The unstaggered extension to GFDL's FV3 dynamical core on the cubed-sphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, X.; Lin, S. J.; Harris, L.

2017-12-01

Finite-volume schemes have become popular for atmospheric transport since they provide intrinsic mass conservation to constituent species. Many CFD codes use unstaggered discretizations for finite volume methods with an approximate Riemann solver. However, this approach is inefficient for geophysical flows due to the complexity of the Riemann solver. We introduce a Low Mach number Approximate Riemann Solver (LMARS) simplified using assumptions appropriate for atmospheric flows: the wind speed is much slower than the sound speed, weak discontinuities, and locally uniform sound wave velocity. LMARS makes possible a Riemann-solver-based dynamical core comparable in computational efficiency to many current dynamical cores. We will present a 3D finite-volume dynamical core using LMARS in a cubed-sphere geometry with a vertically Lagrangian discretization. Results from standard idealized test cases will be discussed.

As time passes by: Observed motion-speed and psychological time during video playback.

PubMed

Nyman, Thomas Jonathan; Karlsson, Eric Per Anders; Antfolk, Jan

2017-01-01

Research shows that psychological time (i.e., the subjective experience and assessment of the passage of time) is malleable and that the central nervous system re-calibrates temporal information in accordance with situational factors so that psychological time flows slower or faster. Observed motion-speed (e.g., the visual perception of a rolling ball) is an important situational factor which influences the production of time estimates. The present study examines previous findings showing that observed slow and fast motion-speed during video playback respectively results in over- and underproductions of intervals of time. Here, we investigated through three separate experiments: a) the main effect of observed motion-speed during video playback on a time production task and b) the interactive effect of the frame rate (frames per second; fps) and motion-speed during video playback on a time production task. No main effect of video playback-speed or interactive effect between video playback-speed and frame rate was found on time production.

As time passes by: Observed motion-speed and psychological time during video playback

PubMed Central

Karlsson, Eric Per Anders; Antfolk, Jan

2017-01-01

Research shows that psychological time (i.e., the subjective experience and assessment of the passage of time) is malleable and that the central nervous system re-calibrates temporal information in accordance with situational factors so that psychological time flows slower or faster. Observed motion-speed (e.g., the visual perception of a rolling ball) is an important situational factor which influences the production of time estimates. The present study examines previous findings showing that observed slow and fast motion-speed during video playback respectively results in over- and underproductions of intervals of time. Here, we investigated through three separate experiments: a) the main effect of observed motion-speed during video playback on a time production task and b) the interactive effect of the frame rate (frames per second; fps) and motion-speed during video playback on a time production task. No main effect of video playback-speed or interactive effect between video playback-speed and frame rate was found on time production. PMID:28614353

Effects of walking speed on the step-by-step control of step width.

PubMed

Stimpson, Katy H; Heitkamp, Lauren N; Horne, Joscelyn S; Dean, Jesse C

2018-02-08

Young, healthy adults walking at typical preferred speeds use step-by-step adjustments of step width to appropriately redirect their center of mass motion and ensure mediolateral stability. However, it is presently unclear whether this control strategy is retained when walking at the slower speeds preferred by many clinical populations. We investigated whether the typical stabilization strategy is influenced by walking speed. Twelve young, neurologically intact participants walked on a treadmill at a range of prescribed speeds (0.2-1.2 m/s). The mediolateral stabilization strategy was quantified as the proportion of step width variance predicted by the mechanical state of the pelvis throughout a step (calculated as R 2 magnitude from a multiple linear regression). Our ability to accurately predict the upcoming step width increased over the course of a step. The strength of the relationship between step width and pelvis mechanics at the start of a step was reduced at slower speeds. However, these speed-dependent differences largely disappeared by the end of a step, other than at the slowest walking speed (0.2 m/s). These results suggest that mechanics-dependent adjustments in step width are a consistent component of healthy gait across speeds and contexts. However, slower walking speeds may ease this control by allowing mediolateral repositioning of the swing leg to occur later in a step, thus encouraging slower walking among clinical populations with limited sensorimotor control. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Influence of neuromuscular noise and walking speed on fall risk and dynamic stability in a 3D dynamic walking model.

PubMed

Roos, Paulien E; Dingwell, Jonathan B

2013-06-21

Older adults and those with increased fall risk tend to walk slower. They may do this voluntarily to reduce their fall risk. However, both slower and faster walking speeds can predict increased risk of different types of falls. The mechanisms that contribute to fall risk across speeds are not well known. Faster walking requires greater forward propulsion, generated by larger muscle forces. However, greater muscle activation induces increased signal-dependent neuromuscular noise. These speed-related increases in neuromuscular noise may contribute to the increased fall risk observed at faster walking speeds. Using a 3D dynamic walking model, we systematically varied walking speed without and with physiologically-appropriate neuromuscular noise. We quantified how actual fall risk changed with gait speed, how neuromuscular noise affected speed-related changes in fall risk, and how well orbital and local dynamic stability measures predicted changes in fall risk across speeds. When we included physiologically-appropriate noise to the 'push-off' force in our model, fall risk increased with increasing walking speed. Changes in kinematic variability, orbital, and local dynamic stability did not predict these speed-related changes in fall risk. Thus, the increased neuromuscular variability that results from increased signal-dependent noise that is necessitated by the greater muscular force requirements of faster walking may contribute to the increased fall risk observed at faster walking speeds. The lower fall risk observed at slower speeds supports experimental evidence that slowing down can be an effective strategy to reduce fall risk. This may help explain the slower walking speeds observed in older adults and others. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of Neuromuscular Noise and Walking Speed on Fall Risk and Dynamic Stability in a 3D Dynamic Walking Model

PubMed Central

Roos, Paulien E.; Dingwell, Jonathan B.

2013-01-01

Older adults and those with increased fall risk tend to walk slower. They may do this voluntarily to reduce their fall risk. However, both slower and faster walking speeds can predict increased risk of different types of falls. The mechanisms that contribute to fall risk across speeds are not well known. Faster walking requires greater forward propulsion, generated by larger muscle forces. However, greater muscle activation induces increased signal-dependent neuromuscular noise. These speed-related increases in neuromuscular noise may contribute to the increased fall risk observed at faster walking speeds. Using a 3D dynamic walking model, we systematically varied walking speed without and with physiologically-appropriate neuromuscular noise. We quantified how actual fall risk changed with gait speed, how neuromuscular noise affected speed-related changes in fall risk, and how well orbital and local dynamic stability measures predicted changes in fall risk across speeds. When we included physiologically-appropriate noise to the ‘push-off’ force in our model, fall risk increased with increasing walking speed. Changes in kinematic variability, orbital, and local dynamic stability did not predict these speed-related changes in fall risk. Thus, the increased neuromuscular variability that results from increased signal-dependent noise that is necessitated by the greater muscular force requirements of faster walking may contribute to the increased fall risk observed at faster walking speeds. The lower fall risk observed at slower speeds supports experimental evidence that slowing down can be an effective strategy to reduce fall risk. This may help explain the slower walking speeds observed in older adults and others. PMID:23659911

Inlet Diameter and Flow Volume Effects on Separation and Energy Efficiency of Hydrocyclones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erikli, Ş.; Olcay, A. B.

2015-08-01

This study investigates hydrocyclone performance of an oil injected screw compressor. Especially, the oil separation efficiency of a screw compressor plays a significant role for air quality and non-stop working hour of compressors has become an important issue when the efficiency in energy is considered. In this study, two separation efficiency parameters were selected to be hydrocyclone inlet diameter and flow volume height between oil reservoir surface and top of the hydrocyclone. Nine different cases were studied in which cyclone inlet diameter and flow volume height between oil reservoir surface and top were investigated in regards to separation and energy performance aspects and the effect of the parameters on the general performance appears to be causing powerful influence. Flow inside the hydrocyclone geometry was modelled by Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) and hydro particles were tracked by Discrete Phase Model (DPM). Besides, particle break up was modelled by the Taylor Analogy Breakup (TAB) model. The reversed vortex generation was observed at different planes. The upper limit of the inlet diameter of the cyclone yields the centrifugal force on particles to decrease while the flow becomes slower; and the larger diameter implies slower flow. On the contrary, the lower limit is increment in speed causes breakup problems that the particle diameters become smaller; consequently, it is harder to separate them from gas.

Surface regions of illusory images are detected with a slower processing speed than those of luminance-defined images.

PubMed

Mihaylova, Milena; Manahilov, Velitchko

2010-11-24

Research has shown that the processing time for discriminating illusory contours is longer than for real contours. We know, however, little whether the visual processes, associated with detecting regions of illusory surfaces, are also slower as those responsible for detecting luminance-defined images. Using a speed-accuracy trade-off (SAT) procedure, we measured accuracy as a function of processing time for detecting illusory Kanizsa-type and luminance-defined squares embedded in 2D static luminance noise. The data revealed that the illusory images were detected at slower processing speed than the real images, while the points in time, when accuracy departed from chance, were not significantly different for both stimuli. The classification images for detecting illusory and real squares showed that observers employed similar detection strategies using surface regions of the real and illusory squares. The lack of significant differences between the x-intercepts of the SAT functions for illusory and luminance-modulated stimuli suggests that the detection of surface regions of both images could be based on activation of a single mechanism (the dorsal magnocellular visual pathway). The slower speed for detecting illusory images as compared to luminance-defined images could be attributed to slower processes of filling-in of regions of illusory images within the dorsal pathway.

Matching optical flow to motor speed in virtual reality while running on a treadmill.

PubMed

Caramenti, Martina; Lafortuna, Claudio L; Mugellini, Elena; Abou Khaled, Omar; Bresciani, Jean-Pierre; Dubois, Amandine

2018-01-01

We investigated how visual and kinaesthetic/efferent information is integrated for speed perception in running. Twelve moderately trained to trained subjects ran on a treadmill at three different speeds (8, 10, 12 km/h) in front of a moving virtual scene. They were asked to match the visual speed of the scene to their running speed-i.e., treadmill's speed. For each trial, participants indicated whether the scene was moving slower or faster than they were running. Visual speed was adjusted according to their response using a staircase until the Point of Subjective Equality (PSE) was reached, i.e., until visual and running speed were perceived as equivalent. For all three running speeds, participants systematically underestimated the visual speed relative to their actual running speed. Indeed, the speed of the visual scene had to exceed the actual running speed in order to be perceived as equivalent to the treadmill speed. The underestimation of visual speed was speed-dependent, and percentage of underestimation relative to running speed ranged from 15% at 8km/h to 31% at 12km/h. We suggest that this fact should be taken into consideration to improve the design of attractive treadmill-mediated virtual environments enhancing engagement into physical activity for healthier lifestyles and disease prevention and care.

Matching optical flow to motor speed in virtual reality while running on a treadmill

PubMed Central

Lafortuna, Claudio L.; Mugellini, Elena; Abou Khaled, Omar

2018-01-01

We investigated how visual and kinaesthetic/efferent information is integrated for speed perception in running. Twelve moderately trained to trained subjects ran on a treadmill at three different speeds (8, 10, 12 km/h) in front of a moving virtual scene. They were asked to match the visual speed of the scene to their running speed–i.e., treadmill’s speed. For each trial, participants indicated whether the scene was moving slower or faster than they were running. Visual speed was adjusted according to their response using a staircase until the Point of Subjective Equality (PSE) was reached, i.e., until visual and running speed were perceived as equivalent. For all three running speeds, participants systematically underestimated the visual speed relative to their actual running speed. Indeed, the speed of the visual scene had to exceed the actual running speed in order to be perceived as equivalent to the treadmill speed. The underestimation of visual speed was speed-dependent, and percentage of underestimation relative to running speed ranged from 15% at 8km/h to 31% at 12km/h. We suggest that this fact should be taken into consideration to improve the design of attractive treadmill-mediated virtual environments enhancing engagement into physical activity for healthier lifestyles and disease prevention and care. PMID:29641564

Does dynamic stability govern propulsive force generation in human walking?

PubMed Central

Browne, Michael G.

2017-01-01

Before succumbing to slower speeds, older adults may walk with a diminished push-off to prioritize stability over mobility. However, direct evidence for trade-offs between push-off intensity and balance control in human walking, independent of changes in speed, has remained elusive. As a critical first step, we conducted two experiments to investigate: (i) the independent effects of walking speed and propulsive force (FP) generation on dynamic stability in young adults, and (ii) the extent to which young adults prioritize dynamic stability in selecting their preferred combination of walking speed and FP generation. Subjects walked on a force-measuring treadmill across a range of speeds as well as at constant speeds while modulating their FP according to a visual biofeedback paradigm based on real-time force measurements. In contrast to improvements when walking slower, walking with a diminished push-off worsened dynamic stability by up to 32%. Rather, we find that young adults adopt an FP at their preferred walking speed that maximizes dynamic stability. One implication of these findings is that the onset of a diminished push-off in old age may independently contribute to poorer balance control and precipitate slower walking speeds. PMID:29291129

Does dynamic stability govern propulsive force generation in human walking?

PubMed

Browne, Michael G; Franz, Jason R

2017-11-01

Before succumbing to slower speeds, older adults may walk with a diminished push-off to prioritize stability over mobility. However, direct evidence for trade-offs between push-off intensity and balance control in human walking, independent of changes in speed, has remained elusive. As a critical first step, we conducted two experiments to investigate: (i) the independent effects of walking speed and propulsive force ( F P ) generation on dynamic stability in young adults, and (ii) the extent to which young adults prioritize dynamic stability in selecting their preferred combination of walking speed and F P generation. Subjects walked on a force-measuring treadmill across a range of speeds as well as at constant speeds while modulating their F P according to a visual biofeedback paradigm based on real-time force measurements. In contrast to improvements when walking slower, walking with a diminished push-off worsened dynamic stability by up to 32%. Rather, we find that young adults adopt an F P at their preferred walking speed that maximizes dynamic stability. One implication of these findings is that the onset of a diminished push-off in old age may independently contribute to poorer balance control and precipitate slower walking speeds.

An investigation of driver distraction near the tipping point of traffic flow stability.

PubMed

Cooper, Joel M; Vladisavljevic, Ivana; Medeiros-Ward, Nathan; Martin, Peter T; Strayer, David L

2009-04-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the interrelationship between driver distraction and characteristics of driver behavior associated with reduced highway traffic efficiency. Research on the three-phase traffic theory and on behavioral driving suggests that a number of characteristics associated with efficient traffic flow may be affected by driver distraction. Previous studies have been limited, however, by the fact that researchers typically do not allow participants to change lanes, nor do they account for the impact of varying traffic states on driving performance. Participants drove in three simulated environments with differing traffic congestion while both using and not using a cell phone. Instructed only to obey the speed limit, participants were allowed to vary driving behaviors, such as those involving forward following distance, speed, and lane-changing frequency. Both driver distraction and traffic congestion were found to significantly affect lane change frequency, mean speed, and the likelihood of remaining behind a slower-moving lead vehicle. This research suggests that the behavioral profile of "cell phone drivers," which is often described as compensatory, may have far-reaching and unexpected consequences for traffic efficiency. By considering the dynamic interplay between characteristics of traffic flow and driver behavior, this research may inform both public policy regarding in-vehicle cell phone use and future investigations of driving behavior.

Eruption of a plasma blob, associated M-class flare, and large-scale extreme-ultraviolet wave observed by SDO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, P.; Manoharan, P. K.

2013-05-01

We present a multiwavelength study of the formation and ejection of a plasma blob and associated extreme ultraviolet (EUV) waves in active region (AR) NOAA 11176, observed by SDO/AIA and STEREO on 25 March 2011. The EUV images observed with the AIA instrument clearly show the formation and ejection of a plasma blob from the lower atmosphere of the Sun at ~9 min prior to the onset of the M1.0 flare. This onset of the M-class flare happened at the site of the blob formation, while the blob was rising in a parabolic path with an average speed of ~300 km s. The blob also showed twisting and de-twisting motion in the lower corona, and the blob speed varied from ~10-540 km s. The faster and slower EUV wavefronts were observed in front of the plasma blob during its impulsive acceleration phase. The faster EUV wave propagated with a speed of ~785 to 1020 km s, whereas the slower wavefront speed varied in between ~245 and 465 km s. The timing and speed of the faster wave match the shock speed estimated from the drift rate of the associated type II radio burst. The faster wave experiences a reflection by the nearby AR NOAA 11177. In addition, secondary waves were observed (only in the 171 Å channel), when the primary fast wave and plasma blob impacted the funnel-shaped coronal loops. The Helioseismic Magnetic Imager (HMI) magnetograms revealed the continuous emergence of new magnetic flux along with shear flows at the site of the blob formation. It is inferred that the emergence of twisted magnetic fields in the form of arch-filaments/"anemone-type" loops is the likely cause for the plasma blob formation and associated eruption along with the triggering of M-class flare. Furthermore, the faster EUV wave formed ahead of the blob shows the signature of fast-mode MHD wave, whereas the slower wave seems to be generated by the field line compression by the plasma blob. The secondary wave trains originated from the funnel-shaped loops are probably the fast magnetoacoustic waves. Three movies are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

A Dynamic Bayesian Observer Model Reveals Origins of Bias in Visual Path Integration.

PubMed

Lakshminarasimhan, Kaushik J; Petsalis, Marina; Park, Hyeshin; DeAngelis, Gregory C; Pitkow, Xaq; Angelaki, Dora E

2018-06-20

Path integration is a strategy by which animals track their position by integrating their self-motion velocity. To identify the computational origins of bias in visual path integration, we asked human subjects to navigate in a virtual environment using optic flow and found that they generally traveled beyond the goal location. Such a behavior could stem from leaky integration of unbiased self-motion velocity estimates or from a prior expectation favoring slower speeds that causes velocity underestimation. Testing both alternatives using a probabilistic framework that maximizes expected reward, we found that subjects' biases were better explained by a slow-speed prior than imperfect integration. When subjects integrate paths over long periods, this framework intriguingly predicts a distance-dependent bias reversal due to buildup of uncertainty, which we also confirmed experimentally. These results suggest that visual path integration in noisy environments is limited largely by biases in processing optic flow rather than by leaky integration. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pedometer accuracy in slow walking older adults.

PubMed

Martin, Jessica B; Krč, Katarina M; Mitchell, Emily A; Eng, Janice J; Noble, Jeremy W

2012-07-03

The purpose of this study was to determine pedometer accuracy during slow overground walking in older adults (Mean age = 63.6 years). A total of 18 participants (6 males, 12 females) wore 5 different brands of pedometers over 3 pre-set cadences that elicited walking speeds between 0.3 and 0.9 m/s and one self-selected cadence over 80 meters of indoor track. Pedometer accuracy decreased with slower walking speeds with mean percent errors across all devices combined of 56%, 40%, 19% and 9% at cadences of 50, 66, and 80 steps/min, and self selected cadence, respectively. Percent error ranged from 45.3% for Omron HJ105 to 66.9% for Yamax Digiwalker 200. Due to the high level of error across the slowest cadences of all 5 devices, the use of pedometers to monitor step counts in healthy older adults with slower gait speeds is problematic. Further research is required to develop pedometer mechanisms that accurately measure steps at slower walking speeds.

Pedometer accuracy in slow walking older adults

PubMed Central

Martin, Jessica B.; Krč, Katarina M.; Mitchell, Emily A.; Eng, Janice J.; Noble, Jeremy W.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine pedometer accuracy during slow overground walking in older adults (Mean age = 63.6 years). A total of 18 participants (6 males, 12 females) wore 5 different brands of pedometers over 3 pre-set cadences that elicited walking speeds between 0.3 and 0.9 m/s and one self-selected cadence over 80 meters of indoor track. Pedometer accuracy decreased with slower walking speeds with mean percent errors across all devices combined of 56%, 40%, 19% and 9% at cadences of 50, 66, and 80 steps/min, and self selected cadence, respectively. Percent error ranged from 45.3% for Omron HJ105 to 66.9% for Yamax Digiwalker 200. Due to the high level of error across the slowest cadences of all 5 devices, the use of pedometers to monitor step counts in healthy older adults with slower gait speeds is problematic. Further research is required to develop pedometer mechanisms that accurately measure steps at slower walking speeds. PMID:24795762

Impact of the Ability to Divide Attention on Reading Performance in Glaucoma.

PubMed

Swenor, Bonnielin K; Varadaraj, Varshini; Dave, Paulomi; West, Sheila K; Rubin, Gary S; Ramulu, Pradeep Y

2017-05-01

To determine if the ability to divide attention affects the relationship between glaucoma-related vision loss and reading speed. Better eye mean deviation (MD), contrast sensitivity (CS), and better-eye distance visual acuity (VA) were measured in 28 participants with glaucoma and 21 controls. Reading speeds were assessed using MNRead, IRest, and sustained silent reading tests (words per minute, wpm). The ability to divide attention was measured using the Brief Test of Attention (BTA; scored 0-10). Multivariable linear regression models were used to determine the relationship between visual factors and reading speeds. Effect modification by BTA score (low BTA: <7; high BTA: ≥7) was examined. Worse CS (per 0.1 log unit) was associated with slower maximum reading speed on MNRead test for participants with low BTA scores (β = -9 wpm; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -16, -2), but not for those with high BTA scores (β = -2 wpm; 95% CI: -6, +2). Similarly, for the IRest test, worse CS was associated with slower reading speeds (β = -12 wpm; 95% CI: -20, -4) among those with low, but not high BTA scores (β = -4 wpm; 95% CI: -10, +2). For the sustained silent reading test, glaucoma status (versus controls), worse visual field (VF) MD (per 5 dB), and worse CS were associated with 39%, 21%, and 19% slower reading speeds, respectively, for those with low BTA scores (P < 0.05), but these associations were not significant among those with high BTA scores (P > 0.1 for all). Decreased ability to divide attention, indicated by lower BTA scores, is associated with slower reading speeds in glaucoma with reduced CS and VF defects.

Impact of the Ability to Divide Attention on Reading Performance in Glaucoma

PubMed Central

Swenor, Bonnielin K.; Varadaraj, Varshini; Dave, Paulomi; West, Sheila K.; Rubin, Gary S.; Ramulu, Pradeep Y.

2017-01-01

Purpose To determine if the ability to divide attention affects the relationship between glaucoma-related vision loss and reading speed. Methods Better eye mean deviation (MD), contrast sensitivity (CS), and better-eye distance visual acuity (VA) were measured in 28 participants with glaucoma and 21 controls. Reading speeds were assessed using MNRead, IRest, and sustained silent reading tests (words per minute, wpm). The ability to divide attention was measured using the Brief Test of Attention (BTA; scored 0–10). Multivariable linear regression models were used to determine the relationship between visual factors and reading speeds. Effect modification by BTA score (low BTA: <7; high BTA: ≥7) was examined. Results Worse CS (per 0.1 log unit) was associated with slower maximum reading speed on MNRead test for participants with low BTA scores (β = −9 wpm; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −16, −2), but not for those with high BTA scores (β = −2 wpm; 95% CI: −6, +2). Similarly, for the IRest test, worse CS was associated with slower reading speeds (β = −12 wpm; 95% CI: −20, −4) among those with low, but not high BTA scores (β = −4 wpm; 95% CI: −10, +2). For the sustained silent reading test, glaucoma status (versus controls), worse visual field (VF) MD (per 5 dB), and worse CS were associated with 39%, 21%, and 19% slower reading speeds, respectively, for those with low BTA scores (P < 0.05), but these associations were not significant among those with high BTA scores (P > 0.1 for all). Conclusions Decreased ability to divide attention, indicated by lower BTA scores, is associated with slower reading speeds in glaucoma with reduced CS and VF defects. PMID:28460047

Carotid β-stiffness index is associated with slower processing speed but not working memory or white matter integrity in healthy middle-aged/older adults

PubMed Central

DuBose, Lyndsey E.; Voss, Michelle W.; Weng, Timothy B.; Kent, James D.; Dubishar, Kaitlyn M.; Lane-Cordova, Abbi; Sigurdsson, Gardar; Schmid, Phillip; Barlow, Patrick B.

2017-01-01

Aging is associated with increased carotid artery stiffness, a predictor of incident stroke, and reduced cognitive performance and brain white matter integrity (WMI) in humans. Therefore, we hypothesized that higher carotid stiffness/lower compliance would be independently associated with slower processing speed, higher working memory cost, and lower WMI in healthy middle-aged/older (MA/O) adults. Carotid β-stiffness (P < 0.001) was greater and compliance (P < 0.001) was lower in MA/O (n = 32; 64.4 ± 4.3 yr) vs. young (n = 19; 23.8 ± 2.9 yr) adults. MA/O adults demonstrated slower processing speed (27.4 ± 4.6 vs. 35.4 ± 5.0 U/60 s, P < 0.001) and higher working memory cost (−15.4 ± 0.14 vs. −2.2 ± 0.05%, P < 0.001) vs. young adults. Global WMI was lower in MA/O adults (P < 0.001) and regionally in the frontal lobe (P = 0.020) and genu (P = 0.009). In the entire cohort, multiple regression analysis that included education, sex, and body mass index, carotid β-stiffness index (B = −0.53 ± 0.15 U, P = 0.001) and age group (B = −4.61 ± 1.7, P = 0.012, adjusted R2 = 0.4) predicted processing speed but not working memory cost or WMI. Among MA/O adults, higher β-stiffness (B = −0.60 ± 0.18, P = 0.002) and lower compliance (B = 0.93 ± 0.26, P = 0.002) were associated with slower processing speed but not working memory cost or WMI. These data suggest that greater carotid artery stiffness is independently and selectively associated with slower processing speed but not working memory among MA/O adults. Carotid artery stiffening may modulate reductions in processing speed earlier than working memory with healthy aging in humans. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Previously, studies investigating the relation between large elastic artery stiffness, cognition, and brain structure have focused mainly on aortic stiffness in aged individuals with cardiovascular disease risk factors and other comorbidities. This study adds to the field by demonstrating that the age-related increases in carotid artery stiffness, but not aortic stiffness, is independently and selectively associated with slower processing speed but not working memory among middle-aged/older adults with low cardiovascular disease risk factor burden. PMID:28126907

Carotid β-stiffness index is associated with slower processing speed but not working memory or white matter integrity in healthy middle-aged/older adults.

PubMed

DuBose, Lyndsey E; Voss, Michelle W; Weng, Timothy B; Kent, James D; Dubishar, Kaitlyn M; Lane-Cordova, Abbi; Sigurdsson, Gardar; Schmid, Phillip; Barlow, Patrick B; Pierce, Gary L

2017-04-01

Aging is associated with increased carotid artery stiffness, a predictor of incident stroke, and reduced cognitive performance and brain white matter integrity (WMI) in humans. Therefore, we hypothesized that higher carotid stiffness/lower compliance would be independently associated with slower processing speed, higher working memory cost, and lower WMI in healthy middle-aged/older (MA/O) adults. Carotid β-stiffness ( P < 0.001) was greater and compliance ( P < 0.001) was lower in MA/O ( n = 32; 64.4 ± 4.3 yr) vs. young ( n = 19; 23.8 ± 2.9 yr) adults. MA/O adults demonstrated slower processing speed (27.4 ± 4.6 vs. 35.4 ± 5.0 U/60 s, P < 0.001) and higher working memory cost (-15.4 ± 0.14 vs. -2.2 ± 0.05%, P < 0.001) vs. young adults. Global WMI was lower in MA/O adults ( P < 0.001) and regionally in the frontal lobe ( P = 0.020) and genu ( P = 0.009). In the entire cohort, multiple regression analysis that included education, sex, and body mass index, carotid β-stiffness index (B = -0.53 ± 0.15 U, P = 0.001) and age group (B = -4.61 ± 1.7, P = 0.012, adjusted R 2 = 0.4) predicted processing speed but not working memory cost or WMI. Among MA/O adults, higher β-stiffness (B = -0.60 ± 0.18, P = 0.002) and lower compliance (B = 0.93 ± 0.26, P = 0.002) were associated with slower processing speed but not working memory cost or WMI. These data suggest that greater carotid artery stiffness is independently and selectively associated with slower processing speed but not working memory among MA/O adults. Carotid artery stiffening may modulate reductions in processing speed earlier than working memory with healthy aging in humans. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Previously, studies investigating the relation between large elastic artery stiffness, cognition, and brain structure have focused mainly on aortic stiffness in aged individuals with cardiovascular disease risk factors and other comorbidities. This study adds to the field by demonstrating that the age-related increases in carotid artery stiffness, but not aortic stiffness, is independently and selectively associated with slower processing speed but not working memory among middle-aged/older adults with low cardiovascular disease risk factor burden. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Plasma flow patterns in and around magnetosheath jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaschke, Ferdinand; Hietala, Heli

2018-05-01

The magnetosheath is commonly permeated by localized high-speed jets downstream of the quasi-parallel bow shock. These jets are much faster than the ambient magnetosheath plasma, thus raising the question of how that latter plasma reacts to incoming jets. We have performed a statistical analysis based on 662 cases of one THEMIS spacecraft observing a jet and another (second) THEMIS spacecraft providing context observations of nearby plasma to uncover the flow patterns in and around jets. The following results are found: along the jet's path, slower plasma is accelerated and pushed aside ahead of the fastest core jet plasma. Behind the jet core, plasma flows into the path to fill the wake. This evasive plasma motion affects the ambient magnetosheath, close to the jet's path. Diverging and converging plasma flows ahead and behind the jet are complemented by plasma flows opposite to the jet's propagation direction, in the vicinity of the jet. This vortical plasma motion results in a deceleration of ambient plasma when a jet passes nearby.

Multisensor data fusion across time and space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villeneuve, Pierre V.; Beaven, Scott G.; Reed, Robert A.

2014-06-01

Field measurement campaigns typically deploy numerous sensors having different sampling characteristics for spatial, temporal, and spectral domains. Data analysis and exploitation is made more difficult and time consuming as the sample data grids between sensors do not align. This report summarizes our recent effort to demonstrate feasibility of a processing chain capable of "fusing" image data from multiple independent and asynchronous sensors into a form amenable to analysis and exploitation using commercially-available tools. Two important technical issues were addressed in this work: 1) Image spatial registration onto a common pixel grid, 2) Image temporal interpolation onto a common time base. The first step leverages existing image matching and registration algorithms. The second step relies upon a new and innovative use of optical flow algorithms to perform accurate temporal upsampling of slower frame rate imagery. Optical flow field vectors were first derived from high-frame rate, high-resolution imagery, and then finally used as a basis for temporal upsampling of the slower frame rate sensor's imagery. Optical flow field values are computed using a multi-scale image pyramid, thus allowing for more extreme object motion. This involves preprocessing imagery to varying resolution scales and initializing new vector flow estimates using that from the previous coarser-resolution image. Overall performance of this processing chain is demonstrated using sample data involving complex too motion observed by multiple sensors mounted to the same base. Multiple sensors were included, including a high-speed visible camera, up to a coarser resolution LWIR camera.

Surface friction alters the agility of a small Australian marsupial.

PubMed

Wheatley, Rebecca; Clemente, Christofer J; Niehaus, Amanda C; Fisher, Diana O; Wilson, Robbie S

2018-04-23

Movement speed can underpin an animal's probability of success in ecological tasks. Prey often use agility to outmanoeuvre predators; however, faster speeds increase inertia and reduce agility. Agility is also constrained by grip, as the foot must have sufficient friction with the ground to apply the forces required for turning. Consequently, ground surface should affect optimum turning speed. We tested the speed-agility trade-off in buff-footed antechinus ( Antechinus mysticus ) on two different surfaces. Antechinus used slower turning speeds over smaller turning radii on both surfaces, as predicted by the speed-agility trade-off. Slipping was 64% more likely on the low-friction surface, and had a higher probability of occurring the faster the antechinus were running before the turn. However, antechinus compensated for differences in surface friction by using slower pre-turn speeds as their amount of experience on the low-friction surface increased, which consequently reduced their probability of slipping. Conversely, on the high-friction surface, antechinus used faster pre-turn speeds in later trials, which had no effect on their probability of slipping. Overall, antechinus used larger turning radii (0.733±0.062 versus 0.576±0.051 m) and slower pre-turn (1.595±0.058 versus 2.174±0.050 m s -1 ) and turning speeds (1.649±0.061 versus 2.01±0.054 m s -1 ) on the low-friction surface. Our results demonstrate the interactive effect of surface friction and the speed-agility trade-off on speed choice. To predict wild animals' movement speeds, future studies should examine the interactions between biomechanical trade-offs and terrain, and quantify the costs of motor mistakes in different ecological activities. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Association of slower walking speed with incident knee osteoarthritis-related outcomes.

PubMed

Purser, Jama L; Golightly, Yvonne M; Feng, Qiushi; Helmick, Charles G; Renner, Jordan B; Jordan, Joanne M

2012-07-01

To determine whether slower walking speed was associated with an increased risk of incident hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA)-related outcomes. After providing informed consent, community-dwelling participants in the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project completed 2 home-based interviews and an additional clinic visit for radiographic and physical evaluation. One thousand eight hundred fifty-eight noninstitutionalized residents ages ≥ 45 years living for at least 1 year in 1 of 6 townships in Johnston County, North Carolina, completed the study's questionnaires and clinical examinations at baseline and at followup testing. Walking time was assessed using a manual stopwatch in 2 trials over an 8-foot distance, and walking speed was calculated as the average of both trials. For the hip and knee, we examined 3 outcomes per joint site: radiographic OA (weight-bearing anteroposterior knee radiographs, supine anteroposterior pelvic radiographs of the hip), chronic joint symptoms, and symptomatic OA. Covariates included age, sex, race, education, marital status, body mass index, number of self-reported chronic conditions diagnosed by a health care provider, number of prescriptions, depressive symptoms, self-rated health, number of lower body functional limitations, smoking, and physical activity. Faster walking speed was consistently associated with a lower incidence of radiographic (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.88, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.79-0.97) and symptomatic knee OA (adjusted OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.75-0.95); slower walking speed was associated with a greater incidence of these outcomes across a broad range of different clinical and radiographic OA outcomes. Slower walking speed may be a marker for incident knee OA, but other studies must confirm this finding. Copyright © 2012 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Relation of sortable silt grain-size to deep-sea current speeds: Calibration of the 'Mud Current Meter'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCave, I. N.; Thornalley, D. J. R.; Hall, I. R.

2017-09-01

Fine grain-size parameters have been used for inference of palaeoflow speeds of near-bottom currents in the deep-sea. The basic idea stems from observations of varying sediment size parameters on a continental margin with a gradient from slower flow speeds at shallower depths to faster at deeper. In the deep-sea, size-sorting occurs during deposition after benthic storm resuspension events. At flow speeds below 10-15 cm s-1 mean grain-size in the terrigenous non-cohesive 'sortable silt' range (denoted by SS bar , mean of 10-63 μm) is controlled by selective deposition, whereas above that range removal of finer material by winnowing is also argued to play a role. A calibration of the SS bar grain-size flow speed proxy based on sediment samples taken adjacent to sites of long-term current meters set within 100 m of the sea bed for more than a year is presented here. Grain-size has been measured by either Sedigraph or Coulter Counter, in some cases both, between which there is an excellent correlation for SS bar (r = 0.96). Size-speed data indicate calibration relationships with an overall sensitivity of 1.36 ± 0.19 cm s-1/μm. A calibration line comprising 12 points including 9 from the Iceland overflow region is well defined, but at least two other smaller groups (Weddell/Scotia Sea and NW Atlantic continental rise/Rockall Trough) are fitted by sub-parallel lines with a smaller constant. This suggests a possible influence of the calibre of material supplied to the site of deposition (not the initial source supply) which, if depleted in very coarse silt (31-63 μm), would limit SS bar to smaller values for a given speed than with a broader size-spectrum supply. Local calibrations, or a core-top grain-size and local flow speed, are thus necessary to infer absolute speeds from grain-size. The trend of the calibrations diverges markedly from the slope of experimental critical erosion and deposition flow speeds versus grain-size, making it unlikely that the SS bar (or any deposit size for that matter) is simply predicted by the deposition threshold. A more probable control is the rate of deposition of the different size fractions under changing flows over several tens of years (the typical averaging period of a centimetre of deposited sediment). This suggestion is supported by a simple depositional model for which the deposited SS bar is calculated from measured currents with a size-varying depositional threshold. More surficial sediment samples taken near long-term current meter sites are needed to make calibrations more robust and explore regional differences.

The independent effects of speed and propulsive force on joint power generation in walking

PubMed Central

Browne, Michael G.; Franz, Jason R.

2017-01-01

Walking speed is modulated using propulsive forces (FP) during push-off and both preferred speed and FP decrease with aging. However, even prior to walking slower, reduced FP may be accompanied by potentially unfavorable changes in joint power generation. For example, compared to young adults, older adults exhibit a redistribution of mechanical power generation from the propulsive plantarflexor muscles to more proximal muscles acting across the knee and hip. Here, we used visual biofeedback based on real-time FP measurements to decouple and investigate the interaction between joint-level coordination, whole-body FP, and walking speed. 12 healthy young subjects walked on a dual-belt instrumented treadmill at a range of speeds (0.9 – 1.3 m/s). We immediately calculated the average FP from each speed. Subjects then walked at 1.3 m/s while completing a series of biofeedback trials with instructions to match their instantaneous FP to their averaged FP from slower speeds. Walking slower decreased FP and total positive joint work with little effect on relative joint-level contributions. Conversely, subjects walked at a constant speed with reduced FP, not by reducing total positive joint work, but by redistributing the mechanical demands of each step from the plantarflexor muscles during push-off to more proximal leg muscles during single support. Interestingly, these naturally emergent joint- and limb-level biomechanical changes, in the absence of neuromuscular constraints, resemble those due to aging. Our findings provide important reference data to understand the presumably complex interactions between joint power generation, whole-body FP, and walking speed in our aging population. PMID:28262285

Development of Hydroxyl Tagging Velocimetry for Low Velocity Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andre, Matthieu A.; Bardet, Philippe M.; Burns, Ross A.; Danehy, Paul M.

2016-01-01

Hydroxyl tagging velocimetry (HTV) is a molecular tagging technique that relies on the photo-dissociation of water vapor into OH radicals and their subsequent tracking using laser induced fluorescence. Velocities are then obtained from time-of-flight calculations. At ambient temperature in air, the OH species lifetime is relatively short (<50 µs), making it suited for high speed flows. Lifetime and radicals formation increases with temperature, which allows HTV to also probe low-velocity, high-temperature flows or reacting flows such as flames. The present work aims at extending the domain of applicability of HTV, particularly towards low-speed (<10 m/s) and moderate (<500 K) temperature flows. Results are compared to particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements recorded in identical conditions. Single shot and averaged velocity profiles are obtained in an air jet at room temperature. By modestly raising the temperature (100-200 degC) the OH production increases, resulting in an improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Use of nitrogen - a non-reactive gas with minimal collisional quenching - extends the OH species lifetime (to over 500 µs), which allows probing of slower flows or, alternately, increases the measurement precision at the expense of spatial resolution. Instantaneous velocity profiles are resolved in a 100degC nitrogen jet (maximum jet-center velocity of 6.5 m/s) with an uncertainty down to 0.10 m/s (1.5%) at 68% confidence level. MTV measurements are compared with particle image velocimetry and show agreement within 2%.

Fast visual prediction and slow optimization of preferred walking speed.

PubMed

O'Connor, Shawn M; Donelan, J Maxwell

2012-05-01

People prefer walking speeds that minimize energetic cost. This may be accomplished by directly sensing metabolic rate and adapting gait to minimize it, but only slowly due to the compounded effects of sensing delays and iterative convergence. Visual and other sensory information is available more rapidly and could help predict which gait changes reduce energetic cost, but only approximately because it relies on prior experience and an indirect means to achieve economy. We used virtual reality to manipulate visually presented speed while 10 healthy subjects freely walked on a self-paced treadmill to test whether the nervous system beneficially combines these two mechanisms. Rather than manipulating the speed of visual flow directly, we coupled it to the walking speed selected by the subject and then manipulated the ratio between these two speeds. We then quantified the dynamics of walking speed adjustments in response to perturbations of the visual speed. For step changes in visual speed, subjects responded with rapid speed adjustments (lasting <2 s) and in a direction opposite to the perturbation and consistent with returning the visually presented speed toward their preferred walking speed, when visual speed was suddenly twice (one-half) the walking speed, subjects decreased (increased) their speed. Subjects did not maintain the new speed but instead gradually returned toward the speed preferred before the perturbation (lasting >300 s). The timing and direction of these responses strongly indicate that a rapid predictive process informed by visual feedback helps select preferred speed, perhaps to complement a slower optimization process that seeks to minimize energetic cost.

The independent effects of speed and propulsive force on joint power generation in walking.

PubMed

Browne, Michael G; Franz, Jason R

2017-04-11

Walking speed is modulated using propulsive forces (F P ) during push-off and both preferred speed and F P decrease with aging. However, even prior to walking slower, reduced F P may be accompanied by potentially unfavorable changes in joint power generation. For example, compared to young adults, older adults exhibit a redistribution of mechanical power generation from the propulsive plantarflexor muscles to more proximal muscles acting across the knee and hip. Here, we used visual biofeedback based on real-time F P measurements to decouple and investigate the interaction between joint-level coordination, whole-body F P , and walking speed. 12 healthy young subjects walked on a dual-belt instrumented treadmill at a range of speeds (0.9-1.3m/s). We immediately calculated the average F P from each speed. Subjects then walked at 1.3m/s while completing a series of biofeedback trials with instructions to match their instantaneous F P to their averaged F P from slower speeds. Walking slower decreased F P and total positive joint work with little effect on relative joint-level contributions. Conversely, subjects walked at a constant speed with reduced F P , not by reducing total positive joint work, but by redistributing the mechanical demands of each step from the plantarflexor muscles during push-off to more proximal leg muscles during single support. Interestingly, these naturally emergent joint- and limb-level biomechanical changes, in the absence of neuromuscular constraints, resemble those due to aging. Our findings provide important reference data to understand the presumably complex interactions between joint power generation, whole-body F P , and walking speed in our aging population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Method for Generating Reduced Order Linear Models of Supersonic Inlets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chicatelli, Amy; Hartley, Tom T.

1997-01-01

For the modeling of high speed propulsion systems, there are at least two major categories of models. One is based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and the other is based on design and analysis of control systems. CFD is accurate and gives a complete view of the internal flow field, but it typically has many states and runs much slower dm real-time. Models based on control design typically run near real-time but do not always capture the fundamental dynamics. To provide improved control models, methods are needed that are based on CFD techniques but yield models that are small enough for control analysis and design.

Human speed perception is contrast dependent

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Leland S.; Thompson, Peter

1992-01-01

When two parallel gratings moving at the same speed are presented simultaneously, the lower-contrast grating appears slower. This misperception is evident across a wide range of contrasts (2.5-50 percent) and does not appear to saturate (e.g. a 50 percent contrast grating appears slower than a 70 percent contrast grating moving at the same speed). On average, a 70 percent contrast grating must be slowed by 35 percent to match a 10 percent contrast grating moving at 2 deg/sec (N = 6). Furthermore, the effect is largely independent of the absolute contrast level and is a quasi-linear function of log contrast ratio. A preliminary parametric study shows that, although spatial frequency has little effect, relative orientation is important. Finally, the misperception of relative speed appears lessened when the stimuli to be matched are presented sequentially.

Independent influence of gait speed and step length on stability and fall risk.

PubMed

Espy, D D; Yang, F; Bhatt, T; Pai, Y-C

2010-07-01

With aging, individuals' gaits become slower and their steps shorter; both are thought to improve stability against balance threats. Recent studies have shown that shorter step lengths, which bring the center of mass (COM) closer to the leading foot, improve stability against slip-related falls. However, a slower gait, hence lower COM velocity, does the opposite. Due to the inherent coupling of step length and speed in spontaneous gait, the extent to which the benefit of shorter steps can offset the slower speed is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate, through decoupling, the independent effects of gait speed and step length on gait stability and the likelihood of slip-induced falls. Fifty-seven young adults walked at one of three target gait patterns, two of equal speed and two of equal step length; at a later trial, they encountered an unannounced slip. The results supported our hypotheses that faster gait as well as shorter steps each ameliorates fall risk when a slip is encountered. This appeared to be attributable to the maintenance of stability from slip initiation to liftoff of the recovery foot during the slip. Successful decoupling of gait speed from step length reveals for the first time that, although slow gait in itself leads to instability and falls (a one-standard-deviation decrease in gait speed increases the odds of fall by 4-fold), this effect is offset by the related decrease in step length (the same one-standard-deviation decrease in step length lowers fall risk by 6 times). Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Active Flow Circulation Controlled Flap Concept for General Aviation Aircraft Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Gregory S.; Viken, Sally A.; Washburn, Anthony E.; Jenkins, Luther N.; Cagle, C. Mark

2002-01-01

A recent focus on revolutionary aerodynamic concepts has highlighted the technology needs of general aviation and personal aircraft. New and stringent restrictions on these types of aircraft have placed high demands on aerodynamic performance, noise, and environmental issues. Improved high lift performance of these aircraft can lead to slower takeoff and landing speeds that can be related to reduced noise and crash survivability issues. Circulation Control technologies have been around for 65 years, yet have been avoided due to trade offs of mass flow, pitching moment, perceived noise etc. The need to improve the circulation control technology for general aviation and personal air-vehicle applications is the focus of this paper. This report will describe the development of a 2-D General Aviation Circulation Control (GACC) wing concept that utilizes a pulsed pneumatic flap.

A transcranial Doppler sonography study of shoot/don't-shoot responding.

PubMed

Schultz, Natasha B; Matthews, Gerald; Warm, Joel S; Washburn, David A

2009-08-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between changes in cerebral blood-flow velocity and performance on a speeded shoot/don't-shoot task. Brain activity as indicated by cerebral blood-flow velocity (hemovelocity) was recorded using the transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. A shoot/don't-shoot decision-making task presented participants with threat/nonthreat stimuli in the form of bull's-eye images of various colors. Participants were required to shoot threat targets using a laser-modified handgun. Results support a vigilance decrement in both the performance measures and hemovelocity. Performance, as measured by reaction time, number of hits, and marksmanship, decreased across the length of the vigil. Hemovelocity slowed across the left and right hemispheres as the task progressed, and hemovelocity was slower in the right hemisphere than in the left hemisphere.

Manganese contamination affects the motor performance of wild northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus).

PubMed

Amir Abdul Nasir, Ami Fadhillah; Cameron, Skye F; Niehaus, Amanda C; Clemente, Christofer J; von Hippel, Frank A; Wilson, Robbie S

2018-05-21

Neuromotor deficits are an important sign of manganese (Mn) toxicity in humans and laboratory animals. However, the impacts of Mn exposure on the motor function of wild animals remains largely unknown. Here, we assessed the impact of chronic exposure to Mn from active mining operations on Groote Eylandt, Australia on the motor function of the semi-arboreal northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus), an endangered species. The three motor tests conducted-maximum sprint speed on a straight run, manoeuvrability around a corner, and motor control on a balance beam-showed that elevated Mn body burden did not diminish performance of these traits. However, quolls with higher Mn body burden approached a corner at a significantly narrower range of speeds, due to a significantly lower maximum approach speed. Slower speeds approaching a turn may reduce success at catching prey and avoiding predators. Given that maximum sprint speed on a straight run was not affected by Mn body burden, but maximum speed entering a corner was, slower speeds approaching a turn may reflect compensation for otherwise impaired performance in the turn. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Numerical simulation of blood flow in femoral perfusion: comparison between side-armed femoral artery perfusion and direct femoral artery perfusion.

PubMed

Kitamura, Shingo; Shirota, Minori; Fukuda, Wakako; Inamura, Takao; Fukuda, Ikuo

2016-12-01

Computational numerical analysis was performed to elucidate the flow dynamics of femoral artery perfusion. Numerical simulation of blood flow was performed from the right femoral artery in an aortic model. An incompressible Navier-Stokes equation and continuity equation were solved using computed flow dynamics software. Three different perfusion models were analyzed: a 4.0-mm cannula (outer diameter 15 French size), a 5.2-mm cannula (18 French size) and an 8-mm prosthetic graft. The cannula was inserted parallel to the femoral artery, while the graft was anastomosed perpendicular to the femoral artery. Shear stress was highest with the 4-mm cannula (172 Pa) followed by the graft (127 Pa) and the 5.2-mm cannula (99 Pa). The cannula exit velocity was high, even when the 5.2-mm cannula was used. Although side-armed perfusion with an 8-mm graft generated a high shear stress area near the point of anastomosis, flow velocity at the external iliac artery was decreased. The jet speed decreased due to the Coanda effect caused by the recirculation behind sudden expansion of diameter, and the flow velocity maintains a constant speed after the reattachment length of the flow. This study showed that iliac artery shear stress was lower with the 5.2-mm cannula than with the 4-mm cannula when used for femoral perfusion. Side-armed graft perfusion generates a high shear stress area around the anastomotic site, but flow velocity in the iliac artery is slower in the graft model than in the 5.2-mm cannula model.

Pathways linking regional hyperintensities in the brain and slower gait.

PubMed

Bolandzadeh, Niousha; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa; Aizenstein, Howard; Harris, Tamara; Launer, Lenore; Yaffe, Kristine; Kritchevsky, Stephen B; Newman, Anne; Rosano, Caterina

2014-10-01

Cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are involved in the evolution of impaired mobility and executive functions. Executive functions and mobility are also associated. Thus, WMHs may impair mobility directly, by disrupting mobility-related circuits, or indirectly, by disrupting circuits responsible for executive functions. Understanding the mechanisms underlying impaired mobility in late life will increase our capacity to develop effective interventions. To identify regional WMHs most related to slower gait and to examine whether these regional WMHs directly impact mobility, or indirectly by executive functions. Cross-sectional study. Twenty-one WMH variables (i.e., total WMH volume and WMHs in 20 tracts), gait speed, global cognition (Modified Mini-Mental State Examination; 3MS), and executive functions and processing speed (Digit-Symbol Substitution Test; DSST) were assessed. An L1-L2 regularized regression (i.e., Elastic Net model) identified the WMH variables most related to slower gait. Multivariable linear regression models quantified the association between these WMH variables and gait speed. Formal tests of mediation were also conducted. Community-based sample. Two hundred fifty-three adults (mean age: 83years, 58% women, 41% black). Gait speed. In older adults with an average gait speed of 0.91m/sec, total WMH volume, WMHs located in the right anterior thalamic radiation (ATRR) and frontal corpuscallosum (CCF) were most associated with slower gait. There was a >10% slower gait for each standard deviation of WMH in CCF, ATRR or total brain (standardized beta in m/sec [p value]: -0.11 [p=0.046], -0.15 [p=0.007] and -0.14 [p=0.010], respectively). These associations were substantially and significantly attenuated after adjustment for DSST. This effect was stronger for WMH in CCF than for ATRR or total WMH (standardized beta in m/sec [p value]: -0.07 [p=0.190], -0.12 [p=0.024] and -0.10 [p=0.049], respectively). Adjustment for 3MS did not change these associations. The mediation analyses also found that DSST significantly mediated the associations between WMHs and gait speed. Our models were adjusted for age, sex, BMI, quadriceps strength, years of education, standing height, and prevalent hypertension. The impact, direct or indirect, of WMHs on gait speed depended on their location and was mediated by executive function. Thus, multi-faceted interventions targeting executive control functions as well as motor functions, such as balance and strength training, are candidates to the maintenance of mobility across the lifespan. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abdominally implanted transmitters with percutaneous antennas affect the dive performance of Common Eiders

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powell, Abby N.; Latty, Christopher J.; Hollmén, Tuula E.; Petersen, Margaret R.; Andrews, Russel D.

2010-01-01

Implanted transmitters have become an important tool for studying the ecology of sea ducks, but their effects remain largely undocumented. To address this, we assessed how abdominally implanted transmitters with percutaneous antennas affect the vertical dive speeds, stroke frequencies, bottom time, and dive duration of captive Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima). To establish baselines, we recorded video of six birds diving 4.9 m prior to surgery, implanted them with 38- to 47-g platform transmitter terminals, and then recorded their diving for 3.5 months after surgery to determine effects. Descent speeds were 16–25% slower and ascent speeds were 17–44% slower after surgery, and both remained below baseline at the end of the study. Dive durations were longer than baseline until day 22. On most days between 15 and 107 days after surgery, foot-stroke frequencies of birds foraging on the bottom were slower. Foot- and wing-stroke frequencies during descent and bottom time did not differ across the time series. If birds that rely on benthic invertebrates for sustenance dive slower and stay submerged longer after being implanted with a satellite transmitter, their foraging energetics may be affected. Researchers considering use of implanted transmitters with percutaneous antennas should be mindful of these effects and the possibility of concomitant alterations in diving behavior, foraging success, and migratory behavior compared to those of unmarked conspecifics.

Effects of stiffness and volume on the transit time of an erythrocyte through a slit.

PubMed

Salehyar, Sara; Zhu, Qiang

2017-06-01

By using a fully coupled fluid-cell interaction model, we numerically simulate the dynamic process of a red blood cell passing through a slit driven by an incoming flow. The model is achieved by combining a multiscale model of the composite cell membrane with a boundary element fluid dynamics model based on the Stokes flow assumption. Our concentration is on the correlation between the transit time (the time it takes to finish the whole translocation process) and different conditions (flow speed, cell orientation, cell stiffness, cell volume, etc.) that are involved. According to the numerical prediction (with some exceptions), the transit time rises as the cell is stiffened. It is also highly sensitive to volume increase inside the cell. In general, even slightly swollen cells (i.e., the internal volume is increased while the surface area of the cell kept unchanged) travel dramatically slower through the slit. For these cells, there is also an increased chance of blockage.

Wind-driven circulation patterns in a shallow estuarine lake: St Lucia, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoen, Julia H.; Stretch, Derek D.; Tirok, Katrin

2014-06-01

The spatiotemporal structure of wind-driven circulation patterns and associated water exchanges or residence times can drive important bio-hydrodynamic interactions in shallow lakes and estuaries. The St Lucia estuarine lake in South Africa is an example of such a system. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and RAMSAR wetland of international importance but no detailed research on its circulation patterns has previously been undertaken. In this study, a hydrodynamic model was used to investigate the structure of these circulations to provide insights into their role in transport and water exchange processes. A strong diurnal temporal pattern of wind speeds, together with directional switching between two dominant directions, drives intermittent water exchanges and mixing between the lake basins. “High speed flows in shallow nearshore areas with slower upwind counter-flows in deeper areas, linked by circulatory gyres, are key features of the circulation”. These patterns are strongly influenced by the complex geometry of St Lucia and constrictions in the system. Water exchange time scales are non-homogeneous with some basin extremities having relatively long residence times. The influence of the circulation patterns on biological processes is discussed.

Slow Reading in Glaucoma: Is it due to the Shrinking Visual Span in Central Vision?

PubMed Central

Liu, Rong; Patel, Bhavika N.; Girkin, Christopher

2017-01-01

Purpose Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, characterized by progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells. Patients with bilateral glaucoma read slower than normal cohorts. Here we examined the factors that may underlie slow reading in glaucoma and determined the best predictor of reading speed in glaucoma. Methods A total of 38 subjects participated in this study: 17 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (mean age = 64.71 years) and 21 age-similar normal controls (58.24 years). For each subject, we measured binocular visual acuity (BVA); binocular contrast sensitivity (BCS); stereoacuity; visual field mean deviation (MD); and the visual span (i.e., the number of letters recognizable at one glance) known to limit reading speed. The visual span was measured with a trigram letter-recognition task in which subjects identify trigrams flashed at varying letter positions left and right of the fixation. Oral reading speed was measured with short blocks of text. Results Even after controlling for age, glaucoma patients showed significantly slower reading speed (by 19%, P < 0.05) and smaller visual span (by 11 bits, P < 0.001) compared to normal controls. While their BVA was relatively normal (20/20 Snellen equivalent), their BCS (P < 0.001); stereoacuity (P < 0.001); and visual field MD (P < 0.001) showed pronounced deficits. Multiple regression analysis further revealed that reading speed in glaucoma was best predicted by the visual span. Conclusions Our results showed that slower reading speed in glaucoma was closely related to the shrinkage of the visual span. Our findings further support the view that the visual span plays a limiting role in reading speed. PMID:29131903

Slow Reading in Glaucoma: Is it due to the Shrinking Visual Span in Central Vision?

PubMed

Kwon, MiYoung; Liu, Rong; Patel, Bhavika N; Girkin, Christopher

2017-11-01

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, characterized by progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells. Patients with bilateral glaucoma read slower than normal cohorts. Here we examined the factors that may underlie slow reading in glaucoma and determined the best predictor of reading speed in glaucoma. A total of 38 subjects participated in this study: 17 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (mean age = 64.71 years) and 21 age-similar normal controls (58.24 years). For each subject, we measured binocular visual acuity (BVA); binocular contrast sensitivity (BCS); stereoacuity; visual field mean deviation (MD); and the visual span (i.e., the number of letters recognizable at one glance) known to limit reading speed. The visual span was measured with a trigram letter-recognition task in which subjects identify trigrams flashed at varying letter positions left and right of the fixation. Oral reading speed was measured with short blocks of text. Even after controlling for age, glaucoma patients showed significantly slower reading speed (by 19%, P < 0.05) and smaller visual span (by 11 bits, P < 0.001) compared to normal controls. While their BVA was relatively normal (20/20 Snellen equivalent), their BCS (P < 0.001); stereoacuity (P < 0.001); and visual field MD (P < 0.001) showed pronounced deficits. Multiple regression analysis further revealed that reading speed in glaucoma was best predicted by the visual span. Our results showed that slower reading speed in glaucoma was closely related to the shrinkage of the visual span. Our findings further support the view that the visual span plays a limiting role in reading speed.

Modeling flow and transport in fracture networks using graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karra, S.; O'Malley, D.; Hyman, J. D.; Viswanathan, H. S.; Srinivasan, G.

2018-03-01

Fractures form the main pathways for flow in the subsurface within low-permeability rock. For this reason, accurately predicting flow and transport in fractured systems is vital for improving the performance of subsurface applications. Fracture sizes in these systems can range from millimeters to kilometers. Although modeling flow and transport using the discrete fracture network (DFN) approach is known to be more accurate due to incorporation of the detailed fracture network structure over continuum-based methods, capturing the flow and transport in such a wide range of scales is still computationally intractable. Furthermore, if one has to quantify uncertainty, hundreds of realizations of these DFN models have to be run. To reduce the computational burden, we solve flow and transport on a graph representation of a DFN. We study the accuracy of the graph approach by comparing breakthrough times and tracer particle statistical data between the graph-based and the high-fidelity DFN approaches, for fracture networks with varying number of fractures and degree of heterogeneity. Due to our recent developments in capabilities to perform DFN high-fidelity simulations on fracture networks with large number of fractures, we are in a unique position to perform such a comparison. We show that the graph approach shows a consistent bias with up to an order of magnitude slower breakthrough when compared to the DFN approach. We show that this is due to graph algorithm's underprediction of the pressure gradients across intersections on a given fracture, leading to slower tracer particle speeds between intersections and longer travel times. We present a bias correction methodology to the graph algorithm that reduces the discrepancy between the DFN and graph predictions. We show that with this bias correction, the graph algorithm predictions significantly improve and the results are very accurate. The good accuracy and the low computational cost, with O (104) times lower times than the DFN, makes the graph algorithm an ideal technique to incorporate in uncertainty quantification methods.

Modeling flow and transport in fracture networks using graphs.

PubMed

Karra, S; O'Malley, D; Hyman, J D; Viswanathan, H S; Srinivasan, G

2018-03-01

Fractures form the main pathways for flow in the subsurface within low-permeability rock. For this reason, accurately predicting flow and transport in fractured systems is vital for improving the performance of subsurface applications. Fracture sizes in these systems can range from millimeters to kilometers. Although modeling flow and transport using the discrete fracture network (DFN) approach is known to be more accurate due to incorporation of the detailed fracture network structure over continuum-based methods, capturing the flow and transport in such a wide range of scales is still computationally intractable. Furthermore, if one has to quantify uncertainty, hundreds of realizations of these DFN models have to be run. To reduce the computational burden, we solve flow and transport on a graph representation of a DFN. We study the accuracy of the graph approach by comparing breakthrough times and tracer particle statistical data between the graph-based and the high-fidelity DFN approaches, for fracture networks with varying number of fractures and degree of heterogeneity. Due to our recent developments in capabilities to perform DFN high-fidelity simulations on fracture networks with large number of fractures, we are in a unique position to perform such a comparison. We show that the graph approach shows a consistent bias with up to an order of magnitude slower breakthrough when compared to the DFN approach. We show that this is due to graph algorithm's underprediction of the pressure gradients across intersections on a given fracture, leading to slower tracer particle speeds between intersections and longer travel times. We present a bias correction methodology to the graph algorithm that reduces the discrepancy between the DFN and graph predictions. We show that with this bias correction, the graph algorithm predictions significantly improve and the results are very accurate. The good accuracy and the low computational cost, with O(10^{4}) times lower times than the DFN, makes the graph algorithm an ideal technique to incorporate in uncertainty quantification methods.

Modeling flow and transport in fracture networks using graphs

DOE PAGES

Karra, S.; O'Malley, D.; Hyman, J. D.; ...

2018-03-09

Fractures form the main pathways for flow in the subsurface within low-permeability rock. For this reason, accurately predicting flow and transport in fractured systems is vital for improving the performance of subsurface applications. Fracture sizes in these systems can range from millimeters to kilometers. Although modeling flow and transport using the discrete fracture network (DFN) approach is known to be more accurate due to incorporation of the detailed fracture network structure over continuum-based methods, capturing the flow and transport in such a wide range of scales is still computationally intractable. Furthermore, if one has to quantify uncertainty, hundreds of realizationsmore » of these DFN models have to be run. To reduce the computational burden, we solve flow and transport on a graph representation of a DFN. We study the accuracy of the graph approach by comparing breakthrough times and tracer particle statistical data between the graph-based and the high-fidelity DFN approaches, for fracture networks with varying number of fractures and degree of heterogeneity. Due to our recent developments in capabilities to perform DFN high-fidelity simulations on fracture networks with large number of fractures, we are in a unique position to perform such a comparison. We show that the graph approach shows a consistent bias with up to an order of magnitude slower breakthrough when compared to the DFN approach. We show that this is due to graph algorithm's underprediction of the pressure gradients across intersections on a given fracture, leading to slower tracer particle speeds between intersections and longer travel times. We present a bias correction methodology to the graph algorithm that reduces the discrepancy between the DFN and graph predictions. We show that with this bias correction, the graph algorithm predictions significantly improve and the results are very accurate. In conclusion, the good accuracy and the low computational cost, with O(10 4) times lower times than the DFN, makes the graph algorithm an ideal technique to incorporate in uncertainty quantification methods.« less

Modeling flow and transport in fracture networks using graphs

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

Karra, S.; O'Malley, D.; Hyman, J. D.

Fractures form the main pathways for flow in the subsurface within low-permeability rock. For this reason, accurately predicting flow and transport in fractured systems is vital for improving the performance of subsurface applications. Fracture sizes in these systems can range from millimeters to kilometers. Although modeling flow and transport using the discrete fracture network (DFN) approach is known to be more accurate due to incorporation of the detailed fracture network structure over continuum-based methods, capturing the flow and transport in such a wide range of scales is still computationally intractable. Furthermore, if one has to quantify uncertainty, hundreds of realizationsmore » of these DFN models have to be run. To reduce the computational burden, we solve flow and transport on a graph representation of a DFN. We study the accuracy of the graph approach by comparing breakthrough times and tracer particle statistical data between the graph-based and the high-fidelity DFN approaches, for fracture networks with varying number of fractures and degree of heterogeneity. Due to our recent developments in capabilities to perform DFN high-fidelity simulations on fracture networks with large number of fractures, we are in a unique position to perform such a comparison. We show that the graph approach shows a consistent bias with up to an order of magnitude slower breakthrough when compared to the DFN approach. We show that this is due to graph algorithm's underprediction of the pressure gradients across intersections on a given fracture, leading to slower tracer particle speeds between intersections and longer travel times. We present a bias correction methodology to the graph algorithm that reduces the discrepancy between the DFN and graph predictions. We show that with this bias correction, the graph algorithm predictions significantly improve and the results are very accurate. In conclusion, the good accuracy and the low computational cost, with O(10 4) times lower times than the DFN, makes the graph algorithm an ideal technique to incorporate in uncertainty quantification methods.« less

Self-organization in a bimotility mixture of model microswimmers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agrawal, Adyant; Babu, Sujin B.

2018-02-01

We study the cooperation and segregation dynamics in a bimotility mixture of microorganisms which swim at low Reynolds numbers via periodic deformations along the body. We employ a multiparticle collision dynamics method to simulate a two component mixture of artificial swimmers, termed as Taylor lines, which differ from each other only in the propulsion speed. The analysis reveals that a contribution of slower swimmers towards clustering, on average, is much larger as compared to the faster ones. We notice distinctive self-organizing dynamics, depending on the percentage difference in the speed of the two kinds. If this difference is large, the faster ones fragment the clusters of the slower ones in order to reach the boundary and form segregated clusters. Contrarily, when it is small, both kinds mix together at first, the faster ones usually leading the cluster and then gradually the slower ones slide out thereby also leading to segregation.

Flow characterization and patch clamp dose responses using jet microfluidics in a tubeless microfluidic device.

PubMed

Resto, Pedro J; Bhat, Abhishek; Stava, Eric; Lor, Chong; Merriam, Elliot; Diaz-Rivera, Ruben E; Pearce, Robert; Blick, Robert; Williams, Justin C

2017-11-01

Surface tension passive pumping is a way to actuate flow without the need for pumps, tubing or valves by using the pressure inside small drop to move liquid via a microfluidic channel. These types of tubeless devices have typically been used in cell biology. Herein we present the use of tubeless devices as a fluid exchange platform for patch clamp electrophysiology. Inertia from high-speed droplets and jets is used to create flow and perform on-the-fly mixing of solutions. These are then flowed over GABA transfected HEK cells under patch in order to perform a dose response analysis. TIRF imaging and electrical recordings are used to study the fluid exchange properties of the microfluidic device, resulting in 0-90% fluid exchange times of hundreds of milliseconds. COMSOL is used to model flow and fluid exchange within the device. Patch-clamping experiments show the ability to use high-speed passive pumping and its derivatives for studying peak dose responses, but not for studying ion channel kinetics. Our system results in fluid exchange times slower than when using a standard 12-barrel application system and is not as stable as traditional methods, but it offers a new platform with added functionality. Surface tension passive pumping and tubeless devices can be used in a limited fashion for electrophysiology. Users may obtain peak dose responses but the system, in its current form, is not capable of fluid exchange fast enough to study the kinetics of most ion channels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Switching speeds in NCAP displays: dependence on collection angle and wavelength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reamey, Robert H.; Montoya, Wayne; Wartenberg, Mark

1991-06-01

The on and off switching speeds of nematic droplet-polymer films (NCAP) are shown to depend on the collection angle (f/#) and the wavelength of the light used in the measurement. Conventional twisted nematic liquid crystal displays have switching speeds which depend little on these factors. The switching speed dependence on collection angle (f/#) and wavelength for nematic droplet-polymer films is inherent to the mechanism by which light is modulated in these films. This mechanism is the scattering of light by the nematic droplets. The on times become faster and the off times become slower as the collection angle of detection is increased. The overall change in switching speed can be large. Greater than 100X changes in off time have been observed. As the wavelength of the light used to interrogate the sample is increased (blue yields green yields red) the on times become faster and the off times become slower. This dependence of switching speed on wavelength is apparent at all collection angles. An awareness of these effects is necessary when developing nematic droplet-polymer films for display applications and when comparing switching speed data from different sources.

The morphological heterogeneity of cricket flow-sensing hairs conveys the complex flow signature of predator attacks.

PubMed

Steinmann, Thomas; Casas, Jérôme

2017-06-01

Arthropod flow-sensing hair length ranges over more than an order of magnitude, from 0.1 to 5 mm. Previous studies repeatedly identified the longest hairs as the most sensitive, but recent studies identified the shortest hairs as the most responsive. We resolved this apparent conflict by proposing a new model, taking into account both the initial and long-term aspects of the flow pattern produced by a lunging predator. After the estimation of the mechanical parameters of hairs, we measured the flow produced by predator mimics and compared the predicted and observed values of hair displacements in this flow. Short and long hairs respond over different time scales during the course of an attack. By harbouring a canopy of hairs of different lengths, forming a continuum, the insect can fractionize these moments. Short hairs are more agile, but are less able to harvest energy from the air. This may result in longer hairs firing their neurons earlier, despite their slower deflection. The complex interplay between hair agility and sensitivity is also modulated by the predator distance and the attack speed, characteristics defining flow properties. We conclude that the morphological heterogeneity of the hair canopy mirrors the flow complexity of an entire attack, from launch to grasp. © 2017 The Author(s).

Modelling the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan storm surge: Effect of waves, offshore winds, tide phase, and translation speed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilgera, P. H. T.

2015-12-01

Super Typhoon Haiyan, with wind speeds exceeding 300 km h-1 (160 knots) generated a storm surge in San Pedro Bay reaching heights of more than 6m in Tacloban City. Delft Dashboard (DDB), an open-source standalone Matlab based graphical user interface linked to the FLOW and WAVE modeling software of Deltares, was used to develop a coupled flow and wave storm surge model to understand the Typhoon Haiyan storm surge development and propagation. Various experiments were designed to determine the effect of waves, the occurrence of offshore winds prior to the surge, tidal phase, and typhoon translation speed on the surge height. Wave coupling decreased the surge height by about 0.5m probably due to energy dissipation from white capping, bottom friction, and depth-induced breaking. Offshore-directed winds before the arrival of the storm eye resulted to receding of the water level in San Pedro and Cancabato Bay, corroborated by eyewitness and tide gauge data. The experiment wherein the offshore winds were removed resulted to no water receding and a surge with a smaller and gentler surge front, pointing to the importance of the initial water level drawdown in contributing to the destructive power of the wave front. With regard to tides, the effect in Tacloban was actually neither linear nor additive to the surge, with higher surge coincident to low tides and lower surge coincident to high tides. Lastly, the model run with typhoon having a slower translation speed than Haiyan was found to generate higher surges.

Modelling the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan Storm Surge: Effect of Waves, Offshore Winds, Tide Phase, and Translation Speed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilgera, P. H. T.; Villanoy, C.; Cabrera, O.

2016-02-01

Super Typhoon Haiyan, with wind speeds exceeding 300 km h-1 (160 knots) generated a storm surge in San Pedro Bay reaching heights of more than 6m in Tacloban City. Delft Dashboard (DDB), an open-source standalone Matlab based graphical user interface linked to the FLOW and WAVE modeling software of Deltares, was used to develop a coupled flow and wave storm surge model to understand the Typhoon Haiyan storm surge development and propagation. Various experiments were designed to determine the effect of waves, the occurrence of offshore winds prior to the surge, tidal phase, and typhoon translation speed on the surge height. Wave coupling decreased the surge height by about 0.5m probably due to energy dissipation from white capping, bottom friction, and depth-induced breaking. Offshore-directed winds before the arrival of the storm eye resulted to receding of the water level in San Pedro and Cancabato Bay, corroborated by eyewitness and tide gauge data. The experiment wherein the offshore winds were removed resulted to no water receding and a surge with a smaller and gentler surge front, pointing to the importance of the initial water level drawdown in contributing to the destructive power of the wave front. With regard to tides, the effect in Tacloban was actually neither linear nor additive to the surge, with higher surge coincident to low tides and lower surge coincident to high tides. Lastly, the model run with typhoon having a slower translation speed than Haiyan was found to generate higher surges.

