Rotating elastic string loops in flat and black hole spacetimes: stability, cosmic censorship and the Penrose process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Natário, José; Queimada, Leonel; Vicente, Rodrigo

2018-04-01

We rederive the equations of motion for relativistic strings, that is, one-dimensional elastic bodies whose internal energy depends only on their stretching, and use them to study circular string loops rotating in the equatorial plane of flat and black hole spacetimes. We start by obtaining the conditions for equilibrium, and find that: (i) if the string’s longitudinal speed of sound does not exceed the speed of light then its radius when rotating in Minkowski’s spacetime is always larger than its radius when at rest; (ii) in Minkowski’s spacetime, equilibria are linearly stable for rotation speeds below a certain threshold, higher than the string’s longitudinal speed of sound, and linearly unstable for some rotation speeds above it; (iii) equilibria are always linearly unstable in Schwarzschild’s spacetime. Moreover, we study interactions of a rotating string loop with a Kerr black hole, namely in the context of the weak cosmic censorship conjecture and the Penrose process. We find that: (i) elastic string loops that satisfy the null energy condition cannot overspin extremal black holes; (ii) elastic string loops that satisfy the dominant energy condition cannot increase the maximum efficiency of the usual particle Penrose process; (iii) if the dominant energy condition (but not the weak energy condition) is violated then the efficiency can be increased. This last result hints at the interesting possibility that the dominant energy condition may underlie the well known upper bounds for the efficiencies of energy extraction processes (including, for example, superradiance).

Flux rope, hyperbolic flux tube, and late extreme ultraviolet phases in a non-eruptive circular-ribbon flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masson, Sophie; Pariat, Étienne; Valori, Gherardo; Deng, Na; Liu, Chang; Wang, Haimin; Reid, Hamish

2017-08-01

Context. The dynamics of ultraviolet (UV) emissions during solar flares provides constraints on the physical mechanisms involved in the trigger and the evolution of flares. In particular it provides some information on the location of the reconnection sites and the associated magnetic fluxes. In this respect, confined flares are far less understood than eruptive flares generating coronal mass ejections. Aims: We present a detailed study of a confined circular flare dynamics associated with three UV late phases in order to understand more precisely which topological elements are present and how they constrain the dynamics of the flare. Methods: We perform a non-linear force-free field extrapolation of the confined flare observed with the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instruments on board Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). From the 3D magnetic field we compute the squashing factor and we analyse its distribution. Conjointly, we analyse the AIA extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light curves and images in order to identify the post-flare loops, and their temporal and thermal evolution. By combining the two analyses we are able to propose a detailed scenario that explains the dynamics of the flare. Results: Our topological analysis shows that in addition to a null-point topology with the fan separatrix, the spine lines and its surrounding quasi-separatix layer (QSL) halo (typical for a circular flare), a flux rope and its hyperbolic flux tube (HFT) are enclosed below the null. By comparing the magnetic field topology and the EUV post-flare loops we obtain an almost perfect match between the footpoints of the separatrices and the EUV 1600 Å ribbons and between the HFT field line footpoints and bright spots observed inside the circular ribbons. We show, for the first time in a confined flare, that magnetic reconnection occurred initially at the HFT below the flux rope. Reconnection at the null point between the flux rope and the overlying field is only initiated in a second phase. In addition, we showed that the EUV late phase observed after the main flare episode is caused by the cooling loops of different length which have all reconnected at the null point during the impulsive phase. Conclusions: Our analysis shows in one example that flux ropes are present in null-point topology not only for eruptive and jet events, but also for confined flares. This allows us to conjecture on the analogies between conditions that govern the generation of jets, confined flares or eruptive flares. A movie is available at http://www.aanda.org

Heterochromatin position effects on circularized sex chromosomes cause filicidal embryonic lethality in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Ferree, Patrick M; Gomez, Karina; Rominger, Peter; Howard, Dagnie; Kornfeld, Hannah; Barbash, Daniel A

2014-04-01

Some circularized X-Y chromosomes in Drosophila melanogaster are mitotically unstable and induce early embryonic lethality, but the genetic basis is unknown. Our experiments suggest that a large region of X-linked satellite DNA causes anaphase bridges and lethality when placed into a new heterochromatic environment within certain circularized X-Y chromosomes. These results reveal that repetitive sequences can be incompatible with one another in cis. The lethal phenotype also bears a remarkable resemblance to a case of interspecific hybrid lethality.

Existence and stability of circular orbits in general static and spherically symmetric spacetimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Junji; Liu, Jiawei; Liu, Xionghui; Mo, Zhongyou; Pang, Xiankai; Wang, Yaoguang; Yang, Nan

2018-02-01

The existence and stability of circular orbits (CO) in static and spherically symmetric (SSS) spacetime are important because of their practical and potential usefulness. In this paper, using the fixed point method, we first prove a necessary and sufficient condition on the metric function for the existence of timelike COs in SSS spacetimes. After analyzing the asymptotic behavior of the metric, we then show that asymptotic flat SSS spacetime that corresponds to a negative Newtonian potential at large r will always allow the existence of CO. The stability of the CO in a general SSS spacetime is then studied using the Lyapunov exponent method. Two sufficient conditions on the (in)stability of the COs are obtained. For null geodesics, a sufficient condition on the metric function for the (in)stability of null CO is also obtained. We then illustrate one powerful application of these results by showing that three SSS spacetimes whose metric function is not completely known will allow the existence of timelike and/or null COs. We also used our results to assert the existence and (in)stabilities of a number of known SSS metrics.

The Lande-Kirkpatrick mechanism is the null model of evolution by intersexual selection: implications for meaning, honesty, and design in intersexual signals.

PubMed

Prum, Richard O

2010-11-01

The Fisher-inspired, arbitrary intersexual selection models of Lande (1981) and Kirkpatrick (1982), including both stable and unstable equilibrium conditions, provide the appropriate null model for the evolution of traits and preferences by intersexual selection. Like the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, the Lande–Kirkpatrick (LK) mechanism arises as an intrinsic consequence of genetic variation in trait and preference in the absence of other evolutionary forces. The LK mechanism is equivalent to other intersexual selection mechanisms in the absence of additional selection on preference and with additional trait-viability and preference-viability correlations equal to zero. The LK null model predicts the evolution of arbitrary display traits that are neither honest nor dishonest, indicate nothing other than mating availability, and lack any meaning or design other than their potential to correspond to mating preferences. The current standard for demonstrating an arbitrary trait is impossible to meet because it requires proof of the null hypothesis. The LK null model makes distinct predictions about the evolvability of traits and preferences. Examples of recent intersexual selection research document the confirmationist pitfalls of lacking a null model. Incorporation of the LK null into intersexual selection will contribute to serious examination of the extent to which natural selection on preferences shapes signals.

Observation of a 3D Magnetic Null Point

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

Romano, P.; Falco, M.; Guglielmino, S. L.

2017-03-10

We describe high-resolution observations of a GOES B-class flare characterized by a circular ribbon at the chromospheric level, corresponding to the network at the photospheric level. We interpret the flare as a consequence of a magnetic reconnection event that occurred at a three-dimensional (3D) coronal null point located above the supergranular cell. The potential field extrapolation of the photospheric magnetic field indicates that the circular chromospheric ribbon is cospatial with the fan footpoints, while the ribbons of the inner and outer spines look like compact kernels. We found new interesting observational aspects that need to be explained by models: (1)more » a loop corresponding to the outer spine became brighter a few minutes before the onset of the flare; (2) the circular ribbon was formed by several adjacent compact kernels characterized by a size of 1″–2″; (3) the kernels with a stronger intensity emission were located at the outer footpoint of the darker filaments, departing radially from the center of the supergranular cell; (4) these kernels started to brighten sequentially in clockwise direction; and (5) the site of the 3D null point and the shape of the outer spine were detected by RHESSI in the low-energy channel between 6.0 and 12.0 keV. Taking into account all these features and the length scales of the magnetic systems involved in the event, we argue that the low intensity of the flare may be ascribed to the low amount of magnetic flux and to its symmetric configuration.« less

Strehl ratio: a tool for optimizing optical nulls and singularities.

PubMed

Hénault, François

2015-07-01

In this paper a set of radial and azimuthal phase functions are reviewed that have a null Strehl ratio, which is equivalent to generating a central extinction in the image plane of an optical system. The study is conducted in the framework of Fraunhofer scalar diffraction, and is oriented toward practical cases where optical nulls or singularities are produced by deformable mirrors or phase plates. The identified solutions reveal unexpected links with the zeros of type-J Bessel functions of integer order. They include linear azimuthal phase ramps giving birth to an optical vortex, azimuthally modulated phase functions, and circular phase gratings (CPGs). It is found in particular that the CPG radiometric efficiency could be significantly improved by the null Strehl ratio condition. Simple design rules for rescaling and combining the different phase functions are also defined. Finally, the described analytical solutions could also serve as starting points for an automated searching software tool.

Structure of the effective potential for a spherical wormhole

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

Montelongo Garcia, N.; Zannias, T.

2008-09-15

The structure of the effective potential V describing causal geodesics near the throat of an arbitrary spherical wormhole is analyzed. Einstein's equations relative to a set of regular coordinates covering a vicinity of the throat imply that any spherical wormhole can be constructed from solutions of an effective initial value problem with the throat serving as an initial value surface. The initial data involve matter variables, the area A(0) of the throat, and the gradient {lambda}(0) of the redshift factor on the throat. Whenever {lambda}(0)=0, the effective potential V has a critical point on the throat. Conditions upon the datamore » are derived ensuring that the critical point is a local minimum (respectively maximum). For particular families of quasi-Schwarzschild wormholes, V exhibits a local minimum on the throat independently upon the energy E and angular momentum L{sup 2} of the test particles and thus such wormholes admit stable circular timelike and null geodesics on the throat. For families of Chaplygin wormholes, we show that such geodesics are unstable. Based on a suitable power series representation of the metric, properties of V away from the throat are obtained that are useful for the analysis of accretion disks and radiation processes near the throat of any spherical wormhole.« less

Dynamical analysis of continuous higher-order hopfield networks for combinatorial optimization.

PubMed

Atencia, Miguel; Joya, Gonzalo; Sandoval, Francisco

2005-08-01

In this letter, the ability of higher-order Hopfield networks to solve combinatorial optimization problems is assessed by means of a rigorous analysis of their properties. The stability of the continuous network is almost completely clarified: (1) hyperbolic interior equilibria, which are unfeasible, are unstable; (2) the state cannot escape from the unitary hypercube; and (3) a Lyapunov function exists. Numerical methods used to implement the continuous equation on a computer should be designed with the aim of preserving these favorable properties. The case of nonhyperbolic fixed points, which occur when the Hessian of the target function is the null matrix, requires further study. We prove that these nonhyperbolic interior fixed points are unstable in networks with three neurons and order two. The conjecture that interior equilibria are unstable in the general case is left open.

A Baroclinic Eddy Mixer: Supercritical Transformation of Compensated Eddies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutyrin, G.

2016-02-01

In contrast to many real-ocean rings and eddies, circular vortices with initial lower layer at rest tend to be highly unstable in idealized two-layer models, unless their radius is made small or the lower layer depth is made artificially large. Numerical simulations of unstable vortices with parameters typical for ocean eddies revealed strong deformations and pulsations of the vortex core in the two-layer setup due to development of corotating tripolar structures in the lower layer during their supercritical transformation. The addition of a middle layer with the uniform potential vorticity weakens vertical coupling between the upper and lower layer that enhances vortex stability and makes the vortex lifespan more realistic. Such a three-layer vortex model possesses smaller lower interface slope than the two-layer model that reduces the potential vorticity gradient in the lower layer and provides with less unstable configurations. While cyclonic eddies become only slightly deformed and look nearly circular when the middle layer with uniform potential vorticity is added, anticyclonic eddies tend to corotating and pulsating elongated states through potential vorticity stripping and stirring. Enhanced vortex stability in such three-layer setup has important implications for adequate representation of the energy transfer across scales.

Parametric instabilities of finite-amplitude, circularly polarized Alfven waves in an anisotropic plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamabata, Hiromitsu

1993-01-01

A class of parametric instabilities of finite-amplitude, circularly polarized Alfven waves in a plasma with pressure anisotropy is studied by application of the CGL equations. A linear perturbation analysis is used to find the dispersion relation governing the instabilities, which is a fifth-order polynomial and is solved numerically. A large-amplitude, circularly polarized wave is unstable with respect to decay into three waves: one sound-like wave and two side-band Alfven-like waves. It is found that, in addition to the decay instability, two new instabilities that are absent in the framework of the MHD equations can occur, depending on the plasma parameters.

The strange case of the missing apocentric librators in the 3:2 resonance. [in asteroidal belt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ip, W.-H.

1976-01-01

From a comparison of the 2:1 and 3:2 resonances (in the asteroidal belt) two possible explanations to the absence of 3:2 apocentric librators are suggested. The first one is that such 3:2 resonant motion is dynamically unstable. The second interpretation requires the absence of near-circular orbits originally at 4 AU. The latter view, if correct, is inconsistent with cosmogonic models which predict the original orbits of the asteroids to be nearly circular.

Horizon-absorbed energy flux in circularized, nonspinning black-hole binaries, and its effective-one-body representation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagar, Alessandro; Akcay, Sarp

2012-02-01

We propose, within the effective-one-body approach, a new, resummed analytical representation of the gravitational-wave energy flux absorbed by a system of two circularized (nonspinning) black holes. This expression is such that it is well-behaved in the strong-field, fast-motion regime, notably up to the effective-one-body-defined last unstable orbit. Building conceptually upon the procedure adopted to resum the multipolar asymptotic energy flux, we introduce a multiplicative decomposition of the multipolar absorbed flux made by three factors: (i) the leading-order contribution, (ii) an “effective source” and (iii) a new residual amplitude correction (ρ˜ℓmH)2ℓ. In the test-mass limit, we use a frequency-domain perturbative approach to accurately compute numerically the horizon-absorbed fluxes along a sequence of stable and unstable circular orbits, and we extract from them the functions ρ˜ℓmH. These quantities are then fitted via rational functions. The resulting analytically represented test-mass knowledge is then suitably hybridized with lower-order analytical information that is valid for any mass ratio. This yields a resummed representation of the absorbed flux for a generic, circularized, nonspinning black-hole binary. Our result adds new information to the state-of-the-art calculation of the absorbed flux at fractional 5 post-Newtonian order [S. Taylor and E. Poisson, Phys. Rev. D 78, 084016 (2008)], which is recovered in the weak-field limit approximation by construction.

Geometric chaos indicators and computations of the spherical hypertube manifolds of the spatial circular restricted three-body problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzzo, Massimiliano; Lega, Elena

2018-06-01

The circular restricted three-body problem has five relative equilibria L1 ,L2, . . . ,L5. The invariant stable-unstable manifolds of the center manifolds originating at the partially hyperbolic equilibria L1 ,L2 have been identified as the separatrices for the motions which transit between the regions of the phase-space which are internal or external with respect to the two massive bodies. While the stable and unstable manifolds of the planar problem have been extensively studied both theoretically and numerically, the spatial case has not been as deeply investigated. This paper is devoted to the global computation of these manifolds in the spatial case with a suitable finite time chaos indicator. The definition of the chaos indicator is not trivial, since the mandatory use of the regularizing Kustaanheimo-Stiefel variables may introduce discontinuities in the finite time chaos indicators. From the study of such discontinuities, we define geometric chaos indicators which are globally defined and smooth, and whose ridges sharply approximate the stable and unstable manifolds of the center manifolds of L1 ,L2. We illustrate the method for the Sun-Jupiter mass ratio, and represent the topology of the asymptotic manifolds using sections and three-dimensional representations.

Low-gravity fluid flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ostrach, S.

1982-01-01

The behavior of fluids in micro-gravity conditions is examined, with particular regard to applications in the growth of single crystals. The effects of gravity on fluid behavior are reviewed, and the advent of Shuttle flights are noted to offer extended time for experimentation and processing in a null-gravity environment, with accelerations resulting solely from maneuvering rockets. Buoyancy driven flows are considered for the cases stable-, unstable-, and mixed-mode convection. Further discussion is presented on g-jitter, surface-tension gradient, thermoacoustic, and phase-change convection. All the flows are present in both gravity and null gravity conditions, although the effects of buoyancy and g-jitter convection usually overshadow the other effects while in a gravity field. Further work is recommended on critical-state and sedimentation processes in microgravity conditions.

Onset of a Large Ejective Solar Eruption from a Typical Coronal-jet-base Field Configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Navin Chandra; Sterling, Alphonse C.; Moore, Ronald L.; Magara, Tetsuya; Moon, Yong-Jae

2017-08-01

Utilizing multiwavelength observations and magnetic field data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), SDO/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), and RHESSI, we investigate a large-scale ejective solar eruption of 2014 December 18 from active region NOAA 12241. This event produced a distinctive “three-ribbon” flare, having two parallel ribbons corresponding to the ribbons of a standard two-ribbon flare, and a larger-scale third quasi-circular ribbon offset from the other two. There are two components to this eruptive event. First, a flux rope forms above a strong-field polarity inversion line and erupts and grows as the parallel ribbons turn on, grow, and spread apart from that polarity inversion line; this evolution is consistent with the mechanism of tether-cutting reconnection for eruptions. Second, the eruption of the arcade that has the erupting flux rope in its core undergoes magnetic reconnection at the null point of a fan dome that envelops the erupting arcade, resulting in formation of the quasi-circular ribbon; this is consistent with the breakout reconnection mechanism for eruptions. We find that the parallel ribbons begin well before (˜12 minutes) the onset of the circular ribbon, indicating that tether-cutting reconnection (or a non-ideal MHD instability) initiated this event, rather than breakout reconnection. The overall setup for this large-scale eruption (diameter of the circular ribbon ˜105 km) is analogous to that of coronal jets (base size ˜104 km), many of which, according to recent findings, result from eruptions of small-scale “minifilaments.” Thus these findings confirm that eruptions of sheared-core magnetic arcades seated in fan-spine null-point magnetic topology happen on a wide range of size scales on the Sun.

Feedback control of flow vorticity at low Reynolds numbers.

PubMed

Zeitz, Maria; Gurevich, Pavel; Stark, Holger

2015-03-01

Our aim is to explore strategies of feedback control to design and stabilize novel dynamic flow patterns in model systems of complex fluids. To introduce the control strategies, we investigate the simple Newtonian fluid at low Reynolds number in a circular geometry. Then, the fluid vorticity satisfies a diffusion equation. We determine the mean vorticity in the sensing area and use two control strategies to feed it back into the system by controlling the angular velocity of the circular boundary. Hysteretic feedback control generates self-regulated stable oscillations in time, the frequency of which can be adjusted over several orders of magnitude by tuning the relevant feedback parameters. Time-delayed feedback control initiates unstable vorticity modes for sufficiently large feedback strength. For increasing delay time, we first observe oscillations with beats and then regular trains of narrow pulses. Close to the transition line between the resting fluid and the unstable modes, these patterns are relatively stable over long times.

Formal Derivation of Lotka-Volterra-Haken Amplitude Equations of Task-Related Brain Activity in Multiple, Consecutively Performed Tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frank, T. D.

The Lotka-Volterra-Haken equations have been frequently used in ecology and pattern formation. Recently, the equations have been proposed by several research groups as amplitude equations for task-related patterns of brain activity. In this theoretical study, the focus is on the circular causality aspect of pattern formation systems as formulated within the framework of synergetics. Accordingly, the stable modes of a pattern formation system inhibit the unstable modes, whereas the unstable modes excite the stable modes. Using this circular causality principle it is shown that under certain conditions the Lotka-Volterra-Haken amplitude equations can be derived from a general model of brain activity akin to the Wilson-Cowan model. The model captures the amplitude dynamics for brain activity patterns in experiments involving several consecutively performed multiple-choice tasks. This is explicitly demonstrated for two-choice tasks involving grasping and walking. A comment on the relevance of the theoretical framework for clinical psychology and schizophrenia is given as well.

A search for chiral signatures on Mars.

PubMed

Sparks, William B; Hough, James H; Bergeron, Louis E

2005-12-01

It is thought that the chiral molecules of living material can induce circular polarization in light at levels much higher than expected from abiotic processes. We therefore obtained high quality imaging circular polarimetry of the martian surface during the favorable opposition of 2003 to seek evidence of anomalous optical activity. We used two narrow-band filters covering 43% of the martian surface, 15% of it in-depth. With polarization noise levels <0.1% (4.3 upper limits 0.2-0.3%) and spatial resolution 210 km, we did not find any regions of circular polarization. When data were averaged over the observed face of the planet, we did see a small non-zero circular polarization 0.02%, which may be due to effects associated with the opposition configuration though it is at the limit of the instrumental capability. Our observations covered only a small fraction of parameter space, so although we obtained a null result, we cannot exclude the presence of optical activity at other wavelengths, in other locations, or at higher spatial resolution.

Limit cycles of a flexible shaft with hydrodynamic journal bearings in unstable regimes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, R. D.; Black, H. F.

1980-01-01

A symmetric 3 mass rotor supported on hydrodynamic bearings is described. An approximate method of representing finite bearings is used to calculate bearing forces. As the method sums forces from a number of independent circular lobes lemon 3 and 4 lobe bearings are taken into account. The calculations are based on an axial groove bearing. Linear analysis precedes nonlinear simulation of some unstable conditions. The demonstration of small limit cycles suggests that necessarily flexible rotors e.g., helicopter tail rotors, may be practical without either tilt pad bearings or external dampers.

Development of a two-dimensional skin friction balance nulling circuit using multivariable control theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tripp, John S.; Patek, Stephen D.

1988-01-01

Measurement of planar skin friction forces in aerodynamic testing currently requires installation of two perpendicularly mounted, single-axis balances; consequently, force components must be sensed at two distinct locations. A two-axis instrument developed at the Langley Research Center to overcome this disadvantage allows measurement of a two-dimensional force at one location. This paper describes a feedback-controlled nulling circuit developed for the NASA two-axis balance which, without external compensation, is inherently unstable because of its low friction mechanical design. Linear multivariable control theory is applied to an experimentally validated mathematical model of the balance to synthesize a state-variable feedback control law. Pole placement techniques and computer simulation studies are employed to select eigenvalues which provide ideal transient response with decoupled sensing dynamics.

Preliminary study of the three-dimensional deformation of the vortex in Karman vortex street

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Guocan; Guo, Liang; Wu, Zuobin; Ma, Huiyang

1992-03-01

The mechanism for 3D evolution of the isolated Karman vortex and the thin-vortex filament in a circular cylinder wake is studied numerically using the LIA method. The results show that the vortex motion is unstable for small 3D disturbances in the separated wake of a circular cylinder. Karman vortex in the time-averaged wake flowfield wolves into a horseshoe-spoon-like 3D structure. The thin vortex filament deforms three-dimensionally in the braid and generates streamwise vortex structures which incline to the region maximum-deformation direction of the flowfield.

Can Hall effect trigger Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in sub-Alfvénic flows?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, B. P.

2018-05-01

In the Hall magnetohydrodynamics, the onset condition of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is solely determined by the Hall effect and is independent of the nature of shear flows. In addition, the physical mechanism behind the super- and sub-Alfvénic flows becoming unstable is quite different: the high-frequency right circularly polarized whistler becomes unstable in the super-Alfvénic flows whereas low-frequency, left circularly polarized ion-cyclotron wave becomes unstable in the presence of sub-Alfvénic shear flows. The growth rate of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the super-Alfvénic case is higher than the corresponding ideal magnetohydrodynamic rate. In the sub-Alfvénic case, the Hall effect opens up a new, hitherto inaccessible (to the magnetohydrodynamics) channel through which the partially or fully ionized fluid can become Kelvin-Helmholtz unstable. The instability growth rate in this case is smaller than the super-Alfvénic case owing to the smaller free shear energy content of the flow. When the Hall term is somewhat smaller than the advection term in the induction equation, the Hall effect is also responsible for the appearance of a new overstable mode whose growth rate is smaller than the purely growing Kelvin-Helmholtz mode. On the other hand, when the Hall diffusion dominates the advection term, the growth rate of the instability depends only on the Alfvén -Mach number and is independent of the Hall diffusion coefficient. Further, the growth rate in this case linearly increases with the Alfvén frequency with smaller slope for sub-Alfvénic flows.

Null stream analysis of Pulsar Timing Array data: localisation of resolvable gravitational wave sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldstein, Janna; Veitch, John; Sesana, Alberto; Vecchio, Alberto

2018-04-01

Super-massive black hole binaries are expected to produce a gravitational wave (GW) signal in the nano-Hertz frequency band which may be detected by pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) in the coming years. The signal is composed of both stochastic and individually resolvable components. Here we develop a generic Bayesian method for the analysis of resolvable sources based on the construction of `null-streams' which cancel the part of the signal held in common for each pulsar (the Earth-term). For an array of N pulsars there are N - 2 independent null-streams that cancel the GW signal from a particular sky location. This method is applied to the localisation of quasi-circular binaries undergoing adiabatic inspiral. We carry out a systematic investigation of the scaling of the localisation accuracy with signal strength and number of pulsars in the PTA. Additionally, we find that source sky localisation with the International PTA data release one is vastly superior than what is achieved by its constituent regional PTAs.

Comparison of Low-Energy Lunar Transfer Trajectories to Invariant Manifolds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Rodney L.; Parker, Jeffrey S.

2011-01-01

In this study, transfer trajectories from the Earth to the Moon that encounter the Moon at various flight path angles are examined, and lunar approach trajectories are compared to the invariant manifolds of selected unstable orbits in the circular restricted three-body problem. Previous work focused on lunar impact and landing trajectories encountering the Moon normal to the surface, and this research extends the problem with different flight path angles in three dimensions. The lunar landing geometry for a range of Jacobi constants are computed, and approaches to the Moon via invariant manifolds from unstable orbits are analyzed for different energy levels.

Transient growth analysis of the flow past a circular cylinder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdessemed, N.; Sharma, A. S.; Sherwin, S. J.; Theofilis, V.

2009-04-01

We apply direct transient growth analysis in complex geometries to investigate its role in the primary and secondary bifurcation/transition process of the flow past a circular cylinder. The methodology is based on the singular value decomposition of the Navier-Stokes evolution operator linearized about a two-dimensional steady or periodic state which leads to the optimal growth modes. Linearly stable and unstable steady flow at Re=45 and 50 is considered first, where the analysis demonstrates that strong two-dimensional transient growth is observed with energy amplifications of order of 103 at U∞τ/D≈30. Transient growth at Re=50 promotes the linear instability which ultimately saturates into the well known von-Kármán street. Subsequently we consider the transient growth upon the time-periodic base state corresponding to the von-Kármán street at Re=200 and 300. Depending upon the spanwise wavenumber the flow at these Reynolds numbers are linearly unstable due to the so-called mode A and B instabilities. Once again energy amplifications of order of 103 are observed over a time interval of τ /T=2, where T is the time period of the base flow shedding. In all cases the maximum energy of the optimal initial conditions are located within a diameter of the cylinder in contrast to the spatial distribution of the unstable eigenmodes which extend far into the downstream wake. It is therefore reasonable to consider the analysis as presenting an accelerator to the existing modal mechanism. The rapid amplification of the optimal growth modes highlights their importance in the transition process for flow past circular cylinder, particularly when comparing with experimental results where these types of convective instability mechanisms are likely to be activated. The spatial localization, close to the cylinder, of the optimal initial condition may be significant when considering strategies to promote or control shedding.

Onset of a Large Ejective Solar Eruption from a Typical Coronal-jet-base Field Configuration

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

Joshi, Navin Chandra; Magara, Tetsuya; Moon, Yong-Jae

Utilizing multiwavelength observations and magnetic field data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory ( SDO )/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), SDO /Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite ( GOES ), and RHESSI , we investigate a large-scale ejective solar eruption of 2014 December 18 from active region NOAA 12241. This event produced a distinctive “three-ribbon” flare, having two parallel ribbons corresponding to the ribbons of a standard two-ribbon flare, and a larger-scale third quasi-circular ribbon offset from the other two. There are two components to this eruptive event. First, a flux rope forms above a strong-field polarity inversionmore » line and erupts and grows as the parallel ribbons turn on, grow, and spread apart from that polarity inversion line; this evolution is consistent with the mechanism of tether-cutting reconnection for eruptions. Second, the eruption of the arcade that has the erupting flux rope in its core undergoes magnetic reconnection at the null point of a fan dome that envelops the erupting arcade, resulting in formation of the quasi-circular ribbon; this is consistent with the breakout reconnection mechanism for eruptions. We find that the parallel ribbons begin well before (∼12 minutes) the onset of the circular ribbon, indicating that tether-cutting reconnection (or a non-ideal MHD instability) initiated this event, rather than breakout reconnection. The overall setup for this large-scale eruption (diameter of the circular ribbon ∼10{sup 5} km) is analogous to that of coronal jets (base size ∼10{sup 4} km), many of which, according to recent findings, result from eruptions of small-scale “minifilaments.” Thus these findings confirm that eruptions of sheared-core magnetic arcades seated in fan–spine null-point magnetic topology happen on a wide range of size scales on the Sun.« less

Further studies on criteria for the onset of dynamical instability in general three-body systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pendleton, Y. J.; Black, D. C.

1983-01-01

Numerical experiments designed for the elucidation of the conditions under which self-gravitating, three-body systems become dynamically unstable are examined of the cases of four orbital configuration types: circular, prograde, and coplanar; circular, retrograde, and coplanar; circular, direct, and inclined; and eccentric, direct, and coplanar. Results indicate that orbital inclination does not significantly affect stability in 'outer planet' configurations, while the stability of 'inner planet' configurations, where the tertiary is in close orbit about one member of the binary, is markedly less affected, once the relative orbital inclination is greater than 50 deg. It is found that the onset of dynamical instability is only weakly dependent on the eccentricity of either the binary or tertiary orbit, as long as the mass of the tertiary is comparable to the reduced mass of the binary.

Tropomodulin 1 Constrains Fiber Cell Geometry during Elongation and Maturation in the Lens Cortex

PubMed Central

Nowak, Roberta B.

2012-01-01

Lens fiber cells exhibit a high degree of hexagonal packing geometry, determined partly by tropomodulin 1 (Tmod1), which stabilizes the spectrin-actin network on lens fiber cell membranes. To ascertain whether Tmod1 is required during epithelial cell differentiation to fiber cells or during fiber cell elongation and maturation, the authors quantified the extent of fiber cell disorder in the Tmod1-null lens and determined locations of disorder by confocal microscopy and computational image analysis. First, nearest neighbor analysis of fiber cell geometry in Tmod1-null lenses showed that disorder is confined to focal patches. Second, differentiating epithelial cells at the equator aligned into ordered meridional rows in Tmod1-null lenses, with disordered patches first observed in elongating fiber cells. Third, as fiber cells were displaced inward in Tmod1-null lenses, total disordered area increased due to increased sizes (but not numbers) of individual disordered patches. The authors conclude that Tmod1 is required first to coordinate fiber cell shapes and interactions during tip migration and elongation and second to stabilize ordered fiber cell geometry during maturation in the lens cortex. An unstable spectrin-actin network without Tmod1 may result in imbalanced forces along membranes, leading to fiber cell rearrangements during elongation, followed by propagation of disorder as fiber cells mature. PMID:22473940

A Type D Non-Vacuum Spacetime with Causality Violating Curves, and Its Physical Interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Faizuddin

2017-12-01

We present a topologically trivial, non-vacuum solution of the Einstein’s field equations in four dimensions, which is regular everywhere. The metric admits circular closed timelike curves, which appear beyond the null curve, and these timelike curves are linearly stable under linear perturbations. Additionally, the spacetime admits null geodesics curve, which are not closed, and the metric is of type D in the Petrov classification scheme. The stress-energy tensor anisotropic fluid satisfy the different energy conditions and a generalization of Equation-of-State parameter of perfect fluid p=ω ρ . The metric admits a twisting, shearfree, nonexapnding timelike geodesic congruence. Finally, the physical interpretation of this solution, based on the study of the equation of the geodesics deviation, will be presented.

Fundamental photon orbits: Black hole shadows and spacetime instabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunha, Pedro V. P.; Herdeiro, Carlos A. R.; Radu, Eugen

2017-07-01

The standard black holes (BHs) in general relativity, as well as other ultracompact objects (with or without an event horizon) admit planar circular photon orbits. These light rings (LRs) determine several spacetime properties. For instance, stable LRs trigger instabilities and, in spherical symmetry, (unstable) LRs completely determine BH shadows. In generic stationary, axisymmetric spacetimes, nonplanar bound photon orbits may also exist, regardless of the integrability properties of the photon motion. We suggest a classification of these fundamental photon orbits (FPOs) and, using Poincaré maps, determine a criterion for their stability. For the Kerr BH, all FPOs are unstable (similar to its LRs) and completely determine the Kerr shadow. But in non-Kerr spacetimes, stable FPOs may also exist, even when all LRs are unstable, triggering new instabilities. We illustrate this for the case of Kerr BHs with Proca hair, wherein, moreover, qualitatively novel shadows with a cuspy edge exist, a feature that can be understood from the interplay between stable and unstable FPOs. FPOs are the natural generalization of LRs beyond spherical symmetry and should generalize the LRs key role in different spacetime properties.

Shear nulling after PSF Gaussianisation: Moment-based weak lensing measurements with subpercent noise bias

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herbonnet, Ricardo; Buddendiek, Axel; Kuijken, Konrad

2017-03-01

Context. Current optical imaging surveys for cosmology cover large areas of sky. Exploiting the statistical power of these surveys for weak lensing measurements requires shape measurement methods with subpercent systematic errors. Aims: We introduce a new weak lensing shear measurement algorithm, shear nulling after PSF Gaussianisation (SNAPG), designed to avoid the noise biases that affect most other methods. Methods: SNAPG operates on images that have been convolved with a kernel that renders the point spread function (PSF) a circular Gaussian, and uses weighted second moments of the sources. The response of such second moments to a shear of the pre-seeing galaxy image can be predicted analytically, allowing us to construct a shear nulling scheme that finds the shear parameters for which the observed galaxies are consistent with an unsheared, isotropically oriented population of sources. The inverse of this nulling shear is then an estimate of the gravitational lensing shear. Results: We identify the uncertainty of the estimated centre of each galaxy as the source of noise bias, and incorporate an approximate estimate of the centroid covariance into the scheme. We test the method on extensive suites of simulated galaxies of increasing complexity, and find that it is capable of shear measurements with multiplicative bias below 0.5 percent.

Analysis of nulling phase functions suitable to image plane coronagraphy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hénault, François; Carlotti, Alexis; Vérinaud, Christophe

2016-07-01

Coronagraphy is a very efficient technique for identifying and characterizing extra-solar planets orbiting in the habitable zone of their parent star, especially in a space environment. An important family of coronagraphs is actually based on phase plates located at an intermediate image plane of the optical system, and spreading the starlight outside the "Lyot" exit pupil plane of the instrument. In this commutation we present a set of candidate phase functions generating a central null at the Lyot plane, and study how it propagates to the image plane of the coronagraph. These functions include linear azimuthal phase ramps (the well-known optical vortex), azimuthally cosine-modulated phase profiles, and circular phase gratings. Nnumerical simulations of the expected null depth, inner working angle, sensitivity to pointing errors, effect of central obscuration located at the pupil or image planes, and effective throughput including image mask and Lyot stop transmissions are presented and discussed. The preliminary conclusion is that azimuthal cosine functions appear as an interesting alternative to the classical optical vortex of integer topological charge.

Rotating Magnetic Structures Associated with a Quasi-circular Ribbon Flare

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

Li, Haidong; Jiang, Yunchun; Yang, Jiayan

We present the detection of a small eruption and the associated quasi-circular ribbon flare during the emergence of a bipole occurring on 2015 February 3. Under a fan dome, a sigmoid was rooted in a single magnetic bipole, which was encircled by negative polarity. The nonlinear force-free field extrapolation shows the presence of twisted field lines, which can represent a sigmoid structure. The rotation of the magnetic bipole may cause the twisting of magnetic field lines. An initial brightening appeared at one of the footpoints of the sigmoid, where the positive polarity slides toward a nearby negative polarity field region.more » The sigmoid displayed an ascending motion and then interacted intensively with the spine-like field. This type of null point reconnection in corona led to a violent blowout jet, and a quasi-circular flare ribbon was also produced. The magnetic emergence and rotational motion are the main contributors to the energy buildup for the flare, while the cancellation and collision might act as a trigger.« less

Casimir energy in Kerr space-time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorge, F.

2014-10-01

We investigate the vacuum energy of a scalar massless field confined in a Casimir cavity moving in a circular equatorial orbit in the exact Kerr space-time geometry. We find that both the orbital motion of the cavity and the underlying space-time geometry conspire in lowering the absolute value of the (renormalized) Casimir energy ⟨ɛvac⟩ren , as measured by a comoving observer, with respect to whom the cavity is at rest. This, in turn, causes a weakening in the attractive force between the Casimir plates. In particular, we show that the vacuum energy density ⟨ɛvac⟩ren→0 when the orbital path of the Casimir cavity comes close to the corotating or counter-rotating circular null orbits (possibly geodesic) allowed by the Kerr geometry. Such an effect could be of some astrophysical interest on relevant orbits, such as the Kerr innermost stable circular orbits, being potentially related to particle confinement (as in some interquark models). The present work generalizes previous results obtained by several authors in the weak field approximation.

Combined effect of oblateness, radiation and a circular cluster of material points on the stability of triangular liberation points in the R3BP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Jagadish; Taura, Joel John

2014-06-01

This paper studies the motion of an infinitesimal mass in the framework of the restricted three-body problem (R3BP) under the assumption that the primaries of the system are radiating-oblate spheroids, enclosed by a circular cluster of material points. It examines the effects of radiation and oblateness up to J 4 of the primaries and the potential created by the circular cluster, on the linear stability of the liberation locations of the infinitesimal mass. The liberation points are found to be stable for 0< μ< μ c and unstable for , where μ c is the critical mass value depending on terms which involve parameters that characterize the oblateness, radiation forces and the circular cluster of material points. The oblateness up to J 4 of the primaries and the gravitational potential from the circular cluster of material points have stabilizing propensities, while the radiation of the primaries and the oblateness up to J 2 of the primaries have destabilizing tendencies. The combined effect of these perturbations on the stability of the triangular liberation points is that, it has stabilizing propensity.

Resonance transition periodic orbits in the circular restricted three-body problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Hanlun; Xu, Bo

2018-04-01

This work studies a special type of cislunar periodic orbits in the circular restricted three-body problem called resonance transition periodic orbits, which switch between different resonances and revolve about the secondary with multiple loops during one period. In the practical computation, families of multiple periodic orbits are identified first, and then the invariant manifolds emanating from the unstable multiple periodic orbits are taken to generate resonant homoclinic connections, which are used to determine the initial guesses for computing the desired periodic orbits by means of multiple-shooting scheme. The obtained periodic orbits have potential applications for the missions requiring long-term continuous observation of the secondary and tour missions in a multi-body environment.

ISLES: Probing Extra Dimensions Using a Superconducting Accelerometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paik, Ho Jung; Moody, M. Vol; Prieto-Gortcheva, Violeta A.

2003-01-01

In string theories, extra dimensions must be compactified. The possibility that gravity can have large radii of compactification leads to a violation of the inverse square law at submillimeter distances. The objective of ISLES is to perform a null test of Newton s law in space with a resolution of one part in 10(exp 5) or better at 100 microns. The experiment will be cooled to less than or equal to 2 K, which permits superconducting magnetic levitation of the test masses. To minimize Newtonian errors, ISLES employs a near null source, a circular disk of large diameter-to-thickness ratio. Two test masses, also disk-shaped, are suspended on the two sides of the source mass at a nominal distance of 100 microns. The signal is detected by a superconducting differential accelerometer. A ground test apparatus is under construction.

Playing with inclined circular hydraulic jumps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebon, Luc; Saget, Beryl; Durand, Marc; Limat, Laurent; Couder, Yves; Receveur, Mathieu

2008-11-01

We have investigated the structure of the circular hydraulic jump, when the jet impacts an inclined plate. At low plate slope, quasi-circular shapes, evolving towards elliptic shapes are observed. At moderate inclinations, the upper and lower jumps become markedly different, and the lower jump is even rejected to infinity when a critical inclination is reached. Above this critical inclination, the jump is coupled to an outer dewetting contact line to give a specific object (expanding impact sheet feeding a curved rim in which the liquid is flowing tangentially). In this regime, both the position and curvature of the upper jump follows unusual scalings with the flow rate that completely differ from those observed on horizontal plates. Finally we have looked to metastable drops trapped in the circular jump at very small inclinations. As reported in a previous APS, the lowest position in the jump can become unstable and the drops oscillate around the jump perimeter. We show that this behavior requires very specific conditions of surface tension and viscosity and propose simple interpretations for the instability mechanism.

Pathogenesis of Lethal Cardiac Arrhythmias in Mecp2 Mutant Mice: Implication for Therapy in Rett Syndrome

PubMed Central

McCauley, Mark D.; Wang, Tiannan; Mike, Elise; Herrera, Jose; Beavers, David L.; Huang, Teng-Wei; Ward, Christopher S.; Skinner, Steven; Percy, Alan K.; Glaze, Daniel G.; Wehrens, Xander H. T.; Neul, Jeffrey L.

2013-01-01

Rett Syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder typically caused by mutations in Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2 (MECP2) in which 26% of deaths are sudden and of unknown cause. To explore the hypothesis that these deaths may be due to cardiac dysfunction, we characterized the electrocardiograms (ECGs) in 379 people with Rett syndrome and found that 18.5% show prolongation of the corrected QT interval (QTc), indicating a repolarization abnormality that can predispose to the development of an unstable fatal cardiac rhythm. Male mice lacking MeCP2 function, Mecp2Null/Y, also have prolonged QTc and show increased susceptibility to induced ventricular tachycardia. Female heterozygous null mice, Mecp2Null/+, show an age-dependent prolongation of QTc associated with ventricular tachycardia and cardiac-related death. Genetic deletion of MeCP2 function in only the nervous system was sufficient to cause long QTc and ventricular tachycardia, implicating neuronally-mediated changes to cardiac electrical conduction as a potential cause of ventricular tachycardia in Rett syndrome. The standard therapy for prolonged QTc in Rett syndrome, β-adrenergic receptor blockers, did not prevent ventricular tachycardia in Mecp2Null/Y mice. To determine whether an alternative therapy would be more appropriate, we characterized cardiomyocytes from Mecp2Null/Y mice and found increased persistent sodium current, which was normalized when cells were treated with the sodium channel-blocking anti-seizure drug phenytoin. Treatment with phenytoin reduced both QTc and sustained ventricular tachycardia in Mecp2Null/Y mice. These results demonstrate that cardiac abnormalities in Rett syndrome are secondary to abnormal nervous system control, which leads to increased persistent sodium current. Our findings suggest that treatment in people with Rett syndrome would be more effective if it targeted the increased persistent sodium current in order to prevent lethal cardiac arrhythmias. PMID:22174313

Lower bound on the compactness of isotropic ultracompact objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hod, Shahar

2018-04-01

Horizonless spacetimes describing spatially regular ultracompact objects which, like black-hole spacetimes, possess closed null circular geodesics (light rings) have recently attracted much attention from physicists and mathematicians. In the present paper we raise the following physically intriguing question: how compact is an ultracompact object? Using analytical techniques, we prove that ultracompact isotropic matter configurations with light rings are characterized by the dimensionless lower bound maxr{2 m (r )/r }>7 /12 on their global compactness parameter.

Secular instabilities of Keplerian stellar discs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaur, Karamveer; Kazandjian, Mher V.; Sridhar, S.; Touma, Jihad R.

2018-05-01

We present idealized models of a razor-thin, axisymmetric, Keplerian stellar disc around a massive black hole, and study non-axisymmetric secular instabilities in the absence of either counter-rotation or loss cones. These discs are prograde mono-energetic waterbags, whose phase-space distribution functions are constant for orbits within a range of eccentricities (e) and zero outside this range. The linear normal modes of waterbags are composed of sinusoidal disturbances of the edges of distribution function in phase space. Waterbags that include circular orbits (polarcaps) have one stable linear normal mode for each azimuthal wavenumber m. The m = 1 mode always has positive pattern speed and, for polarcaps consisting of orbits with e < 0.9428, only the m = 1 mode has positive pattern speed. Waterbags excluding circular orbits (bands) have two linear normal modes for each m, which can be stable or unstable. We derive analytical expressions for the instability condition, pattern speeds, growth rates, and normal mode structure. Narrow bands are unstable to modes with a wide range in m. Numerical simulations confirm linear theory and follow the non-linear evolution of instabilities. Long-time integration suggests that instabilities of different m grow, interact non-linearly, and relax collisionlessly to a coarse-grained equilibrium with a wide range of eccentricities.

Rotating flux-focusing eddy current probe for flaw detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wincheski, Russell A. (Inventor); Fulton, James P. (Inventor); Nath, Shridhar C. (Inventor); Simpson, John W. (Inventor); Namkung, Min (Inventor)

1997-01-01

A flux-focusing electromagnetic sensor which uses a ferromagnetic flux-focusing lens simplifies inspections and increases detectability of fatigue cracks about circular fasteners and other circular inhomogeneities in high conductivity material. The unique feature of the device is the ferrous shield isolating a high-turn pick-up coil from an excitation coil, The use of the magnetic shield is shown to produce a null voltage output across the receiving coil in the presence of an unflawed sample. A redistribution of the current flow in the sample caused by the presence of flaws, however, eliminates the shielding condition and a large output voltage is produced, yielding a clear unambiguous flaw signal. By rotating the probe in a path around a circular fastener such as a rivet while maintaining a constant distance between the probe and the center of a rivet, the signal due to current flow about the rivet can be held constant. Any further changes in the current distribution, such as due to a fatigue crack at the rivet joint, can be detected as an increase in the output voltage above that due to the flow about the rivet head.

Secondary Instability of Stationary Crossflow Vortices in Mach 6 Boundary Layer Over a Circular Cone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Fei; Choudhari, Meelan M.; Paredes-Gonzalez, Pedro; Duan, Lian

2015-01-01

Hypersonic boundary layer flows over a circular cone at moderate incidence can support strong crossflow instability. Due to more efficient excitation of stationary crossflow vortices by surface roughness, such boundary layer flows may transition to turbulence via rapid amplification of the high-frequency secondary instabilities of finite amplitude stationary crossflow vortices. The amplification characteristics of these secondary instabilities are investigated for crossflow vortices generated by an azimuthally periodic array of roughness elements over a 7-degree half-angle circular cone in a Mach 6 free stream. Depending on the local amplitude of the stationary crossflow mode, the most unstable secondary disturbances either originate from the second (i.e., Mack) mode instabilities of the unperturbed boundary layer or correspond to genuine secondary instabilities that reduce to stable disturbances at sufficiently small amplitudes of the stationary crossflow vortex. The predicted frequencies of dominant secondary disturbances are similar to those measured during wind tunnel experiments at Purdue University and the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany.

Two Episodes of Magnetic Reconnections during a Confined Circular-ribbon Flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ting; Yang, Shuhong; Zhang, Qingmin; Hou, Yijun; Zhang, Jun

2018-06-01

We analyze a unique event with an M1.8 confined circular-ribbon flare on 2016 February 13, with successive formations of two circular ribbons at the same location. The flare had two distinct phases of UV and extreme ultraviolet emissions with an interval of about 270 s, of which the second peak was energetically more important. The first episode was accompanied by the eruption of a mini-filament and the fast elongation motion of a thin circular ribbon (CR1) along the counterclockwise direction at a speed of about 220 km s‑1. Two elongated spine-related ribbons were also observed, with the inner ribbon co-temporal with CR1 and the remote brightenings forming ∼20 s later. In the second episode, another mini-filament erupted and formed a blowout jet. The second circular ribbon and two spine-related ribbons showed similar elongation motions with that during the first episode. The extrapolated three-dimensional coronal magnetic fields reveal the existence of a fan-spine topology, together with a quasi-separatrix layer (QSL) halo surrounding the fan plane and another QSL structure outlining the inner spine. We suggest that continuous null-point reconnection between the filament and ambient open field occurs in each episode, leading to the sequential opening of the filament and significant shifts of the fan plane footprint. For the first time, we propose a compound eruption model of circular-ribbon flares consisting of two sets of successively formed ribbons and eruptions of multiple filaments in a fan-spine-type magnetic configuration.

Analysis of Petal Rotation Trajectory Characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Rodney L.; Campagnola, Stefano; Buffington, Brent B.

2014-01-01

In this study, the characteristics of petal rotation trajectories are explored in both the two-body and circular restricted three-body problem (CRTBP) models. Petal rotation trajectories alternate long and short resonances of different kinds to rotate the line of apsides. They are typically computed using the patched conic model, and they are used in a number of different missions and mission concepts including Cassini, JUICE, and Europa mission concepts. Petal rotation trajectories are first analyzed here using the patched conic model to quantify their characteristics and search for cases with fast rotation of the line of apsides. When they are computed in the CRTBP, they are unstable periodic orbits with corresponding stable and unstable manifolds. The characteristics of these orbits are explored from a dynamical systems perspective in the second phase of the study.

Radiation Pressure, Poynting-Robertson Drag, and Solar Wind Drag in the Restricted Three-Body Problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liou, Jer-Chyi; Zook, Herbert A.; Jackson, A. A.

1995-01-01

In this paper, we examine the effects of radiation pressure, Poynting-Robertson (PR) drag, and solar wind drag on dust grains trapped in mean motion resonances with the Sun and Jupiter in the restricted (negligible dust mass) three-body Problem. We especially examine the evolution of dust grains in the 1:1 resonance. As a first step, the Sun and Jupiter are idealized to both be in circular orbit about a common center of mass (circular restricted three-body problem). From the equation of motion of the dust particle in the rotating reference frame, the drag-induced time rate of change of its Jacobi "constant," C, is then derived and expressed in spherical coordinates. This new mathematical expression in spherical coordinates shows that C, in the 1:1 resonance, both oscillates and secularly increases with increasing time. The new expression gives rise to an easy understanding of how an orbit evolves when the radiation force and solar wind drag are included. All dust grain orbits are unstable in time when PR and solar wind drag are included in the Sun-Jupiter-dust system. Tadpole orbits evolve into horseshoe orbits; and these orbits continuously expand in size to lead to close encounters with Jupiter. Permanent trapping is impossible. Orbital evolutions of a dust grain trapped in the 1:1 resonance in the planar circular, an inclined case, an eccentric case, and the actual Sun-Jupiter case are numerically simulated and compared with each other and show grossly similar time behavior. Resonances other than 1:1 are also explored with the new expression. Stable exterior resonance trapping may be possible under certain conditions. One necessary condition for such a trap is derived. Trapping in interior resonances is shown to be always unstable.

Modulational instability of finite-amplitude, circularly polarized Alfven waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Derby, N. F., Jr.

1978-01-01

The simple theory of the decay instability of Alfven waves is strictly applicable only to a small-amplitude parent wave in a low-beta plasma, but, if the parent wave is circularly polarized, it is possible to analyze the situation without either of these restrictions. Results show that a large-amplitude circularly polarized wave is unstable with respect to decay into three waves, one longitudinal and one transverse wave propagating parallel to the parent wave and one transverse wave propagating antiparallel. The transverse decay products appear at frequencies which are the sum and difference of the frequencies of the parent wave and the longitudinal wave. The decay products are not familiar MHD modes except in the limit of small beta and small amplitude of the parent wave, in which case the decay products are a forward-propagating sound wave and a backward-propagating circularly polarized wave. In this limit the other transverse wave disappears. The effect of finite beta is to reduce the linear growth rate of the instability from the value suggested by the simple theory. Possible applications of these results to the theory of the solar wind are briefly touched upon.

First-passage times for pattern formation in nonlocal partial differential equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cáceres, Manuel O.; Fuentes, Miguel A.

2015-10-01

We describe the lifetimes associated with the stochastic evolution from an unstable uniform state to a patterned one when the time evolution of the field is controlled by a nonlocal Fisher equation. A small noise is added to the evolution equation to define the lifetimes and to calculate the mean first-passage time of the stochastic field through a given threshold value, before the patterned steady state is reached. In order to obtain analytical results we introduce a stochastic multiscale perturbation expansion. This multiscale expansion can also be used to tackle multiplicative stochastic partial differential equations. A critical slowing down is predicted for the marginal case when the Fourier phase of the unstable initial condition is null. We carry out Monte Carlo simulations to show the agreement with our theoretical predictions. Analytic results for the bifurcation point and asymptotic analysis of traveling wave-front solutions are included to get insight into the noise-induced transition phenomena mediated by invading fronts.

First-passage times for pattern formation in nonlocal partial differential equations.

PubMed

Cáceres, Manuel O; Fuentes, Miguel A

2015-10-01

We describe the lifetimes associated with the stochastic evolution from an unstable uniform state to a patterned one when the time evolution of the field is controlled by a nonlocal Fisher equation. A small noise is added to the evolution equation to define the lifetimes and to calculate the mean first-passage time of the stochastic field through a given threshold value, before the patterned steady state is reached. In order to obtain analytical results we introduce a stochastic multiscale perturbation expansion. This multiscale expansion can also be used to tackle multiplicative stochastic partial differential equations. A critical slowing down is predicted for the marginal case when the Fourier phase of the unstable initial condition is null. We carry out Monte Carlo simulations to show the agreement with our theoretical predictions. Analytic results for the bifurcation point and asymptotic analysis of traveling wave-front solutions are included to get insight into the noise-induced transition phenomena mediated by invading fronts.

Homologous Circular-ribbon Flares Driven by Twisted Flux Emergence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Z.; Yang, K.; Guo, Y.; Zhao, J.; Zhao, Z. J.; Kashapova, L.

2017-12-01

In this paper, we report two homologous circular-ribbon flares associated with two filament eruptions. They were well observed by the New Vacuum Solar Telescope and the Solar Dynamics Observatory on 2014 March 5. Prior to the flare, two small-scale filaments enclosed by a circular pre-flare brightening lie along the circular polarity inversion line around the parasitic polarity, which has shown a continuous rotation since its first appearance. Two filaments eventually erupt in sequence associated with two homologous circular-ribbon flares and display an apparent writhing signature. Supplemented by the nonlinear force-free field extrapolation and the magnetic field squashing factor investigation, the following are revealed. (1) This event involves the emergence of magnetic flux ropes into a pre-existing polarity area, which yields the formation of a 3D null-point topology in the corona. (2) Continuous input of the free energy in the form of a flux rope from beneath the photosphere may drive a breakout-type reconnection occurring high in the corona, supported by the pre-flare brightening. (3) This initiation reconnection could release the constraint on the flux rope and trigger the MHD instability to first make filament F1 lose equilibrium. The subsequent more violent magnetic reconnection with the overlying flux is driven during the filament rising. In return, the eruption of filament F2 is further facilitated by the reduction of the magnetic tension force above. These two processes form a positive feedback to each other to cause the energetic mass eruption and flare.

Motion of the moonlet in the binary system 243 Ida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lan, L.; Ni, Y.; Jiang, Y.; Li, J.

2018-02-01

The motion of the moonlet Dactyl in the binary system 243 Ida is investigated in this paper. First, periodic orbits in the vicinity of the primary are calculated, including the orbits around the equilibrium points and large-scale orbits. The Floquet multipliers' topological cases of periodic orbits are calculated to study the orbits' stabilities. During the continuation of the retrograde near-circular orbits near the equatorial plane, two period-doubling bifurcations and one Neimark-Sacker bifurcation occur one by one, leading to two stable regions and two unstable regions. Bifurcations occur at the boundaries of these regions. Periodic orbits in the stable regions are all stable, but in the unstable regions are all unstable. Moreover, many quasi-periodic orbits exist near the equatorial plane. Long-term integration indicates that a particle in a quasi-periodic orbit runs in a space like a tire. Quasi-periodic orbits in different regions have different styles of motion indicated by the Poincare sections. There is the possibility that moonlet Dactyl is in a quasi-periodic orbit near the stable region I, which is enlightening for the stability of the binary system.

The structure and stability of orbits in Hoag-like ring systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bannikova, Elena Yu

2018-05-01

Ring galaxies are amazing objects exemplified by the famous case of Hoag's Object. Here the mass of the central galaxy may be comparable to the mass of the ring, making it a difficult case to model mechanically. In a previous paper, it was shown that the outer potential of a torus (ring) can be represented with good accuracy by the potential of a massive circle with the same mass. This approach allows us to simplify the problem of the particle motion in the gravitational field of a torus associated with a central mass by replacing the torus with a massive circle. In such a system, there is a circle of unstable equilibrium that we call `Lagrangian circle' (LC). Stable circular orbits exist only in some region limited by the last possible circular orbit related to the disappearance of the extrema of the effective potential. We call this orbit `the outermost stable circular orbit' (OSCO) by analogy with the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) in the relativistic case of a black hole. Under these conditions, there is a region between OSCO and LC where the circular motion is not possible due to the competition between the gravitational forces by the central mass and the ring. As a result, a gap in the matter distribution can form in Hoag-like system with massive rings.

The Simple Map for a Single-null Divertor Tokamak: How to Find the Last Good Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phan, Huong; Ali, Halima; Punjabi, Alkesh

2000-10-01

The Simple Map^1 is a representation of the magnetic field inside a single-null divertor tokamak. It is given by the equations: X_n+1=X_n kYn (1-Y_n), Y_n+1= Y_n+kX_n+1. These equations mimic the motion of the magnetic field lines in a single-null divertor tokamak. The fixed stable point is (0,0) and the unstable fixed oint is (0,1). k is fixed at 0.60. In our work, the starting values of Y in the map is kept in the interval of 0 to 1, and the starting value of X is 0. Using the successive bifurcation method, we first run these equations for 10^6 iterations to find the approximate value of Y when chaos occurs. We examine the neighborhood of this Y value to find the exact value of Y for the last good surface. We call this value Y_lgs. We find Y_lgs to be 0.997135768 for k=0.60 and X=0. This work is supported by US DOE OFES. Ms. Huong Phan is a HU CFRT Summer Fusion High School Workshop Scholar from Andrew P. Hill High School in California. She is supported by NASA SHARP Plus Program. 1. Punjabi A, Verma A and Boozer A, Phys Rev Lett 69 3322 (1992) and J Plasma Phys 52 91 (1994)

Flux-focusing eddy current probe and rotating probe method for flaw detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wincheski, Buzz A.; Fulton, James P.; Nath, Shridhar C.; Simpson, John W.; Namkung, Min

1994-11-01

A flux-focusing electromagnetic sensor which uses a ferromagnetic flux-focusing lens simplifies inspections and increases detectability of fatigue cracks about circular fasteners and other circular inhomogeneities in high conductivity material. The unique feature of the device is the ferrous shield isolating a high-turn pick-up coil from an excitation coil. The use of the magnetic shield is shown to produce a null voltage output across the receiving coil in the presence of an unflawed sample. A redistribution of the current flow in the sample caused by the presence of flaws, however, eliminates the shielding condition and a large output voltage is produced, yielding a clear unambiguous flaw signal. By rotating the probe in a path around a circular fastener such as a rivet while maintaining a constant distance between the probe and the center of a rivet, the signal due to current flow about the rivet can be held constant. Any further changes in the current distribution, such as due to a fatigue crack at the rivet joint, can be detected as an increase in the output voltage above that due to the flow about the rivet head.

Flux-focusing eddy current probe and rotating probe method for flaw detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wincheski, Buzz A. (Inventor); Fulton, James P. (Inventor); Nath, Shridhar C. (Inventor); Simpson, John W. (Inventor); Namkung, Min (Inventor)

1994-01-01

A flux-focusing electromagnetic sensor which uses a ferromagnetic flux-focusing lens simplifies inspections and increases detectability of fatigue cracks about circular fasteners and other circular inhomogeneities in high conductivity material. The unique feature of the device is the ferrous shield isolating a high-turn pick-up coil from an excitation coil. The use of the magnetic shield is shown to produce a null voltage output across the receiving coil in the presence of an unflawed sample. A redistribution of the current flow in the sample caused by the presence of flaws, however, eliminates the shielding condition and a large output voltage is produced, yielding a clear unambiguous flaw signal. By rotating the probe in a path around a circular fastener such as a rivet while maintaining a constant distance between the probe and the center of a rivet, the signal due to current flow about the rivet can be held constant. Any further changes in the current distribution, such as due to a fatigue crack at the rivet joint, can be detected as an increase in the output voltage above that due to the flow about the rivet head.

An analytical solution for Dean flow in curved ducts with rectangular cross section

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norouzi, M.; Biglari, N.

2013-05-01

In this paper, a full analytical solution for incompressible flow inside the curved ducts with rectangular cross-section is presented for the first time. The perturbation method is applied to solve the governing equations and curvature ratio is considered as the perturbation parameter. The previous perturbation solutions are usually restricted to the flow in curved circular or annular pipes related to the overly complex form of solutions or singularity situation for flow in curved ducts with non-circular shapes of cross section. This issue specifies the importance of analytical studies in the field of Dean flow inside the non-circular ducts. In this study, the main flow velocity, stream function of lateral velocities (secondary flows), and flow resistance ratio in rectangular curved ducts are obtained analytically. The effect of duct curvature and aspect ratio on flow field is investigated as well. Moreover, it is important to mention that the current analytical solution is able to simulate the Taylor-Görtler and Dean vortices (vortices in stable and unstable situations) in curved channels.

The inviscid axisymmetric stability of the supersonic flow along a circular cylinder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duck, Peter W.

1990-01-01

The supersonic flow past a thin straight circular cylinder is investigated. The associated boundary-layer flow (i.e. the velocity and temperature field) is computed; the asymptotic, far downstream solution is obtained, and compared with the full numerical results. The inviscid, linear, axisymmetric (temporal) stability of this boundary layer is also studied. A so-called 'doubly generalized' inflexion condition is derived, which is a condition for the existence of so-called 'subsonic' neutral modes. The eigenvalue problem (for the complex wavespeed) is computed for two free-stream Mach numbers (2.8 and 3.8), and this reveals that curvature has a profound effect on the stability of the flow. The first unstable inviscid mode is seen to disappear rapidly as curvature is introduced, while the second (and generally the most important) mode suffers a substantially reduced amplification rate.

The inviscid axisymmetric stability of the supersonic flow along a circular cylinder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duck, Peter W.

1989-01-01

The supersonic flow past a thin straight circular cylinder is investigated. The associated boundary layer flow (i.e., the velocity and temperature field) is computed; the asymptotic, far downstream solution is obtained, and compared with the full numerical results. The inviscid, linear, axisymmetric (temporal) stability of this boundary layer is also studied. A so called doubly generalized inflexion condition is derived, which is a condition for the existence of so called subsonic neutral modes. The eigenvalue problem (for the complex wavespeed) is computed for two freestream Mach numbers (2.8 and 3.8), and this reveals that curvature has a profound effect on the stability of the flow. The first unstable inviscid mode is seen to rapidly disappear as curvature is introduced, while the second (and generally the most important) mode suffers a substantially reduced amplification rate.

Shaping liquid drops by vibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pototsky, Andrey; Bestehorn, Michael

2018-02-01

We present and analyze a minimal hydrodynamic model of a vertically vibrated liquid drop that undergoes dynamic shape transformations. In agreement with experiments, a circular lens-shaped drop is unstable above a critical vibration amplitude, spontaneously elongating in the horizontal direction. Smaller drops elongate into localized states that oscillate with half of the vibration frequency. Larger drops evolve by transforming into a snake-like structure with gradually increasing length. The worm state is long-lasting with a potential to fragment into smaller drops.

QPO Constraints on Neutron Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, M. Coleman

2005-01-01

The kilohertz frequencies of QPOs from accreting neutron star systems imply that they are generated in regions of strong gravity, close to the star. This suggests that observations of the QPOs can be used to constrain the properties of neutron stars themselves, and in particular to inform us about the properties of cold matter beyond nuclear densities. Here we discuss some relatively model-insensitive constraints that emerge from the kilohertz QPOs, as well as recent developments that may hint at phenomena related to unstable circular orbits outside neutron stars.

Packed Planetary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, R.; Greenberg, R.

2005-08-01

Planetary systems display a wide range of appearances, with apparently arbitrary values of semi-major axis, eccentricity, etc. We reduce the complexity of orbital configurations to a single value, δ , which is a measure of how close, over secular timescales ( ˜10,000 orbits), two consecutive planets come to each other. We measure this distance relative to the sum of the radii of their Hill spheres, sometimes referred to as mutual Hill radii (MHR). We determine the closest approach distance by numerically integrating the entire system on coplanar orbits, using minimum masses. For non-resonant systems, close approach occurs during apsidal alignment, either parallel or anti-parallel. For resonant pairs the distance at conjunction determines the closest approach distance. Previous analytic work found that planets on circular orbits were assuredly unstable if they came within 3.5 MHR (i.e. Gladman 1993; Chambers, Wetherill & Boss 1996). We find that most known pairs of jovian planets (including those in our solar system) come within 3.5 -- 7 MHR of each other. We also find that several systems are unstable (their closest approach distance is less than 3.5 MHR). These systems, if they are real, probably exist in an observationally permitted location somewhat different from the current best fit. In these cases, the planets' closest approach distance will most likely also be slightly larger than 3.5 MHR. Most pairs beyond 7 MHR probably experienced post-formation migration (i.e. tidal circularization, inward scattering of small bodies) which moved them further apart. This result is even more remarkable since we have used the minimum masses; most likely the systems are inclined to the line of sight, making the Hill spheres larger, and shrinking δ . This dense packing may reflect a tendency for planets to form as close together as they can without being dynamically unstable. This result further implies there may be a large number of smaller, currently undetectable companions packed in orbits around stars with known planets.

Glutathione S-transferase gene polymorphisms in celiac disease and their correlation with genomic instability phenotype.

PubMed

Fundia, Ariela F; Weich, Natalia; Crivelli, Adriana; La Motta, Graciela; Larripa, Irene B; Slavutsky, Irma

2014-06-01

Genomic instability and reduced glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity have been identified as potential risk factors for malignant complications in celiac disease (CD). In this study, we assessed the possible influence of GST polymorphisms on genome instability phenotypes in a genetically characterised group of celiac patients from previous studies. The deletion polymorphisms in GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes and the single-nucleotide polymorphism GSTP1 c.313A>G were genotyped using PCR in a set of 20 untreated adult patients with a known genomic instability phenotype and 69 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. The frequencies of variant genotypes in patients were GSTM1-null (30%), GSTT1-null (5%), GSTP1-AG (60%) and GSTP1-GG (15%), and they showed no differences from controls. No significant differences were found in the genotype distribution based on telomere length. Cases with GSTM1-null genotype (83%) and microsatellite stability were more frequent than those with genomic instability. Moreover, carriers of GSTP1-variant genotype (73%) and stable phenotype were significantly increased compared to unstable patients (27%) (P=0.031). No differences were found according to the clinical-pathological characteristics of celiac cases. No association between GST polymorphic variants and celiac-associated genomic instability was proven in our cohort. Future studies should explore the usefulness of other biomarkers to distinguish celiac patients who are susceptible to cancer development. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer: Science from Circular Polarization Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Switzer, Eric; Ade, P.; Benford, D. J.; Bennett, C. L.; Chuss, D. T.; Dotson, J. L.; Eimer, J.; Fixsen, D. J.; Halpern, M.; Hinshaw, G. F.; Irwin, K.; Jhabvala, C.; Johnson, B.; Kogut, A. J.; Lazear, J.; Mirel, P.; Moseley, S. H.; Staguhn, J.; Tucker, C. E.; Weston, A.; Wollack, E.

2014-01-01

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) is a balloon-borne CMB polarimeter designed to constrain the B-mode signature of cosmological inflation. Sequential one-day flights from Northern- and Southern- Hemisphere sites will yield maps of Stokes I, Q, U and V at 200, 270, 350 and 600 GHz over 85% of the sky. The full optical path is cooled to 1.5 K by liquid helium in the ARCADE bucket dewar, and a variable-delay polarization modulator (VPM) at the front of the optics modulates the polarization response. Independent Q and U cameras each have two 32x40 Transition Edge Sensor array receivers. In addition to its primary inflationary science goal, PIPER will also measure the circular (Stokes V) polarization to a depth similar to that of the primary linear polarization. The circular polarization has received relatively little attention in large-area surveys, with constraints from the 1980’s and recent results by the Milan Polarimeter. Astrophysical circular polarization is generally tied to the presence of magnetic fields, either in relativistic plasmas or Zeeman splitting of resonances. These effects are thought to be undetectable at PIPER's frequencies and resolution, despite the depth. The expectation of a null result makes the deep Stokes V map a good cross-check for experimental systematics. More fundamentally, the fact that the sky is expected to be dark in Stokes V makes it a sector sensitive to processes such as Lorentz-violating terms in the standard model or magnetic fields in the CMB era.

Strings, vortex rings, and modes of instability

DOE PAGES

Gubser, Steven S.; Nayar, Revant; Parikh, Sarthak

2015-01-12

We treat string propagation and interaction in the presence of a background Neveu–Schwarz three-form field strength, suitable for describing vortex rings in a superfluid or low-viscosity normal fluid. A circular vortex ring exhibits instabilities which have been recognized for many years, but whose precise boundaries we determine for the first time analytically in the small core limit. Two circular vortices colliding head-on exhibit stronger instabilities which cause splitting into many small vortices at late times. We provide an approximate analytic treatment of these instabilities and show that the most unstable wavelength is parametrically larger than a dynamically generated length scalemore » which in many hydrodynamic systems is close to the cutoff. We also summarize how the string construction we discuss can be derived from the Gross–Pitaevskii Lagrangian, and also how it compares to the action for giant gravitons.« less

On the horizontal wobbling of an object levitated by near-field acoustic levitation.

PubMed

Kim, Cheol-Ho; Ih, Jeong-Guon

2007-11-01

A circular planar object can be levitated with several hundreds of microns by ultrasonic near-field acoustic levitation (NFAL). However, when both the sound source and the levitated object are circularly shaped and the center of the levitated object does not coincide with the source center, instability problem often occurs. When this happens, it becomes difficult to pick up or transport the object for the next process. In this study, when the center of the levitated object was offset from the source center, the moving direction of the levitated object was predicted by using the time averaged potential around the levitated object. The wobbling frequency of the levitated object was calculated by analyzing the nonlinear wobbling motion of the object. It was shown that the predicted wobbling frequencies agreed with measured ones well. Finally, a safe zone was suggested to avoid the unstable movement of an object.

Postbuckling behavior of axially compressed graphite-epoxy cylindrical panels with circular holes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knight, N. F., Jr.; Starnes, J. H., Jr.

1984-01-01

The results of an experimental and analytical study of the effects of circular holes on the postbuckling behavior of graphite-epoxy cylindrical panels loaded in axial compression are presented. The STAGSC-1 general shell analysis computer code is used to determine the buckling and postbuckling response of the panels. The loaded, curved ends of the specimens were clamped by fixtures and the unloaded, straight edges were simply supported by knife-edge restraints. The panels are loaded by uniform end shortening to several times the end shortening at buckling. The unstable equilibrium path of the postbuckling response is obtained analytically by using a method based on controlling an equilibrium-path-arc-length parameter instead of the traditional load parameter. The effects of hole diameter, panel radius, and panel thickness on postbuckling response are considered in the study. Experimental results are compared with the analytical results and the failure characteristics of the graphite-epoxy panels are described.

Proton-driven electromagnetic instabilities in high-speed solar wind streams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abraham-Shrauner, B.; Asbridge, J. R.; Bame, S. J.; Feldman, W. C.

