread is greatly increased at a larger thickness. Maximum energies were confirmed with CR39 track detectors, while a Thomson ion spectrometer was used to gauge the monoenergetic nature of the beam.« less

Low-intensity electric fields induce two distinct response components in neocortical neuronal populations

PubMed Central

Xu, Weifeng; Wolff, Brian S.

2014-01-01

Low-intensity alternating electric fields applied to the scalp are capable of modulating cortical activity and brain functions, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we report two distinct components of voltage-sensitive dye signals induced by low-intensity, alternating electric fields in rodent cortical slices: a “passive component,” which corresponds to membrane potential changes directly induced by the electric field; and an “active component,” which is a widespread depolarization that is dependent on excitatory synaptic transmission. The passive component is stationary, with amplitude and phase accurately reflecting the cortical cytoarchitecture. In contrast, the active component is initiated from a local “hot spot” of activity and spreads to a large population as a propagating wave with rich local dynamics. The propagation of the active component may play a role in modulating large-scale cortical activity by spreading a low level of excitation from a small initiation point to a vast neuronal population. PMID:25122710

Kidney segmentation in CT sequences using graph cuts based active contours model and contextual continuity.

PubMed

Zhang, Pin; Liang, Yanmei; Chang, Shengjiang; Fan, Hailun

2013-08-01

Accurate segmentation of renal tissues in abdominal computed tomography (CT) image sequences is an indispensable step for computer-aided diagnosis and pathology detection in clinical applications. In this study, the goal is to develop a radiology tool to extract renal tissues in CT sequences for the management of renal diagnosis and treatments. In this paper, the authors propose a new graph-cuts-based active contours model with an adaptive width of narrow band for kidney extraction in CT image sequences. Based on graph cuts and contextual continuity, the segmentation is carried out slice-by-slice. In the first stage, the middle two adjacent slices in a CT sequence are segmented interactively based on the graph cuts approach. Subsequently, the deformable contour evolves toward the renal boundaries by the proposed model for the kidney extraction of the remaining slices. In this model, the energy function combining boundary with regional information is optimized in the constructed graph and the adaptive search range is determined by contextual continuity and the object size. In addition, in order to reduce the complexity of the min-cut computation, the nodes in the graph only have n-links for fewer edges. The total 30 CT images sequences with normal and pathological renal tissues are used to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of our method. The experimental results reveal that the average dice similarity coefficient of these image sequences is from 92.37% to 95.71% and the corresponding standard deviation for each dataset is from 2.18% to 3.87%. In addition, the average automatic segmentation time for one kidney in each slice is about 0.36 s. Integrating the graph-cuts-based active contours model with contextual continuity, the algorithm takes advantages of energy minimization and the characteristics of image sequences. The proposed method achieves effective results for kidney segmentation in CT sequences.

Modelling the mid-infrared drying of sweet potato: kinetics, mass and heat transfer parameters, and energy consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onwude, Daniel I.; Hashim, Norhashila; Abdan, Khalina; Janius, Rimfiel; Chen, Guangnan

2018-04-01

This study investigated the drying kinetics, mass and heat transfer characteristics of sweet potato slices (0.4-0.6 cm thickness) during drying based on mid-infrared experimental set-up (intensity of 1100-1400 W/m2). Thin layer drying models were used to evaluate the drying kinetics of sweet potato slices. Two analytical models (Fick's diffusion model, and Dincer and Dost model) were used to study the mass transfer behaviour of sweet potato slices with and without shrinkage during mid-infrared drying. The heat transfer flux between the emitter and sweet potato slices was also investigated. Results demonstrated that an increase in infrared intensity from 1100 W/m2 to 1400 W/m2 resulted in increased in average radiation heat flux by 3.4 times and a 15% reduction in the overall drying time. The two-term exponential model was found to be the best in predicting the drying kinetics of sweet potato slices during mid-infrared drying. The specific heat consumption varied from 0.91-4.82 kWh/kg. The effective moisture diffusivity with and without shrinkage using the Fick's diffusion model varied from 2.632 × 10-9 to 1.596 × 10-8 m2/s, and 1.24 × 10-8 to 2.4 × 10-8 m2/s using Dincer and Dost model, respectively. The obtained values of mass transfer coefficient, Biot number and activation energy varied from 5.99 × 10-6 to 1.17 × 10-5 m/s, 0.53 to 2.62, and 12.83 kJ/mol to 34.64 kJ/mol, respectively. The values obtained for Biot number implied the existence of simultaneous internal and external resistances. The findings further explained that mid-infrared intensity of 1100 W/m2 did not significantly affect the quality of sweet potato during drying, demonstrating a great potential of applying low intensity mid-infrared radiation in the drying of agricultural crops.

Low energy spread ion source with a coaxial magnetic filter

DOEpatents

Leung, Ka-Ngo; Lee, Yung-Hee Yvette

2000-01-01

Multicusp ion sources are capable of producing ions with low axial energy spread which are necessary in applications such as ion projection lithography (IPL) and radioactive ion beam production. The addition of a radially extending magnetic filter consisting of a pair of permanent magnets to the multicusp source reduces the energy spread considerably due to the improvement in the uniformity of the axial plasma potential distribution in the discharge region. A coaxial multicusp ion source designed to further reduce the energy spread utilizes a cylindrical magnetic filter to achieve a more uniform axial plasma potential distribution. The coaxial magnetic filter divides the source chamber into an outer annular discharge region in which the plasma is produced and a coaxial inner ion extraction region into which the ions radially diffuse but from which ionizing electrons are excluded. The energy spread in the coaxial source has been measured to be 0.6 eV. Unlike other ion sources, the coaxial source has the capability of adjusting the radial plasma potential distribution and therefore the transverse ion temperature (or beam emittance).

Murine precision-cut liver slices (PCLS): a new tool for studying tumor microenvironments and cell signaling ex vivo.

PubMed

Koch, Alexandra; Saran, Shashank; Tran, Doan Duy Hai; Klebba-Färber, Sabine; Thiesler, Hauke; Sewald, Katherina; Schindler, Susann; Braun, Armin; Klopfleisch, Robert; Tamura, Teruko

2014-11-07

One of the most insidious characteristics of cancer is its spread to and ability to compromise distant organs via the complex process of metastasis. Communication between cancer cells and organ-resident cells via cytokines/chemokines and direct cell-cell contacts are key steps for survival, proliferation and invasion of metastasized cancer cells in organs. Precision-cut liver slices (PCLS) are considered to closely reflect the in vivo situation and are potentially useful for studying the interaction of cancer cells with liver-resident cells as well as being a potentially useful tool for screening anti-cancer reagents. Application of the PCLS technique in the field of cancer research however, has not yet been well developed. We established the mouse PCLS system using perfluorodecalin (PFD) as an artificial oxygen carrier. Using this system we show that the adherence of green fluorescent protein (GFP) labeled MDA-MB-231 (highly invasive) cells to liver tissue in the PCLS was 5-fold greater than that of SK-BR-3 (less invasive) cells. In addition, we generated PCLS from THOC5, a member of transcription/export complex (TREX), knockout (KO) mice. The PCLS still expressed Gapdh or Albumin mRNAs at normal levels, while several chemokine/growth factor or metalloprotease genes, such as Cxcl12, Pdgfa, Tgfb, Wnt11, and Mmp1a genes were downregulated more than 2-fold. Interestingly, adhesion of cancer cells to THOC5 KO liver slices was far less (greater than 80% reduction) than to wild-type liver slices. Mouse PCLS cultures in the presence of PFD may serve as a useful tool for screening local adherence and invasiveness of individual cancer cells, since single cells can be observed. This method may also prove useful for identification of genes in liver-resident cells that support cancer invasion by using PCLS from transgenic liver.

Experimental and numerical investigations of the impingement of an oblique liquid jet onto a superhydrophobic surface: energy transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kibar, Ali

2016-02-01

This study presents the theory of impinging an oblique liquid jet onto a vertical superhydrophobic surface based on both experimental and numerical results. A Brassica oleracea leaf with a 160° apparent contact angle was used for the superhydrophobic surface. Distilled water was sent onto the vertical superhydrophobic surface in the range of 1750-3050 Reynolds number, with an inclination angle of 20°-40°, using a circular glass tube with a 1.75 mm inner diameter. The impinging liquid jet spread onto the surface governed by the inertia of the liquid and then reflected off the superhydrophobic surface due to the surface energy of the spreading liquid. Two different energy approaches, which have time-scale and per-unit length, were performed to determine transformation of the energy. The kinetic energy of the impinging liquid jet was transformed into the surface energy with an increasing interfacial surface area between the liquid and air during spreading. Afterwards, this surface energy of the spreading liquid was transformed into the reflection kinetic energy.

Lipopolysaccharides do not alter metabolic disturbances in hippocampal slices of fetal guinea pigs after oxygen-glucose deprivation.

PubMed

Berger, R; Garnier, Y; Pfeiffer, D; Jensen, A

2000-10-01

The aim of the present study was to clarify whether endotoxins [lipopolysaccharides (LPS)] have a toxic effect on fetal brain tissue after cerebral ischemia, while excluding their effect on the cardiovascular system. Experiments were therefore performed on hippocampal slices prepared from mature fetal guinea pigs. In particular, we studied the influence of LPS on nitric oxide production, energy metabolism, and protein synthesis after oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). Incubating hippocampal slices in LPS (4 mg/L) for as long as 12 h did not alter cGMP tissue concentrations significantly. However, 10 min after OGD of 40-min duration, cGMP tissue concentrations were substantially increased in relation to controls, and this increase was almost completely blocked by the application of 100 microM N:(omega)-nitro-L-arginine, indicating that nitric oxide synthase was activated after OGD in fetal brain tissue. Again, LPS did not have any effect on cGMP tissue concentrations after OGD. Furthermore, addition of LPS altered neither protein synthesis nor energy metabolism measured 12 h after OGD. We therefore conclude that, apart from their well-known influence on the cardiovascular system, LPS do not alter metabolic disturbances in hippocampal slices of fetal guinea pigs 12 h after OGD. A direct toxic effect of LPS on immature brain tissue within this interval does not therefore seem to be very likely. However, delayed activation of LPS-sensitive pathways that may be involved in cell death, or damage limited to a small subgroup of cells such as oligodendrocyte progenitors, cannot be fully excluded.

Pyruvate incubation enhances glycogen stores and sustains neuronal function during subsequent glucose deprivation.

PubMed

Shetty, Pavan K; Sadgrove, Matthew P; Galeffi, Francesca; Turner, Dennis A

2012-01-01

The use of energy substrates, such as lactate and pyruvate, has been shown to improve synaptic function when administered during glucose deprivation. In the present study, we investigated whether prolonged incubation with monocarboxylate (pyruvate or lactate) prior rather than during glucose deprivation can also sustain synaptic and metabolic function. Pyruvate pre-incubation(3-4h) significantly prolonged (>25 min) the tolerance of rat hippocampal slices to delayed glucose deprivation compared to control and lactate pre-incubated slices, as revealed by field excitatory post synaptic potentials (fEPSPs); pre-incubation with pyruvate also reduced the marked decrease in NAD(P)H fluorescence resulting from glucose deprivation. Moreover, pyruvate exposure led to the enhancement of glycogen stores with time, compared to glucose alone (12 μmol/g tissue at 4h vs. 3.5 μmol/g tissue). Prolonged resistance to glucose deprivation following exogenous pyruvate incubation was prevented by glycogenolysis inhibitors, suggesting that enhanced glycogen mediates the delay in synaptic activity failure. The application of an adenosine A1 receptor antagonist enhanced glycogen utilization and prolonged the time to synaptic failure, further confirming this hypothesis of the importance of glycogen. Moreover, tissue levels of ATP were also significantly maintained during glucose deprivation in pyruvate pretreated slices compared to control and lactate. In summary, these experiments indicate that pyruvate exposure prior to glucose deprivation significantly increased the energy buffering capacity of hippocampal slices, particularly by enhancing internal glycogen stores, delaying synaptic failure during glucose deprivation by maintaining ATP levels, and minimizing the decrease in the levels of NAD(P)H. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Glucose Regulates Hypothalamic Long-chain Fatty Acid Metabolism via AMP-activated Kinase (AMPK) in Neurons and Astrocytes*

PubMed Central

Taïb, Bouchra; Bouyakdan, Khalil; Hryhorczuk, Cécile; Rodaros, Demetra; Fulton, Stephanie; Alquier, Thierry

2013-01-01

Hypothalamic controls of energy balance rely on the detection of circulating nutrients such as glucose and long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) by the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH). LCFA metabolism in the MBH plays a key role in the control of food intake and glucose homeostasis, yet it is not known if glucose regulates LCFA oxidation and esterification in the MBH and, if so, which hypothalamic cell type(s) and intracellular signaling mechanisms are involved. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of glucose on LCFA metabolism, assess the role of AMP-activated Kinase (AMPK), and to establish if changes in LCFA metabolism and its regulation by glucose vary as a function of the kind of LCFA, cell type, and brain region. We show that glucose inhibits palmitate oxidation via AMPK in hypothalamic neuronal cell lines, primary hypothalamic astrocyte cultures, and MBH slices ex vivo but not in cortical astrocytes and slice preparations. In contrast, oleate oxidation was not affected by glucose or AMPK inhibition in MBH slices. In addition, our results show that glucose increases palmitate, but not oleate, esterification into neutral lipids in neurons and MBH slices but not in hypothalamic astrocytes. These findings reveal for the first time the metabolic fate of different LCFA in the MBH, demonstrate AMPK-dependent glucose regulation of LCFA oxidation in both astrocytes and neurons, and establish metabolic coupling of glucose and LCFA as a distinguishing feature of hypothalamic nuclei critical for the control of energy balance. PMID:24240094

H Abstraction Channels in the Crossed-Beam Reaction of F + 1-Propanol, 1-Butene and 1-Hexene by DC Slice Imaging.

PubMed

Shi, Yuanyuan; Kamasah, Alexander; Suits, Arthur G

2016-11-17

We report a crossed molecular beam study of the reaction dynamics of fluorine atom with 1-propanol, 1-butene, and 1-hexene. The product alkoxy and alkenyl radicals were detected via dc slice imaging by 157 nm single photon ionization at collision energies around 10 kcal mol -1 . The analyzed data is interpreted with the aid of theoretical investigation of the relevant potential energy surfaces. The translational energy distribution and center-of-mass angular distribution of F + 1-propanol is quite similar to our previous results for F + n-butane, albeit with an increased fraction of the available energy in translation. In F atom reaction with alkenes, we also detected the HF formation channel. The low translational energy release and presence of significant backward scattering suggests the importance of an addition/elimination mechanism. Our selective single photon ionization probe allows us to examine the dynamics in minor channels in these systems. Although the probe is not sensitive to reaction at vinylic H sites, theoretical calculations consistently suggest a lower barrier from the addition complex to HF elimination involving vinylic H atoms.

Attenuation of hypoxic current by intracellular applications of ATP regenerating agents in hippocampal CA1 neurons of rat brain slices.

PubMed

Chung, I; Zhang, Y; Eubanks, J H; Zhang, L

1998-10-01

Hypoxia-induced outward currents (hyperpolarization) were examined in hippocampal CA1 neurons of rat brain slices, using the whole-cell recording technique. Hypoxic episodes were induced by perfusing slices with an artificial cerebrospinal fluid aerated with 5% CO2/95% N2 rather than 5% CO2/95% O2, for about 3 min. The hypoxic current was consistently and reproducibly induced in CA1 neurons dialysed with an ATP-free patch pipette solution. This current manifested as an outward shift in the holding current in association with increased conductance, and it reversed at -78 +/- 2.5 mV, with a linear I-V relation in the range of -100 to -40 mV. To provide extra energy resources to individual neurons recorded, agents were added to the patch pipette solution, including MgATP alone, MgATP + phosphocreatine + creatine kinase, or MgATP + creatine. In CA1 neurons dialysed with patch solutions including these agents, hypoxia produced small outward currents in comparison with those observed in CA1 neurons dialysed with the ATP-free solution. Among the above agents examined, whole-cell dialysis with MgATP + creatine was the most effective at decreasing the hypoxic outward currents. We suggest that the hypoxic hyperpolarization is closely related to energy metabolism in individual CA1 neurons, and that the energy supply provided by phosphocreatine metabolism may play a critical role during transient metabolic stress.

Spontaneous Spreading of a Droplet: The Role of Solid Continuity and Advancing Contact Angle.

PubMed

Jiang, Youhua; Sun, Yujin; Drelich, Jaroslaw W; Choi, Chang-Hwan

2018-05-01

Spontaneous spreading of a droplet on a solid surface is poorly understood from a macroscopic level down to a molecular level. Here, we investigate the effect of surface topography and wettability on spontaneous spreading of a water droplet. Spreading force is measured for a suspended droplet that minimizes interference of kinetic energy in the spontaneous spreading during its contact with solid surfaces of discontinuous (pillar) and continuous (pore) patterns with various shapes and dimensions. Results show that a droplet cannot spread spontaneously on pillared surfaces regardless of their shapes or dimensions because of the solid discontinuity. On the contrary, a droplet on pored surfaces can undergo spontaneous spreading whose force increases with a decrease in the advancing contact angle. Theoretical models based on both the system free energy and capillary force along the contact line validate the direct and universal dependency of the spontaneous spreading force on the advancing contact angle.

WE-D-204-06: An Open Source ImageJ CatPhan Analysis Tool

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

Nelson, G

2015-06-15

Purpose: The CatPhan is a popular QA device for assessing CT image quality. There are a number of software options which perform analysis of the CatPhan. However, there is often little ability for the user to adjust the analysis if it isn’t running properly, and these are all expensive options. An open source tool is an effective solution. Methods: To use the software, the user imports the CT as an image sequence in ImageJ. The user then scrolls to the slice with the lateral dots. The user then runs the plugin. If tolerance constraints are not already created, the usermore » is prompted to enter them or to use generic tolerances. Upon completion of the analysis, the plugin calls pdfLaTex to compile the pdf report. There is a csv version of the report as well. A log of the results from all CatPhan scans is kept as a csv file. The user can use this to baseline the machine. Results: The tool is capable of detecting the orientation of the phantom. If the CatPhan was scanned backwards, one can simply flip the stack of images horizontally and proceed with the analysis. The analysis includes Sensitometry (estimating the effective beam energy), HU values and linearity, Low Contrast Visibility (using LDPE & Polystyrene), Contrast Scale, Geometric Accuracy, Slice Thickness Accuracy, Spatial resolution (giving the MTF using the line pairs as well as the point spread function), CNR, Low Contrast Detectability (including the raw data), Uniformity (including the Cupping Effect). Conclusion: This is a robust tool that analyzes more components of the CatPhan than other software options (with the exception of ImageOwl). It produces an elegant pdf and keeps a log of analyses for long-term tracking of the system. Because it is open source, users are able to customize any component of it.« less

Evaluation of the effect of low tube voltage on radiation dose and image quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norhasrina Nik Din, Nik; Zainon, Rafidah; Rahman, A. T. Abdul

2017-05-01

Number of Computed Tomography (CT) examinations performed worldwide is increasing. In 2010, the FDA issued an initiative to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure from CT imaging. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of low tube voltage on radiation dose and image quality using CTDI phantom. The CTDI phantom was scanned with dual energy CT at 80 kV and 120 kV with the tube current from 150 mAs to 350 mAs. Pitch was 1.0 while slice thickness was 1 mm and 5 mm. Results show if mAs was increased, the SNR values also will be increased. The 5 mm slice thickness shows higher SNR value compared to 1 mm slice thickness. As the voltage and tube current increased, the amount of dose absorbed is also increased because current is proportional to photon flux.

Calcium scoring with dual-energy CT in men and women: an anthropomorphic phantom study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Qin; Liu, Songtao; Myers, Kyle; Gavrielides, Marios A.; Zeng, Rongping; Sahiner, Berkman; Petrick, Nicholas

2016-03-01

This work aimed to quantify and compare the potential impact of gender differences on coronary artery calcium scoring with dual-energy CT. An anthropomorphic thorax phantom with four synthetic heart vessels (diameter 3-4.5 mm: female/male left main and left circumflex artery) were scanned with and without female breast plates. Ten repeat scans were acquired in both single- and dual-energy modes and reconstructed at six reconstruction settings: two slice thicknesses (3 mm, 0.6 mm) and three reconstruction algorithms (FBP, IR3, IR5). Agatston and calcium volume scores were estimated from the reconstructed data using a segmentation-based approach. Total calcium score (summation of four vessels), and male/female calcium scores (summation of male/female vessels scanned in phantom without/with breast plates) were calculated accordingly. Both Agatston and calcium volume scores were found comparable between single- and dual-energy scans (Pearson r= 0.99, p<0.05). The total calcium scores were larger for the thinner slice thickness. Among the scores obtained from the three reconstruction algorithms, FBP yielded the highest and IR5 yielded the lowest scores. The total calcium scores from the phantom without breast plates were significantly larger than those from the phantom with breast plates, and the difference increased with the stronger denoising in iterative algorithm and with thicker slices. Both gender-based anatomical differences and vessel size impacted the calcium scores. The calcium volume scores tended to be underestimated when the vessels were smaller. These findings are valuable for understanding inconsistencies between women and men in calcium scoring, and for standardizing imaging protocols for improved gender-specific calcium scoring.

Secular trends in reported portion size of food and beverages consumed by Irish adults.

PubMed

O'Brien, Sinead A; Livingstone, M Barbara E; McNulty, Breige A; Lyons, Jacqueline; Walton, Janette; Flynn, Albert; Segurado, Ricardo; Dean, Moira; Spence, Michelle; McCaffrey, Tracy A; Pourshahidi, L Kirsty; Nugent, Anne P; Gibney, Eileen R

2015-04-14

The present analysis aimed to investigate the changes in the reported portion sizes (PS) of foods and beverages commonly consumed by Irish adults (18-64 years) from the North South Ireland Food Consumption Survey (NSIFCS) (1997-2001) and the National Adult Nutrition Survey (NANS) (2008-10). Food PS, which are defined as the weight of food (g) consumed per eating occasion, were calculated for comparable foods and beverages in two nationally representative cross-sectional Irish food consumption surveys and were published in NSIFCS and NANS. Repeated measure mixed model analysis compared reported food PS at the total population level as well as subdivided by sex, age, BMI and social class. A total of thirteen commonly consumed foods were examined. The analysis demonstrated that PS significantly increased for five foods ('white sliced bread', 'brown/wholemeal breads', 'all meat, cooked', 'poultry, roasted' and 'milk'), significantly decreased for three ('potatoes', 'chips/wedges' and 'ham, sliced') and did not significantly change for five foods ('processed potato products', 'bacon/ham', 'cheese', 'yogurt' and 'butter/spreads') between the NSIFCS and the NANS. The present study demonstrates that there was considerable variation in the trends in reported food PS over this period.

Simulation of emittance dilution in electron storage ring from Compton backscattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blumberg, L. N.; Blum, E.

A Monte-Carlo simulation of Compton backscattered kappa(sub L) = 3.2-micron photons from an IR-FEL on 75-MeV electrons in a storage ring yields an RMS electron energy spread of delta(sub E) = 11.9-keV for a sample of 10(exp 7) single scattering events. Electrons are sampled from a beam of natural energy spread sigma(sub E) = 5.6-keV and damped transverse angle spreads sigma(sub x)(prime) = .041-mrad and sigma(sub y)(prime) = .052-mrad (100%) coupling, scaled from the 200-MeV BNL XLS compact storage ring. The Compton-scattered x-rays are generated from an integral of the CM Klein-Nishina cross-section transformed to the lab. A tracking calculation has also been performed in 6-dimensional phase space. Initial electron coordinates are selected randomly from a Gaussian distribution of RMS spreads sigma(sub xo) = .102-mm, sigma(sub x(prime)o) = .041-mrad, sigma(sub yo) = .018-mm, sigma(sub y(prime)o) = .052-mrad, sigma(sub (phi)o) = 22-mrad and sigma(sub Eo) = 6-keV. A sample of 10000 electrons were each following for 40000 turns around the ring through an RF cavity of f(sub RF) = 211.54-MHz and peak voltage V(sub m)=300-keV. Preliminary results indicate that the resulting energy distribution is quite broad with an RMS width of delta(sub E) = 124-keV. The transverse widths are only slightly increased from their original values, i.e. delta(sub x) = .106-mm and delta(sub x)(prime) = .043 mrad. The scaled energy spread of delta(sub E) approximately = 360-keV for approximately 350,000 turns desired in a 10-msec x-ray angiography exposure is well within the RF bucket used here; even V(sub m) less than 50-kV is adequate. Further, the electron energy spread adds a negligible RMS x-ray energy spread of delta(sub Ex) = .32-keV. The electron energy damping time of tau(sub E) = 379-msec at 75-MeV in an XLS-type ring allows for damping this induced spread and top-off of the ring between heart cycles.

Preparing Fresh Retinal Slices from Adult Zebrafish for Ex Vivo Imaging Experiments.

PubMed

Giarmarco, Michelle M; Cleghorn, Whitney M; Hurley, James B; Brockerhoff, Susan E

2018-05-09

The retina is a complex tissue that initiates and integrates the first steps of vision. Dysfunction of retinal cells is a hallmark of many blinding diseases, and future therapies hinge on fundamental understandings about how different retinal cells function normally. Gaining such information with biochemical methods has proven difficult because contributions of particular cell types are diminished in the retinal cell milieu. Live retinal imaging can provide a view of numerous biological processes on a subcellular level, thanks to a growing number of genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors. However, this technique has thus far been limited to tadpoles and zebrafish larvae, the outermost retinal layers of isolated retinas, or lower resolution imaging of retinas in live animals. Here we present a method for generating live ex vivo retinal slices from adult zebrafish for live imaging via confocal microscopy. This preparation yields transverse slices with all retinal layers and most cell types visible for performing confocal imaging experiments using perfusion. Transgenic zebrafish expressing fluorescent proteins or biosensors in specific retinal cell types or organelles are used to extract single-cell information from an intact retina. Additionally, retinal slices can be loaded with fluorescent indicator dyes, adding to the method's versatility. This protocol was developed for imaging Ca 2+ within zebrafish cone photoreceptors, but with proper markers it could be adapted to measure Ca 2+ or metabolites in Müller cells, bipolar and horizontal cells, microglia, amacrine cells, or retinal ganglion cells. The retinal pigment epithelium is removed from slices so this method is not suitable for studying that cell type. With practice, it is possible to generate serial slices from one animal for multiple experiments. This adaptable technique provides a powerful tool for answering many questions about retinal cell biology, Ca 2+ , and energy homeostasis.

Determination of Wetting Behavior, Spread Activation Energy, and Quench Severity of Bioquenchants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prabhu, K. Narayan; Fernandes, Peter

2007-08-01

An investigation was conducted to study the suitability of vegetable oils such as sunflower, coconut, groundnut, castor, cashewnut shell (CNS), and palm oils as quench media (bioquenchants) for industrial heat treatment by assessing their wetting behavior and severity of quenching. The relaxation of contact angle was sharp during the initial stages, and it became gradual as the system approached equilibrium. The equilibrium contact angle decreased with increase in the temperature of the substrate and decrease in the viscosity of the quench medium. A comparison of the relaxation of the contact angle at various temperatures indicated the significant difference in spreading of oils having varying viscosity. The spread activation energy was determined using the Arrhenius type of equation. Oils with higher viscosity resulted in lower cooling rates. The quench severity of various oil media was determined by estimating heat-transfer coefficients using the lumped capacitance method. Activation energy for spreading determined using the wetting behavior of oils at various temperatures was in good agreement with the severity of quenching assessed by cooling curve analysis. A high quench severity is associated with oils having low spread activation energy.

Bouncing and emergent cosmologies from Arnowitt–Deser–Misner RG flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonanno, Alfio; Gionti, S. J. Gabriele; Platania, Alessia

2018-03-01

Asymptotically safe gravity provides a framework for the description of gravity from the trans-Planckian regime to cosmological scales. According to this scenario, the cosmological constant and Newton’s coupling are functions of the energy scale whose evolution is dictated by the renormalization group (RG) equations. The formulation of the RG equations on foliated spacetimes, based on the Arnowitt–Deser–Misner (ADM) formalism, furnishes a natural way to construct the RG energy scale from the spectrum of the Laplacian operator on the spatial slices. Combining this idea with an RG improvement procedure, in this work we study quantum gravitational corrections to the Einstein–Hilbert action on Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker backgrounds. The resulting quantum-corrected Friedmann equations can give rise to both bouncing cosmologies and emergent Universe solutions. Our bouncing models do not require the presence of exotic matter and emergent Universe solutions can be constructed for any allowed topology of the spatial slices.

Undulator-Based Laser Wakefield Accelerator Electron Beam Energy Spread and Emittance Diagnostic

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

Bakeman, M. S.; University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV 89557; Van Tilborg, J.

The design and current status of experiments to couple the Tapered Hybrid Undulator (THUNDER) to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) laser plasma accelerator (LPA) to measure electron beam energy spread and emittance are presented.

The importance of dynamic stall in aerodynamic modeling of the Darrieus rotor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraunie, P.; Beguier, C.; Paraschivoiu, I.

The CAARDEX program is defined for analyzing the behavior of Darrieus wind turbines in terms of the Reynolds number, the geometrical characteristics of the wind turbine and the spreading of the stream tubes traversing the rotor volume. It is demonstrated that the maximum power conversion efficiency of the Darrieus rotor is 0.4, with the energy capture being divided at a 4:1 ratio upstream to downstream rotor. The model shows that the velocity induced on the rotor is a function of the specific velocity and solidity, and that previous stream tube theories are valid only at low values of these parameters. CARDAAX treats the rotor disk in terms of horizontal slices of stream tubes modeled separately for the upstream and downstream segments. Account is taken of the velocity profile in the atmospheric boundary layer, which can vary significantly in the case of large wind turbines, i.e., several hundred feet high. When applied to predicting the performance of a 1 kW, 2.6 m diam prototype Darrieus wind turbine in a 10 mps flow, fair agreement is obtained for power capture/wind velocity and cyclic aerodynamic forces. Additional flow visualization data is provided to illustrate the production of turbulence in the form of vortices shed between the blades.

Study of beam transverse properties of a thermionic electron gun for application to a compact THz free electron laser

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

Hu, Tongning, E-mail: TongningHu@hust.edu.cn, E-mail: yjpei@ustc.edu.cn; Qin, Bin; Tan, Ping

A novel thermionic electron gun adopted for use in a high power THz free electron laser (FEL) is proposed in this paper. By optimization of the structural and radiofrequency (RF) parameters, the physical design of the gun is performed using dynamic calculations. Velocity bunching is used to minimize the bunch's energy spread, and the dynamic calculation results indicate that high quality beams can be provided. The transverse properties of the beams generated by the gun are also analyzed. The novel RF focusing effects of the resonance cavity are investigated precisely and are used to establish emittance compensation, which enables themore » injector length to be reduced. In addition, the causes of the extrema of the beam radius and the normalized transverse emittance are analyzed and interpreted, respectively, and slice simulations are performed to illustrate how the RF focusing varies along the bunch length and to determine the effects of that variation on the emittance compensation. Finally, by observation of the variations of the beam properties in the drift tube behind the electron gun, prospective assembly scenarios for the complete THz-FEL injector are discussed, and a joint-debugging process for the injector is implemented.« less

Oxygen availability and spreading depolarizations provide complementary prognostic information in neuromonitoring of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients.

PubMed

Winkler, Maren Kl; Dengler, Nora; Hecht, Nils; Hartings, Jed A; Kang, Eun J; Major, Sebastian; Martus, Peter; Vajkoczy, Peter; Woitzik, Johannes; Dreier, Jens P

2017-05-01

Multimodal neuromonitoring in neurocritical care increasingly includes electrocorticography to measure epileptic events and spreading depolarizations. Spreading depolarization causes spreading depression of activity (=isoelectricity) in electrically active tissue. If the depression is long-lasting, further spreading depolarizations occur in still isoelectric tissue where no activity can be suppressed. Such spreading depolarizations are termed isoelectric and are assumed to indicate energy compromise. However, experimental and clinical recordings suggest that long-lasting spreading depolarization-induced depression and isoelectric spreading depolarizations are often recorded outside of the actual ischemic zones, allowing the remote diagnosis of delayed cerebral ischemia after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Here, we analyzed simultaneous electrocorticography and tissue partial pressure of oxygen recording in 33 aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients. Multiple regression showed that both peak total depression duration per recording day and mean baseline tissue partial pressure of oxygen were independent predictors of outcome. Moreover, tissue partial pressure of oxygen preceding spreading depolarization was similar and differences in tissue partial pressure of oxygen responses to spreading depolarization were only subtle between isoelectric spreading depolarizations and spreading depressions. This further supports that, similar to clustering of spreading depolarizations, long spreading depolarization-induced periods of isoelectricity are useful to detect energy compromise remotely, which is valuable because the exact location of future developing pathology is unknown at the time when the neurosurgeon implants recording devices.

The Macro and Micro of it Is that Entropy Is the Spread of Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Jeffrey A.

2016-09-01

While entropy is often described as "disorder," it is better thought of as a measure of how spread out energy is within a system. To illustrate this interpretation of entropy to introductory college or high school students, several activities have been created. Students first study the relationship between microstates and macrostates to better understand the probabilities involved. Then, each student observes how a system evolves as energy is allowed to move within it. By studying how the class's ensemble of systems evolves, the tendency of energy to spread, rather than concentrate, can be observed. All activities require minimal equipment and provide students with a tactile and visual experience with entropy.

Transmission measurement based on STM observation to detect the penetration depth of low-energy heavy ions in botanic samples.

PubMed

Liu, Feng; Wang, Yugang; Xue, Jianming; Wang, Sixue; Du, Guanhua; Zhao, Weijiang

2003-02-01

The penetration depth of low-energy heavy ions in botanic samples was detected with a new transmission measurement. In the measurement, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) pieces were placed behind the botanic samples with certain thickness. During the irradiation of heavy ions with energy of tens of keV, the energetic particles transmitted from those samples were received by the HOPG pieces. After irradiation, scanning tunneling microscope (STM) was applied to observe protrusion-like damage induced by these transmitted ions on the surface of the HOPG. The statistical average number density of protrusions and the minimum transmission rate of the low-energy heavy ions can be obtained. The detection efficiency of the new method for low-energy heavy ions was about 0.1-1 and the background in the measurement can be reduced to as low as 1.0 x 10(8) protrusions/cm2. With this method, the penetration depth of the energetic particles was detected to be no less than 60 micrometers in kidney bean slices when the slices were irradiated by 100 keVAr+ ion at the fluence of 5 x 10(16) ions/cm2. c2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transmission measurement based on STM observation to detect the penetration depth of low-energy heavy ions in botanic samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Feng; Wang, Yugang; Xue, Jianming; Wang, Sixue; Du, Guanhua; Zhao, Weijiang

2003-01-01

The penetration depth of low-energy heavy ions in botanic samples was detected with a new transmission measurement. In the measurement, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) pieces were placed behind the botanic samples with certain thickness. During the irradiation of heavy ions with energy of tens of keV, the energetic particles transmitted from those samples were received by the HOPG pieces. After irradiation, scanning tunneling microscope (STM) was applied to observe protrusion-like damage induced by these transmitted ions on the surface of the HOPG. The statistical average number density of protrusions and the minimum transmission rate of the low-energy heavy ions can be obtained. The detection efficiency of the new method for low-energy heavy ions was about 0.1-1 and the background in the measurement can be reduced to as low as 1.0 x 10(8) protrusions/cm2. With this method, the penetration depth of the energetic particles was detected to be no less than 60 micrometers in kidney bean slices when the slices were irradiated by 100 keVAr+ ion at the fluence of 5 x 10(16) ions/cm2. c2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recording, analysis, and interpretation of spreading depolarizations in neurointensive care: Review and recommendations of the COSBID research group.

PubMed

Dreier, Jens P; Fabricius, Martin; Ayata, Cenk; Sakowitz, Oliver W; William Shuttleworth, C; Dohmen, Christian; Graf, Rudolf; Vajkoczy, Peter; Helbok, Raimund; Suzuki, Michiyasu; Schiefecker, Alois J; Major, Sebastian; Winkler, Maren Kl; Kang, Eun-Jeung; Milakara, Denny; Oliveira-Ferreira, Ana I; Reiffurth, Clemens; Revankar, Gajanan S; Sugimoto, Kazutaka; Dengler, Nora F; Hecht, Nils; Foreman, Brandon; Feyen, Bart; Kondziella, Daniel; Friberg, Christian K; Piilgaard, Henning; Rosenthal, Eric S; Westover, M Brandon; Maslarova, Anna; Santos, Edgar; Hertle, Daniel; Sánchez-Porras, Renán; Jewell, Sharon L; Balança, Baptiste; Platz, Johannes; Hinzman, Jason M; Lückl, Janos; Schoknecht, Karl; Schöll, Michael; Drenckhahn, Christoph; Feuerstein, Delphine; Eriksen, Nina; Horst, Viktor; Bretz, Julia S; Jahnke, Paul; Scheel, Michael; Bohner, Georg; Rostrup, Egill; Pakkenberg, Bente; Heinemann, Uwe; Claassen, Jan; Carlson, Andrew P; Kowoll, Christina M; Lublinsky, Svetlana; Chassidim, Yoash; Shelef, Ilan; Friedman, Alon; Brinker, Gerrit; Reiner, Michael; Kirov, Sergei A; Andrew, R David; Farkas, Eszter; Güresir, Erdem; Vatter, Hartmut; Chung, Lee S; Brennan, K C; Lieutaud, Thomas; Marinesco, Stephane; Maas, Andrew Ir; Sahuquillo, Juan; Dahlem, Markus A; Richter, Frank; Herreras, Oscar; Boutelle, Martyn G; Okonkwo, David O; Bullock, M Ross; Witte, Otto W; Martus, Peter; van den Maagdenberg, Arn Mjm; Ferrari, Michel D; Dijkhuizen, Rick M; Shutter, Lori A; Andaluz, Norberto; Schulte, André P; MacVicar, Brian; Watanabe, Tomas; Woitzik, Johannes; Lauritzen, Martin; Strong, Anthony J; Hartings, Jed A

2017-05-01

Spreading depolarizations (SD) are waves of abrupt, near-complete breakdown of neuronal transmembrane ion gradients, are the largest possible pathophysiologic disruption of viable cerebral gray matter, and are a crucial mechanism of lesion development. Spreading depolarizations are increasingly recorded during multimodal neuromonitoring in neurocritical care as a causal biomarker providing a diagnostic summary measure of metabolic failure and excitotoxic injury. Focal ischemia causes spreading depolarization within minutes. Further spreading depolarizations arise for hours to days due to energy supply-demand mismatch in viable tissue. Spreading depolarizations exacerbate neuronal injury through prolonged ionic breakdown and spreading depolarization-related hypoperfusion (spreading ischemia). Local duration of the depolarization indicates local tissue energy status and risk of injury. Regional electrocorticographic monitoring affords even remote detection of injury because spreading depolarizations propagate widely from ischemic or metabolically stressed zones; characteristic patterns, including temporal clusters of spreading depolarizations and persistent depression of spontaneous cortical activity, can be recognized and quantified. Here, we describe the experimental basis for interpreting these patterns and illustrate their translation to human disease. We further provide consensus recommendations for electrocorticographic methods to record, classify, and score spreading depolarizations and associated spreading depressions. These methods offer distinct advantages over other neuromonitoring modalities and allow for future refinement through less invasive and more automated approaches.

Recording, analysis, and interpretation of spreading depolarizations in neurointensive care: Review and recommendations of the COSBID research group

PubMed Central

Fabricius, Martin; Ayata, Cenk; Sakowitz, Oliver W; William Shuttleworth, C; Dohmen, Christian; Graf, Rudolf; Vajkoczy, Peter; Helbok, Raimund; Suzuki, Michiyasu; Schiefecker, Alois J; Major, Sebastian; Winkler, Maren KL; Kang, Eun-Jeung; Milakara, Denny; Oliveira-Ferreira, Ana I; Reiffurth, Clemens; Revankar, Gajanan S; Sugimoto, Kazutaka; Dengler, Nora F; Hecht, Nils; Foreman, Brandon; Feyen, Bart; Kondziella, Daniel; Friberg, Christian K; Piilgaard, Henning; Rosenthal, Eric S; Westover, M Brandon; Maslarova, Anna; Santos, Edgar; Hertle, Daniel; Sánchez-Porras, Renán; Jewell, Sharon L; Balança, Baptiste; Platz, Johannes; Hinzman, Jason M; Lückl, Janos; Schoknecht, Karl; Schöll, Michael; Drenckhahn, Christoph; Feuerstein, Delphine; Eriksen, Nina; Horst, Viktor; Bretz, Julia S; Jahnke, Paul; Scheel, Michael; Bohner, Georg; Rostrup, Egill; Pakkenberg, Bente; Heinemann, Uwe; Claassen, Jan; Carlson, Andrew P; Kowoll, Christina M; Lublinsky, Svetlana; Chassidim, Yoash; Shelef, Ilan; Friedman, Alon; Brinker, Gerrit; Reiner, Michael; Kirov, Sergei A; Andrew, R David; Farkas, Eszter; Güresir, Erdem; Vatter, Hartmut; Chung, Lee S; Brennan, KC; Lieutaud, Thomas; Marinesco, Stephane; Maas, Andrew IR; Sahuquillo, Juan; Dahlem, Markus A; Richter, Frank; Herreras, Oscar; Boutelle, Martyn G; Okonkwo, David O; Bullock, M Ross; Witte, Otto W; Martus, Peter; van den Maagdenberg, Arn MJM; Ferrari, Michel D; Dijkhuizen, Rick M; Shutter, Lori A; Andaluz, Norberto; Schulte, André P; MacVicar, Brian; Watanabe, Tomas; Woitzik, Johannes; Lauritzen, Martin; Strong, Anthony J; Hartings, Jed A

2016-01-01

Spreading depolarizations (SD) are waves of abrupt, near-complete breakdown of neuronal transmembrane ion gradients, are the largest possible pathophysiologic disruption of viable cerebral gray matter, and are a crucial mechanism of lesion development. Spreading depolarizations are increasingly recorded during multimodal neuromonitoring in neurocritical care as a causal biomarker providing a diagnostic summary measure of metabolic failure and excitotoxic injury. Focal ischemia causes spreading depolarization within minutes. Further spreading depolarizations arise for hours to days due to energy supply-demand mismatch in viable tissue. Spreading depolarizations exacerbate neuronal injury through prolonged ionic breakdown and spreading depolarization-related hypoperfusion (spreading ischemia). Local duration of the depolarization indicates local tissue energy status and risk of injury. Regional electrocorticographic monitoring affords even remote detection of injury because spreading depolarizations propagate widely from ischemic or metabolically stressed zones; characteristic patterns, including temporal clusters of spreading depolarizations and persistent depression of spontaneous cortical activity, can be recognized and quantified. Here, we describe the experimental basis for interpreting these patterns and illustrate their translation to human disease. We further provide consensus recommendations for electrocorticographic methods to record, classify, and score spreading depolarizations and associated spreading depressions. These methods offer distinct advantages over other neuromonitoring modalities and allow for future refinement through less invasive and more automated approaches. PMID:27317657

Key frame extraction based on spatiotemporal motion trajectory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yunzuo; Tao, Ran; Zhang, Feng

2015-05-01

Spatiotemporal motion trajectory can accurately reflect the changes of motion state. Motivated by this observation, this letter proposes a method for key frame extraction based on motion trajectory on the spatiotemporal slice. Different from the well-known motion related methods, the proposed method utilizes the inflexions of the motion trajectory on the spatiotemporal slice of all the moving objects. Experimental results show that although a similar performance is achieved in the single-objective screen, by comparing the proposed method to that achieved with the state-of-the-art methods based on motion energy or acceleration, the proposed method shows a better performance in a multiobjective video.

Production of pulsed ultra slow muons and first /μSR experiments on thin metallic and magnetic films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Träger, K.; Breitrück, A.; Trigo, M. Diaz; Grossmann, A.; Jungmann, K.; Merkel, J.; Meyer, V.; Neumayer, P.; Pachl, B.; zu Putlitz, G.; Santra, R.; William, L.; Allodi, G.; Bucci, C.; Renzi, R. De; Galli, F.; Guidi, G.; Shiroka, T.; Eaton, G. H.; King, P. J. C.; Scott, C. A.; Williams, G. W.; Roduner, E.; Scheuermann, R.; Charlton, M. C.; Donnelly, P.; Pareti, L.; Turilli, G.

2000-08-01

At ISIS, RAL (UK) we have produced a pulsed ultra-slow muon beam (E≲20 eV) and performed the first μSR experiments. Thanks to the pulsed feature, the implantation time is automatically determined and, by adjusting the final muon energy between ∼8 keV and 20 eV, depth slicing experiments are possible down to monolayers distances. We report slicing experiments across a 20 nm copper film on quartz substrate with evidence for a 2 nm copper oxide surface layer. A preliminary experiment on a hexagonal cobalt film suggests the existence of muon precession in the local magnetic field.

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

Hiser, C.; Herdies, L.; McIntosh, L.

Higher plant mitochondria posses a cyanide-resistant, hydroxamate-sensitive alternative pathway of electron transport that does not conserve energy. Aging of potato tuber slices for 24 hours leads to the development of an alternative pathway capacity. We have shown that a monoclonal antibody raised against the alternative pathway terminal oxidase of Sauromatum guttatum crossreacts with a protein of similar size in aged potato slice mitochondria. This protein was partially purified and characterized by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and its relative levels parallel the rise in cyanide-resistant respiration. We are using a putative clone of the S. guttatum alternative oxidase gene to isolate themore » equivalent gene from potato and to examine its expression.« less

High glutamate attenuates S100B and LDH outputs from rat cortical slices enhanced by either oxygen-glucose deprivation or menadione.

PubMed

Demircan, Celaleddin; Gül, Zülfiye; Büyükuysal, R Levent

2014-07-01

One hour incubation of rat cortical slices in a medium without oxygen and glucose (oxygen-glucose deprivation, OGD) increased S100B release to 6.53 ± 0.3 ng/ml/mg protein from its control value of 3.61 ± 0.2 ng/ml/mg protein. When these slices were then transferred to a medium containing oxygen and glucose (reoxygenation, REO), S100B release rose to 344 % of its control value. REO also caused 192 % increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage. Glutamate added at millimolar concentration into the medium decreased OGD or REO-induced S100B release and REO-induced LDH leakage. Alpha-ketoglutarate, a metabolic product of glutamate, was found to be as effective as glutamate in decreasing the S100B and LDH outputs. Similarly lactate, 2-ketobutyrate and ethyl pyruvate, a lipophilic derivative of pyruvate, also exerted a glutamate-like effect on S100B and LDH outputs. Preincubation with menadione, which produces H2O2 intracellularly, significantly increased S100B and LDH levels in normoxic medium. All drugs tested in the present study, with the exception of pyruvate, showed a complete protection against menadione preincubation. Additionally, each OGD-REO, menadione or H2O2-induced mitochondrial energy impairments determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining and OGD-REO or menadione-induced increases in reactive oxygen substances (ROS) determined by 2,7-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) were also recovered by glutamate. Interestingly, H2O2-induced increase in fluorescence intensity derived from DCFH-DA in a slice-free physiological medium was attenuated significantly by glutamate and alpha-keto acids. All these drug actions support the conclusion that high glutamate, such as alpha-ketoglutarate and other keto acids, protects the slices against OGD- and REO-induced S100B and LDH outputs probably by scavenging ROS in addition to its energy substrate metabolite property.

Alzheimer brain-derived tau oligomers propagate pathology from endogenous tau.

PubMed

Lasagna-Reeves, Cristian A; Castillo-Carranza, Diana L; Sengupta, Urmi; Guerrero-Munoz, Marcos J; Kiritoshi, Takaki; Neugebauer, Volker; Jackson, George R; Kayed, Rakez

2012-01-01

Intracerebral injection of brain extracts containing amyloid or tau aggregates in transgenic animals can induce cerebral amyloidosis and tau pathology. We extracted pure populations of tau oligomers directly from the cerebral cortex of Alzheimer disease (AD) brain. These oligomers are potent inhibitors of long term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampal brain slices and disrupt memory in wild type mice. We observed for the first time that these authentic brain-derived tau oligomers propagate abnormal tau conformation of endogenous murine tau after prolonged incubation. The conformation and hydrophobicity of tau oligomers play a critical role in the initiation and spread of tau pathology in the naïve host in a manner reminiscent of sporadic AD.

SU-E-T-146: Beam Energy Spread Estimate Based On Bragg Peak Measurement

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

Anferov, V; Derenchuk, V; Moore, R

2015-06-15

Purpose: ProNova is installing and commissioning a two room proton therapy system in Knoxville, TN. Beam energy out of the 230MeV cyclotron was measured on Jan 24, 2015. Cyclotron beam was delivered into a Zebra multi layered IC detector calibrated in terms of penetration range in water. The analysis of the measured Bragg peak determines penetration range in water which can be subsequently converted into proton beam energy. We extended this analysis to obtain an estimate of the beam energy spread out of the cyclotron. Methods: Using Monte Carlo simulations we established the correlation between Bragg peak shape parameters (widthmore » at 50% and 80% dose levels, distal falloff) and penetration range for a monoenergetic proton beam. For large uniform field impinging on a small area detector, we observed linear dependence of each Bragg peak parameter on beam penetration range as shown in Figure A. Then we studied how this correlation changes when the shape of Bragg peak is distorted by the beam focusing conditions. As shown in Figure B, small field size or diverging beam cause Bragg peak deformation predominantly in the proximal region. The distal shape of the renormalized Bragg peaks stays nearly constant. This excludes usage of Bragg peak width parameters for energy spread estimates. Results: The measured Bragg peaks had an average distal falloff of 4.86mm, which corresponds to an effective range of 35.5cm for a monoenergetic beam. The 32.7cm measured penetration range is 2.8cm less. Passage of a 230MeV proton beam through a 2.8cm thick slab of water results in a ±0.56MeV energy spread. As a final check, we confirmed agreement between shapes of the measured Bragg peak and one generated by Monte-Carlo code for proton beam with 0.56 MeV energy spread. Conclusion: Proton beam energy spread can be estimated using Bragg peak analysis.« less

Vectorial point spread function and optical transfer function in oblique plane imaging.

PubMed

Kim, Jeongmin; Li, Tongcang; Wang, Yuan; Zhang, Xiang

2014-05-05

Oblique plane imaging, using remote focusing with a tilted mirror, enables direct two-dimensional (2D) imaging of any inclined plane of interest in three-dimensional (3D) specimens. It can image real-time dynamics of a living sample that changes rapidly or evolves its structure along arbitrary orientations. It also allows direct observations of any tilted target plane in an object of which orientational information is inaccessible during sample preparation. In this work, we study the optical resolution of this innovative wide-field imaging method. Using the vectorial diffraction theory, we formulate the vectorial point spread function (PSF) of direct oblique plane imaging. The anisotropic lateral resolving power caused by light clipping from the tilted mirror is theoretically analyzed for all oblique angles. We show that the 2D PSF in oblique plane imaging is conceptually different from the inclined 2D slice of the 3D PSF in conventional lateral imaging. Vectorial optical transfer function (OTF) of oblique plane imaging is also calculated by the fast Fourier transform (FFT) method to study effects of oblique angles on frequency responses.

Single shot, three-dimensional fluorescence microscopy with a spatially rotating point spread function

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhaojun; Cai, Yanan; Liang, Yansheng; Zhou, Xing; Yan, Shaohui; Dan, Dan; Bianco, Piero R.; Lei, Ming; Yao, Baoli

2017-01-01

A wide-field fluorescence microscope with a double-helix point spread function (PSF) is constructed to obtain the specimen’s three-dimensional distribution with a single snapshot. Spiral-phase-based computer-generated holograms (CGHs) are adopted to make the depth-of-field of the microscope adjustable. The impact of system aberrations on the double-helix PSF at high numerical aperture is analyzed to reveal the necessity of the aberration correction. A modified cepstrum-based reconstruction scheme is promoted in accordance with properties of the new double-helix PSF. The extended depth-of-field images and the corresponding depth maps for both a simulated sample and a tilted section slice of bovine pulmonary artery endothelial (BPAE) cells are recovered, respectively, verifying that the depth-of-field is properly extended and the depth of the specimen can be estimated at a precision of 23.4nm. This three-dimensional fluorescence microscope with a framerate-rank time resolution is suitable for studying the fast developing process of thin and sparsely distributed micron-scale cells in extended depth-of-field. PMID:29296483

Combinatorial compatibility as habit-controlling factor in lysozyme crystallization I. Monomeric and tetrameric F faces derived graph-theoretically

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strom, C. S.; Bennema, P.

1997-03-01

A series of two articles discusses possible morphological evidence for oligomerization of growth units in the crystallization of tetragonal lysozyme, based on a rigorous graph-theoretic derivation of the F faces. In the first study (Part I), the growth layers are derived as valid networks satisfying the conditions of F slices in the context of the PBC theory using the graph-theoretic method implemented in program FFACE [C.S. Strom, Z. Krist. 172 (1985) 11]. The analysis is performed in monomeric and alternative tetrameric and octameric formulations of the unit cell, assuming tetramer formation according to the strongest bonds. F (flat) slices with thickness Rdhkl ( {1}/{2} < R ≤ 1 ) are predicted theoretically in the forms 1 1 0, 0 1 1, 1 1 1. The relevant energies are established in the broken bond model. The relation between possible oligomeric specifications of the unit cell and combinatorially feasible F slice compositions in these orientations is explored.

A new imaging method for understanding chemical dynamics: efficient slice imaging using an in-vacuum pixel detector.

PubMed

Jungmann, J H; Gijsbertsen, A; Visser, J; Visschers, J; Heeren, R M A; Vrakking, M J J

2010-10-01

The implementation of the Timepix complementary metal oxide semiconductor pixel detector in velocity map slice imaging is presented. This new detector approach eliminates the need for gating the imaging detector. In time-of-flight mode, the detector returns the impact position and the time-of-flight of charged particles with 12.5 ns resolution and a dynamic range of about 100 μs. The implementation of the Timepix detector in combination with a microchannel plate additionally allows for high spatial resolution information via center-of-mass centroiding. Here, the detector was applied to study the photodissociation of NO(2) at 452 nm. The energy resolution observed in the experiment was ΔE/E=0.05 and is limited by the experimental setup rather than by the detector assembly. All together, this new compact detector assembly is well-suited for slice imaging and is a promising tool for imaging studies in atomic and molecular physics research.

Ultrahigh 6D-brightness electron beams for the light sources of the next generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habib, Fahim; Manahan, Grace G.; Scherkl, Paul; Heinemann, Thomas; Sheng, Z. M.; Bruhwiler, D. L.; Cary, J. R.; Rosenzweig, J. B.; Hidding, Bernhard

2017-10-01

The plasma photocathode mechanism (aka Trojan Horse) enables a path towards electron beams with nm-level normalized emittance and kA range peak currents, hence ultrahigh 5D-brightness. This ultrahigh 5D-brightness beams hold great prospects to realize laboratory scale free-electron-lasers. However, the GV/m-accelerating gradient in plasma accelerators leads to substantial energy chirp and spread. The large energy spread is a major show-stopper towards key application such as the free-electron-laser. Here we present a novel method for energy chirp compensation which takes advantage of tailored beam loading due to a second ``escort'' bunch released via plasma photocathode. The escort bunch reverses the accelerating field locally at the trapping position of the ultrahigh 5D-brightness beam. This induces a counter-clockwise rotation within the longitudinal phase space and allows to compensate the chirp completely. Analytical scaling predicts energy spread values below 0.01 percentage level. Ultrahigh 5D-brightness combined with minimized energy spread opens a path towards witness beams with unprecedented ultrahigh 6D-brightness.

Simulation of emittance dilution in electron storage ring from Compton backscattering

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

Blumberg, L.N.; Blum, E.

1993-07-01

A Monte-Carlo simulation of Compton backscattered {kappa}{sub L}=3.2-{mu}m photons from an IR-FEL on 75-MeV electrons in a storage ring yields an RMS electron energy spread of {Delta}{sub E}=11.9-keV for a sample of 10{sup 7} single scattering events. Electrons are sampled from a beam of natural energy spread {sigma}{sub E} = 5.6-keV and damped transverse angle spreads {sigma}{sub x}{prime}, = .041-mrad and {sigma}{sub y}{prime} = .052-mrad (100%) coupling, scaled from the 200-MeV BNL XLS compact storage ring. The Compton-scattered X-Rays are generated from an integral of the CM Klein-Nishina cross-section transformed to the lab. A tracking calculation has also been performedmore » in 6-dimensional phase space. Initial electron coordinates are selected randomly from a Gaussian distribution of RMS spreads {sigma}{sub xo}=.102-mm, {sigma}{sub x{prime}o}=.041-mrad, {sigma}{sub yo}=.018-mm, {sigma}{sub y{prime}o}=.052-mrad, {sigma}{sub {phi}o}=22-mrad and {sigma}{sub Eo}=6-keV. A sample of 10000 electrons were each following for 40000 turns around the ring through an RF cavity of f{sub rf}=211.54-MHz and peak voltage V{sub m}=300-keV. Preliminary results indicate that the resulting energy distribution is quite broad with an RMS width of {Delta}{sub E} = 124-keV. The transverse widths are only slightly increased from their original values, i.e. {Delta}{sub x} = .106-mm and {Delta}{sub x}{prime}=.043 mrad. The scaled energy spread of {Delta}{sub E} {approximately} 360-keV for {approximately} 350,000 turns desired in a 10-msec X-Ray angiography exposure is well within the RF bucket used here; even V{sub m} < 50-kV is adequate. Further, the electron energy spread adds a negligible RMS X-Ray energy spread of {Delta}{sub Ex}=.32-keV. The electron energy damping time of {tau}{sub E}=379-msec at 75-MeV in an XLS-type ring allows for damping this induced spread and top-off of the ring between heart cycles.« less

Improved cerebral energetics and ketone body metabolism in db/db mice

PubMed Central

Andersen, Jens V; Christensen, Sofie K; Nissen, Jakob D

2016-01-01

It is becoming evident that type 2 diabetes mellitus is affecting brain energy metabolism. The importance of alternative substrates for the brain in type 2 diabetes mellitus is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ketone bodies are relevant candidates to compensate for cerebral glucose hypometabolism and unravel the functionality of cerebral mitochondria in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Acutely isolated cerebral cortical and hippocampal slices of db/db mice were incubated in media containing [U-13C]glucose, [1,2-13C]acetate or [U-13C]β-hydroxybutyrate and tissue extracts were analysed by mass spectrometry. Oxygen consumption and ATP synthesis of brain mitochondria of db/db mice were assessed by Seahorse XFe96 and luciferin-luciferase assay, respectively. Glucose hypometabolism was observed for both cerebral cortical and hippocampal slices of db/db mice. Significant increased metabolism of [1,2-13C]acetate and [U-13C]β-hydroxybutyrate was observed for hippocampal slices of db/db mice. Furthermore, brain mitochondria of db/db mice exhibited elevated oxygen consumption and ATP synthesis rate. This study provides evidence of several changes in brain energy metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus. The increased hippocampal ketone body utilization and improved mitochondrial function in db/db mice, may act as adaptive mechanisms in order to maintain cerebral energetics during hampered glucose metabolism. PMID:28058963

Determination of drying kinetics and convective heat transfer coefficients of ginger slices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akpinar, Ebru Kavak; Toraman, Seda

2016-10-01

In the present work, the effects of some parametric values on convective heat transfer coefficients and the thin layer drying process of ginger slices were investigated. Drying was done in the laboratory by using cyclone type convective dryer. The drying air temperature was varied as 40, 50, 60 and 70 °C and the air velocity is 0.8, 1.5 and 3 m/s. All drying experiments had only falling rate period. The drying data were fitted to the twelve mathematical models and performance of these models was investigated by comparing the determination of coefficient ( R 2), reduced Chi-square ( χ 2) and root mean square error between the observed and predicted moisture ratios. The effective moisture diffusivity and activation energy were calculated using an infinite series solution of Fick's diffusion equation. The average effective moisture diffusivity values and activation energy values varied from 2.807 × 10-10 to 6.977 × 10-10 m2/s and 19.313-22.722 kJ/mol over the drying air temperature and velocity range, respectively. Experimental data was used to evaluate the values of constants in Nusselt number expression by using linear regression analysis and consequently, convective heat transfer coefficients were determined in forced convection mode. Convective heat transfer coefficient of ginger slices showed changes in ranges 0.33-2.11 W/m2 °C.

