Response to Tendon Vibration Questions the Underlying Rationale of Proprioceptive Training.

PubMed

Lubetzky, Anat Vilnai; McCoy, Sarah Westcott; Price, Robert; Kartin, Deborah

2017-02-01

Proprioceptive training on compliant surfaces is used to rehabilitate and prevent ankle sprains. The ability to improve proprioceptive function via such training has been questioned. Achilles tendon vibration is used in motor-control research as a form of proprioceptive stimulus. Using measures of postural steadiness with nonlinear measures to elucidate control mechanisms, tendon vibration can be applied to investigate the underlying rationale of proprioceptive training. To test whether the effect of vibration on young adults' postural control depended on the support surface. Descriptive laboratory study. Research laboratory. Thirty healthy adults and 10 adults with chronic ankle instability (CAI; age range = 18-40 years). With eyes open, participants stood in bilateral stance on a rigid plate (floor), memory foam, and a Both Sides Up (BOSU) ball covering a force platform. We applied bilateral Achilles tendon vibration for the middle 20 seconds in a series of 60-second trials and analyzed participants' responses from previbration to vibration (pre-vib) and from vibration to postvibration (vib-post). We calculated anterior-posterior excursion of the center of pressure and complexity index derived from the area under multiscale entropy curves. The excursion response to vibration differed by surface, as indicated by a significant interaction of P < .001 for the healthy group at both time points and for the CAI group vib-post. Although both groups demonstrated increased excursion from pre-vib and from vib-post, a decrease was observed on the BOSU. The complexity response to vibration differed by surface for the healthy group (pre-vib, P < .001). The pattern for the CAI group was similar but not significant. Complexity changes vib-post were the same on all surfaces for both groups. Participants reacted less to ankle vibration when standing on the BOSU as compared with the floor, suggesting that proprioceptive training may not be occurring. Different balance

The effects of passive stretching plus vibration on strength and activation of the plantar flexors.

PubMed

Miller, Jonathan D; Herda, Trent J; Trevino, Michael A; Mosier, Eric M

2016-09-01

This study examined the effects of passive stretching only (PS+CON) and passive stretching with the addition of continuous vibration (VIB) during post-passive stretching tests (PS+VIB) on peak torque (PT), percent voluntary inactivation (%VI), single stimulus twitch torque (TTSINGLE), and doublet stimuli twitch torque (TTDOUBLET) of the plantar flexors at a short (20° plantar flexion (PF)) and long muscle length (15° dorsiflexion (DF)). Fourteen healthy men (age = 22 ± 3 years) performed isometric maximal voluntary contractions at PF and DF, and passive range of motion (PROM) assessments before and after 8 × 30-s passive stretches without (PS+CON) or with VIB (PS+VIB) administered continuously throughout post-passive stretching tests. The passive properties of the muscle tendon unit were assessed pre- and post-passive stretching via PROM, passive torque (PASSTQ), and musculotendinous stiffness (MTS) measurements. PT, TTSINGLE, and TTDOUBLET decreased, whereas, %VI increased following passive stretching at PF and DF (P < 0.05) with no significant differences between PS+CON and PS+VIB. PASSTQ and MTS decreased while PROM increased post-passive stretching during both trials (P < 0.05). The stretching-induced force/torque deficit and increases in %VI were evident following passive stretching at short and long muscle lengths. Although not statistically significant, effect size calculations suggested large and moderate differences in the absolute changes in PT (Cohen's d = 1.14) and %VI (Cohen's d = 0.54) from pre- to post-passive stretching between treatments, with PS+VIB having greater decreases of PT and higher %VI than PS+CON. The decrement in PT following passive stretching may be primarily neural in origin.

The Virtual Insect Brain protocol: creating and comparing standardized neuroanatomy

PubMed Central

Jenett, Arnim; Schindelin, Johannes E; Heisenberg, Martin

2006-01-01

Background In the fly Drosophila melanogaster, new genetic, physiological, molecular and behavioral techniques for the functional analysis of the brain are rapidly accumulating. These diverse investigations on the function of the insect brain use gene expression patterns that can be visualized and provide the means for manipulating groups of neurons as a common ground. To take advantage of these patterns one needs to know their typical anatomy. Results This paper describes the Virtual Insect Brain (VIB) protocol, a script suite for the quantitative assessment, comparison, and presentation of neuroanatomical data. It is based on the 3D-reconstruction and visualization software Amira, version 3.x (Mercury Inc.) [1]. Besides its backbone, a standardization procedure which aligns individual 3D images (series of virtual sections obtained by confocal microscopy) to a common coordinate system and computes average intensities for each voxel (volume pixel) the VIB protocol provides an elaborate data management system for data administration. The VIB protocol facilitates direct comparison of gene expression patterns and describes their interindividual variability. It provides volumetry of brain regions and helps to characterize the phenotypes of brain structure mutants. Using the VIB protocol does not require any programming skills since all operations are carried out at an intuitively usable graphical user interface. Although the VIB protocol has been developed for the standardization of Drosophila neuroanatomy, the program structure can be used for the standardization of other 3D structures as well. Conclusion Standardizing brains and gene expression patterns is a new approach to biological shape and its variability. The VIB protocol provides a first set of tools supporting this endeavor in Drosophila. The script suite is freely available at [2] PMID:17196102

Designing a Virtual Item Bank Based on the Techniques of Image Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liao, Wen-Wei; Ho, Rong-Guey

2011-01-01

One of the major weaknesses of the item exposure rates of figural items in Intelligence Quotient (IQ) tests lies in its inaccuracies. In this study, a new approach is proposed and a useful test tool known as the Virtual Item Bank (VIB) is introduced. The VIB combine Automatic Item Generation theory and image processing theory with the concepts of…

Tritium systems test assembly stabilization

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

Jasen, W. G.; Michelotti, R. A.; Anast, K. R.

The Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) was a facility dedicated to tritium technology Research and Development (R&D) primarily for future fusion power reactors. The facility was conceived in mid 1970's, operations commenced in early 1980's, stabilization and deactivation began in 2000 and were completed in 2003. The facility will remain in a Surveillance and Maintenance (S&M) mode until the Department of Energy (DOE) funds demolition of the facility, tentatively in 2009. A safe and stable end state was achieved by the TSTA Facility Stabilization Project (TFSP) in anticipation of long term S&M. At the start of the stabilization project, withmore » an inventory of approximately 140 grams of tritium, the facility was designated a Hazard Category (HC) 2 Non-Reactor Nuclear facility as defined by US Department of Energy standard DOE-STD-1027-92 (1997). The TSTA facility comprises a laboratory area, supporting rooms, offices and associated laboratory space that included more than 20 major tritium handling systems. The project's focus was to reduce the tritium inventory by removing bulk tritium, tritiated water wastes, and tritium-contaminated high-inventory components. Any equipment that remained in the facility was stabilized in place. All of the gloveboxes and piping were rendered inoperative and vented to atmosphere. All equipment, and inventoried tritium contamination, remaining in the facility was left in a safe-and-stable state. The project used the End Points process as defined by the DOE Office of Environmental Management (web page http://www.em.doe.- gov/deact/epman.htmtlo) document and define the end state required for the stabilization of TSTA Facility. The End Points process added structure that was beneficial through virtually all phases of the project. At completion of the facility stabilization project the residual tritium inventory was approximately 3,000 curies, considerably less than the 1.6-gram threshold for a HC 3 facility. TSTA is now designated

Effect of low-intensity whole-body vibration on bone defect repair and associated vascularization in mice.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Takeshi; Goto, Daichi

2017-12-01

Low-intensity whole-body vibration (LIWBV) may stimulate bone healing, but the involvement of vascular ingrowth, which is essential for bone regeneration, has not been well examined. We thus investigated the LIWBV effect on vascularization during early-stage bone healing. Mice aged 13 weeks were subjected to cortical drilling on tibial bone. Two days after surgery (day 0), mice were exposed daily to sine-wave LIWBV at 30 Hz and 0.1 g peak-to-peak acceleration for 20 min/day (Vib) or were sham-treated (sham). Following vascular casting with a zirconium-based contrast agent on days 6, 9, or 12 and sacrifice, vascular and bone images were obtained by K-edge subtraction micro-CT using synchrotron lights. Bone regeneration advanced more in the Vib group from days 9 to 12. The vascular volume fraction decreased from days 6 to 9 in both groups; however, from days 9 to 12, it was increased in shams, while it stabilized in the Vib group. The vascular volume fraction tended to be or was smaller in the Vib group on days 6 and 12. The vessel number density was higher on day 9 but lower on day 12 in the Vib group. These results suggest that the LIWBV-promoted bone repair is associated with the modulation of vascularization, but additional studies are needed to determine the causality of this association.

The economic burden of visual impairment and blindness: a systematic review.

PubMed

Köberlein, Juliane; Beifus, Karolina; Schaffert, Corinna; Finger, Robert P

2013-11-07

Visual impairment and blindness (VI&B) cause a considerable and increasing economic burden in all high-income countries due to population ageing. Thus, we conducted a review of the literature to better understand all relevant costs associated with VI&B and to develop a multiperspective overview. Systematic review: Two independent reviewers searched the relevant literature and assessed the studies for inclusion and exclusion criteria as well as quality. Interventional, non-interventional and cost of illness studies, conducted prior to May 2012, investigating direct and indirect costs as well as intangible effects related to visual impairment and blindness were included. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement approach to identify the relevant studies. A meta-analysis was not performed due to the variability of the reported cost categories and varying definition of visual impairment. A total of 22 studies were included. Hospitalisation and use of medical services around diagnosis and treatment at the onset of VI&B were the largest contributor to direct medical costs. The mean annual expenses per patient were found to be US$ purchasing power parities (PPP) 12 175-14 029 for moderate visual impairment, US$ PPP 13 154-16 321 for severe visual impairment and US$ PPP 14 882-24 180 for blindness, almost twofold the costs for non-blind patients. Informal care was the major contributor to other direct costs, with the time spent by caregivers increasing from 5.8 h/week (or US$ PPP 263) for persons with vision >20/32 up to 94.1 h/week (or US$ PPP 55 062) for persons with vision ≤20/250. VI&B caused considerable indirect costs due to productivity losses, premature mortality and dead-weight losses. VI&B cause a considerable economic burden for affected persons, their caregivers and society at large, which increases with the degree of visual impairment. This review provides insight into the distribution of costs and the

Comparison of parathyroid hormone and strontium ranelate in combination with whole-body vibration in a rat model of osteoporosis.

PubMed

Hoffmann, D B; Sehmisch, S; Hofmann, A M; Eimer, C; Komrakova, M; Saul, D; Wassmann, M; Stürmer, K M; Tezval, M

2017-01-01

We investigated the combinatorial effects of whole-body vertical vibration (WBVV) with the primarily osteoanabolic parathyroid hormone (PTH) and the mainly antiresorptive strontium ranelate (SR) in a rat model of osteoporosis. Ovariectomies were performed on 76 three-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats (OVX, n = 76; NON-OVX, n = 12). After 8 weeks, the ovariectomized rats were divided into 6 groups. One group (OVX + PTH) received daily injections of PTH (40 µg/kg body weight/day) for 6 weeks. Another group (OVX + SR) was fed SR-supplemented chow (600 mg/kg body weight/day). Three groups (OVX + VIB, OVX + PTH + VIB, and OVX + SR + VIB) were treated with WBVV twice a day at 70 Hz for 15 min. Two groups (OVX + PTH + VIB, OVX + SR + VIB) were treated additionally with PTH and SR, respectively. The rats were killed at 14 weeks post-ovariectomy. The lumbar vertebrae and femora were removed for biomechanical and morphological assessment. PTH produced statistically significant improvements in biomechanical and structural properties, including bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone quality. In contrast, SR treatment exerted mild effects, with significant effects in cortical thickness only. SR produced no significant improvement in biomechanical properties. WBVV as a single or an adjunctive therapy produced no significant improvements. In conclusion, vibration therapy administered as a single or dual treatment had no significant impact on bones affected by osteoporosis. PTH considerably improved bone quality in osteoporosis cases and is superior to treatment with SR.

After-effects of peripheral neurostimulation on brain plasticity and ankle function in chronic stroke: The role of afferents recruited.

PubMed

Beaulieu, Louis-David; Massé-Alarie, Hugo; Camiré-Bernier, Samuel; Ribot-Ciscar, Édith; Schneider, Cyril

2017-09-01

This study tested the after-effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) and muscle tendon vibration (VIB) on brain plasticity and sensorimotor impairments in chronic stroke to investigate whether different results could depend on the nature of afferents recruited by each technique. Fifteen people with chronic stroke participated in five sessions (one per week). Baseline measures were collected in session one, then, each participant received 4 randomly ordered interventions (NMES, rPMS, VIB and a 'control' intervention of exercises). Interventions were applied to the paretic ankle muscles and parameters of application were matched as closely as possible. Standardized clinical measures of the ankle function on the paretic side and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) outcomes of both primary motor cortices (M1) were collected at pre- and post-application of each intervention. The ankle muscle strength was significantly improved by rPMS and VIB (P≤0.02). rPMS influenced M1 excitability (increase in the contralesional hemisphere, P=0.03) and inhibition (decrease in both hemispheres, P≤0.04). The group mean of a few clinical outcomes improved across sessions, i.e. independently of the order of interventions. Some TMS outcomes at baseline could predict the responsiveness to rPMS and VIB. This original study suggests that rPMS and VIB were efficient to drive M1 plasticity and sensorimotor improvements, likely via massive inflows of 'pure' proprioceptive information generated. Usefulness of some TMS outcomes to predict which intervention a patient could be more responsive to should be further tested in future studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

On the nature of the excess heat capacity of mixing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benisek, Artur; Dachs, Edgar

2011-03-01

The excess vibrational entropy (Δ S {vib/ex}) of several silicate solid solutions are found to be linearly correlated with the differences in end-member volumes (Δ V i ) and end-member bulk moduli (Δκ i ). If a substitution produces both, larger and elastically stiffer polyhedra, then the substituted ion will find itself in a strong enlarged structure. The frequency of its vibration is decreased because of the increase in bond lengths. Lowering of frequencies produces larger heat capacities, which give rise to positive excess vibrational entropies. If a substitution produces larger but elastically softer polyhedra, then increase and decrease of mean bond lengths may be similar in magnitude and their effect on the vibrational entropy tends to be compensated. The empirical relationship between Δ S {vib/ex}, Δ V i and Δκ i , as described by Δ S {vib/ex} = (Δ V i + mΔκ i ) f, was calibrated on six silicate solid solutions (analbite-sanidine, pyrope-grossular, forsterite-fayalite, analbite-anorthite, anorthite-sanidine, CaTs-diopside) yielding m = 0.0246 and f = 2.926. It allows the prediction of Δ S {vib/ex} behaviour of a solid solution based on its volume and bulk moduli end-member data.

A series of poly(butylimidazolium) ionic liquid functionalized copolymers for anion exchange membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouadah, Amina; Xu, Hulin; Luo, Tianwei; Gao, Shuitao; Wang, Xing; Fang, Zhou; Jing, Chaojun; Zhu, Changjin

2017-12-01

A new series of ionic liquid functionalized copolymers for anion exchange membranes (AEM) is prepared. Poly(butylvinylimidazolium)(b-VIB) is copolymerized with para-methyl styrene (p-MS) by the radical polymerization formed block copolymers b-VIB/p-MS, which is crosslinked with poly(diphenylether bibenzimidazole) (DPEBI) providing the desired materials b-VIB/p-MS/DPEBI. Structures are characterized via H1NMR, FTIR spectra and elemental analysis. The b-VIB blocks offer the anion conduction function while DPEBI moieties contribute to enhancing other properties. The prepared membranes display chloride conductivity as high as 19.5 mS/cm at 25 °C and 69.2 mS/cm at 100 °C-higher than that of the commercial membrane tokuyuama A201-. Their hydroxide conductivity reaches 35.7 Scm-1 at 25 °C and 73.1 Scm-1 at 100 °C. The membranes showed a linear Arrhenius behavior in the anion conduction, low activation energies and distinguished nanophase separation of hydrophilic/hydrophobic regions by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. Thermal investigations using TGA and DSC confirm that the membranes are stable up to 250 °C. Particularly, drastically alkaline stability due to no decrease in the hydroxide conductivity after 168 h of treatment with 2M KOH.

Gene therapy for human ovarian cancer cells using efficient expression of Fas gene combined with γδT cells.

PubMed

Lin, Jiajing; Zeng, Dingyuan; He, Hongying; Tan, Guangping; Lan, Ying; Jiang, Fuyan; Sheng, Shuting

2017-10-01

Low tissue specificity and efficiency of exogenous gene expression are the two major obstacles in tumor‑targeted gene therapy. The Fas cell surface death receptor (Fas)/Fas ligand pathway is one of the primary pathways responsible for the regulation of cell apoptosis. The aim of the present study was to explore whether the regulation of tumor specific promoters and a two‑step transcriptional amplification system (TSTA) assured efficient, targeted expression of their downstream Fas gene in human ovarian cancer cells, and to assess the killing effect of γδT cells on these cells with high Fas expression. Three shuttle plasmids containing different control elements of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter and/or TSTA were constructed and packaged into adenovirus 5 (Ad5) vectors for the expression of exogenous Fas gene. The human ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 and a control human embryonic lung fibroblast cell line were transfected with Ad5‑hTERT‑Fas or Ad5‑hTERT‑TSTA‑Fas. Fas mRNA and protein expression were examined by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. γδT lymphocytes were isolated, cultured and mixed at different ratios with SKOV3 cells with Fas expression in order to assess the killing effect of γδT cells. hTERT promoter induced the specific expression of FAS gene in SKOV3 cells, and the TSTA strategy increased FAS expression by 14.2‑fold. The killing effect of γδT cells increased with the expression level of Fas and the effector‑target cell ratio. The killing rate for SKOV3 cells with high FAS expression was 72.5% at an effector‑target cell ratio of 40:1. The regulators of hTERT promoter and TSTA assure the efficient and targeted expression of their downstream Fas gene in SKOV3 cells. The killing effect of γδT cells for ovarian cancer cells with relatively high Fas expression was improved.

Intermittent whole-body vibration attenuates a reduction in the number of the capillaries in unloaded rat skeletal muscle.

PubMed

Kaneguchi, Akinori; Ozawa, Junya; Kawamata, Seiichi; Kurose, Tomoyuki; Yamaoka, Kaoru

2014-09-26

Whole-body vibration has been suggested for the prevention of muscle mass loss and muscle wasting as an attractive measure for disuse atrophy. This study examined the effects of daily intermittent whole-body vibration and weight bearing during hindlimb suspension on capillary number and muscle atrophy in rat skeletal muscles. Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control (CONT), hindlimb suspension (HS), HS + weight bearing (WB), and HS + whole-body vibration (VIB) (n = 15 each). Hindlimb suspension was applied for 2 weeks in HS, HS + WB, and HS + VIB groups. During suspension, rats in HS + VIB group were placed daily on a vibrating whole-body vibration platform for 20 min. In HS + WB group, suspension was interrupted for 20 min/day, allowing weight bearing. Untreated rats were used as controls. Soleus muscle wet weights and muscle fiber cross-sectional areas (CSA) significantly decreased in HS, HS + WB, and HS + VIB groups compared with CONT group. Both muscle weights and CSA were significantly greater in HS + WB and HS + VIB groups compared with HS group. Capillary numbers (represented by capillary-to-muscle fiber ratio) were significantly smaller in all hindlimb suspension-treated groups compared with CONT group. However, a reduction in capillary number by unloading hindlimbs was partially prevented by whole-body vibration. These findings were supported by examining mRNA for angiogenic-related factors. Expression levels of a pro-angiogenic factor, vascular endothelial growth factor-A mRNA, were significantly lower in all hindlimb suspension-treated groups compared with CONT group. There were no differences among hindlimb suspension-treated groups. Expression levels of an anti-angiogenic factor, CD36 (receptor for thrombospondin-1) mRNA, were significantly higher in all hindlimb suspension-treated groups compared with CONT group. Among the hindlimb suspension-treated groups, expression of CD

High-Intensity Interval Training with Vibration as Rest Intervals Attenuates Fiber Atrophy and Prevents Decreases in Anaerobic Performance

PubMed Central

Mueller, Sandro Manuel; Aguayo, David; Zuercher, Matthias; Fleischmann, Oliver; Boutellier, Urs; Auer, Maria; Jung, Hans H.; Toigo, Marco

2015-01-01

Aerobic high-intensity interval training (HIT) improves cardiovascular capacity but may reduce the finite work capacity above critical power (W′) and lead to atrophy of myosin heavy chain (MyHC)-2 fibers. Since whole-body vibration may enhance indices of anaerobic performance, we examined whether side-alternating whole-body vibration as a replacement for the active rest intervals during a 4x4 min HIT prevents decreases in anaerobic performance and capacity without compromising gains in aerobic function. Thirty-three young recreationally active men were randomly assigned to conduct either conventional 4x4 min HIT, HIT with 3 min of WBV at 18 Hz (HIT+VIB18) or 30 Hz (HIT+VIB30) in lieu of conventional rest intervals, or WBV at 30 Hz (VIB30). Pre and post training, critical power (CP), W′, cellular muscle characteristics, as well as cardiovascular and neuromuscular variables were determined. W′ (−14.3%, P = 0.013), maximal voluntary torque (−8.6%, P = 0.001), rate of force development (−10.5%, P = 0.018), maximal jumping power (−6.3%, P = 0.007) and cross-sectional areas of MyHC-2A fibers (−6.4%, P = 0.044) were reduced only after conventional HIT. CP, V̇O2peak, peak cardiac output, and overall capillary-to-fiber ratio were increased after HIT, HIT+VIB18, and HIT+VIB30 without differences between groups. HIT-specific reductions in anaerobic performance and capacity were prevented by replacing active rest intervals with side-alternating whole-body vibration, notably without compromising aerobic adaptations. Therefore, competitive cyclists (and potentially other endurance-oriented athletes) may benefit from replacing the active rest intervals during aerobic HIT with side-alternating whole-body vibration. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01875146 PMID:25679998

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

Anderson, J.L.; Jenkins, E.M.; Walthers, C.R.

Compound cryopumps have been added to the Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) integrated fusion fuel loop. Operations have been performed which closely simulate an actual fusion reactor pumping scenario. In addition, performance data have been taken that support the concept of using coconut charcoal as a sorbent at 4K for pumping helium. Later tests show that coconut charcoal may be used to co-pump D,T and He mixtures on a single 4K panel. Rotary spiral pumps have been used successfully in several applications at TSTA and have acquired more than 9000 hours of maintenance-free operation. Metal bellows pumps have been usedmore » to back the spiral pumps and have been relatively trouble free in loop operations. Bellows pumps also have more than 9000 hours of maintenance-free operation. 5 refs., 6 figs.« less

Pathway Analysis Hints Towards Beneficial Effects of Long-Term Vibration on Human Chondrocytes.

PubMed

Lützenberg, Ronald; Solano, Kendrick; Buken, Christoph; Sahana, Jayashree; Riwaldt, Stefan; Kopp, Sascha; Krüger, Marcus; Schulz, Herbert; Saar, Kathrin; Huebner, Norbert; Hemmersbach, Ruth; Bauer, Johann; Infanger, Manfred; Grimm, Daniela; Wehland, Markus

2018-06-27

Spaceflight negatively influences the function of cartilage tissue in vivo. In vitro human chondrocytes exhibit an altered gene expression of inflammation markers after a two-hour exposure to vibration. Little is known about the impact of long-term vibration on chondrocytes. Human cartilage cells were exposed for up to 24 h (VIB) on a specialised vibration platform (Vibraplex) simulating the vibration profile which occurs during parabolic flights and compared to static control conditions (CON). Afterwards, they were investigated by phase-contrast microscopy, rhodamine phalloidin staining, microarray analysis, qPCR and western blot analysis. Morphological investigations revealed no changes between CON and VIB chondrocytes. F-Actin staining showed no alterations of the cytoskeleton in VIB compared with CON cells. DAPI and TUNEL staining did not identify apoptotic cells. ICAM-1 was elevated and vimentin, beta-tubulin and osteopontin proteins were significantly reduced in VIB compared to CON cells. qPCR of cytoskeletal genes, ITGB1, SOX3, SOX5, SOX9 did not reveal differential regulations. Microarray analysis detected 13 differentially expressed genes, mostly indicating unspecific stimulations. Pathway analyses demonstrated interactions of PSMD4 and CNOT7 with ICAM. Long-term vibration did not damage human chondrocytes in vitro. The reduction of osteopontin protein and the down-regulation of PSMD4 and TBX15 gene expression suggest that in vitro long-term vibration might even positively influence cultured chondrocytes. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Vibrio diversity and dynamics in the Monterey Bay upwelling region

PubMed Central

Mansergh, Sarah; Zehr, Jonathan P.

2013-01-01

The Vibrionaceae (Vibrio) are a ubiquitous group of metabolically flexible marine bacteria that play important roles in biogeochemical cycling in the ocean. Despite this versatility, little is known about Vibrio diversity and abundances in upwelling regions. The seasonal dynamics of Vibrio populations was examined by analysis of 16S rRNA genes in Monterey Bay (MB), California from April 2006–April 2008 at two long term monitoring stations, C1 and M2. Vibrio phylotypes within MB were diverse, with subpopulations clustering with several different cultured representatives including Allivibrio spp., Vibrio penaecida, and Vibrio splendidus as well as with many unidentified marine environmental bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences. Total Vibrio population abundances, as well as abundances of a Vibrio sp. subpopulation (MBAY Vib7) and an Allivibrio sp. subpopulation (MBAY Vib4) were examined in the context of environmental parameters from mooring station and CTD cast data. Total Vibrio populations showed some seasonal variability but greater variability was observed within the two subpopulations. MBAY Vib4 was negatively associated with MB upwelling indices and positively correlated with oceanic season conditions, when upwelling winds relax and warmer surface waters are present in MB. MBAY Vib7 was also negatively associated with upwelling indices and represented a deeper Vibrio sp. population. Correlation patterns suggest that larger oceanographic conditions affect the dynamics of the populations in MB, rather than specific environmental factors. This study is the first to target and describe the diversity and dynamics of these natural populations in MB and demonstrates that these populations shift seasonally within the region. PMID:24575086

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

PubMed

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

2018-01-10

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

Isoform composition and stoichiometry of the approx. 90-kDa heat shock protein associated with glucocorticoid receptors

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

Mendel, D.B.; Orti, E.

1988-05-15

The authors observed that the approx. 90-kDa non-steroid-binding component of nonactivated glucocorticoid receptors purified from WEHI-7 mouse thymoma cells (which has been identified as the approx. 90-kDa heat shock protein) consistently migrates as a doublet during polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing and reducing conditions. It has recently been reported that murine Meth A cells contain a tumor-specific transplantation antigen (TSTA) which is related or identical to the approx. 90-kDa heat shock protein. The observation that TSTA and the approx. 90-kDa heat shock protein isolated from these cells exists as two isoforms of similar molecular mass and charge has suggested thatmore » the doublet observed is also due to the existence of two isoforms. They have therefore conducted this study to determine whether TSTA and the approx. 90-kDa component of glucocorticoid receptors are indeed related, to establish whether the receptor preferentially binds one isoform of the approx. 90-kDa heat shock protein, and to investigate the stoichiometry of the nonactivated receptor complex. They used the BuGr1 and AC88 monoclonal antibodies to purify, respectively, receptor-associated and free approx. 90-kDa heat shock protein from WEHI-7 cells grown for 48 h with (/sup 35/S)methionine to metabolically label proteins to steady state. The long-term metabolic labeling approach has also enabled them to directly determine that the purified non-activated glucocorticoid receptor contains a single steroid-binding protein and two approx. 90-kDa non-steroid-binding subunits. The consistency with which a approx. 1:2 stoichiometric ratio of steroid binding to approx. 90-kDa protein is observed supports the view that the approx. 90-kDa heat shock protein is a true component of nonactivated glucocorticoid-receptor complexes.« less

Whole-body vibration versus proprioceptive training on postural control in post-menopausal osteopenic women.