1979-01-01

Electromagnetic instabilities of the field-aligned, right-hand circularly polarized magnetosonic wave and the left-hand circularly polarized Alfven wave driven by two drifted proton components are analyzed for model parameters determined from Imp 7 solar wind proton data measured during high-speed flow conditions. Growth rates calculated using bi-Lorentzian forms for the main and beam proton as well as core and halo electron velocity distributions do not differ significantly from those calculated using bi-Maxwellian forms. Using distribution parameters determined from 17 measured proton spectra, we show that considering the uncertainties the magnetosonic wave may be linearly stable and the Alfven wave is linearly unstable. Because proton velocity distribution function shapes are observed to persist for times long compared to the proton gyroperiod, the latter result suggests that linear stability theory fails for proton-driven ion cyclotron waves in the high-speed solar wind.

Critical phenomena at the threshold of immediate merger in binary black hole systems: The extreme mass ratio case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gundlach, Carsten; Akcay, Sarp; Barack, Leor; Nagar, Alessandro

2012-10-01

In numerical simulations of black hole binaries, Pretorius and Khurana [Classical Quantum Gravity 24, S83 (2007)CQGRDG0264-938110.1088/0264-9381/24/12/S07] have observed critical behavior at the threshold between scattering and immediate merger. The number of orbits scales as n≃-γln⁡|p-p*| along any one-parameter family of initial data such that the threshold is at p=p*. Hence, they conjecture that in ultrarelativistic collisions almost all the kinetic energy can be converted into gravitational waves if the impact parameter is fine-tuned to the threshold. As a toy model for the binary, they consider the geodesic motion of a test particle in a Kerr black hole spacetime, where the unstable circular geodesics play the role of critical solutions, and calculate the critical exponent γ. Here, we incorporate radiation reaction into this model using the self-force approximation. The critical solution now evolves adiabatically along a sequence of unstable circular geodesic orbits under the effect of the self-force. We confirm that almost all the initial energy and angular momentum are radiated on the critical solution. Our calculation suggests that, even for infinite initial energy, this happens over a finite number of orbits given by n∞≃0.41/η, where η is the (small) mass ratio. We derive expressions for the time spent on the critical solution, number of orbits and radiated energy as functions of the initial energy and impact parameter.

Hydrogen sulfide concentrations at three middle schools near industrial livestock facilities.

PubMed

Guidry, Virginia T; Kinlaw, Alan C; Johnston, Jill; Hall, Devon; Wing, Steve

2017-03-01

Safe school environments are essential for healthy development, yet some schools are near large-scale livestock facilities that emit air pollution. Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) from decomposing manure is an indicator of livestock-related air pollution. We measured outdoor concentrations of H 2 S at three public middle schools near livestock facilities in North Carolina. We used circular graphs to relate H 2 S detection and wind direction to geospatial distributions of nearby livestock barns. We also used logistic and linear regression to model H 2 S in relation to upwind, distance-weighted livestock barn area. Circular graphs suggested an association between upwind livestock barns and H 2 S detection. The log-odds of H 2 S detection per 1000 m 2 increased with upwind weighted swine barn area (School A: β-coefficient (β)=0.43, SE=0.06; School B: β=0.64, SE=0.24) and upwind weighted poultry barn area (School A: β=0.05, SE=0.01), with stronger associations during periods of atmospheric stability than atmospheric instability (School A stable: β=0.69, SE=0.11; School A unstable: β=0.32, SE=0.09). H 2 S concentration also increased linearly with upwind swine barn area, with greater increases during stable atmospheric conditions (stable: β=0.16 parts per billion (p.p.b.), SE=0.01; unstable: β=0.05 p.p.b., SE=0.01). Off-site migration of pollutants from industrial livestock operations can decrease air quality at nearby schools.

Numerical Investigation of Three-dimensional Instability of Standing Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Qiang; Liu, Yuming; Yue, Dick K. P.

2002-11-01

We study the three-dimensional instability of finite-amplitude standing waves under the influence of gravity using the transition matrix method. For accurate calculation of the transition matrices, we apply an efficient high-order spectral element method for nonlinear wave dynamics in complex domain. We consider two types of standing waves: (a) plane standing waves; and (b) standing waves in a circular tank. For the former, in addition to the confirmation of the side-band-like instability, we find a new three-dimensional instability for arbitrary base standing waves. The dominant component of the unstable disturbance is an oblique standing wave, with an arbitrary angle relative to the base flow, whose frequency is approximately equal to that of the base standing wave. Based on direct simulations, we confirm such a three-dimensional instability and show the occurrence of the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam recurrence phenomenon during nonlinear evolution. For the latter, we find that beyond a threshold wave steepness, the standing wave with frequency Ω becomes unstable to a small three-dimensional disturbance, which contains two dominant standing-wave components with frequencies ω1 and ω_2, provided that 2Ω ω1 + ω_2. The threshold wave steepness is found to decrease/increase as the radial/azimuthal wavenumber of the base standing wave increases. We show that the instability of standing waves in rectangular and circular tanks is caused by third-order quartet resonances between base flow and disturbance.

Characterization of elliptic dark hollow beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutiérrez-Vega, Julio C.

2008-08-01

A dark hollow beam (DHB) is designed in general as a ringed shaped light beam with a null intensity center on the beam axis. DHBs have interesting physical properties such as a helical wavefront, a center vortex singularity, doughnut-shaped transverse intensity distribution, they may carry and transfer orbital and spin angular momentum, and may also exhibit a nondiffracting behavior upon propagation. Most of the known theoretical models to describe DHBs consider axially symmetric transverse intensity distributions. However, in recent years there has been an increasing interest in developing models to describe DHBs with elliptic symmetry. DHBs with elliptic symmetry can be regarded as transition beams between circular and rectangular DHBs. For example, the high-order modes emitted from resonators with neither completely rectangular nor completely circular symmetry, but in between them, cannot be described by the known HermiteGaussian or LaguerreGaussian beams. In this work, we review the current state of research on elliptic DHBs, with particular emphasis in Mathieu and Ince-Gauss beams.

Validation of simultaneous reverse optimization reconstruction algorithm in a practical circular subaperture stitching interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lei; Li, Dong; Liu, Yu; Liu, Jingxiao; Li, Jingsong; Yu, Benli

2017-11-01

We demonstrate the validity of the simultaneous reverse optimization reconstruction (SROR) algorithm in circular subaperture stitching interferometry (CSSI), which is previously proposed for non-null aspheric annular subaperture stitching interferometry (ASSI). The merits of the modified SROR algorithm in CSSI, such as auto retrace error correction, no need of overlap and even permission of missed coverage, are analyzed in detail in simulations and experiments. Meanwhile, a practical CSSI system is proposed for this demonstration. An optical wedge is employed to deflect the incident beam for subaperture scanning by its rotation and shift instead of the six-axis motion-control system. Also the reference path can provide variable Zernike defocus for each subaperture test, which would decrease the fringe density. Experiments validating the SROR algorithm in this CSSI is implemented with cross validation by testing of paraboloidal mirror, flat mirror and astigmatism mirror. It is an indispensable supplement in SROR application in general subaperture stitching interferometry.

Origin and continuation of 3/2, 5/2, 3/1, 4/1 and 5/1 resonant periodic orbits in the circular and elliptic restricted three-body problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antoniadou, Kyriaki I.; Libert, Anne-Sophie

2018-06-01

We consider a planetary system consisting of two primaries, namely a star and a giant planet, and a massless secondary, say a terrestrial planet or an asteroid, which moves under their gravitational attraction. We study the dynamics of this system in the framework of the circular and elliptic restricted three-body problem, when the motion of the giant planet describes circular and elliptic orbits, respectively. Originating from the circular family, families of symmetric periodic orbits in the 3/2, 5/2, 3/1, 4/1 and 5/1 mean-motion resonances are continued in the circular and the elliptic problems. New bifurcation points from the circular to the elliptic problem are found for each of the above resonances, and thus, new families continued from these points are herein presented. Stable segments of periodic orbits were found at high eccentricity values of the already known families considered as whole unstable previously. Moreover, new isolated (not continued from bifurcation points) families are computed in the elliptic restricted problem. The majority of the new families mainly consists of stable periodic orbits at high eccentricities. The families of the 5/1 resonance are investigated for the first time in the restricted three-body problems. We highlight the effect of stable periodic orbits on the formation of stable regions in their vicinity and unveil the boundaries of such domains in phase space by computing maps of dynamical stability. The long-term stable evolution of the terrestrial planets or asteroids is dependent on the existence of regular domains in their dynamical neighbourhood in phase space, which could host them for long-time spans. This study, besides other celestial architectures that can be efficiently modelled by the circular and elliptic restricted problems, is particularly appropriate for the discovery of terrestrial companions among the single-giant planet systems discovered so far.

Study of an orbiting tethered dumbbell system having positive orbital energy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, David A.

1988-01-01

For very long tethered systems the sum of the kinetic and potential energy can be positive. The system remains in a circular orbit as long as the masses remain vertically aligned. The system is unstable without constant control of the alignment. If the upper mass rotates forward in the direction of the orbital motion, the system escapes out of orbit. If the upper mass rotates backward, the system falls out of orbit and the lower mass impacts the body around which the system is orbiting.

A genetic scale of reading frame coding.

PubMed

Michel, Christian J

2014-08-21

The reading frame coding (RFC) of codes (sets) of trinucleotides is a genetic concept which has been largely ignored during the last 50 years. A first objective is the definition of a new and simple statistical parameter PrRFC for analysing the probability (efficiency) of reading frame coding (RFC) of any trinucleotide code. A second objective is to reveal different classes and subclasses of trinucleotide codes involved in reading frame coding: the circular codes of 20 trinucleotides and the bijective genetic codes of 20 trinucleotides coding the 20 amino acids. This approach allows us to propose a genetic scale of reading frame coding which ranges from 1/3 with the random codes (RFC probability identical in the three frames) to 1 with the comma-free circular codes (RFC probability maximal in the reading frame and null in the two shifted frames). This genetic scale shows, in particular, the reading frame coding probabilities of the 12,964,440 circular codes (PrRFC=83.2% in average), the 216 C(3) self-complementary circular codes (PrRFC=84.1% in average) including the code X identified in eukaryotic and prokaryotic genes (PrRFC=81.3%) and the 339,738,624 bijective genetic codes (PrRFC=61.5% in average) including the 52 codes without permuted trinucleotides (PrRFC=66.0% in average). Otherwise, the reading frame coding probabilities of each trinucleotide code coding an amino acid with the universal genetic code are also determined. The four amino acids Gly, Lys, Phe and Pro are coded by codes (not circular) with RFC probabilities equal to 2/3, 1/2, 1/2 and 2/3, respectively. The amino acid Leu is coded by a circular code (not comma-free) with a RFC probability equal to 18/19. The 15 other amino acids are coded by comma-free circular codes, i.e. with RFC probabilities equal to 1. The identification of coding properties in some classes of trinucleotide codes studied here may bring new insights in the origin and evolution of the genetic code. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

2010 August 1–2 Sympathetic Eruptions. II. Magnetic Topology of the MHD Background Field

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

Titov, Viacheslav S.; Mikić, Zoran; Török, Tibor

Using a potential field source-surface (PFSS) model, we recently analyzed the global topology of the background coronal magnetic field for a sequence of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that occurred on 2010 August 1–2. Here we repeat this analysis for the background field reproduced by a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model that incorporates plasma thermodynamics. As for the PFSS model, we find that all three CME source regions contain a coronal hole (CH) that is separated from neighboring CHs by topologically very similar pseudo-streamer structures. However, the two models yield very different results for the size, shape, and flux of the CHs. Wemore » find that the helmet-streamer cusp line, which corresponds to a source-surface null line in the PFSS model, is structurally unstable and does not form in the MHD model. Our analysis indicates that, generally, in MHD configurations, this line instead consists of a multiple-null separator passing along the edge of disconnected-flux regions. Some of these regions are transient and may be the origin of the so-called streamer blobs. We show that the core topological structure of such blobs is a three-dimensional “plasmoid” consisting of two conjoined flux ropes of opposite handedness, which connect at a spiral null point of the magnetic field. Our analysis reveals that such plasmoids also appear in pseudo-streamers on much smaller scales. These new insights into the coronal magnetic topology provide some intriguing implications for solar energetic particle events and for the properties of the slow solar wind.« less

2010 August 1-2 Sympathetic Eruptions. II. Magnetic Topology of the MHD Background Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titov, Viacheslav S.; Mikić, Zoran; Török, Tibor; Linker, Jon A.; Panasenco, Olga

2017-08-01

Using a potential field source-surface (PFSS) model, we recently analyzed the global topology of the background coronal magnetic field for a sequence of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that occurred on 2010 August 1-2. Here we repeat this analysis for the background field reproduced by a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model that incorporates plasma thermodynamics. As for the PFSS model, we find that all three CME source regions contain a coronal hole (CH) that is separated from neighboring CHs by topologically very similar pseudo-streamer structures. However, the two models yield very different results for the size, shape, and flux of the CHs. We find that the helmet-streamer cusp line, which corresponds to a source-surface null line in the PFSS model, is structurally unstable and does not form in the MHD model. Our analysis indicates that, generally, in MHD configurations, this line instead consists of a multiple-null separator passing along the edge of disconnected-flux regions. Some of these regions are transient and may be the origin of the so-called streamer blobs. We show that the core topological structure of such blobs is a three-dimensional “plasmoid” consisting of two conjoined flux ropes of opposite handedness, which connect at a spiral null point of the magnetic field. Our analysis reveals that such plasmoids also appear in pseudo-streamers on much smaller scales. These new insights into the coronal magnetic topology provide some intriguing implications for solar energetic particle events and for the properties of the slow solar wind.

A no-short scalar hair theorem for rotating Kerr black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hod, Shahar

2016-06-01

If a black hole has hair, how short can this hair be? A partial answer to this intriguing question was recently provided by the ‘no-short hair’ theorem which asserts that the external fields of a spherically symmetric electrically neutral hairy black-hole configuration must extend beyond the null circular geodesic which characterizes the corresponding black-hole spacetime. One naturally wonders whether the no-short hair inequality {r}{hair}\\gt {r}{null} is a generic property of all electrically neutral hairy black-hole spacetimes. In this paper we provide evidence that the answer to this interesting question may be positive. In particular, we prove that the recently discovered cloudy Kerr black-hole spacetimes—non-spherically symmetric non-static black holes which support linearized massive scalar fields in their exterior regions—also respect this no-short hair lower bound. Specifically, we analytically derive the lower bound {r}{field}/{r}+\\gt {r}+/{r}- on the effective lengths of the external bound-state massive scalar clouds (here {r}{field} is the peak location of the stationary bound-state scalar fields and r ± are the horizon radii of the black hole). Remarkably, this lower bound is universal in the sense that it is independent of the physical parameters (proper mass and angular harmonic indices) of the exterior scalar fields. Our results suggest that the lower bound {r}{hair}\\gt {r}{null} may be a general property of asymptotically flat electrically neutral hairy black-hole configurations.

Antibiotic resistance of vibrio cholerae: special considerations of R-plasmids.

PubMed

Kuwahara, S

1978-09-01

Studies on the transmission of R plasmid by conjugation between enterobacteria and vibrio or related bacteria were reviewed. The majority of the reports confirmed successful transmission from enterobacteria to Vibrio cholerae and related species, although the transmission frequencies were extremely low and the transmitted R plasmid was very unstable except for thermosensitive kanamycin plasmid and usual R plasmid coexisting with P plasmid. Strains of V. cholerae and Aeromonas liquefaciens as well as A. salmonicida bearing R plasmid were detected in nature. R plasmid was relatively unstable in V. cholerae strains with which transmission of R plasmid to enterobacteria was confirmed. At present, only 3 R plasmids have been obtained from naturally occurring strains of V. cholerae. Although the 2 European plasmids belong to the C incompatibility group with 98 megadalton closed covalent circular DNA molecule, one plasmid belongs to the J group with more than 25 megadalton molecular weight, and no CCC of satelite DNA was detected in bacteria harboring this plasmid.

Topological features of vector vortex beams perturbed with uniformly polarized light

PubMed Central

D’Errico, Alessio; Maffei, Maria; Piccirillo, Bruno; de Lisio, Corrado; Cardano, Filippo; Marrucci, Lorenzo

2017-01-01

Optical singularities manifesting at the center of vector vortex beams are unstable, since their topological charge is higher than the lowest value permitted by Maxwell’s equations. Inspired by conceptually similar phenomena occurring in the polarization pattern characterizing the skylight, we show how perturbations that break the symmetry of radially symmetric vector beams lead to the formation of a pair of fundamental and stable singularities, i.e. points of circular polarization. We prepare a superposition of a radial (or azimuthal) vector beam and a uniformly linearly polarized Gaussian beam; by varying the amplitudes of the two fields, we control the formation of pairs of these singular points and their spatial separation. We complete this study by applying the same analysis to vector vortex beams with higher topological charges, and by investigating the features that arise when increasing the intensity of the Gaussian term. Our results can find application in the context of singularimetry, where weak fields are measured by considering them as perturbations of unstable optical beams. PMID:28079134

Topological features of vector vortex beams perturbed with uniformly polarized light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Errico, Alessio; Maffei, Maria; Piccirillo, Bruno; de Lisio, Corrado; Cardano, Filippo; Marrucci, Lorenzo

2017-01-01

Optical singularities manifesting at the center of vector vortex beams are unstable, since their topological charge is higher than the lowest value permitted by Maxwell’s equations. Inspired by conceptually similar phenomena occurring in the polarization pattern characterizing the skylight, we show how perturbations that break the symmetry of radially symmetric vector beams lead to the formation of a pair of fundamental and stable singularities, i.e. points of circular polarization. We prepare a superposition of a radial (or azimuthal) vector beam and a uniformly linearly polarized Gaussian beam; by varying the amplitudes of the two fields, we control the formation of pairs of these singular points and their spatial separation. We complete this study by applying the same analysis to vector vortex beams with higher topological charges, and by investigating the features that arise when increasing the intensity of the Gaussian term. Our results can find application in the context of singularimetry, where weak fields are measured by considering them as perturbations of unstable optical beams.

Topological features of vector vortex beams perturbed with uniformly polarized light.

PubMed

D'Errico, Alessio; Maffei, Maria; Piccirillo, Bruno; de Lisio, Corrado; Cardano, Filippo; Marrucci, Lorenzo

2017-01-12

Optical singularities manifesting at the center of vector vortex beams are unstable, since their topological charge is higher than the lowest value permitted by Maxwell's equations. Inspired by conceptually similar phenomena occurring in the polarization pattern characterizing the skylight, we show how perturbations that break the symmetry of radially symmetric vector beams lead to the formation of a pair of fundamental and stable singularities, i.e. points of circular polarization. We prepare a superposition of a radial (or azimuthal) vector beam and a uniformly linearly polarized Gaussian beam; by varying the amplitudes of the two fields, we control the formation of pairs of these singular points and their spatial separation. We complete this study by applying the same analysis to vector vortex beams with higher topological charges, and by investigating the features that arise when increasing the intensity of the Gaussian term. Our results can find application in the context of singularimetry, where weak fields are measured by considering them as perturbations of unstable optical beams.

Three-dimensional instability of standing waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Qiang; Liu, Yuming; Yue, Dick K. P.

2003-12-01

We investigate the three-dimensional instability of finite-amplitude standing surface waves under the influence of gravity. The analysis employs the transition matrix (TM) approach and uses a new high-order spectral element (HOSE) method for computation of the nonlinear wave dynamics. HOSE is an extension of the original high-order spectral method (HOS) wherein nonlinear wave wave and wave body interactions are retained up to high order in wave steepness. Instead of global basis functions in HOS, however, HOSE employs spectral elements to allow for complex free-surface geometries and surface-piercing bodies. Exponential convergence of HOS with respect to the total number of spectral modes (for a fixed number of elements) and interaction order is retained in HOSE. In this study, we use TM-HOSE to obtain the stability of general three-dimensional perturbations (on a two-dimensional surface) on two classes of standing waves: plane standing waves in a rectangular tank; and radial/azimuthal standing waves in a circular basin. For plane standing waves, we confirm the known result of two-dimensional side-bandlike instability. In addition, we find a novel three-dimensional instability for base flow of any amplitude. The dominant component of the unstable disturbance is an oblique (standing) wave oriented at an arbitrary angle whose frequency is close to the (nonlinear) frequency of the original standing wave. This finding is confirmed by direct long-time simulations using HOSE which show that the nonlinear evolution leads to classical Fermi Pasta Ulam recurrence. For the circular basin, we find that, beyond a threshold wave steepness, a standing wave (of nonlinear frequency Omega) is unstable to three-dimensional perturbations. The unstable perturbation contains two dominant (standing-wave) components, the sum of whose frequencies is close to 2Omega. From the cases we consider, the critical wave steepness is found to generally decrease/increase with increasing radial/azimuthal mode number of the base standing wave. Finally, we show that the instability we find for both two- and three-dimensional standing waves is a result of third-order (quartet) resonance.

Hypothesis testing for band size detection of high-dimensional banded precision matrices.

PubMed

An, Baiguo; Guo, Jianhua; Liu, Yufeng

2014-06-01

Many statistical analysis procedures require a good estimator for a high-dimensional covariance matrix or its inverse, the precision matrix. When the precision matrix is banded, the Cholesky-based method often yields a good estimator of the precision matrix. One important aspect of this method is determination of the band size of the precision matrix. In practice, crossvalidation is commonly used; however, we show that crossvalidation not only is computationally intensive but can be very unstable. In this paper, we propose a new hypothesis testing procedure to determine the band size in high dimensions. Our proposed test statistic is shown to be asymptotically normal under the null hypothesis, and its theoretical power is studied. Numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of our testing procedure.

Permanent magnets as biasing mechanism for improving the performance of circular dielectric elastomer out-of-plane actuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loew, P.; Rizzello, G.; Seelecke, S.

2017-04-01

Dielectric Elastomers (DE) represent an attractive technology for the realization of mechatronic actuators, due to their lightweight, high energy density, high energy efficiency, scalability, and low noise features. In order to produce a stroke, a DE membrane needs to be pre-loaded with a mechanical biasing mechanism. In our previous works, we compared the stroke achieved with different biasing mechanisms for a circular out-of-plane DE Actuator (DEA), i.e., hanging masses, linear and bi-stable springs. The novel contribution of this paper is the investigation of a biasing design approach based on permanent magnets. The resulting magnet-based actuators are usually more compact than the spring-based ones, allowing to obtain more compact systems. Two design solutions are proposed and compared, namely a first one characterized by a stable actuation, and a second one which permits to achieve a higher stroke, but it is intrinsically unstable. The effectiveness of the novel design solution is assessed by means of several experiments.

The two-dimensional instability of an incompressible vortex in a tube with energy-absorbent walls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broadbent, E. G.; Moore, D. W.

1994-07-01

We have previously shown that a Rankine vortex in a compressible fluid is unstable to a perturbation in cross section, e.g. to a slightly eccentric ellipse. This result is surprising, because compressibility leads to a loss of energy from the perturbed vortex by acoustic radiation. An explanation, valid for small swirl Mach numbers, was provided by Kop'ev and Leont'ev. For small Mach numbers the flow in the neighborhood of the vortex can be treated as incompressible, from which it follows that the kinetic energy is greater for the circular vortex than for any other nearby shape. Thus the loss of energy by acoustic radiation will result in increasing departures from a circular cross section. We assert here that the instability is not inherently acoustic, but that any mechanism which can remove energy will result in instability. To support our contention, we examine the Rankine vortex in a concentric circular tube which has compliant walls. Linear theory first establishes that the instability exists in this case and an approximate theory for a small region of vorticity shows that the distortion increases indefinitely. This is confirmed, without the restriction on size, by a numerical solution of the integro-differential equation based on contour dynamics.

Multiobjective Optimization of Low-Energy Trajectories Using Optimal Control on Dynamical Channels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coffee, Thomas M.; Anderson, Rodney L.; Lo, Martin W.

2011-01-01

We introduce a computational method to design efficient low-energy trajectories by extracting initial solutions from dynamical channels formed by invariant manifolds, and improving these solutions through variational optimal control. We consider trajectories connecting two unstable periodic orbits in the circular restricted 3-body problem (CR3BP). Our method leverages dynamical channels to generate a range of solutions, and approximates the areto front for impulse and time of flight through a multiobjective optimization of these solutions based on primer vector theory. We demonstrate the application of our method to a libration orbit transfer in the Earth-Moon system.

Reduced magnetohydrodynamic theory of oblique plasmoid instabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baalrud, S. D.; Bhattacharjee, A.; Huang, Y.-M.

2012-02-01

The three-dimensional nature of plasmoid instabilities is studied using the reduced magnetohydrodynamic equations. For a Harris equilibrium with guide field, represented by Bo=Bpotanh(x /λ)ŷ+Bzoẑ, a spectrum of modes are unstable at multiple resonant surfaces in the current sheet, rather than just the null surface of the poloidal field Byo(x)=Bpotanh(x /λ), which is the only resonant surface in 2D or in the absence of a guide field. Here, Bpo is the asymptotic value of the equilibrium poloidal field, Bzo is the constant equilibrium guide field, and λ is the current sheet width. Plasmoids on each resonant surface have a unique angle of obliquity θ ≡arctan(kz/ky). The resonant surface location for angle θ is xs=λarctanh(μ), where μ =tanθBzo/Bpo and the existence of a resonant surface requires |θ |

A note on libration point orbits, temporary capture and low-energy transfers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fantino, E.; Gómez, G.; Masdemont, J. J.; Ren, Y.

2010-11-01

In the circular restricted three-body problem (CR3BP) the weak stability boundary (WSB) is defined as a boundary set in the phase space between stable and unstable motion relative to the second primary. At a given energy level, the boundaries of such region are provided by the stable manifolds of the central objects of the L1 and L2 libration points, i.e., the two planar Lyapunov orbits. Besides, the unstable manifolds of libration point orbits (LPOs) around L1 and L2 have been identified as responsible for the weak or temporary capture around the second primary of the system. These two issues suggest the existence of natural dynamical channels between the Earth's vicinity and the Sun-Earth libration points L1 and L2. Furthermore, it has been shown that the Sun-Earth L2 central unstable manifolds can be linked, through an heteroclinic connection, to the central stable manifolds of the L2 point in the Earth-Moon three-body problem. This concept has been applied to the design of low energy transfers (LETs) from the Earth to the Moon. In this contribution we consider all the above three issues, i.e., weak stability boundaries, temporary capture and low energy transfers, and we discuss the role played by the invariant manifolds of LPOs in each of them. The study is made in the planar approximation.

Treatment of unstable distal radius fractures with Ilizarov circular, nonbridging external fixator.

PubMed

Tyllianakis, Minos; Mylonas, Spyros; Saridis, Alkis; Kallivokas, Alkiviadis; Kouzelis, Antonis; Megas, Panagiotis

2010-03-01

Unstable distal radius fractures remain a challenge for the treating orthopaedic surgeon. We present a retrospective follow-up study (mean follow-up 12.5 months) of 20 patients with 21 unstable distal radius fractures that were reduced in a closed manner and stabilized with a nonbridging Ilizarov external fixator. Subsequent insertion of olive wires for interfragmentary compression was performed in cases with intra-articular fractures. According to the overall evaluation proposed by Gartland and Werley scoring system 12 wrists were classified as excellent, 6 as good, 2 as fair and 1 as poor. Grade II pin-tract infection in distal fracture fragment was detected in 3 wires from a total of 78 (3.8%) and in 4 half pins out of a total of 9 (44.4%). Pronation was the most frequently impaired movement. This was restricted in 4 patients (19%) in whom a radioulnar transfixing wire was applied. Symptoms of irritation of superficial sensory branch of the radial nerve occurred in 3 patients with an olive wire applied in a closed manner in the distal fragment. Ilizarov method yields functional results comparable to that of other methods whilst it avoids wrist immobilization, open reduction and reoperation for implant removal. The method is associated with a low rate of major complication and satisfactory functional outcome. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A CIRCULAR-RIBBON SOLAR FLARE FOLLOWING AN ASYMMETRIC FILAMENT ERUPTION

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

Liu, Chang; Deng, Na; Lee, Jeongwoo

The dynamic properties of flare ribbons and the often associated filament eruptions can provide crucial information on the flaring coronal magnetic field. This Letter analyzes the GOES-class X1.0 flare on 2014 March 29 (SOL2014-03-29T17:48), in which we found an asymmetric eruption of a sigmoidal filament and an ensuing circular flare ribbon. Initially both EUV images and a preflare nonlinear force-free field model show that the filament is embedded in magnetic fields with a fan-spine-like structure. In the first phase, which is defined by a weak but still increasing X-ray emission, the western portion of the sigmoidal filament arches upward andmore » then remains quasi-static for about five minutes. The western fan-like and the outer spine-like fields display an ascending motion, and several associated ribbons begin to brighten. Also found is a bright EUV flow that streams down along the eastern fan-like field. In the second phase that includes the main peak of hard X-ray (HXR) emission, the filament erupts, leaving behind two major HXR sources formed around its central dip portion and a circular ribbon brightened sequentially. The expanding western fan-like field interacts intensively with the outer spine-like field, as clearly seen in running difference EUV images. We discuss these observations in favor of a scenario where the asymmetric eruption of the sigmoidal filament is initiated due to an MHD instability and further facilitated by reconnection at a quasi-null in corona; the latter is in turn enhanced by the filament eruption and subsequently produces the circular flare ribbon.« less

Magnetic Topology of the Global MHD Configuration on 2010 August 1-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titov, V. S.; Mikic, Z.; Torok, T.; Linker, J.; Panasenco, O.

2014-12-01

It appears that the global magnetic topology of the solar corona predetermines to a large extent the magnetic flux transfer during solar eruptions. We have recently analyzed the global topology for a source-surface model of the background magnetic field at the time of the 2010 August 1-2 sympathetic CMEs (Titov et al. 2012). Now we extend this analysis to a more accurate thermodynamic MHD model of the solar corona. As for the source-surface model, we find a similar triplet of pseudo-streamers in the source regions of the eruptions. The new study confirms that all these pseudo-streamers contain separatrix curtains that fan out from a basic magnetic null point, individual for each of the pseudo-streamers. In combination with the associated separatrix domes, these separatrix curtains fully isolate adjacent coronal holes of the like polarity from each other. However, the size and shape of the coronal holes, as well as their open magnetic fluxes and the fluxes in the lobes of the separatrix domes, are very different for the two models. The definition of the open separator field lines, where the (interchange) reconnection between open and closed magnetic flux takes place, is also modified, since the structurally unstable source-surface null lines do not exist anymore in the MHD model. In spite of all these differences, we reassert our earlier hypothesis that magnetic reconnection at these nulls and the associated separators likely plays a key role in coupling the successive eruptions observed by SDO and STEREO. The results obtained provide further validation of our recent simplified MHD model of sympathetic eruptions (Török et al. 2011). Research supported by NASA's Heliophysics Theory and LWS Programs, and NSF/SHINE and NSF/FESD.

The vertical structure of gaseous galaxy discs in cold dark matter haloes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benítez-Llambay, Alejandro; Navarro, Julio F.; Frenk, Carlos S.; Ludlow, Aaron D.

2018-01-01

We study the vertical structure of polytropic centrifugally supported gaseous discs embedded in cold dark matter (CDM) haloes. At fixed radius, R, the shape of the vertical density profile depends weakly on whether the disc is self-gravitating (SG) or non-self-gravitating (NSG). The disc 'characteristic' thickness, zH, set by the midplane sound speed and circular velocity, zNSG = (cs/Vc)R, in the NSG case, and by the sound speed and surface density, z_SG = c_s^2/GΣ, in SG discs, is smaller than zSG and zNSG. SG discs are typically Toomre unstable, NSG discs are stable. Exponential discs in CDM haloes with roughly flat circular velocity curves 'flare' outwards. Flares in mono abundance or coeval populations in galaxies like the Milky Way are thus not necessarily due to radial migration. For the polytropic equation of state of the Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments (EAGLE) simulations, discs that match observational constraints are NSG for Md < 3 × 109 M⊙ and SG at higher masses, if fully gaseous. We test these analytic results using a set of idealized smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulations and find excellent agreement. Our results clarify the role of the gravitational softening on the thickness of simulated discs, and on the onset of radial instabilities. EAGLE low-mass discs are NSG so the softening plays no role in their vertical structure. High-mass discs are expected to be SG and unstable, and may be artificially thickened and stabilized unless gravity is well resolved. Simulations with spatial resolution high enough to not compromise the vertical structure of a disc also resolve the onset of their instabilities, but the converse is not true.

A Floating Cylinder on an Unbounded Bath

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hanzhe; Siegel, David

2018-03-01

In this paper, we reconsider a circular cylinder horizontally floating on an unbounded reservoir in a gravitational field directed downwards, which was studied by Bhatnagar and Finn (Phys Fluids 18(4):047103, 2006). We follow their approach but with some modifications. We establish the relation between the total energy E_T relative to the undisturbed state and the total force F_T , that is, F_T = -dE_T/dh , where h is the height of the center of the cylinder relative to the undisturbed fluid level. There is a monotone relation between h and the wetting angle φ _0 . We study the number of equilibria, the floating configurations and their stability for all parameter values. We find that the system admits at most two equilibrium points for arbitrary contact angle γ , the one with smaller φ _0 is stable and the one with larger φ _0 is unstable. Since the one-sided solution can be translated horizontally, the fluid interfaces may intersect. We show that the stable equilibrium point never lies in the intersection region, while the unstable equilibrium point may lie in the intersection region.

Efficient computational methods for electromagnetic imaging with applications to 3D magnetotellurics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kordy, Michal Adam

The motivation for this work is the forward and inverse problem for magnetotellurics, a frequency domain electromagnetic remote-sensing geophysical method used in mineral, geothermal, and groundwater exploration. The dissertation consists of four papers. In the first paper, we prove the existence and uniqueness of a representation of any vector field in H(curl) by a vector lying in H(curl) and H(div). It allows us to represent electric or magnetic fields by another vector field, for which nodal finite element approximation may be used in the case of non-constant electromagnetic properties. With this approach, the system matrix does not become ill-posed for low-frequency. In the second paper, we consider hexahedral finite element approximation of an electric field for the magnetotelluric forward problem. The near-null space of the system matrix for low frequencies makes the numerical solution unstable in the air. We show that the proper solution may obtained by applying a correction on the null space of the curl. It is done by solving a Poisson equation using discrete Helmholtz decomposition. We parallelize the forward code on multicore workstation with large RAM. In the next paper, we use the forward code in the inversion. Regularization of the inversion is done by using the second norm of the logarithm of conductivity. The data space Gauss-Newton approach allows for significant savings in memory and computational time. We show the efficiency of the method by considering a number of synthetic inversions and we apply it to real data collected in Cascade Mountains. The last paper considers a cross-frequency interpolation of the forward response as well as the Jacobian. We consider Pade approximation through model order reduction and rational Krylov subspace. The interpolating frequencies are chosen adaptively in order to minimize the maximum error of interpolation. Two error indicator functions are compared. We prove a theorem of almost always lucky failure in the case of the right hand analytically dependent on frequency. The operator's null space is treated by decomposing the solution into the part in the null space and orthogonal to it.

End of Life Disposal for Three Libration Point Missions through Manipulation of the Jacobi Constant and Zero Velocity Curves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterson, Jeremy D.; Brown, Jonathan M.

2015-01-01

The aim of this investigation is to determine the feasibility of mission disposal by inserting the spacecraft into a heliocentric orbit along the unstable manifold and then manipulating the Jacobi constant to prevent the spacecraft from returning to the Earth-Moon system. This investigation focuses around L1 orbits representative of ACE, WIND, and SOHO. It will model the impulsive delta-V necessary to close the zero velocity curves after escape through the L1 gateway in the circular restricted three body model and also include full ephemeris force models and higher fidelity finite maneuver models for the three spacecraft.

Invariant Manifolds, the Spatial Three-Body Problem and Space Mission Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gomez, G.; Koon, W. S.; Lo, Martin W.; Marsden, J. E.; Masdemont, J.; Ross, S. D.

2001-01-01

The invariant manifold structures of the collinear libration points for the spatial restricted three-body problem provide the framework for understanding complex dynamical phenomena from a geometric point of view. In particular, the stable and unstable invariant manifold 'tubes' associated to libration point orbits are the phase space structures that provide a conduit for orbits between primary bodies for separate three-body systems. These invariant manifold tubes can be used to construct new spacecraft trajectories, such as 'Petit Grand Tour' of the moons of Jupiter. Previous work focused on the planar circular restricted three-body problem. The current work extends the results to the spatial case.

Multi-Segment Radius Measurement Using an Absolute Distance Meter Through a Null Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merle, Cormic; Wick, Eric; Hayden, Joseph

2011-01-01

This system was one of the test methods considered for measuring the radius of curvature of one or more of the 18 segmented mirrors that form the 6.5 m diameter primary mirror (PM) of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The assembled telescope will be tested at cryogenic temperatures in a 17-m diameter by 27-m high vacuum chamber at the Johnson Space Center. This system uses a Leica Absolute Distance Meter (ADM), at a wavelength of 780 nm, combined with beam-steering and beam-shaping optics to make a differential distance measurement between a ring mirror on the reflective null assembly and individual PM segments. The ADM is located inside the same Pressure-Tight Enclosure (PTE) that houses the test interferometer. The PTE maintains the ADM and interferometer at ambient temperature and pressure so that they are not directly exposed to the telescope s harsh cryogenic and vacuum environment. This system takes advantage of the existing achromatic objective and reflective null assembly used by the test interferometer to direct four ADM beamlets to four PM segments through an optical path that is coincident with the interferometer beam. A mask, positioned on a linear slide, contains an array of 1.25 mm diameter circular subapertures that map to each of the 18 PM segments as well as six positions around the ring mirror. A down-collimated 4 mm ADM beam simultaneously covers 4 adjacent PM segment beamlets and one ring mirror beamlet. The radius, or spacing, of all 18 segments can be measured with the addition of two orthogonally-oriented scanning pentaprisms used to steer the ADM beam to any one of six different sub-aperture configurations at the plane of the ring mirror. The interferometer beam, at a wavelength of 687 nm, and the ADM beamlets, at a wavelength of 780 nm, pass through the objective and null so that the rays are normally incident on the parabolic PM surface. After reflecting off the PM, both the ADM and interferometer beams return to their respective instruments on nearly the same path. A fifth beamlet, acting as a differential reference, reflects off a ring mirror attached to the objective and null and returns to the ADM. The spacings between the ring mirror, objective, and null are known through manufacturing tolerances as well as through an in situ null wavefront alignment of the interferometer test beam with a reflective hologram located near the caustic of the null. Since total path length between the ring mirror and PM segments is highly deterministic, any ADM-measured departures from the predicted path length can be attributed to either spacing error or radius error in the PM. It is estimated that the path length measurement between the ring mirror and a PM segment is accurate to better than 100 m. The unique features of this invention include the differential distance measuring capability and its integration into an existing cryogenic and vacuum compatible interferometric optical test.

Single bunch transverse instability in a circular accelerator with chromaticity and space charge

DOE PAGES

Balbekov, V.

2015-10-21

The transverse instability of a bunch in a circular accelerator is elaborated in this paper. A new tree-modes model is proposed and developed to describe the most unstable modes of the bunch. This simple and flexible model includes chromaticity and space charge, and can be used with any bunch and wake forms. The dispersion equation for the bunch eigentunes is obtained in form of a third-order algebraic equation. The known head-tail and TMCI modes appear as the limiting cases which are distinctly bounded at zero chromaticity only. It is shown that the instability parameters depend only slightly on the bunchmore » model but they are rather sensitive to the wake shape. In particular, space charge effects are investigated in the paper and it is shown that their influence depends on sign of wake field enhancing the bunch stability if the wake is negative. In addition, the resistive wall wake is considered in detail including a comparison of single and collective effects. A comparison of the results with earlier publications is carried out.« less

Magnetorotational Instability in Eccentric Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Chi-Ho; Krolik, Julian H.; Piran, Tsvi

2018-03-01

Eccentric disks arise in such astrophysical contexts as tidal disruption events, but it is unknown whether the magnetorotational instability (MRI), which powers accretion in circular disks, operates in eccentric disks as well. We examine the linear evolution of unstratified, incompressible MRI in an eccentric disk orbiting a point mass. We consider vertical modes of wavenumber k on a background flow with uniform eccentricity e and vertical Alfvén speed {v}{{A}} along an orbit with mean motion n. We find two mode families, one with dominant magnetic components, the other with dominant velocity components. The former is unstable at {(1-e)}3 {f}2≲ 3, where f\\equiv {{kv}}{{A}}/n, and the latter at e ≳ 0.8. For f 2 ≲ 3, MRI behaves much like in circular disks, but the growth per orbit declines slowly with increasing e; for f 2 ≳ 3, modes grow by parametric amplification, which is resonant for 0 < e ≪ 1. MRI growth and the attendant angular momentum and energy transport happen chiefly near pericenter, where orbital shear dominates magnetic tension.

Light rays and the tidal gravitational pendulum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farley, A. N. St J.

2018-05-01

Null geodesic deviation in classical general relativity is expressed in terms of a scalar function, defined as the invariant magnitude of the connecting vector between neighbouring light rays in a null geodesic congruence projected onto a two-dimensional screen space orthogonal to the rays, where λ is an affine parameter along the rays. We demonstrate that η satisfies a harmonic oscillator-like equation with a λ-dependent frequency, which comprises terms accounting for local matter affecting the congruence and tidal gravitational effects from distant matter or gravitational waves passing through the congruence, represented by the amplitude, of a complex Weyl driving term. Oscillating solutions for η imply the presence of conjugate or focal points along the rays. A polarisation angle, is introduced comprising the orientation of the connecting vector on the screen space and the phase, of the Weyl driving term. Interpreting β as the polarisation of a gravitational wave encountering the light rays, we consider linearly polarised waves in the first instance. A highly non-linear, second-order ordinary differential equation, (the tidal pendulum equation), is then derived, so-called due to its analogy with the equation describing a non-linear, variable-length pendulum oscillating under gravity. The variable pendulum length is represented by the connecting vector magnitude, whilst the acceleration due to gravity in the familiar pendulum formulation is effectively replaced by . A tidal torque interpretation is also developed, where the torque is expressed as a coupling between the moment of inertia of the pendulum and the tidal gravitational field. Precessional effects are briefly discussed. A solution to the tidal pendulum equation in terms of familiar gravitational lensing variables is presented. The potential emergence of chaos in general relativity is discussed in the context of circularly, elliptically or randomly polarised gravitational waves encountering the null congruence.

Laser Beam and Resonator Calculations on Desktop Computers.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doumont, Jean-Luc

There is a continuing interest in the design and calculation of laser resonators and optical beam propagation. In particular, recently, interest has increased in developing concepts such as one-sided unstable resonators, supergaussian reflectivity profiles, diode laser modes, beam quality concepts, mode competition, excess noise factors, and nonlinear Kerr lenses. To meet these calculation needs, I developed a general-purpose software package named PARAXIA ^{rm TM}, aimed at providing optical scientists and engineers with a set of powerful design and analysis tools that provide rapid and accurate results and are extremely easy to use. PARAXIA can handle separable paraxial optical systems in cartesian or cylindrical coordinates, including complex-valued and misaligned ray matrices, with full diffraction effects between apertures. It includes the following programs:. ABCD provides complex-valued ray-matrix and gaussian -mode analyses for arbitrary paraxial resonators and optical systems, including astigmatism and misalignment in each element. This program required that I generalize the theory of gaussian beam propagation to the case of an off-axis gaussian beam propagating through a misaligned, complex -valued ray matrix. FRESNEL uses FFT and FHT methods to propagate an arbitrary wavefront through an arbitrary paraxial optical system using Huygens' integral in rectangular or radial coordinates. The wavefront can be multiplied by an arbitrary mirror profile and/or saturable gain sheet on each successive propagation through the system. I used FRESNEL to design a one-sided negative-branch unstable resonator for a free -electron laser, and to show how a variable internal aperture influences the mode competition and beam quality in a stable cavity. VSOURCE implements the virtual source analysis to calculate eigenvalues and eigenmodes for unstable resonators with both circular and rectangular hard-edged mirrors (including misaligned rectangular systems). I used VSOURCE to show the validity of the virtual source approach (by comparing its results to those of FRESNEL), to study the properties of hard-edged unstable resonators, and to obtain numerical values of the excess noise factors in such resonators. VRM carries out mode calculations for gaussian variable-reflectivity-mirror lasers. It implements complicated analytical results that I derived to point out the large numerical value of the excess noise factor in geometrically unstable resonators.

An Analysis of the Oil-Whirl Instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, William W.; Han, Heng-Chu; Boyd, John P.; Schumack, Mark

1997-11-01

We investigate the hydrodynamic stability of a rotating journal translating inside a stationary bearing. A long (two-dimensional) journal bearing separated by a Newtonian non-cavitating lubricant is studied for shaft stability. Spectral element methods, perturbation methods, and linear stability analyses are used. The influences of fluid inertia, eccentricity, ellipticity, shaft mass, and finite gap on hydrodynamic stability are explored. Lubrication theory using Reynolds equation ignoring fluid inertia leads to erroneous conclusions. Without fluid inertia, the shaft is always unstable. However, the journal is conditionally stable even in the limit Rearrow 0 if fluid inertia is included. Increasing eccentricity helps stabilize a whirling shaft. Non-circular shaft bearings, for example elliptical bearings, are observed to have better dynamic stability.

A theoretical approach for analyzing the restabilization of wakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, D. C.

1992-04-01

Recently reported experimental results demonstrate that restabilization of the low-Reynolds-number flow past a circular cylinder can be achieved by the placement of a smaller cylinder in the wake of the first at particular locations. Traditional numerical procedures for modeling such phenomena are computationally expensive. An approach is presented here in which the properties of the adjoint solutions to the linearized equations of motion are exploited to map quickly the best positions for the small cylinder's placement. Comparisons with experiment and previous computations are favorable. The approach is shown to be applicable to general flows, illustrating how strongly control mechanisms that involve sources of momentum couple to unstable (or stable) modes of the system.

A granular flow model for dense planetary rings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borderies, N.; Goldreich, P.; Tremaine, S.

1985-01-01

In the present study of the viscosity of a differentially rotating particle disk, in the limiting case where the particles are densely packed and their collective behavior resembles that of a liquid, the pressure tensor is derived from both the equations of hydrodynamics and a simple kinetic model of collisions due to Haff (1983). Density waves and narrow circular rings are unstable if the liquid approximation applies, and the consequent nonlinear perturbations may generate 'splashing' of the ring material in the vertical direction. These results are pertinent to the origin of the ellipticities of ringlets, the nonaxisymmetric features near the outer edge of the Saturn B ring, and unexplained residuals in kinematic models of the Saturn and Uranus rings.

Through the back door: nurse migration to the UK from Malawi and Nepal, a policy critique.

PubMed

Adhikari, Radha; Grigulis, Astrida

2014-03-01

The UK National Health Service has a long history of recruiting overseas nurses to meet nursing shortages in the UK. However, recruitment patterns regularly fluctuate in response to political and economic changes. Typically, the UK government gives little consideration of how these unstable recruitment practices affect overseas nurses. In this article, we present findings from two independent research studies from Malawi and Nepal, which aimed to examine how overseas nurses encountered and overcame the challenges linked to recent recruitment and migration restrictions. We show how current UK immigration policy has had a negative impact on overseas nurses' lives. It has led them to explore alternative entry routes into the UK, affecting both the quality of their working lives and their future decisions about whether to stay or return to their home country. We conclude that the shifting forces of nursing workforce demand and supply, leading to abrupt policy changes, have significant implications on overseas nurses' lives, and can leave nurses 'trapped' in the UK. We make recommendations for UK policy-makers to work with key stakeholders in nurse-sending countries to minimize the negative consequences of unstable nurse recruitment, and we highlight the benefits of promoting circular migration.

Bubble contraction in free-boundary Hele-Shaw flow with surface tension and kinetic undercooling regularisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dallaston, Michael; McCue, Scott

2012-11-01

When an inviscid bubble expands into a viscous fluid in a Hele-Shaw cell, the bubble boundary is unstable, in general forming long fingers (the Saffman-Taylor instability). In order to make the problem well-posed, a regularising boundary effect must be included. The most widely studied of these are surface tension, which penalises high curvatures, and kinetic undercooling, which penalises high velocities. Both these effects act as a stabilising influence on the free boundary. Less attention has been paid to the case of contracting bubbles, which shrink to a single point (or points) in finite time. In this case, the two effects are in competition, as surface tension stabilises the boundary, while kinetic undercooling destabilises it. This leads to bifurcation behaviour in the asymptotic (near-extinction) shape of the bubble as the relative strengths of the two effects are varied. In particular, there is a critical range of parameter values for which both circular and slit-type bubbles are stable, with a third (unstable) oval-type shape also present. We discuss some numerical and analytic techniques for solving the full free boundary problem and for exploring this interesting extinction behaviour.

The three-dimensional wake of a cylinder undergoing a combination of translational and rotational oscillation in a quiescent fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nazarinia, M.; Lo Jacono, D.; Thompson, M. C.; Sheridan, J.

2009-06-01

Previous two-dimensional numerical studies have shown that a circular cylinder undergoing both oscillatory rotational and translational motions can generate thrust so that it will actually self-propel through a stationary fluid. Although a cylinder undergoing a single oscillation has been thoroughly studied, the combination of the two oscillations has not received much attention until now. The current research reported here extends the numerical study of Blackburn et al. [Phys. Fluids 11, L4 (1999)] both experimentally and numerically, recording detailed vorticity fields in the wake and using these to elucidate the underlying physics, examining the three-dimensional wake development experimentally, and determining the three-dimensional stability of the wake through Floquet stability analysis. Experiments conducted in the laboratory are presented for a given parameter range, confirming the early results from Blackburn et al. [Phys. Fluids 11, L4 (1999)]. In particular, we confirm the thrust generation ability of a circular cylinder undergoing combined oscillatory motions. Importantly, we also find that the wake undergoes three-dimensional transition at low Reynolds numbers (Re≃100) to an instability mode with a wavelength of about two cylinder diameters. The stability analysis indicates that the base flow is also unstable to another mode at slightly higher Reynolds numbers, broadly analogous to the three-dimensional wake transition mode for a circular cylinder, despite the distinct differences in wake/mode topology. The stability of these flows was confirmed by experimental measurements.

MALBEC: a new CUDA-C ray-tracer in general relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quiroga, G. D.

2018-06-01

A new CUDA-C code for tracing orbits around non-charged black holes is presented. This code, named MALBEC, take advantage of the graphic processing units and the CUDA platform for tracking null and timelike test particles in Schwarzschild and Kerr. Also, a new general set of equations that describe the closed circular orbits of any timelike test particle in the equatorial plane is derived. These equations are extremely important in order to compare the analytical behavior of the orbits with the numerical results and verify the correct implementation of the Runge-Kutta algorithm in MALBEC. Finally, other numerical tests are performed, demonstrating that MALBEC is able to reproduce some well-known results in these metrics in a faster and more efficient way than a conventional CPU implementation.

Null geodesics and red-blue shifts of photons emitted from geodesic particles around a noncommutative black hole space-time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuniyal, Ravi Shankar; Uniyal, Rashmi; Biswas, Anindya; Nandan, Hemwati; Purohit, K. D.

2018-06-01

We investigate the geodesic motion of massless test particles in the background of a noncommutative geometry-inspired Schwarzschild black hole. The behavior of effective potential is analyzed in the equatorial plane and the possible motions of massless particles (i.e. photons) for different values of impact parameter are discussed accordingly. We have also calculated the frequency shift of photons in this space-time. Further, the mass parameter of a noncommutative inspired Schwarzschild black hole is computed in terms of the measurable redshift of photons emitted by massive particles moving along circular geodesics in equatorial plane. The strength of gravitational fields of noncommutative geometry-inspired Schwarzschild black hole and usual Schwarzschild black hole in General Relativity is also compared.

Benchmark studies of the gyro-Landau-fluid code and gyro-kinetic codes on kinetic ballooning modes

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

Tang, T. F.; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550; Xu, X. Q.

2016-03-15

A Gyro-Landau-Fluid (GLF) 3 + 1 model has been recently implemented in BOUT++ framework, which contains full Finite-Larmor-Radius effects, Landau damping, and toroidal resonance [Ma et al., Phys. Plasmas 22, 055903 (2015)]. A linear global beta scan has been conducted using the JET-like circular equilibria (cbm18 series), showing that the unstable modes are kinetic ballooning modes (KBMs). In this work, we use the GYRO code, which is a gyrokinetic continuum code widely used for simulation of the plasma microturbulence, to benchmark with GLF 3 + 1 code on KBMs. To verify our code on the KBM case, we first perform the beta scan basedmore » on “Cyclone base case parameter set.” We find that the growth rate is almost the same for two codes, and the KBM mode is further destabilized as beta increases. For JET-like global circular equilibria, as the modes localize in peak pressure gradient region, a linear local beta scan using the same set of equilibria has been performed at this position for comparison. With the drift kinetic electron module in the GYRO code by including small electron-electron collision to damp electron modes, GYRO generated mode structures and parity suggest that they are kinetic ballooning modes, and the growth rate is comparable to the GLF results. However, a radial scan of the pedestal for a particular set of cbm18 equilibria, using GYRO code, shows different trends for the low-n and high-n modes. The low-n modes show that the linear growth rate peaks at peak pressure gradient position as GLF results. However, for high-n modes, the growth rate of the most unstable mode shifts outward to the bottom of pedestal and the real frequency of what was originally the KBMs in ion diamagnetic drift direction steadily approaches and crosses over to the electron diamagnetic drift direction.« less

A note on the correlation between circular and linear variables with an application to wind direction and air temperature data in a Mediterranean climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lototzis, M.; Papadopoulos, G. K.; Droulia, F.; Tseliou, A.; Tsiros, I. X.

2018-04-01

There are several cases where a circular variable is associated with a linear one. A typical example is wind direction that is often associated with linear quantities such as air temperature and air humidity. The analysis of a statistical relationship of this kind can be tested by the use of parametric and non-parametric methods, each of which has its own advantages and drawbacks. This work deals with correlation analysis using both the parametric and the non-parametric procedure on a small set of meteorological data of air temperature and wind direction during a summer period in a Mediterranean climate. Correlations were examined between hourly, daily and maximum-prevailing values, under typical and non-typical meteorological conditions. Both tests indicated a strong correlation between mean hourly wind directions and mean hourly air temperature, whereas mean daily wind direction and mean daily air temperature do not seem to be correlated. In some cases, however, the two procedures were found to give quite dissimilar levels of significance on the rejection or not of the null hypothesis of no correlation. The simple statistical analysis presented in this study, appropriately extended in large sets of meteorological data, may be a useful tool for estimating effects of wind on local climate studies.

Automated detection of Lagrangian eddies and coherent transport of heat and salinity in the Agulhas leakage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huhn, Florian; Haller, George

2014-05-01

Haller and Beron-Vera(2013) have recently introduced a new objective method to detect coherent Lagrangian eddies in turbulence. They find that closed null-geodesics of a generalized Green-Lagrange strain tensor act as coherent Lagrangian eddy boundaries, showing near-zero and uniform material stretching. We make use of this method to develop an automated detection procedure for coherent Lagrangian eddies in large-scale ocean data. We apply our results to a recent 3D general circulation model, the Southern Ocean State Estimate (SOSE), with focus on the South Atlantic Ocean and the inter-ocean exchange between the Indian and Atlantic ocean. We detect a large number of coherent Lagrangian eddies and present statistics of their properties. The largest and most circular eddy boundaries represent Lagrangian Agulhas rings. Circular regions inside these rings with higher temperature and salinity than the surrounding waters can be explained by the coherent eddy boundaries that enclose and isolate the eddy interiors. We compare eddy boundaries at different depths with eddy boundaries obtained from geostrophic velocities derived from the model's sea surface height (SSH). The transport of mass, heat and salinity enclosed by coherent eddies through a section in the Cape basin is quantified and compared to the non-coherent transport by the background flow.

Centriole triplet microtubules are required for stable centriole formation and inheritance in human cells

PubMed Central

Wang, Jennifer T; Kong, Dong; Hoerner, Christian R; Loncarek, Jadranka

2017-01-01

Centrioles are composed of long-lived microtubules arranged in nine triplets. However, the contribution of triplet microtubules to mammalian centriole formation and stability is unknown. Little is known of the mechanism of triplet microtubule formation, but experiments in unicellular eukaryotes indicate that delta-tubulin and epsilon-tubulin, two less-studied tubulin family members, are required. Here, we report that centrioles in delta-tubulin and epsilon-tubulin null mutant human cells lack triplet microtubules and fail to undergo centriole maturation. These aberrant centrioles are formed de novo each cell cycle, but are unstable and do not persist to the next cell cycle, leading to a futile cycle of centriole formation and disintegration. Disintegration can be suppressed by paclitaxel treatment. Delta-tubulin and epsilon-tubulin physically interact, indicating that these tubulins act together to maintain triplet microtubules and that these are necessary for inheritance of centrioles from one cell cycle to the next. PMID:28906251

Hawking radiation and propagation of massive charged scalar field on a three-dimensional Gödel black hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González, P. A.; Övgün, Ali; Saavedra, Joel; Vásquez, Yerko

2018-06-01

In this paper we consider the three-dimensional Gödel black hole as a background and we study the vector particle tunneling from this background in order to obtain the Hawking temperature. Then, we study the propagation of a massive charged scalar field and we find the quasinormal modes analytically, which turns out be unstable as a consequence of the existence of closed time-like curves. Also, we consider the flux at the horizon and at infinity, and we compute the reflection and transmission coefficients as well as the absorption cross section. Mainly, we show that massive charged scalar waves can be superradiantly amplified by the three-dimensional Gödel black hole and that the coefficients have an oscillatory behavior. Moreover, the absorption cross section is null at the high frequency limit and for certain values of the frequency.

Relativistic Bose-Einstein condensates thin-shell wormholes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richarte, M. G.; Salako, I. G.; Graça, J. P. Morais; Moradpour, H.; Övgün, Ali

2017-10-01

We construct traversable thin-shell wormholes which are asymptotically Ads/dS applying the cut and paste procedure for the case of an acoustic metric created by a relativistic Bose-Einstein condensate. We examine several definitions of the flare-out condition along with the violation or not of the energy conditions for such relativistic geometries. Under reasonable assumptions about the equation of state of the matter located at the shell, we concentrate on the mechanical stability of wormholes under radial perturbation preserving the original spherical symmetry. To do so, we consider linearized perturbations around static solutions. We obtain that dS acoustic wormholes remain stable under radial perturbations as long as they have small radius; such wormholes with finite radius do not violate the strong/null energy condition. Besides, we show that stable Ads wormhole satisfy some of the energy conditions whereas unstable Ads wormhole with large radii violate them.

Centriole triplet microtubules are required for stable centriole formation and inheritance in human cells.

PubMed

Wang, Jennifer T; Kong, Dong; Hoerner, Christian R; Loncarek, Jadranka; Stearns, Tim

2017-09-14

Centrioles are composed of long-lived microtubules arranged in nine triplets. However, the contribution of triplet microtubules to mammalian centriole formation and stability is unknown. Little is known of the mechanism of triplet microtubule formation, but experiments in unicellular eukaryotes indicate that delta-tubulin and epsilon-tubulin, two less-studied tubulin family members, are required. Here, we report that centrioles in delta-tubulin and epsilon-tubulin null mutant human cells lack triplet microtubules and fail to undergo centriole maturation. These aberrant centrioles are formed de novo each cell cycle, but are unstable and do not persist to the next cell cycle, leading to a futile cycle of centriole formation and disintegration. Disintegration can be suppressed by paclitaxel treatment. Delta-tubulin and epsilon-tubulin physically interact, indicating that these tubulins act together to maintain triplet microtubules and that these are necessary for inheritance of centrioles from one cell cycle to the next.

Parametric instabilities of the circularly polarized Alfven waves including dispersion. [for solar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wong, H. K.; Goldstein, M. L.

1986-01-01

A class of parametric instabilities of large-amplitude, circularly polarized Alfven waves is considered in which finite frequency (dispersive) effects are included. The dispersion equation governing the instabilities is a sixth-order polynomial which is solved numerically. As a function of K identically equal to k/k-sub-0 (where k-sub-0 and k are the wave number of the 'pump' wave and unstable sound wave, respectively), there are three regionals of instability: a modulation instability at K less than 1, a decay instability at K greater than 1, and a relatively weak and narrow instability at K close to squared divided by v-sub-A squared (where c-sub-s and v-sub-A are the sound and Alfven speeds respectively), the modulational instability occurs when beta is less than 1 (more than 1) for left-hand (right-hand) pump waves, in agreement with the previous results of Sakai and Sonnerup (1983). The growth rate of the decay instability of left-hand waves is greater than the modulational instability at all values of beta. Applications to large-amplitude wave observed in the solar wind, in computer simulations, and in the vicinity of planetary and interplanetary collisionless shocks are discussed.

Focal adhesion kinase regulates smooth muscle cell recruitment to the developing vasculature

PubMed Central

Cheng, Zhaokang; Sundberg-Smith, Liisa J.; Mangiante, Lee E.; Sayers, Rebecca L.; Hakim, Zeenat S.; Musunuri, Srilaxmi; Maguire, Colin T.; Majesky, Mark W.; Zhou, Zhigang; Mack, Christopher P.; Taylor, Joan M.

2011-01-01

Objective The investment of newly formed endothelial cell tubes with differentiated smooth muscle cells (SMC) is critical for appropriate vessel formation, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. We previously showed that depletion of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in the nkx2.5 expression domain led to aberrant outflow tract (OFT) morphogenesis and strove herein to determine the cell types and mechanisms involved. Methods and Results We crossed fakloxp targeted mice with available Cre drivers to deplete FAK in OFT SMC (FAKwnt and FAKnk) or coronary SMC (FAKcSMC). In each case, depletion of FAK led to defective vasculogenesis that was incompatible with post-natal life. Immunohistochemical analysis of the mutant vascular structures revealed that FAK was not required for progenitor cell proliferation, survival, or differentiation into SMC, but was necessary for subsequent SMC recruitment to developing vasculature. Using a novel FAK-null SMC culture model, we found that depletion of FAK did not influence SMC growth or survival, but blocked directional SMC motility and invasion toward the potent endothelial-derived chemokine, PDGFBB. FAK depletion resulted in un-stable lamellipodial protrusions due to defective spatial-temporal activation of the small GTPase, Rac-1 and lack of Rac1-dependent recruitment of cortactin (an actin stabilizing protein) to the leading edge. Moreover, FAK null SMC exhibited a significant reduction in PDGF-stimulated extracellular matrix degradation. Conclusions FAK drives PDGFBB-stimulated SMC chemotaxis/invasion and is essential for SMC to appropriately populate the aorticopulmonary septum and the coronary vascular plexus. PMID:21757658

Risk of hematological malignancies associated with magnetic fields exposure from power lines: a case-control study in two municipalities of northern Italy.

PubMed

Malagoli, Carlotta; Fabbi, Sara; Teggi, Sergio; Calzari, Mariagiulia; Poli, Maurizio; Ballotti, Elena; Notari, Barbara; Bruni, Maurizio; Palazzi, Giovanni; Paolucci, Paolo; Vinceti, Marco

2010-03-30

Some epidemiologic studies have suggested an association between electromagnetic field exposure induced by high voltage power lines and childhood leukemia, but null results have also been yielded and the possibility of bias due to unmeasured confounders has been suggested. We studied this relation in the Modena and Reggio Emilia municipalities of northern Italy, identifying the corridors along high voltage power lines with calculated magnetic field intensity in the 0.1-<0.2, 0.2-<0.4, and > or = 0.4 microTesla ranges. We identified 64 cases of newly-diagnosed hematological malignancies in children aged <14 within these municipalities from 1986 to 2007, and we sampled four matched controls for each case, collecting information on historical residence and parental socioeconomic status of these subjects. Relative risk of leukemia associated with antecedent residence in the area with exposure > or = 0.1 microTesla was 3.2 (6.7 adjusting for socioeconomic status), but this estimate was statistically very unstable, its 95% confidence interval being 0.4-23.4, and no indication of a dose-response relation emerged. Relative risk for acute lymphoblastic leukemia was 5.3 (95% confidence interval 0.7-43.5), while there was no increased risk for the other hematological malignancies. Though the number of exposed children in this study was too low to allow firm conclusions, results were more suggestive of an excess risk of leukemia among exposed children than of a null relation.

Earth-Moon Libration Point Orbit Stationkeeping: Theory, Modeling and Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Folta, David C.; Pavlak, Thomas A.; Haapala, Amanda F.; Howell, Kathleen C.; Woodard, Mark A.

2013-01-01

Collinear Earth-Moon libration points have emerged as locations with immediate applications. These libration point orbits are inherently unstable and must be maintained regularly which constrains operations and maneuver locations. Stationkeeping is challenging due to relatively short time scales for divergence effects of large orbital eccentricity of the secondary body, and third-body perturbations. Using the Acceleration Reconnection and Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) mission orbit as a platform, the fundamental behavior of the trajectories is explored using Poincare maps in the circular restricted three-body problem. Operational stationkeeping results obtained using the Optimal Continuation Strategy are presented and compared to orbit stability information generated from mode analysis based in dynamical systems theory.

Pendulum motions of extended lunar space elevator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burov, A. A.; Kosenko, I. I.

2014-09-01

In the usual everyday life, it is well known that the inverted pendulum is unstable and is ready to fall to "all four sides," to the left and to the right, forward and backward. The theoretical studies and the lunar experience of moon robots and astronauts also confirms this property. The question arises: Is this property preserved if the pendulum is "very, very long"? It turns out that the answer is negative; namely, if the pendulum length significantly exceeds the Moon radius, then the radial equilibria at which the pendulum is located along the straight line connecting the Earth and Moon centers are Lyapunov stable and the pendulum does not fall in any direction at all. Moreover, if the pendulum goes beyond the collinear libration points, then it can be extended and manufactured from cables. This property was noted by F. A. Tsander and underlies the so-called lunar space elevator (e.g., see [1]). In the plane of the Earth and Moon orbits, there are some other equilibria which turn out to be unstable. The question is, Are there equilibria at which the pendulum is located outside the orbital plane? In this paper, we show that the answer is positive, but such equilibria are unstable in the secular sense. We also study necessary conditions for the stability of lunar pendulum oscillations in the plane of the lunar orbit. It was numerically discovered that stable and unstable equilibria alternate depending on the oscillation amplitude and the angular velocity of rotation. The study of the lunar elevator dynamics originates in [2]. The concept of lunar elevator was developed in detail in [3, 4]. Several classes of equilibria with the finiteness of the Moon size taken into account were studied in [5]. The possibility of location of an orbital station fixed to the Moon surface by a pair of tethers was investigated in [6]. The problem of orientation of the terminal station of the lunar space elevator was studied in [7]. The influence of the tether length variations on the motion of the lunar tether system was considered in [8]. The alternation of stable and unstable flat oscillations is well known in the problem of satellite oscillations in a circular orbit [9, 10].

Numerical Simulation of Flow in a Whirling Annular Seal and Comparison with Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Athavale, M. M.; Hendricks, R. C.; Steinetz, B. M.

1995-01-01

The turbulent flow field in a simulated annular seal with a large clearance/radius ratio (0.015) and a whirling rotor was simulated using an advanced 3D CFD code SCISEAL. A circular whirl orbit with synchronous whirl was imposed on the rotor center. The flow field was rendered quasi-steady by making a transformation to a totaling frame. Standard k-epsilon model with wall functions was used to treat the turbulence. Experimentally measured values of flow parameters were used to specify the seal inlet and exit boundary conditions. The computed flow-field in terms of the velocity and pressure is compared with the experimental measurements inside the seal. The agreement between the numerical results and experimental data with correction is fair to good. The capability of current advanced CFD methodology to analyze this complex flow field is demonstrated. The methodology can also be extended to other whirl frequencies. Half- (or sub-) synchronous (fluid film unstable motion) and synchronous (rotor centrifugal force unbalance) whirls are the most unstable whirl modes in turbomachinery seals, and the flow code capability of simulating the flows in steady as well as whirling seals will prove to be extremely useful in the design, analyses, and performance predictions of annular as well as other types of seals.

Superradiant instabilities of rotating black branes and strings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardoso, Vitor; Yoshida, Shijun

2005-07-01

Black branes and strings are generally unstable against a certain sector of gravitational perturbations. This is known as the Gregory-Laflamme instability. It has been recently argued [1], [2] that there exists another general instability affecting many rotating extended black objects. This instability is in a sense universal, in that it is triggered by any massless field, and not just gravitational perturbations. Here we investigate this novel mechanism in detail. For this instability to work, two ingredients are necessary: (i) an ergo-region, which gives rise to superradiant amplification of waves, and (ii) ``bound'' states in the effective potential governing the evolution of the particular mode under study. We show that the black brane Kerr4×Rp is unstable against this mechanism, and we present numerical results for instability timescales for this case. On the other hand, and quite surprisingly, black branes of the form Kerrd×Rp are all stable against this mechanism for d > 4. This is quite an unexpected result, and it stems from the fact that there are no stable circular orbits in higher dimensional black hole spacetimes, or in a wave picture, that there are no bound states in the effective potential. We also show that it is quite easy to simulate this instability in the laboratory with acoustic black branes.

MCD spectroscopy and TD-DFT calculations of low symmetry subnaphthalocyanine analogs.

PubMed

Mack, John; Otaki, Tatsuya; Durfee, William S; Kobayashi, Nagao; Stillman, Martin J

2014-07-01

Magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations are used to analyze the electronic structure and optical properties of low-symmetry subnaphthalocyanine analogs with AAB and ABB structures formed during mixed condensations of tetrafluorophthalonitrile and 2,3-naphthalenedicarbonitrile. The results demonstrate that trends observed in the properties of phthalocyanine analogs can be used to fine tune the optical properties so that the Q(0,0) bands lie in the red region, in a manner that does not significantly destabilize the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy relative to that of the parent subphthalocyanine ligand. Attempts to study the spectroscopy of anion radical species proved unsuccessful, since they proved to be unstable. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In vivo endoscopic optical coherence tomography by use of a rotational microelectromechanical system probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Peter H.; Mukai, David S.; Brenner, Matthew; Chen, Zhongping

2004-06-01

A novel endoscopic optical coherence tomography probe was designed and constructed with a 1.9-mm microelectromechanical system (MEMS) motor. The new MEMS endoscopic probe design eliminates the need to couple the rotational energy from the proximal to the distal end of the probe. Furthermore, the endoscopic probe's sheath and fiber have the advantages of having a much smaller diameter and being more flexible than traditional endoscopes since no reinforcement is needed to couple the rotational torque. At the distal end, a prism mounted on a micromotor deflects the light rays to create a transverse circular-scanning pathway. Because our MEMS scanner does not require the coupling of a rotational single-mode fiber, a high scanning speed is possible while eliminating unstable optical signals caused by nonuniform coupling.

Unusual characteristics of electromagnetic waves excited by cometary newborn ions with large perpendicular energies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brinca, A. L.; Tsurutani, B. T.

1987-01-01

The characteristics of electromagnetic waves excited by cometary newborn ions with large perpendicular energies are examined using a model of solar wind permeated by dilute drifting ring distributions of electrons and oxygen ions with finite thermal spreads. The model has parameters compatible with the ICE observations at the Giacobini-Zinner comet. It is shown that cometary newborn ions with large perpendicular energies can excite a wave mode with rest frame frequencies in the order of the heavy ion cyclotron frequency, Omega(i), and unusual propagation characteristics at small obliquity angles. For parallel propagation, the mode is left-hand circularly polarized, might be unstable in a frequency range containing Omega(i), and moves in the direction of the newborn ion drift along the static magnetic field.