Walking economy during cued versus non-cued self-selected treadmill walking in persons with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Gallo, Paul M; McIsaac, Tara L; Garber, Carol Ewing

2014-01-01

Gait impairments related to Parkinson's disease (PD) include variable step length and decreased walking velocity, which may result in poorer walking economy. Auditory cueing is a common method used to improve gait mechanics in PD that has been shown to worsen walking economy at set treadmill walking speeds. It is unknown if auditory cueing has the same effects on walking economy at self-selected treadmill walking speeds. To determine if auditory cueing will affect walking economy at self-selected treadmill walking speeds and at speeds slightly faster and slower than self-selected. Twenty-two participants with moderate PD performed three, 6-minute bouts of treadmill walking at three speeds (self-selected and ± 0.22 m·sec-1). One session used cueing and the other without cueing. Energy expenditure was measured and walking economy was calculated (energy expenditure/power). Poorer walking economy and higher energy expenditure occurred during cued walking at a self-selected and a slightly faster walking speed, but there was no apparent difference at the slightly slower speed. These results suggest that potential gait benefits of auditory cueing may come at an energy cost and poorer walking economy for persons with PD at least at some treadmill walking speeds.

Physical Inactivity Predicts Slow Gait Speed in an Elderly Multi-Ethnic Cohort Study: The Northern Manhattan Study.

PubMed

Willey, Joshua Z; Moon, Yeseon P; Kulick, Erin R; Cheung, Ying Kuen; Wright, Clinton B; Sacco, Ralph L; Elkind, Mitchell S V

2017-01-01

Gait speed is associated with multiple adverse outcomes of aging. We hypothesized that physical inactivity would be prospectively inversely associated with gait speed independently of white matter hyperintensity volume and silent brain infarcts on MRI. Participants in the Northern Manhattan Study MRI sub-study had physical activity assessed when they were enrolled into the study. A mean of 5 years after the MRI, participants had gait speed measured via a timed 5-meter walk test. Physical inactivity was defined as reporting no leisure-time physical activity. Multi-variable logistic and quantile regression was performed to examine the associations between physical inactivity and future gait speed adjusted for confounders. Among 711 participants with MRI and gait speed measures (62% women, 71% Hispanic, mean age 74.1 ± 8.4), the mean gait speed was 1.02 ± 0.26 m/s. Physical inactivity was associated with a greater odds of gait speed in the lowest quartile (<0.85 m/s, adjusted OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.17-3.08), and in quantile regression with 0.06 m/s slower gait speed at the lowest 20 percentile (p = 0.005). Physical inactivity is associated with slower gait speed independently of osteoarthritis, grip strength, and subclinical ischemic brain injury. Modifying sedentary behavior poses a target for interventions aimed at reducing decline in mobility. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Surface Waves and Flow-Induced Oscillations along an Underground Elliptic Cylinder Filled with a Viscous Fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakuraba, A.

2015-12-01

I made a linear analysis of flow-induced oscillations along an underground cylindrical conduit with an elliptical cross section on the basis of the hypothesis that volcanic tremor is a result of magma movement through a conduit. As a first step to understand how the self oscillation occurs because of magma flow, I investigated surface wave propagation and attenuation along an infinitely long fluid-filled elliptic cylinder in an elastic medium. The boundary element method is used to obtain the two-dimensional wave field around the ellipse in the frequency-wavenumber domain. When the major axis is much greater than the minor axis of the ellipse, we obtain the analytic form of the dispersion relation of both the crack-wave mode (Korneev 2008, Lipovsky & Dunham 2015) and the Rayleigh-wave mode with flexural deformation. The crack-wave mode generally has a slower phase speed and a higher attenuation than the Rayleigh-wave mode. In the long-wavelength limit, the crack-wave mode disappears because of fluid viscosity, but the Rayleigh-wave mode exists with a constant Q-value that depends on viscosity. When the aspect ratio of the ellipse is finite, the surface waves can basically be understood as those propagating along a fluid pipe. The flexural mode does exist even when the wavelength is much longer than the major axis, but its phase speed coincides with that of the surrounding S-wave (Randall 1991). As its attenuation is zero in the long-wavelength limit, the flexural mode differs in nature from surface wave. I also obtain a result on linear stability of viscous flow through an elliptic cylinder. In this analysis, I made an assumption that the fluid inertia is so small that the Stokes equation can be used. As suggested by the author's previous study (Sakuraba & Yamauchi 2014), the flexural (Rayleigh-wave) mode is destabilized at a critical flow speed that decreases with the wavelength. However, when the wavelength is much greater than the major axis of the ellipse, the unstable solution does exist, but its linear growth rate in amplitude becomes almost zero. Therefore, the unstable solution effectively disappears in the long-wavelength limit, suggesting that the aspect ratio of the conduit is needed to be sufficiently large if the flow-induced oscillation caused by a moderate magma speed is an origin of volcanic tremor.

The Bicyclist's Paradox

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Randy

2008-01-01

It's a situation every avid cyclist knows only too well. If you cycle up a hill and then back down with no net change in elevation, it seems as if your slower uphill speed and faster downhill speed should offset each other. But they don't. Your average speed is less than it would have been had you cycled the same distance on a level road.…

Acceleration of Humboldt glacier, north Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, S.; Howat, I.; Noh, M. J.; King, M. D.

2017-12-01

Here we report on recent abrupt acceleration on the flow speed of Humboldt Glacier (HG) in northern Greenland. The mean annual discharge of this glacier in 2000 was estimated as 8.4Gt/a, placing it among the largest outlet glacier draining the northern coast (Enderlin et al., 2014). Using a combination of remote sensing datasets, we find that following a slight slowing before 2010, HG suddenly sped up by a factor of three between 2012 and 2013, maintaining that increased speed through 2016. Speedup was accompanied by up to 10 m of thinning near the terminus and followed slower, longer-term thinning and retreat. Here we assess possible causes for the speedup, potential for continued acceleration and implication to ice sheet mass balance. ReferenceEnderlin, E. M., I. M. Howat, S. Jeong, M.-J. Noh, J. H. van Angelen, and M. R. van den Broeke (2014), An improved mass budget for the Greenland ice sheet, Geophys. Res. Lett., 41, 866-872, doi:10.1002/2013GL059010.

Altered spatiotemporal characteristics of gait in older adults with chronic low back pain.

PubMed

Hicks, Gregory E; Sions, J Megan; Coyle, Peter C; Pohlig, Ryan T

2017-06-01

Previous studies in older adults have identified that chronic low back pain (CLBP) is associated with slower gait speed. Given that slower gait speed is a predictor of greater morbidity and mortality among older adults, it is important to understand the underlying spatiotemporal characteristics of gait among older adults with CLBP. The purposes of this study were to determine (1) if there are differences in spatiotemporal parameters of gait between older adults with and without CLBP during self-selected and fast walking and (2) whether any of these gait characteristics are correlated with performance of a challenging walking task, e.g. stair negotiation. Spatiotemporal characteristics of gait were evaluated using a computerized walkway in 54 community-dwelling older adults with CLBP and 54 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Older adults with CLBP walked slower than their pain-free peers during self-selected and fast walking. After controlling for body mass index and gait speed, step width was significantly greater in the CLBP group during the fast walking condition. Within the CLBP group, step width and double limb support time are significantly correlated with stair ascent/descent times. From a clinical perspective, these gait characteristics, which may be indicative of balance performance, may need to be addressed to improve overall gait speed, as well as stair-climbing performance. Future longitudinal studies confirming our findings are needed, as well as investigations focused on developing interventions to improve gait speed and decrease subsequent risk of mobility decline. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fast packet switching algorithms for dynamic resource control over ATM networks

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

Tsang, R.P.; Keattihananant, P.; Chang, T.

1996-12-01

Real-time continuous media traffic, such as digital video and audio, is expected to comprise a large percentage of the network load on future high speed packet switch networks such as ATM. A major feature which distinguishes high speed networks from traditional slower speed networks is the large amount of data the network must process very quickly. For efficient network usage, traffic control mechanisms are essential. Currently, most mechanisms for traffic control (such as flow control) have centered on the support of Available Bit Rate (ABR), i.e., non real-time, traffic. With regard to ATM, for ABR traffic, two major types ofmore » schemes which have been proposed are rate- control and credit-control schemes. Neither of these schemes are directly applicable to Real-time Variable Bit Rate (VBR) traffic such as continuous media traffic. Traffic control for continuous media traffic is an inherently difficult problem due to the time- sensitive nature of the traffic and its unpredictable burstiness. In this study, we present a scheme which controls traffic by dynamically allocating/de- allocating resources among competing VCs based upon their real-time requirements. This scheme incorporates a form of rate- control, real-time burst-level scheduling and link-link flow control. We show analytically potential performance improvements of our rate- control scheme and present a scheme for buffer dimensioning. We also present simulation results of our schemes and discuss the tradeoffs inherent in maintaining high network utilization and statistically guaranteeing many users` Quality of Service.« less

Slower speed and stronger coupling: adaptive mechanisms of chaos synchronization.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao Fan

2002-06-01

We show that two initially weakly coupled chaotic systems can achieve synchronization by adaptively reducing their speed and/or enhancing the coupling strength. Explicit adaptive algorithms for speed reduction and coupling enhancement are provided. We apply these algorithms to the synchronization of two coupled Lorenz systems. It is found that after a long-time adaptive process, the two coupled chaotic systems can achieve synchronization with almost the minimum required coupling-speed ratio.

Spatio-Temporal Migration Patterns of Pacific Salmon Smolts in Rivers and Coastal Marine Waters

PubMed Central

Melnychuk, Michael C.; Welch, David W.; Walters, Carl J.

2010-01-01

Background Migrations allow animals to find food resources, rearing habitats, or mates, but often impose considerable predation risk. Several behavioural strategies may reduce this risk, including faster travel speed and taking routes with shorter total distance. Descriptions of the natural range of variation in migration strategies among individuals and populations is necessary before the ecological consequences of such variation can be established. Methodology/Principal Findings Movements of tagged juvenile coho, steelhead, sockeye, and Chinook salmon were quantified using a large-scale acoustic tracking array in southern British Columbia, Canada. Smolts from 13 watersheds (49 watershed/species/year combinations) were tagged between 2004–2008 and combined into a mixed-effects model analysis of travel speed. During the downstream migration, steelhead were slower on average than other species, possibly related to freshwater residualization. During the migration through the Strait of Georgia, coho were slower than steelhead and sockeye, likely related to some degree of inshore summer residency. Hatchery-reared smolts were slower than wild smolts during the downstream migration, but after ocean entry, average speeds were similar. In small rivers, downstream travel speed increased with body length, but in the larger Fraser River and during the coastal migration, average speed was independent of body length. Smolts leaving rivers located towards the northern end of the Strait of Georgia ecosystem migrated strictly northwards after ocean entry, but those from rivers towards the southern end displayed split-route migration patterns within populations, with some moving southward. Conclusions/Significance Our results reveal a tremendous diversity of behavioural migration strategies used by juvenile salmon, across species, rearing histories, and habitats, as well as within individual populations. During the downstream migration, factors that had strong effects on travel speeds included species, wild or hatchery-rearing history, watershed size and, in smaller rivers, body length. During the coastal migration, travel speeds were only strongly affected by species differences. PMID:20886121

Bayesian Modeling of Perceived Surface Slant from Actively-Generated and Passively-Observed Optic Flow

PubMed Central

Caudek, Corrado; Fantoni, Carlo; Domini, Fulvio

2011-01-01

We measured perceived depth from the optic flow (a) when showing a stationary physical or virtual object to observers who moved their head at a normal or slower speed, and (b) when simulating the same optic flow on a computer and presenting it to stationary observers. Our results show that perceived surface slant is systematically distorted, for both the active and the passive viewing of physical or virtual surfaces. These distortions are modulated by head translation speed, with perceived slant increasing directly with the local velocity gradient of the optic flow. This empirical result allows us to determine the relative merits of two alternative approaches aimed at explaining perceived surface slant in active vision: an “inverse optics” model that takes head motion information into account, and a probabilistic model that ignores extra-retinal signals. We compare these two approaches within the framework of the Bayesian theory. The “inverse optics” Bayesian model produces veridical slant estimates if the optic flow and the head translation velocity are measured with no error; because of the influence of a “prior” for flatness, the slant estimates become systematically biased as the measurement errors increase. The Bayesian model, which ignores the observer's motion, always produces distorted estimates of surface slant. Interestingly, the predictions of this second model, not those of the first one, are consistent with our empirical findings. The present results suggest that (a) in active vision perceived surface slant may be the product of probabilistic processes which do not guarantee the correct solution, and (b) extra-retinal signals may be mainly used for a better measurement of retinal information. PMID:21533197

The effect of virtual reality on gait variability.

PubMed

Katsavelis, Dimitrios; Mukherjee, Mukul; Decker, Leslie; Stergiou, Nicholas

2010-07-01

Optic Flow (OF) plays an important role in human locomotion and manipulation of OF characteristics can cause changes in locomotion patterns. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of the velocity of optic flow on the amount and structure of gait variability. Each subject underwent four conditions of treadmill walking at their self-selected pace. In three conditions the subjects walked in an endless virtual corridor, while a fourth control condition was also included. The three virtual conditions differed in the speed of the optic flow displayed as follows--same speed (OFn), faster (OFf), and slower (OFs) than that of the treadmill. Gait kinematics were tracked with an optical motion capture system. Gait variability measures of the hip, knee and ankle range of motion and stride interval were analyzed. Amount of variability was evaluated with linear measures of variability--coefficient of variation, while structure of variability i.e., its organization over time, were measured with nonlinear measures--approximate entropy and detrended fluctuation analysis. The linear measures of variability, CV, did not show significant differences between Non-VR and VR conditions while nonlinear measures of variability identified significant differences at the hip, ankle, and in stride interval. In response to manipulation of the optic flow, significant differences were observed between the three virtual conditions in the following order: OFn greater than OFf greater than OFs. Measures of structure of variability are more sensitive to changes in gait due to manipulation of visual cues, whereas measures of the amount of variability may be concealed by adaptive mechanisms. Visual cues increase the complexity of gait variability and may increase the degrees of freedom available to the subject. Further exploration of the effects of optic flow manipulation on locomotion may provide us with an effective tool for rehabilitation of subjects with sensorimotor issues.

Multi-transmitter/multi-receiver high-speed measurements of soil resistivity and induced polarization - Hydrological application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gance, Julien; Texier, Benoît; Leite, Orlando; Bernard, Jean; Truffert, Catherine; Lebert, François; Yamashita, Yoshihiro

2016-04-01

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is an adapted tool for the monitoring of soil moisture variations in aquifers (Binley et al., 2015). Nevertheless, in some specific cases, like for highly permeable soils or fractured aquifers, the measurements from the device can be slower than the water flow through the entire investigated zone. Therefore, the monitoring of such phenomena cannot be performed with classical devices. In such cases, we require a high-speed measurement of soils resistivity. Since 20 years, the speed of acquisition of the resistivity meters has been improved by the development of multi-channel devices allowing to perform multi-electrode (> 4) measurements. The switching capabilities of the actual devices allow to measure over long profiles up to hundreds of electrodes only using one transmitter. Based on this multi-receiver technology and on previous work from Yamashita et al. (2013), authors have developed a 250 W multi-transmitter device for the high speed measurement of resistivity and induced polarization. Current is therefore injected simultaneously in the soil through six injection electrodes. The injected current is coded for each transmitter using Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA, Yamashita et al., 2014) so that the different voltages induced by each sources can be reconstructed from the total potential measurement signal at each receiver, allowing to save acquisition time. The first operational prototype features 3 transmitters and 6 receivers. Its performances are compared to a mono-transmitter device for different sequences of acquisition in 2D and 3D configurations both in theory and on real field data acquired on a shallow sedimentary aquifer in the Loire valley in France. This device is promising for the accurate monitoring of rapid water flows in heterogeneous aquifers.

Evolutionary speed of species invasions.

PubMed

García-Ramos, Gisela; Rodríguez, Diego

2002-04-01

Successful invasion may depend of the capacity of a species to adjust genetically to a spatially varying environment. This research modeled a species invasion by examining the interaction between a quantitative genetic trait and population density. It assumed: (I) a quantitative genetic trait describes the adaptation of an individual to its local ecological conditions; (2) populations far from the local optimum grow more slowly than those near the optimum; and (3) the evolution of a trait depends on local population density, because differences in local population densities cause asymmetrical gene flow. This genetics-density interaction determined the propagation speed of populations. Numerical simulations showed that populations spread by advancing as two synchronic traveling waves, one for population density and one for trait adaptation. The form of the density wave was a step front that advances homogenizing populations at their carrying capacity; the adaptation wave was a curve with finite slope that homogenizes populations at full adaptation. The largest speed of population expansion, for a dimensionless analysis, corresponded to an almost homogeneous spatial environment when this model approached an ecological description such as the Fisher-Skellam's model. A large genetic response also favored faster speeds. Evolutionary speeds, in a natural scale, showed a wide range of rates that were also slower compared to models that only consider demographics. This evolutionary speed increased with high heritability, strong stabilizing selection, and high intrinsic growth rate. It decreased for steeper environmental gradients. Also indicated was an optimal dispersal rate over which evolutionary speed declined. This is expected because dispersal moves individuals further, but homogenizes populations genetically, making them maladapted. The evolutionary speed was compared to observed data. Furthermore, a moderate increase in the speed of expansion was predicted for ecological changes related to global warming.

Elite long jumpers with below the knee prostheses approach the board slower, but take-off more effectively than non-amputee athletes.

PubMed

Willwacher, Steffen; Funken, Johannes; Heinrich, Kai; Müller, Ralf; Hobara, Hiroaki; Grabowski, Alena M; Brüggemann, Gert-Peter; Potthast, Wolfgang

2017-11-22

The use of technological aids to improve sport performance ('techno doping') and inclusion of Paralympic athletes in Olympic events are matters of ongoing debate. Recently, a long jumper with a below the knee amputation (BKA) achieved jump distances similar to world-class athletes without amputations, using a carbon fibre running-specific prosthesis (RSP). We show that athletes with BKA utilize a different, more effective take-off technique in the long jump, which provided the best athlete with BKA a performance advantage of at least 0.13 m compared to non-amputee athletes. A maximum speed constraint imposed by the use of RSPs would indicate a performance disadvantage for the long jump. We found slower maximum sprinting speeds in athletes with BKA, but did not find a difference in the overall vertical force from both legs of athletes with BKA compared to non-amputees. Slower speeds might originate from intrinsically lower sprinting abilities of athletes with BKA or from more complex adaptions in sprinting mechanics due to the biomechanical and morphological differences induced by RSPs. Our results suggest that due to different movement strategies, athletes with and without BKA should likely compete in separate categories for the long jump.

FRAS1-related extracellular matrix 3 (FREM3) single-nucleotide polymorphism effects on gene expression, amygdala reactivity and perceptual processing speed: An accelerated aging pathway of depression risk

PubMed Central

Nikolova, Yuliya S.; Iruku, Swetha P.; Lin, Chien-Wei; Conley, Emily Drabant; Puralewski, Rachel; French, Beverly; Hariri, Ahmad R.; Sibille, Etienne

2015-01-01

The A allele of the FRAS1-related extracellular matrix protein 3 (FREM3) rs7676614 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was linked to major depressive disorder (MDD) in an early genome-wide association study (GWAS), and to symptoms of psychomotor retardation in a follow-up investigation. In line with significant overlap between age- and depression-related molecular pathways, parallel work has shown that FREM3 expression in postmortem human brain decreases with age. Here, we probe the effect of rs7676614 on amygdala reactivity and perceptual processing speed, both of which are altered in depression and aging. Amygdala reactivity was assessed using a face-matching BOLD fMRI paradigm in 365 Caucasian participants in the Duke Neurogenetics Study (DNS) (192 women, mean age 19.7 ± 1.2). Perceptual processing speed was indexed by reaction times in the same task and the Trail Making Test (TMT). The effect of rs7676614 on FREM3 mRNA brain expression levels was probed in a postmortem cohort of 169 Caucasian individuals (44 women, mean age 50.8 ± 14.9). The A allele of rs7676614 was associated with blunted amygdala reactivity to faces, slower reaction times in the face-matching condition (p < 0.04), as well as marginally slower performance on TMT Part B (p = 0.056). In the postmortem cohort, the T allele of rs6537170 (proxy for the rs7676614 A allele), was associated with trend-level reductions in gene expression in Brodmann areas 11 and 47 (p = 0.066), reminiscent of patterns characteristic of older age. The low-expressing allele of another FREM3 SNP (rs1391187) was similarly associated with reduced amygdala reactivity and slower TMT Part B speed, in addition to reduced BA47 activity and extraversion (p < 0.05). Together, these results suggest common genetic variation associated with reduced FREM3 expression may confer risk for a subtype of depression characterized by reduced reactivity to environmental stimuli and slower perceptual processing speed, possibly suggestive of accelerated aging. PMID:26441752

Quantitative Examination of a Large Sample of Supra-Arcade Downflows in Eruptive Solar Flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savage, Sabrina L.; McKenzie, David E.

2011-01-01

Sunward-flowing voids above post-coronal mass ejection flare arcades were first discovered using the soft X-ray telescope aboard Yohkoh and have since been observed with TRACE (extreme ultraviolet (EUV)), SOHO/LASCO (white light), SOHO/SUMER (EUV spectra), and Hinode/XRT (soft X-rays). Supra-arcade downflow (SAD) observations suggest that they are the cross-sections of thin flux tubes retracting from a reconnection site high in the corona. Supra-arcade downflowing loops (SADLs) have also been observed under similar circumstances and are theorized to be SADs viewed from a perpendicular angle. Although previous studies have focused on dark flows because they are easier to detect and complementary spectral data analysis reveals their magnetic nature, the signal intensity of the flows actually ranges from dark to bright. This implies that newly reconnected coronal loops can contain a range of hot plasma density. Previous studies have presented detailed SAD observations for a small number of flares. In this paper, we present a substantial SADs and SADLs flare catalog. We have applied semiautomatic detection software to several of these events to detect and track individual downflows thereby providing statistically significant samples of parameters such as velocity, acceleration, area, magnetic flux, shrinkage energy, and reconnection rate. We discuss these measurements (particularly the unexpected result of the speeds being an order of magnitude slower than the assumed Alfven speed), how they were obtained, and potential impact on reconnection models.

Lower verbal intelligence is associated with diabetic complications and slower walking speed in people with Type 2 diabetes: the Maastricht Study.

PubMed

Spauwen, P J J; Martens, R J H; Stehouwer, C D A; Verhey, F R J; Schram, M T; Sep, S J S; van der Kallen, C J H; Dagnelie, P C; Henry, R M A; Schaper, N C; van Boxtel, M P J

2016-12-01

To determine the association of verbal intelligence, a core constituent of health literacy, with diabetic complications and walking speed in people with Type 2 diabetes. This study was performed in 228 people with Type 2 diabetes participating in the Maastricht Study, a population-based cohort study. We examined the cross-sectional associations of score on the vocabulary test of the Groningen Intelligence Test with: 1) determinants of diabetic complications (HbA 1c , blood pressure and lipid level); 2) diabetic complications: chronic kidney disease, neuropathic pain, self-reported history of cardiovascular disease and carotid intima-media thickness; and 3) walking speed. Analyses were performed using linear regression and adjusted in separate models for potential confounders and mediators. Significant age- and sex-adjusted associations were additionally adjusted for educational level in a separate model. After full adjustment, lower verbal intelligence was associated with the presence of neuropathic pain [odds ratio (OR) 1.18, 95% CI 1.02;1.36], cardiovascular disease (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01;1.30), and slower walking speed (regression coefficient -0.011 m/s, 95% CI -0.021; -0.002 m/s). These associations were largely explained by education. Verbal intelligence was not associated with blood pressure, glycaemic control, lipid control, chronic kidney disease or carotid intima-media thickness. Lower verbal intelligence was associated with the presence of some diabetic complications and with a slower walking speed, a measure of physical functioning. Educational level largely explained these associations. This implies that clinicians should be aware of the educational level of people with diabetes and should provide information at a level of complexity tailored to the patient. © 2016 Diabetes UK.

ARC-2012-ACD12-0020-002

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-02

Shen_Nargis: Snapshot of a very large simulation showing the altitude and velocity of wind speeds within the 2008 Cyclone Nargis. Top wind speeds for the storm were measured at 135 mph. The lowest altitude winds are shown in blue, while the highest altitude winds are shown in pink. Wind speed is shown by color density: higher density denotes stronger winds, slightly transparent color indicates slower wind speeds. Credit: Bryan Green, NASA Ames Research Center; Bo-wen Shen, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Resting State Default Mode Network Connectivity, Dual Task Performance, Gait Speed, and Postural Sway in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

PubMed Central

Crockett, Rachel A.; Hsu, Chun Liang; Best, John R.; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa

2017-01-01

Aging is associated with an increased risk of falling. In particular, older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are more vulnerable to falling compared with their healthy counterparts. Major contributors to this increased falls risk include a decline in dual task performance, gait speed, and postural sway. Recent evidence highlights the potential influence of the default mode network (DMN), the frontoparietal network (FPN), and the supplementary motor area (SMA) on dual task performance, gait speed, and postural sway. The DMN is active during rest and deactivates during task-oriented processes, to maintain attention and stay on task. The FPN and SMA are involved in top-down attentional control, motor planning, and motor execution. The DMN shows less deactivation during task in older adults with MCI. This lack of deactivation is theorized to increase competition for resources between the DMN and task-related brain regions (e.g., the FPN and SMA), increasing distraction from the task and reducing task performance. However, no study has yet investigated the relationship between the between-network connectivity of the DMN with these regions and dual task walking, gait speed or postural sway. We hypothesized that greater functional connectivity both within the DMN and between DMN–FPN and DMN–SMA, will be associated with poorer performance during dual task walking, slower gait speed, and greater postural sway in older adults with MCI. Forty older adults with MCI were measured on a dual task-walking paradigm, gait speed over a 4-m walk, and postural sway using a sway-meter. Greater within-DMN connectivity was significantly correlated with poorer dual task performance. Furthermore, greater inter-network connectivity between the DMN and SMA was significantly correlated with slower gait speed and greater postural sway on the eyes open floor sway task. Thus, greater resting state DMN functional connectivity may be an underlying neural mechanism for reduced dual task ability, slower gait speed, and greater postural sway, resulting in the increased risk of mobility disability and falling in older adults with MCI. PMID:29311906

Resting State Default Mode Network Connectivity, Dual Task Performance, Gait Speed, and Postural Sway in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

PubMed

Crockett, Rachel A; Hsu, Chun Liang; Best, John R; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa

2017-01-01

Aging is associated with an increased risk of falling. In particular, older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are more vulnerable to falling compared with their healthy counterparts. Major contributors to this increased falls risk include a decline in dual task performance, gait speed, and postural sway. Recent evidence highlights the potential influence of the default mode network (DMN), the frontoparietal network (FPN), and the supplementary motor area (SMA) on dual task performance, gait speed, and postural sway. The DMN is active during rest and deactivates during task-oriented processes, to maintain attention and stay on task. The FPN and SMA are involved in top-down attentional control, motor planning, and motor execution. The DMN shows less deactivation during task in older adults with MCI. This lack of deactivation is theorized to increase competition for resources between the DMN and task-related brain regions (e.g., the FPN and SMA), increasing distraction from the task and reducing task performance. However, no study has yet investigated the relationship between the between-network connectivity of the DMN with these regions and dual task walking, gait speed or postural sway. We hypothesized that greater functional connectivity both within the DMN and between DMN-FPN and DMN-SMA, will be associated with poorer performance during dual task walking, slower gait speed, and greater postural sway in older adults with MCI. Forty older adults with MCI were measured on a dual task-walking paradigm, gait speed over a 4-m walk, and postural sway using a sway-meter. Greater within-DMN connectivity was significantly correlated with poorer dual task performance. Furthermore, greater inter-network connectivity between the DMN and SMA was significantly correlated with slower gait speed and greater postural sway on the eyes open floor sway task. Thus, greater resting state DMN functional connectivity may be an underlying neural mechanism for reduced dual task ability, slower gait speed, and greater postural sway, resulting in the increased risk of mobility disability and falling in older adults with MCI.

Does public transport use prevent declines in walking speed among older adults living in England? A prospective cohort study

PubMed Central

Rouxel, Patrick; Webb, Elizabeth; Chandola, Tarani

2017-01-01

Objectives Although there is some evidence that public transport use confers public health benefits, the evidence is limited by cross-sectional study designs and health-related confounding factors. This study examines the effect of public transport use on changes in walking speed among older adults living in England, comparing frequent users of public transport to their peers who did not use public transport because of structural barriers (poor public transport infrastructure) or through choice. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting England, UK. Participants Older adults aged ≥60 years eligible for the walking speed test. 6246 individuals at wave 2 (2004–2005); 5909 individuals at wave 3 (2006–2007); 7321 individuals at wave 4 (2008–2009); 7535 individuals at wave 5 (2010–2011) and 7664 individuals at wave 6 (2012–2013) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Main outcome measure The walking speed was estimated from the time taken to walk 2.4 m. Fixed effects models and growth curve models were used to examine the associations between public transport use and walking speed. Results Older adults who did not use public transport through choice or because of structural reasons had slower walking speeds (−0.02 m/s (95% CI −0.03 to –0.003) and −0.02 m/s (95% CI −0.03 to –0.01), respectively) and took an extra 0.07 s to walk 2.4 m compared with their peers who used public transport frequently. The age-related trajectories of decline in walking speed were slower for frequent users of public transport compared with non-users. Conclusions Frequent use of public transport may prevent age-related decline in physical capability by promoting physical activity and lower limb muscle strength among older adults. The association between public transport use and slower decline in walking speed among older adults is unlikely to be confounded by health-related selection factors. Improving access to good quality public transport could improve the health of older adults. PMID:28963309

Effects of Speed of Word Processing on Semantic Access: The Case of Bilingualism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Clara D.; Costa, Albert; Dering, Benjamin; Hoshino, Noriko; Wu, Yan Jing; Thierry, Guillaume

2012-01-01

Bilingual speakers generally manifest slower word recognition than monolinguals. We investigated the consequences of the word processing speed on semantic access in bilinguals. The paradigm involved a stream of English words and pseudowords presented in succession at a constant rate. English-Welsh bilinguals and English monolinguals were asked to…

Next Generation Waveform Based Three-Dimensional Models and Metrics to Improve Nuclear Explosion Monitoring in the Middle East (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-30

improvements also significantly increase anomaly strength while sharpening the anomaly edges to create stronger and more pronounced tectonic structures. The...continental deformation and crustal thickening is occurring, the wave speeds are substantially slower. This Asian north-to-south, fast-to-slow wave speed

Increased Water Storage at Ice-stream Onsets: A Critical Mechanism?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bindschadler, Robert; Choi, Hyeungu

2007-01-01

The interdependence of rapid ice flow, surface topography and the spatial distribution of subglacial water are examined by linking existing theories. The motivation is to investigate whether the acceleration of an ice-stream tributary contains a positive feedback that encourages the retention of subglacial water that leads to faster flow. Periodically varying surface and bed topographies are related through a linear ice-flow perturbation theory for various values of mean surface slope, perturbation amplitude and basal sliding speeds. The topographic variations lead to a periodic variation in hydraulic potential that is used to infer the tendency for subglacial water to be retained in local hydraulic potential minima. If water retention leads to enhanced basal sliding, a positive feedback loop is closed that could explain the transition from slower tributary flow to faster-streaming flow and the sustained downstream acceleration along the tributary-ice-stream system. A sensitivity study illustrates that the same range of topographic wavelengths most effectively transmitted from the bed to the surface also strongly influences the behavior of subglacial water. A lubrication index is defined to qualitatively measure the heterogeneity of the subglacial hydrologic system. Application of this index to field data shows that the transition from tributary to ice stream closely agrees with the location where subglacial water may be first stored.

Spreading of a ferrofluid core in three-stream micromixer channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhaomeng; Varma, V. B.; Xia, Huan Ming; Wang, Z. P.; Ramanujan, R. V.

2015-05-01

Spreading of a water based ferrofluid core, cladded by a diamagnetic fluid, in three-stream micromixer channels was studied. This spreading, induced by an external magnetic field, is known as magnetofluidic spreading (MFS). MFS is useful for various novel applications where control of fluid-fluid interface is desired, such as micromixers or micro-chemical reactors. However, fundamental aspects of MFS are still unclear, and a model without correction factors is lacking. Hence, in this work, both experimental and numerical analyses were undertaken to study MFS. We show that MFS increased for higher applied magnetic fields, slower flow speed of both fluids, smaller flow rate of ferrofluid relative to cladding, and higher initial magnetic particle concentration. Spreading, mainly due to connective diffusion, was observed mostly near the channel walls. Our multi-physics model, which combines magnetic and fluidic analyses, showed, for the first time, excellent agreement between theory and experiment. These results can be useful for lab-on-a-chip devices.

Wind reduction by aerosol particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobson, Mark Z.; Kaufman, Yoram J.

2006-12-01

Aerosol particles are known to affect radiation, temperatures, stability, clouds, and precipitation, but their effects on spatially-distributed wind speed have not been examined to date. Here, it is found that aerosol particles, directly and through their enhancement of clouds, may reduce near-surface wind speeds below them by up to 8% locally. This reduction may explain a portion of observed ``disappearing winds'' in China, and it decreases the energy available for wind-turbine electricity. In California, slower winds reduce emissions of wind-driven soil dust and sea spray. Slower winds and cooler surface temperatures also reduce moisture advection and evaporation. These factors, along with the second indirect aerosol effect, may reduce California precipitation by 2-5%, contributing to a strain on water supply.

Indicators of walking speed in rheumatoid arthritis: relative influence of articular, psychosocial, and body composition characteristics.

PubMed

Lusa, Amanda L; Amigues, Isabelle; Kramer, Henry R; Dam, Thuy-Tien; Giles, Jon T

2015-01-01

To explore the contributions from and interactions between articular swelling and damage, psychosocial factors, and body composition characteristics on walking speed in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA patients underwent the timed 400-meter long-corridor walk. Demographics, self-reported levels of depressive symptoms and fatigue, RA characteristics, and body composition (using whole-body dual X-ray absorptiometry, and abdominal and thigh computed tomography) were assessed and their associations with walking speed explored. A total of 132 RA patients had data for the 400-meter walk, among whom 107 (81%) completed the full 400 meters. Significant multivariable indicators of slower walking speed were older age, higher depression scores, higher reported pain and fatigue, higher swollen and replaced joint counts, higher cumulative prednisone exposure, nontreatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and worse body composition. These features accounted for 60% of the modeled variability in walking speed. Among specific articular features, slower walking speed was primarily correlated with large/medium lower-extremity joint involvement. However, these articular features accounted for only 21% of the explainable variability in walking speed. Having any relevant articular characteristic was associated with a 20% lower walking speed among those with worse body composition (P < 0.001), compared with only a 6% lower speed among those with better body composition (P = 0.010 for interaction). Psychosocial factors and body composition are potentially reversible contributors to walking speed in RA. Relative to articular disease activity and damage, nonarticular indicators were collectively more potent indicators of an individual's mobility limitations. Copyright © 2015 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Cumulative loads increase at the knee joint with slow-speed running compared to faster running: a biomechanical study.

PubMed

Petersen, Jesper; Sørensen, Henrik; Nielsen, Rasmus Østergaard

2015-04-01

Biomechanical cross-sectional study. To investigate the hypothesis that the cumulative load at the knee during running increases as running speed decreases. The knee joint load per stride decreases as running speed decreases. However, by decreasing running speed, the number of strides per given distance is increased. Running a given distance at a slower speed may increase the cumulative load at the knee joint compared with running the same distance at a higher speed, hence increasing the risk of running-related injuries in the knee. Kinematic and ground reaction force data were collected from 16 recreational runners, during steady-state running with a rearfoot strike pattern at 3 different speeds (mean ± SD): 8.02 ± 0.17 km/h, 11.79 ± 0.21 km/h, and 15.78 ± 0.22 km/h. The cumulative load (cumulative impulse) over a 1000-m distance was calculated at the knee joint on the basis of a standard 3-D inverse-dynamics approach. Based on a 1000-m running distance, the cumulative load at the knee was significantly higher at a slow running speed than at a high running speed (relative difference, 80%). The mean load per stride at the knee increased significantly across all biomechanical parameters, except impulse, following an increase in running speed. Slow-speed running decreases knee joint loads per stride and increases the cumulative load at the knee joint for a given running distance compared to faster running. The primary reason for the increase in cumulative load at slower speeds is an increase in number of strides needed to cover the same distance.

Optimal pacing strategy: from theoretical modelling to reality in 1500-m speed skating.

PubMed

Hettinga, F J; De Koning, J J; Schmidt, L J I; Wind, N A C; Macintosh, B R; Foster, C

2011-01-01

Athletes are trained to choose the pace which is perceived to be correct during a specific effort, such as the 1500-m speed skating competition. The purpose of the present study was to "override" self-paced (SP) performance by instructing athletes to execute a theoretically optimal pacing profile. Seven national-level speed-skaters performed a SP 1500-m which was analysed by obtaining velocity (every 100 m) and body position (every 200 m) with video to calculate total mechanical power output. Together with gross efficiency and aerobic kinetics, obtained in separate trials, data were used to calculate aerobic and anaerobic power output profiles. An energy flow model was applied to SP, simulating a range of pacing strategies, and a theoretically optimal pacing profile was imposed in a second race (IM). Final time for IM was ∼2 s slower than SP. Total power distribution per lap differed, with a higher power over the first 300 m for IM (637.0 (49.4) vs 612.5 (50.0) W). Anaerobic parameters did not differ. The faster first lap resulted in a higher aerodynamic drag coefficient and perhaps a less effective push-off. Experienced athletes have a well-developed performance template, and changing pacing strategy towards a theoretically optimal fast start protocol had negative consequences on speed-skating technique and did not result in better performance.

Behavioral Priming: It's All in the Mind, but Whose Mind?

PubMed Central

Doyen, Stéphane; Klein, Olivier; Pichon, Cora-Lise; Cleeremans, Axel

2012-01-01

The perspective that behavior is often driven by unconscious determinants has become widespread in social psychology. Bargh, Chen, and Burrows' (1996) famous study, in which participants unwittingly exposed to the stereotype of age walked slower when exiting the laboratory, was instrumental in defining this perspective. Here, we present two experiments aimed at replicating the original study. Despite the use of automated timing methods and a larger sample, our first experiment failed to show priming. Our second experiment was aimed at manipulating the beliefs of the experimenters: Half were led to think that participants would walk slower when primed congruently, and the other half was led to expect the opposite. Strikingly, we obtained a walking speed effect, but only when experimenters believed participants would indeed walk slower. This suggests that both priming and experimenters' expectations are instrumental in explaining the walking speed effect. Further, debriefing was suggestive of awareness of the primes. We conclude that unconscious behavioral priming is real, while real, involves mechanisms different from those typically assumed to cause the effect. PMID:22279526

Context-dependent flight speed: evidence for energetically optimal flight speed in the bat Pipistrellus kuhlii?

PubMed

Grodzinski, Uri; Spiegel, Orr; Korine, Carmi; Holderied, Marc W

2009-05-01

1. Understanding the causes and consequences of animal flight speed has long been a challenge in biology. Aerodynamic theory is used to predict the most economical flight speeds, minimizing energy expenditure either per distance (maximal range speed, Vmr) or per time (minimal power speed, Vmp). When foraging in flight, flight speed also affects prey encounter and energy intake rates. According to optimal flight speed theory, such effects may shift the energetically optimal foraging speed to above Vmp. 2. Therefore, we predicted that if energetic considerations indeed have a substantial effect on flight speed of aerial-hawking bats, they will use high speed (close to Vmr) to commute from their daily roost to the foraging sites, while a slower speed (but still above Vmp) will be preferred during foraging. To test these predictions, echolocation calls of commuting and foraging Pipistrellus kuhlii were recorded and their flight tracks were reconstructed using an acoustic flight path tracking system. 3. Confirming our qualitative prediction, commuting flight was found to be significantly faster than foraging flight (9.3 vs. 6.7 m s(-1)), even when controlling for its lower tortuosity. 4. In order to examine our quantitative prediction, we compared observed flight speeds with Vmp and Vmr values generated for the study population using two alternative aerodynamic models, based on mass and wing morphology variables measured from bats we captured while commuting. The Vmp and Vmr values generated by one of the models were much lower than our measured flight speed. According to the other model used, however, measured foraging flight was faster than Vmp and commuting flight slightly slower than Vmr, which is in agreement with the predictions of optimal flight speed theory. 5. Thus, the second aerodynamic model we used seems to be a reasonable predictor of the different flight speeds used by the bats while foraging and while commuting. This supports the hypothesis that bats fly at a context-dependent, energetically optimal flight speed.

Multi-epoch VLBA Imaging of 20 New TeV Blazars: Apparent Jet Speeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piner, B. Glenn; Edwards, Philip G.

2018-01-01

We present 88 multi-epoch Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) images (most at an observing frequency of 8 GHz) of 20 TeV blazars, all of the high-frequency-peaked BL Lac (HBL) class, that have not been previously studied at multiple epochs on the parsec scale. From these 20 sources, we analyze the apparent speeds of 43 jet components that are all detected at four or more epochs. As has been found for other TeV HBLs, the apparent speeds of these components are relatively slow. About two-thirds of the components have an apparent speed that is consistent (within 2σ) with no motion, and some of these components may be stationary patterns whose apparent speed does not relate to the underlying bulk flow speed. In addition, a superluminal tail to the apparent speed distribution of the TeV HBLs is detected for the first time, with eight components in seven sources having a 2σ lower limit on the apparent speed exceeding 1c. We combine the data from these 20 sources with an additional 18 sources from the literature to analyze the complete apparent speed distribution of all 38 TeV HBLs that have been studied with very long baseline interferometry at multiple epochs. The highest 2σ apparent speed lower limit considering all sources is 3.6c. This suggests that bulk Lorentz factors of up to about 4, but probably not much higher, exist in the parsec-scale radio-emitting regions of these sources, consistent with estimates obtained in the radio by other means such as brightness temperatures. This can be reconciled with the high Lorentz factors estimated from the high-energy data if the jet has velocity structures consisting of different emission regions with different Lorentz factors. In particular, we analyze the current apparent speed data for the TeV HBLs in the context of a model with a fast central spine and a slower outer layer.

Where is the Most Likely Location Where the Secondary Interstellar Oxygen Atoms Are Created Around the Heliosheath?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, J.; Kucharek, H.; Szabo, A.; Paschalidis, N.; Grocer, A.; Jones, S.

2017-12-01

The secondary component of the interstellar neutral gas flow is originated from charge exchange between the undisturbed primary interstellar neutrals and the ions that have been deflected as they approach the heliopause. The secondary neutrals that are emitted from the interstellar ion flow through charge exchange carry information on the diverted flow and a fraction of them can travel to the Sun. Therefore, the secondary component of the interstellar neutrals is an excellent diagnostic tool to provide important information to constrain the shape of the heliopause. The presence of the secondary neutrals was predicted in the global heliospheric models and they are observed by Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) at Earth's orbit. Using the IBEX observations of neutral helium atoms, Kubiak et al. (2016, ApJS, 223, 25) approximated the parent distribution of the secondary interstellar He atoms (so-called Warm Breeze) with a homogeneous Maxwellian distribution function. Park et al. (2016, ApJ, 833, 130) analyzed IBEX observations of secondary interstellar helium and oxygen distributions at Earth's orbit. Lee et al. (2012, ApJS, 198, 10) constructed the heliospheric phase-space distribution function of an interstellar gas species in the Earth frame as a function of solar longitude. In this distribution, the authors assume that the distribution is a drifting Maxwellian at large distances from the Sun. In this study, we assume that a fraction of the secondary neutral atoms has a velocity vector toward the Sun and they can be described as a flow with a drifting Maxwellian distribution near the heliopause. Unlike the primary interstellar gas flow, the distribution of the secondary neutrals is expected to have a wide width and their bulk speeds are slower than the bulk speed of the primary interstellar gas flow. We compare Lee's distribution and IBEX observations of neutral oxygen atoms and then estimate the most likely direction where the secondary interstellar oxygen atoms are created near the heliopause.

Spring 1985 Leeway Experiment

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-10-01

conducted a leeway study for undrogued, canopied life rafts ( Scobie and Thompson, 1979). The current was measured by a buoy equipped with a 10-foot square...the Scobie and Thompson results. TABLE 6 LEEWAY SPEED FROM THE SUMMER 1983 R&DC EXPERIMENT Life Raft Leeway Speed Capacity Ballast System (Knots) 6-man...Both equations have the Switlik 4-man raft with slower leeway at wind speeds above 6 knots than the equation L = -0.12 + 0.05W given by Scobie and

Unlabored system motion by specially conditioned electromagnetic fields in higher dimensional realms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

David Froning, H.; Meholic, Gregory V.

2010-01-01

This third of three papers explores the possibility of swift, stress-less system transitions between slower-than-light and faster-than-light speeds with negligible net expenditure of system energetics. The previous papers derived a realm of higher dimensionality than 4-D spacetime that enabled such unlabored motion; and showed that fields that could propel and guide systems on unlabored paths in the higher dimensional realm must be fields that have been conditioned to SU(2) (or higher) Lie group symmetry. This paper shows that the system's surrounding vacuum dielectric ɛμ, within the higher dimensional realm's is a vector (not scalar) quantity with fixed magnitude ɛ0μ0 and changing direction within the realm with changing system speed. Thus, ɛμ generated by the system's EM field must remain tuned to vacuum ɛ0μ0 in both magnitude and direction during swift, unlabored system transitions between slower and faster than light speeds. As a result, the system's changing path and speed is such that the magnitude of the higher dimensional realm's ɛ0μ0 is not disturbed. And it is shown that a system's flight trajectories associated with its swift, unlabored transitions between zero and infinite speed can be represented by curved paths traced-out within the higher dimensional realm.

Importance of CME Radial Expansion on the Ability of Slow CMEs to Drive Shocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lugaz, N.; Farrugia, C. J.; Winslow, R. M.; Small, C. R.; Manion, T.; Savani, N.

2017-12-01

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) may disturb the solar wind either by overtaking it, or by expanding into it, or both. CMEs whose front moves faster in the solar wind frame than the fast magnetosonic speed, drive shocks. In general, near 1 AU, CMEs with speed greater than about 500 km s-1 drive shocks, whereas slower CMEs do not. However, CMEs as slow as 350 km s-1 may sometimes, although rarely, drive shocks. Here, we study these slow CMEs with shocks and investigate the importance of CME expansion in contributing to their ability to drive shocks and in enhancing shock strength. Our focus is on CMEs with average speeds under 375 km s-1. From Wind measurements from 1996 to 2016, we find 22 cases of such shock-driving slow CMEs, and, for about half of them, the existence of the shock appears to be strongly related to CME expansion. We also investigate the proportion of all CMEs with speeds under 500 km s-1 with and without shocks in solar cycles 23 and 24, depending on their speed. We find no systematic difference, as might have been expected on the basis of the lower solar wind and Alfven speeds reported for solar cycle 24 vs. 23. The slower expansion speed of CMEs in solar cycle 24 is a reasonable explanation for this lack of increased frequency of shocks, but further studies are required.

Handwriting difficulties of children with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A.

PubMed

Kunovsky, Daniel; Cordier, Reinie; Bray, Paula; Burns, Joshua

2017-03-01

Hand weakness and impaired manual dexterity have been reported in children with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A). This early onset of upper limb involvement might explain frequent clinical referrals for assessment and treatment of impaired handwriting performance. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of CMT1A on handwriting speed and legibility, and identify demographic, anthropometric, and physical measures that might relate to handwriting performance. Handwriting speed (Handwriting Speed Test), handwriting legibility (Evaluation Tool of Children's Handwriting-Cursive), and hand strength (hand-held dynamometry of tip pinch, lateral pinch and grip) were assessed in 30 children with CMT1A (aged 8-17 years) and 30 age- and sex-matched controls. Children with CMT1A exhibited 34% slower handwriting speed (p < 0.0001) with 4% reduced legibility (p = 0.001) and 37-48% lower hand strength (p < 0.0001). All measures of strength, age, height, and weight were positively associated with handwriting speed (r = 0.39-0.79, p < 0.01). None of these factors related to handwriting legibility (p > 0.05). Regression modelling identified a diagnosis of CMT1A, lateral pinch weakness and younger age as significant independent predictors of slower handwriting speed, explaining 78% of the variance. Children with CMT1A have considerable handwriting difficulties, primarily with speed, and substantial associated hand and finger weakness. Understanding the cause-effect relationship between strength and function might provide modifiable targets for upper limb intervention. © 2016 Peripheral Nerve Society.

Faster Increases in Human Life Expectancy Could Lead to Slower Population Aging

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Counterintuitively, faster increases in human life expectancy could lead to slower population aging. The conventional view that faster increases in human life expectancy would lead to faster population aging is based on the assumption that people become old at a fixed chronological age. A preferable alternative is to base measures of aging on people’s time left to death, because this is more closely related to the characteristics that are associated with old age. Using this alternative interpretation, we show that faster increases in life expectancy would lead to slower population aging. Among other things, this finding affects the assessment of the speed at which countries will age. PMID:25876033

Speed and incline during Thoroughbred horse racing: racehorse speed supports a metabolic power constraint to incline running but not to decline running

PubMed Central

Self, Z. T.; Spence, A. J.

2012-01-01

We used a radio tracking system to examine the speed of 373 racehorses on different gradients on an undulating racecourse during 33 races, each lasting a few minutes. Horses show a speed detriment on inclines (0.68 m·s−1·1% gradient−1, r2 = 0.97), the magnitude of which corresponds to trading off the metabolic cost (power) of height gain with the metabolic cost (power) of horizontal galloping. A similar relationship can be derived from published data for human runners. The horses, however, were also slower on the decline (−0.45 m·s−1·1% gradient−1, r2 = 0.92). Human athletes run faster on a decline, which can be explained by the energy gained by the center of mass from height loss. This study has shown that horses go slower, which may be attributable to the anatomical simplicity of their front legs limiting weight support and stability when going downhill. These findings provide insight into limits to athletic performance in racehorses, which may be used to inform training regimens, as well as advancing knowledge from both veterinary and basic science perspectives. PMID:22678967

Inherited and Environmental Influences on a Childhood Co-Occurring Symptom Phenotype: Evidence From an Adoption Study

PubMed Central

Roos, Leslie E.; Fisher, Philip A.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Kim, Hyoun K.; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.; Reiss, David; Natsuaki, Misaki N.; Leve, Leslie D.

2015-01-01

Risk factors for the childhood development of co-occurring internalizing and externalizing symptoms are not well understood, despite a high prevalence and poor clinical outcomes associated with this co-occurring phenotype. We examined inherited and environmental risk factors for co-occurring symptoms in a sample of children adopted at birth and their birth mothers and adoptive mothers (N = 293). Inherited risk factors (i.e., birth mothers’ processing speed and internalizing symptoms) and environmental risk factors (i.e., adoptive mothers’ processing speed, internalizing symptoms, and uninvolved parenting) were examined as predictors for the development of internalizing-only, externalizing-only, or co-occurring symptoms using structural equation modeling. Results suggested a unique pattern of predictive factors for the co-occurring phenotype, with risk conferred by adoptive mothers’ uninvolved parenting, birth mothers’ slower processing speed, and the birth mothers’ slower processing speed in tandem with adoptive mothers’ higher internalizing symptoms. Additional analyses indicated that when co-occurring-symptom children were incorporated into internalizing and externalizing symptom groups, differential risk factors for externalizing and internalizing symptoms emerged. The findings suggest that spurious results may be found when children with co-occurring symptoms are not examined as a unique phenotypic group. PMID:25851306

Inherited and environmental influences on a childhood co-occurring symptom phenotype: Evidence from an adoption study.

PubMed

Roos, Leslie E; Fisher, Philip A; Shaw, Daniel S; Kim, Hyoun K; Neiderhiser, Jenae M; Reiss, David; Natsuaki, Misake N; Leve, Leslie D

2016-02-01

Risk factors for the childhood development of co-occurring internalizing and externalizing symptoms are not well understood, despite a high prevalence and poor clinical outcomes associated with this co-occurring phenotype. We examined inherited and environmental risk factors for co-occurring symptoms in a sample of children adopted at birth and their birth mothers and adoptive mothers (N = 293). Inherited risk factors (i.e., birth mothers' processing speed and internalizing symptoms) and environmental risk factors (i.e., adoptive mothers' processing speed, internalizing symptoms, and uninvolved parenting) were examined as predictors for the development of internalizing-only, externalizing-only, or co-occurring symptoms using structural equation modeling. Results suggested a unique pattern of predictive factors for the co-occurring phenotype, with risk conferred by adoptive mothers' uninvolved parenting, birth mothers' slower processing speed, and the birth mothers' slower processing speed in tandem with adoptive mothers' higher internalizing symptoms. Additional analyses indicated that when co-occurring-symptom children were incorporated into internalizing and externalizing symptom groups, differential risk factors for externalizing and internalizing symptoms emerged. The findings suggest that spurious results may be found when children with co-occurring symptoms are not examined as a unique phenotypic group.

Improving Sensitivity to Detect Mild Cognitive Impairment: Cognitive Load Dual-Task Gait Speed Assessment.

PubMed

MacAulay, Rebecca K; Wagner, Mark T; Szeles, Dana; Milano, Nicholas J

2017-07-01

Longitudinal research indicates that cognitive load dual-task gait assessment is predictive of cognitive decline and thus might provide a sensitive measure to screen for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, research among older adults being clinically evaluated for cognitive concerns, a defining feature of MCI, is lacking. The present study investigated the effect of performing a cognitive task on normal walking speed in patients presenting to a memory clinic with cognitive complaints. Sixty-one patients with a mean age of 68 years underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing, clinical interview, and gait speed (simple- and dual-task conditions) assessments. Thirty-four of the 61 patients met criteria for MCI. Repeated measure analyses of covariance revealed that greater age and MCI both significantly associated with slower gait speed, ps<.05. Follow-up analysis indicated that the MCI group had significantly slower dual-task gait speed but did not differ in simple-gait speed. Multivariate linear regression across groups found that executive attention performance accounted for 27.4% of the variance in dual-task gait speed beyond relevant demographic and health risk factors. The present study increases the external validity of dual-task gait assessment of MCI. Differences in dual-task gait speed appears to be largely attributable to executive attention processes. These findings have clinical implications as they demonstrate expected patterns of gait-brain behavior relationships in response to a cognitive dual task within a clinically representative population. Cognitive load dual-task gait assessment may provide a cost efficient and sensitive measure to detect older adults at high risk of a dementia disorder. (JINS, 2017, 23, 493-501).

The Relationship of Reduced Peripheral Nerve Function and Diabetes With Physical Performance in Older White and Black Adults

PubMed Central

Strotmeyer, Elsa S.; de Rekeneire, Nathalie; Schwartz, Ann V.; Faulkner, Kimberly A.; Resnick, Helaine E.; Goodpaster, Bret H.; Shorr, Ronald I.; Vinik, Aaron I.; Harris, Tamara B.; Newman, Anne B.

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVE—Poor peripheral nerve function is prevalent in diabetes and older populations, and it has great potential to contribute to poor physical performance. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Cross-sectional analyses were done for the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study participants (n = 2,364; 48% men; 38% black; aged 73–82 years). Sensory and motor peripheral nerve function in legs/feet was assessed by 10- and 1.4-g monofilament perception, vibration detection, and peroneal motor nerve conduction amplitude and velocity. The Health ABC lower-extremity performance battery was a supplemented version of the Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly battery (chair stands, standing balance, and 6-m walk), adding increased stand duration, single foot stand, and narrow walk. RESULTS—Diabetic participants had fewer chair stands (0.34 vs. 0.36 stands/s), shorter standing balance time (0.69 vs. 0.75 ratio), slower usual walking speed (1.11 vs. 1.14 m/s), slower narrow walking speed (0.80 vs. 0.90 m/s), and lower performance battery score (6.43 vs. 6.93) (all P < 0.05). Peripheral nerve function was associated with each physical performance measure independently. After addition of peripheral nerve function in fully adjusted models, diabetes remained significantly related to a lower performance battery score and slower narrow walking speed but not to chair stands, standing balance, or usual walking speed. CONCLUSIONS—Poor peripheral nerve function accounts for a portion of worse physical performance in diabetes and may be directly associated with physical performance in older diabetic and nondiabetic adults. The impact of peripheral nerve function on incident disability should be evaluated in older adults. PMID:18535192

The Velocity and Density Distribution of Earth-Intersecting Meteoroids: Implications for Environment Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moorhead, A. V.; Brown, P. G.; Campbell-Brown, M. D.; Moser, D. E.; Blaauw, R. C.; Cooke, W. J.

2017-01-01

Meteoroids are known to damage spacecraft: they can crater or puncture components, disturb a spacecraft's attitude, and potentially create secondary electrical effects. Because the damage done depends on the speed, size, density, and direction of the impactor, accurate environment models are critical for mitigating meteoroid-related risks. Yet because meteoroid properties are derived from indirect observations such as meteors and impact craters, many characteristics of the meteoroid environment are uncertain. In this work, we present recent improvements to the meteoroid speed and density distributions. Our speed distribution is derived from observations made by the Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar. These observations are de-biased using modern descriptions of the ionization efficiency. Our approach yields a slower meteoroid population than previous analyses (see Fig. 1 for an example) and we compute the uncertainties associated with our derived distribution. We adopt a higher fidelity density distribution than that used by many older models. In our distribution, meteoroids with TJ less than 2 are assigned to a low-density population, while those with TJ greater than 2 have higher densities (see Fig. 2). This division and the distributions themselves are derived from the densities reported by Kikwaya et al. These changes have implications for the environment: for instance, the helion/antihelion sporadic sources have lower speeds than the apex and toroidal sources and originate from high-T(sub J) parent bodies. Our on-average slower and denser distributions thus imply that the helion and antihelion sources dominate the meteoroid environment even more completely than previously thought. Finally, for a given near-Earth meteoroid cratering rate, a slower meteoroid population produces a comparatively higher rate of satellite attitude disturbances.

Time-delayed reaction-diffusion fronts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isern, Neus; Fort, Joaquim

2009-11-01

A time-delayed second-order approximation for the front speed in reaction-dispersion systems was obtained by Fort and Méndez [Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 867 (1999)]. Here we show that taking proper care of the effect of the time delay on the reactive process yields a different evolution equation and, therefore, an alternate equation for the front speed. We apply the new equation to the Neolithic transition. For this application the new equation yields speeds about 10% slower than the previous one.

Community walking speed, sedentary or lying down time, and mortality in peripheral artery disease

PubMed Central

McDermott, Mary M; Guralnik, Jack M; Ferrucci, Luigi; Tian, Lu; Kibbe, Melina R; Greenland, Philip; Green, David; Liu, Kiang; Zhao, Lihui; Wilkins, John T; Huffman, Mark D; Shah, Sanjiv J; Liao, Yihua; Gao, Ying; Lloyd-Jones, Donald M; Criqui, Michael H

2017-01-01

We studied whether slower community walking speed and whether greater time spent lying down or sleeping were associated with higher mortality in people with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD). Participants with an ankle–brachial index (ABI) < 0.90 were identified from Chicago medical centers. At baseline, participants reported their usual walking speed outside their home and the number of hours they spent lying down or sleeping per day. Cause of death was adjudicated using death certificates and medical record review. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, race, comorbidities, ABI, and other confounders. Of 1314 PAD participants, 189 (14.4%) died, including 63 cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths. Mean follow-up was 34.9 months ± 18.1. Relative to average or normal pace (2–3 miles/hour), slower walking speed was associated with greater CVD mortality: no walking at all: hazard ratio (HR) = 4.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.46–11.89; casual strolling (0–2 miles/hour): HR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.16–4.32; brisk or striding (>3 miles/hour): HR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.07–4.30. These associations were not significant after additional adjustment for the six-minute walk. Relative to sleeping or lying down for 8–9 hours, fewer or greater hours sleeping or lying down were associated with higher CVD mortality: 4–7 hours: HR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.06–4.05; 10–11 hours: HR = 4.07, 95% CI = 1.86–8.89; ⩾12 hours: HR = 3.75, 95% CI = 1.47–9.62. These associations were maintained after adjustment for the six-minute walk. In conclusion, slower walking speed outside the home and less than 8 hours or more than 9 hours lying down per day are potentially modifiable behaviors associated with increased CVD mortality in patients with PAD. PMID:26873873

Tempo and walking speed with music in the urban context

PubMed Central

Franěk, Marek; van Noorden, Leon; Režný, Lukáš

2014-01-01

The study explored the effect of music on the temporal aspects of walking behavior in a real outdoor urban setting. First, spontaneous synchronization between the beat of the music and step tempo was explored. The effect of motivational and non-motivational music (Karageorghis et al., 1999) on the walking speed was also studied. Finally, we investigated whether music can mask the effects of visual aspects of the walking route environment, which involve fluctuation of walking speed as a response to particular environmental settings. In two experiments, we asked participants to walk around an urban route that was 1.8 km in length through various environments in the downtown area of Hradec Králové. In Experiment 1, the participants listened to a musical track consisting of world pop music with a clear beat. In Experiment 2, participants were walking either with motivational music, which had a fast tempo and a strong rhythm, or with non-motivational music, which was slower, nice music, but with no strong implication to movement. Musical beat, as well as the sonic character of the music listened to while walking, influenced walking speed but did not lead to precise synchronization. It was found that many subjects did not spontaneously synchronize with the beat of the music at all, and some subjects synchronized only part of the time. The fast, energetic music increases the speed of the walking tempo, while slower, relaxing music makes the walking tempo slower. Further, it was found that listening to music with headphones while walking can mask the influence of the surrounding environment to some extent. Both motivational music and non-motivational music had a larger effect than the world pop music from Experiment 1. Individual differences in responses to the music listened to while walking that were linked to extraversion and neuroticism were also observed. The findings described here could be useful in rhythmic stimulation for enhancing or recovering the features of movement performance. PMID:25520682

Experimental Investigations on Microshock Waves and Contact Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kai, Yun; Garen, Walter; Teubner, Ulrich

2018-02-01

The present work reports on progress in the research of a microshock wave. Because of the lack of a good understanding of the propagation mechanism of the microshock flow system (shock wave, contact surface, and boundary layer), the current work concentrates on measuring microshock flows with special attention paid to the contact surface. A novel setup involving a glass capillary (with a 200 or 300 μ m hydraulic diameter D ) and a high-speed magnetic valve is applied to generate a shock wave with a maximum initial Mach number of 1.3. The current work applies a laser differential interferometer to perform noncontact measurements of the microshock flow's trajectory, velocity, and density. The current work presents microscale measurements of the shock-contact distance L that solves the problem of calculating the scaling factor Sc =Re ×D /(4 L ) (introduced by Brouillette), which is a parameter characterizing the scaling effects of shock waves. The results show that in contrast to macroscopic shock waves, shock waves at the microscale have a different propagation or attenuation mechanism (key issue of this Letter) which cannot be described by the conventional "leaky piston" model. The main attenuation mechanism of microshock flow may be the ever slower moving contact surface, which drives the shock wave. Different from other measurements using pressure transducers, the current setup for density measurements resolves the whole microshock flow system.

Deriving the pattern speed using dynamical modelling of gas flows in barred galaxies .

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez, I.; Freeman, K. C.; Fux, R.; Zurita, A.

In this paper we analyse the methodology to derive the bar pattern speed from dynamical simulations. The results are robust to the changes in the vertical-scale height and in the mass-to-light (M/L) ratios. There is a small range of parameters for which the kinematics can be fitted. We have also taken into account the use of different type of dynamical modelling and the effect of using 2-D vs 1-D models in deriving the pattern speeds. We conclude that the derivation of the bar streaming motions and strength and position of shocks is not greatly affected by the fluid dynamical model used. We show new results on the derivation of the pattern speed for NGC 1530. The best fit pattern speed is around 10 km s-1 kpc-1 , which corresponds to a R_cor/R_bar = 1.4, implying a slower bar than previously derived from more indirect assumptions. With this pattern speed, the global and most local kinematic features are beautifully reproduced. However, the simulations fail to reproduce the velocity gradients close to some bright HII regions in the bar. We have shown from the study of the H{alpha } equivalent widths that the HII regions that are located further away from the bar dust-lane in its leading side, downstream from the main bar dust-lane, are older than the rest by 1.5-2.5 Myr. In addition, a clear spatial correlation was found between the location of HII regions, dust spurs on the trailing side of the bar dust-lane, and the loci of maximum velocity gradients parallel to the bar major axis.

Physical-biological coupling in spore dispersal of kelp forest macroalgae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaylord, Brian; Reed, Daniel C.; Washburn, Libe; Raimondi, Peter T.

2004-08-01

The physical-biological linkages controlling the dispersal of spores produced by macroalgae that reside in kelp forests are complicated and laced with feedbacks. Here we discuss the fundamental elements of these interactions. Biological considerations include spore swimming and sinking speeds, their periods of viability in the plankton, and the height of spore release above the seafloor, which together determine the durations over which spores can be swept by horizontal currents before they contact the seafloor. Morphologies and material properties of canopy forming kelps may also influence the drag exerted on passing waters by the kelps, the plants' ability to persist in the face of rapid flows, and thereby the degree to which impinging currents are redirected around, or slowed within, kelp forests. Macroalgal life histories, and the size of spore sources as controlled by the dimensions of kelp forests and the density and fecundity of individuals within them, influence effective dispersal distances as well. Physical considerations encompass the mean speed, direction, and timescales of variability of currents relative to spore suspension times, the interaction of surface gravity waves with currents in producing turbulence in the benthic boundary layer, wind-driven surface mixing, water stratification, and shoreline bathymetry and substratum roughness, all of which can affect the interplay of vertical and horizontal transport of macroalgal spores. Intricate within-forest processes may induce attenuation of current speeds and consequent reductions in seabed shear, along with simultaneous production of small-scale turbulence in kelp wakes. Slower mean currents and smaller eddy scales in turn may attenuate vertical mixing within forests, thus extending spore suspension times. Further complexities likely arise due to changes in the relative rates of horizontal and vertical dispersion, modifications to the overall profiles of vertical mixing, and the creation of fine-scale secondary flows around kelp individuals and substratum features. Under conditions of more rapid currents, submergence of the surface canopy and the establishment of skimming flows at the canopy-fluid interface may introduce additional coherent flow structures that alter rates of fluid exchange to and from the forest. Many of these coupled physical-biological processes are just beginning to be examined in a rigorous fashion in kelp forests, but their potential importance is clear.

Retinal Adaptation Abnormalities in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

PubMed Central

Dul, Mitchell; Ennis, Robert; Radner, Shira; Lee, Barry; Zaidi, Qasim

2015-01-01

Purpose. Dynamic color and brightness adaptation are crucial for visual functioning. The effects of glaucoma on retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) could compromise these functions. We have previously used slow dynamic changes of light at moderate intensities to measure the speed and magnitude of subtractive adaptation in RGCs. We used the same procedure to test if RGC abnormalities cause slower and weaker adaptation for patients with glaucoma when compared to age-similar controls. We assessed adaptation deficits in specific classes of RGCs by testing along the three cardinal color axes that isolate konio, parvo, and magno RGCs. Methods. For one eye each of 10 primary open-angle glaucoma patients and their age-similar controls, we measured the speed and magnitude of adapting to 1/32 Hz color modulations along the three cardinal axes, at central fixation and 8° superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal to fixation. Results. In all 15 comparisons (5 locations × 3 color axes), average adaptation was slower and weaker for glaucoma patients than for controls. Adaptation developed slower at central targets than at 8° eccentricities for controls, but not for patients. Adaptation speed and magnitude differed between affected and control eyes even at retinal locations showing no visual field loss with clinical perimetry. Conclusions. Neural adaptation is weaker in glaucoma patients for all three classes of RGCs. Since adaptation abnormalities are manifested even at retinal locations not exhibiting a visual field loss, this novel form of assessment may offer a functional insight into glaucoma and an early diagnosis tool. PMID:25613950

Field measurement of velocity time series in the center of Sequim Bay

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

Harding, Samuel F.; Harker-Klimes, Genevra EL

A 600 kHz RDI Workhorse was installed in the center of Sequim Bay from 15:04 June 23, 2017 to 09:34 August 24, 2017 at a depth of 25.9 m from MLLW. The instrument was configured to record the flow velocity in vertical cells of 1.0 m in 10 minute ensembles. Each ensemble was calculated as the mean of 24 pings, sampled with an interval of 5.0 s. A burst of increased sampling rate (1200 samples at 2 Hz) was recorded to characterize the wave climate on an hourly basis. The peak depth-averaged flow speed for the deployment was recorded duringmore » the flood tide on June 24, 2017 with a magnitude of 0.34 m/s. The peak flow speed in a single bin was recorded during the same tide at a location of 11.6 m from the seabed with a magnitude of 0.46 m/s. The velocity direction was observed to be relatively constant as a function of depth for the higher flow velocities (flood tides) but highly variable during times of slower flow (ebb tides). A peak significant wave height of 0.36 m was recorded on June 30, 2017 at 18:54. The measured waves showed no indication of a prevalent wave direction during this deployment. The wave record of the fetch-limited site during this deployment approaches the lower limit of the wave measurement resolution. The water temperature fluctuated over a range of 1.7°C during the deployment duration. The mean pitch of the instrument was -1.2° and the mean roll angle of the instrument was 0.3°. The low pitch and roll angles are important factors in the accurate measurement of the wave activity at the surface.« less

Holocene deceleration of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

PubMed

MacGregor, Joseph A; Colgan, William T; Fahnestock, Mark A; Morlighem, Mathieu; Catania, Ginny A; Paden, John D; Gogineni, S Prasad

2016-02-05

Recent peripheral thinning of the Greenland Ice Sheet is partly offset by interior thickening and is overprinted on its poorly constrained Holocene evolution. On the basis of the ice sheet's radiostratigraphy, ice flow in its interior is slower now than the average speed over the past nine millennia. Generally higher Holocene accumulation rates relative to modern estimates can only partially explain this millennial-scale deceleration. The ice sheet's dynamic response to the decreasing proportion of softer ice from the last glacial period and the deglacial collapse of the ice bridge across Nares Strait also contributed to this pattern. Thus, recent interior thickening of the Greenland Ice Sheet is partly an ongoing dynamic response to the last deglaciation that is large enough to affect interpretation of its mass balance from altimetry. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Lexical and Sub-Lexical Effects on Accuracy, Reaction Time and Response Duration: Impaired and Typical Word and Pseudoword Reading in a Transparent Orthography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Robert; Rodriguez-Ferreiro, Javier; Suarez, Paz; Cuetos, Fernando

2013-01-01

In an opaque orthography like English, phonological coding errors are a prominent feature of dyslexia. In a transparent orthography like Spanish, reading difficulties are characterized by slower reading speed rather than reduced accuracy. In previous research, the reading speed deficit was revealed by asking children to read lists of words.…

Reading Fluency and Speech Perception Speed of Beginning Readers with Persistent Reading Problems: The Perception of Initial Stop Consonants and Consonant Clusters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snellings, Patrick; van der Leij, Aryan; Blok, Henk; de Jong, Peter F.