PubMed

Stolzenberg, Nils; Belavý, Daniel L; Rawer, Rainer; Felsenberg, Dieter

2013-07-01

To prevent falls in the elderly, especially those with low bone density, is it necessary to maintain muscle coordination and balance. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of classical balance training (BAL) and whole-body vibration training (VIB) on postural control in post-menopausal women with low bone density. Sixty-eight subjects began the study and 57 completed the nine-month intervention program. All subjects performed resistive exercise and were randomized to either the BAL- (N=31) or VIB-group (N=26). The BAL-group performed progressive balance and coordination training and the VIB-group underwent, in total, four minutes of vibration (depending on exercise; 24-26Hz and 4-8mm range) on the Galileo Fitness. Every month, the performance of a single leg stance task on a standard unstable surface (Posturomed) was tested. At baseline and end of the study only, single leg stance, Romberg-stance, semi-tandem-stance and tandem-stance were tested on a ground reaction force platform (Leonardo). The velocity of movement on the Posturomed improved by 28.3 (36.1%) (p<0.001) in the VIB-group and 18.5 (31.5%) (p<0.001) in the BAL-group by the end of the nine-month intervention period, but no differences were seen between the two groups (p=0.45). Balance tests performed on the Leonardo device did not show any significantly different responses between the two groups after nine months (p≥0.09). Strength training combined with either proprioceptive training or whole-body vibration was associated with improvements in some, but not all, measures of postural control in post-menopausal women with low bone density. The current study could not provide evidence for a significantly different impact of whole-body vibration or balance training on postural control. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Whole body vibration training--improving balance control and muscle endurance.

PubMed

Ritzmann, Ramona; Kramer, Andreas; Bernhardt, Sascha; Gollhofer, Albert

2014-01-01

Exercise combined with whole body vibration (WBV) is becoming increasingly popular, although additional effects of WBV in comparison to conventional exercises are still discussed controversially in literature. Heterogeneous findings are attributed to large differences in the training designs between WBV and "control" groups in regard to training volume, load and type. In order to separate the additional effects of WBV from the overall adaptations due to the intervention, in this study, a four-week WBV training setup was compared to a matched intervention program with identical training parameters in both training settings except for the exposure to WBV. In a repeated-measures matched-subject design, 38 participants were assigned to either the WBV group (VIB) or the equivalent training group (CON). Training duration, number of sets, rest periods and task-specific instructions were matched between the groups. Balance, jump height and local static muscle endurance were assessed before and after the training period. The statistical analysis revealed significant interaction effects of group×time for balance and local static muscle endurance (p<0.05). Hence, WBV caused an additional effect on balance control (pre vs. post VIB +13%, p<0.05 and CON +6%, p = 0.33) and local static muscle endurance (pre vs. post VIB +36%, p<0.05 and CON +11%, p = 0.49). The effect on jump height remained insignificant (pre vs. post VIB +3%, p = 0.25 and CON ±0%, p = 0.82). This study provides evidence for the additional effects of WBV above conventional exercise alone. As far as balance and muscle endurance of the lower leg are concerned, a training program that includes WBV can provide supplementary benefits in young and well-trained adults compared to an equivalent program that does not include WBV.

Whole Body Vibration Training - Improving Balance Control and Muscle Endurance

PubMed Central

Ritzmann, Ramona; Kramer, Andreas; Bernhardt, Sascha; Gollhofer, Albert

2014-01-01

Exercise combined with whole body vibration (WBV) is becoming increasingly popular, although additional effects of WBV in comparison to conventional exercises are still discussed controversially in literature. Heterogeneous findings are attributed to large differences in the training designs between WBV and “control” groups in regard to training volume, load and type. In order to separate the additional effects of WBV from the overall adaptations due to the intervention, in this study, a four-week WBV training setup was compared to a matched intervention program with identical training parameters in both training settings except for the exposure to WBV. In a repeated-measures matched-subject design, 38 participants were assigned to either the WBV group (VIB) or the equivalent training group (CON). Training duration, number of sets, rest periods and task-specific instructions were matched between the groups. Balance, jump height and local static muscle endurance were assessed before and after the training period. The statistical analysis revealed significant interaction effects of group×time for balance and local static muscle endurance (p<0.05). Hence, WBV caused an additional effect on balance control (pre vs. post VIB +13%, p<0.05 and CON +6%, p = 0.33) and local static muscle endurance (pre vs. post VIB +36%, p<0.05 and CON +11%, p = 0.49). The effect on jump height remained insignificant (pre vs. post VIB +3%, p = 0.25 and CON ±0%, p = 0.82). This study provides evidence for the additional effects of WBV above conventional exercise alone. As far as balance and muscle endurance of the lower leg are concerned, a training program that includes WBV can provide supplementary benefits in young and well-trained adults compared to an equivalent program that does not include WBV. PMID:24587114

Effect of Low-Magnitude, High-Frequency Vibration Treatment on Retardation of Sarcopenia: Senescence-Accelerated Mouse-P8 Model.

PubMed

Guo, An-Yun; Leung, Kwok-Sui; Qin, Jiang-Hui; Chow, Simon Kwoon-Ho; Cheung, Wing-Hoi

2016-08-01

Sarcopenia-related falls and fall-related injuries in community-dwelling elderly people garnered more and more interest in recent years. Low-magnitude high-frequency vibration (LMHFV) was proven beneficial to musculoskeletal system and recommended for sarcopenia treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of LMHFV on the sarcopenic animals and explore the mechanism of the stimulatory effects. Senescence-accelerated mouse P8 (SAMP8) mice at month 6 were randomized into control (Ctrl) and vibration (Vib) groups and the mice in the Vib group were given LMHFV (0.3 g, 20 min/day, 5 days/week) treatment. At months 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 post-treatment, muscle mass, structure, and function were assessed. The potential proliferation capacity of the muscle was also evaluated by investigating satellite cells (SCs) pool and serum myostatin expression. At late stage, the mice in the Vib group showed higher muscle strength (month 4, p = 0.028). Generally, contractibility was significantly improved by LMHFV (contraction time [CT], p = 0.000; half-relaxation time [RT50], p = 0.000). Enlarged cross-sectional area of fiber type IIA was observed in the Vib group when compared with Ctrl group (p = 0.000). No significant difference of muscle mass was observed. The promotive effect of LMHFV on myoregeneration was reflected by suppressed SC pool reduction (month 3, p = 0.000; month 4, p = 0.000) and low myostatin expression (p = 0.052). LMHFV significantly improved the structural and functional outcomes of the skeletal muscle, hence retarding the progress of sarcopenia in SAMP8. It would be a good recommendation for prevention of the diseases related to skeletal muscle atrophy.

Comparative study of radiation, chemical, and aging effects on viral transformation. Annual progress report, 1975

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

Coggin, J.H. Jr.

Progress is reported on the following research projects: evaluation of isotopic antiglobulin test (IAT) to detect tumor associated antigens using antisera induced by x-irradiated tumor cells; development of cytotoxic antibody for embryonic antigens (EA); acrylamide gel cell culture assay for transformation; and evaluation of 3-MCA induced sarcomas for TSTA and cross-reacting antigens. (HLW)

Differential Stability of Dimeric and Monomeric Cytochrome c Oxidase Exposed to Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure†

PubMed Central

Staničová, Jana; Sedlák, Erik; Musatov, Andrej; Robinson, Neal C.

2007-01-01

Detergent-solubilized dimeric and monomeric cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) have significantly different quaternary stability when exposed to 2−3 kbar of hydrostatic pressure. Dimeric, dodecyl maltoside-solubilized cytochrome c oxidase is very resistant to elevated hydrostatic pressure with almost no perturbation of its quaternary structure or functional activity after release of pressure. In contrast to the stability of dimeric CcO, 3 kbar of hydrostatic pressure triggers multiple structural and functional alterations within monomeric cytochrome c oxidase. The perturbations are either irreversible or slowly reversible since they persist after the release of high pressure. Therefore, standard biochemical analytical procedures could be used to quantify the pressure-induced changes after the release of hydrostatic pressure. The electron transport activity of monomeric cytochrome c oxidase decreases by as much as 60% after exposure to 3 kbar of hydrostatic pressure. The irreversible loss of activity occurs in a time- and pressure-dependent manner. Coincident with the activity loss is a sequential dissociation of four subunits as detected by sedimentation velocity, high-performance ion-exchange chromatography, and reversed-phase and SDS–PAGE subunit analysis. Subunits VIa and VIb are the first to dissociate followed by subunits III and VIIa. Removal of subunits VIa and VIb prior to pressurization makes the resulting 11-subunit form of CcO even more sensitive to elevated hydrostatic pressure than monomeric CcO containing all 13 subunits. However, dimeric CcO, in which the association of VIa and VIb is stabilized, is not susceptible to pressure-induced inactivation. We conclude that dissociation of subunit III and/or VIIa must be responsible for pressure-induced inactivation of CcO since VIa and VIb can be removed from monomeric CcO without significant activity loss. These results are the first to clearly demonstrate an important structural role for the dimeric form of

Communication: Vibrational relaxation of CO(1Σ) in collision with Ar(1S) at temperatures relevant to the hypersonic flight regime.

PubMed

Denis-Alpizar, Otoniel; Bemish, Raymond J; Meuwly, Markus

2017-03-21

Vibrational energy relaxation (VER) of diatomics following collisions with the surrounding medium is an important elementary process for modeling high-temperature gas flow. VER is characterized by two parameters: the vibrational relaxation time τ vib and the state relaxation rates. Here the vibrational relaxation of CO(ν=0←ν=1) in Ar is considered for validating a computational approach to determine the vibrational relaxation time parameter (pτ vib ) using an accurate, fully dimensional potential energy surface. For lower temperatures, comparison with experimental data shows very good agreement whereas at higher temperatures (up to 25 000 K), comparisons with an empirically modified model due to Park confirm its validity for CO in Ar. Additionally, the calculations provide insight into the importance of Δν>1 transitions that are ignored in typical applications of the Landau-Teller framework.

Layered Compounds and Intercalation Chemistry: An Example of Chemistry and Diffusion in Solids.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whittingham, M. Stanley; Chianelli, Russell R.

1980-01-01

Considers a few areas of oxide/sulfide and intercalation-type chemistry. Discusses synthesis of the disulfides of the metals of group IVB, VB, and VIB; the intercalation reaction between lithium and titanium disulfide; other intercalates; and sulfide catalysts. (CS)

From photoelectron detachment spectra of BrHBr{sup −}, BrDBr{sup −} and IHI{sup −}, IDI{sup −} to vibrational bonding of BrMuBr and IMuI

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

Manz, Jörn; Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, 14195 Berlin; Sato, Kazuma

2015-04-28

Photoelectron detachment XLX{sup −}(00{sup 0}0) + hν → XLX(vib) + e{sup −} + KER (X = Br or I, L = H or D) at sufficiently low temperatures photoionizes linear dihalogen anions XLX{sup −} in the vibrational ground state (v{sub 1}v{sub 2}{sup l}v{sub 3} = 00{sup 0}0) and prepares the neutral radicals XLX(vib) in vibrational states (vib). At the same time, part of the photon energy (hν) is converted into kinetic energy release (KER) of the electron [R. B. Metz, S. E. Bradforth, and D. M. Neumark, Adv. Chem. Phys. 81, 1 (1992)]. The process may be described approximately inmore » terms of a Franck-Condon type transfer of the vibrational wavefunction representing XLX{sup −}(00{sup 0}0) from the domain close to the minimum of its potential energy surface (PES) to the domain close to the linear transition state of the PES of the neutral XLX. As a consequence, prominent peaks of the photoelectron detachment spectra (pds) correlate with the vibrational energies E{sub XLX,vib} of states XLX(vib) which are centered at linear transition state. The corresponding vibrational quantum numbers may be labeled vib = (v{sub 1}v{sub 2}{sup l}v{sub 3}) = (00{sup 0}v{sub 3}). Accordingly, the related most prominent peaks in the pds are labeled v{sub 3}. We construct a model PES which mimics the “true” PES in the domain of transition state such that it supports vibrational states with energies E{sub XLX,pds,00{sup 0}v{sub 3}} close to the peaks of the pds labeled v{sub 3} = 0, 2, and 4. Subsequently, the same model PES is also used to calculate approximate values of the energies E{sub XMuX,00{sup 0}0} of the isotopomers XMuX(00{sup 0}0). For the heavy isotopomers XHX and XDX, it turns out that all energies E{sub XLX,00{sup 0}v{sub 3}} are above the threshold for dissociation, which means that all heavy XLX(00{sup 0}v{sub 3}) with wavefunctions centered at the transition state are unstable resonances with finite lifetimes. Turning the table, bound states of the heavy XLX

Changes in Bone Biomarkers, BMC, and Insulin Resistance Following a 10-Week Whole Body Vibration Exercise Program in Overweight Latino Boys.

PubMed

Erceg, David N; Anderson, Lindsey J; Nickles, Chun M; Lane, Christianne J; Weigensberg, Marc J; Schroeder, E Todd

2015-01-01

With the childhood obesity epidemic, efficient methods of exercise are sought to improve health. We tested whether whole body vibration (WBV) exercise can positively affect bone metabolism and improve insulin/glucose dynamics in sedentary overweight Latino boys. Twenty Latino boys 8-10 years of age were randomly assigned to either a control (CON) or 3 days/wk WBV exercise (VIB) for 10-wk. Significant increases in BMC (4.5 ± 3.2%; p=0.01) and BMD (1.3 ± 1.3%; p<0.01) were observed for the VIB group when compared to baseline values. For the CON group BMC significantly increased (2.0 ± 2.2%; p=0.02), with no change in BMD (0.8 ± 1.3%; p=0.11). There were no significant between group changes in BMC or BMD. No significant change was observed for osteocalcin and (collagen type I C-telopeptide) CTx for the VIB group. However, osteocalcin showed a decreasing trend (p=0.09) and CTx significantly increased (p<0.03) for the CON group. This increase in CTx was significantly different between groups (p<0.02) and the effect size of between-group difference in change was large (-1.09). There were no significant correlations between osteocalcin and measures of fat mass or insulin resistance for collapsed data. Although bone metabolism was altered by WBV training, no associations were apparent between osteocalcin and insulin resistance. These findings suggest WBV exercise may positively increase BMC and BMD by decreasing bone resorption in overweight Latino boys.

Monkey primary somatosensory cortical activity during the early reaction time period differs with cues that guide movements.

PubMed

Liu, Yu; Denton, John M; Nelson, Randall J

2008-05-01

Vibration-related neurons in monkey primary somatosensory cortex (SI) discharge rhythmically when vibratory stimuli are presented. It remains unclear how functional information carried by vibratory inputs is coded in rhythmic neuronal activity. In the present study, we compared neuronal activity during wrist movements in response to two sets of cues. In the first, movements were guided by vibratory cue only (VIB trials). In the second, movements were guided by simultaneous presentation of both vibratory and visual cues (COM trials). SI neurons were recorded extracellularly during both wrist extensions and flexions. Neuronal activity during the instructed delay period (IDP) and the early reaction time period (RTP) were analyzed. A total of 96 cases from 48 neurons (each neuron contributed two cases, one each for extension and flexion) showed significant vibration entrainment during the early RTPs, as determined by circular statistics (Rayleigh test). Of these, 50 cases had cutaneous (CUTA) and 46 had deep (DEEP) receptive fields. The CUTA neurons showed lower firing rates during the IDPs and greater firing rate changes during the early RTPs when compared with the DEEP neurons. The CUTA neurons also demonstrated decreases in activity entrainment during VIB trials when compared with COM trials. For the DEEP neurons, the difference of entrainment between VIB and COM trials was not statistically significant. The results suggest that somatic vibratory input is coded by both the firing rate and the activity entrainment of the CUTA neurons in SI. The results also suggest that when vibratory inputs are required for successful task completion, the activity of the CUTA neurons increases but the entrainment degrades. The DEEP neurons may be tuned before movement initiation for processing information encoded by proprioceptive afferents.

Do 6 months of whole-body vibration training improve lean mass and bone mass acquisition of adolescent swimmers?

PubMed

Gómez-Bruton, A; González-Agüero, A; Matute-Llorente, A; Julián, C; Lozano-Berges, G; Gómez-Cabello, A; Casajús, J A; Vicente-Rodríguez, G

2017-12-01

Swimming has little effect on bone mass. Therefore, adolescent swimmers should complement their water training with a short and intense weight-bearing training, aiming to increase their bone acquisition. Forty swimmers performed a six-month whole-body vibration (WBV) training. WBV had no effect on adolescent swimmers' bone mass or lean mass. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the effects of a whole-body vibration (WBV) intervention on bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC) and lean mass (LM) in adolescent swimmers. Forty male and female adolescent swimmers (VIB; mean age 14.2 ± 1.9 years) completed the WBV protocol that consisted of 15 min of training 3 days per week during a 6-month period (ranging from 3.6 to 11.6 g), while 23 swimmers (SWI; mean age 15.0 ± 2.2 years) continued with their regular swimming training alone. VIB were divided into tertiles according to training compliance in order to evaluate if any dose-effect relation existed. BMD, BMC and LM were measured longitudinally by dual energy X-ray at the whole body, lumbar-spine and hip. No group by time interactions and no differences in change percentage were found for BMD, BMC or LM in any of the measured variables. The mean change percentage of the subtotal body (whole body minus the head) for VIB and SWI, respectively, was 2.3 vs. 2.4% for BMD, 5.7 vs 5.7% for BMC and 7.3 vs. 8.0% for lean mass. Moreover, no indication for dose-response was observed. The proposed WBV protocol had no effect on BMD, BMC and LM in adolescent swimmers. Other types of training should be used in this population to improve both bone and lean mass.

Monkey primary somatosensory cortical activity during the early reaction time period differs with cues that guide movements

PubMed Central

Liu, Yu; Denton, John M.; Nelson, Randall J.

2009-01-01

Vibration-related neurons in monkey primary somatosensory cortex (SI) discharge rhythmically when vibratory stimuli are presented. It remains unclear how functional information carried by vibratory inputs is coded in rhythmic neuronal activity. In the present study, we compared neuronal activity during wrist movements in response to two sets of cues. In the first, movements were guided by vibratory cue only (VIB trials). In the second, movements were guided by simultaneous presentation of both vibratory and visual cues (COM trials). SI neurons were recorded extracellularly during both wrist extensions and flexions. Neuronal activity during the instructed delay period (IDP) and the early reaction time period (RTP) were analyzed. A total of 96 cases from 48 neurons (each neuron contributed two cases, one each for extension and flexion) showed significant vibration entrainment during the early RTPs, as determined by circular statistics (Rayleigh test). Of these, 50 cases had cutaneous (CUTA) and 46 had deep (DEEP) receptive fields. The CUTA neurons showed lower firing rates during the IDPs and greater firing rate changes during the early RTPs when compared with the DEEP neurons. The CUTA neurons also demonstrated decreases in activity entrainment during VIB trials when compared with COM trials. For the DEEP neurons, the difference of entrainment between VIB and COM trials was not statistically significant. The results suggest that somatic vibratory input is coded by both the firing rate and the activity entrainment of the CUTA neurons in SI. The results also suggest that when vibratory inputs are required for successful task completion, the activity of the CUTA neurons increases but the entrainment degrades. The DEEP neurons may be tuned before movement initiation for processing information encoded by proprioceptive afferents. PMID:18288475

Layered transition metal dichalcogenide electrochemistry: journey across the periodic table.

PubMed

Chia, Xinyi; Pumera, Martin

2018-06-08

Studies on layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), in particular for Group VIB TMDs like MoS2 and WS2, have long reached a crescendo in the realms of electrochemical applications initiated by their remarkable catalytic and electronic properties. One area that garnered considerable attention is the fervent pursuit of layered TMDs as electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), driven by global efforts towards reducing carbon footprint and attaining hydrogen economy. This Tutorial Review captures the essence of electrochemistry of different classes of layered TMDs and metal chalcogenides across the period table and showcases their tuneable electrochemical and HER catalytic attributes that are governed by the elemental composition, structure and anisotropy. Of interest to the assiduously studied Group VIB TMDs, we describe the role of elemental constituents and material purity in aspects of surface composition and structure, on their electrochemistry. Across families of layered TMDs in the periodic table, we highlight the apparent trends in their electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties through diligent comparison. Inevitably, these trends vary according to the type of chalcogen or transition metal that constitutes the eventual TMD. Beyond layered TMDs, we discuss the electrochemistry and recent progress in HER electrocatalysis of other layered metal chalcogenides that are overshadowed by the success of Group VIB TMDs. At the pinnacle of the emergent applications of layered TMDs, it is prudent to demystify the intrinsic electrochemical behaviour that originates from the participation of the elemental constitution of transition metal or chalcogen. Moreover, knowledge of the catalytic and electronic properties of the various TMD families and emerging trends across the period or down the group is of paramount importance when introducing or refining their prospective uses. The annotations in this Tutorial Review are envisioned to promote

The Effect of Vibration Treatments Combined with Teriparatide or Strontium Ranelate on Bone Healing and Muscle in Ovariectomized Rats.

PubMed

Komrakova, M; Hoffmann, D B; Nuehnen, V; Stueber, H; Wassmann, M; Wicke, M; Tezval, M; Stuermer, K M; Sehmisch, S

2016-10-01

The aim of the present study was to study the effect of combined therapy of teriparatide (PTH) or strontium ranelate (SR) with whole-body vibration (WBV) on bone healing and muscle properties in an osteopenic rat model. Seventy-two rats (3 months old) were bilaterally ovariectomized (Ovx), and 12 rats were left intact (Non-Ovx). After 8 weeks, bilateral transverse osteotomy was performed at the tibia metaphysis in all rats. Thereafter, Ovx rats were divided into six groups (n = 12): (1) Ovx-no treatment, (2) Ovx + vibration (Vib), (3) SR, (4) SR + Vib, (5) PTH, and (6) PTH + Vib. PTH (40 μg/kg BW sc. 5×/week) and SR (613 mg/kg BW in food daily) were applied on the day of ovariectomy, vibration treatments 5 days later (vertical, 70 Hz, 0.5 mm, 2×/day for 15 min) for up to 6 weeks. In the WBV + SR group, the callus density, trabecular number, and Alp and Oc gene expression were decreased compared to SR alone. In the WBV + PTH group, the cortical and callus widths, biomechanical properties, Opg gene expression, and Opg/Rankl ratio were increased; the cortical and callus densities were decreased compared to PTH alone. A case of non-bridging was found in both vibrated groups. Vibration alone did not change the bone parameters; PTH possessed a stronger effect than SR therapy. In muscles, combined therapies improved the fiber size of Ovx rats. WBV could be applied alone or in combination with anti-osteoporosis drug therapy to improve muscle tissue. However, in patients with fractures, anti-osteoporosis treatments and the application of vibration could have an adverse effect on bone healing.

Music for the Handicapped.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercado, Aurea A.

This report is an evaluation of a New York City school district educational project funded under Title VIB Education of the Handicapped Act. Under the direction of a project coordinator and a music therapist, 365 emotionally disturbed, hyperactive, and mentally retarded youngsters, ranging in age from 6 to 15, participated in the program. Primary…

21 CFR 177.1050 - Acrylonitrile/styrene copoly-mer modified with butadiene/styrene elastomer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... chapter as Type VI-B under conditions for use E, F, or G described in table 2 of § 176.170(c) of this... copol-ymer is extracted with 250 milliliters spectral grade n-heptane at reflux temperature for 2 hours. (e) Accelerated extraction end test. The modified copolymer shall yield acrylonitrile monomer not in...

21 CFR 177.1050 - Acrylonitrile/styrene copoly-mer modified with butadiene/styrene elastomer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... chapter as Type VI-B under conditions for use E, F, or G described in table 2 of § 176.170(c) of this... copol-ymer is extracted with 250 milliliters spectral grade n-heptane at reflux temperature for 2 hours. (e) Accelerated extraction end test. The modified copolymer shall yield acrylonitrile monomer not in...

21 CFR 177.1050 - Acrylonitrile/styrene copoly-mer modified with butadiene/styrene elastomer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... chapter as Type VI-B under conditions for use E, F, or G described in table 2 of § 176.170(c) of this... copol-ymer is extracted with 250 milliliters spectral grade n-heptane at reflux temperature for 2 hours. (e) Accelerated extraction end test. The modified copolymer shall yield acrylonitrile monomer not in...

21 CFR 178.3780 - Polyhydric alcohol esters of long chain monobasic acids.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... § 177.1980 of this chapter that contact food of Types I, II, IV-B, VI-B, VII-B, and VIII identified in... produced by the reaction of either ethylene glycol or glycerol with long chain monobasic acids containing... carboxylic acids in the formation of the glycerol esters being neutralized with calcium hydroxide to produce...

Cross transfer acute effects of foam rolling with vibration on ankle dorsiflexion range of motion.

PubMed

García-Gutiérrez, María Teresa; Guillén-Rogel, Paloma; Cochrane, Darryl J; Marín, Pedro J

2018-06-01

Foam roller is a device used as a massage intervention for rehabilitation and fitness performance. To examine the effects on the ankle dorsiflexion mobility of the foam roller as well as the combination of foam roller and vibration applied to the ankle plantarflexors muscles, and to observe the possible cross-effect. Thirty-eight undergraduate students participated in the study (19 males and 19 females). This study investigated. Three conditions (3 sets of 20 s) were performed in a randomized order (independent variables): 1) foam roller (Roller), 2) foam roller and vibration (Roller+VIB), and 3) no foam roller or vibration (Control). to determine whether of foam roller with or without vibration would benefit ankle dorsiflexion mobility. Ankle dorsiflexion ROM and plantar flexor were measured in both legs before and immediately after the treatment. A cross-effect was found in the non-stimulated leg. There was a significant effect on ankle mobility of Roller and Roller+VIB conditions (6% and 7%, p<0.001). Foam roller massage and vibration stimulus' foam roller massage increase ankle mobility producing a cross-effect.

21 CFR 178.3295 - Clarifying agents for polymers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Clarifying agents for polymers. 178.3295 Section... Production Aids § 178.3295 Clarifying agents for polymers. Clarifying agents may be safely used in polymers... polymers contact food only of types I, II, IV-B, VI-B, VII-B, and VIII as identified in Table 1 of § 176...

Quantum-mechanical ab initio simulation of the Raman and IR spectra of Mn3Al2Si3O12 spessartine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valenzano, Loredana; Meyer, Alessio; Demichelis, Raffaella; Civalleri, Bartolomeo; Dovesi, Roberto

2009-07-01

The IR and Raman spectra of spessartine garnet Mn3Al2Si3O12, are simulated with the periodic ab initio CRYSTAL code by adopting an all-electron Gaussian-type basis set and the B3LYP Hamiltonian. The frequencies of the 25 Raman active modes (3 of A 1 g , 8 of E g and 14 of F 2 g symmetry) and of the two sets of 17 F 1 u transverse-optical and longitudinal-optical frequencies are generated, as well as the IR oscillator strength. The agreement between calculated and experimental data is excellent: for the IR and Raman sets, the mean absolute difference overline{|Updelta|} is 4.0 and 6.8 cm-1, respectively. Isotopic substitution permits to highlight the Mn, Al and Si participation to the various zones of the spectrum. Graphical animation, available on the authors’ web-site ( http://www.crystal.unito.it/vibs/garnets/spessartine/ vibs/garnets/spessartine/" TargetType="URL"/> ), provides a very readable description of the movement of atoms and groups in each vibrational mode.

