The capacity of bones to adjust their mass and architecture to withstand the loads of everyday activity derives from the ability of their resident cells to respond appropriately to the strains engendered....Full Text Available
The leukocyte-enriched p110γ and p110δ isoforms of PI3K have been shown to control in vitro degranulation of mast cells induced by cross-linking...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVEPhosphoinositide 3-kinase enhancer A (PIKE-A) is a proto-oncogene that promotes tumor growth and transformation by enhancing Akt activity. However, the physiological functions...Full Text Available
A metamaterial that is composed of solid viscoelastic elements with controllable properties is proposed in this Letter. This enables an adaptable and general acoustic metamaterial to be practically realised. An array of masses with a single elastic connection to a supporting viscoelastic structure, such as one that is dynamically equivalent to an array of Helmholtz resonators, only provides a system with negative effective mass. A local active control scheme applied to each of these masses can emulate additional elastic connections to the supporting structure. An array of masses with a suitable local control scheme can provide both the negative effective stiffness and mass required for negative refraction. The tuneable feedback control parameters determine the characteristics of the region...
Inhibition of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is an appealing method for decreasing the immunoresistance and augmenting T cell-mediated immunotherapy. A major impediment to this strategy is the impact of conventional PI3K/mTOR pathway inhibitors on T cell function. In particular, rapamycin, is a well-known immunosuppressant that can decrease the activity of the PI3K/mTOR pathway in tumor cells, but also has a profound inhibitory effect on T cells. Here we show that Honokiol, a natural dietary product isolated from an extract of seed cones from Magnolia grandiflora, can decrease PI3K/mTOR pathway-mediated immunoresistance of glioma, breast and prostate cancer cell lines, without affecting critical proinflammatory T cell functions. Specifically, we show that at doses sufficient to down-regulate levels of phospho-S6 and the negative immune regulator B7-H1 in tumor cells, ...
Operation at ITER specifications of the Kamaboko III ion source for 1000 second pulses of deuterium negative ion beams is underway on the MANTIS test stand. Efficient production of negative ions at low arc power requires injection of cesium into the source, temperature control of the plasma grid, and a period of conditioning of several days. Two different concepts of temperature regulated plasma grids are currently being tested. (author)
Eukaryotic cells can massively transport their own cytoplasmic contents into a lytic compartment, the vacuole/lysosome, for recycling through a conserved system called autophagy. The key process in...Full Text Available
Physiological cardiac hypertrophy is associated with mitochondrial adaptations that are characterized by activation of PGC-1α and increased fatty acid oxidative (FAO) capacity. It is...Full Text Available
BackgroundCompared to healthy controls, cancer patients have a higher risk of unemployment, which has negative social and economic impacts on the patients and on society at large....Full Text Available
Acoustic metamaterials with negative effective mass below a cut-off frequency are studied. An equivalent mass-spring structure is firstly proposed for such metamaterials, the effective mass is found to follow the Drude model: being negative below a specific frequency. The peculiar behavior is then verified by transmission experiments operating in the low-frequency regime. Inspired by the mass-spring model, we investigate the two-dimensional elastic waveguide with clamped boundaries and attribute the bandgap occurring below a critical frequency to negative effective mass density. The finding helps us to design a new acoustic Drude metamaterial, which enables shearing and bending deformations, in contrast to the membrane-type ones. Both simulation and experimental results show that the proposed metamaterial exhibits negative effective mass below 1200 Hz, thus opening broadband applications in vibration ...
SummaryBrown fat is specialized in energy expenditure, a process that is principally controlled by the transcriptional co-activator PGC-1α. Here we describe a molecular...Full Text Available
The chaperone-encoding groESL and dnaK operons constitute the CIRCE regulon of Bacillus subtilis. Both operons are under negativecontrol of the repressor...Full Text Available
BackgroundASCL1 role in pancreatic endocrine tumourigenesis has not been established. Recently it was suggested that ASCL1 negativelycontrols expression of the...Full Text Available
An apparatus capable of producing current or voltage controlled positive and negative ion beams in 1-atm oxidizing and nonoxidizing ambients between 25/sup 0/ and 950 /sup 0/C is presented. The apparatus utilizes a point-to-plane corona discharge in the gas phase. Room-temperature experiments revealed that the small differences in ion beam shape between the two polarities is primarily due to the difference in applied voltage required to produce the same current for the two polarities. Due to increased ion mobility and decreased threshold voltage at higher temperatures, a slight broadening of the ion beam current-density profiles for both positive and negative ions is predicted.
