Sample records for unique selected joining

  1. Explosive Welding in the 1990's

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lalwaney, N. S.; Linse, V. D.

    1985-01-01

    Explosive bonding is a unique joining process with the serious potential to produce composite materials capable of fulfilling many of the high performance materials capable of fulfilling many of the high performance materials needs of the 1990's. The process has the technological versatility to provide a true high quality metallurgical compatible and incompatible systems. Metals routinely explosively bonded include a wide variety of combinations of reactive and refractory metals, low and high density metals and their alloys, corrosion resistant and high strength alloys, and common steels. The major advantage of the process is its ability to custom design and engineer composites with physical and/or mechanical properties that meet a specific or unusual performance requirement. Explosive bonding offers the designer unique opportunities in materials selection with unique combinations of properties and high integrity bonds that cannot be achieved by any other metal joining process. The process and some applications are discussed.

  2. Microassembly of Heterogeneous Materials using Transfer Printing and Thermal Processing

    PubMed Central

    Keum, Hohyun; Yang, Zining; Han, Kewen; Handler, Drew E.; Nguyen, Thong Nhu; Schutt-Aine, Jose; Bahl, Gaurav; Kim, Seok

    2016-01-01

    Enabling unique architectures and functionalities of microsystems for numerous applications in electronics, photonics and other areas often requires microassembly of separately prepared heterogeneous materials instead of monolithic microfabrication. However, microassembly of dissimilar materials while ensuring high structural integrity has been challenging in the context of deterministic transferring and joining of materials at the microscale where surface adhesion is far more dominant than body weight. Here we present an approach to assembling microsystems with microscale building blocks of four disparate classes of device-grade materials including semiconductors, metals, dielectrics, and polymers. This approach uniquely utilizes reversible adhesion-based transfer printing for material transferring and thermal processing for material joining at the microscale. The interfacial joining characteristics between materials assembled by this approach are systematically investigated upon different joining mechanisms using blister tests. The device level capabilities of this approach are further demonstrated through assembling and testing of a microtoroid resonator and a radio frequency (RF) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switch that involve optical and electrical functionalities with mechanical motion. This work opens up a unique route towards 3D heterogeneous material integration to fabricate microsystems. PMID:27427243

  3. Toroid Joining Gun. [thermoplastic welding system using induction heating

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Buckley, J. D.; Fox, R. L.; Swaim, R J.

    1985-01-01

    The Toroid Joining Gun is a low cost, self-contained, portable low powered (100-400 watts) thermoplastic welding system developed at Langley Research Center for joining plastic and composite parts using an induction heating technique. The device developed for use in the fabrication of large space sructures (LSST Program) can be used in any atmosphere or in a vacuum. Components can be joined in situ, whether on earth or on a space platform. The expanded application of this welding gun is in the joining of thermoplastic composites, thermosetting composites, metals, and combinations of these materials. Its low-power requirements, light weight, rapid response, low cost, portability, and effective joining make it a candidate for solving many varied and unique bonding tasks.

  4. Joining the in vitro immunization of alpaca lymphocytes and phage display: rapid and cost effective pipeline for sdAb synthesis.

    PubMed

    Comor, Lubos; Dolinska, Saskia; Bhide, Katarina; Pulzova, Lucia; Jiménez-Munguía, Irene; Bencurova, Elena; Flachbartova, Zuzana; Potocnakova, Lenka; Kanova, Evelina; Bhide, Mangesh

    2017-01-23

    Camelids possess unique functional heavy chain antibodies, which can be produced and modified in vitro as a single domain antibody (sdAb or nanobody) with full antigen binding ability. Production of sdAb in conventional manner requires active immunization of Camelidae animal, which is laborious, time consuming, costly and in many cases not feasible (e.g. in case of highly toxic or infectious antigens). In this study, we describe an alternative pipeline that includes in vitro stimulation of naïve alpaca B-lymphocytes by antigen of interest (in this case endothelial cell binding domain of OspA of Borrelia) in the presence of recombinant alpaca interleukins 2 and 4, construction of sdAb phage library, selection of antigen specific sdAb expressed on phages (biopanning) and confirmation of binding ability of sdAb to the antigen. By joining the in vitro immunization and the phage display ten unique phage clones carrying sdAb were selected. Out of ten, seven sdAb showed strong antigen binding ability in phage ELISA. Furthermore, two soluble forms of sdAb were produced and their differential antigen binding affinity was measured with bio-layer interferometry. A proposed pipeline has potential to reduce the cost substantially required for maintenance of camelid herd for active immunization. Furthermore, in vitro immunization can be achieved within a week to enrich mRNA copies encoding antigen-specific sdAbs in B cell. This rapid and cost effective pipeline can help researchers to develop efficiently sdAb for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

  5. Evaluating the Upset Protrusion Joining (UPJ) Method to Join magnesium Castings to Dissimilar Metals

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

    Logan, Stephen D.

    2015-08-19

    This presentation discusses advantages and best practices for incorporating magnesium in automotive component applications to achieve substantial mass reduction, as well as some of the key challenges with respect to joining, coating, and galvanic corrosion, before providing an introduction and status update of the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Defense jointly sponsored Upset Protrusion Joining (UPJ) process development and evaluation project. This update includes sharing performance results of a benchmark evaluation of the self-pierce riveting (SPR) process for joining dissimilar magnesium (Mg) to aluminum (Al) materials in four unique coating configurations before introducing the UPJ concept and comparingmore » performance results of the joints made with the UPJ process to those made with the SPR process.« less

  6. Expert system for adhesive selection of composite material joints

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

    Allen, R.B.; Vanderveldt, H.H.

    The development of composite joining is still in its infancy and much is yet to be learned. Consequently, this field is developing rapidly and new advances occur with great regularity. The need for up-to-date information and expertise in engineering and planning of composite materials, especially in critical applications, is acute. The American Joining Institute`s (AJI) development of JOINEXCELL (an off-line intelligent planner for joining composite materials) is an intelligent engineering/planning software system that incorporates the knowledge of several experts which can be expanded as these developments occur. Phase I effort of JOINEXCELL produced an expert system for adhesive selection, JOINADSELECT,more » for composite material joints. The expert system successfully selects from over 26 different adhesive families for 44 separate material types and hundreds of application situations. Through a series of design questions the expert system selects the proper adhesive for each particular design. Performing this {open_quotes}off-line{close_quotes} engineering planning by computer allows the decision to be made with full knowledge of the latest information about materials and joining procedures. JOINADSELECT can greatly expedite the joining design process, thus yielding cost savings.« less

  7. Youths as partners in a community participatory project for substance use prevention.

    PubMed

    Kulbok, Pamela A; Meszaros, Peggy S; Bond, Donna C; Thatcher, Esther; Park, Eunhee; Kimbrell, Monica; Smith-Gregory, Tracey

    2015-01-01

    This community-based participatory research project aimed to develop strategies to prevent youth substance use in a rural county. This article (1) describes the project phases, (2) examines unique contributions and considerations of youth involvement, and (3) explores the youths' perspective. Twelve youths, aged 16 to 18 years, joined parents, community leaders, and research specialists on the community-based participatory research team. The youths were integrally involved in all phases including the community assessment, community leader interviews, selection of a substance use prevention program, and program implementation. Youths reported sustained enthusiasm, experiences of authentic leadership, development of research skills, and greater awareness of their community.

  8. Explosive Joining for the Mars Sample Return Mission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bement, Laurence J.; Sanok, Joseph T.

    2000-01-01

    A unique, small-scale, ribbon explosive joining process is being developed as an option for closing and sealing a metal canister to allow the return of a pristine sample of the Martian surface and atmosphere to Earth. This joining process is accomplished by an explosively driven, high-velocity, angular collision of the metal, which melts and effaces the oxide films from the surfaces to allow valence electron sharing to bond the interface. Significant progress has been made through more than 100 experimental tests to meet the goals of this ongoing developmental effort. The metal of choice, aluminum alloy 6061, has been joined in multiple interface configurations and in complete cylinders. This process can accommodate dust and debris on the surfaces to be joined. It can both create and sever a joint at its midpoint with one explosive input. Finally, an approach has been demonstrated that can capture the back blast from the explosive.

  9. Joining technologies for the 1990s: Welding, brazing, soldering, mechanical, explosive, solid-state, adhesive

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Buckley, John D. (Editor); Stein, Bland A. (Editor)

    1986-01-01

    A compilation of papers presented in a joint NASA, American Society for Metals, The George Washington University, American Welding Society, and Society of Manufacturing Engineers Conference on Welding, Bonding, and Fastening at Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, on October 23 to 25, 1984 is given. Papers were presented on technology developed in current research programs relevant to welding, bonding, and fastening of structural materials required in fabricating structures and mechanical systems used in the aerospace, hydrospace, and automotive industries. Topics covered in the conference included equipment, hardware and materials used when welding, brazing, and soldering, mechanical fastening, explosive welding, use of unique selected joining techniques, adhesives bonding, and nondestructive evaluation. A concept of the factory of the future was presented, followed by advanced welding techniques, automated equipment for welding, welding in a cryogenic atmosphere, blind fastening, stress corrosion resistant fasteners, fastening equipment, explosive welding of different configurations and materials, solid-state bonding, electron beam welding, new adhesives, effects of cryogenics on adhesives, and new techniques and equipment for adhesive bonding.

  10. Adoption & Foster Care

    MedlinePlus

    ... Family Life > Family Dynamics > Adoption & Foster Care Adoption & Foster Care Article Body ​Each year, many children join families through adoption and foster care. These families may face unique challenges. The ...

  11. Partial Transient Liquid-Phase Bonding, Part II: A Filtering Routine for Determining All Possible Interlayer Combinations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cook, Grant O.; Sorensen, Carl D.

    2013-12-01

    Partial transient liquid-phase (PTLP) bonding is currently an esoteric joining process with limited applications. However, it has preferable advantages compared with typical joining techniques and is the best joining technique for certain applications. Specifically, it can bond hard-to-join materials as well as dissimilar material types, and bonding is performed at comparatively low temperatures. Part of the difficulty in applying PTLP bonding is finding suitable interlayer combinations (ICs). A novel interlayer selection procedure has been developed to facilitate the identification of ICs that will create successful PTLP bonds and is explained in a companion article. An integral part of the selection procedure is a filtering routine that identifies all possible ICs for a given application. This routine utilizes a set of customizable parameters that are based on key characteristics of PTLP bonding. These parameters include important design considerations such as bonding temperature, target remelting temperature, bond solid type, and interlayer thicknesses. The output from this routine provides a detailed view of each candidate IC along with a broad view of the entire candidate set, greatly facilitating the selection of ideal ICs. This routine provides a new perspective on the PTLP bonding process. In addition, the use of this routine, by way of the accompanying selection procedure, will expand PTLP bonding as a viable joining process.

  12. Joining thick section aluminum to steel with suppressed FeAl intermetallic formation via friction stir dovetailing

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

    Reza-E-Rabby, Md.; Ross, Kenneth; Overman, Nicole R.

    A new solid-phase technique called friction stir dovetailing (FSD) has been developed for joining thick section aluminum to steel. In FSD, mechanical interlocks are formed at the aluminum-steel interface and are reinforced by metallurgical bonds where intermetallic growth has been uniquely suppressed. Lap shear testing shows superior strength and extension at failure compared to popular friction stir approaches where metallurgical bonding is the only joining mechanism. High resolution microscopy revealed the presence of a 40-70 nm interlayer having a composition of 76.4 at% Al, 18.4 at% Fe, and 5.2 at% Si, suggestive of limited FeAl3 intermetallic formation.

  13. Joining engineering ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loehman, Ronald E.

    Methods for joining ceramics are outlined with attention given to their fundamental properties, and some examples of ceramic bonding in engineering ceramic systems are presented. Ceramic-ceramic bonds using no filler material include diffusion and electric-field bonding and ceramic welding, and bonds with filler materials can be provided by Mo-Mn brazing, microwave joining, and reactive nonmetallic liquid bonding. Ceramic-metal joints can be effected with filler material by means of the same ceramic-ceramic processes and without filler material by means of use of molten glass or diffusion bonding. Key properties of the bonding processes include: bonds with discontinuous material properties, energies that are positive relative to the bulk material, and unique chemical and mechanical properties. The processes and properties are outlined for ceramic-metal joints and for joining silicon nitride, and the factors that control wetting, adhesion, and reaction on the atomic scale are critical for establishing successful joints.

  14. The Selection and Placement Method of Materialized Views on Big Data Platform of Equipment Condition Assessment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Yan; Yao, Jinxia; Gu, Chao; Chen, Yufeng; Yang, Yi; Zou, Lida

    2017-05-01

    With the formation of electric big data environment, more and more big data analyses emerge. In the complicated data analysis on equipment condition assessment, there exist many join operations, which are time-consuming. In order to save time, the approach of materialized view is usually used. It places part of common and critical join results on external storage and avoids the frequent join operation. In the paper we propose the methods of selecting and placing materialized views to reduce the query time of electric transmission and transformation equipment, and make the profits of service providers maximal. In selection method we design a computation way for the value of non-leaf node based on MVPP structure chart. In placement method we use relevance weights to place the selected materialized views, which help reduce the network transmission time. Our experiments show that the proposed selection and placement methods have a high throughput and good optimization ability of query time for electric transmission and transformation equipment.

  15. Bonding thermoplastic polymers

    DOEpatents

    Wallow, Thomas I [Fremont, CA; Hunter, Marion C [Livermore, CA; Krafcik, Karen Lee [Livermore, CA; Morales, Alfredo M [Livermore, CA; Simmons, Blake A [San Francisco, CA; Domeier, Linda A [Danville, CA

    2008-06-24

    We demonstrate a new method for joining patterned thermoplastic parts into layered structures. The method takes advantage of case-II permeant diffusion to generate dimensionally controlled, activated bonding layers at the surfaces being joined. It is capable of producing bonds characterized by cohesive failure while preserving the fidelity of patterned features in the bonding surfaces. This approach is uniquely suited to production of microfluidic multilayer structures, as it allows the bond-forming interface between plastic parts to be precisely manipulated at micrometer length scales. The bond enhancing procedure is easily integrated in standard process flows and requires no specialized equipment.

  16. Laser Welding Dissimilar Reflective Alloys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mccay, M. H.; Gopinathan, S.; Kahlen, F.; Speigel, L.

    1993-01-01

    This project, jointly sponsored by Rocketdyne and CSTAR, involves the development of laser joining of materials which have heretofore been impractical to bond. Of particular interest are joints between stainless steel and copper and also aluminum 6061 to aluminum 2219. CSTAR has a unique opportunity in this area since both the process and development and diagnostics are of interest to industry. Initial results using the pulse tailored laser welding technique developed in CLA for joining crack sensitive materials have proven promising for the aluminum joints based upon metallurgical and electronic microprobe analysis. A declaration of success requires additional mechanical testing. A CW technique has been applied to the stainless-copper joining with some preliminary success. These joints are of significant interest for aeronautics and rocket propulsion applications and the project is expected to continue.

  17. Laser welding dissimilar reflective alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCay, M. H.; Gopinathan, S.; Kahlen, F.; Speigel, L.

    1993-01-01

    This project, jointly sponsored by Rocketdyne and CSTAR, involves the development of laser joining of materials which have heretofore been impractical to bond. Of particular interest are joints between stainless steel and copper and also aluminum 6061 to aluminum 2219. CSTAR has a unique opportunity in this area since both the process and development and diagnostics are of interest to industry. Initial results using the pulse tailored laser welding technique developed in CLA for joining crack sensitive materials have proven promising for the aluminum joints based upon metallurgical and electronic microprobe analysis. A declaration of success requires additional mechanical testing. A CW technique has been applied to the stainless-copper joining with some preliminary success. These joints are of significant interest for aeronautics and rocket propulsion applications and the project is expected to continue.

  18. Fermilab Prairie Plant Survey

    Science.gov Websites

    beautiful prairie. Join a unique science program open to the public, adult groups, families, scouts and more ready to hike and explore parts of our prairie that are not normally open to the public. There is no

  19. [The step toward 2015 JRC Guidelines since the end of the 2nd World War].

    PubMed

    Okada, Kazuo

    2016-02-01

    2015 JRC Guidelines have already published on 16th of October in 2015. This manuscript tries to explain the way how to arrive at this publication since CPR in Japan after the Second World War. ILCOR is the international organization in resuscitation, leads the world and publishes the international consensus CoSTR. JRC could join official member of ILCOR since 2006 after the establishment of Resuscitation Council of Asia. In 2010 RCA and JRC could contribute in 2010 version. In 2015 JRC Guidelines, the most significant change is the addition of 'First Aid' Chapter. Selecting the evidence will be followed with 'GRADE' method much logistic and easier to determine the evidence estimation than 2010 version. Neuroresuscitation is also the unique chapter in JRC Guidelines.

  20. Method and apparatus for welding precipitation hardenable materials

    DOEpatents

    Murray, Jr., Holt; Harris, Ian D.; Ratka, John O.; Spiegelberg, William D.

    1994-01-01

    A method for welding together members consisting of precipitation age hardened materials includes the steps of selecting a weld filler material that has substantially the same composition as the materials being joined, and an age hardening characteristic temperature age threshold below that of the aging kinetic temperature range of the materials being joined, whereby after welding the members together, the resulting weld and heat affected zone (HAZ) are heat treated at a temperature below that of the kinetic temperature range of the materials joined, for obtaining substantially the same mechanical characteristics for the weld and HAZ, as for the parent material of the members joined.

  1. Method and apparatus for welding precipitation hardenable materials

    DOEpatents

    Murray, H. Jr.; Harris, I.D.; Ratka, J.O.; Spiegelberg, W.D.

    1994-06-28

    A method for welding together members consisting of precipitation age hardened materials includes the steps of selecting a weld filler material that has substantially the same composition as the materials being joined, and an age hardening characteristic temperature age threshold below that of the aging kinetic temperature range of the materials being joined, whereby after welding the members together, the resulting weld and heat affected zone (HAZ) are heat treated at a temperature below that of the kinetic temperature range of the materials joined, for obtaining substantially the same mechanical characteristics for the weld and HAZ, as for the parent material of the members joined. 5 figures.

  2. Joining dissimilar materials using Friction Stir scribe technique

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

    Upadhyay, Piyush; Hovanski, Yuri; Jana, Saumyadeep

    2016-10-03

    The ability to effectively join materials with vastly different melting points like Aluminum-Steel, Polymer composites - metals has been one of the road blocks in realizing multi-material components for light weighting efforts. Friction stir scribe (FSS) technique is a promising method that produces continuous overlap joint between materials with vastly different melting regimes and high temperature flow characteristics. FSS uses an offset cutting tool at the tip of the FSW pin to create an insitu mechanical interlock between material interfaces. With investments from Vehicle Technology office, US DOE and several automotive manufacturers and suppliers PNNL is developing the FSS processmore » and has demonstrated viability of joining several material combinations. Details of welding trails, unique challenges and mitigation strategies in different material combinations will be discussed. Joint characterization including mechanical tests and joint performances will also be presented.« less

  3. Patient Protection and Risk Selection

    PubMed Central

    Wynia, Matthew K; Zucker, Deborah; Supran, Stacey; Selker, Harry P

    2002-01-01

    BACKGROUND Individual physicians who are paid prospectively, as in capitated health plans, might tend to encourage patients to avoid or to join these plans according to the patient's health status. Though insurance risk selection has been well documented among organizations paid on a prospective basis, such physician-level risk selection has not been studied. OBJECTIVE To assess physician reports of risk selection in capitated health plans and explore potentially related factors. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS National mailed survey of primary care physicians in 1997–1998, oversampling physicians in areas with more capitated health plans. RESULTS The response rate was 63% (787 of 1,252 eligible recipients). Overall, 44% of physicians reported encouraging patients either to join or to avoid capitated health plans according to the patients' health status: 40% encouraged more complex and ill patients to avoid capitated plans and 23% encouraged healthier patients to join capitated plans. In multivariable models, physicians with negative perceptions of capitated plan quality, with more negative experiences in capitated plans, and those who knew at each patient encounter how they were being compensated had higher odds of encouraging sicker patients to avoid capitated plans (odds ratios, 2.0, 2.2, and 2.0; all confidence intervals >1). CONCLUSIONS Many primary care physicians report encouraging patients to join or avoid capitated plans according to the patient's health status. Although these physicians' recommendations might be associated primarily with concerns about quality, they can have the effect of insulating certain health plans from covering sicker and more expensive patients. PMID:11903774

  4. Letter from Thomas Moran to Ferdinand Hayden and Paintings by Thomas Moran

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Potter, Lee Ann; Eder, Elizabeth K.; Hussey, Michael

    2012-01-01

    Medical doctor and geologist Dr. Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden selected more than 30 scientists, technical personnel, and artists, including photographer William Henry Jackson and painter Thomas Moran, to join the survey of the Yellowstone region in northwest Wyoming territory. Thomas Moran was an accomplished artist when he joined the survey to…

  5. In vitro non-homologous DNA end joining assays—The 20th anniversary

    PubMed Central

    Pastwa, Elzbieta; Somiari, Richard I.; Malinowski, Mariusz; Somiari, Stella B.; Winters, Thomas A.

    2010-01-01

    DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are the most serious forms of DNA damage in cells. Unrepaired or misrepaired DSBs account for some of the genetic instabilities that lead to mutations or cell death, and consequently, to cancer predisposition. In human cells non-homologous DNA end joining (NHEJ) is the main repair mechanism of these breaks. Systems for DNA end joining study have been developing during the last 20 years. New assays have some advantages over earlier in vitro DSBs repair assays because they are less time-consuming, allow the use of clinical material and examination of the joining DNA ends produced physiologically in mammalian cells. Proteins involved in NHEJ repair pathway can serve as biomarkers or molecular targets for anticancer drugs. Results of studies on NHEJ in cancer could help to select potent repair inhibitors that may selectively sensitize tumor cells to ionizing radiation (IR) and chemotherapy. Here, we review the principles and practice of in vitro NHEJ assays and provide some insights into the future prospects of this assay in cancer diagnosis and treatment. PMID:19110069

  6. [Dance/Movement Therapy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fenichel, Emily, Ed.

    1994-01-01

    This newsletter theme issue focuses on dance, play, and movement therapy for infants and toddlers with disabilities. Individual articles are: "Join My Dance: The Unique Movement Style of Each Infant and Toddler Can Invite Communication, Expression and Intervention" (Suzi Tortora); "Dynamic Play Therapy: An Integrated Expressive Arts Approach to…

  7. Evaluation of Simultaneous Multisine Excitation of the Joined Wing SensorCraft Aeroelastic Wind Tunnel Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heeg, Jennifer; Morelli, Eugene A.

    2011-01-01

    Multiple mutually orthogonal signals comprise excitation data sets for aeroservoelastic system identification. A multisine signal is a sum of harmonic sinusoid components. A set of these signals is made orthogonal by distribution of the frequency content such that each signal contains unique frequencies. This research extends the range of application of an excitation method developed for stability and control flight testing to aeroservoelastic modeling from wind tunnel testing. Wind tunnel data for the Joined Wing SensorCraft model validates this method, demonstrating that these signals applied simultaneously reproduce the frequency response estimates achieved from one-at-a-time excitation.

  8. Space-Inspired Trailers Encourage Exploration on Earth

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2013-01-01

    Architect Garret Finney joined Johnson Space Center's Habitability Design Center to work on creating comfortable, efficiently designed crew quarters for the ISS. Drawing directly on that experience, Finney founded Houston-based Cricket and set about creating unique, versatile recreational trailers that incorporate space habitat principles and features.

  9. Interactive training model of TRIZ for mechanical engineers in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, Runhua; Zhang, Huangao

    2014-03-01

    Innovation is a process of taking an original idea and converting it into a business value, in which the engineers face some inventive problems which can be solved hardly by experience. TRIZ, as a new theory for companies in China, provides both conceptual and procedural knowledge for finding and solving inventive problems. Because the government plays a leading role in the diffusion of TRIZ, too many companies from different industries are waiting to be trained, but the quantity of the trainers mastering TRIZ is incompatible with that requirement. In this context, to improve the training effect, an interactive training model of TRIZ for the mechanical engineers in China is developed and the implementation in the form of training classes is carried out. The training process is divided into 6 phases as follows: selecting engineers, training stage-1, finding problems, training stage-2, finding solutions and summing up. The government, TRIZ institutions and companies to join the programs interact during the process. The government initiates and monitors a project in form of a training class of TRIZ and selects companies to join the programs. Each selected companies choose a few engineers to join the class and supervises the training result. The TRIZ institutions design the training courses and carry out training curriculum. With the beginning of the class, an effective communication channel is established by means of interview, discussion face to face, E-mail, QQ and so on. After two years training practices, the results show that innovative abilities of the engineers to join and pass the final examinations increased distinctly, and most of companies joined the training class have taken congnizance of the power of TRIZ for product innovation. This research proposes an interactive training model of TRIZ for mechanical engineers in China to expedite the knowledge diffusion of TRIZ.

  10. Collective Movement in the Tibetan Macaques (Macaca thibetana): Early Joiners Write the Rule of the Game.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xi; Sun, Lixing; Li, Jinhua; Xia, Dongpo; Sun, Binghua; Zhang, Dao

    2015-01-01

    Collective behavior has recently attracted a great deal of interest in both natural and social sciences. While the role of leadership has been closely scrutinized, the rules used by joiners in collective decision making have received far less attention. Two main hypotheses have been proposed concerning these rules: mimetism and quorum. Mimetism predicts that individuals are increasingly likely to join collective behavior as the number of participants increases. It can be further divided into selective mimetism, where relationships among the participants affect the process, and anonymous mimetism, where no such effect exists. Quorum predicts that a collective behavior occurs when the number of participants reaches a threshold. To probe into which rule is used in collective decision making, we conducted a study on the joining process in a group of free-ranging Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) in Huangshan, China using a combination of all-occurrence and focal animal sampling methods. Our results show that the earlier individuals joined movements, the more central a role they occupied among the joining network. We also found that when less than three adults participated in the first five minutes of the joining process, no entire group movement occurred subsequently. When the number of these early joiners ranged from three to six, selective mimetism was used. This means higher rank or closer social affiliation of early joiners could be among the factors of deciding whether to participate in movements by group members. When the number of early joiners reached or exceeded seven, which was the simple majority of the group studied, entire group movement always occurred, meaning that the quorum rule was used. Putting together, Macaca thibetana used a combination of selective mimetism and quorum, and early joiners played a key role in deciding which rule should be used.

  11. Laser hybrid joining of plastic and metal components for lightweight components

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rauschenberger, J.; Cenigaonaindia, A.; Keseberg, J.; Vogler, D.; Gubler, U.; Liébana, F.

    2015-03-01

    Plastic-metal hybrids are replacing all-metal structures in the automotive, aerospace and other industries at an accelerated rate. The trend towards lightweight construction increasingly demands the usage of polymer components in drive trains, car bodies, gaskets and other applications. However, laser joining of polymers to metals presents significantly greater challenges compared with standard welding processes. We present recent advances in laser hybrid joining processes. Firstly, several metal pre-structuring methods, including selective laser melting (SLM) are characterized and their ability to provide undercut structures in the metal assessed. Secondly, process parameter ranges for hybrid joining of a number of metals (steel, stainless steel, etc.) and polymers (MABS, PA6.6-GF35, PC, PP) are given. Both transmission and direct laser joining processes are presented. Optical heads and clamping devices specifically tailored to the hybrid joining process are introduced. Extensive lap-shear test results are shown that demonstrate that joint strengths exceeding the base material strength (cohesive failure) can be reached with metal-polymer joining. Weathering test series prove that such joints are able to withstand environmental influences typical in targeted fields of application. The obtained results pave the way toward implementing metalpolymer joints in manufacturing processes.

  12. Applications of Materials Selection For Joining Composite/Alloy Piping Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crosby, Karen E.; Smith, Brett H.; Mensah, Patrick F.; Stubblefield, Michael A.

    2001-01-01

    A study in collaboration between investigators at Southern University and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and NASA/MSFC is examining materials for modeling and analysis of heat-activated thermal coupling for joining composite to composite/alloy structures. The short-term objectives of this research are to develop a method for joining composite or alloy structures, as well as to study the effects of thermal stress on composite-to-alloy joints. This investigation will result in the selection of a suitable metallic alloy. Al-Li alloys have potential for this purpose in aerospace applications due to their excellent strength-to-weight ratio. The study of Al-Li and other alloys is of significant importance to this and other aerospace as well as offshore related interests. Further research will incorporate the use of computer aided design and rapid prototype hardware for conceptual design and verification of a potential composite piping delivery system.

  13. Photovoltaic device

    DOEpatents

    Reese, Jason A.; Keenihan, James R.; Gaston, Ryan S.; Kauffmann, Keith L.; Langmaid, Joseph A.; Lopez, Leonardo C.; Maak, Kevin D.; Mills, Michael E.; Ramesh, Narayan; Teli, Samar R.

    2015-06-02

    The present invention is premised upon an improved photovoltaic device ("PV device"), more particularly to an improved photovoltaic device with a multilayered photovoltaic cell assembly and a body portion joined at an interface region and including an intermediate layer, at least one interconnecting structural member, relieving feature, unique component geometry, or any combination thereof.

  14. Photovoltaic device

    DOEpatents

    Reese, Jason A; Keenihan, James R; Gaston, Ryan S; Kauffmann, Keith L; Langmaid, Joseph A; Lopez, Leonardo; Maak, Kevin D; Mills, Michael E; Ramesh, Narayan; Teli, Samar R

    2017-03-21

    The present invention is premised upon an improved photovoltaic device ("PV device"), more particularly to an improved photovoltaic device with a multilayered photovoltaic cell assembly and a body portion joined at an interface region and including an intermediate layer, at least one interconnecting structural member, relieving feature, unique component geometry, or any combination thereof.

  15. Community Education and the Urban Indian.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lockart, Barbetta L.

    Because the circumstances and problems of the urban American Indian are unique and are not being met by public education and service agencies, urban Indians across the nation have joined together within their communities and taken steps to help address their special social, educational, cultural, economic, and political needs. The establishment of…

  16. Vocal Fold Epithelial Barrier in Health and Injury: A Research Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levendoski, Elizabeth Erickson; Leydon, Ciara; Thibeault, Susan L.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Vocal fold epithelium is composed of layers of individual epithelial cells joined by junctional complexes constituting a unique interface with the external environment. This barrier provides structural stability to the vocal folds and protects underlying connective tissue from injury while being nearly continuously exposed to potentially…

  17. Welding, brazing, and soldering handbook

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kilgore, A. B.; Koehler, M. L.; Metzler, J. W.; Sturges, S. R.

    1969-01-01

    Handbook gives information on the selection and application of welding, brazing, and soldering techniques for joining various metals. Summary descriptions of processes, criteria for process selection, and advantages of different methods are given.

  18. Carbon fiber composites application in ITER plasma facing components

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barabash, V.; Akiba, M.; Bonal, J. P.; Federici, G.; Matera, R.; Nakamura, K.; Pacher, H. D.; Rödig, M.; Vieider, G.; Wu, C. H.

    1998-10-01

    Carbon Fiber Composites (CFCs) are one of the candidate armour materials for the plasma facing components of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). For the present reference design, CFC has been selected as armour for the divertor target near the plasma strike point mainly because of unique resistance to high normal and off-normal heat loads. It does not melt under disruptions and might have higher erosion lifetime in comparison with other possible armour materials. Issues related to CFC application in ITER are described in this paper. They include erosion lifetime, tritium codeposition with eroded material and possible methods for the removal of the codeposited layers, neutron irradiation effect, development of joining technologies with heat sink materials, and thermomechanical performance. The status of the development of new advanced CFCs for ITER application is also described. Finally, the remaining R&D needs are critically discussed.

  19. Understanding the Magic of the Bicycle; Basic scientific explanations to the two-wheeler's mysterious and fascinating behavior

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Connolly, Joseph W.

    The bicycle is a common, yet unique mechanical contraption in our world. In spite of this, the bike's physical and mechanical principles are understood by a select few. You do not have to be a genius to join this small group of people who understand the physics of cycling. This is your guide to fundamental principles (such as Newton's laws) and the book provides intuitive, basic explanations for the bicycle's behaviour. Each concept is introduced and illustrated with simple, everyday examples. Although cycling is viewed by most as a fun activity, and almost everyone acquires the basic skills at a young age, few understand the laws of nature that give magic to the ride. This is a closer look at some of these fun, exhilarating, and magical aspects of cycling. In the reading, you will also understand other physical principles such as motion, force, energy, power, heat, and temperature.

  20. An innovative platform for quick and flexible joining of assorted DNA fragments

    DOE PAGES

    De Paoli, Henrique Cestari; Tuskan, Gerald A.; Yang, Xiaohan

    2016-01-13

    Successful synthetic biology efforts rely on conceptual and experimental designs in combination with testing of multi-gene constructs. Despite recent progresses, several limitations still hinder the ability to flexibly assemble and collectively share different types of DNA segments. We describe an advanced system for joining DNA fragments from a universal library that automatically maintains open reading frames (ORFs) and does not require linkers, adaptors, sequence homology, amplification or mutation (domestication) of fragments in order to work properly. Moreover, we find that this system, which is enhanced by a unique buffer formulation, provides unforeseen capabilities for testing, and sharing, complex multi-gene circuitrymore » assembled from different DNA fragments.« less

  1. Ceramic susceptor for induction bonding of metals, ceramics, and plastics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fox, Robert L.; Buckley, John D.

    1991-01-01

    A thin (.005) flexible ceramic susceptor (carbon) was discovered. It was developed to join ceramics, plastics, metals, and combinations of these materials using a unique induction heating process. Bonding times for laboratory specimens comparing state of the art technology to induction bonding were cut by a factor of 10 to 100 times. This novel type of carbon susceptor allows for applying heat directly and only to the bondline without heating the entire structure, supports, and fixtures of a bonding assembly. The ceramic (carbon film) susceptor produces molten adhesive or matrix material at the bond interface. This molten material flows through the perforated susceptor producing a fusion between the two parts to be joined, which in many instances has proven to be stronger than the parent material. Bonding can be accomplished in 2 minutes on areas submitted to the inductive heating. Because a carbon susceptor is used in bonding carbon fiber reinforced plastics and ceramics, there is no radar signature or return making it an ideal process for joining advanced aerospace composite structures.

  2. The Juxtaposition of Ribose Hydroxyl Groups: The Root of Biological Catalysis and the RNA World?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bernhardt, Harold S.

    2015-06-01

    We normally think of enzymes as being proteins; however, the RNA world hypothesis suggests that the earliest biological catalysts may have been composed of RNA. One of the oldest surviving RNA enzymes we are aware of is the peptidyl transferase centre (PTC) of the large ribosomal RNA, which joins amino acids together to form proteins. Recent evidence indicates that the enzymatic activity of the PTC is principally due to ribose 2 '-OHs. Many other reactions catalyzed by RNA and/or in which RNA is a substrate similarly utilize ribose 2 '-OHs, including phosphoryl transfer reactions that involve the cleavage and/or ligation of the ribose-phosphate backbone. It has recently been proposed by Yakhnin (2013) that phosphoryl transfer reactions were important in the prebiotic chemical evolution of RNA, by enabling macromolecules composed of polyols joined by phosphodiester linkages to undergo recombination reactions, with the reaction energy supplied by the phosphodiester bond itself. The almost unique juxtaposition of the ribose 2'-hydroxyl and 3'-oxygen in ribose-containing polymers such as RNA, which gives ribose the ability to catalyze such reactions, may have been an important factor in the selection of ribose as a component of the first biopolymer. In addition, the juxtaposition of hydroxyl groups in free ribose: (i) allows coordination of borate ions, which could have provided significant and preferential stabilization of ribose in a prebiotic environment; and (ii) enhances the rate of permeation by ribose into a variety of lipid membrane systems, possibly favouring its incorporation into early metabolic pathways and an ancestral ribose-phosphate polymer. Somewhat more speculatively, hydrogen bonds formed by juxtaposed ribose hydroxyl groups may have stabilized an ancestral ribose-phosphate polymer against degradation (Bernhardt and Sandwick 2014). I propose that the almost unique juxtaposition of ribose hydroxyl groups constitutes the root of both biological catalysis and the RNA world.

  3. Photovoltaic device

    DOEpatents

    Reese, Jason A.; Keenihan, James R.; Gaston, Ryan S.; Kauffmann, Keith L.; Langmaid, Joseph A.; Lopez, Leonardo C.; Maak, Kevin D.; Mills, Michael E.; Ramesh, Narayan; Teli, Samar R.

    2015-09-01

    The present invention is premised upon an improved photovoltaic device ("PV device"), more particularly to an improved photovoltaic device (10) with a multilayered photovoltaic cell assembly (100) and a body portion (200) joined at an interface region (410) and including an intermediate layer (500), at least one interconnecting structural member (1500), relieving feature (2500), unique component geometry, or any combination thereof.

  4. Growing Leaders in Emergent Markets: Leadership Enhancement in the New South Africa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    April, Kurt A.; April, Amanda R.

    2007-01-01

    South Africa has unique challenges. Thirteen years since becoming democratic, it is still going through its own unprecedented change in joining the global economic network and moving from Apartheid to democracy and from a closed to an open community. These political and sociological changes have also infiltrated business and therefore management…

  5. Community Collaboration Using a Unique Gallery as a Literacy Resource

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Voelker, Anita N.

    2008-01-01

    According to van der Pluijm (2006), an ecological community occurs when interacting groups, living in the same area, are joined together by the set of connections. This definition implies a symbiotic relationship and the acknowledgment that what affects one member or part of the community also affects the others. When the interconnections are…

  6. Laser beam soldering of micro-optical components

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eberhardt, R.

    2003-05-01

    MOTIVATION Ongoing miniaturisation and higher requirements within optical assemblies and the processing of temperature sensitive components demands for innovative selective joining techniques. So far adhesive bonding has primarily been used to assemble and adjust hybrid micro optical systems. However, the properties of the organic polymers used for the adhesives limit the application of these systems. In fields of telecommunication and lithography, an enhancement of existing joining techniques is necessary to improve properties like humidity resistance, laserstability, UV-stability, thermal cycle reliability and life time reliability. Against this background laser beam soldering of optical components is a reasonable joining technology alternative. Properties like: - time and area restricted energy input - energy input can be controlled by the process temperature - direct and indirect heating of the components is possible - no mechanical contact between joining tool and components give good conditions to meet the requirements on a joining technology for sensitive optical components. Additionally to the laser soldering head, for the assembly of optical components it is necessary to include positioning units to adjust the position of the components with high accuracy before joining. Furthermore, suitable measurement methods to characterize the soldered assemblies (for instance in terms of position tolerances) need to be developed.

  7. Feasibility of community-based health insurance in rural tropical Ecuador.

    PubMed

    Eckhardt, Martin; Forsberg, Birger Carl; Wolf, Dorothee; Crespo-Burgos, Antonio

    2011-03-01

    The main objective of this study was to assess people's willingness to join a community-based health insurance (CHI) model in El Páramo, a rural area in Ecuador, and to determine factors influencing this willingness. A second objective was to identify people's understanding and attitudes toward the presented CHI model. A cross-sectional survey was carried out using a structured questionnaire. Of an estimated 829 households, 210 were randomly selected by two-stage cluster sampling. Attitudes toward the scheme were assessed. Information on factors possibly influencing willingness to join was collected and related to the willingness to join. To gain an insight into a respondent's possible ability to pay, health care expenditure on the last illness episode was assessed. Feasibility was defined as at least 50% of household heads willing to join the scheme. Willingness to join the CHI model for US$30 per year was 69.3%. With affiliation, 92.2% of interviewees stated that they would visit the local health facility more often. Willingness to join was found to be negatively associated with education. Other variables showed no significant association with willingness to join. The study showed a positive attitude toward the CHI scheme. Substantial health care expenditures on the last illness episode were documented. The investigation concludes that CHI in the study region is feasible. However, enrollments are likely to be lower than the stated willingness to join. Still, a CHI scheme should present an interesting financing alternative in rural areas where services are scarce and difficult to sustain.

  8. Processing and characterization of phase boundaries in ceramic and metallic materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zeng, Liang

    The goal of this dissertation work was to explore and describe advanced characterization of novel materials processing. These characterizations were carried out using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), and X-ray diffraction techniques. The materials studied included ceramics and metallic materials. The first part of this dissertation focuses on the processing, and the resulting interfacial microstructure of ceramics joined using spin-on interlayers. SEM, TEM, and indentation tests were used to investigate the interfacial microstructural and mechanical property evolution of polycrystalline zirconia bonded to glass ceramic MaCor(TM), and polycrystalline alumina to single crystal alumina. Interlayer assisted specimens were joined using a thin amorphous silica interlayer. This interlayer was produced by spin coating an organic based silica bond material precursor and curing at 200°C, followed by joining in a microwave cavity or conventional electric furnace. Experimental results indicate that in the joining of the zirconia and MaCor(TM) no significant interfacial microstructural and mechanical property differences developed between materials joined either with or without interlayers, due to the glassy nature of MaCor(TM). The bond interface was non-planar, as a result of the strong wetting of MaCor(TM) and silica and dissolution of the zirconia. However, without the aid of a silica interlayer, sapphire and 98% polycrystalline alumina failed to join under the experimental conditions under this study. A variety of interfacial morphologies have been observed, including amorphous regions, fine crystalline alumina, and intimate contact between the sapphire and polycrystalline alumina. In addition, the evolution of the joining process from the initial sputter-cure to the final joining state and joining mechanisms were characterized. The second part of this dissertation focused on the effects of working and heat treatment on microstructure, texture, phase boundary movement, and mechanical property evolution in Ti-6Al-4V wire. The as-received wire consisted of equilibrium a and metastable beta phases and had a moderately strong fiber texture with prism plane normals aligned with the wire axis. The wire was worked by extrusion, solution heat-treatment and water quenching, and aging. The extrusion process strengthened the as-received texture. After solutionization and quenching, microstrucual observations showed the presence of many needlelike martensitic platelets in the prior beta phase regions. Texture analysis revealed that a secondary fiber with basal plane normals aligned with the wire axis emerged at the expense of the initial texture, indicating that highly preferred phase boundary motion (variant selection) occurred during the beta → alpha transformation. The strength of the variant selection consistently increased with solutionization temperature and time. In addition, the effects of dislocation type and density on variant selections were further investigated. This implies that strategic prior deformation and heat treatment can be exploited to design the resulting texture and microstructure and consequently optimize the properties of titanium products.

  9. Collective Movement in the Tibetan Macaques (Macaca thibetana): Early Joiners Write the Rule of the Game

    PubMed Central

    Li, Jinhua; Xia, Dongpo; Sun, Binghua; Zhang, Dao

    2015-01-01

    Collective behavior has recently attracted a great deal of interest in both natural and social sciences. While the role of leadership has been closely scrutinized, the rules used by joiners in collective decision making have received far less attention. Two main hypotheses have been proposed concerning these rules: mimetism and quorum. Mimetism predicts that individuals are increasingly likely to join collective behavior as the number of participants increases. It can be further divided into selective mimetism, where relationships among the participants affect the process, and anonymous mimetism, where no such effect exists. Quorum predicts that a collective behavior occurs when the number of participants reaches a threshold. To probe into which rule is used in collective decision making, we conducted a study on the joining process in a group of free-ranging Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) in Huangshan, China using a combination of all-occurrence and focal animal sampling methods. Our results show that the earlier individuals joined movements, the more central a role they occupied among the joining network. We also found that when less than three adults participated in the first five minutes of the joining process, no entire group movement occurred subsequently. When the number of these early joiners ranged from three to six, selective mimetism was used. This means higher rank or closer social affiliation of early joiners could be among the factors of deciding whether to participate in movements by group members. When the number of early joiners reached or exceeded seven, which was the simple majority of the group studied, entire group movement always occurred, meaning that the quorum rule was used. Putting together, Macaca thibetana used a combination of selective mimetism and quorum, and early joiners played a key role in deciding which rule should be used. PMID:25992882

  10. Who Joins Teach for America and Why? Insights into the "Typical" Recruit in an Urban School District

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Straubhaar, Rolf; Gottfried, Michael

    2016-01-01

    Building upon previous research on how personal and demographic characteristics of teachers are correlated with larger issues in teacher recruitment and retention, this study contributes unique insight into the personal attributes, characteristics, and career aspirations of new teachers brought into teaching in Los Angeles through the Teach For…

  11. A Nursing Leadership Immersion Program: Succession Planning Using Social Capital.

    PubMed

    Pedersen, Anne; Sorensen, Joanne; Babcock, Tyler; Bradley, Marci; Donaldson, Nicole; Donnelly, James E; Edgar, William

    2018-03-01

    This article describes the inception and evolution of a 3-month immersion experience between hospital and nurse leaders where sociological principles were applied to support nurse leader succession. Unique to this program, the bedside nurse joins the nursing executive team full time to participate in all organizational leadership activities as part of the experience.

  12. Low temperature joining of ceramic composites

    DOEpatents

    Barton, Thomas J.; Anderson, Iver E.; Ijadi-Maghsoodi, Sina; Nosrati, Mohammad; Unal, Ozer

    1999-01-12

    A method of joining similar or dissimilar ceramic and ceramic composite materials, such as SiC continuous fiber ceramic composites, at relatively low joining temperatures uses a solventless, three component bonding agent effective to promote mechanical bond toughness and elevated temperature strength to operating temperatures of approximately 1200 degrees C. The bonding agent comprises a preceramic precursor, an aluminum bearing powder, such as aluminum alloy powder, and mixtures of aluminum metal or alloy powders with another powder, and and boron powder in selected proportions. The bonding agent is disposed as an interlayer between similar or dissimilar ceramic or cermaic composite materials to be joined and is heated in ambient air or inert atmosphere to a temperature not exceeding about 1200 degrees C. to form a strong and tough bond joint between the materials. The bond joint produced is characterized by a composite joint microstructure having relatively soft, compliant aluminum bearing particulate regions dispersed in a ceramic matrix.

  13. Low temperature joining of ceramic composites

    DOEpatents

    Barton, Thomas J.; Anderson, Iver E.; Ijadi-Maghsoodi, Sina; Nosrati, Mohammad; Unal, Ozer

    1999-07-13

    A method of joining similar or dissimilar ceramic and ceramic composite materials, such as SiC continuous fiber ceramic composites, at relatively low joining temperatures uses a solventless, three component bonding agent effective to promote mechanical bond toughness and elevated temperature strength to operating temperatures of approximately 1200 degrees C. The bonding agent comprises a preceramic precursor, an aluminum bearing powder, such as aluminum alloy powder, and mixtures of aluminum metal or alloy powders with another powder, and and boron powder in selected proportions. The bonding agent is disposed as an interlayer between similar or dissimilar ceramic or ceramic composite materials to be joined and is heated in ambient air or inert atmosphere to a temperature not exceeding about 1200 degrees C. to form a strong and tough bond joint between the materials. The bond joint produced is characterized by a composite joint microstructure having relatively soft, compliant aluminum bearing particulate regions dispersed in a ceramic matrix.

  14. Low temperature joining of ceramic composites

    DOEpatents

    Barton, Thomas J.; Anderson, Iver E.; Ijadi-Maghsoodi, Sina; Nosrati, Mohammad; Unal, Ozer

    2001-04-10

    A method of joining similar or dissimilar ceramic and ceramic composite materials, such as SiC continuous fiber ceramic composites, at relatively low joining temperatures uses a solventless, three component bonding agent effective to promote mechanical bond toughness and elevated temperature strength to operating temperatures of approximately 1200 degrees C. The bonding agent comprises a preceramic precursor, an aluminum bearing powder, such as aluminum alloy powder, and mixtures of aluminum metal or alloy powders with another powder, and and boron powder in selected proportions. The bonding agent is disposed as an interlayer between similar or dissimilar ceramic or cermaic composite materials to be joined and is heated in ambient air or inert atmosphere to a temperature not exceeding about 1200 degrees C. to form a strong and tough bond joint between the materials. The bond joint produced is characterized by a composite joint microstructure having relatively soft, compliant aluminum bearing particulate regions dispersed in a ceramic matrix.

  15. Low temperature joining of ceramic composites

    DOEpatents

    Barton, T.J.; Anderson, I.E.; Ijadi-Maghsoodi, S.; Nosrati, M.; Unal, O.

    1999-07-13

    A method of joining similar or dissimilar ceramic and ceramic composite materials, such as SiC continuous fiber ceramic composites, at relatively low joining temperatures uses a solventless, three component bonding agent effective to promote mechanical bond toughness and elevated temperature strength to operating temperatures of approximately 1200 C. The bonding agent comprises a preceramic precursor, an aluminum bearing powder, such as aluminum alloy powder, and mixtures of aluminum metal or alloy powders with another powder, and boron powder in selected proportions. The bonding agent is disposed as an interlayer between similar or dissimilar ceramic or ceramic composite materials to be joined and is heated in ambient air or inert atmosphere to a temperature not exceeding about 1200 C to form a strong and tough bond joint between the materials. The bond joint produced is characterized by a composite joint microstructure having relatively soft, compliant aluminum bearing particulate regions dispersed in a ceramic matrix. 3 figs.

  16. Low temperature joining of ceramic composites

    DOEpatents

    Barton, T.J.; Anderson, I.E.; Ijadi-Maghsoodi, S.; Nosrati, M.; Unal, O.

    1999-01-12

    A method of joining similar or dissimilar ceramic and ceramic composite materials, such as SiC continuous fiber ceramic composites, at relatively low joining temperatures uses a solventless, three component bonding agent effective to promote mechanical bond toughness and elevated temperature strength to operating temperatures of approximately 1200 degrees C. The bonding agent comprises a preceramic precursor, an aluminum bearing powder, such as aluminum alloy powder, and mixtures of aluminum metal or alloy powders with another powder, and boron powder in selected proportions. The bonding agent is disposed as an interlayer between similar or dissimilar ceramic or ceramic composite materials to be joined and is heated in ambient air or inert atmosphere to a temperature not exceeding about 1200 degrees C. to form a strong and tough bond joint between the materials. The bond joint produced is characterized by a composite joint microstructure having relatively soft, compliant aluminum bearing particulate regions dispersed in a ceramic matrix. 3 figs.

  17. Advances in Solid State Joining of High Temperature Alloys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ding, Jeff; Schneider, Judy

    2011-01-01

    Many of the metals used in the oil and gas industry are difficult to fusion weld including Titanium and its alloys. Solid state joining processes are being pursued as an alternative process to produce robust structures more amenable to high pressure applications. Various solid state joining processes include friction stir welding (FSW) and a patented modification termed thermal stir welding (TSW). The configuration of TSWing utilizes an induction coil to preheat the material minimizing the burden on the weld tool extending its life. This provides the ability to precisely select and control the temperature to avoid detrimental changes to the microstructure. The work presented in this presentation investigates the feasibility of joining various titanium alloys using the solid state welding processes of FSW and TSW. Process descriptions and attributes of each weld process will be presented. Weld process set ]up and welding techniques will be discussed leading to the challenges experienced. Mechanical property data will also be presented.

  18. Rad51 and RecA juxtapose dsDNA ends ready for DNA ligase-catalyzed end-joining under recombinase-suppressive conditions

    PubMed Central

    Konomura, Naoto; Arai, Naoto; Shinohara, Takeshi; Kobayashi, Jun; Iwasaki, Wakana; Ikawa, Shukuko; Kusano, Kohji; Shibata, Takehiko

    2017-01-01

    RecA-family recombinase-catalyzed ATP-dependent homologous joint formation is critical for homologous recombination, in which RecA or Rad51 binds first to single-stranded (ss)DNA and then interacts with double-stranded (ds)DNA. However, when RecA or Rad51 interacts with dsDNA before binding to ssDNA, the homologous joint-forming activity of RecA or Rad51 is quickly suppressed. We found that under these and adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-generating suppressive conditions for the recombinase activity, RecA or Rad51 at similar optimal concentrations enhances the DNA ligase-catalyzed dsDNA end-joining (DNA ligation) about 30- to 40-fold. The DNA ligation enhancement by RecA or Rad51 transforms most of the substrate DNA into multimers within 2–5 min, and for this enhancement, ADP is the common and best cofactor. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is effective for RecA, but not for Rad51. Rad51/RecA-enhanced DNA ligation depends on dsDNA-binding, as shown by a mutant, and is independent of physical interactions with the DNA ligase. These observations demonstrate the common and unique activities of RecA and Rad51 to juxtapose dsDNA-ends in preparation for covalent joining by a DNA ligase. This new in vitro function of Rad51 provides a simple explanation for our genetic observation that Rad51 plays a role in the fidelity of the end-joining of a reporter plasmid DNA, by yeast canonical non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) in vivo. PMID:27794044

  19. Study of mechanical joint strength of aluminum alloy 7075-T6 and dual phase steel 980 welded by friction bit joining and weld-bonding under corrosion medium

    DOE PAGES

    Lim, Yong Chae; Squires, Lile; Pan, Tsung-Yu; ...

    2014-12-30

    We have employed a unique solid-sate joining process, called friction bit joining (FBJ), to spot weld aluminum alloy (AA) 7075-T6 and dual phase (DP) 980 steel. Static joint strength was studied in the lap shear tension configuration. In addition, weld-bonding (adhesive + FBJ) joints were studied in order to evaluate the ability of adhesive to mitigate the impact of corrosion on joint properties. Accelerated laboratory cyclic corrosion tests were carried out for both FBJ only and weld-bonding joints. Furthermore, the FBJ only joints that emerged from corrosion testing had lap shear failure loads that were significantly lower than freshly preparedmore » joints. However, weld-bonding specimens retained more than 80% of the lap shear failure load of the freshly prepared weld-bonding specimens. Moreover, examination of joint cross sections confirmed that the presence of adhesive in the weld-bonding joints mitigated the effect of the corrosion environment, compared to FBJ only joints.« less

  20. Microgravity

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-09-30

    Dr. Jan Rogers (left) and Larry Savage (foreground) of the Science Directorate at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) are joined by Dr. Richard Weber (center) and April Hixon of Containerless Research Inc. of Evanston, Ill., in conducting an experiment run of the Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) using insulating materials. Materials researchers use unique capabilities of the facility to levitate and study the properties of various materials important in manufacturing processes.

  1. A Core Course on Veterans' Health in an Online RN to BSN Program: Preparing Nurses to Work with Veterans

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keavney, Elaine C.

    2015-01-01

    The Joining Forces Initiative challenges nursing programs throughout the country to develop curriculum that addresses the unique healthcare issues facing veterans. It is imperative that Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students acquire the knowledge that will help them to care for veterans in all areas of nursing practice. This article…

  2. The Ties That Bind: The Experiences of Women of Color Faculty in STEM

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilkins, Ashlee Nichole

    2017-01-01

    As women of color (WOC) enter the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) pipeline with aspirations to join the faculty ranks, it is important that the academy is prepared to address their unique needs to ensure they are supported as they engage in scientific and technological research, support students, and advance in their career.…

  3. Human DNA ligase III bridges two DNA ends to promote specific intermolecular DNA end joining

    PubMed Central

    Kukshal, Vandna; Kim, In-Kwon; Hura, Gregory L.; Tomkinson, Alan E.; Tainer, John A.; Ellenberger, Tom

    2015-01-01

    Mammalian DNA ligase III (LigIII) functions in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA metabolism. In the nucleus, LigIII has functional redundancy with DNA ligase I whereas LigIII is the only mitochondrial DNA ligase and is essential for the survival of cells dependent upon oxidative respiration. The unique LigIII zinc finger (ZnF) domain is not required for catalytic activity but senses DNA strand breaks and stimulates intermolecular ligation of two DNAs by an unknown mechanism. Consistent with this activity, LigIII acts in an alternative pathway of DNA double strand break repair that buttresses canonical non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and is manifest in NHEJ-defective cancer cells, but how LigIII acts in joining intermolecular DNA ends versus nick ligation is unclear. To investigate how LigIII efficiently joins two DNAs, we developed a real-time, fluorescence-based assay of DNA bridging suitable for high-throughput screening. On a nicked duplex DNA substrate, the results reveal binding competition between the ZnF and the oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding domain, one of three domains constituting the LigIII catalytic core. In contrast, these domains collaborate and are essential for formation of a DNA-bridging intermediate by adenylated LigIII that positions a pair of blunt-ended duplex DNAs for efficient and specific intermolecular ligation. PMID:26130724

  4. Human DNA ligase III bridges two DNA ends to promote specific intermolecular DNA end joining.

    PubMed

    Kukshal, Vandna; Kim, In-Kwon; Hura, Gregory L; Tomkinson, Alan E; Tainer, John A; Ellenberger, Tom

    2015-08-18

    Mammalian DNA ligase III (LigIII) functions in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA metabolism. In the nucleus, LigIII has functional redundancy with DNA ligase I whereas LigIII is the only mitochondrial DNA ligase and is essential for the survival of cells dependent upon oxidative respiration. The unique LigIII zinc finger (ZnF) domain is not required for catalytic activity but senses DNA strand breaks and stimulates intermolecular ligation of two DNAs by an unknown mechanism. Consistent with this activity, LigIII acts in an alternative pathway of DNA double strand break repair that buttresses canonical non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and is manifest in NHEJ-defective cancer cells, but how LigIII acts in joining intermolecular DNA ends versus nick ligation is unclear. To investigate how LigIII efficiently joins two DNAs, we developed a real-time, fluorescence-based assay of DNA bridging suitable for high-throughput screening. On a nicked duplex DNA substrate, the results reveal binding competition between the ZnF and the oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding domain, one of three domains constituting the LigIII catalytic core. In contrast, these domains collaborate and are essential for formation of a DNA-bridging intermediate by adenylated LigIII that positions a pair of blunt-ended duplex DNAs for efficient and specific intermolecular ligation. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  5. Predator avoidance as a function of flocking in the sexually dichromatic Hawaii akepa

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hart, P.J.; Freed, L.A.

    2005-01-01

    Hypotheses for joining a mixed-species bird flock consider each species as a single unit. In sexually dichromatic birds, differential conspicuousness between the sexes may result in differences in vigilance for predators. Aspects of the predator avoidance and foraging enhancement hypotheses for the selective value of joining a mixed-species flock were assessed for the strongly sexually dichromatic Hawaii akepa (Loxops coccineus coccineus). There was support for the primary predictions of the predator avoidance hypothesis: vigilance levels decreased with increasing group size, and with membership in a flock, but only for brightly colored adult males. There was little support for the hypothesis that the primary benefit of joining a mixed-species flock is to enhance foraging efficiency through "local enhancement".

  6. Welding, Bonding and Fastening, 1984

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Buckley, J. D. (Editor); Stein, B. A. (Editor)

    1985-01-01

    A compilation of papers presented in a joint NASA, American Society for Metals, The George Washington University, American Welding Soceity, and Society of Manufacturing Engineers conference on Welding, Bonding, and Fastening at Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, on October 23 to 25, 1984 is given. Papers were presented on technology developed in current research programs relevant to welding, bonding, and fastening of structural materials required in fabricating structures and mechanical systems used in the aerospace, hydrospace, and automotive industries. Topics covered in the conference included equipment, hardware and materials used when welding, brazing, and soldering, mechanical fastening, explosive welding, use of unique selected joining techniques, adhesives bonding, and nondestructive evaluation. A concept of the factory of the future was presented, followed by advanced welding techniques, automated equipment for welding, welding in a cryogenic atmosphere, blind fastening, stress corrosion resistant fasteners, fastening equipment, explosive welding of different configurations and materials, solid-state bonding, electron beam welding, new adhesives, effects of cryogenics on adhesives, and new techniques and equipment for adhesive bonding.

