Spectral splitting for thermal management in photovoltaic cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apostoleris, Harry; Chiou, Yu-Cheng; Chiesa, Matteo; Almansouri, Ibraheem

2017-09-01

Spectral splitting is widely employed as a way to divide light between different solar cells or processes to optimize energy conversion. Well-understood but less explored is the use of spectrum splitting or filtering to combat solar cell heating. This has impacts both on cell performance and on the surrounding environment. In this manuscript we explore the design of spectral filtering systems that can improve the thermal and power-conversion performance of commercial PV modules.

Cool covered sky-splitting spectrum-splitting FK

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

Mohedano, Rubén; Chaves, Julio; Falicoff, Waqidi

2014-09-26

Placing a plane mirror between the primary lens and the receiver in a Fresnel Köhler (FK) concentrator gives birth to a quite different CPV system where all the high-tech components sit on a common plane, that of the primary lens panels. The idea enables not only a thinner device (a half of the original) but also a low cost 1-step manufacturing process for the optics, automatic alignment of primary and secondary lenses, and cell/wiring protection. The concept is also compatible with two different techniques to increase the module efficiency: spectrum splitting between a 3J and a BPC Silicon cell formore » better usage of Direct Normal Irradiance DNI, and sky splitting to harvest the energy of the diffuse radiation and higher energy production throughout the year. Simple calculations forecast the module would convert 45% of the DNI into electricity.« less

Arenavirus Stable Signal Peptide Is the Keystone Subunit for Glycoprotein Complex Organization

PubMed Central

Bederka, Lydia H.; Bonhomme, Cyrille J.; Ling, Emily L.

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT The rodent arenavirus glycoprotein complex encodes a stable signal peptide (SSP) that is an essential structural component of mature virions. The SSP, GP1, and GP2 subunits of the trimeric glycoprotein complex noncovalently interact to stud the surface of virions and initiate arenavirus infectivity. Nascent glycoprotein production undergoes two proteolytic cleavage events: first within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to cleave SSP from the remaining precursor GP1/2 (glycoprotein complex [GPC]) glycoprotein and second within the Golgi stacks by the cellular SKI-1/S1P for GP1/2 processing to yield GP1 and GP2 subunits. Cleaved SSP is not degraded but retained as an essential glycoprotein subunit. Here, we defined functions of the 58-amino-acid lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) SSP in regard to glycoprotein complex processing and maturation. Using molecular biology techniques, confocal microscopy, and flow cytometry, we detected SSP at the plasma membrane of transfected cells. Further, we identified a sorting signal (FLLL) near the carboxyl terminus of SSP that is required for glycoprotein maturation and trafficking. In the absence of SSP, the glycoprotein accumulated within the ER and was unable to undergo processing by SKI-1/S1P. Mutation of this highly conserved FLLL motif showed impaired glycoprotein processing and secretory pathway trafficking, as well as defective surface expression and pH-dependent membrane fusion. Immunoprecipitation of SSP confirmed an interaction between the signal peptide and the GP2 subunit; however, mutations within this FLLL motif disrupted the association of the GP1 subunit with the remaining glycoprotein complex. PMID:25352624

Recovering stellar population parameters via two full-spectrum fitting algorithms in the absence of model uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Junqiang; Yan, Renbin; Cappellari, Michele; Mao, Shude; Li, Hongyu; Lu, Youjun

2018-05-01

Using mock spectra based on Vazdekis/MILES library fitted within the wavelength region 3600-7350Å, we analyze the bias and scatter on the resulting physical parameters induced by the choice of fitting algorithms and observational uncertainties, but avoid effects of those model uncertainties. We consider two full-spectrum fitting codes: pPXF and STARLIGHT, in fitting for stellar population age, metallicity, mass-to-light ratio, and dust extinction. With pPXF we find that both the bias μ in the population parameters and the scatter σ in the recovered logarithmic values follows the expected trend μ ∝ σ ∝ 1/(S/N). The bias increases for younger ages and systematically makes recovered ages older, M*/Lr larger and metallicities lower than the true values. For reference, at S/N=30, and for the worst case (t = 108yr), the bias is 0.06 dex in M/Lr, 0.03 dex in both age and [M/H]. There is no significant dependence on either E(B-V) or the shape of the error spectrum. Moreover, the results are consistent for both our 1-SSP and 2-SSP tests. With the STARLIGHT algorithm, we find trends similar to pPXF, when the input E(B-V)<0.2 mag. However, with larger input E(B-V), the biases of the output parameter do not converge to zero even at the highest S/N and are strongly affected by the shape of the error spectra. This effect is particularly dramatic for youngest age (t = 108yr), for which all population parameters can be strongly different from the input values, with significantly underestimated dust extinction and [M/H], and larger ages and M*/Lr. Results degrade when moving from our 1-SSP to the 2-SSP tests. The STARLIGHT convergence to the true values can be improved by increasing Markov Chains and annealing loops to the "slow mode". For the same input spectrum, pPXF is about two order of magnitudes faster than STARLIGHT's "default mode" and about three order of magnitude faster than STARLIGHT's "slow mode".

Stability of personality traits over a five-year period in Swedish patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder and non-psychotic individuals: a study using the Swedish universities scales of personality.

PubMed

Fagerberg, Tomas; Söderman, Erik; Petter Gustavsson, J; Agartz, Ingrid; Jönsson, Erik G

2018-02-27

Personality is considered as an important aspect in persons with psychotic disorders. Several studies have investigated personality in schizophrenia. However, no study has investigated stability of personality traits exceeding three years in patients with schizophrenia. This study aims to investigate the stability of personality traits over a five-year period among patients with schizophrenia and non-psychotic individuals and to evaluate case-control differences. Patients with psychotic disorders (n = 36) and non-psychotic individuals (n = 76) completed Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP) at two occasions five years apart. SSP scores were analysed for effect of time and case-control differences by multiple analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and within-subjects correlation. MANCOVA within-subjects analysis did not show any effect of time. Thus, SSP mean scale scores did not significantly vary during the five-year interval. Within subject correlations (Spearman) ranged 0.30-0.68 and 0.54-0.75 for the different SSP scales in patients and controls, respectively. Patients scored higher than controls in SSP scales Somatic Trait Anxiety, Psychic Trait Anxiety, Stress Susceptibility, Lack of Assertiveness, Detachment, Embitterment, and Mistrust. The stability of the SSP personality trait was reasonably high among patients with psychotic disorder, although lower than among non-psychotic individuals, which is in accordance with previous research.

Effects of axial magnetic field on the electronic and optical properties of boron nitride nanotube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chegel, Raad; Behzad, Somayeh

2011-07-01

The splitting of band structure and absorption spectrum, for boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) under axial magnetic field, is studied using the tight binding approximation. It is found that the band splitting ( ΔE) at the Γ point is linearly proportional to the magnetic field ( Φ/Φ0). Our results indicate that the splitting rate νii, of the two first bands nearest to the Fermi level, is a linear function of n -2 for all (n,0) zigzag BNNTs. By investigation of the dependence of band structure and absorption spectrum to the magnetic field, we found that absorption splitting is equal to band splitting and the splitting rate of band structure can be used to determine the splitting rate of the absorption spectrum.

Design and fabrication of cascaded dichromate gelatin holographic filters for spectrum-splitting PV systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yuechen; Chrysler, Benjamin; Kostuk, Raymond K.

2018-01-01

The technique of designing, optimizing, and fabricating broadband volume transmission holograms using dichromate gelatin (DCG) is summarized for solar spectrum-splitting applications. The spectrum-splitting photovoltaic (PV) system uses a series of single-bandgap PV cells that have different spectral conversion efficiency properties to more fully utilize the solar spectrum. In such a system, one or more high-performance optical filters are usually required to split the solar spectrum and efficiently send them to the corresponding PV cells. An ideal spectral filter should have a rectangular shape with sharp transition wavelengths. A methodology of designing and modeling a transmission DCG hologram using coupled wave analysis for different PV bandgap combinations is described. To achieve a broad diffraction bandwidth and sharp cutoff wavelength, a cascaded structure of multiple thick holograms is described. A search algorithm is then developed to optimize both single- and two-layer cascaded holographic spectrum-splitting elements for the best bandgap combinations of two- and three-junction spectrum-splitting photovoltaic (SSPV) systems illuminated under the AM1.5 solar spectrum. The power conversion efficiencies of the optimized systems are found to be 42.56% and 48.41%, respectively, using the detailed balance method, and show an improvement compared with a tandem multijunction system. A fabrication method for cascaded DCG holographic filters is also described and used to prototype the optimized filter for the three-junction SSPV system.

Dynamics of Dangling Od-Stretch at the Air/water Interface by Heterodyne-Detected Sfg Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stiopkin, I. V.; Weeraman, C.; Shalhout, F.; Benderskii, A. V.

2009-06-01

SFG spectra of dangling OD-stretch at the air/water interface contain information on vibrational dephasing dynamics, ultrafast reorientational molecular motion, and vibrational energy transfer. To better separate these processes we conducted heterodyne-detected SFG experiments to measure real and imaginary contributions of the SFG spectrum of the dangling OD-stretch at the air/D_2O interface for SSP, PPP, and SPS polarizations. Variations in the temporal profiles of the SFG signals for these three polarizations will be also discussed.

Brief Report: DSM-5 Sensory Behaviours in Children with and without an Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Dido; Chandler, Susie; Charman, Tony; Simonoff, Emily; Baird, Gillian

2016-01-01

Atypical responses to sensory stimuli are a new criterion in DSM-5 for the diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but are also reported in other developmental disorders. Using the Short Sensory profile (SSP) and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised we compared atypical sensory behaviour (hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual…

Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis CNCM-I2494 Restores Gut Barrier Permeability in Chronically Low-Grade Inflamed Mice.

PubMed

Martín, Rebeca; Laval, Laure; Chain, Florian; Miquel, Sylvie; Natividad, Jane; Cherbuy, Claire; Sokol, Harry; Verdu, Elena F; van Hylckama Vlieg, Johan; Bermudez-Humaran, Luis G; Smokvina, Tamara; Langella, Philippe

2016-01-01

Growing evidence supports the efficacy of many probiotic strains in the management of gastrointestinal disorders associated with deregulated intestinal barrier function and/or structure. In particular, bifidobacteria have been studied for their efficacy to both prevent and treat a broad spectrum of animal and/or human gut disorders. The aim of the current work was thus to evaluate effects on intestinal barrier function of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis CNCM-I2494, a strain used in fermented dairy products. A chronic dinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (DNBS)-induced low-grade inflammation model causing gut dysfunction in mice was used in order to study markers of inflammation, intestinal permeability, and immune function in the presence of the bacterial strain. In this chronic low-grade inflammation mice model several parameters pointed out the absence of an over active inflammation process. However, gut permeability, lymphocyte populations, and colonic cytokines were found to be altered. B. animalis ssp. lactis CNCM-I2494 was able to protect barrier functions by restoring intestinal permeability, colonic goblet cell populations, and cytokine levels. Furthermore, tight junction (TJ) proteins levels were also measured by qRT-PCR showing the ability of this strain to specifically normalize the level of several TJ proteins, in particular for claudin-4. Finally, B. lactis strain counterbalanced CD4(+) lymphocyte alterations in both spleen and mesenteric lymphoid nodes. It restores the Th1/Th2 ratio altered by the DNBS challenge (which locally augments CD4(+) Th1 cells) by increasing the Th2 response as measured by the increase in the production of major representative Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10). Altogether, these data suggest that B. animalis ssp. lactis CNCM-I2494 may efficiently prevent disorders associated with increased barrier permeability.

An Holistic Approach for Assisting Educationally Underprepared Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenbaum, Allen

1981-01-01

Describes the Supportive Services Program (SSP) at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, focusing on program objectives and components, the three-stage academic assessment process, the structure of SSP courses, the use of peer assistants, cluster scheduling, advising, and the experiences and reactions of SSP students. (AYC)

Technical and Management Information System (TMIS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rau, Timothy R.

1987-01-01

The TMIS goals developed to support the Space Station Program (SSP) mission requirements are outlined. The TMIS will provide common capabilities to all SSP centers and facilitate the flow of technical and management information throughout the program as well as SSP decision-making processes. A summary is presented of the various TMIS phases.

Signal quality enhancement using higher order wavelets for ultrasonic TOFD signals from austenitic stainless steel welds.

PubMed

Praveen, Angam; Vijayarekha, K; Abraham, Saju T; Venkatraman, B

2013-09-01

Time of flight diffraction (TOFD) technique is a well-developed ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) method and has been applied successfully for accurate sizing of defects in metallic materials. This technique was developed in early 1970s as a means for accurate sizing and positioning of cracks in nuclear components became very popular in the late 1990s and is today being widely used in various industries for weld inspection. One of the main advantages of TOFD is that, apart from fast technique, it provides higher probability of detection for linear defects. Since TOFD is based on diffraction of sound waves from the extremities of the defect compared to reflection from planar faces as in pulse echo and phased array, the resultant signal would be quite weak and signal to noise ratio (SNR) low. In many cases the defect signal is submerged in this noise making it difficult for detection, positioning and sizing. Several signal processing methods such as digital filtering, Split Spectrum Processing (SSP), Hilbert Transform and Correlation techniques have been developed in order to suppress unwanted noise and enhance the quality of the defect signal which can thus be used for characterization of defects and the material. Wavelet Transform based thresholding techniques have been applied largely for de-noising of ultrasonic signals. However in this paper, higher order wavelets are used for analyzing the de-noising performance for TOFD signals obtained from Austenitic Stainless Steel welds. It is observed that higher order wavelets give greater SNR improvement compared to the lower order wavelets. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A cellular study of teosinte Zea mays ssp. parviglumis (Poaceae) caryopsis development showing several processes conserved in maize

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Although recent molecular studies elucidate the genetic background leading to changed morphology of maize female inflorescence and the structure of the caryopsis during the domestication of maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) from its wild progenitor teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis), the mechanisms under...

Holographic lens spectrum splitting photovoltaic system for increased diffuse collection and annual energy yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vorndran, Shelby D.; Wu, Yuechen; Ayala, Silvana; Kostuk, Raymond K.

2015-09-01

Concentrating and spectrum splitting photovoltaic (PV) modules have a limited acceptance angle and thus suffer from optical loss under off-axis illumination. This loss manifests itself as a substantial reduction in energy yield in locations where a significant portion of insulation is diffuse. In this work, a spectrum splitting PV system is designed to efficiently collect and convert light in a range of illumination conditions. The system uses a holographic lens to concentrate shortwavelength light onto a smaller, more expensive indium gallium phosphide (InGaP) PV cell. The high efficiency PV cell near the axis is surrounded with silicon (Si), a less expensive material that collects a broader portion of the solar spectrum. Under direct illumination, the device achieves increased conversion efficiency from spectrum splitting. Under diffuse illumination, the device collects light with efficiency comparable to a flat-panel Si module. Design of the holographic lens is discussed. Optical efficiency and power output of the module under a range of illumination conditions from direct to diffuse are simulated with non-sequential raytracing software. Using direct and diffuse Typical Metrological Year (TMY3) irradiance measurements, annual energy yield of the module is calculated for several installation sites. Energy yield of the spectrum splitting module is compared to that of a full flat-panel Si reference module.

Comparison of holographic lens and filter systems for lateral spectrum splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vorndran, Shelby; Chrysler, Benjamin; Kostuk, Raymond K.

2016-09-01

Spectrum splitting is an approach to increasing the conversion efficiency of a photovoltaic (PV) system. Several methods can be used to perform this function which requires efficient spatial separation of different spectral bands of the incident solar radiation. In this paper several of holographic methods for implementing spectrum splitting are reviewed along with the benefits and disadvantages associated with each approach. The review indicates that a volume holographic lens has many advantages for spectrum splitting in terms of both power conversion efficiency and energy yield. A specific design for a volume holographic spectrum splitting lens is discussed for use with high bandgap InGaP and low bandgap silicon PV cells. The holographic lenses are modeled using rigorous coupled wave analysis, and the optical efficiency is evaluated using non-sequential raytracing. A proof-of-concept off-axis holographic lens is also recorded in dichromated gelatin film and the spectral diffraction efficiency of the hologram is measured with multiple laser sources across the diffracted spectral band. The experimental volume holographic lens (VHL) characteristics are compared to an ideal spectrum splitting filter in terms of power conversion efficiency and energy yield in environments with high direct normal incidence (DNI) illumination and high levels of diffuse illumination. The results show that the experimental VHL can achieve 62.5% of the ideal filter power conversion efficiency, 64.8% of the ideal filter DNI environment energy yield, and 57.7% of the ideal diffuse environment energy yield performance.

Enhancement of intrinsic optical signal recording with split spectrum optical coherence tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thapa, Damber; Wang, Benquan; Lu, Yiming; Son, Taeyoon; Yao, Xincheng

2017-09-01

Functional optical coherence tomography (OCT) of stimulus-evoked intrinsic optical signal (IOS) promises to be a new methodology for high-resolution mapping of retinal neural dysfunctions. However, its practical applications for non-invasive examination of retinal function have been hindered by the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and small magnitude of IOSs. Split spectrum amplitude-decorrelation has been demonstrated to improve the image quality of OCT angiography. In this study, we exploited split spectrum strategy to improve the sensitivity of IOS recording. The full OCT spectrum was split into multiple spectral bands and IOSs from each sub-band were calculated separately and then combined to generate a single IOS image sequence. The algorithm was tested on in vivo images of frog retinas. It significantly improved both IOS magnitude and SNR, which are essential for practical applications of functional IOS imaging.

Distribution and severity of alder phytophthora in Alaska

Treesearch

G.C. Adams; M. Catal; L. Trummer

2010-01-01

In Alaska, an unprecedented dieback and mortality of Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia has occurred which stimulated an effort to determine causal agents of the disease. In Europe, similar dieback and mortality of Alnus incana and Alnus glutinosa has been attributed to root rot by a spectrum...

A new strategy for efficient solar energy conversion: Parallel-processing with surface plasmons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, L. M.

1982-01-01

This paper introduces an advanced concept for direct conversion of sunlight to electricity, which aims at high efficiency by tailoring the conversion process to separate energy bands within the broad solar spectrum. The objective is to obtain a high level of spectrum-splitting without sequential losses or unique materials for each frequency band. In this concept, sunlight excites a spectrum of surface plasma waves which are processed in parallel on the same metal film. The surface plasmons transport energy to an array of metal-barrier-semiconductor diodes, where energy is extracted by inelastic tunneling. Diodes are tuned to different frequency bands by selecting the operating voltage and geometry, but all diodes share the same materials.

Electrophysiological and psychophysical correlates of spatial summation to noxious heat: the possible role of A-delta fibers.

PubMed

Granovsky, Y; Raz, N; Defrin, R

2017-02-01

Although spatial summation of pain (SSP) is central to the processing of pain intensity and quality, its mechanism is not fully understood. We previously found greater heat SSP in hairy than in glabrous skin, suggesting that perhaps A-mechano-heat II (AMH-II) nociceptors are the dominant subserving system. In order to further explore the role of A-delta fibers in heat-induced SSP, we analyzed the electrophysiological correlates of SSP under conditions that minimize the influence of skin thicknesses. Among 17 subjects, fast rate of rise (70 °C/sec) heat stimuli that induced a pre-fixed, similar, SSP magnitude for hairy and glabrous skin were repeatedly administered using large and small probes, during which time the contact heat-evoked potentials (CHEPs) and pain ratings were recorded. Both N2 and P2 amplitudes were larger in hairy than in glabrous skin, but a differential effect of SSP was found on the CHEPs. Despite similar psychophysical SSP in hairy and glabrous skin, the electrophysiological SSP reflected in N2 but not P2 amplitude was larger in hairy skin. Nevertheless, regardless of skin type, SSP was manifested by an increase in P2 amplitudes. Considering the uniform psychophysical SSP for the two skin types, the fast stimulation rate and lower activity of AMH-II in glabrous skin, a greater electrophysiological SSP in hairy than in glabrous skin may suggest that SSP is mainly subserved by AMH nociceptors. The overall SSP effect, manifested in greater P2 amplitude, may reflect specific brain responses aimed to prepare the individual to an increased potential tissue damage.

The role of proteolytic processing and the stable signal peptide in expression of the Old World arenavirus envelope glycoprotein ectodomain

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

Burri, Dominique J.; Pasquato, Antonella; Ramos da Palma, Joel

2013-02-05

Maturation of the arenavirus GP precursor (GPC) involves proteolytic processing by cellular signal peptidase and the proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin isozyme 1 (SKI-1)/site 1 protease (S1P), yielding a tripartite complex comprised of a stable signal peptide (SSP), the receptor-binding GP1, and the fusion-active transmembrane GP2. Here we investigated the roles of SKI-1/S1P processing and SSP in the biosynthesis of the recombinant GP ectodomains of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) and Lassa virus (LASV). When expressed in mammalian cells, the LCMV and LASV GP ectodomains underwent processing by SKI-1/S1P, followed by dissociation of GP1 from GP2. The GP2 ectodomain spontaneously formed trimersmore » as revealed by chemical cross-linking. The endogenous SSP, known to be crucial for maturation and transport of full-length arenavirus GPC was dispensable for processing and secretion of the soluble GP ectodomain, suggesting a specific role of SSP in the stable prefusion conformation and transport of full-length GPC.« less

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Malay Version of the Short Sensory Profile.

PubMed

Ee, Su Im; Loh, Siew Yim; Chinna, Karuthan; Marret, Mary J

2016-01-01

To translate, culturally adapt, and examine psychometric properties of the Malay version Short Sensory Profile (SSP-M). Pretesting (n = 30) of the original English SSP established its applicability for use with Malaysian children aged 3-10 years. This was followed by the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the SSP-M. Two forward and two back translations were compared and reviewed by a committee of 10 experts who validated the content of the SSP-M, before pilot testing (n = 30). The final SSP-M questionnaire was completed by 419 parents of typically developing children aged 3-10 years. Cronbach's alpha of each section of the SSP-M ranged from 0.73 to 0.93 and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) indicated good reliability (0.62-0.93). The seven factor model of the SSP-M had an adequate fit with evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. We conclude that the SSP-M is a valid and reliable screening tool for use in Malaysia with Malay-speaking parents of children aged 3-10 years. The SSP-M enables Malay-speaking parents to answer the questionnaire with better reliability, and provides occupational therapists with a valid tool to screen for sensory processing difficulties.

Dynamic experiment design regularization approach to adaptive imaging with array radar/SAR sensor systems.

PubMed

Shkvarko, Yuriy; Tuxpan, José; Santos, Stewart

2011-01-01

We consider a problem of high-resolution array radar/SAR imaging formalized in terms of a nonlinear ill-posed inverse problem of nonparametric estimation of the power spatial spectrum pattern (SSP) of the random wavefield scattered from a remotely sensed scene observed through a kernel signal formation operator and contaminated with random Gaussian noise. First, the Sobolev-type solution space is constructed to specify the class of consistent kernel SSP estimators with the reproducing kernel structures adapted to the metrics in such the solution space. Next, the "model-free" variational analysis (VA)-based image enhancement approach and the "model-based" descriptive experiment design (DEED) regularization paradigm are unified into a new dynamic experiment design (DYED) regularization framework. Application of the proposed DYED framework to the adaptive array radar/SAR imaging problem leads to a class of two-level (DEED-VA) regularized SSP reconstruction techniques that aggregate the kernel adaptive anisotropic windowing with the projections onto convex sets to enforce the consistency and robustness of the overall iterative SSP estimators. We also show how the proposed DYED regularization method may be considered as a generalization of the MVDR, APES and other high-resolution nonparametric adaptive radar sensing techniques. A family of the DYED-related algorithms is constructed and their effectiveness is finally illustrated via numerical simulations.

Sensory processing issues in young children presenting to an outpatient feeding clinic.

PubMed

Davis, Ann M; Bruce, Amanda S; Khasawneh, Rima; Schulz, Trina; Fox, Catherine; Dunn, Winifred

2013-02-01

The aim of the study was to describe the relation between sensory issues and medical complexity in a series of patients presenting to an outpatient multidisciplinary feeding team for evaluation, by a standardized measure of sensory-processing abilities. A retrospective chart review of all of the patients seen from 2004 to 2009 on 2 key variables: medical diagnostic category and short sensory profile (SSP) score. On the SSP, 67.6% of children scored in the clinical ("definite difference") range. The most common diagnostic categories were developmental (n = 23), gastrointestinal (n = 16), and neurological (n = 13). Behavioral and cardiorespiratory medical diagnostic categories were significantly related to SSP total score and SSP definite difference score. Children who present for feeding evaluation do indeed tend to have clinically elevated scores regarding sensory processing, and these elevated scores are significantly related to certain medical diagnostic categories. Future research is needed to determine why these significant relations exist as well as their implications for treatment of feeding-related issues.

Early Childhood IQ Trajectories in Individuals Later Developing Schizophrenia and Affective Psychoses in the New England Family Studies.

PubMed

Agnew-Blais, Jessica C; Buka, Stephen L; Fitzmaurice, Garrett M; Smoller, Jordan W; Goldstein, Jill M; Seidman, Larry J

2015-07-01

Individuals who develop schizophrenia in adulthood exhibit, on average, deficits in childhood cognition relative to healthy controls. However, it remains unclear when in childhood such deficits emerge and whether they are stable across childhood or change (increase or decrease) across development. Importantly, whether the trajectory of childhood cognition differs among youth who later develop affective psychoses (AP) vs schizophrenia as adults remains unresolved. Subjects in the Collaborative Perinatal Project were administered the Stanford-Binet IQ test at age 4 and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children at age 7. A total of 9809 (54.7%) participants in the New England Study sites were tested at both ages, including 37 who later developed schizophrenia spectrum psychoses (SSP) and 39 who later developed AP. Logistic regression models examined the association of level of and change in childhood IQ and later SSP or AP. Lower overall childhood IQ was associated with higher risk of SSP. Additionally, there was a small mean increase in IQ in the SSP group relative to a mean decrease in the control group from age 4 to 7 such that positive change in IQ was significantly associated with a higher risk of SSP. Neither overall level nor change in IQ was associated with risk of AP. The results are consistent with neurocognitive impairment throughout early childhood specifically for children who later develop schizophrenia, affirming the theory of atypical neurodevelopment in premorbid schizophrenia. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Volume holographic lens spectrum-splitting photovoltaic system for high energy yield with direct and diffuse solar illumination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chrysler, Benjamin D.; Wu, Yuechen; Yu, Zhengshan; Kostuk, Raymond K.

2017-08-01

In this paper a prototype spectrum-splitting photovoltaic system based on volume holographic lenses (VHL) is designed, fabricated and tested. In spectrum-splitting systems, incident sunlight is divided in spectral bands for optimal conversion by a set of single-junction PV cells that are laterally separated. The VHL spectrumsplitting system in this paper has a form factor similar to conventional silicon PV modules but with higher efficiencies (>30%). Unlike many other spectrum-splitting systems that have been proposed in the past, the system in this work converts both direct and diffuse sunlight while using inexpensive 1-axis tracking systems. The VHL system uses holographic lenses that focus light at a transition wavelength to the boundary between two PV cells. Longer wavelength light is dispersed to the narrow bandgap cell and shorter wavelength light to the wide bandgap cell. A prototype system is designed with silicon and GaAs PV cells. The holographic lenses are fabricated in Covestro Bayfol HX photopolymer by `stitching' together lens segments through sequential masked exposures. The PV cells and holographic lenses were characterized and the data was used in a raytrace simulation and predicts an improvement in total power output of 15.2% compared to a non-spectrum-splitting reference. A laboratory measurement yielded an improvement in power output of 8.5%.

A theoretical description of the polarization dependence of the sum frequency generation spectroscopy of the water/vapor interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perry, Angela; Neipert, Christine; Kasprzyk, Christina Ridley; Green, Tony; Space, Brian; Moore, Preston B.

2005-10-01

An improved time correlation function (TCF) description of sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy was developed and applied to theoretically describing the spectroscopy of the ambient water/vapor interface. A more general TCF expression than was published previously is presented—it is valid over the entire vibrational spectrum for both the real and imaginary parts of the signal. Computationally, earlier time correlation function approaches were limited to short correlation times that made signal processing challenging. Here, this limitation is overcome, and well-averaged spectra are presented for the three independent polarization conditions that are possible for electronically nonresonant SFG. The theoretical spectra compare quite favorably in shape and relative magnitude to extant experimental results in the O H stretching region of water for all polarization geometries. The methodological improvements also allow the calculation of intermolecular SFG spectra. While the intermolecular spectrum of bulk water shows relatively little structure, the interfacial spectra (for polarizations that are sensitive to dipole derivatives normal to the interface—SSP and PPP) show a well-defined intermolecular mode at 875cm-1 that is comparable in intensity to the rest of the intermolecular structure, and has an intensity that is approximately one-sixth of the magnitude of the intense free OH stretching peak. Using instantaneous normal mode methods, the resonance is shown to be due to a wagging mode localized on a single water molecule, almost parallel to the interface, with two hydrogens displaced normal to the interface, and the oxygen anchored in the interface. We have also uncovered the origin of another intermolecular mode at 95cm-1 for the SSP and PPP spectra, and at 220cm-1 for the SPS spectra. These resonances are due to hindered translations perpendicular to the interface for the SSP and PPP spectra, and translations parallel to the interface for the SPS spectra. Further, by examining the real and imaginary parts of the SFG signal, several resonances are shown to be due to a single spectroscopic species while the "donor" OH region is shown to consist of three distinct species—consistent with an earlier experimental analysis.

Design and optimization of cascaded DCG based holographic elements for spectrum-splitting PV systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yuechen; Chrysler, Benjamin; Pelaez, Silvana Ayala; Kostuk, Raymond K.

2017-09-01

In this work, the technique of designing and optimizing broadband volume transmission holograms using dichromate gelatin (DCG) is summarized for solar spectrum-splitting application. Spectrum splitting photovoltaic system uses a series of single bandgap PV cells that have different spectral conversion efficiency properties to more fully utilize the solar spectrum. In such a system, one or more high performance optical filters are usually required to split the solar spectrum and efficiently send them to the corresponding PV cells. An ideal spectral filter should have a rectangular shape with sharp transition wavelengths. DCG is a near ideal holographic material for solar applications as it can achieve high refractive index modulation, low absorption and scattering properties and long-term stability to solar exposure after sealing. In this research, a methodology of designing and modeling a transmission DCG hologram using coupled wave analysis for different PV bandgap combinations is described. To achieve a broad diffraction bandwidth and sharp cut-off wavelength, a cascaded structure of multiple thick holograms is described. A search algorithm is also developed to optimize both single and two-layer cascaded holographic spectrum splitters for the best bandgap combinations of two- and three-junction SSPV systems illuminated under the AM1.5 solar spectrum. The power conversion efficiencies of the optimized systems under the AM1.5 solar spectrum are then calculated using the detailed balance method, and shows an improvement compared with tandem structure.

Dynamic Experiment Design Regularization Approach to Adaptive Imaging with Array Radar/SAR Sensor Systems

PubMed Central

Shkvarko, Yuriy; Tuxpan, José; Santos, Stewart

2011-01-01

We consider a problem of high-resolution array radar/SAR imaging formalized in terms of a nonlinear ill-posed inverse problem of nonparametric estimation of the power spatial spectrum pattern (SSP) of the random wavefield scattered from a remotely sensed scene observed through a kernel signal formation operator and contaminated with random Gaussian noise. First, the Sobolev-type solution space is constructed to specify the class of consistent kernel SSP estimators with the reproducing kernel structures adapted to the metrics in such the solution space. Next, the “model-free” variational analysis (VA)-based image enhancement approach and the “model-based” descriptive experiment design (DEED) regularization paradigm are unified into a new dynamic experiment design (DYED) regularization framework. Application of the proposed DYED framework to the adaptive array radar/SAR imaging problem leads to a class of two-level (DEED-VA) regularized SSP reconstruction techniques that aggregate the kernel adaptive anisotropic windowing with the projections onto convex sets to enforce the consistency and robustness of the overall iterative SSP estimators. We also show how the proposed DYED regularization method may be considered as a generalization of the MVDR, APES and other high-resolution nonparametric adaptive radar sensing techniques. A family of the DYED-related algorithms is constructed and their effectiveness is finally illustrated via numerical simulations. PMID:22163859

Unresolved versus resolved: testing the validity of young simple stellar population models with VLT/MUSE observations of NGC 3603

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuncarayakti, H.; Galbany, L.; Anderson, J. P.; Krühler, T.; Hamuy, M.

2016-09-01

Context. Stellar populations are the building blocks of galaxies, including the Milky Way. The majority, if not all, extragalactic studies are entangled with the use of stellar population models given the unresolved nature of their observation. Extragalactic systems contain multiple stellar populations with complex star formation histories. However, studies of these systems are mainly based upon the principles of simple stellar populations (SSP). Hence, it is critical to examine the validity of SSP models. Aims: This work aims to empirically test the validity of SSP models. This is done by comparing SSP models against observations of spatially resolved young stellar population in the determination of its physical properties, that is, age and metallicity. Methods: Integral field spectroscopy of a young stellar cluster in the Milky Way, NGC 3603, was used to study the properties of the cluster as both a resolved and unresolved stellar population. The unresolved stellar population was analysed using the Hα equivalent width as an age indicator and the ratio of strong emission lines to infer metallicity. In addition, spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting using STARLIGHT was used to infer these properties from the integrated spectrum. Independently, the resolved stellar population was analysed using the colour-magnitude diagram (CMD) to determine age and metallicity. As the SSP model represents the unresolved stellar population, the derived age and metallicity were tested to determine whether they agree with those derived from resolved stars. Results: The age and metallicity estimate of NGC 3603 derived from integrated spectroscopy are confirmed to be within the range of those derived from the CMD of the resolved stellar population, including other estimates found in the literature. The result from this pilot study supports the reliability of SSP models for studying unresolved young stellar populations. Based on observations collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere under ESO programme 60.A-9344.

Responsibility Factors of Reducing Inefficiencies in Information System Processes and Their Role on Intention to Acquire Six Sigma Certification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hejazi, Sara

2009-01-01

Organizations worldwide have been turning to Six Sigma program (SSP) to eliminate the defects in their products or drive out the variability in their processes to attain a competitive advantage in their marketplace. An effective certification program has been touted as a major contributor to successful implementation of SSP. An effective…

Magnetic photon splitting and gamma ray burst spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baring, Matthew G.

1992-01-01

The splitting of photons into two photons becomes both possible and significant in magnetic fields in excess of 10(exp 12) Gauss. Below the threshold energy, 2m sub e c(exp 2) for single photon pair production, splitting can be an astronomically observable phenomenon evident in gamma ray burst spectra. In such circumstances, it was found that magnetic photon splitting reprocesses the gamma ray burst continuum by degrading the photon energy, with a net effect that is quite similar to pair cascade reprocessing of the spectrum. Results are presented for the spectral modifications due to splitting, taking into account the different probabilities for splitting for different polarization modes. Unpolarized and polarized pair cascade photon spectra form the input spectra for the model, which calculates the resulting splitting reprocessed spectra numerically by solving the photon kinetic equations for each polarization mode. This inclusion of photon polarizations is found to not alter previous predictions that splitting produce a significant flattening of the hard X ray continuum and a bump at MeV energies below a pair production turnover. The spectrum near the bump is always strongly polarized.

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.

Protein trans-splicing on an M13 bacteriophage: towards directed evolution of a semisynthetic split intein by phage display.

PubMed

Garbe, Daniel; Thiel, Ilka V; Mootz, Henning D

2010-10-01

Split inteins link their fused peptide or protein sequences with a peptide bond in an autocatalytic reaction called protein trans-splicing. This reaction is becoming increasingly important for a variety of applications in protein semisynthesis, polypeptide circularisation, construction of biosensors, or segmental isotopic labelling of proteins. However, split inteins exhibit greatly varying solubility, efficiency and tolerance towards the nature of the fused sequences as well as reaction conditions. We envisioned that phage display as an in vitro selection technique would provide a powerful tool for the directed evolution of split inteins with improved properties. As a first step towards this goal, we show that presentation of active split inteins on an M13 bacteriophage is feasible. Two different C-terminal intein fragments of the Ssp DnaB intein, artificially split at amino acid positions 104 and 11, were encoded in a phagemid vector in fusion to a truncated gpIII protein. For efficient production of hybrid phages, the presence of a soluble domain tag at their N-termini was necessary. Immunoblot analysis revealed that the hybrid phages supported protein trans-splicing with a protein or a synthetic peptide, respectively, containing the complementary intein fragment. Incorporation of biotin or desthiobiotin by this reaction provides a straightforward strategy for future enrichment of desired mutants from randomised libraries of the C-terminal intein fragments on streptavidin beads. Protein semisynthesis on a phage could also be exploited for the selection of chemically modified proteins with unique properties. © 2010 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Three-year-olds obey the sample size principle of induction: the influence of evidence presentation and sample size disparity on young children's generalizations.

PubMed

Lawson, Chris A

2014-07-01

Three experiments with 81 3-year-olds (M=3.62years) examined the conditions that enable young children to use the sample size principle (SSP) of induction-the inductive rule that facilitates generalizations from large rather than small samples of evidence. In Experiment 1, children exhibited the SSP when exemplars were presented sequentially but not when exemplars were presented simultaneously. Results from Experiment 3 suggest that the advantage of sequential presentation is not due to the additional time to process the available input from the two samples but instead may be linked to better memory for specific individuals in the large sample. In addition, findings from Experiments 1 and 2 suggest that adherence to the SSP is mediated by the disparity between presented samples. Overall, these results reveal that the SSP appears early in development and is guided by basic cognitive processes triggered during the acquisition of input. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A multiple-scale turbulence model for incompressible flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duncan, B. S.; Liou, W. W.; Shih, T. H.

1993-01-01

A multiple-scale eddy viscosity model is described. This model splits the energy spectrum into a high wave number regime and a low wave number regime. Dividing the energy spectrum into multiple regimes simplistically emulates the cascade of energy through the turbulence spectrum. The constraints on the model coefficients are determined by examining decaying turbulence and homogeneous turbulence. A direct link between the partitioned energies and the energy transfer process is established through the coefficients. This new model was calibrated and tested for boundary-free turbulent shear flows. Calculations of mean and turbulent properties show good agreement with experimental data for two mixing layers, a plane jet and a round jet.

Serologic ambiguity and allelic frequency of the HLA-B40 family in the Korean population.

PubMed

Lee, K W; Kim, Y S

1997-04-01

The most frequently identified HLA-B type in Koreans is HLA-B40 (13.4%). Due to the lack of mono-specific alloantisera and cross reactivity of sera used as typing reagents, discrimination between the serologic splits of B40, B60 and B61, has been a problem in tissue typing laboratories. In this study, an efficient PCR-SSP typing system was established to distinguish B60 and B61 and to assess the difficulty in serologic assignment for these types. The SSP system was also used to elucidate the frequency of B40 alleles (B*4001-B*4008) encoding B40 molecules in the Korean population. Eighty eight unrelated individuals identified serologically as B40 positive were selected from 358 consecutive volunteers from the unrelated bone marrow registry. Seven sets of PCR that amplify exons 2 and 3 of the HLA-B gene using 10 sequence specific primers (SSP) were used for discrimination between B60 and B61, and for B40 allelic typing. A clear discrimination of B60 and B61 was possible in all samples including 48 serologically ambiguous samples (B60-14/48; B61-34/48) and 5 potentially B40 homozygous samples (B60/ B61 heterozygotes-4/5; B60 homozygote-1/5). Therefore, the use of a focused SSP approach enhances serologic definition of HLA types in routine clinical testing. In allelic typing, all B60 samples (26) appeared to be B*4001, but B61 samples revealed more heterogeneity (B*4002-36/58, B*4003-4/ 58, B*4006-18/58). In addition, B*4003 seemed to be closely associated with the A24-Cw3-DRB1*02 haplotype (3/4). The characterization of allele frequency as well as haplotypic association will be helpful in determination of the optimal size of the volunteer marrow donor pool in the Korean population.

Magnetic circular dichroism of CdTe nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malakhovskii, A. V.; Sokolov, A. E.; Tsipotan, A. S.; Zharkov, S. M.; Zabluda, V. N.

2018-04-01

Magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) of water-soluble CdTe nanoparticles was observed in the visible spectral range for the first time. Diameter of nanoparticles varied from 2.3 to 4.5 nm. Absorption and photoluminescence spectra were also recorded. Absorption line at 19400 cm-1 and luminescent line at 18200 cm-1 were observed. Splitting of value 960 cm-1 was revealed in the MCD spectrum. Approximately the same splitting was extracted from the absorption spectrum. The MCD was identified as the temperature independent paramagnetic mixing effect. Nature of the absorption line and of its splitting are discussed.

A multiple-scale turbulence model for incompressible flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duncan, B. S.; Liou, W. W.; Shih, T. H.

1993-01-01

A multiple-scale eddy viscosity model is described in this paper. This model splits the energy spectrum into a high wave number regime and a low wave number regime. Dividing the energy spectrum into multiple regimes simplistically emulates the cascade of energy through the turbulence spectrum. The constraints on the model coefficients are determined by examining decaying turbulence and homogeneous turbulence. A direct link between the partitioned energies and the energy transfer process is established through the coefficients. This new model has been calibrated and tested for boundary-free turbulent shear flows. Calculations of mean and turbulent properties show good agreement with experimental data for two mixing layers, a plane jet and a round jet.

Extended storage and glucose exhaustion are associated with apoptotic changes in platelets stored in additive solution.

PubMed

Johnson, Lacey; Schubert, Peter; Tan, Shereen; Devine, Dana V; Marks, Denese C

2016-02-01

The storage of platelets (PLTs) in additive solution (AS) may facilitate improved PLT quality and possibly extension of the PLT shelf life. A minimum amount of plasma is required when PLTs are stored in AS, as a source of glucose. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of reducing the plasma carryover to 20% on PLT quality when stored in SSP+ for an extended period. Using a pool-and-split design, buffy coat-derived PLTs were stored in either 30% plasma/SSP+ or 20% plasma/SSP+. In vitro analyses were carried out to Day 10. Metabolites and markers of PLT activation and apoptosis were measured using a blood gas analyzer and flow cytometry. PLT apoptotic protein expression was investigated by Western blotting. Glucose exhaustion occurred in the 20% plasma group between Day 7 and Day 10. The surface expression of P-selectin and PAC-1 was comparable on Day 10 in both groups, suggesting that the PLTs were not activated. However, the exposure of phosphatidylserine and the number of phosphatidylserine-positive microparticles were significantly higher in the 20% group on Day 10. The expression of the proapoptotic proteins Bak, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 were higher in the 20% plasma group by Day 7 of storage, compared to the 30% plasma group. Exhaustion of glucose was associated with a proapoptotic phenotype. Results such as these should be considered before extending the PLT shelf life beyond 7 days, particularly when stored in ASs lacking glucose with low plasma carryover. © 2015 AABB.

Myristoylation of the Arenavirus Envelope Glycoprotein Stable Signal Peptide Is Critical for Membrane Fusion but Dispensable for Virion Morphogenesis.

PubMed

York, Joanne; Nunberg, Jack H

2016-09-15

Arenaviruses are responsible for severe and often fatal hemorrhagic disease. In the absence of effective antiviral therapies and vaccines, these viruses pose serious threats to public health and biodefense. Arenaviruses enter the host cell by fusion of the viral and endosomal membranes, a process mediated by the virus envelope glycoprotein GPC. Unlike other class I viral fusion proteins, GPC retains its stable signal peptide (SSP) as an essential third subunit in the mature complex. SSP spans the membrane twice and is myristoylated at its cytoplasmic N terminus. Mutations that abolish SSP myristoylation have been shown to reduce pH-induced cell-cell fusion activity of ectopically expressed GPC to ∼20% of wild-type levels. In order to examine the role of SSP myristoylation in the context of the intact virus, we used reverse genetics to generate Junín viruses (Candid #1 isolate) in which the critical glycine-2 residue in SSP was either replaced by alanine (G2A) or deleted (ΔG2). These mutant viruses produced smaller foci of infection in Vero cells and showed an ∼5-fold reduction in specific infectivity, commensurate with the defect in cell-cell fusion. However, virus assembly and GPC incorporation into budded virions were unaffected. Our findings suggest that the myristate moiety is cryptically disposed in the prefusion GPC complex and may function late in the fusion process to promote merging of the viral and cellular membranes. Hemorrhagic fever arenaviruses pose significant threats to public health and biodefense. Arenavirus entry into the host cell is promoted by the virus envelope glycoprotein GPC. Unlike other viral envelope glycoproteins, GPC contains a myristoylated stable signal peptide (SSP) as an essential third subunit. Myristoylation has been shown to be important for the membrane fusion activity of recombinantly expressed GPC. Here, we use reverse genetics to study the role of SSP myristoylation in the context of the intact virion. We find that nonmyristoylated GPC mutants of the Candid #1 strain of Junín virus display a commensurate deficiency in their infectivity, albeit without additional defects in virion assembly and budding. These results suggest that SSP myristoylation may function late in the fusion process to facilitate merging of the viral and cellular membranes. Antiviral agents that target this novel aspect of GPC membrane fusion may be useful in the treatment of arenavirus hemorrhagic fevers. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Three junction holographic micro-scale PV system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yuechen; Vorndran, Shelby; Ayala Pelaez, Silvana; Kostuk, Raymond K.

2016-09-01

In this work a spectrum splitting micro-scale concentrating PV system is evaluated to increase the conversion efficiency of flat panel PV systems. In this approach, the dispersed spectrum splitting concentration systems is scaled down to a small size and structured in an array. The spectrum splitting configuration allows the use of separate single bandgap PV cells that increase spectral overlap with the incident solar spectrum. This results in an overall increase in the spectral conversion efficiency of the resulting system. In addition other benefits of the micro-scale PV system are retained such reduced PV cell material requirements, more versatile interconnect configurations, and lower heat rejection requirements that can lead to a lower cost system. The system proposed in this work consists of two cascaded off-axis holograms in combination with a micro lens array, and three types of PV cells. An aspherical lens design is made to minimize the dispersion so that higher concentration ratios can be achieved for a three-junction system. An analysis methodology is also developed to determine the optical efficiency of the resulting system, the characteristics of the dispersed spectrum, and the overall system conversion efficiency for a combination of three types of PV cells.

Distinct requirements for signal peptidase processing and function in the stable signal peptide subunit of the Junin virus envelope glycoprotein

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

York, Joanne; Nunberg, Jack H.

2007-03-01

The arenavirus envelope glycoprotein (GP-C) retains a cleaved and stable signal peptide (SSP) as an essential subunit of the mature complex. This 58-amino-acid residue peptide serves as a signal sequence and is additionally required to enable transit of the assembled GP-C complex to the Golgi, and for pH-dependent membrane fusion activity. We have investigated the C-terminal region of the Junin virus SSP to study the role of the cellular signal peptidase (SPase) in generating SSP. Site-directed mutagenesis at the cleavage site (positions - 1 and - 3) reveals a pattern of side-chain preferences consistent with those of SPase. Although positionmore » - 2 is degenerate for SPase cleavage, this residue in the arenavirus SSP is invariably a cysteine. In the Junin virus, this cysteine is not involved in disulfide bonding. We show that replacement with alanine or serine is tolerated for SPase cleavage but prevents the mutant SSP from associating with GP-C and enabling transport to the cell surface. Conversely, an arginine mutation at position - 1 that prevents SPase cleavage is fully compatible with GP-C-mediated membrane fusion activity when the mutant SSP is provided in trans. These results point to distinct roles of SSP sequences in SPase cleavage and GP-C biogenesis. Further studies of the unique structural organization of the GP-C complex will be important in identifying novel opportunities for antiviral intervention against arenaviral hemorrhagic disease.« less

Taxonomic revision of the rock-dwelling door snail genus Montenegrina Boettger, 1877 (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Clausiliidae)

PubMed Central

Fehér, Zoltán; Szekeres, Miklós

2016-01-01

Abstract The genus Montenegrina is revised on the basis of material available at the Hungarian Natural History Museum (Budapest), Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (Vienna), and the Naturmuseum Senckenberg (Frankfurt am Main), as well as newly discovered populations. The following new taxa are described: Montenegrina haringae sp. n., Montenegrina lillae sp. n., Montenegrina prokletiana sp. n., Montenegrina sturanyana sp. n., Montenegrina grammica erosszoltani ssp. n., Montenegrina grammica improvisa ssp. n., Montenegrina hiltrudae desaretica ssp. n., Montenegrina hiltrudae selcensis ssp. n., Montenegrina laxa delii ssp. n., Montenegrina nana barinai ssp. n., Montenegrina prokletiana kovacsorum ssp. n., Montenegrina rugilabris golikutensis ssp. n., Montenegrina rugilabris gregoi ssp. n., Montenegrina skipetarica danyii ssp. n., Montenegrina skipetarica gurelurensis ssp. n., Montenegrina skipetarica pifkoi ssp. n., Montenegrina skipetarica puskasi ssp. n., Montenegrina sporadica tropojana ssp. n., Montenegrina sturanyana gropana ssp. n., Montenegrina sturanyana ostrovicensis ssp. n., and Montenegrina tomorosi hunyadii ssp. n. A neotype is designated for Montenegrina helvola (Küster, 1860), and Montenegrina cattaroensis antivaricostata nom. n. was introduced to replace the junior homonym Clausilia umbilicata costata Boettger, 1907 (non Pfeiffer, 1928). Of each taxon types or specimens from the type localities are figured, and distribution maps are provided. PMID:27408595

Outdoor measurements of a photovoltaic system using diffractive spectrum-splitting and concentration

DOE PAGES

Mohammad, N.; Schulz, M.; Wang, P.; ...

2016-09-16

In a single-bandgap absorber, photons having energy less than the bandgap are not absorbed, while those having energy larger than the bandgap lose the excess energy via thermalization. We present outdoor measurements of a photovoltaic system that overcomes these losses via spectrum splitting and concentration using a planar diffractive optic. The system was comprised of the diffractive optic coupled with GaInP and CIGS solar cells. The optic provides a geometric concentration of 3X for each solar cell. It is easily fabricated by single-step grayscale lithography and it is ultra-thin with a maximum thickness of only 2.5μm. Electrical measurements under directmore » sunlight demonstrated an increase of ~25% in total output power compared to the reference case without spectrum splitting and concentration. Since different bandgaps are in the same plane, the proposed photovoltaic system successfully circumvents the lattice-matching and current-matching issues in conventional tandem multi-junction solar cells. As a result, this system is also tolerant to solar spectrum variation and fill-factor degradation of constitutive solar cells.« less

Outdoor measurements of a photovoltaic system using diffractive spectrum-splitting and concentration

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

Mohammad, N.; Schulz, M.; Wang, P.

In a single-bandgap absorber, photons having energy less than the bandgap are not absorbed, while those having energy larger than the bandgap lose the excess energy via thermalization. We present outdoor measurements of a photovoltaic system that overcomes these losses via spectrum splitting and concentration using a planar diffractive optic. The system was comprised of the diffractive optic coupled with GaInP and CIGS solar cells. The optic provides a geometric concentration of 3X for each solar cell. It is easily fabricated by single-step grayscale lithography and it is ultra-thin with a maximum thickness of only 2.5μm. Electrical measurements under directmore » sunlight demonstrated an increase of ~25% in total output power compared to the reference case without spectrum splitting and concentration. Since different bandgaps are in the same plane, the proposed photovoltaic system successfully circumvents the lattice-matching and current-matching issues in conventional tandem multi-junction solar cells. As a result, this system is also tolerant to solar spectrum variation and fill-factor degradation of constitutive solar cells.« less

Degradation of β-casomorphins and identification of degradation products during yoghurt processing using liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Nguyen, Duc Doan; Busetti, Francesco; Johnson, Stuart Keith; Solah, Vicky Ann

2018-04-01

Liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) was used to investigate the degradation of β-casomorphin 5 (β-CM5) and β-casomorphin 7 (β-CM7) by Streptococcus thermophilus and/or Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, and to identify the degradation products forming during yoghurt processing. Bovine UHT milk was fermented with: (i) a single strain of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, (ii) a single strain of S. thermophilus and (iii) the mixture of S. thermophilus and L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus to pH4.5 and then stored at 4°C for 1 and 7days. Results showed that L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and/or S. thermophilus completely degraded β-CM5 and β-CM7 upon fermentation to pH4.5 and degradation products were significantly influenced by bacteria strains and storage time. Four peptides, β-CNf60-61 (YP), β-CNf62-63 (FP), β-CNf64-66 (GPI) and β-CNf62-66 (FPGPI) were tentatively identified through high resolution MS/MS experiments; however, it was not possible to confirm if either milk protein or β-casomorphins was a source releasing these peptides. Nonetheless, in this study peptides YP and GPI were released by L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus. This is the first time GPI has been identified and thus future investigation of its bioactivity is warranted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strong valley Zeeman effect of dark excitons in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides in a tilted magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van der Donck, M.; Zarenia, M.; Peeters, F. M.

2018-02-01

The dependence of the excitonic photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) on the tilt angle of an applied magnetic field is studied. Starting from a four-band Hamiltonian we construct a theory which quantitatively reproduces the available experimental PL spectra for perpendicular and in-plane magnetic fields. In the presence of a tilted magnetic field, we demonstrate that the dark exciton PL peaks brighten due to the in-plane component of the magnetic field and split for light with different circular polarizations as a consequence of the perpendicular component of the magnetic field. This splitting is more than twice as large as the splitting of the bright exciton peaks in tungsten-based TMDs. We propose an experimental setup that will allow for accessing the predicted splitting of the dark exciton peaks in the PL spectrum.

Ab initio calculations of torsionally mediated hyperfine splittings in E states of acetaldehyde

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Li-Hong; Reid, E. M.; Guislain, B.; Hougen, J. T.; Alekseev, E. A.; Krapivin, I.

2017-12-01

Quantum chemistry packages can be used to predict with reasonable accuracy spin-rotation hyperfine interaction constants for methanol, which contains one methyl-top internal rotor. In this work we use one of these packages to calculate components of the spin-rotation interaction tensor for acetaldehyde. We then use torsion-rotation wavefunctions obtained from a fit to the acetaldehyde torsion-rotation spectrum to calculate the expected magnitude of hyperfine splittings analogous to those observed at relatively high J values in the E symmetry states of methanol. We find that theory does indeed predict doublet splittings at moderate J values in the acetaldehyde torsion-rotation spectrum, which closely resemble those seen in methanol, but that the factor of three decrease in hyperfine spin-rotation constants compared to methanol puts the largest of the acetaldehyde splittings a factor of two below presently available Lamb-dip resolution.

SSP-002392, a new 5-HT4 receptor agonist, dose-dependently reverses scopolamine-induced learning and memory impairments in C57Bl/6 mice.

PubMed

Lo, Adrian C; De Maeyer, Joris H; Vermaercke, Ben; Callaerts-Vegh, Zsuzsanna; Schuurkes, Jan A J; D'Hooge, Rudi

2014-10-01

5-HT4 receptors (5-HT4R) are suggested to affect learning and memory processes. Earlier studies have shown that animals treated with 5-HT4R agonists, often with limited selectivity, show improved learning and memory with retention memory often being assessed immediately after or within 24 h after the last training session. In this study, we characterized the effect of pre-training treatment with the selective 5-HT4R agonist SSP-002392 on memory acquisition and the associated long-term memory retrieval in animal models of impaired cognition. Pre-training treatment with SSP-002392 (0.3 mg/kg, 1.5 mg/kg and 7.5 mg/kg p.o.) dose-dependently inhibited the cognitive deficits induced by scopolamine (0.5 mg/kg s.c.) in two different behavioral tasks: passive avoidance and Morris water maze. In the Morris water maze, spatial learning was significantly improved after treatment with SSP-002392 translating in an accelerated and more efficient localization of the hidden platform compared to scopolamine-treated controls. Moreover, retention memory was assessed 24 h (passive avoidance) and 72 h (Morris water maze) after the last training session of cognitive-impaired animals and this was significantly improved in animals treated with SSP-002392 prior to the training sessions. Furthermore, the effects of SSP-002392 were comparable to galanthamine hydrobromide. We conclude that SSP-002392 has potential as a memory-enhancing compound. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Holographic spectrum-splitting optical systems for solar photovoltaics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Deming

Solar energy is the most abundant source of renewable energy available. The relatively high cost prevents solar photovoltaic (PV) from replacing fossil fuel on a larger scale. In solar PV power generation the cost is reduced with more efficient PV technologies. In this dissertation, methods to improve PV conversion efficiency with holographic optical components are discussed. The tandem multiple-junction approach has achieved very high conversion efficiency. However it is impossible to manufacture tandem PV cells at a low cost due to stringent fabrication standards and limited material types that satisfy lattice compatibility. Current produced by the tandem multi-junction PV cell is limited by the lowest junction due to series connection. Spectrum-splitting is a lateral multi-junction concept that is free of lattice and current matching constraints. Each PV cell can be optimized towards full absorption of a spectral band with tailored light-trapping schemes. Holographic optical components are designed to achieve spectrum-splitting PV energy conversion. The incident solar spectrum is separated onto multiple PV cells that are matched to the corresponding spectral band. Holographic spectrum-splitting can take advantage of existing and future low-cost technologies that produces high efficiency thin-film solar cells. Spectrum-splitting optical systems are designed and analyzed with both transmission and reflection holographic optical components. Prototype holograms are fabricated and high optical efficiency is achieved. Light-trapping in PV cells increases the effective optical path-length in the semiconductor material leading to improved absorption and conversion efficiency. It has been shown that the effective optical path length can be increased by a factor of 4n2 using diffusive surfaces. Ultra-light-trapping can be achieved with optical filters that limit the escape angle of the diffused light. Holographic reflection gratings have been shown to act as angle-wavelength selective filters that can function as ultra-light-trapping filters. Results from an experimental reflection hologram are used to model the absorption enhancement factor for a silicon solar cell and light-trapping filter. The result shows a significant improvement in current generation for thin-film silicon solar cells under typical operating conditions.

Genotyping single spore isolates of a Pasteuria penetrans population occurring in Florida using SNP-based markers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The aim of this study was to examine genotypic variation and virulence characteristics of a population of bacterial parasite of root-knot nematode (RKN), Pasteuria penetrans, isolated from Florida. Six single spore lines (ssp), 16ssp, 17ssp, 18ssp, 25ssp, 26ssp, and 30ssp were generated by infecting...

Solar Data in the J and H Bands (Abstract)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howe, R.

2017-06-01

(Abstract only) Early work of stellar astronomers established the nomenclature for the infrared wavelength bands in the 1,000 to 5,000 nm range known as J, H, K, L, and M. This study is using the AAVSO SSP-4 photometer to collect solar data in the J and H bands, where the central wavelengths of these bands are roughly 1,300 nm for the J, and 1,600 nm for the H band. The continuum radiation from the sun is formed at the deepest level in the sun around 40 km from the surface at 1,600 nm (H band), and then the spectral continuum begins as the height increases with increasing wavelength in the infrared spectrum. From data collected here the H band has slightly larger values than the J band, however, there are distinct cross-overs on different days of observing. The telescope being used is a 60-mm LUNT, a blocking factor of 12 with a tilt-etalon filter (https://luntsolarsystems.com/product/ls60tds/) which can be adjusted to look at "white light"; and in that configuration the SSP-4 photometer captures the sun's disc centered in the SSP-4 eyepiece (1 inch focal length 25.4 mm). The Orion equatorial mount has an Astro-view Right Accession motor, which tracks the sun, and for an average data capture session of about 10 minutes, it is quite stable. Capturing data in the early morning is best as the weight of the SSP-4 helps the little RA motor rather than in the afternoon when the balance would be against the direction of the earth's rotation.

Towards a Discipline Based Reflective Thinking Process for K-12 Students and Teachers through On-Line Discourse and Action Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wellman, Elizabeth

The California History-Social Science Project (CH-SSP), a legislatively-mandated professional development program is administered out of the University of California, Office of the President. The Executive Offices are based at UCLA, and oversee 17 local sites across California. As part of its mission, CH-SSP engages teachers in action research on…

Population Structure and Phylogenetic Relationships in a Diverse Panel of Brassica rapa L.

PubMed Central

Bird, Kevin A.; An, Hong; Gazave, Elodie; Gore, Michael A.; Pires, J. Chris; Robertson, Larry D.; Labate, Joanne A.

2017-01-01

The crop species Brassica rapa L. has significant economic importance around the world. However, the global distribution and complex evolutionary history of the species has made investigating its genetic population structure difficult. Crop domestication and improvement has resulted in extreme phenotypic diversity and subspecies that are used for oilseed, food for human consumption, and fodder for livestock. These subspecies include the oilseed morphotypes. oleifera (turnip rape), ssp. dichotoma (brown sarson/toria), ssp. trilocularis (yellow sarson); ssp. rapa (turnip); and Asian leafy vegetables ssp. pekinensis (Chinese cabbage), ssp. chinensis (bok choy), ssp. nipposinica (mizuna/mibuna), ssp. rapifera (rapini/broccoli rabe), ssp. narinosa (tatsoi), ssp parachinensis (choy sum), and ssp. perviridis (komatsuna). To date, studies have had insufficient sampling to determine the relationship of all morphotypes, especially oilseed morphotypes, and questions remain over the contribution of morphotype and geographic origin to population structure. We used genotyping-by-sequencing to score 18,272 single nucleotide polymorphism markers in a globally diverse panel of 333 B. rapa National Plant Germplasm System accessions that included 10 recognized subspecies. Our population genetic and phylogenetic analyses were broadly congruent and revealed five subpopulations that were largely reflective of morphotype and geography. These subpopulations were 1. European turnips/oilseed, 2. Asian turnips/oilseed, 3. yellow/brown sarson (ssp. trilocularis and ssp. dichotoma), 4. Chinese cabbage (ssp. pekinensis), and 5. bok choy, choy sum, and tatsoi (ssp. chinensis, ssp. parachinensis, ssp. narinosa). Additionally, we found evidence of polyphyly and/or paraphyly, particularly for oilseed morphotypes (ssp. oleifera and ssp. dichotoma) and turnips. The results of this study have provided improved resolution to the genetic and phylogenetic relationships of subspecies within the species B. rapa. Understanding of these relationships is key to the future genetic study and improvement of this globally important crop species. PMID:28348571

Impact of Auditory Integrative Training on Transforming Growth Factor-β1 and Its Effect on Behavioral and Social Emotions in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Al-Ayadhi, Laila; Alhowikan, Abdulrahman Mohammed; Halepoto, Dost Muhammad

2018-01-01

To explore the impact of auditory integrative training (AIT) on the inflammatory biomarker transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and to assess its effect on social behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this cross-sectional study, 15 patients (14 males and 1 female) with ASD aged 3-12 years were recruited. All were screened for autism using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Plasma levels of TGF-β1 were measured in all patients using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) immediately and 1 and 3 months after the AIT sessions. Pre- and post-AIT behavioral scores were also calculated for each child using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and the Short Sensory Profile (SSP). Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 21.0 for Windows). Plasma levels of TGF-β1 significantly increased to 85% immediately after AIT (20.13 ± 12 ng/mL, p < 0.05), to 95% 1 month after AIT (21.2 ± 11 ng/mL, p < 0.01), and to 105% 3 months after AIT (22.25 ± 16 ng/mL, p < 0.01) compared to before AIT (10.85 ± 8 ng/mL). Results also revealed that behavioral rating scales (CARS, SRS, and SSP) improved in terms of disease severity after AIT. Increased plasma levels of TGF-β1 support the therapeutic effect of AIT on TGF-β1 followed by improvement in social awareness, social cognition, and social communication in children with ASD. Furthermore, TGF-β1 was associated with severity in all scores tested (CARS, SRS, and SSP); if confirmed in studies with larger sample sizes, TGF-β1 may be considered as a marker of ASD severity and to assess the efficacy of therapeutic interventions. © 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

[Study on the Emission Spectrum of Hydrogen Production with Microwave Discharge Plasma in Ethanol Solution].

PubMed

Sun, Bing; Wang, Bo; Zhu, Xiao-mei; Yan, Zhi-yu; Liu, Yong-jun; Liu, Hui

2016-03-01

Hydrogen is regarded as a kind of clean energy with high caloricity and non-pollution, which has been studied by many experts and scholars home and abroad. Microwave discharge plasma shows light future in the area of hydrogen production from ethanol solution, providing a new way to produce hydrogen. In order to further improve the technology and analyze the mechanism of hydrogen production with microwave discharge in liquid, emission spectrum of hydrogen production by microwave discharge plasma in ethanol solution was being studied. In this paper, plasma was generated on the top of electrode by 2.45 GHz microwave, and the spectral characteristics of hydrogen production from ethanol by microwave discharge in liquid were being studied using emission spectrometer. The results showed that a large number of H, O, OH, CH, C2 and other active particles could be produced in the process of hydrogen production from ethanol by microwave discharge in liquid. The emission spectrum intensity of OH, H, O radicals generated from ethanol is far more than that generated from pure water. Bond of O-H split by more high-energy particles from water molecule was more difficult than that from ethanol molecule, so in the process of hydrogen production by microwave discharge plasma in ethanol solution; the main source of hydrogen was the dehydrogenation and restructuring of ethanol molecules instead of water decomposition. Under the definite external pressure and temperature, the emission spectrum intensity of OH, H, O radicals increased with the increase of microwave power markedly, but the emission spectrum intensity of CH, C2 active particles had the tendency to decrease with the increase of microwave power. It indicated that the number of high energy electrons and active particles high energy electron energy increased as the increase of microwave power, so more CH, C2 active particles were split more thoroughly.