In order to suppress resonance vibrations of a rotor-shaft of rotating machinery, a rotor-shaft system elastically supported by ball bearings which are installed in electromagnetic actuators are proposed and the design method of some compensatory circuits in the controller to control the electromagnetic actuators in the system are explained. These actuators are controlled by the analog PID (proportional, integral, and derivative) controller. The compensation for nonlinearity of electromagnetic force, the negative stiffness of electromagnet, and the time lag of the coil current are discussed and the effective control circuits are proposed. The rotor-shaft system is replaced by the equivalent two-degree-of-freedom system and both impulse and frequency responses are numerically simulated for several parameters of PD-controller gain. By applying ...
The expression status of the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and that of the epidermal growth factor receptor Her-2/neu frequently correlate inversely in breast cancers. While ERα-dependent...Full Text Available
Reference failures, and their increase in affectively negative conditions (known as affective reactivity of speech), are more frequently observed in schizophrenia patients than in normal controls, but no information is available comparing schizophrenia with depression, ie, a mental disorder closely linked to the concept of affective reactivity. To address this gap in the literature, the present study compared 24 schizophrenia inpatients, 21 unipolar depression inpatients and 21 normal controls. Two 10-minute conversational speech samples (1 on negative and 1 on positive memories) were collected from each patient. The transcripts of the audiotaped interviews were analyzed blindly for frequencies of 6 types of referential failures, employing the Communication Disturbances Index, adapted for ...
Isobaric contaminants are often problematical in accelerated negative ion beams for research at certain radioactive ion beam (RIB) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) facilities since their presence in low-intensity rare isotopic beams seriously compromise experimental results. This article describes a non-resonant, laser-based photo-detachment apparatus for use at these facilities, which, according to calculations efficiently removes isobaric contaminants from these beams. The advantage of the system for isobaric contaminant removal over other systems proposed to date lies in its ability to efficiently capture easily transportable energetic negative ion beams with low, intermediate or high energy spreads by a superconducting solenoid magnetic field. The ability to change the diameter of captured beams by adjusting the magnetic field strength permits optimum control of the radial overlap of the ...
Aldosterone has been suggested to elicit vessel contraction via a nongenomic mechanism. We tested this proposal in microdissected, perfused rabbit renal afferent arterioles. Aldosterone had no effect on internal diameter in concentrations from 10(-10) to 10(-5) mol/L, but aldosterone abolished the ability of 100 mmol/L KCl to induce vascular contraction. The inhibitory effect of aldosterone was observed from 1 pmol/L. The inhibitory effect was significant after 5 minutes and maximal after 20 minutes and was fully reversible. Actinomycin D (10(-6) mol/L) prolonged the effect of aldosterone. The effect was abolished by the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist spironolactone (10(-7) mol/L) but not by the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist mifepristone (10(-6) mol/L). The K+-mediated increase of intracellular calcium concentration in afferent arterioles was not affected by aldosterone. Mineralocorticoid receptor was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and ...
The Feynman-#alpha# method was applied to measurement of reactivity and the ability of this method for a real-time reactivity monitoring system was assessed. In the experiment, all measured data by BF_3 detectors were stored in a multi-channel scaler controlled by a personal computer, and they were analyzed to obtain prompt neutron decay constant (#alpha#) and reactivity with consideration of dead time of detector. It was found that #alpha# could be obtained almost in a real-time even for both positive and negative reactivities by the present experimental technique. (author).
This paper is concerned with the application of a new fuzzy inference method to the design of fuzzy power system stabilizer. Based on Truth-Value-Flow-Inference (TVFI), a fuzzy logic controlled power system stabilizer is proposed to enhance the stability of power system with weak or negative damping. The design of the proposed fuzzy power system stabilizer is presented. Numerical simulation results are presented and compared with two other kinds of fuzzy power system stabilizers. (author)
The ZnO nanorods were used as a template to fabricate nickel nanoclusters by electrodeposition. The ZnO nanorod arrays act as a nano-semiconductor electrode for depositing metallic and magnetic nickel nanoclusters. The growth sites of Ni nanoclusters could be controlled by adjusting the applied potential. Under -1.15 V the Ni nanoclusters could be grown on the tips of ZnO nanorods. On increasing the potential to be more negative the ZnO nanorods were covered by Ni nanoclusters. The magnetic properties of the electrodeposited Ni nanoclusters also evolved with the applied potentials.
Most common bacterial species causing peritonitis in the course of peritoneal dialysis (PDP) are coagulase-negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus and streptococci. Haemophilus influenzae is rarely associated with PDP. Hereby we present the first known case of APD-associated peritonitis caused by non-type able H. influenzae (NTHi) presenting the beta-lactamase negative, ampicillin-resistant (BLNAR) phenotype. An 18 year old boy who had been treated with the APD for 12 months due to SLE was admitted in good general condition with diagnosis of PDP. Standard diagnostic and therapeutical procedures were initiated. Dialysis fluid was turbid with cytosis of 435 WBC/ml. From dialysis fluid pure culture of Gram-negative coccobacillus was isolated. The isolate was identified as a BLNAR phenotype. The same bacterium was isolated from nasal swab. Blood cultures were negative. After evaluation of ...