  7. Report to Congress on the Defense Industrial Base: Critical Industries Planning

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-10-01

    interactions between fibers and matrices, and production, each exhibiting its own unique the adhesive or fastening systems used to join characteristics. The... interaction among companies specializing in the Douglas and Custom Machine Inc.. although various areas in order to optimize the total Japanese suppliers...Minarad Scientific Inc. Barrianeer Research Lim. Contraves Goerz Corp. Geophysical Environmental Research Corp IRIS Fiber Optics ITT Corp. Magnavox

  8. JPRS Report, West Europe.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-07-07

    bluish- tinted icebergs into the Disko Bay, from where they slowly waltz south past Christianshab. From the windows of their homes the population watch...expedition we have reached our political-diplomatic goal: to join the antartic advisory committee." Italy entered the race late," added ENEA President...interests, Antartic is in this sense a unique territory. It is the most important scientific laboratory in the world where scientific research

  9. Improving Wellbeing and Environmental Stewardship Through Volunteering in Nature.

    PubMed

    Molsher, Robyn; Townsend, Mardie

    2016-03-01

    Environmental volunteering (EV) can provide a unique way to optimise the wellbeing of participants while fostering environmental stewardship. However, the potential of EV to create human health benefits remains an under-researched area. This study provides evidence for improved wellbeing and mood state for 32 participants from diverse backgrounds undertaking EV activities. Most participants also reported improved environmental stewardship with a greatly improved understanding of the environment and the need to conserve it. Other benefits included: 31% of those seeking work obtained it; and 50% joined a volunteer group at program completion. EV provides a unique mechanism to enhance the wellbeing of the participants, while conserving the environment.

  10. IJA: an efficient algorithm for query processing in sensor networks.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hyun Chang; Lee, Young Jae; Lim, Ji Hyang; Kim, Dong Hwa

    2011-01-01

    One of main features in sensor networks is the function that processes real time state information after gathering needed data from many domains. The component technologies consisting of each node called a sensor node that are including physical sensors, processors, actuators and power have advanced significantly over the last decade. Thanks to the advanced technology, over time sensor networks have been adopted in an all-round industry sensing physical phenomenon. However, sensor nodes in sensor networks are considerably constrained because with their energy and memory resources they have a very limited ability to process any information compared to conventional computer systems. Thus query processing over the nodes should be constrained because of their limitations. Due to the problems, the join operations in sensor networks are typically processed in a distributed manner over a set of nodes and have been studied. By way of example while simple queries, such as select and aggregate queries, in sensor networks have been addressed in the literature, the processing of join queries in sensor networks remains to be investigated. Therefore, in this paper, we propose and describe an Incremental Join Algorithm (IJA) in Sensor Networks to reduce the overhead caused by moving a join pair to the final join node or to minimize the communication cost that is the main consumer of the battery when processing the distributed queries in sensor networks environments. At the same time, the simulation result shows that the proposed IJA algorithm significantly reduces the number of bytes to be moved to join nodes compared to the popular synopsis join algorithm.

  11. IJA: An Efficient Algorithm for Query Processing in Sensor Networks

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Hyun Chang; Lee, Young Jae; Lim, Ji Hyang; Kim, Dong Hwa

    2011-01-01

    One of main features in sensor networks is the function that processes real time state information after gathering needed data from many domains. The component technologies consisting of each node called a sensor node that are including physical sensors, processors, actuators and power have advanced significantly over the last decade. Thanks to the advanced technology, over time sensor networks have been adopted in an all-round industry sensing physical phenomenon. However, sensor nodes in sensor networks are considerably constrained because with their energy and memory resources they have a very limited ability to process any information compared to conventional computer systems. Thus query processing over the nodes should be constrained because of their limitations. Due to the problems, the join operations in sensor networks are typically processed in a distributed manner over a set of nodes and have been studied. By way of example while simple queries, such as select and aggregate queries, in sensor networks have been addressed in the literature, the processing of join queries in sensor networks remains to be investigated. Therefore, in this paper, we propose and describe an Incremental Join Algorithm (IJA) in Sensor Networks to reduce the overhead caused by moving a join pair to the final join node or to minimize the communication cost that is the main consumer of the battery when processing the distributed queries in sensor networks environments. At the same time, the simulation result shows that the proposed IJA algorithm significantly reduces the number of bytes to be moved to join nodes compared to the popular synopsis join algorithm. PMID:22319375

  12. Non-homologous end joining-mediated functional marker selection for DNA cloning in the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus.

    PubMed

    Hoshida, Hisashi; Murakami, Nobutada; Suzuki, Ayako; Tamura, Ryoko; Asakawa, Jun; Abdel-Banat, Babiker M A; Nonklang, Sanom; Nakamura, Mikiko; Akada, Rinji

    2014-01-01

    The cloning of DNA fragments into vectors or host genomes has traditionally been performed using Escherichia coli with restriction enzymes and DNA ligase or homologous recombination-based reactions. We report here a novel DNA cloning method that does not require DNA end processing or homologous recombination, but that ensures highly accurate cloning. The method exploits the efficient non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) activity of the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus and consists of a novel functional marker selection system. First, to demonstrate the applicability of NHEJ to DNA cloning, a C-terminal-truncated non-functional ura3 selection marker and the truncated region were PCR-amplified separately, mixed and directly used for the transformation. URA3(+) transformants appeared on the selection plates, indicating that the two DNA fragments were correctly joined by NHEJ to generate a functional URA3 gene that had inserted into the yeast chromosome. To develop the cloning system, the shortest URA3 C-terminal encoding sequence that could restore the function of a truncated non-functional ura3 was determined by deletion analysis, and was included in the primers to amplify target DNAs for cloning. Transformation with PCR-amplified target DNAs and C-terminal truncated ura3 produced numerous transformant colonies, in which a functional URA3 gene was generated and was integrated into the chromosome with the target DNAs. Several K. marxianus circular plasmids with different selection markers were also developed for NHEJ-based cloning and recombinant DNA construction. The one-step DNA cloning method developed here is a relatively simple and reliable procedure among the DNA cloning systems developed to date. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  13. Braze material for joining ceramic to metal and ceramic to ceramic surfaces and joined ceramic to metal and ceramic to ceramic article

    DOEpatents

    Hunt, T.K.; Novak, R.F.

    1991-05-07

    An improved active metal braze filler material is provided in which the coefficient of thermal expansion of the braze filler is more closely matched with that of the ceramic and metal, or two ceramics, to provide ceramic to metal, or ceramic to ceramic, sealed joints and articles which can withstand both high temperatures and repeated thermal cycling without failing. The braze filler material comprises a mixture of a material, preferably in the form of a powder, selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten, silicon carbide and mixtures thereof, and an active metal filler material selected from the group consisting of alloys or mixtures of nickel and titanium, alloys or mixtures of nickel and zirconium, alloys or mixtures of nickel, titanium, and copper, alloys or mixtures of nickel, titanium, and zirconium, alloys or mixtures of niobium and nickel, alloys or mixtures of niobium and zirconium, alloys or mixtures of niobium and titanium, alloys or mixtures of niobium, titanium, and nickel, alloys or mixtures of niobium, zirconium, and nickel, and alloys or mixtures of niobium, titanium, zirconium, and nickel. The powder component is selected such that its coefficient of thermal expansion will effect the overall coefficient of thermal expansion of the braze material so that it more closely matches the coefficients of thermal expansion of the ceramic and metal parts to be joined. 3 figures.

  14. Braze material for joining ceramic to metal and ceramic to ceramic surfaces and joined ceramic to metal and ceramic to ceramic article

    DOEpatents

    Hunt, Thomas K.; Novak, Robert F.

    1991-01-01

    An improved active metal braze filler material is provided in which the coefficient of thermal expansion of the braze filler is more closely matched with that of the ceramic and metal, or two ceramics, to provide ceramic to metal, or ceramic to ceramic, sealed joints and articles which can withstand both high temperatures and repeated thermal cycling without failing. The braze filler material comprises a mixture of a material, preferably in the form of a powder, selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten, silicon carbide and mixtures thereof, and an active metal filler material selected from the group consisting of alloys or mixtures of nickel and titanium, alloys or mixtures of nickel and zirconium, alloys or mixtures of nickel, titanium, and copper, alloys or mixtures of nickel, titanium, and zirconium, alloys or mixtures of niobium and nickel, alloys or mixtures of niobium and zirconium, alloys or mixtures of niobium and titanium, alloys or mixtures of niobium, titanium, and nickel, alloys or mixtures of niobium, zirconium, and nickel, and alloys or mixtures of niobium, titanium, zirconium, and nickel. The powder component is selected such that its coefficient of thermal expansion will effect the overall coefficient of thermal expansion of the braze material so that it more closely matches the coefficients of thermal expansion of the ceramic and metal parts to be joined.

  15. Nature-Inspired Dissemination of Information in P2P Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guéret, Christophe

    After having first been used as a means to publish content, the Web is now widely used as a social tool for sharing information. It is an easy task to subscribe to a social network, join one of the Web-based communities according to some personal interests and start to share content with all the people who do the same. It is easy once you solve two basic problems: select the network to join (go to hi5, facebook, myspace,…? join all of them?) and find/pick up the right communities (i.e., find a strict label to match non-strict centers of interest). An error of appreciation would result in getting too much of useless/non-relevant information. This chapter provides a study on the dissemination of information within groups of people and aim at answering one question: can we find an effortless way of sharing information on the Web? Ideally, such a solution would require neither the definition of a profile nor the selection of communities to join. Publishing information should also not be the result of an active decision but be performed in an automatic way. A nature-inspired framework is introduced as an answer to this question. This framework features artificial ants taking care of the dissemination of information items within the network. Centers of interest of the users are reflected by artificial pheromones laid down on connections between peers. Another part of the framework uses those pheromone trails to detect shared interests and creates communities.

  16. Method of artificial DNA splicing by directed ligation (SDL).

    PubMed Central

    Lebedenko, E N; Birikh, K R; Plutalov, O V; Berlin YuA

    1991-01-01

    An approach to directed genetic recombination in vitro has been devised, which allows for joining together, in a predetermined way, a series of DNA segments to give a precisely spliced polynucleotide sequence (DNA splicing by directed ligation, SDL). The approach makes use of amplification, by means of several polymerase chain reactions (PCR), of a chosen set of DNA segments. Primers for the amplifications contain recognition sites of the class IIS restriction endonucleases, which transform blunt ends of the amplification products into protruding ends of unique primary structures, the ends to be used for joining segments together being mutually complementary. Ligation of the mixture of the segments so synthesized gives the desired sequence in an unambiguous way. The suggested approach has been exemplified by the synthesis of a totally processed (intronless) gene encoding human mature interleukin-1 alpha. Images PMID:1662363

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

    Madduri, Kamesh; Wu, Kesheng

    The Resource Description Framework (RDF) is a popular data model for representing linked data sets arising from the web, as well as large scienti c data repositories such as UniProt. RDF data intrinsically represents a labeled and directed multi-graph. SPARQL is a query language for RDF that expresses subgraph pattern- nding queries on this implicit multigraph in a SQL- like syntax. SPARQL queries generate complex intermediate join queries; to compute these joins e ciently, we propose a new strategy based on bitmap indexes. We store the RDF data in column-oriented structures as compressed bitmaps along with two dictionaries. This papermore » makes three new contributions. (i) We present an e cient parallel strategy for parsing the raw RDF data, building dictionaries of unique entities, and creating compressed bitmap indexes of the data. (ii) We utilize the constructed bitmap indexes to e ciently answer SPARQL queries, simplifying the join evaluations. (iii) To quantify the performance impact of using bitmap indexes, we compare our approach to the state-of-the-art triple-store RDF-3X. We nd that our bitmap index-based approach to answering queries is up to an order of magnitude faster for a variety of SPARQL queries, on gigascale RDF data sets.« less

  18. StarView: The object oriented design of the ST DADS user interface

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Williams, J. D.; Pollizzi, J. A.

    1992-01-01

    StarView is the user interface being developed for the Hubble Space Telescope Data Archive and Distribution Service (ST DADS). ST DADS is the data archive for HST observations and a relational database catalog describing the archived data. Users will use StarView to query the catalog and select appropriate datasets for study. StarView sends requests for archived datasets to ST DADS which processes the requests and returns the database to the user. StarView is designed to be a powerful and extensible user interface. Unique features include an internal relational database to navigate query results, a form definition language that will work with both CRT and X interfaces, a data definition language that will allow StarView to work with any relational database, and the ability to generate adhoc queries without requiring the user to understand the structure of the ST DADS catalog. Ultimately, StarView will allow the user to refine queries in the local database for improved performance and merge in data from external sources for correlation with other query results. The user will be able to create a query from single or multiple forms, merging the selected attributes into a single query. Arbitrary selection of attributes for querying is supported. The user will be able to select how query results are viewed. A standard form or table-row format may be used. Navigation capabilities are provided to aid the user in viewing query results. Object oriented analysis and design techniques were used in the design of StarView to support the mechanisms and concepts required to implement these features. One such mechanism is the Model-View-Controller (MVC) paradigm. The MVC allows the user to have multiple views of the underlying database, while providing a consistent mechanism for interaction regardless of the view. This approach supports both CRT and X interfaces while providing a common mode of user interaction. Another powerful abstraction is the concept of a Query Model. This concept allows a single query to be built form a single or multiple forms before it is submitted to ST DADS. Supporting this concept is the adhoc query generator which allows the user to select and qualify an indeterminate number attributes from the database. The user does not need any knowledge of how the joins across various tables are to be resolved. The adhoc generator calculates the joins automatically and generates the correct SQL query.

  19. Inhibition of nonhomologous end joining to increase the specificity of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing.

    PubMed

    Vartak, Supriya V; Raghavan, Sathees C

    2015-11-01

    DNA repair, one of the fundamental processes occurring in a cell, safeguards the genome and maintains its integrity. Among various DNA lesions, double-strand breaks are considered to be the most deleterious, as they can lead to potential loss of genetic information, if not repaired. Nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination are two major double-strand break repair pathways. SCR7, a DNA ligase IV inhibitor, was recently identified and characterized as a potential anticancer compound. Interestingly, SCR7 was shown to have several applications, owing to its unique property as an NHEJ inhibitor. Here, we focus on three main areas of research in which SCR7 is actively being used, and discuss one of the applications, i.e. genome editing via CRISPR/Cas, in detail. In the past year, different studies have shown that SCR7 significantly increases the efficiency of precise genome editing by inhibiting NHEJ, and favouring the error-free homologous recombination pathway, both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, we discuss the current applications of SCR7 to shed light on the unique property of the small molecule of having distinct applications in normal and cancer cells, when used at different cellular concentrations. © 2015 FEBS.

  20. Uniqueness of the Stationary Wave for the Extended Fisher-Kolmogorov Equation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kwapisz, Jaroslaw

    2000-07-01

    The extended Fisher-Kolmogorov equation, ut=-βuxxxx+uxx+u-u3, β>0, models a binary system near the Lifshitz critical point and is known to exhibit a stationary heteroclinic solution joining the equilibria ±1. For the classical case, β=0, the heteroclinic is u(x)=tanh(x/2) and is unique up to the obvious symmetries. We prove the conjecture that the uniqueness persists all the way to β=1/8, where the onset of spatial chaos associated with the loss of monotonicity of the stationary wave is known to occur. Our methods are non-perturbative and employ a global cross-section to the Hamiltonian flow of the stationary fourth order equation on the energy level of ±1. We also prove uniform a priori bounds on all bounded stationary solutions, valid for any β>0.

  1. Users' guide on socket heat fusion joining of polyethylene gas pipes. Volume 1. Topical report, September 1989-September 1990

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

    Pimputkar, S.M.; McCoy, J.K.; Stets, J.A.

    1991-03-01

    The integrity of a pipeline system is determined by its weakest links which may be the joints. Heat fusion is the most common method for joining gas distribution polyethylene (PE) piping. There are procedural, thermal, and mechanical aspects of making fusion joints. Acceptable procedural aspects, such as heater calibration and cleanliness, can be assured by rigorous training and certification of the operators. Thermal and mechanical aspects consist of specifying joining conditions such as the heater temperature, heating time, and joining pressure. In the absence of procedural errors, the strength of a fusion joint should depend on the pipe material, pipemore » dimensions, and the thermal and mechanical joining conditions. Socket heat fusion was studied both experimentally and analytically to determine how the strength of the joint varied with the conditions under which it was made. The standard tensile impact test was modified to test socket fusion joint samples in shear. The developed shear impact energy test data were found to be reliable measures of strength if the setups for conditions were meticulously identical. A parameter, termed the socket joining parameter, was found to characterize the joining conditions. It is a strong function of melt volume at the end of the heating phase, and physically, it is polyethylene transported parallel to the axis during insertion. The results for three resins are presented in the form of three nomographs. The nomographs may be used to select the required heater temperature or the heating time, for a given ambient temperature and a PE resin, to ensure a structurally sound socket heat fusion joint.« less

  2. Technical reference on socket heat fusion joining of polyethylene gas pipes. Volume 2. Topical Report, September 1989-September 1990

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

    Pimputkar, S.M.; McCoy, J.K.; Stets, J.A.

    1991-03-01

    The integrity of a pipeline system is determined by its weakest links which may be the joints. Heat fusion is the most common method for joining gas distribution polyethylene (PE) piping. There are procedural, thermal, and mechanical aspects of making fusion joints. Acceptable procedural aspects, such as heater calibration and cleanliness, can be assured by rigorous training and certification of the operators. Thermal and mechanical aspects consist of specifying joining conditions such as the heater temperature, heating time, and joining pressure. In the absence of procedural errors, the strength of a fusion joint should depend on the pipe material, pipemore » dimensions, and the thermal and mechanical joining conditions. Socket heat fusion was studied both experimentally and analytically to determine how the strength of the joint varied with the conditions under which it was made. The standard tensile impact test was modified to test socket fusion joint samples in shear. The developed shear impact energy test data were found to be reliable measures of strength if the setup conditions were meticulously identical. A parameter, termed the socket joining parameter, was found to characterize the joining conditions. It is a strong function of melt volume at the end of the heating phase, and, physically, it is polyethylene transported parallel to the axis during insertion. The results for three resins are presented in the form of three nomographs. The nomographs may be used to select the required heater temperature or the heating time, for a given ambient temperature and a PE resin, to ensure a structurally sound socket heat fusion joint.« less

  3. Using Negotiated Joining to Construct and Fill Open-ended Roles in Elite Culinary Groups.

    PubMed

    Tan, Vaughn

    2015-03-01

    This qualitative study examines membership processes in groups operating in an uncertain environment that prevents them from fully predefining new members' roles. I describe how nine elite high-end, cutting-edge culinary groups in the U.S. and Europe, ranging from innovative restaurants to culinary R&D groups, use negotiated joining-a previously undocumented process-to systematically construct and fill these emergent, open-ended roles. I show that negotiated joining is a consistently patterned, iterative process that begins with a role that both aspirant and target group explicitly understand to be provisional. This provisional role is then jointly modified and constructed by the aspirant and target group through repeated iterations of proposition, validation through trial and evaluation, and selective integration of validated role components. The initially provisional role stabilizes and the aspirant achieves membership if enough role components are validated; otherwise the negotiated joining process is abandoned. Negotiated joining allows the aspirant and target group to learn if a mutually desirable role is likely and, if so, to construct such a role. In addition, the provisional roles in negotiated joining can support absorptive capacity by allowing novel role components to enter target groups through aspirants' efforts to construct stable roles for themselves, while the internal adjustment involved in integrating newly validated role components can have the unintended side effect of supporting adaptation by providing opportunities for the groups to use these novel role components to modify their role structure and goals to suit a changing and uncertain environment. Negotiated joining thus reveals role ambiguity's hitherto unexamined beneficial consequences and provides a foundation for a contingency theory of new-member acquisition.

  4. How a College System Joined a TV Network

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McAuliffe, Daniel G.

    1978-01-01

    Describes the evolution of a state-wide "TV College" system in Connecticut, including centralized administrative development, course selection and evaluation, scheduling, promotion and advertising, fee structures, and budgeting processes. (RT)

  5. Electron beam welding of aircraft structures. [joining of titanium alloy wing structures on F-14 aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Witt, R. H.

    1972-01-01

    Requirements for advanced aircraft have led to more extensive use of titanium alloys and the resultant search for joining processes which can produce lightweight, high strength airframe structures efficiently. As a result, electron beam welding has been investigated. The following F-14A components are now being EB welded in production and are mainly annealed Ti-6Al-4V except for the upper wing cover which is annealed Ti-6Al-6V-2Sn: F-14A wing center section box, and F-14A lower and upper wing covers joined to wing pivot fitting assemblies. Criteria for selection of welding processes, the EB welding facility, development work on EB welding titanium alloys, and F-14A production and sliding seal electron beam welding are reported.

  6. Steam separator latch assembly

    DOEpatents

    Challberg, Roy C.; Kobsa, Irvin R.

    1994-01-01

    A latch assembly removably joins a steam separator assembly to a support flange disposed at a top end of a tubular shroud in a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. The assembly includes an annular head having a central portion for supporting the steam separator assembly thereon, and an annular head flange extending around a perimeter thereof for supporting the head to the support flange. A plurality of latches are circumferentially spaced apart around the head flange with each latch having a top end, a latch hook at a bottom end thereof, and a pivot support disposed at an intermediate portion therebetween and pivotally joined to the head flange. The latches are pivoted about the pivot supports for selectively engaging and disengaging the latch hooks with the support flange for fixedly joining the head to the shroud or for allowing removal thereof.

  7. Steam separator latch assembly

    DOEpatents

    Challberg, R.C.; Kobsa, I.R.

    1994-02-01

    A latch assembly removably joins a steam separator assembly to a support flange disposed at a top end of a tubular shroud in a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. The assembly includes an annular head having a central portion for supporting the steam separator assembly thereon, and an annular head flange extending around a perimeter thereof for supporting the head to the support flange. A plurality of latches are circumferentially spaced apart around the head flange with each latch having a top end, a latch hook at a bottom end thereof, and a pivot support disposed at an intermediate portion therebetween and pivotally joined to the head flange. The latches are pivoted about the pivot supports for selectively engaging and disengaging the latch hooks with the support flange for fixedly joining the head to the shroud or for allowing removal thereof. 12 figures.

  8. The multi-mode modulator: A versatile fluidic device for two-dimensional gas chromatography.

    PubMed

    Seeley, John V; Schimmel, Nicolaas E; Seeley, Stacy K

    2018-02-09

    A fluidic device called the multi-mode modulator (MMM) has been developed for use as a comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC) modulator. The MMM can be employed in a wide range of capacities including as a traditional heart-cutting device, a low duty cycle GC x GC modulator, and a full transfer GC x GC modulator. The MMM is capable of producing narrow component pulses (widths <50ms) while operating at flows compatible with high resolution chromatography. The sample path of modulated components is confined to the interior of a joining capillary. The joining capillary dimensions and the position of the columns within the joining capillary can be optimized for the selected modulation mode. Furthermore, the joining capillary can be replaced easily and inexpensively if it becomes fouled due to sample matrix components or column bleed. The principles of operation of the MMM are described and its efficacy is demonstrated as a heart-cutting device and as a GC x GC modulator. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. E3 Sample Follow-up Email

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Sample follow-up email to assist in identifying and nominating those suppliers who you think could benefit most from joining the Green Suppliers Network; your role is to facilitate supplier selection and engagement.

  10. A high-fidelity weather time series generator using the Markov Chain process on a piecewise level

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hersvik, K.; Endrerud, O.-E. V.

    2017-12-01

    A method is developed for generating a set of unique weather time-series based on an existing weather series. The method allows statistically valid weather variations to take place within repeated simulations of offshore operations. The numerous generated time series need to share the same statistical qualities as the original time series. Statistical qualities here refer mainly to the distribution of weather windows available for work, including durations and frequencies of such weather windows, and seasonal characteristics. The method is based on the Markov chain process. The core new development lies in how the Markov Process is used, specifically by joining small pieces of random length time series together rather than joining individual weather states, each from a single time step, which is a common solution found in the literature. This new Markov model shows favorable characteristics with respect to the requirements set forth and all aspects of the validation performed.

  11. Casting of weldable graphite/magnesium metal matrix composites with built-in metallic inserts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lee, Jonathan A.; Kashalikar, Uday; Majkowski, Patricia

    1994-01-01

    Technology innovations directed at the advanced development of a potentially low cost and weldable graphite/magnesium metal matrix composites (MMC) through near net shape pressure casting are described. These MMC components uniquely have built-in metallic inserts to provide an innovative approach for joining or connecting other MMC components through conventional joining techniques such as welding, brazing, mechanical fasteners, etc. Moreover, the metallic inserts trapped within the MMC components can be made to transfer the imposed load efficiently to the continuous graphite fiber reinforcement thus producing stronger, stiffer, and more reliable MMC components. The use of low pressure near net shape casting is economical compared to other MMC fabrication processes. These castable and potentially weldable MMC components can provide great payoffs in terms of high strength, high stiffness, low thermal expansion, lightweight, and easily joinable MMC components for several future NASA space structural, industrial, and commercial applications.

  12. Health-promoting prisons: theory to practice.

    PubMed

    Baybutt, Michelle; Chemlal, Khadoudja

    2016-03-01

    As a setting, prisons offer a unique opportunity to invest in the health of disadvantaged and marginalised populations and address health inequalities and social exclusion - thereby achieving sustainable improvements in well-being for offenders and their families and in turn, helping to reduce rates of re-offending. This article draws on English and French experiences and doctoral research to advocate a shift from a pathogenic model towards a salutogenic model of health as a helpful way to address inequalities and thus, by promoting joined-up working across justice and wider systems, impact positively beyond 'health' for the effective resettlement of prisoners. The paper utilises examples from horticulture to further argue the powerful role of nature in the prison setting in mediating aspects of culture particularly relating to processes of socialisation. Critical success lies in bridging across systems and a commitment to joined-up working at all levels across and beyond prison. © The Author(s) 2015.

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

    Zahn, Karl E.; Averill, April M.; Aller, Pierre

    DNA polymerase θ protects against genomic instability via an alternative end-joining repair pathway for DNA double-strand breaks. Polymerase θ is overexpressed in breast, lung and oral cancers, and reduction of its activity in mammalian cells increases sensitivity to double-strand break–inducing agents, including ionizing radiation. Reported in this paper are crystal structures of the C-terminal polymerase domain from human polymerase θ, illustrating two potential modes of dimerization. One structure depicts insertion of ddATP opposite an abasic-site analog during translesion DNA synthesis. The second structure describes a cognate ddGTP complex. Polymerase θ uses a specialized thumb subdomain to establish unique upstream contactsmore » to the primer DNA strand, including an interaction with the 3'-terminal phosphate from one of five distinctive insertion loops. Finally, these observations demonstrate how polymerase θ grasps the primer to bypass DNA lesions or extend poorly annealed DNA termini to mediate end-joining.« less

  14. Cold plasma welding of polyaniline nanofibers with enhanced electrical and mechanical properties.

    PubMed

    Ye, Dong; Yu, Yao; Liu, Lin; Lu, Xinpei; Wu, Yue

    2015-12-11

    Joining conducting polymer (CP) nanofibers into an interconnected porous network can result in good mechanical and electrical contacts between nanofibers that can be beneficial for the high performance of CP-based devices. Here, we demonstrate the cold welding of polyaniline (PAni) nanofiber loose ends with cold plasma. The room-temperature and atmospheric-pressure helium micro-plasma jet launches highly charged ion bullets at a PAni nanofiber target with high precision and the highly charged ion bullet selectively induces field emission at the sharp nanofiber loose ends. This technique joins nanofiber tips without altering the morphology of the film and protonation thus leading to significantly enhanced electrical and mechanical properties. In addition, this technique has high spatial resolution and is able to selectively weld and dope regions of nanofiber film with promising novel device applications.

  15. Cold plasma welding of polyaniline nanofibers with enhanced electrical and mechanical properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Dong; Yu, Yao; Liu, Lin; Lu, Xinpei; Wu, Yue

    2015-12-01

    Joining conducting polymer (CP) nanofibers into an interconnected porous network can result in good mechanical and electrical contacts between nanofibers that can be beneficial for the high performance of CP-based devices. Here, we demonstrate the cold welding of polyaniline (PAni) nanofiber loose ends with cold plasma. The room-temperature and atmospheric-pressure helium micro-plasma jet launches highly charged ion bullets at a PAni nanofiber target with high precision and the highly charged ion bullet selectively induces field emission at the sharp nanofiber loose ends. This technique joins nanofiber tips without altering the morphology of the film and protonation thus leading to significantly enhanced electrical and mechanical properties. In addition, this technique has high spatial resolution and is able to selectively weld and dope regions of nanofiber film with promising novel device applications.

  16. Selective high-affinity polydentate ligands and methods of making such

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

    Denardo, Sally J.; Denardo, Gerald L.; Balhorn, Rodney L.

    This invention provides novel polydentate selective high affinity ligands (SHALs) that can be used in a variety of applications in a manner analogous to the use of antibodies. SHALs typically comprise a multiplicity of ligands that each bind different region son the target molecule. The ligands are joined directly or through a linker thereby forming a polydentate moiety that typically binds the target molecule with high selectivity and avidity.

  17. Selective high-affinity polydentate ligands and methods of making such

    DOEpatents

    DeNardo, Sally; DeNardo, Gerald; Balhorn, Rodney

    2013-09-17

    This invention provides polydentate selective high affinity ligands (SHALs) that can be used in a variety of applications in a manner analogous to the use of antibodies. SHALs typically comprise a multiplicity of ligands that each binds different regions on the target molecule. The ligands are joined directly or through a linker thereby forming a polydentate moiety that typically binds the target molecule with high selectivity and avidity.

  18. Selective high affinity polydentate ligands and methods of making such

    DOEpatents

    DeNardo, Sally; DeNardo, Gerald; Balhorn, Rodney

    2010-02-16

    This invention provides novel polydentate selective high affinity ligands (SHALs) that can be used in a variety of applications in a manner analogous to the use of antibodies. SHALs typically comprise a multiplicity of ligands that each bind different region son the target molecule. The ligands are joined directly or through a linker thereby forming a polydentate moiety that typically binds the target molecule with high selectivity and avidity.

  19. The effect of adult aggression on habitat selection by settlers of two coral-dwelling damselfishes.

    PubMed

    Ben-Tzvi, Ofer; Kiflawi, Moshe; Polak, Omer; Abelson, Avigdor

    2009-01-01

    Coral-reef fishes experience a major challenge when facing settlement in a multi-threat environment, within which, using settlement cues, they need to select a suitable site. Studies in laboratories and artificial setups have shown that the presence of conspecific adults often serves as a positive settlement cue, whose value is explained by the increased survival of juveniles in an already proven fit environment. However, settlement in already inhabited corals may expose the recruits to adult aggression. Daily observations and manipulation experiments were used in the present study, which was conducted in the natural reef. We revealed differential strategies of settlers, which do not necessarily join conspecific adults. Dascyllus aruanus prefer to settle near (not with) their aggressive adults, and to join them only after gaining in size; whereas Dascyllus marginatus settlers in densely populated reefs settle independently of their adult distribution. Our results present different solutions to the challenges faced by fish recruits while selecting their microhabitat, and emphasize the complexity of habitat selection by the naïve settlers. Although laboratory experiments are important to the understanding of fish habitat selection, further studies in natural habitats are essential in order to elucidate the actual patterns of settlement and habitat selection, which are crucial for the survival of coral-reef fish populations.

  20. Laser-Hybrid welding, an innovative technology to join automotive body parts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sieben, Manuel; Brunnecker, Frank

    The design of Tail lamps has been changed dramatically since cars built. At modern lamps, the lenses are absolutely transparent and allow a direct view onto the weld seam. Conventional welding technologies, such as vibration and hot plate welding cannot compete with this demand. Focused on this targeted application, LPKF Laser & Electronics AG has developed in cooperation with the Bavarian Laser Centre a unique Laser welding technology called hybrid welding.

  1. Larval traits carry over to affect post-settlement behaviour in a common coral reef fish.

    PubMed

    Dingeldein, Andrea L; White, J Wilson

    2016-07-01

    Most reef fishes begin life as planktonic larvae before settling to the reef, metamorphosing and entering the benthic adult population. Different selective forces determine survival in the planktonic and benthic life stages, but traits established in the larval stage may carry over to affect post-settlement performance. We tested the hypothesis that larval traits affect two key post-settlement fish behaviours: social group-joining and foraging. Certain larval traits of reef fishes are permanently recorded in the rings in their otoliths. In the bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum), prior work has shown that key larval traits recorded in otoliths (growth rate, energetic condition at settlement) carry over to affect post-settlement survival on the reef, with higher-larval-condition fish experiencing less post-settlement mortality. We hypothesized that this selective mortality is mediated by carry-over effects on post-settlement antipredator behaviours. We predicted that better-condition fish would forage less and be more likely to join groups, both behaviours that would reduce predation risk. We collected 550 recently settled bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum) from three reef sites off St. Croix (USVI) and performed two analyses. First, we compared each settler's larval traits to the size of its social group to determine whether larval traits influenced group-joining behaviour. Secondly, we observed foraging behaviour in a subset of grouped and solitary fish (n = 14) for 1-4 days post-settlement. We then collected the fish and tested whether larval traits influenced the proportion of time spent foraging. Body length at settlement, but not condition, affected group-joining behaviour; smaller fish were more likely to remain solitary or in smaller groups. However, both greater length and better condition were associated with greater proportions of time spent foraging over four consecutive days post-settlement. Larval traits carry over to affect post-settlement behaviour, although not as we expected: higher quality larvae join groups more frequently (safer) but then forage more. Foraging is risky but may allow faster post-settlement growth, reducing mortality risk in the long run. This shows that behaviour likely serves as a mechanistic link connecting larval traits to post-settlement selective mortality. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2016 British Ecological Society.

  2. The Social Security Administration's Youth Transition Demonstration Projects: Implementation Lessons from the Original Projects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martinez, John; Fraker, Thomas; Manno, Michelle; Baird, Peter; Mamun, Arif; O'Day, Bonnie; Rangarajan, Anu; Wittenburg, David

    2010-01-01

    This report focuses on the seven original Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) projects selected for funding in 2003. Three of the original seven projects were selected for a national random assignment evaluation in 2005; however, this report only focuses on program operations prior to joining the random assignment evaluation for the three…

  3. Discrete and structurally unique proteins (tāpirins) mediate attachment of extremely thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor species to cellulose.

    PubMed

    Blumer-Schuette, Sara E; Alahuhta, Markus; Conway, Jonathan M; Lee, Laura L; Zurawski, Jeffrey V; Giannone, Richard J; Hettich, Robert L; Lunin, Vladimir V; Himmel, Michael E; Kelly, Robert M

    2015-04-24

    A variety of catalytic and noncatalytic protein domains are deployed by select microorganisms to deconstruct lignocellulose. These extracellular proteins are used to attach to, modify, and hydrolyze the complex polysaccharides present in plant cell walls. Cellulolytic enzymes, often containing carbohydrate-binding modules, are key to this process; however, these enzymes are not solely responsible for attachment. Few mechanisms of attachment have been discovered among bacteria that do not form large polypeptide structures, called cellulosomes, to deconstruct biomass. In this study, bioinformatics and proteomics analyses identified unique, discrete, hypothetical proteins ("tāpirins," origin from Māori: to join), not directly associated with cellulases, that mediate attachment to cellulose by species in the noncellulosomal, extremely thermophilic bacterial genus Caldicellulosiruptor. Two tāpirin genes are located directly downstream of a type IV pilus operon in strongly cellulolytic members of the genus, whereas homologs are absent from the weakly cellulolytic Caldicellulosiruptor species. Based on their amino acid sequence, tāpirins are specific to these extreme thermophiles. Tāpirins are also unusual in that they share no detectable protein domain signatures with known polysaccharide-binding proteins. Adsorption isotherm and trans vivo analyses demonstrated the carbohydrate-binding module-like affinity of the tāpirins for cellulose. Crystallization of a cellulose-binding truncation from one tāpirin indicated that these proteins form a long β-helix core with a shielded hydrophobic face. Furthermore, they are structurally unique and define a new class of polysaccharide adhesins. Strongly cellulolytic Caldicellulosiruptor species employ tāpirins to complement substrate-binding proteins from the ATP-binding cassette transporters and multidomain extracellular and S-layer-associated glycoside hydrolases to process the carbohydrate content of lignocellulose. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  4. Discrete and Structurally Unique Proteins (Tāpirins) Mediate Attachment of Extremely Thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor Species to Cellulose*

    PubMed Central

    Blumer-Schuette, Sara E.; Alahuhta, Markus; Conway, Jonathan M.; Lee, Laura L.; Zurawski, Jeffrey V.; Giannone, Richard J.; Hettich, Robert L.; Lunin, Vladimir V.; Himmel, Michael E.; Kelly, Robert M.

    2015-01-01

    A variety of catalytic and noncatalytic protein domains are deployed by select microorganisms to deconstruct lignocellulose. These extracellular proteins are used to attach to, modify, and hydrolyze the complex polysaccharides present in plant cell walls. Cellulolytic enzymes, often containing carbohydrate-binding modules, are key to this process; however, these enzymes are not solely responsible for attachment. Few mechanisms of attachment have been discovered among bacteria that do not form large polypeptide structures, called cellulosomes, to deconstruct biomass. In this study, bioinformatics and proteomics analyses identified unique, discrete, hypothetical proteins (“tāpirins,” origin from Māori: to join), not directly associated with cellulases, that mediate attachment to cellulose by species in the noncellulosomal, extremely thermophilic bacterial genus Caldicellulosiruptor. Two tāpirin genes are located directly downstream of a type IV pilus operon in strongly cellulolytic members of the genus, whereas homologs are absent from the weakly cellulolytic Caldicellulosiruptor species. Based on their amino acid sequence, tāpirins are specific to these extreme thermophiles. Tāpirins are also unusual in that they share no detectable protein domain signatures with known polysaccharide-binding proteins. Adsorption isotherm and trans vivo analyses demonstrated the carbohydrate-binding module-like affinity of the tāpirins for cellulose. Crystallization of a cellulose-binding truncation from one tāpirin indicated that these proteins form a long β-helix core with a shielded hydrophobic face. Furthermore, they are structurally unique and define a new class of polysaccharide adhesins. Strongly cellulolytic Caldicellulosiruptor species employ tāpirins to complement substrate-binding proteins from the ATP-binding cassette transporters and multidomain extracellular and S-layer-associated glycoside hydrolases to process the carbohydrate content of lignocellulose. PMID:25720489

  5. DNA algorithms of implementing biomolecular databases on a biological computer.

    PubMed

    Chang, Weng-Long; Vasilakos, Athanasios V

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, DNA algorithms are proposed to perform eight operations of relational algebra (calculus), which include Cartesian product, union, set difference, selection, projection, intersection, join, and division, on biomolecular relational databases.

  6. The Tokashiki Experience.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edwards, Richard

    1979-01-01

    Selected students from elementary and middle schools serving American military personnel on Okinawa spend one week on a small island near Okinawa. During the week they study the environment of the island and join in Japanese cultural activities. (RE)

  7. Joining, Leaving, and Staying in the American Indian/Alaska Native Race Category between 2000 and 2010

    PubMed Central

    Liebler, Carolyn A.; Bhaskar, Renuka; Porter (née Rastogi), Sonya R.

    2017-01-01

    Conceptualizing and operationalizing American Indian populations is challenging. Each census for decades has seen the American Indian population increase substantially more than expected, with indirect and qualitative evidence that this is due to changes in individuals' race responses. We apply uniquely suited (but not nationally representative) linked data from the 2000 and 2010 decennial censuses (N= 3.1 million) and the 2006–2010 American Community Survey (N = 188,131) to address three research questions. First, to what extent do American Indian people have different race responses across data sources? We find considerable race response change, especially among multiple-race and/or Hispanic American Indians. Second, how are people who change responses different from or similar to those who do not? We find three sets of American Indians: those who (1) had the same race and Hispanic responses in 2000 and 2010, (2) moved between single-race and multiple-race American Indian responses, and (3) added or dropped the American Indian response, thus joining or leaving the enumerated American Indian population. People in groups (1) and (2) were relatively likely to report a tribe, live in an American Indian area, report American Indian ancestry, and live in the West. Third, how are people who join a group different from or similar to those who leave it? Multivariate models show general similarity between joiners and leavers in group (1) and in group (2). Population turnover is hidden in cross-sectional comparisons; people joining each subpopulation of American Indians are similar in number and characteristics to those who leave it. PMID:26988712

  8. Joining, Leaving, and Staying in the American Indian/Alaska Native Race Category Between 2000 and 2010.

    PubMed

    Liebler, Carolyn A; Bhaskar, Renuka; Porter, Sonya R

    2016-04-01

    Conceptualizing and operationalizing American Indian populations is challenging. Each census for decades has seen the American Indian population increase substantially more than expected, with indirect and qualitative evidence that this is due to changes in individuals' race responses. We apply uniquely suited (but not nationally representative) linked data from the 2000 and 2010 decennial censuses (N = 3.1 million) and the 2006-2010 American Community Survey (N = 188,131) to address three research questions. First, to what extent do American Indian people have different race responses across data sources? We find considerable race response change, especially among multiple-race and/or Hispanic American Indians. Second, how are people who change responses different from or similar to those who do not? We find three sets of American Indians: those who (1) had the same race and Hispanic responses in 2000 and 2010, (2) moved between single-race and multiple-race American Indian responses, and (3) added or dropped the American Indian response, thus joining or leaving the enumerated American Indian population. People in groups (1) and (2) were relatively likely to report a tribe, live in an American Indian area, report American Indian ancestry, and live in the West. Third, how are people who join a group different from or similar to those who leave it? Multivariate models show general similarity between joiners and leavers in group (1) and in group (2). Population turnover is hidden in cross-sectional comparisons; people joining each subpopulation of American Indians are similar in number and characteristics to those who leave it.

  9. Biomaterials functionalization using a novel peptide that selectively binds to a conducting polymer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanghvi, Archit B.; Miller, Kiley P.-H.; Belcher, Angela M.; Schmidt, Christine E.

    2005-06-01

    The goal in biomaterial surface modification is to retain a material's bulk properties while modifying only its surface to possess desired recognition and specificity. Here we develop a unique strategy for surface functionalization of an electrically conductive polymer, chlorine-doped polypyrrole (PPyCl), which has been widely researched for various electronic and biomedical applications. An M13 bacteriophage library was used to screen 109 different 12-mer peptide inserts against PPyCl. A binding phage (ϕT59) was isolated, and its binding stability and specificity to PPyCl was assessed using fluorescence microscopy and titer count analysis. The relative binding strength and mechanism of the corresponding 12-mer peptide and its variants was studied using atomic force microscopy and fluorescamine assays. Further, the T59 peptide was joined to a cell adhesive sequence and used to promote cell attachment on PPyCl. This strategy can be extended to immobilize a variety of molecules to PPyCl for numerous applications. In addition, phage display can be applied to other polymers to develop bioactive materials without altering their bulk properties.

  10. Advances in Solid State Joining of Haynes 230 High Temperature Alloy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ding, R. Jeffrey; Schneider, Judy; Walker, Bryant

    2010-01-01

    The J-2X engine is being designed for NASA s new class of crew and launch vehicles, the Ares I and Ares V. The J-2X is a LOX/Hydrogen upper stage engine with 294,000 lbs of thrust and a minimum Isp of 448 seconds. As part of the design criteria to meet the performance requirements a large film-cooled nozzle extension is being designed to further expand the hot gases and increases the specific impulse. The nozzle extension is designed using Haynes 230, a nickel-chromium-tungsten-molybdenum superalloy. The alloy was selected for its high strength at elevated temperatures and resistance to hydrogen embrittlement. The nozzle extension is manufactured from Haynes 230 plate spun-forged to form the contour and chemically-milled pockets for weight reduction. Currently fusion welding is being evaluated for joining the panels which are then mechanically etched and thinned to required dimensions for the nozzle extension blank. This blank is then spun formed into the parabolic geometry required for the nozzle. After forming the nozzle extension, weight reduction pockets are chemically milled into the nozzle. Fusion welding of Haynes results in columnar grains which are prone to hot cracking during forming processes. This restricts the ability to use spin forging to produce the nozzle contour. Solid state joining processes are being pursued as an alternative process to produce a structure more amenable to spin forming. Solid state processes have been shown to produce a refined grain structure within the joint regions as illustrated in Figure 1. Solid state joining processes include friction stir welding (FSW) and a patented modification termed thermal stir welding (TSW). The configuration of TSWing utilizes an induction coil to preheat the material minimizing the burden on the weld tool extending its life. This provides the ability to precisely select and control the temperature. The work presented in this presentation investigates the feasibility of joining the Haynes 230 alloy using the solid state welding processes of FSW and TSW. Process descriptions and attributes of each weld process will be presented. Weld process set-up and welding techniques will be discussed leading to the challenges experienced in joining the superalloy. Mechanical property data will also be presented.

  11. Bridging Scientific Expertise to Underserved Communities: Initiating and Sustaining Local STEM Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderson, Tania; Kenney, Jessica; Maple, John

    2017-06-01

    This presentation will feature effective outreach strategies used to recruit, engage, and sustain student involvement from underserved communities in out-of-school science outreach programs. For example, one strategy is to partner with subject matter experts to provide your audience with a deeper understanding of and a unique perspective on current science. Join us to learn more about how you can initiate and sustain a STEM based program in your local community.

  12. Perceptions of the Selection Criteria of Omani English Language Teachers: Implications for Policy Reconsideration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al-Issa, Ali; Al-Bulushi, Ali; Al-Zadjali, Rima

    2017-01-01

    Proficiency in the English language has been described as central for determining Non-Native English Speaking Teachers (N-NESTs) selection for joining the profession. The Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman decided to set the score of Band 6 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for accepting the English Language…

  13. Low-Stroke Actuation for a Serial Robot

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ihrke, Chris A. (Inventor); Gao, Dalong (Inventor)

    2014-01-01

    A serial robot includes a base, first and second segments, a proximal joint joining the base to the first segment, and a distal joint. The distal joint that joins the segments is serially arranged and distal with respect to the proximal joint. The robot includes first and second actuators. A first tendon extends from the first actuator to the proximal joint and is selectively moveable via the first actuator. A second tendon extends from the second actuator to the distal joint and is selectively moveable via the second actuator. The robot includes a transmission having at least one gear element which assists rotation of the distal joint when an input force is applied to the proximal and/or distal joints by the first and/or second actuators. A robotic hand having the above robot is also disclosed, as is a robotic system having a torso, arm, and the above-described hand.

  14. Aeroelastic Analysis Of Joined Wing Of High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Aircraft Based On The Sensor-Craft Configuration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marisarla, Soujanya; Ghia, Urmila; "Karman" Ghia, Kirti

    2002-11-01

    Towards a comprehensive aeroelastic analysis of a joined wing, fluid dynamics and structural analyses are initially performed separately. Steady flow calculations are currently performed using 3-D compressible Navier-Stokes equations. Flow analysis of M6-Onera wing served to validate the software for the fluid dynamics analysis. The complex flow field of the joined wing is analyzed and the prevailing fluid dynamic forces are computed using COBALT software. Currently, these forces are being transferred as fluid loads on the structure. For the structural analysis, several test cases were run considering the wing as a cantilever beam; these served as validation cases. A nonlinear structural analysis of the wing is being performed using ANSYS software to predict the deflections and stresses on the joined wing. Issues related to modeling, and selecting appropriate mesh for the structure were addressed by first performing a linear analysis. The frequencies and mode shapes of the deformed wing are obtained from modal analysis. Both static and dynamic analyses are carried out, and the results obtained are carefully analyzed. Loose coupling between the fluid and structural analyses is currently being examined.

  15. Optimization methods for activities selection problems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahad, Nor Faradilah; Alias, Suriana; Yaakop, Siti Zulaika; Arshad, Norul Amanina Mohd; Mazni, Elis Sofia

    2017-08-01

    Co-curriculum activities must be joined by every student in Malaysia and these activities bring a lot of benefits to the students. By joining these activities, the students can learn about the time management and they can developing many useful skills. This project focuses on the selection of co-curriculum activities in secondary school using the optimization methods which are the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Zero-One Goal Programming (ZOGP). A secondary school in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia was chosen as a case study. A set of questionnaires were distributed randomly to calculate the weighted for each activity based on the 3 chosen criteria which are soft skills, interesting activities and performances. The weighted was calculated by using AHP and the results showed that the most important criteria is soft skills. Then, the ZOGP model will be analyzed by using LINGO Software version 15.0. There are two priorities to be considered. The first priority which is to minimize the budget for the activities is achieved since the total budget can be reduced by RM233.00. Therefore, the total budget to implement the selected activities is RM11,195.00. The second priority which is to select the co-curriculum activities is also achieved. The results showed that 9 out of 15 activities were selected. Thus, it can concluded that AHP and ZOGP approach can be used as the optimization methods for activities selection problem.

  16. Using Negotiated Joining to Construct and Fill Open-ended Roles in Elite Culinary Groups

    PubMed Central

    Tan, Vaughn

    2015-01-01

    This qualitative study examines membership processes in groups operating in an uncertain environment that prevents them from fully predefining new members’ roles. I describe how nine elite high-end, cutting-edge culinary groups in the U.S. and Europe, ranging from innovative restaurants to culinary R&D groups, use negotiated joining—a previously undocumented process—to systematically construct and fill these emergent, open-ended roles. I show that negotiated joining is a consistently patterned, iterative process that begins with a role that both aspirant and target group explicitly understand to be provisional. This provisional role is then jointly modified and constructed by the aspirant and target group through repeated iterations of proposition, validation through trial and evaluation, and selective integration of validated role components. The initially provisional role stabilizes and the aspirant achieves membership if enough role components are validated; otherwise the negotiated joining process is abandoned. Negotiated joining allows the aspirant and target group to learn if a mutually desirable role is likely and, if so, to construct such a role. In addition, the provisional roles in negotiated joining can support absorptive capacity by allowing novel role components to enter target groups through aspirants’ efforts to construct stable roles for themselves, while the internal adjustment involved in integrating newly validated role components can have the unintended side effect of supporting adaptation by providing opportunities for the groups to use these novel role components to modify their role structure and goals to suit a changing and uncertain environment. Negotiated joining thus reveals role ambiguity’s hitherto unexamined beneficial consequences and provides a foundation for a contingency theory of new-member acquisition. PMID:26273105

  17. Athletic Lockers for Schools and Colleges; Their Design--Selection--and Purchase with Functional Tips and Suggestions for the Modern Athletic Locker Room.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dickey, Donald D.

    Information is provided relative to the design, selection, and purchase of locker equipment for athletic and physical education use. Some suggestions offered are for both specific applications, and some are general to any locker dressing room. Among the topics discussed are construction and joining of lockers, ventilation and drying,…

  18. Engineering principles to assure compatible docking between future spacecraft of USA and USSR

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, C. C.

    1973-01-01

    An androgynous peripheral type docking mechanism concept selected by the U.S. and the USSR is described. The rationale supporting the selection of the concept, the mechanical principles inherent to the concept, and the probable nature of future designs stemming from the concept are discussed. Operational situations prior to docking, impact conditions, energy absorption, and structural joining of two spacecraft are examined.

  19. Using 50 K single nucleotide polymorphisms to elucidate genomic architecture of line 1 Hereford cattle

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Hereford is a major beef breed in the USA and has been subjected to selection for a variety of goals. A sub-population, known as Line 1 (L1), was established in 1934 by joining two paternal half-sib bulls with 50 unrelated females. L1 has since been maintained as a closed population and selected p...

  20. Affordable, Robust Ceramic Joining Technology (ARCJoinT) Given 1999 R and D 100 Award

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Mrityunjay

    2000-01-01

    Advanced ceramics and fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites with high strength and toughness, good thermal conductivity, thermal shock resistance, and oxidation resistance are needed for high-temperature structural applications in advanced high-efficiency and high-performance engines, space propulsion components, and land-based systems. The engineering designs of these systems require the manufacturing of large parts with complex shapes, which are either quite expensive or impossible to fabricate. In many instances, it is more economical to build complex shapes by joining together simple geometrical shapes. Thus, joining has been recognized as an enabling technology for the successful utilization of advanced ceramics and fiber-reinforced composite components in high-temperature applications. However, such joints must retain their structural integrity at high temperatures and must have mechanical strength and environmental stability comparable to those of the bulk materials. In addition, the joining technique should be robust, practical, and reliable. ARCJoinT, which is based on the reaction-forming approach, is unique in terms of producing joints with tailorable microstructures. The formation of joints by this approach is attractive since the thermomechanical properties of the joint interlayer can be tailored to be very close to those of the base materials. In addition, high-temperature fixturing is not needed to hold the parts at the infiltration temperature. The joining process begins with the application of a carbonaceous mixture in the joint area, holding the items to be joined in a fixture, and curing at 110 to 120 C for 10 to 20 min. This step fastens the pieces together. Then, silicon or a silicon alloy in tape, paste, or slurry form is applied around the joint region and heated to 1250 to 1425 C (depending on the type of infiltrant) for 10 to 15 min. The molten silicon or silicon-refractory metal alloy reacts with carbon to form silicon carbide with controllable amounts of silicon and other phases as determined by the alloy composition. Joint thickness can be readily controlled through adjustments of the properties of the carbonaceous paste and the applied fixturing force. The photograph shows various shapes of silicon-carbide-based ceramics and fiberreinforced composites that have been joined using ARCJoinT. Thermomechanical and thermochemical characterization of joints is underway for a wide variety of silicon-carbidebased advanced ceramics and fiber-reinforced composites under the hostile environments that will be encountered in engine applications. ARCJoinT, which was developed by researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field, received R&D Magazine's prestigious R&D 100 Award in 1999.

  1. Evaluating the Upset Protrusion Joining (UPJ) Method to Join Magnesium Castings to Dissimilar Metals

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

    Logan, Stephen

    2016-02-24

    This presentation discusses advantages and best practices for incorporating magnesium in automotive component applications to achieve substantial mass reduction, as well as some of the key challenges with respect to joining, coating, and galvanic corrosion, before providing an introduction and status update of the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Defense jointly sponsored Upset Protrusion Joining (UPJ) process development and evaluation project. This update includes sharing performance results of a benchmark evaluation of the self-pierce riveting (SPR) process for joining dissimilar magnesium (Mg) to aluminum (Al) materials in four unique coating configurations before introducing the UPJ concept and comparingmore » performance results of the joints made with the UPJ process to those made with the SPR process. Key results presented include: The benchmark SPR process can produce good joints in the MgAM60B-Al 6013 joint configuration with minimal cracking in the Mg coupons if the rivet is inserted from the Mg side into the Al side; Numerous bare Mg to bare Al joints made with the SPR process separated after only 6-wks of accelerated corrosion testing due to fracture of the rivet as a result of hydrogen embrittlement; For the same joint configurations, UPJ demonstrated substantially higher pre-corrosion joint strengths and post-corrosion joint strengths, primarily because of the larger diameter protrusion compared to smaller SPR rivet diameter and reduced degradation due to accelerated corrosion exposure; As with the SPR process, numerous bare Mg to bare Al joints made with the UPJ process also separated after 6-wks of accelerated corrosion testing, but unlike the SPR experience, the UPJ joints experienced degradation of the boss and head because of galvanic corrosion of the Mg casting, not hydrogen embrittlement of the steel rivet; In the configuration where both the Mg and Al were pretreated with Alodine 5200 prior to joining and the complete assembly was powder-coated afterwards, the UPJ process showed substantial improvement in corrosion performance compared to SPR where many SPR joints had separated after only 6-wks of exposure, but none of the UPJ joints had separated even after 8-wis; and In the cases where the Al panel was coated prior to joining to the pretreated Mg coupons, neither the SPR or UPJ joints showed any joint separation or substantial joint performance degradation even after 12-wks of accelerated corrosion exposure.« less

  2. An XML-Based Knowledge Management System of Port Information for U.S. Coast Guard Cutters

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-03-01

    using DTDs was not chosen. XML Schema performs many of the same functions as SQL type schemas, but differ by the unique structure of XML documents...to access data from content files within the developed system. XPath is not equivalent to SQL . While XPath is very powerful at reaching into an XML...document and finding nodes or node sets, it is not a complete query language. For operations like joins, unions, intersections, etc., SQL is far

  3. Sound Science: Taking Action with Acoustics

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

    Sinha, Dipen

    2014-07-16

    From tin whistles to sonic booms, sound waves interact with each other and with the medium through which they travel. By observing these interactions, we can identify substances that are hidden in sealed containers and obtain images of buried objects. By manipulating the ability of sound to push matter around, we can create novel structures and unique materials. Join the Lab's own sound hound, Dipen Sinha, as he describes how he uses fundamental research in acoustics for solving problems in industry, security and health.

  4. Sound Science: Taking Action with Acoustics

    ScienceCinema

    Sinha, Dipen

    2018-01-16

    From tin whistles to sonic booms, sound waves interact with each other and with the medium through which they travel. By observing these interactions, we can identify substances that are hidden in sealed containers and obtain images of buried objects. By manipulating the ability of sound to push matter around, we can create novel structures and unique materials. Join the Lab's own sound hound, Dipen Sinha, as he describes how he uses fundamental research in acoustics for solving problems in industry, security and health.

  5. International Professional Positions - Adjusting to the Japanese Culture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Friend, Megan

    2015-04-01

    Starting a new professional position in a foreign country offers some exciting and wonderful new prospects, as well as many challenging ones. Unique experiences, the opportunity to learn about and become intimately familiar with a new culture, the chance to learn a new language, and, of course, the opportunity to pursue research opportunities not available in the US, are all positive aspects of deciding to join a foreign research institute. Adjusting to a new culture, and particularly a new workplace culture, can be very difficult, however. I will relay my experiences as a postdoc, and then an assistant professor, at one of the leading research institutes in Japan. Having lived and worked there for over two and a half years, I have discovered both the positive (ramen and ``onsen'' - outdoor public bath) and negative (``karoushi'' - death from overwork) sides of this major life decision. I hope to answer questions prospective foreign researchers may have about the difficult and very rewarding prospect of joining a foreign research institute.

  6. Mutagenic consequences of a single G-quadruplex demonstrate mitotic inheritance of DNA replication fork barriers

    PubMed Central

    Lemmens, Bennie; van Schendel, Robin; Tijsterman, Marcel

    2015-01-01

    Faithful DNA replication is vital to prevent disease-causing mutations, chromosomal aberrations and malignant transformation. However, accuracy conflicts with pace and flexibility and cells rely on specialized polymerases and helicases to ensure effective and timely replication of genomes that contain DNA lesions or secondary structures. If and how cells can tolerate a permanent barrier to replication is, however, unknown. Here we show that a single unresolved G-quadruplexed DNA structure can persist through multiple mitotic divisions without changing conformation. Failed replication across a G-quadruplex causes single-strand DNA gaps that give rise to DNA double-strand breaks in subsequent cell divisions, which are processed by polymerase theta (POLQ)-mediated alternative end joining. Lineage tracing experiments further reveal that persistent G-quadruplexes cause genetic heterogeneity during organ development. Our data demonstrate that a single lesion can cause multiple unique genomic rearrangements, and that alternative end joining enables cells to proliferate in the presence of mitotically inherited replication blocks. PMID:26563448

  7. Mutagenic consequences of a single G-quadruplex demonstrate mitotic inheritance of DNA replication fork barriers.

    PubMed

    Lemmens, Bennie; van Schendel, Robin; Tijsterman, Marcel

    2015-11-13

    Faithful DNA replication is vital to prevent disease-causing mutations, chromosomal aberrations and malignant transformation. However, accuracy conflicts with pace and flexibility and cells rely on specialized polymerases and helicases to ensure effective and timely replication of genomes that contain DNA lesions or secondary structures. If and how cells can tolerate a permanent barrier to replication is, however, unknown. Here we show that a single unresolved G-quadruplexed DNA structure can persist through multiple mitotic divisions without changing conformation. Failed replication across a G-quadruplex causes single-strand DNA gaps that give rise to DNA double-strand breaks in subsequent cell divisions, which are processed by polymerase theta (POLQ)-mediated alternative end joining. Lineage tracing experiments further reveal that persistent G-quadruplexes cause genetic heterogeneity during organ development. Our data demonstrate that a single lesion can cause multiple unique genomic rearrangements, and that alternative end joining enables cells to proliferate in the presence of mitotically inherited replication blocks.