Efficient Dual Head Nd:YAG 100mJ Oscillator for Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coyle, Donald B.; Stysley, Paul R.; Kay, Richard b.; Poulios, Demetrios

2007-01-01

A diode pumped, Nd:YAG laser producing 100 mJ Q-switched pulses and employing a dual-pump head scheme in an unstable resonator configuration is described. Each head contains a side pumped zig-zag slab and four 6-bar QCW 808 nm diodes arrays which are de-rated 23%. Denoting 'z' as the lasing axis, the pump directions were along the x-axis in one head and the y-axis in the other, producing a circularized thermal lens, more typical in laser rod-based cavities. The dual head design's effective thermal lens is now corrected with a proper HR mirror curvature selection. This laser has demonstrated over 100 mJ output with high optical efficiency (24%), good TEM(sub 00) beam quality, and high pointing stability.

Production of unusual dispiro metabolites in Pestalotiopsis virgatula endophyte cultures: HPLC-SPE-NMR, electronic circular dichroism, and time-dependent density-functional computation study.

PubMed

Kesting, Julie R; Olsen, Lars; Staerk, Dan; Tejesvi, Mysore V; Kini, Kukkundoor R; Prakash, Harishchandra S; Jaroszewski, Jerzy W

2011-10-28

The endophytic fungus Pestalotiopsis virgatula, derived from the plant Terminalia chebula and previously found to produce a large excess of a single metabolite when grown in the minimal M1D medium, was induced to produce a variety of unusual metabolites by growing in potato dextrose broth medium. Analysis of the fermentation medium extract was performed using an HPLC-PDA-MS-SPE-NMR hyphenated system, which led to the identification of a total of eight metabolites (1-8), six of which are new. Most of the metabolites are structurally related and are derivatives of benzo[c]oxepin, rare among natural products. This includes dispiro derivatives 7 and 8 (pestalospiranes A and B), having a novel 1,9,11,18-tetraoxadispiro[6.2.6.2]octadecane skeleton. Relative and absolute configurations of the latter were determined by a combination of NOESY spectroscopy and electronic circular dichroism spectroscopy supported by time-dependent density-functional theory calculations (B3LYP/TZVP level). This work demonstrates that a largely complete structure elucidation of numerous metabolites present in a raw fermentation medium extract can be performed by the HPLC-SPE-NMR technique using only a small amount of the extract, even with unstable metabolites that are difficult to isolate by traditional methods.

Space Instrument Optimization by Implementing of Generic Three Bodies Circular Restricted Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nejat, Cyrus

2011-01-01

In this study, the main discussion emphasizes on the spacecraft operation with a concentration on stationary points in space. To achieve these objectives, the circular restricted problem was solved for selected approaches. The equations of motion of three body restricted problem was demonstrated to apply in cases other than Lagrange's (1736-1813 A.D.) achievements, by means of the purposed CN (Cyrus Nejat) theorem along with appropriate comments. In addition to five Lagrange, two other points, CN1 and CN2 were found to be in unstable equilibrium points in a very large distance respect to Lagrange points, but stable at infinity. A very interesting simulation of Milky Way Galaxy and Andromeda Galaxy were created to find the Lagrange points, CN points (Cyrus Nejat Points), and CN lines (Cyrus Nejat Lines). The equations of motion were rearranged such a way that the transfer trajectory would be conical, by means of decoupling concept. The main objective was to make a halo orbit transfer about CN lines. The author purposes therefore that all of the corresponding sizing design that they must be developed by optimization techniques would be considered in future approaches. The optimization techniques are sufficient procedures to search for the most ideal response of a system.

Three-dimensional short-wavelength instabilities in the near-wake of a circular cylinder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jethani, Yogesh; Kumar, Kamal; Sameen, A.; Mathur, Manikandan

2017-11-01

We perform local stability analysis of the near-wake region of two-dimensional flow past a circular cylinder for Reynolds number in the range Re ∈ [ 10 , 300 ] . The local stability equations that govern the leading-order amplitude of short-wavelength perturbations are solved along closed fluid particle trajectories in the numerically simulated flow-fields for both the steady (Re <= 45) and unsteady vortex-shedding (Re > 45) regimes; the study is further complemented with analysis on time-averaged flows for 50 <= Re <= 300 . For steady and time-averaged flow, the inviscidly most unstable regions occur either at the core or at the edge of the separation bubble, with elliptic instability as the dominant mode for all Re . The effectiveness of viscous damping in eliminating the inviscid instabilities and the validity of the WKBJ approximation in the present context are studied. In the unsteady vortex-shedding regime, two types (I and II) of closed trajectories are identified for all Re and the inviscid growth rates as a function of Re are plotted for both. For type I trajectory, a bifurcation occurs at Re 250 . Potential relevance of our results in understanding the transition from steady flow to vortex-shedding and the subsequent secondary instabilities are discussed.

Flow Phenomena in the Very Near Wake of a Flat Plate with a Circular Trailing Edge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rai, Man Mohan

2014-01-01

The very near wake of a flat plate with a circular trailing edge, exhibiting pronounced shedding of wake vortices, is investigated with data from a direct numerical simulation. The separating boundary layers are turbulent and statistically identical thus resulting in a wake that is symmetric in the mean. The focus here is on the instability of the detached shear layers, the evolution of rib-vortex induced localized regions of reverse flow that detach from the main body of reverse flow in the trailing edge region and convect downstream, and phaseaveraged velocity statistics in the very near wake. The detached shear layers are found to exhibit unstable behavior intermittently, including the development of shear layer vortices as in earlier cylinder flow investigations with laminar separating boundary layers. Only a small fraction of the separated turbulent boundary layers undergo this instability, and form the initial shed vortices. Pressure spectra within the shear layers show a broadband peak at a multiple of shedding frequency. Phase-averaged intensity and shear stress distributions of the randomly fluctuating component of velocity are compared with those obtained in the near wake. The distributions of the production terms in the transport equations for the turbulent stresses are also provided.

Supersonic aerodynamic characteristics of a circular body Earth-to-Orbit vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ware, George M.; Engelund, Walter C.; Macconochie, Ian O.

1994-01-01

The circular body configuration is a generic single- or multi-stage reusable Earth-to-orbit transport. A thick clipped-delta wing is the major lifting surface. For directional control, three different vertical fin arrangements were investigated: a conventional aft-mounted center fin, wingtip fins, and a nose-mounted fin. The tests were conducted in the Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel. The configuration is longitudinally stable about the estimated center of gravity of 0.72 body length up to a Mach number of about 3.0. Above Mach 3.0, the model is longitudinally unstable at low angles of attack but has a stable secondary trim point at angles of attack above 30 deg. The model has sufficient pitch control authority with elevator and body flap to produce stable trim over the test range. The model with the center fin is directionally stable at low angles of attack up to a Mach number of 3.90. The rudder-like surfaces on the tip fins and the all-movable nose fin are designed as active controls to produce artificial directional stability and are effective in producing yawing moment. The wing trailing-edge aileron surfaces are effective in producing rolling moment, but they also produce large adverse yawing moment.

Earth Observation taken by the Expedition 20 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-10-06

ISS020-E-047807 (6 Oct. 2009) --- Thunderstorms on the Brazilian horizon are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 20 crew member on the International Space Station. A picturesque line of thunderstorms and numerous circular cloud patterns filled the view as the station crew members looked out at the limb and atmosphere (blue line on the horizon) of Earth. This region displayed in the photograph (top) includes an unstable, active atmosphere forming a large area of cumulonimbus clouds in various stages of development. The crew was looking west southwestward from the Amazon Basin, along the Rio Madeira, toward Bolivia when the image was taken. The distinctive circular patterns of the clouds in this view are likely caused by the aging of thunderstorms. Such ring structures often form during the final stages of a storm?s development as their centers collapse. Sunglint is visible on the waters of the Rio Madeira and Lago Acara in the Amazon Basin. Widespread haze over the basin gives the reflected light an orange hue. The Rio Madeira flows northward and joins the Amazon River on its path to the Atlantic Ocean. Scientists believe that a large smoke plume near the bottom center of the image may explain one source of the haze.

Risk of hematological malignancies associated with magnetic fields exposure from power lines: a case-control study in two municipalities of northern Italy

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Some epidemiologic studies have suggested an association between electromagnetic field exposure induced by high voltage power lines and childhood leukemia, but null results have also been yielded and the possibility of bias due to unmeasured confounders has been suggested. Methods We studied this relation in the Modena and Reggio Emilia municipalities of northern Italy, identifying the corridors along high voltage power lines with calculated magnetic field intensity in the 0.1-<0.2, 0.2-<0.4, and ≥ 0.4 microTesla ranges. We identified 64 cases of newly-diagnosed hematological malignancies in children aged <14 within these municipalities from 1986 to 2007, and we sampled four matched controls for each case, collecting information on historical residence and parental socioeconomic status of these subjects. Results Relative risk of leukemia associated with antecedent residence in the area with exposure ≥ 0.1 microTesla was 3.2 (6.7 adjusting for socioeconomic status), but this estimate was statistically very unstable, its 95% confidence interval being 0.4-23.4, and no indication of a dose-response relation emerged. Relative risk for acute lymphoblastic leukemia was 5.3 (95% confidence interval 0.7-43.5), while there was no increased risk for the other hematological malignancies. Conclusions Though the number of exposed children in this study was too low to allow firm conclusions, results were more suggestive of an excess risk of leukemia among exposed children than of a null relation. PMID:20353586

Absence of Akt1 reduces vascular smooth muscle cell migration and survival and induces features of plaque vulnerability and cardiac dysfunction during atherosclerosis

PubMed Central

Fernández-Hernando, Carlos; József, Levente; Jenkins, Deborah; Lorenzo, Annarita Di; Sessa, William C.

2009-01-01

Objective Deletion of Akt1 leads to severe atherosclerosis and occlusive coronary artery disease. VSMC are an important component of atherosclerotic plaques, responsible for promoting plaque stability in advanced lesions. Fibrous caps of unstable plaques contain less collagen and ECM components and fewer VSMCs than caps from stable lesions. Here, we investigated the role of Akt1 in VSMC proliferation, migration and oxidative stress-induce apoptosis. In addition, we also characterized the atherosclerotic plaque morphology and cardiac function in an atherosclerosis-prone mouse model deficient in Akt1. Methods and Results Absence of Akt1 reduces VSMC proliferation and migration. Mechanistically, the proliferation and migratory phenotype found in Akt1 null VSMCs was linked to reduced Rac-1 activity and MMP-2 secretion. Serum starvation and stress-induced apoptosis was enhanced in Akt1 null VSMCs as determined by flow cytometry using Annexin V/PI staining. Immunohistochemical analysis of atherosclerotic plaques from Akt1−/−ApoE−/− mice showed a dramatic increase in plaque vulnerability characteristics such as enlarged necrotic core and reduced fibrous cap and collagen content. Finally, we show evidences of myocardial infarcts and cardiac dysfunction in Akt1−/−ApoE−/− mice analyzed by immunohistochemistry and echocardiography respectively. Conclusion Akt1 is essential for VSMC proliferation, migration and protection against oxidative stress-induce apoptosis. Absence of Akt1 induces features of plaque vulnerability and cardiac dysfunction in a mouse model of atherosclerosis. PMID:19762778

Plasma q -plate for generation and manipulation of intense optical vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Kenan; Jia, Qing; Fisch, Nathaniel J.

2017-11-01

An optical vortex is a light wave with a twisting wavefront around its propagation axis and null intensity in the beam center. Its unique spatial structure of field lends itself to a broad range of applications, including optical communication, quantum information, superresolution microscopy, and multidimensional manipulation of particles. However, accessible intensity of optical vortices have been limited to material ionization threshold. This limitation might be removed by using the plasma medium. Here we propose the design of suitably magnetized plasmas which, functioning as a q -plate, leads to a direct conversion from a high-intensity Gaussian beam into a twisted beam. A circularly polarized laser beam in the plasma accumulates an azimuthal-angle-dependent phase shift and hence forms a twisting wavefront. Our three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate extremely high-power conversion efficiency. The plasma q -plate can work in a large range of frequencies spanning from terahertz to the optical domain.

Neoclassical orbit calculations with a full-f code for tokamak edge plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rognlien, T. D.; Cohen, R. H.; Dorr, M.; Hittinger, J.; Xu, X. Q.; Collela, P.; Martin, D.

2008-11-01

Ion distribution function modifications are considered for the case of neoclassical orbit widths comparable to plasma radial-gradient scale-lengths. Implementation of proper boundary conditions at divertor plates in the continuum TEMPEST code, including the effect of drifts in determining the direction of total flow, enables such calculations in single-null divertor geometry, with and without an electrostatic potential. The resultant poloidal asymmetries in densities, temperatures, and flows are discussed. For long-time simulations, a slow numerical instability develops, even in simplified (circular) geometry with no endloss, which aids identification of the mixed treatment of parallel and radial convection terms as the cause. The new Edge Simulation Laboratory code, expected to be operational, has algorithmic refinements that should address the instability. We will present any available results from the new code on this problem as well as geodesic acoustic mode tests.

The ultraviolet variations of iota Cas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Molnar, M. R.; Mallama, A. D.; Soskey, D. G.; Holm, A. V.

1976-01-01

The Ap variable star iota Cas was observed with the photometers on OAO-2 covering the spectral range 1430-4250 A. The ultraviolet light curves show a double wave with primary minimum and maximum at phase ? 0.00 and 0.35, respectively. Secondary minimum light is at phase ? 0.65 with secondary maximum at phase ? 0.85. The light curves longward of 3150 A vary in opposition to those shortward of this 'null region'. Ground-based coude spectra show that the Fe II and Cr II line strengths have a double-wave variation such that maximum strength occurs at minimum ultraviolet light. We suggest that the strong ultraviolet opacities due to photoionization and line blanketing by these metals may cause the observed photometric variations. We have also constructed an oblique-rotator model which shows iron and chromium lying in a great circle band rather than in circular spots.

Chromosomal instability in Streptomyces avermitilis: major deletion in the central region and stable circularized chromosome

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The chromosome of Streptomyces has been shown to be unstable, frequently undergoing gross chromosomal rearrangements. However, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear, with previous studies focused on two chromosomal ends as targets for rearrangements. Here we investigated chromosomal instability of Streptomyces avermitilis, an important producer of avermectins, and characterized four gross chromosomal rearrangement events, including a major deletion in the central region. The present findings provide a valuable contribution to the mechanistic study of genetic instability in Streptomyces. Results Thirty randomly-selected "bald" mutants derived from the wild-type strain all contained gross chromosomal rearrangements of various types. One of the bald mutants, SA1-8, had the same linear chromosomal structure as the high avermectin-producing mutant 76-9. Chromosomes of both strains displayed at least three independent chromosomal rearrangements, including chromosomal arm replacement to form new 88-kb terminal inverted repeats (TIRs), and two major deletions. One of the deletions eliminated the 36-kb central region of the chromosome, but surprisingly did not affect viability of the cells. The other deletion (74-kb) was internal to the right chromosomal arm. The chromosome of another bald mutant, SA1-6, was circularized with deletions at both ends. No obvious homology was found in all fusion sequences. Generational stability analysis showed that the chromosomal structure of SA1-8 and SA1-6 was stable. Conclusions Various chromosomal rearrangements, including chromosomal arm replacement, interstitial deletions and chromosomal circularization, occurred in S. avermitilis by non-homologous recombination. The finding of an inner deletion involving in the central region of S. avermitilis chromosome suggests that the entire Streptomyces chromosome may be the target for rearrangements, which are not limited, as previously reported, to the two chromosomal ends. PMID:20653985

The magnetic field at the core-mantle boundary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bloxham, J.; Gubbins, D.

1985-01-01

Models of the geomagnetic field are, in general, produced from a least-squares fit of the coefficients in a truncated spherical harmonic expansion to the available data. Downward continuation of such models to the core-mantle boundary (CMB) is an unstable process: the results are found to be critically dependent on the choice of truncation level. Modern techniques allow this fundamental difficulty to be circumvented. The method of stochastic inversion is applied to modeling the geomagnetic field. Prior information is introduced by requiring that the spectrum of spherical harmonic coefficients to fall-off in a particular manner which is consistent with the Ohmic heating in the core having a finite lower bound. This results in models with finite errors in the radial field at the CMB. Curves of zero radial field can then be determined and integrals of the radial field over patches on the CMB bounded by these null-flux curves calculated. With the assumption of negligible magnetic diffusion in the core; frozen-flux hypothesis, these integrals are time-invariant.

The appearance, motion, and disappearance of three-dimensional magnetic null points

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

Murphy, Nicholas A., E-mail: namurphy@cfa.harvard.edu; Parnell, Clare E.; Haynes, Andrew L.

2015-10-15

While theoretical models and simulations of magnetic reconnection often assume symmetry such that the magnetic null point when present is co-located with a flow stagnation point, the introduction of asymmetry typically leads to non-ideal flows across the null point. To understand this behavior, we present exact expressions for the motion of three-dimensional linear null points. The most general expression shows that linear null points move in the direction along which the magnetic field and its time derivative are antiparallel. Null point motion in resistive magnetohydrodynamics results from advection by the bulk plasma flow and resistive diffusion of the magnetic field,more » which allows non-ideal flows across topological boundaries. Null point motion is described intrinsically by parameters evaluated locally; however, global dynamics help set the local conditions at the null point. During a bifurcation of a degenerate null point into a null-null pair or the reverse, the instantaneous velocity of separation or convergence of the null-null pair will typically be infinite along the null space of the Jacobian matrix of the magnetic field, but with finite components in the directions orthogonal to the null space. Not all bifurcating null-null pairs are connected by a separator. Furthermore, except under special circumstances, there will not exist a straight line separator connecting a bifurcating null-null pair. The motion of separators cannot be described using solely local parameters because the identification of a particular field line as a separator may change as a result of non-ideal behavior elsewhere along the field line.« less

Actual Romanian research in post-newtonian dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mioc, V.; Stavinschi, M.

2007-05-01

We survey the recent Romanian results in the study of the two-body problem in post-Newtonian fields. Such a field is characterized, in general, by a potential of the form U(q)=|q|^{-1}+ something (small, but not compulsorily). We distinguish some classes of post-Newtonian models: relativistic (Schwarzschild, Fock, Einstein PN, Reissner-Nordström, Schwarzschild - de Sitter, etc.) and nonrelativistic (Manev, Mücket-Treder, Seeliger, gravito-elastic, etc.). Generalized models (the zonal-satellite problem, quasihomogeneous fields), as well as special cases (anisotropic Manev-type and Schwarzschild-type models, Popovici or Popovici-Manev photogravitational problem), were also tackled. The methods used in such studies are various: analytical (using mainly the theory of perturbations, but also other theories: functions of complex variable, variational calculus, etc.), geometric (qualitative approach of the theory of dynamical systems), and numerical (especially using the Poincaré-section technique). The areas of interest and the general results obtained focus on: exact or approximate analytical solutions; characteristics of local flows (especially at limit situations: collision and escape); quasiperiodic and periodic orbits; equilibria; symmetries; chaoticity; geometric description of the global flow (and physical interpretation of the phase-space structure). We emphasize some special features, which cannot be met within the Newtonian framework: black-hole effect, oscillatory collisions, radial librations, bounded orbits for nonnegative energy, existence of unstable circular motion (or unstable rest), symmetric periodic orbits within anisotropic models, etc.

Why is the rapid burster different from all other galactic-bulge X-ray sources?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milgrom, M.

1987-01-01

It is suggested that the rapid X-ray burster exhibits unique behavior because it contains a neutron star whose stellar radius is smaller than the minimum radius of a circular orbit that is stable according to general relativity. The star accretes from a disk that extends down to the last stable orbit. In this state, the disk is unstable against a rapid fall and accretion of its innermost part onto the star. The sudden dumping of mass gives rise to a burst of X-rays. The disk then heals, refilling the inner region at a pace that is dictated mainly by the global accretion rate, in order to ready itself for the next burst. In all other galactic-bulge-type sources, the neutron star is larger than the last stable orbit.

Analysis of Preferred Directions in Phase Space for Tidal Measurements at Europa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boone, D.; Scheeres, D. J.

2012-12-01

The NASA Jupiter Europa Orbiter mission requires a circular, near-polar orbit to measure Europa's Love numbers, geophysical coefficients which give insight into whether a liquid ocean exists. This type of orbit about planetary satellites is known to be unstable. The effects of Jupiter's tidal gravity are seen in changes in Europa's gravity field and surface deformation, which are sensed through doppler tracking over time and altimetry measurements respectively. These two measurement types separately determine the h and k Love numbers, a combination of which bounds how thick the ice shell of Europa is and whether liquid water is present. This work shows how the properties of an unstable periodic orbit about Europa generate preferred measurement directions in position and velocity phase space for the orbit determination process. We generate an error covariance over seven days for the orbiter state and science parameters using a periodic orbit and then disperse the orbit initial conditions in a Monte Carlo simulation according to this covariance. The dispersed orbits are shown to have a bias toward longer lifetimes and we discuss this as an effect of the stable and unstable manifolds of the periodic orbit. Using an epoch formulation of a square-root information filter, measurements aligned with the unstable manifold mapped back in time add more information to the orbit determination process than measurements aligned with the stable manifold. This corresponds to a contraction in the uncertainty of the estimate of the desired parameters, including the Love numbers. We demonstrate this mapping mathematically using a representation of the State Transition Matrix involving its eigenvectors and eigenvalues. Then using the properties of left and right eigenvectors, we show how measurements in the orbit determination process are mapped in time leading to a concentration of information at epoch. We present examples of measurements taken on different time schedules to show the effect of preferred phase space directions in the estimation process. Manifold coordinate decomposition is applied to the orbit initial conditions as well as measurement partials in the filter to show the alignment of each with the stable and unstable manifolds of the periodic orbit. The connection between orbit lifetime and regions of increased information density in phase space is made using the properties of these manifolds. Low altitude, near-polar periodic orbits with these characteristics are discussed along with the estimation results for the Love numbers, orbiter state, and orbit lifetime. Different measurement schedules and the resulting estimation performance are presented along with an analysis of information content for single measurements with respect to manifold alignment. These results allow more sensitive estimation of the tidal Love numbers and may allow measurements to be taken less frequently or compensate for corrupted data arcs. Other measurement types will be mapped in the same way using the State Transition matrix and have increased information density at epoch if aligned with the unstable manifold. In the same way, these results are applicable to planetary satellite orbiters about Enceladus or Dione since they share the governing equations of motion and properties of unstable periodic orbits.

Near-limit propagation of gaseous detonations in narrow annular channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Y.; Ng, H. D.; Lee, J. H. S.

2017-03-01

New results on the near-limit behaviors of gaseous detonations in narrow annular channels are reported in this paper. Annular channels of widths 3.2 and 5.9 mm were made using circular inserts in a 50.8 mm-diameter external tube. The length of each annular channel was 1.8 m. Detonations were initiated in a steel driver tube where a small volume of a sensitive C2H2+ 2.5O2 mixture was injected to facilitate detonation initiation. A 2 m length of circular tube with a 50.8 mm diameter preceded the annular channel so that a steady Chapman-Jouguet (CJ) detonation was established prior to entering the annular channel. Four detonable mixtures of C2H2 {+} 2.5O2 {+} 85 % Ar, C2H2 {+} 2.5O2 {+} 70 % Ar, C3H8 {+} 5O2, and CH4 {+} 2O2 were used in the present study. Photodiodes spaced 10 cm throughout the length of both the annular channel and circular tube were used to measure the detonation velocity. In addition, smoked foils were inserted into the annular channel to monitor the cellular structure of the detonation wave. The results show that, well within the detonability limits, the detonation wave propagates along the channel with a small local velocity fluctuation and an average global velocity can be deduced. The average detonation velocity has a small deficit of 5-15 % far from the limits and the velocity rapidly decreases to 0.7V_{CJ}-0.8V_{CJ} when the detonation propagates near the limit. Subsequently, the fluctuation of local velocity also increases as the decreasing initial pressure approaches the limit. In the two annular channels used in this work, no galloping detonations were observed for both the stable and unstable mixtures tested. The present study also confirms that single-headed spinning detonation occurs at the limit, as in a circular tube, rather than the up and down "zig zag" mode in a two-dimensional, rectangular channel.

Detection of long nulls in PSR B1706-16, a pulsar with large timing irregularities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naidu, Arun; Joshi, Bhal Chandra; Manoharan, P. K.; Krishnakumar, M. A.

2018-04-01

Single pulse observations, characterizing in detail, the nulling behaviour of PSR B1706-16 are being reported for the first time in this paper. Our regular long duration monitoring of this pulsar reveals long nulls of 2-5 h with an overall nulling fraction of 31 ± 2 per cent. The pulsar shows two distinct phases of emission. It is usually in an active phase, characterized by pulsations interspersed with shorter nulls, with a nulling fraction of about 15 per cent, but it also rarely switches to an inactive phase, consisting of long nulls. The nulls in this pulsar are concurrent between 326.5 and 610 MHz. Profile mode changes accompanied by changes in fluctuation properties are seen in this pulsar, which switches from mode A before a null to mode B after the null. The distribution of null durations in this pulsar is bimodal. With its occasional long nulls, PSR B1706-16 joins the small group of intermediate nullers, which lie between the classical nullers and the intermittent pulsars. Similar to other intermediate nullers, PSR B1706-16 shows high timing noise, which could be due to its rare long nulls if one assumes that the slowdown rate during such nulls is different from that during the bursts.

Wind Tunnel Investigation of Fuselage Stability in Yaw with Various Arrangements of Fins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoggard, H Page, Jr

1940-01-01

An investigation was made in the 7-by-10 foot wind tunnel to determine the effects of dorsal-type fins and various arrangements of fins on the aerodynamic characteristics of a streamline circular fuselage. Comparative plots of the aerodynamic characteristics of the fuselage alone and the fuselage with various fin arrangements are given to show their effects on coefficients of yawing moment, drag, and lateral force. Results are also given for one case in which a rear fin on a circular fuselage was faired with modeling clay to obtain a fuselage shape with the same side elevation as the fuselage with the unfaired fin but with an elliptical cross section over the rearward portion of the fuselage. The results indicated that fin area to the rear of the center of gravity of the fuselage was beneficial in reducing the magnitude of the unstable yawing moments at large angles of yaw; whereas, fin area forward of the center of gravity was harmful. The dorsal-type fin was more effective for increasing the yawing stability of the fuselage than was a smoothly faired rearward portion with the same side elevation as the fuselage with the unfaired dorsal type fin. The minimum drag coefficient and the slope of the curve of yawing-moment coefficient of the fuselage at zero yaw were unaffected by the addition of the fins, within the experimental accuracy of the tests.

Efficient stabilization and acceleration of numerical simulation of fluid flows by residual recombination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Citro, V.; Luchini, P.; Giannetti, F.; Auteri, F.

2017-09-01

The study of the stability of a dynamical system described by a set of partial differential equations (PDEs) requires the computation of unstable states as the control parameter exceeds its critical threshold. Unfortunately, the discretization of the governing equations, especially for fluid dynamic applications, often leads to very large discrete systems. As a consequence, matrix based methods, like for example the Newton-Raphson algorithm coupled with a direct inversion of the Jacobian matrix, lead to computational costs too large in terms of both memory and execution time. We present a novel iterative algorithm, inspired by Krylov-subspace methods, which is able to compute unstable steady states and/or accelerate the convergence to stable configurations. Our new algorithm is based on the minimization of the residual norm at each iteration step with a projection basis updated at each iteration rather than at periodic restarts like in the classical GMRES method. The algorithm is able to stabilize any dynamical system without increasing the computational time of the original numerical procedure used to solve the governing equations. Moreover, it can be easily inserted into a pre-existing relaxation (integration) procedure with a call to a single black-box subroutine. The procedure is discussed for problems of different sizes, ranging from a small two-dimensional system to a large three-dimensional problem involving the Navier-Stokes equations. We show that the proposed algorithm is able to improve the convergence of existing iterative schemes. In particular, the procedure is applied to the subcritical flow inside a lid-driven cavity. We also discuss the application of Boostconv to compute the unstable steady flow past a fixed circular cylinder (2D) and boundary-layer flow over a hemispherical roughness element (3D) for supercritical values of the Reynolds number. We show that Boostconv can be used effectively with any spatial discretization, be it a finite-difference, finite-volume, finite-element or spectral method.

System and Method for Null-Lens Wavefront Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, Peter C. (Inventor); Thompson, Patrick L. (Inventor); Aronstein, David L. (Inventor); Bolcar, Matthew R. (Inventor); Smith, Jeffrey S. (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A method of measuring aberrations in a null-lens including assembly and alignment aberrations. The null-lens may be used for measuring aberrations in an aspheric optic with the null-lens. Light propagates from the aspheric optic location through the null-lens, while sweeping a detector through the null-lens focal plane. Image data being is collected at locations about said focal plane. Light is simulated propagating to the collection locations for each collected image. Null-lens aberrations may extracted, e.g., applying image-based wavefront-sensing to collected images and simulation results. The null-lens aberrations improve accuracy in measuring aspheric optic aberrations.

Adaptive jammer nulling in EHF communications satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhagwan, Jai; Kavanagh, Stephen; Yen, J. L.

A preliminary investigation is reviewed concerning adaptive null steering multibeam uplink receiving system concepts for future extremely high frequency communications satellites. Primary alternatives in the design of the uplink antenna, the multibeam adaptive nulling receiver, and the processing algorithm and optimization criterion are discussed. The alternatives are phased array, lens or reflector antennas, nulling at radio frequency or an intermediate frequency, wideband versus narrowband nulling, and various adaptive nulling algorithms. A primary determinant of the hardware complexity is the receiving system architecture, which is described for the alternative antenna and nulling concepts. The final concept chosen will be influenced by the nulling performance requirements, cost, and technological readiness.

Broken chiral symmetry on a null plane

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

Beane, Silas R., E-mail: silas@physics.unh.edu

2013-10-15

On a null-plane (light-front), all effects of spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking are contained in the three Hamiltonians (dynamical Poincaré generators), while the vacuum state is a chiral invariant. This property is used to give a general proof of Goldstone’s theorem on a null-plane. Focusing on null-plane QCD with N degenerate flavors of light quarks, the chiral-symmetry breaking Hamiltonians are obtained, and the role of vacuum condensates is clarified. In particular, the null-plane Gell-Mann–Oakes–Renner formula is derived, and a general prescription is given for mapping all chiral-symmetry breaking QCD condensates to chiral-symmetry conserving null-plane QCD condensates. The utility of the null-planemore » description lies in the operator algebra that mixes the null-plane Hamiltonians and the chiral symmetry charges. It is demonstrated that in a certain non-trivial limit, the null-plane operator algebra reduces to the symmetry group SU(2N) of the constituent quark model. -- Highlights: •A proof (the first) of Goldstone’s theorem on a null-plane is given. •The puzzle of chiral-symmetry breaking condensates on a null-plane is solved. •The emergence of spin-flavor symmetries in null-plane QCD is demonstrated.« less

The inclination of the dwarf irregular galaxy Holmberg II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez-Salcedo, F. J.; Hidalgo-Gámez, A. M.; Martínez-García, E. E.

2014-10-01

We provide constraints on the inclination angle of the H I disk of the dwarf irregular galaxy Holmberg II (Ho II) from a stability analysis of the outer gaseous disk. We point out that a mean inclination angle of 27(°) and thus a flat circular velocity of ≈ 60 km s(-1) , is required to have a level of gravitational stability similar to that found in other galaxies. Adopting this inclination angle, we find that Ho II lies on the right location in the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation. Moreover, for this inclination, its rotation curve is consistent with MOND. However, the corresponding analysis of the stability under MOND indicates that this galaxy could be problematic for MOND because its outer parts are marginally unstable in this gravity theory. We urge MOND simulators to study numerically the non-linear stability of gas-rich dwarf galaxies since this may provide a new key test for MOND.

On the stability of nongyrotropic ion populations - A first (analytic and simulation) assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brinca, A. L.; Borda De Agua, L.; Winske, D.

1993-01-01

The wave and dispersion equations for perturbations propagating parallel to an ambient magnetic field in magnetoplasmas with nongyrotropic ion populations show, in general, the occurrence of coupling between the parallel (left- and right-hand circularly polarized electromagnetic and longitudinal electrostatic) eigenmodes of the associated gyrotropic medium. These interactions provide a means to driving linearly one mode with free-energy sources of other modes in homogeneous media. Different types of nongyrotropy bring about distinct classes of coupling. The stability of a hydrogen magnetoplasma with anisotropic, nongyrotropic protons that only couple the electromagnetic modes to each other is investigated analytically (via solution of the derived dispersion equation) and numerically (via simulation with a hybrid code). Nongyrotropy enhances growth and enlarges the unstable spectral range relative to the corresponding gyrotropic situation. The relevance of the properties of nongyrotropic populations to space plasma environments is also discussed.

Lipid decorated liquid crystal pressure sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopatkina, Tetiana; Popov, Piotr; Honaker, Lawrence; Jakli, Antal; Mann, Elizabeth; Mann's Group Collaboration; Jakli's Group Collaboration

Surfactants usually promote the alignment of liquid crystal (LC) director parallel to the surfactant chains, and thus on average normal to the substrate (homeotropic), whereas water promotes tangential (planar) alignment. A water-LC interface is therefore very sensitive to the presence of surfactants, such as lipids: this is the principle of LC-based chemical and biological sensing introduced by Abbott et al.Using a modified configuration, we found that at higher than 10 micro molar lipid concentration, the uniformly dark texture seen for homeotropic alignment between left-, and right-handed circular polarizers becomes unstable and slowly brightens again. This texture shows extreme sensitivity to external air pressure variations offering its use for sensitive pressure sensors. Our analysis indicates an osmotic pressure induced bending of the suspended films explaining both the birefringence and pressure sensitivity. In the talk we will discuss the experimental details of these effects. This work was financially supported by NSF DMR No. DMR-0907055.

Plasma q -plate for generation and manipulation of intense optical vortices

DOE PAGES

Qu, Kenan; Jia, Qing; Fisch, Nathaniel J.

2017-11-28

An optical vortex is a light wave with a twisting wavefront around its propagation axis and null intensity in the beam center. Its unique spatial structure of field lends itself to a broad range of applications, including optical communication, quantum information, superresolution microscopy, and multidimensional manipulation of particles. However, accessible intensity of optical vortices have been limited to material ionization threshold. This limitation might be removed by using the plasma medium. Here in this paper, we propose the design of suitably magnetized plasmas which, functioning as a q-plate, leads to a direct conversion from a high-intensity Gaussian beam into amore » twisted beam. A circularly polarized laser beam in the plasma accumulates an azimuthal-angle-dependent phase shift and hence forms a twisting wavefront. Our three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate extremely high-power conversion efficiency. The plasma q-plate can work in a large range of frequencies spanning from terahertz to the optical domain.« less

Plasma q -plate for generation and manipulation of intense optical vortices

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

Qu, Kenan; Jia, Qing; Fisch, Nathaniel J.

An optical vortex is a light wave with a twisting wavefront around its propagation axis and null intensity in the beam center. Its unique spatial structure of field lends itself to a broad range of applications, including optical communication, quantum information, superresolution microscopy, and multidimensional manipulation of particles. However, accessible intensity of optical vortices have been limited to material ionization threshold. This limitation might be removed by using the plasma medium. Here in this paper, we propose the design of suitably magnetized plasmas which, functioning as a q-plate, leads to a direct conversion from a high-intensity Gaussian beam into amore » twisted beam. A circularly polarized laser beam in the plasma accumulates an azimuthal-angle-dependent phase shift and hence forms a twisting wavefront. Our three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate extremely high-power conversion efficiency. The plasma q-plate can work in a large range of frequencies spanning from terahertz to the optical domain.« less

Excitation of high-radial-order Laguerre-Gaussian modes in a solid-state laser using a lower-loss digitally controlled amplitude mask

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, T.; Hasnaoui, A.; Ait-Ameur, K.; Ngcobo, S.

2017-10-01

In this paper we experimentally demonstrate selective excitation of high-radial-order Laguerre-Gaussian (LG p or LG{}p,0) modes with radial order p = 1-4 and azimuthal order l = 0 using a diode-pump solid-state laser (DPSSL) that is digitally controlled by a spatial light modulator (SLM). We encoded an amplitude mask containing p-absorbing rings, of various incompleteness (segmented) on grey-scale computer-generated digital holograms, and displayed them on an SLM which acted as an end mirror of the diode-pumped solid-state digital laser. The various incomplete (α) p-absorbing rings were digitally encoded to match the zero-intensity nulls of the desired LG p mode. We show that the creation of LG p , for p = 1 to p = 4, only requires an incomplete circular p-absorbing ring that has a completeness of ≈37.5%, giving the DPSSL resonator a lower pump threshold power while maintaining the same laser characteristics (such as beam propagation properties).

Heterologous Expression of Der Homologs in an Escherichia coli der Mutant and Their Functional Complementation

PubMed Central

Choi, Eunsil; Kang, Nalae; Jeon, Young; Pai, Hyun-Sook

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The unique Escherichia coli GTPase Der (double Era-like GTPase), which contains tandemly repeated GTP-binding domains, has been shown to play an essential role in 50S ribosomal subunit biogenesis. The depletion of Der results in the accumulation of precursors of 50S ribosomal subunits that are structurally unstable at low Mg2+ concentrations. Der homologs are ubiquitously found in eubacteria. Conversely, very few are conserved in eukaryotes, and none is conserved in archaea. In the present study, to verify their conserved role in bacterial 50S ribosomal subunit biogenesis, we cloned Der homologs from two gammaproteobacteria, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium; two pathogenic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Neisseria gonorrhoeae; and the extremophile Deinococcus radiodurans and then evaluated whether they could functionally complement the E. coli der-null phenotype. Only K. pneumoniae and S. Typhimurium Der proteins enabled the E. coli der-null strain to grow under nonpermissive conditions. Sucrose density gradient experiments revealed that the expression of K. pneumoniae and S. Typhimurium Der proteins rescued the structural instability of 50S ribosomal subunits, which was caused by E. coli Der depletion. To determine what allows their complementation, we constructed Der chimeras. We found that only Der chimeras harboring both the linker and long C-terminal regions could reverse the growth defects of the der-null strain. Our findings suggest that ubiquitously conserved essential GTPase Der is involved in 50S ribosomal subunit biosynthesis in various bacteria and that the linker and C-terminal regions may participate in species-specific recognition or interaction with the 50S ribosomal subunit. IMPORTANCE In Escherichia coli, Der (double Era-like GTPase) is an essential GTPase that is important for the production of mature 50S ribosomal subunits. However, to date, its precise role in ribosome biogenesis has not been clarified. In this study, we used five Der homologs from gammaproteobacteria, pathogenic bacteria, and an extremophile to elucidate their conserved function in 50S ribosomal subunit biogenesis. Among them, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium Der homologs implicated the participation of Der in ribosome assembly in E. coli. Our results show that the linker and C-terminal regions of Der homologs are correlated with its functional complementation in E. coli der mutants, suggesting that they are involved in species-specific recognition or interaction with 50S ribosomal subunits. PMID:27297882

[Dilemma of null hypothesis in ecological hypothesis's experiment test.

PubMed

Li, Ji

2016-06-01

Experimental test is one of the major test methods of ecological hypothesis, though there are many arguments due to null hypothesis. Quinn and Dunham (1983) analyzed the hypothesis deduction model from Platt (1964) and thus stated that there is no null hypothesis in ecology that can be strictly tested by experiments. Fisher's falsificationism and Neyman-Pearson (N-P)'s non-decisivity inhibit statistical null hypothesis from being strictly tested. Moreover, since the null hypothesis H 0 (α=1, β=0) and alternative hypothesis H 1 '(α'=1, β'=0) in ecological progresses are diffe-rent from classic physics, the ecological null hypothesis can neither be strictly tested experimentally. These dilemmas of null hypothesis could be relieved via the reduction of P value, careful selection of null hypothesis, non-centralization of non-null hypothesis, and two-tailed test. However, the statistical null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) should not to be equivalent to the causality logistical test in ecological hypothesis. Hence, the findings and conclusions about methodological studies and experimental tests based on NHST are not always logically reliable.

Meterwavelength Single-pulse Polarimetric Emission Survey. III. The Phenomenon of Nulling in Pulsars

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

Basu, Rahul; Mitra, Dipanjan; Melikidze, George I., E-mail: rahulbasu.astro@gmail.com

A detailed analysis of nulling was conducted for the pulsars studied in the Meterwavelength Single-pulse Polarimetric Emission Survey. We characterized nulling in 36 pulsars including 17 pulsars where the phenomenon was reported for the first time. The most dominant nulls lasted for a short duration, less than five periods. Longer duration nulls extending to hundreds of periods were also seen in some cases. A careful analysis showed the presence of periodicities in the transition from the null to the burst states in 11 pulsars. In our earlier work, fluctuation spectrum analysis showed multiple periodicities in 6 of these 11 pulsars.more » We demonstrate that the longer periodicity in each case was associated with nulling. The shorter periodicities usually originate from subpulse drifting. The nulling periodicities were more aligned with the periodic amplitude modulation, indicating a possible common origin for both. The most prevalent nulls last for a single period and can be potentially explained using random variations affecting the plasma processes in the pulsar magnetosphere. On the other hand, longer-duration nulls require changes in the pair-production processes, which need an external triggering mechanism for the changes. The presence of periodic nulling puts an added constraint on the triggering mechanism, which also needs to be periodic.« less

GJ 581 update: Additional evidence for a Super-Earth in the habitable zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, S. S.; Butler, R. P.; Haghighipour, N.

2012-08-01

We present an analysis of the significantly expanded HARPS 2011 radial velocity data set for GJ 581 that was presented by Forveille et al. (2011). Our analysis reaches substantially different conclusions regarding the evidence for a Super-Earth-mass planet in the star's Habitable Zone. We were able to reproduce their reported χν2 and RMS values only after removing some outliers from their models and refitting the trimmed down RV set. A suite of 4000 N-body simulations of their Keplerian model all resulted in unstable systems and revealed that their reported 3.6σ detection of e=0.32 for the eccentricity of GJ 581e is manifestly incompatible with the system's dynamical stability. Furthermore, their Keplerian model, when integrated only over the time baseline of the observations, significantly increases the χν2 and demonstrates the need for including non-Keplerian orbital precession when modeling this system. We find that a four-planet model with all of the planets on circular or nearly circular orbits provides both an excellent self-consistent fit to their RV data and also results in a very stable configuration. The periodogram of the residuals to a 4-planet all-circular-orbit model reveals significant peaks that suggest one or more additional planets in this system. We conclude that the present 240-point HARPS data set, when analyzed in its entirety, and modeled with fully self-consistent stable orbits, by and of itself does offer significant support for a fifth signal in the data with a period near 32 days. This signal has a false alarm probability of <4 % and is consistent with a planet of minimum mass 2.2 M_⊙, orbiting squarely in the star's habitable zone at 0.13 AU, where liquid water on planetary surfaces is a distinct possibility.

MAGNETIC NULL POINTS IN KINETIC SIMULATIONS OF SPACE PLASMAS

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

Olshevsky, Vyacheslav; Innocenti, Maria Elena; Cazzola, Emanuele

2016-03-01

We present a systematic attempt to study magnetic null points and the associated magnetic energy conversion in kinetic particle-in-cell simulations of various plasma configurations. We address three-dimensional simulations performed with the semi-implicit kinetic electromagnetic code iPic3D in different setups: variations of a Harris current sheet, dipolar and quadrupolar magnetospheres interacting with the solar wind, and a relaxing turbulent configuration with multiple null points. Spiral nulls are more likely created in space plasmas: in all our simulations except lunar magnetic anomaly (LMA) and quadrupolar mini-magnetosphere the number of spiral nulls prevails over the number of radial nulls by a factor of 3–9.more » We show that often magnetic nulls do not indicate the regions of intensive energy dissipation. Energy dissipation events caused by topological bifurcations at radial nulls are rather rare and short-lived. The so-called X-lines formed by the radial nulls in the Harris current sheet and LMA simulations are rather stable and do not exhibit any energy dissipation. Energy dissipation is more powerful in the vicinity of spiral nulls enclosed by magnetic flux ropes with strong currents at their axes (their cross sections resemble 2D magnetic islands). These null lines reminiscent of Z-pinches efficiently dissipate magnetic energy due to secondary instabilities such as the two-stream or kinking instability, accompanied by changes in magnetic topology. Current enhancements accompanied by spiral nulls may signal magnetic energy conversion sites in the observational data.« less

RBM20 Regulates Circular RNA Production From the Titin Gene.

PubMed

Khan, Mohsin A F; Reckman, Yolan J; Aufiero, Simona; van den Hoogenhof, Maarten M G; van der Made, Ingeborg; Beqqali, Abdelaziz; Koolbergen, Dave R; Rasmussen, Torsten B; van der Velden, Jolanda; Creemers, Esther E; Pinto, Yigal M

2016-10-14

RNA-binding motif protein 20 (RBM20) is essential for normal splicing of many cardiac genes, and loss of RBM20 causes dilated cardiomyopathy. Given its role in splicing, we hypothesized an important role for RBM20 in forming circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of noncoding RNA molecules. To establish the role of RBM20 in the formation of circRNAs in the heart. Here, we performed circRNA profiling on ribosomal depleted RNA from human hearts and identified the expression of thousands of circRNAs, with some of them regulated in disease. Interestingly, we identified 80 circRNAs to be expressed from the titin gene, a gene that is known to undergo highly complex alternative splicing. We show that some of these circRNAs are dynamically regulated in dilated cardiomyopathy but not in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We generated RBM20-null mice and show that they completely lack these titin circRNAs. In addition, in a cardiac sample from an RBM20 mutation carrier, titin circRNA production was severely altered. Interestingly, the loss of RBM20 caused only a specific subset of titin circRNAs to be lost. These circRNAs originated from the RBM20-regulated I-band region of the titin transcript. We show that RBM20 is crucial for the formation of a subset of circRNAs that originate from the I-band of the titin gene. We propose that RBM20, by excluding specific exons from the pre-mRNA, provides the substrate to form this class of RBM20-dependent circRNAs. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Near-field multiple traps of paraxial acoustic vortices with strengthened gradient force generated by sector transducer array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qingdong; Li, Yuzhi; Ma, Qingyu; Guo, Gepu; Tu, Juan; Zhang, Dong

2018-01-01

In order to improve the capability of particle trapping close to the source plane, theoretical and experimental studies on near-field multiple traps of paraxial acoustic vortices (AVs) with a strengthened acoustic gradient force (AGF) generated by a sector transducer array were conducted. By applying the integration of point source radiation, numerical simulations for the acoustic fields generated by the sector transducer array were conducted and compared with those produced by the circular transducer array. It was proved that strengthened AGFs of near-field multiple AVs with higher peak pressures and smaller vortex radii could be produced by the sector transducer array with a small topological charge. The axial distributions of the equivalent potential gradient indicated that the AGFs of paraxial AVs in the near field were much higher than those in the far field, and the distances at the near-field vortex antinodes were also proved to be the ideal trapping positions with relatively higher AGFs. With the established 8-channel AV generation system, theoretical studies were also verified by the experimental measurements of pressure and phase for AVs with various topological charges. The formation of near-field multiple paraxial AVs was verified by the cross-sectional circular pressure distributions with perfect phase spirals around central pressure nulls, and was also proved by the vortex nodes and antinodes along the center axis. The favorable results demonstrated the feasibility of generating near-field multiple traps of paraxial AVs with strengthened AGF using the sector transducer array, and suggested the potential applications of close-range particle trapping in biomedical engineering.

Tolerance analysis of null lenses using an end-use system performance criterion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodgers, J. Michael

2000-07-01

An effective method of assigning tolerances to a null lens is to determine the effects of null-lens fabrication and alignment errors on the end-use system itself, not simply the null lens. This paper describes a method to assign null- lens tolerances based on their effect on any performance parameter of the end-use system.

Non-susceptible landslide areas in Italy and in the Mediterranean region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchesini, I.; Ardizzone, F.; Alvioli, M.; Rossi, M.; Guzzetti, F.

2014-04-01

We used landslide information for 13 study areas in Italy and morphometric information obtained from the 3 arc-second SRTM DEM to determine areas where landslide susceptibility is expected to be null or negligible in Italy, and in the landmasses surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The morphometric information consisted in the local terrain slope computed in a square 3 × 3 cell moving window, and in the regional relative relief computed in a circular 15 × 15 cell moving window. We tested three different models to determine the non-susceptible landslide areas, including a linear model (LR), a quantile linear model (QLR), and a quantile non-linear model (QNL). We tested the performance of the three models using independent landslide information represented by the Italian Landslide Inventory (Inventario Fenomeni Franosi in Italia - IFFI). Best results were obtained using the QNL model. The corresponding zonation of non-susceptible landslide areas was intersected in a GIS with geographical census data for Italy. The result allowed determining that 57.5% of the population of Italy (in 2001) was located in areas where landslide susceptibility is expected to be null or negligible, and that the remaining 42.5% was located in areas where some landslide susceptibility is expected. We applied the QNL model to the landmasses surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, and we tested the synoptic non-susceptibility zonation using independent landslide information for three study areas in Spain. Results proved that the QNL model was capable of determining where landslide susceptibility is expected to be negligible in the Mediterranean area. We expect our results to be applicable in similar study areas, facilitating the identification of non-susceptible and susceptible landslide areas, at the synoptic scale.

The appearance and propagation of filaments in the private flux region in Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak

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

Harrison, J. R.; Fishpool, G. M.; Thornton, A. J.

2015-09-15

The transport of particles via intermittent filamentary structures in the private flux region (PFR) of plasmas in the MAST tokamak has been investigated using a fast framing camera recording visible light emission from the volume of the lower divertor, as well as Langmuir probes and IR thermography monitoring particle and power fluxes to plasma-facing surfaces in the divertor. The visible camera data suggest that, in the divertor volume, fluctuations in light emission above the X-point are strongest in the scrape-off layer (SOL). Conversely, in the region below the X-point, it is found that these fluctuations are strongest in the PFRmore » of the inner divertor leg. Detailed analysis of the appearance of these filaments in the camera data suggests that they are approximately circular, around 1–2 cm in diameter, but appear more elongated near the divertor target. The most probable toroidal quasi-mode number is between 2 and 3. These filaments eject plasma deeper into the private flux region, sometimes by the production of secondary filaments, moving at a speed of 0.5–1.0 km/s. Probe measurements at the inner divertor target suggest that the fluctuations in the particle flux to the inner target are strongest in the private flux region, and that the amplitude and distribution of these fluctuations are insensitive to the electron density of the core plasma, auxiliary heating and whether the plasma is single-null or double-null. It is found that the e-folding width of the time-average particle flux in the PFR decreases with increasing plasma current, but the fluctuations appear to be unaffected. At the outer divertor target, the fluctuations in particle and power fluxes are strongest in the SOL.« less

Gravitational radiation from compact binary systems: Gravitational waveforms and energy loss to second post-Newtonian order

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Will, Clifford M.; Wiseman, Alan G.

1996-10-01

We derive the gravitational waveform and gravitational-wave energy flux generated by a binary star system of compact objects (neutron stars or black holes), accurate through second post-Newtonian order (O[(v/c)4]=O[(Gm/rc2)2]) beyond the lowest-order quadrupole approximation. We cast the Einstein equations into the form of a flat-spacetime wave equation together with a harmonic gauge condition, and solve it formally as a retarded integral over the past null cone of the chosen field point. The part of this integral that involves the matter sources and the near-zone gravitational field is evaluated in terms of multipole moments using standard techniques; the remainder of the retarded integral, extending over the radiation zone, is evaluated in a novel way. The result is a manifestly convergent and finite procedure for calculating gravitational radiation to arbitrary orders in a post-Newtonian expansion. Through second post-Newtonian order, the radiation is also shown to propagate toward the observer along true null rays of the asymptotically Schwarzschild spacetime, despite having been derived using flat-spacetime wave equations. The method cures defects that plagued previous ``brute-force'' slow-motion approaches to the generation of gravitational radiation, and yields results that agree perfectly with those recently obtained by a mixed post-Minkowskian post-Newtonian method. We display explicit formulas for the gravitational waveform and the energy flux for two-body systems, both in arbitrary orbits and in circular orbits. In an appendix, we extend the formalism to bodies with finite spatial extent, and derive the spin corrections to the waveform and energy loss.

The Metallothionein-Null Phenotype Is Associated with Heightened Sensitivity to Lead Toxicity and an Inability to Form Inclusion Bodies

PubMed Central

Qu, Wei; Diwan, Bhalchandra A.; Liu, Jie; Goyer, Robert A.; Dawson, Tammy; Horton, John L.; Cherian, M. George; Waalkes, Michael P.

2002-01-01

Susceptibility to lead toxicity in MT-null mice and cells, lacking the major forms of the metallothionein (MT) gene, was compared to wild-type (WT) mice or cells. Male MT-null and WT mice received lead in the drinking water (0 to 4000 ppm) for 10 to 20 weeks. Lead did not alter body weight in any group. Unlike WT mice, lead-treated MT-null mice showed dose-related nephromegaly. In addition, after lead exposure renal function was significantly diminished in MT-null mice in comparison to WT mice. MT-null mice accumulated less renal lead than WT mice and did not form lead inclusion bodies, which were present in the kidneys of WT mice. In gene array analysis, renal glutathione S-transferases were up-regulated after lead in MT-null mice only. In vitro studies on fibroblast cell lines derived from MT-null and WT mice showed that MT-null cells were much more sensitive to lead cytotoxicity. MT-null cells accumulated less lead and formed no inclusion bodies. The MT-null phenotype seems to preclude lead-induced inclusion body formation and increases lead toxicity at the organ and cellular level despite reducing lead accumulation. This study reveals important roles for MT in chronic lead toxicity, lead accumulation, and inclusion body formation. PMID:11891201

Adaptive Nulling for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peters, Robert D.; Lay, Oliver P.; Jeganathan, Muthu; Hirai, Akiko

2006-01-01

A description of adaptive nulling for Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPFI) is presented. The topics include: 1) Nulling in TPF-I; 2) Why Do Adaptive Nulling; 3) Parallel High-Order Compensator Design; 4) Phase and Amplitude Control; 5) Development Activates; 6) Requirements; 7) Simplified Experimental Setup; 8) Intensity Correction; and 9) Intensity Dispersion Stability. A short summary is also given on adaptive nulling for the TPFI.

Implosive Collapse about Magnetic Null Points: A Quantitative Comparison between 2D and 3D Nulls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thurgood, Jonathan O.; Pontin, David I.; McLaughlin, James A.

2018-03-01

Null collapse is an implosive process whereby MHD waves focus their energy in the vicinity of a null point, forming a current sheet and initiating magnetic reconnection. We consider, for the first time, the case of collapsing 3D magnetic null points in nonlinear, resistive MHD using numerical simulation, exploring key physical aspects of the system as well as performing a detailed parameter study. We find that within a particular plane containing the 3D null, the plasma and current density enhancements resulting from the collapse are quantitatively and qualitatively as per the 2D case in both the linear and nonlinear collapse regimes. However, the scaling with resistivity of the 3D reconnection rate—which is a global quantity—is found to be less favorable when the magnetic null point is more rotationally symmetric, due to the action of increased magnetic back-pressure. Furthermore, we find that, with increasing ambient plasma pressure, the collapse can be throttled, as is the case for 2D nulls. We discuss this pressure-limiting in the context of fast reconnection in the solar atmosphere and suggest mechanisms by which it may be overcome. We also discuss the implications of the results in the context of null collapse as a trigger mechanism of Oscillatory Reconnection, a time-dependent reconnection mechanism, and also within the wider subject of wave–null point interactions. We conclude that, in general, increasingly rotationally asymmetric nulls will be more favorable in terms of magnetic energy release via null collapse than their more symmetric counterparts.

Fermilab Education Office - Special Events for Students and Families

Science.gov Websites

students and families. These include: null Fermilab Outdoor Family Fair (K-12) null Wonders of Science (2-7 ) null Family Open House (3-12) null STEM Career Expo (9-12) Search Programs - Search Science Adventures

A Gaussian Mixture Model for Nulling Pulsars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplan, D. L.; Swiggum, J. K.; Fichtenbauer, T. D. J.; Vallisneri, M.

2018-03-01

The phenomenon of pulsar nulling—where pulsars occasionally turn off for one or more pulses—provides insight into pulsar-emission mechanisms and the processes by which pulsars turn off when they cross the “death line.” However, while ever more pulsars are found that exhibit nulling behavior, the statistical techniques used to measure nulling are biased, with limited utility and precision. In this paper, we introduce an improved algorithm, based on Gaussian mixture models, for measuring pulsar nulling behavior. We demonstrate this algorithm on a number of pulsars observed as part of a larger sample of nulling pulsars, and show that it performs considerably better than existing techniques, yielding better precision and no bias. We further validate our algorithm on simulated data. Our algorithm is widely applicable to a large number of pulsars even if they do not show obvious nulls. Moreover, it can be used to derive nulling probabilities of nulling for individual pulses, which can be used for in-depth studies.

Modular Hamiltonians on the null plane and the Markov property of the vacuum state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casini, Horacio; Testé, Eduardo; Torroba, Gonzalo

2017-09-01

We compute the modular Hamiltonians of regions having the future horizon lying on a null plane. For a CFT this is equivalent to regions with a boundary of arbitrary shape lying on the null cone. These Hamiltonians have a local expression on the horizon formed by integrals of the stress tensor. We prove this result in two different ways, and show that the modular Hamiltonians of these regions form an infinite dimensional Lie algebra. The corresponding group of unitary transformations moves the fields on the null surface locally along the null generators with arbitrary null line dependent velocities, but act non-locally outside the null plane. We regain this result in greater generality using more abstract tools on the algebraic quantum field theory. Finally, we show that modular Hamiltonians on the null surface satisfy a Markov property that leads to the saturation of the strong sub-additive inequality for the entropies and to the strong super-additivity of the relative entropy.

Error analysis and system optimization of non-null aspheric testing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Yongjie; Yang, Yongying; Liu, Dong; Tian, Chao; Zhuo, Yongmo

2010-10-01

A non-null aspheric testing system, which employs partial null lens (PNL for short) and reverse iterative optimization reconstruction (ROR for short) technique, is proposed in this paper. Based on system modeling in ray tracing software, the parameter of each optical element is optimized and this makes system modeling more precise. Systematic error of non-null aspheric testing system is analyzed and can be categorized into two types, the error due to surface parameters of PNL in the system modeling and the rest from non-null interferometer by the approach of error storage subtraction. Experimental results show that, after systematic error is removed from testing result of non-null aspheric testing system, the aspheric surface is precisely reconstructed by ROR technique and the consideration of systematic error greatly increase the test accuracy of non-null aspheric testing system.

Role of Plasmodium vivax Duffy-binding protein 1 in invasion of Duffy-null Africans

PubMed Central

Gunalan, Karthigayan; Lo, Eugenia; Hostetler, Jessica B.; Yewhalaw, Delenasaw; Mu, Jianbing; Neafsey, Daniel E.; Yan, Guiyun; Miller, Louis H.

2016-01-01

The ability of the malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax to invade erythrocytes is dependent on the expression of the Duffy blood group antigen on erythrocytes. Consequently, Africans who are null for the Duffy antigen are not susceptible to P. vivax infections. Recently, P. vivax infections in Duffy-null Africans have been documented, raising the possibility that P. vivax, a virulent pathogen in other parts of the world, may expand malarial disease in Africa. P. vivax binds the Duffy blood group antigen through its Duffy-binding protein 1 (DBP1). To determine if mutations in DBP1 resulted in the ability of P. vivax to bind Duffy-null erythrocytes, we analyzed P. vivax parasites obtained from two Duffy-null individuals living in Ethiopia where Duffy-null and -positive Africans live side-by-side. We determined that, although the DBP1s from these parasites contained unique sequences, they failed to bind Duffy-null erythrocytes, indicating that mutations in DBP1 did not account for the ability of P. vivax to infect Duffy-null Africans. However, an unusual DNA expansion of DBP1 (three and eight copies) in the two Duffy-null P. vivax infections suggests that an expansion of DBP1 may have been selected to allow low-affinity binding to another receptor on Duffy-null erythrocytes. Indeed, we show that Salvador (Sal) I P. vivax infects Squirrel monkeys independently of DBP1 binding to Squirrel monkey erythrocytes. We conclude that P. vivax Sal I and perhaps P. vivax in Duffy-null patients may have adapted to use new ligand–receptor pairs for invasion. PMID:27190089

Stabilization of electrically conducting capillary bridges using feedback control of radial electrostatic stresses and the shapes of extended bridges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marr-Lyon, Mark J.; Thiessen, David B.; Blonigen, Florian J.; Marston, Philip L.

2000-05-01

Electrically conducting, cylindrical liquid bridges in a density-matched, electrically insulating bath were stabilized beyond the Rayleigh-Plateau (RP) limit using electrostatic stresses applied by concentric ring electrodes. A circular liquid cylinder of length L and radius R in real or simulated zero gravity becomes unstable when the slenderness S=L/2R exceeds π. The initial instability involves the growth of the so-called (2, 0) mode of the bridge in which one side becomes thin and the other side rotund. A mode-sensing optical system detects the growth of the (2, 0) mode and an analog feedback system applies the appropriate voltages to a pair of concentric ring electrodes positioned near the ends of the bridge in order to counter the growth of the (2, 0) mode and prevent breakup of the bridge. The conducting bridge is formed between metal disks which are grounded. Three feedback algorithms were tested and each found capable of stabilizing a bridge well beyond the RP limit. All three algorithms stabilized bridges having S as great as 4.3 and the extended bridges broke immediately when feedback was terminated. One algorithm was suitable for stabilization approaching S=4.493… where the (3, 0) mode is predicted to become unstable for cylindrical bridges. For that algorithm the equilibrium shapes of bridges that were slightly under or over inflated corresponded to solutions of the Young-Laplace equation with negligible electrostatic stresses. The electrical conductivity of the bridge liquid need not be large. The conductivity was associated with salt added to the aqueous bridge liquid.

Toroidally symmetric plasma vortex at tokamak divertor null point

DOE PAGES

Umansky, M. V.; Ryutov, D. D.

2016-03-09

Reduced MHD equations are used for studying toroidally symmetric plasma dynamics near the divertor null point. Numerical solution of these equations exhibits a plasma vortex localized at the null point with the time-evolution defined by interplay of the curvature drive, magnetic restoring force, and dissipation. Convective motion is easier to achieve for a second-order null (snowflake) divertor than for a regular x-point configuration, and the size of the convection zone in a snowflake configuration grows with plasma pressure at the null point. In conclusion, the trends in simulations are consistent with tokamak experiments which indicate the presence of enhanced transportmore » at the null point.« less

Off-Axis Nulling Transfer Function Measurement: A First Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vedova, G. Dalla; Menut, J.-L.; Millour, F.; Petrov, R.; Cassaing, F.; Danchi, W. C.; Jacquinod, S.; Lhome, E.; Lopez, B.; Lozi, J.;

Loss of Vitamin D Receptor Produces Polyuria by Increasing Thirst

PubMed Central

Kong, Juan; Zhang, Zhongyi; Li, Dongdong; Wong, Kari E.; Zhang, Yan; Szeto, Frances L.; Musch, Mark W.; Li, Yan Chun

2008-01-01

Vitamin D receptor (VDR)-null mice develop polyuria, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the relationship between vitamin D and homeostasis of water and electrolytes. VDR-null mice had polyuria, but the urine osmolarity was normal as a result of high salt excretion. The urinary responses to water restriction and to vasopressin were similar between wild-type and VDR-null mice, suggesting intact fluid-handling capacity in VDR-null mice. Compared with wild-type mice, however, renin and angiotensin II were dramatically upregulated in the kidney and brain of VDR-null mice, leading to a marked increase in water intake and salt appetite. Angiotensin II–mediated upregulation of intestinal NHE3 expression partially explained the increased salt absorption and excretion in VDR-null mice. In the brain of VDR-null mice, expression of c-Fos, which is known to associate with increased water intake, was increased in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and the subfornical organ. Treatment with an angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist normalized water intake, urinary volume, and c-Fos expression in VDR-null mice. Furthermore, despite a salt-deficient diet to reduce intestinal salt absorption, VDR-null mice still maintained the increased water intake and urinary output. Together, these data indicate that the polyuria observed in VDR-null mice is not caused by impaired renal fluid handling or increased intestinal salt absorption but rather is the result of increased water intake induced by the increase in systemic and brain angiotensin II. PMID:18832438

Loss of vitamin D receptor produces polyuria by increasing thirst.

PubMed

Kong, Juan; Zhang, Zhongyi; Li, Dongdong; Wong, Kari E; Zhang, Yan; Szeto, Frances L; Musch, Mark W; Li, Yan Chun

2008-12-01

Vitamin D receptor (VDR)-null mice develop polyuria, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the relationship between vitamin D and homeostasis of water and electrolytes. VDR-null mice had polyuria, but the urine osmolarity was normal as a result of high salt excretion. The urinary responses to water restriction and to vasopressin were similar between wild-type and VDR-null mice, suggesting intact fluid-handling capacity in VDR-null mice. Compared with wild-type mice, however, renin and angiotensin II were dramatically upregulated in the kidney and brain of VDR-null mice, leading to a marked increase in water intake and salt appetite. Angiotensin II-mediated upregulation of intestinal NHE3 expression partially explained the increased salt absorption and excretion in VDR-null mice. In the brain of VDR-null mice, expression of c-Fos, which is known to associate with increased water intake, was increased in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and the subfornical organ. Treatment with an angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist normalized water intake, urinary volume, and c-Fos expression in VDR-null mice. Furthermore, despite a salt-deficient diet to reduce intestinal salt absorption, VDR-null mice still maintained the increased water intake and urinary output. Together, these data indicate that the polyuria observed in VDR-null mice is not caused by impaired renal fluid handling or increased intestinal salt absorption but rather is the result of increased water intake induced by the increase in systemic and brain angiotensin II.

Abnormal Mammary Development in 129:STAT1-Null Mice is Stroma-Dependent

PubMed Central

Cardiff, Robert D.; Trott, Josephine F.; Hovey, Russell C.; Hubbard, Neil E.; Engelberg, Jesse A.; Tepper, Clifford G.; Willis, Brandon J.; Khan, Imran H.; Ravindran, Resmi K.; Chan, Szeman R.; Schreiber, Robert D.; Borowsky, Alexander D.

2015-01-01

Female 129:Stat1-null mice (129S6/SvEvTac-Stat1tm1Rds homozygous) uniquely develop estrogen-receptor (ER)-positive mammary tumors. Herein we report that the mammary glands (MG) of these mice have altered growth and development with abnormal terminal end buds alongside defective branching morphogenesis and ductal elongation. We also find that the 129:Stat1-null mammary fat pad (MFP) fails to sustain the growth of 129S6/SvEv wild-type and Stat1-null epithelium. These abnormalities are partially reversed by elevated serum progesterone and prolactin whereas transplantation of wild-type bone marrow into 129:Stat1-null mice does not reverse the MG developmental defects. Medium conditioned by 129:Stat1-null epithelium-cleared MFP does not stimulate epithelial proliferation, whereas it is stimulated by medium conditioned by epithelium-cleared MFP from either wild-type or 129:Stat1-null females having elevated progesterone and prolactin. Microarrays and multiplexed cytokine assays reveal that the MG of 129:Stat1-null mice has lower levels of growth factors that have been implicated in normal MG growth and development. Transplanted 129:Stat1-null tumors and their isolated cells also grow slower in 129:Stat1-null MG compared to wild-type recipient MG. These studies demonstrate that growth of normal and neoplastic 129:Stat1-null epithelium is dependent on the hormonal milieu and on factors from the mammary stroma such as cytokines. While the individual or combined effects of these factors remains to be resolved, our data supports the role of STAT1 in maintaining a tumor-suppressive MG microenvironment. PMID:26075897

Impaired hypothalamic regulation of endocrine function and delayed counterregulatory response to hypoglycemia in Magel2-null mice.

PubMed

Tennese, Alysa A; Wevrick, Rachel

2011-03-01

Hypothalamic dysfunction may underlie endocrine abnormalities in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a genetic disorder that features GH deficiency, obesity, and infertility. One of the genes typically inactivated in PWS, MAGEL2, is highly expressed in the hypothalamus. Mice deficient for Magel2 are obese with increased fat mass and decreased lean mass and have blunted circadian rhythm. Here, we demonstrate that Magel2-null mice have abnormalities of hypothalamic endocrine axes that recapitulate phenotypes in PWS. Magel2-null mice had elevated basal corticosterone levels, and although male Magel2-null mice had an intact corticosterone response to restraint and to insulin-induced hypoglycemia, female Magel2-null mice failed to respond to hypoglycemia with increased corticosterone. After insulin-induced hypoglycemia, Magel2-null mice of both sexes became more profoundly hypoglycemic, and female mice were slower to recover euglycemia, suggesting an impaired hypothalamic counterregulatory response. GH insufficiency can produce abnormal body composition, such as that seen in PWS and in Magel2-null mice. Male Magel2-null mice had Igf-I levels similar to control littermates. Female Magel2-null mice had low Igf-I levels and reduced GH release in response to stimulation with ghrelin. Female Magel2-null mice did respond to GHRH, suggesting that their GH deficiency has a hypothalamic rather than pituitary origin. Female Magel2-null mice also had higher serum adiponectin than expected, considering their increased fat mass, and thyroid (T(4)) levels were low. Together, these findings strongly suggest that loss of MAGEL2 contributes to endocrine dysfunction of hypothalamic origin in individuals with PWS.

Interactions Between Nuclear Receptor SHP and FOXA1 Maintain Oscillatory Homocysteine Homeostasis in Mice.

PubMed

Tsuchiya, Hiroyuki; da Costa, Kerry-Ann; Lee, Sangmin; Renga, Barbara; Jaeschke, Hartmut; Yang, Zhihong; Orena, Stephen J; Goedken, Michael J; Zhang, Yuxia; Kong, Bo; Lebofsky, Margitta; Rudraiah, Swetha; Smalling, Rana; Guo, Grace; Fiorucci, Stefano; Zeisel, Steven H; Wang, Li

2015-05-01

Hyperhomocysteinemia is often associated with liver and metabolic diseases. We studied nuclear receptors that mediate oscillatory control of homocysteine homeostasis in mice. We studied mice with disruptions in Nr0b2 (called small heterodimer partner [SHP]-null mice), betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase (Bhmt), or both genes (BHMT-null/SHP-null mice), along with mice with wild-type copies of these genes (controls). Hyperhomocysteinemia was induced by feeding mice alcohol (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism binge model) or chow diets along with water containing 0.18% DL-homocysteine. Some mice were placed on diets containing cholic acid (1%) or cholestyramine (2%) or high-fat diets (60%). Serum and livers were collected during a 24-hour light-dark cycle and analyzed by RNA-seq, metabolomic, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunoblot, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. SHP-null mice had altered timing in expression of genes that regulate homocysteine metabolism compared with control mice. Oscillatory production of S-adenosylmethionine, betaine, choline, phosphocholine, glyceophosphocholine, cystathionine, cysteine, hydrogen sulfide, glutathione disulfide, and glutathione, differed between SHP-null mice and control mice. SHP inhibited transcriptional activation of Bhmt and cystathionine γ-lyase by FOXA1. Expression of Bhmt and cystathionine γ-lyase was decreased when mice were fed cholic acid but increased when they were placed on diets containing cholestyramine or high-fat content. Diets containing ethanol or homocysteine induced hyperhomocysteinemia and glucose intolerance in control, but not SHP-null, mice. In BHMT-null and BHMT-null/SHP-null mice fed a control liquid, lipid vacuoles were observed in livers. Ethanol feeding induced accumulation of macrovesicular lipid vacuoles to the greatest extent in BHMT-null and BHMT-null/SHP-null mice. Disruption of Shp in mice alters timing of expression of genes that regulate homocysteine metabolism and the liver responses to ethanol and homocysteine. SHP inhibits the transcriptional activation of Bhmt and cystathionine γ-lyase by FOXA1. Copyright © 2015 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Compensatory changes in CYP expression in three different toxicology mouse models: CAR-null, Cyp3a-null, and Cyp2b9/10/13-null mice

PubMed Central

Kumar, Ramiya; Mota, Linda C.; Litoff, Elizabeth J.; Rooney, John P.; Boswell, W. Tyler; Courter, Elliott; Henderson, Charles M.; Hernandez, Juan P.; Corton, J. Christopher; Moore, David D.