SU-E-J-49: Distal Edge Activity Fall Off Of Proton Therapy Beams

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

Elmekawy, A; Ewell, L; Butuceanu, C

2014-06-01

Purpose: To characterize and quantify the distal edge activity fall off, created in a phantom by a proton therapy beam Method and Materials: A 30x30x10cm polymethylmethacrylate phantom was irradiated with a proton therapy beam using different ranges and beams. The irradiation volume is approximated by a right circular cylinder of diameter 7.6cm and varying lengths. After irradiation, the phantom was scanned via a Philips Gemini Big Bore™ PET-CT for isotope activation. Varian Eclipse™ treatment planning system as well as ImageJ™ were used to analyze the resulting PET and CT scans. The region of activity within the phantom was longitudinally measuredmore » as a function of PET slice number. Dose estimations were made via Monte Carlo (GATE) simulation. Results: For both the spread out Bragg peak (SOBP) and the mono-energetic pristine Bragg peak proton beams, the proximal activation rise was steep: average slope −0.735 (average intensity/slice number) ± 0.091 (standard deviation) for the pristine beams and −1.149 ± 0.117 for the SOBP beams. In contrast, the distal fall offs were dissimilar. The distal fall off in activity for the pristine beams was fit well by a linear curve: R{sup 2} (Pierson Product) was 0.9968, 0.9955 and 0.9909 for the 13.5, 17.0 and 21.0cm range beams respectively. The good fit allows for a slope comparison between the different ranges. The slope varied as a function of range from 1.021 for the 13.5cm beam to 0.8407 (average intensity/slice number) for the 21.0cm beam. This dependence can be characterized: −0.0234(average intensity/slice number/cm range). For the SOBP beams, the slopes were significantly less and were also less linear: average slope 0.2628 ± 0.0474, average R{sup 2}=0.9236. Conclusion: The distal activation fall off edge for pristine proton beams was linear and steep. The corresponding quantities for SOBP beams were shallower and less linear. Philips has provided support for this work.« less

Effect of acute and repeated restraint stress on glucose oxidation to CO2 in hippocampal and cerebral cortex slices.

PubMed

Torres, I L; Gamaro, G D; Silveira-Cucco, S N; Michalowski, M B; Corrêa, J B; Perry, M L; Dalmaz, C

2001-01-01

It has been suggested that glucocorticoids released during stress might impair neuronal function by decreasing glucose uptake by hippocampal neurons. Previous work has demonstrated that glucose uptake is reduced in hippocampal and cerebral cortex slices 24 h after exposure to acute stress, while no effect was observed after repeated stress. Here, we report the effect of acute and repeated restraint stress on glucose oxidation to CO2 in hippocampal and cerebral cortex slices and on plasma glucose and corticosterone levels. Male adult Wistar rats were exposed to restraint 1 h/day for 50 days in the chronic model. In the acute model there was a single exposure. Immediately or 24 h after stress, the animals were sacrificed and the hippocampus and cerebral cortex were dissected, sliced, and incubated with Krebs buffer, pH 7.4, containing 5 mM glucose and 0.2 microCi D-[U-14C] glucose. CO2 production from glucose was estimated. Trunk blood was also collected, and both corticosterone and glucose were measured. The results showed that corticosterone levels after exposure to acute restraint were increased, but the increase was smaller when the animals were submitted to repeated stress. Blood glucose levels increased after both acute and repeated stress. However, glucose utilization, measured as CO2 production in hippocampal and cerebral cortex slices, was the same in stressed and control groups under conditions of both acute and chronic stress. We conclude that, although stress may induce a decrease in glucose uptake, this effect is not sufficient to affect the energy metabolism of these cells.

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

Scaduto, DA; Hu, Y-H; Zhao, W

Purpose: Spatial resolution in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is affected by inherent/binned detector resolution, oblique entry of x-rays, and focal spot size/motion; the limited angular range further limits spatial resolution in the depth-direction. While DBT is being widely adopted clinically, imaging performance metrics and quality control protocols have not been standardized. AAPM Task Group 245 on Tomosynthesis Quality Control has been formed to address this deficiency. Methods: Methods of measuring spatial resolution are evaluated using two prototype quality control phantoms for DBT. Spatial resolution in the detector plane is measured in projection and reconstruction domains using edge-spread function (ESF), point-spreadmore » function (PSF) and modulation transfer function (MTF). Spatial resolution in the depth-direction and effective slice thickness are measured in the reconstruction domain using slice sensitivity profile (SSP) and artifact spread function (ASF). An oversampled PSF in the depth-direction is measured using a 50 µm angulated tungsten wire, from which the MTF is computed. Object-dependent PSF is derived and compared with ASF. Sensitivity of these measurements to phantom positioning, imaging conditions and reconstruction algorithms is evaluated. Results are compared from systems of varying acquisition geometry (9–25 projections over 15–60°). Dependence of measurements on feature size is investigated. Results: Measurements of spatial resolution using PSF and LSF are shown to depend on feature size; depth-direction spatial resolution measurements are shown to similarly depend on feature size for ASF, though deconvolution with an object function removes feature size-dependence. A slanted wire may be used to measure oversampled PSFs, from which MTFs may be computed for both in-plane and depth-direction resolution. Conclusion: Spatial resolution measured using PSF is object-independent with sufficiently small object; MTF is object-independent. Depth-direction spatial resolution may be measured directly using MTF or indirectly using ASF or SSP as surrogate measurements. While MTF is object-independent, it is invalid for nonlinear reconstructions.« less

Simple Estimation of the Endolymphatic Volume Ratio after Intravenous Administration of a Single-dose of Gadolinium Contrast

PubMed Central

NAGANAWA, Shinji; KANOU, Mai; OHASHI, Toshio; KUNO, Kayao; SONE, Michihiko

2016-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of a simple estimation for the endolymphatic volume ratio (endolymph volume/total lymph volume = %ELvolume) from an area ratio obtained from only one slice (%EL1slice) or from three slices (%EL3slices). The %ELvolume, calculated from a time-consuming measurement on all magnetic resonance (MR) slices, was compared to the %EL1slice and the %EL3slices. Methods: In 40 ears of 20 patients with a clinical suspicion of endolymphatic hydrops, MR imaging was performed 4 hours after intravenous administration of a single dose of gadolinium-based contrast material (IV-SD-GBCM). Using previously reported HYDROPS2-Mi2 MR imaging, the %ELvolume values in the cochlea and the vestibule were measured separately by two observers. The correlations between the %EL1slice or the %EL3slices and the %ELvolume values were evaluated. Results: A strong linear correlation was observed between the %ELvolume and the %EL3slices or the %EL1slice in the cochlea. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was 0.968 (3 slices) and 0.965 (1 slice) for observer A, and 0.968 (3 slices) and 0.964 (1 slice) for observer B (P < 0.001, for all). A strong linear correlation was also observed between the %ELvolume and the %EL3slices or the %EL1slice in the vestibule. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was 0.980 (3 slices) and 0.953 (1 slice) for observer A, and 0.979 (3 slices) and 0.952 (1 slice) for observer B (P < 0.001, for all). The high intra-class correlation coefficients (0.991–0.997) between the endolymph volume ratios by two observers were observed in both the cochlea and the vestibule for values of the %ELvolume, the %EL3slices and the %EL1slice. Conclusion: The %ELvolume might be easily estimated from the %EL3slices or the %EL1slice. PMID:27001396

Simple Estimation of the Endolymphatic Volume Ratio after Intravenous Administration of a Single-dose of Gadolinium Contrast.

PubMed

Naganawa, Shinji; Kanou, Mai; Ohashi, Toshio; Kuno, Kayao; Sone, Michihiko

2016-10-11

To evaluate the feasibility of a simple estimation for the endolymphatic volume ratio (endolymph volume/total lymph volume = %EL volume ) from an area ratio obtained from only one slice (%EL 1slice ) or from three slices (%EL 3slices ). The %EL volume, calculated from a time-consuming measurement on all magnetic resonance (MR) slices, was compared to the %EL 1slice and the %EL 3slices . In 40 ears of 20 patients with a clinical suspicion of endolymphatic hydrops, MR imaging was performed 4 hours after intravenous administration of a single dose of gadolinium-based contrast material (IV-SD-GBCM). Using previously reported HYDROPS2-Mi2 MR imaging, the %EL volume values in the cochlea and the vestibule were measured separately by two observers. The correlations between the %EL 1slice or the %EL 3slices and the %EL volume values were evaluated. A strong linear correlation was observed between the %EL volume and the %EL 3slices or the %EL 1slice in the cochlea. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was 0.968 (3 slices) and 0.965 (1 slice) for observer A, and 0.968 (3 slices) and 0.964 (1 slice) for observer B (P < 0.001, for all). A strong linear correlation was also observed between the %EL volume and the %EL 3slices or the %EL 1slice in the vestibule. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was 0.980 (3 slices) and 0.953 (1 slice) for observer A, and 0.979 (3 slices) and 0.952 (1 slice) for observer B (P < 0.001, for all). The high intra-class correlation coefficients (0.991-0.997) between the endolymph volume ratios by two observers were observed in both the cochlea and the vestibule for values of the %EL volume , the %EL 3slices and the %EL 1slice . The %EL volume might be easily estimated from the %EL 3slices or the %EL 1slice .

A LED-based method for monitoring NAD(P)H and FAD fluorescence in cell cultures and brain slices.

PubMed

Rösner, Jörg; Liotta, Agustin; Schmitz, Dietmar; Heinemann, Uwe; Kovács, Richard

2013-01-30

Nicotinamide- and flavine-adenine-dinucleotides (NAD(P)H and FADH₂) are electron carriers involved in cellular energy metabolism and in a multitude of enzymatic processes. As reduced NAD(P)H and oxidised FAD molecules are fluorescent, changes in tissue auto-fluorescence provide valuable information on the cellular redox state and energy metabolism. Since fluorescence excitation, by mercury arc lamps (HBO) is inherently coupled to photo-bleaching and photo-toxicity, microfluorimetric monitoring of energy metabolism might benefit from the replacement of HBO lamps by light emitting diodes (LEDs). Here we describe a LED-based custom-built setup for monitoring NAD(P)H and FAD fluorescence at the level of single cells (HEK293) and of brain slices. We compared NAD(P)H bleaching characteristics with two light sources (HBO lamp and LED) as well as sensitivity and signal to noise ratio of three different detector types (multi-pixel photon counter (MPPC), photomultiplier tube (PMT) and photodiode). LED excitation resulted in reduced photo-bleaching at the same fluorescence output in comparison to excitation with the HBO lamp. Transiently increasing LED power resulted in reversible bleaching of NAD(P)H fluorescence. Recovery kinetics were dependent on metabolic substrates indicating coupling of NAD(P)H fluorescence to metabolism. Electrical stimulation of brain slices induced biphasic redox changes, as indicated by NAD(P)H/FAD fluorescence transients. Increasing the gain of PMT and decreasing the LED power resulted in similar sensitivity as obtained with the MPPC and the photodiode, without worsening the signal to noise ratio. In conclusion, replacement of HBO lamp with LED might improve conventional PMT based microfluorimetry of tissue auto-fluorescence. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Body composition estimation from selected slices: equations computed from a new semi-automatic thresholding method developed on whole-body CT scans

PubMed Central

Villa, Chiara; Brůžek, Jaroslav

2017-01-01

Background Estimating volumes and masses of total body components is important for the study and treatment monitoring of nutrition and nutrition-related disorders, cancer, joint replacement, energy-expenditure and exercise physiology. While several equations have been offered for estimating total body components from MRI slices, no reliable and tested method exists for CT scans. For the first time, body composition data was derived from 41 high-resolution whole-body CT scans. From these data, we defined equations for estimating volumes and masses of total body AT and LT from corresponding tissue areas measured in selected CT scan slices. Methods We present a new semi-automatic approach to defining the density cutoff between adipose tissue (AT) and lean tissue (LT) in such material. An intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to validate the method. The equations for estimating the whole-body composition volume and mass from areas measured in selected slices were modeled with ordinary least squares (OLS) linear regressions and support vector machine regression (SVMR). Results and Discussion The best predictive equation for total body AT volume was based on the AT area of a single slice located between the 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae (L4-L5) and produced lower prediction errors (|PE| = 1.86 liters, %PE = 8.77) than previous equations also based on CT scans. The LT area of the mid-thigh provided the lowest prediction errors (|PE| = 2.52 liters, %PE = 7.08) for estimating whole-body LT volume. We also present equations to predict total body AT and LT masses from a slice located at L4-L5 that resulted in reduced error compared with the previously published equations based on CT scans. The multislice SVMR predictor gave the theoretical upper limit for prediction precision of volumes and cross-validated the results. PMID:28533960

Body composition estimation from selected slices: equations computed from a new semi-automatic thresholding method developed on whole-body CT scans.

PubMed

Lacoste Jeanson, Alizé; Dupej, Ján; Villa, Chiara; Brůžek, Jaroslav

2017-01-01

Estimating volumes and masses of total body components is important for the study and treatment monitoring of nutrition and nutrition-related disorders, cancer, joint replacement, energy-expenditure and exercise physiology. While several equations have been offered for estimating total body components from MRI slices, no reliable and tested method exists for CT scans. For the first time, body composition data was derived from 41 high-resolution whole-body CT scans. From these data, we defined equations for estimating volumes and masses of total body AT and LT from corresponding tissue areas measured in selected CT scan slices. We present a new semi-automatic approach to defining the density cutoff between adipose tissue (AT) and lean tissue (LT) in such material. An intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to validate the method. The equations for estimating the whole-body composition volume and mass from areas measured in selected slices were modeled with ordinary least squares (OLS) linear regressions and support vector machine regression (SVMR). The best predictive equation for total body AT volume was based on the AT area of a single slice located between the 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae (L4-L5) and produced lower prediction errors (|PE| = 1.86 liters, %PE = 8.77) than previous equations also based on CT scans. The LT area of the mid-thigh provided the lowest prediction errors (|PE| = 2.52 liters, %PE = 7.08) for estimating whole-body LT volume. We also present equations to predict total body AT and LT masses from a slice located at L4-L5 that resulted in reduced error compared with the previously published equations based on CT scans. The multislice SVMR predictor gave the theoretical upper limit for prediction precision of volumes and cross-validated the results.

Drying kinetics of onion ( Allium cepa L.) slices with convective and microwave drying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demiray, Engin; Seker, Anıl; Tulek, Yahya

2017-05-01

Onion slices were dried using two different drying techniques, convective and microwave drying. Convective drying treatments were carried out at different temperatures (50, 60 and 70 °C). Three different microwave output powers 328, 447 and 557 W were used in microwave drying. In convective drying, effective moisture diffusivity was estimated to be between 3.49 × 10-8 and 9.44 × 10-8 m2 s-1 within the temperature range studied. The effect of temperature on the diffusivity was described by the Arrhenius equation with an activation energy of 45.60 kJ mol-1. At increasing microwave power values, the effective moisture diffusivity values ranged from 2.59 × 10-7 and 5.08 × 10-8 m2 s-1. The activation energy for microwave drying of samples was calculated using an exponential expression based on Arrhenius equation. Among of the models proposed, Page's model gave a better fit for all drying conditions used.

Targeting of astrocytic glucose metabolism by beta-hydroxybutyrate.

PubMed

Valdebenito, Rocío; Ruminot, Iván; Garrido-Gerter, Pamela; Fernández-Moncada, Ignacio; Forero-Quintero, Linda; Alegría, Karin; Becker, Holger M; Deitmer, Joachim W; Barros, L Felipe

2016-10-01

The effectiveness of ketogenic diets and intermittent fasting against neurological disorders has brought interest to the effects of ketone bodies on brain cells. These compounds are known to modify the metabolism of neurons, but little is known about their effect on astrocytes, cells that control the supply of glucose to neurons and also modulate neuronal excitability through the glycolytic production of lactate. Here we have used genetically-encoded Förster Resonance Energy Transfer nanosensors for glucose, pyruvate and ATP to characterize astrocytic energy metabolism at cellular resolution. Our results show that the ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate strongly inhibited astrocytic glucose consumption in mouse astrocytes in mixed cultures, in organotypic hippocampal slices and in acute hippocampal slices prepared from ketotic mice, while blunting the stimulation of glycolysis by physiological and pathophysiological stimuli. The inhibition of glycolysis was paralleled by an increased ability of astrocytic mitochondria to metabolize pyruvate. These results support the emerging notion that astrocytes contribute to the neuroprotective effect of ketone bodies. © The Author(s) 2015.

Efficient quasi-monoenergetic ion beams up to 18 MeV/nucleon via self-generated plasma fields in relativistic laser plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palaniyappan, Sasi; Huang, Chengkun; Gautier, Donald; Hamilton, Christopher; Santiago, Miguel; Kreuzer, Christian; Shah, Rahul; Fernandez, Juan; Los Alamos National Laboratory Team; Ludwig-Maximilian-University Team

2015-11-01

Table-top laser-plasma ion accelerators seldom achieve narrow energy spreads, and never without serious compromises in efficiency, particle yield, etc. Using massive computer simulations, we identify a self-organizing scheme that exploits persisting self-generated plasma electric (~ TV/m) and magnetic (~ 104 Tesla) fields to reduce the ion energy spread after the laser exits the plasma - separating the ion acceleration from the energy spread reduction. Consistent with the scheme, we experimentally demonstrate aluminum and carbon ion beams with narrow spectral peaks at energies up to 310 MeV (11.5 MeV/nucleon) and 220 MeV (18.3 MeV/nucleon), respectively, with high conversion efficiency (~ 5%, i.e., 4J out of 80J laser). This is achieved with 0.12 PW high-contrast Gaussian laser pulses irradiating planar foils with optimal thicknesses of up to 250 nm that scale with laser intensity. When increasing the focused laser intensity fourfold (by reducing the focusing optic f/number twofold), the spectral-peak energy increases twofold. These results pave the way for next generation compact accelerators suitable for applications. For example, 400 MeV (33.3 MeV/nucleon) carbon-ion beam with narrow energy spread required for ion fast ignition could be generated using PW-class lasers.

Ion energy spread and current measurements of the rf-driven multicusp ion source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Y.; Gough, R. A.; Kunkel, W. B.; Leung, K. N.; Perkins, L. T.; Pickard, D. S.; Sun, L.; Vujic, J.; Williams, M. D.; Wutte, D.

1997-03-01

Axial energy spread and useful beam current of positive ion beams have been carried out using a radio frequency (rf)-driven multicusp ion source. Operating the source with a 13.56 MHz induction discharge, the axial energy spread is found to be approximately 3.2 eV. The extractable beam current of the rf-driven source is found to be comparable to that of filament-discharge sources. With a 0.6 mm diameter extraction aperture, a positive hydrogen ion beam current density of 80 mA/cm2 can be obtained at a rf input power of 2.5 kW. The expected source lifetime is much longer than that of filament discharges.

Design and optimization of a compact laser-driven proton beamline.

PubMed

Scisciò, M; Migliorati, M; Palumbo, L; Antici, P

2018-04-19

Laser-accelerated protons, generated by irradiating a solid target with a short, energetic laser pulse at high intensity (I > 10 18  W·cm -2 ), represent a complementary if not outperforming source compared to conventional accelerators, due  to their intrinsic features, such as high beam charge and short bunch duration. However, the broadband energy spectrum of these proton sources is a bottleneck that precludes their use in applications requiring a more reduced energy spread. Consequently, in recent times strong effort has been put to overcome these limits and to develop laser-driven proton beamlines with low energy spread. In this paper, we report on beam dynamics simulations aiming at optimizing a laser-driven beamline - i.e. a laser-based proton source coupled to conventional magnetic beam manipulation devices - producing protons with a reduced energy spread, usable for applications. The energy range of investigation goes from 2 to 20 MeV, i.e. the typical proton energies that can be routinely obtained using commercial TW-power class laser systems. Our beamline design is capable of reducing the energy spread below 20%, still keeping the overall transmission efficiency around 1% and producing a proton spot-size in the range of 10 mm 2 . We briefly discuss the results in the context of applications in the domain of Cultural Heritage.

A simple physical model for forest fire spread

Treesearch

E. Koo; P. Pagni; J. Woycheese; S. Stephens; D. Weise; J. Huff

2005-01-01

Based on energy conservation and detailed heat transfer mechanisms, a simple physical model for fire spread is presented for the limit of one-dimensional steady-state contiguous spread of a line fire in a thermally-thin uniform porous fuel bed. The solution for the fire spread rate is found as an eigenvalue from this model with appropriate boundary conditions through a...

Aperture shape dependencies in extended depth of focus for imaging camera by wavefront coding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakita, Koichi; Ohta, Mitsuhiko; Shimano, Takeshi; Sakemoto, Akito

2015-02-01

Optical transfer functions (OTFs) on various directional spatial frequency axes for cubic phase mask (CPM) with circular and square apertures are investigated. Although OTF has no zero points, it has a very close value to zero for a circular aperture at low frequencies on diagonal axis, which results in degradation of restored images. The reason for close-to-zero value in OTF is also analyzed in connection with point spread function profiles using Fourier slice theorem. To avoid close-to-zero condition, square aperture with CPM is indispensable in WFC. We optimized cubic coefficient α of CPM and coefficients of digital filter, and succeeded to get excellent de-blurred images at large depth of field.

Instability of a witness bunch in a plasma bubble

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

Burov, A.; Lebedev, V.; Nagaitsev, S.

2016-02-16

The stability of a trailing witness bunch, accelerated by a plasma wake accelerator (PWA) in a blow-out regime, is discussed. The instability growth rate as well as the energy spread, required for BNS damping, are obtained. A relationship between the PWA power efficiency and the BNS energy spread is derived.

78 FR 54462 - Combined Notice of Filings #2

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-04

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Combined Notice of Filings 2 Take notice that the Commission received the following electric rate filings: Docket Numbers: ER11-3576-010;ER11-3401-009. Applicants: Golden Spread Electric Cooperative, Inc., Golden Spread Panhandle Wind Ranch, LLC. Description: Notice of Change in Status of...

Online Measurement of the Energy Spread of Multi-Turn Beam in the Fermilab Booster at Injection

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

Nelson, J.; Bhat, C. M.; Hendricks, B. S.

We have developed a computer program interfaced with the ACNET environment of Fermilab accelerators to measure energy spread of the proton beam from the LINAC at an injection into the Booster. It uses a digitizing oscilloscope and provides users an ability to configure the scope settings for optimal data acquisition from a resistive wall current monitor. When the program is launched, a) a one shot timeline is generated to initiate beam injection into the Booster, b) a gap of about 40 ns is produced in the injected beam using a set of fast kickers, c) collects line charge distribution datamore » from the wall current monitor for the first 200 μs from the injection and d) performs complete data analysis to extract full beam energy spread of the beam. The program also gives the option to store the data for offline analyses. We illustrate a case with an example. We also present results on beam energy spread as a function of beam intensity from recent measurements.« less

Reversible beam heater for suppression of microbunching instability by transverse gradient undulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Tao; Qin, Weilun; Wang, Dong; Huang, Zhirong

2017-08-01

The microbunching instability driven by beam collective effects in a linear accelerator of a free-electron laser (FEL) facility significantly degrades the electron beam quality and FEL performance. A conventional method to suppress this instability is to introduce an additional uncorrelated energy spread by laser-electron interaction, which has been successfully operated in the Linac Coherent Light Source and Fermi@Elettra, etc. Some other ideas are recently proposed to suppress the instability without increasing energy spread, which could benefit the seeded FEL schemes. In this paper, we propose a reversible electron beam heater using two transverse gradient undulators to suppress the microbunching instability. This scheme introduces both an energy spread increase and a transverse-to-longitudinal phase space coupling, which suppress the microbunching instabilities driven by both longitudinal space charge and coherent synchrotron radiation before and within the system. Finally the induced energy spread increase and emittance growth are reversed. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulations are presented to verify the feasibility of the scheme and indicate the capability to improve the seeded FEL radiation performance.

Reversible beam heater for suppression of microbunching instability by transverse gradient undulators

DOE PAGES

Liu, Tao; Qin, Weilun; Wang, Dong; ...

2017-08-02

The microbunching instability driven by beam collective effects in a linear accelerator of a free-electron laser (FEL) facility significantly degrades the electron beam quality and FEL performance. A conventional method to suppress this instability is to introduce an additional uncorrelated energy spread by laser-electron interaction, which has been successfully operated in the Linac Coherent Light Source and Fermi@Elettra, etc. Some other ideas are recently proposed to suppress the instability without increasing energy spread, which could benefit the seeded FEL schemes. In this paper, we propose a reversible electron beam heater using two transverse gradient undulators to suppress the microbunching instability.more » This scheme introduces both an energy spread increase and a transverse-to-longitudinal phase space coupling, which suppress the microbunching instabilities driven by both longitudinal space charge and coherent synchrotron radiation before and within the system. Finally the induced energy spread increase and emittance growth are reversed. In conclusion, theoretical analysis and numerical simulations are presented to verify the feasibility of the scheme and indicate the capability to improve the seeded FEL radiation performance.« less

Spreading law of non-Newtonian power-law liquids on a spherical substrate by an energy-balance approach.

PubMed

Iwamatsu, Masao

2017-07-01

The spreading of a cap-shaped spherical droplet of non-Newtonian power-law liquids, both shear-thickening and shear-thinning liquids, that completely wet a spherical substrate is theoretically investigated in the capillary-controlled spreading regime. The crater-shaped droplet model with the wedge-shaped meniscus near the three-phase contact line is used to calculate the viscous dissipation near the contact line. Then the energy balance approach is adopted to derive the equation that governs the evolution of the contact line. The time evolution of the dynamic contact angle θ of a droplet obeys a power law θ∼t^{-α} with the spreading exponent α, which is different from Tanner's law for Newtonian liquids and those for non-Newtonian liquids on a flat substrate. Furthermore, the line-tension dominated spreading, which could be realized on a spherical substrate for late-stage of spreading when the contact angle becomes low and the curvature of the contact line becomes large, is also investigated.

Cosmic voids and void lensing in the Dark Energy Survey science verification data

DOE PAGES

Sánchez, C.; Clampitt, J.; Kovacs, A.; ...

2016-10-26

Galaxies and their dark matter halos populate a complicated filamentary network around large, nearly empty regions known as cosmic voids. Cosmic voids are usually identified in spectroscopic galaxy surveys, where 3D information about the large-scale structure of the Universe is available. Although an increasing amount of photometric data is being produced, its potential for void studies is limited since photometric redshifts induce line-of-sight position errors of ~50 Mpc/h or more that can render many voids undetectable. In this paper we present a new void finder designed for photometric surveys, validate it using simulations, and apply it to the high-quality photo-zmore » redMaGiC galaxy sample of the Dark Energy Survey Science Verification (DES-SV) data. The algorithm works by projecting galaxies into 2D slices and finding voids in the smoothed 2D galaxy density field of the slice. Fixing the line-of-sight size of the slices to be at least twice the photo- z scatter, the number of voids found in these projected slices of simulated spectroscopic and photometric galaxy catalogs is within 20% for all transverse void sizes, and indistinguishable for the largest voids of radius ~70 Mpc/h and larger. The positions, radii, and projected galaxy profiles of photometric voids also accurately match the spectroscopic void sample. Applying the algorithm to the DES-SV data in the redshift range 0.2 < z < 0.8 , we identify 87 voids with comoving radii spanning the range 18-120 Mpc/h, and carry out a stacked weak lensing measurement. With a significance of 4.4σ, the lensing measurement confirms the voids are truly underdense in the matter field and hence not a product of Poisson noise, tracer density effects or systematics in the data. In conclusion, it also demonstrates, for the first time in real data, the viability of void lensing studies in photometric surveys.« less

GIS Plate Tectonic Reconstruction of the Gulf of California-Salton Trough Oblique Rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skinner, L. A.; Bennett, S. E.; Umhoefer, P. J.; Oskin, M. E.; Dorsey, R. J.; Nava, R. A.

2011-12-01

We present GIS-based plate tectonic reconstruction maps for the Gulf of California-Salton Trough oblique rift. The maps track plate boundary deformation in 2 and 1 Myr slices (6-2 Ma and 2 Ma-present) using a custom ArcGIS add-in tool to close extensional basins and restore slip on dextral faults. The tool takes a set of polygons depicting present day locations of tectonic blocks and sequentially restores displacement of their centroids along a vector specific to that time slice. Tectonic blocks are defined by faults, geology, seismic data, and bathymetry/topography. Spreading center and fault-slip rates were acquired from geologic data, cross-Gulf tie points, GPS studies, and aeromagnetic data. A recent GPS study indicated that ~92% of modern-day Pacific-North America (PAC-NAM) plate motion is localized between the Baja California microplate and North America. Relative plate motion azimuth varies from ~302° in the southern Gulf to ~314° in the Salton Trough. Baja-North America GPS rates agree remarkably with ~6 Ma geologic offsets across the Gulf and are used during reconstruction steps back to 6 Ma. In the southern Gulf, unpublished GPS data indicate that modern plate motion is partitioned between the plate boundary, Gulf-margin system, and borderland faults west of Baja California. The Alarcon and Guaymas spreading centers initiated at 2.4 Ma and 6 Ma (Lizarralde et al., 2007), respectively, while the Farallon, Pescadero, and Carmen spreading centers began between ~2-1 Ma (Lonsdale, 1989). Therefore, the 2, 4, and 6 Ma reconstruction steps include a long transtensional fault zone along much of the southern Gulf, connecting the Guaymas spreading center with either the Alarcon spreading center or East Pacific Rise. In the northern Gulf, transtensional strain initiated in coastal Sonora by ~7 Ma and migrated westward as the Gulf opened. At ~6 Ma strain migrated west into marine pull-apart basins that now lie within the eastern Gulf. Seismic reflection studies suggest that these eastern basins were abandoned ~3.3-2.0 Ma as strain migrated west, forming new transtensional basins that host the modern-day plate boundary. Cross-rift geologic tie points include a fusulinid-bearing clast conglomerate, the Poway conglomerate, and 12.5 Ma & 6.1-6.4 Ma correlative tuffs. Since ~6.1 Ma, the magnitude of extension across the northern Gulf requires that ~90% of PAC-NAM relative plate motion has been located in marine pull-apart basins, while ~10% has been accommodated by faults west of Baja California. In the Salton Trough, roughly 90% of the relative plate motion became localized at 7-8 Ma, prior to regional marine incursion at 6.3-6.5 Ma. Plio-Pleistocene strain was accommodated linked dextral slip on the San Andreas fault and oblique extension on the West Salton detachment fault. Initiation of new strike slip faults at ~1.1-1.3 Ma resulted in westerly expansion and widening of the dextral deformation zone. Modern strain is accommodated by a network of transtensional pull-aparts and transpressional fold-thrust belts.

Multiplexed Energy Coupler for Rotating Equipment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhao, Xiaoliang

2011-01-01

A multiplexing antenna assembly can efficiently couple AC signal/energy into, or out of, rotating equipment. The unit only passes AC energy while blocking DC energy. Concentric tubes that are sliced into multiple pieces are assembled together so that, when a piece from an outer tube aligns well with an inner tube piece, efficient energy coupling is achieved through a capacitive scheme. With N outer pieces and M inner pieces, an effective N x M combination can be achieved in a multiplexed manner. The energy coupler is non-contact, which is useful if isolation from rotating and stationary parts is required. Additionally, the innovation can operate in high temperatures. Applications include rotating structure sensing, non-contact energy transmission, etc.

Muon Intensity Increase by Wedge Absorbers for Low-E Muon Experiments

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

Neuffer, D. V.; Stratakis, D.; Bradley, J.

2017-09-01

Low energy muon experiments such as mu2e and g-2 have a limited energy spread acceptance. Following techniques developed in muon cooling studies and the MICE experiment, the number of muons within the desired energy spread can be increased by the matched use of wedge absorbers. More generally, the phase space of muon beams can be manipulated by absorbers in beam transport lines. Applications with simulation results are presented.

Higher transport and metabolism of glucose in astrocytes compared with neurons: a multiphoton study of hippocampal and cerebellar tissue slices.

PubMed

Jakoby, Patrick; Schmidt, Elke; Ruminot, Iván; Gutiérrez, Robin; Barros, L Felipe; Deitmer, Joachim W

2014-01-01

Glucose is the most important energy substrate for the brain, and its cellular distribution is a subject of great current interest. We have employed fluorescent glucose probes, the 2-deoxy-D-glucose derivates 6- and 2-([N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl) amino]-2-deoxy-D-glucose) (2-NBDG), to measure transport and metabolism of glucose in acute slices of mouse hippocampus and cerebellum. In the hippocampus, 6-NBDG, which is not metabolized and hence indicates glucose transport, was taken up faster in astrocyte-rich layers (Stratum radiatum [S.r.], Stratum oriens [S.o.]) than in pyramidal cells. Metabolizable 2-NBDG showed larger signals in S.r. and S.o. than in Stratum pyramidale, suggesting faster glucose utilization rate in the astrocyte versus the neuronal compartment. Similarly, we found higher uptake and temperature-sensitive metabolism of 2-NBDG in Bergmann glia when compared with adjacent Purkinje neurons of cerebellar slices. A comparison between 6-NBDG transport and glucose transport in cultured cells using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer nanosensor showed that relative to glucose, 6-NBDG is transported better by neurons than by astrocytes. These results indicate that the preferential transport and metabolism of glucose by glial cells versus neurons proposed for the hippocampus and cerebellum by ourselves (in vitro) and for the barrel cortex by Chuquet et al. (in vivo) is more pronounced than anticipated.

Single-field slice-imaging with a movable repeller: photodissociation of N₂O from a hot nozzle.

PubMed

Harding, Dan J; Neugebohren, J; Grütter, M; Schmidt-May, A F; Auerbach, D J; Kitsopoulos, T N; Wodtke, A M

2014-08-07

We present a new photo-fragment imaging spectrometer, which employs a movable repeller in a single field imaging geometry. This innovation offers two principal advantages. First, the optimal fields for velocity mapping can easily be achieved even using a large molecular beam diameter (5 mm); the velocity resolution (better than 1%) is sufficient to easily resolve photo-electron recoil in (2 + 1) resonant enhanced multiphoton ionization of N2 photoproducts from N2O or from molecular beam cooled N2. Second, rapid changes between spatial imaging, velocity mapping, and slice imaging are straightforward. We demonstrate this technique's utility in a re-investigation of the photodissociation of N2O. Using a hot nozzle, we observe slice images that strongly depend on nozzle temperature. Our data indicate that in our hot nozzle expansion, only pure bending vibrations--(0, v2, 0)--are populated, as vibrational excitation in pure stretching or bend-stretch combination modes are quenched via collisional near-resonant V-V energy transfer to the nearly degenerate bending states. We derive vibrationally state resolved absolute absorption cross-sections for (0, v2 ≤ 7, 0). These results agree well with previous work at lower values of v2, both experimental and theoretical. The dissociation energy of N2O with respect to the O((1)D) + N2¹Σ(g)⁺ asymptote was determined to be 3.65 ± 0.02 eV.

N(1520) 3/2- Helicity Amplitudes from an Energy-Independent Multipole Analysis Based on New Polarization Data on Photoproduction of Neutral Pions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartmann, J.; Dutz, H.; Anisovich, A. V.; Bayadilov, D.; Beck, R.; Becker, M.; Beloglazov, Y.; Berlin, A.; Bichow, M.; Böse, S.; Brinkmann, K.-Th.; Crede, V.; Dieterle, M.; Eberhardt, H.; Elsner, D.; Fornet-Ponse, K.; Friedrich, St.; Frommberger, F.; Funke, Ch.; Gottschall, M.; Gridnev, A.; Grüner, M.; Gutz, E.; Hammann, Ch.; Hannappel, J.; Hannen, V.; Herick, J.; Hillert, W.; Hoffmeister, Ph.; Honisch, Ch.; Jahn, O.; Jude, T.; Käser, A.; Kaiser, D.; Kalinowsky, H.; Kalischewski, F.; Klassen, P.; Keshelashvili, I.; Klein, F.; Klempt, E.; Koop, K.; Krusche, B.; Kube, M.; Lang, M.; Lopatin, I.; Makonyi, K.; Messi, F.; Metag, V.; Meyer, W.; Müller, J.; Nanova, M.; Nikonov, V.; Novinski, D.; Novotny, R.; Piontek, D.; Rosenbaum, C.; Roth, B.; Reicherz, G.; Rostomyan, T.; Sarantsev, A.; Schmidt, Ch.; Schmieden, H.; Schmitz, R.; Seifen, T.; Sokhoyan, V.; Thämer, Ph.; Thiel, A.; Thoma, U.; Urban, M.; van Pee, H.; Walther, D.; Wendel, Ch.; Wiedner, U.; Wilson, A.; Winnebeck, A.; Witthauer, L.; Wunderlich, Y.; Cbelsa/Taps Collaboration

2014-08-01

New data on the polarization observables T, P, and H for the reaction γp→pπ0 are reported. The results are extracted from azimuthal asymmetries when a transversely polarized butanol target and a linearly polarized photon beam are used. The data were taken at the Bonn electron stretcher accelerator ELSA using the CBELSA/TAPS detector. These and earlier data are used to perform a truncated energy-independent partial wave analysis in sliced-energy bins. This energy-independent analysis is compared to the results from energy-dependent partial wave analyses.

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

Schnell, E; Ferreira, C; Ahmad, S

Purpose: Accuracy of a RSP-HU calibration curve produced for proton treatment planning is tested by comparing the treatment planning system dose grid to physical doses delivered on film by a Mevion S250 double-scattering proton unit. Methods: A single batch of EBT3 Gafchromic film was used for calibration and measurements. The film calibration curve was obtained using Mevion proton beam reference option 20 (15cm range, 10cm modulation). Paired films were positioned at the center of the spread out Bragg peak (SOBP) in solid water. The calibration doses were verified with an ion chamber, including background and doses from 20cGy to 350cGy.more » Films were scanned in a flatbed Epson-Expression 10000-XL scanner, and analyzed using the red channel. A Rando phantom was scanned with a GE LightSpeed CT Simulator. A single-field proton plan (Eclipse, Varian) was calculated to deliver 171cGy to the pelvis section (heterogeneous region), using a standard 4×4cm aperture without compensator, 7.89cm beam range, and 5.36cm SOBP. Varied depths of the calculated distal 90% isodose-line were recorded and compared. The dose distribution from film irradiated between Rando slices was compared with the calculated plans using RIT v.6.2. Results: Distal 90% isodose-line depth variation between CT scans was 2mm on average, and 4mm at maximum. Fine calculation of this variation was restricted by the dose calculation grid, as well as the slice thickness. Dose differences between calibrated film measurements and calculated doses were on average 5.93cGy (3.5%), with the large majority of differences forming a normal distribution around 3.5cGy (2%). Calculated doses were almost entirely greater than those measured. Conclusion: RSP to HU calibration curve is shown to produce distal depth variation within the margin of tolerance (±4.3mm) across all potential scan energies and protocols. Dose distribution calculation is accurate to 2–4% within the SOBP, including areas of high tissue heterogeneity.« less

RFQ beam cooler and buncher for collinear laser spectroscopy of rare isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barquest, B. R.; Bollen, G.; Mantica, P. F.; Minamisono, K.; Ringle, R.; Schwarz, S.; Sumithrarachchi, C. S.

2017-09-01

A radiofrequency quadrupole (RFQ) ion beam cooler and buncher has been developed to deliver bunched beams with low transverse emittance, energy spread, and time spread to the BECOLA collinear laser spectroscopy system at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at Michigan State University. The beam cooler and buncher contains new features which enhance performance, especially for high count rate beams, as well as simplifying construction, maintenance, and operation. The transverse emittance, energy spread, and time spread of the bunched beam, as well as buncher efficiency are reported, showcasing the capabilities of the BECOLA facility to perform collinear laser spectroscopy measurements with bunched rare isotope beams at NSCL and at the future Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB).

The Macro and Micro of It Is That Entropy Is the Spread of Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Jeffrey A.

2016-01-01

While entropy is often described as "disorder," it is better thought of as a measure of how spread out energy is within a system. To illustrate this interpretation of entropy to introductory college or high school students, several activities have been created. Students first study the relationship between microstates and macrostates to…

Optimization of mooseer (A. hirtifolium Boiss.) dehydration under infrared conditions.

PubMed

Chayjan, Reza Amiri; Fealekari, Mosayeb

2017-01-01

In recent years, infrared drying has gained popularity as an alternative drying method for a va- riety of agricultural products. The use of infrared radiation technology in drying agricultural products has several advantages. These may include decreased drying time, high energy efficiency, high-quality finished products and uniform temperature in the product. With intermittent infrared and convection heating of a thick porous material, the drying time can be reduced compared to convection alone, while keeping good food quality and high energy efficiency. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the drying con- ditions of mooseer under infrared-convective drying. Experiments were performed at air temperatures of  40, 55 and 70°C, infrared powers of 500, 1000 and 1500 W, air velocities of 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 m/s and slice thicknesses of 2, 4, and 6 mm. In this study, effective moisture diffusivity (Deff), shrinkage, color changes and specific energy consumption (SEC) were investigated. The central composite design (CCD) was selected for the design and optimization of the process. Deff was obtained between 1.4×10 and 3.57×10    m /s. With increasing air temperature and slice –10                                  –9       2 thickness, Deff also increased. The level of shrinkage rose as slice thickness increased. The highest and lowest values of color changes were calculated at air temperatures of 70°C (52.3%) and 40°C (5.65%), respectively. Increasing air velocity led to an increase in SEC. Optimum conditions for mooseer drying were achieved at air temperature of 70°C, infrared power of 867.46, air velocity of 0.59 m/s and slice thickness of 2 mm. At this point, Deff, shrinkage, color changes and SEC was obtained as 1.32×10–9 m2/s, 29.58%, 17.62% and 4.64 MJ/kg, respectively. The desir- ability value of 0.689 was achieved for the drying process.  .

Spreading depression and related events are significant sources of neuronal Zn2+ release and accumulation

PubMed Central

Carter, Russell E; Aiba, Isamu; Dietz, Robert M; Sheline, Christian T; Shuttleworth, C William

2011-01-01

Spreading depression (SD) involves coordinated depolarizations of neurons and glia that propagate through the brain tissue. Repetitive SD-like events are common following human ischemic strokes, and are believed to contribute to the enlargement of infarct volume. Accumulation of Zn2+ is also implicated in ischemic neuronal injury. Synaptic glutamate release contributes to SD propagation, and because Zn2+ is costored with glutamate in some synaptic vesicles, we examined whether Zn2+ is released by SD and may therefore provide a significant source of Zn2+ in the postischemic period. Spreading depression-like events were generated in acutely prepared murine hippocampal slices by deprivation of oxygen and glucose (OGD), and Zn2+ release was detected extracellularly by a Zn2+-selective indicator FluoZin-3. Deprivation of oxygen and glucose-SD produced large FluoZin-3 increases that propagated with the event, and signals were abolished in tissues from ZnT3 knockout animals lacking synaptic Zn2+. Synaptic Zn2+ release was also maintained with repetitive SDs generated by microinjections of KCl under normoxic conditions. Intracellular Zn2+ accumulation in CA1 neurons, assessed using microinjection of FluoZin-3, showed significant increases following SD that was attributed to synaptic Zn2+ release. These results suggest that Zn2+ is released during SDs and could provide a significant source of Zn2+ that contributes to neurodegeneration in the postischemic period. PMID:20978516

Efficient quasi-monoenergetic ion beams from laser-driven relativistic plasmas

PubMed Central

Palaniyappan, Sasi; Huang, Chengkun; Gautier, Donald C.; Hamilton, Christopher E.; Santiago, Miguel A.; Kreuzer, Christian; Sefkow, Adam B.; Shah, Rahul C.; Fernández, Juan C.

2015-01-01

Table-top laser–plasma ion accelerators have many exciting applications, many of which require ion beams with simultaneous narrow energy spread and high conversion efficiency. However, achieving these requirements has been elusive. Here we report the experimental demonstration of laser-driven ion beams with narrow energy spread and energies up to 18 MeV per nucleon and ∼5% conversion efficiency (that is 4 J out of 80-J laser). Using computer simulations we identify a self-organizing scheme that reduces the ion energy spread after the laser exits the plasma through persisting self-generated plasma electric (∼1012 V m−1) and magnetic (∼104 T) fields. These results contribute to the development of next generation compact accelerators suitable for many applications such as isochoric heating for ion-fast ignition and producing warm dense matter for basic science. PMID:26657147

Efficient quasi-monoenergetic ion beams from laser-driven relativistic plasmas

DOE PAGES

Palaniyappan, Sasi; Huang, Chengkun; Gautier, Donald C.; ...

2015-12-11

Here, table-top laser–plasma ion accelerators have many exciting applications, many of which require ion beams with simultaneous narrow energy spread and high conversion efficiency. However, achieving these requirements has been elusive. Here we report the experimental demonstration of laser-driven ion beams with narrow energy spread and energies up to 18 MeV per nucleon and ~5% conversion efficiency (that is 4 J out of 80-J laser). Using computer simulations we identify a self-organizing scheme that reduces the ion energy spread after the laser exits the plasma through persisting self-generated plasma electric (~10 12 V m –1) and magnetic (~10 4 T)more » fields. These results contribute to the development of next generation compact accelerators suitable for many applications such as isochoric heating for ion-fast ignition and producing warm dense matter for basic science.« less

Freezing effect on bread appearance evaluated by digital imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zayas, Inna Y.

1999-01-01

In marketing channels, bread is sometimes delivered in a frozen sate for distribution. Changes occur in physical dimensions, crumb grain and appearance of slices. Ten loaves, twelve bread slices per loaf were scanned for digital image analysis and then frozen in a commercial refrigerator. The bread slices were stored for four weeks scanned again, permitted to thaw and scanned a third time. Image features were extracted, to determine shape, size and image texture of the slices. Different thresholds of grey levels were set to detect changes that occurred in crumb, images were binarized at these settings. The number of pixels falling into these gray level settings were determined for each slice. Image texture features of subimages of each slice were calculated to quantify slice crumb grain. The image features of the slice size showed shrinking of bread slices, as a results of freezing and storage, although shape of slices did not change markedly. Visible crumb texture changes occurred and these changes were depicted by changes in image texture features. Image texture features showed that slice crumb changed differently at the center of a slice compared to a peripheral area close to the crust. Image texture and slice features were sufficient for discrimination of slices before and after freezing and after thawing.

Peculiarities of spreading of acoustic waves over a shelf with decreasing depth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolgikh, G. I.; Budrin, S. S.; Ovcharenko, V. V.; Plotnikov, A. A.

2016-09-01

We analyze experimental data collected in Vityaz Bay of the Sea of Japan during study of the peculiarities of spreading of hydroacoustic waves over a shelf with decreasing depth. We found that the waves propagate over a shelf with depths greater than half of the hydroacoustic wave according to the law of cylindrical divergence with least losses of the wave energy. If the depths are shallower than half of the hydroacoustic wave, they spread along the water-bottom boundary as Rayleigh waves of decaying and undamped types with significant absorption of the wave energy by the bottom.

Lung fissure detection in CT images using global minimal paths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Appia, Vikram; Patil, Uday; Das, Bipul

2010-03-01

Pulmonary fissures separate human lungs into five distinct regions called lobes. Detection of fissure is essential for localization of the lobar distribution of lung diseases, surgical planning and follow-up. Treatment planning also requires calculation of the lobe volume. This volume estimation mandates accurate segmentation of the fissures. Presence of other structures (like vessels) near the fissure, along with its high variational probability in terms of position, shape etc. makes the lobe segmentation a challenging task. Also, false incomplete fissures and occurrence of diseases add to the complications of fissure detection. In this paper, we propose a semi-automated fissure segmentation algorithm using a minimal path approach on CT images. An energy function is defined such that the path integral over the fissure is the global minimum. Based on a few user defined points on a single slice of the CT image, the proposed algorithm minimizes a 2D energy function on the sagital slice computed using (a) intensity (b) distance of the vasculature, (c) curvature in 2D, (d) continuity in 3D. The fissure is the infimum energy path between a representative point on the fissure and nearest lung boundary point in this energy domain. The algorithm has been tested on 10 CT volume datasets acquired from GE scanners at multiple clinical sites. The datasets span through different pathological conditions and varying imaging artifacts.

Maximum spreading of liquid drop on various substrates with different wettabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choudhury, Raihan; Choi, Junho; Yang, Sangsun; Kim, Yong-Jin; Lee, Donggeun

2017-09-01

This paper describes a novel model developed for a priori prediction of the maximal spread of a liquid drop on a surface. As a first step, a series of experiments were conducted under precise control of the initial drop diameter, its falling height, roughness, and wettability of dry surfaces. The transient liquid spreading was recorded by a high-speed camera to obtain its maximum spreading under various conditions. Eight preexisting models were tested for accurate prediction of the maximum spread; however, most of the model predictions were not satisfactory except one, in comparison with our experimental data. A comparative scaling analysis of the literature models was conducted to elucidate the condition-dependent prediction characteristics of the models. The conditioned bias in the predictions was mainly attributed to the inappropriate formulations of viscous dissipation or interfacial energy of liquid on the surface. Hence, a novel model based on energy balance during liquid impact was developed to overcome the limitations of the previous models. As a result, the present model was quite successful in predicting the liquid spread in all the conditions.

Impact of inward turbulence spreading on energy loss of edge-localized modes

DOE PAGES

Ma, C. H.; Xu, X. Q.; Xi, P. W.; ...

2015-05-18

Nonlinear two-fluid and gyrofluid simulations show that an edge localized modes(ELM) crash has two phases: fast initial crash of ion temperature perturbation on the Alfvén time scale and slow turbulence spreading. The turbulencetransport phase is a slow encroachment of electron temperature perturbation due to the ELM event into pedestal region. Because of the inward turbulence spreading effect, the energy loss of an ELM decreases when density pedestal height increases. The Landau resonance yields the different cross phase-shift of ions and electrons. A 3 + 1 gyro-Landau-fluid model is implemented in BOUT++ framework. As a result, the gyrofluid simulations show thatmore » the kinetic effects have stabilizing effects on the ideal ballooning mode and the energy loss increases with the pedestal height.« less

Current economic and sensitivity analysis for ID slicing of 4 inch and 6 inch diameter silicon ingots for photovoltaic applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, E. G.; Johnson, C. M.

1982-01-01

The economics and sensitivities of slicing large diameter silicon ingots for photovoltaic applications were examined. Current economics and slicing add on cost sensitivities are calculated using variable parameters for blade life, slicing yield, and slice cutting speed. It is indicated that cutting speed has the biggest impact on slicing add on cost, followed by slicing yield, and by blade life as the blade life increases.

Design of the ILC RTML Extraction Lines

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

Seletskiy, S.; Tenenbaum, P.; Walz, D.

2011-10-17

The ILC [1] Damping Ring to the Main Linac beamline (RTML) contains three extraction lines (EL). Each EL can be used both for an emergency abort dumping of the beam and tune-up continual train-by-train extraction. Two of the extraction lines are located downstream of the first and second stages of the RTML bunch compressor, and must accept both compressed and uncompressed beam with energy spreads of 2.5% and 0.15%, respectively. In this paper we report on an optics design that allowed minimizing the length of the extraction lines while offsetting the beam dumps from the main line by the distancemore » required for acceptable radiation levels in the service tunnel. The proposed extraction lines can accommodate beams with different energy spreads while at the same time providing the beam size acceptable for the aluminum dump window. The RTML incorporates three extraction lines, which can be used for either an emergency beam abort or for a train-by-train extraction. The first EL is located downstream of the Damping Ring extraction arc. The other two extraction lines are located downstream of each stage of the two-stage bunch compressor. The first extraction line (EL1) receives 5GeV beam with an 0.15% energy spread. The extraction line located downstream of the first stage of bunch compressor (ELBC1) receives both compressed and uncompressed beam, and therefore must accept beam with both 5 and 4.88GeV energy, and 0.15% and 2.5% energy spread, respectively. The extraction line located after the second stage of the bunch compressor (ELBC2) receives 15GeV beam with either 0.15 or 1.8% energy spread. Each of the three extraction lines is equipped with the 220kW aluminum ball dump, which corresponds to the power of the continuously dumped beam with 5GeV energy, i.e., the beam trains must be delivered to the ELBC2 dump at reduced repetition rate.« less

1D momentum-conserving systems: the conundrum of anomalous versus normal heat transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yunyun; Liu, Sha; Li, Nianbei; Hänggi, Peter; Li, Baowen

2015-04-01

Transport and the spread of heat in Hamiltonian one dimensional momentum conserving nonlinear systems is commonly thought to proceed anomalously. Notable exceptions, however, do exist of which the coupled rotator model is a prominent case. Therefore, the quest arises to identify the origin of manifest anomalous energy and momentum transport in those low dimensional systems. We develop the theory for both, the statistical densities for momentum- and energy-spread and particularly its momentum-/heat-diffusion behavior, as well as its corresponding momentum/heat transport features. We demonstrate that the second temporal derivative of the mean squared deviation of the momentum spread is proportional to the equilibrium correlation of the total momentum flux. Subtracting the part which corresponds to a ballistic momentum spread relates (via this integrated, subleading momentum flux correlation) to an effective viscosity, or equivalently, to the underlying momentum diffusivity. We next put forward the intriguing hypothesis: normal spread of this so adjusted excess momentum density causes normal energy spread and alike normal heat transport (Fourier Law). Its corollary being that an anomalous, superdiffusive broadening of this adjusted excess momentum density in turn implies an anomalous energy spread and correspondingly anomalous, superdiffusive heat transport. This hypothesis is successfully corroborated within extensive molecular dynamics simulations over large extended time scales. Our numerical validation of the hypothesis involves four distinct archetype classes of nonlinear pair-interaction potentials: (i) a globally bounded pair interaction (the noted coupled rotator model), (ii) unbounded interactions acting at large distances (the coupled rotator model amended with harmonic pair interactions), (iii) the case of a hard point gas with unbounded square-well interactions and (iv) a pair interaction potential being unbounded at short distances while displaying an asymptotic free part (Lennard-Jones model). We compare our findings with recent predictions obtained from nonlinear fluctuating hydrodynamics theory.

Functional Connectivity in Islets of Langerhans from Mouse Pancreas Tissue Slices

PubMed Central

Stožer, Andraž; Gosak, Marko; Dolenšek, Jurij; Perc, Matjaž; Marhl, Marko; Rupnik, Marjan Slak; Korošak, Dean

2013-01-01

We propose a network representation of electrically coupled beta cells in islets of Langerhans. Beta cells are functionally connected on the basis of correlations between calcium dynamics of individual cells, obtained by means of confocal laser-scanning calcium imaging in islets from acute mouse pancreas tissue slices. Obtained functional networks are analyzed in the light of known structural and physiological properties of islets. Focusing on the temporal evolution of the network under stimulation with glucose, we show that the dynamics are more correlated under stimulation than under non-stimulated conditions and that the highest overall correlation, largely independent of Euclidean distances between cells, is observed in the activation and deactivation phases when cells are driven by the external stimulus. Moreover, we find that the range of interactions in networks during activity shows a clear dependence on the Euclidean distance, lending support to previous observations that beta cells are synchronized via calcium waves spreading throughout islets. Most interestingly, the functional connectivity patterns between beta cells exhibit small-world properties, suggesting that beta cells do not form a homogeneous geometric network but are connected in a functionally more efficient way. Presented results provide support for the existing knowledge of beta cell physiology from a network perspective and shed important new light on the functional organization of beta cell syncitia whose structural topology is probably not as trivial as believed so far. PMID:23468610

Comparison of 2D and 3D wavelet features for TLE lateralization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jafari-Khouzani, Kourosh; Soltanian-Zadeh, Hamid; Elisevich, Kost; Patel, Suresh

2004-04-01

Intensity and volume features of the hippocampus from MR images of the brain are known to be useful in detecting the abnormality and consequently candidacy of the hippocampus for temporal lobe epilepsy surgery. However, currently, intracranial EEG exams are required to determine the abnormal hippocampus. These exams are lengthy, painful and costly. The aim of this study is to evaluate texture characteristics of the hippocampi from MR images to help physicians determine the candidate hippocampus for surgery. We studied the MR images of 20 epileptic patients. Intracranial EEG results as well as surgery outcome were used as gold standard. The hippocampi were manually segmented by an expert from T1-weighted MR images. Then the segmented regions were mapped on the corresponding FLAIR images for texture analysis. We calculate the average energy features from 2D wavelet transform of each slice of hippocampus as well as the energy features produced by 3D wavelet transform of the whole hippocampus volume. The 2D wavelet transform is calculated both from the original slices as well as from the slices perpendicular to the principal axis of the hippocampus. In order to calculate the 3D wavelet transform we first rotate each hippocampus to fit it in a rectangular prism and then fill the empty area by extrapolating the intensity values. We combine the resulting features with volume feature and compare their ability to distinguish between normal and abnormal hippocampi using linear classifier and fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm. Experimental results show that the texture features can correctly classify the hippocampi.

78 FR 46332 - Golden Spread Electric Cooperative, Inc. v. Southwestern Public Service Company; Notice of Complaint

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-31

... 309 of the Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 824, 824e, and 825e (2013) and Rule 206 of the Federal Energy...), alleging that the formula rate Replacement Power Sales Agreement (RPSA) by and between Golden Spread and SPS and the formula rate of the Xcel Joint Energy Open Access Tariff applicable to pricing of...

Arming USAF Senior Leaders With Words To Win

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

the US government has focused its energy and defensive capabilities on countering the spread of Islamic radical extremists and their brand of terrorism...the US government has focused its energy and defensive capabilities on countering the spread of Islamic radical extremists and their brand of...particular course discusses vocabulary in the block designated for medical officers, specifically when dealing with medical terms or with very emotional

Local production and provision of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) spread for the treatment of severe childhood malnutrition

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) spread has been shown to be very effective in the rehabilitation of severely malnourished children and facilitates home-based therapy of these children. RUTF spread is an edible lipid-based paste that is energy dense, resists bacterial contamination, and requires...

Performance of a SiPM based semi-monolithic scintillator PET detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xianming; Wang, Xiaohui; Ren, Ning; Kuang, Zhonghua; Deng, Xinhan; Fu, Xin; Wu, San; Sang, Ziru; Hu, Zhanli; Liang, Dong; Liu, Xin; Zheng, Hairong; Yang, Yongfeng

2017-10-01

A depth encoding PET detector module using semi-monolithic scintillation crystal single-ended readout by a SiPM array was built and its performance was measured. The semi-monolithic scintillator detector consists of 11 polished LYSO slices measuring 1  ×  11.6  ×  10 mm3. The slices are glued together with enhanced specular reflector (ESR) in between and outside of the slices. The bottom surface of the slices is coupled to a 4  ×  4 SiPM array with a 1 mm light guide and silicon grease between them. No reflector is used on the top surface and two sides of the slices to reduce the scintillation photon reflection. The signals of the 4  ×  4 SiPM array are grouped along rows and columns separately into eight signals. Four SiPM column signals are used to identify the slices according to the center of the gravity of the scintillation photon distribution in the pixelated direction. Four SiPM row signals are used to estimate the y (monolithic direction) and z (depth of interaction) positions according to the center of the gravity and the width of the scintillation photon distribution in the monolithic direction, respectively. The detector was measured with 1 mm sampling interval in both the y and z directions with electronic collimation by using a 0.25 mm diameter 22Na point source and a 1  ×  1  ×  20 mm3 LYSO crystal detector. An average slice based energy resolution of 14.9% was obtained. All slices of 1 mm thick were clearly resolved and a detector with even thinner slices could be used. The y positions calculated with the center of gravity method are different for interactions happening at the same y, but different z positions due to depth dependent edge effects. The least-square minimization and the maximum likelihood positioning algorithms were developed and both methods improved the spatial resolution at the edges of the detector as compared with the center of gravity method. A mean absolute error (MAE) which is defined as the probability-weighted mean of the absolute value of the positioning error is used to evaluate the spatial resolution. An average MAE spatial resolution of ~1.15 mm was obtained in both y and z directions without rejection of the multiple scattering events. The average MAE spatial resolution was ~0.7 mm in both y and z directions after the multiple scattering events were rejected. The timing resolution of the detector is 575 ps. In the next step, long rectangle detector will be built to reduce edge effects and improve the spatial resolution of the semi-monolithic detector. Thick detector up to 20 mm will be explored and the positioning algorithms will be further optimized.

Performance of a SiPM based semi-monolithic scintillator PET detector.

