Spatiotemporal splitting of global eigenmodes due to cross-field coupling via vortex dynamics in drift wave turbulence.

PubMed

Brandt, C; Thakur, S C; Light, A D; Negrete, J; Tynan, G R

2014-12-31

Spatiotemporal splitting events of drift wave (DW) eigenmodes due to nonlinear coupling are investigated in a cylindrical helicon plasma device. DW eigenmodes in the radial-azimuthal cross section have been experimentally observed to split at radial locations and recombine into the global eigenmode with a time shorter than the typical DW period (t≪fDW(-1)). The number of splits correlates with the increase of turbulence. The observed dynamics can be theoretically reproduced by a Kuramoto-type model of a network of radially coupled azimuthal eigenmodes. Coupling by E×B-vortex convection cell dynamics and ion gyro radii motion leads to cross-field synchronization and occasional mode splitting events.

SPECIAL ISSUE DEVOTED TO THE 80TH BIRTHDAY OF S.A. AKHMANOV: Discrete conical emission rings observed upon filamentation of a femtosecond laser pulse in quartz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dormidonov, A. E.; Kandidov, V. P.; Kompanets, V. O.; Chekalin, Sergei V.

2009-07-01

Supercontinuum emission observed upon filamentation of transform-limited collimated femtosecond laser pulses in a transparent condensed medium (fused KU-1 quartz) is studied experimentally and numerically. The splitting of diverging conical supercontinuum emission into discrete rings was observed with increasing the pulse energy.

A quantitative assay for mitochondrial fusion using Renilla luciferase complementation.

PubMed

Huang, Huiyan; Choi, Seok-Yong; Frohman, Michael A

2010-08-01

Mitochondria continuously undergo fusion and fission, the relative rates of which define their morphology. Large mitochondria produce energy more efficiently, whereas small mitochondria translocate better to subcellular sites where local production of ATP is acutely required. Mitochondrial fusion is currently assayed by fusing together cells expressing GFP or RFP in their mitochondria and then scoring the frequency of cells with yellow mitochondria (representing fused green and red mitochondria). However, this assay is labor-intensive and only semi-quantitative. We describe here a reporter system consisting of split fragments of Renilla luciferase and YFP fused to mitochondrial matrix-targeting sequences and to leucine zippers to trigger dimerization. The assay enables fusion to be quantitated both visually for individual cells and on a population level using chemiluminescence, laying the foundation for high throughput small molecule and RNAi screens for modulators of mitochondrial fusion. We use the assay to examine cytoskeletal roles in fusion progression. (c) 2010 Mitochondria Research Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Temporal femtosecond pulse shaping dependence of laser-induced periodic surface structures in fused silica

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

Shi, Xuesong; Jiang, Lan; Li, Xin, E-mail: lixin02@bit.edu.cn

2014-07-21

The dependence of periodic structures and ablated areas on temporal pulse shaping is studied upon irradiation of fused silica by femtosecond laser triple-pulse trains. Three types of periodic structures can be obtained by using pulse trains with designed pulse delays, in which the three-dimensional nanopillar arrays with ∼100–150 nm diameters and ∼200 nm heights are first fabricated in one step. These nanopillars arise from the break of the ridges of ripples in the upper portion, which is caused by the split of orthogonal ripples in the bottom part. The localized transient electron dynamics and corresponding material properties are considered for the morphologicalmore » observations.« less

Supplementation of H1N1pdm09 split vaccine with heterologous tandem repeat M2e5x virus-like particles confers improved cross-protection in ferrets.

PubMed

Music, Nedzad; Reber, Adrian J; Kim, Min-Chul; York, Ian A; Kang, Sang-Moo

2016-01-20

Current influenza vaccines induce strain-specific immunity to the highly variable hemagglutinin (HA) protein. It is therefore a high priority to develop vaccines that induce broadly cross-protective immunity to different strains of influenza. Since influenza A M2 proteins are highly conserved among different strains, five tandem repeats of the extracellular peptide of M2 in a membrane-anchored form on virus-like particles (VLPs) have been suggested to be a promising candidate for universal influenza vaccine. In this study, ferrets were intramuscularly immunized with 2009 H1N1 split HA vaccine ("Split") alone, influenza split vaccine supplemented with M2e5x VLP ("Split+M2e5x"), M2e5x VLP alone ("M2e5x"), or mock immunized. Vaccine efficacy was measured serologically and by protection against a serologically distinct viral challenge. Ferrets immunized with Split+M2e5x induced HA strain specific and conserved M2e immunity. Supplementation of M2e5x VLP to split vaccination significantly increased the immunogenicity of split vaccine compared to split alone. The Split+M2e5x ferret group showed evidence of cross-reactive protection, including faster recovery from weight loss, and reduced inflammation, as inferred from changes in peripheral leukocyte subsets, compared to mock-immunized animals. In addition, ferrets immunized with Split+M2e5x shed lower viral nasal-wash titers than the other groups. Ferrets immunized with M2e5x alone also show some protective effects, while those immunized with split vaccine alone induced no protective effects compared to mock-immunized ferrets. These studies suggest that supplementation of split vaccine with M2e5x-VLP may provide broader and improved cross-protection than split vaccine alone. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Noonan syndrome: crossed fused ectopic kidneys and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis-a rare association.

PubMed

Gupta, Ankur; Khaira, Ambar; Lal, Charanjit; Mahajan, Sandeep; Tiwari, Suresh C

2009-10-01

Noonan syndrome is characterised by short stature, typical facial dysmorphology and congenital heart defects. Urogenital abnormalities are reported in 10% of the cases. We present a 14-year-old girl with characteristic features of Noonan syndrome and nephrotic-range proteinuria. She had crossed fused ectopic kidneys. Renal biopsy showed focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Oral steroids were instituted and she responded well. The case highlights this novel renal presentation of Noonan syndrome.

Supplementation of H1N1pdm09 split vaccine with heterologous tandem repeat M2e5x virus-like particles confers improved cross-protection in ferrets

PubMed Central

Music, Nedzad; Reber, Adrian J.; Kim, Min-Chul; York, Ian A.; Kang, Sang-Moo

2015-01-01

Current influenza vaccines induce strain-specific immunity to the highly variable hemagglutinin (HA) protein. It is therefore a high priority to develop vaccines that induce broadly cross-protective immunity to different strains of influenza. Since influenza A M2 proteins are highly conserved among different strains, five tandem repeats of the extracellular peptide of M2 in a membrane-anchored form on virus-like particles (VLPs) have been suggested to be a promising candidate for universal influenza vaccine. In this study, ferrets were intramuscularly immunized with 2009 H1N1 split HA vaccine (“Split”) alone, influenza split vaccine supplemented with M2e5x VLP (“Split+M2e5x”), M2e5x VLP alone (“M2e5x”), or mock immunized. Vaccine efficacy was measured serologically and by protection against a serologically distinct viral challenge. Ferrets immunized with Split+M2e5x induced HA strain specific and conserved M2e immunity. Supplementation of M2e5x VLP to split vaccination significantly increased the immunogenicity of split vaccine compared to split alone. The Split+M2e5x ferret group showed evidence of cross-reactive protection, including faster recovery from weight loss, and reduced inflammation, as inferred from changes in peripheral leukocyte subsets, compared to mock-immunized animals. In addition, ferrets immunized with Split+M2e5x shed lower viral nasal-wash titers than the other groups. Ferrets immunized with M2e5x alone also show some protective effects, while those immunized with split vaccine alone induced no protective effects compared to mock-immunized ferrets. These studies suggest that supplementation of split vaccine with M2e5x-VLP may provide broader and improved cross-protection than split vaccine alone. PMID:26709639

Fusion with the Cross-Gender Group Predicts Genital Sex Reassignment Surgery.

PubMed

Swann, William B; Gómez, Ángel; Vázquez, Alexandra; Guillamón, Antonio; Segovia, Santiago; Carrillo, Beatriz; Carillo, Beatriz

2015-07-01

Transsexuals vary in the sacrifices that they make while transitioning to their cross-gender group. We suggest that one influence on the sacrifices they make is identity fusion. When people fuse with a group, a visceral and irrevocable feeling of oneness with the group develops. The personal self (the sense of "I" and "me") remains potent and combines synergistically with the social self to motivate behavior. We hypothesized that transsexuals who felt fused with the cross-gender group would be especially willing to make sacrifices while transitioning to that group. Our sample included 22 male-to-female (MtF) and 16 female-to-male (FtM) transsexuals. Consistent with expectation, those who were fused with their cross-gender group (1) expressed more willingness to sacrifice close relationships in the process of changing sex than non-fused transsexuals and (2) actually underwent irreversible surgical change of their primary sexual characteristics (vaginoplasty for MtF transsexuals and hysterectomy for FtM transsexuals). These outcomes were not predicted by a measure of "group identification," which occurs when membership in the group eclipses the personal self (the "I" and "me" is subsumed by the group; in the extreme case, brainwashing occurs). These findings confirm and extend earlier evidence that identity fusion is uniquely effective in tapping a propensity to make substantial sacrifices for the group. We discuss identity fusion as a social psychological determinant of the choices of transsexuals.

Tetrafluorobenzo-fused BODIPY: a platform for regioselective synthesis of BODIPY dye derivatives.

PubMed

Savoldelli, Andrea; Meng, Qianli; Paolesse, Roberto; Fronczek, Frank R; Smith, Kevin Malcolm; Vicente, M Graça Henriques

2018-05-18

A novel route for the synthesis of unsymmetrical benzo-fused BODIPYs is reported using 4,5,6,7-tetrafluoroisoindole as a precursor. The reactivity of the asymmetric 3,5-dibromo benzo-fused BODIPY was investigated under nucleophilic substitution and Pd(0)-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction conditions. In addition to the 3,5-bromines, one α-fluoro group on the benzo-fused ring can also be functionalized, and an unusual homocoupling with formation of a bisBODIPY was observed. This new class of fluorinated BODIPYs could find various applications in medicine and materials.

Raman spectroscopic measurements of CO2 density: Experimental calibration with high-pressure optical cell (HPOC) and fused silica capillary capsule (FSCC) with application to fluid inclusion observations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, X.; Chou, I-Ming; Hu, W.; Burruss, Robert; Sun, Q.; Song, Y.

2011-01-01

Raman spectroscopy is a powerful method for the determination of CO2 densities in fluid inclusions, especially for those with small size and/or low fluid density. The relationship between CO2 Fermi diad split (Δ, cm−1) and CO2 density (ρ, g/cm3) has been documented by several previous studies. However, significant discrepancies exist among these studies mainly because of inconsistent calibration procedures and lack of measurements for CO2fluids having densities between 0.21 and 0.75 g/cm3, where liquid and vapor phases coexist near room temperature.In this study, a high-pressure optical cell and fused silica capillary capsules were used to prepare pure CO2 samples with densities between 0.0472 and 1.0060 g/cm3. The measured CO2 Fermi diad splits were calibrated with two well established Raman bands of benzonitrile at 1192.6 and 1598.9 cm−1. The relationship between the CO2 Fermi diad split and density can be represented by: ρ = 47513.64243 − 1374.824414 × Δ + 13.25586152 × Δ2 − 0.04258891551 × Δ3(r2 = 0.99835, σ = 0.0253 g/cm3), and this relationship was tested by synthetic fluid inclusions and natural CO2-rich fluid inclusions. The effects of temperature and the presence of H2O and CH4 on this relationship were also examined.

Aminopiperidine-Fused Imidazoles as Dipeptidyl Peptidase-IV Inhibitors

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

Edmondson, S.; Mastracchio, A; Cox, J

2009-01-01

A new series of DPP-4 inhibitors derived from piperidine-fused benzimidazoles and imidazopyridines is described. Optimization of this class of DPP-4 inhibitors led to the discovery of imidazopyridine 34. The potency, selectivity, cross-species DMPK profiles, and in vivo efficacy of 34 is reported.

Crossed fused renal ectopia in a Persian cat

PubMed Central

Seo, Sang-Hyuk; Lee, Hyun-A; Suh, Sang-Il; Choi, Ran; Park, In-Chul; Hyun, Changbaig

2017-01-01

Case summary This report describes a rare case of crossed fused renal ectopia (CFRE) in a cat. A mature intact male Persian cat presented with bloody nasal discharge and ascites. Diagnostic studies revealed an ectopic left kidney fused with an orthotopic right kidney and a concurrent feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) infection. The FIP was responsible for clinical signs in this cat, while clinical signs associated with CFRE were not obvious. Despite receiving intensive treatment, the cat died. A post-mortem examination was not performed because the owners declined approval. Relevance and novel information To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of L-shaped CFRE in a cat. In addition, this report describes the CT features of L-shaped CFRE in a cat. PMID:28491454

Data fusion for food authentication. Combining rare earth elements and trace metals to discriminate "Fava Santorinis" from other yellow split peas using chemometric tools.

PubMed

Drivelos, Spiros A; Higgins, Kevin; Kalivas, John H; Haroutounian, Serkos A; Georgiou, Constantinos A

2014-12-15

"Fava Santorinis", is a protected designation of origin (PDO) yellow split pea species growing only in the island of Santorini in Greece. Due to its nutritional quality and taste, it has gained a high monetary value. Thus, it is prone to adulteration with other yellow split peas. In order to discriminate "Fava Santorinis" from other yellow split peas, four classification methods utilising rare earth elements (REEs) measured through inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are studied. The four classification processes are orthogonal projection analysis (OPA), Mahalanobis distance (MD), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and k nearest neighbours (KNN). Since it is known that trace elements are often useful to determine geographical origin of food products, we further quantitated for trace elements using ICP-MS. Presented in this paper are results using the four classification processes based on the fusion of the REEs data with the trace element data. Overall, the OPA method was found to perform best with up to 100% accuracy using the fused data. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Double-clad photonic crystal fiber coupler for compact nonlinear optical microscopy imaging.

PubMed

Fu, Ling; Gu, Min

2006-05-15

A 1 x 2 double-clad photonic crystal fiber coupler is fabricated by the fused tapered method, showing a low excess loss of 1.1 dB and a splitting ratio of 97/3 over the entire visible and near-infrared wavelength range. In addition to the property of splitting the laser power, the double-clad feature of the coupler facilitates the separation of a near-infrared single-mode beam from a visible multimode beam, which is ideal for nonlinear optical microscopy imaging. In conjunction with a gradient-index lens, this coupler is used to construct a miniaturized microscope based on two-photon fluorescence and second-harmonic generation. Three-dimensional nonlinear optical images demonstrate potential applications of the coupler to compact all-fiber and nonlinear optical microscopy and endoscopy.

Programming Post-Translational Control over the Metabolic Labeling of Cellular Proteins with a Noncanonical Amino Acid.

PubMed

Thomas, Emily E; Pandey, Naresh; Knudsen, Sarah; Ball, Zachary T; Silberg, Jonathan J

2017-08-18

Transcriptional control can be used to program cells to label proteins with noncanonical amino acids by regulating the expression of orthogonal aminoacyl tRNA synthetases (aaRSs). However, we cannot yet program cells to control labeling in response to aaRS and ligand binding. To identify aaRSs whose activities can be regulated by interactions with ligands, we used a combinatorial approach to discover fragmented variants of Escherichia coli methionyl tRNA synthetase (MetRS) that require fusion to associating proteins for maximal activity. We found that these split proteins could be leveraged to create ligand-dependent MetRS using two approaches. When a pair of MetRS fragments was fused to FKBP12 and the FKBP-rapamycin binding domain (FRB) of mTOR and mutations were introduced that direct substrate specificity toward azidonorleucine (Anl), Anl metabolic labeling was significantly enhanced in growth medium containing rapamycin, which stabilizes the FKBP12-FRB complex. In addition, fusion of MetRS fragments to the termini of the ligand-binding domain of the estrogen receptor yielded proteins whose Anl metabolic labeling was significantly enhanced when 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-HT) was added to the growth medium. These findings suggest that split MetRS can be fused to a range of ligand-binding proteins to create aaRSs whose metabolic labeling activities depend upon post-translational interactions with ligands.

Distinguishing the drama from the histrionics in a case of hysteria with multiple tics.

PubMed

Motta, A

2001-04-01

The author describes a clinical experience with a hysterical patient with multiple tics, an upper-middle class, married woman, who when she started analysis at the age of 30 was in a state of profound tension and anxiety. The first eight years of this analysis are presented in order to describe how the analyst came to identify the dynamics of unconscious phantasies in a situation where analyst and patient found themselves involved in several roles of a drama dominated by theatrics. The insights and therapeutic benefits suggested that this patient unconsciously experienced her oral needs as intensely destructive and cruel, an experience she felt to have been exacerbated by her mother's lack of response to her emotional needs. This primitive cruel orality was accompanied by a split-off experience of a secret, mystical union with the primitive idealised mother. The author considers that this split experience of cruel and idealised orality suffused the patient's genital sexuality, hindering the evolution and realisation of her adult sexuality, giving her a distorted view of the primal scene as an impenetrable fused amalgam acting as an omnipotent, self-sufficient, excluding phallus. Gradually analysis enabled the patient to transform her bodily theatrics into thoughts and to broach the difficult task of relating to others instead of being either fused with them or totally excluded by them.

An intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition of ketenimines via palladium-catalyzed rearrangements of N-allyl-ynamides.

PubMed

DeKorver, Kyle A; Hsung, Richard P; Song, Wang-Ze; Wang, Xiao-Na; Walton, Mary C

2012-06-15

A cascade of Pd-catalyzed N-to-C allyl transfer-intramolecular ketenimine-[2 + 2] cycloadditions of N-allyl ynamides is described. This tandem sequence is highly stereoselective and the [2 + 2] cycloaddition could be rendered in a crossed or fused manner depending on alkene substitutions, leading to bridged and fused bicycloimines.

Performance improvement of optical fiber coupler with electric heating versus gas heating.

PubMed

Shuai, Cijun; Gao, Chengde; Nie, Yi; Peng, Shuping

2010-08-20

Gas heating has been widely used in the process of fused biconical tapering. However, as the instability and asymmetric flame temperature of gas heating exist, the performance of the optical devices fabricated by this method was affected. To overcome the problems resulting from gas combustion, an electric heater is designed and manufactured using a metal-ceramic (MoSi(2)) as a heating material. Our experimental data show that the fused-taper machine with an electric heater has improved the performance of optical devices by increasing the consistency of the extinction ratio, excess loss, and the splitting ratio over that of the previous gas heating mode. Microcrystallizations and microcracks were observed at the fused region of the polarization-maintaining (PM) fiber coupler and at the taper region with scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy respectively. The distribution of the microcrystallizations and microcracks are nonuniform along the fiber with gas heating, while their distribution is rather uniform with electric heating. These findings show that the novel optical fiber coupler with an electric heater has improved the performance of optical fiber devices by affecting the consistency of the optical parameters and micromorphology of the surface of PM fiber.

Unified beam splitter of fused silica grating under the second Bragg incidence.

PubMed

Sun, Zhumei; Zhou, Changhe; Cao, Hongchao; Wu, Jun

2015-11-01

A unified design for a 1×2 beam splitter of dielectric rectangular transmission gratings under the second Bragg incidence is theoretically investigated for TE- and TM-polarized light. The empirical equations of the relative grating parameters (ratio of the absolute one to incidence wavelength) for this design are also obtained with the simplified modal method (SMM). The influences of polarization of incident light and relative grating parameters on the performance of the beam splitter are thoroughly studied based on the SMM and rigorous coupled-wave analysis. Two specific gratings are demonstrated with an even split and high diffraction efficiency (>94% for TE polarization and >97% for the TM counterpart). The unified profiles of the 1×2 beam splitter are independent from the incidence wavelength since the refractive index of fused silica is roughly a constant over a wide range of wavelengths, which should be promising for future applications.

A Recessive Pollination Control System for Wheat Based on Intein-Mediated Protein Splicing.

PubMed

Gils, Mario

2017-01-01

A transgene-expression system for wheat that relies on the complementation of inactive precursor protein fragments through a split-intein system is described. The N- and C-terminal fragments of a barnase gene from Bacillus amyloliquifaciens were fused to intein sequences from Synechocystis sp. and transformed into wheat plants. Upon translation, both barnase fragments are assembled by an autocatalytic intein-mediated trans-splicing reaction, thus forming a cytotoxic enzyme. This chapter focuses on the use of introns and flexible polypeptide linkers to foster the expression of a split-barnase expression system in plants. The methods and protocols that were employed with the objective to test the effects of such genetic elements on transgene expression and to find the optimal design of expression vectors for use in wheat are provided. Split-inteins can be used to form an agriculturally important trait (male sterility) in wheat plants. The use of this principle for the production of hybrid wheat seed is described. The suggested toolbox will hopefully be a valuable contribution to future optimization strategies in this commercially important crop.

Left crossed fused renal ectopia L-shaped kidney type, with double nutcracker syndrome (anterior and posterior).

PubMed

Pupca, Gheorghe; Miclăuş, Graţian Dragoslav; Bucuraş, Viorel; Iacob, Nicoleta; Sas, Ioan; Matusz, Petru; Tubbs, R Shane; Loukas, Marios

2014-01-01

Crossed fused renal ectopia (CFRE) is the second most common fusion anomalies (FAs) of the kidneys after horseshoe kidney. Crossed fused renal ectopia (CFRE) results from one kidney crossing over to the opposite side and subsequent fusion of the parenchyma of the two kidneys. We report, by multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) angiography, an extremely rare case of a left CFRE (L-shaped kidney type), consisting of multiple renal arteries (one main renal artery for the upper renal parenchyma, and three renal arteries (one main and two additional) for the lower renal parenchyma) and two left renal veins, which produced a double nutcracker syndrome (both anterior and posterior). The L-shaped left kidney has a maximum length of 18.5 cm, a maximum width of 10.2 cm, and a maximum thickness of 5.3 cm. The upper pole of the kidney is located at the level of the lower third of T12 vertebral body (4.6 cm left to the mediosagittal plan); the lower pole is located along the lower half of the L5 vertebral body (1.5 cm left to the mediosagittal plan). The following case will focus on the relevant anatomy, embryology, and the clinical significance of this entity.

Thermostability promotes the cooperative function of split adenylate kinases.

PubMed

Nguyen, Peter Q; Liu, Shirley; Thompson, Jeremy C; Silberg, Jonathan J

2008-05-01

Proteins can often be cleaved to create inactive polypeptides that associate into functional complexes through non-covalent interactions, but little is known about what influences the cooperative function of the ensuing protein fragments. Here, we examine whether protein thermostability affects protein fragment complementation by characterizing the function of split adenylate kinases from the mesophile Bacillus subtilis (AKBs) and the hyperthermophile Thermotoga neapolitana (AKTn). Complementation studies revealed that the split AKTn supported the growth of Escherichia coli with a temperature-sensitive AK, but not the fragmented AKBs. However, weak complementation occurred when the AKBs fragments were fused to polypeptides that strongly associate, and this was enhanced by a Q16L mutation that thermostabilizes the full-length protein. To examine how the split AK homologs differ in structure and function, their catalytic activity, zinc content, and circular dichroism spectra were characterized. The reconstituted AKTn had higher levels of zinc, greater secondary structure, and >10(3)-fold more activity than the AKBs pair, albeit 17-fold less active than full-length AKTn. These findings provide evidence that the design of protein fragments that cooperatively function can be improved by choosing proteins with the greatest thermostability for bisection, and they suggest that this arises because hyperthermophilic protein fragments exhibit greater residual structure compared to their mesophilic counterparts.

Histological characteristics of collagen denaturation and injuries in bipolar radiofrequency-induced colonic anastomoses.

PubMed

Zhao, Lingxi; Zhuo, Changhua; Song, Chengli; Li, Xinxiang; Zhou, Yu; Shi, Debing

2015-03-01

Bipolar radiofrequency-induced thermo-fusion has been explored as an advanced surgical method for intestinal anastomoses; however, the histological characteristics of collagen denaturation and injuries arising from this process remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the microcosmic changes and tissue damage of fusion regions with various parameters of injury. Ex vivo colons of pigs were fused serosa-serosa on two carrier rings, which were installed on a homemade anastomotic device. Five levels of compressive pressure from 171 to 313 kPa were applied for 5s to fuse the colons under radiofrequency power of 160 W, and then the collagen denaturation of the fused region was examined by transmission electron microscopy. Light microscopy was utilized to observe histological slices that were stained with picrosirius red in order to visualize the tissue injuries under two levels of radiofrequency power (120 vs. 140 W) and operation time (5 vs. 10s). Transmission electron micrographs showed that increased compressive pressure led to thicker denatured collagen fibrils and wider gaps between each collagen fibril. Serosa adhesion regions appeared abundant in collagen. No histological differences were observed when 120 W of power was applied for 5 and 10s. Significant muscle cracking occurred when colons were fused using 140 W for 5s. When the operation time was extended to 10s, 140 W led to tight fusion and less splitting on muscles. These results suggest that higher compressive pressure results in more severe collagen unfolding and also reduces collagen crosslinking in fused colons. Improved radiofrequency power along with operation time could avoid tissue injury upon radiofrequency-induced colonic anastomoses. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

An Intramolecular [2 + 2] Cycloaddition of Ketenimines via Palladium-Catalyzed Rearrangements of N-Allyl-Ynamides

PubMed Central

DeKorver, Kyle A.; Song, Wang-Ze; Wang, Xiao-Na; Walton, Mary C.

2012-01-01

A cascade of Pd-catalyzed N-to-C allyl transfer–intramolecular ketenimine–[2 + 2] cycloadditions of N-allyl ynamides is described. This tandem sequence is highly stereoselective and the [2 + 2] cycloaddition could be rendered in a crossed or fused manner depending on alkene substitutions, leading to bridged and fused bicycloimines. PMID:22667819

Resonance coupling and polarization conversion in terahertz metasurfaces with twisted split-ring resonator pairs

DOE PAGES

Li, Chenyu; Chang, Chun-Chieh; Zhou, Qingli; ...

2017-10-10

Here, we investigate edge-coupling of twisted split-ring resonator (SRR) pairs in the terahertz (THz) frequency range. By using a simple coupled-resonator model we show that such a system exhibits resonance splitting and cross-polarization conversion. Numerical simulations and experimental measurements agree well with theoretical calculations, verifying the resonance splitting as a function of the coupling strength given by the SRR separation. We further show that a metal ground plane can be integrated to significantly enhance the resonance coupling, which enables the effective control of resonance splitting and the efficiency and bandwidth of the cross-polarization conversion. Our findings improve the fundamental understandingmore » of metamaterials with a view of accomplishing metamaterial functionalities with enhanced performance, which is of great interest in realizing THz functional devices required in a variety of applications.« less

[Valvuloplasty with balloon catheter in biologic prosthesis. Reality or illusion].

PubMed

Ledesma Velasco, M; Verdín Vázquez, R; Acosta Valdez, J L; Munayer Calderón, J; Salgado Escobar, J L; Arias Monroy, L; Flores Mendoza, J

1989-01-01

We performed catheter balloon valvuloplasty (CBV) on 8 stenotic operatively-excised bioprosthetic valves (2 Hancock and 6 Ionescu Shiley). Pathology of valves before CBV included degenerative changes: commissural fusion by mounds of calcific deposits (2 valves), fibrotic and focally calcified leaflets (7 valves) and stiff and thick valves (1 valve). Inflation of the balloon resulted in commissural splitting (2 valves), leaflet cracks and fractures (3 valves). Removal of the deflated balloon catheter was associated with debris dislodgement (3 valves). In one case the valve was unable to close with potential for acute regurgitation. Thus, CBV of bioprosthetic valves can split fused commissures by similar mechanisms as in native valves. CBV may fracture calcific deposits causing acute emboli. It can also disrupt the leaflets causing acute insufficiency. The findings suggest a limited role of CBV in the treatment of stenotic bioprosthetic valves in mitral and aortic position.

The Efficiency of Split Panel Designs in an Analysis of Variance Model

PubMed Central

Wang, Wei-Guo; Liu, Hai-Jun

2016-01-01

We consider split panel design efficiency in analysis of variance models, that is, the determination of the cross-sections series optimal proportion in all samples, to minimize parametric best linear unbiased estimators of linear combination variances. An orthogonal matrix is constructed to obtain manageable expression of variances. On this basis, we derive a theorem for analyzing split panel design efficiency irrespective of interest and budget parameters. Additionally, relative estimator efficiency based on the split panel to an estimator based on a pure panel or a pure cross-section is present. The analysis shows that the gains from split panel can be quite substantial. We further consider the efficiency of split panel design, given a budget, and transform it to a constrained nonlinear integer programming. Specifically, an efficient algorithm is designed to solve the constrained nonlinear integer programming. Moreover, we combine one at time designs and factorial designs to illustrate the algorithm’s efficiency with an empirical example concerning monthly consumer expenditure on food in 1985, in the Netherlands, and the efficient ranges of the algorithm parameters are given to ensure a good solution. PMID:27163447

Twist-induced tuning in tapered fiber couplers.

PubMed

Birks, T A

1989-10-01

The power-splitting ratio of fused tapered single-mode fiber couplers can be reversibly tuned by axial twisting without affecting loss. The twist-tuning behavior of a range of different tapered couplers is described. A simple expression for twist-tuning can be derived by representing the effects of twist by a change in the refractive index profile. Good agreement between this expression and experimental results is demonstrated. Repeated tuning over tens of thousands of cycles is found not to degrade coupler performance, and a number of practical applications, including a freely tunable tapered coupler, are described.

Comparison of cross-sectional anatomy and computed tomography of the tarsus in horses.

PubMed

Raes, Els V; Bergman, Eric H J; van der Veen, Henk; Vanderperren, Katrien; Van der Vekens, Elke; Saunders, Jimmy H

2011-09-01

To compare computed tomography (CT) images of equine tarsi with cross-sectional anatomic slices and evaluate the potential of CT for imaging pathological tarsal changes in horses. 6 anatomically normal equine cadaveric hind limbs and 4 tarsi with pathological changes. Precontrast CT was performed on 3 equine tarsi; sagittal and dorsal reconstructions were made. In all limbs, postcontrast CT was performed after intra-articular contrast medium injection of the tarsocrural, centrodistal, and tarsometatarsal joints. Images were matched with corresponding anatomic slices. Four tarsi with pathological changes underwent CT examination. The tibia, talus, calcaneus, and central, fused first and second, third, and fourth tarsal bones were clearly visualized as well as the long digital extensor, superficial digital flexor, lateral digital flexor (with tarsal flexor retinaculum), gastrocnemius, peroneus tertius, and tibialis cranialis tendons and the long plantar ligament. The lateral digital extensor, medial digital flexor, split peroneus tertius, and tibialis cranialis tendons and collateral ligaments could be located but not always clearly identified. Some small tarsal ligaments were identifiable, including plantar, medial, interosseus, and lateral talocalcaneal ligaments; interosseus talocentral, centrodistal, and tarsometatarsal ligaments; proximal and distal plantar ligaments; and talometatarsal ligament. Parts of the articular cartilage could be assessed on postcontrast images. Lesions were detected in the 4 tarsi with pathological changes. CT of the tarsus is recommended when radiography and ultrasonography are inconclusive and during preoperative planning for treatment of complex fractures. Images from this study can serve as a CT reference, and CT of pathological changes was useful.

Regulation of Cre recombinase by ligand-induced complementation of inactive fragments.

PubMed

Jullien, Nicolas; Sampieri, François; Enjalbert, Alain; Herman, Jean-Paul

2003-11-01

Cre recombinase is extensively used to engineer the genome of experimental animals. However, its usefulness is still limited by the lack of an efficient temporal control over its activity. To overcome this, we have developed DiCre, a regulatable fragment complementation system for Cre. The enzyme was split into two moieties that were fused to FKBP12 (FK506-binding protein) and FRB (binding domain of the FKBP12-rapamycin-associated protein), respectively. These can be efficiently heterodimerized by rapamycin. Several variants, based on splitting Cre at different sites and using different linker peptides, were tested in an indicator cell line. The fusion proteins, taken separately, had no recombinase activity. Stable transformants, co-expressing complementing fragments based on splitting Cre between Asn59 and Asn60, displayed low background activity affecting 0.05-0.4% of the cells. Rapamycin induced a rapid recombination, reaching 100% by 48-72 h, with an EC50 of 0.02 nM. Thus, ligand-induced dimerization can efficiently regulate Cre, and should be useful to achieve a tight temporal control of its activity, such as in the case of the creation of conditional knock-out animals.

Incident polarization angle and temperature dependence of polarization and spectral response characteristics in optical fiber couplers.

PubMed

Namihira, Y; Kawazawa, T; Wakabayashi, H

1991-03-20

The incident polarization angle and temperature dependence of the polarization and spectral response characteristics of three different types of fiber coupler are presented. The couplers are (1) the biconicalfused- twisted-taper single-mode fiber (coupler A), (2) the asymmetric-etched-fused-taper wavelength division multiplex (coupler B), and (3) the biconical-polished polarization maintaining fiber (coupler C), respectively. It is confirmed experimentally that the polarization characteristics of couplers A and B vary greatly with temperature, but those of coupler C are independent of temperature. Also, the wavelength dependence characteristics of the power splitting ratio of couplers B and C have almost no change with temperature. However, the wavelength dependence of coupler A is greatly changed with temperature. Comparing couplers A and B, it is postulated that the sinusoidal variations of the polarization state vs the incident polarization angle are due to the stress birefringence caused by the fiber twisting when the fused fiber coupler is fabricated and packaged.

The split hypoglossal nerve versus the cross-face nerve graft to supply the free functional muscle transfer for facial reanimation: A comparative study.

PubMed

Amer, Tarek A; El Kholy, Mohamed S

2018-05-01

Long-standing cases of facial paralysis are currently treated with free functional muscle transfer. Several nerves are mentioned in the literature to supply the free muscle transfer. The aim of this study is to compare the split hypoglossal nerve and the cross-face nerve graft to supply the free functional muscle transfer in facial reanimation. Of 94 patients with long-standing, unilateral facial palsy, 49 were treated using the latissimus dorsi muscle supplied by the split hypoglossal nerve, and 45 patients were treated using the latissmus dorsi muscle supplied by healthy contralateral buccal branch of the facial nerve. The excursion gained by the free muscle transfer supplied by the split hypoglossal nerve (mean 19.20 ± 6.321) was significantly higher (P value 0.001) than that obtained by the contralateral buccal branch of the facial nerve (mean 14.59 ± 6.245). The split hypoglossal nerve appears to be a good possible option to supply the free vascularised muscle transfer in facial reanimation. It yields a stronger excursion in less time than the contralateral cross-face nerve graft. Copyright © 2018 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fee Splitting among General Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iran.

PubMed

Parsa, Mojtaba; Larijani, Bagher; Aramesh, Kiarash; Nedjat, Saharnaz; Fotouhi, Akbar; Yekaninejad, Mir Saeed; Ebrahimian, Nejatollah; Kandi, Mohamad Jafar

2016-12-01

Fee splitting is a process whereby a physician refers a patient to another physician or a healthcare facility and receives a portion of the charge in return. This survey was conducted to study general practitioners' (GPs) attitudes toward fee splitting as well as the prevalence, causes, and consequences of this process. This is a cross-sectional study on 223 general practitioners in 2013. Concerning the causes and consequences of fee splitting, an unpublished qualitative study was conducted by interviewing a number of GPs and specialists and the questionnaire options were the results of the information obtained from this study. Of the total 320 GPs, 247 returned the questionnaires. The response rate was 77.18%. Of the 247 returned questionnaires, 223 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Among the participants, 69.1% considered fee splitting completely wrong and 23.2% (frequently or rarely) practiced fee splitting. The present study showed that the prevalence of fee splitting among physicians who had positive attitudes toward fee splitting was 4.63 times higher than those who had negative attitudes. In addition, this study showed that, compared to private hospitals, fee splitting is less practiced in public hospitals. The major cause of fee splitting was found to be unrealistic/unfair tariffs and the main consequence of fee splitting was thought to be an increase in the number of unnecessary patient referrals. Fee splitting is an unethical act, contradicts the goals of the medical profession, and undermines patient's best interest. In Iran, there is no code of ethics on fee splitting, but in this study, it was found that the majority of GPs considered it unethical. However, among those who had negative attitudes toward fee splitting, there were physicians who did practice fee splitting. The results of the study showed that physicians who had a positive attitude toward fee splitting practiced it more than others. Therefore, if physicians consider fee splitting unethical, its rate will certainly decrease. The study claims that to decrease such practice, the healthcare system has to revise the tariffs.

An interferometer having fused optical fibers, and apparatus and method using the interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hellbaum, Richard F. (Inventor); Claus, Richard O. (Inventor); Murphy, Kent A. (Inventor); Gunther, Michael F. (Inventor)

1992-01-01

An interferometer includes a first optical fiber coupled to a second optical fiber by fusing. At a fused portion, the first and second optical fibers are cut to expose respective cores. The cut or fused end of the first and second optical fibers is arranged to oppose a diaphragm or surface against which a physical phenomenon such as pressure or stress, is applied. In a first embodiment, a source light which is generally single-mode monochromatic, coherent light, is input to the first optical fiber and by evanescence, effectively crosses to the second optical fiber at the fused portion. Source light from the second optical fiber is reflected by the diaphragm or surface, and received at the second optical fiber to generate an output light which has an intensity which depends upon interference of reference light based on the source light, and the reflected light reflected from the diaphragm or surface. The intensity of the output light represents a positional relationship or displacement between the interferometer and the diaphragm or surface.

Reassembly of a bioluminescent protein Renilla luciferase directed through DNA hybridization.

PubMed

Cissell, Kyle A; Rahimi, Yasmeen; Shrestha, Suresh; Deo, Sapna K

2009-01-01

Reassembly of split reporter proteins, also referred to as protein complementation, is utilized in the detection of protein-protein or protein-nucleic acid interactions. In this strategy, a reporter protein is fragmented into two inactive polypeptides to which interacting/binding partners are fused. The interaction between fused partners leads to the formation of a reassembled, active reporter. In this Communication, we have presented a proof-of-concept for the detection of a target nucleic acid sequence based on the reassembly of the bioluminescent reporter Renilla luciferase (Rluc), which is driven by DNA hybridization. Although, reassembly of Rluc though protein interactions has been demonstrated by others, the Rluc reassembly through DNA hybridization has not been shown yet, which is the novelty of this work. It is well established that bioluminescence detection offers significant advantages due to the absence of any background signal. In our study, two rationally designed fragments of Rluc were conjugated to complementary oligonucleotide probes. Hybridization of the two probes with fused Rluc fragments resulted in the reassembly of the fragments, generating active Rluc, measurable by the intensity of light given off upon addition of coelenterazine. Our study also shows that the reassembly of Rluc can be inhibited by an oligonucleotide probe that competes to bind to the hybridized probe-Rluc fragment complex, indicating a potential strategy for the quantitative detection of target nucleic acid. We were able to achieve the reassembly of Rluc fused to oligonucleotide probes using femtomole amounts of the probe-fragment protein conjugate. This concentration is approximately 4 orders of magnitude less than that reported using green fluorescent protein (GFP) as the reporter. A DNA-driven Rluc reassembly study performed in a cellular matrix did not show any interference from the matrix.

Morphometric study of the two fused primary ossification centers of the clavicle in the human fetus.

PubMed

Baumgart, Mariusz; Wiśniewski, Marcin; Grzonkowska, Magdalena; Badura, Mateusz; Dombek, Małgorzata; Małkowski, Bogdan; Szpinda, Michał

2016-10-01

A satisfactory understanding of the clavicle development may be contributing to both the diagnosis of its congenital defects and prevention of perinatal damage to the shoulder girdle. This study was carried out to examine the transverse and sagittal diameters, cross-sectional area and volume of the two fused primary ossification centers of the clavicle. Using the methods of CT, digital-image analysis and statistics, the size for two fused primary ossification centers of the clavicle in 42 spontaneously aborted human fetuses at ages of 18-30 weeks was studied. Without any male-female and right-left significant differences, the best fit growth models for two fused primary ossification centers of the clavicle were as follows: y = -31.373 + 15.243 × ln(age) ± 1.424 (R (2) = 0.74) for transverse diameter, y = -7.945 + 3.225 × ln(age) ± 0.262 (R (2) = 0.78), y = -4.503 + 2.007 × ln(age) ± 0.218 (R (2) = 0.68), and y = -4.860 + 2.117 × ln(age) ± 0.200 (R (2) = 0.73) for sagittal diameters of the lateral, middle and medial ends respectively, y = -31.390 + 2.432 × age ± 4.599 (R (2) = 0.78) for cross-sectional area, and y = 28.161 + 0.00017 × (age)(4) ± 15.357 (R (2) = 0.83) for volume. With no sex and laterality differences, the fused primary ossification centers of the clavicle grow logarithmically in both transverse and sagittal diameters, linearly in cross-sectional area, and fourth-degree polynomially in volume. Our normative quantitative findings may be conducive in monitoring normal fetal growth and screening for inherited faults and anomalies of the clavicle in European human fetuses.

Theoretical investigation on the chemoselective N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed cross-benzoin reactions.

PubMed

Liu, Tao; Han, Shu-Min; Han, Ling-Li; Wang, Lu; Cui, Xiang-Yang; Du, Chong-Yang; Bi, Siwei

2015-03-28

A density functional theory study was performed to understand the detailed mechanisms of the cross-benzoin reactions catalyzed by N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) species. Our theoretical study predicted that the first H-transfer operates with water in solution as a mediator, and the second H-transfer undergoes a concerted mechanism rather than a stepwise one. In addition, the chemoselectivity of the reactions studied in this work has been explored. P1 was obtained as a major product mainly due to the more stable intermediate formed by reaction of NHC with reactant R1. Different steric effects resulting from the fused six-membered ring in transition state TS7 and the fused five-membered ring in transition state TS13 are the origin leading to the chemoselectivity.

A new cell-based assay to evaluate myogenesis in mouse myoblast C2C12 cells

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

Kodaka, Manami; Yang, Zeyu; Department of Ultrasound, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang

The development of the efficient screening system of detecting compounds that promote myogenesis and prevent muscle atrophy is important. Mouse C2C12 cells are widely used to evaluate myogenesis but the procedures of the assay are not simple and the quantification is not easy. We established C2C12 cells expressing the N-terminal green fluorescence protein (GFP) and the C-terminal GFP (GFP1–10 and GFP11 cells). GFP1–10 and GFP11 cells do not exhibit GFP signals until they are fused. The signal intensity correlates with the expression of myogenic markers and myofusion. Myogenesis-promoting reagents, such as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) and β-guanidinopropionic acid (GPA), enhancemore » the signals, whereas the poly-caspase inhibitor, z-VAD-FMK, suppresses it. GFP signals are observed when myotubes formed by GFP1–10 cells are fused with single nuclear GFP11 cells, and enhanced by IGF1, GPA, and IBS008738, a recently-reported myogenesis-promoting reagent. Fusion between myotubes formed by GFP1–10 and GFP11 cells is associated with the appearance of GFP signals. IGF1 and GPA augment these signals, whereas NSC23766, Rac inhibitor, decreases them. The conditioned medium of cancer cells suppresses GFP signals during myogenesis and reduces the width of GFP-positive myotubes after differentiation. Thus the novel split GFP-based assay will provide the useful method for the study of myogenesis, myofusion, and atrophy. - Highlights: • C2C12 cells expressing split GFP proteins show GFP signals when mix-cultured. • The GFP signals correlate with myogenesis and myofusion. • The GFP signals attenuate under the condition that muscle atrophy is induced.« less

Stress corrosion cracking of Zircaloys in unirradiated and irradiated CsI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cox, B.; Surette, B. A.; Wood, J. C.

1986-03-01

Unirradiated split-ring specimens of Zircaloy fuel cladding, coated with CsI, cracked when stressed at elevated temperatures. The specimens have been reexamined fractographically and metallographically in order to confirm that the cause of cracking was stress corrosion (SCC) and not delayed hydride cracking (DHC). Further specimens have been cracked at 350°C by a solution of CsI in a fused mixture of nitrates of rubidium, cesium, strontium and barium, by a similar mechanism. CsI dissolved in a fused molybdate melt was not stable at 400°C, and rapidly evolved iodine, leaving a melt that was incapable of causing SCC. Irradiation of stressed split-ring specimens of Zircaloy fuel cladding in a γ-irradiator of 10 6 R/h and in the U-5 loop in the NRU reactor at an estimated 10 9 R/h caused SCC when the specimens were packed in dry CsI powder. Care had to be taken to dry the CsI, otherwise cracking occurred by a DHC mechanism from hydrogen absorbed from residual moisture in the CsI. Fractography showed that the crack surfaces obtained with dry CsI were typical of iodine-induced SCC rather than cesium-induced metal vapour embrittlement. Thus, if a transport process is provided for the iodide to obtain access to the zirconium surface, CsI is capable of causing SCC of Zircaloy. This transport process might be ionic diffusion in a fission product oxide melt in the fuel-clad gap, however, radiolysis of CsI to form a volatile iodine species in a radiation field is the more probable explanation of PCI failures.

Combining split-beam and dual-frequency identification sonars to estimate abundance of anadromous fishes in the Roanoke River, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hughes, Jacob B.; Hightower, Joseph E.

2015-01-01

Riverine hydroacoustic techniques are an effective method for evaluating abundance of upstream migrating anadromous fishes. To use these methods in the Roanoke River, North Carolina, at a wide site with uneven bottom topography, we used a combination of split-beam sonar and dual-frequency identification sonar (DIDSON) deployments. We aimed a split-beam sonar horizontally to monitor midchannel and near-bottom zones continuously over the 3-month spring monitoring periods in 2010 and 2011. The DIDSON was rotated between seven cross-channel locations (using a vertical aim) and nearshore regions (using horizontal aims). Vertical deployment addressed blind spots in split-beam coverage along the bottom and provided reliable information about the cross-channel and vertical distributions of upstream migrants. Using a Bayesian framework, we modeled sonar counts within four cross-channel strata and apportioned counts by species using species proportions from boat electrofishing and gill netting. Modeled estimates (95% credible intervals [CIs]) of total upstream migrants in 2010 and 2011 were 2.5 million (95% CI, 2.4–2.6 million) and 3.6 million (95% CI, 3.4–3.9 million), respectively. Results indicated that upstream migrants are extremely shore- and bottom-oriented, suggesting nearshore DIDSON monitoring improved the accuracy and precision of our estimates. This monitoring protocol and model may be widely applicable to river systems regardless of their cross-sectional width or profile.

Progress in navigation filter estimate fusion and its application to spacecraft rendezvous

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, J. Russell

1994-01-01

A new derivation of an algorithm which fuses the outputs of two Kalman filters is presented within the context of previous research in this field. Unlike other works, this derivation clearly shows the combination of estimates to be optimal, minimizing the trace of the fused covariance matrix. The algorithm assumes that the filters use identical models, and are stable and operating optimally with respect to their own local measurements. Evidence is presented which indicates that the error ellipsoid derived from the covariance of the optimally fused estimate is contained within the intersections of the error ellipsoids of the two filters being fused. Modifications which reduce the algorithm's data transmission requirements are also presented, including a scalar gain approximation, a cross-covariance update formula which employs only the two contributing filters' autocovariances, and a form of the algorithm which can be used to reinitialize the two Kalman filters. A sufficient condition for using the optimally fused estimates to periodically reinitialize the Kalman filters in this fashion is presented and proved as a theorem. When these results are applied to an optimal spacecraft rendezvous problem, simulated performance results indicate that the use of optimally fused data leads to significantly improved robustness to initial target vehicle state errors. The following applications of estimate fusion methods to spacecraft rendezvous are also described: state vector differencing, and redundancy management.

Giant plasmonic mode splitting in THz metamaterials mediated by coupling with Lorentz phonon mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Leilei; Huang, Yuanyuan; Liu, Changji; Hu, Fangrong; Jin, Yanping; Yan, Yi; Xu, Xinlong

2018-04-01

Giant plasmonic mode splitting has been observed in THz metamaterials due to the mediation by the Lorentz phonon dielectric material. This splitting mode is confirmed by the surface current distribution, indicating that plasmonic modes behave like dipole resonances, while the phonon mode behaves like multipole resonance due to coupling. The splitting of the plasmonic modes demonstrates an anti-crossing behavior with the change in Lorentz central frequency, which suggests that there is energy redistribution between plasmon and phonon modes. Similar to the Stark effect, the splitting frequency difference increases with the increasing direct current dielectric function. We also propose an interaction Hamiltonian to understand the physical mechanism of the plasmonic splitting. Furthermore, the splitting is convincible for small Lorentz dielectrics such as sugar and amino acid in the THz region, which could be used for biomolecular sensing applications.

Comparison of presbyopic additions determined by the fused cross-cylinder method using alternative target background colours.

PubMed

Wee, Sung-Hyun; Yu, Dong-Sik; Moon, Byeong-Yeon; Cho, Hyun Gug

2010-11-01

To compare and contrast standard and alternative versions of refractor head (phoropter)-based charts used to determine reading addition. Forty one presbyopic subjects aged between 42 and 60 years were tested. Tentative additions were determined using a red-green background letter chart, and 4 cross-grid charts (with white, red, green, or red-green backgrounds) which were used with the fused cross cylinder (FCC) method. The final addition for a 40 cm working distance was determined for each subject by subjectively adjusting the tentative additions. There were significant differences in the tentative additions obtained using the 5 methods (repeated measures ANOVA, p < 0.001). The mean differences between the tentative and final additions were <0.10 D and were not clinically meaningful, with the exception of the red-green letter test, and the red background in the FCC method. There were no significant differences between the tentative and final additions for the green background in the FCC method (p > 0.05). The intervals of the 95% limits of agreement were under ±0.50 D, and the narrowest interval (±0.26 D) was for the red-green background. The 3 FCC methods with a white, green, or red-green background provided a tentative addition close to the final addition. Compared with the other methods, the FCC method with the red-green background had a narrow range of error. Further, since this method combines the functions of both the fused cross-cylinder test and the duochrome test, it can be a useful technique for determining presbyopic additions. © 2010 The Authors. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics © 2010 The College of Optometrists.

A three-dimensional parabolic equation model of sound propagation using higher-order operator splitting and Padé approximants.

PubMed

Lin, Ying-Tsong; Collis, Jon M; Duda, Timothy F

2012-11-01

An alternating direction implicit (ADI) three-dimensional fluid parabolic equation solution method with enhanced accuracy is presented. The method uses a square-root Helmholtz operator splitting algorithm that retains cross-multiplied operator terms that have been previously neglected. With these higher-order cross terms, the valid angular range of the parabolic equation solution is improved. The method is tested for accuracy against an image solution in an idealized wedge problem. Computational efficiency improvements resulting from the ADI discretization are also discussed.

Affinity Purification of Proteins in Tag-Free Form: Split Intein-Mediated Ultrarapid Purification (SIRP).

PubMed

Guan, Dongli; Chen, Zhilei

2017-01-01

Proteins purified using affinity-based chromatography often exploit a recombinant affinity tag. Existing methods for the removal of the extraneous tag, needed for many applications, suffer from poor efficiency and/or high cost. Here we describe a simple, efficient, and potentially low-cost approach-split intein-mediated ultrarapid purification (SIRP)-for both the purification of the desired tagged protein from Escherichia coli lysate and removal of the tag in less than 1 h. The N- and C-fragment of a self-cleaving variant of a naturally split DnaE intein from Nostoc punctiforme are genetically fused to the N-terminus of an affinity tag and a protein of interest (POI), respectively. The N-intein/affinity tag is used to functionalize an affinity resin. The high affinity between the N- and C-fragment of DnaE intein enables the POI to be purified from the lysate via affinity to the resin, and the intein-mediated C-terminal cleavage reaction causes tagless POI to be released into the flow-through. The intein cleavage reaction is strongly inhibited by divalent ions (e.g., Zn 2+ ) under non-reducing conditions and is significantly enhanced by reducing conditions. The POI is cleaved efficiently regardless of the identity of the N-terminal amino acid except in the cases of threonine and proline, and the N-intein-functionalized affinity resin can be regenerated for multiple cycles of use.

Impeded Dark Matter

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

Kopp, Joachim; Liu, Jia; Slatyer, Tracy

Here, we consider dark matter models in which the mass splitting between the dark matter particles and their annihilation products is tiny. Compared to the previously proposed Forbidden Dark Matter scenario, the mass splittings we consider are much smaller, and are allowed to be either positive or negative. To emphasize this modification, we dub our scenario \\Impeded Dark Matter". We also demonstrate that Impeded Dark Matter can be easily realized without requiring tuning of model parameters. For negative mass splitting, we demonstrate that the annihilation cross-section for Impeded Dark Matter depends linearly on the dark matter velocity or may evenmore » be kinematically forbidden, making this scenario almost insensitive to constraints from the cosmic microwave background and from observations of dwarf galaxies. Accordingly, it may be possible for Impeded Dark Matter to yield observable signals in clusters or the Galactic center, with no corresponding signal in dwarfs. Furthermore, for positive mass splitting, we show that the annihilation cross-section is suppressed by the small mass splitting, which helps light dark matter to survive increasingly stringent constraints from indirect searches. As specific realizations for Impeded Dark Matter, we introduce a model of vector dark matter from a hidden SU(2) sector, and a composite dark matter scenario based on a QCD-like dark sector.« less

Impeded Dark Matter

DOE PAGES

Kopp, Joachim; Liu, Jia; Slatyer, Tracy; ...

2016-12-12

Here, we consider dark matter models in which the mass splitting between the dark matter particles and their annihilation products is tiny. Compared to the previously proposed Forbidden Dark Matter scenario, the mass splittings we consider are much smaller, and are allowed to be either positive or negative. To emphasize this modification, we dub our scenario \\Impeded Dark Matter". We also demonstrate that Impeded Dark Matter can be easily realized without requiring tuning of model parameters. For negative mass splitting, we demonstrate that the annihilation cross-section for Impeded Dark Matter depends linearly on the dark matter velocity or may evenmore » be kinematically forbidden, making this scenario almost insensitive to constraints from the cosmic microwave background and from observations of dwarf galaxies. Accordingly, it may be possible for Impeded Dark Matter to yield observable signals in clusters or the Galactic center, with no corresponding signal in dwarfs. Furthermore, for positive mass splitting, we show that the annihilation cross-section is suppressed by the small mass splitting, which helps light dark matter to survive increasingly stringent constraints from indirect searches. As specific realizations for Impeded Dark Matter, we introduce a model of vector dark matter from a hidden SU(2) sector, and a composite dark matter scenario based on a QCD-like dark sector.« less

A new protein-protein interaction sensor based on tripartite split-GFP association.

PubMed

Cabantous, Stéphanie; Nguyen, Hau B; Pedelacq, Jean-Denis; Koraïchi, Faten; Chaudhary, Anu; Ganguly, Kumkum; Lockard, Meghan A; Favre, Gilles; Terwilliger, Thomas C; Waldo, Geoffrey S

2013-10-04

Monitoring protein-protein interactions in living cells is key to unraveling their roles in numerous cellular processes and various diseases. Previously described split-GFP based sensors suffer from poor folding and/or self-assembly background fluorescence. Here, we have engineered a micro-tagging system to monitor protein-protein interactions in vivo and in vitro. The assay is based on tripartite association between two twenty amino-acids long GFP tags, GFP10 and GFP11, fused to interacting protein partners, and the complementary GFP1-9 detector. When proteins interact, GFP10 and GFP11 self-associate with GFP1-9 to reconstitute a functional GFP. Using coiled-coils and FRB/FKBP12 model systems we characterize the sensor in vitro and in Escherichia coli. We extend the studies to mammalian cells and examine the FK-506 inhibition of the rapamycin-induced association of FRB/FKBP12. The small size of these tags and their minimal effect on fusion protein behavior and solubility should enable new experiments for monitoring protein-protein association by fluorescence.

A New Protein-Protein Interaction Sensor Based on Tripartite Split-GFP Association

PubMed Central

Cabantous, Stéphanie; Nguyen, Hau B.; Pedelacq, Jean-Denis; Koraïchi, Faten; Chaudhary, Anu; Ganguly, Kumkum; Lockard, Meghan A.; Favre, Gilles; Terwilliger, Thomas C.; Waldo, Geoffrey S.

2013-01-01

Monitoring protein-protein interactions in living cells is key to unraveling their roles in numerous cellular processes and various diseases. Previously described split-GFP based sensors suffer from poor folding and/or self-assembly background fluorescence. Here, we have engineered a micro-tagging system to monitor protein-protein interactions in vivo and in vitro. The assay is based on tripartite association between two twenty amino-acids long GFP tags, GFP10 and GFP11, fused to interacting protein partners, and the complementary GFP1-9 detector. When proteins interact, GFP10 and GFP11 self-associate with GFP1-9 to reconstitute a functional GFP. Using coiled-coils and FRB/FKBP12 model systems we characterize the sensor in vitro and in Escherichia coli. We extend the studies to mammalian cells and examine the FK-506 inhibition of the rapamycin-induced association of FRB/FKBP12. The small size of these tags and their minimal effect on fusion protein behavior and solubility should enable new experiments for monitoring protein-protein association by fluorescence. PMID:24092409

Cross-modal face recognition using multi-matcher face scores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Yufeng; Blasch, Erik

2015-05-01

The performance of face recognition can be improved using information fusion of multimodal images and/or multiple algorithms. When multimodal face images are available, cross-modal recognition is meaningful for security and surveillance applications. For example, a probe face is a thermal image (especially at nighttime), while only visible face images are available in the gallery database. Matching a thermal probe face onto the visible gallery faces requires crossmodal matching approaches. A few such studies were implemented in facial feature space with medium recognition performance. In this paper, we propose a cross-modal recognition approach, where multimodal faces are cross-matched in feature space and the recognition performance is enhanced with stereo fusion at image, feature and/or score level. In the proposed scenario, there are two cameras for stereo imaging, two face imagers (visible and thermal images) in each camera, and three recognition algorithms (circular Gaussian filter, face pattern byte, linear discriminant analysis). A score vector is formed with three cross-matched face scores from the aforementioned three algorithms. A classifier (e.g., k-nearest neighbor, support vector machine, binomial logical regression [BLR]) is trained then tested with the score vectors by using 10-fold cross validations. The proposed approach was validated with a multispectral stereo face dataset from 105 subjects. Our experiments show very promising results: ACR (accuracy rate) = 97.84%, FAR (false accept rate) = 0.84% when cross-matching the fused thermal faces onto the fused visible faces by using three face scores and the BLR classifier.

Initial high-degree p-mode frequency splittings from the 1988 Mt. Wilson 60-foot Tower Solar Oscillation Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhodes, Edward J., Jr.; Cacciani, Alessandro; Korzennik, Sylvain G.

1988-01-01

The initial frequency splitting results of solar p-mode oscillations obtained from the 1988 helioseismology program at the Mt. Wilson Observatory are presented. The frequency splittings correspond to the rotational splittings of sectoral harmonics which range in degree between 10 and 598. They were obtained from a cross-correlation analysis of the prograde and retrograde portions of a two-dimensional (t - v) power spectrum. This power spectrum was computed from an eight-hour sequence of full-disk Dopplergrams obtained on July 2, 1988, at the 60-foot tower telescope with a Na magneto-optical filter and a 1024x1024 pixel CCD camera. These frequency splittings have an inherently larger scatter than did the splittings obtained from earlier 16-day power spectra. These splittings are consistent with an internal solar rotational velocity which is independent of radius along the equatorial plane. The normalized frequency splittings averaged 449 + or - 3 nHz, a value which is very close to the observed equatorial rotation rate of the photospheric gas of 451.7 nHz.

On-demand acoustic droplet splitting and steering in a disposable microfluidic chip.

PubMed

Park, Jinsoo; Jung, Jin Ho; Park, Kwangseok; Destgeer, Ghulam; Ahmed, Husnain; Ahmad, Raheel; Sung, Hyung Jin

2018-01-30

On-chip droplet splitting is one of the fundamental droplet-based microfluidic unit operations to control droplet volume after production and increase operational capability, flexibility, and throughput. Various droplet splitting methods have been proposed, and among them the acoustic droplet splitting method is promising because of its label-free operation without any physical or thermal damage to droplets. Previous acoustic droplet splitting methods faced several limitations: first, they employed a cross-type acoustofluidic device that precluded multichannel droplet splitting; second, they required irreversible bonding between a piezoelectric substrate and a microfluidic chip, such that the fluidic chip was not replaceable. Here, we present a parallel-type acoustofluidic device with a disposable microfluidic chip to address the limitations of previous acoustic droplet splitting devices. In the proposed device, an acoustic field is applied in the direction opposite to the flow direction to achieve multichannel droplet splitting and steering. A disposable polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic chip is employed in the developed device, thereby removing the need for permanent bonding and improving the flexibility of the droplet microfluidic device. We experimentally demonstrated on-demand acoustic droplet bi-splitting and steering with precise control over the droplet splitting ratio, and we investigated the underlying physical mechanisms of droplet splitting and steering based on Laplace pressure and ray acoustics analyses, respectively. We also demonstrated droplet tri-splitting to prove the feasibility of multichannel droplet splitting. The proposed on-demand acoustic droplet splitting device enables on-chip droplet volume control in various droplet-based microfluidic applications.

Multiscale image fusion using the undecimated wavelet transform with spectral factorization and nonorthogonal filter banks.

PubMed

Ellmauthaler, Andreas; Pagliari, Carla L; da Silva, Eduardo A B

2013-03-01

Multiscale transforms are among the most popular techniques in the field of pixel-level image fusion. However, the fusion performance of these methods often deteriorates for images derived from different sensor modalities. In this paper, we demonstrate that for such images, results can be improved using a novel undecimated wavelet transform (UWT)-based fusion scheme, which splits the image decomposition process into two successive filtering operations using spectral factorization of the analysis filters. The actual fusion takes place after convolution with the first filter pair. Its significantly smaller support size leads to the minimization of the unwanted spreading of coefficient values around overlapping image singularities. This usually complicates the feature selection process and may lead to the introduction of reconstruction errors in the fused image. Moreover, we will show that the nonsubsampled nature of the UWT allows the design of nonorthogonal filter banks, which are more robust to artifacts introduced during fusion, additionally improving the obtained results. The combination of these techniques leads to a fusion framework, which provides clear advantages over traditional multiscale fusion approaches, independent of the underlying fusion rule, and reduces unwanted side effects such as ringing artifacts in the fused reconstruction.

Rearrangement of Immunoglobulin Genes in Shark Germ Cells

PubMed Central

Lee, Susan S.; Fitch, David; Flajnik, Martin F.; Hsu, Ellen

2000-01-01

The variable (V), (diversity [D]), and joining (J) region recombinases (recombination activating genes [RAGs]) can perform like transposases and are thought to have initiated development of the adaptive immune system in early vertebrates by splitting archaic V genes with transposable elements. In cartilaginous fishes, the immunoglobulin (Ig) light chain genes are organized as multiple VJ-constant (C) clusters; some loci are capable of rearrangement while others contain fused VJ. The latter may be key to understanding the evolutionary role of RAG. Are they relics of the archaic genes, or are they results of rearrangement in germ cells? Our data suggest that some fused VJ genes are not only recently rearranged, but also resulted from RAG-like activity involving hairpin intermediates. Expression studies show that these, like some other germline-joined Ig sequences, are expressed at significant levels only early in ontogeny. We suggest that a rejoined Ig gene may not merely be a sequence restricting antibody diversity, but is potentially a novel receptor no longer tied to somatic RAG expression and rearrangement. From the combined data, we arrived at the unexpected conclusion that, in some vertebrates, RAG is still an active force in changing the genome. PMID:10811858

Smart vision chips: An overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koch, Christof

1994-01-01

This viewgraph presentation presents four working analog VLSI vision chips: (1) time-derivative retina, (2) zero-crossing chip, (3) resistive fuse, and (4) figure-ground chip; work in progress on computing motion and neuromorphic systems; and conceptual and practical lessons learned.