2017-01-01

Targeted mutant models are common in mechanistic toxicology experiments investigating the absorption, metabolism, distribution, or elimination (ADME) of chemicals from individuals. Key models include those for xenosensing transcription factors and cytochrome P450s (CYP). Here we investigated changes in transcript levels, protein expression, and steroid hydroxylation of several xenobiotic detoxifying CYPs in constitutive androstane receptor (CAR)-null and two CYP-null mouse models that have subfamily members regulated by CAR; the Cyp3a-null and a newly described Cyp2b9/10/13-null mouse model. Compensatory changes in CYP expression that occur in these models may also occur in polymorphic humans, or may complicate interpretation of ADME studies performed using these models. The loss of CAR causes significant changes in several CYPs probably due to loss of CAR-mediated constitutive regulation of these CYPs. Expression and activity changes include significant repression of Cyp2a and Cyp2b members with corresponding drops in 6α- and 16β-testosterone hydroxylase activity. Further, the ratio of 6α-/15α-hydroxylase activity, a biomarker of sexual dimorphism in the liver, indicates masculinization of female CAR-null mice, suggesting a role for CAR in the regulation of sexually dimorphic liver CYP profiles. The loss of Cyp3a causes fewer changes than CAR. Nevertheless, there are compensatory changes including gender-specific increases in Cyp2a and Cyp2b. Cyp2a and Cyp2b were down-regulated in CAR-null mice, suggesting activation of CAR and potentially PXR following loss of the Cyp3a members. However, the loss of Cyp2b causes few changes in hepatic CYP transcript levels and almost no significant compensatory changes in protein expression or activity with the possible exception of 6α-hydroxylase activity. This lack of a compensatory response in the Cyp2b9/10/13-null mice is probably due to low CYP2B hepatic expression, especially in male mice. Overall, compensatory and regulatory CYP changes followed the order CAR-null > Cyp3a-null > Cyp2b-null mice. PMID:28350814

Survival of glucose phosphate isomerase null somatic cells and germ cells in adult mouse chimaeras

PubMed Central

Keighren, Margaret A.; Flockhart, Jean H.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The mouse Gpi1 gene encodes the glycolytic enzyme glucose phosphate isomerase. Homozygous Gpi1−/− null mouse embryos die but a previous study showed that some homozygous Gpi1−/− null cells survived when combined with wild-type cells in fetal chimaeras. One adult female Gpi1−/−↔Gpi1c/c chimaera with functional Gpi1−/− null oocytes was also identified in a preliminary study. The aims were to characterise the survival of Gpi1−/− null cells in adult Gpi1−/−↔Gpi1c/c chimaeras and determine if Gpi1−/− null germ cells are functional. Analysis of adult Gpi1−/−↔Gpi1c/c chimaeras with pigment and a reiterated transgenic lineage marker showed that low numbers of homozygous Gpi1−/− null cells could survive in many tissues of adult chimaeras, including oocytes. Breeding experiments confirmed that Gpi1−/− null oocytes in one female Gpi1−/−↔Gpi1c/c chimaera were functional and provided preliminary evidence that one male putative Gpi1−/−↔Gpi1c/c chimaera produced functional spermatozoa from homozygous Gpi1−/− null germ cells. Although the male chimaera was almost certainly Gpi1−/−↔Gpi1c/c, this part of the study is considered preliminary because only blood was typed for GPI. Gpi1−/− null germ cells should survive in a chimaeric testis if they are supported by wild-type Sertoli cells. It is also feasible that spermatozoa could bypass a block at GPI, but not blocks at some later steps in glycolysis, by using fructose, rather than glucose, as the substrate for glycolysis. Although chimaera analysis proved inefficient for studying the fate of Gpi1−/− null germ cells, it successfully identified functional Gpi1−/− null oocytes and revealed that some Gpi1−/− null cells could survive in many adult tissues. PMID:27103217

Compensatory changes in CYP expression in three different toxicology mouse models: CAR-null, Cyp3a-null, and Cyp2b9/10/13-null mice.

PubMed

Kumar, Ramiya; Mota, Linda C; Litoff, Elizabeth J; Rooney, John P; Boswell, W Tyler; Courter, Elliott; Henderson, Charles M; Hernandez, Juan P; Corton, J Christopher; Moore, David D; Baldwin, William S

2017-01-01

Targeted mutant models are common in mechanistic toxicology experiments investigating the absorption, metabolism, distribution, or elimination (ADME) of chemicals from individuals. Key models include those for xenosensing transcription factors and cytochrome P450s (CYP). Here we investigated changes in transcript levels, protein expression, and steroid hydroxylation of several xenobiotic detoxifying CYPs in constitutive androstane receptor (CAR)-null and two CYP-null mouse models that have subfamily members regulated by CAR; the Cyp3a-null and a newly described Cyp2b9/10/13-null mouse model. Compensatory changes in CYP expression that occur in these models may also occur in polymorphic humans, or may complicate interpretation of ADME studies performed using these models. The loss of CAR causes significant changes in several CYPs probably due to loss of CAR-mediated constitutive regulation of these CYPs. Expression and activity changes include significant repression of Cyp2a and Cyp2b members with corresponding drops in 6α- and 16β-testosterone hydroxylase activity. Further, the ratio of 6α-/15α-hydroxylase activity, a biomarker of sexual dimorphism in the liver, indicates masculinization of female CAR-null mice, suggesting a role for CAR in the regulation of sexually dimorphic liver CYP profiles. The loss of Cyp3a causes fewer changes than CAR. Nevertheless, there are compensatory changes including gender-specific increases in Cyp2a and Cyp2b. Cyp2a and Cyp2b were down-regulated in CAR-null mice, suggesting activation of CAR and potentially PXR following loss of the Cyp3a members. However, the loss of Cyp2b causes few changes in hepatic CYP transcript levels and almost no significant compensatory changes in protein expression or activity with the possible exception of 6α-hydroxylase activity. This lack of a compensatory response in the Cyp2b9/10/13-null mice is probably due to low CYP2B hepatic expression, especially in male mice. Overall, compensatory and regulatory CYP changes followed the order CAR-null > Cyp3a-null > Cyp2b-null mice.

Continuation of periodic orbits in the Sun-Mercury elliptic restricted three-body problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Hao; Bai, Xiaoli; Xu, Shijie

2017-06-01

Starting from resonant Halo orbits in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem (CRTBP), Multi-revolution Elliptic Halo (ME-Halo) orbits around L1 and L2 points in the Sun-Mercury Elliptic Restricted Three-Body Problem (ERTBP) are generated systematically. Three pairs of resonant parameters M5N2, M7N3 and M9N4 are tested. The first pair shows special features and is investigated in detail. Three separated characteristic curves of periodic orbit around each libration point are obtained, showing the eccentricity varies non-monotonically along these curves. The eccentricity of the Sun-Mercury system can be achieved by continuation method in just a few cases. The stability analysis shows that these orbits are all unstable and the complex instability occurs with certain parameters. This paper shows new periodic orbits in both the CRTBP and the ERTBP. Totally four periodic orbits with parameters M5N2 around each libration points are extracted in the Sun-Mercury ERTBP.

Corrugation Instability of a Coronal Arcade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimushkin, D. Y.; Nakariakov, V. M.; Mager, P. N.; Cheremnykh, O. K.

2017-12-01

We analyse the behaviour of linear magnetohydrodynamic perturbations of a coronal arcade modelled by a half-cylinder with an azimuthal magnetic field and non-uniform radial profiles of the plasma pressure, temperature, and the field. Attention is paid to the perturbations with short longitudinal (in the direction along the arcade) wavelengths. The radial structure of the perturbations, either oscillatory or evanescent, is prescribed by the radial profiles of the equilibrium quantities. Conditions for the corrugation instability of the arcade are determined. It is established that the instability growth rate increases with decreases in the longitudinal wavelength and the radial wave number. In the unstable mode, the radial perturbations of the magnetic field are stronger than the longitudinal perturbations, creating an almost circularly corrugated rippling of the arcade in the longitudinal direction. For coronal conditions, the growth time of the instability is shorter than one minute, decreasing with an increase in the temperature. Implications of the developed theory for the dynamics of coronal active regions are discussed.

Triangular Libration Points in the CR3BP with Radiation, Triaxiality and Potential from a Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Jagadish; Taura, Joel John

2017-07-01

In this paper the equations of motion of the circular restricted three body problem is modified to include radiation of the bigger primary, triaxiality of the smaller primary; and gravitational potential created by a belt. We have obtained that due to the perturbations, the locations of the triangular libration points and their linear stability are affected. The points move towards the bigger primary due to the resultant effect of the perturbations. Triangular libration points are stable for 0<μ<μc0<μ<μc and unstable for μc≤μ≤12μc≤μ≤12, where μcμc is the critical mass ratio affected by the perturbations. The radiation of the bigger primary and triaxiality of the smaller primary have destabilizing propensities, whereas the potential created by the belt has stabilizing propensity. This model could be applied in the study of the motion of a dust particle near radiating -triaxial binary system surrounded by a belt.

Layering Transitions and Squeeze-Out Patterns in Nanoscale Polymeric Soap Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berg, Steffen; Troian, Sandra M.

2004-11-01

Oscillatory forces in freely suspended or confined nanofilms of micellar solutions, colloidal suspensions, alkanes and semidilute polyelectrolyte films generate stepwise thinning during the final stages of film drainage. The step jump correlates with the basic aggregation unit such as the micellar size or the polymer mesh size. In all studies so far reported, the interface separating films of different thickness is circular or elliptical, as seen in common or Newton black films. Our studies of freely suspended soaps films containing an anionic surfactant and nonionic polymer have revealed that the last stratification event expands with a fractal boundary whose dimension increases with the solution viscosity above a critical value. Unstable front propagation resembles a viscous fingering instability. We propose that internal film layering due to confinement of polymer-surfactant aggregates leads to a smaller viscosity in the thinnest film (≈ 12 nm), which rapidly penetrates into an exterior layer (≈ 62 nm) of higher viscosity. Subsequent coarsening of the fractal interface mimics shapes recently observed in macroscopic systems.

Monopolar vortices as relative equilibria and their dissipative decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vandefliert, B. W.; Vangroesen, E. W. C.

1991-11-01

Families of confined rotating monopolar vortices are characterized using a variational formulation with the angular momentum as the driving force for confinement. The characterization for positive monopolar vortices given, can be extended to negative vortices or to vortices within a rotating frame of reference. Besides the uniform Kirchhoff paths, new branches of vorticity solutions are found restricting the dynamics to levelsets of both the angular momentum and the quadratic anisotropy. The rotation rate of the smooth vorticity structures depends on the vorticity profile. This is made perceptible by considering both minimum energy vortices and minimizing vortices, rotating counterclockwise and clockwise respectively. An approximation for the decay of the vortices due to dissipation is given in terms of the dissipation of the integrals in the inviscid system. This description enables us to consider dissipation of vortices without loss of confinement. The elliptical Kirchhoff patches are found to symmetrize into circular patches. The minimum energy vortices gradually diminish while expending their support, while the maximum energy vortices are unstable for the dissipative evolution.

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

French, Jarrod B.; Ealick, Steven E.

The stereospecific oxidative degradation of uric acid to (S)-allantoin was recently shown to proceed via three enzymatic steps. The final conversion is a decarboxylation of the unstable intermediate 2-oxo-4-hydroxy-4-carboxy-5-ureidoimidazoline (OHCU) and is catalyzed by OHCU decarboxylase. Here we present the structures of Klebsiella pneumoniae OHCU decarboxylase in unliganded form and with bound allantoin. These structures provide evidence that ligand binding organizes the active site residues for catalysis. Modeling of the substrate and intermediates provides additional support for this hypothesis. In addition we characterize the steady state kinetics of this enzyme and report the first OHCU decarboxylase inhibitor, allopurinol, a structuralmore » isomer of hypoxanthine. This molecule is a competitive inhibitor of K. pneumoniae OHCU decarboxylase with a K{sub i} of 30 {+-} 2 {micro}m. Circular dichroism measurements confirm structural observations that this inhibitor disrupts the necessary organization of the active site. Our structural and biochemical studies also provide further insights into the mechanism of catalysis of OHCU decarboxylation.« less

Null Models for Everyone: A Two-Step Approach to Teaching Null Model Analysis of Biological Community Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCabe, Declan J.; Knight, Evelyn J.

2016-01-01

Since being introduced by Connor and Simberloff in response to Diamond's assembly rules, null model analysis has been a controversial tool in community ecology. Despite being commonly used in the primary literature, null model analysis has not featured prominently in general textbooks. Complexity of approaches along with difficulty in interpreting…

Alignment of optical system components using an ADM beam through a null assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayden, Joseph E. (Inventor); Olczak, Eugene G. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A system for testing an optical surface includes a rangefinder configured to emit a light beam and a null assembly located between the rangefinder and the optical surface. The null assembly is configured to receive and to reflect the emitted light beam toward the optical surface. The light beam reflected from the null assembly is further reflected back from the optical surface toward the null assembly as a return light beam. The rangefinder is configured to measure a distance to the optical surface using the return light beam.

Interpreting null results from measurements with uncertain correlations: an info-gap approach.

PubMed

Ben-Haim, Yakov

2011-01-01

Null events—not detecting a pernicious agent—are the basis for declaring the agent is absent. Repeated nulls strengthen confidence in the declaration. However, correlations between observations are difficult to assess in many situations and introduce uncertainty in interpreting repeated nulls. We quantify uncertain correlations using an info-gap model, which is an unbounded family of nested sets of possible probabilities. An info-gap model is nonprobabilistic and entails no assumption about a worst case. We then evaluate the robustness, to uncertain correlations, of estimates of the probability of a null event. This is then the basis for evaluating a nonprobabilistic robustness-based confidence interval for the probability of a null. © 2010 Society for Risk Analysis.

Kerr black holes with scalar hair.

PubMed

Herdeiro, Carlos A R; Radu, Eugen

2014-06-06

We present a family of solutions of Einstein's gravity minimally coupled to a complex, massive scalar field, describing asymptotically flat, spinning black holes with scalar hair and a regular horizon. These hairy black holes (HBHs) are supported by rotation and have no static limit. Besides mass M and angular momentum J, they carry a conserved, continuous Noether charge Q measuring the scalar hair. HBHs branch off from the Kerr metric at the threshold of the superradiant instability and reduce to spinning boson stars in the limit of vanishing horizon area. They overlap with Kerr black holes for a set of (M, J) values. A single Killing vector field preserves the solutions, tangent to the null geodesic generators of the event horizon. HBHs can exhibit sharp physical differences when compared to the Kerr solution, such as J/M^{2}>1, a quadrupole moment larger than J^{2}/M, and a larger orbital angular velocity at the innermost stable circular orbit. Families of HBHs connected to the Kerr geometry should exist in scalar (and other) models with more general self-interactions.

Optical Metrology for the Segmented Optics on the Constellation-X Spectroscopy X-Ray Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Content, David; Colella, David; Fleetwood, Charles; Hadjimichael, Theo; Lehan, John; McMann, Joseph; Reid, Paul; Saha, Timo; Wright, Geraldine; Zhang, William

2004-01-01

We present the metrology requirements and metrology implementation necessary to prove out the reflector technology for the Constellation X(C-X) spectroscopy X-ray telescope (SXT). This segmented, 1.6m diameter highly nested Wolter-1 telescope presents many metrology and alignment challenges. In particular, these mirrors have a stringent imaging error budget as compared to their intrinsic stiffness; This is required for Constellation-X to have sufficient effective area with the weight requirement. This has implications for the metrology that can be used. A variety of contract and noncontact optical profiling and interferometric methods are combined to test the formed glass substrates before replication and the replicated reflector segments.The reflectors are tested both stand-alone and in-situ in an alignment tower.Some of these methods have not been used on prior X-ray telescopes and some are feasible only because of the segmented approach used on the SXT. Methods discussed include high precision coordinate measurement machines using very low force or optical probe axial interferometric profiling azimuthal circularity profiling and use of advanced null optics such as conical computer generated hologram (CGHs).

Post-Kerr black hole spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glampedakis, Kostas; Pappas, George; Silva, Hector O.; Berti, Emanuele

2017-09-01

One of the central goals of the newborn field of gravitational wave astronomy is to test gravity in the highly nonlinear, strong field regime characterizing the spacetime of black holes. In particular, "black hole spectroscopy" (the observation and identification of black hole quasinormal mode frequencies in the gravitational wave signal) is expected to become one of the main tools for probing the structure and dynamics of Kerr black holes. In this paper we take a significant step toward that goal by constructing a "post-Kerr" quasinormal mode formalism. The formalism incorporates a parametrized but general perturbative deviation from the Kerr metric and exploits the well-established connection between the properties of the spacetime's circular null geodesics and the fundamental quasinormal mode to provide approximate, eikonal limit formulas for the modes' complex frequencies. The resulting algebraic toolkit can be used in waveform templates for ringing black holes with the purpose of measuring deviations from the Kerr metric. As a first illustrative application of our framework, we consider the Johannsen-Psaltis deformed Kerr metric and compute the resulting deviation in the quasinormal mode frequency relative to the known Kerr result.

T null and M null genotypes of the glutathione S-transferase gene are risk factor for CAD independent of smoking

PubMed Central

Abu-Amero, Khaled K; Al-Boudari, Olayan M; Mohamed, Gamal H; Dzimiri, Nduna

2006-01-01

Background The association of the deletion in GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes with coronary artery disease (CAD) among smokers is controversial. In addition, no such investigation has previously been conducted among Arabs. Methods We genotyped 1054 CAD patients and 762 controls for GSTT1 and GSTM1 deletion by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Both CAD and controls were Saudi Arabs. Results In the control group (n = 762), 82.3% had the T wild M wildgenotype, 9% had the Twild M null, 2.4% had the Tnull M wild and 6.3% had the Tnull M null genotype. Among the CAD group (n = 1054), 29.5% had the Twild M wild genotype, 26.6% (p < .001) had the Twild M null, 8.3% (p < .001) had the Tnull M wild and 35.6% (p < .001) had the Tnull M null genotype, indicating a significant association of the Twild M null, Tnull M wild and Tnull M null genotypes with CAD. Univariate analysis also showed that smoking, age, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, diabetes mellitus, family history of CAD, hypertension and obesity are all associated with CAD, whereas gender and myocardial infarction are not. Binary logistic regression for smoking and genotypes indicated that only M null and Tnullare interacting with smoking. However, further subgroup analysis stratifying the data by smoking status suggested that genotype-smoking interactions have no effect on the development of CAD. Conclusion GSTT1 and GSTM1 null-genotypes are risk factor for CAD independent of genotype-smoking interaction. PMID:16620396

Qualification of a Null Lens Using Image-Based Phase Retrieval

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bolcar, Matthew R.; Aronstein, David L.; Hill, Peter C.; Smith, J. Scott; Zielinski, Thomas P.

2012-01-01

In measuring the figure error of an aspheric optic using a null lens, the wavefront contribution from the null lens must be independently and accurately characterized in order to isolate the optical performance of the aspheric optic alone. Various techniques can be used to characterize such a null lens, including interferometry, profilometry and image-based methods. Only image-based methods, such as phase retrieval, can measure the null-lens wavefront in situ - in single-pass, and at the same conjugates and in the same alignment state in which the null lens will ultimately be used - with no additional optical components. Due to the intended purpose of a Dull lens (e.g., to null a large aspheric wavefront with a near-equal-but-opposite spherical wavefront), characterizing a null-lens wavefront presents several challenges to image-based phase retrieval: Large wavefront slopes and high-dynamic-range data decrease the capture range of phase-retrieval algorithms, increase the requirements on the fidelity of the forward model of the optical system, and make it difficult to extract diagnostic information (e.g., the system F/#) from the image data. In this paper, we present a study of these effects on phase-retrieval algorithms in the context of a null lens used in component development for the Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) mission. Approaches for mitigation are also discussed.

Hypersensitivities for Acetaldehyde and Other Agents among Cancer Cells Null for Clinically Relevant Fanconi Anemia Genes

PubMed Central

Ghosh, Soma; Sur, Surojit; Yerram, Sashidhar R.; Rago, Carlo; Bhunia, Anil K.; Hossain, M. Zulfiquer; Paun, Bogdan C.; Ren, Yunzhao R.; Iacobuzio-Donahue, Christine A.; Azad, Nilofer A.; Kern, Scott E.

2014-01-01

Large-magnitude numerical distinctions (>10-fold) among drug responses of genetically contrasting cancers were crucial for guiding the development of some targeted therapies. Similar strategies brought epidemiological clues and prevention goals for genetic diseases. Such numerical guides, however, were incomplete or low magnitude for Fanconi anemia pathway (FANC) gene mutations relevant to cancer in FANC-mutation carriers (heterozygotes). We generated a four-gene FANC-null cancer panel, including the engineering of new PALB2/FANCN-null cancer cells by homologous recombination. A characteristic matching of FANCC-null, FANCG-null, BRCA2/FANCD1-null, and PALB2/FANCN-null phenotypes was confirmed by uniform tumor regression on single-dose cross-linker therapy in mice and by shared chemical hypersensitivities to various inter-strand cross-linking agents and γ-radiation in vitro. Some compounds, however, had contrasting magnitudes of sensitivity; a strikingly high (19- to 22-fold) hypersensitivity was seen among PALB2-null and BRCA2-null cells for the ethanol metabolite, acetaldehyde, associated with widespread chromosomal breakage at a concentration not producing breaks in parental cells. Because FANC-defective cancer cells can share or differ in their chemical sensitivities, patterns of selective hypersensitivity hold implications for the evolutionary understanding of this pathway. Clinical decisions for cancer-relevant prevention and management of FANC-mutation carriers could be modified by expanded studies of high-magnitude sensitivities. PMID:24200853

Perfect fluid tori orbiting Kehagias-Sfetsos naked singularities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuchlík, Z.; Pugliese, D.; Schee, J.; Kučáková, H.

2015-09-01

We construct perfect fluid tori in the field of the Kehagias-Sfetsos (K-S) naked singularities. These are spherically symmetric vacuum solutions of the modified Hořava quantum gravity, characterized by a dimensionless parameter ω M^2, combining the gravitational mass parameter M of the spacetime with the Hořava parameter ω reflecting the role of the quantum corrections. In dependence on the value of ω M^2, the K-S naked singularities demonstrate a variety of qualitatively different behavior of their circular geodesics that is fully reflected in the properties of the toroidal structures, demonstrating clear distinction to the properties of the torii in the Schwarzschild spacetimes. In all of the K-S naked singularity spacetimes the tori are located above an "antigravity" sphere where matter can stay in a stable equilibrium position, which is relevant for the stability of the orbiting fluid toroidal accretion structures. The signature of the K-S naked singularity is given by the properties of marginally stable tori orbiting with the uniform distribution of the specific angular momentum of the fluid, l= const. In the K-S naked singularity spacetimes with ω M^2 > 0.2811, doubled tori with the same l= const can exist; mass transfer between the outer torus and the inner one is possible under appropriate conditions, while only outflow to the outer space is allowed in complementary conditions. In the K-S spacetimes with ω M^2 < 0.2811, accretion from cusped perfect fluid tori is not possible due to the non-existence of unstable circular geodesics.

Bubble-induced cave collapse.

PubMed

Girihagama, Lakshika; Nof, Doron; Hancock, Cathrine

2015-01-01

Conventional wisdom among cave divers is that submerged caves in aquifers, such as in Florida or the Yucatan, are unstable due to their ever-growing size from limestone dissolution in water. Cave divers occasionally noted partial cave collapses occurring while they were in the cave, attributing this to their unintentional (and frowned upon) physical contact with the cave walls or the aforementioned "natural" instability of the cave. Here, we suggest that these cave collapses do not necessarily result from cave instability or contacts with walls, but rather from divers bubbles rising to the ceiling and reducing the buoyancy acting on isolated ceiling rocks. Using familiar theories for the strength of flat and arched (un-cracked) beams, we first show that the flat ceiling of a submerged limestone cave can have a horizontal expanse of 63 meters. This is much broader than that of most submerged Florida caves (~ 10 m). Similarly, we show that an arched cave roof can have a still larger expanse of 240 meters, again implying that Florida caves are structurally stable. Using familiar bubble dynamics, fluid dynamics of bubble-induced flows, and accustomed diving practices, we show that a group of 1-3 divers submerged below a loosely connected ceiling rock will quickly trigger it to fall causing a "collapse". We then present a set of qualitative laboratory experiments illustrating such a collapse in a circular laboratory cave (i.e., a cave with a circular cross section), with concave and convex ceilings. In these experiments, a metal ball represented the rock (attached to the cave ceiling with a magnet), and the bubbles were produced using a syringe located at the cave floor.

Null conformal Killing-Yano tensors and Birkhoff theorem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrando, Joan Josep; Sáez, Juan Antonio

2016-04-01

We study the space-times admitting a null conformal Killing-Yano tensor whose divergence defines a Killing vector. We analyze the similarities and differences with the recently studied non null case (Ferrando and Sáez in Gen Relativ Gravit 47:1911, 2015). The results by Barnes concerning the Birkhoff theorem for the case of null orbits are analyzed and generalized.

Progesterone facilitates chromosome instability (aneuploidy) in p53 null normal mammary epithelial cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goepfert, T. M.; McCarthy, M.; Kittrell, F. S.; Stephens, C.; Ullrich, R. L.; Brinkley, B. R.; Medina, D.

2000-01-01

Mammary epithelial cells from p53 null mice have been shown recently to exhibit an increased risk for tumor development. Hormonal stimulation markedly increased tumor development in p53 null mammary cells. Here we demonstrate that mammary tumors arising in p53 null mammary cells are highly aneuploid, with greater than 70% of the tumor cells containing altered chromosome number and a mean chromosome number of 56. Normal mammary cells of p53 null genotype and aged less than 14 wk do not exhibit aneuploidy in primary cell culture. Significantly, the hormone progesterone, but not estrogen, increases the incidence of aneuploidy in morphologically normal p53 null mammary epithelial cells. Such cells exhibited 40% aneuploidy and a mean chromosome number of 54. The increase in aneuploidy measured in p53 null tumor cells or hormonally stimulated normal p53 null cells was not accompanied by centrosome amplification. These results suggest that normal levels of progesterone can facilitate chromosomal instability in the absence of the tumor suppressor gene, p53. The results support the emerging hypothesis based both on human epidemiological and animal model studies that progesterone markedly enhances mammary tumorigenesis.

Molecular characterization of infants with type 2 Gaucher disease

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

Stubblefield, B.; Martin, B.M.; Ginns, E.I.

1994-09-01

Type 2 (acute neuronopathic) Gaucher disease was previously thought to be stereotypic in presentation with neurologic deterioration and death by age 2-3 years. However, the generation of a null allele knock-out Gaucher mouse led to the recognition of a subset of type 2 patients who die as neonates. To better understand this subgroup we studied DNA, RNA and residual enzyme activity in fibroblasts from neonatal type 2 Gaucher patients, {open_quotes}classic{close_quotes} type 2 patients, type 1 and type 3 patients and normal individuals. Mutational analysis revealed genotypic heterogeneity in each group. One patient with severe neonatal Gaucher disease and hydrops fetalismore » was homoallelic for a complex allele including mutations L44P, A456P and V460V, while others had different or unknown alleles. Northern blots demonstrated that transcription was intact even in the neonatal lethal patients. However, the more severe type 2 patients had virtually no protein on Western, indicating that the transcript is either not appropriately translated or results in an unstable protein. Thus type 2 Gaucher disease exhibits more phenotypic, genotypic and biochemical heterogeneity than previously appreciated.« less

Climatic warming destabilizes forest ant communities

PubMed Central

Diamond, Sarah E.; Nichols, Lauren M.; Pelini, Shannon L.; Penick, Clint A.; Barber, Grace W.; Cahan, Sara Helms; Dunn, Robert R.; Ellison, Aaron M.; Sanders, Nathan J.; Gotelli, Nicholas J.

2016-01-01

How will ecological communities change in response to climate warming? Direct effects of temperature and indirect cascading effects of species interactions are already altering the structure of local communities, but the dynamics of community change are still poorly understood. We explore the cumulative effects of warming on the dynamics and turnover of forest ant communities that were warmed as part of a 5-year climate manipulation experiment at two sites in eastern North America. At the community level, warming consistently increased occupancy of nests and decreased extinction and nest abandonment. This consistency was largely driven by strong responses of a subset of thermophilic species at each site. As colonies of thermophilic species persisted in nests for longer periods of time under warmer temperatures, turnover was diminished, and species interactions were likely altered. We found that dynamical (Lyapunov) community stability decreased with warming both within and between sites. These results refute null expectations of simple temperature-driven increases in the activity and movement of thermophilic ectotherms. The reduction in stability under warming contrasts with the findings of previous studies that suggest resilience of species interactions to experimental and natural warming. In the face of warmer, no-analog climates, communities of the future may become increasingly fragile and unstable. PMID:27819044

Climatic warming destabilizes forest ant communities.

PubMed

Diamond, Sarah E; Nichols, Lauren M; Pelini, Shannon L; Penick, Clint A; Barber, Grace W; Cahan, Sara Helms; Dunn, Robert R; Ellison, Aaron M; Sanders, Nathan J; Gotelli, Nicholas J

2016-10-01

How will ecological communities change in response to climate warming? Direct effects of temperature and indirect cascading effects of species interactions are already altering the structure of local communities, but the dynamics of community change are still poorly understood. We explore the cumulative effects of warming on the dynamics and turnover of forest ant communities that were warmed as part of a 5-year climate manipulation experiment at two sites in eastern North America. At the community level, warming consistently increased occupancy of nests and decreased extinction and nest abandonment. This consistency was largely driven by strong responses of a subset of thermophilic species at each site. As colonies of thermophilic species persisted in nests for longer periods of time under warmer temperatures, turnover was diminished, and species interactions were likely altered. We found that dynamical (Lyapunov) community stability decreased with warming both within and between sites. These results refute null expectations of simple temperature-driven increases in the activity and movement of thermophilic ectotherms. The reduction in stability under warming contrasts with the findings of previous studies that suggest resilience of species interactions to experimental and natural warming. In the face of warmer, no-analog climates, communities of the future may become increasingly fragile and unstable.

NEC violation in mimetic cosmology revisited

DOE PAGES

Ijjas, Anna; Ripley, Justin; Steinhardt, Paul J.

2016-06-28

In the context of Einstein gravity, if the null energy condition (NEC) is satisfied, the energy density in expanding space–times always decreases while in contracting space–times the energy density grows and the universe eventually collapses into a singularity. In particular, no non-singular bounce is possible. It is, though, an open question if this energy condition can be violated in a controlled way, i.e., without introducing pathologies, such as unstable negative-energy states or an imaginary speed of sound. In this letter, we will re-examine the claim that the recently proposed mimetic scenario can violate the NEC without pathologies. We show thatmore » mimetic cosmology is prone to gradient instabilities even in cases when the NEC is satisfied (except for trivial examples). Most interestingly, the source of the instability is always the Einstein–Hilbert term in the action. The matter stress-energy component does not contribute spatial gradient terms but instead makes the problematic curvature modes dynamical. Finally, we also show that mimetic cosmology can be understood as a singular limit of known, well-behaved theories involving higher-derivative kinetic terms and discuss ways of removing the instability.« less

NEC violation in mimetic cosmology revisited

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

Ijjas, Anna; Ripley, Justin; Steinhardt, Paul J.

In the context of Einstein gravity, if the null energy condition (NEC) is satisfied, the energy density in expanding space–times always decreases while in contracting space–times the energy density grows and the universe eventually collapses into a singularity. In particular, no non-singular bounce is possible. It is, though, an open question if this energy condition can be violated in a controlled way, i.e., without introducing pathologies, such as unstable negative-energy states or an imaginary speed of sound. In this letter, we will re-examine the claim that the recently proposed mimetic scenario can violate the NEC without pathologies. We show thatmore » mimetic cosmology is prone to gradient instabilities even in cases when the NEC is satisfied (except for trivial examples). Most interestingly, the source of the instability is always the Einstein–Hilbert term in the action. The matter stress-energy component does not contribute spatial gradient terms but instead makes the problematic curvature modes dynamical. Finally, we also show that mimetic cosmology can be understood as a singular limit of known, well-behaved theories involving higher-derivative kinetic terms and discuss ways of removing the instability.« less

Population genetics inside a cell: Mutations and mitochondrial genome maintenance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goyal, Sidhartha; Shraiman, Boris; Gottschling, Dan

2012-02-01

In realistic ecological and evolutionary systems natural selection acts on multiple levels, i.e. it acts on individuals as well as on collection of individuals. An understanding of evolutionary dynamics of such systems is limited in large part due to the lack of experimental systems that can challenge theoretical models. Mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) are subjected to selection acting on cellular as well as organelle levels. It is well accepted that mtDNA in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is unstable and can degrade over time scales comparable to yeast cell division time. We utilize a recent technology designed in Gottschling lab to extract DNA from populations of aged yeast cells and deep sequencing to characterize mtDNA variation in a population of young and old cells. In tandem, we developed a stochastic model that includes the essential features of mitochondrial biology that provides a null model for expected mtDNA variation. Overall, we find approximately 2% of the polymorphic loci that show significant increase in frequency as cells age providing direct evidence for organelle level selection. Such quantitative study of mtDNA dynamics is absolutely essential to understand the propagation of mtDNA mutations linked to a spectrum of age-related diseases in humans.

Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGFβ1, TGFβ2 and TGFβ3) Null-Mutant Phenotypes in Embryonic Gonadal Development

PubMed Central

Memon, Mushtaq A.; Anway, Matthew D.; Covert, Trevor R.; Uzumcu, Mehmet; Skinner, Michael K.

2008-01-01

The role transforming growth factor beta (TGFb) isoforms TGFb1, TGFb2 and TGFb3 have in the regulation of embryonic gonadal development was investigated with the use of null-mutant (i.e. knockout) mice for each of the TGFb isoforms. Late embryonic gonadal development was investigated because homozygote TGFb null-mutant mice generally die around birth, with some embryonic loss as well. In the testis, the TGFb1 null-mutant mice had a decrease in the number of germ cells at birth, postnatal day 0 (P0). In the testis, the TGFb2 null-mutant mice had a decrease in the number of seminiferous cords at embryonic day 15 (E15). In the ovary, the TGFb2 null-mutant mice had an increase in the number of germ cells at P0. TGFb isoforms appear to have a role in gonadal development, but interactions between the isoforms is speculated to compensate in the different TGFb isoform null-mutant mice. PMID:18790002

Magnetoacoustic Waves in a Stratified Atmosphere with a Magnetic Null Point

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

Tarr, Lucas A.; Linton, Mark; Leake, James, E-mail: lucas.tarr.ctr@nrl.navy.mil

2017-03-01

We perform nonlinear MHD simulations to study the propagation of magnetoacoustic waves from the photosphere to the low corona. We focus on a 2D system with a gravitationally stratified atmosphere and three photospheric concentrations of magnetic flux that produce a magnetic null point with a magnetic dome topology. We find that a single wavepacket introduced at the lower boundary splits into multiple secondary wavepackets. A portion of the packet refracts toward the null owing to the varying Alfvén speed. Waves incident on the equipartition contour surrounding the null, where the sound and Alfvén speeds coincide, partially transmit, reflect, and mode-convertmore » between branches of the local dispersion relation. Approximately 15.5% of the wavepacket’s initial energy ( E {sub input}) converges on the null, mostly as a fast magnetoacoustic wave. Conversion is very efficient: 70% of the energy incident on the null is converted to slow modes propagating away from the null, 7% leaves as a fast wave, and the remaining 23% (0.036 E {sub input}) is locally dissipated. The acoustic energy leaving the null is strongly concentrated along field lines near each of the null’s four separatrices. The portion of the wavepacket that refracts toward the null, and the amount of current accumulation, depends on the vertical and horizontal wavenumbers and the centroid position of the wavepacket as it crosses the photosphere. Regions that refract toward or away from the null do not simply coincide with regions of open versus closed magnetic field or regions of particular field orientation. We also model wavepacket propagation using a WKB method and find that it agrees qualitatively, though not quantitatively, with the results of the numerical simulation.« less

OBSERVATION OF MAGNETIC RECONNECTION AT A 3D NULL POINT ASSOCIATED WITH A SOLAR ERUPTION

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

Sun, J. Q.; Yang, K.; Cheng, X.

Magnetic null has long been recognized as a special structure serving as a preferential site for magnetic reconnection (MR). However, the direct observational study of MR at null-points is largely lacking. Here, we show the observations of MR around a magnetic null associated with an eruption that resulted in an M1.7 flare and a coronal mass ejection. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites X-ray profile of the flare exhibited two peaks at ∼02:23 UT and ∼02:40 UT on 2012 November 8, respectively. Based on the imaging observations, we find that the first and also primary X-ray peak was originated from MRmore » in the current sheet (CS) underneath the erupting magnetic flux rope (MFR). On the other hand, the second and also weaker X-ray peak was caused by MR around a null point located above the pre-eruption MFR. The interaction of the null point and the erupting MFR can be described as a two-step process. During the first step, the erupting and fast expanding MFR passed through the null point, resulting in a significant displacement of the magnetic field surrounding the null. During the second step, the displaced magnetic field started to move back, resulting in a converging inflow and subsequently the MR around the null. The null-point reconnection is a different process from the current sheet reconnection in this flare; the latter is the cause of the main peak of the flare, while the former is the cause of the secondary peak of the flare and the conspicuous high-lying cusp structure.« less

An improved null model for assessing the net effects of multiple stressors on communities.

PubMed

Thompson, Patrick L; MacLennan, Megan M; Vinebrooke, Rolf D

2018-01-01

Ecological stressors (i.e., environmental factors outside their normal range of variation) can mediate each other through their interactions, leading to unexpected combined effects on communities. Determining whether the net effect of stressors is ecologically surprising requires comparing their cumulative impact to a null model that represents the linear combination of their individual effects (i.e., an additive expectation). However, we show that standard additive and multiplicative null models that base their predictions on the effects of single stressors on community properties (e.g., species richness or biomass) do not provide this linear expectation, leading to incorrect interpretations of antagonistic and synergistic responses by communities. We present an alternative, the compositional null model, which instead bases its predictions on the effects of stressors on individual species, and then aggregates them to the community level. Simulations demonstrate the improved ability of the compositional null model to accurately provide a linear expectation of the net effect of stressors. We simulate the response of communities to paired stressors that affect species in a purely additive fashion and compare the relative abilities of the compositional null model and two standard community property null models (additive and multiplicative) to predict these linear changes in species richness and community biomass across different combinations (both positive, negative, or opposite) and intensities of stressors. The compositional model predicts the linear effects of multiple stressors under almost all scenarios, allowing for proper classification of net effects, whereas the standard null models do not. Our findings suggest that current estimates of the prevalence of ecological surprises on communities based on community property null models are unreliable, and should be improved by integrating the responses of individual species to the community level as does our compositional null model. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

High frequency generation in the corona: Resonant cavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santamaria, I. C.; Van Doorsselaere, T.

2018-03-01

Aims: Null points are prominent magnetic field singularities in which the magnetic field strength strongly decreases in very small spatial scales. Around null points, predicted to be ubiquitous in the solar chromosphere and corona, the wave behavior changes considerably. Null points are also responsible for driving very energetic phenomena, and for contributing to chromospheric and coronal heating. In previous works we demonstrated that slow magneto-acoustic shock waves were generated in the chromosphere propagate through the null point, thereby producing a train of secondary shocks escaping along the field lines. A particular combination of the shock wave speeds generates waves at a frequency of 80 MHz. The present work aims to investigate this high frequency region around a coronal null point to give a plausible explanation to its generation at that particular frequency. Methods: We carried out a set of two-dimensional numerical simulations of wave propagation in the neighborhood of a null point located in the corona. We varied both the amplitude of the driver and the atmospheric properties to investigate the sensitivity of the high frequency waves to these parameters. Results: We demonstrate that the wave frequency is sensitive to the atmospheric parameters in the corona, but it is independent of the strength of the driver. Thus, the null point behaves as a resonant cavity generating waves at specific frequencies that depend on the background equilibrium model. Moreover, we conclude that the high frequency wave train generated at the null point is not necessarily a result of the interaction between the null point and a shock wave. This wave train can be also developed by the interaction between the null point and fast acoustic-like magneto-acoustic waves, that is, this interaction within the linear regime.

Band 3 nullVIENNA , a novel homozygous SLC4A1 p.Ser477X variant causing severe hemolytic anemia, dyserythropoiesis and complete distal renal tubular acidosis.

PubMed

Kager, Leo; Bruce, Lesley J; Zeitlhofer, Petra; Flatt, Joanna F; Maia, Tabita M; Ribeiro, M Leticia; Fahrner, Bernhard; Fritsch, Gerhard; Boztug, Kaan; Haas, Oskar A

2017-03-01

We describe the second patient with anionic exchanger 1/band 3 null phenotype (band 3 null VIENNA ), which was caused by a novel nonsense mutation c.1430C>A (p.Ser477X) in exon 12 of SLC4A1. We also update on the previous band 3 null COIMBRA patient, thereby elucidating the physiological implications of total loss of AE1/band 3. Besides transfusion-dependent severe hemolytic anemia and complete distal renal tubular acidosis, dyserythropoiesis was identified in the band 3 null VIENNA patient, suggesting a role for band 3 in erythropoiesis. Moreover, we also, for the first time, report that long-term survival is possible in band 3 null patients. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

On the Penrose inequality along null hypersurfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mars, Marc; Soria, Alberto

2016-06-01

The null Penrose inequality, i.e. the Penrose inequality in terms of the Bondi energy, is studied by introducing a functional on surfaces and studying its properties along a null hypersurface Ω extending to past null infinity. We prove a general Penrose-type inequality which involves the limit at infinity of the Hawking energy along a specific class of geodesic foliations called Geodesic Asymptotically Bondi (GAB), which are shown to always exist. Whenever this foliation approaches large spheres, this inequality becomes the null Penrose inequality and we recover the results of Ludvigsen-Vickers (1983 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 16 3349-53) and Bergqvist (1997 Class. Quantum Grav. 14 2577-83). By exploiting further properties of the functional along general geodesic foliations, we introduce an approach to the null Penrose inequality called the Renormalized Area Method and find a set of two conditions which imply the validity of the null Penrose inequality. One of the conditions involves a limit at infinity and the other a restriction on the spacetime curvature along the flow. We investigate their range of applicability in two particular but interesting cases, namely the shear-free and vacuum case, where the null Penrose inequality is known to hold from the results by Sauter (2008 PhD Thesis Zürich ETH), and the case of null shells propagating in the Minkowski spacetime. Finally, a general inequality bounding the area of the quasi-local black hole in terms of an asymptotic quantity intrinsic of Ω is derived.

Hypersensitivities for acetaldehyde and other agents among cancer cells null for clinically relevant Fanconi anemia genes.

PubMed

Ghosh, Soma; Sur, Surojit; Yerram, Sashidhar R; Rago, Carlo; Bhunia, Anil K; Hossain, M Zulfiquer; Paun, Bogdan C; Ren, Yunzhao R; Iacobuzio-Donahue, Christine A; Azad, Nilofer A; Kern, Scott E

2014-01-01

Large-magnitude numerical distinctions (>10-fold) among drug responses of genetically contrasting cancers were crucial for guiding the development of some targeted therapies. Similar strategies brought epidemiological clues and prevention goals for genetic diseases. Such numerical guides, however, were incomplete or low magnitude for Fanconi anemia pathway (FANC) gene mutations relevant to cancer in FANC-mutation carriers (heterozygotes). We generated a four-gene FANC-null cancer panel, including the engineering of new PALB2/FANCN-null cancer cells by homologous recombination. A characteristic matching of FANCC-null, FANCG-null, BRCA2/FANCD1-null, and PALB2/FANCN-null phenotypes was confirmed by uniform tumor regression on single-dose cross-linker therapy in mice and by shared chemical hypersensitivities to various inter-strand cross-linking agents and γ-radiation in vitro. Some compounds, however, had contrasting magnitudes of sensitivity; a strikingly high (19- to 22-fold) hypersensitivity was seen among PALB2-null and BRCA2-null cells for the ethanol metabolite, acetaldehyde, associated with widespread chromosomal breakage at a concentration not producing breaks in parental cells. Because FANC-defective cancer cells can share or differ in their chemical sensitivities, patterns of selective hypersensitivity hold implications for the evolutionary understanding of this pathway. Clinical decisions for cancer-relevant prevention and management of FANC-mutation carriers could be modified by expanded studies of high-magnitude sensitivities. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Investigative Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Olshevsky, Vyacheslav; Lapenta, Giovanni; Divin, Andrey

We use kinetic particle-in-cell and MHD simulations supported by an observational data set to investigate magnetic reconnection in clusters of null points in space plasma. The magnetic configuration under investigation is driven by fast adiabatic flux rope compression that dissipates almost half of the initial magnetic field energy. In this phase powerful currents are excited producing secondary instabilities, and the system is brought into a state of “intermittent turbulence” within a few ion gyro-periods. Reconnection events are distributed all over the simulation domain and energy dissipation is rather volume-filling. Numerous spiral null points interconnected via their spines form null linesmore » embedded into magnetic flux ropes; null point pairs demonstrate the signatures of torsional spine reconnection. However, energy dissipation mainly happens in the shear layers formed by adjacent flux ropes with oppositely directed currents. In these regions radial null pairs are spontaneously emerging and vanishing, associated with electron streams and small-scale current sheets. The number of spiral nulls in the simulation outweighs the number of radial nulls by a factor of 5–10, in accordance with Cluster observations in the Earth's magnetosheath. Twisted magnetic fields with embedded spiral null points might indicate the regions of major energy dissipation for future space missions such as the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission.« less

Global ablation of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter increases glycolysis in cortical neurons subjected to energetic stressors.

PubMed

Nichols, Matthew; Elustondo, Pia A; Warford, Jordan; Thirumaran, Aruloli; Pavlov, Evgeny V; Robertson, George S

2017-08-01

The effects of global mitochondrial calcium (Ca 2+ ) uniporter (MCU) deficiency on hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury, neuronal Ca 2+ handling, bioenergetics and hypoxic preconditioning (HPC) were examined. Forebrain mitochondria isolated from global MCU nulls displayed markedly reduced Ca 2+ uptake and Ca 2+ -induced opening of the membrane permeability transition pore. Despite evidence that these effects should be neuroprotective, global MCU nulls and wild-type (WT) mice suffered comparable HI brain damage. Energetic stress enhanced glycolysis and depressed Complex I activity in global MCU null, relative to WT, cortical neurons. HI reduced forebrain NADH levels more in global MCU nulls than WT mice suggesting that increased glycolytic consumption of NADH suppressed Complex I activity. Compared to WT neurons, pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) was hyper-phosphorylated in MCU nulls at several sites that lower the supply of substrates for the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Elevation of cytosolic Ca 2+ with glutamate or ionomycin decreased PDH phosphorylation in MCU null neurons suggesting the use of alternative mitochondrial Ca 2+ transport. Under basal conditions, global MCU nulls showed similar increases of Ca 2+ handling genes in the hippocampus as WT mice subjected to HPC. We propose that long-term adaptations, common to HPC, in global MCU nulls compromise resistance to HI brain injury and disrupt HPC.

Shocks and currents in stratified atmospheres with a magnetic null point

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarr, Lucas A.; Linton, Mark

2017-08-01

We use the resistive MHD code LARE (Arber et al 2001) to inject a compressive MHD wavepacket into a stratified atmosphere that has a single magnetic null point, as recently described in Tarr et al 2017. The 2.5D simulation represents a slice through a small ephemeral region or area of plage. The strong gradients in field strength and connectivity related to the presence of the null produce substantially different dynamics compared to the more slowly varying fields typically used in simple sunspot models. The wave-null interaction produces a fast mode shock that collapses the null into a current sheet and generates a set of outward propagating (from the null) slow mode shocks confined to field lines near each separatrix. A combination of oscillatory reconnection and shock dissipation ultimately raise the plasma's internal energy at the null and along each separatrix by 25-50% above the background. The resulting pressure gradients must be balanced by Lorentz forces, so that the final state has contact discontinuities along each separatrix and a persistent current at the null. The simulation demonstrates that fast and slow mode waves localize currents to the topologically important locations of the field, just as their Alfvenic counterparts do, and also illustrates the necessity of treating waves and reconnection as coupled phenomena.

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

Umansky, M. V.; Ryutov, D. D.

Reduced MHD equations are used for studying toroidally symmetric plasma dynamics near the divertor null point. Numerical solution of these equations exhibits a plasma vortex localized at the null point with the time-evolution defined by interplay of the curvature drive, magnetic restoring force, and dissipation. Convective motion is easier to achieve for a second-order null (snowflake) divertor than for a regular x-point configuration, and the size of the convection zone in a snowflake configuration grows with plasma pressure at the null point. In conclusion, the trends in simulations are consistent with tokamak experiments which indicate the presence of enhanced transportmore » at the null point.« less

Current progress on TPFI nulling architectures at Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gappinger, Robert O.; Wallace, J. Kent; Bartos, Randall D.; Macdonald, Daniel R.; Brown, Kenneth A.

2005-01-01

Infrared interferometric nulling is a promising technology for exoplanet detection. Nulling research for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer has been exploring a variety of interferometer architectures at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

Cardiomyocyte-specific desmin rescue of desmin null cardiomyopathy excludes vascular involvement.

PubMed

Weisleder, Noah; Soumaka, Elisavet; Abbasi, Shahrzad; Taegtmeyer, Heinrich; Capetanaki, Yassemi

2004-01-01

Mice deficient in desmin, the muscle-specific member of the intermediate filament gene family, display defects in all muscle types and particularly in the myocardium. Desmin null hearts develop cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) characterized by extensive myocyte cell death, calcific fibrosis and multiple ultrastructural defects. Several lines of evidence suggest impaired vascular function in desmin null animals. To determine whether altered capillary function or an intrinsic cardiomyocyte defect is responsible for desmin null DCM, transgenic mice were generated to rescue desmin expression specifically to cardiomyocytes. Desmin rescue mice display a wild-type cardiac phenotype with no fibrosis or calcification in the myocardium and normalization of coronary flow. Cardiomyocyte ultrastructure is also restored to normal. Markers of hypertrophy upregulated in desmin null hearts return to wild-type levels in desmin rescue mice. Working hearts were perfused to assess coronary flow and cardiac power. Restoration of a wild-type cardiac phenotype in a desmin null background by expression of desmin specifically within cardiomyocyte indicates that defects in the desmin null heart are due to an intrinsic cardiomyocytes defect rather than compromised coronary circulation.

Specifications for Managed Strings, Second Edition

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-01

const char * cstr , const size_t maxsize, const char *charset); 10 | CMU/SEI-2010-TR-018 Runtime-Constraints s shall not be a null pointer...strcreate_m function creates a managed string, referenced by s, given a conventional string cstr (which may be null or empty). maxsize specifies the...characters to those in the null-terminated byte string cstr (which may be empty). If charset is a null pointer, no restricted character set is defined. If

An omnibus test for the global null hypothesis.

PubMed

Futschik, Andreas; Taus, Thomas; Zehetmayer, Sonja

2018-01-01

Global hypothesis tests are a useful tool in the context of clinical trials, genetic studies, or meta-analyses, when researchers are not interested in testing individual hypotheses, but in testing whether none of the hypotheses is false. There are several possibilities how to test the global null hypothesis when the individual null hypotheses are independent. If it is assumed that many of the individual null hypotheses are false, combination tests have been recommended to maximize power. If, however, it is assumed that only one or a few null hypotheses are false, global tests based on individual test statistics are more powerful (e.g. Bonferroni or Simes test). However, usually there is no a priori knowledge on the number of false individual null hypotheses. We therefore propose an omnibus test based on cumulative sums of the transformed p-values. We show that this test yields an impressive overall performance. The proposed method is implemented in an R-package called omnibus.

Continuous development of current sheets near and away from magnetic nulls

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

Kumar, Sanjay; Bhattacharyya, R.

2016-04-15

The presented computations compare the strength of current sheets which develop near and away from the magnetic nulls. To ensure the spontaneous generation of current sheets, the computations are performed congruently with Parker's magnetostatic theorem. The simulations evince current sheets near two dimensional and three dimensional magnetic nulls as well as away from them. An important finding of this work is in the demonstration of comparative scaling of peak current density with numerical resolution, for these different types of current sheets. The results document current sheets near two dimensional magnetic nulls to have larger strength while exhibiting a stronger scalingmore » than the current sheets close to three dimensional magnetic nulls or away from any magnetic null. The comparative scaling points to a scenario where the magnetic topology near a developing current sheet is important for energetics of the subsequent reconnection.« less

Experimental evaluation of achromatic phase shifters for mid-infrared starlight suppression.

PubMed

Gappinger, Robert O; Diaz, Rosemary T; Ksendzov, Alexander; Lawson, Peter R; Lay, Oliver P; Liewer, Kurt M; Loya, Frank M; Martin, Stefan R; Serabyn, Eugene; Wallace, James K

2009-02-10

Phase shifters are a key component of nulling interferometry, one of the potential routes to enabling the measurement of faint exoplanet spectra. Here, three different achromatic phase shifters are evaluated experimentally in the mid-infrared, where such nulling interferometers may someday operate. The methods evaluated include the use of dispersive glasses, a through-focus field inversion, and field reversals on reflection from antisymmetric flat-mirror periscopes. All three approaches yielded deep, broadband, mid-infrared nulls, but the deepest broadband nulls were obtained with the periscope architecture. In the periscope system, average null depths of 4x10(-5) were obtained with a 25% bandwidth, and 2x10(-5) with a 20% bandwidth, at a central wavelength of 9.5 mum. The best short term nulls at 20% bandwidth were approximately 9x10(-6), in line with error budget predictions and the limits of the current generation of hardware.

The Importance of Proving the Null

PubMed Central

Gallistel, C. R.

2010-01-01

Null hypotheses are simple, precise, and theoretically important. Conventional statistical analysis cannot support them; Bayesian analysis can. The challenge in a Bayesian analysis is to formulate a suitably vague alternative, because the vaguer the alternative is (the more it spreads out the unit mass of prior probability), the more the null is favored. A general solution is a sensitivity analysis: Compute the odds for or against the null as a function of the limit(s) on the vagueness of the alternative. If the odds on the null approach 1 from above as the hypothesized maximum size of the possible effect approaches 0, then the data favor the null over any vaguer alternative to it. The simple computations and the intuitive graphic representation of the analysis are illustrated by the analysis of diverse examples from the current literature. They pose 3 common experimental questions: (a) Are 2 means the same? (b) Is performance at chance? (c) Are factors additive? PMID:19348549

Light cone structure near null infinity of the Kerr metric

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

Bai Shan; Shang Yu; Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100080

2007-02-15

Motivated by our attempt to understand the question of angular momentum of a relativistic rotating source carried away by gravitational waves, in the asymptotic regime near future null infinity of the Kerr metric, a family of null hypersurfaces intersecting null infinity in shearfree (good) cuts are constructed by means of asymptotic expansion of the eikonal equation. The geometry of the null hypersurfaces as well as the asymptotic structure of the Kerr metric near null infinity are studied. To the lowest order in angular momentum, the Bondi-Sachs form of the Kerr metric is worked out. The Newman-Unti formalism is then furthermore » developed, with which the Newman-Penrose constants of the Kerr metric are computed and shown to be zero. Possible physical implications of the vanishing of the Newman-Penrose constants of the Kerr metric are also briefly discussed.« less

A peek into tropomyosin binding and unfolding on the actin filament.

PubMed

Singh, Abhishek; Hitchcock-Degregori, Sarah E

2009-07-24

Tropomyosin is a prototypical coiled coil along its length with subtle variations in structure that allow interactions with actin and other proteins. Actin binding globally stabilizes tropomyosin. Tropomyosin-actin interaction occurs periodically along the length of tropomyosin. However, it is not well understood how tropomyosin binds actin. Tropomyosin's periodic binding sites make differential contributions to two components of actin binding, cooperativity and affinity, and can be classified as primary or secondary sites. We show through mutagenesis and analysis of recombinant striated muscle alpha-tropomyosins that primary actin binding sites have a destabilizing coiled-coil interface, typically alanine-rich, embedded within a non-interface recognition sequence. Introduction of an Ala cluster in place of the native, more stable interface in period 2 and/or period 3 sites (of seven) increased the affinity or cooperativity of actin binding, analysed by cosedimentation and differential scanning calorimetry. Replacement of period 3 with period 5 sequence, an unstable region of known importance for cooperative actin binding, increased the cooperativity of binding. Introduction of the fluorescent probe, pyrene, near the mutation sites in periods 2 and 3 reported local instability, stabilization by actin binding, and local unfolding before or coincident with dissociation from actin (measured using light scattering), and chain dissociation (analyzed using circular dichroism). This, and previous work, suggests that regions of tropomyosin involved in binding actin have non-interface residues specific for interaction with actin and an unstable interface that is locally stabilized upon binding. The destabilized interface allows residues on the coiled-coil surface to obtain an optimal conformation for interaction with actin by increasing the number of local substates that the side chains can sample. We suggest that local disorder is a property typical of coiled coil binding sites and proteins that have multiple binding partners, of which tropomyosin is one type.

Characterization of a Streptococcus suis tet(O/W/32/O)-carrying element transferable to major streptococcal pathogens.

PubMed

Palmieri, Claudio; Magi, Gloria; Mingoia, Marina; Bagnarelli, Patrizia; Ripa, Sandro; Varaldo, Pietro E; Facinelli, Bruna

2012-09-01

Mosaic tetracycline resistance determinants are a recently discovered class of hybrids of ribosomal protection tet genes. They may show different patterns of mosaicism, but their final size has remained unaltered. Initially thought to be confined to a small group of anaerobic bacteria, mosaic tet genes were then found to be widespread. In the genus Streptococcus, a mosaic tet gene [tet(O/W/32/O)] was first discovered in Streptococcus suis, an emerging drug-resistant pig and human pathogen. In this study, we report the molecular characterization of a tet(O/W/32/O) gene-carrying mobile element from an S. suis isolate. tet(O/W/32/O) was detected, in tandem with tet(40), in a circular 14,741-bp genetic element (39.1% G+C; 17 open reading frames [ORFs] identified). The novel element, which we designated 15K, also carried the macrolide resistance determinant erm(B) and an aminoglycoside resistance four-gene cluster including aadE (streptomycin) and aphA (kanamycin). 15K appeared to be an unstable genetic element that, in the absence of recombinases, is capable of undergoing spontaneous excision under standard growth conditions. In the integrated form, 15K was found inside a 54,879-bp integrative and conjugative element (ICE) (50.5% G+C; 55 ORFs), which we designated ICESsu32457. An ∼1.3-kb segment that apparently served as the att site for excision of the unstable 15K element was identified. The novel ICE was transferable at high frequency to recipients from pathogenic Streptococcus species (S. suis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus agalactiae), suggesting that the multiresistance 15K element can successfully spread within streptococcal populations.

Evidence that the Dictyostelium Dd-STATa protein is a repressor that regulates commitment to stalk cell differentiation and is also required for efficient chemotaxis.

PubMed

Mohanty, S; Jermyn, K A; Early, A; Kawata, T; Aubry, L; Ceccarelli, A; Schaap, P; Williams, J G; Firtel, R A

1999-08-01

Dd-STATa is a structural and functional homologue of the metazoan STAT (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription) proteins. We show that Dd-STATa null cells exhibit several distinct developmental phenotypes. The aggregation of Dd-STATa null cells is delayed and they chemotax slowly to a cyclic AMP source, suggesting a role for Dd-STATa in these early processes. In Dd-STATa null strains, slug-like structures are formed but they have an aberrant pattern of gene expression. In such slugs, ecmB/lacZ, a marker that is normally specific for cells on the stalk cell differentiation pathway, is expressed throughout the prestalk region. Stalk cell differentiation in Dictyostelium has been proposed to be under negative control, mediated by repressor elements present in the promoters of stalk cell-specific genes. Dd-STATa binds these repressor elements in vitro and the ectopic expression of ecmB/lacZ in the null strain provides in vivo evidence that Dd-STATa is the repressor protein that regulates commitment to stalk cell differentiation. Dd-STATa null cells display aberrant behavior in a monolayer assay wherein stalk cell differentiation is induced using the stalk cell morphogen DIF. The ecmB gene, a general marker for stalk cell differentiation, is greatly overinduced by DIF in Dd-STATa null cells. Also, Dd-STATa null cells are hypersensitive to DIF for expression of ST/lacZ, a marker for the earliest stages in the differentiation of one of the stalk cell sub-types. We suggest that both these manifestations of DIF hypersensitivity in the null strain result from the balance between activation and repression of the promoter elements being tipped in favor of activation when the repressor is absent. Paradoxically, although Dd-STATa null cells are hypersensitive to the inducing effects of DIF and readily form stalk cells in monolayer assay, the Dd-STATa null cells show little or no terminal stalk cell differentiation within the slug. Dd-STATa null slugs remain developmentally arrested for several days before forming very small spore masses supported by a column of apparently undifferentiated cells. Thus, complete stalk cell differentiation appears to require at least two events: a commitment step, whereby the repression exerted by Dd-STATa is lifted, and a second step that is blocked in a Dd-STATa null organism. This latter step may involve extracellular cAMP, a known repressor of stalk cell differentiation, because Dd-STATa null cells are abnormally sensitive to the inhibitory effects of extracellular cyclic AMP.

The origin of nulls mode changes and timing noise in pulsars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, P. B.

A solvable polar cap model obtained previously has normal states which may be associated with radio emission and null states. The solutions cannot be time-independent; the neutron star surface temperature T and mean surface nuclear charge Z are both functions of time. The normal and null states, and the transitions between them, form closed cycles in the T-Z plane. Normal-null transitions can occur inside a fraction of the area on the neutron star surface intersected by open magnetic flux lines. The fraction increases with pulsar period and becomes unity when the pulsar nears extinction. Frequency noise, mode changes, and pulse nulls have a common explanation in the transitions.

The origin of nulls, mode changes and timing noise in pulsars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, P. B.

1982-09-01

A solvable polar cap model obtained previously has normal states which may be associated with radio emission, and null states. The solutions cannot be time-independent; the neutron star surface temperature T and mean surface nuclear charge Z are both functions of time. The normal and null states and the transitions between them, form closed cycles in the T-Z plane. Normal-null transitions can occur inside a fraction of the area of the neutron star surface intersected by open magnetic flux lines. The fraction increases with pulsar period and becomes unity when the pulsar nears extinction. Frequency noise, mode changes and pulse nulls have a common explanation in the transitions.

Peripheral Frequency of CD4+ CD28− Cells in Acute Ischemic Stroke

PubMed Central

Tuttolomondo, Antonino; Pecoraro, Rosaria; Casuccio, Alessandra; Di Raimondo, Domenico; Buttà, Carmelo; Clemente, Giuseppe; Corte, Vittoriano della; Guggino, Giuliana; Arnao, Valentina; Maida, Carlo; Simonetta, Irene; Maugeri, Rosario; Squatrito, Rosario; Pinto, Antonio

2015-01-01

Abstract CD4+ CD28− T cells also called CD28 null cells have been reported as increased in the clinical setting of acute coronary syndrome. Only 2 studies previously analyzed peripheral frequency of CD28 null cells in subjects with acute ischemic stroke but, to our knowledge, peripheral frequency of CD28 null cells in each TOAST subtype of ischemic stroke has never been evaluated. We hypothesized that CD4+ cells and, in particular, the CD28 null cell subset could show a different degree of peripheral percentage in subjects with acute ischemic stroke in relation to clinical subtype and severity of ischemic stroke. The aim of our study was to analyze peripheral frequency of CD28 null cells in subjects with acute ischemic stroke in relation to TOAST diagnostic subtype, and to evaluate their relationship with scores of clinical severity of acute ischemic stroke, and their predictive role in the diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke and diagnostic subtype We enrolled 98 consecutive subjects admitted to our recruitment wards with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke. As controls we enrolled 66 hospitalized patients without a diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke. Peripheral frequency of CD4+ and CD28 null cells has been evaluated with a FACS Calibur flow cytometer. Subjects with acute ischemic stroke had a significantly higher peripheral frequency of CD4+ cells and CD28 null cells compared to control subjects without acute ischemic stroke. Subjects with cardioembolic stroke had a significantly higher peripheral frequency of CD4+ cells and CD28 null cells compared to subjects with other TOAST subtypes. We observed a significant relationship between CD28 null cells peripheral percentage and Scandinavian Stroke Scale and NIHSS scores. ROC curve analysis showed that CD28 null cell percentage may be useful to differentiate between stroke subtypes. These findings seem suggest a possible role for a T-cell component also in acute ischemic stroke clinical setting showing a different peripheral frequency of CD28 null cells in relation of each TOAST subtype of stroke. PMID:25997053

Quantification of myocardial area at risk in the absence of collateral flow: the validation of angiographic scores by myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Palomares, José F; Alonso, Albert; Martí, Gerard; Aguadé-Bruix, Santiago; González-Alujas, M T; Romero-Farina, Guillermo; Candell-Riera, Jaume; García del Blanco, Bruno; Evangelista, Artur; García-Dorado, David

2013-02-01

Our study aimed to compare the area at risk (AAR) determined by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI) and modified Alberta Provincial Project for Outcome Assessment in Coronary Heart Disease (APPROACH) angiographic scores in the setting of patients undergoing coronary angioplasty for either unstable angina or an STEMI. Radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging prior to reperfusion has classically been the most widely practised technique for assessing the AAR and has been successfully used to compare the efficacy of various reperfusion strategies in patients with an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The BARI and modified APPROACH scores are angiographic methods widely used to provide a rapid estimation of the AAR; however, they have not been directly validated with myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Fifty-five patients with no previous myocardial infarction who underwent coronary angioplasty for single-vessel disease (unstable angina: n = 25 or an STEMI: n = 30) with no evidence of collaterals (Rentrop Collateral Score <2) were included in a prospective study. In STEMI patients, the (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin was injected prior to opening of the occluded vessel and, in patients with unstable angina after 10-15 seconds of balloon inflation. Acquisition was performed with a dual-head gammacamera with a low-energy and high-resolution collimator. A total of 60 projections were acquired using a non-circular orbit. No attenuation or scatter correction was used. Maximal contours of hypoperfusion regions corresponding to each coronary artery occlusion were delineated over a polar map of 17 segments and compared with the estimated AAR determined by two experienced interventional cardiologists using both angiographic scores. Mean AAR percentage in SPECT was 35.0 (10.0%-56.0%). A high correlation was found between BARI and APPROACH scores (r = 0.9, P < .001). Furthermore, a high correlation was also observed between BARI versus SPECT and APPROACH versus SPECT to estimate the AAR (r = 0.9, P < .001 and r = 0.8, P < .001, respectively). Better correlations were observed when the left anterior descending artery (LAD) was revascularized (r = 0.8, P < 0.001 with BARI; r = 0.8, P = .001 with APPROACH) compared to other territories (r = 0.8, P = .001 with BARI; r = 0.7, P = .001 with APPROACH). Also, better correlations were observed in patients who underwent an elective rather than a primary percutaneous revascularization procedure. In the absence of collateral flow, BARI and APPROACH scores constitute valid methods for AAR estimation in current clinical practice, with more accurate results when used for the LAD territory; both are useful not only in STEMI patients but also in patients with unstable angina.

Measurement Via Optical Near-Nulling and Subaperture Stitching

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forbes, Greg; De Vries, Gary; Murphy, Paul; Brophy, Chris

2012-01-01

A subaperture stitching interferometer system provides near-nulling of a subaperture wavefront reflected from an object of interest over a portion of a surface of the object. A variable optical element located in the radiation path adjustably provides near-nulling to facilitate stitching of subaperture interferograms, creating an interferogram representative of the entire surface of interest. This enables testing of aspheric surfaces without null optics customized for each surface prescription. The surface shapes of objects such as lenses and other precision components are often measured with interferometry. However, interferometers have a limited capture range, and thus the test wavefront cannot be too different from the reference or the interference cannot be analyzed. Furthermore, the performance of the interferometer is usually best when the test and reference wavefronts are nearly identical (referred to as a null condition). Thus, it is necessary when performing such measurements to correct for known variations in shape to ensure that unintended variations are within the capture range of the interferometer and accurately measured. This invention is a system for nearnulling within a subaperture stitching interferometer, although in principle, the concept can be employed by wavefront measuring gauges other than interferometers. The system employs a light source for providing coherent radiation of a subaperture extent. An object of interest is placed to modify the radiation (e.g., to reflect or pass the radiation), and a variable optical element is located to interact with, and nearly null, the affected radiation. A detector or imaging device is situated to obtain interference patterns in the modified radiation. Multiple subaperture interferograms are taken and are stitched, or joined, to provide an interferogram representative of the entire surface of the object of interest. The primary aspect of the invention is the use of adjustable corrective optics in the context of subaperture stitching near-nulling interferometry, wherein a complex surface is analyzed via multiple, separate, overlapping interferograms. For complex surfaces, the problem of managing the identification and placement of corrective optics becomes even more pronounced, to the extent that in most cases the null corrector optics are specific to the particular asphere prescription and no others (i.e. another asphere requires completely different null correction optics). In principle, the near-nulling technique does not require subaperture stitching at all. Building a near-null system that is practically useful relies on two key features: simplicity and universality. If the system is too complex, it will be difficult to calibrate and model its manufacturing errors, rendering it useless as a precision metrology tool and/or prohibitively expensive. If the system is not applicable to a wide range of test parts, then it does not provide significant value over conventional null-correction technology. Subaperture stitching enables simpler and more universal near-null systems to be effective, because a fraction of a surface is necessarily less complex than the whole surface (excepting the extreme case of a fractal surface description). The technique of near-nulling can significantly enhance aspheric subaperture stitching capability by allowing the interferometer to capture a wider range of aspheres. More over, subaperture stitching is essential to a truly effective near-nulling system, since looking at a fraction of the surface keeps the wavefront complexity within the capability of a relatively simple nearnull apparatus. Furthermore, by reducing the subaperture size, the complexity of the measured wavefront can be reduced until it is within the capability of the near-null design.

Bayes factor and posterior probability: Complementary statistical evidence to p-value.

PubMed

Lin, Ruitao; Yin, Guosheng

2015-09-01

As a convention, a p-value is often computed in hypothesis testing and compared with the nominal level of 0.05 to determine whether to reject the null hypothesis. Although the smaller the p-value, the more significant the statistical test, it is difficult to perceive the p-value in a probability scale and quantify it as the strength of the data against the null hypothesis. In contrast, the Bayesian posterior probability of the null hypothesis has an explicit interpretation of how strong the data support the null. We make a comparison of the p-value and the posterior probability by considering a recent clinical trial. The results show that even when we reject the null hypothesis, there is still a substantial probability (around 20%) that the null is true. Not only should we examine whether the data would have rarely occurred under the null hypothesis, but we also need to know whether the data would be rare under the alternative. As a result, the p-value only provides one side of the information, for which the Bayes factor and posterior probability may offer complementary evidence. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer Technology Status and Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawson, Perter R.; Ahmed, A.; Gappinger, R. O.; Ksendzov, A.; Lay, O. P.; Martin, S. R.; Peters, R. D.; Scharf, D. P.; Wallace, J. K.; Ware, B.