The concept of the 'white-light cavity' has recently generated considerable research interest in the context of gravitational wave detection. Cavity designs are proposed using negative (or anomalous) dispersion in an intracavity medium to make the cavity resonate over a large range of frequencies and still maintain a high cavity build-up. This paper presents the first experimental attempt and demonstration of white-light effect in a meter long ring cavity using an intracavity atomic medium. The medium's negative dispersion is caused by bi-frequency Raman gain in an atomic vapor cell. Although the white light condition was not perfectly achieved and improvements in experimental control are still desirable, significantly broad cavity response over bandwidth greater than 20 MHz has been observed. These devices will have potential applications in new generation laser interferometer gravitational wave detectors.
To study the utility of ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) in case of suspected appendicitis. To determine the diagnostic yield in terms of different clinical contexts and patient characteristics. to assess the costs and benefits of introducing these techniques and propose a protocol for their use. Negative appendectomies, complications and length of hospital stay in a group of 152 patients with suspected appendicitis who underwent ultrasound and CT were compared with those of 180 patients who underwent appendectomy during the same time period, but had not been selected for the first group: these patients costs for each group were calculated. In the first group, the diagnostic value of the clinical signs was also evaluated. The reliability of the clinical signs was limited, while the results with ultrasound and CT were excellent. The incidence of negative appendectomy was 9.6% in the study group and 12.2% in the ...
While levels of weight bias vary among individuals, it is not clear why one person possesses stronger anti-fat attitudes than another person. This investigation examined whether individual differences commonly associated with greater anti-fat bias are also associated with a greater preference for thinness among people of varying levels of weight. Young adults (62% women; 84% Caucasian) recruited from psychology classes (N=308) rated four male and female figures with approximate BMIs of 18.5, 25, 30, and 40, on measures of dislike and personality characteristics and completed measures assessing weight controllability, attitudes toward the obese, and perceptual reliance. Greater negative attitudes, weight controllability beliefs, and perceptual reliance were positively associated with greater dislike and negative personality attributes among obese/severely obese figures, but inversely related among low ...
Mo gate Mos capacitors exhibit a negative shift of their C-V characteristic by up to 240 mV, at 125 C, in response to 1000 ppm hydrogen, in controlled nitrogen atmospheres. The experimental methods for obtaining capacitance and conductance, as a function of polarisation voltage, as well as the relevant equivalent circuits are reviewed. The single-state interface state density, at the semiconductor-dielectric interface, decreases from 2.66 x 10"1"1 cm"-"2 e-v"-"1, in pure nitrogen, to 2.5 x 10"1"1 cm"-"2 e-v"-"1 in 1000 ppm hydrogen in nitrogen mixtures, at this temperature. (Author)
In this paper, we propose a simple method for controlling an electromagnetic levitation (Mag lev) system. The model of the Mag lev system under consideration in this paper is third order, inherently nonlinear and unstable. For designing a controller to obtain a good disturbance rejection and being insensitive to parameter variations, we use an inner-loop and an outer-loop configuration. The configuration is the key to solve this problem. By using a nonlinear state transformation in the feedback path, a cascaded PI controller and a redefined input in the inner loop, we obtain a linear second order system. Furthermore, to achieve a stable system with a good disturbance rejection, we design a Pid controller cascaded with the inner loop system in the negative unity feedback configuration in the outer loop. We show that the closed-loop system is robustly stabilized against the mass ...
A sample of 30 manganese-exposed foundry workers from two Swedish plants were examined with a partly computerized psychological test battery, comprised of 10 performance tests. Performance of the manganese-exposed workers was compared to that of a matched control group of 60 workers. Matching criteria were age, geographical area, type of work, and the results on a test of verbal comprehension. Performance of the exposed workers was inferior to that of the control group on tests of simple reaction time, digit span, and finger tapping. No correlations were found between performance and the present manganese exposure levels or the number of years employed in manganese work. The results seem to indicate that the present exposure standards for manganese, in Sweden 2.5 mg/m3 and in most other countries 5 mg/m3, are not sufficient to protect workers from negative effects on performance capacity.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the automated urine test strip analyzer Aution Max AX 4280 which uses strips able to measure 12 urinary parameters. For precision study, we considered glucose, protein, blood, leukocytes, nitrite, and pH and the four first were compared with usual methods: chemical measurement or microscopic examination. Reproducibility of the semi quantitative results was determined as the proportion of results falling into the same concentration range. Within-run reproducibility assessed using urine specimens were between 83% and 96%. Between day on quality controlled materials, it was higher (96%), and leukocytes were shared between two classes 250 and 500 cells/microL. For glucose and proteins, linearity was good and comparison with quantitative methods yielded high correlation. The false negative fraction was low and there was no false positive results. For blood, fraction of false positive was 7.5% for 0.3 mg/L of ...