A frequency standard via spectrum analysis and direct digital synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dawei; Shi, Daiting; Hu, Ermeng; Wang, Yigen; Tian, Lu; Zhao, Jianye; Wang, Zhong

2014-11-01

We demonstrated a frequency standard based on a detuned coherent population beating phenomenon. In this phenomenon, the beat frequency of the radio frequency for laser modulation and the hyperfine splitting can be obtained by digital signal processing technology. After analyzing the spectrum of the beat frequency, the fluctuation information is obtained and applied to compensate for the frequency shift to generate the standard frequency by the digital synthesis method. Frequency instability of 2.6 × 1012 at 1000 s is observed in our preliminary experiment. By eliminating the phase-locking loop, the method will enable us to achieve a full-digital frequency standard with remarkable stability.

Efficient production of native lunasin with correct N-terminal processing by using the pH-induced self-cleavable Ssp DnaB mini-intein system in Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Setrerrahmane, Sarra; Zhang, Yi; Dai, Guangzhi; Lv, Jing; Tan, Shuhua

2014-09-01

To develop an efficient and cost-effective approach for the production of small preventive peptide lunasin with correct natural N terminus, a synthetic gene was designed by OPTIMIZER & Gene Designer and cloned into pTWIN1 vector at SapI and PstI sites. Thus, lunasin was N-terminally fused to the pH-induced self-cleavable Ssp DnaB mini-intein linked to a chitin binding domain (CBD) with no extra residues. The resultant fusion protein was highly expressed by lactose induction in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) in a 7-l bioreactor and bound to a chitin affinity column. After washing the impurities, the Ssp DnaB intein mediated on-column self-cleavage was easily triggered by shifting pH and temperature to allow the native lunasin released. The final purified lunasin yielded up to 75 mg/l medium. Tricine/SDS-PAGE and matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF)/mass spectrometry (MS) verified the structural authenticity of the product, implying the correct cleavage at the junction between Ssp DnaB intein and lunasin. MTT assay confirmed its potent proliferation inhibitory activity to human cancer cells HCT-116 and MDA-MB-231; however, no cytotoxicity to normal human lens epithelial cell SRA01/04 and hepatoma HepG2. Taken together, we provide a novel strategy to produce recombinant native lunasin with correct N-terminal processing by using the pH-induced self-cleavable Ssp DnaB mini-intein.

In vitro storage characteristics of platelet concentrates suspended in 70% SSP+(TM) additive solution versus plasma over a 14-day storage period.

PubMed

Saunders, C; Rowe, G; Wilkins, K; Holme, S; Collins, P

2011-08-01

The non-paired two-arm study compared the in vitro storage characteristics of platelets suspended as concentrates in either 100% plasma or a mixture of additive solution (SSP+™, MacoPharma, Mouveaux, France) and autologous plasma in a 70:30 ratio over a 14-day storage period. The buffy coat-derived pooled platelet concentrates were sampled on days 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10 and 14 and tests performed to determine platelet morphology, function, metabolism, activation and apoptosis-like activity. Swirling remained strong (score=3) in SSP+™, whilst scores of 1 and 0 were noted for plasma units by end of storage. In contrast to units in plasma, pH levels remained above seven in SSP+™ units, increasing after day 10. Percent positive expression of CD62P was similar in both groups on day 1 (median of 54% and 56% for plasma (n=13) and SSP+™ (n=12), respectively), with SSP+™ units showing a more moderate increase in activation after day 10. A progressive decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential was evident in both groups from day 1, whilst annexin V binding was relatively stable from days 1 to 3, with median values remaining below 6%. Subsequent to this, the percentage of platelets binding annexin V increased to approximately 30% by day 14. Platelets suspended in a medium of 70:30 SSP+™ to plasma ratio performed at least as well as platelets in 100% autologous plasma for up to 10 days of storage. Further, results are suggestive of an apoptosis-like process being involved in the platelet storage lesion. © 2011 The Author(s). Vox Sanguinis © 2011 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

A strategy for targeting recombinant proteins to protein storage vacuoles by fusion to Brassica napus napin in napin-depleted seeds.

PubMed

Hegedus, Dwayne D; Baron, Marcus; Labbe, Natalie; Coutu, Cathy; Lydiate, Derek; Lui, Helen; Rozwadowski, Kevin

2014-03-01

Seeds are capable of accumulating high levels of seed storage proteins (SSP), as well as heterologous proteins under certain conditions. Arabidopsis thaliana was used to develop a strategy to deplete seeds of an endogenous SSP and then replenish them with the same protein fused to a heterologous protein. In several other studies, competition with endogenous SSP for space and metabolic resources was shown to affect the accumulation of recombinant proteins in seeds. We used RNAi to reduce the expression of the five napin genes and deplete the seeds of this SSP. Targeting a recombinant protein to a vacuole or structure within the seed where it can be protected from cytosolic proteases can also promote its accumulation. To achieve this, a synthetic Brassica napus napin gene (Bn napin) was designed that was both impervious to the A. thaliana napin (At napin) RNAi construct and permitted fusion to a heterologous protein, in this case green fluorescent protein (GFP). GFP was placed in several strategic locations within Bn napin with consideration to maintaining structure, processing sites and possible vacuolar targeting signals. In transgenic A. thaliana plants, GFP was strongly localized to the seed protein storage vacuole in all Bn napin fusion configurations tested, but not when expressed alone. This SSP depletion-replenishment strategy outlined here would be applicable to expression of recombinant proteins in industrial crops that generally have large repertoires of endogenous SSP genes. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Establishment and characterization of a new cell line (SSP-9) derived from Atlantic salmon Salmo salar that expresses type I ifn.

PubMed

Rodriguez Saint-Jean, S; González, C; Monrás, M; Romero, A; Ballesteros, N; Enríquez, R; Perez-Prieto, S

2014-11-01

In the present work, the establishment and biological characterization of a new cell line, SSP-9, derived from the pronephros of the Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, are reported. These cells grew well in Leibovitz's (L15) medium supplemented with 10% foetal calf serum at temperatures from 15 to 25° C, and they have been sub-cultured over 100 passages to produce a continuous cell line with an epithelial-like morphology. The SSP-9 cells attached and spread efficiently at different plating densities, retaining 80% of cell viability after storage in liquid nitrogen. When karyotyped, the cells had 40-52 chromosomes, with a modal number of 48. Viral susceptibility tests showed that SSP-9 cells were susceptible to infectious pancreatic necrosis virus and infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus, producing infectious virus and regular cytopathic effects. Moreover, these cells could be stimulated by poly I:C, showing significant up-regulation in the expression of the genes that regulate immune responses, such as ifn and mx-1. SSP-9 cells constitutively express genes characteristic of macrophages, such as major histocompatibility complex (mhc-II) and interleukin 12b (il-12b), and flow cytometry assays confirmed that SSP-9 cells can be permanently transfected with plasmids expressing a reporter gene. Accordingly, this new cell line is apparently suitable for transgenic manipulation, and to study host cell-virus interactions and immune processes. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Ultra-small v-shaped gold split ring resonators for biosensing using fundamental magnetic resonance in the visible spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mauluidy Soehartono, Alana; Mueller, Aaron David; Tobing, Landobasa Yosef Mario; Chan, Kok Ken; Zhang, Dao Hua; Yong, Ken-Tye

2017-10-01

Strong light localization within metal nanostructures occurs by collective oscillations of plasmons in the form of electric and magnetic resonances. This so-called localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) has gained much interest in the development of low-cost sensing platforms in the visible spectrum. However, demonstrations of LSPR-based sensing are mostly limited to electric resonances due to the technological limitations for achieving magnetic resonances in the visible spectrum. In this work, we report the first demonstration of LSPR sensing based on fundamental magnetic resonance in the visible spectrum using ultrasmall gold v-shaped split ring resonators. Specifically, we show the ability for detecting adsorption of bovine serum albumin and cytochrome c biomolecules at monolayer levels, and the selective binding of protein A/G to immunoglobulin G.

Identification of Independent Streptococcus gordonii SspA and SspB Functions in Coaggregation with Actinomyces naeslundii

PubMed Central

Egland, Paul G.; Dû, Laurence D.; Kolenbrander, Paul E.

2001-01-01

The initial stages of dental plaque formation involve the adherence of early colonizing organisms such as Streptococcus gordonii and Actinomyces naeslundii to the saliva-coated tooth surface and to each other. The S. gordonii surface proteins SspA and SspB are known to play a role in adherence to salivary proteins and mediate coaggregation with other bacteria. Coaggregation is the adhesin receptor-mediated interaction between genetically distinct cell types and appears to be ubiquitous among oral isolates. To define the function of SspA and SspB separately on the surface of their natural host, we constructed and analyzed the coaggregation properties of an isogenic sspB mutant of S. gordonii DL1, an sspAB double mutant, and a previously described sspA mutant. A. naeslundii strains have been previously classified into six coaggregation groups based on the nature of their coaggregations with S. gordonii DL1 and other oral streptococci. Coaggregation assays with the sspA and sspB mutants showed that SspA and SspB are the streptococcal proteins primarily responsible for defining these coaggregation groups and, thus, are highly significant in the establishment of early dental plaque. SspA exhibited two coaggregation-specific functions. It participated in lactose-inhibitable and -noninhibitable interactions, while SspB mediated only lactose-noninhibitable coaggregations. Accordingly, the sspAB double mutant lacked these functions and allowed us to detect a third coaggregation interaction with one of these organisms. These proteins may play an important role in development of S. gordonii-A. naeslundii communities in early dental plaque. Understanding these adhesin proteins will aid investigations of complex microbial communities that characterize periodontal diseases. PMID:11705927

Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis and ssp. bulgaricus: a chronicle of evolution in action.

PubMed

El Kafsi, Hela; Binesse, Johan; Loux, Valentin; Buratti, Julien; Boudebbouze, Samira; Dervyn, Rozenn; Kennedy, Sean; Galleron, Nathalie; Quinquis, Benoît; Batto, Jean-Michel; Moumen, Bouziane; Maguin, Emmanuelle; van de Guchte, Maarten

2014-05-28

Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis and ssp. bulgaricus are lactic acid producing bacteria that are largely used in dairy industries, notably in cheese-making and yogurt production. An earlier in-depth study of the first completely sequenced ssp. bulgaricus genome revealed the characteristics of a genome in an active phase of rapid evolution, in what appears to be an adaptation to the milk environment. Here we examine for the first time if the same conclusions apply to the ssp. lactis, and discuss intra- and inter-subspecies genomic diversity in the context of evolutionary adaptation. Both L. delbrueckii ssp. show the signs of reductive evolution through the elimination of superfluous genes, thereby limiting their carbohydrate metabolic capacities and amino acid biosynthesis potential. In the ssp. lactis this reductive evolution has gone less far than in the ssp. bulgaricus. Consequently, the ssp. lactis retained more extended carbohydrate metabolizing capabilities than the ssp. bulgaricus but, due to high intra-subspecies diversity, very few carbohydrate substrates, if any, allow a reliable distinction of the two ssp. We further show that one of the most important traits, lactose fermentation, of one of the economically most important dairy bacteria, L. delbruecki ssp. bulgaricus, relies on horizontally acquired rather than deep ancestral genes. In this sense this bacterium may thus be regarded as a natural GMO avant la lettre. The dairy lactic acid producing bacteria L. delbrueckii ssp. lactis and ssp. bulgaricus appear to represent different points on the same evolutionary track of adaptation to the milk environment through the loss of superfluous functions and the acquisition of functions that allow an optimized utilization of milk resources, where the ssp. bulgaricus has progressed further away from the common ancestor.

Chemical composition and nutritional evaluation of the seeds of Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne ssp. raddiana.

PubMed

Embaby, Hassan E; Rayan, Ahmed M

2016-06-01

Chemical composition and nutritional evaluation as well as physicochemical and functional properties of seed flour of Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne ssp. raddiana were studied. The results indicated that seeds contained 5.30% moisture, 3.99% ash, 9.19% fat, 14.31% fiber, 27.21% protein and 45.30% carbohydrates. Potassium was the predominant element followed by calcium and then phosphorous. Phytic acid, tannins and trypsin inhibitor as antinutrients were detected. The amino acid profile compared well with FAO/WHO recommended pattern except for cystine/methionine, isoleucine, tyrosine/phenylalanine, lysine and threonine. Also, the first limiting amino acid was lysine. Fatty acid composition showed that linoleic acid was the major fatty acid, followed by palmitic, stearic, oleic and arachidic acids. The seed oil showed absorbance in the ultraviolet ranges, thus it can be used as a broad spectrum UV protectant. For physicochemical and functional properties, acacia seeds flour had excellent water holding index, swelling index, foaming capacity and foam stability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A compact spectrum splitting concentrator for high concentration photovoltaics based on the dispersion of a lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, J.; Flowers, C. A.; Yao, Y.; Atwater, H. A.; Rockett, A. A.; Nuzzo, R. G.

2018-06-01

Photovoltaic devices used in conjunction with functional optical elements for light concentration and spectrum splitting are known to be a viable approach for highly efficient photovoltaics. Conventional designs employ discrete optical elements, each with the task of either performing optical concentration or separating the solar spectrum. In the present work, we examine the performance of a compact photovoltaic architecture in which a single lens plays a dual role as both a concentrator and a spectrum splitter, the latter made possible by exploiting its intrinsic dispersion. A four-terminal two-junction InGaP/GaAs device is prepared to validate the concept and illustrates pathways for improvements. A spectral separation in the visible range is demonstrated at the focal point of a plano-convex lens with a geometric concentration ratio of 1104X with respect to the InGaP subcell.

Personality traits measured by the Swedish universities Scales of Personality: factor structure and position within the five-factor model in an Estonian sample.

PubMed

Aluoja, Anu; Voogne, Helina; Maron, Eduard; Gustavsson, J Petter; Võhma, Ulle; Shlik, Jakov

2009-01-01

The study aims to test the reliability and validity of the Estonian version of the Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP), and to characterize the position of the SSP-measured traits within the basic personality dimensions of the five-factor model. A total of 529 participants completed the Estonian version of the SSP. A subsample of 197 persons completed the SSP together with the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R). The internal consistency of the SSP scales was satisfactory. Principal component analysis yielded three factors representing neuroticism, aggression and disinhibition. The factor solution obtained in the Estonian sample was similar to the original SSP study in the Swedish normative sample. NEO-PI-R Neuroticism had highest correlations with SSP neuroticism factor scales. Extraversion had strongest relationship with adventure seeking and low detachment. Agreeableness correlated positively with SSP social desirability and negatively to aggression-irritability scales. Conscientiousness facet Deliberation correlated with Impulsiveness. The Estonian SSP showed acceptable reliability and validity, which confirms that SSP is applicable in different social and cultural background. The SSP measures traits that correspond to the major personality models. The SSP characterizes three broad dimensions of personality, namely neuroticism, disinhibition and aggression, which are useful in assessment of personality correlates of mental disorders.

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…

Identification of small secreted peptides (SSPs) in maize and expression analysis of partial SSP genes in reproductive tissues.

PubMed

Li, Ye Long; Dai, Xin Ren; Yue, Xun; Gao, Xin-Qi; Zhang, Xian Sheng

2014-10-01

Maize 1,491 small secreted peptides were identified, which were classified according to the character of peptide sequences. Partial SSP gene expressions in reproductive tissues were determined by qRT-PCR. Small secreted peptides (SSPs) are important cell-cell communication messengers in plants. Most information on plant SSPs come from Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa, while little is known about the SSPs of other grass species such as maize (Zea mays). In this study, we identified 1,491 SSP genes from maize genomic sequences. These putative SSP genes were distributed throughout the ten maize chromosomes. Among them, 611 SSPs were classified into 198 superfamilies according to their conserved domains, and 725 SSPs with four or more cysteines at their C-termini shared similar cysteine arrangements with their counterparts in other plant species. Moreover, the SSPs requiring post-translational modification, as well as defensin-like (DEFL) proteins, were identified. Further, the expression levels of 110 SSP genes were analyzed in reproductive tissues, including male flower, pollen, silk, and ovary. Most of the genes encoding basal-layer antifungal peptide-like, small coat proteins-like, thioredoxin-like proteins, γ-thionins-like, and DEFL proteins showed high expression levels in the ovary and male flower compared with their levels in silk and mature pollen. The rapid alkalinization factor-like genes were highly expressed only in the mature ovary and mature pollen, and pollen Ole e 1-like genes showed low expression in silk. The results of this study provide basic information for further analysis of SSP functions in the reproductive process of maize.

Active spectroscopic measurements of the bulk deuterium properties in the DIII-D tokamak (invited).

PubMed

Grierson, B A; Burrell, K H; Chrystal, C; Groebner, R J; Kaplan, D H; Heidbrink, W W; Muñoz Burgos, J M; Pablant, N A; Solomon, W M; Van Zeeland, M A

2012-10-01

The neutral-beam induced D(α) emission spectrum contains a wealth of information such as deuterium ion temperature, toroidal rotation, density, beam emission intensity, beam neutral density, and local magnetic field strength magnitude |B| from the Stark-split beam emission spectrum, and fast-ion D(α) emission (FIDA) proportional to the beam-injected fast ion density. A comprehensive spectral fitting routine which accounts for all photoemission processes is employed for the spectral analysis. Interpretation of the measurements to determine physically relevant plasma parameters is assisted by the use of an optimized viewing geometry and forward modeling of the emission spectra using a Monte-Carlo 3D simulation code.

STRS Compliant FPGA Waveform Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nappier, Jennifer; Downey, Joseph; Mortensen, Dale

2008-01-01

The Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) Architecture Standard describes a standard for NASA space software defined radios (SDRs). It provides a common framework that can be used to develop and operate a space SDR in a reconfigurable and reprogrammable manner. One goal of the STRS Architecture is to promote waveform reuse among multiple software defined radios. Many space domain waveforms are designed to run in the special signal processing (SSP) hardware. However, the STRS Architecture is currently incomplete in defining a standard for designing waveforms in the SSP hardware. Therefore, the STRS Architecture needs to be extended to encompass waveform development in the SSP hardware. The extension of STRS to the SSP hardware will promote easier waveform reconfiguration and reuse. A transmit waveform for space applications was developed to determine ways to extend the STRS Architecture to a field programmable gate array (FPGA). These extensions include a standard hardware abstraction layer for FPGAs and a standard interface between waveform functions running inside a FPGA. A FPGA-based transmit waveform implementation of the proposed standard interfaces on a laboratory breadboard SDR will be discussed.

A New Commercializable Route for the Preparation of Single-Source Precursors for Bulk, Thin-Film, and Nanocrystallite I-III-IV Semiconductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banger, Kulbinder K.; Jin, Michael H. C.; Harris, Jerry D.; Fanwick, Philip E.; Hepp, Aloysius F.

2004-01-01

We report a new simplified synthetic procedure for commercial manufacture of ternary single source precursors (SSP). This new synthetic process has been successfully implemented to fabricate known SSPs on bulk scale and the first liquid SSPs to the semiconductors CuInSe2 and AgIn(x)S(y). Single crystal X-ray determination reveals the first unsolvated ternary AgInS SSP. SSPs prepared via this new route have successfully been used in a spray assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process to deposit polycrystalline thin films, and for preparing ternary nanocrystallites.

Analytical spectrum for a Hamiltonian of quantum dots with Rashba spin-orbit coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dossa, Anselme F.; Avossevou, Gabriel Y. H.

2014-12-01

We determine the analytical solution for a Hamiltonian describing a confined charged particle in a quantum dot, including Rashba spin-orbit coupling and Zeeman splitting terms. The approach followed in this paper is straightforward and uses the symmetrization of the wave function's components. The eigenvalue problem for the Hamiltonian in Bargmann's Hilbert space reduces to a system of coupled first-order differential equations. Then we exploit the symmetry in the system to obtain uncoupled second-order differential equations, which are found to be the Whittaker-Ince limit of the confluent Heun equations. Analytical expressions as well as numerical results are obtained for the spectrum. One of the main features of such models, namely, the level splitting, is present through the spectrum obtained in this paper.

Electron-electron interaction and spin-orbit coupling in InAs/AlSb heterostructures with a two-dimensional electron gas

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

Gavrilenko, V. I.; Krishtopenko, S. S., E-mail: ds_a-teens@mail.ru; Goiran, M.

2011-01-15

The effect of electron-electron interaction on the spectrum of two-dimensional electron states in InAs/AlSb (001) heterostructures with a GaSb cap layer with one filled size-quantization subband. The energy spectrum of two-dimensional electrons is calculated in the Hartree and Hartree-Fock approximations. It is shown that the exchange interaction decreasing the electron energy in subbands increases the energy gap between subbands and the spin-orbit splitting of the spectrum in the entire region of electron concentrations, at which only the lower size-quantization band is filled. The nonlinear dependence of the Rashba splitting constant at the Fermi wave vector on the concentration of two-dimensionalmore » electrons is demonstrated.« less

Harmonic Composition of the Currents of Power Windings in 500 KV Thyristor Controlled Shunt Reactor with Split Valveside Windings

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

Matinyan, A. M., E-mail: al-drm@mail.ru; Peshkov, M. V.; Karpov, V. N.

2016-09-15

The design and current spectrum of a thyristor valve controlled shunt reactor (TCSR) with split valveside windings are described. The dependence of the amplitudes of higher-order harmonics of the power winding current on the TCSR operating regime are presented for this TCSR design.

Streptococcus mutans SpaP binds to RadD of Fusobacterium nucleatum ssp. polymorphum.

PubMed

Guo, Lihong; Shokeen, Bhumika; He, Xuesong; Shi, Wenyuan; Lux, Renate

2017-10-01

Adhesin-mediated bacterial interspecies interactions are important elements in oral biofilm formation. They often occur on a species-specific level, which could determine health or disease association of a biofilm community. Among the key players involved in these processes are the ubiquitous fusobacteria that have been recognized for their ability to interact with numerous different binding partners. Fusobacterial interactions with Streptococcus mutans, an important oral cariogenic pathogen, have previously been described but most studies focused on binding to non-mutans streptococci and specific cognate adhesin pairs remain to be identified. Here, we demonstrated differential binding of oral fusobacteria to S. mutans. Screening of existing mutant derivatives indicated SpaP as the major S. mutans adhesin specific for binding to Fusobacterium nucleatum ssp. polymorphum but none of the other oral fusobacteria tested. We inactivated RadD, a known adhesin of F. nucleatum ssp. nucleatum for interaction with a number of gram-positive species, in F. nucleatum ssp. polymorphum and used a Lactococcus lactis heterologous SpaP expression system to demonstrate SpaP interaction with RadD of F. nucleatum ssp. polymorphum. This is a novel function for SpaP, which has mainly been characterized as an adhesin for binding to host proteins including salivary glycoproteins. In conclusion, we describe an additional role for SpaP as adhesin in interspecies adherence with RadD-SpaP as the interacting adhesin pair for binding between S. mutans and F. nucleatum ssp. polymorphum. Furthermore, S. mutans attachment to oral fusobacteria appears to involve species- and subspecies-dependent adhesin interactions. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Remotely Monitored Sealing Array Software

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

2012-09-12

The Remotely Monitored Sealing Array (RMSA) utilizes the Secure Sensor Platform (SSP) framework to establish the fundamental operating capabilities for communication, security, power management, and cryptography. In addition to the SSP framework the RMSA software has unique capabilities to support monitoring a fiber optic seal. Fiber monitoring includes open and closed as well as parametric monitoring to detect tampering attacks. The fiber monitoring techniques, using the SSP power management processes, allow the seals to last for years while maintaining the security requirements of the monitoring application. The seal is enclosed in a tamper resistant housing with software to support activemore » tamper monitoring. New features include LED notification of fiber closure, the ability to retrieve the entire fiber optic history via translator command, separate memory storage for fiber optic events, and a more robust method for tracking and resending failed messages.« less

An Inventory of the Vascular Flora of Fort Greely, Interior Alaska

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-02-01

Alnus tenuifolia Nutt. [= Alnus incana (L.) Moench ssp. tenuifolia (Nutt.) Breitung] Alnus viridis Vill. ssp. crispa (Ait.) A. Love & D. Love...Festuca rubra L., in part] Festuca saximontana Rydb. *Festuca vivipara (L.) Smith [= “Festuca vivipara”] Fragaria virginiana Duchesne ssp. glauca...tenuifolia (Nutt.) Breitung] Alnus viridis Vill. ssp. crispa (Ait.) A. Love & D. Love [= Alnus crispa (Ait.) Pursh ssp. crispa] Betula glandulosa Michx. Betula

Impact of Sensory Sensitivity on Physiological Stress Response and Novel Peer Interaction in Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Corbett, Blythe A; Muscatello, Rachael A; Blain, Scott D

2016-01-01

For many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), social interactions can be stressful. Previous research shows that youth with ASD exhibit greater physiological stress response during peer interaction, compared to typically developing (TD) peers. Heightened sensory sensitivity may contribute to maladaptive patterns of stress and anxiety. The current study investigated between-group differences in stress response to peer interaction, as well as the role of sensory sensitivity. Participants included 80 children (40 ASD) between 8 and 12 years. Children participated in the peer interaction paradigm (PIP), an ecologically valid protocol that simulates real-world social interaction. Salivary cortisol was collected before and after the 20 min PIP. Parents completed questionnaires pertaining to child stress (Stress Survey Schedule) and sensory sensitivity (Short Sensory Profile). Statistical analyses included t-tests and ANCOVA models to examine between-group differences in cortisol and play; Pearson correlations to determine relations between cortisol, play, and questionnaire scores; and moderation analyses to investigate interactions among variables. Controlling for baseline cortisol values, children with ASD showed significantly higher cortisol levels than TD peers, in response to the PIP [F (1, 77) = 5.77, p = 0.02]. Cortisol during play was negatively correlated with scores on the SSP (r = -0.242, p = 0.03), and positively correlated with SSS (r = 0.273, p = 0.02) indicating that higher cortisol was associated with greater sensory sensitivity (lower SSP reflects more impairment) and enhanced stress in various contexts (higher SSS reflects more stress). Furthermore, diagnosis was a significant moderator of the relation between cortisol and SSP, at multiple time points during the PIP (p < 0.05). The current study extends previous findings by showing that higher physiological arousal during play is associated with heightened sensory sensitivity and a pattern of increased stress in various contexts. RESULTS are discussed in a broader context, emphasizing the need to examine relationships between social, behavioral, and physiological profiles in ASD to enhance understanding and improve treatments aimed at ameliorating stress and sensory dysfunction, while enhancing social skills.

A robust power spectrum split cancellation-based spectrum sensing method for cognitive radio systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Pei-Han; Li, Zan; Si, Jiang-Bo; Gao, Rui

2014-12-01

Spectrum sensing is an essential component to realize the cognitive radio, and the requirement for real-time spectrum sensing in the case of lacking prior information, fading channel, and noise uncertainty, indeed poses a major challenge to the classical spectrum sensing algorithms. Based on the stochastic properties of scalar transformation of power spectral density (PSD), a novel spectrum sensing algorithm, referred to as the power spectral density split cancellation method (PSC), is proposed in this paper. The PSC makes use of a scalar value as a test statistic, which is the ratio of each subband power to the full band power. Besides, by exploiting the asymptotic normality and independence of Fourier transform, the distribution of the ratio and the mathematical expressions for the probabilities of false alarm and detection in different channel models are derived. Further, the exact closed-form expression of decision threshold is calculated in accordance with Neyman—Pearson criterion. Analytical and simulation results show that the PSC is invulnerable to noise uncertainty, and can achive excellent detection performance without prior knowledge in additive white Gaussian noise and flat slow fading channels. In addition, the PSC benefits from a low computational cost, which can be completed in microseconds.

Many-body and spin-orbit aspects of the alternating current phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glenn, Rachel M.

The thesis reports on research in the general field of light interaction with matter. According to the topics addressed, it can be naturally divided into two parts: Part I, many-body aspects of the Rabi oscillations which a two-level systems undergoes under a strong resonant drive; and Part II, absorption of the ac field between the spectrum branches of two-dimensional fermions that are split by the combined action of Zeeman and spin-orbit (SO) fields. The focus of Part I is the following many-body effects that modify the conventional Rabi oscillations: Chapter 1, coupling of a two-level system to a single vibrational mode of the environment. Chapter 2, correlated Rabi oscillations in two electron-hole systems coupled by tunneling with strong electron-hole attraction. In Chapter 1, a new effect of Rabi-vibronic resonance is uncovered. If the frequency of the Rabi oscillations, OR, is close to the frequency o0 of the vibrational mode, the oscillations acquire a collective character. It is demonstrated that the actual frequency of the collective oscillations exhibits a bistable behavior as a function of OR - o0. The main finding in Chapter 2 is, that the Fourier spectrum of the Rabi oscillations in two coupled electron-hole systems undergoes a strong transformation with increasing O R. For OR smaller than the tunneling frequency, the spectrum is dominated by a low-frequency (<< OR ) component and contains two additional weaker lines; conventional Rabi oscillations are restored only as OR exceeds the electron-hole attraction strength. The highlight of Part II is a finding that, while the spectrum of absorption between either Zeeman-split branches or SO-split branches is close to a delta-peak, in the presence of both, it transforms into a broad line with singular behavior at the edges. In particular, when the magnitudes of Zeeman and SO are equal, absorption of very low (much smaller than the splitting) frequencies become possible. The shape of the absorption spectrum is highly anisotropic with respect to the exciting field. This peculiar behavior of the absorption is also studied in wire geometry, where the interplay between two couplings (Zeeman and spin-orbit splitting) affects the shape of numerous absorption peaks.

Flux vector splitting of the inviscid equations with application to finite difference methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steger, J. L.; Warming, R. F.

1979-01-01

The conservation-law form of the inviscid gasdynamic equations has the remarkable property that the nonlinear flux vectors are homogeneous functions of degree one. This property readily permits the splitting of flux vectors into subvectors by similarity transformations so that each subvector has associated with it a specified eigenvalue spectrum. As a consequence of flux vector splitting, new explicit and implicit dissipative finite-difference schemes are developed for first-order hyperbolic systems of equations. Appropriate one-sided spatial differences for each split flux vector are used throughout the computational field even if the flow is locally subsonic. The results of some preliminary numerical computations are included.

Efficient tungsten oxide/bismuth oxyiodide core/shell photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Haipeng; Zhang, Jing; Liu, Zhifeng

2017-11-01

The novel WO3 nanorods (NRs)/BiOI core/shell structure composite is used as an efficient photoanode applied in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting for the first time. It is synthesized via facile hydrothermal method and, successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) process. This facile synthesis route can achieve uniform WO3/BiOI core/shell composite nanostructures and obtain varied BiOI morphologies simultaneously. The WO3 NRs/BiOI-20 composite exhibits enhanced PEC activity compared to pristine WO3 with a photocurrent density of 0.79 mA cm-2 measured at 0.8 V vs. RHE under AM 1.5G. This excellent performance benefits from the broader absorption spectrum and suppressed electron-hole recombination. This novel core/shell composite may provide insight in developing more efficient solar driven photoelectrodes.

Surface Plasmon Enhanced Sensitive Detection for Possible Signature of Majorana Fermions via a Hybrid Semiconductor Quantum Dot-Metal Nanoparticle System

PubMed Central

Chen, Hua-Jun; Zhu, Ka-Di

2015-01-01

In the present work, we theoretically propose an optical scheme to detect the possible signature of Majorana fermions via the optical pump-probe spectroscopy, which is very different from the current tunneling measurement based on electrical methods. The scheme consists of a metal nanoparticle and a semiconductor quantum dot coupled to a hybrid semiconductor/superconductor heterostructures. The results show that the probe absorption spectrum of the quantum dot presents a distinct splitting due to the existence of Majorana fermions. Owing to surface plasmon enhanced effect, this splitting will be more obvious, which makes Majorana fermions more easy to be detectable. The technique proposed here open the door for new applications ranging from robust manipulation of Majorana fermions to quantum information processing based on Majorana fermions. PMID:26310929

Evaluation of RO modules for the SSP ETC/LSS.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jasionowski, W. J.; Bambenek, R. A.

1973-01-01

During the past eight years the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center has supported the development of an Integrated Water and Waste Management System for use in the Space Station Prototype (SSP) Environmental Thermal Control/Life-Support System (ETC/LSS). This system includes the reverse osmosis (RO) process for recycling wash water and the compression distillation process for recovering useable water from urine, urinal flush water, humidity condensate, commode flush water and the wash water concentrated by RO. This paper summarizes the experimental work performed during the past four years to select the best commercially available RO module for this system and to also define which surfactants and germicides are most compatible with the selected module.

Recombinant Salmonella expressing SspH2-EscI fusion protein limits its colonization in mice.

PubMed

Hu, Maozhi; Zhao, Weixin; Gao, Wei; Li, Wenhua; Meng, Chuang; Yan, Qiuxiang; Wang, Yuyang; Zhou, Xiaohui; Geng, Shizhong; Pan, Zhiming; Cui, Guiyou; Jiao, Xinan

2017-05-03

Activation of inflammasome contributes to the clearance of intracellular bacteria. C-terminus of E. coli EscI protein can activate NLRC4 (NLR family, CARD domain containing-4) inflammasome in macrophages. The purpose of this study was to determine if activation of NLRC4 inflammasome by EscI can reduce the colonization of Salmonella in mice. A recombinant S. typhimurium strain expressing fusion protein of the N-terminal SspH2 (a Salmonella type III secretion system 2 effector) and C-terminal EscI was constructed and designated as X4550(pYA3334-SspH2-EscI). In vitro assay showed that X4550(pYA3334-SspH2-EscI) significantly enhanced IL-1β and IL-18 secretion (P < 0.05) and pyroptotic cell death of mouse peritoneal macrophages, compared with those infected with control strain, X4550(pYA3334-SspH2). In vivo studies showed that colonization of X4550(pYA3334-SspH2-EscI) in both spleen and liver were significantly lower than that of X4550(pYA3334-SspH2) (P < 0.05). The bacterial counts of X4550(pYA3334-SspH2-EscI) in mice decreased, while those of X4550(pYA3334-SspH2) increased over the time after infection. Additionally, X4550(pYA3334-SspH2-EscI) induced a less pathological alteration in spleen and liver than X4550(pYA3334-SspH2). Fusion protein SspH2-EscI may be translocated into macrophages and activate NLRC4 inflammasome, which limits Salmonella colonization in spleen and liver of mice.

Liquid Microjunction Surface Sampling Probe Fluid Dynamics: Computational and Experimental Analysis of Coaxial Intercapillary Positioning Effects on Sample Manipulation

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

ElNaggar, Mariam S; Barbier, Charlotte N; Van Berkel, Gary J

A coaxial geometry liquid microjunction surface sampling probe (LMJ-SSP) enables direct extraction of analytes from surfaces for subsequent analysis by techniques like mass spectrometry. Solution dynamics at the probe-to-sample surface interface in the LMJ-SSP has been suspected to influence sampling efficiency and dispersion but has not been rigorously investigated. The effect on flow dynamics and analyte transport to the mass spectrometer caused by coaxial retraction of the inner and outer capillaries from each other and the surface during sampling with a LMJ-SSP was investigated using computational fluid dynamics and experimentation. A transparent LMJ-SSP was constructed to provide the means formore » visual observation of the dynamics of the surface sampling process. Visual observation, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis, and experimental results revealed that inner capillary axial retraction from the flush position relative to the outer capillary transitioned the probe from a continuous sampling and injection mode through an intermediate regime to sample plug formationmode caused by eddy currents at the sampling end of the probe. The potential for analytical implementation of these newly discovered probe operational modes is discussed.« less

Domestication of Pea (Pisum sativum L.): The Case of the Abyssinian Pea

PubMed Central

Weeden, Norman F.

2018-01-01

Phylogenetic relationships of the Abyssinian pea (Pisum sativum ssp. abyssinicum) to other subspecies and species in the genus were investigated to test between different hypotheses regarding its origin and domestication. An extensive sample of the Pisum sativum ssp. sativum germplasm was investigated, including groups a-1, a-2, b, c, and d as identified by Kwon et al. (2012). A broad sample of P. fulvum but relatively few P. s. ssp. elatius accessions were analyzed. Partial sequences of 18 genes were compared and these results combined with comparisons of additional genes done by others and available in the literature. In total, 54 genes or gene fragment sequences were involved in the study. The observed affinities between alleles in P. ssp. sativum, P. s. ssp. abyssinicum, P. s. ssp. elatius, and P. fulvum clearly demonstrated a close relationship among the three P. sativum subspecies and rejected the hypothesis that the Abyssinian pea was formed by hybridization between one of the P. sativum subspecies and P. fulvum. If hybridization were involved in the generation of the Abyssinian pea, it must have been between P. s. ssp. sativum and P. s. ssp. elatius, although the Abyssinian pea possesses a considerable number of highly unique alleles, implying that the actual P. s. ssp. elatius germplasm involved in such a hybridization has yet to be tested or that the hybridization occurred much longer ago than the postulated 4000 years bp. Analysis of the P. s. ssp. abyssinicum alleles in genomic regions thought to contain genes critical for domestication indicated that the indehiscent pod trait was independently developed in the Abyssinian pea, whereas the loss of seed dormancy was either derived from P. s. ssp. sativum or at least partially developed before the P. s. ssp. abyssinicum lineage diverged from that leading to P. s. ssp. sativum. PMID:29720994

Fusarium head blight resistance in durum wheat – progress and challenge

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Several sources of FHB resistance have been identified in tetraploid wheat, including durum (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum, genome AABB), emmer (T. turgidum ssp. dicoccum, genome AABB), wild emmer (T. turgidum ssp. dicoccoides, genome AABB), Persian wheat (T. turgidum ssp. carthlicum, genome AABB...

Experimental studies of adaptation in Clarkia xantiana. II. Fitness variation across a subspecies border.

PubMed

Geber, Monica A; Eckhart, Vincent M

2005-03-01

Because the range boundary is the locale beyond which a taxon fails to persist, it provides a unique opportunity for studying the limits on adaptive evolution. Adaptive constraints on range expansion are perplexing in view of widespread ecotypic differentiation by habitat and region within a species' range (regional adaptation) and rapid evolutionary response to novel environments. In this study of two parapatric subspecies, Clarkia xantiana ssp. xantiana and C. x. ssp. parviflora, we compared the fitness of population transplants within their native region, in a non-native region within the native range, and in the non-native range to assess whether range expansion might be limited by a greater intensity of selection on colonists of a new range versus a new region within the range. The combined range of the two subspecies spans a west-to-east gradient of declining precipitation in the Sierra Nevada of California, with ssp. xantiana in the west being replaced by ssp. parviflora in the east. Both subspecies had significantly higher fitness in the native range (range adaptation), whereas regional adaptation was weak and was found only in the predominantly outcrossing ssp. xantiana but was absent in the inbreeding ssp. parvifilora. Because selection intensity on transplants was much stronger in the non-native range relative to non-native regions, there is a larger adaptive barrier to range versus regional expansion. Three of five sequential fitness components accounted for regional and range adaptation, but only one of them, survivorship from germination to flowering, contributed to both. Flower number contributed to regional adaptation in ssp. xantiana and fruit set (number of fruits per flower) to range adaptation. Differential survivorship of the two taxa or regional populations of ssp. xantiana in non-native environments was attributable, in part, to biotic interactions, including competition, herbivory, and pollination. For example, low fruit set in ssp. xantiana in the east was likely due to the absence of its principal specialist bee pollinators in ssp. parviflora's range. Thus, convergence on self-fertilization may be necessary for ssp. xantiana to invade ssp. parviflora's range, but the evolution of outcrossing would not be required for ssp. parviflora to invade ssp. xantiana's range.

Dual Super-Systolic Core for Real-Time Reconstructive Algorithms of High-Resolution Radar/SAR Imaging Systems

PubMed Central

Atoche, Alejandro Castillo; Castillo, Javier Vázquez

2012-01-01

A high-speed dual super-systolic core for reconstructive signal processing (SP) operations consists of a double parallel systolic array (SA) machine in which each processing element of the array is also conceptualized as another SA in a bit-level fashion. In this study, we addressed the design of a high-speed dual super-systolic array (SSA) core for the enhancement/reconstruction of remote sensing (RS) imaging of radar/synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor systems. The selected reconstructive SP algorithms are efficiently transformed in their parallel representation and then, they are mapped into an efficient high performance embedded computing (HPEC) architecture in reconfigurable Xilinx field programmable gate array (FPGA) platforms. As an implementation test case, the proposed approach was aggregated in a HW/SW co-design scheme in order to solve the nonlinear ill-posed inverse problem of nonparametric estimation of the power spatial spectrum pattern (SSP) from a remotely sensed scene. We show how such dual SSA core, drastically reduces the computational load of complex RS regularization techniques achieving the required real-time operational mode. PMID:22736964

Transcriptome analysis and related databases of Lactococcus lactis.

PubMed

Kuipers, Oscar P; de Jong, Anne; Baerends, Richard J S; van Hijum, Sacha A F T; Zomer, Aldert L; Karsens, Harma A; den Hengst, Chris D; Kramer, Naomi E; Buist, Girbe; Kok, Jan

2002-08-01

Several complete genome sequences of Lactococcus lactis and their annotations will become available in the near future, next to the already published genome sequence of L. lactis ssp. lactis IL 1403. This will allow intraspecies comparative genomics studies as well as functional genomics studies aimed at a better understanding of physiological processes and regulatory networks operating in lactococci. This paper describes the initial set-up of a DNA-microarray facility in our group, to enable transcriptome analysis of various Gram-positive bacteria, including a ssp. lactis and a ssp. cremoris strain of Lactococcus lactis. Moreover a global description will be given of the hardware and software requirements for such a set-up, highlighting the crucial integration of relevant bioinformatics tools and methods. This includes the development of MolGenIS, an information system for transcriptome data storage and retrieval, and LactococCye, a metabolic pathway/genome database of Lactococcus lactis.

Applying the global RCP-SSP-SPA scenario framework at sub-national scale: A multi-scale and participatory scenario approach.

PubMed

Kebede, Abiy S; Nicholls, Robert J; Allan, Andrew; Arto, Iñaki; Cazcarro, Ignacio; Fernandes, Jose A; Hill, Chris T; Hutton, Craig W; Kay, Susan; Lázár, Attila N; Macadam, Ian; Palmer, Matthew; Suckall, Natalie; Tompkins, Emma L; Vincent, Katharine; Whitehead, Paul W

2018-09-01

To better anticipate potential impacts of climate change, diverse information about the future is required, including climate, society and economy, and adaptation and mitigation. To address this need, a global RCP (Representative Concentration Pathways), SSP (Shared Socio-economic Pathways), and SPA (Shared climate Policy Assumptions) (RCP-SSP-SPA) scenario framework has been developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report (IPCC-AR5). Application of this full global framework at sub-national scales introduces two key challenges: added complexity in capturing the multiple dimensions of change, and issues of scale. Perhaps for this reason, there are few such applications of this new framework. Here, we present an integrated multi-scale hybrid scenario approach that combines both expert-based and participatory methods. The framework has been developed and applied within the DECCMA 1 project with the purpose of exploring migration and adaptation in three deltas across West Africa and South Asia: (i) the Volta delta (Ghana), (ii) the Mahanadi delta (India), and (iii) the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) delta (Bangladesh/India). Using a climate scenario that encompasses a wide range of impacts (RCP8.5) combined with three SSP-based socio-economic scenarios (SSP2, SSP3, SSP5), we generate highly divergent and challenging scenario contexts across multiple scales against which robustness of the human and natural systems within the deltas are tested. In addition, we consider four distinct adaptation policy trajectories: Minimum intervention, Economic capacity expansion, System efficiency enhancement, and System restructuring, which describe alternative future bundles of adaptation actions/measures under different socio-economic trajectories. The paper highlights the importance of multi-scale (combined top-down and bottom-up) and participatory (joint expert-stakeholder) scenario methods for addressing uncertainty in adaptation decision-making. The framework facilitates improved integrated assessments of the potential impacts and plausible adaptation policy choices (including migration) under uncertain future changing conditions. The concept, methods, and processes presented are transferable to other sub-national socio-ecological settings with multi-scale challenges. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Joint inversion for transponder localization and sound-speed profile temporal variation in high-precision acoustic surveys.

PubMed

Li, Zhao; Dosso, Stan E; Sun, Dajun

2016-07-01

This letter develops a Bayesian inversion for localizing underwater acoustic transponders using a surface ship which compensates for sound-speed profile (SSP) temporal variation during the survey. The method is based on dividing observed acoustic travel-time data into time segments and including depth-independent SSP variations for each segment as additional unknown parameters to approximate the SSP temporal variation. SSP variations are estimated jointly with transponder locations, rather than calculated separately as in existing two-step inversions. Simulation and sea-trial results show this localization/SSP joint inversion performs better than two-step inversion in terms of localization accuracy, agreement with measured SSP variations, and computational efficiency.

Spectrum splitting using multi-layer dielectric meta-surfaces for efficient solar energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Yuhan; Liu, He; Wu, Wei

2014-06-01

We designed a high-efficiency dispersive mirror based on multi-layer dielectric meta-surfaces. By replacing the secondary mirror of a dome solar concentrator with this dispersive mirror, the solar concentrator can be converted into a spectrum-splitting photovoltaic system with higher energy harvesting efficiency and potentially lower cost. The meta-surfaces are consisted of high-index contrast gratings (HCG). The structures and parameters of the dispersive mirror (i.e. stacked HCG) are optimized based on finite-difference time-domain and rigorous coupled-wave analysis method. Our numerical study shows that the dispersive mirror can direct light with different wavelengths into different angles in the entire solar spectrum, maintaining very low energy loss. Our approach will not only improve the energy harvesting efficiency, but also lower the cost by using single junction cells instead of multi-layer tandem solar cells. Moreover, this approach has the minimal disruption to the existing solar concentrator infrastructures.

Essential oil composition and antibacterial activity of Tanacetum argenteum (Lam.) Willd. ssp. argenteum and T. densum (Lab.) Schultz Bip. ssp. amani heywood from Turkey.

PubMed

Polatoğlu, Kaan; Demirci, Fatih; Demirci, Betül; Gören, Nezhun; Başer, Kemal Hüsnü Can

2010-01-01

Water-distilled essential oils from aerial parts of Tanacetum argenteum ssp. argenteum and T. densum ssp. amani from Turkey were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The essential oil of T. argenteum ssp. argenteum was characterized with alpha-pinene 36.7%, beta-pinene 27.5% and 1,8-cineole 9.8%. T. densum ssp. amani was characterized with beta-pinene 27.2%, 1,8-cineole 13.1%, alpha-pinene 9.7% and p-cymene 8.9%. Antibacterial activity of the oils were evaluated for five Gram-positive and five Gram-negative bacteria by using a broth microdilution assay. The highest inhibitory activity was observed against Bacillus cereus for T. argenteum ssp. argenteum oil (125 microg/mL) when compared with positive control chloramphenicol it showed the same inhibition potency. However, the same oil showed lower inhibitory activity against B. subtilis when compared. The oil of T. densum ssp. amani did not show significant activity against the tested microorganisms. DPPH radical scavenging activity of the T. argenteum ssp. argenteum oil was investigated for 15 and 10 mg/mL concentrations. However, the oil did not show significant activity when compared to positive control alpha-tocopherol. Both oils showed toxicity to Vibrio fischeri in the TLC-bioluminescence assay.

Graphene-based terahertz metasurface with tunable spectrum splitting.

PubMed

Su, Zhaoxian; Chen, Xuan; Yin, Jianbo; Zhao, Xiaopeng

2016-08-15

We design a tunable terahertz metasurface, which consists of two different trapezoid graphene ribbons patterned in opposite directions on a gold film, separated by a thin dielectric spacer. The two kinds of graphene ribbons can cover a nearly 2π phase shift with high reflection efficiency in different spectral regions so that the metasurface can reflect different frequency waves to totally different directions. By changing the Fermi level of the graphene ribbons, the response frequency of the proposed metasurface can be adjusted, and as a result, tunable spectrum splitting can be realized. The present metasurface provides a powerful way to control terahertz waves and has potential applications in wide-angle beam splitters.

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

McCoy, Michel; Archer, Bill; Hendrickson, Bruce

The Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) is an integrated technical program for maintaining the safety, surety, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. The SSP uses nuclear test data, computational modeling and simulation, and experimental facilities to advance understanding of nuclear weapons. It includes stockpile surveillance, experimental research, development and engineering programs, and an appropriately scaled production capability to support stockpile requirements. This integrated national program requires the continued use of experimental facilities and programs, and the computational capabilities to support these programs. The Advanced Simulation and Computing Program (ASC) is a cornerstone of the SSP, providing simulation capabilities and computationalmore » resources that support annual stockpile assessment and certification, study advanced nuclear weapons design and manufacturing processes, analyze accident scenarios and weapons aging, and provide the tools to enable stockpile Life Extension Programs (LEPs) and the resolution of Significant Finding Investigations (SFIs). This requires a balance of resource, including technical staff, hardware, simulation software, and computer science solutions. ASC is now focused on increasing predictive capabilities in a three-dimensional (3D) simulation environment while maintaining support to the SSP. The program continues to improve its unique tools for solving progressively more difficult stockpile problems (sufficient resolution, dimensionality, and scientific details), and quantifying critical margins and uncertainties. Resolving each issue requires increasingly difficult analyses because the aging process has progressively moved the stockpile further away from the original test base. Where possible, the program also enables the use of high performance computing (HPC) and simulation tools to address broader national security needs, such as foreign nuclear weapon assessments and counter nuclear terrorism.« less

Sulfide production kinetics and model of stormwater retention ponds.

PubMed

D'Aoust, P M; Pick, F R; Wang, R; Poulain, A; Rennie, C; Chen, L; Kinsley, C; Delatolla, R

2018-06-01

Stormwater retention ponds can play a critical role in mitigating the detrimental effects of urbanization on receiving waters that result from increases in polluted runoff. However, the benthic oxygen demand of stormwater facilities may cause significant hypoxia and trigger the production of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S). This process is not well-documented and further research is needed to characterize benthic processes in stormwater retention ponds in order to improve their design and operation. In this study, sediment oxygen demand (SOD), sediment ammonia release (SAR) and sediment sulfide production (SSP) kinetics were characterized in situ and in the laboratory. In situ SOD and SSP data were utilized to develop a stormwater retention pond water sulfide concentration model which demonstrates strong correlation with sulfide concentrations observed in situ (r = 0.724, N = 91, p < 0.001) and in laboratory experiments (r = 0.691, N = 38, p < 0.001). At 4 °C, in situ rates of SOD, SAR and SSP were higher than those measured in laboratory. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) represented 4.99% of the bacteria present in the top 30 cm of the pond sediment, with Desulfobulbaceae spp., Desulfobacteraceae spp. and Desulfococcus spp. being the dominant SRB taxa identified.

Objectively discriminating the optical analogy of electromagnetically induced transparency from Autler-Townes splitting in a side coupled graphene-based waveguide system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Buzheng; Jian, Shuisheng

2017-11-01

A mid-infrared side coupled graphene nanotube waveguide system is proposed to investigate the origin discerning from electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) to Autler-Townes splitting (ATS). The analytic transmission analysis seeks an evolution tendency of transmission spectrum from ATS to EIT, which is numerically verified by the simulation results. The origin of transparency is mainly attributed to ATS effect in the strong coupling regime while EIT is favored in the weak coupling condition. We plot the field distribution to help understand the underlying physics of the interference process. The high group index of 5000 indicates that a slow light effect is successfully observed and Fano resonance is presented by varying the Fermi energy of the dark mode. These ideas may provide potential views in filters, optical buffers, light storage and on chip metamaterials.

Advanced Simulation & Computing FY15 Implementation Plan Volume 2, Rev. 0.5

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

McCoy, Michel; Archer, Bill; Matzen, M. Keith

2014-09-16

The Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) is a single, highly integrated technical program for maintaining the surety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. The SSP uses nuclear test data, computational modeling and simulation, and experimental facilities to advance understanding of nuclear weapons. It includes stockpile surveillance, experimental research, development and engineering programs, and an appropriately scaled production capability to support stockpile requirements. This integrated national program requires the continued use of experimental facilities and programs, and the computational enhancements to support these programs. The Advanced Simulation and Computing Program (ASC) is a cornerstone of the SSP, providing simulation capabilities andmore » computational resources that support annual stockpile assessment and certification, study advanced nuclear weapons design and manufacturing processes, analyze accident scenarios and weapons aging, and provide the tools to enable stockpile Life Extension Programs (LEPs) and the resolution of Significant Finding Investigations (SFIs). This requires a balance of resource, including technical staff, hardware, simulation software, and computer science solutions. As the program approaches the end of its second decade, ASC is intently focused on increasing predictive capabilities in a three-dimensional (3D) simulation environment while maintaining support to the SSP. The program continues to improve its unique tools for solving progressively more difficult stockpile problems (sufficient resolution, dimensionality, and scientific details), quantify critical margins and uncertainties, and resolve increasingly difficult analyses needed for the SSP. Where possible, the program also enables the use of high-performance simulation and computing tools to address broader national security needs, such as foreign nuclear weapon assessments and counternuclear terrorism.« less

Environmental stability study of holographic solar spectrum splitting materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chrysler, Benjamin D.; Ayala Pelaez, Silvana; Wu, Yuechen; Vorndran, Shelby D.; Kostuk, Raymond K.

2016-09-01

In this study the impact of outdoor temperature variations and solar illumination exposure on spectral filter material and holographic optical elements is examined. Although holographic components have been shown to be useful for solar spectrum splitting designs, relatively little quantitative data exist to demonstrate the extent to which these materials can withstand outdoor conditions. As researchers seek to investigate practical spectrum splitting designs, the environmental stability of holographic materials should be considered as an important factor. In the experiment presented, two holographic materials, Covestro Bayfol HX photopolymer and dichromated gelatin, and 3M reflective polymer filter materials are exposed to outdoor conditions for a period of several months. The environmental effect on absorption, spectral and angular bandwidth, peak efficiency, and Bragg matching conditions for the holograms are examined. Spectral bandwidth and transmittance of the 3M reflective filter material are also monitored. Holographic gratings are recorded, measured, and mounted on glass substrates and then sealed with a glass cover plate. The test samples are then mounted on a photovoltaic panel to simulate realistic temperature conditions and placed at an outdoor test facility in Tucson, Arizona. A duplicate set of holograms and 3M filter material is stored as a control group and periodically compared over the test period.

Off-axis holographic lens spectrum-splitting photovoltaic system for direct and diffuse solar energy conversion.

PubMed

Vorndran, Shelby D; Chrysler, Benjamin; Wheelwright, Brian; Angel, Roger; Holman, Zachary; Kostuk, Raymond

2016-09-20

This paper describes a high-efficiency, spectrum-splitting photovoltaic module that uses an off-axis volume holographic lens to focus and disperse incident solar illumination to a rectangular shaped high-bandgap indium gallium phosphide cell surrounded by strips of silicon cells. The holographic lens design allows efficient collection of both direct and diffuse illumination to maximize energy yield. We modeled the volume diffraction characteristics using rigorous coupled-wave analysis, and simulated system performance using nonsequential ray tracing and PV cell data from the literature. Under AM 1.5 illumination conditions the simulated module obtained a 30.6% conversion efficiency. This efficiency is a 19.7% relative improvement compared to the more efficient cell in the system (silicon). The module was also simulated under a typical meteorological year of direct and diffuse irradiance in Tucson, Arizona, and Seattle, Washington. Compared to a flat panel silicon module, the holographic spectrum splitting module obtained a relative improvement in energy yield of 17.1% in Tucson and 14.0% in Seattle. An experimental proof-of-concept volume holographic lens was also fabricated in dichromated gelatin to verify the main characteristics of the system. The lens obtained an average first-order diffraction efficiency of 85.4% across the aperture at 532 nm.

New Insight into the Angle Insensitivity of Ultrathin Planar Optical Absorbers for Broadband Solar Energy Harvesting.

PubMed

Liu, Dong; Yu, Haitong; Duan, Yuanyuan; Li, Qiang; Xuan, Yimin

2016-09-01

Two challenging problems still remain for optical absorbers consisting of an ultrathin planar semiconductor film on top of an opaque metallic substrate. One is the angle-insensitive mechanism and the other is the system design needed for broadband solar energy harvesting. Here, first we theoretically demonstrates that the high refractive index, instead of the ultrathin feature as reported in previous studies, is the physical origin of the angle insensitivity for ultrathin planar optical absorbers. They exhibit omnidirectional resonance for TE polarization due to the high complex refractive index difference between the semiconductor and the air, while for TM polarization the angle insensitivity persists up to an incident angle related to the semiconductor refractive index. These findings were validated by fabricating and characterizing an 18 nm Ge/Ag absorber sample (representative of small band gap semiconductors for photovoltaic applications) and a 22 nm hematite/Ag sample (representative of large band gap semiconductors for photoelectrochemical applications). Then, we took advantage of angle insensitivity and designed a spectrum splitting configuration for broadband solar energy harvesting. The cascaded solar cell and unassisted solar water splitting systems have photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical cells that are also spectrum splitters, so an external spectrum splitting element is not needed.

Time-dependent wave splitting and source separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grote, Marcus J.; Kray, Marie; Nataf, Frédéric; Assous, Franck

2017-02-01

Starting from classical absorbing boundary conditions, we propose a method for the separation of time-dependent scattered wave fields due to multiple sources or obstacles. In contrast to previous techniques, our method is local in space and time, deterministic, and avoids a priori assumptions on the frequency spectrum of the signal. Numerical examples in two space dimensions illustrate the usefulness of wave splitting for time-dependent scattering problems.

Enhancing photovoltaic output power by 3-band spectrum-splitting and concentration using a diffractive micro-optic

DOE PAGES

Mohammad, Nabil; Wang, Peng; Friedman, Daniel J.; ...

2014-09-17

We report the enhancement of photovoltaic output power by separating the incident spectrum into 3 bands, and concentrating these bands onto 3 different photovoltaic cells. The spectrum-splitting and concentration is achieved via a thin, planar micro-optical element that demonstrates high optical efficiency over the entire spectrum of interest. The optic (which we call a polychromat) was designed using a modified version of the direct-binary-search algorithm. The polychromat was fabricated using grayscale lithography. Rigorous optical characterization demonstrates excellent agreement with simulation results. Electrical characterization of the solar cells made from GaInP, GaAs and Si indicate increase in the peak output powermore » density of 43.63%, 30.84% and 30.86%, respectively when compared to normal operation without the polychromat. This represents an overall increase of 35.52% in output power density. As a result, the potential for cost-effective large-area manufacturing and for high system efficiencies makes our approach a strong candidate for low cost solar power.« less

Energy production advantage of independent subcell connection for multijunction photovoltaics

DOE PAGES

Warmann, Emily C.; Atwater, Harry A.

2016-07-07

Increasing the number of subcells in a multijunction or "spectrum splitting" photovoltaic improves efficiency under the standard AM1.5D design spectrum, but it can lower efficiency under spectra that differ from the standard if the subcells are connected electrically in series. Using atmospheric data and the SMARTS multiple scattering and absorption model, we simulated sunny day spectra over 1 year for five locations in the United States and determined the annual energy production of spectrum splitting ensembles with 2-20 subcells connected electrically in series or independently. While electrically independent subcells have a small efficiency advantage over series-connected ensembles under the AM1.5Dmore » design spectrum, they have a pronounced energy production advantage under realistic spectra over 1 year. Simulated energy production increased with subcell number for the electrically independent ensembles, but it peaked at 8-10 subcells for those connected in series. As a result, electrically independent ensembles with 20 subcells produce up to 27% more energy annually than the series-connected 20-subcell ensemble. This energy production advantage persists when clouds are accounted for.« less

Energy production advantage of independent subcell connection for multijunction photovoltaics

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

Warmann, Emily C.; Atwater, Harry A.

Increasing the number of subcells in a multijunction or "spectrum splitting" photovoltaic improves efficiency under the standard AM1.5D design spectrum, but it can lower efficiency under spectra that differ from the standard if the subcells are connected electrically in series. Using atmospheric data and the SMARTS multiple scattering and absorption model, we simulated sunny day spectra over 1 year for five locations in the United States and determined the annual energy production of spectrum splitting ensembles with 2-20 subcells connected electrically in series or independently. While electrically independent subcells have a small efficiency advantage over series-connected ensembles under the AM1.5Dmore » design spectrum, they have a pronounced energy production advantage under realistic spectra over 1 year. Simulated energy production increased with subcell number for the electrically independent ensembles, but it peaked at 8-10 subcells for those connected in series. As a result, electrically independent ensembles with 20 subcells produce up to 27% more energy annually than the series-connected 20-subcell ensemble. This energy production advantage persists when clouds are accounted for.« less

SSP Plus at 36 Months: Effects of Adding Employment Services to Financial Work Incentives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lei, Ying; Michalopoulos, Charles

A study examined effects of the Self-Sufficiency Project (SSP) Plus program. A small group of long-term income assistance (IA) recipients in New Brunswick was offered an earnings supplement and employment services (SSP Plus); a second group was offered the regular SSP earnings supplement only; and a third group was offered neither supplement nor…

Flavonol glycosides in berries of two major subspecies of sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) and influence of growth sites.

PubMed

Ma, Xueying; Laaksonen, Oskar; Zheng, Jie; Yang, Wei; Trépanier, Martin; Kallio, Heikki; Yang, Baoru

2016-06-01

Flavonol glycosides of wild sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides ssp. sinensis) berries from China and cultivated berries (H. rhamnoides ssp. mongolica) from Finland and Canada were identified and quantified. Twenty-six flavonol glycosides were found with isorhamnetin and quercetin as the major aglycones. The contents of flavonol glycosides ranged 23-250 mg/100 g fresh berries and were significantly higher in the berries of ssp. sinensis than in those of ssp. mongolica. Among the cultivars of ssp. mongolica, the berries of 'Oranzhevaya' had the lowest (23 mg/100 g) content, and those of 'Prevoshodnaya' the highest content of flavonol glycosides (80 mg/100 g). Within the ssp. mongolica, the samples from Kittilä (Northern Finland) had higher levels of most flavonol glycosides than those from Turku (Southern Finland) and Québec. Among the ssp. sinensis berries of different growth sites, increasing trends were detected in the contents of most of the compounds as the altitude increased and as the latitude decreased. The wild berries (ssp. sinensis) from Sichuan had remarkably high contents and unique profiles of flavonol glycosides. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using a biased qubit to probe complex systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollock, Felix A.; Checińska, Agata; Pascazio, Saverio; Modi, Kavan

2016-09-01

Complex mesoscopic systems play increasingly important roles in modern science, from understanding biological functions at the molecular level to designing solid-state information processing devices. The operation of these systems typically depends on their energetic structure, yet probing their energy landscape can be extremely challenging; they have many degrees of freedom, which may be hard to isolate and measure independently. Here, we show that a qubit (a two-level quantum system) with a biased energy splitting can directly probe the spectral properties of a complex system, without knowledge of how they couple. Our work is based on the completely positive and trace-preserving map formalism, which treats any unknown dynamics as a "black-box" process. This black box contains information about the system with which the probe interacts, which we access by measuring the survival probability of the initial state of the probe as function of the energy splitting and the process time. Fourier transforming the results yields the energy spectrum of the complex system. Without making assumptions about the strength or form of its coupling, our probe could determine aspects of a complex molecule's energy landscape as well as, in many cases, test for coherent superposition of its energy eigenstates.

Assessing the Effect of an Intensive 2-Week Surgical Training and Innovation Program for High-School Students.

PubMed

Labadie, Brian; Patel, Roshan M; Gandy Labadie, Jessica; Hwang, Christina; Okhunov, Zhamshid; Landman, Jaime

The summer surgery program (SSP) was founded in 2012 as an educational program for students at the critical juncture between high school and college to engender interest in medicine, science, and innovation. This program has a distinct emphasis on innovation and problem solving based on real-life operative challenges identified by students during surgical observation in the operating room. The effect of the SSP regarding postsecondary education and career goals was evaluated by participants using a follow-up questionnaire. Retrospective cohort study using web-based survey administered to students at least 1 year after participation in the SSP. Associations between demographics and survey responses were made using Fisher's exact test and a Bonferonni correction was used to account for multiple comparisons. Between July 2012 and August 2015, 119 students enrolled in the SSP. We sent a web-based questionnaire link to all participants who completed the program. The questionnaire contained 80 questions assessing the participant's interest in studying medicine or science in college, knowledge of health care, and their appreciation and understanding of innovation. UC Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA; Institutional tertiary care center. In total, 77 (64.7%) of 119 students who matriculated in the SSP completed the follow-up survey; the mean number of years after the program was 2.09 years. Nearly all students reported the program increased their interest in studying medicine or science in college (97.4%), led them to a better understanding of their own career goals (93.5%) and made them more confident in their ability to succeed in a career in health care (88.3%). The majority indicated the program led them to better understand the training and schooling required of doctors and surgeons (94.8%), and led them to better appreciate the roles of different medical specialties (96.1%). Overall 96% of students reported that the program led them to better understand the importance of innovation and 86% of the respondents noted they better understood the process of innovation. Participants in the SSP were confident they would be able to become a health professional (p < 0.0001). Of note, there was no drop off in the ratings for the program when comparing classes that were 1, 2, 3, or 4 years after their SSP experience. The follow-up survey revealed that the 2 week SSP had a markedly, long lasting positive effect on participants in areas of academic, career, and innovation-related variables. Copyright © 2017 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Rice Paradox: Multiple Origins but Single Domestication in Asian Rice

PubMed Central

Choi, Jae Young; Platts, Adrian E.; Fuller, Dorian Q.; Hsing (邢禹依), Yue-Ie; Wing, Rod A.