Functional and biochemical properties of Mal de Río Cuarto virus (Fijivirus, Reoviridae) P9-1 viroplasm protein show further similarities to animal reovirus counterparts.

PubMed

Maroniche, Guillermo A; Mongelli, Vanesa C; Peralta, Andrea V; Distéfano, Ana J; Llauger, Gabriela; Taboga, Oscar A; Hopp, Esteban H; del Vas, Mariana

2010-09-01

Mal de Río Cuarto virus (MRCV) is a plant virus of the genus Fijivirus within the family Reoviridae that infects several monocotyledonous species and is transmitted by planthoppers in a persistent and propagative manner. Other members of the family replicate in viral inclusion bodies (VIBs) termed viroplasms that are formed in the cytoplasm of infected plant and insect cells. In this study, the protein coded by the first ORF of MRCV segment S9 (P9-1) was shown to establish cytoplasmic inclusion bodies resembling viroplasms after transfection of Spodoptera frugiperda insect cells. In accordance, MRCV P9-1 self-associates giving rise to high molecular weight complexes when expressed in bacteria. Strong self-interaction was also evidenced by yeast two-hybrid assays. Furthermore, biochemical characterization showed that MRCV P9-1 bound single stranded RNA and had ATPase activity. Finally, the MRCV P9-1 region required for the formation of VIB-like structures was mapped to the protein carboxy-terminal half. This extensive functional and biochemical characterization of MRCV P9-1 revealed further similarities between plant and animal reovirus viroplasm proteins. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of tendon vibration during wide-pulse neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on the decline and recovery of muscle force.

PubMed

Bochkezanian, Vanesa; Newton, Robert U; Trajano, Gabriel S; Vieira, Amilton; Pulverenti, Timothy S; Blazevich, Anthony J

2017-05-02

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is commonly used to activate skeletal muscles and reverse muscle atrophy in clinical populations. Clinical recommendations for NMES suggest the use of short pulse widths (100-200 μs) and low-to-moderate pulse frequencies (30-50 Hz). However, this type of NMES causes rapid muscle fatigue due to the (non-physiological) high stimulation intensities and non-orderly recruitment of motor units. The use of both wide pulse widths (1000 μs) and tendon vibration might optimize motor unit activation through spinal reflex pathways and thus delay the onset of muscle fatigue, increasing muscle force and mass. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the acute effects of patellar tendon vibration superimposed onto wide-pulse width (1000 μs) knee extensor electrical stimulation (NMES, 30 Hz) on peak muscle force, total impulse before "muscle fatigue", and the post-exercise recovery of muscle function. Tendon vibration (Vib), NMES (STIM) or NMES superimposed onto vibration (STIM + Vib) were applied in separate sessions to 16 healthy adults. Total torque-time integral (TTI), maximal voluntary contraction torque (MVIC) and indirect measures of muscle damage were tested before, immediately after, 1 h and 48 h after each stimulus. TTI increased (145.0 ± 127.7%) in STIM only for "positive responders" to the tendon vibration (8/16 subjects), but decreased in "negative responders" (-43.5 ± 25.7%). MVIC (-8.7%) and rectus femoris electromyography (RF EMG) (-16.7%) decreased after STIM (group effect) for at least 1 h, but not after STIM + Vib. No changes were detected in indirect markers of muscle damage in any condition. Tendon vibration superimposed onto wide-pulse width NMES increased TTI only in 8 of 16 subjects, but reduced voluntary force loss (fatigue) ubiquitously. Negative responders to tendon vibration may derive greater benefit from wide-pulse width NMES alone.

High temperature regenerative H.sub.2 S sorbents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flytani-Stephanopoulos, Maria (Inventor); Gavalas, George R. (Inventor); Tamhankar, Satish S. (Inventor)

1988-01-01

Efficient, regenerable sorbents for removal of H.sub.2 S from high temperature gas streams comprise porous, high surface area particles. A first class of sorbents comprise a thin film of binary oxides that form a eutectic at the temperature of the gas stream coated onto a porous, high surface area refractory support. The binary oxides are a mixture of a Group VB or VIB metal oxide with a Group IB, IIB or VIII metal oxide such as a film of V-Zn-O, V-Cu-O, Cu-Mo-O, Zn-Mo-O or Fe-Mo-O coated on an alumina support. A second class of sorbents consist of particles of unsupported mixed oxides in the form of highly dispersed solid solutions of solid compounds characterized by small crystallite size, high porosity and relatively high surface area. The mixed oxide sorbents contain one Group IB, IIB or VIIB metal oxide such as copper, zinc or manganese and one or more oxides of Groups IIIA, VIB or VII such as aluminum, iron or molybdenum. The presence of iron or aluminum maintains the Group IB, IIB or VIIB metal in its oxidized state. Presence of molybdenum results in eutectic formation at sulfidation temperature and improves the efficiency of the sorbent.

Suppressor of fusion, a Fusarium oxysporum homolog of Ndt80, is required for nutrient-dependent regulation of anastomosis.

PubMed

Shahi, Shermineh; Fokkens, Like; Houterman, Petra M; Rep, Martijn

2016-10-01

Heterokaryon formation is an essential step in asexual recombination in Fusarium oxysporum. Filamentous fungi have an elaborate nonself recognition machinery to prevent formation and proliferation of heterokaryotic cells, called heterokaryon incompatibility (HI). In F. oxysporum the regulation of this machinery is not well understood. In Neurospora crassa, Vib-1, a putative transcription factor of the p53-like Ndt80 family of transcription factors, has been identified as global regulator of HI. In this study we investigated the role of the F. oxysporum homolog of Vib-1, called Suf, in vegetative hyphal and conidial anastomosis tube (CAT) fusion and HI. We identified a novel function for an Ndt80 homolog as a nutrient-dependent regulator of anastomosis. Strains carrying the SUF deletion mutation display a hyper-fusion phenotype during vegetative growth as well as germling development. In addition, conidial paring of incompatible SUF deletion strains led to more heterokaryon formation, which is independent of suppression of HI. Our data provides further proof for the divergence in the functions of different members Ndt80 family. We propose that Ndt80 homologs mediate responses to nutrient quality and quantity, with specific responses varying between species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Shock and Vibration Digest. Volume 14, Number 1, January 1982

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

vibration, ity of the examples in those days. Morris and Head non4inear vibration, acoustics , and modeling and [45] discusses the ’escalator’ method which...with modeling and acoustic emission view on the testing techniques, philosophies, and monitoring. This session also contained several relationship of... Modelling R.K. Jeyapalan and NA. Halliwell Inst. Sound Vib. Res., Univ. of Southampton, South- ampton, UK, Appl. Acoust .. 1A (5), pp 361-376 (Sept

Synthesis of Laser Dyes

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-11-09

with m.ethoxy groups- on the Three aninoketone hydrochlorides derived From 1 -indanorles have been prepared. These are 2-amino-i- indanone , 3, 3-dimethiyl... indanone , was commercially available. The substituted 1 - indanones for preparation of VIb and VJc were prepared by addition of phenylmagnesium bromide...dimethyl-l- indanone by heating with polyphosphoric acid.7 The 1 - indanones were all converted to the 2-oximes by reaction with butyl nitrite under acid

The Shock and Vibration Digest, Volume 18, Number 3

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-01

Linear Distributed Parameter Des., Proc. Intl. Symp., 11th ONR Naval Struc. Systems by Shifted Legendre Polynomial Func- Mech. Symp., Tucson, AZ, pp...University, Atlanta, Georgia nonlinear problems with elementary algebra . It J. Sound Vib., 102 (2), pp 247-257 (Sept 22, uses i = -1, the Pascal’s...eigenvalues specified. The optimal avoid failure due to resonance under the action control problem of a linear distributed parameter 0School of Mechanical

Eight weeks of local vibration training increases dorsiflexor muscle cortical voluntary activation.

PubMed

Souron, Robin; Farabet, Adrien; Féasson, Léonard; Belli, Alain; Millet, Guillaume Y; Lapole, Thomas

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of an 8-wk local vibration training (LVT) program on functional and corticospinal properties of dorsiflexor muscles. Forty-four young subjects were allocated to a training (VIB, n = 22) or control (CON, n = 22 ) group. The VIB group performed twenty-four 1-h sessions (3 sessions/wk) of 100-Hz vibration applied to the right tibialis anterior. Both legs were tested in each group before training (PRE), after 4 (MID) and 8 (POST) wk of training, and 2 wk after training (POST 2W ). Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque was assessed, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to evaluate cortical voluntary activation (VA TMS ), motor evoked potential (MEP), cortical silent period (CSP), and input-output curve parameters. MVC was significantly increased for VIB at MID for right and left legs [+7.4% ( P = 0.001) and +6.2% ( P < 0.01), respectively] and remained significantly greater than PRE at POST [+12.0% ( P < 0.001) and +10.1% ( P < 0.001), respectively]. VA TMS was significantly increased for right and left legs at MID [+4.4% ( P < 0.01) and +4.7% ( P < 0.01), respectively] and at POST [+4.9% ( P = 0.001) and +6.2% ( P = 0.001), respectively]. These parameters remained enhanced in both legs at POST 2W MEP and CSP recorded during MVC and input-output curve parameters did not change at any time point for either leg. Despite no changes in excitability or inhibition being observed, LVT seems to be a promising method to improve strength through an increase of maximal voluntary activation, i.e., neural adaptations. Local vibration may thus be further considered for clinical or aging populations. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The effects of a local vibration training program on cortical voluntary activation measured with transcranial magnetic stimulation were assessed for the first time in dorsiflexors, a functionally important muscle group. We observed that training increased maximal voluntary strength likely because of

Rapid Detection of Enveloped Viruses.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-12

analysis of samples with the highest possible virus titer. Specimens were quick-frozen and stored at -700C. Throat washings were also obtained from...are throat washings performed with a veal infusion broth-gelatin mixture (2.5% V.I.B. and 0.5% gelatin in distilled water) and have been stored at -200C...enlisted the cooperation of the Director of Employee Health Services, Dr. Donald Smith, and obtained 14 throat wash specimens from Mount Sinai employees. We

The Shock and Vibration Digest. Volume 12, Number 6,

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

I 20 .. I%25 1.4~ iu±.6 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TESI CHARI 1 AIIONAL BURtAU Ua SIANDARDS I63 4 i’U 00 SVIC NOTES The weight saving advantages of...34Theoretical and Manifolds by Using Lumped Parameter De - Experimental Investigation of Valve Movement scriptions," J. Sound Vib., 64 (3), pp 387-402 and...COMPUTATIONAL TECHNIQUES work for the textbook through definitions and de - FOR INTERFACE PROBLEMS scriptions of dynamic systems, modeling procedures

MAPPI-DAT: data management and analysis for protein-protein interaction data from the high-throughput MAPPIT cell microarray platform.

PubMed

Gupta, Surya; De Puysseleyr, Veronic; Van der Heyden, José; Maddelein, Davy; Lemmens, Irma; Lievens, Sam; Degroeve, Sven; Tavernier, Jan; Martens, Lennart

2017-05-01

Protein-protein interaction (PPI) studies have dramatically expanded our knowledge about cellular behaviour and development in different conditions. A multitude of high-throughput PPI techniques have been developed to achieve proteome-scale coverage for PPI studies, including the microarray based Mammalian Protein-Protein Interaction Trap (MAPPIT) system. Because such high-throughput techniques typically report thousands of interactions, managing and analysing the large amounts of acquired data is a challenge. We have therefore built the MAPPIT cell microArray Protein Protein Interaction-Data management & Analysis Tool (MAPPI-DAT) as an automated data management and analysis tool for MAPPIT cell microarray experiments. MAPPI-DAT stores the experimental data and metadata in a systematic and structured way, automates data analysis and interpretation, and enables the meta-analysis of MAPPIT cell microarray data across all stored experiments. MAPPI-DAT is developed in Python, using R for data analysis and MySQL as data management system. MAPPI-DAT is cross-platform and can be ran on Microsoft Windows, Linux and OS X/macOS. The source code and a Microsoft Windows executable are freely available under the permissive Apache2 open source license at https://github.com/compomics/MAPPI-DAT. jan.tavernier@vib-ugent.be or lennart.martens@vib-ugent.be. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Electronic structure and shearing in nanolaminated ternary carbides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Music, Denis; Sun, Zhimei; Voevodin, Andrey A.; Schneider, Jochen M.

2006-07-01

We have studied shearing in M 2AlC phases (M=Sc,Y,La,Ti,Zr,Hf,V,Nb,Ta,Cr,Mo,W) using ab initio calculations. We propose that these phases can be classified into two groups based on the valence electron concentration induced changes in C 44. One group comprises M=V B and VIB, where the C 44 values are approximately 170 GPa and independent of the corresponding MC. The other group includes M=IIIB and IVB, where the C 44 shows a linear dependency with the corresponding MC. This may be understood based on the electronic structure: shear resistant bands are filled in M 2AlC phases with M=V B and VIB, while they are not completely filled when M=IIIB and IVB. This notion is also consistent with our stress-strain analysis. These valence electron concentration induced changes in shear behaviour were compared to previously published valence electron concentration induced changes in compression behaviour [Z. Sun, D. Music, R. Ahuja, S. Li, J.M. Schneider, Phys. Rev. B 70 (2004) 092102]. These classification proposals exhibit identical critical valence electron concentration values for the group boundary. However, the physical mechanisms are not identical: the classification proposal for the bulk modulus is based on MC-A coupling, while shearing is based on MC-MC coupling.

Coupling between Hydrodynamics, Acoustics, and Heat Release in a Self-Excited Unstable Combustor

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-07

liquid rocket engines,3,4 gas -turbines,5,6 ramjets,7,8 and scramjets.9,10 Varying levels of instabilities can arise and are almost always unwanted because...Acoustic disturbance from Gas non-uniformities convected through a nozzle ,” J. Sound Vib. 55(2), 225-243 (1977). 21 C. S. Goh and A. S. Morgans, “The...and has the right to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose the work. 14. ABSTRACT The unsteady gas dynamic field in a closed

The Shock and Vibration Digest. Volume 12, Number 3.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-03-01

this problem by Mallik to design the fuselage so that it acts as a band pass and M-d [211. Two :.ipes of support were con- filter, filtering out the...370-373 (1975). 237-245 (1975). 11. Harari, A., "Wave Propagation in Cylindrical 21. Mallik , A.K. and Mead, D.J., "Free Vibration Shells with Finite...1183 (1973). 29 _ _ 23. Singh, K. and Mallik , A.K., "Wave Propagation sure Fields," J. Sound Vib., 28 (2), pp 247- and Vibration Response of a

Emission properties of body-centered cubic elemental metal photocathodes

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

Li, Tuo; Rickman, Benjamin L., E-mail: brickm2@uic.edu; Schroeder, W. Andreas

2015-04-07

A first principles analysis of photoemission is developed to explain the lower than expected rms transverse electron momentum measured using the solenoid scan technique for the body-centered cubic Group Vb (V, Nb, and Ta) and Group VIb (Cr, Mo, and W) metallic photocathodes. The density functional theory based analysis elucidates the fundamental role that the electronic band structure (and its dispersion) plays in determining the emission properties of solid-state photocathodes and includes evaluation of work function anisotropy using a thin-slab method.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase of Bacillus strain for Measuring Alcohol Electrochemically

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iswantini, D.; Nurhidayat, N.; Ferit, H.

2017-03-01

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) was applied to produce alcohol biosensor. The enzyme was collected from cultured Bacillus sp. in solid media. From 6 tested isolates, bacteria from fermented rice grain (TST.A) showed the highest oxidation current which was further applied as the bioreceptor. Various ethanol concentrations was measured based on the increase of maximum oxidation current value. However, a reduction value was happened when the ethanol concentration was higher than 5%. Comparing the result of spectrophotometry measurement, R2 value obtained from the biosensor measurement method was higher. The new proposed method resulted a wider detection range, from 0.1-5% of ethanol concentration. The result showed that biosensor method has big potency to be used as alcohol detector in foods or bevearages.

Camelid Single-Domain Antibodies: Historical Perspective and Future Outlook

PubMed Central

Arbabi-Ghahroudi, Mehdi

2017-01-01

Tremendous effort has been expended over the past two and a half decades to understand many aspects of camelid heavy chain antibodies, from their biology, evolution, and immunogenetics to their potential applications in various fields of research and medicine. In this article, I present a historical perspective on the development of camelid single-domain antibodies (sdAbs or VHHs, also widely known as nanobodies) since their discovery and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these unique molecules in various areas of research, industry, and medicine. Commercialization of camelid sdAbs exploded in 2001 with a flurry of patents issued to the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and later taken on by the Vlaams Interuniversitair Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB) and, after 2002, the VIB-founded spin-off company, Ablynx. While entrepreneurial spirit has certainly catalyzed the exploration of nanobodies as marketable products, IP restrictions may be partially responsible for the relatively long time span between the discovery of these biomolecules and their entry into the pharmaceutical market. It is now anticipated that the first VHH-based antibody drug, Caplacizumab, a bivalent anti-vWF antibody for treating rare blood clotting disorders, may be approved and commercialized in 2018 or shortly thereafter. This elusive first approval, along with the expiry of key patents, may substantially alter the scientific and biomedical landscape surrounding camelid sdAbs and pave the way for their emergence as mainstream biotherapeutics. PMID:29209322

Rotational and vibrational transitions for Li + H2 collisions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, B. H.; Poe, R. T.; Tang, K. T.

1977-01-01

Close coupling calculations for integral and differential cross sections have been carried out for Li + H2 collisions with an ab initio Hartree-Fock potential energy surface. Rotational, vibrational, and vib-rotational excitation cross sections are reported at 0.4336 eV, 0.7 eV, and 0.8673 eV in the center of mass system. For pure rotational excitations, which dominate the inelastic scattering, coupling with vibrational states is not very important. For vibrational transitions, the influence of large multiquantum rotational transitions is far less than that found for Li(+) + H2 collisions.

Quantification of mid and late evoked sinks in laminar current source density profiles of columns in the primary auditory cortex

PubMed Central

Schaefer, Markus K.; Hechavarría, Julio C.; Kössl, Manfred

2015-01-01

Current source density (CSD) analysis assesses spatiotemporal synaptic activations at somatic and/or dendritic levels in the form of depolarizing current sinks. Whereas many studies have focused on the short (<50 ms) latency sinks, associated with thalamocortical projections, sinks with longer latencies have received less attention. Here, we analyzed laminar CSD patterns for the first 600 ms after stimulus onset in the primary auditory cortex of Mongolian gerbils. By applying an algorithm for contour calculation, three distinct mid and four late evoked sinks were identified in layers I, III, Va, VIa, and VIb. Our results further showed that the patterns of intracortical information-flow remained qualitatively similar for low and for high sound pressure level stimuli at the characteristic frequency (CF) as well as for stimuli ± 1 octave from CF. There were, however, differences associated with the strength, vertical extent, onset latency, and duration of the sinks for the four stimulation paradigms used. Stimuli one octave above the most sensitive frequency evoked a new, and quite reliable, sink in layer Va whereas low level stimulation led to the disappearance of the layer VIb sink. These data indicate the presence of input sources specifically activated in response to level and/or frequency parameters. Furthermore, spectral integration above vs. below the CF of neurons is asymmetric as illustrated by CSD profiles. These results are important because synaptic feedback associated with mid and late sinks—beginning at 50 ms post stimulus latency—is likely crucial for response modulation resulting from higher order processes like memory, learning or cognitive control. PMID:26557058

Idiosyncratic heart rate response in men during sexual arousal.

PubMed

Rowland, David L; Crawford, Sara B

2011-05-01

Heart rate, sensitive to sympathetic activation, is known to change during sexual arousal and therefore may be a useful tool for investigating psychosomatic differences between sexually functional and dysfunctional men. However, heart rate during arousal also tends to be highly variable across individual men, making its predictability based on group patterns relatively poor. We wanted to determine whether individual men show idiosyncratic heart rate patterns during sexual arousal, that is, whether they exhibit consistent patterns across similar (though not identical) stimulus situations. Agreement between heart rates under the two conditions, visual sexual stimulation (VSS) and VSS + vibrotactile (VIB), was assessed using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC).   Thirty-eight men, 25 of whom were diagnosed with premature ejaculation (PE), were monitored for penile response and heart rate under two similar (though not identical) conditions: a 9-minute erotic video (VSS), then a 9-minute erotic video combined with vibrotactile penile stimulation (VSS + VIB). CCC for men with PE was 0.65; for the sexually functional comparison group, CCC was 0.82. For both groups combined, CCC was 0.71. For all groupings, the CCC was relatively high, indicating agreement in heart rate from one session to the next within individual men. Despite high intersubject variation in heart rate patterns, individual men show signature heart rates across similar sexual stimulus sessions. Such stereotypy helps explain previous inconsistent findings and may also serve as a marker for the effectiveness of treatments designed to improve ejaculatory control in men with PE. © 2011 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Awakening to Opportunities in International Business: A Title VI-B Grant and Partnership Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haynes, Joan; Rutz, Rebecca

2007-01-01

Subsequent to hurricane Katrina, Mississippi Gulf Coast businesses are rebuilding and rewriting rules. This catastrophic event has offered the coast a tremendous opportunity to write new rules furthering the redevelopment and expansion of international trade through the ports of Gulfport and Pascagoula and the expansion of the tourism industry.

Theory of "laser distillation" of enantiomers: purification of a racemic mixture of randomly oriented dimethylallene in a collisional environment.

PubMed

Gerbasi, David; Shapiro, Moshe; Brumer, Paul

2006-02-21

Enantiomeric control of 1,3 dimethylallene in a collisional environment is examined. Specifically, our previous "laser distillation" scenario wherein three perpendicular linearly polarized light fields are applied to excite a set of vib-rotational eigenstates of a randomly oriented sample is considered. The addition of internal conversion, dissociation, decoherence, and collisional relaxation mimics experimental conditions and molecular decay processes. Of greatest relevance is internal conversion which, in the case of dimethylallene, is followed by molecular dissociation. For various rates of internal conversion, enantiomeric control is maintained in this scenario by a delicate balance between collisional relaxation of excited dimethylallene that enhances control and collisional dephasing, which diminishes control.

Cryptanalysis and Improvement of an Image Encryption Scheme Using Fourier Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, Musheer; Doja, M. N.; Beg, M. M. Sufyan

2017-12-01

This paper proposes cryptanalysis of an image encryption scheme reported in (Khan, J Vib Control 21(16):3450-3455, 2015). The encryption scheme synthesized nonlinear substitution-box using Fourier series to accomplish encryption of color images. Security investigation unveils that the scheme has inherent flaws which can be exploited by an attacker to reveal the plain-image information. We show that the encryption scheme is breakable under chosen-plaintext attack without owning secret key. The simulation analyses bring to notice that Khan's scheme is insecure for encryption of images during secure communication. Besides, an improved image encryption scheme is proposed which is backed up by better statistical results and performance.

Bayesian identification of acoustic impedance in treated ducts.

PubMed

Buot de l'Épine, Y; Chazot, J-D; Ville, J-M

2015-07-01

The noise reduction of a liner placed in the nacelle of a turbofan engine is still difficult to predict due to the lack of knowledge of its acoustic impedance that depends on grazing flow profile, mode order, and sound pressure level. An eduction method, based on a Bayesian approach, is presented here to adjust an impedance model of the liner from sound pressures measured in a rectangular treated duct under multimodal propagation and flow. The cost function is regularized with prior information provided by Guess's [J. Sound Vib. 40, 119-137 (1975)] impedance of a perforated plate. The multi-parameter optimization is achieved with an Evolutionary-Markov-Chain-Monte-Carlo algorithm.

Semiconducting glasses with flux pinning inclusions

DOEpatents

Johnson, William L.; Poon, Siu-Joe; Duwez, Pol E.

1981-01-01

A series of amorphous superconducting glassy alloys containing 1% to 10% by volume of flux pinning crystalline inclusions have been found to have potentially useful properties as high field superconducting magnet materials. The alloys are prepared by splat cooling by the piston and anvil technique. The alloys have the composition (TM).sub.90-70 (M).sub.10-30 where TM is a transition metal selected from at least one metal of Groups IVB, VB, VIB, VIIB or VIIIB of the Periodic Table such as Nb, Mo, Ru, Zr, Ta, W or Re and M is at least one metalloid such as B, P, C, N, Si, Ge or Al.

High-temperature corrosion-resistant iron-aluminide (FeAl) alloys exhibiting improved weldability

DOEpatents

Maziasz, Philip J.; Goodwin, Gene M.; Liu, Chain T.

1996-01-01

This invention relates to improved corrosion-resistant iron-aluminide intermetallic alloys. The alloys of this invention comprise, in atomic percent, from about 30% to about 40% aluminum alloyed with from about 0.1% to about 0.5% carbon, no more than about 0.04% boron such that the atomic weight ratio of boron to carbon in the alloy is in the range of from about 0.01:1 to about 0.08:1, from about 0.01 to about 3.5% of one or more transition metals selected from Group IVB, VB, and VIB elements and the balance iron wherein the alloy exhibits improved resistance to hot cracking during welding.

Hydrocracking with a zeolite in an alumina binder peptized in the presence of a surfactant

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

O'Hara, M.J.

A process for the conversion of a hydrocarbon charge stock is disclosed. The process comprises reacting the charge stock with hydrogen at hydrocracking conditions in contact with a catalytic composite having improved selectivity to middle distillate product during hydrocracking. The catalyst composite comprises alumina, a crystalline aluminosilicate, a Group VIB metal component and a Group VIII metal component and is prepared by the method comprising: admixing the alumina and crystalline aluminosilicate with a peptizing agent and an aqueous solution of a modified linear aliphatic polyether surfactant to form a dough; extruding the dough into discrete particles; and calcining and dryingmore » the particles.« less

NERVA dynamic analysis methodology, SPRVIB

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vronay, D. F.

1972-01-01

The general dynamic computer code called SPRVIB (Spring Vib) developed in support of the NERVA (nuclear engine for rocket vehicle application) program is described. Using normal mode techniques, the program computes kinematical responses of a structure caused by various combinations of harmonic and elliptic forcing functions or base excitations. Provision is made for a graphical type of force or base excitation input to the structure. A description of the required input format and a listing of the program are presented, along with several examples illustrating the use of the program. SPRVIB is written in FORTRAN 4 computer language for use on the CDC 6600 or the IBM 360/75 computers.

Selective suppression of autocatalytic caspase-3 driven by two-step transcriptional amplified human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter on ovarian carcinoma growth in vitro and in mice.