2010-01-01

This study investigated the role of speech perception accuracy and speed in fluent word decoding of reading disabled (RD) children. A same-different phoneme discrimination task with natural speech tested the perception of single consonants and consonant clusters by young but persistent RD children. RD children were slower than chronological age…

Kinetics of Inhibitory Feedback from Horizontal Cells to Photoreceptors: Implications for an Ephaptic Mechanism

PubMed Central

Warren, Ted J.; Van Hook, Matthew J.; Tranchina, Daniel

2016-01-01

Inhibitory feedback from horizontal cells (HCs) to cones generates center-surround receptive fields and color opponency in the retina. Mechanisms of HC feedback remain unsettled, but one hypothesis proposes that an ephaptic mechanism may alter the extracellular electrical field surrounding photoreceptor synaptic terminals, thereby altering Ca2+ channel activity and photoreceptor output. An ephaptic voltage change produced by current flowing through open channels in the HC membrane should occur with no delay. To test for this mechanism, we measured kinetics of inhibitory feedback currents in Ambystoma tigrinum cones and rods evoked by hyperpolarizing steps applied to synaptically coupled HCs. Hyperpolarizing HCs stimulated inward feedback currents in cones that averaged 8–9 pA and exhibited a biexponential time course with time constants averaging 14–17 ms and 120–220 ms. Measurement of feedback-current kinetics was limited by three factors: (1) HC voltage-clamp speed, (2) cone voltage-clamp speed, and (3) kinetics of Ca2+ channel activation or deactivation in the photoreceptor terminal. These factors totaled ∼4–5 ms in cones meaning that the true fast time constants for HC-to-cone feedback currents were 9–13 ms, slower than expected for ephaptic voltage changes. We also compared speed of feedback to feedforward glutamate release measured at the same cone/HC synapses and found a latency for feedback of 11–14 ms. Inhibitory feedback from HCs to rods was also significantly slower than either measurement kinetics or feedforward release. The finding that inhibitory feedback from HCs to photoreceptors involves a significant delay indicates that it is not due to previously proposed ephaptic mechanisms. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Lateral inhibitory feedback from horizontal cells (HCs) to photoreceptors creates center-surround receptive fields and color-opponent interactions. Although underlying mechanisms remain unsettled, a longstanding hypothesis proposes that feedback is due to ephaptic voltage changes that regulate photoreceptor synaptic output by altering Ca2+ channel activity. Ephaptic processes should occur with no delay. We measured kinetics of inhibitory feedback currents evoked in photoreceptors with voltage steps applied to synaptically coupled HCs and found that feedback is too slow to be explained by ephaptic voltage changes generated by current flowing through continuously open channels in HC membranes. By eliminating the proposed ephaptic mechanism for HC feedback regulation of photoreceptor Ca2+ channels, our data support earlier proposals that synaptic cleft pH changes are more likely responsible. PMID:27683904

Compressional and Shear Wakes in a 2D Dusty Plasma Crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nosenko, V.; Goree, J.; Ma, Z. W.; Dubin, D. H. E.

2001-10-01

A 2D crystalline lattice can vibrate with two kinds of sound waves, compressional and shear (transverse), where the latter has a much slower sound speed. When these waves are excited by a moving supersonic disturbance, the superposition of the waves creates a Mach cone, i.e., a V-shaped wake. In our experiments, the supersonic disturbance was a moving spot of argon laser light, and this laser light applied a force, due to radiation pressure, on the particles. The beam was swept across the lattice in a controlled and repeatable manner. The particles were levitated in an argon rf discharge. By moving the laser spot faster than the shear sound speed c_t, but slower than the compressional sound speed c_l, we excited a shear wave Mach cone. Alternatively, by moving the laser spot faster than c_l, we excited both cones. In addition to Mach cones, we also observed a wake structure that arises from the compressional wave’s dispersion. We compare our results to Dubin’s theory (Phys. Plasmas 2000) and to molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.

Combustion-transition interaction in a jet flame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yule, A. J.; Chigier, N. A.; Ralph, S.; Boulderstone, R.; Ventura, J.

1980-01-01

The transition between laminar and turbulent flow in a round jet flame is studied experimentally. Comparison is made between transition in non-burning and burning jets and between jet flames with systematic variation in initial Reynolds number and equivalence ratio. Measurements are made using laser anemometry, miniature thermocouples, ionization probes, laser-schlieren and high speed cine films. Compared with the cold jet, the jet flame has a longer potential core, undergoes a slower transition to turbulence, has lower values of fluctuating velocity near the burner but higher values further downstream, contains higher velocity gradients in the mixing layer region although the total jet width does not alter greatly in the first twenty diameters. As in the cold jet, transitional flow in the flame contains waves and vortices and these convolute and stretch the initially laminar interface burning region. Unlike the cold jet, which has Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, the jet flame can contain at least two initial instabilities; an inner high frequency combustion driven instability and an outer low frequency instability which may be influenced by buoyancy forces.

Mechanical Determinants of Faster Change of Direction Speed Performance in Male Athletes.

PubMed

DosʼSantos, Thomas; Thomas, Christopher; Jones, Paul A; Comfort, Paul

2017-03-01

Dos'Santos, T, Thomas, C, Jones, PA, and Comfort, P. Mechanical determinants of faster change of direction speed performance in male athletes. J Strength Cond Res 31(3): 696-705, 2017-Mechanical variables during change of directions, for example, braking and propulsive forces, impulses, and ground contact times (GCT) have been identified as determinants of faster change of direction speed (CODS) performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanical determinants of 180° CODS performance with mechanical characteristic comparisons between faster and slower performers; while exploring the role of the penultimate foot contact (PEN) during the change of direction. Forty multidirectional male athletes performed 6 modified 505 (mod505) trials (3 left and right), and ground reaction forces were collected across the PEN and final foot contact (FINAL) during the change of direction. Pearson's correlation coefficients and coefficients of determination were used to explore the relationship between mechanical variables and mod505 completion time. Independent T-tests and Cohen's d effect sizes (ES) were conducted between faster (n = 10) and slower (n = 10) mod505 performers to explore differences in mechanical variables. Faster CODS performance was associated (p ≤ 0.05) with shorter GCTs (r = 0.701-0.757), greater horizontal propulsive forces (HPF) (r = -0.572 to -0.611), greater horizontal braking forces (HBF) in the PEN (r = -0.337), lower HBF ratios (r = -0.429), and lower FINAL vertical impact forces (VIF) (r = 0.449-0.559). Faster athletes demonstrated significantly (p ≤ 0.05, ES = 1.08-2.54) shorter FINAL GCTs, produced lower VIF, lower HBF ratios, and greater HPF in comparison to slower athletes. These findings suggest that different mechanical properties are required to produce faster CODS performance, with differences in mechanical properties observed between fast and slower performers. Furthermore, applying a greater proportion of braking force during the PEN relative to the FINAL may be advantageous for turning performance.

Are there gender differences in cognitive function, chronic stress, and neurobehavioral symptoms after mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury?

PubMed

Covassin, Tracey; Bay, Esther

2012-06-01

Research is inconclusive on whether gender differences exist in cognitive function in persons who sustain a mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). Furthermore, it is also unclear whether there is a relationship between chronic stress and cognitive function in these persons. The purpose of this integrative review is to determine whether gender differences exist in cognitive function, neurobehavioral symptoms, and chronic stress levels after a mild-to-moderate TBI. Participants (n = 72) were recruited from eight outpatient rehabilitation centers. Participants completed the demographic questions, the Immediate Postconcussion Assessment Cognitive Testing neurocognitive test battery, the Perceived Stress Scale-14, and the Neurobehavioral Functioning Inventory (NFI). Gender differences were present on verbal memory composite scores (p = .033), with women performing worse than men. There were no other between-gender differences on cognitive tasks, neurobehavioral symptoms, or chronic stress. Higher chronic stress levels result in a decrease in verbal memory (p = .015) and motor processing speed (p = .006) and slower reaction time (p = .007) for women. As male NFI cognition scores increased, motor processing speed scores decreased (p = .012) and reaction time got slower (p = .019), whereas women exhibited decreased verbal memory (p = .017) and slower reaction time (p = .034). As NFI motor symptoms increased, men exhibited decreased verbal memory (p = .005), visual memory (p = .002), and motor processing speed (p = .002) and slower reaction time (p = .002). Overall, this study only found gender differences on verbal memory composite scores, whereas the remaining cognitive tasks, neurobehavioral symptoms, and chronic stress did not indicate gender differences. Correlations between chronic stress, neurobehavioral symptoms, and cognitive function differed in both men and women with TBI. Persons in the chronic phase of recovery from a TBI may benefit from training in compensatory strategies for verbal memory deficits and stress management.

Impact of Gait Speed and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living on All-Cause Mortality in Adults ≥65 Years of Age with Heart Failure

PubMed Central

Lo, Alexander X.; Donnelly, John P.; McGwin, Gerald; Bittner, Vera; Ahmed, Ali; Brown, Cynthia J.

2015-01-01

Mobility and function are important predictors of survival. However, their combined impact on mortality in adults ≥65 years of age with heart failure (HF) is not well understood. This study examined the role of gait speed and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in all-cause mortality in a cohort of 1,119 community-dwelling Cardiovascular Health Study participants ≥65 years of age with incident HF. Data on HF and mortality were collected through annual examinations or contact during the 10-year follow-up period. Slower gait speed (<0.8m/s vs. ≥0.8m/s) and IADL impairment (≥1 vs. 0 areas of dependence) were determined from baseline and follow-up assessments. A total of 740 (66%) of the 1119 participants died during the follow-up period. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models showed that impairments in either gait speed (hazard ratio 1.37, 95% CI 1.10-1.70; p=0.004) or IADL (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.29-1.89; p<0.001), measured within 1 year before the diagnosis of incident HF, were independently associated with mortality, adjusting for socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. The combined presence of slower gait speed and IADL impairment was associated with a greater risk of mortality and suggested an additive relationship between gait speed and IADL. In conclusion, gait speed and IADL are important risk factors for mortality in adults ≥65 years of age with HF, but the combined impairments of both gait speed and IADL can have an especially important impact on mortality. PMID:25655868

Recognition of tennis serve performed by a digital player: comparison among polygon, shadow, and stick-figure models.

PubMed

Ida, Hirofumi; Fukuhara, Kazunobu; Ishii, Motonobu

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to assess the cognitive effect of human character models on the observer's ability to extract relevant information from computer graphics animation of tennis serve motions. Three digital human models (polygon, shadow, and stick-figure) were used to display the computationally simulated serve motions, which were perturbed at the racket-arm by modulating the speed (slower or faster) of one of the joint rotations (wrist, elbow, or shoulder). Twenty-one experienced tennis players and 21 novices made discrimination responses about the modulated joint and also specified the perceived swing speeds on a visual analogue scale. The result showed that the discrimination accuracies of the experienced players were both above and below chance level depending on the modulated joint whereas those of the novices mostly remained at chance or guessing levels. As far as the experienced players were concerned, the polygon model decreased the discrimination accuracy as compared with the stick-figure model. This suggests that the complicated pictorial information may have a distracting effect on the recognition of the observed action. On the other hand, the perceived swing speed of the perturbed motion relative to the control was lower for the stick-figure model than for the polygon model regardless of the skill level. This result suggests that the simplified visual information can bias the perception of the motion speed toward slower. It was also shown that the increasing the joint rotation speed increased the perceived swing speed, although the resulting racket velocity had little correlation with this speed sensation. Collectively, observer's recognition of the motion pattern and perception of the motion speed can be affected by the pictorial information of the human model as well as by the perturbation processing applied to the observed motion.

Speed of antidepressant response to electroconvulsive therapy in bipolar disorder vs. major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Agarkar, Smita; Hurt, Stephen W; Young, Robert C

2018-07-01

We reviewed studies that reported speed of antidepressant response to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in both bipolar depression (BPD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). We identified English language reports allowing this comparison. Ten studies met our criteria. Four reported significantly faster response in BPD and in one there was trend for faster response. None reported evidence for slower response in BPD. The findings support further study of speed of response to ECT in BPD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Opposed-Flow Flame Spread over Thin Solid Fuels in a Narrow Channel under Different Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xia; Yu, Yong; Wan, Shixin; Wei, Minggang; Hu, Wen-Rui

Flame spread over solid surface is critical in combustion science due to its importance in fire safety in both ground and manned spacecraft. Eliminating potential fuels from materials is the basic method to protect spacecraft from fire. The criterion of material screening is its flamma-bility [1]. Since gas flow speed has strong effect on flame spread, the combustion behaviors of materials in normal and microgravity will be different due to their different natural convec-tion. To evaluate the flammability of materials used in the manned spacecraft, tests should be performed under microgravity. Nevertheless, the cost is high, so apparatus to simulate mi-crogravity combustion under normal gravity was developed. The narrow channel is such an apparatus in which the buoyant flow is restricted effectively [2, 3]. The experimental results of the horizontal narrow channel are consistent qualitatively with those of Mir Space Station. Quantitatively, there still are obvious differences. However, the effect of the channel size on flame spread has only attracted little attention, in which concurrent-flow flame spread over thin solid in microgravity is numerically studied[4], while the similarity of flame spread in different gravity is still an open question. In addition, the flame spread experiments under microgravity are generally carried out in large wind tunnels without considering the effects of the tunnel size [5]. Actually, the materials are always used in finite space. Therefore, the flammability given by experiments using large wind tunnels will not correctly predict the flammability of materials in the real environment. In the present paper, the effect of the channel size on opposed-flow flame spread over thin solid fuels in both normal and microgravity was investigated and compared. In the horizontal narrow channel, the flame spread rate increased before decreased as forced flow speed increased. In low speed gas flows, flame spread appeared the same trend as that in microgravity. This showed that the horizontal narrow channel can restrict natural convection effectively. In the vertical narrow channel, flame spread became slower as the forced gas flow speed increased. In low speed gas flows, flame spread was not near quench limit. Instead, the spread rate got its maximum value. This was entirely different from the result of microgravity and showed that the vertical narrow channel can not restrict natural convection. For the horizontal narrow channel, when the channel height lowered to 1 cm (The Grashof number was 149 using the half height as a characteristic length), the natural convection was restricted. For vertical narrow channel, a lower height was needed to restrict natural convection. References 1. NASA Technical Standard, "Flammability, Odor, Offgassing, and Compatibility Require-ments and Test Procedures for Materials in Environments That Support Combustion", NASA STD-6001, 1998. 2. Ivanov, A. V., Balashov, Ye. V., Andreeva, T. V., and et al., "Experimental Verification of Material Flammability in Space", NASA CR-1999-209405, 1999. 3. Melikhov, A. S., Bolodyan, I. A., Potyakin, V. I., and et al., "The study of polymer material combustion in simulated microgravity by physical modeling method", In: Sacksteder K, ed, "Fifth Int Microgravity Comb Workshop", NASA CP-1999-208917, 1999, 361. 4. T'ien, J. S., Shih, H.-Y., Jiang, C.-B., and et al., "Mechanisms of flame spread and smol-der wave propagation", In: Ross, H. D., ed, "Microgravity Combustion: Fire in Free Fall", Academic Press, 2001. 299. 5. Olson, S. L., Comb Sci Tech, 76, 233, 1991.

An accelerometry-based comparison of 2 robotic assistive devices for treadmill training of gait.

PubMed

Regnaux, Jean-Philippe; Saremi, Kaveh; Marehbian, Jon; Bussel, Bernard; Dobkin, Bruce H

2008-01-01

Two commercial robotic devices, the Gait Trainer (GT) and the Lokomat (LOKO), assist task-oriented practice of walking. The gait patterns induced by these motor-driven devices have not been characterized and compared. A healthy participant chose the most comfortable gait pattern on each device and for treadmill (TM) walking at 1, 2 (maximum for the GT), and 3 km/h and over ground at similar speeds. A system of accelerometers on the thighs and feet allowed the calculation of spatiotemporal features and accelerations during the gait cycle. At the 1 and 2 km/h speed settings, single-limb stance times were prolonged on the devices compared with overground walking. Differences on the LOKO were decreased by adjusting the hip and knee angles and step length. At the 3 km/h setting, the LOKO approximated the participant's overground parameters. Irregular accelerations and decelerations from toe-off to heel contact were induced by the devices, especially at slower speeds. The LOKO and GT impose mechanical constraints that may alter leg accelerations-decelerations during stance and swing phases, as well as stance duration, especially at their slower speed settings, that are not found during TM and overground walking. The potential impact of these perturbations on training to improve gait needs further study.

Feeding kinematics and performance of Hawaiian stream gobies, Awaous guamensis and Lentipes concolor: linkage of functional morphology and ecology.

PubMed

Maie, Takashi; Wilson, Megan P; Schoenfuss, Heiko L; Blob, Richard W

2009-03-01

Distributions of Hawaiian stream fishes are typically interrupted by waterfalls that divide streams into multiple segments. Larvae hatch upstream, are flushed into the ocean, and must climb these waterfalls to reach adult habitats when returning back to freshwater as part of an amphidromous life cycle. Stream surveys and studies of climbing performance show that Lentipes concolor Gill can reach fast-flowing upper stream segments but that Awaous guamensis Valenciennes reaches only slower, lower stream segments. Gut content analyses for these two species indicate considerable overlap in diet, suggesting that feeding kinematics and performance of these two species might be comparable. Alternatively, feeding kinematics and performance of these species might be expected to differ in relation to the different flow regimes in their habitat (feeding in faster stream currents for L. concolor versus in slower currents for A. guamensis). To test these alternative hypotheses, we compared food capturing kinematics and performance during suction feeding behaviors of A. guamensis and L. concolor using morphological data and high-speed video. Lentipes concolor showed both a significantly larger gape angle and faster jaw opening than A. guamensis. Geometric models calculated that despite the inverse relationship of gape size and suction pressure generation, the fast jaw motions of L. concolor allow it to achieve higher pressure differentials than A. guamensis. Such elevated suction pressure would enhance the ability of L. concolor to successfully capture food in the fast stream reaches it typically inhabits. Differences in jaw morphology may contribute to these differences in performance, as the lever ratio for jaw opening is about 10% lower in L. concolor compared with A. guamensis, suiting the jaws of L. concolor better for fast opening. Copyright 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Motor skills under varied gravitoinertial force in parabolic flight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, Helen E.

Parabolic flight produces brief alternating periods of high and low gravitoinertial force. Subjects were tested on various paper-and-pencil aiming and tapping tasks during both normal and varied gravity in flight. It was found that changes in g level caused directional errors in the z body axis (the gravity axis), the arm aiming too high under 0g and too low under 2g. The standard deviation also increased for both vertical and lateral movements in the mid-frontal plane. Both variable and directional errors were greater under 0g than 2g. In an unpaced reciprocal tapping task subjects tended to increase their error rate rather than their movement time, but showed a non-significant trend towards slower speeds under 0g for all movement orientations. Larger variable errors or slower speeds were probably due to the difficulty of re-organising a motor skill in an unfamiliar force environment, combined with anchorage difficulties under 0g.

Statistical mechanics explanation for the structure of ocean eddies and currents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venaille, A.; Bouchet, F.

2010-12-01

The equilibrium statistical mechanics of two dimensional and geostrophic flows predicts the outcome for the large scales of the flow, resulting from the turbulent mixing. This theory has been successfully applied to describe detailed properties of Jupiter's Great Red Spot. We discuss the range of applicability of this theory to ocean dynamics. It is able to reproduce mesoscale structures like ocean rings. It explains, from statistical mechanics, the westward drift of rings at the speed of non dispersive baroclinic waves, and the recently observed (Chelton and col.) slower northward drift of cyclonic eddies and southward drift of anticyclonic eddies. We also uncover relations between strong eastward mid-basin inertial jets, like the Kuroshio extension and the Gulf Stream, and statistical equilibria. We explain under which conditions such strong mid-basin jets can be understood as statistical equilibria. We claim that these results are complementary to the classical Sverdrup-Munk theory: they explain the inertial part basin dynamics, the jets structure and location, using very simple theoretical arguments. References: A. VENAILLE and F. BOUCHET, Ocean rings and jets as statistical equilibrium states, submitted to JPO F. BOUCHET and A. VENAILLE, Statistical mechanics of two-dimensional and geophysical flows, arxiv ...., submitted to Physics Reports P. BERLOFF, A. M. HOGG, W. DEWAR, The Turbulent Oscillator: A Mechanism of Low- Frequency Variability of the Wind-Driven Ocean Gyres, Journal of Physical Oceanography 37 (2007) 2363-+. D. B. CHELTON, M. G. SCHLAX, R. M. SAMELSON, R. A. de SZOEKE, Global observations of large oceanic eddies, Geo. Res. Lett.34 (2007) 15606-+ b) and c) are snapshots of streamfunction and potential vorticity (red: positive values; blue: negative values) in the upper layer of a three layer quasi-geostrophic model of a mid-latitude ocean basin (from Berloff and co.). a) Streamfunction predicted by statistical mechanics. Even in an out-equilibrium situation like this one, equilibrium statistical mechanics predicts remarkably the overall qualitative flow structure. Observation of westward drift of ocean eddies and of slower northward drift of cyclones and southward drift of anticyclones by Chelton and co. We explain these observations from statistical mechanics.

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

John J. Gangloff Jr; Shatil Sinha; Suresh G. Advani

The formation and transport of voids in composite materials remains a key research area in composite manufacturing science. Knowledge of how voids, resin, and fiber reinforcement propagate throughout a composite material continuum from green state to cured state during an automated tape layup process is key to minimizing defects induced by void-initiated stress concentrations under applied loads for a wide variety of composite applications. This paper focuses on modeling resin flow in a deforming fiber tow during an automated process of partially impregnated thermoset prepreg composite material tapes. In this work, a tow unit cell based model has been presentedmore » that determines the consolidation and impregnation of a thermoset prepreg tape under an input pressure profile. A parametric study has been performed to characterize the behavior of varying tow speed and compaction forces on the degree of consolidation. Results indicate that increased tow consolidation is achieved with slower tow speeds and higher compaction forces although the relationship is not linear. The overall modeling of this project is motivated to address optimization of the 'green state' composite properties and processing parameters to reduce or eliminate 'cured state' defects, such as porosity and de-lamination. This work is partially funded by the Department of Energy under Award number DE-EE0001367.« less

Retinal adaptation abnormalities in primary open-angle glaucoma.

PubMed

Dul, Mitchell; Ennis, Robert; Radner, Shira; Lee, Barry; Zaidi, Qasim

2015-01-22

Dynamic color and brightness adaptation are crucial for visual functioning. The effects of glaucoma on retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) could compromise these functions. We have previously used slow dynamic changes of light at moderate intensities to measure the speed and magnitude of subtractive adaptation in RGCs. We used the same procedure to test if RGC abnormalities cause slower and weaker adaptation for patients with glaucoma when compared to age-similar controls. We assessed adaptation deficits in specific classes of RGCs by testing along the three cardinal color axes that isolate konio, parvo, and magno RGCs. For one eye each of 10 primary open-angle glaucoma patients and their age-similar controls, we measured the speed and magnitude of adapting to 1/32 Hz color modulations along the three cardinal axes, at central fixation and 8° superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal to fixation. In all 15 comparisons (5 locations × 3 color axes), average adaptation was slower and weaker for glaucoma patients than for controls. Adaptation developed slower at central targets than at 8° eccentricities for controls, but not for patients. Adaptation speed and magnitude differed between affected and control eyes even at retinal locations showing no visual field loss with clinical perimetry. Neural adaptation is weaker in glaucoma patients for all three classes of RGCs. Since adaptation abnormalities are manifested even at retinal locations not exhibiting a visual field loss, this novel form of assessment may offer a functional insight into glaucoma and an early diagnosis tool. Copyright 2015 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

Effect of needle insertion speed on tissue injury, stress, and backflow distribution for convection-enhanced delivery in the rat brain.

PubMed

Casanova, Fernando; Carney, Paul R; Sarntinoranont, Malisa

2014-01-01

Flow back along a needle track (backflow) can be a problem during direct infusion, e.g. convection-enhanced delivery (CED), of drugs into soft tissues such as brain. In this study, the effect of needle insertion speed on local tissue injury and backflow was evaluated in vivo in the rat brain. Needles were introduced at three insertion speeds (0.2, 2, and 10 mm/s) followed by CED of Evans blue albumin (EBA) tracer. Holes left in tissue slices were used to reconstruct penetration damage. These measurements were also input into a hyperelastic model to estimate radial stress at the needle-tissue interface (pre-stress) before infusion. Fast insertion speeds were found to produce more tissue bleeding and disruption; average hole area at 10 mm/s was 1.87-fold the area at 0.2 mm/s. Hole measurements also differed at two fixation time points after needle retraction, 10 and 25 min, indicating that pre-stresses are influenced by time-dependent tissue swelling. Calculated pre-stresses were compressive (0 to 485 Pa) and varied along the length of the needle with smaller average values within white matter (116 Pa) than gray matter (301 Pa) regions. Average pre-stress at 0.2 mm/s (351.7 Pa) was calculated to be 1.46-fold the value at 10 mm/s. For CED backflow experiments (0.5, 1, and 2 µL/min), measured EBA backflow increased as much as 2.46-fold between 10 and 0.2 mm/s insertion speeds. Thus, insertion rate-dependent damage and changes in pre-stress were found to directly contribute to the extent of backflow, with slower insertion resulting in less damage and improved targeting.

Relay exchanges in elite short track speed skating.

PubMed

Hext, Andrew; Heller, Ben; Kelley, John; Goodwill, Simon

2017-06-01

In short track speed skating, the relay exchange provides an additional strategic component to races by allowing a team to change the skater involved in the pack race. Typically executed every 1½ laps, it is the belief of skaters and coaches that during this period of the race, time can be gained or lost due to the execution of the relay exchange. As such, the aim of this study was to examine the influence of the relay exchange on a team's progression through a 5000 m relay race. Using data collected from three World Cup relay events during the 2012-2013 season, the time taken to complete the straight for the scenarios with and without the relay exchange were compared at different skating speeds for the corner exit prior to the straight. Overall, the influence of the relay exchange was found to be dependent on this corner exit speed. At slower corner exit speeds (12.01-13.5 m/s), relay exchange straight times were significantly faster than the free skating scenario (P < 0.01). While at faster corner exit speeds (14.01-15 m/s), straight times were significantly slower (P < 0.001). The findings of this study suggest that the current norm of executing relay exchanges every 1½ laps may not be optimal. Instead, varying the frequency of relay exchange execution throughout the race could allow: (1) time to be gained relative to other teams; and (2) facilitate other race strategies by providing an improved opportunity to overtake.

Recent corrections to meteoroid environment models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moorhead, A.; Brown, P.; Campbell-Brown, M. D.; Moser, D. E.; Blaauw, R. C.; Cooke, W.

2017-12-01

The dynamical and physical characteristics of a meteoroid affects its behavior in the atmosphere and the damage it does to spacecraft surfaces. Accurate environment models must therefore correctly describe the speed, size, density, and direction of meteoroids. However, the measurement of dynamical characteristics such as speed is subject to observational biases, and physical properties such as size and density cannot be directly measured. De-biasing techniques and proxies are needed to overcome these challenges. In this presentation, we discuss several recent improvements to the derivation of the meteoroid velocity, directionality, and bulk density distributions. We derive our speed distribution from observations made by the Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar. These observations are de-biased using modern descriptions of the ionization efficiency and sharpened to remove the effects of measurement uncertainty, and the result is a meteoroid speed distribution that is skewed slower than in previous analyses. We also adopt a higher fidelity density distribution than that used by many older models. In our distribution, meteoroids with TJ < 2 are assigned to a low-density population, while those with TJ > 2 have higher densities. This division and the distributions themselves are derived from the densities reported by Kikwaya et al. (2009, 2011). These changes have implications for the environment. For instance, helion and antihelion meteors have lower speeds and higher densities than apex and toroidal meteors. A slower speed distribution therefore corresponds to a sporadic environment that is more completely dominated by the helion and antihelion sources than in previous models. Finally, assigning these meteors high densities further increases their significance from a spacecraft damage perspective.

Recent Corrections to Meteoroid Environment Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moorhead, A. V.; Brown, P. G.; Campbell-Brown, M. D.; Moser, D. E.; Blaauw, R. C.; Cooke, W. J.

2017-01-01

The dynamical and physical characteristics of a meteoroid affects its behavior in the atmosphere and the damage it does to spacecraft surfaces. Accurate environment models must therefore correctly describe the speed, size, density, and direction of meteoroids. However, the measurement of dynamical characteristics such as speed is subject to observational biases, and physical properties such as size and density cannot be directly measured. De-biasing techniques and proxies are needed to overcome these challenges. In this presentation, we discuss several recent improvements to the derivation of the meteoroid velocity, directionality, and bulk density distributions. We derive our speed distribution from observations made by the Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar. These observations are de-biased using modern descriptions of the ionization efficiency and sharpened to remove the effects of measurement uncertainty, and the result is a meteoroid speed distribution that is skewed slower than in previous analyses. We also adopt a higher fidelity density distribution than that used by many older models. In our distribution, meteoroids with T(sub J) less than 2 are assigned to a low-density population, while those with T(sub J) greater than 2 have higher densities. This division and the distributions themselves are derived from the densities reported by Kikwaya et al. (2009, 2011). These changes have implications for the environment. For instance, helion and antihelion meteors have lower speeds and higher densities than apex and toroidal meteors. A slower speed distribution therefore corresponds to a sporadic environment that is more completely dominated by the helion and antihelion sources than in previous models. Finally, assigning these meteors high densities further increases their significance from a spacecraft damage perspective.

Pacing Strategy, Muscle Fatigue, and Technique in 1500-m Speed-Skating and Cycling Time Trials.

PubMed

Stoter, Inge K; MacIntosh, Brian R; Fletcher, Jared R; Pootz, Spencer; Zijdewind, Inge; Hettinga, Florentina J

2016-04-01

To evaluate pacing behavior and peripheral and central contributions to muscle fatigue in 1500-m speed-skating and cycling time trials when a faster or slower start is instructed. Nine speed skaters and 9 cyclists, all competing at regional or national level, performed two 1500-m time trials in their sport. Athletes were instructed to start faster than usual in 1 trial and slower in the other. Mean velocity was measured per 100 m. Blood lactate concentrations were measured. Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), voluntary activation (VA), and potentiated twitch (PT) of the quadriceps muscles were measured to estimate central and peripheral contributions to muscle fatigue. In speed skating, knee, hip, and trunk angles were measured to evaluate technique. Cyclists showed a more explosive start than speed skaters in the fast-start time trial (cyclists performed first 300 m in 24.70 ± 1.73 s, speed skaters in 26.18 ± 0.79 s). Both trials resulted in reduced MVC (12.0% ± 14.5%), VA (2.4% ± 5.0%), and PT (25.4% ± 15.2%). Blood lactate concentrations after the time trial and the decrease in PT were greater in the fast-start than in the slow-start trial. Speed skaters showed higher trunk angles in the fast-start than in the slow-start trial, while knee angles remained similar. Despite similar instructions, behavioral adaptations in pacing differed between the 2 sports, resulting in equal central and peripheral contributions to muscle fatigue in both sports. This provides evidence for the importance of neurophysiological aspects in the regulation of pacing. It also stresses the notion that optimal pacing needs to be studied sport specifically, and coaches should be aware of this.

Importance of CME Radial Expansion on the Ability of Slow CMEs to Drive Shocks

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

Lugaz, Noé; Farrugia, Charles J.; Winslow, Reka M.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) may disturb the solar wind by overtaking it or expanding into it, or both. CMEs whose front moves faster in the solar wind frame than the fast magnetosonic speed drive shocks. Such shocks are important contributors to space weather, by triggering substorms, compressing the magnetosphere, and accelerating particles. In general, near 1 au, CMEs with speed greater than about 500 km s{sup −1} drive shocks, whereas slower CMEs do not. However, CMEs as slow as 350 km s{sup −1} may sometimes, although rarely, drive shocks. Here we study these slow CMEs with shocks and investigate themore » importance of CME expansion in contributing to their ability to drive shocks and in enhancing shock strength. Our focus is on CMEs with average speeds under 375 km s{sup −1}. From Wind measurements from 1996 to 2016, we find 22 cases of such shock-driving slow CMEs, and for about half of them (11 out of the 22), the existence of the shock appears to be strongly related to CME expansion. We also investigate the proportion of all CMEs with speeds under 500 km s{sup −1} with and without shocks in solar cycles 23 and 24, depending on their speed. We find no systematic difference, as might have been expected on the basis of the lower solar wind and Alfvén speeds reported for solar cycle 24 versus 23. The slower expansion speed of CMEs in solar cycle 24 might be an explanation for this lack of increased frequency of shocks, but further studies are required.« less

Relationship between slow visual processing and reading speed in people with macular degeneration

PubMed Central

Cheong, Allen MY; Legge, Gordon E; Lawrence, Mary G; Cheung, Sing-Hang; Ruff, Mary A

2007-01-01

Purpose People with macular degeneration (MD) often read slowly even with adequate magnification to compensate for acuity loss. Oculomotor deficits may affect reading in MD, but cannot fully explain the substantial reduction in reading speed. Central-field loss (CFL) is often a consequence of macular degeneration, necessitating the use of peripheral vision for reading. We hypothesized that slower temporal processing of visual patterns in peripheral vision is a factor contributing to slow reading performance in MD patients. Methods Fifteen subjects with MD, including 12 with CFL, and five age-matched control subjects were recruited. Maximum reading speed and critical print size were measured with RSVP (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation). Temporal processing speed was studied by measuring letter-recognition accuracy for strings of three randomly selected letters centered at fixation for a range of exposure times. Temporal threshold was defined as the exposure time yielding 80% recognition accuracy for the central letter. Results Temporal thresholds for the MD subjects ranged from 159 to 5881 ms, much longer than values for age-matched controls in central vision (13 ms, p<0.01). The mean temporal threshold for the 11 MD subjects who used eccentric fixation (1555.8 ± 1708.4 ms) was much longer than the mean temporal threshold (97.0 ms ± 34.2 ms, p<0.01) for the age-matched controls at 10° in the lower visual field. Individual temporal thresholds accounted for 30% of the variance in reading speed (p<0.05). Conclusion The significant association between increased temporal threshold for letter recognition and reduced reading speed is consistent with the hypothesis that slower visual processing of letter recognition is one of the factors limiting reading speed in MD subjects. PMID:17881032

Flight evaluation of the transonic stability and control characteristics of an airplane incorporating a supercritical wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matheny, N. W.; Gatlin, D. H.

1978-01-01

A TF-8A airplane was equipped with a transport type supercritical wing and fuselage fairings to evaluate predicted performance improvements for cruise at transonic speeds. A comparison of aerodynamic derivatives extracted from flight and wind tunnel data showed that static longitudinal stability, effective dihedral, and aileron effectiveness, were higher than predicted. The static directional stability derivative was slower than predicted. The airplane's handling qualities were acceptable with the stability augmentation system on. The unaugmented airplane exhibited some adverse lateral directional characteristics that involved low Dutch roll damping and low roll control power at high angles of attack and roll control power that was greater than satisfactory for transport aircraft at cruise conditions. Longitudinally, the aircraft exhibited a mild pitchup tendency. Leading edge vortex generators delayed the onset of flow separation, moving the pitchup point to a higher lift coefficient and reducing its severity.

Ocean Surface Wave Optical Roughness: Analysis of Innovative Measurements

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-16

relationship of MSS to wind speed, and at times has shown a reversal of the Cox-Munk linear relationship. Furthermore, we observe measurable changes in...1985]. The variable speed allocation method has the effect of aliasing (cb) to slower waves, thereby increasing the exponent –m. Our analysis based ...RaDyO) program. The primary research goals of the program are to (1) examine time -dependent oceanic radiance distribution in relation to dynamic

Age-Related Differences in Spatiotemporal Variables and Ground Reaction Forces During Sprinting in Boys.

PubMed

Nagahara, Ryu; Takai, Yohei; Haramura, Miki; Mizutani, Mirai; Matsuo, Akifumi; Kanehisa, Hiroaki; Fukunaga, Tetsuo

2018-02-24

We aimed to elucidate age-related differences in spatiotemporal and ground reaction force variables during sprinting in boys over a broad range of chronological ages. Ground reaction force signals during 50-m sprinting were recorded in 99 boys aged 6.5-15.4 years. Step-to-step spatiotemporal variables and mean forces were then calculated. There was a slower rate of development in sprinting performance in the age span from 8.8 to 12.1 years compared with younger and older boys. During that age span, mean propulsive force was almost constant, and step frequency for older boys was lower regardless of sprinting phase. During the ages younger than 8.8 years and older than 12.1 years, sprint performance rapidly increased with increasing mean propulsive forces during the middle acceleration and maximal speed phases and during the initial acceleration phase. There was a stage of temporal slower development of sprinting ability from age 8.8 to 12.1 years, being characterized by unchanged propulsive force and decreased step frequency. Moreover, increasing propulsive forces during the middle acceleration and maximal speed phases and during the initial acceleration phase are probably responsible for the rapid development of sprinting ability before and after the period of temporal slower development of sprinting ability.

Speed of CMEs and the Magnetic Non-Potentiality of Their Source ARs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tiwari, Sanjiv K.; Falconer, David A.; Moore, Ronald L.; Venkatakrishnan, P.

2014-01-01

Most fast coronal mass ejections (CMEs) originate from solar active regions (ARs). Non-potentiality of ARs is expected to determine the speed and size of CMEs in the outer corona. Several other unexplored parameters might be important as well. To find out the correlation between the initial speed of CMEs and the non-potentiality of source ARs, we associated over a hundred of CMEs with source ARs via their co-produced flares. The speed of the CMEs are collected from the SOHO LASCO CME catalog. We have used vector magnetograms obtained mainly with HMI/SDO, also with Hinode (SOT/SP) when available within an hour of a CME occurrence, to evaluate various magnetic non-potentiality parameters, e.g. magnetic free-energy proxies, computed magnetic free energy, twist, shear angle, signed shear angle etc. We have also included several other parameters e.g. total unsigned flux, net current, magnetic area of ARs, area of sunspots, to investigate their correlation, if any, with the initial speeds of CMEs. Our preliminary results show that the ARs with larger non-potentiality and area mostly produce fast CMEs but they can also produce slower ones. The ARs with lesser non-potentiality and area generally produce only slower CMEs, however, there are a few exceptions. The total unsigned flux correlate with the non-potentiality parameters and area of ARs but some ARs with large unsigned flux are also found to be least non-potential. A more detailed analysis is underway.

Gait characteristics over the course of a race in recreational marathon competitors.

PubMed

Bertram, John E A; Prebeau-Menezes, Leif; Szarko, Matthew J

2013-03-01

We analyzed gait and function of the supporting limb in participants of a marathon race at three stages: prerace, midrace (18 km), and near the end of the race (36 km). We confirmed that the most successful runners were able to maintain running speed for the duration of the race with little change in speed or gait. Speed slowed progressively during the race for those with slower race times, but stride frequency-stride length relationships remained normal for the speed they ran. These findings differ from most lab-based studies of fatigue, in which runners are forced to match a constant preset treadmill speed. Small changes in maximum ground force were seen in both slow- and fast-running participants as race end approached.

Neuropsychological profiles of adolescents with ADHD: effects of reading difficulties and gender.

PubMed

Rucklidge, Julia J; Tannock, Rosemary

2002-11-01

Executive function, particularly behavioral inhibition, has been implicated as a core deficit specific to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) whereas rapid naming has been implicated as a core deficit specific to reading disabilities (RD). Females may be less impaired in executive function although adolescent females with ADHD have yet to be studied. Neuropsychological profiles of four adolescent groups aged 13-16 with equal female representation were investigated: 35 ADHD, 12 RD, 24 ADHD+RD, and 37 normal controls. A semi-structured interview (K-SADS-PL), the Conners Rating Scales and the Ontario Child Health Study Scales were used to diagnose ADHD. RD was defined as a standard score below 90 on at least one of the following: Reading or Spelling of the WRAT3 or Word Attack or Word Identification of the WRMT-R. The WISC-III, Rapid Automatized Naming, Stroop and Stop tasks were used as measures of cognitive and executive function. The two ADHD groups (ADHD, ADHD+RD) showed deficits in processing speed, naming of objects, poor behavioral inhibition and greater variability in reaction times whereas the two RD groups (RD, RD+ADHD) showed verbal working memory deficits and slower verbal retrieval speed. Only the comorbid group was slower with naming of numbers and colors and had slower reaction times. Regression analyses indicated that incongruent color naming (Stroop) and variability in go reaction time were the best predictors of hyperactive/impulsive ADHD symptoms whereas variability in go reaction time and processing speed were the best predictors of inattentive ADHD symptoms. Speed of letter naming and verbal working memory accounted for the most variability in composite achievement scores. No gender differences were found on any of the cognitive tests. This study challenges the importance of behavioral inhibition deficits in ADHD and that naming deficits are specific to RD. Further investigation into cognitive deficits in these groups is required.

Factors associated with lower gait speed among the elderly living in a developing country: a cross-sectional population-based study.

PubMed

Busch, Telma de Almeida; Duarte, Yeda Aparecida; Pires Nunes, Daniella; Lebrão, Maria Lucia; Satya Naslavsky, Michel; dos Santos Rodrigues, Anelise; Amaro, Edson

2015-04-01

Among community-dwelling older adults, mean values for gait speed vary substantially depending not only on the population studied, but also on the methodology used. Despite the large number of studies published in developed countries, there are few population-based studies in developing countries with socioeconomic inequality and different health conditions, and this is the first study with a representative sample of population. To explore this, the association of lower gait speed with sociodemographic, anthropometric factors, mental status and physical health was incorporated participants' weight (main weight) in the analysis of population of community-dwelling older adults living in a developing country. This was a cross-sectional population based on a sample of 1112 older adults aged 60 years and over from Health, Wellbeing and Aging Study cohort 2010. Usual gait speed (s) to walk 3 meters was stratified by sex and height into quartiles. Multiple regression analysis was performed to investigate the independent effect of each factor associated with a slower usual gait speed. The average walking speed of the elderly was 0.81 m/s-0.78 m/s among women and 0.86 m/s among men. In the final model, the factors associated with lower gait speed were age (OR = 3.56), literacy (OR = 3.20), difficulty in one or more IADL (OR = 2.74), presence of cardiovascular disease (OR = 2.15) and sedentarism. When we consider the 50% slower, we can add the variables handgrip strength, and the presence of COPD. Gait speed is a clinical marker and an important measure of functional capacity among the elderly. Our findings suggest that lower walking speed is associated with age, education, but especially with modifiable factors such as impairment of IADL, physical inactivity and cardiovascular disease. These results reinforce how important it is for the elderly to remain active and healthy.

A Case Study on the Walking Speed of Pedestrian at the Bus Terminal Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firdaus Mohamad Ali, Mohd; Salleh Abustan, Muhamad; Hidayah Abu Talib, Siti; Abustan, Ismail; Rahman, Noorhazlinda Abd; Gotoh, Hitoshi

2018-03-01

Walking speed is one of the factors in understanding the pedestrian walking behaviours. Every pedestrian has different level of walking speed that are regulated by some factors such as gender and age. This study was conducted at a bus terminal area with two objectives in which the first one was to determine the average walking speed of pedestrian by considering the factors of age, gender, people with and without carrying baggage; and the second one was to make a comparison of the average walking speed that considered age as the factor of comparison between pedestrian at the bus terminal area and crosswalk. Demographic factor of pedestrian walking speed in this study are gender and age consist of male, female, and 7 groups of age categories that are children, adult men and women, senior adult men and women, over 70 and disabled person. Data of experiment was obtained by making a video recording of the movement of people that were walking and roaming around at the main lobby for 45 minutes by using a camcorder. Hence, data analysis was done by using software named Human Behaviour Simulator (HBS) for analysing the data extracted from the video. The result of this study was male pedestrian walked faster than female with the average of walking speed 1.13m/s and 1.07m/s respectively. Averagely, pedestrian that walked without carrying baggage had higher walking speed compared to pedestrian that were carrying baggage with the speed of 1.02m/s and 0.70m/s respectively. Male pedestrian walks faster than female because they have higher level of stamina and they are mostly taller than female pedestrian. Furthermore, pedestrian with baggage walks slower because baggage will cause distractions such as pedestrian will have more weight to carry and people tend to walk slower.

Previous hepatitis a virus infection is related to slower psychomotor speed in elderly adults.

PubMed

Hsieh, Cheng-Fang; Liu, Ching-Kuan; Fang, Tzu-Jung; Yu, Yau-Hua; Lai, Chiou-Lian; Kuo, Hsu-Ko

2009-10-01

Patients with chronic viral hepatitis are at a higher risk for cognitive dysfunction. Little is known about the association between hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection and cognitive function. From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002, we selected study participants (> or =60 years, n = 1,529) without hepatitis B, C, or D virus infection; without previous hepatitis A vaccination; and without abnormal liver function. HAV-seropositive participants represented people with previous HAV infection. Psychomotor speed and executive functioning domain of cognitive function were measured by the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). HAV-seropositive participants had lower DSST scores than HAV-seronegative participants (weighted mean, 44.4 vs 53.9, p < .001). We designated HAV-seronegative participants as the reference group. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the weighted beta coefficient of DSST score was -9.55 (95% confidence interval [CI] -9.57 to -9.54, p < .001) for the HAV-seropositive participants. In a multivariable model, the weighted adjusted beta coefficient of DSST score was -2.48 (95% CI -2.49 to -2.46, p < .001) for the HAV-seropositive participants. HAV seropositivity is associated with slower psychomotor speed among the U.S. community-dwelling elders.

Quadriceps strength, quadriceps power, and gait speed in older U.S. adults with diabetes mellitus: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002.

PubMed

Kalyani, Rita Rastogi; Tra, Yolande; Yeh, Hsin-Chieh; Egan, Josephine M; Ferrucci, Luigi; Brancati, Frederick L

2013-05-01

To examine the independent association between diabetes mellitus (and its duration and severity) and quadriceps strength, quadriceps power, and gait speed in a national population of older adults. Cross-sectional nationally representative survey. United States. Two thousand five hundred seventy-three adults aged 50 and older in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002 who had assessment of quadriceps strength. Diabetes mellitus was ascertained according to questionnaire. Measurement of isokinetic knee extensor (quadriceps) strength was performed at 60º/s. Gait speed was assessed using a 20-foot walk test. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to assess the association between diabetes mellitus status and outcomes, adjusting for potential confounders or mediators. Older U.S. adults with diabetes mellitus had significantly slower gait speed (0.96 ± 0.02 m/s) than those without (1.08 ± 0.01 m/s; P < .001). After adjusting for demographic characteristics, weight, and height, diabetes mellitus was also associated with significantly lower quadriceps strength (-4.6 ± 1.9 Nm; P = .02) and power (-4.9 ± 2.0 W; P = .02) and slower gait speed (-0.05 ± 0.02 m/s; P = .002). Associations remained significant after adjusting for physical activity and C-reactive protein. After accounting for comorbidities (cardiovascular disease, peripheral neuropathy, amputation, cancer, arthritis, fracture, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), diabetes mellitus was independently associated only with gait speed (-0.04 ± 0.02 m/s; P = .02). Diabetes mellitus duration in men and women was negatively associated with age-adjusted quadriceps strength (-5.7 and -3.5 Nm/decade of diabetes mellitus, respectively) and power (-6.1 and -3.8 W/decade of diabetes mellitus, respectively) (all P ≤ .001, no significant interactions according to sex). Glycosylated hemoglobin was not associated with outcomes after accounting for body weight. Older U.S. adults with diabetes mellitus have lower quadriceps strength and quadriceps power that is related to the presence of comorbidities and walk slower than those without diabetes mellitus. Future studies should investigate the relationship between hyperglycemia and subsequent declines in leg muscle function. © 2013, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2013, The American Geriatrics Society.

Propagation of detonations in hydrazine vapor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heinrich, H. J.

1985-01-01

In the range of greater hydrazine vapor pressure, detonation speed depends exclusively on the extent of the ammonia decomposition in the second reaction stage. As vapor pressure decreases, the ammonia disintegration speed becomes increasingly slower and the reaction reached in the reaction zone increasingly decreases until finally, in the vapor pressure range between 53 and 16 Torr, the contribution of the second stage to detonation propagation disappears, and only the first stage remains active. Since the disintegration speed of the hydrazine in this pressure range has decreased markedly as well, no level, but rather only spinning, detonations occur. Temporary separations of the impact front and the reaction zone in the process lead to fluctuations of the detonation speed.

Design and analysis of a fuel-efficient single-engine, turboprop-powered, business airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, G. L.; Everest, D. E., Jr.; Lovell, W. A.; Price, J. E.; Walkley, K. B.; Washburn, G. F.

1981-01-01

The speed, range, payload, and fuel efficiency of a general aviation airplane powered by one turboprop engine was determined and compared to a twin engine turboprop aircraft. An airplane configuration was developed which can carry six people for a noreserve range of 2,408 km at a cruise speed above 154 m/s, and a cruise altitude of about 9,144 m. The cruise speed is comparable to that of the fastest of the current twin turboprop powered airplanes. It is found that the airplane has a cruise specific range greater than all twin turboprop engine airplanes flying in its speed range and most twin piston engine airplanes flying at considerably slower cruise airspeeds.

Experimental proof of faster-is-slower in systems of frictional particles flowing through constrictions.

PubMed

Pastor, José M; Garcimartín, Angel; Gago, Paula A; Peralta, Juan P; Martín-Gómez, César; Ferrer, Luis M; Maza, Diego; Parisi, Daniel R; Pugnaloni, Luis A; Zuriguel, Iker

2015-12-01

The "faster-is-slower" (FIS) effect was first predicted by computer simulations of the egress of pedestrians through a narrow exit [D. Helbing, I. J. Farkas, and T. Vicsek, Nature (London) 407, 487 (2000)]. FIS refers to the finding that, under certain conditions, an excess of the individuals' vigor in the attempt to exit causes a decrease in the flow rate. In general, this effect is identified by the appearance of a minimum when plotting the total evacuation time of a crowd as a function of the pedestrian desired velocity. Here, we experimentally show that the FIS effect indeed occurs in three different systems of discrete particles flowing through a constriction: (a) humans evacuating a room, (b) a herd of sheep entering a barn, and (c) grains flowing out a 2D hopper over a vibrated incline. This finding suggests that FIS is a universal phenomenon for active matter passing through a narrowing.

49 CFR 383.115 - Requirements for double/triple trailers endorsement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY REGULATIONS COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE STANDARDS; REQUIREMENTS AND PENALTIES Required Knowledge and Skills... problems the motor vehicle creates for other motorists due to slower speeds on steep grades, longer passing...

Flow speed of the ablation vapors generated during laser drilling of CFRP with a continuous-wave laser beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faas, S.; Freitag, C.; Boley, S.; Berger, P.; Weber, R.; Graf, T.

2017-03-01

The hot plume of ablation products generated during the laser drilling process of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) with a continuous-wave laser beam was analyzed by means of high-speed imaging. The formation of compression shocks was observed within the flow of the evaporated material, which is an indication of flow speeds well above the local speed of sound. The flow speed of the hot ablation products can be estimated by analyzing the position of these compression shocks. We investigated the temporal evolution of the flow speed during the drilling process and the influence of the average laser power on the flow speed. The flow speed increases with increasing average laser powers. The moment of drilling through the material changes the conditions for the drilling process and was confirmed to influence the flow speed of the ablated material. Compression shocks can also be observed during laser cutting of CFRP with a moving laser beam.

Microscopic theory of traffic-flow instability governing traffic breakdown at highway bottlenecks: Growing wave of increase in speed in synchronized flow.

PubMed

Kerner, Boris S

2015-12-01

We have revealed a growing local speed wave of increase in speed that can randomly occur in synchronized flow (S) at a highway bottleneck. The development of such a traffic flow instability leads to free flow (F) at the bottleneck; therefore, we call this instability an S→F instability. Whereas the S→F instability leads to a local increase in speed (growing acceleration wave), in contrast, the classical traffic flow instability introduced in the 1950s-1960s and incorporated later in a huge number of traffic flow models leads to a growing wave of a local decrease in speed (growing deceleration wave). We have found that the S→F instability can occur only if there is a finite time delay in driver overacceleration. The initial speed disturbance of increase in speed (called "speed peak") that initiates the S→F instability occurs usually at the downstream front of synchronized flow at the bottleneck. There can be many speed peaks with random amplitudes that occur randomly over time. It has been found that the S→F instability exhibits a nucleation nature: Only when a speed peak amplitude is large enough can the S→F instability occur; in contrast, speed peaks of smaller amplitudes cause dissolving speed waves of a local increase in speed (dissolving acceleration waves) in synchronized flow. We have found that the S→F instability governs traffic breakdown-a phase transition from free flow to synchronized flow (F→S transition) at the bottleneck: The nucleation nature of the S→F instability explains the metastability of free flow with respect to an F→S transition at the bottleneck.

Microscopic theory of traffic-flow instability governing traffic breakdown at highway bottlenecks: Growing wave of increase in speed in synchronized flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerner, Boris S.

2015-12-01

We have revealed a growing local speed wave of increase in speed that can randomly occur in synchronized flow (S) at a highway bottleneck. The development of such a traffic flow instability leads to free flow (F) at the bottleneck; therefore, we call this instability an S →F instability. Whereas the S →F instability leads to a local increase in speed (growing acceleration wave), in contrast, the classical traffic flow instability introduced in the 1950s-1960s and incorporated later in a huge number of traffic flow models leads to a growing wave of a local decrease in speed (growing deceleration wave). We have found that the S →F instability can occur only if there is a finite time delay in driver overacceleration. The initial speed disturbance of increase in speed (called "speed peak") that initiates the S →F instability occurs usually at the downstream front of synchronized flow at the bottleneck. There can be many speed peaks with random amplitudes that occur randomly over time. It has been found that the S →F instability exhibits a nucleation nature: Only when a speed peak amplitude is large enough can the S →F instability occur; in contrast, speed peaks of smaller amplitudes cause dissolving speed waves of a local increase in speed (dissolving acceleration waves) in synchronized flow. We have found that the S →F instability governs traffic breakdown—a phase transition from free flow to synchronized flow (F →S transition) at the bottleneck: The nucleation nature of the S →F instability explains the metastability of free flow with respect to an F →S transition at the bottleneck.

Linear spreading speeds from nonlinear resonant interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faye, Grégory; Holzer, Matt; Scheel, Arnd

2017-06-01

We identify a new mechanism for propagation into unstable states in spatially extended systems, that is based on resonant interaction in the leading edge of invasion fronts. Such resonant invasion speeds can be determined solely based on the complex linear dispersion relation at the unstable equilibrium, but rely on the presence of a nonlinear term that facilitates the resonant coupling. We prove that these resonant speeds give the correct invasion speed in a simple example, we show that fronts with speeds slower than the resonant speed are unstable, and corroborate our speed criterion numerically in a variety of model equations, including a nonlocal scalar neural field model. GF received support from the project NONLOCAL (ANR-14-CE25-0013) funded by the French National Research Agency. MH was partially supported by the National Science Foundation through grant NSF-DMS-1516155. AS was partially supported by the National Science Foundation through grant NSF-DMS-1311740 and through a DAAD Fellowship.

Reply to Comment on ``Effects of fast and slow solar wind on the correlations between interplanetary medium and geomagnetic activity'' by C. B. Wang and J. K. Chao

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballatore, Paola

2003-10-01

The paper [2002] (the paper commented) shows that the statistical significance of the correlations between the interplanetary parameters and the geomagnetic indices (Kp or Dst) is generally less significant during the fastest solar wind. On the other hand, at these fast solar wind periods, the significance of the Kp versus Dst correlation is equal to or higher than during slower solar wind. These results, together with further observations related to substorm periods and with previously published findings, are interpreted in terms of a difference in the interplanetary-magnetospheric coupling for solar wind faster or slower than a certain threshold (identified between about 500 and 600 km/s). Specifically, it is suggested that a possible linear approximation of the geomagnetic-interplanetary coupling is more appropriate during solar wind speed (Vsw) slower than this threshold, being nonlinear processes more dominant during the fastest speeds. This reply highlights that the correlation coefficients shown by [2003] are in agreement with these findings. In addition, Wang and Chao show that the statistical significance of the difference between the correlation coefficients for Vsw ≥ 550 km/s and those for Vsw < 550 km/s would indicate that the interplanetary-geomagnetic correlations during the fastest speeds are not significantly different from those at slower Vsw ranges. Here we give evidence of the fact that according to the common definition of this parameter, the calculation of the significance of the difference between two correlation coefficients made by Wang and Chao is wrong. Moreover, Wang and Chao recalculate the correlations between the interplanetary parameters and the ΔDst instead of Dst; in fact they note that the time derivative of this index (not the index itself) is driven by the interplanetary medium. Here we note that on the contrary, they show that the correlation coefficients between interplanetary parameters and Dst are larger than those obtained using ΔDst and we suggest a possible interpretation in terms of nonlinearity.

Imposed Faster and Slower Walking Speeds Influence Gait Stability Differently in Parkinson Fallers.

PubMed

Cole, Michael H; Sweeney, Matthew; Conway, Zachary J; Blackmore, Tim; Silburn, Peter A

2017-04-01

To evaluate the effect of imposed faster and slower walking speeds on postural stability in people with Parkinson disease (PD). Cross-sectional cohort study. General community. Patients with PD (n=84; 51 with a falls history; 33 without) and age-matched controls (n=82) were invited to participate via neurology clinics and preexisting databases. Of those contacted, 99 did not respond (PD=36; controls=63) and 27 were not interested (PD=18; controls=9). After screening, a further 10 patients were excluded; 5 had deep brain stimulation surgery and 5 could not accommodate to the treadmill. The remaining patients (N=30) completed all assessments and were subdivided into PD fallers (n=10), PD nonfallers (n=10), and age-matched controls (n=10) based on falls history. Not applicable. Three-dimensional accelerometers assessed head and trunk accelerations and allowed calculation of harmonic ratios and root mean square (RMS) accelerations to assess segment control and movement amplitude. Symptom severity, balance confidence, and medical history were established before participants walked on a treadmill at 70%, 100%, and 130% of their preferred speed. Head and trunk control was lower for PD fallers than PD nonfallers and older adults. Significant interactions indicated head and trunk control increased with speed for PD nonfallers and older adults, but did not improve at faster speeds for PD fallers. Vertical head and trunk accelerations increased with walking speed for PD nonfallers and older adults, while the PD fallers demonstrated greater anteroposterior RMS accelerations compared with both other groups. The results suggest that improved gait dynamics do not necessarily represent improved walking stability, and this must be respected when rehabilitating gait in patients with PD. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Kinematic, Cardiopulmonary, and Metabolic Responses of Overweight Runners While Running at Self-Selected and Standardized Speeds

PubMed Central

Zdziarski, Laura Ann; Chen, Cong; Horodyski, Marybeth; Vincent, Kevin R.; Vincent, Heather K.

2017-01-01

Objective To determine the differences in kinematic, cardiopulmonary, and metabolic responses between overweight and healthy weight runners at a self-selected and standard running speed. Design Comparative descriptive study. Setting Tertiary care institution, university-affiliated research laboratory. Participants Overweight runners (n = 21) were matched with runners of healthy weight (n = 42). Methods Participants ran at self-selected and standardized speeds (13.6 km/h). Sagittal plane joint kinematics were captured simultaneously with cardiopulmonary and metabolic measures using a motion capture system and portable gas analyzer, respectively. Main Outcome Measurements Spatiotemporal parameters (cadence, step width and length, center of gravity displacement, stance time) joint kinematics, oxygen cost, heart rate, ventilation and energy expenditure. Results At the self-selected speed, overweight individuals ran slower (8.5 ± 1.3 versus 10.0 ± 1.6 km/h) and had slower cadence (163 versus 169 steps/min; P < .05). The sagittal plane range of motion (ROM) for flexion-extension at the ankle, knee, hip, and anterior pelvic tilt were all less in overweight runners compared to healthy weight runners (all P < .05). At self-selected speed and 13.6 km/h, energy expenditure was higher in the overweight runners compared to their healthy weight counterparts (P < .05). At 13.6 km/h, only the frontal hip and pelvis ROM were higher in the overweight versus the healthy weight runners (P < .05), and energy expenditure, net energy cost, and minute ventilation were higher in the overweight runners compared to the healthy weight runners (P < .05). Conclusion At self-selected running speeds, the overweight runners demonstrated gait strategies (less joint ROM, less vertical displacement, and shorter step lengths) that resulted in cardiopulmonary and energetic responses similar to those of healthy weight individuals. PMID:26146194

Effects of Walking Speed and Visual-Target Distance on Toe Trajectory During Swing Phase

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Chris; Peters, Brian; Brady, Rachel; Warren, Liz; Richards, Jason; Mulavara, Ajitkumar; Sung, Hsi-Guang; Bloomberg, Jacob

2006-01-01

After spaceflight, astronauts experience disturbances in their ability to walk and maintain postural stability (Bloomberg, et al., 1997). One of the post-flight neurovestibular assessments requires that the astronaut walk on a treadmill at 1.8 m/sec (4.0 mph), while performing a visual acuity test, set at two different distances ( far and near ). For the first few days after landing, some crewmembers can not maintain the required pace, so a lower speed may be used. The slower velocity must be considered in the kinematic analysis, because Andriacchi, et al. (1977) showed that in clinical populations, changes in gait parameters may be attributable more to slower gait speed than pathology. Studying toe trajectory gives a global view of control of the leg, since it involves coordination of muscles and joints in both the swing and stance legs (Karst, et al., 1999). Winter (1992) and Murray, et al. (1984) reported that toe clearance during overground walking increased slightly as speed increased, but not significantly. Also, toe vertical peaks in both early and late swing phase did increase significantly with increasing speed. During conventional testing of overground locomotion, subjects are usually asked to fix their gaze on the end of the walkway a far target. But target (i.e., visual fixation) distance has been shown to affect head and trunk motion during treadmill walking (Bloomberg, et al., 1992; Peters, et al., in review). Since the head and trunk can not maintain stable gaze without proper coordination with the lower body (Mulavara & Bloomberg, 2003), it would stand to reason that lower body kinematics may be altered as well when target distance is modified. The purpose of this study was to determine changes in toe vertical trajectory during treadmill walking due to changes in walking speed and target distance.

Kinematics of fast cervical rotations in persons with chronic neck pain: a cross-sectional and reliability study.

PubMed

Röijezon, Ulrik; Djupsjöbacka, Mats; Björklund, Martin; Häger-Ross, Charlotte; Grip, Helena; Liebermann, Dario G

2010-09-27

Assessment of sensorimotor function is useful for classification and treatment evaluation of neck pain disorders. Several studies have investigated various aspects of cervical motor functions. Most of these have involved slow or self-paced movements, while few have investigated fast cervical movements. Moreover, the reliability of assessment of fast cervical axial rotation has, to our knowledge, not been evaluated before. Cervical kinematics was assessed during fast axial head rotations in 118 women with chronic nonspecific neck pain (NS) and compared to 49 healthy controls (CON). The relationship between cervical kinematics and symptoms, self-rated functioning and fear of movement was evaluated in the NS group. A sub-sample of 16 NS and 16 CON was re-tested after one week to assess the reliability of kinematic variables. Six cervical kinematic variables were calculated: peak speed, range of movement, conjunct movements and three variables related to the shape of the speed profile. Together, peak speed and conjunct movements had a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 78% in discriminating between NS and CON, of which the major part could be attributed to peak speed (NS: 226 ± 88°/s and CON: 348 ± 92°/s, p < 0.01). Peak speed was slower in NS compared to healthy controls and even slower in NS with comorbidity of low-back pain. Associations were found between reduced peak speed and self-rated difficulties with running, performing head movements, car driving, sleeping and pain. Peak speed showed reasonably high reliability, while the reliability for conjunct movements was poor. Peak speed of fast cervical axial rotations is reduced in people with chronic neck pain, and even further reduced in subjects with concomitant low back pain. Fast cervical rotation test seems to be a reliable and valid tool for assessment of neck pain disorders on group level, while a rather large between subject variation and overlap between groups calls for caution in the interpretation of individual assessments.

Performance Evaluation, Emulation, and Control of Cross-Flow Hydrokinetic Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavagnaro, Robert J.

Cross-flow hydrokinetic turbines are a promising option for effectively harvesting energy from fast-flowing streams or currents. This work describes the dynamics of such turbines, analyzes techniques used to scale turbine properties for prototyping, determines and demonstrates the limits of stability for cross-flow rotors, and discusses means and objectives of turbine control. Novel control strategies are under development to utilize low-speed operation (slower than at maximum power point) as a means of shedding power under rated conditions. However, operation in this regime may be unstable. An experiment designed to characterize the stability of a laboratory-scale cross-flow turbine operating near a critically low speed yields evidence that system stall (complete loss of ability to rotate) occurs due, in part, to interactions with turbulent decreases in flow speed. The turbine is capable of maintaining 'stable' operation at critical speed for short duration (typically less than 10 s), as described by exponential decay. The presence of accelerated 'bypass' flow around the rotor and decelerated 'induction' region directly upstream of the rotor, both predicted by linear momentum theory, are observed and quantified with particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements conducted upstream of the turbine. Additionally, general agreement is seen between PIV inflow measurements and those obtained by an advection-corrected acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) further upstream. Performance of a turbine at small (prototype) geometric scale may be prone to undesirable effects due to operation at low Reynolds number and in the presence of high channel blockage. Therefore, testing at larger scale, in open water is desirable. A cross-flow hydrokinetic turbine with a projected area (product of blade span and rotor diameter) of 0.7 m2 is evaluated in open-water tow trials at three inflow speeds ranging from 1.0 m/s to 2.1 m/s. Measurements of the inflow velocity, the rotor mechanical power, and electrical power output of a complete power take-off (PTO) system are utilized to determine the rotor hydrodynamic efficiency (maximum of 17%) and total system efficiency (maximum of 9%). A lab-based dynamometry method yields individual component and total PTO efficiencies, shown to have high variability and strong influence on total system efficiency. Dynamic efficiencies of PTO components can effect the overall efficiency of a turbine system, a result from field characterization. Thus, the ability to evaluate such components and their potential effects on turbine performance prior to field deployment is desirable. Before attempting control experiments with actual turbines, hardware-in-the-loop testing on controllable motor-generator sets or electromechanical emulation machines (EEMs) are explored to better understand power take-off response. The emulator control dynamic equations are presented, methods for scaling turbine parameters are developed and evaluated, and experimental results are presented from three EEMs programmed to emulate the same cross-flow turbine. Although hardware platforms and control implementations varied, results show that each EEM is successful in emulating the turbine model at different power levels, thus demonstrating the general feasibility of the approach. However, performance of motor control under torque command, current command, or speed command differed; torque methods required accurate characterization of the motors while speed methods utilized encoder feedback and more accurately tracked turbine dynamics. In a demonstration of an EEM for evaluating a hydrokinetic turbine implementation, a controller is used to track the maximum power-point of the turbine in response to turbulence. Utilizing realistic inflow conditions and control laws, the emulator dynamic speed response is shown to agree well at low frequencies with simulation but to deviate at high frequencies. The efficacy of an electromechanical emulator as an accurate representation of a fielded turbine is evaluated. A commercial horizontally-oriented cross-flow turbine is dynamically emulated on hardware to investigate control strategies and grid integration. A representative inflow time-series with a mean of 2 m/s is generated from high-resolution flow measurements of a riverine site and is used to drive emulation. Power output during emulation under similar input and loading conditions yields agreement with field measurements to within 3% at high power, near-optimal levels. Constant tip-speed ratio and constant speed proportional plus integral control schemes are compared to optimal nonlinear control and constant resistance regulation. All controllers yield similar results in terms of overall system efficiency. The emulated turbine is more responsive to turbulent inflow than the field turbine, as the model utilized to drive emulation does not account for a smoothing effect of turbulent fluctuations over the span of the fielded turbine's rotors. The turbine has a lower inertia than the demand of an isolated grid, indicating a secondary source of power with a similar frequency response is necessary if a single turbine cannot meet the entire demand. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).

Contrast affects flicker and speed perception differently

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, P.; Stone, L. S.

1997-01-01

We have previously shown that contrast affects speed perception, with lower-contrast, drifting gratings perceived as moving slower. In a recent study, we examined the implications of this result on models of speed perception that use the amplitude of the response of linear spatio-temporal filters to determine speed. In this study, we investigate whether the contrast dependence of speed can be understood within the context of models in which speed estimation is made using the temporal frequency of the response of linear spatio-temporal filters. We measured the effect of contrast on flicker perception and found that contrast manipulations produce opposite effects on perceived drift rate and perceived flicker rate, i.e., reducing contrast increases the apparent temporal frequency of counterphase modulated gratings. This finding argues that, if a temporal frequency-based algorithm underlies speed perception, either flicker and speed perception must not be based on the output of the same mechanism or contrast effects on perceived spatial frequency reconcile the disparate effects observed for perceived temporal frequency and speed.

Reaction time, impulsivity, and attention in hyperactive children and controls: a video game technique.

PubMed

Mitchell, W G; Chavez, J M; Baker, S A; Guzman, B L; Azen, S P

1990-07-01

Maturation of sustained attention was studied in a group of 52 hyperactive elementary school children and 152 controls using a microcomputer-based test formatted to resemble a video game. In nonhyperactive children, both simple and complex reaction time decreased with age, as did variability of response time. Omission errors were extremely infrequent on simple reaction time and decreased with age on the more complex tasks. Commission errors had an inconsistent relationship with age. Hyperactive children were slower, more variable, and made more errors on all segments of the game than did controls. Both motor speed and calculated mental speed were slower in hyperactive children, with greater discrepancy for responses directed to the nondominant hand, suggesting that a selective right hemisphere deficit may be present in hyperactives. A summary score (number of individual game scores above the 95th percentile) of 4 or more detected 60% of hyperactive subjects with a false positive rate of 5%. Agreement with the Matching Familiar Figures Test was 75% in the hyperactive group.

Moderators of noise-induced cognitive change in healthy adults.

PubMed

Wright, Bernice Al; Peters, Emmanuelle R; Ettinger, Ulrich; Kuipers, Elizabeth; Kumari, Veena

2016-01-01

Environmental noise causes cognitive impairment, particularly in executive function and episodic memory domains, in healthy populations. However, the possible moderating influences on this relationship are less clear. This study assessed 54 healthy participants (24 men) on a cognitive battery (measuring psychomotor speed, attention, executive function, working memory, and verbal learning and memory) under three (quiet, urban, and social) noise conditions. IQ, subjective noise sensitivity, sleep, personality, paranoia, depression, anxiety, stress, and schizotypy were assessed on a single occasion. We found significantly slower psychomotor speed (urban), reduced working memory and episodic memory (urban and social), and more cautious decision-making (executive function, urban) under noise conditions. There was no effect of sex. Variance in urban noise-induced changes in psychomotor speed, attention, Trail Making B-A (executive function), and immediate recall and social noise-induced changes in verbal fluency (executive function) and immediate recall were explained by a combination of baseline cognition and paranoia, noise sensitivity, sleep, or cognitive disorganization. Higher baseline cognition (but not IQ) predicted greater impairment under urban and social noise for most cognitive variables. Paranoia predicted psychomotor speed, attention, and executive function impairment. Subjective noise sensitivity predicted executive function and memory impairment. Poor sleep quality predicted less memory impairment. Finally, lower levels of cognitive disorganization predicted slower psychomotor speed and greater memory impairment. The identified moderators should be considered in studies aiming to reduce the detrimental effects of occupational and residential noise. These results highlight the importance of studying noise effects in clinical populations characterized by high levels of the paranoia, sleep disturbances, noise sensitivity, and cognitive disorganization.