PubMed

Zhang, Xianming; Wang, Xiaohui; Ren, Ning; Kuang, Zhonghua; Deng, Xinhan; Fu, Xin; Wu, San; Sang, Ziru; Hu, Zhanli; Liang, Dong; Liu, Xin; Zheng, Hairong; Yang, Yongfeng

2017-09-21

A depth encoding PET detector module using semi-monolithic scintillation crystal single-ended readout by a SiPM array was built and its performance was measured. The semi-monolithic scintillator detector consists of 11 polished LYSO slices measuring 1  ×  11.6  ×  10 mm 3 . The slices are glued together with enhanced specular reflector (ESR) in between and outside of the slices. The bottom surface of the slices is coupled to a 4  ×  4 SiPM array with a 1 mm light guide and silicon grease between them. No reflector is used on the top surface and two sides of the slices to reduce the scintillation photon reflection. The signals of the 4  ×  4 SiPM array are grouped along rows and columns separately into eight signals. Four SiPM column signals are used to identify the slices according to the center of the gravity of the scintillation photon distribution in the pixelated direction. Four SiPM row signals are used to estimate the y (monolithic direction) and z (depth of interaction) positions according to the center of the gravity and the width of the scintillation photon distribution in the monolithic direction, respectively. The detector was measured with 1 mm sampling interval in both the y and z directions with electronic collimation by using a 0.25 mm diameter 22 Na point source and a 1  ×  1  ×  20 mm 3 LYSO crystal detector. An average slice based energy resolution of 14.9% was obtained. All slices of 1 mm thick were clearly resolved and a detector with even thinner slices could be used. The y positions calculated with the center of gravity method are different for interactions happening at the same y, but different z positions due to depth dependent edge effects. The least-square minimization and the maximum likelihood positioning algorithms were developed and both methods improved the spatial resolution at the edges of the detector as compared with the center of gravity method. A mean absolute error (MAE) which is defined as the probability-weighted mean of the absolute value of the positioning error is used to evaluate the spatial resolution. An average MAE spatial resolution of ~1.15 mm was obtained in both y and z directions without rejection of the multiple scattering events. The average MAE spatial resolution was ~0.7 mm in both y and z directions after the multiple scattering events were rejected. The timing resolution of the detector is 575 ps. In the next step, long rectangle detector will be built to reduce edge effects and improve the spatial resolution of the semi-monolithic detector. Thick detector up to 20 mm will be explored and the positioning algorithms will be further optimized.

Research on Free Electron Lasers

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-01

<exp(Aa)vo) >A = exp((YG -o/2) (67) For the exponential distribution function is another example that results from a symmetric angular spread in the...vo = 47 when there is an angular spread. This indicates that the actual peak moves to the right when 00 increases. The last term term decreases the...value of the gain at vo = F7 when either the angular spread ag or energy spread OG increases. 10. SPIE FEL Review Paper During the contracting period

New Approaches to Final Cooling

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

Neuffer, David

2014-11-10

A high-energy muon collider scenario require a “final cooling” system that reduces transverse emittances by a factor of ~10 while allowing longitudinal emittance increase. The baseline approach has low-energy transverse cooling within high-field solenoids, with strong longitudinal heating. This approach and its recent simulation are discussed. Alternative approaches which more explicitly include emittance exchange are also presented. Round-to-flat beam transform, transverse slicing, and longitudinal bunch coalescence are possible components of the alternative approach. A more explicit understanding of solenoidal cooling beam dynamics is introduced.

Energetic analysis of drop's maximum spreading on solid surface with low impact speed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Hai-Meng; Chen, Xiao-Peng

2018-02-01

Drops impacting on a flat solid surface will spread until it reaches maximum contact with the substrate underneath. After that, it recoils. In the present work, the variations of energy components during the spreading are studied carefully, including kinetic, capillary, and dissipated energies. Our experimental and numerical results show that, when the impact speed is low, the fast slipping of the contact line (in inertia-capillary regime) and corresponding "interface relaxation" lead to extra dissipation. An auxiliary dissipation is therefore introduced into the traditional theoretical model. The energy components predicted by the improved model agree with the experimental and numerical results very well. As the impact speed increases (the Weber number, W e =ρ D0V02/γ , becomes larger than 40 in the present work), the dissipation induced by the initial velocity plays more important roles. The analyses also indicate that on the hydrophobic surfaces the auxiliary dissipation is lower than that on hydrophilic ones. In the later circumstances, the contact angle is larger and the spreading is weaker.

Multiband tissue classification for ultrasonic transmission tomography using spectral profile detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Jeong-Won; Kim, Tae-Seong; Shin, Dae-Chul; Do, Synho; Marmarelis, Vasilis Z.

2004-04-01

Recently it was shown that soft tissue can be differentiated with spectral unmixing and detection methods that utilize multi-band information obtained from a High-Resolution Ultrasonic Transmission Tomography (HUTT) system. In this study, we focus on tissue differentiation using the spectral target detection method based on Constrained Energy Minimization (CEM). We have developed a new tissue differentiation method called "CEM filter bank". Statistical inference on the output of each CEM filter of a filter bank is used to make a decision based on the maximum statistical significance rather than the magnitude of each CEM filter output. We validate this method through 3-D inter/intra-phantom soft tissue classification where target profiles obtained from an arbitrary single slice are used for differentiation in multiple tomographic slices. Also spectral coherence between target and object profiles of an identical tissue at different slices and phantoms is evaluated by conventional cross-correlation analysis. The performance of the proposed classifier is assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. Finally we apply our method to classify tiny structures inside a beef kidney such as Styrofoam balls (~1mm), chicken tissue (~5mm), and vessel-duct structures.

Study of electrode slice forming of bicycle dynamo hub power connector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Dyi-Cheng; Jao, Chih-Hsuan

2013-12-01

Taiwan's bicycle industry has been an international reputation as bicycle kingdom, but the problem in the world makes global warming green energy rise, the development of electrode slice of hub dynamo and power output connector to bring new hope to bike industry. In this study connector power output to gather public opinion related to patent, basis of collected documents as basis for design, structural components in least drawn to power output with simple connector. Power output of this study objectives connector hope at least cost, structure strongest, highest efficiency in output performance characteristics such as use of computer-aided drawing software Solid works to establish power output connector parts of 3D model, the overall portfolio should be considered part types including assembly ideas, weather resistance, water resistance, corrosion resistance to vibration and power flow stability. Moreover the 3D model import computer-aided finite element analysis software simulation of expected the power output of the connector parts manufacturing process. A series of simulation analyses, in which the variables relied on first stage and second stage forming, were run to examine the effective stress, effective strain, press speed, and die radial load distribution when forming electrode slice of bicycle dynamo hub.

Investigation on thermodynamics of ion-slicing of GaN and heterogeneously integrating high-quality GaN films on CMOS compatible Si(100) substrates.

PubMed

Huang, Kai; Jia, Qi; You, Tiangui; Zhang, Runchun; Lin, Jiajie; Zhang, Shibin; Zhou, Min; Zhang, Bo; Yu, Wenjie; Ou, Xin; Wang, Xi

2017-11-08

Die-to-wafer heterogeneous integration of single-crystalline GaN film with CMOS compatible Si(100) substrate using the ion-cutting technique has been demonstrated. The thermodynamics of GaN surface blistering is in-situ investigated via a thermal-stage optical microscopy, which indicates that the large activation energy (2.5 eV) and low H ions utilization ratio (~6%) might result in the extremely high H fluence required for the ion-slicing of GaN. The crystalline quality, surface topography and the microstructure of the GaN films are characterized in detail. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) for GaN (002) X-ray rocking curves is as low as 163 arcsec, corresponding to a density of threading dislocation of 5 × 10 7  cm -2 . Different evolution of the implantation-induced damage was observed and a relationship between the damage evolution and implantation-induced damage is demonstrated. This work would be beneficial to understand the mechanism of ion-slicing of GaN and to provide a platform for the hybrid integration of GaN devices with standard Si CMOS process.

Compensating the electron beam energy spread by the natural transverse gradient of laser undulator in all-optical x-ray light sources.

PubMed

Zhang, Tong; Feng, Chao; Deng, Haixiao; Wang, Dong; Dai, Zhimin; Zhao, Zhentang

2014-06-02

All-optical ideas provide a potential to dramatically cut off the size and cost of x-ray light sources to the university-laboratory scale, with the combination of the laser-plasma accelerator and the laser undulator. However, the large longitudinal energy spread of the electron beam from laser-plasma accelerator may hinder the way to high brightness of these all-optical light sources. In this paper, the beam energy spread effect is proposed to be significantly compensated by the natural transverse gradient of a laser undulator when properly transverse-dispersing the electron beam. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulations on conventional laser-Compton scattering sources and high-gain all-optical x-ray free-electron lasers with the electron beams from laser-plasma accelerators are presented.

A shape-based statistical method to retrieve 2D TRUS-MR slice correspondence for prostate biopsy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitra, Jhimli; Srikantha, Abhilash; Sidibé, Désiré; Martí, Robert; Oliver, Arnau; Lladó, Xavier; Ghose, Soumya; Vilanova, Joan C.; Comet, Josep; Meriaudeau, Fabrice

2012-02-01

This paper presents a method based on shape-context and statistical measures to match interventional 2D Trans Rectal Ultrasound (TRUS) slice during prostate biopsy to a 2D Magnetic Resonance (MR) slice of a pre-acquired prostate volume. Accurate biopsy tissue sampling requires translation of the MR slice information on the TRUS guided biopsy slice. However, this translation or fusion requires the knowledge of the spatial position of the TRUS slice and this is only possible with the use of an electro-magnetic (EM) tracker attached to the TRUS probe. Since, the use of EM tracker is not common in clinical practice and 3D TRUS is not used during biopsy, we propose to perform an analysis based on shape and information theory to reach close enough to the actual MR slice as validated by experts. The Bhattacharyya distance is used to find point correspondences between shape-context representations of the prostate contours. Thereafter, Chi-square distance is used to find out those MR slices where the prostates closely match with that of the TRUS slice. Normalized Mutual Information (NMI) values of the TRUS slice with each of the axial MR slices are computed after rigid alignment and consecutively a strategic elimination based on a set of rules between the Chi-square distances and the NMI leads to the required MR slice. We validated our method for TRUS axial slices of 15 patients, of which 11 results matched at least one experts validation and the remaining 4 are at most one slice away from the expert validations.

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

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

Zhang, Zhijun; Li, Wentao; Wang, Wentao

2016-05-15

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

A Penning sputter ion source with very low energy spread

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nouri, Z.; Li, R.; Holt, R. A.; Rosner, S. D.

2010-03-01

We have developed a version of the Frankfurt Penning ion source that produces ion beams with very low energy spreads of ˜3 eV, while operating in a new discharge mode characterized by very high pressure, low voltage, and high current. The extracted ions also comprise substantial metastable and doubly charged species. Detailed studies of the operating parameters of the source showed that careful adjustment of the magnetic field and gas pressure is critical to achieving optimum performance. We used a laser-fluorescence method of energy analysis to characterize the properties of the extracted ion beam with a resolving power of 1×10 4, and to measure the absolute ion beam energy to an accuracy of 4 eV in order to provide some insight into the distribution of plasma potential within the ion source. This characterization method is widely applicable to accelerator beams, though not universal. The low energy spread, coupled with the ability to produce intense ion beams from almost any gas or conducting solid, make this source very useful for high-resolution spectroscopic measurements on fast-ion beams.

Control of tunable, monoenergetic laser-plasma-accelerated electron beams using a shock-induced density downramp injector

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

Swanson, K. K.; Tsai, H. -E.; Barber, S. K.

Control of the properties of laser-plasma-accelerated electron beams that were injected along a shock-induced density downramp through precision tailoring of the density profile was demonstrated using a 1.8 J, 45 fs laser interacting with a mm-scale gas jet. The effects on the beam spatial profile, steering, and absolute energy spread of the density region before the shock and tilt of the shock were investigated experimentally and with particle-in-cell simulations. By adjusting these density parameters, the electron beam quality was controlled and improved while the energy (30-180 MeV) and energy spread (2-11 MeV) were independently tuned. Simple models that are inmore » good agreement with the experimental results are proposed to explain these relationships, advancing the understanding of downramp injection. In conclusion, this technique allows for high-quality electron beams with percent-level energy spread to be tailored based on the application.« less

Control of tunable, monoenergetic laser-plasma-accelerated electron beams using a shock-induced density downramp injector

DOE PAGES

Swanson, K. K.; Tsai, H. -E.; Barber, S. K.; ...

2017-05-30

Control of the properties of laser-plasma-accelerated electron beams that were injected along a shock-induced density downramp through precision tailoring of the density profile was demonstrated using a 1.8 J, 45 fs laser interacting with a mm-scale gas jet. The effects on the beam spatial profile, steering, and absolute energy spread of the density region before the shock and tilt of the shock were investigated experimentally and with particle-in-cell simulations. By adjusting these density parameters, the electron beam quality was controlled and improved while the energy (30-180 MeV) and energy spread (2-11 MeV) were independently tuned. Simple models that are inmore » good agreement with the experimental results are proposed to explain these relationships, advancing the understanding of downramp injection. In conclusion, this technique allows for high-quality electron beams with percent-level energy spread to be tailored based on the application.« less

Single-stage plasma-based correlated energy spread compensation for ultrahigh 6D brightness electron beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manahan, G. G.; Habib, A. F.; Scherkl, P.; Delinikolas, P.; Beaton, A.; Knetsch, A.; Karger, O.; Wittig, G.; Heinemann, T.; Sheng, Z. M.; Cary, J. R.; Bruhwiler, D. L.; Rosenzweig, J. B.; Hidding, B.

2017-06-01

Plasma photocathode wakefield acceleration combines energy gains of tens of GeV m-1 with generation of ultralow emittance electron bunches, and opens a path towards 5D-brightness orders of magnitude larger than state-of-the-art. This holds great promise for compact accelerator building blocks and advanced light sources. However, an intrinsic by-product of the enormous electric field gradients inherent to plasma accelerators is substantial correlated energy spread--an obstacle for key applications such as free-electron-lasers. Here we show that by releasing an additional tailored escort electron beam at a later phase of the acceleration, when the witness bunch is relativistically stable, the plasma wave can be locally overloaded without compromising the witness bunch normalized emittance. This reverses the effective accelerating gradient, and counter-rotates the accumulated negative longitudinal phase space chirp of the witness bunch. Thereby, the energy spread is reduced by an order of magnitude, thus enabling the production of ultrahigh 6D-brightness beams.

Free Electron Laser Analysis For the Innovative Navy Prototype

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

important measure of electron beam quality is transverse emittance, which is the product of the RMS width and the angular spread of the beam, as measured...respect to s . This is possible because the electron’s position in s is uniquely defined for any given time by s = vst ≈ ct , therefore d 2 dt 2...Longitudinal emittance (keV ps) 70 dgog Beam energy spread (%) 0.37 dthetax Beam angular spread, x rms (mrad) 0.17 dthetay Beam angular spread, y rms (mrad

Slice regular functions of several Clifford variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghiloni, R.; Perotti, A.

2012-11-01

We introduce a class of slice regular functions of several Clifford variables. Our approach to the definition of slice functions is based on the concept of stem functions of several variables and on the introduction on real Clifford algebras of a family of commuting complex structures. The class of slice regular functions include, in particular, the family of (ordered) polynomials in several Clifford variables. We prove some basic properties of slice and slice regular functions and give examples to illustrate this function theory. In particular, we give integral representation formulas for slice regular functions and a Hartogs type extension result.

Modular electronics packaging system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Don J. (Inventor)

2001-01-01

A modular electronics packaging system includes multiple packaging slices that are mounted horizontally to a base structure. The slices interlock to provide added structural support. Each packaging slice includes a rigid and thermally conductive housing having four side walls that together form a cavity to house an electronic circuit. The chamber is enclosed on one end by an end wall, or web, that isolates the electronic circuit from a circuit in an adjacent packaging slice. The web also provides a thermal path between the electronic circuit and the base structure. Each slice also includes a mounting bracket that connects the packaging slice to the base structure. Four guide pins protrude from the slice into four corresponding receptacles in an adjacent slice. A locking element, such as a set screw, protrudes into each receptacle and interlocks with the corresponding guide pin. A conduit is formed in the slice to allow electrical connection to the electronic circuit.

Ion energy distribution near a plasma meniscus with beam extraction for multi element focused ion beams

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

Mathew, Jose V.; Paul, Samit; Bhattacharjee, Sudeep

2010-05-15

An earlier study of the axial ion energy distribution in the extraction region (plasma meniscus) of a compact microwave plasma ion source showed that the axial ion energy spread near the meniscus is small ({approx}5 eV) and comparable to that of a liquid metal ion source, making it a promising candidate for focused ion beam (FIB) applications [J. V. Mathew and S. Bhattacharjee, J. Appl. Phys. 105, 96101 (2009)]. In the present work we have investigated the radial ion energy distribution (IED) under the influence of beam extraction. Initially a single Einzel lens system has been used for beam extractionmore » with potentials up to -6 kV for obtaining parallel beams. In situ measurements of IED with extraction voltages upto -5 kV indicates that beam extraction has a weak influence on the energy spread ({+-}0.5 eV) which is of significance from the point of view of FIB applications. It is found that by reducing the geometrical acceptance angle at the ion energy analyzer probe, close to unidirectional distribution can be obtained with a spread that is smaller by at least 1 eV.« less

Noise Reduction and Correction in the IPNS Linac ESEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dooling, J. C.; Brumwell, F. R.; Donley, L.; McMichael, G. E.; Stipp, V. F.

2004-11-01

The Energy Spread and Energy Monitor (ESEM) is an on-line, non-intrusive diagnostic used to characterize the output beam from the 200-MHz, 50-MeV IPNS linac. The energy spread is determined from a 3-size, longitudinal emittance measurement; whereas the energy is derived from time of flight (TOF) analysis. Signals are detected on 50-ohm, stripline beam position monitors (BPMs) terminated in their characteristic impedance. Each BPM is constructed with four striplines: top, bottom, left and right. The ESEM signals are taken from the bottom stripline in four separate BPM locations in the 50-MeV transport line between the linac and the synchrotron. Deterministic linac noise is sampled before and after the 70-microsecond macropulse. The noise phasor is vectorially subtracted from the beam signal. Noise subtraction is required at several frequencies, especially the fundamental and fifth harmonics (200 MHz and 1 GHz). It is also necessary to correct for attenuation and dispersion in the co-axial signal cables. Presently, the analysis assumes a single particle distribution to determine energy and energy spread. Work is on-going to allow for more realistic longitudinal distributions to be included in the analysis.

Investigation of attenuation correction in SPECT using textural features, Monte Carlo simulations, and computational anthropomorphic models.

PubMed

Spirou, Spiridon V; Papadimitroulas, Panagiotis; Liakou, Paraskevi; Georgoulias, Panagiotis; Loudos, George

2015-09-01

To present and evaluate a new methodology to investigate the effect of attenuation correction (AC) in single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using textural features analysis, Monte Carlo techniques, and a computational anthropomorphic model. The GATE Monte Carlo toolkit was used to simulate SPECT experiments using the XCAT computational anthropomorphic model, filled with a realistic biodistribution of (99m)Tc-N-DBODC. The simulated gamma camera was the Siemens ECAM Dual-Head, equipped with a parallel hole lead collimator, with an image resolution of 3.54 × 3.54 mm(2). Thirty-six equispaced camera positions, spanning a full 360° arc, were simulated. Projections were calculated after applying a ± 20% energy window or after eliminating all scattered photons. The activity of the radioisotope was reconstructed using the MLEM algorithm. Photon attenuation was accounted for by calculating the radiological pathlength in a perpendicular line from the center of each voxel to the gamma camera. Twenty-two textural features were calculated on each slice, with and without AC, using 16 and 64 gray levels. A mask was used to identify only those pixels that belonged to each organ. Twelve of the 22 features showed almost no dependence on AC, irrespective of the organ involved. In both the heart and the liver, the mean and SD were the features most affected by AC. In the liver, six features were affected by AC only on some slices. Depending on the slice, skewness decreased by 22-34% with AC, kurtosis by 35-50%, long-run emphasis mean by 71-91%, and long-run emphasis range by 62-95%. In contrast, gray-level non-uniformity mean increased by 78-218% compared with the value without AC and run percentage mean by 51-159%. These results were not affected by the number of gray levels (16 vs. 64) or the data used for reconstruction: with the energy window or without scattered photons. The mean and SD were the main features affected by AC. In the heart, no other feature was affected. In the liver, other features were affected, but the effect was slice dependent. The number of gray levels did not affect the results.

Keeping the Edges Sharp I: Honing the Theory of Narrow Rings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, Douglas P.; Rimlinger, Thomas; Hahn, Joseph M.

2016-05-01

Most of the rings that encircle Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are very narrow structures with typical radial widths of just a few kilometers. Such extreme sharpness is surprising, as even slightly different orbital periods should allow ring particles to continually jostle one another in collisions that preserve angular momentum whileinexorably draining energy. Sharp edges should blur as rings spread in response to collisions and yet they do not. The generally accepted solution to this dilemma is to bracket each narrow ring with a pair of shepherding satellites that can pump energy back into the ring to replace that lost by collisions. But only a disappointing two of roughly twenty narrow rings actually have known attendant satellites. We present a compelling alternative in which the slight eccentricities and inclinations of narrow ringlets act as internal energy sources that can be tapped to prevent ring spreading. When unattended circular rings dissipate energy they must spread radially in order to preserve angular momentum. By contrast, eccentric or inclined rings have an extra degree of freedom that can be exploited to prevent radial spreading; energy is dissipated while keeping z-component of angular momentum, sqrt(a(1-e^2))cos(i), constant by simply decreasing the overall eccentricity (e) and/or inclination (i) of the entire ring. A real narrow ring moves inward as a unit, circularizes, and drops into the equatorial plane in a process that deters radial spreading for millions or billions of years. Using secular theory with dissipation (Zhang et al. 2013), we show that narrow rings are secular eigenstates in which ellipses are nested with pericenters almost, but not exactly aligned. The misalignment of pericenters is crucial in allowing energy dissipation to be shared evenly across the ring. We predict ring surface densities that are roughly constant across the ring's width, in contrast to profiles expected for shepherded rings. Rimlinger et al. (this meeting) present numerical simulations that critically test these findings.

Process contributions to the intermodel spread in amplified Arctic warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boeke, R.; Taylor, P. C.

2016-12-01

The Arctic is warming at a rate more than twice the global average. This robust climate system response to an external forcing is referred to as Arctic Amplification (AA). While Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) climate models simulate AA, the largest intermodel spread in projected warming is also found in the Arctic. Quantifying the amount of polar warming relative to global warming influences how society adapts to climate change; a 2°C increase in global mean temperature would result in a polar warming between 4-8°C according to the intermodel spread in CMIP5 simulations. A trove of previous work has considered AA diagnostically using variations in the surface energy budget to attribute the intermodel spread in AA to an assortment of feedbacks—surface albedo, cloud, surface turbulent flux, and atmospheric and oceanic energy transport. We consider a systems-thinking approach treating AA as a process that evolves over time. We hypothesize that two specific components of the AA process are most important and influence the intermodel spread. (1) The inability of the Arctic system to effectively remove excess heat sourced from natural variability. The change in the efficiency of the `Arctic air conditioner' is thought to be due to thinner and less extensive sea ice and the resulting ice albedo feedback. (2) The process through which energy is stored in the ocean and exchanged with the atmosphere within the context of the sea ice annual cycle is also important. This study uses CMIP5 simulations from the historical and RCP8.5 (Representative Concentration Pathway; an emission scenario with forcing increasing to 8.5 W m-2 by 2100) to analyze how the AA process operates in present and future climate. The intermodel spread in these processes and the influence on the spread in AA are discussed. This approach identifies models that more realistically simulate the AA process and will aid in narrowing intermodel spread in Arctic surface temperature projections.

Rapid sodium signaling couples glutamate uptake to breakdown of ATP in perivascular astrocyte endfeet.

PubMed

Langer, Julia; Gerkau, Niklas J; Derouiche, Amin; Kleinhans, Christian; Moshrefi-Ravasdjani, Behrouz; Fredrich, Michaela; Kafitz, Karl W; Seifert, Gerald; Steinhäuser, Christian; Rose, Christine R

2017-02-01

Perivascular endfeet of astrocytes are highly polarized compartments that ensheath blood vessels and contribute to the blood-brain barrier. They experience calcium transients with neuronal activity, a phenomenon involved in neurovascular coupling. Endfeet also mediate the uptake of glucose from the blood, a process stimulated in active brain regions. Here, we demonstrate in mouse hippocampal tissue slices that endfeet undergo sodium signaling upon stimulation of glutamatergic synaptic activity. Glutamate-induced endfeet sodium transients were diminished by TFB-TBOA, suggesting that they were generated by sodium-dependent glutamate uptake. With local agonist application, they could be restricted to endfeet and immunohistochemical analysis revealed prominent expression of glutamate transporters GLAST and GLT-1 localized towards the neuropil vs. the vascular side of endfeet. Endfeet sodium signals spread at an apparent maximum velocity of ∼120 µm/s and directly propagated from stimulated into neighboring endfeet; this spread was omitted in Cx30/Cx43 double-deficient mice. Sodium transients resulted in elevation of intracellular magnesium, indicating a decrease in intracellular ATP. In summary, our results establish that excitatory synaptic activity and stimulation of glutamate uptake in astrocytes trigger transient sodium increases in perivascular endfeet which rapidly spread through gap junctions into neighboring endfeet and cause a reduction of intracellular ATP. The newly discovered endfeet sodium signaling thereby represents a fast, long-lived and inter-cellularly acting indicator of synaptic activity at the blood-brain barrier, which likely constitutes an important component of neuro-metabolic coupling in the brain. GLIA 2017;65:293-308. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Slice profile effects in 2D slice-selective MRI of hyperpolarized nuclei.

PubMed

Deppe, Martin H; Teh, Kevin; Parra-Robles, Juan; Lee, Kuan J; Wild, Jim M

2010-02-01

This work explores slice profile effects in 2D slice-selective gradient-echo MRI of hyperpolarized nuclei. Two different sequences were investigated: a Spoiled Gradient Echo sequence with variable flip angle (SPGR-VFA) and a balanced Steady-State Free Precession (SSFP) sequence. It is shown that in SPGR-VFA the distribution of flip angles across the slice present in any realistically shaped radiofrequency (RF) pulse leads to large excess signal from the slice edges in later RF views, which results in an undesired non-constant total transverse magnetization, potentially exceeding the initial value by almost 300% for the last RF pulse. A method to reduce this unwanted effect is demonstrated, based on dynamic scaling of the slice selection gradient. SSFP sequences with small to moderate flip angles (<40 degrees ) are also shown to preserve the slice profile better than the most commonly used SPGR sequence with constant flip angle (SPGR-CFA). For higher flip angles, the slice profile in SSFP evolves in a manner similar to SPGR-CFA, with depletion of polarization in the center of the slice. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

2D and 3D registration methods for dual-energy contrast-enhanced digital breast tomosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, Kristen C.; Roth, Susan; Maidment, Andrew D. A.

2014-03-01

Contrast-enhanced digital breast tomosynthesis (CE-DBT) uses an iodinated contrast agent to image the threedimensional breast vasculature. The University of Pennsylvania is conducting a CE-DBT clinical study in patients with known breast cancers. The breast is compressed continuously and imaged at four time points (1 pre-contrast; 3 postcontrast). A hybrid subtraction scheme is proposed. First, dual-energy (DE) images are obtained by a weighted logarithmic subtraction of the high-energy and low-energy image pairs. Then, post-contrast DE images are subtracted from the pre-contrast DE image. This hybrid temporal subtraction of DE images is performed to analyze iodine uptake, but suffers from motion artifacts. Employing image registration further helps to correct for motion, enhancing the evaluation of vascular kinetics. Registration using ANTS (Advanced Normalization Tools) is performed in an iterative manner. Mutual information optimization first corrects large-scale motions. Normalized cross-correlation optimization then iteratively corrects fine-scale misalignment. Two methods have been evaluated: a 2D method using a slice-by-slice approach, and a 3D method using a volumetric approach to account for out-of-plane breast motion. Our results demonstrate that iterative registration qualitatively improves with each iteration (five iterations total). Motion artifacts near the edge of the breast are corrected effectively and structures within the breast (e.g. blood vessels, surgical clip) are better visualized. Statistical and clinical evaluations of registration accuracy in the CE-DBT images are ongoing.

Observations of energy transport and rate of spreads from low-intensity fires in longleaf pine habitat-RxCADRE 2012

Treesearch

Bret Butler; C. Teske; Dan Jimenez; Joseph O' Brien; Paul Sopko; Cyle Wold; Mark Vosburgh; Ben Hornsby; E. Louise Loudermilk

2016-01-01

Wildland fire rate of spread (ROS) and intensity are determined by the mode and magnitude of energy transport from the flames to the unburned fuels. Measurements of radiant and convective heating and cooling from experimental fires are reported here. Sensors were located nominally 0.5mabove ground level. Flame heights varied from 0.3 to 1.8 m and flaming zone depth...

Ion acceleration in electrostatic collisionless shock: on the optimal density profile for quasi-monoenergetic beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boella, E.; Fiúza, F.; Stockem Novo, A.; Fonseca, R.; Silva, L. O.

2018-03-01

A numerical study on ion acceleration in electrostatic shock waves is presented, with the aim of determining the best plasma configuration to achieve quasi-monoenergetic ion beams in laser-driven systems. It was recently shown that tailored near-critical density plasmas characterized by a long-scale decreasing rear density profile lead to beams with low energy spread (Fiúza et al 2012 Phys. Rev. Lett. 109 215001). In this work, a detailed parameter scan investigating different plasma scale lengths is carried out. As result, the optimal plasma spatial scale length that allows for minimizing the energy spread while ensuring a significant reflection of ions by the shock is identified. Furthermore, a new configuration where the required profile has been obtained by coupling micro layers of different densities is proposed. Results show that this new engineered approach is a valid alternative, guaranteeing a low energy spread with a higher level of controllability.

Possibility for ultra-bright electron beam acceleration in dielectric wakefield accelerators

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

Simakov, Evgenya I.; Carlsten, Bruce E.; Shchegolkov, Dmitry Yu.

2012-12-21

We describe a conceptual proposal to combine the Dielectric Wakefield Accelerator (DWA) with the Emittance Exchanger (EEX) to demonstrate a high-brightness DWA with a gradient of above 100 MV/m and less than 0.1% induced energy spread in the accelerated beam. We currently evaluate the DWA concept as a performance upgrade for the future LANL signature facility MaRIE with the goal of significantly reducing the electron beam energy spread. The preconceptual design for MaRIE is underway at LANL, with the design of the electron linear accelerator being one of the main research goals. Although generally the baseline design needs to bemore » conservative and rely on existing technology, any future upgrade would immediately call for looking into the advanced accelerator concepts capable of boosting the electron beam energy up by a few GeV in a very short distance without degrading the beam's quality. Scoping studies have identified large induced energy spreads as the major cause of beam quality degradation in high-gradient advanced accelerators for free-electron lasers. We describe simulations demonstrating that trapezoidal bunch shapes can be used in a DWA to greatly reduce the induced beam energy spread, and, in doing so, also preserve the beam brightness at levels never previously achieved. This concept has the potential to advance DWA technology to a level that would make it suitable for the upgrades of the proposed Los Alamos MaRIE signature facility.« less

Monte Carlo calculated microdosimetric spread for cell nucleus-sized targets exposed to brachytherapy 125I and 192Ir sources and 60Co cell irradiation.

PubMed

Villegas, Fernanda; Tilly, Nina; Ahnesjö, Anders

2013-09-07

The stochastic nature of ionizing radiation interactions causes a microdosimetric spread in energy depositions for cell or cell nucleus-sized volumes. The magnitude of the spread may be a confounding factor in dose response analysis. The aim of this work is to give values for the microdosimetric spread for a range of doses imparted by (125)I and (192)Ir brachytherapy radionuclides, and for a (60)Co source. An upgraded version of the Monte Carlo code PENELOPE was used to obtain frequency distributions of specific energy for each of these radiation qualities and for four different cell nucleus-sized volumes. The results demonstrate that the magnitude of the microdosimetric spread increases when the target size decreases or when the energy of the radiation quality is reduced. Frequency distributions calculated according to the formalism of Kellerer and Chmelevsky using full convolution of the Monte Carlo calculated single track frequency distributions confirm that at doses exceeding 0.08 Gy for (125)I, 0.1 Gy for (192)Ir, and 0.2 Gy for (60)Co, the resulting distribution can be accurately approximated with a normal distribution. A parameterization of the width of the distribution as a function of dose and target volume of interest is presented as a convenient form for the use in response modelling or similar contexts.

Geodesic Distance Algorithm for Extracting the Ascending Aorta from 3D CT Images

PubMed Central

Jang, Yeonggul; Jung, Ho Yub; Hong, Youngtaek; Cho, Iksung; Shim, Hackjoon; Chang, Hyuk-Jae

2016-01-01

This paper presents a method for the automatic 3D segmentation of the ascending aorta from coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). The segmentation is performed in three steps. First, the initial seed points are selected by minimizing a newly proposed energy function across the Hough circles. Second, the ascending aorta is segmented by geodesic distance transformation. Third, the seed points are effectively transferred through the next axial slice by a novel transfer function. Experiments are performed using a database composed of 10 patients' CCTA images. For the experiment, the ground truths are annotated manually on the axial image slices by a medical expert. A comparative evaluation with state-of-the-art commercial aorta segmentation algorithms shows that our approach is computationally more efficient and accurate under the DSC (Dice Similarity Coefficient) measurements. PMID:26904151

Device and method for generating a beam of acoustic energy from a borehole, and applications thereof

DOEpatents

Vu, Cung Khac; Sinha, Dipen N; Pantea, Cristian; Nihei, Kurt T; Schmitt, Denis P; Skelt, Christopher

2013-10-01

In some aspects of the invention, a method of generating a beam of acoustic energy in a borehole is disclosed. The method includes generating a first broad-band acoustic pulse at a first broad-band frequency range having a first central frequency and a first bandwidth spread; generating a second broad-band acoustic pulse at a second broad-band frequency range different than the first frequency range having a second central frequency and a second bandwidth spread, wherein the first acoustic pulse and second acoustic pulse are generated by at least one transducer arranged on a tool located within the borehole; and transmitting the first and the second broad-band acoustic pulses into an acoustically non-linear medium, wherein the composition of the non-linear medium produces a collimated pulse by a non-linear mixing of the first and second acoustic pulses, wherein the collimated pulse has a frequency equal to the difference in frequencies between the first central frequency and the second central frequency and a bandwidth spread equal to the sum of the first bandwidth spread and the second bandwidth spread.

The topology of large-scale structure. VI - Slices of the universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Changbom; Gott, J. R., III; Melott, Adrian L.; Karachentsev, I. D.

1992-03-01

Results of an investigation of the topology of large-scale structure in two observed slices of the universe are presented. Both slices pass through the Coma cluster and their depths are 100 and 230/h Mpc. The present topology study shows that the largest void in the CfA slice is divided into two smaller voids by a statistically significant line of galaxies. The topology of toy models like the white noise and bubble models is shown to be inconsistent with that of the observed slices. A large N-body simulation was made of the biased cloud dark matter model and the slices are simulated by matching them in selection functions and boundary conditions. The genus curves for these simulated slices are spongelike and have a small shift in the direction of a meatball topology like those of observed slices.

The topology of large-scale structure. VI - Slices of the universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, Changbom; Gott, J. R., III; Melott, Adrian L.; Karachentsev, I. D.

1992-01-01

Results of an investigation of the topology of large-scale structure in two observed slices of the universe are presented. Both slices pass through the Coma cluster and their depths are 100 and 230/h Mpc. The present topology study shows that the largest void in the CfA slice is divided into two smaller voids by a statistically significant line of galaxies. The topology of toy models like the white noise and bubble models is shown to be inconsistent with that of the observed slices. A large N-body simulation was made of the biased cloud dark matter model and the slices are simulated by matching them in selection functions and boundary conditions. The genus curves for these simulated slices are spongelike and have a small shift in the direction of a meatball topology like those of observed slices.

Comparison of 640-Slice Multidetector Computed Tomography Versus 32-Slice MDCT for Imaging of the Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis Lamina.

PubMed

Norris, Joseph M; Kishikova, Lyudmila; Avadhanam, Venkata S; Koumellis, Panos; Francis, Ian S; Liu, Christopher S C

2015-08-01

To investigate the efficacy of 640-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) for detecting osteo-odonto laminar resorption in the osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (OOKP) compared with the current standard 32-slice MDCT. Explanted OOKP laminae and bone-dentine fragments were scanned using 640-slice MDCT (Aquilion ONE; Toshiba) and 32-slice MDCT (LightSpeed Pro32; GE Healthcare). Pertinent comparisons including image quality, radiation dose, and scanning parameters were made. Benefits of 640-slice MDCT over 32-slice MDCT were shown. Key comparisons of 640-slice MDCT versus 32-slice MDCT included the following: percentage difference and correlation coefficient between radiological and anatomical measurements, 1.35% versus 3.67% and 0.9961 versus 0.9882, respectively; dose-length product, 63.50 versus 70.26; rotation time, 0.175 seconds versus 1.000 seconds; and detector coverage width, 16 cm versus 2 cm. Resorption of the osteo-odonto lamina after OOKP surgery can result in potentially sight-threatening complications, hence it warrants regular monitoring and timely intervention. MDCT remains the gold standard for radiological assessment of laminar resorption, which facilitates detection of subtle laminar changes earlier than the onset of clinical signs, thus indicating when preemptive measures can be taken. The 640-slice MDCT exhibits several advantages over traditional 32-slice MDCT. However, such benefits may not offset cost implications, except in rare cases, such as in young patients who might undergo years of radiation exposure.

Fluorescence microscopy point spread function model accounting for aberrations due to refractive index variability within a specimen.

PubMed

Ghosh, Sreya; Preza, Chrysanthe

2015-07-01

A three-dimensional (3-D) point spread function (PSF) model for wide-field fluorescence microscopy, suitable for imaging samples with variable refractive index (RI) in multilayered media, is presented. This PSF model is a key component for accurate 3-D image restoration of thick biological samples, such as lung tissue. Microscope- and specimen-derived parameters are combined with a rigorous vectorial formulation to obtain a new PSF model that accounts for additional aberrations due to specimen RI variability. Experimental evaluation and verification of the PSF model was accomplished using images from 175-nm fluorescent beads in a controlled test sample. Fundamental experimental validation of the advantage of using improved PSFs in depth-variant restoration was accomplished by restoring experimental data from beads (6  μm in diameter) mounted in a sample with RI variation. In the investigated study, improvement in restoration accuracy in the range of 18 to 35% was observed when PSFs from the proposed model were used over restoration using PSFs from an existing model. The new PSF model was further validated by showing that its prediction compares to an experimental PSF (determined from 175-nm beads located below a thick rat lung slice) with a 42% improved accuracy over the current PSF model prediction.

Propagation of cortical spreading depression into the hippocampus: The role of the entorhinal cortex.

PubMed

Martens-Mantai, Tanja; Speckmann, Erwin-Josef; Gorji, Ali

2014-07-22

Propagation of cortical spreading depression (CSD) to the subcortical structures could be the underlying mechanism of some neurological deficits in migraine with aura. The entorhinal cortex (EC) as a gray matter bridge between the neocortex and subcortical regions plays an important role in this propagation. In vitro combined neocortex-hippocampus brain slices were used to study the propagation pattern of CSD between the neocortex and the hippocampus. The effects of different compounds as well as tetanic electrical stimulations in the EC on propagation of CSD to the hippocampus were investigated. Repetitive induction of CSD by KCl injection in the somatosensory cortex enhanced the probability of CSD entrance to the hippocampus via EC. Local application of AMPA receptor blocker CNQX and cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN 55212-2 in EC facilitated the propagation of CSD to the hippocampus, whereas application of NMDA receptor blocker APV and GABA A receptor blocker bicuculline in this region reduced the probability of CSD penetration to the hippocampus. Application of tetanic stimulation in EC also facilitated the propagation of CSD entrance to the hippocampus. Our data suggest the importance of synaptic plasticity of EC in filtering the propagation of CSD into subcortical structures and possibly the occurrence of concomitant neurological deficits. Synapse, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Point spread function modeling and image restoration for cone-beam CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hua; Huang, Kui-Dong; Shi, Yi-Kai; Xu, Zhe

2015-03-01

X-ray cone-beam computed tomography (CT) has such notable features as high efficiency and precision, and is widely used in the fields of medical imaging and industrial non-destructive testing, but the inherent imaging degradation reduces the quality of CT images. Aimed at the problems of projection image degradation and restoration in cone-beam CT, a point spread function (PSF) modeling method is proposed first. The general PSF model of cone-beam CT is established, and based on it, the PSF under arbitrary scanning conditions can be calculated directly for projection image restoration without the additional measurement, which greatly improved the application convenience of cone-beam CT. Secondly, a projection image restoration algorithm based on pre-filtering and pre-segmentation is proposed, which can make the edge contours in projection images and slice images clearer after restoration, and control the noise in the equivalent level to the original images. Finally, the experiments verified the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed methods. Supported by National Science and Technology Major Project of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (2012ZX04007021), Young Scientists Fund of National Natural Science Foundation of China (51105315), Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi Province of China (2013JM7003) and Northwestern Polytechnical University Foundation for Fundamental Research (JC20120226, 3102014KYJD022)

Kainate toxicity in energy-compromised rat hippocampal slices: differences between oxygen and glucose deprivation.

PubMed

Schurr, A; Rigor, B M

1993-06-18

The effects of kainate (KA) on the recovery of neuronal function in rat hippocampal slices after hypoxia or glucose deprivation (GD) were investigated and compared to those of (R,S)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4- isoxazoleproprionate (AMPA). KA and AMPA were found to be more toxic than either N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), quinolinate, or glutamate, both under normal conditions and under states of energy deprivation. Doses as low as 1 microM KA or AMPA were sufficient to significantly reduce the recovery rate of neuronal function in slices after a standardized period of hypoxia or GD. The enhancement of hypoxic neuronal damage by both agonists could be partially blocked by the antagonist kynurenate, by the NMDA competitive antagonist AP5, and by elevating [Mg2+] in or by omitting Ca2+ from the perfusion medium. The AMPA antagonist glutamic acid diethyl ester was ineffective in preventing the enhanced hypoxic neuronal damage by either KA or AMPA. The antagonist of the glycine modulatory site on the NMDA receptor, 7-chlorokynurenate, did not block the KA toxicity but was able to block the toxicity of AMPA. 2,3-Dihydroxyquinoxaline completely blocked the KA- and AMPA-enhanced hypoxic neuronal damage. The KA-enhanced, GD-induced neuronal damage was prevented by Ca2+ depletion and partially antagonized by kynurenate but not by AP5 or elevated [Mg2+]. The results of the present study indicate that the KA receptor is involved in the mechanism of neuronal damage induced by hypoxia and GD, probably allowing Ca2+ influx and subsequent intracellular Ca2+ overload.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Slicing of silicon into sheet material: Silicon sheet growth development for the large area silicon sheet task of the low cost silicon solar array project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holden, S. C.

1976-01-01

Multiblade slurry sawing is used to slice 10 cm diameter silicon ingots into wafers 0.024 cm thick using 0.050 cm of silicon per slice (0.026 cm kerf loss). Total slicing time is less than twenty hours, and 143 slices are produced simultaneously. Productivity (slice area per hour per blade) is shown as a function or blade load and thickness, and abrasive size. Finer abrasive slurries cause a reduction in slice productivity, and thin blades cause a reduction of wafer accuracy. Sawing induced surface damage is found to extend 18 microns into the wafer.

Thin slices of child personality: Perceptual, situational, and behavioral contributions.

PubMed

Tackett, Jennifer L; Herzhoff, Kathrin; Kushner, Shauna C; Rule, Nicholas

2016-01-01

The present study examined whether thin-slice ratings of child personality serve as a resource-efficient and theoretically valid measurement of child personality traits. We extended theoretical work on the observability, perceptual accuracy, and situational consistency of childhood personality traits by examining intersource and interjudge agreement, cross-situational consistency, and convergent, divergent, and predictive validity of thin-slice ratings. Forty-five unacquainted independent coders rated 326 children's (ages 8-12) personality in 1 of 15 thin-slice behavioral scenarios (i.e., 3 raters per slice, for over 14,000 independent thin-slice ratings). Mothers, fathers, and children rated children's personality, psychopathology, and competence. We found robust evidence for correlations between thin-slice and mother/father ratings of child personality, within- and across-task consistency of thin-slice ratings, and convergent and divergent validity with psychopathology and competence. Surprisingly, thin-slice ratings were more consistent across situations in this child sample than previously found for adults. Taken together, these results suggest that thin slices are a valid and reliable measure to assess child personality, offering a useful method of measurement beyond questionnaires, helping to address novel questions of personality perception and consistency in childhood. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

High-order multiband encoding in the heart.

PubMed

Cunningham, Charles H; Wright, Graham A; Wood, Michael L

2002-10-01

Spatial encoding with multiband selective excitation (e.g., Hadamard encoding) has been restricted to a small number of slices because the RF pulse becomes unacceptably long when more than about eight slices are encoded. In this work, techniques to shorten multiband RF pulses, and thus allow larger numbers of slices, are investigated. A method for applying the techniques while retaining the capability of adaptive slice thickness is outlined. A tradeoff between slice thickness and pulse duration is shown. Simulations and experiments with the shortened pulses confirmed that motion-induced excitation profile blurring and phase accrual were reduced. The connection between gradient hardware limitations, slice thickness, and flow sensitivity is shown. Excitation profiles for encoding 32 contiguous slices of 1-mm thickness were measured experimentally, and the artifact resulting from errors in timing of RF pulse relative to gradient was investigated. A multiband technique for imaging 32 contiguous 2-mm slices, with adaptive slice thickness, was developed and demonstrated for coronary artery imaging in healthy subjects. With the ability to image high numbers of contiguous slices, using relatively short (1-2 ms) RF pulses, multiband encoding has been advanced further toward practical application. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

SU-E-I-90: Medical Physicists' Implication in Diagnostic CT in Switzerland: Results of After One Year of Experience

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

Ryckx, N.; Elandoy, C.; Bize, J.

2014-06-01

Purpose: Since January 1st 2008, the Swiss ordinance on radiation protection requires the involvement of a medical physicist to support the optimization process of medical imaging techniques using ionizing radiation. After a long process of implementation, this requirement is satisfied all over the country since the beginning of 2013. The goal of this contribution is to summarize the main results obtained in this first year of experience in CT. Methods: We assessed the output and clinical use of 45 CT units using a three-pronged approach. First, we assessed the output of the device (CTDIvol, primary beam collimation and HU inmore » water at different tube tensions). Secondly, we characterized the local chest and abdomen acquisition and reconstruction protocols using the Catphan 600 phantom. Lastly, we assessed the clinical use of the machine by analyzing an extract of a dozen clinical examinations per unit. Results: 9 out of 45 units had incorrect collimator settings, e.g. 4mm instead of 1mm. We witnessed also a large spread in reconstruction parameters, especially for reconstructed slice thickness, thus showing notable variations in low contrast detectability performances. Clinical practice is also clearly spread out. For example, estimated patient effective dose per abdomen examination lies at 18.7+/−12.7mSv (min: 2.0mSv — max: 112.0mSv). Chest and brain scans have a narrower dispersion, but patient effective dose is also spread by about a factor of 10 to 20. Conclusion: The spread in clinical practice being fairly large, it appears of crucial importance to collaborate more closely with radiologists and technologists to assess it. The lack of statistical precision will imply that we analyze clinical practice according to a specific medical demand rather than an anatomical region. Furthermore, low contrast sensitivity (LCD) being a crucial parameter, an objective method using a model observer will be used to assess LCD.« less

Relevance of Excitable Media Theory and Retinal Spreading Depression Experiments in Preclinical Pharmacological Research

PubMed Central

V.M, Fernandes de Lima; W, Hanke

2014-01-01

In preclinical neuropharmacological research, molecular, cell-based, and systems using animals are well established. On the tissue level the situation is less comfortable, although during the last decades some effort went into establishing such systems, i.e. using slices of the vertebrate brain together with optical and electrophysiological techniques. However, these methods are neither fast, nor can they be automated or upscaled. By contrast, the chicken retina can be used as a suitable model. It is easy accessible and can be kept alive in vitro for hours up to days. Due to its structure, in addition the retina displays remarkable intrinsic optical signals, which can be easily used in experiments. Also to electrophysiological methods the retina is well accessible. In excitable tissue, to which the brain and the retina belong, propagating excitation waves can be expected, and the spreading depression is such a phenomenon. It has been first observed in the forties of the last century. Later, Martins-Ferreira established it in the chicken retina (retinal spreading depression or RSD). The electrophysiological characteristics of it are identical with those of the cortical SD. The metabolic differences are known and can be taken into account. The experimental advantage of the RSD compared to the cortical SD is the pronounced intrinsic optical signal (IOS) associated with the travelling wave. This is due to the maximum transparency of retinal tissue in the functional state; thus any physiological event will change it markedly and therefore can be easily seen even by naked eye. The theory can explain wave spread in one (action potentials), two (RSDs) and three dimensions (one heart beat). In this review we present the experimental and the excitable media context for the data interpretation using as example the cholinergic pharmacology in relation to functional syndromes. We also discuss the intrinsic optical signal and how to use it in pre-clinical research. PMID:25426010

Feasibility of Pathology-Correlated Lung Imaging for Accurate Target Definition of Lung Tumors

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

Stroom, Joep; Blaauwgeers, Hans; Baardwijk, Angela van

2007-09-01

Purpose: To accurately define the gross tumor volume (GTV) and clinical target volume (GTV plus microscopic disease spread) for radiotherapy, the pretreatment imaging findings should be correlated with the histopathologic findings. In this pilot study, we investigated the feasibility of pathology-correlated imaging for lung tumors, taking into account lung deformations after surgery. Methods and Materials: High-resolution multislice computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans were obtained for 5 patients who had non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) before lobectomy. At the pathologic examination, the involved lung lobes were inflated with formalin, sectioned in parallel slices, and photographed, and microscopic sectionsmore » were obtained. The GTVs were delineated for CT and autocontoured at the 42% PET level, and both were compared with the histopathologic volumes. The CT data were subsequently reformatted in the direction of the macroscopic sections, and the corresponding fiducial points in both images were compared. Hence, the lung deformations were determined to correct the distances of microscopic spread. Results: In 4 of 5 patients, the GTV{sub CT} was, on average, 4 cm{sup 3} ({approx}53%) too large. In contrast, for 1 patient (with lymphangitis carcinomatosa), the GTV{sub CT} was 16 cm{sup 3} ({approx}40%) too small. The GTV{sub PET} was too small for the same patient. Regarding deformations, the volume of the well-inflated lung lobes on pathologic examination was still, on average, only 50% of the lobe volume on CT. Consequently, the observed average maximal distance of microscopic spread (5 mm) might, in vivo, be as large as 9 mm. Conclusions: Our results have shown that pathology-correlated lung imaging is feasible and can be used to improve target definition. Ignoring deformations of the lung might result in underestimation of the microscopic spread.« less

SU-E-T-98: An Analysis of TG-51 Electron Beam Calibration Correction Factor Uncertainty

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

Lee, P; Alvarez, P; Taylor, P

Purpose: To analyze the uncertainty of the TG-51 electron beam calibration correction factors for farmer type ion chambers currently used by institutions visited by IROC Houston. Methods: TG-51 calibration data were collected from 181 institutions visited by IROC Houston physicists for 1174 and 197 distinct electron beams from modern Varian and Elekta accelerators, respectively. Data collected and analyzed included ion chamber make and model, nominal energy, N{sub D,w}, I{sub 50}, R{sub 50}, k’R{sub 50}, d{sub ref}, P{sub gr} and pdd(d{sub ref}). k’R{sub 50} data for parallel plate chambers were excluded from the analysis. Results: Unlike photon beams, electron nominal energymore » is a poor indicator of the actual energy as evidenced by the range of R{sub 50} values for each electron beam energy (6–22MeV). The large range in R{sub 50} values resulted k’R{sub 50} values with a small standard deviation but large range between maximum value used and minimum value (0.001–0.029) used for a specific Varian nominal energy. Varian data showed more variability in k’R{sub 50} values than the Elekta data (0.001–0.014). Using the observed range of R{sub 50} values, the maximum spread in k’R{sub 50} values was determined by IROC Houston and compared to the spread of k’R{sub 50} values used in the community. For Elekta linacs the spreads were equivalent, but for Varian energies of 6 to 16MeV, the community spread was 2 to 6 times larger. Community P{sub gr} values had a much larger range of values for 6 and 9 MeV values than predicted. The range in Varian pdd(d{sub ref} ) used by the community for low energies was large, (1.4–4.9 percent), when it should have been very close to unity. Exradin, PTW Roos and PTW farmer chambers N{sub D,w} values showed the largest spread, ≥11 percent. Conclusion: While the vast majority of electron beam calibration correction factors used are accurate, there is a surprising spread in some of the values used.« less

Final cooling for a high-energy high-luminosity lepton collider

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neuffer, D.; Sayed, H.; Acosta, J.; Hart, T.; Summers, D.

2017-07-01

A high-energy muon collider requires a "final cooling" system that reduces transverse emittance by a factor of ~ 10, while allowing the longitudinal emittance to increase. The baseline approach has low-energy transverse cooling within high-field solenoids, with strong longitudinal heating. This approach and its recent simulation are discussed. Alternative approaches, which more explicitly include emittance exchange are also presented. Round-to-flat beam transform, transverse slicing, and longitudinal bunch coalescence are possible components of an alternative approach. Wedge-based emittance exchange could provide much of the required transverse cooling with longitudinal heating. Li-lens and quadrupole focusing systems could also provide much of the required final cooling.

RETROSPECTIVE DETECTION OF INTERLEAVED SLICE ACQUISITION PARAMETERS FROM FMRI DATA

PubMed Central

Parker, David; Rotival, Georges; Laine, Andrew; Razlighi, Qolamreza R.

2015-01-01

To minimize slice excitation leakage to adjacent slices, interleaved slice acquisition is nowadays performed regularly in fMRI scanners. In interleaved slice acquisition, the number of slices skipped between two consecutive slice acquisitions is often referred to as the ‘interleave parameter’; the loss of this parameter can be catastrophic for the analysis of fMRI data. In this article we present a method to retrospectively detect the interleave parameter and the axis in which it is applied. Our method relies on the smoothness of the temporal-distance correlation function, which becomes disrupted along the axis on which interleaved slice acquisition is applied. We examined this method on simulated and real data in the presence of fMRI artifacts such as physiological noise, motion, etc. We also examined the reliability of this method in detecting different types of interleave parameters and demonstrated an accuracy of about 94% in more than 1000 real fMRI scans. PMID:26161244

Energy transfer of highly vibrationally excited phenanthrene and diphenylacetylene.

PubMed

Hsu, Hsu Chen; Tsai, Ming-Tsang; Dyakov, Yuri; Ni, Chi-Kung

2011-05-14

The energy transfer between Kr atoms and highly vibrationally excited, rotationally cold phenanthrene and diphenylacetylene in the triplet state was investigated using crossed-beam/time-of-flight mass spectrometer/time-sliced velocity map ion imaging techniques. Compared to the energy transfer between naphthalene and Kr, energy transfer between phenanthrene and Kr shows a larger cross-section for vibrational to translational (V → T) energy transfer, a smaller cross-section for translational to vibrational and rotational (T → VR) energy transfer, and more energy transferred from vibration to translation. These differences are further enlarged in the comparison between naphthalene and diphenylacetylene. In addition, less complex formation and significant increases in the large V → T energy transfer probabilities, termed supercollisions in diphenylacetylene and Kr collisions were observed. The differences in the energy transfer between these highly vibrationally excited molecules are attributed to the low-frequency vibrational modes, especially those vibrations with rotation-like wide-angle motions.

Energy efficiency in wireless communication systems

DOEpatents

Caffrey, Michael Paul; Palmer, Joseph McRae

2012-12-11

Wireless communication systems and methods utilize one or more remote terminals, one or more base terminals, and a communication channel between the remote terminal(s) and base terminal(s). The remote terminal applies a direct sequence spreading code to a data signal at a spreading factor to provide a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) signal. The DSSS signal is transmitted over the communication channel to the base terminal which can be configured to despread the received DSSS signal by a spreading factor matching the spreading factor utilized to spread the data signal. The remote terminal and base terminal can dynamically vary the matching spreading factors to adjust the data rate based on an estimation of operating quality over time between the remote terminal and base terminal such that the amount of data being transmitted is substantially maximized while providing a specified quality of service.

Minimizing photodecomposition of flavin adenine dinucleotide fluorescence by the use of pulsed LEDs.

PubMed

Rösner, J; Liotta, A; Angamo, E A; Spies, C; Heinemann, U; Kovács, R

2016-11-01

Dynamic alterations in flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) fluorescence permit insight into energy metabolism-dependent changes of intramitochondrial redox potential. Monitoring FAD fluorescence in living tissue is impeded by photobleaching, restricting the length of microfluorimetric recordings. In addition, photodecomposition of these essential electron carriers negatively interferes with energy metabolism and viability of the biological specimen. Taking advantage of pulsed LED illumination, here we determined the optimal excitation settings giving the largest fluorescence yield with the lowest photobleaching and interference with metabolism in hippocampal brain slices. The effects of FAD bleaching on energy metabolism and viability were studied by monitoring tissue pO 2 , field potentials and changes in extracellular potassium concentration ([K + ] o ). Photobleaching with continuous illumination consisted of an initial exponential decrease followed by a nearly linear decay. The exponential decay was significantly decelerated with pulsed illumination. Pulse length of 5 ms was sufficient to reach a fluorescence output comparable to continuous illumination, whereas further increasing duration increased photobleaching. Similarly, photobleaching increased with shortening of the interpulse interval. Photobleaching was partially reversible indicating the existence of a transient nonfluorescent flavin derivative. Pulsed illumination decreased FAD photodecomposition, improved slice viability and reproducibility of stimulus-induced FAD, field potential, [K + ] o and pO 2 changes as compared to continuous illumination. © 2016 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2016 Royal Microscopical Society.

Contribution of Intrinsic Lactate to Maintenance of Seizure Activity in Neocortical Slices from Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and in Rat Entorhinal Cortex.

PubMed

Angamo, Eskedar Ayele; ul Haq, Rizwan; Rösner, Jörg; Gabriel, Siegrun; Gerevich, Zoltán; Heinemann, Uwe; Kovács, Richard

2017-08-23

Neuronal lactate uptake supports energy metabolism associated with synaptic signaling and recovery of extracellular ion gradients following neuronal activation. Altered expression of the monocarboxylate transporters (MCT) in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) hampers lactate removal into the bloodstream. The resulting increase in parenchymal lactate levels might exert both, anti- and pro-ictogen effects, by causing acidosis and by supplementing energy metabolism, respectively. Hence, we assessed the contribution of lactate to the maintenance of transmembrane potassium gradients, synaptic signaling and pathological network activity in chronic epileptic human tissue. Stimulus induced and spontaneous field potentials and extracellular potassium concentration changes (∆[K⁺] O ) were recorded in parallel with tissue pO₂ and pH in slices from TLE patients while blocking MCTs by α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (4-CIN) or d-lactate. Intrinsic lactate contributed to the oxidative energy metabolism in chronic epileptic tissue as revealed by the changes in pO₂ following blockade of lactate uptake. However, unlike the results in rat hippocampus, ∆[K⁺] O recovery kinetics and field potential amplitude did not depend on the presence of lactate. Remarkably, inhibition of lactate uptake exerted pH-independent anti-seizure effects both in healthy rat and chronic epileptic tissue and this effect was partly mediated via adenosine 1 receptor activation following decreased oxidative metabolism.

Contribution of Intrinsic Lactate to Maintenance of Seizure Activity in Neocortical Slices from Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and in Rat Entorhinal Cortex

PubMed Central

Angamo, Eskedar Ayele; Haq, Rizwan ul; Rösner, Jörg; Gabriel, Siegrun; Gerevich, Zoltán; Heinemann, Uwe

2017-01-01

Neuronal lactate uptake supports energy metabolism associated with synaptic signaling and recovery of extracellular ion gradients following neuronal activation. Altered expression of the monocarboxylate transporters (MCT) in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) hampers lactate removal into the bloodstream. The resulting increase in parenchymal lactate levels might exert both, anti- and pro-ictogen effects, by causing acidosis and by supplementing energy metabolism, respectively. Hence, we assessed the contribution of lactate to the maintenance of transmembrane potassium gradients, synaptic signaling and pathological network activity in chronic epileptic human tissue. Stimulus induced and spontaneous field potentials and extracellular potassium concentration changes (∆[K+]O) were recorded in parallel with tissue pO2 and pH in slices from TLE patients while blocking MCTs by α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (4-CIN) or d-lactate. Intrinsic lactate contributed to the oxidative energy metabolism in chronic epileptic tissue as revealed by the changes in pO2 following blockade of lactate uptake. However, unlike the results in rat hippocampus, ∆[K+]O recovery kinetics and field potential amplitude did not depend on the presence of lactate. Remarkably, inhibition of lactate uptake exerted pH-independent anti-seizure effects both in healthy rat and chronic epileptic tissue and this effect was partly mediated via adenosine 1 receptor activation following decreased oxidative metabolism. PMID:28832554

Can multi-slice or navigator-gated R2* MRI replace single-slice breath-hold acquisition for hepatic iron quantification?