2017-01-01

Abstract The origin of domesticated Asian rice (Oryza sativa) has been a contentious topic, with conflicting evidence for either single or multiple domestication of this key crop species. We examined the evolutionary history of domesticated rice by analyzing de novo assembled genomes from domesticated rice and its wild progenitors. Our results indicate multiple origins, where each domesticated rice subpopulation (japonica, indica, and aus) arose separately from progenitor O. rufipogon and/or O. nivara. Coalescence-based modeling of demographic parameters estimate that the first domesticated rice population to split off from O. rufipogon was O. sativa ssp. japonica, occurring at ∼13.1–24.1 ka, which is an order of magnitude older then the earliest archeological date of domestication. This date is consistent, however, with the expansion of O. rufipogon populations after the Last Glacial Maximum ∼18 ka and archeological evidence for early wild rice management in China. We also show that there is significant gene flow from japonica to both indica (∼17%) and aus (∼15%), which led to the transfer of domestication alleles from early-domesticated japonica to proto-indica and proto-aus populations. Our results provide support for a model in which different rice subspecies had separate origins, but that de novo domestication occurred only once, in O. sativa ssp. japonica, and introgressive hybridization from early japonica to proto-indica and proto-aus led to domesticated indica and aus rice. PMID:28087768

Characterization of biologic response modifiers in the supernatant of conventional, refrigerated, and cryopreserved platelets.

PubMed

Johnson, Lacey; Tan, Shereen; Jenkins, Emily; Wood, Ben; Marks, Denese C

2018-04-01

Alternatives to room temperature storage of platelets (PLTs) are of interest to support blood banking logistics. The aim of this study was to compare the presence of biologic response modifiers (BRMs) in PLT concentrates stored under conventional room temperature conditions with refrigerated or cryopreserved PLTs. A three-arm pool-and-split study was carried out using buffy coat-derived PLTs stored in 30% plasma/70% SSP+. The three matched treatment arms were as follows: room temperature (20-24°C), cold (2-6°C), and cryopreserved (-80°C with DMSO). Liquid-stored PLTs were tested over a 21-day period, while cryopreserved PLTs were tested immediately after thawing and reconstitution in 30% plasma/70% SSP+ and after storage at room temperature. Coagulation factor activity was comparable between room temperature and cold PLTs, with the exception of protein S, while cryopreserved PLTs had reduced Factor (F)V and FVIII activity. Cold-stored PLTs retained α-granule proteins better than room temperature or cryopreserved PLTs. Cryopreservation resulted in 10-fold higher microparticle generation than cold-stored PLTs, but both groups contained significantly more microparticles than those stored at room temperature. The supernatant from both cold and cryopreserved PLTs initiated faster clot formation and thrombin generation than room temperature PLTs. Cold storage and cryopreservation alter the composition of the soluble fraction of stored PLTs. These differences in coagulation proteins, cytokines, and microparticles likely influence both the hemostatic capacity of the components and the auxiliary functions. © 2017 AABB.

Processing of transparent polycrystalline AlON:Ce 3+ scintillators

DOE PAGES

Chen, Ching -Fong; Yang, Pin; King, Graham; ...

2015-10-23

A new polycrystalline ceramic scintillator is reported for potential use in radiation detection and medical imaging applications. The goal was to develop cerium-activated aluminum oxynitride (AlON:Ce 3+) ceramics, which can be produced using ceramic processes in comparison to the high-cost, low-yield single-crystal growth technique. A phase pure AlON:Ce 3+ powder with cubic symmetry was successfully synthesized at high temperature under a reducing atmosphere to convert Ce 4+ to Ce 3+ in the solid solution. We explored two different activator concentrations (0.5 and 1.0 mol%). Fully dense and transparent AlON:Ce 3+ ceramics were produced by a liquid-phase-assisted pressureless sintering. The crystalmore » field splitting around the Ce 3+ activator in the AlON was comparable to the splitting induced by Br₋ and the Cl₋ ligands, which produced an emission spectrum perfectly matching the maximum quantum efficiency range of the photomultiplier tube for radiation detection. Both optical excitation and radiation ionizations in AlON:Ce 3+ were demonstrated. Lastly, challenges and mechanisms related to the radioluminescence efficiency are discussed.« less

Streptococcal adhesin SspA/B analogue peptide inhibits adherence and impacts biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans

PubMed Central

Ito, Tatsuro; Ichinosawa, Takahiro; Shimizu, Takehiko

2017-01-01

Streptococcus mutans, the major causative agent of dental caries, adheres to tooth surfaces via the host salivary glycoprotein-340 (gp340). This adherence can be competitively inhibited by peptides derived from the SspA/B adhesins of Streptococcus gordonii, a human commensal microbe that competes for the same binding sites. Ssp(A4K-A11K), a double-lysine substituted SspA/B peptide analogue, has been shown to exhibit superior in vitro binding affinity for a gp340-derived peptide (SRCRP2), suggesting that Ssp(A4K-A11K) may be of clinical interest. In the present work, we tested the inhibitory effects of Ssp(A4K-A11K) on adherence and biofilm formation of S. mutans by reconstructing an artificial oral environment using saliva-coated polystyrene plates and hydroxyapatite disks. Bacterial adherence (adherence period: 1 h) was assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using biotinylated bacterial cells. Biofilm formation (periods: 8, 11, or 14 h) was assessed by staining and imaging of the sessile cells, or by recovering biofilm cells and plating for cell counts. The pH values of the culture media were measured as a biofilm acidogenicity indicator. Bactericidality was measured by loss of optical density during culturing in the presence of the peptide. We observed that 650 μM Ssp(A4K-A11K) significantly inhibited adherence of S. mutans to saliva-coated polystyrene; a similar effect was seen on bacterial affinity for SRCRP2. Ssp(A4K-A11K) had lesser effects on the adherence of commensal streptococci. Pretreatment of polystyrene and hydroxyapatite with 650 μM Ssp(A4K-A11K) significantly attenuated biofilm formation, whether tested with glucose- or sucrose-containing media. The SspA/B peptide’s activity did not reflect bactericidality. Strikingly, pH in Ssp-treated 8-h (6.8 ± 0.06) and 11-h (5.5 ± 0.06) biofilms showed higher values than the critical pH. Thus, Ssp(A4K-A11K) acts by inhibiting bacterial adherence and cariogrnic biofilm formation. We further consider these results in the context of the safety, specificity, and stability properties of the Ssp(A4K-A11K) peptide. PMID:28394940

Dual-energy imaging using a photon counting detector with electronic spectrum-splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bornefalk, Hans; Lundqvist, Mats

2006-03-01

This paper presents a dual-energy imaging technique optimized for contrast-enhanced mammography using a photon counting detector. Each photon pulse is processed separately in the detector and the addition of an electronic threshold near the middle of the energy range of the x-ray spectrum allows discrimination of high and low energy photons. This effectively makes the detector energy sensitive, and allows the acquisition of high- and low-energy images simultaneously. These high- and low-energy images can be combined to dual-energy images where the anatomical clutter has been suppressed. By setting the electronic threshold close to 33.2 keV (the k-edge of iodine) the system is optimized for dual-energy contrast-enhanced imaging of breast tumors. Compared to other approaches, this method not only eliminates the need for separate exposures that might lead to motion artifacts, it also eliminates the otherwise deteriorating overlap between high- and low-energy spectra. We present phantom dual-energy images acquired on a prototype system to illustrate that the technique is already operational, albeit in its infancy. We also present a theoretical estimation of the potential gain in tumor signal-difference-to-noise ratio when using this electronic spectrum-splitting method as opposed to acquiring the high- and low-energy images separately with double exposures with separate x-ray spectra. Assuming ideal energy sensitive photon counting detectors, we arrive at the conclusion that the signal-difference-to-noise ratio could be increased by 145% at constant dose. We also illustrate our results on synthetic images.

Shuttle-Derived Launch Vehicles' Capablities: An Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothschild, William J.; Bailey, Debra A.; Henderson, Edward M.; Crumbly, Chris

2005-01-01

Shuttle-Derived Launch Vehicle (SDLV) concepts have been developed by a collaborative team comprising the Johnson Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Kennedy Space Center, ATK-Thiokol, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, The Boeing Company, and United Space Alliance. The purpose of this study was to provide timely information on a full spectrum of low-risk, cost-effective options for STS-Derived Launch Vehicle concepts to support the definition of crew and cargo launch requirements for the Space Exploration Vision. Since the SDLV options use high-reliability hardware, existing facilities, and proven processes, they can provide relatively low-risk capabilities to launch extremely large payloads to low Earth orbit. This capability to reliably lift very large, high-dollar-value payloads could reduce mission operational risks by minimizing the number of complex on-orbit operations compared to architectures based on multiple smaller launchers. The SDLV options also offer several logical spiral development paths for larger exploration payloads. All of these development paths make practical and cost-effective use of existing Space Shuttle Program (SSP) hardware, infrastructure, and launch and flight operations systems. By utilizing these existing assets, the SDLV project could support the safe and orderly transition of the current SSP through the planned end of life in 2010. The SDLV concept definition work during 2004 focused on three main configuration alternatives: a side-mount heavy lifter (approximately 77 MT payload), an in-line medium lifter (approximately 22 MT Crew Exploration Vehicle payload), and an in-line heavy lifter (greater than 100 MT payload). This paper provides an overview of the configuration, performance capabilities, reliability estimates, concept of operations, and development plans for each of the various SDLV alternatives. While development, production, and operations costs have been estimated for each of the SDLV configuration alternatives, these proprietary data have not been included in this paper.

Quasi-particle spectrum in trilayer graphene: Role of onsite coulomb interaction and interlayer coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Sanjay; Ajay

2015-01-01

Stacking dependent quasi-particle spectrum and density of states (DOS) in trilayer (ABC-, ABA- and AAA-stacked) graphene are analyzed using mean-field Green's function equations of motion method. Interlayer coupling (t1) is found to be responsible for the splitting of quasi-particle peaks in each stacking order. Coulomb interaction suppresses the trilayer splitting and generates a finite gap at Fermi level in ABC- while a tiny gap in ABA-stacked trilayer graphene. Influence of t⊥ is prominent for AAA-stacking as compared to ABC- and ABA-stacking orders. The theoretically obtained quasi-particle energies and DOS has been viewed in terms of recent angle resolved photoemission spectroscopic (ARPES) and scanning tunneling microscopic (STM) data available on these systems.

A novel cold-inducible gene from Pak-choi (Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis), BcWRKY46, enhances the cold, salt and dehydration stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco.

PubMed

Wang, Feng; Hou, Xilin; Tang, Jun; Wang, Zhen; Wang, Shuming; Jiang, Fangling; Li, Ying

2012-04-01

WRKY TFs belong to one of the largest families of transcriptional regulators in plants and form integral parts of signaling webs that modulate many plant processes. BcWRKY46, a cDNA clone encoding a polypeptide of 284 amino acids and exhibited the structural features of group III of WRKY protein family, was isolated from the cold-treated leaves of Pak-choi (Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis Makino, syn. B. rapa ssp. chinensis) using the cDNA-AFLP technique. Expression of this gene was induced quickly and strongly in response to various environmental stresses, including low temperatures, ABA, salt and dehydration. Constitutive expression of BcWRKY46 in tobacco under the control of the CaMV35S promoter reduced the susceptibility of transgenic tobacco to freezing, ABA, salt and dehydration stresses. Our studies suggest that BcWRKY46 plays an important role in responding to ABA and abiotic stress.

STRS Compliant FPGA Waveform Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nappier, Jennifer; Downey, Joseph

2008-01-01

The Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) Architecture Standard describes a standard for NASA space software defined radios (SDRs). It provides a common framework that can be used to develop and operate a space SDR in a reconfigurable and reprogrammable manner. One goal of the STRS Architecture is to promote waveform reuse among multiple software defined radios. Many space domain waveforms are designed to run in the special signal processing (SSP) hardware. However, the STRS Architecture is currently incomplete in defining a standard for designing waveforms in the SSP hardware. Therefore, the STRS Architecture needs to be extended to encompass waveform development in the SSP hardware. A transmit waveform for space applications was developed to determine ways to extend the STRS Architecture to a field programmable gate array (FPGA). These extensions include a standard hardware abstraction layer for FPGAs and a standard interface between waveform functions running inside a FPGA. Current standards were researched and new standard interfaces were proposed. The implementation of the proposed standard interfaces on a laboratory breadboard SDR will be presented.

Seed proteomics.

PubMed

Miernyk, Ján A; Hajduch, Martin

2011-04-01

Seeds comprise a protective covering, a small embryonic plant, and a nutrient-storage organ. Seeds are protein-rich, and have been the subject of many mass spectrometry-based analyses. Seed storage proteins (SSP), which are transient depots for reduced nitrogen, have been studied for decades by cell biologists, and many of the complicated aspects of their processing, assembly, and compartmentation are now well understood. Unfortunately, the abundance and complexity of the SSP requires that they be avoided or removed prior to gel-based analysis of non-SSP. While much of the extant data from MS-based proteomic analysis of seeds is descriptive, it has nevertheless provided a preliminary metabolic picture explaining much of their biology. Contemporary studies are moving more toward analysis of protein interactions and posttranslational modifications, and functions of metabolic networks. Many aspects of the biology of seeds make then an attractive platform for heterologous protein expression. Herein we present a broad review of the results from the proteomic studies of seeds, and speculate on a potential future research directions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the Impact of a senior mentor program on medical students' geriatric knowledge and attitudes toward older adults.

PubMed

Mendoza De La Garza, Maria; Tieu, Christina; Schroeder, Darrell; Lowe, Kathleen; Tung, Ericka

2018-06-18

Medical schools throughout the country struggle with how best to train students to provide quality, patient-centered care to the burgeoning population of older adults. The Senior Sages Program (SSP) is a longitudinal Senior Mentor Program (SMP) that offers students the opportunity to learn about the aging process and core geriatric medicine concepts through the eyes of an aging expert: their Senior Sage. The SSP marries a robust electronic curriculum with an SMP and online discussion board. The aim of this program evaluation was to measure the impact on students' geriatric knowledge and attitudes toward older adults. This asynchronously facilitated course improved students' geriatric knowledge and facilitated stability of positive attitudes toward older adults. The majority of students felt that their SSP interactions were meaningful and valuable to their clinical development. The combination of SMP and electronic curricula offer a feasible, practical way to bridge the geriatric training chasm.

ASC FY17 Implementation Plan, Rev. 1

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

Hamilton, P. G.

The Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) is an integrated technical program for maintaining the safety, surety, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. The SSP uses nuclear test data, computational modeling and simulation, and experimental facilities to advance understanding of nuclear weapons. It includes stockpile surveillance, experimental research, development and engineering programs, and an appropriately scaled production capability to support stockpile requirements. This integrated national program requires the continued use of experimental facilities and programs, and the computational capabilities to support these programs. The Advanced Simulation and Computing Program (ASC) is a cornerstone of the SSP, providing simulation capabilities and computationalmore » resources that support annual stockpile assessment and certification, study advanced nuclear weapons design and manufacturing processes, analyze accident scenarios and weapons aging, and provide the tools to enable stockpile Life Extension Programs (LEPs) and the resolution of Significant Finding Investigations (SFIs). This requires a balance of resources, including technical staff, hardware, simulation software, and computer science solutions.« less

Improved Coal-Thickness Measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barr, T. A.

1984-01-01

Summed signals and dielectric-filled antenna improve measurement. Improved FM radar for measuring thickness of coal seam eliminates spectrum splitting and reduces magnitude of echo from front coal surface.

42 CFR 435.403 - State residence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... supplementary payment (SSP). For individuals of any age who are receiving an SSP, the State of residence is the State paying the SSP. (g) Individuals receiving Title IV-E payments. For individuals of any age who are...

Reactive nitrogen losses from China's food system for the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs).

PubMed

Wang, Mengru; Kroeze, Carolien; Strokal, Maryna; Ma, Lin

2017-12-15

Food production in China has been changing fast as a result of socio-economic development. This resulted in an increased use of nitrogen (N) in food production, and also to increased reactive nitrogen (Nr) losses to the environment, causing nitrogen pollution. Our study is the first to quantify future Nr losses from China's food system for the Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs). We show that Nr losses differ largely among SSPs. We first qualitatively described the five SSP storylines for China with a focus on food production and consumption. Next, we interpreted these SSP scenarios quantitatively for 2030 and 2050, using the NUFER (NUtrient Flows in Food chains, Environment and Resources use) model to project the Nr losses from China's food system. The results indicate that Nr losses from future food system in China are relatively low for SSP1 and SSP2, and relatively high for SSP3 and SSP4. In SSP5 Nr losses from China's food system are projected to be slightly lower than the level of today. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

What is and what is not electromagnetically induced transparency in whispering-gallery microcavities.

PubMed

Peng, Bo; Özdemir, Sahin Kaya; Chen, Weijian; Nori, Franco; Yang, Lan

2014-10-24

There has been an increasing interest in all-optical analogues of electromagnetically induced transparency and Autler-Townes splitting. Despite the differences in their underlying physics, both electromagnetically induced transparency and Autler-Townes splitting are quantified by a transparency window in the absorption or transmission spectrum, which often leads to a confusion about its origin. While the transparency window in electromagnetically induced transparency is a result of Fano interference among different transition pathways, in Autler-Townes splitting it is the result of strong field-driven interactions leading to the splitting of energy levels. Being able to tell objectively whether an observed transparency window is because of electromagnetically induced transparency or Autler-Townes splitting is crucial for applications and for clarifying the physics involved. Here we demonstrate the pathways leading to electromagnetically induced transparency, Fano resonances and Autler-Townes splitting in coupled whispering-gallery-mode resonators. Moreover, we report the application of the Akaike Information Criterion discerning between all-optical analogues of electromagnetically induced transparency and Autler-Townes splitting and clarifying the transition between them.

Future possible crop yield scenarios under multiple SSP and RCP scenarios.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakurai, G.; Yokozawa, M.; Nishimori, M.; Okada, M.

2016-12-01

Understanding the effect of future climate change on global crop yields is one of the most important tasks for global food security. Future crop yields would be influenced by climatic factors such as the changes of temperature, precipitation and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. On the other hand, the effect of the changes of agricultural technologies such as crop varieties, pesticide and fertilizer input on crop yields have large uncertainty. However, not much is available on the contribution ratio of each factor under the future climate change scenario. We estimated the future global yields of four major crops (maize, soybean, rice and wheat) under three Shared Socio Economic Pathways (SSPs) and four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). For this purpose, firstly, we estimated a parameter of a process based model (PRYSBI2) using a Bayesian method for each 1.125 degree spatial grid. The model parameter is relevant to the agricultural technology (we call "technological parameter" here after). Then, we analyzed the relationship between the values of technological parameter and GDP values. We found that the estimated values of the technological parameter were positively correlated with the GDP. Using the estimated relationship, we predicted future crop yield during 2020 and 2100 under SSP1, SSP2 and SSP3 scenarios and RCP 2.6, 4.5, 6.0 and 8.5. The estimated crop yields were different among SSP scenarios. However, we found that the yield difference attributable to SSPs were smaller than those attributable to CO2 fertilization effects and climate change. Particularly, the estimated effect of the change of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration on global yields was more than four times larger than that of GDP for C3 crops.

Advanced Simulation and Computing Fiscal Year 14 Implementation Plan, Rev. 0.5

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

Meisner, Robert; McCoy, Michel; Archer, Bill

2013-09-11

The Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) is a single, highly integrated technical program for maintaining the surety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. The SSP uses nuclear test data, computational modeling and simulation, and experimental facilities to advance understanding of nuclear weapons. It includes stockpile surveillance, experimental research, development and engineering programs, and an appropriately scaled production capability to support stockpile requirements. This integrated national program requires the continued use of experimental facilities and programs, and the computational enhancements to support these programs. The Advanced Simulation and Computing Program (ASC) is a cornerstone of the SSP, providing simulation capabilities andmore » computational resources that support annual stockpile assessment and certification, study advanced nuclear weapons design and manufacturing processes, analyze accident scenarios and weapons aging, and provide the tools to enable stockpile Life Extension Programs (LEPs) and the resolution of Significant Finding Investigations (SFIs). This requires a balanced resource, including technical staff, hardware, simulation software, and computer science solutions. In its first decade, the ASC strategy focused on demonstrating simulation capabilities of unprecedented scale in three spatial dimensions. In its second decade, ASC is now focused on increasing predictive capabilities in a three-dimensional (3D) simulation environment while maintaining support to the SSP. The program continues to improve its unique tools for solving progressively more difficult stockpile problems (sufficient resolution, dimensionality, and scientific details), quantify critical margins and uncertainties, and resolve increasingly difficult analyses needed for the SSP. Moreover, ASC’s business model is integrated and focused on requirements-driven products that address long-standing technical questions related to enhanced predictive capability in the simulation tools.« less

Over-expression of miR158 causes pollen abortion in Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis.

PubMed

Ma, Zhiming; Jiang, Jianxia; Hu, Ziwei; Lyu, Tianqi; Yang, Yang; Jiang, Jingjing; Cao, Jiashu

2017-02-01

We identified and cloned the two precursors of miR158 and its target gene in Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis, which both had high relative expression in the inflorescences. Further study revealed that over-expression of miR158 caused reduced pollen varbility, which was caused by the degradation of pollen contents from the binucleate microspore stage. These results first suggest the role of miR158 in pollen development of Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in many important growth and development processes both in plants and animals by regulating the expression of their target genes via mRNA cleavage or translational repression. In this study, miR158, a Brassicaceae specific miRNA, was functionally characterized with regard to its role in pollen development of non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis). Two family members of miR158 in B. campestris, namely bra-miR158a1 and bra-miR158a2, and their target gene bra027656, which encodes a pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) containing protein, were identified. Then, qRT-PCR analysis and GUS-reporter system revealed that both bra-miR158 and its target gene had relatively high expression levels in the inflorescences. Further study revealed that over-expression of miR158 caused reduced pollen varbility and pollen germination ratio, and the degradation of pollen contents from the binucleate microspore stage was also found in those deformed pollen grains, which led to pollen shrinking and collapse in later pollen development stage. These results first shed light on the importance of miR158 in pollen development of Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis.

[Research on improving spectrum resolution of optimized Wollaston prism array].

PubMed

Zhang, Peng; Wang, Jian-Rong; Zhang, Guo-Chen; Hou, Wen

2011-11-01

In order to not affect the image quality of interference fringes on the basis of the structure by increasing the structure angle of Wollaston prism to improve spectrum resolution, the authors optimized the structure of Wollaston prism. Calculating the function of the splitting angle and the structure angle, analysis indicated that taking the isosceles triangle prism with the same nature of the second wedge-shaped prism after the Wollaston prism, which makes the o and e light parallel to the optical axis, and alpha=0 degrees, the imaging interference fringes are no longer affected by changes in the splitting angle. Several optimized Wollaston prisms were made as an array to improve the spectral resolution. Experiments used traditional and optimized Wollaston prism array to detect the spectrum of the 980 nm laser. Experimental data showed that using optimized Wollaston prism array gets a clearer contrast of interference fringes, and the spectral data with Fourier transform are more accurate with DSP.

Multiple plasmid-borne virulence genes of Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. capsici critical for disease development in pepper.

PubMed

Hwang, In Sun; Oh, Eom-Ji; Kim, Donghyuk; Oh, Chang-Sik

2018-02-01

Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. capsici is a Gram-positive plant-pathogenic bacterium causing bacterial canker disease in pepper. Virulence genes and mechanisms of C. michiganensis ssp. capsici in pepper have not yet been studied. To identify virulence genes of C. michiganensis ssp. capsici, comparative genome analyses with C. michiganensis ssp. capsici and its related C. michiganensis subspecies, and functional analysis of its putative virulence genes during infection were performed. The C. michiganensis ssp. capsici type strain PF008 carries one chromosome (3.056 Mb) and two plasmids (39 kb pCM1 Cmc and 145 kb pCM2 Cmc ). The genome analyses showed that this bacterium lacks a chromosomal pathogenicity island and celA gene that are important for disease development by C. michiganensis ssp. michiganensis in tomato, but carries most putative virulence genes in both plasmids. Virulence of pCM1 Cmc -cured C. michiganensis ssp. capsici was greatly reduced compared with the wild-type strain in pepper. The complementation analysis with pCM1 Cmc -located putative virulence genes showed that at least five genes, chpE, chpG, ppaA1, ppaB1 and pelA1, encoding serine proteases or pectate lyase contribute to disease development in pepper. In conclusion, C. michiganensis ssp. capsici has a unique genome structure, and its multiple plasmid-borne genes play critical roles in virulence in pepper, either separately or together. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

SSP: an interval integer linear programming for de novo transcriptome assembly and isoform discovery of RNA-seq reads.

PubMed

Safikhani, Zhaleh; Sadeghi, Mehdi; Pezeshk, Hamid; Eslahchi, Changiz

2013-01-01

Recent advances in the sequencing technologies have provided a handful of RNA-seq datasets for transcriptome analysis. However, reconstruction of full-length isoforms and estimation of the expression level of transcripts with a low cost are challenging tasks. We propose a novel de novo method named SSP that incorporates interval integer linear programming to resolve alternatively spliced isoforms and reconstruct the whole transcriptome from short reads. Experimental results show that SSP is fast and precise in determining different alternatively spliced isoforms along with the estimation of reconstructed transcript abundances. The SSP software package is available at http://www.bioinf.cs.ipm.ir/software/ssp. © 2013.

AGILE OBSERVATIONS OF THE 'SOFT' GAMMA-RAY PULSAR PSR B1509 - 58

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

Pilia, M.; Pellizzoni, A.; Esposito, P.

2010-11-01

We present the results of new AGILE observations of PSR B1509 - 58 performed over a period of {approx}2.5 years following the detection obtained with a subset of the present data. The modulation significance of the light curve above 30 MeV is at a 5{sigma} confidence level and the light curve is similar to those found earlier by COMPTEL up to 30 MeV: a broad asymmetric first peak reaching its maximum 0.39 {+-} 0.02 cycles after the radio peak plus a second peak at 0.94 {+-} 0.03. The gamma-ray spectral energy distribution of the pulsed flux detected by COMPTEL andmore » AGILE is well described by a power law (photon index {alpha} = 1.87 {+-} 0.09) with a remarkable cutoff at E{sub c} = 81 {+-} 20 MeV, representing the softest spectrum observed among gamma-ray pulsars so far. The pulsar luminosity at E > 1 MeV is L{sub {gamma}} = 4.2{sup +0.5}{sub -0.2} x 10{sup 35} erg s{sup -1}, assuming a distance of 5.2 kpc, which implies a spin-down conversion efficiency to gamma rays of {approx}0.03. The unusual soft break in the spectrum of PSR B1509 - 58 has been interpreted in the framework of polar cap models as a signature of the exotic photon-splitting process in the strong magnetic field of this pulsar. In this interpretation, our spectrum constrains the magnetic altitude of the emission point(s) at 3 km above the neutron star surface, implying that the attenuation may not be as strong as formerly suggested because pair production can substitute photon splitting into regions of the magnetosphere where the magnetic field becomes too low to sustain photon splitting. In the case of an outer-gap scenario or the two-pole caustic model, better constraints on the geometry of the emission would be needed from the radio band in order to establish whether the conditions required by the models to reproduce AGILE light curves and spectra match the polarization measurements.« less

An Evaluation of Putative Sympatric Speciation within Limnanthes (Limnanthaceae)

PubMed Central

Meyers, Stephen C.; Liston, Aaron; Meinke, Robert

2012-01-01

Limnanthes floccosa ssp. floccosa and L. floccosa ssp. grandiflora are two of five subspecies within Limnanthes floccosa endemic to vernal pools in southern Oregon and northern California. Three seasons of monitoring natural populations have quantified that L. floccosa ssp. grandiflora is always found growing sympatrically with L. floccosa ssp. floccosa and that their flowering times overlap considerably. Despite their subspecific rank within the same species crossing experiments have confirmed that their F1 hybrids are sterile. An analysis of twelve microsatellite markers, with unique alleles in each taxon, also shows exceedingly low levels of gene flow between populations of the two subspecies. Due to the lack of previous phylogenetic resolution among L. floccosa subspecies, we used Illumina next generation sequencing to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms from genomic DNA libraries of L. floccosa ssp. floccosa and L. floccosa ssp. grandiflora. These data were used to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms in the chloroplast, mitochondrial, and nuclear genomes. From these variable loci, a total of 2772 bp was obtained using Sanger sequencing of ten individuals representing all subspecies of L. floccosa and an outgroup. The resulting phylogenetic reconstruction was fully resolved. Our results indicate that although L. floccosa ssp. floccosa and L. floccosa ssp. grandiflora are closely related, they are not sister taxa and therefore likely did not diverge as a result of a sympatric speciation event. PMID:22563502

High efficiency solar cells combining a perovskite and a silicon heterojunction solar cells via an optical splitting system

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

Uzu, Hisashi, E-mail: Hisashi.Uzu@kaneka.co.jp, E-mail: npark@skku.edu; Ichikawa, Mitsuru; Hino, Masashi

2015-01-05

We have applied an optical splitting system in order to achieve very high conversion efficiency for a full spectrum multi-junction solar cell. This system consists of multiple solar cells with different band gap optically coupled via an “optical splitter.” An optical splitter is a multi-layered beam splitter with very high reflection in the shorter-wave-length range and very high transmission in the longer-wave-length range. By splitting the incident solar spectrum and distributing it to each solar cell, the solar energy can be managed more efficiently. We have fabricated optical splitters and used them with a wide-gap amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cellmore » or a CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}PbI{sub 3} perovskite solar cell as top cells, combined with mono-crystalline silicon heterojunction (HJ) solar cells as bottom cells. We have achieved with a 550 nm cutoff splitter an active area conversion efficiency of over 25% using a-Si and HJ solar cells and 28% using perovskite and HJ solar cells.« less

Landau level splitting due to graphene superlattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pal, G.; Apel, W.; Schweitzer, L.

2012-06-01

The Landau level spectrum of graphene superlattices is studied using a tight-binding approach. We consider noninteracting particles moving on a hexagonal lattice with an additional one-dimensional superlattice made up of periodic square potential barriers, which are oriented along the zigzag or along the armchair directions of graphene. In the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field, such systems can be described by a set of one-dimensional tight-binding equations, the Harper equations. The qualitative behavior of the energy spectrum with respect to the strength of the superlattice potential depends on the relation between the superlattice period and the magnetic length. When the potential barriers are oriented along the armchair direction of graphene, we find for strong magnetic fields that the zeroth Landau level of graphene splits into two well-separated sublevels, if the width of the barriers is smaller than the magnetic length. In this situation, which persists even in the presence of disorder, a plateau with zero Hall conductivity can be observed around the Dirac point. This Landau level splitting is a true lattice effect that cannot be obtained from the generally used continuum Dirac-fermion model.

Simultaneous and Successive Processing in Children with Reading Disability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Das, J. P.

1984-01-01

Considered are implications for learning disabled students of the simultaneous, successive, and planning (SSP) model, a model of information integration that emphasizes processes rather than ability. Remedial training guidelines are offered, including assessment of learning potential and determination of the nature of the weakness and its…

Reliability of the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY) for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matson, Johnny L.; Horovitz, Max; Mahan, Sara; Fodstad, Jill

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper was to update the psychometrics of the "Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Youngsters" ("MESSY") with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), specifically with respect to internal consistency, split-half reliability, and inter-rater reliability. In Study 1, 114 children with ASD (Autistic Disorder, Asperger's…

Preliminary Results From NASA's Space Solar Power Exploratory Research and Technology Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howell, Joe T.; Mankins, John C.

2000-01-01

Large solar power satellite (SPS) systems that might provide base load power into terrestrial markets were examined extensively in the 1970s by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Following a hiatus of about 15 years, the subject of space solar power (SSP) was reexamined by NASA from 1995-1997 in the "fresh look" study, and during 1998 in an SSP "concept definition study". As a result of these efforts, during 1999-2000, NASA has been conducting the SSP Exploratory Research and Technology (SERT) program. The goal of the SERT activity has been to conduct preliminary strategic technology research and development to enable large, multi-megawatt SSP systems and wireless power transmission (WPT) for government missions and commercial markets (in-space and terrestrial). In pursuing that goal, the SERT: (1) refined and modeled systems approaches for the utilization of SSP concepts and technologies, ranging from the near-term (e.g., for space science, exploration and commercial space applications) to the far-term (e.g., SSP for terrestrial markets), including systems concepts, architectures, technology, infrastructure (e.g. transportation), and economics; (2) conducted technology research, development and demonstration activities to produce "proof-of-concept" validation of critical SSP elements for both nearer and farther-term applications; and (3) engendered the beginnings of partnerships (nationally and internationally) that could be expanded, as appropriate, to pursue later SSP technology and applications. Through these efforts, the SERT should allow better informed future decisions regarding further SSP and related technology research and development investments by both NASA and prospective partners, and guide further definition of technology roadmaps - including performance objectives, resources and schedules, as well as "multi-purpose" applications (e.g., commerce, science, and government). This paper presents preliminary results from the SERT effort at a summary level, including the study approach, SPS concepts, applications findings, and concludes with a revised assessment of the prospects for solar power satellites using SSP technologies and systems.

Summary of Recent Results from NASA's Space Solar Power (SSP) Programs and the Current Capabilities of Microwave WPT Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McSpadden, James; Mankins, John C.; Howell, Joe T. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The concept of placing enormous solar power satellite (SPS) systems in space represents one of a handful of new technological options that might provide large-scale, environmentally clean base load power into terrestrial markets. In the US, the SPS concept was examined extensively during the late 1970s by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). More recently, the subject of space solar power (SSP) was reexamined by NASA from 1995-1997 in the "fresh look" study, and during 1998 in an SSP "concept definition study". As a result of these efforts, in 1999-2000, NASA undertook the SSP Exploratory Research and Technology (SERT) program which pursued preliminary strategic technology research and development to enable large, multi-megawatt SSP systems and wireless power transmission (WPT) for government missions and commercial markets (in-space and terrestrial). During 2001-2002, NASA has been pursuing an SSP Concept and Technology Maturation (SCTM) program follow-on to the SERT, with special emphasis on identifying new, high-leverage technologies that might advanced the feasibility of future SSP systems. In addition, in 2001, the U.S. National Research Council (NRC) released a major report providing the results of a peer review of NASA's SSP strategic research and technology (R&T) road maps. One of the key technologies needed to enable the future feasibility of SSP/SPS is that of wireless power transmission. Advances in phased array antennas and rectennas have provided the building blocks for a realizable WPT system. These key components include the dc-RF converters in the transmitter, the retrodirective beam control system, and the receiving rectenna. Each subject is briefly covered, and results from the SERT program that studied a 5.8 GHz SPS system are presented. This paper presents a summary results from NASA's SSP efforts, along with a summary of the status of microwave WPT technology development.

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

Srikannathasan, Velupillai; English, Grant; Bui, Nhat Khai

Crystal structures of type VI secretion system-associated immunity proteins, a peptidoglycan endopeptidase and a complex of the endopeptidase and its cognate immunity protein are reported together with assays of endopeptidase activity and functional assessment. Some Gram-negative bacteria target their competitors by exploiting the type VI secretion system to extrude toxic effector proteins. To prevent self-harm, these bacteria also produce highly specific immunity proteins that neutralize these antagonistic effectors. Here, the peptidoglycan endopeptidase specificity of two type VI secretion-system-associated effectors from Serratia marcescens is characterized. These small secreted proteins, Ssp1 and Ssp2, cleave between γ-d-glutamic acid and l-meso-diaminopimelic acid with differentmore » specificities. Ssp2 degrades the acceptor part of cross-linked tetratetrapeptides. Ssp1 displays greater promiscuity and cleaves monomeric tripeptides, tetrapeptides and pentapeptides and dimeric tetratetra and tetrapenta muropeptides on both the acceptor and donor strands. Functional assays confirm the identity of a catalytic cysteine in these endopeptidases and crystal structures provide information on the structure–activity relationships of Ssp1 and, by comparison, of related effectors. Functional assays also reveal that neutralization of these effectors by their cognate immunity proteins, which are called resistance-associated proteins (Raps), contributes an essential role to cell fitness. The structures of two immunity proteins, Rap1a and Rap2a, responsible for the neutralization of Ssp1 and Ssp2-like endopeptidases, respectively, revealed two distinct folds, with that of Rap1a not having previously been observed. The structure of the Ssp1–Rap1a complex revealed a tightly bound heteromeric assembly with two effector molecules flanking a Rap1a dimer. A highly effective steric block of the Ssp1 active site forms the basis of effector neutralization. Comparisons with Ssp2–Rap2a orthologues suggest that the specificity of these immunity proteins for neutralizing effectors is fold-dependent and that in cases where the fold is conserved sequence differences contribute to the specificity of effector–immunity protein interactions.« less

Streptococcus gordonii DL1 adhesin SspB V-region mediates coaggregation via receptor polysaccharide of Actinomyces oris T14V.

PubMed

Back, C R; Douglas, S K; Emerson, J E; Nobbs, A H; Jenkinson, H F

2015-10-01

Streptococcus gordonii SspA and SspB proteins, members of the antigen I/II (AgI/II) family of Streptococcus adhesins, mediate adherence to cysteine-rich scavenger glycoprotein gp340 and cells of other oral microbial species. In this article we investigated further the mechanism of coaggregation between S. gordonii DL1 and Actinomyces oris T14V. Previous mutational analysis of S. gordonii suggested that SspB was necessary for coaggregation with A. oris T14V. We have confirmed this by showing that Lactococcus lactis surrogate host cells expressing SspB coaggregated with A. oris T14V and PK606 cells, while L. lactis cells expressing SspA did not. Coaggregation occurred independently of expression of A. oris type 1 (FimP) or type 2 (FimA) fimbriae. Polysaccharide was prepared from cells of A. oris T14V and found to contain 1,4-, 4,6- and 3,4-linked glucose, 1,4-linked mannose, and 2,4-linked galactose residues. When immobilized onto plastic wells this polysaccharide supported binding of L. lactis expressing SspB, but not binding of L. lactis expressing other AgI/II family proteins. Purified recombinant NAVP region of SspB, comprising amino acid (aa) residues 41-847, bound A. oris polysaccharide but the C-domain (932-1470 aa residues) did not. A site-directed deletion of 29 aa residues (Δ691-718) close to the predicted binding cleft within the SspB V-region ablated binding of the NAVP region to polysaccharide. These results infer that the V-region head of SspB recognizes an actinomyces polysaccharide ligand, so further characterizing a lectin-like coaggregation mechanism occurring between two important primary colonizers. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Broadband Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm for freeform diffractive spectral filter design.

PubMed

Vorndran, Shelby; Russo, Juan M; Wu, Yuechen; Pelaez, Silvana Ayala; Kostuk, Raymond K

2015-11-30

A multi-wavelength expansion of the Gerchberg-Saxton (GS) algorithm is developed to design and optimize a surface relief Diffractive Optical Element (DOE). The DOE simultaneously diffracts distinct wavelength bands into separate target regions. A description of the algorithm is provided, and parameters that affect filter performance are examined. Performance is based on the spectral power collected within specified regions on a receiver plane. The modified GS algorithm is used to design spectrum splitting optics for CdSe and Si photovoltaic (PV) cells. The DOE has average optical efficiency of 87.5% over the spectral bands of interest (400-710 nm and 710-1100 nm). Simulated PV conversion efficiency is 37.7%, which is 29.3% higher than the efficiency of the better performing PV cell without spectrum splitting optics.

Visible near-infrared light scattering of single silver split-ring structure made by nanosphere lithography.

PubMed

Okamoto, Toshihiro; Fukuta, Tetsuya; Sato, Shuji; Haraguchi, Masanobu; Fukui, Masuo

2011-04-11

We succeeded in making a silver split-ring (SR) structure of approximately 130 nm in diameter on a glass substrate using a nanosphere lithography technique. The light scattering spectrum in visible near-infrared region of a single, isolated SR was measured using a microscope spectroscopy optical system. The electromagnetic field enhancement spectrum and distribution of the SR structure were simulated by the finite-difference time-domain method, and the excitation modes were clarified. The long wavelength peak in the light scattering spectra corresponded to a fundamental LC resonance mode excited by an incident electric field. It was shown that a single SR structure fabricated as abovementioned can operate as a resonator and generate a magnetic dipole. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Sporophytic self-incompatibility in Senecio squalidus L (Asteraceae)--the search for S.

PubMed

Hiscock, Simon J; McInnis, Stephanie M; Tabah, David A; Henderson, Catherine A; Brennan, Adrian C

2003-01-01

Senecio squalidus (Oxford Ragwort) is being used as a model species to study the genetics and molecular genetics of self-incompatibility (SI) in the Asteraceae. S. squalidus has a strong system of sporophytic SI (SSI) and populations within the UK contain very few S alleles probably due to a population bottleneck experienced on its introduction to the UK. The genetic control of SSI in S. squalidus is complex and may involve a second locus epistatic to S. Progress towards identifying the female determinant of SSI in S. squalidus is reviewed here. Research is focused on plants carrying two defined S alleles, S(1) and S(2). S(2) is dominant to S(1) in pollen and stigma. RT-PCR was used to amplify three SRK-like cDNAs from stigmas of S(1)S(2) heterozygotes, but the expression patterns of these cDNAs suggest that they are unlikely to be directly involved in SI or pollen-stigma interactions in contrast to SSI in the Brassicaceae. Stigma-specific proteins associated with the S(1) allele and the S(2) allele have been identified using isoelectric focusing and these proteins have been designated SSP1 (Stigma S-associated Protein 1) and SSP2. SSP1 and SSP2 cDNAs have been cloned by 3' and 5' RACE and shown to be allelic forms of the same gene, SSP. The expression of SSP and its linkage to the S locus are currently being investigated. Initial results show SSP to be expressed exclusively in stigmas and developmentally regulated, with maximal expression occurring at and just before anthesis when SI is fully functional, SSP expression being undetectable in immature buds. Together these data suggest that SSP is a strong candidate for a Senecio S-gene.

Usefulness of 3-dimensional stereotactic surface projection FDG PET images for the diagnosis of dementia

PubMed Central

Kim, Jahae; Cho, Sang-Geon; Song, Minchul; Kang, Sae-Ryung; Kwon, Seong Young; Choi, Kang-Ho; Choi, Seong-Min; Kim, Byeong-Chae; Song, Ho-Chun

2016-01-01

Abstract To compare diagnostic performance and confidence of a standard visual reading and combined 3-dimensional stereotactic surface projection (3D-SSP) results to discriminate between Alzheimer disease (AD)/mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET brain images were obtained from 120 patients (64 AD/MCI, 38 DLB, and 18 FTD) who were clinically confirmed over 2 years follow-up. Three nuclear medicine physicians performed the diagnosis and rated diagnostic confidence twice; once by standard visual methods, and once by adding of 3D-SSP. Diagnostic performance and confidence were compared between the 2 methods. 3D-SSP showed higher sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive, and negative predictive values to discriminate different types of dementia compared with the visual method alone, except for AD/MCI specificity and FTD sensitivity. Correction of misdiagnosis after adding 3D-SSP images was greatest for AD/MCI (56%), followed by DLB (13%) and FTD (11%). Diagnostic confidence also increased in DLB (visual: 3.2; 3D-SSP: 4.1; P < 0.001), followed by AD/MCI (visual: 3.1; 3D-SSP: 3.8; P = 0.002) and FTD (visual: 3.5; 3D-SSP: 4.2; P = 0.022). Overall, 154/360 (43%) cases had a corrected misdiagnosis or improved diagnostic confidence for the correct diagnosis. The addition of 3D-SSP images to visual analysis helped to discriminate different types of dementia in FDG PET scans, by correcting misdiagnoses and enhancing diagnostic confidence in the correct diagnosis. Improvement of diagnostic accuracy and confidence by 3D-SSP images might help to determine the cause of dementia and appropriate treatment. PMID:27930593

Efficiency of PCR-based methods in discriminating Bifidobacterium longum ssp. longum and Bifidobacterium longum ssp. infantis strains of human origin.

PubMed

Srůtková, Dagmar; Spanova, Alena; Spano, Miroslav; Dráb, Vladimír; Schwarzer, Martin; Kozaková, Hana; Rittich, Bohuslav

2011-10-01

Bifidobacterium longum is considered to play an important role in health maintenance of the human gastrointestinal tract. Probiotic properties of bifidobacterial isolates are strictly strain-dependent and reliable methods for the identification and discrimination of this species at both subspecies and strain levels are thus required. Differentiation between B. longum ssp. longum and B. longum ssp. infantis is difficult due to high genomic similarities. In this study, four molecular-biological methods (species- and subspecies-specific PCRs, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method using 5 primers, repetitive sequence-based (rep)-PCR with BOXA1R and (GTG)(5) primers and amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA)) and biochemical analysis, were compared for the classification of 30 B. longum strains (28 isolates and 2 collection strains) on subspecies level. Strains originally isolated from the faeces of breast-fed healthy infants (25) and healthy adults (3) showed a high degree of genetic homogeneity by PCR with subspecies-specific primers and rep-PCR. When analysed by RAPD, the strains formed many separate clusters without any potential for subspecies discrimination. These methods together with arabionose/melezitose fermentation analysis clearly differentiated only the collection strains into B. longum ssp. longum and B. longum ssp. infantis at the subspecies level. On the other hand, ARDRA analysis differentiated the strains into the B. longum/infantis subspecies using the cleavage analysis of genus-specific amplicon with just one enzyme, Sau3AI. According to our results the majority of the strains belong to the B. longum ssp. infantis (75%). Therefore we suggest ARDRA using Sau3AI restriction enzyme as the first method of choice for distinguishing between B. longum ssp. longum and B. longum ssp. infantis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of hybridization among wild and cultivated Vigna unguiculata subspecies revealed by arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction analysis

PubMed Central

Vijaykumar, Archana; Saini, Ajay; Jawali, Narendra

2012-01-01

Background and aims Intra-species hybridization and incompletely homogenized ribosomal RNA repeat units have earlier been reported in 21 accessions of Vigna unguiculata from six subspecies using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 5S intergenic spacer (IGS) analyses. However, the relationships among these accessions were not clear from these analyses. We therefore assessed intra-species hybridization in the same set of accessions. Methodology Arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) analysis was carried out using 12 primers. The PCR products were resolved on agarose gels and the DNA fragments were scored manually. Genetic relationships were inferred by TREECON software using unweighted paired group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) cluster analysis evaluated by bootstrapping and compared with previous analyses based on ITS and 5S IGS. Principal results A total of 202 (86 %) fragments were found to be polymorphic and used for generating a genetic distance matrix. Twenty-one V. unguiculata accessions were grouped into three main clusters. The cultivated subspecies (var. unguiculata) and most of its wild progenitors (var. spontanea) were placed in cluster I along with ssp. pubescens and ssp. stenophylla. Whereas var. spontanea were grouped with ssp. alba and ssp. tenuis accessions in cluster II, ssp. alba and ssp. baoulensis were included in cluster III. Close affinities of ssp. unguiculata, ssp. alba and ssp. tenuis suggested inter-subspecies hybridization. Conclusions Multi-locus AP-PCR analysis reveals that intra-species hybridization is prevalent among V. unguiculata subspecies and suggests that grouping of accessions from two different subspecies is not solely due to the similarity in the ITS and 5S IGS regions but also due to other regions of the genome. PMID:22619698

The effect of pacing strategy on physiological, kinetic and performance variables during simulated rowing ergometer.

PubMed

Dimakopoulou, Eleni; Zacharogiannis, Elias; Chairopoulou, Chrysoula; Kaloupsis, Socratis; Platanou, Theodoros

2017-02-21

This study compared the effects of self selected (SSP), negative (NPS) and even (EPS) pacing strategy on performance time, kinetic and physiological variables in overall 2km rowing and in first and second 1km. Fifteen male rowers (15.37 ± 1.34 yrs) realized four tests: an incremental test on a rowing ergometer to determine their VO2peak and three experimental 2 km rowing race, where first 1km was manipulated. From SSP a negative pacing strategy, 4% slower than the mean velocity of SSP, and an even pacing strategy (EPS) with mean velocity of SSP, were developed. High stroke rate and better performance time was observed in SSP. Fstr and Fpeak decreased, whereas performance time increased, in SSP and EPS from first to second 1km.Unlike, performance time, stroke rate and Pst in NPS presented better values (p=0.001) with the exception of decreased stroke length (p=0.03). There was an increase in physiological responses in all pacing strategies from first to second 1km (p=0.001). Performance time, stroke rate and Fstr were better in SSP and EPS compared to NPS in first 1km (p=0.001). VE, VE/VO2, VCO2 were better in SSP and EPS compared to NPS (p=0.001) in both first and second 1km. Stroke length was smaller in SSP compared to NPS and EPS in second 1km (p=0.001). Self selected pacing (parabolic-shaped profile) allowed rowers to cover the 2 km distance in higher stroke rate and in shorter performance time compared to negative and even pacing strategies presenting same physiological responses.

Shock Mitigation in Open-Celled TiNi Foams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jardine, A. Peter

2018-05-01

High-energy shock events generated by impacts are effectively mitigated by Nitinol materials. Initial evidence of this capability was suggested by the dramatically superior cavitation-erosion performance of Nitinol coatings made by plasma spray processes, over steels and brasses. A fast acting hysteretic stress-strain response mechanism was proposed to explain this result, transforming the shock energy into heat. Extending this work to bulk TiNi, dynamic load characterization using Split Rod Hopkinson Bar techniques on solid porous TiNi confirmed that the mechanical response to high strain rates below 4200 s-1 were indeed hysteretic. This paper reports on dynamical load characterization on TiNi foams made by Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis (SHS) using Split Rod Hopkinson Bar and gas-gun impact characterization to compare these foams to alternative materials. This work verified that SHS-derived TiNi foams were indeed hysteretic at strain rates from 180 to 2300 s-1. In addition, Shock Spectrum Analysis demonstrated that TiNi foams were very effective in mitigating the shock spectrum range below 5 kHz, and that increasing porosity increased the amount of shock attenuation in that spectral range. Finally under impact loading, 55% porous TiNi foams were a factor of 7 superior to steel and a factor of 4 better than Al 6061 or Cu in mitigating peak g-loads and this attenuation improved with bilayer structures of 57 and 73% porous TiNi foam article.

Technical Analysis of SSP-21 Protocol

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

Bromberger, S.

As part of the California Energy Systems for the Twenty-First Century (CES-21) program, in December 2016 San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) contracted with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to perform an independent verification and validation (IV&V) of a white paper describing their Secure SCADA Protocol for the Twenty-First Century (SSP-21) in order to analyze the effectiveness and propriety of cryptographic protocol use within the SSP-21 specification. SSP-21 is designed to use cryptographic protocols to provide (optional) encryption, authentication, and nonrepudiation, among other capabilities. The cryptographic protocols to be used reflect current industry standards; future versions of SSP-21 will usemore » other advanced technologies to provide a subset of security services.« less

Staphylococcus saprophyticus surface-associated protein (Ssp) is associated with lifespan reduction in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Szabados, Florian; Mohner, Amelie; Kleine, Britta; Gatermann, Sören G

2013-10-01

Staphylococcal lipases have been proposed as pathogenicity factors. In Staphylococcus saprophyticus the surface-associated protein (Ssp) has been previously characterized as a cell wall-associated true lipase. A S. saprophyticus Δssp::ermB mutant has been described as less virulent in an in vivo model of urinary tract infection compared with its wild-type. This is the first report showing that S. saprophyticus induced a lifespan reduction in Caenorhabditis elegans similar to that of S. aureus RN4220. In two S. saprophyticus Δssp::ermB mutants lifespan reduction in C. elegans was partly abolished. In order to attribute virulence to the lipase activity itself and distinguish this phenomenon from the presence of the Ssp-protein, the conserved active site of the lipase was modified by site-directed ligase-independent mutagenesis and lipase activity-deficient mutants were constructed. These results indicate that the Ssp is associated with pathogenicity in C. elegans and one could speculate that the lipase activity itself is responsible for this virulence.

Staphylococcus saprophyticus surface-associated protein (Ssp) is associated with lifespan reduction in Caenorhabditis elegans

PubMed Central

Szabados, Florian; Mohner, Amelie; Kleine, Britta; Gatermann, Sören G

2013-01-01

Staphylococcal lipases have been proposed as pathogenicity factors. In Staphylococcus saprophyticus the surface-associated protein (Ssp) has been previously characterized as a cell wall-associated true lipase. A S. saprophyticus Δssp::ermB mutant has been described as less virulent in an in vivo model of urinary tract infection compared with its wild-type. This is the first report showing that S. saprophyticus induced a lifespan reduction in Caenorhabditis elegans similar to that of S. aureus RN4220. In two S. saprophyticus Δssp::ermB mutants lifespan reduction in C. elegans was partly abolished. In order to attribute virulence to the lipase activity itself and distinguish this phenomenon from the presence of the Ssp-protein, the conserved active site of the lipase was modified by site-directed ligase-independent mutagenesis and lipase activity-deficient mutants were constructed. These results indicate that the Ssp is associated with pathogenicity in C. elegans and one could speculate that the lipase activity itself is responsible for this virulence. PMID:23959029

Patterns of DNA variation among three centromere satellite families in Arabidopsis halleri and A. lyrata.

PubMed

Kawabe, Akira; Charlesworth, Deborah

2007-02-01

We describe patterns of DNA variation among the three centromeric satellite families in Arabidopsis halleri and lyrata. The newly studied subspecies (A. halleri ssp. halleri and A. lyrata ssp. lyrata and petraea), like the previously studied A. halleri ssp. gemmifera and A. lyrata ssp. kawasakiana, have three different centromeric satellite families, the older pAa family (also present in A. arenosa) and two families, pAge1 and pAge2, that probably evolved more recently. Sequence variability is high in all three satellite families, and the pAa sequences do not cluster by their species of origin. Diversity in the pAge2 family is complex, and different from variation among copies of the other two families, showing clear evidence for exchange events among family members, especially in A. halleri ssp. halleri. In A. lyrata ssp. lyrata there is some evidence for recent rapid spread of pAge2 variants, suggesting selection favoring these sequences.

Effect of surfactant assisted sonic pretreatment on liquefaction of fruits and vegetable residue: Characterization, acidogenesis, biomethane yield and energy ratio.

PubMed

Shanthi, M; Rajesh Banu, J; Sivashanmugam, P

2018-05-15

The present study explored the disintegration potential of fruits and vegetable residue through sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) assisted sonic pretreatment (SSP). In SSP method, initially the biomass barrier (lignin) was removed using SDS at different dosage, subsequently it was sonically disintegrated. The effect of SSP were assessed based on dissolved organic release (DOR) of fruits and vegetable waste and specific energy input. SSP method achieved higher DOR rate and suspended solids reduction (26% and 16%) at optimum SDS dosage of 0.035 g/g SS with least specific energy input of 5400 kJ/kg TS compared to ultrasonic pretreatment (UP) (16% and 10%). The impact of fermentation and biomethane potential assay revealed highest production of volatile fatty acid and methane yield in SSP (1950 mg/L, 0.6 g/g COD) than UP. The energy ratio obtained was 0.9 for SSP, indicating proposed method is energetically efficient. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Different small, acid-soluble proteins of the alpha/beta type have interchangeable roles in the heat and UV radiation resistance of Bacillus subtilis spores.

PubMed Central

Mason, J M; Setlow, P

1987-01-01

Spores of Bacillus subtilis strains which carry deletion mutations in one gene (sspA) or two genes (sspA and sspB) which code for major alpha/beta-type small, acid-soluble spore proteins (SASP) are known to be much more sensitive to heat and UV radiation than wild-type spores. This heat- and UV-sensitive phenotype was cured completely or in part by introduction into these mutant strains of one or more copies of the sspA or sspB genes themselves; multiple copies of the B. subtilis sspD gene, which codes for a minor alpha/beta-type SASP; or multiple copies of the SASP-C gene, which codes for a major alpha/beta-type SASP of Bacillus megaterium. These findings suggest that alpha/beta-type SASP play interchangeable roles in the heat and UV radiation resistance of bacterial spores. Images PMID:3112127

Preparation of cauliflower-like CdS/ZnS/ZnO nanostructure and its photoelectric properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhifeng; Guo, Keying; Wang, Yun; Zheng, Xuerong; Ya, Jing; Li, Junwei; Han, Li; Liu, Zhichao; Han, Jianhua

2014-06-01

Cauliflower-like CdS/ZnS/ZnO nanostructure is fabricated via a simple hydrothermal method. Factors such as concentration of reaction solution, reaction temperature, as well as reaction time in the synthetic process are investigated, and the working mechanism of the nanostructure is suggested. Hydrogen generation efficiency of 4.69 % at 0.29 V versus saturated calomel electrode is achieved using synthesized nanostructure as electrode due to the improved absorption and appropriate energy gap structure, which is confirmed by enhanced absorption spectrum. The expected products have potential application in photoelectrochemical water splitting.

Overview of NASA's Space Solar Power Technology Advanced Research and Development Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howell, Joe; Mankins, John C.; Davis, N. Jan (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Large solar power satellite (SPS) systems that might provide base load power into terrestrial markets were examined extensively in the 1970s by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Following a hiatus of about 15 years, the subject of space solar power (SSP) was reexamined by NASA from 1995-1997 in the 'fresh look' study, and during 1998 in an SSP 'concept definition study', and during 1999-2000 in the SSP Exploratory Research and Technology (SERT) program. As a result of these efforts, during 2001, NASA has initiated the SSP Technology Advanced Research and Development (STAR-Dev) program based on informed decisions. The goal of the STAR-Dev program is to conduct preliminary strategic technology research and development to enable large, multi-megawatt to gigawatt-class space solar power (SSP) systems and wireless power transmission (WPT) for government missions and commercial markets (in-space and terrestrial). Specific objectives include: (1) Release a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) for SSP Projects; (2) Conduct systems studies; (3) Develop Component Technologies; (4) Develop Ground and Flight demonstration systems; and (5) Assess and/or Initiate Partnerships. Accomplishing these objectives will allow informed future decisions regarding further SSP and related research and development investments by both NASA management and prospective external partners. In particular, accomplishing these objectives will also guide further definition of SSP and related technology roadmaps including performance objectives, resources and schedules; including 'multi-purpose' applications (commercial, science, and other government).

Small serum protein-1 changes the susceptibility of an apoptosis-inducing metalloproteinase HV1 to a metalloproteinase inhibitor in habu snake (Trimeresurus flavoviridis)

PubMed Central

Shioi, Narumi; Ogawa, Eiki; Mizukami, Yuki; Abe, Shuhei; Hayashi, Rieko; Terada, Shigeyuki

2013-01-01

Viperidae snakes containing various venomous proteins also have several anti-toxic proteins in their sera. However, the physiological function of serum protein has been elucidated incompletely. Small serum protein (SSP)-1 is a major component of the SSPs isolated from the serum of a Japanese viper, the habu snake (Trimeresurus flavoviridis). It exists in the blood as a binary complex with habu serum factor (HSF), a snake venom metalloproteinase inhibitor. Affinity chromatography of the venom on an SSP-1-immobilized column identified HV1, an apoptosis-inducing metalloproteinase, as the target protein of SSP-1. Biacore measurements revealed that SSP-1 was bound to HV1 with a dissociation constant of 8.2 × 10−8 M. However, SSP-1 did not inhibit the peptidase activity of HV1. Although HSF alone showed no inhibitory activity or binding affinity to HV1, the SSP-1–HSF binary complex bound to HV1 formed a ternary complex that non-competitively inhibited the peptidase activity of HV1 with a inhibition constant of 5.1 ± 1.3 × 10−9 M. The SSP-1–HSF complex also effectively suppressed the apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells and caspase 3 activation induced by HV1. Thus, SSP-1 is a unique protein that non-covalently attaches to HV1 and changes its susceptibility to HSF. PMID:23100271

Essential-oil composition of Daucus carota ssp. major (Pastinocello Carrot) and nine different commercial varieties of Daucus carota ssp. sativus fruits.

PubMed

Flamini, Guido; Cosimi, Elena; Cioni, Pier Luigi; Molfetta, Ilaria; Braca, Alessandra

2014-07-01

The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from the pastinocello carrot, Daucus carota ssp. major (Vis.) Arcang. (flowers and achenes), and from nine different commercial varieties of D. carota L. ssp. sativus (achenes) was investigated by GC/MS analyses. Selective breeding over centuries of a naturally occurring subspecies of the wild carrot, D. carota L. ssp. sativus, has produced the common garden vegetable with reduced bitterness, increased sweetness, and minimized woody core. On the other hand, the cultivation of the pastinocello carrot has been abandoned, even if, recently, there has been renewed interest in the development of this species, which risks genetic erosion. The cultivated carrot (D. carota ssp. sativus) and the pastinocello carrot (D. carota ssp. major) were classified as different subspecies of the same species. This close relationship between the two subspecies urged us to compare the chemical composition of their essential oils, to evaluate the differences. The main essential-oil constituents isolated from the pastinocello fruits were geranyl acetate (34.2%), α-pinene (12.9%), geraniol (6.9%), myrcene (4.7%), epi-α-bisabolol (4.5%), sabinene (3.3%), and limonene (3.0%). The fruit essential oils of the nine commercial varieties of D. carota ssp. sativus were very different from that of pastinocello, as also confirmed by multivariate statistical analyses. Copyright © 2014 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.

Evaluating Sensory Processing in Fragile X Syndrome: Psychometric Analysis of the Brain Body Center Sensory Scales (BBCSS).

PubMed

Kolacz, Jacek; Raspa, Melissa; Heilman, Keri J; Porges, Stephen W

2018-06-01

Individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS), especially those co-diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), face many sensory processing challenges. However, sensory processing measures informed by neurophysiology are lacking. This paper describes the development and psychometric properties of a parent/caregiver report, the Brain-Body Center Sensory Scales (BBCSS), based on Polyvagal Theory. Parents/guardians reported on 333 individuals with FXS, 41% with ASD features. Factor structure using a split-sample exploratory-confirmatory design conformed to neurophysiological predictions. Internal consistency, test-retest, and inter-rater reliability were good to excellent. BBCSS subscales converged with the Sensory Profile and Sensory Experiences Questionnaire. However, data also suggest that BBCSS subscales reflect unique features related to sensory processing. Individuals with FXS and ASD features displayed more sensory challenges on most subscales.

The rotational spectrum of the water-hydroperoxy radical (H2O-HO2) complex.

PubMed

Suma, Kohsuke; Sumiyoshi, Yoshihiro; Endo, Yasuki

2006-03-03

Peroxy radicals and their derivatives are elusive but important intermediates in a wide range of oxidation processes. We observed pure rotational transitions of the water-hydroperoxy radical complex, H2O-HO2, in a supersonic jet by means of a Fourier transform microwave spectrometer combined with a double-resonance technique. The observed rotational transitions were found to split into two components because of the internal rotation of the water moiety. The molecular constants for the two components were determined precisely, supporting a molecular structure in which HO2 acts as a proton donor to form a nearly planar five-membered ring, and one hydrogen atom of water sticks out from the ring plane. The structure and the spectral splittings due to internal rotation provide information on the nature of the bonding interaction between open- and closed-shell species, and they also provide accurate transition frequencies that are applicable to remote sensing of this complex, which may elucidate its potential roles in atmospheric and combustion chemistry.

An Overview of Solar Sail Propulsion within NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Les; Swartzlander, Grover A.; Artusio-Glimpse, Alexandra

2013-01-01

Solar Sail Propulsion (SSP) is a high-priority new technology within The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and several potential future space missions have been identified that will require SSP. Small and mid-sized technology demonstration missions using solar sails have flown or will soon fly in space. Multiple mission concept studies have been performed to determine the system level SSP requirements for their implementation and, subsequently, to drive the content of relevant technology programs. The status of SSP technology and potential future mission implementation within the United States (US) will be described.

Purification and Initial Functions of Sex-Specific Storage Protein 2 in Bombyx mori.

PubMed

Chen, Jianqing; Shu, Tejun; Chen, Jian; Ye, Man; Lv, Zhengbing; Nie, Zuoming; Gai, Qijing; Yu, Wei; Zhang, Yaozhou

2015-08-01

In this study, we identified a heat-resistant protein from the chrysalis stage of the silkworm which we named sex-specific storage protein 2 (SSP2). This protein was stable even at 80 °C, and has an amino acid sequence that is 90.65 % homologous to SP2. We utilized the heat-resistant characteristics of SSP2 to purify the protein and maintain its biological activity. In addition, using flow cytometry and the MTT assay, we found that SSP2 had anti-apoptotic effects on BmN cells, and that SSP2 could also inhibit cell apoptosis induced by chemical factors. These results suggest that SSP2 has a cell-protective function, and provides a basis for future work on the function of storage proteins in silkworm.