The paper gives a general view of techniques and systems related to soil less culture developed in the last years (on substrate in beg; NFT; Ebb-Flood, aeroponic,..) taking into account their management and problems (water quality, control of plant nutrition and irrigation; substrates; pathological aspects,..). The evolution, now in progress, of soil less culture from open to closed system as a way to realized an environmental friendly growing system, is considered. When plants are grown with open cycle techniques a large amount of waste solution, with an a high content of nutrients, are discharged in soil and water. Furthermore, they need an extra-utilization of water and fertilizers. Another aspect is the utilization of low cost substrates, which can be reused for more than one cultural cycle without negative effects on yield, and also finally discharged without negative effects on the environment. The development of soil ...
The diagnosis of dialysis-related amyloid (AB-amyloid) has been based usually on clinical and radiological criteria. Following the discovery that beta 2-microglobulin was the major protein of this amyloid, we isolated and radiolabelled uremic plasma beta 2-microglobulin. After intravenous injection, gamma-camera images of selected joint areas were obtained from 42 patients who were on regular hemodialysis therapy. Positive scans involving the shoulder, hip, knee and carpal regions were found in 13 of 14 patients treated for more than 10 years and 10 of 16 patients treated for 5 to 10 years. Patients treated for less time had negative scans. Specificity was indicated by negative scans in non-amyloid inflammatory lesions in control hemodialysis patients. Up to 48-fold tracer enrichment was detected in excised AB-amyloid containing tissue as compared to amyloid-free tissue. These findings suggest that circulating radiolabelled ...
Most radiologists accept that modest doses of irradiation (4500-5000 rad/4 1/2-5 weeks) can control subclinical regional lymph node metastases from squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck and adenocarcinomas of the breast. There have been few reports concerning elective irradiation of the ilioinguinal region. Between October 1964 and March 1980, 91 patients whose primary cancers placed the ilioinguinal lymph nodes at risk received elective irradiation at the University of Florida. Included are patients with cancers of the vulva, penis, urethra, anus and lower anal canal, and cervix or vaginal cancers that involved the distal one-third of the vagina. In 81 patients, both inguinal areas were clinically negative; in 10 patients, one inguinal area was positive and the other negative by clinical examination. The single significant complication was a bilateral femoral neck fracture. The inguinal areas of four patients ...
Philosophical semantics requires an ontology that includes negative as well as positive states of affairs as truth-makers and truth-breakers. Theories that try to do without negative states of affairs while interpreting propositional truth as positive correspondence with existent states of affairs are inherently inadequate and incomplete. A semantics and ontology of negative states of affairs can also do justice to positive states of affairs, since the iterated negative state of affairs that a negative state of affairs exists describes a positive state of affairs, but the iterated positive state of affairs that a positive state of affairs exists never describes a negative state of affairs. Negative states of affairs are not only essential to semantics, but to a complete description of the ...
Negative ion based neutral beam injector is one of the most attractive heating system in future fusion reactors. In realizing the system, the crucial device which has to be developed is a high intensity negative ion source. Significant progress has been made on the negative ion source in these years. Among them, a few ampere negative ion beam were produced stably, while the divergence of negative ion beams becomes to be as low as < 10 mrad. We consider these results are demonstrating the potential of the negative ion source for the heating device in future reactors.
Preliminary tests have shown that smart-grid systems can significantly reduce home electricity use. A smart grid negates the need for controlled distribution by giving homeowners the ability to monitor rates in real time and modify their use based on energy availability, need and price. Homeowners can also feed the grid alternative power to offset their costs. Studies in the United States have also suggested that the system could reduce carbon emissions by 60 to 211 million tonnes per year. The smart grid would also be less susceptible to major disturbances because it draws power from multiple sources. An added benefit is that the technology could be developed for a fraction of the cost of building traditional energy plants, such as nuclear. However, the success of the smart-grid depends on several technological advances. The flow of power within the system must be digitally controlled and also merged with multiple ...