  8. Using high-throughput barcode sequencing to efficiently map connectomes

    PubMed Central

    Peikon, Ian D.; Kebschull, Justus M.; Vagin, Vasily V.; Ravens, Diana I.; Sun, Yu-Chi; Brouzes, Eric; Corrêa, Ivan R.; Bressan, Dario

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The function of a neural circuit is determined by the details of its synaptic connections. At present, the only available method for determining a neural wiring diagram with single synapse precision—a ‘connectome’—is based on imaging methods that are slow, labor-intensive and expensive. Here, we present SYNseq, a method for converting the connectome into a form that can exploit the speed and low cost of modern high-throughput DNA sequencing. In SYNseq, each neuron is labeled with a unique random nucleotide sequence—an RNA ‘barcode’—which is targeted to the synapse using engineered proteins. Barcodes in pre- and postsynaptic neurons are then associated through protein-protein crosslinking across the synapse, extracted from the tissue, and joined into a form suitable for sequencing. Although our failure to develop an efficient barcode joining scheme precludes the widespread application of this approach, we expect that with further development SYNseq will enable tracing of complex circuits at high speed and low cost. PMID:28449067

  9. Human DNA polymerase θ grasps the primer terminus to mediate DNA repair

    DOE PAGES

    Zahn, Karl E.; Averill, April M.; Aller, Pierre; ...

    2015-03-16

    DNA polymerase θ protects against genomic instability via an alternative end-joining repair pathway for DNA double-strand breaks. Polymerase θ is overexpressed in breast, lung and oral cancers, and reduction of its activity in mammalian cells increases sensitivity to double-strand break–inducing agents, including ionizing radiation. Reported in this paper are crystal structures of the C-terminal polymerase domain from human polymerase θ, illustrating two potential modes of dimerization. One structure depicts insertion of ddATP opposite an abasic-site analog during translesion DNA synthesis. The second structure describes a cognate ddGTP complex. Polymerase θ uses a specialized thumb subdomain to establish unique upstream contactsmore » to the primer DNA strand, including an interaction with the 3'-terminal phosphate from one of five distinctive insertion loops. Finally, these observations demonstrate how polymerase θ grasps the primer to bypass DNA lesions or extend poorly annealed DNA termini to mediate end-joining.« less

  10. Impact of Nonlinearity of The Contact Layer Between Elements Joined in a Multi-Bolted System on Its Preload

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grzejda, R.

    2017-12-01

    The paper deals with modelling and calculations of asymmetrical multi-bolted joints at the assembly stage. The physical model of the joint is based on a system composed of four subsystems, which are: a couple of joined elements, a contact layer between the elements, and a set of bolts. The contact layer is assumed as the Winkler model, which can be treated as a nonlinear or linear model. In contrast, the set of bolts are modelled using simplified beam models, known as spider bolt models. The theorem according to which nonlinearity of the contact layer has a negligible impact on the final preload of the joint in the case of its sequential tightening has been verified. Results of sample calculations for the selected multi-bolted system, in the form of diagrams of preloads in the bolts as well as normal contact pressure between the joined elements during the assembly process and at its end, are presented.

  11. Can Joined-Up Data Lead to Joined-Up Thinking? The Western Australian Developmental Pathways Project

    PubMed Central

    Stanley, Fiona; Glauert, Rebecca; McKenzie, Anne; O'Donnell, Melissa

    2011-01-01

    Modern societies are challenged by “wicked problems” – by definition, those that are difficult to define, multi-causal and hard to treat. Problems such as low birth weight, obesity, mental ill health, teenage pregnancy, educational difficulties and juvenile crime fit this category. Given the complex nature of these problems, they require the best data in order to measure them, guide policy frameworks and evaluate whether the steps taken to address them are actually making a difference. What such problems really require are joined-up approaches to enable effective solutions. In this paper, we describe a unique initiative to encourage a more preventive, whole-of-government approach to these problems – the Developmental Pathways Project, which has enabled the linkage of a large number of de-identified administrative databases in order to explore the pathways into and out of the negative outcomes affecting our children and youth. This project has not only enabled the linkage of agency data, but also of agency personnel, in order to improve and promote cross-agency research, policy and preventive solutions. Through the use of these linkages we are attempting to shift the paradigm to encourage agencies to appreciate that these “wicked problems” demand a preventive approach, as well as the provision of effective services for those already affected. PMID:24933374

  12. Efficient Thread Labeling for Monitoring Programs with Nested Parallelism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ha, Ok-Kyoon; Kim, Sun-Sook; Jun, Yong-Kee

    It is difficult and cumbersome to detect data races occurred in an execution of parallel programs. Any on-the-fly race detection techniques using Lamport's happened-before relation needs a thread labeling scheme for generating unique identifiers which maintain logical concurrency information for the parallel threads. NR labeling is an efficient thread labeling scheme for the fork-join program model with nested parallelism, because its efficiency depends only on the nesting depth for every fork and join operation. This paper presents an improved NR labeling, called e-NR labeling, in which every thread generates its label by inheriting the pointer to its ancestor list from the parent threads or by updating the pointer in a constant amount of time and space. This labeling is more efficient than the NR labeling, because its efficiency does not depend on the nesting depth for every fork and join operation. Some experiments were performed with OpenMP programs having nesting depths of three or four and maximum parallelisms varying from 10,000 to 1,000,000. The results show that e-NR is 5 times faster than NR labeling and 4.3 times faster than OS labeling in the average time for creating and maintaining the thread labels. In average space required for labeling, it is 3.5 times smaller than NR labeling and 3 times smaller than OS labeling.

  13. Thompson Receives 2013 Ocean Sciences Early Career Award: Response

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thompson, Andrew

    2014-09-01

    I would like to thank my nominator, Jess Adkins, as well as my supporters for their contributions to my nomination and the AGU Ocean Sciences section for its selection. It is an honor to join the past recipients of this award.

  14. Choice of payment plan in the Medicare capitation demonstration.

    PubMed

    Garfinkel, S A; Schlenger, W E; McLeroy, K R; Bryan, F A; York, B J; Dunteman, G H; Friedlob, A S

    1986-07-01

    This article identifies factors that influence the choice between joining an HMO and remaining with the traditional fee-for-service system among aged Medicare beneficiaries in three communities. Sources of marketing information were found to be strongly and positively related to the decision to join the HMO. Among beneficiaries who had to switch providers to join, persons who had a prior usual source of care and those who were satisfied with the amount of paperwork required to use that source of care were less likely to enroll in the HMO. Persons who did not have to switch providers to join the HMO were more likely to enroll in the prepaid program if they were satisfied with the amount of paperwork involved in using the HMO prior to the demonstration. Differences among the three communities suggest that the barrier to HMO enrollment presented by having a prior source of care who is not affiliated with the HMO may attenuate as the number of competing HMOs in the community increases, making the medical care environment more competitive. In the community with the most HMOs, persons who already had supplemental insurance were less likely to enroll than those who did not. None of the six HMOs studied experienced adverse selection, based on pre-enrollment health status.

  15. Flexible Weaving: Investigating the Teaching and Learning Opportunities in the Practices of Theatre-Makers and Performers from Selected Townships in Cape Town

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Gay

    2013-01-01

    In 2005-2009, the author researched the theatre-making practices of young people in selected black townships near Cape Town, South Africa. Township theatre groups comprised secondary school learners and out-of-school youth who join together to learn about and make theatre, perform and watch each other. These theatre practitioners do not describe…

  16. 77 FR 64794 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-23

    ... join in a partnership to encourage outstanding undergraduate students to pursue careers in science and engineering. The Program also provides research opportunities for students to work with internationally known... in science and engineering. The information is used for evaluation and selection, and includes...

  17. Development of a double beam process for joining aluminum and steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frank, Sascha

    2014-02-01

    Multi-material structures pose an attractive option for overcoming some of the central challenges in lightweight design. An exceptionally high potential for creating cost-effective lightweight solutions is attributed to the combination of steel and aluminum. However, these materials are also particularly difficult to join due to their tendency to form intermetallic compounds (IMCs). The growth of these compounds is facilitated by high temperatures and long process times. Due to their high brittleness, IMCs can severely weaken a joint. Thus, it is only possible to create durable steel-aluminum joints when the formation of IMCs can be limited to a non-critical level. To meet this goal, a new joining method has been designed. The method is based on the combination of a continuous wave (pw) and a pulsed laser (pw) source. Laser beams from both sources are superimposed in a common process zone. This makes it possible to apply the advantages of laser brazing to mixed-metal joints without requiring the use of chemical fluxes. The double beam technology was first tested in bead-on-plate experiments using different filler wire materials. Based on the results of these tests, a process for joining steel and aluminum in a double-flanged configuration is now being developed. The double flanged seams are joined using zinc- or aluminum-based filler wires. Microsections of selected seams show that it is possible to achieve good base material wetting while limiting the growth of IMCs to acceptable measures. In addition, the results of tensile tests show that high joint strengths can be achieved.

  18. Investigation of Laser Welding of Ti Alloys for Cognitive Process Parameters Selection.

    PubMed

    Caiazzo, Fabrizia; Caggiano, Alessandra

    2018-04-20

    Laser welding of titanium alloys is attracting increasing interest as an alternative to traditional joining techniques for industrial applications, with particular reference to the aerospace sector, where welded assemblies allow for the reduction of the buy-to-fly ratio, compared to other traditional mechanical joining techniques. In this research work, an investigation on laser welding of Ti⁻6Al⁻4V alloy plates is carried out through an experimental testing campaign, under different process conditions, in order to perform a characterization of the produced weld bead geometry, with the final aim of developing a cognitive methodology able to support decision-making about the selection of the suitable laser welding process parameters. The methodology is based on the employment of artificial neural networks able to identify correlations between the laser welding process parameters, with particular reference to the laser power, welding speed and defocusing distance, and the weld bead geometric features, on the basis of the collected experimental data.

  19. Investigation of Laser Welding of Ti Alloys for Cognitive Process Parameters Selection

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Laser welding of titanium alloys is attracting increasing interest as an alternative to traditional joining techniques for industrial applications, with particular reference to the aerospace sector, where welded assemblies allow for the reduction of the buy-to-fly ratio, compared to other traditional mechanical joining techniques. In this research work, an investigation on laser welding of Ti–6Al–4V alloy plates is carried out through an experimental testing campaign, under different process conditions, in order to perform a characterization of the produced weld bead geometry, with the final aim of developing a cognitive methodology able to support decision-making about the selection of the suitable laser welding process parameters. The methodology is based on the employment of artificial neural networks able to identify correlations between the laser welding process parameters, with particular reference to the laser power, welding speed and defocusing distance, and the weld bead geometric features, on the basis of the collected experimental data. PMID:29677114

  20. [Selection or Better Service - Why are those with Private Health Insurance Healthier than those Covered by the Public Insurance System?

    PubMed

    Stauder, J; Kossow, T

    2017-03-01

    From previous research we know that privately insured people in Germany are healthier than those covered by the compulsory public health insurance system. Whether this difference is due to a selection of healthier people into the private health insurance or a causal effect in the sense that private health insurance better helps their clients to stay in good health than public insurances do is not clear. Using panel regression based on the German Socioeconomic Panel (GSOEP), we show that health status is better for individuals who have bought a private health insurance certificate since 2002 compared to those who remained within the public insurance system. Depending on age at joining the insurance system, the health gap between privately and publicly insured people is widening with time since joining the private insurance system. We argue that these findings point to a causal effect. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  1. Friction Stir Welding of Steel Alloys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ding, R. Jeffrey; Munafo, Paul M. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    The friction stir welding process has been developed primarily for the welding of aluminum alloys. Other higher melting allows such, as steels are much more difficult to join. Special attention must be given to pin tool material selection and welding techniques. This paper addresses the joining of steels and other high melting point materials using the friction stir welding process. Pin tool material and welding parameters will be presented. Mechanical properties of weldments will also be presented. Significance: There are many applications for the friction stir welding process other than low melting aluminum alloys. The FSW process can be expanded for use with high melting alloys in the pressure vessel, railroad and ship building industries.

  2. Breaking in the Space Shuttle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crippen, Robert L.

    2002-01-01

    I like to look forward, but I am also a great student of history. I believe there are many lessons, both positive and negative, that we can learn by looking back. Quite often, we tend to forget some of those. I'd like to speak a little bit about the era in which I entered the astronaut corps. I joined NASA in kind of a weird way-in the time period when everybody going into space was a test pilot. I was attending the Air Force Test Pilot School, even though I'm a Navy guy. In that time period, they were going through and selecting astronauts from the test pilot class, and I put my hand up and said, "I'd like to join." It turned out that both NASA and the Department of Defense were selecting astronauts, and, somewhere in the selection process, I ended up having to make a choice. There were lots of folks on the NASA list, and there weren't many folks on the Department of Defense list, so I figured that was my best chance to fly. So I said, "Send me to DoD for something called the Manned Orbital Laboratory," or MOL for short.

  3. Engineering principles to assure compatible docking between future spacecraft of USA and USSR

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, C. C.

    1975-01-01

    Working jointly the USA and the USSR have selected an androgynous, peripheral type docking mechanism concept. The mechanical principles inherent to the concept, the rationale supporting its selection, and the probable nature of future designs stemming from the concept, are described. Operational situations just prior to docking, impact conditions, energy absorption, and the structural joining of the spacecraft, are specified. Docking procedures for the Apollo-Soyuz missions are discussed.

  4. Detection of nucleotide-specific CRISPR/Cas9 modified alleles using multiplex ligation detection

    PubMed Central

    KC, R.; Srivastava, A.; Wilkowski, J. M.; Richter, C. E.; Shavit, J. A.; Burke, D. T.; Bielas, S. L.

    2016-01-01

    CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing has emerged as a powerful tool to create mutant alleles in model organisms. However, the precision with which these mutations are created has introduced a new set of complications for genotyping and colony management. Traditional gene-targeting approaches in many experimental organisms incorporated exogenous DNA and/or allele specific sequence that allow for genotyping strategies based on binary readout of PCR product amplification and size selection. In contrast, alleles created by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair of double-stranded DNA breaks generated by Cas9 are much less amenable to such strategies. Here we describe a novel genotyping strategy that is cost effective, sequence specific and allows for accurate and efficient multiplexing of small insertion-deletions and single-nucleotide variants characteristic of CRISPR/Cas9 edited alleles. We show that ligation detection reaction (LDR) can be used to generate products that are sequence specific and uniquely detected by product size and/or fluorescent tags. The method works independently of the model organism and will be useful for colony management as mutant alleles differing by a few nucleotides become more prevalent in experimental animal colonies. PMID:27557703

  5. HCS road: an enterprise system for integrated HCS data management and analysis.

    PubMed

    Jackson, Donald; Lenard, Michael; Zelensky, Alexander; Shaikh, Mohammad; Scharpf, James V; Shaginaw, Richard; Nawade, Mahesh; Agler, Michele; Cloutier, Normand J; Fennell, Myles; Guo, Qi; Wardwell-Swanson, Judith; Zhao, Dandan; Zhu, Yingjie; Miller, Christopher; Gill, James

    2010-08-01

    The effective analysis and interpretation of high-content screening (HCS) data requires joining results to information on experimental treatments and controls, normalizing data, and selecting hits or fitting concentration-response curves. HCS data have unique requirements that are not supported by traditional high-throughput screening databases, including the ability to designate separate positive and negative controls for different measurements in multiplexed assays; the ability to capture information on the cell lines, fluorescent reagents, and treatments in each assay; the ability to store and use individual-cell and image data; and the ability to support HCS readers and software from multiple vendors along with third-party image analysis tools. To address these requirements, the authors developed an enterprise system for the storage and processing of HCS images and results. This system, HCS Road, supports target identification, lead discovery, lead evaluation, and lead profiling activities. A dedicated client supports experimental design, data review, and core analyses and displays images together with results for assay development, hit assessment, and troubleshooting. Data can be exported to third-party applications for further analysis and exploration. HCS Road provides a single source for high-content results across the organization, regardless of the group or instrument that produced them.

  6. Scalable and Versatile Genome Editing Using Linear DNAs with Microhomology to Cas9 Sites in Caenorhabditis elegans

    PubMed Central

    Paix, Alexandre; Wang, Yuemeng; Smith, Harold E.; Lee, Chih-Yung S.; Calidas, Deepika; Lu, Tu; Smith, Jarrett; Schmidt, Helen; Krause, Michael W.; Seydoux, Geraldine

    2014-01-01

    Homology-directed repair (HDR) of double-strand DNA breaks is a promising method for genome editing, but is thought to be less efficient than error-prone nonhomologous end joining in most cell types. We have investigated HDR of double-strand breaks induced by CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) in Caenorhabditis elegans. We find that HDR is very robust in the C. elegans germline. Linear repair templates with short (∼30–60 bases) homology arms support the integration of base and gene-sized edits with high efficiency, bypassing the need for selection. Based on these findings, we developed a systematic method to mutate, tag, or delete any gene in the C. elegans genome without the use of co-integrated markers or long homology arms. We generated 23 unique edits at 11 genes, including premature stops, whole-gene deletions, and protein fusions to antigenic peptides and GFP. Whole-genome sequencing of five edited strains revealed the presence of passenger variants, but no mutations at predicted off-target sites. The method is scalable for multi-gene editing projects and could be applied to other animals with an accessible germline. PMID:25249454

  7. KSC-2013-3538

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-09-11

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers from NASA's Kennedy Space Center prep a remote-controlled aircraft for take-off. The aircraft is equipped with a unique set of sensors and software and was assembled by a team of engineers for a competition at the agency's Kennedy Space Center. Teams from Johnson Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center joined the Kennedy team in competing in an unmanned aerial systems event to evaluate designs and work by engineers learning new specialties. The competition took place at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

  8. KSC-2013-3544

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-09-11

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center prep a remote-controlled aircraft for take-off. The aircraft is equipped with a unique set of sensors and software and was assembled by a team of engineers for a competition at the agency's Kennedy Space Center. Teams from Johnson Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center joined the Kennedy team in competing in an unmanned aerial systems event to evaluate designs and work by engineers learning new specialties. The competition took place at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

  9. KSC-2013-3539

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-09-11

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers from NASA's Kennedy Space Center prep a remote-controlled aircraft for take-off. The aircraft is equipped with a unique set of sensors and software and was assembled by a team of engineers for a competition at the agency's Kennedy Space Center. Teams from Johnson Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center joined the Kennedy team in competing in an unmanned aerial systems event to evaluate designs and work by engineers learning new specialties. The competition took place at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

  10. KSC-2013-3545

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-09-11

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – An engineer from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center prep a remote-controlled aircraft for take-off. The aircraft is equipped with a unique set of sensors and software and was assembled by a team of engineers for a competition at the agency's Kennedy Space Center. Teams from Johnson Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center joined the Kennedy team in competing in an unmanned aerial systems event to evaluate designs and work by engineers learning new specialties. The competition took place at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

  11. KSC-2013-3547

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-09-11

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – An engineer from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center watches the landing of remote-controlled aircraft. The aircraft is equipped with a unique set of sensors and software and was assembled by a team of engineers for a competition at the agency's Kennedy Space Center. Teams from Johnson Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center joined a Kennedy team in competing in an unmanned aerial systems event to evaluate designs and work by engineers learning new specialties. The competition took place at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

  12. Introducing Hurst exponent in pair trading

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramos-Requena, J. P.; Trinidad-Segovia, J. E.; Sánchez-Granero, M. A.

    2017-12-01

    In this paper we introduce a new methodology for pair trading. This new method is based on the calculation of the Hurst exponent of a pair. Our approach is inspired by the classical concepts of co-integration and mean reversion but joined under a unique strategy. We will show how Hurst approach presents better results than classical Distance Method and Correlation strategies in different scenarios. Results obtained prove that this new methodology is consistent and suitable by reducing the drawdown of trading over the classical ones getting as a result a better performance.

  13. Information Power Grid (IPG) Tutorial 2003

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meyers, George

    2003-01-01

    For NASA and the general community today Grid middleware: a) provides tools to access/use data sources (databases, instruments, ...); b) provides tools to access computing (unique and generic); c) Is an enabler of large scale collaboration. Dynamically responding to needs is a key selling point of a grid. Independent resources can be joined as appropriate to solve a problem. Provide tools to enable the building of a frameworks for application. Provide value added service to the NASA user base for utilizing resources on the grid in new and more efficient ways. Provides tools for development of Frameworks.

  14. Astronomy EPO and the 2012 Hysteria: Your Personal Guide to Joining the Battle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larsen, K.

    2011-09-01

    Individual members of the astronomical community have, in recent months, begun to take up the charge and rally against the vast army of pseudoscience, superstition, and snake oil salesmen that is the 2012 phenomenon. EPO specialists and facilities are in a unique and vitally important position to move to the forefront of this battle, given our long-standing dedication to improving the astronomical education of the general public. This poster documents concrete ways in which the astronomy EPO community can (and should) combat the 2012 movement.

  15. Chrysler Upset Protrusion Joining Techniques for Joining Dissimilar Metals

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

    Logan, Stephen

    The project goal was to develop and demonstrate a robust, cost effective, and versatile joining technique, known as Upset Protrusion Joining (UPJ), for joining challenging dissimilar metal com-binations, especially those where one of the metals is a die cast magnesium (Mg) component. Since two of the key obstacles preventing more widespread use of light metals (especially in high volume automotive applications) are 1) a lack of robust joining techniques and 2) susceptibility to galvanic corrosion, and since the majority of the joint combinations evaluated in this project include die cast Mg (the lightest structural metal) as one of the twomore » materials being joined, and since die casting is the most common and cost effective process for producing Mg components, then successful project completion provides a key enabler to high volume application of lightweight materials, thus potentially leading to reduced costs, and encouraging implementation of lightweight multi-material vehicles for significant reductions in energy consumption and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Eco-nomic benefits to end-use consumers are achieved primarily via the reduction in fuel consumption. Unlike currently available commercial processes, the UPJ process relies on a very robust mechanical joint rather than intermetallic bonding, so the more cathodic material can be coated prior to joining, thus creating a robust isolation against galvanic attack on the more anodic material. Additionally, since the UPJ protrusion is going through a hole that can be pre-drilled or pre-punched prior to coating, the UPJ process is less likely to damage the coating when the joint is being made. Further-more, since there is no additional cathodic material (such as a steel fastener) used to create the joint, there is no joining induced galvanic activity beyond that of the two parent materials. In accordance with its originally proposed plan, this project has successfully developed process variants of UPJ to enable joining of Mg die castings to aluminum (Al) and steel sheet components of various thicknesses, strengths and coating configurations. While most development focused on the simpler round boss version of the process, an additional phase of the work focused on devel-opment of an oval boss version to support applications with narrow flanges, while yet another vari-ant of the process, known as Upset Cast Riveting (UCR), was developed and evaluated for joining mixed metals that may not necessarily include Mg or Al die cast components. Although each varia-tion posed unique challenges described later in the report, all variations were successfully produced and evaluated, and each could be further developed for specific types of commercial applications. In this project, UPJ performed favorably against the benchmark self-pierce riveting (SPR) process in Mg AM60B to Al 6013 combinations although significant corrosion challenges were observed in both processes, especially for the bare Mg to bare Al configurations. Additional challenges were observed in joining Mg to steel with the UPJ process (SPR was not evaluated for this combination as it was not considered viable). To pass FCA’s specified corrosion tests with Mg/steel combina-tions, new steel treatments were evaluated, as well as adhesives and sealed edges. These showed significant improvement. In general, UPJ performed very well in Mg to Al 6016 combinations, even in corrosion evaluation of the bare Mg to bare Al configuration (again, SPR was not evaluated for this material combination as the 1.1 mm thick Al6016 sheet thickness was considered too thin for the SPR process). The improvement in corrosion performance of the Mg to Al 6016 combina-tion over the Mg to Al 6013 combination was thought to be a result of the lower copper content in the Al 6016 alloy. Oval boss joints showed substantial improvement in all joint strength criteria compared to 8.0-mm diameter round boss joints but were not evaluated for corrosion performance. The improved joint strength is likely a result of larger shear area. Cosmetic corrosion performance of all test assemblies (UPJ, UCR and SPR) was a challenge due to exposed edges and crevices al-lowing undercutting of the coatings. In real world component applications, the exposed edges, so prevalent on the joining test coupons, would be less prevalent and easier to protect.« less

  16. Who Joins a University Faculty Union?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mac Vean, Donald S.

    Data on selected characteristics of union and nonunion members of the Western Illinois University faculty for the fall semester 1981 are presented and analyzed. For each department and college, information is presented on nonunion and union members as follows: number and percentage of faculty, sex, tenure status, term number, doctoral degree,…

  17. Discrete and Structurally Unique Proteins (T$$\\bar{a}$$pirins) Mediate Attachment of Extremely Thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor Species to Cellulose

    DOE PAGES

    Blumer-Schuette, S. E.; Alahuhta, M.; Conway, J. M.; ...

    2015-04-24

    A variety of catalytic and noncatalytic protein domains are deployed by select microorganisms to deconstruct lignocellulose. These extracellular proteins are used to attach to, modify, and hydrolyze the complex polysaccharides present in plant cell walls. Cellulolytic enzymes, often containing carbohydrate-binding modules, are key to this process; however, these enzymes are not solely responsible for attachment. Few mechanisms of attachment have been discovered among bacteria that do not form large polypeptide structures, called cellulosomes, to deconstruct biomass. In this study, bioinformatics and proteomics analyses identified unique, discrete, hypothetical proteins (“tmore » $$\\bar{a}$$pirins,” origin from M$$\\bar{a}$$ori: to join), not directly associated with cellulases, that mediate attachment to cellulose by species in the noncellulosomal, extremely thermophilic bacterial genus Caldicellulosiruptor. Two t$$\\bar{a}$$pirin genes are located directly downstream of a type IV pilus operon in strongly cellulolytic members of the genus, whereas homologs are absent from the weakly cellulolytic Caldicellulosiruptor species. Based on their amino acid sequence, t$$\\bar{a}$$pirins are specific to these extreme thermophiles. T$$\\bar{a}$$pirins are also unusual in that they share no detectable protein domain signatures with known polysaccharide-binding proteins. Adsorption isotherm and trans vivo analyses demonstrated the carbohydrate-binding module-like affinity of the t$$\\bar{a}$$pirins for cellulose. Crystallization of a cellulose-binding truncation from one t$$\\bar{a}$$pirin indicated that these proteins form a long β-helix core with a shielded hydrophobic face. In addition, they are structurally unique and define a new class of polysaccharide adhesins. Strongly cellulolytic Caldicellulosiruptor species employ t$$\\bar{a}$$pirins to complement substrate-binding proteins from the ATP-binding cassette transporters and multidomain extracellular and S-layer-associated glycoside hydrolases to process the carbohydrate content of lignocellulose.« less

  18. Discrete and Structurally Unique Proteins (T$$\\bar{a}$$pirins) Mediate Attachment of Extremely Thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor Species to Cellulose

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

    Blumer-Schuette, S. E.; Alahuhta, M.; Conway, J. M.

    A variety of catalytic and noncatalytic protein domains are deployed by select microorganisms to deconstruct lignocellulose. These extracellular proteins are used to attach to, modify, and hydrolyze the complex polysaccharides present in plant cell walls. Cellulolytic enzymes, often containing carbohydrate-binding modules, are key to this process; however, these enzymes are not solely responsible for attachment. Few mechanisms of attachment have been discovered among bacteria that do not form large polypeptide structures, called cellulosomes, to deconstruct biomass. In this study, bioinformatics and proteomics analyses identified unique, discrete, hypothetical proteins (“tmore » $$\\bar{a}$$pirins,” origin from M$$\\bar{a}$$ori: to join), not directly associated with cellulases, that mediate attachment to cellulose by species in the noncellulosomal, extremely thermophilic bacterial genus Caldicellulosiruptor. Two t$$\\bar{a}$$pirin genes are located directly downstream of a type IV pilus operon in strongly cellulolytic members of the genus, whereas homologs are absent from the weakly cellulolytic Caldicellulosiruptor species. Based on their amino acid sequence, t$$\\bar{a}$$pirins are specific to these extreme thermophiles. T$$\\bar{a}$$pirins are also unusual in that they share no detectable protein domain signatures with known polysaccharide-binding proteins. Adsorption isotherm and trans vivo analyses demonstrated the carbohydrate-binding module-like affinity of the t$$\\bar{a}$$pirins for cellulose. Crystallization of a cellulose-binding truncation from one t$$\\bar{a}$$pirin indicated that these proteins form a long β-helix core with a shielded hydrophobic face. In addition, they are structurally unique and define a new class of polysaccharide adhesins. Strongly cellulolytic Caldicellulosiruptor species employ t$$\\bar{a}$$pirins to complement substrate-binding proteins from the ATP-binding cassette transporters and multidomain extracellular and S-layer-associated glycoside hydrolases to process the carbohydrate content of lignocellulose.« less

  19. Free internet access, the digital divide, and health information.

    PubMed

    Wagner, Todd H; Bundorf, M Kate; Singer, Sara J; Baker, Laurence C

    2005-04-01

    The Internet has emerged as a valuable tool for health information. Half of the U.S. population lacked Internet access in 2001, creating concerns about those without access. Starting in 1999, a survey firm randomly invited individuals to join their research panel in return for free Internet access. This provides a unique setting to study the ways that people who had not previously obtained Internet access use the Internet when it becomes available to them. In 2001-2002, we surveyed 12,878 individuals 21 years of age and older on the research panel regarding use of the Internet for health; 8935 (69%) responded. We analyzed respondents who had no prior Internet access, and then compared this group to those who had prior Internet access. Among those newly provided free Internet access, 24% had used the Internet for health information in the past year, and users reported notable benefits, such as improved knowledge and self-care abilities. Not surprisingly, the no-prior-Internet group reported lower rates of using the Internet (24%) than the group that had obtained Internet access prior to joining the research panel (40%), but the 2 groups reported similar perceptions of the Internet and self-reported effects. Those who obtained Internet access for the first time by joining the panel used the Internet for health and appeared to benefit from it. Access helps explain the digital divide, although most people given free access do not use the Internet for health information.

  20. Investigation into the Effects of Eight Weeks of Step Aerobic Dance Practice on Static Balance, Flexibility and Selected Basketball Skills in Young Basketball Players

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bavli, Özhan

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of eight weeks of step aerobic exercises on static balance, flexibility and selected basketball skills in young basketball players. A total of 20 basketball players (average age 16.1 ± 0.7 years and average sporting age 4.1 ± 0.7 years) voluntarily joined the study. Participants were randomly…

  1. Cross-Electrophile Coupling: Principles of Reactivity and Selectivity

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    A critical overview of the catalytic joining of two different electrophiles, cross-electrophile coupling (XEC), is presented with an emphasis on the central challenge of cross-selectivity. Recent synthetic advances and mechanistic studies have shed light on four possible methods for overcoming this challenge: (1) employing an excess of one reagent; (2) electronic differentiation of starting materials; (3) catalyst–substrate steric matching; and (4) radical chain processes. Each method is described using examples from the recent literature. PMID:24820397

  2. Summary of Prior Work on Joining of Oxide Dispersion-Strengthened Alloys

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

    Wright, Ian G; Tatlock, Gordon J; Badairy, H.

    2009-08-01

    There is a range of joining techniques available for use with ODS alloys, but care should be exercised in matching the technique to the final duty requirements of the joint. The goal for joining ODS alloys is a joint with no local disruption of the distribution of the oxide dispersion, and no significant change in the size and orientation of the alloy microstructure. Not surprisingly, the fusion welding processes typically employed with wrought alloys produce the least satisfactory results with ODS alloys, but some versions, such as fusion spot welding, and the laser and electron-beam welding technologies, have demonstrated potentialmore » for producing sound joints. Welds made using solid-state spot welding reportedly have exhibited parent metal properties. Thus, it is possible to employ processes that result in significant disruption of the alloy microstructure, as long as the processing parameters are adjustment to minimize the extent of or influence of the changes in the alloy microstructure. Selection among these joining approaches largely depends on the particular application and component configuration, and an understanding of the relationships among processing, alloy microstructure, and final properties is key. Recent developments have resulted in friction welding evolving to be a prime method for joining ODS sheet products, and variants of brazing/diffusion bonding have shown excellent promise for use with tubes and pipes. The techniques that come closest to the goal defined above involve solid-state diffusion bonding and, in particular, it has been found that secondary recrystallization of joints made by pulsed plasma-assisted diffusion can produce the desired, continuous, large alloy grain structure through the joint. Such joints have exhibited creep rupture failure at >82% of the load needed to fail the monolithic parent alloy at 1000 C.« less

  3. Joining Carbon-Carbon Composites and High-Temperature Materials with High Energy Electron Beams

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goodman, Daniel; Singler, Robert

    1998-01-01

    1. Program goals addressed during this period. Experimental work was directed at formation of a low-stress bond between carbon- carbon and aluminum, with the objective of minimizing the heating of the aluminum substrate, thereby minimizing stresses resulting from the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) difference between the aluminum and carbon-carbon. A second objective was to form a bond between carbon-carbon and aluminum with good thermal conductivity for electronic thermal management (SEM-E) application. 2. Substrates and joining materials selected during this period. Carbon-Carbon Composite (CCC) to Aluminum. CCC (Cu coated) to Aluminum. Soldering compounds based on Sn/Pb and Sn/Ag/Cu/Bi compositions. 3. Soldering experiments performed. Conventional techniques. High Energy Electron Beam (HEEB) process.

  4. Effect of friction stir welding and post-weld heat treatment on a nanostructured ferritic alloy

    DOE PAGES

    Mazumder, Baishakhi; Yu, Xinghua; Edmondson, Philip D.; ...

    2015-12-08

    Nanostructured ferritic alloys (NFAs) are new generation materials for use in high temperature energy systems, such as nuclear fission or fusion reactors. However, joining these materials is a concern, as their unique microstructure is destroyed by traditional liquid-state welding methods. The microstructural evolution of a friction stir welded 14YWT NFA was investigated by atom probe tomography, before and after a post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) at 1123K. The particle size, number density, elemental composition, and morphology of the titanium-yttrium-oxygenenriched nanoclusters (NCs) in the stir and thermally-affected zones were studied and compared with the base metal. No statistical difference in the sizemore » of the NCs was observed in any of these conditions. After the PWHT, increases in the number density and the oxygen enrichment in the NCs were observed. Therefore, these new results provide additional supporting evidence that friction stir welding appears to be a viable joining technique for NFAs, as the microstructural parameters of the NCs are not strongly affected, in contrast to traditional welding techniques.« less

  5. Evolving psychosocial, emotional, functional, and support needs of women with advanced breast cancer: Results from the Count Us, Know Us, Join Us and Here & Now surveys.

    PubMed

    Cardoso, Fatima; Harbeck, Nadia; Mertz, Shirley; Fenech, Doris

    2016-08-01

    Although medical advances have marginally improved survival of women with advanced breast cancer, their psychosocial, emotional, and functional needs remain unmet. Two surveys, Count Us, Know Us, Join Us (Count Us) and Here & Now (H&N), were conducted to understand the unique challenges faced by women with advanced breast cancer and to identify ways of addressing these issues. A total of 1577 women with advanced breast cancer (Count Us, N = 1273; H&N, N = 304) participated in the two surveys, which revealed several previously unreported challenges. Nearly half the women felt isolated and worried, and slightly more than half experienced declines in income because of change in employment; 41% of women felt that support from family and friends decreased over time, and many patients believed information about advanced breast cancer was inadequate and difficult to find. Concerted efforts by people who care for and support women with advanced breast cancer are urgently needed to address these issues. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Effect of friction stir welding and post-weld heat treatment on a nanostructured ferritic alloy

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

    Mazumder, Baishakhi; Yu, Xinghua; Edmondson, Philip D.

    Nanostructured ferritic alloys (NFAs) are new generation materials for use in high temperature energy systems, such as nuclear fission or fusion reactors. However, joining these materials is a concern, as their unique microstructure is destroyed by traditional liquid-state welding methods. The microstructural evolution of a friction stir welded 14YWT NFA was investigated by atom probe tomography, before and after a post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) at 1123K. The particle size, number density, elemental composition, and morphology of the titanium-yttrium-oxygenenriched nanoclusters (NCs) in the stir and thermally-affected zones were studied and compared with the base metal. No statistical difference in the sizemore » of the NCs was observed in any of these conditions. After the PWHT, increases in the number density and the oxygen enrichment in the NCs were observed. Therefore, these new results provide additional supporting evidence that friction stir welding appears to be a viable joining technique for NFAs, as the microstructural parameters of the NCs are not strongly affected, in contrast to traditional welding techniques.« less

  7. Using high-throughput barcode sequencing to efficiently map connectomes.

    PubMed

    Peikon, Ian D; Kebschull, Justus M; Vagin, Vasily V; Ravens, Diana I; Sun, Yu-Chi; Brouzes, Eric; Corrêa, Ivan R; Bressan, Dario; Zador, Anthony M

    2017-07-07

    The function of a neural circuit is determined by the details of its synaptic connections. At present, the only available method for determining a neural wiring diagram with single synapse precision-a 'connectome'-is based on imaging methods that are slow, labor-intensive and expensive. Here, we present SYNseq, a method for converting the connectome into a form that can exploit the speed and low cost of modern high-throughput DNA sequencing. In SYNseq, each neuron is labeled with a unique random nucleotide sequence-an RNA 'barcode'-which is targeted to the synapse using engineered proteins. Barcodes in pre- and postsynaptic neurons are then associated through protein-protein crosslinking across the synapse, extracted from the tissue, and joined into a form suitable for sequencing. Although our failure to develop an efficient barcode joining scheme precludes the widespread application of this approach, we expect that with further development SYNseq will enable tracing of complex circuits at high speed and low cost. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  8. Prevalence of and interest in unionization among staff pharmacists.

    PubMed

    Zgarrick, David P; McHugh, Patrick P; Droege, Marcus

    2006-09-01

    Although the propensity for staff pharmacists to join a labor union has never been high, conditions in the profession and workplace have changed over the last decade. Some of these changes may result in staff pharmacists joining a labor union, as well as increased interest in staff pharmacists who are currently not union members to join. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess the degree of union membership among staff pharmacists in 6 states, (2) compare the practice settings, work activities and conditions, compensation, and demographic characteristics between union and nonunion staff pharmacists, (3) assess the level of interest in joining a union among nonunion staff pharmacists, and (4) compare the practice settings, work activities and working conditions, wages and benefits, and demographic characteristics between nonunion staff pharmacists interested in joining a union and nonunion staff pharmacists who were not interested in joining a union. A biennial pharmacist compensation study was conducted in 6 states (Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Tennessee, Wisconsin) in late 2003. Randomly selected pharmacists were mailed a self-administered questionnaire asking about their practice setting, work activities and conditions, wages and benefits, and demographic characteristics. Respondents were also asked to indicate current membership in a union and, if not a member, their desire to unionize their workplace. Compensation and unionization data were provided by 2,180 respondents (27% usable response rate), of which 1,226 (56%) were staff pharmacists. Eight percent of the staff pharmacists were union members, whereas 18% of nonunion members would vote to unionize their workplace. There were few statistically significant differences between union and nonunion staff pharmacists regarding work activities, working conditions, and hourly wages. However, the benefits provided to union staff pharmacists differed from those provided to nonunion staff pharmacists in several ways. Union staff pharmacists were younger than their nonunion counterparts (40.9 vs 44.5 years, P=.01), yet had worked for their current employers a longer time (11.1 vs 7.3 years, P=.03). Nonunion staff pharmacists interested in joining a union differed from those who would not by practice location and setting, working conditions, and benefits. Although the union membership rate among staff pharmacists is relatively low, there are geographic and practice areas where membership rates are higher. Differences in work activities, working conditions, wages, and benefits were noted between union and nonunion staff pharmacists as well as between those who would join a union and those who would not. These differences merit further investigation, especially with respect to evaluating the effectiveness of unions and identifying factors that may lead nonunionized staff pharmacists to join a union.

  9. Torsional Shear Strength Tests for Glass-Ceramic Joined Silicon Carbide

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

    Ferraris, Monica; Ventrella, Andrea; Salvo, Milena

    2014-03-17

    A torsion test on hour-glass-shaped samples with a full joined or a ring-shaped joined area was chosen in this study to measure shear strength of glass-ceramic joined silicon carbide. Shear strength of about 100 MPa was measured for full joined SiC with fracture completely inside their joined area. Attempts to obtain this shear strength with a ring-shaped joined area failed due to mixed mode fractures. However, full joined and ring-shaped steel hour-glasses joined by a glass-ceramic gave the same shear strength, thus suggesting that this test measures shear strength of joined components only when their fracture is completely inside theirmore » joined area.« less

  10. Advancing computational toxicology in a regulatory setting: A selected review of the accomplishments of Gilman D. Veith (1944-2013)

    EPA Science Inventory

    Gilman Veith joined the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and its Office of Research and Development, in 1972. Spanning 30 years of public service with EPA through 2003, Gil’s accomplishments in leading multidisciplinary research teams to successfully address a broad spe...

  11. Graduate and Undergraduate Internships | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    undergraduate or graduate students have the opportunity to join the NREL team as an intern while gaining opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, click the Find Your Opportunity button above and select Intern under the Job Type list. Full-time undergraduate or graduate students currently enrolled in a U.S

  12. Impact of Selected Parameters on the Fatigue Strength of Splices on Multiply Textile Conveyor Belts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bajda, Mirosław; Błażej, Ryszard; Hardygóra, Monika

    2016-10-01

    Splices are the weakest points in the conveyor belt loop. The strength of these joints, and thus their design as well as the method and quality of splicing, determine the strength of the whole conveyor belt loop. A special zone in a splice exists, where the stresses in the adjacent plies or cables differ considerably from each other. This results in differences in the elongation of these elements and in additional shearing stresses in the rubber layer. The strength of the joints depends on several factors, among others on the parameters of the joined belt, on the connecting layer and the technology of joining, as well as on the materials used to make the joint. The strength of the joint constitutes a criterion for the selection of a belt suitable for the operating conditions, and therefore methods of testing such joints are of great importance. This paper presents the method of testing fatigue strength of splices made on multi-ply textile conveyor belts and the results of these studies.

  13. Structure–Function Studies of DNA Polymerase λ

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    DNA polymerase λ (pol λ) functions in DNA repair with its main roles considered to be filling short gaps during repair of double-strand breaks by nonhomologous end joining and during base excision repair. As indicated by structural and biochemical studies over the past 10 years, pol λ shares many common properties with other family X siblings (pol β, pol μ, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase) but also has unique structural features that determine its specific functions. In this review, we consider how structural studies over the past decade furthered our understanding of the behavior and biological roles of pol λ. PMID:24716527

  14. Resilin microjoints: a smart design strategy to avoid failure in dragonfly wings.

    PubMed

    Rajabi, H; Shafiei, A; Darvizeh, A; Gorb, S N

    2016-12-14

    Dragonflies are fast and manoeuvrable fliers and this ability is reflected in their unique wing morphology. Due to the specific lightweight structure, with the crossing veins joined by rubber-like resilin patches, wings possess strong deformability but can resist high forces and large deformations during aerial collisions. The computational results demonstrate the strong influence of resilin-containing vein joints on the stress distribution within the wing. The presence of flexible resilin in the contact region of the veins prevents excessive bending of the cross veins and significantly reduces the stress concentration in the joint.

  15. Pine Ridge Indian Health Service Primary Care Resident Rotation: an update.

    PubMed

    Vogt, H B; Jerde, O M

    1994-04-01

    The Pine Ridge Indian Health Service Primary Care Resident Rotation has been in existence for 2 years. It was conceived in an effort to help address the problem of recruitment and retention of physicians at Pine Ridge in the long term, while offering a unique educational experience for primary care residents. Twenty-five residents from family practice, general internal medicine, and general pediatric residency programs across the country have participated in calendar years 1992 and 1993. Three of the original 12 residents have returned following completion of their residency programs to join the Pine Ridge medical staff.

  16. The cetaceopteryx: A global range military transport aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brivkalns, Chad; English, Nicole; Kazemi, Tahmineh; Kopel, Kim; Kroger, Seth; Ortega, ED

    1993-01-01

    This paper presents a design of a military transport aircraft capable of carrying 800,000 lbs of payload from any point in the United States to any other point in the world. Such massive airlift requires aggressive use of advanced technology and a unique configuration. The Cetaceopteyx features a joined wing, canard and six turbofan engines. The aircraft has a cost 1.07 billion (1993) dollars each. This paper presents in detail the mission description, preliminary sizing, aircraft configuration, wing design, fuselage design, empennage design, propulsion system, landing gear design, structures, drag, stability and control, systems layout, and cost analysis of the aircraft.

  17. Application of TRIZ Methodology in Diffusion Welding System Optimization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ravinder Reddy, N.; Satyanarayana, V. V.; Prashanthi, M.; Suguna, N.

    2017-12-01

    Welding is tremendously used in metal joining processes in the manufacturing process. In recent years, diffusion welding method has significantly increased the quality of a weld. Nevertheless, diffusion welding has some extent short research and application progress. Therefore, diffusion welding has a lack of relevant information, concerned with the joining of thick and thin materials with or without interlayers, on welding design such as fixture, parameters selection and integrated design. This article intends to combine innovative methods in the application of diffusion welding design. This will help to decrease trial and error or failure risks in the welding process being guided by the theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) design method. This article hopes to provide welding design personnel with innovative design ideas under research and for practical application.

  18. The factors and motivations behind United Kingdom chiropractic professional association membership: a survey of the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic Alumni.

    PubMed

    Wotherspoon, Sheena E; McCarthy, Peter W

    2016-01-01

    There are many professional associations representing chiropractors and chiropractic in the United Kingdom (UK). Each has its unique selling points (USPs) and chiropractors can choose to join as many as they like; however, cost of membership has to be weighed against perceived benefits. The predictors of UK chiropractic association membership and motivational factors to join these associations, have not formally been identified. This research study aimed to identify some of the factors and motivations in Welsh Institute of Chiropractic (WIOC) Alumni regarding their decision to join (or not) a UK chiropractic professional association. An online survey instrument, comprising 23 questions, was administered from November-December 2015 via a link announced on 'The WIOC Alumni' Facebook group (N = 655), the active platform for the WIOC Alumni Organisation. One hundred forty-eight respondents (approximately 22.6 % of 'The WIOC Alumni' Facebook group membership) completed the survey. Ten factors were reported to be important in decision making: 'promoting public awareness of chiropractic' (91.2 %), 'access to professional indemnity insurance' (89.2 %), 'overall professionalism of the association' (87.2 %), 'the identity of the association' (77.7 %), 'positive attitude to research' (77.0 %), 'workplace support and advice' (68.9 %), 'access to events \\ courses \\ seminars' (64.2 %), 'Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities' (62.2 %), 'cost of membership' (59.5 %) and 'addresses my area of interest' (56.1 %). 'Many of my friends have joined' (71.6 %) was considered unimportant, whereas 'Lobbying: Influencing policy' and 'career development' were considered important by almost twice as many as those that consider them unimportant (45.3 %: 25.7 % and 43.9 %: 27.0 % respectively), 'requirement of employment' and 'associations newsletter' were seen as unimportant by roughly twice as many as those considering them important (44.6 %: 28.4 % and 35.8 %: 28.4 % respectively). Should it become an option, almost 71 % of respondents would support the unification of the four main UK chiropractic associations, (the British, McTimoney, Scottish and United, Chiropractic Associations: BCA MCA, SCA and UCA, respectively). Several factors have an important effect on motivations to join UK chiropractic professional associations. Further research is required to determine if this is WIOC specific or can be extrapolated more generally.

  19. No difference in variability of unique hue selections and binary hue selections.

    PubMed

    Bosten, J M; Lawrance-Owen, A J

    2014-04-01

    If unique hues have special status in phenomenological experience as perceptually pure, it seems reasonable to assume that they are represented more precisely by the visual system than are other colors. Following the method of Malkoc et al. (J. Opt. Soc. Am. A22, 2154 [2005]), we gathered unique and binary hue selections from 50 subjects. For these subjects we repeated the measurements in two separate sessions, allowing us to measure test-retest reliabilities (0.52≤ρ≤0.78; p≪0.01). We quantified the within-individual variability for selections of each hue. Adjusting for the differences in variability intrinsic to different regions of chromaticity space, we compared the within-individual variability for unique hues to that for binary hues. Surprisingly, we found that selections of unique hues did not show consistently lower variability than selections of binary hues. We repeated hue measurements in a single session for an independent sample of 58 subjects, using a different relative scaling of the cardinal axes of MacLeod-Boynton chromaticity space. Again, we found no consistent difference in adjusted within-individual variability for selections of unique and binary hues. Our finding does not depend on the particular scaling chosen for the Y axis of MacLeod-Boynton chromaticity space.

  20. An atomic model of the tropomyosin cable on F-actin.

    PubMed

    Orzechowski, Marek; Li, Xiaochuan Edward; Fischer, Stefan; Lehman, William

    2014-08-05

    Tropomyosin regulates a wide variety of actin filament functions and is best known for the role that it plays together with troponin in controlling muscle activity. For effective performance on actin filaments, adjacent 42-nm-long tropomyosin molecules are joined together by a 9- to 10-residue head-to-tail overlapping domain to form a continuous cable that wraps around the F-actin helix. Yet, despite the apparent simplicity of tropomyosin's coiled-coil structure and its well-known periodic association with successive actin subunits along F-actin, the structure of the tropomyosin cable on actin is uncertain. This is because the conformation of the overlap region that joins neighboring molecules is poorly understood, thus leaving a significant gap in our understanding of thin-filament structure and regulation. However, recent molecular-dynamics simulations of overlap segments defined their overall shape and provided unique and sufficient cues to model the whole actin-tropomyosin filament assembly in atomic detail. In this study, we show that these MD structures merge seamlessly onto the ends of tropomyosin coiled-coils. Adjacent tropomyosin molecules can then be joined together to provide a comprehensive model of the tropomyosin cable running continuously on F-actin. The resulting complete model presented here describes for the first time (to our knowledge) an atomic-level structure of αα-striated muscle tropomyosin bound to an actin filament that includes the critical overlap domain. Thus, the model provides a structural correlate to evaluate thin-filament mechanics, self-assembly mechanisms, and the effect of disease-causing mutations. Copyright © 2014 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Annealing of Complementary DNA Sequences During Double-Strand Break Repair in Drosophila Is Mediated by the Ortholog of SMARCAL1.

    PubMed

    Holsclaw, Julie Korda; Sekelsky, Jeff

    2017-05-01

    DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) pose a serious threat to genomic integrity. If unrepaired, they can lead to chromosome fragmentation and cell death. If repaired incorrectly, they can cause mutations and chromosome rearrangements. DSBs are repaired using end-joining or homology-directed repair strategies, with the predominant form of homology-directed repair being synthesis-dependent strand annealing (SDSA). SDSA is the first defense against genomic rearrangements and information loss during DSB repair, making it a vital component of cell health and an attractive target for chemotherapeutic development. SDSA has also been proposed to be the primary mechanism for integration of large insertions during genome editing with CRISPR/Cas9. Despite the central role for SDSA in genome stability, little is known about the defining step: annealing. We hypothesized that annealing during SDSA is performed by the annealing helicase SMARCAL1, which can anneal RPA-coated single DNA strands during replication-associated DNA damage repair. We used unique genetic tools in Drosophila melanogaster to test whether the fly ortholog of SMARCAL1, Marcal1, mediates annealing during SDSA. Repair that requires annealing is significantly reduced in Marcal1 null mutants in both synthesis-dependent and synthesis-independent (single-strand annealing) assays. Elimination of the ATP-binding activity of Marcal1 also reduced annealing-dependent repair, suggesting that the annealing activity requires translocation along DNA. Unlike the null mutant, however, the ATP-binding defect mutant showed reduced end joining, shedding light on the interaction between SDSA and end-joining pathways. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

  2. The Effects of Captions in Teenagers' Multimedia L2 Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lwo, Laurence; Lin, Michelle Chia-Tzu

    2012-01-01

    This study aims to explore the impact of different captions on second language (L2) learning in a computer-assisted multimedia context. A quasi-experimental design was adopted, and a total of thirty-two eighth graders selected from a junior high school joined the study. They were systematically assigned into four groups based on their proficiency…

  3. Art & Early Childhood: Personal Narratives & Social Practices. Occasional Paper Series 31

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sunday, Kris, Ed.; McClure, Marissa, Ed.; Schulte, Christopher, Ed.

    2015-01-01

    This issue explores the nature of childhood by offering selections that re/imagine the idea of the child as art maker; inquire about the relationships between children and adults when they are making art; and investigate how physical space influences approaches to art instruction. Readers are invited to join a dialogue that questions long-standing…

  4. What Makes Them Do It? School Librarians Join the Select Band of Board-Certified Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russell, Sandy; Sayers, Ann

    2002-01-01

    School library media specialists from all grade levels have embarked on the path toward certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Discusses some background to the NBPTS and who the current candidates are. A sidebar presents a brief explanation of each of 13 dimensions of teaching expertise. (AEF)

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

    NONE

    ADVANCE [Advanced Driver and Vehicle Advisory Navigation ConcEpt] was a public/private partnership conceived and developed by four founding parties. The founding parties include the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the University of Illinois at Chicago and Northwestern University operating together under the auspices of the Illinois Universities Transportation Research Consortium (IUTRC), and Motorola, Inc. The major responsibilities of each party are fully described in the Project agreement. Subsequently, these four were joined on the Steering Committee by the American Automobile Association (AAA). This unique blending of public sector, private sector and university interests, augmented bymore » more than two dozen other private sector participants, provided a strong set of resources for ADVANCE. The ADVANCE test area covered over 300 square miles including portions of the City of Chicago and 40 northwest suburban communities. The Project encompasses the high growth areas adjacent to O`Hare International Airport, the Schaumbura/Hoffman Estates office and retail complexes, and the Lake-Cook Road development corridor. It also includes major sports and entertainment complexes such as the Arlington International Racecourse and the Rosemont Horizon. The population in the area is more than 750,000. This volume provides a summary of the insights and achievements made as a result of this field test, and selected appendices containing more detailed information.« less

  6. Tree-average distances on certain phylogenetic networks have their weights uniquely determined.

    PubMed

    Willson, Stephen J

    2012-01-01

    A phylogenetic network N has vertices corresponding to species and arcs corresponding to direct genetic inheritance from the species at the tail to the species at the head. Measurements of DNA are often made on species in the leaf set, and one seeks to infer properties of the network, possibly including the graph itself. In the case of phylogenetic trees, distances between extant species are frequently used to infer the phylogenetic trees by methods such as neighbor-joining. This paper proposes a tree-average distance for networks more general than trees. The notion requires a weight on each arc measuring the genetic change along the arc. For each displayed tree the distance between two leaves is the sum of the weights along the path joining them. At a hybrid vertex, each character is inherited from one of its parents. We will assume that for each hybrid there is a probability that the inheritance of a character is from a specified parent. Assume that the inheritance events at different hybrids are independent. Then for each displayed tree there will be a probability that the inheritance of a given character follows the tree; this probability may be interpreted as the probability of the tree. The tree-average distance between the leaves is defined to be the expected value of their distance in the displayed trees. For a class of rooted networks that includes rooted trees, it is shown that the weights and the probabilities at each hybrid vertex can be calculated given the network and the tree-average distances between the leaves. Hence these weights and probabilities are uniquely determined. The hypotheses on the networks include that hybrid vertices have indegree exactly 2 and that vertices that are not leaves have a tree-child.

  7. Fuzzy feature selection based on interval type-2 fuzzy sets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cherif, Sahar; Baklouti, Nesrine; Alimi, Adel; Snasel, Vaclav

    2017-03-01

    When dealing with real world data; noise, complexity, dimensionality, uncertainty and irrelevance can lead to low performance and insignificant judgment. Fuzzy logic is a powerful tool for controlling conflicting attributes which can have similar effects and close meanings. In this paper, an interval type-2 fuzzy feature selection is presented as a new approach for removing irrelevant features and reducing complexity. We demonstrate how can Feature Selection be joined with Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic for keeping significant features and hence reducing time complexity. The proposed method is compared with some other approaches. The results show that the number of attributes is proportionally small.

  8. Conformational states and recognition of amyloidogenic peptides of human insulin-degrading enzyme.

    PubMed

    McCord, Lauren A; Liang, Wenguang G; Dowdell, Evan; Kalas, Vasilios; Hoey, Robert J; Koide, Akiko; Koide, Shohei; Tang, Wei-Jen

    2013-08-20

    Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) selectively degrades the monomer of amyloidogenic peptides and contributes to clearance of amyloid β (Aβ). Thus, IDE retards the progression of Alzheimer's disease. IDE possesses an enclosed catalytic chamber that engulfs and degrades its peptide substrates; however, the molecular mechanism of IDE function, including substrate access to the chamber and recognition, remains elusive. Here, we captured a unique IDE conformation by using a synthetic antibody fragment as a crystallization chaperone. An unexpected displacement of a door subdomain creates an ~18-Å opening to the chamber. This swinging-door mechanism permits the entry of short peptides into the catalytic chamber and disrupts the catalytic site within IDE door subdomain. Given the propensity of amyloidogenic peptides to convert into β-strands for their polymerization into amyloid fibrils, they also use such β-strands to stabilize the disrupted catalytic site resided at IDE door subdomain for their degradation by IDE. Thus, action of the swinging door allows IDE to recognize amyloidogenicity by substrate-induced stabilization of the IDE catalytic cleft. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis revealed that IDE exists as a mixture of closed and open states. These open states, which are distinct from the swinging door state, permit entry of larger substrates (e.g., Aβ, insulin) to the chamber and are preferred in solution. Mutational studies confirmed the critical roles of the door subdomain and hinge loop joining the N- and C-terminal halves of IDE for catalysis. Together, our data provide insights into the conformational changes of IDE that govern the selective destruction of amyloidogenic peptides.

  9. Cross index for improving cloning selectivity by partially filling in 5'-extensions of DNA produced by type II restriction endonucleases.

    PubMed Central

    Korch, C

    1987-01-01

    A cross index is presented for using the improved selectivity offered by the Hung and Wensink (Nucl. Acids Res. 12, 1863-1874, 1984) method of partially filling in 5'-extensions produced by type II restriction endonucleases. After this treatment, DNA fragments which normally cannot be ligated to one another, can be joined providing that complementary cohesive ends have been generated. The uses of this technique, which include the prevention of DNA fragments (both vector and insert) auto-annealing, are discussed. PMID:3033600

  10. In-bed tube bank for a fluidized-bed combustor

    DOEpatents

    Hemenway, Jr., Lloyd F.

    1990-01-01

    An in-bed tube bank (10) for a fluidized bed combustor. The tube bank (10) of the present invention comprises one or more fluid communicating boiler tubes (30) which define a plurality of selectively spaced boiler tube sections (32). The tube sections (32) are substantially parallel to one another and aligned in a common plane. The tube bank (10) further comprises support members (34) for joining adjacent tube sections (32), the support members (34) engaging and extending along a selected length of the tube sections (32) and spanning the preselected space therebetween.

  11. Mission oriented R and D and the advancement of technology: The impact of NASA contributions, volume 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Robbins, M. D.; Kelley, J. A.; Elliott, L.

    1972-01-01

    NASA contributions to the advancement of major developments in twelve selected fields of technology are presented. The twelve fields of technology discussed are: (1) cryogenics, (2) electrochemical energy conversion and storage, (3) high-temperature ceramics, (4) high-temperature metals (5) integrated circuits, (6) internal gas dynamics (7) materials machining and forming, (8) materials joining, (9) microwave systems, (10) nondestructive testing, (11) simulation, and (12) telemetry. These field were selected on the basis of both NASA and nonaerospace interest and activity.

  12. Investigation of effects of process parameters on properties of friction stir welded joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chauhan, Atul; Soota, Tarun; Rajput, S. K.

    2018-03-01

    This work deals with application of friction stir welding (FSW) using application of Taguchi orthogonal array. FSW procedure is used for joining the aluminium alloy AA6063-T0 plates in butt configuration with orthogonal combination of factors and their levels. The combination of factors involving tool rotation speed, tool travel speed and tool pin profile are used in three levels. Grey relational analysis (GRA) has been applied to select optimum level of factors for optimising UTS, ductility and hardness of joint. Experiments have been conducted with two different tool materials (HSS and HCHCr steel) with various factors level combinations for joining AA6063-T0. On the basis of grey relational grades at different levels of factors and analysis of variance (ANOVA) ideal combination of factors are determined. The influence of tool material is also studied.