Elastic tunneling identification through crossings, anti-crossings and splitting of states in the complex electronic current of systems based on mesoscopic molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López, Luis I. A.; Mendoza, Michel; Ujevic, Sebastian

2013-09-01

We have systematically studied the conductance σ( E,B) and the electronic current line shapes J( V ex ) through complex mesoscopic molecules in an elastic resonant tunneling regime. The studied systems are based on GaAs/AlGaAs hetero-structures, with several discrete states in each coupled mesoscopic molecule. The molecules were formed using different wells and barrier widths. These systems allow effective couplings and uncouplings that lead to elastic processes as a function of the electronic potential V ex and magnetic field B. In this situation, the J( V ex ) and σ( E, B) curves exhibit a sequence of peaks of difficult interpretation, in which crossings and anti-crossings (a splitting if it is generated in the resonance condition) of states contribute in a way that they cannot be easily identified. Performing a systematic analysis of the evolution of these states (before the resonance condition), we were able to determine the origin of these current peaks. We have found that the coupling of states (anti-crossing) around the resonance region can be identified as a broad mirrored- D line shape in the J( V ex ) curves. The mirrored- D line shape peaks can be clearly differentiated from the neighboring peaks because the last ones follow a very defined increasing sequence in their intensities and widths. Also, this behavior (fingerprint) can be used to identify possible splitting of states in the J( V ex ). The splittings that are generated between states with different quantum numbers (quantum numbers associated to the individual well) follow an unexpected opposite behavior when compared with those generated between states with the same quantum numbers (quasi-miniband). All these results are also observed in the conductance σ( E, B) associated with complex mesoscopic molecules based on a two-dimensional electron gas.

Crucial Roles of Interleukin-7 in the Development of T Follicular Helper Cells and in the Induction of Humoral Immunity

PubMed Central

Seo, Yong Bok; Im, Se Jin; Namkoong, Hong; Kim, Sae Won; Choi, Young Woo; Kang, Moon Cheol; Lim, Hye Seong; Jin, Hyun Tak; Yang, Se Hwan; Cho, Mi La; Kim, You-Me; Lee, Seung-Woo; Choi, Young Ki; Surh, Charles D.

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are specialized providers of cognate B cell help, which is important in promoting the induction of high-affinity antibody production in germinal centers (GCs). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-21 have been known to play important roles in Tfh cell differentiation. Here, we demonstrate that IL-7 plays a pivotal role in Tfh generation and GC formation in vivo, as treatment with anti-IL-7 neutralizing antibody markedly impaired the development of Tfh cells and IgG responses. Moreover, codelivery of mouse Fc-fused IL-7 (IL-7-mFc) with a vaccine enhanced the generation of GC B cells as well as Tfh cells but not other lineages of T helper cells, including Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells. Interestingly, a 6-fold-lower dose of an influenza virus vaccine codelivered with Fc-fused IL-7 induced higher antigen-specific and cross-reactive IgG titers than the vaccine alone in both mice and monkeys and led to markedly enhanced protection against heterologous influenza virus challenge in mice. Enhanced generation of Tfh cells by IL-7-mFc treatment was not significantly affected by the neutralization of IL-6 and IL-21, indicating an independent role of IL-7 on Tfh differentiation. Thus, IL-7 holds promise as a critical cytokine for selectively inducing Tfh cell generation and enhancing protective IgG responses. IMPORTANCE Here, we demonstrate for the first time that codelivery of Fc-fused IL-7 significantly increased influenza virus vaccine-induced antibody responses, accompanied by robust expansion of Tfh cells and GC B cells as well as enhanced GC formation. Furthermore, IL-7-mFc induced earlier and cross-reactive IgG responses, leading to striking protection against heterologous influenza virus challenge. These results suggest that Fc-fused IL-7 could be used for inducing strong and cross-protective humoral immunity against highly mutable viruses, such as HIV and hepatitis C virus, as well as influenza viruses. PMID:24899182

Ultra-wideband circular-polarization converter with micro-split Jerusalem-cross metasurfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Xi; Yu, Xing-Yang; Cao, Wei-Ping; Jiang, Yan-Nan; Yu, Xin-Hua

2016-12-01

An ultrathin micro-split Jerusalem-cross metasurface is proposed in this paper, which can efficiently convert the linear polarization of electromagnetic (EM) wave into the circular polarization in ultra-wideband. By symmetrically employing two micro-splits on the horizontal arm (in the x direction) of the Jerusalem-cross structure, the bandwidth of the proposed device is significantly extended. Both simulated and experimental results show that the proposed metasurface is able to convert linearly polarized waves into circularly polarized waves in a frequency range from 12.4 GHz to 21 GHz, with an axis ratio better than 1 dB. The simulated results also show that such a broadband and high-performance are maintained over a wide range of incident angle. The presented polarization converter can be used in a number of areas, such as spectroscopy and wireless communications. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61461016 and 61661012), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China (Grant Nos. 2014GXNSFAA118366, 2014GXNSFAA118283, and 2015jjBB7002), and the Innovation Project of Graduate Education of Guilin University of Electronic Technology, China (Grant No. 2016YJCX82).

Spatiotemporal Monitoring of Pseudomonas syringae Effectors via Type III Secretion Using Split Fluorescent Protein Fragments[OPEN

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Pathogenic gram-negative bacteria cause serious diseases in animals and plants. These bacterial pathogens use the type III secretion system (T3SS) to deliver effector proteins into host cells; these effectors then localize to different subcellular compartments to attenuate immune responses by altering biological processes of the host cells. The fluorescent protein (FP)-based approach to monitor effectors secreted from bacteria into the host cells is not possible because the folded FP prevents effector delivery through the T3SS. Therefore, we optimized an improved variant of self-assembling split super-folder green fluorescent protein (sfGFPOPT) system to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of effectors delivered through bacterial T3SS into plant cells. In this system, effectors are fused to 11th β-strand of super-folder GFP (sfGFP11), and when delivered into plant cells expressing sfGFP1-10 β-strand (sfGFP1-10OPT), the two proteins reconstitute GFP fluorescence. We generated a number of Arabidopsis thaliana transgenic lines expressing sfGFP1-10OPT targeted to various subcellular compartments to facilitate localization of sfGFP11-tagged effectors delivered from bacteria. We demonstrate the efficacy of this system using Pseudomonas syringae effectors AvrB and AvrRps4 in Nicotiana benthamiana and transgenic Arabidopsis plants. The versatile split sfGFPOPT system described here will facilitate a better understanding of bacterial invasion strategies used to evade plant immune responses. PMID:28619883

Reactive polymer fused deposition manufacturing

DOEpatents

Kunc, Vlastimil; Rios, Orlando; Love, Lonnie J.; Duty, Chad E.; Johs, Alexander

2017-05-16

Methods and compositions for additive manufacturing that include reactive or thermosetting polymers, such as urethanes and epoxies. The polymers are melted, partially cross-linked prior to the depositing, deposited to form a component object, solidified, and fully cross-linked. These polymers form networks of chemical bonds that span the deposited layers. Application of a directional electromagnetic field can be applied to aromatic polymers after deposition to align the polymers for improved bonding between the deposited layers.

Chemoselective N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed cross-benzoin reactions: importance of the fused ring in triazolium salts.

PubMed

Langdon, Steven M; Wilde, Myron M D; Thai, Karen; Gravel, Michel

2014-05-28

Morpholinone- and piperidinone-derived triazolium salts are shown to catalyze highly chemoselective cross-benzoin reactions between aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes. The reaction scope includes ortho-, meta-, and para-substituted benzaldehyde derivatives with a range of electron-donating and -withdrawing groups as well as branched and unbranched aliphatic aldehydes. Catalytic loadings as low as 5 mol % give excellent yields in these reactions (up to 99%).

A New Method of Assessing Uncertainty of the Cross-Convolution Method of Shear Wave Splitting Measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schutt, D.; Breidt, J.; Corbalan Castejon, A.; Witt, D. R.

2017-12-01

Shear wave splitting is a commonly used and powerful method for constraining such phenomena as lithospheric strain history or asthenospheric flow. However, a number of challenges with the statistics of shear wave splitting have been noted. This creates difficulties in assessing whether two separate measurements are statistically similar or are indicating real differences in anisotropic structure, as well as for created proper station averaged sets of parameters for more complex situations such as multiple or dipping layers of anisotropy. We present a new method for calculating the most likely splitting parameters using the Menke and Levin [2003] method of cross-convolution. The Menke and Levin method is used because it can more readily be applied to a wider range of anisotropic scenarios than the commonly used Silver and Chan [1991] technique. In our approach, we derive a formula for the spectral density of a function of the microseismic noise and the impulse response of the correct anisotropic model that holds for the true anisotropic model parameters. This is compared to the spectral density of the observed signal convolved with the impulse response for an estimated set of anisotropic parameters. The most likely parameters are found when the former and latter spectral densities are the same. By using the Whittle likelihood to compare the two spectral densities, a likelihood grid for all possible anisotropic parameter values is generated. Using bootstrapping, the uncertainty and covariance between the various anisotropic parameters can be evaluated. We will show this works with a single layer of anisotropy and a vertically incident ray, and discuss the usefulness for a more complex case. The method shows great promise for calculating multiple layer anisotropy parameters with proper assessment of uncertainty. References: Menke, W., and Levin, V. 2003. The cross-convolution method for interpreting SKS splitting observations, with application to one and two-layer anisotropic earth models. Geophysical Journal International, 154: 379-392. doi:10.1046/j.1365-246X.2003.01937.x. Silver, P.G., and Chan, W.W. 1991. Shear Wave Splitting and Sub continental Mantle Deformation. Journal of Geophysical Research, 96: 429-454. doi:10.1029/91JB00899.

High-Speed Photographic Study of Wave Propagation and Impact Damage in Fused Silica and AlON Using the Edge-On Impact (EOI) Method

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

Strassburger, E.; Patel, P.; McCauley, J. W.

An Edge-on Impact (EOI) technique, developed at the Ernst-Mach-Institute (EMI), coupled with a Cranz-Schardin high-speed camera, has been successfully utilized to visualize dynamic fracture in many brittle materials. In a typical test, the projectile strikes one edge of a specimen and damage formation and fracture propagation is recorded during the first 20 {mu}s after impact. In the present study, stress waves and damage propagation in fused silica and AlON were examined by means of two modified Edge-on Impact arrangements. In one arrangement, fracture propagation was observed simultaneously in side and top views of the specimens by means of two Cranz-Schardinmore » cameras. In another arrangement, the photographic technique was modified by placing the specimen between crossed polarizers and using the photo-elastic effect to visualize the stress waves. Pairs of impact tests at approximately equivalent velocities were carried out in transmitted plane (shadowgraphs) and crossed polarized light.« less

Clean Os(0001) electronic surface states: A first-principle fully relativistic investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urru, Andrea; Dal Corso, Andrea

2018-05-01

We analyze the electronic structure of the Os(0001) surface by means of first-principle calculations based on Fully Relativistic (FR) Density Functional Theory (DFT) and a Projector Augmented-Wave (PAW) approach. We investigate surface states and resonances analyzing their spin-orbit induced energy splitting and their spin polarization. The results are compared with previously studied surfaces Ir(111), Pt(111), and Au(111). We do not find any surface state in the gap similar to the L-gap of the (111) fcc surfaces, but find Rashba split resonances that cross the Fermi level and, as in the recently studied Ir(111) surface, have a characteristic downward dispersion. Moreover, for some selected surface states we study the spin polarization with respect to k∥, the wave-vector parallel to the surface. In some cases, such as the Rashba split resonances, the spin polarization shows a smooth behavior with slow rotations, in others the rotation is faster, due to mixing and anti-crossing of the states.

High-throughput sensing and noninvasive imaging of protein nuclear transport by using reconstitution of split Renilla luciferase.

PubMed

Kim, Sung Bae; Ozawa, Takeaki; Watanabe, Shigeaki; Umezawa, Yoshio

2004-08-10

Nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of functional proteins plays a key role in regulating gene expressions in response to extracellular signals. We developed a genetically encoded bioluminescent indicator for monitoring the nuclear trafficking of target proteins in vitro and in vivo. The principle is based on reconstitution of split fragments of Renilla reniformis (Rluc) by protein splicing with a DnaE intein (a catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase III). A target cytosolic protein fused to the N-terminal half of Rluc is expressed in mammalian cells. If the protein translocates into the nucleus, the Rluc moiety meets the C-terminal half of Rluc, and full-length Rluc is reconstituted by protein splicing. We demonstrated quantitative cell-based in vitro sensing of ligand-induced translocation of androgen receptor, which allowed high-throughput screening of exo- and endogenous agonists and antagonists. Furthermore, the indicator enabled noninvasive in vivo imaging of the androgen receptor translocation in the brains of living mice with a charge-coupled device imaging system. These rapid and quantitative analyses in vitro and in vivo provide a wide variety of applications for screening pharmacological or toxicological compounds and testing them in living animals.

A mutual information-Dempster-Shafer based decision ensemble system for land cover classification of hyperspectral data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pahlavani, Parham; Bigdeli, Behnaz

2017-12-01

Hyperspectral images contain extremely rich spectral information that offer great potential to discriminate between various land cover classes. However, these images are usually composed of tens or hundreds of spectrally close bands, which result in high redundancy and great amount of computation time in hyperspectral classification. Furthermore, in the presence of mixed coverage pixels, crisp classifiers produced errors, omission and commission. This paper presents a mutual information-Dempster-Shafer system through an ensemble classification approach for classification of hyperspectral data. First, mutual information is applied to split data into a few independent partitions to overcome high dimensionality. Then, a fuzzy maximum likelihood classifies each band subset. Finally, Dempster-Shafer is applied to fuse the results of the fuzzy classifiers. In order to assess the proposed method, a crisp ensemble system based on a support vector machine as the crisp classifier and weighted majority voting as the crisp fusion method are applied on hyperspectral data. Furthermore, a dimension reduction system is utilized to assess the effectiveness of mutual information band splitting of the proposed method. The proposed methodology provides interesting conclusions on the effectiveness and potentiality of mutual information-Dempster-Shafer based classification of hyperspectral data.

Viral Membrane Fusion and Nucleocapsid Delivery into the Cytoplasm are Distinct Events in Some Flaviviruses

PubMed Central

Nour, Adel M.; Li, Yue; Wolenski, Joseph; Modis, Yorgo

2013-01-01

Flaviviruses deliver their genome into the cell by fusing the viral lipid membrane to an endosomal membrane. The sequence and kinetics of the steps required for nucleocapsid delivery into the cytoplasm remain unclear. Here we dissect the cell entry pathway of virions and virus-like particles from two flaviviruses using single-particle tracking in live cells, a biochemical membrane fusion assay and virus infectivity assays. We show that the virus particles fuse with a small endosomal compartment in which the nucleocapsid remains trapped for several minutes. Endosomal maturation inhibitors inhibit infectivity but not membrane fusion. We propose a flavivirus cell entry mechanism in which the virus particles fuse preferentially with small endosomal carrier vesicles and depend on back-fusion of the vesicles with the late endosomal membrane to deliver the nucleocapsid into the cytoplasm. Virus entry modulates intracellular calcium release and phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate kinase signaling. Moreover, the broadly cross-reactive therapeutic antibody scFv11 binds to virus-like particles and inhibits fusion. PMID:24039574

The SdiA-Regulated Gene srgE Encodes a Type III Secreted Effector

PubMed Central

Habyarimana, Fabien; Sabag-Daigle, Anice

2014-01-01

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is a food-borne pathogen that causes severe gastroenteritis. The ability of Salmonella to cause disease depends on two type III secretion systems (T3SSs) encoded in two distinct Salmonella pathogenicity islands, 1 and 2 (SPI1 and SPI2, respectively). S. Typhimurium encodes a solo LuxR homolog, SdiA, which can detect the acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) produced by other bacteria and upregulate the rck operon and the srgE gene. SrgE is predicted to encode a protein of 488 residues with a coiled-coil domain between residues 345 and 382. In silico studies have provided conflicting predictions as to whether SrgE is a T3SS substrate. Therefore, in this work, we tested the hypothesis that SrgE is a T3SS effector by two methods, a β-lactamase activity assay and a split green fluorescent protein (GFP) complementation assay. SrgE with β-lactamase fused to residue 40, 100, 150, or 300 was indeed expressed and translocated into host cells, but SrgE with β-lactamase fused to residue 400 or 488 was not expressed, suggesting interference by the coiled-coil domain. Similarly, SrgE with GFP S11 fused to residue 300, but not to residue 488, was expressed and translocated into host cells. With both systems, translocation into host cells was dependent upon SPI2. A phylogenetic analysis indicated that srgE is found only within Salmonella enterica subspecies. It is found sporadically within both typhoidal and nontyphoidal serovars, although the SrgE protein sequences found within typhoidal serovars tend to cluster separately from those found in nontyphoidal serovars, suggesting functional diversification. PMID:24727228

Disease Prediction based on Functional Connectomes using a Scalable and Spatially-Informed Support Vector Machine

PubMed Central

Watanabe, Takanori; Kessler, Daniel; Scott, Clayton; Angstadt, Michael; Sripada, Chandra

2014-01-01

Substantial evidence indicates that major psychiatric disorders are associated with distributed neural dysconnectivity, leading to strong interest in using neuroimaging methods to accurately predict disorder status. In this work, we are specifically interested in a multivariate approach that uses features derived from whole-brain resting state functional connectomes. However, functional connectomes reside in a high dimensional space, which complicates model interpretation and introduces numerous statistical and computational challenges. Traditional feature selection techniques are used to reduce data dimensionality, but are blind to the spatial structure of the connectomes. We propose a regularization framework where the 6-D structure of the functional connectome (defined by pairs of points in 3-D space) is explicitly taken into account via the fused Lasso or the GraphNet regularizer. Our method only restricts the loss function to be convex and margin-based, allowing non-differentiable loss functions such as the hinge-loss to be used. Using the fused Lasso or GraphNet regularizer with the hinge-loss leads to a structured sparse support vector machine (SVM) with embedded feature selection. We introduce a novel efficient optimization algorithm based on the augmented Lagrangian and the classical alternating direction method, which can solve both fused Lasso and GraphNet regularized SVM with very little modification. We also demonstrate that the inner subproblems of the algorithm can be solved efficiently in analytic form by coupling the variable splitting strategy with a data augmentation scheme. Experiments on simulated data and resting state scans from a large schizophrenia dataset show that our proposed approach can identify predictive regions that are spatially contiguous in the 6-D “connectome space,” offering an additional layer of interpretability that could provide new insights about various disease processes. PMID:24704268

Cross-Validation of easyCBM Reading Cut Scores in Washington: 2009-2010. Technical Report #1109

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irvin, P. Shawn; Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Anderson, Daniel; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

2011-01-01

This technical report presents results from a cross-validation study designed to identify optimal cut scores when using easyCBM[R] reading tests in Washington state. The cross-validation study analyzes data from the 2009-2010 academic year for easyCBM[R] reading measures. A sample of approximately 900 students per grade, randomly split into two…

Fusion of deformed nuclei in the reactions of 76Ge+150Nd and 28Si+198Pt at the Coulomb barrier region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishio, K.; Ikezoe, H.; Mitsuoka, S.; Lu, J.

2000-07-01

Evaporation residue cross sections for 28Si+198Pt and 76Ge+150Nd, both of which form a compound nucleus 226U, were measured in the vicinity of the Coulomb barrier. The measurement gives direct evidence that the system really fuses together to form a fully equilibrated compound nucleus. For the 28Si+198Pt reaction, we have measured the fission fragments to determine the fusion cross section by taking advantage of the highly fissile character of 226U. The evaporation residue cross section and the fusion cross section for 28Si+198Pt allowed us to investigate the deexcitation process (exit channel) of the compound nucleus 226U, and the parameters entering in a statistical model calculation could be determined. By estimating the deexcitation of the compound nucleus 226U with the statistical model, the effect of the deformed nucleus 150Nd on the fusion reaction 76Ge+150Nd was extracted. The experimental data indicated that there is more than 13 MeV extra-extra-push energy for the system to fuse together when the projectile 76Ge collides at the tip of the deformed 150Nd nucleus. On the contrary, for the side collision which is more compact in configuration than the tip collision, no fusion hindrance is suggested.

Influence of F- on stark splitting of Yb3+ and the thermal expansion of silica glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Yabin; Chen, Si; Shao, Chongyun; Yu, Chunlei

2018-06-01

A local phosphate/fluoride environment of Yb3+ was created in silica glass using a multi-step method. The influence of F- on the Stark splitting of Yb3+ in Al3+/P5+/F- co-doped silica glass was studied at room-temperature, in addition to its effect on the thermal expansion performance of the glass matrix. The results indicate that Yb3+ ions in Al3+/P5+/F- co-doped silica glass have a larger Stark splitting energy of 2F7/2 compared to Al3+/P5+ co-doped silica glass. Moreover, a larger integrated absorption cross-section (34.58 pm2 × nm), stimulated emission cross-section (0.63 pm2), and better thermal expansion performance (1.3062 × 10-6 K- at 100 °C) are achieved in Al3+/P5+/F- co-doped silica glass. Finally, different function mechanisms of F- in silica and phosphate glasses were analyzed and the F-Si bond was used to explain the results in silica glass. The combination of low refractive index, large Stark splitting energy of 2F7/2, and small thermal expansion makes Al3+/P5+/F- co-doped silica glass a preferred material for large mode area fibers for high-power laser applications.

Guide to Understanding Moebius Syndrome

MedlinePlus

... due to upper body weakness • Strabismus (crossed eyes) • Dry eyes and irritability • Dental problems • High palate • Cleft palate • Hand and feet problems including club foot and missing or fused fingers (syndactyly) • Hearing problems • Poland’s syndrome (chest wall and upper limb anomalies) Although they ...

A New Pansharpening Method Based on Spatial and Spectral Sparsity Priors.

PubMed

He, Xiyan; Condat, Laurent; Bioucas-Diaz, Jose; Chanussot, Jocelyn; Xia, Junshi

2014-06-27

The development of multisensor systems in recent years has led to great increase in the amount of available remote sensing data. Image fusion techniques aim at inferring high quality images of a given area from degraded versions of the same area obtained by multiple sensors. This paper focuses on pansharpening, which is the inference of a high spatial resolution multispectral image from two degraded versions with complementary spectral and spatial resolution characteristics: a) a low spatial resolution multispectral image; and b) a high spatial resolution panchromatic image. We introduce a new variational model based on spatial and spectral sparsity priors for the fusion. In the spectral domain we encourage low-rank structure, whereas in the spatial domain we promote sparsity on the local differences. Given the fact that both panchromatic and multispectral images are integrations of the underlying continuous spectra using different channel responses, we propose to exploit appropriate regularizations based on both spatial and spectral links between panchromatic and the fused multispectral images. A weighted version of the vector Total Variation (TV) norm of the data matrix is employed to align the spatial information of the fused image with that of the panchromatic image. With regard to spectral information, two different types of regularization are proposed to promote a soft constraint on the linear dependence between the panchromatic and the fused multispectral images. The first one estimates directly the linear coefficients from the observed panchromatic and low resolution multispectral images by Linear Regression (LR) while the second one employs the Principal Component Pursuit (PCP) to obtain a robust recovery of the underlying low-rank structure. We also show that the two regularizers are strongly related. The basic idea of both regularizers is that the fused image should have low-rank and preserve edge locations. We use a variation of the recently proposed Split Augmented Lagrangian Shrinkage (SALSA) algorithm to effectively solve the proposed variational formulations. Experimental results on simulated and real remote sensing images show the effectiveness of the proposed pansharpening method compared to the state-of-the-art.

Cross-Validation of easyCBM Reading Cut Scores in Oregon: 2009-2010. Technical Report #1108

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Irvin, P. Shawn; Anderson, Daniel; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

2011-01-01

This technical report presents results from a cross-validation study designed to identify optimal cut scores when using easyCBM[R] reading tests in Oregon. The cross-validation study analyzes data from the 2009-2010 academic year for easyCBM[R] reading measures. A sample of approximately 2,000 students per grade, randomly split into two groups of…

Waveguide couplers with new power splitting ratios made possible by cascading of short multimode interference sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, David J. Y.; Lay, T. S.; Chang, T. Y.

2007-02-01

We show that it is possible to obtain 2 x 2 waveguide couplers with new power splitting ratios for cross coupling of 7%, 64%, 80% and 93% by cascading two short MMI sections. These couplers have simple geometry and low loss. They offer valuable new possibilities for designing waveguide power taps, high-Q ring resonators, ladder-structure optical filters, and loop-mirror partial reflectors.

Congenital anatomic variants of the kidney and ureter: a pictorial essay.

PubMed

Srinivas, M R; Adarsh, K M; Jeeson, Riya; Ashwini, C; Nagaraj, B R

2016-03-01

Congenital renal parenchymal and pelvicalyceal abnormalities have a wide spectrum. Most of them are asymptomatic, like that of ectopia, cross fused kidney, horseshoe kidney, etc., while a few of them become complicated, leading to renal failure and death. It is very important for the radiologist to identify these anatomic variants and guide the clinicians for surgical and therapeutic procedures. Cross-sectional imaging with a volume rendered technique/maximum intensity projection has overcome ultrasonography and IVU for identification and interpretation of some of these variants.

Probing the potential of CnaB-type domains for the design of tag/catcher systems

PubMed Central

Pröschel, Marlene; Kraner, Max E.; Horn, Anselm H. C.; Schäfer, Lena; Sonnewald, Uwe

2017-01-01

Building proteins into larger, post-translational assemblies in a defined and stable way is still a challenging task. A promising approach relies on so-called tag/catcher systems that are fused to the proteins of interest and allow a durable linkage via covalent intermolecular bonds. Tags and catchers are generated by splitting protein domains that contain intramolecular isopeptide or ester bonds that form autocatalytically under physiological conditions. There are already numerous biotechnological and medical applications that demonstrate the usefulness of covalent linkages mediated by these systems. Additional covalent tag/catcher systems would allow creating more complex and ultra-stable protein architectures and networks. Two of the presently available tag/catcher systems were derived from closely related CnaB-domains of Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus dysgalactiae proteins. However, it is unclear whether domain splitting is generally tolerated within the CnaB-family or only by a small subset of these domains. To address this point, we have selected a set of four CnaB domains of low sequence similarity and characterized the resulting tag/catcher systems by computational and experimental methods. Experimental testing for intermolecular isopeptide bond formation demonstrated two of the four systems to be functional. For these two systems length and sequence variations of the peptide tags were investigated revealing only a relatively small effect on the efficiency of the reaction. Our study suggests that splitting into tag and catcher moieties is tolerated by a significant portion of the naturally occurring CnaB-domains, thus providing a large reservoir for the design of novel tag/catcher systems. PMID:28654665

Prevalence of Split Nerve Fiber Layer Bundles in Healthy People Imaged with Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography.

PubMed

Gür Güngör, Sirel; Akman, Ahmet; Sarıgül Sezenöz, Almila; Tanrıaşıkı, Gülşah

2016-12-01

The presence of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) split bundles was recently described in normal eyes scanned using scanning laser polarimetry and by histologic studies. Split bundles may resemble RNFL loss in healthy eyes. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of nerve fiber layer split bundles in healthy people. We imaged 718 eyes of 359 healthy persons with the spectral domain optical coherence tomography in this cross-sectional study. All eyes had intraocular pressure of 21 mmHg or less, normal appearance of the optic nerve head, and normal visual fields (Humphrey Field Analyzer 24-2 full threshold program). In our study, a bundle was defined as 'split' when there is localized defect not resembling a wedge defect in the RNFL deviation map with a symmetrically divided RNFL appearance on the RNFL thickness map. The classification was performed by two independent observers who used an identical set of reference examples to standardize the classification. Inter-observer consensus was reached in all cases. Bilateral superior split bundles were seen in 19 cases (5.29%) and unilateral superior split was observed in 15 cases (4.16%). In 325 cases (90.52%) there was no split bundle. Split nerve fiber layer bundles, in contrast to single nerve fiber layer bundles, are not common findings in healthy eyes. In eyes with normal optic disc appearance, especially when a superior RNFL defect is observed in RNFL deviation map, the RNLF thickness map and graphs should also be examined for split nerve fiber layer bundles.

AMS radiocarbon investigation of the African baobab: Searching for the oldest tree

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patrut, Adrian; von Reden, Karl F.; Mayne, Diana H.; Lowy, Daniel A.; Patrut, Roxana T.

2013-01-01

The Glencoe baobab, a very large specimen from South Africa, split twice in 2009. Several wood samples were collected from the eastern cavity, from the outer part of the main section and also from the largest broken segment which was connected to this section. These wood samples were processed and investigated by AMS radiocarbon dating. The radiocarbon date of the oldest sample was found to be 1838 ± 21 BP, which corresponds to a calibrated age of 1835 ± 40 years. Thus, the Glencoe baobab becomes the oldest dated baobab and also the oldest angiosperm tree with accurate dating results. The distribution of dating results revealed that the Glencoe baobab is a multi-generation tree, with several standing or collapsed and partially fused stems, showing different ages.

Multiple feed powder splitter

DOEpatents

Lewis, Gary K.; Less, Richard M.

2001-01-01

A device for providing uniform powder flow to the nozzles when creating solid structures using a solid fabrication system such as the directed light fabrication (DLF) process. In the DLF process, gas entrained powders are passed through the focal point of a moving high-power laser light which fuses the particles in the powder to a surface being built up in layers. The invention is a device providing uniform flow of gas entrained powders to the nozzles of the DLF system. The device comprises a series of modular splitters which are slidably interconnected and contain an integral flow control mechanism. The device can take the gas entrained powder from between one to four hoppers and split the flow into eight tubular lines which feed the powder delivery nozzles of the DLF system.

Multiple feed powder splitter

DOEpatents

Lewis, Gary K.; Less, Richard M.

2002-01-01

A device for providing uniform powder flow to the nozzles when creating solid structures using a solid fabrication system such as the directed light fabrication (DLF) process. In the DLF process, gas entrained powders are passed through the focal point of a moving high-power laser light which fuses the particles in the powder to a surface being built up in layers. The invention is a device providing uniform flow of gas entrained powders to the nozzles of the DLF system. The device comprises a series of modular splitters which are slidably interconnected and contain an integral flow control mechanism. The device can take the gas entrained powder from between one to four hoppers and split the flow into eight tubular lines which feed the powder delivery nozzles of the DLF system.

Investigations of Crossed Andreev Reflection in Hybrid Superconductor-Ferromagnet Structures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colci O'Hara, Madalina

2009-01-01

Cooper pair splitting is predicted to occur in hybrid devices where a superconductor is coupled to two ferromagnetic wires placed at a distance less than the superconducting coherence length. This thesis searches for signatures of this process, called crossed Andreev reflection (CAR), in three device geometries. The first devices studied are…

Compensation for 6.5 K cryogenic distortion of a fused quartz mirror by refiguring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Augason, Gordon C.; Young, Jeffrey A.; Melugin, Ramsey K.; Clarke, Dana S.; Howard, Steven D.; Scanlan, Michael; Wong, Steven; Lawton, Kenneth C.

1993-01-01

A 46 cm diameter, lightweight, Amersil TO8E, fused-natural-quartz mirror with a single-arch cross section was tested at the NASA-Ames Research Center Cryogenic Optical Test Facility to measure its cryogenic distortion at 6.5 K. Then the mirror was refigured with the inverse of the measured cryogenic distortion to compensate for this figure defect. The mirror was retested at 6.5 K and found to have a significantly improved figure. The compensation for cryogenic distortion was not complete, but preliminary analysis indicates that the compensation was better than 0.25 waves P-V if edge effects are ignored. The feasibility of compensating for cryogenic distortion by refiguring has thus been verified.

Superior In Vitro Stimulation of Human CD8+ T-Cells by Whole Virus versus Split Virus Influenza Vaccines

PubMed Central

Distler, Eva; Dass, Martin; Wagner, Eva M.; Plachter, Bodo; Probst, Hans Christian; Strand, Dennis; Hartwig, Udo F.; Karner, Anita; Aichinger, Gerald; Kistner, Otfried; Landfester, Katharina; Herr, Wolfgang

2014-01-01

Pandemic and seasonal influenza viruses cause considerable morbidity and mortality in the general human population. Protection from severe disease may result from vaccines that activate antigen-presenting DC for effective stimulation of influenza-specific memory T cells. Special attention is paid to vaccine-induced CD8+ T-cell responses, because they are mainly directed against conserved internal influenza proteins thereby presumably mediating cross-protection against circulating seasonal as well as emerging pandemic virus strains. Our study showed that influenza whole virus vaccines of major seasonal A and B strains activated DC more efficiently than those of pandemic swine-origin H1N1 and pandemic-like avian H5N1 strains. In contrast, influenza split virus vaccines had a low ability to activate DC, regardless which strain was investigated. We also observed that whole virus vaccines stimulated virus-specific CD8+ memory T cells much stronger compared to split virus counterparts, whereas both vaccine formats activated CD4+ Th cell responses similarly. Moreover, our data showed that whole virus vaccine material is delivered into the cytosolic pathway of DC for effective activation of virus-specific CD8+ T cells. We conclude that vaccines against seasonal and pandemic (-like) influenza strains that aim to stimulate cross-reacting CD8+ T cells should include whole virus rather than split virus formulations. PMID:25072749

Unsupervised Metric Fusion Over Multiview Data by Graph Random Walk-Based Cross-View Diffusion.

PubMed

Wang, Yang; Zhang, Wenjie; Wu, Lin; Lin, Xuemin; Zhao, Xiang

2017-01-01

Learning an ideal metric is crucial to many tasks in computer vision. Diverse feature representations may combat this problem from different aspects; as visual data objects described by multiple features can be decomposed into multiple views, thus often provide complementary information. In this paper, we propose a cross-view fusion algorithm that leads to a similarity metric for multiview data by systematically fusing multiple similarity measures. Unlike existing paradigms, we focus on learning distance measure by exploiting a graph structure of data samples, where an input similarity matrix can be improved through a propagation of graph random walk. In particular, we construct multiple graphs with each one corresponding to an individual view, and a cross-view fusion approach based on graph random walk is presented to derive an optimal distance measure by fusing multiple metrics. Our method is scalable to a large amount of data by enforcing sparsity through an anchor graph representation. To adaptively control the effects of different views, we dynamically learn view-specific coefficients, which are leveraged into graph random walk to balance multiviews. However, such a strategy may lead to an over-smooth similarity metric where affinities between dissimilar samples may be enlarged by excessively conducting cross-view fusion. Thus, we figure out a heuristic approach to controlling the iteration number in the fusion process in order to avoid over smoothness. Extensive experiments conducted on real-world data sets validate the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach.

[Determination of methyl nonyl ketone in volatile oil from herbs of Houttuynia cordata by GC-MS].

PubMed

Yang, Lixin; Zhang, Yongxin; Yi, Hong; Yang, Hua; Zhang, Qiwei

2010-08-01

To develop a GC-MS method for the determination of methyl nonyl ketone in the volatile oil from the herbs of Houttuynia cordata. The sample was split in the 240 degrees C injection port, with 20:1 split ratio, and separated on a DB-5 (30 m x 0.25 mm, 0.25 microm film thickness) fused silica column with helium as the carrier gas. The temperature program was as follows: 100 degrees C for 2 min, the 5 degrees C x min(-1) to 150 degrees C, then 15 degrees C x min(-1) to 200 degrees C, and kept for 10 min. The MS transfer line temperature was set to 250 degrees C, the MS source temperature was set to 200 degrees C. The ionization mode was electron ionization (EI) and the selective ion monitor mode was used. A good linear relationship was constructed over the injection amount range of 5.5-110 ng of methyl nonyl ketone. The average recovery was 98.9%, and RSD was 2. 2%. The developed method was sensitive, accurate, and can be used for the determination of methyl nonyl ketone in the volatile oil and for the quality control of H. cordata.

Beta Pic-like Circumstellar Gas Disk Around 2 And

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Patricia

2003-01-01

This grant was awarded to support the data analysis and publication of results from our project entitled P Pic-like Circumstellar Gas Disk Around 2 And . We proposed to obtain FUSE observations of 2 And and study the characteristics and origin of its circumstellar gas. We observed 2 Andromedae with FUSE on 3-4 July 2001 in 11 exposures with a total exposure time of 21,289 seconds through the LWRS aperture. Our data were calibrated with Version 1.8.7 of the CALFUSE pipeline processing software. We corrected the wavelength scale for the heliocentric velocity error in this version of the CALFUSE software. The relative accuracy of the calibrated wavelength scale is +/- 9 km/s . We produced a co-added spectrum in the LiF 1B and LiF 2A channels (covering the 1100 to 1180 A region) by cross-correlating the 11 individual exposures and doing an exposure-time weighted average flux. The final co-added spectra have a signal-to-noise ratio in the stellar continuum near 1150 A of about 20. To obtain an absolute wavelength calibration, we cross-correlated our observed spectra with a model spectrum to obtain the best fit for the photospheric C I lines. Because the photospheric lines are very broad, this yields an absolute accuracy for the wavelength scale of approx.+/- 15 km/s. We then rebinned 5 original pixels to yield the optimal sampling of .033 A for each new pixel, because the calibrated spectra oversample the spectral resolution for FUSE+LWRS (R = 20,000 +/- 2,000).

A cross comparison of spatiotemporally enhanced springtime phenological measurements from satellites and ground in a northern U.S. mixed forest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liang, Liang; Schwartz, Mark D.; Zhuosen Wang,; Gao, Feng; Schaaf, Crystal B.; Bin Tan,; Morisette, Jeffrey T.; Zhang, Xiaoyang

2014-01-01

Cross comparison of satellite-derived land surface phenology (LSP) and ground measurements is useful to ensure the relevance of detected seasonal vegetation change to the underlying biophysical processes. While standard 16-day and 250-m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) vegetation index (VI)-based springtime LSP has been evaluated in previous studies, it remains unclear whether LSP with enhanced temporal and spatial resolutions can capture additional details of ground phenology. In this paper, we compared LSP derived from 500-m daily MODIS and 30-m MODIS-Landsat fused VI data with landscape phenology (LP) in a northern U.S. mixed forest. LP was previously developed from intensively observed deciduous and coniferous tree phenology using an upscaling approach. Results showed that daily MODIS-based LSP consistently estimated greenup onset dates at the study area (625 m × 625 m) level with 4.48 days of mean absolute error (MAE), slightly better than that of using 16-day standard VI (4.63 days MAE). For the observed study areas, the time series with increased number of observations confirmed that post-bud burst deciduous tree phenology contributes the most to vegetation reflectance change. Moreover, fused VI time series demonstrated closer correspondences with LP at the community level (0.1-20 ha) than using MODIS alone at the study area level (390 ha). The fused LSP captured greenup onset dates for respective forest communities of varied sizes and compositions with four days of the overall MAE. This study supports further use of spatiotemporally enhanced LSP for more precise phenological monitoring.

Scale for positive aspects of caregiving experience: development, reliability, and factor structure.

PubMed

Kate, N; Grover, S; Kulhara, P; Nehra, R

2012-06-01

OBJECTIVE. To develop an instrument (Scale for Positive Aspects of Caregiving Experience [SPACE]) that evaluates positive caregiving experience and assess its psychometric properties. METHODS. Available scales which assess some aspects of positive caregiving experience were reviewed and a 50-item questionnaire with a 5-point rating was constructed. In all, 203 primary caregivers of patients with severe mental disorders were asked to complete the questionnaire. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, cross-language reliability, split-half reliability, and face validity were evaluated. Principal component factor analysis was run to assess the factorial validity of the scale. RESULTS. The scale developed as part of the study was found to have good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, cross-language reliability, split-half reliability, and face validity. Principal component factor analysis yielded a 4-factor structure, which also had good test-retest reliability and cross-language reliability. There was a strong correlation between the 4 factors obtained. CONCLUSION. The SPACE developed as part of this study has good psychometric properties.

Assisted extraction of the energy level spacings and lever arms in direct current bias measurements of one-dimensional quantum wires, using an image recognition routine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesage, A. A. J.; Smith, L. W.; Al-Taie, H.; See, P.; Griffiths, J. P.; Farrer, I.; Jones, G. A. C.; Ritchie, D. A.; Kelly, M. J.; Smith, C. G.

2015-01-01

A multiplexer technique is used to individually measure an array of 256 split gates on a single GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. This results in the generation of large volumes of data, which requires the development of automated data analysis routines. An algorithm is developed to find the spacing between discrete energy levels, which form due to transverse confinement from the split gate. The lever arm, which relates split gate voltage to energy, is also found from the measured data. This reduces the time spent on the analysis. Comparison with estimates obtained visually shows that the algorithm returns reliable results for subband spacing of split gates measured at 1.4 K. The routine is also used to assess direct current bias spectroscopy measurements at lower temperatures (50 mK). This technique is versatile and can be extended to other types of measurements. For example, it is used to extract the magnetic field at which Zeeman-split 1D subbands cross one another.

The morphology of solar granulations and dark networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graves, J. Elon; Pierce, A. Keith

1986-08-01

Solar granules are classified into four groups based on shape and splitting by sharp rifts crossing them. Grains are classified as: single granules varying in size from 1/8 to 3 in., single granules embayed by a broad dark area or possessing a central darkening, single granules split by very narrow rifts which are significantly narrower than the intergranular lanes, and complexes of granules displaying a daisy pattern. The formation and growth of 'white-light dark networks' are also discussed

A higher-order split-step Fourier parabolic-equation sound propagation solution scheme.

PubMed

Lin, Ying-Tsong; Duda, Timothy F

2012-08-01

A three-dimensional Cartesian parabolic-equation model with a higher-order approximation to the square-root Helmholtz operator is presented for simulating underwater sound propagation in ocean waveguides. The higher-order approximation includes cross terms with the free-space square-root Helmholtz operator and the medium phase speed anomaly. It can be implemented with a split-step Fourier algorithm to solve for sound pressure in the model. Two idealized ocean waveguide examples are presented to demonstrate the performance of this numerical technique.

Analysis of mandibular second molars with fused roots and shallow radicular grooves by using micro-computed tomography.

PubMed

Amoroso-Silva, Pablo; De Moraes, Ivaldo Gomes; Marceliano-Alves, Marilia; Bramante, Clovis Monteiro; Zapata, Ronald Ordinola; Hungaro Duarte, Marco Antonio

2018-01-01

This study aimed to describe the morphological and morphometric aspects of fused mandibular second molars with radicular shallow grooves using micro-computed tomography (CT). Eighty-eight mandibular second molars with fused roots were scanned in a micro-CT scanner at a voxel size of 19.6 μm. After reconstruction, only molars without C-shaped roots and presenting shallow radicular grooves were selected. 30 molars were chosen for further analysis. Canal cross-sections were classified according to Fan's modified classification (C1, C2, C3, and C4) and morphometric parameters at the apical region, examination of accessory foramina and tridimensional configuration were evaluated. Three-dimensional reconstructions indicated a higher prevalence of merging type ( n = 22). According to Fan's modified classification, the C4 configuration was predominant in the 3 apical mm. Roundness median values revealed a more round-shaped canals at 3 mm (0.72) than at 2 (0.63) and 1 (0.61) mm from the apex. High values of major and minor diameters were observed in the canals of these evaluated sections. In addition, few accessory apical foramina were observed at 1 and 2 mm from the apex. The average distance between last accessory foramina and the anatomic apex was 1.17 mm. A less complex internal anatomy is found when a mandibular second molar presents fused roots with shallow radicular grooves. The merging type canal was frequently observed. Moreover, the C4 configuration was predominant at a point 3 mm from the apex and presented rounded canals, large apical diameters, and few accessory foramina. The cervical and middle thirds presented C3 and C1 canal configurations most frequently. A minor morphological complexity is found when fused mandibular second molars present shallow radicular grooves.

A novel EML4-ALK variant: exon 6 of EML4 fused to exon 19 of ALK.

PubMed

Penzel, Roland; Schirmacher, Peter; Warth, Arne

2012-07-01

Cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment for most patients with advanced disease. Recently, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) expression as a major target for successful treatment with ALK inhibitors was detected in a subset of non-small-cell lung carcinomas, usually as a result of echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-ALK rearrangements. Although the chromosomal breakpoint within the EML4 gene varied, the breakpoint within ALK was most frequently reported within intron 19 or rarely in exon 20. Therefore, the different EML4-ALK variants so far contain the same 3' portion of ALK starting with exon 20. Here, we report a novel EML4-ALK variant detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis. Subsequent sequencing revealed an EML4-ALK fusion variant in which exon 6 of EML4 was fused to exon 19 of ALK. It occurred in a predominant solid pulmonary adenocarcinoma of a 65-year-old woman with a clear split signal of ALK in fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis and a weakly homogeneous ALK expression in immunohistochemical staining. Because of the growing number of fusion variants a primary reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction-based screening for ALK-positive non-small-cell lung carcinoma patients may not be sufficient for predictive diagnostics but transcript-based approaches and sequencing of ALK fusion variants might finally contribute to an optimized selection of patients.

Visualizing double-stranded RNA distribution and dynamics in living cells by dsRNA binding-dependent fluorescence complementation

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

Cheng, Xiaofei; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310036; Deng, Ping

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is an important type of RNA that plays essential roles in diverse cellular processes in eukaryotic organisms and a hallmark in infections by positive-sense RNA viruses. Currently, no in vivo technology has been developed for visualizing dsRNA in living cells. Here, we report a dsRNA binding-dependent fluorescence complementation (dRBFC) assay that can be used to efficiently monitor dsRNA distribution and dynamics in vivo. The system consists of two dsRNA-binding proteins, which are fused to the N- and C-terminal halves of the yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). Binding of the two fusion proteins to a common dsRNA brings themore » split YFP halves in close proximity, leading to the reconstitution of the fluorescence-competent structure and restoration of fluorescence. Using this technique, we were able to visualize the distribution and trafficking of the replicative RNA intermediates of positive-sense RNA viruses in living cells. - Highlights: • A live-cell imaging system was developed for visualizing dsRNA in vivo. • It uses dsRNA binding proteins fused with two halves of a fluorescent protein. • Binding to a common dsRNA enables the reporter to become fluorescent. • The system can efficiently monitor viral RNA replication in living cells.« less

Plantarflexion moment is a contributor to step length after-effect following walking on a split-belt treadmill in individuals with stroke and healthy individuals.

PubMed

Lauzière, Séléna; Miéville, Carole; Betschart, Martina; Duclos, Cyril; Aissaoui, Rachid; Nadeau, Sylvie

2014-10-01

To assess plantarflexion moment and hip joint moment after-effects following walking on a split-belt treadmill in healthy individuals and individuals post-stroke. Cross-sectional study. Ten healthy individuals (mean age 57.6 years (standard deviation; SD 17.2)) and twenty individuals post-stroke (mean age 49.3 years (SD 13.2)). Participants walked on an instrumented split-belt treadmill under 3 gait periods: i) baseline (tied-belt); ii) adaptation (split-belt); and iii) post-adaptation (tied-belt). Participants post-stroke performed the protocol with the paretic and nonparetic leg on the faster belt when belts were split. Kinematic data were recorded with the Optotrak system and ground reaction forces were collected via the instrumented split-belt treadmill. In both groups, the fast plantarflexion moment was reduced and the slow plantarflexion moment was increased from mid-stance to toe-off in the post-adaptation period. Significant relationships were found between the plantarflexion moment and contralateral step length. Split-belt treadmills could be useful for restoring step length symmetry in individuals post-stroke who present with a longer paretic step length because the use of this type of intervention increases paretic plantarflexion moments. This intervention might be less recommended for individuals post-stroke with a shorter paretic step length because it reduces the paretic plantarflexion moment.

The High Cost "of" Convenience: Satisfying Short-Term Needs Erodes Long-Term Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimmerman, Dian P.

2015-01-01

Novel ways of thinking often come from the cross-pollination of language from other professions. The term "satisficing" is one such term and is a powerful construct that fuses two concepts, satisfy and suffice, together to explain something new. Satisficing describes the often-paradoxical results that plague decision making. Depending on…

Red blood cell transfusion probability and associated costs in neurosurgical procedures.

PubMed

Barth, Martin; Weiss, Christel; Schmieder, Kirsten

2018-03-20

The extent of red blood cell units (RBC) needed for different neurosurgical procedures and the time point of their administration are widely unknown, which results in generously cross-matching prior to surgery. However, RBC are increasingly requested in the aging western populations, and blood donations are significantly reduced. Therefore, the knowledge of the extent and time point of administration of RBC is of major importance. This is a retrospective single center analysis. The incidence of RBC transfusion during surgery or within 48 h after surgery was analyzed for all neurosurgical patients within 3 years. Costs for cross-matched and transfused RBC were calculated and risk factors for RBC transfusion analyzed. The risk of intraoperative RBC administration was low for spinal and intracranial tumor resections (1.87%) and exceeded 10% only in spinal fusion procedures. This was dependent on the number of fused segments with an intraoperative transfusion risk of > 12.5% with fusion of more than three levels. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a significantly increased risk for RBC transfusion for female gender (p = 0.006; OR 1.655), higher age (N = 4812; p < 0.0001; OR 1.028), and number of fused segments (N = 737; p < 0.0001; OR 1.433). Annual costs for cross-matching were 783,820.88 USD and for intraoperative RBC administration 121,322.13 USD. Neurosurgical procedures are associated with a low number of RBC needed intraoperatively. Only elective spine fusion procedures with ≥ 3 levels involved and AVM resections seem to require cross-matching of RBC. The present data may allow changing the preoperative algorithm of RBC cross-matching in neurosurgical procedures and help to save resources and costs.

Quantitative assessment of cellular uptake and cytosolic access of antibody in living cells by an enhanced split GFP complementation assay

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

Kim, Ji-sun; Choi, Dong-Ki; Park, Seong-wook

Considering the number of cytosolic proteins associated with many diseases, development of cytosol-penetrating molecules from outside of living cells is highly in demand. To gain access to the cytosol after cellular uptake, cell-penetrating molecules should be released from intermediate endosomes prior to the lysosomal degradation. However, it is very challenging to distinguish the pool of cytosolic-released molecules from those trapped in the endocytic vesicles. Here we describe a method to directly demonstrate the cytosolic localization and quantification of cytosolic amount of a cytosol-penetrating IgG antibody, TMab4, based on enhanced split GFP complementation system. We generated TMab4 genetically fused with onemore » GFP fragment and separately established HeLa cells expressing the other GFP fragment in the cytosol such that the complemented GFP fluorescence is observed only when extracellular-treated TMab4 reaches the cytosol after cellular internalization. The high affinity interactions between streptavidin-binding peptide 2 and streptavidin was employed as respective fusion partners of GFP fragments to enhance the sensitivity of GFP complementation. With this method, cytosolic concentration of TMab4 was estimated to be about 170 nM after extracellular treatment of HeLa cells with 1 μM TMab4 for 6 h. We also found that after cellular internalization into living cells, nearly 1.3–4.3% of the internalized TMab4 molecules escaped into the cytosol from the endocytic vesicles. Our enhanced split GFP complementation assay provides a useful tool to directly quantify cytosolic amount of cytosol-penetrating agents and allows cell-based high-throughput screening for cytosol-penetrating agents with increased endosomal-escaping activity.« less

Conditional protein splicing: a new tool to control protein structure and function in vitro and in vivo.

PubMed

Mootz, Henning D; Blum, Elyse S; Tyszkiewicz, Amy B; Muir, Tom W

2003-09-03

Protein splicing is a naturally occurring process in which an intervening intein domain excises itself out of a precursor polypeptide in an autocatalytic fashion with concomitant linkage of the two flanking extein sequences by a native peptide bond. We have recently reported an engineered split VMA intein whose splicing activity in trans between two polypeptides can be triggered by the small molecule rapamycin. In this report, we show that this conditional protein splicing (CPS) system can be used in mammalian cells. Two model constructs harboring maltose-binding protein (MBP) and a His-tag as exteins were expressed from a constitutive promoter after transient transfection. The splicing product MBP-His was detected by Western blotting and immunoprecipitation in cells treated with rapamycin or a nontoxic analogue thereof. No background splicing in the absence of the small-molecule inducer was observed over a 24-h time course. Product formation could be detected within 10 min of addition of rapamycin, indicating the advantage of the posttranslational nature of CPS for quick responses. The level of protein splicing was dose dependent and could be competitively attenuated with the small molecule ascomycin. In related studies, the geometric flexibility of the CPS components was investigated with a series of purified proteins. The FKBP and FRB domains, which are dimerized by rapamycin and thereby induce the reconstitution of the split intein, were fused to the extein sequences of the split intein halves. CPS was still triggered by rapamycin when FKBP and FRB occupied one or both of the extein positions. This finding suggests yet further applications of CPS in the area of proteomics. In summary, CPS holds great promise to become a powerful new tool to control protein structure and function in vitro and in living cells.

Quantitative assessment of cellular uptake and cytosolic access of antibody in living cells by an enhanced split GFP complementation assay.

PubMed

Kim, Ji-sun; Choi, Dong-Ki; Park, Seong-wook; Shin, Seung-Min; Bae, Jeomil; Kim, Dong-Myung; Yoo, Tae Hyeon; Kim, Yong-Sung

2015-11-27

Considering the number of cytosolic proteins associated with many diseases, development of cytosol-penetrating molecules from outside of living cells is highly in demand. To gain access to the cytosol after cellular uptake, cell-penetrating molecules should be released from intermediate endosomes prior to the lysosomal degradation. However, it is very challenging to distinguish the pool of cytosolic-released molecules from those trapped in the endocytic vesicles. Here we describe a method to directly demonstrate the cytosolic localization and quantification of cytosolic amount of a cytosol-penetrating IgG antibody, TMab4, based on enhanced split GFP complementation system. We generated TMab4 genetically fused with one GFP fragment and separately established HeLa cells expressing the other GFP fragment in the cytosol such that the complemented GFP fluorescence is observed only when extracellular-treated TMab4 reaches the cytosol after cellular internalization. The high affinity interactions between streptavidin-binding peptide 2 and streptavidin was employed as respective fusion partners of GFP fragments to enhance the sensitivity of GFP complementation. With this method, cytosolic concentration of TMab4 was estimated to be about 170 nM after extracellular treatment of HeLa cells with 1 μM TMab4 for 6 h. We also found that after cellular internalization into living cells, nearly 1.3-4.3% of the internalized TMab4 molecules escaped into the cytosol from the endocytic vesicles. Our enhanced split GFP complementation assay provides a useful tool to directly quantify cytosolic amount of cytosol-penetrating agents and allows cell-based high-throughput screening for cytosol-penetrating agents with increased endosomal-escaping activity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In vivo protein stabilization based on fragment complementation and a split GFP system.

PubMed

Lindman, Stina; Hernandez-Garcia, Armando; Szczepankiewicz, Olga; Frohm, Birgitta; Linse, Sara

2010-11-16

Protein stabilization was achieved through in vivo screening based on the thermodynamic linkage between protein folding and fragment complementation. The split GFP system was found suitable to derive protein variants with enhanced stability due to the correlation between effects of mutations on the stability of the intact chain and the effects of the same mutations on the affinity between fragments of the chain. PGB1 mutants with higher affinity between fragments 1 to 40 and 41 to 56 were obtained by in vivo screening of a library of the 1 to 40 fragments against wild-type 41 to 56 fragments. Colonies were ranked based on the intensity of green fluorescence emerging from assembly and folding of the fused GFP fragments. The DNA from the brightest fluorescent colonies was sequenced, and intact mutant PGB1s corresponding to the top three sequences were expressed, purified, and analyzed for stability toward thermal denaturation. The protein sequence derived from the top fluorescent colony was found to yield a 12 °C increase in the thermal denaturation midpoint and a free energy of stabilization of -8.7 kJ/mol at 25 °C. The stability rank order of the three mutant proteins follows the fluorescence rank order in the split GFP system. The variants are stabilized through increased hydrophobic effect, which raises the free energy of the unfolded more than the folded state; as well as substitutions, which lower the free energy of the folded more than the unfolded state; optimized van der Waals interactions; helix stabilization; improved hydrogen bonding network; and reduced electrostatic repulsion in the folded state.

ent-Kaurane-Based Regio- and Stereoselective Inverse Electron Demand Hetero-Diels-Alder Reactions: Synthesis of Dihydropyran-Fused Diterpenoids†

PubMed Central

Ding, Chunyong; Wang, Lili; Chen, Haijun; Wild, Christopher; Ye, Na; Ding, Ye; Wang, Tianzhi; White, Mark A.; Shen, Qiang; Zhou, Jia

2014-01-01

A mild and concise approach for the construction of 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran ring integrated into the A-ring of the natural product oridonin using an optimized inverse electron demand hetero-Diels-Alder (IED HDA) reaction is reported herein. A self-dimerization of the exocyclic enone installed in the A-ring through a homo-HDA reaction was identified to exclusively give a dimeric ent-kaurane diterpenoid with the spirochroman core. Moreover, the efficient cross-HDA cycloadditions of this enone with various vinyl ethers or vinyl sulfides, instead of its own homo-HDA dimerization, were achieved in regio- and stereoselective manners, thus providing the access to novel dihydropyran-fused diterpenoids as potential anticancer agents to overcome chemoresistance. PMID:25225052

En face spectral domain optical coherence tomography analysis of lamellar macular holes.

PubMed

Clamp, Michael F; Wilkes, Geoff; Leis, Laura S; McDonald, H Richard; Johnson, Robert N; Jumper, J Michael; Fu, Arthur D; Cunningham, Emmett T; Stewart, Paul J; Haug, Sara J; Lujan, Brandon J

2014-07-01

To analyze the anatomical characteristics of lamellar macular holes using cross-sectional and en face spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Forty-two lamellar macular holes were retrospectively identified for analysis. The location, cross-sectional length, and area of lamellar holes were measured using B-scans and en face imaging. The presence of photoreceptor inner segment/outer segment disruption and the presence or absence of epiretinal membrane formation were recorded. Forty-two lamellar macular holes were identified. Intraretinal splitting occurred within the outer plexiform layer in 97.6% of eyes. The area of intraretinal splitting in lamellar holes did not correlate with visual acuity. Eyes with inner segment/outer segment disruption had significantly worse mean logMAR visual acuity (0.363 ± 0.169; Snellen = 20/46) than in eyes without inner segment/outer segment disruption (0.203 ± 0.124; Snellen = 20/32) (analysis of variance, P = 0.004). Epiretinal membrane was present in 34 of 42 eyes (81.0%). En face imaging allowed for consistent detection and quantification of intraretinal splitting within the outer plexiform layer in patients with lamellar macular holes, supporting the notion that an area of anatomical weakness exists within Henle's fiber layer, presumably at the synaptic connection of these fibers within the outer plexiform layer. However, the en face area of intraretinal splitting did not correlate with visual acuity, disruption of the inner segment/outer segment junction was associated with significantly worse visual acuity in patients with lamellar macular holes.

Ultrastructural localisation of protein interactions using conditionally stable nanobodies.

PubMed

Ariotti, Nicholas; Rae, James; Giles, Nichole; Martel, Nick; Sierecki, Emma; Gambin, Yann; Hall, Thomas E; Parton, Robert G

2018-04-01

We describe the development and application of a suite of modular tools for high-resolution detection of proteins and intracellular protein complexes by electron microscopy (EM). Conditionally stable GFP- and mCherry-binding nanobodies (termed csGBP and csChBP, respectively) are characterized using a cell-free expression and analysis system and subsequently fused to an ascorbate peroxidase (APEX) enzyme. Expression of these cassettes alongside fluorescently labelled proteins results in recruitment and stabilisation of APEX, whereas unbound APEX nanobodies are efficiently degraded by the proteasome. This greatly simplifies correlative analyses, enables detection of less-abundant proteins, and eliminates the need to balance expression levels between fluorescently labelled and APEX nanobody proteins. Furthermore, we demonstrate the application of this system to bimolecular complementation ('EM split-fluorescent protein'), for localisation of protein-protein interactions at the ultrastructural level.

Ultrastructural localisation of protein interactions using conditionally stable nanobodies

PubMed Central

Ariotti, Nicholas; Rae, James; Giles, Nichole; Martel, Nick; Sierecki, Emma; Gambin, Yann; Parton, Robert G.

2018-01-01

We describe the development and application of a suite of modular tools for high-resolution detection of proteins and intracellular protein complexes by electron microscopy (EM). Conditionally stable GFP- and mCherry-binding nanobodies (termed csGBP and csChBP, respectively) are characterized using a cell-free expression and analysis system and subsequently fused to an ascorbate peroxidase (APEX) enzyme. Expression of these cassettes alongside fluorescently labelled proteins results in recruitment and stabilisation of APEX, whereas unbound APEX nanobodies are efficiently degraded by the proteasome. This greatly simplifies correlative analyses, enables detection of less-abundant proteins, and eliminates the need to balance expression levels between fluorescently labelled and APEX nanobody proteins. Furthermore, we demonstrate the application of this system to bimolecular complementation (‘EM split-fluorescent protein’), for localisation of protein–protein interactions at the ultrastructural level. PMID:29621251

Internal Mirror Optical Fiber Couplers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Jong-Dug

A fusion splicing technique has been used to produce angled dielectric mirrors in multimode and single-mode silica fibers. These mirrored fiber couplers serve as compact directional couplers with low excess optical loss (~0.2 dB for multimode and 0.5 dB for single mode at 1.3 μm) and excellent mechanical properties. The reflectance is found to be wavelength dependent and strongly polarization dependent, as expected. Far-field scans of the reflected output power measured with a white-light source show a pattern which is almost circularly symmetric. The splitting ratio in a multimode coupler measured with a laser source is much less dependent on input coupling conditions than in conventional fused biconical-taper couplers. Spectral properties of multilayer fiber mirrors have been investigated experimentally, and a matrix analysis has been used to explain the results.

Optochemical Control of Protein Localization and Activity within Cell-like Compartments.

PubMed

Caldwell, Reese M; Bermudez, Jessica G; Thai, David; Aonbangkhen, Chanat; Schuster, Benjamin S; Courtney, Taylor; Deiters, Alexander; Hammer, Daniel A; Chenoweth, David M; Good, Matthew C

2018-05-08

We report inducible dimerization strategies for controlling protein positioning, enzymatic activity, and organelle assembly inside synthetic cell-like compartments upon photostimulation. Using a photocaged TMP-Haloligand compound, we demonstrate small molecule and light-induced dimerization of DHFR and Haloenzyme to localize proteins to a compartment boundary and reconstitute tripartite sfGFP assembly. Using photocaged rapamycin and fragments of split TEV protease fused to FRB and FKBP, we establish optical triggering of protease activity inside cell-size compartments. We apply light-inducible protease activation to initiate assembly of membraneless organelles, demonstrating the applicability of these tools for characterizing cell biological processes in vitro. This modular toolkit, which affords spatial and temporal control of protein function in a minimal cell-like system, represents a critical step toward the reconstitution of a tunable synthetic cell, built from the bottom up.

Split-cross-bridge resistor for testing for proper fabrication of integrated circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buehler, M. G. (Inventor)

1985-01-01

An electrical testing structure and method is described whereby a test structure is fabricated on a large scale integrated circuit wafer along with the circuit components and has a van der Pauw cross resistor in conjunction with a bridge resistor and a split bridge resistor, the latter having two channels each a line width wide, corresponding to the line width of the wafer circuit components, and with the two channels separated by a space equal to the line spacing of the wafer circuit components. The testing structure has associated voltage and current contact pads arranged in a two by four array for conveniently passing currents through the test structure and measuring voltages at appropriate points to calculate the sheet resistance, line width, line spacing, and line pitch of the circuit components on the wafer electrically.

Multifocus watermarking approach based on discrete cosine transform.