PubMed

Song, Yue; Xin, Xing; Xia, Zhijun; Zhai, Xingyue; Shen, Keng

2014-07-01

The objective of our study was to construct recombinant adenovirus (rAd) AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3, which expresses autocatalytic caspase-3 driven by human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (hTERTp) with a two-step transcription amplification (TSTA) system and investigate its antitumor effects on ovarian cancer in vitro and in vivo. Fluorescent detection was used to detect EGFP expression in various cells. Cell viabilities were determined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry. RT-PCR and immunoblotting assays were used to detect cellular apoptotic activities. Tumor growth and survival of tumor-bearing mice were studied. The hTERTp-TSTA system showed the strongest activity in hTERT-positive cancer cells when compared with hTERTp and cytomeglovirus promoter (CMVp). In contrast, it showed no activity in hTERT‑negative HUVECs. AdHTVP2G5‑rev-casp3 markedly suppressed the survival of AO cells in a dose-dependent modality with a viability rate of 17.8 ± 3.5% at an MOI of 70, which was significantly lower than that by AdHT-rev-casp3 and Ad-rev-casp3 (rAds which express rev-caspase-3 driven by hTERTp and CMVp, respectively). In contrast, AdHTVP2G5‑rev-casp3 induced little HUVEC death with a viability rate of 92.7 ± 5.2% at the same MOI. Additionally, AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3 (MOI=70) caused significant apoptosis in AO cells with an apoptotic rate of 42%. The tumor growth suppression rate of AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3 was 81.52%, significantly higher than that of AdHT-rev-casp3 (54.94%) or Ad-rev-casp3 (21.35%). AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3 significantly improved the survival of tumor-bearing mice with little liver damage, with a mean survival of 258 ± 28 days. These results showed that AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3 caused effective apoptosis with significant tumor selectivity, strongly suppressed tumor growth and improved mouse survival with little liver toxicity. It can be a potent therapeutic agent for tumor targeted treatment of ovarian cancer.

Title VI-B Evaluation Report 1976-77. New York State Education for the Handicapped Act.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cronk, George A., Jr.

The report summarizes pupil behavioral change data from 176 instructional projects involving handicapped children in New York state. Data are presented for reading achievement, mathematics achievement, and a broad category that encompassed language arts, corrective speech, psychomotor, auditory and visual perceptions, personal hygiene, societal…

Symmetrical refolding of protein domains and subunits: example of the dimeric two-domain 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenases.

PubMed

Gráczer, Eva; Varga, Andrea; Melnik, Bogdan; Semisotnov, Gennady; Závodszky, Péter; Vas, Mária

2009-02-10

The refolding mechanism of the homodimeric two-domain 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase (IPMDH) from the organisms adapted to different temperatures, Thermus thermophilus (Tt), Escherichia coli (Ec), and Vibrio sp. I5 (Vib), is described. In all three cases, instead of a self-template mechanism, the high extent of symmetry and cooperativity in folding of subunits and domains have been concluded from the following experimental findings: The complex time course of refolding, monitored by Trp fluorescence, consists of a fast (the rate constant varies as 16.5, 25.0, and 11.7 min-1 in the order of Tt, Ec, and Vib IPMDHs) and a slow (the rate constants are 0.11, 0.80, and 0.23 min-1 for the three different species) first-order process. However, a burst increase of Trp fluorescence anisotropy to the value of the native states indicates that in all three cases the association of the two polypeptide chains occurs at the beginning of refolding. This dimeric species binds the substrate IPM, but the native-like interactions of the tertiary and quaternary structures are only formed during the slow phase of refolding, accompanied by further increase of protein fluorescence and appearance of FRET between Trp side chain(s) and the bound NADH. Joining the contacting arms of each subunit also takes place exclusively during this slow phase. To monitor refolding of each domain within the intact molecule of T. thermophilus IPMDH, Trp's (located in separate domains) were systematically replaced with Phe's. The refolding processes of the mutants were followed by measuring changes in Trp fluorescence and in FRET between the particular Trp and NADH. The high similarity of time courses (both in biphasicity and in their rates) strongly suggests cooperative folding of the domains during formation of the native three-dimensional structure of IPMDH.

Tectonic movements along the Anegada Passage derived from GPS Observations (2008-2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, H.; Wang, G.

2017-12-01

The Anegada Passage system, mainly includes the Virgin Islands Basin (VIB), Anegada Gap, and the Sombrero Basin, are located within the tectonically complex plate boundary zone between the North America and Caribbean plates. It separated the Puerto Rico and Northern Virgin Islands (PRNVI) block from St. Croix and Anguilla. Long-term seismic observations indicated that this region still faces high risk from earthquakes. This study used current GPS geodesy infrastructure in the Northeastern Caribbean region, which includes high densely GPS stations on PRNVI block and northern Lesser Antilles and a stable PRNVI reference frame (SPRNVIRF). Current GPS geodesy infrastructure in the PRVI region makes it possible to precisely delineate minor tectonic motions (1 to 2 mm/year) within the northeastern Caribbean region. The carrier phase Double-Difference (DD) and Precise Point Positioning (PPP) post-processing methods are both used to processing GPS data. Over ten years of GPS observations indicate that the St. Croix Island is moving away from the PRVI block toward southeast with a velocity of 1.8 ± 0.2 mm/year; there is not considerable relative motions between the Saint Martin Island and the PRVI block. The Saint Martin Island is located at the south side of the Anegada Gap. The GPS and seismic observations along the two sides of the Anegada passage suggest that the west segment (VIB) of the passage retains active, while the east segment is presently inactive. The Virgin Islands basin presently experiences left-lateral motion in a nearly east-west direction with a velocity of about 1.2 mm/year and an extension in a nearly north-south direction with a velocity of about 1.3 mm/year. The quantitative measurements derived from GPS observations would improve seismic hazard assessment in the Anegada Passage region.

Testing Room-Temperature Ionic Liquid Solutions for Depot Repair of Aluminum Coatings

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

Ne 3 Na Mg IIIB IVB VB VIB VIIB ------ VIIIB ------ IB IIB Al Si P S Cl Ar 4 K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr 5 Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc...Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe 6 Cs Ba La Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn 7 Fr Ra Ac Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu Th Pa U Np...Electroplating Bath Lid Arrangement ;:::::::::::=== Thermometer Purge gas vent Anode lead Cathode lead (Extractable from the lid) Purge feed gas

NanoPack: visualizing and processing long read sequencing data.

PubMed

De Coster, Wouter; D'Hert, Svenn; Schultz, Darrin T; Cruts, Marc; Van Broeckhoven, Christine

2018-03-14

Here we describe NanoPack, a set of tools developed for visualization and processing of long read sequencing data from Oxford Nanopore Technologies and Pacific Biosciences. The NanoPack tools are written in Python3 and released under the GNU GPL3.0 License. The source code can be found at https://github.com/wdecoster/nanopack, together with links to separate scripts and their documentation. The scripts are compatible with Linux, Mac OS and the MS Windows 10 subsystem for Linux and are available as a graphical user interface, a web service at http://nanoplot.bioinf.be and command line tools. wouter.decoster@molgen.vib-ua.be. Supplementary tables and figures are available at Bioinformatics online.

High-temperature corrosion-resistant iron-aluminide (FeAl) alloys exhibiting improved weldability

DOEpatents

Maziasz, P.J.; Goodwin, G.M.; Liu, C.T.

1996-08-13

This invention relates to improved corrosion-resistant iron-aluminide intermetallic alloys. The alloys of this invention comprise, in atomic percent, from about 30% to about 40% aluminum alloyed with from about 0.1% to about 0.5% carbon, no more than about 0.04% boron such that the atomic weight ratio of boron to carbon in the alloy is in the range of from about 0.01:1 to about 0.08:1, from about 0.01 to about 3.5% of one or more transition metals selected from Group IVB, VB, and VIB elements and the balance iron wherein the alloy exhibits improved resistance to hot cracking during welding. 13 figs.

A Study to Determine the Optimal Frequency for Conducting Periodic Dental Examinations, Recruit Needs. Part II.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

06 NO V16 - POST ENDO .04 .02 .04 NO .14 .06 NO V17 - PROPHYLAXIS .92 .95 .92 NO .87 .91 NO V18 - SCALING .74 .88 .76 YES .79 .76 NO V19 - PERIO TX .05... ENDO M .04 .25 .02 .16 F 0 0 0 0 V17 - PROPHYLAXIS M .92 .26 .94 .22 F .86 .35 1.00 0 V18 - SCALING M .74 .43 .87 .33 F .60 .50 1.00 0 V19 - PERIO TX M...1033 0 .0863 NO V16 - POST ENDO .1268 .0714 .1176 NO V17 - PROPHYLAXIS .3405 .3524 .3424 NO VIB - SCALING .1400 .1674 .1445 YES V19 - PERIO TX .3439

Hot gas, regenerative, supported H.sub.2 S sorbents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voecks, Gerald E. (Inventor); Sharma, Pramod K. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

Efficient, regenerable sorbents for removal of H.sub.2 S from moderately high temperature (usually 200.degree. C.-550.degree.C.) gas streams comprise a porous, high surface area aluminosilicate support, suitably a zeolite, and most preferably a sodium deficient zeolite containing 1 to 20 weight percent of binary metal oxides. The binary oxides are a mixture of a Group VB or VIB metal oxide with a Group IB, IIB or VIII metal oxide such as V-Zn-O, V-Cu-O, Cu-Mo-O, Zn-Mo-O or Fe-Mo-O contained in the support. The sorbent effectively removes H.sub.2 S from the host gas stream in high efficiency and can be repetitively regenerated at least 10 times without loss of activity.

Development of a μO-Conotoxin Analogue with Improved Lipid Membrane Interactions and Potency for the Analgesic Sodium Channel NaV1.8*

PubMed Central

Deuis, Jennifer R.; Dekan, Zoltan; Inserra, Marco C.; Lee, Tzong-Hsien; Aguilar, Marie-Isabel; Craik, David J.; Lewis, Richard J.; Alewood, Paul F.; Mobli, Mehdi; Schroeder, Christina I.; Henriques, Sónia Troeira; Vetter, Irina

2016-01-01

The μO-conotoxins MrVIA, MrVIB, and MfVIA inhibit the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.8, a well described target for the treatment of pain; however, little is known about the residues or structural elements that define this activity. In this study, we determined the three-dimensional structure of MfVIA, examined its membrane binding properties, performed alanine-scanning mutagenesis, and identified residues important for its activity at human NaV1.8. A second round of mutations resulted in (E5K,E8K)MfVIA, a double mutant with greater positive surface charge and greater affinity for lipid membranes compared with MfVIA. This analogue had increased potency at NaV1.8 and was analgesic in the mouse formalin assay. PMID:27026701

Export Control Requirements for Tritium Processing Design and R&D

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

Hollis, William Kirk; Maynard, Sarah-Jane Wadsworth

This document will address requirements of export control associated with tritium plant design and processes. Los Alamos National Laboratory has been working in the area of tritium plant system design and research and development (R&D) since the early 1970’s at the Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA). This work has continued to the current date with projects associated with the ITER project and other Office of Science Fusion Energy Science (OS-FES) funded programs. ITER is currently the highest funding area for the DOE OS-FES. Although export control issues have been integrated into these projects in the past a general guidance documentmore » has not been available for reference in this area. To address concerns with currently funded tritium plant programs and assist future projects for FES, this document will identify the key reference documents and specific sections within related to tritium research. Guidance as to the application of these sections will be discussed with specific detail to publications and work with foreign nationals.« less

Export Control Requirements for Tritium Processing Design and R&D

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

Hollis, William Kirk; Maynard, Sarah-Jane Wadsworth

2015-10-30

This document will address requirements of export control associated with tritium plant design and processes. Los Alamos National Laboratory has been working in the area of tritium plant system design and research and development (R&D) since the early 1970’s at the Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA). This work has continued to the current date with projects associated with the ITER project and other Office of Science Fusion Energy Science (OS-FES) funded programs. ITER is currently the highest funding area for the DOE OS-FES. Although export control issues have been integrated into these projects in the past a general guidance documentmore » has not been available for reference in this area. To address concerns with currently funded tritium plant programs and assist future projects for FES, this document will identify the key reference documents and specific sections within related to tritium research. Guidance as to the application of these sections will be discussed with specific detail to publications and work with foreign nationals.« less

Regeneration and tritium recovery from the large JET neutral injection cryopump system after the FTE

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

Obert, W.; Bell, A.; Davies, J.

1992-12-01

Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) was used to introduce tritium into the plasma for the First Tritium Experiment In addition to the decisive advantage of depositing the tritium into the centre of the plasma, the use of NBI also minimized the total quantity of tritium introduced into the Torus and the contamination of the vacuum vessel. However, because of the relatively low gas efficiency of the positive ion injection system approximately 95% of the total quantity of tritium introduced was pumped by the large condensation cryopumps which form an integral part of the injector. Several hardware and associated software changes weremore » implemented in order to making provision for possible fault scenarios during operation with tritium and to ensure complete regeneration of the tritium from the cryopumps. The tritium released after all subsequent regeneration`s has been monitored carefully in order to determine the amount of tritium retained by the black anodized liquid nitrogen panel surfaces of the cryopump and to compare it with experiments at TSTA on JET samples before the FTE.« less

Regeneration and tritium recovery from the large JET neutral injection cryopump system after the FTE. [First Tritium Experiment (FTE)

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

Obert, W.; Bell, A.; Davies, J.

1992-01-01

Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) was used to introduce tritium into the plasma for the First Tritium Experiment In addition to the decisive advantage of depositing the tritium into the centre of the plasma, the use of NBI also minimized the total quantity of tritium introduced into the Torus and the contamination of the vacuum vessel. However, because of the relatively low gas efficiency of the positive ion injection system approximately 95% of the total quantity of tritium introduced was pumped by the large condensation cryopumps which form an integral part of the injector. Several hardware and associated software changes weremore » implemented in order to making provision for possible fault scenarios during operation with tritium and to ensure complete regeneration of the tritium from the cryopumps. The tritium released after all subsequent regeneration's has been monitored carefully in order to determine the amount of tritium retained by the black anodized liquid nitrogen panel surfaces of the cryopump and to compare it with experiments at TSTA on JET samples before the FTE.« less

Truck Noise VIB : A Baseline Study of the Parameters Affecting Diesel Engine Intake and Exhaust Silencer Design

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-01-01

A survey of diesel engine, truck, intake system, and exhaust system manufacturers was made for the purpose of compiling detailed information on all major mass-produced diesel engines currently used in the United States for trucks and buses, and on ex...

Spiral chain structure of high pressure selenium-II{sup '} and sulfur-II from powder x-ray diffraction

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

Fujihisa, Hiroshi; Yamawaki, Hiroshi; Sakashita, Mami

2004-10-01

The structure of high pressure phases, selenium-II{sup '} (Se-II{sup '}) and sulfur-II (S-II), for {alpha}-Se{sub 8} (monoclinic Se-I) and {alpha}-S{sub 8} (orthorhombic S-I) was studied by powder x-ray diffraction experiments. Se-II{sup '} and S-II were found to be isostructural and to belong to the tetragonal space group I4{sub 1}/acd, which is made up of 16 atoms in the unit cell. The structure consisted of unique spiral chains with both 4{sub 1} and 4{sub 3} screws. The results confirmed that the structure sequence of the pressure-induced phase transitions for the group VIb elements depended on the initial molecular form. The chemicalmore » bonds of the phases are also discussed from the interatomic distances that were obtained.« less

[Construction of autocatalytic caspase-3 driven by amplified human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter and its enhanced efficacy of inducing apoptosis in human ovarian carcinoma].

PubMed

Song, Yue; Shen, Keng; He, Chun-Xia

2007-09-01

To construct recombinant adenoviral vector expressing autocatalysis caspase-3 driven by human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter amplified by two-step transcription amplification (hTERTp-TSTA), and investigate its antitumor effect in ovarian cancer in vitro and in vivo. Recombinant adenoviruses expressing autocatalytic caspase-3 (rev-caspase-3) driven by hTERTp-TSTA were prepared, which were named as AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3. AdHT-rev-casp3, Ad-rev-casp3 and AdHTVP2G5-EGEP, which express rev-caspase-3 driven by hTERTp, cytomegalovirus promoter (CMVp) and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), respectively, were used as controls. Western blot, cell counting kit (CCK-8), flow cytometry (FCM) and TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) were used to detect the expression of p17, active subunit of caspase-3, and p85, and to measure cell survival rates, apoptotic rates and cell cycle distribution in ovarian cell line AO and normal human umbilical vein endothelial cell line HUVEC, following treatments of AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3. subcutaneous tumor models and abdominally spread tumor models of human ovarian carcinoma using AO cells in BALB/c nude mice were established. Following treatments of AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3, western blot was used to detect the expression of active caspase-3 in abdominally spread tumors and liver tissues, respectively, and the mouse survival rates and the volume of tumor nodules were measured, and the serum level of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) were analyzed to monitor liver damages and HE staining was used to detect the histopathological changes of various organs. The levels of p17 expression in AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3-treated AO cells were significantly higher than that in Ad-rev-casp3 or AdHT-rev-casp3 treated AO cells, while no expression was observed in AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3-treated HUVEC. There was strong cell killing of AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3 of hTERT positive AO cells, but not of the hTERT-negative HUVEC cells

[Hybrids of human and monkey adenoviruses (adeno-adeno hybrids) that can reproduce in monkey cells: biological and molecular genetic peculiarities].

PubMed

Grinenko, N F; Savitskaia, N V; Pashvykina, G V; Al'tshteĭn, A D

2003-06-01

A highly oncogenic monkey adenovirus SA7(C8) facilitates the reproduction of human adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) in monkey cells. Upon mixed infection of monkey cells with both viruses, these viruses recombine producing defective adeno-adeno hybrids Ad2C8 serologically identical to Ad2 and capable of assisting Ad2 to reproduce in monkey cells. Ad2C8 and Ad2 form an intercomplementary pair inseparable in monkey cells. Unlike oncogenic SA7(C8), Ad2C8 is a nononcogenic virus for hamsters but is able to induce tumor antigens of this virus (T and TSTA). Molecular genetic analysis of 68 clones of adeno-adeno hybrids revealed that the left part of their genome consists of Ad2 DNA, and the right part contains no less than 40% of the viral SA7(C8) genome where E2A, E3, and E4 genes are located. Apparently, the products of these genes contribute to the composition of adenoviral tumor antigens, while the E4 gene is involved in complementation of monkey and human adenoviruses and makes a contribution to host range determination of these viruses.

Enhanced Incretin Effects of Exendin-4 Expressing Chimeric Plasmid Based On Two-Step Transcription Amplification System with Dendritic Bioreducible Polymer for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

PubMed Central

Kim, Pyung-Hwan; Lee, Minhyung; Nam, Kihoon; Kim, Sung Wan

2014-01-01

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonist, exenxdin-4, is currently being advanced as a promising diabetes remedy via a variety of incretin actions similar with GLP-1. In this study, we investigated an effective anti-diabetic therapy via exendin-4 expressing chimeric plasmid based on two-step transcription amplification (TSTA) system with dendrimer-type bioreducible polymer for more improved incretin-based gene therapy. Arginine-grafted poly (cystaminebisacrylamide-diaminohexane) (ABP)-conjugated poly (amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimer (PAM-ABP) was used as gene carrier. PAM-ABP/chimeric DNA polyplex was markedly elevated exendin-4 expression in ectopic cells as well as increased insulin production through an enhanced activation of protein kinase K (PKA) induced by up-regulation of exendin-4-stimulated cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in pancreatic β-cell. Consistent with these results, intravenous administration of PAM-ABP/chimeric DNA polyplex improved glucoregulotory effects, as well as increased insulin secretion by high expression of exendin-4 in blood in type 2 diabetic mice with no any toxicity. Our exendin-4 system can be attributed to provide a potential diabetes therapeutic agent for improved incretin gene therapy. PMID:24839613

The evolution of pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) in Great Britain: a molecular epidemiological study.

PubMed

Aldous, E W; Fuller, C M; Ridgeon, J H; Irvine, R M; Alexander, D J; Brown, I H

2014-04-01

Newcastle disease (ND), caused by virulent strains of avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1), is considered throughout the world as one of the most important animal diseases. For over three decades now, there has been a continuing panzootic caused by a variant virulent APMV-1 strain, so-called pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1), primarily in racing pigeons, which has also spread to wild birds and poultry. PPMV-1 isolations have been made in Great Britain every year since 1983. In this study, we have completed a comparative phylogenetic analysis based on a 374 nucleotide section of the fusion protein gene of 63 isolates of PPMV-1 that were isolated over a 26-year period; 43 of these were sequenced for this study. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences revealed that all were closely related and placed in the genetic sublineage 4b (VIb), subdivision 4biif. © 2012 Crown copyright.

Title VI-B, Education of the Handicapped Act Annual Program Plan Fiscal Year 1979-Kansas State Department of Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kansas State Dept. of Education, Topeka.

The Kansas state plan for FY 1979 includes information on the following topics: full educational opportunities goal, policy on priorities, child identification, personnel development, individualized education program, procedural safeguards, least restrictive environment, protection in evaluation procedures, participation of private school…

Alkali metal-refractory metal biphase electrode for AMTEC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Roger M. (Inventor); Bankston, Clyde P. (Inventor); Cole, Terry (Inventor); Khanna, Satish K. (Inventor); Jeffries-Nakamura, Barbara (Inventor); Wheeler, Bob L. (Inventor)

1989-01-01

An electrode having increased output with slower degradation is formed of a film applied to a beta-alumina solid electrolyte (BASE). The film comprises a refractory first metal M.sup.1 such as a platinum group metal, suitably platinum or rhodium, capable of forming a liquid or a strong surface adsorption phase with sodium at the operating temperature of an alkali metal thermoelectric converter (AMTEC) and a second refractory metal insoluble in sodium or the NaM.sup.1 liquid phase such as a Group IVB, VB or VIB metal, suitably tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum or niobium. The liquid phase or surface film provides fast transport through the electrode while the insoluble refractory metal provides a structural matrix for the electrode during operation. A trilayer structure that is stable and not subject to deadhesion comprises a first, thin layer of tungsten, an intermediate co-deposited layer of tungsten-platinum and a thin surface layer of platinum.

Cellular microbiology and molecular ecology of Legionella-amoeba interaction.

PubMed

Richards, Ashley M; Von Dwingelo, Juanita E; Price, Christopher T; Abu Kwaik, Yousef

2013-05-15

Legionella pneumophila is an aquatic organism that interacts with amoebae and ciliated protozoa as the natural hosts, and this interaction plays a central role in bacterial ecology and infectivity. Upon transmission to humans, L. pneumophila infect and replicate within alveolar macrophages causing pneumonia. Intracellular proliferation of L. pneumophila within the two evolutionarily distant hosts is facilitated by bacterial exploitation of evolutionarily conserved host processes that are targeted by bacterial protein effectors injected into the host cell by the Dot/Icm type VIB translocation system. Although cysteine is semi-essential for humans and essential for amoeba, it is a metabolically favorable source of carbon and energy generation by L. pneumophila. To counteract host limitation of cysteine, L. pneumophila utilizes the AnkB Dot/Icm-translocated F-box effector to promote host proteasomal degradation of polyubiquitinated proteins within amoebae and human cells. Evidence indicates ankB and other Dot/Icm-translocated effector genes have been acquired through inter-kingdom horizontal gene transfer.

Expansion of an exotic species and concomitant disease outbreaks: pigeon paramyxovirus in free-ranging Eurasian collared doves.

PubMed

Schuler, Krysten L; Green, David E; Justice-Allen, Anne E; Jaffe, Rosemary; Cunningham, Mark; Thomas, Nancy J; Spalding, Marilyn G; Ip, Hon S

2012-06-01

Eurasian collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto) have expanded their range across the United States since their introduction several decades ago. Recent mortality events in Eurasian collared doves in Arizona and Montana, USA, during the winter of 2009-2010 were the result of pigeon paramyxovirus (PPMV), a novel disease agent. The first instance of mortality by this emerging infectious disease in this species occurred in Florida in 2001 with subsequent disease events in 2006 and 2008. Full diagnostic necropsies were performed on carcasses from the three states. PPMV was identified by RT-PCR and virus isolation and was sequenced to the VIb genotype of avian paramyxovirus-1 (APMV). Other APMVs are common in a variety of free-ranging birds, but concern is warranted because of the potential for commingling of this species with native birds, virus evolution, and threats to domestic poultry. Improved surveillance for wildlife mortality events and efforts to prevent introduction of non-native animals could reduce the threat of introducing new pathogens.

Root finding in the complex plane for seismo-acoustic propagation scenarios with Green's function solutions.

PubMed

McCollom, Brittany A; Collis, Jon M

2014-09-01

A normal mode solution to the ocean acoustic problem of the Pekeris waveguide with an elastic bottom using a Green's function formulation for a compressional wave point source is considered. Analytic solutions to these types of waveguide propagation problems are strongly dependent on the eigenvalues of the problem; these eigenvalues represent horizontal wavenumbers, corresponding to propagating modes of energy. The eigenvalues arise as singularities in the inverse Hankel transform integral and are specified by roots to a characteristic equation. These roots manifest themselves as poles in the inverse transform integral and can be both subtle and difficult to determine. Following methods previously developed [S. Ivansson et al., J. Sound Vib. 161 (1993)], a root finding routine has been implemented using the argument principle. Using the roots to the characteristic equation in the Green's function formulation, full-field solutions are calculated for scenarios where an acoustic source lies in either the water column or elastic half space. Solutions are benchmarked against laboratory data and existing numerical solutions.

Characterization and Epidemiology of Pigeon Paramyxovirus Type-1 Viruses (PPMV-1) Isolated in Macedonia.

PubMed

Dodovski, A; Cvetkovikj, I; Krstevski, K; Naletoski, I; Savić, Vladimir

2017-06-01

We have characterized in this study 10 PPMV-1 isolated from domestic pigeons and one PPMV-1 isolated from a feral pigeon in the period 2007-2012, using both classical methods (HI test and ICPI test) and molecular methods (RT-qPCR, RT-PCR, and nucleotide sequencing). Using phylogenetic analysis of partial fusion gene sequences, these viruses clustered with recent European PPMV-1 isolates (EU/re) within the genotype VIb/1. All isolates possessed virulent cleavage site motifs with variable morbidity and mortality in pigeons. The intracerebral pathogenecity indices of the five isolates ranged from 0.59 to 1.53. The repetitive isolation of PPMV-1 viruses for several consecutive years led toward establishing enzootic presence of the disease in pigeons. A high nucleotide sequence homology between the Macedonian isolates and EU/re isolates was shown. Co-circulation of different isolates in the same holdings was detected. This is the first study to extensively describe the molecular epidemiology of PPMV-1 isolated in Macedonia.

Chemical vapor deposition of Mo thin films from Mo(CO){sub 6}

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

Sharma, P.; Bond, J.; Westmore, T.

1995-12-01

Low levels of carbon and/or oxygen contamination in metallic thin films significantly alter the physical and chemical properties of these films often rendering them useless for any commercial applications. These impurities are often observed in films grown by a technique called metallorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). MOCVD films are grown by heating a substrate in the presence of a metallorganic precursor. We wish to identify the source(s) of contamination in films produced from the Group VIB metal hexacarbonyls, M(CO){sub 6}. Towards attaining this goal we have initiated studies on the elemental composition of thin films deposited by MOCVD using Mo(CO){submore » 6} as the precursor. The results obtained so far indicate that the level of contamination of the films partially depends on the deposition temperature. Our results will be compared to published work on films deposited by laser assisted CVD from Mo(CO){sub 6}.« less

Cellular microbiology and molecular ecology of Legionella–amoeba interaction

PubMed Central

Richards, Ashley M.; Von Dwingelo, Juanita E.; Price, Christopher T.; Abu Kwaik, Yousef

2013-01-01

Legionella pneumophila is an aquatic organism that interacts with amoebae and ciliated protozoa as the natural hosts, and this interaction plays a central role in bacterial ecology and infectivity. Upon transmission to humans, L. pneumophila infect and replicate within alveolar macrophages causing pneumonia. Intracellular proliferation of L. pneumophila within the two evolutionarily distant hosts is facilitated by bacterial exploitation of evolutionarily conserved host processes that are targeted by bacterial protein effectors injected into the host cell by the Dot/Icm type VIB translocation system. Although cysteine is semi-essential for humans and essential for amoeba, it is a metabolically favorable source of carbon and energy generation by L. pneumophila. To counteract host limitation of cysteine, L. pneumophila utilizes the AnkB Dot/Icm-translocated F-box effector to promote host proteasomal degradation of polyubiquitinated proteins within amoebae and human cells. Evidence indicates ankB and other Dot/Icm-translocated effector genes have been acquired through inter-kingdom horizontal gene transfer. PMID:23535283

Expansion of an exotic species and concomitant disease outbreaks: pigeon paramyxovirus in free-ranging Eurasian collared doves

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schuler, Krysten L.; Green, David E.; Justice-Allen, Anne E.; Jaffe, Rosemary; Cunningham, Mark; Thomas, Nancy J.; Spalding, Marilyn G.; Ip, Hon S.