We investigate two routes to obtain negative group velocity bands in two-dimensional phononic crystal structures. The negative dispersion originates from the resonances of sub-wavelength building blocks and as such, the system should be regarded as acoustic metamaterials. The first kind of acoustic metamaterial exhibits effectively negative bulk modulus and negative mass density simultaneously. Monopolar and dipolar Mie resonances are combined to achieve an effective medium with negative refractive index. In particular, we present a double negative metamaterial for airborne sonic waves. We then show that we can obtain negative group velocity from quadrupole resonances, and the result is explained using the quasi-static approximation. The negative dispersion in quadrupole bands cannot be de...
The main physical processes allowing negative ion production by surface sputtering for further acceleration in tandem acceleration are briefly reviewed. The sputtering yield and the probability of negative ion ejection are discussed. The properties of negative ion beams for an efficient acceleration in tandem accelerators are also discussed, with an emphasis on space charge problems. The main features and performances of the heavy negative ion injector of the Bucharest tandem accelerator are given.
For 21st century warfare, space is the unquestioned new high ground for military operations. The United States (U.S.) has relied on satellites for significant support to military operations and activities since Desert Storm in 1991. Indeed, the U.S. enjoys an asymmetric advantage in modern warfare utilizing our space capabilities. States with interests hostile to the U.S. believe that the significant dependence on space assets by the U.S. military could become its "Achilles heel" in future combat operations. What are the legal and policy bases for the U.S. to respond to threats to space systems that provide support to our military forces? Should the U.S. rely on space arms control initiatives to ensure security in space? This Viewpoint analyzes the international space law regime and U.S. N...
This paper analyses Italian interregional migration flows. The approach taken is to decompose labour mobility flows into short distance and long distance migration and to model the effects of economic variables, social capital and quality of life variables, and amenity variables, on the mobility behaviour of individuals. We estimate these different types of migration flows using a negative binomial model, augmented with instruments to control for potential endogeneity issues. Our findings demonstrate that long distance migration reflects a disequilibrium model of migration whereas short distance migration largely reflects an equilibrium model of migration. As such, attempts to model interregional migration in general will be mis-specified as the simultaneously-operating underlying mobility...
Mapping the distribution of invasive alien plant species is significant for testing ecological hypotheses and for guiding effective management. Little is known about the distribution of invasive plants at landscape scale, and the factors controlling their dispersal and establishment are still poorly understood. This is the case for Rosa rugosa, an invasive shrub with negative effects on biodiversity in dune ecosystems of NW Europe. The aim of the study was to identify the factors which determine the distribution of R. rugosa in coastal dunes. In a large semi-natural dune area of NW Denmark (2364ha) all patches of the species (1321, 1.3-59.1m2) were GPS mapped. Patch distribution was GIS analysed, based on aerial photographs and vegetation maps. The distance of R. rugosa from the most consp...
Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been actively exploited as potential anticancer agents. To identify gene targets of HDAC inhibitors, we found that HDAC inhibitors such as sodium butyrate, scriptaid, apicidin and oxamflatin induced the expression of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH), a potential cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) antagonist and tumor suppressor, in a time and concentration dependent manner in A549 and H1435 lung adenocarcinoma cells. Detailed analyses indicated that HDAC inhibitors activated the 15-PGDH promoter-luciferase reporter construct in transfected A549 cells. A representative HDAC inhibitor, scriptaid, and its negative structural analog control, nullscript, were further evaluated at the chromatin level. Scriptaid but not nullscript induced a signific...
Engineering details of a high voltage driven corona-plasma ozone generator are described. The plasma diode of generator has coaxial cylindrical geometry with cathode located inside anode. Cathode is made of a large number of radial gas nozzles arranged on central tubular mast which admits oxygen gas. The sharp endings of the nozzles along with a set of corona rings create the high electric field at the cathode required for formation of dense corona plume responsible for O_3 evolution. A model of coronal plasma generation and ozone production is presented. The plasma formation is strongly dependent on the electric field and temperature in side diode where a high electron density in a low temperature negative corona is suited for high ozone yields. These are established by suitable regulation of A-K gap, voltage, oxygen pressure, and cathode-nozzle population.
Rapid and reliable diagnostic methods are needed to control methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) transmission. We studied the BD GeneOhm? MRSA Assay which is based on one specific amplification product at the junction of the right extremity sequence of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) and the chromosomal sequence of orfX of S. aureus. The test was applied on 95 clinical isolates in Finland: 83% were positive. The isolates giving negative results represented several pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) types and harboured SCCmec types IV, V, VI or were new types with different combinations of ccr genes.