  13. Ethical issues raised by the introduction of payment for performance in France

    PubMed Central

    Saint-Lary, Olivier; Plu, Isabelle; Naiditch, Michel

    2012-01-01

    Context In France, a new payment for performance (P4P) scheme for primary care physicians was introduced in 2009 through the ‘Contract for Improving Individual Practice’ programme. Its objective was to reduce healthcare expenditures while enhancing improvement in guidelines' observance. Nevertheless, in all countries where the scheme was implemented, it raised several concerns in the domain of professional ethics. Objective To draw out in France the ethical tensions arising in the general practitioner's (GP) profession linked to the introduction of P4P. Method Qualitative research using two focus groups: first one with a sample of GPs who joined P4P and second one with those who did not. All collective interviews were recorded and fully transcribed. An inductive analysis of thematic content with construction of categories was conducted. All the data were triangulated. Results All participants agreed that conflicts of interest were a real issue, leading to the resurgence of doctor's dirigisme, which could be detrimental for patient's autonomy. GPs who did not join P4P believed that the scheme would lead to patient's selection while those who joined P4P did not. The level of the maximal bonus of the P4P was considered low by all GPs. This was considered as an offense by non-participating GPs, whereas for participating ones, this low level minimised the risk of patient's selection. Conclusion This work identified several areas of ethical tension, some being different from those previously described in other countries. The authors discuss the potential impact of institutional contexts and variability of implementation processes on shaping these differences. PMID:22493186

  14. International Systems Integration on the International Space Station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gerstenmaier, William H.; Ticker, Ronald L.

    2007-01-01

    Over the next few months, the International Space Station (ISS), and human spaceflight in general, will undergo momentous change. The European Columbus and Japanese Kibo Laboratories will be added to the station joining U.S. and Russian elements already on orbit. Columbus, Jules Vernes Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) and Kibo Control Centers will soon be joining control centers in the US and Russia in coordinating ISS operations and research. The Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) will be performing extra vehicular activities that previously only astronauts on EVA could do, but remotely and with increased safety. This paper will address the integration of these international elements and operations into the ISS, both from hardware and human perspectives. Interoperability of on-orbit systems and ground control centers and their human operators from Europe, Japan, Canada, Russia and the U.S. pose significant and unique challenges. Coordination of logistical support and transportation of crews and cargo is also a major challenge. As we venture out into the cosmos and inhabit the Moon and other planets, it's the systems and operational experience and partnership development on ISS, humanity's orbiting outpost that is making these journeys possible.

  15. A Trade Secret Model for Genomic Biobanking

    PubMed Central

    Conley, John M.; Kenan, William Rand; Mitchell, Robert; Cadigan, R. Jean; Davis, Arlene M.; Dobson, Allison W.; Gladden, Ryan Q.

    2012-01-01

    Genomic biobanks present ethical challenges that are qualitatively unique and quantitatively unprecedented. Many critics have questioned whether the current system of informed consent can be meaningfully applied to genomic biobanking. Proposals for reform have come from many directions, but have tended to involve incremental change in current informed consent practice. This paper reports on our efforts to seek new ideas and approaches from those whom informed consent is designed to protect: research subjects. Our model emerged from semi-structured interviews with healthy volunteers who had been recruited to join either of two biobanks (some joined, some did not), and whom we encouraged to explain their concerns and how they understood the relationship between specimen contributors and biobanks. These subjects spoke about their DNA and the information it contains in ways that were strikingly evocative of the legal concept of the trade secret. They then described the terms and conditions under which they might let others study their DNA, and there was a compelling analogy to the commonplace practice of trade secret licensing. We propose a novel biobanking model based on this trade secret concept, and argue that it would be a practical, legal, and ethical improvement on the status quo. PMID:23061589

  16. Characteristics of physicians and patients who join team-based primary care practices: evidence from Quebec's Family Medicine Groups.

    PubMed

    Coyle, Natalie; Strumpf, Erin; Fiset-Laniel, Julie; Tousignant, Pierre; Roy, Yves

    2014-06-01

    New models of delivering primary care are being implemented in various countries. In Quebec, Family Medicine Groups (FMGs) are a team-based approach to enhance access to, and coordination of, care. We examined whether physicians' and patients' characteristics predicted their participation in this new model of primary care. Using provincial administrative data, we created a population cohort of Quebec's vulnerable patients. We collected data before the advent of FMGs on patients' demographic characteristics, chronic illnesses and health service use, and their physicians' demographics, and practice characteristics. Multivariate regression was used to identify key predictors of joining a FMG among both patients and physicians. Patients who eventually enrolled in a FMG were more likely to be female, reside outside of an urban region, have a lower SES status, have diabetes and congestive heart failure, visit the emergency department for ambulatory sensitive conditions and be hospitalized for any cause. They were also less likely to have hypertension, visit an ambulatory clinic and have a usual provider of care. Physicians who joined a FMG were less likely to be located in urban locations, had fewer years in medical practice, saw more patients in hospital, and had patients with lower morbidity. Physicians' practice characteristics and patients' health status and health care service use were important predictors of joining a FMG. To avoid basing policy decisions on tenuous evidence, policymakers and researchers should account for differential selection into team-based primary health care models. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  17. Fluorescent Photo-conversion: A second chance to label unique cells.

    PubMed

    Mellott, Adam J; Shinogle, Heather E; Moore, David S; Detamore, Michael S

    2015-03-01

    Not all cells behave uniformly after treatment in tissue engineering studies. In fact, some treated cells display no signs of treatment or show unique characteristics not consistent with other treated cells. What if the "unique" cells could be isolated from a treated population, and further studied? Photo-convertible reporter proteins, such as Dendra2 , allow for the ability to selectively identify unique cells with a secondary label within a primary labeled treated population. In the current study, select cells were identified and labeled through photo-conversion of Dendra2 -transfected human Wharton's Jelly cells (hWJCs) for the first time. Robust photo-conversion of green-to-red fluorescence was achieved consistently in arbitrarily selected cells, allowing for precise cell identification of select hWJCs. The current study demonstrates a method that offers investigators the opportunity to selectively label and identify unique cells within a treated population for further study or isolation from the treatment population. Photo-convertible reporter proteins, such as Dendra2 , offer the ability over non-photo-convertible reporter proteins, such as green fluorescent protein, to analyze unique individual cells within a treated population, which allows investigators to gain more meaningful information on how a treatment affects all cells within a target population.

  18. Teaching Benchmark Strategy for Fifth-Graders in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Der-Ching; Lai, M. L.

    2013-01-01

    The key purpose of this study was how we taught the use of benchmark strategy when comparing fraction for fifth-graders in Taiwan. 26 fifth graders from a public elementary in south Taiwan were selected to join this study. Results of this case study showed that students had a much progress on the use of benchmark strategy when comparing fraction…

  19. Students Selection for University Course Admission at the Joint Admissions Board (Kenya) Using Trained Neural Networks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wabwoba, Franklin; Mwakondo, Fullgence M.

    2011-01-01

    Every year, the Joint Admission Board (JAB) is tasked to determine those students who are expected to join various Kenyan public universities under the government sponsorship scheme. This exercise is usually extensive because of the large number of qualified students compared to the very limited number of slots at various institutions and the…

  20. When a Leadership Opportunity Knocks, Answer!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DelGuidice, Margaux

    2011-01-01

    In the fall of 2010 the author received an e-mail informing her that she has been selected as a Gale/Cengage New Leader, which was a true honor. Not only would she be joining four dynamic school librarians from around the country at the School Library Journal Summit on the Future of Reading, she was also being paired with a mentor to navigate her…

  1. MBA Programs between Ensuring Quality and Retaining Applicants: The Case of Sultan Qaboos University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manochehri, Nick-Naser; Al-Badi, Ali Hamad; Naqvi, Syed Jafar; Al-Solbi, Ali Nasser

    2008-01-01

    This study examined the selection process at the Sultan Qaboos University MBA program in relation to other respected institutions in the Gulf area and worldwide to determine the reason(s) for the high rate of attrition among students joining the MBA program. In addition, the study assessed the correlation between Graduate Management Admission Test…

  2. Concrescence of permanent maxillary second and third molars: case report of non-surgical root canal treatment.

    PubMed

    Foran, Denise; Komabayashi, Takashi; Lin, Louis M

    2012-03-01

    Concrescence is a rare developmental anomaly with an overall incidence of 0.8% in the permanent dentition. While many case reports describe the treatment of concrescence with extraction, there are few reports of non-surgical root canal treatment (NSRCT), due to the atypical root form, canal morphology, and technical difficulties involved in concrescence. This unique case report describes a technical modification of NSRCT that can retain joined posterior maxillary teeth to maintain natural posterior occlusion without surgical intervention or dental implants, thereby avoiding the risk of damage to a large portion of the alveolar bone near the maxillary sinus.

  3. Radiation dosimeters

    DOEpatents

    Hoelsher, James W.; Hegland, Joel E.; Braunlich, Peter F.; Tetzlaff, Wolfgang

    1992-01-01

    Radiation dosimeters and dosimeter badges. The dosimeter badges include first and second parts which are connected to join using a securement to produce a sealed area in which at least one dosimeter is held and protected. The badge parts are separated to expose the dosimeters to a stimulating laser beam used to read dose exposure information therefrom. The badge is constructed to allow automated disassembly and reassembly in a uniquely fitting relationship. An electronic memory is included to provide calibration and identification information used during reading of the dosimeter. Dosimeter mounts which reduce thermal heating requirements are shown. Dosimeter constructions and production methods using thin substrates and phosphor binder-layers applied thereto are also taught.

  4. Contempt - Where the modularity of the mind meets the modularity of the brain?

    PubMed

    Bzdok, Danilo; Schilbach, Leonhard

    2017-01-01

    "Contempt" is proposed to be a unique aspect of human nature, yet a non-natural kind. Its psychological construct is framed as a sentiment emerging from a stratification of diverse basic emotions and dispositional attitudes. Accordingly, "contempt" might transcend traditional conceptual levels in social psychology, including experience and recognition of emotion, dyadic and group dynamics, context-conditioned attitudes, time-enduring personality structure, and morality. This strikes us as a modern psychological account of a high-level, social-affective cognitive facet that joins forces with recent developments in the social neuroscience by drawing psychological conclusions from brain biology.

  5. A Journey Through the Universe at the Deutsches Museum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wankerl, B.

    2010-12-01

    Five research institutions in Munich and Garching bei München joined forces in the International Year of Astronomy 2009 to realise a unique exhibition project at the Deutsches Museum. The exhibition is called Evolution of the Universe and invites visitors to take a tour through time, beginning 13.7 billion years ago with the Big Bang and finishing with a glimpse into the future of the Universe. En route visitors learn how space, time, matter and the large structures in space have formed. The exhibition combines findings from astronomy, astrophysics, nuclear and particle physics in order to present the history of cosmos from different perspectives.

  6. In-network processing of joins in wireless sensor networks.

    PubMed

    Kang, Hyunchul

    2013-03-11

    The join or correlated filtering of sensor readings is one of the fundamental query operations in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Although the join in centralized or distributed databases is a well-researched problem, join processing in WSNs has quite different characteristics and is much more difficult to perform due to the lack of statistics on sensor readings and the resource constraints of sensor nodes. Since data transmission is orders of magnitude more costly than processing at a sensor node, in-network processing of joins is essential. In this paper, the state-of-the-art techniques for join implementation in WSNs are surveyed. The requirements and challenges, join types, and components of join implementation are described. The open issues for further research are identified.

  7. In-Network Processing of Joins in Wireless Sensor Networks

    PubMed Central

    Kang, Hyunchul

    2013-01-01

    The join or correlated filtering of sensor readings is one of the fundamental query operations in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Although the join in centralized or distributed databases is a well-researched problem, join processing in WSNs has quite different characteristics and is much more difficult to perform due to the lack of statistics on sensor readings and the resource constraints of sensor nodes. Since data transmission is orders of magnitude more costly than processing at a sensor node, in-network processing of joins is essential. In this paper, the state-of-the-art techniques for join implementation in WSNs are surveyed. The requirements and challenges, join types, and components of join implementation are described. The open issues for further research are identified. PMID:23478603

  8. Dual Roles for DNA Polymerase Theta in Alternative End-Joining Repair of Double-Strand Breaks in Drosophila

    PubMed Central

    McVey, Mitch

    2010-01-01

    DNA double-strand breaks are repaired by multiple mechanisms that are roughly grouped into the categories of homology-directed repair and non-homologous end joining. End-joining repair can be further classified as either classical non-homologous end joining, which requires DNA ligase 4, or “alternative” end joining, which does not. Alternative end joining has been associated with genomic deletions and translocations, but its molecular mechanism(s) are largely uncharacterized. Here, we report that Drosophila melanogaster DNA polymerase theta (pol theta), encoded by the mus308 gene and previously implicated in DNA interstrand crosslink repair, plays a crucial role in DNA ligase 4-independent alternative end joining. In the absence of pol theta, end joining is impaired and residual repair often creates large deletions flanking the break site. Analysis of break repair junctions from flies with mus308 separation-of-function alleles suggests that pol theta promotes the use of long microhomologies during alternative end joining and increases the likelihood of complex insertion events. Our results establish pol theta as a key protein in alternative end joining in Drosophila and suggest a potential mechanistic link between alternative end joining and interstrand crosslink repair. PMID:20617203

  9. Genetic Variation of Goat Interferon Regulatory Factor 3 Gene and Its Implication in Goat Evolution

    PubMed Central

    Shu, Liping; Zhang, Yesheng; Wang, Yangzi; Sanni, Timothy M.; Imumorin, Ikhide G.; Peters, Sunday O.; Zhang, Jiajin; Dong, Yang; Wang, Wen

    2016-01-01

    The immune systems are fundamentally vital for evolution and survival of species; as such, selection patterns in innate immune loci are of special interest in molecular evolutionary research. The interferon regulatory factor (IRF) gene family control many different aspects of the innate and adaptive immune responses in vertebrates. Among these, IRF3 is known to take active part in very many biological processes. We assembled and evaluated 1356 base pairs of the IRF3 gene coding region in domesticated goats from Africa (Nigeria, Ethiopia and South Africa) and Asia (Iran and China) and the wild goat (Capra aegagrus). Five segregating sites with θ value of 0.0009 for this gene demonstrated a low diversity across the goats’ populations. Fu and Li tests were significantly positive but Tajima’s D test was significantly negative, suggesting its deviation from neutrality. Neighbor joining tree of IRF3 gene in domesticated goats, wild goat and sheep showed that all domesticated goats have a closer relationship than with the wild goat and sheep. Maximum likelihood tree of the gene showed that different domesticated goats share a common ancestor and suggest single origin. Four unique haplotypes were observed across all the sequences, of which, one was particularly common to African goats (MOCH-K14-0425, Poitou and WAD). In assessing the evolution mode of the gene, we found that the codon model dN/dS ratio for all goats was greater than one. Phylogenetic Analysis by Maximum Likelihood (PAML) gave a ω0 (dN/dS) value of 0.067 with LnL value of -6900.3 for the first Model (M1) while ω2 = 1.667 in model M2 with LnL value of -6900.3 with positive selection inferred in 3 codon sites. Mechanistic empirical combination (MEC) model for evaluating adaptive selection pressure on particular codons also confirmed adaptive selection pressure in three codons (207, 358 and 408) in IRF3 gene. Positive diversifying selection inferred with recent evolutionary changes in domesticated goat IRF3 led us to conclude that the gene evolution may have been influenced by domestication processes in goats. PMID:27598391

  10. Genetic Variation of Goat Interferon Regulatory Factor 3 Gene and Its Implication in Goat Evolution.

    PubMed

    Okpeku, Moses; Esmailizadeh, Ali; Adeola, Adeniyi C; Shu, Liping; Zhang, Yesheng; Wang, Yangzi; Sanni, Timothy M; Imumorin, Ikhide G; Peters, Sunday O; Zhang, Jiajin; Dong, Yang; Wang, Wen

    2016-01-01

    The immune systems are fundamentally vital for evolution and survival of species; as such, selection patterns in innate immune loci are of special interest in molecular evolutionary research. The interferon regulatory factor (IRF) gene family control many different aspects of the innate and adaptive immune responses in vertebrates. Among these, IRF3 is known to take active part in very many biological processes. We assembled and evaluated 1356 base pairs of the IRF3 gene coding region in domesticated goats from Africa (Nigeria, Ethiopia and South Africa) and Asia (Iran and China) and the wild goat (Capra aegagrus). Five segregating sites with θ value of 0.0009 for this gene demonstrated a low diversity across the goats' populations. Fu and Li tests were significantly positive but Tajima's D test was significantly negative, suggesting its deviation from neutrality. Neighbor joining tree of IRF3 gene in domesticated goats, wild goat and sheep showed that all domesticated goats have a closer relationship than with the wild goat and sheep. Maximum likelihood tree of the gene showed that different domesticated goats share a common ancestor and suggest single origin. Four unique haplotypes were observed across all the sequences, of which, one was particularly common to African goats (MOCH-K14-0425, Poitou and WAD). In assessing the evolution mode of the gene, we found that the codon model dN/dS ratio for all goats was greater than one. Phylogenetic Analysis by Maximum Likelihood (PAML) gave a ω0 (dN/dS) value of 0.067 with LnL value of -6900.3 for the first Model (M1) while ω2 = 1.667 in model M2 with LnL value of -6900.3 with positive selection inferred in 3 codon sites. Mechanistic empirical combination (MEC) model for evaluating adaptive selection pressure on particular codons also confirmed adaptive selection pressure in three codons (207, 358 and 408) in IRF3 gene. Positive diversifying selection inferred with recent evolutionary changes in domesticated goat IRF3 led us to conclude that the gene evolution may have been influenced by domestication processes in goats.

  11. Parametric studies on tensile strength in joining AA6061- T6 and AA7075-T6 by gas metal arc welding process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ishak, M.; Noordin, N. F. M.; Shah, L. H.

    2015-12-01

    Proper selection of the welding parameters can result in better joining. In this study, the effects of various welding parameters on tensile strength in joining dissimilar aluminum alloys AA6061-T6 and AA7075-T6 were investigated. 2 mm thick samples of both base metals were welded by semi-automatic gas metal arc welding (GMAW) using filler wire ER5356. The welding current, arc voltage and welding speed were chosen as variables parameters. The strength of each specimen after the welding operations were tested and the effects of these parameters on tensile strength were identified by using Taguchi method. The range of parameter for welding current were chosen from 100 to 115 A, arc voltage from 17 to 20 V and welding speed from 2 to 5 mm/s. L16 orthogonal array was used to obtained 16 runs of experiments. It was found that the highest tensile strength (194.34 MPa) was obtained with the combination of a welding current of 115 A, welding voltage of 18 V and welding speed of 4 mm/s. Through analysis of variance (ANOVA), the welding voltage was the most effected parameter on tensile strength with percentage of contribution at 41.30%.

  12. A study of mechanical properties for aluminum GMA weldments

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

    Kluken, A.O.; Bjoerneklett, B.

    1997-02-01

    Medium- to high-strength aluminum alloys represent an attractive alternative to steel as a material for critical structural members. One area of great interest for their use is the transportation industry due to the increasing demands for less environmental impact through improved fuel efficiency, weight reductions, and increased load capacity. Fabrication of structural bodies involves, in most instances, the application of a joining process. Load-carrying members must be joined together or nonload-carrying parts attached to the primary structure. Although adhesive bonding, laser beam welding and friction stir welding are attractive processes for joining of aluminum, gas metal arc welding (GMAW) ismore » by far the most widely used process at present. Fusion welding of a heat-treatable aluminum alloy represents an additional local heat treatment of material that previously has been processed through tight temperature control to obtain the desired mechanical properties. Hence, great attention must be given to selection of alloy and temper condition, welding parameters, and postweld aging procedures for a given application. The objective of this investigation was to establish mechanical property data, i.e., tensile strength and impact toughness, for Al-Mg-Si and Al-Zn-Mg gas metal arc weldments applicable to the automotive and shipbuilding industries.« less

  13. Finite element normal mode analysis of resistance welding jointed of dissimilar plate hat structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nazri, N. A.; Sani, M. S. M.

    2017-10-01

    Structural joints offer connection between structural element (beam, plate, solid etc.) in order to build a whole assembled structure. The complex behaviour of connecting elements plays a valuable role in characteristics of dynamic such as natural frequencies and mode shapes. In automotive structures, the trustworthiness arrangement of the structure extremely depends on joints. In this paper, top hat structure is modelled and designed with spot welding joint using dissimilar materials which is mild steel 1010 and stainless steel 304, using finite element software. Different types of connector elements such as rigid body element (RBE2), welding joint element (CWELD), and bar element (CBAR) are applied to represent real connection between two dissimilar plates. Normal mode analysis is simulated with different types of joining element in order to determine modal properties. Natural frequencies using RBE2, CBAR and CWELD are compared to equivalent rigid body method. Connection that gives the lowest percentage error among these three will be selected as the most reliable joining for resistance spot weld. From the analysis, it is shown that CWELD is better compared to others in term of weld joining among dissimilar plate materials. It is expected that joint modelling of finite element plays significant role in structural dynamics.

  14. Carboxylate and amino group coated silver nanoparticles as joining materials for copper-to-copper silver joints.

    PubMed

    Oestreicher, A; Röhrich, T; Lerch, M

    2012-12-01

    Organic silver complexes are introduced where silver is linked either with a carboxyl group or with an amino group. Upon heating, nanoparticles are generated if the respective ligands are long enough to act as stabilizing agents in the nanoparticulate regime. With decomposition and volatilization of the organic material, the sintering of silver occurs. The thermal characteristics of the carboxylates silver-n-octanoate, silver-n-decanoate, and AgOOC(CH2OCH2)2CH2OCH3 are compared with silver-n-alkylamines (n = 8, 9, and 12), and their thermal behavior is discussed based on thermogravimetry (TG) measurements. The consecutive stages of a metallization process are addressed based on the properties of AgOOC(CH2OCH2)2CH2OCH3, and the usable effects of the individual phases of this metal organic compound are analyzed by cross-sectional scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of silver joints. Selection criteria are addressed based on the thermal behavior. A mechanism for the joining process is proposed, considering formation and sintering of the nanoparticles. It was found that the bulk material can be used for low-temperature joining processes. Strong adherence to copper as a basic material can be achieved.

  15. Braze Development of Graphite Fiber for Use in Phase Change Material Heat Sinks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Quinn, Gregory; Gleason, Brian; Beringer, Woody; Stephen, Ryan

    2010-01-01

    Hamilton Sundstrand (HS), together with NASA Johnson Space Center, developed methods to metallurgically join graphite fiber to aluminum. The goal of the effort was to demonstrate improved thermal conductance, tensile strength and manufacturability compared to existing epoxy bonded techniques. These improvements have the potential to increase the performance and robustness of phase change material heat sinks that use graphite fibers as an interstitial material. Initial work focused on evaluating joining techniques from 4 suppliers, each consisting of a metallization step followed by brazing or soldering of one inch square blocks of Fibercore graphite fiber material to aluminum end sheets. Results matched the strength and thermal conductance of the epoxy bonded control samples, so two suppliers were down-selected for a second round of braze development. The second round of braze samples had up to a 300% increase in strength and up to a 132% increase in thermal conductance over the bonded samples. However, scalability and repeatability proved to be significant hurdles with the metallization approach. An alternative approach was pursued which used nickel and active braze allows to prepare the carbon fibers for joining with aluminum. This approach was repeatable and scalable with improved strength and thermal conductance when compared with epoxy bonding.

  16. Braze Development of Graphite Fiber for Use in Phase Change Material Heat Sinks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Quinn, Gregory; Beringer, Woody; Gleason, Brian; Stephan, Ryan

    2011-01-01

    Hamilton Sundstrand (HS), together with NASA Johnson Space Center, developed methods to metallurgically join graphite fiber to aluminum. The goal of the effort was to demonstrate improved thermal conductance, tensile strength and manufacturability compared to existing epoxy bonded techniques. These improvements have the potential to increase the performance and robustness of phase change material heat sinks that use graphite fibers as an interstitial material. Initial work focused on evaluating joining techniques from four suppliers, each consisting of a metallization step followed by brazing or soldering of one inch square blocks of Fibercore graphite fiber material to aluminum end sheets. Results matched the strength and thermal conductance of the epoxy bonded control samples, so two suppliers were down-selected for a second round of braze development. The second round of braze samples had up to a 300% increase in strength and up to a 132% increase in thermal conductance over the bonded samples. However, scalability and repeatability proved to be significant hurdles with the metallization approach. An alternative approach was pursued which used a nickel braze allow to prepare the carbon fibers for joining with aluminum. Initial results on sample blocks indicate that this approach should be repeatable and scalable with good strength and thermal conductance when compared with epoxy bonding.

  17. Screening of Pesticides with the Potential of Inducing DSB and Successive Recombinational Repair

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    A study was realized to ascertain whether eight selected pesticides would induce double strand breaks (DSB) in lymphocyte cultures and whether this damage would induce greater levels of proteins Rad51 participating in homologous recombination or of p-Ku80 participating in nonhomologous end joining. Only five pesticides were found to induce DSB of which only glyphosate and paraoxon induced a significant increase of p-Ku80 protein, indicating that nonhomologous end joining recombinational DNA repair system would be activated. The type of gamma-H2AX foci observed was comparable to that induced by etoposide at similar concentrations. These results are of importance since these effects occurred at low concentrations in the micromolar range, in acute treatments to the cells. Effects over longer exposures in actual environmental settings are expected to produce cumulative damage if repeated events of recombination take place over time. PMID:29129974

  18. Stepping flexures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vranish, John M. (Inventor)

    2009-01-01

    An actuator for moving a load has a frame forming a race between two surfaces thereof, at least two elements joined together by at least one flexible member, the elements and the at least one flexible member being disposed between the two surfaces of the frame that forms a race, one of the elements further joined to the load by a portion of the at least one flexible member, wherein when an element comes into contact with a surface of the frame it will stick thereto absent a repelling force, and moving means disposed to selectively attract or repel a corresponding element towards or away from one or the other of the two surfaces of the frame that forms the race. The actuator effects movement of the load in a direction towards or away from the elements, by changing a position of at least one of the elements on a surface of the frame that forms the race.

  19. NASA's New Astronauts to Conduct Research Off the Earth , For the Earth and Deep Space Missions

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-06-07

    After receiving a record-breaking number of applications to join an exciting future of space exploration, NASA has selected its largest astronaut class since 2000. Rising to the top of more than 18,300 applicants, NASA chose 12 women and men as the agency’s new astronaut candidates. Vice President Mike Pence joined Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot, Johnson Space Center Director Ellen Ochoa, and Flight Operations Director Brian Kelly to welcome the new astronaut candidates during an event June 7 at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The astronaut candidates will return to Johnson in August to begin two years of training. Then they could be assigned to any of a variety of missions: performing research on the International Space Station, launching from American soil on spacecraft built by commercial companies, and departing for deep space missions on NASA’s new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket.

  20. The Role of Postgraduate Students in Co-Authoring Open Educational Resources to Promote Social Inclusion: A Case Study at the University of Cape Town

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hodgkinson-Williams, Cheryl; Paskevicius, Michael

    2012-01-01

    Like many universities worldwide, the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa has joined the open educational resources (OER) movement, making a selection of teaching and learning materials available through its OER directory, UCT OpenContent. However, persuading and then supporting busy academics to share their teaching materials as OER…

  1. AN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATION OF SELECTED STUDENT TYPES AT THREE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA CAMPUSES, A PRELIMINARY REPORT.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MOCK, KATHLEEN; AND OTHERS

    A CONCERN OVER THE LOSS OF POTENTIALLY CAPABLE STUDENTS LED RESEARCH PERSONNEL ON THE DAVIS, LOS ANGELES, AND SANTA BARBARA CAMPUSES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA TO JOIN FORCES IN A STUDY TO IDENTIFY WAYS FOR ACCOMMODATING THE VARIOUS TYPES OF STUDENTS ADMITTED TO THE THREE SCHOOLS. A 2-YEAR PROJECT WAS PLANNED. THIS INTERIM REPORT COVERED A…

  2. Part of the global livestock industry.

    PubMed

    Tice, George

    2016-06-18

    As an undergraduate, George Tice developed an interest in farm animal medicine and planned to work in this area after qualifying, but he also wanted to experience working in Africa. Having achieved both, he joined Elanco and has worked in a variety of roles in Europe and the USA. So as not to lose direct contact with animals, however, he keeps a selection at home. British Veterinary Association.

  3. Why a Medical Career? "What Makes Sudanese Students to Join a Medical College and Pursue a Medical Career"?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mutwali, Ismat Mohammed; Omer, Aisha Ibrahim A.; Abdalhalim, Sadigh Mohammed

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: Career selection and decision to pursue a medical career is a multi factorial process. It is influenced by the personal capabilities and the available resources as well as the social, educational, economical and cultural factors. Sudan is one of the African countries with a high number of medical colleges and an increasing number of…

  4. Using a Modified Argument-Driven Inquiry to Promote Elementary School Students' Engagement in Learning Science and Argumentation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Hsiang-Ting; Wang, Hsin-Hui; Lu, Ying-Yan; Lin, Huann-shyang; Hong, Zuway-R

    2016-01-01

    This study explored the effects of a modified argument-driven inquiry approach on Grade 4 students' engagement in learning science and argumentation in Taiwan. The students were recruited as an experimental group (EG, n?=?36) to join a 12-week study, while another 36 Grade 4 students from the same schools were randomly selected to be the…

  5. Introducing NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pendleton, Yvonne

    The Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) is focused on the Moon, near Earth asteroids, and the moons of Mars. Comprised of competitively selected teams across the U.S., a growing number of international partnerships around the world, and a small central office located at NASA Ames Research Center, the institute advances collaborative research to bridge science and exploration goals. As a virtual institute, SSERVI brings unique skills and collaborative technologies for enhancing collaborative research between geographically disparate teams. SSERVI is jointly funded through the NASA Science Mission Directorate and the NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. Current U.S. teams include: Dr. Jennifer L. Heldmann, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA; Dr. William Farrell, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD; Prof. Carlé Pieters, Brown University, Providence, RI; Prof. Daniel Britt, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL; Prof. Timothy Glotch, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY; Dr. Mihaly Horanyi, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO; Dr. Ben Bussey, Johns Hopkins Univ. Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD; Dr. David A. Kring, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX; and Dr. William Bottke, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO. Interested in becoming part of SSERVI? SSERVI Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) awards are staggered every 2.5-3yrs, with award periods of five-years per team. SSERVI encourages those who wish to join the institute in the future to engage current teams and international partners regarding potential collaboration, and to participate in focus groups or current team activities now. Joining hand in hand with international partners is a winning strategy for raising the tide of Solar System science around the world. Non-U.S. science organizations can propose to become either Associate or Affiliate members on a no-exchange-of-funds basis. Current international partners include: Canada, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Discussions are ongoing to bring several more partners into the fold. These partnerships have impacted lunar science in a number of ways, resulting in such efforts and groups as the Pan-European Lunar Science Consortium and the Canadian Sudbury Field School. For more information visit sservi.nasa.gov

  6. In-Network Processing of an Iceberg Join Query in Wireless Sensor Networks Based on 2-Way Fragment Semijoins

    PubMed Central

    Kang, Hyunchul

    2015-01-01

    We investigate the in-network processing of an iceberg join query in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). An iceberg join is a special type of join where only those joined tuples whose cardinality exceeds a certain threshold (called iceberg threshold) are qualified for the result. Processing such a join involves the value matching for the join predicate as well as the checking of the cardinality constraint for the iceberg threshold. In the previous scheme, the value matching is carried out as the main task for filtering non-joinable tuples while the iceberg threshold is treated as an additional constraint. We take an alternative approach, meeting the cardinality constraint first and matching values next. In this approach, with a logical fragmentation of the join operand relations on the aggregate counts of the joining attribute values, the optimal sequence of 2-way fragment semijoins is generated, where each fragment semijoin employs a Bloom filter as a synopsis of the joining attribute values. This sequence filters non-joinable tuples in an energy-efficient way in WSNs. Through implementation and a set of detailed experiments, we show that our alternative approach considerably outperforms the previous one. PMID:25774710

  7. A test of theory of planned behavior in Korea: participation in alcohol-related social gatherings.

    PubMed

    Park, Hee Sun; Lee, Dong Wook

    2009-12-01

    Two studies are reported using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to predict and explain joining and not joining alcohol-related social gatherings among Korean undergraduates in various engineering majors. Specifically, considering that the attitudinal component of TPB is behavioral-outcome-based, the current study investigated whether the outcomes of engaging in a behavior and of not engaging in a behavior would similarly predict intentions to engage in a behavior and intentions to not engage in a behavior. The current study also examined whether intentions to engage and intentions to not engage would be significantly related to self-reported behavior a week later. Participants in Study 1 reported TPB components (attitudes toward behavior, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions) concerning joining alcohol-related social gatherings. Participants in Study 2 reported TPB components concerning not joining alcohol-related social gatherings. Additionally, a week later, the participants in both studies reported their participation in alcohol-related social gatherings from the past week. Generally, the results showed that the TPB components were significantly associated with undergraduates' intentions to join and intentions to not join. Specifically, conversation-related attitudes and senior-junior relationship-related attitudes were significantly related to intentions to join, and only group-related attitudes were significantly related to intentions to not join. Intentions to join and intentions to not join were not significantly related to self-reported behavior of joining alcohol-related social gatherings a week later. The findings from the current research provide some evidence that joining or not joining alcohol-related social gatherings may not be mere behavioral opposites, predictable by the presence or absence of the same behavioral outcomes. These two aspects of the behavior may require assessment of different behavioral outcomes or different assessments of the same behavioral outcomes.

  8. The Organization of Collective Group Movements in Wild Barbary Macaques (Macaca sylvanus): Social Structure Drives Processes of Group Coordination in Macaques

    PubMed Central

    Seltmann, Anne; Majolo, Bonaventura

    2013-01-01

    Social animals have to coordinate activities and collective movements to benefit from the advantages of group living. Animals in large groups maintain cohesion by self-organization processes whereas in smaller groups consensus decisions can be reached. Where consensus decisions are relevant leadership may emerge. Variation in the organization of collective movements has been linked to variation in female social tolerance among macaque species ranging from despotic to egalitarian. Here we investigated the processes underlying group movements in a wild macaque species characterized by a degree of social tolerance intermediate to previously studied congeneric species. We focused on processes before, during and after the departure of the first individual. To this end, we observed one group of wild Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) in the Middle Atlas, Morocco using all-occurrence behaviour sampling of 199 collective movements. We found that initiators of a collective movement usually chose the direction in which more individuals displayed pre-departure behavior. Dominant individuals contributed to group movements more than subordinates, especially juveniles, measured as frequencies of successful initiations and pre-departure behaviour. Joining was determined by affiliative relationships and the number of individuals that already joined the movement (mimetism). Thus, in our study group partially shared consensus decisions mediated by selective mimetism seemed to be prevalent, overall supporting the suggestion that a species’ social style affects the organization of group movements. As only the most tolerant species show equally shared consensus decisions whereas in others the decision is partially shared with a bias to dominant individuals the type of consensus decisions seems to follow a stepwise relation. Joining order may also follow a stepwise, however opposite, relationship, because dominance only determined joining in highly despotic, but not in intermediate and tolerant species. PMID:23805305

  9. High Temperature Joining and Characterization of Joint Properties in Silicon Carbide-Based Composite Materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Halbig, Michael C.; Singh, Mrityunjay

    2015-01-01

    Advanced silicon carbide-based ceramics and composites are being developed for a wide variety of high temperature extreme environment applications. Robust high temperature joining and integration technologies are enabling for the fabrication and manufacturing of large and complex shaped components. The development of a new joining approach called SET (Single-step Elevated Temperature) joining will be described along with the overview of previously developed joining approaches including high temperature brazing, ARCJoinT (Affordable, Robust Ceramic Joining Technology), diffusion bonding, and REABOND (Refractory Eutectic Assisted Bonding). Unlike other approaches, SET joining does not have any lower temperature phases and will therefore have a use temperature above 1315C. Optimization of the composition for full conversion to silicon carbide will be discussed. The goal is to find a composition with no remaining carbon or free silicon. Green tape interlayers were developed for joining. Microstructural analysis and preliminary mechanical tests of the joints will be presented.

  10. Joining of graphene flakes by low energy N ion beam irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Xin; Zhao, Haiyan; Pei, Jiayun; Yan, Dong

    2017-03-01

    An approach utilizing low energy N ion beam irradiation is applied in joining two monolayer graphene flakes. Raman spectrometry and atomic force microscopy show the joining signal under 40 eV and 1 × 1014 cm-2 N ion irradiation. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that the joining phenomenon is attributed to the punch-down effect and the subsequent chemical bond generation between the two sheets. The generated chemical bonds are made up of inserted ions (embedded joining) and knocked-out carbon atoms (saturation joining). The electronic transport properties of the joint are also calculated for its applications.

  11. Precision Joining Center

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Powell, J. W.; Westphal, D. A.

    1991-08-01

    A workshop to obtain input from industry on the establishment of the Precision Joining Center (PJC) was held on July 10-12, 1991. The PJC is a center for training Joining Technologists in advanced joining techniques and concepts in order to promote the competitiveness of U.S. industry. The center will be established as part of the DOE Defense Programs Technology Commercialization Initiative, and operated by EG&G Rocky Flats in cooperation with the American Welding Society and the Colorado School of Mines Center for Welding and Joining Research. The overall objectives of the workshop were to validate the need for a Joining Technologists to fill the gap between the welding operator and the welding engineer, and to assure that the PJC will train individuals to satisfy that need. The consensus of the workshop participants was that the Joining Technologist is a necessary position in industry, and is currently used, with some variation, by many companies. It was agreed that the PJC core curriculum, as presented, would produce a Joining Technologist of value to industries that use precision joining techniques. The advantage of the PJC would be to train the Joining Technologist much more quickly and more completely. The proposed emphasis of the PJC curriculum on equipment intensive and hands-on training was judged to be essential.

  12. Shaping the Future of Research: a perspective from junior scientists

    PubMed Central

    MacKellar, Drew C.; Mazzilli, Sarah A.; Pai, Vaibhav P.; Goodwin, Patricia R.; Walsh, Erica M.; Robinson-Mosher, Avi; Bowman, Thomas A.; Kraemer, James; Erb, Marcella L.; Schoenfeld, Eldi; Shokri, Leila; Jackson, Jonathan D.; Islam, Ayesha; Mattozzi, Matthew D.; Krukenberg, Kristin A.; Polka, Jessica K.

    2015-01-01

    The landscape of scientific research and funding is in flux as a result of tight budgets, evolving models of both publishing and evaluation, and questions about training and workforce stability. As future leaders, junior scientists are uniquely poised to shape the culture and practice of science in response to these challenges. A group of postdocs in the Boston area who are invested in improving the scientific endeavor, planned a symposium held on October 2 nd and 3 rd, 2014, as a way to join the discussion about the future of US biomedical research. Here we present a report of the proceedings of participant-driven workshops and the organizers’ synthesis of the outcomes. PMID:25653845

  13. Advanced practice nursing in performing arts health care.

    PubMed

    Weslin, Anna T; Silva-Smith, Amy

    2010-06-01

    Performing arts medicine is a growing health care profession specializing in the needs of performing artists. As part of the performing arts venue, the dancer, a combination of athlete and artist, presents with unique health care needs requiring a more collaborative and holistic health care program. Currently there are relatively few advanced practice nurses (APNs) who specialize in performing arts health care. APNs, with focus on collaborative and holistic health care, are ideally suited to join other health care professionals in developing and implementing comprehensive health care programs for the performing artist. This article focuses on the dancer as the client in an APN practice that specializes in performing arts health care.

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

    Gogotsi, Yury

    Here, the research community has been steadily expanding the family of few-atom-thick crystals beyond graphene, discovering new materials or producing known materials in a 2D state and demonstrating their unique properties 1, 2. Recently, nanometre-thin 2D transition metal carbides have also joined this family 3. Writing in Nature Materials, Chuan Xu and colleagues now report a significant advance in the field, showing the synthesis of large-area, high-quality, nanometre-thin crystals of molybdenum carbide that demonstrate low-temperature 2D superconductivity 4. Moreover, they also show that other ultrathin carbide crystals, such as tungsten and tantalum carbides, can be grown by chemical vapour depositionmore » with a high crystallinity and very low defect concentration.« less

  15. Military Review, February 1992. Volume 72, Number 2

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-02-01

    these in turn become fac- tors for Army doctrine. The new strategy has four foundations: nuclear deterrence, forward presence, crisis response and...Today, a select group of officers at Fort mands of the nation. I encourage you to join the Leavenworth is leading the effort to revise US discussion by... Group ; deputy commandant of the US Army Command and General Staff College, For Leavenworth, Kansas: and commanding general, Ist Infantry Division

  16. Influence of groove size and reinforcements addition on mechanical properties and microstructure of friction stir welded joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reddy Baridula, Ravinder; Ibrahim, Abdullah Bin; Yahya, Che Ku Mohammad Faizal Bin Che Ku; Kulkarni, Ratnakar; Varma Ramaraju, Ramgopal

    2018-03-01

    The butt joints fabricated by friction stir welding were found to have more strength than the joints obtained by conventional joining process. The important outcome of this process is the successful fabrication of surface composites with improved properties. Thus in order to further enhance the strength of the dissimilar alloy joints the reinforcements can be deposited in to the aluminium matrix during the process of friction stir welding. In the present study the multi-walled carbon nanotubes were embedded in to the groove by varying the width during joining of dissimilar alloys AA2024 and AA7075. Four widths were selected with constant depth and optimum process parameters were selected to fabricate the sound welded joints. The results show that the mechanical properties of the fabricated butt joints were influenced by the size of the groove, due to variation in the deposition of reinforcement in the stir zone. The microstructural study and identification of the elements of the welded joints show that the reinforcements deposition is influenced by the size of the groove. It has also been observed that the groove with minimum width is more effective than higher width. The mechanical properties are found to be improved due to the pinning of grain boundaries.

  17. An 'instant gene bank' method for gene cloning by mutant complementation.

    PubMed

    Gems, D; Aleksenko, A; Belenky, L; Robertson, S; Ramsden, M; Vinetski, Y; Clutterbuck, A J

    1994-02-01

    We describe a new method of gene cloning by complementation of mutant alleles which obviates the need for construction of a gene library in a plasmid vector in vitro and its amplification in Escherichia coli. The method involves simultaneous transformation of mutant strains of the fungus Aspergillus nidulans with (i) fragmented chromosomal DNA from a donor species and (ii) DNA of a plasmid without a selectable marker gene, but with a fungal origin of DNA replication ('helper plasmid'). Transformant colonies appear as the result of the joining of chromosomal DNA fragments carrying the wild-type copies of the mutant allele with the helper plasmid. Joining may occur either by ligation (if the helper plasmid is in linear form) or recombination (if it is cccDNA). This event occurs with high efficiency in vivo, and generates an autonomously replicating plasmid cointegrate. Transformants containing Penicillium chrysogenum genomic DNA complementing A. nidulans niaD, nirA and argB mutations have been obtained. While some of these cointegrates were evidently rearranged or consisted only of unaltered replicating plasmid, in other cases plasmids could be recovered into E. coli and were subsequently shown to contain the selected gene. The utility of this "instant gene bank" technique is demonstrated here by the molecular cloning of the P. canescens trpC gene.

  18. Light-inducible genetic engineering and control of non-homologous end-joining in industrial eukaryotic microorganisms: LML 3.0 and OFN 1.0.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Lei; Zhao, Xihua; Zhang, Guoxiu; Zhang, Jiajia; Wang, Xuedong; Zhang, Suping; Wang, Wei; Wei, Dongzhi

    2016-02-09

    Filamentous fungi play important roles in the production of plant cell-wall degrading enzymes. In recent years, homologous recombinant technologies have contributed significantly to improved enzymes production and system design of genetically manipulated strains. When introducing multiple gene deletions, we need a robust and convenient way to control selectable marker genes, especially when only a limited number of markers are available in filamentous fungi. Integration after transformation is predominantly nonhomologous in most fungi other than yeast. Fungal strains deficient in the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway have limitations associated with gene function analyses despite they are excellent recipient strains for gene targets. We describe strategies and methods to address these challenges above and leverage the power of resilient NHEJ deficiency strains. We have established a foolproof light-inducible platform for one-step unmarked genetic modification in industrial eukaryotic microorganisms designated as 'LML 3.0', and an on-off control protocol of NHEJ pathway called 'OFN 1.0', using a synthetic light-switchable transactivation to control Cre recombinase-based excision and inversion. The methods provide a one-step strategy to sequentially modify genes without introducing selectable markers and NHEJ-deficiency. The strategies can be used to manipulate many biological processes in a wide range of eukaryotic cells.

  19. Benefit of social media on patient engagement and satisfaction: Results of a 9-month, qualitative pilot study using Facebook.

    PubMed

    Dhar, Vikrom K; Kim, Young; Graff, Justin T; Jung, Andrew D; Garrett, Jennifer; Dick, Lauren E; Harris, Jenifer; Shah, Shimul A

    2018-03-01

    Despite the potential benefits of social media, health care providers are often hesitant to engage patients through these sites. Our aim was to explore how implementation of social media may affect patient engagement and satisfaction. In September 2016 a Facebook support group was created for liver transplant patients to use as a virtual community forum. Data including user demographics and group activity were reviewed. A survey was conducted evaluating users' perceptions regarding participation in the group. Over 9 months, 350 unique users (50% liver transplant patients, 36% caregivers/friends, 14% health care providers) contributed 339 posts, 2,338 comments, and 6,274 reactions to the group; 98% of posts were reacted to or commented on by other group members. Patients were the most active users compared with health care providers and caregivers. A total of 95% of survey respondents reported that joining the group had a positive impact on their care; and 97% reported that their main motivation for joining was to provide or receive support from other patients. This pilot study indicates that the integration of social media into clinical practice can empower surgeons to synthesize effectively a patient support community that augments patient engagement and satisfaction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Metal Matrix Composite LOX Turbopump Housing Via Novel Tool-Less Net-Shape Pressure Infiltration Casting Technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shah, Sandeep; Lee, Jonathan; Bhat, Biliyar; Wells, Doug; Gregg, Wayne; Marsh, Matthew; Genge, Gary; Forbes, John; Salvi, Alex; Cornie, James A.; hide

    2001-01-01

    Metal matrix composites (MMC) offer relatively higher specific strength, specific stiffness, lower coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and lower density as compared with conventional alloys. These unique properties make them very attractive for aerospace turbomachinery applications where there is ever increasing emphasis to reduce weight and cost, and to increase engine performance. Through a joint effort between NASA and Metal Matrix Cast Composites, Inc., a complex liquid oxygen (LOX) compatible turbopump housing is being redesigned and manufactured from hybrid (particulate and fibers) Aluminum MMC. To this end, a revolutionary tool-less pressure infiltration casting technology is being perfected. Ceramic preforms for the composite are 3-dimensionally printed using a stereolithography file, acquired from a CAD model. The preforms are then invested into a refractory material and pressure infiltrated with liquid metal. After casting, the refractory material is washed away leaving behind a near net-shape composite part. Benefits of this process include increased composite uniformity, no mold machining, short time from design to part, properties matching traditional methods, ability to make previously impossible to manufacture parts and no size limitations with a newly developed joining technology. The results of materials, manufacturing and design optimizations, preform joining, and sub-element tests will be presented.

  1. Metal Matrix Composite LOX Turbopump Housing Via Novel Tool-Less Net-Shape Pressure Infiltration Casting Technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shah, Sandeep; Lee, Jonathan; Bhat, Biliyar; Wells, Doug; Gregg, Wayne; Marsh, Matthew; Genge, Gary; Forbes, John; Salvi, Alex; Cornie, James A.; hide

    2001-01-01

    Metal matrix composites (MMC) offer relatively higher specific strength, specific stiffness, lower coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and lower density as compared with conventional alloys. These unique properties make them very attractive for aerospace turbomachinery applications where there is ever increasing emphasis to reduce weight and cost, and to increase engine performance. Through a joint effort between NASA and Metal Matrix Cast Composites, Inc., a complex liquid oxygen (LOX) compatible turbopump housing is being redesigned and manufactured from hybrid (particulate and Fibers) Aluminum MMC. To this end, a revolutionary tool-less pressure infiltration casting technology is being perfected. Ceramic preforms for the composite are 3-dimensionally printed using a stereolithography file, acquired from a CAD model. The preforms are then invested into a refractory material and pressure infiltrated with liquid metal. After casting, the refractory material is washed away leaving behind a near net-shape composite part. Benefits of this process include increased composite uniformity, no mold machining, short time from design to part properties matching traditional methods, ability to make previously impossible to manufacture parts and no size limitations with a newly developed joining technology. The results of materials, manufacturing and design optimizations, preform joining, and sub element tests will be presented.

  2. Metal Matrix Composite LOX Turbopump Housing Via Novel Tool-less Net-Shape Pressure Infiltration Casting Technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shah, Sandeep; Lee, Jonathan; Bhat, Biliyar; Wells, Doug; Gregg, Wayne; Marsh, Matthew; Genge, Gary; Forbes, John; Salvi, Alex; Cornie, James A.; hide

    2002-01-01

    Metal matrix composites (MMC) offer relatively higher specific strength, specific stiffness, lower coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and lower density as compared with conventional alloys. These unique properties make them very attractive for aerospace turbomachinery applications where there is ever increasing emphasis to reduce weight and cost, and to increase engine performance. Through a joint effort between NASA and Metal Matrix Cast Composites, Inc., a complex liquid oxygen (LOX) compatible turbopump housing is being redesigned and manufactured from hybrid (particulate and fibers) Aluminum MMC. To this end, a revolutionary toolless pressure infiltration casting technology is being perfected. Ceramic preforms for the composite are 3-dimensionally printed using a stereolithography file, acquired from a CAD model. The preforms are then invested into a refractory material and pressure infiltrated with liquid metal. After casting, the refractory material is washed away leaving behind a near net-shape composite part. Benefits of this process include increased composite uniformity, no mold machining, short time from design to part, properties matching traditional methods, ability to make previously impossible to manufacture parts and no size limitations with a newly developed joining technology. The results of materials, manufacturing and design optimizations, preform joining, and sub-element tests will be presented.

  3. Genetic variation and forensic characteristic analysis of 25 STRs of a novel fluorescence co-amplification system in Chinese Southern Shaanxi Han population.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yao-Shun; Chen, Jian-Gang; Mei, Ting; Guo, Yu-Xin; Meng, Hao-Tian; Li, Jian-Fei; Wei, Yuan-Yuan; Jin, Xiao-Ye; Zhu, Bo-Feng; Zhang, Li-Ping

    2017-08-15

    We analyzed the genetic polymorphisms of 15 autosomal and 10 Y-chromosomal STR loci in 214 individuals of Han population from Southern Shaanxi of China and studied the genetic relationships between Southern Shaanxi Han and other populations. We observed a total of 150 alleles at 15 autosomal STR loci with the corresponding allelic frequencies ranging from 0.0023 to 0.5210, and the combined power of discrimination and exclusion for the 15 autosomal STR loci were 0.99999999999999998866 and 0.999998491, respectively. For the 10 Y-STR loci, totally 100 different haplotypes were obtained, of which 94 were unique. The discriminatory capacity and haplotype diversity values of the 10 Y-STR loci were 0.9259 and 0.998269, respectively. The results demonstrated high genetic diversities of the 25 STR loci in the population for forensic applications. We constructed neighbor-joining tree and conducted principal component analysis based on 15 autosomal STR loci and conducted multidimensional scaling analysis and constructed neighbor-joining tree based on 10 Y-STR loci. The results of population genetic analyses based on both autosomal and Y-chromosome STRs indicated that the studied Southern Shaanxi Han population had relatively closer genetic relationship with Eastern Han population, and distant relationships with Croatian, Serbian and Moroccan populations.

  4. A trade secret model for genomic biobanking.

    PubMed

    Conley, John M; Mitchell, Robert; Cadigan, R Jean; Davis, Arlene M; Dobson, Allison W; Gladden, Ryan Q

    2012-01-01

    Genomic biobanks present ethical challenges that are qualitatively unique and quantitatively unprecedented. Many critics have questioned whether the current system of informed consent can be meaningfully applied to genomic biobanking. Proposals for reform have come from many directions, but have tended to involve incremental change in current informed consent practice. This paper reports on our efforts to seek new ideas and approaches from those whom informed consent is designed to protect: research subjects. Our model emerged from semi-structured interviews with healthy volunteers who had been recruited to join either of two biobanks (some joined, some did not), and whom we encouraged to explain their concerns and how they understood the relationship between specimen contributors and biobanks. These subjects spoke about their DNA and the information it contains in ways that were strikingly evocative of the legal concept of the trade secret. They then described the terms and conditions under which they might let others study their DNA, and there was a compelling analogy to the commonplace practice of trade secret licensing. We propose a novel biobanking model based on this trade secret concept, and argue that it would be a practical, legal, and ethical improvement on the status quo. © 2012 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

  5. Conjoint Forming - Technologies for Simultaneous Forming and Joining

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Groche, P.; Wohletz, S.; Mann, A.; Krech, M.; Monnerjahn, V.

    2016-03-01

    The market demand for new products optimized for e. g. lightweight applications or smart components leads to new challenges in production engineering. Hybrid structures represent one promising approach. They aim at higher product performance by using a suitable combination of different materials. The developments of hybrid structures stimulate the research on joining of dissimilar materials. Since they allow for joining dissimilar materials without external heating technologies based on joining by plastic deformation seem to be of special attractiveness. The paper at hand discusses the conjoint forming approach. This approach combines forming and joining in one process. Two or more workpieces are joined while at least one workpiece is plastically deformed. After presenting the fundamental joining mechanisms, the conjoint forming approach is discussed comprehensively. Examples of conjoint processes demonstrate the effectiveness and reveal the underlying phenomena.

  6. Design, Fabrication, and Calibration of an Embedded Piezoceramic Actuator for Active Control Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koopmann, Gary H.; Lesieutre, George A.; Yoshikawa, Shoko; Chen, Weicheng; Fahnline, John B.; Pai, Suresh; Dershem, Brian

    1996-01-01

    In this presentation, the authors describe the design and fabrication processes for a PZT strain actuator that evolved during the initial stages of a research effort to synthesize and process intelligent, cost effective structures (SPICES). The actuator performance requirements were similar to those of conventional actuators, e.g., it had to be robust, highly efficient with adequate force and stroke, as lightweight as possible, and most importantly, affordable. Further, since the actuator was to be integrated within a composite structure, it had to be compatible with the host material and easily embeddable during the fabrication process. In control applications employing strain devices as actuators, a good bond between this actuator and host material is critical to their successful operation. This criterion is often difficult to achieve when attempting to join ceramics with metals or polymers with dissimilar properties such as Young's moduli, thermal expansion coefficients, etc. One unique feature of the actuator design that evolved in this project is that the need for direct bonding between the PZT ceramic and polymers was circumvented, i.e. the strain transfer to the host material was achieved via a frame surrounding the ceramic. Consequently, the frame material could be selected (or coated) for compatibility with the host material. A second feature is that the frame enclosed a co-fired, multilayered, PZT stack that was used to minimize the voltage requirements while maximizing the output strain.

  7. Genetic diversity and classification of Oryza sativa with emphasis on Chinese rice germplasm

    PubMed Central

    Wang, C-H; Zheng, X-M; Xu, Q; Yuan, X-P; Huang, L; Zhou, H-F; Wei, X-H; Ge, S

    2014-01-01

    Despite extensive studies on cultivated rice, the genetic structure and subdivision of this crop remain unclear at both global and local scales. Using 84 nuclear simple sequence repeat markers, we genotyped a panel of 153 global rice cultivars covering all previously recognized groups and 826 cultivars representing the diversity of Chinese rice germplasm. On the basis of model-based grouping, neighbour-joining tree and principal coordinate analysis, we confirmed the widely accepted five major groups of rice cultivars (indica, aus, aromatic, temperate japonica and tropical japonica), and demonstrated that rayada rice was unique in genealogy and should be treated as a new (the sixth) major group of rice germplasm. With reference to the global classification of rice cultivars, we identified three major groups (indica, temperate japonica and tropical japonica) in Chinese rice germplasm and showed that Chinese temperate japonica contained higher diversity than that of global samples, whereas Chinese indica and tropical japonica maintained slightly lower diversity than that present in the global samples. Particularly, we observed that all seasonal, drought-tolerant and endosperm types occurred within each of three major groups of Chinese cultivars, which does not support previous claims that seasonal differentiation exists in Indica and drought-tolerant differentiation is present in Japonica. It is most likely that differentiation of cultivar types arose multiple times stemming from artificial selection for adaptation to local environments. PMID:24326293

  8. Parallel selection of antibody libraries on phage and yeast surfaces via a cross-species display.

    PubMed

    Patel, Chirag A; Wang, Jinqing; Wang, Xinwei; Dong, Feng; Zhong, Pingyu; Luo, Peter P; Wang, Kevin C

    2011-09-01

    We created a cross-species display system that allows the display of the same antibody libraries on both prokaryotic phage and eukaryotic yeast without the need for molecular cloning. Using this cross-display system, a large, diverse library can be constructed once and subsequently used for display and selection in both phage and yeast systems. In this article, we performed the parallel phage and yeast selection of an antibody maturation library using this cross-display platform. This parallel selection allowed us to isolate more unique hits than single-species selection, with 162 unique clones from phage and 107 unique clones from yeast. In addition, we were able to shuttle yeast hits back to Escherichia coli cells for affinity characterization at a higher throughput.

  9. Affordable, Robust Ceramic Joining Technology (ARCJoint) Developed

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Steele, Gynelle C.

    2001-01-01

    Affordable, Robust Ceramic Joining Technology (ARCJoint) is a method for joining high temperature- resistant ceramic pieces together, establishing joints that are strong, and allowing joining to be done in the field. This new way of joining allows complex shapes to be formed by joining together geometrically simple shapes. The joining technology at NASA is one of the enabling technologies for the application of silicon-carbide-based ceramic and composite components in demanding and high-temperature applications. The technology is being developed and tested for high-temperature propulsion parts for aerospace use. Commercially, it can be used for joining ceramic pieces used for high temperature applications in the power-generating and chemical industries, as well as in the microelectronics industry. This innovation could yield big payoffs for not only the power-generating industry but also the Silicon Valley chipmakers. This technology, which was developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center by Dr. Mrityunjay Singh, is a two-step process involving first using a paste to join together ceramic pieces and bonding them by heating the joint to 110 to 120 C for between 10 and 20 min. This makes the joint strong enough to be handled for the final joining. Then, a silicon-based substance is applied to the joint and heated to 1400 C for 10 to 15 min. The resulting joint is as strong as the original ceramic material and can withstand the same high temperatures.

  10. A three-layer model of natural image statistics.

    PubMed

    Gutmann, Michael U; Hyvärinen, Aapo

    2013-11-01

    An important property of visual systems is to be simultaneously both selective to specific patterns found in the sensory input and invariant to possible variations. Selectivity and invariance (tolerance) are opposing requirements. It has been suggested that they could be joined by iterating a sequence of elementary selectivity and tolerance computations. It is, however, unknown what should be selected or tolerated at each level of the hierarchy. We approach this issue by learning the computations from natural images. We propose and estimate a probabilistic model of natural images that consists of three processing layers. Two natural image data sets are considered: image patches, and complete visual scenes downsampled to the size of small patches. For both data sets, we find that in the first two layers, simple and complex cell-like computations are performed. In the third layer, we mainly find selectivity to longer contours; for patch data, we further find some selectivity to texture, while for the downsampled complete scenes, some selectivity to curvature is observed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. The joined wing - An overview. [aircraft tandem wings in diamond configurations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wolkovitch, J.

    1985-01-01

    The joined wing is a new type of aircraft configuration which employs tandem wings arranged to form diamond shapes in plan view and front view. Wind-tunnel tests and finite-element structural analyses have shown that the joined wing provides the following advantages over a comparable wing-plus-tail system; lighter weight and higher stiffness, higher span-efficiency factor, higher trimmed maximum lift coefficient, lower wave drag, plus built-in direct lift and direct sideforce control capability. A summary is given of research performed on the joined wing. Calculated joined wing weights are correlated with geometric parameters to provide simple weight estimation methods. The results of low-speed and transonic wind-tunnel tests are summarized, and guidelines for design of joined-wing aircraft are given. Some example joined-wing designs are presented and related configurations having connected wings are reviewed.