2012-01-01

Eurasian collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto) have expanded their range across the United States since their introduction several decades ago. Recent mortality events in Eurasian collared doves in Arizona and Montana, USA, during the winter of 2009-2010 were the result of pigeon paramyxovirus (PPMV), a novel disease agent. The first instance of mortality by this emerging infectious disease in this species occurred in Florida in 2001 with subsequent disease events in 2006 and 2008. Full diagnostic necropsies were performed on carcasses from the three states. PPMV was identified by RT-PCR and virus isolation and was sequenced to the VIb genotype of avian paramyxovirus-1 (APMV). Other APMVs are common in a variety of free-ranging birds, but concern is warranted because of the potential for commingling of this species with native birds, virus evolution, and threats to domestic poultry. Improved surveillance for wildlife mortality events and efforts to prevent introduction of non-native animals could reduce the threat of introducing new pathogens.

Vibrational spectral investigation on xanthine and its derivatives—theophylline, caffeine and theobromine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunasekaran, S.; Sankari, G.; Ponnusamy, S.

2005-01-01

A normal coordinate analysis has been carried out on four compounds having a similar ring structure with different side chain substitutions, which are xanthine, caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine. Xanthine is chemically known as 2,6-dihydroxy purine. Caffeine, theophylline and theobromine are methylated xanthines. Considering the methyl groups as point mass, the number of normal modes of vibrations can be distributed as Γ vib=27 A'+12 A″ based on C s point group symmetry associated with the structures. In the present work 15 A' and 12 A″ normal modes are considered. A new set of orthonormal symmetry co-ordinates have been constructed. Wilson's F- G matrix method has been adopted for the normal coordinate analysis. A satisfactory vibrational band assignment has been made by employing the FTIR and FT Raman spectra of the compounds. The potential energy distribution is calculated with the arrived values of the force constants and hence the agreement of the frequency assignment has been checked.

Application of dragonfly algorithm for optimal performance analysis of process parameters in turn-mill operations- A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vikram, K. Arun; Ratnam, Ch; Lakshmi, VVK; Kumar, A. Sunny; Ramakanth, RT

2018-02-01

Meta-heuristic multi-response optimization methods are widely in use to solve multi-objective problems to obtain Pareto optimal solutions during optimization. This work focuses on optimal multi-response evaluation of process parameters in generating responses like surface roughness (Ra), surface hardness (H) and tool vibration displacement amplitude (Vib) while performing operations like tangential and orthogonal turn-mill processes on A-axis Computer Numerical Control vertical milling center. Process parameters like tool speed, feed rate and depth of cut are considered as process parameters machined over brass material under dry condition with high speed steel end milling cutters using Taguchi design of experiments (DOE). Meta-heuristic like Dragonfly algorithm is used to optimize the multi-objectives like ‘Ra’, ‘H’ and ‘Vib’ to identify the optimal multi-response process parameters combination. Later, the results thus obtained from multi-objective dragonfly algorithm (MODA) are compared with another multi-response optimization technique Viz. Grey relational analysis (GRA).

Vibration and shock exposure of maintenance-of-way vehicles in the railroad industry.

PubMed

Johanning, Eckardt

2011-05-01

The aim of this study is to investigate and compare vibration and shock measurements of maintenance-of-way vehicles used in the railroad industry for track maintenance and construction. Following international standards (i.e., ISO 2631-1: 1997) and professional guidelines the frequency weighted root-mean-square (r.m.s.) acceleration for each measurement axis, the vector sum, the seat effective amplitude transmissibility (SEAT), the crest factor (CF), the maximum transient vibration value (MTVV), the vibration dose value (VDV), the ratio and the newly proposed shock risk estimation factor 'R' for spinal injury according to ISO 2631-5:2004 were measured and calculated for seven different maintenance-of-way vehicles during revenue service. Furthermore, a proposed alternative spinal injury prediction method, the VibRisk model, which incorporates different typical driver postures and operator physical characteristics was included for comparison with the ISO 2631-5 risk prediction. The results of the vibration exposure measurements depended on vehicle type, track/surface conditions and seat properties, with the tamper and bulldozer showing the highest r.m.s. vibration values. The vector sum (a(v)) results ranged from 0.37 to 0.99 (m/s(2)). Five of seven track maintenance vehicles would exceed the current Whole-body Vibration ACGIH-TLV(®) guideline for an 8 h exposure duration in the vertical axis recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). The measured CF, MTVV/a(w) and VDV/(a(w)·T(1/4)) ratios were at or above the critical ratios in the majority of measurements given by the ISO 2631-1 (1997) and American industry guidelines by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH-TLV). Comparing both prediction models for vibration shock risk for parts of the lumbar spine, different risk predictions and inconsistencies were found. The VibRisk model generally suggests different and higher risk of vertebral

Vibrationally-Resolved Kinetic Isotope Effects in the Proton-Transfer Dynamics of Ground-State Tropolone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chew, Kathryn; Vealey, Zachary; Vaccaro, Patrick

2015-06-01

The vibrational and isotopic dependence of the hindered (tunneling-mediated) proton-transfer reaction taking place in the ground electronic state ( X1{A}1) of monodeuterated tropolone (TrOD) has been explored under ambient (bulk-gas) conditions by applying two-color variants of resonant four-wave mixing (RFWM) spectroscopy in conjunction with polarization-resolved detection schemes designed to alleviate spectral complexity and facilitate rovibrational assignments. Full rotation-tunneling analyses of high-resolution spectral profiles acquired for the fundamental and first-overtone bands of a reaction-promoting O-D\\cdotsO deformation/ring-breathing mode, νb{36}(a1), were performed, thereby extracting refined structural and dynamical information that affords benchmarks for the quantitative interpretation of tunneling-induced signatures found in long-range scans of X1{A}1 vibrational levels residing below Etilde{X}vib = 1700 wn}. Observed kinetic isotope effects, which reflect changes in both reaction kinematics and vibrational displacements, will be discussed, with high-level quantum-chemical calculations serving to elucidate state-resolved propensities for proton transfer in TrOH and TrOD.

Superconducting critical fields of alkali and alkaline-earth intercalates of MoS2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woollam, J. A.; Somoano, R. B.

1976-01-01

Results are reported for measurements of the critical-field anisotropy and temperature dependence of group-VIB semiconductor MoS2 intercalated with the alkali and alkaline-earth metals Na, K, Rb, Cs, and Sr. The temperature dependences are compared with present theories on the relation between critical field and transition temperature in the clean and dirty limits over the reduced-temperature range from 1 to 0.1. The critical-field anisotropy data are compared with predictions based on coupled-layers and thin-film ('independent-layers') models. It is found that the critical-field boundaries are steep in all cases, that the fields are greater than theoretical predictions at low temperatures, and that an unusual positive curvature in the temperature dependence appears which may be related to the high anisotropy of the layer structure. The results show that materials with the largest ionic intercalate atom diameters and hexagonal structures (K, Rb, and Cs compounds) have the highest critical temperatures, critical fields, and critical-boundary slopes; the critical fields of these materials are observed to exceed the paramagnetic limiting fields.

Valley excitons in two-dimensional semiconductors

DOE PAGES

Yu, Hongyi; Cui, Xiaodong; Xu, Xiaodong; ...

2014-12-30

Monolayer group-VIB transition metal dichalcogenides have recently emerged as a new class of semiconductors in the two-dimensional limit. The attractive properties include: the visible range direct band gap ideal for exploring optoelectronic applications; the intriguing physics associated with spin and valley pseudospin of carriers which implies potentials for novel electronics based on these internal degrees of freedom; the exceptionally strong Coulomb interaction due to the two-dimensional geometry and the large effective masses. The physics of excitons, the bound states of electrons and holes, has been one of the most actively studied topics on these two-dimensional semiconductors, where the excitons exhibitmore » remarkably new features due to the strong Coulomb binding, the valley degeneracy of the band edges, and the valley dependent optical selection rules for interband transitions. Here we give a brief overview of the experimental and theoretical findings on excitons in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides, with focus on the novel properties associated with their valley degrees of freedom.« less

Corrigendum to "A semi-empirical airfoil stall noise model based on surface pressure measurements" [J. Sound Vib. 387 (2017) 127-162

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertagnolio, Franck; Madsen, Helge Aa.; Fischer, Andreas; Bak, Christian

2018-06-01

In the above-mentioned paper, two model formulae were tuned to fit experimental data of surface pressure spectra measured in various wind tunnels. They correspond to high and low Reynolds number flow scalings, respectively. It turns out that there exist typographical errors in both formulae numbered (9) and (10) in the original paper. There, these formulae read:

Direct observation of methyl rotor and vib-rotor states of S0 toluene: a revised torsional barrier due to torsion-vibration coupling.

PubMed

Gascooke, Jason R; Virgo, Edwina A; Lawrance, Warren D

2015-01-14

We report a two dimensional, laser induced fluorescence study of the lowest 345 cm(-1) region of S0 toluene. Methyl rotor levels of 00 up to m = 6 and of 201 up to m = 4 are observed. The rotor levels of 00 and 201 have quite different energy spacings that are well fit by a model that includes strong torsion-vibration coupling between them. The model requires that the rotor barrier height be revised from -4.84 cm(-1) (methyl hydrogens in a staggered conformation) to +1.57 cm(-1) (eclipsed conformation). However, the 3a2″ state lies below the 3a1″ state as expected for a staggered conformation due to energy shifts associated with the torsion-vibration coupling. It is shown that the rotor wave-functions exhibit little localization at the torsional energy minima. The variation in the m = 0 wavefunction probability distribution with torsional angle is shown to be very similar for the previously accepted negative V6 value and the torsion-vibration coupling model as this coupling shifts the phase of the wavefunction by 30° compared with its phase for V6 alone. The presence of a strong Δυ = ± 1 torsion-vibration coupling involving the lowest frequency vibrational mode provides a potential pathway for rapid intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution at higher energies.

Preferential site occupancy of alloying elements in TiAl-based phases

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

Holec, David, E-mail: david.holec@unileoben.ac.at; Reddy, Rajeev K.; Klein, Thomas

2016-05-28

First principles calculations are used to study the preferential occupation of ternary alloying additions into the binary Ti-Al phases, namely, γ-TiAl, α{sub 2}-Ti{sub 3}Al, β{sub o}-TiAl, and B19-TiAl. While the early transition metals (TMs, group IVB, VB, and VIB elements) prefer to substitute for Ti atoms in the γ-, α{sub 2}-, and B19-phases, they preferentially occupy Al sites in the β{sub o}-TiAl. Si is, in this context, an anomaly, as it prefers to sit on the Al sublattice for all four phases. B and C are shown to prefer octahedral Ti-rich interstitial positions instead of substitutional incorporation. The site preferencemore » energy is linked with the alloying-induced changes of energy of formation, hence alloying-related (de)stabilisation of the phases. We further show that the phase-stabilisation effect of early TMs on β{sub o}-phase has a different origin depending on their valency. Finally, an extensive comparison of our predictions with available theoretical and experimental data (which is, however, limited mostly to the γ-phase) shows a consistent picture.« less

Effects of Mo-doping on microstructure and near-infrared shielding performance of hydrothermally prepared tungsten bronzes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qingjuan; Li, Can; Xu, Wenai; Zhao, Xiaolin; Zhu, Jingxin; Jiang, Haiwei; Kang, Litao; Zhao, Zhe

2017-03-01

Both Mo and W belong to VIB-sub-group, and possess similar ionic radii, electronegativity and oxide lattice configuration. Herein, Mo-doped (0-80 at.%) tungsten bronzes, MxWO3, were hydrothermally prepared to systematically explore the influence of Mo-doping on their micro-structure and optical performance. The products adopted a hexagonal structure within 6 at.% Mo-doping, and transformed into a monoclinic phase with higher Mo-doping content. Further tests suggested that 1.5 at.% Mo-doping is beneficial for the formation of pure hexagonal phase and uniform nano-rod morphology. Optical measures showed that all samples exhibited high and comparable visible transmittance (70-80%), but a very different near infrared (NIR) shielding ability. The sample doped with 1.5 at.% Mo demonstrated the best NIR shielding ability with a transmittance minimum of 20% at 1300 nm. Further increase of Mo-doping dosage remarkably deteriorated NIR shielding ability by depressing the absorption of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). However, the optical absorption from small-polaron was less influenced by the introduction of Mo. As a result, Mo-doping caused an evident blue shift of the infrared absorption peaks from 1350 to 750 nm.

Methods of forming single source precursors, methods of forming polymeric single source precursors, and single source precursors and intermediate products formed by such methods

DOEpatents

Fox, Robert V.; Rodriguez, Rene G.; Pak, Joshua J.; Sun, Chivin; Margulieux, Kelsey R.; Holland, Andrew W.

2012-12-04

Methods of forming single source precursors (SSPs) include forming intermediate products having the empirical formula 1/2{L.sub.2N(.mu.-X).sub.2M'X.sub.2}.sub.2, and reacting MER with the intermediate products to form SSPs of the formula L.sub.2N(.mu.-ER).sub.2M'(ER).sub.2, wherein L is a Lewis base, M is a Group IA atom, N is a Group IB atom, M' is a Group IIIB atom, each E is a Group VIB atom, each X is a Group VIIA atom or a nitrate group, and each R group is an alkyl, aryl, vinyl, (per)fluoro alkyl, (per)fluoro aryl, silane, or carbamato group. Methods of forming polymeric or copolymeric SSPs include reacting at least one of HE.sup.1R.sup.1E.sup.1H and MER with one or more substances having the empirical formula L.sub.2N(.mu.-ER).sub.2M'(ER).sub.2 or L.sub.2N(.mu.-X).sub.2M'(X).sub.2 to form a polymeric or copolymeric SSP. New SSPs and intermediate products are formed by such methods.

Methods of forming single source precursors, methods of forming polymeric single source precursors, and single source precursors formed by such methods

DOEpatents

Fox, Robert V.; Rodriguez, Rene G.; Pak, Joshua J.; Sun, Chivin; Margulieux, Kelsey R.; Holland, Andrew W.

2016-04-19

Methods of forming single source precursors (SSPs) include forming intermediate products having the empirical formula 1/2{L.sub.2N(.mu.-X).sub.2M'X.sub.2}.sub.2, and reacting MER with the intermediate products to form SSPs of the formula L.sub.2N(.mu.-ER).sub.2M'(ER).sub.2, wherein L is a Lewis base, M is a Group IA atom, N is a Group IB atom, M' is a Group IIIB atom, each E is a Group VIB atom, each X is a Group VIIA atom or a nitrate group, and each R group is an alkyl, aryl, vinyl, (per)fluoro alkyl, (per)fluoro aryl, silane, or carbamato group. Methods of forming polymeric or copolymeric SSPs include reacting at least one of HE.sup.1R.sup.1E.sup.1H and MER with one or more substances having the empirical formula L.sub.2N(.mu.-ER).sub.2M'(ER).sub.2 or L.sub.2N(.mu.-X).sub.2M'(X).sub.2 to form a polymeric or copolymeric SSP. New SSPs and intermediate products are formed by such methods.

Methods of forming single source precursors, methods of forming polymeric single source precursors, and single source precursors formed by such methods

DOEpatents

Fox, Robert V.; Rodriguez, Rene G.; Pak, Joshua J.; Sun, Chivin; Margulieux, Kelsey R.; Holland, Andrew W.

2014-09-09

Methods of forming single source precursors (SSPs) include forming intermediate products having the empirical formula 1/2{L.sub.2N(.mu.-X).sub.2M'X.sub.2}.sub.2, and reacting MER with the intermediate products to form SSPs of the formula L.sub.2N(.mu.-ER).sub.2M'(ER).sub.2, wherein L is a Lewis base, M is a Group IA atom, N is a Group IB atom, M' is a Group IIIB atom, each E is a Group VIB atom, each X is a Group VIIA atom or a nitrate group, and each R group is an alkyl, aryl, vinyl, (per)fluoro alkyl, (per)fluoro aryl, silane, or carbamato group. Methods of forming polymeric or copolymeric SSPs include reacting at least one of HE.sup.1R.sup.1E.sup.1H and MER with one or more substances having the empirical formula L.sub.2N(.mu.-ER).sub.2M'(ER).sub.2 or L.sub.2N(.mu.-X).sub.2M'(X).sub.2 to form a polymeric or copolymeric SSP. New SSPs and intermediate products are formed by such methods.

Trajectory study of supercollision relaxation in highly vibrationally excited pyrazine and CO2.

PubMed

Li, Ziman; Sansom, Rebecca; Bonella, Sara; Coker, David F; Mullin, Amy S

2005-09-01

Classical trajectory calculations were performed to simulate state-resolved energy transfer experiments of highly vibrationally excited pyrazine (E(vib) = 37,900 cm(-1)) and CO(2), which were conducted using a high-resolution transient infrared absorption spectrometer. The goal here is to use classical trajectories to simulate the supercollision energy transfer pathway wherein large amounts of energy are transferred in single collisions in order to compare with experimental results. In the trajectory calculations, Newton's laws of motion are used for the molecular motion, isolated molecules are treated as collections of harmonic oscillators, and intermolecular potentials are formed by pairwise Lennard-Jones potentials. The calculations qualitatively reproduce the observed energy partitioning in the scattered CO(2) molecules and show that the relative partitioning between bath rotation and translation is dependent on the moment of inertia of the bath molecule. The simulations show that the low-frequency modes of the vibrationally excited pyrazine contribute most to the strong collisions. The majority of collisions lead to small DeltaE values and primarily involve single encounters between the energy donor and acceptor. The large DeltaE exchanges result from both single impulsive encounters and chattering collisions that involve multiple encounters.

Proton--H/sub 2/ scattering on an ab initio CI potential energy surface. II. Combined vibrational--rotational excitation at 4. 67 and 6 eV

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

Schinke, R.

1980-04-01

Infinite-order-sudden calculations have been performed at 4.67 and 6 eV on the ab initio CI potential energy surface determined recently by Schinke, Dupuis, and Lester. The vibrational degree of freedom has been treated exactly by solving vibrationally coupled radial equations. The rotationally summed differential cross sections for vibrational excitation are in good agreement with the measurements of Schmidt, Hermann, and Linder. It is shown that the rotational excitation cross sections in the vibrational ground state near the rainbow angle are almost exclusively determined by the potential between 2.5a/sub 0/ and 5a/sub 0/ proton--H/sub 2/ separations. In this region only themore » V/sub 2/ term of an expansion into Legendre polynomials is nonvanishing and is a factor of approx.3 smaller for the new surface than for the Giese and Gentry analytic potential. These differences result in a dramatic decrease of the rotational excitation cross sections in the rainbow region so that the present theoretical transition probabilities are in much better agreement with the experiments than our previous sudden vib--rotor calculations utilizing Giese and Gentry's surface.« less

Zoonotic Infection with Pigeon Paramyxovirus Type 1 linked to Fatal Pneumonia.

PubMed

Kuiken, Thijs; Breitbart, Mya; Beer, Martin; Grund, Christian; Höper, Dirk; van den Hoogen, Bernadette; Kerkhoffs, Jean-Louis H; Kroes, Aloys C M; Rosario, Karyna; van Run, Peter; Schwarz, Matthias; Svraka, Sanela; Teifke, Jens; Koopmans, Marion

2018-01-24

The characteristics and risk factors of pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) infection in humans are poorly known. We performed virological, pathological and epidemiological analyses of a Dutch case, and compared the results with those of a US case. Both infections occurred in transplant patients under immunosuppressive therapy and caused fatal respiratory failure. Both virus isolates clustered with avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1) genotype VIb/1, which has pigeons and doves as reservoir. Experimentally inoculated pigeons became infected and transmitted the virus to naïve pigeons. Likely route of transmission to both patients was direct or indirect contact with infected pigeons or doves. Given the large populations of feral pigeons with endemic PPMV-1 infection in cities, increasing urbanisation and a higher proportion of immunocompromised individuals, the risk of severe human PPMV-1 infections may increase. We recommend to test for APMV-1, including PPMV-1, in respiratory disease cases where common respiratory pathogens cannot be identified. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Elastic Properties across the y→α Volume Collapse in Cerium versus Pressure and Temperature

DOE PAGES

Lipp, M. J.; Jenei, Zs.; Cynn, H.; ...

2017-10-31

Here, the longitudinal and transverse sound speeds, c L and c T, of polycrystalline cerium were measured isothermally vs pressure up to the critical temperature across the iso-structural γ-α volume collapse (VC) phase transition. We deduce values for the adiabatic bulk modulus BS, the shear modulus G = ρc T 2, the Poisson’s ratio ν and the Debye temperature, θ D(p). We find that the elastic constant C 12 is solely responsible for the decrease of B S with pressure towards the VC at RT. With increasing temperature, the lattice contribution ΔS vib(γ→α) to the total entropy change across themore » VC decreases more rapidly to zero than the total entropy itself suggesting that another mechanism, possibly disorder, assists in stabilizing the γ-phase entropically against the α-phase. Also, with increasing temperature, the Poisson’s ratio becomes negative near the VC transition, meaning that cerium metal takes on auxetic characteristics over a small pressure range. At the critical point the Poisson’s ratio ought to be -1, since the isothermal bulk modulus vanishes and the shear modulus remains nonzero.« less

[Regulation of publicity for children's food as a strategy for promotion of health].

PubMed

Henriques, Patrícia; Sally, Enilce Oliveira; Burlandy, Luciene; Beiler, Renata Mondino

2012-02-01

The eating habits of the Brazilian population have been changing in recent decades and publicity is one of the factors contributing to this situation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the content of food publicity broadcast on television and addressed to children, from the standpoint of regulation. The publicity broadcast on the two major television stations during the school holidays was recorded on VHS tapes. Content analysis techniques were used and eight categories of analysis were defined based on the theoretical benchmark of the eating habits and their determining factors. The proposal for a Technical Regulation of Anvisa was used to conduct this analysis. 1018 advertisements were recorded, of which 132 (12.9%) that advertised foods targeted at children were selected, but only 12 different products were identified. According to the proposed regulation, all the material analyzed violated no less than three articles, among which the 4th, Sections III and VIb stand out. The pressing need for government regulation of the content of food advertisements for children, the consumption of which can be harmful to health, is clearly apparent because of its influence on the decision to purchase, both by the children themselves, and their parents.

Cytochrome c oxidase loses catalytic activity and structural integrity during the aging process in Drosophila melanogaster

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

Ren, Jian-Ching; Rebrin, Igor; Klichko, Vladimir

2010-10-08

Research highlights: {yields} Cytochrome c oxidase loses catalytic activity during the aging process. {yields} Abundance of seven nuclear-encoded subunits of cytochrome c oxidase decreased with age in Drosophila. {yields} Cytochrome c oxidase is specific intra-mitochondrial site of age-related deterioration. -- Abstract: The hypothesis, that structural deterioration of cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) is a causal factor in the age-related decline in mitochondrial respiratory activity and an increase in H{sub 2}O{sub 2} generation, was tested in Drosophila melanogaster. CcO activity and the levels of seven different nuclear DNA-encoded CcO subunits were determined at three different stages of adult life, namely, young-, middle-,more » and old-age. CcO activity declined progressively with age by 33%. Western blot analysis, using antibodies specific to Drosophila CcO subunits IV, Va, Vb, VIb, VIc, VIIc, and VIII, indicated that the abundance these polypeptides decreased, ranging from 11% to 40%, during aging. These and previous results suggest that CcO is a specific intra-mitochondrial site of age-related deterioration, which may have a broad impact on mitochondrial physiology.« less

Elastic Properties across the y→α Volume Collapse in Cerium versus Pressure and Temperature

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

Lipp, M. J.; Jenei, Zs.; Cynn, H.

Here, the longitudinal and transverse sound speeds, c L and c T, of polycrystalline cerium were measured isothermally vs pressure up to the critical temperature across the iso-structural γ-α volume collapse (VC) phase transition. We deduce values for the adiabatic bulk modulus BS, the shear modulus G = ρc T 2, the Poisson’s ratio ν and the Debye temperature, θ D(p). We find that the elastic constant C 12 is solely responsible for the decrease of B S with pressure towards the VC at RT. With increasing temperature, the lattice contribution ΔS vib(γ→α) to the total entropy change across themore » VC decreases more rapidly to zero than the total entropy itself suggesting that another mechanism, possibly disorder, assists in stabilizing the γ-phase entropically against the α-phase. Also, with increasing temperature, the Poisson’s ratio becomes negative near the VC transition, meaning that cerium metal takes on auxetic characteristics over a small pressure range. At the critical point the Poisson’s ratio ought to be -1, since the isothermal bulk modulus vanishes and the shear modulus remains nonzero.« less

Femtosecond dynamics of correlated many-body states in C60 fullerenes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usenko, Sergey; Schüler, Michael; Azima, Armin; Jakob, Markus; Lazzarino, Leslie L.; Pavlyukh, Yaroslav; Przystawik, Andreas; Drescher, Markus; Laarmann, Tim; Berakdar, Jamal

2016-11-01

Fullerene complexes may play a key role in the design of future molecular electronics and nanostructured devices with potential applications in light harvesting using organic solar cells. Charge and energy flow in these systems is mediated by many-body effects. We studied the structure and dynamics of laser-induced multi-electron excitations in isolated C60 by two-photon photoionization as a function of excitation wavelength using a tunable fs UV laser and developed a corresponding theoretical framework on the basis of ab initio calculations. The measured resonance line width gives direct information on the excited state lifetime. From the spectral deconvolution we derive a lower limit for purely electronic relaxation on the order of {τ }{el}={10}-3+5 fs. Energy dissipation towards nuclear degrees of freedom is studied with time-resolved techniques. The evaluation of the nonlinear autocorrelation trace gives a characteristic time constant of {τ }{vib}=400+/- 100 fs for the exponential decay. In line with the experiment, the observed transient dynamics is explained theoretically by nonadiabatic (vibronic) couplings involving the correlated electronic, the nuclear degrees of freedom (accounting for the Herzberg-Teller coupling), and their interplay.

About Influence of Ionic Beams of Metals of IVB-VIB Groups on Structure and Properties of a Target at Various Modes of Irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurbatova, E. I.; Klimanov, V. A.; Ksenofontov, A. I.; Fridlyander, I. N.

2006-08-01

A complex of special properties of materials and a threshold of their working temperatures which is frequently limited 500-550°C define the level of modern technological development and, first of all, for nuclear-industrial plants. The alloys on the basis of iron are the most widespread kind of constructional materials, and therefore an increase of their special properties (high-temperature strength, corrosion stability, durability and other characteristics) is of great value. The ionic beams with a low energy (300-1,500 eV) which can change the structure and the properties of a target, in particular iron and its alloys were used for the solution of these problems in the present work. In this work theoretical and experimental results of the research of the process of impact interaction of the ionic beams with iron are also given. The properties of a iron surface with the help of modern methods of physical and chemical analyse are investigated. The opportunities to produce new surface properties of iron using the ionic beams are shown. On the basis of the results obtained the supplementary work directions are analyzed.

An improved multimodal method for sound propagation in nonuniform lined ducts.