Primary and Secondary Spontaneous Pneumothorax: Prevalence, Clinical Features, and In-Hospital Mortality

PubMed Central

Ueda, Sho; Yamaoka, Masatoshi; Sekiya, Yoshiaki; Yamada, Hitoshi; Kawakami, Naoki; Araki, Yuichi; Wakai, Yoko; Saito, Kazuhito; Inagaki, Masaharu; Matsumiya, Naoki

2017-01-01

Background. Optimal treatment practices and factors associated with in-hospital mortality in spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) are not fully understood. We evaluated prevalence, clinical characteristics, and in-hospital mortality among Japanese patients with primary or secondary SP (PSP/SSP). Methods. We retrospectively reviewed and stratified 938 instances of pneumothorax in 751 consecutive patients diagnosed with SP into the PSP and SSP groups. Factors associated with in-hospital mortality in SSP were identified by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results. In the SSP group (n = 327; 34.9%), patient age, requirement for emergency transport, and length of stay were greater (all, p < 0.001), while the prevalence of smoking (p = 0.023) and number of surgical interventions (p < 0.001) were lower compared to those in the PSP group (n = 611; 65.1%). Among the 16 in-hospital deceased patients, 12 (75.0%) received emergency transportation and 10 (62.5%) exhibited performance status (PS) of 3-4. In the SSP group, emergency transportation was an independent factor for in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 16.37; 95% confidence interval, 4.85–55.20; p < 0.001). Conclusions. The prevalence and clinical characteristics of PSP and SSP differ considerably. Patients with SSP receiving emergency transportation should receive careful attention. PMID:28386166

Chloroplast genomes of Arabidopsis halleri ssp. gemmifera and Arabidopsis lyrata ssp. petraea: Structures and comparative analysis.

PubMed

Asaf, Sajjad; Khan, Abdul Latif; Khan, Muhammad Aaqil; Waqas, Muhammad; Kang, Sang-Mo; Yun, Byung-Wook; Lee, In-Jung

2017-08-08

We investigated the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of non-model Arabidopsis halleri ssp. gemmifera and Arabidopsis lyrata ssp. petraea using Illumina paired-end sequencing to understand their genetic organization and structure. Detailed bioinformatics analysis revealed genome sizes of both subspecies ranging between 154.4~154.5 kbp, with a large single-copy region (84,197~84,158 bp), a small single-copy region (17,738~17,813 bp) and pair of inverted repeats (IRa/IRb; 26,264~26,259 bp). Both cp genomes encode 130 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes, eight ribosomal RNA genes and 37 transfer RNA genes. Whole cp genome comparison of A. halleri ssp. gemmifera and A. lyrata ssp. petraea, along with ten other Arabidopsis species, showed an overall high degree of sequence similarity, with divergence among some intergenic spacers. The location and distribution of repeat sequences were determined, and sequence divergences of shared genes were calculated among related species. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of the entire genomic data set and 70 shared genes between both cp genomes confirmed the previous phylogeny and generated phylogenetic trees with the same topologies. The sister species of A. halleri ssp. gemmifera is A. umezawana, whereas the closest relative of A. lyrata spp. petraea is A. arenicola.

Dissection of the Role of the Stable Signal Peptide of the Arenavirus Envelope Glycoprotein in Membrane Fusion

PubMed Central

Messina, Emily L.; York, Joanne

2012-01-01

The arenavirus envelope glycoprotein (GPC) retains a stable signal peptide (SSP) as an essential subunit in the mature complex. The 58-amino-acid residue SSP comprises two membrane-spanning hydrophobic regions separated by a short ectodomain loop that interacts with the G2 fusion subunit to promote pH-dependent membrane fusion. Small-molecule compounds that target this unique SSP-G2 interaction prevent arenavirus entry and infection. The interaction between SSP and G2 is sensitive to the phylogenetic distance between New World (Junín) and Old World (Lassa) arenaviruses. For example, heterotypic GPC complexes are unable to support virion entry. In this report, we demonstrate that the hybrid GPC complexes are properly assembled, proteolytically cleaved, and transported to the cell surface but are specifically defective in their membrane fusion activity. Chimeric SSP constructs reveal that this incompatibility is localized to the first transmembrane segment of SSP (TM1). Genetic changes in TM1 also affect sensitivity to small-molecule fusion inhibitors, generating resistance in some cases and inhibitor dependence in others. Our studies suggest that interactions of SSP TM1 with the transmembrane domain of G2 may be important for GPC-mediated membrane fusion and its inhibition. PMID:22438561

Proanthocyanidins in Sea Buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) Berries of Different Origins with Special Reference to the Influence of Genetic Background and Growth Location.

PubMed

Yang, Wei; Laaksonen, Oskar; Kallio, Heikki; Yang, Baoru

2016-02-17

Wild sea buckthorn berries from Finland (Hippophaë rhamnoides ssp. rhamnoides) and China (ssp. sinensis) as well as berries of two varieties of ssp. rhamnoides cultivated in Finland and five of ssp. mongolica cultivated in Canada were compared on the basis of the content and composition of proanthocyanidins (PAs). Among all of the samples, only B-type PAs were found. The contents of dimeric, trimeric, tetrameric, and total PAs were in the range of 1.4-8.9, 1.3-9.5, 1.0-7.1, and 390-1940 mg/100 g of dry weight, respectively. The three subspecies were separated by three validated factors (R(2), 0.724; Q(2), 0.677) in the partial least squares discriminant analysis model. Significant differences in total PAs were found between the ssp. rhamnoides and mongolica samples (p < 0.05). In ssp. rhamnoides, samples grown in northern Finland were characterized by a high amount of total PAs, typically 2-3 times higher than that in the level found in southern Finland. In ssp. sinensis, altitude did not have a systematic effect on the PA composition, suggesting the significance of the interaction between genetic background and growth location.

Comparison of the results of climate change impact assessment between RCP8.5 and SSP2 scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, D. K.; Park, J. H.; Park, C.; Kim, S.

2017-12-01

Climate change scenarios are mainly published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and include SRES (Special Report on Emission Scenario) scenarios (IPCC Third Report), RCP (Representative Concentration Pathways) scenarios (IPCC 5th Report), and SSP (Shared Socioeconomic Pathways) scenarios. Currently widely used RCP scenarios are based on how future greenhouse gas concentrations will change. In contrast, SSP scenarios are that predict how climate change will change in response to socio-economic indicators such as population, economy, land use, and energy change. In this study, based on RCP 8.5 climate data, we developed a new Korean scenario using the future social and economic scenarios of SSP2. In the development of the scenario, not only Korea's emissions but also China and Japan's emissions were considered in terms of space. In addition, GHG emissions and air pollutant emissions were taken into consideration. Using the newly developed scenarios, the impacts assessments of the forest were evaluated and the impacts were evaluated using the RCP scenarios. The average precipitation is similar to the SSP2 scenario and the RCP8.5 scenario, but the SSP2 scenario shows the maximum value is lower than RCP8.5 scenario. This is because the SSP2 scenario simulates the summer precipitation weakly. The temperature distribution is similar for both scenarios, and it can be seen that the average temperature in the 2090s is higher than that in the 2050s. At present, forest net primary productivity of Korea is 693 tC/km2, and it is 679 tC/km2 when SSP2 scenario is applied. Also, the damage of forest by ozone is about 4.1-5.1%. On the other hand, when SSP2 scenario is applied, the forest net primary productivity of Korea is 607 tC/km2 and the forest net primary productivity of RCP8.5 scenario is 657 tC/km2. The analysis shows that the damage caused by climate change is reduced by 14.2% for the SSP2 scenario and 6.9% for the RCP8.5 scenario. The damage caused by ozone was about 5.0-5.6% in the SSP2 scenario and 3.8-4.2% in the RCP scenario.

Impacts of population growth, urbanisation and sanitation changes on global human Cryptosporidium emissions to surface water.

PubMed

Hofstra, Nynke; Vermeulen, Lucie C

2016-10-01

Cryptosporidium is a pathogenic protozoan parasite and is a leading cause of diarrhoea worldwide. The concentration of Cryptosporidium in the surface water is a determinant for probability of exposure and the risk of disease. Surface water concentrations are expected to change with population growth, urbanisation and changes in sanitation. The objective of this paper is to assess the importance of future changes in population, urbanisation and sanitation on global human emissions of Cryptosporidium to surface water. The GloWPa-Crypto H1 (the Global Waterborne Pathogen model for Human Cryptosporidium emissions version 1) model is presented and run for 2010 and with scenarios for 2050. The new scenarios are based on the Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs) developed for the climate community. The scenarios comprise assumptions on sanitation changes in line with the storylines and population and urbanisation changes from the SSPs. In SSP1 population growth is limited, urbanisation large and sanitation and waste water treatment strongly improve. SSP1* is the same as SSP1, but waste water treatment does not improve. SSP3 sees large population growth, moderate urbanisation and sanitation and waste water treatment fractions that are the same as in 2010. Total global Cryptosporidium emissions to surface water for 2010 are estimated to be 1.6×10 17 oocysts per year, with hotspots in the most urbanised parts of the world. In 2050 emissions are expected to decrease by 24% or increase by 52% and 70% for SSP1, SSP3 and SSP1* respectively. The emissions increase in all scenarios for countries in the Middle East and Africa (MAF) region, while emissions in large parts in Europe decrease in scenarios SSP1 and SSP3. Improving sanitation by connecting the population to sewers, should be combined with waste water treatment, otherwise (SSP1*) emissions in 2050 are expected to be much larger than in a situation with strong population growth and slow development of safe water and improved sanitation (SSP3). The results show that population increase, urbanisation and changes in sanitation should be considered when water quality and resulting health risks are estimated by water managers or public health specialists. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Mg I absorption features in the solar spectrum near 9 and 12 microns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glenar, David A.; Reuter, Dennis C.; Deming, Drake; Chang, Edward S.

1988-01-01

High-resolution FTS observations from the Kitt Peak National Solar Observatory and the Spacelab 3 ATMOS experiment have revealed additional infrared transitions due to Mg I in the spectra of both quiet sun and sunspot penumbra. In contrast to previous observations, these transitions are seen in absorption, not emission. Absorption intensities range from 1 to 7 percent of the continuum in the quiet sun. In the penumbra, the same features appear to show Zeeman splitting. Modeling of the line profiles in the photospheric spectrum shows evidence for a factor of three overabundance in the n = 5 or more levels of Mg I in the upper photosphere, but with no deviations from a Planck source function. It is concluded that whatever the process that produces the emission (including the Lemke and Holweger mechanism), it must occur well above the tau(5000) = 0.01 level.

Neutrino mass hierarchy and three-flavor spectral splits of supernova neutrinos

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

Dasgupta, Basudeb; Mirizzi, Alessandro; Tomas, Ricard

2010-05-01

It was recently realized that three-flavor effects could peculiarly modify the development of spectral splits induced by collective oscillations, for supernova neutrinos emitted during the cooling phase of a protoneutron star. We systematically explore this case, explaining how the impact of these three-flavor effects depends on the ordering of the neutrino masses. In inverted mass hierarchy, the solar mass splitting gives rise to instabilities in regions of the (anti)neutrino energy spectra that were otherwise stable under the leading two-flavor evolution governed by the atmospheric mass splitting and by the 1-3 mixing angle. As a consequence, the high-energy spectral splits foundmore » in the electron (anti)neutrino spectra disappear, and are transferred to other flavors. Imperfect adiabaticity leads to smearing of spectral swap features. In normal mass hierarchy, the three-flavor and the two-flavor instabilities act in the same region of the neutrino energy spectrum, leading to only minor departures from the two-flavor treatment.« less

Detection rate and predictive factors of sessile serrated polyps in an organised colorectal cancer screening programme with immunochemical faecal occult blood test: the EQuIPE study (Evaluating Quality Indicators of the Performance of Endoscopy).

PubMed

Zorzi, Manuel; Senore, Carlo; Da Re, Filippo; Barca, Alessandra; Bonelli, Luigina Ada; Cannizzaro, Renato; de Pretis, Giovanni; Di Furia, Lucia; Di Giulio, Emilio; Mantellini, Paola; Naldoni, Carlo; Sassatelli, Romano; Rex, Douglas K; Zappa, Marco; Hassan, Cesare

2017-07-01

To assess detection rate and predictive factors of sessile serrated polyps (SSPs) in organised colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programmes based on the faecal immunochemical test (FIT). Data from a case series of colonoscopies of FIT-positive subjects were provided by 44 Italian CRC screening programmes. Data on screening history, endoscopic procedure and histology results, and additional information on the endoscopy centre and the endoscopists were collected, including the age-standardised and sex-standardised adenoma detection rate (ADR) of the individual endoscopists. The SSP detection rate (SSP-DR) was assessed for the study population. To identify SSP-predictive factors, multilevel analyses were performed according to patient/centre/endoscopist characteristics. We analysed 72 021 colonoscopies, of which 1295 presented with at least one SSP (SSP-DR 1.8%; 95% CI 1.7% to 1.9%). At the per-patient level, SSP-DR was associated with males (OR 1.35; 95% CI 1.17 to 1.54) and caecal intubation (OR 3.75; 95% CI 2.22 to 6.34), but not with the FIT round. The presence of at least one advanced adenoma was more frequent among subjects with SSPs than those without (OR 2.08; 95% CI 1.86 to 2.33). At the per-endoscopist level, SSP-DR was associated with ADR (third vs first ADR quartile: OR 1.55; 95% CI 1.03 to 2.35; fourth vs first quartile: OR 1.89; 95% CI 1.24 to 2.90). The low prevalence of SSPs and the lack of association with the FIT round argue against SSP as a suitable target for FIT-based organised programmes. Strict association of SSP-DR with the key colonoscopy quality indicators, namely caecal intubation rate and high ADR further marginalises the need for SSP-specific quality indicators in FIT-based programmes. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Ecogeography of teosinte

PubMed Central

Sánchez González, José de Jesús; García, Guillermo Medina; Ojeda, Gabriela Ramírez; Larios, Lino De la Cruz; Holland, James Brendan; Medrano, Roberto Miranda; García Romero, Giovanni Emmanuel

2018-01-01

Adaptation of crops to climate change has motivated an increasing interest in the potential value of novel traits from wild species; maize wild relatives, the teosintes, harbor traits that may be useful to maize breeding. To study the ecogeographic distribution of teosinte we constructed a robust database of 2363 teosinte occurrences from published sources for the period 1842–2016. A geographical information system integrating 216 environmental variables was created for Mexico and Central America and was used to characterize the environment of each teosinte occurrence site. The natural geographic distribution of teosinte extends from the Western Sierra Madre of the State of Chihuahua, Mexico to the Pacific coast of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, including practically the entire western part of Mesoamerica. The Mexican annuals Zea mays ssp. parviglumis and Zea mays ssp. mexicana show a wide distribution in Mexico, while Zea diploperennis, Zea luxurians, Zea perennis, Zea mays ssp. huehuetenangensis, Zea vespertilio and Zea nicaraguensis had more restricted and distinct ranges, representing less than 20% of the total occurrences. Only 11.2% of teosinte populations are found in Protected Natural Areas in Mexico and Central America. Ecogeographical analysis showed that teosinte can cope with extreme levels of precipitation and temperatures during growing season. Modelling teosinte geographic distribution demonstrated congruence between actual and potential distributions; however, some areas with no occurrences appear to be within the range of adaptation of teosintes. Field surveys should be prioritized to such regions to accelerate the discovery of unknown populations. Potential areas for teosintes Zea mays ssp. mexicana races Chalco, Nobogame, and Durango, Zea mays ssp. huehuetenangensis, Zea luxurians, Zea diploperennis and Zea nicaraguensis are geographically separated; however, partial overlapping occurs between Zea mays ssp. parviglumis and Zea perennis, between Zea mays ssp. parviglumis and Zea diploperennis, and between Zea mays ssp. mexicana race Chalco and Zea mays ssp. mexicana race Central Plateau. Assessing priority of collecting for conservation showed that permanent monitoring programs and in-situ conservation projects with participation of local farmer communities are critically needed; Zea mays ssp. mexicana (races Durango and Nobogame), Zea luxurians, Zea diploperennis, Zea perennis and Zea vespertilio should be considered as the highest priority taxa. PMID:29451888

Prediction of the bottomonium D-wave spectrum from full lattice QCD.

PubMed

Daldrop, J O; Davies, C T H; Dowdall, R J

2012-03-09

We calculate the full spectrum of D-wave states in the Υ system in lattice QCD for the first time, by using an improved version of nonrelativistic QCD on coarse and fine "second-generation" gluon field configurations from the MILC Collaboration that include the effect of up, down, strange, and charm quarks in the sea. By taking the 2S-1S splitting to set the lattice spacing, we determine the (3)D2-1S splitting to 2.3% and find agreement with experiment. Our prediction of the fine structure relative to the (3)D2 gives the (3)D3 at 10.181(5) GeV and the (3)D1 at 10.147(6) GeV. We also discuss the overlap of (3)D1 operators with (3)S1 states.

The EPR study of Mn(2+) ion doped DADT single crystal produced under high pressure and temperature.

PubMed

Ceylan, Ümit; Tapramaz, Recep

2016-01-05

An EPR study on Cu(2+) and VO(2+) doped di ammonium d-tartrate single crystals has been reported in previous papers, but the same host did not accept Mn(2+) ion at the same reaction conditions in previous trials. In this study EPR study of Mn(2+) ion doped di ammonium d tartrate single crystal, (DADT) [(NH4)2C4H4O6], produced in a reactor under high pressure and high temperature. The electronic transitions were determined by the optical absorption spectrum. Hyperfine splitting and g values of the Mn(2+) ion forming a complex in the lattice were measured from experimental spectra and spin-spin dipolar splitting parameters D and E were found by the spectrum simulation techniques. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Brief Report: IQ Split Predicts Social Symptoms and Communication Abilities in High-Functioning Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

PubMed Central

Wallace, Gregory L.; Sokoloff, Jennifer L.; Kenworthy, Lauren

2011-01-01

We investigated the relationship of discrepancies between VIQ and NVIQ (IQ split) to autism symptoms and adaptive behavior in a sample of high-functioning (mean FSIQ = 98.5) school-age children with autism spectrum disorders divided into three groups: discrepantly high VIQ (n = 18); discrepantly high NVIQ (n = 24); and equivalent VIQ and NVIQ (n = 36). Discrepantly high VIQ and NVIQ were associated with autism social symptoms but not communication symptoms or repetitive behaviors. Higher VIQ and NVIQ were associated with better adaptive communication but not socialization or Daily Living Skills. IQ discrepancy may be an important phenotypic marker in autism. Although better verbal abilities are associated with better functional outcomes in autism, discrepantly high VIQ in high-functioning children may also be associated with social difficulties. PMID:19572193

Sensory Processing and Its Relationship with Children's Daily Life Participation.

PubMed

Chien, Chi-Wen; Rodger, Sylvia; Copley, Jodie; Branjerdporn, Grace; Taggart, Caitlin

2016-01-01

To investigate whether children with probable or definite differences in sensory processing (SP) had participation restrictions, and the relationship between Short Sensory Profile (SSP) scores and children's participation. The participants were parents of 64 children (mean age 8 years 1 month); 36 with potential impairments in regulating sensory input and filtering out unnecessary stimuli (29 boys, 7 girls) and 28 with typical SP abilities (25 boys, 3 girls). Parents' completed the SSP and Participation in Childhood Occupations Questionnaire (PICO-Q). The SSP score was used to categorize children as potential SP impairment group and typical SP ability group. Children categorized as having probable or definite differences in SP exhibited significantly lower participation levels and enjoyment than children categorized as having typical SP abilities. However, participation frequency between both groups was similar. Six out of the seven SP impairment types had small to moderate correlations with children's participation (r = 0.25-0.48, p < 0.05). Multiple regression analyses indicated that only three impairment types (Underresponsive/Seeks Sensation, Low Energy/Weak, and Visual/Auditory Sensitivity) were significant predictors of PICO-Q participation domains. The results suggest that children with potential SP impairments have restrictions in the degree of participation and enjoyment. Three SP types were related to specific participation domains, but they explained a small amount of variance or none in some participation domains. Other variables should be considered to identify determinants of children's participation.

RNA-seq Analysis of Cold and Drought Responsive Transcriptomes of Zea mays ssp. mexicana L.

PubMed

Lu, Xiang; Zhou, Xuan; Cao, Yu; Zhou, Meixue; McNeil, David; Liang, Shan; Yang, Chengwei

2017-01-01

The annual Zea mays ssp. mexicana L. is a member of teosinte, a wild relative of the Zea mays spp. mays L. This subspecies has strong growth and regeneration ability, high tiller numbers, high protein and lysine content as well as resistance to many fungal diseases, and it can be effectively used in maize improvement. In this study, we reported a Zea mays ssp. mexicana L. transcriptome by merging data from untreated control (CK), cold (4°C) and drought (PEG2000, 20%) treated plant samples. A total of 251,145 transcripts (N50 = 1,269 bp) and 184,280 unigenes (N50 = 923 bp) were predicted, which code for homologs of near 47% of the published maize proteome. Under cold conditions, 2,232 and 817 genes were up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively, while fewer genes were up-regulated (532) and down-regulated (82) under drought stress, indicating that Zea mays ssp. mexicana L. is more sensitive to the applied cold rather than to the applied drought stresses. Functional enrichment analyses identified many common or specific biological processes and gene sets in response to drought and cold stresses. The ABA dependent pathway, trehalose synthetic pathway and the ICE1-CBF pathway were up-regulated by both stresses. GA associated genes have been shown to differentially regulate the responses to cold in close subspecies in Zea mays . These findings and the identified functional genes can provide useful clues for improving abiotic stress tolerance of maize.

RNA-seq Analysis of Cold and Drought Responsive Transcriptomes of Zea mays ssp. mexicana L.

PubMed Central

Lu, Xiang; Zhou, Xuan; Cao, Yu; Zhou, Meixue; McNeil, David; Liang, Shan; Yang, Chengwei

2017-01-01

The annual Zea mays ssp. mexicana L. is a member of teosinte, a wild relative of the Zea mays spp. mays L. This subspecies has strong growth and regeneration ability, high tiller numbers, high protein and lysine content as well as resistance to many fungal diseases, and it can be effectively used in maize improvement. In this study, we reported a Zea mays ssp. mexicana L. transcriptome by merging data from untreated control (CK), cold (4°C) and drought (PEG2000, 20%) treated plant samples. A total of 251,145 transcripts (N50 = 1,269 bp) and 184,280 unigenes (N50 = 923 bp) were predicted, which code for homologs of near 47% of the published maize proteome. Under cold conditions, 2,232 and 817 genes were up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively, while fewer genes were up-regulated (532) and down-regulated (82) under drought stress, indicating that Zea mays ssp. mexicana L. is more sensitive to the applied cold rather than to the applied drought stresses. Functional enrichment analyses identified many common or specific biological processes and gene sets in response to drought and cold stresses. The ABA dependent pathway, trehalose synthetic pathway and the ICE1-CBF pathway were up-regulated by both stresses. GA associated genes have been shown to differentially regulate the responses to cold in close subspecies in Zea mays. These findings and the identified functional genes can provide useful clues for improving abiotic stress tolerance of maize. PMID:28223998

Fossil-fueled development (SSP5): An energy and resource intensive scenario for the 21st century

DOE PAGES

Kriegler, Elmar; Bauer, Nico; Popp, Alexander; ...

2016-08-18

Here, this paper presents a set of energy and resource intensive scenarios based on the concept of Shared Socio-Economic Pathways (SSPs). The scenario family is characterized by rapid and fossil-fueled development with high socio-economic challenges to mitigation and low socio-economic challenges to adaptation (SSP5). A special focus is placed on the SSP5 marker scenario developed by the REMIND-MAgPIE integrated assessment modeling framework. The SSP5 scenarios exhibit very high levels of fossil fuel use, up to a doubling of global food demand, and up to a tripling of energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions over the course of the century, markingmore » the upper end of the scenario literature in several dimensions. The SSP5 marker scenario results in a radiative forcing pathway close to the highest Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP8.5), and represents currently the only socio-economic scenario family that can be combined with climate model projections based on RCP8.5. This paper further investigates the direct impact of mitigation policies on the energy, land and emissions dynamics confirming high socio-economic challenges to mitigation in SSP5. Nonetheless, mitigation policies reaching climate forcing levels as low as in the lowest Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP2.6) are accessible in SSP5. Finally, the SSP5 scenarios presented in this paper aim to provide useful reference points for future climate change, climate impact, adaption and mitigation analysis, and broader questions of sustainable development.« less

Fossil-fueled development (SSP5): An energy and resource intensive scenario for the 21st century

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

Kriegler, Elmar; Bauer, Nico; Popp, Alexander

Here, this paper presents a set of energy and resource intensive scenarios based on the concept of Shared Socio-Economic Pathways (SSPs). The scenario family is characterized by rapid and fossil-fueled development with high socio-economic challenges to mitigation and low socio-economic challenges to adaptation (SSP5). A special focus is placed on the SSP5 marker scenario developed by the REMIND-MAgPIE integrated assessment modeling framework. The SSP5 scenarios exhibit very high levels of fossil fuel use, up to a doubling of global food demand, and up to a tripling of energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions over the course of the century, markingmore » the upper end of the scenario literature in several dimensions. The SSP5 marker scenario results in a radiative forcing pathway close to the highest Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP8.5), and represents currently the only socio-economic scenario family that can be combined with climate model projections based on RCP8.5. This paper further investigates the direct impact of mitigation policies on the energy, land and emissions dynamics confirming high socio-economic challenges to mitigation in SSP5. Nonetheless, mitigation policies reaching climate forcing levels as low as in the lowest Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP2.6) are accessible in SSP5. Finally, the SSP5 scenarios presented in this paper aim to provide useful reference points for future climate change, climate impact, adaption and mitigation analysis, and broader questions of sustainable development.« less

Laser induced fluorescence of BaS: Sm phosphor and energy level splitting of Sm 3+ ion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Reethamma; Nampoori, V. P. N.

1990-03-01

Fluorescence of BaS: Sm phosphor has been studied using a pulsed Nitrogen laser (337.1 nm) as the excitation source. The spectrum consists of a broad band in the region 540-660nm superposed by the characteristic Sm 3+ lines. Energy level splitting pattern of Sm 3+ due to crystal field effects has been calculated and relevent field parameters are evaluated. Analysis shows that Sm 3+ takes up Ba 2+ substitutional sites.

International Conference on Quantum Chemical Calculations of NMR and EPR Parameters Held in Castle Smolenice, Slovak Republic on September 14-18 1998

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-10-21

site. The electric-field- induced linear shift is also observed in the hyperfine splitting of nuclear quadrupole resonance ( NQR ) spectrum of a nucleus...located at a noncentrosymmetric site in a molecule or in crystal lattice. Thus, the linear electric field effect on the ESR and NQR hyperfine splitting...the electric field effects on ESR and NQR hyperfine couplings. Theoretical methods to calculate the electric field effects within Hartree-Fock

Global implementation of two shared socioeconomic pathways for future sanitation and wastewater flows.

PubMed

van Puijenbroek, P J T M; Bouwman, A F; Beusen, A H W; Lucas, P L

2015-01-01

Households are an important source of nutrient loading to surface water. Sewage systems without or with only primary wastewater treatment are major polluters of surface water. Future emission levels will depend on population growth, urbanisation, increases in income and investments in sanitation, sewage systems and wastewater treatment plants. This study presents the results for two possible shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). SSP1 is a scenario that includes improvement of wastewater treatment and SSP3 does not include such improvement, with fewer investments and a higher population growth. The main drivers for the nutrient emission model are population growth, income growth and urbanisation. Under the SSP1 scenario, 5.7 billion people will be connected to a sewage system and for SSP3 this is 5 billion. Nitrogen and phosphorus emissions increase by about 70% under both SSP scenarios, with the largest increase in SSP1. South Asia and Africa have the largest emission increases, in the developed countries decrease the nutrient emissions. The higher emission level poses a risk to ecosystem services.

Sum frequency generation spectroscopy study of hydrogenated stepped Si(111) surfaces made by molecular hydrogen exposure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hien, K. T. T.; Sattar, M. A.; Miyauchi, Y.; Mizutani, G.; Rutt, H. N.

2017-09-01

Hydrogen adsorption on stepped Si(111) surfaces 9.5° miscut in the [ 1 ̅ 1 ̅ 2 ] direction has been investigated in situ in a UHV chamber with a base pressure of 10-8 Pa. The H-Si(111)1×1 surface was prepared by exposing the wafer to ultra-pure hydrogen gas at a pressure of 470 Pa. Termination of hydrogen on terraces and steps was observed by sum frequency generation (SFG) with several polarization combinations such as ppp, ssp, pps, spp, psp, sps, pss and sss. Here the 1st, 2nd and 3rd symbols indicate SFG, visible and IR polarizations, respectively. ppp and ssp-SFG clearly showed only two modes: the Si-H stretching vibration terrace mode at 2082 cm-1 (A) and the vertical step dihydride vibration mode at 2094 cm-1 (C1). Interesting points are the appearance of the C1 mode in contrast to the previous SFG spectrum of the H-Si(111)1×1 surface with the same miscut surface angle prepared by wet chemical etching. We suggest that the formation of step dihydride and its orientation on the Si(111) stepped surfaces depend strongly on the preparation method.

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

Wickstrom, Gregory Lloyd; Gale, Jason Carl; Ma, Kwok Kee

The Sandia Secure Processor (SSP) is a new native Java processor that has been specifically designed for embedded applications. The SSP's design is a system composed of a core Java processor that directly executes Java bytecodes, on-chip intelligent IO modules, and a suite of software tools for simulation and compiling executable binary files. The SSP is unique in that it provides a way to control real-time IO modules for embedded applications. The system software for the SSP is a 'class loader' that takes Java .class files (created with your favorite Java compiler), links them together, and compiles a binary. Themore » complete SSP system provides very powerful functionality with very light hardware requirements with the potential to be used in a wide variety of small-system embedded applications. This paper gives a detail description of the Sandia Secure Processor and its unique features.« less

Neighborhood of 16S rRNA nucleotides U788/U789 in the 30S ribosomal subunit determined by site-directed crosslinking.

PubMed

Mundus, D; Wollenzien, P

1998-11-01

Site-specific photo crosslinking has been used to investigate the RNA neighborhood of 16S rRNA positions U788/ U789 in Escherichia coli 30S subunits. For these studies, site-specific psoralen (SSP) which contains a sulfhydryl group on a 17 A side chain was first added to nucleotides U788/U789 using a complementary guide DNA by annealing and phototransfer. Modified RNA was purified from the DNA and unmodified RNA. For some experiments, the SSP, which normally crosslinks at an 8 A distance, was derivitized with azidophenacylbromide (APAB) resulting in the photoreactive azido moiety at a maximum of 25 A from the 4' position on psoralen (SSP25APA). 16S rRNA containing SSP, SSP25APA or control 16S rRNA were reconstituted and 30S particles were isolated. The reconstituted subunits containing SSP or SSP25APA had normal protein composition, were active in tRNA binding and had the usual pattern of chemical reactivity except for increased kethoxal reactivity at G791 and modest changes in four other regions. Irradiation of the derivatized 30S subunits in activation buffer produced several intramolecular RNA crosslinks that were visualized and separated by gel electrophoresis and characterized by primer extension. Four major crosslink sites made by the SSP reagent were identified at positions U561/U562, U920/U921, C866 and U723; a fifth major crosslink at G693 was identified when the SSP25APA reagent was used. A number of additional crosslinks of lower frequency were seen, particularly with the APA reagent. These data indicate a central location close to the decoding region and central pseudoknot for nucleotides U788/U789 in the activated 30S subunit.

Sea level rise under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schleussner, C. F.; Nauels, A.; Rogelj, J.; Mengel, M.; Meinshausen, M.

2017-12-01

In order to assess future sea level rise and its impacts, we need to study climate change pathways combined with different scenarios of socioeconomic development. Here, we present Sea Level Rise (SLR) projections for the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) storylines and different year-2100 radiative Forcing Targets (FTs). Future SLR is estimated with a comprehensive SLR emulator that accounts for latest research on additional Antarctic rapid discharge dynamics from hydrofracturing and ice cliff instability. Across all baseline scenario realizations (no dedicated climate mitigation), we find 2100 median SLR relative to 1986-2005 of 102 cm (likely range: 77 to 135 cm) for SSP1, 118 cm (90 to 151 cm) for SSP2, 118 cm (91 to 149 cm) for SSP3, 107 cm (81 to 137 cm) for SSP4, and 144 cm (112 to 184 cm) for SSP5. The 2100 sea level responses for combined SSP-FT scenarios is dominated by the mitigation targets and yield median estimates of 68 cm (56 to 87 cm) for FT 2.6 Wm-2, 76 cm (61 to 107 cm) for FT 3.4 Wm-2, 90 cm (68 to 120 cm) for FT 4.5 Wm-2, and 105 cm (79 to 136 cm) for FT 6.0 Wm-2. Average 2081-2100 annual rates of SLR are 6 mm/yr and 19 mm/yr for the FT 2.6 Wm-2 and the baseline scenarios, respectively. Our model setup allows linking scenario-specific emission and socioeconomic indicators to projected SLR. For limiting median 2100 SSP SLR projections to below 80 cm, we find that 2050 cumulative CO2 emissions since pre-industrial should not exceed around 860 GtC, with the global coal phase-out nearly completed. For SSP mitigation scenarios, the median 2050 carbon price of 90 US$2005 tCO2-1 would correspond to a median 2100 SLR of around 80 cm. Our results confirm that rapid and early emission reductions are essential for limiting 2100 SLR.

Fine-structure-resolution for Rovibrational Excitation of CN Due to H2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrd, Nat; Yang, Benhui H.; Stancil, Phillip C.

2018-06-01

Diatomic molecules can be readily excited in interstellar environments exposed to intense UV radiation, such as the inner rim of a protoplanetary disk. Non-thermal populations of excited rovibrational levels can result, for example, following decay from electronically excited states to the electronic ground state. Competition between radiative decay and collisional processes, mostly due to H2, determine the resulting rovibrational emission spectrum. For CN, and other open-shell molecules, the resulting spectrum will be complicated due to fine-structure splitting of the rotational levels. In some cases, fine-structure resolution has been previously computed for rotational transitions in atom- or diatom-diatom collisional processes. Here we present the first fine-structure resolution for vibrational deexcitation for CN colliding with H2. The collisional cross sections were computed using a 6D potential energy surface with a full close-coupling approach. Fine-structure resolution is obtained by adopting an angular momentum recoupling scheme to transform the scattering matrices to a recoupled basis. Here we present low-energy calculations for the v=1 to 0 transition.This work was supported by NASA Grant NNX16AF09G.

Genotyping of single spore isolates of a Pasteuria penetrans population occurring in Florida using SNP-based markers.

PubMed

Joseph, S; Schmidt, L M; Danquah, W B; Timper, P; Mekete, T

2017-02-01

To generate single spore lines of a population of bacterial parasite of root-knot nematode (RKN), Pasteuria penetrans, isolated from Florida and examine genotypic variation and virulence characteristics exist within the population. Six single spore lines (SSP), 16SSP, 17SSP, 18SSP, 25SSP, 26SSP and 30SSP were generated. Genetic variability was evaluated by comparing single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in six protein-coding genes and the 16S rRNA gene. An average of one SNP was observed for every 69 bp in the 16S rRNA, whereas no SNPs were observed in the protein-coding sequences. Hierarchical cluster analysis of 16S rRNA sequences placed the clones into three distinct clades. Bio-efficacy analysis revealed significant heterogeneity in the level virulence and host specificity between the individual clones. The SNP markers developed to the 5' hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene may be useful in biotype differentiation within a population of P. penetrans. This study demonstrates an efficient method for generating single spore lines of P. penetrans and gives a deep insight into genetic heterogeneity and varying level of virulence exists within a population parasitizing a specific Meloidogyne sp. host. The results also suggest that the application of generalist spore lines in nematode management may achieve broad RKN control. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Missing Links Between Genetically Inherited Molecules in Split Cord Malformation and Other Anomaly: A Bench to Bedside Approach

PubMed Central

Barik, Mayadhar; Mishra, Pravash R.; Mohapatra, Ashok Kumar

2018-01-01

Aim: Split cord malformation (SCM) is associated with extensive vertebral fusions (Klippel–Feil anomaly). In light of previous embryological theories and recent research findings, we attempt to document the origin of split cord, and vertebral fusions involvement of spectrum of genes is necessary to know better the etiopathogenesis of SCM and its associated diseases. Materials and Methods: We used the various databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Review, Hinari, and Google Scholar for the recently published medical literature. The women had been living and still born infants had SCM. The relative risk (RR) and possible molecular mechanism are described details of major genes and its variants in details. Although molecular genetics involvement including with recent advances of study add an evidence of both Mendelian and Non-Mendelian fashion is discussed with all genetic components. We mentioned our earlier experience and responsibility of SCM and its associated diseases. Results: Although different mechanisms are suggested for the development of SCM observed in our experience, there is a midline lesion bisecting the neuroepithelium and the notochordal plate, which is responsible for complete splitting of the cervical cord with anterior bony defect. The localized disturbance of cervical neural tube closure accounts for SCM with partial dorsal splitting of the cord with posterior vertebral defect and associated diseases. Conclusions: According to the best of our knowledge, this report is the first one to be documented by wider spectrum of variants from (experimental studies to human subject). This add a complex interaction of mutant variants drive toward an additional second-hit alterations for the SCM. The up-to-date information, documented in proper order, derived the bench-to-bedside approach to overcome this burden of SCM, which is globally noticed with other additional diseases. PMID:29899771

Missing Links Between Genetically Inherited Molecules in Split Cord Malformation and Other Anomaly: A Bench to Bedside Approach.

PubMed

Barik, Mayadhar; Mishra, Pravash R; Mohapatra, Ashok Kumar

2018-01-01

Split cord malformation (SCM) is associated with extensive vertebral fusions (Klippel-Feil anomaly). In light of previous embryological theories and recent research findings, we attempt to document the origin of split cord, and vertebral fusions involvement of spectrum of genes is necessary to know better the etiopathogenesis of SCM and its associated diseases. We used the various databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Review, Hinari, and Google Scholar for the recently published medical literature. The women had been living and still born infants had SCM. The relative risk (RR) and possible molecular mechanism are described details of major genes and its variants in details. Although molecular genetics involvement including with recent advances of study add an evidence of both Mendelian and Non-Mendelian fashion is discussed with all genetic components. We mentioned our earlier experience and responsibility of SCM and its associated diseases. Although different mechanisms are suggested for the development of SCM observed in our experience, there is a midline lesion bisecting the neuroepithelium and the notochordal plate, which is responsible for complete splitting of the cervical cord with anterior bony defect. The localized disturbance of cervical neural tube closure accounts for SCM with partial dorsal splitting of the cord with posterior vertebral defect and associated diseases. According to the best of our knowledge, this report is the first one to be documented by wider spectrum of variants from (experimental studies to human subject). This add a complex interaction of mutant variants drive toward an additional second-hit alterations for the SCM. The up-to-date information, documented in proper order, derived the bench-to-bedside approach to overcome this burden of SCM, which is globally noticed with other additional diseases.

Theoretical analysis of polarization-coupled mode splitting in a single microfiber knot-ring resonator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Weiqia; Zhou, Junjie; Yu, Jianhui; Xiao, Yi; Lu, Huihui; Guan, Heyuan; Zhong, Yongchun; Zhang, Jun; Chen, Zhe

2016-06-01

We established a theoretical model for a single knot-ring resonator and investigated the transmission spectrum by Jones matrix. The numerical results show that two orthogonal polarization modes of knot-ring, which are originally resonated at the same wavelength, will split into two resonant modes with different wavelengths. The mode splitting is due to the coupling between the two orthogonal polarization modes in the knot-ring when the twisted angle of the twist coupler is not exactly equal to 2mπ (m is an integer). It is also found that the separation of the mode splitting is linearly proportional to the deviation angle δθ with a high correlation coefficient of 99.6% and a slope of 3.17 nm/rad. Furthermore, a transparency phenomenon analogous to coupled-resonator-induced transparency was also predicted by the model. These findings may have potential applications in lasers and sensors.

A quantum mechanical approach to establishing the magnetic field orientation from a maser Zeeman profile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, J. A.; Gray, M. D.; Robishaw, T.; Caswell, J. L.; McClure-Griffiths, N. M.

2014-06-01

Recent comparisons of magnetic field directions derived from maser Zeeman splitting with those derived from continuum source rotation measures have prompted new analysis of the propagation of the Zeeman split components, and the inferred field orientation. In order to do this, we first review differing electric field polarization conventions used in past studies. With these clearly and consistently defined, we then show that for a given Zeeman splitting spectrum, the magnetic field direction is fully determined and predictable on theoretical grounds: when a magnetic field is oriented away from the observer, the left-hand circular polarization is observed at higher frequency and the right-hand polarization at lower frequency. This is consistent with classical Lorentzian derivations. The consequent interpretation of recent measurements then raises the possibility of a reversal between the large-scale field (traced by rotation measures) and the small-scale field (traced by maser Zeeman splitting).

The New York State Model for Sharing Successful Programs: A Decade of Implementation and Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egelston, Richard L.

To address educational reform needs in New York State, the State Education Department developed a research-based Sharing Successful Practices (SSP) Dissemination model. Under SSP, a program successful in meeting one district's needs can be adopted by other districts with similar needs. SSP has four components: validation, demonstration,…

The Self-Sufficiency Project at 36 Months: Effects of a Financial Work Incentive on Employment and Income.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michalopoulos, Charles; Card, David; Gennetian, Lisa A.; Harknett, Kristen; Robins, Philip K.

This report previews the Self-Sufficiency Project's (SSP's) longer-term effects by looking at these four related issues: wage progression, job retention, marital status, and attitudes toward work. A companion report, available separately, examines SSP's effects on children. Chapter 1 discusses the SSP research and demonstration project that…

Evaluation of an Enhanced Stimulus-Stimulus Pairing Procedure to Increase Early Vocalizations of Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Esch, Barbara E.; Carr, James E.; Grow, Laura L.

2009-01-01

Evidence to support stimulus-stimulus pairing (SSP) in speech acquisition is less than robust, calling into question the ability of SSP to reliably establish automatically reinforcing properties of speech and limiting the procedure's clinical utility for increasing vocalizations. We evaluated the effects of a modified SSP procedure on…

Biological Evaluation, Overpressured Layer Chromatography (OPLC) separation and Isolation of a New Acetylenic Derivative Compound from Prangos platychlaena ssp. platychlaena Fruit Essential Oils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the present work, fruits of Prangos platychlaena Boiss. ex Tchihat. ssp. platychlaena (Apiaceae) collected from eastern (Sample A) and central (Sample B) parts of Turkey were subjected to hydrodistillation to yield essential oils (EOs). The chemical composition of P. platychlaena ssp. platychlaen...

The SSP4: A world of deepening inequality

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

Calvin, Katherine; Bond-Lamberty, Ben; Clarke, Leon

The Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 4 (SSP4), “Inequality” or “A Road Divided,” is one of the five SSPs developed to guide the creation of new scenarios for the “Parallel Process”. We describe, in quantitative terms, the SSP4 as implemented by the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM), the marker model for this scenario. We use demographic and economic assumptions, in combination with technology and non-climate policy assumptions to develop a quantitative representation of energy, land-use and land-cover that are consistent with the SSP4 storyline. The resulting scenario is one with stark differences across regions. High-income regions prosper, continuing to increase their demandmore » for energy and food. Electrification increases in these regions, with the increased generation being met by nuclear and renewables. Low-income regions, however, stagnate due to limited growth in income. These regions continue to depend on traditional biofuels, leading to high pollutant emissions. Due to a declining dependence on fossil fuels in all regions, total radiative forcing only reaches 6.4 Wm-2 in 2100, making this a world with relatively low challenges to mitigation. We explore the effects of mitigation effort on the SSP4 world, finding that the imposition of a carbon price has a varied effect across regions. In particular, the SSP4 mitigation scenarios are characterized by afforestation in the high-income regions and deforestation in the low-income regions. Finally, we compare the GCAM SSP4 results to other integrated assessment model (IAM) quantifications of the SSP4 and to other SSPs, both those generated by GCAM and those of the other IAMs.« less

An abstract class loader for the SSP and its implementation in TL.

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

Wickstrom, Gregory Lloyd; Winter, Victor Lono; Fraij, Fares

2004-08-01

The SSP is a hardware implementation of a subset of the JVM for use in high consequence embedded applications. In this context, a majority of the activities belonging to class loading, as it is defined in the specification of the JVM, can be performed statically. Static class loading has the net result of dramatically simplifying the design of the SSP as well as increasing its performance. Due to the high consequence nature of its applications, strong evidence must be provided that all aspects of the SSP have been implemented correctly. This includes the class loader. This article explores the possibilitymore » of formally verifying a class loader for the SSP implemented in the strategic programming language TL. Specifically, an implementation of the core activities of an abstract class loader is presented and its verification in ACL2 is considered.« less

More Effective Distributed ML via a Stale Synchronous Parallel Parameter Server

PubMed Central

Ho, Qirong; Cipar, James; Cui, Henggang; Kim, Jin Kyu; Lee, Seunghak; Gibbons, Phillip B.; Gibson, Garth A.; Ganger, Gregory R.; Xing, Eric P.

2014-01-01

We propose a parameter server system for distributed ML, which follows a Stale Synchronous Parallel (SSP) model of computation that maximizes the time computational workers spend doing useful work on ML algorithms, while still providing correctness guarantees. The parameter server provides an easy-to-use shared interface for read/write access to an ML model’s values (parameters and variables), and the SSP model allows distributed workers to read older, stale versions of these values from a local cache, instead of waiting to get them from a central storage. This significantly increases the proportion of time workers spend computing, as opposed to waiting. Furthermore, the SSP model ensures ML algorithm correctness by limiting the maximum age of the stale values. We provide a proof of correctness under SSP, as well as empirical results demonstrating that the SSP model achieves faster algorithm convergence on several different ML problems, compared to fully-synchronous and asynchronous schemes. PMID:25400488

Does SSP Plus Increase Employment? The Effect of Adding Services to the Self-Sufficiency Project's Financial Incentives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quets, Gail; Robins, Philip K.; Pan, Elsie C.; Michalopoulos, Charles; Card, David

In 1992, Human Resources Development Canada launched the Self-Sufficiency Project (SSP), which was a research and demonstration effort involving long-term, single-parent Income Assistance (IA) recipients in New Brunswick and British Columbia. Under SSP, IA recipients who left IA and worked at least 30 hours per week were offered a generous but…

Do Work Incentives Have Unintended Consequences? Measuring "Entry Effects" in the Self-Sufficiency Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berlin, Gordon; Bancroft, Wendy; Card, David; Lin, Winston; Robins, Philip K.

The Self-Sufficiency Project (SSP) is a Canadian social demonstration and research project designed to test an employment alternative to welfare. The SSP makes work pay by offering generous earnings supplements to long-term, single-parent welfare recipients who find full-time jobs and leave Canada's Income Assistance (IA) welfare system. The SSP's…

45 CFR 265.3 - What reports must the State file on a quarterly basis?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) must collect on a monthly basis, and file on a quarterly basis, the data specified in the SSP-MOE Data... provided at § 264.85 of this chapter, in lieu of the TANF Financial Report. (d) SSP-MOE Data Report. The SSP-MOE Data Report consists of four sections. Two sections contain disaggregated data elements and...

Resistant Bacterial Spore Coats and Their Breakdown During Germination

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

proteins are released into the outer layers of the spore (SspA, B) or released into the supernatant ( SspE ). 4. Two major proteases of broad...40 30 20 15 10 3.5 N o ve x Sh ar p cw lD ge rm in at io n e xu d at e N o ve x Sh ar p cw lD ge rm in at io n e xu d at e CotA CotQ SodA SspE ...Finally, and unexpectedly, SspE , the major gamma-type SASP (small acid soluble protein) present in the inner cellular compartment of dormant spores, and

Chemotaxonomic significance of the terpene composition in natural populations of Pinus nigra J.F.Arnold from Serbia.

PubMed

Sarac, Zorica; Bojović, Srdjan; Nikolić, Biljana; Tešević, Vele; Ethorđević, Iris; Marin, Petar D

2013-08-01

The essential-oil variability in seven native populations belonging to different infraspecific taxa of Pinus nigra (ssp. nigra, var. gocensis, ssp. pallasiana, and var. banatica) growing wild in Serbia was analyzed. In the needles of 195 trees from seven populations, 58 essential-oil components were identified. The major components were α-pinene (43.6%) and germacrene D (29.8%), comprising together 73.4% of the total oil composition. Based on the average chemical profile of the main terpene components (with contents >5%), the studied populations were found to be the most similar to populations from central Italy and Greece (ssp. nigra). Cluster analysis showed the division of the populations into three principal groups: the first group consisted of Populations I, II, III, IV, and V (considered as ssp. nigra group), the second of Population VI (ssp. pallasiana group), and the third of Population VII, which had the most distinct oil composition (ssp. banatica group). The taxonomic implications of the essential-oil profiles of the investigated taxa of this very complex species are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.

The bright-star masks for the HSC-SSP survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coupon, Jean; Czakon, Nicole; Bosch, James; Komiyama, Yutaka; Medezinski, Elinor; Miyazaki, Satoshi; Oguri, Masamune

2018-01-01

We present the procedure to build and validate the bright-star masks for the Hyper-Suprime-Cam Strategic Subaru Proposal (HSC-SSP) survey. To identify and mask the saturated stars in the full HSC-SSP footprint, we rely on the Gaia and Tycho-2 star catalogues. We first assemble a pure star catalogue down to GGaia < 18 after removing ˜1.5% of sources that appear extended in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We perform visual inspection on the early data from the S16A internal release of HSC-SSP, finding that our star catalogue is 99.2% pure down to GGaia < 18. Second, we build the mask regions in an automated way using stacked detected source measurements around bright stars binned per GGaia magnitude. Finally, we validate those masks by visual inspection and comparison with the literature of galaxy number counts and angular two-point correlation functions. This version (Arcturus) supersedes the previous version (Sirius) used in the S16A internal and DR1 public releases. We publicly release the full masks and tools to flag objects in the entire footprint of the planned HSC-SSP observations at "ftp://obsftp.unige.ch/pub/coupon/brightStarMasks/HSC-SSP/".

The clinical significance and synchronous polyp burden of large (≥ 20 mm) sessile serrated polyps in patients without serrated polyposis syndrome.

PubMed

Desomer, Lobke; Tate, David J; Jayanna, Mahesh; Pellise, Maria; Awadie, Halim; Burgess, Nicholas G; McLeod, Duncan; Mahajan, Hema; Lee, Eric Y T; Williams, Stephen J; Bourke, Michael J

2018-05-08

 Sessile serrated polyps (SSPs) are important precursors of colorectal carcinoma and interval cancer. Large SSPs (≥ 20 mm) outside the definition of serrated polyposis syndrome (SPS) have not been studied in comparison with SPS. We aimed to describe the characteristics of patients with large SSPs in this context.  Patients with at least one SSP (≥ 20 mm) were eligible. Data from three consecutive colonoscopies were used to compare clinical and endoscopic characteristics in three patient groups: SPS, a solitary large SSP, and patients with at least two SSPs without fulfilling the criteria for SPS (oligo-SSP). Data on the diagnostic colonoscopy were collected retrospectively, whereas the remaining data was collected prospectively.  67/146 patients (45.9 %) had SPS, 53/146 (36.3 %) had a solitary SSP, and 26/146 (17.8 %) were categorized as oligo-SSP. Personal (16.4 %, 9.4 %, and 11.5 %, respectively) and family (17.9 %, 17.0 %, and 23.1 %, respectively) history of colorectal carcinoma did not differ significantly between groups. Polyp burden was greater in SPS compared with solitary SSP but was not different from oligo-SSP (advanced adenomas: SPS 32.8 % vs. solitary SSP 9.4 % [ P  = 0.002] vs. oligo-SSP 34.6 % [ P  = 0.87]; ≥ 10 conventional adenomas: 11.9 % vs. 0 % [ P  = 0.01] vs. 3.8 % [ P  = 0.44], respectively). Dysplasia in large SSPs was frequent in all groups (41.1 % overall). SPS was recognized by referring endoscopists in only 9.0 % of cases.  Patients with oligo-SSPs have similar synchronous polyp burden and clinical characteristics as patients with SPS and may require similar surveillance. Modification of the criteria for the diagnosis of SPS to include this group seems warranted. Patients with a solitary SSP have a lower risk of synchronous polyps, including advanced adenomas. Larger studies are warranted to determine whether these patients may return to standard surveillance following complete examination and clearance of the colon. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The ground state infrared spectrum of the MnH radical ( 7Σ) from diode laser spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urban, Rolf-Dieter; Jones, Harold

1989-11-01

The infrared spectrum of the manganese hydride radical ( 55MnH) in its ground electronic state ( 7Σ) has been observed using a diode laser spectrometer. The wavenumbers of twelve transitions of the v=1→0 band, five of the v=2→1 band and seven of the v=3→2 band have been measured with a nominal accuracy of ±0.001 cm -1. Coupling between the electronic spin ( S=3) and the overall molecular rotation causes each ro-vibrational transition with N>3 to be split (γ splitting) into seven components each separated by a few hundredths of a wavenumber. In most cases the complete structure was resolved. Correction terms arising from spin-spin coupling had to be included in the analysis. This work has produced the most accurate set of ground-state parameters available for MnH.

Multi-Channel Capacitive Sensor Arrays

PubMed Central

Wang, Bingnan; Long, Jiang; Teo, Koon Hoo

2016-01-01

In this paper, multi-channel capacitive sensor arrays based on microstrip band-stop filters are studied. The sensor arrays can be used to detect the proximity of objects at different positions and directions. Each capacitive sensing structure in the array is connected to an inductive element to form resonance at different frequencies. The resonances are designed to be isolated in the frequency spectrum, such that the change in one channel does not affect resonances at other channels. The inductive element associated with each capacitive sensor can be surface-mounted inductors, integrated microstrip inductors or metamaterial-inspired structures. We show that by using metamaterial split-ring structures coupled to a microstrip line, the quality factor of each resonance can be greatly improved compared to conventional surface-mounted or microstrip meander inductors. With such a microstrip-coupled split-ring design, more sensing elements can be integrated in the same frequency spectrum, and the sensitivity can be greatly improved. PMID:26821023

Silicon Nitride for Direct Water-Splitting and Corrosion Mitigation

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

Head, J.; Turner, J.A.

2006-01-01

Todays fossil fuels are becoming harder to obtain, creating pollution problems, and posing hazards to people’s health. One alternative to fossil fuels is hydrogen, capable of serving as a clean and efficient energy carrier. Certain semiconductors are able to harness the energy of photons and direct it into water electrolysis in a process known as photoelectrochemical water splitting. Triple junction devices integrate three semiconductors of different band gaps resulting in a monolithic material that absorbs over a broader spectrum. Amorphous silicon (a-Si) is one such material that, when stacked in tandem, possesses water-splitting capabilities. Even though a-Si is capable ofmore » splitting water, it is an unstable material in solution and therefore requires a coating to protect the surface from corrosion. A stable, transparent material that has the potential for corrosion protection is silicon nitride. In this study, silicon nitride thin films were grown using DC magnetron sputtering with varying amounts of argon and nitrogen added to the system. X-ray diffraction indicated amorphous silicon nitride films. Current as a function of potential was determined from cyclic voltammetry measurements. Mott-Schottky analysis showed n-type behavior with absorption and transmission measurements indicated variation in flatband potentials. Variation in band gap values ranging from 1.90 to 4.0 eV. Corrosion measurements reveal that the silicon nitride samples exhibit both p-type and n-type behavior. Photocurrent over a range of potentials was greater in samples that were submerged in acidic electrolyte. Silicon nitride shows good stability in acidic, neutral, and basic solutions, indicative of a good material for corrosion mitigation.« less

Hyperpolarized 131Xe NMR spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Stupic, Karl F.; Cleveland, Zackary I.; Pavlovskaya, Galina E.; Meersmann, Thomas

2011-01-01

Hyperpolarized (hp) 131Xe with up to 2.2% spin polarization (i.e., 5000-fold signal enhancement at 9.4 T) was obtained after separation from the rubidium vapor of the spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) process. The SEOP was applied for several minutes in a stopped-flow mode, and the fast, quadrupolar-driven T1 relaxation of this spin I = 3/2 noble gas isotope required a rapid subsequent rubidium removal and swift transfer into the high magnetic field region for NMR detection. Because of the xenon density dependent 131Xe quadrupolar relaxation in the gas phase, the SEOP polarization build-up exhibits an even more pronounced dependence on xenon partial pressure than that observed in 129Xe SEOP. 131Xe is the only stable noble gas isotope with a positive gyromagnetic ratio and shows therefore a different relative phase between hp signal and thermal signal compared to all other noble gases. The gas phase 131Xe NMR spectrum displays a surface and magnetic field dependent quadrupolar splitting that was found to have additional gas pressure and gas composition dependence. The splitting was reduced by the presence of water vapor that presumably influences xenon-surface interactions. The hp 131Xe spectrum shows differential line broadening, suggesting the presence of strong adsorption sites. Beyond hp 131Xe NMR spectroscopy studies, a general equation for the high temperature, thermal spin polarization, P, for spin I⩾1/2 nuclei is presented. PMID:21051249

Comparative study of anatomical normalization errors in SPM and 3D-SSP using digital brain phantom.

PubMed

Onishi, Hideo; Matsutake, Yuki; Kawashima, Hiroki; Matsutomo, Norikazu; Amijima, Hizuru

2011-01-01

In single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) cerebral blood flow studies, two major algorithms are widely used statistical parametric mapping (SPM) and three-dimensional stereotactic surface projections (3D-SSP). The aim of this study is to compare an SPM algorithm-based easy Z score imaging system (eZIS) and a 3D-SSP system in the errors of anatomical standardization using 3D-digital brain phantom images. We developed a 3D-brain digital phantom based on MR images to simulate the effects of head tilt, perfusion defective region size, and count value reduction rate on the SPECT images. This digital phantom was used to compare the errors of anatomical standardization by the eZIS and the 3D-SSP algorithms. While the eZIS allowed accurate standardization of the images of the phantom simulating a head in rotation, lateroflexion, anteflexion, or retroflexion without angle dependency, the standardization by 3D-SSP was not accurate enough at approximately 25° or more head tilt. When the simulated head contained perfusion defective regions, one of the 3D-SSP images showed an error of 6.9% from the true value. Meanwhile, one of the eZIS images showed an error as large as 63.4%, revealing a significant underestimation. When required to evaluate regions with decreased perfusion due to such causes as hemodynamic cerebral ischemia, the 3D-SSP is desirable. In a statistical image analysis, we must reconfirm the image after anatomical standardization by all means.

A multiple-time-scale turbulence model based on variable partitioning of turbulent kinetic energy spectrum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, S.-W.; Chen, C.-P.

1988-01-01

The paper presents a multiple-time-scale turbulence model of a single point closure and a simplified split-spectrum method. Consideration is given to a class of turbulent boundary layer flows and of separated and/or swirling elliptic turbulent flows. For the separated and/or swirling turbulent flows, the present turbulence model yielded significantly improved computational results over those obtained with the standard k-epsilon turbulence model.

Use of healthcare a long time after severe burn injury; relation to perceived health and personality characteristics.

PubMed

Wikehult, B; Willebrand, M; Kildal, M; Lannerstam, K; Fugl-Meyer, A R; Ekselius, L; Gerdin, B

2005-08-05

The aim of the study was to evaluate which factors are associated with the use of healthcare a long time after severe burn injury. After a review process based on clinical reasoning, 69 former burn patients out of a consecutive group treated at the Uppsala Burn Unit from 1980--1995 were visited in their homes and their use of care and support was assessed in a semi-structured interview. Post-burn health was assessed with the Burn-Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B) and personality was assessed with the Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP). The participants were injured on average eight years previously. Thirty-four had current contact with healthcare due to their burn injury and had significantly lower scores on three BSHS-B-domains: Simple Abilities, Work and Hand function, and significantly higher scores for the SSP-domain Neuroticism and the SSP-scales Stress Susceptibility, Lack of Assertiveness, and lower scores for Social Desirability. There was no relation to age, gender, time since injury, length of stay, or to the surface area burned. A routine screening of personality traits as a supplement to long-term follow-ups may help in identifying the patient's need for care.

Molecular Characterization and Comparative Sequence Analysis of Defense-Related Gene, Oryza rufipogon Receptor-Like Protein Kinase 1

PubMed Central

Law, Yee-Song; Gudimella, Ranganath; Song, Beng-Kah; Ratnam, Wickneswari; Harikrishna, Jennifer Ann

2012-01-01

Many of the plant leucine rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) have been found to regulate signaling during plant defense processes. In this study, we selected and sequenced an LRR-RLK gene, designated as Oryza rufipogon receptor-like protein kinase 1 (OrufRPK1), located within yield QTL yld1.1 from the wild rice Oryza rufipogon (accession IRGC105491). A 2055 bp coding region and two exons were identified. Southern blotting determined OrufRPK1 to be a single copy gene. Sequence comparison with cultivated rice orthologs (OsI219RPK1, OsI9311RPK1 and OsJNipponRPK1, respectively derived from O. sativa ssp. indica cv. MR219, O. sativa ssp. indica cv. 9311 and O. sativa ssp. japonica cv. Nipponbare) revealed the presence of 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with five non-synonymous substitutions, and 23 insertion/deletion sites. The biological role of the OrufRPK1 as a defense related LRR-RLK is proposed on the basis of cDNA sequence characterization, domain subfamily classification, structural prediction of extra cellular domains, cluster analysis and comparative gene expression. PMID:22942769

Space Solar Power Multi-body Dynamics and Controls, Concepts for the Integrated Symmetrical Concentrator Configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaese, John R.; McDonald, Emmett J.

2000-01-01

Orbiting space solar power systems are currently being investigated for possible flight in the time frame of 2015-2020 and later. Such space solar power (SSP) satellites are required to be extremely large in order to make practical the process of collection, conversion to microwave radiation, and reconversion to electrical power at earth stations or at remote locations in space. These large structures are expected to be very flexible presenting unique problems associated with their dynamics and control. The purpose of this project is to apply the expanded TREETOPS multi-body dynamics analysis computer simulation program (with expanded capabilities developed in the previous activity) to investigate the control problems associated with the integrated symmetrical concentrator (ISC) conceptual SSP system. SSP satellites are, as noted, large orbital systems having many bodies (perhaps hundreds) with flexible arrays operating in an orbiting environment where the non-uniform gravitational forces may be the major load producers on the structure so that a high fidelity gravity model is required. The current activity arises from our NRA8-23 SERT proposal. Funding, as a supplemental selection, has been provided by NASA with reduced scope from that originally proposed.

45 CFR 265.8 - Under what circumstances will we take action to impose a reporting penalty for failure to submit...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... TANF Financial Report (or, as applicable, the Territorial Financial Report), or the quarterly SSP-MOE... TANF Data Report or the SSP-MOE Data Report are not accurate or a report does not include all the data... security number; (3) The aggregated data elements in the TANF Data Report or the SSP-MOE Data Report...

45 CFR 270.6 - What data and other information must a State report to us?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... in this paragraph for both adult TANF recipients and adult SSP-MOE recipients for whom the State would report the data described in paragraph (b) of this section. (b) Data on SSP-MOE programs. In order... One and Three of the SSP-MOE Data Report as specified in § 265.3(d) of this chapter. (c) Data for the...

45 CFR 261.43 - What is the definition of a “case receiving assistance” in calculating the caseload reduction...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... credit is based on decreases in caseloads receiving TANF- or SSP-MOE-funded assistance (other than those... TANF and SSP-MOE assistance expenditures (both Federal and State) divided by the average monthly sum of TANF and SSP-MOE caseloads for the fiscal year. (iii) If the excess MOE calculation is for a separate...

Linking sea level rise and socioeconomic indicators under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nauels, Alexander; Rogelj, Joeri; Schleussner, Carl-Friedrich; Meinshausen, Malte; Mengel, Matthias

2017-11-01

In order to assess future sea level rise and its societal impacts, we need to study climate change pathways combined with different scenarios of socioeconomic development. Here, we present sea level rise (SLR) projections for the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) storylines and different year-2100 radiative forcing targets (FTs). Future SLR is estimated with a comprehensive SLR emulator that accounts for Antarctic rapid discharge from hydrofracturing and ice cliff instability. Across all baseline scenario realizations (no dedicated climate mitigation), we find 2100 median SLR relative to 1986-2005 of 89 cm (likely range: 57-130 cm) for SSP1, 105 cm (73-150 cm) for SSP2, 105 cm (75-147 cm) for SSP3, 93 cm (63-133 cm) for SSP4, and 132 cm (95-189 cm) for SSP5. The 2100 sea level responses for combined SSP-FT scenarios are dominated by the mitigation targets and yield median estimates of 52 cm (34-75 cm) for FT 2.6 Wm-2, 62 cm (40-96 cm) for FT 3.4 Wm-2, 75 cm (47-113 cm) for FT 4.5 Wm-2, and 91 cm (61-132 cm) for FT 6.0 Wm-2. Average 2081-2100 annual SLR rates are 5 mm yr-1 and 19 mm yr-1 for FT 2.6 Wm-2 and the baseline scenarios, respectively. Our model setup allows linking scenario-specific emission and socioeconomic indicators to projected SLR. We find that 2100 median SSP SLR projections could be limited to around 50 cm if 2050 cumulative CO2 emissions since pre-industrial stay below 850 GtC, with a global coal phase-out nearly completed by that time. For SSP mitigation scenarios, a 2050 carbon price of 100 US2005 tCO2 -1 would correspond to a median 2100 SLR of around 65 cm. Our results confirm that rapid and early emission reductions are essential for limiting 2100 SLR.