PubMed

Loeffler, Ralf B; McCarville, M Beth; Wagstaff, Anne W; Smeltzer, Matthew P; Krafft, Axel J; Song, Ruitian; Hankins, Jane S; Hillenbrand, Claudia M

2017-01-01

Liver R2* values calculated from multi-gradient echo (mGRE) magnetic resonance images (MRI) are strongly correlated with hepatic iron concentration (HIC) as shown in several independently derived biopsy calibration studies. These calibrations were established for axial single-slice breath-hold imaging at the location of the portal vein. Scanning in multi-slice mode makes the exam more efficient, since whole-liver coverage can be achieved with two breath-holds and the optimal slice can be selected afterward. Navigator echoes remove the need for breath-holds and allow use in sedated patients. To evaluate if the existing biopsy calibrations can be applied to multi-slice and navigator-controlled mGRE imaging in children with hepatic iron overload, by testing if there is a bias-free correlation between single-slice R2* and multi-slice or multi-slice navigator controlled R2*. This study included MRI data from 71 patients with transfusional iron overload, who received an MRI exam to estimate HIC using gradient echo sequences. Patient scans contained 2 or 3 of the following imaging methods used for analysis: single-slice images (n = 71), multi-slice images (n = 69) and navigator-controlled images (n = 17). Small and large blood corrected region of interests were selected on axial images of the liver to obtain R2* values for all data sets. Bland-Altman and linear regression analysis were used to compare R2* values from single-slice images to those of multi-slice images and navigator-controlled images. Bland-Altman analysis showed that all imaging method comparisons were strongly associated with each other and had high correlation coefficients (0.98 ≤ r ≤ 1.00) with P-values ≤0.0001. Linear regression yielded slopes that were close to 1. We found that navigator-gated or breath-held multi-slice R2* MRI for HIC determination measures R2* values comparable to the biopsy-validated single-slice, single breath-hold scan. We conclude that these three R2* methods can be interchangeably used in existing R2*-HIC calibrations.

Analytical model and error analysis of arbitrary phasing technique for bunch length measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Qushan; Qin, Bin; Chen, Wei; Fan, Kuanjun; Pei, Yuanji

2018-05-01

An analytical model of an RF phasing method using arbitrary phase scanning for bunch length measurement is reported. We set up a statistical model instead of a linear chirp approximation to analyze the energy modulation process. It is found that, assuming a short bunch (σφ / 2 π → 0) and small relative energy spread (σγ /γr → 0), the energy spread (Y =σγ 2) at the exit of the traveling wave linac has a parabolic relationship with the cosine value of the injection phase (X = cosφr|z=0), i.e., Y = AX2 + BX + C. Analogous to quadrupole strength scanning for emittance measurement, this phase scanning method can be used to obtain the bunch length by measuring the energy spread at different injection phases. The injection phases can be randomly chosen, which is significantly different from the commonly used zero-phasing method. Further, the systematic error of the reported method, such as the influence of the space charge effect, is analyzed. This technique will be especially useful at low energies when the beam quality is dramatically degraded and is hard to measure using the zero-phasing method.

Generation of narrow energy spread ion beams via collisionless shock waves using ultra-intense 1 um wavelength laser systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albert, Felicie; Pak, A.; Kerr, S.; Lemos, N.; Link, A.; Patel, P.; Pollock, B. B.; Haberberger, D.; Froula, D.; Gauthier, M.; Glenzer, S. H.; Longman, A.; Manzoor, L.; Fedosejevs, R.; Tochitsky, S.; Joshi, C.; Fiuza, F.

2017-10-01

In this work, we report on electrostatic collisionless shock wave acceleration experiments that produced proton beams with peak energies between 10-17.5 MeV, with narrow energy spreads between Δ E / E of 10-20%, and with a total number of protons in these peaks of 1e7-1e8. These beams of ions were created by driving an electrostatic collisionless shock wave in a tailored near critical density plasma target using the ultra-intense ps duration Titan laser that operates at a wavelength of 1 um. The near critical density target was produced through the ablation of an initially 0.5 um thick Mylar foil with a separate low intensity laser. A narrow energy spread distribution of carbon / oxygen ions with a similar velocity to the accelerated proton distribution, consistent with the reflection and acceleration of ions from an electrostatic field, was also observed. This work was supported by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Laboratory Directed Research and Development program under project 15-LW-095, and the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA2734.

Energy 80 for the 1981-82 School Year. [Student Handbook].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enterprise for Education, Santa Monica, CA.

Energy 80 is a booklet of energy topics for junior/high/middle school students. The topics are presented in 16 short sections (spreads). Topics include: energy forms; energy rules; solar energy; food energy; origin of fossil fuels; coal; oil and gas production and consumption; nuclear fission; renewable energy sources; history of United States…

Hybrid response surface methodology-artificial neural network optimization of drying process of banana slices in a forced convective dryer.

PubMed

Taheri-Garavand, Amin; Karimi, Fatemeh; Karimi, Mahmoud; Lotfi, Valiullah; Khoobbakht, Golmohammad

2018-06-01

The aim of the study is to fit models for predicting surfaces using the response surface methodology and the artificial neural network to optimize for obtaining the maximum acceptability using desirability functions methodology in a hot air drying process of banana slices. The drying air temperature, air velocity, and drying time were chosen as independent factors and moisture content, drying rate, energy efficiency, and exergy efficiency were dependent variables or responses in the mentioned drying process. A rotatable central composite design as an adequate method was used to develop models for the responses in the response surface methodology. Moreover, isoresponse contour plots were useful to predict the results by performing only a limited set of experiments. The optimum operating conditions obtained from the artificial neural network models were moisture content 0.14 g/g, drying rate 1.03 g water/g h, energy efficiency 0.61, and exergy efficiency 0.91, when the air temperature, air velocity, and drying time values were equal to -0.42 (74.2 ℃), 1.00 (1.50 m/s), and -0.17 (2.50 h) in the coded units, respectively.

Surface modifications of crystal-ion-sliced LiNbO3 thin films by low energy ion irradiations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Xiaoyuan; Shuai, Yao; Gong, Chaoguan; Wu, Chuangui; Luo, Wenbo; Böttger, Roman; Zhou, Shengqiang; Zhang, Wanli

2018-03-01

Single crystalline 128°Y-cut LiNbO3 thin films with a thickness of 670 nm are fabricated onto Si substrates by means of crystal ion slicing (CIS) technique, adhesive wafer bonding using BCB as the medium layer to alleviate the large thermal coefficient mismatch between LiNbO3 and Si, and the X-ray diffraction pattern indicates the exfoliated thin films have good crystalline quality. The LiNbO3 thin films are modified by low energy Ar+ irradiation, and the surface roughness of the films is decreased from 8.7 nm to 3.4 nm. The sputtering of the Ar+ irradiation is studied by scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the results show that an amorphous layer exists at the surface of the exfoliated film, which can be quickly removed by Ar+ irradiation. A two-stage etching mechanism by Ar+ irradiation is demonstrated, which not only establishes a new non-contact surface polishing method for the CIS-fabricated single crystalline thin films, but also is potentially useful to remove the residue damage layer produced during the CIS process.

Automated 3D renal segmentation based on image partitioning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeghiazaryan, Varduhi; Voiculescu, Irina D.

2016-03-01

Despite several decades of research into segmentation techniques, automated medical image segmentation is barely usable in a clinical context, and still at vast user time expense. This paper illustrates unsupervised organ segmentation through the use of a novel automated labelling approximation algorithm followed by a hypersurface front propagation method. The approximation stage relies on a pre-computed image partition forest obtained directly from CT scan data. We have implemented all procedures to operate directly on 3D volumes, rather than slice-by-slice, because our algorithms are dimensionality-independent. The results picture segmentations which identify kidneys, but can easily be extrapolated to other body parts. Quantitative analysis of our automated segmentation compared against hand-segmented gold standards indicates an average Dice similarity coefficient of 90%. Results were obtained over volumes of CT data with 9 kidneys, computing both volume-based similarity measures (such as the Dice and Jaccard coefficients, true positive volume fraction) and size-based measures (such as the relative volume difference). The analysis considered both healthy and diseased kidneys, although extreme pathological cases were excluded from the overall count. Such cases are difficult to segment both manually and automatically due to the large amplitude of Hounsfield unit distribution in the scan, and the wide spread of the tumorous tissue inside the abdomen. In the case of kidneys that have maintained their shape, the similarity range lies around the values obtained for inter-operator variability. Whilst the procedure is fully automated, our tools also provide a light level of manual editing.

A Comparison of Different Slicing Planes in Preservation of Major Hippocampal Pathway Fibers in the Mouse

PubMed Central

Xiong, Guoxiang; Metheny, Hannah; Johnson, Brian N.; Cohen, Akiva S.

2017-01-01

The hippocampus plays a critical role in learning and memory and higher cognitive functions, and its dysfunction has been implicated in various neuropathological disorders. Electrophysiological recording undertaken in live brain slices is one of the most powerful tools for investigating hippocampal cellular and network activities. The plane for cutting the slices determines which afferent and/or efferent connections are best preserved, and there are three commonly used slices: hippocampal-entorhinal cortex (HEC), coronal and transverse. All three slices have been widely used for studying the major afferent hippocampal pathways including the perforant path (PP), the mossy fibers (MFs) and the Schaffer collaterals (SCs). Surprisingly, there has never been a systematic investigation of the anatomical and functional consequences of slicing at a particular angle. In the present study, we focused on how well fiber pathways are preserved from the entorhinal cortex (EC) to the hippocampus, and within the hippocampus, in slices generated by sectioning at different angles. The postmortem neural tract tracer 1,1′-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′3′-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI) was used to label afferent fibers to hippocampal principal neurons in fixed slices or whole brains. Laser scanning confocal microscopy was adopted for imaging DiI-labeled axons and terminals. We demonstrated that PP fibers were well preserved in HEC slices, MFs in both HEC and transverse slices and SCs in all three types of slices. Correspondingly, field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) could be consistently evoked in HEC slices when stimulating PP fibers and recorded in stratum lacunosum-moleculare (sl-m) of area CA1, and when stimulating the dentate granule cell layer (gcl) and recording in stratum lucidum (sl) of area CA3. The MF evoked fEPSPs could not be recorded in CA3 from coronal slices. In contrast to our DiI-tracing data demonstrating severely truncated PP fibers in coronal slices, fEPSPs could still be recorded in CA1 sl-m in this plane, suggesting that an additional afferent fiber pathway other than PP might be involved. The present study increases our understanding of which hippocampal pathways are best preserved in the three most common brain slice preparations, and will help investigators determine the appropriate slices to use for physiological studies depending on the subregion of interest. PMID:29201002

Laser acceleration of quasi-monoenergetic MeV ion beams.

PubMed

Hegelich, B M; Albright, B J; Cobble, J; Flippo, K; Letzring, S; Paffett, M; Ruhl, H; Schreiber, J; Schulze, R K; Fernández, J C

2006-01-26

Acceleration of particles by intense laser-plasma interactions represents a rapidly evolving field of interest, as highlighted by the recent demonstration of laser-driven relativistic beams of monoenergetic electrons. Ultrahigh-intensity lasers can produce accelerating fields of 10 TV m(-1) (1 TV = 10(12) V), surpassing those in conventional accelerators by six orders of magnitude. Laser-driven ions with energies of several MeV per nucleon have also been produced. Such ion beams exhibit unprecedented characteristics--short pulse lengths, high currents and low transverse emittance--but their exponential energy spectra have almost 100% energy spread. This large energy spread, which is a consequence of the experimental conditions used to date, remains the biggest impediment to the wider use of this technology. Here we report the production of quasi-monoenergetic laser-driven C5+ ions with a vastly reduced energy spread of 17%. The ions have a mean energy of 3 MeV per nucleon (full-width at half-maximum approximately 0.5 MeV per nucleon) and a longitudinal emittance of less than 2 x 10(-6) eV s for pulse durations shorter than 1 ps. Such laser-driven, high-current, quasi-monoenergetic ion sources may enable significant advances in the development of compact MeV ion accelerators, new diagnostics, medical physics, inertial confinement fusion and fast ignition.

Observation of the effect of targeted therapy of 64-slice spiral CT combined with cryoablation for liver cancer

PubMed Central

Yan, Qiao-Huan; Xu, Dian-Guo; Shen, Yan-Feng; Yuan, Ding-Ling; Bao, Jun-Hui; Li, Hai-Bin; Lv, Ying-Gang

2017-01-01

AIM To observe the effect of targeted therapy with 64-slice spiral computed tomography (CT) combined with cryoablation for liver cancer. METHODS A total of 124 patients (142 tumors) were enrolled into this study. According to the use of dual-slice spiral CT or 64-slice spiral CT as a guide technology, patients were divided into two groups: dual-slice group (n = 56, 65 tumors) and 64-slice group (n = 8, 77 tumors). All patients were accepted and received targeted therapy by an argon-helium superconducting surgery system. The guided scan times of the two groups was recorded and compared. In the two groups, the lesion ice coverage in diameter of ≥ 3 cm and < 3 cm were recorded, and freezing effective rate was compared. Hepatic perfusion values [hepatic artery perfusion (HAP), portal vein perfusion (PVP), and the hepatic arterial perfusion index (HAPI)] of tumor tissues, adjacent tissues and normal liver tissues at preoperative and postoperative four weeks in the two groups were compared. Local tumor changes were recorded and efficiency was compared at four weeks post-operation. Adverse events were recorded and compared between the two groups, including fever, pain, frostbite, nausea, vomiting, pleural effusion and abdominal bleeding. RESULTS Guided scan times in the dual-slice group was longer than that in the 64-slice group (t = 11.445, P = 0.000). The freezing effective rate for tumors < 3 cm in diameter in the dual-slice group (81.58%) was lower than that in the 64-slice group (92.86%) (χ2 = 5.707, P = 0.017). The HAP and HAPI of tumor tissues were lower at four weeks post-treatment than at pre-treatment in both groups (all P < 0.05), and those in the 64-slice group were lower than that in the dual-slice group (all P < 0.05). HAP and PVP were lower and HAPI was higher in tumor adjacent tissues at post-treatment than at pre-treatment (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, the treatment effect and therapeutic efficacy in the dual-slice group were lower than the 64-slice group at four weeks post-treatment (all P < 0.05). Moreover, pleural effusion and intraperitoneal hemorrhage occurred in patients in the dual-slice group, while no complications occurred in the 64-slice group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION 64-slice spiral CT applied with cryoablation in targeted therapy for liver cancer can achieve a safe and effective freezing treatment, so it is worth being used. PMID:28652661

Observation of the effect of targeted therapy of 64-slice spiral CT combined with cryoablation for liver cancer.

PubMed

Yan, Qiao-Huan; Xu, Dian-Guo; Shen, Yan-Feng; Yuan, Ding-Ling; Bao, Jun-Hui; Li, Hai-Bin; Lv, Ying-Gang

2017-06-14

To observe the effect of targeted therapy with 64-slice spiral computed tomography (CT) combined with cryoablation for liver cancer. A total of 124 patients (142 tumors) were enrolled into this study. According to the use of dual-slice spiral CT or 64-slice spiral CT as a guide technology, patients were divided into two groups: dual-slice group ( n = 56, 65 tumors) and 64-slice group ( n = 8, 77 tumors). All patients were accepted and received targeted therapy by an argon-helium superconducting surgery system. The guided scan times of the two groups was recorded and compared. In the two groups, the lesion ice coverage in diameter of ≥ 3 cm and < 3 cm were recorded, and freezing effective rate was compared. Hepatic perfusion values [hepatic artery perfusion (HAP), portal vein perfusion (PVP), and the hepatic arterial perfusion index (HAPI)] of tumor tissues, adjacent tissues and normal liver tissues at preoperative and postoperative four weeks in the two groups were compared. Local tumor changes were recorded and efficiency was compared at four weeks post-operation. Adverse events were recorded and compared between the two groups, including fever, pain, frostbite, nausea, vomiting, pleural effusion and abdominal bleeding. Guided scan times in the dual-slice group was longer than that in the 64-slice group ( t = 11.445, P = 0.000). The freezing effective rate for tumors < 3 cm in diameter in the dual-slice group (81.58%) was lower than that in the 64-slice group (92.86%) (χ 2 = 5.707, P = 0.017). The HAP and HAPI of tumor tissues were lower at four weeks post-treatment than at pre-treatment in both groups (all P < 0.05), and those in the 64-slice group were lower than that in the dual-slice group (all P < 0.05). HAP and PVP were lower and HAPI was higher in tumor adjacent tissues at post-treatment than at pre-treatment (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, the treatment effect and therapeutic efficacy in the dual-slice group were lower than the 64-slice group at four weeks post-treatment (all P < 0.05). Moreover, pleural effusion and intraperitoneal hemorrhage occurred in patients in the dual-slice group, while no complications occurred in the 64-slice group (all P < 0.05). 64-slice spiral CT applied with cryoablation in targeted therapy for liver cancer can achieve a safe and effective freezing treatment, so it is worth being used.

Driver-witness electron beam acceleration in dielectric mm-scale capillaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lekomtsev, K.; Aryshev, A.; Tishchenko, A. A.; Shevelev, M.; Lyapin, A.; Boogert, S.; Karataev, P.; Terunuma, N.; Urakawa, J.

2018-05-01

We investigated a corrugated mm-scale capillary as a compact accelerating structure in the driver-witness acceleration scheme, and suggested a methodology to measure the acceleration of the witness bunch. The accelerating fields produced by the driver bunch and the energy spread of the witness bunch in a corrugated capillary and in a capillary with a constant inner radius were measured and simulated for both on-axis and off-axis beam propagation. Our simulations predicted a change in the accelerating field structure for the corrugated capillary. Also, an approximately twofold increase of the witness bunch energy gain on the first accelerating cycle was expected for both capillaries for the off-axis beam propagation. These results were confirmed in the experiment, and the maximum measured acceleration of 170 keV /m at 20 pC driver beam charge was achieved for off-axis beam propagation. The driver bunch showed an increase in energy spread of up to 11%, depending on the capillary geometry and beam propagation, with a suppression of the longitudinal energy spread in the witness bunch of up to 15%.

Demonstration of self-truncated ionization injection for GeV electron beams

PubMed Central

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

2015-01-01

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

Spread of thermal energy and heat sinks: implications for nerve-sparing robotic prostatectomy.

PubMed

Khan, Farhan; Rodriguez, Esequiel; Finley, David S; Skarecky, Douglas W; Ahlering, Thomas E

2007-10-01

During nerve-sparing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy, nerve injury caused by thermal energy is a concern. Using a porcine model, we studied thermal spread and queried whether vessels such as the prostatic pedicle may act as a heat sink, reducing the spread of thermal energy. Monopolar (MP) and bipolar (BP) cautery was applied laparoscopically on the anterior abdominal wall surface of six pigs with the da Vinci robot. Using fiberoptic thermometry (Luxtron Inc. Santa Clara, CA), temperatures were recorded with and without the interposed inferior epigastric vessels to evaluate the heat sink effect. Interposition of the inferior epigastric vessels definitively demonstrated a heat sink phenomenon: at 7 mm from the MP/BP energy source, temperatures rose 10.7 degrees C to 13.8 degrees C without interposed vessels versus only 1.9 degrees C to 2.5 degrees C when vessels were interposed (P < 0.001). The heat sink phenomenon suggests that the prostatic vascular pedicle should be protective of the neurovascular bundle during transection of the bladder neck during laparoscopic prostatectomy.

In Pursuit of Improving Airburst and Ground Damage Predictions: Recent Advances in Multi-Body Aerodynamic Testing and Computational Tools Validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venkatapathy, Ethiraj; Gulhan, Ali; Aftosmis, Michael; Brock, Joseph; Mathias, Donovan; Need, Dominic; Rodriguez, David; Seltner, Patrick; Stern, Eric; Wiles, Sebastian

2017-01-01

An airburst from a large asteroid during entry can cause significant ground damage. The damage depends on the energy and the altitude of airburst. Breakup of asteroids into fragments and their lateral spread have been observed. Modeling the underlying physics of fragmented bodies interacting at hypersonic speeds and the spread of fragments is needed for a true predictive capability. Current models use heuristic arguments and assumptions such as pancaking or point source explosive energy release at pre-determined altitude or an assumed fragmentation spread rate to predict airburst damage. A multi-year collaboration between German Aerospace Center (DLR) and NASA has been established to develop validated computational tools to address the above challenge.

Portable Device Slices Thermoplastic Prepregs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Beverly A.; Boston, Morton W.; Wilson, Maywood L.

1993-01-01

Prepreg slitter designed to slit various widths rapidly by use of slicing bar holding several blades, each capable of slicing strip of preset width in single pass. Produces material evenly sliced and does not contain jagged edges. Used for various applications in such batch processes involving composite materials as press molding and autoclaving, and in such continuous processes as pultrusion. Useful to all manufacturers of thermoplastic composites, and in slicing B-staged thermoset composites.

A z-gradient array for simultaneous multi-slice excitation with a single-band RF pulse.

PubMed

Ertan, Koray; Taraghinia, Soheil; Sadeghi, Alireza; Atalar, Ergin

2018-07-01

Multi-slice radiofrequency (RF) pulses have higher specific absorption rates, more peak RF power, and longer pulse durations than single-slice RF pulses. Gradient field design techniques using a z-gradient array are investigated for exciting multiple slices with a single-band RF pulse. Two different field design methods are formulated to solve for the required current values of the gradient array elements for the given slice locations. The method requirements are specified, optimization problems are formulated for the minimum current norm and an analytical solution is provided. A 9-channel z-gradient coil array driven by independent, custom-designed gradient amplifiers is used to validate the theory. Performance measures such as normalized slice thickness error, gradient strength per unit norm current, power dissipation, and maximum amplitude of the magnetic field are provided for various slice locations and numbers of slices. Two and 3 slices are excited by a single-band RF pulse in simulations and phantom experiments. The possibility of multi-slice excitation with a single-band RF pulse using a z-gradient array is validated in simulations and phantom experiments. Magn Reson Med 80:400-412, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Bayesian framework inspired no-reference region-of-interest quality measure for brain MRI images

PubMed Central

Osadebey, Michael; Pedersen, Marius; Arnold, Douglas; Wendel-Mitoraj, Katrina

2017-01-01

Abstract. We describe a postacquisition, attribute-based quality assessment method for brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images. It is based on the application of Bayes theory to the relationship between entropy and image quality attributes. The entropy feature image of a slice is segmented into low- and high-entropy regions. For each entropy region, there are three separate observations of contrast, standard deviation, and sharpness quality attributes. A quality index for a quality attribute is the posterior probability of an entropy region given any corresponding region in a feature image where quality attribute is observed. Prior belief in each entropy region is determined from normalized total clique potential (TCP) energy of the slice. For TCP below the predefined threshold, the prior probability for a region is determined by deviation of its percentage composition in the slice from a standard normal distribution built from 250 MRI volume data provided by Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. For TCP above the threshold, the prior is computed using a mathematical model that describes the TCP–noise level relationship in brain MRI images. Our proposed method assesses the image quality of each entropy region and the global image. Experimental results demonstrate good correlation with subjective opinions of radiologists for different types and levels of quality distortions. PMID:28630885

HISTOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON THE UPTAKE OF HORSERADISH PEROXIDASE BY RAT KIDNEY SLICES

PubMed Central

Miller, A. T.; Hale, D. M.; Alexander, K. D.

1965-01-01

When rat kidney slices were incubated in the presence of horseradish peroxidase, there was an energy-dependent uptake of the protein by the cells of the kidney tubules. The uptake was greatest in the proximal convoluted tubules and in the thick ascending limbs of the loops of Henle; it was abolished by cold, anoxia, 2,4-dinitrophenol, and fluoroacetate, and was more readily depressed by unfavorable metabolic conditions in the proximal convoluted tubules than in the thick ascending limbs. Protein uptake was inhibited when the kidney slices were incubated in electrolyte-free media. In sodium chloride solutions, uptake was reduced as sodium was progressively replaced by choline, and ouabain inhibited uptake in the proximal convoluted tubules, but not in the thick ascending limbs. To a limited extent, lithium could replace sodium in the incubation medium with no depression of peroxidase uptake. These results suggest that a sodium-stimulated, ouabain-sensitive ATPase may be involved in the uptake of protein by cells of the kidney tubule. The intracellular transport of peroxidase in cells of the proximal convoluted tubules was abolished by cold, anoxia, and 2,4-dinitrophenol, but it was not affected by concentrations of ouabain which inhibited the uptake of the protein. PMID:5884629

Imaging of cochlear tissue with a grating interferometer and hard X-rays

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

Richter, Claus-Peter; Shintani-Smith, Stephanie; Fishman, Andrew

This article addresses an important current development in medical and biological imaging: the possibility of imaging soft tissue at resolutions in the micron range using hard X-rays. Challenging environments, including the cochlea, require the imaging of soft tissue structure surrounded by bone. We demonstrate that cochlear soft tissue structures can be imaged with hard X-ray phase contrast. Furthermore, we show that only a thin slice of the tissue is required to introduce a large phase shift. It is likely that the phase contrast image of the soft tissue structures is sufficient to image the structures even if surrounded by bone.more » For the present set of experiments, structures with low-absorption contrast have been visualized using in-line phase contrast imaging and a grating interferometer. The experiments have been performed at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratories, a third generation source of synchrotron radiation. The source provides highly coherent X-ray radiation with high-photon flux (>10{sup 12} photons/s) at high-photon energies (5-70 keV). Radiographic and light microscopy images of the gerbil cochlear slice samples were compared. It has been determined that a 20-{micro}m thick tissue slice induces a phase shift between 1/3{pi} and 2/3{pi}.« less

Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Key Metabolic Changes in the Hooded Seal (Cystophora cristata) Brain in Response to Hypoxia and Reoxygenation

PubMed Central

Czech-Damal, Nicole U.; Folkow, Lars P.

2017-01-01

The brain of diving mammals tolerates low oxygen conditions better than the brain of most terrestrial mammals. Previously, it has been demonstrated that the neurons in brain slices of the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) withstand hypoxia longer than those of mouse, and also tolerate reduced glucose supply and high lactate concentrations. This tolerance appears to be accompanied by a shift in the oxidative energy metabolism to the astrocytes in the seal while in terrestrial mammals the aerobic energy production mainly takes place in neurons. Here, we used RNA-Seq to compare the effect of hypoxia and reoxygenation in vitro on brain slices from the visual cortex of hooded seals. We saw no general reduction of gene expression, suggesting that the response to hypoxia and reoxygenation is an actively regulated process. The treatments caused the preferential upregulation of genes related to inflammation, as found before e.g. in stroke studies using mammalian models. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analyses showed a downregulation of genes involved in ion transport and other neuronal processes, indicative for a neuronal shutdown in response to a shortage of O2 supply. These differences may be interpreted in terms of an energy saving strategy in the seal's brain. We specifically analyzed the regulation of genes involved in energy metabolism. Hypoxia and reoxygenation caused a similar response, with upregulation of genes involved in glucose metabolism and downregulation of the components of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. We also observed upregulation of the monocarboxylate transporter Mct4, suggesting increased lactate efflux. Together, these data indicate that the seal brain responds to the hypoxic challenge by a relative increase in the anaerobic energy metabolism. PMID:28046118

Transit time spreads in biased paracentric hemispherical deflection analyzers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sise, Omer; Zouros, Theo J. M.

2016-02-01

The biased paracentric hemispherical deflection analyzers (HDAs) are an alternative to conventional (centric) HDAs maintaining greater dispersion, lower angular aberrations, and hence better energy resolution without the use of any additional fringing field correctors. In the present work, the transit time spread of the biased paracentric HDA is computed over a wide range of analyzer parameters. The combination of high energy resolution with good time resolution and simplicity of design makes the biased paracentric analyzers very promising for both coincidence and singles spectroscopy applications.

75 FR 58293 - Promoting a Competitive Market for Capacity Reassignment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-24

... energy market spread (differential in prices between the two locations) over the same time periods. \\21... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 18 CFR Part 35 [Docket No. RM10-22-000...: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory...

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

Johnston, H; UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX; Hilts, M

Purpose: To commission a multislice computed tomography (CT) scanner for fast and reliable readout of radiation therapy (RT) dose distributions using CT polymer gel dosimetry (PGD). Methods: Commissioning was performed for a 16-slice CT scanner using images acquired through a 1L cylinder filled with water. Additional images were collected using a single slice machine for comparison purposes. The variability in CT number associated with the anode heel effect was evaluated and used to define a new slice-by-slice background image subtraction technique. Image quality was assessed for the multislice system by comparing image noise and uniformity to that of the singlemore » slice machine. The consistency in CT number across slices acquired simultaneously using the multislice detector array was also evaluated. Finally, the variability in CT number due to increasing x-ray tube load was measured for the multislice scanner and compared to the tube load effects observed on the single slice machine. Results: Slice-by-slice background subtraction effectively removes the variability in CT number across images acquired simultaneously using the multislice scanner and is the recommended background subtraction method when using a multislice CT system. Image quality for the multislice machine was found to be comparable to that of the single slice scanner. Further study showed CT number was consistent across image slices acquired simultaneously using the multislice detector array for each detector configuration of the slice thickness examined. In addition, the multislice system was found to eliminate variations in CT number due to increasing x-ray tube load and reduce scanning time by a factor of 4 when compared to imaging a large volume using a single slice scanner. Conclusion: A multislice CT scanner has been commissioning for CT PGD, allowing images of an entire dose distribution to be acquired in a matter of minutes. Funding support provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)« less

A fourth gradient to overcome slice dependent phase effects of voxel-sized coils in planar arrays.

PubMed

Bosshard, John C; Eigenbrodt, Edwin P; McDougall, Mary P; Wright, Steven M

2010-01-01

The signals from an array of densely spaced long and narrow receive coils for MRI are complicated when the voxel size is of comparable dimension to the coil size. The RF coil causes a phase gradient across each voxel, which is dependent on the distance from the coil, resulting in a slice dependent shift of k-space. A fourth gradient coil has been implemented and used with the system's gradient set to create a gradient field which varies with slice. The gradients are pulsed together to impart a slice dependent phase gradient to compensate for the slice dependent phase due to the RF coils. However the non-linearity in the fourth gradient which creates the desired slice dependency also results in a through-slice phase ramp, which disturbs normal slice refocusing and leads to additional signal cancelation and reduced field of view. This paper discusses the benefits and limitations of using a fourth gradient coil to compensate for the phase due to RF coils.

Eco-friendly wood-based solid-state flexible supercapacitors from wood transverse section slice and reduced graphene oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Shaoyi; Fu, Feng; Wang, Siqun; Huang, Jingda; Hu, La

2015-07-01

An interesting wood-based all-solid-state supercapacitor is produced using reduced graphene oxide (RGO) coated on wood transverse section slice (WTSS) as electrode material by means of a low-cost, eco-friendly, and simple method for the first time. The RGO-coated WTSS electrode has a porous 3D honeycomb framework due to the hierarchical cellular structure of the WTSS substrate and can function as an electrolyte reservoir. This special construction endows this novel electrode with good areal capacitance (102 mF cm-2) and excellent cyclic stability (capacitance retention of 98.9% after 5000 cycles). In addition, the supercapacitors exhibit good mechanical flexibility and preserve almost constant capacitive behavior under different bending conditions. Our study introduces a new and eco-friendly material design for electrodes in future flexible energy storage devices that closely resemble natural materials. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

A spectral geometric model for Compton single scatter in PET based on the single scatter simulation approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazantsev, I. G.; Olsen, U. L.; Poulsen, H. F.; Hansen, P. C.

2018-02-01

We investigate the idealized mathematical model of single scatter in PET for a detector system possessing excellent energy resolution. The model has the form of integral transforms estimating the distribution of photons undergoing a single Compton scattering with a certain angle. The total single scatter is interpreted as the volume integral over scatter points that constitute a rotation body with a football shape, while single scattering with a certain angle is evaluated as the surface integral over the boundary of the rotation body. The equations for total and sample single scatter calculations are derived using a single scatter simulation approximation. We show that the three-dimensional slice-by-slice filtered backprojection algorithm is applicable for scatter data inversion provided that the attenuation map is assumed to be constant. The results of the numerical experiments are presented.

Characterization of high-dose and high-energy implanted gate and source diode and analysis of lateral spreading of p gate profile in high voltage SiC static induction transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onose, Hidekatsu; Kobayashi, Yutaka; Onuki, Jin

2017-03-01

The effect of the p gate dose on the characteristics of the gate-source diode in SiC static induction transistors (SIT) was investigated. It was found that a dose of 1.5 × 1014 cm-2 yields a pn junction breakdown voltage higher than 60 V and good forward characteristics. A normally on SiC SIT was fabricated and demonstrated. A blocking voltage higher than 2.0 kV at a gate-source voltage of -50 V and on-resistance of 70 mΩ cm2 were obtained. Device simulations were performed to investigate the effect of the lateral spreading. By comparing the measured I-V curves with simulation results, the lateral spreading factor was estimated to be about 0.5. The lateral spreading detrimentally affected the electrical properties of the SIT made using implantations at energies higher than 1 MeV.

Target recognition for ladar range image using slice image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Wenze; Han, Shaokun; Wang, Liang

2015-12-01

A shape descriptor and a complete shape-based recognition system using slice images as geometric feature descriptor for ladar range images are introduced. A slice image is a two-dimensional image generated by three-dimensional Hough transform and the corresponding mathematical transformation. The system consists of two processes, the model library construction and recognition. In the model library construction process, a series of range images are obtained after the model object is sampled at preset attitude angles. Then, all the range images are converted into slice images. The number of slice images is reduced by clustering analysis and finding a representation to reduce the size of the model library. In the recognition process, the slice image of the scene is compared with the slice image in the model library. The recognition results depend on the comparison. Simulated ladar range images are used to analyze the recognition and misjudgment rates, and comparison between the slice image representation method and moment invariants representation method is performed. The experimental results show that whether in conditions without noise or with ladar noise, the system has a high recognition rate and low misjudgment rate. The comparison experiment demonstrates that the slice image has better representation ability than moment invariants.

Bias Field Inconsistency Correction of Motion-Scattered Multislice MRI for Improved 3D Image Reconstruction

PubMed Central

Kim, Kio; Habas, Piotr A.; Rajagopalan, Vidya; Scott, Julia A.; Corbett-Detig, James M.; Rousseau, Francois; Barkovich, A. James; Glenn, Orit A.; Studholme, Colin

2012-01-01

A common solution to clinical MR imaging in the presence of large anatomical motion is to use fast multi-slice 2D studies to reduce slice acquisition time and provide clinically usable slice data. Recently, techniques have been developed which retrospectively correct large scale 3D motion between individual slices allowing the formation of a geometrically correct 3D volume from the multiple slice stacks. One challenge, however, in the final reconstruction process is the possibility of varying intensity bias in the slice data, typically due to the motion of the anatomy relative to imaging coils. As a result, slices which cover the same region of anatomy at different times may exhibit different sensitivity. This bias field inconsistency can induce artifacts in the final 3D reconstruction that can impact both clinical interpretation of key tissue boundaries and the automated analysis of the data. Here we describe a framework to estimate and correct the bias field inconsistency in each slice collectively across all motion corrupted image slices. Experiments using synthetic and clinical data show that the proposed method reduces intensity variability in tissues and improves the distinction between key tissue types. PMID:21511561

Communication: Broad manifold of excitonic states in light-harvesting complex 1 promotes efficient unidirectional energy transfer in vivo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohail, Sara H.; Dahlberg, Peter D.; Allodi, Marco A.; Massey, Sara C.; Ting, Po-Chieh; Martin, Elizabeth C.; Hunter, C. Neil; Engel, Gregory S.

2017-10-01

In photosynthetic organisms, the pigment-protein complexes that comprise the light-harvesting antenna exhibit complex electronic structures and ultrafast dynamics due to the coupling among the chromophores. Here, we present absorptive two-dimensional (2D) electronic spectra from living cultures of the purple bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, acquired using gradient assisted photon echo spectroscopy. Diagonal slices through the 2D lineshape of the LH1 stimulated emission/ground state bleach feature reveal a resolvable higher energy population within the B875 manifold. The waiting time evolution of diagonal, horizontal, and vertical slices through the 2D lineshape shows a sub-100 fs intra-complex relaxation as this higher energy population red shifts. The absorption (855 nm) of this higher lying sub-population of B875 before it has red shifted optimizes spectral overlap between the LH1 B875 band and the B850 band of LH2. Access to an energetically broad distribution of excitonic states within B875 offers a mechanism for efficient energy transfer from LH2 to LH1 during photosynthesis while limiting back transfer. Two-dimensional lineshapes reveal a rapid decay in the ground-state bleach/stimulated emission of B875. This signal, identified as a decrease in the dipole strength of a strong transition in LH1 on the red side of the B875 band, is assigned to the rapid localization of an initially delocalized exciton state, a dephasing process that frustrates back transfer from LH1 to LH2.

High-resolution fluence verification for treatment plan specific QA in ion beam radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martišíková, Mária; Brons, Stephan; Hesse, Bernd M.; Jäkel, Oliver

2013-03-01

Ion beam radiotherapy exploits the finite range of ion beams and the increased dose deposition of ions toward the end of their range in material. This results in high dose conformation to the target region, which can be further increased using scanning ion beams. The standard method for patient-plan verification in ion beam therapy is ionization chamber dosimetry. The spatial resolution of this method is given by the distance between the chambers (typically 1 cm). However, steep dose gradients created by scanning ion beams call for more information and improved spatial resolution. Here we propose a clinically applicable method, supplementary to standard patient-plan verification. It is based on ion fluence measurements in the entrance region with high spatial resolution in the plane perpendicular to the beam, separately for each energy slice. In this paper the usability of the RID256 L amorphous silicon flat-panel detector for the measurements proposed is demonstrated for carbon ion beams. The detector provides sufficient spatial resolution for this kind of measurement (pixel pitch 0.8 mm). The experiments were performed at the Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center in Germany. This facility is equipped with a synchrotron capable of accelerating ions from protons up to oxygen to energies between 48 and 430 MeV u-1. Beam application is based on beam scanning technology. The measured signal corresponding to single energy slices was translated to ion fluence on a pixel-by-pixel basis, using calibration, which is dependent on energy and ion type. To quantify the agreement of the fluence distributions measured with those planned, a gamma-index criterion was used. In the patient field investigated excellent agreement was found between the two distributions. At least 95% of the slices contained more than 96% of points agreeing with our criteria. Due to the high spatial resolution, this method is especially valuable for measurements of strongly inhomogeneous fluence distributions like those in intensity-modulated treatment plans or plans including dose painting. Since no water phantom is needed to perform measurements, the flat-panel detector investigated has high potential for use with gantries. Before the method can be used in the clinical routine, it has to be sufficiently tested for each detector-facility combination.

A variational approach to liver segmentation using statistics from multiple sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Shenhai; Fang, Bin; Li, Laquan; Gao, Mingqi; Wang, Yi

2018-01-01

Medical image segmentation plays an important role in digital medical research, and therapy planning and delivery. However, the presence of noise and low contrast renders automatic liver segmentation an extremely challenging task. In this study, we focus on a variational approach to liver segmentation in computed tomography scan volumes in a semiautomatic and slice-by-slice manner. In this method, one slice is selected and its connected component liver region is determined manually to initialize the subsequent automatic segmentation process. From this guiding slice, we execute the proposed method downward to the last one and upward to the first one, respectively. A segmentation energy function is proposed by combining the statistical shape prior, global Gaussian intensity analysis, and enforced local statistical feature under the level set framework. During segmentation, the shape of the liver shape is estimated by minimization of this function. The improved Chan-Vese model is used to refine the shape to capture the long and narrow regions of the liver. The proposed method was verified on two independent public databases, the 3D-IRCADb and the SLIVER07. Among all the tested methods, our method yielded the best volumetric overlap error (VOE) of 6.5 +/- 2.8 % , the best root mean square symmetric surface distance (RMSD) of 2.1 +/- 0.8 mm, the best maximum symmetric surface distance (MSD) of 18.9 +/- 8.3 mm in 3D-IRCADb dataset, and the best average symmetric surface distance (ASD) of 0.8 +/- 0.5 mm, the best RMSD of 1.5 +/- 1.1 mm in SLIVER07 dataset, respectively. The results of the quantitative comparison show that the proposed liver segmentation method achieves competitive segmentation performance with state-of-the-art techniques.

Gonadal Steroids: Effects on Excitability of Hippocampal Pyramidal Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teyler, Timothy J.; Vardaris, Richard M.; Lewis, Deborah; Rawitch, Allen B.

1980-08-01

Electrophysiological field potentials from hippocampal slices of rat brain show sex-linked differences in response to 1 × 10-10M concentrations of estradiol and testosterone added to the incubation medium. Slices from male rats show increased excitability to estradiol and not to testosterone. Slices from female rats are not affected by estradiol, but slices from female rats in diestrus show increased excitability in response to testosterone whereas slices from females in proestrus show decreased excitability.

Physiological temperature during brain slicing enhances the quality of acute slice preparations

PubMed Central

Huang, Shiwei; Uusisaari, Marylka Y.

2013-01-01

We demonstrate that brain dissection and slicing using solutions warmed to near-physiological temperature (~ +34°C), greatly enhance slice quality without affecting intrinsic electrophysiological properties of the neurons. Improved slice quality is seen not only when using young (<1 month), but also mature (>2.5 month) mice. This allows easy in vitro patch-clamp experimentation using adult deep cerebellar nuclear slices, which until now have been considered very difficult. As proof of the concept, we compare intrinsic properties of cerebellar nuclear neurons in juvenile (<1 month) and adult (up to 7 months) mice, and confirm that no significant developmental changes occur after the fourth postnatal week. The enhanced quality of brain slices from old animals facilitates experimentation on age-related disorders as well as optogenetic studies requiring long transfection periods. PMID:23630465

Goals for Teacher Learning about Energy Degradation and Usefulness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daane, Abigail R.; Vokos, Stamatis; Scherr, Rachel E.

2014-01-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) require teachers to understand aspects of energy degradation and the second law of thermodynamics, including energy's availability and usefulness, changes in energy concentration, and the tendency of energy to spread uniformly. In an effort to develop learning goals that support teachers in building…

Free-floating adult human brain-derived slice cultures as a model to study the neuronal impact of Alzheimer's disease-associated Aβ oligomers.

PubMed

Mendes, Niele D; Fernandes, Artur; Almeida, Glaucia M; Santos, Luis E; Selles, Maria Clara; Lyra-Silva, Natalia; Machado, Carla M; Horta-Júnior, José A C; Louzada, Paulo R; De Felice, Fernanda G; Alvez-Leon, Soniza; Marcondes, Jorge; Assirati, João Alberto; Matias, Caio M; Klein, William L; Garcia-Cairasco, Norberto; Ferreira, Sergio T; Neder, Luciano; Sebollela, Adriano

2018-05-31

Slice cultures have been prepared from several organs. With respect to the brain, advantages of slice cultures over dissociated cell cultures include maintenance of the cytoarchitecture and neuronal connectivity. Slice cultures from adult human brain have been reported and constitute a promising method to study neurological diseases. Despite this potential, few studies have characterized in detail cell survival and function along time in short-term, free-floating cultures. We used tissue from adult human brain cortex from patients undergoing temporal lobectomy to prepare 200 μm-thick slices. Along the period in culture, we evaluated neuronal survival, histological modifications, and neurotransmitter release. The toxicity of Alzheimer's-associated Aβ oligomers (AβOs) to cultured slices was also analyzed. Neurons in human brain slices remain viable and neurochemically active for at least four days in vitro, which allowed detection of binding of AβOs. We further found that slices exposed to AβOs presented elevated levels of hyperphosphorylated Tau, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Although slice cultures from adult human brain have been previously prepared, this is the first report to analyze cell viability and neuronal activity in short-term free-floating cultures as a function of days in vitro. Once surgical tissue is available, the current protocol is easy to perform and produces functional slices from adult human brain. These slice cultures may represent a preferred model for translational studies of neurodegenerative disorders when long term culturing in not required, as in investigations on AβO neurotoxicity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ion acceleration in electrostatic collisionless shock: on the optimal density profile for quasi-monoenergetic beams

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

Boella, E.; Fiúza, F.; Novo, A. Stockem

Here, a numerical study on ion acceleration in electrostatic shock waves is presented, with the aim of determining the best plasma configuration to achieve quasi-monoenergetic ion beams in laser-driven systems. It was recently shown that tailored near-critical density plasmas characterized by a long-scale decreasing rear density profile lead to beams with low energy spread (Fiúza et al 2012 Phys. Rev. Lett. 109 215001). In this work, a detailed parameter scan investigating different plasma scale lengths is carried out. As result, the optimal plasma spatial scale length that allows for minimizing the energy spread while ensuring a significant reflection of ionsmore » by the shock is identified. Furthermore, a new configuration where the required profile has been obtained by coupling micro layers of different densities is proposed. Lastly, results show that this new engineered approach is a valid alternative, guaranteeing a low energy spread with a higher level of controllability.« less

Ion acceleration in electrostatic collisionless shock: on the optimal density profile for quasi-monoenergetic beams

DOE PAGES

Boella, E.; Fiúza, F.; Novo, A. Stockem; ...

2018-02-01

Here, a numerical study on ion acceleration in electrostatic shock waves is presented, with the aim of determining the best plasma configuration to achieve quasi-monoenergetic ion beams in laser-driven systems. It was recently shown that tailored near-critical density plasmas characterized by a long-scale decreasing rear density profile lead to beams with low energy spread (Fiúza et al 2012 Phys. Rev. Lett. 109 215001). In this work, a detailed parameter scan investigating different plasma scale lengths is carried out. As result, the optimal plasma spatial scale length that allows for minimizing the energy spread while ensuring a significant reflection of ionsmore » by the shock is identified. Furthermore, a new configuration where the required profile has been obtained by coupling micro layers of different densities is proposed. Lastly, results show that this new engineered approach is a valid alternative, guaranteeing a low energy spread with a higher level of controllability.« less

Synaptic release and extracellular actions of Zn2+ limit propagation of spreading depression and related events in vitro and in vivo

PubMed Central

Aiba, Isamu; Carlson, Andrew P.; Sheline, Christian T.

2012-01-01

Cortical spreading depression (CSD) is a consequence of a slowly propagating wave of neuronal and glial depolarization (spreading depolarization; SD). Massive release of glutamate contributes to SD propagation, and it was recently shown that Zn2+ is also released from synaptic vesicles during SD. The present study examined consequences of extracellular Zn2+ accumulation on the propagation of SD. SD mechanisms were studied first in murine brain slices, using focal KCl applications as stimuli and making electrical and optical recordings in hippocampal area CA1. Elevating extracellular Zn2+ concentrations with exogenous ZnCl2 reduced SD propagation rates. Selective chelation of endogenous Zn2+ (using TPEN or CaEDTA) increased SD propagation rates, and these effects appeared due to chelation of Zn2+ derived from synaptic vesicles. Thus, in tissues where synaptic Zn2+ release was absent [knockout (KO) of vesicular Zn2+ transporter ZnT-3], SD propagation rates were increased, and no additional increase was observed following chelation of endogenous Zn2+ in these tissues. The role of synaptic Zn2+ was then examined on CSD in vivo. ZnT-3 KO animals had higher susceptibility to CSD than wild-type controls as evidenced by significantly higher propagation rates and frequencies. Studies of candidate mechanisms excluded changes in neuronal excitability, presynaptic release, and GABA receptors but left open a possible contribution of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor inhibition. These results suggest the extracellular accumulation of synaptically released Zn2+ can serve as an intrinsic inhibitor to limit SD events. The inhibitory action of extracellular Zn2+ on SD may counteract to some extent the neurotoxic effects of intracellular Zn2+ accumulation in acute brain injury models. PMID:22131381

Synaptic release and extracellular actions of Zn2+ limit propagation of spreading depression and related events in vitro and in vivo.

PubMed

Aiba, Isamu; Carlson, Andrew P; Sheline, Christian T; Shuttleworth, C William

2012-02-01

Cortical spreading depression (CSD) is a consequence of a slowly propagating wave of neuronal and glial depolarization (spreading depolarization; SD). Massive release of glutamate contributes to SD propagation, and it was recently shown that Zn(2+) is also released from synaptic vesicles during SD. The present study examined consequences of extracellular Zn(2+) accumulation on the propagation of SD. SD mechanisms were studied first in murine brain slices, using focal KCl applications as stimuli and making electrical and optical recordings in hippocampal area CA1. Elevating extracellular Zn(2+) concentrations with exogenous ZnCl(2) reduced SD propagation rates. Selective chelation of endogenous Zn(2+) (using TPEN or CaEDTA) increased SD propagation rates, and these effects appeared due to chelation of Zn(2+) derived from synaptic vesicles. Thus, in tissues where synaptic Zn(2+) release was absent [knockout (KO) of vesicular Zn(2+) transporter ZnT-3], SD propagation rates were increased, and no additional increase was observed following chelation of endogenous Zn(2+) in these tissues. The role of synaptic Zn(2+) was then examined on CSD in vivo. ZnT-3 KO animals had higher susceptibility to CSD than wild-type controls as evidenced by significantly higher propagation rates and frequencies. Studies of candidate mechanisms excluded changes in neuronal excitability, presynaptic release, and GABA receptors but left open a possible contribution of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor inhibition. These results suggest the extracellular accumulation of synaptically released Zn(2+) can serve as an intrinsic inhibitor to limit SD events. The inhibitory action of extracellular Zn(2+) on SD may counteract to some extent the neurotoxic effects of intracellular Zn(2+) accumulation in acute brain injury models.

Dual polarized, heat spreading rectenna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Epp, Larry W. (Inventor); Khan, Abdur R. (Inventor); Smith, R. Peter (Inventor); Smith, Hugh K. (Inventor)

1999-01-01

An aperture coupled patch splits energy from two different polarization components to different locations to spread heat. In addition, there is no physical electrical connection between the slot, patch and circuitry. The circuitry is located under a ground plane which shields against harmonic radiation back to the RF source.

Towards a Property-Based Testing Environment With Applications to Security-Critical Software

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-01-01

4 is a slice of the MINIX [Tan87] login program with respect to the setuid system call. The original program contains 337 lines, the slice only 20...demonstrat- ing the e ectiveness of slicing in this case5. The mapping of the abstract concept of au- thentication to source code in the MINIX login...Slice of MINIX login with respect to setuid(). occurs. If no incorrect execution occurs, slices of the program are examined for their data ow coverage

Parametric Trace Slicing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosu, Grigore (Inventor); Chen, Feng (Inventor); Chen, Guo-fang; Wu, Yamei; Meredith, Patrick O. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A program trace is obtained and events of the program trace are traversed. For each event identified in traversing the program trace, a trace slice of which the identified event is a part is identified based on the parameter instance of the identified event. For each trace slice of which the identified event is a part, the identified event is added to an end of a record of the trace slice. These parametric trace slices can be used in a variety of different manners, such as for monitoring, mining, and predicting.

Design and optimization of an energy degrader with a multi-wedge scheme based on Geant4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Zhikai; Liu, Kaifeng; Qin, Bin; Chen, Wei; Liu, Xu; Li, Dong; Xiong, Yongqian

2018-05-01

A proton therapy facility based on an isochronous superconducting cyclotron is under construction in Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). To meet the clinical requirements, an energy degrader is essential in the beamline to modulate the fixed beam energy extracted from the cyclotron. Because of the multiple Coulomb scattering in the degrader, the beam emittance and the energy spread will be considerably increased during the energy degradation process. Therefore, a set of collimators is designed to restrict the increase in beam emittance after the energy degradation. The energy spread will be reduced in the following beam line which is not discussed in this paper. In this paper, the design considerations of an energy degrader and collimators are introduced, and the properties of the degrader material, degrader structure and the initial beam parameters are discussed using the Geant4 Monte-Carlo toolkit, with the main purpose of improving the overall performance of the degrader by multiple parameter optimization.

Comparison of Three Different New Bipolar Energy Modalities and Classic Bipolar in Vivo for Tissue Thermal Spread.

PubMed

Çaltekin, Melike Demir; Aydoğmuş, Serpil; Yalçin, Serenat Eriş; Demirel, Emine; Unay, Fulya Cakalağaoğlu; Özbay, Pelin Özün; Özdemir, Aslı; Yalçin, Yakup; Kelekçi, Sefa

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare three different new bipolar energy modalities and classic bipolar in vivo for tissue thermal spread. This prospective, randomized, single-blind study was conducted between Septemsber 2012 and July 2013. Eighteen patients aged 40-65 years undergoing hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy for benign etiology were included in the study. Before the hysterectomy operation began, it was marked nearly distal third cm started from uterine corn and proximal close third cm started from fimbrial bottoms by visualizing both fallopian tubes. The surgery was performed using one 5 mm applicator of PlasmaKinetics™, EnSeal®, LigaSure™ or classic bipolar energy modality. The time each device was used was standardized as the minimum time of the audible warning of the device for tissue impedance and as tissue vaporization on classic bipolar. Tissues were dyed by both H&E and Masson's Trichrome in the pathology laboratory. Thermal spread was compared. Evaluation of the damage on the uterine tubes by each device used revealed that LigaSure™ was associated with increased thermal injury compared to PlasmaKinetics™ (p=0.007). Apart from PlasmaKineticsTM (p=0.022), there was no statistically significant difference between the three devices in terms of thermal damage spread in the distal and proximal fallopian tubes. To reduce lateral thermal damage, Plasmakinetics™ may be preferable to Ligasure™ among the three different new bipolar energy modalities.

An Undulator-Based Laser Wakefield Accelerator Electron Beam Diagnostic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakeman, Michael S.

Currently particle accelerators such as the Large Hadron Collider use RF cavities with a maximum field gradient of 50-100 MV/m to accelerate particles over long distances. A new type of plasma based accelerator called a Laser Plasma Accelerator (LPA) is being investigated at the LOASIS group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory which can sustain field gradients of 10-100 GV/m. This new type of accelerator offers the potential to create compact high energy accelerators and light sources. In order to investigate the feasibility of producing a compact light source an undulator-based electron beam diagnostic for use on the LOASIS LPA has been built and calibrated. This diagnostic relies on the principal that the spectral analysis of synchrotron radiation from an undulator can reveal properties of the electron beam such as emittance, energy and energy spread. The effects of electron beam energy spread upon the harmonics of undulator produced synchrotron radiation were derived from the equations of motion of the beam and numerically simulated. The diagnostic consists of quadrupole focusing magnets to collimate the electron beam, a 1.5 m long undulator to produce the synchrotron radiation, and a high resolution high gain XUV spectrometer to analyze the radiation. The undulator was aligned and tuned in order to maximize the flux of synchrotron radiation produced. The spectrometer was calibrated at the Advanced Light Source, with the results showing the ability to measure electron beam energy spreads at resolutions as low as 0.1% rms, a major improvement over conventional magnetic spectrometers. Numerical simulations show the ability to measure energy spreads on realistic LPA produced electron beams as well as the improvements in measurements made with the quadrupole magnets. Experimentally the quadrupoles were shown to stabilize and focus the electron beams at specific energies for their insertion into the undulator, with the eventual hope of producing an all optical Free Electron Laser operating in the XUV and soft x-ray regimes.

Energy transfer of highly vibrationally excited biphenyl.

PubMed

Hsu, Hsu Chen; Dyakov, Yuri; Ni, Chi-Kung

2010-11-07

The energy transfer between Kr atoms and highly vibrationally excited, rotationally cold biphenyl in the triplet state was investigated using crossed-beam/time-of-flight mass spectrometer/time-sliced velocity map ion imaging techniques. Compared to the energy transfer of naphthalene, energy transfer of biphenyl shows more forward scattering, less complex formation, larger cross section for vibrational to translational (V→T) energy transfer, smaller cross section for translational to vibrational and rotational (T→VR) energy transfer, larger total collisional cross section, and more energy transferred from vibration to translation. Significant increase in the large V→T energy transfer probabilities, termed supercollisions, was observed. The difference in the energy transfer of highly vibrationally excited molecules between rotationally cold naphthalene and rotationally cold biphenyl is very similar to the difference in the energy transfer of highly vibrationally excited molecules between rotationally cold naphthalene and rotationally hot naphthalene. The low-frequency vibrational modes with out-of-plane motion and rotationlike wide-angle motion are attributed to make the energy transfer of biphenyl different from that of naphthalene.

Organotypic Slice Cultures for Studies of Postnatal Neurogenesis

PubMed Central

Mosa, Adam J.; Wang, Sabrina; Tan, Yao Fang; Wojtowicz, J. Martin

2015-01-01

Here we describe a technique for studying hippocampal postnatal neurogenesis in the rodent brain using the organotypic slice culture technique. This method maintains the characteristic topographical morphology of the hippocampus while allowing direct application of pharmacological agents to the developing hippocampal dentate gyrus. Additionally, slice cultures can be maintained for up to 4 weeks and thus, allow one to study the maturation process of newborn granule neurons. Slice cultures allow for efficient pharmacological manipulation of hippocampal slices while excluding complex variables such as uncertainties related to the deep anatomic location of the hippocampus as well as the blood brain barrier. For these reasons, we sought to optimize organotypic slice cultures specifically for postnatal neurogenesis research. PMID:25867138

Acute Hippocampal Slice Preparation and Hippocampal Slice Cultures

PubMed Central

Lein, Pamela J.; Barnhart, Christopher D.; Pessah, Isaac N.

2012-01-01

A major advantage of hippocampal slice preparations is that the cytoarchitecture and synaptic circuits of the hippocampus are largely retained. In neurotoxicology research, organotypic hippocampal slices have mostly been used as acute ex vivo preparations for investigating the effects of neurotoxic chemicals on synaptic function. More recently, hippocampal slice cultures, which can be maintained for several weeks to several months in vitro, have been employed to study how neurotoxic chemicals influence the structural and functional plasticity in hippocampal neurons. This chapter provides protocols for preparing hippocampal slices to be used acutely for electrophysiological measurements using glass microelectrodes or microelectrode arrays or to be cultured for morphometric assessments of individual neurons labeled using biolistics. PMID:21815062

Confocal multispot microscope for fast and deep imaging in semicleared tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, Marie-Pierre; Müllenbroich, Marie Caroline; Di Giovanna, Antonino Paolo; Alfieri, Domenico; Silvestri, Ludovico; Sacconi, Leonardo; Pavone, Francesco Saverio

2018-02-01

Although perfectly transparent specimens are imaged faster with light-sheet microscopy, less transparent samples are often imaged with two-photon microscopy leveraging its robustness to scattering; however, at the price of increased acquisition times. Clearing methods that are capable of rendering strongly scattering samples such as brain tissue perfectly transparent specimens are often complex, costly, and time intensive, even though for many applications a slightly lower level of tissue transparency is sufficient and easily achieved with simpler and faster methods. Here, we present a microscope type that has been geared toward the imaging of semicleared tissue by combining multispot two-photon excitation with rolling shutter wide-field detection to image deep and fast inside semicleared mouse brain. We present a theoretical and experimental evaluation of the point spread function and contrast as a function of shutter size. Finally, we demonstrate microscope performance in fixed brain slices by imaging dendritic spines up to 400-μm deep.

A 3D map of the islet routes throughout the healthy human pancreas

PubMed Central

Ionescu-Tirgoviste, Constantin; Gagniuc, Paul A.; Gubceac, Elvira; Mardare, Liliana; Popescu, Irinel; Dima, Simona; Militaru, Manuella

2015-01-01

Islets of Langerhans are fundamental in understanding diabetes. A healthy human pancreas from a donor has been used to asses various islet parameters and their three-dimensional distribution. Here we show that islets are spread gradually from the head up to the tail section of the pancreas in the form of contracted or dilated islet routes. We also report a particular anatomical structure, namely the cluster of islets. Our observations revealed a total of 11 islet clusters which comprise of small islets that surround large blood vessels. Additional observations in the peripancreatic adipose tissue have shown lymphoid-like nodes and blood vessels captured in a local inflammatory process. Our observations are based on regional slice maps of the pancreas, comprising of 5,423 islets. We also devised an index of sphericity which briefly indicates various islet shapes that are dominant throughout the pancreas. PMID:26417671

CHOLINESTERASE IN DENERVATED END PLATES AND MUSCLE FIBRES

PubMed Central

Brzin, Miro; Majcen-Tkačev, Živa

1963-01-01

Parallel studies were made of cholinesterase activities and localizations in denervated rat and rabbit gastrocnemius muscle. Koelle's histochemical reaction was used for demonstrating the localization of cholinesterases. Enzyme activities in whole sliced muscle were measured by electrometric titration. The Cartesian ampulla-diver technique was used for cholinesterase activity determinations in end plate regions or in small pieces of the muscle fibre itself. No changes in the activity of cholinesterases (ChE) were found in the whole denervated muscle which would account for its chemical supersensitivity. The ChE distribution pattern was changed so that the end plate region became less active in the denervated muscle than in the normal one. The decrease in ChE activity in the end plates seems to be largely compensated for by an increase of this enzyme elsewhere in the muscle. A possible connection between the spatial spread of cholinesterase activity and the enlargement of the acetylcholine-sensitive surface is discussed. PMID:14086761

A linear-RBF multikernel SVM to classify big text corpora.