Moderators of noise-induced cognitive change in healthy adults

PubMed Central

Wright, Bernice AL; Peters, Emmanuelle R; Ettinger, Ulrich; Kuipers, Elizabeth; Kumari, Veena

2016-01-01

Environmental noise causes cognitive impairment, particularly in executive function and episodic memory domains, in healthy populations. However, the possible moderating influences on this relationship are less clear. This study assessed 54 healthy participants (24 men) on a cognitive battery (measuring psychomotor speed, attention, executive function, working memory, and verbal learning and memory) under three (quiet, urban, and social) noise conditions. IQ, subjective noise sensitivity, sleep, personality, paranoia, depression, anxiety, stress, and schizotypy were assessed on a single occasion. We found significantly slower psychomotor speed (urban), reduced working memory and episodic memory (urban and social), and more cautious decision-making (executive function, urban) under noise conditions. There was no effect of sex. Variance in urban noise-induced changes in psychomotor speed, attention, Trail Making B-A (executive function), and immediate recall and social noise-induced changes in verbal fluency (executive function) and immediate recall were explained by a combination of baseline cognition and paranoia, noise sensitivity, sleep, or cognitive disorganization. Higher baseline cognition (but not IQ) predicted greater impairment under urban and social noise for most cognitive variables. Paranoia predicted psychomotor speed, attention, and executive function impairment. Subjective noise sensitivity predicted executive function and memory impairment. Poor sleep quality predicted less memory impairment. Finally, lower levels of cognitive disorganization predicted slower psychomotor speed and greater memory impairment. The identified moderators should be considered in studies aiming to reduce the detrimental effects of occupational and residential noise. These results highlight the importance of studying noise effects in clinical populations characterized by high levels of the paranoia, sleep disturbances, noise sensitivity, and cognitive disorganization. PMID:27157685

Information processing characteristics in subtypes of multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

De Sonneville, L M J; Boringa, J B; Reuling, I E W; Lazeron, R H C; Adèr, H J; Polman, C H

2002-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate information processing characteristics in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). We selected 53 patients with MS and 58 matched healthy controls. Using computerized tests, we investigated focused, divided, sustained attention, and executive function, and attempted to pinpoint deficits in attentional control to peripheral or central processing stages. The results substantiate the hypothesis that the slowing of attention-demanding (controlled) information processing underlying more complex cognitive skills is general, i.e. irrespective of type of controlled processing, with MS patients being 40% slower than controls. MS patients may suffer from focused, and divided and sustained attention deficits, as well as from compromised central processing stages, with secondary progressive (SP) patients showing the most extensive range of deficits, closely followed by primary progressive (PP) patients, while relapsing-remitting (RR) patients appear to be much less affected. General slowing appears to be highest in PP and SP type MS patients (50% slower) versus relapsing-remitting MS (24% slower). In contrast to most previous results, (complex) processing speed appeared to be robustly correlated with severity of MS as measured by the expanded disability status scale and with disease duration. Patients did much less differ in accuracy of processing from controls, suggesting the importance of using time strategies in planning everyday life and job activities to compensate for or alleviate MS-related speed handicaps. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

A preliminary study on shape recovery speed of a styrene-based shape memory polymer composite actuated by different heating methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Xuelian; Zhang, Wuyi; Liu, Yanju; Leng, Jinsong

2007-07-01

Thermally activated shape memory polymers (SMPs) receive increasing attention in recent years. Different from those reported in the literature, in this paper we propose a new approach, i.e., using infrared light, for heating SMPs for shape recovery. We compare this approach with the traditional water bath method in terms of shape recovery speed in bending at both vacuum and no vacuum conditions. The results reveal that the shape recovery speed in infrared heating at vacuum condition is about eight times slower than that by hot water. However, the recovery time is more than doubled if without vacuum.

Multi-fluid simulations of the coupled solar wind-magnetosphere-ionsphere system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyon, J.

2011-12-01

This paper will review recent work done with the multi-fluid version of the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry (MF-LFM) global MHD simulation code. We will concentrate on O+ outflow from the ionosphere and its importance for magnetosphere-ionosphere (MI) coupling and also the importance of ionospheric conditions in determining the outflow. While the predominant method of coupling between the magnetosphere and ionosphere is electrodynamic, it has become apparent the mass flows from the ionosphere into the magnetosphere can have profound effects on both systems. The earliest models to attempt to incorporate this effect used very crude clouds of plasma near the Earth. The earliest MF-LFM results showed that depending on the details of the outflow - where, how much, how fast - very different magnetospheric responses could be found. Two approaches to causally driven models for the outflow have been developed for use in global simulations, the Polar Wind Outflow Model (PWOM), started at the Univ. of Michigan, and the model used by Bill Lotko and co-workers at Dartmouth. We will give a quick review of this model which is based on the empirical relation between outflow fluence and Poynting flux discovered by Strangeway. An additional factor used in this model is the precipitating flux of electrons, which is presumed to correlate with the scale height of the upwelling ions. parameters such as outflow speed and density are constrained by the total fluence. The effects of the outflow depend on the speed. Slower outflow tends to land in the inner magnetosphere increasing the strength of the ring current. Higher speed flow out in the tail. Using this model, simulations have shown that solar wind dynamic pressure has a profound effect on the amount of fluence. The most striking result has been the simulation of magnetospheric sawtooth events. We will discuss future directions for this research, emphasizing the need for better physical models for the outflow process and its coupling to the ionosphere.

The Sinuosity of Atmospheric Circulation over North America and its Relationship to Arctic Climate Change and Extreme Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vavrus, S. J.; Wang, F.; Martin, J. E.; Francis, J. A.

2015-12-01

Recent research has suggested a relationship between mid-latitude weather and Arctic amplification (AA) of global climate change via a slower and wavier extratropical circulation inducing more extreme events. To test this hypothesis and to quantify the waviness of the extratropical flow, we apply a novel application of the geomorphological concept of sinuosity (SIN) over greater North America. SIN is defined as the ratio of the curvilinear length of a geopotential height contour to the perimeter of its equivalent latitude, where the contour and the equivalent latitude enclose the same area. We use 500 hPa daily heights from reanalysis and model simulations to calculate past and future SIN. The circulation exhibits a distinct annual cycle of maximum SIN (waviness) in summer and a minimum in winter, inversely related to the annual cycle of zonal wind speed. Positive trends in SIN have emerged in recent decades during winter and summer at several latitude bands, generally collocated with negative trends in zonal wind speeds. High values of SIN coincide with many prominent extreme-weather events, including Superstorm Sandy. RCP8.5 simulations (2006-2100) project a dipole pattern of zonal wind changes that varies seasonally. In winter, AA causes inflated heights over the Arctic relative to mid-latitudes and an associated weakening (strengthening) of the westerlies north (south) of 40N. The AA signal in summer is strongest over upper-latitude land, promoting localized atmospheric ridging aloft with lighter westerlies to the south and stronger zonal winds to the north. The changes in wind speeds in both seasons are inversely correlated with SIN, indicating a wavier circulation where the flow weakens. In summer the lighter winds over much of the U. S. resemble circulation anomalies observed during extreme summer heat and drought. Such changes may be linked to enhanced heating of upper-latitude land surfaces caused by earlier snow melt during spring-summer.

Reading Strategies in Spanish Developmental Dyslexics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suarez-Coalla, Paz; Cuetos, Fernando

2012-01-01

Cross-linguistic studies suggest that the orthographic system determines the reading performance of dyslexic children. In opaque orthographies, the fundamental feature of developmental dyslexia is difficulty in reading accuracy, whereas slower reading speed is more common in transparent orthographies. The aim of the current study was to examine…

Emergent Network Defense

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crane, Earl Newell

2013-01-01

The research problem that inspired this effort is the challenge of managing the security of systems in large-scale heterogeneous networked environments. Human intervention is slow and limited: humans operate at much slower speeds than networked computer communications and there are few humans associated with each network. Enabling each node in the…

ALMA discovery of a rotating SO/SO2 flow in HH212. A possible MHD disk wind?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabone, B.; Cabrit, S.; Bianchi, E.; Ferreira, J.; Pineau des Forêts, G.; Codella, C.; Gusdorf, A.; Gueth, F.; Podio, L.; Chapillon, E.

2017-11-01

We wish to constrain the possible contribution of a magnetohydrodynamic disk wind (DW) to the HH212 molecular jet. We mapped the flow base with ALMA Cycle 4 at 0.̋13 60 au resolution and compared these observations with synthetic DW predictions. We identified, in SO/SO2, a rotating flow that is wider and slower than the axial SiO jet. The broad outflow cavity seen in C34S is not carved by a fast wide-angle wind but by this slower agent. Rotation signatures may be fitted by a DW of a moderate lever arm launched out to 40 au with SiO tracing dust-free streamlines from 0.05-0.3 au. Such a DW could limit the core-to-star efficiency to ≤50%.

Studying aerodynamic drag for modeling the kinematical behavior of CMEs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Temmer, M.; Vrsnak, B.; Moestl, C.; Zic, T.; Veronig, A. M.; Rollett, T.

2013-12-01

With the SECCHI instrument suite aboard STEREO, coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can be observed from multiple vantage points during their entire propagation all the way from the Sun to 1 AU. The propagation behavior of CMEs in interplanetary space is mainly influenced by the ambient solar wind flow. CMEs that are faster than the ambient solar wind get decelerated, whereas slower ones are accelerated until the CME speed is finally adjusted to the solar wind speed. On a statistical basis, empirical models taking into account the drag force acting on CMEs, are able to describe the observed kinematical behaviors. For several well observed CME events we derive the kinematical evolution by combining remote sensing and in situ data. The observed kinematical behavior is compared to results from current empirical and numerical propagation models. For this we mainly use the drag based model DBM as well as the MHD model ENLIL. We aim to obtain the distance regime at which the solar wind drag force is dominating the CME propagation and quantify differences between different model results. This work has received funding from the FWF: V195-N16, and the European Commission FP7 Projects eHEROES (284461, www.eheroes.eu) and COMESEP (263252, www.comesep.eu).

The heliosphere's interstellar interaction: no bow shock.

PubMed

McComas, D J; Alexashov, D; Bzowski, M; Fahr, H; Heerikhuisen, J; Izmodenov, V; Lee, M A; Möbius, E; Pogorelov, N; Schwadron, N A; Zank, G P

2012-06-08

As the Sun moves through the local interstellar medium, its supersonic, ionized solar wind carves out a cavity called the heliosphere. Recent observations from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft show that the relative motion of the Sun with respect to the interstellar medium is slower and in a somewhat different direction than previously thought. Here, we provide combined consensus values for this velocity vector and show that they have important implications for the global interstellar interaction. In particular, the velocity is almost certainly slower than the fast magnetosonic speed, with no bow shock forming ahead of the heliosphere, as was widely expected in the past.

Ongoing Capabilities and Developments of Re-Entry Plasma Ground Tests at EADS-ASTRIUM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jullien, Pierre

2008-01-01

During re-entry, spacecrafts are subjected to extreme thermal loads. On mars, they may go through dust storms. These external heat loads are leading the design of re-entry vehicles or are affecting it for spacecraft facing solid propellant jet stream. Sizing the Thermal Protection System require a good knowledge of such solicitations and means to model and reproduce them on earth. Through its work on European projects, ASTRIUM has developed the full range of competences to deal with such issues. For instance, we have designed and tested the heat-shield of the Huygens probe which landed on Titan. In particular, our plasma generators aim to reproduce a wide variety of re-entry conditions. Heat loads are generated by the huge speed of the probes. Such conditions cannot be fully reproduced. Ground tests focus on reproducing local aerothermal loads by using slower but hotter flows. Our inductive plasma torch enables to test little samples at low TRL. Amongst the arc-jets, one was design to test architecture design of ISS crew return system and others fit more severe re-entry such as sample returns or Venus re-entry. The last developments aimed in testing samples in seeded flows. First step was to design and test the seeding device. Special diagnostics characterizing the resulting flow enabled us to fit it to the requirements.

A similitude method and the corresponding blade design of a low-speed large-scale axial compressor rotor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Chenghai; Ma, Ning; Wang, Kai; Du, Juan; Van den Braembussche, R. A.; Lin, Feng

2014-04-01

A similitude method to model the tip clearance flow in a high-speed compressor with a low-speed model is presented in this paper. The first step of this method is the derivation of similarity criteria for tip clearance flow, on the basis of an inviscid model of tip clearance flow. The aerodynamic parameters needed for the model design are then obtained from a numerical simulation of the target high-speed compressor rotor. According to the aerodynamic and geometric parameters of the target compressor rotor, a large-scale low-speed rotor blade is designed with an inverse blade design program. In order to validate the similitude method, the features of tip clearance flow in the low-speed model compressor are compared with the ones in the high-speed compressor at both design and small flow rate points. It is found that not only the trajectory of the tip leakage vortex but also the interface between the tip leakage flow and the incoming main flow in the high-speed compressor match well with that of its low speed model. These results validate the effectiveness of the similitude method for the tip clearance flow proposed in this paper.

Simulation of IST Turbomachinery Power-Neutral Tests with the ANL Plant Dynamics Code

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

Moisseytsev, A.; Sienicki, J. J.

The validation of the Plant Dynamics Code (PDC) developed at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) for the steady-state and transient analysis of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) systems has been continued with new test data from the Naval Nuclear Laboratory (operated by Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corporation) Integrated System Test (IST). Although data from three runs were provided to ANL, only two of the data sets were analyzed and described in this report. The common feature of these tests is the power-neutral operation of the turbine-compressor shaft, where no external power through the alternator was provided during the tests. Instead, the shaft speedmore » was allowed to change dictated by the power balance between the turbine, the compressor, and the power losses in the shaft. The new test data turned out to be important for code validation for several reasons. First, the power-neutral operation of the shaft allows validation of the shaft dynamics equations in asynchronous mode, when the shaft is disconnected from the grid. Second, the shaft speed control with the compressor recirculation (CR) valve not only allows for testing the code control logic itself, but it also serves as a good test for validation of both the compressor surge control and the turbine bypass control actions, since the effect of the CR action on the loop conditions is similar for both of these controls. Third, the varying compressor-inlet temperature change test allows validation of the transient response of the precooler, a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The first transient simulation of the compressor-inlet temperature variation Test 64661 showed a much slower calculated response of the precooler in the calculations than the test data. Further investigation revealed an error in calculating the heat exchanger tube mass for the PDC dynamic equations that resulted in a slower change in the tube wall temperature than measured. The transient calculations for both tests were done in two steps. The first step was done in the same fashion as the FY15 IST analysis, where the CR valve position and the turbine-compressor shaft speed were specified through the PDC input based on the test values. On the second step, the turbine-compressor shaft dynamics equations were invoked by specifying that the shaft is disconnected from the grid. In addition, the CR valve control was used to control the shaft speed, based on the turbine bypass control logic already implemented in the PDC. For the shaft power balance, the friction (windage) loss is calculated based on the shaft balance at the steady-state conditions and is assumed to be scaled to the third power of shaft speed in the transient. Both the steady-state and transient simulations of both tests showed good agreement with the test data. The only significant difference was the turbine performance, which was not predicted as well as it was in the previous IST simulation, resulting in the prediction of a somewhat different flow split between the two turbines. This flow split difference is believed to be the result of not addressing the recent turbine modifications in the model. In addition, the full simulation of the turbine-compressor speed variation Test 65261-P with shaft speed control showed greater a difference with the test data later in the transient than the other test. Further analysis of the results revealed that this difference is most likely due to scaling the shaft windage losses only with the shaft speed and ignoring its dependency on the fluid density in the shaft cavity. Based on the results of steady state and transient calculations of the Tests 64661 and 65216-P, several areas of future improvements for the PDC simulation of the IST are identified.« less

Size matters for violent discharge height and settling speed of Sphagnum spores: important attributes for dispersal potential.

PubMed

Sundberg, Sebastian

2010-02-01

Initial release height and settling speed of diaspores are biologically controlled components which are key to modelling wind dispersal. Most Sphagnum (peat moss) species have explosive spore liberation. In this study, how capsule and spore sizes affect the height to which spores are propelled were measured, and how spore size and spore number of discharged particles relate to settling speed in the aspherical Sphagnum spores. Spore discharge and spore cloud development were filmed in a closed chamber (nine species). Measurements were taken from snapshots at three stages of cloud development. Settling speed of spores (14 species) and clusters were timed in a glass tube. The maximum discharge speed measured was 3.6 m s(-1). Spores reached a maximum height of 20 cm (average: 15 cm) above the capsule. The cloud dimensions at all stages were related positively to capsule size (R(2) = 0.58-0.65). Thus species with large shoots (because they have large capsules) have a dispersal advantage. Half of the spores were released as singles and the rest as clusters (usually two to four spores). Single spores settled at 0.84-1.86 cm s(-1), about 52 % slower than expected for spherical spores with the same diameters. Settling speed displayed a positive curvilinear relationship with spore size, close to predictions by Stokes' law for spherical spores with 68 % of the actual diameters. Light-coloured spores settled slower than dark spores. Settling speed of spore clusters agrees with earlier studies. Effective spore discharge and small, slowly settling spores appear particularly important for species in forested habitats. The spore discharge heights in Sphagnum are among the greatest for small, wind-dispersed propagules. The discharge heights and the slow settling of spores affect dispersal distances positively and may help to explain the wide distribution of most boreal Sphagnum species.

Size matters for violent discharge height and settling speed of Sphagnum spores: important attributes for dispersal potential

PubMed Central

Sundberg, Sebastian

2010-01-01

Background and Aims Initial release height and settling speed of diaspores are biologically controlled components which are key to modelling wind dispersal. Most Sphagnum (peat moss) species have explosive spore liberation. In this study, how capsule and spore sizes affect the height to which spores are propelled were measured, and how spore size and spore number of discharged particles relate to settling speed in the aspherical Sphagnum spores. Methods Spore discharge and spore cloud development were filmed in a closed chamber (nine species). Measurements were taken from snapshots at three stages of cloud development. Settling speed of spores (14 species) and clusters were timed in a glass tube. Key Results The maximum discharge speed measured was 3·6 m s−1. Spores reached a maximum height of 20 cm (average: 15 cm) above the capsule. The cloud dimensions at all stages were related positively to capsule size (R2 = 0·58–0·65). Thus species with large shoots (because they have large capsules) have a dispersal advantage. Half of the spores were released as singles and the rest as clusters (usually two to four spores). Single spores settled at 0·84–1·86 cm s−1, about 52 % slower than expected for spherical spores with the same diameters. Settling speed displayed a positive curvilinear relationship with spore size, close to predictions by Stokes' law for spherical spores with 68 % of the actual diameters. Light-coloured spores settled slower than dark spores. Settling speed of spore clusters agrees with earlier studies. Effective spore discharge and small, slowly settling spores appear particularly important for species in forested habitats. Conclusions The spore discharge heights in Sphagnum are among the greatest for small, wind-dispersed propagules. The discharge heights and the slow settling of spores affect dispersal distances positively and may help to explain the wide distribution of most boreal Sphagnum species. PMID:20123930

Visual Processing Deficits in Children with Slow RAN Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stainthorp, Rhona; Stuart, Morag; Powell, Daisy; Quinlan, Philip; Garwood, Holly

2010-01-01

Two groups of 8- to 10-year-olds differing in rapid automatized naming speed but matched for age, verbal and nonverbal ability, phonological awareness, phonological memory, and visual acuity participated in four experiments investigating early visual processing. As low RAN children had significantly slower simple reaction times (SRT) this was…

International piracy and armed robbery at sea : hindering maritime trade and water transportation around the world

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-04-01

Pirates prey upon targets of opportunity. Given optimal conditions (e.g., calm weather, slow cruising speed, and daylight4) relatively small, fast vessels (e.g., containerships) may be no less at risk than large, slower vessels (e.g., crude carriers)...

Are Wireless Networks the Wave of the Future?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Jeffrey R.

1999-01-01

Some college administrators feel the next major trend in educational technology will be wireless networks that let students and professors connect to the Internet with radio waves rather than cumbersome cables. Several universities are already using the less expensive technology. However, some find the slower speed of available wireless services…

Numerical Simulations of Laminar Air-Water Flow of a Non-linear Progressive Wave at Low Wind Speed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, X.; Mobbs, S.

2014-03-01

A numerical simulation for two-dimensional laminar air-water flow of a non-linear progressive water wave with large steepness is performed when the background wind speed varies from zero to the wave phase speed. It is revealed that in the water the difference between the analytical solution of potential flow and numerical solution of viscous flow is very small, indicating that both solutions of the potential flow and viscous flow describe the water wave very accurately. In the air the solutions of potential and viscous flows are very different due to the effects of viscosity. The velocity distribution in the airflow is strongly influenced by the background wind speed and it is found that three wind speeds, , (the maximum orbital velocity of a water wave), and (the wave phase speed), are important in distinguishing different features of the flow patterns.

Psychophysical estimation of speed discrimination. II. Aging effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raghuram, Aparna; Lakshminarayanan, Vasudevan; Khanna, Ritu

2005-10-01

We studied the effects of aging on a speed discrimination task using a pair of first-order drifting luminance gratings. Two reference speeds of 2 and 8 deg/s were presented at stimulus durations of 500 ms and 1000 ms. The choice of stimulus parameters, etc., was determined in preliminary experiments and described in Part I. Thresholds were estimated using a two-alternative-forced-choice staircase methodology. Data were collected from 16 younger subjects (mean age 24 years) and 17 older subjects (mean age 71 years). Results showed that thresholds for speed discrimination were higher for the older age group. This was especially true at stimulus duration of 500 ms for both slower and faster speeds. This could be attributed to differences in temporal integration of speed with age. Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were not statistically observed to mediate age differences in the speed discrimination thresholds. Gender differences were observed in the older age group, with older women having higher thresholds.

Anterior cingulate cortex surface area relates to behavioral inhibition in adolescents with and without heavy prenatal alcohol exposure

PubMed Central

Migliorini, Robyn; Moore, Eileen M.; Glass, Leila; Infante, M. Alejandra; Tapert, Susan F.; Jones, Kenneth Lyons; Mattson, Sarah N.; Riley, Edward P.

2015-01-01

Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with behavioral disinhibition, yet the brain structure correlates of this deficit have not been determined with sufficient detail. We examined the hypothesis that the structure of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) relates to inhibition performance in youth with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (AE, n = 32) and non-exposed controls (CON, n = 21). Adolescents (12–17 years) underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging yielding measures of gray matter volume, surface area, and thickness across four ACC subregions. A subset of subjects were administered the NEPSY-II Inhibition subtest. MANCOVA was utilized to test for group differences in ACC and inhibition performance and multiple linear regression was used to probe ACC-inhibition relationships. ACC surface area was significantly smaller in AE, though this effect was primarily driven by reduced right caudal ACC (rcACC). AE also performed significantly worse on inhibition speed but not on inhibition accuracy. Regression analyses with the rcACC revealed a significant group × ACC interaction. A smaller rcACC surface area was associated with slower inhibition completion time for AE but was not significantly associated with inhibition in CON. After accounting for processing speed, smaller rcACC surface area was associated with worse (i.e., slower) inhibition regardless of group. Examining processing speed independently, a decrease in rcACC surface area was associated with faster processing speed for CON but not significantly associated with processing speed in AE. Results support the theory that caudal ACC may monitor reaction time in addition to inhibition and highlight the possibility of delayed ACC neurodevelopment in prenatal alcohol exposure. PMID:26025509

Anterior cingulate cortex surface area relates to behavioral inhibition in adolescents with and without heavy prenatal alcohol exposure.

PubMed

Migliorini, Robyn; Moore, Eileen M; Glass, Leila; Infante, M Alejandra; Tapert, Susan F; Jones, Kenneth Lyons; Mattson, Sarah N; Riley, Edward P

2015-10-01

Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with behavioral disinhibition, yet the brain structure correlates of this deficit have not been determined with sufficient detail. We examined the hypothesis that the structure of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) relates to inhibition performance in youth with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (AE, n = 32) and non-exposed controls (CON, n = 21). Adolescents (12-17 years) underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging yielding measures of gray matter volume, surface area, and thickness across four ACC subregions. A subset of subjects were administered the NEPSY-II Inhibition subtest. MANCOVA was utilized to test for group differences in ACC and inhibition performance and multiple linear regression was used to probe ACC-inhibition relationships. ACC surface area was significantly smaller in AE, though this effect was primarily driven by reduced right caudal ACC (rcACC). AE also performed significantly worse on inhibition speed but not on inhibition accuracy. Regression analyses with the rcACC revealed a significant group × ACC interaction. A smaller rcACC surface area was associated with slower inhibition completion time for AE but was not significantly associated with inhibition in CON. After accounting for processing speed, smaller rcACC surface area was associated with worse (i.e., slower) inhibition regardless of group. Examining processing speed independently, a decrease in rcACC surface area was associated with faster processing speed for CON but not significantly associated with processing speed in AE. Results support the theory that caudal ACC may monitor reaction time in addition to inhibition and highlight the possibility of delayed ACC neurodevelopment in prenatal alcohol exposure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Air bags and ocular injuries.

PubMed

Stein, J D; Jaeger, E A; Jeffers, J B

1999-01-01

This investigation retrospectively examined ocular injuries associated with air bag deployment to gain a better appreciation of potential risk factors in motor vehicle accidents. National statistics regarding the efficacy of air bags were reviewed. Review of the literature from 1991 to 1998 identified 44 articles describing 97 patients with air-bag-induced ocular injuries. Variables extracted from each case were age, sex, height, position in the car, eye wear, vehicle impact speed, visual acuity, and specific ocular injuries. Corneal abrasions occurred in 49% of occupants, hyphemas in 43%, vitreous or retinal hemorrhages in 25%, and retinal tears or detachments in 15%. The globe was ruptured in 10 patients. Patients involved in higher-speed accidents (over 30 mph) sustained a greater percentage of vitreous or retinal hemorrhages and traumatic cataracts, while those at slower speeds were more prone to retinal tears or detachments. In a subset of 14 patients with serious ocular injuries, the impact speed of 11 patients was recorded at 30 mph or less. Slower speed may be a risk factor for some ocular injuries. Occupant height was not a significant factor. National statistics confirm that air bags reduce fatalities in motor vehicle accidents. However, children sitting in the front seat without a seat belt and infants in passenger-side rear-facing car seats are at risk for fatal injury. Air bags combined with seat belts are an effective means of reducing injury and death in adults during motor vehicle accidents. However, this study has documented a wide variety of ocular injuries associated with air bag deployment. It is hoped that researchers can develop modifications that continue to save lives while minimizing additional harm.

Coronary artery calcium and physical function in older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study.

PubMed

Inzitari, Marco; Naydeck, Barbara L; Newman, Anne B

2008-10-01

In older adults without clinical cardiovascular disease, coronary artery calcium (CAC) is associated with other subclinical vascular diseases, which, in turn, predict physical dysfunction. However, the association between CAC and physical function is unstudied. In 387 older community-dwellers from the Cardiovascular Health Study without clinical cardiovascular diseases (mean age +/- standard deviation = 78.7 +/- 3.7, 35% men, 22% African Americans), CAC was measured using electron beam tomography, and physical performance was assessed by usual pace gait speed, chair stand, and tandem stand. Differences in physical performance across CAC quartiles were investigated in the whole cohort and by gender. Associations with gait speed (m/s) were assessed in multivariable models using both the continuous form of CAC score (log(CAC)) and quartiles of CAC, adjusting for demographics and comorbidities. No differences in physical performance were observed across CAC quartiles in the whole group. In gender-stratified analyses, a significant association was shown among women, who had progressively lower gait speed across CAC quartiles: Those with CAC > 220 walked more than 0.1 m/s slower than those with CAC < 35 (age-adjusted ptrend =.017). After multivariable adjustment, the association remained statistically significant for women in both linear (log(CAC) and gait speed, p =.025) and logistic models: Each of the top three CAC quartiles (35-220, 221-659, and > or = 660) had a more than twofold odds of walking slower than 1 m/s, compared to the lowest CAC quartile (< 35; p =.021). In this sample of older community-dwellers without overt cardiovascular disease, CAC was inversely related to gait speed in women, but not in men.

Do short international layovers allow sufficient opportunity for pilots to recover?

PubMed

Lamond, Nicole; Petrilli, Renée M; Dawson, Drew; Roach, Gregory D

2006-01-01

For Australian pilots, short layovers (<40 h) are a feature of many international patterns. However, anecdotal reports suggest that flight crew members find patterns with short slips more fatiguing than those with a longer international layover, as they restrict the opportunity to obtain sufficient sleep. The current study aimed to determine whether pilots operating international patterns with short layovers have sufficient opportunity to recover prior to the inbound flight. Nineteen international pilots (ten captains, nine first officers) operating a direct return pattern from Australia to Los Angeles (LAX) with a short (n = 9) 9+/-0.8 h (mean+/-S.D) or long (n = 10) 62.2+/-0.9 h LAX layover wore an activity monitor and kept a sleep/duty diary during the pattern. Immediately before and after each flight, pilots completed a 5 min PalmPilot-based psychomotor vigilance task (Palm-PVT). Flights were of comparable duration outbound (3.5+/-0.6 h) and inbound (14.3+/-0.6 h) and timing. The amount of sleep obtained in-flight did not significantly vary as a function of layover length. However, pilots obtained significantly more sleep during the inbound (3.7+/-0.8 h) than the outbound flight (2.2+/-0.8 h). Pilots with the shorter layover obtained significantly less sleep in total during layover (14.0+/-2.7 h vs. 19.6+/-2.5), due to significantly fewer sleep periods (3.0+/-0.7 vs. 4.0+/-0.9). However, neither mean sleep duration nor the sleep obtained in the 24 h prior to the inbound flight significantly differed as a function of layover length. Response speed significantly varied across the pattern, and a significant interaction was also observed. For pilots with a short layover, response speed was significantly slower at the end of both the outbound and inbound flight, and prior to the inbound flight (i.e., at the end of layover), relative to response speed at the start of the pattern (pre-trip). Similarly, response speed for the longer layover was slower at the end of the outbound flight compared to pre-trip (approaching significance, p = 0.073). However, response speed at the beginning of the inbound flight was significantly faster than pre-trip and did not significantly differ from pre-trip at the end of the inbound flight. The data suggest that short slips (<40 h) do not allow pilots the opportunity to obtain sufficient sleep to reverse the effects of fatigue accumulated during the outbound flight. As a result, their response speed prior to the inbound flight is substantially slower than the response speed of flight crew with a longer layover.

Fundamental Structure of High-Speed Reacting Flows: Supersonic Combustion and Detonation

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-30

AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2016-0195 Fundamental Structure of High-Speed Reacting Flows: Supersonic Combustion and Detonation Kenneth Yu MARYLAND UNIV COLLEGE...MARCH 2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE FUNDAMENTAL STRUCTURE OF HIGH-SPEED REACTING FLOWS: SUPERSONIC COMBUSTION AND DETONATION 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER...public release. Final Report on Fundamental Structure of High-Speed Reacting Flows: Supersonic Combustion and Detonation Grant

Transient response of sap flow to wind speed.

PubMed

Chu, Chia R; Hsieh, Cheng-I; Wu, Shen-Yuang; Phillips, Nathan G

2009-01-01

Transient responses of sap flow to step changes in wind speed were experimentally investigated in a wind tunnel. A Granier-type sap flow sensor was calibrated and tested in a cylindrical tube for analysis of its transient time response. Then the sensor was used to measure the transient response of a well-watered Pachira macrocarpa plant to wind speed variations. The transient response of sap flow was described using the resistance-capacitance model. The steady sap flow rate increased as the wind speed increased at low wind speeds. Once the wind speed exceeded 8.0 m s(-1), the steady sap flow rate did not increase further. The transpiration rate, measured gravimetrically, showed a similar trend. The response of nocturnal sap flow to wind speed variation was also measured and compared with the results in the daytime. Under the same wind speed, the steady sap flow rate was smaller than that in the daytime, indicating differences between diurnal and nocturnal hydraulic function, and incomplete stomatal closure at night. In addition, it was found that the temporal response of the Granier sensor is fast enough to resolve the transient behaviour of water flux in plant tissue.

Socioeconomic disparities in gait speed and associated characteristics in early old age.

PubMed

Plouvier, S; Carton, M; Cyr, D; Sabia, S; Leclerc, A; Zins, M; Descatha, A

2016-04-23

A few studies have documented associations between socioeconomic position and gait speed, but the knowledge about factors from various domains (personal factors, lifestyle, occupation…) which contribute to these disparities is limited. Our objective was to assess socioeconomic disparities in usual gait speed in a general population in early old age in France, and to identify potential contributors to the observed disparities, including occupational factors. The study population comprised 397 men and 339 women, aged 55 to 69, recruited throughout France for the field pilot of the CONSTANCES cohort. Gait speed was measured in meters/second. Socioeconomic position was based on self-reported occupational class. Information on personal characteristics, lifestyle, comorbidities and past or current occupational physical exposure came either from the health examination, from interview or from self-administered questionnaire. Four groups were considered according to sex-specific distributions of speed (the two slowest thirds versus the fastest third, for each gender). Logistic regression models adjusted for health screening center and age allowed to the study of cross-sectional associations between: 1- slower speed and occupational class; 2- slower speed and each potential contributor; 3- occupational class and selected potential contributors. The association between speed and occupational class was then further adjusted for the factors significantly associated both with speed and occupational class, in order to assess the potential contribution of these factors to disparities. With reference to managers/executives, gait speed was reduced in less skilled categories among men (OR 1.21 [0.72-2.05] for Intermediate/Tradesmen, 1.95 [0.80-4.76] for Clerks, Sale/service workers, 2.09 [1.14-3.82] for Blue collar/Craftsmen) and among women (OR 1.12 [0.55-2.28] for Intermediate/Tradesmen, 2.33 [1.09-4.97] for Clerks, 2.48 [1.18-5.24] for Sale/service workers/Blue collar/Craftsmen). Among men, occupational exposure to carrying heavy loads explained a large part of socioeconomic disparities. Among women, obesity and occupational exposure to repetitive work contributed independently to the disparities. This study suggests that some potentially modifiable occupational and personal factors explain at least part of the differences in gait speed between occupational classes, and that these factors differ between men and women. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm and complement these findings.

Cloud motion in relation to the ambient wind field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuelberg, H. E.; Scoggins, J. R.

1975-01-01

Trajectories of convective clouds were computed from a mathematical model and compared with trajectories observed by radar. The ambient wind field was determined from the AVE IIP data. The model includes gradient, coriolis, drag, lift, and lateral forces. The results show that rotational effects may account for large differences between the computed and observed trajectories and that convective clouds may move 10 to 20 degrees to the right or left of the average wind vector and at speeds 5 to 10 m/sec faster or slower than the average ambient wind speed.

Spreading of a ferrofluid core in three-stream micromixer channels

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

Wang, Zhaomeng; Varma, V. B.; Ramanujan, R. V., E-mail: ramanujan@ntu.edu.sg

2015-05-15

Spreading of a water based ferrofluid core, cladded by a diamagnetic fluid, in three-stream micromixer channels was studied. This spreading, induced by an external magnetic field, is known as magnetofluidic spreading (MFS). MFS is useful for various novel applications where control of fluid-fluid interface is desired, such as micromixers or micro-chemical reactors. However, fundamental aspects of MFS are still unclear, and a model without correction factors is lacking. Hence, in this work, both experimental and numerical analyses were undertaken to study MFS. We show that MFS increased for higher applied magnetic fields, slower flow speed of both fluids, smaller flowmore » rate of ferrofluid relative to cladding, and higher initial magnetic particle concentration. Spreading, mainly due to connective diffusion, was observed mostly near the channel walls. Our multi-physics model, which combines magnetic and fluidic analyses, showed, for the first time, excellent agreement between theory and experiment. These results can be useful for lab-on-a-chip devices.« less

Human speed perception is contrast dependent

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Leland S.; Thompson, Peter

1992-01-01

When two parallel gratings moving at the same speed are presented simultaneously, the lower-contrast grating appears slower. This misperception is evident across a wide range of contrasts (2.5-50 percent) and does not appear to saturate. On average, a 70 percent contrast grating must be slowed by 35 percent to match a 10 percent contrast grating moving at 2 deg/sec (N = 6). Furthermore, the effect is largely independent of the absolute contrast level and is a quasilinear function of log contrast ratio. A preliminary parametric study shows that, although spatial frequency has little effect, relative orientation is important. Finally, the misperception of relative speed appears lessened when the stimuli to be matched are presented sequentially.

Spreading speeds for a two-species competition-diffusion system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrère, Cécile

2018-02-01

In this paper, spreading properties of a competition-diffusion system of two equations are studied. This system models the invasion of an empty favorable habitat, by two competing species, each obeying a logistic growth equation, such that any coexistence state is unstable. If the two species are initially absent from the right half-line x > 0, and the slowest one dominates the fastest one on x < 0, then the latter will invade the right space at its Fisher-KPP speed, and will be replaced by or will invade the former, depending on the parameters, at a slower speed. Thus, the system forms a propagating terrace, linking an unstable state to two consecutive stable states.

Quiet Clean Short-haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE) main reduction gears detailed design report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Defeo, A.; Kulina, M.

1977-01-01

Lightweight turbine engines with geared slower speed fans are considered. The design of two similar but different gear ratio, minimum weight, epicyclic star configuration main reduction gears for the under the wing (UTW) and over the wing (OTW) engines is discussed. The UTW engine reduction gear has a ratio of 2.465:1 and a 100% power design rating of 9885 kW (13,256 hp) at 3143 rpm fan speed. The OTW engine reduction gear has a ratio of 2.062:1 and a 100% power design rating of 12813 kW (17183 hp) at 3861 rpm fan speed. Details of configuration, stresses, deflections, and lubrication are presented.

High-speed flow visualization in hypersonic, transonic, and shock tube flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleine, H.; Olivier, H.

2017-02-01

High-speed flow visualisation has played an important role in the investigations conducted at the Stoßwellenlabor of the RWTH Aachen University for many decades. In addition to applying the techniques of high-speed imaging, this laboratory has been actively developing new or enhanced visualisation techniques and approaches such as various schlieren methods or time-resolved Mach-Zehnder interferometry. The investigated high-speed flows are inherently highly transient, with flow Mach numbers ranging from about M = 0.7 to M = 8. The availability of modern high-speed cameras has allowed us to expand the investigations into problems where reduced reproducibility had so far limited the amount of information that could be extracted from a limited number of flow visualisation records. Following a brief historical overview, some examples of recent studies are given, which represent the breadth of applications in which high-speed imaging has been an essential diagnostic tool to uncover the physics of high-speed flows. Applications include the stability of hypersonic corner flows, the establishment of shock wave systems in transonic airfoil flow, and the complexities of the interactions of shock waves with obstacles of various shapes.

The Time Course of Knee Swelling Post Total Knee Arthroplasty and Its Associations with Quadriceps Strength and Gait Speed.

PubMed

Pua, Yong-Hao

2015-07-01

This study examines the time course of knee swelling post total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and its associations with quadriceps strength and gait speed. Eighty-five patients with unilateral TKA participated. Preoperatively and on post-operative days (PODs) 1, 4, 14, and 90, knee swelling was measured using bioimpedance spectrometry. Preoperatively and on PODs 14 and 90, quadriceps strength was measured using isokinetic dynamometry while fast gait speed was measured using the timed 10-meter walk. On POD1, knee swelling increased ~35% from preoperative levels after which, knee swelling reduced but remained at ~11% above preoperative levels on POD90. In longitudinal, multivariable analyses, knee swelling was associated with quadriceps weakness (P<0.01) and slower gait speed (P=0.03). Interventions to reduce post-TKA knee swelling may be indicated to improve quadriceps strength and gait speed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The metabolic cost of changing walking speeds is significant, implies lower optimal speeds for shorter distances, and increases daily energy estimates.

PubMed

Seethapathi, Nidhi; Srinivasan, Manoj

2015-09-01

Humans do not generally walk at constant speed, except perhaps on a treadmill. Normal walking involves starting, stopping and changing speeds, in addition to roughly steady locomotion. Here, we measure the metabolic energy cost of walking when changing speed. Subjects (healthy adults) walked with oscillating speeds on a constant-speed treadmill, alternating between walking slower and faster than the treadmill belt, moving back and forth in the laboratory frame. The metabolic rate for oscillating-speed walking was significantly higher than that for constant-speed walking (6-20% cost increase for ±0.13-0.27 m s(-1) speed fluctuations). The metabolic rate increase was correlated with two models: a model based on kinetic energy fluctuations and an inverted pendulum walking model, optimized for oscillating-speed constraints. The cost of changing speeds may have behavioural implications: we predicted that the energy-optimal walking speed is lower for shorter distances. We measured preferred human walking speeds for different walking distances and found people preferred lower walking speeds for shorter distances as predicted. Further, analysing published daily walking-bout distributions, we estimate that the cost of changing speeds is 4-8% of daily walking energy budget. © 2015 The Author(s).

The metabolic cost of changing walking speeds is significant, implies lower optimal speeds for shorter distances, and increases daily energy estimates

PubMed Central

Seethapathi, Nidhi; Srinivasan, Manoj

2015-01-01

Humans do not generally walk at constant speed, except perhaps on a treadmill. Normal walking involves starting, stopping and changing speeds, in addition to roughly steady locomotion. Here, we measure the metabolic energy cost of walking when changing speed. Subjects (healthy adults) walked with oscillating speeds on a constant-speed treadmill, alternating between walking slower and faster than the treadmill belt, moving back and forth in the laboratory frame. The metabolic rate for oscillating-speed walking was significantly higher than that for constant-speed walking (6–20% cost increase for ±0.13–0.27 m s−1 speed fluctuations). The metabolic rate increase was correlated with two models: a model based on kinetic energy fluctuations and an inverted pendulum walking model, optimized for oscillating-speed constraints. The cost of changing speeds may have behavioural implications: we predicted that the energy-optimal walking speed is lower for shorter distances. We measured preferred human walking speeds for different walking distances and found people preferred lower walking speeds for shorter distances as predicted. Further, analysing published daily walking-bout distributions, we estimate that the cost of changing speeds is 4–8% of daily walking energy budget. PMID:26382072

The Dissolution of an Interfween Miscible Liquids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vlad, D.H.; Maher, J.V.

1999-01-01

The disappearance of the surface tension of the interface of a binary mixture, measured using the dynamic surface light scattering technique, is slower for a binary mixture of higher density contrast. A comparison with a naive diffusion model, expected to provide a lower limit for the speed of dissolution in the absence of gravity shows that the interfacial surface tension disappears much slower than even by diffusion with the effect becoming much more pronounced when density contrast between the liquid phases is increased. Thus, the factor most likely to be responsible for this anomalously slow dissolution is gravity. A mechanism could be based on the competition between diffusive relaxation and sedimentation at the dissolving interface.

When Simple Things Are Meaningful: Working Memory Strength Predicts Children's Cognitive Flexibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackwell, Katharine A.; Cepeda, Nicholas J.; Munakata, Yuko

2009-01-01

People often perseverate, repeating outdated behaviors despite correctly answering questions about rules they should be following. Children who perseverate are slower to respond to such questions than children who successfully switch to new rules, even after controlling for age and processing speed. Thus, switchers may have stronger working memory…

The Impact of Reading Material's Lexical Accessibility on Text Fading Effects in Children's Reading Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagler, Telse; Lonnemann, Jan; Linkersdörfer, Janosch; Hasselhorn, Marcus; Lindberg, Sven

2014-01-01

The "acceleration phenomenon" (AP) is defined by improvements in reading speed and reading comprehension, induced by an artificial text fading procedure corresponding to the previously determined fastest individual reading rate. Recent results, however, indicated that fading that is slower than the self-paced reading rate can produce…

An Examination of Brain Abnormalities and Mobility in Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease

PubMed Central

Fischer, Barbara L.; Bacher, Rhonda; Bendlin, Barbara B.; Birdsill, Alex C.; Ly, Martina; Hoscheidt, Siobhan M.; Chappell, Richard J.; Mahoney, Jane E.; Gleason, Carey E.

2017-01-01

Background: Mobility changes are concerning for elderly patients with cognitive decline. Given frail older individuals' vulnerability to injury, it is critical to identify contributors to limited mobility. Objective: To examine whether structural brain abnormalities, including reduced gray matter volume and white matter hyperintensities, would be associated with limited mobility among individuals with cognitive impairment, and to determine whether cognitive impairment would mediate this relationship. Methods: Thirty-four elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease underwent neuropsychological evaluation, mobility assessment, and structural brain neuroimaging. Linear regression was conducted with predictors including gray matter volume in six regions of interest (ROI) and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden, with mobility measures as outcomes. Results: Lower gray matter volume in caudate nucleus was associated with slower speed on a functional mobility task. Higher cerebellar volume was also associated with slower functional mobility. White matter hyperintensity burden was not significantly associated with mobility. Conclusion: Our findings provide evidence for associations between subcortical gray matter volume and speed on a functional mobility task among cognitively impaired individuals. PMID:28424612

Kinematics of fast cervical rotations in persons with chronic neck pain: a cross-sectional and reliability study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Assessment of sensorimotor function is useful for classification and treatment evaluation of neck pain disorders. Several studies have investigated various aspects of cervical motor functions. Most of these have involved slow or self-paced movements, while few have investigated fast cervical movements. Moreover, the reliability of assessment of fast cervical axial rotation has, to our knowledge, not been evaluated before. Methods Cervical kinematics was assessed during fast axial head rotations in 118 women with chronic nonspecific neck pain (NS) and compared to 49 healthy controls (CON). The relationship between cervical kinematics and symptoms, self-rated functioning and fear of movement was evaluated in the NS group. A sub-sample of 16 NS and 16 CON was re-tested after one week to assess the reliability of kinematic variables. Six cervical kinematic variables were calculated: peak speed, range of movement, conjunct movements and three variables related to the shape of the speed profile. Results Together, peak speed and conjunct movements had a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 78% in discriminating between NS and CON, of which the major part could be attributed to peak speed (NS: 226 ± 88 °/s and CON: 348 ± 92 °/s, p < 0.01). Peak speed was slower in NS compared to healthy controls and even slower in NS with comorbidity of low-back pain. Associations were found between reduced peak speed and self-rated difficulties with running, performing head movements, car driving, sleeping and pain. Peak speed showed reasonably high reliability, while the reliability for conjunct movements was poor. Conclusions Peak speed of fast cervical axial rotations is reduced in people with chronic neck pain, and even further reduced in subjects with concomitant low back pain. Fast cervical rotation test seems to be a reliable and valid tool for assessment of neck pain disorders on group level, while a rather large between subject variation and overlap between groups calls for caution in the interpretation of individual assessments. PMID:20875135

Effects of the Canopy and Flux Tube Anchoring on Evaporation Flow of a Solar Flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unverferth, John; Longcope, Dana

2018-06-01

Spectroscopic observations of flare ribbons typically show chromospheric evaporation flows, which are subsonic for their high temperatures. This contrasts with many numerical simulations where evaporation is typically supersonic. These simulations typically assume flow along a flux tube with a uniform cross-sectional area. A simple model of the magnetic canopy, however, includes many regions of low magnetic field strength, where flux tubes achieve local maxima in their cross-sectional area. These are analgous to a chamber in a flow tube. We find that one-third of all field lines in a model have some form of chamber through which evaporation flow must pass. Using a one-dimensional isothermal hydrodynamic code, we simulated supersonic flow through an assortment of chambers and found that a subset of solutions exhibit a stationary standing shock within the chamber. These shocked solutions have slower and denser upflows than a flow through a uniform tube would. We use our solution to construct synthetic spectral lines and find that the shocked solutions show higher emission and lower Doppler shifts. When these synthetic lines are combined into an ensemble representing a single canopy cell, the composite line appears slower, even subsonic, than expected due to the outsized contribution from shocked solutions.

Insights from field observations into controls on flow front speed in submarine sediment flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heerema, C.; Talling, P.; Cartigny, M.; Paull, C. K.; Gwiazda, R.; Clare, M. A.; Parsons, D. R.; Xu, J.; Simmons, S.; Maier, K. L.; Chapplow, N.; Gales, J. A.; McGann, M.; Barry, J.; Lundsten, E. M.; Anderson, K.; O'Reilly, T. C.; Rosenberger, K. J.; Sumner, E. J.; Stacey, C.

2017-12-01

Seafloor avalanches of sediment called turbidity currents are one of the most important processes for moving sediment across our planet. Only rivers carry comparable amounts of sediment across such large areas. Here we present some of the first detailed monitoring of these underwater flows that is being undertaken at a series of test sites. We seek to understand the factors that determine flow front speed, and how that speed varies with distance. This frontal speed is particularly important for predicting flow runout, and how the power of these hazardous flows varies with distance. First, we consider unusually detailed measurements of flow front speed defined by transit times between moorings and other tracked objects placed on the floor of Monterey Canyon offshore California in 2016-17. These measurements are then compared to flow front speeds measured using multiple moorings in Bute Inlet, British Columbia in 2016; and by cable breaks in Gaoping Canyon offshore Taiwan in 2006 and 2009. We seek to understand how flow front velocity is related to seafloor gradient, flow front thickness and density. It appears that the spatial evolution of frontal speed is similar in multiple flows, although their peak frontal velocities vary. Flow front velocity tends to increase rapidly initially before declining rather gradually over tens or even hundreds of kilometres. It has been proposed that submarine flows will exist in one of two states; either eroding and accelerating, or depositing sediment and dissipating. We conclude by discussing the implications of this global compilation of flow front velocities for understanding submarine flow behaviour.

Humans do not have direct access to retinal flow during walking

PubMed Central

Souman, Jan L.; Freeman, Tom C.A.; Eikmeier, Verena; Ernst, Marc O.

2013-01-01

Perceived visual speed has been reported to be reduced during walking. This reduction has been attributed to a partial subtraction of walking speed from visual speed (Durgin & Gigone, 2007; Durgin, Gigone, & Scott, 2005). We tested whether observers still have access to the retinal flow before subtraction takes place. Observers performed a 2IFC visual speed discrimination task while walking on a treadmill. In one condition, walking speed was identical in the two intervals, while in a second condition walking speed differed between intervals. If observers have access to the retinal flow before subtraction, any changes in walking speed across intervals should not affect their ability to discriminate retinal flow speed. Contrary to this “direct-access hypothesis”, we found that observers were worse at discrimination when walking speed differed between intervals. The results therefore suggest that observers do not have access to retinal flow before subtraction. We also found that the amount of subtraction depended on the visual speed presented, suggesting that the interaction between the processing of visual input and of self-motion is more complex than previously proposed. PMID:20884509

Effect of Speed (Centrifugal Load) on Gear Crack Propagation Direction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewicki, David G.

2001-01-01

The effect of rotational speed (centrifugal force) on gear crack propagation direction was explored. Gears were analyzed using finite element analysis and linear elastic fracture mechanics. The analysis was validated with crack propagation experiments performed in a spur gear fatigue rig. The effects of speed, rim thickness, and initial crack location on gear crack propagation direction were investigated. Crack paths from the finite element method correlated well with those deduced from gear experiments. For the test gear with a backup ratio (rim thickness divided by tooth height) of nib = 0.5, cracks initiating in the tooth fillet propagated to rim fractures when run at a speed of 10,000 rpm and became tooth fractures for speeds slower than 10,000 rpm for both the experiments and anal sis. From additional analysis, speed had little effect on crack propagation direction except when initial crack locations were near the tooth/rim fracture transition point for a given backup ratio. When at that point, higher speeds tended to promote rim fracture while lower speeds (or neglecting centrifugal force) produced tooth fractures.

The relative temporal sequence of decline in mobility and cognition among initially unimpaired older adults: Results from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.

PubMed

Tian, Qu; An, Yang; Resnick, Susan M; Studenski, Stephanie

2017-05-01

most older individuals who experience mobility decline, also show cognitive decline, but whether cognitive decline precedes or follows mobility limitation is not well understood. examine the temporal sequence of mobility and cognition among initially unimpaired older adults. mobility and cognition were assessed every 2 years for 6 years in 412 participants aged ≥60 with initially unimpaired cognition and gait speed. Using autoregressive models, accounting for the dependent variable from the prior assessment, baseline age, sex, body mass index and education, we examine the temporal sequence of change in mobility (6 m usual gait speed, 400 m fast walk time) and executive function (visuoperceptual speed: Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST); cognitive flexibility: Trail Making Test part B (TMT-B)) or memory (California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) immediate, short-delay, long-delay). there was a bidirectional relationship over time between slower usual gait speed and both poorer DSST and TMT-B scores (Bonferroni-corrected P < 0.005). In contrast, slower 400 m fast walk time predicted subsequent poorer DSST, TMT-B, CVLT immediate recall and CVLT short-delay scores (P < 0.005), while these measures did not predict subsequent 400 m fast walk time (P > 0.005). among initially unimpaired older adults, the temporal relationship between usual gait speed and executive function is bidirectional, with each predicting change in the other, while poor fast walking performance predicts future executive function and memory changes but not vice versa. Challenging tasks like the 400 m walk appear superior to usual gait speed for predicting executive function and memory change in unimpaired older adults. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Nectar vs. pollen loading affects the tradeoff between flight stability and maneuverability in bumblebees

PubMed Central

Mountcastle, Andrew M.; Combes, Stacey A.

2015-01-01

Bumblebee foragers spend a significant portion of their lives transporting nectar and pollen, often carrying loads equivalent to more than half their body mass. Whereas nectar is stored in the abdomen near the bee’s center of mass, pollen is carried on the hind legs, farther from the center of mass. We examine how load position changes the rotational moment of inertia in bumblebees and whether this affects their flight maneuverability and/or stability. We applied simulated pollen or nectar loads of equal mass to Bombus impatiens bumblebees and examined flight performance in a wind tunnel under three conditions: flight in unsteady flow, tracking an oscillating flower in smooth flow, and flower tracking in unsteady flow. Using an inertial model, we estimated that carrying a load on the legs rather than in the abdomen increases a bee’s moment of inertia about the roll and yaw axes but not the pitch axis. Consistent with these predictions, we found that bees carrying a load on their legs displayed slower rotations about their roll and yaw axes, regardless of whether these rotations were driven by external perturbations or self-initiated steering maneuvers. This allowed pollen-loaded bees to maintain a more stable body orientation and higher median flight speed in unsteady flow but reduced their performance when tracking a moving flower, supporting the concept of a tradeoff between stability and maneuverability. These results demonstrate that the types of resources collected by bees affect their flight performance and energetics and suggest that wind conditions may influence resource selection. PMID:26240364

Fully-resolved prolate spheroids in turbulent channel flows: A lattice Boltzmann study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eshghinejadfard, Amir; Hosseini, Seyed Ali; Thévenin, Dominique

2017-09-01

Particles are present in many natural and industrial multiphase flows. In most practical cases, particle shape is not spherical, leading to additional difficulties for numerical studies. In this paper, DNS of turbulent channel flows with finite-size prolate spheroids is performed. The geometry includes a straight wall-bounded channel at a frictional Reynolds number of 180 seeded with particles. Three different particle shapes are considered, either spheroidal (aspect ratio λ =2 or 4) or spherical (λ =1 ). Solid-phase volume fraction has been varied between 0.75% and 1.5%. Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is used to model the fluid flow. The influence of the particles on the flow field is simulated by immersed boundary method (IBM). In this Eulerian-Lagrangian framework, the trajectory of each particle is computed individually. All particle-particle and particle-fluid interactions are considered (four-way coupling). Results show that, in the range of examined volume fractions, mean fluid velocity is reduced by addition of particles. However, velocity reduction by spheroids is much lower than that by spheres; 2% and 1.6%, compared to 4.6%. Maximum streamwise velocity fluctuations are reduced by addition of particle. By comparing particle and fluid velocities, it is seen that spheroids move faster than the fluid before reaching the same speed in the channel center. Spheres, on the other hand, move slower than the fluid in the buffer layer. Close to the wall, all particle types move faster than the fluid. Moreover, prolate spheroids show a preferential orientation in the streamwise direction, which is stronger close to the wall. Far from the wall, the orientation of spheroidal particles tends to isotropy.

Oral cavity hydrodynamics and drag production in Balaenid whale suspension feeding.

PubMed

Potvin, Jean; Werth, Alexander J

2017-01-01

Balaenid whales feed on large aggregates of small and slow-moving prey (predominantly copepods) through a filtration process enabled by baleen. These whales exhibit continuous filtration, namely, with the mouth kept partially opened and the baleen exposed to oncoming prey-laden waters while fluking. The process is an example of crossflow filtration (CFF) in which most of the particulates (prey) are separated from the substrate (water) without ever coming into contact with the filtering surface (baleen). This paper discusses the simulation of baleen filtration hydrodynamics based on a type of hydraulic circuit modeling commonly used in microfluidics, but adapted to the much higher Reynolds number flows typical of whale hydrodynamics. This so-called Baleen Hydraulic Circuit (BHC) model uses as input the basic characteristics of the flows moving through a section of baleen observed in a previous flume study by the authors. The model has low-spatial resolution but incorporates the effects of fluid viscosity, which doubles or more a whale's total body drag in comparison to non-feeding travel. Modeling viscous friction is crucial here since exposing the baleen system to the open ocean ends up tripling a whale's total wetted surface area. Among other findings, the BHC shows how CFF is enhanced by a large filtration surface and hence large body size; how it is carried out via the establishment of rapid anteroposterior flows transporting most of the prey-water slurry towards the oropharyngeal wall; how slower intra-baleen flows manage to transfer most of the substrate out of the mouth, all the while contributing only a fraction to overall oral cavity drag; and how these anteroposterior and intra-baleen flows lose speed as they approach the oropharyngeal wall.

Oral cavity hydrodynamics and drag production in Balaenid whale suspension feeding

PubMed Central

Werth, Alexander J.

2017-01-01

Balaenid whales feed on large aggregates of small and slow-moving prey (predominantly copepods) through a filtration process enabled by baleen. These whales exhibit continuous filtration, namely, with the mouth kept partially opened and the baleen exposed to oncoming prey-laden waters while fluking. The process is an example of crossflow filtration (CFF) in which most of the particulates (prey) are separated from the substrate (water) without ever coming into contact with the filtering surface (baleen). This paper discusses the simulation of baleen filtration hydrodynamics based on a type of hydraulic circuit modeling commonly used in microfluidics, but adapted to the much higher Reynolds number flows typical of whale hydrodynamics. This so-called Baleen Hydraulic Circuit (BHC) model uses as input the basic characteristics of the flows moving through a section of baleen observed in a previous flume study by the authors. The model has low-spatial resolution but incorporates the effects of fluid viscosity, which doubles or more a whale’s total body drag in comparison to non-feeding travel. Modeling viscous friction is crucial here since exposing the baleen system to the open ocean ends up tripling a whale’s total wetted surface area. Among other findings, the BHC shows how CFF is enhanced by a large filtration surface and hence large body size; how it is carried out via the establishment of rapid anteroposterior flows transporting most of the prey-water slurry towards the oropharyngeal wall; how slower intra-baleen flows manage to transfer most of the substrate out of the mouth, all the while contributing only a fraction to overall oral cavity drag; and how these anteroposterior and intra-baleen flows lose speed as they approach the oropharyngeal wall. PMID:28399142

The fluid mechanics of scleral buckling surgery for the repair of retinal detachment.

PubMed

Foster, William Joseph; Dowla, Nadia; Joshi, Saurabh Y; Nikolaou, Michael

2010-01-01

Scleral buckling is a common surgical technique used to treat retinal detachments that involves suturing a radial or circumferential silicone element on the sclera. Although this procedure has been performed since the 1960s, and there is a reasonable experimental model of retinal detachment, there is still debate as to how this surgery facilitates the re-attachment of the retina. Finite element calculations using the COMSOL Multiphysics system are utilized to explain the influence of the scleral buckle on the flow of sub-retinal fluid in a physical model of retinal detachment. We found that, by coupling fluid mechanics with structural mechanics, laminar fluid flow and the Bernoulli effect are necessary for a physically consistent explanation of retinal reattachment. Improved fluid outflow and retinal reattachment are found with low fluid viscosity and rapid eye movements. A simulation of saccadic eye movements was more effective in removing sub-retinal fluid than slower, reading speed, eye movements in removing subretinal fluid. The results of our simulations allow us to explain the physical principles behind scleral buckling surgery and provide insight that can be utilized clinically. In particular, we find that rapid eye movements facilitate more rapid retinal reattachment. This is contradictory to the conventional wisdom of attempting to minimize eye movements.

Differential behaviour of Escherichia coli and Campylobacter spp. in a stream draining dairy pasture.

PubMed

Stott, Rebecca; Davies-Colley, Robert; Nagels, John; Donnison, Andrea; Ross, Colleen; Muirhead, Richard

2011-03-01

The faecal indicator bacterium Escherichia coli and thermotolerant Campylobacter spp., which are potentially pathogenic, were investigated in the Toenepi Stream draining a pastoral catchment dominated by dairying. Bacteria concentrations were monitored routinely at fortnightly intervals over 12 months and intensively during storm events to compare the transport dynamics of bacterial indicator and pathogen under varying hydro-meteorological conditions. Routine monitoring indicated median concentrations of 345 E. coli MPN 100 ml(-1) and relatively low concentrations of 2.3 Campylobacter MPN 100 ml(-1). The bacterial flux was three orders of magnitude greater under elevated stream flow compared with base-flow. E. coli peak concentrations occurred very close to the turbidity peak and consistently ahead of the Campylobacter spp. peak (which was close to the hydrograph peak). We postulate that, under flood conditions, the E. coli peak reflects the entrainment and mobilisation of in-stream stores on the flood wave front. In contrast, Campylobacter spp. are derived from wash-in from land stores upstream and have travelled at the mean water velocity which is slower than the speed of the flood wave. Our findings of different dynamics for E. coli and Campylobacter spp. suggest that mitigation to reduce faecal microbial impacts from farms will need to take account of these differences.

Slower phloem transport in gymnosperm trees can be attributed to higher sieve element resistance.

PubMed

Liesche, Johannes; Windt, Carel; Bohr, Tomas; Schulz, Alexander; Jensen, Kaare H

2015-04-01

In trees, carbohydrates produced in photosynthesizing leaves are transported to roots and other sink organs over distances of up to 100 m inside a specialized transport tissue, the phloem. Angiosperm and gymnosperm trees have a fundamentally different phloem anatomy with respect to cell size, shape and connectivity. Whether these differences have an effect on the physiology of carbohydrate transport, however, is not clear. A meta-analysis of the experimental data on phloem transport speed in trees yielded average speeds of 56 cm h(-1) for angiosperm trees and 22 cm h(-1) for gymnosperm trees. Similar values resulted from theoretical modeling using a simple transport resistance model. Analysis of the model parameters clearly identified sieve element (SE) anatomy as the main factor for the significantly slower carbohydrate transport speed inside the phloem in gymnosperm compared with angiosperm trees. In order to investigate the influence of SE anatomy on the hydraulic resistance, anatomical data on SEs and sieve pores were collected by transmission electron microscopy analysis and from the literature for 18 tree species. Calculations showed that the hydraulic resistance is significantly higher in the gymnosperm than in angiosperm trees. The higher resistance is only partially offset by the considerably longer SEs of gymnosperms. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Nouns slow down speech across structurally and culturally diverse languages

PubMed Central

Danielsen, Swintha; Hartmann, Iren; Pakendorf, Brigitte; Witzlack-Makarevich, Alena; de Jong, Nivja H.

2018-01-01

By force of nature, every bit of spoken language is produced at a particular speed. However, this speed is not constant—speakers regularly speed up and slow down. Variation in speech rate is influenced by a complex combination of factors, including the frequency and predictability of words, their information status, and their position within an utterance. Here, we use speech rate as an index of word-planning effort and focus on the time window during which speakers prepare the production of words from the two major lexical classes, nouns and verbs. We show that, when naturalistic speech is sampled from languages all over the world, there is a robust cross-linguistic tendency for slower speech before nouns compared with verbs, both in terms of slower articulation and more pauses. We attribute this slowdown effect to the increased amount of planning that nouns require compared with verbs. Unlike verbs, nouns can typically only be used when they represent new or unexpected information; otherwise, they have to be replaced by pronouns or be omitted. These conditions on noun use appear to outweigh potential advantages stemming from differences in internal complexity between nouns and verbs. Our findings suggest that, beneath the staggering diversity of grammatical structures and cultural settings, there are robust universals of language processing that are intimately tied to how speakers manage referential information when they communicate with one another. PMID:29760059

Relationship between writing skills and visual-motor control in low-vision students.

PubMed

Atasavun Uysal, Songül; Aki, Esra

2012-08-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between handwriting skills and visual motor control among students with low vision and to compare this with the performance of their normal sighted peers. 42 students with low vision and 26 normal sighted peers participated. The Bruininks-Oseretsky Motor Proficiency Test-Short Form (BOTMP-SF), Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test's writing subtest, and a legibility assessment were administered. Significant differences were found between groups for students' writing speed, legibility, and visual motor control. Visual motor control was correlated both writing speed and legibility. Students with low vision had poorer handwriting performance, with lower legibility and slower writing speed. Writing performance time was related to visual motor control in students with low vision.

Moving Phones Tick Slower: Creating an Android App to Demonstrate Time Dilation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Underwood, Bret; Zhai, Yunxiao

2016-01-01

Smartphones and tablets are packed with sensors that allow us to take experimental data, essentially making them mobile physics labs. Apps exist that make it easy to capture and analyze data from these sensors, allowing users to study diverse phenomena such as free fall acceleration, the speed of sound,radioactivity, and many others. Commonly, the…

Multi-fluid modelling of pulsed discharges for flow control applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poggie, J.

2015-02-01

Experimental evidence suggests that short-pulse dielectric barrier discharge actuators are effective for speeds corresponding to take-off and approach of large aircraft, and thus are a fruitful direction for flow control technology development. Large-eddy simulations have reproduced some of the main fluid dynamic effects. The plasma models used in such simulations are semi-empirical, however, and need to be tuned for each flowfield under consideration. In this paper, the discharge physics is examined in more detail with multi-fluid modelling, comparing a five-moment model (continuity, momentum, and energy equations) to a two-moment model (continuity and energy equations). A steady-state, one-dimensional discharge was considered first, and the five-moment model was found to predict significantly lower ionisation rates and number densities than the two-moment model. A two-dimensional, transient discharge problem with an elliptical cathode was studied next. Relative to the two-moment model, the five-moment model predicted a slower response to the activation of the cathode, and lower electron velocities and temperatures as the simulation approached steady-state. The primary reason for the differences in the predictions of the two models can be attributed to the effects of particle inertia, particularly electron inertia in the cathode layer. The computational cost of the five-moment model is only about twice that of the simpler variant, suggesting that it may be feasible to use the more sophisticated model in practical calculations for flow control actuator design.

Radionuclide transport behavior in a generic geological radioactive waste repository.

PubMed

Bianchi, Marco; Liu, Hui-Hai; Birkholzer, Jens T

2015-01-01

We performed numerical simulations of groundwater flow and radionuclide transport to study the influence of several factors, including the ambient hydraulic gradient, groundwater pressure anomalies, and the properties of the excavation damaged zone (EDZ), on the prevailing transport mechanism (i.e., advection or molecular diffusion) in a generic nuclear waste repository within a clay-rich geological formation. By comparing simulation results, we show that the EDZ plays a major role as a preferential flowpath for radionuclide transport. When the EDZ is not taken into account, transport is dominated by molecular diffusion in almost the totality of the simulated domain, and transport velocity is about 40% slower. Modeling results also show that a reduction in hydraulic gradient leads to a greater predominance of diffusive transport, slowing down radionuclide transport by about 30% with respect to a scenario assuming a unit gradient. In addition, inward flow caused by negative pressure anomalies in the clay-rich formation further reduces transport velocity, enhancing the ability of the geological barrier to contain the radioactive waste. On the other hand, local high gradients associated with positive pressure anomalies can speed up radionuclide transport with respect to steady-state flow systems having the same regional hydraulic gradients. Transport behavior was also found to be sensitive to both geometrical and hydrogeological parameters of the EDZ. Results from this work can provide useful knowledge toward correctly assessing the post-closure safety of a geological disposal system. © 2014, National Ground Water Association.

ON POLAR MAGNETIC FIELD REVERSAL AND SURFACE FLUX TRANSPORT DURING SOLAR CYCLE 24

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

Sun, Xudong; Todd Hoeksema, J.; Liu, Yang

As each solar cycle progresses, remnant magnetic flux from active regions (ARs) migrates poleward to cancel the old-cycle polar field. We describe this polarity reversal process during Cycle 24 using four years (2010.33-2014.33) of line-of-sight magnetic field measurements from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. The total flux associated with ARs reached maximum in the north in 2011, more than two years earlier than the south; the maximum is significantly weaker than Cycle 23. The process of polar field reversal is relatively slow, north-south asymmetric, and episodic. We estimate that the global axial dipole changed sign in 2013 October; the northernmore » and southern polar fields (mean above 60° latitude) reversed in 2012 November and 2014 March, respectively, about 16 months apart. Notably, the poleward surges of flux in each hemisphere alternated in polarity, giving rise to multiple reversals in the north. We show that the surges of the trailing sunspot polarity tend to correspond to normal mean AR tilt, higher total AR flux, or slower mid-latitude near-surface meridional flow, while exceptions occur during low magnetic activity. In particular, the AR flux and the mid-latitude poleward flow speed exhibit a clear anti-correlation. We discuss how these features can be explained in a surface flux transport process that includes a field-dependent converging flow toward the ARs, a characteristic that may contribute to solar cycle variability.« less

Ethylene Trace-gas Techniques for High-speed Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, David O.; Reichert, Bruce A.

1994-01-01

Three applications of the ethylene trace-gas technique to high-speed flows are described: flow-field tracking, air-to-air mixing, and bleed mass-flow measurement. The technique involves injecting a non-reacting gas (ethylene) into the flow field and measuring the concentration distribution in a downstream plane. From the distributions, information about flow development, mixing, and mass-flow rates can be dtermined. The trace-gas apparatus and special considerations for use in high-speed flow are discussed. A description of each application, including uncertainty estimates is followed by a demonstrative example.

Numerical Speed of Sound and its Application to Schemes for all Speeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liou, Meng-Sing; Edwards, Jack R.

1999-01-01

The concept of "numerical speed of sound" is proposed in the construction of numerical flux. It is shown that this variable is responsible for the accurate resolution of' discontinuities, such as contacts and shocks. Moreover, this concept can he readily extended to deal with low speed and multiphase flows. As a results, the numerical dissipation for low speed flows is scaled with the local fluid speed, rather than the sound speed. Hence, the accuracy is enhanced the correct solution recovered, and the convergence rate improved. We also emphasize the role of mass flux and analyze the behavior of this flux. Study of mass flux is important because the numerical diffusivity introduced in it can be identified. In addition, it is the term common to all conservation equations. We show calculated results for a wide variety of flows to validate the effectiveness of using the numerical speed of sound concept in constructing the numerical flux. We especially aim at achieving these two goals: (1) improving accuracy and (2) gaining convergence rates for all speed ranges. We find that while the performance at high speed range is maintained, the flux now has the capability of performing well even with the low: speed flows. Thanks to the new numerical speed of sound, the convergence is even enhanced for the flows outside of the low speed range. To realize the usefulness of the proposed method in engineering problems, we have also performed calculations for complex 3D turbulent flows and the results are in excellent agreement with data.

Reconstructing Tsunami Flow Speed from Sedimentary Deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaffe, B. E.; Gelfenbaum, G. R.

2014-12-01

Paleotsunami deposits contain information about the flow that created them that can be used to reconstruct tsunami flow speed and thereby improving assessment of tsunami hazard. We applied an inverse tsunami sediment transport model to sandy deposits near Sendai Airport, Japan, that formed during the 11 March 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami to test model performance and explore the spatial variations in tsunami flow speed. The inverse model assumes the amount of suspended sediment in the water column is in equilibrium with local flow speed and that sediment transport convergences, primarily from bedload transport, do not contribute significantly to formation of the portion of the deposit we identify as formed by sediment settling out of suspension. We interpret massive or inversely graded intervals as forming from sediment transport convergences and do not model them. Sediment falling out of suspension forms a specific type of normal grading, termed 'suspension' grading, where the entire grain size distribution shifts to finer sizes higher up in a deposit. Suspension grading is often observed in deposits of high-energy flows, including turbidity currents and tsunamis. The inverse model calculates tsunami flow speed from the thickness and bulk grain size of a suspension-graded interval. We identified 24 suspension-graded intervals from 7 trenches located near the Sendai Airport from ~250-1350 m inland from the shoreline. Flow speeds were highest ~500 m from the shoreline, landward of the forested sand dunes where the tsunami encountered lower roughness in a low-lying area as it traveled downslope. Modeled tsunami flow speeds range from 2.2 to 9.0 m/s. Tsunami flow speeds are sensitive to roughness, which is unfortunately poorly constrained. Flow speed calculated by the inverse model was similar to those calculated from video taken from a helicopter about 1-2 km inland. Deposit reconstructions of suspension-graded intervals reproduced observed upward shifts in grain size distributions reasonably well. As approaches to estimating paleo-roughness improve, the flow speed and size of paleotsunamis will be better understood and the ability to assess tsunami hazard from paleotsunami deposits will improve.