Weak coupling limit of F-theory models with MSSM spectrum and massless U(1)'s

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayorga Peña, Damián Kaloni; Valandro, Roberto

2018-03-01

We consider the Sen limit of several global F-theory compactifications, some of which exhibit an MSSM-like spectrum. We show that these indeed have a consistent limit where they can be viewed as resulting from an intersecting brane configuration in type IIB. We discuss the match of the fluxes and the chiral spectrum in detail. We find that some D5-tadpole canceling gauge fluxes do not lift to harmonic vertical four-form fluxes in the resolved F-theory manifold. We discuss the connection between splitting of curves at weak coupling and remnant discrete symmetries.

Tensile properties of a morphologically split supraspinatus tendon.

PubMed

Matsuhashi, Tomoya; Hooke, Alexander W; Zhao, Kristin D; Goto, Akira; Sperling, John W; Steinmann, Scott P; An, Kai-Nan

2014-07-01

The supraspinatus tendon consists morphologically of two sub-regions, anterior and posterior. The anterior sub-region is thick and tubular while the posterior is thin and strap-like. The purpose of this study was to compare the structural and mechanical properties of the anterior and posterior sub-regions of the supraspinatus tendon. The supraspinatus tendons from seven human cadaveric shoulders were morphologically divided into the anterior and posterior sub-regions. Length, width, and thickness were measured. A servo-hydraulic testing machine (MTS Systems Corporation, Minneapolis, MN) was used for tensile testing. The maximal load at failure, modulus of elasticity and ultimate tendon stress were calculated. Repeated measures were used for statistical comparisons. The mean anterior tendon cross-sectional area was 47.3 mm(2) and the posterior was 32.1 mm(2) . Failure occurred most often at the insertion site: anterior (5/7) and posterior (6/7). All parameters of the anterior sub-region were significantly greater than those of the posterior sub-region. The moduli of elasticity at the insertion site were 592.4 MPa in the anterior sub-region and 217.7 MPa in the posterior (P = 0.01). The ultimate failure loads were 779.2 N in the anterior sub-region and 335.6 N in the posterior (P = 0.003). The ultimate stresses were 22.1 MPa in the anterior sub-region and 11.6 MPa in the posterior (P = 0.008). We recognized that the anterior and posterior sub-regions of the SSP tendon have significantly different mechanical properties. In a future study, we need to evaluate how best to repair an SSP tendon considering these region-specific properties. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Physics of the infrared spectrum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deming, Drake; Jennings, Donald E.; Jefferies, John; Lindsey, Charles

1991-01-01

The IR bandpass is attractive for solar magnetic field studies in virtue of the proportionality to wavelength of the ratio of Zeeman splitting to line width. The large Zeeman splitting and optical thinness of the 12-micron observations render them especially useful for vector magnetic field derivations. The IR continuum, and many IR spectral lines, are formed in LTE and are useful in studies of the temperature structure of the solar atmosphere from the deepest observable photospheric layers to chromospheric altitudes. The far-IR continuum is an excellent thermometer for the upper photosphere and chromosphere.

Systematic Bandgap Engineering of Graphene Quantum Dots and Applications for Photocatalytic Water Splitting and CO2 Reduction.

PubMed

Yan, Yibo; Chen, Jie; Li, Nan; Tian, Jingqi; Li, Kaixin; Jiang, Jizhou; Liu, Jiyang; Tian, Qinghua; Chen, Peng

2018-04-24

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs), which is the latest addition to the nanocarbon material family, promise a wide spectrum of applications. Herein, we demonstrate two different functionalization strategies to systematically tailor the bandgap structures of GQDs whereby making them snugly suitable for particular applications. Furthermore, the functionalized GQDs with a narrow bandgap and intramolecular Z-scheme structure are employed as the efficient photocatalysts for water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction under visible light. The underlying mechanisms of our observations are studied and discussed.

Emergence of a spectral gap in a class of random matrices associated with split graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bassler, Kevin E.; Zia, R. K. P.

2018-01-01

Motivated by the intriguing behavior displayed in a dynamic network that models a population of extreme introverts and extroverts (XIE), we consider the spectral properties of ensembles of random split graph adjacency matrices. We discover that, in general, a gap emerges in the bulk spectrum between -1 and 0 that contains a single eigenvalue. An analytic expression for the bulk distribution is derived and verified with numerical analysis. We also examine their relation to chiral ensembles, which are associated with bipartite graphs.

Three-Phase Morphology Evolution in Sequentially Solution-Processed Polymer Photodetector: Toward Low Dark Current and High Photodetectivity.

PubMed

Wang, Hanyu; Xing, Shen; Zheng, Yifan; Kong, Jaemin; Yu, Junsheng; Taylor, André D

2018-01-31

Sequentially solution-processed polymer photodetectors (SSP PPDs) based on poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT)/[6,6]-phenyl C 71 -butyric acid methyl ester (PC 71 BM) are fabricated by depositing the top layers of PC 71 BM from an appropriate cosolvent of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP)/o-dichlorobenzene (ODCB) onto the predeposited bottom layers of P3HT. By adjusting the ratio of 2-CP/ODCB in the top PC 71 BM layers, the resulting SSP PPD shows a decreased dark current and an increased photocurrent, leading to a maximum detectivity of 1.23 × 10 12 Jones at a wavelength of 550 nm. This value is 5.3-fold higher than that of the conventional bulk heterojunction PPD. Morphology studies reveal that the PC 71 BM partially penetrates the predeposited P3HT layer during the spin-coating process, resulting in an optimal three-phase morphology with one well-mixed interdiffusion P3HT/PC 71 BM phase in the middle of the bulk and two pure phases of P3HT and PC 71 BM at the two electrode sides. We show that the pure phases form high Schottky barriers (>2.0 eV) at the active layer/electrodes interface and efficiently block unfavorable reverse charge carrier injection by significantly decreasing the dark current. The interdiffussion phase enlarges the donor-acceptor interfacial area leading to a large photocurrent. We also reveal that the improved performance of SSP PPDs is also due to the enhanced optical absorption, improved P3HT crystallinity, increased charge carrier mobilities, and suppressed bimolecular recombination.

Comparative pathogenicity of Vibrio spp., Photobacterium damselae ssp. damselae and five isolates of Aeromonas salmonicida ssp. achromogenes in juvenile Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus).

PubMed

Bowden, T J; Bricknell, I R; Preziosi, B M

2018-01-01

Juvenile Atlantic halibut (~100 mg, Hippoglossus hippoglossus) were exposed to Vibrio proteolyticus, a Vibrio spp. isolate, Photobacterium damselae ssp. damselae and five different isolates of Aeromonas salmonicida ssp. achromogenes via an hour-long bath immersion to ascertain their variation in pathogenicity to this fish species. Results were analysed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Analysis of the data from challenges using A. salmonicida ssp. achromogenes revealed three survival values of zero and a spread of values from 0 to 28.43. Challenges using a Vibrio spp isolate, V. proteolyticus and P. damselae resulted in Kaplan-Meier survival estimates of 31.21, 50.41 and 57.21, respectively. As all bacterial species tested could induce juvenile halibut mortalities, they must all be considered as potential pathogens. However, the degree of pathogenicity of A. salmonicida is isolate dependent. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Identification of functional candidates amongst hypothetical proteins of Treponema pallidum ssp. pallidum.

PubMed

Naqvi, Ahmad Abu Turab; Shahbaaz, Mohd; Ahmad, Faizan; Hassan, Md Imtaiyaz

2015-01-01

Syphilis is a globally occurring venereal disease, and its infection is propagated through sexual contact. The causative agent of syphilis, Treponema pallidum ssp. pallidum, a Gram-negative sphirochaete, is an obligate human parasite. Genome of T. pallidum ssp. pallidum SS14 strain (RefSeq NC_010741.1) encodes 1,027 proteins, of which 444 proteins are known as hypothetical proteins (HPs), i.e., proteins of unknown functions. Here, we performed functional annotation of HPs of T. pallidum ssp. pallidum using various database, domain architecture predictors, protein function annotators and clustering tools. We have analyzed the sequences of 444 HPs of T. pallidum ssp. pallidum and subsequently predicted the function of 207 HPs with a high level of confidence. However, functions of 237 HPs are predicted with less accuracy. We found various enzymes, transporters, binding proteins in the annotated group of HPs that may be possible molecular targets, facilitating for the survival of pathogen. Our comprehensive analysis helps to understand the mechanism of pathogenesis to provide many novel potential therapeutic interventions.

The Self-Sufficiency Project at 36 Months: Effects on Children of a Program That Increased Parental Employment and Income.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Pamela; Michalopoulos, Charles

This report examines effects of the Self-Sufficiency Project (SSP) for three age groups of children (younger cohort aged 3-5, middle cohort aged 6-11, and older cohort aged 12-18) at the 36-month interview. A companion report on effects of the SSP on adults is available separately. Chapter 1 describes the SSP incentive, project design, and SSP…

Cytogenetic Diversity of Simple Sequences Repeats in Morphotypes of Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis

PubMed Central

Zheng, Jin-shuang; Sun, Cheng-zhen; Zhang, Shu-ning; Hou, Xi-lin; Bonnema, Guusje

2016-01-01

A significant fraction of the nuclear DNA of all eukaryotes is comprised of simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Although these sequences are widely used for studying genetic variation, linkage mapping and evolution, little attention had been paid to the chromosomal distribution and cytogenetic diversity of these sequences. In this paper, we report the distribution characterization of mono-, di-, and tri-nucleotide SSRs in Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to characterize the cytogenetic diversity of SSRs among morphotypes of B. rapa ssp. chinensis. The proportion of different SSR motifs varied among morphotypes of B. rapa ssp. chinensis, with tri-nucleotide SSRs being more prevalent in the genome of B. rapa ssp. chinensis. We determined the chromosomal locations of mono-, di-, and tri-nucleotide repeat loci. The results showed that the chromosomal distribution of SSRs in the different morphotypes is non-random and motif-dependent, and allowed us to characterize the relative variability in terms of SSR numbers and similar chromosomal distributions in centromeric/peri-centromeric heterochromatin. The differences between SSR repeats with respect to abundance and distribution indicate that SSRs are a driving force in the genomic evolution of B. rapa species. Our results provide a comprehensive view of the SSR sequence distribution and evolution for comparison among morphotypes B. rapa ssp. chinensis. PMID:27507974

Cytogenetic Diversity of Simple Sequences Repeats in Morphotypes of Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis.

PubMed

Zheng, Jin-Shuang; Sun, Cheng-Zhen; Zhang, Shu-Ning; Hou, Xi-Lin; Bonnema, Guusje

2016-01-01

A significant fraction of the nuclear DNA of all eukaryotes is comprised of simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Although these sequences are widely used for studying genetic variation, linkage mapping and evolution, little attention had been paid to the chromosomal distribution and cytogenetic diversity of these sequences. In this paper, we report the distribution characterization of mono-, di-, and tri-nucleotide SSRs in Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to characterize the cytogenetic diversity of SSRs among morphotypes of B. rapa ssp. chinensis. The proportion of different SSR motifs varied among morphotypes of B. rapa ssp. chinensis, with tri-nucleotide SSRs being more prevalent in the genome of B. rapa ssp. chinensis. We determined the chromosomal locations of mono-, di-, and tri-nucleotide repeat loci. The results showed that the chromosomal distribution of SSRs in the different morphotypes is non-random and motif-dependent, and allowed us to characterize the relative variability in terms of SSR numbers and similar chromosomal distributions in centromeric/peri-centromeric heterochromatin. The differences between SSR repeats with respect to abundance and distribution indicate that SSRs are a driving force in the genomic evolution of B. rapa species. Our results provide a comprehensive view of the SSR sequence distribution and evolution for comparison among morphotypes B. rapa ssp. chinensis.

Wireless just-in-time training of mobile skilled support personnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandera, Cesar; Marsico, Michael; Rosen, Mitchel; Schlegel, Barry

2006-05-01

Skilled Support Personnel (SSP) serve emergency response organizations during an emergency incident, and include laborers, operating engineers, carpenters, ironworkers, sanitation workers and utility workers. SSP called to an emergency incident rarely have recent detailed training on the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and/or explosives (CBRNE) agents or the personal protection equipment (PPE) relevant to the incident. This increases personal risk to the SSP and mission risk at the incident site. Training for SSP has been identified as a critical need by the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, Worker Education and Training Program. We present a system being developed to address this SSP training shortfall by exploiting a new training paradigm called just-in-time training (JITT) made possible by advances in distance learning and cellular telephony. In addition to the current conventional training at regularly scheduled instructional events, SSP called to an emergency incident will have secure access to short (<5 minutes) training modules specific to the incident and derived from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Disaster Site Worker Course. To increase retention, each learning module incorporates audio, video, interactive simulations, graphics, animation, and assessment designed for the user interface of most current cell phones. Engineering challenges include compatibility with current cell phone technologies and wireless service providers, integration with the incident management system, and SCORM compliance.

A Carbohydrate Moiety of Secreted Stage-Specific Glycoprotein 4 Participates in Host Cell Invasion by Trypanosoma cruzi Extracellular Amastigotes.

PubMed

Florentino, Pilar T V; Real, Fernando; Orikaza, Cristina M; da Cunha, Julia P C; Vitorino, Francisca N L; Cordero, Esteban M; Sobreira, Tiago J P; Mortara, Renato A

2018-01-01

Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiologic agent of Chagas' disease. It is known that amastigotes derived from trypomastigotes in the extracellular milieu are infective in vitro and in vivo . Extracellular amastigotes (EAs) have a stage-specific surface antigen called Ssp-4, a GPI-anchored glycoprotein that is secreted by the parasites. By immunoprecipitation with the Ssp-4-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb) 2C2 and 1D9, we isolated the glycoprotein from EAs. By mass spectrometry, we identified the core protein of Ssp-4 and evaluated mRNA expression and the presence of Ssp-4 carbohydrate epitopes recognized by mAb1D9. We demonstrated that the carbohydrate epitope recognized by mAb1D9 could promote host cell invasion by EAs. Although infectious EAs express lower amounts of Ssp-4 compared with less-infectious EAs (at the mRNA and protein levels), it is the glycosylation of Ssp-4 (identified by mAb1D9 staining only in infectious strains and recognized by galectin-3 on host cells) that is the determinant of EA invasion of host cells. Furthermore, Ssp-4 is secreted by EAs, either free or associated with parasite vesicles, and can participate in host-cell interactions. The results presented here describe the possible role of a carbohydrate moiety of T. cruzi surface glycoproteins in host cell invasion by EA forms, highlighting the potential of these moieties as therapeutic and vaccine targets for the treatment of Chagas' disease.

A Carbohydrate Moiety of Secreted Stage-Specific Glycoprotein 4 Participates in Host Cell Invasion by Trypanosoma cruzi Extracellular Amastigotes

PubMed Central

Florentino, Pilar T. V.; Real, Fernando; Orikaza, Cristina M.; da Cunha, Julia P. C.; Vitorino, Francisca N. L.; Cordero, Esteban M.; Sobreira, Tiago J. P.; Mortara, Renato A.

2018-01-01

Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiologic agent of Chagas’ disease. It is known that amastigotes derived from trypomastigotes in the extracellular milieu are infective in vitro and in vivo. Extracellular amastigotes (EAs) have a stage-specific surface antigen called Ssp-4, a GPI-anchored glycoprotein that is secreted by the parasites. By immunoprecipitation with the Ssp-4-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb) 2C2 and 1D9, we isolated the glycoprotein from EAs. By mass spectrometry, we identified the core protein of Ssp-4 and evaluated mRNA expression and the presence of Ssp-4 carbohydrate epitopes recognized by mAb1D9. We demonstrated that the carbohydrate epitope recognized by mAb1D9 could promote host cell invasion by EAs. Although infectious EAs express lower amounts of Ssp-4 compared with less-infectious EAs (at the mRNA and protein levels), it is the glycosylation of Ssp-4 (identified by mAb1D9 staining only in infectious strains and recognized by galectin-3 on host cells) that is the determinant of EA invasion of host cells. Furthermore, Ssp-4 is secreted by EAs, either free or associated with parasite vesicles, and can participate in host-cell interactions. The results presented here describe the possible role of a carbohydrate moiety of T. cruzi surface glycoproteins in host cell invasion by EA forms, highlighting the potential of these moieties as therapeutic and vaccine targets for the treatment of Chagas’ disease. PMID:29692765

Evaluation of School-Based Dental Sealant Programs: An Updated Community Guide Systematic Economic Review.

PubMed

Griffin, Susan O; Naavaal, Shillpa; Scherrer, Christina; Patel, Mona; Chattopadhyay, Sajal

2017-03-01

A recently updated Community Guide systematic review of the effectiveness of school sealant programs (SSPs) still found strong evidence that SSPs reduced dental caries among schoolchildren. This follow-up systematic review updates SSP cost and benefit information from the original 2002 review. Using Community Guide economic review methods, the authors searched the literature from January 2000 to November 20, 2014. The final body of evidence included 14 studies-ten from the current search and four with cost information from the 2002 review. Nine studies had information on SSP costs; six on sealant benefit (averted treatment costs and productivity losses); four on SSP net cost (cost minus benefit); and three on net cost to Medicaid of clinically delivered sealants. The authors imputed productivity losses and discounted costs/outcomes when this information was missing. The analysis, conducted in 2015, reported all values in 2014 U.S. dollars. The median one-time SSP cost per tooth sealed was $11.64. Labor accounted for two thirds of costs, and time to provide sealants was a major cost driver. The median annual economic benefit was $6.29, suggesting that over 4 years the SSP benefit ($23.37 at a 3% discount rate) would exceed costs by $11.73 per sealed tooth. In addition, two of four economic models and all three analyses of Medicaid claims data found that SSP benefit to society exceeded SSP cost. Recent evidence indicates the benefits of SSPs exceed their costs when SSPs target schools attended by a large number of high-risk children. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Magnetic resonance anatomy of the superior part of the rotator cuff in normal shoulders, assessment and practical implication.

PubMed

Michelin, Paul; Trintignac, Adrien; Dacher, Jean Nicolas; Carvalhana, Gilbert; Lefebvre, Valentin; Duparc, Fabrice

2014-12-01

The superior part of the rotator cuff consists of the anterior (SSa) and posterior (SSp) parts of the supraspinatus tendon, the infraspinatus (IS) tendon plus the articular capsule. An overlap of the distal SSp tendon by the anterior part of the IS one has been anatomically demonstrated; the insertion area of the IS is more anterior than currently believed. The aim of our study was to assess this complex architecture through standard MRI scans. Twenty-five healthy volunteers underwent a shoulder MRI. Three planes T2 fat saturation sequences were read in consensus by two radiologists. The SSa, the SSp, the IS tendons and the articular capsule were assessed for visibility. The patterns of demarcation of each structure from adjacent ones were assessed. The width and the thickness of each tendinous band were measured on sagittal images. The SSa, the SSp and the IS tendons were distinguishable in all patients. The anterior part of the IS tendon overlapped the SSp tendon to reach a quite anterior insertion into the greater tuberosity of the humerus. The SSa, the SSp and the IS tendons were 6.5-3.4, 15.1-2.8 and 26.8-2.2 mm wide and thick, respectively. MR images of the normal superior rotator cuff are consistent with latest anatomical descriptions. The distal superposition of the IS over the SSp tendon should be considered regarding the linear increased signal areas and the commonly named "partial thickness ruptures" of the superior rotator cuff as well as the fatty infiltration of the IS muscle.

Positioning Space Solar Power (SSP) as the Next Logical Step after the International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charania, A.

2002-01-01

At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the International Space Station (ISS) will stand as a testament of the engineering capabilities of the international community. The choices for the next logical step for this community remain vast and conflicting: a Mars mission, moon colonization, Space Solar Power (SSP), etc. This examination focuses on positioning SSP as one such candidate for consideration. A marketing roadmap is presented that reveals the potential benefits of SSP to both the space community and the global populace at large. Recognizing that scientific efficiency itself has no constituency large enough to persuade entities to outlay funds for such projects, a holistic approach is taken to positioning SSP. This includes the scientific, engineering, exploratory, economic, political, and development capabilities of the system. SSP can be seen as both space exploration related and a resource project for undeveloped nations. Coupling these two non-traditional areas yields a broader constituency for the project that each one alone could generate. Space exploration is many times seen as irrelevant to the condition of the populace of the planet from which the money comes for such projects. When in this new century, billions of people on the planet still have never made a phone call or even have access to clean water, the origins of this skepticism can be understandable. An area of concern is the problem of not living up to the claims of overeager program marketers. Just as the ISS may never live up to the claims of its advocates in terms of space research, any SSP program must be careful in not promising utopian global solutions to any future energy starved world. Technically, SSP is a very difficult problem, even harder than creating the ISS, yet the promise it can hold for both space exploration and Earth development can lead to a renaissance of the relevance of space to the lives of the citizens of the world.

Management of paediatric spontaneous pneumothorax: a multicentre retrospective case series.

PubMed

Robinson, Paul D; Blackburn, Carol; Babl, Franz E; Gamage, Lalith; Schutz, Jacquie; Nogajski, Rebecca; Dalziel, Stuart; Donald, Colin B; Druda, Dino; Krieser, David; Neutze, Jocelyn; Acworth, Jason; Lee, Mark; Ngo, Peter K

2015-10-01

Paediatric guidelines are lacking for management of spontaneous pneumothorax. Adult patient-focused guidelines (British Thoracic Society 2003 and 2010) introduced aspiration as first-line intervention for primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) and small secondary spontaneous pneumothoraces (SSP). Paediatric practice is unclear, and evidence for aspiration success rates is urgently required to develop paediatric-specific recommendations. Retrospective analysis of PSP and SSP management at nine paediatric emergency departments across Australia and New Zealand (2003-2010) to compare PSP and SSP management. 219 episodes of spontaneous pneumothorax occurred in 162 children (median age 15 years, 71% male); 155 PSP episodes in 120 children and 64 SSP episodes in 42 children. Intervention in PSP vs SSP episodes occurred in 55% (95% CI 47% to 62%) vs 70% (60% to 79%), p<0.05. An intercostal chest catheter (ICC) was used in 104/219 (47%) episodes. Aspiration was used in more PSP than in SSP episodes with interventions (27% (18% to 37%) vs 9% (3% to 21%), p<0.05). Aspiration success was 52% (33% to 70%) overall and not significantly different between PSP and SSP. Aspiration success was greater in small vs large pneumothoraces (80% (48% to 95%) vs 33% (14% to 61%), p=0.01). Small-bore ICCs were used in 40% of ICCs and usage increased during the study. In this descriptive study of pneumothorax management, PSP and SSP management did not differ and ICC insertion was the continuing preferred intervention. Overall success of aspiration was lower than reported results for adults, although success was greater for small than for large pneumothoraces. Paediatric prospective studies are urgently required to determine optimal paediatric interventional management strategies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The Far Infrared Vibration-Rotation Spectrum of the Ammonia Dimer.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loeser, Jennifer Gertrud

1995-11-01

The ammonia dimer has been shown to exhibit unusual weak bonding properties relative to those of the other prototypical second row systems, the hydrogen fluoride dimer and the water dimer. The ultimate goal of the work initiated in this dissertation is to determine a complete intermolecular potential energy surface for the ammonia dimer. It is first necessary to observe its far infrared vibration-rotation-tunneling (VRT) spectrum and to develop a group theoretical model that explains this spectrum in terms of the internal dynamics of the ammonia dimer. These first steps are the subject of this dissertation. First, the current understanding of the ammonia dimer system is reviewed. Group theoretical descriptions of the nature of the ammonia dimer VRT states are explained in detail. An overview of the experimental and theoretical studies of the ammonia dimer made during the last decade is presented. Second, progress on the analysis of the microwave and far infrared spectrum of (ND_3)_2 below 13 cm^{-1} is reported. These spectra directly measure the 'donor -acceptor' interchange splittings in (ND_3) _2, and determine some of the monomer umbrella inversion tunneling splittings. Third, new 80-90 cm^{-1} far infrared spectra of (NH_3)_2 are presented and a preliminary analysis is proposed. Most of the new excited VRT states have been assigned as tunneling sublevels of an out-of-plane intermolecular vibration.

The Applicability of the Short Sensory Profile for Screening Sensory Processing Disorders among Israeli Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engel-Yeger, Batya

2010-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the applicability of the short sensory profile (SSP) for screening sensory processing disorders (SPDs) among typical children in Israel, and to evaluate the relationship between SPDs and socio-demographic parameters. Participants were 395 Israeli children, aged 3 years to 10 years 11 months, with typical…

Nutritional assessment of processing effects on major and trace element content in sea buckthorn juice (Hippophaë rhamnoides L. ssp. rhamnoides).

PubMed

Gutzeit, D; Winterhalter, P; Jerz, G

2008-08-01

Processing effects on the mineral content were investigated during juice production from sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L. ssp. rhamnoides, Elaeagnaceae) using berries from 2 different growing areas. The major and trace elements of sea buckthorn berries and juices were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS)--(calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)--(arsenic, boron, chromium, copper, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, zinc). Potassium is the most abundant major element in sea buckthorn berries and juices. The production process increased the potassium content in the juice by about 20%. Moreover, the processing of juice increased the value of manganese up to 32% compared to the content in berries. During industrial juice production, the technological steps caused a loss of about 53% to 77% of the chromium concentration, 50% of the copper content, 64% to 75% of the molybdenum amount, and up to 45% of the iron concentration in the final juice product. Consumption of sea buckthorn juice represents a beneficial source of chromium, copper, manganese, molybdenum, iron, and potassium for the achievement of the respective dietary requirements.

Advanced data management design for autonomous telerobotic systems in space using spaceborne symbolic processors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goforth, Andre

1987-01-01

The use of computers in autonomous telerobots is reaching the point where advanced distributed processing concepts and techniques are needed to support the functioning of Space Station era telerobotic systems. Three major issues that have impact on the design of data management functions in a telerobot are covered. It also presents a design concept that incorporates an intelligent systems manager (ISM) running on a spaceborne symbolic processor (SSP), to address these issues. The first issue is the support of a system-wide control architecture or control philosophy. Salient features of two candidates are presented that impose constraints on data management design. The second issue is the role of data management in terms of system integration. This referes to providing shared or coordinated data processing and storage resources to a variety of telerobotic components such as vision, mechanical sensing, real-time coordinated multiple limb and end effector control, and planning and reasoning. The third issue is hardware that supports symbolic processing in conjunction with standard data I/O and numeric processing. A SSP that currently is seen to be technologically feasible and is being developed is described and used as a baseline in the design concept.

High performance, high bandgap, lattice-mismatched, GaInP solar cells

DOEpatents

Wanlass, Mark W; Carapella, Jeffrey J; Steiner, Myles A

2016-11-01

High performance, high bandgap, lattice-mismatched, photovoltaic cells (10), both transparent and non-transparent to sub-bandgap light, are provided as devices for use alone or in combination with other cells in split spectrum apparatus or other applications.

High performance, high bandgap, lattice-mismatched, GaInP solar cells

DOEpatents

Wanlass, Mark W.; Carapella, Jeffrey J.; Steiner, Myles A.

2014-07-08

High performance, high bandgap, lattice-mismatched, photovoltaic cells (10), both transparent and non-transparent to sub-bandgap light, are provided as devices for use alone or in combination with other cells in split spectrum apparatus or other applications.

Spectra of Lorentz-violating Dirac bound states in a cylindrical well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Zhi

2016-12-01

In the presence of the Lorentz-violating bμ coefficient, the spectra of bound states for a Dirac particle in a cylindric well are changed. Compared to the Lorentz invariant (LI) spectrum, the Lorentz violation deviation becomes significant when eigenenergy E is sufficiently close to the critical values ±m , where m is the particle's mass. The detailed profile of the deviation depends on the observer Lorentz nature of bμ. We discussed three types of bμ configuration. When bμ=(0 ,0 ,0 ,bZ) is parallel to the well axis, the would be degenerate LI spectra split into two subspectra, reminiscent of the Zeeman splitting in the presence of a weak magnetic field. Depending on the relative sign of bZ accompanying mass m in the dispersion relation, the spectrum extends or shrinks in the allowed eigenenergy region. When bμ is a radial [bμ=(0 ,b cos ϕ ,b sin ϕ ,0 ) ] or purely timelike vector [bμ=(bT,0 →)], the spin-up and down components are coupled together, and there is no splitting. However, the monotonic increasing behavior of well depth V0 with the decrease of eigenenergy E is slightly changed when E is sufficiently close to -m .

Structural and Nutritional Properties of Pasta from Triticum monococcum and Triticum durum Species. A Combined ¹H NMR, MRI, and Digestibility Study.

PubMed

Pasini, Gabriella; Greco, Fulvia; Cremonini, Mauro A; Brandolini, Andrea; Consonni, Roberto; Gussoni, Maristella

2015-05-27

The aim of the present study was to characterize the structure of two different types of pasta, namely Triticum turgidum ssp. durum (cv. Saragolla) and Triticum monococcum ssp. monococcum (cv. Monlis), under different processing conditions. MRI analysis and NMR spectroscopy (i.e., T1 and T2 NMR relaxation times and diffusion parameters) were conducted on pasta, and (1)H NMR spectroscopic analysis of the chemical compounds released by pasta samples during the cooking process was performed. In addition, starch digestibility (enzimatically determined) was also investigated. The NMR results indicated that Saragolla pasta has a more compact structure, ascribed to pasta network and in particular to different technological gluten properties, that mainly determine the lower ability of Monlis pasta in binding water. These results correlate well with the lower rate of starch hydrolysis measured for Monlis pasta compared to Saragolla when both are dried at high temperature.

Temporal self-splitting of optical pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Chaoliang; Koivurova, Matias; Turunen, Jari; Pan, Liuzhan

2018-05-01

We present mathematical models for temporally and spectrally partially coherent pulse trains with Laguerre-Gaussian and Hermite-Gaussian Schell-model statistics as extensions of the standard Gaussian Schell model for pulse trains. We derive propagation formulas of both classes of pulsed fields in linearly dispersive media and in temporal optical systems. It is found that, in general, both types of fields exhibit time-domain self-splitting upon propagation. The Laguerre-Gaussian model leads to multiply peaked pulses, while the Hermite-Gaussian model leads to doubly peaked pulses, in the temporal far field (in dispersive media) or at the Fourier plane of a temporal system. In both model fields the character of the self-splitting phenomenon depends both on the degree of temporal and spectral coherence and on the power spectrum of the field.

Vacuum-induced Autler-Townes splitting in a superconducting artificial atom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Z. H.; Ding, J. H.; Zhou, Y.; Ying, L. L.; Wang, Z.; Zhou, L.; Kuang, L. M.; Liu, Yu-xi; Astafiev, O. V.; Tsai, J. S.

2018-06-01

We experimentally study a vacuum-induced Autler-Townes doublet in a superconducting three-level artificial atom strongly coupled to a coplanar waveguide resonator and simultaneously to a transmission line. The Autler-Townes splitting is observed in the reflection spectrum from the three-level atom in a transition between the ground state and the second excited state when the transition between the two excited states is resonant with a resonator. By applying a driving field to the resonator, we observe a change in the regime of the Autler-Townes splitting from quantum (vacuum-induced) to classical (with many resonator photons). Furthermore, we show that the reflection of propagating microwaves in a transmission line could be controlled by different frequency microwave fields at the single-photon level in a resonator.

Space Shuttle Program (SSP) Shock Test and Specification Experience for Reusable Flight Hardware Equipment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larsen, Curtis E.

2012-01-01

As commercial companies are nearing a preliminary design review level of design maturity, several companies are identifying the process for qualifying their multi-use electrical and mechanical components for various shock environments, including pyrotechnic, mortar firing, and water impact. The experience in quantifying the environments consists primarily of recommendations from Military Standard-1540, Product Verification Requirement for Launch, Upper Stage, and Space Vehicles. Therefore, the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) formed a team of NASA shock experts to share the NASA experience with qualifying hardware for the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) and other applicable programs and projects. Several team teleconferences were held to discuss past experience and to share ideas of possible methods for qualifying components for multiple missions. This document contains the information compiled from the discussions

Growth, characterization and estimation of lattice strain and size in CdS nanoparticles: X-ray peak profile analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solanki, Rekha Garg; Rajaram, Poolla; Bajpai, P. K.

2018-05-01

This work is based on the growth, characterization and estimation of lattice strain and crystallite size in CdS nanoparticles by X-ray peak profile analysis. The CdS nanoparticles were synthesized by a non-aqueous solvothermal method and were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman and UV-visible spectroscopy. XRD confirms that the CdS nanoparticles have the hexagonal structure. The Williamson-Hall (W-H) method was used to study the X-ray peak profile analysis. The strain-size plot (SSP) was used to study the individual contributions of crystallite size and lattice strain from the X-rays peaks. The physical parameters such as strain, stress and energy density values were calculated using various models namely, isotropic strain model, anisotropic strain model and uniform deformation energy density model. The particle size was estimated from the TEM images to be in the range of 20-40 nm. The Raman spectrum shows the characteristic optical 1LO and 2LO vibrational modes of CdS. UV-visible absorption studies show that the band gap of the CdS nanoparticles is 2.48 eV. The results show that the crystallite size estimated from Scherrer's formula, W-H plots, SSP and the particle size calculated by TEM images are approximately similar.

Latent constructs underlying sensory subtypes in children with autism: A preliminary study.

PubMed

Hand, Brittany N; Dennis, Simon; Lane, Alison E

2017-08-01

Recent reports identify sensory subtypes in ASD based on shared patterns of responses to daily sensory stimuli [Ausderau et al., 2014; Lane, Molloy, & Bishop, 2014]. Lane et al. propose that two broad sensory dimensions, sensory reactivity and multisensory integration, best explain the differences between subtypes, however this has yet to be tested. The present study tests this hypothesis by examining the latent constructs underlying Lane's sensory subtypes. Participants for this study were caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 2-12 years. Caregiver responses on the Short Sensory Profile (SSP), used to establish Lane's sensory subtypes, were extracted from two existing datasets (total n = 287). Independent component analyses were conducted to test the fit and interpretability of a two-construct structure underlying the SSP, and therefore, the sensory subtypes. The first construct was largely comprised of the taste/smell sensitivity domain, which describes hyper-reactivity to taste and smell stimuli. The second construct had a significant contribution from the low energy/weak domain, which describes behaviors that may be indicative of difficulties with multisensory integration. Findings provide initial support for our hypothesis that sensory reactivity and multisensory integration underlie Lane's sensory subtypes in ASD. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1364-1371. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

MySSP: Non-stationary evolutionary sequence simulation, including indels

PubMed Central

Rosenberg, Michael S.

2007-01-01

MySSP is a new program for the simulation of DNA sequence evolution across a phylogenetic tree. Although many programs are available for sequence simulation, MySSP is unique in its inclusion of indels, flexibility in allowing for non-stationary patterns, and output of ancestral sequences. Some of these features can individually be found in existing programs, but have not all have been previously available in a single package. PMID:19325855

Risk analysis of Safety Service Patrol (SSP) systems in Virginia.

PubMed

Dickey, Brett D; Santos, Joost R

2011-12-01

The transportation infrastructure is a vital backbone of any regional economy as it supports workforce mobility, tourism, and a host of socioeconomic activities. In this article, we specifically examine the incident management function of the transportation infrastructure. In many metropolitan regions, incident management is handled primarily by safety service patrols (SSPs), which monitor and resolve roadway incidents. In Virginia, SSP allocation across highway networks is based typically on average vehicle speeds and incident volumes. This article implements a probabilistic network model that partitions "business as usual" traffic flow with extreme-event scenarios. Results of simulated network scenarios reveal that flexible SSP configurations can improve incident resolution times relative to predetermined SSP assignments. © 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.

Vibration-Rotation Spectrum of Formic Acid Dimer in the 7.3μm Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Chuanxi

2016-06-01

The vibration-rotation-tunneling spectrum of formic acid dimer, (HCOOH)2, in the spectral region 1369-1375 wn has been measured by a multi-step rapid-can method in a slit jet expansion using a distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser. The observed spectrum is assigned to the O-C-H bending fundamental band. The tunneling splitting in the vibrational excited state is determined to be about 0.005 wn, which is much smaller than that in the ground state, 0.0165 wn (Goroya et al.,J. Chem. Phys. 140, 164311 (2014)). Strong local perturbations involving transitions with J > 9, K = 0 and 1 are identified in the observed spectrum. The deperturbation analysis will be presented.

Advanced Concurrent-Multiband, Multibeam, Aperture-Synthesis with Intelligent Processing for Urban Operation Sensing

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-09

signatures (RSS), in particular, despeckling, superresolution and convergence rate, for a variety of admissible 115 imaging array sensor...attain the superresolution performances in the resulting SSP estimates (3.4), we propose the VA inspired approach [13], [14] to specify the POCS

78 FR 66365 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-05

... for Needy Families (TANF) program, it imposed a new data requirement that States prepare and submit data verification procedures and replaced other data requirements with new versions including: the TANF Data Report, the SSP-MOE Data Report, the Caseload Reduction Documentation Process, and the Reasonable...

The Wetland and Aquatic Research Center strategic science plan

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2017-02-02

IntroductionThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Wetland and Aquatic Research Center (WARC) has two primary locations (Gainesville, Florida, and Lafayette, Louisiana) and field stations throughout the southeastern United States and Caribbean. WARC’s roots are in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Park Service research units that were brought into the USGS as the Biological Research Division in 1996. Founded in 2015, WARC was created from the merger of two long-standing USGS biology science Centers—the Southeast Ecological Science Center and the National Wetlands Research Center—to bring together expertise in biology, ecology, landscape science, geospatial applications, and decision support in order to address issues nationally and internationally. WARC scientists apply their expertise to a variety of wetland and aquatic research and monitoring issues that require coordinated, integrated efforts to better understand natural environments. By increasing basic understanding of the biology of important species and broader ecological and physiological processes, this research provides information to policymakers and aids managers in their stewardship of natural resources and in regulatory functions.This strategic science plan (SSP) was developed to guide WARC research during the next 5–10 years in support of Department of the Interior (DOI) partnering bureaus such as the USFWS, the National Park Service, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, as well as other Federal, State, and local natural resource management agencies. The SSP demonstrates the alignment of the WARC goals with the USGS mission areas, associated programs, and other DOI initiatives. The SSP is necessary for workforce planning and, as such, will be used as a guide for future needs for personnel. The SSP also will be instrumental in developing internal funding priorities and in promoting WARC’s capabilities to both external cooperators and other groups within the USGS.

Engineering an improved light-induced dimer (iLID) for controlling the localization and activity of signaling proteins

DOE PAGES

Guntas, Gurkan; Hallett, Ryan A.; Zimmerman, Seth P.; ...

2014-12-22

The discovery of light-inducible protein–protein interactions has allowed for the spatial and temporal control of a variety of biological processes. To be effective, a photodimerizer should have several characteristics: it should show a large change in binding affinity upon light stimulation, it should not cross-react with other molecules in the cell, and it should be easily used in a variety of organisms to recruit proteins of interest to each other. In this study, to create a switch that meets these criteria we have embedded the bacterial SsrA peptide in the C-terminal helix of a naturally occurring photoswitch, the light-oxygen-voltage 2more » (LOV2) domain from Avena sativa. In the dark the SsrA peptide is sterically blocked from binding its natural binding partner, SspB. When activated with blue light, the C-terminal helix of the LOV2 domain undocks from the protein, allowing the SsrA peptide to bind SspB. Without optimization, the switch exhibited a twofold change in binding affinity for SspB with light stimulation. Here, we describe the use of computational protein design, phage display, and high-throughput binding assays to create an improved light inducible dimer (iLID) that changes its affinity for SspB by over 50-fold with light stimulation. A crystal structure of iLID shows a critical interaction between the surface of the LOV2 domain and a phenylalanine engineered to more tightly pin the SsrA peptide against the LOV2 domain in the dark. Finally, we demonstrate the functional utility of the switch through light-mediated subcellular localization in mammalian cell culture and reversible control of small GTPase signaling.« less

Rapid PCR Assays That Specifically Identify Anthrax and Anthrax Surrogate Chromosomal Signatures

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-08-30

The genetic variation among a set of 175 full-length sspE DNA sequences obtained from representative members of the B. anthracis clade have been...examined. Thirty-six sspE genotypes and seventeen protein phylotypes were identified among the B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, B. anthracis and B. mycoides...the sspE DNA sequence data sets suggests that the B. anthracis dade is more phylogenetically complex than has been inferred by traditional taxonomic methods.

Personality traits in established schizophrenia: aspects of usability and differences between patients and controls using the Swedish universities Scales of Personality.

PubMed

Fagerberg, Tomas; Söderman, Erik; Gustavsson, J Petter; Agartz, Ingrid; Jönsson, Erik G

2016-08-01

Personality is considered as an important aspect that can affect symptoms and social function in persons with schizophrenia. The personality questionnaire Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP) has not previously been used in psychotic disorder. To investigate if SSP has a similar internal consistency and factor structure in a psychosis population as among healthy controls and if patients with psychotic disorders differ from non-psychotic individuals in their responses to the SSP. Patients with psychotic disorders (n = 107) and healthy controls (n = 119) completed SSP. SSP scores were analyzed for internal consistency and case-control differences by Cronbach's alfa and multiple analysis of covariance, respectively. Internal consistencies among patients were overall similar to that of controls. The patients scored significantly higher in seven (Somatic trait anxiety, Psychic trait anxiety, Stress susceptibility, Lack of assertiveness, Detachment, Embitterment, Mistrust) and lower in three (Physical trait aggression, Verbal trait aggression, Adventure seeking) of the 13 scales of the inventory. In three scales (Impulsiveness, Social desirability and Trait irritability) there was no significant difference between the scoring of patients and healthy controls. The reliability estimates suggest that SSP can be used by patients with psychotic disorders in stable remission. Patients score higher on neuroticism-related scales and lower on aggression-related scales than controls, which is in accordance with earlier studies where other personality inventories were used.

Searching for moving objects in HSC-SSP: Pipeline and preliminary results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ying-Tung; Lin, Hsing-Wen; Alexandersen, Mike; Lehner, Matthew J.; Wang, Shiang-Yu; Wang, Jen-Hung; Yoshida, Fumi; Komiyama, Yutaka; Miyazaki, Satoshi

2018-01-01

The Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) is currently the deepest wide-field survey in progress. The 8.2 m aperture of the Subaru telescope is very powerful in detecting faint/small moving objects, including near-Earth objects, asteroids, centaurs and Tran-Neptunian objects (TNOs). However, the cadence and dithering pattern of the HSC-SSP are not designed for detecting moving objects, making it difficult to do so systematically. In this paper, we introduce a new pipeline for detecting moving objects (specifically TNOs) in a non-dedicated survey. The HSC-SSP catalogs are sliced into HEALPix partitions. Then, the stationary detections and false positives are removed with a machine-learning algorithm to produce a list of moving object candidates. An orbit linking algorithm and visual inspections are executed to generate the final list of detected TNOs. The preliminary results of a search for TNOs using this new pipeline on data from the first HSC-SSP data release (2014 March to 2015 November) present 231 TNO/Centaurs candidates. The bright candidates with Hr < 7.7 and i > 5 show that the best-fitting slope of a single power law to absolute magnitude distribution is 0.77. The g - r color distribution of hot HSC-SSP TNOs indicates a bluer peak at g - r = 0.9, which is consistent with the bluer peak of the bimodal color distribution in literature.

Rapid identification of 11 human intestinal Lactobacillus species by multiplex PCR assays using group- and species-specific primers derived from the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region and its flanking 23S rRNA.

PubMed

Song, Y; Kato, N; Liu, C; Matsumiya, Y; Kato, H; Watanabe, K

2000-06-15

Rapid and reliable two-step multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were established to identify human intestinal lactobacilli; a multiplex PCR was used for grouping of lactobacilli with a mixture of group-specific primers followed by four multiplex PCR assays with four sorts of species-specific primer mixtures for identification at the species level. Primers used were designed from nucleotide sequences of the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region and its flanking 23S rRNA gene of members of the genus Lactobacillus which are commonly isolated from human stool specimens: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii (ssp. bulgaricus and ssp. lactis), Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus jensenii, Lactobacillus paracasei (ssp. paracasei and ssp. tolerans), Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus salivarius (ssp. salicinius and ssp. salivarius). The established two-step multiplex PCR assays were applied to the identification of 84 Lactobacillus strains isolated from human stool specimens and the PCR results were consistent with the results from the DNA-DNA hybridization assay. These results suggest that the multiplex PCR system established in this study is a simple, rapid and reliable method for the identification of common Lactobacillus isolates from human stool samples.

Rotational Spectrum of 1,1-Difluoroethane: Internal Rotation Analysis and Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villamanan, R. M.; Chen, W. D.; Wlodarczak, G.; Demaison, J.; Lesarri, A. G.; Lopez, J. C.; Alonso, J. L.

1995-05-01

The rotational spectrum of CH3CHF2 in its ground state was measured up to 653 GHz. Accurate rotational and centrifugal distortion constants were determined. The internal rotation splittings were analyzed using the internal axis method. An ab initio structure has been calculated and a near-equilibrium structure has been estimated using offsets derived empirically. This structure was compared to an experimental r0 structure. The four lowest excited states (including the methyl torsion) have also been assigned.

Pointwise regularity of parameterized affine zipper fractal curves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bárány, Balázs; Kiss, Gergely; Kolossváry, István

2018-05-01

We study the pointwise regularity of zipper fractal curves generated by affine mappings. Under the assumption of dominated splitting of index-1, we calculate the Hausdorff dimension of the level sets of the pointwise Hölder exponent for a subinterval of the spectrum. We give an equivalent characterization for the existence of regular pointwise Hölder exponent for Lebesgue almost every point. In this case, we extend the multifractal analysis to the full spectrum. In particular, we apply our results for de Rham’s curve.

PARTIAL REVISION: ABSORPTION SPECTRUM AND QUANTUM STATES OF THE PRASEODYMIUM ION. I. SINGLE CRYSTALS OF PRASEODYMIUM CHLORIDE

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

Sayre, E.V.; Sancier, K.M.; Freed, S.

1958-07-01

In an analysis of term splitting in the absorption spectrum of 24 samples of praseodymium chloride, Judd (Proc. Roy. Soc. (London) A241, 414(1957)) found all but two of the authors' results to be constant with his. A discussion of reconciliation is presentrd, and the authors point out that the error is due to a mistake in descrimination between electronic transitions and the weak vibrationally coupled lines. (J.R.D.)

Spectroscopy of triply charmed baryons from lattice QCD

DOE PAGES

Padmanath, M.; Edwards, Robert G.; Mathur, Nilmani; ...

2014-10-14

The spectrum of excitations of triply-charmed baryons is computed using lattice QCD including dynamical light quark fields. The spectrum obtained has baryonic states with well-defined total spin up to 7/2 and the low-lying states closely resemble the expectation from models with an SU(6) x O(3) symmetry. As a result, energy splittings between extracted states, including those due to spin-orbit coupling in the heavy quark limit are computed and compared against data at other quark masses.

Scattering theory of efficient quantum transport across finite networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walschaers, Mattia; Mulet, Roberto; Buchleitner, Andreas

2017-11-01

We present a scattering theory for the efficient transmission of an excitation across a finite network with designed disorder. We show that the presence of randomly positioned network sites allows significant acceleration of the excitation transfer processes as compared to a dimer structure, but only if the disordered Hamiltonians are constrained to be centrosymmetric and exhibit a dominant doublet in their spectrum. We identify the cause of this efficiency enhancement to be the constructive interplay between disorder-induced fluctuations of the dominant doublet’s splitting and the coupling strength between the input and output sites to the scattering channels. We find that the characteristic strength of these fluctuations together with the channel coupling fully control the transfer efficiency.

QX MAN: Q and X file manipulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krein, Mark A.

1992-01-01

QX MAN is a grid and solution file manipulation program written primarily for the PARC code and the GRIDGEN family of grid generation codes. QX MAN combines many of the features frequently encountered in grid generation, grid refinement, the setting-up of initial conditions, and post processing. QX MAN allows the user to manipulate single block and multi-block grids (and their accompanying solution files) by splitting, concatenating, rotating, translating, re-scaling, and stripping or adding points. In addition, QX MAN can be used to generate an initial solution file for the PARC code. The code was written to provide several formats for input and output in order for it to be useful in a broad spectrum of applications.

DETECTION OF FLUX EMERGENCE, SPLITTING, MERGING, AND CANCELLATION OF NETWORK FIELD. I. SPLITTING AND MERGING

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

Iida, Y.; Yokoyama, T.; Hagenaar, H. J.

2012-06-20

Frequencies of magnetic patch processes on the supergranule boundary, namely, flux emergence, splitting, merging, and cancellation, are investigated through automatic detection. We use a set of line-of-sight magnetograms taken by the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) on board the Hinode satellite. We found 1636 positive patches and 1637 negative patches in the data set, whose time duration is 3.5 hr and field of view is 112'' Multiplication-Sign 112''. The total numbers of magnetic processes are as follows: 493 positive and 482 negative splittings, 536 positive and 535 negative mergings, 86 cancellations, and 3 emergences. The total numbers of emergence and cancellationmore » are significantly smaller than those of splitting and merging. Further, the frequency dependence of the merging and splitting processes on the flux content are investigated. Merging has a weak dependence on the flux content with a power-law index of only 0.28. The timescale for splitting is found to be independent of the parent flux content before splitting, which corresponds to {approx}33 minutes. It is also found that patches split into any flux contents with the same probability. This splitting has a power-law distribution of the flux content with an index of -2 as a time-independent solution. These results support that the frequency distribution of the flux content in the analyzed flux range is rapidly maintained by merging and splitting, namely, surface processes. We suggest a model for frequency distributions of cancellation and emergence based on this idea.« less

Identification of Functional Candidates amongst Hypothetical Proteins of Treponema pallidum ssp. pallidum

PubMed Central

Naqvi, Ahmad Abu Turab; Shahbaaz, Mohd; Ahmad, Faizan; Hassan, Md. Imtaiyaz

2015-01-01

Syphilis is a globally occurring venereal disease, and its infection is propagated through sexual contact. The causative agent of syphilis, Treponema pallidum ssp. pallidum, a Gram-negative sphirochaete, is an obligate human parasite. Genome of T. pallidum ssp. pallidum SS14 strain (RefSeq NC_010741.1) encodes 1,027 proteins, of which 444 proteins are known as hypothetical proteins (HPs), i.e., proteins of unknown functions. Here, we performed functional annotation of HPs of T. pallidum ssp. pallidum using various database, domain architecture predictors, protein function annotators and clustering tools. We have analyzed the sequences of 444 HPs of T. pallidum ssp. pallidum and subsequently predicted the function of 207 HPs with a high level of confidence. However, functions of 237 HPs are predicted with less accuracy. We found various enzymes, transporters, binding proteins in the annotated group of HPs that may be possible molecular targets, facilitating for the survival of pathogen. Our comprehensive analysis helps to understand the mechanism of pathogenesis to provide many novel potential therapeutic interventions. PMID:25894582

Assessing the effects of exposure to environmental stress on some functional properties of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis.

PubMed

Amund, O D; Ouoba, L I I; Sutherland, J P; Ghoddusi, H B

2014-12-01

This study assessed the effects of exposing a strain of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis to acid, bile and osmotic stresses on antagonistic properties, biofilm formation and antibiotic susceptibility/resistance profile. Exposure to each stress factor appeared to have no significant effect on the antagonism against Escherichia coli NCTC 12900 and Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis PT4. No suppression in biofilm formation due to exposure to stress was observed. Bile and osmotic stresses resulted in significantly higher biofilm formation. Expression of an exopolysaccharide synthesis gene, gtf 01207, was significantly higher when the B. animalis ssp. lactis strain was exposed to osmotic stress. Susceptibility of the B. animalis ssp. lactis strain to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, ampicillin and vancomycin, and resistance to tetracycline remained unchanged when exposed to each stress. The expression of a tetracycline resistance gene, tet(W), was significantly higher when exposed to each stress. These results may suggest that the potential for the B. animalis ssp. lactis strain to provide probiotic benefit, after exposure to the stressful conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, remains intact.

Genome-Wide Identification of Medicago Peptides Involved in Macronutrient Responses and Nodulation1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Dai, Xinbin; Zhuang, Zhaohong; Torres-Jerez, Ivone; Nogales, Joaquina

2017-01-01

Growing evidence indicates that small, secreted peptides (SSPs) play critical roles in legume growth and development, yet the annotation of SSP-coding genes is far from complete. Systematic reannotation of the Medicago truncatula genome identified 1,970 homologs of established SSP gene families and an additional 2,455 genes that are potentially novel SSPs, previously unreported in the literature. The expression patterns of known and putative SSP genes based on 144 RNA sequencing data sets covering various stages of macronutrient deficiencies and symbiotic interactions with rhizobia and mycorrhiza were investigated. Focusing on those known or suspected to act via receptor-mediated signaling, 240 nutrient-responsive and 365 nodulation-responsive Signaling-SSPs were identified, greatly expanding the number of SSP gene families potentially involved in acclimation to nutrient deficiencies and nodulation. Synthetic peptide applications were shown to alter root growth and nodulation phenotypes, revealing additional regulators of legume nutrient acquisition. Our results constitute a powerful resource enabling further investigations of specific SSP functions via peptide treatment and reverse genetics. PMID:29030416

Anti-microbial and anti-oxidant activities of Illicium verum, Crataegus oxyacantha ssp monogyna and Allium cepa red and white varieties.

PubMed

Benmalek, Yamina; Yahia, Ouahiba Ait; Belkebir, Aicha; Fardeau, Marie-Laure

2013-01-01

Illicium verum (badiane or star anise), Crataegus oxyacantha ssp monogyna (hawthorn) and Allium cepa (onion), have traditionnally been used as medicinal plants in Algeria. This study showed that the outer layer of onion is rich in flavonols with contents of 103 ± 7.90 µg/g DW (red variety) and 17.3 ± 0.69 µg/gDW (white variety). We also determined flavonols contents of 14.3 ± 0.21 µg/g 1.65 ± 0.61 µg/g for Crataegus oxyacantha ssp monogyna leaves and berries and 2.37 ± 0.10 µg/g for Illicium verum. Quantitative analysis of anthocyanins showed highest content in Crataegus oxyacantha ssp monogyna berries (5.11 ± 0.266 mg/g), while, inner and outer layers of white onion had the lowest contents with 0.045 ± 0.003mg/g and 0.077 ± 0.001 mg/g respectively.   Flavonols extracts presented high antioxidant activity as compared with anthocyanins and standards antioxidants (ascorbic acid and quercetin). Allium cepa and Crataegus oxyacantha ssp monogyna exhibited the most effective antimicrobial activity.

Psychometric Properties of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient for Assessing Low and High Levels of Autistic Traits in College Students.

PubMed

Stevenson, Jennifer L; Hart, Kari R

2017-06-01

The current study systematically investigated the effects of scoring and categorization methods on the psychometric properties of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient. Four hundred and three college students completed the Autism-Spectrum Quotient at least once. Total scores on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient had acceptable internal consistency and test-retest reliability using a binary or Likert scoring method, but the results were more varied for the subscales. Overall, Likert scoring yielded higher internal consistency and test-retest reliability than binary scoring. However, agreement in categorization of low and high autistic traits was poor over time (except for a median split on Likert scores). The results support using Likert scoring and administering the Autism-Spectrum Quotient at the same time as the task of interest with neurotypical participants.

Implementing Information Assurance - Beyond Process

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

disabled or properly configured. Tools and scripts are available to expedite the configuration process on some platforms, For example, approved Windows...in the System Security Plan (SSP) or Information Security Plan (lSP). Any PPSs not required for operation by the system must be disabled , This...Services must be disabled , Implementing an 1M capability within the boundary carries many policy and documentation requirements. Usemame and passwords

The Elements of an Effective Software Development Plan - Software Development Process Guidebook

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-11

standards and practices required for all XMPL software development. This SDP implements the <corporate> Standard Software Process (SSP). as tailored...Developing and integrating reusable software products • Approach to managing COTS/Reuse software implementation • COTS/Reuse software selection...final selection and submit to change board for approval MAINTENANCE Monitor current products for obsolescence or end of support Track new

Meteo-marine parameters for highly variable environment in coastal regions from satellite radar images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pleskachevsky, A. L.; Rosenthal, W.; Lehner, S.

2016-09-01

The German Bight of the North Sea is the area with highly variable sea state conditions, intensive ship traffic and with a high density of offshore installations, e.g. wind farms in use and under construction. Ship navigation and the docking on offshore constructions is impeded by significant wave heights HS > 1.3 m. For these reasons, improvements are required in recognition and forecasting of sea state HS in the range 0-3 m. Thus, this necessitates the development of new methods to determine the distribution of meteo-marine parameters from remote sensing data with an accuracy of decimetres for HS. The operationalization of these methods then allows the robust automatic processing in near real time (NRT) to support forecast agencies by providing validations for model results. A new empirical algorithm XWAVE_C (C = coastal) for estimation of significant wave height from X-band satellite-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data has been developed, adopted for coastal applications using TerraSAR-X (TS-X) and Tandem-X (TD-X) satellites in the German Bight and implemented into the Sea Sate Processor (SSP) for fully automatic processing for NRT services. The algorithm is based on the spectral analysis of subscenes and the model function uses integrated image spectra parameters as well as local wind information from the analyzed subscene. The algorithm is able to recognize and remove the influence of non-sea state produced signals in the Wadden Sea areas such as dry sandbars as well as nonlinear SAR image distortions produced by e.g. short wind waves and breaking waves. Also parameters of very short waves, which are not visible in SAR images and produce only unsystematic clutter, can be accurately estimated. The SSP includes XWAVE_C, a pre-filtering procedure for removing artefacts such as ships, seamarks, buoys, offshore constructions and slicks, and an additional procedure performing a check of results based on the statistics of the whole scene. The SSP allows an automatic processing of TS-X images with an error RMSE = 25 cm and Scatter Index SI = 20% for total significant wave height HS from sequences of TS-X StripMap images with a coverage of ∼30 km × 300 km across the German Bight. The SSP was tuned spatially with model data of the German Weather Service's (DWD) CWAM (Coastal WAve Model) with 900 m horizontal resolution and tuned in situ with 6 buoys located in DWD model domain in the German Bight. The collected, processed and analyzed data base for the German Bight consists of more than 60 TS-X StripMap scenes/overflights with more than 200 images since 2013 with sea state acquired in the domain HS = 0-7 m with a mean value of 1.25 m over all available scenes at buoy locations. The paper addresses the development and implementation of XWAVE_C, and presents the possibilities of SSP delivering sea state fields by reproducing local HS variations connected with local wind gusts, variable bathymetry and moving wind fronts under different weather conditions.

Visual perception of ADHD children with sensory processing disorder.

PubMed

Jung, Hyerim; Woo, Young Jae; Kang, Je Wook; Choi, Yeon Woo; Kim, Kyeong Mi

2014-04-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the visual perception difference between ADHD children with and without sensory processing disorder, and the relationship between sensory processing and visual perception of the children with ADHD. Participants were 47 outpatients, aged 6-8 years, diagnosed with ADHD. After excluding those who met exclusion criteria, 38 subjects were clustered into two groups, ADHD children with and without sensory processing disorder (SPD), using SSP reported by their parents, then subjects completed K-DTVP-2. Spearman correlation analysis was run to determine the relationship between sensory processing and visual perception, and Mann-Whitney-U test was conducted to compare the K-DTVP-2 score of two groups respectively. The ADHD children with SPD performed inferiorly to ADHD children without SPD in the on 3 quotients of K-DTVP-2. The GVP of K-DTVP-2 score was related to Movement Sensitivity section (r=0.368(*)) and Low Energy/Weak section of SSP (r=0.369*). The result of the present study suggests that among children with ADHD, the visual perception is lower in those children with co-morbid SPD. Also, visual perception may be related to sensory processing, especially in the reactions of vestibular and proprioceptive senses. Regarding academic performance, it is necessary to consider how sensory processing issues affect visual perception in children with ADHD.

Transition from an optical precursor in coupled-resonator-induced transparency to coherent energy exchange in Autler-Townes splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oishi, Tohru; Suzuki, Ryuta; Talukder, Aminul I.; Tomita, Makoto

2013-08-01

We investigated the transient responses of coupled optical resonators, after they were injected with square modulated temporal pulses. A sharp spike, attributed to the optical precursor in coupled-resonator-induced transparency, appeared when the coupling between the resonators was weak. As the coupling strength increased, the resonance spectrum developed clearly separated double dips of Autler-Townes splitting, and the precursor spike transformed into an oscillatory structure. These temporal oscillations were attributed to the coherent energy exchange between two resonators. Theoretical calculations were in good agreement with the experimental observations.

Development of an alkaline fuel cell subsystem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

A two task program was initiated to develop advanced fuel cell components which could be assembled into an alkaline power section for the Space Station Prototype (SSP) fuel cell subsystem. The first task was to establish a preliminary SSP power section design to be representative of the 200 cell Space Station power section. The second task was to conduct tooling and fabrication trials and fabrication of selected cell stack components. A lightweight, reliable cell stack design suitable for the SSP regenerative fuel cell power plant was completed. The design meets NASA's preliminary requirements for future multikilowatt Space Station missions. Cell stack component fabrication and tooling trials demonstrated cell components of the SSP stack design of the 1.0 sq ft area can be manufactured using techniques and methods previously evaluated and developed.

Secure Service Proxy: A CoAP(s) Intermediary for a Securer and Smarter Web of Things

PubMed Central

Van den Abeele, Floris; Moerman, Ingrid; Demeester, Piet

2017-01-01

As the IoT continues to grow over the coming years, resource-constrained devices and networks will see an increase in traffic as everything is connected in an open Web of Things. The performance- and function-enhancing features are difficult to provide in resource-constrained environments, but will gain importance if the WoT is to be scaled up successfully. For example, scalable open standards-based authentication and authorization will be important to manage access to the limited resources of constrained devices and networks. Additionally, features such as caching and virtualization may help further reduce the load on these constrained systems. This work presents the Secure Service Proxy (SSP): a constrained-network edge proxy with the goal of improving the performance and functionality of constrained RESTful environments. Our evaluations show that the proposed design reaches its goal by reducing the load on constrained devices while implementing a wide range of features as different adapters. Specifically, the results show that the SSP leads to significant savings in processing, network traffic, network delay and packet loss rates for constrained devices. As a result, the SSP helps to guarantee the proper operation of constrained networks as these networks form an ever-expanding Web of Things. PMID:28696393

Secure Service Proxy: A CoAP(s) Intermediary for a Securer and Smarter Web of Things.

PubMed

Van den Abeele, Floris; Moerman, Ingrid; Demeester, Piet; Hoebeke, Jeroen

2017-07-11

As the IoT continues to grow over the coming years, resource-constrained devices and networks will see an increase in traffic as everything is connected in an open Web of Things. The performance- and function-enhancing features are difficult to provide in resource-constrained environments, but will gain importance if the WoT is to be scaled up successfully. For example, scalable open standards-based authentication and authorization will be important to manage access to the limited resources of constrained devices and networks. Additionally, features such as caching and virtualization may help further reduce the load on these constrained systems. This work presents the Secure Service Proxy (SSP): a constrained-network edge proxy with the goal of improving the performance and functionality of constrained RESTful environments. Our evaluations show that the proposed design reaches its goal by reducing the load on constrained devices while implementing a wide range of features as different adapters. Specifically, the results show that the SSP leads to significant savings in processing, network traffic, network delay and packet loss rates for constrained devices. As a result, the SSP helps to guarantee the proper operation of constrained networks as these networks form an ever-expanding Web of Things.

Giant Rashba splitting in 2D organic-inorganic halide perovskites measured by transient spectroscopies

DOE PAGES

Zhai, Yaxin; Baniya, Sangita; Zhang, Chuang; ...

2017-07-28

Two-dimensional (2D) layered hybrid organic-inorganic halide perovskite semiconductors form natural “multiple quantum wells” that have strong spin-orbit coupling due to the heavy elements in their building blocks. This may lead to “Rashba splitting” close to the extrema in the electron bands. We have used a plethora of ultrafast transient, nonlinear optical spectroscopies and theoretical calculations to study the primary (excitons) and long-lived (free carriers) photoexcitations in thin films of 2D perovskite, namely, (C 6H 5C 2H 4NH 3) 2PbI 4. The density functional theory calculation shows the occurrence of Rashba splitting in the plane perpendicular to the 2D barrier. Frommore » the electroabsorption spectrum and photoinduced absorption spectra from excitons and free carriers, we obtain a giant Rashba splitting in this compound, with energy splitting of (40 ± 5) meV and Rashba parameter of (1.6 ± 0.1) eV·Å, which are among the highest Rashba splitting size parameters reported so far. In conclusion, this finding shows that 2D hybrid perovskites have great promise for potential applications in spintronics.« less

Student Scientist Partnerships: Shrewd Maneuvers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tinker, Robert F.