PubMed

Romero, R; Iglesias, E L; Borrajo, L

2015-01-01

Support vector machine (SVM) is a powerful technique for classification. However, SVM is not suitable for classification of large datasets or text corpora, because the training complexity of SVMs is highly dependent on the input size. Recent developments in the literature on the SVM and other kernel methods emphasize the need to consider multiple kernels or parameterizations of kernels because they provide greater flexibility. This paper shows a multikernel SVM to manage highly dimensional data, providing an automatic parameterization with low computational cost and improving results against SVMs parameterized under a brute-force search. The model consists in spreading the dataset into cohesive term slices (clusters) to construct a defined structure (multikernel). The new approach is tested on different text corpora. Experimental results show that the new classifier has good accuracy compared with the classic SVM, while the training is significantly faster than several other SVM classifiers.

Detection of MRI artifacts produced by intrinsic heart motion using a saliency model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salguero, Jennifer; Velasco, Nelson; Romero, Eduardo

2017-11-01

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) requires synchronization with the ECG to correct many types of noise. However, the complex heart motion frequently produces displaced slices that have to be either ignored or manually corrected since the ECG correction is useless in this case. This work presents a novel methodology that detects the motion artifacts in CMR using a saliency method that highlights the region where the heart chambers are located. Once the Region of Interest (RoI) is set, its center of gravity is determined for the set of slices composing the volume. The deviation of the gravity center is an estimation of the coherence between the slices and is used to find out slices with certain displacement. Validation was performed with distorted real images where a slice is artificially misaligned with respect to set of slices. The displaced slice is found with a Recall of 84% and F Score of 68%.

Sub-nanosecond time-resolved ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy setup for pulsed and constant wave X-ray light sources

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

Shavorskiy, Andrey; Slaughter, Daniel S.; Zegkinoglou, Ioannis

2014-09-15

An apparatus for sub-nanosecond time-resolved ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies with pulsed and constant wave X-ray light sources is presented. A differentially pumped hemispherical electron analyzer is equipped with a delay-line detector that simultaneously records the position and arrival time of every single electron at the exit aperture of the hemisphere with ∼0.1 mm spatial resolution and ∼150 ps temporal accuracy. The kinetic energies of the photoelectrons are encoded in the hit positions along the dispersive axis of the two-dimensional detector. Pump-probe time-delays are provided by the electron arrival times relative to the pump pulse timing. An average time-resolution ofmore » (780 ± 20) ps (FWHM) is demonstrated for a hemisphere pass energy E{sub p} = 150 eV and an electron kinetic energy range KE = 503–508 eV. The time-resolution of the setup is limited by the electron time-of-flight (TOF) spread related to the electron trajectory distribution within the analyzer hemisphere and within the electrostatic lens system that images the interaction volume onto the hemisphere entrance slit. The TOF spread for electrons with KE = 430 eV varies between ∼9 ns at a pass energy of 50 eV and ∼1 ns at pass energies between 200 eV and 400 eV. The correlation between the retarding ratio and the TOF spread is evaluated by means of both analytical descriptions of the electron trajectories within the analyzer hemisphere and computer simulations of the entire trajectories including the electrostatic lens system. In agreement with previous studies, we find that the by far dominant contribution to the TOF spread is acquired within the hemisphere. However, both experiment and computer simulations show that the lens system indirectly affects the time resolution of the setup to a significant extent by inducing a strong dependence of the angular spread of electron trajectories entering the hemisphere on the retarding ratio. The scaling of the angular spread with the retarding ratio can be well approximated by applying Liouville's theorem of constant emittance to the electron trajectories inside the lens system. The performance of the setup is demonstrated by characterizing the laser fluence-dependent transient surface photovoltage response of a laser-excited Si(100) sample.« less

Thin silicon-solar cell fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindmayer, J.

1979-01-01

Flexible silicon slices of uniform thicknesses are fabricated by etching in sodium hydroxide solution. Maintaining uniform thickness across slices during process(fabrication) is important for cell strength and resistance to damage in handling. Slices formed by procedure have reproducible surface with fine orange peel texture, and are far superior to slices prepared by other methods.

Thick Slice and Thin Slice Teaching Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tom, Gail; Tong, Stephanie Tom; Hesse, Charles

2010-01-01

Student-based teaching evaluations are an integral component to institutions of higher education. Previous work on student-based teaching evaluations suggest that evaluations of instructors based upon "thin slice" 30-s video clips of them in the classroom correlate strongly with their end of the term "thick slice" student evaluations. This study's…

Comparing thin slices of verbal communication behavior of varying number and duration.

PubMed

Carcone, April Idalski; Naar, Sylvie; Eggly, Susan; Foster, Tanina; Albrecht, Terrance L; Brogan, Kathryn E

2015-02-01

The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of thin slices to characterize the verbal communication behavior of counselors and patients engaged in Motivational Interviewing sessions relative to fully coded sessions. Four thin slice samples that varied in number (four versus six slices) and duration (one- versus two-minutes) were extracted from a previously coded dataset. In the parent study, an observational code scheme was used to characterize specific counselor and patient verbal communication behaviors. For the current study, we compared the frequency of communication codes and the correlations among the full dataset and each thin slice sample. Both the proportion of communication codes and strength of the correlation demonstrated the highest degree of accuracy when a greater number (i.e., six versus four) and duration (i.e., two- versus one-minute) of slices were extracted. These results suggest that thin slice sampling may be a useful and accurate strategy to reduce coding burden when coding specific verbal communication behaviors within clinical encounters. We suggest researchers interested in using thin slice sampling in their own work conduct preliminary research to determine the number and duration of thin slices required to accurately characterize the behaviors of interest. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-enzymatic browning and flavour kinetics of vacuum dried onion slices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitra, Jayeeta; Shrivastava, Shanker L.; Rao, Pavuluri S.

2015-01-01

Onion slices were dehydrated under vacuum to produce good quality dried ready-to-use onion slices. Colour development due to non-enzymatic browning and flavour loss in terms of thiosulphinate concentration was determined, along with moisture content and rehydration ratio. Kinetics of non-enzymatic browning and thiosulphinate loss during drying was analysed. Colour change due to non-enzymatic browning was found to be much lower in the case of vacuum dried onion, and improved flavour retention was observed as compared to hot air dried onion slices. The optical index values for non-enzymatic browning varied from 18.41 to 38.68 for untreated onion slices and from 16.73 to 36.51 for treated slices, whereas thiosulphinate concentration in the case of untreated onion slices was within the range of 2.96-3.92 μmol g-1 for dried sample and 3.71-4.43 μmol g-1 for the treated onion slices. Rehydration ratio was also increased, which may be attributed to a better porous structure attained due to vacuum drying. The treatment applied was found very suitable in controlling non-enzymatic browning and flavour loss during drying, besides increasing rehydration ratio. Hence, high quality dried ready- to-use onion slices were prepared.

Ripple artifact reduction using slice overlap in slice encoding for metal artifact correction.

PubMed

den Harder, J Chiel; van Yperen, Gert H; Blume, Ulrike A; Bos, Clemens

2015-01-01

Multispectral imaging (MSI) significantly reduces metal artifacts. Yet, especially in techniques that use gradient selection, such as slice encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC), a residual ripple artifact may be prominent. Here, an analysis is presented of the ripple artifact and of slice overlap as an approach to reduce the artifact. The ripple artifact was analyzed theoretically to clarify its cause. Slice overlap, conceptually similar to spectral bin overlap in multi-acquisition with variable resonances image combination (MAVRIC), was achieved by reducing the selection gradient and, thus, increasing the slice profile width. Time domain simulations and phantom experiments were performed to validate the analyses and proposed solution. Discontinuities between slices are aggravated by signal displacement in the frequency encoding direction in areas with deviating B0. Specifically, it was demonstrated that ripple artifacts appear only where B0 varies both in-plane and through-plane. Simulations and phantom studies of metal implants confirmed the efficacy of slice overlap to reduce the artifact. The ripple artifact is an important limitation of gradient selection based MSI techniques, and can be understood using the presented simulations. At a scan-time penalty, slice overlap effectively addressed the artifact, thereby improving image quality near metal implants. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Half radiofrequency pulse excitation with a dedicated prescan to correct eddy current effect and gradient delay.

PubMed

Abe, Takayuki

2013-03-01

To improve the slice profile of the half radiofrequency (RF) pulse excitation and image quality of ultrashort echo time (UTE) imaging by compensating for an eddy current effect. The dedicated prescan has been developed to measure the phase accumulation due to eddy currents induced by the slice-selective gradient. The prescan measures two one-dimensional excitation k-space profiles, which can be acquired with a readout gradient in the slice-selection direction by changing the polarity of the slice-selective gradient. The time shifts due to the phase accumulation in the excitation k-space were calculated. The time shift compensated for the start time of the slice-selective gradient. The total prescan time was 6-15 s. The slice profile and the UTE image with the half RF pulse excitation were acquired to evaluate the slice selectivity and the image quality. Improved slice selectivity was obtained. The simple method proposed in this paper can eliminate eddy current effect. Good UTE images were obtained. The slice profile of the half RF pulse excitation and the image quality of UTE images have been improved by using a dedicated prescan. This method has a possibility that can improve the image quality of a clinical UTE imaging.

Effects of the calcium channel blocker verapamil and sulphydryl reducing agent dithiothreitol on atractyloside toxicity in precision-cut rat renal cortical and liver slices.

PubMed

Obatomi, D K; Blackburn, R O; Bach, P H

2001-10-01

The effects of dithiothreitol (DTT), a sulfhydryl-containing agent and verapamil (VRP), a calcium channel blocker as possible cytoprotectants against the atractyloside-induced toxicity were characterized in rat kidney and liver slices in vitro using multiple markers of toxicity. Precision-cut slices (200 microM thick) were either incubated with atractyloside (2 mM) or initially preincubated with either DTT (5 mM) or VRP (100 microM) for 30 min followed by exposure to atractyloside (2 mM) for 3 h at 37 degrees C on a rocker platform rotated at approximately 3 rpm. All of the toxicity parameters were sensitive to exposure to atractyloside, but treatment with DTT or VRP alone did not provide any indication of damage to the tissues. Preincubation of slices containing either DTT or VRP for 30 min provided total protection against atractyloside-induced increase in LDH leakage in both kidney and liver slices. Increased induction of lipid peroxidation by atractyloside in liver slices was completely abolished by DTT and VRP. Both DTT and VRP provided partial protection against atractyloside-induced inhibition of gluconeogenesis in both kidney and liver slices. Atractyloside-induced ATP depletion in both kidney and liver slices was partially abolished by VRP but not DTT. The significant depletion of GSH in the kidney slices by atractyloside was completely reversed by DTT only, while VRP alone reversed the same process in liver slices. Decreased MTT reductive capacity and significant increase in ALT leakage caused by atractyloside in liver slices was partially reversed. Complete protection was achieved with both DTT and VRP against atractyloside-induced inhibition of PAH uptake in kidney slices. These findings suggest that both DTT and VRP exert cytoprotective effects in atractyloside-induced biochemical perturbation, effects that differ in liver and kidney. The effect of these agents on atractyloside has provided us with a further understanding of the molecular mechanism of its action.

TU-EF-204-11: Impact of Using Multi-Slice Training Sets On the Performance of a Channelized Hotelling Observer in a Low-Contrast Detection Task in CT

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

Favazza, C; Yu, L; Leng, S

2015-06-15

Purpose: To investigate using multiple CT image slices from a single acquisition as independent training images for a channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) model to reduce the number of repeated scans for CHO-based CT image quality assessment. Methods: We applied a previously validated CHO model to detect low contrast disk objects formed from cross-sectional images of three epoxy-resin-based rods (diameters: 3, 5, and 9 mm; length: ∼5cm). The rods were submerged in a 35x 25 cm2 iodine-doped water filled phantom, yielding-15 HU object contrast. The phantom was scanned 100 times with and without the rods present. Scan and reconstruction parameters include:more » 5 mm slice thickness at 0.5 mm intervals, 120 kV, 480 Quality Reference mAs, and a 128-slice scanner. The CHO’s detectability index was evaluated as a function of factors related to incorporating multi-slice image data: object misalignment along the z-axis, inter-slice pixel correlation, and number of unique slice locations. In each case, the CHO training set was fixed to 100 images. Results: Artificially shifting the object’s center position by as much as 3 pixels in any direction relative to the Gabor channel filters had insignificant impact on object detectability. An inter-slice pixel correlation of >∼0.2 yielded positive bias in the model’s performance. Incorporating multi-slice image data yielded slight negative bias in detectability with increasing number of slices, likely due to physical variations in the objects. However, inclusion of image data from up to 5 slice locations yielded detectability indices within measurement error of the single slice value. Conclusion: For the investigated model and task, incorporating image data from 5 different slice locations of at least 5 mm intervals into the CHO model yielded detectability indices within measurement error of the single slice value. Consequently, this methodology would Result in a 5-fold reduction in number of image acquisitions. This project was supported by National Institutes of Health grants R01 EB017095 and U01 EB017185 from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.« less

Slicing the vacuum: New accelerating mirror solutions of the dynamical Casimir effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Good, Michael R. R.; Linder, Eric V.

2017-12-01

Radiation from accelerating mirrors in a Minkowski spacetime provides insights into the nature of horizons, black holes, and entanglement entropy. We introduce new, simple, symmetric and analytic moving mirror solutions and study their particle, energy, and entropy production. This includes an asymptotically static case with finite emission that is the black hole analog of complete evaporation. The total energy, total entropy, total particles, and spectrum are the same on both sides of the mirror. We also study its asymptotically inertial, drifting analog (which gives a black hole remnant) to explore differences in finite and infinite production.

Sci-Thur AM: YIS – 06: A Monte Carlo study of macro- and microscopic dose descriptors and the microdosimetric spread using detailed cellular models

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

Oliver, Patricia; Thomson, Rowan

2016-08-15

Purpose: To develop Monte Carlo models of cell clusters to investigate the relationships between macro- and microscopic dose descriptors, quantify the microdosimetric spread in energy deposition for subcellular targets, and determine how these results depend on the computational model. Methods: Microscopic tissue structure is modelled as clusters of 13 to 150 cells, with cell (nuclear) radii between 5 and 10 microns (2 and 9 microns). Energy imparted per unit mass (specific energy or dose) is scored in the nucleus (D{sub nuc}) and cytoplasm (D{sub cyt}) for incident photon energies from 20 to 370 keV. Dose-to-water (D{sub w,m}) and dose-to-medium (D{submore » m,m}) are compared to D{sub nuc} and D{sub cyt}. Single cells and single nuclear cavities are also simulated. Results: D{sub nuc} and D{sub cyt} are sensitive to the surrounding environment with deviations of up to 13% for a single nucleus/cell compared with a multicellular cluster. These dose descriptors vary with cell and nucleus size by up to 10%. D{sub nuc} and D{sub cyt} differ from D{sub w,m} and D{sub m,m} by up to 32%. The microdosimetric spread is sensitive to whether cells are arranged randomly or in a hexagonal lattice, and whether subcellular compartment sizes are sampled from a normal distribution or are constant throughout the cluster. Conclusions: D{sub nuc} and D{sub cyt} are sensitive to cell morphology, elemental composition and the presence of surrounding cells. The microdosimetric spread was investigated using realistic elemental compositions for the nucleus and cytoplasm, and depends strongly on subcellular compartment size, source energy and dose.« less

Quasi-monoenergetic proton beam from a proton-layer embedded metal foil irradiated by an intense laser pulse

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

Kim, Kyung Nam; Lee, Kitae, E-mail: klee@kaeri.re.kr; Kumar, Manoj

A target structure, ion-layer embedded foil (ILEF) is proposed for producing a quasi-monoenergetic proton beam by utilizing a bulk electrostatic field, which is generated by irradiating the target with an ultra-intense laser pulse, inside the plasma. Compared with the case of a single metal foil in which the proton layer is initially present on the surface, in the ILEF target, the proton layer is initially located inside a metal foil. A two-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation shows that the target generates a proton beam with a narrow energy spread. With a laser intensity of 2 × 10{sup 19 }W/cm{sup 2}, a 22-MeV proton beammore » with an energy spread of 8% at the full-width-half-maximum (FWHM) is obtained when the proton layer is located at 0.4 μm inside the rear surface of a 2.4 μm-thick copper foil. When the proton layer moves toward the front side, a proton beam with a flat-top energy distribution ranging from 15 MeV to 35 MeV is obtained. Further, with a higher laser intensity of 10{sup 21 }W/cm{sup 2}, a proton beam with the maximum energy of 345 MeV and FWHM energy spread of 7.2% is obtained. The analysis of the PIC simulation with an aid of a fluid analysis shows that the spectrum is affected by the initial position of the proton layer, its initial spread during the formation of the sheath field, and the space charge effect.« less

Effect of injection-gas concentration on the electron beam quality from a laser-plasma accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirzaie, Mohammad; Zhang, Guobo; Li, Song; Gao, Kai; Li, Guangyu; Ain, Quratul; Hafz, Nasr A. M.

2018-04-01

By using 25-45 TW ultra-short (30 fs) laser pulses, we report on the effect of the injection gas concentration on the quality of electron beams generated by a laser-driven plasma wakefield acceleration employing the ionization-injection. For a plasma formed from helium-nitrogen gas mixture and depending on the concentration of the nitrogen gas, we could distinguish a clear trend for the quality of the generated electron beams in terms of their peak energy, energy-spread, divergence angle, and beam charge. The results clearly showed that the lower the nitrogen concentration, the better the quality (higher peak energy, smaller energy spread, and smaller emittance) of the generated electron beams. The results are in reasonable agreement with two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations.

Simulation prediction and experiment setup of vacuum laser acceleration at Brookhaven National Lab-Accelerator Test Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, L.; Cline, D.; Ding, X.; Ho, Y. K.; Kong, Q.; Xu, J. J.; Pogorelsky, I.; Yakimenko, V.; Kusche, K.

2013-02-01

This paper presents the pre-experiment plan and prediction of the first stage of vacuum laser acceleration (VLA) collaborating by UCLA, Fudan University and ATF-BNL. This first stage experiment is a proof-of-principle to support our previously posted novel VLA theory. Simulations show that based on ATF's current experimental conditions the electron beam with initial energy of 15 MeV can get net energy gain from an intense CO2 laser beam. The difference in electron beam energy spread is observable by the ATF beam line diagnostics system. Further, this energy spread expansion effect increases along with an increase in laser intensity. The proposal has been approved by the ATF committee and the experiment will be our next project.

[Design and accuracy analysis of upper slicing system of MSCT].

PubMed

Jiang, Rongjian

2013-05-01

The upper slicing system is the main components of the optical system in MSCT. This paper focuses on the design of upper slicing system and its accuracy analysis to improve the accuracy of imaging. The error of slice thickness and ray center by bearings, screw and control system were analyzed and tested. In fact, the accumulated error measured is less than 1 microm, absolute error measured is less than 10 microm. Improving the accuracy of the upper slicing system contributes to the appropriate treatment methods and success rate of treatment.

A survey of program slicing for software engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beck, Jon

1993-01-01

This research concerns program slicing which is used as a tool for program maintainence of software systems. Program slicing decreases the level of effort required to understand and maintain complex software systems. It was first designed as a debugging aid, but it has since been generalized into various tools and extended to include program comprehension, module cohesion estimation, requirements verification, dead code elimination, and maintainence of several software systems, including reverse engineering, parallelization, portability, and reuse component generation. This paper seeks to address and define terminology, theoretical concepts, program representation, different program graphs, developments in static slicing, dynamic slicing, and semantics and mathematical models. Applications for conventional slicing are presented, along with a prognosis of future work in this field.

Proton Beam Fast Ignition Fusion: Synergy of Weibel and Rayleigh-Taylor Instabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefan, V. Alexander

2011-04-01

The proton beam generation and focusing in fast ignition inertial confinement fusion is studied. The spatial and energy spread of the proton beam generated in a laser-solid interaction is increased due to the synergy of Weibel and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities. The focal spot radius can reach 100 μm, which is nearly an order of magnitude larger than the optimal value. The energy spread decreases the beam deposition energy in the focal spot. Under these conditions, ignition of a precompressed DT fuel is achieved with the beam powers much higher than the values presently in consideration. Work supported in part by NIKOLA TESLA Laboratories (Stefan University), La Jolla, CA.

Solvent composition of one-step self-etch adhesives and dentine wettability.

PubMed

Grégoire, Geneviève; Dabsie, Firas; Dieng-Sarr, Farimata; Akon, Bernadette; Sharrock, Patrick

2011-01-01

Our aim was to determine the wettability of dentine by four commercial self-etch adhesives and evaluate their spreading rate on the dentine surface. Any correlation with chemical composition was sought, particularly with the amount of solvent or HEMA present in the adhesive. The adhesives used were AdheSE One, Optibond All.In.One, Adper Easy Bond and XenoV. Chemical compositions were determined by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of the adhesives dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide. Apparent contact angles for sessile drops of adhesives were measured on dentine slices as a function of time for up to 180s. The water contact angles were determined for fully polymerised adhesives. All adhesives were water-based with total solvent contents ranging from 27% to 73% for HEMA-free adhesives, and averaging 45% for HEMA containing adhesives. The contents in hydrophobic groups decreased as water contents increased. No differences were found in the adhesive contact angles after 180s even though the spreading rates were different for the products tested. Water contact angles differed significantly but were not correlated with HEMA or solvent presence. Manufacturers use different approaches to stabilise acid co-monomer ingredients in self-etch adhesives. Co-solvents, HEMA, or acrylamides without co-solvents are used to simultaneously etch and infiltrate dentine. A large proportion of water is necessary for decalcification action. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The mouse cerebellar cortex in organotypic slice cultures: an in vitro model to analyze the consequences of mutations and pathologies on neuronal survival, development, and function.

PubMed

Lonchamp, Etienne; Dupont, Jean-Luc; Beekenkamp, Huguette; Poulain, Bernard; Bossu, Jean-Louis

2006-01-01

Thin acute slices and dissociated cell cultures taken from different parts of the brain have been widely used to examine the function of the nervous system, neuron-specific interactions, and neuronal development (specifically, neurobiology, neuropharmacology, and neurotoxicology studies). Here, we focus on an alternative in vitro model: brain-slice cultures in roller tubes, initially introduced by Beat Gähwiler for studies with rats, that we have recently adapted for studies of mouse cerebellum. Cultured cerebellar slices afford many of the advantages of dissociated cultures of neurons and thin acute slices. Organotypic slice cultures were established from newborn or 10-15-day-old mice. After 3-4 weeks in culture, the slices flattened to form a cell monolayer. The main types of cerebellar neurons could be identified with immunostaining techniques, while their electrophysiological properties could be easily characterized with the patch-clamp recording technique. When slices were taken from newborn mice and cultured for 3 weeks, aspects of the cerebellar development were displayed. A functional neuronal network was established despite the absence of mossy and climbing fibers, which are the two excitatory afferent projections to the cerebellum. When slices were made from 10-15-day-old mice, which are at a developmental stage when cerebellum organization is almost established, the structure and neuronal pathways were intact after 3-4 weeks in culture. These unique characteristics make organotypic slice cultures of mouse cerebellar cortex a valuable model for analyzing the consequences of gene mutations that profoundly alter neuronal function and compromise postnatal survival.

Inter-slice Leakage Artifact Reduction Technique for Simultaneous Multi-Slice Acquisitions

PubMed Central

Cauley, Stephen F.; Polimeni, Jonathan R.; Bhat, Himanshu; Wang, Dingxin; Wald, Lawrence L.; Setsompop, Kawin

2015-01-01

Purpose Controlled aliasing techniques for simultaneously acquired EPI slices have been shown to significantly increase the temporal efficiency for both diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and fMRI studies. The “slice-GRAPPA” (SG) method has been widely used to reconstruct such data. We investigate robust optimization techniques for SG to ensure image reconstruction accuracy through a reduction of leakage artifacts. Methods Split slice-GRAPPA (SP-SG) is proposed as an alternative kernel optimization method. The performance of SP-SG is compared to standard SG using data collected on a spherical phantom and in-vivo on two subjects at 3T. Slice accelerated and non-accelerated data were collected for a spin-echo diffusion weighted acquisition. Signal leakage metrics and time-series SNR were used to quantify the performance of the kernel fitting approaches. Results The SP-SG optimization strategy significantly reduces leakage artifacts for both phantom and in-vivo acquisitions. In addition, a significant boost in time-series SNR for in-vivo diffusion weighted acquisitions with in-plane 2× and slice 3× accelerations was observed with the SP-SG approach. Conclusion By minimizing the influence of leakage artifacts during the training of slice-GRAPPA kernels, we have significantly improved reconstruction accuracy. Our robust kernel fitting strategy should enable better reconstruction accuracy and higher slice-acceleration across many applications. PMID:23963964

Separation of parallel encoded complex-valued slices (SPECS) from a single complex-valued aliased coil image.

PubMed

Rowe, Daniel B; Bruce, Iain P; Nencka, Andrew S; Hyde, James S; Kociuba, Mary C

2016-04-01

Achieving a reduction in scan time with minimal inter-slice signal leakage is one of the significant obstacles in parallel MR imaging. In fMRI, multiband-imaging techniques accelerate data acquisition by simultaneously magnetizing the spatial frequency spectrum of multiple slices. The SPECS model eliminates the consequential inter-slice signal leakage from the slice unaliasing, while maintaining an optimal reduction in scan time and activation statistics in fMRI studies. When the combined k-space array is inverse Fourier reconstructed, the resulting aliased image is separated into the un-aliased slices through a least squares estimator. Without the additional spatial information from a phased array of receiver coils, slice separation in SPECS is accomplished with acquired aliased images in shifted FOV aliasing pattern, and a bootstrapping approach of incorporating reference calibration images in an orthogonal Hadamard pattern. The aliased slices are effectively separated with minimal expense to the spatial and temporal resolution. Functional activation is observed in the motor cortex, as the number of aliased slices is increased, in a bilateral finger tapping fMRI experiment. The SPECS model incorporates calibration reference images together with coefficients of orthogonal polynomials into an un-aliasing estimator to achieve separated images, with virtually no residual artifacts and functional activation detection in separated images. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impacts of simultaneous multislice acquisition on sensitivity and specificity in fMRI.

PubMed

Risk, Benjamin B; Kociuba, Mary C; Rowe, Daniel B

2018-05-15

Simultaneous multislice (SMS) imaging can be used to decrease the time between acquisition of fMRI volumes, which can increase sensitivity by facilitating the removal of higher-frequency artifacts and boosting effective sample size. The technique requires an additional processing step in which the slices are separated, or unaliased, to recover the whole brain volume. However, this may result in signal "leakage" between aliased locations, i.e., slice "leakage," and lead to spurious activation (decreased specificity). SMS can also lead to noise amplification, which can reduce the benefits of decreased repetition time. In this study, we evaluate the original slice-GRAPPA (no leak block) reconstruction algorithm and acceleration factor (AF = 8) used in the fMRI data in the young adult Human Connectome Project (HCP). We also evaluate split slice-GRAPPA (leak block), which can reduce slice leakage. We use simulations to disentangle higher test statistics into true positives (sensitivity) and false positives (decreased specificity). Slice leakage was greatly decreased by split slice-GRAPPA. Noise amplification was decreased by using moderate acceleration factors (AF = 4). We examined slice leakage in unprocessed fMRI motor task data from the HCP. When data were smoothed, we found evidence of slice leakage in some, but not all, subjects. We also found evidence of SMS noise amplification in unprocessed task and processed resting-state HCP data. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bias field inconsistency correction of motion-scattered multislice MRI for improved 3D image reconstruction.

PubMed

Kim, Kio; Habas, Piotr A; Rajagopalan, Vidya; Scott, Julia A; Corbett-Detig, James M; Rousseau, Francois; Barkovich, A James; Glenn, Orit A; Studholme, Colin

2011-09-01

A common solution to clinical MR imaging in the presence of large anatomical motion is to use fast multislice 2D studies to reduce slice acquisition time and provide clinically usable slice data. Recently, techniques have been developed which retrospectively correct large scale 3D motion between individual slices allowing the formation of a geometrically correct 3D volume from the multiple slice stacks. One challenge, however, in the final reconstruction process is the possibility of varying intensity bias in the slice data, typically due to the motion of the anatomy relative to imaging coils. As a result, slices which cover the same region of anatomy at different times may exhibit different sensitivity. This bias field inconsistency can induce artifacts in the final 3D reconstruction that can impact both clinical interpretation of key tissue boundaries and the automated analysis of the data. Here we describe a framework to estimate and correct the bias field inconsistency in each slice collectively across all motion corrupted image slices. Experiments using synthetic and clinical data show that the proposed method reduces intensity variability in tissues and improves the distinction between key tissue types.

Target recognition of ladar range images using slice image: comparison of four improved algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Wenze; Han, Shaokun; Cao, Jingya; Wang, Liang; Zhai, Yu; Cheng, Yang

2017-07-01

Compared with traditional 3-D shape data, ladar range images possess properties of strong noise, shape degeneracy, and sparsity, which make feature extraction and representation difficult. The slice image is an effective feature descriptor to resolve this problem. We propose four improved algorithms on target recognition of ladar range images using slice image. In order to improve resolution invariance of the slice image, mean value detection instead of maximum value detection is applied in these four improved algorithms. In order to improve rotation invariance of the slice image, three new improved feature descriptors-which are feature slice image, slice-Zernike moments, and slice-Fourier moments-are applied to the last three improved algorithms, respectively. Backpropagation neural networks are used as feature classifiers in the last two improved algorithms. The performance of these four improved recognition systems is analyzed comprehensively in the aspects of the three invariances, recognition rate, and execution time. The final experiment results show that the improvements for these four algorithms reach the desired effect, the three invariances of feature descriptors are not directly related to the final recognition performance of recognition systems, and these four improved recognition systems have different performances under different conditions.

Semiautomatic tumor segmentation with multimodal images in a conditional random field framework.

PubMed

Hu, Yu-Chi; Grossberg, Michael; Mageras, Gikas

2016-04-01

Volumetric medical images of a single subject can be acquired using different imaging modalities, such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography. In this work, we present a semiautomatic segmentation algorithm that can leverage the synergies between different image modalities while integrating interactive human guidance. The algorithm provides a statistical segmentation framework partly automating the segmentation task while still maintaining critical human oversight. The statistical models presented are trained interactively using simple brush strokes to indicate tumor and nontumor tissues and using intermediate results within a patient's image study. To accomplish the segmentation, we construct the energy function in the conditional random field (CRF) framework. For each slice, the energy function is set using the estimated probabilities from both user brush stroke data and prior approved segmented slices within a patient study. The progressive segmentation is obtained using a graph-cut-based minimization. Although no similar semiautomated algorithm is currently available, we evaluated our method with an MRI data set from Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention Society multimodal brain segmentation challenge (BRATS 2012 and 2013) against a similar fully automatic method based on CRF and a semiautomatic method based on grow-cut, and our method shows superior performance.

Nutritional State-Dependent Ghrelin Activation of Vasopressin Neurons via Retrograde Trans-Neuronal–Glial Stimulation of Excitatory GABA Circuits

PubMed Central

Haam, Juhee; Halmos, Katalin C.; Di, Shi

2014-01-01

Behavioral and physiological coupling between energy balance and fluid homeostasis is critical for survival. The orexigenic hormone ghrelin has been shown to stimulate the secretion of the osmoregulatory hormone vasopressin (VP), linking nutritional status to the control of blood osmolality, although the mechanism of this systemic crosstalk is unknown. Here, we show using electrophysiological recordings and calcium imaging in rat brain slices that ghrelin stimulates VP neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in a nutritional state-dependent manner by activating an excitatory GABAergic synaptic input via a retrograde neuronal–glial circuit. In slices from fasted rats, ghrelin activation of a postsynaptic ghrelin receptor, the growth hormone secretagogue receptor type 1a (GHS-R1a), in VP neurons caused the dendritic release of VP, which stimulated astrocytes to release the gliotransmitter adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP activation of P2X receptors excited presynaptic GABA neurons to increase GABA release, which was excitatory to the VP neurons. This trans-neuronal–glial retrograde circuit activated by ghrelin provides an alternative means of stimulation of VP release and represents a novel mechanism of neuronal control by local neuronal–glial circuits. It also provides a potential cellular mechanism for the physiological integration of energy and fluid homeostasis. PMID:24790191

Local T1-T2 distribution measurements in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vashaee, S.; Li, M.; Newling, B.; MacMillan, B.; Marica, F.; Kwak, H. T.; Gao, J.; Al-harbi, A. M.; Balcom, B. J.

2018-02-01

A novel slice-selective T1-T2 measurement is proposed to measure spatially resolved T1-T2 distributions. An adiabatic inversion pulse is employed for slice-selection. The slice-selective pulse is able to select a quasi-rectangular slice, on the order of 1 mm, at an arbitrary position within the sample. The method does not employ conventional selective excitation in which selective excitation is often accomplished by rotation of the longitudinal magnetization in the slice of interest into the transverse plane, but rather a subtraction based on CPMG data acquired with and without adiabatic inversion slice selection. T1 weighting is introduced during recovery from the inversion associated with slice selection. The local T1-T2 distributions measured are of similar quality to bulk T1-T2 measurements. The new method can be employed to characterize oil-water mixtures and other fluids in porous media. The method is beneficial when a coarse spatial distribution of the components is of interest.

Multi-slice ultrasound image calibration of an intelligent skin-marker for soft tissue artefact compensation.

PubMed

Masum, M A; Pickering, M R; Lambert, A J; Scarvell, J M; Smith, P N

2017-09-06

In this paper, a novel multi-slice ultrasound (US) image calibration of an intelligent skin-marker used for soft tissue artefact compensation is proposed to align and orient image slices in an exact H-shaped pattern. Multi-slice calibration is complex, however, in the proposed method, a phantom based visual alignment followed by transform parameters estimation greatly reduces the complexity and provides sufficient accuracy. In this approach, the Hough Transform (HT) is used to further enhance the image features which originate from the image feature enhancing elements integrated into the physical phantom model, thus reducing feature detection uncertainty. In this framework, slice by slice image alignment and calibration are carried out and this provides manual ease and convenience. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

RF slice profile effects in magnetic resonance fingerprinting.

PubMed

Hong, Taehwa; Han, Dongyeob; Kim, Min-Oh; Kim, Dong-Hyun

2017-09-01

The radio frequency (RF) slice profile effects on T1 and T2 estimation in magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) are investigated with respect to time-bandwidth product (TBW), flip angle (FA) level and field inhomogeneities. Signal evolutions are generated incorporating the non-ideal slice selective excitation process using Bloch simulation and matched to the original dictionary with and without the non-ideal slice profile taken into account. For validation, phantom and in vivo experiments are performed at 3T. Both simulations and experiments results show that T1 and T2 error from non-ideal slice profile increases with increasing FA level, off-resonance, and low TBW values. Therefore, RF slice profile effects should be compensated for accurate determination of the MR parameters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Liquid spreading on ceramic-coated carbon nanotube films and patterned microstructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Hangbo; Hart, A. John

2015-11-01

We study the capillary-driven liquid spreading behavior on films and microstructures of ceramic-coated vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) fabricated on quartz substrates. The nanoscale porosity and micro-scale dimensions of the CNT structures, which can be precisely varied by the fabrication process, enable quantitative measurements that can be related to analytical models of the spreading behavior. Moreover, the conformal alumina coating by atomic layer deposition (ALD) prevents capillary-induced deformation of the CNTs upon meniscus recession, which has complicated previous studies of this topic. Washburn-like liquid spreading behavior is observed on non-patterned CNT surfaces, and is explained using a scaling model based on the balance of capillary driving force and the viscous drag force. Using these insights, we design patterned surfaces with controllable spreading rates and study the contact line pinning-depinning behavior. The nanoscale porosity, controllable surface chemistry, and mechanical stability of coated CNTs provide significantly enhanced liquid-solid interfacial area compared to solid microstructures. As a result, these surface designs may be useful for applications such as phase-change heat transfer and electrochemical energy storage. Funding for this project is provided by the National Institutes of Health and the MIT Center for Clean Water and Clean Energy supported by the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.

The Relationship between Membrane Potential and Calcium Dynamics in Glucose-Stimulated Beta Cell Syncytium in Acute Mouse Pancreas Tissue Slices

PubMed Central

Miller, Evan W.; Slak Rupnik, Marjan

2013-01-01

Oscillatory electrical activity is regarded as a hallmark of the pancreatic beta cell glucose-dependent excitability pattern. Electrophysiologically recorded membrane potential oscillations in beta cells are associated with in-phase oscillatory cytosolic calcium activity ([Ca2+]i) measured with fluorescent probes. Recent high spatial and temporal resolution confocal imaging revealed that glucose stimulation of beta cells in intact islets within acute tissue slices produces a [Ca2+]i change with initial transient phase followed by a plateau phase with highly synchronized [Ca2+]i oscillations. Here, we aimed to correlate the plateau [Ca2+]i oscillations with the oscillations of membrane potential using patch-clamp and for the first time high resolution voltage-sensitive dye based confocal imaging. Our results demonstrated that the glucose-evoked membrane potential oscillations spread over the islet in a wave-like manner, their durations and wave velocities being comparable to the ones for [Ca2+]i oscillations and waves. High temporal resolution simultaneous records of membrane potential and [Ca2+]i confirmed tight but nevertheless limited coupling of the two processes, with membrane depolarization preceding the [Ca2+]i increase. The potassium channel blocker tetraethylammonium increased the velocity at which oscillations advanced over the islet by several-fold while, at the same time, emphasized differences in kinetics of the membrane potential and the [Ca2+]i. The combination of both imaging techniques provides a powerful tool that will help us attain deeper knowledge of the beta cell network. PMID:24324777

Reformulation of Rothermel's wildland fire behaviour model for heterogeneous fuelbeds.

Treesearch

David V. Sandberg; Cynthia L. Riccardi; Mark D. Schaaf

2007-01-01

Abstract: The Fuel Characteristic Classification System (FCCS) includes equations that calculate energy release and one-dimensional spread rate in quasi-steady-state fires in heterogeneous but spatially uniform wildland fuelbeds, using a reformulation of the widely used Rothermel fire spread model. This reformulation provides an automated means to predict fire behavior...

Wake loss and energy spread factor of the LEReC Booster cavity caused by short range wake field

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

Xiao, Binping; Blaskiewicz, Michael; Fedotov, Alexei

LEReC project uses a DC photoemission gun with multi-alkali (CsK 2Sb or NaK 2Sb) cathode [1]. To get 24 mm “flat-top” distribution, 32 Gaussian laser bunches with 0.6 mm rms length are stacked together with 0.75 mm distance [2]. In this case one cannot simply use a 1 cm rms length Gaussian/step/delta bunch for short range wake field simulation since a 0.6 mm bunch contains frequency much higher than the 1 cm bunch. A short range wake field simulation was done using CST Particle Studio™ with 0.6 mm rms Gaussian bunch at the speed of light, and this result wasmore » compared with the result for 1 cm rms Gaussian bunch in Figure 1, from where one notice that the wake potential for the 0.6 mm bunch is ~10 times higher than that of the 1 cm bunch. The wake potential of the 0.6 mm bunch, as well as the charge distribution, was then “shift and stack” every 0.75 mm, the normalized results are shown in Figure 2. The wake loss factor (WLF) is the integration of the product of wake potential and normalized bunch charge, and the energy spread factor (ESF) is the rms deviation from the average energy loss. It is calculated by summing the weighted squares of the differences and taking the square root of the sum. These two factors were then divided by β 2 for 1.6 MV beam energy. The wake loss factor is at 0.86 V/pC and energy spread factor is at 0.54 V/pC rms. With 100 pC electron bunch, the energy spread inter-bunch is 54 V rms.« less

SLICE/MARC-O: Description of Services. Second Revised Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Libraries, Oklahoma City.

Following the discussions of: what is SLICE, what is MARC, what is MARC-O, and what is SLICE/MARC-O are descriptions of the five services offered by SLICE/MARC-O. These services are: (1) cataloging data search and print, (2) MARC record and search and copy, (3) standard S.D.I. current awareness, (4) custom S.D.I. current awareness and (5) SLICE…

Metabolic Characterization of Acutely Isolated Hippocampal and Cerebral Cortical Slices Using [U-13C]Glucose and [1,2-13C]Acetate as Substrates.

PubMed

McNair, Laura F; Kornfelt, Rasmus; Walls, Anne B; Andersen, Jens V; Aldana, Blanca I; Nissen, Jakob D; Schousboe, Arne; Waagepetersen, Helle S

2017-03-01

Brain slice preparations from rats, mice and guinea pigs have served as important tools for studies of neurotransmission and metabolism. While hippocampal slices routinely have been used for electrophysiology studies, metabolic processes have mostly been studied in cerebral cortical slices. Few comparative characterization studies exist for acute hippocampal and cerebral cortical slices, hence, the aim of the current study was to characterize and compare glucose and acetate metabolism in these slice preparations in a newly established incubation design. Cerebral cortical and hippocampal slices prepared from 16 to 18-week-old mice were incubated for 15-90 min with unlabeled glucose in combination with [U- 13 C]glucose or [1,2- 13 C]acetate. Our newly developed incubation apparatus allows accurate control of temperature and is designed to avoid evaporation of the incubation medium. Subsequent to incubation, slices were extracted and extracts analyzed for 13 C-labeling (%) and total amino acid contents (µmol/mg protein) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Release of lactate from the slices was quantified by analysis of the incubation media. Based on the measured 13 C-labeling (%), total amino acid contents and relative activity of metabolic enzymes/pathways, we conclude that the slice preparations in the current incubation apparatus exhibited a high degree of metabolic integrity. Comparison of 13 C-labeling observed with [U- 13 C]glucose in slices from cerebral cortex and hippocampus revealed no significant regional differences regarding glycolytic or total TCA cycle activities. On the contrary, results from the incubations with [1,2- 13 C]acetate suggest a higher capacity of the astrocytic TCA cycle in hippocampus compared to cerebral cortex. Finally, we propose a new approach for assessing compartmentation of metabolite pools between astrocytes and neurons using 13 C-labeling (%) data obtained from mass spectrometry. Based on this approach we suggest that cellular metabolic compartmentation in hippocampus and cerebral cortex is very similar.

Carbon Nanotubes as an Ultrafast Emitter with a Narrow Energy Spread at Optical Frequency.

PubMed

Li, Chi; Zhou, Xu; Zhai, Feng; Li, Zhenjun; Yao, Fengrui; Qiao, Ruixi; Chen, Ke; Cole, Matthew Thomas; Yu, Dapeng; Sun, Zhipei; Liu, Kaihui; Dai, Qing

2017-08-01

Ultrafast electron pulses, combined with laser-pump and electron-probe technologies, allow ultrafast dynamics to be characterized in materials. However, the pursuit of simultaneous ultimate spatial and temporal resolution of microscopy and spectroscopy is largely subdued by the low monochromaticity of the electron pulses and their poor phase synchronization to the optical excitation pulses. Field-driven photoemission from metal tips provides high light-phase synchronization, but suffers large electron energy spreads (3-100 eV) as driven by a long wavelength laser (>800 nm). Here, ultrafast electron emission from carbon nanotubes (≈1 nm radius) excited by a 410 nm femtosecond laser is realized in the field-driven regime. In addition, the emitted electrons have great monochromaticity with energy spread as low as 0.25 eV. This great performance benefits from the extraordinarily high field enhancement and great stability of carbon nanotubes, superior to metal tips. The new nanotube-based ultrafast electron source opens exciting prospects for extending current characterization to sub-femtosecond temporal resolution as well as sub-nanometer spatial resolution. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Baclofen and phaclofen modulate GABA release from slices of rat cerebral cortex and spinal cord but not from retina.

PubMed Central

Neal, M. J.; Shah, M. A.

1989-01-01

1. The effects of (-)-baclofen, muscimol and phaclofen on endogenous gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) release from rat cortical slices, spinal cord slices and entire retinas were studied. 2. The spontaneous resting release of GABA from the three tissues was 3 to 6 pmol mg-1 wet wt 10 min-1. Depolarization of cortical slices with KCl (50 mM) (high-K) produced an 8 fold increase in GABA release but high-K did not evoke an increased release of GABA from spinal slices or retinas. 3. When rats were injected with gamma-vinyl-GABA (250 mg kg-1 i.p.) (GVG) 18 h before death, the tissue GABA stores were increased 3 to 6 fold and high-K then evoked striking Ca-dependent releases of GABA from all three tissues. Thus, in subsequent experiments, unless otherwise stated, the nervous tissues were taken from GVG-treated rats. 4. (-)-Baclofen (10 microM) significantly reduced the K-evoked release of GABA from cortical and spinal slices but retinal release was not affected, even at a concentration of (+/-)-baclofen of 1 mM. For cortical slices, the IC50 for baclofen was approximately 5.2 microM. The inhibitory effect of baclofen on GABA release from cortical slices also occurred in slices prepared from saline-injected rats, indicating that GVG treatment did not qualitatively affect the results. 5. The inhibitory effect of (-)-baclofen on the K-evoked release of GABA from cortical and spinal slices was antagonised by phaclofen (500 microM), confirming that baclofen was producing its effects by acting at the GABAB-receptor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:2804540

[Diagnostic values of bronchoscopy and multi-slice spiral CT for congenital dysplasia of the respiratory system in infants: a comparative study].

PubMed

Wang, Xing-Lu; Huang, Ying; Li, Qu-Bei; Dai, Ji-Hong

2013-09-01

To investigate and compare the diagnostic values of bronchoscopy and multi-slice spiral computed tomography (CT) for congenital dysplasia of the respiratory system in infants. Analysis was performed on the clinical data, bronchoscopic findings and multi-slice spiral CT findings of 319 infants (≤1 years old) who underwent bronchoscopy and/or multi-slice spiral CT and were diagnosed with congenital dysplasia of the respiratory system. A total of 476 cases of congenital dysplasia of the respiratory system were found in the 319 infants, including primary dysplasia of the respiratory system (392 cases) and compressive dysplasia of the respiratory system (84 cases). Of the 392 cases of primary dysplasia of the respiratory system, 225 (57.4%) were diagnosed by bronchoscopy versus 167 (42.6%) by multi-slice spiral CT. There were significant differences in etiological diagnosis between bronchoscopy and multi-slice spiral CT in infants with congenital dysplasia of the respiratory system (P<0.05). All 76 cases of primary dysplasia of the respiratory system caused by tracheobronchomalacia were diagnosed by bronchoscopy and all 17 cases of primary dysplasia of the respiratory system caused by lung tissue dysplasia were diagnosed by multi-slice spiral CT. Of the 84 cases of compressive dysplasia of the respiratory system, 74 cases were diagnosed by multi-slice spiral CT and only 10 cases were diagnosed by bronchoscopy. Compared with multi-slice spiral CT, bronchoscopy can detect primary dysplasia of the respiratory system more directly. Bronchoscopy is valuable in the confirmed diagnosis of tracheobronchomalacia. Multi-slice spiral CT has a higher diagnostic value for lung tissue dysplasia than bronchoscopy.

Kinematic study of O--ion formation from dissociative electron attachment to SO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jana, Irina; Nandi, Dhananjay

2018-04-01

We report a complete kinematic study of O--ion formation due to dissociative electron attachment to SO2 using the velocity slice imaging technique in the incident electron energy range over the resonances. Two resonances are observed at 5.2 and 7.5 eV, respectively. From the kinetic energy distribution, the two resonances are observed to have the same threshold energy, pointing to the fact that the two processes, giving rise to the two resonant peaks, have the same dissociation limit. From the angular distribution results we identified the involvement of an A1 and a combination of A1+B2 temporary negative-ion state(s) for the first and second resonances, respectively.

Rat brain sagittal organotypic slice cultures as an ex vivo dopamine cell loss system.

PubMed

McCaughey-Chapman, Amy; Connor, Bronwen

2017-02-01

Organotypic brain slice cultures are a useful tool to study neurological function as they provide a more complex, 3-dimensional system than standard 2-dimensional in vitro cell cultures. Building on a previously developed mouse brain slice culture protocol, we have developed a rat sagittal brain slice culture system as an ex vivo model of dopamine cell loss. We show that rat brain organotypic slice cultures remain viable for up to 6 weeks in culture. Using Fluoro-Gold axonal tracing, we demonstrate that the slice 3-dimensional cytoarchitecture is maintained over a 4 week culturing period, with particular focus on the nigrostriatal pathway. Treatment of the cultures with 6-hydroxydopamine and desipramine induces a progressive loss of Fluoro-Gold-positive nigral cells with a sustained loss of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive nigral cells. This recapitulates the pattern of dopaminergic degeneration observed in the rat partial 6-hydroxydopamine lesion model and, most importantly, the progressive pathology of Parkinson's disease. Our slice culture platform provides an advance over other systems, as we demonstrate for the first time 3-dimensional cytoarchitecture maintenance of rat nigrostriatal sagittal slices for up to 6 weeks. Our ex vivo organotypic slice culture system provides a long term cellular platform to model Parkinson's disease, allowing for the elucidation of mechanisms involved in dopaminergic neuron degeneration and the capability to study cellular integration and plasticity ex vivo. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Time efficient whole-brain coverage with MR Fingerprinting using slice-interleaved echo-planar-imaging.

PubMed

Rieger, Benedikt; Akçakaya, Mehmet; Pariente, José C; Llufriu, Sara; Martinez-Heras, Eloy; Weingärtner, Sebastian; Schad, Lothar R

2018-04-27

Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) is a promising method for fast simultaneous quantification of multiple tissue parameters. The objective of this study is to improve the coverage of MRF based on echo-planar imaging (MRF-EPI) by using a slice-interleaved acquisition scheme. For this, the MRF-EPI is modified to acquire several slices in a randomized interleaved manner, increasing the effective repetition time of the spoiled gradient echo readout acquisition in each slice. Per-slice matching of the signal-trace to a precomputed dictionary allows the generation of T 1 and T 2 * maps with integrated B 1 + correction. Subsequent compensation for the coil sensitivity profile and normalization to the cerebrospinal fluid additionally allows for quantitative proton density (PD) mapping. Numerical simulations are performed to optimize the number of interleaved slices. Quantification accuracy is validated in phantom scans and feasibility is demonstrated in-vivo. Numerical simulations suggest the acquisition of four slices as a trade-off between quantification precision and scan-time. Phantom results indicate good agreement with reference measurements (Difference T 1 : -2.4 ± 1.1%, T 2 *: -0.5 ± 2.5%, PD: -0.5 ± 7.2%). In-vivo whole-brain coverage of T 1 , T 2 * and PD with 32 slices was acquired within 3:36 minutes, resulting in parameter maps of high visual quality and comparable performance with single-slice MRF-EPI at 4-fold scan-time reduction.

Using a high-speed movie camera to evaluate slice dropping in clinical image interpretation with stack mode viewers.

PubMed

Yakami, Masahiro; Yamamoto, Akira; Yanagisawa, Morio; Sekiguchi, Hiroyuki; Kubo, Takeshi; Togashi, Kaori

2013-06-01

The purpose of this study is to verify objectively the rate of slice omission during paging on picture archiving and communication system (PACS) viewers by recording the images shown on the computer displays of these viewers with a high-speed movie camera. This study was approved by the institutional review board. A sequential number from 1 to 250 was superimposed on each slice of a series of clinical Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) data. The slices were displayed using several DICOM viewers, including in-house developed freeware and clinical PACS viewers. The freeware viewer and one of the clinical PACS viewers included functions to prevent slice dropping. The series was displayed in stack mode and paged in both automatic and manual paging modes. The display was recorded with a high-speed movie camera and played back at a slow speed to check whether slices were dropped. The paging speeds were also measured. With a paging speed faster than half the refresh rate of the display, some viewers dropped up to 52.4 % of the slices, while other well-designed viewers did not, if used with the correct settings. Slice dropping during paging was objectively confirmed using a high-speed movie camera. To prevent slice dropping, the viewer must be specially designed for the purpose and must be used with the correct settings, or the paging speed must be slower than half of the display refresh rate.

Twistor interpretation of slice regular functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altavilla, Amedeo

2018-01-01

Given a slice regular function f : Ω ⊂ H → H, with Ω ∩ R ≠ ∅, it is possible to lift it to surfaces in the twistor space CP3 of S4 ≃ H ∪ { ∞ } (see Gentili et al., 2014). In this paper we show that the same result is true if one removes the hypothesis Ω ∩ R ≠ ∅ on the domain of the function f. Moreover we find that if a surface S ⊂CP3 contains the image of the twistor lift of a slice regular function, then S has to be ruled by lines. Starting from these results we find all the projective classes of algebraic surfaces up to degree 3 in CP3 that contain the lift of a slice regular function. In addition we extend and further explore the so-called twistor transform, that is a curve in Gr2(C4) which, given a slice regular function, returns the arrangement of lines whose lift carries on. With the explicit expression of the twistor lift and of the twistor transform of a slice regular function we exhibit the set of slice regular functions whose twistor transform describes a rational line inside Gr2(C4) , showing the role of slice regular functions not defined on R. At the end we study the twistor lift of a particular slice regular function not defined over the reals. This example shows the effectiveness of our approach and opens some questions.

The theory of interface slicing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beck, Jon

1993-01-01

Interface slicing is a new tool which was developed to facilitate reuse-based software engineering, by addressing the following problems, needs, and issues: (1) size of systems incorporating reused modules; (2) knowledge requirements for program modification; (3) program understanding for reverse engineering; (4) module granularity and domain management; and (5) time and space complexity of conventional slicing. The definition of a form of static program analysis called interface slicing is addressed.

The Characteristics of LTP Induced in Hippocampal Slices Are Dependent on Slice-Recovery Conditions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Godaux, Emile; Ris, Laurence; Capron, Brigitte; Sindic, Christian

2006-01-01

In area CA1 of hippocampal slices which are allowed to recover from slicing "in interface" and where recordings are carried out in interface, a single 1-sec train of 100-Hz stimulation triggers a short-lasting long-term potentiation (S-LTP), which lasts 1-2 h, whereas multiple 1-sec trains induce a long-lasting LTP (L-LTP), which lasts several…

Effects of 1-methylcyclopropene and post-controlled atmosphere air storage treatments on fresh-cut Ambrosia apple slices.

PubMed

Tardelli, Francesca; Guidi, Lucia; Massai, Rossano; Toivonen, Peter M A

2013-01-01

The effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment and two different post-controlled atmosphere air storage (PCAAS) durations on the quality and chemistry of fresh-cut Ambrosia apple slices was studied. PCAAS for 1 or 2 weeks prior to slicing had an overall positive effect on the resultant quality of fresh-cut apple slices. The most significant responses to PCAAS were the suppression of both phenolic and o-quinone accumulation in slices, and this was related to the significantly lower browning potential values obtained for slices from PCAAS-treated apples. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POX) and ascorbate peroxidase (APOX) activities were not affected by 1-MCP or PCAAS treatments. PPO and POX activities were almost completely inhibited by a 50 g L⁻¹ calcium ascorbate anti-browning dip of apple slices from all treatments. The most dramatic effect of the PCAAS treatments was to reduce the accumulation of soluble phenolics, which is likely the reason that o-quinone accumulation was also inhibited in treated fruits. The consequent reduction in browning potential may be the explanation as to why PCAAS treatment has been shown to reduce fresh apple slice browning in previous work. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

A microfluidic brain slice perfusion chamber for multisite recording using penetrating electrodes.

PubMed

Blake, Alexander J; Rodgers, Frank C; Bassuener, Anna; Hippensteel, Joseph A; Pearce, Thomas M; Pearce, Timothy R; Zarnowska, Ewa D; Pearce, Robert A; Williams, Justin C

2010-05-30

To analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics of network activity in a brain tissue slice, it is useful to record simultaneously from multiple locations. When obtained from laminar structures such as the hippocampus or neocortex, multisite recordings also yield information about subcellular current distributions via current source density analysis. Multisite probes developed for in vivo recordings could serve these purposes in vitro, allowing recordings to be obtained from brain slices at sites deeper within the tissue than currently available surface recording methods permit. However, existing recording chambers do not allow for the insertion of lamina-spanning probes that enter through the edges of brain slices. Here, we present a novel brain slice recording chamber design that accomplishes this goal. The device provides a stable microfluidic perfusion environment in which tissue health is optimized by superfusing both surfaces of the slice. Multichannel electrodes can be inserted parallel to the surface of the slice, at any depth relative to the surface. Access is also provided from above for the insertion of additional recording or stimulating electrodes. We illustrate the utility of this recording configuration by measuring current sources and sinks during theta burst stimuli that lead to the induction of long-term potentiation in hippocampal slices. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of slice thickness on brain magnetic resonance image texture analysis

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The accuracy of texture analysis in clinical evaluation of magnetic resonance images depends considerably on imaging arrangements and various image quality parameters. In this paper, we study the effect of slice thickness on brain tissue texture analysis using a statistical approach and classification of T1-weighted images of clinically confirmed multiple sclerosis patients. Methods We averaged the intensities of three consecutive 1-mm slices to simulate 3-mm slices. Two hundred sixty-four texture parameters were calculated for both the original and the averaged slices. Wilcoxon's signed ranks test was used to find differences between the regions of interest representing white matter and multiple sclerosis plaques. Linear and nonlinear discriminant analyses were applied with several separate training and test sets to determine the actual classification accuracy. Results Only moderate differences in distributions of the texture parameter value for 1-mm and simulated 3-mm-thick slices were found. Our study also showed that white matter areas are well separable from multiple sclerosis plaques even if the slice thickness differs between training and test sets. Conclusions Three-millimeter-thick magnetic resonance image slices acquired with a 1.5 T clinical magnetic resonance scanner seem to be sufficient for texture analysis of multiple sclerosis plaques and white matter tissue. PMID:20955567

Dynamics of electron injection and acceleration driven by laser wakefield in tailored density profiles

DOE PAGES

Lee, Patrick; Maynard, G.; Audet, T. L.; ...

2016-11-16

The dynamics of electron acceleration driven by laser wakefield is studied in detail using the particle-in-cell code WARP with the objective to generate high-quality electron bunches with narrow energy spread and small emittance, relevant for the electron injector of a multistage accelerator. Simulation results, using experimentally achievable parameters, show that electron bunches with an energy spread of ~11% can be obtained by using an ionization-induced injection mechanism in a mm-scale length plasma. By controlling the focusing of a moderate laser power and tailoring the longitudinal plasma density profile, the electron injection beginning and end positions can be adjusted, while themore » electron energy can be finely tuned in the last acceleration section.« less

Real-time slicing algorithm for Stereolithography (STL) CAD model applied in additive manufacturing industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adnan, F. A.; Romlay, F. R. M.; Shafiq, M.

2018-04-01

Owing to the advent of the industrial revolution 4.0, the need for further evaluating processes applied in the additive manufacturing application particularly the computational process for slicing is non-trivial. This paper evaluates a real-time slicing algorithm for slicing an STL formatted computer-aided design (CAD). A line-plane intersection equation was applied to perform the slicing procedure at any given height. The application of this algorithm has found to provide a better computational time regardless the number of facet in the STL model. The performance of this algorithm is evaluated by comparing the results of the computational time for different geometry.

Using pancreas tissue slices for in situ studies of islet of Langerhans and acinar cell biology.

PubMed

Marciniak, Anja; Cohrs, Christian M; Tsata, Vasiliki; Chouinard, Julie A; Selck, Claudia; Stertmann, Julia; Reichelt, Saskia; Rose, Tobias; Ehehalt, Florian; Weitz, Jürgen; Solimena, Michele; Slak Rupnik, Marjan; Speier, Stephan

2014-12-01

Studies on the cellular function of the pancreas are typically performed in vitro on its isolated functional units, the endocrine islets of Langerhans and the exocrine acini. However, these approaches are hampered by preparation-induced changes of cell physiology and the lack of an intact surrounding. We present here a detailed protocol for the preparation of pancreas tissue slices. This procedure is less damaging to the tissue and faster than alternative approaches, and it enables the in situ study of pancreatic endocrine and exocrine cell physiology in a conserved environment. Pancreas tissue slices facilitate the investigation of cellular mechanisms underlying the function, pathology and interaction of the endocrine and exocrine components of the pancreas. We provide examples for several experimental applications of pancreas tissue slices to study various aspects of pancreas cell biology. Furthermore, we describe the preparation of human and porcine pancreas tissue slices for the validation and translation of research findings obtained in the mouse model. Preparation of pancreas tissue slices according to the protocol described here takes less than 45 min from tissue preparation to receipt of the first slices.