PubMed

Waheed, Safa Riyadh; Alkawaz, Mohammed Hazim; Rehman, Amjad; Almazyad, Abdulaziz S; Saba, Tanzila

2016-05-01

Image fusion process consolidates data and information from various images of same sight into a solitary image. Each of the source images might speak to a fractional perspective of the scene, and contains both "pertinent" and "immaterial" information. In this study, a new image fusion method is proposed utilizing the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) to join the source image into a solitary minimized image containing more exact depiction of the sight than any of the individual source images. In addition, the fused image comes out with most ideal quality image without bending appearance or loss of data. DCT algorithm is considered efficient in image fusion. The proposed scheme is performed in five steps: (1) RGB colour image (input image) is split into three channels R, G, and B for source images. (2) DCT algorithm is applied to each channel (R, G, and B). (3) The variance values are computed for the corresponding 8 × 8 blocks of each channel. (4) Each block of R of source images is compared with each other based on the variance value and then the block with maximum variance value is selected to be the block in the new image. This process is repeated for all channels of source images. (5) Inverse discrete cosine transform is applied on each fused channel to convert coefficient values to pixel values, and then combined all the channels to generate the fused image. The proposed technique can potentially solve the problem of unwanted side effects such as blurring or blocking artifacts by reducing the quality of the subsequent image in image fusion process. The proposed approach is evaluated using three measurement units: the average of Q(abf), standard deviation, and peak Signal Noise Rate. The experimental results of this proposed technique have shown good results as compared with older techniques. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Crossing the Boundaries of Employee Engagement and Workplace Diversity and Inclusion: Moving HRD Forward in a Complicated Sociopolitical Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pleasant, Stephanie

2017-01-01

This essay explores the intersection of employee engagement and workplace diversity and inclusion. The current trend of organizations fusing these two concepts has provided motivation to examine the (dis)connection between theory and practice. This essay advances the perspectives of practitioners, as well as a critical framework used to discuss…

Multisensor Parallel Largest Ellipsoid Distributed Data Fusion with Unknown Cross-Covariances

PubMed Central

Liu, Baoyu; Zhan, Xingqun; Zhu, Zheng H.

2017-01-01

As the largest ellipsoid (LE) data fusion algorithm can only be applied to two-sensor system, in this contribution, parallel fusion structure is proposed to introduce the LE algorithm into a multisensor system with unknown cross-covariances, and three parallel fusion structures based on different estimate pairing methods are presented and analyzed. In order to assess the influence of fusion structure on fusion performance, two fusion performance assessment parameters are defined as Fusion Distance and Fusion Index. Moreover, the formula for calculating the upper bounds of actual fused error covariances of the presented multisensor LE fusers is also provided. Demonstrated with simulation examples, the Fusion Index indicates fuser’s actual fused accuracy and its sensitivity to the sensor orders, as well as its robustness to the accuracy of newly added sensors. Compared to the LE fuser with sequential structure, the LE fusers with proposed parallel structures not only significantly improve their properties in these aspects, but also embrace better performances in consistency and computation efficiency. The presented multisensor LE fusers generally have better accuracies than covariance intersection (CI) fusion algorithm and are consistent when the local estimates are weakly correlated. PMID:28661442

The Grog. A Journal of Navy Medical History and Culture. Issue 40

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

helped Belgian soldiers or civilians. The bronze medal was surmounted by a red enamel cross within a palm wreath and suspended from a gray ribbon with...upright almost as if it had landed in that spot. The only visible (major) damage appeared to be that it was cracked in half, but not completely...split in two. I imagined that it had hit the water and the impact had cracked the fuselage at the top, but it didn’t quite split all the way through

Tank 30 and 37 Supernatant Sample Cross-Check and Evaporator Feed Qualification Analysis-2012

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

Oji, L. N.

2013-03-07

This report summarizes the analytical data reported by the F/H and Savannah River National Laboratories for the 2012 cross-check analysis for high level waste supernatant liquid samples from SRS Tanks 30 and 37. The intent of this Tank 30 and 37 sample analyses was to perform cross-checks against routine F/H Laboratory analyses (corrosion and evaporator feed qualification programs) using samples collected at the same time from both tanks as well as split samples from the tanks.

Investigations on the effects of the Stark splitting on the fluorescence behaviors in Yb3+-doped silicate, tellurite, germanate, and phosphate glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Liaolin; Xia, Yu; Shen, Xiao; Yang, Runlan; Wei, Wei

2018-01-01

In this work, we systematically studied the spectroscopic characteristics of Yb3+ doped germanate, phosphate, silicate, and tellurite glasses. The emission peak beyond 976 nm showed irregular shift from 1001 nm to 1023 nm when Yb3+ in different glass matrices. It was associated with the Stark splitting of 2F7/2 and the emission intensities ratio between the transition from the lowest Stark splitting energy level of 2F5/2 to the Stark splitting energy levels of 2F7/2, e to b and that of e to d. Larger Stark splitting of 2F7/2 results in the red-shift of the near infrared emission band at room temperature and larger ratio results in the blue-shift of emission band. The fluorescence lifetimes of Yb3+ doped germanate, phosphate, silicate, and tellurite glasses were measured to be 0.94, 0.82, 1.51, and 0.66 ms, respectively. The fluorescence lifetime was associated with the reabsorption of Yb3+, which larger absorption cross section at the emission band results in larger reabsorption, then leads to the shorter near infrared fluorescence lifetime.

Upper-mantle deformation beneath the Pyrenean domain inferred from SKS splitting in northern Spain and southern France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonnin, Mickaël; Chevrot, Sébastien; Gaudot, Ianis; Haugmard, Méric

2017-08-01

We performed shear wave splitting analysis on 203 permanent (French RLPB, CEA and Catalonian networks) and temporary (PyrOPE and IberArray experiments) broad-band stations around the Pyrenees. These measurements considerably enhance the spatial resolution and coverage of seismic anisotropy in that region. In particular, we characterize with different shear wave splitting analysis methods the small-scale variations of splitting parameters ϕ and δt along three dense transects crossing the western and central Pyrenees with an interstation spacing of about 7 km. While we find a relatively coherent seismic anisotropy pattern in the Pyrenean domain, we observe abrupt changes of splitting parameters in the Aquitaine Basin and delay times along the Pyrenees. We moreover observe coherent fast directions despite complex lithospheric structures in Iberia and the Massif Central. This suggests that two main sources of anisotropy are required to interpret seismic anisotropy in this region: (i) lithospheric fabrics in the Aquitaine Basin (probably frozen-in Hercynian anisotropy) and in the Pyrenees (early and late Pyrenean dynamics); (ii) asthenospheric mantle flow beneath the entire region (imprint of the western Mediterranean dynamics since the Oligocene).

Upper-Mantle Deformation Beneath the Pyrenean Domain Inferred from SKS Splitting in Northern Spain and Southern France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonnin, M. J. A.; Chevrot, S.; Gaudot, I.; Haugmard, M.

2017-12-01

We performed shear wave splitting analysis on 203 permanent (French RLPB, CEA and Catalonian networks) and temporary (PYROPE and IberArray experiments) broad-band stations around the Pyrenees. These measurements considerably enhance the spatial resolution and coverage of seismic anisotropy in that region. In particular, we characterize with different shear wave splitting analysis methods the small-scale variations of splitting parameters φ and δt along three dense transects crossing the western and central Pyrenees with an interstation spacing of about 7 km. While we find a relatively coherent seismic anisotropy pattern in the Pyrenean domain, we observe abrupt changes of splitting parameters in the Aquitaine Basin and delay times along the Pyrenees. We moreover observe coherent fast directions despite complex lithospheric structures in Iberia and the Massif Central. This suggests that two main sources of anisotropy are required to interpret seismic anisotropy in this region: (i) lithospheric fabrics in the Aquitaine Basin (probably frozen-in Hercynian anisotropy) and in the Pyrenees (early and late Pyrenean dynamics); (ii) asthenospheric mantle flow beneath the entire region (imprint of the western Mediterranean dynamics since the Oligocene).

A Cross-Syndrome Study of the Development of Holistic Face Recognition in Children with Autism, Down Syndrome, and Williams Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Annaz, Dagmara; Karmiloff-Smith, Annette; Johnson, Mark H.; Thomas, Michael S. C.

2009-01-01

We report a cross-syndrome comparison of the development of holistic processing in face recognition in school-aged children with developmental disorders: autism, Down syndrome, and Williams syndrome. The autism group was split into two groups: one with high-functioning children and one with low-functioning children. The latter group has rarely…

Simultaneous qubit-loss-free fusion of three multiple W states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Meiyu; Hao, Quanzhi; Yan, Fengli; Gao, Ting

2018-05-01

Qubit-loss-free fusion for two W states introduced by Li K et al (2016 Phys. Rev. A 94 062315) clearly increases the final size of the obtained W state and greatly reduces the number of fusion steps to achieve a W state of a target size. Motivated by this idea, we propose a qubit-loss-free fusion scheme for fusing three polarization entangled W states simultaneously. The elements of a two-outcome positive-operator valued measurement and the appropriate joint unitary operation for realizing a positive-operator valued measurement measurement are given. As an example, with the assistance of weak cross-Kerr nonlinearities, an optical setup for fusing three W states is proposed. We analyze the success probability of the scheme and the resource cost of the present scheme, as compared to previous work.

Pd-Catalyzed regioselective intramolecular dehydrogenative C-5 cross coupling in an N-substituted pyrrole-azole system.

PubMed

Tripathi, Krishna N; Ray, Devalina; Singh, Ravi P

2017-12-06

Functionalized polycyclic pyrrole-azole structures possessing fused six membered and seven membered rings were directly synthesized via ligand-enabled, Pd-catalyzed, site selective, intramolecular cross couplings of N-substituted pyrrole-azoles. C5-H activation in the presence of a reactive C2-H remains a challenge that needs to be addressed and this was targeted to be resolved through the present approach by specifically generating the cyclized products with 83-100% selectivity. The featured methodology provides a novel disconnection for the synthesis of pyrrole containing alkaloids and medicinal compounds.

Validation of hindi translation of DSM-5 level 1 cross-cutting symptom measure.

PubMed

Goel, Ankit; Kataria, Dinesh

2018-04-01

The DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure is a self- or informant-rated measure that assesses mental health domains which are important across psychiatric diagnoses. The absence of this self- or informant-administered instrument in Hindi, which is a major language in India, is an important limitation in using this scale. To translate the English version of the DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure to Hindi and evaluate its psychometric properties. The study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Delhi. The DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure was translated into Hindi using the World Health Organization's translation methodology. Mean and standard deviation were evaluated for continuous variables while for categorical variables frequency and percentages were calculated. The translated version was evaluated for cross-language equivalence, test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and split half reliability. Hindi version was found to have good cross-language equivalence and test-retest reliability at the level of items and domains. Twenty two of the 23 items and all the 23 items had a significant correlation (ρ < 0.001) in cross language concordance and test-retest reliability data, respectively. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.95, and the Spearman-Brown Sphericity value was 0.79 for the Hindi version. The present study shows that cross-language concordance, internal consistency, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability of the Hindi version of the measure are excellent. Thus, the Hindi version of DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure as translated in this study is a valid instrument. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Studies of nonlinear femtosecond pulse propagation in bulk materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eaton, Hilary Kaye

2000-10-01

Femtosecond pulse lasers are finding widespread application in a variety of fields including medical research, optical switching and communications, plasma formation, high harmonic generation, and wavepacket formation and control. As the number of applications for femtosecond pulses increases, so does the need to fully understand the linear and nonlinear processes involved in propagating these pulses through materials under various conditions. Recent advances in pulse measurement techniques, such as frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG), allow measurement of the full electric field of the pulse and have made detailed investigations of short- pulse propagation effects feasible. In this thesis, I present detailed experimental studies of my work involving nonlinear propagation of femtosecond pulses in bulk media. Studies of plane-wave propagation in fused silica extend the SHG form of FROG from a simple pulse diagnostic to a useful method of interrogating the nonlinear response of a material. Studies of nonlinear propagation are also performed in a regime where temporal pulse splitting occurs. Experimental results are compared with a three- dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation. This comparison fuels the development of a more complete model for pulse splitting. Experiments are also performed at peak input powers above those at which pulse splitting is observed. At these higher intensities, a broadband continuum is generated. This work presents a detailed study of continuum behavior and power loss as well as the first near-field spatial- spectral measurements of the generated continuum light. Nonlinear plane-wave propagation of short pulses in liquids is also investigated, and a non-instantaneous nonlinearity with a surprisingly short response time of 10 fs is observed in methanol. Experiments in water confirm that this effect in methanol is indeed real. Possible explanations for the observed effect are discussed and several are experimentally rejected. This thesis applies FROG as a powerful tool for science and not just a useful pulse diagnostic technique. Studies of three-dimensional propagation provide an in-depth understanding of the processes involved in femtosecond pulse splitting. In addition, the experimental investigations of continuum generation and pulse propagation in liquids provide new insights into the possible processes involved and should provide a useful comparison for developing theories.

Electronic spectrum of trilayer graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, S.; Ajay

2014-08-01

Present work deals with the analysis of the single particle electronic spectral function in trilayer (ABC-, ABA- and AAA-stacked) graphene. Tight binding Hamiltonian containing intralayer nearest-neighbor and next-nearest neighbor hopping along-with the interlayer coupling parameter within two triangular sub-lattice approach for trilayer graphene has been employed. The expression of single particle spectral functions A(kw) is obtained within mean-field Green's function equations of motion approach. Spectral function at Γ, M and K points of the Brillouin zone has been numerically computed. It is pointed out that the nature of electronic states at different points of Brillouin zone is found to be influenced by stacking order and Coulomb interactions. At Γ and M points, a trilayer splitting is predicted while at K point a bilayer splitting effect is observed due to crossing of two bands (at K point). Interlayer coupling ( t_{ bot } ) is found to be responsible for the splitting of quasi-particle peaks at each point of Brillouin zone. The influence of t_{ bot } in trilayer graphene is prominent for AAA-stacking compared to ABC- and ABA-stacking. On the other hand, onsite Coulomb interaction reduces the trilayer splitting effect into bilayer splitting at Γ and M points of Brillouin zone and bilayer splitting into single peak spectral function at K point with a shifting of the peak away from Fermi level.

A selection that reports on protein–protein interactions within a thermophilic bacterium

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Peter Q.; Silberg, Jonathan J.

2010-01-01

Many proteins can be split into fragments that exhibit enhanced function upon fusion to interacting proteins. While this strategy has been widely used to create protein-fragment complementation assays (PCAs) for discovering protein–protein interactions within mesophilic organisms, similar assays have not yet been developed for studying natural and engineered protein complexes at the temperatures where thermophilic microbes grow. We describe the development of a selection for protein–protein interactions within Thermus thermophilus that is based upon growth complementation by fragments of Thermotoga neapolitana adenylate kinase (AKTn). Complementation studies with an engineered thermophile (PQN1) that is not viable above 75°C because its adk gene has been replaced by a Geobacillus stearothermophilus ortholog revealed that growth could be restored at 78°C by a vector that coexpresses polypeptides corresponding to residues 1–79 and 80–220 of AKTn. In contrast, PQN1 growth was not complemented by AKTn fragments harboring a C156A mutation within the zinc-binding tetracysteine motif unless these fragments were fused to Thermotoga maritima chemotaxis proteins that heterodimerize (CheA and CheY) or homodimerize (CheX). This enhanced complementation is interpreted as arising from chemotaxis protein–protein interactions, since AKTn-C156A fragments having only one polypeptide fused to a chemotaxis protein did not complement PQN1 to the same extent. This selection increases the maximum temperature where a PCA can be used to engineer thermostable protein complexes and to map protein–protein interactions. PMID:20418388

A selection that reports on protein-protein interactions within a thermophilic bacterium.

PubMed

Nguyen, Peter Q; Silberg, Jonathan J

2010-07-01

Many proteins can be split into fragments that exhibit enhanced function upon fusion to interacting proteins. While this strategy has been widely used to create protein-fragment complementation assays (PCAs) for discovering protein-protein interactions within mesophilic organisms, similar assays have not yet been developed for studying natural and engineered protein complexes at the temperatures where thermophilic microbes grow. We describe the development of a selection for protein-protein interactions within Thermus thermophilus that is based upon growth complementation by fragments of Thermotoga neapolitana adenylate kinase (AK(Tn)). Complementation studies with an engineered thermophile (PQN1) that is not viable above 75 degrees C because its adk gene has been replaced by a Geobacillus stearothermophilus ortholog revealed that growth could be restored at 78 degrees C by a vector that coexpresses polypeptides corresponding to residues 1-79 and 80-220 of AK(Tn). In contrast, PQN1 growth was not complemented by AK(Tn) fragments harboring a C156A mutation within the zinc-binding tetracysteine motif unless these fragments were fused to Thermotoga maritima chemotaxis proteins that heterodimerize (CheA and CheY) or homodimerize (CheX). This enhanced complementation is interpreted as arising from chemotaxis protein-protein interactions, since AK(Tn)-C156A fragments having only one polypeptide fused to a chemotaxis protein did not complement PQN1 to the same extent. This selection increases the maximum temperature where a PCA can be used to engineer thermostable protein complexes and to map protein-protein interactions.

Z-scan theoretical and experimental studies for accurate measurements of the nonlinear refractive index and absorption of optical glasses near damage threshold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olivier, Thomas; Billard, Franck; Akhouayri, Hassan

2004-06-01

Self-focusing is one of the dramatic phenomena that may occur during the propagation of a high power laser beam in a nonlinear material. This phenomenon leads to a degradation of the wave front and may also lead to a photoinduced damage of the material. Realistic simulations of the propagation of high power laser beams require an accurate knowledge of the nonlinear refractive index γ. In the particular case of fused silica and in the nanosecond regime, it seems that electronic mechanisms as well as electrostriction and thermal effects can lead to a significant refractive index variation. Compared to the different methods used to measure this parmeter, the Z-scan method is simple, offers a good sensitivity and may give absolute measurements if the incident beam is accurately studied. However, this method requires a very good knowledge of the incident beam and of its propagation inside a nonlinear sample. We used a split-step propagation algorithm to simlate Z-scan curves for arbitrary beam shape, sample thickness and nonlinear phase shift. According to our simulations and a rigorous analysis of the Z-scan measured signal, it appears that some abusive approximations lead to very important errors. Thus, by reducing possible errors on the interpretation of Z-scan experimental studies, we performed accurate measurements of the nonlinear refractive index of fused silica that show the significant contribution of nanosecond mechanisms.

Split Venturi, Axially-Rotated Valve

DOEpatents

Walrath, David E.; Lindberg, William R.; Burgess, Robert K.

2000-08-29

The present invention provides an axially-rotated valve which permits increased flow rates and lower pressure drop (characterized by a lower loss coefficient) by using an axial eccentric split venturi with two portions where at least one portion is rotatable with respect to the other portion. The axially-rotated valve typically may be designed to avoid flow separation and/or cavitation at full flow under a variety of conditions. Similarly, the valve is designed, in some embodiments, to produce streamlined flow within the valve. A typical cross section of the eccentric split venturi may be non-axisymmetric such as a semicircular cross section which may assist in both throttling capabilities and in maximum flow capacity using the design of the present invention. Such a design can include applications for freeze resistant axially-rotated valves and may be fully-opened and fully-closed in one-half of a complete rotation. An internal wide radius elbow typically connected to a rotatable portion of the eccentric venturi may assist in directing flow with lower friction losses. A valve actuator may actuate in an axial manner yet be uniquely located outside of the axial flow path to further reduce friction losses. A seal may be used between the two portions that may include a peripheral and diametrical seal in the same plane.

Interaction of doughnut-shaped laser pulses with glasses

DOE PAGES

Zhukov, Vladimir P.; Rubenchik, Alexander M.; Fedoruk, Mikhail P.; ...

2017-01-26

Non-Gaussian laser beams can open new opportunities for microfabrication, including ultrashort laser direct writing. By using a model based on Maxwell’s equations, we investigate the dynamics of doughnut-shaped laser beams focused inside fused silica glass, in comparison with Gaussian pulses of the same energy. The laser propagation dynamics reveals intriguing features of beam splitting and sudden collapse toward the beam axis, overcoming the intensity clamping effect. The resulting structure of light absorption represents a very hot, hollow nanocylinder, which can lead to an implosion process that brings matter to extreme thermodynamic states. Furthermore, by monitoring the simulations of the lasermore » beam scattering we see a considerable difference in both the blueshift and the angular distribution of scattered light for different laser energies, suggesting that investigations of the spectra of scattered radiation can be used as a diagnostic of laser-produced electron plasmas in transparent materials.« less

Optical evidence of strong coupling between valence-band holes and d -localized spins in Zn1-xMnxO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokolov, V. I.; Druzhinin, A. V.; Gruzdev, N. B.; Dejneka, A.; Churpita, O.; Hubicka, Z.; Jastrabik, L.; Trepakov, V.

2010-04-01

We report on optical-absorption study of Zn1-xMnxO (x=0-0.06) films on fused silica substrates taking special attention to the spectral range of the fundamental absorption edge (3.1-4 eV). Well-pronounced excitonic lines observed in the region 3.40-3.45 eV were found to shift to higher energies with increasing Mn concentration. The optical band-gap energy increases with x too, reliably evidencing strong coupling between oxygen holes and localized spins of manganese ions. In the 3.1-3.3 eV region the optical-absorption curve in the manganese-contained films was found to shift to lower energies with respect to that for undoped ZnO. The additional absorption observed in this range is interpreted as a result of splitting of a localized Zhang-Rice-type state into the band gap.

Electrodisintegration of Li 6

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

Bishop, G. R.; Bernheim, M.

1963-06-01

For the ( γ,n) reaction in Li 6 a model in which Li 6 splits into a deuteron and an alpha particle that separately absorb the photon energy was recently proposed. The model was tested by studying the inelastic scattering of 101.4-Mev electrons from Li 6. Expressions for the cross sections were obtained, and values calculated for a form factor in the cross sections confirm the validity of the model.

A Cross-Validation of easyCBM Mathematics Cut Scores in Washington State: 2009-2010 Test. Technical Report #1105

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Daniel; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

2011-01-01

In this technical report, we document the results of a cross-validation study designed to identify optimal cut-scores for the use of the easyCBM[R] mathematics test in the state of Washington. A large sample, randomly split into two groups of roughly equal size, was used for this study. Students' performance classification on the Washington state…

A Cross-Validation of easyCBM[R] Mathematics Cut Scores in Oregon: 2009-2010. Technical Report #1104

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Daniel; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

2011-01-01

In this technical report, we document the results of a cross-validation study designed to identify optimal cut-scores for the use of the easyCBM[R] mathematics test in Oregon. A large sample, randomly split into two groups of roughly equal size, was used for this study. Students' performance classification on the Oregon state test was used as the…

Robust magnon-photon coupling in a planar-geometry hybrid of inverted split-ring resonator and YIG film.

PubMed

Bhoi, Biswanath; Kim, Bosung; Kim, Junhoe; Cho, Young-Jun; Kim, Sang-Koog

2017-09-20

We experimentally demonstrate strongly enhanced coupling between excited magnons in an Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) film and microwave photons in an inverted pattern of split-ring resonator (noted as ISRR). The anti-crossing effects of the ISRR's photon mode and the YIG's magnon modes were found from |S 21 |-versus-frequency measurements for different strengths and directions of externally applied magnetic fields. The spin-number-normalized coupling strength (i.e. single spin-photon coupling) [Formula: see text] was determined to 0.194 Hz ([Formula: see text] = 90 MHz) at 3.7 GHz frequency. Furthermore, we found that additional fine features in the anti-crossing region originate from the excitation of different spin-wave modes (such as the magnetostatic surface and the backward-volume magnetostatic spin-waves) rather than the Kittel-type mode. These spin-wave modes, as coupled with the ISRR mode, modify the anti-crossing effect as well as their coupling strength. An equivalent circuit model very accurately reproduced the observed anti-crossing effect and its coupling strength variation with the magnetic field direction in the planar-geometry ISRR/YIG hybrid system. This work paves the way for the design of new types of high-gain magnon-photon coupling systems in planar geometry.

Unitary limit in crossed Andreev transport

DOE PAGES

Sadovskyy, I. A.; Lesovik, G. B.; Vinokur, V. M.

2015-10-08

One of the most promising approaches for generating spin- and energy-entangled electron pairs is splitting a Cooper pair into the metal through spatially separated terminals. Utilizing hybrid systems with the energy-dependent barriers at the superconductor/normal metal (NS) interfaces, one can achieve a practically 100% efficiency outcome of entangled electrons. We investigate a minimalistic one-dimensional model comprising a superconductor and two metallic leads and derive an expression for an electron-to-hole transmission probability as a measure of splitting efficiency. We find the conditions for achieving 100% efficiency and present analytical results for the differential conductance and differential noise.

Reaction dynamics near the barrier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loveland, W.

2011-10-01

The availability of modest intensity (103-107 p/s) radioactive nuclear beams has had a significant impact on the study of nuclear reactions near the interaction barrier. The role of isospin in capture reactions is a case in point. Using heavy elements as a laboratory to explore these effects, we note that the cross section for producing an evaporation residue is σEVR(Ec . m .) = ∑ J = 0 JmaxσCN(Ec . m . , J) Wsur(Ec . m . , J) where σCN is the complete fusion cross section and Wsur is the survival probability of the completely fused system. The complete fusion cross section can be written as, σCN(Ec . m .) = ∑ J = 0 Jmaxσcapture(Ec . m .) PCN(Ec . m . , J) where σcapture(Ec.m.,J) is the ``capture'' cross section at center-of mass energy Ec.m. and spin J and PCN is the probability that the projectile-target system will evolve inside the fission saddle point to form a completely fused system rather than re-separating (quasi-fission). The systematics of the isospin dependence of the capture cross sections has been developed and the deduced interaction barriers for all known studies of capture cross sections with radioactive beams are in good agreement with recent predictions of an improved QMD model and semi-empirical models. The deduced barriers for these n-rich systems are lower than one would expect from the Bass or proximity potentials. In addition to the barrier lowering, there is an enhanced sub-barrier cross section in these n-rich systems that is of advantage in the synthesis of new heavy nuclei. Recent studies of the ``inverse fission'' of uranium (124,132Sn + 100Mo) have yielded unexpectedly low upper limits for this process due apparently to low values of the fusion probability, PCN. The fusion of halo nuclei, like 11Li with heavy nuclei, like 208Pb, promises to give new information about these and related nuclei and has led/may lead to unusual reaction mechanisms. This work was sponsored, in part, by the USDOE Office of Nuclear Physics.

A novel passive micromixer based on unbalanced splits and collisions of fluid streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ansari, Mubashshir Ahmad; Kim, Kwang-Yong; Anwar, Khalid; Kim, Sun Min

2010-05-01

A new passive micromixer based on the concept of unbalanced splits and cross-collisions of fluid streams is designed and fabricated. Experimental and numerical studies have been carried out on the micromixer at Reynolds numbers ranging from 10 to 80. The three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations have been used to analyze the mixing and flow behavior of the micromixer, which is composed of two sub-channels of unequal widths which repeatedly undergo splitting and recombination. The difference between the mass flow rates in the two sub-channels creates an unbalanced collision of the two fluid streams. Mixing is mainly due to the combined effect of unbalanced collisions of the fluid streams and Dean vortices. The micromixer shows interesting mixing behavior for different ratios of the widths of the two split sub-channels. The sub-channels wherein the major sub-channel is twice as wide as the minor sub-channel exhibit the highest mixing performance at Reynolds numbers larger than 40. The results show the lowest mixing performance for the case of uniform width, where balanced collisions occur.

Interface modification based ultrashort laser microwelding between SiC and fused silica.

PubMed

Zhang, Guodong; Bai, Jing; Zhao, Wei; Zhou, Kaiming; Cheng, Guanghua

2017-02-06

It is a big challenge to weld two materials with large differences in coefficients of thermal expansion and melting points. Here we report that the welding between fused silica (softening point, 1720°C) and SiC wafer (melting point, 3100°C) is achieved with a near infrared femtosecond laser at 800 nm. Elements are observed to have a spatial distribution gradient within the cross section of welding line, revealing that mixing and inter-diffusion of substances have occurred during laser irradiation. This is attributed to the femtosecond laser induced local phase transition and volume expansion. Through optimizing the welding parameters, pulse energy and interval of the welding lines, a shear joining strength as high as 15.1 MPa is achieved. In addition, the influence mechanism of the laser ablation on welding quality of the sample without pre-optical contact is carefully studied by measuring the laser induced interface modification.

Two-photon absorption measurements of deep UV transmissible materials at 213 nm

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

Patankar, S.; Yang, S. T.; Moody, J. D.

We report on two photon absorption measurements at 213nm of deep UV transmissible media including LiF, MgF 2, CaF 2, BaF 2, Sapphire (Al 2O 3) and high purity grades of fused-silica (SiO 2). A high stability 24ps Nd:YAG laser operating at the 5th harmonic (213nm) was used to generate a high intensity, long Rayleigh length Gaussian focus inside the samples. The measurements of the Fluoride crystals and Sapphire indicate two photon absorption coefficients between 0.004 and 0.82 cm/GW. We find that different grades of fused silica performed near identically for two photon absorption, however, there are differences in linearmore » losses associated with purity. A low two photon absorption cross section is measured for MgF 2 making it an ideal material for the propagation of high intensity deep UV lasers.« less

Two-photon absorption measurements of deep UV transmissible materials at 213 nm

DOE PAGES

Patankar, S.; Yang, S. T.; Moody, J. D.; ...

2017-09-19

We report on two photon absorption measurements at 213nm of deep UV transmissible media including LiF, MgF 2, CaF 2, BaF 2, Sapphire (Al 2O 3) and high purity grades of fused-silica (SiO 2). A high stability 24ps Nd:YAG laser operating at the 5th harmonic (213nm) was used to generate a high intensity, long Rayleigh length Gaussian focus inside the samples. The measurements of the Fluoride crystals and Sapphire indicate two photon absorption coefficients between 0.004 and 0.82 cm/GW. We find that different grades of fused silica performed near identically for two photon absorption, however, there are differences in linearmore » losses associated with purity. A low two photon absorption cross section is measured for MgF 2 making it an ideal material for the propagation of high intensity deep UV lasers.« less

New Unsymmetrically Benzene-Fused Bis (Tetrathiafulvalene): Synthesis, Characterization, Electrochemical Properties and Electrical Conductivity of Their Materials

PubMed Central

Abbaz, Tahar; Bendjeddou, Amel; Gouasmia, Abdelkrim; Villemin, Didier; Shirahata, Takashi

2014-01-01

The synthesis of new unsymmetrically benzene-fused bis (tetrathiafulvalene) has been carried out by a cross-coupling reaction of the respective 4,5-dialkyl-1,3-dithiole- 2-selenone 6–9 with 2-(4-(p-nitrophenyl)-1,3-dithiole-2-ylidene)-1,3,5,7-tetrathia-s-indacene- 6-one 5 prepared by olefination of 4-(p-nitrophenyl)-1,3-dithiole-2-selenone 3 and 1,3,5,7-tetrathia-s-indacene-2,6-dione 4. The conversion of the nitro moiety 10a–d to amino 11a–d then dibenzylamine 12a–d groups respectively used reduction and alkylation methods. The electron donor ability of these new compounds has been measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique. Charge transfer complexes with tetracyanoquino-dimethane (TCNQ) were prepared by chemical redox reactions. The complexes have been proven to give conducting materials. PMID:24642878

Two-photon absorption measurements of deep UV transmissible materials at 213  nm.

PubMed

Patankar, S; Yang, S T; Moody, J D; Swadling, G F; Erlandson, A C; Bayramian, A J; Barker, D; Datte, P; Acree, R L; Pepmeier, B; Madden, R E; Borden, M R; Ross, J S

2017-10-20

We report on two-photon absorption measurements at 213 nm of deep UV transmissible media, including LiF, MgF 2 , CaF 2 , BaF 2 , sapphire (Al 2 O 3 ), and high-purity grades of fused-silica (SiO 2 ). A high-stability 24 ps Nd:YAG laser operating at the 5th harmonic (213 nm) was used to generate a high-intensity, long-Rayleigh-length Gaussian focus inside the samples. The measurements of the fluoride crystals and sapphire indicate two-photon absorption coefficients between 0.004 and 0.82 cm/GW. We find that different grades of fused silica performed near identically for two-photon absorption; however, there are differences in linear losses associated with purity. A low two-photon absorption cross section is measured for MgF 2 , making it an ideal material for the propagation of high-intensity deep UV lasers.

Metamaterial for Radar Frequencies

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

Circuit Board RAM Radar Absorbing Material RCS Radar Cross Section SNR Signal-to-Noise Ratio SNG Single-Negative SRR Split Ring Resonator...although some can be single-negative ( SNG ). DNG refers to material with simultaneous negative real parts of the permittivity r  and permeability

Formation of carbon nanoclusters by implantation of keV carbon ions in fused silica followed by thermal annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olivero, P.; Peng, J. L.; Liu, A.; Reichart, P.; McCallum, J. C.; Sze, J. Y.; Lau, S. P.; Tay, B. K.; Kalish, R.; Dhar, S.; Feldman, Leonard; Jamieson, David N.; Prawer, Steven

2005-02-01

In the last decade, the synthesis and characterization of nanometer sized carbon clusters have attracted growing interest within the scientific community. This is due to both scientific interest in the process of diamond nucleation and growth, and to the promising technological applications in nanoelectronics and quantum communications and computing. Our research group has demonstrated that MeV carbon ion implantation in fused silica followed by thermal annealing in the presence of hydrogen leads to the formation of nanocrystalline diamond, with cluster size ranging from 5 to 40 nm. In the present paper, we report the synthesis of carbon nanoclusters by the implantation into fused silica of keV carbon ions using the Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation (PIII) technique, followed by thermal annealing in forming gas (4% 2H in Ar). The present study is aimed at evaluating this implantation technique that has the advantage of allowing high fluence-rates on large substrates. The carbon nanostructures have been characterized with optical absorption and Raman spectroscopies, cross sectional Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Parallel Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (PEELS). Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA) has been employed to evaluate the deuterium incorporation during the annealing process, as a key mechanism to stabilize the formation of the clusters.

Inferences on the evolutionary history of the Drosophila americana polymorphic X/4 fusion from patterns of polymorphism at the X-linked paralytic and elav genes.

PubMed Central

Vieira, Cristina P; Coelho, Paula A; Vieira, Jorge

2003-01-01

In Drosophila there is limited evidence on the nature of evolutionary forces affecting chromosomal arrangements other than inversions. The study of the X/4 fusion polymorphism of Drosophila americana is thus of interest. Polymorphism patterns at the paralytic (para) gene, located at the base of the X chromosome, suggest that there is suppressed crossing over in this region between fusion and nonfusion chromosomes but not within fusion and nonfusion chromosomes. These data are thus compatible with previous claims that within fusion chromosomes the amino acid clines found at fused1 (also located at the base of the X chromosome) are likely maintained by local selection. The para data set also suggests a young age of the X/4 fusion. Polymorphism data on para and elav (located at the middle region of the X chromosome) suggest that there is no population structure other than that caused by the X/4 fusion itself. These findings are therefore compatible with previous claims that selection maintains the strong association observed between the methionine/threonine variants at fused1 and the status of the X chromosome as fused or unfused to the fourth chromosome. PMID:12930752

Development and Modification of a GC-IRMS System for Ambient Atmospheric Studies of Low-Molecular Weight Oxygenated Volatile Organic Compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giebel, B. M.; Riemer, D. D.; Swart, P. K.

2008-12-01

Determining δ13C values for reduced hydrocarbons in atmospheric samples is emerging as an important area of interest in isotopic analytical chemistry. The importance of stable isotopic data stems from its usefulness to differentiate between multiple sources and allows for an assessment of changing source structure and source strength in a constantly changing environment. Though much stable isotopic work is available on CH4 and other VOCs, particularly NMHCs, few studies have focused on oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) such as methanol, ethanol, acetone, and propanal. Both anthropogenic and biogenic sources exist for these OVOCs and their role in atmospheric chemistry is important. The OVOCs of interest here are found in very low concentrations in ambient air (low ppbv to high pptv) and thus provide unique challenges for analysis by GC-C-IRMS. To address the challenges of measuring OVOCs, a Hewlett Packard 6890 gas chromatograph interfaced with a Europa Scientific Geo 20-20 IRMS was modified to accept ambient atmospheric samples. To sharpen peak shape all dead volume within the system was minimized; starting with the addition of a fused silica combustion tube (0.25 mm i.d.) containing Cu, Pt, or Ni wires (0.1 mm dia.). To assist water removal from the sample stream before delivery to the IRMS a small volume nafion dryer (0.20 mm i.d.) and a water-trap submersed in a dry-ice / acetone slurry were tested individually. Deactivated fused silica (0.1 mm i.d.) joins the custom designed open split to the ion source and effectively decreases dead volume while maintaining chromatographic separation and desired source pressure. To decrease the variability of the instrumentation, and to increase the total amount of carbon at the ion source, total carrier gas flow is reduced to 0.7 mL/min. Reference gas addition is manually facilitated by a six port rotary valve upstream of the open split and delivers diluted CO2 reference gas (0.1% CO2 in He) directly to the ion source while maintaining continuous flow conditions from the gas chromatograph. Experimental results of initial biogenic source sampling will be presented and future directions will be discussed.

3D Printing of Preoperative Simulation Models of a Splenic Artery Aneurysm: Precision and Accuracy.

PubMed

Takao, Hidemasa; Amemiya, Shiori; Shibata, Eisuke; Ohtomo, Kuni

2017-05-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is attracting increasing attention in the medical field. This study aimed to apply 3D printing to the production of hollow splenic artery aneurysm models for use in the simulation of endovascular treatment, and to evaluate the precision and accuracy of the simulation model. From 3D computed tomography (CT) angiography data of a splenic artery aneurysm, 10 hollow models reproducing the vascular lumen were created using a fused deposition modeling-type desktop 3D printer. After filling with water, each model was scanned using T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of the lumen. All images were coregistered, binarized, and then combined to create an overlap map. The cross-sectional area of the splenic artery aneurysm and its standard deviation (SD) were calculated perpendicular to the x- and y-axes. Most voxels overlapped among the models. The cross-sectional areas were similar among the models, with SDs <0.05 cm 2 . The mean cross-sectional areas of the splenic artery aneurysm were slightly smaller than those calculated from the original mask images. The maximum mean cross-sectional areas calculated perpendicular to the x- and y-axes were 3.90 cm 2 (SD, 0.02) and 4.33 cm 2 (SD, 0.02), whereas those calculated from the original mask images were 4.14 cm 2 and 4.66 cm 2 , respectively. The mean cross-sectional areas of the afferent artery were, however, almost the same as those calculated from the original mask images. The results suggest that 3D simulation modeling of a visceral artery aneurysm using a fused deposition modeling-type desktop 3D printer and computed tomography angiography data is highly precise and accurate. Copyright © 2017 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cross-Sectional Transport Imaging in a Multijunction Solar Cell

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

Haegel, Nancy M.; Ke, Chi-Wen; Taha, Hesham

2015-06-14

Combining highly localized electron-beam excitation at a point with the spatial resolution capability of optical near-field imaging, we have imaged carrier transport in a cross-sectioned multijunction (GaInP/GaInAs/Ge) solar cell. We image energy transport associated with carrier diffusion throughout the full width of the middle (GaInAs) cell and luminescent coupling from point excitation in the top cell GaInP to the middle cell. Supporting cathodoluminescence and near-field photoluminescence measurements demonstrate excitation-dependent Fermi level splitting effects that influence cross-sectioned spectroscopy results as well as transport limitations on the spatial resolution of cross-sectional measurements.

3D Navigation and Integrated Hazard Display in Advanced Avionics: Workload, Performance, and Situation Awareness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wickens, Christopher D.; Alexander, Amy L.

2004-01-01

We examined the ability for pilots to estimate traffic location in an Integrated Hazard Display, and how such estimations should be measured. Twelve pilots viewed static images of traffic scenarios and then estimated the outside world locations of queried traffic represented in one of three display types (2D coplanar, 3D exocentric, and split-screen) and in one of four conditions (display present/blank crossed with outside world present/blank). Overall, the 2D coplanar display best supported both vertical (compared to 3D) and lateral (compared to split-screen) traffic position estimation performance. Costs of the 3D display were associated with perceptual ambiguity. Costs of the split screen display were inferred to result from inappropriate attention allocation. Furthermore, although pilots were faster in estimating traffic locations when relying on memory, accuracy was greatest when the display was available.

Implicit flux-split schemes for the Euler equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, J. L.; Walters, R. W.; Van Leer, B.

1985-01-01

Recent progress in the development of implicit algorithms for the Euler equations using the flux-vector splitting method is described. Comparisons of the relative efficiency of relaxation and spatially-split approximately factored methods on a vector processor for two-dimensional flows are made. For transonic flows, the higher convergence rate per iteration of the Gauss-Seidel relaxation algorithms, which are only partially vectorizable, is amply compensated for by the faster computational rate per iteration of the approximately factored algorithm. For supersonic flows, the fully-upwind line-relaxation method is more efficient since the numerical domain of dependence is more closely matched to the physical domain of dependence. A hybrid three-dimensional algorithm using relaxation in one coordinate direction and approximate factorization in the cross-flow plane is developed and applied to a forebody shape at supersonic speeds and a swept, tapered wing at transonic speeds.

Splitting parameter yield (SPY): A program for semiautomatic analysis of shear-wave splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaccarelli, Lucia; Bianco, Francesca; Zaccarelli, Riccardo

2012-03-01

SPY is a Matlab algorithm that analyzes seismic waveforms in a semiautomatic way, providing estimates of the two observables of the anisotropy: the shear-wave splitting parameters. We chose to exploit those computational processes that require less intervention by the user, gaining objectivity and reliability as a result. The algorithm joins the covariance matrix and the cross-correlation techniques, and all the computation steps are interspersed by several automatic checks intended to verify the reliability of the yields. The resulting semiautomation generates two new advantages in the field of anisotropy studies: handling a huge amount of data at the same time, and comparing different yields. From this perspective, SPY has been developed in the Matlab environment, which is widespread, versatile, and user-friendly. Our intention is to provide the scientific community with a new monitoring tool for tracking the temporal variations of the crustal stress field.

Fast, accurate photon beam accelerator modeling using BEAMnrc: A systematic investigation of efficiency enhancing methods and cross-section data

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

Fragoso, Margarida; Kawrakow, Iwan; Faddegon, Bruce A.

In this work, an investigation of efficiency enhancing methods and cross-section data in the BEAMnrc Monte Carlo (MC) code system is presented. Additionally, BEAMnrc was compared with VMC++, another special-purpose MC code system that has recently been enhanced for the simulation of the entire treatment head. BEAMnrc and VMC++ were used to simulate a 6 MV photon beam from a Siemens Primus linear accelerator (linac) and phase space (PHSP) files were generated at 100 cm source-to-surface distance for the 10x10 and 40x40 cm{sup 2} field sizes. The BEAMnrc parameters/techniques under investigation were grouped by (i) photon and bremsstrahlung cross sections,more » (ii) approximate efficiency improving techniques (AEITs), (iii) variance reduction techniques (VRTs), and (iv) a VRT (bremsstrahlung photon splitting) in combination with an AEIT (charged particle range rejection). The BEAMnrc PHSP file obtained without the efficiency enhancing techniques under study or, when not possible, with their default values (e.g., EXACT algorithm for the boundary crossing algorithm) and with the default cross-section data (PEGS4 and Bethe-Heitler) was used as the ''base line'' for accuracy verification of the PHSP files generated from the different groups described previously. Subsequently, a selection of the PHSP files was used as input for DOSXYZnrc-based water phantom dose calculations, which were verified against measurements. The performance of the different VRTs and AEITs available in BEAMnrc and of VMC++ was specified by the relative efficiency, i.e., by the efficiency of the MC simulation relative to that of the BEAMnrc base-line calculation. The highest relative efficiencies were {approx}935 ({approx}111 min on a single 2.6 GHz processor) and {approx}200 ({approx}45 min on a single processor) for the 10x10 field size with 50 million histories and 40x40 cm{sup 2} field size with 100 million histories, respectively, using the VRT directional bremsstrahlung splitting (DBS) with no electron splitting. When DBS was used with electron splitting and combined with augmented charged particle range rejection, a technique recently introduced in BEAMnrc, relative efficiencies were {approx}420 ({approx}253 min on a single processor) and {approx}175 ({approx}58 min on a single processor) for the 10x10 and 40x40 cm{sup 2} field sizes, respectively. Calculations of the Siemens Primus treatment head with VMC++ produced relative efficiencies of {approx}1400 ({approx}6 min on a single processor) and {approx}60 ({approx}4 min on a single processor) for the 10x10 and 40x40 cm{sup 2} field sizes, respectively. BEAMnrc PHSP calculations with DBS alone or DBS in combination with charged particle range rejection were more efficient than the other efficiency enhancing techniques used. Using VMC++, accurate simulations of the entire linac treatment head were performed within minutes on a single processor. Noteworthy differences ({+-}1%-3%) in the mean energy, planar fluence, and angular and spectral distributions were observed with the NIST bremsstrahlung cross sections compared with those of Bethe-Heitler (BEAMnrc default bremsstrahlung cross section). However, MC calculated dose distributions in water phantoms (using combinations of VRTs/AEITs and cross-section data) agreed within 2% of measurements. Furthermore, MC calculated dose distributions in a simulated water/air/water phantom, using NIST cross sections, were within 2% agreement with the BEAMnrc Bethe-Heitler default case.« less

Functional analysis of U1-70K interacting SR proteins in pre-mRNA splicing in Arabidopsis

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

A.S.N. Reddy

Proteins of a serine/arginine-rich (SR) family are part of the spliceosome and are implicated in both constitutive and alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs. With the funding from DOE we have been studying alternative of splicing of genes encoding serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins and the roles of SR proteins that interact with U1-70K in regulating basic and alternative splicing. Alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs of Arabidopsis serine/arginine-rich proteins and its regulation by hormones and stresses: We analyzed the splicing of all 19 Arabidopsis genes in different tissues, during different seedling stages and in response to various hormonal and stress treatments. Remarkably, about 90 differentmore » transcripts are produced from 15 SR genes, thereby increasing the transcriptome complexity of SR genes by about five fold. Using the RNA isolated from polysomes we have shown that most of the splice variants are recruited for translation. Alternative splicing of some SR genes is controlled in a developmental and tissue-specific manner (Palusa et al., 2007). Interestingly, among the various hormones and abiotic stresses tested, temperature stress (cold and heat) and ultraviolet light dramatically altered alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs of several SR genes whereas hormones altered the splicing of only two SR genes (Palusa et al., 2007). Localization and dynamics of a novel serine/arginine-rich protein that interacts with U1-70K: We analyzed the intranuclear movement of SR45 fused to GFP by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) and fluorescence loss in photobleaching (FLIP). We demonstrate that the movement of GFP-SR45 is ATP-dependent. Interestingly, inhibition of transcription or phosphorylation slowed the mobility of GFP-SR45 (Ali et al., 2006). Our studies have revealed that the nuclear localization signals are located in arg/ser-rich domains (RS) 1 and 2, whereas the speckle targeting signals are exclusively present in RS2 (Ali et al., 2006). The regulation of SR45 mobility by ATP and a transcriptional inhibitor is in contrast to the mobility of SR family splicing factors in animals and suggests fundamental differences in the movement of plant and animals splicing factors. In vivo interaction of U170K with SR45: To analyze the interaction of U170K with SR45, we expressed these proteins fused to RFP and GFP respectively, in protoplasts. Both the reporters co-localized to the same subnuclear domains. To determine direct interaction of these proteins, we fused full-length U170K to one part of split YFP and full-length or truncated version of SR45 to the second half of split YFP. Coexpession of these split YFP constructs resulted in reconstitution of YFP in speckles, suggesting direction interaction of these proteins in vivo (Ali et al., 2008). SR45 is a Novel Plant-Specific Splicing Factor and is Involved in Regulating Multiple Developmental Processes: Using an in vitro splicing complementation assay, we showed that SR45 is an essential splicing factor. The sr45-1 mutant exhibited a number of developmental abnormalities. Further analysis of flowering time has shown that the autonomous pathway of flowering is affected in the mutant. Expression analysis of several flowering genes has revealed that FLC, a key flowering repressor, is up-regulated in the SR45 mutant. Further, alternative splicing pattern of several other SR genes was altered in the sr45-1 mutant in a tissue-specific manner. Hence, the observed pleiotropic effects on various aspects of development are likely due to altered level of SR protein isoforms, which in turn regulate the splicing of other pre-mRNAs. Expression of wild-type SR45 in the mutant complemented the phenotypic defects and changes in alternative splicing of SR genes. SR45 thus is a novel plant-specific splicing factor and plays a crucial role in multiple developmental processes.« less

Implementation and value of using a split-plot reader design in a study of digital breast tomosynthesis in a breast cancer assessment clinic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mall, Suneeta; Brennan, Patrick C.; Mello-Thoms, Claudia

2015-03-01

The rapid evolution in medical imaging has led to an increased number of recurrent trials, primarily to ensure that the efficacy of new imaging techniques is known. The cost associated with time and resources in conducting such trials is usually high. The recruitment of participants, in a medium to large reader study, is often very challenging as the demanding number of cases discourages involvement with the trial. We aim to evaluate the efficacy of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) in a recall assessment clinic in Australia in a prospective multi-reader-multi-case (MRMC) trial. Conducting such a study with the more commonly used fully crossed MRMC study design would require more cases and more cases read per reader, which was not viable in our setting. With an aim to perform a cost effective yet statistically efficient clinical trial, we evaluated alternative study designs, particularly the alternative split-plot MRMC study design and compared and contrasted it with more commonly used fully crossed MRMC study design. Our results suggest that `split-plot', an alternative MRMC study design, could be very beneficial for medium to large clinical trials and the cost associated with conducting such trials can be greatly reduced without adversely effecting the variance of the study. We have also noted an inverse dependency between number of required readers and cases to achieve a target variance. This suggests that split-plot could also be very beneficial for studies that focus on cases that are hard to procure or readers that are hard to recruit. We believe that our results may be relevant to other researchers seeking to design a medium to large clinical trials.

Analytical Models of Cross-Layer Protocol Optimization in Real-Time Wireless Sensor Ad Hoc Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hortos, William S.

The real-time interactions among the nodes of a wireless sensor network (WSN) to cooperatively process data from multiple sensors are modeled. Quality-of-service (QoS) metrics are associated with the quality of fused information: throughput, delay, packet error rate, etc. Multivariate point process (MVPP) models of discrete random events in WSNs establish stochastic characteristics of optimal cross-layer protocols. Discrete-event, cross-layer interactions in mobile ad hoc network (MANET) protocols have been modeled using a set of concatenated design parameters and associated resource levels by the MVPPs. Characterization of the "best" cross-layer designs for a MANET is formulated by applying the general theory of martingale representations to controlled MVPPs. Performance is described in terms of concatenated protocol parameters and controlled through conditional rates of the MVPPs. Modeling limitations to determination of closed-form solutions versus explicit iterative solutions for ad hoc WSN controls are examined.

Control Points To Reduce Movement of Central Nervous System Tissue during Beef Slaughter.

PubMed

Aalhus, J L; Thacker, R D; Larsen, I L; Roberts, J C; Price, M A; Juárez, M

2017-02-01

Consumption of central nervous system tissue (CNST) from cattle with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is thought to cause the human neurological disease, variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease. To identify points of cross-contamination of beef carcasses with CNST, 55 young beef cattle were slaughtered and processed through a federally inspected multispecies abattoir. The objectives of this study were to evaluate CNST spread following the placement of a plug in the penetration site of the skull after captive bolt stunning, to evaluate cross-contamination of carcasses before and after splitting, to compare the effects of hot water pasteurization (84°C for 10 s) versus cold water wash (10°C for 30 s) for reducing CNST on the carcass, and to examine other possible sources of cross-contamination in the abattoir. Results indicated that the use of a plastic plug reduced CNST contamination near the bolt penetration site. This study also confirmed that carcass splitting resulted in an increase in CNST contamination at various areas of the carcass. Hot water pasteurization appeared to be an effective means of removing CNST contamination from carcasses in most of the areas sampled.

A tunable electronic beam splitter realized with crossed graphene nanoribbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandimarte, Pedro; Engelund, Mads; Papior, Nick; Garcia-Lekue, Aran; Frederiksen, Thomas; Sánchez-Portal, Daniel

2017-03-01

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are promising components in future nanoelectronics due to the large mobility of graphene electrons and their tunable electronic band gap in combination with recent experimental developments of on-surface chemistry strategies for their growth. Here, we explore a prototype 4-terminal semiconducting device formed by two crossed armchair GNRs (AGNRs) using state-of-the-art first-principles transport methods. We analyze in detail the roles of intersection angle, stacking order, inter-GNR separation, GNR width, and finite voltages on the transport characteristics. Interestingly, when the AGNRs intersect at θ =60° , electrons injected from one terminal can be split into two outgoing waves with a tunable ratio around 50% and with almost negligible back-reflection. The split electron wave is found to propagate partly straight across the intersection region in one ribbon and partly in one direction of the other ribbon, i.e., in analogy with an optical beam splitter. Our simulations further identify realistic conditions for which this semiconducting device can act as a mechanically controllable electronic beam splitter with possible applications in carbon-based quantum electronic circuits and electron optics. We rationalize our findings with a simple model suggesting that electronic beam splitters can generally be realized with crossed GNRs.

Improving machine learning reproducibility in genetic association studies with proportional instance cross validation (PICV).

PubMed

Piette, Elizabeth R; Moore, Jason H

2018-01-01

Machine learning methods and conventions are increasingly employed for the analysis of large, complex biomedical data sets, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Reproducibility of machine learning analyses of GWAS can be hampered by biological and statistical factors, particularly so for the investigation of non-additive genetic interactions. Application of traditional cross validation to a GWAS data set may result in poor consistency between the training and testing data set splits due to an imbalance of the interaction genotypes relative to the data as a whole. We propose a new cross validation method, proportional instance cross validation (PICV), that preserves the original distribution of an independent variable when splitting the data set into training and testing partitions. We apply PICV to simulated GWAS data with epistatic interactions of varying minor allele frequencies and prevalences and compare performance to that of a traditional cross validation procedure in which individuals are randomly allocated to training and testing partitions. Sensitivity and positive predictive value are significantly improved across all tested scenarios for PICV compared to traditional cross validation. We also apply PICV to GWAS data from a study of primary open-angle glaucoma to investigate a previously-reported interaction, which fails to significantly replicate; PICV however improves the consistency of testing and training results. Application of traditional machine learning procedures to biomedical data may require modifications to better suit intrinsic characteristics of the data, such as the potential for highly imbalanced genotype distributions in the case of epistasis detection. The reproducibility of genetic interaction findings can be improved by considering this variable imbalance in cross validation implementation, such as with PICV. This approach may be extended to problems in other domains in which imbalanced variable distributions are a concern.

Neutron-proton effective mass splitting in neutron-rich matter and its impacts on nuclear reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bao-An; Chen, Lie-Wen

2015-04-01

The neutron-proton effective mass splitting in neutron-rich nucleonic matter reflects the spacetime nonlocality of the isovector nuclear interaction. It affects the neutron/proton ratio during the earlier evolution of the Universe, cooling of proto-neutron stars, structure of rare isotopes and dynamics of heavy-ion collisions. While there is still no consensus on whether the neutron-proton effective mass splitting is negative, zero or positive and how it depends on the density as well as the isospin-asymmetry of the medium, significant progress has been made in recent years in addressing these issues. There are different kinds of nucleon effective masses. In this mini-review, we focus on the total effective masses often used in the non-relativistic description of nuclear dynamics. We first recall the connections among the neutron-proton effective mass splitting, the momentum dependence of the isovector potential and the density dependence of the symmetry energy. We then make a few observations about the progress in calculating the neutron-proton effective mass splitting using various nuclear many-body theories and its effects on the isospin-dependence of in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross-sections. Perhaps, our most reliable knowledge so far about the neutron-proton effective mass splitting at saturation density of nuclear matter comes from optical model analyses of huge sets of nucleon-nucleus scattering data accumulated over the last five decades. The momentum dependence of the symmetry potential from these analyses provide a useful boundary condition at saturation density for calibrating nuclear many-body calculations. Several observables in heavy-ion collisions have been identified as sensitive probes of the neutron-proton effective mass splitting in dense neutron-rich matter based on transport model simulations. We review these observables and comment on the latest experimental findings.

A new method for synthesizing fluid inclusions in fused silica capillaries containing organic and inorganic material

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chou, I.-Ming; Song, Y.; Burruss, R.C.

2008-01-01

Considerable advances in our understanding of physicochemical properties of geological fluids and their roles in many geological processes have been achieved by the use of synthetic fluid inclusions. We have developed a new method to synthesize fluid inclusions containing organic and inorganic material in fused silica capillary tubing. We have used both round (0.3 mm OD and 0.05 or 0.1 mm ID) and square cross-section tubing (0.3 ?? 0.3 mm with 0.05 ?? 0.05 mm or 0.1 ?? 0.1 mm cavities). For microthermometric measurements in a USGS-type heating-cooling stage, sample capsules must be less than 25 mm in length. The square-sectioned capsules have the advantage of providing images without optical distortion. However, the maximum internal pressure (P; about 100 MPa at 22 ??C) and temperature (T; about 500 ??C) maintained by the square-sectioned capsules are less than those held by the round-sectioned capsules (about 300 MPa at room T, and T up to 650 ??C). The fused silica capsules can be applied to a wide range of problems of interest in fluid inclusion and hydrothermal research, such as creating standards for the calibration of thermocouples in heating-cooling stages and frequency shifts in Raman spectrometers. The fused silica capsules can also be used as containers for hydrothermal reactions, especially for organic samples, including individual hydrocarbons, crude oils, and gases, such as cracking of C18H38 between 350 and 400 ??C, isotopic exchanges between C18H38 and D2O and between C19D40 and H2O at similar temperatures. Results of these types of studies provide information on the kinetics of oil cracking and the changes of oil composition under thermal stress. When compared with synthesis of fluid inclusions formed by healing fractures in quartz or other minerals or by overgrowth of quartz at elevated P-T conditions, the new fused-silica method has the following advantages: (1) it is simple; (2) fluid inclusions without the presence of water can be formed; (3) synthesized inclusions are large and uniform, and they are able to tolerate high internal P; (4) it is suitable for the study of organic material; and (5) redox control is possible due to high permeability of the fused silica to hydrogen.

Reconfigurable Fault Tolerance for FPGAs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shuler, Robert, Jr.

2010-01-01

The invention allows a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or similar device to be efficiently reconfigured in whole or in part to provide higher capacity, non-redundant operation. The redundant device consists of functional units such as adders or multipliers, configuration memory for the functional units, a programmable routing method, configuration memory for the routing method, and various other features such as block RAM, I/O (random access memory, input/output) capability, dedicated carry logic, etc. The redundant device has three identical sets of functional units and routing resources and majority voters that correct errors. The configuration memory may or may not be redundant, depending on need. For example, SRAM-based FPGAs will need some type of radiation-tolerant configuration memory, or they will need triple-redundant configuration memory. Flash or anti-fuse devices will generally not need redundant configuration memory. Some means of loading and verifying the configuration memory is also required. These are all components of the pre-existing redundant FPGA. This innovation modifies the voter to accept a MODE input, which specifies whether ordinary voting is to occur, or if redundancy is to be split. Generally, additional routing resources will also be required to pass data between sections of the device created by splitting the redundancy. In redundancy mode, the voters produce an output corresponding to the two inputs that agree, in the usual fashion. In the split mode, the voters select just one input and convey this to the output, ignoring the other inputs. In a dual-redundant system (as opposed to triple-redundant), instead of a voter, there is some means to latch or gate a state update only when both inputs agree. In this case, the invention would require modification of the latch or gate so that it would operate normally in redundant mode, and would separately latch or gate the inputs in non-redundant mode.

In Vitro and in Vivo Molecular Imaging of Estrogen Receptor α and β Homo- and Heterodimerization: Exploration of New Modes of Receptor Regulation

PubMed Central

Tamrazi, Anobel; Massoud, Tarik F.; Katzenellenbogen, John A.; Gambhir, Sanjiv S.

2011-01-01

Estrogen receptor (ER) biology reflects the actions of estrogens through the two receptors, ERα and ERβ, although little is known regarding the preference for formation of ER homo- vs. heterodimers, and how this is affected by the level of ligand occupancy and preferential ligand affinity for one of the ER subtypes. In this report, we use a split optical reporter-protein complementation system to demonstrate the physical interaction between ERα and ERβ in response to different ER ligands in cells and, for the first time, by in vivo imaging in living animals. The genetically encoded reporter vectors constructed with the ligand-binding domains of ERα and ERβ, fused to split firefly or Renilla luciferase (Fluc or hRluc) fragments, were used for this study. This molecular proteomic technique was used to detect ERα/ERα or ERβ/ERβ homodimerization, or ERα/ERβ heterodimerization induced by ER subtype-selective and nonselective ligands, and selective ER modulators (SERM), as well as in dimers in which one mutant monomer was unable to bind estradiol. The SERM-bound ERα and ERβ form the strongest dimers, and subtype-preferential homodimerization was seen with ERα-selective ligands (methyl piperidino pyrazole/propyl pyrazole triol) and the ERβ-selective ligands (diarylpropionitrile/tetrahydrochrysene/genistein). We also demonstrated that a single ligand-bound monomer can form homo- or heterodimers with an apo-monomer. Xenografts of human embryonic kidney 293T cells imaged in living mice by bioluminescence showed real-time ligand induction of ERα/ERβ heterodimerization and reversal of dimerization upon ligand withdrawal. The results from this study demonstrate the value of the split luciferase-based complementation system for studying ER-subtype interactions in cells and for evaluating them in living animals by noninvasive imaging. They also probe what combinations of ERα and ERβ dimers might be the mediators of the effects of different types of ER ligands given at different doses. PMID:22052998

Production of black holes and their angular momentum distribution in models with split fermions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, De-Chang; Starkman, Glenn D.; Stojkovic, Dejan

2006-05-01

In models with TeV-scale gravity it is expected that mini black holes will be produced in near-future accelerators. On the other hand, TeV-scale gravity is plagued with many problems like fast proton decay, unacceptably large n-n¯ oscillations, flavor changing neutral currents, large mixing between leptons, etc. Most of these problems can be solved if different fermions are localized at different points in the extra dimensions. We study the cross section for the production of black holes and their angular momentum distribution in these models with “split” fermions. We find that, for a fixed value of the fundamental mass scale, the total production cross section is reduced compared with models where all the fermions are localized at the same point in the extra dimensions. Fermion splitting also implies that the bulk component of the black hole angular momentum must be taken into account in studies of the black hole decay via Hawking radiation.

Renormalization group approach to symmetry protected topological phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Nieuwenburg, Evert P. L.; Schnyder, Andreas P.; Chen, Wei

2018-04-01

A defining feature of a symmetry protected topological phase (SPT) in one dimension is the degeneracy of the Schmidt values for any given bipartition. For the system to go through a topological phase transition separating two SPTs, the Schmidt values must either split or cross at the critical point in order to change their degeneracies. A renormalization group (RG) approach based on this splitting or crossing is proposed, through which we obtain an RG flow that identifies the topological phase transitions in the parameter space. Our approach can be implemented numerically in an efficient manner, for example, using the matrix product state formalism, since only the largest first few Schmidt values need to be calculated with sufficient accuracy. Using several concrete models, we demonstrate that the critical points and fixed points of the RG flow coincide with the maxima and minima of the entanglement entropy, respectively, and the method can serve as a numerically efficient tool to analyze interacting SPTs in the parameter space.

An electronic beam splitter realized with crossed graphene nanoribbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frederiksen, Thomas; Brandimarte, Pedro; Engelund, Mads; Papior, Nick; Garcia-Lekue, Aran; Sanchez-Portal, Daniel

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are promising components in future nanoelectronics. We have explored a prototype 4-terminal semiconducting device formed by two crossed armchair GNRs (AGNRs) using state-of-the-art first-principles transport methods. We analyze in detail the roles of intersection angle, stacking order, inter-GNR separation, and finite voltages on the transport characteristics. Interestingly, when the AGNRs intersect at θ =60° , electrons injected from one terminal can be split into two outgoing waves with a tunable ratio around 50 % and with almost negligible back-reflection. The splitted electron wave is found to propagate partly straight across the intersection region in one ribbon and partly in one direction of the other ribbon, i.e., in analogy of an optical beam splitter. Our simulations further identify realistic conditions for which this semiconducting device can act as a mechanically controllable electronic beam splitter with possible applications in carbon-based quantum electronic circuits and electron optics. FP7-FET-ICT PAMS (610446), MAT2013-46593-C6-2-P, IT-756-13.