The effect of asymmetric laser pulses on electron yield from a laser wakefield accelerator has been experimentally studied using > 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3} plasmas and a 10 TW, > 45 fs, Ti:Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} laser. Laser pulse shape was controlled through non-linear chirp with a grating pair compressor. Pulses (76 fs FWHM) with a steep rise and positive chirp were found to significantly enhance the electron yield compared to pulses with a gentle rise and negative chirp. Theory and simulation show that fast rising pulses can generate larger amplitude wakes that seed the growth of the self-modulation instability and that frequency chirp is of minimal importance for the experimental parameters.
Using aggregate data for the counties of England and Wales, a negative association is found between mean radon concentrations in dwellings and lung cancer standardised mortality ratios, when regional smoking variations, diet variations, social class variations and population density are controlled. Cornwall and Devon have the highest mean domestic radon gas concentrations, yet the number of lung cancer deaths there was within the range to be expected from relationships not involving radon observed in the rest of the country. While high values of radon exposure appear to concentrate in particular localities, the variations in lung cancer mortality between districts in Cornwall and Devon are small. These findings do not refute the linear exposure-risk hypothesis, but the evidence suggests that relatively few, if any, radon related deaths were associated with the dwellings where radon gas concentrations exceed the recommended action level.
Brucella melitensis is a Gram-negative coccobacillus bacteria belonging to the Alphaproteobacteria subclass. It is an important zoonotic pathogen that causes brucellosis, a disease affecting sheep, cattle, and sometimes humans. The B. melitensis strain M5-90, a live attenuated vaccine cultured from the B. melitensis virulent strain M28, has been an effective tool to control brucellosis in goats and sheep in China. Here we report the complete genome sequences of B. melitensis M28 and M5-90, strains with different virulence backgrounds, which will serve as a valuable reference for future studies. PMID:21478357
An exposure chamber is described for the quantifiable addition of fine and ultrafine aerosol particulate matter directly to cells and used to demonstrate the in vitro cytotoxicity of fine 1,4-naphthoquinone particles to murine lung epithelial cells. The electrostatic particulate dosage and exposure system (EPDExS) operates on the principle of electrostatic precipitation and is shown to deposit fine and ultrafine aerosol particles directly to cells with 100% efficiency for particle diameters in the range of 40-530nm. This range is not limited by the EPDExS, but rather by the aerosolization method used for this study. Numbers of particles deposited onto the cells are counted with a condensation particle counter, negating any need to calculate or estimate particle exposure. The process of par...
A comparative core design study is performed on Pb-Bi cooled reactors with forced and natural convection (FC and NC) cooling. Major interests of the study are core performance and core safety features. The designed core concepts with nitride fuel achieve reasonable breeding capability. The results of unprotected event analyses such as UTOP and ULOF show that both of concepts have possible features to withstand unprotected events due to negative reactivity feedback by Doppler effect, control rod drive line expansion, etc. These results lead to a conclusion that both of concepts have possible capability as one of future promising core concepts. A FC cooling core concept has more advantage if fuel recycle viewpoint is emphasized. (author)
To investigate mechanisms responsible for positive and negative transcriptional control, the authors have utilized two types of promoters that are diffferentially regulated by thyroid hormone (T{sub 3}) receptors. Promoters containing the palindromic T{sub 3} response element TCAGGTCA TGACCTGA are positively regulated by the T{sub 3} receptor after the administration of T{sub 3}, whereas otherwise identical promoters containing the estrogen response element TCAGGTCA CTG TGACCTGA can be regulated negatively; converse effects are observed with the estrogen receptor. They describe evidence that the transcriptional inhibitory effects of the T{sub 3} or estrogen receptors on the estrogen or T{sub 3} response elements, respectively, are imposed by amino acid sequences in the C'-terminal region that colocalize with dimerization and hormone-binding domains and that these sequences can transfer inhibitory functions to other ...
The signature of the negative snakes from the soft X-ray cameras is very similar to the more usual snakes except that the localised region of the snake has, compared with its surroundings, decreased rather than increased emission. Circumstances where negative snakes have been seen are reviewed. The negative snake appears as a region of increased resistance and of increased impurity density. The relationship between the shear and the current perturbation is shown, and it seem probable that the magnetic shear is reversed at the point of the negative snake, i.e. that q is decreasing with radius. 6 refs., 6 figs.
A new scheme of the longitudinal emittance measurement for high energy negative ion beam is proposed. The energy distribution of the detached electron from the negative ions by the photodetachment process, if the photon energy is almost equal to the electron binding energy of the negative ion (=electron affinity of the atom), reflects that of the original negative ions. Therefore, by introducing the photon in a short width comparing with the bunch width of the negative ion beam, the longitudinal energy distribution of each phase of the beam, that is the longitudinal emittance, can be measured. (author).