Violent media consumption and the recognition of dynamic facial expressions.

PubMed

Kirsh, Steven J; Mounts, Jeffrey R W; Olczak, Paul V

2006-05-01

This study assessed the speed of recognition of facial emotional expressions (happy and angry) as a function of violent media consumption. Color photos of calm facial expressions morphed to either an angry or a happy facial expression. Participants were asked to make a speeded identification of the emotion (happiness or anger) during the morph. Results indicated that, independent of trait aggressiveness, participants high in violent media consumption responded slower to depictions of happiness and faster to depictions of anger than participants low in violent media consumption. Implications of these findings are discussed with respect to current models of aggressive behavior.

Collision Avoidance, Driver Support and Safety Intervention Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilling, Simon P.

Autonomous Intelligent Cruise Control (AICC) will be marketed by a number of vehicle manufacturers before the end of the decade. This paper will describe AICC and the next generation systems currently being developed and validated within the EC Fourth Framework project, Anti-Collision Autonomous Support and Safety Intervention SysTem (AC ASSIST).The currently available cruise control systems which maintain a fixed speed are a well-known form of longitudinal driver support. The fixed speed cruise control becomes less useful with increased traffic volumes, as the driver must disable the system when a slower preceding vehicle is encountered.

Visual function and cognitive speed of processing mediate age-related decline in memory span and fluid intelligence

PubMed Central

Clay, Olivio J.; Edwards, Jerri D.; Ross, Lesley A.; Okonkwo, Ozioma; Wadley, Virginia G.; Roth, David L.; Ball, Karlene K.

2010-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between sensory and cognitive decline, particularly with respect to speed of processing, memory span, and fluid intelligence. Additionally, the common cause, sensory degradation and speed of processing hypotheses were compared. Methods: Structural equation modeling was used to investigate the complex relationships among age-related decrements in these areas. Results: Cross-sectional data analyses included 842 older adult participants (M = 73 years). After accounting for age-related declines in vision and processing speed, the direct associations between age and memory span and between age and fluid intelligence were nonsignificant. Older age was associated with visual decline, which was associated with slower speed of processing, which in turn was associated with greater cognitive deficits. Discussion: The findings support both the sensory degradation and speed of processing accounts of age-related cognitive decline. Further, the findings highlight positive aspects of normal cognitive aging in that older age may not be associated with a loss of fluid intelligence if visual sensory functioning and processing speed can be maintained. PMID:19436063

Evaluation of free flow speeds on interrupted flow facilities.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-05-01

The efficacy of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) simple model of predicting segment free flow speed by adding 5 miles per hour (mph) to the posted speed limit was compared to the performance of the new 2010 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM...

Slower EEG alpha generation, synchronization and "flow"-possible biomarkers of cognitive impairment and neuropathology of minor stroke.

PubMed

Petrovic, Jelena; Milosevic, Vuk; Zivkovic, Miroslava; Stojanov, Dragan; Milojkovic, Olga; Kalauzi, Aleksandar; Saponjic, Jasna

2017-01-01

We investigated EEG rhythms, particularly alpha activity, and their relationship to post-stroke neuropathology and cognitive functions in the subacute and chronic stages of minor strokes. We included 10 patients with right middle cerebral artery (MCA) ischemic strokes and 11 healthy controls. All the assessments of stroke patients were done both in the subacute and chronic stages. Neurological impairment was measured using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), whereas cognitive functions were assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and MoCA memory index (MoCA-MIS). The EEG was recorded using a 19 channel EEG system with standard EEG electrode placement. In particular, we analyzed the EEGs derived from the four lateral frontal (F3, F7, F4, F8), and corresponding lateral posterior (P3, P4, T5, T6) electrodes. Quantitative EEG analysis included: the group FFT spectra, the weighted average of alpha frequency (αAVG), the group probability density distributions of all conventional EEG frequency band relative amplitudes (EEG microstructure), the inter- and intra-hemispheric coherences, and the topographic distribution of alpha carrier frequency phase potentials (PPs). Statistical analysis was done using a Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA with a post-hoc Mann-Whitney U two-tailed test, and Spearman's correlation. We demonstrated transient cognitive impairment alongside a slower alpha frequency ( α AVG) in the subacute right MCA stroke patients vs. the controls. This slower alpha frequency showed no amplitude change, but was highly synchronized intra-hemispherically, overlying the ipsi-lesional hemisphere, and inter-hemispherically, overlying the frontal cortex. In addition, the disturbances in EEG alpha activity in subacute stroke patients were expressed as a decrease in alpha PPs over the frontal cortex and an altered "alpha flow", indicating the sustained augmentation of inter-hemispheric interactions. Although the stroke induced slower alpha was a transient phenomenon, the increased alpha intra-hemispheric synchronization, overlying the ipsi-lesional hemisphere, the increased alpha F3-F4 inter-hemispheric synchronization, the delayed alpha waves, and the newly established inter-hemispheric "alpha flow" within the frontal cortex, remained as a permanent consequence of the minor stroke. This newly established frontal inter-hemispheric "alpha flow" represented a permanent consequence of the "hidden" stroke neuropathology, despite the fact that cognitive impairment has been returned to the control values. All the detected permanent changes at the EEG level with no cognitive impairment after a minor stroke could be a way for the brain to compensate for the lesion and restore the lost function. Our study indicates slower EEG alpha generation, synchronization and "flow" as potential biomarkers of cognitive impairment onset and/or compensatory post-stroke re-organizational processes.

Impact of Exercise on Clinical Symptom Report and Neurocognition after Concussion in Children and Adolescents.

PubMed

Manikas, Vicky; Babl, Franz E; Hearps, Stephen; Dooley, Julian; Anderson, Vicki

2017-06-01

Recovery from concussion in childhood is poorly understood, despite its importance in decisions regarding return to normal activity. Resolution of post-concussive symptoms (PCS) is widely employed as a marker of recovery in clinical practice; however, it is unclear whether subtle impairments persist only to re-emerge in the context of increased physical or cognitive demands. This study aimed to examine the effect of strenuous exercise on clinical symptom report and neurocognition in children and adolescents after PCS resolution after concussion. We recruited children and adolescents with concussion (n = 30) on presentation to an Emergency Department (ED). At Day 2 and Day 10 post-self-reported symptom resolution, participants completed a strenuous exercise protocol, and pre- and post-exercise assessment of PCS and neurocognition. Results demonstrated an overall reduction in PCS from Day 2 to Day 10 post-symptom resolution, with no evidence of symptom increase after strenuous exercise at either time point. Neurocognitive performance was linked to task complexity: on less cognitively demanding tasks, processing speed was slower post-exercise and, unexpectedly, slower on Day 10 than Day 2, while for more demanding tasks (new learning), Day 2 exercise resulted in faster responses, but Day 10 processing speed post-exercise was slower. In summary, we found the expected recovery pattern for PCS, regardless of exercise, while for neurocognition, recovery was dependent on the degree of cognitive demand, and there was an unexpected reduction in performance from Day 2 to Day 10. Findings provide some suggestion that premature return to normal activities (e.g., school) may slow neurocognitive recovery.

Analysis of pedestrian dynamics in counter flow via an extended lattice gas model.

PubMed

Kuang, Hua; Li, Xingli; Song, Tao; Dai, Shiqiang

2008-12-01

The modeling of human behavior is an important approach to reproduce realistic phenomena for pedestrian flow. In this paper, an extended lattice gas model is proposed to simulate pedestrian counter flow under the open boundary conditions by considering the human subconscious behavior and different maximum velocities. The simulation results show that the presented model can capture some essential features of pedestrian counter flows, such as lane formation, segregation effect, and phase separation at higher densities. In particular, an interesting feature that the faster walkers overtake the slower ones and then form a narrow-sparse walkway near the central partition line is discovered. The phase diagram comparison and analysis show that the subconscious behavior plays a key role in reducing the occurrence of jam cluster. The effects of the symmetrical and asymmetrical injection rate, different partition lines, and different combinations of maximum velocities on pedestrian flow are investigated. An important conclusion is that it is needless to separate faster and slower pedestrians in the same direction by a partition line. Furthermore, the increase of the number of faster walkers does not always benefit the counter flow in all situations. It depends on the magnitude and asymmetry of injection rate. And at larger maximum velocity, the obtained critical transition point corresponding to the maximum flow rate of the fundamental diagram is in good agreement with the empirical results.

Accuracy of visual estimates of joint angle and angular velocity using criterion movements.

PubMed

Morrison, Craig S; Knudson, Duane; Clayburn, Colby; Haywood, Philip

2005-06-01

A descriptive study to document undergraduate physical education majors' (22.8 +/- 2.4 yr. old) estimates of sagittal plane elbow angle and angular velocity of elbow flexion visually was performed. 42 subjects rated videotape replays of 30 movements organized into three speeds of movement and two criterion elbow angles. Video images of the movements were analyzed with Peak Motus to measure actual values of elbow angles and peak angular velocity. Of the subjects 85.7% had speed ratings significantly correlated with true peak elbow angular velocity in all three angular velocity conditions. Few (16.7%) subjects' ratings of elbow angle correlated significantly with actual angles. Analysis of the subjects with good ratings showed the accuracy of visual ratings was significantly related to speed, with decreasing accuracy for slower speeds of movement. The use of criterion movements did not improve the small percentage of novice observers who could accurately estimate body angles during movement.

Water flow in high-speed handpieces.

PubMed

Cavalcanti, Bruno Neves; Serairdarian, Paulo Isaías; Rode, Sigmar Mello

2005-05-01

This study measured the water flow commonly used in high-speed handpieces to evaluate the water flow's influence on temperature generation. Different flow speeds were evaluated between turbines that had different numbers of cooling apertures. Two water samples were collected from each high-speed handpiece at private practices and at the School of Dentistry at São José dos Campos. The first sample was collected at the customary flow and the second was collected with the terminal opened for maximum flow. The two samples were collected into weighed glass receptacles after 15 seconds of turbine operation. The glass receptacles were reweighed and the difference between weights was recorded to calculate the water flow in mL/min and for further statistical analysis. The average water flow for 137 samples was 29.48 mL/min. The flow speeds obtained were 42.38 mL/min for turbines with one coolant aperture; 34.31 mL/min for turbines with two coolant apertures; and 30.44 mL/min for turbines with three coolant apertures. There were statistical differences between turbines with one and three coolant apertures (Tukey-Kramer multiple comparisons test with P < .05). Turbine handpieces with one cooling aperture distributed more water for the burs than high-speed handpieces with more than one aperture.

Effectiveness and acceptance of the intelligent speeding prediction system (ISPS).

PubMed

Zhao, Guozhen; Wu, Changxu

2013-03-01

The intelligent speeding prediction system (ISPS) is an in-vehicle speed assistance system developed to provide quantitative predictions of speeding. Although the ISPS's prediction of speeding has been validated, whether the ISPS can regulate a driver's speed behavior or whether a driver accepts the ISPS needs further investigation. Additionally, compared to the existing intelligent speed adaptation (ISA) system, whether the ISPS performs better in terms of reducing excessive speeds and improving driving safety needs more direct evidence. An experiment was conducted to assess and compare the effectiveness and acceptance of the ISPS and the ISA. We conducted a driving simulator study with 40 participants. System type served as a between-subjects variable with four levels: no speed assistance system, pre-warning system developed based on the ISPS, post-warning system ISA, and combined pre-warning and ISA system. Speeding criterion served as a within-subjects variable with two levels: lower (posted speed limit plus 1 mph) and higher (posted speed limit plus 5 mph) speed threshold. Several aspects of the participants' driving speed, speeding measures, lead vehicle response, and subjective measures were collected. Both pre-warning and combined systems led to greater minimum time-to-collision. The combined system resulted in slower driving speed, fewer speeding exceedances, shorter speeding duration, and smaller speeding magnitude. The results indicate that both pre-warning and combined systems have the potential to improve driving safety and performance. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Landslide Mobility and Hazards: A Geophysical Overview of the Oso Disaster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iverson, R. M.; George, D. L.; Allstadt, K.; Godt, J.; Reid, M. E.; Vallance, J. W.; Schilling, S. P.; Cannon, C.; Magirl, C. S.; Collins, B. D.; Baum, R. L.; Coe, J. A.; Schulz, W. H.; Bower, J. B.

2014-12-01

Some landslides move slowly or intermittently downslope, whereas others accelerate catastrophically and run out long distances across flat or gently sloping terrain. Seldom does landsliding of one type transition abruptly into the other, however, and seldom are the consequences more severe than at a site near Oso, Washington, where more than 40 fatalities resulted from a high-speed, long-runout landslide on 22 March 2014. Our interpretations of seismic data inversions and eyewitness accounts indicate that the Oso event began gradually, with remobilization of old landslide deposits that were unusually wet due to months of exceptional precipitation. For about 50 s, relatively slow downslope motion of these deposits withdrew support from a bluff above them, and then the bluff collapsed abruptly. This collapse radiated strong broadband seismic energy and rapidly loaded the old landslide material downslope. We infer that this rapid loading of previously dilated landslide debris caused contractive deformation, widespread liquefaction, and runaway acceleration. The resulting debris avalanche flow (DAF) had a volume of 8 ×106 m3and a fahrböschung (H/L ratio) of 0.106, making it exceptionally mobile for a landslide of its size. The leading edge of the Oso DAF may have gained mobility by entraining water as it displaced the adjacent Stillaguamish River and by liquefying wet floodplain sediments as it overran them, and it formed distal deposits that resembled those of many wood-freighted debris flows. The transition from relatively slow landslide motion (which had occurred intermittently for decades at the Oso site) to high-speed motion and long runout appears to have been very sensitive to contingencies. Our simulations of the Oso event using a new numerical model (D-Claw) show that small differences in water-saturated porosity (n) were sufficient to cause divergent landslide behaviors. In a case with n = 0.38, D-Claw predicts runaway liquefaction and high-speed runout much like that observed at Oso, and in a case with n = 0.36, it predicts much slower landsliding that ceases after only about 100 m of motion. This behavioral bifurcation has fundamental physical importance as well as large ramifications for assessment of landslide hazards.

Reduced dual-task gait speed is associated with visual Go/No-Go brain network activation in children and adolescents with concussion.

PubMed

Howell, David R; Meehan, William P; Barber Foss, Kim D; Reches, Amit; Weiss, Michal; Myer, Gregory D

2018-05-31

To investigate the association between dual-task gait performance and brain network activation (BNA) using an electroencephalography (EEG)-based Go/No-Go paradigm among children and adolescents with concussion. Participants with a concussion completed a visual Go/No-Go task with collection of electroencephalogram brain activity. Data were treated with BNA analysis, which involves an algorithmic approach to EEG-ERP activation quantification. Participants also completed a dual-task gait assessment. The relationship between dual-task gait speed and BNA was assessed using multiple linear regression models. Participants (n = 20, 13.9 ± 2.3 years of age, 50% female) were tested at a mean of 7.0 ± 2.5 days post-concussion and were symptomatic at the time of testing (post-concussion symptom scale = 40.4 ± 21.9). Slower dual-task average gait speed (mean = 82.2 ± 21.0 cm/s) was significantly associated with lower relative time BNA scores (mean = 39.6 ± 25.8) during the No-Go task (β = 0.599, 95% CI = 0.214, 0.985, p = 0.005, R 2  = 0.405), while controlling for the effect of age and gender. Among children and adolescents with a concussion, slower dual-task gait speed was independently associated with lower BNA relative time scores during a visual Go/No-Go task. The relationship between abnormal gait behaviour and brain activation deficits may be reflective of disruption to multiple functional abilities after concussion.

Speed of recovery after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

PubMed

Kurowicki, Jennifer; Berglund, Derek D; Momoh, Enesi; Disla, Shanell; Horn, Brandon; Giveans, M Russell; Levy, Jonathan C

2017-07-01

The purpose of this study was to delineate the time taken to achieve maximum improvement (plateau of recovery) and the degree of recovery observed at various time points (speed of recovery) for pain and function after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. An institutional shoulder surgery registry query identified 627 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair between 2006 and 2015. Measured range of motion, patient satisfaction, and patient-reported outcome measures were analyzed for preoperative, 3-month, 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year intervals. Subgroup analysis was performed on the basis of tear size by retraction grade and number of anchors used. As an entire group, the plateau of maximum recovery for pain, function, and motion occurred at 1 year. Satisfaction with surgery was >96% at all time points. At 3 months, 74% of improvement in pain and 45% to 58% of functional improvement were realized. However, only 22% of elevation improvement was achieved (P < .001). At 6 months, 89% of improvement in pain, 81% to 88% of functional improvement, and 78% of elevation improvement were achieved (P < .001). Larger tears had a slower speed of recovery for Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation scores, forward elevation, and external rotation. Smaller tears had higher motion and functional scores across all time points. Tear size did not influence pain levels. The plateau of maximum recovery after rotator cuff repair occurred at 1 year with high satisfaction rates at all time points. At 3 months, approximately 75% of pain relief and 50% of functional recovery can be expected. Larger tears have a slower speed of recovery. Copyright © 2016 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tooth loss associated with physical and cognitive decline in older adults.

PubMed

Tsakos, Georgios; Watt, Richard G; Rouxel, Patrick L; de Oliveira, Cesar; Demakakos, Panayotes

2015-01-01

To examine the effect of total tooth loss (edentulousness) on decline in physical and cognitive functioning over 10 years in older adults in England. Secondary data analysis. English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a national prospective cohort study of community-dwelling people aged 50 and older. Individuals aged 60 and older (N = 3,166). Cognitive function (memory) was measured using a 10-word recall test. Physical function was assessed using gait speed (m/s). Generalized estimating equations were used to model associations between baseline edentulousness and six repeated measurements of gait speed and memory from 2002-03 to 2012-13. Models were sequentially adjusted for time, demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, comorbidities, health behaviors, depressive symptoms, and anthropometric measurements and mutually adjusted for gait speed or memory. Edentulous participants recalled 0.88 fewer words and were 0.09 m/s slower than dentate participants after adjusting for time and demographics. Only the latter association remained significant after full adjustment, with edentulous participants being 0.02 m/s slower than dentate participants. In age-stratified analyses, baseline edentulousness was associated with both outcomes in fully adjusted models in participants aged 60 to 74 but not in those aged 75 and older. Supplementary analysis indicated significant associations between baseline edentulousness and 4-year change in gait speed and memory in participants aged 60 to 74; the former was fully explained in the fully adjusted model and the latter after adjusting for socioeconomic status. Total tooth loss was independently associated with physical and cognitive decline in older adults in England. Tooth loss is a potential early marker of decline in older age. © 2014, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2014, The American Geriatrics Society.

Impaired Comprehension of Speed Verbs in Parkinson's Disease.

PubMed

Speed, Laura J; van Dam, Wessel O; Hirath, Priyantha; Vigliocco, Gabriella; Desai, Rutvik H

2017-05-01

A wealth of studies provide evidence for action simulation during language comprehension. Recent research suggests such action simulations might be sensitive to fine-grained information, such as speed. Here, we present a crucial test for action simulation of speed in language by assessing speed comprehension in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Based on the patients' motor deficits, we hypothesized that the speed of motion described in language would modulate their performance in semantic tasks. Specifically, they would have more difficulty processing language about relatively fast speed than language about slow speed. We conducted a semantic similarity judgment task on fast and slow action verbs in patients with PD and age-matched healthy controls. Participants had to decide which of two verbs most closely matched a target word. Compared to controls, PD patients were slower making judgments about fast action verbs, but not for judgments about slow action verbs, suggesting impairment in processing language about fast action. Moreover, this impairment was specific to verbs describing fast action performed with the hand. Problems moving quickly lead to difficulties comprehending language about moving quickly. This study provides evidence that speed is an important part of action representations. (JINS, 2017, 23, 412-420).

Perception of Self-Motion and Regulation of Walking Speed in Young-Old Adults.

PubMed

Lalonde-Parsi, Marie-Jasmine; Lamontagne, Anouk

2015-07-01

Whether a reduced perception of self-motion contributes to poor walking speed adaptations in older adults is unknown. In this study, speed discrimination thresholds (perceptual task) and walking speed adaptations (walking task) were compared between young (19-27 years) and young-old individuals (63-74 years), and the relationship between the performance on the two tasks was examined. Participants were evaluated while viewing a virtual corridor in a helmet-mounted display. Speed discrimination thresholds were determined using a staircase procedure. Walking speed modulation was assessed on a self-paced treadmill while exposed to different self-motion speeds ranging from 0.25 to 2 times the participants' comfortable speed. For each speed, participants were instructed to match the self-motion speed described by the moving corridor. On the walking task, participants displayed smaller walking speed errors at comfortable walking speeds compared with slower of faster speeds. The young-old adults presented larger speed discrimination thresholds (perceptual experiment) and larger walking speed errors (walking experiment) compared with young adults. Larger walking speed errors were associated with higher discrimination thresholds. The enhanced performance on the walking task at comfortable speed suggests that intersensory calibration processes are influenced by experience, hence optimized for frequently encountered conditions. The altered performance of the young-old adults on the perceptual and walking tasks, as well as the relationship observed between the two tasks, suggest that a poor perception of visual motion information may contribute to the poor walking speed adaptations that arise with aging.

High speed digital holographic interferometry for hypersonic flow visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hegde, G. M.; Jagdeesh, G.; Reddy, K. P. J.

2013-06-01

Optical imaging techniques have played a major role in understanding the flow dynamics of varieties of fluid flows, particularly in the study of hypersonic flows. Schlieren and shadowgraph techniques have been the flow diagnostic tools for the investigation of compressible flows since more than a century. However these techniques provide only the qualitative information about the flow field. Other optical techniques such as holographic interferometry and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) have been used extensively for extracting quantitative information about the high speed flows. In this paper we present the application of digital holographic interferometry (DHI) technique integrated with short duration hypersonic shock tunnel facility having 1 ms test time, for quantitative flow visualization. Dynamics of the flow fields in hypersonic/supersonic speeds around different test models is visualized with DHI using a high-speed digital camera (0.2 million fps). These visualization results are compared with schlieren visualization and CFD simulation results. Fringe analysis is carried out to estimate the density of the flow field.

Pressurized Structure Technology for UAVS

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

deficiencies of the UAVs just listed is to employ lighter-than-air or pressurized structure-based ( PSB ) technology. Basically, the UAV will be built such...that a considerable percentage of its weight is supported by or constructed from inflatable structures containing air or helium. PSB technology...neutral buoyancy will allow much slower flight speeds and increased maneuverability while expending little power. PSB airframes used in conjunction

Oral Braille Reading Decoding Strategies of Middle School Students Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nannemann, Allison C.; Bruce, Susan M.; Hussey, Colleen; Vercollone, Becky S.; McCarthy, Mary

2017-01-01

Students who are visually impaired may face unique literacy challenges as they learn to read and write braille. One such challenge relates to slower reading speeds for students who read braille as compared to those who read print. In addition to learning letters, sounds, grammar, and spelling, braille readers must learn contractions and…

The DISAM Journal of International Security Assistance Management. Volume 24, Number 2, Winter 2001-2002

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

speeds that are sufficient to download and play the audio/video content in near real-time. Most users at home are connected via analog modems , which are...significantly slower (28.8K, 56K ). Audio files can take several minutes to load, and the user may experience pauses and buffering. While not ideal

Effect of mass and charge transport speed and direction in porous anodes on microbial electrolysis cell performance.

PubMed

Sleutels, Tom H J A; Hamelers, Hubertus V M; Buisman, Cees J N

2011-01-01

The use of porous electrodes like graphite felt as anode material has the potential of achieving high volumetric current densities. High volumetric current densities, however, may also lead to mass transport limitations within these porous materials. Therefore, in this study we investigated the mass and charge transport limitations by increasing the speed of the forced flow and changing the flow direction through the porous anode. Increase of the flow speed led to a decrease in current density when the flow was directed towards the membrane caused by an increase in anode resistance. Current density increased at higher flow speed when the flow was directed away from the membrane. This was caused by a decrease in transport resistance of ions through the membrane which increased the buffering effect of the system. Furthermore, the increase in flow speed led to an increase of the coulombic efficiency by 306%. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance of large-bore tapered-roller bearings under combined radial and thrust load at shaft speeds to 15,000 rpm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, R. J.; Signer, H. R.

1977-01-01

The performance of 120.65-mm bore tapered roller bearings was investigated at shaft speeds up to 15,000 rpm. Temperature distribution and bearing heat generation were determined as a function of shaft speed, radial and thrust loads, lubricant flow rate, and lubricant inlet temperature. Lubricant was supplied by either jets or by a combination of holes through the cone directly to the cone-rib contact and jets at the roller small-end side. Cone-rib lubrication significantly improved high-speed tapered-roller bearing performance, yielding lower cone-face temperatures and lower power loss and allowing lower lubricant flow rates for a given speed condition. Bearing temperatures increased with increased shaft speed and decreased with increased lubricant flow rate. Bearing power loss increased with increased shaft speed and increased lubricant flow rate.

Level of recall, retrieval speed, and variability on the Cued-Recall Retrieval Speed Task (CRRST) in individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Ramratan, Wendy S; Rabin, Laura A; Wang, Cuiling; Zimmerman, Molly E; Katz, Mindy J; Lipton, Richard B; Buschke, Herman

2012-03-01

Individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) show deficits on traditional episodic memory tasks and reductions in speed of performance on reaction time tasks. We present results on a novel task, the Cued-Recall Retrieval Speed Task (CRRST), designed to simultaneously measure level and speed of retrieval. A total of 390 older adults (mean age, 80.2 years), learned 16 words based on corresponding categorical cues. In the retrieval phase, we measured accuracy (% correct) and retrieval speed/reaction time (RT; time from cue presentation to voice onset of a correct response) across 6 trials. Compared to healthy elderly adults (HEA, n = 303), those with aMCI (n = 87) exhibited poorer performance in retrieval speed (difference = -0.13; p < .0001) and accuracy on the first trial (difference = -0.19; p < .0001), and their rate of improvement in retrieval speed was slower over subsequent trials. Those with aMCI also had greater within-person variability in processing speed (variance ratio = 1.22; p = .0098) and greater between-person variability in accuracy (variance ratio = 2.08; p = .0001) relative to HEA. Results are discussed in relation to the possibility that computer-based measures of cued-learning and processing speed variability may facilitate early detection of dementia in at-risk older adults.

Verbal Processing Speed and Executive Functioning in Long-Term Cochlear Implant Users

PubMed Central

Pisoni, David B.; Kronenberger, William G.

2015-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to report how verbal rehearsal speed (VRS), a form of covert speech used to maintain verbal information in working memory, and another verbal processing speed measure, perceptual encoding speed, are related to 3 domains of executive function (EF) at risk in cochlear implant (CI) users: verbal working memory, fluency-speed, and inhibition-concentration. Method EF, speech perception, and language outcome measures were obtained from 55 prelingually deaf, long-term CI users and matched controls with normal hearing (NH controls). Correlational analyses were used to assess relations between VRS (articulation rate), perceptual encoding speed (digit and color naming), and the outcomes in each sample. Results CI users displayed slower verbal processing speeds than NH controls. Verbal rehearsal speed was related to 2 EF domains in the NH sample but was unrelated to EF outcomes in CI users. Perceptual encoding speed was related to all EF domains in both groups. Conclusions Verbal rehearsal speed may be less influential for EF quality in CI users than for NH controls, whereas rapid automatized labeling skills and EF are closely related in both groups. CI users may develop processing strategies in EF tasks that differ from the covert speech strategies routinely employed by NH individuals. PMID:25320961

Role of laser beam radiance in different ceramic processing: A two wavelengths comparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shukla, Pratik; Lawrence, Jonathan

2013-12-01

Effects of laser beam radiance (brightness) of the fibre and the Nd3+:YAG laser were investigated during surface engineering of the ZrO2 and Si3N4 advanced ceramics with respect to dimensional size and microstructure of both of the advanced ceramics. Using identical process parameters, the effects of radiance of both the Nd3+:YAG laser and a fibre laser were compared thereon the two selected advanced ceramics. Both the lasers showed differences in each of the ceramics employed in relation to the microstructure and grain size as well as the dimensional size of the laser engineered tracks-notwithstanding the use of identical process parameters namely spot size; laser power; traverse speed; Gaussian beam modes; gas flow rate and gas composition as well the wavelengths. From this it was evident that the difference in the laser beam radiance between the two lasers would have had much to do with this effect. The high radiance fibre laser produced larger power per unit area in steradian when compared to the lower radiance of the Nd3+:YAG laser. This characteristically produced larger surface tracks through higher interaction temperature at the laser-ceramic interface. This in turn generated bigger melt-zones and different cooling rates which then led to the change in the microstructure of both the Si3N4 and ZrO2 advance ceramics. Owing to this, it was indicative that lasers with high radiance would result in much cheaper and cost effective laser assisted surface engineering processes, since lower laser power, faster traverse speeds, larger spot sizes could be used in comparison to lasers with lower radiance which require much slower traverse speed, higher power levels and finer spot sizes to induce the same effect thereon materials such as the advanced ceramics.

Performance of 1.15-pressure-ratio fan stage at several rotor blade setting angles with reverse flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kovich, G.; Moore, R. D.

1976-01-01

A 51 cm diameter low pressure ratio fan stage was tested in reverse flow. Survey flow data were taken over the range of rotative speed from 50 percent to 100 percent design speed at several rotor blade setting angles through both flat and feather pitch. Normal flow design values of pressure ratio and weight flow were 1.15 and 29.9 kg/sec with a rotor tip speed of 243.8 m/sec. The maximum thrust in reverse flow was 52.5 percent of design thrust in normal flow.

Preliminary study of the use of the STAR-100 computer for transonic flow calculations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, J. D.; Jameson, A.

1977-01-01

An explicit method for solving the transonic small-disturbance potential equation is presented. This algorithm, which is suitable for the new vector-processor computers such as the CDC STAR-100, is compared to successive line over-relaxation (SLOR) on a simple test problem. The convergence rate of the explicit scheme is slower than that of SLOR, however, the efficiency of the explicit scheme on the STAR-100 computer is sufficient to overcome the slower convergence rate and allow an overall speedup compared to SLOR on the CYBER 175 computer.

Air bags and ocular injuries.

PubMed Central

Stein, J D; Jaeger, E A; Jeffers, J B

1999-01-01

PURPOSE: This investigation retrospectively examined ocular injuries associated with air bag deployment to gain a better appreciation of potential risk factors in motor vehicle accidents. National statistics regarding the efficacy of air bags were reviewed. METHODS: Review of the literature from 1991 to 1998 identified 44 articles describing 97 patients with air-bag-induced ocular injuries. Variables extracted from each case were age, sex, height, position in the car, eye wear, vehicle impact speed, visual acuity, and specific ocular injuries. RESULTS: Corneal abrasions occurred in 49% of occupants, hyphemas in 43%, vitreous or retinal hemorrhages in 25%, and retinal tears or detachments in 15%. The globe was ruptured in 10 patients. Patients involved in higher-speed accidents (over 30 mph) sustained a greater percentage of vitreous or retinal hemorrhages and traumatic cataracts, while those at slower speeds were more prone to retinal tears or detachments. In a subset of 14 patients with serious ocular injuries, the impact speed of 11 patients was recorded at 30 mph or less. Slower speed may be a risk factor for some ocular injuries. Occupant height was not a significant factor. National statistics confirm that air bags reduce fatalities in motor vehicle accidents. However, children sitting in the front seat without a seat belt and infants in passenger-side rear-facing car seats are at risk for fatal injury. CONCLUSION: Air bags combined with seat belts are an effective means of reducing injury and death in adults during motor vehicle accidents. However, this study has documented a wide variety of ocular injuries associated with air bag deployment. It is hoped that researchers can develop modifications that continue to save lives while minimizing additional harm. Images FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2A FIGURE 2B FIGURE 2C FIGURE 2D FIGURE 3A FIGURE 3B FIGURE 4 FIGURE 5 FIGURE 7 FIGURE 8 PMID:10703118

Does walking speed mediate the association between visual impairment and self-report of mobility disability? The Salisbury Eye Evaluation Study.

PubMed

Swenor, Bonnielin K; Bandeen-Roche, Karen; Muñoz, Beatriz; West, Sheila K

2014-08-01

To determine whether performance speeds mediate the association between visual impairment and self-reported mobility disability over an 8-year period. Longitudinal analysis. Salisbury, Maryland. Salisbury Eye Evaluation Study participants aged 65 and older (N=2,520). Visual impairment was defined as best-corrected visual acuity worse than 20/40 in the better-seeing eye or visual field less than 20°. Self-reported mobility disability on three tasks was assessed: walking up stairs, walking down stairs, and walking 150 feet. Performance speed on three similar tasks was measured: walking up steps (steps/s), walking down steps (steps/s), and walking 4 m (m/s). For each year of observation, the odds of reporting mobility disability was significantly greater for participants who were visually impaired (VI) than for those who were not (NVI) (odds ratio (OR) difficulty walking up steps=1.58, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.32-1.89; OR difficulty walking down steps=1.90, 95% CI=1.59-2.28; OR difficulty walking 150 feet=2.11, 95% CI=1.77-2.51). Once performance speed on a similar mobility task was included in the models, VI participants were no longer more likely to report mobility disability than those who were NVI (OR difficulty walking up steps=0.84, 95% CI=0.65-1.11; OR difficulty walking down steps=0.96, 95% CI=0.74-1.24; OR difficulty walking 150 feet=1.22, 95% CI=0.98-1.50). Slower performance speed in VI individuals largely accounted for the difference in the odds of reporting mobility disability, suggesting that VI older adults walk slower and are therefore more likely to report mobility disability than those who are NVI. Improving mobility performance in older adults with visual impairment may minimize the perception of mobility disability. © 2014, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2014, The American Geriatrics Society.

Lifesource XL-18 pedometer for measuring steps under controlled and free-living conditions.

PubMed

Liu, Sam; Brooks, Dina; Thomas, Scott; Eysenbach, Gunther; Nolan, Robert Peter

2015-01-01

The primary aim was to examine the criterion and construct validity and test-retest reliability of the Lifesource XL-18 pedometer (A&D Medical, Toronto, ON, Canada) for measuring steps under controlled and free-living activities. The influence of body mass index, waist size and walking speed on the criterion validity of XL-18 was also explored. Forty adults (35-74 years) performed a 6-min walk test in the controlled condition, and the criterion validity of XL-18 was assessed by comparing it to steps counted manually. Thirty-five adults participated in the free-living condition and the construct validity of XL-18 was assessed by comparing it to Yamax SW-200 (YAMAX Health & Sports, Inc., San Antonio, TX, USA). During the controlled condition, XL-18 did not significantly differ from criterion (P > 0.05) and no systematic error was found using Bland-Altman analysis. The accuracy of XL-18 decreased with slower walking speed (P = 0.001). During the free-living condition, Bland-Altman analysis revealed that XL-18 overestimated daily steps by 327 ± 118 than Yamax (P = 0.004). However, the absolute percent error (APE) (6.5 ± 0.58%) was still within an acceptable range. XL-18 did not differ statistically between pant pockets. XL-18 is suitable for measuring steps in controlled and free-living conditions. However, caution may be required when interpreting the steps recorded under slower speeds and free-living conditions.

Modern Speed-Reading Apps Do Not Foster Reading Comprehension.

PubMed

Acklin, Dina; Papesh, Megan H

2017-01-01

New computer apps are gaining popularity by suggesting that reading speeds can be drastically increased when eye movements that normally occur during reading are eliminated. This is done using rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP), where words are presented 1 at a time, thus preventing natural eye movements such as saccades, fixations, and regressions from occurring. Al- though the companies producing these apps suggest that RSVP reading does not yield comprehension deficits, research investigating the role of eye movements in reading documents shows the necessity of natural eye movements for accurate comprehension. The current study explored variables that may affect reading comprehension during RSVP reading, including text difficulty (6th grade and 12th grade), text presentation speed (static, 700 wpm, and 1,000 wpm), and working memory capacity (WMC). Consistent with recent work showing a tenuous relationship between comprehension and WMC, participants' WMC did not predict comprehension scores. Instead, comprehension was most affected by reading speed: Static text was associated with superior performance, relative to either RSVP reading condition. Furthermore, slower RSVP speeds yielded better verbatim comprehension, and faster speeds benefited inferential comprehension.

Evidence signaling the start of enhanced counterjet flow in the symbiotic system R AquarII

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Michalitsianos, A. G.; Perez, M.; Kafatos, M.

1994-01-01

The velocity struture of strong far-UV emission lines observed in the symbiotic variable R Aqr suggests the start of new jet activity which will probably culminate in the appearance of a series of intense nebular emission knots within a decade. This is indicated by a systematic redward wavelength drift of emission lines, which we have followed with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) since the discovery of the brilliant northeast jet emission knots more than 10 years ago. The C IV wavelengths 1548, 1550 resonance lines, which previously showed a prominent blue asymmetric wing that extended to velocities in excess -200 km/s, exhibit red wing asymmetry that extends to speeds of approximately +200 km/s in late 1992. The C IV line profile structure is consistent with the model proposed by Solf (1993), who explains the appearance of the northeast jet knots in terms of a approximately 300-500 km/s collimated wind that collides with slower moving material expelled earlier in a nova outburst that occurred approximately 190 yr ago. Based upon these high-resolution UV spectra, similar emission structues should appear southwest of the central star when the counterwind (or stream) interacts with material in the southwest inner nebula. The apparent change in direction of flow could result from a precessing accretion disk that alters the projection angle of collimated flow from the disk poles. The direction of the collimated wind may be related to the binary orbit, because the velocity shifts associated with emission lines formed in the flow change direction on a timescale which is comparable to the binary period.

Modeling the effect of varying swim speeds on fish passage through velocity barriers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Castro-Santos, T.

2006-01-01

The distance fish can swim through zones of high-velocity flow is an important factor limiting the distribution and conservation of riverine and diadromous fishes. Often, these barriers are characterized by nonuniform flow conditions, and it is likely that fish will swim at varying speeds to traverse them. Existing models used to predict passage success, however, typically include the unrealistic assumption that fish swim at a constant speed regardless of the speed of flow. This paper demonstrates how the maximum distance of ascent through velocity barriers can be estimated from the swim speed-fatigue time relationship, allowing for variation in both swim speed and water velocity.

Experimental and computational investigation of the tip clearance flow in a transonic axial compressor rotor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suder, Kenneth L.; Celestina, Mark L.

1995-06-01

Experimental and computational techniques are used to investigate tip clearance flows in a transonic axial compressor rotor at design and part speed conditions. Laser anemometer data acquired in the endwall region are presented for operating conditions near peak efficiency and near stall at 100% design speed and at near peak efficiency at 60% design speed. The role of the passage shock/leakage vortex interaction in generating endwall blockage is discussed. As a result of the shock/vortex interaction at design speed, the radial influence of the tip clearance flow extends to 20 times the physical tip clearance height. At part speed, in the absence of the shock, the radial extent is only 5 times the tip clearance height. Both measurements and analysis indicate that under part-speed operating conditions a second vortex, which does not originate from the tip leakage flow, forms in the endwall region within the blade passage and exits the passage near midpitch. Mixing of the leakage vortex with primary flow downstream of the rotor at both design and part speed conditions is also discussed.

Experimental and Computational Investigation of the Tip Clearance Flow in a Transonic Axial Compressor Rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suder, Kenneth L.; Celestina, Mark L.

1995-01-01

Experimental and computational techniques are used to investigate tip clearance flows in a transonic axial compressor rotor at design and part speed conditions. Laser anemometer data acquired in the endwall region are presented for operating conditions near peak efficiency and near stall at 100% design speed and at near peak efficiency at 60% design speed. The role of the passage shock/leakage vortex interaction in generating endwall blockage is discussed. As a result of the shock/vortex interaction at design speed, the radial influence of the tip clearance flow extends to 20 times the physical tip clearance height. At part speed, in the absence of the shock, the radial extent is only 5 times the tip clearance height. Both measurements and analysis indicate that under part-speed operating conditions a second vortex, which does not originate from the tip leakage flow, forms in the endwall region within the blade passage and exits the passage near midpitch. Mixing of the leakage vortex with primary flow downstream of the rotor at both design and part speed conditions is also discussed.

Flammability Aspects of a Cotton-Fiberglass Fabric in Opposed and Concurrent Airflow in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferkul, Paul V.; Olson, Sandra; Johnston, Michael C.; T'ien, James

2012-01-01

Microgravity combustion tests burning fabric samples were performed aboard the International Space Station. The cotton-fiberglass blend samples were mounted inside a small wind tunnel which could impose air flow speeds up to 40 cm/s. The wind tunnel was installed in the Microgravity Science Glovebox which supplied power, imaging, and a level of containment. The effects of air flow speed on flame appearance, flame growth, and spread rates were determined in both the opposed and concurrent flow configuration. For the opposed flow configuration, the flame quickly reached steady spread for each flow speed, and the spread rate was fastest at an intermediate value of flow speed. These tests show the enhanced flammability in microgravity for this geometry, since, in normal gravity air, a flame self-extinguishes in the opposed flow geometry (downward flame spread). In the concurrent flow configuration, flame size grew with time during the tests. A limiting length and steady spread rate were obtained only in low flow speeds ( 10 cm/s) for the short-length samples that fit in the small wind tunnel. For these conditions, flame spread rate increased linearly with increasing flow. This is the first time that detailed transient flame growth data was obtained in purely forced flows in microgravity. In addition, by decreasing flow speed to a very low value (around 1 cm/s), quenching extinction was observed. The valuable results from these long-duration experiments validate a number of theoretical predictions and also provide the data for a transient flame growth model under development.

Performance of a 1.57 pressure-ratio transonic fan stage with a screen-induced 90 deg circumferential inlet flow distortion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanger, N. L.

1976-01-01

A transonic fan stage having a design pressure ratio of 1.57 was tested with a 90 degree circumferential distortion imposed on the inlet flow. The rotor diameter was approximately 50.8 cm, and the design pressure ratio was 1.60 at a tip speed of 425 m/sec. Overall performance at 70 and 100 percent of design speed showed a loss of stall pressure ratio and flow range at design speed and no significant loss in stall pressure ratio at 70 percent of design speed. Detailed flow measurements are presented to show the rotor-upstream flow interactions and the attenuation and amplification properties through the stage.

Ultrafast Microfluidic Cellular Imaging by Optical Time-Stretch.

PubMed

Lau, Andy K S; Wong, Terence T W; Shum, Ho Cheung; Wong, Kenneth K Y; Tsia, Kevin K

2016-01-01

There is an unmet need in biomedicine for measuring a multitude of parameters of individual cells (i.e., high content) in a large population efficiently (i.e., high throughput). This is particularly driven by the emerging interest in bringing Big-Data analysis into this arena, encompassing pathology, drug discovery, rare cancer cell detection, emulsion microdroplet assays, to name a few. This momentum is particularly evident in recent advancements in flow cytometry. They include scaling of the number of measurable colors from the labeled cells and incorporation of imaging capability to access the morphological information of the cells. However, an unspoken predicament appears in the current technologies: higher content comes at the expense of lower throughput, and vice versa. For example, accessing additional spatial information of individual cells, imaging flow cytometers only achieve an imaging throughput ~1000 cells/s, orders of magnitude slower than the non-imaging flow cytometers. In this chapter, we introduce an entirely new imaging platform, namely optical time-stretch microscopy, for ultrahigh speed and high contrast label-free single-cell (in a ultrafast microfluidic flow up to 10 m/s) imaging and analysis with an ultra-fast imaging line-scan rate as high as tens of MHz. Based on this technique, not only morphological information of the individual cells can be obtained in an ultrafast manner, quantitative evaluation of cellular information (e.g., cell volume, mass, refractive index, stiffness, membrane tension) at nanometer scale based on the optical phase is also possible. The technology can also be integrated with conventional fluorescence measurements widely adopted in the non-imaging flow cytometers. Therefore, these two combinatorial and complementary measurement capabilities in long run is an attractive platform for addressing the pressing need for expanding the "parameter space" in high-throughput single-cell analysis. This chapter provides the general guidelines of constructing the optical system for time stretch imaging, fabrication and design of the microfluidic chip for ultrafast fluidic flow, as well as the image acquisition and processing.

TOWARD QUANTITATIVE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY: Visualizing Blood Flow Speeds in Ocular Pathology Using Variable Interscan Time Analysis.

PubMed

Ploner, Stefan B; Moult, Eric M; Choi, WooJhon; Waheed, Nadia K; Lee, ByungKun; Novais, Eduardo A; Cole, Emily D; Potsaid, Benjamin; Husvogt, Lennart; Schottenhamml, Julia; Maier, Andreas; Rosenfeld, Philip J; Duker, Jay S; Hornegger, Joachim; Fujimoto, James G

2016-12-01

Currently available optical coherence tomography angiography systems provide information about blood flux but only limited information about blood flow speed. The authors develop a method for mapping the previously proposed variable interscan time analysis (VISTA) algorithm into a color display that encodes relative blood flow speed. Optical coherence tomography angiography was performed with a 1,050 nm, 400 kHz A-scan rate, swept source optical coherence tomography system using a 5 repeated B-scan protocol. Variable interscan time analysis was used to compute the optical coherence tomography angiography signal from B-scan pairs having 1.5 millisecond and 3.0 milliseconds interscan times. The resulting VISTA data were then mapped to a color space for display. The authors evaluated the VISTA visualization algorithm in normal eyes (n = 2), nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy eyes (n = 6), proliferative diabetic retinopathy eyes (n = 3), geographic atrophy eyes (n = 4), and exudative age-related macular degeneration eyes (n = 2). All eyes showed blood flow speed variations, and all eyes with pathology showed abnormal blood flow speeds compared with controls. The authors developed a novel method for mapping VISTA into a color display, allowing visualization of relative blood flow speeds. The method was found useful, in a small case series, for visualizing blood flow speeds in a variety of ocular diseases and serves as a step toward quantitative optical coherence tomography angiography.

Concept for a new hydrodynamic blood bearing for miniature blood pumps.

PubMed

Kink, Thomas; Reul, Helmut

2004-10-01

The most crucial element of a long-term implantable rotary blood pump is the rotor bearing. Because of heat generation and power loss resulting from friction, seals within the devices have to be avoided. Actively controlled magnetic bearings, although maintenance-free, increase the degree of complexity. Hydrodynamic bearings for magnetically coupled rotors may offer an alternative solution to this problem. Additionally, for miniature pumps, the load capacity of hydrodynamic bearings scales slower than that of, for example, magnetic bearings because of the cube-square-law. A special kind of hydrodynamic bearing is a spiral groove bearing (SGB), which features an excellent load capacity. Mock-loop tests showed that SGBs do not influence the hydraulic performance of the tested pumps. Although, as of now, the power consumption of the SBG is higher than for a mechanical pivot bearing, it is absolutely contact-free and has an unlimited lifetime. The liftoff of the rotor occurs already at 10% of design speed. Further tests and flow visualization studies on scaled-up models must demonstrate its overall blood compatibility.

Is typing speed proportional to the severity of pain in keyboard workers with work-related upper limb disorder

PubMed Central

Povlsen, Bo

2012-01-01

Objectives To investigate if typing speed is proportional to the severity of pain in keyboard workers with work-related upper limb disorder (WRULD). Design Standardized functional typing test with participants scoring pain before and after typing; calculation of typing speed. Participants Fifty-nine patients and six controls. Setting Tertiary hospital centre for hand and upper limb pain. Main outcome measures Pain (VAS 0–10) and calculation of typing speed as words per minute. Results Three subgroups of patients were found based on their typing speed: fast, slow and intermediate. Two-tailed student T-test with P level at 0.05 was used for evaluation. The typing speeds were significantly different between all three patient groups (P < 0.05). The typing speed was significantly faster in the fastest patient group than in the control group (P = 0.04) and the slow and middle groups (P = < 0.0001). The pain before typing was highest in the ‘slow’ group, in both hands but this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion Typing speed is not proportional to the severity of pain in keyboard workers with WRULD. Patients with statistically significant slower or faster typing speeds do not have statistically different levels of pain. PMID:22299070

High speed flow cytometric separation of viable cells

DOEpatents

Sasaki, D.T.; Van den Engh, G.J.; Buckie, A.M.

1995-11-14

Hematopoietic cell populations are separated to provide cell sets and subsets as viable cells with high purity and high yields, based on the number of original cells present in the mixture. High-speed flow cytometry is employed using light characteristics of the cells to separate the cells, where high flow speeds are used to reduce the sorting time.

High speed flow cytometric separation of viable cells

DOEpatents

Sasaki, Dennis T.; Van den Engh, Gerrit J.; Buckie, Anne-Marie

1995-01-01

Hematopoietic cell populations are separated to provide cell sets and subsets as viable cells with high purity and high yields, based on the number of original cells present in the mixture. High-speed flow cytometry is employed using light characteristics of the cells to separate the cells, where high flow speeds are used to reduce the sorting time.

The Radial Flow Speed of the Neutral Hydrogen in the Oval Distortion of NGC 4736

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speights, Jason; Benton, Allen; Reimer, Rebecca; Lemaire, Robert; Godwin, Caleb

2017-01-01

Radial flows are difficult to measure in the presence of elliptical flows. This is because the model describing the observed velocity field when both kinds of flows are present is degenerate in the unknown parameters. In this poster we show that the degeneracy can be overcome if the pattern speed and position angle of the elliptical flows are known. The method is demonstrated for NGC 4736 using 3.6 micrometer and neutral hydrogen data. We find a mean inward radial flow speed of 5.6 +/- 1.7 km/s in the region of the oval distortion.

Helicity dynamics in stratified turbulence in the absence of forcing.

PubMed

Rorai, C; Rosenberg, D; Pouquet, A; Mininni, P D

2013-06-01

A numerical study of decaying stably stratified flows is performed. Relatively high stratification (Froude number ≈10(-2)-10(-1)) and moderate Reynolds (Re) numbers (Re≈ 3-6×10(3)) are considered and a particular emphasis is placed on the role of helicity (velocity-vorticity correlations), which is not an invariant of the nondissipative equations. The problem is tackled by integrating the Boussinesq equations in a periodic cubical domain using different initial conditions: a nonhelical Taylor-Green (TG) flow, a fully helical Beltrami [Arnold-Beltrami-Childress (ABC)] flow, and random flows with a tunable helicity. We show that for stratified ABC flows helicity undergoes a substantially slower decay than for unstratified ABC flows. This fact is likely associated to the combined effect of stratification and large-scale coherent structures. Indeed, when the latter are missing, as in random flows, helicity is rapidly destroyed by the onset of gravitational waves. A type of large-scale dissipative "cyclostrophic" balance can be invoked to explain this behavior. No production of helicity is observed, contrary to the case of rotating and stratified flows. When helicity survives in the system, it strongly affects the temporal energy decay and the energy distribution among Fourier modes. We discover in fact that the decay rate of energy for stratified helical flows is much slower than for stratified nonhelical flows and can be considered with a phenomenological model in a way similar to what is done for unstratified rotating flows. We also show that helicity, when strong, has a measurable effect on the Fourier spectra, in particular at scales larger than the buoyancy scale, for which it displays a rather flat scaling associated with vertical shear, as observed in the planetary boundary layer.

APOE ε4 and the associations of seafood and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids with cognitive decline

PubMed Central

Wang, Yamin; Barnes, Lisa L.; Tangney, Christine; Bennett, David A.; Morris, Martha Clare

2016-01-01

Objective: To examine the association between consumption of seafood and long-chain n-3 fatty acids with change in 5 cognitive domains over an average of 4.9 years. Methods: From an ongoing longitudinal, community-based epidemiologic study of aging and dementia (the Rush Memory and Aging Project), we included 915 participants (age 81.4 ± 7.2 years, 25% men) who had completed at least one follow-up cognitive assessment and dietary data. Diet was assessed by semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Scores for global cognitive function and 5 cognitive domains (episodic, semantic, and working memory, perceptual speed, and visuospatial ability) were assessed using 19 cognitive tests. Mixed models adjusted for multiple risk factors of cognitive change were used to assess the associations. Results: Consumption of seafood was associated with slower decline in semantic memory (β = 0.024; p = 0.03) and perceptual speed (β = 0.020; p = 0.05) in separate models adjusted for age, sex, education, participation in cognitive activities, physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, and total energy intake. In secondary analyses, APOE ε4 carriers demonstrated slower rates of decline in global cognition and in multiple cognitive domains with weekly seafood consumption and with moderate to high long-chain n-3 fatty acid intake from food. These associations were not present in APOE ε4 noncarriers. Higher intake levels of α-linolenic acid were associated with slower global cognitive decline, but also only in APOE ε4 carriers. Conclusions: These results suggest protective relations of one meal per week of seafood and long-chain n-3 fatty acids against decline in multiple cognitive domains. The role of APOE ε4 in this association needs further study. PMID:27164694

Differential Changes with Age in Multiscale Entropy of Electromyography Signals from Leg Muscles during Treadmill Walking

PubMed Central

Kang, Hyun Gu; Dingwell, Jonathan B.

2016-01-01

Age-related gait changes may be due to the loss of complexity in the neuromuscular system. This theory is disputed due to inconsistent results from single-scale analyses. Also, behavioral adaptations may confound these changes. We examined whether EMG dynamics during gait is less complex in older adults over a range of timescales using the multiscale entropy method, and whether slower walking attenuates this effect. Surface EMG was measured from the left vastus lateralis (VL), biceps femoris (BF), gastrocnemius (GA), and tibialis anterior (TA) in 17 young and 18 older adults as they walked on a treadmill for 5 minutes at 0.8x-1.2x of preferred speed. Sample entropy (SE) and the complexity index (CI) of the EMG signals were calculated after successive coarse-graining to extract dynamics at timescales of 27 to 270 Hz, with m = 2 and r = 0.15 SD. SE and CI were lower across the timescales in older adults in VL and BF, but higher in GA (all p<0.001); these results held for VL and GA even after accounting for longer EMG burst durations in older adults. CI was higher during slower walking speed in VL and BF (p<0.001). Results were mostly similar for m = 3 and r = 0.01–0.35. Smaller r was more sensitive to age-related differences. The decrease in complexity with aging in the timescales studied was limited to proximal muscles, particularly VL. The increase in GA may be driven by other factors. Walking slower may reflect a behavioral adaptation that allows the nervous system to function with greater complexity. PMID:27570974

Time for a strategy in night-time dopaminergic therapy? An objective sensor-based analysis of nocturnal hypokinesia and sleeping positions in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Sringean, Jirada; Anan, Chanawat; Thanawattano, Chusak; Bhidayasiri, Roongroj

2017-02-15

Nocturnal hypokinesia is a common night-time symptom in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, there is still little understanding of the nature, and variations of severity of this symptom. To evaluate the severity of nocturnal hypokinesia and sleep positions in PD patients using multisite wearable sensors. Nocturnal parameters and sleep positions in 18 PD couples were assessed and compared using wearable sensors (limbs and trunk) for one night in their homes. Nocturnal parameters included number, velocity, acceleration, degree, limb movements and the number of times they got out of bed. PD patients had significantly fewer episodes of turns in bed than their spouses (p=0.043), which was associated with significantly slower speed (p=0.005), acceleration (p=0.005) and fewer degrees (p=0.017). When we split the night into the first and second half, significant findings were mainly demonstrated in the second half of the night, including significantly fewer turns (p=0.02) with smaller degrees (p=0.017), slower speed (p=0.005) and acceleration (p=0.007). No significant differences in these parameters were shown in the first half of the night except for smaller degrees of turn in bed in PD patients (p=0.028) and slower acceleration (p=0.037). In addition, PD patients spent significantly more time in a supine position compared to their spouses (p=0.031) with significantly less time in a prone position (p=0.041). Nocturnal hypokinesia gets worse as the night progresses. Treatment of nocturnal hypokinesia should aim at providing a continuous dopaminergic delivery that can achieve a sustained therapeutic level of dopamine throughout the night. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Space Weather Prediction

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-31

range of solar emissions (electromagnetic, high energy particles, and plasma ) on time scales ranging from hours/days to months/years depending on the...slower than the speed of light and take a finite time to exceed an intensity threshold of operational interest at Earth . Because of the long time scale ...typically 1-3 days) for geoeffective plasma disturbances associated with Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) to reach Earth , geomagnetic storm

High-Speed Systolic Array Testbed.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-10-01

applications since the concept was introduced by H.T. Kung In 1978. This highly parallel architecture of nearet neighbor data communciation and...must be addressed. For instance, should bit-serial or bit parallei computation be utilized. Does the dynamic range of the candidate applications or...numericai stability of the algorithms used require computations In fixed point and Integer format or the architecturally more complex and slower floating

Distinguishing between debris flows and floods from field evidence in small watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierson, Thomas C.

2005-01-01

Post-flood indirect measurement techniques to back-calculate flood magnitude are not valid for debris flows, which commonly occur in small steep watersheds during intense rainstorms. This is because debris flows can move much faster than floods in steep channel reaches and much slower than floods in low-gradient reaches. In addition, debris-flow deposition may drastically alter channel geometry in reaches where slope-area surveys are applied. Because high-discharge flows are seldom witnessed and automated samplers are commonly plugged or destroyed, determination of flow type often must be made on the basis of field evidence preserved at the site.

Changes in apparent duration follow shifts in perceptual timing

PubMed Central

Bruno, Aurelio; Ayhan, Inci; Johnston, Alan

2015-01-01

It is well established that the apparent duration of moving visual objects is greater at higher as compared to slower speeds. Here we report the effects of acceleration and deceleration on the perceived duration of a drifting grating with average speed kept constant (10°/s).For acceleration, increasing the speed range progressively reduced perceived duration. The magnitude of apparent duration compression was determined by speed rather than temporal frequency and was proportional to speed range (independent of standard duration) rather than acceleration. The perceived duration reduction was also proportional to the standard length. The effects of increases and decreases in speed were highly asymmetric. Reducing speed through the interval induced a moderate increase in perceived duration. These results could not be explained by changes in apparent onset or offset or differences in perceived average speed between intervals containing increasing speed and intervals containing decreasing speed. Paradoxically, for intervals combining increasing speed and decreasing speed, compression only occurred when increasing speed occurred in the second half of the interval. We show that this pattern of results in the duration domain was concomitant with changes in the reported direction of apparent motion of Gaussian blobs, embedded in intervals of increasing or decreasing speed, that could be predicted from adaptive changes in the temporal impulse response function. We detected similar changes after flicker adaptation, suggesting that the two effects might be linked through changes in the temporal tuning of visual filters. PMID:26024450

Burst Speed of Wild Fishes under High-Velocity Flow Conditions Using Stamina Tunnel with Natural Guidance System in River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izumi, Mattashi; Yamamoto, Yasuyuki; Yataya, Kenichi; Kamiyama, Kohhei

Swimming experiments were conducted on wild fishes in a natural guidance system stamina tunnel (cylindrical pipe) installed in a fishway of a local river under high-velocity flow conditions (tunnel flow velocity : 211 to 279 cm·s-1). In this study, the swimming characteristics of fishes were observed. The results show that (1) the swimming speeds of Tribolodon hakonensis (Japanese dace), Phoxinus lagowshi steindachneri (Japanese fat-minnow), Plecoglossus altivelis (Ayu), and Zacco platypus (Pale chub) were in proportion to their body length under identical water flow velocity conditions; (2) the maximum burst speed of Japanese dace and Japanese fat-minnow (measuring 4 to 6 cm in length) was 262 to 319 cm·s-1 under high flow velocity conditions (225 to 230 cm·s-1), while the maximum burst speed of Ayu and Pale chub (measuring 5 cm to 12 cm in length) was 308 to 355 cm·s-1 under high flow velocity conditions (264 to 273 cm·s-1) ; (3) the 50cm-maximum swimming speed of swimming fishes was 1.07 times faster than the pipe-swimming speed; (4) the faster the flow velocity, the shorter the swimming distance became.

Small axial compressor technology, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holman, F. F.; Kidwell, J. R.; Ware, T. C.

1976-01-01

A scaled single-stage, highly-loaded, axial-flow transonic compressor was tested at speeds from 70 to 110% design equivalent speed to evaluate the effects of scaling compromises and the individual and combined effects of rotor tip running clearance and rotor shroud casing treatment on the overall and blade element performance. At design speed and 1% tip clearance the stage demonstrated an efficiency of 83.2% at 96.4% design flow and a pressure ratio of 1.865. Casing treatment increased design speed surge margin 2.0 points to 12.8%. Overall performance was essentially unchanged. An increase in rotor running clearance to 2.2%, with smooth casing, reduced design speed peak efficiency 5.7 points, flow by 7.4%, pressure ratio to 1.740, and surge margin to 5.4%. Reinstalling casing treatment regained 3.5 points in design speed peak efficiency, 4.7% flow, increased pressure ratio to 1.800 and surge margin to 8.7%.

Parametric Study of Advanced Mixing of Fuel/Oxidant System in High Speed Gaseous Flows and Experimental Validation Planning

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-08-30

Body with Thermo-Chemical destribution of Heat-Protected System . In: Physical and Gasdynamic Phenomena in Supersonic Flows Over Bodies. Edit. By...Final Report on ISTC Contract # 1809p Parametric Study of Advanced Mixing of Fuel/Oxidant System in High Speed Gaseous Flows and Experimental...of Advanced Mixing of Fuel/Oxidant System in High Speed Gaseous Flows and Experimental Validation Planning 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 5d. PROJECT

Impact of typical steady-state conditions and transient conditions on flow ripple and its test accuracy for axial piston pump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Bing; Hu, Min; Zhang, Junhui

2015-09-01

The current research about the flow ripple of axial piston pump mainly focuses on the effect of the structure of parts on the flow ripple. Therein, the structure of parts are usually designed and optimized at rated working conditions. However, the pump usually has to work in large-scale and time-variant working conditions. Therefore, the flow ripple characteristics of pump and analysis for its test accuracy with respect to variant steady-state conditions and transient conditions in a wide range of operating parameters are focused in this paper. First, a simulation model has been constructed, which takes the kinematics of oil film within friction pairs into account for higher accuracy. Afterwards, a test bed which adopts Secondary Source Method is built to verify the model. The simulation and tests results show that the angular position of the piston, corresponding to the position where the peak flow ripple is produced, varies with the different pressure. The pulsating amplitude and pulsation rate of flow ripple increase with the rise of pressure and the variation rate of pressure. For the pump working at a constant speed, the flow pulsation rate decreases dramatically with the increasing speed when the speed is less than 27.78% of the maximum speed, subsequently presents a small decrease tendency with the speed further increasing. With the rise of the variation rate of speed, the pulsating amplitude and pulsation rate of flow ripple increase. As the swash plate angle augments, the pulsating amplitude of flow ripple increases, nevertheless the flow pulsation rate decreases. In contrast with the effect of the variation of pressure, the test accuracy of flow ripple is more sensitive to the variation of speed. It makes the test accuracy above 96.20% available for the pulsating amplitude of pressure deviating within a range of ±6% from the mean pressure. However, with a variation of speed deviating within a range of ±2% from the mean speed, the attainable test accuracy of flow ripple is above 93.07%. The model constructed in this research proposes a method to determine the flow ripple characteristics of pump and its attainable test accuracy under the large-scale and time-variant working conditions. Meanwhile, a discussion about the variation of flow ripple and its obtainable test accuracy with the conditions of the pump working in wide operating ranges is given as well.

Two-stage fan. 3: Data and performance with rotor tip casing treatment, uniform and distorted inlet flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burger, G. D.; Hodges, T. R.; Keenan, M. J.

1975-01-01

A two stage fan with a 1st-stage rotor design tip speed of 1450 ft/sec, a design pressure ratio of 2.8, and corrected flow of 184.2 lbm/sec was tested with axial skewed slots in the casings over the tips of both rotors. The variable stagger stators were set in the nominal positions. Casing treatment improved stall margin by nine percentage points at 70 percent speed but decreased stall margin, efficiency, and flow by small amounts at design speed. Treatment improved first stage performance at low speed only and decreased second stage performance at all operating conditions. Casing treatment did not affect the stall line with tip radially distorted flow but improved stall margin with circumferentially distorted flow. Casing treatment increased the attenuation for both types of inlet flow distortion.

Characteristics and Preliminary Causes of Tropical Cyclone Extreme Rainfall Events over Hainan Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Xianling; Ren, Fumin; Li, Yunjie; Qiu, Wenyu; Ma, Zhuguo; Cai, Qinbo

2018-05-01

The characteristics of tropical cyclone (TC) extreme rainfall events over Hainan Island from 1969 to 2014 are analyzed from the viewpoint of the TC maximum daily rainfall (TMDR) using daily station precipitation data from the Meteorological Information Center of the China Meteorological Administration, TC best-track data from the Shanghai Typhoon Institute, and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. The frequencies of the TMDR reaching 50, 100 and 250 mm show a decreasing trend [-0.7 (10 yr)-1], a weak decreasing trend [-0.2 (10 yr)-1] and a weak increasing trend [0.1 (10 yr)-1], respectively. For seasonal variations, the TMDR of all intensity grades mainly occurs from July to October, with the frequencies of TMDR - 50 mm and - 100 mm peaking in September and the frequency of TMDR - 250 mm [TC extreme rainstorm (TCER) events] peaking in August and September. The western region (Changjiang) of the Island is always the rainfall center, independent of the intensity or frequencies of different intensity grades. The causes of TCERs are also explored and the results show that topography plays a key role in the characteristics of the rainfall events. TCERs are easily induced on the windward slopes of Wuzhi Mountain, with the coordination of TC tracks and TC wind structure. A slower speed of movement, a stronger TC intensity and a farther westward track are all conducive to extreme rainfall events. A weaker northwestern Pacific subtropical high is likely to make the 500-hPa steering flow weaker and results in slower TC movement, whereas a stronger South China Sea summer monsoon can carry a higher moisture flux. These two environmental factors are both favorable for TCERs.

Characteristics of Kinematics of a Coronal Mass Ejection During the 2010 August 1 CME-CME Interaction Event

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Temmer, Manuela; Vrsnak, Bojan; Rollett, Tanja; Bein, Bianca; de Koning, Curt A.; Liu, Ying; Bosman, Eckhard; Davies, Jackie A.; Mostl, Christian; Zic, Tomislav;

A DNS study on the stabilization mechanism of a turbulent lifted ethylene jet flame in highly-heated coflow

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

Yoo, Chun S

2011-01-01

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the near-field of a three-dimensional spatially-developing turbulent ethylene jet flame in highly-heated coflow is performed with a reduced mechanism to determine the stabilization mechanism. The DNS was performed at a jet Reynolds number of 10,000 with over 1.29 billion grid points. The results show that auto-ignition in a fuel-lean mixture at the flame base is the main source of stabilization of the lifted jet flame. The Damkoehler number and chemical explosive mode (CEM) analysis also verify that auto-ignition occurs at the flame base. In addition to auto-ignition, Lagrangian tracking of the flame base reveals themore » passage of large-scale flow structures and their correlation with the fluctuations of the flame base similar to a previous study (Yoo et al., J. Fluid Mech. 640 (2009) 453-481) with hydrogen/air jet flames. It is also observed that the present lifted flame base exhibits a cyclic 'saw-tooth' shaped movement marked by rapid movement upstream and slower movement downstream. This is a consequence of the lifted flame being stabilized by a balance between consecutive auto-ignition events in hot fuel-lean mixtures and convection induced by the high-speed jet and coflow velocities. This is confirmed by Lagrangian tracking of key variables including the flame-normal velocity, displacement speed, scalar dissipation rate, and mixture fraction at the stabilization point.« less

A DNS study on the stabilization mechanism of a turbulent lifted ethylene jet flame in highly-heated coflow

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

Yoo, C. S.; Richardson, E.; Sankaran, R.

2011-01-01

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the near-field of a three-dimensional spatially-developing turbulent ethylene jet flame in highly-heated coflow is performed with a reduced mechanism to determine the stabilization mechanism. The DNS was performed at a jet Reynolds number of 10,000 with over 1.29 billion grid points. The results show that auto-ignition in a fuel-lean mixture at the flame base is the main source of stabilization of the lifted jet flame. The Damköhler number and chemical explosive mode (CEM) analysis also verify that auto-ignition occurs at the flame base. In addition to auto-ignition, Lagrangian tracking of the flame base reveals themore » passage of large-scale flow structures and their correlation with the fluctuations of the flame base similar to a previous study (Yoo et al., J. Fluid Mech. 640 (2009) 453–481) with hydrogen/air jet flames. It is also observed that the present lifted flame base exhibits a cyclic ‘saw-tooth’ shaped movement marked by rapid movement upstream and slower movement downstream. This is a consequence of the lifted flame being stabilized by a balance between consecutive auto-ignition events in hot fuel-lean mixtures and convection induced by the high-speed jet and coflow velocities. This is confirmed by Lagrangian tracking of key variables including the flame-normal velocity, displacement speed, scalar dissipation rate, and mixture fraction at the stabilization point.« less

Transcranial Doppler and Lower Extremity Function in Older Adults: Einstein Aging Study.

PubMed

Ezzati, Ali; Rundek, Tatjana; Verghese, Joe; Derby, Carol A

2017-12-01

To determine whether transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) measures of mean blood flow velocity (MBFV) in the major cerebral arteries are associated with measures of lower extremity function in community-dwelling older adults. Cross-sectional study. Community sample. Individuals aged 70 and older (mean 79.5, 54% female) without dementia participating in the Einstein Aging Study (N = 200). All participants underwent TCD assessments and tests of lower extremity function at an annual clinic visit. Average MBFV for anterior (left and right anterior and middle cerebral arteries (MCAs)) and posterior (vertebral (VA) and basilar (BA) artery) circulation was measured using a standardized TCD protocol. Lower extremity function was characterized according to gait speed (cm/s) measured using an instrumented walkway, balance according to unipedal stance time (UPST, seconds), and lower extremity strength according to timed repeated chair rise (seconds). Multiple regression models adjusted for age, sex, race, education, and medical comorbidities showed that lower MBFV in the MCA was associated with slower gait speed and chair rise time but not with UPST. Ordinal regression models showed that lower MBFV in the VA and BA is associated with shorter UPST. Low MBFV in the anterior and posterior cerebral circulation was associated with worse lower extremity function and balance in older adults. This might be indicative of the importance of age-related changes in cerebral hemodynamics in the function of brain regions involved in specific aspects of physical performance. © 2017, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2017, The American Geriatrics Society.