The cross waveguide grating: proposal, theory and applications.

PubMed

Muñoz, Pascual; Pastor, Daniel; Capmany, José

2005-04-18

In this paper a novel grating-like integrated optics device is proposed, the Cross Waveguide Grating (XWG). The device is based upon a modified configuration of a traditional Arrayed Waveguide Grating (AWG). The Arrayed Waveguides part is changed, as detailed along this document, giving the device both the ability of multi/demultiplexing and power splitting/coupling. Design examples and transfer function simulations show good agreement with the presented theory. Finally, some of the envisaged applications are outlined.

Localizing Ground Penetrating RADAR: A Step Towards Robust Autonomous Ground Vehicle Localization

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-14

localization designed to complement existing approaches with a low sensitivity to failure modes of LIDAR, camera, and GPS/INS sensors due to its low...the detailed design and results from highway testing, which uses a simple heuristic for fusing LGPR estimates with a GPS/INS system. Cross-track... designed to enable a priori map-based local- ization. LGPR offers complementary capabilities to tradi- tional optics-based approaches to map-based

The split Renilla luciferase complementation assay is useful for identifying the interaction of Epstein-Barr virus protein kinase BGLF4 and a heat shock protein Hsp90.

PubMed

Wang, J; Guo, W; Long, C; Zhou, H; Wang, H; Sun, X

2016-03-01

Protein-protein interactions can regulate different cellular processes, such as transcription, translation, and oncogenic transformation. The split Renilla luciferase complementation assay (SRLCA) is one of the techniques that detect protein-protein interactions. The SRLCA is based on the complementation of the LN and LC non-functional halves of Renilla luciferase fused to possibly interacting proteins which after interaction form a functional enzyme and emit luminescence. The BGLF4 of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a viral protein kinase that is expressed during the early and late stages of lytic cycles, which can regulate multiple cellular and viral substrates to optimize the DNA replication environment. The heat shock protein Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone that maintains the integrity of structure and function of various interacting proteins, which can form a complex with BGLF4 and stabilize its expression in cells. The interaction between BGLF4 and Hsp90 could be specifically detected through the SRLCA. The region of aa 250-295 of BGLF4 is essential for the BGLF4/Hsp90 interaction and the mutation of Phe-254, Leu-266, and Leu-267 can disrupt this interaction. These results suggest that the SRLCA can specifically detect the BGLF4/Hsp90 interaction and provide a reference to develop inhibitors that disrupt the BGLF4/Hsp90 interaction.

High spin states in 162Lu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, S. L.; Pancholi, S. C.; Juneja, P.; Mehta, D.; Kumar, Ashok; Bhowmik, R. K.; Muralithar, S.; Rodrigues, G.; Singh, R. P.

1997-09-01

An experimental investigation of the odd-odd 162Lu nucleus, following the 148Sm(19F,5n) reaction at beam energy Elab=112 MeV, has been performed through in-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy. It revealed three signature-split bands. The yrast band based on πh11/2⊗νi13/2 configuration exhibits anomalous signature splitting (the unfavored signature Routhian lying lower than the favored one) whose magnitude Δe'~25 keV, is considerably reduced in contrast to sizable normal signature splitting Δe'~125 and 60 keV observed in the yrast πh11/2 bands of the neighboring odd-A 161,163Lu nuclei, respectively. The signature inversion in this band occurs at spin ~20ħ (frequency=0.37 MeV). The second signature-split band, observed above the band crossing associated with the alignment of a pair of i13/2 quasineutrons, is a band based on the four-quasiparticle [πh11/2[523]7/2-⊗νh9/2[521]3/2-⊗(νi13/2)2], i.e., EABAp(Bp), configuration. The third signature-split band is also likely to be a four-quasiparticle band with configuration similar to the second band but involving F quasineutron, i.e., FABAp(Bp). The experimental results are discussed in comparison with the existing data in the neighboring nuclei and in the framework of the cranking shell model.

29 CFR 1910.399 - Definitions applicable to this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... assembly of a fuse support with either a fuseholder, fuse carrier, or disconnecting blade. The fuseholder or fuse carrier may include a conducting element (fuse link), or may act as the disconnecting blade... in which all or part of the fuse support and its fuse link or disconnecting blade are mounted in oil...

29 CFR 1910.399 - Definitions applicable to this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... assembly of a fuse support with either a fuseholder, fuse carrier, or disconnecting blade. The fuseholder or fuse carrier may include a conducting element (fuse link), or may act as the disconnecting blade... in which all or part of the fuse support and its fuse link or disconnecting blade are mounted in oil...

29 CFR 1910.399 - Definitions applicable to this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... assembly of a fuse support with either a fuseholder, fuse carrier, or disconnecting blade. The fuseholder or fuse carrier may include a conducting element (fuse link), or may act as the disconnecting blade... in which all or part of the fuse support and its fuse link or disconnecting blade are mounted in oil...

29 CFR 1910.399 - Definitions applicable to this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... assembly of a fuse support with either a fuseholder, fuse carrier, or disconnecting blade. The fuseholder or fuse carrier may include a conducting element (fuse link), or may act as the disconnecting blade... in which all or part of the fuse support and its fuse link or disconnecting blade are mounted in oil...

29 CFR 1910.399 - Definitions applicable to this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... assembly of a fuse support with either a fuseholder, fuse carrier, or disconnecting blade. The fuseholder or fuse carrier may include a conducting element (fuse link), or may act as the disconnecting blade... in which all or part of the fuse support and its fuse link or disconnecting blade are mounted in oil...

Data splitting for artificial neural networks using SOM-based stratified sampling.

PubMed

May, R J; Maier, H R; Dandy, G C

2010-03-01

Data splitting is an important consideration during artificial neural network (ANN) development where hold-out cross-validation is commonly employed to ensure generalization. Even for a moderate sample size, the sampling methodology used for data splitting can have a significant effect on the quality of the subsets used for training, testing and validating an ANN. Poor data splitting can result in inaccurate and highly variable model performance; however, the choice of sampling methodology is rarely given due consideration by ANN modellers. Increased confidence in the sampling is of paramount importance, since the hold-out sampling is generally performed only once during ANN development. This paper considers the variability in the quality of subsets that are obtained using different data splitting approaches. A novel approach to stratified sampling, based on Neyman sampling of the self-organizing map (SOM), is developed, with several guidelines identified for setting the SOM size and sample allocation in order to minimize the bias and variance in the datasets. Using an example ANN function approximation task, the SOM-based approach is evaluated in comparison to random sampling, DUPLEX, systematic stratified sampling, and trial-and-error sampling to minimize the statistical differences between data sets. Of these approaches, DUPLEX is found to provide benchmark performance with good model performance, with no variability. The results show that the SOM-based approach also reliably generates high-quality samples and can therefore be used with greater confidence than other approaches, especially in the case of non-uniform datasets, with the benefit of scalability to perform data splitting on large datasets. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association between split selection instability and predictive error in survival trees.

PubMed

Radespiel-Tröger, M; Gefeller, O; Rabenstein, T; Hothorn, T

2006-01-01

To evaluate split selection instability in six survival tree algorithms and its relationship with predictive error by means of a bootstrap study. We study the following algorithms: logrank statistic with multivariate p-value adjustment without pruning (LR), Kaplan-Meier distance of survival curves (KM), martingale residuals (MR), Poisson regression for censored data (PR), within-node impurity (WI), and exponential log-likelihood loss (XL). With the exception of LR, initial trees are pruned by using split-complexity, and final trees are selected by means of cross-validation. We employ a real dataset from a clinical study of patients with gallbladder stones. The predictive error is evaluated using the integrated Brier score for censored data. The relationship between split selection instability and predictive error is evaluated by means of box-percentile plots, covariate and cutpoint selection entropy, and cutpoint selection coefficients of variation, respectively, in the root node. We found a positive association between covariate selection instability and predictive error in the root node. LR yields the lowest predictive error, while KM and MR yield the highest predictive error. The predictive error of survival trees is related to split selection instability. Based on the low predictive error of LR, we recommend the use of this algorithm for the construction of survival trees. Unpruned survival trees with multivariate p-value adjustment can perform equally well compared to pruned trees. The analysis of split selection instability can be used to communicate the results of tree-based analyses to clinicians and to support the application of survival trees.

Residual topography and gravity anomalies reveal structural controls on co-seismic slip in the 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku-oki earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bassett, D.; Watts, A. B.; Sandwell, D. T.; Fialko, Y. A.

2016-12-01

We performed shear wave splitting analysis on 203 permanent (French RLPB, CEA and Catalonian networks) and temporary (PYROPE and IberArray experiments) broad-band stations around the Pyrenees. These measurements considerably enhance the spatial resolution and coverage of seismic anisotropy in that region. In particular, we characterize with different shear wave splitting analysis methods the small-scale variations of splitting parameters φ and δt along three dense transects crossing the western and central Pyrenees with an interstation spacing of about 7 km. While we find a relatively coherent seismic anisotropy pattern in the Pyrenean domain, we observe abrupt changes of splitting parameters in the Aquitaine Basin and delay times along the Pyrenees. We moreover observe coherent fast directions despite complex lithospheric structures in Iberia and the Massif Central. This suggests that two main sources of anisotropy are required to interpret seismic anisotropy in this region: (i) lithospheric fabrics in the Aquitaine Basin (probably frozen-in Hercynian anisotropy) and in the Pyrenees (early and late Pyrenean dynamics); (ii) asthenospheric mantle flow beneath the entire region (imprint of the western Mediterranean dynamics since the Oligocene).

Passive micromixers with dual helical channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Keyin; Yang, Qing; Chen, Feng; Zhao, Yulong; Meng, Xiangwei; Shan, Chao; Li, Yanyang

2015-02-01

In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) micromixer with cross-linked double helical microchannels is studied to achieve rapid mixing of fluids at low Reynolds numbers (Re). The 3D micromixer takes full advantages of the chaotic advection model with helical microchannels; meanwhile, the proposed crossing structure of double helical microchannels enables two flow patterns of repelling flow and straight flow in the fluids to promote the agitation effect. The complex 3D micromixer is realized by an improved femtosecond laser wet etching (FLWE) technology embedded in fused silica. The mixing results show that cross-linked double helical microchannels can achieve excellent mixing within 3 cycles (300 μm) over a wide range of low Re (1.5×10-3~600), which compare well with the conventional passive micromixers. This highly-effective micromixer is hoped to contribute to the integration of microfluidic systems.

29 CFR 1915.72 - Ladders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...). (b) Construction of portable wood cleated ladders up to 30 feet in length. (1) Wood side rails shall... shall be at least 25/32×33/4 inches in cross section. (c) Construction of portable wood cleated ladders... split side rails, or other faulty or defective construction is prohibited. When ladders with such...

The Iceberg Principle: Discovering the Self in Poetry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monahan, Kathleen N.

2007-01-01

For eight years, Kathleen Monahan taught English literature and composition at Saint Peter's College satellite campus at Newark Airport. Her students were Port Authority employees--police officers, mechanics, bridge painters--trying to wedge an education into lives criss-crossed by split shifts, swing shifts, and double overtime. On the first…

Bioinspired synthesis of pentalene-based chromophores from an oligoketone chain.

PubMed

Saito, Yuki; Higuchi, Masayuki; Yoshioka, Shota; Senboku, Hisanori; Inokuma, Yasuhide

2018-04-24

We report a bioinspired synthesis of 2,5-dihydropentalene-based chromophores from an aliphatic oligoketone bearing 1,3- and 1,4-diketone subunits. Unlike the natural polyketone sequence, fused five-membered rings were formed via an intramolecular aldol condensation. A subsequent Knoevenagel condensation reaction with malononitrile furnished a multiply cross-conjugated π-system with low-lying LUMO levels. Furthermore, pentalenes obtained from a non-conjugated aliphatic chain exhibited visible absorption and solid-state fluorescence.

Preform For Producing An Optical Fiber And Method Therefor

DOEpatents

Kliner, Dahv A. V.; Koplow, Jeffery P.

2004-08-10

The present invention provides a simple method for fabricating fiber-optic glass preforms having complex refractive index configurations and/or dopant distributions in a radial direction with a high degree of accuracy and precision. The method teaches bundling together a plurality of glass rods of specific physical, chemical, or optical properties and wherein the rod bundle is fused in a manner that maintains the cross-sectional composition and refractive-index profiles established by the position of the rods.

Preform For Producing An Optical Fiber And Method Therefor

DOEpatents

Kliner, Dahv A. V.; Koplow, Jeffery P.

2005-04-19

The present invention provides a simple method for fabricating fiber-optic glass preforms having complex refractive index configurations and/or dopant distributions in a radial direction with a high degree of accuracy and precision. The method teaches bundling together a plurality of glass rods of specific physical, chemical, or optical properties and wherein the rod bundle is fused in a manner that maintains the cross-sectional composition and refractive-index profiles established by the position of the rods.

Radiographic Evidence of Hip Microinstability in Elite Ballet.

PubMed

Mitchell, Ronald J; Gerrie, Brayden J; McCulloch, Patrick C; Murphy, Andrew J; Varner, Kevin E; Lintner, David M; Harris, Joshua D

2016-06-01

To determine prevalence, magnitude, and predisposing radiographic features of hip subluxation in elite ballet dancers. A cross-sectional investigation of professional male and female ballet dancers was performed using 5 plain radiographs. A "splits" anteroposterior (AP) radiograph was performed with legs abducted parallel to the trunk in the coronal plane (splits position; grand écart facial). Hip center position (HCP) was measured on standing AP pelvis and AP pelvis splits views and the difference calculated (subluxation distance) to determine prevalence and magnitude of femoral head subluxation. Student t test compared HCP on AP pelvis and splits radiographs. Pearson correlations were used to correlate splits HCP with radiographic measures of femoroacetabular impingement and dysplasia. Analyzing 47 dancers (21 men, 26 women; 23.8 ± 5.4 years), mean HCP on standing AP pelvis was 9.39 ± 3.33 mm versus 10.8 ± 2.92 mm on splits radiograph, with mean subluxation distance of 1.41 mm (P = .035). Forty-two dancers' femoral heads translated laterally with splits positioning, and 17 dancers (36%) exhibited a "vacuum sign" (bilateral in 71% of subjects with at least 1 hip vacuum sign). There was strong positive correlation (r = 0.461, P = .001) with splits HCP and alpha angle (Dunn 45°), and moderate negative correlation (r = -0.332, P = .022) with subluxation distance and neck-shaft angle. In men, splits HCP increased as lateral center edge angle (CEA) decreased (r = -0.437, P = .047), as anterior CEA decreased (r = -0.482, P = .027), as Tönnis angle increased (r = 0.656, P = .001), and as femoral head extrusion index increased (r = 0.511, P = .018). In women, there was moderate negative correlation (r = -0.389, P = .049) with subluxation distance and neck-shaft angle. Hip subluxation occurs during splits in most professional ballet dancers, with a significantly greater magnitude of subluxation in women than men. Subluxation magnitude increases with increasing alpha angle and decreasing neck-shaft angle. In men, the magnitude increases with severity of dysplasia. Women had subluxation regardless of acetabular morphology but increased subluxation with decreased neck-shaft angle. This provides radiographic support for hip microinstability in elite ballet. Level IV, diagnostic. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Self-healing fuse development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, N. D.; Kinsinger, R. E.; Harris, L. P.

1973-01-01

The mercury-filled self-healing fuses developed for this program afford very good protection from circuit faults with rapid reclosure. Fuse performance and design parameters have been characterized. Life tests indicate a capability of 500 fuse operations. Fuse ratings are 150 v at 5, 15, 25 and 50 circuit A. A series of sample fuses using alumina and beryllia insulation have been furnished to NASA for circuit evaluation.

Automated parton-shower variations in PYTHIA 8

DOE PAGES

Mrenna, S.; Skands, P.

2016-10-03

In the era of precision physics measurements at the LHC, efficient and exhaustive estimations of theoretical uncertainties play an increasingly crucial role. In the context of Monte Carlo (MC) event generators, the estimation of such uncertainties traditionally requires independent MC runs for each variation, for a linear increase in total run time. In this work, we report on an automated evaluation of the dominant (renormalization-scale and nonsingular) perturbative uncertainties in the pythia 8 event generator, with only a modest computational overhead. Each generated event is accompanied by a vector of alternative weights (one for each uncertainty variation), with each set separatelymore » preserving the total cross section. Explicit scale-compensating terms can be included, reflecting known coefficients of higher-order splitting terms and reducing the effect of the variations. In conclusion, the formalism also allows for the enhancement of rare partonic splittings, such as g→bb¯ and q→qγ, to obtain weighted samples enriched in these splittings while preserving the correct physical Sudakov factors.« less

High spin states in 164Lu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juneja, P.; Gupta, S. L.; Pancholi, S. C.; Kumar, Ashok; Mehta, D.; Chaturvedi, L.; Katoch, S. K.; Malik, S.; Shanker, G.; Bhowmik, R. K.; Muralithar, S.; Rodrigues, G.; Singh, R. P.

1996-03-01

High spin states in the odd-odd 164Lu nucleus have been investigated for the first time, through in-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy, following the 150Sm(19F,5n) reaction at beam energy Elab=105 MeV. Four bands, including two signature split bands are identified. The interpretation of the experimental results is discussed in comparison with the existing data in the neighboring nuclei and in the framework of the cranked shell model. The πh11/2⊗νi13/2 yrast band exhibits anomalous signature splitting and signature inversion is observed at a spin of 18ħ. This provides the missing datum for the systematics of staggering and signature inversion for the neighboring odd-odd N=93 isotones and supports the predictions of angular-momentum projection calculations by Hara and Sun. In the second signature split πh 11/2h9/2 band, the AB neutron crossing occurs at a rotational frequency of ~0.29 MeV. This is indicative of the disappearance of the blocking effect of the odd neutron.

Flux splitting algorithms for two-dimensional viscous flows with finite-rate chemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shuen, Jian-Shun; Liou, Meng-Sing

1989-01-01

The Roe flux difference splitting method was extended to treat 2-D viscous flows with nonequilibrium chemistry. The derivations have avoided unnecessary assumptions or approximations. For spatial discretization, the second-order Roe upwind differencing is used for the convective terms and central differencing for the viscous terms. An upwind-based TVD scheme is applied to eliminate oscillations and obtain a sharp representation of discontinuities. A two-state Runge-Kutta method is used to time integrate the discretized Navier-Stokes and species transport equations for the asymptotic steady solutions. The present method is then applied to two types of flows: the shock wave/boundary layer interaction problems and the jet in cross flows.

Flux splitting algorithms for two-dimensional viscous flows with finite-rate chemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shuen, Jian-Shun; Liou, Meng-Sing

1989-01-01

The Roe flux-difference splitting method has been extended to treat two-dimensional viscous flows with nonequilibrium chemistry. The derivations have avoided unnecessary assumptions or approximations. For spatial discretization, the second-order Roe upwind differencing is used for the convective terms and central differencing for the viscous terms. An upwind-based TVD scheme is applied to eliminate oscillations and obtain a sharp representation of discontinuities. A two-stage Runge-Kutta method is used to time integrate the discretized Navier-Stokes and species transport equations for the asymptotic steady solutions. The present method is then applied to two types of flows: the shock wave/boundary layer interaction problems and the jet in cross flows.

A family of metal-dependent phosphatases implicated in metabolite damage-control

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

Huang, Lili; Khusnutdinova, Anna; Nocek, Boguslaw

DUF89 family proteins occur widely in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, but their functions are unknown. Here we define three DUF89 subfamilies (I, II, and III), with subfamily II being split into stand-alone proteins and proteins fused to pantothenate kinase (PanK). We demonstrated that DUF89 proteins have metal-dependent phosphatase activity against reactive phosphoesters or their damaged forms, notably sugar phosphates (subfamilies II and III), phosphopantetheine and its S-sulfonate or sulfonate (subfamily II-PanK fusions), and nucleotides (subfamily I). Genetic and comparative genomic data strongly associated DUF89 genes with phosphoester metabolism. The crystal structure of the yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) subfamily III protein YMR027Wmore » revealed a novel phosphatase active site with fructose 6-phosphate and Mg2+ bound near conserved signature residues Asp254 and Asn255 that are critical for activity. These findings indicate that DUF89 proteins are previously unrecognized hydrolases whose characteristic in vivo function is to limit potentially harmful buildups of normal or damaged phosphometabolites.« less

A family of metal-dependent phosphatases implicated in metabolite damage-control

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

Huang, Lili; Shanklin, John; Khusnutdinova, Anna

DUF89 family proteins occur widely in pro- and eukaryotes but their functions are unknown. Here we define three DUF89 subfamilies (I, II, and III), subfamily II being split into standalone proteins and proteins fused to pantothenate kinase (PanK). We demonstrated that DUF89 proteins have metaldependent phosphatase activity against reactive phosphoesters or their damaged forms, notably sugar phosphates (subfamilies II and III), phosphopantetheine and its S-sulfonate or sulfonate (subfamily II-PanK fusions), and nucleotides (subfamily I). Genetic and comparative genomic data strongly associated DUF89 genes with phosphoester metabolism. The crystal structure of the yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) subfamily III protein YMR027W revealed amore » novel phosphatase active site with fructose 6-phosphate and Mg 2+ bound near conserved signature residues Asp254 and Asn255 that are critical for activity. These findings indicate that DUF89 proteins are previously unrecognized hydrolases whose characteristic in vivo function is to limit potentially harmful buildups of normal or damaged phosphometabolites.« less

Filamentation and light bullet formation dynamics in solid-state dielectric media with weak, moderate and strong anomalous group velocity dispersion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gražulevičiūtė, I.; Garejev, N.; Majus, D.; Jukna, V.; Tamošauskas, G.; Dubietis, A.

2016-02-01

We present a series of measurements, which characterize filamentation dynamics of intense ultrashort laser pulses in the space-time domain, as captured by means of three-dimensional imaging technique in sapphire and fused silica, in the wavelength range of 1.45-2.25 μm, accessing the regimes of weak, moderate and strong anomalous group velocity dispersion (GVD). In the regime of weak anomalous GVD (at 1.45 μm), pulse splitting into two sub-pulses producing a pair of light bullets with spectrally shifted carrier frequencies in both nonlinear media is observed. In contrast, in the regimes of moderate (at 1.8 μm) and strong (at 2.25 μm) anomalous GVD we observe notably different transient dynamics, which however lead to the formation of a single self-compressed quasistationary light bullet with an universal spatiotemporal shape comprised of an extended ring-shaped periphery and a localized intense core that carries the self-compressed pulse.

Bioengineering strategies to generate artificial protein complexes.

PubMed

Kim, Heejae; Siu, Ka-Hei; Raeeszadeh-Sarmazdeh, Maryam; Sun, Qing; Chen, Qi; Chen, Wilfred

2015-08-01

For many applications, increasing synergy between distinct proteins through organization is important for the specificity, regulation, and overall reaction efficiency. Although there are many examples of protein complexes in nature, a generalized method to create these complexes remains elusive. Many conventional techniques such as random chemical conjugation, physical adsorption onto surfaces, and encapsulation within matrices are imprecise approaches and can lead to deactivation of protein native functionalities. More "bio-friendly" approaches such as genetically fused proteins and biological scaffolds often can result in low yields and low complex stability. Alternatively, site-specific protein conjugation or ligation can generate artificial protein complexes that preserve the native functionalities of protein domains and maintain stability through covalent bonds. In this review, we describe three distinct methods to synthesize artificial protein complexes (genetic incorPoration of unnatural amino acids to introduce bio-orthogonal azide and alkyne groups to proteins, split-intein based expressed protein ligation, and sortase mediated ligation) and highlight interesting applications for each technique. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Tannins and terpenoids as major precursors of Suwannee River fulvic acid

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leenheer, Jerry A.; Rostad, Colleen E.

2004-01-01

Suwannee River fulvic acid (SRFA) was fractionated into 7 fractions by normal-phase chromatography on silica gel followed by reverse-phase fractionation on XAD-8 resin that produced 18 subfractions. Selected major subfractions were characterized by 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared spectrometry, and elemental analyses. 13C-NMR spectra of the subfractions were more indicative of precursor structures than unfractionated SRFA, and gave spectral profiles that indicated SRFA mass was about equally split between tannin precursors and terpenoid precursors. Lignin precursors were minor components. Synthesis of 13C-NMR data with elemental data for subfractions derived from both tannin and terpenoid precursors revealed high ring contents and low numbers of carbon per rings which is indicative of fused ring structures that are extensively substituted with carboxyl and methyl groups. These results ruled out extended chain structures for SRFA. This information is useful for determining sources and properties of fulvic acid in drinking water supplies as tannins are more reactive with chlorine to produce undesirable disinfection by-products than are terpenoids.

Spatial organization of heterologous metabolic system in vivo based on TALE.

PubMed

Zhu, Lv-yun; Qiu, Xin-Yuan; Zhu, Ling-Yun; Wu, Xiao-Min; Zhang, Yuan; Zhu, Qian-Hui; Fan, Dong-Yu; Zhu, Chu-Shu; Zhang, Dong-Yi

2016-05-17

For years, prokaryotic hosts have been widely applied in bio-engineering. However, the confined in vivo enzyme clustering of heterologous metabolic pathways in these organisms often results in low local concentrations of enzymes and substrates, leading to a low productive efficacy. We developed a new method to accelerate a heterologous metabolic system by integrating a transcription activator-like effector (TALE)-based scaffold system into an Escherichia coli chassis. The binding abilities of the TALEs to the artificial DNA scaffold were measured through ChIP-PCR. The effect of the system was determined through a split GFP study and validated through the heterologous production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) by incorporating TALE-fused IAA biosynthetic enzymes in E. coli. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to use the TALE system as a scaffold for the spatial organization of bacterial metabolism. This technique might be used to establish multi-enzymatic reaction programs in a prokaryotic chassis for various applications.

A family of metal-dependent phosphatases implicated in metabolite damage-control

DOE PAGES

Huang, Lili; Shanklin, John; Khusnutdinova, Anna; ...

2016-06-20

DUF89 family proteins occur widely in pro- and eukaryotes but their functions are unknown. Here we define three DUF89 subfamilies (I, II, and III), subfamily II being split into standalone proteins and proteins fused to pantothenate kinase (PanK). We demonstrated that DUF89 proteins have metaldependent phosphatase activity against reactive phosphoesters or their damaged forms, notably sugar phosphates (subfamilies II and III), phosphopantetheine and its S-sulfonate or sulfonate (subfamily II-PanK fusions), and nucleotides (subfamily I). Genetic and comparative genomic data strongly associated DUF89 genes with phosphoester metabolism. The crystal structure of the yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) subfamily III protein YMR027W revealed amore » novel phosphatase active site with fructose 6-phosphate and Mg 2+ bound near conserved signature residues Asp254 and Asn255 that are critical for activity. These findings indicate that DUF89 proteins are previously unrecognized hydrolases whose characteristic in vivo function is to limit potentially harmful buildups of normal or damaged phosphometabolites.« less

Materials Testing and Cost Modeling for Composite Parts Through Additive Manufacturing

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-30

FDM include plastic jet printing (PJP), fused filament modeling ( FFM ), and fused filament fabrication (FFF). FFF was coined by the RepRap project to...additive manufacturing processes? • Fused deposition modeling (FDM) trademarked by Stratasys • Fused filament modeling ( FFM ) and fused filament

Resonance rotational level crossing in the fluorosulfate radical FSO3rad and experimental determination of the rotational A and the centrifugal distortion DK constants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolesniková, Lucie; Koucký, Jan; Kania, Patrik; Uhlíková, Tereza; Beckers, Helmut; Urban, Štěpán

2018-01-01

The resonance crossing of rotational levels with different fine-structure components and different k rotational quantum numbers was observed in the rotational spectra of the symmetric top fluorosulfate radical FSO3rad. Detailed measurements were performed to analyze these weak resonances as well as the A1-A2 splittings of the K = 3 and K = 6 transitions. The resonance level crossing enabled the experimental determination of "forbidden" parameters, the rotational A and the centrifugal distortion DK constants as well as the corresponding resonance off-diagonal matrix element.

Protein from Meat or Vegetable Sources in Meals Matched for Fiber Content has Similar Effects on Subjective Appetite Sensations and Energy Intake-A Randomized Acute Cross-Over Meal Test Study.

PubMed

Nielsen, Lone V; Kristensen, Marlene D; Klingenberg, Lars; Ritz, Christian; Belza, Anita; Astrup, Arne; Raben, Anne

2018-01-16

Higher-protein meals decrease hunger and increase satiety compared to lower-protein meals. However, no consensus exists about the different effects of animal and vegetable proteins on appetite. We investigated how a meal based on vegetable protein (fava beans/split peas) affected ad libitum energy intake and appetite sensations, compared to macronutrient-balanced, iso-caloric meals based on animal protein (veal/pork or eggs). Thirty-five healthy men were enrolled in this acute cross-over study. On each test day, participants were presented with one of four test meals (~3550 kilojoules (kJ) 19% of energy from protein), based on fava beans/split peas (28.5 g fiber), pork/veal or eggs supplemented with pea fiber to control for fiber content (28.5 g fiber), or eggs without supplementation of fiber (6.0 g fiber). Subjective appetite sensations were recorded at baseline and every half hour until the ad libitum meal three hours later. There were no differences in ad libitum energy intake across test meals ( p > 0.05). Further, no differences were found across meals for hunger, satiety, fullness, prospective food consumption, or composite appetite score (all p > 0.05). Iso-caloric, macronutrient-balanced, fiber-matched meals based on vegetable protein (fava beans/split peas) or animal protein (veal/pork or eggs) had similar effects on ad libitum energy intake and appetite sensations.

Cross-linked trimetallic nanopetals for electrocatalytic water splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Shanqing; Chen, Wei; Yu, Jinsong; Chen, Guangliang; Zhang, Rui; Chu, Sijun; Huang, Jun; Wang, Xingquan; Li, Chaorong; Ostrikov, Kostya (Ken)

2018-06-01

A facile and effective approach for fabricating a 3D nanostructured catalyst based on nonprecious metals for water splitting is reported. The Ni-Fe foam (NFF) is pretreated by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma under ambient conditions, resulting in numerous microtrenches on the NFF surface. Meanwhile, some NiO and Fe2O3 spots appear on the NFF foam upon exposure to hot filaments generated in DBD plasmas in air. Cross-linked 3D CoS/Ni3S2-FeS nanopetals emerge on plasma treated NFF surface (PNFF) through sulfurization of Co nanosheets electrodeposited on PNFF. The produced CoS/Ni3S2-FeS/PNFF nanocomposite exhibited high electrocatalytic activity and stability for the overall water splitting. Benefiting from the 3D hierarchical nanoarchitecture of CoS/Ni3S2-FeS/PNFF with a large surface area, fast electron transport, and low free energy for adsorption, a current density of 10 mA cm-2 is achieved for the HER and OER with ultralow overpotentials of 75 mV and 136 mV, respectively. The amounts of H2 and O2 produced at a normalized current density of 10 mA cm-2 in 1 M KOH are about 680 μmol h-1 and 1230 μmol h-1, respectively. These values are very competitive compared with the state-of-the-art results reported for noble metal-free electrodes in alkaline media.

Protein from Meat or Vegetable Sources in Meals Matched for Fiber Content has Similar Effects on Subjective Appetite Sensations and Energy Intake—A Randomized Acute Cross-Over Meal Test Study

PubMed Central

Nielsen, Lone V.; Kristensen, Marlene D.; Klingenberg, Lars; Belza, Anita

2018-01-01

Higher-protein meals decrease hunger and increase satiety compared to lower-protein meals. However, no consensus exists about the different effects of animal and vegetable proteins on appetite. We investigated how a meal based on vegetable protein (fava beans/split peas) affected ad libitum energy intake and appetite sensations, compared to macronutrient-balanced, iso-caloric meals based on animal protein (veal/pork or eggs). Thirty-five healthy men were enrolled in this acute cross-over study. On each test day, participants were presented with one of four test meals (~3550 kilojoules (kJ) 19% of energy from protein), based on fava beans/split peas (28.5 g fiber), pork/veal or eggs supplemented with pea fiber to control for fiber content (28.5 g fiber), or eggs without supplementation of fiber (6.0 g fiber). Subjective appetite sensations were recorded at baseline and every half hour until the ad libitum meal three hours later. There were no differences in ad libitum energy intake across test meals (p > 0.05). Further, no differences were found across meals for hunger, satiety, fullness, prospective food consumption, or composite appetite score (all p > 0.05). Iso-caloric, macronutrient-balanced, fiber-matched meals based on vegetable protein (fava beans/split peas) or animal protein (veal/pork or eggs) had similar effects on ad libitum energy intake and appetite sensations. PMID:29337861

Flow Split Venturi, Axially-Rotated Valve

DOEpatents

Walrath, David E.; Lindberg, William R.; Burgess, Robert K.; LaBelle, James

2000-02-22

The present invention provides an axially-rotated valve which permits increased flow rates and lower pressure drop (characterized by a lower loss coefficient) by using an axial eccentric split venturi with two portions where at least one portion is rotatable with respect to the other portion. The axially-rotated valve typically may be designed to avoid flow separation and/or cavitation at full flow under a variety of conditions. Similarly, the valve is designed, in some embodiments, to produce streamlined flow within the valve. An axially aligned outlet may also increase the flow efficiency. A typical cross section of the eccentric split venturi may be non-axisymmetric such as a semicircular cross section which may assist in both throttling capabilities and in maximum flow capacity using the design of the present invention. Such a design can include applications for freeze resistant axially-rotated valves and may be fully-opened and fully-closed in one-half of a complete rotation. An internal wide radius elbow typically connected to a rotatable portion of the eccentric venturi may assist in directing flow with lower friction losses. A valve actuator may actuate in an axial manner yet be uniquely located outside of the axial flow path to further reduce friction losses. A seal may be used between the two portions that may include a peripheral and diametrical seal in the same plane. A seal separator may increase the useful life of the seal between the fixed and rotatable portions.

Usefulness of 2D fusion of postmortem CT and antemortem chest radiography studies for human identification.

PubMed

Shinkawa, Norihiro; Hirai, Toshinori; Nishii, Ryuichi; Yukawa, Nobuhiro

2017-06-01

To determine the feasibility of human identification through the two-dimensional (2D) fusion of postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) and antemortem chest radiography. The study population consisted of 15 subjects who had undergone chest radiography studies more than 12 months before death. Fused images in which a chest radiograph was fused with a PMCT image were obtained for those subjects using a workstation, and the minimum distance gaps between corresponding anatomical landmarks (located at soft tissue and bone sites) in the images obtained with the two modalities were calculated. For each fused image, the mean of all these minimum distance gaps was recorded as the mean distance gap (MDG). For each subject, the MDG obtained for the same-subject fused image (i.e., where both of the images that were fused derived from that subject) was compared with the MDGs for different-subject fused images (i.e., where only one of the images that were fused derived from that subject; the other image derived from a different subject) in order to determine whether same-subject fused images can be reliably distinguished from different-subject fused images. The MDGs of the same-subject fused images were found to be significantly smaller than the MDGs of the different-subject fused images (p < 0.01). When bone landmarks were used, the same-subject fused image was found to be the fused image with the lowest MDG for 33.3% of the subjects, the fused image with the lowest or second-lowest MDG for 73.3% of the subjects, and the fused image with the lowest, second-lowest, or third-lowest MDG for 86.7% of the subjects. The application of bone landmarks rather than soft-tissue landmarks made it significantly more likely that, for each subject, the same-subject fused image would have the lowest MDG (or one of the lowest MDGs) of all the fused images compared (p < 0.05). The 2D fusion of antemortem chest radiography and postmortem CT images may assist in human identification.

Health-related quality of life and patient burden in patients with split-thickness skin graft donor site wounds.

PubMed

Humrich, Marco; Goepel, Lisa; Gutknecht, Mandy; Lohrberg, David; Blessmann, Marco; Bruning, Guido; Diener, Holger; Dissemond, Joachim; Hartmann, Bernd; Augustin, Matthias

2018-04-01

Split-thickness skin grafting is a common procedure to treat different kinds of wounds. This systematic, multicentre, observational, cross-sectional study of adult patients with split-thickness skin graft (STSG) donor site wounds was conducted to evaluate quality of life (QoL) impairments caused by donor site wounds following split-thickness skin grafting. Therefore, 112 patients from 12 wound centres in Germany were examined based on patient and physician questionnaires as well as a physical examination of the donor site wound. Most indications for skin grafting were postsurgical treatment (n = 51; 42.5%) and chronic wounds (n = 47; 39.2%). European QoL visual analoque scale (EQ VAS) averaged 64.7 ± 23.3, European QoL 5 dimensions (EQ-5D) averaged 77.4 ± 30.0. Wound-QoL (range: 0-4) was rated 0.8 ± 0.8 post-surgery and 0.4 ± 0.6 at the time of survey (on average 21 weeks between the time points). Compared to averaged Wound-QoL scores of chronic wounds donor site-related QoL impairments in split-thickness skin-graft patients were less pronounced. There were significant differences in patient burden immediately after surgery compared to the time of the survey, with medium effect sizes. This supports the hypothesis that faster healing of the donor site wound leads to more favourable patient-reported outcomes. © 2017 Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A comparison of the conditional inference survival forest model to random survival forests based on a simulation study as well as on two applications with time-to-event data.

PubMed

Nasejje, Justine B; Mwambi, Henry; Dheda, Keertan; Lesosky, Maia

2017-07-28

Random survival forest (RSF) models have been identified as alternative methods to the Cox proportional hazards model in analysing time-to-event data. These methods, however, have been criticised for the bias that results from favouring covariates with many split-points and hence conditional inference forests for time-to-event data have been suggested. Conditional inference forests (CIF) are known to correct the bias in RSF models by separating the procedure for the best covariate to split on from that of the best split point search for the selected covariate. In this study, we compare the random survival forest model to the conditional inference model (CIF) using twenty-two simulated time-to-event datasets. We also analysed two real time-to-event datasets. The first dataset is based on the survival of children under-five years of age in Uganda and it consists of categorical covariates with most of them having more than two levels (many split-points). The second dataset is based on the survival of patients with extremely drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) which consists of mainly categorical covariates with two levels (few split-points). The study findings indicate that the conditional inference forest model is superior to random survival forest models in analysing time-to-event data that consists of covariates with many split-points based on the values of the bootstrap cross-validated estimates for integrated Brier scores. However, conditional inference forests perform comparably similar to random survival forests models in analysing time-to-event data consisting of covariates with fewer split-points. Although survival forests are promising methods in analysing time-to-event data, it is important to identify the best forest model for analysis based on the nature of covariates of the dataset in question.

The development of whole blood titanium levels after instrumented spinal fusion – Is there a correlation between the number of fused segments and titanium levels?

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Most modern spinal implants contain titanium and remain in the patient’s body permanently. Local and systemic effects such as tissue necrosis, osteolysis and malignant cell transformation caused by implants have been described. Increasing tissue concentration and whole blood levels of ions are necessary before a disease caused by a contaminant develops. The aim of the present study was the measurement of whole blood titanium levels and the evaluation of a possible correlation between these changes and the number of fused segments. Methods A prospective study was designed to determine changes in whole blood titanium levels after spinal fusion and to analyze the correlation to the number of pedicle screws, cross connectors and interbody devices implanted. Blood samples were taken preoperatively in group I (n = 15), on the first, second and 10th day postoperatively, as well as 3 and 12 months after surgery. Group II (n = 16) served as a control group of volunteers who did not have any metal implants in the body. Blood samples were taken once in this group. The number of screw-rod-connections and the length of the spinal fusion were determined using radiographic pictures. This study was checked and approved by the ethical committee of the University of Tuebingen. Results The mean age in group I was 47 ± 22 years (range 16 - 85 years). There were three male (20%) and twelve female (80%) patients. The median number of fused segments was 5 (range 1 to 11 segments). No statistically significant increase in the titanium level was seen 12 months after surgery (mean difference: -7.2 μg/l, 95% CI: -26.9 to 12.5 μg/l, p = 0.446). By observing the individual titanium levels, 4 out of 15 patients demonstrated an increase in titanium levels 12 months after surgery. No statistically significant correlation between fused segments (r = -0.188, p = 0.503) length of instrumentation (r = -0.329, p = 0.231), number of interbody devices (r = -0.202, p = 0.291) and increase of titanium levels over the observation period was seen. Conclusions Instrumented spinal fusion does not lead to a statistically significant increase in whole blood titanium levels. There seems to be no correlation between the number of pedicle screws, cross connectors and interbody devices implanted and the increase of serum titanium levels. PMID:22925526

Infrared small target detection based on directional zero-crossing measure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiangyue; Ding, Qinghai; Luo, Haibo; Hui, Bin; Chang, Zheng; Zhang, Junchao

2017-12-01

Infrared small target detection under complex background and low signal-to-clutter ratio (SCR) condition is of great significance to the development on precision guidance and infrared surveillance. In order to detect targets precisely and extract targets from intricate clutters effectively, a detection method based on zero-crossing saliency (ZCS) map is proposed. The original map is first decomposed into different first-order directional derivative (FODD) maps by using FODD filters. Then the ZCS map is obtained by fusing all directional zero-crossing points. At last, an adaptive threshold is adopted to segment targets from the ZCS map. Experimental results on a series of images show that our method is effective and robust for detection under complex backgrounds. Moreover, compared with other five state-of-the-art methods, our method achieves better performance in terms of detection rate, SCR gain and background suppression factor.

The high-resolution cross-dispersed echelle white-pupil spectrometer of the McDonald Observatory 2.7-m telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tull, Robert G.; Macqueen, Phillip J.; Sneden, Christopher; Lambert, David L.

1995-01-01

A new high-resolution cross-dispersed echelle spectrometer has been installed at the coude focus of the McDonald Observatory 2.7-m telescope. Its primary goal was simultaneously to gather spectra over as much of the spectral range 3400 A to 1 micrometer as practical, at a resolution R identical with lambda/Delta lambda which approximately = 60,000 with signal-to-noise ratio of approximately 100 for stars down to magnitude 11, using 1-h exposures. In the instrument as built, two exposures are all that are needed to cover the full range. Featuring a white-pupil design, fused silica prism cross disperser, and folded Schmidt camera with a Tektronix 2048x2048 CCD used at either of two foci, it has been in regularly scheduled operation since 1992 April. Design details and performance are described.

Method of bundling rods so as to form an optical fiber preform

DOEpatents

Kliner, Dahv A. V. [San Ramon, CA; Koplow, Jeffery P [Washington, DC

2004-03-30

The present invention provides a simple method for fabricating fiber-optic glass preforms having complex refractive index configurations and/or dopant distributions in a radial direction with a high degree of accuracy and precision. The method teaches bundling together a plurality of glass rods of specific physical, chemical, or optical properties and wherein the rod bundle is fused in a manner that maintains the cross-sectional composition and refractive-index profiles established by the position of the rods.

Elastic waves in periodic and non-periodic sets of hollow cylinders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikitov, S. A.; Gulyaev, Yu. V.; Lisenkov, I. V.; Popov, R. S.; Grigorievkii, A. V.; Grigorievkii, V. I.

2008-06-01

Two ways of modeling of elastic wave propagation in microstructured acoustic fiber are considered. First one is the calculation of band gap parameters by FEM for phononic crystal forming cross section of fiber. Second one is immediate calculation of dispersion characteristics of elastic fiber containing hole cylindric chanels. For fiber made of fused β quarz numerical results are proposed. For the first type full forbidden gap obtained and for second two different types of modes was found.

Solid-Body Fuse Developed for High- Voltage Space Power Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dolce, James L.; Baez, Anastacio N.

2001-01-01

AEM Incorporated has completed the development, under a NASA Glenn Research Center contract, of a solid-body fuse for high-voltage power systems of satellites and spacecraft systems. High-reliability fuses presently defined by MIL-PRF-23419 do not meet the increased voltage and amperage requirements for the next generation of spacecraft. Solid-body fuses exhibit electrical and mechanical attributes that enable these fuses to perform reliably in the vacuum and high-vibration and -shock environments typically present in spacecraft applications. The construction and screening techniques for solid-body fuses described by MIL-PRF-23419/12 offer an excellent roadmap for the development of high-voltage solid-body fuses.

Discriminative and Criterion Validity of the Autism Spectrum Identity Scale (ASIS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, T. A. M.

2017-01-01

Individuals on the autism spectrum face stigma that can influence identity development. Previous research on the 22-item Autism Spectrum Identity Scale (ASIS) reported a four-factor structure with strong split-sample cross-validation and good internal consistency. This study reports the discriminative and criterion validity of the ASIS with other…

Roller-transducer scanning of wooden pallet parts for defect detection

Treesearch

Mohammed F. Kabir; Daniel L. Schmoldt; Mark E. Schafer

2001-01-01

Ultrasonic scanning experiments were conducted on two species of pallet deckboards using rolling transducers in a pitch-catch arrangement. Sound and unsound knots, cross grain, bark pockets, holes, splits, decay, and wane were characterized using several ultrasound parameters. Almost all parameters displayed sensitivity to defects distinctly from clear wood regions—...

Incentive and Architecture of Multi-Band Enabled Small Cell and UE for Up-/Down-Link and Control-/User-Plane Splitting for 5G Mobile Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, Rony Kumer; Aswakul, Chaodit

2017-01-01

In this paper, a multi-band enabled femtocell base station (FCBS) and user equipment (UE) architecture is proposed in a multi-tier network that consists of small cells, including femtocells and picocells deployed over the coverage of a macrocell for splitting uplink and downlink (UL/DL) as well as control-plane and user-plane (C-/U-plane) for 5G mobile networks. Since splitting is performed at the same FCBS, we define this architecture as the same base station based split architecture (SBSA). For multiple bands, we consider co-channel (CC) microwave and different frequency (DF) 60 GHz millimeter wave (mmWave) bands for FCBSs and UEs with respect to the microwave band used by their over-laid macrocell base station. All femtocells are assumed to be deployed in a 3-dimensional multi-storage building. For CC microwave band, cross-tier CC interference of femtocells with macrocell is avoided using almost blank subframe based enhanced inter-cell interference coordination techniques. The co-existence of CC microwave and DF mmWave bands for SBSA on the same FCBS and UE is first studied to show their performance disparities in terms of system capacity and spectral efficiency in order to provide incentives for employing multiple bands at the same FCBS and UE and identify a suitable band for routing decoupled UL/DL or C-/U-plane traffic. We then present a number of disruptive architectural design alternatives of multi-band enabled SBSA for 5G mobile networks for UL/DL and C-/U-plane splitting, including a disruptive and complete splitting of UL/DL and C-/U-plane as well as a combined UL/DL and C-/U-plane splitting, by exploiting dual connectivity on CC microwave and DF mmWave bands. The outperformances of SBSA in terms of system level capacity, average spectral efficiency, energy efficiency, and control-plane overhead traffic capacity in comparison with different base stations based split architecture (DBSA) are shown. Finally, a number of technical and business perspectives as well as key research issues of SBSA are discussed.

Non-resonant divertors for stellarators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boozer, Allen; Punjabi, Alkesh

2017-10-01

The outermost confining magnetic surface in optimized stellarators has sharp edges, which resemble tokamak X-points. The plasma cross section has an even number of edges at the beginning but an odd number half way through the period. Magnetic field lines cannot cross sharp edges, but stellarator edges have a finite length and do not determine the rotational transform on the outermost confining surface. Just outside the last confining surface, surfaces formed by magnetic field lines have splits containing two adjacent magnetic flux tubes: one with entering and the other with an equal existing flux to the walls. The splits become wider with distance outside the outermost confining surface. These flux tubes form natural non-resonant stellarator divertors, which we are studying using maps. This work is supported by the US DOE Grants DE-FG02-95ER54333 to Columbia University and DE-FG02-01ER54624 and DE-FG02-04ER54793 to Hampton University and used resources of the NERSC, supported by the Office of Science, US DOE, under Contract No. DE-AC02-.

Handedness, functional cerebral hemispheric lateralization, and cognition in male-to-female transsexuals receiving cross-sex hormone treatment.

PubMed

Wisniewski, Amy B; Prendeville, Mary T; Dobs, Adrian S

2005-04-01

This study examined the impact of sex hormones on functional cerebral hemispheric lateralization and cognition in a group of male-to-female transsexuals receiving cross-sex hormone therapy compared to eugonadal men with a male gender identity. Cerebral lateralization was measured with a handedness questionnaire and a visual-split-field paradigm and cognitive tests sensitive to sex hormone exposure (identical pictures, 3-D mental rotation, building memory) were also administered. Endocrine measures on the day of participation for transsexual and control subjects included total testosterone, free testosterone, estradiol, gonadotropins, and sex hormone binding globulin concentrations. Compared to controls, male-to-female transsexuals had elevated estradiol and sex hormone binding globulin concentrations and suppressed testosterone concentrations. Transsexual subjects showed a trend toward less exclusive right-handedness than controls. No group differences were observed on the visual-split-field or cognitive tasks. No direct associations were observed between endocrine measures and the laterality measures and cognitive performance. Previous observations of female-typical patterns in cerebral lateralization and cognitive performance in male-to-female transsexuals were not found in the current study.

Criteria for disintegration of an uncharged conducting liquid jet in a transverse electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubareva, O. V.; Zubarev, N. M.; Volkov, N. B.

2018-01-01

An uncharged conducting liquid cylindrical column (a jet for applications) placed between a pair of flat electrodes is considered. In the trivial case, when the electric field is absent, the jet with circular cross-section is the only possible equilibrium configuration of the system. In the presence of a potential difference between the electrodes, the jet is deformed by the electrostatic forces: its cross-section stretches along the electric field lines. In the case of the mutual compensation of the electrostatic and capillary forces, a new equilibrium configuration of the jet can appear. In a sufficiently strong field, the balance of the forces becomes impossible, and the jet disintegrates (splits into two separate jets). In the present work, we find the range of the parameters (the applied potential difference and the interelectrode distance), where the problem of finding the equilibrium configurations of the jet has solutions. Also we obtain the conditions under which the solutions do not exist and, consequently, the jet splits. The results are compared with the previously studied limiting case of infinite interelectrode distance.

Split green fluorescent protein as a modular binding partner for protein crystallization

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

Nguyen, Hau B.; Hung, Li-Wei; Yeates, Todd O.

2013-12-01

A strategy using a new split green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a modular binding partner to form stable protein complexes with a target protein is presented. The modular split GFP may open the way to rapidly creating crystallization variants. A modular strategy for protein crystallization using split green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a crystallization partner is demonstrated. Insertion of a hairpin containing GFP β-strands 10 and 11 into a surface loop of a target protein provides two chain crossings between the target and the reconstituted GFP compared with the single connection afforded by terminal GFP fusions. This strategy was testedmore » by inserting this hairpin into a loop of another fluorescent protein, sfCherry. The crystal structure of the sfCherry-GFP(10–11) hairpin in complex with GFP(1–9) was determined at a resolution of 2.6 Å. Analysis of the complex shows that the reconstituted GFP is attached to the target protein (sfCherry) in a structurally ordered way. This work opens the way to rapidly creating crystallization variants by reconstituting a target protein bearing the GFP(10–11) hairpin with a variety of GFP(1–9) mutants engineered for favorable crystallization.« less

Asymmetric adiabatic couplers for fully-integrated broadband quantum-polarization state preparation.

PubMed

Chung, Hung-Pin; Huang, Kuang-Hsu; Wang, Kai; Yang, Sung-Lin; Yang, Shih-Yuan; Sung, Chun-I; Solntsev, Alexander S; Sukhorukov, Andrey A; Neshev, Dragomir N; Chen, Yen-Hung

2017-12-04

Spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) is a widely used method to generate entangled photons, enabling a range of applications from secure communication to tests of quantum physics. Integrating SPDC on a chip provides interferometric stability, allows to reduce a physical footprint, and opens a pathway to true scalability. However, dealing with different photon polarizations and wavelengths on a chip presents a number of challenging problems. In this work, we demonstrate an on-chip polarization beam-splitter based on z-cut titanium-diffused lithium niobate asymmetric adiabatic couplers (AAC) designed for integration with a type-II SPDC source. Our experimental measurements reveal unique polarization beam-splitting regime with the ability to tune the splitting ratios based on wavelength. In particular, we measured a splitting ratio of 17 dB over broadband regions (>60 nm) for both H- and V-polarized lights and a specific 50%/50% splitting ratio for a cross-polarized photon pair from the AAC. The results show that such a system can be used for preparing different quantum polarization-path states that are controllable by changing the phase-matching conditions in the SPDC over a broad band. Furthermore, we propose a fully integrated electro-optically tunable type-II SPDC polarization-path-entangled state preparation circuit on a single lithium niobate photonic chip.

Electrically tunable crossed Andreev reflection in a ferromagnet–superconductor–ferromagnet junction on a topological insulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Kunhua; Cheng, Qiang

2018-07-01

We investigate the crossed Andreev reflection in a ferromagnet–superconductor–ferromagnet junction on the surface of a topological insulator, where the magnetizations in the left and right leads are perpendicular to the surface. We find that the nonlocal transport process can be pure crossed Andreev reflection or pure elastic cotunneling, and the switch between the two processes can be controlled electrically. Pure crossed Andreev reflection appears for all bias voltages in the superconducting energy gap, which is independent of the configuration of the magnetizations in the two leads. The spin of the crossed Andreev reflected hole could be parallel to the spin of the incident electron, which is brought by the spin-triplet pairing correlation. The average transmission probability of crossed Andreev reflection can be larger than 90%, so a high efficiency nonlocal splitting of Cooper pairs can be generated, and turned on and off electrically.

The Him gene inhibits the development of Drosophila flight muscles during metamorphosis.

PubMed

Soler, Cédric; Taylor, Michael V

2009-07-01

During Drosophila metamorphosis some larval tissues escape the general histolysis and are remodelled to form adult tissues. One example is the dorso-longitudinal muscles (DLMs) of the indirect flight musculature. They are formed by an intriguing process in which residual larval oblique muscles (LOMs) split and fuse with imaginal myoblasts associated with the wing disc. These myoblasts arise in the embryo, but remain undifferentiated throughout embryogenesis and larval life, and thus share characteristics with mammalian satellite cells. However, the mechanisms that maintain the Drosophila myoblasts in an undifferentiated state until needed for LOM remodelling are not understood. Here we show that the Him gene is expressed in these myoblasts, but is undetectable in developing DLM fibres. Consistent with this, we found that Him could inhibit DLM development: it inhibited LOM splitting and resulted in fibre degeneration. We then uncovered a balance between mef2, a positive factor required for proper DLM development, and the inhibitory action of Him. Mef2 suppressed the inhibitory effect of Him on DLM development, while Him could suppress the premature myosin expression induced by mef2 in myoblasts. Furthermore, either decreased Him function or increased mef2 function disrupted DLM development. These findings, together with the co-expression of Him and Mef2 in myoblasts, indicate that Him may antagonise mef2 function during normal DLM development and that Him participates in a balance of signals that controls adult myoblast differentiation and remodelling of these muscle fibres. Lastly, we provide evidence for a link between Notch function and Him and mef2 in this balance.

HIP1-ALK, a novel fusion protein identified in lung adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Hong, Mineui; Kim, Ryong Nam; Song, Ji-Young; Choi, So-Jung; Oh, Ensel; Lira, Maruja E; Mao, Mao; Takeuchi, Kengo; Han, Joungho; Kim, Jhingook; Choi, Yoon-La

2014-03-01

The most common mechanism underlying overexpression and activation of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) in non-small-cell lung carcinoma could be attributed to the formation of a fusion protein. To date, five fusion partners of ALK have been reported, namely, echinoderm microtubule associated protein like 4, tropomyosin-related kinase-fused gene, kinesin family member 5B, kinesin light chain 1, and protein tyrosine phosphatase, nonreceptor type 3. In this article, we report a novel fusion gene huntingtin interacting protein 1 (HIP1)-ALK, which is conjoined between the huntingtin-interacting protein 1 gene HIP1 and ALK. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical analysis were used to detect this fusion gene's transcript and protein expression, respectively. We had amplified the full-length cDNA sequence of this novel fusion gene by using 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The causative genomic translocation t(2;7)(p23;q11.23) for generating this novel fusion gene was verified by using genomic sequencing. The examined adenocarcinoma showed predominant acinar pattern, and ALK immunostaining was localized to the cytoplasm, with intense staining in the submembrane region. In break-apart, fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis for ALK, split of the 5' and 3' probe signals, and isolated 3' signals were observed. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction revealed that the tumor harbored a novel fusion transcript in which exon 21 of HIP1 was fused to exon 20 of ALK in-frame. The novel fusion gene and its protein HIP1-ALK harboring epsin N-terminal homology, coiled-coil, juxtamembrane, and kinase domains, which could play a role in carcinogenesis, could become diagnostic and therapeutic target of the lung adenocarcinoma and deserve a further study in the future.

METHOD OF SEPARATING FISSION PRODUCTS FROM FUSED BISMUTH-CONTAINING URANIUM

DOEpatents

Wiswall, R.H.

1958-06-24

A process is described for removing metal selectively from liquid metal compositions. The method effects separation of flssion product metals selectively from dilute solution in fused bismuth, which contains uraniunn in solution without removal of more than 1% of the uranium. The process comprises contacting the fused bismuth with a fused salt composition consisting of sodium, potassium and lithium chlorides, adding to fused bismuth and molten salt a quantity of bismuth chloride which is stoichiometrically required to convert the flssion product metals to be removed to their chlorides which are more stable in the fused salt than in the molten metal and are, therefore, preferentially taken up in the fused salt phase.

HcRed, a Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Binary Cross-Linking Agent for Cross-Linking of Mitochondrial ATP Synthase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

PubMed Central

Gong, Lan; Ramm, Georg; Devenish, Rodney J.; Prescott, Mark

2012-01-01

Genetically encoded fluorescent cross-linking agents represent powerful tools useful both for visualising and modulating protein interactions in living cells. The far-red fluorescent protein HcRed, which is fluorescent only in a dimer form, can be used to promote the homo-dimerisation of target proteins, and thereby yield useful information about biological processes. We have in yeast cells expressed HcRed fused to a subunit of mitochondrial ATP synthase (mtATPase). This resulted in cross-linking of the large multi-subunit mtATPase complex within the inner-membrane of the mitochondrion. Fluorescence microscopy revealed aberrant mitochondrial morphology, and mtATPase complexes isolated from mitochondria were recovered as fluorescent dimers under conditions where complexes from control mitochondria were recovered as monomers. When viewed by electron microscopy normal cristae were absent from mitochondria in cells in which mATPase complexes were cross-linked. mtATPase dimers are believed to be the building blocks that are assembled into supramolecular mtATPase ribbons that promote the formation of mitochondrial cristae. We propose that HcRed cross-links mATPase complexes in the mitochondrial membrane hindering the normal assembly/disassembly of the supramolecular forms of mtATPase. PMID:22496895

Cross-reactions between serum proteins and water soluble liver tissue antigens of the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus Linn.) and man.

PubMed Central

Negassi, K; Closs, O; Harboe, M

1979-01-01

Cross-reactions between serum proteins and water soluble liver antigens of the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus Linn.) and man were studied by crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CIE). Armadillo serum tested with rabbit antiserum against human serum proteins gave twelve components in CIE. Nine of these cross-reacting proteins were identified and showed partial identity with the corresponding human proteins. The electrophoretic mobility of alpha 2-macroglobulin and Gc-globulin differed in the two species. An ultrasonicate of normal armadillo liver gave twenty-eight anodic and eight cathodic components in CIE. By absorption experiments with armadillo serum, twenty of the former and seven of the latter were shown to be liver tissue components. A combination of CIE and crossed-line immunoelectrophoresis (CLIE) revealed the presence of twelve anodic and six cathodic liver tissue components cross-reacting with man. A cathodic armadillo liver antigen called (CALA-17) showed partial identity with that of man both in tandem and fused rocket immunoelectrophoresis. The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to the use of armadillo-grown M. leprae for skin testing and other purposes in man. Images FIG. 1 FIG. 3 FIG. 4 FIG. 5 PMID:93527

Spreading of multiple epidemics with cross immunization.

PubMed

Uekermann, Florian; Sneppen, Kim

2012-09-01

Pathogen-host relationships are the result of an ongoing coevolutionary race where the immune system of the host attempts to eliminate the pathogen, while the successful pathogen mutates to become invisible for the host's immune system. We here propose a minimal pathogen-host evolution model that takes into account cross immunization and allows for evolution of a spatially heterogeneous immune status of a population of hosts. With only the mutation rate as a determining parameter, the model allows us to produce an evolutionary tree of diseases which is highly branched, but hardly ever splits into separate long-lived trunks. Side branches remain short lived and seldom diverge to the extent of losing all cross immunizations.

MO-FG-204-02: Reference Image Selection in the Presence of Multiple Scan Realizations

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

Ruan, D; Dou, T; Thomas, D

Purpose: Fusing information from multiple correlated realizations (e.g., 4DCT) can improve image quality. This process often involves ill-conditioned and asymmetric nonlinear registration and the proper selection of a reference image is important. This work proposes to examine post-registration variation indirectly for such selection, and develops further insights to reduce the number of cross-registrations needed. Methods: We consider each individual scan as a noisy point in the vicinity of an image manifold, related by motion. Nonrigid registration “transports” a scan along the manifold to the reference neighborhood, and the residual is a surrogate for local variation. To test this conjecture, 10more » thoracic scans from the same session were reconstructed from a recently developed low-dose helical 4DCT protocol. Pairwise registration was repeated bi-directionally (81 times) and fusion was performed with each candidate reference. The fused image quality was assessed with SNR and CNR. Registration residuals in SSD, harmonic energy, and deformation Jacobian behavior were examined. The semi-symmetry is further utilized to reduce the number of registration needed. Results: The comparison of image quality between single image and fused ones identified reduction of local intensity variance as the major contributor of image quality, boosting SNR and CNR by 5 to 7 folds. This observation further suggests the criticality of good agreement across post-registration images. Triangle inequality on the SSD metric provides a proficient upper-bound and surrogate on such disagreement. Empirical observation also confirms that fused images with high residual SSD have lower SNR and CNR than the ones with low or intermediate SSDs. Registration SSD is structurally close enough to symmetry for reduced computation. Conclusion: Registration residual is shown to be a good predictor of post-fusion image quality and can be used to identify good reference centers. Semi-symmetry of the registration residual further reduces computation cost. Supported by in part by NIH R01 CA096679.« less

Temperature Diffusion Distribution of Electric Wire Deteriorated by Overcurrent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Chung-Seog; Kim, Hyang-Kon; Kim, Dong-Woo; Lee, Ki-Yeon

This study presents thermal diffusion distribution of the electric wires when overcurrent is supplied to copper wires. And then, this study intends to provide a basis of knowledge for analyzing the causes of electric accidents through hybrid technology. In the thermal image distribution analysis of the electric wire to which fusing current was supplied, it was found that less heat was accumulated in the thin wires because of easier heat dispersion, while more heat was accumulated in the thicker wires. The 3-dimensional thermal image analysis showed that heat distribution was concentrated at the center of the wire and the inclination of heat distribution was steep in the thicker wires. When 81A was supplied to 1.6mm copper wire for 500 seconds, the surface temperature of wire was maximum 46.68°C and minimum 30.87°C. It revealed the initial characteristics of insulation deterioration that generates white smoke without external deformation. In the analysis with stereoscopic microscope, the surface turned dark brown and rough with the increase of fusing current. Also, it was known that exfoliation occurred when wire melted down with 2 times the fusing current. With the increase of current, we found the number of primary arms of the dendrite structure to be increased and those of the secondary and tertiary arms to be decreased. Also, when the overcurrent reached twice the fusing current, it was found that columnar composition, observed in the cross sectional structure of molten wire, appeared and formed regular directivity. As described above, we could present the burning pattern and change in characteristics of insulation and conductor quantitatively. And we could not only minimize the analysis error by combining the information but also present the scientific basis in the analysis of causes of electric accidents, mediation of disputes on product liability concerning the electric products.