1997-01-01

Explores student-scientist partnerships (SSPs) that help students gain a unique understanding of both the content and the process of science. Discusses the potential of SSPs, the range of SSP activities, a strategy for national impact, the educational importance of SSPs, the research importance of SSPs, and technology as a facilitator. (JRH)

New York State Educational Programs That Work. Sharing Successful Programs, 1990 Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany.

Sharing Successful Programs (SSP) is a national dissemination process for validating, sharing, and implementing successful educational programs. It offers effective strategies for educational improvement by sharing validated programs and provides a cost-effective way for school districts to duplicate validated programs in accordance with their…

Native bunchgrass response to prescribed fire in ungrazed Mountain Big Sagebrush ecosystems

Treesearch

Lisa M. Ellsworth; J. Boone Kauffman

2010-01-01

Fire was historically a dominant ecological process throughout mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. vaseyana [Rydb.] Beetle) ecosystems of western North America, and the native biota have developed many adaptations to persist in a regime typified by frequent fires. Following spring and fall prescribed fires...

Lignans from Arnica species.

PubMed

Schmidt, Thomas J; Stausberg, Sabine; Raison, Jeanette Von; Berner, Matthias; Willuhn, Günter

2006-05-10

From four Arnica species (A. angustifolia Vahl ssp. attenuata (Greene) Maguire, A. lonchophylla Greene ssp. lonchophylla Maguire (flowerheads), A. chamissonis Less. ssp. foliosa (Nutt.) Maguire, A. montana L. (roots and rhizomes)) a total of twelve lignans of the furofuran-, dibenzylbutyrolactone- and dibenzylbutyrolactol-type were isolated. No report on lignans as constituents of Arnica species exists so far. Besides the known pinoresinol, epipinoresinol, phillygenin, matairesinol, nortrachelogenin and nortracheloside, six dibenzylbutyrolactol derivatives with different stereochemistry and substitution at C-9 were isolated and their structures elucidated by NMR spectroscopic and mass spectral analysis.

NASA Space Shuttle Program: Shuttle Environmental Assurance (SEA) Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glover, Steve E.; McCool, Alex (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The first Space Shuttle flight was in 1981 and the fleet was originally expected to be replaced with a new generation vehicle in the early 21st century. Space Shuttle Program (SSP) elements proactively address environmental and obsolescence concerns and continue to improve safety and supportability. The SSP manager created the Shuttle Environmental Assurance (SEA) Initiative in 2000. SEA is to provide an integrated approach for the SSP to promote environmental excellence, proactively manage materials obsolescence, and optimize associated resources.

Alkaline RFC Space Station prototype - 'Next step Space Station'. [Regenerative Fuel Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hackler, I. M.

1986-01-01

The regenerative fuel cell, a candidate technology for the Space Station's energy storage system, is described. An advanced development program was initiated to design, manufacture, and integrate a regenerative fuel cell Space Station prototype (RFC SSP). The RFC SSP incorporates long-life fuel cell technology, increased cell area for the fuel cells, and high voltage cell stacks for both units. The RFC SSP's potential for integration with the Space Station's life support and propulsion systems is discussed.

Spectral split in a prompt supernova neutrino burst: Analytic three-flavor treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dasgupta, Basudeb; Dighe, Amol; Mirizzi, Alessandro; Raffelt, Georg G.

2008-06-01

The prompt νe burst from a core-collapse supernova is subject to both matter-induced flavor conversions and strong neutrino-neutrino refractive effects. For the lowest-mass progenitors, leading to O-Ne-Mg core supernovae, the matter density profile can be so steep that the usual Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein matter effects occur within the dense-neutrino region close to the neutrino sphere. In this case a “split” occurs in the emerging spectrum, i.e., the νe flavor survival probability shows a steplike feature. We explain this feature analytically as a spectral split prepared by the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effect. In a three-flavor treatment, the steplike feature actually consists of two narrowly spaced splits. They are determined by two combinations of flavor-lepton numbers that are conserved under collective oscillations.

Opportunistic Capacity-Based Resource Allocation for Chunk-Based Multi-Carrier Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Huang, Jie; Zeng, Xiaoping; Jian, Xin; Tan, Xiaoheng; Zhang, Qi

2017-01-01

The spectrum allocation for cognitive radio sensor networks (CRSNs) has received considerable research attention under the assumption that the spectrum environment is static. However, in practice, the spectrum environment varies over time due to primary user/secondary user (PU/SU) activity and mobility, resulting in time-varied spectrum resources. This paper studies resource allocation for chunk-based multi-carrier CRSNs with time-varied spectrum resources. We present a novel opportunistic capacity model through a continuous time semi-Markov chain (CTSMC) to describe the time-varied spectrum resources of chunks and, based on this, a joint power and chunk allocation model by considering the opportunistically available capacity of chunks is proposed. To reduce the computational complexity, we split this model into two sub-problems and solve them via the Lagrangian dual method. Simulation results illustrate that the proposed opportunistic capacity-based resource allocation algorithm can achieve better performance compared with traditional algorithms when the spectrum environment is time-varied. PMID:28106803

Sonority's Effect as a Surface Cue on Lexical Speech Perception of Children With Cochlear Implants.

PubMed

Hamza, Yasmeen; Okalidou, Areti; Kyriafinis, George; van Wieringen, Astrid

2018-03-06

Sonority is the relative perceptual prominence/loudness of speech sounds of the same length, stress, and pitch. Children with cochlear implants (CIs), with restored audibility and relatively intact temporal processing, are expected to benefit from the perceptual prominence cues of highly sonorous sounds. Sonority also influences lexical access through the sonority-sequencing principle (SSP), a grammatical phonotactic rule, which facilitates the recognition and segmentation of syllables within speech. The more nonsonorous the onset of a syllable is, the larger is the degree of sonority rise to the nucleus, and the more optimal the SSP. Children with CIs may experience hindered or delayed development of the language-learning rule SSP, as a result of their deprived/degraded auditory experience. The purpose of the study was to explore sonority's role in speech perception and lexical access of prelingually deafened children with CIs. A case-control study with 15 children with CIs, 25 normal-hearing children (NHC), and 50 normal-hearing adults was conducted, using a lexical identification task of novel, nonreal CV-CV words taught via fast mapping. The CV-CV words were constructed according to four sonority conditions, entailing syllables with sonorous onsets/less optimal SSP (SS) and nonsonorous onsets/optimal SSP (NS) in all combinations, that is, SS-SS, SS-NS, NS-SS, and NS-NS. Outcome measures were accuracy and reaction times (RTs). A subgroup analysis of 12 children with CIs pair matched to 12 NHC on hearing age aimed to study the effect of oral-language exposure period on the sonority-related performance. The children groups showed similar accuracy performance, overall and across all the sonority conditions. However, within-group comparisons showed that the children with CIs scored more accurately on the SS-SS condition relative to the NS-NS and NS-SS conditions, while the NHC performed equally well across all conditions. Additionally, adult-comparable accuracy performance was achieved by the children with CIs only on the SS-SS condition, as opposed to NS-SS, SS-NS, and SS-SS conditions for NHC. Accuracy analysis of the subgroups of children matched in hearing age showed similar results. Overall longer RTs were recorded by the children with CIs on the sonority-treated lexical task, specifically on the SS-SS condition compared with age-matched controls. However, the subgroup analysis showed that both groups of children did not differ on RTs. Children with CIs performed better in lexical tasks relying on the sonority perceptual prominence cues, as in SS-SS condition, than on SSP initial relying conditions as NS-NS and NS-SS. Template-driven word learning, an early word-learning strategy, appears to play a role in the lexical access of children with CIs whether matched in hearing age or not. The SS-SS condition acts as a preferred word template. The longer RTs brought about by the highly accurate SS-SS condition in children with CIs is possibly because listening becomes more effortful. The lack of RTs difference between the children groups when matched on hearing age points out the importance of oral-language exposure period as a key factor in developing the auditory processing skills.

Resonance hybridization and near field properties of strongly coupled plasmonic ring dimer-rod nanosystem

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

Koya, Alemayehu Nana; Ji, Boyu; Hao, Zuoqiang

2015-09-21

Combined effects of polarization, split gap, and rod width on the resonance hybridization and near field properties of strongly coupled gold dimer-rod nanosystem are comparatively investigated in the light of the constituent nanostructures. By aligning polarization of the incident light parallel to the long axis of the nanorod, introducing small split gaps to the dimer walls, and varying width of the nanorod, we have simultaneously achieved resonance mode coupling, huge near field enhancement, and prolonged plasmon lifetime. As a result of strong coupling between the nanostructures and due to an intense confinement of near fields at the split and dimer-rodmore » gaps, the extinction spectrum of the coupled nanosystem shows an increase in intensity and blueshift in wavelength. Consequently, the near field lifespan of the split-nanosystem is prolonged in contrast to the constituent nanostructures and unsplit-nanosystem. On the other hand, for polarization of the light perpendicular to the long axis of the nanorod, the effect of split gap on the optical responses of the coupled nanosystem is found to be insignificant compared to the parallel polarization. These findings and such geometries suggest that coupling an array of metallic split-ring dimer with long nanorod can resolve the huge radiative loss problem of plasmonic waveguide. In addition, the Fano-like resonances and immense near field enhancements at the split and dimer-rod gaps imply the potentials of the nanosystem for practical applications in localized surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and sensing.« less

Discovery of novel solid solution Ca3Si3-x O3+x N4-2x : Eu2+ phosphors: structural evolution and photoluminescence tuning.

PubMed

Wang, Baochen; Liu, Yan-Gai; Huang, Zhaohui; Fang, Minghao; Wu, Xiaowen

2017-12-22

Discovery of novel phosphors is one of the main issues for improving the color rendering index (CRI) and correlated color temperature (CCT) of white light-emitting diodes (w-LEDs). This study mainly presents a systematic research on the synthesis, crystal structure variation and photoluminescence tuning of novel (oxy)nitride solid solution Ca 3 Si 3-x O 3+x N 4-2x : Eu 2+ phosphors. XRD refinements show that lattice distortion occurs when x value diverges the optimum one (x = 1). The lattice distortion causes a widening of emission spectrum and an increase of Stokes shift (ΔSS), which leads to a bigger thermal quenching. With decrease of x value, the emission spectrum shows an obvious red-shift from 505.2 to 540.8 nm, which is attributed to the crystal field splitting. The enhanced crystal field splitting also broadens the excitation spectrum, making it possible to serve as the phosphor for near ultraviolet (n-UV) LEDs. A 3-phosphor-conversion w-LED lamp was fabricated with the as-prepared phosphor, which exhibits high CRI (Ra = 85.29) and suitable CCT (4903.35 K). All these results indicate that the Ca 3 Si 3-x O 3+x N 4-2x : Eu 2+ phosphor can serve as the green phosphor for n-UV w-LEDs, with a tunable spectrum by controlling the crystal structure and morphology.

Visual processing as a potential endophenotype in youths with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A sibling study design using the counting Stroop functional MRI.

PubMed

Fan, Li-Ying; Shang, Chi-Yung; Tseng, Wen-Yih Isaac; Gau, Susan Shur-Fen; Chou, Tai-Li

2018-05-10

Deficits in inhibitory control and visual processing are common in youths with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but little is known about endophenotypes for unaffected siblings of youths with ADHD. This study aimed to investigate the potential endophenotypes of brain activation and performance in inhibitory control and visual processing among ADHD probands, their unaffected siblings, and neurotypical youths. We assessed 27 ADHD probands, 27 unaffected siblings, and 27 age-, gender-, and IQ-matched neurotypical youths using the counting Stroop functional magnetic resonance imaging and two tasks of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB): rapid visual information processing (RVP) for inhibitory control and spatial span (SSP) for visual processing. ADHD probands showed greater activation than their unaffected siblings and neurotypical youths in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and anterior cingulate cortex. Increased activation in the right IFG was positively correlated with the mean latency of the RVP in ADHD probands. Moreover, ADHD probands and their unaffected siblings showed less activation in the left superior parietal lobule (SPL) than neurotypical youths. Increased activation in the left SPL was positively correlated with the spatial length of the SSP in neurotypical youths. Our findings suggest that less activation in the left SPL might be considered as a candidate imaging endophenotype for visual processing in ADHD. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Surgical treatment for elderly patients with secondary spontaneous pneumothorax.

PubMed

Igai, Hitoshi; Kamiyoshihara, Mitsuhiro; Ibe, Takashi; Kawatani, Natsuko; Shimizu, Kimihiro

2016-05-01

Our objective was to evaluate the validity of surgery for secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) by comparison with other treatments or with perioperative results for primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). Between January 2009 and March 2015, 144 patients with SSP, aged 60 years or over, were treated in our institution. We reviewed the patients' characteristics, perioperative results, and relapse rate. Treatment to arrest air-leakage included surgery (n = 79), drainage only (n = 30), and pleurodesis (n = 35), and the pneumothorax relapse rate or mortality before discharge was compared for each. Additionally, we compared the perioperative results or relapse rate between SSP (n = 70) and PSP (n = 70) in patients who underwent 3-port thoracoscopic surgery. There was a significant difference in the relapse rate between the surgery and non-surgery groups (5.3 vs. 27.4 %, p = 0.0006). However, no significant difference in mortality before discharge was determined (p = 0.66). Significant differences were identified between the SSP and PSP groups for operation time, duration of chest drainage, and the length of postoperative hospitalization, and the postoperative morbidity were greater in the SSP group (p < 0.0001 for all). However, there was no significant difference in postoperative 30-day mortality or the relapse rate (p = 0.5, p = 0.68, respectively). Surgical treatment under general anesthesia for SSP is effective for arresting persistent air leaks or avoiding pneumothorax relapse, compared with drainage or pleurodesis, and is feasible if the appropriate perioperative management is performed.

The immediate use of a silicone sheet wound closure device in scar reduction and prevention.

PubMed

Parry, James R; Stupak, Howard D; Johnson, Calvin M

2016-02-01

Silicone has been used successfully postoperatively in the prevention of hypertrophic and other types of adverse scars. The Silicone Suture Plate (SSP) is a new, minimally invasive, sterile wound closure device that is applied intraoperatively to prevent adverse scarring. The SSP device permits immediate application of silicone while concurrently allowing for wound-edge tension redistribution. In this prospective, controlled, single-blinded clinical study, 8 consecutive patients undergoing deep-plane rhytidectomy were selected. SSP devices were placed on the patients' posterior rhytidectomy hairline incision; the mirror-image control site underwent standard suturing techniques. Three blinded, independent raters assessed the treatment and control sides at 6-week and 4-month follow-up visits, using the Objective Scar Assessment Scale (OSAS), a validated scar assessment tool. The 6-week OSAS scores revealed an 18.4% improvement on the side with the SSP device (13.3) when compared to the control side (16.3). The 4-month OSAS scores showed a 27.3% improvement on the treatment side from 12.7 (control) to 9.2 (SSP). These OSAS results were found to be statistically significant when taken as an aggregate of the observers' scores, but not when observers' scores were measured individually (p < 0.05). In our series of patients, we showed promising results with the use of the SSP device. Early silicone application and tissue tension distribution contributed to an overall more aesthetically pleasing scar compared to those seen with standard suturing techniques, although more testing is required.

A systematic review on popularity, application and characteristics of protein secondary structure prediction tools.

PubMed

Kashani-Amin, Elaheh; Tabatabaei-Malazy, Ozra; Sakhteman, Amirhossein; Larijani, Bagher; Ebrahim-Habibi, Azadeh

2018-02-27

Prediction of proteins' secondary structure is one of the major steps in the generation of homology models. These models provide structural information which is used to design suitable ligands for potential medicinal targets. However, selecting a proper tool between multiple secondary structure prediction (SSP) options is challenging. The current study is an insight onto currently favored methods and tools, within various contexts. A systematic review was performed for a comprehensive access to recent (2013-2016) studies which used or recommended protein SSP tools. Three databases, Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus were systematically searched and 99 out of 209 studies were finally found eligible to extract data. Four categories of applications for 59 retrieved SSP tools were: (I) prediction of structural features of a given sequence, (II) evaluation of a method, (III) providing input for a new SSP method and (IV) integrating a SSP tool as a component for a program. PSIPRED was found to be the most popular tool in all four categories. JPred and tools utilizing PHD (Profile network from HeiDelberg) method occupied second and third places of popularity in categories I and II. JPred was only found in the two first categories, while PHD was present in three fields. This study provides a comprehensive insight about the recent usage of SSP tools which could be helpful for selecting a proper tool's choice. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Personality traits in established schizophrenia: aspects of usability and differences between patients and controls using the Swedish universities Scales of Personality

PubMed Central

Fagerberg, Tomas; Söderman, Erik; Gustavsson, J. Petter; Agartz, Ingrid; Jönsson, Erik G.

2016-01-01

Abstract Background: Personality is considered as an important aspect that can affect symptoms and social function in persons with schizophrenia. The personality questionnaire Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP) has not previously been used in psychotic disorder. Aims: To investigate if SSP has a similar internal consistency and factor structure in a psychosis population as among healthy controls and if patients with psychotic disorders differ from non-psychotic individuals in their responses to the SSP. Methods: Patients with psychotic disorders (n = 107) and healthy controls (n = 119) completed SSP. SSP scores were analyzed for internal consistency and case-control differences by Cronbach’s alfa and multiple analysis of covariance, respectively. Results: Internal consistencies among patients were overall similar to that of controls. The patients scored significantly higher in seven (Somatic trait anxiety, Psychic trait anxiety, Stress susceptibility, Lack of assertiveness, Detachment, Embitterment, Mistrust) and lower in three (Physical trait aggression, Verbal trait aggression, Adventure seeking) of the 13 scales of the inventory. In three scales (Impulsiveness, Social desirability and Trait irritability) there was no significant difference between the scoring of patients and healthy controls. Conclusion: The reliability estimates suggest that SSP can be used by patients with psychotic disorders in stable remission. Patients score higher on neuroticism-related scales and lower on aggression-related scales than controls, which is in accordance with earlier studies where other personality inventories were used. PMID:27103375

Update on Heavy-Meson Spectrum Tests of the Oktay--Kronfeld Action

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

Bailey, Jon A.; Jang, Yong-Chull; Lee, Weonjong

2016-01-18

We present updated results of a numerical improvement test with heavy-meson spectrum for the Oktay--Kronfeld (OK) action. The OK action is an extension of the Fermilab improvement program for massive Wilson fermions including all dimension-six and some dimension-seven bilinear terms. Improvement terms are truncated by HQET power counting atmore » $$\\mathrm{O}(\\Lambda^3/m_Q^3)$$ for heavy-light systems, and by NRQCD power counting at $$\\mathrm{O}(v^6)$$ for quarkonium. They suffice for tree-level matching to QCD to the given order in the power-counting schemes. To assess the improvement, we generate new data with the OK and Fermilab action that covers both charm and bottom quark mass regions on a MILC coarse $$(a \\approx 0.12~\\text{fm})$$ $2+1$ flavor, asqtad-staggered ensemble. We update the analyses of the inconsistency quantity and the hyperfine splittings for the rest and kinetic masses. With one exception, the results clearly show that the OK action significantly reduces heavy-quark discretization effects in the meson spectrum. The exception is the hyperfine splitting of the heavy-light system near the $$B_s$$ meson mass, where statistics are too low to draw a firm conclusion, despite promising results.« less

Features of the Percolation Scheme of Vibrational Spectrum Reconstruction in the Ga1 - x Al x P Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozyrev, S. P.

2018-04-01

Specific features of the properties of Ga-P lattice vibrations have been investigated using the percolation model of a mixed Ga1 - x Al x P crystal (alloy) with zero lattice mismatch between binary components of the alloy. In contrast to other two-mode alloy systems, in Ga1 - x Al x P a percolation splitting of δ 13 cm-1 is observed for the low-frequency mode of GaP-like vibrations. An additional GaP mode (one of the percolation doublet components) split from the fundamental mode is observed for the GaP-rich alloy, which coincides in frequency with the gap corresponding to the zero density of one-phonon states of the GaP crystal. The vibrational spectrum of impurity Al in the GaP crystal has been calculated using the theory of crystal lattice dynamics. Upon substitution of lighter Al for the Ga atom, the calculated spectrum includes, along with the local mode, a singularity near the gap with the zero density of phonon states of the GaP crystal, which coincides with the mode observed experimentally at a frequency of 378 cm-1 in the Ga1 - x Al x P ( x < 0.4) alloy.

Contrast-enhanced dual-energy subtraction imaging using electronic spectrum-splitting and multi-prism x-ray lenses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fredenberg, Erik; Cederström, Björn; Lundqvist, Mats; Ribbing, Carolina; Åslund, Magnus; Diekmann, Felix; Nishikawa, Robert; Danielsson, Mats

2008-03-01

Dual-energy subtraction imaging (DES) is a method to improve the detectability of contrast agents over a lumpy background. Two images, acquired at x-ray energies above and below an absorption edge of the agent material, are logarithmically subtracted, resulting in suppression of the signal from the tissue background and a relative enhancement of the signal from the agent. Although promising, DES is still not widely used in clinical practice. One reason may be the need for two distinctly separated x-ray spectra that are still close to the absorption edge, realized through dual exposures which may introduce motion unsharpness. In this study, electronic spectrum-splitting with a silicon-strip detector is theoretically and experimentally investigated for a mammography model with iodinated contrast agent. Comparisons are made to absorption imaging and a near-ideal detector using a signal-to-noise ratio that includes both statistical and structural noise. Similar to previous studies, heavy absorption filtration was needed to narrow the spectra at the expense of a large reduction in x-ray flux. Therefore, potential improvements using a chromatic multi-prism x-ray lens (MPL) for filtering were evaluated theoretically. The MPL offers a narrow tunable spectrum, and we show that the image quality can be improved compared to conventional filtering methods.

Large object investigation by digital holography with effective spectrum multiplexing under single-exposure approach

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

Liu, Ning, E-mail: coolboy006@sohu.com; Zhang, Yingying; Xie, Jun

2014-10-13

We present a method to investigate large object by digital holography with effective spectrum multiplexing under single-exposure approach. This method splits the original reference beam and redirects one of its branches as a second object beam. Through the modified Mach-Zehnder interferometer, the two object beams can illuminate different parts of the large object and create a spectrum multiplexed hologram onto the focal plane array of the charge-coupled device/complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera. After correct spectrum extraction and image reconstruction, the large object can be fully observed within only one single snap-shot. The flexibility and great performance make our method amore » very attractive and promising technique for large object investigation under common 632.8 nm illumination.« less

Metabolic engineering to expand the substrate spectrum of Pseudomonas putida toward sucrose.

PubMed

Löwe, Hannes; Schmauder, Lukas; Hobmeier, Karina; Kremling, Andreas; Pflüger-Grau, Katharina

2017-08-01

Sucrose is an important disaccharide used as a substrate in many industrial applications. It is a major component of molasses, a cheap by-product of the sugar industry. Unfortunately, not all industrially relevant organisms, among them Pseudomonas putida, are capable of metabolizing sucrose. We chose a metabolic engineering approach to circumvent this blockage and equip P. putida with the activities necessary to consume sucrose. Therefore, we constructed a pair of broad-host range mini-transposons (pSST - sucrose splitting transposon), carrying either cscA, encoding an invertase able to split sucrose into glucose and fructose, or additionally cscB, encoding a sucrose permease. Introduction of cscA was sufficient to convey sucrose consumption and the additional presence of cscB had no further effect, though the sucrose permease was built and localized to the membrane. Sucrose was split extracellularly by the activity of the invertase CscA leaking out of the cell. The transposons were also used to confer sucrose consumption to Cupriavidus necator. Interestingly, in this strain, CscB acted as a glucose transporter, such that C. necator also gained the ability to grow on glucose. Thus, the pSST transposons are functional tools to extend the substrate spectrum of Gram-negative bacterial strains toward sucrose. © 2017 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Microwave Spectroscopy of 2-PENTANONE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andresen, Maike; Nguyen, Ha Vinh Lam; Kleiner, Isabelle; Stahl, Wolfgang

2017-06-01

Methyl propyl ketone (MPK) or 2-Pentanone is known to be an alarm pheroromone released by the mandibular glands of the bees. It is a highly volatile compound. This molecule was studied by a combination of quantum chemical calculations and microwave spectroscopy in order to get informations about the lowest energy conformers and their structures.The rotational spectrum of 2-pentanone was measured using the molecular beam Fourier transform microwave spectrometer in Aachen operating between 2 and 26.5 GHz. Ab initio calculations determine 4 conformers but only two of them are observed in our jet-beam conditions.The lowest conformer has a C_{1} structure and its spectrum shows internal rotation splittings arising from two methyl groups. The internal splittings of 305 transitions for this conformer were analyzed using the XIAM code It led to the determination of the values for the barrier heights hindering the internal rotation of two methyl groups of 239 cm^{-1} and 980 cm^{-1} respectively. The next energy conformer has a C_{s} structure and the analysis of the internal splittings of 134 transitions using the XIAM code and the BELGI code led to the determination of internal rotation barrier height of 186 cm^{-1}. Comparisons of quantum chemistry and experimental results will be discussed. H. Hartwig, H. Dreizler, Z. Naturforsch. 51a, 923 (1996). J. T. Hougen, I. Kleiner and M. Godefroid, J. Mol. Spectrosc., 163, 559-586 (1994).

Magneto-optical spectrum and the effective excitonic Zeeman splitting energies of Mn and Co-doped CdSe nanowires

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

Xiong, Wen, E-mail: wenxiong@cqu.edu.cn; Chen, Wensuo

2013-12-21

The electronic structure of Mn and Co-doped CdSe nanowires are calculated based on the six-band k·p effective-mass theory. Through the calculation, it is found that the splitting energies of the degenerate hole states in Mn-doped CdSe nanowires are larger than that in Co-doped CdSe nanowires when the concentration of these two kinds of magnetic ions is the same. In order to analysis the magneto-optical spectrum of Mn and Co-doped CdSe nanowires, the four lowest electron states and the four highest hole states are sorted when the magnetic field is applied, and the 10 lowest optical transitions between the conduction subbandsmore » and the valence subbands at the Γ point in Mn and Co-doped CdSe nanowires are shown in the paper, it is found that the order of the optical transitions at the Γ point almost do not change although two different kinds of magnetic ions are doped in CdSe nanowires. Finally, the effective excitonic Zeeman splitting energies at the Γ point are found to increase almost linearly with the increase of the concentration of the magnetic ions and the magnetic field; meanwhile, the giant positive effective excitonic g factors in Mn and Co-doped CdSe nanowires are predicted based on our theoretical calculation.« less

The Solar Umbrella: A Low-cost Demonstration of Scalable Space Based Solar Power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Contreras, Michael T.; Trease, Brian P.; Sherwood, Brent

2013-01-01

Within the past decade, the Space Solar Power (SSP) community has seen an influx of stakeholders willing to entertain the SSP prospect of potentially boundless, base-load solar energy. Interested parties affiliated with the Department of Defense (DoD), the private sector, and various international entities have all agreed that while the benefits of SSP are tremendous and potentially profitable, the risk associated with developing an efficient end to end SSP harvesting system is still very high. In an effort to reduce the implementation risk for future SSP architectures, this study proposes a system level design that is both low-cost and seeks to demonstrate the furthest transmission of wireless power to date. The overall concept is presented and each subsystem is explained in detail with best estimates of current implementable technologies. Basic cost models were constructed based on input from JPL subject matter experts and assume that the technology demonstration would be carried out by a federally funded entity. The main thrust of the architecture is to demonstrate that a usable amount of solar power can be safely and reliably transmitted from space to the Earth's surface; however, maximum power scalability limits and their cost implications are discussed.

[Comparative studies of serological typing and HLA-A, B antigen genotyping with PCR using sequence-specific primers].

PubMed

Wu, Da-lin; Ling, Han-xin; Tang, Hao

2004-11-01

To evaluate the accuracy of PCR with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) for HLA-I genotyping and analyze the causes of the errors occurring in the genotyping. DNA samples and were obtained from 34 clinical patients, and serological typing with monoclonal antibody (mAb) and HLA-A and, B antigen genotyping with PCR-SSP were performed. HLA-A and, B alleles were successfully typed in 34 clinical samples by mAb and PCR-SSP. No false positive or false negative results were found, and the erroneous and missed diagnosis rates were obviously higher in serological detection, being 23.5% for HLA-A and 26.5% for HLA-B. Error or confusion was more likely to occur in the antigens of A2 and A68, A32 and A33, B5, B60 and B61. DNA typing for HLA-I class (A, B antigens) by PCR-SSP has high resolution, high specificity, and good reproducibility, which is more suitable for clinical application than serological typing. PCR-SSP may accurately detect the alleles that are easily missed or mistaken in serological typing.

Structural characterization of anion-calcium-humate complexes in phosphate-based fertilizers.

PubMed

Baigorri, Roberto; Urrutia, Oscar; Erro, Javier; Mandado, Marcos; Pérez-Juste, Ignacio; Garcia-Mina, José María

2013-07-01

Fertilizers based on phosphate-metal-humate complexes are a new family of compounds that represents a more sustainable and bioavailable phosphorus source. The characterization of this type of complex by using solid (31)P NMR in several fertilizers, based on single superphosphate (SSP) and triple superphosphate (TSP) matrices, yielded surprising and unexpected trends in the intensity and fine structure of the (31)P NMR peaks. Computational chemistry methods allowed the characterization of phosphate-calcium-humate complexes in both SSP and TSP matrices, but also predicted the formation of a stable sulfate-calcium-humate complex in the SSP fertilizers, which has not been described previously. The stability of this complex has been confirmed by using ultrafiltration techniques. Preference towards the humic substance for the sulfate-metal phase in SSP allowed the explanation of the opposing trends that were observed in the experimental (31)P NMR spectra of SSP and TSP samples. Additionally, computational chemistry has provided an assignment of the (31)P NMR signals to different phosphate ligands as well as valuable information about the relative strength of the phosphate-calcium interactions within the crystals. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Chemical composition of the essential oils of Juniperus from ripe and unripe berries and leaves and their antimicrobial activity.

PubMed

Angioni, Alberto; Barra, Andrea; Russo, Maria T; Coroneo, Valentina; Dessi, Sandro; Cabras, Paolo

2003-05-07

The composition of the essential oil from ripe and unripe berries and leaves of Juniperus oxycedrus L. ssp. oxycedrus, Juniperus phoenicea ssp. turbinata and Juniperus communis ssp. communis was analyzed by GC-MS, and microbiological assays were carried out. Samples were collected in different localities (Sardinia, Italy) and hydro distilled. The yields ranged between 2.54% +/- 0.21 (v\\w dried weight) and 0.04% +/- 0.00. A total of 36 components were identified. The major compounds in the essential oils were alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, delta-3-carene, sabinene, myrcene, beta-phellandrene, limonene, and D-germacrene. Both qualitative and quantitative differences between species and between different parts of the plant were observed. The essential oils and their major compounds were tested against Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration were determined. The results obtained led to a nonsignificant inhibitory effect, although all the essential oils from Juniperus phoenicea ssp. turbinata and the essential oil from leaves of Juniperus oxycedrus ssp. oxycedrus exhibited rather good or weak activity against Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus.

Immunoreactive Proteins of Bifidobacterium longum ssp. longum CCM 7952 and Bifidobacterium longum ssp. longum CCDM 372 Identified by Gnotobiotic Mono-Colonized Mice Sera, Immune Rabbit Sera and Non-immune Human Sera

PubMed Central

Górska, Sabina; Dylus, Ewa; Rudawska, Angelika; Brzozowska, Ewa; Srutkova, Dagmar; Schwarzer, Martin; Razim, Agnieszka; Kozakova, Hana; Gamian, Andrzej

2016-01-01

The Bifidobacteria show great diversity in the cell surface architecture which may influence the physicochemical properties of the bacterial cell and strain specific properties. The immunomodulatory role of bifidobacteria has been extensively studied, however studies on the immunoreactivity of their protein molecules are very limited. Here, we compared six different methods of protein isolation and purification and we report identification of immunogenic and immunoreactive protein of two human Bifidobacterium longum ssp. longum strains. We evaluated potential immunoreactive properties of proteins employing polyclonal sera obtained from germ free mouse, rabbit and human. The protein yield was isolation method-dependent and the reactivity of proteins detected by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting was heterogeneous and varied between different serum samples. The proteins with the highest immunoreactivity were isolated, purified and have them sequenced. Among the immunoreactive proteins we identified enolase, aspartokinase, pyruvate kinase, DnaK (B. longum ssp. longum CCM 7952) and sugar ABC transporter ATP-binding protein, phosphoglycerate kinase, peptidoglycan synthethase penicillin-binding protein 3, transaldolase, ribosomal proteins and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (B. longum ssp. longum CCDM 372). PMID:27746766

Immunoreactive Proteins of Bifidobacterium longum ssp. longum CCM 7952 and Bifidobacterium longum ssp. longum CCDM 372 Identified by Gnotobiotic Mono-Colonized Mice Sera, Immune Rabbit Sera and Non-immune Human Sera.

PubMed

Górska, Sabina; Dylus, Ewa; Rudawska, Angelika; Brzozowska, Ewa; Srutkova, Dagmar; Schwarzer, Martin; Razim, Agnieszka; Kozakova, Hana; Gamian, Andrzej

2016-01-01

The Bifidobacteria show great diversity in the cell surface architecture which may influence the physicochemical properties of the bacterial cell and strain specific properties. The immunomodulatory role of bifidobacteria has been extensively studied, however studies on the immunoreactivity of their protein molecules are very limited. Here, we compared six different methods of protein isolation and purification and we report identification of immunogenic and immunoreactive protein of two human Bifidobacterium longum ssp. longum strains. We evaluated potential immunoreactive properties of proteins employing polyclonal sera obtained from germ free mouse, rabbit and human. The protein yield was isolation method-dependent and the reactivity of proteins detected by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting was heterogeneous and varied between different serum samples. The proteins with the highest immunoreactivity were isolated, purified and have them sequenced. Among the immunoreactive proteins we identified enolase, aspartokinase, pyruvate kinase, DnaK ( B. longum ssp. longum CCM 7952) and sugar ABC transporter ATP-binding protein, phosphoglycerate kinase, peptidoglycan synthethase penicillin-binding protein 3, transaldolase, ribosomal proteins and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase ( B. longum ssp. longum CCDM 372).

An Optimally Stable and Accurate Second-Order SSP Runge-Kutta IMEX Scheme for Atmospheric Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rokhzadi, Arman; Mohammadian, Abdolmajid; Charron, Martin

2018-01-01

The objective of this paper is to develop an optimized implicit-explicit (IMEX) Runge-Kutta scheme for atmospheric applications focusing on stability and accuracy. Following the common terminology, the proposed method is called IMEX-SSP2(2,3,2), as it has second-order accuracy and is composed of diagonally implicit two-stage and explicit three-stage parts. This scheme enjoys the Strong Stability Preserving (SSP) property for both parts. This new scheme is applied to nonhydrostatic compressible Boussinesq equations in two different arrangements, including (i) semiimplicit and (ii) Horizontally Explicit-Vertically Implicit (HEVI) forms. The new scheme preserves the SSP property for larger regions of absolute monotonicity compared to the well-studied scheme in the same class. In addition, numerical tests confirm that the IMEX-SSP2(2,3,2) improves the maximum stable time step as well as the level of accuracy and computational cost compared to other schemes in the same class. It is demonstrated that the A-stability property as well as satisfying "second-stage order" and stiffly accurate conditions lead the proposed scheme to better performance than existing schemes for the applications examined herein.

Recovering TMS-evoked EEG responses masked by muscle artifacts.

PubMed

Mutanen, Tuomas P; Kukkonen, Matleena; Nieminen, Jaakko O; Stenroos, Matti; Sarvas, Jukka; Ilmoniemi, Risto J

2016-10-01

Combined transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG) often suffers from large muscle artifacts. Muscle artifacts can be removed using signal-space projection (SSP), but this can make the visual interpretation of the remaining EEG data difficult. We suggest to use an additional step after SSP that we call source-informed reconstruction (SIR). SSP-SIR improves substantially the signal quality of artifactual TMS-EEG data, causing minimal distortion in the neuronal signal components. In the SSP-SIR approach, we first project out the muscle artifact using SSP. Utilizing an anatomical model and the remaining signal, we estimate an equivalent source distribution in the brain. Finally, we map the obtained source estimate onto the original signal space, again using anatomical information. This approach restores the neuronal signals in the sensor space and interpolates EEG traces onto the completely rejected channels. The introduced algorithm efficiently suppresses TMS-related muscle artifacts in EEG while retaining well the neuronal EEG topographies and signals. With the presented method, we can remove muscle artifacts from TMS-EEG data and recover the underlying brain responses without compromising the readability of the signals of interest. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stroke Knowledge in Spanish-speaking populations

PubMed Central

Hawkes, Maximiliano A; Ameriso, Sebastián F; Willey, Joshua Z

2015-01-01

Background Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world. Spanish-speaking populations (SSP) have heterogeneous cultural backgrounds, racial and ethnical origins, economic status, and access to health care systems. There are no published reviews about stroke knowledge in SSP. We reviewed the existing literature addressing stroke knowledge among SSP and propose future directions for research. Summary We identified 18 suitable studies by searching PubMed, Lilacs, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane and Scielo databases, and looking at reference lists of eligible articles. We also included 2 conference abstracts. Data related to stroke knowledge from studies of Spanish-speakers was analyzed. Key messages Little is known about stroke knowledge in SSP, especially in Latin America. Information is poor even among subjects at risk, stroke patients, stroke survivors, and health care providers. “Ictus”, the word used for stroke in Spanish, is largely unrecognized among subjects at risk. Furthermore, access to medical care and presence of neurologists are suboptimal in many regions. There are several potential issues to solve regarding stroke knowledge and stroke care in SSP. Programs to educate the general population and non-neurologists medical providers in stroke and telemedicine may be suitable options to improve the present situation. PMID:25871697

Anti-microbial and anti-oxidant activities of Illicium verum, Crataegus oxyacantha ssp monogyna and Allium cepa red and white varieties

PubMed Central

Benmalek, Yamina; Yahia, Ouahiba Ait; Belkebir, Aicha; Fardeau, Marie-Laure

2013-01-01

Illicium verum (badiane or star anise), Crataegus oxyacantha ssp monogyna (hawthorn) and Allium cepa (onion), have traditionnally been used as medicinal plants in Algeria. This study showed that the outer layer of onion is rich in flavonols with contents of 103 ± 7.90 µg/g DW (red variety) and 17.3 ± 0.69 µg/gDW (white variety). We also determined flavonols contents of 14.3 ± 0.21 µg/g 1.65 ± 0.61 µg/g for Crataegus oxyacantha ssp monogyna leaves and berries and 2.37 ± 0.10 µg/g for Illicium verum. Quantitative analysis of anthocyanins showed highest content in Crataegus oxyacantha ssp monogyna berries (5.11 ± 0.266 mg/g), while, inner and outer layers of white onion had the lowest contents with 0.045 ± 0.003mg/g and 0.077 ± 0.001 mg/g respectively.   Flavonols extracts presented high antioxidant activity as compared with anthocyanins and standards antioxidants (ascorbic acid and quercetin). Allium cepa and Crataegus oxyacantha ssp monogyna exhibited the most effective antimicrobial activity. PMID:23579100

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.

Engineering and Safety Partnership Enhances Safety of the Space Shuttle Program (SSP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duarte, Alberto

2007-01-01

Project Management must use the risk assessment documents (RADs) as tools to support their decision making process. Therefore, these documents have to be initiated, developed, and evolved parallel to the life of the project. Technical preparation and safety compliance of these documents require a great deal of resources. Updating these documents after-the-fact not only requires substantial increase in resources - Project Cost -, but this task is also not useful and perhaps an unnecessary expense. Hazard Reports (HRs), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEAs), Critical Item Lists (CILs), Risk Management process are, among others, within this category. A positive action resulting from a strong partnership between interested parties is one way to get these documents and related processes and requirements, released and updated in useful time. The Space Shuttle Program (SSP) at the Marshall Space Flight Center has implemented a process which is having positive results and gaining acceptance within the Agency. A hybrid Panel, with equal interest and responsibilities for the two larger organizations, Safety and Engineering, is the focal point of this process. Called the Marshall Safety and Engineering Review Panel (MSERP), its charter (Space Shuttle Program Directive 110 F, April 15, 2005), and its Operating Control Plan emphasizes the technical and safety responsibilities over the program risk documents: HRs; FMEA/CILs; Engineering Changes; anomalies/problem resolutions and corrective action implementations, and trend analysis. The MSERP has undertaken its responsibilities with objectivity, assertiveness, dedication, has operated with focus, and has shown significant results and promising perspectives. The MSERP has been deeply involved in propulsion systems and integration, real time technical issues and other relevant reviews, since its conception. These activities have transformed the propulsion MSERP in a truly participative and value added panel, making a difference for the safety of the Space Shuttle Vehicle, its crew, and personnel. Because of the MSERP's valuable contribution to the assessment of safety risk for the SSP, this paper also proposes an enhanced Panel concept that takes this successful partnership concept to a higher level of 'true partnership'. The proposed panel is aimed to be responsible for the review and assessment of all risk relative to Safety for new and future aerospace and related programs.

Impacts of short-time scale water column variability on broadband high-frequency acoustic wave propagation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eickmeier, Justin

Acoustical oceanography is one way to study the ocean, its internal layers, boundaries and all processes occurring within using underwater acoustics. Acoustical sensing techniques allows for the measurement of ocean processes from within that logistically or financially preclude traditional in-situ measurements. Acoustic signals propagate as pressure wavefronts from a source to a receiver through an ocean medium with variable physical parameters. The water column physical parameters that change acoustic wave propagation in the ocean include temperature, salinity, current, surface roughness, seafloor bathymetry, and vertical stratification over variable time scales. The impacts of short-time scale water column variability on acoustic wave propagation include coherent and incoherent surface reflections, wavefront arrival time delay, focusing or defocusing of the intensity of acoustic beams and refraction of acoustic rays. This study focuses on high-frequency broadband acoustic waves, and examines the influence of short-time scale water column variability on broadband high-frequency acoustics, wavefronts, from 7 to 28 kHz, in shallow water. Short-time scale variability is on the order of seconds to hours and the short-spatial scale variability is on the order of few centimeters. Experimental results were collected during an acoustic experiment along 100 m isobaths and data analysis was conducted using available acoustic wave propagation models. Three main topics are studied to show that acoustic waves are viable as a remote sensing tool to measure oceanographic parameters in shallow water. First, coherent surface reflections forming striation patterns, from multipath receptions, through rough surface interaction of broadband acoustic signals with the dynamic sea surface are analyzed. Matched filtered results of received acoustic waves are compared with a ray tracing numerical model using a sea surface boundary generated from measured water wave spectra at the time of signal propagation. It is determined that on a time scale of seconds, corresponding to typical periods of surface water waves, the arrival time of reflected acoustic signals from surface waves appear as striation patterns in measured data and can be accurately modelled by ray tracing. Second, changes in acoustic beam arrival angle and acoustic ray path influenced by isotherm depth oscillations are analyzed using an 8-element delay-sum beamformer. The results are compared with outputs from a two-dimensional (2-D) parabolic equation (PE) model using measured sound speed profiles (SSPs) in the water column. Using the method of beamforming on the received signal, the arrival time and angle of an acoustic beam was obtained for measured acoustic signals. It is determined that the acoustic ray path, acoustic beam intensity and angular spread are a function of vertical isotherm oscillations on a time scale of minutes and can be modeled accurately by a 2-D PE model. Third, a forward problem is introduced which uses acoustic wavefronts received on a vertical line array, 1.48 km from the source, in the lower part of the water column to infer range dependence or independence in the SSP. The matched filtering results of received acoustic wavefronts at all hydrophone depths are compared with a ray tracing routine augmented to calculate only direct path and bottom reflected signals. It is determined that the SSP range dependence can be inferred on a time scale of hours using an array of hydrophones spanning the water column. Sound speed profiles in the acoustic field were found to be range independent for 11 of the 23 hours in the measurements. A SSP cumulative reconstruction process, conducted from the seafloor to the sea surface, layer-by-layer, identifies critical segments in the SSP that define the ray path, arrival time and boundary interactions. Data-model comparison between matched filtered arrival time spread and arrival time output from the ray tracing was robust when the SSP measured at the receiver was input to the model. When the SSP measured nearest the source (at the same instant in time) was input to the ray tracing model, the data-model comparison was poor. It was determined that the cumulative sound speed change in the SSP near the source was 1.041 m/s greater than that of the SSP at the receiver and resulted in the poor data-model comparison. In this study, the influences on broadband acoustic wave propagation in the frequency range of 7 to 28 kHz of spatial and temporal changes in the oceanography of shallow water regions are addressed. Acoustic waves can be used as remote sensing tools to measure oceanographic parameters in shallow water and data-model comparison results show a direct relationship between the oceanographic variations and acoustic wave propagations.

A numerical framework for the direct simulation of dense particulate flow under explosive dispersal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mo, H.; Lien, F.-S.; Zhang, F.; Cronin, D. S.

2018-05-01

In this paper, we present a Cartesian grid-based numerical framework for the direct simulation of dense particulate flow under explosive dispersal. This numerical framework is established through the integration of the following numerical techniques: (1) operator splitting for partitioned fluid-solid interaction in the time domain, (2) the second-order SSP Runge-Kutta method and third-order WENO scheme for temporal and spatial discretization of governing equations, (3) the front-tracking method for evolving phase interfaces, (4) a field function proposed for low-memory-cost multimaterial mesh generation and fast collision detection, (5) an immersed boundary method developed for treating arbitrarily irregular and changing boundaries, and (6) a deterministic multibody contact and collision model. Employing the developed framework, this paper further studies particle jet formation under explosive dispersal by considering the effects of particle properties, particulate payload morphologies, and burster pressures. By the simulation of the dispersal processes of dense particle systems driven by pressurized gas, in which the driver pressure reaches 1.01325× 10^{10} Pa (10^5 times the ambient pressure) and particles are impulsively accelerated from stationary to a speed that is more than 12000 m/s within 15 μ s, it is demonstrated that the presented framework is able to effectively resolve coupled shock-shock, shock-particle, and particle-particle interactions in complex fluid-solid systems with shocked flow conditions, arbitrarily irregular particle shapes, and realistic multibody collisions.

Design and "As Flown" Radiation Environments for Materials in Low Earth Orbits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minow, Joseph I.; Altstatt, Richard L.; McWilliams, Brett; Koontz, Steven L.

2006-01-01

The design estimate for the materials for the International Space Station (ISS) specified in SSP 30512 was a conservative estimate. The environment dose was over estimated. The materials originally qualified for approximately 10-15 years are anticipated to be acceptable for periods of up to 20-30 years based on SSP-30512 or 40-60 years based on 2x SSP-30512. This viewgraph presentation shows charts and graphs that review the altitude, the solar minimum and maximum, and the radiation exposure of other satellite, among other graphics.

Alternative Architecture for Commercial Space Solar Power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, Seth

2000-01-01

This presentation discuss the space solar power (SSP) concept. It takes us step by step through the process: the use of sunlight and solar cells to create power, the conversion of the sunlight into electricity, the conversion of electricity to microwaves, and finally the from microwaves back to electricity by the Rectennas on Earth.

Evaluation of techniques for slice sensitivity profile measurement and analysis

PubMed Central

Greene, Travis C.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the resulting full width at half maximum of slice sensitivity profiles (SSP) generated by several commercially available point response phantoms, and determine an appropriate imaging technique and analysis method. Four CT phantoms containing point response objects designed to produce a delta impulse signal used in this study: a Fluke CT‐SSP phantom, a Gammex 464, a CatPhan 600, and a Kagaku Micro Disc phantom. Each phantom was imaged using 120 kVp, 325 mAs, head scan field of view, 32×0.625 mm helical scan with a 20 mm beam width and a pitch of 0.969. The acquired images were then reconstructed into all available slice thicknesses (0.625 mm−5.0 mm). A computer program was developed to analyze the images of each dataset for generating a SSP from which the full width at half maximum (FWHM) was determined. Two methods for generating SSPs were evaluated and compared by choosing the mean vs. maximum value in the ROI, along with two methods for evaluating the FWHM of the SSP, linear interpolation and Gaussian curve fitting. FWHMs were compared with the manufacturer's specifications using percent error and z‐test with a significance value of p<0.05. The FWHMs from each phantom were not significantly different (p≥0.089) with an average error of 3.5%. The FWHMs from SSPs generated from the mean value were statistically different (p≤3.99×1013). The FWHMs from the different FWHM methods were not statistically different (p≤0.499). Evaluation of the SSP is dependent on the ROI value used. The maximum value from the ROI should be used to generate the SSP whenever possible. SSP measurement is independent of the phantoms used in this study. PACS number: 87. PMID:24710429

Photobacterium damselae ssp. piscicida: detection by direct amplification of 16S rRNA gene sequences and genotypic variation as determined by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP).

PubMed

Kvitt, H; Ucko, M; Colorni, A; Batargias, C; Zlotkin, A; Knibb, W

2002-04-05

A PCR protocol for the rapid diagnosis of fish 'pasteurellosis' based on 16S rRNA gene sequences was developed. The procedure combines low annealing temperature that detects low titers of Photobacterium damselae but also related species, and high annealing temperature for the specific identification of P. damselae directly from infected fish. The PCR protocol was validated on 19 piscine isolates of P. damselae ssp. piscicida from different geographic regions (Japan, Italy, Spain, Greece and Israel), on spontaneously infected sea bream Sparus aurata and sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax, and on closely related American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) reference strains. PCR using high annealing temperature (64 degrees C) discriminated between P. damselae and closely related reference strains, including P. histaminum. Sixteen isolates of P. damselae ssp. piscicida, 2 P. damselae ssp. piscicida reference strains and 1 P. damselae ssp. damselae reference strain were subjected to Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) analysis, and a similarity matrix was produced. Accordingly, the Japanese isolates of P. damselae ssp. piscicida were distinguished from the Mediterranean/European isolates at a cut-off value of 83% similarity. A further subclustering at a cut-off value of 97% allowed discrimination between the Israeli P. damselae ssp. piscicida isolates and the other Mediterranean/European isolates. The combination of PCR direct amplification and AFLP provides a 2-step procedure, where P. damselae is rapidly identified at genus level on the basis of its 16S rRNA gene sequence and then grouped into distinct clusters on the basis of AFLP polymorphisms. The first step of direct amplification is highly sensitive and has immediate practical consequences, offering fish farmers a rapid diagnosis, while the AFLP is more specific and detects intraspecific variation which, in our study, also reflected geographic correspondence. Because of its superior discriminative properties, AFLP can be an important tool for epidemiological and taxonomic studies of this highly homogeneous genus.

Rayleigh wave acoustic emission during crack propagation in steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horne, Michael R.

2003-07-01

An investigation was conducted of the existence of seismic surface pulses (SSP) on crack faces in near-failure fatigue. An SSP has components of various modes of wave propagation. The component with the largest amplitude is a Rayleigh surface wave pulse. The possibility that these surface modes have much higher amplitudes than bulk modes of acoustic emission (AE) was illustrated by an idealized thought experiment relating an SSP on a half-space to the response of crack faces to crack extension. A number of aspects of AE monitoring in finite objects were investigated. Attributes of surface wave propagation on the edge of a specimen were found to be easier to monitor than other modes of wave propagation. Wavelet analysis was used to compare the characteristics of brittle AE with other sources. A new testing paradigm was developed to reduce interference from secondary sources of AE and enhance the investigation of AE from critical crack behavior. Unique specimen design features were developed, data acquisition features sought and validated, a dead weight load frame was modified, and data analysis procedures were developed. Criteria based on velocity, frequency content, amplitude and shape were devised to determine if an AE event is an SSP. The tests were designed to mimic load conditions on structures such as bridges and hence investigate the difference between AE generated in field conditions and that of typical laboratory conditions. Varieties of steel, from very ductile to very brittle, were tested. It was concluded that plastic zone formation, considered a secondary source of AE, was found not to interfere with the SSP activity. The SSP was found experimentally to have 2-3 times the amplitude of the bulk wave AE. The lack of sufficient AE did not allow for determination of conclusive changes in the AE as the specimens approached failure. However, it was found that brittle crack extension in fatigue and ductile failure can produce wave propagation resembling the SSP.

Rayleigh wave acoustic emission during crack propagation in steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horne, Michael R.

An investigation was conducted of the existence of seismic surface pulses (SSP) on crack faces in near-failure fatigue. An SSP has components of various modes of wave propagation. The component with the largest amplitude is a Rayleigh surface wave pulse. The possibility that these surface modes have much higher amplitudes than bulk modes of acoustic emission (AE) was illustrated by an idealized thought experiment relating an SSP on a half-space to the response of crack faces to crack extension. A number of aspects of AE monitoring in finite objects were investigated. Attributes of surface wave propagation on the edge of a specimen were found to be easier to monitor than other modes of wave propagation. Wavelet analysis was used to compare the characteristics of brittle AE with other sources. A new testing paradigm was developed to reduce interference from secondary sources of AE and enhance the investigation of AE from critical crack behavior. Unique specimen design features were developed, data acquisition features sought and validated, a dead weight load frame was modified, and data analysis procedures were developed. Criteria based on velocity, frequency content, amplitude and shape were devised to determine if an AE event is an SSP. The tests were designed to mimic load conditions on structures such as bridges and hence investigate the difference between AE generated in field conditions and that of typical laboratory conditions. Varieties of steel, from very ductile to very brittle, were tested. It was concluded that plastic zone formation, considered a secondary source of AE, was found not to interfere with the SSP activity. The SSP was found experimentally to have 2-3 times the amplitude of the bulk wave AE. The lack of sufficient AE did not allow for determination of conclusive changes in the AE as the specimens approached failure. However, it was found that brittle crack extension in fatigue and ductile failure can produce wave propagation resembling the SSP.

The EEG Split Alpha Peak: Phenomenological Origins and Methodological Aspects of Detection and Evaluation.

PubMed

Olejarczyk, Elzbieta; Bogucki, Piotr; Sobieszek, Aleksander

2017-01-01

Electroencephalographic (EEG) patterns were analyzed in a group of ambulatory patients who ranged in age and sex using spectral analysis as well as Directed Transfer Function, a method used to evaluate functional brain connectivity. We tested the impact of window size and choice of reference electrode on the identification of two or more peaks with close frequencies in the spectral power distribution, so called "split alpha." Together with the connectivity analysis, examination of spatiotemporal maps showing the distribution of amplitudes of EEG patterns allowed for better explanation of the mechanisms underlying the generation of split alpha peaks. It was demonstrated that the split alpha spectrum can be generated by two or more independent and interconnected alpha wave generators located in different regions of the cerebral cortex, but not necessarily in the occipital cortex. We also demonstrated the importance of appropriate reference electrode choice during signal recording. In addition, results obtained using the original data were compared with results obtained using re-referenced data, using average reference electrode and reference electrode standardization techniques.

Investigation of the Presence of Charge Order in Magnetite by Measurement of the Sprin Wave Spectrum

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

McQueeny, R. J.; Yethiraj, Mohana; Montfrooij, W.

Inelastic neutron scattering results on magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}) show a large splitting in the acoustic spin wave branch, producing a 7 meV gap midway to the Brillouin zone boundary at q = (0,0,1/2) and {h_bar}{omega} = 43 meV. The splitting occurs below the Verwey transition temperature, where a metal-insulator transition occurs simultaneously with a structural transformation, supposedly caused by the charge ordering on the iron sublattice. The wavevector (0,0,1/2) corresponds to the superlattice peak in the low symmetry structure. The dependence of the magnetic superexchange on changes in the crystal structure and ionic configurations that occur below the Verweymore » transition affect the spin wave dispersion. To better understand the origin of the observed splitting, several Heisenberg models intended to reproduce the pair-wise variation of the magnetic superexchange arising from both small crystalline distortions and charge ordering were studied. None of the models studied predicts the observed splitting, whose origin may arise from charge-density wave formation or magnetoelastic coupling.« less

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

Zhai, Yaxin; Baniya, Sangita; Zhang, Chuang

Two-dimensional (2D) layered hybrid organic-inorganic halide perovskite semiconductors form natural “multiple quantum wells” that have strong spin-orbit coupling due to the heavy elements in their building blocks. This may lead to “Rashba splitting” close to the extrema in the electron bands. We have used a plethora of ultrafast transient, nonlinear optical spectroscopies and theoretical calculations to study the primary (excitons) and long-lived (free carriers) photoexcitations in thin films of 2D perovskite, namely, (C 6H 5C 2H 4NH 3) 2PbI 4. The density functional theory calculation shows the occurrence of Rashba splitting in the plane perpendicular to the 2D barrier. Frommore » the electroabsorption spectrum and photoinduced absorption spectra from excitons and free carriers, we obtain a giant Rashba splitting in this compound, with energy splitting of (40 ± 5) meV and Rashba parameter of (1.6 ± 0.1) eV·Å, which are among the highest Rashba splitting size parameters reported so far. In conclusion, this finding shows that 2D hybrid perovskites have great promise for potential applications in spintronics.« less

Total pleurectomy as the surgical treatment for recurrent secondary spontaneous pneumothorax in a child with severe pulmonary Langerhans cells histiocytosis.

PubMed

Abdul Aziz, Dayang Anita; Abdul Rahman, Nur Afdzillah; Tang, Swee Fong; Abdul Latif, Hasniah; Zaki, Faizah Mohd; Annuar, Zulfiqar Mohd; Alias, Hamidah; Abdul Latiff, Zarina

2011-12-01

Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) in children is more extensive and is a rare cause of spontaneous secondary pneumothorax (SSP) which tends to be recurrent and refractory to conventional treatment. Its occurrence in paediatric patients posed great challenge to the choice of surgical management. Surgery in the form of pleurodesis is only considered if SSP does not improve after chemotherapy and after considering all relevant risk and benefits of surgery to patients. Chemical pleurodesis will not give the expected effect to eradicate SSP in this patient. Therefore mechanical pleurodesis is the treatment of choice. There are various techniques to perform mechanical pleurodesis; from pleural abrasion to pleurectomy. In the authors' experience, bilateral total pleurectomy provided the best outcome for this 9-year-old patient with persistent respiratory distress from SSP due to extensive pulmonary LCH.

Association between maternal childhood maltreatment and mother-infant attachment disorganization: Moderation by maternal oxytocin receptor gene and cortisol secretion.

PubMed

Ludmer, Jaclyn A; Gonzalez, Andrea; Kennedy, James; Masellis, Mario; Meinz, Paul; Atkinson, Leslie

2018-04-24

This study examined maternal oxytocin receptor (OXTR, rs53576) genotype and cortisol secretion as moderators of the relation between maternal childhood maltreatment history and disorganized mother-infant attachment in the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP). A community sample of 314 mother-infant dyads completed the SSP at infant age 17 months. Self-reported maltreatment history more strongly predicted mother-infant attachment disorganization score and disorganized classification for mothers with more plasticity alleles of OXTR (G), relative to mothers with fewer plasticity alleles. Maltreatment history also more strongly predicted mother-infant attachment disorganization score and classification for mothers with higher SSP cortisol secretion, relative to mothers with lower SSP cortisol secretion. Findings indicate that maltreatment history is related to disorganization in the next generation, but that this relation depends on maternal genetic characteristics and cortisol. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

EPR, optical and modeling of Mn(2+) doped sarcosinium oxalate monohydrate.

PubMed

Kripal, Ram; Singh, Manju

2015-01-25

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) study of Mn(2+) ions doped in sarcosinium oxalate monohydrate (SOM) single crystal is done at liquid nitrogen temperature (LNT). EPR spectrum shows a bunch of five fine structure lines and further they split into six hyperfine components. Only one interstitial site was observed. With the help of EPR spectra the spin Hamiltonian parameters including zero field splitting (ZFS) parameters are evaluated. The optical absorption study at room temperature is also done in the wavelength range 195-1100 nm. From this study cubic crystal field splitting parameter, Dq=730 cm(-1) and Racah inter-electronic repulsion parameters B=792 cm(-1), C=2278 cm(-1) are determined. ZFS parameters D and E are also calculated using crystal field parameters from superposition model and microscopic spin Hamiltonian theory. The calculated ZFS parameter values are in good match with the experimental values obtained by EPR. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A search for muon neutrino to electron neutrino oscillation mediated by sterile neutrinos in MINOS+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Germani, Stefano; Schreckenberger, Adam P.

2017-09-01

The MINOS experiment made precision measurements of the neutrino oscillation parameters that are governed by the atmospheric mass-squared splitting. These measurements were made with data that were collected while the NuMI muon neutrino beam operated in a low energy mode that peaks around 3 GeV. Today the NuMI beam is running with a higher energy mode that produces a neutrino energy spectrum that peaks around 7 GeV, allowing the MINOS+ experiment to probe neutrino oscillation phenomena that could potentially be governed by a fourth mass-squared splitting. If observed, the presence of a fourth mass-squared splitting would be compelling evidence for a sterile neutrino state. In this analysis, we will present the results of a search for νµ → νe oscillation mediated by sterile neutrinos in MINOS+. The results will be contrasted against the measurements made by the LSND experiment.

Robust exciton-polariton Rabi splitting in graphene nano ribbons: the means of two-coupled semiconductor microcavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imannezhad, Sanaz; Shojaei, Saeid

2018-04-01

Recent work on the exciton-photon coupling is presented. The proposed structure is a two-coupled semiconductor microcavity, composed of distributed Bragg reflectors, each consists of Si3N4 / SiO2, AlAs / Al0.1Ga0.9As, and GaAs/AlAs. Assuming that armchair graphene nanoribbon is located in the maximum of electric field amplitude inside the first semiconductor microcavity, the transfer matrix method is used to obtain the upper and lower polariton (UP and LP) branches and angle-dependent reflectance spectrum. A clear anticrossing between the neutral excitons and the cavity modes is observed for different polarization states. The obtained magnitude of splitting from the results is 10 to 12 meV, which indicates the possibility of enhancing the vacuum Rabi splitting for the proposed structure. This can pave the ways toward implementation of graphene in polaritonic devices.

Polarized fine structure in the photoluminescence excitation spectrum of a negatively charged quantum dot.

PubMed

Ware, M E; Stinaff, E A; Gammon, D; Doty, M F; Bracker, A S; Gershoni, D; Korenev, V L; Bădescu, S C; Lyanda-Geller, Y; Reinecke, T L

2005-10-21

We report polarized photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy of the negative trion in single charge-tunable quantum dots. The spectrum exhibits a p-shell resonance with polarized fine structure arising from the direct excitation of the electron spin triplet states. The energy splitting arises from the axially symmetric electron-hole exchange interaction. The magnitude and sign of the polarization are understood from the spin character of the triplet states and a small amount of quantum dot asymmetry, which mixes the wave functions through asymmetric e-e and e-h exchange interactions.

Proceedings of the RADC Spectrum Estimation Workshop (2nd) held 3, 4, & 5 October 1979, Griffiss AFB, NY

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-10-01

However, this author’s ex- perience has shown that most order selection rules , including Akaike’s, are not enough to be effeutive against the line splitting...and reduced spectral peak frequency estimation biases. A set of sensitive stopping rules for order se- L lection has been found for the algorithm...7] as the rule for order selection, the minimum FPE of the 41-point sequence with tne Burg algorithm was found at order 23. The AR spectrum based on

Raman-Ramsey multizone spectroscopy in a pure rubidium vapor cell

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

Failache, H.; Lenci, L.; Lezama, A.

2010-02-15

In view of application to a miniaturized spectroscopy system, we consider an optical setup that splits a laser beam into several parallel narrow light sheets allowing an effective beam expansion and consequently longer atom-light interaction times. We analyze the multizone coherent population trapping (MZCPT) spectroscopy of alkali-metal-vapor atoms, without buffer gas, in the presence of a split light beam. We show that the MZCPT signal is largely insensitive to intensity broadening. Experimentally observed spectra are in qualitative agreement with the predictions of a simplified model that describes each spectrum as an integral over the atomic velocity distribution of Ramsey multizonemore » spectra.« less

Deep subwavelength fourfold rotationally symmetric split-ring-resonator metamaterials for highly sensitive and robust biosensing platform

PubMed Central

Tobing, Landobasa Y. M.; Tjahjana, Liliana; Zhang, Dao Hua; Zhang, Qing; Xiong, Qihua

2013-01-01

Metamaterials provide a good platform for biochemical sensing due to its strong field localization at nanoscale. In this work, we show that electric and magnetic resonant modes in split-ring-resonator (SRR) can be efficiently excited under unpolarized light illumination when the SRRs are arranged in fourfold rotationally symmetric lattice configuration. The fabrication and characterization of deep subwavelength (~λ/15) gold-based SRR structures with resonator size as small as ~ 60 nm are reported with magnetic resonances in Vis-NIR spectrum range. The feasibility for sensing is demonstrated with refractive index sensitivity as high as ~ 636 nm/RIU. PMID:23942416

Study of distorted octahedral structure in 3d transition metal complexes using XAFS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaur, A.; Nitin Nair, N.; Shrivastava, B. D.; Das, B. K.; Chakrabortty, Monideepa; Jha, S. N.; Bhattacharyya, D.