2006-01-01

A viewgraph presentation on the technology status and plans for Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer is shown. The topics include: 1) The Navigator Program; 2) TPF-I Project Overview; 3) Project Organization; 4) Technology Plan for TPF-I; 5) TPF-I Testbeds; 6) Nulling Error Budget; 7) Nulling Testbeds; 8) Nulling Requirements; 9) Achromatic Nulling Testbed; 10) Single Mode Spatial Filter Technology; 11) Adaptive Nuller Testbed; 12) TPF-I: Planet Detection Testbed (PDT); 13) Planet Detection Testbed Phase Modulation Experiment; and 14) Formation Control Testbed.

Surfactant-Associated Protein A Provides Critical Immunoprotection in Neonatal Mice▿

PubMed Central

George, Caroline L. S.; Goss, Kelli L.; Meyerholz, David K.; Lamb, Fred S.; Snyder, Jeanne M.

2008-01-01

The collectins surfactant-associated protein A (SP-A) and SP-D are components of innate immunity that are present before birth. Both proteins bind pathogens and assist in clearing infection. The significance of SP-A and SP-D as components of the neonatal immune system has not been investigated. To determine the role of SP-A and SP-D in neonatal immunity, wild-type, SP-A null, and SP-D null mice were bred in a bacterium-laden environment (corn dust bedding) or in a semisterile environment (cellulose fiber bedding). When reared in the corn dust bedding, SP-A null pups had significant mortality (P < 0.001) compared to both wild-type and SP-D null pups exposed to the same environment. The mortality of the SP-A null pups was associated with significant gastrointestinal tract pathology but little lung pathology. Moribund SP-A null newborn mice exhibited Bacillus sp. and Enterococcus sp. peritonitis. When the mother or newborn produced SP-A, newborn survival was significantly improved (P < 0.05) compared to the results when there was a complete absence of SP-A in both the mother and the pup. Significant sources of SP-A likely to protect a newborn include the neonatal lung and gastrointestinal tract but not the lactating mammary tissue of the mother. Furthermore, exogenous SP-A delivered by mouth to newborn SP-A null pups with SP-A null mothers improved newborn survival in the corn dust environment. Therefore, a lack of SP-D did not affect newborn survival, while SP-A produced by either the mother or the pup or oral exogenous SP-A significantly reduced newborn mortality associated with environmentally induced infection in SP-A null newborns. PMID:17967856

P value and the theory of hypothesis testing: an explanation for new researchers.

PubMed

Biau, David Jean; Jolles, Brigitte M; Porcher, Raphaël

2010-03-01

In the 1920s, Ronald Fisher developed the theory behind the p value and Jerzy Neyman and Egon Pearson developed the theory of hypothesis testing. These distinct theories have provided researchers important quantitative tools to confirm or refute their hypotheses. The p value is the probability to obtain an effect equal to or more extreme than the one observed presuming the null hypothesis of no effect is true; it gives researchers a measure of the strength of evidence against the null hypothesis. As commonly used, investigators will select a threshold p value below which they will reject the null hypothesis. The theory of hypothesis testing allows researchers to reject a null hypothesis in favor of an alternative hypothesis of some effect. As commonly used, investigators choose Type I error (rejecting the null hypothesis when it is true) and Type II error (accepting the null hypothesis when it is false) levels and determine some critical region. If the test statistic falls into that critical region, the null hypothesis is rejected in favor of the alternative hypothesis. Despite similarities between the two, the p value and the theory of hypothesis testing are different theories that often are misunderstood and confused, leading researchers to improper conclusions. Perhaps the most common misconception is to consider the p value as the probability that the null hypothesis is true rather than the probability of obtaining the difference observed, or one that is more extreme, considering the null is true. Another concern is the risk that an important proportion of statistically significant results are falsely significant. Researchers should have a minimum understanding of these two theories so that they are better able to plan, conduct, interpret, and report scientific experiments.

Sf29 Gene of Spodoptera frugiperda Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus Is a Viral Factor That Determines the Number of Virions in Occlusion Bodies▿

PubMed Central

Simón, Oihane; Williams, Trevor; Asensio, Aaron C.; Ros, Sarhay; Gaya, Andrea; Caballero, Primitivo; Possee, Robert D.

2008-01-01

The genome of Spodoptera frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) was inserted into a bacmid (Sfbac) and used to produce a mutant lacking open reading frame 29 (Sf29null). Sf29null bacmid DNA was able to generate an infection in S. frugiperda. Approximately six times less DNA was present in occlusion bodies (OBs) produced by the Sf29null bacmid in comparison to viruses containing this gene. This reduction in DNA content was consistent with fewer virus particles being packaged within Sf29null bacmid OBs, as determined by fractionation of dissolved polyhedra and comparison of occlusion-derived virus (ODV) infectivity in cell culture. DNA from Sfbac, Sf29null, or Sf29null-repair, in which the gene deletion had been repaired, were equally infectious when used to transfect S. frugiperda. All three viruses produced similar numbers of OBs, although those from Sf29null were 10-fold less infectious than viruses with the gene. Insects infected with Sf29null bacmid died ∼24 h later than positive controls, consistent with the reduced virus particle content of Sf29null OBs. Transcripts from Sf29 were detected in infected insects 12 h prior to those from the polyhedrin gene. Homologs to Sf29 were present in other group II NPVs, and similar sequences were present in entomopoxviruses. Analysis of the Sf29 predicted protein sequence revealed signal peptide and transmembrane domains, but the presence of 12 potential N-glycosylation sites suggest that it is not an ODV envelope protein. Other motifs, including zinc-binding and threonine-rich regions, suggest degradation and adhesion functions. We conclude that Sf29 is a viral factor that determines the number of ODVs occluded in each OB. PMID:18550678

Constitutive Androgen Receptor-Null Mice Are Sensitive to the Toxic Effects of Parathion: Association with Reduced Cytochrome P450-Mediated Parathion MetabolismS⃞

PubMed Central

Mota, Linda C.; Hernandez, Juan P.

2010-01-01

Constitutive androgen receptor (CAR) is activated by several chemicals and in turn regulates multiple detoxification genes. Our research demonstrates that parathion is one of the most potent, environmentally relevant CAR activators with an EC50 of 1.43 μM. Therefore, animal studies were conducted to determine whether CAR was activated by parathion in vivo. Surprisingly, CAR-null mice, but not wild-type (WT) mice, showed significant parathion-induced toxicity. However, parathion did not induce Cyp2b expression, suggesting that parathion is not a CAR activator in vivo, presumably because of its short half-life. CAR expression is also associated with the expression of several drug-metabolizing cytochromes P450 (P450). CAR-null mice demonstrate lower expression of Cyp2b9, Cyp2b10, Cyp2c29, and Cyp3a11 primarily, but not exclusively in males. Therefore, we incubated microsomes from untreated WT and CAR-null mice with parathion in the presence of esterase inhibitors to determine whether CAR-null mice show perturbed P450-mediated parathion metabolism compared with that in WT mice. The metabolism of parathion to paraoxon and p-nitrophenol (PNP) was reduced in CAR-null mice with male CAR-null mice showing reduced production of both paraoxon and PNP, and female CAR-null mice showing reduced production of only PNP. Overall, the data indicate that CAR-null mice metabolize parathion slower than WT mice. These results provide a potential mechanism for increased sensitivity of individuals with lower CAR activity such as newborns to parathion and potentially other chemicals due to decreased metabolic capacity. PMID:20573718

Current Structure and Nonideal Behavior at Magnetic Null Points in the Turbulent Magnetosheath

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wendel, D. E.; Adrian, M. L.

2013-01-01

The Poincaré index indicates that the Cluster spacecraft tetrahedron entraps a number of 3-D magnetic nulls during an encounter with the turbulent magnetosheath. Previous researchers have found evidence for reconnection at one of the many filamentary current layers observed by Cluster in this region. We find that many of the entrained nulls are also associated with strong currents. We dissect the current structure of a pair of spiral nulls that may be topologically connected. At both nulls, we find a strong current along the spine, accompanied by a somewhat more modest current perpendicular to the spine that tilts the fan toward the axis of the spine. The current along the fan is comparable to the that along the spine. At least one of the nulls manifests a rotational flow pattern in the fan plane that is consistent with torsional spine reconnection as predicted by theory. These results emphasize the importance of examining the magnetic topology in interpreting the nature of currents and reconnection in 3-D turbulence.

Molecular identification of rare FY*Null and FY*X alleles in Caucasian thalassemic family from Sardinia.

PubMed

Manfroi, Silvia; Scarcello, Antonio; Pagliaro, Pasqualepaolo

2015-10-01

Molecular genetic studies on Duffy blood group antigens have identified mutations underlying rare FY*Null and FY*X alleles. FY*Null has a high frequency in Blacks, especially from sub-Saharan Africa, while its frequency is not defined in Caucasians. FY*X allele, associated with Fy(a-b+w) phenotype, has a frequency of 2-3.5% in Caucasian people while it is absent in Blacks. During the project of extensive blood group genotyping in patients affected by hemoglobinopathies, we identified FY*X/FY*Null and FY*A/FY*Null genotypes in a Caucasian thalassemic family from Sardinia. We speculate on the frequency of FY*X and FY*Null alleles in Caucasian and Black people; further, we focused on the association of FY*X allele with weak Fyb antigen expression on red blood cells and its identification performing high sensitivity serological typing methods or genotyping. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Position sensor for a fuel injection element in an internal combustion engine

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

Fulkerson, D.E.; Geske, M.L.

1987-08-18

This patent describes an electronic circuit for dynamically sensing and processing signals representative of changes in a magnet field, the circuit comprising: means for sensing a change in a magnetic field external to the circuit and providing an output representative of the change; circuit means electronically coupled with the output of the sensing means for providing an output indicating the presence of the magnetic field change; and a nulling circuit coupled with the output of the sensing means and across the indicating circuit means for nulling the electronic circuit responsive to the sensing means output, to thereby avoid ambient magneticmore » fields temperature and process variations, and wherein the nulling circuit comprises a capacitor coupled to the output of the nulling circuit, means for charging and discharging the capacitor responsive to any imbalance in the input to the nulling circuit, and circuit means coupling the capacitor with the output of the sensing means for nulling any imbalance during the charging or discharging of the capacitor.« less

Naked singularity resolution in cylindrical collapse

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

Kurita, Yasunari; Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502; Nakao, Ken-ichi

In this paper, we study the gravitational collapse of null dust in cylindrically symmetric spacetime. The naked singularity necessarily forms at the symmetry axis. We consider the situation in which null dust is emitted again from the naked singularity formed by the collapsed null dust and investigate the backreaction by this emission for the naked singularity. We show a very peculiar but physically important case in which the same amount of null dust as that of the collapsed one is emitted from the naked singularity as soon as the ingoing null dust hits the symmetry axis and forms the nakedmore » singularity. In this case, although this naked singularity satisfies the strong curvature condition by Krolak (limiting focusing condition), geodesics which hit the singularity can be extended uniquely across the singularity. Therefore, we may say that the collapsing null dust passes through the singularity formed by itself and then leaves for infinity. Finally, the singularity completely disappears and the flat spacetime remains.« less

Evaluation of null-point detection methods on simulation data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olshevsky, Vyacheslav; Fu, Huishan; Vaivads, Andris; Khotyaintsev, Yuri; Lapenta, Giovanni; Markidis, Stefano

2014-05-01

We model the measurements of artificial spacecraft that resemble the configuration of CLUSTER propagating in the particle-in-cell simulation of turbulent magnetic reconnection. The simulation domain contains multiple isolated X-type null-points, but the majority are O-type null-points. Simulations show that current pinches surrounded by twisted fields, analogous to laboratory pinches, are formed along the sequences of O-type nulls. In the simulation, the magnetic reconnection is mainly driven by the kinking of the pinches, at spatial scales of several ion inertial lentghs. We compute the locations of magnetic null-points and detect their type. When the satellites are separated by the fractions of ion inertial length, as it is for CLUSTER, they are able to locate both the isolated null-points, and the pinches. We apply the method to the real CLUSTER data and speculate how common are pinches in the magnetosphere, and whether they play a dominant role in the dissipation of magnetic energy.

The importance of proving the null.

PubMed

Gallistel, C R

2009-04-01

Null hypotheses are simple, precise, and theoretically important. Conventional statistical analysis cannot support them; Bayesian analysis can. The challenge in a Bayesian analysis is to formulate a suitably vague alternative, because the vaguer the alternative is (the more it spreads out the unit mass of prior probability), the more the null is favored. A general solution is a sensitivity analysis: Compute the odds for or against the null as a function of the limit(s) on the vagueness of the alternative. If the odds on the null approach 1 from above as the hypothesized maximum size of the possible effect approaches 0, then the data favor the null over any vaguer alternative to it. The simple computations and the intuitive graphic representation of the analysis are illustrated by the analysis of diverse examples from the current literature. They pose 3 common experimental questions: (a) Are 2 means the same? (b) Is performance at chance? (c) Are factors additive? (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved

Evaluating susceptibility of karst dolines (sinkholes) for collapse in Sango, Tennessee, USA.

PubMed

Siska, Peter P; Goovaerts, Pierre; Hung, I-K

2016-08-01

Dolines or sinkholes are earth depressions that develop in soluble rocks complexes such as limestone, dolomite, gypsum, anhydrite, and halite; dolines appear in a variety of shapes from nearly circular to complex structures with highly curved perimeters. The occurrence of dolines in the studied karst area is not random; they are the results of geomorphic, hydrologic, and chemical processes that have caused partial subsidence, even the total collapse of the land surface when voids and caves are present in the bedrock and the regolith arch overbridging these voids is unstable. In the study area, the majority of collapses occur in the regolith (bedrock cover) that bridges voids in the bedrock. Because these collapsing dolines may result in property damage and even cause the loss of lives, there is a need to develop methods for evaluating karst hazards. These methods can then be used by planners and practitioners for urban and economic development, especially in regions with a growing population. The purpose of this project is threefold: 1) to develop a karst feature database, 2) to investigate critical indicators associated with doline collapse, and 3) to develop a doline susceptibility model for potential doline collapse based on external morphometric data. The study has revealed the presence of short range spatial dependence in the distribution of the dolines' morphometric parameters such as circularity, the geographic orientation of the main doline axes, and the length-to-width doline ratios; therefore, geostatistics can be used to spatially evaluate the susceptibility of the karst area for doline collapse. The partial susceptibility estimates were combined into a final probability map enabling the identification of areas where, until now, undetected dolines may cause significant hazards.

Bubble-Induced Cave Collapse

PubMed Central

Girihagama, Lakshika; Nof, Doron; Hancock, Cathrine

2015-01-01

Conventional wisdom among cave divers is that submerged caves in aquifers, such as in Florida or the Yucatan, are unstable due to their ever-growing size from limestone dissolution in water. Cave divers occasionally noted partial cave collapses occurring while they were in the cave, attributing this to their unintentional (and frowned upon) physical contact with the cave walls or the aforementioned “natural” instability of the cave. Here, we suggest that these cave collapses do not necessarily result from cave instability or contacts with walls, but rather from divers bubbles rising to the ceiling and reducing the buoyancy acting on isolated ceiling rocks. Using familiar theories for the strength of flat and arched (un-cracked) beams, we first show that the flat ceiling of a submerged limestone cave can have a horizontal expanse of 63 meters. This is much broader than that of most submerged Florida caves (~ 10 m). Similarly, we show that an arched cave roof can have a still larger expanse of 240 meters, again implying that Florida caves are structurally stable. Using familiar bubble dynamics, fluid dynamics of bubble-induced flows, and accustomed diving practices, we show that a group of 1-3 divers submerged below a loosely connected ceiling rock will quickly trigger it to fall causing a “collapse”. We then present a set of qualitative laboratory experiments illustrating such a collapse in a circular laboratory cave (i.e., a cave with a circular cross section), with concave and convex ceilings. In these experiments, a metal ball represented the rock (attached to the cave ceiling with a magnet), and the bubbles were produced using a syringe located at the cave floor. PMID:25849088

Molecular Dissection of the Homotrimeric Sliding Clamp of T4 Phage: Two Domains of a Subunit Display Asymmetric Characteristics.

PubMed

Singh, Manika Indrajit; Jain, Vikas

2016-01-26

Sliding clamp proteins are circular dimers or trimers that encircle DNA and serve as processivity factors during DNA replication. Their presence in all the three domains of life and in bacteriophages clearly indicates their high level of significance. T4 gp45, besides functioning as the DNA polymerase processivity factor, also moonlights as the late promoter transcription determinant. Here we report a detailed biophysical analysis of gp45. The chemical denaturation of gp45 probed by circular dichroism spectroscopy, tryptophan fluorescence anisotropy, and blue-native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis suggests that the protein follows a three-state denaturation profile and displays an intermediate molten globule-like state. The three-state transition was found to be the result of the sequential unfolding of the two domains, the N-terminal domain (NTD) and the C-terminal domain (CTD), of gp45. The experiments involving Trp fluorescence quenching by acrylamide demonstrate that the CTD undergoes substantial changes in conformation during formation of the intermediate state. Further biophysical dissection of the individual domain reveals contrasting properties of the two domains. The NTD unfolds at low urea concentrations and is also susceptible to protease cleavage, whereas the CTD resists urea-mediated denaturation and is not amenable to protease digestion even at higher urea concentrations. These experiments allow us to conclude that the two domains of gp45 differ in their dynamics. While the CTD shows stability and rigidity, we find that the NTD is unstable and flexible. We believe that the asymmetric characteristics of the two domains and the interface they form hold significance in gp45 structure and function.

Particle motion and Penrose processes around rotating regular black hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdujabbarov, Ahmadjon

2016-07-01

The neutral particle motion around rotating regular black hole that was derived from the Ayón-Beato-García (ABG) black hole solution by the Newman-Janis algorithm in the preceding paper (Toshmatov et al., Phys. Rev. D, 89:104017, 2014) has been studied. The dependencies of the ISCO (innermost stable circular orbits along geodesics) and unstable orbits on the value of the electric charge of the rotating regular black hole have been shown. Energy extraction from the rotating regular black hole through various processes has been examined. We have found expression of the center of mass energy for the colliding neutral particles coming from infinity, based on the BSW (Baňados-Silk-West) mechanism. The electric charge Q of rotating regular black hole decreases the potential of the gravitational field as compared to the Kerr black hole and the particles demonstrate less bound energy at the circular geodesics. This causes an increase of efficiency of the energy extraction through BSW process in the presence of the electric charge Q from rotating regular black hole. Furthermore, we have studied the particle emission due to the BSW effect assuming that two neutral particles collide near the horizon of the rotating regular extremal black hole and produce another two particles. We have shown that efficiency of the energy extraction is less than the value 146.6 % being valid for the Kerr black hole. It has been also demonstrated that the efficiency of the energy extraction from the rotating regular black hole via the Penrose process decreases with the increase of the electric charge Q and is smaller in comparison to 20.7 % which is the value for the extreme Kerr black hole with the specific angular momentum a= M.

Stepwise dynamics of an anionic micellar film - Formation of crown lenses.

PubMed

Lee, Jongju; Nikolov, Alex; Wasan, Darsh

2017-06-15

We studied the stepwise thinning of a microscopic circular foam film formed from an anionic micellar solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The foam film formed from the SDS micellar solution thins in a stepwise manner by the formation and expansion of a dark spot(s) of one layer less than the film thickness. During the last stages of film thinning (e.g., a film with one micellar layer), the dark spot expansion occurs via two steps. Initially, a small dark circular spot inside a film of several microns in size is formed, which expands at a constant rate. Then, a ridge along the expanding spot is formed. As the ridge grows, it becomes unstable and breaks into regular crown lenses, which are seen as white spots in the reflected light at the border of the dark spot with the surrounding thicker film. The Rayleigh type of instability contributes to the formation of the lenses, which results in the increase of the dark spot expansion rate with time. We applied the two-dimensional micellar-vacancy diffusion model and took into consideration the effects of the micellar layering and film volume on the rate of the dark spot expansion [Lee et al., 2016] to predict the rate of the dark spot expansion for a 0.06M SDS film in the presence of lenses. We briefly discuss the Rayleigh type of instability in the case of a 0.06M SDS foam film. The goals of this study are to reveal why the crown lenses are formed during the foam film stratification and to elucidate their effect on the rate of spot expansion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The long-time dynamics of two hydrodynamically-coupled swimming cells.

PubMed

Michelin, Sébastien; Lauga, Eric

2010-05-01

Swimming microorganisms such as bacteria or spermatozoa are typically found in dense suspensions, and exhibit collective modes of locomotion qualitatively different from that displayed by isolated cells. In the dilute limit where fluid-mediated interactions can be treated rigorously, the long-time hydrodynamics of a collection of cells result from interactions with many other cells, and as such typically eludes an analytical approach. Here, we consider the only case where such problem can be treated rigorously analytically, namely when the cells have spatially confined trajectories, such as the spermatozoa of some marine invertebrates. We consider two spherical cells swimming, when isolated, with arbitrary circular trajectories, and derive the long-time kinematics of their relative locomotion. We show that in the dilute limit where the cells are much further away than their size, and the size of their circular motion, a separation of time scale occurs between a fast (intrinsic) swimming time, and a slow time where hydrodynamic interactions lead to change in the relative position and orientation of the swimmers. We perform a multiple-scale analysis and derive the effective dynamical system--of dimension two--describing the long-time behavior of the pair of cells. We show that the system displays one type of equilibrium, and two types of rotational equilibrium, all of which are found to be unstable. A detailed mathematical analysis of the dynamical systems further allows us to show that only two cell-cell behaviors are possible in the limit of t-->infinity, either the cells are attracted to each other (possibly monotonically), or they are repelled (possibly monotonically as well), which we confirm with numerical computations. Our analysis shows therefore that, even in the dilute limit, hydrodynamic interactions lead to new modes of cell-cell locomotion.

Elastic stability of DNA configurations. II. Supercoiled plasmids with self-contact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coleman, Bernard D.; Swigon, David; Tobias, Irwin

2000-01-01

Configurations of protein-free DNA miniplasmids are calculated with the effects of impenetrability and self-contact forces taken into account by using exact solutions of Kirchhoff's equations of equilibrium for elastic rods of circular cross section. Bifurcation diagrams are presented as graphs of excess link, ΔL, versus writhe, W, and the stability criteria derived in paper I of this series are employed in a search for regions of such diagrams that correspond to configurations that are stable, in the sense that they give local minima to elastic energy. Primary bifurcation branches that originate at circular configurations are composed of configurations with Dm symmetry (m=2,3,...). Among the results obtained are the following. (i) There are configurations with C2 symmetry forming secondary bifurcation branches which emerge from the primary branch with m=3, and bifurcation of such secondary branches gives rise to tertiary branches of configurations without symmetry. (ii) Whether or not self-contact occurs, a noncircular configuration in the primary branch with m=2, called branch α, is stable when for it the derivative dΔL/dW, computed along that branch, is strictly positive. (iii) For configurations not in α, the condition dΔL/dW>0 is not sufficient for stability; in fact, each nonplanar contact-free configuration that is in a branch other than α is unstable. A rule relating the number of points of self-contact and the occurrence of intervals of such contact to the magnitude of ΔL, which in paper I was found to hold for segments of DNA subject to strong anchoring end conditions, is here observed to hold for computed configurations of protein-free miniplasmids.

A remarkable solvent effect on the nuclearity of neutral titanium(IV)-based helicate assemblies.

PubMed

Weekes, David Michael; Diebold, Carine; Mobian, Pierre; Huguenard, Clarisse; Allouche, Lionel; Henry, Marc

2014-04-22

The spontaneous self-assembly of a neutral circular trinuclear Ti(IV) -based helicate is described through the reaction of titanium(IV) isopropoxide with a rationally designed tetraphenolic ligand. The trimeric ring helicate was obtained after diffusion of n-pentane into a solution with dichloromethane. The circular helicate has been characterized by using single-crystal X-ray diffraction study, (13) C CP-MAS NMR and (1) H NMR DOSY solution spectroscopic, and positive electrospray ionization mass-spectrometric analysis. These analytical data were compared with those obtained from a previously reported double-stranded helicate that crystallizes in toluene. The trimeric ring was unstable in a pure solution with dichloromethane and transformed into the double-stranded helicate. Thermodynamic analysis by means of the PACHA software revealed that formation of the double-stranded helicates was characterized by ΔH(toluene)=-30 kJ mol(-1) and ΔS(toluene)=+357 J K(-1)  mol(-1) , whereas these values were ΔH(CH2 Cl2 )=-75 kJ mol(-1) and ΔS(CH2 Cl2 )=-37 J K(-1)  mol(-1) for the ring helicate. The transformation of the ring helicate into the double-stranded helicate was a strongly endothermic process characterized by ΔH(CH2 Cl2 )=+127 kJ mol(-1) and ΔH(n-pentane)=+644 kJ mol(-1) associated with a large positive entropy change ΔS=+1115 J K(-1) ⋅mol(-1) . Consequently, the instability of the ring helicate in pure dichloromethane was attributed to the rather high dielectric constant and dipole moment of dichloromethane relative to n-pentane. Suggestions for increasing the stability of the ring helicate are given. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Evaluating susceptibility of karst dolines (sinkholes) for collapse in Sango, Tennessee, USA

PubMed Central

Siska, Peter P.; Goovaerts, Pierre; Hung, I-K

2016-01-01

Dolines or sinkholes are earth depressions that develop in soluble rocks complexes such as limestone, dolomite, gypsum, anhydrite, and halite; dolines appear in a variety of shapes from nearly circular to complex structures with highly curved perimeters. The occurrence of dolines in the studied karst area is not random; they are the results of geomorphic, hydrologic, and chemical processes that have caused partial subsidence, even the total collapse of the land surface when voids and caves are present in the bedrock and the regolith arch overbridging these voids is unstable. In the study area, the majority of collapses occur in the regolith (bedrock cover) that bridges voids in the bedrock. Because these collapsing dolines may result in property damage and even cause the loss of lives, there is a need to develop methods for evaluating karst hazards. These methods can then be used by planners and practitioners for urban and economic development, especially in regions with a growing population. The purpose of this project is threefold: 1) to develop a karst feature database, 2) to investigate critical indicators associated with doline collapse, and 3) to develop a doline susceptibility model for potential doline collapse based on external morphometric data. The study has revealed the presence of short range spatial dependence in the distribution of the dolines’ morphometric parameters such as circularity, the geographic orientation of the main doline axes, and the length-to-width doline ratios; therefore, geostatistics can be used to spatially evaluate the susceptibility of the karst area for doline collapse. The partial susceptibility estimates were combined into a final probability map enabling the identification of areas where, until now, undetected dolines may cause significant hazards. PMID:27616807

Characterization of bulk and shear properties of basmati and non-basmati rice flour.

PubMed

Jan, Shumaila; Ghoroi, Chinmay; Saxena, Dharmesh Chandra

2018-01-01

Flours are often unstable in relation to their flow performance, which is evident when a free-flowing material ceases to flow and the processing, handling, and production parameters depend on the inherent powder characteristics and their bulk behaviour. The present study was conducted to compare the flowability of basmati and non-basmati rice flour affecting bulk handling, which could be related to its particle size, shape and surface roughness (measured by atomic force microscopy) as well as bulk and shear properties, depending upon the processing conditions. Particle size (171.1-171.9 μm) of both samples was not significantly different. However, the flowability of the non-basmati rice flour was significantly affected by its particle shape (circularity 0.487), surface roughness (124.23 nm) and compressibility (25.32%) in comparison to basmati rice flour (circularity 0.653, surface roughness 113.59 nm and compressibility 21.09%), making it more cohesive than basmati rice flour. Also, basic flow energy was significantly higher in non-basmati flour, thus requiring more energy (147.54 mJ) to flow than basmati rice flour (130.15 mJ). Overall, flowability was analysed by applying three different pressures (3, 6 and 9 kPa), among which non-basmati rice flour was found to be less flowable (flow function coefficient (FFC) 2.33 at 9 kPa) in comparison to basmati (FFC 3.35 at 9 kPa), making bulk handling difficult. This study could be useful in designing processing equipment, hoppers and silos for rice flour handling. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Downregulation of hepatic betaine:homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) expression in taurine-deficient mice is reversed by taurine supplementation in vivo

PubMed Central

Jurkowska, Halina; Niewiadomski, Julie; Hirschberger, Lawrence L.; Roman, Heather B.; Mazor, Kevin M.; Liu, Xiaojing; Locasale, Jason W.; Park, Eunkyue

2016-01-01

The cysteine dioxygenase (Cdo1)-null and the cysteine sulfinic acid decarboxylase (Csad)-null mouse are not able to synthesize hypotaurine/taurine by the cysteine/cysteine sulfinate pathway and have very low tissue taurine levels. These mice provide excellent models for studying the effects of taurine on biological processes. Using these mouse models, we identified betaine:homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) as a protein whose in vivo expression is robustly regulated by taurine. BHMT levels are low in liver of both Cdo1-null and Csad-null mice, but are restored to wild-type levels by dietary taurine supplementation. A lack of BHMT activity was indicated by an increase in the hepatic betaine level. In contrast to observations in liver of Cdo1-null and Csad-null mice, BHMT was not affected by taurine supplementation of primary hepatocytes from these mice. Likewise, CSAD abundance was not affected by taurine supplementation of primary hepatocytes, although it was robustly upregulated in liver of Cdo1-null and Csad-null mice and lowered to wild-type levels by dietary taurine supplementation. The mechanism by which taurine status affects hepatic CSAD and BHMT expression appears to be complex and to require factors outside of hepatocytes. Within the liver, mRNA abundance for both CSAD and BHMT was upregulated in parallel with protein levels, indicating regulation of BHMT and CSAD mRNA synthesis or degradation. PMID:26481005

Pronouns in Catalan: Information, Discourse and Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayol, Laia

2009-01-01

This thesis investigates the variation between null and overt pronouns in subject position in Catalan, a null subject language. I argue that null and overt subject pronouns are two resources that speakers efficiently deploy to signal their intended interpretation regarding antecedent choice or semantic meaning, and that communicative agents…

The Importance of Proving the Null

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallistel, C. R.

2009-01-01

Null hypotheses are simple, precise, and theoretically important. Conventional statistical analysis cannot support them; Bayesian analysis can. The challenge in a Bayesian analysis is to formulate a suitably vague alternative, because the vaguer the alternative is (the more it spreads out the unit mass of prior probability), the more the null is…

Over-fitting Time Series Models of Air Pollution Health Effects: Smoothing Tends to Bias Non-Null Associations Towards the Null.

EPA Science Inventory

Background: Simulation studies have previously demonstrated that time-series analyses using smoothing splines correctly model null health-air pollution associations. Methods: We repeatedly simulated season, meteorology and air quality for the metropolitan area of Atlanta from cyc...

Complex Fuzzy Set-Valued Complex Fuzzy Measures and Their Properties

PubMed Central

Ma, Shengquan; Li, Shenggang

2014-01-01

Let F*(K) be the set of all fuzzy complex numbers. In this paper some classical and measure-theoretical notions are extended to the case of complex fuzzy sets. They are fuzzy complex number-valued distance on F*(K), fuzzy complex number-valued measure on F*(K), and some related notions, such as null-additivity, pseudo-null-additivity, null-subtraction, pseudo-null-subtraction, autocontionuous from above, autocontionuous from below, and autocontinuity of the defined fuzzy complex number-valued measures. Properties of fuzzy complex number-valued measures are studied in detail. PMID:25093202

Comparison null imaging ellipsometry using polarization rotator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Sungmo; Kim, Eunsung; Kim, Jiwon; An, Ilsin

2018-05-01

In this study, two-reflection imaging ellipsometry is carried out to compare the changes in polarization states between two samples. By using a polarization rotator, the parallel and perpendicular components of polarization are easily switched between the two samples being compared. This leads to an intensity image consisting of null and off-null points depending on the difference in optical characteristics between the two samples. This technique does not require any movement of optical elements for nulling and can be used to detect defects or surface contamination for quality control of samples.

Impurity screening behavior of the high-field side scrape-off layer in near-double-null configurations: prospect for mitigating plasma-material interactions on RF actuators and first-wall components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LaBombard, B.; Kuang, A. Q.; Brunner, D.; Faust, I.; Mumgaard, R.; Reinke, M. L.; Terry, J. L.; Howard, N.; Hughes, J. W.; Chilenski, M.; Lin, Y.; Marmar, E.; Rice, J. E.; Rodriguez-Fernandez, P.; Wallace, G.; Whyte, D. G.; Wolfe, S.; Wukitch, S.

2017-07-01

The impurity screening response of the high-field side (HFS) scrape-off layer (SOL) to localized nitrogen injection is investigated on Alcator C-Mod for magnetic equilibria spanning lower-single-null, double-null and upper-single-null configurations under otherwise identical plasma conditions. L-mode, EDA H-mode and I-mode discharges are investigated. HFS impurity screening is found to depend on magnetic flux balance and the direction of B  ×  \

ON THE NATURE OF RECONNECTION AT A SOLAR CORONAL NULL POINT ABOVE A SEPARATRIX DOME

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

Pontin, D. I.; Priest, E. R.; Galsgaard, K., E-mail: dpontin@maths.dundee.ac.uk

2013-09-10

Three-dimensional magnetic null points are ubiquitous in the solar corona and in any generic mixed-polarity magnetic field. We consider magnetic reconnection at an isolated coronal null point whose fan field lines form a dome structure. Using analytical and computational models, we demonstrate several features of spine-fan reconnection at such a null, including the fact that substantial magnetic flux transfer from one region of field line connectivity to another can occur. The flux transfer occurs across the current sheet that forms around the null point during spine-fan reconnection, and there is no separator present. Also, flipping of magnetic field lines takesmore » place in a manner similar to that observed in the quasi-separatrix layer or slip-running reconnection.« less

The data-driven null models for information dissemination tree in social networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhiwei; Wang, Zhenyu

2017-10-01

For the purpose of detecting relatedness and co-occurrence between users, as well as the distribution features of nodes in spreading path of a social network, this paper explores topological characteristics of information dissemination trees (IDT) that can be employed indirectly to probe the information dissemination laws within social networks. Hence, three different null models of IDT are presented in this article, including the statistical-constrained 0-order IDT null model, the random-rewire-broken-edge 0-order IDT null model and the random-rewire-broken-edge 2-order IDT null model. These null models firstly generate the corresponding randomized copy of an actual IDT; then the extended significance profile, which is developed by adding the cascade ratio of information dissemination path, is exploited not only to evaluate degree correlation of two nodes associated with an edge, but also to assess the cascade ratio of different length of information dissemination paths. The experimental correspondences of the empirical analysis for several SinaWeibo IDTs and Twitter IDTs indicate that the IDT null models presented in this paper perform well in terms of degree correlation of nodes and dissemination path cascade ratio, which can be better to reveal the features of information dissemination and to fit the situation of real social networks.

The relationship of the local food environment with obesity: A systematic review of methods, study quality, and results.

PubMed

Cobb, Laura K; Appel, Lawrence J; Franco, Manuel; Jones-Smith, Jessica C; Nur, Alana; Anderson, Cheryl A M

2015-07-01

To examine the relationship between local food environments and obesity and assess the quality of studies reviewed. Systematic keyword searches identified studies from US and Canada that assessed the relationship of obesity to local food environments. We applied a quality metric based on design, exposure and outcome measurement, and analysis. We identified 71 studies representing 65 cohorts. Overall, study quality was low; 60 studies were cross-sectional. Associations between food outlet availability and obesity were predominantly null. Among non-null associations, we saw a trend toward inverse associations between supermarket availability and obesity (22 negative, 4 positive, 67 null) and direct associations between fast food and obesity (29 positive, 6 negative, 71 null) in adults. We saw direct associations between fast food availability and obesity in lower income children (12 positive, 7 null). Indices including multiple food outlets were most consistently associated with obesity in adults (18 expected, 1 not expected, 17 null). Limiting to higher quality studies did not affect results. Despite the large number of studies, we found limited evidence for associations between local food environments and obesity. The predominantly null associations should be interpreted cautiously due to the low quality of available studies. © 2015 The Obesity Society.

Viewing condition dependence of the gaze-evoked nystagmus in Arnold Chiari type 1 malformation.

PubMed

Ghasia, Fatema F; Gulati, Deepak; Westbrook, Edward L; Shaikh, Aasef G

2014-04-15

Saccadic eye movements rapidly shift gaze to the target of interest. Once the eyes reach a given target, the brainstem ocular motor integrator utilizes feedback from various sources to assure steady gaze. One of such sources is cerebellum whose lesion can impair neural integration leading to gaze-evoked nystagmus. The gaze evoked nystagmus is characterized by drifts moving the eyes away from the target and a null position where the drifts are absent. The extent of impairment in the neural integration for two opposite eccentricities might determine the location of the null position. Eye in the orbit position might also determine the location of the null. We report this phenomenon in a patient with Arnold Chiari type 1 malformation who had intermittent esotropia and horizontal gaze-evoked nystagmus with a shift in the null position. During binocular viewing, the null was shifted to the right. During monocular viewing, when the eye under cover drifted nasally (secondary to the esotropia), the null of the gaze-evoked nystagmus reorganized toward the center. We speculate that the output of the neural integrator is altered from the bilateral conflicting eye in the orbit position secondary to the strabismus. This could possibly explain the reorganization of the location of the null position. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sachs' free data in real connection variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Paoli, Elena; Speziale, Simone

2017-11-01

We discuss the Hamiltonian dynamics of general relativity with real connection variables on a null foliation, and use the Newman-Penrose formalism to shed light on the geometric meaning of the various constraints. We identify the equivalent of Sachs' constraint-free initial data as projections of connection components related to null rotations, i.e. the translational part of the ISO(2) group stabilising the internal null direction soldered to the hypersurface. A pair of second-class constraints reduces these connection components to the shear of a null geodesic congruence, thus establishing equivalence with the second-order formalism, which we show in details at the level of symplectic potentials. A special feature of the first-order formulation is that Sachs' propagating equations for the shear, away from the initial hypersurface, are turned into tertiary constraints; their role is to preserve the relation between connection and shear under retarded time evolution. The conversion of wave-like propagating equations into constraints is possible thanks to an algebraic Bianchi identity; the same one that allows one to describe the radiative data at future null infinity in terms of a shear of a (non-geodesic) asymptotic null vector field in the physical spacetime. Finally, we compute the modification to the spin coefficients and the null congruence in the presence of torsion.

The relationship of the local food environment with obesity: A systematic review of methods, study quality and results

PubMed Central

Cobb, Laura K; Appel, Lawrence J; Franco, Manuel; Jones-Smith, Jessica C; Nur, Alana; Anderson, Cheryl AM

2015-01-01

Objective To examine the relationship between local food environments and obesity and assess the quality of studies reviewed. Methods Systematic keyword searches identified studies from US and Canada that assessed the relationship of obesity to local food environments. We applied a quality metric based on design, exposure and outcome measurement, and analysis. Results We identified 71 studies representing 65 cohorts. Overall, study quality was low; 60 studies were cross-sectional. Associations between food outlet availability and obesity were predominantly null. Among non-null associations, we saw a trend toward inverse associations between supermarket availability and obesity (22 negative, 4 positive, 67 null) and direct associations between fast food and obesity (29 positive, 6 negative, 71 null) in adults. We saw direct associations between fast food availability and obesity in lower income children (12 positive, 7 null). Indices including multiple food outlets were most consistently associated with obesity in adults (18 expected, 1 not expected, 17 null). Limiting to higher quality studies did not affect results. Conclusions Despite the large number of studies, we found limited evidence for associations between local food environments and obesity. The predominantly null associations should be interpreted cautiously due to the low quality of available studies. PMID:26096983

Particle dynamics around time conformal regular black holes via Noether symmetries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jawad, Abdul; Umair Shahzad, M.

The time conformal regular black hole (RBH) solutions which are admitting the time conformal factor e𝜖g(t), where g(t) is an arbitrary function of time and 𝜖 is the perturbation parameter are being considered. The approximate Noether symmetries technique is being used for finding the function g(t) which leads to t α. The dynamics of particles around RBHs are also being discussed through symmetry generators which provide approximate energy as well as angular momentum of the particles. In addition, we analyze the motion of neutral and charged particles around two well known RBHs such as charged RBH using Fermi-Dirac distribution and Kehagias-Sftesos asymptotically flat RBH. We obtain the innermost stable circular orbit and corresponding approximate energy and angular momentum. The behavior of effective potential, effective force and escape velocity of the particles in the presence/absence of magnetic field for different values of angular momentum near horizons are also being analyzed. The stable and unstable regions of particle near horizons due to the effect of angular momentum and magnetic field are also explained.

Transport and Capture of Comets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, S. D.; Koon, W. S.; Lo, M. W.; Marsden, J. E.

2001-11-01

The dynamics of comets and other solar system objects which have a three-body energy close to that of the collinear libration points are known to exhibit a complicated array of behaviors such as rapid transition between the interior and exterior Hill's regions, temporary capture, and collision. The invariant manifold structures of the collinear libration points for the restricted three-body problem, which exist for a range of energies, provide the framework for understanding these transport phenomena from a geometric point of view. In particular, the stable and unstable invariant manifold "tubes" associated to libration point orbits are the phase space conduits transporting material to and from the smaller primary body (e.g., Jupiter), and between primary bodies for separate three-body systems (e.g., Saturn and Jupiter). This point of view has worked well in describing the planar circular restricted three-body problem. The current work seeks to extend the results to three degrees of freedom. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Grant No. KDI/ATM-9873133 under a contract with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA.

Depth variations of P-wave azimuthal anisotropy beneath Mainland China

PubMed Central

Wei, Wei; Zhao, Dapeng; Xu, Jiandong; Zhou, Bengang; Shi, Yaolin

2016-01-01

A high-resolution model of P-wave anisotropic tomography beneath Mainland China and surrounding regions is determined using a large number of arrival-time data recorded by the China seismic network, the International Seismological Centre (ISC) and temporary seismic arrays deployed on the Tibetan Plateau. Our results provide important new insights into the subducted Indian plate and mantle dynamics in East Asia. Our tomographic images show that the northern limit of the subducting Indian plate has reached the Jinsha River suture in eastern Tibet. A striking variation of P-wave azimuthal anisotropy is revealed in the Indian lithosphere: the fast velocity direction (FVD) is NE-SW beneath the Indian continent, whereas the FVD is arc parallel beneath the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau, which may reflect re-orientation of minerals due to lithospheric extension, in response to the India-Eurasia collision. There are multiple anisotropic layers with variable FVDs in some parts of the Tibetan Plateau, which may be the cause of the dominant null splitting measurements in these regions. A circular pattern of FVDs is revealed around the Philippine Sea slab beneath SE China, which reflects asthenospheric strain caused by toroidal mantle flow around the edge of the subducting slab. PMID:27432744

Depth variations of P-wave azimuthal anisotropy beneath Mainland China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Wei; Zhao, Dapeng; Xu, Jiandong; Zhou, Bengang; Shi, Yaolin

2016-07-01

A high-resolution model of P-wave anisotropic tomography beneath Mainland China and surrounding regions is determined using a large number of arrival-time data recorded by the China seismic network, the International Seismological Centre (ISC) and temporary seismic arrays deployed on the Tibetan Plateau. Our results provide important new insights into the subducted Indian plate and mantle dynamics in East Asia. Our tomographic images show that the northern limit of the subducting Indian plate has reached the Jinsha River suture in eastern Tibet. A striking variation of P-wave azimuthal anisotropy is revealed in the Indian lithosphere: the fast velocity direction (FVD) is NE-SW beneath the Indian continent, whereas the FVD is arc parallel beneath the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau, which may reflect re-orientation of minerals due to lithospheric extension, in response to the India-Eurasia collision. There are multiple anisotropic layers with variable FVDs in some parts of the Tibetan Plateau, which may be the cause of the dominant null splitting measurements in these regions. A circular pattern of FVDs is revealed around the Philippine Sea slab beneath SE China, which reflects asthenospheric strain caused by toroidal mantle flow around the edge of the subducting slab.

"Null-E" magnetic bearings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filatov, Alexei Vladimirovich

2002-09-01

Using electromagnetic forces to suspend rotating objects (rotors) without mechanical contact is often an appealing technical solution. Magnetic suspensions are typically required to have adequate load capacity and stiffness, and low rotational loss. Other desired features include low price, high reliability and manufacturability. With recent advances in permanent-magnet materials, the required forces can often be obtained by simply using the interaction between permanent magnets. While a magnetic bearing based entirely on permanent magnets could be expected to be inexpensive, reliable and easy to manufacture, a fundamental physical principle known as Earnshaw's theorem maintains that this type of suspension cannot be statically stable. Therefore, some other physical mechanisms must be included. One such mechanism employs the interaction between a conductor and a nonuniform magnetic field in relative motion. Its advantages include simplicity, reliability, wide range of operating temperature and system autonomy (no external wiring and power supplies are required). The disadvantages of the earlier embodiments were high rotational loss, low stiffness and load capacity. This dissertation proposes a novel type of magnetic bearing stabilized by the field-conductor interaction. One of the advantages of this bearing is that no electric field, E, develops in the conductor during the rotor rotation when the system is in no-load equilibrium. Because of this we refer to it as the Null-E Bearing. Null-E Bearings have potential for lower rotational loss and higher load capacity and stiffness than other bearings utilizing the field-conductor interaction. Their performance is highly insensitive to manufacturing inaccuracies. The Null-E Bearing in its basic form can be augmented with supplementary electronics to improve its performance. Depending on the degree of the electronics involvement, a variety of magnetic bearings can be developed ranging from a completely passive to an active magnetic bearing of a novel type. This dissertation contains theoretical analysis of the Null-E Bearing operation, including derivation of the stability conditions and estimation of some of the rotational losses. The validity of the theoretical conclusions has been demonstrated by building and testing a prototype in which non-contact suspension of a 3.2-kg rotor is achieved at spin speeds above 18 Hz.

Progression of Behavioral and CNS Deficits in a Viable Murine Model of Chronic Neuronopathic Gaucher Disease.

PubMed

Dai, Mei; Liou, Benjamin; Swope, Brittany; Wang, Xiaohong; Zhang, Wujuan; Inskeep, Venette; Grabowski, Gregory A; Sun, Ying; Pan, Dao

2016-01-01

To study the neuronal deficits in neuronopathic Gaucher Disease (nGD), the chronological behavioral profiles and the age of onset of brain abnormalities were characterized in a chronic nGD mouse model (9V/null). Progressive accumulation of glucosylceramide (GC) and glucosylsphingosine (GS) in the brain of 9V/null mice were observed at as early as 6 and 3 months of age for GC and GS, respectively. Abnormal accumulation of α-synuclein was present in the 9V/null brain as detected by immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. In a repeated open-field test, the 9V/null mice (9 months and older) displayed significantly less environmental habituation and spent more time exploring the open-field than age-matched WT group, indicating the onset of short-term spatial memory deficits. In the marble burying test, the 9V/null group had a shorter latency to initiate burying activity at 3 months of age, whereas the latency increased significantly at ≥12 months of age; 9V/null females buried significantly more marbles to completion than the WT group, suggesting an abnormal response to the instinctive behavior and an abnormal activity in non-associative anxiety-like behavior. In the conditional fear test, only the 9V/null males exhibited a significant decrease in response to contextual fear, but both genders showed less response to auditory-cued fear compared to age- and gender-matched WT at 12 months of age. These results indicate hippocampus-related emotional memory defects. Abnormal gait emerged in 9V/null mice with wider front-paw and hind-paw widths, as well as longer stride in a gender-dependent manner with different ages of onset. Significantly higher liver- and spleen-to-body weight ratios were detected in 9V/null mice with different ages of onsets. These data provide temporal evaluation of neurobehavioral dysfunctions and brain pathology in 9V/null mice that can be used for experimental designs to evaluate novel therapies for nGD.

Progression of Behavioral and CNS Deficits in a Viable Murine Model of Chronic Neuronopathic Gaucher Disease

PubMed Central

Dai, Mei; Liou, Benjamin; Swope, Brittany; Wang, Xiaohong; Zhang, Wujuan; Inskeep, Venette; Grabowski, Gregory A.; Sun, Ying; Pan, Dao

2016-01-01

To study the neuronal deficits in neuronopathic Gaucher Disease (nGD), the chronological behavioral profiles and the age of onset of brain abnormalities were characterized in a chronic nGD mouse model (9V/null). Progressive accumulation of glucosylceramide (GC) and glucosylsphingosine (GS) in the brain of 9V/null mice were observed at as early as 6 and 3 months of age for GC and GS, respectively. Abnormal accumulation of α-synuclein was present in the 9V/null brain as detected by immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. In a repeated open-field test, the 9V/null mice (9 months and older) displayed significantly less environmental habituation and spent more time exploring the open-field than age-matched WT group, indicating the onset of short-term spatial memory deficits. In the marble burying test, the 9V/null group had a shorter latency to initiate burying activity at 3 months of age, whereas the latency increased significantly at ≥12 months of age; 9V/null females buried significantly more marbles to completion than the WT group, suggesting an abnormal response to the instinctive behavior and an abnormal activity in non-associative anxiety-like behavior. In the conditional fear test, only the 9V/null males exhibited a significant decrease in response to contextual fear, but both genders showed less response to auditory-cued fear compared to age- and gender-matched WT at 12 months of age. These results indicate hippocampus-related emotional memory defects. Abnormal gait emerged in 9V/null mice with wider front-paw and hind-paw widths, as well as longer stride in a gender-dependent manner with different ages of onset. Significantly higher liver- and spleen-to-body weight ratios were detected in 9V/null mice with different ages of onsets. These data provide temporal evaluation of neurobehavioral dysfunctions and brain pathology in 9V/null mice that can be used for experimental designs to evaluate novel therapies for nGD. PMID:27598339

Immunological role of CD4+CD28null T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, and interferon-gamma in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease: relation to disease severity and response to therapy.

PubMed

ElAlfy, Mohsen Saleh; Adly, Amira Abdel Moneam; Ebeid, Fatma Soliman ElSayed; Eissa, Deena Samir; Ismail, Eman Abdel Rahman; Mohammed, Yasser Hassan; Ahmed, Manar Elsayed; Saad, Aya Sayed

2018-06-20

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with alterations in immune phenotypes. CD4 + CD28 null T lymphocytes have pro-inflammatory functions and are linked to vascular diseases. To assess the percentage of CD4 + CD28 null T lymphocytes, natural killer cells (NK), and IFN-gamma levels, we compared 40 children and adolescents with SCD with 40 healthy controls and evaluated their relation to disease severity and response to therapy. Patients with SCD steady state were studied, focusing on history of frequent vaso-occlusive crisis, hydroxyurea therapy, and IFN-gamma levels. Analysis of CD4 + CD28 null T lymphocytes and NK cells was done by flow cytometry. Liver and cardiac iron overload were assessed. CD4 + CD28 null T lymphocytes, NK cells, and IFN-gamma levels were significantly higher in patients than controls. Patients with history of frequent vaso-occlusive crisis and those with vascular complications had higher percentage of CD4 + CD28 null T lymphocytes and IFN-gamma while levels were significantly lower among hydroxyurea-treated patients. CD4 + CD28 null T lymphocytes were positively correlated to transfusional iron input while these cells and IFN-gamma were negatively correlated to cardiac T2* and duration of hydroxyurea therapy. NK cells were correlated to HbS and indirect bilirubin. Increased expression of CD4 + CD28 null T lymphocytes highlights their role in immune dysfunction and pathophysiology of SCD complications.

Influence of Choice of Null Network on Small-World Parameters of Structural Correlation Networks

PubMed Central

Hosseini, S. M. Hadi; Kesler, Shelli R.

2013-01-01

In recent years, coordinated variations in brain morphology (e.g., volume, thickness) have been employed as a measure of structural association between brain regions to infer large-scale structural correlation networks. Recent evidence suggests that brain networks constructed in this manner are inherently more clustered than random networks of the same size and degree. Thus, null networks constructed by randomizing topology are not a good choice for benchmarking small-world parameters of these networks. In the present report, we investigated the influence of choice of null networks on small-world parameters of gray matter correlation networks in healthy individuals and survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Three types of null networks were studied: 1) networks constructed by topology randomization (TOP), 2) networks matched to the distributional properties of the observed covariance matrix (HQS), and 3) networks generated from correlation of randomized input data (COR). The results revealed that the choice of null network not only influences the estimated small-world parameters, it also influences the results of between-group differences in small-world parameters. In addition, at higher network densities, the choice of null network influences the direction of group differences in network measures. Our data suggest that the choice of null network is quite crucial for interpretation of group differences in small-world parameters of structural correlation networks. We argue that none of the available null models is perfect for estimation of small-world parameters for correlation networks and the relative strengths and weaknesses of the selected model should be carefully considered with respect to obtained network measures. PMID:23840672

Visual and Plastic Arts in Teaching Literacy: Null Curricula?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wakeland, Robin Gay

2010-01-01

Visual and plastic arts in contemporary literacy instruction equal null curricula. Studies show that painting and sculpture facilitate teaching reading and writing (literacy), yet such pedagogy has not been formally adopted into USA curriculum. An example of null curriculum can be found in late 19th - early 20th century education the USA…

A Critique of One-Tailed Hypothesis Test Procedures in Business and Economics Statistics Textbooks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Tung; Stone, Courtenay C.

1999-01-01

Surveys introductory business and economics statistics textbooks and finds that they differ over the best way to explain one-tailed hypothesis tests: the simple null-hypothesis approach or the composite null-hypothesis approach. Argues that the composite null-hypothesis approach contains methodological shortcomings that make it more difficult for…

Compensatory changes in CYP expression in three different toxicology mouse models: CAR-null, Cyp3a-null, and Cyp2b9/10/13-null mice

EPA Science Inventory

Targeted mutant models are common in mechanistic toxicology experiments investigating the absorption, metabolism, distribution, or elimination (ADME) of chemicals from individuals. Key models include those for xenosensing transcription factors and cytochrome P450s (CYP). Here we ...

Compensation for PKMζ in long-term potentiation and spatial long-term memory in mutant mice.

PubMed

Tsokas, Panayiotis; Hsieh, Changchi; Yao, Yudong; Lesburguères, Edith; Wallace, Emma Jane Claire; Tcherepanov, Andrew; Jothianandan, Desingarao; Hartley, Benjamin Rush; Pan, Ling; Rivard, Bruno; Farese, Robert V; Sajan, Mini P; Bergold, Peter John; Hernández, Alejandro Iván; Cottrell, James E; Shouval, Harel Z; Fenton, André Antonio; Sacktor, Todd Charlton

2016-05-17

PKMζ is a persistently active PKC isoform proposed to maintain late-LTP and long-term memory. But late-LTP and memory are maintained without PKMζ in PKMζ-null mice. Two hypotheses can account for these findings. First, PKMζ is unimportant for LTP or memory. Second, PKMζ is essential for late-LTP and long-term memory in wild-type mice, and PKMζ-null mice recruit compensatory mechanisms. We find that whereas PKMζ persistently increases in LTP maintenance in wild-type mice, PKCι/λ, a gene-product closely related to PKMζ, persistently increases in LTP maintenance in PKMζ-null mice. Using a pharmacogenetic approach, we find PKMζ-antisense in hippocampus blocks late-LTP and spatial long-term memory in wild-type mice, but not in PKMζ-null mice without the target mRNA. Conversely, a PKCι/λ-antagonist disrupts late-LTP and spatial memory in PKMζ-null mice but not in wild-type mice. Thus, whereas PKMζ is essential for wild-type LTP and long-term memory, persistent PKCι/λ activation compensates for PKMζ loss in PKMζ-null mice.

Autism phenotypes in ZnT3 null mice: Involvement of zinc dyshomeostasis, MMP-9 activation and BDNF upregulation

PubMed Central

Yoo, Min Heui; Kim, Tae-Youn; Yoon, Young Hee; Koh, Jae-Young

2016-01-01

To investigate the role of synaptic zinc in the ASD pathogenesis, we examined zinc transporter 3 (ZnT3) null mice. At 4–5 weeks of age, male but not female ZnT3 null mice exhibited autistic-like behaviors. Cortical volume and neurite density were significantly greater in male ZnT3 null mice than in WT mice. In male ZnT3 null mice, consistent with enhanced neurotrophic stimuli, the level of BDNF as well as activity of MMP-9 was increased. Consistent with known roles for MMPs in BDNF upregulation, 2.5-week treatment with minocycline, an MMP inhibitor, significantly attenuated BDNF levels as well as megalencephaly and autistic-like behaviors. Although the ZnT3 null state removed synaptic zinc, it rather increased free zinc in the cytosol of brain cells, which appeared to increase MMP-9 activity and BDNF levels. The present results suggest that zinc dyshomeostasis during the critical period of brain development may be a possible contributing mechanism for ASD. PMID:27352957

Autism phenotypes in ZnT3 null mice: Involvement of zinc dyshomeostasis, MMP-9 activation and BDNF upregulation.

PubMed

Yoo, Min Heui; Kim, Tae-Youn; Yoon, Young Hee; Koh, Jae-Young

2016-06-29

To investigate the role of synaptic zinc in the ASD pathogenesis, we examined zinc transporter 3 (ZnT3) null mice. At 4-5 weeks of age, male but not female ZnT3 null mice exhibited autistic-like behaviors. Cortical volume and neurite density were significantly greater in male ZnT3 null mice than in WT mice. In male ZnT3 null mice, consistent with enhanced neurotrophic stimuli, the level of BDNF as well as activity of MMP-9 was increased. Consistent with known roles for MMPs in BDNF upregulation, 2.5-week treatment with minocycline, an MMP inhibitor, significantly attenuated BDNF levels as well as megalencephaly and autistic-like behaviors. Although the ZnT3 null state removed synaptic zinc, it rather increased free zinc in the cytosol of brain cells, which appeared to increase MMP-9 activity and BDNF levels. The present results suggest that zinc dyshomeostasis during the critical period of brain development may be a possible contributing mechanism for ASD.

Forcible destruction of severely misfolded mammalian glycoproteins by the non-glycoprotein ERAD pathway

PubMed Central

Ninagawa, Satoshi; Okada, Tetsuya; Sumitomo, Yoshiki; Horimoto, Satoshi; Sugimoto, Takehiro; Ishikawa, Tokiro; Takeda, Shunichi; Yamamoto, Takashi; Suzuki, Tadashi; Kamiya, Yukiko

2015-01-01

Glycoproteins and non-glycoproteins possessing unfolded/misfolded parts in their luminal regions are cleared from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by ER-associated degradation (ERAD)-L with distinct mechanisms. Two-step mannose trimming from Man9GlcNAc2 is crucial in the ERAD-L of glycoproteins. We recently showed that this process is initiated by EDEM2 and completed by EDEM3/EDEM1. Here, we constructed chicken and human cells simultaneously deficient in EDEM1/2/3 and analyzed the fates of four ERAD-L substrates containing three potential N-glycosylation sites. We found that native but unstable or somewhat unfolded glycoproteins, such as ATF6α, ATF6α(C), CD3-δ–ΔTM, and EMC1, were stabilized in EDEM1/2/3 triple knockout cells. In marked contrast, degradation of severely misfolded glycoproteins, such as null Hong Kong (NHK) and deletion or insertion mutants of ATF6α(C), CD3-δ–ΔTM, and EMC1, was delayed only at early chase periods, but they were eventually degraded as in wild-type cells. Thus, higher eukaryotes are able to extract severely misfolded glycoproteins from glycoprotein ERAD and target them to the non-glycoprotein ERAD pathway to maintain the homeostasis of the ER. PMID:26572623

Flamenco, a gene controlling the gypsy retrovirus of drosophila melanogaster

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

Prud`homme, N.; Gans, M.; Masson, M.

1995-02-01

Gypsy is an endogenous retrovirus of Drosophila melanogaster. It is table and does not transpose with detectable frequencies in most Drosophila strains. However, we have characterized unstable strains, known as MG, in which it transposes at high frequency. These stocks contain more copies of gypsy than usual stocks. Transposition results in mutations in several genes such as ovo and cut. They are stable and are due to gypsy insertions. Integrations into the ovo{sup D1} female sterile-dominant mutation result in a null allele of the gene and occurrence of fertile females. This phenomenon, known as the ovo{sup D1} reversion assay, canmore » be used to quantitate gypsy activity. We have shown that the properties of MG strains result from mutation of a host gene that we called flamenco (flam). It has a strict maternal effect on gypsy mobilization: transposition occurs at high frequency only in the germ line of the progeny of females homozygous for mutations of the gene. It is located at position 65.9 (20A1-3) on the X chromosome. The mutant allele present in MG strains is essentially recessive. Flamenco seems to control the infective properties of gypsy. 40 refs., 10 figs., 6 tabs.« less

Divertor with a third-order null of the poloidal field

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

Ryutov, D. D.; Umansky, M. V.

2013-09-15

A concept and preliminary feasibility analysis of a divertor with the third-order poloidal field null is presented. The third-order null is the point where not only the field itself but also its first and second spatial derivatives are zero. In this case, the separatrix near the null-point has eight branches, and the number of strike-points increases from 2 (as in the standard divertor) to six. It is shown that this magnetic configuration can be created by a proper adjustment of the currents in a set of three divertor coils. If the currents are somewhat different from the required values, themore » configuration becomes that of three closely spaced first-order nulls. Analytic approach, suitable for a quick orientation in the problem, is used. Potential advantages and disadvantages of this configuration are briefly discussed.« less

Both genetic deletion and pharmacological blockade of lysophosphatidic acid LPA1 receptor results in increased alcohol consumption.

PubMed

Castilla-Ortega, Estela; Pavón, Francisco Javier; Sánchez-Marín, Laura; Estivill-Torrús, Guillermo; Pedraza, Carmen; Blanco, Eduardo; Suárez, Juan; Santín, Luis; Rodríguez de Fonseca, Fernando; Serrano, Antonia

2016-04-01

Lysophosphatidic acid species (LPA) are lipid bioactive signaling molecules that have been recently implicated in the modulation of emotional and motivational behaviors. The present study investigates the consequences of either genetic deletion or pharmacological blockade of lysophosphatidic acid receptor-1 (LPA1) in alcohol consumption. The experiments were performed in alcohol-drinking animals by using LPA1-null mice and administering the LPA1 receptor antagonist Ki16425 in both mice and rats. In the two-bottle free choice paradigm, the LPA1-null mice preferred the alcohol more than their wild-type counterparts. Whereas the male LPA1-null mice displayed this higher preference at all doses tested, the female LPA1-null mice only consumed more alcohol at 6% concentration. The male LPA1-null mice were then further characterized, showing a notably increased ethanol drinking after a deprivation period and a reduced sleep time after acute ethanol administration. In addition, LPA1-null mice were more anxious than the wild-type mice in the elevated plus maze test. For the pharmacological experiments, the acute administration of the antagonist Ki16425 consistently increased ethanol consumption in both wild-type mice and rats; while it did not modulate alcohol drinking in the LPA1-null mice and lacked intrinsic rewarding properties and locomotor effects in a conditioned place preference paradigm. In addition, LPA1-null mice exhibited a marked reduction on the expression of glutamate-transmission-related genes in the prefrontal cortex similar to those described in alcohol-exposed rodents. Results suggest a relevant role for the LPA/LPA1 signaling system in alcoholism. In addition, the LPA1-null mice emerge as a new model for genetic vulnerability to excessive alcohol drinking. The pharmacological manipulation of LPA1 receptor arises as a new target for the study and treatment of alcoholism. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On Nulling, Drifting, and Their Interactions in PSRs J1741-0840 and J1840-0840

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gajjar, V.; Yuan, J. P.; Yuen, R.; Wen, Z. G.; Liu, Z. Y.; Wang, N.

2017-12-01

We report detailed investigation of nulling and drifting behavior of two pulsars PSRs J1741-0840 and J1840-0840 observed from the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope at 625 MHz. PSR J1741-0840 was found to show a nulling fraction (NF) of around 30% ± 5% while PSR J1840-0840 was shown to have an NF of around 50% ± 6%. We measured drifting behavior from different profile components in PSR J1840-0840 for the first time with the leading component showing drifting with 13.5 ± 0.7 periods while the weak trailing component showed drifting of around 18 ± 1 periods. Large nulling hampers accuracy of these quantities derived using standard Fourier techniques. A more accurate comparison was drawn from driftband slopes, measured after sub-pulse modeling. These measurements revealed interesting sporadic and irregular drifting behavior in both pulsars. We conclude that the previously reported different drifting periodicities in the trailing component of PSR J1741-0840 is likely due to the spread in these driftband slopes. We also find that both components of PSR J1840-0840 show similar driftband slopes within the uncertainties. Unique nulling-drifting interaction is identified in PSR J1840-0840 where, on most occasions, the pulsar tends to start nulling after what appears to be the end of a driftband. Similarly, when the pulsar switches back to an emission phase, on most occasions it starts at the beginning of a new driftband in both components. Such behaviors have not been detected in any other pulsars to our knowledge. We also found that PSR J1741-0840 seems to have no memory of its previous burst phase while PSR J1840-0840 clearly exhibits memory of its previous state even after longer nulls for both components. We discuss possible explanations for these intriguing nulling-drifting interactions seen in both pulsars based on various pulsar nulling models.

Apolipoprotein AI Deficiency Inhibits Serum Opacity Factor Activity against Plasma High Density Lipoprotein via a Stabilization Mechanism

PubMed Central

Rosales, Corina; Patel, Niket; Gillard, Baiba K.; Yelamanchili, Dedipya; Yang, Yaliu; Courtney, Harry S.; Santos, Raul D.; Gotto, Antonio M.; Pownall, Henry J.

2016-01-01

The reaction of Streptococcal serum opacity factor (SOF) against plasma high-density lipoproteins (HDL) produces a large cholesteryl ester-rich microemulsion (CERM), a smaller neo HDL that is apolipoprotein (apo) AI-poor, and lipid-free apo AI. SOF is active vs. both human and mouse plasma HDL. In vivo injection of SOF into mice reduces plasma cholesterol ~40% in 3 hours while forming the same products observed in vitro, but at different ratios. Previous studies supported the hypothesis that labile apo AI is required for the SOF reaction vs. HDL. Here we further tested that hypothesis by studies of SOF against HDL from apo AI-null mice. When injected into apo AI-null mice, SOF reduced plasma cholesterol ~35% in three hours. The reaction of SOF vs. apo AI-null HDL in vitro produced a CERM and neo HDL, but no lipid-free apo. Moreover, according to the rate of CERM formation, the extent and rate of the SOF reaction vs. apo AI-null mouse HDL was less than that against wild-type (WT) mouse HDL. Chaotropic perturbation studies using guanidine hydrochloride showed that apo AI-null HDL was more stable than WT HDL. Human apo AI added to apo AI-null HDL was quantitatively incorporated, giving reconstituted HDL. Both SOF and guanidine hydrochloride displaced apo AI from the reconstituted HDL. These results support the conclusion that apo AI-null HDL is more stable than WT HDL because it lacks apo AI, a labile protein that is readily displaced by physico-chemical and biochemical perturbations. Thus, apo AI-null HDL is less SOF-reactive than WT HDL. The properties of apo AI-null HDL can be partially restored to those of WT HDL by the spontaneous incorporation of human apo AI. It remains to be determined what other HDL functions are affected by apo AI deletion. PMID:25790332

Adaptive Nulling for Interferometric Detection of Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lay, Oliver P.; Peters, Robert D.

2010-01-01

An adaptive-nulling method has been proposed to augment the nulling-optical- interferometry method of detection of Earth-like planets around distant stars. The method is intended to reduce the cost of building and aligning the highly precise optical components and assemblies needed for nulling. Typically, at the mid-infrared wavelengths used for detecting planets orbiting distant stars, a star is millions of times brighter than an Earth-sized planet. In order to directly detect the light from the planet, it is necessary to remove most of the light coming from the star. Nulling interferometry is one way to suppress the light from the star without appreciably suppressing the light from the planet. In nulling interferometry in its simplest form, one uses two nominally identical telescopes aimed in the same direction and separated laterally by a suitable distance. The light collected by the two telescopes is processed through optical trains and combined on a detector. The optical trains are designed such that the electric fields produced by an on-axis source (the star) are in anti-phase at the detector while the electric fields from the planet, which is slightly off-axis, combine in phase, so that the contrast ratio between the star and the planet is greatly decreased. If the electric fields from the star are exactly equal in amplitude and opposite in phase, then the star is effectively nulled out. Nulling is effective only if it is complete in the sense that it occurs simultaneously in both polarization states and at all wavelengths of interest. The need to ensure complete nulling translates to extremely tight demands upon the design and fabrication of the complex optical trains: The two telescopes must be highly symmetric, the reflectivities of the many mirrors in the telescopes and other optics must be carefully tailored, the optical coatings must be extremely uniform, sources of contamination must be minimized, optical surfaces must be nearly ideal, and alignments must be extremely precise. Satisfaction of all of these requirements entails substantial cost.

Regional and Large-Scale Climate Influences on Tree-Ring Reconstructed Null Zone Position in San Francisco Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stahle, D.; Griffin, D.; Cleaveland, M.; Fye, F.; Meko, D.; Cayan, D.; Dettinger, M.; Redmond, K.

2007-05-01

A new network of 36 moisture sensitive tree-ring chronologies has been developed in and near the drainage basins of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. The network is based entirely on blue oak (Quercus douglasii), which is a California endemic found from the lower forest border up into the mixed conifer zone in the Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, and Cascades. These blue oak tree-ring chronologies are highly correlated with winter-spring precipitation totals, Sacramento and San Joaquin streamflow, and with seasonal variations in salinity and null zone position in San Francisco Bay. Null zone is the non-tidal bottom water location where density-driven salinity and river-driven freshwater currents balance (zero flow). It is the area of highest turbidity, water residence time, sediment accumulation, and net primary productivity in the estuary. Null zone position is measured by the distance from the Golden Gate of the 2 per mil bottom water isohaline and is primarily controlled by discharge from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers (and ultimately by winter-spring precipitation). The location of the null zone is an estuarine habitat indicator, a policy variable used for ecosystem management, and can have a major impact on biological resources in the San Francisco estuary. Precipitation-sensitive blue oak chronologies can be used to estimate null zone position based on the strong biogeophysical interaction among terrestrial, aquatic, and estuarine ecosystems, orchestrated by precipitation. The null zone reconstruction is 626-years long and provides a unique long term perspective on the interannual to decadal variability of this important estuarine habitat indicator. Consecutive two-year droughts (or longer) allow the null zone to shrink into the confined upper reaches of Suisun Bay, causing a dramatic reduction in phytoplankton production and favoring colonization of the estuary by marine biota. The reconstruction indicates an approximate 10 year recurrence interval between these consecutive two-year droughts and null zone maxima. Composite analyses of the Palmer drought index over North America indicate that the drought and wetness regimes associated with maxima and minima in reconstructed null zone position are largely restricted to the California sector. Composite analyses of the 20th century global sea surface temperature (SST) field indicate that wet years over central California with good oak growth, high flows, and a seaward position for the null zone (minima) are associated with warm El Nino conditions and a "Pineapple Express" SST pattern. The composite SST pattern is not as strong during dry years with poor growth, low flows, and a landward position of the null zone (maxima), but the composite warm SST anomaly in the eastern North Pacific during maxima would be consistent with a persistent ridge and drought over western North America.