Motion tracking in MR-guided liver therapy by using navigator echoes and projection profile matching.

PubMed

Tokuda, Junichi; Morikawa, Shigehiro; Dohi, Takeyoshi; Hata, Nobuhiko

2004-01-01

Image registration in magnetic resonance (MR) image-guided liver therapy enhances surgical guidance by fusing preoperative multimodality images with intraoperative images, or by fusing intramodality images to correlate serial intraoperative images to monitor the effect of therapy. The objective of this paper is to describe the application of navigator echo and projection profile matching to fast two-dimensional image registration for MR-guided liver therapy. We obtain navigator echoes along the read-out and phase-encoding directions by using modified gradient echo imaging. This registration is made possible by masking out the liver profile from the image and performing profile matching with cross-correlation or mutual information as similarity measures. The set of experiments include a phantom study with a 2.0-T experimental MR scanner, and a volunteer and a clinical study with a 0.5-T open-configuration MR scanner, and these evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of this method for liver therapy. Both the phantom and volunteer study indicate that this method can perform registration in 34 ms with root-mean-square error of 1.6 mm when the given misalignment of a liver is 30 mm. The clinical studies demonstrate that the method can track liver motion of up to approximately 40 mm. Matching profiles with cross-correlation information perform better than with mutual information in terms of robustness and speed. The proposed image registration method has potential clinical impact on and advantages for MR-guided liver therapy.

Design of a dual linear polarization antenna using split ring resonators at X-band

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Sadiq; Chandra, Madhukar

2017-11-01

Dual linear polarization microstrip antenna configurations are very suitable for high-performance satellites, wireless communication and radar applications. This paper presents a new method to improve the co-cross polarization discrimination (XPD) for dual linear polarized microstrip antennas at 10 GHz. For this, three various configurations of a dual linear polarization antenna utilizing metamaterial unit cells are shown. In the first layout, the microstrip patch antenna is loaded with two pairs of spiral ring resonators, in the second model, a split ring resonator is placed between two microstrip feed lines, and in the third design, a complementary split ring resonators are etched in the ground plane. This work has two primary goals: the first is related to the addition of metamaterial unit cells to the antenna structure which permits compensation for an asymmetric current distribution flow on the microstrip antenna and thus yields a symmetrical current distribution on it. This compensation leads to an important enhancement in the XPD in comparison to a conventional dual linear polarized microstrip patch antenna. The simulation reveals an improvement of 7.9, 8.8, and 4 dB in the E and H planes for the three designs, respectively, in the XPD as compared to the conventional dual linear polarized patch antenna. The second objective of this paper is to present the characteristics and performances of the designs of the spiral ring resonator (S-RR), split ring resonator (SRR), and complementary split ring resonator (CSRR) metamaterial unit cells. The simulations are evaluated using the commercial full-wave simulator, Ansoft High-Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS).

Fusion of arkosic sand by intrusive andesite

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bailey, Roy A.

1954-01-01

An andesite dike in the Valles Mountains of northern New Mexico has intruded and partly fused arkosic sediments for a distance of 50 feet from its contacts. The dike is semi-circular in form, has a maximum width of about 100 feet, and is about 500 feet long. Small associated arcuate dikes are arranged in spiral fashion around the main dike, suggesting that they were intruded along shear fractures similar to those described by Burbank (1941). The fused rocks surrounding the andesite dike are of three general types: 1) partly fused arkosic sand, 2) fused clay, and 3) hybrid rocks. The fused arkosic sand consists of relict detrital grains of quartz, orthoclose, and plagioclase, imbedded in colorless glass containing microlites of tridymite, cordierite, and magnetite. The relict quartz grains are corroded and embayed by glass; the orthoclase is sanidinized and partly fused; and the plagioclase is inverted to the high temperature form and is partly fused. The fused clay, which was originally a mixture of montmorillonite and hydromica, consists primarily of cordierite but also contains needle-like crystals of sillimanite (?) or mullite (?). The hybrid rocks originated in part by intermixing of fused arkosic sediments and andesitic liquid and in part by diffusion of mafic constituents through the fused sediments. They are rich in cordierite and magnetite and also contain hypersthene, augite, and plagioclase. The composition of pigeonite in the andesite indicates that the temperature of the andesite at the time of intrusion probably did not exceed 1200?C. Samples of arkosic sand were fused in the presence of water in a Morey bomb at 1050?C. Stability relations of certain minerals in the fused sand suggest that fusion may have taken place at a lower temperature, however, and the fluxing action of volatiles from the andesite are thought to have made this possible.

Pixel-based image fusion with false color mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Wei; Mao, Shiyi

2003-06-01

In this paper, we propose a pixel-based image fusion algorithm that combines the gray-level image fusion method with the false color mapping. This algorithm integrates two gray-level images presenting different sensor modalities or at different frequencies and produces a fused false-color image. The resulting image has higher information content than each of the original images. The objects in the fused color image are easy to be recognized. This algorithm has three steps: first, obtaining the fused gray-level image of two original images; second, giving the generalized high-boost filtering images between fused gray-level image and two source images respectively; third, generating the fused false-color image. We use the hybrid averaging and selection fusion method to obtain the fused gray-level image. The fused gray-level image will provide better details than two original images and reduce noise at the same time. But the fused gray-level image can't contain all detail information in two source images. At the same time, the details in gray-level image cannot be discerned as easy as in a color image. So a color fused image is necessary. In order to create color variation and enhance details in the final fusion image, we produce three generalized high-boost filtering images. These three images are displayed through red, green and blue channel respectively. A fused color image is produced finally. This method is used to fuse two SAR images acquired on the San Francisco area (California, USA). The result shows that fused false-color image enhances the visibility of certain details. The resolution of the final false-color image is the same as the resolution of the input images.

On-chip beamsplitter operation on single photons from quasi-resonantly excited quantum dots embedded in GaAs rib waveguides

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

Rengstl, U.; Schwartz, M.; Herzog, T.

2015-07-13

We present an on-chip beamsplitter operating on a single-photon level by means of a quasi-resonantly driven InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot. The single photons are guided by rib waveguides and split into two arms by an evanescent field coupler. Although the waveguides themselves support the fundamental TE and TM modes, the measured degree of polarization (∼90%) reveals the main excitation and propagation of the TE mode. We observe the preserved single-photon nature of a quasi-resonantly excited quantum dot by performing a cross-correlation measurement on the two output arms of the beamsplitter. Additionally, the same quantum dot is investigated under resonant excitation, wheremore » the same splitting ratio is observed. An autocorrelation measurement with an off-chip beamsplitter on a single output arm reveal the single-photon nature after evanescent coupling inside the on-chip splitter. Due to their robustness, adjustable splitting ratio, and their easy implementation, rib waveguide beamsplitters with embedded quantum dots provide a promising step towards fully integrated quantum circuits.« less

Sensitivity Kernels for the Cross-Convolution Measure: Eliminate the Source in Waveform Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menke, W. H.

2017-12-01

We use the adjoint method to derive sensitivity kernels for the cross-convolution measure, a goodness-of-fit criterion that is applicable to seismic data containing closely-spaced multiple arrivals, such as reverberating compressional waves and split shear waves. In addition to a general formulation, specific expressions for sensitivity with respect to density, Lamé parameter and shear modulus are derived for a isotropic elastic solid. As is typical of adjoint methods, the kernels depend upon an adjoint field, the source of which, in this case, is the reference displacement field, pre-multiplied by a matrix of cross-correlations of components of the observed field. We use a numerical simulation to evaluate the resolving power of a topographic inversion that employs the cross-convolution measure. The estimated resolving kernel shows is point-like, indicating that the cross-convolution measure will perform well in waveform tomography settings.

Fiber fuse behavior in kW-level continuous-wave double-clad field laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jun-Yi, Sun; Qi-Rong, Xiao; Dan, Li; Xue-Jiao, Wang; Hai-Tao, Zhang; Ma-Li, Gong; Ping, Yan

2016-01-01

In this study, original experimental data for fiber fuse in kW-level continuous-wave (CW) high power double-clad fiber (DCF) laser are reported. The propagating velocity of the fuse is 9.68 m/s in a 3.1-kW Yb-doped DCF laser. Three other cases in Yb-doped DCF are also observed. We think that the ignition of fiber fuse is caused by thermal mechanism, and the formation of bullet-shaped tracks is attributed to the optical discharge and temperature gradient. The inducements of initial fuse and formation of bullet-shaped voids are analyzed. This investigation of fiber fuse helps better understand the fiber fuse behavior, in order to avoid the catastrophic destruction caused by fiber fuse in high power fiber laser. Project supported by the Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on High Energy Laser and China Academy of Engineering Physics (Grant No. 2014HEL02) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61307057).

Microstructure analysis in the coupling region of fiber coupler with a novel electrical micro-heater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuai, Cijun; Gao, Chengde; Nie, Yi; Hu, Huanlong; Peng, Shuping

2011-12-01

Fused-tapered fiber coupler is widely used in optical-fiber communication, optical-fiber sensor and optical signal processing. Its optical performance is mainly determined by the glass properties in the coupling region. In this study, the effect of fused biconical taper (FBT) process on glass microstructure of fiber coupler was investigated by testing the microstructure of the cross-section of coupling region. The fiber coupler is fabricated with a novel home-designed electrical heater. Our experimental results show that the boundary between fiber core and fiber cladding become vague or indistinct after FBT under transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Ge 2+ in fiber core diffuses into fiber cladding. Crystallizations are observed in coupling region under scanning electron microscope (SEM) and microscopic infrared (IR), and the micro crystallizations become smaller with the drawing speed increasing. The wave number of fiberglass increases after FBT and it is in proportion to the drawing speed. The analysis of the microstructure in the coupling region explored the mechanism of the improvement in the performance of fiber couplers which can be used for the guidance of fabrication process.

Recent research on stishovite: Hugoniot and partial release Z experiments and DFT EOS calculations.

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

Furnish, Michael D.; Shulenburger, Luke; Desjarlais, Michael

We have conducted a series of ride-along experiments on the Z facility to ascertain the Hugoniot of silica centered in the stishovite phase over a range 0.4 - 1.0 TPa, together with partial release states produced at the interface between the sample and a fused silica window. The stishovite samples were synthesized in a large-volume multi-anvil press at 15 GPa and 1773 K, with an initial density of 4.29 gm/cc. The new Z experiments on stishovite fill in a gap between gas gun experiments and NIF experiments. The states are compared with the Hugoniots of quartz and fused silica formore » inferences as to EOS. They are generally consistent with Sesame 7360 predictions. Sound speed constraints from these data are discussed. The new Hugoniot data cross over the melting curve of stishovite; together with the partial-release data and predictions from density-functional theory modeling, they provide insights into the properties of solid and liquid under extreme conditions. These data are fundamentally important for understanding the interior of silicate-based super-Earths.« less

Experimental study of the competitive adsorption of HNO3 and H2O on surfaces by using Brewster angle cavity ring-down spectroscopy in the 295-345 nm region.

PubMed

Du, Juan; Keesee, Robert G; Zhu, Lei

2014-09-18

The competitive adsorption of HNO3 and H2O from the gas phase onto fused silica surfaces is investigated. Brewster angle cavity ring-down spectroscopy is used to measure absorption of a laser probe beam by the HNO3/H2O coadsorbed on fused silica surfaces as a function of the mixture pressure. The laser absorption measurements were made in the 295-345 nm region. Langmuir adsorption constants for nitric acid and water were found to be 107 ± 17 and 562 ± 21 Torr(-1), respectively. A method has been developed for calculating absorption by HNO3 and H2O codeposited on the surface as a function of the HNO3/H2O mixture pressure using multicomponent Langmuir adsorption isotherms and absorption cross-sections at a given wavelength for surface-adsorbed HNO3 and H2O. The validity of this treatment has been evaluated both as a function of wavelength and as a function of mixing ratio.

Assessment of SPOT-6 optical remote sensing data against GF-1 using NNDiffuse image fusion algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Jinling; Guo, Junjie; Cheng, Wenjie; Xu, Chao; Huang, Linsheng

2017-07-01

A cross-comparison method was used to assess the SPOT-6 optical satellite imagery against Chinese GF-1 imagery using three types of indicators: spectral and color quality, fusion effect and identification potential. More specifically, spectral response function (SRF) curves were used to compare the two imagery, showing that the SRF curve shape of SPOT-6 is more like a rectangle compared to GF-1 in blue, green, red and near-infrared bands. NNDiffuse image fusion algorithm was used to evaluate the capability of information conservation in comparison with wavelet transform (WT) and principal component (PC) algorithms. The results show that NNDiffuse fused image has extremely similar entropy vales than original image (1.849 versus 1.852) and better color quality. In addition, the object-oriented classification toolset (ENVI EX) was used to identify greenlands for comparing the effect of self-fusion image of SPOT-6 and inter-fusion image between SPOT-6 and GF-1 based on the NNDiffuse algorithm. The overall accuracy is 97.27% and 76.88%, respectively, showing that self-fused image of SPOT-6 has better identification capability.

Improvements in Cloud Remote Sensing from Fusing VIIRS and CrIS data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heidinger, A. K.; Walther, A.; Lindsey, D. T.; Li, Y.; NOH, Y. J.; Botambekov, D.; Miller, S. D.; Foster, M. J.

2016-12-01

In the fall of 2016, NOAA began the operational production of cloud products from the S-NPP Visible and Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) using the NOAA Enterprise Algorithms. VIIRS, while providing unprecedented spatial resolution and imaging clarity, does lack certain IR channels that are beneficial to cloud remote sensing. At the UW Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC), tools were written to generate the missing IR channels from the Cross Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and to map them into the VIIRS swath. The NOAA Enterprise Algorithms are also implemented into the NESDIS CLAVR-x system. CLAVR-x has been modified to use the fused VIIRS and CrIS data. This presentation will highlight the benefits offered by the CrIS data to the NOAA Enterprise Algorithms. In addition, these benefits also have enabled the generation of 3D cloud retrievals to support the request from the National Weather Service (NWS) for a Cloud Cover Layers product. Lastly, the benefits of using VIIRS and CrIS for achieving consistency with GOES-R will also be demonstrated.

Contemplating the ultimate sacrifice: identity fusion channels pro-group affect, cognition, and moral decision making.

PubMed

Swann, William B; Gómez, Angel; Buhrmester, Michael D; López-Rodríguez, Lucía; Jiménez, Juan; Vázquez, Alexandra

2014-05-01

Although most people acknowledge the moral virtue in sacrificing oneself to save others, few actually endorse self-sacrifice. Seven experiments explored the cognitive and emotional mechanisms that underlie such endorsements. Participants responded to 1 of 2 moral dilemmas in which they could save 5 members of their country only by sacrificing themselves. Over 90% of participants acknowledged that the moral course of action was to sacrifice oneself to save others (Experiment 1), yet only those who were strongly fused with the group preferentially endorsed self-sacrifice (Experiments 2-7). The presence of a concern with saving group members rather than the absence of a concern with self-preservation motivated strongly fused participants to endorse sacrificing themselves for the group (Experiment 3). Analyses of think aloud protocols suggested that saving others was motivated by emotional engagement with the group among strongly fused participants but by utilitarian concerns among weakly fused participants (Experiment 4). Hurrying participants' responses increased self-sacrifice among strongly fused participants but decreased self-sacrifice among weakly fused participants (Experiment 5). Priming the personal self increased endorsement of self-sacrifice among strongly fused participants but further reduced endorsement of self-sacrifice among weakly fused participants (Experiment 6). Strongly fused participants ignored utilitarian considerations, but weakly fused persons endorsed self-sacrifice more when it would save more people (Experiment 7). Apparently, the emotional engagement with the group experienced by strongly fused persons overrides the desire for self-preservation and compels them to translate their moral beliefs into self-sacrificial behavior.

16 CFR 1507.3 - Fuses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION FEDERAL HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES ACT REGULATIONS FIREWORKS DEVICES § 1507.3 Fuses. (a) Fireworks devices that require a fuse shall: (1) Utilize only a fuse that has been... it will support either the weight of the fireworks device plus 8 ounces of dead weight or double the...

Seismic anisotropy and the state of stress in volcanic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendall, Michael

2017-04-01

The active magmatic and hydrothermal systems of volcanoes can lead to complicated stress patterns that can vary over short spatial and temporal scales. An attractive approach to studying the state of stress in such systems is to investigate seismic anisotropy using shear-wave splitting in upper-crustal earthquakes. Anisotropy can be caused by a range of mechanisms, including crystal preferred orientation and fine scale layering, but the dominant mechanism in volcanic systems is likely the preferred alignment of fluid-filled cracks and fractures. In general, cracks and fractures in the near surface tend to align parallel to the dominant direction of maximum horizontal stress. However, the observed patterns in volcanoes indicate more complicated stress patterns, which sometimes even change in time. A challenge is to untangle the magmatic versus hydrothermal control on stress. Here I summarise observations of seismic anisotropy across several volcanoes in different settings. Seismic anisotropy of the upper crust in the vicinity of the Soufrière Hills volcano - on the island of Montserrat in the Lesser Antilles - has been studied using shear wave splitting (SWS) analysis of shallow volcano-tectonic events. Clear spatial variations in anisotropy are observed, which are consistent with structurally controlled anisotropy resulting from a left-lateral transtensional array of faults that crosses the volcanic complex. Corbetti and Aluto are two volcanoes located roughly 100 km apart in the Main Ethiopian Rift. Their evolution is strongly controlled by pre-existing structural trends. In the case of Aluto, the anisotropy follows the Wonji fault belt in a rift parallel nearly N-S direction, but significantly oblique to the older border faults. In contrast, the shear-wave splitting at Corbetti is more complicated and supports ideas of the influence of a much-older pre-existing cross-rift structure known as the Goba-Bonga fault. Ontake volcano in Japan is another arc volcano. It exhibits a complicated stress system, as revealed by earthquake source mechanisms and patterns of shear-wave splitting. Ontake has seen two recent eruptions, a minor phreatic eruption in 2007 and a more significant eruption in 2014. The pattern of seismic anisotropy shows no temporal variation with the first eruption. However, with the second eruption there is a clear change in both the magnitude of the shear-wave splitting and the orientation of the fast shear-wave, suggesting that there is a critical stress threshold where the anisotropy changes. In summary, with a good seismic network, shear-wave splitting measurements are relatively easy to make. They capture details of changes in the stress system across a volcano, which may be a useful monitoring tool. Furthermore, they also provide a good reconnaissance tool that provides insights into structural controls on the formation of volcanoes.

Accountability for Information Flow via Explicit Formal Proof

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

macrobenchmarks. The first (called OpenSSL in the table below), unpacks the OpenSSL source code, compiles it and deletes it. The other (called Fuse in...penalty for PCFS as compared to Fuse/Null is approximately 10% for OpenSSL , and 2.5% for Fuse. The difference arises because the OpenSSL benchmark depends...Macrobenchmarks Benchmark PCFS Fuse/Null Ext3 OpenSSL 126 114 94 Fuse x 5 79 77 70 15 In summary, assuming a low rate of cache misses, the

Comparative Study on the Different Testing Techniques in Tree Classification for Detecting the Learning Motivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juliane, C.; Arman, A. A.; Sastramihardja, H. S.; Supriana, I.

2017-03-01

Having motivation to learn is a successful requirement in a learning process, and needs to be maintained properly. This study aims to measure learning motivation, especially in the process of electronic learning (e-learning). Here, data mining approach was chosen as a research method. For the testing process, the accuracy comparative study on the different testing techniques was conducted, involving Cross Validation and Percentage Split. The best accuracy was generated by J48 algorithm with a percentage split technique reaching at 92.19 %. This study provided an overview on how to detect the presence of learning motivation in the context of e-learning. It is expected to be good contribution for education, and to warn the teachers for whom they have to provide motivation.

Anomalous Coulomb oscillation in crossed carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baek, Seung Jae; Lee, Dongsu; Park, Seung Joo; Park, Yung Woo; Svensson, Johannes; Jonson, Mats; Campbell, Eleanor E. B.

2008-03-01

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) crossed junctions separated by an insulating layer were fabricated to investigate the double quantum dot modulated by a single gate (DQD-sG). Anomalous Coulomb oscillations were observed on the lower CNT at low temperature, where the behavior was interpreted by the concept of a double quantum dot (DQD) system http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id =APPLAB000089000023233107000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes [1]. To understand it more clearly, we have intentionally fabricated crossed CNTs without oxide layer in between. The observed anomalous Coulomb oscillations indicate that the contact resistance between the two tubes becomes a potential barrier splitting the initial single QD into the DQD, and the back-gate modulates the energy levels of the DQD.

Mechanical properties of wood

Treesearch

David W. Green; Jerrold E. Winandy; David E. Kretschmann

1999-01-01

The mechanical properties presented in this chapter were obtained from tests of small pieces of wood termed “clear” and “straight grained” because they did not contain characteristics such as knots, cross grain, checks, and splits. These test pieces did have anatomical characteristics such as growth rings that occurred in consistent patterns within each piece. Clear...

Mechanical properties of wood

Treesearch

David Kretschmann

2010-01-01

The mechanical properties presented in this chapter were obtained from tests of pieces of wood termed “clear” and “straight grained” because they did not contain characteristics such as knots, cross grain, checks, and splits. These test pieces did have anatomical characteristics such as growth rings that occurred in consistent patterns within each piece. Clear wood...

Relativistic Confinement Resonances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keating, David; Manson, Steven; Deshmukh, Pranawa

2017-04-01

Photoionization of confined atoms in a C60 fullerene have been under intense investigation in the recent years, in particular the confinement induced resonances, termed confinement resonances. The effects of the C60 potential are modeled by a static spherical well, with (in atomic units) inner radius r0 = 5.8, width Δ = 1.9, and depth U0 = -0.302, which is reasonable in the energy region well above the C60 plasmons. At very high Z, relativistic interactions become important contributors to even the qualitative nature of atomic properties; this is true for confined atomic properties as well. To explore the extent of these interactions, a theoretical study of several heavy atoms has been performed using the relativistic random phase approximation (RRPA) methodology. In order to determine which features in the photoionization cross section are due to relativity, calculations using the (nonrelativistic) random phase approximation with exchange method (RPAE) are performed for comparison. The existence of the second subshell of the spin-orbit-split doublets can induce new confinement resonances in the total cross section, which is the sum of the spin-orbit-split doublets, due to the shift in the doublet's threshold. Several examples for confined high-Z atoms are presented. Work supported by DOE and NSF.

VARIATION IN THE GROUP-SPECIFIC CARBOHYDRATE OF GROUP A STREPTOCOCCI

PubMed Central

McCarty, Maclyn

1956-01-01

Soil organisms have been isolated which elaborate induced enzymes capable of attacking group A and variant (V) streptococcal carbohydrates. The V enzyme hydrolyzes V carbohydrate extensively to dialyzable split products with resultant total loss of precipitating activity with homologous antisera. The split products inhibit the reaction between intact V carbohydrate and its antiserum: evidence is presented which indicates that rhamnose oligosaccharides are responsible for the inhibitory effect. The serological specificity of the V carbohydrate thus appears to be primarily dependent on a rhamnose-rhamnose linkage. The effect of the A enzyme on A carbohydrate is characterized by the removal of 50 to 70 per cent of the total glucosamine in the form of free N-acetyl-glucosamine. As a result of this treatment, the residual carbohydrate loses its reactivity with specific group A antisera and at the same time develops markedly increased cross-reactivity with V antisera. This cross-reactivity is in turn eliminated by treatment with V enzyme. The evidence suggests that the specificity of group A carbohydrate is determined to a large extent by side chains of N-acetyl-glucosamine which also serve to mask underlying rhamnose-rhamnose linkages with V specificity. PMID:13367334

Casemix classification payment for sub-acute and non-acute inpatient care, Thailand.

PubMed

Khiaocharoen, Orathai; Pannarunothai, Supasit; Zungsontiporn, Chairoj; Riewpaiboon, Wachara

2010-07-01

There is a need to develop other casemix classifications, apart from DRG for sub-acute and non-acute inpatient care payment mechanism in Thailand. To develop a casemix classification for sub-acute and non-acute inpatient service. The study began with developing a classification system, analyzing cost, assigning payment weights, and ended with testing the validity of this new casemix system. Coefficient of variation, reduction in variance, linear regression, and split-half cross-validation were employed. The casemix for sub-acute and non-acute inpatient services contained 98 groups. Two percent of them had a coefficient of variation of the cost of higher than 1.5. The reduction in variance of cost after the classification was 32%. Two classification variables (physical function and the rehabilitation impairment categories) were key determinants of the cost (adjusted R2 = 0.749, p = .001). Validity results of split-half cross-validation of sub-acute and non-acute inpatient service were high. The present study indicated that the casemix for sub-acute and non-acute inpatient services closely predicted the hospital resource use and should be further developed for payment of the inpatients sub-acute and non-acute phase.

Secondary flow vortical structures in a 180∘ elastic curved vessel with torsion under steady and pulsatile inflow conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najjari, Mohammad Reza; Plesniak, Michael W.

2018-01-01

Secondary flow structures in a 180∘ curved pipe model of an artery are studied using particle image velocimetry. Both steady and pulsatile inflow conditions are investigated. In planar curved pipes with steady flow, multiple (two, four, six) vortices are detected. For pulsatile flow, various pairs of vortices, i.e., Dean, deformed-Dean, Lyne-type, and split-Dean, are present in the cross section of the pipe at 90∘ into the bend. The effects of nonplanar curvature (torsion) and vessel dilatation on these vortical structures are studied. Torsion distorts the symmetric secondary flows (which exist in planar curvatures) and can result in formation of more complex vortical structures. For example, the split-Dean and Lyne-type vortices with same rotation direction originating from opposite sides of the cross section tend to merge together in pulsatile flow. The vortical structures in elastic vessels with dilatation (0.61%-3.23%) are also investigated and the results are compared with rigid model results. It was found that the secondary flow structures in rigid and elastic models are similar, and hence the local compliance of the vessel does not affect the morphology of secondary flow structures.

Effects of Isotropic and Anisotropic Structure in the Lowermost Mantle on High-Frequency Body Waveforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parisi, L.; Ferreira, A. M. G.; Ritsema, J.

2015-12-01

It has been observed that vertically (SV) and horizontally (SH) polarised S waves crossing the lowermost mantle sometimes are split by a few seconds The splitting of such waves is often interpreted in terms of seismic anisotropy in the D" region. Here we investigate systematically the effects of elastic, anelastic, isotropic and anisotropic structure on shear-wave splitting, including 3-D variations in some of these physical properties. Taking advantage of accurate waveform modeling techniques such as Gemini and the Spectral Element Method we generate three-component theoretical waveforms in a wide set of 1-D and 3-D, isotropic and radially anisotropic earth models, accurate down to a wave period of T~5.6s. Our numerical simulations in isotropic earth models show that the contamination of S waves by other phases can generate an apparent splitting between SH and SV waves. In particular, in the case of very shallow sources, the sS phase can interfere with the direct S phase, resulting in split SH and SV pulses when the SH and SV (or sSH and sSV) waves have different polarity or a substantial amplitude difference. In the case of deep earthquake sources, a positive shear velocity jump at the top of the D" can cause the triplication of S waves and the ScSH and ScSV phases can have different polarity. Thus, when the triplicated S wave is combined with the ScS phase, the resulting SH-ScSH and SV-ScSV phases may seem split. On the other hand, in the absence of a sharp vertical variation in the shear wave velocity, the difference in polarity between ScSH and ScSV can make the SH pulse larger than SV and thus also lead to apparent splitting between these phases. This effect depends on the thickness of the D" and the Vs gradient within it. S waveforms simulated in radially anisotropic models reveal that a radial anisotropy of ξ=1.07 in the D" seems to be necessary to explain the 2-3s of splitting observed in waveforms recorded in Tanzania from an event in the Banda Sea. However, our analysis also shows that other factors such as sharp vertical variations at the top of D" and gradients of Vs and η within the D'' may also affect the observed waveforms. This study suggests that caution should be taken when interpreting SH-SV splitting of deep mantle body waves exclusively in terms of anisotropy in the lowermost mantle.

Ionic interaction of myosin loop 2 with residues located beyond the N-terminal part of actin probed by chemical cross-linking.

PubMed

Pliszka, Barbara; Martin, Brian M; Karczewska, Emilia

2008-02-01

To probe ionic contacts of skeletal muscle myosin with negatively charged residues located beyond the N-terminal part of actin, myosin subfragment 1 (S1) and actin split by ECP32 protease (ECP-actin) were cross-linked with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC). We have found that unmodified S1 can be cross-linked not only to the N-terminal part, but also to the C-terminal 36 kDa fragment of ECP-actin. Subsequent experiments performed on S1 cleaved by elastase or trypsin indicate that the cross-linking site in S1 is located within loop 2. This site is composed of Lys-636 and Lys-637 and can interact with negatively charged residues of the 36 kDa actin fragment, most probably with Glu-99 and Glu-100. Cross-links are formed both in the absence and presence of MgATP.P(i) analog, although the addition of nucleotide decreases the efficiency of the cross-linking reaction.

[Evaluation of bond strength between low fusing porcelain with goldplated cobalt-chromium alloys].

PubMed

Guo, Jing; Zhu, Jia; Zhu, Hong-shui

2014-02-01

To evaluate the bond strength of Vita OMEGA 900 low fusing porcelain fused with the goldplated Wirobond cobalt-chrome metalt ceramic alloy. Low fusing porcelain was fused with the cobalt-chromium alloy strips(group A) and the goldplated cobalt-chromium alloy strips(group B) respectively according to ISO9693 (A:8,B:10). 8 specimens of each group were submitted to three point bending test. Two more test pieces fused with gold plated cobalt-chromium alloys were made (group B'). One test piece of both group B and group B' were observed under scanning electron microscope (SEM) randomly. The data was analyzed with SPSS 16.0 software package. The bond strength (MPa) of group A and group B was 29.92±4.28 and 28.20±5.21, respectively (P>0.05), both higher than 25 MPa required by ISO9693. SEM showed that Vita OMEGA 900 low fusing porcelain and the goldplated Wirobond cobalt-chrome metalt ceramic alloy combined together closely without cracks. Much gold was fused to the cobalt-chrome alloy surface of breaking porcelain specimen after testing. Vita OMEGA 900 low fusing porcelain can match with the goldplated Wirobond cobalt-chrome metalt ceramic alloy. Supported by Foundation of Education Department of Jiangxi Province (GJJ10367).

Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy (FUSE) certification: validation and predictors of success.

PubMed

Robinson, Thomas N; Olasky, Jaisa; Young, Patricia; Feldman, Liane S; Fuchshuber, Pascal R; Jones, Stephanie B; Madani, Amin; Brunt, Michael; Mikami, Dean; Jackson, Gretchen P; Mischna, Jessica; Schwaitzberg, Steven; Jones, Daniel B

2016-03-01

The Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy (FUSE) program includes a Web-based didactic curriculum and a high-stakes multiple-choice question examination with the goal to provide certification of knowledge on the safe use of surgical energy-based devices. The purpose of this study was (1) to set a passing score through a psychometrically sound process and (2) to determine what pretest factors predicted passing the FUSE examination. Beta-testing of multiple-choice questions on 62 topics of importance to the safe use of surgical energy-based devices was performed. Eligible test takers were physicians with a minimum of 1 year of surgical training who were recruited by FUSE task force members. A pretest survey collected baseline information. A total of 227 individuals completed the FUSE beta-test, and 208 completed the pretest survey. The passing/cut score for the first test form of the FUSE multiple-choice examination was determined using the modified Angoff methodology and for the second test form was determined using a linear equating methodology. The overall passing rate across the two examination forms was 81.5%. Self-reported time studying the FUSE Web-based curriculum for a minimum of >2 h was associated with a passing examination score (p < 0.001). Performance was not different based on increased years of surgical practice (p = 0.363), self-reported expertise on one or more types of energy-based devices (p = 0.683), participation in the FUSE postgraduate course (p = 0.426), or having reviewed the FUSE manual (p = 0.428). Logistic regression found that studying the FUSE didactics for >2 h predicted a passing score (OR 3.61; 95% CI 1.44-9.05; p = 0.006) independent of the other baseline characteristics recorded. The development of the FUSE examination, including the passing score, followed a psychometrically sound process. Self-reported time studying the FUSE curriculum predicted a passing score independent of other pretest characteristics such as years in practice and self-reported expertise.

The research progress of large-aperture fused silica for high power laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Zhufeng; Wang, Yufen; Xiang, Zaikui; Rao, Chuandong

2016-03-01

Because of its excellent optical performance, the fused silica is widely used in laser industry. In addition, the fused silica can withstand high power laser, due to its pure component, and the performance is most outstanding within all types of glasses. So fused silica can be used for optical lens in high power laser field. From the manufacturing process stand point, the fused silica can be categorized to four types: type Ⅰ, type Ⅱ, type Ⅲ, and type Ⅳ. The fused silica of type Ⅰand type Ⅱ is made through melting silica sand in graphite furnace or oxyhydrogen flame. There are many defects in these types of fused silica, for example, the air bubbles, inclusions and metallic impurity. The other two types are made by synthetic reaction of SiCl4 with water in oxyhydrogen or plasma flame. Both type Ⅲ and Ⅳ have excellent performance in transmittance and internal quality. However, type Ⅳof fused silica has disadvantage in small aperture and overall high manufacturing cost. Take the transmittance and internal quality into consideration, the type Ⅲ fused silica is the most suitable for large-aperture lens, and can withstand high power laser. The systemic studies of manufacturing process were done to improve the performance of type Ⅲ fused silica in various areas, for instance, the optical homogeneity, the stress birefringence, the absorption coefficient and the damage threshold. There are four steps in manufacturing process of type Ⅲ fused silica, ingot production, reshaping, annealing and cold-working. The critical factors of ingot production, like the flame of burner and the structure of furnace, were deeply studied in this paper to improve the performance of fused silica. On the basis of the above research, the performance and quality of the fused silica measured up to advanced world levels. For instance, the result of optical homogeneity can be controlled to 2-5 ppm, the stress birefringence is better than 4 nm/cm, the absorption coefficient is about 5.971ppm cm-1 (1ω), the damage threshold is greater than 80, 25 and 23 J/cm2 with the wavelength at 1064, 532 and 351nm respectively, the bandwidth used for measuring is 3ns.The fused silica has already been used in the area of high power laser facilities, aerospace industry, primary lens of interferometer based on its excellent performance.

Imaging the spectral reflectance properties of bipolar radiofrequency-fused bowel tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clancy, Neil T.; Arya, Shobhit; Stoyanov, Danail; Du, Xiaofei; Hanna, George B.; Elson, Daniel S.

2015-07-01

Delivery of radiofrequency (RF) electrical energy is used during surgery to heat and seal tissue, such as vessels, allowing resection without blood loss. Recent work has suggested that this approach may be extended to allow surgical attachment of larger tissue segments for applications such as bowel anastomosis. In a large series of porcine surgical procedures bipolar RF energy was used to resect and re-seal the small bowel in vivo with a commercial tissue fusion device (Ligasure; Covidien PLC, USA). The tissue was then imaged with a multispectral imaging laparoscope to obtain a spectral datacube comprising both fused and healthy tissue. Maps of blood volume, oxygen saturation and scattering power were derived from the measured reflectance spectra using an optimised light-tissue interaction model. A 60% increase in reflectance of visible light (460-700 nm) was observed after fusion, with the tissue taking on a white appearance. Despite this the distinctive shape of the haemoglobin absorption spectrum was still noticeable in the 460-600 nm wavelength range. Scattering power increased in the fused region in comparison to normal serosa, while blood volume and oxygen saturation decreased. Observed fusion-induced changes in the reflectance spectrum are consistent with the biophysical changes induced through tissue denaturation and increased collagen cross-linking. The multispectral imager allows mapping of the spatial extent of these changes and classification of the zone of damaged tissue. Further analysis of the spectral data in parallel with histopathological examination of excised specimens will allow correlation of the optical property changes with microscopic alterations in tissue structure.

Optimal Wavelength Selection on Hyperspectral Data with Fused Lasso for Biomass Estimation of Tropical Rain Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takayama, T.; Iwasaki, A.

2016-06-01

Above-ground biomass prediction of tropical rain forest using remote sensing data is of paramount importance to continuous large-area forest monitoring. Hyperspectral data can provide rich spectral information for the biomass prediction; however, the prediction accuracy is affected by a small-sample-size problem, which widely exists as overfitting in using high dimensional data where the number of training samples is smaller than the dimensionality of the samples due to limitation of require time, cost, and human resources for field surveys. A common approach to addressing this problem is reducing the dimensionality of dataset. Also, acquired hyperspectral data usually have low signal-to-noise ratio due to a narrow bandwidth and local or global shifts of peaks due to instrumental instability or small differences in considering practical measurement conditions. In this work, we propose a methodology based on fused lasso regression that select optimal bands for the biomass prediction model with encouraging sparsity and grouping, which solves the small-sample-size problem by the dimensionality reduction from the sparsity and the noise and peak shift problem by the grouping. The prediction model provided higher accuracy with root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 66.16 t/ha in the cross-validation than other methods; multiple linear analysis, partial least squares regression, and lasso regression. Furthermore, fusion of spectral and spatial information derived from texture index increased the prediction accuracy with RMSE of 62.62 t/ha. This analysis proves efficiency of fused lasso and image texture in biomass estimation of tropical forests.

Amino-terminal enhancer of split (AES) interacts with the oncoprotein NUP98-HOXA9 and enhances its transforming ability.

PubMed

Sarma, Nayan J; Yaseen, Nabeel R

2011-11-11

NUP98-HOXA9 is the prototype of NUP98 fusion oncoproteins that cause acute myeloid leukemia. It consists of an N-terminal FG-rich portion of the nucleoporin NUP98 fused to the homeodomain region of the homeobox protein HOXA9, and acts as an aberrant transcription factor. To identify interacting partners of NUP98-HOXA9, we used a cytoplasmic yeast two-hybrid assay to avoid the nonspecific trans-activation that would occur with the traditional yeast two-hybrid assay due to the transactivating properties of NUP98-HOXA9. We identified amino-terminal enhancer of split (AES), a transcriptional regulator of the transducin-like enhancer/Groucho family as a novel interaction partner of NUP98-HOXA9. The interaction was confirmed by in vitro pulldown and co-immunoprecipitation assays and was shown to require the FG repeat region of NUP98-HOXA9. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that AES localizes primarily to the interior of the nucleus. AES also showed a strong interaction with wild-type NUP98. AES augmented the transcriptional activity of NUP98-HOXA9. In the presence of NUP98-HOXA9, AES caused an increase in long-term proliferation of primary human CD34+ cells with a marked increase in the numbers of primitive cells. These effects of AES were not observed in the absence of NUP98-HOXA9. AES knockdown diminished the transcriptional and proliferative effects of NUP98-HOXA9. AES caused a shift away from the erythroid lineage in cells expressing NUP98-HOXA9. These data establish AES as an interacting partner of NUP98-HOXA9 and show that it cooperates with NUP98-HOXA9 in transcriptional regulation and cell transformation.

Amino-terminal Enhancer of Split (AES) Interacts with the Oncoprotein NUP98-HOXA9 and Enhances Its Transforming Ability*

PubMed Central

Sarma, Nayan J.; Yaseen, Nabeel R.

2011-01-01

NUP98-HOXA9 is the prototype of NUP98 fusion oncoproteins that cause acute myeloid leukemia. It consists of an N-terminal FG-rich portion of the nucleoporin NUP98 fused to the homeodomain region of the homeobox protein HOXA9, and acts as an aberrant transcription factor. To identify interacting partners of NUP98-HOXA9, we used a cytoplasmic yeast two-hybrid assay to avoid the nonspecific trans-activation that would occur with the traditional yeast two-hybrid assay due to the transactivating properties of NUP98-HOXA9. We identified amino-terminal enhancer of split (AES), a transcriptional regulator of the transducin-like enhancer/Groucho family as a novel interaction partner of NUP98-HOXA9. The interaction was confirmed by in vitro pulldown and co-immunoprecipitation assays and was shown to require the FG repeat region of NUP98-HOXA9. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that AES localizes primarily to the interior of the nucleus. AES also showed a strong interaction with wild-type NUP98. AES augmented the transcriptional activity of NUP98-HOXA9. In the presence of NUP98-HOXA9, AES caused an increase in long-term proliferation of primary human CD34+ cells with a marked increase in the numbers of primitive cells. These effects of AES were not observed in the absence of NUP98-HOXA9. AES knockdown diminished the transcriptional and proliferative effects of NUP98-HOXA9. AES caused a shift away from the erythroid lineage in cells expressing NUP98-HOXA9. These data establish AES as an interacting partner of NUP98-HOXA9 and show that it cooperates with NUP98-HOXA9 in transcriptional regulation and cell transformation. PMID:21937451

Development of a cell-based high throughput luciferase enzyme fragment complementation assay to identify nuclear-factor-e2-related transcription factor 2 activators.

PubMed

Xie, Wensheng; Pao, Christina; Graham, Taylor; Dul, Ed; Lu, Quinn; Sweitzer, Thomas D; Ames, Robert S; Li, Hu

2012-12-01

Nuclear-factor-E2-related transcription factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates a large panel of Phase II genes and plays an important role in cell survival. Nrf2 activation has been shown as preventing cigarette smoke-induced alveolar enlargement in mice. Therefore, activation of the Nrf2 protein by small-molecule activators represents an attractive therapeutic strategy that is used for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In this article, we describe a cell-based luciferase enzyme fragment complementation assay that identifies Nrf2 activators. This assay is based on the interaction of Nrf2 with its nuclear partner MafK or runt-related transcription factor 2 (RunX2) and is dependent on the reconstitution of a "split" luciferase. Firefly luciferase is split into two fragments, which are genetically fused to Nrf2 and MafK or RunX2, respectively. BacMam technology was used to deliver the fusion constructs into cells for expression of the tagged proteins. When the BacMam-transduced cells were treated with Nrf2 activators, the Nrf2 protein was stabilized and translocated into the nucleus where it interacted with MafK or RunX2. The interaction of Nrf2 and MafK or RunX2 brought together the two luciferase fragments that form an active luciferase. The assay was developed in a 384-well format and was optimized by titrating the BacMam concentration, transduction time, cell density, and fetal bovine serum concentration. It was further validated with known Nrf2 activators. Our data show that this assay is robust, sensitive, and amenable to high throughput screening of a large compound collection for the identification of novel Nrf2 activators.

The acute effects of stretching with vibration on dynamic flexibility in young female gymnasts.

PubMed

Johnson, Aaron W; Warcup, Caisa N; Seeley, Matthew K; Eggett, Dennis; Feland, Jeffery B

2018-01-10

While stretching with vibration has been shown to improve static flexibility; the effect of stretching with vibration on dynamic flexibility is not well known. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of stretching with vibration on acute dynamic flexibility and jump height in novice and advanced competitive female gymnasts during a split jump. Female gymnast (n=27, age: 11.5 ± 1.7 years, Junior Olympic levels 5-10) participated in this cross-over study. Dynamic flexibility during gymnastic split jumps were video recorded and analyzed with Dartfish software. All participants completed both randomized stretching protocols with either the vibration platform turned on (VIB) (frequency of 30 Hz and 2 mm amplitude) or off (NoVIB) separated by 48 h. Participants performed 4 sets of three stretches on the vibration platform. Each stretch was held for 30 s with 5 s rest for a total of 7 min of stretch. Split jump flexibility decreased significantly from pre to post measurement in both VIB (-5.8°±5.9°) (p<0.001) and NoVIB (-2.6°±6.1°) (p=0.041) conditions (adjusted for gymnast level). This effect was greatest in lower skill level gymnasts (p=0.003), while the highest skill level gymnasts showed no significant decrease in the split jump (p=0.105). Jump height was not significantly different between conditions (p=0.892) or within groups (p=0.880). An acute session of static stretching with or without vibration immediately before performance does not alter jump height. Stretching with vibration immediately prior to gymnastics competition decreases split jump flexibility in lower level gymnasts more than upper level gymnasts.

Interaction specificity and coexpression of rice NPR1 homologs 1 and 3 (NH1 and NH3), TGA transcription factors and Negative Regulator of Resistance (NRR) proteins.

PubMed

Chern, Mawsheng; Bai, Wei; Ruan, Deling; Oh, Taeyun; Chen, Xuewei; Ronald, Pamela C

2014-06-11

The nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1, NPR1 (also known as NIM1 and SAI1), is a key regulator of SA-mediated systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in Arabidopsis. In rice, the NPR1 homolog 1 (NH1) interacts with TGA transcriptional regulators and the Negative Regulator of Resistance (NRR) protein to modulate the SAR response. Though five NPR1 homologs (NHs) have been identified in rice, only NH1 and NH3 enhance immunity when overexpressed. To understand why NH1 and NH3, but not NH2, NH4, or NH5, contribute to the rice immune response, we screened TGA transcription factors and NRR-like proteins for interactions specific to NH1 and NH3. We also examined their co-expression patterns using publicly available microarray data. We tested five NHs, four NRR homologs (RHs), and 13 rice TGA proteins for pair-wise protein interactions using yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and split YFP assays. A survey of 331 inter-family interactions revealed a broad, complex protein interaction network. To investigate preferred interaction partners when all three families of proteins were present, we performed a bridged split YFP assay employing YFPN-fused TGA, YFPC-fused RH, and NH proteins without YFP fusions. We found 64 tertiary interactions mediated by NH family members among the 120 sets we examined. In the yeast two-hybrid assay, each NH protein was capable of interacting with most TGA and RH proteins. In the split YFP assay, NH1 was the most prevalent interactor of TGA and RH proteins, NH3 ranked the second, and NH4 ranked the third. Based on their interaction with TGA proteins, NH proteins can be divided into two subfamilies: NH1, NH2, and NH3 in one family and NH4 and NH5 in the other.In addition to evidence of overlap in interaction partners, co-expression analyses of microarray data suggest a correlation between NH1 and NH3 expression patterns, supporting their common role in rice immunity. However, NH3 is very tightly co-expressed with RH1 and RH2, while NH1 is strongly, inversely co-expressed with RH proteins, representing a difference between NH1 and NH3 expression patterns. Our genome-wide surveys reveal that each rice NH protein can partner with many rice TGA and RH proteins and that each NH protein prefers specific interaction partners. NH1 and NH3 are capable of interacting strongly with most rice TGA and RH proteins, whereas NH2, NH4, and NH5 have weaker, limited interaction with TGA and RH proteins in rice cells. We have identified rTGA2.1, rTGA2.2, rTGA2.3, rLG2, TGAL2 and TGAL4 proteins as the preferred partners of NH1 and NH3, but not NH2, NH4, or NH5. These TGA proteins may play an important role in NH1- and NH3-mediated immune responses. In contrast, NH4 and NH5 preferentially interact with TGAL5, TGAL7, TGAL8 and TGAL9, which are predicted to be involved in plant development.

31 CFR 100.12 - Exchange of fused and mixed coins.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Exchange of fused and mixed coins... of fused and mixed coins. (a) Definitions. (1) Fused coins are U.S. coins which are melted to the....S. coins. (2) Mixed coins are U.S. coins of several alloy categories which are presented together...

31 CFR 100.12 - Exchange of fused and mixed coins.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Exchange of fused and mixed coins... of fused and mixed coins. (a) Definitions. (1) Fused coins are U.S. coins which are melted to the....S. coins. (2) Mixed coins are U.S. coins of several alloy categories which are presented together...

31 CFR 100.12 - Exchange of fused and mixed coins.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Exchange of fused and mixed coins... of fused and mixed coins. (a) Definitions. (1) Fused coins are U.S. coins which are melted to the....S. coins. (2) Mixed coins are U.S. coins of several alloy categories which are presented together...

31 CFR 100.12 - Exchange of fused and mixed coins.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Exchange of fused and mixed coins... of fused and mixed coins. (a) Definitions. (1) Fused coins are U.S. coins which are melted to the....S. coins. (2) Mixed coins are U.S. coins of several alloy categories which are presented together...

Development of Fuses for Protection of Geiger-Mode Avalanche Photodiode Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grzesik, Michael; Bailey, Robert; Mahan, Joe; Ampe, Jim

2015-11-01

Current-limiting fuses composed of Ti/Al/Ni were developed for use in Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode arrays for each individual pixel in the array. The fuses were designed to burn out at ˜4.5 × 10-3 A and maintain post-burnout leakage currents less than 10-7 A at 70 V sustained for several minutes. Experimental fuse data are presented and successful incorporation of the fuses into a 256 × 64 pixel InP-based Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode array is reported.

Integrated fuses for OLED lighting device

DOEpatents

Pschenitzka, Florian [San Jose, CA

2007-07-10

An embodiment of the present invention pertains to an electroluminescent lighting device for area illumination. The lighting device is fault tolerant due, in part, to the patterning of one or both of the electrodes into strips, and each of one or more of these strips has a fuse formed on it. The fuses are integrated on the substrate. By using the integrated fuses, the number of external contacts that are used is minimized. The fuse material is deposited using one of the deposition techniques that is used to deposit the thin layers of the electroluminescent lighting device.

Psychosocial determinants of health and illness: integrating mind, body, and spirit.

PubMed

Astin, John A; Forys, Kelly

2004-01-01

Presented in this paper is a review of some of the evidence linking psychosocial factors to a variety of health outcomes. Drawing upon the work of the philosopher Ken Wilber, we begin with a consideration of some of the historic roots of the mind-body split. As will be seen, Wilber argues that in the premodern era, "mind" and "body" were essentially fused (ie, thought of as not separate); with the dawn in the West of the Enlightenment and the emergence and subsequent dominance of the empiric-scientific mode of inquiry, the mind and body became separate; and in the postmodern world, the task now is one of reintegrating mind and body, an undertaking with obvious implications for the field of medicine. With the goal of helping in this mind-body reintegration, we first summarize the epidemiological findings examining the relation between various psychosocial factors (personality, mood states, and cognitive factors) and physical health. We then review some of the physiological and mechanistic data that link mental-emotional factors (eg, psychosocial stress) with physical function and health. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic implications of these findings.

Generation, recognition, and consistent fusion of partial boundary representations from range images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohlhepp, Peter; Hanczak, Andrzej M.; Li, Gang

1994-10-01

This paper presents SOMBRERO, a new system for recognizing and locating 3D, rigid, non- moving objects from range data. The objects may be polyhedral or curved, partially occluding, touching or lying flush with each other. For data collection, we employ 2D time- of-flight laser scanners mounted to a moving gantry robot. By combining sensor and robot coordinates, we obtain 3D cartesian coordinates. Boundary representations (Brep's) provide view independent geometry models that are both efficiently recognizable and derivable automatically from sensor data. SOMBRERO's methods for generating, matching and fusing Brep's are highly synergetic. A split-and-merge segmentation algorithm with dynamic triangular builds a partial (21/2D) Brep from scattered data. The recognition module matches this scene description with a model database and outputs recognized objects, their positions and orientations, and possibly surfaces corresponding to unknown objects. We present preliminary results in scene segmentation and recognition. Partial Brep's corresponding to different range sensors or viewpoints can be merged into a consistent, complete and irredundant 3D object or scene model. This fusion algorithm itself uses the recognition and segmentation methods.

Detection and localisation of protein-protein interactions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using a split-GFP method.

PubMed

Barnard, Emma; McFerran, Neil V; Trudgett, Alan; Nelson, John; Timson, David J

2008-05-01

An alternative method for monitoring protein-protein interactions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been developed. It relies on the ability of two fragments of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) to reassemble and fluoresce when fused to interacting proteins. Since this fluorescence can be detected in living cells, simultaneous detection and localisation of interacting pairs is possible. DNA sequences encoding N- and C-terminal EGFP fragments flanked by sequences from the genes of interest were transformed into S. cerevisiae JPY5 cells and homologous recombination into the genome verified by PCR. The system was evaluated by testing known interacting proteins: labelling of the phosphofructokinase subunits, Pfk1p and Pfk2p, with N- and C-terminal EGFP fragments, respectively, resulted in green fluorescence in the cytoplasm. The system works in other cellular compartments: labelling of Idh1p and Idh2p (mitochondrial matrix), Sdh3p and Sdh4p (mitochondrial membrane) and Pap2p and Mtr4p (nucleus) all resulted in fluorescence in the appropriate cellular compartment.

SpDamID: Marking DNA Bound by Protein Complexes Identifies Notch-Dimer Responsive Enhancers

PubMed Central

Hass, Matthew R.; Liow, Hien-haw; Chen, Xiaoting; Sharma, Ankur; Inoue, Yukiko U.; Inoue, Takayoshi; Reeb, Ashley; Martens, Andrew; Fulbright, Mary; Raju, Saravanan; Stevens, Michael; Boyle, Scott; Park, Joo-Seop; Weirauch, Matthew T.; Brent, Michael; Kopan, Raphael

2015-01-01

SUMMARY We developed Split DamID (SpDamID), a protein complementation version of DamID, to mark genomic DNA bound in vivo by interacting or juxtapositioned transcription factors. Inactive halves of DAM (DNA Adenine Methyltransferase) were fused to protein pairs to be queried Interaction or proximity enabled DAM reconstitution and methylation of adenine in GATC. Inducible SpDamID was used to analyze Notch-mediated transcriptional activation. We demonstrate that Notch complexes label RBP sites broadly across the genome, and show that a subset of these complexes that recruit MAML and p300 undergo changes in chromatin accessibility in response to Notch signaling. SpDamID differentiates between monomeric and dimeric binding thereby allowing for identification of half-site motifs used by Notch dimers. Motif enrichment of Notch enhancers coupled with SpDamID reveals co-targeting of regulatory sequences by Notch and Runx1. SpDamID represents a sensitive and powerful tool that enables dynamic analysis of combinatorial protein-DNA transactions at a genome-wide level. PMID:26257285

Lab-on-a-chip in vitro compartmentalization technologies for protein studies.

PubMed

Zhu, Yonggang; Power, Barbara E

2008-01-01

In vitro compartmentalization (IVC) is a powerful tool for studying protein-protein reactions, due to its high capacity and the versatility of droplet technologies. IVC bridges the gap between chemistry and biology as it enables the incorporation of unnatural amino acids with modifications into biological systems, through protein transcription and translation reactions, in a cell-like microdrop environment. The quest for the ultimate chip for protein studies using IVC is the drive for the development of various microfluidic droplet technologies to enable these unusual biochemical reactions to occur. These techniques have been shown to generate precise microdrops with a controlled size. Various chemical and physical phenomena have been utilized for on-chip manipulation to allow the droplets to be generated, fused, and split. Coupled with detection techniques, droplets can be sorted and selected. These capabilities allow directed protein evolution to be carried out on a microchip. With further technological development of the detection module, factors such as addressable storage, transport and interfacing technologies, could be integrated and thus provide platforms for protein studies with high efficiency and accuracy that conventional laboratories cannot achieve.

Effect of waist diameter and twist on tapered asymmetrical dual-core fiber MZI filter.

PubMed

Liu, Yan; Li, Yang; Yan, Xiaojun; Li, Weidong

2015-10-01

A compact in-fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) filter fabricated from custom-designed asymmetrical dual-core fiber is numerically analyzed in detail and experimentally verified. The asymmetrical dual-core fiber has core diameters and a core pitch of 6.9, 6, and 19.9 μm, respectively. The fiber tapering technique is introduced to fuse the originally uncoupled cores into strong coupling tapered regions. The length and diameter of the waist region have a close impact on the splitting ratio, which further affects the spectral properties of the MZI filter. The field evolution with varied waist parameters is characterized by the finite element method and beam propagation method. Repeatable comb filters with ∼15  dB extinction ratio are successfully achieved under the guidance of simulated optimum conditions. The twist-induced circular birefringence gives rise to a retardance that causes the spectral shifts of the MZI filter. The theoretical and experimental results confirm that the relative wavelength shift is proportional to the retardance, which follows a sinc function in the limit of a large twist rate.

Architectural properties of the neuromuscular compartments in selected forearm skeletal muscles

PubMed Central

Liu, An-Tang; Liu, Ben-Li; Lu, Li-Xuan; Chen, Gang; Yu, Da-Zhi; Zhu, Lie; Guo, Rong; Dang, Rui-Shan; Jiang, Hua

2014-01-01

The purposes f this study were to (i) explore the possibility of splitting the selected forearm muscles into separate compartments in human subjects; (ii) quantify the architectural properties of each neuromuscular compartment; and (iii) discuss the implication of these properties in split tendon transfer procedures. Twenty upper limbs from 10 fresh human cadavers were used in this study. Ten limbs of five cadavers were used for intramuscular nerve study by modified Sihler's staining technique, which confirmed the neuromuscular compartments. The other 10 limbs were included for architectural analysis of neuromuscular compartments. The architectural features of the compartments including muscle weight, muscle length, fiber length, pennation angle, and sarcomere length were determined. Physiological cross-sectional area and fiber length/muscle length ratio were calculated. Five of the selected forearm muscles were ideal candidates for splitting, including flexor carpi ulnaris, flexor carpi radials, extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor carpi ulnaris and pronator teres. The humeral head of pronator teres contained the longest fiber length (6.23 ± 0.31 cm), and the radial compartment of extensor carpi ulnaris contained the shortest (2.90 ± 0.28 cm). The ulnar compartment of flexor carpi ulnaris had the largest physiological cross-sectional area (5.17 ± 0.59 cm2), and the ulnar head of pronator teres had the smallest (0.67 ± 0.06 cm2). Fiber length/muscle length ratios of the neuromuscular compartments were relatively low (average 0.27 ± 0.09, range 0.18–0.39) except for the ulnar head of pronator teres, which had the highest one (0.72 ± 0.05). Using modified Sihler's technique, this research demonstrated that each compartment of these selected forearm muscles has its own neurovascular supply after being split along its central tendon. Data of the architectural properties of each neuromuscular compartment provide insight into the ‘design’ of their functional capability. In addition to improving our understanding of muscle anatomy and function, elucidation of forearm neuromuscular compartments architecture may ultimately provide information useful for selection of muscle subdivisions used in tendon transfer. PMID:24836406

Modification of the random forest algorithm to avoid statistical dependence problems when classifying remote sensing imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cánovas-García, Fulgencio; Alonso-Sarría, Francisco; Gomariz-Castillo, Francisco; Oñate-Valdivieso, Fernando

2017-06-01

Random forest is a classification technique widely used in remote sensing. One of its advantages is that it produces an estimation of classification accuracy based on the so called out-of-bag cross-validation method. It is usually assumed that such estimation is not biased and may be used instead of validation based on an external data-set or a cross-validation external to the algorithm. In this paper we show that this is not necessarily the case when classifying remote sensing imagery using training areas with several pixels or objects. According to our results, out-of-bag cross-validation clearly overestimates accuracy, both overall and per class. The reason is that, in a training patch, pixels or objects are not independent (from a statistical point of view) of each other; however, they are split by bootstrapping into in-bag and out-of-bag as if they were really independent. We believe that putting whole patch, rather than pixels/objects, in one or the other set would produce a less biased out-of-bag cross-validation. To deal with the problem, we propose a modification of the random forest algorithm to split training patches instead of the pixels (or objects) that compose them. This modified algorithm does not overestimate accuracy and has no lower predictive capability than the original. When its results are validated with an external data-set, the accuracy is not different from that obtained with the original algorithm. We analysed three remote sensing images with different classification approaches (pixel and object based); in the three cases reported, the modification we propose produces a less biased accuracy estimation.

Tracing Surrogates for Enteric Pathogens Inoculated on Hide through the Beef Harvesting Process.

PubMed

Villarreal-Silva, Mariana; Genho, Daniel P; Ilhak, Irfan; Lucia, Lisa M; Dickson, James S; Gehring, Kerri B; Savell, Jeffrey W; Castillo, Alejandro

2016-11-01

Multiple antimicrobial interventions have been validated for use during the beef postharvesting process. However, little has been done to determine the impact of the postharvest environment on pathogen contamination. In this study, surrogate microorganisms were used to simulate pathogen cross-contamination through the postharvest environment at three different abattoirs. At each abattoir, the brisket areas of 13 hide-on carcasses were inoculated after stunning, with a gelatin slurry containing a cocktail (~7 log CFU/ml) of fluorescent Escherichia coli biotype I. These microorganisms are approved as surrogates for E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella . From these carcasses, samples (300 cm 2 ) were taken at different stages during the harvesting process: after hide opening, prior to evisceration, after evisceration, after splitting, and after final intervention. The carcass (noninoculated) immediately following (adjacent to) each hide-inoculated carcass was also tested to determine cross-contamination. Environmental (floor, walls, air) and personal garment (gloves, boots, aprons) samples were collected. Other sampled equipment included knives, meat hooks, hide pullers, and splitting saws. Results demonstrated that cross-contamination occurred between the inoculated hide and the carcass and also by transfer of microorganisms to the adjacent, noninoculated carcasses. Microbial transfer also occurred from hides or carcasses to the environment, personal garments, and equipment. Counts of the surrogate bacteria used were higher in equipment samples (15%) than in environment samples (10%). Personal garments had the lowest occurrence of cross-contamination (7%). For all abattoirs, surrogates were undetected on the carcass (<1.4 log CFU/300cm 2 ) after the final intervention stage. This study confirms the importance of following adequate procedures for carcass dressing and highlights an adequate hide opening procedure as a crucial step to prevent carcass contamination.

Cross-domain and multi-task transfer learning of deep convolutional neural network for breast cancer diagnosis in digital breast tomosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samala, Ravi K.; Chan, Heang-Ping; Hadjiiski, Lubomir; Helvie, Mark A.; Richter, Caleb; Cha, Kenny

2018-02-01

We propose a cross-domain, multi-task transfer learning framework to transfer knowledge learned from non-medical images by a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) to medical image recognition task while improving the generalization by multi-task learning of auxiliary tasks. A first stage cross-domain transfer learning was initiated from ImageNet trained DCNN to mammography trained DCNN. 19,632 regions-of-interest (ROI) from 2,454 mass lesions were collected from two imaging modalities: digitized-screen film mammography (SFM) and full-field digital mammography (DM), and split into training and test sets. In the multi-task transfer learning, the DCNN learned the mass classification task simultaneously from the training set of SFM and DM. The best transfer network for mammography was selected from three transfer networks with different number of convolutional layers frozen. The performance of single-task and multitask transfer learning on an independent SFM test set in terms of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.78+/-0.02 and 0.82+/-0.02, respectively. In the second stage cross-domain transfer learning, a set of 12,680 ROIs from 317 mass lesions on DBT were split into validation and independent test sets. We first studied the data requirements for the first stage mammography trained DCNN by varying the mammography training data from 1% to 100% and evaluated its learning on the DBT validation set in inference mode. We found that the entire available mammography set provided the best generalization. The DBT validation set was then used to train only the last four fully connected layers, resulting in an AUC of 0.90+/-0.04 on the independent DBT test set.

The SAGES Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy program (FUSE): history, development, and purpose.

PubMed

Fuchshuber, P; Schwaitzberg, S; Jones, D; Jones, S B; Feldman, L; Munro, M; Robinson, T; Purcell-Jackson, G; Mikami, D; Madani, A; Brunt, M; Dunkin, B; Gugliemi, C; Groah, L; Lim, R; Mischna, J; Voyles, C R

2018-06-01

Adverse events due to energy device use in surgical operating rooms are a daily occurrence. These occur at a rate of approximately 1-2 per 1000 operations. Hundreds of operating room fires occur each year in the United States, some causing severe injury and even mortality. The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) therefore created the first comprehensive educational curriculum on the safe use of surgical energy devices, called Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy (FUSE). This paper describes the history, development, and purpose of this important training program for all members of the operating room team. The databases of SAGES and the FUSE committee as well as personal photographs and documents of members of the FUSE task force were used to establish a brief history of the FUSE program from its inception to its current status. The authors were able to detail all aspects of the history, development, and national as well as global implementation of the third SAGES Fundamentals Program FUSE. The written documentation of the making of FUSE is an important contribution to the history and mission of SAGES and allows the reader to understand the idea, concept, realization, and implementation of the only free online educational tool for physicians on energy devices available today. FUSE is the culmination of the SAGES efforts to recognize gaps in patient safety and develop state-of-the-art educational programs to address those gaps. It is the goal of the FUSE task force to ensure that general FUSE implementation becomes multinational, involving as many countries as possible.