Effect of Carboxylmethyl Cellulose Coating and Osmotic Dehydration on Freeze Drying Kinetics of Apple Slices

PubMed Central

Rahimi, Jamshid; Singh, Ashutosh; Adewale, Peter Olusola; Adedeji, Akinbode A.; Ngadi, Michael O.; Raghavan, Vijaya

2013-01-01

The effect of different concentrations of sugar solution (hypertonic) (30%, 45% and 60% w/v) and carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) (0%, 1% and 2% w/v) coating on freeze drying of apple slices was studied. In total, nine treatments with respect to concentrations of hypertonic solution and coating layer were prepared to analyze their influence on the physical and chemical properties of freeze dried apple slices. It was observed that increase in the sugar solution concentration, decreased the moisture content of the apple slices significantly impacting its water activity, texture and sugar gain. Application of different concentrations of CMC coating had no significant effect on the properties of dried apple slices. A significant change was observed for color of CMC coated freeze dried apple slices pretreated with 60% sugar solution. Drying kinetics of pretreated apple slices were fitted by using two drying models, Newton’s and Page’s. Page’s model showed higher R-square and lower root mean square error (RSME) compared to Newton’s model. PMID:28239107

Two-phase opening of Andaman Sea: a new seismotectonic insight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, P. K.; Chakraborty, Partha Pratim

2005-01-01

High-resolution reconstruction of Benioff zone depth-dip angle trajectory for Burma-Java subduction margin between 2° and 17°N Lat. reveals two major episodes of plate geometry change expressed as abrupt deviation in subduction angle. Estimation of effective rate of subduction in different time slices (and then length of subducted slab) allowed drawing of isochrones in Ma interval through these trajectories for the time period 5-12 Ma. With these isochrones, the deformation events on the subducting Indian plate are constrained in time as of 4-5 and 11 Ma old. This well-constrained time connotation offered scope for the correlation of slab deformation events with the well-established two-phase opening history of the Andaman Sea. While the 11 Ma event recorded from southern part of the study area is correlated with early stretching and rifting phase, the 4-5 Ma event is interpreted as major forcing behind the spreading phase of the Andaman Sea. Systematic spatio-temporal evaluation of Indian plate obliquity on the Andaman Sea evolution shows its definite control on the early rifting phase, initiated towards south near northwest Sumatra. The much young spreading phase recorded towards north of 7° Lat. is possibly the result of late Miocene-Pliocene trench retreat and follow-up transcurrent movement (along Sagaing and Sumatran fault system) with NW-SE pull-apart extension. Nonconformity between plate shape and subduction margin geometry is interpreted as the causative force behind Mid-Miocene intraplate extension and tearing. Enhanced stretching in the overriding plate consequently caused active forearc subsidence, recorded all along this plate margin. Initial phase of the Andaman Sea opening presumably remains concealed in this early-middle Miocene forearc subsidence history. The late Miocene-Pliocene pull-apart opening and spreading was possibly initiated near the western part of the Mergui-Sumatra region and propagated northward in subsequent period. A temporary halt in rifting at this pull-apart stage and northeastward veering of the Andaman Sea Ridge (ASR) are related with uplifting of oceanic crust in post-middle Miocene time in form of Alcock and Sewell seamounts, lying symmetrically north and south of this spreading ridge.

Potential of energy production from conserved forages

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Forages have a potential role in meeting the demand for energy. Perennial forages are attractive for various reasons. One, both the monetary and energy cost of planting is spread over many years. Two, we already have the equipment for harvesting, storing and transporting this source of biomass. Thre...

Combinatorial compatibility as habit-controlling factor in lysozyme crystallization II. Morphological evidence for tetrameric growth units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strom, C. S.; Bennema, P.

1997-03-01

This work (Part II) explores the relation between units and morphology. It shows the equivalence in behaviour between the attachment energies and the results of Monte Carlo growth kinetics simulations. The energetically optimal combination of the F slices in 1 1 0, 0 1 1 and 1 1 1 in a monomolecular interpretation leads to unsatisfactory agreement with experimentally observed morphology. In a tetrameric (or octameric) interpretation, the unit cell must be subdivided self-consistently in terms of stable molecular clusters. Thus, the presence or absence of the 1 1 1 form functions as a direct experimental criterion for distinguishing between monomolecular growth layers, and tetrameric (or octameric) growth layers of the same composition, but subjected to the condition of combinatorial compatibility, as the F slices combine to produce the growth habit. When that condition is taken into account, the tetrameric (or octameric) theoretical morphology in the broken bond model is in good agreement with experiment over a wide range. Subjectmatter for future study is summarized.

Uptake and metabolism of cisplatin by rat kidney.

PubMed

Safirstein, R; Miller, P; Guttenplan, J B

1984-05-01

Cisplatin, an effective antineoplastic agent, is toxic to the kidney. Since the kidney's vulnerability to cisplatin may originate in its ability to accumulate and retain platinum to a greater degree than other organs, we studied the characteristics of the renal accumulation of platinum and investigated the nature of intracellular platinum. Cisplatin and ethylenediamminedichloroplatinum, nephrotoxic and antineoplastic liganded platinum compounds, were concentrated in rat renal cortical slices fivefold above medium concentration. Platinum uptake was energy- and temperature-dependent and could be inhibited by drugs which inhibit base transport. The organic anions para-aminohippurate and pyrazinoate did not reduce renal slice platinum uptake. Unbound platinum in the blood and urine was predominantly cisplatin but unbound platinum in kidney cytosol was not. This latter compound, in contrast to cisplatin, was not active as a mutagen. These studies suggest that the kidney accumulates platinum in part by transport or specific binding to the base transport system in the kidney and biotransforms it intracellularly. Unbound platinum in the cell is not cisplatin and may no longer be toxic.

Maria's Veggie Wrap

MedlinePlus

... source of fiber. Ingredients 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and sliced 1 medium yellow pepper, seeded and sliced 1 onion, sliced 1 tsp ... Salsa Directions In a nonstick pan, sauté the peppers and onion in the canola oil for 5 ...

Stabilization of a finite slice in miscible displacement in homogeneous porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pramanik, Satyajit; Mishra, Manoranjan

2016-11-01

We numerically studied the miscible displacement of a finite slice of variable viscosity and density. The stability of the finite slice depends on different flow parameters, such as displacement velocity U, mobility ratio R , and the density contrast. Series of numerical simulations corresponding to different ordered pair (R, U) in the parameter space, and a given density contrast reveal six different instability regions. We have shown that independent of the width of the slice, there always exists a region of stable displacement, and below a critical value of the slice width, this stable region increases with decreasing slice width. Further we observe that the viscous fingering (buoyancy-induced instability) at the upper interface induces buoyancy-induced instability (viscous fingering) at the lower interface. Besides the fundamental fluid dynamics understanding, our results can be helpful to model CO2 sequestration and chromatographic separation.

Integrating interface slicing into software engineering processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beck, Jon

1993-01-01

Interface slicing is a tool which was developed to facilitate software engineering. As previously presented, it was described in terms of its techniques and mechanisms. The integration of interface slicing into specific software engineering activities is considered by discussing a number of potential applications of interface slicing. The applications discussed specifically address the problems, issues, or concerns raised in a previous project. Because a complete interface slicer is still under development, these applications must be phrased in future tenses. Nonetheless, the interface slicing techniques which were presented can be implemented using current compiler and static analysis technology. Whether implemented as a standalone tool or as a module in an integrated development or reverse engineering environment, they require analysis no more complex than that required for current system development environments. By contrast, conventional slicing is a methodology which, while showing much promise and intuitive appeal, has yet to be fully implemented in a production language environment despite 12 years of development.

The Effect of Temperature on Photoluminescence Enhancement of Quantum Dots in Brain Slices.

PubMed

Zhao, Fei; Kim, Jongsung

2017-04-01

In this paper, we investigated the effect of temperature on photoluminescence of quantum dots immobilized on the surface of an optical fiber in a rat brain slice. The optical fiber was silanized with 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane (APTMS), following which quantum dots with carboxyl functional group were immobilized on the optical fiber via amide bond formation. The effect of temperature on the fluorescence intensity of the quantum dots in rat brain slices was studied. This report shows that the fluorescence intensity of quantum dots increases with the increase of temperature of the brain slice. The fluorescence enhancement phenomenon appears to take place via electron transfer related to pH increase. With the gradual increase of temperature, the fluorescence intensity of quantum dots in solution decreased, while that in the brain slice increased. This enhanced thermal performance of QDs in brain slice makes suggestion for the study of QDs-based brain temperature sensors.

Preparation of positional renal slices for study of cell-specific toxicity.

PubMed

Ruegg, C E; Gandolfi, A J; Nagle, R B; Krumdieck, C L; Brendel, K

1987-04-01

To reduce structural complexity, rabbit kidneys were sliced perpendicular to their cortical-papillary axis to isolate four distinct cell groupings. This positional orientation allows identification of each renal cell type based on its location within the slice. A mechanical slicer was used to make several precision-cut slices rapidly from an oriented cylindrical core of renal tissue, with minimal tissue trauma. Slices were then submerged under a gently circulating oxygenated media in a fritted glass support system that maintains viability (intracellular K+/DNA ratio) and structural integrity (histology) for at least 30 h. A high dose of mercuric chloride (10(-3) M) was used to demonstrate the structural and biochemical changes of intoxicated slices. This method provides a controlled subchronic in vitro system for the study of the individual cell types involved in cell-specific renal toxicities and may also be a useful tool for addressing other pharmacological and physiological research questions.

Space-time slicing in Horndeski theories and its implications for non-singular bouncing solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ijjas, Anna

2018-02-01

In this paper, we show how the proper choice of gauge is critical in analyzing the stability of non-singular cosmological bounce solutions based on Horndeski theories. We show that it is possible to construct non-singular cosmological bounce solutions with classically stable behavior for all modes with wavelengths above the Planck scale where: (a) the solution involves a stage of null-energy condition violation during which gravity is described by a modification of Einstein's general relativity; and (b) the solution reduces to Einstein gravity both before and after the null-energy condition violating stage. Similar considerations apply to galilean genesis scenarios.

Prepartum nutrient intake alters palmitate metabolism by liver slices from peripartal dairy cows.

PubMed

Litherland, N B; Dann, H M; Drackley, J K

2011-04-01

We determined the effects of day relative to parturition and prepartum plane of nutrition on hepatic partitioning of palmitate metabolism to CO2, acid-soluble products (ASP), and esterified products (EP). Multiparous Holsteins (n=74) were fed different amounts of nutrients during the dry period in a 3 (far-off period diet)×2 (close-up period diet) factorial arrangement. During the far-off period (d -60 to -25) cows received a low-energy control diet fed ad libitum (100NRC) to meet National Research Council (NRC) requirements, a moderate-energy diet fed ad libitum to exceed NRC recommendations for net energy of lactation (NEL) by >50% (150NRC), or the same diet fed at restricted intake to provide 80% of NEL requirements (80NRC). During the close-up period (d -24 until parturition), cows were fed a diet for ad libitum intake to meet NRC recommendations or in restricted amounts to provide 80% of calculated NEL requirements. After parturition, all cows had ad libitum access to a lactation diet. Liver slices from biopsies on d -30, -14, 1, 14, and 28 relative to parturition were used to determine conversion of [1-(14)C] palmitate to CO2, ASP, and EP. Across diets, oxidation of palmitate to CO2 was decreased postpartum, whereas oxidation to ASP was increased at d 1 postpartum compared with other times. Conversion of palmitate to EP increased markedly postpartum, with the greatest rates at d 1 postpartum. Conversion of palmitate to CO2 and ASP on d 1 postpartum was lower and the proportion of palmitate metabolism as EP was greater for cows fed 150NRC than for those fed 100NRC or 80NRC. Hepatic triacylglycerol concentration at d 1 postpartum was greatest for cows fed 150NRC. Palmitate metabolism did not differ between close-up diets. Hepatic triacylglycerol was negatively correlated with tissue metabolism of palmitate to CO2 and ASP but positively correlated with metabolism to EP. Hepatic triacylglycerol was highly correlated with NEFA concentrations on the day of calving and d 1 postpartum but not with NEFA prepartum. In contrast, plasma BHBA postpartum was not correlated with hepatic palmitate metabolism by liver slices but was highly correlated with NEFA concentration prepartum. Excessive energy intake during the far-off dry period decreased hepatic palmitate oxidation and shifted palmitate metabolism toward greater esterification, consistent with greater hepatic triacylglycerol accumulation postpartum. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimization of abdominal fat quantification on CT imaging through use of standardized anatomic space: A novel approach

PubMed Central

Tong, Yubing; Udupa, Jayaram K.; Torigian, Drew A.

2014-01-01

Purpose: The quantification of body fat plays an important role in the study of numerous diseases. It is common current practice to use the fat area at a single abdominal computed tomography (CT) slice as a marker of the body fat content in studying various disease processes. This paper sets out to answer three questions related to this issue which have not been addressed in the literature. At what single anatomic slice location do the areas of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) estimated from the slice correlate maximally with the corresponding fat volume measures? How does one ensure that the slices used for correlation calculation from different subjects are at the same anatomic location? Are there combinations of multiple slices (not necessarily contiguous) whose area sum correlates better with volume than does single slice area with volume? Methods: The authors propose a novel strategy for mapping slice locations to a standardized anatomic space so that same anatomic slice locations are identified in different subjects. The authors then study the volume-to-area correlations and determine where they become maximal. To address the third issue, the authors carry out similar correlation studies by utilizing two and three slices for calculating area sum. Results: Based on 50 abdominal CT data sets, the proposed mapping achieves significantly improved consistency of anatomic localization compared to current practice. Maximum correlations are achieved at different anatomic locations for SAT and VAT which are both different from the L4-L5 junction commonly utilized currently for single slice area estimation as a marker. Conclusions: The maximum area-to-volume correlation achieved is quite high, suggesting that it may be reasonable to estimate body fat by measuring the area of fat from a single anatomic slice at the site of maximum correlation and use this as a marker. The site of maximum correlation is not at L4-L5 as commonly assumed, but is more superiorly located at T12-L1 for SAT and at L3-L4 for VAT. Furthermore, the optimal anatomic locations for SAT and VAT estimation are not the same, contrary to common assumption. The proposed standardized space mapping achieves high consistency of anatomic localization by accurately managing nonlinearities in the relationships among landmarks. Multiple slices achieve greater improvement in correlation for VAT than for SAT. The optimal locations in the case of multiple slices are not contiguous. PMID:24877839

Optimization of abdominal fat quantification on CT imaging through use of standardized anatomic space: A novel approach

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

Tong, Yubing; Udupa, Jayaram K., E-mail: jay@mail.med.upenn.edu; Torigian, Drew A.

Purpose: The quantification of body fat plays an important role in the study of numerous diseases. It is common current practice to use the fat area at a single abdominal computed tomography (CT) slice as a marker of the body fat content in studying various disease processes. This paper sets out to answer three questions related to this issue which have not been addressed in the literature. At what single anatomic slice location do the areas of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) estimated from the slice correlate maximally with the corresponding fat volume measures? How doesmore » one ensure that the slices used for correlation calculation from different subjects are at the same anatomic location? Are there combinations of multiple slices (not necessarily contiguous) whose area sum correlates better with volume than does single slice area with volume? Methods: The authors propose a novel strategy for mapping slice locations to a standardized anatomic space so that same anatomic slice locations are identified in different subjects. The authors then study the volume-to-area correlations and determine where they become maximal. To address the third issue, the authors carry out similar correlation studies by utilizing two and three slices for calculating area sum. Results: Based on 50 abdominal CT data sets, the proposed mapping achieves significantly improved consistency of anatomic localization compared to current practice. Maximum correlations are achieved at different anatomic locations for SAT and VAT which are both different from the L4-L5 junction commonly utilized currently for single slice area estimation as a marker. Conclusions: The maximum area-to-volume correlation achieved is quite high, suggesting that it may be reasonable to estimate body fat by measuring the area of fat from a single anatomic slice at the site of maximum correlation and use this as a marker. The site of maximum correlation is not at L4-L5 as commonly assumed, but is more superiorly located at T12-L1 for SAT and at L3-L4 for VAT. Furthermore, the optimal anatomic locations for SAT and VAT estimation are not the same, contrary to common assumption. The proposed standardized space mapping achieves high consistency of anatomic localization by accurately managing nonlinearities in the relationships among landmarks. Multiple slices achieve greater improvement in correlation for VAT than for SAT. The optimal locations in the case of multiple slices are not contiguous.« less

Organotypic slice cultures containing the preBötzinger complex generate respiratory-like rhythms

PubMed Central

Phillips, Wiktor S.; Herly, Mikkel; Del Negro, Christopher A.

2015-01-01

Study of acute brain stem slice preparations in vitro has advanced our understanding of the cellular and synaptic mechanisms of respiratory rhythm generation, but their inherent limitations preclude long-term manipulation and recording experiments. In the current study, we have developed an organotypic slice culture preparation containing the preBötzinger complex (preBötC), the core inspiratory rhythm generator of the ventrolateral brain stem. We measured bilateral synchronous network oscillations, using calcium-sensitive fluorescent dyes, in both ventrolateral (presumably the preBötC) and dorsomedial regions of slice cultures at 7–43 days in vitro. These calcium oscillations appear to be driven by periodic bursts of inspiratory neuronal activity, because whole cell recordings from ventrolateral neurons in culture revealed inspiratory-like drive potentials, and no oscillatory activity was detected from glial fibrillary associated protein-expressing astrocytes in cultures. Acute slices showed a burst frequency of 10.9 ± 4.2 bursts/min, which was not different from that of brain stem slice cultures (13.7 ± 10.6 bursts/min). However, slice cocultures that include two cerebellar explants placed along the dorsolateral border of the brainstem displayed up to 193% faster burst frequency (22.4 ± 8.3 bursts/min) and higher signal amplitude (340%) compared with acute slices. We conclude that preBötC-containing slice cultures retain inspiratory-like rhythmic function and therefore may facilitate lines of experimentation that involve extended incubation (e.g., genetic transfection or chronic drug exposure) while simultaneously being amenable to imaging and electrophysiology at cellular, synaptic, and network levels. PMID:26655824

Accuracy of limited four-slice CT-scan in diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis.

PubMed

Zojaji, R; Nekooei, S; Naghibi, S; Mazloum Farsi Baf, M; Jalilian, R; Masoomi, M

2015-12-01

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common chronic health condition worldwide. Standard CT-scan is the method of choice for diagnosis of CRS but its high price and considerable radiation exposure have limited its application. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of limited four-slice coronal CT-scan in the diagnosis of CRS. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 46 patients with CRS, for one year, based on American Society of Head and Neck Surgery criteria. All patients received the preoperative standard and four-slice CT-scans, after which endoscopic sinus surgery was performed. Findings of four-slice CT-scans were compared with those of conventional CT-scan and the sensitivity and specificity of four-slice CT-scan and its agreement with conventional CT-scan was calculated. In this study, 46 patients including 32 males (69.6%) and 14 females (30.46%) with a mean age of 33 and standard deviation of 9 years, were evaluated. Sensitivity and specificity of four-slice CT-scan were 97.5% and 100%, respectively. Also, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of four-slice CT was 100% and 85.71%, respectively. There was a strong agreement between four-slice CT and conventional CT findings. Considering the high sensitivity and specificity of four-slice CT-scan and strong agreement with conventional CT-scan in the diagnosis of CRS and the lower radiation exposure and cost, application of this method is suggested for both diagnosis and treatment follow-up in CRS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Geometry Processing of Conventionally Produced Mouse Brain Slice Images.

PubMed

Agarwal, Nitin; Xu, Xiangmin; Gopi, M

2018-04-21

Brain mapping research in most neuroanatomical laboratories relies on conventional processing techniques, which often introduce histological artifacts such as tissue tears and tissue loss. In this paper we present techniques and algorithms for automatic registration and 3D reconstruction of conventionally produced mouse brain slices in a standardized atlas space. This is achieved first by constructing a virtual 3D mouse brain model from annotated slices of Allen Reference Atlas (ARA). Virtual re-slicing of the reconstructed model generates ARA-based slice images corresponding to the microscopic images of histological brain sections. These image pairs are aligned using a geometric approach through contour images. Histological artifacts in the microscopic images are detected and removed using Constrained Delaunay Triangulation before performing global alignment. Finally, non-linear registration is performed by solving Laplace's equation with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Our methods provide significant improvements over previously reported registration techniques for the tested slices in 3D space, especially on slices with significant histological artifacts. Further, as one of the application we count the number of neurons in various anatomical regions using a dataset of 51 microscopic slices from a single mouse brain. To the best of our knowledge the presented work is the first that automatically registers both clean as well as highly damaged high-resolutions histological slices of mouse brain to a 3D annotated reference atlas space. This work represents a significant contribution to this subfield of neuroscience as it provides tools to neuroanatomist for analyzing and processing histological data. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cardiac tissue slices: preparation, handling, and successful optical mapping.

PubMed

Wang, Ken; Lee, Peter; Mirams, Gary R; Sarathchandra, Padmini; Borg, Thomas K; Gavaghan, David J; Kohl, Peter; Bollensdorff, Christian

2015-05-01

Cardiac tissue slices are becoming increasingly popular as a model system for cardiac electrophysiology and pharmacology research and development. Here, we describe in detail the preparation, handling, and optical mapping of transmembrane potential and intracellular free calcium concentration transients (CaT) in ventricular tissue slices from guinea pigs and rabbits. Slices cut in the epicardium-tangential plane contained well-aligned in-slice myocardial cell strands ("fibers") in subepicardial and midmyocardial sections. Cut with a high-precision slow-advancing microtome at a thickness of 350 to 400 μm, tissue slices preserved essential action potential (AP) properties of the precutting Langendorff-perfused heart. We identified the need for a postcutting recovery period of 36 min (guinea pig) and 63 min (rabbit) to reach 97.5% of final steady-state values for AP duration (APD) (identified by exponential fitting). There was no significant difference between the postcutting recovery dynamics in slices obtained using 2,3-butanedione 2-monoxime or blebistatin as electromechanical uncouplers during the cutting process. A rapid increase in APD, seen after cutting, was caused by exposure to ice-cold solution during the slicing procedure, not by tissue injury, differences in uncouplers, or pH-buffers (bicarbonate; HEPES). To characterize intrinsic patterns of CaT, AP, and conduction, a combination of multipoint and field stimulation should be used to avoid misinterpretation based on source-sink effects. In summary, we describe in detail the preparation, mapping, and data analysis approaches for reproducible cardiac tissue slice-based investigations into AP and CaT dynamics. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Correlation between model observers in uniform background and human observers in patient liver background for a low-contrast detection task in CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Hao; Yu, Lifeng; Leng, Shuai; Dilger, Samantha; Zhou, Wei; Ren, Liqiang; McCollough, Cynthia H.

2018-03-01

Channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) has demonstrated strong correlation with human observer (HO) in both single-slice viewing mode and multi-slice viewing mode in low-contrast detection tasks with uniform background. However, it remains unknown if the simplest single-slice CHO in uniform background can be used to predict human observer performance in more realistic tasks that involve patient anatomical background and multi-slice viewing mode. In this study, we aim to investigate the correlation between CHO in a uniform water background and human observer performance at a multi-slice viewing mode on patient liver background for a low-contrast lesion detection task. The human observer study was performed on CT images from 7 abdominal CT exams. A noise insertion tool was employed to synthesize CT scans at two additional dose levels. A validated lesion insertion tool was used to numerically insert metastatic liver lesions of various sizes and contrasts into both phantom and patient images. We selected 12 conditions out of 72 possible experimental conditions to evaluate the correlation at various radiation doses, lesion sizes, lesion contrasts and reconstruction algorithms. CHO with both single and multi-slice viewing modes were strongly correlated with HO. The corresponding Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.982 (with 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.936, 0.995]) and 0.989 (with 95% CI of [0.960, 0.997]) in multi-slice and single-slice viewing modes, respectively. Therefore, this study demonstrated the potential to use the simplest single-slice CHO to assess image quality for more realistic clinically relevant CT detection tasks.

Cardiac tissue slices: preparation, handling, and successful optical mapping

PubMed Central

Wang, Ken; Lee, Peter; Mirams, Gary R.; Sarathchandra, Padmini; Borg, Thomas K.; Gavaghan, David J.; Kohl, Peter

2015-01-01

Cardiac tissue slices are becoming increasingly popular as a model system for cardiac electrophysiology and pharmacology research and development. Here, we describe in detail the preparation, handling, and optical mapping of transmembrane potential and intracellular free calcium concentration transients (CaT) in ventricular tissue slices from guinea pigs and rabbits. Slices cut in the epicardium-tangential plane contained well-aligned in-slice myocardial cell strands (“fibers”) in subepicardial and midmyocardial sections. Cut with a high-precision slow-advancing microtome at a thickness of 350 to 400 μm, tissue slices preserved essential action potential (AP) properties of the precutting Langendorff-perfused heart. We identified the need for a postcutting recovery period of 36 min (guinea pig) and 63 min (rabbit) to reach 97.5% of final steady-state values for AP duration (APD) (identified by exponential fitting). There was no significant difference between the postcutting recovery dynamics in slices obtained using 2,3-butanedione 2-monoxime or blebistatin as electromechanical uncouplers during the cutting process. A rapid increase in APD, seen after cutting, was caused by exposure to ice-cold solution during the slicing procedure, not by tissue injury, differences in uncouplers, or pH-buffers (bicarbonate; HEPES). To characterize intrinsic patterns of CaT, AP, and conduction, a combination of multipoint and field stimulation should be used to avoid misinterpretation based on source-sink effects. In summary, we describe in detail the preparation, mapping, and data analysis approaches for reproducible cardiac tissue slice-based investigations into AP and CaT dynamics. PMID:25595366

Improved biochemical preservation of lung slices during cold storage.

PubMed

Bull, D A; Connors, R C; Reid, B B; Albanil, A; Stringham, J C; Karwande, S V

2000-05-15

Development of lung preservation solutions typically requires whole-organ models which are animal and labor intensive. These models rely on physiologic rather than biochemical endpoints, making accurate comparison of the relative efficacy of individual solution components difficult. We hypothesized that lung slices could be used to assess preservation of biochemical function during cold storage. Whole rat lungs were precision cut into slices with a thickness of 500 microm and preserved at 4 degrees C in the following solutions: University of Wisconsin (UW), Euro-Collins (EC), low-potassium-dextran (LPD), Kyoto (K), normal saline (NS), or a novel lung preservation solution (NPS) developed using this model. Lung biochemical function was assessed by ATP content (etamol ATP/mg wet wt) and capacity for protein synthesis (cpm/mg protein) immediately following slicing (0 h) and at 6, 12, 18, and 24 h of cold storage. Six slices were assayed at each time point for each solution. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance and are presented as means +/- SD. ATP content was significantly higher in the lung slices stored in NPS compared with all other solutions at each time point (P < 0.0001). Protein synthesis was significantly higher in the lung slices stored in NPS compared with all other solutions at 6, 12, and 18 h of preservation (P < 0.05). This lung slice model allows the rapid and efficient screening of lung preservation solutions and their components using quantifiable biochemical endpoints. Using this model, we have developed a novel solution that improves the biochemical preservation of lung slices during cold storage. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Modeling Musical Context With Word2Vec

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herremans, Dorien; Chuan, Ching-Hua

2017-05-01

We present a semantic vector space model for capturing complex polyphonic musical context. A word2vec model based on a skip-gram representation with negative sampling was used to model slices of music from a dataset of Beethoven's piano sonatas. A visualization of the reduced vector space using t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding shows that the resulting embedded vector space captures tonal relationships, even without any explicit information about the musical contents of the slices. Secondly, an excerpt of the Moonlight Sonata from Beethoven was altered by replacing slices based on context similarity. The resulting music shows that the selected slice based on similar word2vec context also has a relatively short tonal distance from the original slice.

High Velocity Jet Noise Source Location and Reduction. Task 6. Supplement. Computer Programs: Engineering Correlation (M*S) Jet Noise Prediction Method and Unified Aeroacoustic Prediction Model (M*G*B) for Nozzles of Arbitary Shape.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-03-01

LSPFIT 112 4.3.5 SLICE 112 4.3.6 CRD 113 4.3.7 OUTPUT 113 4.3.8 SHOCK 115 4.3.9 ATMOS 115 4.3.10 PNLC 115 4.4 Program Usage and Logic 116 4.5 Description...number MAIN, SLICE, OUTPUT F Intermediate variable LSPFIT FAC Intermediate variable PNLC FC Center frequency SLICE FIRSTU Flight velocity Ua MAIN, SLICE...Index CRD J211 Index CRD K Index, also wave number MAIN, SLICE, PNLC KN Surrounding boundary index MAIN KNCAS Case counter MAIN KNK Surrounding

Communication: Time- and space-sliced velocity map electron imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Suk Kyoung; Lin, Yun Fei; Lingenfelter, Steven; Fan, Lin; Winney, Alexander H.; Li, Wen

2014-12-01

We develop a new method to achieve slice electron imaging using a conventional velocity map imaging apparatus with two additional components: a fast frame complementary metal-oxide semiconductor camera and a high-speed digitizer. The setup was previously shown to be capable of 3D detection and coincidence measurements of ions. Here, we show that when this method is applied to electron imaging, a time slice of 32 ps and a spatial slice of less than 1 mm thick can be achieved. Each slice directly extracts 3D velocity distributions of electrons and provides electron velocity distributions that are impossible or difficult to obtain with a standard 2D imaging electron detector.

Recent developments in multi-wire fixed abrasive slicing technique (FAST). [for low cost silicon wafer production from ingots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmid, F.; Khattak, C. P.; Smith, M. B.; Lynch, L. D.

1982-01-01

Slicing is an important processing step for all technologies based on the use of ingots. A comparison of the economics of three slicing techniques shows that the fixed abrasive slicing technique (FAST) is superior to the internal diameter (ID) and the multiblade slurry (MBS) techniques. Factors affecting contact length are discussed, taking into account kerf width, rocking angle, ingot size, and surface speed. Aspects of blade development are also considered. A high concentration of diamonds on wire has been obtained in wire packs usd for FAST slicing. The material removal rate was found to be directly proportional to the pressure at the diamond tips.

Vacuum drying of apples (cv. Golden Delicious): drying characteristics, thermodynamic properties, and mass transfer parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadi, Fatemeh; Tzempelikos, Dimitrios

2018-01-01

In this work, apples of cv. Golden Delicious were cut into slices that were 5 and 7 mm thick and then vacuum dried at 50, 60 and 70 °C and pressure of 0.02 bar. The thin layer model drying kinetics was studied, and mass transfer properties, specifically effective moisture diffusivity and convective mass transfer coefficient, were evaluated using the Fick's equation of diffusion. Also, thermodynamic parameters of the process, i.e. enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔS) and Gibbs free energy (ΔG), were determined. Colour properties were evaluated as one of the important indicators of food quality and marketability. Determination of mass transfer parameters and thermodynamic properties of vacuum dried apple slices has not been discussed much in the literature. In conclusion, the Nadi's model fitted best the observed data that represent the drying process. Thermodynamic properties were determined based on the dependence of the drying constant of the Henderson and Pabis model on temperature, and it was concluded that the variation in drying kinetics depends on the energy contribution of the surrounding environment. The enthalpy and entropy diminished, while the Gibbs free energy increased with the increase of the temperature of drying; therefore, it was possible to verify that variation in the diffusion process in the apple during drying depends on energetic contributions of the environment. The obtained results showed that diffusivity increased for 69%, while the mass transfer coefficient increase was even higher, 75%, at the variation of temperature of 20 °C. The increase in the dimensionless Biot number was 20%.

Temperature distribution by the effect of groundwater flow in an aquifer thermal energy storage system model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shim, B.

2005-12-01

Aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) can be a cost-effective and renewable energy source, depending on site-specific thermohydraulic conditions. To design an effective ATES system, the understanding of thermohydraulic processes is necessary. The heat transfer phenomena of an aquifer heat storage system are simulated with the scenario of heat pump operation of pumping and waste water reinjection in a two layered confined aquifer model having the effect of groundwater movement. Temperature distribution of the aquifer model is generated, and hydraulic heads and temperature variations are monitored at both wells during simulation days. The average groundwater velocities are determined with two assumed hydraulic gradients set by boundary conditions, and the effect of groundwater flow are shown at the generated thermal distributions at three different depth slices. The generated temperature contour lines at the hydraulic gradient of 0.001 are shaped circular, and the center is moved less than 5 m to the east in 365 days. However at the hydraulic gradient of 0.01, the contour centers of the east well at each depth slice are moved near the east boundary and the movement of temperature distribution is increased at the lower aquifer. By the analysis of thermal interference data between two wells the efficiency of a heat pump operation model is validated, and the variation of heads is monitored at injection, pumping and stabilized state. The thermal efficiency of the ATES system model is represented as highly depended on groundwater flow velocity and direction. Therefore the hydrogeologic condition for the system site should be carefully surveyed.

Vacuum drying of apples (cv. Golden Delicious): drying characteristics, thermodynamic properties, and mass transfer parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadi, Fatemeh; Tzempelikos, Dimitrios

2018-07-01

In this work, apples of cv. Golden Delicious were cut into slices that were 5 and 7 mm thick and then vacuum dried at 50, 60 and 70 °C and pressure of 0.02 bar. The thin layer model drying kinetics was studied, and mass transfer properties, specifically effective moisture diffusivity and convective mass transfer coefficient, were evaluated using the Fick's equation of diffusion. Also, thermodynamic parameters of the process, i.e. enthalpy ( ΔH), entropy ( ΔS) and Gibbs free energy ( ΔG), were determined. Colour properties were evaluated as one of the important indicators of food quality and marketability. Determination of mass transfer parameters and thermodynamic properties of vacuum dried apple slices has not been discussed much in the literature. In conclusion, the Nadi's model fitted best the observed data that represent the drying process. Thermodynamic properties were determined based on the dependence of the drying constant of the Henderson and Pabis model on temperature, and it was concluded that the variation in drying kinetics depends on the energy contribution of the surrounding environment. The enthalpy and entropy diminished, while the Gibbs free energy increased with the increase of the temperature of drying; therefore, it was possible to verify that variation in the diffusion process in the apple during drying depends on energetic contributions of the environment. The obtained results showed that diffusivity increased for 69%, while the mass transfer coefficient increase was even higher, 75%, at the variation of temperature of 20 °C. The increase in the dimensionless Biot number was 20%.

Dual-Energy Contrast-Enhanced Breast Tomosynthesis: Optimization of Beam Quality for Dose and Image Quality

PubMed Central

Samei, Ehsan; Saunders, Robert S.

2014-01-01

Dual-energy contrast-enhanced breast tomosynthesis is a promising technique to obtain three-dimensional functional information from the breast with high resolution and speed. To optimize this new method, this study searched for the beam quality that maximized image quality in terms of mass detection performance. A digital tomosynthesis system was modeled using a fast ray-tracing algorithm, which created simulated projection images by tracking photons through a voxelized anatomical breast phantom containing iodinated lesions. The single-energy images were combined into dual-energy images through a weighted log subtraction process. The weighting factor was optimized to minimize anatomical noise, while the dose distribution was chosen to minimize quantum noise. The dual-energy images were analyzed for the signal difference to noise ratio (SdNR) of iodinated masses. The fast ray-tracing explored 523,776 dual-energy combinations to identify which yields optimum mass SdNR. The ray-tracing results were verified using a Monte Carlo model for a breast tomosynthesis system with a selenium-based flat-panel detector. The projection images from our voxelized breast phantom were obtained at a constant total glandular dose. The projections were combined using weighted log subtraction and reconstructed using commercial reconstruction software. The lesion SdNR was measured in the central reconstructed slice. The SdNR performance varied markedly across the kVp and filtration space. Ray-tracing results indicated that the mass SdNR was maximized with a high-energy tungsten beam at 49 kVp with 92.5 μm of copper filtration and a low-energy tungsten beam at 49 kVp with 95 μm of tin filtration. This result was consistent with Monte Carlo findings. This mammographic technique led to a mass SdNR of 0.92 ± 0.03 in the projections and 3.68 ± 0.19 in the reconstructed slices. These values were markedly higher than those for non-optimized techniques. Our findings indicate that dual-energy breast tomosynthesis can be performed optimally at 49 kVp with alternative copper and tin filters, with reconstruction following weighted subtraction. The optimum technique provides best visibility of iodine against structured breast background in dual-energy contrast-enhanced breast tomosynthesis. PMID:21908902

Slice sampling technique in Bayesian extreme of gold price modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rostami, Mohammad; Adam, Mohd Bakri; Ibrahim, Noor Akma; Yahya, Mohamed Hisham

2013-09-01

In this paper, a simulation study of Bayesian extreme values by using Markov Chain Monte Carlo via slice sampling algorithm is implemented. We compared the accuracy of slice sampling with other methods for a Gumbel model. This study revealed that slice sampling algorithm offers more accurate and closer estimates with less RMSE than other methods . Finally we successfully employed this procedure to estimate the parameters of Malaysia extreme gold price from 2000 to 2011.

Preparation of Acute Brain Slices Using an Optimized N-Methyl-D-glucamine Protective Recovery Method.

PubMed

Ting, Jonathan T; Lee, Brian R; Chong, Peter; Soler-Llavina, Gilberto; Cobbs, Charles; Koch, Christof; Zeng, Hongkui; Lein, Ed

2018-02-26

This protocol is a practical guide to the N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG) protective recovery method of brain slice preparation. Numerous recent studies have validated the utility of this method for enhancing neuronal preservation and overall brain slice viability. The implementation of this technique by early adopters has facilitated detailed investigations into brain function using diverse experimental applications and spanning a wide range of animal ages, brain regions, and cell types. Steps are outlined for carrying out the protective recovery brain slice technique using an optimized NMDG artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) media formulation and enhanced procedure to reliably obtain healthy brain slices for patch clamp electrophysiology. With this updated approach, a substantial improvement is observed in the speed and reliability of gigaohm seal formation during targeted patch clamp recording experiments while maintaining excellent neuronal preservation, thereby facilitating challenging experimental applications. Representative results are provided from multi-neuron patch clamp recording experiments to assay synaptic connectivity in neocortical brain slices prepared from young adult transgenic mice and mature adult human neurosurgical specimens. Furthermore, the optimized NMDG protective recovery method of brain slicing is compatible with both juvenile and adult animals, thus resolving a limitation of the original methodology. In summary, a single media formulation and brain slicing procedure can be implemented across various species and ages to achieve excellent viability and tissue preservation.

Preparation of Acute Brain Slices Using an Optimized N-Methyl-D-glucamine Protective Recovery Method

PubMed Central

Chong, Peter; Soler-Llavina, Gilberto; Cobbs, Charles; Koch, Christof; Zeng, Hongkui; Lein, Ed

2018-01-01

This protocol is a practical guide to the N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG) protective recovery method of brain slice preparation. Numerous recent studies have validated the utility of this method for enhancing neuronal preservation and overall brain slice viability. The implementation of this technique by early adopters has facilitated detailed investigations into brain function using diverse experimental applications and spanning a wide range of animal ages, brain regions, and cell types. Steps are outlined for carrying out the protective recovery brain slice technique using an optimized NMDG artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) media formulation and enhanced procedure to reliably obtain healthy brain slices for patch clamp electrophysiology. With this updated approach, a substantial improvement is observed in the speed and reliability of gigaohm seal formation during targeted patch clamp recording experiments while maintaining excellent neuronal preservation, thereby facilitating challenging experimental applications. Representative results are provided from multi-neuron patch clamp recording experiments to assay synaptic connectivity in neocortical brain slices prepared from young adult transgenic mice and mature adult human neurosurgical specimens. Furthermore, the optimized NMDG protective recovery method of brain slicing is compatible with both juvenile and adult animals, thus resolving a limitation of the original methodology. In summary, a single media formulation and brain slicing procedure can be implemented across various species and ages to achieve excellent viability and tissue preservation. PMID:29553547

Magnetohydrodynamics of unsteady viscous fluid on boundary layer past a sliced sphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nursalim, Rahmat; Widodo, Basuki; Imron, Chairul

2017-10-01

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) is important study in engineering and industrial fields. By study on MHD, we can reach the fluid flow characteristics that can be used to minimize its negative effect to an object. In decades, MHD has been widely studied in various geometry forms and fluid types. The sliced sphere is a geometry form that has not been investigated. In this paper we study magnetohydrodynamics of unsteady viscous fluid on boundary layer past a sliced sphere. Assumed that the fluid is incompressible, there is no magnetic field, there is no electrical voltage, the sliced sphere is fix and there is no barrier around the object. In this paper we focus on velocity profile at stagnation point (x = 0°). Mathematical model is governed by continuity and momentum equation. It is converted to non-dimensional, stream function, and similarity equation. Solution of the mathematical model is obtained by using Keller-Box numerical method. By giving various of slicing angle and various of magnetic parameter we get the simulation results. The simulation results show that increasing the slicing angle causes the velocity profile be steeper. Also, increasing the value of magnetic parameter causes the velocity profile be steeper. On the large slicing angle there is no significant effect of magnetic parameter to velocity profile, and on the high the value of magnetic parameter there is no significant effect of slicing angle to velocity profile.

SU-G-206-01: A Fully Automated CT Tool to Facilitate Phantom Image QA for Quantitative Imaging in Clinical Trials

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

Wahi-Anwar, M; Lo, P; Kim, H

Purpose: The use of Quantitative Imaging (QI) methods in Clinical Trials requires both verification of adherence to a specified protocol and an assessment of scanner performance under that protocol, which are currently accomplished manually. This work introduces automated phantom identification and image QA measure extraction towards a fully-automated CT phantom QA system to perform these functions and facilitate the use of Quantitative Imaging methods in clinical trials. Methods: This study used a retrospective cohort of CT phantom scans from existing clinical trial protocols - totaling 84 phantoms, across 3 phantom types using various scanners and protocols. The QA system identifiesmore » the input phantom scan through an ensemble of threshold-based classifiers. Each classifier - corresponding to a phantom type - contains a template slice, which is compared to the input scan on a slice-by-slice basis, resulting in slice-wise similarity metric values for each slice compared. Pre-trained thresholds (established from a training set of phantom images matching the template type) are used to filter the similarity distribution, and the slice with the most optimal local mean similarity, with local neighboring slices meeting the threshold requirement, is chosen as the classifier’s matched slice (if it existed). The classifier with the matched slice possessing the most optimal local mean similarity is then chosen as the ensemble’s best matching slice. If the best matching slice exists, image QA algorithm and ROIs corresponding to the matching classifier extracted the image QA measures. Results: Automated phantom identification performed with 84.5% accuracy and 88.8% sensitivity on 84 phantoms. Automated image quality measurements (following standard protocol) on identified water phantoms (n=35) matched user QA decisions with 100% accuracy. Conclusion: We provide a fullyautomated CT phantom QA system consistent with manual QA performance. Further work will include parallel component to automatically verify image acquisition parameters and automated adherence to specifications. Institutional research agreement, Siemens Healthcare; Past recipient, research grant support, Siemens Healthcare; Consultant, Toshiba America Medical Systems; Consultant, Samsung Electronics; NIH Grant support from: U01 CA181156.« less

Influence of image slice thickness on rectal dose-response relationships following radiotherapy of prostate cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olsson, C.; Thor, M.; Liu, M.; Moissenko, V.; Petersen, S. E.; Høyer, M.; Apte, A.; Deasy, J. O.

2014-07-01

When pooling retrospective data from different cohorts, slice thicknesses of acquired computed tomography (CT) images used for treatment planning may vary between cohorts. It is, however, not known if varying slice thickness influences derived dose-response relationships. We investigated this for rectal bleeding using dose-volume histograms (DVHs) of the rectum and rectal wall for dose distributions superimposed on images with varying CT slice thicknesses. We used dose and endpoint data from two prostate cancer cohorts treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy to either 74 Gy (N = 159) or 78 Gy (N = 159) at 2 Gy per fraction. The rectum was defined as the whole organ with content, and the morbidity cut-off was Grade ≥2 late rectal bleeding. Rectal walls were defined as 3 mm inner margins added to the rectum. DVHs for simulated slice thicknesses from 3 to 13 mm were compared to DVHs for the originally acquired slice thicknesses at 3 and 5 mm. Volumes, mean, and maximum doses were assessed from the DVHs, and generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD) values were calculated. For each organ and each of the simulated slice thicknesses, we performed predictive modeling of late rectal bleeding using the Lyman-Kutcher-Burman (LKB) model. For the most coarse slice thickness, rectal volumes increased (≤18%), whereas maximum and mean doses decreased (≤0.8 and ≤4.2 Gy, respectively). For all a values, the gEUD for the simulated DVHs were ≤1.9 Gy different than the gEUD for the original DVHs. The best-fitting LKB model parameter values with 95% CIs were consistent between all DVHs. In conclusion, we found that the investigated slice thickness variations had minimal impact on rectal dose-response estimations. From the perspective of predictive modeling, our results suggest that variations within 10 mm in slice thickness between cohorts are unlikely to be a limiting factor when pooling multi-institutional rectal dose data that include slice thickness variations within this range. Presented in part at the European Society for Therapeutic Radiotherapy and Oncology Annual Meeting, April 5-8, 2014, Vienna, Austria.

Alkylation effects on the energy transfer of highly vibrationally excited naphthalene.

PubMed

Hsu, Hsu Chen; Tsai, Ming-Tsang; Dyakov, Yuri A; Ni, Chi-Kung

2011-11-04

The energy transfer of highly vibrationally excited isomers of dimethylnaphthalene and 2-ethylnaphthalene in collisions with krypton were investigated using crossed molecular beam/time-of-flight mass spectrometer/time-sliced velocity map ion imaging techniques at a collision energy of approximately 300 cm(-1). Angular-resolved energy-transfer distribution functions were obtained directly from the images of inelastic scattering. The results show that alkyl-substituted naphthalenes transfer more vibrational energy to translational energy than unsubstituted naphthalene. Alkylation enhances the V→T energy transfer in the range -ΔE(d)=-100~-1500 cm(-1) by approximately a factor of 2. However, the maximum values of V→T energy transfer for alkyl-substituted naphthalenes are about 1500~2000 cm(-1), which is similar to that of naphthalene. The lack of rotation-like wide-angle motion of the aromatic ring and no enhancement in very large V→T energy transfer, like supercollisions, indicates that very large V→T energy transfer requires special vibrational motions. This transfer cannot be achieved by the low-frequency vibrational motions of alkyl groups. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Improvements to laser wakefield accelerated electron beam stability, divergence, and energy spread using three-dimensional printed two-stage gas cell targets

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

Vargas, M.; Schumaker, W.; He, Z.-H.

2014-04-28

High intensity, short pulse lasers can be used to accelerate electrons to ultra-relativistic energies via laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) [T. Tajima and J. M. Dawson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 43, 267 (1979)]. Recently, it was shown that separating the injection and acceleration processes into two distinct stages could prove beneficial in obtaining stable, high energy electron beams [Gonsalves et al., Nat. Phys. 7, 862 (2011); Liu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 035001 (2011); Pollock et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 045001 (2011)]. Here, we use a stereolithography based 3D printer to produce two-stage gas targets for LWFA experiments on themore » HERCULES laser system at the University of Michigan. We demonstrate substantial improvements to the divergence, pointing stability, and energy spread of a laser wakefield accelerated electron beam compared with a single-stage gas cell or gas jet target.« less

Efficient monoenergetic proton beam from ultra-fast laser interaction with nanostructured targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazeli, R.

2018-03-01

The broad energy spectrum of laser-accelerated proton beams is the most important difficulty associated with such particle sources on the way to future applications such as medical therapy, proton imaging, inertial fusion, and high-energy physics. The generation of proton beams with enhanced monoenergetic features through an ultra-intense laser interaction with optimized nanostructured targets is reported. Targets were irradiated by 40 fs laser pulses of intensity 5.5 ×1020 W c m -2 and wavelength 1 μm. The results of multi-parametric Particle-in-Cell calculations showed that proton beams with considerably reduced energy spread can be obtained by using the proposed nanostructured target. At optimized target dimensions, the proton spectrum was found to exhibit a narrow peak at about 63 MeV with a relative energy spread of ΔE /Epeak˜ 5 % which is efficiently lower than what is expected for unstructured double layer targets (˜70%).

Electron beam dynamics in an ultrafast transmission electron microscope with Wehnelt electrode.

PubMed

Bücker, K; Picher, M; Crégut, O; LaGrange, T; Reed, B W; Park, S T; Masiel, D J; Banhart, F

2016-12-01

High temporal resolution transmission electron microscopy techniques have shown significant progress in recent years. Using photoelectron pulses induced by ultrashort laser pulses on the cathode, these methods can probe ultrafast materials processes and have revealed numerous dynamic phenomena at the nanoscale. Most recently, the technique has been implemented in standard thermionic electron microscopes that provide a flexible platform for studying material's dynamics over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. In this study, the electron pulses in such an ultrafast transmission electron microscope are characterized in detail. The microscope is based on a thermionic gun with a Wehnelt electrode and is operated in a stroboscopic photoelectron mode. It is shown that the Wehnelt bias has a decisive influence on the temporal and energy spread of the picosecond electron pulses. Depending on the shape of the cathode and the cathode-Wehnelt distance, different emission patterns with different pulse parameters are obtained. The energy spread of the pulses is determined by space charge and Boersch effects, given by the number of electrons in a pulse. However, filtering effects due to the chromatic aberrations of the Wehnelt electrode allow the extraction of pulses with narrow energy spreads. The temporal spread is governed by electron trajectories of different length and in different electrostatic potentials. High temporal resolution is obtained by excluding shank emission from the cathode and aberration-induced halos in the emission pattern. By varying the cathode-Wehnelt gap, the Wehnelt bias, and the number of photoelectrons in a pulse, tradeoffs between energy and temporal resolution as well as beam intensity can be made as needed for experiments. Based on the characterization of the electron pulses, the optimal conditions for the operation of ultrafast TEMs with thermionic gun assembly are elaborated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

18F-FDG positron autoradiography with a particle counting silicon pixel detector.

PubMed

Russo, P; Lauria, A; Mettivier, G; Montesi, M C; Marotta, M; Aloj, L; Lastoria, S

2008-11-07

We report on tests of a room-temperature particle counting silicon pixel detector of the Medipix2 series as the detector unit of a positron autoradiography (AR) system, for samples labelled with (18)F-FDG radiopharmaceutical used in PET studies. The silicon detector (1.98 cm(2) sensitive area, 300 microm thick) has high intrinsic resolution (55 microm pitch) and works by counting all hits in a pixel above a certain energy threshold. The present work extends the detector characterization with (18)F-FDG of a previous paper. We analysed the system's linearity, dynamic range, sensitivity, background count rate, noise, and its imaging performance on biological samples. Tests have been performed in the laboratory with (18)F-FDG drops (37-37 000 Bq initial activity) and ex vivo in a rat injected with 88.8 MBq of (18)F-FDG. Particles interacting in the detector volume produced a hit in a cluster of pixels whose mean size was 4.3 pixels/event at 11 keV threshold and 2.2 pixels/event at 37 keV threshold. Results show a sensitivity for beta(+) of 0.377 cps Bq(-1), a dynamic range of at least five orders of magnitude and a lower detection limit of 0.0015 Bq mm(-2). Real-time (18)F-FDG positron AR images have been obtained in 500-1000 s exposure time of thin (10-20 microm) slices of a rat brain and compared with 20 h film autoradiography of adjacent slices. The analysis of the image contrast and signal-to-noise ratio in a rat brain slice indicated that Poisson noise-limited imaging can be approached in short (e.g. 100 s) exposures, with approximately 100 Bq slice activity, and that the silicon pixel detector produced a higher image quality than film-based AR.

Silhouette-Slice Theorems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-01

necessary to define "canonical" * parameterizations. Examples of proposed parameterizations are Munge N...of a slice of the surface oriented along the vector CT on the surface is given by STr -(A4.24) 11 is clear from the above expression, that when a slice

SU-C-207B-03: A Geometrical Constrained Chan-Vese Based Tumor Segmentation Scheme for PET

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

Chen, L; Zhou, Z; Wang, J

Purpose: Accurate segmentation of tumor in PET is challenging when part of tumor is connected with normal organs/tissues with no difference in intensity. Conventional segmentation methods, such as thresholding or region growing, cannot generate satisfactory results in this case. We proposed a geometrical constrained Chan-Vese based scheme to segment tumor in PET for this special case by considering the similarity between two adjacent slices. Methods: The proposed scheme performs segmentation in a slice-by-slice fashion where an accurate segmentation of one slice is used as the guidance for segmentation of rest slices. For a slice that the tumor is not directlymore » connected to organs/tissues with similar intensity values, a conventional clustering-based segmentation method under user’s guidance is used to obtain an exact tumor contour. This is set as the initial contour and the Chan-Vese algorithm is applied for segmenting the tumor in the next adjacent slice by adding constraints of tumor size, position and shape information. This procedure is repeated until the last slice of PET containing tumor. The proposed geometrical constrained Chan-Vese based algorithm was implemented in Matlab and its performance was tested on several cervical cancer patients where cervix and bladder are connected with similar activity values. The positive predictive values (PPV) are calculated to characterize the segmentation accuracy of the proposed scheme. Results: Tumors were accurately segmented by the proposed method even when they are connected with bladder in the image with no difference in intensity. The average PPVs were 0.9571±0.0355 and 0.9894±0.0271 for 17 slices and 11 slices of PET from two patients, respectively. Conclusion: We have developed a new scheme to segment tumor in PET images for the special case that the tumor is quite similar to or connected to normal organs/tissues in the image. The proposed scheme can provide a reliable way for segmenting tumors.« less

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

Wang, Xiaoming; Nan, Zhaodong, E-mail: zdnan@yzu.edu.cn

Graphical abstract: Glass-slices were used as a template to induce formation and assembly of aragonite. Different morphologies, such as hemisphere, twinborn hemisphere and flower-shaped particles, were produced by direction of the glass-slices. Highlights: {yields} Glass-slices were used as a template to induce formation and assembly of aragonite. {yields} Hemisphere, twinborn hemisphere and flower-shaped particles were produced by direction of the glass-slices. {yields} Planes were always appeared in these as-synthesized samples. {yields} Thermodynamic theory was applied to explain the production of the aragonite. -- Abstract: A glass-slice was used as a template to induce formation and assembly of aragonite. Thermodynamic theorymore » was applied to explain the production of the aragonite. Transformation of three-dimensional nucleation to template-based two-dimensional surface nucleation caused the production of aragonite. Hemisphere, twinborn hemisphere and flower-shaped particles were produced by direction of the glass-slices. Planes were always appeared in these as-synthesized samples because the nucleation and the growth of these samples were adsorbed at the surfaces of the glass-slices. The formation mechanism of the as-formed sample was proposed. Compared with organic template, the present study provides a facile method to apply inorganic template to prepare functional materials.« less

Evaluation of slice accelerations using multiband echo planar imaging at 3 Tesla

PubMed Central

Xu, Junqian; Moeller, Steen; Auerbach, Edward J.; Strupp, John; Smith, Stephen M.; Feinberg, David A.; Yacoub, Essa; Uğurbil, Kâmil

2013-01-01

We evaluate residual aliasing among simultaneously excited and acquired slices in slice accelerated multiband (MB) echo planar imaging (EPI). No in-plane accelerations were used in order to maximize and evaluate achievable slice acceleration factors at 3 Tesla. We propose a novel leakage (L-) factor to quantify the effects of signal leakage between simultaneously acquired slices. With a standard 32-channel receiver coil at 3 Tesla, we demonstrate that slice acceleration factors of up to eight (MB = 8) with blipped controlled aliasing in parallel imaging (CAIPI), in the absence of in-plane accelerations, can be used routinely with acceptable image quality and integrity for whole brain imaging. Spectral analyses of single-shot fMRI time series demonstrate that temporal fluctuations due to both neuronal and physiological sources were distinguishable and comparable up to slice-acceleration factors of nine (MB = 9). The increased temporal efficiency could be employed to achieve, within a given acquisition period, higher spatial resolution, increased fMRI statistical power, multiple TEs, faster sampling of temporal events in a resting state fMRI time series, increased sampling of q-space in diffusion imaging, or more quiet time during a scan. PMID:23899722

Neural network classification technique and machine vision for bread crumb grain evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zayas, Inna Y.; Chung, O. K.; Caley, M.

1995-10-01

Bread crumb grain was studied to develop a model for pattern recognition of bread baked at Hard Winter Wheat Quality Laboratory (HWWQL), Grain Marketing and Production Research Center (GMPRC). Images of bread slices were acquired with a scanner in a 512 multiplied by 512 format. Subimages in the central part of the slices were evaluated by several features such as mean, determinant, eigen values, shape of a slice and other crumb features. Derived features were used to describe slices and loaves. Neural network programs of MATLAB package were used for data analysis. Learning vector quantization method and multivariate discriminant analysis were applied to bread slices from what of different sources. A training and test sets of different bread crumb texture classes were obtained. The ranking of subimages was well correlated with visual judgement. The performance of different models on slice recognition rate was studied to choose the best model. The recognition of classes created according to human judgement with image features was low. Recognition of arbitrarily created classes, according to porosity patterns, with several feature patterns was approximately 90%. Correlation coefficient was approximately 0.7 between slice shape features and loaf volume.

Tectonic slicing of subducting oceanic crust along plate interfaces: Numerical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruh, J. B.; Le Pourhiet, L.; Agard, Ph.; Burov, E.; Gerya, T.

2015-10-01

Multikilometer-sized slivers of high-pressure low-temperature metamorphic oceanic crust and mantle are observed in many mountain belts. These blueschist and eclogite units were detached from the descending plate during subduction. Large-scale thermo-mechanical numerical models based on finite difference marker-in-cell staggered grid technique are implemented to investigate slicing processes that lead to the detachment of oceanic slivers and their exhumation before the onset of the continental collision phase. In particular, we investigate the role of the serpentinized subcrustal slab mantle in the mechanisms of shallow and deep crustal slicing. Results show that spatially homogeneous serpentinization of the sub-Moho slab mantle leads to complete accretion of oceanic crust within the accretionary wedge. Spatially discontinuous serpentinization of the slab mantle in form of unconnected patches can lead to shallow slicing of the oceanic crust below the accretionary wedge and to its deep slicing at mantle depths depending on the patch length, slab angle, convergence velocity and continental geothermal gradient. P-T paths obtained in this study are compared to natural examples of shallow slicing of the Crescent Terrane below Vancouver Island and deeply sliced crust of the Lago Superiore and Saas-Zermatt units in the Western Alps.

Imaging performance of annular apertures. IV - Apodization and point spread functions. V - Total and partial energy integral functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tschunko, H. F. A.

1983-01-01

Reference is made to a study by Tschunko (1979) in which it was discussed how apodization modifies the modulation transfer function for various central obstruction ratios. It is shown here how apodization, together with the central obstruction ratio, modifies the point spread function, which is the basic element for the comparison of imaging performance and for the derivation of energy integrals and other functions. At high apodization levels and lower central obstruction (less than 0.1), new extended radial zones are formed in the outer part of the central ring groups. These transmutation of the image functions are of more than theoretical interest, especially if the irradiance levels in the outer ring zones are to be compared to the background irradiance levels. Attention is then given to the energy distribution in point images generated by annular apertures apodized by various transmission functions. The total energy functions are derived; partial energy integrals are determined; and background irradiance functions are discussed.

9 GeV energy gain in a beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerator

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

Litos, M.; Adli, E.; Allen, J. M.

2016-02-15

An electron beam has gained a maximum energy of 9 GeV per particle in a 1.3 m-long electron beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerator. The amount of charge accelerated in the spectral peak was 28.3 pC, and the root-mean-square energy spread was 5.0%. The mean accelerated charge and energy gain per particle of the 215 shot data set was 115 pC and 5.3 GeV, respectively, corresponding to an acceleration gradient of 4.0 GeV m -1 at the spectral peak. Moreover, the mean energy spread of the data set was 5.1%. Our results are consistent with the extrapolation of the previously reported energymore » gain results using a shorter, 36 cm-long plasma source to within 10%, evincing a non-evolving wake structure that can propagate distances of over a meter in length. Wake-loading effects were evident in the data through strong dependencies observed between various spectral properties and the amount of accelerated charge.« less

Agile waveforms for joint SAR-GMTI processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaroszewski, Steven; Corbeil, Allan; McMurray, Stephen; Majumder, Uttam; Bell, Mark R.; Corbeil, Jeffrey; Minardi, Michael

2016-05-01

Wideband radar waveforms that employ spread-spectrum techniques were investigated and experimentally tested. The waveforms combine bi-phase coding with a traditional LFM chirp and are applicable to joint SAR-GMTI processing. After de-spreading, the received signals can be processed to support simultaneous GMTI and high resolution SAR imaging missions by airborne radars. The spread spectrum coding techniques can provide nearly orthogonal waveforms and offer enhanced operations in some environments by distributing the transmitted energy over a large instantaneous bandwidth. The LFM component offers the desired Doppler tolerance. In this paper, the waveforms are formulated and a shift-register approach for de-spreading the received signals is described. Hardware loop-back testing has shown the feasibility of using these waveforms in experimental radar test bed.