2018-01-01

Distortion in octahedral structure of 3d transition metal complexes (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) has been studied using XAFS showing divergent nature of Cu complex. EXAFS analysis showed elongated metal-oxygen bonds for Cu complex leading to more distorted structure. Derivative XANES spectrum at Cu K-edge exhibits splitting of main edge which is correlated to elongated Cu-O bond length. Using these coordination geometry around metal centers, theoretical XANES spectra have been generated and features observed have been correlated to the corresponding metals p-DOS. It has been shown that distorted octahedral field in Cu complex is responsible for splitting of p-DOS.

Determination of Torsional Barriers of Itaconic Acid and N-Acetylethanolamine Using Chirped-Pulsed Ftmw Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, Josiah R.; McMahon, Timothy J.; Bird, Ryan G.; Pratt, David

2015-06-01

The ground state rotational spectrum of itaconic acid (methylenesuccinic acid) and N-acetylethanolamine (AEA) have been collected and analyzed over the frequency range of 7-17.5 GHz. Both molecules displayed an unexpected tunneling splitting pattern caused by a V2 and V3 barriers, respectively. AEA's methyl rotor is directly connected to a carbonyl and is expected to have too high of a barrier to internal motion. Itaconic acid contains no methyl groups or any symmetry, yet a torsional splitting was observed. The origin of this motion as well their barrier heights and lowest energy conformations will be discussed.

Hierarchical Bayesian inference of the initial mass function in composite stellar populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dries, M.; Trager, S. C.; Koopmans, L. V. E.; Popping, G.; Somerville, R. S.

2018-03-01

The initial mass function (IMF) is a key ingredient in many studies of galaxy formation and evolution. Although the IMF is often assumed to be universal, there is continuing evidence that it is not universal. Spectroscopic studies that derive the IMF of the unresolved stellar populations of a galaxy often assume that this spectrum can be described by a single stellar population (SSP). To alleviate these limitations, in this paper we have developed a unique hierarchical Bayesian framework for modelling composite stellar populations (CSPs). Within this framework, we use a parametrized IMF prior to regulate a direct inference of the IMF. We use this new framework to determine the number of SSPs that is required to fit a set of realistic CSP mock spectra. The CSP mock spectra that we use are based on semi-analytic models and have an IMF that varies as a function of stellar velocity dispersion of the galaxy. Our results suggest that using a single SSP biases the determination of the IMF slope to a higher value than the true slope, although the trend with stellar velocity dispersion is overall recovered. If we include more SSPs in the fit, the Bayesian evidence increases significantly and the inferred IMF slopes of our mock spectra converge, within the errors, to their true values. Most of the bias is already removed by using two SSPs instead of one. We show that we can reconstruct the variable IMF of our mock spectra for signal-to-noise ratios exceeding ˜75.

Highly Active GaN-Stabilized Ta3 N5 Thin-Film Photoanode for Solar Water Oxidation.

PubMed

Zhong, Miao; Hisatomi, Takashi; Sasaki, Yutaka; Suzuki, Sayaka; Teshima, Katsuya; Nakabayashi, Mamiko; Shibata, Naoya; Nishiyama, Hiroshi; Katayama, Masao; Yamada, Taro; Domen, Kazunari

2017-04-18

Ta 3 N 5 is a very promising photocatalyst for solar water splitting because of its wide spectrum solar energy utilization up to 600 nm and suitable energy band position straddling the water splitting redox reactions. However, its development has long been impeded by poor compatibility with electrolytes. Herein, we demonstrate a simple sputtering-nitridation process to fabricate high-performance Ta 3 N 5 film photoanodes owing to successful synthesis of the vital TaO δ precursors. An effective GaN coating strategy is developed to remarkably stabilize Ta 3 N 5 by forming a crystalline nitride-on-nitride structure with an improved nitride/electrolyte interface. A stable, high photocurrent density of 8 mA cm -2 was obtained with a CoPi/GaN/Ta 3 N 5 photoanode at 1.2 V RHE under simulated sunlight, with O 2 and H 2 generated at a Faraday efficiency of unity over 12 h. Our vapor-phase deposition method can be used to fabricate high-performance (oxy)nitrides for practical photoelectrochemical applications. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Spectroscopic Characterization, Computational Investigation, and Comparisons of ECX – (E = As, P, and N; X = S and O) Anions

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

Hou, Gao-Lei; Chen, Bo; Transue, Wesley J.

Three newly-synthesized [Na+(221-kryptofix)] salts containing AsCO–, PCO–, and PCS– anions were successfully electrosprayed into the vacuum, and the ECX– (E = As, P; X = O, S) anions were investigated by negative ion photoelectron spectroscopy (NIPES) and high resolution photoelectron imaging spectroscopy. For each ECX– anion, a well-resolved NIPE spectrum was obtained, in which every major peak is split into a doublet. The splittings are attributed to spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in the ECX• radicals. Vibrational progressions in the NIPE spectra of ECX– were assigned to the symmetric and antisymmetric stretching modes in ECX• radicals. The electron affinities (EAs) and SOCmore » splittings of ECX• are determined from the NIPE spectra to be: AsCO•: EA = 2.414 ± 0.002 eV, SOC splitting = 988 cm-1; PCO•: EA = 2.670 ± 0.005 eV, SOC splitting = 175 cm-1; PCS•: EA = 2.850 ± 0.005 eV, SOC splitting = 300 cm-1. Calculations using the B3LYP, CASPT2, and CCSD(T) methods all predict linear geometries for both the anions and neutral radicals. The calculated EAs and SOC splittings for ECX• are in excellent agreement with the experimentally-measured values. The simulated NIPE spectra, based on the calculated Franck-Condon factors, and SOC splittings nicely reproduce all of the observed spectral peaks, thus allowing unambiguous spectral assignments. The finding that PCS has the greatest EA of the three triatomic molecules considered here is counterintuitive based upon electronegativity considerations, but understandable in terms of the HOMO of PCS– having the greatest degree of delocalization onto both terminal atoms.« less

Short communication: Change of naturally occurring benzoic acid during skim milk fermentation by commercial cheese starters.

PubMed

Han, Noori; Park, Sun-Young; Kim, Sun-Young; Yoo, Mi-Young; Paik, Hyun-Dong; Lim, Sang-Dong

2016-11-01

This study sought to investigate the change of naturally occurring benzoic acid (BA) during skim milk fermentation by 4 kinds of commercial cheese starters used in domestic cheese. The culture was incubated at 3-h intervals for 24h at 30, 35, and 40°C. The BA content during fermentation by Streptococcus thermophilus STB-01 was detected after 12h at all temperatures, sharply increasing at 30°C. In Lactobacillus paracasei LC431, BA was detected after 9h at all temperatures, sharply increasing until 18h and decreasing after 18h at 30 and 35°C. In the case of R707 (consisting of Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis and Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris), BA increased from 6h to 15h and decreased after 15h at 40°C. The BA during STB-01 and CHN-11 (1:1; mixture of S. thermophilus, Lc. lactis ssp. lactis, Lc. lactis ssp. cremoris, Lc. lactis ssp. diacetylactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides ssp. cremoris) fermentation was detected after 3h at 35 and 40°C, sharply increasing up to 12h and decreasing after 15h at 35°C, and after 6h, increasing up to 9h at 30°C. After 3h, it steadily decreased at 40°C. The highest amount of BA was found during the fermentation by R707 at 30°C; 15h with 12.46mg/kg. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Training set size, scale, and features in Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis of very high resolution unmanned aerial vehicle imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Lei; Cheng, Liang; Li, Manchun; Liu, Yongxue; Ma, Xiaoxue

2015-04-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has been used increasingly for natural resource applications in recent years due to their greater availability and the miniaturization of sensors. In addition, Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA) has received more attention as a novel paradigm for remote sensing earth observation data. However, GEOBIA generates some new problems compared with pixel-based methods. In this study, we developed a strategy for the semi-automatic optimization of object-based classification, which involves an area-based accuracy assessment that analyzes the relationship between scale and the training set size. We found that the Overall Accuracy (OA) increased as the training set ratio (proportion of the segmented objects used for training) increased when the Segmentation Scale Parameter (SSP) was fixed. The OA increased more slowly as the training set ratio became larger and a similar rule was obtained according to the pixel-based image analysis. The OA decreased as the SSP increased when the training set ratio was fixed. Consequently, the SSP should not be too large during classification using a small training set ratio. By contrast, a large training set ratio is required if classification is performed using a high SSP. In addition, we suggest that the optimal SSP for each class has a high positive correlation with the mean area obtained by manual interpretation, which can be summarized by a linear correlation equation. We expect that these results will be applicable to UAV imagery classification to determine the optimal SSP for each class.

The novel virulence-related gene nlxA in the lipopolysaccharide cluster of Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri is involved in the production of lipopolysaccharide and extracellular polysaccharide, motility, biofilm formation and stress resistance.

PubMed

Yan, Qing; Hu, Xiufang; Wang, Nian

2012-10-01

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an important virulence factor of Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri, the causative agent of citrus canker disease. In this research, a novel gene, designated as nlxA (novel LPS cluster gene of X. citri ssp. citri), in the LPS cluster of X. citri ssp. citri 306, was characterized. Our results indicate that nlxA is required for O-polysaccharide biosynthesis by encoding a putative rhamnosyltransferase. This is supported by several lines of evidence: (i) NlxA shares 40.14% identity with WsaF, which acts as a rhamnosyltransferase; (ii) sodium dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis showed that four bands of the O-antigen part of LPS were missing in the LPS production of the nlxA mutant; this is also consistent with a previous report that the O-antigen moiety of LPS of X. citri ssp. citri is composed of a rhamnose homo-oligosaccharide; (iii) mutation of nlxA resulted in a significant reduction in the resistance of X. citri ssp. citri to different stresses, including sodium dodecylsulphate, polymyxin B, H(2)O(2), phenol, CuSO(4) and ZnSO(4). In addition, our results indicate that nlxA plays an important role in extracellular polysaccharide production, biofilm formation, stress resistance, motility on semi-solid plates, virulence and in planta growth in the host plant grapefruit. © 2012 THE AUTHORS. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY © 2012 BSPP AND BLACKWELL PUBLISHING LTD.

Cucurbita moschata Duch. and its active component, β-carotene effectively promote the immune responses through the activation of splenocytes and macrophages.

PubMed

Kim, Hee-Yun; Nam, Sun-Young; Yang, Shi-Young; Kim, Hyung-Min; Jeong, Hyun-Ja

2016-10-01

Cucurbita moschata Duch. has long been used for traditional health food in many countries. However, to enhance the immune system of Cucurbita moschata Duch. and its major component, β-carotene is not clear. Here, we determined the immune enhancement effect of Cucurbita moschata Duch. and β-carotene in mouse splenocytes and RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. We prepared baked Cucurbita moschata Duch. (Sweetme Sweet Pumpkin(TM), SSP) and steamed Cucurbita moschata Duch. (SC). Splenocytes isolated from the spleen of BALB/c mice were treated with SSP, SC, and β-carotene for 24 h. RAW 264.7 cells were stimulated with recombinant interferon-γ (rIFN-γ) for 6 h before treatment with SSP, SC, or β-carotene. SSP, SC and β-carotene significantly up-regulated the proliferation of splenocyte and mRNA expression of KI-67. The levels of interleukin-2 and IFN-γ were up-regulated by SSP, SC, or β-carotene in the splenocytes. SC and β-carotene also increased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the splenocytes. In addition, SSP, SC, or β-carotene significantly increased the levels of TNF-α through the nuclear translocation of the nuclear factor-κB and phosphorylation of IκBα in the rIFN-γ-primed RAW 264.7 cells. These data indicate that Cucurbita moschata Duch. and β-carotene may have an immune-enhancing effect through the production of Th1 cytokines by activation of splenocytes and macrophages.

Modeling global yield growth of major crops under multiple socioeconomic pathways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iizumi, T.; Kim, W.; Zhihong, S.; Nishimori, M.

2016-12-01

Global gridded crop models (GGCMs) are a key tool in deriving global food security scenarios under climate change. However, it is difficult for GGCMs to reproduce the reported yield growth patterns—rapid growth, yield stagnation and yield collapse. Here, we propose a set of parameterizations for GGCMs to capture the contributions to yield from technological improvements at the national and multi-decadal scales. These include country annual per capita gross domestic product (GDP)-based parameterizations for the nitrogen application rate and crop tolerance to stresses associated with high temperature, low temperature, water deficit and water excess. Using a GGCM combined with the parameterizations, we present global 140-year (1961-2100) yield growth simulations for maize, soybean, rice and wheat under multiple shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) and no climate change. The model reproduces the major characteristics of reported global and country yield growth patterns over the 1961-2013 period. Under the most rapid developmental pathway SSP5, the simulated global yields for 2091-2100, relative to 2001-2010, are the highest (1.21-1.82 times as high, with variations across the crops), followed by SSP1 (1.14-1.56 times as high), SSP2 (1.12-1.49 times as high), SSP4 (1.08-1.38 times as high) and SSP3 (1.08-1.36 times as high). Future country yield growth varies substantially by income level as well as by crop and by SSP. These yield pathways offer a new baseline for addressing the interdisciplinary questions related to global agricultural development, food security and climate change.

Techniques and Tools for Estimating Ionospheric Effects in Interferometric and Polarimetric SAR Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosen, P.; Lavalle, M.; Pi, X.; Buckley, S.; Szeliga, W.; Zebker, H.; Gurrola, E.

2011-01-01

The InSAR Scientific Computing Environment (ISCE) is a flexible, extensible software tool designed for the end-to-end processing and analysis of synthetic aperture radar data. ISCE inherits the core of the ROI_PAC interferometric tool, but contains improvements at all levels of the radar processing chain, including a modular and extensible architecture, new focusing approach, better geocoding of the data, handling of multi-polarization data, radiometric calibration, and estimation and correction of ionospheric effects. In this paper we describe the characteristics of ISCE with emphasis on the ionospheric modules. To detect ionospheric anomalies, ISCE implements the Faraday rotation method using quadpolarimetric images, and the split-spectrum technique using interferometric single-, dual- and quad-polarimetric images. The ability to generate co-registered time series of quad-polarimetric images makes ISCE also an ideal tool to be used for polarimetric-interferometric radar applications.

Seeding considerations in restoring big sagebrush habitat

Treesearch

Scott M. Lambert

2005-01-01

This paper describes methods of managing or seeding to restore big sagebrush communities for wildlife habitat. The focus is on three big sagebrush subspecies, Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis), basin big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata), and mountain...

45 CFR 261.63 - When is a State's Work Verification Plan due?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Plan for validating work activities reported in the TANF Data Report and, if applicable, the SSP-MOE... procedures for TANF or SSP-MOE work activities or its internal controls for ensuring a consistent measurement...

The SSP Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radakovitz, Richard

1975-01-01

Describes a cure for the high school chemistry student with Second Semester Poisoning (SSP), the student disease of apathy which occurs in the spring. Remedy: an outdoor (preferably) demonstration of a series of controlled combustion experiments, with accompanying explanations of the chemistry involved. (MLH)

Quadrupole splittings in the near-infrared spectrum of 14NH 3

DOE PAGES

Twagirayezu, Sylvestre; Hall, Gregory E.; Sears, Trevor J.

2016-10-13

Sub-Doppler, saturation dip, spectra of lines in the v 1 + v 3, v 1 + 2v 4 and v 3 + 2v 4 bands of 14NH 3 have been measured by frequency comb-referenced diode laser absorption spectroscopy. The observed spectral line widths are dominated by transit time broadening, and show resolved or partially-resolved hyperfine splittings that are primarily determined by the 14N quadrupole coupling. Modeling of the observed line shapes based on the known hyperfine level structure of the ground state of the molecule shows that, in nearly all cases, the excited state level has hyperfine splittings similar tomore » the same rotational level in the ground state. The data provide accurate frequencies for the line positions and easily separate lines overlapped in Doppler-limited spectra. The observed hyperfine splittings can be used to make and confirm rotational assignments and ground state combination differences obtained from the measured frequencies are comparable in accuracy to those obtained from conventional microwave spectroscopy. Furthermore, several of the measured transitions do not show the quadrupole hyperfine splittings expected based on their existing rotational assignments. Either the assignments are incorrect or the upper levels involved are perturbed in a way that affects the nuclear hyperfine structure.« less

Intraband magneto-optical absorption in InAs/GaAs quantum dots: Orbital Zeeman splitting and the Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn sum rule

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.-Z.; Galbraith, I.

2008-05-01

Using perturbation theory, intraband magneto-optical absorption is calculated for InAs/GaAs truncated pyramidal quantum dots in a magnetic field applied parallel to the growth direction z . The effects of the magnetic field on the electronic states as well as the intraband transitions are systematically studied. Selection rules governing the intraband transitions are discussed based on the symmetry properties of the electronic states. While the broadband z -polarized absorption is almost insensitive to the magnetic field, the orbital Zeeman splitting is the dominant feature in the in-plane polarized spectrum. Strong in-plane polarized magneto-absorption features are located in the far-infrared region, while z -polarized absorption occurs at higher frequencies. This is due to the dot geometry (the base length is much larger than the height) yielding different quantum confinement in the vertical and lateral directions. The Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn sum rule, including the magnetic field effect, is applied together with the selection rules to the absorption spectra. The orbital Zeeman splitting depends on both the dot size and the confining potential—the splitting decreases as the dot size or the confining potential decreases. Our calculated Zeeman splittings are in agreement with experimental data.

Splitting algorithm for numerical simulation of Li-ion battery electrochemical processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iliev, Oleg; Nikiforova, Marina A.; Semenov, Yuri V.; Zakharov, Petr E.

2017-11-01

In this paper we present a splitting algorithm for a numerical simulation of Li-ion battery electrochemical processes. Liion battery consists of three domains: anode, cathode and electrolyte. Mathematical model of electrochemical processes is described on a microscopic scale, and contains nonlinear equations for concentration and potential in each domain. On the interface of electrodes and electrolyte there are the Lithium ions intercalation and deintercalation processes, which are described by Butler-Volmer nonlinear equation. To approximate in spatial coordinates we use finite element methods with discontinues Galerkin elements. To simplify numerical simulations we develop the splitting algorithm, which split the original problem into three independent subproblems. We investigate the numerical convergence of the algorithm on 2D model problem.

Analysis of operator splitting errors for near-limit flame simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Zhen; Zhou, Hua; Li, Shan; Ren, Zhuyin; Lu, Tianfeng; Law, Chung K.

2017-04-01

High-fidelity simulations of ignition, extinction and oscillatory combustion processes are of practical interest in a broad range of combustion applications. Splitting schemes, widely employed in reactive flow simulations, could fail for stiff reaction-diffusion systems exhibiting near-limit flame phenomena. The present work first employs a model perfectly stirred reactor (PSR) problem with an Arrhenius reaction term and a linear mixing term to study the effects of splitting errors on the near-limit combustion phenomena. Analysis shows that the errors induced by decoupling of the fractional steps may result in unphysical extinction or ignition. The analysis is then extended to the prediction of ignition, extinction and oscillatory combustion in unsteady PSRs of various fuel/air mixtures with a 9-species detailed mechanism for hydrogen oxidation and an 88-species skeletal mechanism for n-heptane oxidation, together with a Jacobian-based analysis for the time scales. The tested schemes include the Strang splitting, the balanced splitting, and a newly developed semi-implicit midpoint method. Results show that the semi-implicit midpoint method can accurately reproduce the dynamics of the near-limit flame phenomena and it is second-order accurate over a wide range of time step size. For the extinction and ignition processes, both the balanced splitting and midpoint method can yield accurate predictions, whereas the Strang splitting can lead to significant shifts on the ignition/extinction processes or even unphysical results. With an enriched H radical source in the inflow stream, a delay of the ignition process and the deviation on the equilibrium temperature are observed for the Strang splitting. On the contrary, the midpoint method that solves reaction and diffusion together matches the fully implicit accurate solution. The balanced splitting predicts the temperature rise correctly but with an over-predicted peak. For the sustainable and decaying oscillatory combustion from cool flames, both the Strang splitting and the midpoint method can successfully capture the dynamic behavior, whereas the balanced splitting scheme results in significant errors.

Analysis of operator splitting errors for near-limit flame simulations

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

Lu, Zhen; Zhou, Hua; Li, Shan

High-fidelity simulations of ignition, extinction and oscillatory combustion processes are of practical interest in a broad range of combustion applications. Splitting schemes, widely employed in reactive flow simulations, could fail for stiff reaction–diffusion systems exhibiting near-limit flame phenomena. The present work first employs a model perfectly stirred reactor (PSR) problem with an Arrhenius reaction term and a linear mixing term to study the effects of splitting errors on the near-limit combustion phenomena. Analysis shows that the errors induced by decoupling of the fractional steps may result in unphysical extinction or ignition. The analysis is then extended to the prediction ofmore » ignition, extinction and oscillatory combustion in unsteady PSRs of various fuel/air mixtures with a 9-species detailed mechanism for hydrogen oxidation and an 88-species skeletal mechanism for n-heptane oxidation, together with a Jacobian-based analysis for the time scales. The tested schemes include the Strang splitting, the balanced splitting, and a newly developed semi-implicit midpoint method. Results show that the semi-implicit midpoint method can accurately reproduce the dynamics of the near-limit flame phenomena and it is second-order accurate over a wide range of time step size. For the extinction and ignition processes, both the balanced splitting and midpoint method can yield accurate predictions, whereas the Strang splitting can lead to significant shifts on the ignition/extinction processes or even unphysical results. With an enriched H radical source in the inflow stream, a delay of the ignition process and the deviation on the equilibrium temperature are observed for the Strang splitting. On the contrary, the midpoint method that solves reaction and diffusion together matches the fully implicit accurate solution. The balanced splitting predicts the temperature rise correctly but with an over-predicted peak. For the sustainable and decaying oscillatory combustion from cool flames, both the Strang splitting and the midpoint method can successfully capture the dynamic behavior, whereas the balanced splitting scheme results in significant errors.« less

Roll splitting for field processing of biomass

Treesearch

Dennis T. Curtin; Donald L. Sirois; John A. Sturos

1987-01-01

The concept of roll splitting wood originated in 1967 when the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) forest products specialists developed a wood fibrator. The objective of that work was to produce raw materials for reconstituted board products. More recently, TVA focused on roll splitting as a field process to accelerate drying of small trees (3-15 cm diameter), much...

Model reduction method using variable-separation for stochastic saddle point problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Lijian; Li, Qiuqi

2018-02-01

In this paper, we consider a variable-separation (VS) method to solve the stochastic saddle point (SSP) problems. The VS method is applied to obtain the solution in tensor product structure for stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) in a mixed formulation. The aim of such a technique is to construct a reduced basis approximation of the solution of the SSP problems. The VS method attempts to get a low rank separated representation of the solution for SSP in a systematic enrichment manner. No iteration is performed at each enrichment step. In order to satisfy the inf-sup condition in the mixed formulation, we enrich the separated terms for the primal system variable at each enrichment step. For the SSP problems by regularization or penalty, we propose a more efficient variable-separation (VS) method, i.e., the variable-separation by penalty method. This can avoid further enrichment of the separated terms in the original mixed formulation. The computation of the variable-separation method decomposes into offline phase and online phase. Sparse low rank tensor approximation method is used to significantly improve the online computation efficiency when the number of separated terms is large. For the applications of SSP problems, we present three numerical examples to illustrate the performance of the proposed methods.

Systems Analysis of Early Host Gene Expression Provides Clues for Transient Mycobacterium avium ssp avium vs. Persistent Mycobacterium avium ssp paratuberculosis Intestinal Infections

PubMed Central

Khare, Sangeeta; Drake, Kenneth L.; Lawhon, Sara D.; Nunes, Jairo E. S.; Figueiredo, Josely F.; Rossetti, Carlos A.; Gull, Tamara; Everts, Robin E.; Lewin, Harris. A.; Adams, Leslie Garry

2016-01-01

It has long been a quest in ruminants to understand how two very similar mycobacterial species, Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) and Mycobacterium avium ssp. avium (MAA) lead to either a chronic persistent infection or a rapid-transient infection, respectively. Here, we hypothesized that when the host immune response is activated by MAP or MAA, the outcome of the infection depends on the early activation of signaling molecules and host temporal gene expression. To test our hypothesis, ligated jejuno-ileal loops including Peyer’s patches in neonatal calves were inoculated with PBS, MAP, or MAA. A temporal analysis of the host transcriptome profile was conducted at several times post-infection (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 hours). When comparing the transcriptional responses of calves infected with the MAA versus MAP, discordant patterns of mucosal expression were clearly evident, and the numbers of unique transcripts altered were moderately less for MAA-infected tissue than were mucosal tissues infected with the MAP. To interpret these complex data, changes in the gene expression were further analyzed by dynamic Bayesian analysis. Bayesian network modeling identified mechanistic genes, gene-to-gene relationships, pathways and Gene Ontologies (GO) biological processes that are involved in specific cell activation during infection. MAP and MAA had significant different pathway perturbation at 0.5 and 12 hours post inoculation. Inverse processes were observed between MAP and MAA response for epithelial cell proliferation, negative regulation of chemotaxis, cell-cell adhesion mediated by integrin and regulation of cytokine-mediated signaling. MAP inoculated tissue had significantly lower expression of phagocytosis receptors such as mannose receptor and complement receptors. This study reveals that perturbation of genes and cellular pathways during MAP infection resulted in host evasion by mucosal membrane barrier weakening to access entry in the ileum, inhibition of Ca signaling associated with decreased phagosome-lysosome fusion as well as phagocytosis inhibition, bias toward Th2 cell immune response accompanied by cell recruitment, cell proliferation and cell differentiation; leading to persistent infection. Contrarily, MAA infection was related to cellular responses associated with activation of molecular pathways that release chemicals and cytokines involved with containment of infection and a strong bias toward Th1 immune response, resulting in a transient infection. PMID:27653506

Systems Analysis of Early Host Gene Expression Provides Clues for Transient Mycobacterium avium ssp avium vs. Persistent Mycobacterium avium ssp paratuberculosis Intestinal Infections.

PubMed

Khare, Sangeeta; Drake, Kenneth L; Lawhon, Sara D; Nunes, Jairo E S; Figueiredo, Josely F; Rossetti, Carlos A; Gull, Tamara; Everts, Robin E; Lewin, Harris A; Adams, Leslie Garry

It has long been a quest in ruminants to understand how two very similar mycobacterial species, Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) and Mycobacterium avium ssp. avium (MAA) lead to either a chronic persistent infection or a rapid-transient infection, respectively. Here, we hypothesized that when the host immune response is activated by MAP or MAA, the outcome of the infection depends on the early activation of signaling molecules and host temporal gene expression. To test our hypothesis, ligated jejuno-ileal loops including Peyer's patches in neonatal calves were inoculated with PBS, MAP, or MAA. A temporal analysis of the host transcriptome profile was conducted at several times post-infection (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 hours). When comparing the transcriptional responses of calves infected with the MAA versus MAP, discordant patterns of mucosal expression were clearly evident, and the numbers of unique transcripts altered were moderately less for MAA-infected tissue than were mucosal tissues infected with the MAP. To interpret these complex data, changes in the gene expression were further analyzed by dynamic Bayesian analysis. Bayesian network modeling identified mechanistic genes, gene-to-gene relationships, pathways and Gene Ontologies (GO) biological processes that are involved in specific cell activation during infection. MAP and MAA had significant different pathway perturbation at 0.5 and 12 hours post inoculation. Inverse processes were observed between MAP and MAA response for epithelial cell proliferation, negative regulation of chemotaxis, cell-cell adhesion mediated by integrin and regulation of cytokine-mediated signaling. MAP inoculated tissue had significantly lower expression of phagocytosis receptors such as mannose receptor and complement receptors. This study reveals that perturbation of genes and cellular pathways during MAP infection resulted in host evasion by mucosal membrane barrier weakening to access entry in the ileum, inhibition of Ca signaling associated with decreased phagosome-lysosome fusion as well as phagocytosis inhibition, bias toward Th2 cell immune response accompanied by cell recruitment, cell proliferation and cell differentiation; leading to persistent infection. Contrarily, MAA infection was related to cellular responses associated with activation of molecular pathways that release chemicals and cytokines involved with containment of infection and a strong bias toward Th1 immune response, resulting in a transient infection.

Ecotoxicological and microbiological assessment of sewage sludge associated with sugarcane bagasse.

PubMed

Sommaggio, Lais Roberta Deroldo; Mazzeo, Dânia Elisa Christofoletti; Sant' Anna, Débora de Andrade E Silva; Levy, Carlos Emílio; Marin-Morales, Maria Aparecida

2018-01-01

Sewage sludge (SS) obtained after sewage treatment process may contain several toxic substances. Bioremediation can decrease the toxicity of the sludge, mainly when it is associated with stimulant agents, such as sugarcane bagasse (B). Samples of pure SS (SSP); SS+B; SS+Soil; and SS+B+Soil were bioremediated for 1, 3, and 6 months (T1, T2, and T3, respectively). After each period, the cytotoxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic potentials of the solid samples and their respective aqueous extracts (aqueous eluate and percolate water) were evaluated by the Allium cepa test. A microbiological analysis of the samples was also performed after each period tested. All solid samples of SS+B (in T1, T2, and T3) and the solid sample of SSP (treatment T3) showed a significant decrease of cell division (cytotoxic effects). The aqueous eluate extracts of SS+B (T1 and T3) and SSP (T2 and T3) induced cytotoxic effect. The solid sample of SS+B (T2 and T3) and aqueous extracts of SSP (T1) were genotoxic, indicating a harmful effect of SS on A. cepa, even after 6 months of bioremediation. There was an alternation in the microbial community both in diversity and in abundance, with the predominance of nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli. The tested bioremediation periods were not sufficient for the complete detoxification of SS, and the use of B did not seem to contribute to the degradation of the pollutants to inert compounds. These data emphasize that a specific relationship should exist between the sludge characteristic and the biostimulating agent used to promote a more efficient bioremediation. These results suggest the necessity to study longer periods of biodegradation and the use of other decomposing agents for greater safety and sustainability for the agricultural use of this residue. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Indirect Coupling of Magnetic Layers via Domain Wall Fringing fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parkin, Stuart

2001-03-01

Ferromagnetic films separated by thin metallic spacer layers are usually coupled through an indirect exchange interaction which oscillates in sign between ferro and antiferromagnetic coupling as a function of the spacer layer thickness^1. For both such metallic systems, and for multilayered systems in which the ferromagnetic films are separated by thin insulating layers, correlated roughness of the magnetic layers gives rise to a weak ferromagnetic coupling via dipole fields. Another type of dipolar coupling mechanism, which has largely been ignored, is that arising from domain wall fringing fields. These fields can be locally very large^2 and can result in the demagnetization of ferromagnetic films which are nominally highly coercive ("hard") in sandwiches comprised of "hard" and "soft" ferromagnetic layers. When the moment of the soft layer is reversed back and forth in small magnetic fields, much too small to affect the moment of the hard layer, substantial local fringing fields from domain walls created in the soft film gradually result in the demagnetization of the hard film. In some cases the moment of the hard layer decays in an oscillatory manner as it is successively partially demagnetized and remagnetized. This process has been observed on both macroscopic and microscopic length scales using SQUID magnetometry and high resolution photoemission electron microscopy, respectively^3. Magnetic interactions from domain wall fringing fields may be very important for magnetic devices, especially, magnetoresistance sensors and memory elements. [1] S.S.P. Parkin, N. More and K.P. Roche, Phys. Rev. Lett. 64, 2304 (1990); S.S.P. Parkin, Phys. Rev. Lett., 67, 3598 (1991). [2] L. Thomas, M. Samant and S.S.P. Parkin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 1816 (2000). [3] L. Thomas, J Lüning, A. Scholl, F. Nolting, S. Anders, J. Stöhr and S.S.P. Parkin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 3462 (2000).

Anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in a strong external magnetic field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Montgomery, D.; Turner, L.

1981-01-01

A strong external dc magnetic field introduces a basic anisotropy into incompressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. The modifications that this is likely to produce in the properties of the turbulence are explored for the high Reynolds number case. The conclusion is reached that the turbulent spectrum splits into two parts: an essentially two dimensional spectrum with both the velocity field and magnetic fluctuations perpendicular to the dc magnetic field, and a generally weaker and more nearly isotropic spectrum of Alfven waves. A minimal characterization of the spectral density tensors is given. Similarities to measurements from the Culham-Harwell Zeta pinch device and the UCLA Macrotor Tokamak are remarked upon, as are certain implications for the Belcher and Davis measurements of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in the solar wind.

Spontaneous pneumothorax; a multicentre retrospective analysis of emergency treatment, complications and outcomes.

PubMed

Brown, S G A; Ball, E L; Macdonald, S P J; Wright, C; McD Taylor, D

2014-05-01

Spontaneous pneumothorax can be managed initially by observation, aspiration or chest drain insertion. To determine the clinical features of spontaneous pneumothorax in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED), interventions, outcomes and potential risk factors for poor outcomes after treatment. Retrospective chart review from ED of three major referral and two general hospitals in Australia of presentations with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) or secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP). Main outcomes were prolonged air leak (>5 days) and pneumothorax recurrence within 1 year. We identified 225 people with PSP and 98 with SSP. There were no clinical tension pneumothoraces with hypotension. Hypoxaemia (haemoglobin oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry ≤92%) occurred only in SSP and in older patients (age >50 years) with PSP. Drainage was performed in 150 (67%) PSP and 82 (84%) SSP. Prolonged air leak occurred in 16% (95% confidence interval 10-23%) of PSP and 31% (21-42%) of SSP. Independent risk factors for prolonged drainage were non-asthma SSP and pneumothorax size >50%. Complications were recorded in 11% (7.5-16%) of those having drains inserted. Recurrences occurred in 5/91 (5%, 1.8-12%) of those treated without drainage versus 40/232 (17%, 13-23%) of those treated by drainage, of which half occurred in the first month after drainage. Pneumothorax drainage is associated with substantial morbidity including prolonged air leak. As PSP appears to be well tolerated in younger people even with large pneumothoraces, conservative treatment in this subgroup may be a viable option to improve patient outcomes, but this needs to be confirmed in a clinical trial. © 2014 The Authors; Internal Medicine Journal © 2014 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

[Evaluation of Slavic continuity for electrocardiograph (ECG)-gated non-helical scan using multi detector-row computed tomography with 64 data acquisition system].

PubMed

Shiotani, Masataka; Ogawa, Masato; Watanabe, Ryo; Shinohara, Tamotsu

2012-01-01

Multi detector-row computed tomography with 64 data acquisition systems are widely used for coronary CT angiography with an electrocardiograph (ECG) gated helical scan (HS). Step and shoot with ECG gated non-helical scan (snap shot pulse: SSP) could reduce exposure dose but banding artifact-like discontinuity was observed between adjacent slabs on volume rendering (VR) and curved planner reconstruction (CPR). Therefore, we investigated the factors that influence continuity of VR and CPR images by calculating image properties of Z-axis direction of slab. The observer performance studies were performed for evaluating continuity of simulated blood vessels of VR and CPR images at simulated heart rates: 50, 55, 57 and 60 beat per minute (bpm). As a result, the value of SD at both slab edges in SSP were 20.5% lower than middle part of slab and differences of value of SD were up to 4.4 between adjacent slab edges. Slice thickness of both slab edges were 20.3% thinner than that of the peripheral part of slab. At the border of the adjacent slab, the position of the simulated blood vessel was shifted. VR images of SSP at 57 bpm was indicated as the highest score and HS was significantly superior to SSP at 55 and 60 bpm (p<0.05). In CPR images, there were no significant differences at all simulated heart rates. In conclusion, we considered that VR images of SSP were influenced heart rates except 57 bpm (resonance case) and there was little difference of visibility for discontinuity of both CPR images obtained by SSP and HS.

Retrofitted supersymmetric models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bose, Manatosh

This thesis explores several models of metastable dynamic supersymmetry breaking (MDSB) and a supersymmetric model of hybrid inflation. All of these models possess discrete R-symmetries. We specially focus on the retrofitted models for supersymmetry breaking models. At first we construct retrofitted models of gravity mediation. In these models we explore the genericity of the so-called "split supersymmetry." We show that with the simplest models, where the goldstino multiplet is neutral under the discrete R-symmetry, a split spectrum is not generic. However if the goldstino superfield is charged under some symmetry other than the R-symmetry, then a split spectrum is achievable but not generic. We also present a gravity mediated model where the fine tuning of the Z-boson mass is dictated by a discrete choice rather than a continuous tuning. Then we construct retrofitted models of gauge mediated SUSY breaking. We show that, in these models, if the approximate R-symmetry of the theory is spontaneously broken, the messenger scale is fixed; if explicitly broken by retrofitted couplings, a very small dimensionless number is required; if supergravity corrections are responsible for the symmetry breaking, at least two moderately small couplings are required, and that there is a large range of possible messenger scales. Finally we switch our attention to small field hybrid inflation. We construct a model that yields a spectral index ns = 0.96. Here, we also briefly discuss the possibility of relating the scale of inflation with the dynamics responsible for supersymmetry breaking.

Quantum plasmon and Rashba-like spin splitting in self-assembled Co x C60 composites with enhanced Co content (x > 15)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavrentiev, Vasily; Chvostova, Dagmar; Stupakov, Alexandr; Lavrentieva, Inna; Vacik, Jiri; Motylenko, Mykhaylo; Barchuk, Mykhailo; Rafaja, David; Dejneka, Alexandr

2018-04-01

Driving by interplay between plasmonic and magnetic effects in organic composite semiconductors is a challenging task with a huge potential for practical applications. Here, we present evidence of a quantum plasmon excited in the self-assembled Co x C60 nanocomposite films with x > 15 (interval of the Co cluster coalescence) and analyse it using the optical absorption (OA) spectra. In the case of Co x C60 film with x = 16 (LF sample), the quantum plasmon generated by the Co/CoO clusters is found as the 1.5 eV-centred OA peak. This finding is supported by the establishment of four specific C60-related OA lines detected at the photon energies E p > 2.5 eV. Increase of the Co content up to x = 29 (HF sample) leads to pronounced enhancement of OA intensity in the energy range of E p > 2.5 eV and to plasmonic peak downshift of 0.2 eV with respect to the peak position in the LF spectrum. Four pairs of the OA peaks evaluated in the HF spectrum at E p > 2.5 eV reflect splitting of the C60-related lines, suggesting great change in the microscopic conditions with increasing x. Analysis of the film nanostructure and the plasmon-induced conditions allows us to propose a Rashba-like spin splitting effect that suggests valuable sources for spin polarization.

Single-layer ZnMN2 (M = Si, Ge, Sn) zinc nitrides as promising photocatalysts.

PubMed

Bai, Yujie; Luo, Gaixia; Meng, Lijuan; Zhang, Qinfang; Xu, Ning; Zhang, Haiyang; Wu, Xiuqiang; Kong, Fanjie; Wang, Baolin

2018-05-30

Searching for two-dimensional semiconductor materials that are suitable for visible-light photocatalytic water splitting provides a sustainable solution to deal with the future energy crisis and environmental problems. Herein, based on first-principles calculations, single-layer ZnMN2 (M = Si, Ge, Sn) zinc nitrides are proposed as efficient photocatalysts for water splitting. Stability analyses show that the single-layer ZnMN2 zinc nitrides exhibit energetic and dynamical stability. The electronic properties reveal that all of the single-layer ZnMN2 zinc nitrides are semiconductors. Interestingly, single-layer ZnSnN2 is a direct band gap semiconductor with a desirable band gap (1.74 eV), and the optical adsorption spectrum confirms its optical absorption in the visible light region. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) calculations show that the catalytic activity for single-layer ZnMN2 (M = Ge, Sn) is better than that of single-layer ZnSiN2. Furthermore, the band gaps and band edge positions for the single-layer ZnMN2 zinc nitrides can be effectively tuned by biaxial strain. Especially, single-layer ZnGeN2 can be effectively tuned to match better with the redox potentials of water and enhance the light absorption in the visible light region at a tensile strain of 5%, which is confirmed by the corresponding optical absorption spectrum. Our results provide guidance for experimental synthesis efforts and future searches for single-layer materials suitable for photocatalytic water splitting.

Fate of nuclear material during subsequent steps of the kinetin-induced PCD in apical parts of Vicia faba ssp. minor seedling roots.

PubMed

Kaźmierczak, Andrzej; Soboska, Kamila

2018-07-01

In animals during apoptosis, the best examined type of programmed cell death (PCD), three main phases are distinguished: (i) specification (signaling), (ii) killing and (iii) execution one. It has bean postulated that plant PCD also involves three subsequent phases: (i) transmission of death signals to cells (signaling), (ii) initiation of killing processes and (iii) destruction of cells. One of the most important hallmarks of animal and plant PCD are those regarding nucleus, not thoroughly studied in plants so far. To study kinetin-induced PCD (Kin-PCD) in the context of nuclear material faith, 2-cm apical parts of Vicia faba ssp. minor seedling roots were used. Applied assays involving spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy, fluorescence and white light microscopy allowed to examine metabolic and cytomorphologic hallmarks such as changes in DNA content, ssDNA formation and activity of acidic and basic nucleases (DNases and RNases) as well as malformations and fragmentation of nucleoli and nuclei. The obtained results concerning the PCD hallmarks and influence of ZnSO 4 on Kin-PCD allowed us to confirmed presence of specification/signaling, killing and execution/degradation phases of the process and broaden the knowledge about processes affecting nuclei during PCD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

45 CFR 261.24 - How will we determine a State's two-parent work rate?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... follows: (1) The number of two-parent TANF and SSP-MOE families in which both parents are work-eligible...), divided by, (2) The number of two-parent TANF and SSP-MOE families in which both parents are work-eligible...

45 CFR 261.22 - How will we determine a State's overall work rate?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... participation rate for a month as follows: (1) The number of TANF and SSP-MOE families that include a work...), divided by, (2) The number of TANF and SSP-MOE families that include a work-eligible individual, minus the...

A deep azygoesophageal recess may increase the risk of secondary spontaneous pneumothorax.

PubMed

Takahashi, Tsuyoshi; Kawashima, Mitsuaki; Kuwano, Hideki; Nagayama, Kazuhiro; Nitadori, Jyunichi; Anraku, Masaki; Sato, Masaaki; Murakawa, Tomohiro; Nakajima, Jun

2017-09-01

The azygoesophageal recess (AER) is known as a possible cause of bulla formation in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax. However, there has been little focus on the depth of the AER. We evaluated the relationship between the depth of the AER and pneumothorax development. We conducted a retrospective study of 80 spontaneous pneumothorax patients who underwent surgery at our institution. We evaluated the depth of the AER on preoperative computed tomography scans. Ruptured bullae at the AER were found in 12 patients (52.2%) with secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) and 8 patients (14.0%) with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) (p < 0.001). In patients with ruptured bullae at the AER, 10 SSP patients (83.3%) had a deep AER while only 2 PSP patients (25%) had a deep AER (p = 0.015). A deep AER was more frequently associated with SSP than with PSP. A deep AER may contributes to bulla formation and rupture in SSP patients.

First detection of Rickettsia conorii ssp. caspia in Rhipicephalus sanguineus in Zambia.

PubMed

Chitimia-Dobler, Lidia; Dobler, Gerhard; Schaper, Sabine; Küpper, Thomas; Kattner, Simone; Wölfel, Silke

2017-11-01

Ticks are important vectors for Rickettsia spp. of the spotted fever group all around the world. Rickettsia conorii is the etiological agent of boutonneuse fever in the Mediterranean region and Africa. Tick identification was based on morphological features and further characterized using the 16S rRNA gene. The ticks were individually tested using pan-Rickettsia real-time-PCR for screening, and 23S-5S intergenic spacer region, 16S rDNA, gltA, sca4, ompB, and ompA genes were used to analyze the Rickettsia positive samples. Rickettsia conorii ssp. caspia was detected in tick collected in Zambia for the first time, thus demonstrating the possibility of the occurrence of human disease, namely Astrakhan fever, due to this Rickettsia ssp. in this region of Africa. The prevalence of R. conorii ssp. caspia was 0.06% (one positive tick out of 1465 tested ticks) and 0.07% (one positive tick out of 1254 tested Rh. sanguineus).

Do infant behaviors following immunization predict attachment? An exploratory study.

PubMed

Horton, Rachel; Pillai Riddell, Rebecca; Moran, Greg; Lisi, Diana

2016-01-01

The relationship between infant behaviors during routine immunization, pre- and post-needle, and infant attachment was explored. A total of 130 parent-infant dyads were recruited from a larger longitudinal study and videotaped during routine immunization at 12 months and the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) at 14 months. Six infant behaviors were coded for 1-minute pre-needle and 3-minutes post-needle. Attachment was operationalized according to the secure/avoidant/resistant/disorganized categories. As expected, none of the pre-needle behaviors predicted attachment. Proximity-seeking post-needle significantly discriminated attachment categorizations. Secure infants were more likely to seek proximity to caregivers post-needle in comparison with avoidant and disorganized infants. Proximity-seeking following immunization was positively correlated with proximity-seeking during the SSP and negatively correlated with avoidance and disorganization during the SSP. Infant proximity-seeking during immunization is associated with attachment security and parallels behaviors observed during the SSP. More research is needed to identify behavioral markers of disorganization.

Rapid autocatalytic activation of the M4 metalloprotease aureolysin is controlled by a conserved N-terminal fungalysin-thermolysin-propeptide domain.

PubMed

Nickerson, Nicholas N; Joag, Vineet; McGavin, Martin J

2008-09-01

The Staphylococcus aureus proteolytic cascade consists of a metalloprotease aureolysin (Aur), which activates a serine protease zymogen proSspA, which in turn activates the SspB cysteine protease. As with other M4 metalloproteases, including elastase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the propeptide of proAur contains an N-terminal fungalysin-thermolysin-propeptide (FTP) domain. Autocatalytic activation of proAur was initiated by processing at T85 downward arrowL(86) in the FTP domain. This differed from the mechanism described for proElastase, where the FTP domain has an RY motif in place of TL(86), and processing occurred at the junction of the propeptide and metalloprotease domains, which remained as an inactive complex during passage across the outer membrane. When TL(86) in the FTP domain was replaced with RY, an intact N-terminal propeptide was secreted, but the M4 metalloprotease domain was degraded. Consequently, this segment of the FTP domain promotes intramolecular processing of proAur while bestowing a chaperone function, but discourages processing within the FTP domain of proElastase, where activation must be co-ordinated with passage across a second membrane. We conclude that the FTP domain of proAur is adapted to facilitate a rapid autocatalytic activation mechanism, consistent with the role or proAur as initiator of the staphylococcal proteolytic cascade.

Tailorable Burning Behavior of Ti14 Alloy by Controlling Semi-Solid Forging Temperature.

PubMed

Chen, Yongnan; Yang, Wenqing; Zhan, Haifei; Zhang, Fengying; Huo, Yazhou; Zhao, Yongqing; Song, Xuding; Gu, Yuantong

2016-08-16

Semi-solid processing (SSP) is a popular near-net-shape forming technology for metals, while its application is still limited in titanium alloy mainly due to its low formability. Recent works showed that SSP could effectively enhance the formability and mechanical properties of titanium alloys. The processing parameters such as temperature and forging rate/ratio, are directly correlated with the microstructure, which endow the alloy with different chemical and physical properties. Specifically, as a key structural material for the advanced aero-engine, the burn resistant performance is a crucial requirement for the burn resistant titanium alloy. Thus, this work aims to assess the burning behavior of Ti14, a kind of burn resistant alloy, as forged at different semi-solid forging temperatures. The burning characteristics of the alloy are analyzed by a series of burning tests with different burning durations, velocities, and microstructures of burned sample. The results showed that the burning process is highly dependent on the forging temperature, due to the fact that higher temperatures would result in more Ti₂Cu precipitate within grain and along grain boundaries. Such a microstructure hinders the transport of oxygen in the stable burning stage through the formation of a kind of oxygen isolation Cu-enriched layer under the burn product zone. This work suggests that the burning resistance of the alloy can be effectively tuned by controlling the temperature during the semi-solid forging process.

Localized states in an arbitrarily bent quantum wire (bend-imitating approach)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakhnenko, Oleksity O.

1996-02-01

The bend-imitating matching technique is proposed to simplify the quantum mechanical treatment of singly and multiply bent 2D quantum wires of constant width, arbitrary bending angles, arbitrary bending radii and arbitrary distances between the bends. The spectrum of one-electron localized states and its dependence on the bending angle and the bending radius in a singly bent wire is explicitly calculated. Doubly bent wires are shown to possess doubly split localized states. The splitting energies as a function of the distance between the bends and the bending angles and bending radii have also been obtained. A similar description of bent 3D quantum wires and bent optical fibers is expected to be possible.

Atomic-scale distortion of optically activated Sm dopants identified with site-selective X-ray absorption spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishii, Masashi; Crowe, Iain F.; Halsall, Matthew P.; Hamilton, Bruce; Hu, Yongfeng; Sham, Tsun-Kong; Harako, Susumu; Zhao, Xin-Wei; Komuro, Shuji

2013-10-01

The local structure of luminescent Sm dopants was investigated using an X-ray absorption fine-structure technique with X-ray-excited optical luminescence. Because this technique evaluates X-ray absorption from luminescence, only optically active sites are analyzed. The Sm L3 near-edge spectrum contains split 5d states and a shake-up transition that are specific to luminescent Sm. Theoretical calculations using cluster models identified an atomic-scale distortion that can reproduce the split 5d states. The model with C4v local symmetry and compressive bond length of Sm-O of a six-fold oxygen (SmO6) cluster is most consistent with the experimental results.

Effects of spin-orbit coupling and many-body correlations in STM transport through copper phthalocyanine.

PubMed

Siegert, Benjamin; Donarini, Andrea; Grifoni, Milena

2015-01-01

The interplay of exchange correlations and spin-orbit interaction (SOI) on the many-body spectrum of a copper phtalocyanine (CuPc) molecule and their signatures in transport are investigated. We first derive a minimal model Hamiltonian in a basis of frontier orbitals that is able to reproduce experimentally observed singlet-triplet splittings. In a second step SOI effects are included perturbatively. Major consequences of the SOI are the splitting of former degenerate levels and a magnetic anisotropy, which can be captured by an effective low-energy spin Hamiltonian. We show that scanning tunneling microscopy-based magnetoconductance measurements can yield clear signatures of both these SOI-induced effects.

Matter distribution and spin-orbit force in spherical nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Co', G.; Anguiano, M.; De Donno, V.; Lallena, A. M.

2018-03-01

We investigate the possibility that some nuclei show density distributions with a depletion in the center, a semibubble structure, by using a Hartree-Fock plus Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer approach. We separately study the proton, neutron, and matter distributions in 37 spherical nuclei mainly in the s -d shell region. We found a relation between the semibubble structure and the energy splitting of spin-orbit partner single particle levels. The presence of semibubble structure reduces this splitting, and we study its consequences on the excitation spectrum of the nuclei under investigation by using a quasiparticle random-phase-approximation approach. The excitation energies of the low-lying 4+ states can be related to the presence of semibubble structure in nuclei.

Polarized Fine Structure in the Photoluminescence Excitation Spectrum of a Negatively Charged Quantum Dot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ware, M. E.; Stinaff, E. A.; Gammon, D.; Doty, M. F.; Bracker, A. S.; Gershoni, D.; Korenev, V. L.; Bădescu, Ş. C.; Lyanda-Geller, Y.; Reinecke, T. L.

2005-10-01

We report polarized photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy of the negative trion in single charge-tunable InAs/GaAs quantum dots. The spectrum exhibits a p-shell resonance with polarized fine structure arising from the direct excitation of the electron spin triplet states. The energy splitting arises from the axially symmetric electron-hole exchange interaction. The magnitude and sign of the polarization are understood from the spin character of the triplet states and a small amount of quantum dot asymmetry, which mixes the wave functions through asymmetric e-e and e-h exchange interactions.

Numerical investigation on splitting of ferrofluid microdroplets in T-junctions using an asymmetric magnetic field with proposed correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aboutalebi, Mohammad; Bijarchi, Mohamad Ali; Shafii, Mohammad Behshad; Kazemzadeh Hannani, Siamak

2018-02-01

The studies surrounding the concept of microdroplets have seen a dramatic increase in recent years. Microdroplets have applications in different fields such as chemical synthesis, biology, separation processes and micro-pumps. This study numerically investigates the effect of different parameters such as Capillary number, Length of droplets, and Magnetic Bond number on the splitting process of ferrofluid microdroplets in symmetric T-junctions using an asymmetric magnetic field. The use of said field that is applied asymmetrically to the T-junction center helps us control the splitting of ferrofluid microdroplets. During the process of numerical simulation, a magnetic field with various strengths from a dipole located at a constant distance from the center of the T-junction was applied. The main advantage of this design is its control over the splitting ratio of daughter droplets and reaching various microdroplet sizes in a T-junction by adjusting the magnetic field strength. The results showed that by increasing the strength of the magnetic field, the possibility of asymmetric splitting of microdroplets increases in a way that for high values of field strength, high splitting ratios can be reached. Also, by using the obtained results at various Magnetic Bond numbers and performing curve fitting, a correlation is derived that can be used to accurately predict the borderline between splitting and non-splitting zones of microdroplets flow in micro T-junctions.

Attempting to restore mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana) four years after fire

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Restoration of shrubs is increasingly needed throughout the world because of altered fire regimes, anthropogenic disturbance, and over-utilization. The native shrub mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. vaseyana (Rydb.) Beetle) is a restoration priority in western North America be...

Bibliography of Selected SCSD, URBS, SSP, SEF, and RAS Publications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanford Univ., CA. School Planning Lab.

The annotated bibliography contains publications and report listings of the following sources--(1) School Construction Systems Development (SCSD), (2) University Residential Building Systems (URBS), (3) Florida Schoolhouse Systems Project (SSP), (4) Study of Educational Facilities (SEF), and (5) Recherches en Amenagements Scolaires (RAS) Building…

42 CFR 407.42 - Buy-in groups available to the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Northern Mariana...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... following categories: (1) Category A: Individuals who— (i) Receive SSI or SSP or both; and (ii) Are covered... they were receiving SSI or SSP; and (ii) Are covered under the State's Medicaid plan as categorically...

Expanding maize genetic resources with predomestication alleles: maize-teosinte introgression populations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis) has greater genetic diversity than maize inbreds and landraces (Z. mays ssp. mays). There are, however, limited genetic resources to efficiently evaluate and tap this diversity. To broaden resources for genetic diversity studies in maize, we developed and evaluat...

Peculiarities of FeSi phonon spectrum induced by a change of atomic volume

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

Parshin, P. P., E-mail: Parshin-PP@nrcki.ru, E-mail: neupar45@yandex.ru; Chumakov, A. I.; Alekseev, P. A.

2016-12-15

We analyze in detail the results of experimental investigations of the evolution of the thermal vibration spectra for iron atoms in iron monosilicide FeSi depending on two external parameters, viz., temperature T (in the range 46–297 K at pressure P = 0.1 MPa) and pressure P (in the range 0.1 MPa–43 GPa at temperature T = 297 K), obtained by nuclear inelastic scattering of synchrotron radiation. The decrease of the atomic volume is accompanied by a rearrangement of the phonon spectrum, which is manifested, in particular, in the splitting of the low-energy peak in the spectrum and in an increasemore » of the energy for all phonons. The changes of the average energy of the iron atom vibrational spectrum and of the Debye energy with decreasing atomic volume are analyzed. Different versions of FeSi electron spectrum variation, which can be used to explain the observed phonon anomalies, are considered.« less

Proteomic analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid proteins from mice infected with Francisella tularensis ssp novicida

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

Varnum, Susan M.; Webb-Robertson, Bobbie-Jo M.; Pounds, Joel G.

2012-07-06

Francisella tularensis causes the zoonosis tularemia in humans and is one of the most virulent bacterial pathogens. We utilized a global proteomic approach to characterize protein changes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from mice exposed to one of three organisms, F. tularensis ssp. novicida, an avirulent mutant of F. tularensis ssp. novicida (F.t. novicida-ΔmglA); and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The composition of BALF proteins was altered following infection, including proteins involved in neutrophil activation, oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Components of the innate immune response were induced including the acute phase response and the complement system, however the timing of their induction varied.more » Francisella tularensis ssp. novicida infected mice do not appear to have an effective innate immune response in the first hours of infection, however within 24 hours they show an upregulation of innate immune response proteins. This delayed response is in contrast to P. aeruginosa infected animals which show an early innate immune response. Likewise, F.t. novicida-ΔmglA infection initiates an early innate immune response, however this response is dimished by 24 hours. Finally, this study identifies several candidate biomarkers, including Chitinase 3-like-1 (CHI3L1 or YKL-40) and peroxiredoxin 1, that are associated with F. tularensis ssp. novicida but not P. aeruginosa infection.« less

Bovine glycomacropeptide promotes the growth of Bifidobacterium longum ssp. infantis and modulates its gene expression.

PubMed

O'Riordan, N; O'Callaghan, J; Buttò, L F; Kilcoyne, M; Joshi, L; Hickey, R M

2018-05-23

Bovine milk glycomacropeptide (GMP) is derived from κ-casein, with exclusively o-linked glycosylation. Glycomacropeptide promoted the growth of Bifidobacterium longum ssp. infantis in a concentration-dependent manner, and this activity was lost following periodate treatment of the GMP (GMP-P), which disables biological recognition of the conjugated oligosaccharides. Transcriptional analysis of B. longum ssp. infantis following exposure to GMP revealed a substantial response to GMP relative to bacteria treated with GMP-P, with a greater number of differentially expressed transcripts and larger fold changes versus the control. Therefore, stimulation of B. longum ssp. infantis growth by GMP is intrinsically linked to the peptide's O-linked glycosylation. The pool of differentially expressed transcripts included 2 glycoside hydrolase (family 25) genes, which were substantially upregulated following exposure to GMP, but not GMP-P. These GH25 genes were present in duplicated genomic islands that also contained genes encoding fibronectin type III binding domain proteins and numerous phage-related proteins, all of which were also upregulated. Homologs of this genomic arrangement were present in other Bifidobacterium species, which suggest it may be a conserved domain for the utilization of glycosylated peptides. This study provides insights into the molecular basis for the prebiotic effect of bovine milk GMP on B. longum ssp. infantis. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

To be or not to be a subspecies: description of Saperda populnea lapponica ssp. n. (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) developing in downy willow (Salix lapponum L.)

PubMed Central

Wallin, Henrik; Kvamme, Torstein; Bergsten, Johannes

2017-01-01

Abstract A new subspecies of the European cerambycid Saperda populnea (Linnaeus, 1758) is described: Saperda populnea lapponica ssp. n. based on specimens from Scandinavia. The male genitalia characters were examined and found to provide support for this separation, as well as differences in morphology, geographical distribution and bionomy. The preferred host tree for the nominate subspecies S. populnea populnea is Populus tremula L., whereas S. populnea lapponica ssp. n. is considered to be monophagous on Salix lapponum L. DNA sequence data of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) was generated from Scandinavian specimens of S. populnea populnea and specimens representing S. populnea lapponica ssp. n. The two subspecies were not reciprocally monophyletic and genetic distances in COI were small. All synonyms of S. populnea populnea have been considered, and species similar to S. populnea populnea have been examined, and not found to be related to S. populnea lapponica ssp. n. A male lectotype has been designated for each of the two following synonyms: Cerambyx decempunctatus De Geer, 1775, and Saperda salicis Zetterstedt, 1818. The synonymised species from Asia, S. balsamifera (Motshulsky, 1860), is elevated to subspecies: S. populnea balsamifera stat. n. We end with a discussion on the definition of subspecies under the unified species concept. PMID:29187784

Influenza Vaccine Manufacturing: Effect of Inactivation, Splitting and Site of Manufacturing. Comparison of Influenza Vaccine Production Processes

PubMed Central

Kon, Theone C.; Onu, Adrian; Berbecila, Laurentiu; Lupulescu, Emilia; Ghiorgisor, Alina; Kersten, Gideon F.; Cui, Yi-Qing; Amorij, Jean-Pierre; Van der Pol, Leo

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different inactivation and splitting procedures on influenza vaccine product composition, stability and recovery to support transfer of process technology. Four split and two whole inactivated virus (WIV) influenza vaccine bulks were produced and compared with respect to release criteria, stability of the bulk and haemagglutinin recovery. One clarified harvest of influenza H3N2 A/Uruguay virus prepared on 25.000 fertilized eggs was divided equally over six downstream processes. The main unit operation for purification was sucrose gradient zonal ultracentrifugation. The inactivation of the virus was performed with either formaldehyde in phosphate buffer or with beta-propiolactone in citrate buffer. For splitting of the viral products in presence of Tween®, either Triton™ X-100 or di-ethyl-ether was used. Removal of ether was established by centrifugation and evaporation, whereas removal of Triton-X100 was performed by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. All products were sterile filtered and subjected to a 5 months real time stability study. In all processes, major product losses were measured after sterile filtration; with larger losses for split virus than for WIV. The beta-propiolactone inactivation on average resulted in higher recoveries compared to processes using formaldehyde inactivation. Especially ether split formaldehyde product showed low recovery and least stability over a period of five months. PMID:26959983

Femtosecond laser-induced subwavelength ripples formed by asymmetrical grating splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Pin; Jiang, Lan; Li, Xin; Zhang, Kaihu; Shi, Xuesong; Li, Bo; Lu, Yongfeng

2016-05-01

The formation process and mechanism of subwavelength ripples were studied upon irradiation of ZnO by a femtosecond laser (800 nm, 50 fs, 1 kHz). An abnormally asymmetrical grating-splitting phenomenon was discovered. At relatively high laser fluences (F = 0.51-0.63 J/cm2), near-wavelength ripples were split asymmetrically to create subwavelength laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) with dual gaps (˜230 nm and ˜430 nm) on the primary grooves. At relatively low laser fluences (F = 0.4-0.45 J/cm2), near-wavelength ripples were split symmetrically, leading to the formation of uniform subwavelength structures with a period of ˜340 nm. The splitting phenomena are related to the varying laser beam dose induced by the overlapping during line scanning. The two grating-splitting types further imply that the dominated mechanism for LIPSS formation may be changed under different processing conditions.

Genetic variation for traits associated with domestication identified in a cultivated rice, Nipponbare (Oryza sativa ssp. japonica) x ancestral rice, O. nivara, mapping population

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Oryza nivara, the progenitor of cultivated rice, O. sativa, has been the source of novel alleles for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as for yield improvement. Many of these alleles were lost during the domestication process. To determine the molecular changes that occurred during ...

The Educational Influences on Active Citizens: A Case Study of Members of the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kane, Liam

2007-01-01

While there is a wealth of literature and research on radical adult "popular" education for social change, most of it looks forward and speculates on the educational processes best able to help the oppressed of the world overcome naive passivity and become critically aware "subjects" of social change. Within a critical…

Discriminating Children with Autism from Children with Learning Difficulties with an Adaptation of the Short Sensory Profile

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Brien, Justin; Tsermentseli, Stella; Cummins, Omar; Happe, Francesca; Heaton, Pamela; Spencer, Janine

2009-01-01

In this article, we examine the extent to which children with autism and children with learning difficulties can be discriminated from their responses to different patterns of sensory stimuli. Using an adapted version of the Short Sensory Profile (SSP), sensory processing was compared in 34 children with autism to 33 children with typical…

Security Enhancement of Wireless Sensor Networks Using Signal Intervals

PubMed Central

Moon, Jaegeun; Jung, Im Y.; Yoo, Jaesoo

2017-01-01

Various wireless technologies, such as RF, Bluetooth, and Zigbee, have been applied to sensor communications. However, the applications of Bluetooth-based wireless sensor networks (WSN) have a security issue. In one pairing process during Bluetooth communication, which is known as simple secure pairing (SSP), the devices are required to specify I/O capability or user interference to prevent man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. This study proposes an enhanced SSP in which a nonce to be transferred is converted to a corresponding signal interval. The quantization level, which is used to interpret physical signal intervals, is renewed at every connection by the transferred nonce and applied to the next nonce exchange so that the same signal intervals can represent different numbers. Even if attackers eavesdrop on the signals, they cannot understand what is being transferred because they cannot determine the quantization level. Furthermore, the proposed model does not require exchanging passkeys as data, and the devices are secure in the case of using a fixed PIN. Subsequently, the new quantization level is calculated automatically whenever the same devices attempt to connect with each other. Therefore, the pairing process can be protected from MITM attacks and be convenient for users. PMID:28368341

Security Enhancement of Wireless Sensor Networks Using Signal Intervals.

PubMed

Moon, Jaegeun; Jung, Im Y; Yoo, Jaesoo

2017-04-02

Various wireless technologies, such as RF, Bluetooth, and Zigbee, have been applied to sensor communications. However, the applications of Bluetooth-based wireless sensor networks (WSN) have a security issue. In one pairing process during Bluetooth communication, which is known as simple secure pairing (SSP), the devices are required to specify I/O capability or user interference to prevent man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. This study proposes an enhanced SSP in which a nonce to be transferred is converted to a corresponding signal interval. The quantization level, which is used to interpret physical signal intervals, is renewed at every connection by the transferred nonce and applied to the next nonce exchange so that the same signal intervals can represent different numbers. Even if attackers eavesdrop on the signals, they cannot understand what is being transferred because they cannot determine the quantization level. Furthermore, the proposed model does not require exchanging passkeys as data, and the devices are secure in the case of using a fixed PIN. Subsequently, the new quantization level is calculated automatically whenever the same devices attempt to connect with each other. Therefore, the pairing process can be protected from MITM attacks and be convenient for users.