Identification of Noninvasive Biomarkers for Alcohol-Induced Liver Disease Using Urinary Metabolomics and the Ppara-null Mouse

PubMed Central

Manna, Soumen K.; Patterson, Andrew D.; Yang, Qian; Krausz, Kristopher W.; Li, Henghong; Idle, Jeffrey R.; Fornace, Albert J.; Gonzalez, Frank J.

2010-01-01

Alcohol-induced liver disease (ALD) is a leading cause of non-accident-related deaths in the United States. Although liver damage caused by ALD is reversible when discovered at the earlier stages, current risk assessment tools are relatively non-specific. Identification of an early specific signature of ALD would aid in therapeutic intervention and recovery. In this study the metabolic changes associated with alcohol-induced liver disease were examined using alcohol-fed male Ppara-null mouse as a model of ALD. Principal components analysis of the mass spectrometry-based urinary metabolic profile showed that alcohol-treated wild-type and Ppara-null mice could be distinguished from control animals without information on history of alcohol consumption. The urinary excretion of ethyl-sulfate, ethyl-β-D-glucuronide, 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, and 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid sulfate was elevated and that of the 2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, adipic acid, and pimelic acid was depleted during alcohol treatment in both wild-type and the Ppara-null mice albeit to different extents. However, indole-3-lactic acid was exclusively elevated by alcohol exposure in Ppara-null mice. The elevation of indole-3-lactic acid is mechanistically related to the molecular events associated with development of ALD in alcohol-treated Ppara-null mice. This study demonstrated the ability of metabolomics approach to identify early, noninvasive biomarkers of ALD pathogenesis in Ppara-null mouse model. PMID:20540569

pyNSMC: A Python Module for Null-Space Monte Carlo Uncertainty Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, J.; Brakefield, L. K.

2015-12-01

The null-space monte carlo technique is a non-linear uncertainty analyses technique that is well-suited to high-dimensional inverse problems. While the technique is powerful, the existing workflow for completing null-space monte carlo is cumbersome, requiring the use of multiple commandline utilities, several sets of intermediate files and even a text editor. pyNSMC is an open-source python module that automates the workflow of null-space monte carlo uncertainty analyses. The module is fully compatible with the PEST and PEST++ software suites and leverages existing functionality of pyEMU, a python framework for linear-based uncertainty analyses. pyNSMC greatly simplifies the existing workflow for null-space monte carlo by taking advantage of object oriented design facilities in python. The core of pyNSMC is the ensemble class, which draws and stores realized random vectors and also provides functionality for exporting and visualizing results. By relieving users of the tedium associated with file handling and command line utility execution, pyNSMC instead focuses the user on the important steps and assumptions of null-space monte carlo analysis. Furthermore, pyNSMC facilitates learning through flow charts and results visualization, which are available at many points in the algorithm. The ease-of-use of the pyNSMC workflow is compared to the existing workflow for null-space monte carlo for a synthetic groundwater model with hundreds of estimable parameters.

Association of ACE, FABP2 and GST genes polymorphism with essential hypertension risk among a North Indian population.

PubMed

Abbas, Shania; Raza, Syed Tasleem; Chandra, Anu; Rizvi, Saliha; Ahmed, Faisal; Eba, Ale; Mahdi, Farzana

2015-01-01

Hypertension has a multi-factorial background based on genetic and environmental interactive factors. ACE, FABP2 and GST genes have been suggested to be involved in the development of hypertension. However, the results have been inconsistent. The present study was carried out to investigate the association of ACE (rs4646994), FABP2 (rs1799883) and GST (GSTM1 null or positive genotype and GSTT1 null or positive genotype) genes polymorphism with essential HTN cases and controls. This study includes 138 essential hypertension (HTN) patients and 116 age-, sex- and ethnicity-matched control subjects. GST (GSTM1 null or positive genotype and GSTT1 null or positive genotype) genes polymorphisms were evaluated by multiplex PCR, ACE (rs4646994) gene polymorphisms by PCR and FABP2 (rs1799883) gene polymorphisms by PCR-RFLP method. Significant differences were obtained in the frequencies of ACE DD, II genotype (p = 0.006, 0.003), GSTT1 null, GSTM1 positive genotype (p = 0.048, 0.010) and FABP2 Ala54/Ala54 genotype (p = 0.049) between essential HTN cases and controls. It is concluded that ACE (rs 4646994), FABP2 (rs1799883) and GST (GSTM1 null or positive genotype and GSTT1 null or positive genotype) genes polymorphism are associated with HTN. Further investigation with a larger sample size may be required to validate this study.

FlnA-null megakaryocytes prematurely release large and fragile platelets that circulate poorly

PubMed Central

Jurak Begonja, Antonija; Hoffmeister, Karin M.; Hartwig, John H.

2011-01-01

Filamin A (FlnA) is a large cytoplasmic protein that crosslinks actin filaments and anchors membrane receptors and signaling intermediates. FlnAloxP PF4-Cre mice that lack FlnA in the megakaryocyte (MK) lineage have a severe macrothrombocytopenia because of accelerated platelet clearance. Macrophage ablation by injection of clodronate-encapsulated liposomes increases blood platelet counts in FlnAloxP PF4-Cre mice and reveals the desintegration of FlnA-null platelets into microvesicles, a process that occurs spontaneously during storage. FlnAloxP PF4-Cre bone marrows and spleens have a 2.5- to 5-fold increase in MK numbers, indicating increased thrombopoiesis in vivo. Analysis of platelet production in vitro reveals that FlnA-null MKs prematurely convert their cytoplasm into large CD61+ platelet-sized particles, reminiscent of the large platelets observed in vivo. FlnA stabilizes the platelet von Willebrand factor receptor, as surface expression of von Willebrand factor receptor components is normal on FlnA-null MKs but decreased on FlnA-null platelets. Further, FlnA-null platelets contain multiple GPIbα degradation products and have increased expression of the ADAM17 and MMP9 metalloproteinases. Together, the findings indicate that FlnA-null MKs prematurely release large and fragile platelets that are removed rapidly from the circulation by macrophages. PMID:21652675

31 CFR 536.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... a specially designated narcotics trafficker has or has had an interest since such date, is null and... which otherwise would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null and void or unenforceable as to any person with whom such property was...

31 CFR 585.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... authorization hereunder and involves any property or interest in property blocked pursuant to § 585.201 is null... hereunder. (d) Transfers of property which otherwise would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null and void or unenforceable as to any...

Null Effects and Publication Bias in Special Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Bryan G.; Therrien, William J.

2017-01-01

Researchers sometimes conduct a study and find that the predicted relation between variables did not exist or that the intervention did not have a positive impact on student outcomes; these are referred to as null findings because they fail to disconfirm the null hypothesis. Rather than consider such studies as failures and disregard the null…

A Short Term Real Time Study in Syntactic Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duarte, Maria Eugenia Lamoglia

Recent research has shown that Brazilian Portuguese is undergoing a change regarding the null subject parameter, evolving from a null subject to a non-null subject language. This paper presents the results of a short term, real time study of speakers of Brazilian Portuguese with low and mid levels of formal education. The study was based on…

VE-Cadherin–Mediated Epigenetic Regulation of Endothelial Gene Expression

PubMed Central

Morini, Marco F.; Giampietro, Costanza; Corada, Monica; Pisati, Federica; Lavarone, Elisa; Cunha, Sara I.; Conze, Lei L.; O’Reilly, Nicola; Joshi, Dhira; Kjaer, Svend; George, Roger; Nye, Emma; Ma, Anqi; Jin, Jian; Mitter, Richard; Lupia, Michela; Cavallaro, Ugo; Pasini, Diego; Calado, Dinis P.

2018-01-01

Rationale: The mechanistic foundation of vascular maturation is still largely unknown. Several human pathologies are characterized by deregulated angiogenesis and unstable blood vessels. Solid tumors, for instance, get their nourishment from newly formed structurally abnormal vessels which present wide and irregular interendothelial junctions. Expression and clustering of the main endothelial-specific adherens junction protein, VEC (vascular endothelial cadherin), upregulate genes with key roles in endothelial differentiation and stability. Objective: We aim at understanding the molecular mechanisms through which VEC triggers the expression of a set of genes involved in endothelial differentiation and vascular stabilization. Methods and Results: We compared a VEC-null cell line with the same line reconstituted with VEC wild-type cDNA. VEC expression and clustering upregulated endothelial-specific genes with key roles in vascular stabilization including claudin-5, vascular endothelial-protein tyrosine phosphatase (VE-PTP), and von Willebrand factor (vWf). Mechanistically, VEC exerts this effect by inhibiting polycomb protein activity on the specific gene promoters. This is achieved by preventing nuclear translocation of FoxO1 (Forkhead box protein O1) and β-catenin, which contribute to PRC2 (polycomb repressive complex-2) binding to promoter regions of claudin-5, VE-PTP, and vWf. VEC/β-catenin complex also sequesters a core subunit of PRC2 (Ezh2 [enhancer of zeste homolog 2]) at the cell membrane, preventing its nuclear translocation. Inhibition of Ezh2/VEC association increases Ezh2 recruitment to claudin-5, VE-PTP, and vWf promoters, causing gene downregulation. RNA sequencing comparison of VEC-null and VEC-positive cells suggested a more general role of VEC in activating endothelial genes and triggering a vascular stability-related gene expression program. In pathological angiogenesis of human ovarian carcinomas, reduced VEC expression paralleled decreased levels of claudin-5 and VE-PTP. Conclusions: These data extend the knowledge of polycomb-mediated regulation of gene expression to endothelial cell differentiation and vessel maturation. The identified mechanism opens novel therapeutic opportunities to modulate endothelial gene expression and induce vascular normalization through pharmacological inhibition of the polycomb-mediated repression system. PMID:29233846

VE-Cadherin-Mediated Epigenetic Regulation of Endothelial Gene Expression.

PubMed

Morini, Marco F; Giampietro, Costanza; Corada, Monica; Pisati, Federica; Lavarone, Elisa; Cunha, Sara I; Conze, Lei L; O'Reilly, Nicola; Joshi, Dhira; Kjaer, Svend; George, Roger; Nye, Emma; Ma, Anqi; Jin, Jian; Mitter, Richard; Lupia, Michela; Cavallaro, Ugo; Pasini, Diego; Calado, Dinis P; Dejana, Elisabetta; Taddei, Andrea

2018-01-19

The mechanistic foundation of vascular maturation is still largely unknown. Several human pathologies are characterized by deregulated angiogenesis and unstable blood vessels. Solid tumors, for instance, get their nourishment from newly formed structurally abnormal vessels which present wide and irregular interendothelial junctions. Expression and clustering of the main endothelial-specific adherens junction protein, VEC (vascular endothelial cadherin), upregulate genes with key roles in endothelial differentiation and stability. We aim at understanding the molecular mechanisms through which VEC triggers the expression of a set of genes involved in endothelial differentiation and vascular stabilization. We compared a VEC-null cell line with the same line reconstituted with VEC wild-type cDNA. VEC expression and clustering upregulated endothelial-specific genes with key roles in vascular stabilization including claudin-5 , vascular endothelial-protein tyrosine phosphatase ( VE-PTP ), and von Willebrand factor ( vWf ). Mechanistically, VEC exerts this effect by inhibiting polycomb protein activity on the specific gene promoters. This is achieved by preventing nuclear translocation of FoxO1 (Forkhead box protein O1) and β-catenin, which contribute to PRC2 (polycomb repressive complex-2) binding to promoter regions of claudin-5 , VE-PTP , and vWf . VEC/β-catenin complex also sequesters a core subunit of PRC2 (Ezh2 [enhancer of zeste homolog 2]) at the cell membrane, preventing its nuclear translocation. Inhibition of Ezh2/VEC association increases Ezh2 recruitment to claudin-5 , VE-PTP , and vWf promoters, causing gene downregulation. RNA sequencing comparison of VEC-null and VEC-positive cells suggested a more general role of VEC in activating endothelial genes and triggering a vascular stability-related gene expression program. In pathological angiogenesis of human ovarian carcinomas, reduced VEC expression paralleled decreased levels of claudin-5 and VE-PTP. These data extend the knowledge of polycomb-mediated regulation of gene expression to endothelial cell differentiation and vessel maturation. The identified mechanism opens novel therapeutic opportunities to modulate endothelial gene expression and induce vascular normalization through pharmacological inhibition of the polycomb-mediated repression system. © 2017 The Authors.

Induction of CaSR expression circumvents the molecular features of malignant CaSR null colon cancer cells.

PubMed

Singh, Navneet; Chakrabarty, Subhas

2013-11-15

We recently reported on the isolation and characterization of calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) null human colon cancer cells (Singh et al., Int J Cancer 2013; 132: 1996-2005). CaSR null cells possess a myriad of molecular features that are linked to a highly malignant and drug resistant phenotype of colon cancer. The CaSR null phenotype can be maintained in defined human embryonic stem cell culture medium. We now show that the CaSR null cells can be induced to differentiate in conventional culture medium, regained the expression of CaSR with a concurrent reversal of the cellular and molecular features associated with the null phenotype. These features include cellular morphology, expression of colon cancer stem cell markers, expression of survivin and thymidylate synthase and sensitivity to fluorouracil. Other features include the expression of epithelial mesenchymal transition linked molecules and transcription factors, oncogenic miRNAs and tumor suppressive molecule and miRNA. With the exception of cancer stem cell markers, the reversal of molecular features, upon the induction of CaSR expression, is directly linked to the expression and function of CaSR because blocking CaSR induction by shRNA circumvented such reversal. We further report that methylation and demethylation of the CaSR gene promoter underlie CaSR expression. Due to the malignant nature of the CaSR null cells, inclusion of the CaSR null phenotype in disease management may improve on the mortality of this disease. Because CaSR is a robust promoter of differentiation and mediates its action through diverse mechanisms and pathways, inactivation of CaSR may serve as a new paradigm in colon carcinogenesis. Copyright © 2013 UICC.

BAX and tumor suppressor TRP53 are important in regulating mutagenesis in spermatogenic cells in mice.

PubMed

Xu, Guogang; Vogel, Kristine S; McMahan, C Alex; Herbert, Damon C; Walter, Christi A

2010-12-01

During the first wave of spermatogenesis, and in response to ionizing radiation, elevated mutant frequencies are reduced to a low level by unidentified mechanisms. Apoptosis is occurring in the same time frame that the mutant frequency declines. We examined the role of apoptosis in regulating mutant frequency during spermatogenesis. Apoptosis and mutant frequencies were determined in spermatogenic cells obtained from Bax-null or Trp53-null mice. The results showed that spermatogenic lineage apoptosis was markedly decreased in Bax-null mice and was accompanied by a significantly increased spontaneous mutant frequency in seminiferous tubule cells compared to that of wild-type mice. Apoptosis profiles in the seminiferous tubules for Trp53-null were similar to control mice. Spontaneous mutant frequencies in pachytene spermatocytes and in round spermatids from Trp53-null mice were not significantly different from those of wild-type mice. However, epididymal spermatozoa from Trp53-null mice displayed a greater spontaneous mutant frequency compared to that from wild-type mice. A greater proportion of spontaneous transversions and a greater proportion of insertions/deletions 15 days after ionizing radiation were observed in Trp53-null mice compared to wild-type mice. Base excision repair activity in mixed germ cell nuclear extracts prepared from Trp53-null mice was significantly lower than that for wild-type controls. These data indicate that BAX-mediated apoptosis plays a significant role in regulating spontaneous mutagenesis in seminiferous tubule cells obtained from neonatal mice, whereas tumor suppressor TRP53 plays a significant role in regulating spontaneous mutagenesis between postmeiotic round spermatid and epididymal spermatozoon stages of spermiogenesis.

Desmin Cytoskeleton Linked to Muscle Mitochondrial Distribution and Respiratory Function

PubMed Central

Milner, Derek J.; Mavroidis, Manolis; Weisleder, Noah; Capetanaki, Yassemi

2000-01-01

Ultrastructural studies have previously suggested potential association of intermediate filaments (IFs) with mitochondria. Thus, we have investigated mitochondrial distribution and function in muscle lacking the IF protein desmin. Immunostaining of skeletal muscle tissue sections, as well as histochemical staining for the mitochondrial marker enzymes cytochrome C oxidase and succinate dehydrogenase, demonstrate abnormal accumulation of subsarcolemmal clumps of mitochondria in predominantly slow twitch skeletal muscle of desmin-null mice. Ultrastructural observation of desmin-null cardiac muscle demonstrates in addition to clumping, extensive mitochondrial proliferation in a significant fraction of the myocytes, particularly after work overload. These alterations are frequently associated with swelling and degeneration of the mitochondrial matrix. Mitochondrial abnormalities can be detected very early, before other structural defects become obvious. To investigate related changes in mitochondrial function, we have analyzed ADP-stimulated respiration of isolated muscle mitochondria, and ADP-stimulated mitochondrial respiration in situ using saponin skinned muscle fibers. The in vitro maximal rates of respiration in isolated cardiac mitochondria from desmin-null and wild-type mice were similar. However, mitochondrial respiration in situ is significantly altered in desmin-null muscle. Both the maximal rate of ADP-stimulated oxygen consumption and the dissociation constant (K m) for ADP are significantly reduced in desmin-null cardiac and soleus muscle compared with controls. Respiratory parameters for desmin-null fast twitch gastrocnemius muscle were unaffected. Additionally, respiratory measurements in the presence of creatine indicate that coupling of creatine kinase and the adenine translocator is lost in desmin-null soleus muscle. This coupling is unaffected in cardiac muscle from desmin-null animals. All of these studies indicate that desmin IFs play a significant role in mitochondrial positioning and respiratory function in cardiac and skeletal muscle. PMID:10995435

The prolyl isomerase Pin1 modulates development of CD8+ cDC in mice.

PubMed

Barberi, Theresa J; Dunkle, Alexis; He, You-Wen; Racioppi, Luigi; Means, Anthony R

2012-01-01

Pin1 has previously been described to regulate cells that participate in both innate and adaptive immunity. Thus far, however, no role for Pin1 has been described in modulating conventional dendritic cells, innate antigen presenting cells that potently activate naïve T cells, thereby bridging innate and adaptive immune responses. When challenged with LPS, Pin1-null mice failed to accumulate spleen conventional dendritic cells (cDC). Analysis of steady-state spleen DC populations revealed that Pin1-null mice had fewer CD8+ cDC. This defect was recapitulated by culturing Pin1-null bone marrow with the DC-instructive cytokine Flt3 Ligand. Additionally, injection of Flt3 Ligand for 9 days failed to induce robust expansion of CD8+ cDC in Pin1-null mice. Upon infection with Listeria monocytogenes, Pin1-null mice were defective in stimulating proliferation of adoptively transferred WT CD8+ T cells, suggesting that decreases in Pin1 null CD8+ cDC may affect T cell responses to infection in vivo. Finally, upon analyzing expression of proteins involved in DC development, elevated expression of PU.1 was detected in Pin1-null cells, which resulted from an increase in PU.1 protein half-life. We have identified a novel role for Pin1 as a modulator of CD8+ cDC development. Consistent with reduced numbers of CD8+ cDC in Pin1-null mice, we find that the absence of Pin1 impairs CD8+ T cell proliferation in response to infection with Listeria monocytogenes. These data suggest that, via regulation of CD8+ cDC production, Pin1 may serve as an important modulator of adaptive immunity.

Hepatic effects of a methionine-choline-deficient diet in hepatocyte RXRalpha-null mice.

PubMed

Gyamfi, Maxwell Afari; Tanaka, Yuji; He, Lin; Klaassen, Curtis D; Wan, Yu-Jui Yvonne

2009-01-15

Retinoid X receptor-alpha (RXRalpha) is an obligate partner for several nuclear hormone receptors that regulate important physiological processes in the liver. In this study the impact of hepatocyte RXRalpha deficiency on methionine and choline deficient (MCD) diet-induced steatosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, and hepatic transporters gene expression were examined. The mRNA of sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-regulated genes, important for lipid synthesis, were not altered in wild type (WT) mice, but were increased 2.0- to 5.4-fold in hepatocyte RXRalpha-null (H-RXRalpha-null) mice fed a MCD diet for 14 days. Furthermore, hepatic mRNAs and proteins essential for fatty acid beta-oxidation were not altered in WT mice, but were decreased in the MCD diet-fed H-RXRalpha-null mice, resulting in increased hepatic free fatty acid levels. Cyp2e1 enzyme activity and lipid peroxide levels were induced only in MCD-fed WT mice. In contrast, hepatic mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory factors were increased only in H-RXRalpha-null mice fed the MCD diet. Hepatic uptake transporters Oatp1a1 and Oatp1b2 mRNA levels were decreased in WT mice fed the MCD diet, whereas the efflux transporter Mrp4 was increased. However, in the H-RXRalpha-null mice, the MCD diet only moderately decreased Oatp1a1 and induced both Oatp1a4 and Mrp4 gene expression. Whereas the MCD diet increased serum bile acid levels and alkaline phosphatase activity in both WT and H-RXRalpha-null mice, serum ALT levels were induced (2.9-fold) only in the H-RXRalpha-null mice. In conclusion, these data suggest a critical role for RXRalpha in hepatic fatty acid homeostasis and protection against MCD-induced hepatocyte injury.

Altered Anterior Segment Biometric Parameters in Mice Deficient in SPARC.

PubMed

Ho, Henrietta; Htoon, Hla M; Yam, Gary Hin-Fai; Toh, Li Zhen; Lwin, Nyein Chan; Chu, Stephanie; Lee, Ying Shi; Wong, Tina T; Seet, Li-Fong

2017-01-01

Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) and Hevin are structurally related matricellular proteins involved in extracellular matrix assembly. In this study, we compared the anterior chamber biometric parameters and iris collagen properties in SPARC-, Hevin- and SPARC-/Hevin-null with wild-type (WT) mice. The right eyes of 53 WT, 35 SPARC-, 56 Hevin-, and 63 SPARC-/Hevin-null mice were imaged using the RTVue-100 Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography system. The parameters measured were anterior chamber depth (ACD), trabecular-iris space area (TISA), angle opening distance (AOD), and pupil diameter. Biometric data were analyzed using analysis of covariance and adjusted for age, sex, and pupil diameter. Expression of Col1a1, Col8a1, and Col8a2 transcripts in the irises was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Collagen fibril thickness was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy. Mice that were SPARC- and SPARC-/Hevin-null had 1.28- and 1.25-fold deeper ACD, 1.45- and 1.53-fold larger TISA, as well as 1.42- and 1.51-fold wider AOD than WT, respectively. These measurements were not significantly different between SPARC- and SPARC-/Hevin-null mice. The SPARC-null iris expressed lower Col1a1, but higher Col8a1 and Col8a2 transcripts compared with WT. Collagen fibrils in the SPARC- and SPARC-/Hevin-null irises were 1.5- and 1.7-fold thinner than WT, respectively. The Hevin-null iris did not differ from WT in these collagen properties. SPARC-null mice have deeper anterior chamber as well as wider drainage angles compared with WT. Therefore, SPARC plays a key role in influencing the spatial organization of the anterior segment, potentially via modulation of collagen properties, while Hevin is not likely to be involved.

Characterization of CpSte11, a MAPKKK gene of Cryphonectria parasitica, and initial evidence of its involvement in the pheromone response pathway.

PubMed

Park, Jin-Ah; Kim, Jung-Mi; Park, Seung-Moon; Kim, Dae-Hyuk

2012-04-01

The gene CpSte11 of Cryphonectria parasitica, which encodes a yeast Ste11 homologue, was cloned and characterized. Gene replacement analysis revealed a high frequency of CpSte11 null mutants. When compared with the wild-type parent strain, CpSte11 null mutants showed no difference in terms of growth rate or pigmentation. However, CpSte11 null mutants showed a marked decrease in both the number and size of stromal pustules on chestnut twigs. The virulence test showed that, in comparison with those of the wild-type and virus-infected hypovirulent strains, CpSte11 null mutants produced necrotic areas of intermediate size. Disruption of the CpSte11 gene also resulted in defects in female fertility. Down-regulation of transcripts for the mating pheromone precursor gene, Mf2/2, and mating response transcription factors, such as cpst12 and pro1, was observed in CpSte11 null mutants. The down-regulation of Mf2/2, cpst12 and pro1 was also observed in the mutant phenotype of Cpmk2, a mating response Fus3-like mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) gene, but not in the mutant of Cpmk1, a high-osmolarity glycerol Hog1-like MAPK gene. These results indicate that the cloned CpSte11 gene is functionally involved in the mating response pathway and acts through downstream targets, including Cpmk2, cpst12, pro1 and Mf2/2. However, the characteristics of the CpSte11 null mutant were fully phenocopied only in the cpst12 null mutant, but not in other studied null mutants of components of the putative mating response pathway. © 2011 THE AUTHORS. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY © 2011 BSPP AND BLACKWELL PUBLISHING LTD.

Subpulse drifting, nulling, and mode changing in PSR J1822-2256

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basu, Rahul; Mitra, Dipanjan

2018-05-01

We report a detailed observational study of the single pulses from the pulsar J1822-2256. The pulsar shows the presence of subpulse drifting, nulling as well as multiple emission modes. During these observations the pulsar existed primarily in two modes; mode A with prominent drift bands and mode B which was more disorderly without any clear subpulse drifting. A third mode C was also seen for a short duration with a different drifting periodicity compared to mode A. The nulls were present throughout the observations but were more frequent during the disorderly B mode. The nulling also exhibited periodicity with a clear peak in the fluctuation spectra. Before the transition from mode A to nulling the pulsar switched to a third drifting state with periodicity different from both mode A and C. The diversity seen in the single pulse behaviour from the pulsar J1822-2256 provides an unique window into the emission physics.

New Methods of Entanglement with Spatial Modes of Light

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-01

Poincare beam by state nulling. ....................................... 15 Figure 13: Poincare patterns measured by imaging polarimetry ...perform imaging polarimetry . This entails taking six single photon images, pixel by pixel, after the passage through six different polarization filters...state nulling [21,22] and by imaging polarimetry [24]. Figure 12 shows the result of state nulling measurements in diagnosing the mode of a Poincare

Using the Coefficient of Confidence to Make the Philosophical Switch from a Posteriori to a Priori Inferential Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trafimow, David

2017-01-01

There has been much controversy over the null hypothesis significance testing procedure, with much of the criticism centered on the problem of inverse inference. Specifically, p gives the probability of the finding (or one more extreme) given the null hypothesis, whereas the null hypothesis significance testing procedure involves drawing a…

31 CFR 588.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... any property or interest in property blocked pursuant to § 588.201(a), is null and void and shall not... part. (d) Transfers of property that otherwise would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null and void or unenforceable as to any person with...

31 CFR 594.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... any property or interest in property blocked pursuant to § 594.201(a), is null and void and shall not... property that otherwise would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null and void or unenforceable as to any person with whom such property was...

31 CFR 543.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... any property or interest in property blocked pursuant to § 543.201(a), is null and void and shall not..., instruction, or license issued pursuant to this part. (d) Transfers of property that otherwise would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null...

31 CFR 548.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... interest in property blocked pursuant to § 548.201(a), is null and void and shall not be the basis for the..., instruction, or license issued pursuant to this part. (d) Transfers of property that otherwise would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null...

31 CFR 538.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... property or interest in property blocked pursuant to § 538.201 is null and void and shall not be the basis... be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null and void or unenforceable as to any person with whom such property was held or maintained...

31 CFR 545.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., and that involves any property or interest in property blocked pursuant to § 545.201(a), is null and... property that otherwise would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null and void or unenforceable as to any person with whom such property was...

31 CFR 541.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... any property or interest in property blocked pursuant to § 541.201(a), is null and void and shall not... part. (d) Transfers of property that otherwise would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null and void or unenforceable as to any person with...

31 CFR 597.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... such date, is null and void and shall not be the basis for the assertion or recognition of any interest... assets which otherwise would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null and void or unenforceable as to any financial institution with whom...

31 CFR 587.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... blocked pursuant to § 587.201(a), is null and void and shall not be the basis for the assertion or... issued pursuant to this part. (d) Transfers of property that otherwise would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null and void or...

A statistical test to show negligible trend

Treesearch

Philip M. Dixon; Joseph H.K. Pechmann

2005-01-01

The usual statistical tests of trend are inappropriate for demonstrating the absence of trend. This is because failure to reject the null hypothesis of no trend does not prove that null hypothesis. The appropriate statistical method is based on an equivalence test. The null hypothesis is that the trend is not zero, i.e., outside an a priori specified equivalence region...

A Minimalist Approach to Null Subjects and Objects in Second Language Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, H.

2004-01-01

Studies of the second language acquisition of pronominal arguments have observed that: (1) L1 speakers of null subject languages of the Spanish type drop more subjects in their second language (L2) English than first language (L1) speakers of null subject languages of the Korean type and (2) speakers of Korean-type languages drop more objects than…

Suggestions for presenting the results of data analyses

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, David R.; Link, William A.; Johnson, Douglas H.; Burnham, Kenneth P.

2001-01-01

We give suggestions for the presentation of research results from frequentist, information-theoretic, and Bayesian analysis paradigms, followed by several general suggestions. The information-theoretic and Bayesian methods offer alternative approaches to data analysis and inference compared to traditionally used methods. Guidance is lacking on the presentation of results under these alternative procedures and on nontesting aspects of classical frequentists methods of statistical analysis. Null hypothesis testing has come under intense criticism. We recommend less reporting of the results of statistical tests of null hypotheses in cases where the null is surely false anyway, or where the null hypothesis is of little interest to science or management.

Multi-axial interferometry: demonstration of deep nulling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buisset, Christophe; Rejeaunier, Xavier; Rabbia, Yves; Ruilier, Cyril; Barillot, Marc; Lierstuen, Lars; Perdigués Armengol, Josep Maria

2017-11-01

The ESA-Darwin mission is devoted to direct detection and spectroscopic characterization of earthlike exoplanets. Starlight rejection is achieved by nulling interferometry from space so as to make detectable the faintly emitting planet in the neighborhood. In that context, Alcatel Alenia Space has developed a nulling breadboard for ESA in order to demonstrate in laboratory conditions the rejection of an on-axis source. This device, the Multi Aperture Imaging Interferometer (MAII) demonstrated high rejection capability at a relevant level for exoplanets, in singlepolarized and mono-chromatic conditions. In this paper we report on the new multi-axial configuration of MAII and we summarize our late nulling results.

Current singularities at quasi-separatrix layers and three-dimensional magnetic nulls

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

Craig, I. J. D.; Effenberger, Frederic, E-mail: feffen@waikato.ac.nz

2014-11-10

The open problem of how singular current structures form in line-tied, three-dimensional magnetic fields is addressed. A Lagrangian magneto-frictional relaxation method is employed to model the field evolution toward the final near-singular state. Our starting point is an exact force-free solution of the governing magnetohydrodynamic equations that is sufficiently general to allow for topological features like magnetic nulls to be inside or outside the computational domain, depending on a simple set of parameters. Quasi-separatrix layers (QSLs) are present in these structures and, together with the magnetic nulls, they significantly influence the accumulation of current. It is shown that perturbations affectingmore » the lateral boundaries of the configuration lead not only to collapse around the magnetic null but also to significant QSL currents. Our results show that once a magnetic null is present, the developing currents are always attracted to that specific location and show a much stronger scaling with resolution than the currents that form along the QSL. In particular, the null-point scalings can be consistent with models of 'fast' reconnection. The QSL currents also appear to be unbounded but give rise to weaker singularities, independent of the perturbation amplitude.« less

Forms of null Lagrangians in field theories of continuum mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovalev, V. A.; Radaev, Yu. N.

2012-02-01

The divergence representation of a null Lagrangian that is regular in a star-shaped domain is used to obtain its general expression containing field gradients of order ≤ 1 in the case of spacetime of arbitrary dimension. It is shown that for a static three-component field in the three-dimensional space, a null Lagrangian can contain up to 15 independent elements in total. The general form of a null Lagrangian in the four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime is obtained (the number of physical field variables is assumed arbitrary). A complete theory of the null Lagrangian for the n-dimensional spacetime manifold (including the four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime as a special case) is given. Null Lagrangians are then used as a basis for solving an important variational problem of an integrating factor. This problem involves searching for factors that depend on the spacetime variables, field variables, and their gradients and, for a given system of partial differential equations, ensure the equality between the scalar product of a vector multiplier by the system vector and some divergence expression for arbitrary field variables and, hence, allow one to formulate a divergence conservation law on solutions to the system.

Compensation for PKMζ in long-term potentiation and spatial long-term memory in mutant mice

PubMed Central

Tsokas, Panayiotis; Hsieh, Changchi; Yao, Yudong; Lesburguères, Edith; Wallace, Emma Jane Claire; Tcherepanov, Andrew; Jothianandan, Desingarao; Hartley, Benjamin Rush; Pan, Ling; Rivard, Bruno; Farese, Robert V; Sajan, Mini P; Bergold, Peter John; Hernández, Alejandro Iván; Cottrell, James E; Shouval, Harel Z; Fenton, André Antonio; Sacktor, Todd Charlton

2016-01-01

PKMζ is a persistently active PKC isoform proposed to maintain late-LTP and long-term memory. But late-LTP and memory are maintained without PKMζ in PKMζ-null mice. Two hypotheses can account for these findings. First, PKMζ is unimportant for LTP or memory. Second, PKMζ is essential for late-LTP and long-term memory in wild-type mice, and PKMζ-null mice recruit compensatory mechanisms. We find that whereas PKMζ persistently increases in LTP maintenance in wild-type mice, PKCι/λ, a gene-product closely related to PKMζ, persistently increases in LTP maintenance in PKMζ-null mice. Using a pharmacogenetic approach, we find PKMζ-antisense in hippocampus blocks late-LTP and spatial long-term memory in wild-type mice, but not in PKMζ-null mice without the target mRNA. Conversely, a PKCι/λ-antagonist disrupts late-LTP and spatial memory in PKMζ-null mice but not in wild-type mice. Thus, whereas PKMζ is essential for wild-type LTP and long-term memory, persistent PKCι/λ activation compensates for PKMζ loss in PKMζ-null mice. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.14846.001 PMID:27187150

Orthotopic transplantation of LH receptor knockout and wild-type ovaries.

PubMed

Chudgar, Daksha; Lei, Zhenmin; Rao, Ch V

2005-10-07

Luteinizing hormone (LH) receptor knockout animals have an ovarian failure due to an arrest in folliculogenesis at the antral stage. As a result, the animals have an infertility phenotype. The present study was undertaken to determine whether this phenotype could be reversed by orthotopic transplantation of wild-type ovaries. The results revealed that transplanting wild-type ovaries into null animals did not result in resumption of estrus cycles. Although the number of different types of follicles increased, none progressed to ovulation. The serum hormone profiles improved, reflecting the ovarian changes. The wild-type animals with null ovaries also failed to cycle and their ovaries and serum hormone levels were more like null animals with their own ovaries. Although the lack of rescue of null ovaries placed into wild-type animals was predicted, the failure of wild-type ovaries placed in null animals was not, which could be due to chronic exposure of transplanted tissue to high circulating LH levels and also possibly due to altered internal milieu in null animals. These findings may have implications for potential future considerations of grafting normal donor ovaries into women who have an ovarian failure resulting from inactivating LH receptor mutations.

Analysis and modelling of recurrent solar flares observed with Hinode/EIS on March 9, 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polito, V.; Del Zanna, G.; Valori, G.; Pariat, E.; Mason, H. E.; Dudík, J.; Janvier, M.

2017-05-01

Three homologous C-class flares and one last M-class flare were observed by both the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the Hinode EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) in the AR 11429 on March 9, 2012. All the recurrent flares occurred within a short interval of time (less than 4 h), showed very similar plasma morphology and were all confined, until the last one when a large-scale eruption occurred. The C-class flares are characterized by the appearance, at approximatively the same locations, of two bright and compact footpoint sources of ≈3-10 MK evaporating plasma, and a semi-circular ribbon. During all the flares, the continuous brightening of a spine-like hot plasma (≈10 MK) structure is also observed. Spectroscopic observations with Hinode/EIS are used to measure and compare the blueshift velocities in the Fe xxiii emission line and the electron number density at the flare footpoints for each flare. Similar velocities, of the order of 150-200 km s-1, are observed during the C2.0 and C4.7 confined flares, in agreement with the values reported by other authors in the study of the last M1.8 class flare. On the other hand, lower electron number densities and temperatures tend to be observed in flares with lower peak soft X-ray flux. In order to investigate the homologous nature of the flares, we performed a non-linear force-free field (NLFFF) extrapolation of the 3D magnetic field configuration in the corona. The NLFFF extrapolation and the Quasi-Separatrix Layers (QSLs) provide the magnetic field context which explains the location of the kernels, spine-like hot plasma and semi-circular brightenings observed in the (non-eruptive) flares. Given the absence of a coronal null point, we argue that the homologous flares were all generated by the continuous recurrence of bald patch reconnection. The movie associated to Fig. 2 is available at http://www.aanda.org

Novel microsatellite markers for the oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and effects of null alleles on population genetics analyses.

PubMed

Song, W; Cao, L-J; Wang, Y-Z; Li, B-Y; Wei, S-J

2017-06-01

The oriental fruit moth (OFM) Grapholita molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is an important economic pest of stone and pome fruits worldwide. We sequenced the OFM genome using next-generation sequencing and characterized the microsatellite distribution. In total, 56,674 microsatellites were identified, with 11,584 loci suitable for primer design. Twenty-seven polymorphic microsatellites, including 24 loci with trinucleotide repeat and three with pentanucleotide repeat, were validated in 95 individuals from four natural populations. The allele numbers ranged from 4 to 40, with an average value of 13.7 per locus. A high frequency of null alleles was observed in most loci developed for the OFM. Three marker panels, all of the loci, nine loci with the lowest null allele frequencies, and nine loci with the highest null allele frequencies, were established for population genetics analyses. The null allele influenced estimations of genetic diversity parameters but not the OFM's genetic structure. Both a STRUCTURE analysis and a discriminant analysis of principal components, using the three marker panels, divided the four natural populations into three groups. However, more individuals were incorrectly assigned by the STRUCTURE analysis when the marker panel with the highest null allele frequency was used compared with the other two panels. Our study provides empirical research on the effects of null alleles on population genetics analyses. The microsatellites developed will be valuable markers for genetic studies of the OFM.

Alfvén wave dynamics at the neighborhood of a 2.5D magnetic null-point

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabri, S.; Vasheghani Farahani, S.; Ebadi, H.; Hosseinpour, M.; Fazel, Z.

2018-05-01

The aim of the present study is to highlight the energy transfer via the interaction of magnetohydrodynamic waves with a 2.5D magnetic null-point in a finite plasma-β regime of the solar corona. An initially symmetric Alfvén pulse at a specific distance from a magnetic null-point is kicked towards the isothermal null-point. A shock-capturing Godunov-type PLUTO code is used to solve the ideal magnetohydrodynamic set equations in the context of wave-plasma energy transfer. As the Alfvén wave propagates towards the magnetic null-point it experiences speed lowering which ends up in releasing energy along the separatrices. In this line owing to the Alfvén wave, a series of events take place that contribute towards coronal heating. Nonlinear induced waves are by products of the torsional Alfvén interaction with magnetic null-points. The energy of these induced waves which are fast magnetoacoustic (transverse) and slow magnetoacoustic (longitudinal) waves are supplied by the Alfvén wave. The nonlinearly induced density perturbations are proportional to the Alfvén wave energy loss. This supplies energy for the propagation of fast and slow magnetoacoustic waves, where in contrast to the fast wave the slow wave experiences a continuous energy increase. As such, the slow wave may transfer its energy to the medium at later times, maintaining a continuous heating mechanism at the neighborhood of a magnetic null-point.

Perilipin-2 Deletion Promotes Carbohydrate-Mediated Browning of White Adipose Tissue at Ambient Temperature.

PubMed

Libby, Andrew E; Bales, Elise S; Monks, Jenifer; Orlicky, David J; McManaman, James L

2018-06-04

Mice lacking Perilipin-2 (Plin2-null) are resistant to obesity, insulin resistance, and fatty liver induced by western or high fat diets. In the current study, we found that compared to wild type (WT) mice on western diet, Plin2-null adipose tissue was more insulin sensitive, and that inguinal subcutaneous white adipose tissue (iWAT) exhibited profound browning and robust induction of thermogenic and carbohydrate responsive genetic programs at room temperature. Surprisingly, these Plin2-null responses correlated with the content of simple carbohydrates, rather than fat, in the diet, and were independent of adipose Plin2 expression. To define Plin2 and sugar effects on adipose browning, WT and Plin2-null mice were placed on chow diets containing 20% sucrose in their drinking water for 6 weeks. Compared to WT mice, iWAT of Plin2-null mice exhibited pronounced browning and striking increases in the expression of thermogenic and insulin responsive genes on this diet. Significantly, Plin2-null iWAT browning was associated with reduced sucrose intake and elevated serum FGF21 levels, which correlated with greatly enhanced hepatic FGF21 production. These data identify Plin2 actions as novel mediators of sugar-induced adipose browning through indirect effects of hepatic FGF21 expression, and suggest that adipose browning mechanisms may contribute to Plin2-null resistance to obesity. Published under license by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Causal structures in Gauss-Bonnet gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izumi, Keisuke

2014-08-01

We analyze causal structures in Gauss-Bonnet gravity. It is known that Gauss-Bonnet gravity potentially has superluminal propagation of gravitons due to its noncanonical kinetic terms. In a theory with superluminal modes, an analysis of causality based on null curves makes no sense, and thus, we need to analyze them in a different way. In this paper, using the method of the characteristics, we analyze the causal structure in Gauss-Bonnet gravity. We have the result that, on a Killing horizon, gravitons can propagate in the null direction tangent to the Killing horizon. Therefore, a Killing horizon can be a causal edge as in the case of general relativity; i.e. a Killing horizon is the "event horizon" in the sense of causality. We also analyze causal structures on nonstationary solutions with (D-2)-dimensional maximal symmetry, including spherically symmetric and flat spaces. If the geometrical null energy condition, RABNANB≥0 for any null vector NA, is satisfied, the radial velocity of gravitons must be less than or equal to that of light. However, if the geometrical null energy condition is violated, gravitons can propagate faster than light. Hence, on an evaporating black hole where the geometrical null energy condition is expected not to hold, classical gravitons can escape from the "black hole" defined with null curves. That is, the causal structures become nontrivial. It may be one of the possible solutions for the information loss paradox of evaporating black holes.

Effect of electrocardiogram interference on cortico-cortical connectivity analysis and a possible solution.

PubMed

Govindan, R B; Kota, Srinivas; Al-Shargabi, Tareq; Massaro, An N; Chang, Taeun; du Plessis, Adre

2016-09-01

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals are often contaminated by the electrocardiogram (ECG) interference, which affects quantitative characterization of EEG. We propose null-coherence, a frequency-based approach, to attenuate the ECG interference in EEG using simultaneously recorded ECG as a reference signal. After validating the proposed approach using numerically simulated data, we apply this approach to EEG recorded from six newborns receiving therapeutic hypothermia for neonatal encephalopathy. We compare our approach with an independent component analysis (ICA), a previously proposed approach to attenuate ECG artifacts in the EEG signal. The power spectrum and the cortico-cortical connectivity of the ECG attenuated EEG was compared against the power spectrum and the cortico-cortical connectivity of the raw EEG. The null-coherence approach attenuated the ECG contamination without leaving any residual of the ECG in the EEG. We show that the null-coherence approach performs better than ICA in attenuating the ECG contamination without enhancing cortico-cortical connectivity. Our analysis suggests that using ICA to remove ECG contamination from the EEG suffers from redistribution problems, whereas the null-coherence approach does not. We show that both the null-coherence and ICA approaches attenuate the ECG contamination. However, the EEG obtained after ICA cleaning displayed higher cortico-cortical connectivity compared with that obtained using the null-coherence approach. This suggests that null-coherence is superior to ICA in attenuating the ECG interference in EEG for cortico-cortical connectivity analysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

31 CFR 540.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... pursuant to § 540.201(a) is null and void and shall not be the basis for the assertion or recognition of... discretion, retroactively license a transfer of property that is null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section so that such a transfer shall not be deemed to be null and void or...

31 CFR 544.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... null and void and shall not be the basis for the assertion or recognition of any interest in or right... would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null and void or unenforceable as to any person with whom such property is or was held or...

31 CFR 547.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... null and void and shall not be the basis for the assertion or recognition of any interest in or right... would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null and void or unenforceable as to any person with whom such property is or was held or...

31 CFR 542.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... interest in property blocked pursuant to § 542.201(a), is null and void and shall not be the basis for the... license issued pursuant to this part. (d) Transfers of property that otherwise would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null and void or...

31 CFR 575.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... which the Government of Iraq has or has had an interest since such date, is null and void and shall not...) Transfers of property which otherwise would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null and void or unenforceable as to any person with whom such...

31 CFR 586.202 - Effect of transfers violating the provisions of this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... blocked pursuant to § 586.201 is null and void and shall not be the basis for the assertion or recognition... pursuant to this part. (d) Transfers of property which otherwise would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null and void or unenforceable as to...

A novel Ras-interacting protein required for chemotaxis and cyclic adenosine monophosphate signal relay in Dictyostelium.

PubMed

Lee, S; Parent, C A; Insall, R; Firtel, R A

1999-09-01

We have identified a novel Ras-interacting protein from Dictyostelium, RIP3, whose function is required for both chemotaxis and the synthesis and relay of the cyclic AMP (cAMP) chemoattractant signal. rip3 null cells are unable to aggregate and lack receptor activation of adenylyl cyclase but are able, in response to cAMP, to induce aggregation-stage, postaggregative, and cell-type-specific gene expression in suspension culture. In addition, rip3 null cells are unable to properly polarize in a cAMP gradient and chemotaxis is highly impaired. We demonstrate that cAMP stimulation of guanylyl cyclase, which is required for chemotaxis, is reduced approximately 60% in rip3 null cells. This reduced activation of guanylyl cyclase may account, in part, for the defect in chemotaxis. When cells are pulsed with cAMP for 5 h to mimic the endogenous cAMP oscillations that occur in wild-type strains, the cells will form aggregates, most of which, however, arrest at the mound stage. Unlike the response seen in wild-type strains, the rip3 null cell aggregates that form under these experimental conditions are very small, which is probably due to the rip3 null cell chemotaxis defect. Many of the phenotypes of the rip3 null cell, including the inability to activate adenylyl cyclase in response to cAMP and defects in chemotaxis, are very similar to those of strains carrying a disruption of the gene encoding the putative Ras exchange factor AleA. We demonstrate that aleA null cells also exhibit a defect in cAMP-mediated activation of guanylyl cyclase similar to that of rip3 null cells. A double-knockout mutant (rip3/aleA null cells) exhibits a further reduction in receptor activation of guanylyl cyclase, and these cells display almost no cell polarization or movement in cAMP gradients. As RIP3 preferentially interacts with an activated form of the Dictyostelium Ras protein RasG, which itself is important for cell movement, we propose that RIP3 and AleA are components of a Ras-regulated pathway involved in integrating chemotaxis and signal relay pathways that are essential for aggregation.

Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide 1a1 Null Mice Are Sensitive to Cholestatic Liver Injury

PubMed Central

Zhang, Youcai; Csanaky, Iván L.; Cheng, Xingguo; Lehman-McKeeman, Lois D.; Klaassen, Curtis D.

2012-01-01

Organic anion transporting polypeptide 1a1 (Oatp1a1) is predominantly expressed in livers of mice and is thought to transport bile acids (BAs) from blood into liver. Because Oatp1a1 expression is markedly decreased in mice after bile duct ligation (BDL). We hypothesized that Oatp1a1-null mice would be protected against liver injury during BDL-induced cholestasis due largely to reduced hepatic uptake of BAs. To evaluate this hypothesis, BDL surgeries were performed in both male wild-type (WT) and Oatp1a1-null mice. At 24 h after BDL, Oatp1a1-null mice showed higher serum alanine aminotransferase levels and more severe liver injury than WT mice, and all Oatp1a1-null mice died within 4 days after BDL, whereas all WT mice survived. At 24 h after BDL, surprisingly Oatp1a1-null mice had higher total BA concentrations in livers than WT mice, suggesting that loss of Oatp1a1 did not prevent BA accumulation in the liver. In addition, secondary BAs dramatically increased in serum of Oatp1a1-null BDL mice but not in WT BDL mice. Oatp1a1-null BDL mice had similar basolateral BA uptake (Na+-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide and Oatp1b2) and BA-efflux (multidrug resistance–associated protein [Mrp]-3, Mrp4, and organic solute transporter α/β) transporters, as well as BA-synthetic enzyme (Cyp7a1) in livers as WT BDL mice. Hepatic expression of small heterodimer partner Cyp3a11, Cyp4a14, and Nqo1, which are target genes of farnesoid X receptor, pregnane X receptor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha, and NF-E2-related factor 2, respectively, were increased in WT BDL mice but not in Oatp1a1-null BDL mice. These results demonstrate that loss of Oatp1a1 function exacerbates cholestatic liver injury in mice and suggest that Oatp1a1 plays a unique role in liver adaptive responses to obstructive cholestasis. PMID:22461449

Bare Quantum Null Energy Condition.

PubMed

Fu, Zicao; Marolf, Donald

2018-02-16

The quantum null energy condition (QNEC) is a conjectured relation between a null version of quantum field theory energy and derivatives of quantum field theory von Neumann entropy. In some cases, divergences cancel between these two terms and the QNEC is intrinsically finite. We study the more general case here where they do not and argue that a QNEC can still hold for bare (unrenormalized) quantities. While the original QNEC applied only to locally stationary null congruences in backgrounds that solve semiclassical theories of quantum gravity, at least in the formal perturbation theory at a small Planck length, the quantum focusing conjecture can be viewed as the special case of our bare QNEC for which the metric is on shell.

NULL Convention Floating Point Multiplier

PubMed Central

Ramachandran, Seshasayanan

2015-01-01

Floating point multiplication is a critical part in high dynamic range and computational intensive digital signal processing applications which require high precision and low power. This paper presents the design of an IEEE 754 single precision floating point multiplier using asynchronous NULL convention logic paradigm. Rounding has not been implemented to suit high precision applications. The novelty of the research is that it is the first ever NULL convention logic multiplier, designed to perform floating point multiplication. The proposed multiplier offers substantial decrease in power consumption when compared with its synchronous version. Performance attributes of the NULL convention logic floating point multiplier, obtained from Xilinx simulation and Cadence, are compared with its equivalent synchronous implementation. PMID:25879069

NULL convention floating point multiplier.

PubMed

Albert, Anitha Juliette; Ramachandran, Seshasayanan

2015-01-01

Floating point multiplication is a critical part in high dynamic range and computational intensive digital signal processing applications which require high precision and low power. This paper presents the design of an IEEE 754 single precision floating point multiplier using asynchronous NULL convention logic paradigm. Rounding has not been implemented to suit high precision applications. The novelty of the research is that it is the first ever NULL convention logic multiplier, designed to perform floating point multiplication. The proposed multiplier offers substantial decrease in power consumption when compared with its synchronous version. Performance attributes of the NULL convention logic floating point multiplier, obtained from Xilinx simulation and Cadence, are compared with its equivalent synchronous implementation.

Bare Quantum Null Energy Condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Zicao; Marolf, Donald

2018-02-01

The quantum null energy condition (QNEC) is a conjectured relation between a null version of quantum field theory energy and derivatives of quantum field theory von Neumann entropy. In some cases, divergences cancel between these two terms and the QNEC is intrinsically finite. We study the more general case here where they do not and argue that a QNEC can still hold for bare (unrenormalized) quantities. While the original QNEC applied only to locally stationary null congruences in backgrounds that solve semiclassical theories of quantum gravity, at least in the formal perturbation theory at a small Planck length, the quantum focusing conjecture can be viewed as the special case of our bare QNEC for which the metric is on shell.

Somatic mosaicism of an intragenic FANCB duplication in both fibroblast and peripheral blood cells observed in a Fanconi anemia patient leads to milder phenotype.

PubMed

Asur, Rajalakshmi S; Kimble, Danielle C; Lach, Francis P; Jung, Moonjung; Donovan, Frank X; Kamat, Aparna; Noonan, Raymond J; Thomas, James W; Park, Morgan; Chines, Peter; Vlachos, Adrianna; Auerbach, Arleen D; Smogorzewska, Agata; Chandrasekharappa, Settara C

2018-01-01

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare disorder characterized by congenital malformations, progressive bone marrow failure, and predisposition to cancer. Patients harboring X-linked FANCB pathogenic variants usually present with severe congenital malformations resembling VACTERL syndrome with hydrocephalus. We employed the diepoxybutane (DEB) test for FA diagnosis, arrayCGH for detection of duplication, targeted capture and next-gen sequencing for defining the duplication breakpoint, PacBio sequencing of full-length FANCB aberrant transcript, FANCD2 ubiquitination and foci formation assays for the evaluation of FANCB protein function by viral transduction of FANCB-null cells with lentiviral FANCB WT and mutant expression constructs, and droplet digital PCR for quantitation of the duplication in the genomic DNA and cDNA. We describe here an FA-B patient with a mild phenotype. The DEB diagnostic test for FA revealed somatic mosaicism. We identified a 9154 bp intragenic duplication in FANCB, covering the first coding exon 3 and the flanking regions. A four bp homology (GTAG) present at both ends of the breakpoint is consistent with microhomology-mediated duplication mechanism. The duplicated allele gives rise to an aberrant transcript containing exon 3 duplication, predicted to introduce a stop codon in FANCB protein (p.A319*). Duplication levels in the peripheral blood DNA declined from 93% to 7.9% in the span of eleven years. Moreover, the patient fibroblasts have shown 8% of wild-type (WT) allele and his carrier mother showed higher than expected levels of WT allele (79% vs. 50%) in peripheral blood, suggesting that the duplication was highly unstable. Unlike sequence point variants, intragenic duplications are difficult to precisely define, accurately quantify, and may be very unstable, challenging the proper diagnosis. The reversion of genomic duplication to the WT allele results in somatic mosaicism and may explain the relatively milder phenotype displayed by the FA-B patient described here. © 2017 The Authors. Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Simple Fourier optics formalism for high-angular-resolution systems and nulling interferometry.

PubMed

Hénault, François

2010-03-01

Reviewed are various designs of advanced, multiaperture optical systems dedicated to high-angular-resolution imaging or to the detection of exoplanets by nulling interferometry. A simple Fourier optics formalism applicable to both imaging arrays and nulling interferometers is presented, allowing their basic theoretical relationships to be derived as convolution or cross-correlation products suitable for fast and accurate computation. Several unusual designs, such as a "superresolving telescope" utilizing a mosaicking observation procedure or a free-flying, axially recombined interferometer are examined, and their performance in terms of imaging and nulling capacity are assessed. In all considered cases, it is found that the limiting parameter is the diameter of the individual telescopes. A final section devoted to nulling interferometry shows an apparent superiority of axial versus multiaxial recombining schemes. The entire study is valid only in the framework of first-order geometrical optics and scalar diffraction theory. Furthermore, it is assumed that all entrance subapertures are optically conjugated with their associated exit pupils.

Large radius of curvature measurement based on the evaluation of interferogram-quality metric in non-null interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Zhongming; Dou, Jiantai; Du, Jinyu; Gao, Zhishan

2018-03-01

Non-null interferometry could use to measure the radius of curvature (ROC), we have presented a virtual quadratic Newton rings phase-shifting moiré-fringes measurement method for large ROC measurement (Yang et al., 2016). In this paper, we propose a large ROC measurement method based on the evaluation of the interferogram-quality metric by the non-null interferometer. With the multi-configuration model of the non-null interferometric system in ZEMAX, the retrace errors and the phase introduced by the test surface are reconstructed. The interferogram-quality metric is obtained by the normalized phase-shifted testing Newton rings with the spherical surface model in the non-null interferometric system. The radius curvature of the test spherical surface can be obtained until the minimum of the interferogram-quality metric is found. Simulations and experimental results are verified the feasibility of our proposed method. For a spherical mirror with a ROC of 41,400 mm, the measurement accuracy is better than 0.13%.

The Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI) Nulling Testbed II: Closed-loop Path Length Metrology And Control Subsystem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frey, B. J.; Barry, R. K.; Danchi, W. C.; Hyde, T. T.; Lee, K. Y.; Martino, A. J.; Zuray, M. S.

2006-01-01

The Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI) is a mission concept for an imaging and nulling interferometer in the near to mid-infrared spectral region (3-8 microns), and will be a scientific and technological pathfinder for upcoming missions including TPF-I/DARWIN, SPECS, and SPIRIT. At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, we have constructed a symmetric Mach-Zehnder nulling testbed to demonstrate techniques and algorithms that can be used to establish and maintain the 10(exp 4) null depth that will be required for such a mission. Among the challenges inherent in such a system is the ability to acquire and track the null fringe to the desired depth for timescales on the order of hours in a laboratory environment. In addition, it is desirable to achieve this stability without using conventional dithering techniques. We describe recent testbed metrology and control system developments necessary to achieve these goals and present our preliminary results.

High Contrast Vacuum Nuller Testbed (VNT) Contrast, Performance and Null Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.; Clampin, Mark; Petrone, Peter; Mallik, Udayan; Madison, Timothy; Bolcar, Matthew R.

2012-01-01

Herein we report on our Visible Nulling Coronagraph high-contrast result of 109 contrast averaged over a focal planeregion extending from 14 D with the Vacuum Nuller Testbed (VNT) in a vibration isolated vacuum chamber. TheVNC is a hybrid interferometriccoronagraphic approach for exoplanet science. It operates with high Lyot stopefficiency for filled, segmented and sparse or diluted-aperture telescopes, thereby spanning the range of potential futureNASA flight telescopes. NASAGoddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has a well-established effort to develop the VNCand its technologies, and has developed an incremental sequence of VNC testbeds to advance this approach and itsenabling technologies. These testbeds have enabled advancement of high-contrast, visible light, nulling interferometry tounprecedented levels. The VNC is based on a modified Mach-Zehnder nulling interferometer, with a W configurationto accommodate a hex-packed MEMS based deformable mirror, a coherent fiber bundle and achromatic phase shifters.We give an overview of the VNT and discuss the high-contrast laboratory results, the optical configuration, criticaltechnologies and null sensing and control.

Efficiency of the inbreeding coefficient f and other estimators in detecting null alleles, as revealed by empirical data of locus oke3 across 65 populations of chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Polymorphic DNA markers, e.g. mini- or microsatellite (SSR) loci, are often removed from data analyses if an excess of homozygosity, presumably an indication of null alleles, is observed. However, exclusion of such loci can reduce available information if multiple loci carry null alleles. Because nu...

Antimultipath communication by injecting tone into null in signal spectrum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davarian, Faramaz (Inventor)

1987-01-01

A transmitter for digital radio communication creates a null by balanced encoding of data modulated on an RF carrier, and inserts a calibration tone within the null. This is accomplished by having the calibration tone coincide in phase and frequency with the transmitted radio frequency output, for coherent demodulation of data at the receiver where the tone calibration signal is extracted and used for multipath fading compensation.

Null lifts and projective dynamics

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

Cariglia, Marco, E-mail: marco@iceb.ufop.br

2015-11-15

We describe natural Hamiltonian systems using projective geometry. The null lift procedure endows the tangent bundle with a projective structure where the null Hamiltonian is identified with a projective conic and induces a Weyl geometry. Projective transformations generate a set of known and new dualities between Hamiltonian systems, as for example the phenomenon of coupling-constant metamorphosis. We conclude outlining how this construction can be extended to the quantum case for Eisenhart–Duval lifts.

Calcitonin plays a critical role in regulating skeletal mineral metabolism during lactation.

PubMed

Woodrow, Janine P; Sharpe, Christopher J; Fudge, Neva J; Hoff, Ana O; Gagel, Robert F; Kovacs, Christopher S

2006-09-01

The maternal skeleton rapidly demineralizes during lactation to provide calcium to milk, responding to the stimuli of estrogen deficiency and mammary-secreted PTH-related protein. We used calcitonin/calcitonin gene-related peptide-alpha (Ctcgrp) null mice to determine whether calcitonin also modulates lactational mineral metabolism. During 21 d of lactation, spine bone mineral content dropped 53.6% in Ctcgrp nulls vs. 23.6% in wild-type (WT) siblings (P < 0.0002). After weaning, bone mineral content returned fully to baseline in 18.1 d in Ctcgrp null vs. 13.1 d in WT (P < 0.01) mice. Daily treatment with salmon calcitonin from the onset of lactation normalized the losses in Ctcgrp null mice, whereas calcitonin gene-related peptide-alpha or vehicle was without effect. Compared with WT, Ctcgrp null mice had increased circulating levels of PTH and up-regulation of mammary gland PTH-related protein mRNA. In addition, lactation caused the Ctcgrp null skeleton to undergo more trabecular thinning and increased trabecular separation compared with WT. Our studies confirm that an important physiological role of calcitonin is to protect the maternal skeleton against excessive resorption and attendant fragility during lactation and reveal that the postweaning skeleton has the remarkable ability to rapidly recover even from losses of over 50% of skeletal mineral content.

Removal of the local geomagnetic field affects reproductive growth in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Xu, Chunxiao; Wei, Shufeng; Lu, Yan; Zhang, Yuxia; Chen, Chuanfang; Song, Tao

2013-09-01

The influence of the geomagnetic field-removed environment on Arabidopsis growth was investigated by cultivation of the plants in a near-null magnetic field and local geomagnetic field (45 µT) for the whole growth period under laboratory conditions. The biomass accumulation of plants in the near-null magnetic field was significantly suppressed at the time when plants were switching from vegetative growth to reproductive growth compared with that of plants grown in the local geomagnetic field, which was caused by a delay in the flowering of plants in the near-null magnetic field. At the early or later growth stage, no significant difference was shown in the biomass accumulation between the plants in the near-null magnetic field and local geomagnetic field. The average number of siliques and the production of seeds per plant in the near-null magnetic field was significantly lower by about 22% and 19%, respectively, than those of control plants. These resulted in a significant reduction of about 20% in the harvest index of plants in the near-null magnetic field compared with that of the controls. These results suggest that the removal of the local geomagnetic field negatively affects the reproductive growth of Arabidopsis, which thus affects the yield and harvest index. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

MMP20 Promotes a Smooth Enamel Surface, a Strong DEJ, and a Decussating Enamel Rod Pattern

PubMed Central

Bartlett, John D.; Skobe, Ziedonis; Nanci, Antonio; Smith, Charles E.

2012-01-01

Mutations of the Matrix metalloproteinase-20 (MMP20, enamelysin) gene cause autosomal recessive amelogenesis imperfecta and Mmp20 ablated mice also have malformed dental enamel. Here we show that Mmp20 null mouse secretory stage ameloblasts maintained a columnar shape and were present as a single layer of cells. However, the null maturation stage ameloblasts covered extraneous nodules of ectopic calcified material formed at the enamel surface. Remarkably, nodule formation occurs in null mouse enamel when MMP20 is normally no longer expressed. The malformed enamel in Mmp20 null teeth was loosely attached to the dentin and the entire enamel layer tended to separate from the dentin indicative of a faulty DEJ. The enamel rod pattern was also altered in Mmp20 null mice. Each enamel rod is formed by a single ameloblast and is a mineralized record of the migration path of the ameloblast that formed it. The Mmp20 null mouse enamel rods were grossly malformed or were absent indicating that the ameloblasts do not migrate properly when backing away from the DEJ. Thus, MMP20 is required for ameloblast cell movement necessary to form the decussating enamel rod patterns, for the prevention of ectopic mineral formation, and to maintain a functional DEJ. PMID:22243247

No actual measurement … was required: Maxwell and Cavendish's null method for the inverse square law of electrostatics.

PubMed

Falconer, Isobel

In 1877 James Clerk Maxwell and his student Donald MacAlister refined Henry Cavendish's 1773 null experiment demonstrating the absence of electricity inside a charged conductor. This null result was a mathematical prediction of the inverse square law of electrostatics, and both Cavendish and Maxwell took the experiment as verifying the law. However, Maxwell had already expressed absolute conviction in the law, based on results of Michael Faraday's. So, what was the value to him of repeating Cavendish's experiment? After assessing whether the law was as secure as he claimed, this paper explores its central importance to the electrical programme that Maxwell was pursuing. It traces the historical and conceptual re-orderings through which Maxwell established the law by constructing a tradition of null tests and asserting the superior accuracy of the method. Maxwell drew on his developing 'doctrine of method' to identify Cavendish's experiment as a member of a wider class of null methods. By doing so, he appealed to the null practices of telegraph engineers, diverted attention from the flawed logic of the method, and sought to localise issues around the mapping of numbers onto instrumental indications, on the grounds that 'no actual measurement … was required'. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High Contrast Vacuum Nuller Testbed (VNT) Contrast, Performance and Null Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.; Clampin, Mark; Petrone, Peter; Mallik, Udayan; Madison, Timothy; Bolcar, Matthew R.

2012-01-01

Herein we report on our contrast assessment and the development, sensing and control of the Vacuum Nuller Testbed to realize a Visible Nulling Coronagraphy (VNC) for exoplanet detection and characterization. Tbe VNC is one of the few approaches that works with filled, segmented and sparse or diluted-aperture telescope systems. It thus spans a range of potential future NASA telescopes and could be flown as a separate instrument on such a future mission. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center has an established effort to develop VNC technologies, and an incremental sequence of testbeds to advance this approach and its critical technologies. We discuss the development of the vacuum Visible Nulling Coronagraph testbed (VNT). The VNT is an ultra-stable vibration isolated testbed that operates under closed-loop control within a vacuum chamber. It will be used to achieve an incremental sequence of three visible-light nulling milestones with sequentially higher contrasts of 10(exp 8), 10(exp 9) and ideally 10(exp 10) at an inner working angle of 2*lambda/D. The VNT is based on a modified Mach-Zehnder nulling interferometer, with a "W" configuration to accommodate a hex-packed MEMS based deformable mirror, a coherent fiber bundle and achromatic phase shifters. We discuss the laboratory results, optical configuration, critical technologies and the null sensing and control approach.

Teleparallelism as a universal connection on null hypersurfaces in general relativity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazur, P. O.; Sokolowski, L. M.

1986-01-01

It is shown that a close relationship between the inner geometry of a null hypersurface N3 and the Newman-Penrose (NP) (1962, 1963) spin coefficient formalism exists. Projecting the null complex NP tetrad onto N3, two triads of basis vectors in N3 are obtained. The inner geometry of N3 is based on the assumption that these vectors are parallelly transported along the surface; this gives rise to the teleparallel connection as a metric nonsymmetric affine connection. The gauge freedom for the choice of the basis triads is given by the isotropy subgroup of the local Lorentz group leaving invariant the direction of the null generators of N3, and teleparallelism is determined by the equivalence class of the basis triads with respect to the global gauge group. Nine of the twelve NP coefficients are identified as the triad components of the torsion and the second fundamental form of N3. The resulting generalized Gauss-Codazzi equations are identical to nine of the NP equations, i.e., to the half of the Ricci identities. This result gives a geometrical meaning to the entire formalism. Finally a general proof of Penrose's theorem that the shear of the null generators of N3 is the only initial null datum for a gravitational field on N3 is presented.

Otx1 null mutant mice show partial segregation of sensory epithelia comparable to lamprey ears

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fritzsch, B.; Signore, M.; Simeone, A.

2001-01-01

We investigated the development of inner ear innervation in Otx1 null mutants, which lack a horizontal canal, between embryonic day 12 (E12) and postnatal day 7 (P7) with DiI and immunostaining for acetylated tubulin. Comparable to control animals, horizontal crista-like fibers were found to cross over the utricle in Otx1 null mice. In mutants these fibers extend toward an area near the endolymphatic duct, not to a horizontal crista. Most Otx1 null mutants had a small patch of sensory hair cells at this position. Measurement of the area of the utricular macula suggested it to be enlarged in Otx1 null mutants. We suggest that parts of the horizontal canal crista remain incorporated in the utricular sensory epithelium in Otx1 null mutants. Other parts of the horizontal crista appear to be variably segregated to form the isolated patch of hair cells identifiable by the unique fiber trajectory as representing the horizontal canal crista. Comparison with lamprey ear innervation reveals similarities in the pattern of innervation with the dorsal macula, a sensory patch of unknown function. SEM data confirm that all foramina are less constricted in Otx1 null mutants. We propose that Otx1 is not directly involved in sensory hair cell formation of the horizontal canal but affects the segregation of the horizontal canal crista from the utricle. It also affects constriction of the two main foramina in the ear, but not their initial formation. Otx1 is thus causally related to horizontal canal morphogenesis as well as morphogenesis of these foramina.

Are polymorphisms in metabolism protective or a risk for reduced white blood cell counts in a Chinese population with low occupational benzene exposures?

PubMed Central

Ye, Ling-li; Zhang, Guang-hui; Huang, Jing-wen; Li, Yong; Zheng, Guo-qiao; Zhang, De-ting; Zhou, Li-fang; Tao, Xi-dan; Zhang, Jing; Ye, Yun-jie; Sun, Pin; Frank, Arthur; Xia, Zhao-lin

2015-01-01

Background: Genetic variations in metabolic enzyme genes may enhance hematotoxicity in benzene-exposed populations. Objective: To investigate the association between polymorphisms of metabolism genes and white blood cells (WBCs). Methods: Three hundred and eighty-five benzene-exposed workers and 220 unexposed indoor workers were recruited in China. We explored the relationship between metabolic enzymes polymorphisms [glutathione S-transferase T1/M1 (GSTT1/M1) null, glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1)rs1695, Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) rs3813867, rs2031920, rs6413432, microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) rs1051740, rs2234922] by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis and WBC. Results: The exposed group had lower WBC counts (P<0.001) than the unexposed group. Increased susceptibility to hematotoxicity, as evidenced by lower WBC counts, was found in workers with null-GSTT1 (P = 0.045), null-GSTM1 (P = 0.030), rs2031920 (P = 0.020), and rs3813867 (P = 0.014) genotypes. White blood cell counts were also lower in workers with null-GSTT1 and null-GSTM after adjusting for age, gender, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Conclusion: Null-GSTT1 and null-GSTM1 genotypes and Cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1: rs2031920, rs3813867) may support the hematotoxicity of benzene-exposed workers in China, and we can make use of it to select susceptible population. PMID:26179485

Hepatic effects of a methionine-choline-deficient diet in hepatocyte RXR{alpha}-null mice

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

Gyamfi, Maxwell Afari; Tanaka, Yuji; He Lin

Retinoid X receptor-{alpha} (RXR{alpha}) is an obligate partner for several nuclear hormone receptors that regulate important physiological processes in the liver. In this study the impact of hepatocyte RXR{alpha} deficiency on methionine and choline deficient (MCD) diet-induced steatosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, and hepatic transporters gene expression were examined. The mRNA of sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-regulated genes, important for lipid synthesis, were not altered in wild type (WT) mice, but were increased 2.0- to 5.4-fold in hepatocyte RXR{alpha}-null (H-RXR{alpha}-null) mice fed a MCD diet for 14 days. Furthermore, hepatic mRNAs and proteins essential for fatty acid {beta}-oxidation were not alteredmore » in WT mice, but were decreased in the MCD diet-fed H-RXR{alpha}-null mice, resulting in increased hepatic free fatty acid levels. Cyp2e1 enzyme activity and lipid peroxide levels were induced only in MCD-fed WT mice. In contrast, hepatic mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory factors were increased only in H-RXR{alpha}-null mice fed the MCD diet. Hepatic uptake transporters Oatp1a1 and Oatp1b2 mRNA levels were decreased in WT mice fed the MCD diet, whereas the efflux transporter Mrp4 was increased. However, in the H-RXR{alpha}-null mice, the MCD diet only moderately decreased Oatp1a1 and induced both Oatp1a4 and Mrp4 gene expression. Whereas the MCD diet increased serum bile acid levels and alkaline phosphatase activity in both WT and H-RXR{alpha}-null mice, serum ALT levels were induced (2.9-fold) only in the H-RXR{alpha}-null mice. In conclusion, these data suggest a critical role for RXR{alpha} in hepatic fatty acid homeostasis and protection against MCD-induced hepatocyte injury.« less

Climate suitability for European ticks: assessing species distribution models against null models and projection under AR5 climate.