  12. Production and fabrication of vanadium alloys for the radiative divertor program of DIII-D

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

    Johnson, W.R.; Smith, J.P.; Trester, P.W.

    1997-04-01

    V-4Cr-4Ti alloy has been selected for use in the manufacture of a portion of the DIII-D Radiative Divertor upgrade. The production of a 1200-kg ingot of V-4Cr-4Ti alloy, and processing into final sheet and rod product forms suitable for components of the DIII-D Radiative Divertor structure, has been completed at Wah Chang (formerly Teledyne Wah Chang) of Albany, Oregon (WCA). Joining of V-4Cr-4Ti alloy has been identified as the most critical fabrication issue for its use in the RD Program, and research into several joining methods for fabrication of the RD components, including resistance seam, friction, and electron beam welding,more » is continuing. Preliminary trials have been successful in the joining of V-alloy to itself by electron beam, resistance, and friction welding processes, and to Inconel 625 by friction welding. An effort to investigate the explosive bonding of V-4Cr-4Ti alloy to Inconel 625 has also been initiated, and results have been encouraging. In addition, preliminary tests have been completed to evaluate the susceptibility of V-4Cr-4Ti alloy to stress corrosion cracking in DIII-D cooling water, and the effects of exposure to DIII-D bakeout conditions on the tensile and fracture behavior of V-4Cr-4Ti alloy.« less

  13. Fluorescent Photo-conversion: A second chance to label unique cells

    PubMed Central

    Mellott, Adam J.; Shinogle, Heather E.; Moore, David S.; Detamore, Michael S.

    2014-01-01

    Not all cells behave uniformly after treatment in tissue engineering studies. In fact, some treated cells display no signs of treatment or show unique characteristics not consistent with other treated cells. What if the “unique” cells could be isolated from a treated population, and further studied? Photo-convertible reporter proteins, such as Dendra2, allow for the ability to selectively identify unique cells with a secondary label within a primary labeled treated population. In the current study, select cells were identified and labeled through photo-conversion of Dendra2-transfected human Wharton's Jelly cells (hWJCs) for the first time. Robust photo-conversion of green-to-red fluorescence was achieved consistently in arbitrarily selected cells, allowing for precise cell identification of select hWJCs. The current study demonstrates a method that offers investigators the opportunity to selectively label and identify unique cells within a treated population for further study or isolation from the treatment population. Photo-convertible reporter proteins, such as Dendra2, offer the ability over non-photo-convertible reporter proteins, such as green fluorescent protein, to analyze unique individual cells within a treated population, which allows investigators to gain more meaningful information on how a treatment affects all cells within a target population. PMID:25914756

  14. Finite element thermal analysis for PMMA/st.st.304 laser direct joining

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hussein, Furat I.; Salloomi, Kareem N.; Akman, E.; Hajim, K. I.; Demir, A.

    2017-01-01

    This work is concerned with building a three-dimensional (3D) ab-initio models that is capable of predicting the thermal distribution of laser direct joining processes between Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and stainless steel 304(st.st.304). ANSYS® simulation based on finite element analysis (FEA) was implemented for materials joining in two modes; laser transmission joining (LTJ) and conduction joining (CJ). ANSYS® simulator was used to explore the thermal environment of the joints during joining (heating time) and after joining (cooling time). For both modes, the investigation is carried out when the laser spot is at the middle of the joint width, at 15 mm from the commencement point (joint edge) at traveling time of 3.75 s. Process parameters involving peak power (Pp=3 kW), pulse duration (τ=5 ms), pulse repetition rate (PRR=20 Hz) and scanning speed (v=4 mm/s) are applied for both modes.

  15. Organized Sport Trajectories from Childhood to Adolescence and Health Associations.

    PubMed

    Howie, Erin K; McVeigh, Joanne A; Smith, Anne J; Straker, Leon M

    2016-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify unique organized sport trajectories from early childhood to late adolescence in an Australian pregnancy cohort, the Raine Study. Participation in organized sport was assessed at ages 5, 8, 10, 14, and 17 yr. Physical activity, body composition, and self-rated physical and mental health were assessed at the age of 20 yr. Latent class analysis was used to identify patterns of sport participation. To assess the internal validity of the trajectory classes, differences in health characteristics between trajectories were analyzed using generalized linear models. For girls, three trajectory classes were identified: consistent sport participators (47.5%), sport dropouts (34.3%), and sport nonparticipators (18.1%). For boys, three trajectory classes were identified: consistent sport participators (55.2%), sport dropouts (36.9%), and sport joiners (8.1%). For girls, there were overall differences across trajectory classes in lean body mass (P = 0.003), lean mass index (P = 0.06), and physical health (P = 0.004). For boys, there were differences across classes in physical activity (P = 0.018), percent body fat (P = 0.002), lean body mass (P < 0.001), lean mass index (P < 0.001), physical health (P = 0.06), and depression scores (P = 0.27). This study identified unique, sex-specific trajectories of organized sport participation. The differences in health outcomes between trajectory classes, such as participants with consistent sport participation having more preferable health outcomes at the age of 20 yr, support the internal validity of the trajectories. Strategies are needed to identify and encourage those in the dropout trajectory to maintain their participation and those in the nonparticipator or joiner trajectories to join sport earlier. Specifically, interventions to encourage early sport participation in girls and help nonparticipating boys to join sport during adolescence may help more children receive the benefits of sport participation.

  16. Requirement for XLF/Cernunnos in alignment-based gap filling by DNA polymerases lambda and mu for nonhomologous end joining in human whole-cell extracts.

    PubMed

    Akopiants, Konstantin; Zhou, Rui-Zhe; Mohapatra, Susovan; Valerie, Kristoffer; Lees-Miller, Susan P; Lee, Kyung-Jong; Chen, David J; Revy, Patrick; de Villartay, Jean-Pierre; Povirk, Lawrence F

    2009-07-01

    XLF/Cernunnos is a core protein of the nonhomologous end-joining pathway of DNA double-strand break repair. To better define the role of Cernunnos in end joining, whole-cell extracts were prepared from Cernunnos-deficient human cells. These extracts effected little joining of DNA ends with cohesive 5' or 3' overhangs, and no joining at all of partially complementary 3' overhangs that required gap filling prior to ligation. Assays in which gap-filled but unligated intermediates were trapped using dideoxynucleotides revealed that there was no gap filling on aligned DSB ends in the Cernunnos-deficient extracts. Recombinant Cernunnos protein restored gap filling and end joining of partially complementary overhangs, and stimulated joining of cohesive ends more than twentyfold. XLF-dependent gap filling was nearly eliminated by immunodepletion of DNA polymerase lambda, but was restored by addition of either polymerase lambda or polymerase mu. Thus, Cernunnos is essential for gap filling by either polymerase during nonhomologous end joining, suggesting that it plays a major role in aligning the two DNA ends in the repair complex.

  17. A Modeling Approach for Plastic-Metal Laser Direct Joining

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lutey, Adrian H. A.; Fortunato, Alessandro; Ascari, Alessandro; Romoli, Luca

    2017-09-01

    Laser processing has been identified as a feasible approach to direct joining of metal and plastic components without the need for adhesives or mechanical fasteners. The present work sees development of a modeling approach for conduction and transmission laser direct joining of these materials based on multi-layer optical propagation theory and numerical heat flow simulation. The scope of this methodology is to predict process outcomes based on the calculated joint interface and upper surface temperatures. Three representative cases are considered for model verification, including conduction joining of PBT and aluminum alloy, transmission joining of optically transparent PET and stainless steel, and transmission joining of semi-transparent PA 66 and stainless steel. Conduction direct laser joining experiments are performed on black PBT and 6082 anticorodal aluminum alloy, achieving shear loads of over 2000 N with specimens of 2 mm thickness and 25 mm width. Comparison with simulation results shows that consistently high strength is achieved where the peak interface temperature is above the plastic degradation temperature. Comparison of transmission joining simulations and published experimental results confirms these findings and highlights the influence of plastic layer optical absorption on process feasibility.

  18. Infrared transient-liquid-phase joining of SCS-6/ β21S titanium matrix composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blue, Craig A.; Sikka, Vinod K.; Blue, Randall A.; Lin, Ray Y.

    1996-12-01

    Fiber-reinforced titanium matrix composites (TMCs) are among the advanced materials being considered for use in the aerospace industry due to their light weight, high strength, and high modulus. A rapid infrared joining process has been developed for the joining of composites and advanced materials. Rapid infrared joining has been shown not to have many of the problems associated with conventional joining methods. Two models were utilized to predict the joint evolution and fiber reaction zone growth. Titanium matrix composite, 16-ply SCS-6/ β21S, has been successfully joined with total processing times of approximately 2 minutes, utilizing the rapid infrared joining technique. The process utilizes a 50 °C/s ramping rate, 17- µm Ti-15Cu-15Ni wt pct filler material between the faying surfaces; a joining temperature of 1100 °C; and 120 seconds of time to join the composite material. Joint shear-strength testing of the rapid infrared joints at temperatures as high as 800 °C has revealed no joint failures. Also, due to the rapid cooling of the process, no poststabilization of the matrix material is necessary to prevent the formation of a brittle omega phase during subsequent use of the TMC at intermediate temperatures, 270 °C to 430 °C, for up to 20 hours.

  19. Research on High-Strength Steels with an Improved Resistance against Weld Cracking.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-06-01

    rate. The cooling rate is also dependent upon the welding process selected. Gas Tungsten Arc Welding ( GTAW ), Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), and Shielded...displacement (COD) was used to measure the magnitude 45 GTAW , GMAW, SMAW - SAW j ESW APPROXIMATE RANGES FOR WELDING PROCESSES Increased Martensite...following processes when joining metal, in order of decreasing frequency: GMAW, SMAW, GTAW , SAW, FCAW, and Electrogas welding. 0 The various regulatory

  20. Selected Scientific and Technical Contributions of Edward C. Polhamus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Luckring, James M.

    2016-01-01

    Edward C. Polhamus joined the NACA Langley Research Center staff in 1944 and was active in a broad range of aerodynamic research related to high-speed aircraft technology, aerodynamic prediction methods, and cryogenic wind-tunnel development. This lecture will focus on his 'leading-edge suction analogy' for the prediction of vortex-lift effects on slender wings. Briefer treatment of his contributions to variable-sweep aircraft and cryogenic wind tunnels is also included.

  1. Reproductive performance of ewes grazing lucerne during different periods around mating.

    PubMed

    Robertson, S M; Clayton, E H; Friend, M A

    2015-11-01

    High intake of lucerne pastures or feeding of other high quality diets during early pregnancy may increase embryo mortality, negating any benefit of improved nutrition on ovulation rate in ewes. This study was conducted to determine whether grazing ewes on lucerne (Medicago sativa) pastures for 7 days prior to and throughout joining would result in greater foetal numbers than if ewes were removed 7 days after the commencement of joining, or if ewes grazed senescent pasture throughout the joining period. Merino ewes (300) were allocated to two replicates of three treatments, grazing pastures between Days -7 and 36 of an unsynchronised, natural autumn joining. Grazing lucerne to Day 7 of joining resulted in 30% more (P<0.05) foetuses per ewe than grazing senescent pasture (1.60±0.07 and 1.31±0.07, respectively), and 19% more lambs marked per ewe joined. Extending grazing of lucerne past Day 7 of joining did not result in additional foetuses per ewe (1.61±0.06) in comparison with only grazing lucerne to Day 7 of joining. Greater than 80% of ewes mated during the first 14 days of joining, and the proportions of ewes returning to oestrus and re-mating (0.18±0.022) and of non-pregnant (0.09±0.017) ewes were similar (P>0.05) among all treatment groups, suggesting no differences between treatments in embryo mortality. Grazing naturally cycling ewes on lucerne prior to and during joinings in autumn is recommended as a means to increase the number of lambs born, although additional gains may not be obtained by grazing past day seven of joining. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Tomato breeding in the genomics era: insights from a SNP array.

    PubMed

    Víquez-Zamora, Marcela; Vosman, Ben; van de Geest, Henri; Bovy, Arnaud; Visser, Richard G F; Finkers, Richard; van Heusden, Adriaan W

    2013-05-27

    The major bottle neck in genetic and linkage studies in tomato has been the lack of a sufficient number of molecular markers. This has radically changed with the application of next generation sequencing and high throughput genotyping. A set of 6000 SNPs was identified and 5528 of them were used to evaluate tomato germplasm at the level of species, varieties and segregating populations. From the 5528 SNPs, 1980 originated from 454-sequencing, 3495 from Illumina Solexa sequencing and 53 were additional known markers. Genotyping different tomato samples allowed the evaluation of the level of heterozygosity and introgressions among commercial varieties. Cherry tomatoes were especially different from round/beefs in chromosomes 4, 5 and 12. We were able to identify a set of 750 unique markers distinguishing S. lycopersicum 'Moneymaker' from all its distantly related wild relatives. Clustering and neighbour joining analysis among varieties and species showed expected grouping patterns, with S. pimpinellifolium as the most closely related to commercial tomatoes earlier results. Our results show that a SNP search in only a few breeding lines already provides generally applicable markers in tomato and its wild relatives. It also shows that the Illumina bead array generated data are highly reproducible. Our SNPs can roughly be divided in two categories: SNPs of which both forms are present in the wild relatives and in domesticated tomatoes (originating from common ancestors) and SNPs unique for the domesticated tomato (originating from after the domestication event). The SNPs can be used for genotyping, identification of varieties, comparison of genetic and physical linkage maps and to confirm (phylogenetic) relations. In the SNPs used for the array there is hardly any overlap with the SolCAP array and it is strongly recommended to combine both SNP sets and to select a core collection of robust SNPs completely covering the entire tomato genome.

  3. Thermoplastic Joining and Assembly of Bulk Metallic Glass Composites Through Capacitive Discharge

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roberts, Scott N. (Inventor); Schramm, Joseph P. (Inventor); Hofmann, Douglas C. (Inventor); Johnson, William L. (Inventor); Kozachkov, Henry (Inventor); Demetriou, Marios D. (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    Systems and methods for joining BMG Composites are disclosed. Specifically, the joining of BMG Composites is implemented so as to preserve the amorphicity of their matrix phase and the microstructure of their particulate phase. Implementation of the joining method with respect to the construction of modular cellular structures that comprise BMG Composites is also discussed.

  4. Chemical engineering challenges and investment opportunities in sustainable energy.

    PubMed

    Heller, Adam

    2008-01-01

    The chemical and energy industries are transforming as they adjust to the new era of high-priced petroleum and severe global warming. As a result of the transformation, engineering challenges and investment opportunities abound. Rapid evolution and fast growth are expected in cathode and anode materials as well as polymeric electrolytes for vehicular batteries and in high-performance polymer-ceramic composites for wind turbines, fuel-efficient aircraft, and lighter and safer cars. Unique process-engineering opportunities exist in sand-oil, coal, and possibly also shale liquefaction to produce transportation fuel; and also in genetic engineering of photosynthesizing plants and other organisms for their processing into high-performance biodegradable polymers and high-value-added environmentally friendly chemicals. Also, research on the feasibility of mitigation of global warming through enhancement of CO(2) uptake by the southern oceans by fertilization with trace amounts of iron is progressing. Because chemical engineers are uniquely well trained in mathematical modeling of mass transport, flow, and mixing, and also in cost analysis, they are likely to join the oceanographers and marine biologists in this important endeavor.

  5. Welding and joining: A compilation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1975-01-01

    A compilation is presented of NASA-developed technology in welding and joining. Topics discussed include welding equipment, techniques in welding, general bonding, joining techniques, and clamps and holding fixtures.

  6. Laser microjoining of dissimilar and biocompatible materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bauer, Ingo; Russek, Ulrich A.; Herfurth, Hans J.; Witte, Reiner; Heinemann, Stefan; Newaz, Golam; Mian, A.; Georgiev, D.; Auner, Gregory W.

    2004-07-01

    Micro-joining and hermetic sealing of dissimilar and biocompatible materials is a critical issue for a broad spectrum of products such as micro-electronics, micro-optical and biomedical products and devices. Today, biocompatible titanium is widely applied as a material for orthopedic implants as well as for the encapsulation of implantable devices such as pacemakers, defibrillators, and neural stimulator devices. Laser joining is the process of choice to hermetically seal such devices. Laser joining is a contact-free process, therefore minimizing mechanical load on the parts to be joined and the controlled heat input decreases the potential for thermal damage to the highly sensitive components. Laser joining also offers flexibility, shorter processing time and higher quality. However, novel biomedical products, in particular implantable microsystems currently under development, pose new challenges to the assembly and packaging process based on the higher level of integration, the small size of the device's features, and the type of materials and material combinations. In addition to metals, devices will also include glass, ceramic and polymers as biocompatible building materials that must be reliably joined in similar and dissimilar combinations. Since adhesives often lack long-term stability or do not meet biocompatibility requirements, new joining techniques are needed to address these joining challenges. Localized laser joining provides promising developments in this area. This paper describes the latest achievements in micro-joining of metallic and non-metallic materials with laser radiation. The focus is on material combinations of metal-polymer, polymer-glass, metal-glass and metal-ceramic using CO2, Nd:YAG and diode laser radiation. The potential for applications in the biomedical sector will be demonstrated.

  7. 26 CFR 1.168(d)-1 - Applicable conventions-half-year and mid-quarter conventions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... return year (i.e., July 1). (iv) In the case of a corporation that joins or leaves a consolidated group... placed in service by the joining or leaving member in the taxable year before it joins or after it leaves... test for the consolidated return year. If a corporation leaves a consolidated group and joins another...

  8. Ceramic-to-Metal Joining for High Temperature, High Pressure Heat Exchangers

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

    Mako, Frederick; Mako III, Frederick

    2016-12-05

    Designed and tested silicon carbide to metal joining and silicon carbide joining technology under high temperature and high pressure conditions. Determined that the joints maintained integrity and remained helium gas tight. These joined parts have been tested for mechanical strength, fracture toughness and hermeticity. A component testing chamber was designed and built and used for testing the joint integrity.

  9. New local joining technique for metal materials using exothermic heat of Al/Ni multilayer powder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Izumi, Taisei; Kametani, Nagamasa; Miyake, Shugo; Kanetsuki, Shunsuke; Namazu, Takahiro

    2018-06-01

    The use of Al/Ni multilayer powders as a new heat source has been expected for metal joining technique owing to their instantaneous reaction and enormous amount of exothermic heat. In this study, the effects of the amount of Al/Ni multilayer powders on the electrical and mechanical properties of the joining part of Al strip specimens were examined. These electrical and mechanical properties were estimated by electric resistivity measurement using the four-terminal method and shear test, respectively. Experimental results show that Al specimens are successful joined under a limited condition and exhibit low electrical resistance and sufficiently high strength to maintain the joined state. However, overheating increases the amount of Al/Ni multilayer powder in the joined part, which causes considerable damage such as voids and dissolved loss. It is found that optimization of the amount of Al/Ni multilayer powder enables us to realize reliable joining of Al foils in electronics fields in the future.

  10. CFRTP and stainless steel laser joining: Thermal defects analysis and joining parameters optimization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiao, Junke; Xu, Zifa; Wang, Qiang; Sheng, Liyuan; Zhang, Wenwu

    2018-07-01

    Experiments with different joining parameters were carried out on fiber laser welding system to explore the mechanism of CFRTP/stainless steel joining and the influence of the parameters on the joining quality. The thermal defect and the microstructure of the joint was tested by SEM, EDS. The joint strength and the thermal defect zone width was measured by the tensile tester and the laser confocal microscope, respectively. The influence of parameters such as the laser power, the joining speed and the clamper pressure on the stainless steel surface thermal defect and the joint strength was analyzed. The result showed that the thermal defect on the stainless steel surface would change metal's mechanical properties and reduce its service life. A chemical bonding was found between the CFRTP and the stainless steel besides the physical bonding and the mechanical bonding. The highest shear stress was obtained as the laser power, the joining speed and the clamper pressure is 280 W, 4 mm/s and 0.15 MPa, respectively.

  11. Robust Joining and Assembly Technologies for Ceramic Matrix Composites: Technical Challenges and Opportunities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mrityunjay, Singh; Gray, Hugh R. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    Fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites are under active consideration for use in a wide variety of high temperature applications within the aeronautics, energy, process, and nuclear industries. The engineering designs require fabrication and manufacturing of complex shaped parts. In many instances, it is more economical to build up complex shapes by Joining simple geometrical shapes. Thus, joining and attachment have been recognized as enabling technologies for successful utilization of ceramic components in various demanding applications. In this presentation, various challenges and opportunities in design, fabrication, and testing of high temperature joints in ceramic matrix composites will be presented. Various joint design philosophies and design issues in joining of composites will be discussed along with an affordable, robust ceramic joining technology (ARCJoinT). A wide variety of ceramic composites, in different shapes and sizes, have been joined using this technology. Microstructure and mechanical properties of joints will be reported. Current status of various ceramic joining technologies and future prospects for their applications will also be discussed.

  12. Chemical vapour deposition: Transition metal carbides go 2D

    DOE PAGES

    Gogotsi, Yury

    2015-08-17

    Here, the research community has been steadily expanding the family of few-atom-thick crystals beyond graphene, discovering new materials or producing known materials in a 2D state and demonstrating their unique properties 1, 2. Recently, nanometre-thin 2D transition metal carbides have also joined this family 3. Writing in Nature Materials, Chuan Xu and colleagues now report a significant advance in the field, showing the synthesis of large-area, high-quality, nanometre-thin crystals of molybdenum carbide that demonstrate low-temperature 2D superconductivity 4. Moreover, they also show that other ultrathin carbide crystals, such as tungsten and tantalum carbides, can be grown by chemical vapour depositionmore » with a high crystallinity and very low defect concentration.« less

  13. KSC-2010-4484

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2010-08-26

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-134 Mission Specialists Michael Fincke, Andrew Fuestel, Pilot Gregory C. Johnson, Commander Mark Kelly and Mission Specialist Greg Chamitoff (in blue flight suits) join the Air Force C-5M flight crew that delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, or AMS, to the Shuttle Landing Facility, in a group photo opportunity. AMS, a state-of-the-art particle physics detector, is designed to operate as an external module on the International Space Station. It will use the unique environment of space to study the universe and its origin by searching for dark matter. AMS will fly to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission, targeted to launch Feb. 26, 2011. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

  14. Joining of aluminum sheet and glass fiber reinforced polymer using extruded pins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conte, Romina; Buhl, Johannes; Ambrogio, Giuseppina; Bambach, Markus

    2018-05-01

    The present contribution proposes a new approach for joining sheet metal and fiber reinforced composites. The joining process draws upon a Friction Stir Forming (FSF) process, which is performed on the metal sheet to produce slender pins. These pins are used to pierce through the composite. Joining is complete by forming a locking head out of the part if the pin sticks out of the composite. Pins of different diameters and lengths were produced from EN AW-1050 material, which were joined to glass fiber reinforced polyamide-6. The strength of the joint has been experimentally tested in order to understand the effect of the process temperature on the pins strength and therefore on the joining. The results demonstrate the feasibility of this new technique, which uses no excess material.

  15. Welding and Joining of Titanium Aluminides

    PubMed Central

    Cao, Jian; Qi, Junlei; Song, Xiaoguo; Feng, Jicai

    2014-01-01

    Welding and joining of titanium aluminides is the key to making them more attractive in industrial fields. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of recent progress in welding and joining of titanium aluminides, as well as to introduce current research and application. The possible methods available for titanium aluminides involve brazing, diffusion bonding, fusion welding, friction welding and reactive joining. Of the numerous methods, solid-state diffusion bonding and vacuum brazing have been most heavily investigated for producing reliable joints. The current state of understanding and development of every welding and joining method for titanium aluminides is addressed respectively. The focus is on the fundamental understanding of microstructure characteristics and processing–microstructure–property relationships in the welding and joining of titanium aluminides to themselves and to other materials. PMID:28788113

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

    Rabin, B.H.

    A simple modified tape casting procedure has been developed for application to ceramic joining when the joining materials are in powder form. The method involves preparation of a slurry from the powder, solvent, and thermoplastic binder, and then casting directly onto the joining surface using a moving doctor blade. Handling of the tape prior to joining is not necessary: therefore, binder content is minimized, plasticizers are not required, and viscosity is controlled by solvent content. The utility of this technique for producing joints with thin, uniform interlayers is demonstrated for silicon carbide materials joined with TiC + Ni and SiCmore » + Si.« less

  17. A goodness-of-fit test for occupancy models with correlated within-season revisits

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wright, Wilson; Irvine, Kathryn M.; Rodhouse, Thomas J.

    2016-01-01

    Occupancy modeling is important for exploring species distribution patterns and for conservation monitoring. Within this framework, explicit attention is given to species detection probabilities estimated from replicate surveys to sample units. A central assumption is that replicate surveys are independent Bernoulli trials, but this assumption becomes untenable when ecologists serially deploy remote cameras and acoustic recording devices over days and weeks to survey rare and elusive animals. Proposed solutions involve modifying the detection-level component of the model (e.g., first-order Markov covariate). Evaluating whether a model sufficiently accounts for correlation is imperative, but clear guidance for practitioners is lacking. Currently, an omnibus goodnessof- fit test using a chi-square discrepancy measure on unique detection histories is available for occupancy models (MacKenzie and Bailey, Journal of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Statistics, 9, 2004, 300; hereafter, MacKenzie– Bailey test). We propose a join count summary measure adapted from spatial statistics to directly assess correlation after fitting a model. We motivate our work with a dataset of multinight bat call recordings from a pilot study for the North American Bat Monitoring Program. We found in simulations that our join count test was more reliable than the MacKenzie–Bailey test for detecting inadequacy of a model that assumed independence, particularly when serial correlation was low to moderate. A model that included a Markov-structured detection-level covariate produced unbiased occupancy estimates except in the presence of strong serial correlation and a revisit design consisting only of temporal replicates. When applied to two common bat species, our approach illustrates that sophisticated models do not guarantee adequate fit to real data, underscoring the importance of model assessment. Our join count test provides a widely applicable goodness-of-fit test and specifically evaluates occupancy model lack of fit related to correlation among detections within a sample unit. Our diagnostic tool is available for practitioners that serially deploy survey equipment as a way to achieve cost savings.

  18. Physics of Fusion Welding

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nunes, A. C., Jr.

    1986-01-01

    Applicabilities and limitations of three techniques analyzed. NASA technical memorandum discusses physics of electron-beam, gas/ tungsten-arc, and laser-beam welding. From comparison of capabilities and limitations of each technique with regard to various welding conditions and materials, possible to develop criteria for selecting best welding technique in specific application. All three techniques classified as fusion welding; small volume of workpiece melted by intense heat source. Heat source moved along seam, leaving in wake solid metal that joins seam edges together.

  19. Tensile strength and corrosion resistance of brazed and laser-welded cobalt-chromium alloy joints.

    PubMed

    Zupancic, Rok; Legat, Andraz; Funduk, Nenad

    2006-10-01

    The longevity of prosthodontic restorations is often limited due to the mechanical or corrosive failure occurring at the sites where segments of a metal framework are joined together. The purpose of this study was to determine which joining method offers the best properties to cobalt-chromium alloy frameworks. Brazed and 2 types of laser-welded joints were compared for their mechanical and corrosion characteristics. Sixty-eight cylindrical cobalt-chromium dental alloy specimens, 35 mm long and 2 mm in diameter, were cast. Sixteen specimens were selected for electrochemical measurements in an artificial saliva solution and divided into 4 groups (n=4). In the intact group, the specimens were left as cast. The specimens of the remaining 3 groups were sectioned at the center, perpendicular to the long-axis, and were subsequently rejoined by brazing (brazing group) or laser welding using an X- or I-shaped joint design (X laser and I laser groups, respectively). Another 16 specimens were selected for electrochemical measurements in a more acidic artificial saliva solution. These specimens were also divided into 4 groups (n=4) as described above. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization were used to assess corrosion potentials, breakdown potentials, corrosion current densities, total impedances at lowest frequency, and polarization charge-transfer resistances. The remaining 36 specimens were used for tensile testing. They were divided into 3 groups in which specimen pairs (n=6) were joined by brazing or laser welding to form 70-mm-long cylindrical rods. The tensile strength (MPa) was measured using a universal testing machine. Differences between groups were analyzed using 1-way analysis of variance (alpha=.05). The fracture surfaces and corrosion defects were examined with a scanning electron microscope. The average tensile strength of brazed joints was 792 MPa and was significantly greater (P<.05) than the tensile strength of both types of laser-welded joints (404 MPa and 405 MPa). When laser welding was used, successful joining was limited to the peripheral aspects of the weld. The welding technique did not significantly affect the joint tensile strength. Electrochemical measurements indicated that the corrosion resistance of the laser-welded joints was better than of the brazed ones, primarily due to differences in passivation ability. Laser welding provides excellent corrosion resistance to cobalt-chromium alloy joints, but strength is limited due to the shallow weld penetration. Brazed joints are less resistant to corrosion but have higher tensile strength than laser welds.

  20. Phylogenetic incongruence in the Drosophila melanogaster species group

    PubMed Central

    Wong, Alex; Jensen, Jeffrey D.; Pool, John E.; Aquadro, Charles F.

    2007-01-01

    Drosophila melanogaster and its close relatives are used extensively in comparative biology. Despite the importance of phylogenetic information for such studies, relationships between some melanogaster species group members are unclear due to conflicting phylogenetic signals at different loci. In this study, we use twelve nuclear loci (eleven coding and one non-coding) to assess the degree of phylogenetic incongruence in this model system. We focus on two nodes: (1) The node joining the D. erecta-D. orena, D. melanogaster-D. simulans, and D. yakuba-D. teissieri lineages, and (2) The node joining the lineages leading to the melanogaster, takahashii, and eugracilis subgroups. We find limited evidence for incongruence at the first node; our data, as well as those of several previous studies, strongly support monophyly of a clade consisting of D. erecta-D. orena and D. yakuba-D. teissieri. By contrast, using likelihood based tests of congruence, we find robust evidence for topological incongruence at the second node. Different loci support different relationships among the melanogaster, takahashii and eugracilis subgroups, and the observed incongruence is not easily attributable to homoplasy, non-equilibrium base composition, or positive selection on a subset of loci. We argue that lineage sorting in the common ancestor of these three subgroups is the most plausible explanation for our observations. Such lineage sorting may lead to biased estimation of tree topology and evolutionary rates, and may confound inferences of positive selection. PMID:17071113

  1. Light-inducible genetic engineering and control of non-homologous end-joining in industrial eukaryotic microorganisms: LML 3.0 and OFN 1.0

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Lei; Zhao, Xihua; Zhang, Guoxiu; Zhang, Jiajia; Wang, Xuedong; Zhang, Suping; Wang, Wei; Wei, Dongzhi

    2016-01-01

    Filamentous fungi play important roles in the production of plant cell-wall degrading enzymes. In recent years, homologous recombinant technologies have contributed significantly to improved enzymes production and system design of genetically manipulated strains. When introducing multiple gene deletions, we need a robust and convenient way to control selectable marker genes, especially when only a limited number of markers are available in filamentous fungi. Integration after transformation is predominantly nonhomologous in most fungi other than yeast. Fungal strains deficient in the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway have limitations associated with gene function analyses despite they are excellent recipient strains for gene targets. We describe strategies and methods to address these challenges above and leverage the power of resilient NHEJ deficiency strains. We have established a foolproof light-inducible platform for one-step unmarked genetic modification in industrial eukaryotic microorganisms designated as ‘LML 3.0’, and an on-off control protocol of NHEJ pathway called ‘OFN 1.0’, using a synthetic light-switchable transactivation to control Cre recombinase-based excision and inversion. The methods provide a one-step strategy to sequentially modify genes without introducing selectable markers and NHEJ-deficiency. The strategies can be used to manipulate many biological processes in a wide range of eukaryotic cells. PMID:26857594

  2. Analysis of the Change of Health Status Among the Republic of Korea Air Force Soldiers During Military Service

    PubMed Central

    Yoo, Seok-Ju; Park, Won-Ju; Lee, Kwan; Lim, Hyun-Sul; Kim, Hyun-Jin; Lee, Suk-Ho

    2014-01-01

    Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the health status of Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) soldiers changed after one year of military service. Methods: We selected 483 ROKAF soldiers from the 11 749 recruits who participated in the 2011 physical examination. The selected soldiers underwent another physical examination in 2012 for advancement to senior airman. Data from 2011 and 2012 were merged. To collect data on lifestyle, a questionnaire was sent to all included subjects via the military intranet e-mail service. Results: The percentage of recruits with an abnormal alanine transaminase level (normal range <40 IU/L) decreased from recruitment (13.7%) to the following year (2.7%). Moreover, the percentage of obese soldiers (body mass index ≥25 kg/m2) decreased from recruitment (20.5%) to the following year (10.4%). There was a significant change in mean duration of exercise carried out each day before (0.8±1.3 hours) and after (1.0±0.7 hours) joining the ROKAF service. Conclusions: These ROKAF soldiers were generally in good health before and after joining the armed service. After one year of military service, the health status of most soldiers improved, especially with respect to body mass index and alanine transaminase level. PMID:25139169

  3. Joining of dissimilar materials

    DOEpatents

    Tucker, Michael C; Lau, Grace Y; Jacobson, Craig P

    2012-10-16

    A method of joining dissimilar materials having different ductility, involves two principal steps: Decoration of the more ductile material's surface with particles of a less ductile material to produce a composite; and, sinter-bonding the composite produced to a joining member of a less ductile material. The joining method is suitable for joining dissimilar materials that are chemically inert towards each other (e.g., metal and ceramic), while resulting in a strong bond with a sharp interface between the two materials. The joining materials may differ greatly in form or particle size. The method is applicable to various types of materials including ceramic, metal, glass, glass-ceramic, polymer, cermet, semiconductor, etc., and the materials can be in various geometrical forms, such as powders, fibers, or bulk bodies (foil, wire, plate, etc.). Composites and devices with a decorated/sintered interface are also provided.

  4. Numerical modelling in friction lap joining of aluminium alloy and carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic sheets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das, A.; Bang, H. S.; Bang, H. S.

    2018-05-01

    Multi-material combinations of aluminium alloy and carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastics (CFRP) have gained attention in automotive and aerospace industries to enhance fuel efficiency and strength-to-weight ratio of components. Various limitations of laser beam welding, adhesive bonding and mechanical fasteners make these processes inefficient to join metal and CFRP sheets. Friction lap joining is an alternative choice for the same. Comprehensive studies in friction lap joining of aluminium to CFRP sheets are essential and scare in the literature. The present work reports a combined theoretical and experimental study in joining of AA5052 and CFRP sheets using friction lap joining process. A three-dimensional finite element based heat transfer model is developed to compute the temperature fields and thermal cycles. The computed results are validated extensively with the corresponding experimentally measured results.

  5. Genetic variation and forensic characteristic analysis of 25 STRs of a novel fluorescence co-amplification system in Chinese Southern Shaanxi Han population

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Yao-Shun; Chen, Jian-Gang; Mei, Ting; Guo, Yu-Xin; Meng, Hao-Tian; Li, Jian-Fei; Wei, Yuan-Yuan; Jin, Xiao-Ye; Zhu, Bo-Feng; Zhang, Li-Ping

    2017-01-01

    We analyzed the genetic polymorphisms of 15 autosomal and 10 Y-chromosomal STR loci in 214 individuals of Han population from Southern Shaanxi of China and studied the genetic relationships between Southern Shaanxi Han and other populations. We observed a total of 150 alleles at 15 autosomal STR loci with the corresponding allelic frequencies ranging from 0.0023 to 0.5210, and the combined power of discrimination and exclusion for the 15 autosomal STR loci were 0.99999999999999998866 and 0.999998491, respectively. For the 10 Y-STR loci, totally 100 different haplotypes were obtained, of which 94 were unique. The discriminatory capacity and haplotype diversity values of the 10 Y-STR loci were 0.9259 and 0.998269, respectively. The results demonstrated high genetic diversities of the 25 STR loci in the population for forensic applications. We constructed neighbor-joining tree and conducted principal component analysis based on 15 autosomal STR loci and conducted multidimensional scaling analysis and constructed neighbor-joining tree based on 10 Y-STR loci. The results of population genetic analyses based on both autosomal and Y-chromosome STRs indicated that the studied Southern Shaanxi Han population had relatively closer genetic relationship with Eastern Han population, and distant relationships with Croatian, Serbian and Moroccan populations. PMID:28903432

  6. Improved One-Way Hash Chain and Revocation Polynomial-Based Self-Healing Group Key Distribution Schemes in Resource-Constrained Wireless Networks

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Huifang; Xie, Lei

    2014-01-01

    Self-healing group key distribution (SGKD) aims to deal with the key distribution problem over an unreliable wireless network. In this paper, we investigate the SGKD issue in resource-constrained wireless networks. We propose two improved SGKD schemes using the one-way hash chain (OHC) and the revocation polynomial (RP), the OHC&RP-SGKD schemes. In the proposed OHC&RP-SGKD schemes, by introducing the unique session identifier and binding the joining time with the capability of recovering previous session keys, the problem of the collusion attack between revoked users and new joined users in existing hash chain-based SGKD schemes is resolved. Moreover, novel methods for utilizing the one-way hash chain and constructing the personal secret, the revocation polynomial and the key updating broadcast packet are presented. Hence, the proposed OHC&RP-SGKD schemes eliminate the limitation of the maximum allowed number of revoked users on the maximum allowed number of sessions, increase the maximum allowed number of revoked/colluding users, and reduce the redundancy in the key updating broadcast packet. Performance analysis and simulation results show that the proposed OHC&RP-SGKD schemes are practical for resource-constrained wireless networks in bad environments, where a strong collusion attack resistance is required and many users could be revoked. PMID:25529204

  7. Experiences and Perceptions of Gay and Bisexual Fraternity Members From 1960 to 2007: A Cohort Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rankin, Susan R.; Hesp, Grahaeme A.; Weber, Genevieve N.

    2013-01-01

    The study included 337 self-identified gay and bisexual fraternity members, with 170 joining their chapters in the year 2000 or after, 99 joining their chapters between the years 1990 and 1999, and 68 joining in the year 1989 or before. Participants who self-identified as gay or bisexual men and who joined in the year 2000 or after reported a more…

  8. Willmore energy for joining of carbon nanostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sripaturad, P.; Alshammari, N. A.; Thamwattana, N.; McCoy, J. A.; Baowan, D.

    2018-06-01

    Numerous types of carbon nanostructure have been found experimentally, including nanotubes, fullerenes and nanocones. These structures have applications in various nanoscale devices and the joining of these structures may lead to further new configurations with more remarkable properties and applications. The join profile between different carbon nanostructures in a symmetric configuration may be modelled using the calculus of variations. In previous studies, carbon nanostructures were assumed to deform according to perfect elasticity, thus the elastic energy, depending only on the axial curvature, was used to determine the join profile consisting of a finite number of discrete bonds. However, one could argue that the relevant energy should also involve the rotational curvature, especially when its size is comparable to the axial curvature. In this paper, we use the Willmore energy, a natural generalisation of the elastic energy that depends on both the axial and rotational curvatures. Catenoids are absolute minimisers of this energy and pieces of these may be used to join various nanostructures. We focus on the cases of joining a fullerene to a nanotube and joining two fullerenes along a common axis. By comparing our results with the earlier work, we find that both energies give similar joining profiles. Further work on other configurations may reveal which energy provides a better model.

  9. The Mechanical Properties of Candidate Superalloys for a Hybrid Turbine Disk

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gabb, Timothy P.; MacKay, Rebecca A.; Draper, Susan L.; Sudbrack, Chantal K.; Nathal, Michael V.

    2013-01-01

    The mechanical properties of several cast blade superalloys and one powder metallurgy disk superalloy were assessed for potential use in a dual alloy hybrid disk concept of joined dissimilar bore and web materials. Grain size was varied for each superalloy class. Tensile, creep, fatigue, and notch fatigue tests were performed at 704 to 815 degC. Typical microstructures and failure modes were determined. Preferred materials were then selected for future study as the bore and rim alloys in this hybrid disk concept. Powder metallurgy superalloy LSHR at 15 micron grain size and single crystal superalloy LDS-1101+Hf were selected for further study, and future work is recommended to develop the hybrid disk concept.

  10. Factors influencing selection of internal medicine residency--a prospective study.

    PubMed

    Pereg, David; Gronich, Naomi; Lishner, Michael

    2006-08-01

    Recently, the popularity of internal medicine residency has been decreasing. We studied the effect of an improved working environment and a decrease in residents' workload on the selection of internal medicine residency. An organizational diagnosis team joined our department and identified several causes for residents' heavy workload. These findings were subsequently discussed in a workshop and led to a modification of the daily routine and a parallel decrease in workload and rise in residents' satisfaction. Following these changes, the demand for residency in our department rose. We conclude that an improvement in the working environment and workload during residency increases the residents' satisfaction and the demand for residency in internal medicine.

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

    Roberts, F. Sloan; Kuhl, Kendra P.; Nilsson, Anders

    The activity and selectivity for CO 2/CO reduction over copper electrodes is strongly dependent on the local surface structure of the catalyst and the pH of the electrolyte. Here we investigate a unique, copper nanocube surface (CuCube) as a CO reduction electrode under neutral and basic pH, using online electrochemical mass spectroscopy (OLEMS) to determine the onset potentials and relative intensities of methane and ethylene production. To relate the unique selectivity to the surface structure, the CuCube surface reactivity is compared to polycrystalline copper and three single crystals under the same reaction conditions. Here, we find that the high selectivitymore » for ethylene over the CuCube surface is most comparable to the Cu(100) surface, which has the cubic unit cell. However, the suppression of methane production over CuCube is unique to that particular surface. Basic pH is also shown to enhance ethylene selectivity on all surfaces, again with the CuCube surface being unique.« less

  12. Aerodynamic and structural studies of joined-wing aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kroo, Ilan; Smith, Stephen; Gallman, John

    1991-01-01

    A method for rapidly evaluating the structural and aerodynamic characteristics of joined-wing aircraft was developed and used to study the fundamental advantages attributed to this concept. The technique involves a rapid turnaround aerodynamic analysis method for computing minimum trimmed drag combined with a simple structural optimization. A variety of joined-wing designs are compared on the basis of trimmed drag, structural weight, and, finally, trimmed drag with fixed structural weight. The range of joined-wing design parameters resulting in best cruise performance is identified. Structural weight savings and net drag reductions are predicted for certain joined-wing configurations compared with conventional cantilever-wing configurations.

  13. Upper limb dysfunction following selective neck dissection: a retrospective questionnaire study.

    PubMed

    Carr, Simon D; Bowyer, Duncan; Cox, Graham

    2009-06-01

    To determine total upper limb function following selective neck dissection over a mean follow-up of 1.6 years. A retrospective questionnaire study in a tertiary head and neck surgical unit. One hundred forty-eight patients who underwent selective neck dissection for head and neck cancer from January 2000 to December 2005 were invited to participate. The main outcome measure was ipsilateral upper limb dysfunction as measured by the Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire. Sixty-five patients responded to the invitation to join the study from 148 invited. Despite accessory nerve conserving surgery for all the selective neck dissections studied, 23% reported no upper limb dysfunction, 54% reported mild upper limb dysfunction, 15% reported moderate, and 8% reported a severe dysfunction. Long-term upper limb dysfunction is common following nerve preserving surgery. The DASH questionnaire is a useful preoperative and postoperative clinical tool for those patients undergoing selective neck dissections. (c) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Friction stir lap joining of automotive aluminium alloy and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bang, H. S.; Das, A.; Lee, S.; Bang, H. S.

    2018-05-01

    Multi-material combination such as aluminium alloys and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) are increasingly used in the aircraft and automobile industries to enhance strength-to-weight ratio of the respective parts and components. Various processes such as adhesive bonding, mechanical fasteners and laser beam joining were employed to join metal alloy and CFRP sheets. However, long processing time of adhesive bonding, extra weight induced by mechanical fasteners and high operating cost of the laser is major limitations of these processes. Therefore, friction stir welding is an alternative choice to overcome those limitations in joining of CFRP and aluminium alloys. In the present work, an attempt is undertaken to join AA5052 alloy and polyamide 66 CFRP sheets by friction stir lap joining technique using pinned and pin-less tools. The joint qualities are investigated extensively at different joining conditions using two different types of tools and surface ground aluminium sheets. The results show that pin-less tool and surface ground aluminium alloy can provide the suitable joint with maximum joint strength around 8 MPa.

  15. A Review of Similar and Dissimilar Micro-joining of Nitinol

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deepan Bharathi Kannan, T.; Ramesh, T.; Sathiya, P.

    2016-04-01

    NiTinol belongs to a class of smart materials which has a wide range of applications in the field of automotive, aerospace, biomedical, robotics, etc., owing to the growing trend in miniaturization of components. Micro-joining is becoming one of the important and familiar processes in the fabrication of miniaturized components. Recently, effective micro-joining of thin sheets has been gaining a lot of interest among researchers. In this article, the research and progress in micro-joining of NiTinol to itself and other metals are reviewed at different aspects. To date, laser welding, tungsten inert gas welding, and resistance welding have been used to a large extent in investigating the weldability of NiTinol alloys. Some important welding parameters used in micro joining by various researchers and their effects on weld qualities are detailed in this review. Metallurgical aspects, mechanical properties and corrosion aspects of micro-joined NiTinol sheets/wires are discussed. The aim of this report is to review the recent progress in micro-joining of NiTinol and to provide a basis for follow-on research.

  16. Electroreduction of carbon monoxide over a copper nanocube catalyst: Surface structure and pH dependence on selectivity

    DOE PAGES

    Roberts, F. Sloan; Kuhl, Kendra P.; Nilsson, Anders

    2016-02-16

    The activity and selectivity for CO 2/CO reduction over copper electrodes is strongly dependent on the local surface structure of the catalyst and the pH of the electrolyte. Here we investigate a unique, copper nanocube surface (CuCube) as a CO reduction electrode under neutral and basic pH, using online electrochemical mass spectroscopy (OLEMS) to determine the onset potentials and relative intensities of methane and ethylene production. To relate the unique selectivity to the surface structure, the CuCube surface reactivity is compared to polycrystalline copper and three single crystals under the same reaction conditions. Here, we find that the high selectivitymore » for ethylene over the CuCube surface is most comparable to the Cu(100) surface, which has the cubic unit cell. However, the suppression of methane production over CuCube is unique to that particular surface. Basic pH is also shown to enhance ethylene selectivity on all surfaces, again with the CuCube surface being unique.« less

  17. Enabling Dissimilar Material Joining Using Friction Stir Scribe Technology

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

    Hovanski, Yuri; Upadyay, Piyush; Kleinbaum, Sarah

    2017-04-05

    One challenge in adapting welding processes to dissimilar material joining is the diversity of melting temperatures of the different materials. Although the use of mechanical fasteners and adhesives have mostly paved the way for near-term implementation of dissimilar material systems, these processes only accentuate the need for low-cost welding processes capable of joining dissimilar material components regardless of alloy, properties, or melting temperature. Friction stir scribe technology was developed to overcome the challenges of joining dissimilar material components where melting temperatures vary greatly, and properties and/or chemistry are not compatible with more traditional welding processes. Although the friction stir scribemore » process is capable of joining dissimilar metals and metal/polymer systems, a more detailed evaluation of several aluminum/steel joints is presented herein to demonstrate the ability to both chemically and mechanically join dissimilar materials.« less

  18. Enabling Dissimilar Material Joining Using Friction Stir Scribe Technology

    DOE PAGES

    Hovanski, Yuri; Upadyay, Piyush; Kleinbaum, Sarah; ...

    2017-04-05

    One challenge in adapting welding processes to dissimilar material joining is the diversity of melting temperatures of the different materials. Although the use of mechanical fasteners and adhesives have mostly paved the way for near-term implementation of dissimilar material systems, these processes only accentuate the need for low-cost welding processes capable of impartially joining dissimilar material components regardless of alloy, properties, or melting temperature. Friction stir scribe technology was developed to overcome the challenges of joining dissimilar material components where melting temperatures vary greatly, and properties and/or chemistry are not compatible with more traditional welding processes. Finally, although the frictionmore » stir scribe process is capable of joining dissimilar metals and metal/polymer systems, a more detailed evaluation of several aluminum/steel joints is presented herein to demonstrate the ability to both chemically and mechanically join dissimilar materials.« less

  19. Design synthesis and optimization of joined-wing transports

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gallman, John W.; Smith, Stephen C.; Kroo, Ilan M.

    1990-01-01

    A computer program for aircraft synthesis using a numerical optimizer was developed to study the application of the joined-wing configuration to transport aircraft. The structural design algorithm included the effects of secondary bending moments to investigate the possibility of tail buckling and to design joined wings resistant to buckling. The structural weight computed using this method was combined with a statistically-based method to obtain realistic estimates of total lifting surface weight and aircraft empty weight. A variety of 'optimum' joined-wing and conventional aircraft designs were compared on the basis of direct operating cost, gross weight, and cruise drag. The most promising joined-wing designs were found to have a joint location at about 70 percent of the wing semispan. The optimum joined-wing transport is shown to save 1.7 percent in direct operating cost and 11 percent in drag for a 2000 nautical mile transport mission.

  20. AFLP-based genetic mapping of the “bud-flowering” trait in heather (Calluna vulgaris)

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Calluna vulgaris is one of the most important landscaping plants produced in Germany. Its enormous economic success is due to the prolonged flower attractiveness of mutants in flower morphology, the so-called bud-bloomers. In this study, we present the first genetic linkage map of C. vulgaris in which we mapped a locus of the economically highly desired trait “flower type”. Results The map was constructed in JoinMap 4.1. using 535 AFLP markers from a single mapping population. A large fraction (40%) of markers showed distorted segregation. To test the effect of segregation distortion on linkage estimation, these markers were sorted regarding their segregation ratio and added in groups to the data set. The plausibility of group formation was evaluated by comparison of the “two-way pseudo-testcross” and the “integrated” mapping approach. Furthermore, regression mapping was compared to the multipoint-likelihood algorithm. The majority of maps constructed by different combinations of these methods consisted of eight linkage groups corresponding to the chromosome number of C. vulgaris. Conclusions All maps confirmed the independent inheritance of the most important horticultural traits “flower type”, “flower colour”, and “leaf colour”. An AFLP marker for the most important breeding target “flower type” was identified. The presented genetic map of C. vulgaris can now serve as a basis for further molecular marker selection and map-based cloning of the candidate gene encoding the unique flower architecture of C. vulgaris bud-bloomers. PMID:23915059

  1. [Secondary prevention in the clinical management of patients with cardiovascular diseases. Core components, standards and outcome measures for referral and delivery].

    PubMed

    2014-01-01

    Despite major improvements in diagnostics and interventional therapies, cardiovascular diseases remain a major health care and socio-economic burden both in western and developing countries, in which this burden is increasing in close correlation to economic growth. Health authorities and the general population have started to recognize that the fight against these diseases can only be won if their burden is faced by increasing our investment on interventions in lifestyle changes and prevention. There is an overwhelming evidence of the efficacy of secondary prevention initiatives including cardiac rehabilitation in terms of reduction in morbidity and mortality. However, secondary prevention is still too poorly implemented in clinical practice, often only on selected populations and over a limited period of time. The development of systematic and full comprehensive preventive programmes is warranted, integrated in the organization of national health systems. Furthermore, systematic monitoring of the process of delivery and outcomes is a necessity Cardiology and secondary prevention, including cardiac rehabilitation, have evolved almost independently of each other and although each makes a unique contribution it is now time to join forces under the banner of preventive cardiology and create a comprehensive model that optimizes long term outcomes for patients and reduces the future burden on health care services. These are the aims that the Cardiac Rehabilitation Section of the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation has foreseen to promote secondary preventive cardiology in clinical practice.

  2. Etching Selectivity of Cr, Fe and Ni Masks on Si & SiO2 Wafers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garcia, Jorge; Lowndes, Douglas H.

    2000-10-01

    During this Summer 2000 I joined the Semiconductors and Thin Films group led by Dr. Douglas H. Lowndes at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Solid State Division. Our objective was to evaluate the selectivity that Trifluoromethane (CHF3), and Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) plasmas have for Si, SiO2 wafers and the Ni, Cr, and Fe masks; being this etching selectivity the ratio of the etching rates of the plasmas for each of the materials. We made use of Silicon and Silicon Dioxide-coated wafers that have Fe, Cr or Ni masks. In the semiconductor field, metal layers are often used as masks to protect layers underneath during processing steps; when these wafers are taken to the dry etching process, both the wafer and the mask layers’ thickness are reduced.

  3. Medical service provider networks.

    PubMed

    Mougeot, Michel; Naegelen, Florence

    2018-05-17

    In many countries, health insurers or health plans choose to contract either with any willing providers or with preferred providers. We compare these mechanisms when two medical services are imperfect substitutes in demand and are supplied by two different firms. In both cases, the reimbursement is higher when patients select the in-network provider(s). We show that these mechanisms yield lower prices, lower providers' and insurer's profits, and lower expense than in the uniform-reimbursement case. Whatever the degree of product differentiation, a not-for-profit insurer should prefer selective contracting and select a reimbursement such that the out-of-pocket expense is null. Although all providers join the network under any-willing-provider contracting in the absence of third-party payment, an asymmetric equilibrium may exist when this billing arrangement is implemented. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Group-living herbivores weigh up food availability and dominance status when making patch-joining decisions.

    PubMed

    Stears, Keenan; Kerley, Graham I H; Shrader, Adrian M

    2014-01-01

    Two key factors that influence the foraging behaviour of group-living herbivores are food availability and individual dominance status. Yet, how the combination of these factors influences the patch-joining decisions of individuals foraging within groups has scarcely been explored. To address this, we focused on the patch-joining decisions of group-living domestic goats (Capra hircus). When individuals were tested against the top four ranked goats of the herd, we found that at patches with low food availability they avoided these dominant patch-holders and only joined subordinates (i.e. costs outweighed benefits). However, as the amount of food increased, the avoidance of the top ranked individuals declined. Specifically, goats shifted and joined the patch of an individual one dominance rank higher than the previous dominant patch holder when the initial quantity of food in the new patch was twice that of the lower ranking individual's patch (i.e. benefits outweighed costs). In contrast, when individuals chose between patches held by dominant goats, other than the top four ranked goats, and subordinate individuals, we found that they equally joined the dominant and subordinate patch-holders. This joining was irrespective of the dominance gap, absolute rank of the dominant patch-holder, sex or food availability (i.e. benefits outweighed costs). Ultimately, our results highlight that herbivores weigh up the costs and benefits of both food availability and patch-holder dominance status when making patch-joining decisions. Furthermore, as the initial quantity of food increases, food availability becomes more important than dominance with regard to influencing patch-joining decisions.

  5. Aluminum and stainless steel tubes joined by simple ring and welding process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Townhill, A.

    1967-01-01

    Duranel ring is used to join aluminum and stainless steel tubing. Duranel is a bimetal made up of roll-bonded aluminum and stainless steel. This method of joining the tubing requires only two welding operations.

  6. Cooperation, conflict, and crèching behavior in goldeneye ducks.

    PubMed

    Eadie, J M; Lyon, B E

    1998-05-01

    Crèching behavior, or brood amalgamation, results in offspring being reared by adults other than their genetic parents. Although a variety of hypotheses have been proposed to explain this behavior, most assume either that brood amalgamation is accidental (i.e., nonselected) or that adoption of young is selected for because of social benefits to the young and/or adopting parents. We propose, instead, that brood amalgamation is a function of two separate processes: brood desertion and brood adoption. To examine brood desertion, we develop a graphic model to predict when parents should abandon their young and we test this model experimentally for the Barrow's goldeneye (Bucephala islandica). As predicted, females deserted their offspring when the size of the brood was experimentally reduced. Brood adoption occurred when deserted ducklings joined other broods. However, the success of ducklings in doing so was strongly dependent on the availability of potential host broods and on the age of the recipient broods. Foreign ducklings were readily accepted into young broods (<10 d old) but invariably were rejected from old broods. We could detect no benefits or costs of brood adoption to the host females, contrary to the expectations of a social benefit hypothesis. Our experiments indicate that Crèching behavior is driven by selection on adults to abandon their brood when the benefits of continued investment are outweighed by the reduction in future reproduction and selection on deserted ducklings to join other broods to obtain parental care. Rather than a form of cooperative brood care, Crèching in goldeneyes is perhaps best considered as a form of reproductive parasitism, entailing parent-offspring conflict over brood desertion and intergenerational conflict over adoption of abandoned young.

  7. Compact silicon photonic wavelength-tunable laser diode with ultra-wide wavelength tuning range

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

    Kita, Tomohiro, E-mail: tkita@ecei.tohoku.ac.jp; Tang, Rui; Yamada, Hirohito

    2015-03-16

    We present a wavelength-tunable laser diode with a 99-nm-wide wavelength tuning range. It has a compact wavelength-tunable filter with high wavelength selectivity fabricated using silicon photonics technology. The silicon photonic wavelength-tunable filter with wide wavelength tuning range was realized using two ring resonators and an asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The wavelength-tunable laser diode fabricated by butt-joining a silicon photonic filter and semiconductor optical amplifier shows stable single-mode operation over a wide wavelength range.

  8. Micro-Laser Range Finder Development: Using the Monolithic Approach

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1999-02-01

    components can be joined together, optically aligned to form the laser cavity and then sliced to produce MLC modules . This batch process can greatly reduce...the overall fabrication costs of the µLRF system. The MLC module is ultra-compact. Its overall size is approximately 56 mm (L) x 3 mm (W) x 3 mm (H) as...MLC module is placed on a laser pallet for stiffness, mechanical stability. The laser pallet size is selected as part of the integration design

  9. High temperature, oxidation resistant noble metal-Al alloy thermocouple

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smialek, James L. (Inventor); Gedwill, Michael G. (Inventor)

    1994-01-01

    A thermocouple is disclosed. The thermocouple is comprised of an electropositive leg formed of a noble metal-Al alloy and an electronegative leg electrically joined to form a thermocouple junction. The thermocouple provides for accurate and reproducible measurement of high temperatures (600 - 1300 C) in inert, oxidizing or reducing environments, gases, or vacuum. Furthermore, the thermocouple circumvents the need for expensive, strategic precious metals such as rhodium as a constituent component. Selective oxidation of rhodium is also thereby precluded.

  10. Holographic optical assembly and photopolymerized joining of planar microspheres

    DOE PAGES

    Shaw, L. A.; Chizari, S.; Panas, R. M.; ...

    2016-07-27

    The aim of this research is to demonstrate a holographically driven photopolymerization process for joining colloidal particles to create planar microstructures fixed to a substrate, which can be monitored with real-time measurement. Holographic optical tweezers (HOT) have been used to arrange arrays of microparticles prior to this work; here we introduce a new photopolymerization process for rapidly joining simultaneously handled microspheres in a plane. Additionally, we demonstrate a new process control technique for efficiently identifying when particles have been successfully joined by measuring a sufficient reduction in the particles’ Brownian motion. Furthermore, this technique and our demonstrated joining approach enablemore » HOT technology to take critical steps toward automated additive fabrication of microstructures.« less

  11. DNA double strand break repair in human bladder cancer is error prone and involves microhomology-associated end-joining

    PubMed Central

    Bentley, Johanne; Diggle, Christine P.; Harnden, Patricia; Knowles, Margaret A.; Kiltie, Anne E.