Capsule treatments to enhance seedling emergence of Gaura neomexicana ssp

Treesearch

Leah M. Burgess; Ann L. Hild; Nancy L. Shaw

2005-01-01

Management of riparian vegetation is difficult because these communities are frequently impacted by herbivores, invasive weeds, and altered hydrologic regimes. Multiple and intertwined factors affecting rare species recruitment are particularly difficult to identify. Gaura neomexicana ssp. coloradensis Munz (Gaura) is a short-lived perennial forb endemic to riparian...

Pangenome and taxonomic analysis of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica (S. enterica ssp. I) contains almost all the major pathogens in this genus. We sequenced 354 new S. enterica ssp. I genomes using paired end 100 base reads to ~80-fold coverage. These genomes were chosen to maximize genetic diversity, representing at least 100...

Occurrence of aphidborne viruses in southernmost South American populations of Fragaria chiloensis ssp. chiloensis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Wild and cultivated Fragaria chiloensis ssp. chiloensis (Fcc) plants were collected at different locations in southern Chile in order to determine the current viral status of this native strawberry. The following aphidborne viruses (ABVs): Strawberry mild yellow edge virus (SMYEV), Strawberry mottle...

The Rise and Fall of the Schools Science Project in East Africa.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lillis, Kevin M.; Lowe, John

1987-01-01

Reviews problems associated with implementing the School Science Project (SSP) in Kenya, and the subsequent downfall of the project in the late 1970s. Concludes that the SSP experience raises fundamental questions about secondary science education in Kenya and the rest of the developing world. (BSR)

Genetic analysis of teosinte alleles for kernel composition traits in maize

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis) is the wild ancestor of modern maize (Zea mays ssp. mays). Teosinte contains greater genetic diversity compared to maize inbreds and landraces, but its use is limited by insufficient genetic resources to evaluate its value. A population of teosinte near isogenic ...

Gene Flow Among Different Teosinte Taxa and Into the Domesticated Maize Gene Pool

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) was domesticated from one wild species ancestor, the Balsas teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis) about 9000 years ago. Higher levels of gene diversity are found in teosinte taxa compared to maize following domestication and selection bottlenecks. Diversity in maize can b...

Countering misinformation concerning big sagebrush

Treesearch

Bruce L Welch; Craig Criddle

2003-01-01

This paper examines the scientific merits of eight axioms of range or vegetative management pertaining to big sagebrush. These axioms are: (1) Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) does not naturally exceed 10 percent canopy cover and mountain big sagebrush (A. t. ssp. vaseyana) does not naturally exceed 20 percent canopy...

77 FR 55371 - System Safety Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-07

...-based rule and FRA seeks comments on all aspects of the proposed rule. An SSP would be implemented by a... SSP would be the risk-based hazard management program and risk-based hazard analysis. A properly implemented risk-based hazard management program and risk-based hazard analysis would identify the hazards and...

Occurrence of a 'bad' split and success of initial mandibular healing: a review of 524 sagittal ramus osteotomies in 262 patients.

PubMed

Posnick, J C; Choi, E; Liu, S

2016-10-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of a 'bad' split after sagittal ramus osteotomies (SRO) and report the results of initial mandibular healing. A retrospective cohort study derived from patients treated by a single surgeon at one institution between 2004 and 2013 was performed. An index group consisting of a series of subjects with a spectrum of bimaxillary dentofacial deformities also involving the chin and symptomatic chronic obstructive nasal breathing was identified. The SRO design, bicortical screw fixation technique, and perioperative management were consistent. Outcome variables included the occurrence of a 'bad' split and the success of initial SRO healing. Two hundred sixty-two subjects undergoing 524 SROs met the inclusion criteria. Their average age was 25 years (range 13-63 years) and 134 were female (51%). Simultaneous removal of a third molar was performed during 209 of the SROs (40%). There were no 'bad' splits. All subjects achieved successful bone union, the planned occlusion, and return to a chewing diet and physical activities by 5 weeks after surgery. The presence of a third molar removed during SRO was not associated with an increased frequency of a 'bad' split or delayed mandibular healing. Copyright © 2016 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

En face projection imaging of the human choroidal layers with tracking SLO and swept source OCT angiography methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorczynska, Iwona; Migacz, Justin; Zawadzki, Robert J.; Sudheendran, Narendran; Jian, Yifan; Tiruveedhula, Pavan K.; Roorda, Austin; Werner, John S.

2015-07-01

We tested and compared the capability of multiple optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography methods: phase variance, amplitude decorrelation and speckle variance, with application of the split spectrum technique, to image the choroiretinal complex of the human eye. To test the possibility of OCT imaging stability improvement we utilized a real-time tracking scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (TSLO) system combined with a swept source OCT setup. In addition, we implemented a post- processing volume averaging method for improved angiographic image quality and reduction of motion artifacts. The OCT system operated at the central wavelength of 1040nm to enable sufficient depth penetration into the choroid. Imaging was performed in the eyes of healthy volunteers and patients diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration.

Measuring the Dispersion Curve of a PMMA-Fibre Optic Cable Using a Dye Laser

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zorba, Serkan; Farah, Constantine; Pant, Ravi

2010-01-01

An advanced undergraduate laboratory experiment is outlined which uses a dye laser to map out the chromatic dispersion curve of a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) optical fibre. Seven different wavelengths across the visible spectrum are employed using five different dyes. The light pulse is split into two pulses, one to a nearby photodetector and…

Stereoregularity of poly (lactic acid) and their model compounds as studied by NMR and quantum chemical calculations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In order to understand the origin of the tacticity splitting in the NMR spectrum of poly(lactic acid), monomer model compound and dimer model compounds (both isotactic and syndiotactic) were synthesized and their 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts observed. Two energetically stable conformations were o...

Launch Vehicle Assessment for Space Solar Power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olds, John R.

1998-01-01

A recently completed study at Georgia Tech examined various launch vehicle options for deploying a future constellation of Space Solar Power satellites of the Suntower configuration. One of the motivations of the study was to determine whether the aggressive $400/kg launch price goal established for SSP package delivery would result in an attractive economic scenario for a future RLV developer. That is, would the potential revenue and traffic to be derived from a large scale SSP project be enough of an economic "carrot" to attract an RLV company into developing a new, low cost launch vehicle to address this market. Preliminary results presented in the attached charts show that there is enough economic reward for RLV developers, specifically in the case of the latest large GEO-based Suntower constellations (over 15,500 MT per year delivery for 30 years). For that SSP model, internal rates of return for the 30 year economic scenario exceed 22%. However, up-front government assistance to the RLV developer in terms of ground facilities, operations technologies, guaranteed low-interest rate loans, and partial offsets of some vehicle development expenses is necessary to achieve these positive results. This white paper is meant to serve as a companion to the data supplied in the accompanying charts. It's purpose is to provide more detail on the vehicles and design processes used, to highlight key decisions and issues, and to emphasize key results from each phase of the Georgia Tech study.

Solar thermochemical splitting of water to generate hydrogen

PubMed Central

Rao, C. N. R.; Dey, Sunita

2017-01-01

Solar photochemical means of splitting water (artificial photosynthesis) to generate hydrogen is emerging as a viable process. The solar thermochemical route also promises to be an attractive means of achieving this objective. In this paper we present different types of thermochemical cycles that one can use for the purpose. These include the low-temperature multistep process as well as the high-temperature two-step process. It is noteworthy that the multistep process based on the Mn(II)/Mn(III) oxide system can be carried out at 700 °C or 750 °C. The two-step process has been achieved at 1,300 °C/900 °C by using yttrium-based rare earth manganites. It seems possible to render this high-temperature process as an isothermal process. Thermodynamics and kinetics of H2O splitting are largely controlled by the inherent redox properties of the materials. Interestingly, under the conditions of H2O splitting in the high-temperature process CO2 can also be decomposed to CO, providing a feasible method for generating the industrially important syngas (CO+H2). Although carbonate formation can be addressed as a hurdle during CO2 splitting, the problem can be avoided by a suitable choice of experimental conditions. The choice of the solar reactor holds the key for the commercialization of thermochemical fuel production. PMID:28522461

Exciton Absorption in Semiconductor Quantum Wells Driven by a Strong Intersubband Pump Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Ansheng; Ning, Cun-Zheng

1999-01-01

Optical interband excitonic absorption of semiconductor quantum wells (QW's) driven by a coherent pump field is investigated based on semiconductor Bloch equations. The pump field has a photon energy close to the intersubband spacing between the first two conduction subbands in the QW's. An external weak optical field probes the interband transition. The excitonic effects and pump-induced population redistribution within the conduction subbands in the QW system are included. When the density of the electron-hole pairs in the QW structure is low, the pump field induces an Autler-Townes splitting of the exciton absorption spectrum. The split size and the peak positions of the absorption doublet depend not only on the pump frequency and intensity but also on the carrier density. As the density of the electron-hole pairs is increased, the split contrast (the ratio between the maximum and minimum values) is decreased because the exciton effect is suppressed at higher densities due to the many-body screening.

From the tunneling dimer to the onset of microsolvation: Infrared spectroscopy of allyl radical water aggregates in helium nanodroplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leicht, Daniel; Kaufmann, Matin; Pal, Nitish; Schwaab, Gerhard; Havenith, Martina

2017-03-01

The infrared spectrum of allyl:water clusters embedded in helium nanodroplets was recorded. Allyl radicals were produced by flash vacuum pyrolysis and trapped in helium droplets. Deuterated water was added to the doped droplets, and the infrared spectrum of the radical water aggregates was recorded in the frequency range 2570-2820 cm-1. Several absorption bands are observed and assigned to 1:1 and 1:2 allyl:D2O clusters, based on pressure dependent measurements and accompanying quantum chemical calculations. The analysis of the 1:1 cluster spectrum revealed a tunneling splitting as well as a combination band. For the 1:2 cluster, we observe a water dimer-like motif that is bound by one π-hydrogen bond to the allyl radical.

Multiplet Splitting Effects on Core-Level Photoemission and Inverse-Photoemission Spectra of Uranium Intermetallic Compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okada, Kozo

1999-03-01

The present paper discusses the role of U 5f-5f exchange interaction (J) in the inverse photoemission spectrum (IPES) and the U 4f x-ray photoemission spectrum (XPS) of uranium intermetallic compounds. The origin of the broad main peak in the IPES of UPd3 and UPd2Al3, for instance, is ascribed to the exchange coupling effects of 5f electrons. In other words, whether the ground state is of high-spin or of low-spin is directly reflected in the width of the IPES. On the other hand, the interpretation for the U 4f photoemission spectrum is not so greatly influenced by J. The full-multiplet calculations are also performed for an U4+ ion for comparison.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Mimicking Alzheimer Disease and Dementia With Lewy Bodies-Findings of FDG PET With 3-Dimensional Stereotactic Surface Projection.

PubMed

Miyazawa, Nobuhiko

2017-05-01

A 78-year-old man received a diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease based on symptoms and findings of MRI, FDG PET, and cerebrospinal fluid markers. PET with 3-dimensional stereotactic surface projection (3D-SSP) showed that the distribution of hypometabolism mimicked that of Alzheimer disease. A 68-year-old woman was treated under a diagnosis of convulsion. Findings of MRI, PET, familial history, and cerebrospinal fluid markers revealed familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. FDG PET with 3D-SSP disclosed that the hypometabolic pattern mimicked that of dementia with Lewy bodies. FDG PET with 3D-SSP can demonstrate similar patterns in various neurodegenerative disorders.

Distinct Retinal Capillary Plexuses in Normal Eyes as Observed in Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Axial Profile Analysis.

PubMed

Hirano, Takao; Chanwimol, Karntida; Weichsel, Julian; Tepelus, Tudor; Sadda, Srinivas

2018-06-20

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) allows the retinal microvasculature to be visualized at various retinal depths. Previous studies introduced OCTA axial profile analysis and showed regional variations in the number and location of axially distinct vascular retinal plexuses. OCTA acquisition and processing approaches, however, vary in terms of their resulting transverse and axial resolutions, and especially the latter could potentially influence the profile analysis results. Our study imaged normal eyes using the Spectralis OCT2 with a full-spectrum, probabilistic OCTA algorithm, that, in marked contrast to split-spectrum approaches, preserves the original high OCT axial resolution also within the resulting OCTA signal. En face OCTA images are generally created by averaging flow signals over a finite axial depth window. However, we assessed regional OCTA signal profiles at each depth position at full axial resolution. All regions had two sharp vessel density peaks near the inner and outer boundaries of the inner nuclear layer, indicating separate intermediate and deep capillary plexuses. The superficial vascular plexus (SVP) separated into two distinct peaks within the ganglion cell layer in the parafoveal zone. The nasal, superior, and inferior perifovea had a deeper SVP peak that was shifted anteriorly compared to the parafoveal zone. Axial vascular density analysis with high-resolution, full spectrum OCTA thus allows healthy retinal vasculature to be precisely reconstructed and may be useful for clinically assessing retinal pathology.

Effect of Processing on the in Vitro and in Vivo Protein Quality of Yellow and Green Split Peas (Pisum sativum).

PubMed

Nosworthy, Matthew G; Franczyk, Adam J; Medina, Gerardo; Neufeld, Jason; Appah, Paulyn; Utioh, Alphonsus; Frohlich, Peter; House, James D

2017-09-06

In order to determine the effect of extrusion, baking, and cooking on the protein quality of yellow and green split peas, a rodent bioassay was conducted and compared to an in vitro method of protein quality determination. The Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of green split peas (71.4%) was higher than that of yellow split peas (67.8%), on average. Similarly, the average Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS) of green split peas (69%) was higher than that of yellow split peas (67%). Cooked green pea flour had lower PDCAAS and DIAAS values (69.19% and 67%) than either extruded (73.61%, 70%) or baked (75.22%, 70%). Conversely, cooked yellow split peas had the highest PDCCAS value (69.19%), while extruded yellow split peas had the highest DIAAS value (67%). Interestingly, a strong correlation was found between in vivo and in vitro analysis of protein quality (R 2 = 0.9745). This work highlights the differences between processing methods on pea protein quality and suggests that in vitro measurements of protein digestibility could be used as a surrogate for in vivo analysis.

Seed ecology of a rare sage, Salvia dorrii ssp. mearnsii

Treesearch

Kristin D. Huisinga

2001-01-01

Although related taxa occur throughout the western United States, Salvia dorrii ssp. mearnsii is endemic to central Arizona. In part, its narrow distribution may be attributed to its limited fruit production, low seedling establishment, and germination requirements. Heavy herbivory pressures decreased the numbers of mature fruits in populations in two different...

ARC-2009-ACD09-0155-020

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-28

International Space University (ISU) and Singularity University (SU) Emerging Space Nations Panel held at NASA's Ames Research Center 2009 host site. Angie Bukley, ISU SSP09 program director, speaks with the panel moderator, Ray Williamson, ISU SSP09 distinguished lecturer and executive director of the Secure World Foundation, Superior, Colo., before the discussion begins.

ARC-2009-ACD09-0155-013

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-28

International Space University (ISU) and Singularity University (SU) Emerging Space Nations Panel held at NASA's Ames Research Center 2009 host site. Angie Bukley, ISU SSP09 program director, speaks with the panel moderator, Ray Williamson, ISU SSP09 distinguished lecturer and executive director of the Secure World Foundation, Superior, Colo., before the discussion begins.

ARC-2009-ACD09-0155-010

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-28

International Space University (ISU) and Singularity University (SU) Emerging Space Nations Panel held at NASA's Ames Research Center 2009 host site. Angie Bukley, ISU SSP09 program director, speaks with the panel moderator, Ray Williamson, ISU SSP09 distinguished lecturer and executive director of the Secure World Foundation, Superior, Colo., before the discussion begins.

ARC-2009-ACD09-0155-018

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-28

International Space University (ISU) and Singularity University (SU) Emerging Space Nations Panel held at NASA's Ames Research Center 2009 host site. Angie Bukley, ISU SSP09 program director, speaks with the panel moderator, Ray Williamson, ISU SSP09 distinguished lecturer and executive director of the Secure World Foundation, Superior, Colo., before the discussion begins.

ARC-2009-ACD09-0155-024

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-28

International Space University (ISU) and Singularity University (SU) Emerging Space Nations Panel held at NASA's Ames Research Center 2009 host site. Angie Bukley, ISU SSP09 program director, speaks with the panel moderator, Ray Williamson, ISU SSP09 distinguished lecturer and executive director of the Secure World Foundation, Superior, Colo., before the discussion begins.

ARC-2009-ACD09-0155-006

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-28

International Space University (ISU) and Singularity University (SU) Emerging Space Nations Panel held at NASA's Ames Research Center 2009 host site. Angie Bukley, ISU SSP09 program director, speaks with the panel moderator, Ray Williamson, ISU SSP09 distinguished lecturer and executive director of the Secure World Foundation, Superior, Colo., before the discussion begins.

Fragaria cascadensis K.E. Hummer: first investigation of volatile organic compounds of fruit

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In 2012, Fragaria cascadensis was described as a decaploid strawberry species from the Oregon Cascade Mountains. The objective of this study was to examine the aroma patterns of fruits of this F. cascadensis in contrast to those of F. vesca ssp. bracteata (A. Heller) Staudt and F. virginiana ssp. pl...

Autism and Attachment: The Attachment Q-Sort

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutgers, Anna H.; Van Ijzendoorn, Marinus H.; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J.; Swinkels, Sophie H. N.

2007-01-01

Children with autism are able to show secure attachment behaviours to their parents/caregivers. Most studies on attachment in children with autism used a (modified) Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) to examine attachment security. An advantage of the Attachment Q-Sort (AQS) over the SSP is that it can be attuned to the secure-base behaviour of…

Could nitrile derivatives of turnip (Brassica rapa) glucosinolates be Hepato-and/or cholangiotoxic in cattle?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Turnip (Brassica rapa ssp. rapa) and rape (Brassica napus ssp. biennis) and other brassica forage crops are generally regarded as “safe” feed for cattle during late summer and fall in New Zealand. However, when Pithomyces chartarum spore counts are high there are epidemics of sporidesmin toxicity (...

ARC-2009-ACD09-0143-058

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-17

International Space University (ISU - 2009) students participated in a Robotic Competition at NASA'A Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. This panel featured astronauts from four different space agencies with different areas of expertice and diverse perspectives. Angie Bukley, ISU SSP09 program director, and Satoko Abiko, an ISU SSP systems engineering guest lecturer, acted as judges.

A high-density, SNP-based consensus map of tetraploid wheat as a bridge to integrate durum and bread wheat genomics and breeding

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Consensus linkage maps are important tools in crop genomics. We have assembled a high-density tetraploid wheat consensus map by integrating 13 datasets from independent biparental populations involving durum wheat cultivars (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum), cultivated emmer (T. turgidum ssp. dicoccum...

The George Engelmann Mathematics & Science Institute. 1993 Annual Report Science Scholar Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Missouri Univ., St. Louis. George Englemann Mathematics & Science Inst.

This publication is a comprehensive report on the George Engelmann Mathematics and Science Institute's Science Scholar program (SSP) and its activities in 1993. The SSP provides high achieving high school students an introductory, 4-week summer curriculum designed to demonstrate the connecting thread running through all scientific thought. The 52…

Second generation bioethanol production from Saccharum spontaneum L. ssp. aegyptiacum (Willd.) Hack.

Treesearch

Danilo Scordia; Salvatore L. Consentino; Thomas W. Jeffries

2010-01-01

Saccharum (Saccharum spontaneum L. ssp. aegyptiacum (Willd.) Hack.), is a rapidly growing, wide ranging high-yield perennial, suitable for second generation bioethanol production. This study evaluated oxalic acid as a pretreatment for bioconversion. Overall sugar yields, sugar degradation products, enzymatic glucan hydrolysis and ethanol production were studied as...

Wireless Power Transmission Options for Space Solar Power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henley, Mark; Potter, Seth; Howell, Joseph; Mankins, John

2002-01-01

Space Solar Power (SSP), combined with Wireless Power Transmission (WPT), offers the far-term potential to solve major energy problems on Earth. In this paper two basic WPT options, using radio waves and light waves, are considered for both long-term and near-term SSP applications. In the long-term, we aspire to beam energy to Earth from geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), or even further distances in space. Accordingly, radio- and light- wave WPT options are compared through a wide range of criteria, each showing certain strengths. In the near-term, we plan to beam power over more moderate distances, but still stretch the limits of today's technology. For the near-term, a 100 kWe-class 'Power Plug' Satellite and a 10 kWe-class Lunar Polar Solar Power outpost are considered as the first steps in using these WPT options for SSP. By using SSP and WPT technology in near-term space science and exploration missions, we gain experience needed for sound decisions in designing and developing larger systems to send power from Space to Earth.

Wireless Power Transmission Options for Space Solar Power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henley, Mark; Potter, Seth; Howell, Joseph; Mankins, John

2007-01-01

Space Solar Power (SSP), combined with Wireless Power Transmission (WPT), offers the far-term potential to solve major energy problems on Earth. In this presentation, two basic WPT options, using radio waves an d light waves, are considered for both long-term and near-term SSP applications. In the long-term, we aspire to beam energy to Earth from geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), or even further distances in space. Accordingly, radio- and light- wave WPT options are compared through a wide range of criteria, each showing certain strengths. In the near-term, we plan to beam power over more moderate distances, but still stretch the limits of today's technology. For the near-term, a 100 kWe-class "Power Plug" Satellite and a 10 kWe-class Lunar Polar Solar Power outpost are considered as the first steps in using these WPT options for SSP. By using SSP and WPT technology in nearterm space science and exploration missions, we gain experience needed for sound decisions in designing and developing larger systems to send power from Space to Earth.

Consumption of Dairy Yogurt Containing Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis and Heat-Treated Lactobacillus plantarum Improves Immune Function Including Natural Killer Cell Activity.

PubMed

Lee, Ayoung; Lee, Young Ju; Yoo, Hye Jin; Kim, Minkyung; Chang, Yeeun; Lee, Dong Seog; Lee, Jong Ho

2017-05-31

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of consuming dairy yogurt containing Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei ( L. paracasei ), Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis ( B. lactis ) and heat-treated Lactobacillus plantarum ( L. plantarum ) on immune function. A randomized, open-label, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 200 nondiabetic subjects. Over a twelve-week period, the test group consumed dairy yogurt containing probiotics each day, whereas the placebo group consumed milk. Natural killer (NK) cell activity, interleukin (IL)-12 and immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 levels were significantly increased in the test group at twelve weeks compared to baseline. Additionally, the test group had significantly greater increases in serum NK cell activity and interferon (IFN)-γ and IgG1 than placebo group. Daily consumption of dairy yogurt containing L. paracasei , B. lactis and heat-treated L. plantarum could be an effective option to improve immune function by enhancing NK cell function and IFN-γ concentration (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03051425).

Consumption of Dairy Yogurt Containing Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis and Heat-Treated Lactobacillus plantarum Improves Immune Function Including Natural Killer Cell Activity

PubMed Central

Lee, Ayoung; Lee, Young Ju; Yoo, Hye Jin; Kim, Minkyung; Chang, Yeeun; Lee, Dong Seog; Lee, Jong Ho

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of consuming dairy yogurt containing Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei (L. paracasei), Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis (B. lactis) and heat-treated Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) on immune function. A randomized, open-label, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 200 nondiabetic subjects. Over a twelve-week period, the test group consumed dairy yogurt containing probiotics each day, whereas the placebo group consumed milk. Natural killer (NK) cell activity, interleukin (IL)-12 and immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 levels were significantly increased in the test group at twelve weeks compared to baseline. Additionally, the test group had significantly greater increases in serum NK cell activity and interferon (IFN)-γ and IgG1 than placebo group. Daily consumption of dairy yogurt containing L. paracasei, B. lactis and heat-treated L. plantarum could be an effective option to improve immune function by enhancing NK cell function and IFN-γ concentration (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03051425). PMID:28561762

¹H NMR spectroscopy reveals the effect of genotype and growth conditions on composition of sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) berries.

PubMed

Kortesniemi, Maaria; Sinkkonen, Jari; Yang, Baoru; Kallio, Heikki

2014-03-15

¹H NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis were applied to the metabolic profiling and discrimination of wild sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) berries from different locations in Finland (subspecies (ssp.) rhamnoides) and China (ssp. sinensis). Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) showed discrimination of the two subspecies and different growth sites. The discrimination of ssp. rhamnoides was mainly associated with typically higher temperature, radiation and humidity and lower precipitation in the south, yielding higher levels of O-ethyl β-d-glucopyranoside and d-glucose, and lower levels of malic, quinic and ascorbic acids. Significant metabolic differences (p<0.05) in genetically identical berries were observed between latitudes 60° and 67° north in Finland. High altitudes (> 2,000 m) correlated with greater levels of malic and ascorbic acids in ssp. sinensis. The NMR metabolomics approach applied here is effective for identification of metabolites, geographical origin and subspecies of sea buckthorn berries. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Infant attachment, adult attachment, and maternal sensitivity: revisiting the intergenerational transmission gap.

PubMed

Behrens, Kazuko Y; Haltigan, John D; Bahm, Naomi I Gribneau

2016-08-01

This study investigated the intergenerational transmission of attachment, utilizing the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP), and the Maternal Behavioral Q-Set (MBQS). We revisited fundamental questions in attachment theory and research by examining: (1) the level of intergenerational agreement between maternal attachment representations and infant attachment security, and (2) whether maternal sensitivity serves as an intergenerational mediator between adult and infant attachment security. Significant categorical matches between the AAI and the SSP as well as mean differences for MBQS scores between adult attachment secure-insecure groups were found. Consistent with earlier intergenerational research, maternal sensitivity only partially mediated the AAI-SSP link, indicating the transmission gap remains. Consistent with recent mediation studies, using more contemporary analytical techniques, it was confirmed that maternal sensitivity did mediate the direct pathway between AAI security and SSP security. Thus, the transmission gap appears somewhat different depending on the statistical method used to measure mediation. Post hoc analyses considered mothers' childhood experiences of separation/divorce and this helped make sense of intergenerational mismatches.

Agronomic, chemical and genetic profiles of hot peppers (Capsicum annuum ssp.).

PubMed

De Masi, Luigi; Siviero, Pietro; Castaldo, Domenico; Cautela, Domenico; Esposito, Castrese; Laratta, Bruna

2007-08-01

A study on morphology, productive yield, main quality parameters and genetic variability of eight landraces of hot pepper (Capsicum annuum ssp.) from Southern Italy has been performed. Morphological characters of berries and productivity values were evaluated by agronomic analyses. Chemical and genetic investigations were performed by HPLC and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR, respectively. In particular, carotenoid and capsaicinoid (pungency) contents were considered as main quality parameters of hot pepper. For the eight selected samples, genetic similarity values were calculated from the generated RAPD fragments and a dendrogram of genetic similarity was constructed. All the eight landraces exhibited characteristic RAPD patterns that allowed their characterization. Agro-morphological and chemical determinations were found to be adequate for selection, but they resulted useful only for plants grown in the same environmental conditions. RAPD application may provide a more reliable way based on DNA identification. The results of our study led to the identification of three noteworthy populations, suitable for processing, which fitted into different clusters of the dendrogram.

Global analysis of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus exoproteins reveals molecules produced in vitro and during infection

PubMed Central

Burlak, Christopher; Hammer, Carl H; Robinson, Mary-Ann; Whitney, Adeline R; McGavin, Martin J; Kreiswirth, Barry N; DeLeo, Frank R

2007-01-01

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is a threat to human health worldwide. Although progress has been made, mechanisms of CA-MRSA pathogenesis are poorly understood and a comprehensive analysis of CA-MRSA exoproteins has not been conducted. To address that deficiency, we used proteomics to identify exoproteins made by MW2 (USA400) and LAC (USA300) during growth in vitro. Two hundred and fifty unique exoproteins were identified by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with automated direct infusion-tandem mass spectrometry (ADI-MS/MS) analysis. Eleven known virulence-related exoproteins differed in abundance between the strains, including alpha-haemolysin (Hla), collagen adhesin (Cna), staphylokinase (Sak), coagulase (Coa), lipase (Lip), enterotoxin C3 (Sec3), enterotoxin Q (Seq), V8 protease (SspA) and cysteine protease (SspB). Mice infected with MW2 or LAC produced antibodies specific for known or putative virulence factors, such as autolysin (Atl), Cna, Ear, ferritin (Ftn), Lip, 1-phosphatidylinositol phosphodiesterase (Plc), Sak, Sec3 and SspB, indicating the exoproteins are made during infection in vivo. We used confocal microscopy to demonstrate aureolysin (Aur), Hla, SspA and SspB are produced following phagocytosis by human neutrophils, thereby linking exoprotein production in vitro with that during host–pathogen interaction. We conclude that the exoproteins identified herein likely account in part for the success of CA-MRSA as a human pathogen. PMID:17217429

Delayed habituation in Behcet's disease.

PubMed

Gulturk, Sefa; Akyol, Melih; Kececi, Hulusi; Ozcelik, Sedat; Cinar, Ziynet; Demirkazik, Ayse

2008-01-01

The autonomic nervous system in Behcet's patients may be affected due to various reasons. This entity may be detected with the measurement of the electrodermal activities, heart rate variability and pupillometric methods. Habituation is one of the implicit forms of learning and memory and the loss of habituation can reveal pathological changes in the synaptic regions. To determine whether there is a functional decrease in the synaptic effectiveness (habituation) of the pathways to sympathetic neurons that had been repeatedly activated in Behcet's. Twelve patients with Behcet's disease and 12 healthy controls were included in the study. Sympathetic skin potential (SSP) records were taken at normal room temperature in a quiet place within a Faraday cage. Sixteen square wave single shock impulses (duration: 1200 ms, strength: 5 mA) were applied on each case. After the 1st stimulus, the SSP amplitudes were lower in the patients compared to the controls (P<0.001, t value=7.69). There was no significant differences among the SSP amplitudes after the 13th impulse in the patients (P>0.05). Whereas there was no significant differences among the SSP amplitudes after the 9th impulse in the controls (P>0.05). The habituation rate of the SSP after consecutive impulses was slowest in the patients compared to controls (P<0.001, t value=12.39). There is a delayed habituation in Behcet's disease and that may due to pathologic changes with vasculitis through their peripheral nerves.

Impact of Acacia tortilis ssp. raddiana tree on wheat and barley yield in the south of Tunisia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noumi, Zouhaier; Abdallah, Fathia; Torre, Franck; Michalet, Richard; Touzard, Blaise; Chaieb, Mohamed

2011-03-01

In the past, Acacia tortilis ssp. raddiana (Savi) Brenan colonised thousands of hectares in central and southern Tunisia. Nowadays, the geographical distribution of A. tortilis ssp. raddiana is restricted to the National Park of Bou-Hedma (central Tunisia). The Acacia is of considerable interest for local populations and may be considered as a "foundation species" under arid climate. This study examines the effects of Acacia canopy on soil fertility and cereal productivity. The improvement in soil fertility and microclimate provided by A. tortilis ssp. raddiana is known to facilitate the establishment of new species, but little is known about the interaction between the tree species and the cereals cultivated by local farmers. We studied the effect of A. tortilis ssp. raddiana canopy on the yield of three cereals crops ( Hordeum vulgare L., Triticum sativum L. and Triticum aestivum L.). We seeded 168 plots (15 × 15 m) under the tree canopy and in open areas on four different landform types (glacis, plain, wadis, and jessours) and measured cereal yield over two contrasting years (wet and dry). We found that: (1) precipitation and geomorphology are more important in determining cereal yield than canopy cover, (2) these effects on water availability are species-specific with no effect on the stress-tolerant barley. We finally discuss the potential negative effects of Acacia trees which may have balanced the positive effects found for nutrient in our study.

Galectin-3 Is a Target for Proteases Involved in the Virulence of Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Elmwall, Jonas; Kwiecinski, Jakub; Na, Manli; Ali, Abukar Ahmed; Osla, Veronica; Shaw, Lindsey N; Wang, Wanzhong; Sävman, Karin; Josefsson, Elisabet; Bylund, Johan; Jin, Tao; Welin, Amanda; Karlsson, Anna

2017-07-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of skin and soft tissue infection. The bacterium expresses four major proteases that are emerging as virulence factors: aureolysin (Aur), V8 protease (SspA), staphopain A (ScpA), and staphopain B (SspB). We hypothesized that human galectin-3, a β-galactoside-binding lectin involved in immune regulation and antimicrobial defense, is a target for these proteases and that proteolysis of galectin-3 is a novel immune evasion mechanism. Indeed, supernatants from laboratory strains and clinical isolates of S. aureus caused galectin-3 degradation. Similar proteolytic capacities were found in Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates but not in Staphylococcus saprophyticus Galectin-3-induced activation of the neutrophil NADPH oxidase was abrogated by bacterium-derived proteolysis of galectin-3, and SspB was identified as the major protease responsible. The impact of galectin-3 and protease expression on S. aureus virulence was studied in a murine skin infection model. In galectin-3 +/+ mice, SspB-expressing S. aureus caused larger lesions and resulted in higher bacterial loads than protease-lacking bacteria. No such difference in bacterial load or lesion size was detected in galectin-3 -/- mice, which overall showed smaller lesion sizes than the galectin-3 +/+ animals. In conclusion, the staphylococcal protease SspB inactivates galectin-3, abrogating its stimulation of oxygen radical production in human neutrophils and increasing tissue damage during skin infection. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Some low homogenization pressures improve certain probiotic characteristics of yogurt culture bacteria and Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-K.

PubMed

Muramalla, T; Aryana, K J

2011-08-01

Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus, and Lactobacillus acidophilus are dairy cultures widely used in the manufacture of cultured dairy products. Commonly used homogenization pressures in the dairy industry are 13.80 MPa or less. It is not known whether low homogenization pressures can stimulate bacteria to improve their probiotic characteristics. Objectives were to determine the effect of homogenization at 0, 3.45, 6.90, 10.34, and 13.80 MPa on acid tolerance, bile tolerance, protease activity, and growth of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus LB-12, S. salivarius ssp. thermophilus ST-M5, and L. acidophilus LA-K. The cultures were individually inoculated in cool autoclaved skim milk (4°C) and homogenized for 5 continuous passes. Growth and bile tolerance of samples were determined hourly for 10h of incubation. Acid tolerance was determined every 20 min for 120 min of incubation. Protease activity was determined at 0, 12, and 24h of incubation. All homogenization pressures studied improved acid tolerance of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus LB-12 but had no beneficial effect on protease activity and had negative effects on growth and bile tolerance. A pressure of 6.90 MPa improved acid tolerance, bile tolerance, and protease activity of S. salivarius ssp. thermophilus ST-M5, but none of the homogenization pressures studied had an effect on its growth. Homogenization pressures of 13.80 and 6.90 MPa improved acid tolerance and bile tolerance, respectively, of L. acidophilus LA-K but had no effect on protease activity and its growth. Some low homogenization pressures positively influenced some characteristics of yogurt culture bacteria and L. acidophilus LA-K. Culture pretreatment with some low homogenization pressures can be recommended for improvement of certain probiotic characteristics. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mycobacterium avium subspecies induce differential expression of pro-inflammatory mediators in a murine macrophage model: evidence for enhanced pathogenicity of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis.

PubMed

Basler, Tina; Geffers, Robert; Weiss, Siegfried; Valentin-Weigand, Peter; Goethe, Ralph

2008-01-01

Mycobacterium avium subspecies (ssp.) paratuberculosis (MAP) is the etiological agent of paratuberculosis, a chronic, non-treatable granulomatous enteritis of ruminants. MAP is the only mycobacterium affecting the intestinal tract, which is of interest since it is presently the most favoured pathogen linked to Crohn's disease (CD) in humans due to its frequent detection in CD tissues. MAP is genetically closely related to other M. avium ssp. such as M. avium ssp. avium (MAA) and M. avium ssp. hominissuis (MAH) which can cause mycobacteriosis in animals and immunocompromised humans. We have recently shown that murine macrophage cell lines represent suitable systems to analyse M. avium ssp. patho-mechanisms and could show that MAP, but not MAA, specifically inhibited the antigen-specific stimulatory capacity for CD4(+) T-cells. In the present study, we compared gene expression profiles of murine RAW264.7 macrophages in response to infections with MAP or MAA using murine high-density oligonucleotide Affymetrix microarrays. A comparison of MAP and MAA infection revealed 17 differentially expressed genes. They were expressed at a much lower level in MAP-infected macrophages than in MAA-infected macrophages. Among these were the genes for IL-1beta, IL-1alpha, CXCL2, PTGS2 (COX2), lipocalin (LCN2) and TNF, which are important pro-inflammatory factors. The microarray data were confirmed for selected genes by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR and, by protein array analyses and ELISA. Similar to MAA, infection with MAH also showed robust induction of IL-1beta, CXCL2, COX2, LCN2 and TNF. Taken together, our results from M. avium ssp.-infected murine macrophages provide evidence that MAP in contrast to MAA and MAH specifically suppresses the pro-inflammatory defence mechanisms of infected macrophages.

Spectral splitting of optical pulses inside a dispersive medium at a temporal boundary

DOE PAGES

Plansinis, Brent W.; Donaldson, William R.; Agrawal, Govind P.

2016-11-07

We show numerically that the spectrum of an optical pulse splits into multiple, widely separated, spectral bands when it arrives at a temporal boundary across which refractive index changes suddenly. At the same time, the pulse breaks into several temporally separated pulses traveling at different speeds. The number of such pulses depends on the dispersive properties of the medium. We study the effect of second- and third-order dispersion in detail but also consider briefly the impact of other higher-order terms. As a result, a temporal waveguide formed with two temporal boundaries can reflect the temporally separated pulses again and again,more » increasing the number of pulses trapped within the temporal waveguide.« less

Line shape analysis of the K β transition in muonic hydrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Covita, Daniel S.; Anagnostopoulos, Dimitrios F.; Fuhrmann, Hermann; Gorke, Hubert; Gotta, Detlev; Gruber, Alexander; Hirtl, Albert; Ishiwatari, Tomoichi; Indelicato, Paul; Jensen, Thomas S.; Le Bigot, Eric-Olivier; Markushin, Valeri E.; Nekipelov, Michael; Pomerantsev, Vladimir N.; Popov, Vladimir P.; dos Santos, Joaquim M. F.; Schmid, Philipp; Simons, Leopold M.; Theisen, Marian; Trassinelli, Martino; Veloso, Joao F. C. A.; Zmeskal, Johann

2018-04-01

The K β transition in muonic hydrogen was measured with a high-resolution crystal spectrometer. The spectrum is shown to be sensitive to the ground-state hyperfine splitting, the corresponding triplet-to-singlet ratio, and the kinetic energy distribution in the 3 p state. The hyperfine splitting and triplet-to-singlet ratio are found to be consistent with the values expected from theoretical and experimental investigations and, therefore, were fixed accordingly in order to reduce the uncertainties in the further reconstruction of the kinetic energy distribution. The presence of high-energetic components was established and quantified in both a phenomenological, i.e. cascade-model-free fit, and in a direct deconvolution of the Doppler broadening based on the Bayesian method.

Microtia Combined With Split Sole of Feet, Deformed Middle Fingers and Café -au-lait Spots on the Trunk: A New Association.

PubMed

Yu, Yan; Hu, Jintian; Liu, Tun; Cao, Yilin; Zhang, Qingguo

2015-11-01

Microtia is a spectrum of congenital deformities. Approximately, half of the patients are associated with hemifacial microtia. The birth rate of microtia ranges from 2 per 10,000 to 17.4 per 10,000. Microtia and limb deformities sometimes occurred simultaneously as described in the literature. In this report, the patient was found to be with unilateral microtia combined with bilateral split sole of feet, deformed middle fingers on both hands, and café-au-lait spots on the trunk. Despite a thorough literature search, the authors could not achieve a satisfactory diagnosis for the current case with respect to the type of anomalies seen in the case.

Rotational spectrum of 14N 2 · H 35Cl and 14N 2 · H 37Cl: electric field gradients at the nitrogen nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kisiel, Z.; Pszczólkowski, L.; Fowler, P. W.; Legon, A. C.

1997-09-01

Rotational spectra of the most abundant isotopic species of the weakly bound dimer formed between dinitrogen and hydrogen chloride were investigated. Spectroscopic constants for 14N 2 · H 37Cl were determined for the first time and those for 14N 2 · H 35Cl improved. Analysis of observed nuclear quadrupole spliting patterns within the framework of coupling of three nonequivalent nuclear spins allowed determination of splitting constants for both nuclei in the complexed dinitrogen molecule. Electric field gradient calculations at the SCF supermolecule level for the dimer are presented and account for the observed values of the nitrogen splitting constants.

Unveiling the photonic spin Hall effect of freely propagating fan-shaped cylindrical vector vortex beams.

PubMed

Zhang, Yi; Li, Peng; Liu, Sheng; Zhao, Jianlin

2015-10-01

An intriguing photonic spin Hall effect (SHE) for a freely propagating fan-shaped cylindrical vector (CV) vortex beam in a paraxial situation is theoretically and experimentally studied. A developed model to describe this kind of photonic SHE is proposed based on angular spectrum diffraction theory. With this model, the close dependences of spin-dependent splitting on the azimuthal order of polarization, the topological charge of the spiral phase, and the propagation distance are accurately revealed. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the asymmetric spin-dependent splitting of a fan-shaped CV beam can be consciously managed, even with a constant azimuthal order of polarization. Such a controllable photonic SHE is experimentally verified by measuring the Stokes parameters.

Global exposure and vulnerability to multi-sector development and climate change hotspots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byers, Edward; Gidden, Matthew; Leclère, David; Balkovic, Juraj; Burek, Peter; Ebi, Kristie; Greve, Peter; Grey, David; Havlik, Petr; Hillers, Astrid; Johnson, Nils; Kahil, Taher; Krey, Volker; Langan, Simon; Nakicenovic, Nebjosa; Novak, Robert; Obersteiner, Michael; Pachauri, Shonali; Palazzo, Amanda; Parkinson, Simon; Rao, Narasimha D.; Rogelj, Joeri; Satoh, Yusuke; Wada, Yoshihide; Willaarts, Barbara; Riahi, Keywan

2018-05-01

Understanding the interplay between multiple climate change risks and socioeconomic development is increasingly required to inform effective actions to manage these risks and pursue sustainable development. We calculate a set of 14 impact indicators at different levels of global mean temperature (GMT) change and socioeconomic development covering water, energy and land sectors from an ensemble of global climate, integrated assessment and impact models. The analysis includes changes in drought intensity and water stress index, cooling demand change and heat event exposure, habitat degradation and crop yield, amongst others. To investigate exposure to multi-sector climate impacts, these are combined with gridded socioeconomic projections of population and those ‘vulnerable to poverty’ from three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) (income <10/day, currently 4.2 billion people). We show that global exposure to multi-sector risks approximately doubles between 1.5 °C and 2 °C GMT change, doubles again with 3 °C GMT change and is ~6x between the best and worst cases (SSP1/1.5 °C vs SSP3/3 °C, 0.8–4.7bi). For populations vulnerable to poverty, the exposure is an order of magnitude greater (8–32x) in the high poverty and inequality scenarios (SSP3) compared to sustainable socioeconomic development (SSP1). Whilst 85%–95% of global exposure falls to Asian and African regions, they have 91%–98% of the exposed and vulnerable population (depending on SSP/GMT combination), approximately half of which in South Asia. In higher warming scenarios, African regions have growing proportion of the global exposed and vulnerable population, ranging from 7%–17% at 1.5 °C, doubling to 14%–30% at 2 °C and again to 27%–51% at 3 °C. Finally, beyond 2 °C and at higher risk thresholds, the world’s poorest are disproportionately impacted, particularly in cases (SSP3) of high inequality in Africa and southern Asia. Sustainable development that reduces poverty, mitigates emissions and meets targets in the water, energy and land sectors has the potential for order-of-magnitude scale reductions in multi-sector climate risk for the most vulnerable.

Ca 3d unoccupied states in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 investigated by Ca L2,3 x-ray-absorption near-edge structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borg, A.; King, P. L.; Pianetta, P.; Lindau, I.; Mitzi, D. B.; Kapitulnik, A.; Soldatov, A. V.; della Longa, S.; Bianconi, A.

1992-10-01

The high-resolution Ca L2,3 x-ray-absorption near-edge-structure (XANES) spectrum of a Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 single crystal has been measured by use of a magnetic-projection x-ray microscope probing a surface area of 200×200 μm2. The Ca L2,3 XANES spectrum is analyzed by performing a multiple-scattering XANES calculation in real space and comparing the results with the spectrum of CaF2. Good agreement between the calculated and experimental crystal-field splitting Δf of the Ca 3d final states is found and the splitting is shown to be smaller by 0.5 eV than in the initial state. The Ca 3d partial density of states is found to be close to the Fermi level in the initial state. The Ca-O(in plane) distance is shown to be a critical parameter associated with the shift of the Ca 3d states relative to the Fermi level; in particular, we have studied the effect of the out-of-plane dimpling mode of the in-plane oxygen atoms O(in plane) that will move the Ca 3d states on or off the Fermi level. This mode can therefore play a role in modulating the charge transfer between the two CuO2 planes separated by the Ca ions.

Characteristics of the gait adaptation process due to split-belt treadmill walking under a wide range of right-left speed ratios in humans.

PubMed

Yokoyama, Hikaru; Sato, Koji; Ogawa, Tetsuya; Yamamoto, Shin-Ichiro; Nakazawa, Kimitaka; Kawashima, Noritaka

2018-01-01

The adaptability of human bipedal locomotion has been studied using split-belt treadmill walking. Most of previous studies utilized experimental protocol under remarkably different split ratios (e.g. 1:2, 1:3, or 1:4). While, there is limited research with regard to adaptive process under the small speed ratios. It is important to know the nature of adaptive process under ratio smaller than 1:2, because systematic evaluation of the gait adaptation under small to moderate split ratios would enable us to examine relative contribution of two forms of adaptation (reactive feedback and predictive feedforward control) on gait adaptation. We therefore examined a gait behavior due to on split-belt treadmill adaptation under five belt speed difference conditions (from 1:1.2 to 1:2). Gait parameters related to reactive control (stance time) showed quick adjustments immediately after imposing the split-belt walking in all five speed ratios. Meanwhile, parameters related to predictive control (step length and anterior force) showed a clear pattern of adaptation and subsequent aftereffects except for the 1:1.2 adaptation. Additionally, the 1:1.2 ratio was distinguished from other ratios by cluster analysis based on the relationship between the size of adaptation and the aftereffect. Our findings indicate that the reactive feedback control was involved in all the speed ratios tested and that the extent of reaction was proportionally dependent on the speed ratio of the split-belt. On the contrary, predictive feedforward control was necessary when the ratio of the split-belt was greater. These results enable us to consider how a given split-belt training condition would affect the relative contribution of the two strategies on gait adaptation, which must be considered when developing rehabilitation interventions for stroke patients.

StackSplit - a plugin for multi-event shear wave splitting analyses in SplitLab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grund, Michael

2017-04-01

The SplitLab package (Wüstefeld et al., Computers and Geosciences, 2008), written in MATLAB, is a powerful and widely used tool for analysing seismological shear wave splitting of single event measurements. However, in many cases, especially temporary station deployments close to seaside or for recordings affected by strong anthropogenic noise, only multi-event approaches provide stable and reliable splitting results. In order to extend the original SplitLab environment for such analyses, I present the StackSplit plugin that can easily be implemented within the well accepted main program. StackSplit grants easy access to several different analysis approaches within SplitLab, including a new multiple waveform based inversion method as well as the most established standard stacking procedures. The possibility to switch between different analysis approaches at any time allows the user for the most flexible processing of individual multi-event splitting measurements for a single recording station. Besides the provided functions of the plugin, no other external program is needed for the multi-event analyses since StackSplit performs within the available SplitLab structure.

Space Shuttle Program Legacy Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Scott

2012-01-01

Share lessons learned on Space Shuttle Safety and Mission Assurance (S&MA) culture, processes, and products that can guide future enterprises to improve mission success and minimize the risk of catastrophic failures. Present the chronology of the Johnson Space Center (JSC) S&MA organization over the 40-year history of the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) and identify key factors and environments which contributed to positive and negative performance.

Midlatitude sporadic-E episodes viewed by L-band split-spectrum InSAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuya, Masato; Suzuki, Takato; Maeda, Jun; Heki, Kosuke

2017-12-01

Sporadic-E (Es) is a layer of ionization that irregularly appears within the E region of the ionosphere and is known to generate an unusual propagation of very high frequency waves over long distances. The detailed spatial structure of Es remains unclear due to the limited spatial resolution in the conventional ionosonde observations. We detect midlatitude Es by interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), which can clarify the spatial structure of Es with unprecedented resolution. Moreover, we use the range split-spectrum method (SSM) to separate dispersive and nondispersive components in the InSAR image. While InSAR SSM largely succeeds in decomposing into dispersive and nondispersive signals, our results indicate that small-scale dispersive signals due to the total electron content anomalies are accompanied by nondispersive signals with similar spatial scale at the same locations. We also examine the effects of higher-order terms in the refractive index for dispersive media. Both of these detected Es episodes indicate that smaller-scale dispersive effects originate from higher-order effects. We interpret that the smaller-scale nondispersive signals could indicate the emergence of nitric oxide (NO) generated by the reactions of metals, Mg and Fe, with nitric oxide ion (NO+) during the Es.

Fourier transformation microwave spectroscopy of the methyl glycolate-H2O complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujitake, Masaharu; Tanaka, Toshihiro; Ohashi, Nobukimi

2018-01-01

The rotational spectrum of one conformer of the methyl glycolate-H2O complex has been measured by means of the pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. The observed a- and b-type transitions exhibit doublet splittings due to the internal rotation of the methyl group. On the other hand, most of the c-type transitions exhibit quartet splittings arising from the methyl internal rotation and the inversion motion between two equivalent conformations. The spectrum was analyzed using parameterized expressions of the Hamiltonian matrix elements derived by applying the tunneling matrix formalism. Based on the results obtained from ab initio calculation, the observed complex of methyl glycolate-H2O was assigned to the most stable conformer of the insertion complex, in which a non-planer seven membered-ring structure is formed by the intermolecular hydrogen bonds between methyl glycolate and H2O subunits. The inversion motion observed in the c-type transitions is therefore a kind of ring-inversion motion between two equivalent conformations. Conformational flexibility, which corresponds to the ring-inversion between two equivalent conformations and to the isomerization between two possible conformers of the insertion complex, was investigated with the help of the ab initio calculation.

Free-form Fresnel RXI Köhler design with spectrum-splitting for photovoltaics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buljan, M.; Benítez, P.; Mohedano, R.; Miñano, J. C.; Sun, Y.; Falicoff, W.; Vilaplana, J.; Chaves, J.; Biot, G.; López, J.

2011-10-01

Here we present a novel optical design of the high concentration photovoltaics (HPCV) nonimaging concentrator (>500x) with built-in spectrum splitting concept. The primary optical element (POE) is a flat Fresnel lens and the secondary optical element (SOE) is a free-form RXI-type concentrator with a band-pass filter embedded in it, both POE and SOE performing Köhler integration to produce light homogenization on the target. It uses the combination of a commercial concentration GaInP/GaInAs/Ge 3J cell and a concentration Back-Point-Contact (BPC) silicon cell for efficient spectral utilization, and external confinement techniques for recovering the 3J cell's reflection. Design targets equivalent cell efficiency ~46% using commercial 39% 3J and 26% Si cells, and CPV module efficiency greater than 38%, achieved at a concentration level larger than 500X and wide acceptance angle (+/-1°). A first proof-of concept receiver prototype has been manufactured using a simpler optical architecture (with a lower concentration, ~100x and lower simulated added efficiency), and experimental measurements have shown up to 39.8% 4J receiver efficiency using a 3J with peak efficiency of 36.9%.

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.

Coupled-resonator waveguide perfect transport single-photon by interatomic dipole-dipole interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Guo-an; Lu, Hua; Qiao, Hao-xue; Chen, Ai-xi; Wu, Wan-qing

2018-06-01

We theoretically investigate single-photon coherent transport in a one-dimensional coupled-resonator waveguide coupled to two quantum emitters with dipole-dipole interactions. The numerical simulations demonstrate that the transmission spectrum of the photon depends on the two atoms dipole-dipole interactions and the photon-atom couplings. The dipole-dipole interactions may change the dip positions in the spectra and the coupling strength may broaden the frequency band width in the transmission spectrum. We further demonstrate that the typical transmission spectra split into two dips due to the dipole-dipole interactions. This phenomenon may be used to manufacture new quantum waveguide devices.

Tailorable Burning Behavior of Ti14 Alloy by Controlling Semi-Solid Forging Temperature

PubMed Central

Chen, Yongnan; Yang, Wenqing; Zhan, Haifei; Zhang, Fengying; Huo, Yazhou; Zhao, Yongqing; Song, Xuding; Gu, Yuantong

2016-01-01

Semi-solid processing (SSP) is a popular near-net-shape forming technology for metals, while its application is still limited in titanium alloy mainly due to its low formability. Recent works showed that SSP could effectively enhance the formability and mechanical properties of titanium alloys. The processing parameters such as temperature and forging rate/ratio, are directly correlated with the microstructure, which endow the alloy with different chemical and physical properties. Specifically, as a key structural material for the advanced aero-engine, the burn resistant performance is a crucial requirement for the burn resistant titanium alloy. Thus, this work aims to assess the burning behavior of Ti14, a kind of burn resistant alloy, as forged at different semi-solid forging temperatures. The burning characteristics of the alloy are analyzed by a series of burning tests with different burning durations, velocities, and microstructures of burned sample. The results showed that the burning process is highly dependent on the forging temperature, due to the fact that higher temperatures would result in more Ti2Cu precipitate within grain and along grain boundaries. Such a microstructure hinders the transport of oxygen in the stable burning stage through the formation of a kind of oxygen isolation Cu-enriched layer under the burn product zone. This work suggests that the burning resistance of the alloy can be effectively tuned by controlling the temperature during the semi-solid forging process. PMID:28773820

Downscaling SSPs in Bangladesh - Integrating Science, Modelling and Stakeholders Through Qualitative and Quantitative Scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allan, A.; Barbour, E.; Salehin, M.; Hutton, C.; Lázár, A. N.; Nicholls, R. J.; Rahman, M. M.

2015-12-01

A downscaled scenario development process was adopted in the context of a project seeking to understand relationships between ecosystem services and human well-being in the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta. The aim was to link the concerns and priorities of relevant stakeholders with the integrated biophysical and poverty models used in the project. A 2-stage process was used to facilitate the connection between stakeholders concerns and available modelling capacity: the first to qualitatively describe what the future might look like in 2050; the second to translate these qualitative descriptions into the quantitative form required by the numerical models. An extended, modified SSP approach was adopted, with stakeholders downscaling issues identified through interviews as being priorities for the southwest of Bangladesh. Detailed qualitative futures were produced, before modellable elements were quantified in conjunction with an expert stakeholder cadre. Stakeholder input, using the methods adopted here, allows the top-down focus of the RCPs to be aligned with the bottom-up approach needed to make the SSPs appropriate at the more local scale, and also facilitates the translation of qualitative narrative scenarios into a quantitative form that lends itself to incorporation of biophysical and socio-economic indicators. The presentation will describe the downscaling process in detail, and conclude with findings regarding the importance of stakeholder involvement (and logistical considerations), balancing model capacity with expectations and recommendations on SSP refinement at local levels.

Downscaling SSPs in the GBM Delta - Integrating Science, Modelling and Stakeholders Through Qualitative and Quantitative Scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allan, Andrew; Barbour, Emily; Salehin, Mashfiqus; Munsur Rahman, Md.; Hutton, Craig; Lazar, Attila

2016-04-01

A downscaled scenario development process was adopted in the context of a project seeking to understand relationships between ecosystem services and human well-being in the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta. The aim was to link the concerns and priorities of relevant stakeholders with the integrated biophysical and poverty models used in the project. A 2-stage process was used to facilitate the connection between stakeholders concerns and available modelling capacity: the first to qualitatively describe what the future might look like in 2050; the second to translate these qualitative descriptions into the quantitative form required by the numerical models. An extended, modified SSP approach was adopted, with stakeholders downscaling issues identified through interviews as being priorities for the southwest of Bangladesh. Detailed qualitative futures were produced, before modellable elements were quantified in conjunction with an expert stakeholder cadre. Stakeholder input, using the methods adopted here, allows the top-down focus of the RCPs to be aligned with the bottom-up approach needed to make the SSPs appropriate at the more local scale, and also facilitates the translation of qualitative narrative scenarios into a quantitative form that lends itself to incorporation of biophysical and socio-economic indicators. The presentation will describe the downscaling process in detail, and conclude with findings regarding the importance of stakeholder involvement (and logistical considerations), balancing model capacity with expectations and recommendations on SSP refinement at local levels.

Perovskite nanocomposites as effective CO2-splitting agents in a cyclic redox scheme

PubMed Central

Zhang, Junshe; Haribal, Vasudev; Li, Fanxing

2017-01-01

We report iron-containing mixed-oxide nanocomposites as highly effective redox materials for thermochemical CO2 splitting and methane partial oxidation in a cyclic redox scheme, where methane was introduced as an oxygen “sink” to promote the reduction of the redox materials followed by reoxidation through CO2 splitting. Up to 96% syngas selectivity in the methane partial oxidation step and close to complete conversion of CO2 to CO in the CO2-splitting step were achieved at 900° to 980°C with good redox stability. The productivity and production rate of CO in the CO2-splitting step were about seven times higher than those in state-of-the-art solar-thermal CO2-splitting processes, which are carried out at significantly higher temperatures. The proposed approach can potentially be applied for acetic acid synthesis with up to 84% reduction in CO2 emission when compared to state-of-the-art processes. PMID:28875171

Travelling and splitting of a wave of hedgehog expression involved in spider-head segmentation.

PubMed

Kanayama, Masaki; Akiyama-Oda, Yasuko; Nishimura, Osamu; Tarui, Hiroshi; Agata, Kiyokazu; Oda, Hiroki

2011-10-11

During development segmentation is a process that generates a spatial periodic pattern. Peak splitting of waves of gene expression is a mathematically predicted, simple strategy accounting for this type of process, but it has not been well characterized biologically. Here we show temporally repeated splitting of gene expression into stripes that is associated with head axis growth in the spider Achaearanea embryo. Preceding segmentation, a wave of hedgehog homologue gene expression is observed to travel posteriorly during development stage 6. This stripe, co-expressing an orthodenticle homologue, undergoes two cycles of splitting and shifting accompanied by convergent extension, serving as a generative zone for the head segments. The two orthodenticle and odd-paired homologues are identified as targets of Hedgehog signalling, and evidence suggests that their activities mediate feedback to maintain the head generative zone and to promote stripe splitting in this zone. We propose that the 'stripe-splitting' strategy employs genetic components shared with Drosophila blastoderm subdivision, which are required for participation in an autoregulatory signalling network.

Real-Time Fault Classification for Plasma Processes

PubMed Central

Yang, Ryan; Chen, Rongshun

2011-01-01

Plasma process tools, which usually cost several millions of US dollars, are often used in the semiconductor fabrication etching process. If the plasma process is halted due to some process fault, the productivity will be reduced and the cost will increase. In order to maximize the product/wafer yield and tool productivity, a timely and effective fault process detection is required in a plasma reactor. The classification of fault events can help the users to quickly identify fault processes, and thus can save downtime of the plasma tool. In this work, optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is employed as the metrology sensor for in-situ process monitoring. Splitting into twelve different match rates by spectrum bands, the matching rate indicator in our previous work (Yang, R.; Chen, R.S. Sensors 2010, 10, 5703–5723) is used to detect the fault process. Based on the match data, a real-time classification of plasma faults is achieved by a novel method, developed in this study. Experiments were conducted to validate the novel fault classification. From the experimental results, we may conclude that the proposed method is feasible inasmuch that the overall accuracy rate of the classification for fault event shifts is 27 out of 28 or about 96.4% in success. PMID:22164001

Eavesdropping on spin waves inside the domain-wall nanochannel via three-magnon processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Beining; Wang, Zhenyu; Cao, Yunshan; Yan, Peng; Wang, X. R.

2018-03-01

One recent breakthrough in the field of magnonics is the experimental realization of reconfigurable spin-wave nanochannels formed by a magnetic domain wall with a width of 10-100 nm [Wagner et al., Nat. Nano. 11, 432 (2016), 10.1038/nnano.2015.339]. This remarkable progress enables an energy-efficient spin-wave propagation with a well-defined wave vector along its propagating path inside the wall. In the mentioned experiment, a microfocus Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy was taken in a line-scans manner to measure the frequency of the bounded spin wave. Due to their localization nature, the confined spin waves can hardly be detected from outside the wall channel, which guarantees the information security to some extent. In this work, we theoretically propose a scheme to detect/eavesdrop on the spin waves inside the domain-wall nanochannel via nonlinear three-magnon processes. We send a spin wave (ωi,ki) in one magnetic domain to interact with the bounded mode (ωb,kb) in the wall, where kb is parallel with the domain-wall channel defined as the z ̂ axis. Two kinds of three-magnon processes, i.e., confluence and splitting, are expected to occur. The confluence process is conventional: conservation of energy and momentum parallel with the wall indicates a transmitted wave in the opposite domain with ω (k ) =ωi+ωb and (ki+kb-k ) .z ̂=0 , while the momentum perpendicular to the domain wall is not necessary to be conserved due to the nonuniform internal field near the wall. We predict a stimulated three-magnon splitting (or "magnon laser") effect: the presence of a bound magnon propagating along the domain wall channel assists the splitting of the incident wave into two modes, one is ω1=ωb,k1=kb identical to the bound mode in the channel, and the other one is ω2=ωi-ωb with (ki-kb-k2) .z ̂=0 propagating in the opposite magnetic domain. Micromagnetic simulations confirm our theoretical analysis. These results demonstrate that one is able to uniquely infer the spectrum of the spin wave in the domain-wall nanochannel once we know both the injection and the transmitted waves.

Performance Models for Split-execution Computing Systems

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

Humble, Travis S; McCaskey, Alex; Schrock, Jonathan

Split-execution computing leverages the capabilities of multiple computational models to solve problems, but splitting program execution across different computational models incurs costs associated with the translation between domains. We analyze the performance of a split-execution computing system developed from conventional and quantum processing units (QPUs) by using behavioral models that track resource usage. We focus on asymmetric processing models built using conventional CPUs and a family of special-purpose QPUs that employ quantum computing principles. Our performance models account for the translation of a classical optimization problem into the physical representation required by the quantum processor while also accounting for hardwaremore » limitations and conventional processor speed and memory. We conclude that the bottleneck in this split-execution computing system lies at the quantum-classical interface and that the primary time cost is independent of quantum processor behavior.« less

The Medicago sativa gene index 1.2: a web-accessible gene expression atlas for investigating expression differences between Medicago sativa subspecies

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the primary forage legume crop species in the United States and plays essential economic and ecological roles in agricultural systems across the country. Modern alfalfa is the result of hybridization between tetraploid M. sativa ssp. sativa and M. sativa ssp. falcata....

Seed production estimation for mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana)

Treesearch

Melissa L. Landeen; Loreen Allphin; Stanley G. Kitchen; Steven L. Petersen

2017-01-01

Seed production is an essential component of postdisturbance recovery for mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp vaseyana [Rydb] Beetle; MBS). We tested a method for rapid estimation of MBS seed production using measurements of inflorescence morphology. We measured total stem length, stem length from first branchlet to stem tip, stem diameter, fresh...

School-Related Factors Contributing to the Delivery Enhancement of the Special Science Program in Western Visayas, Philippines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bangcaya, Porferio S.; Alejandro, Grecebio Jonathan D.

2015-01-01

In this mixed-method study, the secondary schools in Western Visayas, Philippines offering special science program (SSP) were assessed as basis for delivery enhancement. The SSP along student-related factors and the extent of implementation in the areas of curriculum and instruction, laboratory facilities, and administration in terms of the…

Growth Responses of Plantago major L. ssp. pleiosperma (Pilger) to Changes in Mineral Supply 1

PubMed Central

Kuiper, Daan

1988-01-01

Plants of an inbred line of Plantago major ssp. pleiosperma were subjected to an alteration in mineral supply. Observed responses of growth rate and shoot to root ratio are thought to be induced by changes in endogenous cytokinin concentration and not by mineral concentration in plant tissue. PMID:16666183

Identification of Teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis) alleles for resistance to southern leaf blight in near isogenic maize lines

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Southern Leaf Blight [(SLB), causal agent Cochliobolus heterostrophus race O] is an important fungal disease of maize in the United States. Teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis), the wild progenitor of maize, offers a novel source of resistance alleles that may have been lost during domestication. T...

Dismantling the School Sport Partnership Infrastructure: Findings from a Survey of Physical Education and School Sport Practitioners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackintosh, Chris

2014-01-01

This research examines the perceptions of education practitioners to the proposed changes to the school sport partnership (SSP) programme in England and in particular its implications for primary school physical education. It aims to explore insights into the dismantling of this partnership programme. The SSP system developed club links, increased…

Transfer of soft kernel texture from Triticum aestivum to durum wheat, Triticum turgidum ssp. durum

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) is a leading cereal grain whose primary use is the production of semolina and then pasta. Its rich culinary relationship to humans is related, in part, to its very hard kernel texture. This very hard texture is due to the loss of the Puroindoline genes whi...