The desire to study negative ion structure and negative ion-photon interactions has spurred the development of ion sources for use in research and industry. The many different types of negative ion sources available today differ in their characteristics and abilities to produce anions of various species. Thus the importance of choosing the correct type of negative ion source for a particular research or industrial application is clear. In this study, the results of an investigation on the production of beams composed of negatively-charged rare-earth ions from a cylindrical-cathode-geometry, cesium-sputter-type negative ion source are presented. Beams of atomic anions have been observed for most of the first-row rare-earth elements, with typical currents ranging from hundreds of picoamps to several nanoamps.
The properties of negative-ion beams are very important for designing negative-ion apparatus and applications of negative-ion beams, especially, electron detachment cross-sections at the interaction between negative-ion beams and gas particles in the transport system, and secondary-electron emission factors when negative ions are incident on solid surfaces. These properties of negative-ion beams were investigated experimentally as a function of the ion energy under 50 keV. The single electron detachment cross-sections are almost constant in the other of 10[sup -15] cm[sup 2] in this energy range, but double electron detachment cross-sections increase in proportion to the ion velocity and much smaller than the single one. As for the secondary-electron emission factor, the emission factors for negative-ion beam are found to be larger by 1 than ...
The properties of negative-ion beams are very important for designing negative-ion apparatus and applications of negative-ion beams, especially, electron detachment cross-sections at the interaction between negative-ion beams and gas particles in the transport system, and secondary-electron emission factors when negative ions are incident on solid surfaces. These properties of negative-ion beams were investigated experimentally as a function of the ion energy under 50 keV. The single electron detachment cross-sections are almost constant in the other of 10"-"1"5 cm"2 in this energy range, but double electron detachment cross-sections increase in proportion to the ion velocity and much smaller than the single one. As for the secondary-electron emission factor, the emission factors for negative-ion beam are found to be larger by 1 than those ...
Although coagulase-negative staphylococci (C-NS) have been implicated in certain human infections, they are generally regarded as contaminants, and their clinical significance is questioned. To assess...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer activity and mechanism of action of Noscapine alone and in combination with Doxorubicin against triple negative...Full Text Available
Samples from 314 broiler chickens at 2 months age were analyzed for blood serum level of lysozyme and 311 of them were analyzed also for activity of alternative path-way of complement activity (APCA). Chickens were hatched from eggs, irradiated immediately before incubation with different doses of gamma-rays using Rocus M device - group 1 - control (non irradiated), and groups 2, 3 and 4 - irradiated with doses of 0.15, 0.30 and 0.60 Gy, respectively. Lysozyme concentration was highest for the control group, and for the experimental ones it was lower (p<0.001) which is an indication of the strongly negative effect of gamma-rays on this indicator. For APCA the oppsite relationship was observed - increasing of its activity with increasing of irradiation dose (from p<0.05 to p<0.001) which gave reason to suggest that this phenomenon is due to the irradiation. 12 refs., 2 tabs. (author).
The impact of a mixture of oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, tetracycline and doxycycline on Myriophyllum sibiricum and Lemna gibba was investigated using fifteen 12,000-L microcosms (k = 5, n = 3). Significant concentration-response relationships were only found for M. sibiricum, where dry mass was 69, 47, 30, and 7% of controls at respective treatment concentrations of 0.080, 0.218, 0.668, and 2.289 {mu}mol/L. Somatic endpoints were strongly and negatively correlated with percent light transmission, except plant length, which was positively correlated. Treated microcosms experienced a reduction in the percent of surface irradiance penetrating the water column as high as 99.8% at a depth of 70 cm, relative to controls. Position relative to the water column was likely responsible for the differential effects observed between floating (L. gibba) and submerged (M. sibiricum) species of macrophytes. A hazard quotient ...
Two types of switched electrode electronics beam position monitors are in use at Jefferson Lab. Together they provide accurate beam position to the control system for beam intensities between 50 nA and 2 mA. One version, called the linac style, has a switching frequency of 125 kHz. The other, called the transport type, has a switching frequency of 7 kHz. The basic system provides information to the control system at a 1 Hz update rate. The systems are regularly used to measure the AC component of beam position and energy as well as suppress this motion as part of a fast feedback system. Position data produced by the system are also acquired on an event by event basis as part of the nuclear physics program in two of the experimental halls. This paper will focus on the AC characteristics of the system. These characteristics are affected by analog filter frequencies and a time delay between the measurement of the positive electrode signal and the ...