    2004-01-01

    In human cells DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) can be repaired by the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway. In a background of NHEJ deficiency, DSBs with mismatched ends can be joined by an error-prone mechanism involving joining between regions of nucleotide microhomology. The majority of joins formed from a DSB with partially incompatible 3′ overhangs by cell-free extracts from human glioblastoma (MO59K) and urothelial (NHU) cell lines were accurate and produced by the overlap/fill-in of mismatched termini by NHEJ. However, repair of DSBs by extracts using tissue from four high-grade bladder carcinomas resulted in no accurate join formation. Junctions were formed by the non-random deletion of terminal nucleotides and showed a preference for annealing at a microhomology of 8 nt buried within the DNA substrate; this process was not dependent on functional Ku70, DNA-PK or XRCC4. Junctions were repaired in the same manner in MO59K extracts in which accurate NHEJ was inactivated by inhibition of Ku70 or DNA-PKcs. These data indicate that bladder tumour extracts are unable to perform accurate NHEJ such that error-prone joining predominates. Therefore, in high-grade tumours mismatched DSBs are repaired by a highly mutagenic, microhomology-mediated, alternative end-joining pathway, a process that may contribute to genomic instability observed in bladder cancer. PMID:15466592

  12. Development of a procedure for forming assisted thermal joining of tubes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Hui; Löbbe, Christian; Staupendahl, Daniel; Tekkaya, A. Erman

    2018-05-01

    With the demand of lightweight design in the automotive industry, not only the wall-thicknesses of tubular components of the chassis or spaceframe are continuously decreased. Also the thicknesses of exhaust system parts are reduced to save material and mass. However, thinner tubular parts bring about additional challenges in joining. Welding or brazing methods, which are utilized in joining tubes with specific requirements concerning leak tightness, are sensitive to the gap between the joining partners. Furthermore, a large joining area is required to ensure the durability of the joint. The introduction of a forming step in the assembled state prior to thermal joining can define and control the gap for subsequent brazing or welding. The mechanical pre-joint resulting from the previously described calibration step also results in easier handling of the tubes prior to thermal joining. In the presented investigation, a spinning process is utilized to produce force-fit joints of varying lengths and diameter reduction and form-fit joints with varying geometrical attributes. The spinning process facilitates a high formability and geometrical flexibility, while at the achievable precision is high and the process forces are low. The strength of the joints is used to evaluate the joint quality. Finally, a comparison between joints produced by forming with subsequent brazing and original tube is conducted, which presents the high performance of the developed procedure for forming assisted thermal joining.

  13. Costs of accountable care organization participation for primary care providers: early stage results.

    PubMed

    Hofler, Richard A; Ortiz, Judith

    2016-07-28

    Little is known about the impact of joining an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) on primary care provider organization's costs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether joining an ACO is associated with an increase in a Rural Health Clinic's (RHC's) cost per visit. The analyses focused on cost per visit in 2012 and 2013 for RHCs that joined an ACO in 2012 and cost per visit in 2013 for RHCs that joined an ACO in 2013. The RHCs were located in nine states. Data were obtained from Medicare Cost Reports. The analysis was conducted taking a treatment effects approach where the treatment is joining an ACO. Propensity-score matching was employed to provide multiple single and pooled estimates of the average treatment effect on the treated. Four-hundred thirty four to 544 RHCs (depending on the type of analysis and the variables used) were used in the several analyses. Seven of the RHCs joined an ACO in 2012 and 14 joined an ACO in 2013. The mean cost per visit for RHCs that did not join an ACO rose 4.40 % from 2011 to 2012 whereas the mean cost per visit for RHCs that joined an ACO rose by triple: 13.5 %. All of the pooled estimates of the average treatment effect on the treated from the propensity-score matching showed that joining an ACO was associated with higher mean cost per visit. The range of the estimated mean cost per visit differences was $17.19 (p value = 0.00) to $25.19 (p value = 0.00). This study is one of the first to describe the cost of ACO participation from the perspective of primary care provider organizations. It appears that for at least one type of primary care provider - the RHC - there are substantial costs associated with ACO participation during the first two years.

  14. Robust Joining and Integration of Advanced Ceramics and Composites: Challenges, Opportunities, and Realities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Mrityunjay

    2006-01-01

    Advanced ceramics and fiber reinforced composites are under active consideration for use in a wide variety of high temperature applications within the aeronautics, space transportation, energy, and nuclear industries. The engineering designs of ceramic and composite components require fabrication and manufacturing of large and complex shaped parts of various thicknesses. In many instances, it is more economical to build up complex shapes by joining simple geometrical shapes. In addition, these components have to be joined or assembled with metallic sub-components. Thus, joining and attachment have been recognized as enabling technologies for successful utilization of ceramic components in various demanding applications. In this presentation, various challenges and opportunities in design, fabrication, and testing of high temperature joints in advanced ceramics and ceramic matrix composites will be presented. Silicon carbide based advanced ceramics and fiber reinforced composites in different shapes and sizes, have been joined using an affordable, robust ceramic joining technology. In addition, some examples of metal-ceramic brazing will also be presented. Microstructure and high temperature mechanical properties of joints in silicon carbide ceramics and composites will be reported. Various joint design philosophies and design issues in joining of ceramics and composites will be discussed.

  15. Experimental Investigation on Thermal Effects in Ultrasonic Joining of Thin Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Films Using Torsional Vibrations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adachi, Kazunari; Uchiyama, Kenta; Kuriyama, Takashi; Miyata, Ken; Hisamatsu, Tokuro

    2009-11-01

    The authors previously determined that thermal effects are not a dominant factor in the ultrasonic joining of very low density polyethylene (VLDPE) films using torsional vibration. Now, to confirm that the plastic materials are not “melted” by mechanically generated heat in the joining, they have conducted joining experiments for thin poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films. The temperature at the interface of two PET films of 0.1 mm thickness only increased to approximately 100 °C, and no trace of liquidation of the material was observed at the interface under a polarizing microscope. Investigation using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) revealed that the “melting point” of PET is about 260 °C, and an ultrasonically joined specimen showed no significant difference in thermal characteristics compared with an intact PET film. It was also determined that the PET films cannot be joined even after being pressed together for a period of 30 min or longer at approximately 150 °C. From the results obtained using the microscope and the DSC, the authors conclude that melting of the materials plays essentially no role in ultrasonic plastic joining.

  16. JOINING DISSIMILAR MATERIALS USING FRICTION STIR SCRIBE TECHNIQUE

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

    Upadhyay, Piyush; Hovanski, Yuri; Jana, Saumyadeep

    2016-09-01

    Development of robust and cost effective method of joining dissimilar materials can provide a critical pathway to enable widespread use of multi-material design and components in mainstream industrial applications. The use of multi-material components such as Steel-Aluminum, Aluminum-Polymer allows design engineers to optimize material utilization based on service requirements and often lead weight and cost reductions. However producing an effective joint between materials with vastly different thermal, microstructural and deformation response is highly problematic using conventional joining and /or fastening methods. This is especially challenging in cost sensitive high volume markets that largely rely on low–cost joining solutions. Friction Stirmore » Scribe technology was developed to meet the demands of joining materials with drastically different properties and melting regimes. The process enables joining of light metals like Magnesium and Aluminum to high temperature materials like Steels and Titanium. Additionally viable joints between polymer composites and metal can also be made using this method. This paper will present state of the art, progress made and challenges associated with this innovative derivative of Friction Stir welding in reference to joining dissimilar metals and polymer/metal combinations.« less

  17. Investigation of Flat Clinching Process Combined with Material Forming Technology for Aluminum Alloy.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chao; Zhao, Shengdun; Han, Xiaolan; Wang, Yongfei; Zhao, Xuzhe

    2017-12-15

    In recent years, the use of aluminum alloy has tended to increase for building lightweight automobiles to reduce their automotive weight, which is helpful to save energy and protect the environment. In order to join aluminum alloy, a flat-clinching process combined with material forming technology was investigated to join aluminum alloy sheets using an experimental and a numerical method. Al1060 was chosen as the material of the sheet, and DEFORM-2D software was used to build the numerical model. After the numerical model was validated by the experimental results, the influences of punch diameter and holder force on the materials deforming behavior of the clinched joint were analyzed using the numerical model. Then, the material flow, joining ability, and joining quality were investigated to assess the clinched joint. The results showed that an increase in punch diameter could give rise to an increase in neck thickness and interlocking length, while an increase in blank holder force induced a decrease in interlocking length and an increase in neck thickness. The joining quality could be increased by increasing the forming force. It can be concluded that a clinched joint has better joining quality for joining light-weight sheets onto automotive structures.

  18. Joining Dissimilar Materials Using Friction Stir Scribe Technique

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

    Upadhyay, Piyush; Hovanski, Yuri; Jana, Saumyadeep

    2016-10-03

    Development of a robust and cost-effective method of joining dissimilar materials could provide a critical pathway to enable widespread use of multi-material designs and components in mainstream industrial applications. The use of multi-material components such as steel-aluminum and aluminum-polymer would allow design engineers to optimize material utilization based on service requirements and could often lead to weight and cost reductions. However, producing an effective joint between materials with vastly different thermal, microstructural, and deformation responses is highly problematic using conventional joining and/or fastening methods. This is especially challenging in cost sensitive, high volume markets that largely rely on low costmore » joining solutions. Friction stir scribe technology was developed to meet the demands of joining materials with drastically different properties and melting regimes. The process enables joining of light metals like magnesium and aluminum to high temperature materials like steel and titanium. Viable joints between polymer composites and metal can also be made using this method. This paper will present the state of the art, progress made, and challenges associated with this innovative derivative of friction stir welding in reference to joining dissimilar metals and polymer/metal combinations.« less

  19. Advanced fusion welding processes, solid state joining and a successful marriage. [production of aerospace structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, F. R.

    1972-01-01

    Joining processes for aerospace systems combine fusion welding and solid state joining during production of metal structures. Detailed characteristics of electron beam welding, plasma arc welding, diffusion welding, inertia welding and weldbond processes are discussed.

  20. Advanced concepts in joining by conventional processes

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

    Edwards, G.R.; Fasching-James, A.A.; Onsoien, M.I.

    1994-12-31

    Innovations which can be made to conventional arc welding processes so that advanced materials can be more efficiently joined are considered. Three examples are discussed: (1) GTA welding of iron aluminides, (2) GMA welding of advanced steels, and (3) SMA welding of structural steels. Advanced materials present new challenges for the materials joining specialist. The three examples discussed in this paper demonstrate, however, that modest but creative alterations of conventional GTAW, GMAW, or SMAW processes can provide new and better controls for solving advanced materials joining problems.

  1. The University of Mississippi Geoinformatics Center (UMGC)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Easson, Gregory L.

    2003-01-01

    The overarching goal of the University of Mississippi Geoinformatics Center (UMGC) is to promote application of geospatial information technologies through technology education, research support, and infrastructure development. During the initial two- year phase of operation the UMGC has successfully met those goals and is uniquely positioned to continue operation and further expand the UMGC into additional academic programs. At the end of the first funding cycle, the goals of the UMGC have been and are being met through research and educational activities in the original four participating programs; Biology, Computer and Information Science, Geology and Geological Engineering, and Sociology and Anthropology, with the School of Business joining the UMGC in early 2001. Each of these departments is supporting graduate students conducting research, has created combination teaching and research laboratories, and supported faculty during the summer months.

  2. Openness to the unexpected: Our Pathways to Careers in a Federal Research Laboratory.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Newman, Kurt R.; Bunnell, David B.; Hondorp, Darryl W.; Taylor, William W.; Lynch, Abigail J.; Léonard, Nancy J.

    2014-01-01

    Many fisheries professionals may not be in the job they originally envisioned for themselves when they began their undergraduate studies. Rather, their current positions could be the result of unexpected, opportunistic, or perhaps even “lucky” open doors that led them down an unexpected path. In many cases, a mentor helped facilitate the unforeseen trajectory. We offer three unique stories about joining a federal fisheries research laboratory, from the perspective of a scientist, a joint manager-scientist, and a manager. We also use our various experiences to form recommendations that should help the next generation of fisheries professionals succeed in any stop along their journey, including being open to opportunities, setting high expectations, and finding a strong and supportive team environment to work in.

  3. Small-scale explosive seam welding. [using ribbon explosive encased in lead sheath

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bement, L. J.

    1972-01-01

    A unique small scale explosive seam welding technique is reported that has successfully joined a variety of aluminum alloys and alloy combinations in thicknesses to 0.125 inch, as well as titanium in thicknesses to 0.056 inch. The explosively welded joints are less than one-half inch in width and apparently have no long length limitation. The ribbon explosive developed in this study contains very small quantities of explosive encased in a flexible thin lead sheath. The evaluation and demonstration of this welding technique was accomplished in three phases: evaluation and optimization of ten major explosive welding variables, the development of four weld joints, and an applicational analysis which included photomicrographs, pressure integrity tests, vacuum effects, and fabrication of some potentially useful structures in aluminum and titanium.

  4. A collagen and elastic network in the wing of the bat.

    PubMed

    Holbrook, K A; Odland, G F

    1978-05-01

    Bundles of collagen fibrils, elastic fibres and fibroblasts are organized into a network that lies in the plane of a large portion of the bat wing. By ultrastructural (TEM and SEM) and biochemical analyses it was found that individual bundles of the net are similar to elastic ligaments. Although elastic fibres predominate, they are integrated and aligned in parallel with small bundles of collagen. A reticulum of fibroblasts, joined by focal junctions, forms a cellular framework throughout each bundle. Because of the unique features of the fibre bundles of the bat's wing, in particular their accessibility, and the parallel alignment of the collagen fibrils and elastic fibres in each easily isolatable fibre bundle, they should prove a most valuable model for connective tissue studies, particularly for the study of collagen-elastin interactions.

  5. UNFINISHED JOURNEY Project. Quarterly report, September 1994--December 1994

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

    NONE

    1998-02-01

    In September, 1994, the U.S. Department of Energy (Nevada Operations Office) made a $199,708 grant (through the Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Program), to the UNFINISHED JOURNEY Project. The Project began in April, 1994, to develop and implement an innovative model of student outreach by San Jose State University (SJSU) to underserved, underrepresented student populations of the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD). The Project was formed by a consortium involving SJSU, ESUHSD, some 20 private sector organizations (foundations/corporations), numerous local community/professional organizations, and approximately 100 private funders. This proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy was to havemore » the Department join this unique partnership to focus University outreach to underserved student populations to pursue careers in mathematics, science, and technology.« less

  6. Ratings of Essentialism for Eight Religious Identities.

    PubMed

    Toosi, Negin R; Ambady, Nalini

    2011-01-01

    As a social identity, religion is unique because it contains a spectrum of choice. In some religious communities, individuals are considered members by virtue of having parents of that background, and religion, culture, and ethnicity are closely intertwined. Other faith communities actively invite people of other backgrounds to join, expecting individuals to choose the religion that best fits their personal beliefs. These various methods of identification influence beliefs about the essentialist nature of religious identity. Essentialism is when social groups are considered to have deep, immutable, and inherent defining properties. In this study, college students (N=55) provided ratings of essentialism for eight religious identities: Atheist, Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, and Spiritual-but-not-religious. Significant differences in essentialism were found between the target groups. Results and implications for intergroup relations are discussed.

  7. 2012 election results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robinson, Robert; Tetzlaff, Doerthe

    2012-10-01

    On 4 October 2012, AGU members completed voting for the 2013-2014 leadership term. Union officers, Board members, section and focus group officers, and student and early career representatives to the Council were elected. All members who joined or renewed their membership by 1 July 2012 were eligible to vote in this year's leadership election. The vote was held electronically, and access to voting was provided to all eligible voters for a period of 31 days. The voting was conducted by Survey and Ballot Systems, Inc. (SBS). SBS, which offers election planning and management services, provided unique login credentials and other support services for eligible voters throughout the election. Voting results were certified by SBS on 8 October and by the AGU Tellers Committee on 9 October. The overall participation rate was 21.9%, an increase over previous AGU elections.

  8. Metal-chelate dye-controlled organization of Cd32S14(SPh)40(4-) nanoclusters into three-dimensional molecular and covalent open architecture.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Nanfeng; Lu, Haiwei; Bu, Xianhui; Feng, Pingyun

    2006-04-12

    Chalcogenide II-VI nanoclusters are usually prepared as isolated clusters and have defied numerous efforts to join them into covalent open-framework architecture with conventional templating methods such as protonated amines or inorganic cations commonly used to direct the formation of porous frameworks. Herein, we report the first templated synthesis of II-VI covalent superlattices from large II-VI tetrahedral clusters (i.e., [Cd32S14(SPh)38]2-). Our method takes advantage of low charge density of metal-chelate dyes that is a unique match with three-dimensional II-VI semiconductor frameworks in charge density, surface hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity, and spatial organization. In addition, metal-chelate dyes also serve to tune the optical properties of resulting dye semiconductor composite materials.

  9. Simpson-Arbuckle contact revisited in Northwest Oklahoma County, Oklahoma

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

    Allison, M.D.; Allen, R.W.

    The Joins Formation, the lowermost formation of the Simpson Group, is traditionally the least studied or understood of the Simpson formations. The Joins, not known to produce hydrocarbons in central Oklahoma, is frequently overlooked by those more interested in the productive Simpson formations above and the Arbuckle carbonates below. In a study of the lower Simpson to upper Arbuckle interval in northwestern Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, the Joins Formation was found to be present. The central Oklahoma section consists of interbedded gray, olive gray and green splintery moderately waxy shale, cream to light gray homogeneous microcrystallin dolomite, and microcrystalline to finemore » crystalline fossiliferous slightly glauconitic well cemented sandstones are also noted. The entire Joins Formation is moderately to very fossiliferous; primarily consisting of crinoids, ostracods, brachiopods, and trilobites. The ostracod fauna closely resembles and correlates with the Arbuckle Mountain section, which has been extensively studied over the years by such authors as Taff, Ulrich and Harris. Beneath the Joins in this area is a normal section of Arbuckle dolomites. Due to the absence of a basal sand in the Joins the separation of the Joins and Arbuckle, utilizing electric logs only, is frequently tenuous. In comparison with the Arbuckle, the Joins tends to have higher gamma ray and S.P. values. Other tools, such as resistivity, bulk density and photoelectric (PE), are frequently inconclusive. For geologists studying the Simpson-Arbuckle contact in central Oklahoma, the presence or absence of the Joins Formation is best determined through conventional lithologic and palenontologic sample identification techniques. Once this has been done, correlation of electric logs with this type log is possible for the local area.« less

  10. Functional Proteomics to Identify Moderators of CD8+ T Cell Function in Melanoma

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-05-01

    identified 17 phage that selectively bind TIL rather than effector cells. However, none of these phage influenced CD8+ TIL expansion or function in vitro...Using a novel NextGeneration sequencing approach, we have further defined another 1,000,000 phage that selectively bind TIL , of which 100,000 are unique...Using the original approach outlined in the application, we identified a total of 17 unique phage that selectively bind CD8+ TIL but not effector or

  11. Live neighbor-joining.

    PubMed

    Telles, Guilherme P; Araújo, Graziela S; Walter, Maria E M T; Brigido, Marcelo M; Almeida, Nalvo F

    2018-05-16

    In phylogenetic reconstruction the result is a tree where all taxa are leaves and internal nodes are hypothetical ancestors. In a live phylogeny, both ancestral and living taxa may coexist, leading to a tree where internal nodes may be living taxa. The well-known Neighbor-Joining heuristic is largely used for phylogenetic reconstruction. We present Live Neighbor-Joining, a heuristic for building a live phylogeny. We have investigated Live Neighbor-Joining on datasets of viral genomes, a plausible scenario for its application, which allowed the construction of alternative hypothesis for the relationships among virus that embrace both ancestral and descending taxa. We also applied Live Neighbor-Joining on a set of bacterial genomes and to sets of images and texts. Non-biological data may be better explored visually when their relationship in terms of content similarity is represented by means of a phylogeny. Our experiments have shown interesting alternative phylogenetic hypothesis for RNA virus genomes, bacterial genomes and alternative relationships among images and texts, illustrating a wide range of scenarios where Live Neighbor-Joining may be used.

  12. In vivo blunt-end cloning through CRISPR/Cas9-facilitated non-homologous end-joining

    PubMed Central

    Geisinger, Jonathan M.; Turan, Sören; Hernandez, Sophia; Spector, Laura P.; Calos, Michele P.

    2016-01-01

    The CRISPR/Cas9 system facilitates precise DNA modifications by generating RNA-guided blunt-ended double-strand breaks. We demonstrate that guide RNA pairs generate deletions that are repaired with a high level of precision by non-homologous end-joining in mammalian cells. We present a method called knock-in blunt ligation for exploiting these breaks to insert exogenous PCR-generated sequences in a homology-independent manner without loss of additional nucleotides. This method is useful for making precise additions to the genome such as insertions of marker gene cassettes or functional elements, without the need for homology arms. We successfully utilized this method in human and mouse cells to insert fluorescent protein cassettes into various loci, with efficiencies up to 36% in HEK293 cells without selection. We also created versions of Cas9 fused to the FKBP12-L106P destabilization domain in an effort to improve Cas9 performance. Our in vivo blunt-end cloning method and destabilization-domain-fused Cas9 variant increase the repertoire of precision genome engineering approaches. PMID:26762978

  13. Component improvement of free-piston Stirling engine key technology for space power

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alger, Donald L.

    1988-01-01

    The successful performance of the 25 kW Space Power Demonstrator (SPD) engine during an extensive testing period has provided a baseline of free piston Stirling engine technology from which future space Stirling engines may evolve. Much of the success of the engine was due to the initial careful selection of engine materials, fabrication and joining processes, and inspection procedures. Resolution of the few SPD engine problem areas that did occur has resulted in the technological advancement of certain key free piston Stirling engine components. Derivation of two half-SPD, single piston engines from the axially opposed piston SPD engine, designated as Space Power Research (SPR) engines, has made possible the continued improvement of these engine components. The two SPR engines serve as test bed engines for testing of engine components. Some important fabrication and joining processes are reviewed. Also, some component deficiencies that were discovered during SPD engine testing are described and approaches that were taken to correct these deficiencies are discussed. Potential component design modifications, based upon the SPD and SPR engine testing, are also reported.

  14. Identification of auxotrophic mutants of the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus by non-homologous end joining-mediated integrative transformation with genes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed

    Yarimizu, Tohru; Nonklang, Sanom; Nakamura, Junpei; Tokuda, Shuya; Nakagawa, Takaaki; Lorreungsil, Sasithorn; Sutthikhumpha, Surasit; Pukahuta, Charida; Kitagawa, Takao; Nakamura, Mikiko; Cha-Aim, Kamonchai; Limtong, Savitree; Hoshida, Hisashi; Akada, Rinji

    2013-12-01

    The isolation and application of auxotrophic mutants for gene manipulations, such as genetic transformation, mating selection and tetrad analysis, form the basis of yeast genetics. For the development of these genetic methods in the thermotolerant fermentative yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus, we isolated a series of auxotrophic mutants with defects in amino acid or nucleic acid metabolism. To identify the mutated genes, linear DNA fragments of nutrient biosynthetic pathway genes were amplified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosomal DNA and used to directly transform the K. marxianus auxotrophic mutants by random integration into chromosomes through non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). The appearance of transformant colonies indicated that the specific S. cerevisiae gene complemented the K. marxianus mutant. Using this interspecific complementation approach with linear PCR-amplified DNA, we identified auxotrophic mutations of ADE2, ADE5,7, ADE6, HIS2, HIS3, HIS4, HIS5, HIS6, HIS7, LYS1, LYS2, LYS4, LYS9, LEU1, LEU2, MET2, MET6, MET17, TRP3, TRP4 and TRP5 without the labour-intensive requirement of plasmid construction. Mating, sporulation and tetrad analysis techniques for K. marxianus were also established. With the identified auxotrophic mutant strains and S. cerevisiae genes as selective markers, NHEJ-mediated integrative transformation with PCR-amplified DNA is an attractive system for facilitating genetic analyses in the yeast K. marxianus. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. The unique peptidome: Taxon-specific tryptic peptides as biomarkers for targeted metaproteomics.

    PubMed

    Mesuere, Bart; Van der Jeugt, Felix; Devreese, Bart; Vandamme, Peter; Dawyndt, Peter

    2016-09-01

    The Unique Peptide Finder (http://unipept.ugent.be/peptidefinder) is an interactive web application to quickly hunt for tryptic peptides that are unique to a particular species, genus, or any other taxon. Biodiversity within the target taxon is represented by a set of proteomes selected from a monthly updated list of complete and nonredundant UniProt proteomes, supplemented with proprietary proteomes loaded into persistent local browser storage. The software computes and visualizes pan and core peptidomes as unions and intersections of tryptic peptides occurring in the selected proteomes. In addition, it also computes and displays unique peptidomes as the set of all tryptic peptides that occur in all selected proteomes but not in any UniProt record not assigned to the target taxon. As a result, the unique peptides can serve as robust biomarkers for the target taxon, for example, in targeted metaproteomics studies. Computations are extremely fast since they are underpinned by the Unipept database, the lowest common ancestor algorithm implemented in Unipept and modern web technologies that facilitate in-browser data storage and parallel processing. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. The Joining-Up Process: Issues in Effective Human Resource Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frohman, Alan L.; Kotter, John P.

    1975-01-01

    Four specific problems associated with ineffective and expensive joining-up which are examined in the article are: (1) mismatched expectations; (2) stifling creativity and challenge; (3) lack of managerial awareness and sensitivity to joining-up issues; and (4) using inappropriate or incomplete screening criteria. Solutions are suggested; a table…

  17. Fermilab Friends for Science Education | Join Us

    Science.gov Websites

    Fermilab Friends for Science Education FFSE Home About Us Join Us Support Us Contact Us Join Us photo Fermilab Friends for Science Education (FFSE) needs you now! More than ever our society and improving science (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. Your donation allows us to

  18. Joining Forces. A Team Approach to Secondary School Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Rima; Corcoran, Thomas B.

    This manual is designed to guide the implementation of the Joining Forces Program, a comprehensive improvement process for secondary schools. Implementation of the program requires the cooperative effort of the local school district, state and local education associations, and the administration and staff of participating schools. Joining Forces…

  19. Newly Branded Energy Systems Integration Group Joins International

    Science.gov Websites

    research fellow at NREL. Likewise, UVIG sees opportunity in partnering with iiESI. The international Group Joins International Institute for Energy Systems Integration Newly Branded Energy Systems Integration Group Joins International Institute for Energy Systems Integration March 22, 2018 The world of

  20. Joining of advanced materials by superplastic deformation

    DOEpatents

    Goretta, Kenneth C.; Routbort, Jules L.; Gutierrez-Mora, Felipe

    2008-08-19

    A method for utilizing superplastic deformation with or without a novel joint compound that leads to the joining of advanced ceramic materials, intermetallics, and cermets. A joint formed by this approach is as strong as or stronger than the materials joined. The method does not require elaborate surface preparation or application techniques.

  1. Joining of advanced materials by superplastic deformation

    DOEpatents

    Goretta, Kenneth C.; Routbort, Jules L.; Gutierrez-Mora, Felipe

    2005-12-13

    A method for utilizing superplastic deformation with or without a novel joint compound that leads to the joining of advanced ceramic materials, intermetallics, and cermets. A joint formed by this approach is as strong as or stronger than the materials joined. The method does not require elaborate surface preparation or application techniques.

  2. Pulse joining cartridges

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

    Golovashchenko, Sergey Fedorovich; Bonnen, John Joseph Francis

    A pulsed joining tool includes a tool body that defines a cavity that receives an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member and a pulse joining cartridge. The tubular members are nested together with the cartridge being disposed around the outer tubular member. The cartridge includes a conductor, such as a wire or foil, that extends around the outer tubular member and is insulated to separate a supply segment from a return segment. A source of stored electrical energy is discharged through the conductor to join the tubular members with an electromagnetic force pulse.

  3. Pulse joining cartridges

    DOEpatents

    Golovashchenko, Sergey Fedorovich; Bonnen, John Joseph Francis

    2016-08-23

    A pulsed joining tool includes a tool body that defines a cavity that receives an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member and a pulse joining cartridge. The tubular members are nested together with the cartridge being disposed around the outer tubular member. The cartridge includes a conductor, such as a wire or foil, that extends around the outer tubular member and is insulated to separate a supply segment from a return segment. A source of stored electrical energy is discharged through the conductor to join the tubular members with an electromagnetic force pulse.

  4. The Effect of Temperature and Rotational Speed on Structure and Mechanical Properties of Cast Cu Base Alloy (Cu-Al-Si-Fe) Welded by Semisolid Stir Joining Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferasat, Keyvan; Aashuri, Hossein; Kokabi, Amir Hossein; Shafizadeh, Mahdi; Nikzad, Siamak

    2015-12-01

    Semisolid stir joining has been under deliberation as a possible method for joining of copper alloys. In this study, the effect of temperature and rotational speed of stirrer on macrostructure evaluation and mechanical properties of samples were investigated. Optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction were performed for macro and microstructural analysis. A uniform micro-hardness profile was attained by semisolid stir joining method. The ultimate shear strength and bending strength of welded samples were improved in comparison with the cast sample. There is also lower area porosity in welded samples than the cast metal. The mechanical properties were improved by increasing temperature and rotational speed of the joining process.

  5. Prospects of joining multi-material structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sankaranarayanan, R.; Hynes, N. Rajesh Jesudoss

    2018-05-01

    Spring up trends and necessities make the pipelines for the brand new Technologies. The same way, Multimaterial structures emerging as fruitful alternatives for the conventional structures in the manufacturing sector. Especially manufacturing of transport vehicles is placing a perfect platform for these new structures. Bonding or joining technology plays a crucial role in the field of manufacturing for sustainability. These latest structures are purely depending on such joining technologies so that multi-material structuring can be possible practically. The real challenge lies on joining dissimilar materials of different properties and nature. Escalation of thermoplastic usage in large structural components also faces similar ambiguity for joining multi-material structures. Adhesive bonding, mechanical fastening and are the answering technologies for multi-material structures. This current paper analysis the prospects of these bonding technologies to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

  6. Sibling rivalry: competition between Pol X family members in V(D)J recombination and general double strand break repair.

    PubMed

    Nick McElhinny, Stephanie A; Ramsden, Dale A

    2004-08-01

    The nonhomologous end-joining pathway is a major means for repairing double-strand breaks (DSBs) in all mitotic cell types. This repair pathway is also the only efficient means for resolving DSB intermediates in V(D)J recombination, a lymphocyte-specific genome rearrangement required for assembly of antigen receptors. A role for polymerases in end-joining has been well established. They are a major factor in determining the character of repair junctions but, in contrast to 'core' end-joining factors, typically appear to have a subtle impact on the efficiency of end-joining. Recent work implicates several members of the Pol X family in end-joining and suggests surprising complexity in the control of how these different polymerases are employed in this pathway.

  7. Self-Pierce Riveting of Three Aluminium Alloy and Mild Steel Sheets

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

    Mori, K.; Abe, Y.; Sakai, S.

    2010-06-15

    Three aluminium alloy and steel sheets were joined with a self-piercing rivet. Self-pierce riveting has the function of joining steel and aluminium alloys having very different melting points due to plastic joining. The requisites for joining the three sheets are the driving of the rivet leg through the middle sheet, the flaring of the rivet leg in the lower sheet and the prevention of the fracture of the lower sheet. The joinability for various combinations of the three sheets was determined. When the rivet leg is small, no driving through the middle sheet occurs, the lower sheet ruptures for amore » large rivet leg. In addition, 980 MPa high strength steel, mild steel and aluminium alloy sheets were joined by the self-pierce riveting.« less

  8. Joining and Assembly of Silicon Carbide-based Advanced Ceramics and Composites for High Temperature Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, M.

    2004-01-01

    Silicon carbide based advanced ceramics and fiber reinforced composites are under active consideration for use in wide variety of high temperature applications within the aeronautics, space transportation, energy, and nuclear industries. The engineering designs of ceramic and composite component require fabrication and manufacturing of large and complex shaped parts of various thicknesses. In many instances, it is more economical to build up complex shapes by joining simple geometrical shapes. In addition these components have to be joined or assembled with metallic sub-components. Thus, joining and attachment have been recognized as enabling technologies for successful utilization of ceramic components in various demanding applications. In this presentation, various challenges and opportunities in design, fabrication, and testing o high temperature joints in ceramic matrix composites will be presented. Silicon carbide based advanced ceramics (CVD and hot pressed), and C/SiC and SiC/SiC composites, in different shapes and sizes, have been joined using an affordable, robust ceramic joining technology (ARCJoinT). Microstructure and high temperature mechanical properties of joints in silicon carbide ceramics and CVI and melt infiltrated SiC matrix composites will,be reported. Various joint design philosophies and design issues in joining of ceramics and composites well be discussed.

  9. Improving Self-Pierce Rivet Performance through Processing and Alloy Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Hall, Stephen N.

    Spot welding has been used to join steel sheet material in the past during automotive manufacturing. The increasing use of aluminum and mixed materials to achieve continually increasing fuel economy standards requires mechanical joining methods to provide adequate impact performance. One such mechanical joining process is self-pierce riveting (SPR). Self-pierce riveting has grown in popularity in recent years due to fast cycle times, high static strength and fatigue performance as well as the ability to join many different sheet material combinations. Self-pierce rivet utilization has become limited due to the material properties of the rivet in two main areas: the joining of high-strength sheet material and joining of multiple sheet material combinations using a single rivet geometry, referred to as commonization. Two specific case studies have been developed to assess the failures that occur and evaluate potential solutions: joining of press-hardened steel (PHS) to Al6111 and improved commonization ability using a two layer aluminum joint that is currently joined with a specialized rivet. Riveting trials have been performed on each of the two case studies using cold forged rivets produced from 10B37 steel that has been heat-treated through a quench and temper process to a range of hardness levels to evaluate the failures that occur within the rivet. The failures occur with two different modes: buckling of the rivet at hardness values below 550 HV when joining PHS and Al6111 and fractures that occur in the rivet tail at hardness values above 550 HV during joining in each of the case studies under evaluation. The fractures have been attributed to a high degree of hoop strain that forms when the rivets are flared beyond the design specifications. A method to replicate the rivet flaring procedure under laboratory conditions has been developed by flaring the rivets through various strain paths to induce a hoop strain and the resultant fractures. The flaring method shows the ability to replicate the types of fractures that were observed during joining attempts while monitoring applied force, crosshead displacement and strain at the point of fracture at the rivet tail using digital image correlation. Alternative alloys including 4130, 4340 and 5160 were evaluated alongside 10B37 for improved performance after quenching and tempering, austempering and after being intentionally decarburized to varying degrees. The heat-treatments were evaluated through microscopy, fractography, rivet flaring and joining attempts for each case study and alloy under investigation. All of the alternative alloys showed no significant performance gains after being quenched and tempered or austempered. However, hoop strain to failure during flaring was increased between 2-4x after the rivets had been intentionally decarburized. The intentionally decarburized rivets were evaluated through joining trials and provided successful joining for each of the case studies under investigation using 10B37 rivets. Rivets produced from 4340 and 5160 also showed instances of success during joining attempts. The Cockroft and Latham failure criterion was evaluated in regards to rivet flaring through the development of finite element simulations using Abaqus. The Cockroft and Latham failure criterion was able to successfully predict the location of riveting fractures through multiple strain paths, rivet geometries and microstructures. Cockroft and Latham values from tensile tests of 10B37 wire led to an underestimate of the strain to failure when compared to the rivet flaring process for quenched and tempered rivets but was very similar to the strain predicted for rivets that had been intentionally decarburized.

  10. Transient response of nonideal ion-selective microchannel-nanochannel devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leibowitz, Neta; Schiffbauer, Jarrod; Park, Sinwook; Yossifon, Gilad

    2018-04-01

    We report evidence of variation in ion selectivity of a fabricated microchannel-nanochannel device resulting in the appearance of a distinct local maximum in the overlimiting chronopotentiometric response. In this system consisting of shallow microchannels joined by a nanochannel, viscous shear at the microchannel walls suppresses the electro-osmotic instability and prevents any associated contribution to the nonmonotonic response. Thus, this response is primarily electrodiffusive. Numerical simulations indicate that concentration polarization develops not only within the microchannel but also within the nanochannel itself, with a local voltage maximum in the chronopotentiometric response correlated with interfacial depletion and having the classic i-2 Sands time dependence. Furthermore, the occurrence of the local maxima is correlated with the change in selectivity due to internal concentration polarization. Understanding the transient nonideal permselective response is essential for obtaining fundamental insight and for optimizing efficient operation of practical fabricated nanofluidic and membrane devices.

  11. Chirality- and sequence-selective successive self-sorting via specific homo- and complementary-duplex formations

    PubMed Central

    Makiguchi, Wataru; Tanabe, Junki; Yamada, Hidekazu; Iida, Hiroki; Taura, Daisuke; Ousaka, Naoki; Yashima, Eiji

    2015-01-01

    Self-recognition and self-discrimination within complex mixtures are of fundamental importance in biological systems, which entirely rely on the preprogrammed monomer sequences and homochirality of biological macromolecules. Here we report artificial chirality- and sequence-selective successive self-sorting of chiral dimeric strands bearing carboxylic acid or amidine groups joined by chiral amide linkers with different sequences through homo- and complementary-duplex formations. A mixture of carboxylic acid dimers linked by racemic-1,2-cyclohexane bis-amides with different amide sequences (NHCO or CONH) self-associate to form homoduplexes in a completely sequence-selective way, the structures of which are different from each other depending on the linker amide sequences. The further addition of an enantiopure amide-linked amidine dimer to a mixture of the racemic carboxylic acid dimers resulted in the formation of a single optically pure complementary duplex with a 100% diastereoselectivity and complete sequence specificity stabilized by the amidinium–carboxylate salt bridges, leading to the perfect chirality- and sequence-selective duplex formation. PMID:26051291

  12. Studying the Issues in Laser Joining of Lightweight Materials in a Coach-Peel Joint Configuration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Guang

    In the automotive industry, aluminum alloys have been widely used and partially replaced the conventional steel structures in order to decrease the weight of a car and improve its fuel efficiency. This Thesis focuses on the development of laser joining of light-weight materials, such as aluminum alloys and high-strength galvanized steels. Among different joint types, the coach-peel configuration is of a specific design that requires a heat source capable of heating up a large surface area of the joint. Coach-peel joints applied on the visible exterior of a car require a smooth transition from the weld surface to the panel surface and low surface roughness without any need for post-processing. Although these joints are used as non-load-bearing components, a desirable strength of the weld is also needed. A fusion-brazing process using a dual-beam laser allows the automotive components such as the roof and side member panels to be joined in a coach-peel configuration with a high surface quality as well as an acceptable strength of the weld. To improve the weld surface quality, processing parameters such as laser beam configuration, laser-wire position, and shielding gas parameters were optimized for joining of aluminum alloy to aluminum alloy. Laser power was optimized for dual-beam laser joining of aluminum alloy to galvanized steel at high speed. The feasibility of joining as-received panels with lubricant was also explored. The identification of strain hardening models of aluminum alloys was conducted for the mechanical finite element analysis of the joint. Control of the molten pool solidification through the selection of laser beam configuration is one approach to improve joint quality. Laser joining of aluminum alloy AA 6111-T4 coach peel panels with the addition of AA 4047 filler wire was investigated using three configurations of laser beam: a single beam, dual beams in-line with the weld bead, and dual beams aligned perpendicular to the weld bead (herein referred to as cross-beam). To compare the three joining processes, the transient heat distribution, cooling rates, and solidification rates were analyzed by three-dimensional finite element models using ANSYS. Microstructure evolution, tensile strength, fracture mechanisms, and surface roughness of joints were investigated accordingly. To improve the weld surface quality of aluminum joints, the laser-wire position and the gas parameters were optimized. Visualization of the gas flow by a CCD camera revealed the effects of nozzle shape, flow rate, inclination angle of the gas tube, nozzle position, and gas compositions (argon and helium) on the weld surface quality. The suppression of plasma plume and the effects of oxidation on the molten pool were illustrated in detail. With an optimized set of processing parameters, the weld surface roughness (Ra) of approximately 1 microm can be achieved. The feasibility of fabricating the aluminum alloy panel joint in the as-received condition, i.e., with stamping lubricant, by using the cross-beam laser was investigated. Two commercial mineral oils, Bonderite L-FM MP-404 and Ferrocote 61 MAL HCL, were applied onto clean panels prior to joining in order to simulate the conditions of the production environment. The formation and growth of hydrogen bubbles inside the molten pool, the stability of welding process, and the possible energy absorption capability of the porous weld were explained. Besides joining of similar materials, cross-beam laser was applied to join aluminum alloy 6111 to hot-dip galvanized steel in the coach-peel configuration. The filler material was not only brazed onto the galvanized steel but also partially fusion-welded with the aluminum panel. Through adjusting the laser power to 3.4 kW, a desirable wetting and spreading of filler wire on both panel surfaces could be achieved, and the thickness of intermetallic layer in the middle section of the interface between the weld bead and steel was less than 2 microm. To better understand the solid/liquid interfacial reaction at the brazing interface, two rotary Gaussian heat source models were introduced to simulate the temperature distribution in the molten pool by using the finite element method. Joint properties were examined in terms of microstructure and mechanical properties. Simulation of the mechanical response of a coach-peel joint is instructive for improvement of the joining process. The effective true stress-strain curve of fusion-brazed AA 4047 was difficult to obtain experimentally. Therefore, the von Mises isotropic flow function of the weld bead was inversely derived by image-based finite element analysis. Through iterative correction, the predicted tensile response of the coach-peel joint matched well with the experiment. The von Mises fracture stresses at the fusion zone boundary and the brazing interface were identified, respectively.

  13. Preliminary Outcomes from a Week-Long Environmental Engineering Summer Camp for High School Female Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balasubramanian, S.; Koloutsou-Vakakis, S.

    2014-12-01

    There is a need for environment engineers and sustainability managers to address global environmental, energy and health challenges. Environmental literacy programs at K-12 level provide a unique opportunity in motivating young minds in joining STEM and also provide additional value in learning about "saving planet earth". The Women in Engineering at the University of Illinois organize an annual week long camp, for female high school students with tracks corresponding to different fields of Engineering. The Environmental Engineering and Sustainability (EES) track is organized by faculty and graduate students of the Civil and Environmental Engineering department and introduces students to concepts in sustainability and systems thinking in connection with air and water quality, climate change and renewable energy. This study is a preliminary assessment of the relevance of the EES outreach track conducted in July 2014 in student learning. Specific goals include assessing (a) demographics of participants and their motivation to join this camp, (b) educational and enjoyability quotients of the modules and (c) learning and motivational outcomes using the Likert scale. A pre-camp survey indicated keen interest in learning about environmental engineering (4.56/5.0) and expected this camp to be a venue to learn about related career choices (4.9/5.0). Five days of instruction were divided thematically and included a mix of lectures, activity based learning, demonstrations and field visits. Overall modules were rated as educational (4.4/5.0) and enjoyable (4.5/5.0). Modules with hands-on learning were best received (4.67/5.0) and rated unique (4.7/5.0). Post camp, participants acknowledged the important contribution of environmental engineers to society (4.8/5.0) and could relate the different modules to the role engineer's play (4.06/5.0) for sustainability. On an average, the participants evinced interest in engineering as a career choice (4.0/5.0) but there was a broader range of responses regarding environmental engineering as their career choice (3.13/5.0).

  14. High-precision and high-speed laser microjoining for electronics and microsystems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gillner, Arnold; Olowinsky, Alexander; Klages, Kilian; Gedicke, Jens; Sari, Fahri

    2006-02-01

    The joining processes in electronic device manufacturing are today still dominated by conventional joining techniques like press fitting, crimping and resistance welding. Laser beam joining techniques have been under intensive investigations and subsequently new processes for mass manufacturing and high accuracy assembling were established. With the newly developed SHADOW (R) welding technology technical aspects such as tensile strength, geometry and precision of the weld could be improved. This technology provides highest flexibility in weld geometry with a minimum welding time as well as new possibilities in using application adapted materials. Different parts and even different metals can be joined by a non-contact process. The application of a relative movement between the laser beam and the part to be joined at feed rates of up to 60 m/min produces weld seams with a length from 0.6 mm to 15.7 mm using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with a pulse duration of up to 50 ms. Due to the low energy input, typically 1 J to 6 J, a weld width as small as 50 μm and a weld depth as small as 20 pm have been attained. This results in low distortion of the joined watch components. Within this paper this new welding process will be explained and several examples of joined components will be presented with respect to fundamentals and the sustainable implementation of the SHADOW (R) welding technique into watch manufacturing and electronic industry. For microsystem applications the laser joining technology is modified to join even silicon and glass parts without any melting based on the formation of a thermally induced oxygen bond. New fields of applications for joining different materials such as steel to brass or steel to copper for electrical interconnects will be discussed. Here the SHADOW (R) welding technique offers new possibilities for the combination of good electrical properties of copper with high mechanical stiffness of steel. The paper will give a closer look to microjoining applications especially using the SHADOW (R) welding technique. Basics of the process as well as its application on dedicated examples will be shown for small parts such as axis-wheel combinations and electrical connectors.

  15. Searching CINAHL did not add value to clinical questions posed in NICE guidelines.

    PubMed

    Beckles, Zosia; Glover, Sarah; Ashe, Joanna; Stockton, Sarah; Boynton, Janette; Lai, Rosalind; Alderson, Philip

    2013-09-01

    This study aims to quantify the unique useful yield from the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) database to National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) clinical guidelines. A secondary objective is to investigate the relationship between this yield and different clinical question types. It is hypothesized that the unique useful yield from CINAHL is low, and this database can therefore be relegated to selective rather than routine searching. A retrospective sample of 15 NICE guidelines published between 2005 and 2009 was taken. Information on clinical review question type, number of references, and reference source was extracted. Only 0.33% (95% confidence interval: 0.01-0.64%) of references per guideline were unique to CINAHL. Nursing- or allied health (AH)-related questions were nearly three times as likely to have references unique to CINAHL as non-nursing- or AH-related questions (14.89% vs. 5.11%), and this relationship was found to be significant (P<0.05). No significant relationship was found between question type and unique CINAHL yield for drug-related questions. The very low proportion of references unique to CINAHL strongly suggests that this database can be safely relegated to selective rather than routine searching. Nursing- and AH-related questions would benefit from selective searching of CINAHL. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. The Flying Diamond: A joined aircraft configuration design project, volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ball, Chris; Czech, Joe; Lentz, Bryan; Kobashigawa, Daryl; Oishi, Curtis; Poladian, David

    1988-01-01

    The results of the analysis conducted on the Joined Wing Configuration study are presented. The joined wing configuration employs a conventional fuselage and incorporates two wings joined together near their tips to form a diamond shape in both plan view and front view. The arrangement of the lifting surfaces uses the rear wing as a horizontal tail and as a forward wing strut. The rear wing has its root at the tip of the vertical stabilizer and is structurally attached to the trailing edge of the forward wing. This arrangement of the two wings forms a truss structure which is inherently resistant to the aerodynamic bending loads generated during flight. This allows for a considerable reduction in the weight of the lifting surfaces. With smaller internal wing structures needed, the Joined Wing may employ thinner wings which are more suitable for supersonic and hypersonic flight, having less induced drag than conventional cantilever winged aircraft. Inherent in the Joined Wing is the capability of the generation of direct lift and side force which enhance the performance parameters.

  17. Identifying and changing the normative beliefs about aggression which lead young Muslim adults to join extremist anti-Semitic groups in Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Amjad, Naumana; Wood, Alex M

    2009-01-01

    Two studies investigated the role of beliefs about the acceptability of aggression ("normative beliefs") against Jews in determining who would join an extremist group. In Study 1, students in a university in Pakistan (N=144) completed self-report attitude measures, and were subsequently approached by a confederate who asked whether they wanted to join an extremist anti-Semitic organization. Normative beliefs about aggression against Jews were very strong predictors of whether participants agreed to join. In Study 2, participants (N=92) were experimentally assigned to either a brief educational intervention, designed to improve inter-group relations, or to a control group. They also filled in self-report attitude measures pre and post intervention. Participants in the intervention group were much less likely to agree to join the extremist group, and this effect of the intervention on joining was mediated by changes in normative beliefs about aggression against Jews. The results have implications for theories of inter-group aggression and interventions to prevent people from being recruited into extremist groups.

  18. Laser beam joining of material combinations for automotive applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schubert, Emil; Zerner, Ingo; Sepold, Gerd

    1997-08-01

    An ideal material for automotive applications would combine the following properties: high corrosion resistance, high strength, high stiffness and not at least a low material price. Today a single material is not able to meet all these requirements. Therefore, in the future different materials will be placed where they meet the requirements best. The result of this consideration is a car body with many different alloys and metals, which have to be joined to one another. BIAS is working on the development of laser based joining technologies for different material combinations, especially for thin sheets used in automotive applications. One result of the research is a joining technology for an aluminum-steel-joint. Using a Nd:YAG laser the problem of brittle intermetallic phases between these materials was overcome. Using suitable temperature-time cycles, elected by a FEM-simulation, the thickness of intermetallic phases was kept below 10 micrometers . This technology was also applied to coated steels, which were joined with different aluminum alloys. Further it is demonstrated that titanium alloys, e.g. used for racing cars, can also be joined with aluminum alloys.

  19. Challenges, Ideas, and Innovations of Joined-Wing Configurations: A Concept from the Past, an Opportunity for the Future

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cavallaro, Rauno; Demasi, Luciano

    2016-11-01

    Diamond Wings, Strut- and Truss-Braced Wings, Box Wings, and PrandtlPlane, the so-called "JoinedWings", represent a dramatic departure from traditional configurations. Joined Wings are characterized by a structurally overconstrained layout which significantly increases the design space with multiple load paths and numerous solutions not available in classical wing systems. A tight link between the different disciplines (aerodynamics, flight mechanics, aeroelasticity, etc.) makes a Multidisciplinary Design and Optimization approach a necessity from the early design stages. Researchers showed potential in terms of aerodynamic efficiency, reduction of emissions and superior performances, strongly supporting the technical advantages of Joined Wings. This review will present these studies, with particular focus on the United States joined-wing SensorCraft, Strut- and Truss- Braced Wings, Box Wings and PrandtlPlane.

  20. The effect of individual liveweight and condition of beef cows on their reproductive performance and birth and weaning weights of calves.

    PubMed

    Morris, S T; Morel, P C H; Kenyon, P R

    2006-04-01

    To examine of the influence of liveweight (LW), condition (CS) and age of dam on inter-calving interval (ICI), date of calving, days from joining to calving, and birth and weaning weights of calves. LW and CS were measured in a herd of mixed-aged (3-8 years) Hereford x Friesian beef cows on four occasions, annually, over a 3-year period from joining (the date bulls were introduced into the herd at the start of a restricted breeding season) in November 2000 to weaning in March 2004. The four dates of weighing and condition-scoring were joining (November), weaning (March), winter (June), and pre-calving (August). Calves were tagged, identified to their dam, and weighed within 24 h of birth, and at weaning. Date of calving, ICI and days from joining to calving were determined. The CS and LW of cows varied between years. LW increased in cows up to 6 years of age. Three-year-old cows had a longer ICI than older cows. Change in CS and LW from winter to pre-calving and pre-calving to joining were negatively correlated with ICI for younger cows but not for cows > or = 5 years (CS) and 6-8 years (LW) old. No difference in CS or LW precalving was evident between cows that subsequently became pregnant compared with non-pregnant cows, although cows that became pregnant gained more condition from pre-calving to joining than non-pregnant cows. Pregnant cows were heavier and had higher CS at joining than non-pregnant cows. Young cows, up to second-mating as 3-year-olds, would benefit from separate nutritional management from older cows, to ensure ICI and days to conception are kept at targeted levels. In addition, increasing CS from pre-calving to joining and higher LW and CS at joining resulted in higher pregnancy rates.

  1. Physician participation in alternative health plans

    PubMed Central

    Rosenbach, Margo L.; Harrow, Brooke S.; Hurdle, Sylvia

    1988-01-01

    In this article, physician participation in alternative health plans is examined, using cross-sectional data from the Physicians' Practice Costs and Income Survey, 1983-85. Overall, about one-third of physicians participated in one or more plans, ranging from 18 percent of general practitioners to 46 percent of medical subspecialists. Only 19 percent, however, received income from prepaid sources, averaging $5,275 per physician. Reasons for joining or not joining are also examined. Participants joined most often to maintain or increase workload, while nonparticipants most often declined to join because they would be giving up independence. PMID:10312633

  2. [Early prenatal diagnosis of diprosopic syncephalic joined twins].

    PubMed

    Picaud, A; Nlome-Nze, A R; Engongha-Beka, T; Ogowet-Igumu, N

    1990-06-01

    The authors summarize the case of diprosopic syncephalic joined twins diagnosed at 22 weeks of pregnancy by ultrasonography performed because of hydramnios. The rate of separation anomalies of monozygotic twins is assessed by a review of the literature: from 1 to twenty to fifty thousands for joined twins to 1 per cent fifty thousand to fifteen millions for diprosopus. The etiology is the result of a late division of the egg between D12 and D16. Often an encephalic diprosopic joined twins cause elevated levels of maternal serum alpha protein. Early ultrasonography permits to consider a vaginal therapeutic abortion.

  3. Performing a global barrier operation in a parallel computer

    DOEpatents

    Archer, Charles J; Blocksome, Michael A; Ratterman, Joseph D; Smith, Brian E

    2014-12-09

    Executing computing tasks on a parallel computer that includes compute nodes coupled for data communications, where each compute node executes tasks, with one task on each compute node designated as a master task, including: for each task on each compute node until all master tasks have joined a global barrier: determining whether the task is a master task; if the task is not a master task, joining a single local barrier; if the task is a master task, joining the global barrier and the single local barrier only after all other tasks on the compute node have joined the single local barrier.

  4. AGARD Flight Test Instrumentation Series. Volume 13. Practical Aspects of Instrumentation System Installation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-09-01

    III I’ CANOWN" AA HNE Figure 3.3-4 Rzxsqle. Block Diagrami 24 PI LOT AIRBORNE IGROUND AGC AMPLIFIER AGC AMPLIFIER BASE • FM BASEBAND LINKE SQUARE I OO...in that T 0- •,~ ao •, _4 U- - & - @ Figure 3.3-6 Point to Point Inter- Connect Diagram. 25 the wires are merged, or joined, into no @ Lot ".U~ AFT...result in a " bottoning -out" of the isolators during high amplitude vibration. For a properly selected rubber mount, the wearing should be conservative

  5. Dynamic Information Management and Exchange for Command and Control Applications: A Framework in Support of Emergency Management for Specified and Unspecified Emergencies

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-03-01

    64 selections, 128 aggregations and 510 join operators . 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 T im e...DC, USA, 2001, IEEE Computer So- ciety, pp. 391–398. [66] E. Network and I. S. A. (ENISA), Inventory of risk managemen - t /risk assessment methods, Sept... Operations and Reports (0704-0188), 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that

  6. FIBER AND INTEGRATED OPTICS: Matching of fiber and strip optical waveguides by graded-index optical matching components

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shmal'ko, A. V.; Gordova, M. R.; Lamekin, V. F.; Nikolaev, I. V.; Sakharov, V. V.; Smirnov, V. L.; Polyantsev, A. S.

    1990-01-01

    A method for selection and calculation of the parameters of axisymmetric and anamorphic graded-index lenses for optical matching devices is developed and tested. These devices are intended for detachable connectors joining single-mode fibers to strip optical waveguides and are characterized by a greater tolerance to a mismatch between these waveguides. An experimental study is reported of a prototype of an optical matching device based on graded-index lenses characterized by insertion losses from 1-3 dB.

  7. A Wortmannin-Cetuximab As A Double Drug

    PubMed Central

    Smith, R. Adam; Yuan, Hushan; Weissleder, Ralph; Cantley, Lewis C.; Josephson, Lee

    2012-01-01

    Double drugs are obtained when two pharmacologically active entities are covalently joined to improve potency. We conjugated the viridin Wm with a self-activating linkage to cetuximab and demonstrated the retention of immunoreactivity by the conjugate. Though cetuximab lacked a growth inhibitory activity against A549 cells, the Wmcetuximab conjugate had an anti-proliferative IC50 of 155 nM in vitro. The chemistry of attaching a self-releasing Wm to clinically approved antibodies is general and, in selected instances, may yield antibody-based double drugs with improved efficacy. PMID:19883074

  8. MSFC Test Results for Selected Mirrors: Brush-Wellman/Goodrich 0.5 meter Joined-Beryllium Mirror; IABG 0.5 meter C/SiC Mirror; Xinetics 0.5 meter SiC Mirror; and Kodak 0.23 meter SiO2 Mirror

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hadaway, James; Blackwell, Lisa; Matthews, Gary; Eng, Ron; Stahl, Phil; Hraba, John; Thornton, Gary

    2002-01-01

    The results of cryo tests performed at the XRCF on the above mirrors will be presented. Each mirror was tested from room-temperature to around 30 K. The first three were tested together on a 3-mirror stand in the large chamber using the PhaseCam interferometer, while the Kodak mirror was tested in the small chamber using the EPI interferometer.

  9. Thermal Stir Welding: A New Solid State Welding Process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ding, R. Jeffery; Munafo, Paul M. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    Thermal Stir Shielding is a revolutionary new welding process developed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. Thermal stir welding is similar to friction stir welding in that it joins similar or dissimilar materials without melting the parent material. However, unlike friction stir welding, the heating and stirring functions are independent allowing more degrees of freedom for greater process control. This paper introduces the mechanics of the thermal stir welding process. In addition, weld mechanical property data is presented for selected alloys as well as metallurgical analysis.

  10. Segmented ceramic liner for induction furnaces

    DOEpatents

    Gorin, Andrew H.; Holcombe, Cressie E.

    1994-01-01

    A non-fibrous ceramic liner for induction furnaces is provided by vertically stackable ring-shaped liner segments made of ceramic material in a light-weight cellular form. The liner segments can each be fabricated as a single unit or from a plurality of arcuate segments joined together by an interlocking mechanism. Also, the liner segments can be formed of a single ceramic material or can be constructed of multiple concentric layers with the layers being of different ceramic materials and/or cellular forms. Thermomechanically damaged liner segments are selectively replaceable in the furnace.

  11. Segmented ceramic liner for induction furnaces

    DOEpatents

    Gorin, A.H.; Holcombe, C.E.

    1994-07-26

    A non-fibrous ceramic liner for induction furnaces is provided by vertically stackable ring-shaped liner segments made of ceramic material in a light-weight cellular form. The liner segments can each be fabricated as a single unit or from a plurality of arcuate segments joined together by an interlocking mechanism. Also, the liner segments can be formed of a single ceramic material or can be constructed of multiple concentric layers with the layers being of different ceramic materials and/or cellular forms. Thermomechanically damaged liner segments are selectively replaceable in the furnace. 5 figs.

  12. Vice President Pence Tours NASA’s Historic Mission Control in Houston

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-06-07

    On June 7, Vice President Mike Pence joined NASA’s Acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot and Johnson Space Center Director Ellen Ochoa to announce the 12 men and women who were selected to the 2017 astronaut class from more than 18,300 applicants. The new astronaut candidates could one day be performing research on the International Space Station, launching from American soil aboard spacecraft built by American companies, and traveling to the moon or even Mars with the help of NASA’s new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket.

  13. Laser beam joining of optical fibers in silicon V-grooves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaufmann, Stefan; Otto, Andreas; Luz, Gerhard

    2000-06-01

    The increasing use of optical data transmission systems and the development of new optical components require adjustment-insensitive and reliable joining and assembling techniques. The state of the art includes the utilization of silicon submounts with anisotropically etched V-grooves. Several glass fibers are fixed in these V-grooves with adhesive. Adhesive bonds tend towards degradation under the influence of temperature and moisture. For this reason, the alternative joining processes laser beam welding and laser beam soldering are relevant. The goal is a reliable joining of optical fibers in V-grooves without damage to the fibers or the silicon submount. Because of the anomaly of silicon during phase transformation, a positive joining can be realized by laser beam welding. A melt pool is created through the energy of a Nd:YAG-laser pulse. During solidification, the volume of silicon increases and a bump is formed in the center. Experiments have shown that this phenomenon can be used for joining optical fibers in silicon-V-grooves. With suitable parameters the silicon flows half around the fiber during solidification. For each fiber, several welding points are necessary. Another promising joining method is laser bema soldering. In this case, a second silicon sheet with a solder deposit is placed on the fibers which lie in the V-grooves of the metallized silicon submount. The laser heats the upper silicon until the solder metals by heat conduction.