Predicting behavior and size of crown fires in the northern Rocky Mountains

Treesearch

Richard C. Rothermel

1991-01-01

Describes methods for approximating behavior and size of a wind-driven crown fire in mountainous terrain. Covers estimation of average rate of spread, energy release from tree crowns and surface fuel, fireline intensity, flame length, and unit area power of the fire and ambient wind. Plume-dominated fires, which may produce unexpectedly fast spread rates even with low...

Correlation between a 2D Channelized Hotelling Observer and Human Observers in a Low-contrast Detection Task with Multi-slice Reading in CT

PubMed Central

Yu, Lifeng; Chen, Baiyu; Kofler, James M.; Favazza, Christopher P.; Leng, Shuai; Kupinski, Matthew A.; McCollough, Cynthia H.

2017-01-01

Purpose Model observers have been successfully developed and used to assess the quality of static 2D CT images. However, radiologists typically read images by paging through multiple 2D slices (i.e. multi-slice reading). The purpose of this study was to correlate human and model observer performance in a low-contrast detection task performed using both 2D and multi-slice reading, and to determine if the 2D model observer still correlate well with human observer performance in multi-slice reading. Methods A phantom containing 18 low-contrast spheres (6 sizes × 3 contrast levels) was scanned on a 192-slice CT scanner at 5 dose levels (CTDIvol = 27, 13.5, 6.8, 3.4, and 1.7 mGy), each repeated 100 times. Images were reconstructed using both filtered-backprojection (FBP) and an iterative reconstruction (IR) method (ADMIRE, Siemens). A 3D volume of interest (VOI) around each sphere was extracted and placed side-by-side with a signal-absent VOI to create a 2-alternative forced choice (2AFC) trial. Sixteen 2AFC studies were generated, each with 100 trials, to evaluate the impact of radiation dose, lesion size and contrast, and reconstruction methods on object detection. In total, 1600 trials were presented to both model and human observers. Three medical physicists acted as human observers and were allowed to page through the 3D volumes to make a decision for each 2AFC trial. The human observer performance was compared with the performance of a multi-slice channelized Hotelling observer (CHO_MS), which integrates multi-slice image data, and with the performance of previously validated CHO, which operates on static 2D images (CHO_2D). For comparison, the same 16 2AFC studies were also performed in a 2D viewing mode by the human observers and compared with the multi-slice viewing performance and the two CHO models. Results Human observer performance was well correlated with the CHO_2D performance in the 2D viewing mode (Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient R=0.972, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.919 to 0.990) and with the CHO_MS performance in the multi-slice viewing mode (R=0.952, 95% CI: 0.865 to 0.984). The CHO_2D performance, calculated from the 2D viewing mode, also had a strong correlation with human observer performance in the multi-slice viewing mode (R=0.957, 95% CI: 879 to 0.985). Human observer performance varied between the multi-slice and 2D modes. One reader performed better in the multi-slice mode (p=0.013); whereas the other two readers showed no significant difference between the two viewing modes (p=0.057 and p=0.38). Conclusions A 2D CHO model is highly correlated with human observer performance in detecting spherical low contrast objects in multi-slice viewing of CT images. This finding provides some evidence for the use of a simpler, 2D CHO to assess image quality in clinically relevant CT tasks where multi-slice viewing is used. PMID:28555878

Epidemic spreading on evolving signed networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saeedian, M.; Azimi-Tafreshi, N.; Jafari, G. R.; Kertesz, J.

2017-02-01

Most studies of disease spreading consider the underlying social network as obtained without the contagion, though epidemic influences people's willingness to contact others: A "friendly" contact may be turned to "unfriendly" to avoid infection. We study the susceptible-infected disease-spreading model on signed networks, in which each edge is associated with a positive or negative sign representing the friendly or unfriendly relation between its end nodes. In a signed network, according to Heider's theory, edge signs evolve such that finally a state of structural balance is achieved, corresponding to no frustration in physics terms. However, the danger of infection affects the evolution of its edge signs. To describe the coupled problem of the sign evolution and disease spreading, we generalize the notion of structural balance by taking into account the state of the nodes. We introduce an energy function and carry out Monte Carlo simulations on complete networks to test the energy landscape, where we find local minima corresponding to the so-called jammed states. We study the effect of the ratio of initial friendly to unfriendly connections on the propagation of disease. The steady state can be balanced or a jammed state such that a coexistence occurs between susceptible and infected nodes in the system.

Spreading of correlations in the XXZ chain at finite temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonnes, Lars; Läuchli, Andreas

2014-03-01

In a quantum quench, for instance by abruptly changing the interaction parameter in a spin chain, correlations can spread across the system but have to obey a speed limit set by the Lieb-Robinson bound. This results into a causal structure where the propagation front resembles a light-cone. One can ask how fast a correlation front actually propagates and how its velocity depends on the nature of the quench. This question is addressed by performing global quenches in the XXZ chain initially prepared in a finite-temperature state using minimally entangled typical thermal states (METTS). We provide numerical evidence that the spreading velocity of the spin correlation functions for the quench into the gapless phase is solely determined by the value of the final interaction and the amount of excess energy of the system. This is quite surprising as the XXZ model is integrable and its dynamics is constrained by a large amount of conserved quantities. In particular, the spreading velocity seems to interpolate linearly from a universal value at T = ∞ to the spin wave velocity of the final Hamiltonian in the limit of zero excess energy for Δfinal > 0 .

Simulations of a FIR Oscillator with Large Slippage parameter at Jefferson Lab for FIR/UV pump-probe experiments

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

Benson, Stephen V.; Campbell, L. T.; McNeil, B.W.T.

We previously proposed a dual FEL configuration on the UV Demo FEL at Jefferson Lab that would allow simultaneous lasing at FIR and UV wavelengths. The FIR source would be an FEL oscillator with a short wiggler providing diffraction-limited pulses with pulse energy exceeding 50 microJoules, using the exhaust beam from a UVFEL as the input electron beam. Since the UV FEL requires very short pulses, the input to the FIR FEL is extremely short compared to a slippage length and the usual Slowly Varying Envelope Approximation (SVEA) does not apply. We use a non-SVEA code to simulate this systemmore » both with a small energy spread (UV laser off) and with large energy spread (UV laser on).« less

Both Creatine and Its Product Phosphocreatine Reduce Oxidative Stress and Afford Neuroprotection in an In Vitro Parkinson’s Model

PubMed Central

Martín-de-Saavedra, Maria D.; Romero, Alejandro; Egea, Javier; Ludka, Fabiana K.; Tasca, Carla I.; Farina, Marcelo; Rodrigues, Ana Lúcia S.; López, Manuela G.

2014-01-01

Creatine is the substrate for creatine kinase in the synthesis of phosphocreatine (PCr). This energetic system is endowed of antioxidant and neuroprotective properties and plays a pivotal role in brain energy homeostasis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effect of creatine and PCr against 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death in rat striatal slices, used as an in vitro Parkinson’s model. The possible involvement of the signaling pathway mediated by phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt), and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) was also evaluated. Exposure of striatal slices to 6-OHDA caused a significant disruption of the cellular homeostasis measured as 3-(4,5 dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide reduction, lactate dehydrogenase release, and tyrosine hydroxylase levels. 6-OHDA exposure increased the levels of reactive oxygen species and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances production and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in rat striatal slices. Furthermore, 6-OHDA decreased the phosphorylation of Akt (Serine473) and GSK3β (Serine9). Coincubation with 6-OHDA and creatine or PCr reduced the effects of 6-OHDA toxicity. The protective effect afforded by creatine or PCr against 6-OHDA-induced toxicity was reversed by the PI3K inhibitor LY294002. In conclusion, creatine and PCr minimize oxidative stress in striatum to afford neuroprotection of dopaminergic neurons. PMID:25424428

Visualisation of the temporary cavity by computed tomography using contrast material.

PubMed

Schyma, Christian; Hagemeier, Lars; Greschus, Susanne; Schild, Hans; Madea, Burkhard

2012-01-01

The temporary cavity of a missile produces radial tears in ordnance gelatine, which correlate to the energy transfer. Computed tomography is a useful and non-destructive method to examine gelatine blocks. However, the tears give only few radiocontrast by air filling, which decreases with the time past shooting. Therefore, systematically, a radiocontrast material was searched to enhance the contrast. Different contrast materials were amalgamated to acryl paint, and about 7 g was sealed in a foil bag, which was integrated in the front of a standard 10% gelatine cylinder. Shots with Action-5 expanding bullets were performed from a 5-m distance. Gelatine was scanned by multi-slice computed tomography. The multiplanar reconstructed images were compared to mechanically cut slices of 1 cm thickness. It was shown experimentally that iodine containing water-soluble contrast material did not give sufficient contrast and caused diffusion artefacts. Best results were obtained by barium sulphate emulsion. The amount of acryl paint was sufficient to colour the tears for optical scanning. The radiocontrast of barium leads to satisfying imaging of tears and allowed the creation of a three-dimensional reconstruction of the temporary cavity. Comparison of optical and radiological results showed an excellent correlation, but absolute measures in computed tomographic (CT) images remained lower compared with optically gathered values in the gelatine slices. Combination of paint and contrast material for CT examination will facilitate the evaluation of complex ballistic models and increase accuracy.

The rate of chemical weathering of pyrite on the surface of Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fegley, B., Jr.; Lodders, K.

1993-01-01

This abstract reports results of an experimental study of the chemical weathering of pyrite (FeS2) under Venus-like conditions. This work, which extends the earlier study by Fegley and Treiman, is part of a long range research program to experimentally measure the rates of thermochemical gas-solid reactions important in the atmospheric-lithospheric sulfur cycle on Venus. The objectives of this research are (1) to measure the kinetics of thermochemical gas-solid reactions responsible for both the production (e.g., anhydrite formation) and destruction (e.g., pyrrhotite oxidation) of sulfur-bearing minerals on the surface of Venus and (2) to incorporate these and other constraints into holistic models of the chemical interactions between the atmosphere and surface of Venus. Experiments were done with single crystal cubes of natural pyrite (Navajun, Logrono, Spain) that were cut and polished into slices of known weight and surface area. The slices were isothermally heated at atmospheric pressure in 99.99 percent CO2 (Coleman Instrument Grade) at either 412 C (685 K) or 465 C (738 K) for time periods up to 10 days. These two isotherms correspond to temperatures at about 6 km and 0 km altitude, respectively, on Venus. The reaction rate was determined by measuring the weight loss of the reacted slices after removal from the furnace. The reaction products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy on the SEM.

Epidemic spreading on random surfer networks with infected avoidance strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Yun; Ding, Li; Huang, Yun-Han; Guan, Zhi-Hong

2016-12-01

In this paper, we study epidemic spreading on random surfer networks with infected avoidance (IA) strategy. In particular, we consider that susceptible individuals’ moving direction angles are affected by the current location information received from infected individuals through a directed information network. The model is mainly analyzed by discrete-time numerical simulations. The results indicate that the IA strategy can restrain epidemic spreading effectively. However, when long-distance jumps of individuals exist, the IA strategy’s effectiveness on restraining epidemic spreading is heavily reduced. Finally, it is found that the influence of the noises from information transferring process on epidemic spreading is indistinctive. Project supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61403284, 61272114, 61673303, and 61672112) and the Marine Renewable Energy Special Fund Project of the State Oceanic Administration of China (Grant No. GHME2013JS01).

Strain analysis in CRT candidates using the novel segment length in cine (SLICE) post-processing technique on standard CMR cine images.

PubMed

Zweerink, Alwin; Allaart, Cornelis P; Kuijer, Joost P A; Wu, LiNa; Beek, Aernout M; van de Ven, Peter M; Meine, Mathias; Croisille, Pierre; Clarysse, Patrick; van Rossum, Albert C; Nijveldt, Robin

2017-12-01

Although myocardial strain analysis is a potential tool to improve patient selection for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), there is currently no validated clinical approach to derive segmental strains. We evaluated the novel segment length in cine (SLICE) technique to derive segmental strains from standard cardiovascular MR (CMR) cine images in CRT candidates. Twenty-seven patients with left bundle branch block underwent CMR examination including cine imaging and myocardial tagging (CMR-TAG). SLICE was performed by measuring segment length between anatomical landmarks throughout all phases on short-axis cines. This measure of frame-to-frame segment length change was compared to CMR-TAG circumferential strain measurements. Subsequently, conventional markers of CRT response were calculated. Segmental strains showed good to excellent agreement between SLICE and CMR-TAG (septum strain, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.76; lateral wall strain, ICC 0.66). Conventional markers of CRT response also showed close agreement between both methods (ICC 0.61-0.78). Reproducibility of SLICE was excellent for intra-observer testing (all ICC ≥0.76) and good for interobserver testing (all ICC ≥0.61). The novel SLICE post-processing technique on standard CMR cine images offers both accurate and robust segmental strain measures compared to the 'gold standard' CMR-TAG technique, and has the advantage of being widely available. • Myocardial strain analysis could potentially improve patient selection for CRT. • Currently a well validated clinical approach to derive segmental strains is lacking. • The novel SLICE technique derives segmental strains from standard CMR cine images. • SLICE-derived strain markers of CRT response showed close agreement with CMR-TAG. • Future studies will focus on the prognostic value of SLICE in CRT candidates.

The synthesis and release of acetylcholine by depolarized hippocampal slices is increased by increased choline available in vitro prior to stimulation.

PubMed

Wecker, L

1991-10-01

The objective of these experiments was to determine whether preincubating hippocampal slices with choline provides precursor that can be used during a subsequent incubation to support or enhance the synthesis of acetylcholine (ACh). Slices were preincubated for 60 min with 0, 10, 25, or 50 microM choline, washed, resuspended, and then incubated for 10 min in choline-free buffer containing 4.74 (Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate, KRB) or 25 mM KCl. The tissue contents of ACh and choline were determined prior to and after the preincubation, as well as after the incubation; the amounts of ACh and choline released were measured, and ACh synthesis was calculated. Preincubation in the absence of choline increased the tissue content of ACh to 242% of original levels; preincubation with 10 microM choline did not lead to a further increase, but preincubation with 25 or 50 microM choline increased the ACh content to 272% of original levels, significantly greater than that of slices preincubated with either 0 or 10 microM choline. When tissues were subsequently incubated for 10 min with either KRB or 25 mM KCl, ACh release from slices preincubated with 50 microM choline was greater than from slices preincubated with 0, 10, or 25 microM choline. Incubation of slices with KRB did not alter the tissue content of ACh, but when tissues were incubated with 25 mM KCl, the ACh content of slices preincubated with 0 or 10 microM choline decreased significantly, whereas that of slices preincubated with 25 or 50 microM choline did not.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Assessment of global and regional left ventricular function using 64-slice multislice computed tomography and 2D echocardiography: a comparison with cardiac magnetic resonance.

PubMed

Annuar, Bin Rapaee; Liew, Chee Khoon; Chin, Sze Piaw; Ong, Tiong Kiam; Seyfarth, M Tobias; Chan, Wei Ling; Fong, Yean Yip; Ang, Choon Kiat; Lin, Naing; Liew, Houng Bang; Sim, Kui Hian

2008-01-01

To compare the assessment of global and regional left ventricular (LV) function using 64-slice multislice computed tomography (MSCT), 2D echocardiography (2DE) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Thirty-two consecutive patients (mean age, 56.5+/-9.7 years) referred for evaluation of coronary artery using 64-slice MSCT also underwent 2DE and CMR within 48h. The global left ventricular function which include left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVdV) and left ventricular end systolic volume (LVsV) were determine using the three modalities. Regional wall motion (RWM) was assessed visually in all three modalities. The CMR served as the gold standard for the comparison between 64-slice MSCT with CMR and 2DE with CMR. Statistical analysis included Pearson correlation coefficient, Bland-Altman plots and kappa-statistics. The 64-slice MSCT agreed well with CMR for assessment of LVEF (r=0.92; p<0.0001), LVdV (r=0.98; p<0.0001) and LVsV (r=0.98; p<0.0001). In comparison with 64-slice MSCT, 2DE showed moderate correlation with CMR for the assessment of LVEF (r=0.84; p<0.0001), LVdV (r=0.83; p<0.0001) and LVsV (r=0.80; p<0.0001). However in RWM analysis, 2DE showed better accuracy than 64-slice MSCT (94.3% versus 82.4%) and closer agreement (kappa=0.89 versus 0.63) with CMR. 64-Slice MSCT correlates strongly with CMR in global LV function however in regional LV function 2DE showed better agreement with CMR than 64-slice MSCT.

Improved biochemical preservation of heart slices during cold storage.

PubMed

Bull, D A; Reid, B B; Connors, R C; Albanil, A; Stringham, J C; Karwande, S V

2000-01-01

Development of myocardial preservation solutions requires the use of whole organ models which are animal and labor intensive. These models rely on physiologic rather than biochemical endpoints, making accurate comparison of the relative efficacy of individual solution components difficult. We hypothesized that myocardial slices could be used to assess preservation of biochemical function during cold storage. Whole rat hearts were precision cut into slices with a thickness of 200 microm and preserved at 4 degrees C in one of the following solutions: Columbia University (CU), University of Wisconsin (UW), D5 0.2% normal saline with 20 meq/l KCL (QNS), normal saline (NS), or a novel cardiac preservation solution (NPS) developed using this model. Myocardial biochemical function was assessed by ATP content (etamoles ATP/mg wet weight) and capacity for protein synthesis (counts per minute (cpm)/mg protein) immediately following slicing (0 hours), and at 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours of cold storage. Six slices were assayed at each time point for each solution. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance and are presented as the mean +/- standard deviation. ATP content was higher in the heart slices stored in the NPS compared to all other solutions at 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours of cold storage (p < 0.05). Capacity for protein synthesis was higher in the heart slices stored in the NPS compared to all other solutions at 6, 12, and 18 hours of cold storage (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS This myocardial slice model allows the rapid and efficient screening of cardiac preservation solutions and their components using quantifiable biochemical endpoints. Using this model, we have developed a novel preservation solution which improves the biochemical function of myocardial slices during cold storage.

EFFECT OF ABDOMINAL SHIELDING ON THE METABOLISM OF HYDROCORTISONE BY LIVER TISSUE OF X-IRRADIATED RATS

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

Lott, J.R.

Liver slices removed from adult rats at various times following whole body x-irradiations of 850, 1500, and 2000 r were tested for their ability to metabolize hydrocortisone ( free alcohol). The animals were divided into a non- irradiated control group, an irradiated unshielded group, and an abdominal- shielded irradiated group. It was found that the irradiated unshielded liver slices metabo lized the hydrocortisone at a lower rate than control slices. Liver slices removed from animals whose abdominal regions were shielded during irradiation were found to metabolize hydrocortisone at a higher rate than control slices. The effects observed appeared to bemore » dependent on total dosage and time of removal of the liver post-irradiation. (auth)« less

Substance P-induced release of Met5-enkephalin from striatal and periaqueductal gray slices.

PubMed

Del Río, J; Naranjo, J R; Yang, H Y; Costa, E

1983-11-21

Substance P(SP), the heptapeptide SP and the stable analogue (p-Glu5-MePhe8-MeGly9) SP (DiMe-C7) induce a Ca2+-dependent release of Met5-enkephalin (MET) from slices of periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) and striatum of rats. The MET release from striatal slices is greater than that from PAG slices because of the higher MET content of striatum. Intraventricular injection of SP and of the two related peptides induce analgesia in the rat, and their analgesic potency is in line with their capacity to release MET. Other neuropeptides which possess antinociceptive activity such as bombesin, neurotensin, vasopressin and somatostatin fail to release MET from PAG slices.

Development of low-cost silicon crystal growth techniques for terrestrial photovoltaic solar energy conversion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zoutendyk, J. A.

1976-01-01

Because of the growing need for new sources of electrical energy, photovoltaic solar energy conversion is being developed. Photovoltaic devices are now being produced mainly from silicon wafers obtained from the slicing and polishing of cylindrically shaped single crystal ingots. Inherently high-cost processes now being used must either be eliminated or modified to provide low-cost crystalline silicon. Basic to this pursuit is the development of new or modified methods of crystal growth and, if necessary, crystal cutting. If silicon could be grown in a form requiring no cutting, a significant cost saving would potentially be realized. Therefore, several techniques for growth in the form of ribbons or sheets are being explored. In addition, novel techniques for low-cost ingot growth and cutting are under investigation.

Evaluation of efficacy of metal artefact reduction technique using contrast media in Computed Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yusob, Diana; Zukhi, Jihan; Aziz Tajuddin, Abd; Zainon, Rafidah

2017-05-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of metal artefact reduction using contrasts media in Computed Tomography (CT) imaging. A water-based abdomen phantom of diameter 32 cm (adult body size) was fabricated using polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) material. Three different contrast agents (iodine, barium and gadolinium) were filled in small PMMA tubes and placed inside a water-based PMMA adult abdomen phantom. The orthopedic metal screw was placed in each small PMMA tube separately. These two types of orthopedic metal screw (stainless steel and titanium alloy) were scanned separately. The orthopedic metal crews were scanned with single-energy CT at 120 kV and dual-energy CT at fast kV-switching between 80 kV and 140 kV. The scan modes were set automatically using the current modulation care4Dose setting and the scans were set at different pitch and slice thickness. The use of the contrast media technique on orthopedic metal screws were optimised by using pitch = 0.60 mm, and slice thickness = 5.0 mm. The use contrast media can reduce the metal streaking artefacts on CT image, enhance the CT images surrounding the implants, and it has potential use in improving diagnostic performance in patients with severe metallic artefacts. These results are valuable for imaging protocol optimisation in clinical applications.

Effect of simultaneous infrared dry-blanching and dehydration on quality characteristics of carrot slices

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study investigated the effects of various processing parameters on carrot slices exposed to infrared (IR) radiation heating for achieving simultaneous infrared dry-blanching and dehydration (SIRDBD). The investigated parameters were product surface temperature, slice thickness and processing ti...

Use of a thin-section archive and enterprise 3D software for long-term storage of thin-slice CT data sets.

PubMed

Meenan, Christopher; Daly, Barry; Toland, Christopher; Nagy, Paul

2006-01-01

Rapid advances are changing the technology and applications of multidetector computed tomography (CT) scanners. The major increase in data associated with this new technology, however, breaks most commercial picture archiving and communication system (PACS) architectures by preventing them from delivering data in real time to radiologists and outside clinicians. We proposed a phased model for 3D workflow, installed a thin-slice archive and measured thin-slice data storage over a period of 5 months. A mean of 1,869 CT studies were stored per month, with an average of 643 images per study and a mean total volume of 588 GB/month. We also surveyed 48 radiologists to determine diagnostic use, impressions of thin-slice value, and requirements for retention times. The majority of radiologists thought thin slice was helpful for diagnosis and regularly used the application. Permanent storage of thin slice CT is likely to become best practice and a mission-critical pursuit for the health care enterprise.

Optimization of Brain T2 Mapping Using Standard CPMG Sequence In A Clinical Scanner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hnilicová, P.; Bittšanský, M.; Dobrota, D.

2014-04-01

In magnetic resonance imaging, transverse relaxation time (T2) mapping is a useful quantitative tool enabling enhanced diagnostics of many brain pathologies. The aim of our study was to test the influence of different sequence parameters on calculated T2 values, including multi-slice measurements, slice position, interslice gap, echo spacing, and pulse duration. Measurements were performed using standard multi-slice multi-echo CPMG imaging sequence on a 1.5 Tesla routine whole body MR scanner. We used multiple phantoms with different agarose concentrations (0 % to 4 %) and verified the results on a healthy volunteer. It appeared that neither the pulse duration, the size of interslice gap nor the slice shift had any impact on the T2. The measurement accuracy was increased with shorter echo spacing. Standard multi-slice multi-echo CPMG protocol with the shortest echo spacing, also the smallest available interslice gap (100 % of slice thickness) and shorter pulse duration was found to be optimal and reliable for calculating T2 maps in the human brain.

Healthy food consumption in young women. The influence of others' eating behavior and body weight appearance.

PubMed

Stel, Mariëlle; van Koningsbruggen, Guido M

2015-07-01

People's eating behaviors tend to be influenced by the behaviors of others. In the present studies, we investigated the effect of another person's eating behavior and body weight appearance on healthy food consumption of young women. In Study 1, participants watched a short film fragment together with a confederate who appeared normal weight or overweight and consumed either 3 or 10 cucumber slices. In Study 2, a confederate who appeared underweight, normal weight, or overweight consumed no or 4 cucumber slices. The number of cucumber slices eaten by participants was registered. Results showed that participants' healthy eating behavior was influenced by the confederate's eating behavior when the confederate was underweight, normal weight, and overweight. Participants ate more cucumber slices when the confederate ate a higher amount of cucumber slices compared with a lower (or no) amount of cucumber slices (Studies 1 and 2). The food intake effect was stronger for the underweight compared with the overweight model (Study 2). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of RF profile on precision of quantitative T2 mapping using dual-echo steady-state acquisition.

PubMed

Wu, Pei-Hsin; Cheng, Cheng-Chieh; Wu, Ming-Long; Chao, Tzu-Cheng; Chung, Hsiao-Wen; Huang, Teng-Yi

2014-01-01

The dual echo steady-state (DESS) sequence has been shown successful in achieving fast T2 mapping with good precision. Under-estimation of T2, however, becomes increasingly prominent as the flip angle decreases. In 3D DESS imaging, therefore, the derived T2 values would become a function of the slice location in the presence of non-ideal slice profile of the excitation RF pulse. Furthermore, the pattern of slice-dependent variation in T2 estimates is dependent on the RF pulse waveform. Multi-slice 2D DESS imaging provides better inter-slice consistency, but the signal intensity is subject to integrated effects of within-slice distribution of the actual flip angle. Consequently, T2 measured using 2D DESS is prone to inaccuracy even at the designated flip angle of 90°. In this study, both phantom and human experiments demonstrate the above phenomena in good agreement with model prediction. © 2013.

Design, construction and measurements of an alpha magnet as a solution for compact bunch compressor for the electron beam from Thermionic RF Gun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajabi, A.; Jazini, J.; Fathi, M.; Sharifian, M.; Shokri, B.

2018-03-01

The beam produced by a thermionic RF gun has wide energy spread that makes it unsuitable for direct usage in photon sources. Here in the present work, we optimize the extracted beam from a thermionic RF gun by a compact economical bunch compressor. A compact magnetic bunch compressor (Alpha magnet) is designed and constructed. A comparison between simulation results and experimental measurements shows acceptable conformity. The beam dynamics simulation results show a reduction of the energy spread as well as a compression of length less than 1 ps with 2.3 mm-mrad emittance.

Method Of Characterizing An Electrode Binder

DOEpatents

Cocciantelli, Jean-Michel; Coco, Isabelle; Villenave, Jean-Jacques

1999-05-11

In a method of characterizing a polymer binder for cell electrodes in contact with an electrolyte and including a current collector and a paste containing an electrochemically active material and said binder, a spreading coefficient of the binder on the active material is calculated from the measured angle of contact between standard liquids and the active material and the binder, respectively. An interaction energy of the binder with the electrolyte is calculated from the measured angle of contact between the electrolyte and the binder. The binder is selected such that the spreading coefficient is less than zero and the interaction energy is at least 60 mJ/m.sup.2.

Energy model for rumor propagation on social networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Shuo; Zhuang, Fuzhen; He, Qing; Shi, Zhongzhi; Ao, Xiang

2014-01-01

With the development of social networks, the impact of rumor propagation on human lives is more and more significant. Due to the change of propagation mode, traditional rumor propagation models designed for word-of-mouth process may not be suitable for describing the rumor spreading on social networks. To overcome this shortcoming, we carefully analyze the mechanisms of rumor propagation and the topological properties of large-scale social networks, then propose a novel model based on the physical theory. In this model, heat energy calculation formula and Metropolis rule are introduced to formalize this problem and the amount of heat energy is used to measure a rumor’s impact on a network. Finally, we conduct track experiments to show the evolution of rumor propagation, make comparison experiments to contrast the proposed model with the traditional models, and perform simulation experiments to study the dynamics of rumor spreading. The experiments show that (1) the rumor propagation simulated by our model goes through three stages: rapid growth, fluctuant persistence and slow decline; (2) individuals could spread a rumor repeatedly, which leads to the rumor’s resurgence; (3) rumor propagation is greatly influenced by a rumor’s attraction, the initial rumormonger and the sending probability.

Fourier crosstalk analysis of multislice and cone-beam helical CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

La Riviere, Patrick J.

2004-05-01

Multi-slice helical CT scanners allow for much faster scanning and better x-ray utilization than do their single-slice predecessors, but they engender considerably more complicated data sampling patterns due to the interlacing of the samples from different rows as the patient is translated. Characterizing and optimizing this sampling is challenging because the conebeam geometry of such scanners means that the projections measured by each detector row are at least slightly oblique, making it difficult to apply standard multidimensional sampling analyses. In this study, we seek to apply a more general framework for analyzing sampled imaging systems known as Fourier crosstalk analysis. Our purpose in this preliminary work is to compare the information content of the data acquired in three different scanner geometries and operating conditions with ostensibly equivalent volume coverage and average longitudinal sampling interval: a single-slice scanner operating at pitch 1, a four-slice scanner operating at pitch 3 and a 15-slice scanner operating at pitch 15. We find that moving from a single-slice to a multi-slice geometry introduces longitudinal crosstalk characteristic of the longitudinal sampling interval between periods of individual each detector row, and not of the overall interlaced sampling pattern. This is attributed to data inconsistencies caused by the obliqueness of the projections in a multi-slice/conebeam configuration. However, these preliminary results suggest that the significance of this additional crosstalk actually decreases as the number of detector rows increases.

Cochlear Implant Electrode Localization Using an Ultra-High Resolution Scan Mode on Conventional 64-Slice and New Generation 192-Slice Multi-Detector Computed Tomography.

PubMed

Carlson, Matthew L; Leng, Shuai; Diehn, Felix E; Witte, Robert J; Krecke, Karl N; Grimes, Josh; Koeller, Kelly K; Bruesewitz, Michael R; McCollough, Cynthia H; Lane, John I

2017-08-01

A new generation 192-slice multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) clinical scanner provides enhanced image quality and superior electrode localization over conventional MDCT. Currently, accurate and reliable cochlear implant electrode localization using conventional MDCT scanners remains elusive. Eight fresh-frozen cadaveric temporal bones were implanted with full-length cochlear implant electrodes. Specimens were subsequently scanned with conventional 64-slice and new generation 192-slice MDCT scanners utilizing ultra-high resolution modes. Additionally, all specimens were scanned with micro-CT to provide a reference criterion for electrode position. Images were reconstructed according to routine temporal bone clinical protocols. Three neuroradiologists, blinded to scanner type, reviewed images independently to assess resolution of individual electrodes, scalar localization, and severity of image artifact. Serving as the reference standard, micro-CT identified scalar crossover in one specimen; imaging of all remaining cochleae demonstrated complete scala tympani insertions. The 192-slice MDCT scanner exhibited improved resolution of individual electrodes (p < 0.01), superior scalar localization (p < 0.01), and reduced blooming artifact (p < 0.05), compared with conventional 64-slice MDCT. There was no significant difference between platforms when comparing streak or ring artifact. The new generation 192-slice MDCT scanner offers several notable advantages for cochlear implant imaging compared with conventional MDCT. This technology provides important feedback regarding electrode position and course, which may help in future optimization of surgical technique and electrode design.

[Evaluation of the resolving power of different angles in MPR images of 16DAS-MDCT].

PubMed

Kimura, Mikio; Usui, Junshi; Nozawa, Takeo

2007-03-20

In this study, we evaluated the resolving power of three-dimensional (3D) multiplanar reformation (MPR) images with various angles by using 16 data acquisition system multi detector row computed tomography (16DAS-MDCT) . We reconstructed the MPR images using data with a 0.75 mm slice thickness of the axial image in this examination. To evaluate resolving power, we used an original new phantom (RC phantom) that can be positioned at any slice angle in MPR images. We measured the modulation transfer function (MTF) by using the methods of measuring pre-sampling MTF, and used Fourier transform of image data of the square wave chart. The scan condition and image reconstruction condition that were adopted in this study correspond to the condition that we use for three-dimensional computed tomographic angiography (3D-CTA) examination of the head in our hospital. The MTF of MPR images showed minimum values at slice angles in parallel with the axial slice, and showed maximum values at the sagittal slice and coronal slice angles that are parallel to the Z-axis. With an oblique MPR image, MTF did not change with angle changes in the oblique sagittal slice plane, but in the oblique coronal slice plane, MTF increased as the tilt angle increased from the axial plane to the Z plane. As a result, we could evaluate the resolving power of a head 3D image by measuring the MTF of the axial image and sagittal image or the coronal image.

Influence of Li Addition to Zn-Al Alloys on Cu Substrate During Spreading Test and After Aging Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gancarz, Tomasz; Pstrus, Janusz; Cempura, Grzegorz; Berent, Katarzyna

2016-12-01

The spreading of Zn-Al eutectic-based alloys with 0.05 wt.%, 0.1 wt.%, and 0.2 wt.% Li on Cu substrate has been studied using the sessile drop method in presence of QJ201 flux. Wetting tests were performed after 1 min, 3 min, 8 min, 15 min, 30 min, and 60 min of contact at temperatures of 475°C, 500°C, 525°C, and 550°C. Samples after spreading at 500°C for 1 min were subjected to aging for 1 day, 10 days, and 30 days at temperature of 120°C, 170°C, and 250°C. The spreadability of eutectic Zn-5.3Al alloy with different Li contents on Cu substrate was determined in accordance with ISO 9455-10:2013-03. Selected solidified solder-substrate couples were, after spreading and aging tests, cross-sectioned and subjected to scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the interfacial microstructure. An experiment was designed to demonstrate the effect of Li addition on the kinetics of the formation and growth of CuZn, Cu5Zn8, and CuZn4 intermetallic compound (IMC) phases, during spreading and aging. The IMC layers formed at the interface were identified using XRD and EDS analyses. Increasing addition of Li to Zn-Al alloy caused a reduction in the thickness of the IMC layer at the interface during spreading, and an increase during aging. The activation energy was calculated, being found to increase for the Cu5Zn8 phase but decrease for the CuZn and CuZn4 phases with increasing Li content in the Zn-Al-Li alloys. The highest value of 142 kJ mol-1 was obtained for Zn-Al with 1.0 Li during spreading and 69.2 kJ mol-1 for Zn-Al with 0.05 Li during aging. Aging at 250°C caused an increase in only the Cu5Zn8 layer, which has the lowest Gibbs energy in the Cu-Zn system. This result is connected to the high diffusion of Cu from the substrate to the solder.

Brevetoxin Depresses Synaptic Transmission in Guinea Pig Hippocampal Slices

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

Brevetoxin depresses synaptic transmission in guinea pig hippocampal slices. Brain Res Bull 31(1/2) 201-207, 1993.--Extracellular recordings were...obtained from area CA1 of guinea pig hippocampal slices. PbTx-3, a brevetoxin fraction isolated from the red tide dinoflagellate Ptychodiscus brevis, was

Modulation of methylmercury uptake by methionine: Prevention of mitochondrial dysfunction in rat liver slices by a mimicry mechanism

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

Roos, Daniel Henrique; Puntel, Robson Luiz; Farina, Marcelo

2011-04-01

Methylmercury (MeHg) is an ubiquitous environmental pollutant which is transported into the mammalian cells when present as the methylmercury-cysteine conjugate (MeHg-Cys). With special emphasis on hepatic cells, due to their particular propensity to accumulate an appreciable amount of Hg after exposure to MeHg, this study was performed to evaluate the effects of methionine (Met) on Hg uptake, reactive species (RS) formation, oxygen consumption and mitochondrial function/cellular viability in both liver slices and mitochondria isolated from these slices, after exposure to MeHg or the MeHg-Cys complex. The liver slices were pre-treated with Met (250 {mu}M) 15 min before being exposed tomore » MeHg (25 {mu}M) or MeHg-Cys (25 {mu}M each) for 30 min at 37 {sup o}C. The treatment with MeHg caused a significant increase in the Hg concentration in both liver slices and mitochondria isolated from liver slices. Moreover, the Hg uptake was higher in the group exposed to the MeHg-Cys complex. In the DCF (dichlorofluorescein) assay, the exposure to MeHg and MeHg-Cys produced a significant increase in DFC reactive species (DFC-RS) formation only in the mitochondria isolated from liver slices. As observed with Hg uptake, DFC-RS levels were significantly higher in the mitochondria treated with the MeHg-Cys complex compared to MeHg alone. MeHg exposure also caused a marked decrease in the oxygen consumption of liver slices when compared to the control group, and this effect was more pronounced in the liver slices treated with the MeHg-Cys complex. Similarly, the loss of mitochondrial activity/cell viability was greater in liver slices exposed to the MeHg-Cys complex when compared to slices treated only with MeHg. In all studied parameters, Met pre-treatment was effective in preventing the MeHg- and/or MeHg-Cys-induced toxicity in both liver slices and mitochondria. Part of the protection afforded by Met against MeHg may be related to a direct interaction with MeHg or to the competition of Met with the complex formed between MeHg and endogenous cysteine. In summary, our results show that Met pre-treatment produces pronounced protection against the toxic effects induced by MeHg and/or the MeHg-Cys complex on mitochondrial function and cell viability. Consequently, this amino acid offers considerable promise as a potential agent for treating acute MeHg exposure.« less

Validation of a free software for unsupervised assessment of abdominal fat in MRI.

PubMed

Maddalo, Michele; Zorza, Ivan; Zubani, Stefano; Nocivelli, Giorgio; Calandra, Giulio; Soldini, Pierantonio; Mascaro, Lorella; Maroldi, Roberto

2017-05-01

To demonstrate the accuracy of an unsupervised (fully automated) software for fat segmentation in magnetic resonance imaging. The proposed software is a freeware solution developed in ImageJ that enables the quantification of metabolically different adipose tissues in large cohort studies. The lumbar part of the abdomen (19cm in craniocaudal direction, centered in L3) of eleven healthy volunteers (age range: 21-46years, BMI range: 21.7-31.6kg/m 2 ) was examined in a breath hold on expiration with a GE T1 Dixon sequence. Single-slice and volumetric data were considered for each subject. The results of the visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue assessments obtained by the unsupervised software were compared to supervised segmentations of reference. The associated statistical analysis included Pearson correlations, Bland-Altman plots and volumetric differences (VD % ). Values calculated by the unsupervised software significantly correlated with corresponding supervised segmentations of reference for both subcutaneous adipose tissue - SAT (R=0.9996, p<0.001) and visceral adipose tissue - VAT (R=0.995, p<0.001). Bland-Altman plots showed the absence of systematic errors and a limited spread of the differences. In the single-slice analysis, VD % were (1.6±2.9)% for SAT and (4.9±6.9)% for VAT. In the volumetric analysis, VD % were (1.3±0.9)% for SAT and (2.9±2.7)% for VAT. The developed software is capable of segmenting the metabolically different adipose tissues with a high degree of accuracy. This free add-on software for ImageJ can easily have a widespread and enable large-scale population studies regarding the adipose tissue and its related diseases. Copyright © 2017 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Processing-Dependent and Clonal Contamination Patterns of Listeria monocytogenes in the Cured Ham Food Chain Revealed by Genetic Analysis

PubMed Central

Morganti, Marina; Scaltriti, Erika; Cozzolino, Paolo; Bolzoni, Luca; Casadei, Gabriele; Pierantoni, Marco; Foni, Emanuela

2015-01-01

The quantitative and qualitative patterns of environmental contamination by Listeria monocytogenes were investigated in the production chain of dry-cured Parma ham. Standard arrays of surfaces were sampled in processing facilities during a single visit per plant in the three compartments of the food chain, i.e., ham production (19 plants) and postproduction, which was divided into deboning (43 plants) and slicing (25 plants) steps. The numbers of sampled surfaces were 384 in ham production, with 25 positive for L. monocytogenes, and 1,084 in postproduction, with 83 positives. Statistical analysis of the prevalence of contaminated surfaces showed that in ham production, contamination was higher at the beginning of processing and declined significantly toward the end, while in postproduction, prevalence rose toward the end of processing. Prevalence was higher in the deboning facilities than in slicing facilities and was dependent on the type of surface (floor/drainage > clothing > equipment). The qualitative pattern of contamination was investigated through an analysis of the survey isolates and a set of isolates derived from routine monitoring, including longitudinal isolations. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis revealed a remarkable clonality of L. monocytogenes within plants, with the detection of 16 plant-specific clones out of 17 establishments with multiple isolates. Repeated detections of clonal isolates >6 months apart were also observed. Six was the maximum number of between-isolate differences in core SNPs observed within these clones. Based on the same six-SNP threshold, three clusters of clonal isolates, shared by six establishments, were also identified. The spread of L. monocytogenes within and between plants, as indicated by its clonal behavior, is a matter of concern for the hygienic management of establishments. PMID:26590278

Small-molecule agonists of mammalian Diaphanous-related (mDia) formins reveal an effective glioblastoma anti-invasion strategy.

PubMed

Arden, Jessica D; Lavik, Kari I; Rubinic, Kaitlin A; Chiaia, Nicolas; Khuder, Sadik A; Howard, Marthe J; Nestor-Kalinoski, Andrea L; Alberts, Arthur S; Eisenmann, Kathryn M

2015-11-01

The extensive invasive capacity of glioblastoma (GBM) makes it resistant to surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy and thus makes it lethal. In vivo, GBM invasion is mediated by Rho GTPases through unidentified downstream effectors. Mammalian Diaphanous (mDia) family formins are Rho-directed effectors that regulate the F-actin cytoskeleton to support tumor cell motility. Historically, anti-invasion strategies focused upon mDia inhibition, whereas activation remained unexplored. The recent development of small molecules directly inhibiting or activating mDia-driven F-actin assembly that supports motility allows for exploration of their role in GBM. We used the formin inhibitor SMIFH2 and mDia agonists IMM-01/-02 and mDia2-DAD peptides, which disrupt autoinhibition, to examine the roles of mDia inactivation versus activation in GBM cell migration and invasion in vitro and in an ex vivo brain slice invasion model. Inhibiting mDia suppressed directional migration and spheroid invasion while preserving intrinsic random migration. mDia agonism abrogated both random intrinsic and directional migration and halted U87 spheroid invasion in ex vivo brain slices. Thus mDia agonism is a superior GBM anti-invasion strategy. We conclude that formin agonism impedes the most dangerous GBM component-tumor spread into surrounding healthy tissue. Formin activation impairs novel aspects of transformed cells and informs the development of anti-GBM invasion strategies. © 2015 Arden et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Imaging charge transfer in a cation-π system: velocity-map imaging of Ag(+)(benzene) photodissociation.

PubMed

Maner, Jonathon A; Mauney, Daniel T; Duncan, Michael A

2015-11-19

Ag(+)(benzene) complexes are generated in the gas phase by laser vaporization and mass selected in a time-of-flight spectrometer. UV laser excitation at either 355 or 266 nm results in dissociative charge transfer (DCT), leading to neutral silver atom and benzene cation products. Kinetic energy release in translationally hot benzene cations is detected using a new instrument designed for photofragment imaging of mass-selected ions. Velocity-map imaging and slice imaging techniques are employed. In addition to the expected translational energy release, DCT of Ag(+)(benzene) produces a distribution of internally hot benzene cations. Compared with experiments at 355 nm, 266 nm excitation produces only slightly higher translational excitation and a much greater fraction of internally hot benzene ions. The maximum kinetic energy release in the photodissociation sets an upper limit on the Ag(+)(benzene) dissociation energy of 32.8 (+1.4/-1.5) kcal/mol.

The Single Event Upset (SEU) response to 590 MeV protons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nichols, D. K.; Price, W. E.; Smith, L. S.; Soli, G. A.

1984-01-01

The presence of high-energy protons in cosmic rays, solar flares, and trapped radiation belts around Jupiter poses a threat to the Galileo project. Results of a test of 10 device types (including 1K RAM, 4-bit microP sequencer, 4-bit slice, 9-bit data register, 4-bit shift register, octal flip-flop, and 4-bit counter) exposed to 590 MeV protons at the Swiss Institute of Nuclear Research are presented to clarify the picture of SEU response to the high-energy proton environment of Jupiter. It is concluded that the data obtained should remove the concern that nuclear reaction products generated by protons external to the device can cause significant alteration in the device SEU response. The data also show only modest increases in SEU cross section as proton energies are increased up to the upper limits of energy for both the terrestrial and Jovian trapped proton belts.

Impact of wavefront distortion and scattering on 2-photon microscopy in mammalian brain tissue

PubMed Central

Chaigneau, Emmanuelle; Wright, Amanda J.; Poland, Simon P.; Girkin, John M.; Silver, R. Angus

2011-01-01

Two-photon (2P) microscopy is widely used in neuroscience, but the optical properties of brain tissue are poorly understood. We have investigated the effect of brain tissue on the 2P point spread function (PSF2P) by imaging fluorescent beads through living cortical slices. By combining this with measurements of the mean free path of the excitation light, adaptive optics and vector-based modeling that includes phase modulation and scattering, we show that tissue-induced wavefront distortions are the main determinant of enlargement and distortion of the PSF2P at intermediate imaging depths. Furthermore, they generate surrounding lobes that contain more than half of the 2P excitation. These effects reduce the resolution of fine structures and contrast and they, together with scattering, limit 2P excitation. Our results disentangle the contributions of scattering and wavefront distortion in shaping the cortical PSF2P, thereby providing a basis for improved 2P microscopy. PMID:22109156

DETERMINATION OF NATIONAL DIAGNOSTIC REFERENCE LEVELS IN COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY EXAMINATIONS OF IRAN BY A NEW QUALITY CONTROL-BASED DOSE SURVEY METHOD.

PubMed

Sohrabi, Mehdi; Parsi, Masoumeh; Mianji, Fereidoun

2018-05-01

National diagnostic reference levels (NDRLs) of Iran were determined for the four most common CT examinations including head, sinus, chest and abdomen/pelvis. A new 'quality control (QC)-based dose survey method', as developed by us, was applied to 157 CT scanners in Iran (2014-15) with different slice classes, models and geographic spread across the country. The NDRLs for head, sinus, chest and abdomen/pelvis examinations are 58, 29, 12 and 14 mGy for CTDIVol and 750, 300, 300 and 650 mGy.cm for DLP, respectively. The 'QC-based dose survey method' was further proven that it is a simple, accurate and practical method for a time and cost-effective NDRLs determination. One effective approach for optimization of the CT examination protocols at the national level is the provision of an adequate standardized training of the radiologists, technicians and medical physicists on the patient radiation protection principles and implementation of the DRL concept in clinical practices.

Electric dipole strength and dipole polarizability in 48Ca within a fully self-consistent second random-phase approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gambacurta, D.; Grasso, M.; Vasseur, O.

2018-02-01

The second random-phase-approximation model corrected by a subtraction procedure designed to cure double counting, instabilities, and ultraviolet divergences, is employed for the first time to analyze the dipole strength and polarizability in 48Ca. All the terms of the residual interaction are included, leading to a fully self-consistent scheme. Results are illustrated with two Skyrme parametrizations, SGII and SLy4. Those obtained with the SGII interaction are particularly satisfactory. In this case, the low-lying strength below the neutron threshold is well reproduced and the giant dipole resonance is described in a very satisfactory way especially in its spreading and fragmentation. Spreading and fragmentation are produced in a natural way within such a theoretical model by the coupling of 1 particle-1 hole and 2 particle-2 hole configurations. Owing to this feature, we may provide for the electric polarizability as a function of the excitation energy a curve with a similar slope around the centroid energy of the giant resonance compared to the corresponding experimental results. This represents a considerable improvement with respect to previous theoretical predictions obtained with the random-phase approximation or with several ab-initio models. In such cases, the spreading width of the excitation cannot be reproduced and the polarizability as a function of the excitation energy displays a stiff increase around the predicted centroid energy of the giant resonance.

Modelling Laccoliths: Fluid-Driven Fracturing in the Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ball, T. V.; Neufeld, J. A.

2017-12-01

Current modelling of the formation of laccoliths neglects the necessity to fracture rock layers for propagation to occur [1]. In magmatic intrusions at depth the idea of fracture toughness is used to characterise fracturing, however an analogue for near surface intrusions has yet to be explored [2]. We propose an analytical model for laccolith emplacement that accounts for the energy required to fracture at the tip of an intrusion. For realistic physical parameters we find that a lag region exists between the fluid magma front and the crack tip where large negative pressures in the tip cause volatiles to exsolve from the magma. Crucially, the dynamics of this tip region controls the spreading due to the competition between viscous forces and fracture energy. We conduct a series of complementary experiments to investigate fluid-driven fracturing of adhered layers and confirm the existence of two regimes: viscosity dominant spreading, controlled by the pressure in the lag region, and fracture energy dominant spreading, controlled by the energy required to fracture layers. Our experiments provide the first observations, and evolution, of a vapour tip. These experiments and our simplified model provide insight into the key physical processes in near surface magmatic intrusions with applications to fluid-driven fracturing more generally. Michaut J. Geophys. Res. 116(B5), B05205. Bunger & Cruden J. Geophys. Res. 116(B2), B02203.

Development and characterization of an ex-vivo brain slice culture model of chronic wasting disease

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Prion diseases have long incubation times in vivo, therefore, modeling the diseases ex-vivo will advance the development of rationale-based therapeutic strategies. An organotypic slice culture assay (POSCA) was recently developed for scrapie prions by inoculating mouse cerebellar brain slices with R...

The Advanced Light Source (ALS) Slicing Undulator Beamline

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

Heimann, P. A.; Glover, T. E.; Plate, D.

2007-01-19

A beamline optimized for the bunch slicing technique has been construction at the Advanced Light Source (ALS). This beamline includes an in-vacuum undulator, soft and hard x-ray beamlines and a femtosecond laser system. The soft x-ray beamline may operate in spectrometer mode, where an entire absorption spectrum is accumulated at one time, or in monochromator mode. The femtosecond laser system has a high repetition rate of 20 kHz to improve the average slicing flux. The performance of the soft x-ray branch of the ALS slicing undulator beamline will be presented.

Real-time quasi-3D tomographic reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buurlage, Jan-Willem; Kohr, Holger; Palenstijn, Willem Jan; Joost Batenburg, K.

2018-06-01

Developments in acquisition technology and a growing need for time-resolved experiments pose great computational challenges in tomography. In addition, access to reconstructions in real time is a highly demanded feature but has so far been out of reach. We show that by exploiting the mathematical properties of filtered backprojection-type methods, having access to real-time reconstructions of arbitrarily oriented slices becomes feasible. Furthermore, we present , software for visualization and on-demand reconstruction of slices. A user of can interactively shift and rotate slices in a GUI, while the software updates the slice in real time. For certain use cases, the possibility to study arbitrarily oriented slices in real time directly from the measured data provides sufficient visual and quantitative insight. Two such applications are discussed in this article.

A simple method for multiday imaging of slice cultures.

PubMed

Seidl, Armin H; Rubel, Edwin W

2010-01-01

The organotypic slice culture (Stoppini et al. A simple method for organotypic cultures of nervous tissue. 1991;37:173-182) has become the method of choice to answer a variety of questions in neuroscience. For many experiments, however, it would be beneficial to image or manipulate a slice culture repeatedly, for example, over the course of many days. We prepared organotypic slice cultures of the auditory brainstem of P3 and P4 mice and kept them in vitro for up to 4 weeks. Single cells in the auditory brainstem were transfected with plasmids expressing fluorescent proteins by way of electroporation (Haas et al. Single-cell electroporation for gene transfer in vivo. 2001;29:583-591). The culture was then placed in a chamber perfused with oxygenated ACSF and the labeled cell imaged with an inverted wide-field microscope repeatedly for multiple days, recording several time-points per day, before returning the slice to the incubator. We describe a simple method to image a slice culture preparation during the course of multiple days and over many continuous hours, without noticeable damage to the tissue or photobleaching. Our method uses a simple, inexpensive custom-built insulator constructed around the microscope to maintain controlled temperature and uses a perfusion chamber as used for in vitro slice recordings. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Linear measurements in 2-dimensional pelvic floor imaging: the impact of slice tilt angles on measurement reproducibility.

PubMed

Hoyte, L; Ratiu, P

2001-09-01

Magnetic resonance imaging techniques have improved the study of female pelvic dysfunction. However, disagreements between magnetic resonance measurements and their derived 3-dimensional reconstructions were noted. We tested the hypothesis that these discrepancies stemmed from variations in magnetic resonance acquisition angle. Images from the pelvis of the Visible Human Female (a thinly sliced cadaveric image data set) were obtained. Slices in the axial plane were rotated around pivot points in the pelvis to yield a set of similar-appearing para-axial images. A parameter that described the maximum anterior-posterior dimension of the levator hiatus was defined. This levator hiatus parameter was measured on all of the rotated images and compared with an expected value that was calculated from trigonometry. The levator hiatus was also measured on a group of similar-appearing slices rotated slightly around a defined point. In 1 group of slices, expected levator hiatus variation was 1.5 to 6.1%, whereas measured variation was 4% to 15%. Among the similar-appearing rotated slices, 4.8% to 16.0% variations were seen in the levator hiatus. Identical measurements made on radiologic images can vary widely. Slice acquisition must be standardized to avoid errors in data comparison.

77 FR 25162 - Golden Spread Electric Cooperative, Inc. v. Southwestern Public Service Company; Notice of Complaint

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-27

... April 20, 2012, pursuant to sections 201, 206, and 306 of the Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 824, 824e and... rate of Replacement Power Sales Agreement (RPSA) by and between Golden Spread and SPS and that the formula rate of the Xcel Joint Energy Open Access Tariff applicable to pricing of transmission service...

Forced Spreading of Aqueous Solutions on Zwitterionic Sulfobetaine Surfaces for Rapid Evaporation and Solute Separation.

PubMed

Wu, Cyuan-Jhang; Singh, Vickramjeet; Sheng, Yu-Jane; Tsao, Heng-Kwong

2017-08-01

Solute separation of aqueous mixtures is mainly dominated by water vaporization. The evaporation rate of an aqueous drop grows with increasing the liquid-gas interfacial area. The spontaneous spreading behavior of a water droplet on a total wetting surface provides huge liquid-gas interfacial area per unit volume; however, it is halted by the self-pinning phenomenon upon addition of nonvolatile solutes. In this work, it is shown that the solute-induced self-pinning can be overcome by gravity, leading to anisotropic spreading much faster than isotropic spreading. The evaporation rate of anisotropic spreading on a zwitterionic sulfobetaine surface is 25 times larger as that on a poly(methyl methacrylate) surface. Dramatic enhancement of evaporation is demonstrated by simultaneous formation of fog atop liquid film. During anisotropic spreading, the solutes are quickly precipitated out within 30 s, showing the rapid solute-water separation. After repeated spreading process for the dye-containing solution, the mean concentration of the collection is doubled, revealing the concentration efficiency as high as 100%. Gravity-enhanced spreading on total wetting surfaces at room temperature is easy to scale-up with less energy consumption, and thus it has great potentials for the applications of solute separation and concentration.

Dehydrogenation involved Coulomb explosion of molecular C2H4FBr in an intense laser field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pei, Minjie; Yang, Yan; Zhang, Jian; Sun, Zhenrong

2018-04-01

The dissociative double ionization (DDI) of molecular 1-fluo-2-bromoethane (FBE) in an intense laser field has been investigated by dc-slice imaging technology. The DDI channels involved with dehydrogenation are revealed and it's believed both the charge distribution and the bound character of real potential energy surfaces of parent ions play important roles in the dissociation process. The relationship between the potential energy surfaces of the precursor species and the photofragment ejection angles are also discussed and analyzed. Furthermore, the competition between the DDI channels has been studied and the Csbnd C bond cleavages dominate the DDI process at relative higher laser intensity.

Density‐weighted concentric circle trajectories for high resolution brain magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging at 7T

PubMed Central

Hingerl, Lukas; Moser, Philipp; Považan, Michal; Hangel, Gilbert; Heckova, Eva; Gruber, Stephan; Trattnig, Siegfried; Strasser, Bernhard

2017-01-01

Purpose Full‐slice magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging at ≥7 T is especially vulnerable to lipid contaminations arising from regions close to the skull. This contamination can be mitigated by improving the point spread function via higher spatial resolution sampling and k‐space filtering, but this prolongs scan times and reduces the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) efficiency. Currently applied parallel imaging methods accelerate magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging scans at 7T, but increase lipid artifacts and lower SNR‐efficiency further. In this study, we propose an SNR‐efficient spatial‐spectral sampling scheme using concentric circle echo planar trajectories (CONCEPT), which was adapted to intrinsically acquire a Hamming‐weighted k‐space, thus termed density‐weighted‐CONCEPT. This minimizes voxel bleeding, while preserving an optimal SNR. Theory and Methods Trajectories were theoretically derived and verified in phantoms as well as in the human brain via measurements of five volunteers (single‐slice, field‐of‐view 220 × 220 mm2, matrix 64 × 64, scan time 6 min) with free induction decay magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging. Density‐weighted‐CONCEPT was compared to (a) the originally proposed CONCEPT with equidistant circles (here termed e‐CONCEPT), (b) elliptical phase‐encoding, and (c) 5‐fold Controlled Aliasing In Parallel Imaging Results IN Higher Acceleration accelerated elliptical phase‐encoding. Results By intrinsically sampling a Hamming‐weighted k‐space, density‐weighted‐CONCEPT removed Gibbs‐ringing artifacts and had in vivo +9.5%, +24.4%, and +39.7% higher SNR than e‐CONCEPT, elliptical phase‐encoding, and the Controlled Aliasing In Parallel Imaging Results IN Higher Acceleration accelerated elliptical phase‐encoding (all P < 0.05), respectively, which lead to improved metabolic maps. Conclusion Density‐weighted‐CONCEPT provides clinically attractive full‐slice high‐resolution magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging with optimal SNR at 7T. Magn Reson Med 79:2874–2885, 2018. © 2017 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. PMID:29106742

Inter-study reproducibility of cardiovascular magnetic resonance tagging

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The aim of this study is to determine the test-retest reliability of the measurement of regional myocardial function by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) tagging using spatial modulation of magnetization. Methods Twenty-five participants underwent CMR tagging twice over 12 ± 7 days. To assess the role of slice orientation on strain measurement, two healthy volunteers had a first exam, followed by image acquisition repeated with slices rotated ±15 degrees out of true short axis, followed by a second exam in the true short axis plane. To assess the role of slice location, two healthy volunteers had whole heart tagging. The harmonic phase (HARP) method was used to analyze the tagged images. Peak midwall circumferential strain (Ecc), radial strain (Err), Lambda 1, Lambda 2, and Angle α were determined in basal, mid and apical slices. LV torsion, systolic and early diastolic circumferential strain and torsion rates were also determined. Results LV Ecc and torsion had excellent intra-, interobserver, and inter-study intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC range, 0.7 to 0.9). Err, Lambda 1, Lambda 2 and angle had excellent intra- and interobserver ICC than inter-study ICC. Angle had least inter-study reproducibility. Torsion rates had superior intra-, interobserver, and inter-study reproducibility to strain rates. The measurements of LV Ecc were comparable in all three slices with different short axis orientations (standard deviation of mean Ecc was 0.09, 0.18 and 0.16 at basal, mid and apical slices, respectively). The mean difference in LV Ecc between slices was more pronounced in most of the basal slices compared to the rest of the heart. Conclusions Intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility of all strain and torsion parameters was excellent. Inter-study reproducibility of CMR tagging by SPAMM varied between different parameters as described in the results above and was superior for Ecc and LV torsion. The variation in LV Ecc measurement due to altered slice orientation is negligible compared to the variation due to slice location. Trial registration This trial is registered as NCT00005487 at National Heart, Lung and Blood institute. PMID:23663535

Topography- and topology-driven spreading of non-Newtonian power-law liquids on a flat and a spherical substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwamatsu, Masao

2017-10-01

The spreading of a cap-shaped spherical droplet of non-Newtonian power-law liquids on a flat and a spherical rough and textured substrate is theoretically studied in the capillary-controlled spreading regime. A droplet whose scale is much larger than that of the roughness of substrate is considered. The equilibrium contact angle on a rough substrate is modeled by the Wenzel and the Cassie-Baxter model. Only the viscous energy dissipation within the droplet volume is considered, and that within the texture of substrate by imbibition is neglected. Then, the energy balance approach is adopted to derive the evolution equation of the contact angle. When the equilibrium contact angle vanishes, the relaxation of dynamic contact angle θ of a droplet obeys a power-law decay θ ˜t-α except for the Newtonian and the non-Newtonian shear-thinning liquid of the Wenzel model on a spherical substrate. The spreading exponent α of the non-Newtonian shear-thickening liquid of the Wenzel model on a spherical substrate is larger than others. The relaxation of the Newtonian liquid of the Wenzel model on a spherical substrate is even faster showing the exponential relaxation. The relaxation of the non-Newtonian shear-thinning liquid of Wenzel model on a spherical substrate is fastest and finishes within a finite time. Thus, the topography (roughness) and the topology (flat to spherical) of substrate accelerate the spreading of droplet.