PubMed

Williams, Hefin Wyn; Cross, Dónall Eoin; Crump, Heather Louise; Drost, Cornelis Jan; Thomas, Christopher James

2015-08-28

There is increasing evidence that the geographic distribution of tick species is changing. Whilst correlative Species Distribution Models (SDMs) have been used to predict areas that are potentially suitable for ticks, models have often been assessed without due consideration for spatial patterns in the data that may inflate the influence of predictor variables on species distributions. This study used null models to rigorously evaluate the role of climate and the potential for climate change to affect future climate suitability for eight European tick species, including several important disease vectors. We undertook a comparative assessment of the performance of Maxent and Mahalanobis Distance SDMs based on observed data against those of null models based on null species distributions or null climate data. This enabled the identification of species whose distributions demonstrate a significant association with climate variables. Latest generation (AR5) climate projections were subsequently used to project future climate suitability under four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). Seven out of eight tick species exhibited strong climatic signals within their observed distributions. Future projections intimate varying degrees of northward shift in climate suitability for these tick species, with the greatest shifts forecasted under the most extreme RCPs. Despite the high performance measure obtained for the observed model of Hyalomma lusitanicum, it did not perform significantly better than null models; this may result from the effects of non-climatic factors on its distribution. By comparing observed SDMs with null models, our results allow confidence that we have identified climate signals in tick distributions that are not simply a consequence of spatial patterns in the data. Observed climate-driven SDMs for seven out of eight species performed significantly better than null models, demonstrating the vulnerability of these tick species to the effects of climate change in the future.

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 deletion impairs glucose tolerance and exacerbates hyperglycemia in type 1 diabetic mice.

PubMed

Aleksunes, Lauren M; Reisman, Scott A; Yeager, Ronnie L; Goedken, Michael J; Klaassen, Curtis D

2010-04-01

The transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) induces a battery of cytoprotective genes after oxidative stress. Nrf2 aids in liver regeneration by altering insulin signaling; however, whether Nrf2 participates in hepatic glucose homeostasis is unknown. Compared with wild-type mice, mice lacking Nrf2 (Nrf2-null) have lower basal serum insulin and prolonged hyperglycemia in response to an intraperitoneal glucose challenge. In the present study, blood glucose, serum insulin, urine flow rate, and hepatic expression of glucose-related genes were quantified in male diabetic wild-type and Nrf2-null mice. Type 1 diabetes was induced with a single intraperitoneal dose (200 mg/kg) of streptozotocin (STZ). Histopathology and serum insulin levels confirmed depleted pancreatic beta-cells in STZ-treated mice of both genotypes. Five days after STZ, Nrf2-null mice had higher blood glucose levels than wild-type mice. Nine days after STZ, polyuria occurred in both genotypes with more urine output from Nrf2-null mice (11-fold) than wild-type mice (7-fold). Moreover, STZ-treated Nrf2-null mice had higher levels of serum beta-hydroxybutyrate, triglycerides, and fatty acids 10 days after STZ compared with wild-type mice. STZ reduced hepatic glycogen in both genotypes, with less observed in Nrf2-null mice. Increased urine output and blood glucose in STZ-treated Nrf2-null mice corresponded with enhanced gluconeogenesis (glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase)- and reduced glycolysis (pyruvate kinase)-related mRNA expression in their livers. Furthermore, the Nrf2 activator oltipraz lowered blood glucose in wild-type but not Nrf2-null mice administered STZ. Collectively, these data indicate that the absence of Nrf2 worsens hyperglycemia in type I diabetic mice and Nrf2 may represent a therapeutic target for reducing circulating glucose levels.

Metabolic Phase I (CYPs) and Phase II (GSTs) Gene Polymorphisms and Their Interaction with Environmental Factors in Nasopharyngeal Cancer from the Ethnic Population of Northeast India.

PubMed

Singh, Seram Anil; Ghosh, Sankar Kumar

2017-09-26

Multiple genetic and environmental factors and their interaction are believed to contribute in the pathogenesis of Nasopharyngeal Cancer (NPC). We investigate the role of Metabolic Phase I (CYPs) and Phase II (GSTs) gene polymorphisms, gene-gene and gene-environmental interaction in modulating the susceptibility to NPC in Northeast India. To determine the association of metabolic gene polymorphisms and environmental habits, 123 cases and 189 controls blood/swab samples were used for PCR and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Analysis for GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene polymorphism was done by multiplex PCR. The T3801C in the 3'- flanking region of CYP1A1 gene was detected by PCR-RFLP method. The Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The GSTM1 null genotype alone (OR = 2.76) was significantly associated with NPC risk (P < 0.0001). The combinations of GSTM1 null and GSTT1 null genotypes also higher, 3.77 fold (P < 0.0001), risk of NPC, while GSTM1 null genotype along with CYP1A1 T3801C TC + CC genotype had 3.22 (P = 0.001) fold risk. The most remarkable risk was seen among individual carrying GSTM1 null, GSTT1 null genotypes and CYP1A1 T3801C TC + CC genotypes (OR = 5.71, P = 0.001). Further; analyses demonstrate an enhanced risk of NPC in smoked meat (OR = 5.56, P < 0.0001) and fermented fish consumers (OR = 5.73, P < 0.0001) carrying GSTM1 null genotype. An elevated risk of NPC was noted in smokers (OR = 12.67, P < 0.0001) and chewers (OR = 5.68, P < 0.0001) with GSTM1 null genotype. However, smokers had the highest risk of NPC among individuals carrying GSTT1 null genotype (OR = 4.46, P = 0.001) or CYP1A1 T3801C TC + CC genotype (OR = 7.13, P < 0.0001). The association of null genotypes and mutations of metabolic neutralizing genes along with the environmental habits (tobacco smokers and chewers, smoke meat, fermented fishes) can be used as a possible biomarker for early detection and preventive measure of NPC.

Influence of prolonged wearing of unstable shoes on upright standing postural control.

PubMed

Sousa, Andreia S P; Macedo, Rui; Santos, Rubim; Sousa, Filipa; Silva, Andreia; Tavares, João Manuel R S

2016-02-01

To study the influence of prolonged wearing of unstable shoes on standing postural control in prolonged standing workers. The participants were divided into two groups: one wore unstable shoes while the other wore conventional shoes for 8weeks. Stabilometry parameters related to centre of pressure (CoP), rambling (RM) and trembling (TR) as well as the total agonist/antagonist muscle activity, antagonist co-activation and reciprocal activation were evaluated during upright standing, before and after the 8weeks period. In both moments, the subjects were evaluated wearing the unstable shoes and in barefoot. The unstable shoe condition presented increased CoP displacement related variables and decreased co-activation command compared to barefoot before and after the intervention. The prolonged wearing of unstable shoes led to: (1) reduction of medial-lateral CoP root mean square and area; (2) decreased anteroposterior RM displacement; (3) increased anteroposterior RM mean velocity and mediolateral RM displacement; (4) decreased anteroposterior TR RMS; and (5) increased thigh antagonist co-activation in the unstable shoe condition. The unstable shoe condition is associated to a higher destabilising effect that leads to a selection of more efficient and accurate postural commands compared to barefoot. Prolonged wearing of unstable shoes provides increased effectiveness and performance of the postural control system, while wearing of unstable shoes in upright standing, that are reflected by changes in CoP related variables and by a reorganisation of postural control commands. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Database and online map service on unstable rock slopes in Norway - From data perpetuation to public information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oppikofer, Thierry; Nordahl, Bobo; Bunkholt, Halvor; Nicolaisen, Magnus; Jarna, Alexandra; Iversen, Sverre; Hermanns, Reginald L.; Böhme, Martina; Yugsi Molina, Freddy X.

2015-11-01

The unstable rock slope database is developed and maintained by the Geological Survey of Norway as part of the systematic mapping of unstable rock slopes in Norway. This mapping aims to detect catastrophic rock slope failures before they occur. More than 250 unstable slopes with post-glacial deformation are detected up to now. The main aims of the unstable rock slope database are (1) to serve as a national archive for unstable rock slopes in Norway; (2) to serve for data collection and storage during field mapping; (3) to provide decision-makers with hazard zones and other necessary information on unstable rock slopes for land-use planning and mitigation; and (4) to inform the public through an online map service. The database is organized hierarchically with a main point for each unstable rock slope to which several feature classes and tables are linked. This main point feature class includes several general attributes of the unstable rock slopes, such as site name, general and geological descriptions, executed works, recommendations, technical parameters (volume, lithology, mechanism and others), displacement rates, possible consequences, as well as hazard and risk classification. Feature classes and tables linked to the main feature class include different scenarios of an unstable rock slope, field observation points, sampling points for dating, displacement measurement stations, lineaments, unstable areas, run-out areas, areas affected by secondary effects, along with tables for hazard and risk classification and URL links to further documentation and references. The database on unstable rock slopes in Norway will be publicly consultable through an online map service. Factsheets with key information on unstable rock slopes can be automatically generated and downloaded for each site. Areas of possible rock avalanche run-out and their secondary effects displayed in the online map service, along with hazard and risk assessments, will become important tools for land-use planning. The present database will further evolve in the coming years as the systematic mapping progresses and as available techniques and tools evolve.

[Treatment aspects of unstable angina. Costs and payments for DRG].

PubMed

Brunelli, C; Spallarossa, P; Pasdera, A; Bezante, G P; Zorzet, F; Rossettin, P

1998-01-01

Patients with unstable angina fall into a wide prognostic and therapeutic spectrum but, in general, have great access to specialty care and invasive procedures. In the modern era, in which admissions for unstable angina outnumber those for myocardial infarction, and growing economic pressures are placed on health care systems, cardiologists must re-examine clinical strategies for treating unstable angina in the light of health-cost accounting. The aims of the present study were to examine the current management of patients admitted to our cardiology department and to calculate the medical costs. A patient schedule was drawn up to prospectively register the number and type of cardiac processes carried out during hospitalization for all unstable angina patients in the period between March 1st and May 30th, 1995. Time (minutes) actually spent by both physicians and nurses for each cardiac process were carefully recorded in order to calculate the activity budget. The effective economic budget was built for each cardiac process taking into account salaries, consumable supplies, equipment service contracts, depreciation and indirect medical and non medical costs for CCU and ward. Based to the Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) system, 53 out of 318 patients (16%) were admitted with documented or suspected unstable angina and allocated to discharge into four DRGs: DRG 140-medically treated unstable angina: 18 patients; DRG 124-unstable angina with angiography: 16 patients; DRG 122-unstable angina evolving in myocardial infarction: 6 patients; DRG 112-unstable angina with angioplasty: 13 patients. The mean cost for hospitalized patient with unstable angina was 5,574,958 Italian Liras (DRG 140 = 2,687,719; DRG 124 = 2,800,347; DRG 122 = 6,086,563; DRG 112 = 12,751,454). The difference in costs was essentially related to the procedures involved in medical care, DRGs with expensive cardiac processes having higher costs. Furthermore, these data show a deep discrepancy between "real" costs and current DRG reimbursement. In conclusion, data show the standard management of unstable angina at our center; calculating the true costs of unstable angina is the first step towards maximizing resources and optimizing benefits.

The H2A.Z/H2B dimer is unstable compared to the dimer containing the major H2A isoform.

PubMed

Placek, Brandon J; Harrison, L Nicole; Villers, Brooke M; Gloss, Lisa M

2005-02-01

The nucleosome, the basic fundamental repeating unit of chromatin, contains two H2A/H2B dimers and an H3/H4 tetramer. Modulation of the structure and dynamics of the nucleosome is an important regulation mechanism of DNA-based chemistries in the eukaryotic cell, such as transcription and replication. One means of altering the properties of the nucleosome is by incorporation of histone variants. To provide insights into how histone variants may impact the thermodynamics of the nucleosome, the stability of the heterodimer between the H2A.Z variant and H2B was determined by urea-induced denaturation, monitored by far-UV circular dichroism, intrinsic Tyr fluorescence intensity, and anisotropy. In the absence of stabilizing agents, the H2A.Z/H2B dimer is only partially folded. The stabilizing cosolute, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) was used to promote folding of the unstable heterodimer. The equilibrium stability of the H2A.Z/H2B dimer is compared to that of the H2A/H2B dimer. The equilibrium folding of both histone dimers is highly reversible and best described by a two-state model, with no detectable equilibrium intermediates populated. The free energies of unfolding, in the absence of denaturant, of H2A.Z/H2B and H2A/H2B are 7.3 kcal mol(-1) and 15.5 kcal mol(-1), respectively, in 1 M TMAO. The H2A.Z/H2B dimer is the least stable histone fold characterized to date, while H2A/H2B appears to be the most stable. It is speculated that this difference in stability may contribute to the different biophysical properties of nucleosomes containing the major H2A and the H2A.Z variant.

Decrease in Leaf Sucrose Synthesis Leads to Increased Leaf Starch Turnover and Decreased RuBP-limited Photosynthesis But Not Rubisco-limited Photosynthesis in Arabidopsis Null Mutants of SPSA1

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

SPS (Sucrose phosphate synthase) isoforms from dicots cluster into families A, B and C. In this study, we investigated the individual effect of null mutations of each of the four SPS genes in Arabidopsis (spsa1, spsa2, spsb and spsc) on photosynthesis and carbon partitioning. Null mutants spsa1 and ...

Design and tolerance analysis of two null corrector designs for the Space Telescope fine guidance aspheric collimating mirror

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, I.; Casas, R. E.

1982-01-01

The collimating mirror within the Fine Guidance Subsystem of the Space Telescope's Pointing Control System is aspherized in order to correct the pupil aberration. A null corrector is needed to test the collimating mirror in autocollimation. Triplet and doublet null corrector designs are subjected to tolerance sensitivity analyses, and the doublet design is chosen despite its more restricted tolerances because of its compactness and simplicity.

Another Nulling Hall-Effect Current-Measuring Circuit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thibodeau, Phillip E.; Sullender, Craig C.

1993-01-01

Lightweight, low-power circuit provides noncontact measurement of alternating or direct current of many ampheres in main conductor. Advantages of circuit over other nulling Hall-effect current-measuring circuits is stability and accuracy increased by putting both analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters in nulling feedback loop. Converters and rest of circuit designed for operation at sampling rate of 100 kHz, but rate changed to alter time or frequency response of circuit.

Tankering Fuel: A Cost Saving Initiative

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

USAF AFIT/IMO/ENS/11-06 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE AIR UNIVERSITY AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Wright- Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio...NORTHCOM DFSP Verona DESC New York US NULL NORTHCOM DFSP Watson DESC California US NULL NORTHCOM DFSP WILLIAMS DESC FLOATING US NULL NORTHCOM DFSP...ANG KOKC AF Oklahoma US ANG NORTHCOM Willow Grove ANG KNXX AF Pennsylvania US ANG NORTHCOM Wright Patterson KFFO AF Ohio US AFMC NORTHCOM WV ARNG

Generalized Robertson-Walker Space-Time Admitting Evolving Null Horizons Related to a Black Hole Event Horizon.

PubMed

Duggal, K L

2016-01-01

A new technique is used to study a family of time-dependent null horizons, called " Evolving Null Horizons " (ENHs), of generalized Robertson-Walker (GRW) space-time [Formula: see text] such that the metric [Formula: see text] satisfies a kinematic condition. This work is different from our early papers on the same issue where we used (1 + n )-splitting space-time but only some special subcases of GRW space-time have this formalism. Also, in contrast to previous work, we have proved that each member of ENHs is totally umbilical in [Formula: see text]. Finally, we show that there exists an ENH which is always a null horizon evolving into a black hole event horizon and suggest some open problems.

Minimum Variance Distortionless Response Beamformer with Enhanced Nulling Level Control via Dynamic Mutated Artificial Immune System

PubMed Central

Kiong, Tiong Sieh; Salem, S. Balasem; Paw, Johnny Koh Siaw; Sankar, K. Prajindra

2014-01-01

In smart antenna applications, the adaptive beamforming technique is used to cancel interfering signals (placing nulls) and produce or steer a strong beam toward the target signal according to the calculated weight vectors. Minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamforming is capable of determining the weight vectors for beam steering; however, its nulling level on the interference sources remains unsatisfactory. Beamforming can be considered as an optimization problem, such that optimal weight vector should be obtained through computation. Hence, in this paper, a new dynamic mutated artificial immune system (DM-AIS) is proposed to enhance MVDR beamforming for controlling the null steering of interference and increase the signal to interference noise ratio (SINR) for wanted signals. PMID:25003136

Minimum variance distortionless response beamformer with enhanced nulling level control via dynamic mutated artificial immune system.

PubMed

Kiong, Tiong Sieh; Salem, S Balasem; Paw, Johnny Koh Siaw; Sankar, K Prajindra; Darzi, Soodabeh

2014-01-01

In smart antenna applications, the adaptive beamforming technique is used to cancel interfering signals (placing nulls) and produce or steer a strong beam toward the target signal according to the calculated weight vectors. Minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamforming is capable of determining the weight vectors for beam steering; however, its nulling level on the interference sources remains unsatisfactory. Beamforming can be considered as an optimization problem, such that optimal weight vector should be obtained through computation. Hence, in this paper, a new dynamic mutated artificial immune system (DM-AIS) is proposed to enhance MVDR beamforming for controlling the null steering of interference and increase the signal to interference noise ratio (SINR) for wanted signals.

A Novel Ras-interacting Protein Required for Chemotaxis and Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Signal Relay in Dictyostelium

PubMed Central

Lee, Susan; Parent, Carole A.; Insall, Robert; Firtel, Richard A.

1999-01-01

We have identified a novel Ras-interacting protein from Dictyostelium, RIP3, whose function is required for both chemotaxis and the synthesis and relay of the cyclic AMP (cAMP) chemoattractant signal. rip3 null cells are unable to aggregate and lack receptor activation of adenylyl cyclase but are able, in response to cAMP, to induce aggregation-stage, postaggregative, and cell-type-specific gene expression in suspension culture. In addition, rip3 null cells are unable to properly polarize in a cAMP gradient and chemotaxis is highly impaired. We demonstrate that cAMP stimulation of guanylyl cyclase, which is required for chemotaxis, is reduced ∼60% in rip3 null cells. This reduced activation of guanylyl cyclase may account, in part, for the defect in chemotaxis. When cells are pulsed with cAMP for 5 h to mimic the endogenous cAMP oscillations that occur in wild-type strains, the cells will form aggregates, most of which, however, arrest at the mound stage. Unlike the response seen in wild-type strains, the rip3 null cell aggregates that form under these experimental conditions are very small, which is probably due to the rip3 null cell chemotaxis defect. Many of the phenotypes of the rip3 null cell, including the inability to activate adenylyl cyclase in response to cAMP and defects in chemotaxis, are very similar to those of strains carrying a disruption of the gene encoding the putative Ras exchange factor AleA. We demonstrate that aleA null cells also exhibit a defect in cAMP-mediated activation of guanylyl cyclase similar to that of rip3 null cells. A double-knockout mutant (rip3/aleA null cells) exhibits a further reduction in receptor activation of guanylyl cyclase, and these cells display almost no cell polarization or movement in cAMP gradients. As RIP3 preferentially interacts with an activated form of the Dictyostelium Ras protein RasG, which itself is important for cell movement, we propose that RIP3 and AleA are components of a Ras-regulated pathway involved in integrating chemotaxis and signal relay pathways that are essential for aggregation. PMID:10473630

Circulating CD4+CD28null and extra-thymic CD4+CD8+ double positive T cells are independently associated with disease damage in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

PubMed

Ugarte-Gil, M F; Sánchez-Zúñiga, C; Gamboa-Cárdenas, R V; Aliaga-Zamudio, M; Zevallos, F; Tineo-Pozo, G; Cucho-Venegas, J M; Mosqueira-Riveros, A; Medina, M; Perich-Campos, R A; Alfaro-Lozano, J L; Rodriguez-Bellido, Z; Alarcón, G S; Pastor-Asurza, C A

2016-03-01

To determine whether circulating CD4+CD28null and extra-thymic CD4+CD8+ double positive (DP) T cells are independently associated with damage accrual in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2013 and April 2014 in consecutive SLE patients from our Rheumatology Department. CD4+CD28null and CD4+CD8+ DP T-cell frequencies were analyzed by flow-cytometry. The association of damage (SLICC/ACR Damage Index, SDI) and CD4+CD28null and CD4+CD8+ DP T cells was examined by univariable and multivariable Poisson regression models, adjusting for possible confounders. All analyses were performed using SPSS 21.0. Patients' (n = 133) mean (SD) age at diagnosis was 35.5 (16.8) years, 124 (93.2%) were female; all were mestizo (mixed Caucasian and Amerindian ancestry). Disease duration was 7.4 (6.8) years. The SLE Disease Activity Index was 5.5 (4.2), and the SDI 0.9 (1.2). The percentages of CD4+CD28null and CD4+CD8+ DP T cells were 17.1 (14.4) and 0.4 (1.4), respectively. The percentage of CD4+CD28null and CD4+CD8+ DP T cells were positively associated with a higher SDI in both univariable (rate ratio (RR) 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.03 and 1.17, 95% CI: 1.07-1.27, respectively; p < 0.001 for both) and multivariable analyses RR 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01-1.03, p = 0.001 for CD4+CD28null T cells and 1.28, 95% CI: 1.13-1.44, p < 0.001 for CD4+CD8+ DP T cells). Only the renal domain remained associated with CD4+CD28null in multivariable analyses (RR 1.023 (1.002-1.045); p = 0.034). In SLE patients, CD4+CD28null and CD4+CD8+ DP T cells are independently associated with disease damage. Longitudinal studies are warranted to determine the predictive value of these associations. © The Author(s) 2015.

The role of alpha3beta1 integrin in determining the supramolecular organization of laminin-5 in the extracellular matrix of keratinocytes.

PubMed

deHart, Gregory W; Healy, Kevin E; Jones, Jonathan C R

2003-02-01

Analyses of mice with targeted deletions in the genes for alpha3 and beta1 integrin suggest that the alpha3beta1 integrin heterodimer likely determines the organization of the extracellular matrix within the basement membrane of skin. Here we tested this hypothesis using keratinocytes derived from alpha3 integrin-null mice. We have compared the organizational state of laminin-5, a ligand of alpha3beta1 integrin, in the matrix of wild-type keratinocytes with that of laminin-5 in the matrix of alpha3 integrin-null cells. Laminin-5 distributes diffusely in arc structures in the matrix of wild-type mouse keratinocytes, whereas laminin-5 is organized into linear, spike-like arrays by the alpha3 integrin-null cells. The fact that alpha3 integrin-null cells are deficient in their ability to assemble a proper laminin-5 matrix is also shown by their failure to remodel laminin-5 when plated onto surfaces coated with purified laminin-5 protein. In sharp contrast, wild-type keratinocytes organize exogenously added laminin-5 into discrete ring-like organizations. These findings led us next to assess whether differences in laminin-5 organization in the matrix of the wild-type and alpha3 integrin-null cells impact cell behavior. Our results indicate that alpha3 integrin-null cells are more motile than their wild-type counterparts and leave extensive trails of laminin-5 over the surface on which they move. Moreover, HEK 293 cells migrate significantly more on the laminin-5-rich matrix derived from the alpha3 integrin-null cells than on the wild-type keratinocyte laminin-5 matrix. In addition, alpha3 integrin-null cells show low strength of adhesion to surfaces coated with purified laminin-5 compared to wild-type cells although both the wild type and the alpha3 integrin-null keratinocytes adhere equally strongly to laminin-5 that has been organized into arrays by other epithelial cells. These data suggest: (1) that alpha3beta1 integrin plays an important role in determining the incorporation of laminin-5 into its proper higher-order structure within the extracellular matrix of keratinocytes and (2) that the organizational state of laminin-5 has an influence on laminin-5 matrix function. Copyright 2003 Elsevier Science (USA)

Dynamics of the axisymmetric core-annular flow. II. The less viscous fluid in the core, saw tooth waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kouris, Charalampos; Tsamopoulos, John

2002-03-01

The nonlinear dynamics of the concentric, two-phase flow of two immiscible fluids in a circular tube is studied when the viscosity ratio of the fluid in the annulus to that in the core of the tube, μ, is larger than or equal to unity. For these values of the viscosity ratio the perfect core-annular flow (CAF) is linearly unstable and it is necessary to keep the ratio of the thickness of the annulus to the radius of the tube small so that the solutions remain uniformly bounded. The simulations are based on a pseudospectral numerical method while special care has been taken in order to minimize as far as possible the effect of the boundary conditions imposed in the axial direction allowing for multiple waves of different lengths to develop and interact. The time integration originates with the analytical solution for the pressure driven, perfect CAF or the perfect CAF seeded with either the most unstable mode or random disturbances. Quite regular wave patterns are predicted in the first two cases, whereas multiple unstable modes grow and remain even after saturation of the instability in the last case. The resulting waves generally travel in the same direction and faster than the undisturbed interface, except for the case with μ=1 for which they are stationary with respect to it. Depending on parameter values, waves move with the same velocity or interact with each other exchanging their amplitudes or merge and split giving rise to either chaotic or organized solutions. For fluids of equal viscosities and densities (μ=ρ=1) and for a Reynolds number, Re(≡Λρ̂1R̂2Ŵ0/μ̂1)=0.0275 and an inverse Weber number, W(≡T̂/(ρ̂1Ŵ02R̂2))=145.4, both based on the properties of the inner fluid, the tube radius, R̂2, and the average flow velocity, Ŵ0, small amplitude waves are predicted. The increase of μ by almost two orders of magnitude does not affect their amplitudes, but increases their temporal period linearly. Varying W by more than three orders of magnitude increases their amplitudes proportionately, while their period increases with the logarithm of W. Similar to that is the effect of increasing Re. The present analysis confirms and extends results based on long wave expansions, which lead to the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation and modifications of it.

Reversible Block of Mouse Neural Stem Cell Differentiation in the Absence of Dicer and MicroRNAs

PubMed Central

Sansom, Stephen N.; Alsiö, Jessica M.; Kaneda, Masahiro; Smith, James; O'Carroll, Donal; Tarakhovsky, Alexander; Livesey, Frederick J.

2010-01-01

Background To investigate the functions of Dicer and microRNAs in neural stem (NS) cell self-renewal and neurogenesis, we established neural stem cell lines from the embryonic mouse Dicer-null cerebral cortex, producing neural stem cell lines that lacked all microRNAs. Principal Findings Dicer-null NS cells underwent normal self-renewal and could be maintained in vitro indefinitely, but had subtly altered cell cycle kinetics and abnormal heterochromatin organisation. In the absence of all microRNAs, Dicer-null NS cells were incapable of generating either glial or neuronal progeny and exhibited a marked dependency on exogenous EGF for survival. Dicer-null NS cells assumed complex differences in mRNA and protein expression under self-renewing conditions, upregulating transcripts indicative of self-renewing NS cells and expressing genes characteristic of differentiating neurons and glia. Underlining the growth-factor dependency of Dicer-null NS cells, many regulators of apoptosis were enriched in expression in these cells. Dicer-null NS cells initiate some of the same gene expression changes as wild-type cells under astrocyte differentiating conditions, but also show aberrant expression of large sets of genes and ultimately fail to complete the differentiation programme. Acute replacement of Dicer restored their ability to differentiate to both neurons and glia. Conclusions The block in differentiation due to loss of Dicer and microRNAs is reversible and the significantly altered phenotype of Dicer-null NS cells does not constitute a permanent transformation. We conclude that Dicer and microRNAs function in this system to maintain the neural stem cell phenotype and to facilitate the completion of differentiation. PMID:20976144

Potential role of alpha-synuclein and metallothionein in lead-induced inclusion body formation.

PubMed

Zuo, Peijun; Qu, Wei; Cooper, Ryan N; Goyer, Robert A; Diwan, Bhalchandra A; Waalkes, Michael P

2009-09-01

Lead (Pb) produces aggresome-like inclusion bodies (IBs) in target cells as a toxic response. Our prior work shows metallothionein (MT) is required for this process. We used MT-I/II double knockout (MT-null) and parental wild-type (WT) cell lines to further explore the formation process of Pb-induced IBs. Unlike WT cells, MT-null cells did not form IBs after Pb exposure. Western blot of cytosol showed soluble MT protein in WT cells was lost during Pb exposure as IBs formed. Transfection of MT-I into MT-null cells allowed IBs formation after Pb exposure. Considering Pb-induced IBs may be like disease-related aggresomes, which often contain alpha-synuclein (Scna), we investigated Scna expression in cells capable (WT) and incapable (MT-null) of producing IBs after Pb exposure. Scna protein showed poor basal expression in MT-null cells. Pb exposure increased Scna expression only in WT cells. MT transfection increased Scna transcript to WT levels. In WT or MT-transfected MT-null cells, Pb-induced Scna expression rapidly increased and then decreased over 48 h as Pb-induced IBs were formed. A direct interaction between Scna and MT was confirmed ex vivo by antibody pulldown assay where the proteins coprecipitated with an antibody to MT. Pb exposure caused increased colocalization of MT and Scna proteins with time only in WT cells. In WT mice after chronic Pb exposure Scna was localized in renal cells containing forming IBs, whereas MT-null mice did not form IBs. Thus, Scna could be component of Pb-induced IBs and, with MT, may play a role in IBs formation.

Different relationships between temporal phylogenetic turnover and phylogenetic similarity and in two forests were detected by a new null model.

PubMed

Huang, Jian-Xiong; Zhang, Jian; Shen, Yong; Lian, Ju-yu; Cao, Hong-lin; Ye, Wan-hui; Wu, Lin-fang; Bin, Yue

2014-01-01

Ecologists have been monitoring community dynamics with the purpose of understanding the rates and causes of community change. However, there is a lack of monitoring of community dynamics from the perspective of phylogeny. We attempted to understand temporal phylogenetic turnover in a 50 ha tropical forest (Barro Colorado Island, BCI) and a 20 ha subtropical forest (Dinghushan in southern China, DHS). To obtain temporal phylogenetic turnover under random conditions, two null models were used. The first shuffled names of species that are widely used in community phylogenetic analyses. The second simulated demographic processes with careful consideration on the variation in dispersal ability among species and the variations in mortality both among species and among size classes. With the two models, we tested the relationships between temporal phylogenetic turnover and phylogenetic similarity at different spatial scales in the two forests. Results were more consistent with previous findings using the second null model suggesting that the second null model is more appropriate for our purposes. With the second null model, a significantly positive relationship was detected between phylogenetic turnover and phylogenetic similarity in BCI at a 10 m×10 m scale, potentially indicating phylogenetic density dependence. This relationship in DHS was significantly negative at three of five spatial scales. This could indicate abiotic filtering processes for community assembly. Using variation partitioning, we found phylogenetic similarity contributed to variation in temporal phylogenetic turnover in the DHS plot but not in BCI plot. The mechanisms for community assembly in BCI and DHS vary from phylogenetic perspective. Only the second null model detected this difference indicating the importance of choosing a proper null model.

Neurogenin 1 Null Mutant Ears Develop Fewer, Morphologically Normal Hair Cells in Smaller Sensory Epithelia Devoid of Innervation

PubMed Central

Ma, Qiufu; Anderson, David J.

2000-01-01

The proneuronal gene neurogenin 1 (ngn1) is essential for development of the inner-ear sensory neurons that are completely absent in ngn1 null mutants. Neither afferent, efferent, nor autonomic nerve fibers were detected in the ears of ngn1 null mutants. We suggest that efferent and autonomic fibers are lost secondarily to the absence of afferents. In this article we show that ngn1 null mutants develop smaller sensory epithelia with morphologically normal hair cells. In particular, the saccule is reduced dramatically and forms only a small recess with few hair cells along a duct connecting the utricle with the cochlea. Hair cells of newborn ngn1 null mutants show no structural abnormalities, suggesting that embryonic development of hair cells is independent of innervation. However, the less regular pattern of dispersal within sensory epithelia may be caused by some effects of afferents or to the stunted growth of the sensory epithelia. Tracing of facial and stato-acoustic nerves in control and ngn1 null mutants showed that only the distal, epibranchial, placode-derived sensory neurons of the geniculate ganglion exist in mutants. Tracing further showed that these geniculate ganglion neurons project exclusively to the solitary tract. In addition to the normal complement of facial branchial and visceral motoneurons, ngn1 null mutants have some trigeminal motoneurons and contralateral inner-ear efferents projecting, at least temporarily, through the facial nerve. These data suggest that some neurons in the brainstem (e.g., inner-ear efferents, trigeminal motoneurons) require afferents to grow along and redirect to ectopic cranial nerve roots in the absence of their corresponding sensory roots. PMID:11545141

Role of CYP2B in Phenobarbital-Induced Hepatocyte Proliferation in Mice.

PubMed

Li, Lei; Bao, Xiaochen; Zhang, Qing-Yu; Negishi, Masahiko; Ding, Xinxin

2017-08-01

Phenobarbital (PB) promotes liver tumorigenesis in rodents, in part through activation of the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) and the consequent changes in hepatic gene expression and increases in hepatocyte proliferation. A typical effect of CAR activation by PB is a marked induction of Cyp2b10 expression in the liver; the latter has been suspected to be vital for PB-induced hepatocellular proliferation. This hypothesis was tested here by using a Cyp2a(4/5)bgs -null (null) mouse model in which all Cyp2b genes are deleted. Adult male and female wild-type (WT) and null mice were treated intraperitoneally with PB at 50 mg/kg once daily for 5 successive days and tested on day 6. The liver-to-body weight ratio, an indicator of liver hypertrophy, was increased by 47% in male WT mice, but by only 22% in male Cyp2a(4/5)bgs -null mice, by the PB treatment. The fractions of bromodeoxyuridine-positive hepatocyte nuclei, assessed as a measure of the rate of hepatocyte proliferation, were also significantly lower in PB-treated male null mice compared with PB-treated male WT mice. However, whereas few proliferating hepatocytes were detected in saline-treated mice, many proliferating hepatocytes were still detected in PB-treated male null mice. In contrast, female WT mice were much less sensitive than male WT mice to PB-induced hepatocyte proliferation, and PB-treated female WT and PB-treated female null mice did not show significant difference in rates of hepatocyte proliferation. These results indicate that CYP2B induction plays a significant, but partial, role in PB-induced hepatocyte proliferation in male mice. U.S. Government work not protected by U.S. copyright.

Alterations in Corneal Sensory Nerves During Homeostasis, Aging, and After Injury in Mice Lacking the Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan Syndecan-1.

PubMed

Pal-Ghosh, Sonali; Tadvalkar, Gauri; Stepp, Mary Ann

2017-10-01

To determine the impact of the loss of syndecan 1 (SDC1) on intraepithelial corneal nerves (ICNs) during homeostasis, aging, and in response to 1.5-mm trephine and debridement injury. Whole-mount corneas are used to quantify ICN density and thickness over time after birth and in response to injury in SDC1-null and wild-type (WT) mice. High-resolution three-dimensional imaging is used to visualize intraepithelial nerve terminals (INTs), axon fragments, and lysosomes in corneal epithelial cells using antibodies against growth associated protein 43 (GAP43), βIII tubulin, and LAMP1. Quantitative PCR was performed to quantify expression of SDC1, SDC2, SDC3, and SDC4 in corneal epithelial mRNA. Phagocytosis was assessed by quantifying internalization of fluorescently labeled 1-μm latex beads. Intraepithelial corneal nerves innervate the corneas of SDC1-null mice more slowly. At 8 weeks, ICN density is less but thickness is greater. Apically projecting intraepithelial nerve terminals and lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 1 (LAMP1) are also reduced in unwounded SDC1-null corneas. Quantitative PCR and immunofluorescence studies show that SDC3 expression and localization are increased in SDC1-null ICNs. Wild-type and SDC1-null corneas lose ICN density and thickness as they age. Recovery of axon density and thickness after trephine but not debridement wounds is slower in SDC1-null corneas compared with WT. Experiments assessing phagocytosis show reduced bead internalization by SDC1-null epithelial cells. Syndecan-1 deficiency alters ICN morphology and homeostasis during aging, reduces epithelial phagocytosis, and impairs reinnervation after trephine but not debridement injury. These data provide insight into the mechanisms used by sensory nerves to reinnervate after injury.

Interpreting null findings from trials of alcohol brief interventions.

PubMed

Heather, Nick

2014-01-01

The effectiveness of alcohol brief intervention (ABI) has been established by a succession of meta-analyses but, because the effects of ABI are small, null findings from randomized controlled trials are often reported and can sometimes lead to skepticism regarding the benefits of ABI in routine practice. This article first explains why null findings are likely to occur under null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) due to the phenomenon known as "the dance of the p-values." A number of misconceptions about null findings are then described, using as an example the way in which the results of the primary care arm of a recent cluster-randomized trial of ABI in England (the SIPS project) have been misunderstood. These misinterpretations include the fallacy of "proving the null hypothesis" that lack of a significant difference between the means of sample groups can be taken as evidence of no difference between their population means, and the possible effects of this and related misunderstandings of the SIPS findings are examined. The mistaken inference that reductions in alcohol consumption seen in control groups from baseline to follow-up are evidence of real effects of control group procedures is then discussed and other possible reasons for such reductions, including regression to the mean, research participation effects, historical trends, and assessment reactivity, are described. From the standpoint of scientific progress, the chief problem about null findings under the conventional NHST approach is that it is not possible to distinguish "evidence of absence" from "absence of evidence." By contrast, under a Bayesian approach, such a distinction is possible and it is explained how this approach could classify ABIs in particular settings or among particular populations as either truly ineffective or as of unknown effectiveness, thus accelerating progress in the field of ABI research.

Nod-Like Receptor Protein-3 Inflammasome Plays an Important Role during Early Stages of Wound Healing

PubMed Central

Weinheimer-Haus, Eileen M.; Mirza, Rita E.; Koh, Timothy J.

2015-01-01

The Nod-like receptor protein (NLRP)-3 inflammasome/IL-1β pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory skin diseases, but its biological role in wound healing remains to be elucidated. Since inflammation is typically thought to impede healing, we hypothesized that loss of NLRP-3 activity would result in a downregulated inflammatory response and accelerated wound healing. NLRP-3 null mice, caspase-1 null mice and C57Bl/6 wild type control mice (WT) received four 8 mm excisional cutaneous wounds; inflammation and healing were assessed during the early stage of wound healing. Consistent with our hypothesis, wounds from NLRP-3 null and caspase-1 null mice contained lower levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α compared to WT mice and had reduced neutrophil and macrophage accumulation. Contrary to our hypothesis, re-epithelialization, granulation tissue formation, and angiogenesis were delayed in NLRP-3 null mice and caspase-1 null mice compared to WT mice, indicating that NLRP-3 signaling is important for early events in wound healing. Topical treatment of excisional wounds with recombinant IL-1β partially restored granulation tissue formation in wounds of NLRP-3 null mice, confirming the importance of NLRP-3-dependent IL-1β production during early wound healing. Despite the improvement in healing, angiogenesis and levels of the pro-angiogenic growth factor VEGF were further reduced in IL-1β treated wounds, suggesting that IL-1β has a negative effect on angiogenesis and that NLRP-3 promotes angiogenesis in an IL-1β-independent manner. These findings indicate that the NLRP-3 inflammasome contributes to the early inflammatory phase following skin wounding and is important for efficient healing. PMID:25793779

TBX6 Null Variants and a Common Hypomorphic Allele in Congenital Scoliosis

PubMed Central

Wu, N.; Ming, X.; Xiao, J.; Wu, Z.; Chen, X.; Shinawi, M.; Shen, Y.; Yu, G.; Liu, J.; Xie, H.; Gucev, Z.S.; Liu, S.; Yang, N.; Al-Kateb, H.; Chen, J.; Zhang, Jian; Hauser, N.; Zhang, T.; Tasic, V.; Liu, P.; Su, X.; Pan, X.; Liu, C.; Wang, L.; Shen, Joseph; Shen, Jianxiong; Chen, Y.; Zhang, T.; Zhang, Jianguo; Choy, K.W.; Wang, Jun; Wang, Q.; Li, S.; Zhou, W.; Guo, J.; Wang, Y.; Zhang, C.; Zhao, H.; An, Y.; Zhao, Y.; Wang, Jiucun; Liu, Z.; Zuo, Y.; Tian, Y.; Weng, X.; Sutton, V.R.; Wang, H.; Ming, Y.; Kulkarni, S.; Zhong, T.P.; Giampietro, P.F.; Dunwoodie, S.L.; Cheung, S.W.; Zhang, X.; Jin, L.; Lupski, J.R.; Qiu, G.; Zhang, F.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Congenital scoliosis is a common type of vertebral malformation. Genetic susceptibility has been implicated in congenital scoliosis. METHODS We evaluated 161 Han Chinese persons with sporadic congenital scoliosis, 166 Han Chinese controls, and 2 pedigrees, family members of which had a 16p11.2 deletion, using comparative genomic hybridization, quantitative polymerase-chain-reaction analysis, and DNA sequencing. We carried out tests of replication using an additional series of 76 Han Chinese persons with congenital scoliosis and a multi-center series of 42 persons with 16p11.2 deletions. RESULTS We identified a total of 17 heterozygous TBX6 null mutations in the 161 persons with sporadic congenital scoliosis (11%); we did not observe any null mutations in TBX6 in 166 controls (P<3.8×10−6). These null alleles include copy-number variants (12 instances of a 16p11.2 deletion affecting TBX6) and single-nucleotide variants (1 nonsense and 4 frame-shift mutations). However, the discordant intrafamilial phenotypes of 16p11.2 deletion carriers suggest that heterozygous TBX6 null mutation is insufficient to cause congenital scoliosis. We went on to identify a common TBX6 haplotype as the second risk allele in all 17 carriers of TBX6 null mutations (P<1.1×10−6). Replication studies involving additional persons with congenital scoliosis who carried a deletion affecting TBX6 confirmed this compound inheritance model. In vitro functional assays suggested that the risk haplotype is a hypomorphic allele. Hemivertebrae are characteristic of TBX6-associated congenital scoliosis. CONCLUSIONS Compound inheritance of a rare null mutation and a hypomorphic allele of TBX6 accounted for up to 11% of congenital scoliosis cases in the series that we analyzed. PMID:25564734

Short stop mediates axonal compartmentalization of mucin-type core 1 glycans

PubMed Central

Kinoshita, Takaaki; Sato, Chikara; Fuwa, Takashi J.; Nishihara, Shoko

2017-01-01

T antigen, mucin-type core 1 O-glycan, is highly expressed in the embryonic central nervous system (CNS) and co-localizes with a Drosophila CNS marker, BP102 antigen. BP102 antigen and Derailed, an axon guidance receptor, are localized specifically in the proximal axon segment of isolated primary cultured neurons, and their mobility is restricted at the intra-axonal boundary by a diffusion barrier. However, the preferred trafficking mechanism remains unknown. In this study, the major O-glycan T antigen was found to localize within the proximal compartments of primary cultured Drosophila neurons, whereas the N-glycan HRP antigen was not. Ultrastructural analysis by atmospheric scanning electron microscopy revealed that microtubule bundles cross one another at the intra-axonal boundary, and that T antigens form circular pattern before the boundary. We then identified Short stop (Shot), a crosslinker protein between F-actin and microtubules, as a mediator for the proximal localization of T antigens; null mutation of shot cancelled preferential localization of T antigens. Moreover, F-actin binding domain of Shot was required for their proximal localization. Together, our results allow us to propose a novel trafficking pathway where Shot crosslinks F-actin and microtubules around the intra-axonal boundary, directing T antigen-carrying vesicles toward the proximal plasma membrane. PMID:28150729

System technology analysis of aeroassisted orbital transfer vehicles: Moderate lift/drag (0.75-1.5),volume 1B, part 1, study results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

Significant performance benefits can be realized via aerodynamic breaking and/or aerodynamic maneuvering on return from higher altitude orbits to low Earth orbit. This approach substantially reduces the mission propellant requirements by using the aerodynamic drag, D, to brake the vehicle to near circular velocity and the aerodynamic lift, L, to null out accumulated errors as well as change the orbital inclination to that required for rendezous with the Space Shuttle Orbiter. A study was completed where broad concept evaluations were performed and the technology requirements and sensitivities for aeroassisted Orbital Transfer Vehicles (AOTVs) over a range of vehicle hypersonic L/D from 0.75 to 1.5 were systematically identified and assessed. The AOTV is capable of evolving from an initial delivery only system to one eventually capable of supporting manned roundtrip missions to geosynchronous orbit. Concept screenings were conducted on numerous configurations spanning the L/D = 0.75 to 1.5 range, and several with attractive features were identified. Initial payload capability was evaluated for a baseline of delivery to GEO, six hour polar, and Molniya orbits with return and recovery of the AOTV at LEO. Evolutionary payload requirements that were assessed include a GEO servicing mission and a manned GEO mission.

A null model for microbial diversification

PubMed Central

Straub, Timothy J.

2017-01-01

Whether prokaryotes (Bacteria and Archaea) are naturally organized into phenotypically and genetically cohesive units comparable to animal or plant species remains contested, frustrating attempts to estimate how many such units there might be, or to identify the ecological roles they play. Analyses of gene sequences in various closely related prokaryotic groups reveal that sequence diversity is typically organized into distinct clusters, and processes such as periodic selection and extensive recombination are understood to be drivers of cluster formation (“speciation”). However, observed patterns are rarely compared with those obtainable with simple null models of diversification under stochastic lineage birth and death and random genetic drift. Via a combination of simulations and analyses of core and phylogenetic marker genes, we show that patterns of diversity for the genera Escherichia, Neisseria, and Borrelia are generally indistinguishable from patterns arising under a null model. We suggest that caution should thus be taken in interpreting observed clustering as a result of selective evolutionary forces. Unknown forces do, however, appear to play a role in Helicobacter pylori, and some individual genes in all groups fail to conform to the null model. Taken together, we recommend the presented birth−death model as a null hypothesis in prokaryotic speciation studies. It is only when the real data are statistically different from the expectations under the null model that some speciation process should be invoked. PMID:28630293

Vacuum Nuller Testbed (VNT) Performance, Characterization and Null Control: Progress Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.; Clampin, Mark; Petrone, Peter; Mallik, Udayan; Madison, Timothy; Bolcar, Matthew R.; Noecker, M. Charley; Kendrick, Stephen; Helmbrecht, Michael

2011-01-01

Herein we report on the development. sensing and control and our first results with the Vacuum Nuller Testbed to realize a Visible Nulling Coronagraph (VNC) for exoplanet coronagraphy. The VNC is one of the few approaches that works with filled. segmented and sparse or diluted-aperture telescope systems. It thus spans a range of potential future NASA telescopes and could be Hown as a separate instrument on such a future mission. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has a well-established effort to develop VNC technologies. and has developed an incremental sequence of VNC testbeds to advance this approach and the enabling technologies associated with it. We discuss the continued development of the vacuum Visible Nulling Coronagraph testbed (VNT). Tbe VNT is an ultra-stable vibration isolated testbed that operates under closed-loop control within a vacuum chamber. It will be used to achieve an incremental sequence of three visible-light nulling milestones with sequentially higher contrasts of 10(sup 8), 10(sup 9) and ideally 10(sup 10) at an inner working angle of 2*lambda/D. The VNT is based on a modified Mach-Zehnder nulling interferometer, with a "W" configuration to accommodate a hex-packed MEMS based deformable mirror, a coherent fiber bundle and achromatic phase shifters. We discuss the initial laboratory results, the optical configuration, critical technologies and the null sensing and control approach.

Diverse effects of Glut 4 ablation on glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in red and white skeletal muscle.

PubMed

Stenbit, A E; Burcelin, R; Katz, E B; Tsao, T S; Gautier, N; Charron, M J; Le Marchand-Brustel, Y

1996-08-01

The ability of muscles from Glut 4-null mice to take up and metabolize glucose has been studied in the isolated white EDL and red soleus muscles. In EDL muscles from male or female Glut 4-null mice, basal deoxyglucose uptake was lower than in control muscles and was not stimulated by insulin. In parallel, glycogen synthesis and content were decreased. Soleus muscles from male Glut 4-null mice took up twice more deoxyglucose in the absence of insulin than control muscles, but did not respond to insulin. In females, soleus deoxyglucose uptake measured in the absence of hormone was similar in Glut 4-null mice and in control mice. This uptake was stimulated twofold in Glut 4-null mice and threefold in control mice. Basal glycogen synthesis was increased by 4- and 2.2-fold in male and female null mice, respectively, compared to controls, and insulin had no or small (20% stimulation over basal) effect. These results indicate that while EDL muscles behaved as expected, soleus muscles were able to take up a large amount of glucose in the absence (males) or the presence of insulin (females). Whether this is due to a change in Glut 1 intrinsic activity or targeting and/or to the appearance of another glucose transporter remains to be determined.

Parathyroid hormone ablation alters erythrocyte parameters that are rescued by calcium-sensing receptor gene deletion

PubMed Central

Romero, Jose R.; Youte, Rodeler; Brown, Edward M.; Pollak, Martin R.; Goltzman, David; Karaplis, Andrew; Pong, Lie-Chin; Chien, Lawrence; Chattopadhyay, Naibedya; Rivera, Alicia

2013-01-01

The mechanisms by which parathyroid hormone (PTH) produces anemia, are unclear. Parathyroid hormone secretion is regulated by the extracellular Ca2+-sensing receptor. We investigated the effects of ablating PTH on hematological indices and erythrocytes volume regulation in wild-type, PTH-null and Ca2+-sensing receptor-null/PTH-null mice. The erythrocyte parameters were measured in whole mouse blood and volume regulatory systems were determined by plasma membrane K+ fluxes and osmotic fragility was measured by hemoglobin determination at varying osmolarities. We observed that the absence of PTH significantly increases mean erythrocyte volume and reticulocyte counts, while decreasing erythrocyte counts, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. These changes were accompanied by increases in erythrocyte cation content, a denser cell population and increased K+ permeability, which were in part mediated by activation of the K+/Cl− cotransporter and Gardos channel. In addition we observed that erythrocyte osmotic fragility in PTH-null compared with wild-type mice was enhanced. When Ca2+-sensing receptor gene was deleted on the background of PTH-null mice, we observed that several of the alterations in erythrocyte parameters of PTH-null mice were largely rescued, particularly those related to erythrocyte volume, K+ fluxes and osmotic fragility, and became similar to those observed in wild-type mice. Our results demonstrate that Ca2+-sensing receptor and parathyroid hormone are functionally coupled to maintain erythrocyte homeostasis. PMID:23528155

Requirement for erythroblast-macrophage protein (Emp) in definitive erythropoiesis.

PubMed

Soni, Shivani; Bala, Shashi; Hanspal, Manjit

2008-01-01

Emp, erythroblast-macrophage protein was initially identified as a mediator of erythroblast-macrophage interactions during erythroid differentiation. More recent studies have shown that targeted disruption of Emp leads to abnormal erythropoiesis in the fetal liver, and fetal demise. To further address the activity of Emp in the hematopoietic lineage in adult bone marrow, we conducted fetal liver HSC reconstitution assay. Emp null fetal liver cells were transplanted into lethally irradiated wild-type sibling mice, and assessed the erythropoietic activity. We found that Emp null cells rescued lethally irradiated mice with efficiency comparable to that of wild-type cells. However, the recipients of Emp null cells showed abnormal erythropoiesis as indicated by the presence of persistent anemia, extensive extramedullary erythropoiesis, and increased apoptosis of erythroid precursors. Extramedullary erythropoiesis suggests perturbed interactions between the Emp-deficient hematopoietic cells and the wild-type niche. Furthermore, in spleen colony-forming unit assays, proliferation rates of the Emp null cells were greater than those of the wild-type cells. Similarly, in vitro burst-forming unit-erythroid and colony-forming unit-erythroid assays showed increased erythroid colony numbers from Emp null livers. Morphologic examination showed that Emp null CFU-E-derived erythroblasts were immature compared to those derived from wild-type CFU-Es, suggesting that loss of Emp function in erythroid cells results in impaired proliferation and terminal differentiation. These results demonstrate that Emp plays a cell intrinsic role in the erythroid lineage.

Glutathione S-transferase M1-null genotype as risk factor for SOS in oxaliplatin-treated patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Vreuls, C P H; Olde Damink, S W M; Koek, G H; Winstanley, A; Wisse, E; Cloots, R H E; van den Broek, M A J; Dejong, C H C; Bosman, F T; Driessen, A

2013-02-19

Oxaliplatin is used as a neo-adjuvant therapy in hepatic colorectal carcinoma metastasis. This treatment has significant side effects, as oxaliplatin is toxic to the sinusoidal endothelial cells and can induce sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), which is related to decreased overall survival. Glutathione has an important role in the defence system, catalysed by glutathione S-transferase (GST), including two non-enzyme producing polymorphisms (GSTM1-null and GSTT1-null). We hypothesise that patients with a non-enzyme producing polymorphism have a higher risk of developing toxic injury owing to oxaliplatin. In the nontumour-bearing liver, the presence of SOS was studied histopathologically. The genotype was determined by a semi-nested PCR. Thirty-two of the 55 (58%) patients showed SOS lesions, consisting of 27% mild, 22% moderate and 9% severe lesions. The GSTM1-null genotype was present in 25 of the 55 (46%). Multivariate analysis showed that the GSTM1-null genotype significantly correlated with the presence of (moderate-severe) SOS (P=0.026). The GSTM1-null genotype is an independent risk factor for SOS. This finding allows us, in association with other risk factors, to conceive a potential risk profile predicting whether the patient is at risk of developing SOS, before starting oxaliplatin, and subsequently might result in adjustment of treatment.

Absence of Wip1 partially rescues Atm deficiency phenotypes in mice

PubMed Central

Darlington, Yolanda; Nguyen, Thuy-Ai; Moon, Sung-Hwan; Herron, Alan; Rao, Pulivarthi; Zhu, Chengming; Lu, Xiongbin; Donehower, Lawrence A.

2011-01-01

Wildtype p53-Induced Phosphatase 1 (WIP1) is a serine/threonine phosphatase that dephosphorylates proteins in the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM)-initiated DNA damage response pathway. WIP1 may play a homeostatic role in ATM signaling by returning the cell to a normal pre-stress state following completion of DNA repair. To better understand the effects of WIP1 on ATM signaling, we crossed Atm-deficient mice to Wip1-deficient mice and characterized phenotypes of the double knockout progeny. We hypothesized that the absence of Wip1 might rescue Atm deficiency phenotypes. Atm null mice, like ATM-deficient humans with the inherited syndrome ataxia telangiectasia, exhibit radiation sensitivity, fertility defects, and are T-cell lymphoma prone. Most double knockout mice were largely protected from lymphoma development and had a greatly extended lifespan compared to Atm null mice. Double knockout mice had increased p53 and H2AX phosphorylation and p21 expression compared to their Atm null counterparts, indicating enhanced p53 and DNA damage responses. Additionally, double knockout splenocytes displayed reduced chromosomal instability compared to Atm null mice. Finally, doubly null mice were partially rescued from infertility defects observed in Atm null mice. These results indicate that inhibition of WIP1 may represent a useful strategy for cancer treatment in general and A-T patients in particular. PMID:21765465

A study of the association of glutathione S-transferase M1/T1 polymorphisms with susceptibility to vitiligo in Egyptian patients.

PubMed

Aly, Dalia Gamal; Salem, Samar Abdallah; Amr, Khalda Sayed; El-Hamid, Mahmoud Fawzy Abd

2018-01-01

The association of glutathione S-transferases M1/T1 (GSTM1/T1) null polymorphisms with vitiligo was proposed in several studies including two Egyptian studies with contradictory results. The aim here was to assess the association between GSTM1/T1 null polymorphisms and the susceptibility to vitiligo in a larger sample of Egyptian patients with generalized vitiligo. This study included 122 vitiligo patients and 200 healthy controls that were age, and gender matched. Assessment of GSTM1/T1 gene polymorphisms was done using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Increased odds of generalized vitiligo was observed with the null genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms (P<0.05). Controls with GSTM1 null/GSTT1+ heterozygosis presented with a 2.97 odds protection from having generalized vitiligo (OR=2.97, 95%CI=1.1-7.7) (P=0.02) compared with patients. Small sample size of patients. This study showed a significant trend towards an association with the combination of the GSTM1/GSTT1 double null polymorphism and generalized vitiligo. Individuals with GSTM1 null/GSTT1+ heterozygosis have a 2.97 odds protection from having generalized vitiligo compared with patients. It was is the first time, to our knowledge, that such an association has been reported.

Glutathione S-transferase M1 genotypes and the risk of vulvar cancer: a population-based case-control study.

PubMed

Chen, C; Madeleine, M M; Weiss, N S; Daling, J R

1999-09-01

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) facilitate the excretion of a variety of potential carcinogens. Some 50-60% of Caucasians are homozygous for the null allele of GSTM1, a gene responsible for the presence of one of these enzymes. The authors examined whether women with the GSTM1 null genotype are at altered risk of vulvar cancer. They obtained peripheral blood specimens from 18- to 79-year-old residents of King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties of western Washington who were diagnosed with vulvar cancer between April 1991 and June 1994. Blood specimens were also obtained from controls identified via random digit telephone dialing of western Washington households. The authors determined the GSTM1 genotype of 137 cases (120 in situ and 17 invasive cases) and 248 controls. The frequency of the GSTM1 null genotype was 46.7% among cases and 57.3% among controls. The age-adjusted odds ratio associated with the GSTM1 null genotype was 0.7 (95% confidence interval: 0.4, 1.0). Among current smokers of cigarettes, the age-adjusted odds ratio associated with the GSTM1 null genotype was 0.5 (95% confidence interval: 0.2, 0.9), differing little between heavy and light smokers. Our data suggest that women with the GSTM1 null genotype are not at increased risk of vulvar cancer.

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

O'Neill, Hugh Michael; Davern, Sandra M.; Murphy, Charles L.

AL amyloidosis is characterized by the pathologic deposition as fibrils of monoclonal light chains (i.e., Bence Jones proteins [BJPs]) in particular organs and tissues. This phenomenon has been attributed to the presence in amyloidogenic proteins of particular amino acids that cause these molecules to become unstable, as well as post-translational modifications and, in regard to the latter, we have investigated the effect of biotinylation of lysyl residues on cell binding. We utilized an experimental system designed to test if BJPs obtained from patients with AL amyloidosis or, as a control, multiple myeloma (MM), bound human fibroblasts and renal epithelial cells.more » As documented by fluorescent microscopy and ELISA, the amyloidogenic BJPs, as compared with MM components, bound preferentially and this reactivity increased significantly after chemical modification of their lysyl residues with sulfo-NHS-biotin. Further, based on tryptophan fluorescence and circular dichorism data, it was apparent that their conformation was altered, which we hypothesize exposed a binding site not accessible on the native protein. The results of our studies indicate that post-translational structural modifications of pathologic light chains can enhance their capacity for cellular interaction and thus may contribute to the pathogenesis of AL amyloidosis and multiple myeloma.« less

Stability of a chemically active floating disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vandadi, Vahid; Jafari Kang, Saeed; Rothstein, Jonathan; Masoud, Hassan

2017-11-01

We theoretically study the translational stability of a chemically active disk located at a flat liquid-gas interface. The initially immobile circular disk uniformly releases an interface-active agent that locally changes the surface tension and is insoluble in the bulk. If left unperturbed, the stationary disk remains motionless as the agent is discharged. Neglecting the inertial effects, we numerically test whether a perturbation in the translational velocity of the disk can lead to its spontaneous and self-sustained motion. Such a perturbation gives rise to an asymmetric distribution of the released factor that could trigger and sustain the Marangoni propulsion of the disk. An implicit Fourier-Chebyshev spectral method is employed to solve the advection-diffusion equation for the concentration of the active agent. The solution, given a linear equation of state for the surface tension, provides the shear stress distribution at the interface. This and the no-slip condition on the wetted surface of the disk are then used at each time step to semi-analytically determine the Stokes flow in the semi-infinite liquid layer. Overall, the findings of our investigation pave the way for pinpointing the conditions under which interface-bound active particles become dynamically unstable.

A transition in the viscous fingering instability in miscible fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Videbaek, Thomas; Nagel, Sidney R.

2017-11-01

The viscous fingering instability in a quasi-two dimensional Hele-Shaw cell is an example of complex structure formation from benign initial conditions. When the invading fluid has the lesser viscosity, the interface between the two fluids is unstable to finger formation. Here, we study the instability between pairs of miscible fluids in a circular cell with fluid injected at its center. As the injection rate is decreased, diffusion will smooth out the discontinuity in the gap-averaged viscosity at the interface between the fluids. At high injection rates (i.e., high Péclet number, Pe), fingering is associated with three-dimensional structure within the gap between the confining plates. On lowering Pe, we find a sharp transition in the finger morphology at a critical value, Pec (ηi /ηo) 1 / 2 , with ηi (ηo) being the viscosity of the inner (outer) fluid; at this point, the width of the fingers jumps, the length of the fingers shrinks towards zero and the three-dimensional structure goes from half filling to fully filling the gap. Thus, by controlling the viscosity contrast at the interface, one can alter and even completely suppress the instability.

On the occurrence of polyproline II structure in elastin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martino, M.; Bavoso, A.; Guantieri, V.; Coviello, A.; Tamburro, A. M.

2000-02-01

To shed light on the occurrence of the polyproline II (PP II) structure in the elastomeric protein elastin, the octapeptide sequence ALGGGALG of the N-terminal region of human elastin was studied in its monomeric and polymeric form, both in solution and in the solid state. Furthermore, the polymer poly(PG), chosen by us as an a priori reference compound for investigating the stability of PP II structure in presence of alternating proline and glycine residues along the polypeptide chain, was studied by circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Its "monomeric" form Boc-PG-OH, was also analyzed by X-ray diffraction. It was shown that, in the solid state the presence of PG or GGG sequences in polypeptide chains and even in a short peptide as Boc-PG-OH induces the acquisition of the PP II structural motif. However, in solution this conformation appears to be much more unstable even in the case of long polypeptide chains. The finding that at room temperature the PP II structure is always in equilibrium with other conformers suggests that its dynamics could also contribute to the molecular mechanism of elastin elasticity.

Connecting orbits and invariant manifolds in the spatial restricted three-body problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gómez, G.; Koon, W. S.; Lo, M. W.; Marsden, J. E.; Masdemont, J.; Ross, S. D.

2004-09-01

The invariant manifold structures of the collinear libration points for the restricted three-body problem provide the framework for understanding transport phenomena from a geometrical point of view. In particular, the stable and unstable invariant manifold tubes associated with libration point orbits are the phase space conduits transporting material between primary bodies for separate three-body systems. These tubes can be used to construct new spacecraft trajectories, such as a 'Petit Grand Tour' of the moons of Jupiter. Previous work focused on the planar circular restricted three-body problem. This work extends the results to the three-dimensional case. Besides providing a full description of different kinds of libration motions in a large vicinity of these points, this paper numerically demonstrates the existence of heteroclinic connections between pairs of libration orbits, one around the libration point L1 and the other around L2. Since these connections are asymptotic orbits, no manoeuvre is needed to perform the transfer from one libration point orbit to the other. A knowledge of these orbits can be very useful in the design of missions such as the Genesis Discovery Mission, and may provide the backbone for other interesting orbits in the future.

Identification of nonlinear modes using phase-locked-loop experimental continuation and normal form

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denis, V.; Jossic, M.; Giraud-Audine, C.; Chomette, B.; Renault, A.; Thomas, O.

2018-06-01

In this article, we address the model identification of nonlinear vibratory systems, with a specific focus on systems modeled with distributed nonlinearities, such as geometrically nonlinear mechanical structures. The proposed strategy theoretically relies on the concept of nonlinear modes of the underlying conservative unforced system and the use of normal forms. Within this framework, it is shown that without internal resonance, a valid reduced order model for a nonlinear mode is a single Duffing oscillator. We then propose an efficient experimental strategy to measure the backbone curve of a particular nonlinear mode and we use it to identify the free parameters of the reduced order model. The experimental part relies on a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) and enables a robust and automatic measurement of backbone curves as well as forced responses. It is theoretically and experimentally shown that the PLL is able to stabilize the unstable part of Duffing-like frequency responses, thus enabling its robust experimental measurement. Finally, the whole procedure is tested on three experimental systems: a circular plate, a chinese gong and a piezoelectric cantilever beam. It enable to validate the procedure by comparison to available theoretical models as well as to other experimental identification methods.

Holographic measurement of wave propagation in axi-symmetric shells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evensen, D. A.; Aprahamian, R.; Jacoby, J. L.

1972-01-01

The report deals with the use of pulsed, double-exposure holographic interferometry to record the propagation of transverse waves in thin-walled axi-symmetric shells. The report is subdivided into sections dealing with: (1) wave propagation in circular cylindrical shells, (2) wave propagation past cut-outs and stiffeners, and (3) wave propagation in conical shells. Several interferograms are presented herein which show the waves reflecting from the shell boundaries, from cut-outs, and from stiffening rings. The initial response of the shell was nearly axi-symmetric in all cases, but nonsymmetric modes soon appeared in the radial response. This result suggests that the axi-symmetric response of the shell may be dynamically unstable, and thus may preferentially excite certain circumferential harmonics through parametric excitation. Attempts were made throughout to correlate the experimental data with analysis. For the most part, good agreement between theory and experiment was obtained. Occasional differences were attributed primarily to simplifying assumptions used in the analysis. From the standpoint of engineering applications, it is clear that pulsed laser holography can be used to obtain quantitative engineering data. Areas of dynamic stress concentration, stress concentration factors, local anomalies, etc., can be readily determined by holography.

Working With Socially and Medically Complex Patients: When Care Transitions Are Circular, Overlapping, and Continual Rather Than Linear and Finite.

PubMed

Roberts, Shauna R; Crigler, Jane; Ramirez, Cristina; Sisco, Deborah; Early, Gerald L

2015-01-01

The care coordination program described here evolved from 5 years of trial and learning related to how to best serve our high-cost, high-utilizing, chronically ill, urban core patient population. In addition to medical complexity, they have daily challenges characteristic of persons served by Safety-Net health systems. Many have unstable health insurance status. Others have insecure housing. A number of patients have a history of substance use and mental illness. Many have fractured social supports. Although some of the best-known care transition models have been successful in reducing rehospitalizations and cost among patients studied, these models were developed for a relatively high functioning patient population with social support. We describe a successful approach targeted at working with patients who require a more intense and lengthy care coordination intervention to self-manage and reduce the cost of caring for their medical conditions. Using a diverse team and a set of replicable processes, we have demonstrated statistically significant reduction in the use of hospital and emergency services. Our intervention leverages the strengths and resilience of patients, focuses on trust and self-management, and targets heterogeneous "high-utilizer" patients with medical and social complexity.

Testing the null hypothesis: the forgotten legacy of Karl Popper?

PubMed

Wilkinson, Mick

2013-01-01

Testing of the null hypothesis is a fundamental aspect of the scientific method and has its basis in the falsification theory of Karl Popper. Null hypothesis testing makes use of deductive reasoning to ensure that the truth of conclusions is irrefutable. In contrast, attempting to demonstrate the new facts on the basis of testing the experimental or research hypothesis makes use of inductive reasoning and is prone to the problem of the Uniformity of Nature assumption described by David Hume in the eighteenth century. Despite this issue and the well documented solution provided by Popper's falsification theory, the majority of publications are still written such that they suggest the research hypothesis is being tested. This is contrary to accepted scientific convention and possibly highlights a poor understanding of the application of conventional significance-based data analysis approaches. Our work should remain driven by conjecture and attempted falsification such that it is always the null hypothesis that is tested. The write up of our studies should make it clear that we are indeed testing the null hypothesis and conforming to the established and accepted philosophical conventions of the scientific method.

Impaired angiogenesis in aminopeptidase N-null mice

PubMed Central

Rangel, Roberto; Sun, Yan; Guzman-Rojas, Liliana; Ozawa, Michael G.; Sun, Jessica; Giordano, Ricardo J.; Van Pelt, Carolyn S.; Tinkey, Peggy T.; Behringer, Richard R.; Sidman, Richard L.; Arap, Wadih; Pasqualini, Renata

2007-01-01

Aminopeptidase N (APN, CD13; EC 3.4.11.2) is a transmembrane metalloprotease with several functions, depending on the cell type and tissue environment. In tumor vasculature, APN is overexpressed in the endothelium and promotes angiogenesis. However, there have been no reports of in vivo inactivation of the APN gene to validate these findings. Here we evaluated, by targeted disruption of the APN gene, whether APN participates in blood vessel formation and function under normal conditions. Surprisingly, APN-null mice developed with no gross or histological abnormalities. Standard neurological, cardiovascular, metabolic, locomotor, and hematological studies revealed no alterations. Nonetheless, in oxygen-induced retinopathy experiments, APN-deficient mice had a marked and dose-dependent deficiency of the expected retinal neovascularization. Moreover, gelfoams embedded with growth factors failed to induce functional blood vessel formation in APN-null mice. These findings establish that APN-null mice develop normally without physiological alterations and can undergo physiological angiogenesis but show a severely impaired angiogenic response under pathological conditions. Finally, in addition to vascular biology research, APN-null mice may be useful reagents in other medical fields such as malignant, cardiovascular, immunological, or infectious diseases. PMID:17360568

Motor Cortical Visuomotor Feedback Activity Is Initially Isolated from Downstream Targets in Output-Null Neural State Space Dimensions.

PubMed

Stavisky, Sergey D; Kao, Jonathan C; Ryu, Stephen I; Shenoy, Krishna V

2017-07-05

Neural circuits must transform new inputs into outputs without prematurely affecting downstream circuits while still maintaining other ongoing communication with these targets. We investigated how this isolation is achieved in the motor cortex when macaques received visual feedback signaling a movement perturbation. To overcome limitations in estimating the mapping from cortex to arm movements, we also conducted brain-machine interface (BMI) experiments where we could definitively identify neural firing patterns as output-null or output-potent. This revealed that perturbation-evoked responses were initially restricted to output-null patterns that cancelled out at the neural population code readout and only later entered output-potent neural dimensions. This mechanism was facilitated by the circuit's large null space and its ability to strongly modulate output-potent dimensions when generating corrective movements. These results show that the nervous system can temporarily isolate portions of a circuit's activity from its downstream targets by restricting this activity to the circuit's output-null neural dimensions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Control of recollection by slow gamma dominating mid-frequency gamma in hippocampus CA1

PubMed Central

Dvorak, Dino; Radwan, Basma; Sparks, Fraser T.; Talbot, Zoe Nicole

2018-01-01

Behavior is used to assess memory and cognitive deficits in animals like Fmr1-null mice that model Fragile X Syndrome, but behavior is a proxy for unknown neural events that define cognitive variables like recollection. We identified an electrophysiological signature of recollection in mouse dorsal Cornu Ammonis 1 (CA1) hippocampus. During a shocked-place avoidance task, slow gamma (SG) (30–50 Hz) dominates mid-frequency gamma (MG) (70–90 Hz) oscillations 2–3 s before successful avoidance, but not failures. Wild-type (WT) but not Fmr1-null mice rapidly adapt to relocating the shock; concurrently, SG/MG maxima (SGdom) decrease in WT but not in cognitively inflexible Fmr1-null mice. During SGdom, putative pyramidal cell ensembles represent distant locations; during place avoidance, these are avoided places. During shock relocation, WT ensembles represent distant locations near the currently correct shock zone, but Fmr1-null ensembles represent the formerly correct zone. These findings indicate that recollection occurs when CA1 SG dominates MG and that accurate recollection of inappropriate memories explains Fmr1-null cognitive inflexibility. PMID:29346381

Active optics null test system based on a liquid crystal programmable spatial light modulator

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

Ares, Miguel; Royo, Santiago; Sergievskaya, Irina

2010-11-10

We present an active null test system adapted to test lenses and wavefronts with complex shapes and strong local deformations. This system provides greater flexibility than conventional static null tests that match only a precisely positioned, individual wavefront. The system is based on a cylindrical Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor, a commercial liquid crystal programmable phase modulator (PPM), which acts as the active null corrector, enabling the compensation of large strokes with high fidelity in a single iteration, and a spatial filter to remove unmodulated light when steep phase changes are compensated. We have evaluated the PPM's phase response at 635 nmmore » and checked its performance by measuring its capability to generate different amounts of defocus aberration, finding root mean squared errors below {lambda}/18 for spherical wavefronts with peak-to-valley heights of up to 78.7{lambda}, which stands as the limit from which diffractive artifacts created by the PPM have been found to be critical under no spatial filtering. Results of a null test for a complex lens (an ophthalmic customized progressive addition lens) are presented and discussed.« less

Fabrication tolerant chalcogenide mid-infrared multimode interference coupler design with applications for Bracewell nulling interferometry.