  14. The influence of performance-based payment on childhood immunisation coverage.

    PubMed

    Merilind, Eero; Salupere, Rauno; Västra, Katrin; Kalda, Ruth

    2015-06-01

    Pay-for-performance, also called the quality system (QS) in Estonia, was implemented in 2006 and one indicator for achievement is the childhood immunisation coverage rate. The WHO vaccination coverage in Europe for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, and measles in children aged around one year old should meet or exceed 90 per cent. The study was conducted using a database from the Estonian Health Insurance Fund. The study compared childhood immunisation coverage rates of all Estonian family physicians in two groups, joined and not joined to the quality system during the observation period 2006-2012. Immunisation coverage was calculated as the percentage of persons in the target age group who received a vaccine dose by a given age. The target level of immunisations in Estonia is set at 90 per cent and higher. Immunisation coverage rates of family doctors (FD) in Estonia showed significant differences between two groups of doctors: joined to the quality system and not joined. Doctors joined to the quality system met the 90 per cent vaccination criterion more frequently compared to doctors not joined to the quality system. Doctors not joined to the quality system were below the 90 per cent vaccination criterion in all vaccinations listed in the Estonian State Immunisation Schedule. Pay-for-performance as a financial incentive encourages higher levels of childhood immunisations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. News Release: USDA Joins Fair Food Network, State and Local Partners to

    Science.gov Websites

    Promote Nutrition Resources for Lead-Affected Flint Residents - PHE You may be trying to access Joins Fair Food Network, State and Local Partners to Promote Nutrition Resources for Lead-Affected Flint Residents News Release: USDA Joins Fair Food Network, State and Local Partners to Promote Nutrition

  16. UMDNJ school of nursing mobile healthcare project: a component of the New Jersey Children's Health Project.

    PubMed

    McNeal, Gloria J

    2008-01-01

    This article describes a mobile ambulatory care nurse-managed center on wheels designed to address the healthcare needs of at-risk inner city residents. A grant-funded initiative, the Project uniquely joins nursing academe with community-based organizations in a partnership that brings healthcare services directly to those communities most in need. In addition to providing healthcare services, the Project serves as a site for faculty practice and community clinical rotations for nursing and medical students. The broad objectives of this nurse-faculty managed mobile healthcare project are: (1) to screen, identify and provide health promotion/disease management services for at-risk populations, (2) to foster community involvement in the health assessment and referral process; and, (3) to provide culturally and linguistically sensitive health promotion/disease management health education.

  17. Performing Economic Evaluation of Integrated Care: Highway to Hell or Stairway to Heaven?

    PubMed Central

    Stein, K. Viktoria; Evers, Silvia; Rutten-van Mölken, Maureen

    2016-01-01

    Health economists are increasingly interested in integrated care in order to support decision-makers to find cost-effective solutions able to tackle the threat that chronic diseases pose on population health and health and social care budgets. However, economic evaluation in integrated care is still in its early years, facing several difficulties. The aim of this paper is to describe the unique nature of integrated care as a topic for economic evaluation, explore the obstacles to perform economic evaluation, discuss methods and techniques that can be used to address them, and set the basis to develop a research agenda for health economics in integrated care. The paper joins the voices that call health economists to pay more attention to integrated care and argues that there should be no more time wasted for doing it. PMID:28316543

  18. Top surface blade residues and the central channel water molecules are conserved in every repeat of the integrin-like β-propeller structures.

    PubMed

    Denesyuk, Alexander; Denessiouk, Konstantin; Johnson, Mark S

    2018-02-01

    An integrin-like β-propeller domain contains seven repeats of a four-stranded antiparallel β-sheet motif (blades). Previously we described a 3D structural motif within each blade of the integrin-type β-propeller. Here, we show unique structural links that join different blades of the β-propeller structure, which together with the structural motif for a single blade are repeated in a β-propeller to provide the functional top face of the barrel, found to be involved in protein-protein interactions and substrate recognition. We compare functional top face diagrams of the integrin-type β-propeller domain and two non-integrin type β-propeller domains of virginiamycin B lyase and WD Repeat-Containing Protein 5. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Ratings of Essentialism for Eight Religious Identities

    PubMed Central

    Toosi, Negin R.; Ambady, Nalini

    2010-01-01

    As a social identity, religion is unique because it contains a spectrum of choice. In some religious communities, individuals are considered members by virtue of having parents of that background, and religion, culture, and ethnicity are closely intertwined. Other faith communities actively invite people of other backgrounds to join, expecting individuals to choose the religion that best fits their personal beliefs. These various methods of identification influence beliefs about the essentialist nature of religious identity. Essentialism is when social groups are considered to have deep, immutable, and inherent defining properties. In this study, college students (N=55) provided ratings of essentialism for eight religious identities: Atheist, Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, and Spiritual-but-not-religious. Significant differences in essentialism were found between the target groups. Results and implications for intergroup relations are discussed. PMID:21572550

  20. Strain-induced phase transition and electron spin-polarization in graphene spirals

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Xiaoming; Zhao, Mingwen

    2014-01-01

    Spin-polarized triangular graphene nanoflakes (t-GNFs) serve as ideal building blocks for the long-desired ferromagnetic graphene superlattices, but they are always assembled to planar structures which reduce its mechanical properties. Here, by joining t-GNFs in a spiral way, we propose one-dimensional graphene spirals (GSs) with superior mechanical properties and tunable electronic structures. We demonstrate theoretically the unique features of electron motion in the spiral lattice by means of first-principles calculations combined with a simple Hubbard model. Within a linear elastic deformation range, the GSs are nonmagnetic metals. When the axial tensile strain exceeds an ultimate strain, however, they convert to magnetic semiconductors with stable ferromagnetic ordering along the edges. Such strain-induced phase transition and tunable electron spin-polarization revealed in the GSs open a new avenue for spintronics devices. PMID:25027550

  1. Strain-induced phase transition and electron spin-polarization in graphene spirals.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiaoming; Zhao, Mingwen

    2014-07-16

    Spin-polarized triangular graphene nanoflakes (t-GNFs) serve as ideal building blocks for the long-desired ferromagnetic graphene superlattices, but they are always assembled to planar structures which reduce its mechanical properties. Here, by joining t-GNFs in a spiral way, we propose one-dimensional graphene spirals (GSs) with superior mechanical properties and tunable electronic structures. We demonstrate theoretically the unique features of electron motion in the spiral lattice by means of first-principles calculations combined with a simple Hubbard model. Within a linear elastic deformation range, the GSs are nonmagnetic metals. When the axial tensile strain exceeds an ultimate strain, however, they convert to magnetic semiconductors with stable ferromagnetic ordering along the edges. Such strain-induced phase transition and tunable electron spin-polarization revealed in the GSs open a new avenue for spintronics devices.

  2. Recommending teams promotes prosocial lending in online microfinance

    PubMed Central

    Ai, Wei; Chen, Roy; Mei, Qiaozhu; Phillips, Webb

    2016-01-01

    This paper reports the results of a large-scale field experiment designed to test the hypothesis that group membership can increase participation and prosocial lending for an online crowdlending community, Kiva. The experiment uses variations on a simple email manipulation to encourage Kiva members to join a lending team, testing which types of team recommendation emails are most likely to get members to join teams as well as the subsequent impact on lending. We find that emails do increase the likelihood that a lender joins a team, and that joining a team increases lending in a short window (1 wk) following our intervention. The impact on lending is large relative to median lender lifetime loans. We also find that lenders are more likely to join teams recommended based on location similarity rather than team status. Our results suggest team recommendation can be an effective behavioral mechanism to increase prosocial lending. PMID:27974610

  3. Shared and unique patterns of phenotypic diversification along a stream gradient in two congeneric species

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jourdan, Jonas; Krause, Sarah T.; Lazar, V. Max; Zimmer, Claudia; Sommer-Trembo, Carolin; Arias-Rodriguez, Lenin; Klaus, Sebastian; Riesch, Rüdiger; Plath, Martin

    2016-12-01

    Stream ecosystems show gradual variation of various selection factors, which can result in a zonation of species distributions and gradient evolution of morphological and life-history traits within species. Identifying the selective agents underlying such phenotypic evolution is challenging as different species could show shared and/or unique (species-specific) responses to components of the river gradient. We studied a stream gradient inhabited by two mosquitofishes (genus Gambusia) in the Río Grijalva basin in southern Mexico and found a patchy distribution pattern of both congeners along a stretch of 100 km, whereby one species was usually dominant at a given site. We uncovered both shared and unique patterns of diversification: some components of the stream gradient, including differences in piscine predation pressure, drove shared patterns of phenotypic divergence, especially in females. Other components of the gradient, particularly abiotic factors (max. annual temperature and temperature range) resulted in unique patterns of divergence, especially in males. Our study highlights the complexity of selective regimes in stream ecosystems. It exemplifies that even closely related, congeneric species can respond in unique ways to the same components of the river gradient and shows how both sexes can exhibit quite different patterns of divergence in multivariate phenotypic character suites.

  4. Shared and unique patterns of phenotypic diversification along a stream gradient in two congeneric species

    PubMed Central

    Jourdan, Jonas; Krause, Sarah T.; Lazar, V. Max; Zimmer, Claudia; Sommer-Trembo, Carolin; Arias-Rodriguez, Lenin; Klaus, Sebastian; Riesch, Rüdiger; Plath, Martin

    2016-01-01

    Stream ecosystems show gradual variation of various selection factors, which can result in a zonation of species distributions and gradient evolution of morphological and life-history traits within species. Identifying the selective agents underlying such phenotypic evolution is challenging as different species could show shared and/or unique (species-specific) responses to components of the river gradient. We studied a stream gradient inhabited by two mosquitofishes (genus Gambusia) in the Río Grijalva basin in southern Mexico and found a patchy distribution pattern of both congeners along a stretch of 100 km, whereby one species was usually dominant at a given site. We uncovered both shared and unique patterns of diversification: some components of the stream gradient, including differences in piscine predation pressure, drove shared patterns of phenotypic divergence, especially in females. Other components of the gradient, particularly abiotic factors (max. annual temperature and temperature range) resulted in unique patterns of divergence, especially in males. Our study highlights the complexity of selective regimes in stream ecosystems. It exemplifies that even closely related, congeneric species can respond in unique ways to the same components of the river gradient and shows how both sexes can exhibit quite different patterns of divergence in multivariate phenotypic character suites. PMID:27982114

  5. Shared and unique patterns of phenotypic diversification along a stream gradient in two congeneric species.

    PubMed

    Jourdan, Jonas; Krause, Sarah T; Lazar, V Max; Zimmer, Claudia; Sommer-Trembo, Carolin; Arias-Rodriguez, Lenin; Klaus, Sebastian; Riesch, Rüdiger; Plath, Martin

    2016-12-16

    Stream ecosystems show gradual variation of various selection factors, which can result in a zonation of species distributions and gradient evolution of morphological and life-history traits within species. Identifying the selective agents underlying such phenotypic evolution is challenging as different species could show shared and/or unique (species-specific) responses to components of the river gradient. We studied a stream gradient inhabited by two mosquitofishes (genus Gambusia) in the Río Grijalva basin in southern Mexico and found a patchy distribution pattern of both congeners along a stretch of 100 km, whereby one species was usually dominant at a given site. We uncovered both shared and unique patterns of diversification: some components of the stream gradient, including differences in piscine predation pressure, drove shared patterns of phenotypic divergence, especially in females. Other components of the gradient, particularly abiotic factors (max. annual temperature and temperature range) resulted in unique patterns of divergence, especially in males. Our study highlights the complexity of selective regimes in stream ecosystems. It exemplifies that even closely related, congeneric species can respond in unique ways to the same components of the river gradient and shows how both sexes can exhibit quite different patterns of divergence in multivariate phenotypic character suites.

  6. Lightweight Composite Materials for Heavy Duty Vehicles

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

    Pruez, Jacky; Shoukry, Samir; Williams, Gergis

    The main objective of this project is to develop, analyze and validate data, methodologies and tools that support widespread applications of automotive lightweighting technologies. Two underlying principles are guiding the research efforts towards this objective: • Seamless integration between the lightweight materials selected for certain vehicle systems, cost-effective methods for their design and manufacturing, and practical means to enhance their durability while reducing their Life-Cycle-Costs (LCC). • Smooth migration of the experience and findings accumulated so far at WVU in the areas of designing with lightweight materials, innovative joining concepts and durability predictions, from applications to the area of weightmore » savings for heavy vehicle systems and hydrogen storage tanks, to lightweighting applications of selected systems or assemblies in light–duty vehicles.« less

  7. A probabilistic approach to information retrieval in heterogeneous databases

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

    Chatterjee, A.; Segev, A.

    During the post decade, organizations have increased their scope and operations beyond their traditional geographic boundaries. At the same time, they have adopted heterogeneous and incompatible information systems independent of each other without a careful consideration that one day they may need to be integrated. As a result of this diversity, many important business applications today require access to data stored in multiple autonomous databases. This paper examines a problem of inter-database information retrieval in a heterogeneous environment, where conventional techniques are no longer efficient. To solve the problem, broader definitions for join, union, intersection and selection operators are proposed.more » Also, a probabilistic method to specify the selectivity of these operators is discussed. An algorithm to compute these probabilities is provided in pseudocode.« less

  8. Quantitative proteomics and dynamic imaging of the nucleolus reveal distinct responses to UV and ionizing radiation.

    PubMed

    Moore, Henna M; Bai, Baoyan; Boisvert, François-Michel; Latonen, Leena; Rantanen, Ville; Simpson, Jeremy C; Pepperkok, Rainer; Lamond, Angus I; Laiho, Marikki

    2011-10-01

    The nucleolus is a nuclear organelle that coordinates rRNA transcription and ribosome subunit biogenesis. Recent proteomic analyses have shown that the nucleolus contains proteins involved in cell cycle control, DNA processing and DNA damage response and repair, in addition to the many proteins connected with ribosome subunit production. Here we study the dynamics of nucleolar protein responses in cells exposed to stress and DNA damage caused by ionizing and ultraviolet (UV) radiation in diploid human fibroblasts. We show using a combination of imaging and quantitative proteomics methods that nucleolar substructure and the nucleolar proteome undergo selective reorganization in response to UV damage. The proteomic responses to UV include alterations of functional protein complexes such as the SSU processome and exosome, and paraspeckle proteins, involving both decreases and increases in steady state protein ratios, respectively. Several nonhomologous end-joining proteins (NHEJ), such as Ku70/80, display similar fast responses to UV. In contrast, nucleolar proteomic responses to IR are both temporally and spatially distinct from those caused by UV, and more limited in terms of magnitude. With the exception of the NHEJ and paraspeckle proteins, where IR induces rapid and transient changes within 15 min of the damage, IR does not alter the ratios of most other functional nucleolar protein complexes. The rapid transient decrease of NHEJ proteins in the nucleolus indicates that it may reflect a response to DNA damage. Our results underline that the nucleolus is a specific stress response organelle that responds to different damage and stress agents in a unique, damage-specific manner.

  9. ovoD Co-selection: A Method for Enriching CRISPR/Cas9-Edited Alleles in Drosophila.

    PubMed

    Ewen-Campen, Ben; Perrimon, Norbert

    2018-06-22

    Screening for successful CRISPR/Cas9 editing events remains a time consuming technical bottleneck in the field of Drosophila genome editing. This step can be particularly laborious for events that do not cause a visible phenotype, or those which occur at relatively low frequency. A promising strategy to enrich for desired CRISPR events is to co-select for an independent CRISPR event that produces an easily detectable phenotype. Here, we describe a simple negative co-selection strategy involving CRISPR-editing of a dominant female sterile allele, ovo D1 In this system (" ovo D co-selection"), the only functional germ cells in injected females are those that have been edited at the ovo D1 locus, and thus all offspring of these flies have undergone editing of at least one locus. We demonstrate that ovo D co-selection can be used to enrich for knock-out mutagenesis via nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ), and for knock-in alleles via homology-directed repair (HDR). Altogether, our results demonstrate that ovoD co-selection reduces the amount of screening necessary to isolate desired CRISPR events in Drosophila. Copyright © 2018, G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics.

  10. The Transformation of Children's Services: Examining and Debating the Complexities of Inter/Professional Working

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Forbes, Joan, Ed.; Watson, Cate, Ed.

    2011-01-01

    Can we imagine different ways of working together to secure better outcomes for children and families? What are the complex issues that underlie the apparently simple call for "joined-up" services? Children's services in many countries around the world are being transformed as part of the call for "joined-up working for joined-up…

  11. Joining of parts via magnetic heating of metal aluminum powders

    DOEpatents

    Baker, Ian

    2013-05-21

    A method of joining at least two parts includes steps of dispersing a joining material comprising a multi-phase magnetic metal-aluminum powder at an interface between the at least two parts to be joined and applying an alternating magnetic field (AMF). The AMF has a magnetic field strength and frequency suitable for inducing magnetic hysteresis losses in the metal-aluminum powder and is applied for a period that raises temperature of the metal-aluminum powder to an exothermic transformation temperature. At the exothermic transformation temperature, the metal-aluminum powder melts and resolidifies as a metal aluminide solid having a non-magnetic configuration.

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

    Shaw, L. A.; Chizari, S.; Panas, R. M.

    The aim of this research is to demonstrate a holographically driven photopolymerization process for joining colloidal particles to create planar microstructures fixed to a substrate, which can be monitored with real-time measurement. Holographic optical tweezers (HOT) have been used to arrange arrays of microparticles prior to this work; here we introduce a new photopolymerization process for rapidly joining simultaneously handled microspheres in a plane. Additionally, we demonstrate a new process control technique for efficiently identifying when particles have been successfully joined by measuring a sufficient reduction in the particles’ Brownian motion. Furthermore, this technique and our demonstrated joining approach enablemore » HOT technology to take critical steps toward automated additive fabrication of microstructures.« less

  13. Method of joining metallic and composite components

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Semmes, Edmund B. (Inventor)

    2010-01-01

    A method is provided for joining a metallic member to a structure made of a composite matrix material. One or more surfaces of a portion of the metallic member that is to be joined to the composite matrix structure is provided with a plurality of outwardly projecting studs. The surface including the studs is brought into engagement with a portion of an uncured composite matrix material so that fibers of the composite matrix material intertwine with the studs, and the metallic member and composite structure form an assembly. The assembly is then companion cured so as to join the metallic member to the composite matrix material structure.

  14. Robust Joining and Integration Technologies for Advanced Metallic, Ceramic, and Composite Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, M.; Shpargel, Tarah; Morscher, Gregory N.; Halbig, Michael H.; Asthana, Rajiv

    2006-01-01

    Robust integration and assembly technologies are critical for the successful implementation of advanced metallic, ceramic, carbon-carbon, and ceramic matrix composite components in a wide variety of aerospace, space exploration, and ground based systems. Typically, the operating temperature of these components varies from few hundred to few thousand Kelvin with different working times (few minutes to years). The wide ranging system performance requirements necessitate the use of different integration technologies which includes adhesive bonding, low temperature soldering, active metal brazing, diffusion bonding, ARCJoinT, and ultra high temperature joining technologies. In this presentation, a number of joining examples and test results will be provided related to the adhesive bonding and active metal brazing of titanium to C/C composites, diffusion bonding of silicon carbide to silicon carbide using titanium interlayer, titanium and hastelloy brazing to silicon carbide matrix composites, and ARCJoinT joining of SiC ceramics and SiC matrix composites. Various issues in the joining of metal-ceramic systems including thermal expansion mismatch and resulting residual stresses generated during joining will be discussed. In addition, joint design and testing issues for a wide variety of joints will be presented.

  15. Affordable, Robust Ceramic Joining Technology (ARCJoinT) for High Temperature Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, M.

    1998-01-01

    Ceramic joining is recognized as one of the enabling technologies for the successful utilization of silicon carbide-based monolithic ceramic and fiber reinforced composite components in a number of demanding and high temperature applications in aerospace and ground-based systems. An affordable, robust ceramic joining technology (ARCJoinT) for joining of silicon carbide-based ceramics and fiber reinforced composites has been developed. This technique is capable of producing joints with tailorable thickness and composition. A wide variety of silicon carbide-based ceramics and composites, in different shapes and sizes, have been joined using this technique. The room and high temperature mechanical properties and fractography of ceramic joints have been reported. In monolithic silicon carbide ceramics, these joints maintain their mechanical strength up to 1350 C in air. There is no change in the mechanical strength of joints in silicon carbide matrix composites up to 1200 C in air. In composites, simple butt joints yield only about 20% of the ultimate strength of the parent materials. This technology is suitable for the joining of large and complex shaped ceramic and composite components, and with certain modifications, can be applied to repair of ceramic components damaged in service.

  16. Ad-Hoc Queries over Document Collections - A Case Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Löser, Alexander; Lutter, Steffen; Düssel, Patrick; Markl, Volker

    We discuss the novel problem of supporting analytical business intelligence queries over web-based textual content, e.g., BI-style reports based on 100.000's of documents from an ad-hoc web search result. Neither conventional search engines nor conventional Business Intelligence and ETL tools address this problem, which lies at the intersection of their capabilities. "Google Squared" or our system GOOLAP.info, are examples of these kinds of systems. They execute information extraction methods over one or several document collections at query time and integrate extracted records into a common view or tabular structure. Frequent extraction and object resolution failures cause incomplete records which could not be joined into a record answering the query. Our focus is the identification of join-reordering heuristics maximizing the size of complete records answering a structured query. With respect to given costs for document extraction we propose two novel join-operations: The multi-way CJ-operator joins records from multiple relationships extracted from a single document. The two-way join-operator DJ ensures data density by removing incomplete records from results. In a preliminary case study we observe that our join-reordering heuristics positively impact result size, record density and lower execution costs.

  17. Aeroelastic tailoring and structural optimization of joined-wing configurations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Dong-Hwan

    2002-08-01

    Methodology for integrated aero-structural design was developed using formal optimization. ASTROS (Automated STRuctural Optimization System) was used as an analyzer and an optimizer for performing joined-wing weight optimization with stress, displacement, cantilever or body-freedom flutter constraints. As a pre/post processor, MATLAB was used for generating input file of ASTROS and for displaying the results of the ASTROS. The effects of the aeroelastic constraints on the isotropic and composite joined-wing weight were examined using this developed methodology. The aeroelastic features of a joined-wing aircraft were examined using both the Rayleigh-Ritz method and a finite element based aeroelastic stability and weight optimization procedure. Aircraft rigid-body modes are included to analyze of body-freedom flutter of the joined-wing aircraft. Several parametric studies were performed to determine the most important parameters that affect the aeroelastic behavior of a joined-wing aircraft. The special feature of a joined-wing aircraft is body-freedom flutter involving frequency interaction of the first elastic mode and the aircraft short period mode. In most parametric study cases, the body-freedom flutter speed was less than the cantilever flutter speed that is independent of fuselage inertia. As fuselage pitching moment of inertia was increased, the body-freedom flutter speed increased. When the pitching moment of inertia reaches a critical value, transition from body-freedom flutter to cantilever flutter occurred. The effects of composite laminate orientation on the front and rear wings of a joined-wing configuration were studied. An aircraft pitch divergence mode, which occurred because of forward movement of center of pressure due to wing deformation, was found. Body-freedom flutter and cantilever-like flutter were also found depending on combination of front and rear wing ply orientations. Optimized wing weight behaviors of the planar and non-planar configurations with isotropic and composite materials were investigated. Wing weight optimization of the composite joined-wing result in less weight compared to the metallic wing. Fuselage flexibility affects joined-wing flutter characteristics. Elastic mode shapes of the wing were affected by fuselage deformation and change the flutter speeds compared to the rigid fuselage. Body-freedom flutter speeds decrease as fuselage flexibility increases. Optimum wing weights increase as fuselage flexibility increases. Flutter analysis of a box wing configuration investigated the effects of center of gravity location and pitch moment of inertia on flutter speed.

  18. The method of selecting an integrated development territory for the high-rise unique constructions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sheina, Svetlana; Shevtsova, Elina; Sukhinin, Alexander; Priss, Elena

    2018-03-01

    On the basis of data provided by the Department of architecture and urban planning of the city of Rostov-on-don, the problem of the choice of the territory for complex development that will be in priority for the construction of high-rise and unique buildings is solved. The objective of the study was the development of a methodology for selection of the area and the implementation of the proposed method on the example of evaluation of four-territories complex development. The developed method along with standard indicators of complex evaluation considers additional indicators that assess the territory from the position of high-rise unique building. The final result of the study is the rankings of the functional priority areas that takes into account the construction of both residential and public and business objects of unique high-rise construction. The use of the developed methodology will allow investors and customers to assess the investment attractiveness of the future unique construction project on the proposed site.

  19. Transverse-Weld Tensile Properties of a New Al-4Cu-2Si Alloy as Filler Metal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sampath, K.

    2009-12-01

    AA2195, an Al-Cu-Li alloy in the T8P4 age-hardened condition, is a candidate aluminum armor for future combat vehicles, as this material offers higher static strength and ballistic protection than current aluminum armor alloys. However, certification of AA2195 alloy for armor applications requires initial qualification based on the ballistic performance of welded panels in the as-welded condition. Currently, combat vehicle manufacturers primarily use gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process to meet their fabrication needs. Unfortunately, a matching GMAW consumable electrode is currently not commercially available to allow effective joining of AA2195 alloy. This initial effort focused on an innovative, low-cost, low-risk approach to identify an alloy composition suitable for effective joining of AA2195 alloy, and evaluated transverse-weld tensile properties of groove butt joints produced using the identified alloy. Selected commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) aluminum alloy filler wires were twisted to form candidate twisted filler rods. Representative test weldments were produced using AA2195 alloy, candidate twisted filler rods and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. Selected GTA weldments produced using Al-4wt.%Cu-2wt.%Si alloy as filler metal consistently provided transverse-weld tensile properties in excess of 275 MPa (40 ksi) UTS and 8% El (over 25 mm gage length), thereby showing potential for acceptable ballistic performance of as-welded panels. Further developmental work is required to evaluate in detail GMAW consumable wire electrodes based on the Al-Cu-Si system containing 4.2-5.0 wt.% Cu and 1.6-2.0 wt.% Si.

  20. Impact of the Grameen Bank on childhood mortality in Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Rahman, M; Davanzo, J; Sutradhar, S C

    1996-01-01

    The Grameen Bank (GB) is a highly innovative and well-supervised credit program for the rural poor in Bangladesh. About 95% of over 2 million participants are women. GB can positively affect child survival among its participants through its income-generation and consciousness-raising activities. The study examines if GB influences childhood mortality among its participants. An integrated family life survey was carried out during 1993-94 among about 2500 married women in landless households who are eligible for membership in GB. The survey was carried out among randomly selected married women regardless of GB membership in 3 thanas of Tangail district and 1 thana of Mymensingh district. The study permits an analysis in a "before-after" and "treatment-comparison" framework for measuring the impact of GB on childhood mortality. Estimation was done through proportional hazards models, where the effects of confounding factors like calendar year, maternal age, parity, maternal education, economic conditions, and areal variation were controlled for. There was a 34% and significant reduction in childhood (under-5) mortality after the mothers joined the GB. Similar effects of other NGOs on childhood mortality were also observed. Childhood mortality was similar between the GB members before joining the Bank and never-members, indicating that the GB members were not from a selective group. Childhood mortality was 21% and significantly lower among women who worked for income generation than those women who did not work. Income generation and social development programs modeled after the GB and other NGOs can reduce childhood mortality in Bangladesh and similar settings.

  1. Joining of SiC parts by polishing and hipping

    DOEpatents

    Rossi, Guilio A.; Pelletier, Paul J.

    1990-05-15

    A method of joining two pre-sintered pieces of silicon carbide is disclosed. It entails polishing the surfaces to be joined to a mirror-finish, fitting the polished surfaces together to form a composite structure, and then subjecting the composite structure to hot isostatic pressing under conditions which are sufficient to form a joint which is essentially indistinguishable from the original silicon carbide pieces.

  2. 77 FR 22561 - Drawn Stainless Steel Sinks From the People's Republic of China: Correction to Notice of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-16

    ... with multiple bowls that are joined through a welding operation to form one unit are covered by the... bowls that are joined through a welding operation to form one unit are covered by the scope of the... sinks with multiple drawn bowls that are joined through a welding operation to form one unit are covered...

  3. Joined concentric tubes

    DOEpatents

    DeJonghe, Lutgard; Jacobson, Craig; Tucker, Michael; Visco, Steven

    2013-01-01

    Tubular objects having two or more concentric layers that have different properties are joined to one another during their manufacture primarily by compressive and friction forces generated by shrinkage during sintering and possibly mechanical interlocking. It is not necessary for the concentric tubes to display adhesive-, chemical- or sinter-bonding to each other in order to achieve a strong bond. This facilitates joining of dissimilar materials, such as ceramics and metals.

  4. Dynamic analysis of I cross beam section dissimilar plate joined by TIG welding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sani, M. S. M.; Nazri, N. A.; Rani, M. N. Abdul; Yunus, M. A.

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, finite element (FE) joint modelling technique for prediction of dynamic properties of sheet metal jointed by tungsten inert gas (TTG) will be presented. I cross section dissimilar flat plate with different series of aluminium alloy; AA7075 and AA6061 joined by TTG are used. In order to find the most optimum set of TTG welding dissimilar plate, the finite element model with three types of joint modelling were engaged in this study; bar element (CBAR), beam element and spot weld element connector (CWELD). Experimental modal analysis (EMA) was carried out by impact hammer excitation on the dissimilar plates that welding by TTG method. Modal properties of FE model with joints were compared and validated with model testing. CWELD element was chosen to represent weld model for TTG joints due to its accurate prediction of mode shapes and contains an updating parameter for weld modelling compare to other weld modelling. Model updating was performed to improve correlation between EMA and FEA and before proceeds to updating, sensitivity analysis was done to select the most sensitive updating parameter. After perform model updating, average percentage of error of the natural frequencies for CWELD model is improved significantly.

  5. Joining of porous silicon carbide bodies

    DOEpatents

    Bates, Carl H.; Couhig, John T.; Pelletier, Paul J.

    1990-05-01

    A method of joining two porous bodies of silicon carbide is disclosed. It entails utilizing an aqueous slip of a similar silicon carbide as was used to form the porous bodies, including the sintering aids, and a binder to initially join the porous bodies together. Then the composite structure is subjected to cold isostatic pressing to form a joint having good handling strength. Then the composite structure is subjected to pressureless sintering to form the final strong bond. Optionally, after the sintering the structure is subjected to hot isostatic pressing to further improve the joint and densify the structure. The result is a composite structure in which the joint is almost indistinguishable from the silicon carbide pieces which it joins.

  6. Automated Program Recognition.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-02-01

    the 45 %V. UC I it F I F Figaze~~~~~~~~ 2.3 hIln o h rga G n h lciF .446 1 68%ir eI TI Ti T2 T2 T3 T3 D C B A D C B A ’Ir ioin join join oi join join... Ei (remove-st-thru-input-mappings p ’(Trunc? 1)) finally (return (and (p> (Trunc? 2)) (p> (Trunc7 1))))) (exit-predicate (nt-n) Test-Predicate?))) att...null) (co-occur (nt-n> Gen22) (n> Co-E-of-Count-from-Zero22))) att-tranufer- upecs ((control-env (control-env (nt-n> Gen22)))) doc ("computes the length

  7. Efficient and Scalable Graph Similarity Joins in MapReduce

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Yifan; Zhang, Weiming; Tang, Jiuyang

    2014-01-01

    Along with the emergence of massive graph-modeled data, it is of great importance to investigate graph similarity joins due to their wide applications for multiple purposes, including data cleaning, and near duplicate detection. This paper considers graph similarity joins with edit distance constraints, which return pairs of graphs such that their edit distances are no larger than a given threshold. Leveraging the MapReduce programming model, we propose MGSJoin, a scalable algorithm following the filtering-verification framework for efficient graph similarity joins. It relies on counting overlapping graph signatures for filtering out nonpromising candidates. With the potential issue of too many key-value pairs in the filtering phase, spectral Bloom filters are introduced to reduce the number of key-value pairs. Furthermore, we integrate the multiway join strategy to boost the verification, where a MapReduce-based method is proposed for GED calculation. The superior efficiency and scalability of the proposed algorithms are demonstrated by extensive experimental results. PMID:25121135

  8. Efficient and scalable graph similarity joins in MapReduce.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yifan; Zhao, Xiang; Xiao, Chuan; Zhang, Weiming; Tang, Jiuyang

    2014-01-01

    Along with the emergence of massive graph-modeled data, it is of great importance to investigate graph similarity joins due to their wide applications for multiple purposes, including data cleaning, and near duplicate detection. This paper considers graph similarity joins with edit distance constraints, which return pairs of graphs such that their edit distances are no larger than a given threshold. Leveraging the MapReduce programming model, we propose MGSJoin, a scalable algorithm following the filtering-verification framework for efficient graph similarity joins. It relies on counting overlapping graph signatures for filtering out nonpromising candidates. With the potential issue of too many key-value pairs in the filtering phase, spectral Bloom filters are introduced to reduce the number of key-value pairs. Furthermore, we integrate the multiway join strategy to boost the verification, where a MapReduce-based method is proposed for GED calculation. The superior efficiency and scalability of the proposed algorithms are demonstrated by extensive experimental results.

  9. Tungsten foil laminate for structural divertor applications - Joining of tungsten foils

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reiser, Jens; Rieth, Michael; Möslang, Anton; Dafferner, Bernhard; Hoffmann, Jan; Mrotzek, Tobias; Hoffmann, Andreas; Armstrong, D. E. J.; Yi, Xiaoou

    2013-05-01

    This paper is the fourth in our series on tungsten laminates. The aim of this paper is to discuss laminate synthesis, meaning the joining of tungsten foils. It is obvious that the properties of the tungsten laminate strongly depend on the combination of (i) interlayer and (ii) joining technology, as this combination defines (i) the condition of the tungsten foil after joining (as-received or recrystallised) as well as (ii) the characteristics of the interface between the tungsten foil and the interlayer (wettability or diffusion leading to a solid solution or the formation of intermetallics). From the example of tungsten laminates joined by brazing with (i) an eutectic silver copper brazing filler, (ii) copper, (iii) titanium, and (iv) zirconium, the microstructure will be discussed, with special focus on the interface. Based on our assumptions of the mechanism of the extraordinary ductility of tungsten foil we present three syntheses strategies and make recommendations for the synthesis of high temperature tungsten laminates.

  10. Monitoring concept for structural integration of PZT-fiber arrays in metal sheets: a numerical and experimental study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drossel, Welf-Guntram; Schubert, Andreas; Putz, Matthias; Koriath, Hans-Joachim; Wittstock, Volker; Hensel, Sebastian; Pierer, Alexander; Müller, Benedikt; Schmidt, Marek

    2018-01-01

    The technique joining by forming allows the structural integration of piezoceramic fibers into locally microstructured metal sheets without any elastic interlayers. A high-volume production of the joining partners causes in statistical deviations from the nominal dimensions. A numerical simulation on geometric process sensitivity shows that the deviations have a high significant influence on the resulting fiber stresses after the joining by forming operation and demonstrate the necessity of a monitoring concept. On this basis, the electromechanical behavior of piezoceramic array transducers is investigated experimentally before, during and after the joining process. The piezoceramic array transducer consists of an arrangement of five electrical interconnected piezoceramic fibers. The findings show that the impedance spectrum depends on the fiber stresses and can be used for in-process monitoring during the joining process. Based on the impedance values the preload state of the interconnected piezoceramic fibers can be specifically controlled and a fiber overload.

  11. Introduced T cell receptor variable region gene segments recombine in pre-B cells: evidence that B and T cells use a common recombinase.

    PubMed

    Yancopoulos, G D; Blackwell, T K; Suh, H; Hood, L; Alt, F W

    1986-01-31

    We have recently proposed that a common recombinase performs all of the many variable region gene assembly events in B and T cells, and that the specificity of these joining events is mediated by regulating the "accessibility" of the involved gene segments. To test this possibility, we have introduced "accessible" T cell receptor (TCR) variable region gene segments into a pre-B cell line capable of recombining endogenous and transfected immunoglobulin (Ig) variable region gene segments. Although the corresponding "inaccessible" endogenous TCR gene segments do not rearrange in this line or in B cells in general, the introduced TCR gene segments join very frequently and, in fact, closely resemble introduced Ig gene segments in their recombination characteristics. These observations suggest a new role for conventional Ig transcriptional enhancers--recombinational enhancement. Our studies provide insight into additional aspects of the joining mechanism such as N region insertion, aberrant joining, and recombination-recognition sequence requirements for joining.

  12. Corrosion behaviour of friction-bit-joined and weld-bonded AA7075-T6/galvannealed DP980

    DOE PAGES

    Lim, Yong Chae; Squires, Lile; Pan, Tsung-Yu; ...

    2016-12-22

    Joining of aluminium alloys 7075-T6 and galvannealed dual phase 980 steel was achieved by friction bit joining (FBJ) and weld-bonding (FBJ + adhesive) processes. Accelerated laboratory-scale corrosion tests were performed on both FBJ only and weld-bonded specimens to study joint strength under a corrosive environment. Static lap shear tests showed that both FBJ only and weld-bonded cases generally retained more than 80% of the joint strength of non-corroded specimens at the end of corrosion testing. The presence of Zn/Fe coating on the steel substrate resulted in improved corrosion resistance for FBJ specimens, compared to joints produced with bare steel. Finally,more » an optical microscopy was used for cross-sectional analysis of corroded specimens. Some corrosion on the joining bit was observed near the bit head. However, the joining bit was still intact on the steel substrate, indicating that the primary bond was sound.« less

  13. Corrosion behaviour of friction-bit-joined and weld-bonded AA7075-T6/galvannealed DP980

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

    Lim, Yong Chae; Squires, Lile; Pan, Tsung-Yu

    Joining of aluminium alloys 7075-T6 and galvannealed dual phase 980 steel was achieved by friction bit joining (FBJ) and weld-bonding (FBJ + adhesive) processes. Accelerated laboratory-scale corrosion tests were performed on both FBJ only and weld-bonded specimens to study joint strength under a corrosive environment. Static lap shear tests showed that both FBJ only and weld-bonded cases generally retained more than 80% of the joint strength of non-corroded specimens at the end of corrosion testing. The presence of Zn/Fe coating on the steel substrate resulted in improved corrosion resistance for FBJ specimens, compared to joints produced with bare steel. Finally,more » an optical microscopy was used for cross-sectional analysis of corroded specimens. Some corrosion on the joining bit was observed near the bit head. However, the joining bit was still intact on the steel substrate, indicating that the primary bond was sound.« less

  14. Laser-induced Self-organizing Microstructures on Steel for Joining with Polymers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van der Straeten, Kira; Burkhardt, Irmela; Olowinsky, Alexander; Gillner, Arnold

    The combination of different materials such as thermoplastic composites and metals is an important way to improve lightweight construction. As direct connections between these materials fail due to their physical and chemical properties, other joining techniques are required. A new joining approach besides fastening and adhesive joining is a laser-based two-step process. Within the first step the metal surface is modified by laser-microstructuring. In order to enlarge the boundary surface and create undercuts, random self-organizing microstructures are generated on stainless steel substrates. In a second process step both joining partners, metal and composite, are clamped together, the steel surface is heated up with laser radiation and through heat conduction the thermoplastic matrix is melted and flows into the structures. After cooling-down a firm joint between both materials is created. The presented work shows the influence of different laser parameters on the generation of the microstructures. The joint strength is investigated through tensile shear strength tests.

  15. The Gynecologist Has a Unique Role in Providing Oncofertility Care to Young Cancer Patients

    PubMed Central

    Duncan, Francesca E; Jozefik, Jennifer K; Kim, Alison M; Hirshfeld-Cytron, Jennifer; Woodruff, Teresa K

    2011-01-01

    Facing a cancer diagnosis at any age is devastating. However, young cancer patients have the added burden that life-preserving cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, may compromise their future fertility. The possibility of reproductive dysfunction as a consequence of cancer treatment has a negative impact on the quality of life of cancer survivors. The field of oncofertility, which merges the clinical specialties of oncology and reproductive endocrinology, was developed to explore and expand fertility preservation options and to better manage the reproductive status of cancer patients. Fertility preservation for females has proved to be a particular challenge because mature female gametes are rare and difficult to acquire. The purpose of this article is to provide the gynecologist with a comprehensive overview of how cancer treatments affect the female reproductive axis, delineate the diverse fertility preservation options that are currently available or being developed for young women, and describe current measures of ovarian reserve that can be used pre- and post-cancer treatment. As a primary care provider, the gynecologist will likely interact with patients throughout the cancer care continuum. Thus, the gynecologist is in a unique position to join the oncofertility team in providing young cancer patients with up-to-date fertility preservation information and referrals to specialists. PMID:21927621

  16. Joining of Gamma Titanium Aluminides

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2002-09-01

    AFRL-ML-WP-TR-2003-4036 JOINING OF GAMMA TITANIUM ALUMINIDES LTC William A. Baeslack, III Metals Branch (AFRL/MLLM) Metals, Ceramics, and...GAMMA TITANIUM ALUMINIDES 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 62102F 5d. PROJECT NUMBER MO2R 5e. TASK NUMBER 10 6. AUTHOR(S) LTC William A...comparatively discusses the results of research and development performed on the joining of gamma titanium aluminides during the past two decades. Although

  17. Individual Factors Motivating People to Join Organized Violent Movements

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-06-09

    INDIVIDUAL FACTORS MOTIVATING PEOPLE TO JOIN ORGANIZED VIOLENT MOVEMENTS A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S...2016 – JUN 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Individual Factors Motivating People to Join Organized Violent Movements 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT...NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) U.S. Army Command and General Staff College ATTN: ATZL-SWD-GD Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027

  18. Human Factors Considerations of Undergrounds in Insurgencies

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1966-09-01

    personal advantage. Another may join because of a " bandwagon " effect ; if the movement is succeeding, he may join because, others join or because he...or wrong. Emotional appeals, outweighing the rational ones, tend to reinforce the bandwagon effect . Threats Threats also have been effective ...by the terror-stricken widow and children," who still have the written death sentence. "The bandwagon effect sought in these cases is to convince

  19. Concept for a fast analysis method of the energy dissipation at mechanical joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wolf, Alexander; Brosius, Alexander

    2017-10-01

    When designing hybrid parts and structures one major challenge is the design, production and quality assessment of the joining points. While the polymeric composites themselves have excellent material properties, the necessary joints are often the weak link in assembled structures. This paper presents a method of measuring and analysing the energy dissipation at mechanical joining points of hybrid parts. A simplified model is applied based on the characteristic response to different excitation frequencies and amplitudes. The dissipation from damage is the result of relative moments between joining partners und damaged fibres within the composite, whereas the visco-elastic material behaviour causes the intrinsic dissipation. The ambition is to transfer these research findings to the characterisation of mechanical joints in order to quickly assess the general quality of the joint with this non-destructive testing method. The inherent challenge for realising this method is the correct interpretation of the measured energy dissipation and its attribution to either a bad joining point or intrinsic material properties. In this paper the authors present the concept for energy dissipation measurements at different joining points. By inverse analysis a simplified fast semi-analytical model will be developed that allows for a quick basic quality assessment of a given joining point.

  20. Mutational signatures of non-homologous and polymerase theta-mediated end-joining in embryonic stem cells.

    PubMed

    Schimmel, Joost; Kool, Hanneke; van Schendel, Robin; Tijsterman, Marcel

    2017-12-15

    Cells employ potentially mutagenic DNA repair mechanisms to avoid the detrimental effects of chromosome breaks on cell survival. While classical non-homologous end-joining (cNHEJ) is largely error-free, alternative end-joining pathways have been described that are intrinsically mutagenic. Which end-joining mechanisms operate in germ and embryonic cells and thus contribute to heritable mutations found in congenital diseases is, however, still largely elusive. Here, we determined the genetic requirements for the repair of CRISPR/Cas9-induced chromosomal breaks of different configurations, and establish the mutational consequences. We find that cNHEJ and polymerase theta-mediated end-joining (TMEJ) act both parallel and redundant in mouse embryonic stem cells and account for virtually all end-joining activity. Surprisingly, mutagenic repair by polymerase theta (Pol θ, encoded by the Polq gene) is most prevalent for blunt double-strand breaks (DSBs), while cNHEJ dictates mutagenic repair of DSBs with protruding ends, in which the cNHEJ polymerases lambda and mu play minor roles. We conclude that cNHEJ-dependent repair of DSBs with protruding ends can explain de novo formation of tandem duplications in mammalian genomes. © 2017 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

  1. Preliminary design optimization of joined-wing aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gallman, John W.; Kroo, Ilan M.; Smith, Stephen C.

    1990-01-01

    The joined wing is an innovative aircraft configuration that has a its tail connected to the wing forming a diamond shape in both top and plan view. This geometric arrangement utilizes the tail for both pitch control and as a structural support for the wing. Several researchers have studied this configuration and predicted significant reductions in trimmed drag or structural weight when compared with a conventional T-tail configuration. Kroo et al. compared the cruise drag of joined wings with conventional designs of the same lifting-surface area and structural weight. This study showed an 11 percent reduction in cruise drag for the lifting system of a joined wing. Although this reduction in cruise drag is significant, a complete design study is needed before any economic savings can be claimed for a joined-wing transport. Mission constraints, such as runway length, could increase the wing area and eliminate potential drag savings. Since other design codes do not accurately represent the interaction between structures and aerodynamics for joined wings, we developed a new design code for this study. The aerodynamic and structural analyses in this study are significantly more sophisticated than those used in most conventional design codes. This sophistication was needed to predict the aerodynamic interference between the wing and tail and the stresses in the truss-like structure. This paper describes these analysis methods, discusses some problems encountered when applying the numerical optimizer NPSOL, and compares optimum joined wings with conventional aircraft on the basis of cruise drag, lifting surface weight, and direct operating cost (DOC).

  2. Hybrid framework with cobalt-chromium alloy and gold cylinder for implant superstructure: Bond strength and corrosion resistance.

    PubMed

    Yoshinari, Masao; Uzawa, Shinobu; Komiyama, Yataro

    2016-10-01

    The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate tensile bond strengths and corrosion resistance of CoCr alloys joined with gold cylinder by a soldering system in comparison with the conventional cast-joining system. CoCr alloys joined with gold cylinder by a soldering system using a high-fusing gold solder (CoCr/Solder/Gold cylinder), gold alloy joined with gold cylinder by a cast joining system (Gold alloy/Gold cylinder) and CoCr castings were fabricated. The tensile bond strength and corrosion resistance in 0.9% NaCl solution (pH 7.4 and pH 2.3) were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the fractured surface and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) of the joined interfaces were also performed. The tensile bond strengths of the CoCr/Solder/Gold cylinder specimens showed similar values as the Gold alloy/Gold cylinder specimens. SEM observation and EPMA analyses suggested firm bonding between the CoCr alloy and gold cylinder. The released elements from the CoCr/Solder/Gold cylinder specimens were similar to ones from CoCr castings. Results showed that superstructures made of CoCr alloys joined with the gold cylinder using a high-fusing gold solder had sufficient bond strength and high corrosion resistance. These hybrid frameworks with cobalt-chromium alloy and gold cylinder are promising prosthesis for implant superstructures with the low cost and favorable mechanical properties instead of conventional high-gold alloys. Copyright © 2016 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Smells familiar: group-joining decisions of predatory mites are mediated by olfactory cues of social familiarity.

    PubMed

    Muleta, Muluken G; Schausberger, Peter

    2013-09-01

    Group-living animals frequently have to trade off the costs and benefits of leaving an established group and joining another group. Owing to their high fitness relevance, group-joining decisions are commonly nonrandom and may be based on traits of both individual members and the group such as life stage, body size, social status and group density or size, respectively. Many group-living animals are able to recognize and to associate preferentially with familiar individuals, i.e. those encountered before. Hence, after dispersing from established groups, animals commonly have to decide whether to join a new familiar or unfamiliar group. Using binary choice situations we assessed the effects of social familiarity on group-joining behaviour of the plant-inhabiting predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis . Group living in P. persimilis is brought about by the patchy distribution of its spider mite prey and mutual conspecific attraction. In the first experiment, gravid predator females given a choice between spider mite patches occupied by unfamiliar and familiar groups of females strongly preferred to join familiar groups and to deposit their eggs in these patches. Preference for socially familiar groups was robust across biases of spider mite prey densities between choice options. The second experiment revealed that the predatory mite females can smell social familiarity from a distance. Females subjected to odour choice situations in artificial cages were more strongly attracted to the odour of familiar than unfamiliar groups. We argue that P. persimilis females preferentially join socially familiar groups because a familiar social environment relaxes competition and optimizes foraging and reproduction.

  4. Smells familiar: group-joining decisions of predatory mites are mediated by olfactory cues of social familiarity☆

    PubMed Central

    Muleta, Muluken G.; Schausberger, Peter

    2013-01-01

    Group-living animals frequently have to trade off the costs and benefits of leaving an established group and joining another group. Owing to their high fitness relevance, group-joining decisions are commonly nonrandom and may be based on traits of both individual members and the group such as life stage, body size, social status and group density or size, respectively. Many group-living animals are able to recognize and to associate preferentially with familiar individuals, i.e. those encountered before. Hence, after dispersing from established groups, animals commonly have to decide whether to join a new familiar or unfamiliar group. Using binary choice situations we assessed the effects of social familiarity on group-joining behaviour of the plant-inhabiting predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis. Group living in P. persimilis is brought about by the patchy distribution of its spider mite prey and mutual conspecific attraction. In the first experiment, gravid predator females given a choice between spider mite patches occupied by unfamiliar and familiar groups of females strongly preferred to join familiar groups and to deposit their eggs in these patches. Preference for socially familiar groups was robust across biases of spider mite prey densities between choice options. The second experiment revealed that the predatory mite females can smell social familiarity from a distance. Females subjected to odour choice situations in artificial cages were more strongly attracted to the odour of familiar than unfamiliar groups. We argue that P. persimilis females preferentially join socially familiar groups because a familiar social environment relaxes competition and optimizes foraging and reproduction. PMID:24027341

  5. Selection-dependent and Independent Generation of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Gene Knockouts in Mammalian Cells.

    PubMed

    Sternburg, Erin L; Dias, Kristen C; Karginov, Fedor V

    2017-06-16

    The CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering system has revolutionized biology by allowing for precise genome editing with little effort. Guided by a single guide RNA (sgRNA) that confers specificity, the Cas9 protein cleaves both DNA strands at the targeted locus. The DNA break can trigger either non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or homology directed repair (HDR). NHEJ can introduce small deletions or insertions which lead to frame-shift mutations, while HDR allows for larger and more precise perturbations. Here, we present protocols for generating knockout cell lines by coupling established CRISPR/Cas9 methods with two options for downstream selection/screening. The NHEJ approach uses a single sgRNA cut site and selection-independent screening, where protein production is assessed by dot immunoblot in a high-throughput manner. The HDR approach uses two sgRNA cut sites that span the gene of interest. Together with a provided HDR template, this method can achieve deletion of tens of kb, aided by the inserted selectable resistance marker. The appropriate applications and advantages of each method are discussed.

  6. DNA double-strand break response factors influence end-joining features of IgH class switch and general translocation junctions.

    PubMed

    Panchakshari, Rohit A; Zhang, Xuefei; Kumar, Vipul; Du, Zhou; Wei, Pei-Chi; Kao, Jennifer; Dong, Junchao; Alt, Frederick W

    2018-01-23

    Ig heavy chain (IgH) class switch recombination (CSR) in B lymphocytes switches IgH constant regions to change antibody functions. CSR is initiated by DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) within a donor IgH switch (S) region and a downstream acceptor S region. CSR is completed by fusing donor and acceptor S region DSB ends by classical nonhomologous end-joining (C-NHEJ) and, in its absence, by alternative end-joining that is more biased to use longer junctional microhomologies (MHs). Deficiency for DSB response (DSBR) factors, including ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) and 53BP1, variably impair CSR end-joining, with 53BP1 deficiency having the greatest impact. However, studies of potential impact of DSBR factor deficiencies on MH-mediated CSR end-joining have been technically limited. We now use a robust DSB joining assay to elucidate impacts of deficiencies for DSBR factors on CSR and chromosomal translocation junctions in primary mouse B cells and CH12F3 B-lymphoma cells. Compared with wild-type, CSR and c-myc to S region translocation junctions in the absence of 53BP1, and, to a lesser extent, other DSBR factors, have increased MH utilization; indeed, 53BP1-deficient MH profiles resemble those associated with C-NHEJ deficiency. However, translocation junctions between c-myc DSB and general DSBs genome-wide are not MH-biased in ATM-deficient versus wild-type CH12F3 cells and are less biased in 53BP1- and C-NHEJ-deficient cells than CSR junctions or c-myc to S region translocation junctions. We discuss potential roles of DSBR factors in suppressing increased MH-mediated DSB end-joining and features of S regions that may render their DSBs prone to MH-biased end-joining in the absence of DSBR factors.

  7. Comparative analysis of different joining techniques to improve the passive fit of cobalt-chromium superstructures.

    PubMed

    Barbi, Francisco C L; Camarini, Edevaldo T; Silva, Rafael S; Endo, Eliana H; Pereira, Jefferson R

    2012-12-01

    The influence of different joining techniques on passive fit at the interface structure/abutment of cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) superstructures has not yet been clearly established. The purpose of this study was to compare 3 different techniques of joining Co-Cr superstructures by measuring the resulting marginal misfit in a simulated prosthetic assembly. A specially designed metal model was used for casting, sectioning, joining, and measuring marginal misfit. Forty-five cast bar-type superstructures were fabricated in a Co-Cr alloy and randomly assigned by drawing lots to 3 groups (n=15) according to the joining method used: conventional gas-torch brazing (G-TB), laser welding (LW), and tungsten inert gas welding (TIG). Joined specimens were assembled onto abutment analogs in the metal model with the 1-screw method. The resulting marginal misfit was measured with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at 3 different points: distal (D), central (C), and mesial (M) along the buccal aspect of both abutments: A (tightened) and B (without screw). The Levene test was used to evaluate variance homogeneity and then the Welsch ANOVA for heteroscedastic data (α=.05). Significant differences were found on abutment A between groups G-TB and LW (P=.013) measured mesially and between groups G-TB and TIG (P=.037) measured centrally. On abutment B, significant differences were found between groups G-TB and LW (P<.001) and groups LW and TIG (P<.001) measured mesially; groups G-TB and TIG (P=.007) measured distally; and groups G-TB and TIG (P=.001) and LW and TIG (P=.007) measured centrally. The method used for joining Co-Cr prosthetic structures had an influence on the level of resulting passive fit. Structures joined by the tungsten inert gas method produced better mean results than did the brazing or laser method. Copyright © 2012 The Editorial Council of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring of Adhesively Bonded Composite Structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roth, William Walker

    As the growth of fiber reinforced composite materials continues in many industries, structural designers will have to look to new methods of joining components. In order to take full advantage of composite materials, such as increased stiffness, decreased weight, tailored material properties and increased fatigue life, mechanical fasteners will need to be replaced by adhesive bonding or welding, when possible. Mechanical fasteners require the drilling of holes, which damages the laminate and becomes the source of further fatigue damage. Also, an increase in laminate thickness or inclusion of other features is required for the material to withstand the bearing stress needed to preload fasteners. Adhesives transfer the load over a large area, do not require additional machining operations, provide increased stiffness through the joint, provide corrosion protection when joining dissimilar materials, and provide vibrational damping. Additionally, the repair of composite structures, which will become a major concern in the near future, will require the use of adhesive bonding for thermoset composites. In order for adhesives to be used to join primary aerospace structures they must meet certification requirements, which includes proof that the joint can withstand the required ultimate load without structural failure. For most components, nondestructive inspection is used to find critical flaws, which is combined with fracture mechanics to ensure that the structure can meet the requirements. This process works for some of the adhesive flaws, but other critical defects are not easily detected. Weak interface bonding is particularly challenging. This type of defect results in an interphase zone that may be only a dozen microns in thickness. Traditional bulk wave ultrasonic techniques cannot easily distinguish this zone from the interface between adherend and adhesive. This work considers two approaches to help solve this problem. Guided elastic wave propagation along laminate structures is highly dependent on the boundary conditions at the surface and between plies, especially at high frequencies. This work investigates how interfacial defects can alter the propagation of guided waves through bonded fiber reinforced composite materials. As well as how this information can be used to determine the interface properties and correlate the results with fracture parameters. The second approach investigates how structural health monitoring can be used to detect the growth of disbonds from service loads. A mode selection technique is proposed for selecting frequency ranges for electromechanical impedance spectroscopy.

  9. Laser welding of NiTi shape memory alloy: Comparison of the similar and dissimilar joints to AISI 304 stainless steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mirshekari, G. R.; Saatchi, A.; Kermanpur, A.; Sadrnezhaad, S. K.

    2013-12-01

    The unique properties of NiTi alloy, such as its shape memory effect, super-elasticity and biocompatibility, make it ideal material for various applications such as aerospace, micro-electronics and medical device. In order to meet the requirement of increasing applications, great attention has been given to joining of this material to itself and to other materials during past few years. Laser welding has been known as a suitable joining technique for NiTi shape memory alloy. Hence, in this work, a comparative study on laser welding of NiTi wire to itself and to AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel wire has been made. Microstructures, mechanical properties and fracture morphologies of the laser joints were investigated using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Vickers microhardness (HV0.2) and tensile testing techniques. The results showed that the NiTi-NiTi laser joint reached about 63% of the ultimate tensile strength of the as-received NiTi wire (i.e. 835 MPa) with rupture strain of about 16%. This joint also enabled the possibility to benefit from the pseudo-elastic properties of the NiTi component. However, tensile strength and ductility decreased significantly after dissimilar laser welding of NiTi to stainless steel due to the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds in the weld zone during laser welding. Therefore, a suitable modification process is required for improvement of the joint properties of the dissimilar welded wires.

  10. Research and implementation of role-playing teaching mode supported by gamification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, Xu; Zhang, Zhenglei; Sun, Lei

    2017-08-01

    The paper designs a Role-playing Teaching Mode Supported by Gamification to stimulate the interest of learners. In the process of creating the teaching mode, the factors of incentive factors, teaching mode and course selection are the most important factors gained by investigate and research. Then under the guidance of the three factors, a leaning framework of role-playing teaching mode which is called Gamification Learning Framework (GM1.0) is determined. In the design of GM1.0, First, collect problem cases which students interested in and select three courses which are Algorithm Design, Data Structure and Program Design. Then, extract the knowledge points of the three courses and merge into the problem cases to form game maps. Last, Learners gain a role-playing actor to join games with the support of game maps and finish selected tasks reaching a higher task level by upgrade checkpoints, experience promotions and award medals changing. After that, learners’ enthusiasm for learning can be stimulated and the innovation abilities can also be improved gradually.

  11. Advanced Stirling Duplex Materials Assessment for Potential Venus Mission Heater Head Application

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ritzert, Frank; Nathal, Michael V.; Salem, Jonathan; Jacobson, Nathan; Nesbitt, James

    2011-01-01

    This report will address materials selection for components in a proposed Venus lander system. The lander would use active refrigeration to allow Space Science instrumentation to survive the extreme environment that exists on the surface of Venus. The refrigeration system would be powered by a Stirling engine-based system and is termed the Advanced Stirling Duplex (ASD) concept. Stirling engine power conversion in its simplest definition converts heat from radioactive decay into electricity. Detailed design decisions will require iterations between component geometries, materials selection, system output, and tolerable risk. This study reviews potential component requirements against known materials performance. A lower risk, evolutionary advance in heater head materials could be offered by nickel-base superalloy single crystals, with expected capability of approximately 1100C. However, the high temperature requirements of the Venus mission may force the selection of ceramics or refractory metals, which are more developmental in nature and may not have a well-developed database or a mature supporting technology base such as fabrication and joining methods.

  12. Transient liquid phase diffusion bonding of Udimet 720 for Stirling power converter applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mittendorf, Donald L.; Baggenstoss, William G.

    1992-01-01

    Udimet 720 has been selected for use on Stirling power converters for space applications. Because Udimet 720 is generally considered susceptible to strain age cracking if traditional fusion welding is used, other joining methods are being considered. A process for transient liquid phase diffusion bonding of Udimet 720 has been theoretically developed in an effort to eliminate the strain age crack concern. This development has taken into account such variables as final grain size, joint homogenization, joint efficiency related to bonding aid material, bonding aid material application method, and thermal cycle.