UNDULATOR-BASED LASER WAKEFIELD ACCELERATOR ELECTRON BEAM DIAGNOSTIC

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

Bakeman, M.S.; Fawley, W.M.; Leemans, W. P.

to couple the THUNDER undulator to the LOASIS Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA). Currently the LWFA has achieved quasi-monoenergetic electron beams with energies up to 1 GeV. These ultra-short, high-peak-current, electron beams are ideal for driving a compact XUV free electron laser (FEL). Understanding the electron beam properties such as the energy spread and emittance is critical for achieving high quality light sources with high brightness. By using an insertion device such as an undulator and observing changes in the spontaneous emission spectrum, the electron beam energy spread and emittance can be measured with high precision.more » The initial experiments will use spontaneous emission from 1.5 m of undulator. Later experiments will use up to 5 m of undulator with a goal of a high gain, XUV FEL.« less

Study of Storage Ring Free-Electron Laser Using Experimental and Simulation Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Botao

2011-12-01

The Duke electron storage ring, first commissioned in November of 1994, has been developed as a dedicated driver for storage ring free-electron lasers (SRFELs) operating in a wide wavelength range from infrared, to visible, to ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV). The storage ring has a long straight section for various insertion devices and can be operated in a wide energy range (0.25 GeV to 1.15 GeV). Commissioned in 1995, the first free-electron laser (FEL) on the Duke storage ring was the OK-4 FEL, an optical klystron with two planar undulators sandwiching a buncher magnet. In 2005, the OK-5 FEL with two helical undulators was commissioned. Operating four undulators---two OK-4 and two OK-5 undulators, the world's first distributed optical klystron FEL was brought to operation in 2005. Via Compton scattering of FEL photons and electrons in the storage ring, the Duke FEL drives the world's most powerful, nearly monochromatic, and polarized Compton gamma-ray source, the High Intensity Gamma-ray Source (HIgammaS). Today, a variety of configurations of the storage ring FELs at Duke have been used in a wide range of research areas from nuclear physics to biophysics, from chemical and medical research to industrial applications. The capability of accurately measuring the storage ring electron beam energy spread is crucial for understanding the longitudinal beam dynamics and the dynamics of the storage ring FEL. In this dissertation, we have successfully developed a noninvasive, versatile, and accurate method to measure the energy spread using optical klystron radiation. Novel numerical methods based upon the Gauss-Hermite expansion have been developed to treat both spectral broadening and modulation on an equal footing. Through properly configuring the optical klystron, this energy spread measurement method has a large dynamic range. In addition, a model-based scheme has been developed for correcting the electron beam emittance related inhomogeneous spectral broadening effect, to further enhance the accuracy of measuring the electron beam energy spread. Taking advantage of the direct measurement method of the electron beam energy spread, we have developed another novel technique to simultaneously measure the FEL power, electron beam energy spread, and other beam parameters. This allowed us to study the FEL power in a systematic manner for the first time. Based on the experimental findings and results of the theoretical predictions, we have proposed a compact formula to predict the FEL power using only the knowledge of electron beam current, beam energy, and bunch length. As part of the dissertation work, we have developed a self-consistent numerical model to study the storage ring FEL. The simulation program models the electron beam propagation along the storage ring, multi-turn FEL interaction in the undulators, gradual intra-cavity optical power buildup, etc. This simulation code captures the main features of a storage ring FEL at different time and space scales. The simulated FEL gain has been benchmarked against measured gain and calculated gain with good agreement. The simulation package can provide comprehensive information about the FEL gain, optical pulse growth, electron beam properties, etc. In the near future, we plan to further improve the simulation model, by including additional physics effects such as microwave instability, to make it a more useful tool for FEL research.

Mis-estimation and bias of hyperpolarized apparent diffusion coefficient measurements due to slice profile effects.

PubMed

Gordon, Jeremy W; Milshteyn, Eugene; Marco-Rius, Irene; Ohliger, Michael; Vigneron, Daniel B; Larson, Peder E Z

2017-09-01

The purpose of this work was to explore the impact of slice profile effects on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping of hyperpolarized (HP) substrates. Slice profile effects were simulated using a Gaussian radiofrequency (RF) pulse with a variety of flip angle schedules and b-value ordering schemes. A long T 1 water phantom was used to validate the simulation results, and ADC mapping of HP [ 13 C, 15 N 2 ]urea was performed on the murine liver to assess these effects in vivo. Slice profile effects result in excess signal after repeated RF pulses, causing bias in HP measurements. The largest error occurs for metabolites with small ADCs, resulting in up to 10-fold overestimation for metabolites that are in more-restricted environments. A mixed b-value scheme substantially reduces this bias, whereas scaling the slice-select gradient can mitigate it completely. In vivo, the liver ADC of hyperpolarized [ 13 C, 15 N 2 ]urea is nearly 70% lower (0.99 ± 0.22 vs 1.69 ± 0.21 × 10 -3 mm 2 /s) when slice-select gradient scaling is used. Slice profile effects can lead to bias in HP ADC measurements. A mixed b-value ordering scheme can reduce this bias compared to sequential b-value ordering. Slice-select gradient scaling can also correct for this deviation, minimizing bias and providing more-precise ADC measurements of HP substrates. Magn Reson Med 78:1087-1092, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Sodium lactate addition on the quality and shelf life of refrigerated sliced poultry sausage packaged in air or nitrogen atmosphere.

PubMed

Cegielska-Radziejewska, Renata; Pikul, Jan

2004-03-01

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of sodium lactate addition on shelf-life extension of sliced poultry sausage packaged both in air and nitrogen atmospheres and stored in refrigerated conditions. Basic chemical composition, pH, and malonaldehyde content were assayed and color measurement using the reflection method was carried out. Microbiological examination consisted of determination of total number of aerobic psychrotrophic bacteria and number of lactic acid bacteria. Sensory evaluation of products was performed. Microbiological and sensory quality of sliced poultry meat sausage was dependent on the addition during production of sodium lactate and the composition of gases (air or nitrogen) used in packaging. Slices of poultry sausage with 1% as well as 2% of sodium lactate maintained their initial quality of evaluated sensory attributes longer, irrespective of the applied gases. Sodium lactate inhibited growth of aerobic psychrotrophic bacteria and lactic acid bacteria during refrigerated storage. Sodium lactate also inhibited the formation of malonaldehyde in sliced poultry sausage during refrigerated storage. The effectiveness of this process depended on the concentration of sodium lactate addition. It was concluded that 1% as well as 2% addition of sodium lactate could extend the shelf life of sliced poultry sausage packaged in air atmosphere and stored at 5 to 7 degrees C by 3 or 4 times, respectively. Sliced poultry sausage treated with 2% sodium lactate packed in nitrogen had the longest (35-day) shelf life. This was a sevenfold increase in the shelf life of sliced poultry sausage compared with the control.

Visual patch clamp recording of neurons in thick portions of the adult spinal cord.

PubMed

Munch, Anders Sonne; Smith, Morten; Moldovan, Mihai; Perrier, Jean-François

2010-07-15

The study of visually identified neurons in slice preparations from the central nervous system offers considerable advantages over in vivo preparations including high mechanical stability in the absence of anaesthesia and full control of the extracellular medium. However, because of their relative thinness, slices are not appropriate for investigating how individual neurons integrate synaptic inputs generated by large numbers of neurons. Here we took advantage of the exceptional resistance of the turtle to anoxia to make slices of increasing thicknesses (from 300 to 3000 microm) from the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord. With a conventional upright microscope in which the light condenser was carefully adjusted, we could visualize neurons present at the surface of the slice and record them with the whole-cell patch clamp technique. We show that neurons present in the middle of the preparation remain alive and capable of generating action potentials. By stimulating the lateral funiculus we can evoke intense synaptic activity associated with large increases in conductance of the recorded neurons. The conductance increases substantially more in neurons recorded in thick slices suggesting that the size of the network recruited with the stimulation increases with the thickness of the slices. We also find that that the number of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) is higher in thick slices compared with thin slices while the number of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) remains constant. These preliminary data suggest that inhibitory and excitatory synaptic connections are balanced locally while excitation dominates long-range connections in the spinal cord. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison between MDCT and Grayscale IVUS in a Quantitative Analysis of Coronary Lumen in Segments with or without Atherosclerotic Plaques

PubMed Central

Falcão, João L. A. A.; Falcão, Breno A. A.; Gurudevan, Swaminatha V.; Campos, Carlos M.; Silva, Expedito R.; Kalil-Filho, Roberto; Rochitte, Carlos E.; Shiozaki, Afonso A.; Coelho-Filho, Otavio R.; Lemos, Pedro A.

2015-01-01

Background The diagnostic accuracy of 64-slice MDCT in comparison with IVUS has been poorly described and is mainly restricted to reports analyzing segments with documented atherosclerotic plaques. Objectives We compared 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) with gray scale intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for the evaluation of coronary lumen dimensions in the context of a comprehensive analysis, including segments with absent or mild disease. Methods The 64-slice MDCT was performed within 72 h before the IVUS imaging, which was obtained for at least one coronary, regardless of the presence of luminal stenosis at angiography. A total of 21 patients were included, with 70 imaged vessels (total length 114.6 ± 38.3 mm per patient). A coronary plaque was diagnosed in segments with plaque burden > 40%. Results At patient, vessel, and segment levels, average lumen area, minimal lumen area, and minimal lumen diameter were highly correlated between IVUS and 64-slice MDCT (p < 0.01). However, 64-slice MDCT tended to underestimate the lumen size with a relatively wide dispersion of the differences. The comparison between 64-slice MDCT and IVUS lumen measurements was not substantially affected by the presence or absence of an underlying plaque. In addition, 64-slice MDCT showed good global accuracy for the detection of IVUS parameters associated with flow-limiting lesions. Conclusions In a comprehensive, multi-territory, and whole-artery analysis, the assessment of coronary lumen by 64-slice MDCT compared with coronary IVUS showed a good overall diagnostic ability, regardless of the presence or absence of underlying atherosclerotic plaques. PMID:25993595

Ammonia-induced brain swelling and neurotoxicity in an organotypic slice model

PubMed Central

Back, Adam; Tupper, Kelsey Y.; Bai, Tao; Chiranand, Paulpoj; Goldenberg, Fernando D.; Frank, Jeffrey I.; Brorson, James R.

2013-01-01

Objectives Acute liver failure produces cerebral dysfunction and edema, mediated in part by elevated ammonia concentrations, often leading to coma and death. The pathophysiology of cerebral edema in acute liver failure is incompletely understood. In vitro models of the cerebral effects of acute liver failure have predominately consisted of dissociated astrocyte cultures or acute brain slices. We describe a stable long-term culture model incorporating both neural and glial elements in a three-dimensional tissue structure offering significant advantages to the study of astrocytic-neuronal interactions in the pathophysiology of cerebral edema and dysfunction in acute liver failure. Methods We utilized chronic organotypic slice cultures from mouse forebrain, applying ammonium acetate in iso-osmolar fashion for 72 hours. Imaging of slice thickness to assess for tissue swelling was accomplished in living slices with optical coherence tomography, and confocal microscopy of fluorescence immunochemical and histochemical staining served to assess astrocyte and neuronal numbers, morphology, and volume in the fixed brain slices. Results Ammonia exposure at 1–10 mM produced swelling of immunochemically-identified astrocytes, and at 10 mM resulted in macroscopic tissue swelling, with slice thickness increasing by about 30%. Astrocytes were unchanged in number. In contrast, 10 mM ammonia treatment severely disrupted neuronal morphology and reduced neuronal survival at 72 hours by one-half. Discussion Elevated ammonia produces astrocytic swelling, tissue swelling, and neuronal toxicity in cerebral tissues. Ammonia-treated organotypic brain slice cultures provide an in vitro model of cerebral effects of conditions relevant to acute liver failure, applicable to pathophysiological investigations. PMID:22196764

The impact of computed tomography slice thickness on the assessment of stereotactic, 3D conformal and intensity-modulated radiotherapy of brain tumors.

PubMed

Caivano, R; Fiorentino, A; Pedicini, P; Califano, G; Fusco, V

2014-05-01

To evaluate radiotherapy treatment planning accuracy by varying computed tomography (CT) slice thickness and tumor size. CT datasets from patients with primary brain disease and metastatic brain disease were selected. Tumor volumes ranging from about 2.5 to 100 cc and CT scan at different slice thicknesses (1, 2, 4, 6 and 10 mm) were used to perform treatment planning (1-, 2-, 4-, 6- and 10-CT, respectively). For any slice thickness, a conformity index (CI) referring to 100, 98, 95 and 90 % isodoses and tumor size was computed. All the CI and volumes obtained were compared to evaluate the impact of CT slice thickness on treatment plans. The smallest volumes reduce significantly if defined on 1-CT with respect to 4- and 6-CT, while the CT slice thickness does not affect target definition for the largest volumes. The mean CI for all the considered isodoses and CT slice thickness shows no statistical differences when 1-CT is compared to 2-CT. Comparing the mean CI of 1- with 4-CT and 1- with 6-CT, statistical differences appear only for the smallest volumes with respect to 100, 98 and 95 % isodoses-the CI for 90 % isodose being not statistically significant for all the considered PTVs. The accuracy of radiotherapy tumor volume definition depends on CT slice thickness. To achieve a better tumor definition and dose coverage, 1- and 2-CT would be suitable for small targets, while 4- and 6-CT are suitable for the other volumes.

Cold plasma reduces Salmonella on sliced roma tomatoes: efficacy of air versus nitrogen

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A rapid, waterless, contact-free method of decontamination for tomatoes and tomato slices is of interest to processors and the food service industry. Cold plasma is a novel antimicrobial treatment for fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Slices of Roma tomatoes were spot inoculated with three ...

Assessment of Present State-of-the-art Sawing Technology of Large Diameter Ingots for Solar Sheet Material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yoo, H. I.

1978-01-01

Work is reported on: (1) slicing of the ingots with the multiblade slurry saw, the multiwire slurry saw and the I.D. saw, (2) characterization of the sliced wafers, and (3) analysis of add-on slicing cost based on Solar Array Manufacturing Industry Costing Standard.

Metabolism of 2-phenylethylamine to phenylacetic acid, via the intermediate phenylacetaldehyde, by freshly prepared and cryopreserved guinea pig liver slices.

PubMed

Panoutsopoulos, Georgios I

2004-01-01

2-Phenylethylamine is an endogenous amine, which acts as a neuromodulator of dopaminergic responses. Exogenous 2-phenylethylamine is found in certain foodstuffs and may cause toxic side-effects in susceptible individuals. The present investigation examined the metabolism of 2-phenylethylamine to phenylacetic acid, via phenylacetaldehyde, in freshly prepared and cryopreserved liver slices. Additionally, it compared the relative contribution of aldehyde oxidase, xanthine oxidase and aldehyde dehydrogenase by using specific inhibitors for each oxidizing enzyme. In freshly prepared and cryopreserved liver slices, phenylacetic acid was the main metabolite of 2-phenylethalamine. In freshly prepared liver slices, phenylacetic acid was completely inhibited by disulfiram (inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenase), whereas isovanillin (inhibitor of aldehyde oxidase) inhibited acid formation to a lesser extent and allopurinol (inhibitor of xanthine oxidase) had no effect. In cryopreserved liver slices, isovanillin inhibited phenylacetic acid by 85%, whereas disulfiram inhibited acid formation to a lesser extent and allopurinol had no effect. In liver slices, 2-phenylethylamine is rapidly oxidized to phenylacetic acid, via phenylacetaldehyde, by aldehyde dehydrogenase and aldehyde oxidase with no contribution from xanthine oxidase.

Free-breathing cardiac MR stress perfusion with real-time slice tracking.

PubMed

Basha, Tamer A; Roujol, Sébastien; Kissinger, Kraig V; Goddu, Beth; Berg, Sophie; Manning, Warren J; Nezafat, Reza

2014-09-01

To develop a free-breathing cardiac MR perfusion sequence with slice tracking for use after physical exercise. We propose to use a leading navigator, placed immediately before each 2D slice acquisition, for tracking the respiratory motion and updating the slice location in real-time. The proposed sequence was used to acquire CMR perfusion datasets in 12 healthy adult subjects and 8 patients. Images were compared with the conventional perfusion (i.e., without slice tracking) results from the same subjects. The location and geometry of the myocardium were quantitatively analyzed, and the perfusion signal curves were calculated from both sequences to show the efficacy of the proposed sequence. The proposed sequence was significantly better compared with the conventional perfusion sequence in terms of qualitative image scores. Changes in the myocardial location and geometry decreased by 50% in the slice tracking sequence. Furthermore, the proposed sequence had signal curves that are smoother and less noisy. The proposed sequence significantly reduces the effect of the respiratory motion on the image acquisition in both rest and stress perfusion scans. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Impact of whey protein coating incorporated with Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus on sliced ham properties.

PubMed

Odila Pereira, Joana; Soares, José; J P Monteiro, Maria; Gomes, Ana; Pintado, Manuela

2018-05-01

Edible coatings/films with functional ingredients may be a solution to consumers' demands for high-quality food products and an extended shelf-life. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antimicrobial efficiency of edible coatings incorporated with probiotics on sliced ham preservation. Coatings was developed based on whey protein isolates with incorporation of Bifidobacterium animalis Bb-12® or Lactobacillus casei-01. The physicochemical analyses showed that coating decreased water and weight loss on the ham. Furthermore, color analysis showed that coated sliced ham, exhibited no color change, comparatively to uncoated slices. The edible coatings incorporating the probiotic strains inhibited detectable growth of Staphylococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae and yeasts/molds, at least, for 45days of storage at 4°C. The sensory evaluation demonstrated that there was a preference for the sliced coated ham. Probiotic bacteria viable cell numbers were maintained at ca. 10 8 CFU/g throughout storage time, enabling the slice of ham to act as a suitable carrier for the beneficial bacteria. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Research strategies in standard decoction of medicinal slices].

PubMed

Chen, Shi-Lin; Liu, An; Li, Qi; Toru, Sugita; Zhu, Guang-Wei; Sun, Yi; Dai, Yun-Tao; Zhang, Jun; Zhang, Tie-Jun; Takehisa, Tomoda; Liu, Chang-Xiao

2016-04-01

This paper discusses the research situation of the standard decoction of medicinal slices at home and abroad. Combined with the experimental data, the author proposes that the standard decoction of medicinal slices is made of single herb using standard process which should be guided by the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, based on clinical practice and referred to modern extraction method with a standard process. And the author also proposes the principles of establishing the specification of process parameters and quality standards and established the basis of drug efficacy material and biological reference. As a standard material and standard system, the standard decoction of medicinal slices can provide standards for clinical medication, standardize the use of the new type of medicinal slices especially for dispensing granules, which were widely used in clinical. It can ensure the accuracy of drugs and consistency of dose, and to solve current supervision difficulties. Moreover the study of standard decoction of medicinal slices will provide the research on dispensing granules, traditional Chinese medicine prescription standard decoction and couplet medicines standard decoction a useful reference. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

RF Energy Interaction With Electro-Optic Materials (Single Investigator Award Proposed to Address Research Topic Area 6.4. Electromagnetics and RF Circuit Integration)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-27

demonstration vehicles. Test and measurement of fabricated structures will be conducted to experimentally quantify RF and optical performance. Measurement...the development of coupled RF and optical structures. Both the graduate student and the undergraduate student were trained in conducting precision...research conducted for this project. The journal paper citations are: 1. L. Chen, J. Nagy, and R. M. Reano, "Patterned ion-sliced lithium niobate for

Moving core beam energy absorber and converter

DOEpatents

Degtiarenko, Pavel V.

2012-12-18

A method and apparatus for the prevention of overheating of laser or particle beam impact zones through the use of a moving-in-the-coolant-flow arrangement for the energy absorbing core of the device. Moving of the core spreads the energy deposition in it in 1, 2, or 3 dimensions, thus increasing the effective cooling area of the device.

Chest Fat Quantification via CT Based on Standardized Anatomy Space in Adult Lung Transplant Candidates

PubMed Central

Tong, Yubing; Udupa, Jayaram K.; Torigian, Drew A.; Odhner, Dewey; Wu, Caiyun; Pednekar, Gargi; Palmer, Scott; Rozenshtein, Anna; Shirk, Melissa A.; Newell, John D.; Porteous, Mary; Diamond, Joshua M.

2017-01-01

Purpose Overweight and underweight conditions are considered relative contraindications to lung transplantation due to their association with excess mortality. Yet, recent work suggests that body mass index (BMI) does not accurately reflect adipose tissue mass in adults with advanced lung diseases. Alternative and more accurate measures of adiposity are needed. Chest fat estimation by routine computed tomography (CT) imaging may therefore be important for identifying high-risk lung transplant candidates. In this paper, an approach to chest fat quantification and quality assessment based on a recently formulated concept of standardized anatomic space (SAS) is presented. The goal of the paper is to seek answers to several key questions related to chest fat quantity and quality assessment based on a single slice CT (whether in the chest, abdomen, or thigh) versus a volumetric CT, which have not been addressed in the literature. Methods Unenhanced chest CT image data sets from 40 adult lung transplant candidates (age 58 ± 12 yrs and BMI 26.4 ± 4.3 kg/m2), 16 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 16 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and the remainder with other conditions were analyzed together with a single slice acquired for each patient at the L5 vertebral level and mid-thigh level. The thoracic body region and the interface between subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in the chest were consistently defined in all patients and delineated using Live Wire tools. The SAT and VAT components of chest were then segmented guided by this interface. The SAS approach was used to identify the corresponding anatomic slices in each chest CT study, and SAT and VAT areas in each slice as well as their whole volumes were quantified. Similarly, the SAT and VAT components were segmented in the abdomen and thigh slices. Key parameters of the attenuation (Hounsfield unit (HU) distributions) were determined from each chest slice and from the whole chest volume separately for SAT and VAT components. The same parameters were also computed from the single abdominal and thigh slices. The ability of the slice at each anatomic location in the chest (and abdomen and thigh) to act as a marker of the measures derived from the whole chest volume was assessed via Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) analysis. Results The SAS approach correctly identified slice locations in different subjects in terms of vertebral levels. PCC between chest fat volume and chest slice fat area was maximal at the T8 level for SAT (0.97) and at the T7 level for VAT (0.86), and was modest between chest fat volume and abdominal slice fat area for SAT and VAT (0.73 and 0.75, respectively). However, correlation was weak for chest fat volume and thigh slice fat area for SAT and VAT (0.52 and 0.37, respectively), and for chest fat volume for SAT and VAT and BMI (0.65 and 0.28, respectively). These same single slice locations with maximal PCC were found for SAT and VAT within both COPD and IPF groups. Most of the attenuation properties derived from the whole chest volume and single best chest slice for VAT (but not for SAT) were significantly different between COPD and IPF groups. Conclusions This study demonstrates a new way of optimally selecting slices whose measurements may be used as markers of similar measurements made on the whole chest volume. The results suggest that one or two slices imaged at T7 and T8 vertebral levels may be enough to estimate reliably the total SAT and VAT components of chest fat and the quality of chest fat as determined by attenuation distributions in the entire chest volume. PMID:28046024

Chest Fat Quantification via CT Based on Standardized Anatomy Space in Adult Lung Transplant Candidates.

PubMed

Tong, Yubing; Udupa, Jayaram K; Torigian, Drew A; Odhner, Dewey; Wu, Caiyun; Pednekar, Gargi; Palmer, Scott; Rozenshtein, Anna; Shirk, Melissa A; Newell, John D; Porteous, Mary; Diamond, Joshua M; Christie, Jason D; Lederer, David J

2017-01-01

Overweight and underweight conditions are considered relative contraindications to lung transplantation due to their association with excess mortality. Yet, recent work suggests that body mass index (BMI) does not accurately reflect adipose tissue mass in adults with advanced lung diseases. Alternative and more accurate measures of adiposity are needed. Chest fat estimation by routine computed tomography (CT) imaging may therefore be important for identifying high-risk lung transplant candidates. In this paper, an approach to chest fat quantification and quality assessment based on a recently formulated concept of standardized anatomic space (SAS) is presented. The goal of the paper is to seek answers to several key questions related to chest fat quantity and quality assessment based on a single slice CT (whether in the chest, abdomen, or thigh) versus a volumetric CT, which have not been addressed in the literature. Unenhanced chest CT image data sets from 40 adult lung transplant candidates (age 58 ± 12 yrs and BMI 26.4 ± 4.3 kg/m2), 16 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 16 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and the remainder with other conditions were analyzed together with a single slice acquired for each patient at the L5 vertebral level and mid-thigh level. The thoracic body region and the interface between subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in the chest were consistently defined in all patients and delineated using Live Wire tools. The SAT and VAT components of chest were then segmented guided by this interface. The SAS approach was used to identify the corresponding anatomic slices in each chest CT study, and SAT and VAT areas in each slice as well as their whole volumes were quantified. Similarly, the SAT and VAT components were segmented in the abdomen and thigh slices. Key parameters of the attenuation (Hounsfield unit (HU) distributions) were determined from each chest slice and from the whole chest volume separately for SAT and VAT components. The same parameters were also computed from the single abdominal and thigh slices. The ability of the slice at each anatomic location in the chest (and abdomen and thigh) to act as a marker of the measures derived from the whole chest volume was assessed via Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) analysis. The SAS approach correctly identified slice locations in different subjects in terms of vertebral levels. PCC between chest fat volume and chest slice fat area was maximal at the T8 level for SAT (0.97) and at the T7 level for VAT (0.86), and was modest between chest fat volume and abdominal slice fat area for SAT and VAT (0.73 and 0.75, respectively). However, correlation was weak for chest fat volume and thigh slice fat area for SAT and VAT (0.52 and 0.37, respectively), and for chest fat volume for SAT and VAT and BMI (0.65 and 0.28, respectively). These same single slice locations with maximal PCC were found for SAT and VAT within both COPD and IPF groups. Most of the attenuation properties derived from the whole chest volume and single best chest slice for VAT (but not for SAT) were significantly different between COPD and IPF groups. This study demonstrates a new way of optimally selecting slices whose measurements may be used as markers of similar measurements made on the whole chest volume. The results suggest that one or two slices imaged at T7 and T8 vertebral levels may be enough to estimate reliably the total SAT and VAT components of chest fat and the quality of chest fat as determined by attenuation distributions in the entire chest volume.

Experimental demonstration of spectrum-sliced elastic optical path network (SLICE).

PubMed

Kozicki, Bartłomiej; Takara, Hidehiko; Tsukishima, Yukio; Yoshimatsu, Toshihide; Yonenaga, Kazushige; Jinno, Masahiko

2010-10-11

We describe experimental demonstration of spectrum-sliced elastic optical path network (SLICE) architecture. We employ optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation format and bandwidth-variable optical cross-connects (OXC) to generate, transmit and receive optical paths with bandwidths of up to 1 Tb/s. We experimentally demonstrate elastic optical path setup and spectrally-efficient transmission of multiple channels with bit rates ranging from 40 to 140 Gb/s between six nodes of a mesh network. We show dynamic bandwidth scalability for optical paths with bit rates of 40 to 440 Gb/s. Moreover, we demonstrate multihop transmission of a 1 Tb/s optical path over 400 km of standard single-mode fiber (SMF). Finally, we investigate the filtering properties and the required guard band width for spectrally-efficient allocation of optical paths in SLICE.

Examining the Complex Regulation and Drug-Induced Plasticity of Dopamine Release and Uptake Using Voltammetry in Brain Slices

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Fast scan cyclic voltammetry in brain slices (slice voltammetry) has been used over the last several decades to increase substantially our understanding of the complex local regulation of dopamine release and uptake in the striatum. This technique is routinely used for the study of changes that occur in the dopamine system associated with various disease states and pharmacological treatments, and to study mechanisms of local circuitry regulation of dopamine terminal function. In the context of this Review, we compare the relative advantages of voltammetry using striatal slice preparations versus in vivo preparations, and highlight recent advances in our understanding of dopamine release and uptake in the striatum specifically from studies that use slice voltammetry in drug-naïve animals and animals with a history of psychostimulant self-administration. PMID:23581570

Atomization off thin water films generated by high-frequency substrate wave vibrations.

PubMed

Collins, David J; Manor, Ofer; Winkler, Andreas; Schmidt, Hagen; Friend, James R; Yeo, Leslie Y

2012-11-01

Generating aerosol droplets via the atomization of thin aqueous films with high frequency surface acoustic waves (SAWs) offers several advantages over existing nebulization methods, particularly for pulmonary drug delivery, offering droplet sizes in the 1-5-μm range ideal for effective pulmonary therapy. Nevertheless, the physics underlying SAW atomization is not well understood, especially in the context of thin liquid film formation and spreading and how this affects the aerosol production. Here, we demonstrate that the film geometry, governed primarily by the applied power and frequency of the SAW, indeed plays a crucial role in the atomization process and, in particular, the size of the atomized droplets. In contrast to the continuous spreading of low surface energy liquids atop similar platforms, high surface energy liquids such as water, in the present case, are found to undergo transient spreading due to the SAW to form a quasisteady film whose height is determined by self-selection of the energy minimum state associated with the acoustic resonance in the film and whose length arises from a competition between acoustic streaming and capillary effects. This is elucidated from a fundamental model for the thin film spreading behavior under SAW excitation, from which we show good agreement between the experimentally measured and theoretically predicted droplet dimension, both of which consistently indicate a linear relationship between the droplet diameter and the mechanical power coupled into the liquid by the SAW (the latter captured by an acoustic Weber number to the two thirds power, and the reciprocal of the SAW frequency).

Best single-slice location to measure visceral adipose tissue on paediatric CT scans and the relationship between anthropometric measurements, gender and VAT volume in children.

PubMed

O'Connor, Michelle; Ryan, John; Foley, Shane

2015-10-01

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a significant risk factor for obesity-related metabolic diseases. This study investigates (1) the best single CT slice location for predicting total abdominal VAT volume in paediatrics and (2) the relationship between waist circumference (WC), sagittal diameter (SD), gender and VAT volume. A random sample of 130 paediatric abdomen CT scans, stratified according to age and gender, was collected. Three readers measured VAT area at each intervertebral level between T12 and S1 using ImageJ analysis (National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD) software by thresholding -190 to -30 HU and manually segmenting VAT. Single-slice VAT measurements were correlated with total VAT volume to identify the most representative slice. WC and SD were measured at L3-L4 and L4-L5 slices, respectively. Regression analysis was used to evaluate WC, SD and gender as VAT volume predictors. Interviewer and intraviewer reliability were excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.99). Although VAT measured at multiple slices correlated strongly with abdominal VAT, only one slice in females at L2-L3 and two slices in males at L1-L2 and L5-S1 were strongly correlated across all age groups. Linear regression analysis showed that WC was strongly correlated with VAT volume (beta = 0.970, p < 0.001). Single-slice VAT measurements are highly reproducible. Measurements performed at L2-L3 in females and L1-L2 or L5-S1 in males were most representative of VAT. WC is indicative of VAT. VAT should be measured at L2-L3 in female children and at either L1-L2 or L5-S1 in males. WC is a strong indicator of VAT in children.

Chronic nicotine administration differentially affects neurotransmitter release from rat striatal slices.

PubMed

Yu, Z J; Wecker, L

1994-07-01

The objective of these experiments was to determine whether the chronic administration of nicotine, at a dose regimen that increases the density of nicotine binding sites, alters the nicotine-induced release of [3H]-dopamine ([3H]DA), [3H]norepinephrine ([3H]NE), [3H]-serotonin ([3H]5-HT), or [3H]acetylcholine ([3H]ACh) from rat striatal slices. For these experiments, rats received subcutaneous injections of either saline or nicotine bitartrate [1.76 mg (3.6 mumol)/kg, dissolved in saline] twice daily for 10 days, and neurotransmitter release was measured following preloading of the tissues with [3H]DA, [3H]NE, [3H]5-HT, or [3H]choline. Chronic nicotine administration did not affect the accumulation of tritium by striatal slices, the basal release of radioactivity, or the 25 mM KCl-evoked release of neurotransmitter. Superfusion of striatal slices with 1, 10, and 100 microM nicotine increased [3H]DA release in a concentration-dependent manner, and release from slices from nicotine-injected animals was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than release from saline-injected controls; release from the former increased to 132, 191, and 172% of release from the controls following superfusion with 1, 10, and 100 microM nicotine, respectively. Similarly, [3H]5-HT release increased in a concentration-related manner following superfusion with nicotine, and release from slices from nicotine-injected rats was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than that from controls. [3H]5-HT release from slices from nicotine-injected rats evoked by superfusion with 1 and 10 microM nicotine increased to 453 and 217%, respectively, of release from slices from saline-injected animals. The nicotine-induced release of [3H]NE from striatal slices was also concentration dependent but was unaffected by chronic nicotine administration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Comparison of helical and cine acquisitions for 4D-CT imaging with multislice CT.

PubMed

Pan, Tinsu

2005-02-01

We proposed a data sufficiency condition (DSC) for four-dimensional-CT (4D-CT) imaging on a multislice CT scanner, designed a pitch factor for a helical 4D-CT, and compared the acquisition time, slice sensitivity profile (SSP), effective dose, ability to cope with an irregular breathing cycle, and gating technique (retrospective or prospective) of the helical 4D-CT and the cine 4D-CT on the General Electric (GE) LightSpeed RT (4-slice), Plus (4-slice), Ultra (8-slice) and 16 (16-slice) multislice CT scanners. To satisfy the DSC, a helical or cine 4D-CT acquisition has to collect data at each location for the duration of a breathing cycle plus the duration of data acquisition for an image reconstruction. The conditions for the comparison were 20 cm coverage in the cranial-caudal direction, a 4 s breathing cycle, and half-scan reconstruction. We found that the helical 4D-CT has the advantage of a shorter scan time that is 10% shorter than that of the cine 4D-CT, and the disadvantages of 1.8 times broadening of SSP and requires an additional breathing cycle of scanning to ensure an adequate sampling at the start and end locations. The cine 4D-CT has the advantages of maintaining the same SSP as slice collimation (e.g., 8 x 2.5 mm slice collimation generates 2.5 mm SSP in the cine 4D-CT as opposed to 4.5 mm in the helical 4D-CT) and a lower dose by 4% on the 8- and 16-slice systems, and 8% on the 4-slice system. The advantage of faster scanning in the helical 4D-CT will diminish if a repeat scan at the location of a breathing irregularity becomes necessary. The cine 4D-CT performs better than the helical 4D-CT in the repeat scan because it can scan faster and is more dose efficient.

Deep multi-spectral ensemble learning for electronic cleansing in dual-energy CT colonography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tachibana, Rie; Näppi, Janne J.; Hironaka, Toru; Kim, Se Hyung; Yoshida, Hiroyuki

2017-03-01

We developed a novel electronic cleansing (EC) method for dual-energy CT colonography (DE-CTC) based on an ensemble deep convolution neural network (DCNN) and multi-spectral multi-slice image patches. In the method, an ensemble DCNN is used to classify each voxel of a DE-CTC image volume into five classes: luminal air, soft tissue, tagged fecal materials, and partial-volume boundaries between air and tagging and those between soft tissue and tagging. Each DCNN acts as a voxel classifier, where an input image patch centered at the voxel is generated as input to the DCNNs. An image patch has three channels that are mapped from a region-of-interest containing the image plane of the voxel and the two adjacent image planes. Six different types of spectral input image datasets were derived using two dual-energy CT images, two virtual monochromatic images, and two material images. An ensemble DCNN was constructed by use of a meta-classifier that combines the output of multiple DCNNs, each of which was trained with a different type of multi-spectral image patches. The electronically cleansed CTC images were calculated by removal of regions classified as other than soft tissue, followed by a colon surface reconstruction. For pilot evaluation, 359 volumes of interest (VOIs) representing sources of subtraction artifacts observed in current EC schemes were sampled from 30 clinical CTC cases. Preliminary results showed that the ensemble DCNN can yield high accuracy in labeling of the VOIs, indicating that deep learning of multi-spectral EC with multi-slice imaging could accurately remove residual fecal materials from CTC images without generating major EC artifacts.

Changes on Mid-Latitude Cyclones due to Global Warming Simulated by a Global 20-km-mesh Atmospheric Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyamoto, K.

2005-12-01

I investigate how the intensity and the activity of mid-latitude cyclones change as a result of global warming, based on a time-slice experiment with a super-high resolution Atmospheric General Circulation Model (20-km mesh TL959L60 MRI/JMA AGCM). The model was developed by the RR2002 project "Development of Super High Resolution Global and Regional Climate Models" funded by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. In this context, I use a 10-year control simulation with the climatological SST and a 10-year time-slice global warming simulation using the SST anomalies derived from the SRES A1B scenario run with the MRI-CGCM2.3 (T42L30 atmosphere, 0.5-2.0 x 2.5 L23 ocean) corresponding to the end of the 21st century. I have analyzed the sea-level pressure field and the kinetic energy field of the wind at the 500 hPa pressure level associated with mid-latitude transients from October through April. According to a comparison of 10-day average fields between present and future in the North Pacific, some statistically significant changes are found in a warmer climate for the both of sea-level pressure and the kinetic energy fields. In particular, from late winter through early spring, the sea-level pressure decreases on many parts of the whole Pacific. The kinetic energy of the wind becomes higher on center of the basin. Therefore, I suppose the Aleutian Low is likely to settle in longer by about one month than the present. Hereafter, I plan to investigate what kind of phenomena may accompany the changes on mid-latitude transients.

Vacuum fluctuations in an ancestor vacuum: A possible dark energy candidate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoki, Hajime; Iso, Satoshi; Lee, Da-Shin; Sekino, Yasuhiro; Yeh, Chen-Pin

2018-02-01

We consider an open universe created by bubble nucleation, and study possible effects of our "ancestor vacuum," a de Sitter space in which bubble nucleation occurred, on the present universe. We compute vacuum expectation values of the energy-momentum tensor for a minimally coupled scalar field, carefully taking into account the effect of the ancestor vacuum by the Euclidean prescription. We pay particular attention to the so-called supercurvature mode, a non-normalizable mode on a spatial slice of the open universe, which has been known to exist for sufficiently light fields. This mode decays in time most slowly, and may leave residual effects of the ancestor vacuum, potentially observable in the present universe. We point out that the vacuum energy of the quantum field can be regarded as dark energy if mass of the field is of order the present Hubble parameter or smaller. We obtain preliminary results for the dark energy equation of state w (z ) as a function of the redshift.

3D model of filler melting with micro-beam plasma arc based on additive manufacturing technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Weilin; Yang, Tao; Yang, Ruixin

2017-07-01

Additive manufacturing technology is a systematic process based on discrete-accumulation principle, which is derived by the dimension of parts. Aiming at the dimension mathematical model and slicing problems in additive manufacturing process, the constitutive relations between micro-beam plasma welding parameters and the dimension of part were investigated. The slicing algorithm and slicing were also studied based on the dimension characteristics. By using the direct slicing algorithm according to the geometric characteristics of model, a hollow thin-wall spherical part was fabricated by 3D additive manufacturing technology using micro-beam plasma.

Unusually severe food poisoning from vanilla slices.

PubMed Central

Fenton, P. A.; Dobson, K. W.; Eyre, A.; McKendrick, M. W.

1984-01-01

Thirty six people suffered from severe vomiting and diarrhoea 15 min to 3 h after eating vanilla slices from the same bakery. Five patients were admitted to hospital, and one developed unusual skin lesions after admission. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in large numbers from vanilla slices of the same batch as those giving rise to symptoms, and from five faecal specimens obtained from affected persons. Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis were also isolated from the slices. Unbaked custard provides an ideal environment for bacterial multiplication, especially when (as on this occasion) the ambient temperature is persistently high. PMID:6438231

Beef longissimus slice shear force measurement among steak locations and institutions.

PubMed

Wheeler, T L; Shackelford, S D; Koohmaraie, M

2007-09-01

The objectives of this study were 1) to determine which longissimus thoracis et lumborum steaks were appropriate for slice shear force measurement and 2) to determine the among and within institution variation in LM slice shear force values of 6 institutions after they received expert training on the procedure and a standard kit of equipment. In experiment 1, longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscles were obtained from the left sides of 50 US Select carcasses. Thirteen longissimus thoracis and 12 longissimus lumborum steaks were cut 2.54 cm thick from each muscle. Slice shear force was measured on each steak. Mean slice shear force among steak locations (1 to 25) ranged from 19.7 to 27.3 kg. Repeatability of slice shear force (based on variance) among steak locations ranged from 0.71 to 0.96. In experiment 2, the longissimus thoracis et lumborum were obtained from the left sides of 154 US Select beef carcasses. Eight 2.54-cm-thick steaks were obtained from the caudal end of each frozen longissimus thoracis, and six 2.54-cm-thick steaks were obtained from the cranial end of each frozen longissimus lumborum. Seven pairs of consecutive steaks were assigned for measurement of slice shear force. Seven institutions were assigned to steak pairs within each carcass using a randomized complete block design, such that each institution was assigned to each steak pair 22 times. Repeatability estimates for slice shear force for the 7 institutions were 0.89, 0.83, 0.91, 0.90, 0.89, 0.76, and 0.89, respectively, for institutions 1 to 7. Mean slice shear force values were least (P <0.05) for institutions 3 (22.7 kg) and 7 (22.3 kg) and were greatest (P <0.05) for institutions 5 (27.3 kg) and 6 (27.6 kg). Institutions with greater mean slice shear force (institutions 5 and 6) used cooking methods that required more (P <0.05) time (32.0 and 36.9 min vs. 5.5 to 11.8 min) to reach the end point temperature (71 degrees C) and resulted in greater (P <0.05) cooking loss (both 26.6% vs. 14.4 to 24.1%). Differences among institutions in the repeatability of slice shear force were partially attributable to differences among institutions in the consistency of steak thawing and cooking procedures. These results emphasize the importance of sample location within the muscle and cooking method in the measurement of tenderness and indicate that with proper training and application of the protocol, slice shear force is a highly repeatable (R approximately 0.90) measure of beef LM tenderness.

Dual Energy Tomosynthesis breast phantom imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koukou, V.; Martini, N.; Fountos, G.; Messaris, G.; Michail, C.; Kandarakis, I.; Nikiforidis, G.

2017-12-01

Dual energy (DE) imaging technique has been applied to many theoretical and experimental studies. The aim of the current study is to evaluate dual energy in breast tomosynthesis using commercial tomosynthesis system in terms of its potential to better visualize microcalcifications (μCs). The system uses a tungsten target X-ray tube and a selenium direct conversion detector. Low-energy (LE) images were acquired at different tube voltages (28, 30, 32 kV), while high-energy images at 49 kV. Fifteen projections, for the low- and high-energy respectively, were acquired without grid while tube scanned continuously. Log-subtraction algorithm was used in order to obtain the DE images with the weighting factor, w, derived empirically. The subtraction was applied to each pair of LE and HE slices after reconstruction. The TORMAM phantom was imaged with the different settings. Four regions-of-interest including μCs were identified in the inhomogeneous part of the phantom. The μCs in DE images were more clearly visible compared to the low-energy images. Initial results showed that DE tomosynthesis imaging is a promising modality, however more work is required.

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

Rosenberg, Michael; Jonlin, Duane; Nadel, Steven

Today’s building energy codes focus on prescriptive requirements for features of buildings that are directly controlled by the design and construction teams and verifiable by municipal inspectors. Although these code requirements have had a significant impact, they fail to influence a large slice of the building energy use pie – including not only miscellaneous plug loads, cooking equipment and commercial/industrial processes, but the maintenance and optimization of the code-mandated systems as well. Currently, code compliance is verified only through the end of construction, and there are no limits or consequences for the actual energy use in an occupied building. Inmore » the future, our suite of energy regulations will likely expand to include building efficiency, energy use or carbon emission budgets over their full life cycle. Intelligent building systems, extensive renewable energy, and a transition from fossil fuel to electric heating systems will likely be required to meet ultra-low-energy targets. This paper lays out the authors’ perspectives on how buildings may evolve over the course of the 21st century and the roles that codes and regulations will play in shaping those buildings of the future.« less

Associations between thin slice ratings of affect and rapport and perceived patient-centeredness in primary care: Comparison of audio and video recordings.

PubMed

Henry, Stephen G; Penner, Louis A; Eggly, Susan

2017-06-01

To investigate associations between ratings of "thin slices" from recorded clinic visits and perceived patient-centeredness; to compare ratings from video recordings (sound and images) versus audio recordings (sound only). We analyzed 133 video-recorded primary care visits and patient perceptions of patient-centeredness. Observers rated thirty-second thin slices on variables assessing patient affect, physician affect, and patient-physician rapport. Video and audio ratings were collected independently. In multivariable analyses, ratings of physician positive affect (but not patient positive affect) were significantly positively associated with perceived patient-centeredness using both video and audio thin slices. Patient-physician rapport was significantly positively associated with perceived patient-centeredness using audio, but not video thin slices. Ratings from video and audio thin slices were highly correlated and had similar underlying factor structures. Physician (but not patient) positive affect is significantly associated with perceptions of patient-centeredness and can be measured reliably using either video or audio thin slices. Additional studies are needed to determine whether ratings of patient-physician rapport are associated with perceived patient-centeredness. Observer ratings of physician positive affect have a meaningful positive association with patients' perceptions of patient-centeredness. Patients appear to be highly attuned to physician positive affect during patient-physician interactions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generalized Fourier slice theorem for cone-beam image reconstruction.

PubMed

Zhao, Shuang-Ren; Jiang, Dazong; Yang, Kevin; Yang, Kang

2015-01-01

The cone-beam reconstruction theory has been proposed by Kirillov in 1961, Tuy in 1983, Feldkamp in 1984, Smith in 1985, Pierre Grangeat in 1990. The Fourier slice theorem is proposed by Bracewell 1956, which leads to the Fourier image reconstruction method for parallel-beam geometry. The Fourier slice theorem is extended to fan-beam geometry by Zhao in 1993 and 1995. By combining the above mentioned cone-beam image reconstruction theory and the above mentioned Fourier slice theory of fan-beam geometry, the Fourier slice theorem in cone-beam geometry is proposed by Zhao 1995 in short conference publication. This article offers the details of the derivation and implementation of this Fourier slice theorem for cone-beam geometry. Especially the problem of the reconstruction from Fourier domain has been overcome, which is that the value of in the origin of Fourier space is 0/0. The 0/0 type of limit is proper handled. As examples, the implementation results for the single circle and two perpendicular circle source orbits are shown. In the cone-beam reconstruction if a interpolation process is considered, the number of the calculations for the generalized Fourier slice theorem algorithm is O(N^4), which is close to the filtered back-projection method, here N is the image size of 1-dimension. However the interpolation process can be avoid, in that case the number of the calculations is O(N5).

Effect of halide salts on development of surface browning on fresh-cut 'Granny Smith' (Malus × domestica Borkh) apple slices during storage at low temperature.

PubMed

Li, Yongxin; Wills, Ron B H; Golding, John B; Huque, Roksana

2015-03-30

The postharvest life of fresh-cut apple slices is limited by browning on cut surfaces. Dipping in halide salt solutions was examined for their inhibition of surface browning on 'Granny Smith' apple slices and the effects on biochemical factors associated with browning. Delay in browning by salts was greatest with chloride = phosphate > sulfate > nitrate with no difference between sodium, potassium and calcium ions. The effectiveness of sodium halides on browning was fluoride > chloride = bromide > iodide = control. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity of tissue extracted from chloride- and fluoride-treated slices was not different to control but when added into the assay solution, NaF > NaCl both showed lower PPO activity at pH 3-5 compared to control buffer. The level of polyphenols in treated slices was NaF > NaCl > control. Addition of chlorogenic acid to slices enhanced browning but NaCl and NaF counteracted this effect. There was no effect of either halide salt on respiration, ethylene production, ion leakage, and antioxidant activity. Dipping apple slices in NaCl is a low cost treatment with few impediments to commercial use and could be a replacement for other anti-browning additives. The mode of action of NaCl and NaF is through decreasing PPO activity resulting in reduced oxidation of polyphenols. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Application of machine learning methodology for pet-based definition of lung cancer

PubMed Central

Kerhet, A.; Small, C.; Quon, H.; Riauka, T.; Schrader, L.; Greiner, R.; Yee, D.; McEwan, A.; Roa, W.

2010-01-01

We applied a learning methodology framework to assist in the threshold-based segmentation of non-small-cell lung cancer (nsclc) tumours in positron-emission tomography–computed tomography (pet–ct) imaging for use in radiotherapy planning. Gated and standard free-breathing studies of two patients were independently analysed (four studies in total). Each study had a pet–ct and a treatment-planning ct image. The reference gross tumour volume (gtv) was identified by two experienced radiation oncologists who also determined reference standardized uptake value (suv) thresholds that most closely approximated the gtv contour on each slice. A set of uptake distribution-related attributes was calculated for each pet slice. A machine learning algorithm was trained on a subset of the pet slices to cope with slice-to-slice variation in the optimal suv threshold: that is, to predict the most appropriate suv threshold from the calculated attributes for each slice. The algorithm’s performance was evaluated using the remainder of the pet slices. A high degree of geometric similarity was achieved between the areas outlined by the predicted and the reference suv thresholds (Jaccard index exceeding 0.82). No significant difference was found between the gated and the free-breathing results in the same patient. In this preliminary work, we demonstrated the potential applicability of a machine learning methodology as an auxiliary tool for radiation treatment planning in nsclc. PMID:20179802

Single-stage plasma-based correlated energy spread compensation for ultrahigh 6D brightness electron beams

PubMed Central

Manahan, G. G.; Habib, A. F.; Scherkl, P.; Delinikolas, P.; Beaton, A.; Knetsch, A.; Karger, O.; Wittig, G.; Heinemann, T.; Sheng, Z. M.; Cary, J. R.; Bruhwiler, D. L.; Rosenzweig, J. B.; Hidding, B.

2017-01-01

Plasma photocathode wakefield acceleration combines energy gains of tens of GeV m−1 with generation of ultralow emittance electron bunches, and opens a path towards 5D-brightness orders of magnitude larger than state-of-the-art. This holds great promise for compact accelerator building blocks and advanced light sources. However, an intrinsic by-product of the enormous electric field gradients inherent to plasma accelerators is substantial correlated energy spread—an obstacle for key applications such as free-electron-lasers. Here we show that by releasing an additional tailored escort electron beam at a later phase of the acceleration, when the witness bunch is relativistically stable, the plasma wave can be locally overloaded without compromising the witness bunch normalized emittance. This reverses the effective accelerating gradient, and counter-rotates the accumulated negative longitudinal phase space chirp of the witness bunch. Thereby, the energy spread is reduced by an order of magnitude, thus enabling the production of ultrahigh 6D-brightness beams. PMID:28580954

Enhanced betatron radiation by steering a laser-driven plasma wakefield with a tilted shock front

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Changhai; Liu, Jiansheng; Wang, Wentao; Li, Wentao; Qi, Rong; Zhang, Zhijun; Qin, Zhiyong; Liu, Jiaqi; Fang, Ming; Feng, Ke; Wu, Ying; Ke, Lintong; Chen, Yu; Wang, Cheng; Xu, Yi; Leng, Yuxin; Xia, Changquan; Li, Ruxin; Xu, Zhizhan

2018-03-01

We have experimentally realized a scheme to enhance betatron radiation by manipulating transverse oscillation of electrons in a laser-driven plasma wakefield with a tilted shock front (TSF). Very brilliant betatron x-rays have been produced with significant enhancement both in photon yield and peak energy but almost maintain the e-beam energy spread and charge. Particle-in-cell simulations indicate that the accelerated electron beam (e beam) can acquire a very large transverse oscillation amplitude with an increase in more than 10-fold, after being steered into the deflected wakefield due to the refraction of the driving laser at the TSF. Spectral broadening of betatron radiation can be suppressed owing to the small variation in the peak energy of the low-energy-spread e beam in a plasma wiggler regime. It is demonstrated that the e-beam generation, refracting, and wiggling can act as a whole to realize the concurrence of monoenergetic e beams and bright x-rays in a compact laser-wakefield accelerator.

Dissociative electron attachment studies on acetone

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

Prabhudesai, Vaibhav S., E-mail: vaibhav@tifr.res.in; Tadsare, Vishvesh; Ghosh, Sanat

Dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to acetone is studied in terms of the absolute cross section for various fragment channels in the electron energy range of 0–20 eV. H{sup −} is found to be the most dominant fragment followed by O{sup −} and OH{sup −} with only one resonance peak between 8 and 9 eV. The DEA dynamics is studied by measuring the angular distribution and kinetic energy distribution of fragment anions using Velocity Slice Imaging technique. The kinetic energy and angular distribution of H{sup −} and O{sup −} fragments suggest a many body break-up for the lone resonance observed. Themore » ab initio calculations show that electron is captured in the multi-centered anti-bonding molecular orbital which would lead to a many body break-up of the resonance.« less

Laser-pump/X-ray-probe experiments with electrons ejected from a Cu(111) target: space-charge acceleration.

PubMed

Schiwietz, G; Kühn, D; Föhlisch, A; Holldack, K; Kachel, T; Pontius, N

2016-09-01

A comprehensive investigation of the emission characteristics for electrons induced by X-rays of a few hundred eV at grazing-incidence angles on an atomically clean Cu(111) sample during laser excitation is presented. Electron energy spectra due to intense infrared laser irradiation are investigated at the BESSY II slicing facility. Furthermore, the influence of the corresponding high degree of target excitation (high peak current of photoemission) on the properties of Auger and photoelectrons liberated by a probe X-ray beam is investigated in time-resolved pump and probe measurements. Strong electron energy shifts have been found and assigned to space-charge acceleration. The variation of the shift with laser power and electron energy is investigated and discussed on the basis of experimental as well as new theoretical results.

Effect of target composition on proton acceleration in ultraintense laser-thin foil interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Qingcao; Liu, Meng; Yu, Tongpu; Ding, Pengji; Liu, Zuoye; Sun, Shaohua; Liu, Xiaoliang; Lu, Xing; Guo, Zeqin; Hu, Bitao

2012-09-01

The interactions of ultraintense circularly polarized laser pulses with a mixed solid target and a double-layer target are studied by two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Different carbon and proton compositions in the targets are used in the simulations. It is shown that the proton acceleration mechanisms in both targets are very sensitive to the ion density ratios between protons and carbon ions. For a mixed solid target, a relatively low proton density gives rise to monoenergetic peaks in the proton energy spectrum while a high proton density leads to a large cut-off energy and wide energy spread. With the increase of the ratio, the so-called directed-Coulomb-explosion becomes dominated over the radiation pressure. Surprisingly, for a double-layer target with a front proton layer and an ultrathin rear carbon layer, a highly monoenergetic proton beam with a peak energy of 1.7 GeV/u, an energy spread of ˜4%, and a divergency angle of 2° can be obtained, which might have diverse applications in medical therepy and proton imaging in future.

Experimental study of the isovector giant dipole resonance in 80Zr and 81Rb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceruti, S.; Camera, F.; Bracco, A.; Mentana, A.; Avigo, R.; Benzoni, G.; Blasi, N.; Bocchi, G.; Bottoni, S.; Brambilla, S.; Crespi, F. C. L.; Giaz, A.; Leoni, S.; Million, B.; Morales, A. I.; Nicolini, R.; Pellegri, L.; Riboldi, S.; Wieland, O.; Bazzacco, D.; Ciemala, M.; Farnea, E.; Gottardo, A.; Kmiecik, M.; Maj, A.; Mengoni, D.; Michelagnoli, C.; Modamio, V.; Montanari, D.; Napoli, D.; Recchia, F.; Sahin, E.; Ur, C.; Valiente-Dobón, J. J.; Wasilewska, B.; Zieblinski, M.

2017-01-01

The isovector giant dipole resonance (IVGDR) γ decay was measured in the compound nuclei 80Zr and 81Rb at an excitation energy of E*=54 MeV. The fusion reaction 40Ca+40Ca at Ebeam=136 MeV was used to form the compound nucleus 80Zr, while the reaction 37Cl+44Ca at Ebeam=95 MeV was used to form the compound nucleus 81Rb at the same excitation energy. The IVGDR parameters extracted from the analysis were compared with the ones found at higher excitation energy (E*=83 MeV). The comparison allows one to observe two different nuclear mechanisms: (i) the IVGDR intrinsic width remains constant with the excitation energy in the nucleus 81Rb; (ii) the isospin-violating spreading width (i.e., Coulomb spreading width) remains constant with the excitation energy in the nucleus 80Zr. The experimental setup used for the γ -ray detection was composed by the AGATA demonstrator array coupled to the large-volume LaBr3:Ce detectors of the HECTOR+ array.

The progress about measurements of the proton beam characteristics of the JUNA 400 kV accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shuo; Li, Kuoang

2018-04-01

China JinPing underground Laboratory (CJPL) was established inside the tunnels piercing Jinping Mountain in Sichuan Province, China, which can provide an ideal environment for low background experiment. Jinping Underground laboratory for Nuclear Astrophysics (JUNA) is one of the major research programs in CJPL. A new 400 kV accelerator, with high current based on an ECR source, will be installed into CJPL for the study of key nuclear reactions in astrophysics. The beam characteristics of the accelerator, like absolute energy, energy spread, and long-term energy stability, will be determined by several well-known resonance and non-resonance reactions. Due to the new accelerator still being under construction, the resonance reaction of 27Al(p, γ)28Si and non-resonance 12C(p, γ)13N were studied at the 320 kV high-voltage platform of Institute of Modern Physics in Lanzhou, China. The energy spread of proton beam is about 1.0 keV and the long-term energy stability of proton beam is better than ±200eV during 4 hours measurement.

The Utility of Thin Slice Ratings for Predicting Language Growth in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walton, Katherine M.; Ingersoll, Brooke R.

2016-01-01

Literature on "Thin Slice" ratings indicates that a number of personality characteristics and behaviors can be accurately predicted by ratings of very short segments (<5?min) of behavior. This study examined the utility of Thin Slice ratings of young children with autism spectrum disorder for predicting developmental skills and…

Design, Implementation and Evaluation of an Operating System for a Network of Transputers.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-01

WHILE TRUE -- listen to linki SEQ receiving the header BYTE.SLICE.INPUT (linkl,headerl,1,header.size) -- decoding the block size block.sizelLO] z...I’m done BYTE.SLICE.OUTPUT (screen[0] ,header0,3,1) WHILE TRUE -- listen to linki SEQ- rec eiving the header BYTE.SLICE. IPUT (linkl,headerl,1

Cloud Ablation by a Relativistic Jet and the Extended Flare in CTA 102 in 2016 and 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zacharias, M.; Böttcher, M.; Jankowsky, F.; Lenain, J.-P.; Wagner, S. J.; Wierzcholska, A.

2017-12-01

In late 2016 and early 2017, the flat spectrum radio quasar CTA 102 exhibited a very strong and long-lasting outburst. The event can be described by a roughly two-month long increase of the baseline flux in the monitored energy bands (optical to γ-rays) by a factor 8, and a subsequent decrease over another two months back to pre-flare levels. The long-term trend was superseded by short but very strong flares, resulting in a peak flux that was a factor 50 above pre-flare levels in the γ-ray domain and almost a factor 100 above pre-flare levels in the optical domain. In this paper, we explain the long-term evolution of the outburst by the ablation of a gas cloud penetrating the relativistic jet. The slice-by-slice ablation results in a gradual increase of the particle injection until the center of the cloud is reached, after which the injected number of particles decreases again. With reasonable cloud parameters, we obtain excellent fits of the long-term trend.

Increasing the energy conservation awareness using the influential power of a lottery system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayak, Amruta Vijay

This thesis presents an influence maximization-driven approach to promoting energy conservation awareness, with the objective to generate a competitive environment for energy consumption supervision. As consumers are typically reluctant to invest their time and effort in the activities beyond their business, an incentive-based distribution strategy is proposed to encourage consumers to actively take part in energy conservation. The key idea of the thesis lies in leveraging the consumer instincts as a driving factor for spreading positive social influence, via a smart lottery program. In the proposed framework, saving energy automatically increases the consumers' chances of winning the lottery, thereby motivating them to save more, while the smart winner selection will maximize the word-of-mouth effect of the program. The thesis collects and organizes a large body of literature in support of the claim that the spread of awareness in a social network can play a key role in the emergence of energy conscious behavior. It also reports on the findings of a survey conducted to determine the present day consumer perspective toward energy conservation and the level of influence required to motivate them to conserve more energy. Finally, a mathematical model for smart lottery winner selection is presented, and insightful observations are made concerning the properties of optimal solutions to tractable, small problem instances.