Making the Traffic Operations Case for Congestion Pricing: Operational Impacts of Congestion Pricing

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

Chin, Shih-Miao; Hu, Patricia S; Davidson, Diane

2011-02-01

Congestion begins when an excess of vehicles on a segment of roadway at a given time, resulting in speeds that are significantly slower than normal or 'free flow' speeds. Congestion often means stop-and-go traffic. The transition occurs when vehicle density (the number of vehicles per mile in a lane) exceeds a critical level. Once traffic enters a state of congestion, recovery or time to return to a free-flow state is lengthy; and during the recovery process, delay continues to accumulate. The breakdown in speed and flow greatly impedes the efficient operation of the freeway system, resulting in economic, mobility, environmentalmore » and safety problems. Freeways are designed to function as access-controlled highways characterized by uninterrupted traffic flow so references to freeway performance relate primarily to the quality of traffic flow or traffic conditions as experienced by users of the freeway. The maximum flow or capacity of a freeway segment is reached while traffic is moving freely. As a result, freeways are most productive when they carry capacity flows at 60 mph, whereas lower speeds impose freeway delay, resulting in bottlenecks. Bottlenecks may be caused by physical disruptions, such as a reduced number of lanes, a change in grade, or an on-ramp with a short merge lane. This type of bottleneck occurs on a predictable or 'recurrent' basis at the same time of day and same day of week. Recurrent congestion totals 45% of congestion and is primarily from bottlenecks (40%) as well as inadequate signal timing (5%). Nonrecurring bottlenecks result from crashes, work zone disruptions, adverse weather conditions, and special events that create surges in demand and that account for over 55% of experienced congestion. Figure 1.1 shows that nonrecurring congestion is composed of traffic incidents (25%), severe weather (15%), work zones, (10%), and special events (5%). Between 1995 and 2005, the average percentage change in increased peak traveler delay, based on hours spent in traffic in a year, grew by 22% as the national average of hours spent in delay grew from 36 hours to 44 hours. Peak delay per traveler grew one-third in medium-size urban areas over the 10 year period. The traffic engineering community has developed an arsenal of integrated tools to mitigate the impacts of congestion on freeway throughput and performance, including pricing of capacity to manage demand for travel. Congestion pricing is a strategy which dynamically matches demand with available capacity. A congestion price is a user fee equal to the added cost imposed on other travelers as a result of the last traveler's entry into the highway network. The concept is based on the idea that motorists should pay for the additional congestion they create when entering a congested road. The concept calls for fees to vary according to the level of congestion with the price mechanism applied to make travelers more fully aware of the congestion externality they impose on other travelers and the system itself. The operational rationales for the institution of pricing strategies are to improve the efficiency of operations in a corridor and/or to better manage congestion. To this end, the objectives of this project were to: (1) Better understand and quantify the impacts of congestion pricing strategies on traffic operations through the study of actual projects, and (2) Better understand and quantify the impacts of congestion pricing strategies on traffic operations through the use of modeling and other analytical methods. Specifically, the project was to identify credible analytical procedures that FHWA can use to quantify the impacts of various congestion pricing strategies on traffic flow (throughput) and congestion.« less

Numerical Simulation of Interacting Magnetic Flux Ropes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odstrcil, Dusan; Vandas, Marek; Pizzo, Victor J.; MacNeice, Peter

2003-09-01

A 212-D MHD numerical model is used to investigate the dynamic interaction between two flux ropes (clouds) in a homogeneous magnetized plasma. One cloud is set into motion while the other is initially at rest. The moving cloud generates a shock which interacts with the second cloud. Two cases with different characteristic speeds within the second cloud are presented. The shock front is significantly distorted when it propagates faster (slower) in the cloud with larger (smaller) characteristic speed. Correspondingly, the density behind the shock front becomes smaller (larger). Later, the clouds approach each other and by a momentum exchange they come to a common speed. The oppositely directed magnetic fields are pushed together, a driven magnetic reconnection takes a place, and the two flux ropes gradually coalescence into a single flux rope.

Identifying Read/Write Speeds for Field-Induced Interfacial Resistive Switching.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsui, Stephen; Das, Nilanjan; Wang, Yaqi; Xue, Yuyi; Chu, C. W.

2007-03-01

Efforts continue to explore new phenomena that may allow for next generation nonvolatile memory technology. Much attention has been drawn to the field-induced resistive switch occurring at the interface between a metal electrode and perovskite oxide. The switch between high (off) and low (on) resistance states is controlled by the polarity of applied voltage pulsing. Characterization of Ag-Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 interfaces via impedance spectroscopy shows that the resistances above 10^6 Hz are the same at the on and off states, which limits the reading speed to far slower than the applied switching pulses, or device write speed at the order of 10^7 Hz. We deduce that the switching interface is percolative in nature and that small local rearrangement of defect structures may play a major role.

Low latency and persistent data storage

DOEpatents

Fitch, Blake G; Franceschini, Michele M; Jagmohan, Ashish; Takken, Todd E

2014-02-18

Persistent data storage is provided by a method that includes receiving a low latency store command that includes write data. The write data is written to a first memory device that is implemented by a nonvolatile solid-state memory technology characterized by a first access speed. It is acknowledged that the write data has been successfully written to the first memory device. The write data is written to a second memory device that is implemented by a volatile memory technology. At least a portion of the data in the first memory device is written to a third memory device when a predetermined amount of data has been accumulated in the first memory device. The third memory device is implemented by a nonvolatile solid-state memory technology characterized by a second access speed that is slower than the first access speed.

Multi-GPU accelerated three-dimensional FDTD method for electromagnetic simulation.

PubMed

Nagaoka, Tomoaki; Watanabe, Soichi

2011-01-01

Numerical simulation with a numerical human model using the finite-difference time domain (FDTD) method has recently been performed in a number of fields in biomedical engineering. To improve the method's calculation speed and realize large-scale computing with the numerical human model, we adapt three-dimensional FDTD code to a multi-GPU environment using Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA). In this study, we used NVIDIA Tesla C2070 as GPGPU boards. The performance of multi-GPU is evaluated in comparison with that of a single GPU and vector supercomputer. The calculation speed with four GPUs was approximately 3.5 times faster than with a single GPU, and was slightly (approx. 1.3 times) slower than with the supercomputer. Calculation speed of the three-dimensional FDTD method using GPUs can significantly improve with an expanding number of GPUs.

Displacement control of an antagonistic-type twisted and coiled polymer actuator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Motoya; Kamamichi, Norihiro

2018-03-01

A novel artificial muscle actuator referred to as a twisted and coiled polymer actuator can be easily fabricated by commercially available nylon fibers. It can be thermally activated and has remarkable properties such as large deformation and flexibility. The actuator uses conductive nylon fibers and can be activated by Joule heating and is easily controlled electrically. However, asymmetric response characteristics due to a speed difference in heating-cooling are a problem. In the case of actuation in air, the cooling speed depends on the external temperature, and is slower than the heating speed. To solve these problems, we apply an antagonistic structure. The validity of the applied method is investigated through numerical simulations and experiments. The response characteristics of the PID feedback control and the 2-DOF control of the displacement are investigated.

A mesh regeneration method using quadrilateral and triangular elements for compressible flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vemaganti, G. R.; Thornton, E. A.

1989-01-01

An adaptive remeshing method using both triangular and quadrilateral elements suitable for high-speed viscous flows is presented. For inviscid flows, the method generates completely unstructured meshes. For viscous flows, structured meshes are generated for boundary layers, and unstructured meshes are generated for inviscid flow regions. Examples of inviscid and viscous adaptations for high-speed flows are presented.

The temperature measurement research for high-speed flow based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di, Yue; Jin, Yi; Jiang, Hong-liang; Zhai, Chao

2013-09-01

Due to the particularity of the high-speed flow, in order to accurately obtain its' temperature, the measurement system should has some characteristics of not interfereing with the flow, non-contact measurement and high time resolution. The traditional measurement method cannot meet the above requirements, however the measurement method based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) technology can meet the requirements for high-speed flow temperature measurement. When the near-infared light of a specific frequency is through the media to be measured, it will be absorbed by the water vapor molecules and then the transmission light intensity is detected by the detector. The temperature of the water vapor which is also the high-speed flow temperature, can be accurately obtained by the Beer-Lambert law. This paper focused on the research of absorption spectrum method for high speed flow temperature measurement with the scope of 250K-500K. Firstly, spectral line selection method for low temperature measurement of high-speed flow is discussed. Selected absorption lines should be isolated and have a high peak absorption within the range of 250-500K, at the same time the interference of the other lines should be avoided, so that a high measurement accuracy can be obtained. According to the near-infrared absorption spectra characteristics of water vapor, four absorption lines at the near 1395 nm and 1409 nm are selected. Secondly, a system for the temperature measurement of the water vapor in the high-speed flow is established. Room temperature are measured through two methods, direct absorption spectroscopy (DAS) and wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) ,the results show that this system can realize on-line measurement of the temperature and the measurement error is about 3%. Finally, the system will be used for temperature measurement of the high-speed flow in the shock tunnel, its feasibility of measurement is analyzed.

Loss reduction in axial-flow compressors through low-speed model testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wisler, D. C.

1984-01-01

A systematic procedure for reducing losses in axial-flow compressors is presented. In this procedure, a large, low-speed, aerodynamic model of a high-speed core compressor is designed and fabricated based on aerodynamic similarity principles. This model is then tested at low speed where high-loss regions associated with three-dimensional endwall boundary layers flow separation, leakage, and secondary flows can be located, detailed measurements made, and loss mechanisms determined with much greater accuracy and much lower cost and risk than is possible in small, high-speed compressors. Design modifications are made by using custom-tailored airfoils and vector diagrams, airfoil endbends, and modified wall geometries in the high-loss regions. The design improvements resulting in reduced loss or increased stall margin are then scaled to high speed. This paper describes the procedure and presents experimental results to show that in some cases endwall loss has been reduced by as much as 10 percent, flow separation has been reduced or eliminated, and stall margin has been substantially improved by using these techniques.

Level of Recall, Retrieval Speed, and Variability on the Cued-Recall Retrieval Speed Task (CRRST) in Individuals with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

PubMed Central

Ramratan, Wendy S.; Rabin, Laura A.; Wang, Cuiling; Zimmerman, Molly E.; Katz, Mindy J.; Lipton, Richard B.; Buschke, Herman

2013-01-01

Individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) show deficits on traditional episodic memory tasks and reductions in speed of performance on reaction time tasks. We present results on a novel task, the Cued-Recall Retrieval Speed Test (CRRST), designed to simultaneously measure level and speed of retrieval. 390 older adults (mean age of 80.2 years), learned 16 words based on corresponding categorical cues. In the retrieval phase, we measured accuracy (% correct) and retrieval speed/reaction time (RT; time from cue presentation to voice onset of a correct response) across 6 trials. Compared to healthy elderly adults (HEA, n = 303), those with aMCI (n = 87) exhibited poorer performance in retrieval speed (difference = −0.13, p<.0001) and accuracy on the first trial (difference = −0.19, p<.0001), and their rate of improvement in retrieval speed was slower over subsequent trials. Those with aMCI also had greater within-person variability in processing speed (variance ratio = 1.22, p = 0.0098) and greater between-person variability in accuracy (variance ratio = 2.08, p = 0.0001) relative to HEA. Results are discussed in relation to the possibility that computer-based measures of cued-learning and processing speed variability may facilitate early detection of dementia in at-risk older adults. PMID:22265423

The selective use of functional optical variables in the control of forward speed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Walter W.; Awe, Cynthia A.

1994-01-01

Previous work on the perception and control of simulated vehicle speed has examined the contributions of optical flow rate (angular visual speed) and texture, or edge rate (frequency of passing terrain objects or markings) on the perception and control of forward speed. However, these studies have not examined the ability to selectively use edge rate or flow rate. The two studies presented here show that this ability is far greater for pilots than non-pilots, as would be expected since pilots must control vehicular speed over a variety of altitudes where flow rates change independently of forward speed. These studies also show that this ability to selectively use these variables is linked to the visual contextual information about the relative validity (linkage with speed) of the two variables. Subjective judgment data also indicated that awareness of altitude and ground texture density did not mediate ground speed awareness.

Speeding for fun? Exploring the speeding behavior of riders of heavy motorcycles using the theory of planned behavior and psychological flow theory.

PubMed

Chen, Ching-Fu; Chen, Cheng-Wen

2011-05-01

This paper focuses on a special segment of motorcyclists in Taiwan--riders of heavy motorcycles--and investigates their speeding behavior and its affecting factors. It extends the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explore motorcyclist speeding behavior by including the variables of psychological flow theory. The levels of sensation-seeking and riding experience are also used as grouping variables to investigate group differences from the influences of their affecting factors on speeding behavior. The results reveal that the psychological flow variables have greater predictive power in explaining speeding behavior than the TPB variables, providing useful insights into the unique nature of this group of motorcyclists, who are more prone to engage in speeding. Group differences with regard to both sensation-seeking and rider experience in speeding behavior are highlighted, and the implications of the findings are discussed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phase and flow behavior of mixed gas hydrate systems during gas injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darnell, K.; Flemings, P. B.; DiCarlo, D. A.

2017-12-01

We present one-dimensional, multi-phase flow model results for injections of carbon dioxide and nitrogen mixtures, or flue gas, into methane hydrate bearing reservoirs. Our flow model is coupled to a thermodynamic simulator that predicts phase stabilities as a function of composition, so multiple phases can appear, disappear, or change composition as the injection invades the reservoir. We show that the coupling of multi-phase fluid flow with phase behavior causes preferential phase fractionation in which each component flows through the system at different speeds and in different phases. We further demonstrate that phase and flow behavior within the reservoir are driven by hydrate stability of each individual component in addition to the hydrate stability of the injection composition. For example, if carbon dioxide and nitrogen are both individually hydrate stable at the reservoir P-T conditions, then any injection composition will convert all available water into hydrate and plug the reservoir. In contrast, if only carbon dioxide is hydrate stable at the reservoir P-T conditions, then nitrogen preferentially stays in the gaseous phase, while the carbon dioxide partitions into the hydrate and liquid water phases. For all injections of this type, methane originally held in hydrate is released by dissociation into the nitrogen-rich gaseous phase. The net consequence is that a gas phase composed of nitrogen and methane propagates through the reservoir in a fast-moving front. A slower-moving front lags behind where carbon dioxide and nitrogen form a mixed hydrate, but methane is absent due to dissociation-induced methane stripping from the first, fast-moving front. The entire composition path traces through the phase space as the flow develops with each front moving at different, constant velocities. This behavior is qualitatively similar to the dynamics present in enhanced oil recovery or enhanced coalbed methane recovery. These results explain why the inclusion of nitrogen in mixed gas injection into methane hydrate reservoirs has been far more successful at producing methane than pure carbon dioxide injections. These results also provide a test for the validity of equilibrium thermodynamics in transport-dominated mixed hydrate systems that can be validated by laboratory-scale flow-through experiments.

Evaluation of range and distortion tolerance for high Mach number transonic fan stages. Task 2: Performance of a 1500-foot-per-second tip speed transonic fan stage with variable geometry inlet guide vanes and stator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bilwakesh, K. R.; Koch, C. C.; Prince, D. C.

1972-01-01

A 0.5 hub/tip radius ratio compressor stage consisting of a 1500 ft/sec tip speed rotor, a variable camber inlet guide vane and a variable stagger stator was designed and tested with undistorted inlet flow, flow with tip radial distortion, and flow with 90 degrees, one-per-rev, circumferential distortion. At the design speed and design IGV and stator setting the design stage pressure ratio was achieved at a weight within 1% of the design flow. Analytical results on rotor tip shock structure, deviation angle and part-span shroud losses at different operating conditions are presented. The variable geometry blading enabled efficient operation with adequate stall margin at the design condition and at 70% speed. Closing the inlet guide vanes to 40 degrees changed the speed-versus-weight flow relationship along the stall line and thus provided the flexibility of operation at off-design conditions. Inlet flow distortion caused considerable losses in peak efficiency, efficiency on a constant throttle line through design pressure ratio at design speed, stall pressure ratio, and stall margin at the 0 degrees IGV setting and high rotative speeds. The use of the 40 degrees inlet guide vane setting enabled partial recovery of the stall margin over the standard constant throttle line.

Stall induced instability of a teetered rotor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glasgow, J. C.; Corrigan, R. D.

Recent tests on the 38m Mod-0 horizontal experimental wind turbine yielded quantitative information on stall induced instability of a teetered rotor. Tests were conducted on rotor blades with NACA 230 series and NACA 643-618 airfoils at low rotor speeds to produce high angles of attack at relatively low wind speeds and power levels. The behavior of the rotor shows good agreement with predicted rotor response based on blade angle of attack calculations and airfoil section properties. The untwisted blades with the 64 series airfoil sections had a slower rate of onset of rotor instability when compared with the twisted 230 series blades, but high teeter angles and teeter stop impacts were experienced with both rotors as wind speeds increased to produce high angles of attack on the outboard portion of the blade. The relative importance of blade twist and airfoil section stall characteristics on the rate of onset of rotor unstability with increasing wind speed was not established however. Blade pitch was shown to be effective in eliminating rotor instability at the expense of some loss in rotor performance near rated wind speed.

Speed of CMEs and the Magnetic Non-Potentiality of their Source Active Regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tiwari, Sanjiv Kumar; Falconer, David Allen; Moore, Ronald L.; Venkatakrishnan, P.; Winebarger, Amy R.; Khazanov, Igor G.

2014-01-01

Most fast coronal mass ejections (CMEs) originate from solar active regions (ARs). Non-potentiality of ARs plausibly determines the speed of CMEs in the outer corona. Several other unexplored parameters might be important as well. To find out the relation between the intial speed of CMEs and the non-potentiality of source ARs, we identified over a hundred of CMEs with source ARs via their co-produced flares. The speed of the CMEs are collected from the SOHO LASCO CME catalog. We have used vector magnetograms obtained with HMI/SDO, to evaluate various magnetic non-potentiality parameters, e.g. magnetic free-energy proxies, twist, shear angle, signed shear angle, net current etc. We have also included several other parameters e.g. total unsigned flux, magnetic area of ARs, area of sunspots, to investigate their correlation, if any, with the initial speeds of CMEs. Our preliminary results show that the ARs with larger non-potentiality and area produce faster CMEs but they can also produce slow ones. The ARs with lesser non-potentiality and area generally produce only slower CMEs.

Metal flow and temperature in direct extrusion of large-size aluminum billets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valberg, Henry; Costa, André L. M.

2018-05-01

FEM-analysis is used to study thermo-mechanical conditions in aluminum rod extrusion for billets with large size corresponding to that used in industrial production. In the analysis, focus is on how the metal flow and the temperature conditions in the extrusion material is affected by the extrusion velocity in terms of the ram speed used in the extrusion process. In the study, metal flow is characterized by the deformations in extrusion subjected to a perfect grid pattern, consisting of orthogonal crossing lines, added into the longitudinal mid-plane of the initial billet. The analysis shows that metal flow in extrusion conducted at a low ram speed of 1 mms-1, is predicted significantly different from that at a high speed of 5 mms-1, or above. As regards the thermal conditions in the extrusion material, they are also predicted significantly different, at the low and the high ram speed level. A likely explanation why metal flow is different at low and high ram speeds may be that flow is altered because of the concurrent change in the temperature field within the billet.

High-tip-speed, low-loading transonic fan stage. Part 3: Final report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ware, T. C.; Kobayashi, R. J.; Jackson, R. J.

1974-01-01

Tests were conducted on a high-tip-speed, low-loading transonic fan stage to determine the performance and inlet flow distortion tolerance of the design. The fan was designed for high efficiency at a moderate pressure ratio by designing the hub section to operate at minimum loss when the tip operates with an oblique shock. The design objective was an efficiency of 86 percent at a pressure ratio of 1.5, a specific flow (flow per unit annulus area) of 42 lb/sec-sq. ft (205.1 kgm/sec-m sq), and a tip speed of 1600 ft/sec (488.6 m/sec). During testing, a peak efficiency of 84 percent was achieved at design speed and design specific flow. At the design speed and pressure ratio, the flow was 4 percent greater than design, efficiency was 81 percent, and a stall margin of 24 percent was obtained. The stall line was improved with hub radial distortion but was reduced when the stage was tested with tip radial and circumferential flow distortions. Blade-to-blade values of static pressures were measured over the rotor blade tips.

Embryo Space Colonisation to Overcome the Interstellar Time Distance Bottleneck

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowl, A.; Hunt, J.; Hein, A. M.

The immense distances to neighbouring star systems pose the single greatest challenge to a true interstellar mission. The challenge is made even greater if the purpose of the mission is scientific in which it is commonly stated that the mission should last no longer than the career of a participating scientist. This imposes speed requirements with a host of well-known problems of propulsion, immense vehicle mass, need for in-space infrastructure, impact hazards, proton flux, and deceleration. If instead the purpose of the interstellar mission is to ensure the survival of humanity by establishing a viable colony using frozen embryos, these many problems are potentially mitigated due to the fact that the speeds can be much slower. Sleeper ships are a suggested low speed alternative, but cosmic ray damage to suspended/frozen humans could place a limit on the acceptable duration of the mission thereby necessitating greater speed with the aforementioned challenges. Near-term solar-sail technology could be sufficient to launch an ESC mission once human ectogenetic technology has matured.

A high-speed pnCCD detector system for optical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartmann, R.; Buttler, W.; Gorke, H.; Herrmann, S.; Holl, P.; Meidinger, N.; Soltau, H.; Strüder, L.

2006-11-01

Measurements of a frame-store pnCCD detector system, optimized for high-speed applications in the optical and near infrared (NIR) region, will be presented. The device with an image area of 13.5 mm by 13.5 mm and a pixelsize of 51 μm by 51 μm exhibits a readout time faster than 1100 frames per second with an overall electronic noise contribution of less than three electrons. Variable operation modes of the detector system allow for even higher readout speeds by a pixel binning in transfer direction or, at slightly slower readout speeds, a further improvement in noise performance. We will also present the concept of a data acquisition system being able to handle pixel rates of more than 75 megapixel per second. The application of an anti-reflective coating on the ultra-thin entrance window of the back illuminated detector together with the large sensitive volume ensures a high and uniform detection efficiency from the ultra violet to the NIR.

Feature Tracking for High Speed AFM Imaging of Biopolymers.

PubMed

Hartman, Brett; Andersson, Sean B

2018-03-31

The scanning speed of atomic force microscopes continues to advance with some current commercial microscopes achieving on the order of one frame per second and at least one reaching 10 frames per second. Despite the success of these instruments, even higher frame rates are needed with scan ranges larger than are currently achievable. Moreover, there is a significant installed base of slower instruments that would benefit from algorithmic approaches to increasing their frame rate without requiring significant hardware modifications. In this paper, we present an experimental demonstration of high speed scanning on an existing, non-high speed instrument, through the use of a feedback-based, feature-tracking algorithm that reduces imaging time by focusing on features of interest to reduce the total imaging area. Experiments on both circular and square gratings, as well as silicon steps and DNA strands show a reduction in imaging time by a factor of 3-12 over raster scanning, depending on the parameters chosen.

An Adaptive Deghosting Method in Neural Network-Based Infrared Detectors Nonuniformity Correction

PubMed Central

Li, Yiyang; Jin, Weiqi; Zhu, Jin; Zhang, Xu; Li, Shuo

2018-01-01

The problems of the neural network-based nonuniformity correction algorithm for infrared focal plane arrays mainly concern slow convergence speed and ghosting artifacts. In general, the more stringent the inhibition of ghosting, the slower the convergence speed. The factors that affect these two problems are the estimated desired image and the learning rate. In this paper, we propose a learning rate rule that combines adaptive threshold edge detection and a temporal gate. Through the noise estimation algorithm, the adaptive spatial threshold is related to the residual nonuniformity noise in the corrected image. The proposed learning rate is used to effectively and stably suppress ghosting artifacts without slowing down the convergence speed. The performance of the proposed technique was thoroughly studied with infrared image sequences with both simulated nonuniformity and real nonuniformity. The results show that the deghosting performance of the proposed method is superior to that of other neural network-based nonuniformity correction algorithms and that the convergence speed is equivalent to the tested deghosting methods. PMID:29342857

An Adaptive Deghosting Method in Neural Network-Based Infrared Detectors Nonuniformity Correction.

PubMed

Li, Yiyang; Jin, Weiqi; Zhu, Jin; Zhang, Xu; Li, Shuo

2018-01-13

The problems of the neural network-based nonuniformity correction algorithm for infrared focal plane arrays mainly concern slow convergence speed and ghosting artifacts. In general, the more stringent the inhibition of ghosting, the slower the convergence speed. The factors that affect these two problems are the estimated desired image and the learning rate. In this paper, we propose a learning rate rule that combines adaptive threshold edge detection and a temporal gate. Through the noise estimation algorithm, the adaptive spatial threshold is related to the residual nonuniformity noise in the corrected image. The proposed learning rate is used to effectively and stably suppress ghosting artifacts without slowing down the convergence speed. The performance of the proposed technique was thoroughly studied with infrared image sequences with both simulated nonuniformity and real nonuniformity. The results show that the deghosting performance of the proposed method is superior to that of other neural network-based nonuniformity correction algorithms and that the convergence speed is equivalent to the tested deghosting methods.

Social strain and executive function across the lifespan: The dark (and light) sides of social engagement

PubMed Central

Tun, Patricia A.; Miller-Martinez, Dana; Lachman, Margie E.; Seeman, Teresa

2012-01-01

We investigated how the association between social strain and cognitive efficiency varies with task demands across adulthood, from latencies on simpler speeded tasks to tests involving executive function. Participants (N= 3280) were drawn from the MIDUS survey, a large, diverse national sample of adults who completed cognitive tests including speeded task-switching (Tun & Lachman, 2008). After controlling for demographic and health variables, we found that higher levels of reported social strain were associated with slower processing speed, particularly for the complex task-switching test relative to simpler speeded tests. Effects of strain were greatest for those with the lowest general cognitive ability. Moreover, those with very high levels of social strain but low levels of social support gave the poorest task-switching performance. These findings provide further evidence for the complex relationship between the social environment and cognition across adulthood, particularly the association between efficiency of executive functions and negative social interactions. PMID:22873285

Influence of voice focus on tongue movement in speech.

PubMed

Bressmann, Tim; de Boer, Gillian; Marino, Viviane Cristina de Castro; Fabron, Eliana Maria Gradim; Berti, Larissa Cristina

2017-01-01

The present study evaluated global aspects of lingual movement during sentence production with backward and forward voice focus. Nine female participants read a sentence with a variety of consonants in a normal condition and with backward and forward voice focus. Midsagittal tongue movement was recorded with ultrasound. Tongue height over time at an anterior, a central, and a posterior measurement angle was measured. The outcome measures were speech rate, cumulative distance travelled, and average movement speed of the tongue. There were no differences in speech rate between the different conditions. The cumulative distance travelled by the tongue and the average speed indicated that the posterior tongue travelled a smaller cumulative distance and at a slower speed in the forward focus condition. The central tongue moved a larger cumulative distance and at a higher speed in the backward focus condition. The study offers first insights on how tongue movement is affected by different voice focus settings and illustrates the plasticity of tongue movement in speech.

Subvocal articulatory rehearsal during verbal working memory in multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Sweet, Lawrence H; Vanderhill, Susan D; Jerskey, Beth A; Gordon, Norman M; Paul, Robert H; Cohen, Ronald A

2010-10-01

This study was designed to examine verbal working memory (VWM) components among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and determine the influence of information processing speed. Of two frequently studied VWM sub-components, subvocal rehearsal was expected to be more affected by MS than short-term memory buffering. Furthermore, worse subvocal rehearsal was predicted to be specifically related to slower cognitive processing. Fifteen MS patients were administered a neuropsychological battery assessing VWM, processing speed, mood, fatigue, and disability. Participants performed a 2-Back VWM task with modified nested conditions designed to increase subvocal rehearsal (via inter-stimulus interval) and short-term memory buffering demands (via phonological similarity). Performance during these 2-Back conditions did not significantly differ and both exhibited strong positive correlations with disability. However, only scores on the subvocal rehearsal 2-Back were significantly related to performance on the remaining test battery, including processing speed and depressive symptoms. Findings suggest that performance during increased subvocal rehearsal demands is specifically influenced by cognitive processing speed and depressive symptoms.

The Effect of Differences in Day and Night Lighting Distributions on Drivers' Speed Perception.

PubMed

Kim, Jonathan D; Perrone, John A; Isler, Robert B

2017-06-01

Previous research has shown that changes to contrast levels in the visual environment caused by fog can affect drivers' perceptions of speed. It is not easy, however, to extrapolate these results to other driving scenarios in which contrast is affected, such as during nighttime driving, because the measure of contrast is more complex when considering factors such as the illumination provided by headlights. Therefore, we investigated the differences in lighting distribution patterns between day- and nighttime driving on speed perception using prerendered 3D scenarios representing driving on a rural road. A two-alternative forced-choice design based on the method of constant stimuli was utilised, with 32 participants viewing a series of pairs of scenarios (day vs. night driving) from a driver's perspective while indicating for each pair whether the second scenario was faster or slower than the first scenario. Our results indicated that speed discrimination accuracy was minimally affected by changes in lighting distribution patterns between day and night.

The Effect of Neurocognitive Function on Math Computation in Pediatric ADHD: Moderating Influences of Anxious Perfectionism and Gender.

PubMed

Sturm, Alexandra; Rozenman, Michelle; Piacentini, John C; McGough, James J; Loo, Sandra K; McCracken, James T

2018-03-20

Predictors of math achievement in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not well-known. To address this gap in the literature, we examined individual differences in neurocognitive functioning domains on math computation in a cross-sectional sample of youth with ADHD. Gender and anxiety symptoms were explored as potential moderators. The sample consisted of 281 youth (aged 8-15 years) diagnosed with ADHD. Neurocognitive tasks assessed auditory-verbal working memory, visuospatial working memory, and processing speed. Auditory-verbal working memory speed significantly predicted math computation. A three-way interaction revealed that at low levels of anxious perfectionism, slower processing speed predicted poorer math computation for boys compared to girls. These findings indicate the uniquely predictive values of auditory-verbal working memory and processing speed on math computation, and their differential moderation. These findings provide preliminary support that gender and anxious perfectionism may influence the relationship between neurocognitive functioning and academic achievement.

Optimal Parameters for Intervertebral Disk Resection Using Aqua-Plasma Beams.

PubMed

Yoon, Sung-Young; Kim, Gon-Ho; Kim, Yushin; Kim, Nack Hwan; Lee, Sangheon; Kawai, Christina; Hong, Youngki

2018-06-14

 A minimally invasive procedure for intervertebral disk resection using plasma beams has been developed. Conventional parameters for the plasma procedure such as voltage and tip speed mainly rely on the surgeon's personal experience, without adequate evidence from experiments. Our objective was to determine the optimal parameters for plasma disk resection.  Rate of ablation was measured at different procedural tip speeds and voltages using porcine nucleus pulposi. The amount of heat formation during experimental conditions was also measured to evaluate the thermal safety of the plasma procedure.  The ablation rate increased at slower procedural speeds and higher voltages. However, for thermal safety, the optimal parameters for plasma procedures with minimal tissue damage were an electrical output of 280 volts root-mean-square (V rms ) and a procedural tip speed of 2.5 mm/s.  Our findings provide useful information for an effective and safe plasma procedure for disk resection in a clinical setting. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Mild cognitive impairment and everyday function: evidence of reduced speed in performing instrumental activities of daily living.

PubMed

Wadley, Virginia G; Okonkwo, Ozioma; Crowe, Michael; Ross-Meadows, Lesley A

2008-05-01

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may involve subtle functional losses that are not detected with typical self- or informant-report assessments of daily function. Information about the nature of functional difficulties in MCI can be used to augment common clinical assessment procedures, and aspects of function that are affected in MCI can serve as meaningful endpoints for intervention trials. Cross-sectional case and comparison group study. University medical center. Fifty participants with MCI and 59 cognitively normal participants. The authors compared the groups on dimensions of both speed and accuracy in performing instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), using a standardized Timed IADL measure that evaluates five functional domains commonly encountered in everyday life (telephone use, locating nutrition information on food labels, financial abilities, grocery shopping, medication management). Across Timed IADL domains, MCI participants demonstrated accuracy comparable with cognitively normal participants but took significantly longer to complete the functional activities, controlling for depressive symptoms (p< 0.001). Slower performance was demonstrated in each discrete domain except financial abilities. These results suggest that slower speed of task performance is an important component and perhaps an early marker of functional change in MCI that would not be detected using traditional measurements of daily function. Future research should address the question of whether performance-based functional measures, as well as simple queries regarding whether functional activities take longer than usual to complete, may improve the prediction of future cognitive decline and disease progression among those individuals in whom MCI represents impending dementia.

The ability of people with Parkinson's disease to modify dual-task performance in response to instructions during simple and complex walking tasks.

PubMed

Kelly, Valerie E; Shumway-Cook, Anne

2014-01-01

Gait impairments are a common and consequential motor symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD). A cognitive strategy that incorporates instructions to concentrate on specific parameters of walking is an effective approach to gait rehabilitation for persons with PD during single-task and simple dual-task walking conditions. This study examined the ability to modify dual-task walking in response to instructions during a complex walking task in people with PD compared to healthy older adults (HOA). Eleven people with PD and twelve HOA performed a cognitive task while walking with either a usual base or a narrow base of support. Dual-task walking and cognitive task performance were characterized under two conditions-when participants were instructed focus on walking and when they were instructed to focus on the cognitive task. During both usual base and narrow base walking, instructions affected cognitive task response latency, with slower performance when instructed to focus on walking compared to the cognitive task. Regardless of task or instructions, cognitive task performance was slower in participants with PD compared to HOA. During usual base walking, instructions influenced gait speed for both people with PD and HOA, with faster gait speed when instructed to focus on walking compared to the cognitive task. In contrast, during the narrow base walking, instructions affected gait speed only for HOA, but not for people with PD. This suggests that among people with PD the ability to modify walking in response to instructions depends on the complexity of the walking task.

In vivo Visualization of the Water-refilling Process in Xylem Vessels Using X-ray Micro-imaging

PubMed Central

Lee, Sang-Joon; Kim, Yangmin

2008-01-01

Background and Aims Xylem vessels containing gases (embolized) must be refilled with water if they are to resume transport of water through the plant, so refilling is of great importance for the maintenance of water balance in plants. However, the refilling process is poorly understood because of inadequate examination methods. Simultaneous measurements of plant anatomy and vessel refilling are essential to elucidate the mechanisms involved. In the present work, a new technique based on phase-contrast X-ray imaging is presented that visualizes, in vivo and in real time, both xylem anatomy and refilling of embolized vessels. Methods With the synchrotron X-ray micro-imaging technique, the refilling of xylem vessels of leaves and a stem of Phyllostachys bambusoides with water is demonstrated under different conditions. The technique employs phase contrast imaging of X-ray beams, which are transformed into visible light and are photographed by a charge coupled device camera. X-ray images were captured consecutively at every 0·5 s with an exposure time of 10 ms. Key Results The interface (meniscus) between the water and gas phases in refilling the xylem vessels is displayed. During refilling, the rising menisci in embolized vessels showed repetitive flow, i.e. they temporarily stopped at the end walls of the vessel elements while gas bubbles were removed. The meniscus then passed through the end wall at a faster rate than the speed of flow in the main vessels. In the light, the speed of refilling in a specific vessel was slower than that in the dark, but this rate increased again after repeated periods in darkness. Conclusions Real-time, non-destructive X-ray micro-imaging is an important, useful and novel technique to study the relationship between xylem structure and the refilling of embolized vessels in intact plants. It provides new insight into understanding the mechanisms of water transport and the refilling of embolized vessels, which are not understood well. PMID:18077466

Photoacoustic thermal flowmetry with a single light source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wei; Lan, Bangxin; Hu, Leo; Chen, Ruimin; Zhou, Qifa; Yao, Junjie

2017-09-01

We report a photoacoustic thermal flowmetry based on optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) using a single laser source for both thermal tagging and photoacoustic excitation. When an optically absorbing medium is flowing across the optical focal zone of OR-PAM, a small volume of the medium within the optical focus is repeatedly illuminated and heated by a train of laser pulses with a high repetition rate. The average temperature of the heated volume at each laser pulse is indicated by the photoacoustic signal excited by the same laser pulse due to the well-established linear relationship between the Grueneisen coefficient and the local temperature. The thermal dynamics of the heated medium volume, which are closely related to the flow speed, can therefore be measured from the time course of the detected photoacoustic signals. Here, we have developed a lumped mathematical model to describe the time course of the photoacoustic signals as a function of the medium's flow speed. We conclude that the rising time constant of the photoacoustic signals is linearly dependent on the flow speed. Thus, the flow speed can be quantified by fitting the measured photoacoustic signals using the derived mathematical model. We first performed proof-of-concept experiments using defibrinated bovine blood flowing in a plastic tube. The experiment results have demonstrated that the proposed method has high accuracy (˜±6%) and a wide range of measurable flow speeds. We further validated the method by measuring the blood flow speeds of the microvasculature in a mouse ear in vivo.

Enhancement of Arterial Pressure Pulsatility by Controlling Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Flow Rate in Mock Circulatory System.

PubMed

Bozkurt, Selim; van de Vosse, Frans N; Rutten, Marcel C M

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs) generally operate at a constant speed, which reduces pulsatility in the arteries and may lead to complications such as functional changes in the vascular system, gastrointestinal bleeding, or both. The purpose of this study is to increase the arterial pulse pressure and pulsatility by controlling the CF-LVAD flow rate. A MicroMed DeBakey pump was used as the CF-LVAD. A model simulating the flow rate through the aortic valve was used as a reference model to drive the pump. A mock circulation containing two synchronized servomotor-operated piston pumps acting as left and right ventricles was used as a circulatory system. Proportional-integral control was used as the control method. First, the CF-LVAD was operated at a constant speed. With pulsatile-speed CF-LVAD assistance, the pump was driven such that the same mean pump output was generated. Continuous and pulsatile-speed CF-LVAD assistance provided the same mean arterial pressure and flow rate, while the index of pulsatility increased significantly for both arterial pressure and pump flow rate signals under pulsatile speed pump support. This study shows the possibility of improving the pulsatility of CF-LVAD support by regulating pump speed over a cardiac cycle without reducing the overall level of support.

Combustion of Solids in Microgravity: Results from the BASS-II Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferkul, Paul V.; Bhattacharjee, Subrata; Fernandez-Pello, Carlos; Miller, Fletcher; Olson, Sandra L.; Takahashi, Fumiaki; T’ien, James S.

2014-01-01

The Burning and Suppression of Solids-II (BASS-II) experiment was performed on the International Space Station. Microgravity combustion tests burned thin and thick flat samples, acrylic slabs, spheres, and cylinders. The samples were mounted inside a small wind tunnel which could impose air flow speeds up to 53 cms. The wind tunnel was installed in the Microgravity Science Glovebox which supplied power, imaging, and a level of containment. The effects of air flow speed, fuel thickness, fuel preheating, and oxygen concentration on flame appearance, growth, spread rate, and extinction were examined in both the opposed and concurrent flow configuration. The flames are quite sensitive to air flow speed in the range 0 to 5 cms. They can be sustained at very low flow speeds of less than 1 cms, when they become dim blue and stable. In this state they are not particularly dangerous from a fire safety perspective, but they can flare up quickly with a sudden increase in air flow speed. Including earlier BASS-I results, well over one hundred tests have been conducted of the various samples in the different geometries, flow speeds, and oxygen concentrations. There are several important implications related to fundamental combustion research as well as spacecraft fire safety. This work was supported by the NASA Space Life and Physical Sciences Research and Applications Division (SLPSRA).

European Science Notes. Volume 39, Number 8.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-08-01

electrophysiological 370 -- , * * ESN 39-8 (1985) slower increment of the speed to the end mus which occurs immediately after the phase . The initial jump is... curve and that removal appears to simple constructions, ease of modula- correspond more closely with the melt tion, and efficient discharge excita- phase ...separate experimental condi- (uncued condition). On some trials the tions. Figure 2 shows the curves for light actually appeared in a location the four

Influence of rotational speed of centrifugal casting process on appearance, microstructure, and sliding wear behaviour of Al-2Si cast alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukunda, P. G.; Shailesh, Rao A.; Rao, Shrikantha S.

2010-02-01

Although the manner in which the molten metal flows plays a major role in the formation of the uniform cylinder in centrifugal casting, not much information is available on this topic. The flow in the molten metal differs at various rotational speeds, which in turn affects the final casting. In this paper, the influence of the flow of molten metal of hyper eutectic Al-2Si alloys at various rotational speeds is discussed. At an optimum speed of 800 rpm, a uniform cylinder was formed. For the rotational speeds below and above these speeds, an irregular shaped casting was formed, which is mainly due to the influence of melt. Primary á-Al particles were formed in the tube periphery at low rotational speed, and their sizes and shapes were altered with changes in rotational speeds. The wear test for the inner surface of the casting showed better wear properties for the casting prepared at the optimum speed of rotation.

Different predictors of multiple-target search accuracy between nonprofessional and professional visual searchers.

PubMed

Biggs, Adam T; Mitroff, Stephen R

2014-01-01

Visual search, locating target items among distractors, underlies daily activities ranging from critical tasks (e.g., looking for dangerous objects during security screening) to commonplace ones (e.g., finding your friends in a crowded bar). Both professional and nonprofessional individuals conduct visual searches, and the present investigation is aimed at understanding how they perform similarly and differently. We administered a multiple-target visual search task to both professional (airport security officers) and nonprofessional participants (members of the Duke University community) to determine how search abilities differ between these populations and what factors might predict accuracy. There were minimal overall accuracy differences, although the professionals were generally slower to respond. However, the factors that predicted accuracy varied drastically between groups; variability in search consistency-how similarly an individual searched from trial to trial in terms of speed-best explained accuracy for professional searchers (more consistent professionals were more accurate), whereas search speed-how long an individual took to complete a search when no targets were present-best explained accuracy for nonprofessional searchers (slower nonprofessionals were more accurate). These findings suggest that professional searchers may utilize different search strategies from those of nonprofessionals, and that search consistency, in particular, may provide a valuable tool for enhancing professional search accuracy.

Interruption of physical activity because of illness in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot trial.

PubMed

Phillips, Edward M; Katula, Jeffrey; Miller, Michael E; Walkup, Michael P; Brach, Jennifer S; King, Abby C; Rejeski, W Jack; Church, Tim; Fielding, Roger A

2010-01-01

To examine baseline characteristics and change in gait speed and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) scores in participants medically suspended (MS) from a physical activity intervention (PA). Randomized controlled trial. University and community centers. Sedentary older adults (N = 213) randomized to PA in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot (LIFE-P). MS was defined as missing 3 consecutive PA sessions in adoption and transition phases or 2 wk in maintenance phase because of a health event. In all, 122 participants completed PA without MS (NMS subgroup), 48 participants underwent MS and resumed PA (SR subgroup), and 43 participants underwent MS and did not complete PA (SNR subgroup). At baseline, SNR walked slower (p = .03), took more prescribed medications (p = .02), and had lower SPPB scores than NMS and SR (p = .02). Changes from baseline to Month 12 SPPB scores were affected by suspension status, adjusted mean (SE) SPPB change: SNR 0.0957 (0.3184), SR 0.9413 (0.3063), NMS 1.0720 (0.1871); p = .03. MS participants unable to return to complete the PA in a trial of mobility-limited sedentary older adults had slower walking speeds, lower SPPB scores, and a higher number of prescribed medications at baseline. Change in SPPB scores at 12 months was related to suspension status.

Reading strategies in Spanish developmental dyslexics.

PubMed

Suárez-Coalla, Paz; Cuetos, Fernando

2012-07-01

Cross-linguistic studies suggest that the orthographic system determines the reading performance of dyslexic children. In opaque orthographies, the fundamental feature of developmental dyslexia is difficulty in reading accuracy, whereas slower reading speed is more common in transparent orthographies. The aim of the current study was to examine the extent to which different variables of words affect reaction times and articulation times in developmental dyslexics. A group of 19 developmental dyslexics of different ages and an age-matched group of 19 children without reading disabilities completed a word naming task. The children were asked to read 100 nouns that differed in length, frequency, age of acquisition, imageability, and orthographic neighborhood. The stimuli were presented on a laptop computer, and the responses were recorded using DMDX software. We conducted analyses of mixed-effects models to determine which variables influenced reading times in dyslexic children. We found that word naming skills in dyslexic children are affected predominantly by length, while in non-dyslexics children the principal variable is the age of acquisition, a lexical variable. These findings suggest that Spanish-speaking developmental dyslexics use a sublexical procedure for reading words, which is reflected in slower speed when reading long words. In contrast, normal children use a lexical strategy, which is frequently observed in readers of opaque languages.

connecting the dots between Greenland ice sheet surface melting and ice flow dynamics (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Box, J. E.; Colgan, W. T.; Fettweis, X.; Phillips, T. P.; Stober, M.

2013-12-01

This presentation is of a 'unified theory' in glaciology that first identifies surface albedo as a key factor explaining total ice sheet mass balance and then surveys a mechanistic self-reinforcing interaction between melt water and ice flow dynamics. The theory is applied in a near-real time total Greenland mass balance retrieval based on surface albedo, a powerful integrator of the competing effects of accumulation and ablation. New snowfall reduces sunlight absorption and increases meltwater retention. Melting amplifies absorbed sunlight through thermal metamorphism and bare ice expansion in space and time. By ';following the melt'; we reveal mechanisms linking existing science into a unified theory. Increasing meltwater softens the ice sheet in three ways: 1.) sensible heating given the water temperature exceeds that of the ice sheet interior; 2.) Some infiltrating water refreezes, transferring latent heat to the ice; 3.) Friction from water turbulence heats the ice. It has been shown that for a point on the ice sheet, basal lubrication increases ice flow speed to a time when an efficient sub-glacial drainage network develops that reduces this effect. Yet, with an increasing melt duration the point where the ice sheet glides on a wet bed increases inland to a larger area. This effect draws down the ice surface elevation, contributing to the ';elevation feedback'. In a perpetual warming scenario, the elevation feedback ultimately leads to ice sheet loss reversible only through much slower ice sheet growth in an ice age environment. As the inland ice sheet accelerates, the horizontal extension pulls cracks and crevasses open, trapping more sunlight, amplifying the effect of melt accelerated ice. As the bare ice area increases, the direct sun-exposed crevassed and infiltration area increases further allowing the ice warming process to occur more broadly. Considering hydrofracture [a.k.a. hydrofracking]; surface meltwater fills cracks, attacking the ice integrity. Because water is 'heavier' than ice, water-filled cracks have unlimited capacity to hydraulically ';jack' open fractures, penetrating, fracturing and disaggregating a solid ice body. This process promotes iceberg calving at more than 150, 1km wide marine terminating Greenland glacier fronts. Resulting from a rising trend of surface melting and sea water temperature, meltwater ejection at the underwater front of marine glaciers drives a an increasing turbulent heat exchange between the glacier front and relatively warm sea water melting it faster. Underwater melting promotes an undercutting of the glacier front leading to ice berg calving. Calving through hydrofracture or marine undercutting provide a direct and immediate ice flow speed response mechanism for surface meltwater production. Ice flow speed reacts because calving reduces flow resistance. The above physical processes interact. Cooling shuts these processes down. Negative feedbacks dampen the warming impulse. Live 21 June, 2013 is a new Danish Web site1 that exploits total mass balance rate of decline as a function of albedo to predict GRACE mass rate of change with 80% explained variance. While surface mass balance explains the mass rate of change slightly higher, surface albedo is an observable quantity as is gravity change.

Critical phenomenon of granular flow on a conveyor belt.

PubMed

De-Song, Bao; Xun-Sheng, Zhang; Guang-Lei, Xu; Zheng-Quan, Pan; Xiao-Wei, Tang; Kun-Quan, Lu

2003-06-01

The relationship between the granular wafer movement on a two-dimensional conveyor belt and the size of the exit together with the velocity of the conveyor belt has been studied in the experiment. The result shows that there is a critical speed v(c) for the granular flow when the exit width d is fixed (where d=R/D, D being the diameter of a granular wafers). When vv(c), the flow rate Q is described as Q=Crho(v)(beta)(d-k)(3/2). These are the effects of the interaction among the granular wafers and the change of the states of the granular flow due to the changing of the speed or the exit width d.

Experimental parametric study of jet vortex generators for flow separation control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Selby, Gregory

1991-01-01

A parametric wind-tunnel study was performed with jet vortex generators to determine their effectiveness in controlling flow separation associated with low-speed turbulence flow over a two-dimensional rearward-facing ramp. Results indicate that flow-separation control can be accomplished, with the level of control achieved being a function of jet speed, jet orientation (with respect to the free-stream direction), and orifice pattern (double row of jets vs. single row). Compared to slot blowing, jet vortex generators can provide an equivalent level of flow control over a larger spanwise region (for constant jet flow area and speed). Dye flow visualization tests in a water tunnel indicated that the most effective jet vortex generator configurations produced streamwise co-rotating vortices.

Investigation of a high speed data handling system for use with multispectral aircraft scanners

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelly, W. L.; Meredith, B. D.

1978-01-01

A buffer memory data handling technique for use with multispectral aircraft scanners is presented which allows digital data generated at high data rates to be recorded on magnetic tape. A digital memory is used to temporarily store the data for subsequent recording at slower rates during the passive time of the scan line, thereby increasing the maximum data rate recording capability over real-time recording. Three possible implementations are described and the maximum data rate capability is defined in terms of the speed capability of the key hardware components. The maximum data rates can be used to define the maximum ground resolution achievable by a multispectral aircraft scanner using conventional data handling techniques.

Batting cage performance of wood and nonwood youth baseball bats.

PubMed

Crisco, Joseph J; Rainbow, Michael J; Schwartz, Joel B; Wilcox, Bethany J

2014-04-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the batting cage performance of wood and nonwood baseball bats used at the youth level. Three wood and ten nonwood bats were swung by 22 male players (13 to 18 years old) in a batting cage equipped with a 3-dimensional motion capture (300 Hz) system. Batted ball speeds were compared using a one-way ANOVA and bat swing speeds were analyzed as a function of bat moment of inertia by linear regression. Batted ball speeds were significantly faster for three nonwood bat models (P<.001), significantly slower for one nonwood model, and not different for six nonwood bats when compared with wood bats. Bat impact speed significantly (P<.05) decreased with increasing bat moment of inertia for the 13-, 14-, and 15-year-old groups, but not for the other age groups. Ball-bat coefficients of restitution (BBCOR) for all nonwood were greater than for wood, but this factor alone did not correlate with bat performance. Our findings indicate that increases in BBCOR and swing speed were not associated with faster batted ball speeds for the bats studied whose moment of inertia was substantially less than that of a wood bat of similar length.

Simulation of load traffic and steeped speed control of conveyor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reutov, A. A.

2017-10-01

The article examines the possibilities of the step control simulation of conveyor speed within Mathcad, Simulink, Stateflow software. To check the efficiency of the control algorithms and to more accurately determine the characteristics of the control system, it is necessary to simulate the process of speed control with real values of traffic for a work shift or for a day. For evaluating the belt workload and absence of spillage it is necessary to use empirical values of load flow in a shorter period of time. The analytical formulas for optimal speed step values were received using empirical values of load. The simulation checks acceptability of an algorithm, determines optimal parameters of regulation corresponding to load flow characteristics. The average speed and the number of speed switching during simulation are admitted as criteria of regulation efficiency. The simulation example within Mathcad software is implemented. The average conveyor speed decreases essentially by two-step and three-step control. A further increase in the number of regulatory steps decreases average speed insignificantly but considerably increases the intensity of the speed switching. Incremental algorithm of speed regulation uses different number of stages for growing and reducing load traffic. This algorithm allows smooth control of the conveyor speed changes with monotonic variation of the load flow. The load flow oscillation leads to an unjustified increase or decrease of speed. Work results can be applied at the design of belt conveyors with adjustable drives.

Effects of optic flow on spontaneous overground walk-to-run transition.

PubMed

De Smet, Kristof; Malcolm, P; Lenoir, M; Segers, V; De Clercq, D

2009-03-01

Perturbations of optic flow can induce changes in walking speed since subjects modulate their speed with respect to the speed perceived from optic flow. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of optic flow on steady-state as well as on non steady-state locomotion, i.e. on spontaneous overground walk-to-run transitions (WRT) during which subjects were able to accelerate in their preferred way. In this experiment, while subjects moved along a specially constructed hallway, a series of stripes projected on the side walls and ceiling were made to move backward (against the locomotion direction) at an absolute speed of -2 m s(-1) (condition B), or to move forward at an absolute speed of +2 m s(-1) (condition F), or to remain stationary (condition C). While condition B and condition F entailed a decrease and an increase in preferred walking speed, respectively, the spatiotemporal characteristics of the spontaneous walking acceleration prior to reaching WRT were not influenced by modified visual information. However, backward moving stripes induced a smaller speed increase when making the actual transition to running. As such, running speeds after making the WRT were lower in condition B. These results indicate that the walking acceleration prior to reaching the WRT is more robust against visual perturbations compared to walking at preferred walking speed. This could be due to a higher contribution from spinal control during the walking acceleration phase. However, the finding that subjects started to run at a lower running speed when experiencing an approaching optic flow faster than locomotion speed shows that the actual realization of the WRT is not totally independent of external cues.

Predicting Average Vehicle Speed in Two Lane Highways Considering Weather Condition and Traffic Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirbaha, Babak; Saffarzadeh, Mahmoud; AmirHossein Beheshty, Seyed; Aniran, MirMoosa; Yazdani, Mirbahador; Shirini, Bahram

2017-10-01

Analysis of vehicle speed with different weather condition and traffic characteristics is very effective in traffic planning. Since the weather condition and traffic characteristics vary every day, the prediction of average speed can be useful in traffic management plans. In this study, traffic and weather data for a two-lane highway located in Northwest of Iran were selected for analysis. After merging traffic and weather data, the linear regression model was calibrated for speed prediction using STATA12.1 Statistical and Data Analysis software. Variables like vehicle flow, percentage of heavy vehicles, vehicle flow in opposing lane, percentage of heavy vehicles in opposing lane, rainfall (mm), snowfall and maximum daily wind speed more than 13m/s were found to be significant variables in the model. Results showed that variables of vehicle flow and heavy vehicle percent acquired the positive coefficient that shows, by increasing these variables the average vehicle speed in every weather condition will also increase. Vehicle flow in opposing lane, percentage of heavy vehicle in opposing lane, rainfall amount (mm), snowfall and maximum daily wind speed more than 13m/s acquired the negative coefficient that shows by increasing these variables, the average vehicle speed will decrease.

Large eddy simulations and direct numerical simulations of high speed turbulent reacting flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Givi, Peyman; Madnia, Cyrus K.; Steinberger, Craig J.

1990-01-01

This research is involved with the implementation of advanced computational schemes based on large eddy simulations (LES) and direct numerical simulations (DNS) to study the phenomenon of mixing and its coupling with chemical reactions in compressible turbulent flows. In the efforts related to LES, a research program to extend the present capabilities of this method was initiated for the treatment of chemically reacting flows. In the DNS efforts, the focus is on detailed investigations of the effects of compressibility, heat release, and non-equilibrium kinetics modelings in high speed reacting flows. Emphasis was on the simulations of simple flows, namely homogeneous compressible flows, and temporally developing high speed mixing layers.

DOING Physics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zwicker, Earl, Ed.

1989-01-01

The first demonstration shows rolling balls on two tracks: one is straight and the other dips down and then comes back up. Discusses the reason why the former is slower than the latter. The second demonstration shows a rising cork inside a water tube flowing downward. (YP)

The temperature of unheated bodies in a high-speed gas stream

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckert, E; Weise, W

1941-01-01

The present report deals with temperature measurements on cylinders of 0.2 to 3 millimeters diameter in longitudinal and transverse air flow at speeds of 100 to 300 meters per second. Within the explored test range, that is, the probable laminar boundary layer region, the temperature of the cylinders in axial flow is practically independent of the speed and in good agreement with Pohlhausen's theoretical values; Whereas, in transverse flow, cylinders of certain diameter manifest a close relationship with speed, the ratio of the temperature above the air of the body to the adiabatic stagnation temperature decreases with rising speed and then rises again from a Mach number of 0.6. The importance of this "specific temperature" of the body for heat-transfer studies at high speed is discussed.

Dissociations of spatial congruence effects across response measures: an examination of delta plots.

PubMed

Miller, Jeff; Roüast, Nora M

2016-09-01

Spatial congruence ("Simon") effects on reaction time (RT) and response force (RF) were studied in two experiments requiring speeded choice responses to the color of a stimulus located irrelevantly to the left or right of fixation. In Experiment 1 with unimanual responses, both RT and incorrect-hand RF were sensitive to spatial congruence, and both showed larger Simon effects following a congruent trial than following an incongruent one. RT and incorrect-hand RF were dissociated in distributional (i.e., delta plot) analyses, however. As in previous studies, the Simon effect on RT was largest for the fastest responses and diminished as RT increased (i.e., decreasing delta plot). In contrast, Simon effects on RF did not decrease for slower responses; if anything, they increased slightly. In Experiment 2 participants made bimanual responses, allowing measurement of the spatial congruence effect for each trial. Responses were both faster and more forceful with the spatially congruent hand than with the spatially incongruent one, but neither of these effects decreased for slower responses. Overall, the results demonstrate that at least some motor-level effects of irrelevant spatial location persist for slower responses.

NASA low speed centrifugal compressor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hathaway, Michael D.

1990-01-01

The flow characteristics of a low speed centrifugal compressor were examined at NASA Lewis Research Center to improve understanding of the flow in centrifugal compressors, to provide models of various flow phenomena, and to acquire benchmark data for three dimensional viscous flow code validation. The paper describes the objectives, test facilities' instrumentation, and experiment preliminary comparisons.

Numerical Simulation of High-Speed Turbulent Reacting Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Givi, P.; Taulbee, D. B.; Madnia, C. K.; Jaberi, F. A.; Colucci, P. J.; Gicquel, L. Y. M.; Adumitroaie, V.; James, S.

1999-01-01

The objectives of this research are: (1) to develop and implement a new methodology for large eddy simulation of (LES) of high-speed reacting turbulent flows. (2) To develop algebraic turbulence closures for statistical description of chemically reacting turbulent flows.

The effect of the chopper on granules from wet high-shear granulation using a PMA-1 granulator.

PubMed

Briens, Lauren; Logan, Ryan

2011-12-01

Chopper presence and then chopper speed was varied during wet high shear granulation of a placebo formulation using a PMA-1 granulator while also varying the impeller speed. The granules were extensively analyzed for differences due to the chopper. The effect of the chopper on the granules varied with impeller speed from no effect at a low impeller speed of 300 rpm to flow interruptions at an impeller speed of 700 rpm to minimal impact at very high impeller speeds as caking at the bowl perimeter obscured the effect of the chopper on the flow pattern. Differences in the granule flowability were minimal. However, it was concluded that the largest fraction of optimal granules would be obtained at an impeller speed of 700 rpm with the chopper at 1,000 rpm allowing balances between flow establishment, segregation, and centrifugal forces.

Concurrent Flame Growth, Spread and Extinction over Composite Fabric Samples in Low Speed Purely Forced Flow in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhao, Xiaoyang; T'ien, James S.; Ferkul, Paul V.; Olson, Sandra L.

2015-01-01

As a part of the NASA BASS and BASS-II experimental projects aboard the International Space Station, flame growth, spread and extinction over a composite cotton-fiberglass fabric blend (referred to as the SIBAL fabric) were studied in low-speed concurrent forced flows. The tests were conducted in a small flow duct within the Microgravity Science Glovebox. The fuel samples measured 1.2 and 2.2 cm wide and 10 cm long. Ambient oxygen was varied from 21% down to 16% and flow speed from 40 cm/s down to 1 cm/s. A small flame resulted at low flow, enabling us to observe the entire history of flame development including ignition, flame growth, steady spread (in some cases) and decay at the end of the sample. In addition, by decreasing flow velocity during some of the tests, low-speed flame quenching extinction limits were found as a function of oxygen percentage. The quenching speeds were found to be between 1 and 5 cm/s with higher speed in lower oxygen atmosphere. The shape of the quenching boundary supports the prediction by earlier theoretical models. These long duration microgravity experiments provide a rare opportunity for solid fuel combustion since microgravity time in ground-based facilities is generally not sufficient. This is the first time that a low-speed quenching boundary in concurrent spread is determined in a clean and unambiguous manner.

Flux or speed? Examining speckle contrast imaging of vascular flows

PubMed Central

Kazmi, S. M. Shams; Faraji, Ehssan; Davis, Mitchell A.; Huang, Yu-Yen; Zhang, Xiaojing J.; Dunn, Andrew K.

2015-01-01

Speckle contrast imaging enables rapid mapping of relative blood flow distributions using camera detection of back-scattered laser light. However, speckle derived flow measures deviate from direct measurements of erythrocyte speeds by 47 ± 15% (n = 13 mice) in vessels of various calibers. Alternatively, deviations with estimates of volumetric flux are on average 91 ± 43%. We highlight and attempt to alleviate this discrepancy by accounting for the effects of multiple dynamic scattering with speckle imaging of microfluidic channels of varying sizes and then with red blood cell (RBC) tracking correlated speckle imaging of vascular flows in the cerebral cortex. By revisiting the governing dynamic light scattering models, we test the ability to predict the degree of multiple dynamic scattering across vessels in order to correct for the observed discrepancies between relative RBC speeds and multi-exposure speckle imaging estimates of inverse correlation times. The analysis reveals that traditional speckle contrast imagery of vascular flows is neither a measure of volumetric flux nor particle speed, but rather the product of speed and vessel diameter. The corrected speckle estimates of the relative RBC speeds have an average 10 ± 3% deviation in vivo with those obtained from RBC tracking. PMID:26203384

Flux or speed? Examining speckle contrast imaging of vascular flows.

PubMed

Kazmi, S M Shams; Faraji, Ehssan; Davis, Mitchell A; Huang, Yu-Yen; Zhang, Xiaojing J; Dunn, Andrew K

2015-07-01

Speckle contrast imaging enables rapid mapping of relative blood flow distributions using camera detection of back-scattered laser light. However, speckle derived flow measures deviate from direct measurements of erythrocyte speeds by 47 ± 15% (n = 13 mice) in vessels of various calibers. Alternatively, deviations with estimates of volumetric flux are on average 91 ± 43%. We highlight and attempt to alleviate this discrepancy by accounting for the effects of multiple dynamic scattering with speckle imaging of microfluidic channels of varying sizes and then with red blood cell (RBC) tracking correlated speckle imaging of vascular flows in the cerebral cortex. By revisiting the governing dynamic light scattering models, we test the ability to predict the degree of multiple dynamic scattering across vessels in order to correct for the observed discrepancies between relative RBC speeds and multi-exposure speckle imaging estimates of inverse correlation times. The analysis reveals that traditional speckle contrast imagery of vascular flows is neither a measure of volumetric flux nor particle speed, but rather the product of speed and vessel diameter. The corrected speckle estimates of the relative RBC speeds have an average 10 ± 3% deviation in vivo with those obtained from RBC tracking.

Different effects of dopaminergic medication on perceptual decision-making in Parkinson's disease as a function of task difficulty and speed-accuracy instructions.

PubMed

Huang, Yu-Ting; Georgiev, Dejan; Foltynie, Tom; Limousin, Patricia; Speekenbrink, Maarten; Jahanshahi, Marjan

2015-08-01

When choosing between two options, sufficient accumulation of information is required to favor one of the options over the other, before a decision is finally reached. To establish the effect of dopaminergic medication on the rate of accumulation of information, decision thresholds and speed-accuracy trade-offs, we tested 14 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) on and off dopaminergic medication and 14 age-matched healthy controls on two versions of the moving-dots task. One version manipulated the level of task difficulty and hence effort required for decision-making and the other the urgency, requiring decision-making under speed vs. accuracy instructions. The drift diffusion model was fitted to the behavioral data. As expected, the reaction time data revealed an effect of task difficulty, such that the easier the perceptual decision-making task was, the faster the participants responded. PD patients not only made significantly more errors compared to healthy controls, but interestingly they also made significantly more errors ON than OFF medication. The drift diffusion model indicated that PD patients had lower drift rates when tested ON compared to OFF medication, indicating that dopamine levels influenced the quality of information derived from sensory information. On the speed-accuracy task, dopaminergic medication did not directly influence reaction times or error rates. PD patients OFF medication had slower RTs and made more errors with speed than accuracy instructions compared to the controls, whereas such differences were not observed ON medication. PD patients had lower drift rates and higher response thresholds than the healthy controls both with speed and accuracy instructions and ON and OFF medication. For the patients, only non-decision time was higher OFF than ON medication and higher with accuracy than speed instructions. The present results demonstrate that when task difficulty is manipulated, dopaminergic medication impairs perceptual decision-making and renders it more errorful in PD relative to when patients are tested OFF medication. In contrast, for the speed/accuracy task, being ON medication improved performance by eliminating the significantly higher errors and slower RTs observed for patients OFF medication compared to the HC group. There was no evidence of dopaminergic medication inducing impulsive decisions when patients were acting under speed pressure. For the speed-accuracy instructions, the sole effect of dopaminergic medication was on non-decision time, which suggests that medication primarily affected processes tightly coupled with the motor symptoms of PD. Interestingly, the current results suggest opposite effects of dopaminergic medication on the levels of difficulty and speed-accuracy versions of the moving dots task, possibly reflecting the differential effect of dopamine on modulating drift rate (levels of difficulty task) and non-decision time (speed-accuracy task) in the process of perceptual decision making. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reducing the impact of speed dispersion on subway corridor flow.

PubMed

Qiao, Jing; Sun, Lishan; Liu, Xiaoming; Rong, Jian

2017-11-01

The rapid increase in the volume of subway passengers in Beijing has necessitated higher requirements for the safety and efficiency of subway corridors. Speed dispersion is an important factor that affects safety and efficiency. This paper aims to analyze the management control methods for reducing pedestrian speed dispersion in subways. The characteristics of the speed dispersion of pedestrian flow were analyzed according to field videos. The control measurements which were conducted by placing traffic signs, yellow marking, and guardrail were proposed to alleviate speed dispersion. The results showed that the methods of placing traffic signs, yellow marking, and a guardrail improved safety and efficiency for all four volumes of pedestrian traffic flow, and the best-performing control measurement was guardrails. Furthermore, guardrails' optimal position and design measurements were explored. The research findings provide a rationale for subway managers in optimizing pedestrian traffic flow in subway corridors. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Pencil grips, legibility, and speed of fourth-graders' writing in cursive.

PubMed

Koziatek, Susan M; Powell, Nancy J

2003-01-01

The purpose of this research was to study how the speed and legibility of fourth-graders handwriting was affected by type of pencil grip on the Evaluation Tool of Children's Handwriting-Cursive. Ninety-five typically developing students and 6 students receiving special education services completed the Evaluation Tool of Children's Handwriting-Cursive (ETCH-C). Photographs were taken of their pencil grips while they wrote the alphabet. One-way ANOVAs were calculated to compare legibility rates and writing speeds by type of pencil grip. Ninety-nine of the students used one of four pencil grips including the dynamic tripod (38 students), the dynamic quadrupod (18), the lateral tripod (22), and the lateral quadrupod (21). One student used the four-finger pencil grip and one used the interdigital pencil grip. Mean cursive writing speeds were similar for all pencil grips except for the interdigital grasp. Speeds obtained were slower than recently published fourth-grade speeds ranging from a mean of 29.45 to 34.75 letters per minute. CONCLUSION. This study found the lateral quadrupod and four-finger pencil grips to be as functional as the dynamic tripod, lateral tripod, and dynamic quadrupod pencil grips. This study provides average handwriting speeds for fourth-grade students on the ETCH-C.

A Two-stage Improvement Method for Robot Based 3D Surface Scanning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, F. B.; Liang, Y. D.; Wang, R. F.; Lin, Y. S.

2018-03-01

As known that the surface of unknown object was difficult to measure or recognize precisely, hence the 3D laser scanning technology was introduced and used properly in surface reconstruction. Usually, the surface scanning speed was slower and the scanning quality would be better, while the speed was faster and the quality would be worse. In this case, the paper presented a new two-stage scanning method in order to pursuit the quality of surface scanning in a faster speed. The first stage was rough scanning to get general point cloud data of object’s surface, and then the second stage was specific scanning to repair missing regions which were determined by chord length discrete method. Meanwhile, a system containing a robotic manipulator and a handy scanner was also developed to implement the two-stage scanning method, and relevant paths were planned according to minimum enclosing ball and regional coverage theories.

Development of independent locomotion in children with a severe visual impairment.

PubMed

Hallemans, Ann; Ortibus, Els; Truijen, Steven; Meire, Francoise

2011-01-01

Locomotion of children and adults with a visual impairment (ages 1-44, n = 28) was compared to that of age-related individuals with normal vision (n = 60). Participants walked barefoot at preferred speed while their gait was recorded by a Vicon(®) system. Walking speed, heading angle, step frequency, stride length, step width, stance phase duration and double support time were determined. Differences between groups, relationships with age and possible interaction effects were investigated. With increasing age overall improvements in gait parameters are observed. Differences between groups were a slower walking speed, a shorter stride length, a prolonged duration of stance and of double support in the individuals with a visual impairment. These may be considered either as adaptations to balance problems or as strategies to allow to foot to probe the ground. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Overview of a Trajectory-Based Solution for En Route and Terminal Area Self-Spacing: Fifth Edition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbott, Terence S.

2015-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the fifth revision to an algorithm specifically designed to support NASA's Airborne Precision Spacing concept. This algorithm is referred to as the Airborne Spacing for Terminal Arrival Routes version 12 (ASTAR12). This airborne self-spacing concept is trajectory-based, allowing for spacing operations prior to the aircraft being on a common path. Because this algorithm is trajectory-based, it also has the inherent ability to support required-time-of- arrival (RTA) operations. This algorithm was also designed specifically to support a standalone, non-integrated implementation in the spacing aircraft. This current revision to the algorithm includes a ground speed feedback term to compensate for slower than expected traffic aircraft speeds based on the accepted air traffic control tendency to slow aircraft below the nominal arrival speeds when they are farther from the airport.

The effect of vessel speed on the survivorship of biofouling organisms at different hull locations.

PubMed

Coutts, Ashley D M; Piola, Richard F; Taylor, Michael D; Hewitt, Chad L; Gardner, Jonathan P A

2010-07-01

This study used a specially designed MAGPLATE system to quantify the en route survivorship and post-voyage recovery of biofouling assemblages subjected to short voyages (< 12 h) across a range of vessel speeds (slow, medium, fast; in the range 4.0-21.5 knots). The effect of hull location (bow, amidships and stern) was also examined. While no significant differences were evident in en route survivorship of biofouling organisms amongst hull locations, biofouling cover and richness were markedly reduced on faster vessels relative to slower craft. Therefore, the potential inoculum size of non-indigenous marine species and richness is likely to be reduced for vessels that travel at faster speeds (> 14 knots), which is likely to also reduce the chances of successful introductions. Despite this, the magnitude of introductions from biofouling on fast vessels can be considered minor, especially for species richness where 90% of source-port species were recorded at destinations.

Forward flight of birds revisited. Part 1: aerodynamics and performance.

PubMed

Iosilevskii, G

2014-10-01

This paper is the first part of the two-part exposition, addressing performance and dynamic stability of birds. The aerodynamic model underlying the entire study is presented in this part. It exploits the simplicity of the lifting line approximation to furnish the forces and moments acting on a single wing in closed analytical forms. The accuracy of the model is corroborated by comparison with numerical simulations based on the vortex lattice method. Performance is studied both in tethered (as on a sting in a wind tunnel) and in free flights. Wing twist is identified as the main parameter affecting the flight performance-at high speeds, it improves efficiency, the rate of climb and the maximal level speed; at low speeds, it allows flying slower. It is demonstrated that, under most circumstances, the difference in performance between tethered and free flights is small.

Low latency and persistent data storage

DOEpatents

Fitch, Blake G; Franceschini, Michele M; Jagmohan, Ashish; Takken, Todd

2014-11-04

Persistent data storage is provided by a computer program product that includes computer program code configured for receiving a low latency store command that includes write data. The write data is written to a first memory device that is implemented by a nonvolatile solid-state memory technology characterized by a first access speed. It is acknowledged that the write data has been successfully written to the first memory device. The write data is written to a second memory device that is implemented by a volatile memory technology. At least a portion of the data in the first memory device is written to a third memory device when a predetermined amount of data has been accumulated in the first memory device. The third memory device is implemented by a nonvolatile solid-state memory technology characterized by a second access speed that is slower than the first access speed.

Optics. Spatially structured photons that travel in free space slower than the speed of light.