Fiber Fabry-Perot Interferometric Sensor for the Measurement of Electric Current Flowing through a Fuse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jaehee

2007-06-01

A fiber Fabry-Perot inteferometric sensor bonded close to a fusing element has been studied for the measurement of electric current flowing through a fuse. The phase shift of the sensor output signal is proportional to the square of the electric current passing through the fuse and the sensitivity is 0.827°/mA2.

Management of upper urinary tract calculi in crossed fused renal ectopic anomaly

PubMed Central

Huang, Liang; Lin, Yong; Tang, Zhengyan; Lie, Dongjie; Wang, Zhao; Chen, Hequn; Wang, Guilin

2018-01-01

The aim of the present study was to summarize the management of upper urinary tract calculi in crossed fused renal ectopia (CFRE). Two patients were retrospectively studied in Xiangya Hospital (Changsha, China) and all relevant literature published in English between 1996 and 2016 was reviewed. All patients, including those reported in the literature, were characterized by age, sex, manifestation, therapy history, ectopic side, stone location, surgery and outcome. The patients had a mean age of 42.3±18.5 years, a male: Female ratio of 5:4 and the ratio of renal ectopic side was 9:8 (left:right). All patients suffered from different degrees of pain on the affected side, with or without hematuria. Up to 89% of patients presented with renal stones. These patients received treatments including conservative management in 2, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in 2, percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in 11, laparoscope nephrolithotomy in 1 and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in 3. Complete stone clearance was achieved in 14 patients (73.7%). In addition, 3 patients had a history of failed ESWL. No obvious intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred. The results suggested that, for the treatment of CFRE with upper urinary tract calculi, conservative treatment and ESWL are insufficient. PCNL is a safe and effective treatment for renal calculus, and laparoscopic nephrolithotomy is an alternative choice for treating large or staghorn renal stones. RIRS may become the first line of treatment for renal stones (≤3.5 cm) due to its multiple merits, including higher stone-free rates, minimal invasion and fewer complications. PMID:29375692

Management of upper urinary tract calculi in crossed fused renal ectopic anomaly.

PubMed

Huang, Liang; Lin, Yong; Tang, Zhengyan; Lie, Dongjie; Wang, Zhao; Chen, Hequn; Wang, Guilin

2018-01-01

The aim of the present study was to summarize the management of upper urinary tract calculi in crossed fused renal ectopia (CFRE). Two patients were retrospectively studied in Xiangya Hospital (Changsha, China) and all relevant literature published in English between 1996 and 2016 was reviewed. All patients, including those reported in the literature, were characterized by age, sex, manifestation, therapy history, ectopic side, stone location, surgery and outcome. The patients had a mean age of 42.3±18.5 years, a male: Female ratio of 5:4 and the ratio of renal ectopic side was 9:8 (left:right). All patients suffered from different degrees of pain on the affected side, with or without hematuria. Up to 89% of patients presented with renal stones. These patients received treatments including conservative management in 2, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in 2, percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in 11, laparoscope nephrolithotomy in 1 and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in 3. Complete stone clearance was achieved in 14 patients (73.7%). In addition, 3 patients had a history of failed ESWL. No obvious intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred. The results suggested that, for the treatment of CFRE with upper urinary tract calculi, conservative treatment and ESWL are insufficient. PCNL is a safe and effective treatment for renal calculus, and laparoscopic nephrolithotomy is an alternative choice for treating large or staghorn renal stones. RIRS may become the first line of treatment for renal stones (≤3.5 cm) due to its multiple merits, including higher stone-free rates, minimal invasion and fewer complications.

Non-destructive evaluation of UV pulse laser-induced damage performance of fused silica optics.

PubMed

Huang, Jin; Wang, Fengrui; Liu, Hongjie; Geng, Feng; Jiang, Xiaodong; Sun, Laixi; Ye, Xin; Li, Qingzhi; Wu, Weidong; Zheng, Wanguo; Sun, Dunlu

2017-11-24

The surface laser damage performance of fused silica optics is related to the distribution of surface defects. In this study, we used chemical etching assisted by ultrasound and magnetorheological finishing to modify defect distribution in a fused silica surface, resulting in fused silica samples with different laser damage performance. Non-destructive test methods such as UV laser-induced fluorescence imaging and photo-thermal deflection were used to characterize the surface defects that contribute to the absorption of UV laser radiation. Our results indicate that the two methods can quantitatively distinguish differences in the distribution of absorptive defects in fused silica samples subjected to different post-processing steps. The percentage of fluorescence defects and the weak absorption coefficient were strongly related to the damage threshold and damage density of fused silica optics, as confirmed by the correlation curves built from statistical analysis of experimental data. The results show that non-destructive evaluation methods such as laser-induced fluorescence and photo-thermal absorption can be effectively applied to estimate the damage performance of fused silica optics at 351 nm pulse laser radiation. This indirect evaluation method is effective for laser damage performance assessment of fused silica optics prior to utilization.

[Effects of laser welding on bond of porcelain fused cast pure titanium].

PubMed

Zhu, Juan-fang; He, Hui-ming; Gao, Bo; Wang, Zhong-yi

2006-04-01

To investigate the influence of the laser welding on bond of porcelain fused to cast pure titanium. Twenty cast titanium plates were divided into two groups: laser welded group and control group. The low-fusing porcelain was fused to the laser welded cast pure titanium plates at fusion zone. The bond strength of the porcelain to laser welded cast pure titanium was measured by the three-point bending test. The interface of titanium and porcelain was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy depressive X-ray detector (EDX). The non-welded titanium plates were used as comparison. No significant difference of the bond strength was found between laser-welded samples [(46.85 +/- 0.76) MPa] and the controls [(41.71 +/- 0.55) MPa] (P > 0.05). The SEM displayed the interface presented similar irregularities with a predominance. The titanium diffused to low-fusing porcelain, while silicon and aluminum diffused to titanium basement. Laser welding does not affect low-fusing porcelain fused to pure titanium.

Internal fuse modules for solid tantalum capacitors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dematos, H. V.

1981-01-01

Miniature fuse modules were designed for and incorporated into two styles of solid tantalum capacitors. One is an epoxy molded, radial leaded, high frequency decoupling capacitor; the other is an hermetically sealed device with axial lead wires. The fusible element for both devices consists of a fine bimetallic wire which reacts exothermically upon reaching a critical temperature and then disintegrates. The desirability of having fused devices is discussed and design constraints, in particular those which minimize inductance and series resistance while optimizing fuse actuation characteristics, are reviewed. Factors affecting the amount of energy required to actuate the fuse and reliability of acuation are identified.

Evaluation of a Modified Version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-20

psychological well-being at a single time point. Methods: The study population (N = 135,843) was randomly and equally split into exploratory and confirmatory...with social support and personal mastery. Conclusions: The modified PTGI-SF in this study captures psychological well-being in cross-sectional...Keywords: Psychological well-being, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Military, Psychometrics Background Posttraumatic growth refers to the positive

Neutron-proton effective mass splitting in neutron-rich matter at normal density from analyzing nucleon-nucleus scattering data within an isospin dependent optical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiao-Hua; Guo, Wen-Jun; Li, Bao-An; Chen, Lie-Wen; Fattoyev, Farrukh J.; Newton, William G.

2015-04-01

The neutron-proton effective mass splitting in asymmetric nucleonic matter of isospin asymmetry δ and normal density is found to be mn-p* ≡ (mn* - mp*) / m = (0.41 ± 0.15) δ from analyzing globally 1088 sets of reaction and angular differential cross sections of proton elastic scattering on 130 targets with beam energies from 0.783 MeV to 200 MeV, and 1161 sets of data of neutron elastic scattering on 104 targets with beam energies from 0.05 MeV to 200 MeV within an isospin dependent non-relativistic optical potential model. It sets a useful reference for testing model predictions on the momentum dependence of the nucleon isovector potential necessary for understanding novel structures and reactions of rare isotopes.

Meson-meson scattering: K{anti K}-thresholds and f{sub 0}(980)-a{sub 0}(980) mixing

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

O. Krehl; R. Rapp; J. Speth

1996-09-01

The authors study the influence of mass splitting between the charged and neutral pions and kaons in the Juelich meson exchange model for {pi}{pi} and {pi}{eta} scattering. The calculations are performed in the particle basis, which permits the use of physical masses for the pseudoscalar mesons and a study of the distinct thresholds associated with the neutral and the charged kaons. Within this model the authors also investigate the isospin violation which arises from the mass splitting and an apparent violation of G-parity in {pi}{pi} scattering which stems from the coupling to the K{anti K} channel. Nonvanishing cross sections formore » {pi}{pi} {r_arrow} {pi}{sup 0}{eta} indicate a mixing of the f{sub 0}(980) and a{sub 0}(980) states.« less

Bilateral foveal retinoschisis accompanying unilateral peripheral retinoschisis.

PubMed

Kocak, Nilufer; Ozturk, Taylan A; Kaynak, Suleyman

2014-04-01

X-linked juvenile retinoschisis is a rare hereditary retinal disease characterized by a tangential splitting of the neurosensory retina which may cause early-onset visual impairment. Existence of the retinal neurosensory layer splitting on cross-sectional images of optical coherance tomography (OCT) and the absence of leakage on fluorescein angiography (FA) help confirming the diagnosis. Such diagnostic tests are also helpful in determining the management of the disease. However, most of the retinoschisis cavities remain stable and rarely extend to the posterior pole, many authors suggest laser prophylaxis to avoid the potential risk of retinal detachment due to holes in the outer retinal layer. Herein, we report a case with bilateral foveal retinoschisis accompanying unilateral peripheral retinoschisis who was evaluated with detailed ophthalmologic examination. Visual acuity, fundoscopy, OCT, and FA remained stable in the second year of follow-up after prophylactic argon laser treatment.

Cross-reactions vs co-sensitization evaluated by in silico motifs and in vitro IgE microarray testing.

PubMed

Pfiffner, P; Stadler, B M; Rasi, C; Scala, E; Mari, A

2012-02-01

Using an in silico allergen clustering method, we have recently shown that allergen extracts are highly cross-reactive. Here we used serological data from a multi-array IgE test based on recombinant or highly purified natural allergens to evaluate whether co-reactions are true cross-reactions or co-sensitizations by allergens with the same motifs. The serum database consisted of 3142 samples, each tested against 103 highly purified natural or recombinant allergens. Cross-reactivity was predicted by an iterative motif-finding algorithm through sequence motifs identified in 2708 known allergens. Allergen proteins containing the same motifs cross-reacted as predicted. However, proteins with identical motifs revealed a hierarchy in the degree of cross-reaction: The more frequent an allergen was positive in the allergic population, the less frequently it was cross-reacting and vice versa. Co-sensitization was analyzed by splitting the dataset into patient groups that were most likely sensitized through geographical occurrence of allergens. Interestingly, most co-reactions are cross-reactions but not co-sensitizations. The observed hierarchy of cross-reactivity may play an important role for the future management of allergic diseases. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Intein-mediated assembly of a functional β-glucuronidase in transgenic plants

PubMed Central

Yang, Jianjun; Fox, George C.; Henry-Smith, Tina V.

2003-01-01

The DnaE intein in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803 is the first and only naturally split intein that has been identified so far. It is capable of catalyzing a protein trans-splicing mechanism to assemble a mature protein from two separate precursors. Therefore, it is a powerful tool for protein modification and engineering. Inteins have not been identified, nor have intein-mediated protein splicing reactions been demonstrated, in plant cells. In this paper, we describe the use of the Ssp DnaE split intein in transgenic plants for reconstitution of a protein trans-splicing reaction. We have synthesized artificial genes that encode for N-terminal half (Int-n) and C-terminal half (Int-c) fragments of Ssp DnaE split intein and divided β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene to encode GUS-n and GUS-c parts of the enzyme as reporter. The in-frame fusions of GUSn/Intn and Intc/GUSc were constructed and transfected into Arabidopsis. We have observed in vivo reassembly of functional β-glucuronidase when both GUSn/Intn and Intc/GUSc constructs were introduced into the same Arabidopsis genome either by cotransformation or through genetic crossing, hereby signifying an intein-mediated protein trans-splicing mechanism reconstituted in plant cells. PMID:12629210

30 CFR 28.2 - Approved fuses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... MINING PRODUCTS FUSES FOR USE WITH DIRECT CURRENT IN PROVIDING SHORT-CIRCUIT PROTECTION FOR TRAILING...-circuit protection for trailing cables in coal mines only where such fuses are: (1) The same in all...

Numerical simulation of single bubble dynamics under acoustic travelling waves.

PubMed

Ma, Xiaojian; Huang, Biao; Li, Yikai; Chang, Qing; Qiu, Sicong; Su, Zheng; Fu, Xiaoying; Wang, Guoyu

2018-04-01

The objective of this paper is to apply CLSVOF method to investigate the single bubble dynamics in acoustic travelling waves. The Naiver-Stokes equation considering the acoustic radiation force is proposed and validated to capture the bubble behaviors. And the CLSVOF method, which can capture the continuous geometric properties and satisfies mass conservation, is applied in present work. Firstly, the regime map, depending on the dimensionless acoustic pressure amplitude and acoustic wave number, is constructed to present different bubble behaviors. Then, the time evolution of the bubble oscillation is investigated and analyzed. Finally, the effect of the direction and the damping coefficient of acoustic wave propagation on the bubble behavior are also considered. The numerical results show that the bubble presents distinct oscillation types in acoustic travelling waves, namely, volume oscillation, shape oscillation, and splitting oscillation. For the splitting oscillation, the formation of jet, splitting of bubble, and the rebound of sub-bubbles may lead to substantial increase in pressure fluctuations on the boundary. For the shape oscillation, the nodes and antinodes of the acoustic pressure wave contribute to the formation of the "cross shape" of the bubble. It should be noted that the direction of the bubble translation and bubble jet are always towards the direction of wave propagation. In addition, the damping coefficient causes bubble in shape oscillation to be of asymmetry in shape and inequality in size, and delays the splitting process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Co-fuse: a new class discovery analysis tool to identify and prioritize recurrent fusion genes from RNA-sequencing data.

PubMed

Paisitkriangkrai, Sakrapee; Quek, Kelly; Nievergall, Eva; Jabbour, Anissa; Zannettino, Andrew; Kok, Chung Hoow

2018-06-07

Recurrent oncogenic fusion genes play a critical role in the development of various cancers and diseases and provide, in some cases, excellent therapeutic targets. To date, analysis tools that can identify and compare recurrent fusion genes across multiple samples have not been available to researchers. To address this deficiency, we developed Co-occurrence Fusion (Co-fuse), a new and easy to use software tool that enables biologists to merge RNA-seq information, allowing them to identify recurrent fusion genes, without the need for exhaustive data processing. Notably, Co-fuse is based on pattern mining and statistical analysis which enables the identification of hidden patterns of recurrent fusion genes. In this report, we show that Co-fuse can be used to identify 2 distinct groups within a set of 49 leukemic cell lines based on their recurrent fusion genes: a multiple myeloma (MM) samples-enriched cluster and an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) samples-enriched cluster. Our experimental results further demonstrate that Co-fuse can identify known driver fusion genes (e.g., IGH-MYC, IGH-WHSC1) in MM, when compared to AML samples, indicating the potential of Co-fuse to aid the discovery of yet unknown driver fusion genes through cohort comparisons. Additionally, using a 272 primary glioma sample RNA-seq dataset, Co-fuse was able to validate recurrent fusion genes, further demonstrating the power of this analysis tool to identify recurrent fusion genes. Taken together, Co-fuse is a powerful new analysis tool that can be readily applied to large RNA-seq datasets, and may lead to the discovery of new disease subgroups and potentially new driver genes, for which, targeted therapies could be developed. The Co-fuse R source code is publicly available at https://github.com/sakrapee/co-fuse .

Practical comparison of 2.7 microm fused-core silica particles and porous sub-2 microm particles for fast separations in pharmaceutical process development.

PubMed

Abrahim, Ahmed; Al-Sayah, Mohammad; Skrdla, Peter; Bereznitski, Yuri; Chen, Yadan; Wu, Naijun

2010-01-05

Fused-core silica stationary phases represent a key technological advancement in the arena of fast HPLC separations. These phases are made by fusing a 0.5 microm porous silica layer onto 1.7 microm nonporous silica cores. The reduced intra-particle flow path of the fused particles provides superior mass transfer kinetics and better performance at high mobile phase velocities, while the fused-core particles provide lower pressure than sub-2 microm particles. In this work, chromatographic performance of the fused-core particles (Ascentis Express) was investigated and compared to that of sub-2 microm porous particles (1.8 microm Zorbax Eclipse Plus C18 and 1.7 microm Acquity BEH C18). Specifically, retention, selectivity, and loading capacity were systematically compared for these two types of columns. Other chromatographic parameters such as efficiency and pressure drop were also studied. Although the fused-core column was found to provide better analyte shape selectivity, both columns had similar hydrophobic, hydrogen bonding, total ion-exchange, and acidic ion-exchange selectivities. As expected, the retention factors and sample loading capacity on the fused-core particle column were slightly lower than those for the sub-2 microm particle column. However, the most dramatic observation was that similar efficiency separations to the sub-2 microm particles could be achieved using the fused-core particles, without the expense of high column back pressure. The low pressure of the fused-core column allows fast separations to be performed routinely on a conventional LC system without significant loss in efficiency or resolution. Applications to the HPLC impurity profiling of drug substance candidates were performed using both types of columns to validate this last point.

Redundancy Technology With A Focused Ion Beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komano, Haruki; Hashimoto, Kazuhiko; Takigawa, Tadahiro

1989-08-01

Fuse cutting with a focused ion beam to activate redundancy circuits is proposed. In order to verify its potential usefulness, experiments have been performed. Fuse-cutting time was evaluated using aluminum fuses with a thin passivation layer, which are difficult to cut by conventional laser-beam technology due to the material's high reflectivity. The fuse width and thickness were 2 and 0.8 μm, respectively. The fuse was cut in 5 seconds with a 30 keV focused ion beam of 0.3 A/cm2 current density. Since the fuses used in DRAMs will be smaller, their cutting time will become shorter by scanning an ion beam on narrower areas. Moreover, it can be shortened by increasing current density. Fuses for redundancy technology in 256 k CMOS SRAMs were cut with a focused ion beam. The operation of the memories was checked with a memory tester. It was confirmed that memories which had failure cells operated normally after focused-ion-beam fuse-cutting. Focused ion beam irradiation effects upon a device have been studied. When a 30 keV gallium focused ion beam was irradiated near the gate of MOSFETs, a threshold voltage shift was not observed at an ion dose of 0.3 C/cm2 which corresponded to the ion dose in cutting a fuse. However, when irradiated on the gate, a threshold voltage shift was observed at ion doses of more than 8 x 10-4 C/cm2. The voltage shift was caused by the charge of ions within the passivation layer. It is necessary at least not to irradiate a focused ion beam on a device in cutting fuses. It is concluded that the focused-ion-beam method will be advantageous for future redundancy technology application.

Relativistic effects in the photoionization of hydrogen-like ions with screened Coulomb interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, L. Y.; Wang, J. G.; Janev, R. K.

2014-06-01

The relativistic effects in the photoionization of hydrogen-like ion with screened Coulomb interaction of Yukawa type are studied for a broad range of screening lengths and photoelectron energies. The bound and continuum wave functions have been determined by solving the Dirac equation. The study is focused on the relativistic effects manifested in the characteristic features of photoionization cross section for electric dipole nl →ɛ,l±1 transitions: shape resonances, Cooper minima and cross section enhancements due to near-zero-energy states. It is shown that the main source of relativistic effects in these cross section features is the fine-structure splitting of bound state energy levels. The relativistic effects are studied in the photoionization of Fe25+ ion, as an example.

Relativistic effects in the photoionization of hydrogen-like ions with screened Coulomb interaction

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

Xie, L. Y.; Key Laboratory of Computational Physics, Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, P.O. Box 8009-26, Beijing 100088; Wang, J. G.

2014-06-15

The relativistic effects in the photoionization of hydrogen-like ion with screened Coulomb interaction of Yukawa type are studied for a broad range of screening lengths and photoelectron energies. The bound and continuum wave functions have been determined by solving the Dirac equation. The study is focused on the relativistic effects manifested in the characteristic features of photoionization cross section for electric dipole nl→ε,l±1 transitions: shape resonances, Cooper minima and cross section enhancements due to near-zero-energy states. It is shown that the main source of relativistic effects in these cross section features is the fine-structure splitting of bound state energy levels.more » The relativistic effects are studied in the photoionization of Fe{sup 25+} ion, as an example.« less

A sub-microwatt asynchronous level-crossing ADC for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Li, Yongjia; Zhao, Duan; Serdijn, Wouter A

2013-04-01

A continuous-time level-crossing analog-to-digital converter (LC-ADC) for biomedical applications is presented. When compared to uniform-sampling (US) ADCs LC-ADCs generate fewer samples for various sparse biomedical signals. Lower power consumption and reduced design complexity with respect to conventional LC-ADCs are achieved due to: 1) replacing the n-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with a 1-bit DAC; 2) splitting the level-crossing detections; and 3) fixing the comparison window. Designed and implemented in 0.18 μm CMOS technology, the proposed ADC uses a chip area of 220 × 203 μm(2). Operating from a supply voltage of 0.8 V, the ADC consumes 313-582 nW from 5 Hz to 5 kHz and achieves an ENOB up to 7.9 bits.

Quantum search algorithms on a regular lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hein, Birgit; Tanner, Gregor

2010-07-01

Quantum algorithms for searching for one or more marked items on a d-dimensional lattice provide an extension of Grover’s search algorithm including a spatial component. We demonstrate that these lattice search algorithms can be viewed in terms of the level dynamics near an avoided crossing of a one-parameter family of quantum random walks. We give approximations for both the level splitting at the avoided crossing and the effectively two-dimensional subspace of the full Hilbert space spanning the level crossing. This makes it possible to give the leading order behavior for the search time and the localization probability in the limit of large lattice size including the leading order coefficients. For d=2 and d=3, these coefficients are calculated explicitly. Closed form expressions are given for higher dimensions.

Production of single heavy charged leptons at a linear collider

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

De Pree, Erin; Sher, Marc; Turan, Ismail

2008-05-01

A sequential fourth generation of quarks and leptons is allowed by precision electroweak constraints if the mass splitting between the heavy quarks is between 50 and 80 GeV. Although heavy quarks can be easily detected at the LHC, it is very difficult to detect a sequential heavy charged lepton, L, due to large backgrounds. Should the L mass be above 250 GeV, it cannot be pair-produced at a 500 GeV ILC. We calculate the cross section for the one-loop process e{sup +}e{sup -}{yields}L{tau}. Although the cross section is small, it may be detectable. We also consider contributions from the two-Higgsmore » doublet model and the Randall-Sundrum model, in which case the cross section can be substantially higher.« less

KSC-99pp0494

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-03

Workers at Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station, maneuver an overhead crane toward NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite standing between vertical workstands. The crane will lift FUSE to move it onto the Payload Attach Fitting (PAF) in front of it. FUSE is undergoing a functional test of its systems, plus installation of flight batteries and solar arrays. Developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched May 27 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket at Launch Complex 17

Morphological evaluation of maxillary second molars with fused roots: a micro-CT study.

PubMed

Ordinola-Zapata, R; Martins, J N R; Bramante, C M; Villas-Boas, M H; Duarte, M H; Versiani, M A

2017-12-01

To evaluate the internal and external morphologies of fused-rooted maxillary second molars by means of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) analysis. A total of 100 fused-rooted maxillary second molars from a Brazilian subpopulation were divided into six groups according to the root morphology. The samples were scanned at a resolution of 19.6 μm and evaluated with regard to the external morphology of the roots, the root canal configuration, the percentage frequency of C-shaped canals and isthmuses, as well as the morphology of the root canal system at 1, 2 and 3 mm from the anatomical apex of the fused roots. The most prevalent root canal fusions were type 1, mesiobuccal root fused with distobuccal root (32%), followed by type 3, DB root fused with P root (27%), and type 4, MB root fused with DB root, and P root fused with MB or DB roots (21%). The prevalence of C-shaped root canal systems were 22%. Depending on the type of root fusion, the percentage frequency of isthmuses in the apical level varied from 9.3% to 42.8%, whilst the presence of apical deltas ranged from 18.5% to 57.1% of teeth. The root canal system of maxillary second molars with fused roots may have a high incidence of merging canals, isthmuses, apical deltas and C-shaped configurations. © 2017 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Wideband radar cross section reduction using two-dimensional phase gradient metasurfaces

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

Li, Yongfeng; Qu, Shaobo; Wang, Jiafu

2014-06-02

Phase gradient metasurface (PGMs) are artificial surfaces that can provide pre-defined in-plane wave-vectors to manipulate the directions of refracted/reflected waves. In this Letter, we propose to achieve wideband radar cross section (RCS) reduction using two-dimensional (2D) PGMs. A 2D PGM was designed using a square combination of 49 split-ring sub-unit cells. The PGM can provide additional wave-vectors along the two in-plane directions simultaneously, leading to either surface wave conversion, deflected reflection, or diffuse reflection. Both the simulation and experiment results verified the wide-band, polarization-independent, high-efficiency RCS reduction induced by the 2D PGM.

Ballistic One-Dimensional InAs Nanowire Cross-Junction Interconnects.

PubMed

Gooth, Johannes; Borg, Mattias; Schmid, Heinz; Schaller, Vanessa; Wirths, Stephan; Moselund, Kirsten; Luisier, Mathieu; Karg, Siegfried; Riel, Heike

2017-04-12

Coherent interconnection of quantum bits remains an ongoing challenge in quantum information technology. Envisioned hardware to achieve this goal is based on semiconductor nanowire (NW) circuits, comprising individual NW devices that are linked through ballistic interconnects. However, maintaining the sensitive ballistic conduction and confinement conditions across NW intersections is a nontrivial problem. Here, we go beyond the characterization of a single NW device and demonstrate ballistic one-dimensional (1D) quantum transport in InAs NW cross-junctions, monolithically integrated on Si. Characteristic 1D conductance plateaus are resolved in field-effect measurements across up to four NW-junctions in series. The 1D ballistic transport and sub-band splitting is preserved for both crossing-directions. We show that the 1D modes of a single injection terminal can be distributed into multiple NW branches. We believe that NW cross-junctions are well-suited as cross-directional communication links for the reliable transfer of quantum information as required for quantum computational systems.

The Effect of Drycleaning Moisture on Fused Cloth Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-01

TECHNICAL REPORT NATICK/TR-89/024 et, THE EFFECT OF DRYCLEANING MOISTURE ON FUSED CLOTH SYSTEMS BY ELIZABETH J. MORELAND International...MOISTUP.E ON FUSED CLOTH SYSTEMS 12. PERSONAL AUTMOR(S) Elizabeth J. MorelanJ 13«. TYPE OF REPORT Final Technical Report 13b. TIME COVERED...This project was initiated to investigate the effect of moisture in drycleaning systems on preselected fused cloth structures. Adverse surface

Halting the fuse discharge propagation using optical fiber microwires.

PubMed

Rocha, A M; Fernandes, G; Domingues, F; Niehus, M; Pinto, A N; Facão, M; André, P S

2012-09-10

We report and analyze the halting of the fuse effect propagation in optical fiber microwires. The increase of the mode field diameter in the tapered region decreases the optical intensity resulting in the extinction of the fuse effect. This fiber element presents a low insertion loss and can be introduced in the optical network in order to protect the active equipment from the damage caused by the fuse effect.

Gradient-based multiresolution image fusion.

PubMed

Petrović, Valdimir S; Xydeas, Costas S

2004-02-01

A novel approach to multiresolution signal-level image fusion is presented for accurately transferring visual information from any number of input image signals, into a single fused image without loss of information or the introduction of distortion. The proposed system uses a "fuse-then-decompose" technique realized through a novel, fusion/decomposition system architecture. In particular, information fusion is performed on a multiresolution gradient map representation domain of image signal information. At each resolution, input images are represented as gradient maps and combined to produce new, fused gradient maps. Fused gradient map signals are processed, using gradient filters derived from high-pass quadrature mirror filters to yield a fused multiresolution pyramid representation. The fused output image is obtained by applying, on the fused pyramid, a reconstruction process that is analogous to that of conventional discrete wavelet transform. This new gradient fusion significantly reduces the amount of distortion artefacts and the loss of contrast information usually observed in fused images obtained from conventional multiresolution fusion schemes. This is because fusion in the gradient map domain significantly improves the reliability of the feature selection and information fusion processes. Fusion performance is evaluated through informal visual inspection and subjective psychometric preference tests, as well as objective fusion performance measurements. Results clearly demonstrate the superiority of this new approach when compared to conventional fusion systems.

Workers at CCAS attach solar panel to FUSE satellite.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers move a solar panel toward NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite before attaching it. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is targeted for launch June 23 from Launch Pad 17A, CCAS, aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket.

Workers at CCAS attach solar panel to FUSE satellite.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers check the installation of a solar panel on NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is targeted for launch June 23 from Launch Pad 17A, CCAS, aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket.

Workers at CCAS attach solar panel to FUSE satellite.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers attach a solar panel to NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is targeted for launch June 23 from Launch Pad 17A, CCAS, aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket.

The canister around the FUSE satellite is removed on the pad at CCAS.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers begin to remove the canister around the top of the NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study hydrogen and deuterium to unlock the secrets of how the primordial chemical elements of which all stars, planets and life evolved, were created and distributed since the birth of the universe. FUSE is scheduled to be launched from CCAS June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket.

The canister around the FUSE satellite is removed on the pad at CCAS.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers oversee the removal of the canister from the top of NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study hydrogen and deuterium to unlock the secrets of how the primordial chemical elements of which all stars, planets and life evolved, were created and distributed since the birth of the universe. FUSE is scheduled to be launched from CCAS June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket.

Fast-acting self-healing metallic fuse.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, F. C.; Renton, C. A.; Rabinovici, B.

1971-01-01

Description of a fast-acting nonmechanical self-healing mercury fuse capable of protecting a high current circuit or device from overcurrent fault damages. Basically the self-healing fuse consists of two enclosed mercury reservoirs connected by a fine capillary tube filled with mercury that serves as the fusing element. It is pointed out that a better understanding of the energy conversion process involved in the operation of the device could help explore other device configurations (such as a tapering geometry and use of magnetic field to drive the arc into the fuse wall on inductive loads, etc.) and thus extend the range of capabilities for this type of protective device.

Self-healing fuse development.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, N. D.

1972-01-01

The self-healing fuse is a very fast acting current overload protective device which opens and recloses in a few milliseconds. The fuse confines a mercury column in an insulated channel and returns the mercury to the channel after firing. Ratings 5 to 50 A at 600 peak volts are possible with a life of hundreds of cycles. Compared to conventional fuses, much less fault current energy fires the fuse by heating the mercury to boiling temperature. Next an arc discharge develops while explosive forces expel the liquid mercury from the channel. Then the high impedance arc either extinguishes immediately, or operates for a few milliseconds, until a switch opens the circuit.

Hole-assisted fiber based fiber fuse terminator supporting 22 W input

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsujikawa, Kyozo; Kurokawa, Kenji; Hanzawa, Nobutomo; Nozoe, Saki; Matsui, Takashi; Nakajima, Kazuhide

2018-05-01

We investigated the air hole structure in hole-assisted fiber (HAF) with the aim of terminating fiber fuse propagation. We focused on two structural parameters c/MFD and S1/S2, which are related respectively to the position and area of the air holes, and mapped their appropriate values for terminating fiber fuse propagation. Here, MFD is the mode field diameter, c is the diameter of an inscribed circle linking the air holes, S1 is the total area of the air holes, and S2 is the area of a circumscribed circle linking the air holes. On the basis of these results, we successfully realized a compact fiber fuse terminator consisting of a 1.35 mm-long HAF, which can terminate fiber fuse propagation even with a 22 W input. In addition, we observed fiber fuse termination using a high-speed camera. We additionally confirmed that the HAF-based fiber fuse terminator is effective under various input power conditions. The penetration length of the optical discharge in the HAF was only less than 300 μm when the input power was from 2 to 22 W.

Absolute OH Number Density Measurements in Lean Fuel-Air Mixtures Excited by a Repetitively Pulsed Nanosecond Discharge

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

cross section quartz channel with wall thickness of 1.75 mm. Two plane quartz windows are fused to the ends of the channel at Brewster angle (for ~308...ttp :// ar c. ai aa .o rg | D O I: 1 0. 25 14 /6 .2 01 3- 43 2 4 about 1 J/pulse, softly focused over the flame using a lens with a focal...region with an f=550 mm lens . The LIF signal sampling volume was about 100 mm away from the laser focal point, to avoid transition saturation. The

Multiclassifier fusion in human brain MR segmentation: modelling convergence.

PubMed

Heckemann, Rolf A; Hajnal, Joseph V; Aljabar, Paul; Rueckert, Daniel; Hammers, Alexander

2006-01-01

Segmentations of MR images of the human brain can be generated by propagating an existing atlas label volume to the target image. By fusing multiple propagated label volumes, the segmentation can be improved. We developed a model that predicts the improvement of labelling accuracy and precision based on the number of segmentations used as input. Using a cross-validation study on brain image data as well as numerical simulations, we verified the model. Fit parameters of this model are potential indicators of the quality of a given label propagation method or the consistency of the input segmentations used.

Barrier breaching device

DOEpatents

Honodel, Charles A.

1985-01-01

A barrier breaching device that is designed primarily for opening holes in interior walls of buildings uses detonating fuse for explosive force. The fuse acts as the ribs or spokes of an umbrella-like device that may be opened up to form a cone. The cone is placed against the wall so that detonating fuse that rings the base of the device and which is ignited by the spoke-like fuses serves to cut a circular hole in the wall.

Barrier breaching device

DOEpatents

Honodel, C.A.

1983-06-01

A barrier breaching device that is designed primarily for opening holes in interior walls of buildings uses detonating fuse for explosive force. The fuse acts as the ribs or spokes of an umbrella-like device that may be opened up to form a cone. The cone is placed against the wall so that detonating fuse that rings the base of the device and which is ignited by the spoke-like fuses serves to cut a circular hole in the wall.

Quantification of Residual Stress from Photonic Signatures of Fused Silica

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cramer, K. Elliott; Hayward, Maurice; Yost, William E.

2013-01-01

A commercially available grey-field polariscope (GFP) instrument for photoelastic examination is used to assess impact damage inflicted upon the outer-most pane of Space Shuttle windows made from fused silica. A method and apparatus for calibration of the stress-optic coefficient using four-point bending is discussed. The results are validated on known material (acrylic) and are found to agree with literature values to within 6%. The calibration procedure is then applied to fused-silica specimens and the stress-optic coefficient is determined to be 2.43 +/- 0.54 x 10(exp -12)/Pa. Fused silica specimens containing impacts artificially made at NASA's Hypervelocity Impact Technology Facility (HIT-F), to simulate damage typical during space flight, are examined. The damage sites are cored from fused silica window carcasses and examined with the GFP. The calibrated GFP measurements of residual stress patterns surrounding the damage sites are presented. Keywords: Glass, fused silica, photoelasticity, residual stress

Dibenzo[a,f]perylene bisimide: effects of introducing two fused rings.

PubMed

Chaolumen; Enno, Hiroki; Murata, Michihisa; Wakamiya, Atsushi; Murata, Yasujiro

2014-11-01

Perylene bisimides (PBIs) are fascinating dyes with various potential applications. To study the effects of introducing a dibenzo-fused structure to the perylene moiety, π-extended PBI derivatives with a dibenzo-fused structure at both of the a and f bonds were synthesized. The twisted structure was characterized by X-ray crystal structure analysis. In the cyclic voltammograms, the dibenzo[a,f]-fused PBI showed a reversible oxidation wave at much less positive potential, relative to a dibenzo[a,o]-fused PBI derivative. These data indicated that two ring fusions at both sides of a naphthalene moiety, which construct a tetracene core, effectively raise the HOMO level compared to fusion of one ring at each naphthalene moiety (two anthracene cores). The dibenzo[a,f]-fused PBI derivative showed an absorption band at 735 nm with a shoulder band reaching 900 nm. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

KSC-99pp0380

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-05

Workers in Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station, begin removing the plastic covering from NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite before prelaunch processing. FUSE will undergo a functional test of its systems, followed by installation of the flight batteries and solar arrays. Tests are also scheduled for the communications and data systems linking FUSE with the spacecraft control center at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. FUSE was developed and will be operated by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The launch aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted for May 20 at Launch Complex 17

KSC-99pp0382

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-05

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station, NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite stands alone after workstands have been removed. As part of prelaunch processing, FUSE will undergo a functional test of its systems, followed by installation of the flight batteries and solar arrays. Tests are also scheduled for the communications and data systems linking FUSE with the spacecraft control center at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. FUSE was developed and will be operated by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The launch aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted for May 20 at Launch Complex 17

KSC-99pp0381

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-05

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station, NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite is unveiled before prelaunch processing. FUSE will undergo a functional test of its systems, followed by installation of the flight batteries and solar arrays. Tests are also scheduled for the communications and data systems linking FUSE with the spacecraft control center at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. FUSE was developed and will be operated by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The launch aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted for May 20 at Launch Complex 17

KSC-99pp0379

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-05

Workers in Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station, get ready to remove the protective shipping cover from NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite for prelaunch processing. FUSE will undergo a functional test of its systems, followed by installation of the flight batteries and solar arrays. Tests are also scheduled for the communications and data systems linking FUSE with the spacecraft control center at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. FUSE was developed and will be operated by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The launch aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted for May 20 at Launch Complex 17

Comparing monolithic and fused core HPLC columns for fast chromatographic analysis of fat-soluble vitamins.

PubMed

Kurdi, Said El; Muaileq, Dina Abu; Alhazmi, Hassan A; Bratty, Mohammed Al; Deeb, Sami El

2017-06-27

HPLC stationary phases of monolithic and fused core type can be used to achieve fast chromatographic separation as an alternative to UPLC. In this study, monolithic and fused core stationary phases are compared for fast separation of four fat-soluble vitamins. Three new methods on the first and second generation monolithic silica RP-18e columns and a fused core pentafluoro-phenyl propyl column were developed. Application of three fused core columns offered comparable separations of retinyl palmitate, DL-α-tocopheryl acetate, cholecalciferol and menadione in terms of elution speed and separation efficiency. Separation was achieved in approx. 5 min with good resolution (Rs > 5) and precision (RSD ≤ 0.6 %). Monolithic columns showed, however, a higher number of theoretical plates, better precision and lower column backpressure than the fused core column. The three developed methods were successfully applied to separate and quantitate fat-soluble vitamins in commercial products.

Lignin-based active anode materials synthesized from low-cost renewable resources

DOEpatents

Rios, Orlando; Tenhaeff, Wyatt Evan; Daniel, Claus; Dudney, Nancy Johnston; Johs, Alexander; Nunnery, Grady Alexander; Baker, Frederick Stanley

2016-06-07

A method of making an anode includes the steps of providing fibers from a carbonaceous precursor, the carbon fibers having a glass transition temperature T.sub.g. In one aspect the carbonaceous precursor is lignin. The carbonaceous fibers are placed into a layered fiber mat. The fiber mat is fused by heating the fiber mat in the presence of oxygen to above the T.sub.g but no more than 20% above the T.sub.g to fuse fibers together at fiber to fiber contact points and without melting the bulk fiber mat to create a fused fiber mat through oxidative stabilization. The fused fiber mat is carbonized by heating the fused fiber mat to at least 650.degree. C. under an inert atmosphere to create a carbonized fused fiber mat. A battery anode formed from carbonaceous precursor fibers is also disclosed.

Estimating Ground-Level PM2.5 by Fusing Satellite and Station Observations: A Geo-Intelligent Deep Learning Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Tongwen; Shen, Huanfeng; Yuan, Qiangqiang; Zhang, Xuechen; Zhang, Liangpei

2017-12-01

Fusing satellite observations and station measurements to estimate ground-level PM2.5 is promising for monitoring PM2.5 pollution. A geo-intelligent approach, which incorporates geographical correlation into an intelligent deep learning architecture, is developed to estimate PM2.5. Specifically, it considers geographical distance and spatiotemporally correlated PM2.5 in a deep belief network (denoted as Geoi-DBN). Geoi-DBN can capture the essential features associated with PM2.5 from latent factors. It was trained and tested with data from China in 2015. The results show that Geoi-DBN performs significantly better than the traditional neural network. The out-of-sample cross-validation R2 increases from 0.42 to 0.88, and RMSE decreases from 29.96 to 13.03 μg/m3. On the basis of the derived PM2.5 distribution, it is predicted that over 80% of the Chinese population live in areas with an annual mean PM2.5 of greater than 35 μg/m3. This study provides a new perspective for air pollution monitoring in large geographic regions.

The Role of Endolithic Cyanobacteria in the Formation of Lithified Laminae in Bahamian Stromatolites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prufert-Bebout, L.; Macintyre, I.; Reid, R. P.; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The microboring activity of endolithic cyanobacteria plays a major role in the formation of lithified laminae in modern marine stromatolites in the Exuma Cays, Bahamas. These stromatolites are composed primarily of fine grained carbonate sand that is trapped and bound by the filamentous cyanobacteria Schizothrix sp. Periodic introduction of coccoid endolithic cyanobacteria, Solentia sp., results in formation of lithified horizons, 200 to 1000 micron thick. We used SEM and petrographic analyses to examine both naturally occurring lithified layers dominated by endoliths and fused oolitic crusts generated in the laboratory by activity of endolithic cyanobacteria (Solentia sp.). Fused grain crusts consist of micritized grains that are welded together at point contacts. Micritization results from extensive microboring and rapid (days to weeks) carbonate precipitation within the bore holes. This precipitation appears to occur concurrently with further endolithic activity within the grain, Infilling of bore holes that cross from one grain to another at point contacts results in grain welding, Thus, while microboring destroys original grain textures, at the same time the endolith activity plays a constructional role in stromatolite growth by forming lithified layers of welded grains. These framework structures help to stabilize and preserve the stromatolite deposits.

A case of annular pancreas with Wirsung's duct encircling the duodenum: embryological hypothesis based on cholangiopancreatographic and immunohistochemical findings.

PubMed

Fukai, Manami; Kamisawa, Terumi; Horiguchi, Shin-Ichirou; Hishima, Tsunekazu; Kuruma, Sawako; Chiba, Kazuro; Koizumi, Satomi; Tabata, Taku; Nagao, Sayaka; Kikuyama, Masataka; Honda, Goro; Kurata, Masanao

2017-06-01

We present a resected case of annular pancreas in which Wirsung's duct encircled the duodenum and continued directly to the main pancreatic duct in the body and tail. Furthermore, Wirsung's duct coursed along the right side of the lower bile duct near the major duodenal papilla. Histologically, the islets of Langerhans in the annular pancreas were irregular in shape and were characterized by a striking abundance of pancreatic polypeptide (PP)-positive cells. The PP-rich area that encircled the duodenum was fused with the PP-poor area in the head of the pancreas. The following embryological hypothesis is proposed. The tip of the ventral pancreatic anlage adhered to the duodenal wall and stretched to form a ring during clockwise rotation. The rotation was incomplete, and the pancreatic duct did not cross over the lower bile duct. Since there was adequate ventral anlage in the lower part of the head of the pancreas, fusion between the ducts of the ventral and dorsal anlagen did not occur. The tip of the ventral anlage overgrew and adhered to the dorsal anlage, and the annular duct fused with the main duct of the dorsal anlage.

Expeditious Preparation of Open-Cage Fullerenes by Rhodium(I)-Catalyzed [2+2+2] Cycloaddition of Diynes and C60: an Experimental and Theoretical Study.

PubMed

Artigas, Albert; Pla-Quintana, Anna; Lledó, Agustí; Roglans, Anna; Solà, Miquel

2018-06-04

A novel methodology to transform C60 into a variety of open-cage fullerene derivatives employing rhodium(I) catalysis has been developed. This transformation encompasses a partially intermolecular [2+2+2] cycloaddition reaction between diynes 1 and C60 to deliver a cyclohexadiene-fused fullerene, which concomitantly undergoes a formal [4+4]/retro-[2+2+2] rearrangement to deliver open-cage fullerenes 2. Most notably, this process occurs without the need of photoexcitation. The complete mechanism of this transformation has been rationalized by DFT calculations, which indicate that, after [2+2+2] cycloaddition, the cyclohexadiene-fused intermediate evolves into the final product through a Rh-catalyzed di-π-methane rearrangement followed by a retro-[2+2+2] cycloaddition. The obtained open-cage fullerenes can be derivatized by Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling, or subjected to ring expansion to deliver a 12-membered ring orifice in the fullerene structure. Overall, the methodology presented constitutes a straightforward entry to functional open-cage C60-fullerene derivatives employing catalytic methods. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The ultrasound brain helmet: new transducers and volume registration for in vivo simultaneous multi-transducer 3-D transcranial imaging.

PubMed

Lindsey, Brooks D; Light, Edward D; Nicoletto, Heather A; Bennett, Ellen R; Laskowitz, Daniel T; Smith, Stephen W

2011-06-01

Because stroke remains an important and time-sensitive health concern in developed nations, we present a system capable of fusing 3-D transcranial ultrasound volumes acquired from two sides of the head. This system uses custom sparse array transducers built on flexible multilayer circuits that can be positioned for simultaneous imaging through both temporal acoustic windows, allowing for potential registration of multiple real-time 3-D scans of cerebral vasculature. We examine hardware considerations for new matrix arrays-transducer design and interconnects-in this application. Specifically, it is proposed that SNR may be increased by reducing the length of probe cables. This claim is evaluated as part of the presented system through simulation, experimental data, and in vivo imaging. Ultimately, gains in SNR of 7 dB are realized by replacing a standard probe cable with a much shorter flex interconnect; higher gains may be possible using ribbon-based probe cables. In vivo images are presented, showing cerebral arteries with and without the use of microbubble contrast agent; they have been registered and fused using a simple algorithm which maximizes normalized cross-correlation.

The Ultrasound Brain Helmet: New Transducers and Volume Registration for In Vivo Simultaneous Multi-Transducer 3-D Transcranial Imaging

PubMed Central

Lindsey, Brooks D.; Light, Edward D.; Nicoletto, Heather A.; Bennett, Ellen R.; Laskowitz, Daniel T.; Smith, Stephen W.

2012-01-01

Because stroke remains an important and time-sensitive health concern in developed nations, we present a system capable of fusing 3-D transcranial ultrasound volumes acquired from two sides of the head. This system uses custom sparse array transducers built on flexible multilayer circuits that can be positioned for simultaneous imaging through both temporal acoustic windows, allowing for potential registration of multiple real-time 3-D scans of cerebral vasculature. We examine hardware considerations for new matrix arrays—transducer design and interconnects—in this application. Specifically, it is proposed that SNR may be increased by reducing the length of probe cables. This claim is evaluated as part of the presented system through simulation, experimental data, and in vivo imaging. Ultimately, gains in SNR of 7 dB are realized by replacing a standard probe cable with a much shorter flex interconnect; higher gains may be possible using ribbon-based probe cables. In vivo images are presented, showing cerebral arteries with and without the use of microbubble contrast agent; they have been registered and fused using a simple algorithm which maximizes normalized cross-correlation. PMID:21693401

Microgravity Manufacturing Via Fused Deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, K. G.; Griffin, M. R.

2003-01-01

Manufacturing polymer hardware during space flight is currently outside the state of the art. A process called fused deposition modeling (FDM) can make this approach a reality by producing net-shaped components of polymer materials directly from a CAE model. FDM is a rapid prototyping process developed by Stratasys, Inc.. which deposits a fine line of semi-molten polymer onto a substrate while moving via computer control to form the cross-sectional shape of the part it is building. The build platen is then lowered and the process is repeated, building a component directly layer by layer. This method enables direct net-shaped production of polymer components directly from a computer file. The layered manufacturing process allows for the manufacture of complex shapes and internal cavities otherwise impossible to machine. This task demonstrated the benefits of the FDM technique to quickly and inexpensively produce replacement components or repair broken hardware in a Space Shuttle or Space Station environment. The intent of the task was to develop and fabricate an FDM system that was lightweight, compact, and required minimum power consumption to fabricate ABS plastic hardware in microgravity. The final product of the shortened task turned out to be a ground-based breadboard device, demonstrating miniaturization capability of the system.

Nitrous acid pretreatment of tendon xenografts cross-linked with glutaraldehyde and sterilized with gamma irradiation.

PubMed

Johnson, K A; Rogers, G J; Roe, S C; Howlett, C R; Clayton, M K; Milthorpe, B K; Schindhelm, K

1999-06-01

Collagenous xenografts made from kangaroo tail tendon cross-linked with glutaraldehyde have a potential application in the reconstruction of massive digital tendon deficits. However, a limitation to the clinical use of these xenografts has been the optimization of collagen cross-linking, and subsequent bio-incorporation and retention of mechanical properties following implantation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitrous acid on modulating the biologic and mechanical properties of tendon xenografts cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. Tendon xenografts were pretreated with 0.1 or 0.01 M nitrous acid solution, prior to cross-linking in 2% glutaraldehyde and sterilization by gamma irradiation. Xenografts were implanted intramuscularly in rabbits to examine biocompatability, and also used to repair ovine digital extensor tendon deficits to evaluate functional incorporation. Histologically, intramuscularly implanted nitrous acid pretreated xenografts in rabbits had a greater degree of diffuse cellular infiltration into interstitial splits in the graft than controls after 12 weeks. Xenografts implanted in an ovine extensor tendon deficit were evaluated after 26 and 52 weeks. Rate of failure of tenorrhaphies between host tendon and xenografts overall (15/21) was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than for autografts (1/21), suggesting that the holding power of sutures in xenografts was inferior to that obtained in autografts. Tensile failure stress of midsections of both nitrous acid pretreated and control xenografts was about 100 MPa prior to implantation (time zero). After 26 and 52 weeks, failure stress of both types of xenografts was significantly less than at time zero (P < 0.05). At 52 weeks, failure stress of nitrous acid pretreated xenografts (47.4 +/- 3.1 MPa) was significantly less than control xenografts (63.7 +/- 5.4 MPa); (P < 0.05). However, nitrous acid pretreated xenografts were similar to control xenografts in failure load (357 +/- 29 and 354 +/- 26 N, respectively), but they tended to have larger cross-sectional areas (7.6 +/- 0.5 versus 5.7 +/- 0.6 mm2, respectively) which were responsible for the lower calculated value for failure stress. Histologically, autografts maintained their normal tissue architecture and evoked a more limited cellular response in surrounding tissues than xenografts (P < 0.05). Both types of xenograft were surrounded by a thicker cuff of cellular response than autografts. However, compared to control xenografts, nitrous acid pretreated xenografts had more extensive fragmentation and splitting of collagen bundles, and more diffuse cellular and vascular infiltration into these interstitial splits, and these alterations were apparently contributing to the greater 'swelling' of these xenografts. It was concluded that pretreatment of tendon xenografts with nitrous acid modulated their biologic and material properties. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanism of these effects, and to determine if the protocol for tendon xenograft preparation could be optimized for improved clinical performance.

Influence of core design, production technique, and material selection on fracture behavior of yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal fixed dental prostheses produced using different multilayer techniques: split-file, over-pressing, and manually built-up veneers.

PubMed

Mahmood, Deyar Jallal Hadi; Linderoth, Ewa H; Wennerberg, Ann; Vult Von Steyern, Per

2016-01-01

To investigate and compare the fracture strength and fracture mode in eleven groups of currently, the most commonly used multilayer three-unit all-ceramic yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) with respect to the choice of core material, veneering material area, manufacturing technique, design of connectors, and radii of curvature of FDP cores. A total of 110 three-unit Y-TZP FDP cores with one intermediate pontic were made. The FDP cores in groups 1-7 were made with a split-file design, veneered with manually built-up porcelain, computer-aided design-on veneers, and over-pressed veneers. Groups 8-11 consisted of FDPs with a state-of-the-art design, veneered with manually built-up porcelain. All the FDP cores were subjected to simulated aging and finally loaded to fracture. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) between the core designs, but not between the different types of Y-TZP materials. The split-file designs with VITABLOCS(®) (1,806±165 N) and e.max(®) ZirPress (1,854±115 N) and the state-of-the-art design with VITA VM(®) 9 (1,849±150 N) demonstrated the highest mean fracture values. The shape of a split-file designed all-ceramic reconstruction calls for a different dimension protocol, compared to traditionally shaped ones, as the split-file design leads to sharp approximal indentations acting as fractural impressions, thus decreasing the overall strength. The design of a framework is a crucial factor for the load bearing capacity of an all-ceramic FDP. The state-of-the-art design is preferable since the split-file designed cores call for a cross-sectional connector area at least 42% larger, to have the same load bearing capacity as the state-of-the-art designed cores. All veneering materials and techniques tested in the study, split-file, over-press, built-up porcelains, and glass-ceramics are, with a great safety margin, sufficient for clinical use both anteriorly and posteriorly. Analysis of the fracture pattern shows differences between the milled veneers and over-pressed or built-up veneers, where the milled ones show numerically more veneer cracks and the other groups only show complete connector fractures.

Fabrication of low loss waveguide using fundamental light of Yb-based femtosecond laser (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imai, Ryo; Konishi, Kuniaki; Yumoto, Junji; Gonokami, Makoto K.

2017-03-01

Laser direct writing of optical devices and circuits is attracted attention because of its ability of three-dimensional fabrication without any mask[1]. Recently, Yb-fiber or solid-state laser has been commonly used for fabrication in addition to traditional Ti:S laser. However, it is reported that waveguide cannot be fabricated in fused silica by using the fundamental light from Yb-based femtosecond laser[2]. Some groups reported on waveguide fabrication by using second-harmonic beam of such lasers[3], but wavelength conversion using nonlinear process has drawbacks such as destabilization of laser power and beam deformation by walk off. In this study, we investigated fabrication of low-loss waveguide in fused silica by using the fundamental beam (1030nm) from an Yb solid-state femtosecond laser with a pulse duration of 250 fs. The NA of focusing objective lens was 0.42. The fabricated waveguide was made to have a circular cross-section by shaping laser beam with a slit[4]. We fixed repetition rate to 150 kHz, and identified appropriate scan speed and pulse energy for fabrication of low loss waveguide. Waveguide fabricated with appropriate condition had a propagation loss of 0.2 dB/cm, and this is the first report on optical waveguides in a fused silica fabricated by femto-second laser pulses at a wavelength of 1030nm. [1]K. M. Davis, et. al., Opt. Lett 21, 1729(1996) [2]J. Canning, et. al., Opt. Mater. Express 1, 998(2011) [3]L. Shah, et. al., Opt. Express 13, 1999(2005) [4]M. Ams, et. al., Opt. Express 13, 5676(2005)

Wall-based measurement features provides an improved IVUS coronary artery risk assessment when fused with plaque texture-based features during machine learning paradigm.

PubMed

Banchhor, Sumit K; Londhe, Narendra D; Araki, Tadashi; Saba, Luca; Radeva, Petia; Laird, John R; Suri, Jasjit S

2017-12-01

Planning of percutaneous interventional procedures involves a pre-screening and risk stratification of the coronary artery disease. Current screening tools use stand-alone plaque texture-based features and therefore lack the ability to stratify the risk. This IRB approved study presents a novel strategy for coronary artery disease risk stratification using an amalgamation of IVUS plaque texture-based and wall-based measurement features. Due to common genetic plaque makeup, carotid plaque burden was chosen as a gold standard for risk labels during training-phase of machine learning (ML) paradigm. Cross-validation protocol was adopted to compute the accuracy of the ML framework. A set of 59 plaque texture-based features was padded with six wall-based measurement features to show the improvement in stratification accuracy. The ML system was executed using principle component analysis-based framework for dimensionality reduction and uses support vector machine classifier for training and testing-phases. The ML system produced a stratification accuracy of 91.28%, demonstrating an improvement of 5.69% when wall-based measurement features were combined with plaque texture-based features. The fused system showed an improvement in mean sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and area under the curve by: 6.39%, 4.59%, 3.31% and 5.48%, respectively when compared to the stand-alone system. While meeting the stability criteria of 5%, the ML system also showed a high average feature retaining power and mean reliability of 89.32% and 98.24%, respectively. The ML system showed an improvement in risk stratification accuracy when the wall-based measurement features were fused with the plaque texture-based features. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

25. Otter Creek Bridge #2. View of the stone facing ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

25. Otter Creek Bridge #2. View of the stone facing common on nearly all concrete box culverts. The stone faced arch mimics rigid frame structures. Culverts were used for a variety of purposes from small stream crossings to grade separation structures for farmers whose land was split by the parkway. Looking northeast. - Blue Ridge Parkway, Between Shenandoah National Park & Great Smoky Mountains, Asheville, Buncombe County, NC

Bias field tunable magnetic configuration and magnetization dynamics in Ni80Fe20 nano-cross structures with varying arm length

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adhikari, K.; Choudhury, S.; Mandal, R.; Barman, S.; Otani, Y.; Barman, A.

2017-01-01

Ferromagnetic nano-cross structures promise exotic static magnetic configurations and very rich and tunable magnetization dynamics leading towards potential applications in magnetic logic and communication devices. Here, we report an experimental study of external magnetic field tunable static magnetic configurations and magnetization dynamics in Ni80Fe20 nano-cross structures with varying arm lengths (L). Broadband ferromagnetic resonance measurements showed a strong variation in the number of spin-wave (SW) modes and mode frequencies (f) with bias field magnitude (H). Simulated static magnetic configurations and SW mode profiles explain the rich variation of the SW spectra, including mode softening, mode crossover, mode splitting, and mode merging. Such variation of SW spectra is further modified by the size of the nano-cross. Remarkably, with decreasing arm length of nano-cross structures, the onion magnetization ground state becomes more stable. Calculated magnetostatic field distributions support the above observations and revealed the non-collective nature of the dynamics in closely packed nano-cross structures. The latter is useful for their possible applications in magnetic storage and memory devices.

30 CFR 75.601-2 - Short circuit protection; use of fuses; approval by the Secretary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Trailing Cables § 75.601-2 Short circuit protection; use of fuses; approval by the Secretary. Fuses shall not be employed to provide short circuit protection for trailing cables unless specifically approved...

Trends in reactivity of electrodeposited 3d transition metals on gold revealed by operando soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy during water splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velasco-Vélez, J. J.; Jones, Travis E.; Pfeifer, Verena; Dong, Chung-Li; Chen, Yu-Xun; Chen, Chieh-Ming; Chen, Hsin-Yu; Lu, Ying-Rui; Chen, Jin-Ming; Schlögl, R.; Knop-Gericke, A.; Chuang, C.-H.

2017-01-01

We activated gold electrodes for their use as electrocatalyst for water splitting by electrodepositing Cu, Ni and Co. A combination of operando x-ray absorption spectroscopy and potentiometric control under aqueous conditions revealed the trends in reactivity yielded by these electrodes, which are directly associated with the cross- and overpotentials as well as the occupancy of the 3d orbitals. It was found that under anodic polarization the materials electrodeposited on gold suffer from a lack of stability, while under cathodic polarization they exhibit stable behavior. The observed activity is strongly related to the lack of stability shown by these composites under anodic polarization revealing a dynamic process ruled by corrosion. By operando x-ray absorption, we established that the overall enhancement of the activity for the oxygen evolution reaction is directly attributable to the cross-potential and corrosion process of the electrodeposited materials. It is associated with the high potential deposition, which is the origin of the incipient oxidation-corrosion resistance of the lattice. We conclude that the observed trends in the total current are directly associated with the loss of oxygen in the metal-oxide lattice and the subsequent dissolution of metallic ions in the electrolyte under anodic polarization.

FET proteins TAF15 and EWS are selective markers that distinguish FTLD with FUS pathology from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with FUS mutations.

PubMed

Neumann, Manuela; Bentmann, Eva; Dormann, Dorothee; Jawaid, Ali; DeJesus-Hernandez, Mariely; Ansorge, Olaf; Roeber, Sigrun; Kretzschmar, Hans A; Munoz, David G; Kusaka, Hirofumi; Yokota, Osamu; Ang, Lee-Cyn; Bilbao, Juan; Rademakers, Rosa; Haass, Christian; Mackenzie, Ian R A

2011-09-01

Accumulation of the DNA/RNA binding protein fused in sarcoma as cytoplasmic inclusions in neurons and glial cells is the pathological hallmark of all patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with mutations in FUS as well as in several subtypes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration, which are not associated with FUS mutations. The mechanisms leading to inclusion formation and fused in sarcoma-associated neurodegeneration are only poorly understood. Because fused in sarcoma belongs to a family of proteins known as FET, which also includes Ewing's sarcoma and TATA-binding protein-associated factor 15, we investigated the potential involvement of these other FET protein family members in the pathogenesis of fused in sarcoma proteinopathies. Immunohistochemical analysis of FET proteins revealed a striking difference among the various conditions, with pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with FUS mutations being labelled exclusively for fused in sarcoma, whereas fused in sarcoma-positive inclusions in subtypes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration also consistently immunostained for TATA-binding protein-associated factor 15 and variably for Ewing's sarcoma. Immunoblot analysis of proteins extracted from post-mortem tissue of frontotemporal lobar degeneration with fused in sarcoma pathology demonstrated a relative shift of all FET proteins towards insoluble protein fractions, while genetic analysis of the TATA-binding protein-associated factor 15 and Ewing's sarcoma gene did not identify any pathogenic variants. Cell culture experiments replicated the findings of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with FUS mutations by confirming the absence of TATA-binding protein-associated factor 15 and Ewing's sarcoma alterations upon expression of mutant fused in sarcoma. In contrast, all endogenous FET proteins were recruited into cytoplasmic stress granules upon general inhibition of Transportin-mediated nuclear import, mimicking the findings in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with fused in sarcoma pathology. These results allow a separation of fused in sarcoma proteinopathies caused by FUS mutations from those without a known genetic cause based on neuropathological features. More importantly, our data imply different pathological processes underlying inclusion formation and cell death between both conditions; the pathogenesis in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with FUS mutations appears to be more restricted to dysfunction of fused in sarcoma, while a more global and complex dysregulation of all FET proteins is involved in the subtypes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration with fused in sarcoma pathology.

Workers at CCAS attach solar panel to FUSE satellite.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers get ready to move a solar panel to be attached to NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite in the background. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is targeted for launch June 23 from Launch Pad 17A, CCAS, aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket.

Measuring In-Situ Mdf Velocity Of Detonation

DOEpatents

Horine, Frank M.; James, Jr., Forrest B.

2005-10-25

A system for determining the velocity of detonation of a mild detonation fuse mounted on the surface of a device includes placing the device in a predetermined position with respect to an apparatus that carries a couple of sensors that sense the passage of a detonation wave at first and second spaced locations along the fuse. The sensors operate a timer and the time and distance between the locations is used to determine the velocity of detonation. The sensors are preferably electrical contacts that are held spaced from but close to the fuse such that expansion of the fuse caused by detonation causes the fuse to touch the contact, causing an electrical signal to actuate the timer.

SINA: A test system for proximity fuses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruizenaar, M. G. A.