PubMed

Bi, WenPing; Pagneux, Vincent; Lafarge, Denis; Aurégan, Yves

2007-07-01

An efficient method is proposed for modeling time harmonic acoustic propagation in a nonuniform lined duct without flow. The lining impedance is axially segmented uniform, but varies circumferentially. The sound pressure is expanded in term of rigid duct modes and an additional function that carries the information about the impedance boundary. The rigid duct modes and the additional function are known a priori so that calculations of the true liner modes, which are difficult, are avoided. By matching the pressure and axial velocity at the interface between different uniform segments, scattering matrices are obtained for each individual segment; these are then combined to construct a global scattering matrix for multiple segments. The present method is an improvement of the multimodal propagation method, developed in a previous paper [Bi et al., J. Sound Vib. 289, 1091-1111 (2006)]. The radial rate of convergence is improved from O(n(-2)), where n is the radial mode indices, to O(n(-4)). It is numerically shown that using the present method, acoustic propagation in the nonuniform lined intake of an aeroengine can be calculated by a personal computer for dimensionless frequency K up to 80, approaching the third blade passing frequency of turbofan noise.

Conductive lithium storage electrode

DOEpatents

Chiang, Yet-Ming; Chung, Sung-Yoon; Bloking, Jason T; Andersson, Anna M

2014-10-07

A compound comprising a composition A.sub.x(M'.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.y(XD.sub.4).sub.z, A.sub.x(M'.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.y(DXD.sub.4).sub.z, or A.sub.x(M'.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.y(X.sub.2D.sub.7).sub.z, (A.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.xM'.sub.y(XD.sub.4).sub.z, (A.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.xM'.sub.y(DXD.sub.4).sub.z, or (A.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.xM'.sub.y(X.sub.2D.sub.7).sub.z. In the compound, A is at least one of an alkali metal and hydrogen, M' is a first-row transition metal, X is at least one of phosphorus, sulfur, arsenic, molybdenum, and tungsten, M'' any of a Group IIA, IIIA, IVA, VA, VIA, VIIA, VIIIA, IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, VB, and VIB metal, D is at least one of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, or a halogen, 0.0001

Potential virulence factors of bacteria associated with tail fan necrosis in the spiny lobster, Jasus edwardsii.

PubMed

Zha, H; Jeffs, A; Dong, Y; Lewis, G

2018-05-01

Tail fan necrosis (TFN) is a common condition found in commercially exploited spiny lobsters that greatly diminishes their commercial value. Bacteria possessing proteolytic, chitinolytic and lipolytic capabilities were associated with TFN in spiny lobsters, Jasus edwardsii. In this study, 69 bacterial isolates exhibiting all the three enzymatic capabilities from the haemolymph and tail fans of J. edwardsii with and without TFN were further characterized and compared, including morphology, biofilm formation, antimicrobial activity, antimicrobial resistance, and production of siderophores, melanin and ammonia. The genomic patterns of the most common Vibrio crassostreae isolates were also compared between TFN-affected and unaffected lobsters. Biofilm formation was stronger in bacterial isolates from both haemolymph and tail fans of TFN-affected lobsters compared to those from the unaffected lobsters, while melanin production and siderophore production were stronger in the isolates from tail fans of lobsters with TFN. By contrast, the other characteristics of isolates were similar in lobsters with and without TFN. The Vib. crassostreae isolates from the affected lobsters had similar genomic patterns. Overall, the results indicate that in addition to proteolytic, chitinolytic and lipolytic activities, the bacteria associated with TFN commonly have enhanced activity of important virulence factors, including biofilm formation, melanin production and siderophore production. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genetic characterization and phylogeny of pigeon paramyxovirus isolate (PPMV-1) from Pakistan.

PubMed

Akhtar, Sameera; Muneer, Muhammad Akram; Muhammad, Khushi; Tipu, Muhammad Yasin; Rabbani, Masood; Ul-Rahman, Aziz; Shabbir, Muhammad Zubair

2016-01-01

Knowing the genome characteristics of circulating Newcastle disease viruses [avian paramyxoviruses (APMV-1) and pigeon paramyxoviruses (PPMV-1)] is important to devise appropriate diagnostics and control strategies. APMVs originating from chicken and wildlife in Pakistan are well-elucidated; nevertheless, molecular characterization for the circulating PPMV-1 is largely unknown. Here, we have performed fusion (F) and hemagglutinin (HN) gene based characterization of PPMV-1 isolated from an outbreak in a pigeon flock. With F0 proteolytic cleavage site (112RRQKR↓F117), characteristic of velogenic/mesogenic serotype, the complete F and HN gene based sequence analysis of the isolate revealed evolutionary relationship to genotype VI. Further analysis of hyper-variable region of F-gene demonstrated clustering of the study isolate with genotype VIb. The deduced residue analysis for both F and HN protein showed a number of substitution mutations in the functional domains distinct from representative strains of each genotype including the vaccine strains; some of them were found exclusive to the study isolate. Though limited and preliminary data, the findings enhance our knowledge towards circulating strains of PPMVs in Pakistan. Further studies are needed to ascertain its potential for transmission in the wild birds, commercial and backyard poultry and its subsequent shedding into the environment.

The improvement of a simple theoretical model for the prediction of the sound insulation of double leaf walls.

PubMed

Davy, John L

2010-02-01

This paper presents a revised theory for predicting the sound insulation of double leaf cavity walls that removes an approximation, which is usually made when deriving the sound insulation of a double leaf cavity wall above the critical frequencies of the wall leaves due to the airborne transmission across the wall cavity. This revised theory is also used as a correction below the critical frequencies of the wall leaves instead of a correction due to Sewell [(1970). J. Sound Vib. 12, 21-32]. It is found necessary to include the "stud" borne transmission of the window frames when modeling wide air gap double glazed windows. A minimum value of stud transmission is introduced for use with resilient connections such as steel studs. Empirical equations are derived for predicting the effective sound absorption coefficient of wall cavities without sound absorbing material. The theory is compared with experimental results for double glazed windows and gypsum plasterboard cavity walls with and without sound absorbing material in their cavities. The overall mean, standard deviation, maximum, and minimum of the differences between experiment and theory are -0.6 dB, 3.1 dB, 10.9 dB at 1250 Hz, and -14.9 dB at 160 Hz, respectively.

Expression of a serine protease (motopsin PRSS12) mRNA in the mouse brain: in situ hybridization histochemical study.

PubMed

Iijima, N; Tanaka, M; Mitsui, S; Yamamura, Y; Yamaguchi, N; Ibata, Y

1999-03-20

Serine proteases are considered to play several important roles in the brain. In an attempt to find novel brain-specific serine proteases (BSSPs), motopsin (PRSS-12) was cloned from a mouse brain cDNA library by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Northern blot analysis demonstrated that the postnatal 10-day mouse brain contained the most amount of motopsin mRNA. At this developmental stage, in situ hybridization histochemistry showed that motopsin mRNA was specifically expressed in the following regions: cerebral cortical layers II/III, V and VIb, endopiriform cortex and the limbic system, particularly in the CA1 region of the hippocampal formation. In addition, in the brainstem, the oculomotor nucleus, trochlear nucleus, mecencephalic and motor nuclei of trigeminal nerve (N), abducens nucleus, facial nucleus, nucleus of the raphe pontis, dorsoral motor nucleus of vagal N, hypoglossal nucleus and ambiguus nucleus showed motopsin mRNA expression. Expression was also found in the anterior horn of the spinal cord. The above findings strongly suggest that neurons in almost all motor nuclei, particularly in the brainstem and spinal cord, express motopsin mRNA, and that motopsin seems to have a close relation to the functional role of efferent neurons. Copyright 1999 Elsevier Science B.V.

The electronic and transport properties of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides: a complex band structure analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szczesniak, Dominik

Recently, monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides have attracted much attention due to their potential use in both nano- and opto-electronics. In such applications, the electronic and transport properties of group-VIB transition metal dichalcogenides (MX2 , where M=Mo, W; X=S, Se, Te) are particularly important. Herein, new insight into these properties is presented by studying the complex band structures (CBS's) of MX2 monolayers while accounting for spin-orbit coupling effects. By using the symmetry-based tight-binding model a nonlinear generalized eigenvalue problem for CBS's is obtained. An efficient method for solving such class of problems is presented and gives a complete set of physically relevant solutions. Next, these solutions are characterized and classified into propagating and evanescent states, where the latter states present not only monotonic but also oscillatory decay character. It is observed that some of the oscillatory evanescent states create characteristic complex loops at the direct band gaps, which describe the tunneling currents in the MX2 materials. The importance of CBS's and tunneling currents is demonstrated by the analysis of the quantum transport across MX2 monolayers within phase field matching theory. Present work has been prepared within the Qatar Energy and Environment Research Institute (QEERI) grand challenge ATHLOC project (Project No. QEERI- GC-3008).

[Construction and rescue of infectious cDNA clone of pigeon-origin Newcastle disease virus strain JS/07/04/Pi].

PubMed

Zhu, Yan-Mei; Hu, Zeng-Lei; Song, Qing-Qing; Duan, Zhi-Qiang; Gu, Min; Hu, Shun-Lin; Wang, Xiao-Quan; Liu, Xiu-Fan

2012-01-01

Based on the complete genome sequence of pigeon-origin Newcastle disease virus strain JS/07/04/ Pi(genotype VIb), nine overlapped fragments covering its full-length genome were amplified by RT-PCR. The fragments were connected sequentially and then inserted into the transcription vector TVT7/R resulting in the TVT/071204 which contained the full genome of strain JS/07/04/Pi. The TVT/071204 was co-transfected with three helper plasmids pCI-NP, pCI-P and pCI-L into the BSR cells, and the transfected cells and culture supernatant were inoculated into 9-day-old SPF embryonated eggs 60 h post-transfection. The HA and HI tests were conducted following the death of embryonated eggs. The results showed that the allantoic fluids obtained were HA positive and the HA could be inhibited by anti-NDV serum which indicated that the strain JS/07/04/Pi was rescued successfully. The rescued virus rNDV/071204 showed similar growth kinetics to its parental virus in CEF. The successful recovery of this strain would contribute to the understanding of the host-specificity of pigeon-origin NDV and to the development of the novel vaccines against the NDV infection in pigeons.

pE-DB: a database of structural ensembles of intrinsically disordered and of unfolded proteins.

PubMed

Varadi, Mihaly; Kosol, Simone; Lebrun, Pierre; Valentini, Erica; Blackledge, Martin; Dunker, A Keith; Felli, Isabella C; Forman-Kay, Julie D; Kriwacki, Richard W; Pierattelli, Roberta; Sussman, Joel; Svergun, Dmitri I; Uversky, Vladimir N; Vendruscolo, Michele; Wishart, David; Wright, Peter E; Tompa, Peter

2014-01-01

The goal of pE-DB (http://pedb.vib.be) is to serve as an openly accessible database for the deposition of structural ensembles of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and of denatured proteins based on nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering and other data measured in solution. Owing to the inherent flexibility of IDPs, solution techniques are particularly appropriate for characterizing their biophysical properties, and structural ensembles in agreement with these data provide a convenient tool for describing the underlying conformational sampling. Database entries consist of (i) primary experimental data with descriptions of the acquisition methods and algorithms used for the ensemble calculations, and (ii) the structural ensembles consistent with these data, provided as a set of models in a Protein Data Bank format. PE-DB is open for submissions from the community, and is intended as a forum for disseminating the structural ensembles and the methodologies used to generate them. While the need to represent the IDP structures is clear, methods for determining and evaluating the structural ensembles are still evolving. The availability of the pE-DB database is expected to promote the development of new modeling methods and leads to a better understanding of how function arises from disordered states.

The 2.5-dimensional equivalent sources method for directly exposed and shielded urban canyons.

PubMed

Hornikx, Maarten; Forssén, Jens

2007-11-01

When a domain in outdoor acoustics is invariant in one direction, an inverse Fourier transform can be used to transform solutions of the two-dimensional Helmholtz equation to a solution of the three-dimensional Helmholtz equation for arbitrary source and observer positions, thereby reducing the computational costs. This previously published approach [D. Duhamel, J. Sound Vib. 197, 547-571 (1996)] is called a 2.5-dimensional method and has here been extended to the urban geometry of parallel canyons, thereby using the equivalent sources method to generate the two-dimensional solutions. No atmospheric effects are considered. To keep the error arising from the transform small, two-dimensional solutions with a very fine frequency resolution are necessary due to the multiple reflections in the canyons. Using the transform, the solution for an incoherent line source can be obtained much more efficiently than by using the three-dimensional solution. It is shown that the use of a coherent line source for shielded urban canyon observer positions leads mostly to an overprediction of levels and can yield erroneous results for noise abatement schemes. Moreover, the importance of multiple facade reflections in shielded urban areas is emphasized by vehicle pass-by calculations, where cases with absorptive and diffusive surfaces have been modeled.

Corrigendum to "An equation decoupling approach to identify the equivalent foundation in rotating machinery using modal parameters" [J. Sound Vib. 365 (2016) 182-198

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Minli; Feng, Ningsheng; Hahn, Eric J.

2016-08-01

The authors would like to apologise for the error made to the affiliation details of Dr Ningsheng Feng and Dr Eric J. Hahn in the original publication and who are both affiliated to The School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia

Motion of organ of Corti structures in the gerbil cochlear apex, measured with a commercial optical coherence tomography (OCT) system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravicz, Michael E.; Cho, Nam-Hyun; Maftoon, Nima; Puria, Sunil

2018-05-01

Recent developments in Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) allow measurements of cochlear motions through the bony cochlear wall without holes at spatial resolutions approaching about 10 µm. Measurements to date have been made with custom OCT systems with long development times. We present measurements made with a commercial OCT system driven by custom software (VibOCT) that facilitates near real-time frequency response measurements. The 905-nm wavelength laser and high-speed (100 kHz) camera provide higher axial resolution (3 µm in air) and temporal resolution than previous studies and a sub-nanometer noise floor in air. We gathered anatomical images of the gerbil cochlear apex in vivo at higher resolution than available previously, sufficient to resolve individual outer hair cells, pillar cells, tunnel of Corti and inner sulcus regions. Images from the 3rd apical turn show a bulging of Reissners membrane in vivo that flattened post-mortem with a concomitant reduction in the distance between the Henson cell border and the stria vascularis wall. Vibrometry of the organ of Corti shows a low-pass characteristic in-vivo and post-mortem with a traveling wave-like phase delay similar to a recent study rather than the sharp tuning seen more basally. This system can provide valuable information on cochlear function, which is also useful for the development of detailed cochlear models of the passive and active gerbil apex.

Bovine Host Genetic Variation Influences Rumen Microbial Methane Production with Best Selection Criterion for Low Methane Emitting and Efficiently Feed Converting Hosts Based on Metagenomic Gene Abundance

PubMed Central

Roehe, Rainer; Dewhurst, Richard J.; Duthie, Carol-Anne; Rooke, John A.; McKain, Nest; Ross, Dave W.; Hyslop, Jimmy J.; Waterhouse, Anthony; Freeman, Tom C.

2016-01-01

Methane produced by methanogenic archaea in ruminants contributes significantly to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The host genetic link controlling microbial methane production is unknown and appropriate genetic selection strategies are not developed. We used sire progeny group differences to estimate the host genetic influence on rumen microbial methane production in a factorial experiment consisting of crossbred breed types and diets. Rumen metagenomic profiling was undertaken to investigate links between microbial genes and methane emissions or feed conversion efficiency. Sire progeny groups differed significantly in their methane emissions measured in respiration chambers. Ranking of the sire progeny groups based on methane emissions or relative archaeal abundance was consistent overall and within diet, suggesting that archaeal abundance in ruminal digesta is under host genetic control and can be used to genetically select animals without measuring methane directly. In the metagenomic analysis of rumen contents, we identified 3970 microbial genes of which 20 and 49 genes were significantly associated with methane emissions and feed conversion efficiency respectively. These explained 81% and 86% of the respective variation and were clustered in distinct functional gene networks. Methanogenesis genes (e.g. mcrA and fmdB) were associated with methane emissions, whilst host-microbiome cross talk genes (e.g. TSTA3 and FucI) were associated with feed conversion efficiency. These results strengthen the idea that the host animal controls its own microbiota to a significant extent and open up the implementation of effective breeding strategies using rumen microbial gene abundance as a predictor for difficult-to-measure traits on a large number of hosts. Generally, the results provide a proof of principle to use the relative abundance of microbial genes in the gastrointestinal tract of different species to predict their influence on traits e.g. human metabolism

Bovine Host Genetic Variation Influences Rumen Microbial Methane Production with Best Selection Criterion for Low Methane Emitting and Efficiently Feed Converting Hosts Based on Metagenomic Gene Abundance.

PubMed

Roehe, Rainer; Dewhurst, Richard J; Duthie, Carol-Anne; Rooke, John A; McKain, Nest; Ross, Dave W; Hyslop, Jimmy J; Waterhouse, Anthony; Freeman, Tom C; Watson, Mick; Wallace, R John

2016-02-01

Methane produced by methanogenic archaea in ruminants contributes significantly to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The host genetic link controlling microbial methane production is unknown and appropriate genetic selection strategies are not developed. We used sire progeny group differences to estimate the host genetic influence on rumen microbial methane production in a factorial experiment consisting of crossbred breed types and diets. Rumen metagenomic profiling was undertaken to investigate links between microbial genes and methane emissions or feed conversion efficiency. Sire progeny groups differed significantly in their methane emissions measured in respiration chambers. Ranking of the sire progeny groups based on methane emissions or relative archaeal abundance was consistent overall and within diet, suggesting that archaeal abundance in ruminal digesta is under host genetic control and can be used to genetically select animals without measuring methane directly. In the metagenomic analysis of rumen contents, we identified 3970 microbial genes of which 20 and 49 genes were significantly associated with methane emissions and feed conversion efficiency respectively. These explained 81% and 86% of the respective variation and were clustered in distinct functional gene networks. Methanogenesis genes (e.g. mcrA and fmdB) were associated with methane emissions, whilst host-microbiome cross talk genes (e.g. TSTA3 and FucI) were associated with feed conversion efficiency. These results strengthen the idea that the host animal controls its own microbiota to a significant extent and open up the implementation of effective breeding strategies using rumen microbial gene abundance as a predictor for difficult-to-measure traits on a large number of hosts. Generally, the results provide a proof of principle to use the relative abundance of microbial genes in the gastrointestinal tract of different species to predict their influence on traits e.g. human metabolism

Co-circulation of genetically distinct groups of avian paramyxovirus type 1 in pigeon Newcastle disease in Iran.

PubMed

Rezaei Far, A; Peighambari, S M; Pourbakhsh, S A; Ashtari, A; Soltani, M

2017-02-01

Pigeons are considered as one of the major natural reservoirs in the epidemiology of Newcastle disease (ND). In this study, the partial sequence of fusion protein gene of 17 pigeon-origin ND viruses (NDVs) isolated during 2012-2013 in Iran was analysed. Since the studied isolates showed F0 protein cleavage sites compatible with velogenic NDVs, all were considered as virulent NDVs. Two isolates carried 112RRQKRF117 as the cleavage site motif, whereas the rest demonstrated 112KRQKRF117 motif which just recently has been reported among Iranian virulent NDVs. Phylogenetic analysis divided all these diverse isolates in two distinct clusters within class II genotype VI. Based on the partial fusion protein gene sequence, 15 out of 17 isolates showed the highest genetic identity to subgenotype VIb/2 and the other two isolates were placed in a distinct genetic group of genotype VI. Based on recent findings, at least two different sublineages of genotype VI are causing the ND outbreaks in the pigeon population and are circulating simultaneously along with virulent NDVs of genotype VII in various species in Iran. The continuing circulation of a diverse group of virulent NDVs as an enzootic in widespread species such as pigeon can cause outbreaks in commercial poultry flocks and also failure in controlling programmes. Therefore, the constant monitoring and awareness of the virus characteristics should be considered in controlling programmes against ND in Iran.

Low-intensity laser irradiation at 660 nm stimulates transcription of genes involved in the electron transport chain.

PubMed

Masha, Roland T; Houreld, Nicolette N; Abrahamse, Heidi

2013-02-01

Low-intensity laser irradiation (LILI) has been shown to stimulate cellular functions leading to increased adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of LILI on genes involved in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC, complexes I-IV) and oxidative phosphorylation (ATP synthase). Four human skin fibroblast cell models were used in this study: normal non-irradiated cells were used as controls while wounded, diabetic wounded, and ischemic cells were irradiated. Cells were irradiated with a 660 nm diode laser with a fluence of 5 J/cm(2) and gene expression determined by quantitative real-time reverse transcription (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). LILI upregulated cytochrome c oxidase subunit VIb polypeptide 2 (COX6B2), cytochrome c oxidase subunit VIc (COX6C), and pyrophosphatase (inorganic) 1 (PPA1) in diabetic wounded cells; COX6C, ATP synthase, H+transporting, mitochondrial Fo complex, subunit B1 (ATP5F1), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) 1 alpha subcomplex, 11 (NDUFA11), and NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) Fe-S protein 7 (NDUFS7) in wounded cells; and ATPase, H+/K+ exchanging, beta polypeptide (ATP4B), and ATP synthase, H+ transporting, mitochondrial Fo complex, subunit C2 (subunit 9) (ATP5G2) in ischemic cells. LILI at 660 nm stimulates the upregulation of genes coding for subunits of enzymes involved in complexes I and IV and ATP synthase.

Theoretical Estimation of the Acoustic Energy Generation and Absorption Caused by Jet Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Kin'ya; Iwagami, Sho; Kobayashi, Taizo; Takami, Toshiya

2016-04-01

We investigate the energy transfer between the fluid field and acoustic field caused by a jet driven by an acoustic particle velocity field across it, which is the key to understanding the aerodynamic sound generation of flue instruments, such as the recorder, flute, and organ pipe. Howe's energy corollary allows us to estimate the energy transfer between these two fields. For simplicity, we consider the situation such that a free jet is driven by a uniform acoustic particle velocity field across it. We improve the semi-empirical model of the oscillating jet, i.e., exponentially growing jet model, which has been studied in the field of musical acoustics, and introduce a polynomially growing jet model so as to apply Howe's formula to it. It is found that the relative phase between the acoustic oscillation and jet oscillation, which changes with the distance from the flue exit, determines the quantity of the energy transfer between the two fields. The acoustic energy is mainly generated in the downstream area, but it is consumed in the upstream area near the flue exit in driving the jet. This theoretical examination well explains the numerical calculation of Howe's formula for the two-dimensional flue instrument model in our previous work [http://doi.org/10.1088/0169-5983/46/6/061411, Fluid Dyn. Res. 46, 061411 (2014)] as well as the experimental result of Yoshikawa et al. [http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsv.2012.01.026, J. Sound Vib. 331, 2558 (2012)].

Studies on transport properties of copper doped tungsten diselenide single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deshpande, M. P.; Parmar, M. N.; Pandya, Nilesh N.; Chaki, Sunil; Bhatt, Sandip V.

2012-02-01

During recent years, transition metal dichalcogenides of groups IVB, VB and VIB have received considerable attention because of the great diversity in their transport properties. 2H-WSe 2 (Tungsten diselenide) is an interesting member of the transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC's) family and known to be a semiconductor useful for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications. The anisotropy usually observed in this diamagnetic semiconductor material is a result of the sandwich structure of Se-W-Se layers interacting with each other, loosely bonded by the weak Van der Waals forces. Recent efforts in studying the influence of the anisotropic electrical and optical properties of this layered-type transition metal dichalcogenides have been implemented by doping the samples with different alkali group elements. Unfortunately, little work is reported on doping of metals in WSe 2. Therefore, it is proposed in this work to carry out a systematic growth of single crystals of WSe 2 by doping it with copper in different proportions i.e. Cu xWSe 2 ( x=0, 0.5, 1.0) by direct vapour transport technique. Transport properties like low and high temperature resistivity measurements, high pressure resistivity, Seebeck coefficient measurements at low temperature and Hall Effect at room temperature were studied in detail on all these samples. These measurements show that tungsten diselenide single crystals are p-type whereas doped with copper makes it n-type in nature. The results obtained and their implications are discussed in this paper.

Spin crossover in the CsFeII[CrIII(CN)6] Prussian blue analog: Phonons and thermodynamics from hybrid functionals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Middlemiss, Derek S.; Portinari, Damiano; Grey, Clare P.; Morrison, Carole A.; Wilson, Chick C.

2010-05-01

Solid-state lattice-dynamics calculations within the hybrid density-functional approach are applied to the study of the thermally induced Fe2+ lowspin(LS;S=0)↔highspin(HS;S=2) crossover (SCO) in the extended network of the CsFe[Cr(CN)6] Prussian blue analog. The variations in the thermodynamic parameters defining the SCO transition with the Fock exchange content (F0) of the functional are obtained and discussed, where, in keeping with the findings of previous studies of isolated complexes, it is found that an admixture F0≈14% provides reliable values. The transition is shown to be dominated by the entropy difference, ΔS , associated with the softening of low-frequency vibrational (vib) modes in the HS state, as has been suggested previously for a wide range of SCO materials, more than half of ΔSvib deriving from modes with wave numbers of 250cm-1 or less. Analysis of the influence of the spectroscopic selection rules upon the apparent SCO thermodynamics reveals that determinations based solely upon infrared or Raman frequencies, or upon their combination, lead to significant errors. The effect upon the SCO transition of the electronic entropy associated with the degenerate Fe2+ HS (eg2t2g4) configurations is also detailed, evidence for the existence of an associated dynamic Jahn-Teller distortion being presented. Optimized structures, bulk moduli, Γ -point vibrational frequencies, and crystal-field energy models are discussed for all relevant spin states.

Nonredundant Roles of Iron Acquisition Systems in Vibrio cholerae

PubMed Central

Peng, Eric D.; Wyckoff, Elizabeth E.; Mey, Alexandra R.; Fisher, Carolyn R.

2015-01-01

Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the severe diarrheal disease cholera, thrives in both marine environments and the human host. To do so, it must encode the tools necessary to acquire essential nutrients, including iron, under these vastly different conditions. A number of V. cholerae iron acquisition systems have been identified; however, the precise role of each system is not fully understood. To test the roles of individual systems, we generated a series of mutants in which only one of the four systems that support iron acquisition on unsupplemented LB agar, Feo, Fbp, Vct, and Vib, remains functional. Analysis of these mutants under different growth conditions showed that these systems are not redundant. The strain carrying only the ferrous iron transporter Feo grew well at acidic, but not alkaline, pH, whereas the ferric iron transporter Fbp promoted better growth at alkaline than at acidic pH. A strain defective in all four systems (null mutant) had a severe growth defect under aerobic conditions but accumulated iron and grew as well as the wild type in the absence of oxygen, suggesting the presence of an additional, unidentified iron transporter in V. cholerae. In support of this, the null mutant was only moderately attenuated in an infant mouse model of infection. While the null mutant used heme as an iron source in vitro, we demonstrate that heme is not available to V. cholerae in the infant mouse intestine. PMID:26644383

Quantum-state resolved reactive scattering at the gas-liquid interface: F+squalane (C30H62) dynamics via high-resolution infrared absorption of nascent HF(v,J).