PubMed

Goldsmith, Harry-Dean Kenchington; Cvetojevic, Nick; Ireland, Michael; Madden, Stephen

2017-02-20

Understanding exoplanet formation and finding potentially habitable exoplanets is vital to an enhanced understanding of the universe. The use of nulling interferometry to strongly attenuate the central star's light provides the opportunity to see objects closer to the star than ever before. Given that exoplanets are usually warm, the 4 µm Mid-Infrared region is advantageous for such observations. The key performance parameters for a nulling interferometer are the extinction ratio it can attain and how well that is maintained across the operational bandwidth. Both parameters depend on the design and fabrication accuracy of the subcomponents and their wavelength dependence. Via detailed simulation it is shown in this paper that a planar chalcogenide photonic chip, consisting of three highly fabrication tolerant multimode interference couplers, can exceed an extinction ratio of 60 dB in double nulling operation and up to 40 dB for a single nulling operation across a wavelength window of 3.9 to 4.2 µm. This provides a beam combiner with sufficient performance, in theory, to image exoplanets.

Associations of Tipped and Untipped Service Work with Poor Mental Health in a Nationally Representative Cohort of Adolescents Followed into Adulthood.

PubMed

Andrea, Sarah B; Messer, Lynne C; Marino, Miguel; Boone-Heinonen, Janne

2018-06-11

Precarious work is concentrated in the service industry in the United States and is a risk factor for poor mental health. Service occupations in which workers receive tips are potentially more precarious due to unstable schedule, income, and lack of benefits. We tested hypotheses that individuals working in tipped service occupations have greater odds of experiencing poor mental health (self-reported depression, sleep problems, and/or greater perceived stress) relative to individuals in untipped service and non-service occupations using cross-sectional data from the National Longitudinal study of Adolescent to Adult Health dataset (Wave IV:2007-2008; age 24-33 years). To improve comparability of occupation types, propensity-scores were computed as a function of childhood factors, then used to construct a sample of 2,815 women and 2,586 men. In gender-stratified multivariable regression, women in tipped service had greater odds of reporting depression diagnosis or symptoms relative to women in non-service work (Odds Ratio:1.61; 95% Confidence Interval:1.11,2.34). Associations of similar magnitude for sleep problems and perceived stress were observed among women, but were not significant; all associations were close to the null among men. Further research is necessary to understand the factors that underlie differences in poor mental health in tipped and untipped service versus non-service workers.

Warped AdS3 black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Wei; Anninos, Dionysios; Li, Wei; Padi, Megha; Strominger, Andrew

2009-03-01

Three dimensional topologically massive gravity (TMG) with a negative cosmological constant -ell-2 and positive Newton constant G admits an AdS3 vacuum solution for any value of the graviton mass μ. These are all known to be perturbatively unstable except at the recently explored chiral point μell = 1. However we show herein that for every value of μell ≠ 3 there are two other (potentially stable) vacuum solutions given by SL(2,Bbb R) × U(1)-invariant warped AdS3 geometries, with a timelike or spacelike U(1) isometry. Critical behavior occurs at μell = 3, where the warping transitions from a stretching to a squashing, and there are a pair of warped solutions with a null U(1) isometry. For μell > 3, there are known warped black hole solutions which are asymptotic to warped AdS3. We show that these black holes are discrete quotients of warped AdS3 just as BTZ black holes are discrete quotients of ordinary AdS3. Moreover new solutions of this type, relevant to any theory with warped AdS3 solutions, are exhibited. Finally we note that the black hole thermodynamics is consistent with the hypothesis that, for μell > 3, the warped AdS3 ground state of TMG is holographically dual to a 2D boundary CFT with central charges c_R-formula and c_L-formula.

Warped AdS3 black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anninos, Dionysios; Li, Wei; Padi, Megha; Song, Wei; Strominger, Andrew

2009-03-01

Three dimensional topologically massive gravity (TMG) with a negative cosmological constant -l-2 and positive Newton constant G admits an AdS3 vacuum solution for any value of the graviton mass μ. These are all known to be perturbatively unstable except at the recently explored chiral point μl = 1. However we show herein that for every value of μl ≠ 3 there are two other (potentially stable) vacuum solutions given by SL(2,Bbb R) × U(1)-invariant warped AdS3 geometries, with a timelike or spacelike U(1) isometry. Critical behavior occurs at μl = 3, where the warping transitions from a stretching to a squashing, and there are a pair of warped solutions with a null U(1) isometry. For μl > 3, there are known warped black hole solutions which are asymptotic to warped AdS3. We show that these black holes are discrete quotients of warped AdS3 just as BTZ black holes are discrete quotients of ordinary AdS3. Moreover new solutions of this type, relevant to any theory with warped AdS3 solutions, are exhibited. Finally we note that the black hole thermodynamics is consistent with the hypothesis that, for μl > 3, the warped AdS3 ground state of TMG is holographically dual to a 2D boundary CFT with central charges c_R-formula and c_L-formula.

Unstable 3D phenomena: Dynamic interactions of a cavitation bubble and Richtmyer-Meshkov unstable divot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buttler, William; Renner, Dru; Morris, Chris; Manzanares, Ruben; Heidemann, Joel; Kalas, Ryan; Llobet, Anna; Martinez, John; Payton, Jeremy; Saunders, Andy; Schmidt, Derek; Tainter, Amy; Vincent, Samuel; Vogan-McNeil, Wendy

2017-06-01

We radiographically explore a shock-induced Sn cavitation bubble as it interacts with a transverse cavitation wave caused by a Richtmyer-Meshkov unstable spike from a divot. The cavitation bubble forms as two shockwaves collide under the divot, as the shockwaves release to ambient pressure at the surface. The divot inverts and unstably grows, as expected and predicted, but the release waves that form the cavitation bubble reflect from and constrain the cavitation wave growth. As the cavitation wave grows it pierces the cavitation bubble, deflating it onto the unstable transverse cavitation wave.

Generalized Robertson-Walker Space-Time Admitting Evolving Null Horizons Related to a Black Hole Event Horizon

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

A new technique is used to study a family of time-dependent null horizons, called “Evolving Null Horizons” (ENHs), of generalized Robertson-Walker (GRW) space-time (M¯,g¯) such that the metric g¯ satisfies a kinematic condition. This work is different from our early papers on the same issue where we used (1 + n)-splitting space-time but only some special subcases of GRW space-time have this formalism. Also, in contrast to previous work, we have proved that each member of ENHs is totally umbilical in (M¯,g¯). Finally, we show that there exists an ENH which is always a null horizon evolving into a black hole event horizon and suggest some open problems. PMID:27722202

Null alleles are ubiquitous at microsatellite loci in the Wedge Clam (Donax trunculus)

PubMed Central

Cuesta, Jose Antonio; Drake, Pilar; Macpherson, Enrique; Bernatchez, Louis

2017-01-01

Recent studies have reported an unusually high frequency of nonamplifying alleles at microsatellite loci in bivalves. Null alleles have been associated with heterozygous deficits in many studies. While several studies have tested for its presence using different analytical tools, few have empirically tested for its consequences in estimating population structure and differentiation. We characterised 16 newly developed microsatellite loci and show that null alleles are ubiquitous in the wedge clam, Donax trunculus. We carried out several tests to demonstrate that the large heterozygous deficits observed in the newly characterised loci were most likely due to null alleles. We tested the robustness of microsatellite genotyping for population assignment by showing that well-recognised biogeographic regions of the south Atlantic and south Mediterranean coast of Spain harbour genetically different populations. PMID:28439464

sirt1-null mice develop an autoimmune-like condition

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

Sequeira, Jedon; Boily, Gino; Bazinet, Stephanie

2008-10-01

The sirt1 gene encodes a protein deacetylase with a broad spectrum of reported substrates. Mice carrying null alleles for sirt1 are viable on outbred genetic backgrounds so we have examined them in detail to identify the biological processes that are dependent on SIRT1. Sera from adult sirt1-null mice contain antibodies that react with nuclear antigens and immune complexes become deposited in the livers and kidneys of these animals. Some of the sirt1-null animals develop a disease resembling diabetes insipidus when they approach 2 years of age although the relationship to the autoimmunity remains unclear. We interpret these observations as consistentmore » with a role for SIRT1 in sustaining normal immune function and in this way delaying the onset of autoimmune disease.« less

A study of unstable rock failures using finite difference and discrete element methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garvey, Ryan J.

Case histories in mining have long described pillars or faces of rock failing violently with an accompanying rapid ejection of debris and broken material into the working areas of the mine. These unstable failures have resulted in large losses of life and collapses of entire mine panels. Modern mining operations take significant steps to reduce the likelihood of unstable failure, however eliminating their occurrence is difficult in practice. Researchers over several decades have supplemented studies of unstable failures through the application of various numerical methods. The direction of the current research is to extend these methods and to develop improved numerical tools with which to study unstable failures in underground mining layouts. An extensive study is first conducted on the expression of unstable failure in discrete element and finite difference methods. Simulated uniaxial compressive strength tests are run on brittle rock specimens. Stable or unstable loading conditions are applied onto the brittle specimens by a pair of elastic platens with ranging stiffnesses. Determinations of instability are established through stress and strain histories taken for the specimen and the system. Additional numerical tools are then developed for the finite difference method to analyze unstable failure in larger mine models. Instability identifiers are established for assessing the locations and relative magnitudes of unstable failure through measures of rapid dynamic motion. An energy balance is developed which calculates the excess energy released as a result of unstable equilibria in rock systems. These tools are validated through uniaxial and triaxial compressive strength tests and are extended to models of coal pillars and a simplified mining layout. The results of the finite difference simulations reveal that the instability identifiers and excess energy calculations provide a generalized methodology for assessing unstable failures within potentially complex mine models. These combined numerical tools may be applied in future studies to design primary and secondary supports in bump-prone conditions, evaluate retreat mining cut sequences, asses pillar de-stressing techniques, or perform backanalyses on unstable failures in select mining layouts.

Excising das All: Evolving Maxwell waves beyond Scri

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

vanMeter, James R.; Fiske, David R.; Misner, Charles W.

2006-01-01

We study the numerical propagation of waves through future null infinity in a conformally compactified spacetime. We introduce an artificial cosmological constant, which allows us some control over the causal structure near null infinity. We exploit this freedom to ensure that all light cones are tilted outward in a region near null infinity, which allows us to impose excision-style boundary conditions in our finite difference code. In this preliminary study we consider electromagnetic waves propagating in a static, conformally compactified spacetime.

The Segmented Aperture Interferometric Nulling Testbed (SAINT) I: overview and air-side system description

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hicks, Brian A.; Lyon, Richard G.; Petrone, Peter; Ballard, Marlin; Bolcar, Matthew R.; Bolognese, Jeff; Clampin, Mark; Dogoda, Peter; Dworzanski, Daniel; Helmbrecht, Michael A.; Koca, Corina; Shiri, Ron

2016-07-01

This work presents an overview of the Segmented Aperture Interferometric Nulling Testbed (SAINT), a project that will pair an actively-controlled macro-scale segmented mirror with the Visible Nulling Coronagraph (VNC). SAINT will incorporate the VNC's demonstrated wavefront sensing and control system to refine and quantify end-to-end high-contrast starlight suppression performance. This pathfinder testbed will be used as a tool to study and refine approaches to mitigating instabilities and complex diffraction expected from future large segmented aperture telescopes.

76 FR 62148 - Title VI; Proposed Circular, Environmental Justice; Proposed Circular

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-06

...-0055] Title VI; Proposed Circular, Environmental Justice; Proposed Circular AGENCY: Federal Transit... the September 29, 2011, Federal Register Notices titled ``Title VI; Proposed Circular'' and... September 29, 2011, Federal Register Notices titled ``Title VI; Proposed Circular'' (76 FR 60593) and...

Deep Broad-Band Infrared Nulling Using A Single-Mode Fiber Beam Combiner and Baseline Rotation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mennesson, Bertrand; Haguenauer, P.; Serabyn, E.; Liewer, K.

2006-01-01

The basic advantage of single-mode fibers for deep nulling applications resides in their spatial filtering ability, and has now long been known. However, and as suggested more recently, a single-mode fiber can also be used for direct coherent recombination of spatially separated beams, i.e. in a 'multi-axial' nulling scheme. After the first successful demonstration of deep (<2e-6) visible LASER nulls using this technique (Haguenauer & Serabyn, Applied Optics 2006), we decided to work on an infrared extension for ground based astronomical observations, e.g. using two or more off-axis sub-apertures of a large ground based telescope. In preparation for such a system, we built and tested a laboratory infrared fiber nuller working in a wavelength regime where atmospheric turbulence can be efficiently corrected, over a pass band (approx.1.5 to 1.8 micron) broad enough to provide reasonable sensitivity. In addition, since no snapshot images are readily accessible with a (single) fiber nuller, we also tested baseline rotation as an approach to detect off-axis companions while keeping a central null. This modulation technique is identical to the baseline rotation envisioned for the TPF-I space mission. Within this context, we report here on early laboratory results showing deep stable broad-band dual polarization infrared nulls <5e-4 (currently limited by detector noise), and visible LASER nulls better than 3e-4 over a 360 degree rotation of the baseline. While further work will take place in the laboratory to achieve deeper stable broad-band nulls and test off-axis sources detection through rotation, the emphasis will be put on bringing such a system to a telescope as soon as possible. Detection capability at the 500:1 contrast ratio in the K band (2.2 microns) seem readily accessible within 50-100 mas of the optical axis, even with a first generation system mounted on a >5m AO equipped telescope such as the Palomar Hale 200 inch, the Keck, Subaru or Gemini telescopes.

CD4+CD28null T Cells are related to previous cytomegalovirus infection but not to accelerated atherosclerosis in ANCA-associated vasculitis.

PubMed

Slot, Marjan C; Kroon, Abraham A; Damoiseaux, Jan G M C; Theunissen, Ruud; Houben, Alfons J H M; de Leeuw, Peter W; Tervaert, Jan Willem Cohen

2017-05-01

Previous studies have suggested an increased risk for cardiovascular events in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). We analyzed the presence of atherosclerotic damage in patients with AAV in relation to the presence of CD4 + CD28 null T cells and antibodies against cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human Heat-Shock Protein 60 (hHSP60). In this cross-sectional study, patients with inactive AAV were compared with healthy controls (HC). Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and aortic pulse-wave velocity (PWV) were measured. In addition, CD4 + CD28 null T cells, anti-CMV, and anti-hHSP60 levels were determined. Forty patients with AAV were included. Patients' spouses were recruited as HC (N = 38). CD4 + CD28 null T cells are present in patients with AAV in a higher percentage (median 3.1, range 0.01-85) than in HC (0.28, 0-36, P < 0.0001). No significant difference in IMT (mm) between patients and controls was detected (mean 0.77 ± standard deviation 0.15 and 0.73 ± 0.11, respectively, P = 0.20). PWV standardized for MAP was increased in AAV patients (9.80 ± 2.50 m/s, compared to 8.72 ± 1.68 in HC, P = 0.04). There was a strong association between a previous CMV infection and the presence and percentage of CD4 + CD28 null T cells (0.33 vs 13.8, P < 0.001). There was no relationship between CD4 + CD28 null T cells and/or a previous CMV infection and IMT or PWV. There was no relation between anti-hHSP60 and CD4 + CD28 null T cells. Increased PWV values suggest atherosclerotic damage in patients with AAV. Plaque size, as determined by IMT, did not differ. CD4 + CD28 null T cells are increased in AAV and related to the previous CMV infection.

Six post-implantation lethal knockouts of genes for lipophilic MAPK pathway proteins are expressed in preimplantation mouse embryos and trophoblast stem cells.

PubMed

Xie, Yufen; Wang, Yingchun; Sun, Tong; Wang, Fangfei; Trostinskaia, Anna; Puscheck, Elizabeth; Rappolee, Daniel A

2005-05-01

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways play an important role in controlling embryonic proliferation and differentiation. It has been demonstrated that sequential lipophilic signal transduction mediators that participate in the MAPK pathway are null post-implantation lethal. It is not clear why the lethality of these null mutants arises after implantation and not before. One hypothesis is that the gene product of these post-implantation lethal null mutants are not present before implantation in normal embryos and do not have function until after implantation. To test this hypothesis, we selected a set of lipophilic genes mediating MAPK signal transduction pathways whose null mutants result in early peri-implantation or placental lethality. These included FRS2alpha, GAB1, GRB2, SOS1, Raf-B, and Raf1. Products of these selected genes were detected and their locations and functions indicated by indirect immunocytochemistry and Western blotting for proteins and RT-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for mRNA transcription. We report here that all six signal mediators are detected at the protein level in preimplantation mouse embryo, placental trophoblasts, and in cultured trophoblast stem cells (TSC). Proteins are all detected in E3.5 embryos at a time when the first known mitogenic intercellular communication has been documented. mRNA transcripts of two post-implantation null mutant genes are expressed in mouse preimplantation embryos and unfertilized eggs. These mRNA transcripts were detected as maternal mRNA in unfertilized eggs that could delay the lethality of null mutants. All of the proteins were detected in the cytoplasm or in the cell membrane. This study of spatial and temporal expression revealed that all of these six null mutants post-implantation genes in MAPK pathway are expressed and, where tested, phosphorylated/activated proteins are detected in the blastocyst. Studies on RNA expression using RT-PCR suggest that maternal RNA could play an important role in delaying the presence of the lethal phenotype of null mutations. Copyright (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Deficiency of bone marrow beta3-integrin enhances non-functional neovascularization.

PubMed

Watson, Alan R; Pitchford, Simon C; Reynolds, Louise E; Direkze, Natalie; Brittan, Mairi; Alison, Malcolm R; Rankin, Sara; Wright, Nicholas A; Hodivala-Dilke, Kairbaan M

2010-03-01

beta3-Integrin is a cell surface adhesion and signalling molecule important in the regulation of tumour angiogenesis. Mice with a global deficiency in beta3-integrin show increased pathological angiogenesis, most likely due to increased vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 expression on beta3-null endothelial cells. Here we transplanted beta3-null bone marrow (BM) into wild-type (WT) mice to dissect the role of BM beta3-integrin deficiency in pathological angiogenesis. Mice transplanted with beta3-null bone marrow show significantly enhanced angiogenesis in subcutaneous B16F0 melanoma and Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cell models and in B16F0 melanoma lung metastasis when compared with tumours grown in mice transplanted with WT bone marrow. The effect of bone marrow beta3-integrin deficiency was also assessed in the RIPTAg mouse model of pancreatic tumour growth. Again, angiogenesis in mice lacking BM beta3-integrin was enhanced. However, tumour weight between the groups was not significantly altered, suggesting that the enhanced blood vessel density in the mice transplanted with beta3-null bone marrow was not functional. Indeed, we demonstrate that in mice transplanted with beta3-null bone marrow a significant proportion of tumour blood vessels are non-functional when compared with tumour blood vessels in WT-transplanted controls. Furthermore, beta3-null-transplanted mice showed an increased angiogenic response to VEGF in vivo when compared with WT-transplanted animals. BM beta3-integrin deficiency affects the mobilization of progenitor cells to the peripheral circulation. We show that VEGF-induced mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells is enhanced in mice transplanted with beta3-null bone marrow when compared with WT-transplanted controls, suggesting a possible mechanism underlying the increased blood vessel density seen in beta3-null-transplanted mice. In conclusion, although BM beta3-integrin is not required for pathological angiogenesis, our studies demonstrate a role for BM beta3-integrin in VEGF-induced mobilization of bone marrow-derived cells to the peripheral circulation and for the functionality of those vessels in which BM-derived cells become incorporated.

Dmp1 Null Mice Develop a Unique Osteoarthritis-like Phenotype

PubMed Central

Zhang, Qi; Lin, Shuxian; Liu, Ying; Yuan, Baozhi; Harris, Steph E; Feng, Jian Q.

2016-01-01

Patients with hypophosphatemia rickets (including DMP1 mutations) develop severe osteoarthritis (OA), although the mechanism is largely unknown. In this study, we first identified the expression of DMP1 in hypertrophic chondrocytes using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and X-gal analysis of Dmp1-knockout-lacZ-knockin heterozygous mice. Next, we characterized the OA-like phenotype in Dmp1 null mice from 7-week-old to one-year-old using multiple techniques, including X-ray, micro-CT, H&E staining, Goldner staining, scanning electronic microscopy, IHC assays, etc. We found a classical OA-like phenotype in Dmp1 null mice such as articular cartilage degradation, osteophyte formation, and subchondral osteosclerosis. These Dmp1 null mice also developed unique pathological changes, including a biphasic change in their articular cartilage from the initial expansion of hypertrophic chondrocytes at the age of 1-month to a quick diminished articular cartilage layer at the age of 3-months. Further, these null mice displayed severe enlarged knees and poorly formed bone with an expanded osteoid area. To address whether DMP1 plays a direct role in the articular cartilage, we deleted Dmp1 specifically in hypertrophic chondrocytes by crossing the Dmp1-loxP mice with Col X Cre mice. Interestingly, these conditional knockout mice didn't display notable defects in either the articular cartilage or the growth plate. Because of the hypophosphatemia remained in the entire life span of the Dmp1 null mice, we also investigated whether a high phosphate diet would improve the OA-like phenotype. A 8-week treatment of a high phosphate diet significantly rescued the OA-like defect in Dmp1 null mice, supporting the critical role of phosphate homeostasis in maintaining the healthy joint morphology and function. Taken together, this study demonstrates a unique OA-like phenotype in Dmp1 null mice, but a lack of the direct impact of DMP1 on chondrogenesis. Instead, the regulation of phosphate homeostasis by DMP1 via the axis of “FGF23-renal phosphorus reabsorption” is vital for maintaining a healthy joint. PMID:27766035

Toll-like receptor 4 and myeloid differentiation factor 88 provide mechanistic insights into the cause and effects of interleukin-6 activation in mouse liver regeneration.

PubMed

Vaquero, Javier; Campbell, Jean S; Haque, Jamil; McMahan, Ryan S; Riehle, Kimberly J; Bauer, Renay L; Fausto, Nelson

2011-08-01

Partial hepatectomy (PH) consistently results in an early increase of circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6), which is thought to play a major role in liver regeneration. Activation of this cytokine after PH requires the adaptor protein, MyD88, but the specific MyD88-related receptors involved remain unidentified. It is also unknown whether the magnitude of IL-6 elevation determines the extent of subsequent hepatocyte proliferation. Here, we uncovered artifacts in the assessment of circulating IL-6 levels when using cardiac puncture in mice after PH. By using retro-orbital bleed sampling, we show that the circulating levels of IL-6 after PH were not directly correlated with the extent of hepatocyte DNA synthesis in individual mice. The IL-6 increase after PH was attenuated in all lipopolysaccharide-hyporesponsive mouse strains studied (e.g., C3H/HeJ, Tlr4 null, Cd14 null, Tlr2,4,9 null, and Tlr2,4-Caspase1 null) and was severely abrogated in Myd88 null mice. Despite attenuated IL-6 levels, Tlr4 null mice showed normal signaling downstream of IL-6 and normal hepatocyte proliferation. In contrast, Myd88 null mice showed severe impairments in signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 phosphorylation and Socs3 induction, but had enhanced and prolonged extracellular signal-related kinase 1 and 2 phosphorylation in the first 6 hours after PH. Unexpectedly, these changes were associated with accelerated initiation of hepatocyte proliferation, as assessed by hepatocyte bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, phospho-histone H3 immunostaining, and cyclin E and A protein expression. TLR-4 signaling contributes to IL-6 activation after PH, but the Tlr4-independent component appears sufficient for ensuring intact signaling downstream of IL-6. The lack of correlation between IL-6 levels and hepatocyte proliferation after PH, and the accelerated start of hepatocyte proliferation in Myd88 null mice despite abrogated cytokine activation, may highlight relevant antiproliferative effects of IL-6 signaling, possibly via Socs3, in the regulation of liver regeneration. Copyright © 2011 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Toll-Like Receptor 4 and Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 Provide Mechanistic Insights Into the Cause and Effects of Interleukin-6 Activation in Mouse Liver Regeneration

PubMed Central

Vaquero, Javier; Campbell, Jean S.; Haque, Jamil; McMahan, Ryan S.; Riehle, Kimberly J.; Bauer, Renay L.; Fausto, Nelson

2014-01-01

Partial hepatectomy (PH) consistently results in an early increase of circulating interleukin- 6 (IL-6), which is thought to play a major role in liver regeneration. Activation of this cytokine after PH requires the adaptor protein, MyD88, but the specific MyD88-related receptors involved remain unidentified. It is also unknown whether the magnitude of IL-6 elevation determines the extent of subsequent hepatocyte proliferation. Here, we uncovered artifacts in the assessment of circulating IL-6 levels when using cardiac puncture in mice after PH. By using retro-orbital bleed sampling, we show that the circulating levels of IL-6 after PH were not directly correlated with the extent of hepatocyte DNA synthesis in individual mice. The IL-6 increase after PH was attenuated in all lipopolysaccharide-hyporesponsive mouse strains studied (e.g., C3H/HeJ, Tlr4 null, Cd14 null, Tlr2,4,9 null, and Tlr2,4-Caspase1 null) and was severely abrogated in Myd88 null mice. Despite attenuated IL-6 levels, Tlr4 null mice showed normal signaling downstream of IL-6 and normal hepatocyte proliferation. In contrast, Myd88 null mice showed severe impairments in signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 phosphorylation and Socs3 induction, but had enhanced and prolonged extracellular signal-related kinase 1 and 2 phosphorylation in the first 6 hours after PH. Unexpectedly, these changes were associated with accelerated initiation of hepatocyte proliferation, as assessed by hepatocyte bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, phospho-histone H3 immunostaining, and cyclin E and A protein expression. Conclusion TLR-4 signaling contributes to IL-6 activation after PH, but the Tlr4-independent component appears sufficient for ensuring intact signaling downstream of IL-6. The lack of correlation between IL-6 levels and hepatocyte proliferation after PH, and the accelerated start of hepatocyte proliferation in Myd88 null mice despite abrogated cytokine activation, may highlight relevant antiproliferative effects of IL-6 signaling, possibly via Socs3, in the regulation of liver regeneration. PMID:21574169

Lymphocyte DNA damage and plasma antioxidant status in Korean subclinical hypertensive patients by glutathione S-transferase polymorphism

PubMed Central

Han, Jeong-Hwa; Lee, Hye-Jin; Choi, Hee Jeong; Yun, Kyung Eun

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Glutathione S-transferase (GST) forms a multigene family of phase II detoxification enzymes which are involved in the detoxification of xenobiotics by conjugating substances with glutathione. The aim of this study is to assess the antioxidative status and the degree of DNA damage in the subclinical hypertensive patients in Korea using glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms. SUBJECTS/METHODS We examined whether DNA damage and antioxidative status show a difference between GSTM1 or GSTT1 genotype in 227 newly diagnosed, untreated (systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥ 130 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 85 mmHg) subclinical hypertensive patients and 130 normotensive subjects (systolic BP < 120 mmHg and diastolic BP < 80 mmHg). From the blood of the subjects, the degree of the DNA damage in lymphocyte, the activities of erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, the catalase, and the glutathione peroxidase, the level of glutathione, plasma total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP), anti-oxidative vitamins, as well as plasma lipid profiles and conjugated diene (CD) were analyzed. RESULTS Of the 227 subjects studied, 68.3% were GSTM1 null genotype and 66.5% were GSTT1 null genotype. GSTM1 null genotype had an increased risk of hypertension (OR: 2.104, CI: 1.38-3.35), but no significant association in GSTT1 null genotype (OR 0.982, CI: 0.62-1.55). No difference in erythrocyte activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, or glutathione peroxidase, and plasma TRAP, CD, lipid profiles, and GSH levels were observed between GSTM1 or GSTT1 genotype. Plasma levels of α-tocopherol increased significantly in GSTT1 wild genotype (P < 0.05); however, plasma level of β-carotene increased significantly in GSTT1 null genotype (P < 0.01). DNA damage assessed by the Comet assay was significantly higher in GSTM1 null genotype than wild genotype (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS These results confirm the association between GSTM1 null genotype and risk of hypertension as they suggest that GSTM1 null genotype leads to an increased oxidative stress compared with wild genotype. PMID:28584578

Influence of unstable footwear on lower leg muscle activity, volume change and subjective discomfort during prolonged standing.

PubMed

Karimi, Zanyar; Allahyari, Teimour; Azghani, Mahmood Reza; Khalkhali, Hamidreza

2016-03-01

The present study was an attempt to investigate the effect of unstable footwear on lower leg muscle activity, volume change and subjective discomfort during prolonged standing. Ten healthy subjects were recruited to stand for 2 h in three footwear conditions: barefoot, flat-bottomed shoe and unstable shoe. During standing, lower leg discomfort and EMG activity of medial gastrocnemius (MG) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles were continuously monitored. Changes in lower leg volume over standing time also were measured. Lower leg discomfort rating reduced significantly while subjects standing on unstable shoe compared to the flat-bottomed shoe and barefoot condition. For lower leg volume, less changes also were observed with unstable shoe. The activity level and variation of right MG muscle was greater with unstable shoe compared to the other footwear conditions; however regarding the left MG muscle, significant difference was found between unstable shoe and flat-bottomed shoe only for activity level. Furthermore no significant differences were observed for the activity level and variation of TA muscles (right/left) among all footwear conditions. The findings suggested that prolonged standing with unstable footwear produces changes in lower leg muscles activity and leads to less volume changes. Perceived discomfort also was lower for this type of footwear and this might mean that unstable footwear can be used as ergonomic solution for employees whose work requires prolonged standing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Early Life Psychosocial Stressors and Housing Instability among Young Sexual Minority Men: the P18 Cohort Study.

PubMed

Krause, Kristen D; Kapadia, Farzana; Ompad, Danielle C; D'Avanzo, Paul A; Duncan, Dustin T; Halkitis, Perry N

2016-06-01

Homelessness and housing instability is a significant public health problem among young sexual minority men. While there is a growing body of literature on correlates of homelessness among sexual minority men, there is a lack of literature parsing the different facets of housing instability. The present study examines factors associated with both living and sleeping in unstable housing among n = 600 sexual minority men (ages 18-19). Multivariate models were constructed to examine the extent to which sociodemographic, interpersonal, and behavioral factors as well as adverse childhood experiences explain housing instability. Overall, 13 % of participants reported sleeping in unstable housing and 18 % had lived in unstable housing at some point in the 6 months preceding the assessment. The odds of currently sleeping in unstable housing were greater among those who experienced more frequent lack of basic needs (food, proper hygiene, clothing) during their childhoods. More frequent experiences of childhood physical abuse and a history of arrest were associated with currently living in unstable housing. Current enrollment in school was a protective factor with both living and sleeping in unstable housing. These findings indicate that being unstably housed can be rooted in early life experiences and suggest a point of intervention that may prevent unstable housing among sexual minority men.

Dynamical formation of a hairy black hole in a cavity from the decay of unstable solitons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchis-Gual, Nicolas; Degollado, Juan Carlos; Font, José A.; Herdeiro, Carlos; Radu, Eugen

2017-08-01

Recent numerical relativity simulations within the Einstein-Maxwell-(charged-)Klein-Gordon (EMcKG) system have shown that the non-linear evolution of a superradiantly unstable Reissner-Nordström black hole (BH) enclosed in a cavity, leads to the formation of a BH with scalar hair. Perturbative evidence for the stability of such hairy BHs has been independently established, confirming they are the true endpoints of superradiant instability. The same EMcKG system admits also charged scalar soliton-type solutions, which can be either stable or unstable. Using numerical relativity techniques, we provide evidence that the time evolution of some of these unstable solitons leads, again, to the formation of a hairy BH. In some other cases, unstable solitons evolve into a (bald) Reissner-Nordström BH. These results establish that the system admits two distinct channels to form hairy BHs at the threshold of superradiance: growing hair from an unstable (bald) BH, or growing a horizon from an unstable (horizonless) soliton. Some parallelism with the case of asymptotically flat boson stars and Kerr BHs with scalar hair is drawn.

Planet detection and spectroscopy in visible light with a single aperture telescope and a nulling coronagraph

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shao, Michael; Serabyn, Eugene; Levine, Bruce Martin; Beichman, Charles; Liu, Duncan; Martin, Stefan; Orton, Glen; Mennesson, Bertrand; Morgan, Rhonda; Velusamy, Thangasamy;

Revisiting tests for neglected nonlinearity using artificial neural networks.

PubMed

Cho, Jin Seo; Ishida, Isao; White, Halbert

2011-05-01

Tests for regression neglected nonlinearity based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) have so far been studied by separately analyzing the two ways in which the null of regression linearity can hold. This implies that the asymptotic behavior of general ANN-based tests for neglected nonlinearity is still an open question. Here we analyze a convenient ANN-based quasi-likelihood ratio statistic for testing neglected nonlinearity, paying careful attention to both components of the null. We derive the asymptotic null distribution under each component separately and analyze their interaction. Somewhat remarkably, it turns out that the previously known asymptotic null distribution for the type 1 case still applies, but under somewhat stronger conditions than previously recognized. We present Monte Carlo experiments corroborating our theoretical results and showing that standard methods can yield misleading inference when our new, stronger regularity conditions are violated.

Null but not void: considerations for hypothesis testing.

PubMed

Shaw, Pamela A; Proschan, Michael A

2013-01-30

Standard statistical theory teaches us that once the null and alternative hypotheses have been defined for a parameter, the choice of the statistical test is clear. Standard theory does not teach us how to choose the null or alternative hypothesis appropriate to the scientific question of interest. Neither does it tell us that in some cases, depending on which alternatives are realistic, we may want to define our null hypothesis differently. Problems in statistical practice are frequently not as pristinely summarized as the classic theory in our textbooks. In this article, we present examples in statistical hypothesis testing in which seemingly simple choices are in fact rich with nuance that, when given full consideration, make the choice of the right hypothesis test much less straightforward. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

The (2, 0) superalgebra, null M-branes and Hitchin's system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kucharski, P.; Lambert, N.; Owen, M.

2017-10-01

We present an interacting system of equations with sixteen supersymmetries and an SO(2) × SO(6) R-symmetry where the fields depend on two space and one null dimensions that is derived from a representation of the six-dimensional (2, 0) superalgebra. The system can be viewed as two M5-branes compactified on {S}-^1× T^2 or equivalently as M2-branes on R+× R^2 , where ± refer to null directions. We show that for a particular choice of fields the dynamics can be reduced to motion on the moduli space of solutions to the Hitchin system. We argue that this provides a description of intersecting null M2-branes and is also related by U-duality to a DLCQ description of four-dimensional maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills.

Unicorns do exist: a tutorial on "proving" the null hypothesis.

PubMed

Streiner, David L

2003-12-01

Introductory statistics classes teach us that we can never prove the null hypothesis; all we can do is reject or fail to reject it. However, there are times when it is necessary to try to prove the nonexistence of a difference between groups. This most often happens within the context of comparing a new treatment against an established one and showing that the new intervention is not inferior to the standard. This article first outlines the logic of "noninferiority" testing by differentiating between the null hypothesis (that which we are trying to nullify) and the "nill" hypothesis (there is no difference), reversing the role of the null and alternate hypotheses, and defining an interval within which groups are said to be equivalent. We then work through an example and show how to calculate sample sizes for noninferiority studies.

Spacelike matching to null infinity

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

Zenginoglu, Anil; Tiglio, Manuel

2009-07-15

We present two methods to include the asymptotic domain of a background spacetime in null directions for numerical solutions of evolution equations so that both the radiation extraction problem and the outer boundary problem are solved. The first method is based on the geometric conformal approach, the second is a coordinate based approach. We apply these methods to the case of a massless scalar wave equation on a Kerr spacetime. Our methods are designed to allow existing codes to reach the radiative zone by including future null infinity in the computational domain with relatively minor modifications. We demonstrate the flexibilitymore » of the methods by considering both Boyer-Lindquist and ingoing Kerr coordinates near the black hole. We also confirm numerically predictions concerning tail decay rates for scalar fields at null infinity in Kerr spacetime due to Hod for the first time.« less

Initial development of the DIII–D snowflake divertor control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolemen, E.; Vail, P. J.; Makowski, M. A.; Allen, S. L.; Bray, B. D.; Fenstermacher, M. E.; Humphreys, D. A.; Hyatt, A. W.; Lasnier, C. J.; Leonard, A. W.; McLean, A. G.; Maingi, R.; Nazikian, R.; Petrie, T. W.; Soukhanovskii, V. A.; Unterberg, E. A.

2018-06-01

Simultaneous control of two proximate magnetic field nulls in the divertor region is demonstrated on DIII–D to enable plasma operations in an advanced magnetic configuration known as the snowflake divertor (SFD). The SFD is characterized by a second-order poloidal field null, created by merging two first-order nulls of the standard divertor configuration. The snowflake configuration has many magnetic properties, such as high poloidal flux expansion, large plasma-wetted area, and additional strike points, that are advantageous for divertor heat flux management in future fusion reactors. However, the magnetic configuration of the SFD is highly-sensitive to changes in currents within the plasma and external coils and therefore requires complex magnetic control. The first real-time snowflake detection and control system on DIII–D has been implemented in order to stabilize the configuration. The control algorithm calculates the position of the two nulls in real-time by locally-expanding the Grad–Shafranov equation in the divertor region. A linear relation between variations in the poloidal field coil currents and changes in the null locations is then analytically derived. This formulation allows for simultaneous control of multiple coils to achieve a desired SFD configuration. It is shown that the control enabled various snowflake configurations on DIII–D in scenarios such as the double-null advanced tokamak. The SFD resulted in a 2.5×  reduction in the peak heat flux for many energy confinement times (2–3 s) without any adverse effects on core plasma performance.

Neural cell adhesion molecule, NCAM, regulates thalamocortical axon pathfinding and the organization of the cortical somatosensory representation in mouse

PubMed Central

Enriquez-Barreto, Lilian; Palazzetti, Cecilia; Brennaman, Leann H.; Maness, Patricia F.; Fairén, Alfonso

2012-01-01

To study the potential role of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) in the development of thalamocortical (TC) axon topography, wild type, and NCAM null mutant mice were analyzed for NCAM expression, projection, and targeting of TC afferents within the somatosensory area of the neocortex. Here we report that NCAM and its α-2,8-linked polysialic acid (PSA) are expressed in developing TC axons during projection to the neocortex. Pathfinding of TC axons in wild type and null mutant mice was mapped using anterograde DiI labeling. At embryonic day E16.5, null mutant mice displayed misguided TC axons in the dorsal telencephalon, but not in the ventral telencephalon, an intermediate target that initially sorts TC axons toward correct neocortical areas. During the early postnatal period, rostrolateral TC axons within the internal capsule along the ventral telencephalon adopted distorted trajectories in the ventral telencephalon and failed to reach the neocortex in NCAM null mutant animals. NCAM null mutants showed abnormal segregation of layer IV barrels in a restricted portion of the somatosensory cortex. As shown by Nissl and cytochrome oxidase staining, barrels of the anterolateral barrel subfield (ALBSF) and the most distal barrels of the posteromedial barrel subfield (PMBSF) did not segregate properly in null mutant mice. These results indicate a novel role for NCAM in axonal pathfinding and topographic sorting of TC axons, which may be important for the function of specific territories of sensory representation in the somatosensory cortex. PMID:22723769

Bayesian enhancement two-stage design for single-arm phase II clinical trials with binary and time-to-event endpoints.

PubMed

Shi, Haolun; Yin, Guosheng

2018-02-21

Simon's two-stage design is one of the most commonly used methods in phase II clinical trials with binary endpoints. The design tests the null hypothesis that the response rate is less than an uninteresting level, versus the alternative hypothesis that the response rate is greater than a desirable target level. From a Bayesian perspective, we compute the posterior probabilities of the null and alternative hypotheses given that a promising result is declared in Simon's design. Our study reveals that because the frequentist hypothesis testing framework places its focus on the null hypothesis, a potentially efficacious treatment identified by rejecting the null under Simon's design could have only less than 10% posterior probability of attaining the desirable target level. Due to the indifference region between the null and alternative, rejecting the null does not necessarily mean that the drug achieves the desirable response level. To clarify such ambiguity, we propose a Bayesian enhancement two-stage (BET) design, which guarantees a high posterior probability of the response rate reaching the target level, while allowing for early termination and sample size saving in case that the drug's response rate is smaller than the clinically uninteresting level. Moreover, the BET design can be naturally adapted to accommodate survival endpoints. We conduct extensive simulation studies to examine the empirical performance of our design and present two trial examples as applications. © 2018, The International Biometric Society.

Frequency of null allele of Human Leukocyte Antigen-G (HLA-G) locus in subjects to recurrent miscarriage.

PubMed

Alizadeh, Nazila; Mosaferi, Elnaz; Farzadi, Laya; Majidi, Jafar; Monfaredan, Amir; Yousefi, Bahman; Baradaran, Behzad

2016-07-01

Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) is a non-classical class I molecule highly expressed by extravillous cytotrophoblast cells. Due to a single base pair deletion, its function can be compensated by other isoforms. Investigating the frequency of null allele in Recurrent Miscarriage (RM) subjects could be useful in understanding the relationship between frequency of this allele and RM in a given population. This study aimed to determine the frequency of HLA-G*0105N null allele and its potential association with down-regulation of HLA-G in subjects with RM. Western blotting was used to assess the level of HLA-G protein expression. For investigating the frequency of HLA-G*0105N null allele in RM subjects, PCR-RFLP method was used. Exon 3 of HLA-G gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Subsequently, PpuM-1 enzyme was employed to digest the PCR products and fragments were analyzed using gel electrophoresis. Digestion using restriction enzyme showed the presence of heterozygous HLA-G*0105N null allele in 10% of the test population. Western blotting results confirmed the decrease in expression of HLA-G in the placental tissue of subjects with RM compared to subjects who could give normal birth. The frequency of heterozygous HLA-G*0105N null allele was high to some extent in subjects with RM. The mutation rate in subjects suggested that there is a significant association between RM and frequency of mutations in this allele.

Altered trophoblast proliferation is insufficient to account for placental dysfunction in Egfr null embryos

PubMed Central

Dackor, J.; Strunk, K. E.; Wehmeyer, M. M.; Threadgill, D. W.

2007-01-01

Homozygosity for the Egfrtm1Mag null allele in mice leads to genetic background dependent placental abnormalities and embryonic lethality. Molecular mechanisms or genetic modifiers that differentiate strains with surviving versus non-surviving Egfr nullizygous embryos have yet to be identified. Egfr transcripts in wildtype placenta was quantified by ribonuclease protection assay (RPA) and the lowest level of Egfr mRNA expression was found to coincide with Egfrtm1Mag homozygous lethality. Immunohistochemical analysis of ERBB family receptors, ERBB2, ERBB3, and ERBB4, showed similar expression between Egfr wildtype and null placentas indicating that Egfr null trophoblast do not up-regulate these receptors to compensate for EGFR deficiency. Significantly fewer numbers of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) positive trophoblast were observed in Egfr nullizygous placentas and Cdc25a and Myc, genes associated with proliferation, were significantly down-regulated in null placentas. However, strains with both mild and severe placental phenotypes exhibit reduced proliferation suggesting that this defect alone does not account for strain-specific embryonic lethality. Consistent with this hypothesis, intercrosses generating mice null for cell cycle checkpoint genes (Trp53, Rb1, Cdkn1a, Cdkn1b or Cdkn2c) in combination with Egfr deficiency did not increase survival of Egfr nullizygous embryos. Since complete development of the spongiotrophoblast compartment is not required for survival of Egfr nullizygous embryos, reduction of this layer that is commonly observed in Egfr nullizygous placentas likely accounts for the decrease in proliferation. PMID:17822758

Visible Nulling Coronagraphy Testbed Development for Exoplanet Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.; Clampin, Mark; Woodruff, Robert A.; Vasudevan, Gopal; Thompson, Patrick; Chen, Andrew; Petrone, Peter; Booth, Andrew; Madison, Timothy; Bolcar, Matthew;

Ballooning modes localized near the null point of a divertor

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

Farmer, W. A.; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, California 94550

2014-04-15

The stability of ballooning modes localized to the null point in both the standard and snowflake divertors is considered. Ideal magnetohydrodynamics is used. A series expansion of the flux function is performed in the vicinity of the null point with the lowest, non-vanishing term retained for each divertor configuration. The energy principle is used with a trial function to determine a sufficient instability threshold. It is shown that this threshold depends on the orientation of the flux surfaces with respect to the major radius with a critical angle appearing due to the convergence of the field lines away from themore » null point. When the angle the major radius forms with respect to the flux surfaces exceeds this critical angle, the system is stabilized. Further, the scaling of the instability threshold with the aspect ratio and the ratio of the scrape-off-layer width to the major radius is shown. It is concluded that ballooning modes are not a likely candidate for driving convection in the vicinity of the null for parameters relevant to existing machines. However, the results place a lower bound on the width of the heat flux in the private flux region. To explain convective mixing in the vicinity of the null point, new consideration should be given to an axisymmetric mixing mode [W. A. Farmer and D. D. Ryutov, Phys. Plasmas 20, 092117 (2013)] as a possible candidate to explain current experimental results.« less

Parathyroid hormone ablation alters erythrocyte parameters that are rescued by calcium-sensing receptor gene deletion.

PubMed

Romero, Jose R; Youte, Rodeler; Brown, Edward M; Pollak, Martin R; Goltzman, David; Karaplis, Andrew; Pong, Lie-Chin; Chien, Lawrence; Chattopadhyay, Naibedya; Rivera, Alicia

2013-07-01

The mechanisms by which parathyroid hormone (PTH) produces anemia are unclear. Parathyroid hormone secretion is regulated by the extracellular Ca2+ -sensing receptor. We investigated the effects of ablating PTH on hematological indices and erythrocytes volume regulation in wild-type, PTH-null, and Ca2+ -sensing receptor-null/PTH-null mice. The erythrocyte parameters were measured in whole mouse blood, and volume regulatory systems were determined by plasma membrane K+ fluxes, and osmotic fragility was measured by hemoglobin determination at varying osmolarities. We observed that the absence of PTH significantly increases mean erythrocyte volume and reticulocyte counts, while decreasing erythrocyte counts, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. These changes were accompanied by increases in erythrocyte cation content, a denser cell population, and increased K+ permeability, which were in part mediated by activation of the K+ /Cl- cotransporter and Gardos channel. In addition we observed that erythrocyte osmotic fragility in PTH-null compared with wild-type mice was enhanced. When Ca2+ -sensing receptor gene was deleted on the background of PTH-null mice, we observed that several of the alterations in erythrocyte parameters of PTH-null mice were largely rescued, particularly those related to erythrocyte volume, K+ fluxes and osmotic fragility, and became similar to those observed in wild-type mice. Our results demonstrate that Ca2+ -sensing receptor and parathyroid hormone are functionally coupled to maintain erythrocyte homeostasis. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The plasminogen activator system modulates sympathetic nerve function.

PubMed

Schaefer, Ulrich; Machida, Takuji; Vorlova, Sandra; Strickland, Sidney; Levi, Roberto

2006-09-04

Sympathetic neurons synthesize and release tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). We investigated whether t-PA modulates sympathetic activity. t-PA inhibition markedly reduced contraction of the guinea pig vas deferens to electrical field stimulation (EFS) and norepinephrine (NE) exocytosis from cardiac synaptosomes. Recombinant t-PA (rt-PA) induced exocytotic and carrier-mediated NE release from cardiac synaptosomes and cultured neuroblastoma cells; this was a plasmin-independent effect but was potentiated by a fibrinogen cleavage product. Notably, hearts from t-PA-null mice released much less NE upon EFS than their wild-type (WT) controls (i.e., a 76.5% decrease; P<0.01), whereas hearts from plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)-null mice released much more NE (i.e., a 275% increase; P<0.05). Furthermore, vasa deferentia from t-PA-null mice were hyporesponsive to EFS (P<0.0001) but were normalized by the addition of rt-PA. In contrast, vasa from PAI-1-null mice were much more responsive (P<0.05). Coronary NE overflow from hearts subjected to ischemia/reperfusion was much smaller in t-PA-null than in WT control mice (P<0.01). Furthermore, reperfusion arrhythmias were significantly reduced (P<0.05) in t-PA-null hearts. Thus, t-PA enhances NE release from sympathetic nerves and contributes to cardiac arrhythmias in ischemia/reperfusion. Because the risk of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death is increased in hyperadrenergic conditions, targeting the NE-releasing effect of t-PA may have valuable therapeutic potential.

Database on unstable rock slopes in Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oppikofer, Thierry; Nordahl, Bo; Bunkholt, Halvor; Nicolaisen, Magnus; Hermanns, Reginald L.; Böhme, Martina; Yugsi Molina, Freddy X.

2014-05-01

Several large rockslides have occurred in historic times in Norway causing many casualties. Most of these casualties are due to displacement waves triggered by a rock avalanche and affecting coast lines of entire lakes and fjords. The Geological Survey of Norway performs systematic mapping of unstable rock slopes in Norway and has detected up to now more than 230 unstable slopes with significant postglacial deformation. This systematic mapping aims to detect future rock avalanches before they occur. The registered unstable rock slopes are stored in a database on unstable rock slopes developed and maintained by the Geological Survey of Norway. The main aims of this database are (1) to serve as a national archive for unstable rock slopes in Norway; (2) to serve for data collection and storage during field mapping; (3) to provide decision-makers with hazard zones and other necessary information on unstable rock slopes for land-use planning and mitigation; and (4) to inform the public through an online map service. The database is organized hierarchically with a main point for each unstable rock slope to which several feature classes and tables are linked. This main point feature class includes several general attributes of the unstable rock slopes, such as site name, general and geological descriptions, executed works, recommendations, technical parameters (volume, lithology, mechanism and others), displacement rates, possible consequences, hazard and risk classification and so on. Feature classes and tables linked to the main feature class include the run-out area, the area effected by secondary effects, the hazard and risk classification, subareas and scenarios of an unstable rock slope, field observation points, displacement measurement stations, URL links for further documentation and references. The database on unstable rock slopes in Norway will be publicly consultable through the online map service on www.skrednett.no in 2014. Only publicly relevant parts of the database will be shown in the online map service (e.g. processed results of displacement measurements), while more detailed data will not (e.g. raw data of displacement measurements). Factsheets with key information on unstable rock slopes can be automatically generated and downloaded for each site, a municipality, a county or the entire country. Selected data will also be downloadable free of charge. The present database on unstable rock slopes in Norway will further evolve in the coming years as the systematic mapping conducted by the Geological Survey of Norway progresses and as available techniques and tools evolve.

Rhnull syndrome: identification of a novel mutation in RHce.

PubMed

Rosa, K A; Reid, M E; Lomas-Francis, C; Powell, V I; Costa, F F; Stinghen, S T; Watanabe, A M; Carboni, E K; Baldon, J P; Jucksch, M M F; Castilho, L

2005-11-01

The deficiency of Rh proteins on red blood cells (RBCs) from individuals of the Rh(null) amorph type are the result of homozygosity for a silent RHCE in cis with a deleted RHD. A novel mutation in RHce was identified in two Caucasian Brazilian girls with the amorph type of Rh(null) who were born to parents who were first cousins. RBCs from the Rh(null) sisters and from family members were analyzed by serology and flow cytometry with specific antibodies. Genomic DNA and transcripts were tested by polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis. Rh(null) RBCs were nonreactive with anti-Rh and anti-LW. Molecular analyses showed a deletion of RHD and of one nucleotide (960/963; GGGG-->GGG) in exon 7 of the RHce. This deletion introduced a frameshift after Gly321, a new C-terminal sequence, and a premature stop codon, resulting in a shorter predicted protein with 357 amino acids. The detection of a unique RHce transcript indicated that the two sisters were homozygous, whereas the other family members were heterozygous for the mutation. A novel mutation resulting in the amorph Rh(null) with loss of Rh antigen expression is described.

Effects of drospirenone-ethinylestradiol and/or metformin on CD4(+)CD28(null) T lymphocytes frequency in women with hyperinsulinemia having polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Moro, Francesca; Morciano, Andrea; Tropea, Anna; Sagnella, Francesca; Palla, Carola; Scarinci, Elisa; Ciardulli, Andrea; Martinez, Daniela; Familiari, Alessandra; Liuzzo, Giovanna; Tritarelli, Alessandra; Cosentino, Nicola; Niccoli, Giampaolo; Crea, Filippo; Lanzone, Antonio; Apa, Rosanna

2013-12-01

To evaluate the long-term effects of drospirenone (DRSP)/ethinylestradiol (EE) alone, metformin alone, and DRSP/EE-metformin on CD4(+)CD28(null) T lymphocytes frequency, a cardiovascular risk marker, in patients with hyperinsulinemic polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Randomized clinical trial. Ninety three patients with hyperinsulinemic PCOS were age matched and body mass index matched and randomized to receive a 6 months daily treatment with DRSP (3 mg)/EE (0.03 mg), or metformin (1500 mg), or DRSP/EE combined with metformin. CD4(+)CD28(null) T-cell frequencies. The DRSP/EE and metformin groups did not show any significant change in the CD4(+)CD28(null) frequency compared to the baseline. Interestingly, a statistically significant decrease in CD4(+)CD28(null) frequency occurred after 6 months of DRSP/EE-metformin (median 3-1.5; P < .01). Of note, this statistically significant association was confirmed after adjusting for baseline values in DRSP/EE-metformin group by analysis of covariance (P < .05). In women with hyperinsulinemic PCOS, combined therapy with DRSP/EE and metformin may reduce cardiovascular risk.

Measurement of steep aspheric surfaces using improved two-wavelength phase-shifting interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Liqiong; Wang, Shaopu; Hu, Yao; Hao, Qun

2017-10-01

Optical components with aspheric surfaces can improve the imaging quality of optical systems, and also provide extra advantages such as lighter weight, smaller volume and simper structure. In order to satisfy these performance requirements, the surface error of aspheric surfaces, especially high departure aspheric surfaces must be measured accurately and conveniently. The major obstacle of traditional null-interferometry for aspheric surface under test is that specific and complex null optics need to be designed to fully compensate for the normal aberration of the aspheric surface under test. However, non-null interferometry partially compensating for the aspheric normal aberration can test aspheric surfaces without specific null optics. In this work, a novel non-null test approach of measuring the deviation between aspheric surfaces and the best reference sphere by using improved two-wavelength phase shifting interferometer is described. With the help of the calibration based on reverse iteration optimization, we can effectively remove the retrace error and thus improve the accuracy. Simulation results demonstrate that this method can measure the aspheric surface with the departure of over tens of microns from the best reference sphere, which introduces approximately 500λ of wavefront aberration at the detector.

Quantifying lead-time bias in risk factor studies of cancer through simulation.

PubMed

Jansen, Rick J; Alexander, Bruce H; Anderson, Kristin E; Church, Timothy R

2013-11-01

Lead-time is inherent in early detection and creates bias in observational studies of screening efficacy, but its potential to bias effect estimates in risk factor studies is not always recognized. We describe a form of this bias that conventional analyses cannot address and develop a model to quantify it. Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) data form the basis for estimates of age-specific preclinical incidence, and log-normal distributions describe the preclinical duration distribution. Simulations assume a joint null hypothesis of no effect of either the risk factor or screening on the preclinical incidence of cancer, and then quantify the bias as the risk-factor odds ratio (OR) from this null study. This bias can be used as a factor to adjust observed OR in the actual study. For this particular study design, as average preclinical duration increased, the bias in the total-physical activity OR monotonically increased from 1% to 22% above the null, but the smoking OR monotonically decreased from 1% above the null to 5% below the null. The finding of nontrivial bias in fixed risk-factor effect estimates demonstrates the importance of quantitatively evaluating it in susceptible studies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Morphological and functional analyses of skeletal muscles from an immunodeficient animal model of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2E.

PubMed

Giovannelli, Gaia; Giacomazzi, Giorgia; Grosemans, Hanne; Sampaolesi, Maurilio

2018-02-24

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2E (LGMD2E) is caused by mutations in the β-sarcoglycan gene, which is expressed in skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscles. β-Sarcoglycan-deficient (Sgcb-null) mice develop severe muscular dystrophy and cardiomyopathy with focal areas of necrosis. In this study we performed morphological (histological and cellular characterization) and functional (isometric tetanic force and fatigue) analyses in dystrophic mice. Comparison studies were carried out in 1-month-old (clinical onset of the disease) and 7-month-old control mice (C57Bl/6J, Rag2/γc-null) and immunocompetent and immunodeficient dystrophic mice (Sgcb-null and Sgcb/Rag2/γc-null, respectively). We found that the lack of an immunological system resulted in an increase of calcification in striated muscles without impairing extensor digitorum longus muscle performance. Sgcb/Rag2/γc-null muscles showed a significant reduction of alkaline phosphate-positive mesoangioblasts. The immunological system counteracts skeletal muscle degeneration in the murine model of LGMD2E. Muscle Nerve, 2018. © 2018 The Authors. Muscle & Nerve Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis in connexin43-null osteoblasts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Furlan, F.; Lecanda, F.; Screen, J.; Civitelli, R.

2001-01-01

Osteoblasts are highly coupled by gap junctions formed primarily by connexin43 (Cx43). We have shown that interference with Cx43 expression or function disrupts transcriptional regulation of osteoblast genes, and that deletion of Cx43 in the mouse causes skeletal malformations, delayed mineralization, and osteoblast dysfunction. Here, we studied the mechanisms by which genetic deficiency of Cx43 alters osteoblast development. While cell proliferation rates were similar in osteoblastic cells derived from calvaria of Cx43-null and wild type mice, camptothecin-induced apoptosis was 3-fold higher in mutant compared to wild type osteoblasts. When grown in mineralizing medium, Cx43-null cells were able to produce mineralized matrix but it took one week longer to reach the same mineralization levels as in normal cells. Likewise, expression of alkaline phosphatase activity per cell--a marker of osteoblast differentiation--was maximal only 2 weeks later in Cx43-null relative to wild-type cells. These observations suggest that Cx43 is important for a normal and timely development of the osteoblastic phenotype. Delayed differentiation and increase programmed cell death may explain the skeletal phenotype of Cx43-null mice.

Perilipin ablation results in a lean mouse with aberrant adipocyte lipolysis, enhanced leptin production, and resistance to diet-induced obesity.

PubMed

Tansey, J T; Sztalryd, C; Gruia-Gray, J; Roush, D L; Zee, J V; Gavrilova, O; Reitman, M L; Deng, C X; Li, C; Kimmel, A R; Londos, C

2001-05-22

Perilipin coats the lipid droplets of adipocytes and is thought to have a role in regulating triacylglycerol hydrolysis. To study the role of perilipin in vivo, we have created a perilipin knockout mouse. Perilipin null (peri(-/-)) and wild-type (peri(+/+)) mice consume equal amounts of food, but the adipose tissue mass in the null animals is reduced to approximately 30% of that in wild-type animals. Isolated adipocytes of perilipin null mice exhibit elevated basal lipolysis because of the loss of the protective function of perilipin. They also exhibit dramatically attenuated stimulated lipolytic activity, indicating that perilipin is required for maximal lipolytic activity. Plasma leptin concentrations in null animals were greater than expected for the reduced adipose mass. The peri(-/-) animals have a greater lean body mass and increased metabolic rate but they also show an increased tendency to develop glucose intolerance and peripheral insulin resistance. When fed a high-fat diet, the perilipin null animals are resistant to diet-induced obesity but not to glucose intolerance. The data reveal a major role for perilipin in adipose lipid metabolism and suggest perilipin as a potential target for attacking problems associated with obesity.

Partial null astigmatism-compensated interferometry for a concave freeform Zernike mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dou, Yimeng; Yuan, Qun; Gao, Zhishan; Yin, Huimin; Chen, Lu; Yao, Yanxia; Cheng, Jinlong

2018-06-01

Partial null interferometry without using any null optics is proposed to measure a concave freeform Zernike mirror. Oblique incidence on the freeform mirror is used to compensate for astigmatism as the main component in its figure, and to constrain the divergence of the test beam as well. The phase demodulated from the partial nulled interferograms is divided into low-frequency phase and high-frequency phase by Zernike polynomial fitting. The low-frequency surface figure error of the freeform mirror represented by the coefficients of Zernike polynomials is reconstructed from the low-frequency phase, applying the reverse optimization reconstruction technology in the accurate model of the interferometric system. The high-frequency surface figure error of the freeform mirror is retrieved from the high-frequency phase adopting back propagating technology, according to the updated model in which the low-frequency surface figure error has been superimposed on the sag of the freeform mirror. Simulations verified that this method is capable of testing a wide variety of astigmatism-dominated freeform mirrors due to the high dynamic range. The experimental result using our proposed method for a concave freeform Zernike mirror is consistent with the null test result employing the computer-generated hologram.

Circular free-electron laser

DOEpatents

Brau, Charles A.; Kurnit, Norman A.; Cooper, Richard K.

1984-01-01

A high efficiency, free electron laser utilizing a circular relativistic electron beam accelerator and a circular whispering mode optical waveguide for guiding optical energy in a circular path in the circular relativistic electron beam accelerator such that the circular relativistic electron beam and the optical energy are spatially contiguous in a resonant condition for free electron laser operation. Both a betatron and synchrotron are disclosed for use in the present invention. A free electron laser wiggler is disposed around the circular relativistic electron beam accelerator for generating a periodic magnetic field to transform energy from the circular relativistic electron beam to optical energy.

Circular stapler introducer: a novel device to facilitate stapled colorectal anastomosis.

PubMed

Guweidhi, Ahmed; Steffen, Rudolf; Metzger, Alejandro; Teuscher, Jürg; Flückiger, Petra; Z'graggen, Kaspar

2009-04-01

A circular stapler introducer was developed to protect the head of the circular stapler and enable atraumatic introduction and advancement of the circular stapler without interfering with the application and safety of an anastomosis. In a Phase I prospective study, we tested the feasibility and safety of the novel circular stapler introducer device in 60 consecutive patients undergoing left-sided colorectal resections. The median distance of the anastomoses from the anal verge was 12 cm (7-20, n = 60). Total morbidity was 15 percent. No mortality was observed. Handling of the circular stapler introducer was considered nonproblematic by all surgeons who participated in the study. No interference of the circular stapler introducer with the circular stapling devices used was encountered. The advancement of the stapler into the end of the colorectal stump was always possible with the aid of the circular stapler introducer. Use of the circular stapler introducer facilitates the double-stapling technique of colorectal anastomosis. The circular stapler introducer has great potential and should be tested in larger studies.

Noncolocated Time-Reversal MUSIC: High-SNR Distribution of Null Spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciuonzo, Domenico; Rossi, Pierluigi Salvo

2017-04-01

We derive the asymptotic distribution of the null spectrum of the well-known Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) in its computational Time-Reversal (TR) form. The result pertains to a single-frequency non-colocated multistatic scenario and several TR-MUSIC variants are here investigated. The analysis builds upon the 1st-order perturbation of the singular value decomposition and allows a simple characterization of null-spectrum moments (up to the 2nd order). This enables a comparison in terms of spectrums stability. Finally, a numerical analysis is provided to confirm the theoretical findings.

In vivo time-gated diffuse correlation spectroscopy at quasi-null source-detector separation.

PubMed

Pagliazzi, M; Sekar, S Konugolu Venkata; Di Sieno, L; Colombo, L; Durduran, T; Contini, D; Torricelli, A; Pifferi, A; Mora, A Dalla

2018-06-01

We demonstrate time domain diffuse correlation spectroscopy at quasi-null source-detector separation by using a fast time-gated single-photon avalanche diode without the need of time-tagging electronics. This approach allows for increased photon collection, simplified real-time instrumentation, and reduced probe dimensions. Depth discriminating, quasi-null distance measurement of blood flow in a human subject is presented. We envision the miniaturization and integration of matrices of optical sensors of increased spatial resolution and the enhancement of the contrast of local blood flow changes.

A model of the normal and null states of pulsars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, P. B.

1981-12-01

A solvable three-dimensional polar cap model of pair creation and charged particle acceleration has been derived. There are no free parameters of significance apart from the polar surface magnetic flux density. The parameter determining the acceleration potential difference has been obtained by calculation of elementary nuclear and electromagnetic processes. Solutions of the model exist for both normal and null states of a pulsar, and the instability in the normal state leading to the normal to null transition has been identified. The predicted necessary condition for the transition is entirely consistent with observation.

A model of the normal and null states of pulsars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, P. B.

A solvable three dimensional polar cap model of pair creation and charged particle acceleration is derived. There are no free parameters of significance apart from the polar surface magnetic flux density. The parameter CO determining the acceleration potential difference was obtained by calculation of elementary nuclear and electromagnetic processes. Solutions of the model exist for both normal and null states of a pulsar, and the instability in the normal state leading to the normal to null transition is identified. The predicted necessary condition for the transition is entirely consistent with observation.

Cell-type specific features of circular RNA expression.

PubMed

Salzman, Julia; Chen, Raymond E; Olsen, Mari N; Wang, Peter L; Brown, Patrick O

2013-01-01

Thousands of loci in the human and mouse genomes give rise to circular RNA transcripts; at many of these loci, the predominant RNA isoform is a circle. Using an improved computational approach for circular RNA identification, we found widespread circular RNA expression in Drosophila melanogaster and estimate that in humans, circular RNA may account for 1% as many molecules as poly(A) RNA. Analysis of data from the ENCODE consortium revealed that the repertoire of genes expressing circular RNA, the ratio of circular to linear transcripts for each gene, and even the pattern of splice isoforms of circular RNAs from each gene were cell-type specific. These results suggest that biogenesis of circular RNA is an integral, conserved, and regulated feature of the gene expression program.

Induction of genomic instability in TK6 human lymphoblasts exposed to 137Cs gamma radiation: comparison to the induction by exposure to accelerated 56Fe particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Helen H.; Horng, Min-Fen; Ricanati, Marlene; Diaz-Insua, M.; Jordan, Robert; Schwartz, Jeffrey L.

2003-01-01

The induction of genomic instability in TK6 human lymphoblasts by exposure to (137)Cs gamma radiation was investigated by measuring the frequency and characteristics of unstable clones isolated approximately 36 generations after exposure. Clones surviving irradiation and control clones were analyzed for 17 characteristics including chromosomal aberrations, growth defects, alterations in response to a second irradiation, and mutant frequencies at the thymidine kinase and Na(+)/K(+) ATPase loci. Putative unstable clones were defined as those that exhibited a significant alteration in one or more characteristics compared to the controls. The frequency and characteristics of the unstable clones were compared in clones exposed to (137)Cs gamma rays or (56)Fe particles. The majority of the unstable clones isolated after exposure to either gamma rays or (56)Fe particles exhibited chromosomal instability. Alterations in growth characteristics, radiation response and mutant frequencies occurred much less often than cytogenetic alterations in these unstable clones. The frequency and complexity of the unstable clones were greater after exposure to (56)Fe particles than to gamma rays. Unstable clones that survived 36 generations after exposure to gamma rays exhibited increases in the incidence of dicentric chromosomes but not of chromatid breaks, whereas unstable clones that survived 36 generations after exposure to (56)Fe particles exhibited increases in both chromatid and chromosome aberrations.

Projection-free approximate balanced truncation of large unstable systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flinois, Thibault L. B.; Morgans, Aimee S.; Schmid, Peter J.

2015-08-01

In this article, we show that the projection-free, snapshot-based, balanced truncation method can be applied directly to unstable systems. We prove that even for unstable systems, the unmodified balanced proper orthogonal decomposition algorithm theoretically yields a converged transformation that balances the Gramians (including the unstable subspace). We then apply the method to a spatially developing unstable system and show that it results in reduced-order models of similar quality to the ones obtained with existing methods. Due to the unbounded growth of unstable modes, a practical restriction on the final impulse response simulation time appears, which can be adjusted depending on the desired order of the reduced-order model. Recommendations are given to further reduce the cost of the method if the system is large and to improve the performance of the method if it does not yield acceptable results in its unmodified form. Finally, the method is applied to the linearized flow around a cylinder at Re = 100 to show that it actually is able to accurately reproduce impulse responses for more realistic unstable large-scale systems in practice. The well-established approximate balanced truncation numerical framework therefore can be safely applied to unstable systems without any modifications. Additionally, balanced reduced-order models can readily be obtained even for large systems, where the computational cost of existing methods is prohibitive.

Progressive renal papillary calcification and ureteral stone formation in mice deficient for Tamm-Horsfall protein

PubMed Central

Liu, Yan; Mo, Lan; Goldfarb, David S.; Evan, Andrew P.; Liang, Fengxia; Khan, Saeed R.; Lieske, John C.

2010-01-01

Mammalian urine contains a range of macromolecule proteins that play critical roles in renal stone formation, among which Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) is by far the most abundant. While THP is a potent inhibitor of crystal aggregation in vitro and its ablation in vivo predisposes one of the two existing mouse models to spontaneous intrarenal calcium crystallization, key controversies remain regarding the role of THP in nephrolithiasis. By carrying out a long-range follow-up of more than 250 THP-null mice and their wild-type controls, we demonstrate here that renal calcification is a highly consistent phenotype of the THP-null mice that is age and partially gene dosage dependent, but is gender and genetic background independent. Renal calcification in THP-null mice is progressive, and by 15 mo over 85% of all the THP-null mice develop spontaneous intrarenal crystals. The crystals consist primarily of calcium phosphate in the form of hydroxyapatite, are located more frequently in the interstitial space of the renal papillae than intratubularly, particularly in older animals, and lack accompanying inflammatory cell infiltration. The interstitial deposits of hydroxyapatite observed in THP-null mice bear strong resemblances to the renal crystals found in human kidneys bearing idiopathic calcium oxalate stones. Compared with 24-h urine from the wild-type mice, that of THP-null mice is supersaturated with brushite (calcium phosphate), a stone precursor, and has reduced urinary excretion of citrate, a stone inhibitor. While less frequent than renal calcinosis, renal pelvic and ureteral stones and hydronephrosis occur in the aged THP-null mice. These results provide direct in vivo evidence indicating that normal THP plays an important role in defending the urinary system against calcification and suggest that reduced expression and/or decreased function of THP could contribute to nephrolithiasis. PMID:20591941