PubMed

Giovannini, Daniel; Romero, Jacquiline; Potoček, Václav; Ferenczi, Gergely; Speirits, Fiona; Barnett, Stephen M; Faccio, Daniele; Padgett, Miles J

2015-02-20

That the speed of light in free space is constant is a cornerstone of modern physics. However, light beams have finite transverse size, which leads to a modification of their wave vectors resulting in a change to their phase and group velocities. We study the group velocity of single photons by measuring a change in their arrival time that results from changing the beam's transverse spatial structure. Using time-correlated photon pairs, we show a reduction in the group velocity of photons in both a Bessel beam and photons in a focused Gaussian beam. In both cases, the delay is several micrometers over a propagation distance of ~1 meter. Our work highlights that, even in free space, the invariance of the speed of light only applies to plane waves. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

I "hear" what you're "saying": Auditory perceptual simulation, reading speed, and reading comprehension.

PubMed

Zhou, Peiyun; Christianson, Kiel

2016-01-01

Auditory perceptual simulation (APS) during silent reading refers to situations in which the reader actively simulates the voice of a character or other person depicted in a text. In three eye-tracking experiments, APS effects were investigated as people read utterances attributed to a native English speaker, a non-native English speaker, or no speaker at all. APS effects were measured via online eye movements and offline comprehension probes. Results demonstrated that inducing APS during silent reading resulted in observable differences in reading speed when readers simulated the speech of faster compared to slower speakers and compared to silent reading without APS. Social attitude survey results indicated that readers' attitudes towards the native and non-native speech did not consistently influence APS-related effects. APS of both native speech and non-native speech increased reading speed, facilitated deeper, less good-enough sentence processing, and improved comprehension compared to normal silent reading.

Distributed flow sensing for closed-loop speed control of a flexible fish robot.

PubMed

Zhang, Feitian; Lagor, Francis D; Yeo, Derrick; Washington, Patrick; Paley, Derek A

2015-10-23

Flexibility plays an important role in fish behavior by enabling high maneuverability for predator avoidance and swimming in turbulent flow. This paper presents a novel flexible fish robot equipped with distributed pressure sensors for flow sensing. The body of the robot is molded from soft, hyperelastic material, which provides flexibility. Its Joukowski-foil shape is conducive to modeling the fluid analytically. A quasi-steady potential-flow model is adopted for real-time flow estimation, whereas a discrete-time vortex-shedding flow model is used for higher-fidelity simulation. The dynamics for the flexible fish robot yield a reduced model for one-dimensional swimming. A recursive Bayesian filter assimilates pressure measurements to estimate flow speed, angle of attack, and foil camber. The closed-loop speed-control strategy combines an inverse-mapping feedforward controller based on an average model derived for periodic actuation of angle-of-attack and a proportional-integral feedback controller utilizing the estimated flow information. Simulation and experimental results are presented to show the effectiveness of the estimation and control strategy. The paper provides a systematic approach to distributed flow sensing for closed-loop speed control of a flexible fish robot by regulating the flapping amplitude.

A cellular automata traffic flow model for three-phase theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Yong-Sheng; Feng, Xiao; Zeng, Jun-Wei

2017-08-01

This paper presents a newly-modified KKW model including the subdivided vehicles types, and introduces the changes for a driver's sensitivity into the speed fluctuation. By means of the numerical simulation the following conclusions are obtained herewith: 1. Velocity disturbance propagation in traffic flow is caused by the speed adaptation among vehicles. 2. In free flow phase, very fewer vehicles are affected by the velocity disturbance and the effect can be dissipated quickly thus the time of disturbance in a single vehicle is quite shorter. On the contrary, the impact duration time of the disturbance on a single vehicle is longer in synchronous flow phase, thus, it will affect more vehicles accordingly. 3. Under the free flow phase, the continuous deceleration behavior of a high speed vehicle to adapt the preceding car with slow speed can cause the reduction of the driver's sensitivity, lead to the vehicle over-deceleration and aggravate the effects of velocity perturbations While in the synchronous flow phase, though the reaction delay caused by the driver's sensitivity reduction can induce speed wave dissolving in essence, it increases the impact of disturbance on the traffic flow. 4. The large acceleration and deceleration tendency of an aggressive driver in the free flow phase always increase the influence of the velocity disturbance, while a conservative driver often weakens the influence. However, in the synchronized flow, since the high traffic density and the synchronization between vehicles is very strong, also the main factor which affects the driver's speed choice is the distance among vehicles, therefore the effect of a driver's behavior tendency to the spread of velocity perturbation is not obvious under this state.

A Real-Time Method to Estimate Speed of Object Based on Object Detection and Optical Flow Calculation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Kaizhan; Ye, Yunming; Li, Xutao; Li, Yan

2018-04-01

In recent years Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) has been widely used in computer vision field and makes great progress in lots of contents like object detection and classification. Even so, combining Convolutional Neural Network, which means making multiple CNN frameworks working synchronously and sharing their output information, could figure out useful message that each of them cannot provide singly. Here we introduce a method to real-time estimate speed of object by combining two CNN: YOLOv2 and FlowNet. In every frame, YOLOv2 provides object size; object location and object type while FlowNet providing the optical flow of whole image. On one hand, object size and object location help to select out the object part of optical flow image thus calculating out the average optical flow of every object. On the other hand, object type and object size help to figure out the relationship between optical flow and true speed by means of optics theory and priori knowledge. Therefore, with these two key information, speed of object can be estimated. This method manages to estimate multiple objects at real-time speed by only using a normal camera even in moving status, whose error is acceptable in most application fields like manless driving or robot vision.

Analysis of Statoliths Displacement in Chara Rhizoids for Validating the Microgravity-Simulation Quality of Clinorotation Modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krause, Lars; Braun, Markus; Hauslage, Jens; Hemmersbach, Ruth

2018-05-01

In single-celled rhizoids of the green algae Chara, positively gravitropic growth is governed by statoliths kept in a dynamically stable position 10-25 μ m above the cell tip by a complex interaction of gravity and actomyosin forces. Any deviation of the tube-like cells from the tip-downward orientation causes statoliths to sediment onto the gravisensitive subapical cell flank which initiates a gravitropic curvature response. Microgravity experiments have shown that abolishing the net tip-directed gravity force results in an actomyosin-mediated axial displacement of statoliths away from the cell tip. The present study was performed to critically assess the quality of microgravity simulation provided by different operational modes of a Random Positioning Machine (RPM) running with one axis (2D mode) or two axes (3D mode) and different rotational speeds (2D), speed ranges and directions (3D). The effects of 2D and 3D rotation were compared with data from experiments in real microgravity conditions (MAXUS sounding rocket missions). Rotational speeds in the range of 60-85 rpm in 2D and 3D modes resulted in a similar kinetics of statolith displacement as compared to real microgravity data, while slower clinorotation (2-11 rpm) caused a reduced axial displacement and a more dispersed arrangement of statoliths closer to the cell tip. Increasing the complexity of rotation by adding a second rotation axis in case of 3D clinorotation did not increase the quality of microgravity simulation, however, increased side effects such as the level of vibrations resulting in a more dispersed arrangement of statoliths. In conclusion, fast 2D clinorotation provides the most appropriate microgravity simulation for investigating the graviperception mechanism in Chara rhizoids, whereas slower clinorotation speeds and rotating samples around two axes do not improve the quality of microgravity simulation.

Analysis of Statoliths Displacement in Chara Rhizoids for Validating the Microgravity-Simulation Quality of Clinorotation Modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krause, Lars; Braun, Markus; Hauslage, Jens; Hemmersbach, Ruth

2018-01-01

In single-celled rhizoids of the green algae Chara, positively gravitropic growth is governed by statoliths kept in a dynamically stable position 10-25 μ m above the cell tip by a complex interaction of gravity and actomyosin forces. Any deviation of the tube-like cells from the tip-downward orientation causes statoliths to sediment onto the gravisensitive subapical cell flank which initiates a gravitropic curvature response. Microgravity experiments have shown that abolishing the net tip-directed gravity force results in an actomyosin-mediated axial displacement of statoliths away from the cell tip. The present study was performed to critically assess the quality of microgravity simulation provided by different operational modes of a Random Positioning Machine (RPM) running with one axis (2D mode) or two axes (3D mode) and different rotational speeds (2D), speed ranges and directions (3D). The effects of 2D and 3D rotation were compared with data from experiments in real microgravity conditions (MAXUS sounding rocket missions). Rotational speeds in the range of 60-85 rpm in 2D and 3D modes resulted in a similar kinetics of statolith displacement as compared to real microgravity data, while slower clinorotation (2-11 rpm) caused a reduced axial displacement and a more dispersed arrangement of statoliths closer to the cell tip. Increasing the complexity of rotation by adding a second rotation axis in case of 3D clinorotation did not increase the quality of microgravity simulation, however, increased side effects such as the level of vibrations resulting in a more dispersed arrangement of statoliths. In conclusion, fast 2D clinorotation provides the most appropriate microgravity simulation for investigating the graviperception mechanism in Chara rhizoids, whereas slower clinorotation speeds and rotating samples around two axes do not improve the quality of microgravity simulation.

Large eddy simulations and direct numerical simulations of high speed turbulent reacting flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Givi, Peyman; Madnia, C. K.; Steinberger, C. J.; Tsai, A.

1991-01-01

This research is involved with the implementations of advanced computational schemes based on large eddy simulations (LES) and direct numerical simulations (DNS) to study the phenomenon of mixing and its coupling with chemical reactions in compressible turbulent flows. In the efforts related to LES, a research program was initiated to extend the present capabilities of this method for the treatment of chemically reacting flows, whereas in the DNS efforts, focus was on detailed investigations of the effects of compressibility, heat release, and nonequilibrium kinetics modeling in high speed reacting flows. The efforts to date were primarily focussed on simulations of simple flows, namely, homogeneous compressible flows and temporally developing hign speed mixing layers. A summary of the accomplishments is provided.

Ultrasonically Encoded Photoacoustic Flowgraphy in Biological Tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lidai; Xia, Jun; Yao, Junjie; Maslov, Konstantin I.; Wang, Lihong V.

2013-11-01

Blood flow speed is an important functional parameter. Doppler ultrasound flowmetry lacks sufficient sensitivity to slow blood flow (several to tens of millimeters per second) in deep tissue. To address this challenge, we developed ultrasonically encoded photoacoustic flowgraphy combining ultrasonic thermal tagging with photoacoustic imaging. Focused ultrasound generates a confined heat source in acoustically absorptive fluid. Thermal waves propagate with the flow and are directly visualized in pseudo color using photoacoustic computed tomography. The Doppler shift is employed to calculate the flow speed. This method requires only acoustic and optical absorption, and thus is applicable to continuous fluid. A blood flow speed as low as 0.24mm·s-1 was successfully measured. Deep blood flow imaging was experimentally demonstrated under 5-mm-thick chicken breast tissue.

Fast PSP measurements of wall-pressure fluctuation in low-speed flows: improvements using proper orthogonal decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Di; Wang, Shaofei; Liu, Yingzheng

2016-04-01

Fast pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) is very useful in flow diagnostics due to its fast response and high spatial resolution, but its applications in low-speed flows are usually challenging due to limitations of paint's pressure sensitivity and the capability of high-speed imagers. The poor signal-to-noise ratio in low-speed cases makes it very difficult to extract useful information from the PSP data. In this study, unsteady PSP measurements were made on a flat plate behind a cylinder in a low-speed wind tunnel (flow speed from 10 to 17 m/s). Pressure fluctuations (Δ P) on the plate caused by vortex-plate interaction were recorded continuously by fast PSP (using a high-speed camera) and a microphone array. Power spectrum of pressure fluctuations and phase-averaged Δ P obtained from PSP and microphone were compared, showing good agreement in general. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) was used to reduce noise in PSP data and extract the dominant pressure features. The PSP results reconstructed from selected POD modes were then compared to the pressure data obtained simultaneously with microphone sensors. Based on the comparison of both instantaneous Δ P and root-mean-square of Δ P, it was confirmed that POD analysis could effectively remove noise while preserving the instantaneous pressure information with good fidelity, especially for flows with strong periodicity. This technique extends the application range of fast PSP and can be a powerful tool for fundamental fluid mechanics research at low speed.

Bumblebees measure optic flow for position and speed control flexibly within the frontal visual field.

PubMed

Linander, Nellie; Dacke, Marie; Baird, Emily

2015-04-01

When flying through narrow spaces, insects control their position by balancing the magnitude of apparent image motion (optic flow) experienced in each eye and their speed by holding this value about a desired set point. Previously, it has been shown that when bumblebees encounter sudden changes in the proximity to nearby surfaces - as indicated by a change in the magnitude of optic flow on each side of the visual field - they adjust their flight speed well before the change, suggesting that they measure optic flow for speed control at low visual angles in the frontal visual field. Here, we investigated the effect that sudden changes in the magnitude of translational optic flow have on both position and speed control in bumblebees if these changes are asymmetrical; that is, if they occur only on one side of the visual field. Our results reveal that the visual region over which bumblebees respond to optic flow cues for flight control is not dictated by a set viewing angle. Instead, bumblebees appear to use the maximum magnitude of translational optic flow experienced in the frontal visual field. This strategy ensures that bumblebees use the translational optic flow generated by the nearest obstacles - that is, those with which they have the highest risk of colliding - to control flight. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Tachyon search speeds up retrieval of similar sequences by several orders of magnitude.

PubMed

Tan, Joshua; Kuchibhatla, Durga; Sirota, Fernanda L; Sherman, Westley A; Gattermayer, Tobias; Kwoh, Chia Yee; Eisenhaber, Frank; Schneider, Georg; Maurer-Stroh, Sebastian

2012-06-15

The usage of current sequence search tools becomes increasingly slower as databases of protein sequences continue to grow exponentially. Tachyon, a new algorithm that identifies closely related protein sequences ~200 times faster than standard BLAST, circumvents this limitation with a reduced database and oligopeptide matching heuristic. The tool is publicly accessible as a webserver at http://tachyon.bii.a-star.edu.sg and can also be accessed programmatically through SOAP.

Rule-Based Reasoning Is Fast and Belief-Based Reasoning Can Be Slow: Challenging Current Explanations of Belief-Bias and Base-Rate Neglect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Ian R.; Gibb, Maia; Thompson, Valerie A.

2017-01-01

It is commonly assumed that belief-based reasoning is fast and automatic, whereas rule-based reasoning is slower and more effortful. Dual-Process theories of reasoning rely on this speed-asymmetry explanation to account for a number of reasoning phenomena, such as base-rate neglect and belief-bias. The goal of the current study was to test this…

Investigation of dynamic characteristics of a turbine-propeller engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oppenheimer, Frank L; Jacques, James R

1951-01-01

Time constants that characterize engine speed response of a turbine-propeller engine over the cruising speed range for various values of constant fuel flow and constant blade angle were obtained both from steady-state characteristics and from transient operation. Magnitude of speed response to changes in fuel flow and blade angle was investigated and is presented in the form of gain factors. Results indicate that at any given value of speed in the engine cruising speed range, time constants obtained both from steady-state characteristics and from transient operation agree satisfactorily for any given constant fuel flow, whereas time constants obtained from transient operation exceed time constants obtained from steady-state characteristics by approximately 14 percent for any given blade angle.

Wind flow modulation due to variations of the water surface roughness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shomina, Olga; Ermakov, Stanislav; Kapustin, Ivan; Lazareva, Tatiana

2016-04-01

Air-ocean interaction is a classical problem in atmosphere and ocean physics, which has important geophysical applications related to calculation of vertical and horizontal humidity, aerosol and gas fluxes, development of global climate models and weather forecasts. The structure of wind flow over fixed underlying surfaces, such as forestry, buildings, mountains, is well described, while the interaction between a rough water surface and turbulent wind is far more complicated because of the presence of wind waves with different wavelength and amplitudes and propagating with different velocities and directions. The aim of this study was to investigate experimentally the variability of the wind profile structure due to variations of wave characteristics. The surface roughness variations were produced using a) surfactant films (oleic acid) spread on the water surface and b) mechanically generated waves superimposed on wind waves. The first case is related to oil slicks on sea surface, the second one - to the sea swell, which propagates into zones with lower wind velocities and interacts with wind flow. Laboratory experiments were conducted in the Oval Wind Wave Tank (OWWT) at the Institute of Applied Physics, cross-section of the wind channel is 30 cm x30 cm. Wave amplitude and the spectrum of surface waves were measured by a wire wave gauge, the wind speed was measured using a hot-wire anemometer DISA and a Pitot tube. In the experiments with surfactants, two frequencies of dripping of the oleic acid were studied, so that low concentration films with the elasticity parameters of about 19 mN/m and the high concentration ("thick") films with the elasticity of 34 mN/m were formed. In the experiments with mechanically generated waves (MGW) different regimes were studied with MGW amplitude of 3.4 mm and of 4.4 mm, and with MGW frequencies of 3.3 Hz and 3.7 Hz. It was shown, that: a) the mean velocity of the wind flow in the presence of surfactant and MGW can be described by a logarithmic profile; b) in the presence of a surfactant film an increase of wind speed was revealed; the more elastic films was deployed on the surface - the stronger wind acceleration was detected; c) MGW result in deceleration of wind flow, the larger MGW amplitude the stronger wind flow reduction is; d) the wind deceleration effect is more pronounced for MGW with higher frequency, i.e. for slower propagating MGW. e) experimental dependencies of the logarithmic wind profile characteristics as functions of the rout mean square (RMS) wave height were obtained demonstrating the growth of the wind friction velocity and the roughness coefficient with RMS. The work has been supported by the Russian Foundation of Basic Research (Projects № 14-05-31535, 14-05-00876, 15-35-20992).

(DURIP 10) High Speed Intensified Imaging System For Studies Of Mixing And Combustion In Supersonic Flows And Hydrocarbon Flame Structure Measurements At Elevated Pressures

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-09

software, and their networking to augment optical diagnostics employed in supersonic reacting and non-reacting flow experiments . A high-speed...facility at Caltech. Experiments to date have made use of this equipment, extending previous capabilities to high-speed schlieren quantitative flow...visualization and image correlation velocimetry, with further experiments currently in progress. 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17

Effects of changing speed on knee and ankle joint load during walking and running.

PubMed

de David, Ana Cristina; Carpes, Felipe Pivetta; Stefanyshyn, Darren

2015-01-01

Joint moments can be used as an indicator of joint loading and have potential application for sports performance and injury prevention. The effects of changing walking and running speeds on joint moments for the different planes of motion still are debatable. Here, we compared knee and ankle moments during walking and running at different speeds. Data were collected from 11 recreational male runners to determine knee and ankle joint moments during different conditions. Conditions include walking at a comfortable speed (self-selected pacing), fast walking (fastest speed possible), slow running (speed corresponding to 30% slower than running) and running (at 4 m · s(-1) ± 10%). A different joint moment pattern was observed between walking and running. We observed a general increase in joint load for sagittal and frontal planes as speed increased, while the effects of speed were not clear in the transverse plane moments. Although differences tend to be more pronounced when gait changed from walking to running, the peak moments, in general, increased when speed increased from comfortable walking to fast walking and from slow running to running mainly in the sagittal and frontal planes. Knee flexion moment was higher in walking than in running due to larger knee extension. Results suggest caution when recommending walking over running in an attempt to reduce knee joint loading. The different effects of speed increments during walking and running should be considered with regard to the prevention of injuries and for rehabilitation purposes.

Power consumption of rotary blood pumps: pulsatile versus constant-speed mode.

PubMed

Pirbodaghi, Tohid; Cotter, Chris; Bourque, Kevin

2014-12-01

We investigated the power consumption of a HeartMate III rotary blood pump based on in vitro experiments performed in a cardiovascular simulator. To create artificial-pulse mode, we modulated the pump speed by decreasing the mean speed by 2000 rpm for 200 ms and then increasing speed by 4000 rpm (mean speeds plus 2000 rpm) for another 200 ms, creating a square waveform shape. The HeartMate III was connected to a cardiovascular simulator consisting of a hydraulic pump system to simulate left ventricle pumping action, arterial and venous compliance chambers, and an adjustable valve for peripheral resistance to facilitate the desired aortic pressure. The simulator operated based on Suga's elastance model to mimic the Starling response of the heart, thereby reproducing physiological blood flow and pressure conditions. We measured the instantaneous total electrical current and voltage of the pump to evaluate its power consumption. The aim was to answer these fundamental questions: (i) How does pump speed modulation affect pump power consumption? (ii) How does the power consumption vary in relation to external pulsatile flow? The results indicate that speed modulation and external pulsatile flow both moderately increase the power consumption. Increasing the pump speed reduces the impact of external pulsatile flow. Copyright © 2014 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Engine lubrication circuit including two pumps

DOEpatents

Lane, William H.

2006-10-03

A lubrication pump coupled to the engine is sized such that the it can supply the engine with a predetermined flow volume as soon as the engine reaches a peak torque engine speed. In engines that operate predominately at speeds above the peak torque engine speed, the lubrication pump is often producing lubrication fluid in excess of the predetermined flow volume that is bypassed back to a lubrication fluid source. This arguably results in wasted power. In order to more efficiently lubricate an engine, a lubrication circuit includes a lubrication pump and a variable delivery pump. The lubrication pump is operably coupled to the engine, and the variable delivery pump is in communication with a pump output controller that is operable to vary a lubrication fluid output from the variable delivery pump as a function of at least one of engine speed and lubrication flow volume or system pressure. Thus, the lubrication pump can be sized to produce the predetermined flow volume at a speed range at which the engine predominately operates while the variable delivery pump can supplement lubrication fluid delivery from the lubrication pump at engine speeds below the predominant engine speed range.

Gyrotactic suppression and emergence of chaotic trajectories of swimming particles in three-dimensional flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, S. I. Heath; Baggaley, A. W.; Hill, N. A.

2018-02-01

We study the effects of imposed three-dimensional flows on the trajectories and mixing of gyrotactic swimming microorganisms and identify phenomena not seen in flows restricted to two dimensions. Through numerical simulation of Taylor-Green and Arnold-Beltrami-Childress (ABC) flows, we explore the role that the flow and the cell shape play in determining the long-term configuration of the cells' trajectories, which often take the form of multiple sinuous and helical "plumelike" structures, even in the chaotic ABC flow. This gyrotactic suppression of Lagrangian chaos persists even in the presence of random noise. Analytical solutions for a number of cases reveal the how plumes form and the nature of the competition between torques acting on individual cells. Furthermore, studies of Lyapunov exponents reveal that, as the ratio of cell swimming speed relative to the flow speed increases from zero, the initial chaotic trajectories are first suppressed and then give way to a second unexpected window of chaotic trajectories at speeds greater than unity, before suppression of chaos at high relative swimming speeds.

Two-stage fan. 2: Data and performance with redesigned second stage rotor uniform and distorted inlet flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Messenger, H. E.; Keenan, M. J.

1974-01-01

A two-stage fan with a first rotor tip speed of 1450 ft/sec (441.96 m/sec) and no inlet guide vanes was tested with uniform and distorted inlet flows, with a redesigned second rotor having a part span shroud to prevent flutter, with variable-stagger stators set in nominal positions, and without rotor casing treatment. The fan achieved a pressure ratio 2.8 at a corrected flow of 185.4 lbm/sec (84.0 kg/sec), an adiabatic efficiency of 85.0 percent, and a stall margin of 12 percent. The redesigned second rotor did not flutter. Tip radial distortion reduced the stall margin at intermediate speed, but had little effect on stall margin at high or low speeds. Hub radial distortion reduced the stall margin at design speed but increased stall margin at low speed. Circumferential distortion reduced stall pressure ratio and flow to give approximately the same stall lines with uniform inlet flow. Distortions were attenuated by the fan. For Vol. 1, see N74-11421.

The influence of maximum running speed on eye size: a test of Leuckart's Law in mammals.

PubMed

Heard-Booth, Amber N; Kirk, E Christopher

2012-06-01

Vertebrate eye size is influenced by many factors, including body or head size, diet, and activity pattern. Locomotor speed has also been suggested to influence eye size in a relationship known as Leuckart's Law. Leuckart's Law proposes that animals capable of achieving fast locomotor speeds require large eyes to enhance visual acuity and avoid collisions with environmental obstacles. The selective influence of rapid flight has been invoked to explain the relatively large eyes of birds, but Leuckart's Law remains untested in nonavian vertebrates. This study investigates the relationship between eye size and maximum running speed in a diverse sample of mammals. Measures of axial eye diameter, maximum running speed, and body mass were collected from the published literature for 50 species from 10 mammalian orders. This analysis reveals that absolute eye size is significantly positively correlated with maximum running speed in mammals. Moreover, the relationship between eye size and running speed remains significant when the potentially confounding effects of body mass and phylogeny are statistically controlled. The results of this analysis are therefore consistent with the expectations of Leuckart's Law and demonstrate that faster-moving mammals have larger eyes than their slower-moving close relatives. Accordingly, we conclude that maximum running speed is one of several key selective factors that have influenced the evolution of eye size in mammals. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

IN VITRO FLOW ANALYSIS OF NOVEL DOUBLE-CUTTING, OPEN-PORT, ULTRAHIGH-SPEED VITRECTOMY SYSTEMS.

PubMed

Zehetner, Claus; Moelgg, Marion; Bechrakis, Emmanouil; Linhart, Caroline; Bechrakis, Nikolaos E

2017-10-09

To analyze the performance and flow characteristics of novel double-cutting, open-port, 23-, 25-, and 27-gauge ultrahigh-speed vitrectomy systems. In vitro fluidic measurements were performed to assess the volumetric aspiration profiles of several vitrectomy systems in basic salt solution and egg white. Double-cutting open-port vitrectomy probes delivered stable aspiration flow rates that were less prone to flow variation affected by the cutting speed. Increase in cutting frequency to the maximum level resulted in flow reduction of less than 10% (0.0%-9.5%). Commercially available 23-, 25-, and 27-G double-cutting probes exhibited higher egg-white and basic salt solution flow rates at all evaluated cut rates, with aspirational efficiencies being 1.1 to 2.9 times the flow rates of standard single-blade vitrectomy probes of the same caliber at the maximum preset vacuum. The highest relative differences were observed at faster cut rates. The newly introduced double-cutting open-port vitrectomy probes delivered stable aspiration flow rates that were less prone to flow variation affected by the cutting speed. The fluidic principle of constant flow even at the highest cut rates and low vacuum levels might impact surgical strategies, especially when performing manipulations close to the retina.

Age-Group Differences in Interference from Young and Older Emotional Faces.

PubMed

Ebner, Natalie C; Johnson, Marcia K

2010-11-01

Human attention is selective, focusing on some aspects of events at the expense of others. In particular, angry faces engage attention. Most studies have used pictures of young faces, even when comparing young and older age groups. Two experiments asked (1) whether task-irrelevant faces of young and older individuals with happy, angry, and neutral expressions disrupt performance on a face-unrelated task, (2) whether interference varies for faces of different ages and different facial expressions, and (3) whether young and older adults differ in this regard. Participants gave speeded responses on a number task while irrelevant faces appeared in the background. Both age groups were more distracted by own than other-age faces. In addition, young participants' responses were slower for angry than happy faces, whereas older participants' responses were slower for happy than angry faces. Factors underlying age-group differences in interference from emotional faces of different ages are discussed.

Implementation of density-based solver for all speeds in the framework of OpenFOAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Chun; Sun, Fengxian; Xia, Xinlin

2014-10-01

In the framework of open source CFD code OpenFOAM, a density-based solver for all speeds flow field is developed. In this solver the preconditioned all speeds AUSM+(P) scheme is adopted and the dual time scheme is implemented to complete the unsteady process. Parallel computation could be implemented to accelerate the solving process. Different interface reconstruction algorithms are implemented, and their accuracy with respect to convection is compared. Three benchmark tests of lid-driven cavity flow, flow crossing over a bump, and flow over a forward-facing step are presented to show the accuracy of the AUSM+(P) solver for low-speed incompressible flow, transonic flow, and supersonic/hypersonic flow. Firstly, for the lid driven cavity flow, the computational results obtained by different interface reconstruction algorithms are compared. It is indicated that the one dimensional reconstruction scheme adopted in this solver possesses high accuracy and the solver developed in this paper can effectively catch the features of low incompressible flow. Then via the test cases regarding the flow crossing over bump and over forward step, the ability to capture characteristics of the transonic and supersonic/hypersonic flows are confirmed. The forward-facing step proves to be the most challenging for the preconditioned solvers with and without the dual time scheme. Nonetheless, the solvers described in this paper reproduce the main features of this flow, including the evolution of the initial transient.

The steady-state flow quality in a model of a non-return wind tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mort, K. W.; Eckert, W. T.; Kelly, M. W.

1972-01-01

The structural cost of non-return wind tunnels is significantly less than that of the more conventional closed-circuit wind tunnels. However, because of the effects of external winds, the flow quality of non-return wind tunnels is an area of concern at the low test speeds required for V/STOL testing. The flow quality required at these low speeds is discussed and alternatives to the traditional manner of specifying the flow quality requirements in terms of dynamic pressure and angularity are suggested. The development of a non-return wind tunnel configuration which has good flow quality at low as well as at high test speeds is described.

The tactile speed aftereffect depends on the speed of adapting motion across the skin rather than other spatiotemporal features

PubMed Central

Seizova-Cajic, Tatjana; Holcombe, Alex O.

2015-01-01

After prolonged exposure to a surface moving across the skin, this felt movement appears slower, a phenomenon known as the tactile speed aftereffect (tSAE). We asked which feature of the adapting motion drives the tSAE: speed, the spacing between texture elements, or the frequency with which they cross the skin. After adapting to a ridged moving surface with one hand, participants compared the speed of test stimuli on adapted and unadapted hands. We used surfaces with different spatial periods (SPs; 3, 6, 12 mm) that produced adapting motion with different combinations of adapting speed (20, 40, 80 mm/s) and temporal frequency (TF; 3.4, 6.7, 13.4 ridges/s). The primary determinant of tSAE magnitude was speed of the adapting motion, not SP or TF. This suggests that adaptation occurs centrally, after speed has been computed from SP and TF, and/or that it reflects a speed cue independent of those features in the first place (e.g., indentation force). In a second experiment, we investigated the properties of the neural code for speed. Speed tuning predicts that adaptation should be greatest for speeds at or near the adapting speed. However, the tSAE was always stronger when the adapting stimulus was faster (242 mm/s) than the test (30–143 mm/s) compared with when the adapting and test speeds were matched. These results give no indication of speed tuning and instead suggest that adaptation occurs at a level where an intensive code dominates. In an intensive code, the faster the stimulus, the more the neurons fire. PMID:26631149

Embedded function methods for compressible high speed turbulent flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, J. D. A.

1989-01-01

Fundamental issues relating to compressible turbulent flow are addressed. The focus has been on developing methods and testing concepts for attached flows rather than trying to force a conventional law of the wall into a zone of backflow. Although the dynamics of the near-wall flow in an attached turbulent boundary layer are relatively well documented, the dynamical features of a zone of reversed turbulent flow are not, nor are they well understood. Incompressibility introduces effects and issues that have been dealt with only marginally in the literature, therefore, the present work has been focussed on attached high-speed flows. The wall function method has been extended up through the supersonic to hypersonic speeds. Algorithms have been successfully introduced into the code that calculates the flow all the way to the wall, and testing is being carried out for progressively more complex flow situations.

Crater Flux Transfer Events: Highroad to the X Line?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrugia, C. J.; Chen, Li-Jen; Torbert, R. B.; Southwood, D. J.; Cowley, S. W. H.; Vrublevskis, A.; Mouikis, C.; Vaivads, A.; Andre, M.; Decreau, P.;

Potential effects of the United States-Mexico border fence on wildlife.

PubMed

Flesch, Aaron D; Epps, Clinton W; Cain, James W; Clark, Matt; Krausman, Paul R; Morgart, John R

2010-02-01

Security infrastructure along international boundaries threatens to degrade connectivity for wildlife. To explore potential effects of a fence under construction along the U.S.-Mexico border on wildlife, we assessed movement behavior of two species with different life histories whose regional persistence may depend on transboundary movements. We used radiotelemetry to assess how vegetation and landscape structure affect flight and natal dispersal behaviors of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls (Glaucidium brasilianum), and satellite telemetry, gene-flow estimates, and least-cost path models to assess movement behavior and interpopulation connectivity of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis mexicana). Flight height of Pygmy-Owls averaged only 1.4 m (SE 0.1) above ground, and only 23% of flights exceeded 4 m. Juvenile Pygmy-Owls dispersed at slower speeds, changed direction more, and had lower colonization success in landscapes with larger vegetation openings or higher levels of disturbance (p < or = 0.047), which suggests large vegetation gaps coupled with tall fences may limit transboundary movements. Female bighorn sheep crossed valleys up to 4.9 km wide, and microsatellite analyses indicated relatively high levels of gene flow and migration (95% CI for F(ST)=0.010-0.115, Nm = 1.9-24.8, M =10.4-15.4) between populations divided by an 11-km valley. Models of gene flow based on regional topography and movement barriers suggested that nine populations of bighorn sheep in northwestern Sonora are linked by dispersal with those in neighboring Arizona. Disruption of transboundary movement corridors by impermeable fencing would isolate some populations on the Arizona side. Connectivity for other species with similar movement abilities and spatial distributions may be affected by border development, yet mitigation strategies could address needs of wildlife and humans.

Local scattering property scales flow speed estimation in laser speckle contrast imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, Peng; Chao, Zhen; Feng, Shihan; Yu, Hang; Ji, Yuanyuan; Li, Nan; Thakor, Nitish V.

2015-07-01

Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) has been widely used in in vivo blood flow imaging. However, the effect of local scattering property (scattering coefficient µ s ) on blood flow speed estimation has not been well investigated. In this study, such an effect was quantified and involved in relation between speckle autocorrelation time τ c and flow speed v based on simulation flow experiments. For in vivo blood flow imaging, an improved estimation strategy was developed to eliminate the estimation bias due to the inhomogeneous distribution of the scattering property. Compared to traditional LSCI, a new estimation method significantly suppressed the imaging noise and improves the imaging contrast of vasculatures. Furthermore, the new method successfully captured the blood flow changes and vascular constriction patterns in rats’ cerebral cortex from normothermia to mild and moderate hypothermia.

The numerical simulation of a high-speed axial flow compressor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulac, Richard A.; Adamczyk, John J.

1991-01-01

The advancement of high-speed axial-flow multistage compressors is impeded by a lack of detailed flow-field information. Recent development in compressor flow modeling and numerical simulation have the potential to provide needed information in a timely manner. The development of a computer program is described to solve the viscous form of the average-passage equation system for multistage turbomachinery. Programming issues such as in-core versus out-of-core data storage and CPU utilization (parallelization, vectorization, and chaining) are addressed. Code performance is evaluated through the simulation of the first four stages of a five-stage, high-speed, axial-flow compressor. The second part addresses the flow physics which can be obtained from the numerical simulation. In particular, an examination of the endwall flow structure is made, and its impact on blockage distribution assessed.

Measurement of direct current electric fields and plasma flow speeds in Jupiter's magnetosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kellogg, Paul J.; Goetz, K.; Howard, R. L.; Monson, S. J.; Balogh, A.; Forsyth, R. J.

1993-01-01

During the encounter of Ulysses with Jupiter, we have measured two components of the dc electric field and deduced from them the flow speed in the Io toms, as well as the presence of a polar cap region end what we interpret as a cleft region. Within the toms the flow speed is approximately equal to the speed of a plasma corotating with Jupiter but has significant deviations. The dominant deviations have an apparent period of the order of Jupiter's rotation period, but this might be a latitudinal effect. Other important periods are about 40 min and less than 25 min.

A theoretical model of the variation of the meridional circulation with the solar cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazra, Gopal; Choudhuri, Arnab Rai

2017-12-01

Observations of the meridional circulation of the Sun, which plays a key role in the operation of the solar dynamo, indicate that its speed varies with the solar cycle, becoming faster during the solar minima and slower during the solar maxima. To explain this variation of the meridional circulation with the solar cycle, we construct a theoretical model by coupling the equation of the meridional circulation (the ϕ component of the vorticity equation within the solar convection zone) with the equations of the flux transport dynamo model. We consider the back reaction due to the Lorentz force of the dynamo-generated magnetic fields and study the perturbations produced in the meridional circulation due to it. This enables us to model the variations of the meridional circulation without developing a full theory of the meridional circulation itself. We obtain results which reproduce the observational data of solar cycle variations of the meridional circulation reasonably well. We get the best results on assuming the turbulent viscosity acting on the velocity field to be comparable to the magnetic diffusivity (i.e. on assuming the magnetic Prandtl number to be close to unity). We have to assume an appropriate bottom boundary condition to ensure that the Lorentz force cannot drive a flow in the subadiabatic layers below the bottom of the tachocline. Our results are sensitive to this bottom boundary condition. We also suggest a hypothesis on how the observed inward flow towards the active regions may be produced.

A comparison of several methods of solving nonlinear regression groundwater flow problems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cooley, Richard L.

1985-01-01

Computational efficiency and computer memory requirements for four methods of minimizing functions were compared for four test nonlinear-regression steady state groundwater flow problems. The fastest methods were the Marquardt and quasi-linearization methods, which required almost identical computer times and numbers of iterations; the next fastest was the quasi-Newton method, and last was the Fletcher-Reeves method, which did not converge in 100 iterations for two of the problems. The fastest method per iteration was the Fletcher-Reeves method, and this was followed closely by the quasi-Newton method. The Marquardt and quasi-linearization methods were slower. For all four methods the speed per iteration was directly related to the number of parameters in the model. However, this effect was much more pronounced for the Marquardt and quasi-linearization methods than for the other two. Hence the quasi-Newton (and perhaps Fletcher-Reeves) method might be more efficient than either the Marquardt or quasi-linearization methods if the number of parameters in a particular model were large, although this remains to be proven. The Marquardt method required somewhat less central memory than the quasi-linearization metilod for three of the four problems. For all four problems the quasi-Newton method required roughly two thirds to three quarters of the memory required by the Marquardt method, and the Fletcher-Reeves method required slightly less memory than the quasi-Newton method. Memory requirements were not excessive for any of the four methods.

Computational Aerodynamic Simulations of a 1484 ft/sec Tip Speed Quiet High-Speed Fan System Model for Acoustic Methods Assessment and Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tweedt, Daniel L.

2014-01-01

Computational Aerodynamic simulations of a 1484 ft/sec tip speed quiet high-speed fan system were performed at five different operating points on the fan operating line, in order to provide detailed internal flow field information for use with fan acoustic prediction methods presently being developed, assessed and validated. The fan system is a sub-scale, low-noise research fan/nacelle model that has undergone experimental testing in the 9- by 15-foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Details of the fan geometry, the computational fluid dynamics methods, the computational grids, and various computational parameters relevant to the numerical simulations are discussed. Flow field results for three of the five operating points simulated are presented in order to provide a representative look at the computed solutions. Each of the five fan aerodynamic simulations involved the entire fan system, which includes a core duct and a bypass duct that merge upstream of the fan system nozzle. As a result, only fan rotational speed and the system bypass ratio, set by means of a translating nozzle plug, were adjusted in order to set the fan operating point, leading to operating points that lie on a fan operating line and making mass flow rate a fully dependent parameter. The resulting mass flow rates are in good agreement with measurement values. Computed blade row flow fields at all fan operating points are, in general, aerodynamically healthy. Rotor blade and fan exit guide vane flow characteristics are good, including incidence and deviation angles, chordwise static pressure distributions, blade surface boundary layers, secondary flow structures, and blade wakes. Examination of the computed flow fields reveals no excessive or critical boundary layer separations or related secondary-flow problems, with the exception of the hub boundary layer at the core duct entrance. At that location a significant flow separation is present. The region of local flow recirculation extends through a mixing plane, however, which for the particular mixing-plane model used is now known to exaggerate the recirculation. In any case, the flow separation has relatively little impact on the computed rotor and FEGV flow fields.

In vivo flow speed measurement of capillaries by photoacoustic correlation spectroscopy.

PubMed

Chen, Sung-Liang; Xie, Zhixing; Carson, Paul L; Wang, Xueding; Guo, L Jay

2011-10-15

We recently proposed photoacoustic correlation spectroscopy (PACS) and demonstrated a proof-of-concept experiment. Here we use the technique for in vivo flow speed measurement in capillaries in a chick embryo model. The photoacoustic microscopy system is used to render high spatial resolution and high sensitivity, enabling sufficient signals from single red blood cells. The probe beam size is calibrated by a blood-mimicking phantom. The results indicate the feasibility of using PACS to study flow speeds in capillaries.

New turbidity current model based on high-resolution monitoring of the longest flow ever measured

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azpiroz, Maria; Cartigny, Matthieu; Talling, Peter; Parsons, Daniel; Simmons, Steve; Clare, Michael; Sumner, Esther; Pope, Ed

2016-04-01

Turbidity currents transport large amounts of sediment from shallow waters towards deep ocean basins. Little is known about these flows, despite their potential hazard for damaging expensive and strategically important seafloor infrastructure. So far turbidity currents have been profiled in only 6 deep ocean locations worldwide. Our current knowledge of these flows is therefore mainly based on scaled-down experimental and computationally-limited numerical modelling. Here we present results from the monitoring of a one-week long turbidity current in the Congo Canyon that had a discharge close to that of the Mississippi River. Measurements taken every 5 seconds give the most detailed image yet of a turbidity current deep-water over an unprecedented duration. Our analysis reveals a different flow structure than that presented in previous models. Classical models display a thick front of the flow followed by a thinner and faster flow, which gives way to a short and quasi-steady body. Instead, we observe a thin frontal cell that outruns a thicker (~80 m), long and slower quasi-steady flow. In contrast to the previous model, where the thinner faster flow feeds sediment into the head, the Congo Canyon turbidity current shows a frontal cell that feeds sediment into, and at the same time outruns, the succeeding quasi-steady flow. As a result of the faster moving frontal cell, the flow should continuously stretch and grow in length while propagating down the system. Within the quasi-steady body, the flow switches between what appears to be two stable flow modes. One mode exhibits a fast and thin velocity profile whose maximum is a low distance from the seabed and resembles Froude-supercritical flow conditions, while the other mode is similar to Froude-subcritical flow conditions as the flow is thicker and slower. These first observations provide new insights into the behaviour of deep water long duration flows that differ from traditional models and provide an exciting chance to explore the full range of turbidity current behaviour in nature.

Three-dimensional trajectory analyses of two drop sizing instruments: PMS OAP and PMS FSSP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norment, Hillyer G.

1988-01-01

Flow induced distortions of water drop fluxes and speeds seen by the instruments were predicted by use of three dimensional flow and trajectory calculation methods. Sensitivities were determined for the instruments, in isolation and mounted under the wing of an airplane, to: water drop diameter (2 to 1000 microns), angle of attack and free stream air speed. For the optical array probe in isolation and on the airplane at 0 deg angle of attack, flux distortions of practical consequence are not found. At 4 deg airplane angle of attack, partial flow stagnation under the uptilted wing causes significant decreases in both flux and speed for cloud size droplets. For the forward scattering spectrometer probe in isolation, only marginally significant sensitivities to free stream air speed are found, and no sensitivity is found to angle of attack. Both speed and flux of cloud size droplets are predicted to be undermeasured by from 12 to 24 percent depending on airplane angle of attack. For the wing-mounted instruments, effects of flow about the instruments themselves are found to be equal in importance to effects of flow about the airplane. Preferred orientation (canting) angles of distorted water drops are found to be functions of drop size, angle of attack and air speed.

Experimental Comparison of Speed : Fuel-flow and Speed-area Controls on a Turbojet Engine for Small Step Disturbances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wenzel, L M; Hart, C E; Craig, R T

1957-01-01

Optimum proportional-plus-integral control settings for speed - fuel-flow control, determined by minimization of integral criteria, correlated well with analytically predicted optimum settings. Engine response data are given for a range of control settings around the optimum. An inherent nonlinearity in the speed-area loop necessitated the use of nonlinear controls. Response data for two such nonlinear control schemes are presented.

The association between sleep duration and physical performance in Chinese community-dwelling elderly.

PubMed

Fu, Liyuan; Jia, Liye; Zhang, Wen; Han, Peipei; Kang, Li; Ma, Yixuan; Yu, Hairui; Zhai, Tianqi; Chen, Xiaoyu; Guo, Qi

2017-01-01

Physical performance is an important healthy factor in elder people. Good living habits, which include sleep, can maintain physical strength and physical performance. The aim of the present study was to conduct a cross-sectional study to determine the association between total sleep duration and physical performance. Our study population comprised residents of the township central hospital in the suburban of Tianjin, China. We measured muscle strength, walk speed and balance function by grip, 4-m walk test and timed up and go test (TUGT). We divided sleep duration into four groups <7h, 7-8h, >8-9h, >9h. A total 898 participants had completed data (392 men and 506 women, mean age 67.71 years). In man, adjusted sleep duration was associated with lower grip in > 9 h group, the mean value (95% CI) was 0.429 (0.409, 0.448), and longer TUGT time was also associated with long sleep duration, 10.46s (9.97 s, 10.95 s). In women, adjusted slower 4-m walk speed present an inverse U-shaped relation with sleep duration, by 0.93 m/s (0.86 m/s, 0.98 m/s), 0.97 m/s (0.96 m/s, 1.00 m/s), 0.97 m/s (0.95 m/s, 0.99 m/s) and 0.92 m/s (0.89 m/s, 0.96 m/s); longer TUGT time were associated with long sleep duration (> 9 h), by 11.23 s (10.70 s, 11.77 s). In Chinese community-dwelling elderly, lower muscle strength and lower balance function were associated with long sleep duration in men. Slower walk speed and lower balance function were associated with long sleep duration in women.

Simultaneous Observations of a Large-scale Wave Event in the Solar Atmosphere: From Photosphere to Corona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yuandeng; Liu, Yu

2012-06-01

For the first time, we report a large-scale wave that was observed simultaneously in the photosphere, chromosphere, transition region, and low corona layers of the solar atmosphere. Using the high temporal and high spatial resolution observations taken by the Solar Magnetic Activity Research Telescope at Hida Observatory and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board Solar Dynamic Observatory, we find that the wave evolved synchronously at different heights of the solar atmosphere, and it propagated at a speed of 605 km s-1 and showed a significant deceleration (-424 m s-2) in the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) observations. During the initial stage, the wave speed in the EUV observations was 1000 km s-1, similar to those measured from the AIA 1700 Å (967 km s-1) and 1600 Å (893 km s-1) observations. The wave was reflected by a remote region with open fields, and a slower wave-like feature at a speed of 220 km s-1 was also identified following the primary fast wave. In addition, a type-II radio burst was observed to be associated with the wave. We conclude that this wave should be a fast magnetosonic shock wave, which was first driven by the associated coronal mass ejection and then propagated freely in the corona. As the shock wave propagated, its legs swept the solar surface and thereby resulted in the wave signatures observed in the lower layers of the solar atmosphere. The slower wave-like structure following the primary wave was probably caused by the reconfiguration of the low coronal magnetic fields, as predicted in the field-line stretching model.

Evidence accumulation in obsessive-compulsive disorder: the role of uncertainty and monetary reward on perceptual decision-making thresholds.

PubMed

Banca, Paula; Vestergaard, Martin D; Rankov, Vladan; Baek, Kwangyeol; Mitchell, Simon; Lapa, Tatyana; Castelo-Branco, Miguel; Voon, Valerie

2015-03-13

The compulsive behaviour underlying obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may be related to abnormalities in decision-making. The inability to commit to ultimate decisions, for example, patients unable to decide whether their hands are sufficiently clean, may reflect failures in accumulating sufficient evidence before a decision. Here we investigate the process of evidence accumulation in OCD in perceptual discrimination, hypothesizing enhanced evidence accumulation relative to healthy volunteers. Twenty-eight OCD patients and thirty-five controls were tested with a low-level visual perceptual task (random-dot-motion task, RDMT) and two response conflict control tasks. Regression analysis across different motion coherence levels and Hierarchical Drift Diffusion Modelling (HDDM) were used to characterize response strategies between groups in the RDMT. Patients required more evidence under high uncertainty perceptual contexts, as indexed by longer response time and higher decision boundaries. HDDM, which defines a decision when accumulated noisy evidence reaches a decision boundary, further showed slower drift rate towards the decision boundary reflecting poorer quality of evidence entering the decision process in patients under low uncertainty. With monetary incentives emphasizing speed and penalty for slower responses, patients decreased the decision thresholds relative to controls, accumulating less evidence in low uncertainty. These findings were unrelated to visual perceptual deficits and response conflict. This study provides evidence for impaired decision-formation processes in OCD, with a differential influence of high and low uncertainty contexts on evidence accumulation (decision threshold) and on the quality of evidence gathered (drift rates). It further emphasizes that OCD patients are sensitive to monetary incentives heightening speed in the speed-accuracy tradeoff, improving evidence accumulation.

Functional implications of muscle co-contraction during gait in advanced age.

PubMed

Lo, Justine; Lo, On-Yee; Olson, Erin A; Habtemariam, Daniel; Iloputaife, Ikechukwu; Gagnon, Margaret M; Manor, Brad; Lipsitz, Lewis A

2017-03-01

Older adults often exhibit high levels of lower extremity muscle co-contraction, which may be the cause or effect of age-related impairments in gait and associated falls. Normal gait requires intact executive function and thus can be slowed by challenging executive resources available to the neuromuscular system through the performance of a dual task. We therefore investigated associations between lower limb co-contraction and gait characteristics under normal and dual task conditions in healthy older adults (85.4±5.9years). We hypothesized that greater co-contraction is associated with slower gait speed during dual task conditions that stress executive and attentional abilities. Co-contraction was quantified during different phases of the gait cycle using surface electromyography (EMG) signals obtained from the anterior tibialis and lateral gastrocnemius while walking at preferred speed during normal and dual task conditions. Variables included the time difference to complete the Trail Making Test A and B (ΔTMT) and gait measures during normal or dual task walking. Higher co-contraction levels during the swing phase of both normal and dual task walking were associated with longer ΔTMT (normal: R 2 =0.25, p=0.02; dual task: R 2 =0.27, p=0.01). Co-contraction was associated with gait measures during dual task walking only; greater co-contraction levels during stride and stance were associated with slower gait speed (stride: R 2 =0.38, p=0.04; stance: R 2 =0.38, p=0.04), and greater co-contraction during stride was associated with longer stride time (R 2 =0.16, p=0.03). Our results suggest that relatively high lower limb co-contraction may explain some of the mobility impairments associated with the conduct of executive tasks in older adults. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Predictive neuromechanical simulations indicate why walking performance declines with ageing.

PubMed

Song, Seungmoon; Geyer, Hartmut

2018-04-01

Although the natural decline in walking performance with ageing affects the quality of life of a growing elderly population, its physiological origins remain unknown. By using predictive neuromechanical simulations of human walking with age-related neuro-musculo-skeletal changes, we find evidence that the loss of muscle strength and muscle contraction speed dominantly contribute to the reduced walking economy and speed. The findings imply that focusing on recovering these muscular changes may be the only effective way to improve performance in elderly walking. More generally, the work is of interest for investigating the physiological causes of altered gait due to age, injury and disorders. Healthy elderly people walk slower and energetically less efficiently than young adults. This decline in walking performance lowers the quality of life for a growing ageing population, and understanding its physiological origin is critical for devising interventions that can delay or revert it. However, the origin of the decline in walking performance remains unknown, as ageing produces a range of physiological changes whose individual effects on gait are difficult to separate in experiments with human subjects. Here we use a predictive neuromechanical model to separately address the effects of common age-related changes to the skeletal, muscular and nervous systems. We find in computer simulations of this model that the combined changes produce gait consistent with elderly walking and that mainly the loss of muscle strength and mass reduces energy efficiency. In addition, we find that the slower preferred walking speed of elderly people emerges in the simulations when adapting to muscle fatigue, again mainly caused by muscle-related changes. The results suggest that a focus on recovering these muscular changes may be the only effective way to improve performance in elderly walking. © 2018 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2018 The Physiological Society.

Morphological and electromechanical characterization of ionic liquid/Nafion polymer composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, Matthew; Leo, Donald

2005-05-01

Ionic liquids have shown promise as replacements for water in ionic polymer transducers. Ionic liquids are non-volatile and have a larger electrochemical stability window than water. Therefore, transducers employing ionic liquids can be operated for long periods of time in air and can be actuated with higher voltages. Furthermore, transducers based on ionic liquids do not exhibit the characteristic back relaxation that is common with water-swollen materials. However, the physics of transduction in the ionic liquid-swollen materials is not well understood. In this paper, the morphology of Nafion/ionic liquid composites is characterized using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The electromechanical transduction behavior of the composites is also investigated. For this testing, five different counterions and two ionic liquids are used. The results reveal that both the morphology and transduction performance of the composites is affected by the identity of the ionic liquid, the cation, and the swelling level of ionic liquid within the membrane. Specifically, speed of response is found to be lower for the membranes that were exchanged with the smaller lithium and potassium ions. The response speed is also found to increase with increased content of ionic liquid. Furthermore, for the two ionic liquids studied, the actuators swollen with the less viscous ionic liquid exhibited a slower response. The slower speed of response corresponds to less contrast between the ionically conductive phase and the inert phase of the polymer. This suggests that disruption of the clustered morphology in the ionic liquid-swollen membranes as compared to water-swollen membranes attenuates ion mobility within the polymer. This attenuation is attributed to swelling of the non-conductive phase by the ionic liquids.

Comparing Motor Skills in Autism Spectrum Individuals With and Without Speech Delay

PubMed Central

Barbeau, Elise B.; Meilleur, Andrée‐Anne S.; Zeffiro, Thomas A.

2015-01-01

Movement atypicalities in speed, coordination, posture, and gait have been observed across the autism spectrum (AS) and atypicalities in coordination are more commonly observed in AS individuals without delayed speech (DSM‐IV Asperger) than in those with atypical or delayed speech onset. However, few studies have provided quantitative data to support these mostly clinical observations. Here, we compared perceptual and motor performance between 30 typically developing and AS individuals (21 with speech delay and 18 without speech delay) to examine the associations between limb movement control and atypical speech development. Groups were matched for age, intelligence, and sex. The experimental design included: an inspection time task, which measures visual processing speed; the Purdue Pegboard, which measures finger dexterity, bimanual performance, and hand‐eye coordination; the Annett Peg Moving Task, which measures unimanual goal‐directed arm movement; and a simple reaction time task. We used analysis of covariance to investigate group differences in task performance and linear regression models to explore potential associations between intelligence, language skills, simple reaction time, and visually guided movement performance. AS participants without speech delay performed slower than typical participants in the Purdue Pegboard subtests. AS participants without speech delay showed poorer bimanual coordination than those with speech delay. Visual processing speed was slightly faster in both AS groups than in the typical group. Altogether, these results suggest that AS individuals with and without speech delay differ in visually guided and visually triggered behavior and show that early language skills are associated with slower movement in simple and complex motor tasks. Autism Res 2015, 8: 682–693. © 2015 The Authors Autism Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Autism Research PMID:25820662

Peak power ratio generator

DOEpatents

Moyer, Robert D.

1985-01-01

A peak power ratio generator is described for measuring, in combination with a conventional power meter, the peak power level of extremely narrow pulses in the gigahertz radio frequency bands. The present invention in a preferred embodiment utilizes a tunnel diode and a back diode combination in a detector circuit as the only high speed elements. The high speed tunnel diode provides a bistable signal and serves as a memory device of the input pulses for the remaining, slower components. A hybrid digital and analog loop maintains the peak power level of a reference channel at a known amount. Thus, by measuring the average power levels of the reference signal and the source signal, the peak power level of the source signal can be determined.

Peak power ratio generator

DOEpatents

Moyer, R.D.

A peak power ratio generator is described for measuring, in combination with a conventional power meter, the peak power level of extremely narrow pulses in the gigahertz radio frequency bands. The present invention in a preferred embodiment utilizes a tunnel diode and a back diode combination in a detector circuit as the only high speed elements. The high speed tunnel diode provides a bistable signal and serves as a memory device of the input pulses for the remaining, slower components. A hybrid digital and analog loop maintains the peak power level of a reference channel at a known amount. Thus, by measuring the average power levels of the reference signal and the source signal, the peak power level of the source signal can be determined.

Do Performers' Experience and Sex Affect Their Performance?

PubMed

Emmanuel, Jacobs; Nathalie, Roussel; Van Caekenberghe, Ine; Cassiers, Edith; Van den Dries, Luc; Rutgeerts, Jonas; Gielen, Jan; Hallemans, Ann

2017-04-01

This cross-sectional study aimed at developing a biomechanical method to objectify voluntary and unpredictable movements, using an automated three-dimensional motion capture system and surface electromyography. Fourteen experienced theater performers were tested while executing the old man exercise, wherein they have to walk like an old man, building up a sustained high intensive muscular activity and tremor. Less experienced performed showed a different kinematics of movement, a slower speed of progression and more variable EMG signals at higher intensity. Female performers also differed from males in movement kinematics and muscular activity. The number of the trial only influenced the speed of progression. The performers showed results which could be well placed within the stages of learning and the degrees of freedom problem.

Slowing down DNA translocation by a nanofiber meshed layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yue; Xie, Wanyi; Tian, Enling; Ren, Yiwei; Zhu, Jifeng; Deng, Yunsheng; He, Shixuan; Liang, Liyuan; Wang, Yunjiao; Zhou, Daming; Wang, Deqiang

2018-01-01

Due to the weak interaction between DNA molecules and the inner surface of nanopores, DNA translocation is very fast, just leaving a short current drop without sufficient information to recognise the nucleotide sequence in the strand. In this paper, we propose a nanopore-nanofiber mesh hybridized structure to decelerate DNA translocation speed. Experimental results reveal that due to hydrophobic interaction between the DNA fragments and the nanofibers, the DNA moving speed can be retarded to two orders of magnitude slower. Furthermore, according to theory simulations, the additional fiber layer will reduce the electric field in the channel but elongate the capture region at the pore orifice, which will be helpful for increasing the capture rate and extending the DNA dwelling time in the meanwhile.

Numerical study on the impact of ground heating and ambient wind speed on flow fields in street canyons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lei; Yang, Lin; Zhang, Li-Jie; Jiang, Yin

2012-11-01

The impact of ground heating on flow fields in street canyons under different ambient wind speed conditions was studied based on numerical methods. A series of numerical tests were performed, and three factors including height-to-width (H/W) ratio, ambient wind speed and ground heating intensity were taken into account. Three types of street canyon with H/W ratios of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0, respectively, were used in the simulation and seven speed values ranging from 0.0 to 3.0 m s-1 were set for the ambient wind speed. The ground heating intensity, which was defined as the difference between the ground temperature and air temperature, ranged from 10 to 40 K with an increase of 10 K in the tests. The results showed that under calm conditions, ground heating could induce circulation with a wind speed of around 1.0 m s-1, which is enough to disperse pollutants in a street canyon. It was also found that an ambient wind speed threshold may exist for street canyons with a fixed H/W ratio. When ambient wind speed was lower than the threshold identified in this study, the impact of the thermal effect on the flow field was obvious, and there existed a multi-vortex flow pattern in the street canyon. When the ambient wind speed was higher than the threshold, the circulation pattern was basically determined by dynamic effects. The tests on the impact of heating intensity showed that a higher ground heating intensity could strengthen the vortical flow within the street canyon, which would help improve pollutant diffusion capability in street canyons.

Selective Use of Optical Variables to Control Forward Speed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Walter W.; Awe, Cynthia A.; Hart, Sandra G. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

Previous work on the perception and control of simulated vehicle speed has examined the contributions of optical flow rate (angular visual speed) and texture, or edge rate (frequency of passing terrain objects or markings) on the perception and control of forward speed. However, these studies have not examined the ability to selectively use edge rate or flow rate. The two studies reported here show that subjects found it very difficult to arbitrarily direct attention to one or the other of these variables; but that the ability to selectively use these variables is linked to the visual contextual information about the relative validity (linkage with speed) of the two variables. The selectivity also resulted in different velocity adaptation levels for events in which flow rate and edge rate specified forward speed. Finally, the role of visual context in directing attention was further buttressed by the finding that the incorrect perception of changes in ground texture density tended to be coupled with incorrect perceptions of changes in forward speed.

Kinetic effects on the velocity-shear-driven instability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Z.; Pritchett, P. L.; Ashour-Abdalla, M.

1992-01-01

A comparison is made between the properties of the low-frequency long-wavelength velocity-shear-driven instability in kinetic theory and magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). The results show that the removal of adiabaticity along the magnetic field line in kinetic theory leads to modifications in the nature of the instability. Although the threshold for the instability in the two formalisms is the same, the kinetic growth rate and the unstable range in wave-number space can be larger or smaller than the MHD values depending on the ratio between the thermal speed, Alfven speed, and flow speed. When the thermal speed is much larger than the flow speed and the flow speed is larger than the Alfven speed, the kinetic formalism gives a larger maximum growth rate and broader unstable range in wave-number space. In this regime, the normalized wave number for instability can be larger than unity, while in MHD it is always less than unity. The normal mode profile in the kinetic case has a wider spatial extent across the shear layer.

Relative association of processing speed, short-term memory and sustained attention with task on gait speed: a study of community-dwelling people 50 years and older.

PubMed

Killane, Isabelle; Donoghue, Orna A; Savva, George M; Cronin, Hilary; Kenny, Rose Anne; Reilly, Richard B

2014-11-01

For single gait tasks, associations have been reported between gait speed and cognitive domains. However, few studies have evaluated if this association is altered in dual gait tasks given gait speed changes with complexity and nature of task. We evaluated relative contributions of specific elements of cognitive function (including sustained attention and processing speed) to dual task gait speed in a nationally representative population of community-dwelling adults over 50 years. Gait speed was obtained using the GaitRite walkway during three gait tasks: single, cognitive (alternate letters), and motor (carrying a filled glass). Linear regression models, adjusted for covariates, were constructed to predict the relative contributions of seven neuropsychological tests to gait speed differences and to investigate gait task effects. The mean age and gait speed of the population (n = 4,431, 55% women) was 62.4 years (SD = 8.2) and 135.85 cm/s (SD = 20.20, single task), respectively. Poorer processing speed, short-term memory, and sustained attention were major cognitive contributors to slower gait speed for all gait tasks. Both dual gait tasks were robust to covariate adjustment and had a significant additional executive function element not found for the single gait task. For community-dwelling older adults processing speed, short-term memory and sustained attention were independently associated with gait speed for all gait tasks. Dual gait tasks were found to highlight specific executive function elements. This result forms a baseline value for dual task gait speed. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Study of the effect of wind speed on evaporation from soil through integrated modeling of the atmospheric boundary layer and shallow subsurface.

PubMed

Davarzani, Hossein; Smits, Kathleen; Tolene, Ryan M; Illangasekare, Tissa

2014-01-01

In an effort to develop methods based on integrating the subsurface to the atmospheric boundary layer to estimate evaporation, we developed a model based on the coupling of Navier-Stokes free flow and Darcy flow in porous medium. The model was tested using experimental data to study the effect of wind speed on evaporation. The model consists of the coupled equations of mass conservation for two-phase flow in porous medium with single-phase flow in the free-flow domain under nonisothermal, nonequilibrium phase change conditions. In this model, the evaporation rate and soil surface temperature and relative humidity at the interface come directly from the integrated model output. To experimentally validate numerical results, we developed a unique test system consisting of a wind tunnel interfaced with a soil tank instrumented with a network of sensors to measure soil-water variables. Results demonstrated that, by using this coupling approach, it is possible to predict the different stages of the drying process with good accuracy. Increasing the wind speed increases the first stage evaporation rate and decreases the transition time between two evaporative stages (soil water flow to vapor diffusion controlled) at low velocity values; then, at high wind speeds the evaporation rate becomes less dependent on the wind speed. On the contrary, the impact of wind speed on second stage evaporation (diffusion-dominant stage) is not significant. We found that the thermal and solute dispersion in free-flow systems has a significant influence on drying processes from porous media and should be taken into account.

Study of the effect of wind speed on evaporation from soil through integrated modeling of the atmospheric boundary layer and shallow subsurface

PubMed Central

Davarzani, Hossein; Smits, Kathleen; Tolene, Ryan M; Illangasekare, Tissa

2014-01-01

In an effort to develop methods based on integrating the subsurface to the atmospheric boundary layer to estimate evaporation, we developed a model based on the coupling of Navier-Stokes free flow and Darcy flow in porous medium. The model was tested using experimental data to study the effect of wind speed on evaporation. The model consists of the coupled equations of mass conservation for two-phase flow in porous medium with single-phase flow in the free-flow domain under nonisothermal, nonequilibrium phase change conditions. In this model, the evaporation rate and soil surface temperature and relative humidity at the interface come directly from the integrated model output. To experimentally validate numerical results, we developed a unique test system consisting of a wind tunnel interfaced with a soil tank instrumented with a network of sensors to measure soil-water variables. Results demonstrated that, by using this coupling approach, it is possible to predict the different stages of the drying process with good accuracy. Increasing the wind speed increases the first stage evaporation rate and decreases the transition time between two evaporative stages (soil water flow to vapor diffusion controlled) at low velocity values; then, at high wind speeds the evaporation rate becomes less dependent on the wind speed. On the contrary, the impact of wind speed on second stage evaporation (diffusion-dominant stage) is not significant. We found that the thermal and solute dispersion in free-flow systems has a significant influence on drying processes from porous media and should be taken into account. PMID:25309005

Plenum response to simulated disturbances of the model and fan inlet guide vanes in a transonic tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gloss, B. B.

1980-01-01

In order to aid in the design of the National Transonic Facility (NTF) control system, test section/plenum response studies were carried out in a 0.186 scale model of the NTF high speed duct. Two types of disturbances, those induced by the model and those induced by the compressor inlet guide vanes were simulated. Some observations with regard to the test section/plenum response tests are summarized as follows. A resonance frequency for the test section/plenum area of the tunnel of approximately 50 Hz was observed for Mach numbers from 0.40 to 0.90. However, since the plenum is 3.1 times (based on volume) too large for the scaled size of the test section, care must be taken in extrapolating these data to NTF conditions. The plenum pressure data indicate the existence of pressure gradients in the plenum. The test results indicate that the difference between test section static pressure and plenum pressure is dependent on test section flow conditions. Plenum response to inlet guide vane type disturbances appears to be slower than plenum response to test section disturbances.

Propagation of Tidal and Subtidal Free Surface Oscillations into River Channels from the South Atlantic Bight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iyer, S. K.; Cloarec, M.; Yankovsky, A. E.

2014-12-01

Tidal sea level oscillations propagate from continental shelves into river channels in the form of long gravity waves well beyond the limits of salt intrusion. These dynamics were a focus of numerous recent studies, which led to the development of the "tidal river" concept. Subtidal oscillations in the "weather" frequency band (periods from a few days to a few weeks) can exhibit similar propagation upstream the river channel, but have so far attracted less attention from researchers. In this work, we analyze data obtained from USGS stream gauge stations at several rivers flowing into the South Atlantic Bight along with NOAA tide gauge stations located on the adjacent coastline. Subtidal free surface oscillations in river channels decay at a slower rate than tidal oscillations (referenced to their amplitude on the coast), while their propagation speed is lower than at tidal frequencies. Potential to kinetic energy ratio sufficiently far upstream in the river channel becomes comparable for tidal and subtidal oscillations, as effects of earth's rotation become negligible. The results suggest that a coastal storm surge can cause more severe flooding inland along the river channel than tides with comparable coastal amplitude.

Acoustics of multiscale sorptive porous materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venegas, R.; Boutin, C.; Umnova, O.

2017-08-01

This paper investigates sound propagation in multiscale rigid-frame porous materials that support mass transfer processes, such as sorption and different types of diffusion, in addition to the usual visco-thermo-inertial interactions. The two-scale asymptotic method of homogenization for periodic media is successively used to derive the macroscopic equations describing sound propagation through the material. This allowed us to conclude that the macroscopic mass balance is significantly modified by sorption, inter-scale (micro- to/from nanopore scales) mass diffusion, and inter-scale (pore to/from micro- and nanopore scales) pressure diffusion. This modification is accounted for by the dynamic compressibility of the effective saturating fluid that presents atypical properties that lead to slower speed of sound and higher sound attenuation, particularly at low frequencies. In contrast, it is shown that the physical processes occurring at the micro-nano-scale do not affect the macroscopic fluid flow through the material. The developed theory is exemplified by introducing an analytical model for multiscale sorptive granular materials, which is experimentally validated by comparing its predictions with acoustic measurements on granular activated carbons. Furthermore, we provide empirical evidence supporting an alternative method for measuring sorption and mass diffusion properties of multiscale sorptive materials using sound waves.

The advection of microparticles, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in response to very low Reynolds numbers.

PubMed

Morley, Sinéad T; Walsh, Michael T; Newport, David T

2017-05-01

The lymphatic system is an extensive vascular network that serves as the primary route for the metastatic spread of breast cancer cells (BCCs). The dynamics by which BCCs travel in the lymphatics to distant sites, and eventually establish metastatic tumors, remain poorly understood. Particle tracking techniques were employed to analyze the behavior of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 BCCs which were exposed to lymphatic flow conditions in a 100  μ m square microchannel. The behavior of the BCCs was compared to rigid particles of various diameters (η = d p /H= 0.05-0.32) that have been used to simulate cell flow in lymph. Parabolic velocity profiles were recorded for all particle sizes. All particles were found to lag the fluid velocity, the larger the particle the slower its velocity relative to the local flow (5%-15% velocity lag recorded). A distinct difference between the behavior of BCCs and particles was recorded. The BCCs travelled approximately 40% slower than the undisturbed flow, indicating that morphology and size affects their response to lymphatic flow conditions ( Re <  1). BCCs adhered together, forming aggregates whose behavior was irregular. At lymphatic flow rates, MCF-7s were distributed uniformly across the channel in comparison to the MDA-MB-231 cells which travelled in the central region (88% of cells found within 0.35 ≤ W ≤ 0.64), indicating that metastatic MDA-MB-231 cells are subjected to a lower range of shear stresses in vivo . This suggests that both size and deformability need to be considered when modelling BCC behavior in the lymphatics. This finding will inform the development of in vitro lymphatic flow and metastasis models.

The effect of handpiece spray patterns on cutting efficiency.

PubMed

Siegel, Sharon C; von Fraunhofer, J Anthony

2002-02-01

High-speed handpieces' spray ports direct coolant at the cutting interface. The authors evaluated the effect of the number of ports and their positions on cutting rates, or CRs. The authors performed cutting studies on a machinable ceramic block using an established testing regimen. One-port, three-port and four-port handpieces from one manufacturer were operated at maximum torque and rotation speed under a water flow of 25 milliliters per minute. The authors made 6-millimeter long edge and groove cuts in 13-mm cross-section blocks using six medium-grit diamond burs for each handpiece. Each bur cut a total of 78 mm. The authors determined CR as the time to transect the block and analyzed the data by two-way analysis of variance with post hoc Scheffé tests. CRs varied by the type of cut and the number of spray ports. No differences were found in CRs for the three handpieces during edge cutting. The one-port handpiece cut significantly slower (P < .001) than did the three- and four-port handpieces during groove cutting. The data indicate that the number of handpiece spray ports, and their positioning relative to the bur affect water supply to the cutting interface and, consequently, the CR under these study conditions. Optimal cutting efficiency requires good coolant access, especially within restricted areas. A multiple-port handpiece may be advantageous when preparing the interproximal region for a crown or a proximal box, owing to the better water spray pattern. Dentists should consider the influence of the number of spray ports when selecting handpieces for cutting procedures.

Discovery Of A Rossby Wave In Jupiter's South Equatorial Region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon-Miller, Amy A.; Choi, D. S.; Rogers, J. H.; Gierasch, P. J.