1989-04-01

SINA, a signal generator that can be used for testing proximity fuses, is described. The circuitry of proximity fuses is presented; the output signal of the RF circuit results from a mixing of the emitted signal and received signal that is Doppler shifted in frequency by the relative motion of the fuse with respect to the reflecting target of surface. With SINA, digitized and stored target and clutter signals (previously measured) can be transformed to Doppler signals, for example during a real flight. SINA can be used for testing fuse circuitry, for example in the verification of results of computer simulations of the low frequency Doppler signal processing. The software of SINA and its use are explained.

Enhanced image fusion using directional contrast rules in fuzzy transform domain.

PubMed

Nandal, Amita; Rosales, Hamurabi Gamboa

2016-01-01

In this paper a novel image fusion algorithm based on directional contrast in fuzzy transform (FTR) domain is proposed. Input images to be fused are first divided into several non-overlapping blocks. The components of these sub-blocks are fused using directional contrast based fuzzy fusion rule in FTR domain. The fused sub-blocks are then transformed into original size blocks using inverse-FTR. Further, these inverse transformed blocks are fused according to select maximum based fusion rule for reconstructing the final fused image. The proposed fusion algorithm is both visually and quantitatively compared with other standard and recent fusion algorithms. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method generates better results than the other methods.

Boeing Delta II rocket for FUSE launch arrives at CCAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), the first stage of a Boeing Delta II rocket is moved into the tower. The rocket is targeted to launch NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe, hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched June 23 at CCAS.

The FUSE satellite is encased in a canister before being moved to the Launch Pad.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite is fitted with another row of canister segments before being moved to Launch Pad 17A, CCAS. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket.

Boeing Delta II rocket for FUSE launch arrives at CCAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

After its arrival at Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), the first stage of a Boeing Delta II rocket is raised to a vertical position. The rocket is targeted to launch NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe, hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched June 23 at CCAS.

Boeing Delta II rocket for FUSE launch arrives at CCAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), the first stage of a Boeing Delta II rocket is raised for its journey up the launch tower. The rocket is targeted to launch NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe, hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched June 23 at CCAS.

Boeing Delta II rocket for FUSE launch arrives at CCAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), the first stage of a Boeing Delta II rocket is ready to be lifted into the tower. The rocket is targeted to launch NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe,hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched June 23 at CCAS.

Additive manufacturing of glass for optical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Junjie; Gilbert, Luke J.; Bristow, Douglas A.; Landers, Robert G.; Goldstein, Jonathan T.; Urbas, Augustine M.; Kinzel, Edward C.

2016-04-01

Glasses including fused quartz have significant scientific and engineering applications including optics, communications, electronics, and hermetic seals. This paper investigates a filament fed process for Additive Manufacturing (AM) of fused quartz. Additive manufacturing has several potential benefits including increased design freedom, faster prototyping, and lower processing costs for small production volumes. However, current research in AM of glasses is limited and has focused on non-optical applications. Fused quartz is studied here because of its desirability for high-quality optics due to its high transmissivity and thermal stability. Fused quartz also has a higher working temperature than soda lime glass which poses a challenge for AM. In this work, fused quartz filaments are fed into a CO2 laser generated melt pool, smoothly depositing material onto the work piece. Single tracks are printed to explore the effects that different process parameters have on the morphology of printed fused quartz. A spectrometer is used to measure the thermal radiation incandescently emitted from the melt pool. Thin-walls are printed to study the effects of layer-to-layer height. Finally, a 3D fused quartz cube is printed using the newly acquired layer height and polished on each surface. The transmittance and index homogeneity of the polished cube are both measured. These results show that the filament fed process has the potential to print fused quartz with optical transparency and of index of refraction uniformity approaching bulk processed glass.

Remote Raman Efficiencies and Cross-Sections of Organic and Inorganic Chemicals.

PubMed

Acosta-Maeda, Tayro E; Misra, Anupam K; Porter, John N; Bates, David E; Sharma, Shiv K

2017-05-01

We determined Raman cross-sections of various organic liquids and inorganic polyatomic ions in aqueous solutions with a 532 nm pulsed laser using remote Raman systems developed at the University of Hawaii. Using a calibrated integrating sphere as a light source, we converted the intensity counts in the spectrum of the light from the integrating sphere measured with UH remote Raman instrument to spectral radiance. From these data, a response function of the remote Raman instrument was obtained. With the intensity-calibrated instrument, we collected remote Raman data from a standard 1 mm path length fused silica spectrophotometer cell filled with cyclohexane. The measured value of the differential Raman cross-section for the 801 cm -1 vibrational mode of cyclohexane is 4.55 × 10 -30 cm 2 sr -1 molecule -1 when excited by a 532 nm laser, in good agreement with the values reported in the literature. Using the measured cyclohexane Raman cross-section as a reference and relative Raman mode intensities of the various ions and organic liquids, we calculated the Raman cross-sections of the strongest Raman lines of nitrate, sulfate, carbonate, phosphate ions, and organic liquids by maintaining same experimental conditions for remote Raman detection. These relative Raman cross-section values will be useful for estimating detection capabilities of remote Raman systems for planetary exploration.

mlCAF: Multi-Level Cross-Domain Semantic Context Fusioning for Behavior Identification.

PubMed

Razzaq, Muhammad Asif; Villalonga, Claudia; Lee, Sungyoung; Akhtar, Usman; Ali, Maqbool; Kim, Eun-Soo; Khattak, Asad Masood; Seung, Hyonwoo; Hur, Taeho; Bang, Jaehun; Kim, Dohyeong; Ali Khan, Wajahat

2017-10-24

The emerging research on automatic identification of user's contexts from the cross-domain environment in ubiquitous and pervasive computing systems has proved to be successful. Monitoring the diversified user's contexts and behaviors can help in controlling lifestyle associated to chronic diseases using context-aware applications. However, availability of cross-domain heterogeneous contexts provides a challenging opportunity for their fusion to obtain abstract information for further analysis. This work demonstrates extension of our previous work from a single domain (i.e., physical activity) to multiple domains (physical activity, nutrition and clinical) for context-awareness. We propose multi-level Context-aware Framework (mlCAF), which fuses the multi-level cross-domain contexts in order to arbitrate richer behavioral contexts. This work explicitly focuses on key challenges linked to multi-level context modeling, reasoning and fusioning based on the mlCAF open-source ontology. More specifically, it addresses the interpretation of contexts from three different domains, their fusioning conforming to richer contextual information. This paper contributes in terms of ontology evolution with additional domains, context definitions, rules and inclusion of semantic queries. For the framework evaluation, multi-level cross-domain contexts collected from 20 users were used to ascertain abstract contexts, which served as basis for behavior modeling and lifestyle identification. The experimental results indicate a context recognition average accuracy of around 92.65% for the collected cross-domain contexts.

mlCAF: Multi-Level Cross-Domain Semantic Context Fusioning for Behavior Identification

PubMed Central

Villalonga, Claudia; Lee, Sungyoung; Akhtar, Usman; Ali, Maqbool; Kim, Eun-Soo; Khattak, Asad Masood; Seung, Hyonwoo; Hur, Taeho; Kim, Dohyeong; Ali Khan, Wajahat

2017-01-01

The emerging research on automatic identification of user’s contexts from the cross-domain environment in ubiquitous and pervasive computing systems has proved to be successful. Monitoring the diversified user’s contexts and behaviors can help in controlling lifestyle associated to chronic diseases using context-aware applications. However, availability of cross-domain heterogeneous contexts provides a challenging opportunity for their fusion to obtain abstract information for further analysis. This work demonstrates extension of our previous work from a single domain (i.e., physical activity) to multiple domains (physical activity, nutrition and clinical) for context-awareness. We propose multi-level Context-aware Framework (mlCAF), which fuses the multi-level cross-domain contexts in order to arbitrate richer behavioral contexts. This work explicitly focuses on key challenges linked to multi-level context modeling, reasoning and fusioning based on the mlCAF open-source ontology. More specifically, it addresses the interpretation of contexts from three different domains, their fusioning conforming to richer contextual information. This paper contributes in terms of ontology evolution with additional domains, context definitions, rules and inclusion of semantic queries. For the framework evaluation, multi-level cross-domain contexts collected from 20 users were used to ascertain abstract contexts, which served as basis for behavior modeling and lifestyle identification. The experimental results indicate a context recognition average accuracy of around 92.65% for the collected cross-domain contexts. PMID:29064459

Illuminating the Sites of Enterovirus Replication in Living Cells by Using a Split-GFP-Tagged Viral Protein.

PubMed

van der Schaar, H M; Melia, C E; van Bruggen, J A C; Strating, J R P M; van Geenen, M E D; Koster, A J; Bárcena, M; van Kuppeveld, F J M

2016-01-01

Like all other positive-strand RNA viruses, enteroviruses generate new organelles (replication organelles [ROs]) with a unique protein and lipid composition on which they multiply their viral genome. Suitable tools for live-cell imaging of enterovirus ROs are currently unavailable, as recombinant enteroviruses that carry genes that encode RO-anchored viral proteins tagged with fluorescent reporters have not been reported thus far. To overcome this limitation, we used a split green fluorescent protein (split-GFP) system, comprising a large fragment [strands 1 to 10; GFP(S1-10)] and a small fragment [strand 11; GFP(S11)] of only 16 residues. The GFP(S11) (GFP with S11 fragment) fragment was inserted into the 3A protein of the enterovirus coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), while the large fragment was supplied by transient or stable expression in cells. The introduction of GFP(S11) did not affect the known functions of 3A when expressed in isolation. Using correlative light electron microscopy (CLEM), we showed that GFP fluorescence was detected at ROs, whose morphologies are essentially identical to those previously observed for wild-type CVB3, indicating that GFP(S11)-tagged 3A proteins assemble with GFP(S1-10) to form GFP for illumination of bona fide ROs. It is well established that enterovirus infection leads to Golgi disintegration. Through live-cell imaging of infected cells expressing an mCherry-tagged Golgi marker, we monitored RO development and revealed the dynamics of Golgi disassembly in real time. Having demonstrated the suitability of this virus for imaging ROs, we constructed a CVB3 encoding GFP(S1-10) and GFP(S11)-tagged 3A to bypass the need to express GFP(S1-10) prior to infection. These tools will have multiple applications in future studies on the origin, location, and function of enterovirus ROs. IMPORTANCE Enteroviruses induce the formation of membranous structures (replication organelles [ROs]) with a unique protein and lipid composition specialized for genome replication. Electron microscopy has revealed the morphology of enterovirus ROs, and immunofluorescence studies have been conducted to investigate their origin and formation. Yet, immunofluorescence analysis of fixed cells results in a rather static view of RO formation, and the results may be compromised by immunolabeling artifacts. While live-cell imaging of ROs would be preferred, enteroviruses encoding a membrane-anchored viral protein fused to a large fluorescent reporter have thus far not been described. Here, we tackled this constraint by introducing a small tag from a split-GFP system into an RO-resident enterovirus protein. This new tool bridges a methodological gap by circumventing the need for immunolabeling fixed cells and allows the study of the dynamics and formation of enterovirus ROs in living cells.

Fabrication of parabolic cylindrical microlens array by shaped femtosecond laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Zhi; Yin, Kai; Dong, Xinran; Duan, Ji'an

2018-04-01

A simple and efficient technique for fabricating parabolic cylindrical microlens arrays (CMLAs) on the surface of fused silica by shaped femtosecond (fs) laser direct-writing is demonstrated. By means of spatially shaping of a Gaussian fs laser beam to a Bessel distribution, an inversed cylindrical shape laser intensity profile is formed in a specific cross-sectional plane among the shaped optical field. Applying it to experiments, large area close-packed parabolic CMLAs with line-width of 37.5 μm and array size of about 5 × 5 mm are produced. The cross-sectional outline of obtained lenslets has a satisfied parabolic profile and the numerical aperture (NA) of lenslets is more than 0.35. Furthermore, the focusing performance of the fabricated CMLA is also tested in this work and it has been demonstrated that the focusing power of the CMLA with a parabolic profile is better than that with a semi-circular one.

Detection of ASC Speck Formation by Flow Cytometry and Chemical Cross-linking.

PubMed

Hoss, Florian; Rolfes, Verena; Davanso, Mariana R; Braga, Tarcio T; Franklin, Bernardo S

2018-01-01

Assembly of a relatively large protein aggregate or "speck" formed by the adaptor protein ASC is a common downstream step in the activation of most inflammasomes. This unique feature of ASC allows its visualization by several imaging techniques and constitutes a reliable and feasible readout for inflammasome activation in cells and tissues. We have previously described step-by-step protocols to generate immortalized cell lines stably expressing ASC fused to a fluorescent protein for measuring inflammasome activation by confocal microscopy, and immunofluorescence of endogenous ASC in primary cells. Here, we present two more methods to detect ASC speck formation: (1) Assessment of ASC speck formation by flow cytometry; and (2) Chemical cross-linking of ASC followed by immunoblotting. These methods allow for the discrimination of inflammasome-activated versus non-activated cells, the identification of lineage-specific inflammasome activation in complex cell mixtures, and sorting of inflammasome-activated cells for further analysis.

Subsurface defects of fused silica optics and laser induced damage at 351 nm.

PubMed

Hongjie, Liu; Jin, Huang; Fengrui, Wang; Xinda, Zhou; Xin, Ye; Xiaoyan, Zhou; Laixi, Sun; Xiaodong, Jiang; Zhan, Sui; Wanguo, Zheng

2013-05-20

Many kinds of subsurface defects are always present together in the subsurface of fused silica optics. It is imperfect that only one kind of defects is isolated to investigate its impact on laser damage. Therefore it is necessary to investigate the impact of subsurface defects on laser induced damage of fused silica optics with a comprehensive vision. In this work, we choose the fused silica samples manufactured by different vendors to characterize subsurface defects and measure laser induced damage. Contamination defects, subsurface damage (SSD), optical-thermal absorption and hardness of fused silica surface are characterized with time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), fluorescence microscopy, photo-thermal common-path interferometer and fully automatic micro-hardness tester respectively. Laser induced damage threshold and damage density are measured by 351 nm nanosecond pulse laser. The correlations existing between defects and laser induced damage are analyzed. The results show that Cerium element and SSD both have a good correlation with laser-induced damage thresholds and damage density. Research results evaluate process technology of fused silica optics in China at present. Furthermore, the results can provide technique support for improving laser induced damage performance of fused silica.

An Unsplit Monte-Carlo solver for the resolution of the linear Boltzmann equation coupled to (stiff) Bateman equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernede, Adrien; Poëtte, Gaël

2018-02-01

In this paper, we are interested in the resolution of the time-dependent problem of particle transport in a medium whose composition evolves with time due to interactions. As a constraint, we want to use of Monte-Carlo (MC) scheme for the transport phase. A common resolution strategy consists in a splitting between the MC/transport phase and the time discretization scheme/medium evolution phase. After going over and illustrating the main drawbacks of split solvers in a simplified configuration (monokinetic, scalar Bateman problem), we build a new Unsplit MC (UMC) solver improving the accuracy of the solutions, avoiding numerical instabilities, and less sensitive to time discretization. The new solver is essentially based on a Monte Carlo scheme with time dependent cross sections implying the on-the-fly resolution of a reduced model for each MC particle describing the time evolution of the matter along their flight path.

Neutron–proton effective mass splitting in neutron-rich matter at normal density from analyzing nucleon–nucleus scattering data within an isospin dependent optical model

DOE PAGES

Li, Xiao -Hua; Guo, Wen -Jun; Li, Bao -An; ...

2015-04-01

The neutron–proton effective mass splitting in asymmetric nucleonic matter of isospin asymmetry δ and normal density is found to be m* n-p≡(m* n – m* p)/m = (0.41 ± 0.15)δ from analyzing globally 1088 sets of reaction and angular differential cross sections of proton elastic scattering on 130 targets with beam energies from 0.783 MeV to 200 MeV, and 1161 sets of data of neutron elastic scattering on 104 targets with beam energies from 0.05 MeV to 200 MeV within an isospin dependent non-relativistic optical potential model. It sets a useful reference for testing model predictions on the momentum dependencemore » of the nucleon isovector potential necessary for understanding novel structures and reactions of rare isotopes.« less

Distributions of tunnel splittings in quantum tunneling of magnetization in the single-molecule magnet, manganese12-acetate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mertes, Kevin Mathias

I present the results of an experimental investigation of quantum tunneling of magnetization in the single molecule magnet, Mn12-acetate, for magnetic fields applied along the easy c-axis of the crystal. Magnetization measurements for temperatures below 2 Kelvin reveal new properties of the nature of tunneling in Mn12-acetate: an abrupt cross-over from thermally-assisted tunneling to pure ground state tunneling, strong suppression of ground state tunneling for temperatures corresponding to the thermally activated regime and the unexpected dependence of the tunnel splitting determined from the Landau-Zener-Stueckelberg formalism on the magnetic field sweep rate. It is shown that the measured data is inconsistent with a system of identical molecules. The data is shown to be consistent with the presence of a broad log-normal distribution of second order transverse anisotropy which drives the tunneling process. A general method of determining the distribution is developed.

Modeling the cross-sectional relationships between religion, physical health, social support, and depressive symptoms.

PubMed

Koenig, H G; Hays, J C; George, L K; Blazer, D G; Larson, D B; Landerman, L R

1997-01-01

The authors examined models of the relationships between religious activities, physical health, social support, and depressive symptoms in a sample of 4,000 persons age 65 and over. Religious activity was examined first as a single composite construct and then split into three component variables that were examined individually. Religious activity as a single construct was correlated with both social support and good physical health but was unrelated to depression. Split into the three components, model fit was significantly increased. Frequency of church attendance was positively related to physical health and negatively related to depression, but was surprisingly unrelated to social support. Frequent churchgoers were about half as likely to be depressed. Private prayer/Bible reading was negatively correlated with physical health and positively correlated with social support, but unrelated to depression. Religious TV/radio listening was unrelated to social support, negatively related to good physical health, and, unexpectedly, positively associated with depression.

Room temperature strong light-matter coupling in three dimensional terahertz meta-atoms

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

Paulillo, B., E-mail: bruno.paulillo@u-psud.fr; Manceau, J.-M., E-mail: jean-michel.manceau@u-psud.fr; Colombelli, R., E-mail: raffaele.colombelli@u-psud.fr

2016-03-07

We demonstrate strong light-matter coupling in three dimensional terahertz meta-atoms at room temperature. The intersubband transition of semiconductor quantum wells with a parabolic energy potential is strongly coupled to the confined circuital mode of three-dimensional split-ring metal-semiconductor-metal resonators that have an extreme sub-wavelength volume (λ/10). The frequency of these lumped-element resonators is controlled by the size and shape of the external antenna, while the interaction volume remains constant. This allows the resonance frequency to be swept across the intersubband transition and the anti-crossing characteristic of the strong light-matter coupling regime to be observed. The Rabi splitting, which is twice themore » Rabi frequency (2Ω{sub Rabi}), amounts to 20% of the bare transition at room temperature, and it increases to 28% at low-temperature.« less

dxz/yz subband structure and Chiral Orbital Angular Momentum of Nb doped SrTiO3 surface states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soltani, Shoresh; Cho, Soohyun; Ryu, Hanyoung; Han, Garam; Kim, Timur; Hoesch, Moritz; Kim, Changyoung

Using angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we investigate subband structure and chiral orbital angular momentum (OAM) texture on the surface of lightly electron doped SrTiO3 single crystals. Our linearly polarized light ARPES data taken with 51 eV photons, reveal additional subbands for out-of-plane dxz/yzorbitals in addition to the previously reported ones. Our CD-ARPES data reveal a chiral OAM structure which we use as a clue to explain the origin of linear Rashba-like surface band splitting of Ti 3d t2g orbitals. The observed CD signal is enhanced near crossing points, where different orbitals hybridize, compatible with a linear Rashba-like surface band splitting. The work was supported by IBS-R009-G2. S.S., S.C., H.Y. and G. H. acknowledge were supported by Yonsei university, BK21 program.

Theoretical study of high-Q Fano resonance and extrinsic chirality in an ultrathin Babinet-inverted metasurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Feng; Wang, Zhengping; Shi, Jinhui

2014-10-01

A high-Q Fano resonance and giant extrinsic chirality have been demonstrated in an ultrathin Babinet-inverted metasurface composed of asymmetrical split ring apertures (ASRAs) perforated through a metal plate based on the full-wave simulations. The performance of the Fano resonance at normal incidence strongly depends on the asymmetry of the ASRA. The quality factor is larger than 1000 and the local field enhancement is an order of 104. For oblique incidence, giant extrinsic chirality can be achieved in the Babinet-inverted metasurface. It reveals a cross-polarization transmission band with a ripple-free peak and also a spectrum split for large angles of incidence. The electromagnetic response of the metasurface can be easily tuned via angles of incidence and asymmetry. The proposed ASRA metasurface is of importance to develop many metamaterial-based devices, such as filters and circular polarizers.

Bilateral foveal retinoschisis accompanying unilateral peripheral retinoschisis

PubMed Central

Kocak, Nilufer; Ozturk, Taylan A; Kaynak, Suleyman

2014-01-01

X-linked juvenile retinoschisis is a rare hereditary retinal disease characterized by a tangential splitting of the neurosensory retina which may cause early-onset visual impairment. Existence of the retinal neurosensory layer splitting on cross-sectional images of optical coherance tomography (OCT) and the absence of leakage on fluorescein angiography (FA) help confirming the diagnosis. Such diagnostic tests are also helpful in determining the management of the disease. However, most of the retinoschisis cavities remain stable and rarely extend to the posterior pole, many authors suggest laser prophylaxis to avoid the potential risk of retinal detachment due to holes in the outer retinal layer. Herein, we report a case with bilateral foveal retinoschisis accompanying unilateral peripheral retinoschisis who was evaluated with detailed ophthalmologic examination. Visual acuity, fundoscopy, OCT, and FA remained stable in the second year of follow-up after prophylactic argon laser treatment. PMID:23571248

40 CFR 761.30 - Authorizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) Current-limiting fuses or other equivalent technology must be used to detect sustained high current faults... fuses or other equivalent technology to avoid PCB Transformer ruptures from sustained high current... protection, such as current-limiting fuses or other equivalent technology, to detect sustained high current...

Launch of NASA's FUSE satellite from CCAS.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

The Boeing Delta II rocket carrying NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite clears the tower after liftoff at 11:44 a.m. EDT from Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. FUSE was developed to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Launch of NASA's FUSE satellite from CCAS.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite sits on Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station, aboard the Boeing Delta II rocket waiting for launch. Liftoff is scheduled for 11:39 a.m. EDT. FUSE was developed to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

A Widely-Accessible Distributed MEMS Processing Environment. The MEMS Exchange Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-29

promise for high-aspect and deep etching into fused silica. This process capability is important for a DARPA project called the Navigation-Grade...on fused silica samples that appear to allow 2 to 1 aspect ratios in fused silica with a depth of etch of around 125 microns – a dramatic result in a...very hard to etch material such as fused silica! After receiving approval from DARPA, the MEMS Exchange purchased a previously- owned Ulvac etcher

Cytoskeletal regulation of CD44 membrane organization and interactions with E-selectin.

PubMed

Wang, Ying; Yago, Tadayuki; Zhang, Nan; Abdisalaam, Salim; Alexandrakis, George; Rodgers, William; McEver, Rodger P

2014-12-19

Interactions of CD44 on neutrophils with E-selectin on activated endothelial cells mediate rolling under flow, a prerequisite for neutrophil arrest and migration into perivascular tissues. How CD44 functions as a rolling ligand despite its weak affinity for E-selectin is unknown. We examined the nanometer scale organization of CD44 on intact cells. CD44 on leukocytes and transfected K562 cells was cross-linked within a 1.14-nm spacer. Depolymerizing actin with latrunculin B reduced cross-linking. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) revealed tight co-clustering between CD44 fused to yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) and CD44 fused to cyan fluorescent protein on K562 cells. Latrunculin B reduced FRET-reported co-clustering. Number and brightness analysis confirmed actin-dependent CD44-YFP clusters on living cells. CD44 lacking binding sites for ankyrin and for ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) proteins on its cytoplasmic domain (ΔANKΔERM) did not cluster. Unexpectedly, CD44 lacking only the ankyrin-binding site (ΔANK) formed larger but looser clusters. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching demonstrated increased CD44 mobility by latrunculin B treatment or by deleting the cytoplasmic domain. ΔANKΔERM mobility increased only modestly, suggesting that the cytoplasmic domain engages the cytoskeleton by an additional mechanism. Ex vivo differentiated CD44-deficient neutrophils expressing exogenous CD44 rolled on E-selectin and activated Src kinases after binding anti-CD44 antibody. In contrast, differentiated neutrophils expressing ΔANK had impaired rolling and kinase activation. These data demonstrate that spectrin and actin networks regulate CD44 clustering and suggest that ankyrin enhances CD44-mediated neutrophil rolling and signaling. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Cytoskeletal Regulation of CD44 Membrane Organization and Interactions with E-selectin*

PubMed Central

Wang, Ying; Yago, Tadayuki; Zhang, Nan; Abdisalaam, Salim; Alexandrakis, George; Rodgers, William; McEver, Rodger P.

2014-01-01

Interactions of CD44 on neutrophils with E-selectin on activated endothelial cells mediate rolling under flow, a prerequisite for neutrophil arrest and migration into perivascular tissues. How CD44 functions as a rolling ligand despite its weak affinity for E-selectin is unknown. We examined the nanometer scale organization of CD44 on intact cells. CD44 on leukocytes and transfected K562 cells was cross-linked within a 1.14-nm spacer. Depolymerizing actin with latrunculin B reduced cross-linking. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) revealed tight co-clustering between CD44 fused to yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) and CD44 fused to cyan fluorescent protein on K562 cells. Latrunculin B reduced FRET-reported co-clustering. Number and brightness analysis confirmed actin-dependent CD44-YFP clusters on living cells. CD44 lacking binding sites for ankyrin and for ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) proteins on its cytoplasmic domain (ΔANKΔERM) did not cluster. Unexpectedly, CD44 lacking only the ankyrin-binding site (ΔANK) formed larger but looser clusters. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching demonstrated increased CD44 mobility by latrunculin B treatment or by deleting the cytoplasmic domain. ΔANKΔERM mobility increased only modestly, suggesting that the cytoplasmic domain engages the cytoskeleton by an additional mechanism. Ex vivo differentiated CD44-deficient neutrophils expressing exogenous CD44 rolled on E-selectin and activated Src kinases after binding anti-CD44 antibody. In contrast, differentiated neutrophils expressing ΔANK had impaired rolling and kinase activation. These data demonstrate that spectrin and actin networks regulate CD44 clustering and suggest that ankyrin enhances CD44-mediated neutrophil rolling and signaling. PMID:25359776

A Mission Concept for FUSE Operations in GFY09 and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moos, H. W.; Sonneborn, G.; Blair, W. P.; Kruk, J. W.; FUSE Science Operations Team

2007-05-01

We are developing a new mission concept for the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) that would significantly reduce operating costs but would continue the availability of this unique resource into GFY09 and beyond. Launched in 1999, the FUSE satellite obtains R=20,000 spectra of astronomical sources in the far-ultraviolet (912 - 1187 A) wavelength range. The FUSE scientific instrument remains healthy and the satellite has made a remarkable recovery from attitude control problems in late 2004. We expect FUSE to remain a viable scientific tool for the foreseeable future. Current plans for FUSE operations extend through GFY2008 (Sept. 30, 2008). Key elements of this new mission concept include a) continued automation and streamlining of operations to reduce costs, and b) an emphasis on a small number of unique, high priority science programs, particularly those requiring integration times on key targets that are significantly longer than has been possible in the mission design to date. A prime example of the latter would be 100 - 400 ks integrations on selected quasars to provide much improved diagnostic power to study the intergalactic medium. Synergy with the scientific objectives of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) program on HST, and the complementary nature of FUSE and COS data on the same sightlines, is but one major motivation for this operations model. In addition to programs emphasizing very long integrations, opportunities for other high priority targets would exist. We will describe some of the ongoing development toward such an operations model as well as the scientific drivers discussed to date. Community input on these and other science drivers for extended FUSE operations is encouraged. FUSE is operated for NASA by Johns Hopkins University under NASA contract NAS5-32985.

Split gender identity: problem or solution? Proposed parameters for addressing the gender dysphoric patient.

PubMed

Osborne, Cynthia; Wise, Thomas N

2002-01-01

Working with the gender dysphoric patient is complex because of the various clinical issues that arise. One issue that has not been addressed in the psychiatric literature is whether to address the patient with the biologically congruent pronoun or name or with the patient's preferred-gender pronoun or cross-gender name. This article presents clinical examples that allow a template to be developed for pronoun use in working with such patients. Whether the clinician uses biologically congruent names and pronouns may depend upon the patient's progress in adopting the cross gender role as well whether family or friends either know or accept such changes. In certain situations, such as meetings with family members, the therapist may address the patient with gender congruent names; whereas on other occasions use cross-gender pronouns or names.

KSC-99pp0496

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-04

Suspended by a crane in Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station, NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite is lowered onto a circular Payload Attach Fitting (PAF). FUSE is undergoing a functional test of its systems, plus installation of flight batteries and solar arrays. Developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched May 27 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket at Launch Complex 17

30 CFR 75.601-3 - Short circuit protection; dual element fuses; current ratings; maximum values.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... devices shall not exceed the maximum values specified in this section: Conductor size (AWG or MGM) Single conductor cable Ampacity Max. fuse rating Two conductor cable Ampacity Max. fuse rating 14 15 15 12 20 20 10...

Self-healing fuse

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, N. D.; Kinsinger, R. E.; Harris, L. P.

1974-01-01

Fast-acting current limiting device provides current overload protection for vulnerable circuit elements and then re-establishes conduction path within milliseconds. Fuse can also perform as fast-acting switch to clear transient circuit overloads. Fuse takes advantage of large increase in electrical resistivity that occurs when liquid metal vaporizes.

Refractive index sensors based on the fused tapered special multi-mode fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Xing-hu; Xiu, Yan-li; Liu, Qin; Xie, Hai-yang; Yang, Chuan-qing; Zhang, Shun-yang; Fu, Guang-wei; Bi, Wei-hong

2016-01-01

In this paper, a novel refractive index (RI) sensor is proposed based on the fused tapered special multi-mode fiber (SMMF). Firstly, a section of SMMF is spliced between two single-mode fibers (SMFs). Then, the SMMF is processed by a fused tapering machine, and a tapered fiber structure is fabricated. Finally, a fused tapered SMMF sensor is obtained for measuring external RI. The RI sensing mechanism of tapered SMMF sensor is analyzed in detail. For different fused tapering lengths, the experimental results show that the RI sensitivity can be up to 444.517 81 nm/RIU in the RI range of 1.334 9—1.347 0. The RI sensitivity is increased with the increase of fused tapering length. Moreover, it has many advantages, including high sensitivity, compact structure, fast response and wide application range. So it can be used to measure the solution concentration in the fields of biochemistry, health care and food processing.

Laser-assisted selective fusing of thermal sprayed Ni-based self-fluxing alloys by using high-power diode lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chun, Eun-Joon; Kim, Min-Su; Nishikawa, Hiroshi; Park, Changkyoo; Suh, Jeong

2018-03-01

Fusing treatment of Ni-based self-fluxing alloys (Metco-16C and 1276F) was performed using high-power diode lasers to control the temperature of the substrate's surface in real time. The effects of the fusing treatment temperature on the microstructural change and hardness distribution were also investigated. For Metco-16C and 1276F, the macrostructural inhomogeneity (voids) within the thermal sprayed layer decreased considerably as the fusing temperature increased. For both self-fluxing alloys, the optimal temperature for fusing was approximately 1423 K (for Metco-16C) and 1373 K (for 1276F), both of which are within the solid state temperature range; these temperatures maximize the alloy hardness together with the macrostructural homogeneity. In this temperature range, the microstructure consists of a lamellar-structured matrix phase with fine (<5 μm) carbides and borides. Selective fusing for a thermal sprayed layer 0.2-0.5 mm in thickness could be successfully achieved in a high-power diode laser system.

In situ X-Ray Diffraction of Shock-Compressed Fused Silica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tracy, Sally June; Turneaure, Stefan J.; Duffy, Thomas S.

2018-03-01

Because of its widespread applications in materials science and geophysics, SiO2 has been extensively examined under shock compression. Both quartz and fused silica transform through a so-called "mixed-phase region" to a dense, low compressibility high-pressure phase. For decades, the nature of this phase has been a subject of debate. Proposed structures include crystalline stishovite, another high-pressure crystalline phase, or a dense amorphous phase. Here we use plate-impact experiments and pulsed synchrotron x-ray diffraction to examine the structure of fused silica shock compressed to 63 GPa. In contrast to recent laser-driven compression experiments, we find that fused silica adopts a dense amorphous structure at 34 GPa and below. When compressed above 34 GPa, fused silica transforms to untextured polycrystalline stishovite. Our results can explain previously ambiguous features of the shock-compression behavior of fused silica and are consistent with recent molecular dynamics simulations. Stishovite grain sizes are estimated to be ˜5 - 30 nm for compression over a few hundred nanosecond time scale.

Bilateral maxillary fused second and third molars: a rare occurrence

PubMed Central

Liang, Rui-Zhen; Wu, Jin-Tao; Wu, You-Nong; Smales, Roger J; Hu, Ming; Yu, Jin-Hua; Zhang, Guang-Dong

2012-01-01

This case report describes the diagnosis and endodontic therapy of maxillary fused second and third molars, using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). A 31-year-old Chinese male, with no contributory medical or family/social history, presented with throbbing pain in the maxillary right molar area following an unsuccessful attempted tooth extraction. Clinical examination revealed what appeared initially to be a damaged large extra cusp on the buccal aspect of the distobuccal cusp of the second molar. However, CBCT revealed that a third molar was fused to the second molar. Unexpectedly, the maxillary left third molar also was fused to the second molar, and the crown of an unerupted supernumerary fourth molar was possibly also fused to the apical root region of the second molar. Operative procedures should not be attempted without adequate radiographic investigation. CBCT allowed the precise location of the root canals of the right maxillary fused molar teeth to permit successful endodontic therapy, confirmed after 6 months. PMID:23222992

Bilateral maxillary fused second and third molars: a rare occurrence.

PubMed

Liang, Rui-Zhen; Wu, Jin-Tao; Wu, You-Nong; Smales, Roger J; Hu, Ming; Yu, Jin-Hua; Zhang, Guang-Dong

2012-12-01

This case report describes the diagnosis and endodontic therapy of maxillary fused second and third molars, using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). A 31-year-old Chinese male, with no contributory medical or family/social history, presented with throbbing pain in the maxillary right molar area following an unsuccessful attempted tooth extraction. Clinical examination revealed what appeared initially to be a damaged large extra cusp on the buccal aspect of the distobuccal cusp of the second molar. However, CBCT revealed that a third molar was fused to the second molar. Unexpectedly, the maxillary left third molar also was fused to the second molar, and the crown of an unerupted supernumerary fourth molar was possibly also fused to the apical root region of the second molar. Operative procedures should not be attempted without adequate radiographic investigation. CBCT allowed the precise location of the root canals of the right maxillary fused molar teeth to permit successful endodontic therapy, confirmed after 6 months.

Method of orthogonally splitting imaging pose measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Na; Sun, Changku; Wang, Peng; Yang, Qian; Liu, Xintong

2018-01-01

In order to meet the aviation's and machinery manufacturing's pose measurement need of high precision, fast speed and wide measurement range, and to resolve the contradiction between measurement range and resolution of vision sensor, this paper proposes an orthogonally splitting imaging pose measurement method. This paper designs and realizes an orthogonally splitting imaging vision sensor and establishes a pose measurement system. The vision sensor consists of one imaging lens, a beam splitter prism, cylindrical lenses and dual linear CCD. Dual linear CCD respectively acquire one dimensional image coordinate data of the target point, and two data can restore the two dimensional image coordinates of the target point. According to the characteristics of imaging system, this paper establishes the nonlinear distortion model to correct distortion. Based on cross ratio invariability, polynomial equation is established and solved by the least square fitting method. After completing distortion correction, this paper establishes the measurement mathematical model of vision sensor, and determines intrinsic parameters to calibrate. An array of feature points for calibration is built by placing a planar target in any different positions for a few times. An terative optimization method is presented to solve the parameters of model. The experimental results show that the field angle is 52 °, the focus distance is 27.40 mm, image resolution is 5185×5117 pixels, displacement measurement error is less than 0.1mm, and rotation angle measurement error is less than 0.15°. The method of orthogonally splitting imaging pose measurement can satisfy the pose measurement requirement of high precision, fast speed and wide measurement range.

Cross-validation pitfalls when selecting and assessing regression and classification models.

PubMed

Krstajic, Damjan; Buturovic, Ljubomir J; Leahy, David E; Thomas, Simon

2014-03-29

We address the problem of selecting and assessing classification and regression models using cross-validation. Current state-of-the-art methods can yield models with high variance, rendering them unsuitable for a number of practical applications including QSAR. In this paper we describe and evaluate best practices which improve reliability and increase confidence in selected models. A key operational component of the proposed methods is cloud computing which enables routine use of previously infeasible approaches. We describe in detail an algorithm for repeated grid-search V-fold cross-validation for parameter tuning in classification and regression, and we define a repeated nested cross-validation algorithm for model assessment. As regards variable selection and parameter tuning we define two algorithms (repeated grid-search cross-validation and double cross-validation), and provide arguments for using the repeated grid-search in the general case. We show results of our algorithms on seven QSAR datasets. The variation of the prediction performance, which is the result of choosing different splits of the dataset in V-fold cross-validation, needs to be taken into account when selecting and assessing classification and regression models. We demonstrate the importance of repeating cross-validation when selecting an optimal model, as well as the importance of repeating nested cross-validation when assessing a prediction error.

Distortion of three-unit implant frameworks during casting, soldering, and simulated porcelain firings.

PubMed

Zervas, P J; Papazoglou, E; Beck, F M; Carr, A B

1999-09-01

The aim of this study was to assess distortion inherent in casting, soldering, and simulated porcelain firings of screw-retained, implant-supported three-unit fixed partial dentures (FPDs). Ten wax patterns were fabricated on a die-stone cast containing two implants, 20 mm apart from center to center. Five specimens were cast in a high-palladium alloy, exposed to simulated porcelain firings, sectioned, and then soldered with low-fusing solder. Five specimens were cast, sectioned, soldered with high-fusing solder, and then exposed to simulated porcelain firings. For each specimen, two horizontal and six vertical distances between appropriately scribed reference points were measured with a traveling microscope. Comparisons were made among the various measurements taken after wax-pattern fabrication, casting, high- and low-fusing soldering, and each porcelain firing. Data were analyzed using a repeated-measures factorial ANOVA (alpha = 0.05). Significant difference was detected in the amount of horizontal distortion during casting (53 +/- 24 microns) and high-fusing soldering (-49 +/- 50 microns), as well as in the amount of horizontal distortion during high-fusing soldering (-49 +/- 50 microns) and low-fusing soldering (17 +/- 26 microns). However, no clinically significant difference was found in the amount of horizontal distortion during casting, low-fusing, and high-fusing soldering. The greatest amount of distortion during the simulated porcelain firings took place during the oxidizing cycle. Soldering did not improve the casting misfit of a three-unit implant-retained FPD model. Metal-ceramic implant frameworks should be oxidized before intraoral fit evaluation.

Crossed-Beam Spectroscopy of Hydrogen: A New Value for the Rydberg Constant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin, S. R.; Caldwell, C. D.; Lichten, W.

1981-11-01

In a crossed laser-atomic beam experiment the wavelengths of the 2s-3p transitions are measured in H and D to a precision of one part in 109. Our value for the Rydberg constant is R∞=109 737.315 21(11) cm-1. The fine-structure splittings of the 3p states in H and D are 3249.8(8) and 3251.7(7) MHz, respectively; the isotope shifts for the 2s-3p12 and 2s-3p32 transitions are 124 260.7(7) and 124 262.6(7) MHz, respectively. Our results largely agree with previous, less precise experiments and with theory.

Effect of fecal contamination and cross-contamination on numbers of coliform, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, and Salmonella on immersion-chilled broiler carcasses.

PubMed

Smith, D P; Cason, J A; Berrang, M E

2005-07-01

The effect of prechill fecal contamination on numbers of bacteria on immersion-chilled carcasses was tested in each of three replicate trials. For each trial, 16 eviscerated broiler carcasses were split into 32 halves and assigned to one of two groups. Cecal contents (0.1 g inoculated with Campylobacter and nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella) were applied to each of eight halves in one group (direct contamination) that were placed into one paddle chiller (contaminated), whereas the other paired halves were placed into another chiller (control). From the second group of eight split birds, one of each paired half was placed in the contaminated chiller (to determine cross-contamination) and the other half was placed in the control chiller. Postchill carcass halves were sampled by a 1-min rinse in sterile water, which was collected and cultured. Bacterial counts were reported as log CFU per milliliter of rinsate. There were no significant statistical differences (paired t test, P < 0.05) from direct contamination for coliforms (mean 3.0 log CFU) and Escherichia coli (mean 2.7 log CFU), although Campylobacter numbers significantly increased from control values because of direct contamination (1.5 versus 2.1 log CFU), and the incidence increased from 79 to 100%. There was no significant effect of cross-contamination on coliform (mean 2.9 log CFU) or E. coli (mean 2.6 log CFU) numbers. Nevertheless, Campylobacter levels were significantly higher after exposure to cross-contamination (1.6 versus 2.0 log CFU), and the incidence of this bacterium increased from 75 to 100%. Salmonella-positive halves increased from 0 to 42% postchill because of direct contamination and from 0 to 25% as a result of cross-contamination after chilling. Water samples and surface swabs taken postchill from the contaminated chiller were higher for Campylobacter than those taken from the control chiller. Immersion chilling equilibrated bacterial numbers between contaminated and control halves subjected to either direct contamination or cross-contamination for coliforms and E. coli. Campylobacter numbers, Campylobacter incidence, and Salmonella incidence increased because of both direct contamination and cross-contamination in the chiller. Postchill E. coli numbers did not indicate which carcass halves were contaminated with feces before chilling.

CrossTalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering. Volume 27, Number 1, January/February 2014

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-01

deficit in trustworthiness and will permit analysis on how this deficit needs to be overcome. This analysis will help identify adaptations that are...approaches to trustworthy analysis split into two categories: product-based and process-based. Product-based techniques [9] identify factors that...Criticalities may also be assigned to decompositions and contributions. 5. Evaluation and analysis : in this task the propagation rules of the NFR

Black hole meiosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Herck, Walter; Wyder, Thomas

2010-04-01

The enumeration of BPS bound states in string theory needs refinement. Studying partition functions of particles made from D-branes wrapped on algebraic Calabi-Yau 3-folds, and classifying states using split attractor flow trees, we extend the method for computing a refined BPS index, [1]. For certain D-particles, a finite number of microstates, namely polar states, exclusively realized as bound states, determine an entire partition function (elliptic genus). This underlines their crucial importance: one might call them the ‘chromosomes’ of a D-particle or a black hole. As polar states also can be affected by our refinement, previous predictions on elliptic genera are modified. This can be metaphorically interpreted as ‘crossing-over in the meiosis of a D-particle’. Our results improve on [2], provide non-trivial evidence for a strong split attractor flow tree conjecture, and thus suggest that we indeed exhaust the BPS spectrum. In the D-brane description of a bound state, the necessity for refinement results from the fact that tachyonic strings split up constituent states into ‘generic’ and ‘special’ states. These are enumerated separately by topological invariants, which turn out to be partitions of Donaldson-Thomas invariants. As modular predictions provide a check on many of our results, we have compelling evidence that our computations are correct.

KSC-99pp0701

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-17

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers remove another section of the canister surrounding NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study hydrogen and deuterium to unlock the secrets of how the primordial chemical elements of which all stars, planets and life evolved, were created and distributed since the birth of the universe. FUSE is scheduled to be launched from CCAS June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket

Total Internal Reflection Ultrasonic Sensor for Detection of Subsurface Flaws: Research into Underlying Physics

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-24

layere, which was a thin plate bonded to a solid block of fused quartz. The plate was also made of fused quartz so the entire “assembly” may be... thin plate and a block of fused quartz. Residues of the lacquer Quartz plate Metal strip Epoxy layer Block of quartz Fig. 2.4.4. Specimen...depth therefore it was made as a combination of two pieces of fused quartz, a block and a thin plate , and a foreign inclusion between them. The plate was

Fluorine-Based DRIE of Fused Silica

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yee, Karl; Shcheglov, Kirill; Li, Jian; Choi, Daniel

2007-01-01

A process of deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) using a fluorine-based gas mixture enhanced by induction-coupled plasma (ICP) has been demonstrated to be effective in forming high-aspect-ratio three-dimensional patterns in fused silica. The patterns are defined in part by an etch mask in the form of a thick, high-quality aluminum film. The process was developed to satisfy a need to fabricate high-aspect-ratio fused-silica resonators for vibratory microgyroscopes, and could be used to satisfy similar requirements for fabricating other fused-silica components.

Fused Silica and Other Transparent Window Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salem, Jon

2016-01-01

Several transparent ceramics, such as spinel and AlONs are now being produced in sufficient large areas to be used in space craft window applications. The work horse transparent material for space missions from Apollo to the International Space Station has been fused silica due in part to its low coefficient of expansion and optical quality. Despite its successful use, fused silica exhibits anomalies in its crack growth behavior, depending on environmental preconditioning and surface damage. This presentation will compare recent optical ceramics to fused silica and discuss sources of variation in slow crack growth behavior.

KSC-99pp0495

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-04

While a crane lifts NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite, workers at Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station, help guide it toward the circular Payload Attach Fitting (PAF) in front of it. FUSE is undergoing a functional test of its systems, plus installation of flight batteries and solar arrays. Developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched May 27 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket at Launch Complex 17

Three-dimensional printing of transparent fused silica glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotz, Frederik; Arnold, Karl; Bauer, Werner; Schild, Dieter; Keller, Nico; Sachsenheimer, Kai; Nargang, Tobias M.; Richter, Christiane; Helmer, Dorothea; Rapp, Bastian E.

2017-04-01

Glass is one of the most important high-performance materials used for scientific research, in industry and in society, mainly owing to its unmatched optical transparency, outstanding mechanical, chemical and thermal resistance as well as its thermal and electrical insulating properties. However, glasses and especially high-purity glasses such as fused silica glass are notoriously difficult to shape, requiring high-temperature melting and casting processes for macroscopic objects or hazardous chemicals for microscopic features. These drawbacks have made glasses inaccessible to modern manufacturing technologies such as three-dimensional printing (3D printing). Using a casting nanocomposite, here we create transparent fused silica glass components using stereolithography 3D printers at resolutions of a few tens of micrometres. The process uses a photocurable silica nanocomposite that is 3D printed and converted to high-quality fused silica glass via heat treatment. The printed fused silica glass is non-porous, with the optical transparency of commercial fused silica glass, and has a smooth surface with a roughness of a few nanometres. By doping with metal salts, coloured glasses can be created. This work widens the choice of materials for 3D printing, enabling the creation of arbitrary macro- and microstructures in fused silica glass for many applications in both industry and academia.

Joint image registration and fusion method with a gradient strength regularization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lidong, Huang; Wei, Zhao; Jun, Wang

2015-05-01

Image registration is an essential process for image fusion, and fusion performance can be used to evaluate registration accuracy. We propose a maximum likelihood (ML) approach to joint image registration and fusion instead of treating them as two independent processes in the conventional way. To improve the visual quality of a fused image, a gradient strength (GS) regularization is introduced in the cost function of ML. The GS of the fused image is controllable by setting the target GS value in the regularization term. This is useful because a larger target GS brings a clearer fused image and a smaller target GS makes the fused image smoother and thus restrains noise. Hence, the subjective quality of the fused image can be improved whether the source images are polluted by noise or not. We can obtain the fused image and registration parameters successively by minimizing the cost function using an iterative optimization method. Experimental results show that our method is effective with transformation, rotation, and scale parameters in the range of [-2.0, 2.0] pixel, [-1.1 deg, 1.1 deg], and [0.95, 1.05], respectively, and variances of noise smaller than 300. It also demonstrated that our method yields a more visual pleasing fused image and higher registration accuracy compared with a state-of-the-art algorithm.

Cross-sectional transport imaging in a multijunction solar cell

DOE PAGES

Haegel, Nancy M.; Ke, Chi -Wen; Taha, Hesham; ...

2016-12-01

Here, we combine a highly localized electron-beam point source excitation to generate excess free carriers with the spatial resolution of optical near-field imaging to map recombination in a cross-sectioned multijunction (Ga 0.5In 0.5P/GaIn 0.01As/Ge) solar cell. By mapping the spatial variations in emission of light for fixed generation (as opposed to traditional cathodoluminescence (CL), which maps integrated emission as a function of position of generation), it is possible to directly monitor the motion of carriers and photons. We observe carrier diffusion throughout the full width of the middle (GaInAs) cell, as well as luminescent coupling from point source excitation inmore » the top cell GaInP to the middle cell. Supporting CL and near-field photoluminescence (PL) measurements demonstrate the excitation-dependent Fermi level splitting effects that influence cross-sectioned spectroscopy results, as well as transport limitations on the spatial resolution of conventional cross-sectional far-field measurements.« less

Dissociative recombination of HCl+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larson, Åsa; Fonseca dos Santos, Samantha; E. Orel, Ann

2017-08-01

The dissociative recombination of HCl+, including both the direct and indirect mechanisms, is studied. For the direct process, the relevant electronic states are calculated ab initio by combining electron scattering calculations to obtain resonance positions and autoionization widths with multi-reference configuration interaction calculations of the ion and Rydberg states. The cross section for the direct dissociation along electronic resonant states is computed by solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. For the indirect process, an upper bound value for the cross section is obtained using a vibrational frame transformation of the elements of the scattering matrix at energies just above the ionization threshold. Vibrational excitations of the ionic core from the ground vibrational state, v = 0 , to the first three excited vibrational states, v = 1 , v = 2 , and v = 3 , are considered. Autoionization is neglected and the effect of the spin-orbit splitting of the ionic potential energy upon the indirect dissociative recombination cross section is considered. The calculated cross sections are compared to measurements.

Dissociative recombination of HCl.

PubMed

Larson, Åsa; Fonseca Dos Santos, Samantha; E Orel, Ann

2017-08-28

The dissociative recombination of HCl + , including both the direct and indirect mechanisms, is studied. For the direct process, the relevant electronic states are calculated ab initio by combining electron scattering calculations to obtain resonance positions and autoionization widths with multi-reference configuration interaction calculations of the ion and Rydberg states. The cross section for the direct dissociation along electronic resonant states is computed by solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. For the indirect process, an upper bound value for the cross section is obtained using a vibrational frame transformation of the elements of the scattering matrix at energies just above the ionization threshold. Vibrational excitations of the ionic core from the ground vibrational state, v = 0, to the first three excited vibrational states, v = 1, v = 2, and  v = 3, are considered. Autoionization is neglected and the effect of the spin-orbit splitting of the ionic potential energy upon the indirect dissociative recombination cross section is considered. The calculated cross sections are compared to measurements.

Trace Level Determination of Mesityl Oxide and Diacetone Alcohol in Atazanavir Sulfate Drug Substance by a Gas Chromatography Method.

PubMed

Raju, K V S N; Pavan Kumar, K S R; Siva Krishna, N; Madhava Reddy, P; Sreenivas, N; Kumar Sharma, Hemant; Himabindu, G; Annapurna, N

2016-01-01

A capillary gas chromatography method with a short run time, using a flame ionization detector, has been developed for the quantitative determination of trace level analysis of mesityl oxide and diacetone alcohol in the atazanavir sulfate drug substance. The chromatographic method was achieved on a fused silica capillary column coated with 5% diphenyl and 95% dimethyl polysiloxane stationary phase (Rtx-5, 30 m x 0.53 mm x 5.0 µm). The run time was 20 min employing programmed temperature with a split mode (1:5) and was validated for specificity, sensitivity, precision, linearity, and accuracy. The detection and quantitation limits obtained for mesityl oxide and diacetone alcohol were 5 µg/g and 10 µg/g, respectively, for both of the analytes. The method was found to be linear in the range between 10 µg/g and 150 µg/g with a correlation coefficient greater than 0.999, and the average recoveries obtained in atazanavir sulfate were between 102.0% and 103.7%, respectively, for mesityl oxide and diacetone alcohol. The developed method was found to be robust and rugged. The detailed experimental results are discussed in this research paper.

Comparative Reannotation of 21 Aspergillus Genomes

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

Salamov, Asaf; Riley, Robert; Kuo, Alan

2013-03-08

We used comparative gene modeling to reannotate 21 Aspergillus genomes. Initial automatic annotation of individual genomes may contain some errors of different nature, e.g. missing genes, incorrect exon-intron structures, 'chimeras', which fuse 2 or more real genes or alternatively splitting some real genes into 2 or more models. The main premise behind the comparative modeling approach is that for closely related genomes most orthologous families have the same conserved gene structure. The algorithm maps all gene models predicted in each individual Aspergillus genome to the other genomes and, for each locus, selects from potentially many competing models, the one whichmore » most closely resembles the orthologous genes from other genomes. This procedure is iterated until no further change in gene models is observed. For Aspergillus genomes we predicted in total 4503 new gene models ( ~;;2percent per genome), supported by comparative analysis, additionally correcting ~;;18percent of old gene models. This resulted in a total of 4065 more genes with annotated PFAM domains (~;;3percent increase per genome). Analysis of a few genomes with EST/transcriptomics data shows that the new annotation sets also have a higher number of EST-supported splice sites at exon-intron boundaries.« less

The structure of transcription termination factor Nrd1 reveals an original mode for GUAA recognition

PubMed Central

Franco-Echevarría, Elsa; González-Polo, Noelia; Zorrilla, Silvia; Martínez-Lumbreras, Santiago; Santiveri, Clara M.; Campos-Olivas, Ramón; Sánchez, Mar; Calvo, Olga

2017-01-01

Abstract Transcription termination of non-coding RNAs is regulated in yeast by a complex of three RNA binding proteins: Nrd1, Nab3 and Sen1. Nrd1 is central in this process by interacting with Rbp1 of RNA polymerase II, Trf4 of TRAMP and GUAA/G terminator sequences. We lack structural data for the last of these binding events. We determined the structures of Nrd1 RNA binding domain and its complexes with three GUAA-containing RNAs, characterized RNA binding energetics and tested rationally designed mutants in vivo. The Nrd1 structure shows an RRM domain fused with a second α/β domain that we name split domain (SD), because it is formed by two non-consecutive segments at each side of the RRM. The GUAA interacts with both domains and with a pocket of water molecules, trapped between the two stacking adenines and the SD. Comprehensive binding studies demonstrate for the first time that Nrd1 has a slight preference for GUAA over GUAG and genetic and functional studies suggest that Nrd1 RNA binding domain might play further roles in non-coding RNAs transcription termination. PMID:28973465

Horizontal transfer of an adaptive chimeric photoreceptor from bryophytes to ferns

PubMed Central

Li, Fay-Wei; Villarreal, Juan Carlos; Kelly, Steven; Rothfels, Carl J.; Melkonian, Michael; Frangedakis, Eftychios; Ruhsam, Markus; Sigel, Erin M.; Der, Joshua P.; Pittermann, Jarmila; Burge, Dylan O.; Pokorny, Lisa; Larsson, Anders; Chen, Tao; Weststrand, Stina; Thomas, Philip; Carpenter, Eric; Zhang, Yong; Tian, Zhijian; Chen, Li; Yan, Zhixiang; Zhu, Ying; Sun, Xiao; Wang, Jun; Stevenson, Dennis W.; Crandall-Stotler, Barbara J.; Shaw, A. Jonathan; Deyholos, Michael K.; Soltis, Douglas E.; Graham, Sean W.; Windham, Michael D.; Langdale, Jane A.; Wong, Gane Ka-Shu; Mathews, Sarah; Pryer, Kathleen M.

2014-01-01

Ferns are well known for their shade-dwelling habits. Their ability to thrive under low-light conditions has been linked to the evolution of a novel chimeric photoreceptor—neochrome—that fuses red-sensing phytochrome and blue-sensing phototropin modules into a single gene, thereby optimizing phototropic responses. Despite being implicated in facilitating the diversification of modern ferns, the origin of neochrome has remained a mystery. We present evidence for neochrome in hornworts (a bryophyte lineage) and demonstrate that ferns acquired neochrome from hornworts via horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Fern neochromes are nested within hornwort neochromes in our large-scale phylogenetic reconstructions of phototropin and phytochrome gene families. Divergence date estimates further support the HGT hypothesis, with fern and hornwort neochromes diverging 179 Mya, long after the split between the two plant lineages (at least 400 Mya). By analyzing the draft genome of the hornwort Anthoceros punctatus, we also discovered a previously unidentified phototropin gene that likely represents the ancestral lineage of the neochrome phototropin module. Thus, a neochrome originating in hornworts was transferred horizontally to ferns, where it may have played a significant role in the diversification of modern ferns. PMID:24733898

Development of deployable fibre integral-field-units for the E-ELT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelz, Andreas; Jahn, Thomas; Neumann, Justus; Roth, Martin M.; Rutowska, Monika; Sandin, Christer; Nicklas, Harald; Anwand, Heiko; Schmidt, C.

2014-07-01

The use of deployable fibre-bundles plays an increasing role in the design of future Multi-Object-Spectrographs (MOS). Within a research and development project for "Enabling Technologies for the E-ELT", various miniaturized, fibrebundles were designed, built and tested for their suitability for a proposed ELT-MOS instrument. The paper describes the opto-mechanical designs of the bundles and the different manufacture approaches, using glued, stacked and fused optical fibre bundles. The fibre bundles are characterized for performance, using dedicated testbenches in the laboratory and at a telescope simulator. Their performance is measured with respect to geometric accuracy, throughput, FRD behavior and cross-talk between channels.

Structure Formation and Properties of Weld Overlay Produced by Laser Cladding under the Influence of Nanoparticles of High-melting Compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murzakov, M.; Petrovskiy, V.; Birukov, V.; Dzhumaev, P.; Polski, V.; Markushov, Y.; Bykovskiy, D.

Researches of flat samples using laser cladding technology were carried out. Nickel-based powders with the addition of nanopowders of tantalum carbide and tungsten carbide with water-based hydroxyethylcellulose as the binder, were used for slip cladding. Powders are fused on under local argon protection. The experiments were carried out to determine minimal base metal penetration depth, microhardness distribution over cross section of substrate and deposited layers, enrichment level of cladding metal with base components depending on power density and deposition rate. Metallographic studies of obtained overlays were conducted using a high-precision analytical equipment.

Cross-shore flow on the inner-shelf off southwest Portugal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamas, L.; Peliz, A.; Oliveira, P.; Dias, J.

2012-04-01

Velocity measurements from 4 bottom-mounted ADCP deployments (summers of 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011) at a 12-m depth site off Sines, Portugal, complemented with time series of winds, waves and tides, are used to study the inner-shelf cross-shore flow dependence on wave, tidal and wind forcings. During these four summers, the dominating winds are from the north (upwelling-favorable), with strong diurnal sea breeze cycle throughout these periods. This quasi-steady wind circulation is sometimes interrupted by short event-like reversals. The observed records were split in different subsets according to tidal amplitude, wave height, cross- and along-shore wind magnitudes, and the vertical structure of the cross-shore flow was studied for each of these subsets. Despite different forcing conditions, the cross-shore velocity profiles usually show a vertical parabolic structure with maximum onshore flow at mid-depth, resembling the upwelling return flow for mid-shelf conditions, but atypical for the inner-shelf and in disagreement with other inner-shelf studies from other sites. We compare the observations with simplified 2D inner-shelf models and with results from other studies.

Characterization of laser damage performance of fused silica using photothermal absorption technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Wen; Shi, Feng; Dai, Yifan; Peng, Xiaoqiang

2017-06-01

The subsurface damage and metal impurities have been the main laser damage precursors of fused silica while subjected to high power laser irradiation. Light field enhancement and thermal absorption were used to explain the appearance of damage pits while the laser energy is far smaller than the energy that can reach the intrinsic threshold of fused silica. For fused silica optics manufactured by magnetorheological finishing or advanced mitigation process, no scratch-related damage site occurs can be found on the surface. In this work, we implemented a photothermal absorption technique based on thermal lens method to characterize the subsurface defects of fused silica optics. The pump beam is CW 532 nm wavelength laser. The probe beam is a He-Ne laser. They are collinear and focused through the same objective. When pump beam pass through the sample, optical absorption induces the local temperature rise. The lowest absorptance that we can detect is about the order of magnitude of 0.01 ppm. When pump beam pass through the sample, optical absorption induces the local temperature rise. The photothermal absorption value of fused silica samples range from 0.5 to 10 ppm. The damage densities of the samples were plotted. The damage threshold of samples at 8J/cm2 were gived to show laser damage performance of fused silica.The results show that there is a strong correlation between the thermal absorption and laser damage density. The photothermal absorption technique can be used to predict and evaluate the laser damage performance of fused silica optics.

Fused Bead Analysis of Diogenite Meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mittlefehldt, D.W.; Beck, B.W.; McSween, H.Y.; Lee, C.T. A.

2009-01-01

Bulk rock chemistry is an essential dataset in meteoritics and planetary science [1]. A common method used to obtain the bulk chemistry of meteorites is ICP-MS. While the accuracy, precision and low detection limits of this process are advantageous [2], the sample size used for analysis (approx.70 mg) can be a problem in a field where small and finite samples are the norm. Fused bead analysis is another bulk rock analytical technique that has been used in meteoritics [3]. This technique involves forming a glass bead from 10 mg of sample and measuring its chemistry using a defocused beam on a microprobe. Though the ICP-MS has lower detection limits than the microprobe, the fused bead method destroys a much smaller sample of the meteorite. Fused bead analysis was initially designed for samples with near-eutectic compositions and low viscosities. Melts generated of this type homogenize at relatively low temperatures and produce primary melts near the sample s bulk composition [3]. The application of fused bead analysis to samples with noneutectic melt compositions has not been validated. The purpose of this study is to test if fused bead analysis can accurately determine the bulk rock chemistry of non-eutectic melt composition meteorites. To determine this, we conduct two examinations of the fused bead. First, we compare ICP-MS and fused bead results of the same samples using statistical analysis. Secondly, we inspect the beads for the presence of crystals and chemical heterogeneity. The presence of either of these would indicate incomplete melting and quenching of the bead.

Infrared and visible image fusion based on robust principal component analysis and compressed sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jun; Song, Minghui; Peng, Yuanxi

2018-03-01

Current infrared and visible image fusion methods do not achieve adequate information extraction, i.e., they cannot extract the target information from infrared images while retaining the background information from visible images. Moreover, most of them have high complexity and are time-consuming. This paper proposes an efficient image fusion framework for infrared and visible images on the basis of robust principal component analysis (RPCA) and compressed sensing (CS). The novel framework consists of three phases. First, RPCA decomposition is applied to the infrared and visible images to obtain their sparse and low-rank components, which represent the salient features and background information of the images, respectively. Second, the sparse and low-rank coefficients are fused by different strategies. On the one hand, the measurements of the sparse coefficients are obtained by the random Gaussian matrix, and they are then fused by the standard deviation (SD) based fusion rule. Next, the fused sparse component is obtained by reconstructing the result of the fused measurement using the fast continuous linearized augmented Lagrangian algorithm (FCLALM). On the other hand, the low-rank coefficients are fused using the max-absolute rule. Subsequently, the fused image is superposed by the fused sparse and low-rank components. For comparison, several popular fusion algorithms are tested experimentally. By comparing the fused results subjectively and objectively, we find that the proposed framework can extract the infrared targets while retaining the background information in the visible images. Thus, it exhibits state-of-the-art performance in terms of both fusion effects and timeliness.

Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE): Torchbearers for a new fire management paradigm

Treesearch

Timothy Ingalsbee; Joseph Fox; Patrick Withen

2007-01-01

Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE) is a nonprofit organization promoting safe, ethical, ecological wildland fire management. FUSEE believes firefighter and community safety are ultimately interdependent with ethical public service, wildlands protection, and ecological restoration of fire-adapted ecosystems. Our members include current, former,...