PubMed

Zolot, Alexander M; Dagdigian, Paul J; Nesbitt, David J

2008-11-21

Exothermic chemical reaction dynamics at the gas-liquid interface have been investigated by colliding a supersonic beam of F atoms [E(com)=0.7(3) kcalmol] with a continuously refreshed liquid hydrocarbon (squalane) surface under high vacuum conditions. Absolute HF(v,J) product densities are determined by infrared laser absorption spectroscopy, with velocity distributions along the probe axis derived from high resolution Dopplerimetry. Nascent HF(vvib)=13.2(2) kcalmol], reflecting insufficient time for complete thermal accommodation with the surface prior to desorption. Colder, but still non-Boltzmann, rotational state populations [E(rot)=1.0(1) kcalmol] indicate that some fraction of molecules directly scatter into the gas phase without rotationally equilibrating with the surface. Nascent HF also recoils from the liquid surface with excess translational energy, resulting in Doppler broadened linewidths that increase systematically with internal HF excitation. The data are consistent with microscopic branching in HF-surface dynamics following the reactive event, with (i) a direct reactive scattering fraction of newly formed product molecules leaving the surface promptly and (ii) a trapping desorption fraction that accommodates rotationally (though still not vibrationally) with the bulk liquid. Comparison with analogous gas phase F+hydrocarbon processes reveals that the liquid acts as a partial "heat sink" for vibrational energy flow on the time scale of the chemical reaction event.

The kinematic evolution of the Macquarie Plate: A case study for the fragmentation of oceanic lithosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Hakkyum; Kim, Seung-Sep; Dyment, Jérôme; Granot, Roi; Park, Sung-Hyun; Hong, Jong Kuk

2017-11-01

The tectonic evolution of the Southeast Indian Ridge (SEIR), and in particular of its easternmost edge, has not been constrained by high-resolution shipboard data and therefore the kinematic details of its behavior are uncertain. Using new shipboard magnetic data obtained by R/VIB Araon and M/V L'Astrolabe along the easternmost SEIR and available archived magnetic data, we estimated the finite rotation parameters of the Macquarie-Antarctic and Australian-Antarctic motions for eight anomalies (1o, 2, 2Ay, 2Ao, 3y, 3o, 3Ay, and 3Ao). These new finite rotations indicate that the Macquarie Plate since its creation ∼6.24 million years ago behaved as an independent and rigid plate, confirming previous estimates. The change in the Australian-Antarctic spreading direction from N-S to NW-SE appears to coincide with the formation of the Macquarie Plate at ∼6.24 Ma. Analysis of the estimated plate motions indicates that the initiation and growth stages of the Macquarie Plate resemble the kinematic evolution of other microplates and continental breakup, whereby a rapid acceleration in angular velocity took place after its initial formation, followed by a slow decay, suggesting that a decrease in the resistive strength force might have played a significant role in the kinematic evolution of the microplate. The motions of the Macquarie Plate during its growth stages may have been further enhanced by the increased subducting rates along the Hjort Trench, while the Macquarie Plate has exhibited constant growth by seafloor spreading.

Van der Waals Epitaxial Growth of Atomic Layered HfS2 Crystals for Ultrasensitive Near-Infrared Phototransistors.

PubMed

Fu, Lei; Wang, Feng; Wu, Bin; Wu, Nian; Huang, Wei; Wang, Hanlin; Jin, Chuanhong; Zhuang, Lin; He, Jun; Fu, Lei; Liu, Yunqi

2017-08-01

As a member of the group IVB transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) family, hafnium disulfide (HfS 2 ) is recently predicted to exhibit higher carrier mobility and higher tunneling current density than group VIB (Mo and W) TMDs. However, the synthesis of high-quality HfS 2 crystals, sparsely reported, has greatly hindered the development of this new field. Here, a facile strategy for controlled synthesis of high-quality atomic layered HfS 2 crystals by van der Waals epitaxy is reported. Density functional theory calculations are applied to elucidate the systematic epitaxial growth process of the S-edge and Hf-edge. Impressively, the HfS 2 back-gate field-effect transistors display a competitive mobility of 7.6 cm 2 V -1 s -1 and an ultrahigh on/off ratio exceeding 10 8 . Meanwhile, ultrasensitive near-infrared phototransistors based on the HfS 2 crystals (indirect bandgap ≈1.45 eV) exhibit an ultrahigh responsivity exceeding 3.08 × 10 5 A W -1 , which is 10 9 -fold higher than 9 × 10 -5 A W -1 obtained from the multilayer MoS 2 in near-infrared photodetection. Moreover, an ultrahigh photogain exceeding 4.72 × 10 5 and an ultrahigh detectivity exceeding 4.01 × 10 12 Jones, superior to the vast majority of the reported 2D-materials-based phototransistors, imply a great promise in TMD-based 2D electronic and optoelectronic applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Co-circulation of paramyxo- and influenza viruses in pigeons in Egypt.

PubMed

Mansour, Shimaa M G; Mohamed, Fakry F; Eid, Amal A M; Mor, Sunil K; Goyal, Sagar M

2017-08-01

In recent years, avian influenza virus (AIV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) have caused large-scale outbreaks in many countries, including Egypt. The culling and vaccination strategies have failed to control both viruses in Egypt. In this study, we investigated the outbreaks of nervous manifestations and deaths in pigeons between 2013 and 2015. The H5N1 subtype of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus and pigeon paramyxovirus-1, an antigenic variant of NDV, were found to be the cause; AIV and pigeon paramyxovirus-1 were isolated from 61.3% (19/31) and 67.8% (21/31) of tested pigeons, respectively. Co-infection with both viruses was detected in 51.6% of pigeons (16/31). The AIV sequences showed PQGEKRRKKR/GLF motif at the haemagglutinin gene cleavage site, which is typical of the highly pathogenic H5N1 subtype. The phylogenetic tree showed that the highly pathogenic avian influenza belonged to clade 2.2.1.2. The NDV sequences carried one of the three motifs, 112 GKQGRL 117 , 112 KRQKRF 117 or 112 RRQKRF 117 , at the fusion protein cleavage site and were classified as genotypes I, VI and II in NDV-class II, respectively. This indicated that different genotypes of NDV can circulate simultaneously among pigeons. Further analysis revealed the clustering of some sequences in sub-genotypes Ia and VIb.2. To the best of our knowledge, these sub-genotypes have not been previously reported from pigeons in Egypt. Our results should serve as a base for future studies on both viruses in Egypt.

BLSSpeller: exhaustive comparative discovery of conserved cis-regulatory elements.

PubMed

De Witte, Dieter; Van de Velde, Jan; Decap, Dries; Van Bel, Michiel; Audenaert, Pieter; Demeester, Piet; Dhoedt, Bart; Vandepoele, Klaas; Fostier, Jan

2015-12-01

The accurate discovery and annotation of regulatory elements remains a challenging problem. The growing number of sequenced genomes creates new opportunities for comparative approaches to motif discovery. Putative binding sites are then considered to be functional if they are conserved in orthologous promoter sequences of multiple related species. Existing methods for comparative motif discovery usually rely on pregenerated multiple sequence alignments, which are difficult to obtain for more diverged species such as plants. As a consequence, misaligned regulatory elements often remain undetected. We present a novel algorithm that supports both alignment-free and alignment-based motif discovery in the promoter sequences of related species. Putative motifs are exhaustively enumerated as words over the IUPAC alphabet and screened for conservation using the branch length score. Additionally, a confidence score is established in a genome-wide fashion. In order to take advantage of a cloud computing infrastructure, the MapReduce programming model is adopted. The method is applied to four monocotyledon plant species and it is shown that high-scoring motifs are significantly enriched for open chromatin regions in Oryza sativa and for transcription factor binding sites inferred through protein-binding microarrays in O.sativa and Zea mays. Furthermore, the method is shown to recover experimentally profiled ga2ox1-like KN1 binding sites in Z.mays. BLSSpeller was written in Java. Source code and manual are available at http://bioinformatics.intec.ugent.be/blsspeller Klaas.Vandepoele@psb.vib-ugent.be or jan.fostier@intec.ugent.be. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

Changes in Cartilage Morphology of the Knee after 14-days of Bed Rest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liphardt, A.-M.; Mündermann, A.; Koo, S.; Bäcker, N.; Andriacchi, T.; Zange, J.; Mester, J.; Heer, M.

Introduction While there are still many unanswered questions related to the effects of space flight and disuse on cartilage health and cartilage morphology the number of in vivo experiments in humans is small For muscle and bone tissue it is well known that unloading results in degeneration of those tissues Also for cartilage previous studies in patients suggest that unloading causes cartilage degeneration Studies using immobilization as a model of unloading help to investigate the importance of experiencing mechanical loads for the maintenance of healthy biological tissues The goal of our study was to investigate whether bed rest induced immobilization has a negative effect on articular cartilage in healthy subjects and if vibration training is a potential counter-measure for these negative effects Methods Eight male healthy subjects 78 1 pm 9 5 kg 179 pm 9 6 cm 26 pm 5 years performed a 14-day bed rest in 6 r -head down tilt HDT The study was designed in a cross-over-design where each subject received a training intervention vib in one phase and no intervention con in the other phase During the training intervention subjects trained 2 x 5-minutes per day at 20 Hz with 2 -- 4 mm amplitude on a vibration plate Galileo 900 Magnet resonance MR imaging of the right knee was performed to measure articular cartilage thickness MR-images 2 mm slice thickness 0 35 mm x 0 35 mm in-plane resolution 448 x 512 pixels were taken before and after bed rest to investigate the effects of bed rest

Reference binding energies of transition metal carbides by core-level x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy free from Ar+ etching artefacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greczynski, G.; Primetzhofer, D.; Hultman, L.

2018-04-01

We report x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) core level binding energies (BE's) for the widely-applicable groups IVb-VIb transition metal carbides (TMCs) TiC, VC, CrC, ZrC, NbC, MoC, HfC, TaC, and WC. Thin film samples are grown in the same deposition system, by dc magnetron co-sputtering from graphite and respective elemental metal targets in Ar atmosphere. To remove surface contaminations resulting from exposure to air during sample transfer from the growth chamber into the XPS system, layers are either (i) Ar+ ion-etched or (ii) UHV-annealed in situ prior to XPS analyses. High resolution XPS spectra reveal that even gentle etching affects the shape of core level signals, as well as BE values, which are systematically offset by 0.2-0.5 eV towards lower BE. These destructive effects of Ar+ ion etch become more pronounced with increasing the metal atom mass due to an increasing carbon-to-metal sputter yield ratio. Systematic analysis reveals that for each row in the periodic table (3d, 4d, and 5d) C 1s BE increases from left to right indicative of a decreased charge transfer from TM to C atoms, hence bond weakening. Moreover, C 1s BE decreases linearly with increasing carbide/metal melting point ratio. Spectra reported here, acquired from a consistent set of samples in the same instrument, should serve as a reference for true deconvolution of complex XPS cases, including multinary carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides.

Topological side-chain classification of beta-turns: ideal motifs for peptidomimetic development.

PubMed

Tran, Tran Trung; McKie, Jim; Meutermans, Wim D F; Bourne, Gregory T; Andrews, Peter R; Smythe, Mark L

2005-08-01

Beta-turns are important topological motifs for biological recognition of proteins and peptides. Organic molecules that sample the side chain positions of beta-turns have shown broad binding capacity to multiple different receptors, for example benzodiazepines. Beta-turns have traditionally been classified into various types based on the backbone dihedral angles (phi2, psi2, phi3 and psi3). Indeed, 57-68% of beta-turns are currently classified into 8 different backbone families (Type I, Type II, Type I', Type II', Type VIII, Type VIa1, Type VIa2 and Type VIb and Type IV which represents unclassified beta-turns). Although this classification of beta-turns has been useful, the resulting beta-turn types are not ideal for the design of beta-turn mimetics as they do not reflect topological features of the recognition elements, the side chains. To overcome this, we have extracted beta-turns from a data set of non-homologous and high-resolution protein crystal structures. The side chain positions, as defined by C(alpha)-C(beta) vectors, of these turns have been clustered using the kth nearest neighbor clustering and filtered nearest centroid sorting algorithms. Nine clusters were obtained that cluster 90% of the data, and the average intra-cluster RMSD of the four C(alpha)-C(beta) vectors is 0.36. The nine clusters therefore represent the topology of the side chain scaffold architecture of the vast majority of beta-turns. The mean structures of the nine clusters are useful for the development of beta-turn mimetics and as biological descriptors for focusing combinatorial chemistry towards biologically relevant topological space.

Evidence-based management of the thyroid gland during a total laryngectomy.

PubMed

Gorphe, Philippe; Ben Lakhdar, Aïcha; Tao, Yungan; Breuskin, Ingrid; Janot, François; Temam, Stéphane

2015-10-01

To propose an original experience-based reference framework for the management of the thyroid gland during a total laryngectomy in our institution. The steps were based on 1) the incidence and patterns of thyroid gland invasion (TGI), 2) preoperative and pathologic factors associated with TGI, and 3) the relationship between TGI and oncologic efficacy endpoints after treatment. Retrospective cohort study. We reviewed the records of 182 patients who had undergone a total laryngectomy with a total thyroidectomy or loboisthmectomy in our center. Among 23 patients (12.6%), the thyroid gland was directly invaded by disease in 22 and by metastasis in one. Subglottic primary site was the only preoperative factor associated (P =.03). TGI was associated with pathological signs of anterior extralaryngeal invasive disease (thyroid cartilage transfixion, P = .002; cricothyroid membrane invasion, P < .0001; and prelaryngeal soft tissue infiltration, P < .0001) and ipsilateral VIb lymph node metastasis (P = .004). As expected, disease-free survival was significantly lower in patients with TGI (P = .04) and peristomal control was significantly reduced in patients with TGI (P = .038). To our knowledge, this is the largest monocentric series of TGI specimens after a total laryngectomy for laryngeal neoplasms described to date. Focus must be placed on anteroinferior spread, which is likely to invade the cricothyroid membrane, because TGI is part of the extension of extralaryngeal cancer. We propose original experience-based management of thyroid management during a total laryngectomy to improve the level of accuracy of decision making during the surgical procedure whenever possible. 4 © 2015 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Reliability of assessing postural control during seated balancing using a physical human-robot interaction.

PubMed

Ramadan, Ahmed; Cholewicki, Jacek; Radcliffe, Clark J; Popovich, John M; Reeves, N Peter; Choi, Jongeun

2017-11-07

This study evaluated the within- and between-visit reliability of a seated balance test for quantifying trunk motor control using input-output data. Thirty healthy subjects performed a seated balance test under three conditions: eyes open (EO), eyes closed (EC), and eyes closed with vibration to the lumbar muscles (VIB). Each subject performed three trials of each condition on three different visits. The seated balance test utilized a torque-controlled robotic seat, which together with a sitting subject resulted in a physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) (two degrees-of-freedom with upper and lower body rotations). Subjects balanced the pHRI by controlling trunk rotation in response to pseudorandom torque perturbations applied to the seat in the coronal plane. Performance error was expressed as the root mean square (RMSE) of deviations from the upright position in the time domain and as the mean bandpass signal energy (E mb ) in the frequency domain. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) quantified the between-visit reliability of both RMSE and E mb . The empirical transfer function estimates (ETFE) from the perturbation input to each of the two rotational outputs were calculated. Coefficients of multiple correlation (CMC) quantified the within- and between-visit reliability of the averaged ETFE. ICCs of RMSE and E mb for all conditions were ≥0.84. The mean within- and between-visit CMCs were all ≥0.96 for the lower body rotation and ≥0.89 for the upper body rotation. Therefore, our seated balance test consisting of pHRI to assess coronal plane trunk motor control is reliable. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

BLSSpeller: exhaustive comparative discovery of conserved cis-regulatory elements

PubMed Central

De Witte, Dieter; Van de Velde, Jan; Decap, Dries; Van Bel, Michiel; Audenaert, Pieter; Demeester, Piet; Dhoedt, Bart; Vandepoele, Klaas; Fostier, Jan

2015-01-01

Motivation: The accurate discovery and annotation of regulatory elements remains a challenging problem. The growing number of sequenced genomes creates new opportunities for comparative approaches to motif discovery. Putative binding sites are then considered to be functional if they are conserved in orthologous promoter sequences of multiple related species. Existing methods for comparative motif discovery usually rely on pregenerated multiple sequence alignments, which are difficult to obtain for more diverged species such as plants. As a consequence, misaligned regulatory elements often remain undetected. Results: We present a novel algorithm that supports both alignment-free and alignment-based motif discovery in the promoter sequences of related species. Putative motifs are exhaustively enumerated as words over the IUPAC alphabet and screened for conservation using the branch length score. Additionally, a confidence score is established in a genome-wide fashion. In order to take advantage of a cloud computing infrastructure, the MapReduce programming model is adopted. The method is applied to four monocotyledon plant species and it is shown that high-scoring motifs are significantly enriched for open chromatin regions in Oryza sativa and for transcription factor binding sites inferred through protein-binding microarrays in O.sativa and Zea mays. Furthermore, the method is shown to recover experimentally profiled ga2ox1-like KN1 binding sites in Z.mays. Availability and implementation: BLSSpeller was written in Java. Source code and manual are available at http://bioinformatics.intec.ugent.be/blsspeller Contact: Klaas.Vandepoele@psb.vib-ugent.be or jan.fostier@intec.ugent.be Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:26254488

Molecular epidemiology of echoviruses 11 and 30 in Russia: different properties of genotypes within an enterovirus serotype.

PubMed

Yarmolskaya, Maria S; Shumilina, Elena Yu; Ivanova, Olga E; Drexler, Jan Felix; Lukashev, Alexander N

2015-03-01

Over 100 known enterovirus serotypes differ in their epidemiological and pathogenic properties. Much less is known about variation of these features on a sub-serotype level, such as genotypes. Echovirus 11 (E11) and E30 are amongst the most frequent causative agents of aseptic meningitis. We studied the molecular epidemiology of these pathogens to evaluate potential epidemiological and pathogenic dissimilarities of their genotypes. The complete VP1 genome region was sequenced for 97 E11 and 62 E30 isolates collected in Russia from 2008 to 2012, and they were studied in comparison with all 140 E11 and 432 E30 sequences available in GenBank. A geographic pattern of genotype prevalence was observed for both types. Russian E11 isolates belonged mainly to A genotype, which is common in Asia, and D5, which is predominant in Europe. For E30, genotype III by classification of Ke et al. (2011), also termed genotype a by Bailly et al. (2009), was endemic in Russia from 2003 to 2012, while it was not detected in Europe and North America during this time. The E30 genotypes VI-B, VI-G, and VI-H (e, f and h) were regularly introduced from different countries, became predominant and vanished after no more than 4years. In addition to geographic patterns, E11 genotypes also differed by isolation source. Genotype A2 viruses were significantly more often found in sewage, compared to genotype D5 that was isolated from both sewage and human samples. In addition, there was evidence of a different capacity for international transfers among E11 GtA subclusters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of electric field in enhancing separation of gas molecules (H2S, CO2, H2O) on VIB modified g-C3N4 (0 0 1)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Fang; Li, Penghui; Wei, Shiqian; Guo, Jiaxing; Dan, Meng; Zhou, Ying

2018-07-01

In this study, the first-principles calculations were performed to investigate the adsorption behaviors of gas molecules H2S, CO2 and H2O on Cr, Mo and W modified g-C3N4 (0 0 1) surface. The results show that H2S, CO2 and H2O are physically adsorbed on the pristine g-C3N4, while the adsorption becomes chemisorbed due to the introduction of transition metals which significantly improve the interfacial electron transfer and narrow the band gap of g-C3N4 (0 0 1). Furthermore, it is found that the adsorption behaviors can be greatly influenced by the applied electric field. The adsorption energy is generally arranged in the order of Eads(H2S) > Eads(H2O) > Eads(CO2), and W/g-C3N4 (0 0 1) exhibits the best separation capability. The study could provide a versatile approach to selectively capture and separate the mixed gases in the catalytic reactions by controlling the applied intensity of electric field.

Successful Demolition of Historic Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Facilities: Managing the Process to Maximize Recycle Value to Fund Demolition

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

Jones, A.; Hambro, L.; Hooper, K.

2008-07-01

This paper will present the history of the Atlas 36 and Titan 40 Space Launch Complexes (SLC), the facility assessment process, demolition planning, recycle methodology, and actual facility demolition that resulted in a 40% reduction in baseline cost. These two SLC launched hundreds of payloads into space from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (AFS), Florida. The Atlas-Centaur family of rockets could lift small- to medium-size satellites designed for communications, weather, or military use, placing them with near pinpoint accuracy into their intended orbits. The larger Titan family was relied upon for heavier lifting needs, including launching military satellites as wellmore » as interplanetary probes. But despite their efficiency and cost-effectiveness, the Titan rockets, as well as earlier generation Atlas models, were retired in 2005. Concerns about potential environmental health hazards from PCBs and lead-based paint chipping off the facilities also contributed to the Air Force's decision in 2005 to dismantle and demolish the Atlas and Titan missile-launching systems. Lockheed Martin secured the complex following the final launch, removed equipment and turned over the site to the Air Force for decommissioning and demolition (D and D). AMEC was retained by the Air Force to perform demolition planning and facility D and D in 2004. AMEC began with a review of historical information, interviews with past operations personnel, and 100% facility assessment of over 100 structures. There where numerous support buildings that due to their age contained asbestos containing material (ACM), PCB-impacted material, and universal material that had to be identified and removed prior to demolition. Environmental testing had revealed that the 36B mobile support tower (MST) exceeded the TSCA standard for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) paint (<50 ppm), as did the high bay sections of the Titan Vertical Integration Building (VIB). Thus, while most of the steel structures could

Response to Comments on: "Nonlinear phenomena, bifurcations, and routes to chaos in an asymmetrically supported rotor-stator contact system" by Philip Varney, Itzhak Green [J. Sound Vib. 336 (2015) 207-226

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varney, Philip; Green, Itzhak

2017-11-01

The authors would like to thank the discussers for their interest in the paper. The discussers raise several objections to the original work; namely, that the state-space equations of motion were derived incorrectly, thus rendering the original results incorrect by association. In actuality, the error in the original state-space equations (Eq. (16) in the original work) is typographic only. This, in conjunction with a typographic error in Table A1, prevented the discussers from replicating a subset of the original results (though the discussers were able to replicate many of the results presented in the original work, despite the presumed error in the equations). These typographic errors are rectified here. In addition, results are presented here corresponding to the solution that would have been obtained had the state-space equations been incorrect in the manner presumed by the discussers. Finally, the discussers state that the results presented in the original work do not adhere to physical principles because the steady-state solution in one case indicates contact even though the linear response to imbalance is less than the radial clearance. This seeming discrepancy is also addressed here.

Comments on "Drill-string horizontal dynamics with uncertainty on the frictional force" by T.G. Ritto, M.R. Escalante, Rubens Sampaio, M.B. Rosales [J. Sound Vib. 332 (2013) 145-153

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zifeng

2016-12-01

This paper analyzes the mechanical and mathematical models in "Ritto et al. (2013) [1]". The results are that: (1) the mechanical model is obviously incorrect; (2) the mathematical model is not complete; (3) the differential equation is obviously incorrect; (4) the finite element equation is obviously not discretized from the corresponding mathematical model above, and is obviously incorrect. A mathematical model of dynamics should include the differential equations, the boundary conditions and the initial conditions.

Numerical simulation of the generation mechanism of axisymmetric supersonic jet screech tones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X. D.; Gao, J. H.

2005-08-01

In this paper an axisymmetric computational aeroacoustic procedure is developed to investigate the generation mechanism of axisymmetric supersonic jet screech tones. The axisymmetric Navier-Stokes equations and the two equations standard k-ɛ turbulence model modified by Turpin and Troyes ["Validation of a two-equation turbulence model for axisymmetric reacting and non-reaction flows," AIAA Paper No. 2000-3463 (2000)] are solved in the generalized curvilinear coordinate system. A generalized wall function is applied in the nozzle exit wall region. The dispersion-relation-preserving scheme is applied for space discretization. The 2N storage low-dissipation and low-dispersion Runge-Kutta scheme is employed for time integration. Much attention is paid to far-field boundary conditions and turbulence model. The underexpanded axisymmetric supersonic jet screech tones are simulated over the Mach number from 1.05 to 1.2. Numerical results are presented and compared with the experimental data by other researchers. The simulated wavelengths of A0, A1, A2, and B modes and part of simulated amplitudes agree very well with the measurement data by Ponton and Seiner ["The effects of nozzle exit lip thickness on plume resonance," J. Sound Vib. 154, 531 (1992)]. In particular, the phenomena of modes jumping have been captured correctly although the numerical procedure has to be improved to predict the amplitudes of supersonic jet screech tones more accurately. Furthermore, the phenomena of shock motions are analyzed. The predicted splitting and combination of shock cells are similar with the experimental observations of Panda ["Shock oscillation in underexpanded screeching jets," J. Fluid. Mech. 363, 173 (1998)]. Finally, the receptivity process is numerically studied and analyzed. It is shown that the receptivity zone is associated with the initial thin shear layer, and the incoming and reflected sound waves.

Studies of insulin secretory responses and of arachidonic acid incorporation into phospholipids of stably transfected insulinoma cells that overexpress group VIA phospholipase A2 (iPLA2beta ) indicate a signaling rather than a housekeeping role for iPLA2beta.

PubMed

Ma, Z; Ramanadham, S; Wohltmann, M; Bohrer, A; Hsu, F F; Turk, J

2001-04-20

A cytosolic 84-kDa group VIA phospholipase A(2) (iPLA(2)beta) that does not require Ca(2+) for catalysis has been cloned from several sources, including rat and human pancreatic islet beta-cells and murine P388D1 cells. Many potential iPLA(2)beta functions have been proposed, including a signaling role in beta-cell insulin secretion and a role in generating lysophosphatidylcholine acceptors for arachidonic acid incorporation into P388D1 cell phosphatidylcholine (PC). Proposals for iPLA(2)beta function rest in part on effects of inhibiting iPLA(2)beta activity with a bromoenol lactone (BEL) suicide substrate, but BEL also inhibits phosphatidate phosphohydrolase-1 and a group VIB phospholipase A(2). Manipulation of iPLA(2)beta expression by molecular biologic means is an alternative approach to study iPLA(2)beta functions, and we have used a retroviral construct containing iPLA(2)beta cDNA to prepare two INS-1 insulinoma cell clonal lines that stably overexpress iPLA(2)beta. Compared with parental INS-1 cells or cells transfected with empty vector, both iPLA(2)beta-overexpressing lines exhibit amplified insulin secretory responses to glucose and cAMP-elevating agents, and BEL substantially attenuates stimulated secretion. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analyses of arachidonic acid incorporation into INS-1 cell PC indicate that neither overexpression nor inhibition of iPLA(2)beta affects the rate or extent of this process in INS-1 cells. Immunocytofluorescence studies with antibodies directed against iPLA(2)beta indicate that cAMP-elevating agents increase perinuclear fluorescence in INS-1 cells, suggesting that iPLA(2)beta associates with nuclei. These studies are more consistent with a signaling than with a housekeeping role for iPLA(2)beta in insulin-secreting beta-cells.

Assessing Genetic Diversity among Brettanomyces Yeasts by DNA Fingerprinting and Whole-Genome Sequencing

PubMed Central

Crauwels, Sam; Zhu, Bo; Steensels, Jan; Busschaert, Pieter; De Samblanx, Gorik; Marchal, Kathleen; Willems, Kris A.