2012-01-01

A detailed study of the chevron-shaped dark spots on the strong southern equatorial wind jet near 7.5 deg S planetographic latitude shows variations in velocity with longitude and time. The chevrons move with velocities near the maximum wind jet velocity of approx.140 m/s, as deduced by the history of velocities at this latitude and the magnitude of the symmetric wind jet near 7 deg N latitude. Their repetitive nature is consistent with an inertia-gravity wave (n = 75-100) with phase speed up to 25 m/s, relative to the local flow, but the identity of this wave mode is not well constrained. However, high spatial resolution movies from Cassini images show that the chevrons oscillate in latitude with a approx.7-day period. This oscillating motion has a wavelength of approx.20 deg and a speed of approx.100 m/s, following a pattern similar to that seen in the Rossby wave plumes of the North Equatorial Zone, and possibly reinforced by it, though they are not perfectly in phase. The transient anticyclonic South Equatorial Disturbance (SED) may be a similar wave feature, but moves at slower velocity. All data show chevron latitude variability, but it is unclear if this Rossby wave is present during other epochs, without time series movies that fully delineate it. In the presence of multiple wave modes, the difference in dominant cloud appearance between 7 deg N and 7.5 deg S may be due to the presence of the Great Red Spot, either through changes in stratification and stability or by acting as a wave boundary.

Positive pacing in elite IRONMAN triathletes.

PubMed

Angehrn, Nicole; Rüst, Christoph A.; Nikolaidis, Pantelis T.; Rosemann, Thomas; Knechtle, Beat

2016-12-31

Pacing is known to influence athletic performance. For the Ironman triathlon program, a positive pacing strategy, i.e., the continuous decrease of speed over time was recommended. By analyzing split times, we assessed the pacing strategies of the top 100 finishers of the cycling part of 13 Ironman races and of the running part of 11 Ironman races taking place in 2014. Furthermore, sex-associated differences in performance and pacing strategies were calculated. We analyzed 7,687 cycling and 11,894 running split times of 1,392 triathletes (1,263 men, 129 women). Changes in speed were assessed using mixed-effects regression analyses. A continuous decrease in speed was observed during cycling in 10/13 races, and during running in 11/11 races. In 6/13 races, women decreased their speed during cycling significantly more than men. The running part showed no significant difference of changes in speed between the sexes. In summary, in the Ironman races evaluated, a positive pacing strategy was adopted in most races. Women were slower than men in 6/13 cycling races, but there was no difference between men and women in the run splits. Women used the same pacing strategy as men.

The Pandolf equation under-predicts the metabolic rate of contemporary military load carriage.

PubMed

Drain, Jace R; Aisbett, Brad; Lewis, Michael; Billing, Daniel C

2017-11-01

This investigation assessed the accuracy of error of the Pandolf load carriage energy expenditure equation when simulating contemporary military conditions (load distribution, external load and walking speed). Within-participant design. Sixteen male participants completed 10 trials comprised of five walking speeds (2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5km·h -1 ) and two external loads (22.7 and 38.4kg). The Pandolf equation demonstrated poor predictive precision, with a mean bias of 124.9W and -48.7 to 298.5W 95% limits of agreement. Furthermore, the Pandolf equation systematically under-predicted metabolic rate (p<0.05) across the 10 speed-load combinations. Predicted metabolic rate error ranged from 12-33% across all conditions with the 'moderate' walking speeds (i.e. 4.5-5.5km·h -1 ) yielding less prediction error (12-17%) when compared to the slower and faster walking speeds (21-33%). Factors such as mechanical efficiency and load distribution contribute to the impaired predictive accuracy. The authors suggest the Pandolf equation should be applied to military load carriage with caution. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. All rights reserved.

Generating pulsatility by pump speed modulation with continuous-flow total artificial heart in awake calves.

PubMed

Fukamachi, Kiyotaka; Karimov, Jamshid H; Sunagawa, Gengo; Horvath, David J; Byram, Nicole; Kuban, Barry D; Dessoffy, Raymond; Sale, Shiva; Golding, Leonard A R; Moazami, Nader

2017-12-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of sinusoidal pump speed modulation of the Cleveland Clinic continuous-flow total artificial heart (CFTAH) on hemodynamics and pump flow in an awake chronic calf model. The sinusoidal pump speed modulations, performed on the day of elective sacrifice, were set at ±15 and ± 25% of mean pump speed at 80 bpm in four awake calves with a CFTAH. The systemic and pulmonary arterial pulse pressures increased to 12.0 and 12.3 mmHg (±15% modulation) and to 15.9 and 15.7 mmHg (±25% modulation), respectively. The pulsatility index and surplus hemodynamic energy significantly increased, respectively, to 1.05 and 1346 ergs/cm at ±15% speed modulation and to 1.51 and 3381 ergs/cm at ±25% speed modulation. This study showed that it is feasible to generate pressure pulsatility with pump speed modulation; the platform is suitable for evaluating the physiologic impact of pulsatility and allows determination of the best speed modulations in terms of magnitude, frequency, and profiles.

Film depth and concentration banding in free-surface Couette flow of a suspension.

PubMed

Timberlake, Brian D; Morris, Jeffrey F

2003-05-15

The film depth of a free-surface suspension flowing in a partially filled horizontal concentric-cylinder, or Couette, device has been studied in order to assess its role in the axial concentration banding observed in this flow. The flow is driven by rotation of the inner cylinder. The banding phenomenon is characterized by particle-rich bands which under flow appear as elevated regions at the free surface separated axially by regions dilute relative to the mean concentration. The concentric cylinders studied had outer radius R(o) = 2.22 cm and inner radii R(i) = 0.64, 0.95 and 1.27 cm; the suspension, of bulk particle volume fraction phi = 0.2 in all experiments described, was composed of particles of either 250-300 microm diameter or less than 106 microm diameter, with the suspending fluid an equal density liquid of viscosity 160 P. The ratio of the maximum to the minimum particle volume fraction along the axis in the segregated condition varies from O(1) to infinite. The latter case implies complete segregation, with bands of clear fluid separating the concentrated bands. The film depth has been varied through variation of the filled fraction, f, of the annular gap between the cylinders and through the rotation rate. Film depth was analysed by edge detection of video images of the free surface under flow, and the time required for band formation was determined for all conditions at which film depth was studied. The film depth increases roughly as the square root of rotation speed for f = 0.5. Band formation is more rapid for thicker films associated with more rapid rotation rates at f = 0.5, whereas slower formation rates are observed with thicker films caused by large f, f > 0.65. It is observed that the film depth over the inner cylinder grows prior to onset of banding, for as yet unknown reasons. A mechanism for segregation of particles and liquid in film flows based upon 'differential drainage' of the particle and liquid phase in the gravity-driven flow within the film over the inner cylinder is formulated to describe the onset of concentration fluctuations. This model predicts that suspension drainage flows lead to growth of fluctuations in phi under regions of negative surface curvature.

Turbulent water flow in a channel at Reτ = 400 laden with 0.25 mm diameter air-bubbles clustered near the wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakehal, D.; Métrailler, D.; Reboux, S.

2017-06-01

This paper presents Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) results of a turbulent water flow in a channel at Reτ = 400 laden with 0.25 mm diameter air bubbles clustered near the wall (maximum void fraction of α = 8% at y+ ˜ 20). The bubbles were fully resolved using the level set approach built within the CFD/CMFD code TransAT. The fluid properties (air and water) were kept real, including density, viscosity, and surface tension coefficient. The aim of this work is to understand the effects of the bubbles on near-wall turbulence, paving the way towards convective wall-boiling flow studies. The interactions between the gas bubbles and the water stream were studied through an in-depth analysis of the turbulence statistics. The near-wall flow is overall affected by the bubbles, which act like roughness elements during the early phase, prior to their departure from the wall. The average profiles are clearly altered by the bubbles dynamics near the wall, which somewhat contrasts with the findings from similar studies [J. Lu and G. Tryggvason, "Dynamics of nearly spherical bubbles in a turbulent channel upflow," J. Fluid Mech. 732, 166 (2013)], most probably because the bubbles were introduced uniformly in the flow and not concentrated at the wall. The shape of the bubbles measured as the apparent to initial diameter ratio is found to change by a factor of at least two, in particular at the later stages when the bubbles burst out from the boundary layer. The clustering of the bubbles seems to be primarily localized in the zone populated by high-speed streaks and independent of their size. More importantly, the bubbly flow seems to differ from the single-phase flow in terms of turbulent stress distribution and energy exchange, in which all the stress components seem to be increased in the region very close to the wall, by up to 40%. The decay in the energy spectra near the wall was found to be significantly slower for the bubbly flow than for a single-phase flow, which confirms that the bubbles increase the energy at smaller scales. The coherent structures in the boundary layer are broken by the bubbles, which disrupts the formation of long structures, reducing the streamwise integral length scale.

Chemical Reactions in Turbulent Mixing Flows.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-01

longer in the z-t diagrams for higher fuel flow rates (consistent with longer flame lengths ) and, further, the celerity of a structure at a given axial...clocking rate synchronized with the cycle, while the slower clocking rate data corres- pond to about seven cycles. Flame lengths [61, Z,,D, for various...heat fABlLE I releases studied here are also shown in Table I Flame Lengths and Axial Measurement Stations, These flame lengths are based on 50% intermit

Surface-Streamline Flow Visualization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Langston, L.; Boyle, M.

1985-01-01

Matrix of ink dots covers matte surface of polyester drafting film. Film placed against wind-tunnel wall. Layer of methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen) sprayed over dotted area. Ink dot streaklines show several characteristics of flow, including primary saddle point of separations, primary horseshoe vortex and smaller vortex at cylinder/ endwall junction. Surface streamline flow visualization technique suitable for use in low-speed windtunnels or other low-speed gas flows.

Speed and accuracy of dyslexic versus typical word recognition: an eye-movement investigation

PubMed Central

Kunert, Richard; Scheepers, Christoph

2014-01-01

Developmental dyslexia is often characterized by a dual deficit in both word recognition accuracy and general processing speed. While previous research into dyslexic word recognition may have suffered from speed-accuracy trade-off, the present study employed a novel eye-tracking task that is less prone to such confounds. Participants (10 dyslexics and 12 controls) were asked to look at real word stimuli, and to ignore simultaneously presented non-word stimuli, while their eye-movements were recorded. Improvements in word recognition accuracy over time were modeled in terms of a continuous non-linear function. The words' rhyme consistency and the non-words' lexicality (unpronounceable, pronounceable, pseudohomophone) were manipulated within-subjects. Speed-related measures derived from the model fits confirmed generally slower processing in dyslexics, and showed a rhyme consistency effect in both dyslexics and controls. In terms of overall error rate, dyslexics (but not controls) performed less accurately on rhyme-inconsistent words, suggesting a representational deficit for such words in dyslexics. Interestingly, neither group showed a pseudohomophone effect in speed or accuracy, which might call the task-independent pervasiveness of this effect into question. The present results illustrate the importance of distinguishing between speed- vs. accuracy-related effects for our understanding of dyslexic word recognition. PMID:25346708

Effect of Blade-surface Finish on Performance of a Single-stage Axial-flow Compressor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moses, Jason J; Serovy, George, K

1951-01-01

A set of modified NACA 5509-34 rotor and stator blades was investigated with rough-machine, hand-filed, and highly polished surface finishes over a range of weight flows at six equivalent tip speeds from 672 to 1092 feet per second to determine the effect of blade-surface finish on the performance of a single-stage axial-flow compressor. Surface-finish effects decreased with increasing compressor speed and with decreasing flow at a given speed. In general, finishing blade surfaces below the roughness that may be considered aerodynamically smooth on the basis of an admissible-roughness formula will have no effect on compressor performance.

Some observations of the effects of radial distortions on performance of a transonic rotating blade row

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandercock, D. M.; Sanger, N. L.

1974-01-01

A single rotating blade row was tested with two magnitudes of tip radial distortion and two magnitudes of hub radial distortion imposed on the inlet flow. The rotor was about 50 centimeters (20 in.) in diameter and had a design operating tip speed of approximately 420 meters per second (1380 ft/sec). Overall performance at 60, 80, and 100 percent of equivalent design speed generally showed a decrease (compared to undistorted flow) in rotor stall margin with tip radial distortion but no change, or a slight increase, in rotor stall margin with hub radial distortion. At design speed there was a decrease in rotor overall total pressure ratio and choke flow with all inlet flow distortions. Radial distributions of blade element parameters are presented for selected operating conditions at design speed.

Flow Field of a Human Cough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hertzberg, Jean

2005-11-01

Cough generated infectious aerosols are of interest while developing strategies for the mitigation of disease risks ranging from the common cold to SARS. In this work, the velocity field of human cough was measured using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The project subjects (total 29) coughed into an enclosure seeded with stage fog for most measurements. Cough flow speed profiles, average widths of the cough jet, waveform, and maximum cough speeds were measured. Maximum cough speeds ranged from 1.5 m/s to 28.8 m/s. No correlation was found for maximum cough flow speeds to height or gender. The slow growth of the width of the cough flow suggests that a cough may penetrate farther into a room than a steady jet of similar volume. The velocity profile was found to scale with the square root of downstream distance.

Performance of a 1380-foot-per-second-tip-speed axial-flow compressor rotor with a blade tip solidity of 1.3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hager, R. D.; Janetzke, D. C.; Reid, L.

1972-01-01

Aerodynamic design parameters are presented along the overall and blade element performance, of an axial flow compressor rotor designed to study the effects of blade solidity on efficiency and stall margin. At design speed the peak efficiency was 0.844 and occurred at an equivalent weight flow of 63.5 lb/sec with a total pressure ratio of 1.801. Design efficiency, pressure ratio, and weight flow 0.814, 1.65, and 65.3(41.1 lb/sec/sq ft of annulus area), respectively. Stall margin for design speed was 6.4 percent based on the weight flow and pressure ratio values at peak efficiency and just prior to stall.

3D Modeling of Iran and Surrounding Areas from Simultaneous Inversion of Multiple Geophysical Datasets (Postprint). Annual Report 3

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-22

2003). This is particularly true at shallow depths where the shorter periods, which are primarily sensitive to upper crustal structures, are difficult...to measure, and especially true in tectonically and geologically complex areas. On the other hand, regional gravity inversions have the greatest...the slower deep crustal speeds into the Caspian region does not make sense geologically. These effects are driven by the simple Laplacian smoothness

Speech versus manual control of camera functions during a telerobotic task

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bierschwale, John M.; Sampaio, Carlos E.; Stuart, Mark A.; Smith, Randy L.

1993-01-01

This investigation has evaluated the voice-commanded camera control concept. For this particular task, total voice control of continuous and discrete camera functions was significantly slower than manual control. There was no significant difference between voice and manual input for several types of errors. There was not a clear trend in subjective preference of camera command input modality. Task performance, in terms of both accuracy and speed, was very similar across both levels of experience.

Measurement of Wall Shear Stress in High Speed Air Flow Using Shear-Sensitive Liquid Crystal Coating.

PubMed

Zhao, Jisong

2018-05-17

Wall shear stress is an important quantity in fluid mechanics, but its measurement is a challenging task. An approach to measure wall shear stress vector distribution using shear-sensitive liquid crystal coating (SSLCC) is described. The wall shear stress distribution on the test surface beneath high speed jet flow is measured while using the proposed technique. The flow structures inside the jet flow are captured and the results agree well with the streakline pattern that was visualized using the oil-flow technique. In addition, the shock diamonds inside the supersonic jet flow are visualized clearly using SSLCC and the results are compared with the velocity contour that was measured using the particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique. The work of this paper demonstrates the application of SSLCC in the measurement/visualization of wall shear stress in high speed flow.

Measurement of Wall Shear Stress in High Speed Air Flow Using Shear-Sensitive Liquid Crystal Coating

PubMed Central

Zhao, Jisong

2018-01-01

Wall shear stress is an important quantity in fluid mechanics, but its measurement is a challenging task. An approach to measure wall shear stress vector distribution using shear-sensitive liquid crystal coating (SSLCC) is described. The wall shear stress distribution on the test surface beneath high speed jet flow is measured while using the proposed technique. The flow structures inside the jet flow are captured and the results agree well with the streakline pattern that was visualized using the oil-flow technique. In addition, the shock diamonds inside the supersonic jet flow are visualized clearly using SSLCC and the results are compared with the velocity contour that was measured using the particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique. The work of this paper demonstrates the application of SSLCC in the measurement/visualization of wall shear stress in high speed flow. PMID:29772822

The effect of tip speed ratio on a vertical axis wind turbine at high Reynolds numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Colin M.; Leftwich, Megan C.

2016-05-01

This work visualizes the flow surrounding a scaled model vertical axis wind turbine at realistic operating conditions. The model closely matches geometric and dynamic properties—tip speed ratio and Reynolds number—of a full-size turbine. The flow is visualized using particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) in the midplane upstream, around, and after (up to 4 turbine diameters downstream) the turbine, as well as a vertical plane behind the turbine. Time-averaged results show an asymmetric wake behind the turbine, regardless of tip speed ratio, with a larger velocity deficit for a higher tip speed ratio. For the higher tip speed ratio, an area of averaged flow reversal is present with a maximum reverse flow of -0.04U_∞. Phase-averaged vorticity fields—achieved by syncing the PIV system with the rotation of the turbine—show distinct structures form from each turbine blade. There were distinct differences in results by tip speed ratios of 0.9, 1.3, and 2.2 of when in the cycle structures are shed into the wake—switching from two pairs to a single pair of vortices being shed—and how they convect into the wake—the middle tip speed ratio vortices convect downstream inside the wake, while the high tip speed ratio pair is shed into the shear layer of the wake. Finally, results show that the wake structure is much more sensitive to changes in tip speed ratio than to changes in Reynolds number.

Bradykinesia and bradyphrenia revisited: patterns of subclinical deficit in motor speed and cognitive functioning in head-injured patients with good recovery.

PubMed

Gray, C; Cantagallo, A; Della Sala, S; Basaglia, N

1998-05-01

Twenty-four patients, showing a good clinical recovery from coma-inducing injury and coping well with the activities of everyday living, were tested, at least 1 year after trauma, on motor speed and reaction time, and given a neuropsychological examination. While the patients generally performed within the normal range on the neuropsychological tests, their motor speeds and reaction times--both simple (SRT) and complex (CRT)--were significantly slower than those of matched controls. This points to a subclinical bradykinesia. The patients' motor speed scores did not correlate significantly with any of the neuropsychological tests; nor did SRT or CRT. While the difference between simple and complex reaction time was significantly greater in the patient group, the percentage difference was not significantly different between the two groups. Collectively, these results suggest that bradykinesia and bradyphrenia do not necessarily overlap. Finally, there was no significant correlation between motor performance and severity of original injury, whether the latter was measured by number and size of lesions or by duration of post-traumatic amnesia.

Solar Sources and Geospace Consequences of Interplanetary Magnetic Clouds Observed During Solar Cycle 23

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gopalswamy, N.; Akiyama, S.; Yashiro, S.; Michalek, G.; Lepping, R. P.

2007-01-01

We present results of a statistical investigation of 99 magnetic clouds (MCs) observed during 1995-2005. The MC-associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are faster and wider on the average and originate within +/-30deg from the solar disk center. The solar sources of MCs also followed the butterfly diagram. The correlation between the magnetic field strength and speed of MCs was found to be valid over a much wider range of speeds. The number of south-north (SN) MCs was dominant and decreased with solar cycle, while the number of north-south (NS) MCs increased confirming the odd-cycle behavior. Two-thirds of MCs were geoeffective; the Dst index was highly correlated with speed and magnetic field in MCs as well as their product. Many (55%) fully northward (FN) MCs were geoeffective solely due to their sheaths. The non-geoeffective MCs were slower (average speed approx. 382 km/s), had a weaker southward magnetic field (average approx. -5.2nT), and occurred mostly during the rise phase of the solar activity cycle.

Control of finger forces during fast, slow and moderate rotational hand movements.

PubMed

Kazemi, Hamed; Kearney, Robert E; Milner, Theodore E

2014-01-01

The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of speed on patterns of grip forces during twisting movement involving forearm supination against a torsional load (combined elastic and inertial load). For slow and moderate speed rotations, the grip force increased linearly with load torque. However, for fast rotations in which the contribution of the inertia to load torque was significantly greater than slower movements, the grip force-load torque relationship could be segmented into two phases: a linear ascending phase corresponding to the acceleration part of the movement followed by a plateau during deceleration. That is, during the acceleration phase, the grip force accurately tracked the combined elastic and inertial load. However, the coupling between grip force and load torque was not consistent during the deceleration phase of the movement. In addition, as speed increased, both the position and the force profiles became smoother. No differences in the baseline grip force, safety margin to secure the grasp during hold phase or the overall change in grip force were observed across different speeds.

Examination of sustained gait speed during extended walking in individuals with chronic stroke.

PubMed

Altenburger, Peter A; Dierks, Tracy A; Miller, Kristine K; Combs, Stephanie A; Van Puymbroeck, Marieke; Schmid, Arlene A

2013-12-01

To determine if individuals with chronic stroke were able to sustain their peak gait speed during the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and to explore this sustainability across community ambulation potential subgroups. Prospective cross-sectional study. University-based research laboratory, hospitals, and stroke support groups. A sample of individuals with chronic stroke (N=48) completed a series of questionnaires and physical outcome measures, including gait mat assessment, during a single visit. Not applicable; 1-time cross-sectional data collection. During the 6MWT, we measured peak gait speed and end gait speed to assess sustainability, along with beginning gait speed, total distance walked, and rating of perceived exertion. We also assessed maximum gait speed during the 10-meter walk test (10MWT). Finally, we examined these gait outcomes across the subgroups. During the 6MWT, peak gait speed declined from .89m/s (SD=.38) to an end speed of .82m/s (SD=.36), whereas perceived exertion increased from 7.7 (SD=2.6) to 11.8 (SD=3.6). This peak gait speed was slower than the 10MWT maximum speed of 1.06m/s (SD=.51), but faster than the 6MWT beginning speed of .81m/s (SD=.34). The unlimited community ambulator subgroup was the primary contributor to sustainability differences. Predicting community ambulation potential based on the discrete gait speed from the 10MWT and endurance based on the average from the 6MWT might be incomplete if gait speed sustainability is not also assessed. Copyright © 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hydrodynamic Mediation of Killifish Predation on Infaunal Polychaetes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hentschel, B. T.; Hayman, N. T.; Anderson, T. W.

2016-02-01

To explore predator-prey interactions between California killifish (Fundulus parvipinnis) and spionid polychaetes (Polydora cornuta and Streblospio benedicti) in tidal creeks, we conducted a laboratory flume experiment to quantify whether killifish prey-patch selectivity varies with flow speed. The flume included a 300-cm2 area of defaunated sediment within which we centrally positioned 24 P. cornuta, 24 S. benedicti, or no worms as a prey-free control. We videotaped groups of three killifish for 50 min at one of six unidirectional flow speeds (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, or 18 cm/s measured 1.5 cm above bottom) and recorded their bite rate anywhere in the sediment area vs. bites directed at the central prey patch (98 cm2). Each flow speed and prey treatment was replicated by four independent flume runs (i.e., 72 total flume runs). The percentage of bites directed at the central patch varied significantly with flow speed and worm presence. With defaunated sediment only, 33% of bites were directed at the central patch at all flow speeds, consistent with a null model of non-selective foraging. When either worm species inhabited the central patch, 65% of bites were directed at the central patch at 3 and 6 cm/s, and patch selectivity declined linearly as flow increased. Despite differences in morphology and behavior, the two prey species elicited similar foraging activity by killifish. We pooled the P. cornuta and S. benedicti treatments to determine the flow speed at which prey-patch selectivity by killifish became statistically indistinguishable from non-selective biting in the absence of prey. At flow speeds of 3, 6, and 9 cm/s, the percentage of bites located in the 98-cm2 patch was significantly greater when live worms were present compared to the prey-free controls. At 12, 15, and 18 cm/s, there was not a significant difference between the control patches and those containing live worms, indicating 12 cm/s is a flow threshold above which killifish cannot selectively forage on dense patches of infauna.

Geometric scaling of artificial hair sensors for flow measurement under different conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Weihua; Reich, Gregory W.

2017-03-01

Artificial hair sensors (AHSs) have been developed for prediction of the local flow speed and aerodynamic force around an airfoil and subsequent application in vibration control of the airfoil. Usually, a specific sensor design is only sensitive to the flow speeds within its operating flow measurement region. This paper aims at expanding this flow measurement concept of using AHSs to different flow speed conditions by properly sizing the parameters of the sensors, including the dimensions of the artificial hair, capillary, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that make up the sensor design, based on a baseline sensor design and its working flow condition. In doing so, the glass fiber hair is modeled as a cantilever beam with an elastic foundation, subject to the distributed aerodynamic drag over the length of the hair. Hair length and diameter, capillary depth, and CNT height are scaled by keeping the maximum compressive strain of the CNTs constant for different sensors under different speed conditions. Numerical studies will demonstrate the feasibility of the geometric scaling methodology by designing AHSs for aircraft with different dimensions and flight conditions, starting from the same baseline sensor. Finally, the operating bandwidth of the scaled sensors are explored.

DNS study of speed of sound in two-phase flows with phase change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Kai; Deng, Xiaolong

2017-11-01

Heat transfer through pipe flow is important for the safety of thermal power plants. Normally it is considered incompressible. However, in some conditions compressibility effects could deteriorate the heat transfer efficiency and even result in pipe rupture, especially when there is obvious phase change, due to the much lower sound speed in liquid-gas mixture flows. Based on the stratified multiphase flow model (Chang and Liou, JCP 2007), we present a new approach to simulate the sound speed in 3-D compressible two-phase dispersed flows, in which each face is divided into gas-gas, gas-liquid, and liquid-liquid parts via reconstruction by volume fraction, and fluxes are calculated correspondingly. Applying it to well-distributed air-water bubbly flows, comparing with the experiment measurements in air water mixture (Karplus, JASA 1957), the effects of adiabaticity, viscosity, and isothermality are examined. Under viscous and isothermal condition, the simulation results match the experimental ones very well, showing the DNS study with current method is an effective way for the sound speed of complex two-phase dispersed flows. Including the two-phase Riemann solver with phase change (Fechter et al., JCP 2017), more complex problems can be numerically studied.

Method for transition prediction in high-speed boundary layers, phase 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herbert, T.; Stuckert, G. K.; Lin, N.

1993-09-01

The parabolized stability equations (PSE) are a new and more reliable approach to analyzing the stability of streamwise varying flows such as boundary layers. This approach has been previously validated for idealized incompressible flows. Here, the PSE are formulated for highly compressible flows in general curvilinear coordinates to permit the analysis of high-speed boundary-layer flows over fairly general bodies. Vigorous numerical studies are carried out to study convergence and accuracy of the linear-stability code LSH and the linear/nonlinear PSE code PSH. Physical interfaces are set up to analyze the M = 8 boundary layer over a blunt cone calculated by using a thin-layer Navier Stokes (TNLS) code and the flow over a sharp cone at angle of attack calculated using the AFWAL parabolized Navier-Stokes (PNS) code. While stability and transition studies at high speeds are far from routine, the method developed here is the best tool available to research the physical processes in high-speed boundary layers.

The Effect of Priming with Photographs of Environmental Settings on Walking Speed in an Outdoor Environment.

PubMed

Franěk, Marek; Režný, Lukáš

2017-01-01

This study examined the effect of priming with photographs of various environmental settings on the speed of a subsequent outdoor walk in an urban environment. Either photographs of urban greenery, conifer forests, or shopping malls were presented or no prime was employed. Three experiments were conducted ( N = 126, N = 88, and N = 121). After being exposed to the priming or no-priming conditions, the participants were asked to walk along an urban route 1.9 km long with vegetation and mature trees (Experiment 1, Experiment 3) or along a route in a modern suburb (Experiment 2). In accord with the concept of approach-avoidance behavior, it was expected that priming with photographs congruent with the environmental setting of the walking route would result in slower walking speed. Conversely, priming with photographs incongruent with the environmental setting should result in faster walking speed. The results showed that priming with the photographs with vegetation caused a decrease in overall walking speed on the route relative to other experimental conditions. However, priming with incongruent primes did not lead to a significant increase in walking speed. In all experimental conditions, the slowest walking speed was found in sections with the highest natural character. The results are explained in terms of congruency between the prime and the environment, as well as by the positive psychological effects of viewing nature.

Handpiece speed and postoperative outcomes in third molar surgery.

PubMed

Campbell, John H; Murray, R Anthony

2004-01-01

This study was performed to assess surgical outcomes when externally irrigated slow-speed surgical handpieces (30,000 rpm) were compared to externally irrigated high-speed handpieces (90,000 rpm) in the removal of impacted lower third molar teeth. One hundred patients with bilater ally impacted third molar s were enrolled in the study; 53 remained to completion. Each patient served as his/her own control. The experimental side was treated using a 30,000 rpm electric rotary drill incorporating irrigation, while the control side was treated using the same drill system, but with a 90,000 rpm handpiece. Drill speeds used were alternated between the right and left sides of patients to avoid bias introduced by the dominant hand of the surgeon. Patients were blinded to drill speed, and were asked to complete a standardized pain/swelling questionnaire for seven days immediately following surgery. Data was analyzed to determine differences in pain, swelling, and complications in relation to the drill type used. No statistically significant differences were found in degree of pain, swelling, or complications when the slower drill was compared to the high-speed instrument. The study suggests that there is no difference in postoperative outcome when impacted third molar teeth are removed with either slow- or high-speed instrumentation, and that the choice of the drill type should be determined solely by the preference of the operator.

The Effect of Priming with Photographs of Environmental Settings on Walking Speed in an Outdoor Environment

PubMed Central

Franěk, Marek; Režný, Lukáš

2017-01-01

This study examined the effect of priming with photographs of various environmental settings on the speed of a subsequent outdoor walk in an urban environment. Either photographs of urban greenery, conifer forests, or shopping malls were presented or no prime was employed. Three experiments were conducted (N = 126, N = 88, and N = 121). After being exposed to the priming or no-priming conditions, the participants were asked to walk along an urban route 1.9 km long with vegetation and mature trees (Experiment 1, Experiment 3) or along a route in a modern suburb (Experiment 2). In accord with the concept of approach-avoidance behavior, it was expected that priming with photographs congruent with the environmental setting of the walking route would result in slower walking speed. Conversely, priming with photographs incongruent with the environmental setting should result in faster walking speed. The results showed that priming with the photographs with vegetation caused a decrease in overall walking speed on the route relative to other experimental conditions. However, priming with incongruent primes did not lead to a significant increase in walking speed. In all experimental conditions, the slowest walking speed was found in sections with the highest natural character. The results are explained in terms of congruency between the prime and the environment, as well as by the positive psychological effects of viewing nature. PMID:28184208

Information processing speed and 8-year mortality among community-dwelling elderly Japanese.

PubMed

Iwasa, Hajime; Kai, Ichiro; Yoshida, Yuko; Suzuki, Takao; Kim, Hunkyung; Yoshida, Hideyo

2014-01-01

Cognitive function is an important contributor to health among elderly adults. One reliable measure of cognitive functioning is information processing speed, which can predict incident dementia and is longitudinally related to the incidence of functional dependence. Few studies have examined the association between information processing speed and mortality. This 8-year prospective cohort study design with mortality surveillance examined the longitudinal relationship between information processing speed and all-cause mortality among community-dwelling elderly Japanese. A total of 440 men and 371 women aged 70 years or older participated in this study. The Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) was used to assess information processing speed. DSST score was used as an independent variable, and age, sex, education level, depressive symptoms, chronic disease, sensory deficit, instrumental activities of daily living, walking speed, and cognitive impairment were used as covariates. During the follow-up period, 182 participants (133 men and 49 women) died. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model showed that lower DSST score was associated with increased risk of mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.62, 95% CI = 0.97-2.72; HR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.05-2.87; and HR = 2.55, 95% CI = 1.51-4.29, for the third, second, and first quartiles of DSST score, respectively). Slower information processing speed was associated with shorter survival among elderly Japanese.

High Speed Vortex Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, Richard M.; Wilcox, Floyd J., Jr.; Bauer, Steven X. S.; Allen, Jerry M.

2000-01-01

A review of the research conducted at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Langley Research Center (LaRC) into high-speed vortex flows during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s is presented. The data reviewed is for flat plates, cavities, bodies, missiles, wings, and aircraft. These data are presented and discussed relative to the design of future vehicles. Also presented is a brief historical review of the extensive body of high-speed vortex flow research from the 1940s to the present in order to provide perspective of the NASA LaRC's high-speed research results. Data are presented which show the types of vortex structures which occur at supersonic speeds and the impact of these flow structures to vehicle performance and control is discussed. The data presented shows the presence of both small- and large scale vortex structures for a variety of vehicles, from missiles to transports. For cavities, the data show very complex multiple vortex structures exist at all combinations of cavity depth to length ratios and Mach number. The data for missiles show the existence of very strong interference effects between body and/or fin vortices and the downstream fins. It was shown that these vortex flow interference effects could be both positive and negative. Data are shown which highlights the effect that leading-edge sweep, leading-edge bluntness, wing thickness, location of maximum thickness, and camber has on the aerodynamics of and flow over delta wings. The observed flow fields for delta wings (i.e. separation bubble, classical vortex, vortex with shock, etc.) are discussed in the context of' aircraft design. And data have been shown that indicate that aerodynamic performance improvements are available by considering vortex flows as a primary design feature. Finally a discussing of a design approach for wings which utilize vortex flows for improved aerodynamic performance at supersonic speed is presented.

Investigating the Discriminatory Power of BCS-Biowaiver in Vitro Methodology to Detect Bioavailability Differences between Immediate Release Products Containing a Class I Drug.

PubMed

Colón-Useche, Sarin; González-Álvarez, Isabel; Mangas-Sanjuan, Victor; González-Álvarez, Marta; Pastoriza, Pilar; Molina-Martínez, Irene; Bermejo, Marival; García-Arieta, Alfredo

2015-09-08

The purpose of this work is to investigate the discriminatory power of the Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS)-biowaiver in vitro methodology, i.e., to investigate if a BCS-biowaiver approach would have detected the Cmax differences observed between two zolpidem tablets and to identify the cause of the in vivo difference. Several dissolution conditions were tested with three zolpidem formulations: the reference (Stilnox), a bioequivalent formulation (BE), and a nonbioequivalent formulation (N-BE). Zolpidem is highly soluble at pH 1.2, 4.5, and 6.8. Its permeability in Caco-2 cells is higher than that of metoprolol and its transport mechanism is passive diffusion. None of the excipients (alone or in combination) showed any effect on permeability. All formulations dissolved more than 85% in 15 min in the paddle apparatus at 50 rpm in all dissolution media. However, at 30 rpm the nonbioequivalent formulation exhibited a slower dissolution rate. A slower gastric emptying rate was also observed in rats for the nonbioequivalent formulation. A slower disintegration and dissolution or a delay in gastric emptying might explain the Cmax infra-bioavailability for a highly permeable drug with short half-life. The BCS-biowaiver approach would have declared bioequivalence, although the in vivo study was not conclusive but detected a 14% mean difference in Cmax that precluded the bioequivalence demonstration. Nonetheless, these findings suggest that a slower dissolution rate is more discriminatory and that rotation speeds higher than 50 rpm should not be used in BCS-biowaivers, even if a coning effect occurs.

Blocking serotonin but not dopamine reuptake alters neural processing during perceptual decision making.

PubMed

Costa, Vincent D; Kakalios, Laura C; Averbeck, Bruno B

2016-10-01

Dopamine and serotonin have opponent interactions on aspects of impulsivity. Therefore we wanted to test the hypothesis that dopamine and serotonin would have opposing effects on speed-accuracy trade offs in a perceptual decision making task. Unlike other behavioral measures of impulsivity, perceptual decision making allows us to determine whether decreasing premature responses, often interpreted as decreased impulsivity, corresponds to increased behavioral performance. We administered GBR-12909 (a dopamine transporter blocker), escitalopram (a serotonin transporter blocker), or saline in separate sessions to 3 rhesus macaques. We found that animals had slower reaction times (RTs) on escitalopram than on GBR-12909 or saline. However, they were also least accurate on escitalopram. Animals were faster, although nonsignificantly, on GBR than saline and had equivalent accuracy. Administration of GBR-12909 did cause animals to be faster in error trials than correct trials. Therefore, from the point of view of RTs the animals were less impulsive on escitalopram. However, the decreased accuracy of the monkeys shows that they were not able to make use of their slower response times to make more accurate decisions. Therefore, impulsivity was reduced on escitalopram, but at the expense of a slower information-processing rate in the perceptual inference task. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Filtered Mass Density Function for Design Simulation of High Speed Airbreathing Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Givi, P.; Madnia, C. K.; Gicquel, L. Y. M.; Sheikhi, M. R. H.; Drozda, T. G.

2002-01-01

The objective of this research is to improve and implement the filtered mass density function (FDF) methodology for large eddy simulation (LES) of high speed reacting turbulent flows. NASA is interested in the design of various components involved in air breathing propulsion systems such as the scramjet. There is a demand for development of robust tools that can aid in the design procedure. The physics of high speed reactive flows is rich with many complexities. LES is regarded as one of the most promising means of simulating turbulent reacting flows.

Assessment and application of Reynolds stress closure models to high-speed compressible flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatski, T. B.; Sarkar, S.; Speziale, C. G.; Balakrishnan, L.; Abid, R.; Anderson, E. C.

1990-01-01

The paper presents results from the development of higher order closure models for the phenomological modeling of high-speed compressible flows. The work presented includes the introduction of an improved pressure-strain correlationi model applicable in both the low- and high-speed regime as well as modifications to the isotropic dissipation rate to account for dilatational effects. Finally, the question of stiffness commonly associated with the solution of two-equation and Reynolds stress transport equations in wall-bounded flows is examined and ways of relaxing these restrictions are discussed.

Aerodynamic Design of a Dual-Flow Mach 7 Hypersonic Inlet System for a Turbine-Based Combined-Cycle Hypersonic Propulsion System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, Bobby W.; Weir, Lois J.

2008-01-01

A new hypersonic inlet for a turbine-based combined-cycle (TBCC) engine has been designed. This split-flow inlet is designed to provide flow to an over-under propulsion system with turbofan and dual-mode scramjet engines for flight from takeoff to Mach 7. It utilizes a variable-geometry ramp, high-speed cowl lip rotation, and a rotating low-speed cowl that serves as a splitter to divide the flow between the low-speed turbofan and the high-speed scramjet and to isolate the turbofan at high Mach numbers. The low-speed inlet was designed for Mach 4, the maximum mode transition Mach number. Integration of the Mach 4 inlet into the Mach 7 inlet imposed significant constraints on the low-speed inlet design, including a large amount of internal compression. The inlet design was used to develop mechanical designs for two inlet mode transition test models: small-scale (IMX) and large-scale (LIMX) research models. The large-scale model is designed to facilitate multi-phase testing including inlet mode transition and inlet performance assessment, controls development, and integrated systems testing with turbofan and scramjet engines.

Cellular automata model for traffic flow at intersections in internet of vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Han-Tao; Liu, Xin-Ru; Chen, Xiao-Xu; Lu, Jian-Cheng

2018-03-01

Considering the effect of the front vehicle's speed, the influence of the brake light and the conflict of the traffic flow, we established a cellular automata model called CE-NS for traffic flow at the intersection in the non-vehicle networking environment. According to the information interaction of Internet of Vehicles (IoV), introducing parameters describing the congestion and the accurate speed of the front vehicle into the CE-NS model, we improved the rules of acceleration, deceleration and conflict, and finally established a cellular automata model for traffic flow at intersections of IoV. The relationship between traffic parameters such as vehicle speed, flow and average travel time is obtained by numerical simulation of two models. Based on this, we compared the traffic situation of the non-vehicle networking environment with conditions of IoV environment, and analyzed the influence of the different degree of IoV on the traffic flow. The results show that the traffic speed is increased, the travel time is reduced, the flux of intersections is increased and the traffic flow is more smoothly under IoV environment. After the vehicle which achieves IoV reaches a certain proportion, the operation effect of the traffic flow begins to improve obviously.

Rotor Airloads Prediction Using Unstructured Meshes and Loose CFD/CSD Coupling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biedron, Robert T.; Lee-Rausch, Elizabeth M.

2008-01-01

The FUN3D unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solver for unstructured grids has been modified to allow prediction of trimmed rotorcraft airloads. The trim of the rotorcraft and the aeroelastic deformation of the rotor blades are accounted for via loose coupling with the CAMRAD II rotorcraft computational structural dynamics code. The set of codes is used to analyze the HART-II Baseline, Minimum Noise and Minimum Vibration test conditions. The loose coupling approach is found to be stable and convergent for the cases considered. Comparison of the resulting airloads and structural deformations with experimentally measured data is presented. The effect of grid resolution and temporal accuracy is examined. Rotorcraft airloads prediction presents a very substantial challenge for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Not only must the unsteady nature of the flow be accurately modeled, but since most rotorcraft blades are not structurally stiff, an accurate simulation must account for the blade structural dynamics. In addition, trim of the rotorcraft to desired thrust and moment targets depends on both aerodynamic loads and structural deformation, and vice versa. Further, interaction of the fuselage with the rotor flow field can be important, so that relative motion between the blades and the fuselage must be accommodated. Thus a complete simulation requires coupled aerodynamics, structures and trim, with the ability to model geometrically complex configurations. NASA has recently initiated a Subsonic Rotary Wing (SRW) Project under the overall Fundamental Aeronautics Program. Within the context of SRW are efforts aimed at furthering the state of the art of high-fidelity rotorcraft flow simulations, using both structured and unstructured meshes. Structured-mesh solvers have an advantage in computation speed, but even though remarkably complex configurations may be accommodated using the overset grid approach, generation of complex structured-mesh systems can require months to set up. As a result, many rotorcraft simulations using structured-grid CFD neglect the fuselage. On the other hand, unstructured-mesh solvers are easily able to handle complex geometries, but suffer from slower execution speed. However, advances in both computer hardware and CFD algorithms have made previously state-of-the-art computations routine for unstructured-mesh solvers, so that rotorcraft simulations using unstructured grids are now viable. The aim of the present work is to develop a first principles rotorcraft simulation tool based on an unstructured CFD solver.

Idle speed and fuel vapor recovery control system

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

Orzel, D.V.

1993-06-01

A method for controlling idling speed of an engine via bypass throttle connected in parallel to a primary engine throttle and for controlling purge flow through a vapor recovery system into an air/fuel intake of the engine is described, comprising the steps of: positioning the bypass throttle to decrease any difference between a desired engine idle speed and actual engine idle speed; and decreasing the purge flow when said bypass throttle position is less than a preselected fraction of a maximum bypass throttle position.

Subsurface Zonal and Meridional Flows from SDO/HMI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komm, Rudolf; Howe, Rachel; Hill, Frank

2016-10-01

We study the solar-cycle variation of the zonal and meridional flows in the near-surface layers of the solar convection zone from the surface to a depth of about 16 Mm. The flows are determined from SDO/HMI Dopplergrams using the HMI ring-diagram pipeline. The zonal and meridional flows vary with the solar cycle. Bands of faster-than-average zonal flows together with more-poleward-than-average meridional flows move from mid-latitudes toward the equator during the solar cycle and are mainly located on the equatorward side of the mean latitude of solar magnetic activity. Similarly, bands of slower-than-average zonal flows together with less-poleward-than-average meridional flows are located on the poleward side of the mean latitude of activity. Here, we will focus on the variation of these flows at high latitudes (poleward of 50 degree) that are now accessible using HMI data. We will present the latest results.

Restoration of Pulsatile Flow Reduces Sympathetic Nerve Activity Among Individuals With Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices.

PubMed

Cornwell, William K; Tarumi, Takashi; Stickford, Abigail; Lawley, Justin; Roberts, Monique; Parker, Rosemary; Fitzsimmons, Catherine; Kibe, Julius; Ayers, Colby; Markham, David; Drazner, Mark H; Fu, Qi; Levine, Benjamin D

2015-12-15

Current-generation left ventricular assist devices provide circulatory support that is minimally or entirely nonpulsatile and are associated with marked increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), likely through a baroreceptor-mediated pathway. We sought to determine whether the restoration of pulsatile flow through modulations in pump speed would reduce MSNA through the arterial baroreceptor reflex. Ten men and 3 women (54 ± 14 years) with Heartmate II continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices underwent hemodynamic and sympathetic neural assessment. Beat-to-beat blood pressure, carotid ultrasonography at the level of the arterial baroreceptors, and MSNA via microneurography were continuously recorded to determine steady-state responses to step changes (200-400 revolutions per minute) in continuous-flow left ventricular assist device pump speed from a maximum of 10,480 ± 315 revolutions per minute to a minimum of 8500 ± 380 revolutions per minute. Reductions in pump speed led to increases in pulse pressure (high versus low speed: 17 ± 7 versus 26 ± 12 mm Hg; P<0.01), distension of the carotid artery, and carotid arterial wall tension (P<0.05 for all measures). In addition, MSNA was reduced (high versus low speed: 41 ± 15 versus 33 ± 16 bursts per minute; P<0.01) despite a reduction in mean arterial pressure and was inversely related to pulse pressure (P=0.037). Among subjects with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices, the restoration of pulsatile flow through modulations in pump speed leads to increased distortion of the arterial baroreceptors with a subsequent decline in MSNA. Additional study is needed to determine whether reduction of MSNA in this setting leads to improved outcomes. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Marangoni elasticity of flowing soap films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Ildoo; Mandre, Shreyas

2017-08-01

We measure the Marangoni elasticity of a flowing soap film to be 22 mN/m irrespective of its width, thickness, flow speed, or the bulk soap concentration. We perform this measurement by generating an oblique shock in the soap film and measuring the shock angle, flow speed, and thickness. We postulate that the elasticity is constant because the film surface is crowded with soap molecules. Our method allows nondestructive measurement of flowing soap film elasticity and the value 22 mN/m is likely applicable to other similarly constructed flowing soap films.

Large eddy simulations and direct numerical simulations of high speed turbulent reacting flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Givi, P.; Madnia, C. K.; Steinberger, C. J.; Frankel, S. H.

1992-01-01

The basic objective of this research is to extend the capabilities of Large Eddy Simulations (LES) and Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) for the computational analyses of high speed reacting flows. In the efforts related to LES, we were primarily involved with assessing the performance of the various modern methods based on the Probability Density Function (PDF) methods for providing closures for treating the subgrid fluctuation correlations of scalar quantities in reacting turbulent flows. In the work on DNS, we concentrated on understanding some of the relevant physics of compressible reacting flows by means of statistical analysis of the data generated by DNS of such flows. In the research conducted in the second year of this program, our efforts focused on the modeling of homogeneous compressible turbulent flows by PDF methods, and on DNS of non-equilibrium reacting high speed mixing layers. Some preliminary work is also in progress on PDF modeling of shear flows, and also on LES of such flows.

Aeropropulsion Technology (APT). Task 23 - Stator Seal Cavity Flow Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heidegger, N. J.; Hall, E. J.; Delaney, R. A.

1996-01-01

The focus of NASA Contract NAS3-25950 Task 23 was to numerically investigate the flow through an axial compressor inner-banded stator seal cavity. The Allison/NASA developed ADPAC code was used to obtain all flow predictions. Flow through a labyrinth stator seal cavity of a high-speed compressor was modeled by coupling the cavity flow path and the main flow path of the compressor. A grid resolution study was performed to guarantee adequate grid spacing was used. Both unsteady rotor-stator-rotor interactions and steady-state isolated blade calculations were performed with and without the seal cavity present. A parameterized seal cavity study of the high-speed stator seal cavity collected a series of solutions for geometric variations. The parameter list included seal tooth gap, cavity depth, wheel speed, radial mismatch of hub flowpath, axial trench gap, hub corner treatments, and land edge treatments. Solution data presented includes radial and pitchwise distributions of flow variables and particle traces describing the flow character.

In vivo photoacoustic tomography of total blood flow and Doppler angle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Junjie; Maslov, Konstantin I.; Wang, Lihong V.

2012-02-01

As two hallmarks of cancer, angiogenesis and hypermetabolism are closely related to increased blood flow. Volumetric blood flow measurement is important to understanding the tumor microenvironment and developing new means to treat cancer. Current photoacoustic blood flow estimation methods focus on either the axial or transverse component of the flow vector. Here, we propose a method to compute the total flow speed and Doppler angle by combining the axial and transverse flow measurements. Both the components are measured in M-mode. Collating the A-lines side by side yields a 2D matrix. The columns are Hilbert transformed to compare the phases for the computation of the axial flow. The rows are Fourier transformed to quantify the bandwidth for the computation of the transverse flow. From the axial and transverse flow components, the total flow speed and Doppler angle can be derived. The method has been verified by flowing bovine blood in a plastic tube at various speeds from 0 to 7.5 mm/s and at Doppler angles from 30 to 330°. The measurement error for total flow speed was experimentally determined to be less than 0.3 mm/s; for the Doppler angle, it was less than 15°. In addition, the method was tested in vivo on a mouse ear. The advantage of this method is simplicity: No system modification or additional data acquisition is required to use our existing system. We believe that the proposed method has the potential to be used for cancer angiogenesis and hypermetabolism imaging.

Factors associated with gait speed recovery after total knee arthroplasty: A longitudinal study.

PubMed

Pua, Yong-Hao; Seah, Felicia Jie-Ting; Clark, Ross Allan; Lian-Li Poon, Cheryl; Tan, John Wei-Ming; Chong, Hwei-Chi

2017-04-01

Gait speed limitations can remain significant issues after a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) but their associated factors are not well understood. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with acute gait speed recovery post-TKA. We performed a prospective longitudinal study of 1765 patients who underwent primary TKA between July 2013 and July 2015. At 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks postsurgery, fast gait speed was measured. The factors associated with gait speed over time since TKA were identified using multivariable generalized least squares modeling. Lower postoperative quadriceps strength and knee flexion range of motion were closely associated with lower gait speed over time (0.084m/s, 0.064m/s, and 0.055m/s change in gait speed per interquartile range change in ipsilateral quadriceps strength, contralateral quadriceps strength, and knee flexion range of motion, respectively). Additional strong predictors of lower gait speed included older age (0.11m/s), lower levels of preoperative Short Form 36 physical function (0.066m/s), greater body mass (0.046m/s), and the preoperative use of a walking aid (overall P < 0.001). Patients who reported that they limited their daily activities due to a fear of falling also had poorer gait speed (0.033m/s and 0.054m/s slower gait speed for "Occasional" and "Often" categories, respectively, vs. "None"). Gait speed recovery post-TKA is driven by both physical and psychological factors, suggesting that identifying and treating the underlying physical and cognitive causes of gait speed limitations may be crucial to optimize functional recovery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship Between Head-Turn Gait Speed and Lateral Balance Function in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

PubMed

Singh, Harshvardhan; Sanders, Ozell; McCombe Waller, Sandy; Bair, Woei-Nan; Beamer, Brock; Creath, Robert A; Rogers, Mark W

2017-10-01

To determine and compare gait speed during head-forward and side-to-side head-turn walking in individuals with lower versus greater lateral balance. Cross-sectional study. University research laboratory. Older adults (N=93; 42 men, 51 women; mean age ± SD, 73 ± 6.08y) who could walk independently. (1) Balance tolerance limit (BTL), defined as the lowest perturbation intensity where a multistep balance recovery pattern was first evoked in response to randomized lateral waist-pull perturbations of standing balance to the left and right sides, at 6 different intensities (range from level 2: 4.5-cm displacement at 180cm/s 2 acceleration, to level 7: 22.5-cm displacement at 900cm/s 2 acceleration); (2) gait speed, determined using an instrumented gait mat; (3) balance, evaluated with the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale; and (4) mobility, determined with the Timed Up and Go (TUG). Individuals with low versus high BTL had a slower self-selected head-forward gait speed and head-turn gait speed (P=.002 and P<.001, respectively); the magnitude of difference was greater in head-turn gait speed than head-forward gait speed (Cohen's d=1.0 vs 0.6). Head-turn gait speed best predicted BTL. BTL was moderately and positively related (P=.003) to the ABC Scale and negatively related (P=.017) to TUG. Head-turn gait speed is affected to a greater extent than head-forward gait speed in older individuals with poorer lateral balance and at greater risk of falls. Moreover, head-turn gait speed can be used to assess the interactions of limitations in lateral balance function and gait speed in relation to fall risk in older adults. Copyright © 2017 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Positive feedback and momentum growth during debris-flow entrainment of wet bed sediment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iverson, R.M.; Reid, M.E.; Logan, M.; LaHusen, R.G.; Godt, J.W.; Griswold, J.P.

2011-01-01

Debris flows typically occur when intense rainfall or snowmelt triggers landslides or extensive erosion on steep, debris-mantled slopes. The flows can then grow dramatically in size and speed as they entrain material from their beds and banks, but the mechanism of this growth is unclear. Indeed, momentum conservation implies that entrainment of static material should retard the motion of the flows if friction remains unchanged. Here we use data from large-scale experiments to assess the entrainment of bed material by debris flows. We find that entrainment is accompanied by increased flow momentum and speed only if large positive pore pressures develop in wet bed sediments as the sediments are overridden by debris flows. The increased pore pressure facilitates progressive scour of the bed, reduces basal friction and instigates positive feedback that causes flow speed, mass and momentum to increase. If dryer bed sediment is entrained, however, the feedback becomes negative and flow momentum declines. We infer that analogous feedbacks could operate in other types of gravity-driven mass flow that interact with erodible beds. ?? 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Pulsed photoacoustic flow imaging with a handheld system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Berg, Pim J.; Daoudi, Khalid; Steenbergen, Wiendelt

2016-02-01

Flow imaging is an important technique in a range of disease areas, but estimating low flow speeds, especially near the walls of blood vessels, remains challenging. Pulsed photoacoustic flow imaging can be an alternative since there is little signal contamination from background tissue with photoacoustic imaging. We propose flow imaging using a clinical photoacoustic system that is both handheld and portable. The system integrates a linear array with 7.5 MHz central frequency in combination with a high-repetition-rate diode laser to allow high-speed photoacoustic imaging-ideal for this application. This work shows the flow imaging performance of the system in vitro using microparticles. Both two-dimensional (2-D) flow images and quantitative flow velocities from 12 to 75 mm/s were obtained. In a transparent bulk medium, flow estimation showed standard errors of ˜7% the estimated speed; in the presence of tissue-realistic optical scattering, the error increased to 40% due to limited signal-to-noise ratio. In the future, photoacoustic flow imaging can potentially be performed in vivo using fluorophore-filled vesicles or with an improved setup on whole blood.

High-Speed Lateral Flow Strategy for a Fast Biosensing with an Improved Selectivity and Binding Affinity.

PubMed

Cho, Dong Guk; Yoo, Haneul; Lee, Haein; Choi, Yeol Kyo; Lee, Minju; Ahn, Dong June; Hong, Seunghun

2018-05-10

We report a high-speed lateral flow strategy for a fast biosensing with an improved selectivity and binding affinity even under harsh conditions. In this strategy, biosensors were fixed at a location away from the center of a round shape disk, and the disk was rotated to create the lateral flow of a target solution on the biosensors during the sensing measurements. Experimental results using the strategy showed high reaction speeds, high binding affinity, and low nonspecific adsorptions of target molecules to biosensors. Furthermore, binding affinity between target molecules and sensing molecules was enhanced even in harsh conditions such as low pH and low ionic strength conditions. These results show that the strategy can improve the performance of conventional biosensors by generating high-speed lateral flows on a biosensor surface. Therefore, our strategy can be utilized as a simple but powerful tool for versatile bio and medical applications.

Evaluation of flow quality in two large NASA wind tunnels at transonic speeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harvey, W. D.; Stainback, P. C.; Owen, F. K.

1980-01-01

Wind tunnel testing of low drag airfoils and basic transition studies at transonic speeds are designed to provide high quality aerodynamic data at high Reynolds numbers. This requires that the flow quality in facilities used for such research be excellent. To obtain a better understanding of the characteristics of facility disturbances and identification of their sources for possible facility modification, detailed flow quality measurements were made in two prospective NASA wind tunnels. Experimental results are presented of an extensive and systematic flow quality study of the settling chamber, test section, and diffuser in the Langley 8 foot transonic pressure tunnel and the Ames 12 foot pressure wind tunnel. Results indicate that the free stream velocity and pressure fluctuation levels in both facilities are low at subsonic speeds and are so high as to make it difficult to conduct meaningful boundary layer control and transition studies at transonic speeds.

Contribution of the Recent AUSM Schemes to the Overflow Code: Implementation and Validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liou, Meng-Sing; Buning, Pieter G.

2000-01-01

We shall present results of a recent collaborative effort between the authors attempting to implement the numerical flux scheme, AUSM+ and its new developments, into a widely used NASA code, OVERFLOW. This paper is intended to give a thorough and systematic documentation about the solutions of default test cases using the AUSNI+ scheme. Hence we will address various aspects of numerical solutions, such as accuracy, convergence rate, and effects of turbulence models, over a variety of geometries, speed regimes. We will briefly describe the numerical schemes employed in the calculations, including the capability of solving for low-speed flows and multiphase flows by employing the concept of numerical speed of sound. As a bonus, this low Mach number formulations also enhances convergence to steady solutions for flows even at transonic speed. Calculations for complex 3D turbulent flows were performed with several turbulence models and the results display excellent agreements with measured data.

A system for calibrating seepage meters used to measure flow between ground water and surface water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosenberry, Donald O.; Menheer, Michael A.

2006-01-01

The in-line flowmeter used with this system is incapable of measuring seepage rates below about 7 centimeters per day. Smaller seepage rates can be measured manually. The seepage- control system also can be modified for measuring slower seepage rates with the use of two flowmeters and a slightly different water-routing system, or a fluid-metering pump can be used to control flow through the flux tank instead of an adjustable-height reservoir.

Copernicus ultraviolet spectra of OB supergiants with strong stellar winds

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

Hutchings, J.B.

1976-03-01

Spectral scans at approximately 0.2 A resolution have been obtained in the far-ultraviolet of eight stars which have high mass-loss rates from stellar winds. The P Cygni characteristics of the line profiles appear to vary inversely as the mass flow rate, and in P Cygni itself the C III lambda 1175 line shows no velocity shift, or emission. It is suggested that higher mass flow rates occur through a denser, slower moving envelope in which collisional interactions are important. (auth)

Low speed streak formation in a separating turbulent boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Leonardo; Lang, Amy; Wahidi, Redha; Bonacci, Andrew

2017-11-01

Separation control mechanisms present on the skin of the shortfin mako shark may permit higher swimming speeds. The morphology of the scales varies over the entire body, with maximum scale flexibility found on the flank region with an adverse pressure gradient(APG). It is hypothesized that reversing flow close the skin bristles the scales inhibiting further flow reversal and controlling flow separation. Experiments are conducted in water tunnel facility and the flow field of a separating turbulent boundary layer(TBL) is measured using DPIV and Insight V3V. Flow separation is induced by a rotating cylinder which generates a controlled APG over a flat plate (Re = 510000 and 620000). Specifically, the low speed streak(LSS) formation is documented and matches predicted sizing based on viscous length scale calculations. It is surmised that shark scale width corresponds to this LSS sizing for real swimming TBL conditions. However, flow separation control has been demonstrated over real skin specimens under much lower speed conditions which indicates the mechanism is fairly Re independent if multiple scales are bristled as the width of the LSS increases. The formation of reversing flow within the streaks is studied specifically to better understand the process by which this flow initiates scale bristling on shortfin mako skin as a passive, flow actuated separation control mechanism. The authors would like to greatefully acknowledge the Army Research Office for funding this project.

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.

Turbulent flow reduces oxygen consumption in the labriform swimming shiner perch, Cymatogaster aggregata.

PubMed

van der Hoop, Julie M; Byron, Margaret L; Ozolina, Karlina; Miller, David L; Johansen, Jacob L; Domenici, Paolo; Steffensen, John F

2018-06-12

Fish swimming energetics are often measured in laboratory environments which attempt to minimize turbulence, though turbulent flows are common in the natural environment. To test whether the swimming energetics and kinematics of shiner perch, Cymatogaster aggregata (a labriform swimmer), were affected by turbulence, two flow conditions were constructed in a swim-tunnel respirometer. A low-turbulence flow was created using a common swim-tunnel respirometry setup with a flow straightener and fine-mesh grid to minimize velocity fluctuations. A high-turbulence flow condition was created by allowing large velocity fluctuations to persist without a flow straightener or fine grid. The two conditions were tested with particle image velocimetry to confirm significantly different turbulence properties throughout a range of mean flow speeds. Oxygen consumption rate of the swimming fish increased with swimming speed and pectoral fin beat frequency in both flow conditions. Higher turbulence also caused a greater positional variability in swimming individuals (versus low-turbulence flow) at medium and high speeds. Surprisingly, fish used less oxygen in high-turbulence compared with low-turbulence flow at medium and high swimming speeds. Simultaneous measurements of swimming kinematics indicated that these reductions in oxygen consumption could not be explained by specific known flow-adaptive behaviours such as Kármán gaiting or entraining. Therefore, fish in high-turbulence flow may take advantage of the high variability in turbulent energy through time. These results suggest that swimming behaviour and energetics measured in the lab in straightened flow, typical of standard swimming respirometers, might differ from that of more turbulent, semi-natural flow conditions. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Minimum viewing angle for visually guided ground speed control in bumblebees.

PubMed

Baird, Emily; Kornfeldt, Torill; Dacke, Marie

2010-05-01

To control flight, flying insects extract information from the pattern of visual motion generated during flight, known as optic flow. To regulate their ground speed, insects such as honeybees and Drosophila hold the rate of optic flow in the axial direction (front-to-back) constant. A consequence of this strategy is that its performance varies with the minimum viewing angle (the deviation from the frontal direction of the longitudinal axis of the insect) at which changes in axial optic flow are detected. The greater this angle, the later changes in the rate of optic flow, caused by changes in the density of the environment, will be detected. The aim of the present study is to examine the mechanisms of ground speed control in bumblebees and to identify the extent of the visual range over which optic flow for ground speed control is measured. Bumblebees were trained to fly through an experimental tunnel consisting of parallel vertical walls. Flights were recorded when (1) the distance between the tunnel walls was either 15 or 30 cm, (2) the visual texture on the tunnel walls provided either strong or weak optic flow cues and (3) the distance between the walls changed abruptly halfway along the tunnel's length. The results reveal that bumblebees regulate ground speed using optic flow cues and that changes in the rate of optic flow are detected at a minimum viewing angle of 23-30 deg., with a visual field that extends to approximately 155 deg. By measuring optic flow over a visual field that has a low minimum viewing angle, bumblebees are able to detect and respond to changes in the proximity of the environment well before they are encountered.

Creating drag and lift curves from soccer trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goff, John Eric; Kelley, John; Hobson, Chad M.; Seo, Kazuya; Asai, Takeshi; Choppin, S. B.

2017-07-01

Trajectory analysis is an alternative to using wind tunnels to measure a soccer ball’s aerodynamic properties. It has advantages over wind tunnel testing such as being more representative of game play. However, previous work has not presented a method that produces complete, speed-dependent drag and lift coefficients. Four high-speed cameras in stereo-calibrated pairs were used to measure the spatial co-ordinates for 29 separate soccer trajectories. Those trajectories span a range of launch speeds from 9.3 to 29.9 m s-1. That range encompasses low-speed laminar flow of air over a soccer ball, through the drag crises where air flow is both laminar and turbulent, and up to high-speed turbulent air flow. Results from trajectory analysis were combined to give speed-dependent drag and lift coefficient curves for the entire range of speeds found in the 29 trajectories. The average root mean square error between the measured and modelled trajectory was 0.028 m horizontally and 0.034 m vertically. The drag and lift crises can be observed in the plots of drag and lift coefficients respectively.

Visual regulation of ground speed and headwind compensation in freely flying honey bees (Apis mellifera L.).

PubMed

Barron, Andrew; Srinivasan, Mandyam V

2006-03-01

There is now increasing evidence that honey bees regulate their ground speed in flight by holding constant the speed at which the image of the environment moves across the eye (optic flow). We have investigated the extent to which ground speed is affected by headwinds. Honey bees were trained to enter a tunnel to forage at a sucrose feeder placed at its far end. Ground speeds in the tunnel were recorded while systematically varying the visual texture of the tunnel, and the strength of headwinds experienced by the flying bees. We found that in a flight tunnel bees used visual cues to maintain their ground speed, and adjusted their air speed to maintain a constant rate of optic flow, even against headwinds which were, at their strongest, 50% of a bee's maximum recorded forward velocity. Manipulation of the visual texture revealed that headwind is compensated almost fully even when the optic flow cues are very sparse and subtle, demonstrating the robustness of this visual flight control system. We discuss these findings in the context of field observations of flying bees.

The status of analytical preparation for 2-dimensional testing at high transonic speeds in the University of Southampton transonic self-streamlining wind tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, M. C.

1984-01-01

Validation data from the Transonic Self-Streamlining Wind Tunnel has proved the feasibility of streamlining two dimensional flexible walls at low speeds and up to transonic speeds, the upper limit being the speed where the flexible walls are just supercritical. At this condition, breakdown of the wall setting strategy is evident in that convergence is neither as rapid nor as stable as for lower speeds, and wall streamlining criteria are not always completely satisfied. The only major step necessary to permit the extension of two dimensional testing into higher transonic speeds is the provision of a rapid algorithm to solve for mixed flow in the imagery flow fields. The status of two dimensional high transonic testing in the Transonic Self-Streamlining Wind Tunnel is outlined and, in particular, the progress of adapting an algorithm, which solves the Transonic Small Perturbation Equation, for predicting the imagery flow fields is detailed.

Investigation of the effect of impeller speed on granules formed using a PMA-1 high shear granulator.

PubMed

Logan, R; Briens, L

2012-11-01

Impeller speed was varied from 300 to 1500 rpm during the wet high shear granulation of a placebo formulation using a new vertical shaft PharmaMATRIX-1 granulator. The resulting granules were extensively analysed for differences caused by the varying impeller speed with emphasis on flowability. Microscopy showed that initial granules were formed primarily from microcrystalline cellulose at all tested impeller speeds. At low impeller speed of 300 rpm in the "bumpy" flow regime, forces from the impeller were insufficient to incorporate all the components of the formulation into the granules and to promote granule growth to a size that significantly improved flowability. The "roping" flow regime at higher impeller speeds promoted granule growth to a median particle size of at least 100 µm that improved the flowability of the mixture. Particle size distribution measurements and advanced indicators based on avalanching behavior, however, showed that an impeller speed of 700 rpm produced the largest fraction of optimal granules with the best flowability potential. This impeller speed allowed good development of "roping" flow for sufficient mixing, collision rates and kinetic energy for collisions while minimizing excessive centrifugal forces that promote buildup around the bowl perimeter.

Density enhancement mechanism of upwind schemes for low Mach number flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Bo-Xi; Yan, Chao; Chen, Shu-Sheng

2018-06-01

Many all-speed Roe schemes have been proposed to improve performance in terms of low speeds. Among them, the F-Roe and T-D-Roe schemes have been found to get incorrect density fluctuation in low Mach flows, which is expected to be with the square of Mach number. Asymptotic analysis presents the mechanism of how the density fluctuation problem relates to the incorrect order of terms in the energy equation \\tilde{ρ {\\tilde{a}} {\\tilde{U}}Δ U}. It is known that changing the upwind scheme coefficients of the pressure-difference dissipation term D^P and the velocity-difference dissipation term in the momentum equation D^{ρ U} to the order of O(c^{-1}) and O(c0) can improve the level of pressure and velocity accuracy at low speeds. This paper shows that corresponding changes in energy equation can also improve the density accuracy in low speeds. We apply this modification to a recently proposed scheme, TV-MAS, to get a new scheme, TV-MAS2. Unsteady Gresho vortex flow, double shear-layer flow, low Mach number flows over the inviscid cylinder, and NACA0012 airfoil show that energy equation modification in these schemes can obtain the expected square Ma scaling of density fluctuations, which is in good agreement with corresponding asymptotic analysis. Therefore, this density correction is expected to be widely implemented into all-speed compressible flow solvers.

Infrared Imaging Of Flows Seeded With SF6

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manuel, Gregory S.; Daryabeigi, Kamran; Alderfer, David W.; Obara, Clifford J.

1993-01-01

Novel technique enables repeated measurements of flow patterns during flight. Wing-tip vorticity studied in flight by observing infrared emissions from SF6 gas entrained in wing-tip flow. System makes vortical flows visible throughout all altitude and speed ranges of all subsonic aircraft. Also useful for transonic and supersonic speeds. Primary application is testing of aircraft in flight, also proves useful in testing fast land vehicles and structures or devices subject to strong winds.

Using archived ITS data to measure the operational benefits of a system-wide adaptive ramp metering system : appendix online 5 : I-205 NB ramp flow & ML speed-flow plots.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-12-01

The appendix includes various ramp flow and ML speed-flow plots, including: I-205 NB, Gladstone MP 11.05; I-205 NB, Gladstone Hway MP 12.94; I-205 NB, Lawnfield MP 13.58; I-205 NB, Sunnybrook MP 14.32; I-205 NB, Sunnyside MP 14.7; I-205 NB, Johnson C...

Importance sampling variance reduction for the Fokker–Planck rarefied gas particle method

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

Collyer, B.S., E-mail: benjamin.collyer@gmail.com; London Mathematical Laboratory, 14 Buckingham Street, London WC2N 6DF; Connaughton, C.

The Fokker–Planck approximation to the Boltzmann equation, solved numerically by stochastic particle schemes, is used to provide estimates for rarefied gas flows. This paper presents a variance reduction technique for a stochastic particle method that is able to greatly reduce the uncertainty of the estimated flow fields when the characteristic speed of the flow is small in comparison to the thermal velocity of the gas. The method relies on importance sampling, requiring minimal changes to the basic stochastic particle scheme. We test the importance sampling scheme on a homogeneous relaxation, planar Couette flow and a lid-driven-cavity flow, and find thatmore » our method is able to greatly reduce the noise of estimated quantities. Significantly, we find that as the characteristic speed of the flow decreases, the variance of the noisy estimators becomes independent of the characteristic speed.« less

Mathematical modeling of fluid flow in aluminum ladles for degasification with impeller - injector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramos-Gómez, E.; González-Rivera, C.; Ramírez-Argáez, M. A.

2012-09-01

In this work a fundamental Eulerian mathematical model was developed to simulate fluid flow in a water physical model of an aluminum ladle equipped with impeller for degassing treatment. The effect of critical process parameters such as rotor speed, gas flow rate on the fluid flow and vortex formation was analyzed with this model. Commercial CFD code PHOENICS 3.4 was used to solve all conservation equations governing the process for this twophase fluid flow system. The mathematical model was successfully validated against experimentally measured liquid velocity and turbulent profiles in a physical model. From the results it was concluded that the angular speed of the impeller is the most important parameter promoting better stirred baths. Pumping effect of the impeller is increased as impeller rotation speed increases. Gas flow rate is detrimental on bath stirring and diminishes pumping effect of impeller.

Flow-Visualization Techniques Used at High Speed by Configuration Aerodynamics Wind-Tunnel-Test Team

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lamar, John E. (Editor)

2001-01-01

This paper summarizes a variety of optically based flow-visualization techniques used for high-speed research by the Configuration Aerodynamics Wind-Tunnel Test Team of the High-Speed Research Program during its tenure. The work of other national experts is included for completeness. Details of each technique with applications and status in various national wind tunnels are given.

On the source of flare-ejecta responsible for geomagnetic storms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sakurai, K.

1974-01-01

It is shown that magnetic bottles as the sources of moving metric type 4 bursts are not responsible for the development of geomagnetic storms, despite the fact that shock waves producing type 2 bursts are the sources of the interplanetary shock waves, which produce SSC's on the geomagnetic field. These magnetic bottles, in general, tend to move in the solar envelope with the speed of several hundred Km/sec at most, which is much slower than that of the motion of type 2 radio sources.