  13. TEM study of the FSW nugget in AA2195-T81

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schneider, J. A.; Nunes, A. C., Jr.; Chen, P. S.; Steele, G.

    2004-01-01

    During fiiction stir welding (FSW) the material being joined is subjected to a thermal- mechanical process in which the temperature, strain and strain rates are not completely understood. To produce a defect fiee weld, process parameters for the weld and tool pin design must be chosen carefully. The ability to select the weld parameters based on the thermal processing requirements of the material, would allow optimization of mechanical properties in the weld region. In this study, an attempt is made to correlate the microstructure with the variation in thermal history the material experiences during the FSW process.

  14. Burbank works at the MSG

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2012-01-10

    ISS030-E-030125 (10 Jan. 2012) --- NASA astronaut Dan Burbank, Expedition 30 commander, works on the Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument C Colloid (SODI-COLLOID) hardware in the Microgravity Science Glovebox in the International Space Station?s Destiny laboratory. Burbank is supporting ground-commanded operations by exchanging out some disks. COLLOID is part of ESA?s triple experiment series for advancement in liquids, diffusion measurements in petroleum reservoirs and the study on growth and properties of advanced photonic materials within colloidal solutions. The commander is currently joined by five other Expedition 30 astronauts and cosmonauts, all flight engineers, aboard the orbital outpost.

  15. Causal reasoning with forces

    PubMed Central

    Wolff, Phillip; Barbey, Aron K.

    2015-01-01

    Causal composition allows people to generate new causal relations by combining existing causal knowledge. We introduce a new computational model of such reasoning, the force theory, which holds that people compose causal relations by simulating the processes that join forces in the world, and compare this theory with the mental model theory (Khemlani et al., 2014) and the causal model theory (Sloman et al., 2009), which explain causal composition on the basis of mental models and structural equations, respectively. In one experiment, the force theory was uniquely able to account for people's ability to compose causal relationships from complex animations of real-world events. In three additional experiments, the force theory did as well as or better than the other two theories in explaining the causal compositions people generated from linguistically presented causal relations. Implications for causal learning and the hierarchical structure of causal knowledge are discussed. PMID:25653611

  16. Circular RNAs: diversity of form and function.

    PubMed

    Lasda, Erika; Parker, Roy

    2014-12-01

    It is now clear that there is a diversity of circular RNAs in biological systems. Circular RNAs can be produced by the direct ligation of 5' and 3' ends of linear RNAs, as intermediates in RNA processing reactions, or by "backsplicing," wherein a downstream 5' splice site (splice donor) is joined to an upstream 3' splice site (splice acceptor). Circular RNAs have unique properties including the potential for rolling circle amplification of RNA, the ability to rearrange the order of genomic information, protection from exonucleases, and constraints on RNA folding. Circular RNAs can function as templates for viroid and viral replication, as intermediates in RNA processing reactions, as regulators of transcription in cis, as snoRNAs, and as miRNA sponges. Herein, we review the breadth of circular RNAs, their biogenesis and metabolism, and their known and anticipated functions. © 2014 Lasda and Parker; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.

  17. Circular RNAs: diversity of form and function

    PubMed Central

    Lasda, Erika

    2014-01-01

    It is now clear that there is a diversity of circular RNAs in biological systems. Circular RNAs can be produced by the direct ligation of 5′ and 3′ ends of linear RNAs, as intermediates in RNA processing reactions, or by “backsplicing,” wherein a downstream 5′ splice site (splice donor) is joined to an upstream 3′ splice site (splice acceptor). Circular RNAs have unique properties including the potential for rolling circle amplification of RNA, the ability to rearrange the order of genomic information, protection from exonucleases, and constraints on RNA folding. Circular RNAs can function as templates for viroid and viral replication, as intermediates in RNA processing reactions, as regulators of transcription in cis, as snoRNAs, and as miRNA sponges. Herein, we review the breadth of circular RNAs, their biogenesis and metabolism, and their known and anticipated functions. PMID:25404635

  18. Debating life after disaster: charity hospital babies and bioscientific futures in post-Katrina New Orleans.

    PubMed

    Lovell, Anne M

    2011-06-01

    In Louisiana's unique, populist-derived charity health system, the self-designation Charity Hospital Baby expresses situational identity anchored in the life cycle and the inversion of racist and authoritative connotations. This article draws on theoretical perspectives of stratified reproduction and the politics of time to examine the controversy in which Babies advocate reopening the Katrina-damaged New Orleans Charity Hospital, and administrators and planners support a new state-of-the-art biosciences district, GNOBED. Babies evoke the present, ethical urgency (kairos) of responding to sickness and disability; GNOBED implies prolonging or saving future lives through biotechnologies under development in accelerated time (chronos). As preservationists and residents threatened with displacement join "re-open Charity" proponents, planners symbolically engage in prolepsis, rhetorically precluding opposing arguments with flash forward of supposedly "done deals." At stake is nothing less than social death for a segment of this ethnically diverse city. [public

  19. Fault recovery in the reliable multicast protocol

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Callahan, John R.; Montgomery, Todd L.; Whetten, Brian

    1995-01-01

    The Reliable Multicast Protocol (RMP) provides a unique, group-based model for distributed programs that need to handle reconfiguration events at the application layer. This model, called membership views, provides an abstraction in which events such as site failures, network partitions, and normal join-leave events are viewed as group reformations. RMP provides access to this model through an application programming interface (API) that notifies an application when a group is reformed as the result of a some event. RMP provides applications with reliable delivery of messages using an underlying IP Multicast (12, 5) media to other group members in a distributed environment even in the case of reformations. A distributed application can use various Quality of Service (QoS) levels provided by RMP to tolerate group reformations. This paper explores the implementation details of the mechanisms in RMP that provide distributed applications with membership view information and fault recovery capabilities.

  20. Specification and Design of a Fault Recovery Model for the Reliable Multicast Protocol

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Montgomery, Todd; Callahan, John R.; Whetten, Brian

    1996-01-01

    The Reliable Multicast Protocol (RMP) provides a unique, group-based model for distributed programs that need to handle reconfiguration events at the application layer. This model, called membership views, provides an abstraction in which events such as site failures, network partitions, and normal join-leave events are viewed as group reformations. RMP provides access to this model through an application programming interface (API) that notifies an application when a group is reformed as the result of a some event. RMP provides applications with reliable delivery of messages using an underlying IP Multicast media to other group members in a distributed environment even in the case of reformations. A distributed application can use various Quality of Service (QoS) levels provided by RMP to tolerate group reformations. This paper explores the implementation details of the mechanisms in RMP that provide distributed applications with membership view information and fault recovery capabilities.

  1. Ionic liquid-modified materials for solid-phase extraction and separation: a review.

    PubMed

    Vidal, Lorena; Riekkola, Marja-Liisa; Canals, Antonio

    2012-02-17

    In recent years, materials science has propelled to the research forefront. Ionic liquids with unique and fascinating properties have also left their footprints to the developments of materials science during the last years. In this review we highlight some of their recent advances and provide an overview at the current status of ionic liquid-modified materials applied in solid-phase extraction, liquid and gas chromatography and capillary electrochromatography with reference to recent applications. In addition, the potential of ionic liquids in the modification of capillary inner wall in capillary electrophoresis is demonstrated. The main target material modified with ionic liquids is silica, but polymers and monoliths have recently joined the studies. Although imidazolium is still clearly the most commonly used ionic liquid for the covalently modification of materials, the exploitation of pyridinium and phosphonium will most probably increase in the future. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Crewmembers share a meal in the SM

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2008-02-10

    S122-E-007069 (9 Feb. 2008) --- An auto-set digital camera records a rare but not unique moment on the International Space Station as a total of ten travelers share a few light moments before joining forces for several days of work aboard the orbital outpost. On the left side of the frame, from top to bottom, are astronauts Daniel Tani, Stanley Love and the European Space Agency's Leopold Eyharts. In the center, from the top, are astronauts Leland Melvin, Rex Walheim, Steve Frick, Peggy Whitson and Alan Poindexter. Cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko of Russia's Federal Space Agency is top right and below him is ESA astronaut Hans Schlegel. Tani, who has been serving as a flight engineer on the ISS for several months, now gets to trade places with Eyharts. Whitson and Malenchenko both will continue their tours of duty on the station once the STS-122 crew returns to Earth.

  3. Virtual Presence: One Step Beyond Reality

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Budden, Nancy Ann

    1997-01-01

    Our primary objective was to team up a group consisting of scientists and engineers from two different NASA cultures, and simulate an interactive teleoperated robot conducting geologic field work on the Moon or Mars. The information derived from the experiment will benefit both the robotics team and the planetary exploration team in the areas of robot design and development, and mission planning and analysis. The Earth Sciences and Space and Life Sciences Division combines the past with the future contributing experience from Apollo crews exploring the lunar surface, knowledge of reduced gravity environments, the performance limits of EVA suits, and future goals for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. The Automation, Robotics. and Simulation Division brings to the table the technical expertise of robotic systems, the future goals of highly interactive robotic capabilities, treading on the edge of technology by joining for the first time a unique combination of telepresence with virtual reality.

  4. Who dares to join a parabolic flight?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Montag, Christian; Zander, Tina; Schneider, Stefan

    2016-12-01

    Parabolic flights represent an important tool in space research to investigate zero gravity on airplanes. Research on these flights often target psychological and biological processes in humans to investigate if and how we can adapt to this unique environment. This research is costly, hard to conduct and clearly heavily relies on humans participating in experiments in this (unnatural) situation. The present study investigated N =66 participants and N =66 matched control persons to study if participants in such experimental flights differ in terms of their personality traits from non-parabonauts. The main finding of this study demonstrates that parabonauts score significantly lower on harm avoidance, a trait closely linked to being anxious. As anxious humans differ from non-anxious humans in their biology, the present observations need to be taken into account when aiming at the generalizability of psychobiological research findings conducted in zero gravity on parabolic flights.

  5. Fishes in paleochannels of the Lower Mississippi River alluvial valley: A national treasure

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miranda, Leandro E.

    2016-01-01

    Fluvial geomorphology of the alluvial valley of the Lower Mississippi River reveals a fascinating history. A prominent occupant of the valley was the Ohio River, estimated to have flowed 25,000 years ago over western Tennessee and Mississippi to join the Mississippi River north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 750–800 km south of the present confluence. Over time, shifts in the Mississippi and Ohio rivers toward their contemporary positions have left a legacy of abandoned paleochannels supportive of unique fish assemblages. Relative to channels abandoned in the last 500 years, paleochannels exhibit harsher environmental conditions characteristic of hypereutrophic lakes and support tolerant fish assemblages. Considering their ecological, geological, and historical importance, coupled with their primordial scenery, the hundreds of paleochannels in the valley represent a national treasure. Altogether, these waterscapes are endangered by human activities and would benefit from the conservation attention afforded to our national parks and wildlife refuges.

  6. Feasibility Assessment for Pressure Casting of Ceramic-Aluminum Composites for NASA's Propulsion Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lee, Jonathan A.

    2005-01-01

    Feasibility assessment of pressure casting of ceramic-aluminum composites for NASA% propulsion applications is summarized. A combination of several demonstration projects to produce three unique components for liquid hydrogen-oxygen rocket engine% flanges, valves and turbo-pump housing are conducted. These components are made from boron carbide, silicon carbide and alumina powders fabricated into complex net shaped parts using dry green powder compaction, slip casting or a novel 3D ink-jet printing process, followed by sintering to produce performs that can be pressure cast by infiltration with molten aluminum. I n addition, joining techniques are also explored to insure that these components can be assembled into a structure without degrading their highly tailored properties. The feasibility assessment was made to determine if these new materials could provide a significant weight savings, thereby reducing vehicle launch costs, while being durable materials to increase safety and performance for propulsion system.

  7. Solar Thermal Propulsion Optical Figure Measuring and Rocket Engine Testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bonometti, Joseph

    1997-01-01

    Solar thermal propulsion has been an important area of study for four years at the Propulsion Research Center. Significant resources have been devoted to the development of the UAH Solar Thermal Laboratory that provides unique, high temperature, test capabilities. The facility is fully operational and has successfully conducted a series of solar thruster shell experiments. Although presently dedicated to solar thermal propulsion, the facility has application to a variety of material processing, power generation, environmental clean-up, and other fundamental research studies. Additionally, the UAH Physics Department has joined the Center in support of an in-depth experimental investigation on Solar Thermal Upper Stage (STUS) concentrators. Laboratory space has been dedicated to the concentrator evaluation in the UAH Optics Building which includes a vertical light tunnel. Two, on-going, research efforts are being sponsored through NASA MSFC (Shooting Star Flight Experiment) and the McDonnell Douglas Corporation (Solar Thermal Upper Stage Technology Ground Demonstrator).

  8. Shaping the future of practice through political activity: how nurses can influence health care policy.

    PubMed

    Ennen, K A

    2001-12-01

    1. The scope of professional nursing practice obligates the individual nurse to make participation in public policy formulation part of their professional work. Helping to shape the health and welfare of our communities and the nation fulfills part of nursing's contract with America's citizens. 2. Nurses have valuable, special knowledge and skills which "fit" very well with political involvement and policy making activities. 3. Occupational and environmental health nurses have a special responsibility to influence public policies that affect America's work force by using the five Cs of political action to enable effective involvement. 4. Nursing's professional associations act as advocates for nursing's unique interests and causes. Nurses who join and become active in associations such as AAOHN and ANA are instrumental in protecting the profession of nursing and ensuring that health care issues are at the top of the political agenda at all government levels.

  9. A pathway for the growth of core-shell Pt-Pd nanoparticles

    DOE PAGES

    Narula, Chaitanya Kumar; Yang, Xiaofan; Li, Chen; ...

    2015-10-12

    In this study, the aging of both Pt-Pd nanoparticles and core-shell Pt-Pd nanoparticles has been reported to result in alloying of Pt with Pd. In comparison to monometallic Pt catalysts, the growth of Pd-Pt bimetallics is slower; however, the mechanism of growth of particles and the mechanism by which Pd improves the hydrothermal durability of bimetallic Pd-Pt particles remains uncertain. In our work on hydrothermal aging of core-shell Pt-Pd nanoparticles, synthesized by solution methods, with varying Pd:Pt ratio of 1:4, 1:1, and 4:1, we compare the growth of core-shell Pt-Pd nanoparticles and find that particles grow by migrating and joiningmore » together. The unique feature of the observed growth is that Pd shells from both particles open up and join, allowing the cores to merge. At high temperatures, alloying occurs in good agreement with reports by other workers.« less

  10. Citizen science on a smartphone: Participants' motivations and learning.

    PubMed

    Land-Zandstra, Anne M; Devilee, Jeroen L A; Snik, Frans; Buurmeijer, Franka; van den Broek, Jos M

    2016-01-01

    Citizen science provides researchers means to gather or analyse large datasets. At the same time, citizen science projects offer an opportunity for non-scientists to be part of and learn from the scientific process. In the Dutch iSPEX project, a large number of citizens turned their smartphones into actual measurement devices to measure aerosols. This study examined participants' motivation and perceived learning impacts of this unique project. Most respondents joined iSPEX because they wanted to contribute to the scientific goals of the project or because they were interested in the project topics (health and environmental impact of aerosols). In terms of learning impact, respondents reported a gain in knowledge about citizen science and the topics of the project. However, many respondents had an incomplete understanding of the science behind the project, possibly caused by the complexity of the measurements. © The Author(s) 2015.

  11. Space Science

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1979-02-05

    On February 5, 1979, Voyager 1 made its closest approach to Jupiter since early 1974 and 1975 when Pioneers 10 and 11 made their voyages to Jupiter and beyond. Voyager 1 completed its Jupiter encounter in early April, after taking almost 19,000 pictures and recording many other scientific measurements. Although astronomers had studied Jupiter from Earth for several centuries, scientists were surprised by many of Voyager 1 and 2's findings. They now understand that important physical, geological, and atmospheric processes go on that they had never observed from Earth. Discovery of active volcanism on the satellite Io was probably the greatest surprise. It was the first time active volcanoes had been seen on another body in the solar system. Voyager also discovered a ring around Jupiter. Thus Jupiter joins Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune as a ringed planet -- although each ring system is unique and distinct from the others.

  12. Comparing associative, statistical, and inferential reasoning accounts of human contingency learning.

    PubMed

    Pineño, Oskar; Miller, Ralph R

    2007-03-01

    For more than two decades, researchers have contrasted the relative merits of associative and statistical theories as accounts of human contingency learning. This debate, still far from resolution, has led to further refinement of models within each family of theories. More recently, a third theoretical view has joined the debate: the inferential reasoning account. The explanations of these three accounts differ critically in many aspects, such as level of analysis and their emphasis on different steps within the information-processing sequence. Also, each account has important advantages (as well as critical flaws) and emphasizes experimental evidence that poses problems to the others. Some hybrid models of human contingency learning have attempted to reconcile certain features of these accounts, thereby benefiting from some of the unique advantages of different families of accounts. A comparison of these families of accounts will help us appreciate the challenges that research on human contingency learning will face over the coming years.

  13. Multiobjective immune algorithm with nondominated neighbor-based selection.

    PubMed

    Gong, Maoguo; Jiao, Licheng; Du, Haifeng; Bo, Liefeng

    2008-01-01

    Abstract Nondominated Neighbor Immune Algorithm (NNIA) is proposed for multiobjective optimization by using a novel nondominated neighbor-based selection technique, an immune inspired operator, two heuristic search operators, and elitism. The unique selection technique of NNIA only selects minority isolated nondominated individuals in the population. The selected individuals are then cloned proportionally to their crowding-distance values before heuristic search. By using the nondominated neighbor-based selection and proportional cloning, NNIA pays more attention to the less-crowded regions of the current trade-off front. We compare NNIA with NSGA-II, SPEA2, PESA-II, and MISA in solving five DTLZ problems, five ZDT problems, and three low-dimensional problems. The statistical analysis based on three performance metrics including the coverage of two sets, the convergence metric, and the spacing, show that the unique selection method is effective, and NNIA is an effective algorithm for solving multiobjective optimization problems. The empirical study on NNIA's scalability with respect to the number of objectives shows that the new algorithm scales well along the number of objectives.

  14. The 1985 Army Experience Survey: Tabular Descriptions of First-Term Attritees. Volume 2

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-01-01

    survey receipt control and sample management systems . Data were also keyed, edited, coded, and weighted. The coding schemes developed to classify... R136 REGION OF RESIDENCE WHEN YOU JOINED ARMY. .. ................. 272-273 049 El37 U TERMS OF ACTIVE ENLISTMENT .. ........ ................ 274...272 R136 -- REGION OF RESIDENCE WHEN YOU JOINED ARMY RECODED - WHAT STATE WERE YOU LIVING IN WHEN YOU JOINED THE ARMY! (RECODED TO REGION OF RSID) I

  15. Top scientists join Stephen Hawking at Perimeter Institute

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Banks, Michael

    2009-03-01

    Nine leading researchers are to join Stephen Hawking as visiting fellows at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Ontario, Canada. The researchers, who include string theorists Leonard Susskind from Stanford University and Asoka Sen from the Harisch-Chandra Research Institute in India, will each spend a few months of the year at the institute as "distinguished research chairs". They will be joined by another 30 scientists to be announced at a later date.

  16. Improving U.S. Navy Foodservice Management Training. Part 1. Evaluation of the Current System

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-11-01

    Experience in civilian foodservice before joining Navy? FAST FOOD FRANCHISE BAKERY RESTAURANT COFFEE SHOP CAFETERIA DELICATESSEN NONE WORKED AS...civilian foodservice since joining Navy? FAST FOOD FRANCHISE 12 8 BAKERY 15 5 RESTAURANT 12 18 COFFEE SHOP 8 — CAFETERIA 8 — DELICATESSEN — NONE...food service before joining the Navy? (PLEASE CHECK l^ THAT APPLY TO WHERE YOU WORKED) Fast Food Franchise Cafeteria Bakery Delieateesan

  17. Method of forming a ceramic to ceramic joint

    DOEpatents

    Cutler, Raymond Ashton; Hutchings, Kent Neal; Kleinlein, Brian Paul; Carolan, Michael Francis

    2010-04-13

    A method of joining at least two sintered bodies to form a composite structure, includes: providing a joint material between joining surfaces of first and second sintered bodies; applying pressure from 1 kP to less than 5 MPa to provide an assembly; heating the assembly to a conforming temperature sufficient to allow the joint material to conform to the joining surfaces; and further heating the assembly to a joining temperature below a minimum sintering temperature of the first and second sintered bodies. The joint material includes organic component(s) and ceramic particles. The ceramic particles constitute 40-75 vol. % of the joint material, and include at least one element of the first and/or second sintered bodies. Composite structures produced by the method are also disclosed.

  18. Two-sided friction stir riveting by extrusion: A process for joining dissimilar materials

    DOE PAGES

    Evans, William T.; Cox, Chase D.; Strauss, Alvin M.; ...

    2016-06-25

    Two-sided friction stir riveting (FSR) by extrusion is an innovative process developed to rapidly, efficiently, and securely join dissimilar materials. This process extends a previously developed one sided friction stir extrusion process to create a strong and robust joint by producing a continuous, rivet-like structure through a preformed hole in one of the materials with a simultaneous, two-sided friction stir spot weld. The two-sided FSR by extrusion process securely joins the dissimilar materials together and effectively locks them in place without the use of any separate materials or fasteners. Lastly, in this paper we demonstrate the process by joining aluminummore » to steel and illustrate its potential application to automotive and aerospace manufacturing processes.« less

  19. Explosive bulk charge

    DOEpatents

    Miller, Jacob Lee

    2015-04-21

    An explosive bulk charge, including: a first contact surface configured to be selectively disposed substantially adjacent to a structure or material; a second end surface configured to selectively receive a detonator; and a curvilinear side surface joining the first contact surface and the second end surface. The first contact surface, the second end surface, and the curvilinear side surface form a bi-truncated hemispherical structure. The first contact surface, the second end surface, and the curvilinear side surface are formed from an explosive material. Optionally, the first contact surface and the second end surface each have a substantially circular shape. Optionally, the first contact surface and the second end surface consist of planar structures that are aligned substantially parallel or slightly tilted with respect to one another. The curvilinear side surface has one of a smooth curved geometry, an elliptical geometry, and a parabolic geometry.

  20. Dust evolution, a global view I. Nanoparticles, nascence, nitrogen and natural selection … joining the dots

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, A. P.

    2016-12-01

    The role and importance of nanoparticles for interstellar chemistry and beyond is explored within the framework of The Heterogeneous dust Evolution Model for Interstellar Solids (THEMIS), focusing on their active surface chemistry, the effects of nitrogen doping and the natural selection of interesting nanoparticle sub-structures. Nanoparticle-driven chemistry, and in particular the role of intrinsic epoxide-type structures, could provide a viable route to the observed gas phase OH in tenuous interstellar clouds en route to becoming molecular clouds. The aromatic-rich moieties present in asphaltenes probably provide a viable model for the structures present within aromatic-rich interstellar carbonaceous grains. The observed doping of such nanoparticle structures with nitrogen, if also prevalent in interstellar dust, could perhaps have important and observable consequences for surface chemistry and the formation of precursor pre-biotic species.

  1. [Joining WHO of Republic of Korea and the projects in the 1950s].

    PubMed

    Lee, Sun Ho

    2014-04-01

    The Republic of Korea(ROK) and the World Health Organization(WHO) have done many projects successfully from 1949, in which the government of First Republic joined the WHO. However the relation between the ROK and the WHO have not been studied very much so far. The main purpose of this research, which could be done by the support of WHO, is connected with three questions. First research point would be "how could the ROK joined WHO in 1949 and what's the meaning of it? And the what's the difference in the process for the WHO between the ROK of 1949 and the DPRK(Democratic People's Republic of Korea) of 1973?" The first president of the ROK, Rhee Syngman, who had received his Ph. D.(about international politics) from Princeton University in 1910, was strongly interested in joining international institutes like UN, WHO. The ROK that could join WHO on 17 August 1949, with the approval of Assembly on 25 May 1949, was one of the founder members of the Western Pacific Region. By joining WHO, the ROK could get chance to increase the level of public health and its administration in 1950's. But the DPRK manage to became a member of WHO on 19 May 1973 and joined the South-East Asia Region. The joining of DPRK was influenced by the easing of the cold war after the Nixon Doctrine and the joining of the China(People's Republic of China). Second research point would be "What kind of roll did the WHO take in the First Republic?" Yet the public health administration of the First Republic that had been made in the period of US army military government was been strongly influenced by USA, the roll of WHO was also important in the 1950's. Last research point would be "What kind of the projects did the ROK and the WHO take part in during the period of he First Republic? How could evaluate the results?" The ROK and the WHO handled the projects including health services, communicable disease prevention and control, control of noncommunicable diseases, and protection of health. Specially for the efforts to prevent communicable disease, the WHO focused on leprosy, malaria, measles, smallpox, tuberculosis in 1950's. The First Republic could overcome the bad health condition after the Korea War successfully, supported by WHO.

  2. Alternative end-joining catalyzes robust IgH locus deletions and translocations in the combined absence of ligase 4 and Ku70.

    PubMed

    Boboila, Cristian; Jankovic, Mila; Yan, Catherine T; Wang, Jing H; Wesemann, Duane R; Zhang, Tingting; Fazeli, Alex; Feldman, Lauren; Nussenzweig, Andre; Nussenzweig, Michel; Alt, Frederick W

    2010-02-16

    Class switch recombination (CSR) in B lymphocytes is initiated by introduction of multiple DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) into switch (S) regions that flank immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) constant region exons. CSR is completed by joining a DSB in the donor S mu to a DSB in a downstream acceptor S region (e.g., S gamma1) by end-joining. In normal cells, many CSR junctions are mediated by classical nonhomologous end-joining (C-NHEJ), which employs the Ku70/80 complex for DSB recognition and XRCC4/DNA ligase 4 for ligation. Alternative end-joining (A-EJ) mediates CSR, at reduced levels, in the absence of C-NHEJ, even in combined absence of Ku70 and ligase 4, demonstrating an A-EJ pathway totally distinct from C-NHEJ. Multiple DSBs are introduced into S mu during CSR, with some being rejoined or joined to each other to generate internal switch deletions (ISDs). In addition, S-region DSBs can be joined to other chromosomes to generate translocations, the level of which is increased by absence of a single C-NHEJ component (e.g., XRCC4). We asked whether ISD and S-region translocations occur in the complete absence of C-NHEJ (e.g., in Ku70/ligase 4 double-deficient B cells). We found, unexpectedly, that B-cell activation for CSR generates substantial ISD in both S mu and S gamma1 and that ISD in both is greatly increased by the absence of C-NHEJ. IgH chromosomal translocations to the c-myc oncogene also are augmented in the combined absence of Ku70 and ligase 4. We discuss the implications of these findings for A-EJ in normal and abnormal DSB repair.

  3. Desperately seeking fusion: on 'joined-up thinking', 'holistic practice' and the new economy of welfare professional power.

    PubMed

    Allen, Chris

    2003-06-01

    This paper argues that social welfare research on joined-up thinking is underpinned by two theses. The 'systemic move' thesis suggests that joined-up thinking is needed to fill gaps in welfare service provision arising from a lack of interorganizational co-ordination. The 'epistemological move' thesis advises that joined-up thinking is needed to overcome deficiencies in the institutional division and distribution of welfare knowledge. Both theses macro-systematize blame for previous social welfare failures, and both are teleological because they present joined-up thinking as a progressive solution that results in a more effective (and thus less fallible) welfare system. In this paper, I argue thatjoined-up thinking can also create a new economy of welfare professional power. First, I show how some versions of 'joined-up' thinking manifest themselves in holistic practices that can 'see everything', 'know everything' and 'do anything', and thus a 'holistic power' to discipline and control every aspect of welfare recipients lives. Since holistic power is seen as infallible, its failure to produce 'active bodies' necessitates the creation of secondary 'joined-up powers' that individualize blame and exclude those to blame from welfare resources. These 'secondary powers' match the social disciplines enforced by one welfare agency (e.g. the responsibility to work enforced by the employment service) with legal rights under another agency (e.g. the right to housing from social landlords), so that breach of the former leads to exclusion from the latter. I conclude that this power strategy is primitive and punitive because it simply excludes welfare recipients. Exclusion is also uneconomic because it pushes welfare recipients into the shade of welfare institutional power.

  4. Process optimization of joining by upset bulging with local heating

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rusch, Michael; Almohallami, Amer; Sviridov, Alexander; Bonk, Christian; Behrens, Bernd-Arno; Bambach, Markus

    2017-10-01

    Joining by upset bulging is a mechanical joining method where axial load is applied to a tube to form two revolving bulges, which clamp the parts to be joined and create a force and form fit. It can be used to join tubes with other structures such as sheets, plates, tubes or profiles of the same or different materials. Other processes such as welding are often limited in joining multi-material assemblies or high-strength materials. With joining by upset bulging at room temperature, the main drawback is the possible initiation of damage (cracks) in the inner buckling zone because of high local stresses and strains. In this paper, a method to avoid the formation of cracks is introduced. Before forming the bulge the tube is locally heated by an induction coil. For the construction steel (E235+N) a maximum temperature of 700 °C was used to avoid phase transformation. For the numerical study of the process the mechanical properties of the tube material were examined at different temperatures and strain rates to determine its flow curves. A parametrical FE model was developed to simulate the bulging process with local heating. Experiments with local heating were executed and metallographic studies of the bulging area were conducted. While specimens heated to 500 °C showed small cracks left, damage-free flanges could be created at 600 and 700 °C. Static testing of damage-free bulges showed improvements in tensile strength and torsion strength compared to bulges formed at room-temperature, while bending and compression behavior remained nearly unchanged. In cyclic testing the locally heated specimens underwent about 3.7 times as many cycles before failure as the specimens formed at room temperature.

  5. Parametric weight evaluation of joined wings by structural optimization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miura, Hirokazu; Shyu, Albert T.; Wolkovitch, Julian

    1988-01-01

    Joined-wing aircraft employ tandem wings having positive and negative sweep and dihedral, arranged to form diamond shapes in both plan and front views. An optimization method was applied to study the effects of joined-wing geometry parameters on structural weight. The lightest wings were obtained by increasing dihedral and taper ratio, decreasing sweep and span, increasing fraction of airfoil chord occupied by structural box, and locating the joint inboard of the front wing tip.

  6. Communication Lower Bounds and Optimal Algorithms for Programs that Reference Arrays - Part 1

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-05-14

    include tensor contractions, the direct N-body algorithm, and database join. 1This indicates that this is the first of 5 times that matrix multiplication...and database join. Section 8 summarizes our results, and outlines the contents of Part 2 of this paper. Part 2 will discuss how to compute lower...contractions, the direct N–body algo- rithm, database join, and computing matrix powers Ak. 2 Geometric Model We begin by reviewing the geometric

  7. Joining Pipe with the Hybrid Laser-GMAW Process: Weld Test Results and Cost Analysis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-06-01

    Recent work investigating the poten- tial benefit of applying this technology to a shipyard pipe shop suggests that signifi- cant cost savings may be...arc-based joining processes. With recent advances in com- mercial laser technology , laser suppliers can now deliver dramatically higher power systems...reasons, shipyards in the U.S. are showing growing interest in hybrid laser-GMA welding technology . Hybrid Laser-GMA for Joining Pipe Welding of pipe

  8. Connecting the Dots: Enduring Challenges in the Nation’s Information Sharing Environment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-05-12

    mails describes an exchange in which Major Hassan wrote, “I can’t wait to join you” in the afterlife . 113...Hassan’s email: ‘I Can’t Wait to Join You’ in Afterlife ,” ABC News, (November 19, 2009). http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/major-hasans-mail-wait-join... afterlife /story?id=9130339 (accessed January 12, 2010). 112Senate and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Statement by Juan Carlos

  9. Joining and Integration of Silicon Carbide-Based Materials for High Temperature Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Halbig, Michael C.; Singh, Mrityunjay

    2016-01-01

    Advanced joining and integration technologies of silicon carbide-based ceramics and ceramic matrix composites are enabling for their implementation into wide scale aerospace and ground-based applications. The robust joining and integration technologies allow for large and complex shapes to be fabricated and integrated with the larger system. Potential aerospace applications include lean-direct fuel injectors, thermal actuators, turbine vanes, blades, shrouds, combustor liners and other hot section components. Ground based applications include components for energy and environmental systems. Performance requirements and processing challenges are identified for the successful implementation different joining technologies. An overview will be provided of several joining approaches which have been developed for high temperature applications. In addition, various characterization approaches were pursued to provide an understanding of the processing-microstructure-property relationships. Microstructural analysis of the joint interfaces was conducted using optical, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy to identify phases and evaluate the bond quality. Mechanical testing results will be presented along with the need for new standardized test methods. The critical need for tailoring interlayer compositions for optimum joint properties will also be highlighted.

  10. Dynamic refractometer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Curley, Michael J. (Inventor); Sarkisov, Sergey S. (Inventor)

    2008-01-01

    A refractometer computer controls the rotation of a rotary plate upon which are mounted a prism optically coupled via an optical window to a spectroscopic cell holding a resin exhibiting a dynamic refractive index during photocuring. The computer system positions the prism and spectroscopic cell relative to a visible light laser which illuminates the prism-resin interface at selected incidence angles. A photodetector mounted on the plate generates a signal to the computer proportional to intensity of an internally reflected light beam. A curing light is selectively transmitted through the prism and into the photocurable resin. The refractometer determines the intensity of the internally reflected beam a selected incidence angles and determines the effective refractive index curve of the resin at an uncured state and, optionally, at a completely cured state. Next, an amount of uncured resin and selected optical components to be joined by the resin is placed in the spectroscopic cell and irradiated with the UV light. The refractometer is fixed at a selected incidence angle and measures the intensity of an internally reflected light beam of light throughout the cure cycle. The refractometer determines the resin's refractive index of the polymeric mixture by means of extrapolation of a horizontal shift in the effective refractive index curve of the resin from an uncured state to a selected point in the cure cycle.

  11. Morning Sickness

    MedlinePlus

    ... Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Instagram: behind the scenes Research & Professionals Our research Research ... Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Instagram: behind the scenes Our research Research grants Prematurity ...

  12. Advances in joining newer structural materials; Proceedings of the International Conference, Montreal, Canada, July 23-25, 1990

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    The present conference on advances in joining novel structural materials encompasses such material types as ceramics, plastics and composites, and new metallic materials. Specific issues addressed include the use of conductor electric explosion to join ceramics, the effects of brazing temperature on joint properties of SiC-fiber-reinforced Al-alloy-matrix composites, the in situ structure control of composite materials, and the weldability of polymeric materials that are heterogeneous as to chemical nature from the standpoint of morphology. Also addressed are the joining of the Al-Li alloy 8090, diffusion bonding of a creep-resistant Fe-ODS alloy, the adhesive bonding of zinc-coated steel sheets, welds in thermoplastic composite materials, and hot-melt joints for carbon-fiber-reinforced composites.

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

    Rabin, B.H.

    This paper reports on a ceramic joining technique that has been developed that utilizes an exothermic combustion reaction to simultaneously synthesize the joint interlayer material and to bond together the ceramic workpieces. The method has been used to join SiC ceramics using Ti-C-Ni powder mixtures that ignite below 1200{degrees} C to form a TiC-Ni joining material. Thin layers of the powder reactants were prepared by tape casting, and joining was accomplished by heating in a hot-press to ignite the combustion reaction. during this process, localized exothermic heating of the joint region resulted in chemical interaction at the interface between themore » TiC-Ni and the SiC ceramic that contributed to bonding. Room-temperature four-point bending strengths of joints produced by this method have exceeded 100 MPa.« less

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

    GLASS, S. JILL; LOEHMAN, RONALD E.; HOSKING, F. MICHAEL

    The main objective of this project was to develop reliable, low-cost techniques for joining silicon nitride (Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}) to itself and to metals. For Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} to be widely used in advanced turbomachinery applications, joining techniques must be developed that are reliable, cost-effective, and manufacturable. This project addressed those needs by developing and testing two Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} joining systems; oxynitride glass joining materials and high temperature braze alloys. Extensive measurements were also made of the mechanical properties and oxidation resistance of the braze materials. Finite element models were used to predict the magnitudes and positions of themore » stresses in the ceramic regions of ceramic-to-metal joints sleeve and butt joints, similar to the geometries used for stator assemblies.« less

  15. Neural Tube Defects

    MedlinePlus

    ... Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Instagram: behind the scenes Our research Research grants Prematurity ... Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Instagram: behind the scenes Research & Professionals Our research Research ...

  16. METHOD OF BRAZING

    DOEpatents

    Patriarca, P.; Slaughter, G.M.

    1962-11-27

    A method of joining metal surfaces is given. Surfaces having nickel or iron as the base metal are joined together with a brazing composition consisting of 80% nickel, 10% phosphorus, and 10% chromium. (AEC)

  17. Analysis of pharmacy student motivators and deterrents for professional organization involvement.

    PubMed

    Petersen, Erin; Wascher, Molly; Kier, Karen

    2017-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine motivators and deterrents impacting a student pharmacist's decision to join professional organizations. The goal was to create a list of meaningful factors that organizations can use for membership recruitment. This descriptive study utilized a blinded electronic survey sent to eight accredited pharmacy schools in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. The survey assessed motivating and hindering factors, as well as demographic data. Eight-hundred fifty-six students completed the survey, a 15.05% participation rate. Professional development and networking were the top two endorsed motivational factors, selected as significant by 88.0% and 87.5% respectively. Upon chi-square analysis, networking (p<0.001), involvement opportunities (p=0.01), and scholarships (p=0.02) were motivating factors with which membership was found to be significantly influenced. Networking and involvement opportunities were more significant for members while scholarships were a greater motivator among nonmembers. Time required for involvement and cost were the most commonly selected hindrances with 78% and 76% respectively identifying these as significant barriers. The hindering factor found to be significantly different between active members and nonmembers was bylaws/rules of the organization (p=0.032), with non-members rating this as a greater consideration than current members. Multiple factors contribute to a student's decision to join a professional organization. Those active members find greater significance in networking involvement opportunities. Non-member students found scholarships more motivating and recognize bylaws as a consideration for membership more than current members. These results emphasize the multifactorial nature of membership and may direct future membership initiatives. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Willingness to pay for voluntary community-based health insurance: findings from an exploratory study in the state of Penang, Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Shafie, A A; Hassali, M A

    2013-11-01

    Health care in Malaysia is funded primarily through taxation and is no longer sustainable. One funding option is voluntary community-based health insurance (VCHI), which provides insurance coverage for those who are unable to benefit immediately from either a social or private health insurance plan. This study is performed to assess the willingness of Malaysians to participate in a VCHI plan. A cross-sectional study was performed in the state of Penang between August and mid-September 2009 with 472 randomly selected respondents. The respondents were first asked to select their preferred health financing plan from three plans (out-of-pocket payment, compulsory social health insurance and VCHI). The extent of the household's willingness to pay for the described VCHI plan was later assessed using the contingent valuation method in an ex-ante bidding game approach until the maximum amount they would be willing to pay to obtain such a service was agreed upon. Fifty-four per cent of the participants were female, with a mean age of 34 years (SD = 11.9), the majority of whom had a monthly income of Int$1157-2312. The results indicated that more than 63.1% of the respondents were willing to join and contribute an average of Int$114.38 per month per household towards VCHI. This amount was influenced by ethnicity, educational level, household monthly income, the presence of chronic disease and the presence of private insurance coverage (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our study findings suggest that most Malaysians are willing to join the proposed VCHI and to pay an average of Int$114.38 per month per household for the plan. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Diffusion bonding of CMSX-4 to UDIMET 720 using PVD-coated interfaces and HIP

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

    Larker, R.; Ockborn, J.; Selling, B.

    There is an increasing interest in development of manufacturing methods for Dual Property BLISKs (BLaded dISKs), consisting of creep resistant airfoils and fatigue resistant disks bonded together by a durable joint. Optimum heat treatments are, however, very different for creep resistant single crystal CMSX-4 and fatigue resistant polycrystalline Udimet 720 selected in this study, but fortunately the first aging treatment for CMSX-4 (1140 C, 2-6h, AC) is similar to the partial solution treatment of U 720 HS2 (1115 C, 4h, OQ). Based on this, diffusion bonding was performed by HIP at 1120 C and 200 MPa argon pressure for 4more » h, followed by cooling to 400 C. Subsequently, a shortened Udimet 720 HS2 two-step aging treatment was adopted by heating to 650 C for 6 h followed by cooling to 400 C, heating to 760 C for 2 h, and finally cooling to R.T. under remaining HIP pressure. Plasma etching followed by thin (80 nm) PVD coating with either nickel or titanium were used to clean and protect the polished surfaces before joining. The selection of coatings was governed by the possibility to reduce oxidized nickel by flushing with hydrogen at 330 C during evacuation of the HIP capsules, and by the large solubility of oxygen in titanium. Hot tensile testing was performed at 750 C on both joined and reference materials subjected to the modified heat treatment. Initially solution treated Udimet 720 and CMSX-4 comprised the reference materials. The testing showed that joints with Ni-PV coatings were almost as strong as Udimet 720 (although with very limited elongation), while the joints with Ti-PVD coatings were weaker.« less

  20. High-Powered, Ultrasonically Assisted Thermal Stir Welding

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ding, Robert

    2013-01-01

    This method is a solid-state weld process capable of joining metallic alloys without melting. The weld workpieces to be joined by thermal stir welding (TSW) are drawn, by heavy forces, between containment plates past the TSW stir tool that then causes joining of the weld workpiece. TSW is similar to friction stir welding (FSW) in that material is heated into a plastic state (not melted) and stirred using a stir rod. The FSW pin tool is an integrated geometrical structure consisting of a large-diameter shoulder, and a smaller-diameter stir pin protruding from the shoulder. When the pin is plunged into a weld workpiece, the shoulder spins on the surface of the weld workpiece, thus inducing frictional heat into the part. The pin stirs the fraying surfaces of the weld joint, thus joining the weld workpiece into one structure. The shoulder and stir pin of the FSW pin tool must rotate together at a desired rotational speed. The induced frictional energy control and stir pin control of the pin tool cannot be de-coupled. The two work as one integrated unit. TSW, on the other hand, de-couples the heating and stirring of FSW, and allows for independent control of each process element. A uniquely designed induction coil heats the weld workpiece to a desired temperature, and once heated, the part moves into a stir rod whose RPM is also independently controlled. As the weld workpiece moves into the stir rod, the piece is positioned, or sandwiched, between upper and lower containment plates. The plate squeezes together, thus compressing the upper and lower surfaces of the weld workpiece. This compressive force, also called consolidation force, consolidates the plastic material within the weld nugget material as it is being stirred by the stir rod. The stir rod is positioned through the center of the top containment plate and protrudes midway through the opposite lower containment plate where it is mechanically captured. The upper and lower containment plates are separated by a distance equal to the thickness of the material being welded. The TSW process can be significantly improved by reducing the draw forces. This can be achieved by reducing the friction forces between the weld workpieces and the containment plates. High-power ultrasonic (HPU) vibrations of the containment plates achieve friction reduction in the TSW process. Furthermore, integration of the HPU energy into the TSW stir rod can increase tool life of the stir rod, and can reduce shear forces to which the stir rod is subjected during the welding process. TSW has been used to successfully join 0.500-in (˜13-mm) thick commercially pure (CP) titanium, titanium 6AL- 4V, and titanium 6AL-4V ELI in weld joint lengths up to 9 ft (˜2.75-m) long. In addition, the TSW process was used to fabricate a sub-scale hexagonally shaped gun turret component for the U.S. Navy. The turret is comprised of six 0.5000-in (˜13-mm) thick angled welds. Each angled weld joint was prepared by machining the mating surfaces to 120deg. The angled weld joint was then fixtured using an upper and lower containment plate of the same geometry of the angled weld joint. The weld joint was then stirred by the stir rod as it and the upper and lower containment plates traverse through the angled joint prep.

  1. Method for in vitro recombination

    DOEpatents

    Gibson, Daniel Glenn; Smith, Hamilton O

    2013-05-07

    The present invention relates to an in vitro method, using isolated protein reagents, for joining two double-stranded (ds) DNA molecules of interest, wherein the distal region of the first DNA molecule and the proximal region of the second DNA molecule share a region of sequence identity. The method allows the joining of a number of DNA fragments, in a predetermined order and orientation, without the use of restriction enzymes. It can be used, e.g., to join synthetically produced sub-fragments of a gene or genome of interest.

  2. Low temperature reactive bonding

    DOEpatents

    Makowiecki, D.M.; Bionta, R.M.

    1995-01-17

    The joining technique is disclosed that requires no external heat source and generates very little heat during joining. It involves the reaction of thin multilayered films deposited on faying surfaces to create a stable compound that functions as an intermediate or braze material in order to create a high strength bond. While high temperatures are reached in the reaction of the multilayer film, very little heat is generated because the films are very thin. It is essentially a room temperature joining process. 5 figures.

  3. Astronaut Sullivan prepares to join crew in training

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1984-09-04

    41D-3188 (2 September 1984) --- Astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan, 41-G mission specialist, joins with other members of the seven-person crew prior to a training session in the Shuttle mockup and integration laboratory at the Johnson Space Center. Dr. Sullivan will be the first American woman to perform an extravehicular activity (EVA) in space when she joins Astronaut David C. Leestma for some outside-the-Challenger duty on October 9. The mission is scheduled for an October 5, 1984 launch.

  4. Internet Radicalization: Actual Threat or Phantom Menace?

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-09-01

    in Afterlife ,” abcnews.go.com, November 19, 2009, http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/major-hasans-mail-wait-join- afterlife /story?id=9130339#.T28z6XjnsfM...Rhonda Schwartz. “Major Hasan’s E-Mail: ‘I Can’t Wait to Join You’ in Afterlife .” abcnews.go.com. November 19, 2009. http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter...major-hasans-mail-wait-join- afterlife /story?id=9130339#.T28z6XjnsfM. Rucker, Philip, and Julie Tate. “In Online Posts Apparently by Detroit Suspect

  5. Scheduling a C-Section

    MedlinePlus

    ... Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Instagram: behind the scenes Research & Professionals Our research Research ... Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Instagram: behind the scenes Our research Research grants Prematurity ...

  6. Find a Diabetes Educator

    MedlinePlus

    ... SENEGAL SERBIA SEYCHELLES SIERRA LEONE SINGAPORE SLOVAKIA SLOVENIA SOLOMON ISLANDS SOMALIA SOMALILAND SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH KOREA SOUTH ... Links Practice Patient Resources Education & Career News & Publications Research Join AADE Join Now Member Benefits Member Types ...

  7. Improved Joining of Metal Components to Composite Structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Semmes, Edmund

    2009-01-01

    Systems requirements for complex spacecraft drive design requirements that lead to structures, components, and/or enclosures of a multi-material and multifunctional design. The varying physical properties of aluminum, tungsten, Invar, or other high-grade aerospace metals when utilized in conjunction with lightweight composites multiply system level solutions. These multi-material designs are largely dependent upon effective joining techAn improved method of joining metal components to matrix/fiber composite material structures has been invented. The method is particularly applicable to equipping such thin-wall polymer-matrix composite (PMC) structures as tanks with flanges, ceramic matrix composite (CMC) liners for high heat engine nozzles, and other metallic-to-composite attachments. The method is oriented toward new architectures and distributing mechanical loads as widely as possible in the vicinities of attachment locations to prevent excessive concentrations of stresses that could give rise to delaminations, debonds, leaks, and other failures. The method in its most basic form can be summarized as follows: A metal component is to be joined to a designated attachment area on a composite-material structure. In preparation for joining, the metal component is fabricated to include multiple studs projecting from the aforementioned face. Also in preparation for joining, holes just wide enough to accept the studs are molded into, drilled, or otherwise formed in the corresponding locations in the designated attachment area of the uncured ("wet') composite structure. The metal component is brought together with the uncured composite structure so that the studs become firmly seated in the holes, thereby causing the composite material to become intertwined with the metal component in the joining area. Alternately, it is proposed to utilize other mechanical attachment schemes whereby the uncured composite and metallic parts are joined with "z-direction" fasteners. The resulting "wet" assembly is then subjected to the composite-curing heat treatment, becoming a unitary structure. It should be noted that this new art will require different techniques for CMC s versus PMC's, but the final architecture and companion curing philosophy is the same. For instance, a chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) fabrication technique may require special integration of the pre-form and

  8. Evaluating brain-computer interface performance using color in the P300 checkerboard speller.

    PubMed

    Ryan, D B; Townsend, G; Gates, N A; Colwell, K; Sellers, E W

    2017-10-01

    Current Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) systems typically flash an array of items from grey to white (GW). The objective of this study was to evaluate BCI performance using uniquely colored stimuli. In addition to the GW stimuli, the current study tested two types of color stimuli (grey to color [GC] and color intensification [CI]). The main hypotheses were that in a checkboard paradigm, unique color stimuli will: (1) increase BCI performance over the standard GW paradigm; (2) elicit larger event-related potentials (ERPs); and, (3) improve offline performance with an electrode selection algorithm (i.e., Jumpwise). Online results (n=36) showed that GC provides higher accuracy and information transfer rate than the CI and GW conditions. Waveform analysis showed that GC produced higher amplitude ERPs than CI and GW. Information transfer rate was improved by the Jumpwise-selected channel locations in all conditions. Unique color stimuli (GC) improved BCI performance and enhanced ERPs. Jumpwise-selected electrode locations improved offline performance. These results show that in a checkerboard paradigm, unique color stimuli increase BCI performance, are preferred by participants, and are important to the design of end-user applications; thus, could lead to an increase in end-user performance and acceptance of BCI technology. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. All rights reserved.

  9. Transcriptome profile and unique genetic evolution of positively selected genes in yak lungs.

    PubMed

    Lan, DaoLiang; Xiong, XianRong; Ji, WenHui; Li, Jian; Mipam, Tserang-Donko; Ai, Yi; Chai, ZhiXin

    2018-04-01

    The yak (Bos grunniens), which is a unique bovine breed that is distributed mainly in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, is considered a good model for studying plateau adaptability in mammals. The lungs are important functional organs that enable animals to adapt to their external environment. However, the genetic mechanism underlying the adaptability of yak lungs to harsh plateau environments remains unknown. To explore the unique evolutionary process and genetic mechanism of yak adaptation to plateau environments, we performed transcriptome sequencing of yak and cattle (Bos taurus) lungs using RNA-Seq technology and a subsequent comparison analysis to identify the positively selected genes in the yak. After deep sequencing, a normal transcriptome profile of yak lung that containing a total of 16,815 expressed genes was obtained, and the characteristics of yak lungs transcriptome was described by functional analysis. Furthermore, Ka/Ks comparison statistics result showed that 39 strong positively selected genes are identified from yak lungs. Further GO and KEGG analysis was conducted for the functional annotation of these genes. The results of this study provide valuable data for further explorations of the unique evolutionary process of high-altitude hypoxia adaptation in yaks in the Tibetan Plateau and the genetic mechanism at the molecular level.

  10. International OCD Foundation

    MedlinePlus

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  11. 46 CFR 56.15-1 - Pipe joining fittings.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... subpart 50.25 of this subchapter are acceptable for use in piping systems. (b) Threaded, flanged, socket-welding, buttwelding, and socket-brazing pipe joining fittings, made in accordance with the applicable...

  12. 46 CFR 56.15-1 - Pipe joining fittings.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... subpart 50.25 of this subchapter are acceptable for use in piping systems. (b) Threaded, flanged, socket-welding, buttwelding, and socket-brazing pipe joining fittings, made in accordance with the applicable...

  13. 46 CFR 56.15-1 - Pipe joining fittings.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... subpart 50.25 of this subchapter are acceptable for use in piping systems. (b) Threaded, flanged, socket-welding, buttwelding, and socket-brazing pipe joining fittings, made in accordance with the applicable...

  14. 46 CFR 56.15-1 - Pipe joining fittings.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... subpart 50.25 of this subchapter are acceptable for use in piping systems. (b) Threaded, flanged, socket-welding, buttwelding, and socket-brazing pipe joining fittings, made in accordance with the applicable...

  15. National Safety Council

    MedlinePlus

    ... Safety Management Systems Workplace Safety Consulting Employee Perception Surveys Research Journey to Safety Excellence Join the Journey What ... Safety Management Systems Workplace Safety Consulting Employee Perception Surveys Research Journey to Safety Excellence Join the Journey What ...

  16. International Rett Syndrome Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... of families and professionals. Sign up Join RettSyndrome.org Join our community to receive updates from the ... 2520 International: 1-513-874-3020 admin@rettsyndrome.org EIN 31-1682518 CFC 11046 Newsroom PSA Press ...

  17. Impact of a Patient Incentive Program on Receipt of Preventive Care

    PubMed Central

    Mehrotra, Ateev; An, Ruopeng; Patel, Deepak N.; Sturm, Roland

    2014-01-01

    Objectives Patient financial incentives are being promoted as a mechanism to increase receipt of preventive care, encourage healthy behavior, and improve chronic disease management. However, few empirical evaluations have assessed such incentive programs. Study Design In South Africa, a private health plan has introduced a voluntary incentive program which costs enrollees approximately $20 per month. In the program, enrollees earn points when they receive preventive care. These points translate into discounts on retail goods such as airline tickets, movie tickets, or cell phones. Methods We compared the change in 8 preventive care services over the years 2005–11 between those who entered the incentive program and those that did not. We used multivariate regression models with individual random effects to try to address selection bias. Results Of the 4,186,047 unique individuals enrolled in the health plan, 65.5% (2,742,268) voluntarily enrolled in the incentive program. Joining the incentive program was associated with a statistically higher odds of receiving all 8 preventive care services. The odds ratio and estimated percentage point increase for receipt of cholesterol testing was 2.70 (8.9%), glucose testing 1.51 (4.7%), glaucoma screening 1.34 (3.9%), dental exam 1.64 (6.3%), HIV test 3.47 (2.6%), prostate specific antigen testing 1.39 (5.6%), Papanicolaou screening 2.17 (7.0%), and mammogram 1.90 (3.1%) (p<0.001 for all eight services). However, preventive care rates among those in the incentive program was still low. Conclusions Voluntary participation in a patient incentive program was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of receiving preventive care, though receipt of preventive care among those in the program was still lower than ideal. PMID:25180436

  18. Secondary prevention in the clinical management of patients with cardiovascular diseases. Core components, standards and outcome measures for referral and delivery: a policy statement from the cardiac rehabilitation section of the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation. Endorsed by the Committee for Practice Guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology.

    PubMed

    Piepoli, Massimo F; Corrà, Ugo; Adamopoulos, Stamatis; Benzer, Werner; Bjarnason-Wehrens, Birna; Cupples, Margaret; Dendale, Paul; Doherty, Patrick; Gaita, Dan; Höfer, Stefan; McGee, Hannah; Mendes, Miguel; Niebauer, Josef; Pogosova, Nana; Garcia-Porrero, Esteban; Rauch, Bernhard; Schmid, Jean Paul; Giannuzzi, Pantaleo

    2014-06-01

    Despite major improvements in diagnostics and interventional therapies, cardiovascular diseases remain a major health care and socio-economic burden both in western and developing countries, in which this burden is increasing in close correlation to economic growth. Health authorities and the general population have started to recognize that the fight against these diseases can only be won if their burden is faced by increasing our investment on interventions in lifestyle changes and prevention. There is an overwhelming evidence of the efficacy of secondary prevention initiatives including cardiac rehabilitation in terms of reduction in morbidity and mortality. However, secondary prevention is still too poorly implemented in clinical practice, often only on selected populations and over a limited period of time. The development of systematic and full comprehensive preventive programmes is warranted, integrated in the organization of national health systems. Furthermore, systematic monitoring of the process of delivery and outcomes is a necessity. Cardiology and secondary prevention, including cardiac rehabilitation, have evolved almost independently of each other and although each makes a unique contribution it is now time to join forces under the banner of preventive cardiology and create a comprehensive model that optimizes long term outcomes for patients and reduces the future burden on health care services. These are the aims that the Cardiac Rehabilitation Section of the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation has foreseen to promote secondary preventive cardiology in clinical practice. © The European Society of Cardiology 2012 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  19. Evidence for extensive genetic diversity and substructuring of the Babesia bovis metapopulation.

    PubMed

    Flores, D A; Minichiello, Y; Araujo, F R; Shkap, V; Benítez, D; Echaide, I; Rolls, P; Mosqueda, J; Pacheco, G M; Petterson, M; Florin-Christensen, M; Schnittger, L

    2013-11-01

    Babesia bovis is a tick-transmitted haemoprotozoan and a causative agent of bovine babesiosis, a cattle disease that causes significant economic loss in tropical and subtropical regions. A panel of nineteen micro- and minisatellite markers was used to estimate population genetic parameters of eighteen parasite isolates originating from different continents, countries and geographic regions including North America (Mexico, USA), South America (Argentina, Brazil), the Middle East (Israel) and Australia. For eleven of the eighteen isolates, a unique haplotype was inferred suggesting selection of a single genotype by either in vitro cultivation or amplification in splenectomized calves. Furthermore, a high genetic diversity (H = 0.780) over all marker loci was estimated. Linkage disequilibrium was observed in the total study group but also in sample subgroups from the Americas, Brazil, and Israel and Australia. In contrast, corresponding to their more confined geographic origin, samples from Israel and Argentina were each found to be in equilibrium suggestive of random mating and frequent genetic exchange. The genetic differentiation (F(ST)) of the total study group over all nineteen loci was estimated by analysis of variance (Θ) and Nei's estimation of heterozygosity (G(ST')) as 0.296 and 0.312, respectively. Thus, about 30% of the genetic diversity of the parasite population is associated with genetic differences between parasite isolates sampled from the different geographic regions. The pairwise similarity of multilocus genotypes (MLGs) was assessed and a neighbour-joining dendrogram generated. MLGs were found to cluster according to the country/continent of origin of isolates, but did not distinguish the attenuated from the pathogenic parasite state. The distant geographic origin of the isolates studied allows an initial glimpse into the large extent of genetic diversity and differentiation of the B. bovis population on a global scale. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  20. Structural control of caspase-generated glutamyl-tRNA synthetase by appended noncatalytic WHEP domains.

    PubMed

    Halawani, Dalia; Gogonea, Valentin; DiDonato, Joseph A; Pipich, Vitaliy; Yao, Peng; China, Arnab; Topbas, Celalettin; Vasu, Kommireddy; Arif, Abul; Hazen, Stanley L; Fox, Paul L

    2018-06-08

    Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are ubiquitous, evolutionarily conserved enzymes catalyzing the conjugation of amino acids onto cognate tRNAs. During eukaryotic evolution, tRNA synthetases have been the targets of persistent structural modifications. These modifications can be additive, as in the evolutionary acquisition of noncatalytic domains, or subtractive, as in the generation of truncated variants through regulated mechanisms such as proteolytic processing, alternative splicing, or coding region polyadenylation. A unique variant is the human glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetase (EPRS) consisting of two fused synthetases joined by a linker containing three copies of the WHEP domain (termed by its presence in tryptophanyl-, histidyl-, and glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetases). Here, we identify site-selective proteolysis as a mechanism that severs the linkage between the EPRS synthetases in vitro and in vivo Caspase action targeted Asp-929 in the third WHEP domain, thereby separating the two synthetases. Using a neoepitope antibody directed against the newly exposed C terminus, we demonstrate EPRS cleavage at Asp-929 in vitro and in vivo Biochemical and biophysical characterizations of the N-terminally generated EPRS proteoform containing the glutamyl-tRNA synthetase and most of the linker, including two WHEP domains, combined with structural analysis by small-angle neutron scattering, revealed a role for the WHEP domains in modulating conformations of the catalytic core and GSH- S -transferase-C-terminal-like (GST-C) domain. WHEP-driven conformational rearrangement altered GST-C domain interactions and conferred distinct oligomeric states in solution. Collectively, our results reveal long-range conformational changes imposed by the WHEP domains and illustrate how noncatalytic domains can modulate the global structure of tRNA synthetases in complex eukaryotic systems. © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

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