Formation of broadband antireflective and superhydrophilic subwavelength structures on fused silica using one-step self-masking reactive ion etching

PubMed Central

Ye, Xin; Jiang, Xiaodong; Huang, Jin; Geng, Feng; Sun, Laixi; Zu, Xiaotao; Wu, Weidong; Zheng, Wanguo

2015-01-01

Fused silica subwavelength structures (SWSs) with an average period of ~100 nm were fabricated using an efficient approach based on one-step self-masking reactive ion etching. The subwavelength structures exhibited excellent broadband antireflection properties from the ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelength range. These properties are attributable to the graded refractive index for the transition from air to the fused silica substrate that is produced by the ideal nanocone subwavelength structures. The transmittance in the 400–700 nm range increased from approximately 93% for the polished fused silica to greater than 99% for the subwavelength structure layer on fused silica. Achieving broadband antireflection in the visible and near-infrared wavelength range by appropriate matching of the SWS heights on the front and back sides of the fused silica is a novel strategy. The measured antireflection properties are consistent with the results of theoretical analysis using a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. This method is also applicable to diffraction grating fabrication. Moreover, the surface of the subwavelength structures exhibits significant superhydrophilic properties. PMID:26268896

One Stage Conversion of an Infected Fused Knee to Total Knee Replacement - A Surgical Challenge

PubMed Central

Ravikumar, Mukartihal; Kendoff, Daniel; Citak, Mustafa; Luck, Stefan; Gehrke, Thorsten; Zahar, Akos

2013-01-01

Background and Purpose: Two-stage revision arthroplasty is a common technique for the treatment of infected total knee replacement. Few reports have addressed the conversion of a fused knee into a total knee replacement. However, there is no case reported of converting an infected fused knee into a hinge knee using a one-stage procedure. Methods: We report on a 51-year old male patient with an infected fused knee after multiple surgeries. Results and Interpretation: A one-stage conversion of septic fused knee into total knee arthroplasty by a rotational hinge prosthesis was performed. The case highlights that with profound preoperative assessment, meticulous surgical technique, combined antibiotic treatment and the right implant, one-stage revision in a surgical challenge may have a role as a treatment option with good functional outcome. PMID:23526706

Highly planar diarylamine-fused porphyrins and their remarkably stable radical cations† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. CCDC 1469154–1469160. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c6sc02721k Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Fukui, Norihito; Cha, Wonhee; Shimizu, Daiki; Oh, Juwon

2017-01-01

Oxidative fusion reactions of meso-phenoxazino Ni(ii) porphyrin were found to be temperature dependent, giving rise to either a doubly phenylene-fused product at room temperature or a singly phenoxazine-fused product at 70 °C. The latter was further oxidized to a doubly phenoxazine-fused Ni(ii) porphyrin, which was subsequently converted to the corresponding free base porphyrin and Zn(ii) porphyrin. Compared to previously reported diphenylamine-fused porphyrins that displayed a molecular twist, doubly phenoxazine-fused porphyrins exhibited distinctly different properties owing to their highly planar structures, such as larger fluorescence quantum yields, formation of an offset face-to-face dimer both in solution and the solid state, and the generation of a mixed-valence π-radical cation dimer upon electrochemical oxidation. One-electron oxidation of the phenoxazine-fused Ni(ii) porphyrin with Magic Blue gave the corresponding radical cation, which was certainly stable and could be isolated by separation over a silica gel column but slowly chlorinated at the reactive β-positions in the solid state. This finding led to us to examine β,β′-dichlorinated phenoxazine-fused and diphenylamine-fused Ni(ii) porphyrins, which, upon treatment with Magic Blue, provided remarkably stable radical cations to an unprecedented level. It is actually possible to purify these radical cations by silica gel chromatography, and they can be stored for over 6 months without any sign of deterioration. Moreover, they exhibited no degradation even after the CH2Cl2 solution was washed with water. However, subtle structural differences (planar versus partly twisted) led to different crystal packing structures and solid-state magnetic properties. PMID:28451165

Human adipose tissue-derived stem cells exhibit proliferation potential and spontaneous rhythmic contraction after fusion with neonatal rat cardiomyocytes.

PubMed

Metzele, Roxana; Alt, Christopher; Bai, Xiaowen; Yan, Yasheng; Zhang, Zhi; Pan, Zhizhong; Coleman, Michael; Vykoukal, Jody; Song, Yao-Hua; Alt, Eckhard

2011-03-01

Various types of stem cells have been shown to have beneficial effects on cardiac function. It is still debated whether fusion of injected stem cells with local resident cardiomyocytes is one of the mechanisms. To better understand the role of fusion in stem cell-based myocardial regeneration, the present study was designed to investigate the fate of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hASCs) fused with neonatal rat cardiomyocytes in vitro. hASCs labeled with the green fluorescent probe Vybrant DiO were cocultured with neonatal rat cardiomyocytes labeled with the red fluorescent probe Vybrant DiI and then treated with fusion-inducing hemagglutinating virus of Japan (HVJ). Cells that incorporated both red and green fluorescent signals were considered to be hASCs that had fused with rat cardiomyocytes. Fusion efficiency was 19.86 ± 4.84% at 5 d after treatment with HVJ. Most fused cells displayed cardiomyocyte-like morphology and exhibited spontaneous rhythmic contraction. Both immunofluorescence staining and lentiviral vector labeling showed that fused cells contained separate rat cardiomyocyte and hASC nuclei. Immunofluorescence staining assays demonstrated that human nuclei in fused cells still expressed the proliferation marker Ki67. In addition, hASCs fused with rat cardiomyocytes were positive for troponin I. Whole-cell voltage-clamp analysis demonstrated action potentials in beating fused cells. RT-PCR analysis using rat- or human-specific myosin heavy chain primers revealed that the myosin heavy-chain expression in fused cells was derived from rat cardiomyocytes. Real-time PCR identified expression of human troponin T in fused cells and the presence of rat cardiomyocytes induced a cardiomyogenic protein expression of troponin T in human ASCs. This study illustrates that hASCs exhibit both stem cell (proliferation) and cardiomyocyte properties (action potential and spontaneous rhythmic beating) after fusion with rat cardiomyocytes, supporting the theory that fusion, even if artificially induced in our study, could indeed be a mechanism for cardiomyocyte renewal in the heart.

Explosive Growth and Advancement of the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazzarella, Joseph M.; Ogle, P. M.; Fadda, D.; Madore, B. F.; Ebert, R.; Baker, K.; Chan, H.; Chen, X.; Frayer, C.; Helou, G.; Jacobson, J. D.; LaGue, C.; Lo, T. M.; Pevunova, O.; Schmitz, M.; Terek, S.; Steer, I.

2014-01-01

The NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) is continuing to evolve in lock-step with the explosive growth of astronomical data and advancements in information technology. A new methodology is being used to fuse data from very large surveys. Selected parameters are first loaded into a new database layer and made available in areal searches before they are cross-matched with prior NED objects. Then a programmed, rule-based statistical approach is used to identify new objects and compute cross-identifications with existing objects where possible; otherwise associations between objects are derived based on positional uncertainties or spatial resolution differences. Approximately 62 million UV sources from the GALEX All-Sky Survey and Medium Imaging Survey catalogs have been integrated into NED using this new process. The December 2013 release also contains nearly half a billion sources from the 2MASS Point Source Catalog accessible in cone searches, while the large scale cross-matching is in progress. Forthcoming updates will fuse data from All-WISE, SDSS DR12, and other very large catalogs. This work is progressing in parallel with the equally important integration of data from the literature, which is also growing rapidly. Recent updates have also included H I and CO channel maps (data cubes), as well as substantial growth in redshifts, classifications, photometry, spectra and redshift-independent distances. The By Parameters search engine now incorporates a simplified form for entry of constraints, and support for long-running queries with machine-readable output. A new tool for exploring the environments of galaxies with measured radial velocities includes informative graphics and a method to assess the incompleteness of redshift measurements. The NED user interface is also undergoing a major transformation, providing more streamlined navigation and searching, and a modern development framework for future enhancements. For further information, please visit our poster (Fadda et al. 2014) and stop by the NED exhibit for a demo. NED is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The visual system of the Australian 'Redeye' cicada (Psaltoda moerens).

PubMed

Ribi, Willi A; Zeil, Jochen

2015-11-01

We investigated the functional anatomy of the visual system in the Australian 'Redeye' cicada Psaltoda moerens, including compound eyes and ocelli. The compound eyes have large visual fields, about 7500 ommatidia per eye and binocular overlaps of 10-15° in the frontal and of 50-60° in the dorsal visual field. The diameters of corneal facet lenses range between 22 and 34 μm and the lenses are unusually long with up to 100 μm in some eye regions. In the posterior part of the eyes, the hexagonal facet array changes to a square lattice. The compound eyes are of the eucone apposition type with 8 retinular cells contributing to a fused rhabdom in each ommatidium. The red eye colour is due to the pigment granules in the secondary pigment cells. We found a small Dorsal Rim Area (DRA), in which rhabdom cross-sections are rectangular rather than round. The cross-sections of DRA rhabdoms do not systematically change orientation along the length of the rhabdom, indicating that microvilli directions do not twist, which would make retinular cells in the DRA polarization sensitive. The three ocelli have unusual lenses with a champagne-cork shape in longitudinal sections. Retinular cells are short in the dorsal and ventral part of the retinae, and long in their equatorial part. Ocellar rhabdoms are short (<10 μm), positioned close to the corneagenous layer and are formed by pairs of retinular cells. In cross-section, the rhabdomeres are 2-5 μm long and straight. The red colour of ocelli is produced by screening pigments that form an iris around the base of the ocellar lens and by screening pigments between the ocellar retinular cells. We discuss the organization of the compound eye rhabdom, the organization of the ocelli and the presence of a DRA in the light of what is known about Hemipteran compound eyes. We note in particular that cicadas are the only Hemipteran group with fused rhabdoms, thus making Hemiptera an interesting case to study the evolution of open rhabdoms and neural superposition. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Level crossings and zero-field splitting in the {Cr8}-cubane spin cluster studied using inelastic neutron scattering and magnetization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaknin, D.; Garlea, V. O.; Demmel, F.; Mamontov, E.; Nojiri, H.; Martin, C.; Chiorescu, I.; Qiu, Y.; Kögerler, P.; Fielden, J.; Engelhardt, L.; Rainey, C.; Luban, M.

2010-11-01

Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) in variable magnetic field and high-field magnetization measurements in the millikelvin temperature range were performed to gain insight into the low-energy magnetic excitation spectrum and the field-induced level crossings in the molecular spin cluster {Cr8}-cubane. These complementary techniques provide consistent estimates of the lowest level-crossing field. The overall features of the experimental data are explained using an isotropic Heisenberg model, based on three distinct exchange interactions linking the eight CrIII paramagnetic centers (spins s = 3/2), that is supplemented with a relatively large molecular magnetic anisotropy term for the lowest S = 1 multiplet. It is noted that the existence of the anisotropy is clearly evident from the magnetic field dependence of the excitations in the INS measurements, while the magnetization measurements are not sensitive to its effects.

Level crossings and zero-field splitting in the {Cr8}-cubane spin-cluster studied using inelastic neutron scattering and magnetization

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

Vaknin, D.; Garlea, Vasile O; Demmel, F.

Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) in variable magnetic field and high-field magnetization measurements in the millikelvin temperature range were performed to gain insight into the low-energy magnetic excitation spectrum and the field-induced level crossings in the molecular spin cluster {Cr8}-cubane. These complementary techniques provide consistent estimates of the lowest level-crossing field. The overall features of the experimental data are explained using an isotropic Heisenberg model, based on three distinct exchange interactions linking the eight CrIII paramagnetic centers (spins s = 3/2), that is supplemented with a relatively large molecular magnetic anisotropy term for the lowest S = 1 multiplet. It ismore » noted that the existence of the anisotropy is clearly evident from the magnetic field dependence of the excitations in the INS measurements, while the magnetization measurements are not sensitive to its effects.« less

KSC-99pp0700

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-17

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers begin removing the lower sections of the canister surrounding NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study hydrogen and deuterium to unlock the secrets of how the primordial chemical elements of which all stars, planets and life evolved, were created and distributed since the birth of the universe. FUSE is scheduled to be launched from CCAS June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket

KSC-99pp0699

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-17

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers oversee the removal of the canister from the top of NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study hydrogen and deuterium to unlock the secrets of how the primordial chemical elements of which all stars, planets and life evolved, were created and distributed since the birth of the universe. FUSE is scheduled to be launched from CCAS June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket

KSC-99pp0698

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-17

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers begin to remove the canister around the top of the NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study hydrogen and deuterium to unlock the secrets of how the primordial chemical elements of which all stars, planets and life evolved, were created and distributed since the birth of the universe. FUSE is scheduled to be launched from CCAS June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket

KSC-99pp0703

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-17

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers look over NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite after sections of the canister have been removed. FUSE is scheduled to be launched from CCAS June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study hydrogen and deuterium to unlock the secrets of how the primordial chemical elements of which all stars, planets and life evolved, were created and distributed since the birth of the universe

[Color stability of porcelain-fused-to-titanium restorations after repeated firings].

PubMed

Wu, Xiao-min; Zhou, Zheng

2004-08-01

To study the effect of repeated firings on color of porcelain-fused-to-titanium restorations. Twenty standard porcelain-fused-to-titanium specimens were made with Dentsply DETREY TiBond C3 and Dentaurum rematitan Til. Then they were fired 1, 2, 4, 7, and 10 times. Color measurement was done after each firing. Most of the color parameters had no significant difference after firing except for a* and Hab. All the color difference among groups were smaller than 1.0 (deltaE < 1.0). Repeated firings will not affect the color stability of porcelain-fused-to-titanium restorations.

KSC-99pp0690

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-14

NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite is fitted with another row of canister segments before being moved to Launch Pad 17A, CCAS. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket

KSC-99pp0663

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-12

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers attach a solar panel to NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is targeted for launch June 23 from Launch Pad 17A, CCAS, aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket

Launch of NASA's FUSE satellite from CCAS.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

As light peers over the horizon at the crack of dawn, NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite waits for launch on Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station, aboard the Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is scheduled for 11:39 a.m. EDT. FUSE was developed to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Launch of NASA's FUSE satellite from CCAS.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Clouds of smoke and steam billow around the Boeing Delta II rocket as it roars into the sky after liftoff at 11:44 a.m. EDT from Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. The rocket is carrying NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE was developed to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Shear wave splitting and shear wave splitting tomography of the southern Puna plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calixto, Frank J.; Robinson, Danielle; Sandvol, Eric; Kay, Suzanne; Abt, David; Fischer, Karen; Heit, Ben; Yuan, Xiaohui; Comte, Diana; Alvarado, Patricia

2014-11-01

We have investigated the seismic anisotropy beneath the Central Andean southern Puna plateau by applying shear wave splitting analysis and shear wave splitting tomography to local S waves and teleseismic SKS, SKKS and PKS phases. Overall, a very complex pattern of fast directions throughout the southern Puna plateau region and a circular pattern of fast directions around the region of the giant Cerro Galan ignimbrite complex are observed. In general, teleseismic lag times are much greater than those for local events which are interpreted to reflect a significant amount of sub and inner slab anisotropy. The complex pattern observed from shear wave splitting analysis alone is the result of a complex 3-D anisotropic structure under the southern Puna plateau. Our application of shear wave splitting tomography provides a 3-D model of anisotropy in the southern Puna plateau that shows different patterns depending on the driving mechanism of upper-mantle flow and seismic anisotropy. The trench parallel a-axes in the continental lithosphere above the slab east of 68W may be related to deformation of the overriding continental lithosphere since it is under compressive stresses which are orthogonal to the trench. The more complex pattern below the Cerro Galan ignimbrite complex and above the slab is interpreted to reflect delamination of continental lithosphere and upwelling of hot asthenosphere. The a-axes beneath the Cerro Galan, Cerro Blanco and Carachi Pampa volcanic centres at 100 km depth show some weak evidence for vertically orientated fast directions, which could be due to vertical asthenospheric flow around a delaminated block. Additionally, our splitting tomographic model shows that there is a significant amount of seismic anisotropy beneath the slab. The subslab mantle west of 68W shows roughly trench parallel horizontal a-axes that are probably driven by slab roll back and the relatively small coupling between the Nazca slab and the underlying mantle. In contrast, the subslab region (i.e. depths greater than 200 km) east of 68W shows a circular pattern of a-axes centred on a region with small strength of anisotropy (Cerro Galan and its eastern edge) which suggest the dominant mechanism is a combination of slab roll back and flow driven by an overlying abnormally heated slab or possibly a slab gap. There seems to be some evidence for vertical flow below the slab at depths of 200-400 km driven by the abnormally heated slab or slab gap. This cannot be resolved by the tomographic inversion due to the lack of ray crossings in the subslab mantle.

A Comparison of Aircraft Maintenance Organizational Structures

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-09-01

Outputs ... ...................... 85 Appendix E : Double Cross-Validation ........... 117 Appendix F: Exchange of Independent Variables...splits into three major production branches (6). See Figure 8. 26 Aircraf t Interm ia•’ e Maintenance Off icerzI A ssistantAIKO I 1|A/ant a A Traiing...responsible for all aircraft maintenance activities, see Figure 9 (4:3). rdor ! E •; e Techn•1i Se~rvices Wff oE r I f .1 Bass Airaraf t Iaintenanoc E

Rotor Aerodynamics in Ground Effect at Low Advance Ratios.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-07-27

the rotor wake flows entirely downstream. At test conditions were the recirculating flow or ground vortex is present there are marked departures...ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1 Cross Section of Test Facilty 12 2 Overall View of Test Facility and Rotor Model 13 3 Flow Pattern in Ground Vortex Regime, (v...entirely flowing downstream splits and a portion of the rotor wake flows forward (upstream) and then recirculates through the rotor or forms a vortex or

Fundamental Physics and Model Assumptions in Turbulent Combustion Models for Aerospace Propulsion

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

of the equation of state is enabling to this variables split since a constant pressure implies that density can be obtained ... of models, the Reynolds stress term is first expressed as the sum of the deviatoric and isotropic stress parts. The deviatoric part is given by: τD...interpretation with regard to turbulent flow. It may be more appropriate to look at the modeling of the cross- stress terms in the LES equations

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

Goto, Motoshi; Morita, Shigeru

Emission lines in the visible/UV wavelength ranges are observed with 80 lines of sight which cover an entire poloidal cross section of the plasma in the Large Helical Device. The emitted light is received with optical fibers having 100 {mu}m diameter and is guided into a 1.33 m Czerny-Turner-type spectrometer based on spherical mirrors for collimating and focusing. A charge-coupled device having 13.3x13.3 mm{sup 2} area size is used as the detector and the spectra from all the lines of sight are recorded perpendicularly to the wavelength dispersion. The spectrometer is equipped with optics located in front of the entrancemore » slit to correct the difference between the meridional and sagittal focal points, and thus the astigmatism, which otherwise causes severe cross talk between adjacent optical fiber images on the detector, is corrected. Consequently, simultaneous spectral measurement with 80 lines of sight is realized. The Zeeman splitting of a neutral helium line, {lambda}667.8 nm (2 {sup 1}P-3 {sup 1}D), which is caused by the magnetic field for plasma confinement, is measured with the spectrometer. Though the obtained line profile is in general a superposition of several components on the same line of sight, they can be separated according to their different splitting widths. The two-dimensional poloidal distribution of the helium line intensity is obtained with the help of a tomographic technique.« less

Multi-azimuthal-angle instability for different supernova neutrino fluxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Sovan; Mirizzi, Alessandro

2014-08-01

It has been recently discovered that removing the axial symmetry in the "multiangle effects" associated with the neutrino-neutrino interactions for supernova (SN) neutrinos, a new multi-azimuthal-angle (MAA) instability will trigger flavor conversions in addition to the ones caused by the bimodal and multi-zenith-angle (MZA) instabilities. We investigate the dependence of the MAA instability on the original SN neutrino fluxes, performing a stability analysis of the linearized neutrino equations of motion. We compare these results with the numerical evolution of the SN neutrino nonlinear equations, looking at a local solution along a specific line of sight, under the assumption that the transverse variations of the global solution are small. We also assume that self-induced conversions are not suppressed by large matter effects. We show that the pattern of the spectral crossings (energies where Fνe=Fνx and Fν¯e=Fν¯x) is crucial in determining the impact of MAA effects on the flavor evolution. For neutrino spectra with a strong excess of νe over ν¯e, presenting only a single crossing, MAA instabilities will trigger new flavor conversions in normal mass hierarchy. In our simplified flavor evolution scheme, these will lead to spectral swaps and splits analogous to what is produced in inverted hierarchy by the bimodal instability. Conversely, in the presence of spectra with a moderate flavor hierarchy, having multiple crossing energies, MZA effects will produce a sizable delay in the onset of the flavor conversions, inhibiting the growth of the MAA instability. In this case, the splitting features for the oscillated spectra in both the mass hierarchies are the ones induced by the only bimodal and MZA effects.

No evidence for dust B -mode decorrelation in Planck data

DOE PAGES

Sheehy, Christopher; Slosar, Anze

2018-02-20

Constraints on inflationary B modes using cosmic microwave background polarization data commonly rely on either template cleaning or cross-spectra between maps at different frequencies to disentangle Galactic foregrounds from the cosmological signal. Assumptions about how the foregrounds scale with frequency are therefore crucial to interpreting the data. Recent results from the Planck satellite collaboration claim significant evidence for a decorrelation in the polarization signal of the spatial pattern of Galactic dust between 217 and 353 GHz. Such a decorrelation would suppress power in the cross-spectrum between high-frequency maps, where the dust is strong, and lower-frequency maps, where the sensitivity tomore » cosmological B modes is strongest. Alternatively, it would leave residuals in lower-frequency maps cleaned with a template derived from the higher-frequency maps. If not accounted for, both situations would result in an underestimate of the dust contribution and thus an upward bias on measurements of the tensor-to-scalar ratio, r. In this paper, we revisit this measurement and find that the no-decorrelation hypothesis cannot be excluded with the Planck data. There are three main reasons for this: (i) There is significant noise bias in cross-spectra between Planck data splits that needs to be accounted for. (ii) There is strong evidence for unknown instrumental systematics, the amplitude of which we estimate using alternative Planck data splits. (iii) There are significant correlations between measurements in different sky patches that need to be taken into account when assessing the statistical significance. Finally, between ℓ = 55-90 and over 72% of the sky, the dust BB correlation between 217 and 353 GHz is 1.001 +.004/.021 -.004/.000 (68% stat/syst.) and shows no significant trend with the sky fraction.« less

Spatial clustering and halo occupation distribution modelling of local AGN via cross-correlation measurements with 2MASS galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krumpe, Mirko; Miyaji, Takamitsu; Coil, Alison L.; Aceves, Hector

2018-02-01

We present the clustering properties and halo occupation distribution (HOD) modelling of very low redshift, hard X-ray-detected active galactic nuclei (AGN) using cross-correlation function measurements with Two-Micron All Sky Survey galaxies. Spanning a redshift range of 0.007 < z < 0.037, with a median z = 0.024, we present a precise AGN clustering study of the most local AGN in the Universe. The AGN sample is drawn from the SWIFT/BAT 70-month and INTEGRAL/IBIS eight year all-sky X-ray surveys and contains both type I and type II AGN. We find a large-scale bias for the full AGN sample of b=1.04^{+0.10}_{-0.11}, which corresponds to a typical host dark matter halo mass of M_h^typ=12.84^{+0.22}_{-0.30} h^{-1} M_{⊙}. When split into low and high X-ray luminosity and type I and type II AGN subsamples, we detect no statistically significant differences in the large-scale bias parameters. However, there are differences in the small-scale clustering, which are reflected in the full HOD model results. We find that low and high X-ray luminosity AGN, as well as type I and type II AGN, occupy dark matter haloes differently, with 3.4σ and 4.0σ differences in their mean halo masses, respectively, when split by luminosity and type. The latter finding contradicts a simple orientation-based AGN unification model. As a by-product of our cross-correlation approach, we also present the first HOD model of 2MASS galaxies.

No evidence for dust B -mode decorrelation in Planck data

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

Sheehy, Christopher; Slosar, Anze

Constraints on inflationary B modes using cosmic microwave background polarization data commonly rely on either template cleaning or cross-spectra between maps at different frequencies to disentangle Galactic foregrounds from the cosmological signal. Assumptions about how the foregrounds scale with frequency are therefore crucial to interpreting the data. Recent results from the Planck satellite collaboration claim significant evidence for a decorrelation in the polarization signal of the spatial pattern of Galactic dust between 217 and 353 GHz. Such a decorrelation would suppress power in the cross-spectrum between high-frequency maps, where the dust is strong, and lower-frequency maps, where the sensitivity tomore » cosmological B modes is strongest. Alternatively, it would leave residuals in lower-frequency maps cleaned with a template derived from the higher-frequency maps. If not accounted for, both situations would result in an underestimate of the dust contribution and thus an upward bias on measurements of the tensor-to-scalar ratio, r. In this paper, we revisit this measurement and find that the no-decorrelation hypothesis cannot be excluded with the Planck data. There are three main reasons for this: (i) There is significant noise bias in cross-spectra between Planck data splits that needs to be accounted for. (ii) There is strong evidence for unknown instrumental systematics, the amplitude of which we estimate using alternative Planck data splits. (iii) There are significant correlations between measurements in different sky patches that need to be taken into account when assessing the statistical significance. Finally, between ℓ = 55-90 and over 72% of the sky, the dust BB correlation between 217 and 353 GHz is 1.001 +.004/.021 -.004/.000 (68% stat/syst.) and shows no significant trend with the sky fraction.« less

No evidence for dust B -mode decorrelation in Planck data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheehy, Christopher; Slosar, Anže

2018-02-01

Constraints on inflationary B modes using cosmic microwave background polarization data commonly rely on either template cleaning or cross-spectra between maps at different frequencies to disentangle Galactic foregrounds from the cosmological signal. Assumptions about how the foregrounds scale with frequency are therefore crucial to interpreting the data. Recent results from the Planck satellite collaboration claim significant evidence for a decorrelation in the polarization signal of the spatial pattern of Galactic dust between 217 and 353 GHz. Such a decorrelation would suppress power in the cross-spectrum between high-frequency maps, where the dust is strong, and lower-frequency maps, where the sensitivity to cosmological B modes is strongest. Alternatively, it would leave residuals in lower-frequency maps cleaned with a template derived from the higher-frequency maps. If not accounted for, both situations would result in an underestimate of the dust contribution and thus an upward bias on measurements of the tensor-to-scalar ratio, r . In this paper, we revisit this measurement and find that the no-decorrelation hypothesis cannot be excluded with the Planck data. There are three main reasons for this: (i) There is significant noise bias in cross-spectra between Planck data splits that needs to be accounted for. (ii) There is strong evidence for unknown instrumental systematics, the amplitude of which we estimate using alternative Planck data splits. (iii) There are significant correlations between measurements in different sky patches that need to be taken into account when assessing the statistical significance. Between ℓ=55 - 90 and over 72% of the sky, the dust B B correlation between 217 and 353 GHz is 1.001-.004/.000 +.004 /.021 (68 % stat /syst .) and shows no significant trend with the sky fraction.

Cross-Linked Peptidoglycan Mediates Lysostaphin Binding to the Cell Wall Envelope of Staphylococcus aureus†

PubMed Central

Gründling, Angelika; Schneewind, Olaf

2006-01-01

Staphylococcus simulans bv. staphylolyticus secretes lysostaphin, a bacteriocin that cleaves pentaglycine cross bridges in the cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus. The C-terminal cell wall-targeting domain (CWT) of lysostaphin is required for selective binding of this bacteriocin to S. aureus cells; however, the molecular target for this was unknown. We used purified green fluorescent protein fused to CWT (GFP-CWT) to reveal species-specific association of the reporter with staphylococci. GFP-CWT bound S. aureus cells as well as purified peptidoglycan sacculi. The addition of cross-linked murein, disaccharides linked to interconnected wall peptides, blocked GFP-CWT binding to staphylococci, whereas murein monomers or lysostaphin-solubilized cell wall fragments did not. S. aureus strain Newman variants lacking the capacity for synthesizing polysaccharide capsule (capFO), poly-N-acetylglucosamine (icaAC), lipoprotein (lgt), cell wall-anchored proteins (srtA), or the glycolipid anchor of lipoteichoic acid (ypfP) bound GFP-CWT similar to wild-type staphylococci. A tagO mutant strain, defective in the synthesis of polyribitol wall teichoic acid attached to the cell wall envelope, displayed increased GFP-CWT binding. In contrast, a femAB mutation, reducing both the amount and the length of peptidoglycan cross-linking (monoglycine cross bridges), showed a dramatic reduction in GFP-CWT binding. Thus, the CWT domain of lysostaphin directs the bacteriocin to cross-linked peptidoglycan, which also serves as the substrate for its glycyl-glycine endopeptidase domain. PMID:16547033

Cross-linked peptidoglycan mediates lysostaphin binding to the cell wall envelope of Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Gründling, Angelika; Schneewind, Olaf

2006-04-01

Staphylococcus simulans bv. staphylolyticus secretes lysostaphin, a bacteriocin that cleaves pentaglycine cross bridges in the cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus. The C-terminal cell wall-targeting domain (CWT) of lysostaphin is required for selective binding of this bacteriocin to S. aureus cells; however, the molecular target for this was unknown. We used purified green fluorescent protein fused to CWT (GFP-CWT) to reveal species-specific association of the reporter with staphylococci. GFP-CWT bound S. aureus cells as well as purified peptidoglycan sacculi. The addition of cross-linked murein, disaccharides linked to interconnected wall peptides, blocked GFP-CWT binding to staphylococci, whereas murein monomers or lysostaphin-solubilized cell wall fragments did not. S. aureus strain Newman variants lacking the capacity for synthesizing polysaccharide capsule (capFO), poly-N-acetylglucosamine (icaAC), lipoprotein (lgt), cell wall-anchored proteins (srtA), or the glycolipid anchor of lipoteichoic acid (ypfP) bound GFP-CWT similar to wild-type staphylococci. A tagO mutant strain, defective in the synthesis of polyribitol wall teichoic acid attached to the cell wall envelope, displayed increased GFP-CWT binding. In contrast, a femAB mutation, reducing both the amount and the length of peptidoglycan cross-linking (monoglycine cross bridges), showed a dramatic reduction in GFP-CWT binding. Thus, the CWT domain of lysostaphin directs the bacteriocin to cross-linked peptidoglycan, which also serves as the substrate for its glycyl-glycine endopeptidase domain.

A floor-map-aided WiFi/pseudo-odometry integration algorithm for an indoor positioning system.

PubMed

Wang, Jian; Hu, Andong; Liu, Chunyan; Li, Xin

2015-03-24

This paper proposes a scheme for indoor positioning by fusing floor map, WiFi and smartphone sensor data to provide meter-level positioning without additional infrastructure. A topology-constrained K nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithm based on a floor map layout provides the coordinates required to integrate WiFi data with pseudo-odometry (P-O) measurements simulated using a pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) approach. One method of further improving the positioning accuracy is to use a more effective multi-threshold step detection algorithm, as proposed by the authors. The "go and back" phenomenon caused by incorrect matching of the reference points (RPs) of a WiFi algorithm is eliminated using an adaptive fading-factor-based extended Kalman filter (EKF), taking WiFi positioning coordinates, P-O measurements and fused heading angles as observations. The "cross-wall" problem is solved based on the development of a floor-map-aided particle filter algorithm by weighting the particles, thereby also eliminating the gross-error effects originating from WiFi or P-O measurements. The performance observed in a field experiment performed on the fourth floor of the School of Environmental Science and Spatial Informatics (SESSI) building on the China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT) campus confirms that the proposed scheme can reliably achieve meter-level positioning.

Herpes simplex virus glycoproteins gB and gH function in fusion between the virion envelope and the outer nuclear membrane.

PubMed

Farnsworth, Aaron; Wisner, Todd W; Webb, Michael; Roller, Richard; Cohen, Gary; Eisenberg, Roselyn; Johnson, David C

2007-06-12

Herpesviruses must traverse the nuclear envelope to gain access to the cytoplasm and, ultimately, to exit cells. It is believed that herpesvirus nucleocapsids enter the perinuclear space by budding through the inner nuclear membrane (NM). To reach the cytoplasm these enveloped particles must fuse with the outer NM and the unenveloped capsids then acquire a second envelope in the trans-Golgi network. Little is known about the process by which herpesviruses virions fuse with the outer NM. Here we show that a herpes simplex virus (HSV) mutant lacking both the two putative fusion glycoproteins gB and gH failed to cross the nuclear envelope. Enveloped virions accumulated in the perinuclear space or in membrane vesicles that bulged into the nucleoplasm (herniations). By contrast, mutants lacking just gB or gH showed only minor or no defects in nuclear egress. We concluded that either HSV gB or gH can promote fusion between the virion envelope and the outer NM. It is noteworthy that fusion associated with HSV entry requires the cooperative action of both gB and gH, suggesting that the two types of fusion (egress versus entry) are dissimilar processes.

Simultaneously achieve soluble expression and biomimetic immobilization of Candida antarctica lipase B by introducing polyamine tags.

PubMed

Zhou, Xiaoxue; Han, Yu; Lv, Zheng; Tian, Xuemei; Li, Han; Xie, Panpan; Zheng, Liangyu

2017-05-10

Polyamine tags fused in Candida antarctica lipase B (CalB) can help achieve high soluble expression of CalB in E. coli and can directly mediate silicification, which leads to rapid formation of a CalB-silica particle complex through a one-step approach. After optimization experiments, the fused lipase CalB tagged with 6-histidine at the N terminal and 10-lysine at the C terminal (6His-CalB-10Lys) is effectively expressed with high solubility (0.1mg/mL) and specific activity (10.1U/mg), and easily cross-linked in silica particles with a high immobilization efficiency of 96.8% and activity recovery of 81.5%. The immobilized lipase 6His-CalB-10Lys exhibits excellent performance at broad temperature ranges, high thermal and storage stabilities, and superior reusability. Michaelis-Menten kinetics indicates that the affinity and enantioselectivity of the free and immobilized 6His-CalB-10Lys toward the substrate are better than that of commercial Novozym 435 in enantioselective resolution of (S)-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl) alanine ((S)-NEMPA). The strategies described in this paper are useful for the facile expression and construction of diverse enzyme systems with high efficiency and excellent recyclability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Jones matrix formulation of a Porro prism laser resonator with waveplates: theoretical and experimental analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agrawal, L.; Bhardwaj, A.; Pal, S.; Kumar, A.

2007-11-01

This article presents the results of a detailed theoretical and experimental analysis carried out on a folded Z-shaped polarization coupled, electro-optically Q-switched laser resonator with Porro prisms and waveplates. The advantages of adding waveplates in a Porro prism resonator have been explored for creating high loss condition prior to Q-switching and obtaining variable reflectivity with fixed orientation of Porro prism. Generalized expressions have been derived in terms of azimuth angles and phase shifts introduced by the polarizing elements. These expressions corroborate with known reported results under appropriate substitutions. A specific case of a crossed Porro prism diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser has been theoretically and experimentally investigated. In the feedback arm, a 0.57λ waveplate oriented at 135° completely compensates the phase shift of a fused silica Porro prism and provides better tolerances than a BK-7 prism/0.60λ waveplate combination to stop prelasing. The fused silica prism/0.57λ combination with waveplate at 112° acts like a 100% mirror and was utilized for optimization of free running performance. The effective reflectivity was determined for various orientations of the quarter waveplate in the gain arm to numerically estimate the Q-switched laser pulse parameters through rate equation analysis. Experimental results match well with the theoretical analysis.

Protein Assembly and Building Blocks: Beyond the Limits of the LEGO Brick Metaphor.

PubMed

Levy, Yaakov

2017-09-26

Proteins, like other biomolecules, have a modular and hierarchical structure. Various building blocks are used to construct proteins of high structural complexity and diverse functionality. In multidomain proteins, for example, domains are fused to each other in different combinations to achieve different functions. Although the LEGO brick metaphor is justified as a means of simplifying the complexity of three-dimensional protein structures, several fundamental properties (such as allostery or the induced-fit mechanism) make deviation from it necessary to respect the plasticity, softness, and cross-talk that are essential to protein function. In this work, we illustrate recently reported protein behavior in multidomain proteins that deviates from the LEGO brick analogy. While earlier studies showed that a protein domain is often unaffected by being fused to another domain or becomes more stable following the formation of a new interface between the tethered domains, destabilization due to tethering has been reported for several systems. We illustrate that tethering may sometimes result in a multidomain protein behaving as "less than the sum of its parts". We survey these cases for which structure additivity does not guarantee thermodynamic additivity. Protein destabilization due to fusion to other domains may be linked in some cases to biological function and should be taken into account when designing large assemblies.

Recent research on stishovite: Hugoniot and partial release Z experiments and DFT EOS calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furnish, Michael; Shulenburger, Luke; Desjarlais, Michael; Fei, Yingwei

2017-06-01

We have conducted a series of ride-along experiments on the Z facility to ascertain the Hugoniot of silica centered in the stishovite phase over a range 0.4 - 1.0 TPa, together with partial release states produced at the interface between the sample and a fused silica window. The stishovite samples were synthesized in a large-volume multi-anvil press at 15 GPa and 1773 K, with an initial density of 4.29 gm/cc. The new Z experiments on stishovite fill in a gap between gas gun experiments and NIF experiments. The states are compared with the Hugoniots of quartz and fused silica for inferences as to EOS. They are generally consistent with Sesame 7360 predictions. Sound speed constraints from these data are discussed. The new Hugoniot data cross over the melting curve of stishovite, providing insight into the properties of solid and liquid under extreme conditions in conjunction with predictions from density-functional theory modeling. These data are fundamentally important for understanding the interior of silicate-based super-Earths. Sandia National Labs is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corp., for the U.S. Dept. of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

An optimized data fusion method and its application to improve lateral boundary conditions in winter for Pearl River Delta regional PM2.5 modeling, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Zhijiong; Hu, Yongtao; Zheng, Junyu; Zhai, Xinxin; Huang, Ran

2018-05-01

Lateral boundary conditions (LBCs) are essential for chemical transport models to simulate regional transport; however they often contain large uncertainties. This study proposes an optimized data fusion approach to reduce the bias of LBCs by fusing gridded model outputs, from which the daughter domain's LBCs are derived, with ground-level measurements. The optimized data fusion approach follows the framework of a previous interpolation-based fusion method but improves it by using a bias kriging method to correct the spatial bias in gridded model outputs. Cross-validation shows that the optimized approach better estimates fused fields in areas with a large number of observations compared to the previous interpolation-based method. The optimized approach was applied to correct LBCs of PM2.5 concentrations for simulations in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region as a case study. Evaluations show that the LBCs corrected by data fusion improve in-domain PM2.5 simulations in terms of the magnitude and temporal variance. Correlation increases by 0.13-0.18 and fractional bias (FB) decreases by approximately 3%-15%. This study demonstrates the feasibility of applying data fusion to improve regional air quality modeling.

31 CFR 100.12 - Exchange of fused and mixed coins.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Exchange of fused and mixed coins... OF PAPER CURRENCY AND COIN Exchange of Coin § 100.12 Exchange of fused and mixed coins. (a... the majority of which are readily and clearly identifiable as U.S. coins. (2) Mixed coins are U.S...

A hybrid color mapping approach to fusing MODIS and Landsat images for forward prediction

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We present a new, simple, and efficient approach to fusing MODIS and Landsat images. It is well known that MODIS images have high temporal resolution and low spatial resolution whereas Landsat images are just the opposite. Similar to earlier approaches, our goal is to fuse MODIS and Landsat images t...

Dicobalt hexacarbonyl complexes of alkynyl imines in a sequential Staudinger/Pauson-Khand process. A route to new fused tricyclic beta-lactams.

PubMed

Olier, Clarisse; Azzi, Nadia; Gil, Gérard; Gastaldi, Stéphane; Bertrand, Michèle P

2008-11-07

Dicobalt hexacarbonyl complexes of alkynyl imines were allowed to react with ketenes via Staudinger reaction. Sequential [2 + 2] cycloaddition/Pauson-Khand reaction led to structurally new fused-tricyclic beta-lactams and fused-azabicyclic cyclopentenones. Chemoselectivity, scope, and limitation of the process were investigated.

Process for manufacturing hollow fused-silica insulator cylinder

DOEpatents

Sampayan, Stephen E.; Krogh, Michael L.; Davis, Steven C.; Decker, Derek E.; Rosenblum, Ben Z.; Sanders, David M.; Elizondo-Decanini, Juan M.

2001-01-01

A method for building hollow insulator cylinders that can have each end closed off with a high voltage electrode to contain a vacuum. A series of fused-silica round flat plates are fabricated with a large central hole and equal inside and outside diameters. The thickness of each is related to the electron orbit diameter of electrons that escape the material surface, loop, and return back. Electrons in such electron orbits can support avalanche mechanisms that result in surface flashover. For example, the thickness of each of the fused-silica round flat plates is about 0.5 millimeter. In general, the thinner the better. Metal, such as gold, is deposited onto each top and bottom surface of the fused-silica round flat plates using chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Eutectic metals can also be used with one alloy constituent on the top and the other on the bottom. The CVD, or a separate diffusion step, can be used to defuse the deposited metal deep into each fused-silica round flat plate. The conductive layer may also be applied by ion implantation or gas diffusion into the surface. The resulting structure may then be fused together into an insulator stack. The coated plates are aligned and then stacked, head-to-toe. Such stack is heated and pressed together enough to cause the metal interfaces to fuse, e.g., by welding, brazing or eutectic bonding. Such fusing is preferably complete enough to maintain a vacuum within the inner core of the assembled structure. A hollow cylinder structure results that can be used as a core liner in a dielectric wall accelerator and as a vacuum envelope for a vacuum tube device where the voltage gradients exceed 150 kV/cm.

New false color mapping for image fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toet, Alexander; Walraven, Jan

1996-03-01

A pixel-based color-mapping algorithm is presented that produces a fused false color rendering of two gray-level images representing different sensor modalities. The resulting images have a higher information content than each of the original images and retain sensor-specific image information. The unique component of each image modality is enhanced in the resulting fused color image representation. First, the common component of the two original input images is determined. Second, the common component is subtracted from the original images to obtain the unique component of each image. Third, the unique component of each image modality is subtracted from the image of the other modality. This step serves to enhance the representation of sensor-specific details in the final fused result. Finally, a fused color image is produced by displaying the images resulting from the last step through, respectively, the red and green channels of a color display. The method is applied to fuse thermal and visual images. The results show that the color mapping enhances the visibility of certain details and preserves the specificity of the sensor information. The fused images also have a fairly natural appearance. The fusion scheme involves only operations on corresponding pixels. The resolution of a fused image is therefore directly related to the resolution of the input images. Before fusing, the contrast of the images can be enhanced and their noise can be reduced by standard image- processing techniques. The color mapping algorithm is computationally simple. This implies that the investigated approaches can eventually be applied in real time and that the hardware needed is not too complicated or too voluminous (an important consideration when it has to fit in an airplane, for instance).

Shear Wave Splitting analysis of borehole microseismic reveals weak azimuthal anisotropy hidden behind strong VTI fabric of Lower Paleozoic shales in northern Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gajek, Wojciech; Verdon, James; Malinowski, Michał; Trojanowski, Jacek

2017-04-01

Azimuthal anisotropy plays a key-role in hydraulic fracturing experiments, since it provides information on stress orientation and pre-existing fracture system presence. The Lower Paleozoic shale plays in northern Poland are characterized by a strong (15-18%) Vertical Transverse Isotropy (VTI) fabric which dominates weak azimuthal anisotropy being of order of 1-2%. A shear wave travelling in the subsurface after entering an anisotropic medium splits into two orthogonally polarized waves travelling with different velocities. Splitting parameters which can be assessed using a microseismic array are polarization of the fast shear wave and time delay between two modes. Polarization of the fast wave characterizes the anisotropic system on the wave path while the time delay is proportional to the magnitude of anisotropy. We employ Shear Wave Splitting (SWS) technique using a borehole microseismic dataset collected during a hydraulic stimulation treatment located in northern Poland, to image fracture strike masked by a strong VTI signature. During the inversion part, the VTI background parameters were kept constant using information from 3D seismic (VTI model used for pre-stack depth migration). Obtained fracture azimuths averaged over fracturing stages are consistent with the available XRMI imager logs from the nearby vertical well, however they are different from the large-scale maximum stress direction (by 40-45 degrees). Inverted Hudson's crack density (ca. 2%) are compatible with the low shear-wave anisotropy observed in the cross-dipole sonic logs (1-2%). This work has been funded by the Polish National Centre for Research and Development within the Blue Gas project (No BG2/SHALEMECH/14). Data were provided by the PGNiG SA. Collaboration with University of Bristol was supported within TIDES COST Action ES1401.

Performance Optimization of Alternative Lower Global Warming Potential Refrigerants in Mini-Split Room Air Conditioners

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

Shen, Bo; Abdelaziz, Omar; Shrestha, Som S

Oak Ridge National laboratory (ORNL) recently conducted extensive laboratory, drop-in investigations for lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants to replace R-22 and R-410A. ORNL studied propane, DR-3, ARM-20B, N-20B and R-444B as lower GWP refrigerant replacement for R-22 in a mini-split room air conditioner (RAC) originally designed for R-22; and, R-32, DR-55, ARM-71A, and L41-2, in a mini-split RAC designed for R-410A. We obtained laboratory testing results with very good energy balance and nominal measurement uncertainty. Drop-in studies are not enough to judge the overall performance of the alternative refrigerants since their thermodynamic and transport properties might favor different heatmore » exchanger configurations, e.g. cross-flow, counter flow, etc. This study compares optimized performances of individual refrigerants using a physics-based system model tools. The DOE/ORNL Heat Pump Design Model (HPDM) was used to model the mini-split RACs by inputting detailed heat exchangers geometries, compressor displacement and efficiencies as well as other relevant system components. The RAC models were calibrated against the lab data for each individual refrigerant. The calibrated models were then used to conduct a design optimization for the cooling performance by varying the compressor displacement to match the required capacity, and changing the number of circuits, refrigerant flow direction, tube diameters, air flow rates in the condenser and evaporator at 100% and 50% cooling capacities. This paper compares the optimized performance results for all alternative refrigerants and highlights best candidates for R-22 and R-410A replacement.« less

Synthesis of partially and fully fused polyaromatics by annulative chlorophenylene dimerization.

PubMed

Koga, Yoshito; Kaneda, Takeshi; Saito, Yutaro; Murakami, Kei; Itami, Kenichiro

2018-01-26

Since the discovery by Ullmann and Bielecki in 1901, reductive dimerization (or homocoupling) of aryl halides has been extensively exploited for the generation of a range of biaryl-based functional molecules. In contrast to the single-point connection in these products, edge-sharing fused aromatic systems have not generally been accessible from simple aryl halides via annulation cascades. Here we report a single-step synthesis of fused aromatics with a triphenylene core by the palladium-catalyzed annulative dimerization of structurally and functionally diverse chlorophenylenes through double carbon-hydrogen bond activation. The partially fused polyaromatics can be transformed into fully fused, small graphene nanoribbons, which are otherwise difficult to synthesize. This simple, yet powerful, method allows access to functional π-systems of interest in optoelectronics research. Copyright © 2018, The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Infrared and Visible Image Fusion Based on Different Constraints in the Non-Subsampled Shearlet Transform Domain.

PubMed

Huang, Yan; Bi, Duyan; Wu, Dongpeng

2018-04-11

There are many artificial parameters when fuse infrared and visible images, to overcome the lack of detail in the fusion image because of the artifacts, a novel fusion algorithm for infrared and visible images that is based on different constraints in non-subsampled shearlet transform (NSST) domain is proposed. There are high bands and low bands of images that are decomposed by the NSST. After analyzing the characters of the bands, fusing the high level bands by the gradient constraint, the fused image can obtain more details; fusing the low bands by the constraint of saliency in the images, the targets are more salient. Before the inverse NSST, the Nash equilibrium is used to update the coefficient. The fused images and the quantitative results demonstrate that our method is more effective in reserving details and highlighting the targets when compared with other state-of-the-art methods.

Quantification of residual stress from photonic signatures of fused silica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cramer, K. Elliott; Hayward, Maurice; Yost, William T.

2014-02-01

A commercially available grey-field polariscope (GFP) instrument for photoelastic examination is used to assess impact damage inflicted upon the outer-most pane of Space Shuttle windows made from fused silica. A method and apparatus for calibration of the stress-optic coefficient using four-point bending is discussed. The results are validated on known material (acrylic) and are found to agree with literature values to within 6%. The calibration procedure is then applied to fused-silica specimens and the stress-optic coefficient is determined to be 2.43 ± 0.54 × 10-12 Pa-1. Fused silica specimens containing impacts artificially made at NASA's Hypervelocity Impact Technology Facility (HIT-F), to simulate damage typical during space flight, are examined. The damage sites are cored from fused silica window carcasses and examined with the GFP. The calibrated GFP measurements of residual stress patterns surrounding the damage sites are presented.

1 mil gold bond wire study.

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

Huff, Johnathon; McLean, Michael B.; Jenkins, Mark W.

2013-05-01

In microcircuit fabrication, the diameter and length of a bond wire have been shown to both affect the current versus fusing time ratio of a bond wire as well as the gap length of the fused wire. This study investigated the impact of current level on the time-to-open and gap length of 1 mil by 60 mil gold bond wires. During the experiments, constant current was provided for a control set of bond wires for 250ms, 410ms and until the wire fused; non-destructively pull-tested wires for 250ms; and notched wires. The key findings were that as the current increases, themore » gap length increases and 73% of the bond wires will fuse at 1.8A, and 100% of the wires fuse at 1.9A within 60ms. Due to the limited scope of experiments and limited data analyzed, further investigation is encouraged to confirm these observations.« less

Infrared and Visible Image Fusion Based on Different Constraints in the Non-Subsampled Shearlet Transform Domain

PubMed Central

Huang, Yan; Bi, Duyan; Wu, Dongpeng

2018-01-01

There are many artificial parameters when fuse infrared and visible images, to overcome the lack of detail in the fusion image because of the artifacts, a novel fusion algorithm for infrared and visible images that is based on different constraints in non-subsampled shearlet transform (NSST) domain is proposed. There are high bands and low bands of images that are decomposed by the NSST. After analyzing the characters of the bands, fusing the high level bands by the gradient constraint, the fused image can obtain more details; fusing the low bands by the constraint of saliency in the images, the targets are more salient. Before the inverse NSST, the Nash equilibrium is used to update the coefficient. The fused images and the quantitative results demonstrate that our method is more effective in reserving details and highlighting the targets when compared with other state-of-the-art methods. PMID:29641505

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

Das, Anirban; Dighe, Amol; Sen, Manibrata, E-mail: anirbandas@theory.tifr.res.in, E-mail: amol@theory.tifr.res.in, E-mail: manibrata@theory.tifr.res.in

Neutrino self-interactions are known to lead to non-linear collective flavor oscillations in a core-collapse supernova. We point out new possible effects of non-standard self-interactions (NSSI) of neutrinos on flavor conversions in a two-flavor framework. We show that, for a single-energy neutrino-antineutrino ensemble, a flavor instability is generated even in normal hierarchy for large enough NSSI. Using a toy model for the neutrino spectra, we show that flavor-preserving NSSI lead to pinching of spectral swaps, while flavor-violating NSSI cause swaps to develop away from a spectral crossing or even in the absence of a spectral crossing. Consequently, NSSI could give risemore » to collective oscillations and spectral splits even during neutronization burst, for both hierarchies.« less

Effective g-factors of carriers in inverted InAs/GaSb bilayers

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

Mu, Xiaoyang; Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Beijing 100871; Sullivan, Gerard

2016-01-04

We perform tilt-field transport experiment on inverted InAs/GaSb, which hosts quantum spin Hall insulator. By means of coincidence method, Landau level (LL) spectra of electron and hole carriers are systematically studied at different carrier densities tuned by gate voltages. When Fermi level stays in the conduction band, we observe LL crossing and anti-crossing behaviors at odd and even filling factors, respectively, with a corresponding g-factor of 11.5. It remains nearly constant for varying filling factors and electron densities. On the contrary, for GaSb holes, only a small Zeeman splitting is observed even at large tilt angles, indicating a g-factor ofmore » less than 3.« less

Demonstration of protein-fragment complementation assay using purified firefly luciferase fragments

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Human interactome is predicted to contain 150,000 to 300,000 protein-protein interactions, (PPIs). Protein-fragment complementation assay (PCA) is one of the most widely used methods to detect PPI, as well as Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). To date, successful applications of firefly luciferase (Fluc)-based PCA have been reported in vivo, in cultured cells and in cell-free lysate, owing to its high sensitivity, high signal-to-background (S/B) ratio, and reversible response. Here we show the assay also works with purified proteins with unexpectedly rapid kinetics. Results Split Fluc fragments both fused with a rapamycin-dependently interacting protein pair were made and expressed in E. coli system, and purified to homogeneity. When the proteins were used for PCA to detect rapamycin-dependent PPI, they enabled a rapid detection (~1 s) of PPI with high S/B ratio. When Fn7-8 domains (7 nm in length) that was shown to abrogate GFP mutant-based FRET was inserted between split Fluc and FKBP12 as a rigid linker, it still showed some response, suggesting less limitation in interacting partner’s size. Finally, the stability of the probe was investigated. Preincubation of the probes at 37 degreeC up to 1 h showed marked decrease of the luminescent signal to 1.5%, showing the limited stability of this system. Conclusion Fluc PCA using purified components will enable a rapid and handy detection of PPIs with high S/B ratio, avoiding the effects of concomitant components. Although the system might not be suitable for large-scale screening due to its limited stability, it can detect an interaction over larger distance than by FRET. This would be the first demonstration of Fluc PCA in vitro, which has a distinct advantage over other PPI assays. Our system enables detection of direct PPIs without risk of perturbation by PPI mediators in the complex cellular milieu. PMID:23536995

75 FR 64633 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Model 767-200, -300, and -300F Series Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-20

... repetitive inspections for fatigue cracking and corrosion of the upper link fuse pin of the nacelle struts... fatigue cracking or corrosion of the upper link fuse pin, which could result in failure of the fuse pin... Model 767-200, -300, and - 300F series airplanes. That AD requires repetitive inspections for fatigue...

The size prediction of potential inclusions embedded in the sub-surface of fused silica by damage morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Xiang; Qiu, Rong; Wang, Kunpeng; Zhang, Jiangmei; Zhou, Guorui; Yao, Ke; Jiang, Yong; Zhou, Qiang

2017-04-01

A model for predicting the size ranges of different potential inclusions initiating damage on the surface of fused silica has been presented. This accounts for the heating of nanometric inclusions whose absorptivity is described based on Mie Theory. The depth profile of impurities has been measured by ICP-OES. By the measured temporal pulse profile on the surface of fused silica, the temperature and thermal stress has been calculated. Furthermore, considering the limit conditions of temperature and thermal stress strength for different damage morphologies, the size range of potential inclusions for fused silica is discussed.

KSC-99pp0665

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-12

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers check the installation of a solar panel on NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is targeted for launch June 23 from Launch Pad 17A, CCAS, aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket

KSC-99pp0666

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-12

Workers at Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), get ready to move the scaffolding from around NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE is targeted for launch June 23 from Launch Pad 17A, CCAS, aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum

KSC-99pp0647

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-03

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), the first stage of a Boeing Delta II rocket is moved into the tower. The rocket is targeted to launch NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe ¾ hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched June 23 at CCAS

KSC-99pp0664

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-12

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers move a solar panel toward NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite before attaching it. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is targeted for launch June 23 from Launch Pad 17A, CCAS, aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket

The canister around the FUSE satellite is removed on the pad at CCAS.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers check out the protective cover placed over the top of NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. The satellite is scheduled to be launched from CCAS June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study hydrogen and deuterium to unlock the secrets of how the primordial chemical elements of which all stars, planets and life evolved, were created and distributed since the birth of the universe.

Thermodynamic perturbation theory for fused sphere hard chain fluids using nonadditive interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abu-Sharkh, Basel F.; Sunaidi, Abdallah; Hamad, Esam Z.

2004-03-01

A model is developed for the equation of state of fused chains based on Wertheim thermodynamic perturbation theory and nonadditive size interactions. The model also assumes that the structure (represented by the radial distribution function) of the fused chain fluid is the same as that of the touching hard sphere chain fluid. The model is completely based on spherical additive and nonadditive size interactions. The model has the advantage of offering good agreement with simulation data while at the same time being independent of fitted parameters. The model is most accurate for short chains, small values of Δ (slightly fused spheres) and at intermediate (liquidlike) densities.

Additive manufacturing of transparent fused quartz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Junjie; Hostetler, John M.; Gilbert, Luke; Goldstein, Jonathan T.; Urbas, Augustine M.; Bristow, Douglas A.; Landers, Robert G.; Kinzel, Edward C.

2018-04-01

This paper investigates a filament-fed process for additive manufacturing (AM) of fused quartz. Glasses such as fused quartz have significant scientific and engineering applications, which include optics, communications, electronics, and hermetic seals. AM has several attractive benefits such as increased design freedom, faster prototyping, and lower processing costs for small production volumes. However, current research into glass AM has focused primarily on nonoptical applications. Fused quartz is studied here because of its desirability for use in high-quality optics due to its high transmissivity and thermal stability. Fused quartz filaments are fed into a CO2 laser-generated molten region, smoothly depositing material onto the workpiece. Spectroscopy and pyrometry are used to measure the thermal radiation incandescently emitted from the molten region. The effects of the laser power and scan speed are determined by measuring the morphology of single tracks. Thin walls are printed to study the effects of layer-to-layer height. This information is used to deposit solid pieces including a cylindrical-convex shape capable of focusing visible light. The transmittance and index homogeneity of the printed fused quartz are measured. These results show that the filament-fed process has the potential to print transmissive optics.

[Study on content of nickel in saliva released from the nickel-chromium and the nickel-chromium-titanium porcelain alloy].

PubMed

Wang, Wen-Jie; Zhang, Tai-Qiang; Wei, Hong

2010-02-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the content of nickel (Ni) ion in patients' saliva after wearing the porcelain-fused-to nickel-chromium (Ni-Cr) crown or the porcelain-fused-to nickel-chromium-titanium(Ni-Cr-Ti) crown. 50 patients who had one molar or premolar needed repairing were selected and divided into two groups randomly. Patients in one group were fabricated with porcelain-fused-to Ni-Cr crown and the patients in the other group were fabricated with porcelain-fused-to Ni-Cr-Ti crown. Collect the patients' saliva before wearing, 1 week, 3 months, and 6 months after wearing. The content of Ni ion in saliva was detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The content of Ni ion in both groups increased at the first week, and go back after 6 months. There were no significant differences before wearing, 1 week, 3 months, and 6 months after wearing. There were no significant differences between the two groups. Wearing the porcelain-fused-to Ni-Cr crown or the porcelain-fused-to Ni-Cr-Ti crown has no significant influence on the content of Ni ion in saliva.

Recycling potential for low voltage and high voltage high rupturing capacity fuse links.

PubMed

Psomopoulos, Constantinos S; Barkas, Dimitrios A; Kaminaris, Stavros D; Ioannidis, George C; Karagiannopoulos, Panagiotis

2017-12-01

Low voltage and high voltage high-rupturing-capacity fuse links are used in LV and HV installations respectively, protecting mainly the LV and HV electricity distribution and transportation networks. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (2002/96/EC) for "Waste of electrical and electronic equipment" is the main related legislation and as it concerns electrical and electronic equipment, it includes electric fuses. Although, the fuse links consist of recyclable materials, only small scale actions have been implemented for their recycling around Europe. This work presents the possibilities for material recovery from this specialized industrial waste for which there are only limited volume data. Furthermore, in order to present the huge possibilities and environmental benefits, it presents the potential for recycling of HRC fuses used by the Public Power Corporation of Greece, which is the major consumer for the country, but one of the smallest ones in Europe and globally, emphasizing in this way in the issue. According to the obtained results, fuse recycling could contribute to the effort for minimize the impacts on the environment through materials recovery and reduction of the wastes' volume disposed of in landfills. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Magnetic ground state and magnon-phonon interaction in multiferroic h -YMnO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holm, S. L.; Kreisel, A.; Schäffer, T. K.; Bakke, A.; Bertelsen, M.; Hansen, U. B.; Retuerto, M.; Larsen, J.; Prabhakaran, D.; Deen, P. P.; Yamani, Z.; Birk, J. O.; Stuhr, U.; Niedermayer, Ch.; Fennell, A. L.; Andersen, B. M.; Lefmann, K.

2018-04-01

Inelastic neutron scattering has been used to study the magnetoelastic excitations in the multiferroic manganite hexagonal YMnO3. An avoided crossing is found between magnon and phonon modes close to the Brillouin zone boundary in the (a ,b ) plane. Neutron polarization analysis reveals that this mode has mixed magnon-phonon character. An external magnetic field along the c axis is observed to cause a linear field-induced splitting of one of the spin-wave branches. A theoretical description is performed, using a Heisenberg model of localized spins, acoustic phonon modes, and a magnetoelastic coupling via the single-ion magnetostriction. The model quantitatively reproduces the dispersion and intensities of all modes in the full Brillouin zone, describes the observed magnon-phonon hybridized modes, and quantifies the magnetoelastic coupling. The combined information, including the field-induced magnon splitting, allows us to exclude several of the earlier proposed models and point to the correct magnetic ground state symmetry, and provides an effective dynamic model relevant for the multiferroic hexagonal manganites.

Training and retaining community pharmacy leaders: Career pathways after completing a PGY1 community pharmacy residency affiliated with a large supermarket chain.

PubMed

Hohmeier, Kenneth C; Borja-Hart, Nancy; Cooper, Maureen; Kirby, James; Fisher, Cindy

To determine pharmacist career paths and resident perceptions after completion of a PGY1 community pharmacy residency with a national supermarket pharmacy chain. Cross-sectional nationwide survey. Overall, 65% (n = 24) of residents who responded accepted a position with Kroger immediately after graduation. When asked about the degree of value the residency had on obtaining the resident's ideal position, 29 (76%) reported that it was "very valuable" and the remaining 9 (24%) reported that it was "somewhat valuable." Positions that these pharmacists held immediately after residency completion were: clinical pharmacist (clinical coordinators, patient care specialists, or patient care managers; 54%), staff pharmacist (21%), split/mixed (mixed clinical and staffing components; 21%), and pharmacy manager (4%). Residency trained pharmacists were retained by the pharmacy chain where they practiced, and the majority of those pharmacists held split or full-time clinical pharmacist roles within the chain supermarket pharmacy. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experimental determination of the bulk Rashba parameters in BiTeBr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, C.; Suslov, A. V.; Buvaev, S.; Hebard, A. F.; Bugnon, P.; Berger, H.; Magrez, A.; Tanner, D. B.

2016-12-01

Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations, Hall effect, and optical reflectance (R(ω)) measurements have been performed on single crystals of BiTeBr. Under magnetic fields up to 32 tesla and at temperatures as low as 0.4 K, the SdH data shows a single oscillation frequency F = 102 +/- 5 \\text{tesla} . The combined transport and optical studies establish that the SdH effect originates from the Rashba spin-split bulk conduction band, with the chemical potential situated about 13 meV below the crossing (Dirac) point. The bulk carrier concentration was ne≈5×1018 \\text{cm}-3 and the effective mass m1*= 0.16m0 . Combining SdH and optical data, we reliably determine the Rashba parameters for the bulk conduction band of BiTeBr: the Rashba energy ER = 28 \\text{meV} and the momentum spin-split kR = 0.033 \\unicode{8491}-1 . Hence, the bulk Rashba coupling strength αR = 2ER/kR is found to be 1.7 eVÅ.