2014-01-01

Brettanomyces yeasts, with the species Brettanomyces (Dekkera) bruxellensis being the most important one, are generally reported to be spoilage yeasts in the beer and wine industry due to the production of phenolic off flavors. However, B. bruxellensis is also known to be a beneficial contributor in certain fermentation processes, such as the production of certain specialty beers. Nevertheless, despite its economic importance, Brettanomyces yeasts remain poorly understood at the genetic and genomic levels. In this study, the genetic relationship between more than 50 Brettanomyces strains from all presently known species and from several sources was studied using a combination of DNA fingerprinting techniques. This revealed an intriguing correlation between the B. bruxellensis fingerprints and the respective isolation source. To further explore this relationship, we sequenced a (beneficial) beer isolate of B. bruxellensis (VIB X9085; ST05.12/22) and compared its genome sequence with the genome sequences of two wine spoilage strains (AWRI 1499 and CBS 2499). ST05.12/22 was found to be substantially different from both wine strains, especially at the level of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In addition, there were major differences in the genome structures between the strains investigated, including the presence of large duplications and deletions. Gene content analysis revealed the presence of 20 genes which were present in both wine strains but absent in the beer strain, including many genes involved in carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and vice versa, no genes that were missing in both AWRI 1499 and CBS 2499 were found in ST05.12/22. Together, this study provides tools to discriminate Brettanomyces strains and provides a first glimpse at the genetic diversity and genome plasticity of B. bruxellensis. PMID:24814796

Using the integral equations method to model a 2G racetrack coil with anisotropic critical current dependence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martins, F. G. R.; Sass, F.; Barusco, P.; Ferreira, A. C.; de Andrade, R., Jr.

2017-11-01

Second-generation (2G) superconducting wires have already proved their potential in several applications. These materials have a highly nonlinear behavior that turns an optimized engineering project into a challenge. Between several numerical techniques that can be used to perform this task, the integral equations (IE) method stands out for avoiding mesh problems by representing the 2G wire cross-sectional area by a line. While most applications need to be represented in a 3D geometry, the IE is limited to longitudinal or axisymmetric models. This work demonstrates that a complex 3D geometry can be modeled by several coupled simulations using the IE method. In order to prove this statement, the proposed technique was used to simulate a 2G racetrack coil considering the self-field magnitude (B) and incidence angle (θ) on the tape. The J c characteristic was modeled in terms of parallel and normal to the tape plane magnetic field components (J c(B ∥ , B ⊥)) obtained from a V-I(B, θ) characterization of a tape segment. This result was implemented using commercial software with both A-V (vector magnetic potential and scalar voltage potential) and IE coupled simulations solved by finite elements. This solution bypasses the meshing problem due to the tapes slim geometry, considering each turn a single 1D model, all magnetically interacting in two 2D models. The simulations results are in good agreement to what was both expected and observed in the literature. The simulation is compared to the measured V-I characteristic for a single pancake racetrack coil built with same geometry as its simulation models, and a theoretical study demonstrates the possibilities of the proposed tool for analyzing a racetrack coil current density and electric field behavior in each of its turns.

Assessing genetic diversity among Brettanomyces yeasts by DNA fingerprinting and whole-genome sequencing.

PubMed

Crauwels, Sam; Zhu, Bo; Steensels, Jan; Busschaert, Pieter; De Samblanx, Gorik; Marchal, Kathleen; Willems, Kris A; Verstrepen, Kevin J; Lievens, Bart

2014-07-01

Brettanomyces yeasts, with the species Brettanomyces (Dekkera) bruxellensis being the most important one, are generally reported to be spoilage yeasts in the beer and wine industry due to the production of phenolic off flavors. However, B. bruxellensis is also known to be a beneficial contributor in certain fermentation processes, such as the production of certain specialty beers. Nevertheless, despite its economic importance, Brettanomyces yeasts remain poorly understood at the genetic and genomic levels. In this study, the genetic relationship between more than 50 Brettanomyces strains from all presently known species and from several sources was studied using a combination of DNA fingerprinting techniques. This revealed an intriguing correlation between the B. bruxellensis fingerprints and the respective isolation source. To further explore this relationship, we sequenced a (beneficial) beer isolate of B. bruxellensis (VIB X9085; ST05.12/22) and compared its genome sequence with the genome sequences of two wine spoilage strains (AWRI 1499 and CBS 2499). ST05.12/22 was found to be substantially different from both wine strains, especially at the level of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In addition, there were major differences in the genome structures between the strains investigated, including the presence of large duplications and deletions. Gene content analysis revealed the presence of 20 genes which were present in both wine strains but absent in the beer strain, including many genes involved in carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and vice versa, no genes that were missing in both AWRI 1499 and CBS 2499 were found in ST05.12/22. Together, this study provides tools to discriminate Brettanomyces strains and provides a first glimpse at the genetic diversity and genome plasticity of B. bruxellensis. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

High -- Resolution Laser Spectroscopy of the a 3Π1 ← X 1σ+ System of ICl in 0.7 μm Region.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishimiya, Nobuo; Yukiya, Tokio; Suzuki, Masao; Le Roy, Robert J.

2015-06-01

Spectroscopic data for the A 3Π1 and X 1σ+ states of I35/37Cl have been obtained by many researchers using grating spectrometers and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometers. In a previous paper we reported the measurement of doppler limited electronic vib-rotational absorption lines of the A 3Π1 ← X 1σ+ system of I35/37Cl using a source modulation method, and new Mass-reduced Dunham coefficients were reported for the X-state. However, it is becoming increasingly common to analyse diatomic molecule spectroscopic data using the ``direct-potential-fit'' (DPF) method in which observed transition energies are fitted to simulated spectra generated from analyic models for the potential energy function(s). This method tends to require fewer fitting parameters than traditional Dunham analyses, as well as having more robust extrapolation properties in both the v and J domains. The present work combines all available previously reported data for the A 3Π1 and X 1σ+ states with new measurements up to v'=10 in the 0.7μm region obtained with a tone burst method using a Ti:Sapphire Ring Laser (M Squared Ltd SolsTis CW with Tera scan) in the the first DPF analysis reported for this system. The results of this study and our new fully analytic potential energy functions for the A 3Π1 and X 1σ+ states of ICl will be presented. J.A. Coxon, R.M. Gordon and M.A. Wickramaaratchi, J. Mol. Spectr. 79 (1983) 363, 380. H. Hedderich P.F. Bernath and G.A. McRae J. Mol. Spectr. 155 (1992) 384. T.Yukiya, N. Nishimiya and M. Suzuki, J. Mol. Spectr. 269 (2011) 193.

Ab initio anharmonic vibrational frequency predictions for linear proton-bound complexes OC-H(+)-CO and N(2)-H(+)-N(2).

PubMed

Terrill, Kasia; Nesbitt, David J

2010-08-01

Ab initio anharmonic transition frequencies are calculated for strongly coupled (i) asymmetric and (ii) symmetric proton stretching modes in the X-H(+)-X linear ionic hydrogen bonded complexes for OCHCO(+) and N(2)HN(2)(+). The optimized potential surface is calculated in these two coordinates for each molecular ion at CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVnZ (n = 2-4) levels and extrapolated to the complete-basis-set limit (CBS). Slices through both 2D surfaces reveal a relatively soft potential in the asymmetric proton stretching coordinate at near equilibrium geometries, which rapidly becomes a double minimum potential with increasing symmetric proton acceptor center of mass separation. Eigenvalues are obtained by solution of the 2D Schrödinger equation with potential/kinetic energy coupling explicity taken into account, converged in a distributed Gaussian basis set as a function of grid density. The asymmetric proton stretch fundamental frequency for N(2)HN(2)(+) is predicted at 848 cm(-1), with strong negative anharmonicity in the progression characteristic of a shallow "particle in a box" potential. The corresponding proton stretch fundamental for OCHCO(+) is anomalously low at 386 cm(-1), but with a strong alternation in the vibrational spacing due to the presence of a shallow D(infinityh) transition state barrier (Delta = 398 cm(-1)) between the two equivalent minimum geometries. Calculation of a 2D dipole moment surface and transition matrix elements reveals surprisingly strong combination and difference bands with appreciable intensity throughout the 300-1500 cm(-1) region. Corrected for zero point (DeltaZPE) and thermal vibrational excitation (DeltaE(vib)) at 300 K, the single and double dissociation energies in these complexes are in excellent agreement with thermochemical gas phase ion data.

Modeling collision energy transfer in APCI/CID mass spectra of PAHs using thermal-like post-collision internal energy distributions.

PubMed

Solano, Eduardo A; Mohamed, Sabria; Mayer, Paul M

2016-10-28

The internal energy transferred when projectile molecular ions of naphthalene collide with argon gas atoms was extracted from the APCI-CID (atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization collision-induced dissociation) mass spectra acquired as a function of collision energy. Ion abundances were calculated by microcanonical integration of the differential rate equations using the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus rate constants derived from a UB3LYP/6-311G+(3df,2p)//UB3LYP/6-31G(d) fragmentation mechanism and thermal-like vibrational energy distributions p M E,T char . The mean vibrational energy excess of the ions was characterized by the parameter T char ("characteristic temperature"), determined by fitting the theoretical ion abundances to the experimental breakdown graph (a plot of relative abundances of the ions as a function of kinetic energy) of activated naphthalene ions. According to these results, the APCI ion source produces species below T char = 1457 K, corresponding to 3.26 eV above the vibrational ground state. Subsequent collisions heat the ions up further, giving rise to a sigmoid curve of T char as a function of E com (center-of-mass-frame kinetic energy). The differential internal energy absorption per kinetic energy unit (dE vib /dE com ) changes with E com according to a symmetric bell-shaped function with a maximum at 6.38 ± 0.32 eV (corresponding to 6.51 ± 0.27 eV of vibrational energy excess), and a half-height full width of 6.30 ± 1.15 eV. This function imposes restrictions on the amount of energy that can be transferred by collisions, such that a maximum is reached as kinetic energy is increased. This behavior suggests that the collisional energy transfer exhibits a pronounced increase around some specific value of energy. Finally, the model is tested against the CID mass spectra of anthracene and pyrene ions and the corresponding results are discussed.

Synthesis, characterization and vibrational spectroscopic study of Co, Mg co-doped LiMnPO4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sronsri, Chuchai; Noisong, Pittayagorn; Danvirutai, Chanaiporn

2016-01-01

The isostructural olivine-like LiM(II)PO4 compounds [M(II) = Mn, Mn0.9Co0.1, Mn0.8Co0.1Mg0.1] were successfully generated through the solid state reaction from the synthesized NH4M(II)PO4• H2O precursors. The TG/DTG/DTA, AAS/AES, FTIR and XRD methods were employed to confirm both NH4M(II)PO4• H2O and LiM(II)PO4 compounds. Their morphologies were studied by SEM method. The shift of two theta angle of XRD to higher values was observed in metal doping compounds, which indicate the formation of the single phase of isodivalent doping of Co2 + and Mg2 + ions according to the change in the lattice parameters and cell volumes. Their infrared spectra are reported and discussed with respect to the normal vibrations of NH4+, PO43 -, P2O74 - and H2O molecules using factor group analysis. The correlation field splitting analysis of PO43 - in NH4M(II)PO4• H2O (orthorhombic system, Pmn21, C2v7 and Z = 2, [(3 × 5) - 6] × 2 = 18 internal modes) symbolized as Td - Cs - C2v7 suggested the number of vibrational modes to be: ΓVib = A1(6) + A2(3) + B1(6) + B2(3) and A1(6) + A2(3) + B1(3) + B2(6) for zx and yz plane respectively. While, LiM(II)PO4 crystallizes in the orthorhombic system the space group Pnma (D2h16), Z = 4 and the site symmetry of PO43 - is Cs. The correlation field splitting of type Td - Cs - D2h16 were reported in relation to [(3 × 5) - 6] × 4 = 36 internal modes for PO43 - unit in the structure.

Title VI in '76: Review of Projects Funded Under P.L. 91-230 Title VI-B, Education of the Handicapped Act, as Amended by P.L. 93-380 and P.L. 94-142. Fiscal Year 1976.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee.

Summarized are 89 projects which served exceptional students in all 67 Florida school districts and were funded during the 1975-76 school year under P.L. 91-230 Title VI B (Education of the Handicapped Act) as ammended by P.L. 93-380 and P.L. 94-142. Projects are divided into the following major areas; Florida Learning Resources System,…

Spectroscopic study of low pressure, low temperature H2-CH4-CO2 microwave plasmas used for large area deposition of nanocrystalline diamond films. Part II: on plasma chemical processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nave, A. S. C.; Baudrillart, B.; Hamann, S.; Bénédic, F.; Lombardi, G.; Gicquel, A.; van Helden, J. H.; Röpcke, J.

2016-12-01

In a distributed antenna array (DAA) reactor, microwave H2 plasmas with admixtures of 2.5% CH4 and 1% CO2 used for the deposition of nanocrystalline diamond films have been studied by infrared laser absorption and optical emission spectroscopy (OES) techniques. The experiments were carried out in order to analyze the dependence of plasma chemical phenomena on power and pressure at relatively low pressures, up to 0.55 mbar, and power values, up to 3 kW. The evolution of the concentration of the methyl radical, CH3, of five stable molecules, CH4, CO2, CO, C2H2 and C2H6, and of vibrationally excited CO in the first and second hot band was monitored in the plasma processes by in situ infrared laser absorption spectroscopy using tunable lead salt diode lasers (TDL) and an external-cavity quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) as radiation sources. OES was applied simultaneously to obtain complementary information about the degree of dissociation of the H2 precursor and of its gas temperature. The experimental results are presented in two separate parts. In Part I, the first paper in a two-part series, the measurement of the gas (T gas), rotational (T rot) and vibrational (T vib) temperatures of the various species in the complex plasma was the main focus of interest. Depending on the different plasma zones the gas temperature was found to range between about 360 and 1000 K inside the DAA reactor (Nave et al 2016 Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 25 065002). In Part II, the present paper, taking into account the temperatures determined in the first paper, the concentrations of the various species, which were found to be in a range between 1011 and 1015 cm-3, are the focus of interest. The influence of the discharge parameters power and pressure on the molecular concentrations has been studied. To achieve further insight into general plasma chemical aspects the dissociation of the carbon precursor gases including their fragmentation and conversion to the reaction products has been

Micro-Raman spectroscopy a powerful technique to identify crocidolite and erionite fibers in tissue sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rinaudo, C.; Croce, A.; Allegrina, M.; Baris, I. Y.; Dogan, A.; Powers, A.; Rivera, Z.; Bertino, P.; Yang, H.; Gaudino, G.; Carbone, M.

2013-05-01

.I. Baris, P. Bertino, B. Brass, S. Comertpay, A.U. Dogan et al. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci U S A 2011;108 (33), 13618. A.U. Dogan, Y.I.Baris, M. Dogan, S. Emri, I. Steele, A.G. Elmishad et al. Cancer Res. 2006,66 (10), 5063. M. Dogan. Scanning. 2012, 34 (1), 37. C. Rinaudo, M. Allegrina, E. Fornero, M. Musa, A. Croce, D. Bellis. J. Raman Spectrosc. 2010, 41 (1), 27. C. Rinaudo, A. Croce, M. Musa, E. Fornero, M. Allegrina, P. Trivero, et al. Appl. Spectrosc. 2010, 64 (6), 571. M. Musa, A. Croce, M. Allegrina, C. Rinaudo, E. Belluso, D. Bellis, et al. Vib. Spectrosc. 2012, 61, 66.

Effect of tendon vibration during wide-pulse neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on muscle force production in people with spinal cord injury (SCI).

PubMed

Bochkezanian, Vanesa; Newton, Robert U; Trajano, Gabriel S; Vieira, Amilton; Pulverenti, Timothy S; Blazevich, Anthony J

2018-02-13

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is commonly used in skeletal muscles in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) with the aim of increasing muscle recruitment and thus muscle force production. NMES has been conventionally used in clinical practice as functional electrical stimulation (FES), using low levels of evoked force that cannot optimally stimulate muscular strength and mass improvements, and thus trigger musculoskeletal changes in paralysed muscles. The use of high intensity intermittent NMES training using wide-pulse width and moderate-intensity as a strength training tool could be a promising method to increase muscle force production in people with SCI. However, this type of protocol has not been clinically adopted because it may generate rapid muscle fatigue and thus prevent the performance of repeated high-intensity muscular contractions in paralysed muscles. Moreover, superimposing patellar tendon vibration onto the wide-pulse width NMES has been shown to elicit further increases in impulse or, at least, reduce the rate of fatigue in repeated contractions in able-bodied populations, but there is a lack of evidence to support this argument in people with SCI. Nine people with SCI received two NMES protocols with and without superimposing patellar tendon vibration on different days (i.e. STIM and STIM+vib), which consisted of repeated 30 Hz trains of 58 wide-pulse width (1000 μs) symmetric biphasic pulses (0.033-s inter-pulse interval; 2 s stimulation train; 2-s inter-train interval) being delivered to the dominant quadriceps femoris. Starting torque was 20% of maximal doublet-twitch torque and stimulations continued until torque declined to 50% of the starting torque. Total knee extensor impulse was calculated as the primary outcome variable. Total knee extensor impulse increased in four subjects when patellar tendon vibration was imposed (59.2 ± 15.8%) but decreased in five subjects (- 31.3 ± 25.7%). However, there were no

Conductive lithium storage electrode

DOEpatents

Chiang, Yet-Ming [Framingham, MA; Chung, Sung-Yoon [Seoul, KR; Bloking, Jason T [Cambridge, MA; Andersson, Anna M [Uppsala, SE

2008-03-18

A compound comprising a composition A.sub.x(M'.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.y(XD.sub.4).sub.z, A.sub.x(M'.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.y(DXD.sub.4).sub.z, or A.sub.x(M'.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.y(X.sub.2D.sub.7).sub.z, and have values such that x, plus y(1-a) times a formal valence or valences of M', plus ya times a formal valence or valence of M'', is equal to z times a formal valence of the XD.sub.4, X.sub.2D.sub.7, or DXD.sub.4 group; or a compound comprising a composition (A.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.xM'.sub.y(XD.sub.4).sub.z, (A.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.xM'.sub.y(DXD.sub.4).sub.z(A.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).s- ub.xM'.sub.y(X.sub.2D.sub.7).sub.z and have values such that (1-a).sub.x plus the quantity ax times the formal valence or valences of M'' plus y times the formal valence or valences of M' is equal to z times the formal valence of the XD.sub.4, X.sub.2D.sub.7 or DXD.sub.4 group. In the compound, A is at least one of an alkali metal and hydrogen, M' is a first-row transition metal, X is at least one of phosphorus, sulfur, arsenic, molybdenum, and tungsten, M'' any of a Group IIA, IIIA, IVA, VA, VIA, VIIA, VIIIA, IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, VB, and VIB metal, D is at least one of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, or a halogen, 0.0001

Conductive lithium storage electrode

DOEpatents

Chiang, Yet-Ming [Framingham, MA; Chung, Sung-Yoon [Incheon, KR; Bloking, Jason T [Mountain View, CA; Andersson, Anna M [Vasteras, SE

2012-04-03

A compound comprising a composition A.sub.x(M'.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.y(XD.sub.4).sub.z, A.sub.x(M'.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.y(DXD.sub.4).sub.z, or A.sub.x(M'.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.y(X.sub.2D.sub.7).sub.z, and have values such that x, plus y(1-a) times a formal valence or valences of M', plus ya times a formal valence or valence of M'', is equal to z times a formal valence of the XD.sub.4, X.sub.2D.sub.7, or DXD.sub.4 group; or a compound comprising a composition (A.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.xM'.sub.y(XD.sub.4).sub.z, (A.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.xM'.sub.y(DXD.sub.4).sub.z (A.sub.1-aM''.sub.a).sub.xM'.sub.y(X.sub.2D.sub.7).sub.z and have values such that (1-a).sub.x plus the quantity ax times the formal valence or valences of M'' plus y times the formal valence or valences of M' is equal to z times the formal valence of the XD.sub.4, X.sub.2D.sub.7 or DXD.sub.4 group. In the compound, A is at least one of an alkali metal and hydrogen, M' is a first-row transition metal, X is at least one of phosphorus, sulfur, arsenic, molybdenum, and tungsten, M'' any of a Group IIA, IIIA, IVA, VA, VIA, VIIA, VIIIA, IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, VB, and VIB metal, D is at least one of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, or a halogen, 0.0001

Fucosylation Deficiency in Mice Leads to Colitis and Adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Wang, Yiwei; Huang, Dan; Chen, Kai-Yuan; Cui, Min; Wang, Weihuan; Huang, Xiaoran; Awadellah, Amad; Li, Qing; Friedman, Ann; Xin, William W; Di Martino, Luca; Cominelli, Fabio; Miron, Alex; Chan, Ricky; Fox, James G; Xu, Yan; Shen, Xiling; Kalady, Mathew F; Markowitz, Sanford; Maillard, Ivan; Lowe, John B; Xin, Wei; Zhou, Lan

2017-01-01

De novo synthesis of guanosine diphosphate (GDP)-fucose, a substrate for fucosylglycans, requires sequential reactions mediated by GDP-mannose 4,6-dehydratase (GMDS) and GDP-4-keto-6-deoxymannose 3,5-epimerase-4-reductase (FX or tissue specific transplantation antigen P35B [TSTA3]). GMDS deletions and mutations are found in 6%-13% of colorectal cancers; these mostly affect the ascending and transverse colon. We investigated whether a lack of fucosylation consequent to loss of GDP-fucose synthesis contributes to colon carcinogenesis. FX deficiency and GMDS deletion produce the same biochemical phenotype of GDP-fucose deficiency. We studied a mouse model of fucosylation deficiency (Fx-/- mice) and mice with the full-length Fx gene (controls). Mice were placed on standard chow or fucose-containing diet (equivalent to a control fucosylglycan phenotype). Colon tissues were collected and analyzed histologically or by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to measure cytokine levels; T cells also were collected and analyzed. Fecal samples were analyzed by 16s ribosomal RNA sequencing. Mucosal barrier function was measured by uptake of fluorescent dextran. We transplanted bone marrow cells from Fx-/- or control mice (Ly5.2) into irradiated 8-week-old Fx-/- or control mice (Ly5.1). We performed immunohistochemical analyses for expression of Notch and the hes family bHLH transcription factor (HES1) in colon tissues from mice and a panel of 60 human colorectal cancer specimens (27 left-sided, 33 right-sided). Fx-/- mice developed colitis and serrated-like lesions. The intestinal pathology of Fx-/- mice was reversed by addition of fucose to the diet, which restored fucosylation via a salvage pathway. In the absence of fucosylation, dysplasia appeared and progressed to adenocarcinoma in up to 40% of mice, affecting mainly the right colon and cecum. Notch was not activated in Fx-/- mice fed standard chow, leading to decreased expression of its target Hes1. Fucosylation deficiency

A Mathematica program for the approximate analytical solution to a nonlinear undamped Duffing equation by a new approximate approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Dongmei; Wang, Zhongcheng

2006-03-01

According to Mickens [R.E. Mickens, Comments on a Generalized Galerkin's method for non-linear oscillators, J. Sound Vib. 118 (1987) 563], the general HB (harmonic balance) method is an approximation to the convergent Fourier series representation of the periodic solution of a nonlinear oscillator and not an approximation to an expansion in terms of a small parameter. Consequently, for a nonlinear undamped Duffing equation with a driving force Bcos(ωx), to find a periodic solution when the fundamental frequency is identical to ω, the corresponding Fourier series can be written as y˜(x)=∑n=1m acos[(2n-1)ωx]. How to calculate the coefficients of the Fourier series efficiently with a computer program is still an open problem. For HB method, by substituting approximation y˜(x) into force equation, expanding the resulting expression into a trigonometric series, then letting the coefficients of the resulting lowest-order harmonic be zero, one can obtain approximate coefficients of approximation y˜(x) [R.E. Mickens, Comments on a Generalized Galerkin's method for non-linear oscillators, J. Sound Vib. 118 (1987) 563]. But for nonlinear differential equations such as Duffing equation, it is very difficult to construct higher-order analytical approximations, because the HB method requires solving a set of algebraic equations for a large number of unknowns with very complex nonlinearities. To overcome the difficulty, forty years ago, Urabe derived a computational method for Duffing equation based on Galerkin procedure [M. Urabe, A. Reiter, Numerical computation of nonlinear forced oscillations by Galerkin's procedure, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 14 (1966) 107-140]. Dooren obtained an approximate solution of the Duffing oscillator with a special set of parameters by using Urabe's method [R. van Dooren, Stabilization of Cowell's classic finite difference method for numerical integration, J. Comput. Phys. 16 (1974) 186-192]. In this paper, in the frame of the general HB method

A Geophysical Study of the Cadell Fault Scarp for Earthquake Hazard Assessment in Southeast Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, C. D.

2004-12-01

The historical record of seismicity in Australia is too short (less than 150 years) to confidently define seismic source zones, particularly the recurrence rates for large, potentially damaging earthquakes, and this leads to uncertainty in hazard assessments. One way to extend this record is to search for evidence of earthquakes in the landscape, including Quaternary fault scarps, tilt blocks and disruptions to drainage patterns. A recent Geoscience Australia compilation of evidence of Quaternary tectonics identified over one hundred examples of potentially recent structures in Australia, testifying to the fact that a greater hazard may exist from large earthquakes than is evident from the recorded history alone. Most of these structures have not been studied in detail and have not been dated, so the recurrence rate for damaging events is unknown. One example of recent tectonic activity lies on the Victoria-New South Wales border, where geologically recent uplift has resulted in the formation of the Cadell Fault Scarp, damming Australia's largest river, the Murray River, and diverting its course. The scarp extends along a north-south strike for at least 50 km and reaches a maximum height of about 13 metres. The scarp displaces sands and clays of the Murray Basin sediments which overlie Palaeozoic bedrock at a depth of 100 to 250 m. There is evidence that the river system has eroded the scarp and displaced the topographic expression away from the location where the fault, or faults, meets the surface. Thus, to locate potential sites for trenching which intersect the faults, Geoscience Australia acquired ground-penetrating radar, resistivity and multi-channel high-resolution seismic reflection and refraction data along traverses across the scarp. The seismic data were acquired using an IVI T15000 MiniVib vibrator operating in p-wave mode, and a 24-channel Stratavisor acquisition system. Four 10-second sweeps, with a frequency range of 10-240 Hz, were carried out

Core-level spectra and binding energies of transition metal nitrides by non-destructive x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy through capping layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greczynski, G.; Primetzhofer, D.; Lu, J.; Hultman, L.

2017-02-01

We present the first measurements of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) core level binding energies (BE:s) for the widely-applicable group IVb-VIb polycrystalline transition metal nitrides (TMN's) TiN, VN, CrN, ZrN, NbN, MoN, HfN, TaN, and WN as well as AlN and SiN, which are common components in the TMN-based alloy systems. Nitride thin film samples were grown at 400 °C by reactive dc magnetron sputtering from elemental targets in Ar/N2 atmosphere. For XPS measurements, layers are either (i) Ar+ ion-etched to remove surface oxides resulting from the air exposure during sample transfer from the growth chamber into the XPS system, or (ii) in situ capped with a few nm thick Cr or W overlayers in the deposition system prior to air-exposure and loading into the XPS instrument. Film elemental composition and phase content is thoroughly characterized with time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis (ToF-E ERDA), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), and x-ray diffraction. High energy resolution core level XPS spectra acquired with monochromatic Al Kα radiation on the ISO-calibrated instrument reveal that even mild etching conditions result in the formation of a nitrogen-deficient surface layer that substantially affects the extracted binding energy values. These spectra-modifying effects of Ar+ ion bombardment increase with increasing the metal atom mass due to an increasing nitrogen-to-metal sputter yield ratio. The superior quality of the XPS spectra obtained in a non-destructive way from capped TMN films is evident from that numerous metal peaks, including Ti 2p, V 2p, Zr 3d, and Hf 4f, exhibit pronounced satellite features, in agreement with previously published spectra from layers grown and analyzed in situ. In addition, the N/metal concentration ratios are found to be 25-90% higher than those obtained from the corresponding ion-etched surfaces, and in most cases agree very well with the RBS and ToF-E ERDA values. The N 1 s BE:s extracted from