Objective: To study the changes of serum leptin, insulin and adiponectin levels and their relationship with BMI in females with simple obesity. Methods: Serum leptin, adiponectin and insulin levels were measured with RIA in 48 pre-obese females (BMI=23-24.9 kg/m"2), 40 females with simple obesity, (BMI#>=#25 kg/m"2) and 42 female controls (BMI 18-22.9 kg/m"2). Correlations among these variables were studied. Results: Serum leptin, insulin levels were significantly higher and serum adiponectin levels were significantly lower in both the pre-obese and obese females than those in controls. Serum leptin, insulin levels were positively correlated to BMI; Serum adiponectin levels were negatively correlated to BMI. Conclusion: Within normal range of BMI, the leptin-insulin feedback mechanism provided satisfactory self-regulation. However, with excessive BMI, this dynamic equilibrium would be disrupted. The defective ...
An exposure chamber is described for the quantifiable addition of fine and ultrafine aerosol particulate matter directly to cells and used to demonstrate the in vitro cytotoxicity of fine 1,4-naphthoquinone particles to murine lung epithelial cells. The electrostatic particulate dosage and exposure system (EPDExS) operates on the principle of electrostatic precipitation and is shown to deposit fine and ultrafine aerosol particles directly to cells with 100% efficiency for particle diameters in the range of 40-530nm. This range is not limited by the EPDExS, but rather by the aerosolization method used for this study. Numbers of particles deposited onto the cells are counted with a condensation particle counter, negating any need to calculate or estimate particle exposure. The process of particle introduction, assessed using Trypan blue dye exclusion, had no effect on cell viability. In combination with a differential mobility classifier, the EPDExS can deliver ...
The human olfactomedin 4 gene (OLFM4) encodes an olfactomedin-related glycoprotein. OLFM4 is normally expressed in a limited number of tissues, including the prostate, but its biological functions in prostate are largely unknown. In this study, we found that OLFM4 messenger RNA was reduced or undetectable in prostate cancer tissues and prostate cancer cell lines. To study the effects of OLFM4 on prostate cancer progression, we transfected PC-3 prostate cancer cells with OLFM4 to establish OLFM4-expressing PC-3 cell clones. The OLFM4-expressing PC-3 cell clones were found to have decreased proliferation and invasiveness compared with vector-transfected control PC-3 cells in vitro. In addition, nude mice injected with OLFM4-expressing PC-3 cells demonstrated reduced tumor growth and bone invasion and metastasis compared with mice injected with vector-transfected control cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that OLFM4 may exhibit its anticancer ...
Neutral beam systems for the next generation of magnetic fusion devices will be based on negative ions. Development are progressing steadily, and large negative ion-based systems are prepared for JT60-U and LHD, and are being considered for ITER. An overview of the physics of the production, acceleration and neutralization of large negative ion beams is given. the present state of the art in Research and Development is also surveyed. (author). 55 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.
Neutral beam systems for the next generation of magnetic fusion devices will be based on negative ions. Developments are progressing steadily, and large negative ion-based systems are under preparation for JT60-U and LHD, and are being considered for ITER. An overview of the physics of the production, acceleration and neutralization of large negative ion beams is given. The present state of the art in R and D is also surveyed. (Author).
Negative ion intensities of over 3 x 10/sup 5/ A/m/sup 2/ at energies of 2 MeV have been measured in a magnetically insulated transmission line. This negative ion production can affect the power flow in multiterawatt pulsed power devices, and may also have applications in the generation of high-intensity neutral or negative ion beams.
A spherical-geometry, self-extraction negative ion source has been designed and fabricated. The source utilizes direct surface ionization to form negative ion beams resulting from interactions between high electron affinity gaseous elemental or molecular materials and a negatively biased, spherical-sector LaB{sub 6} surface ionizer maintained at {similar to}1300 K. The design features of this source and principles upon which the source is based are discussed in this report.
The present invention concerns a negative ion source electrode which can be preferably used in a neutral particle injection device using negative ions for a thermonuclear reactor. Negative ion beams are deflected to the direction opposite to the deflecting direction by magnetic fields by using an electron suppression electrode having electrode holes with the position previously displaced before negative ion beams are accelerated to have a high energy by an accelerator thereby correcting the orbit of the negative ion beams easily. In addition, since the deflection correction electrode having the electrode holes is disposed, a proper voltage is applied to the deflection correction electrode to correct the orbit of the negative ion beams conveniently. Since the deflection correction electrode has a simple structure of a thin flat plate having electrode holes, the ...
The results of an investigation on the production of Group IIA atomic and molecular negative ion beams formed in a cesium-sputter negative ion source are presented. The sputtering material was formed by pressing pellets of stoichiometric mixtures of the Group IIA element carbonates and 10% copper powder. Negative ions of several alkaline-earth elements and their oxides have been observed. Beam intensities as high as 180 pA have been observed for Sr{sup -}and 20 nA for SrO{sup -}. (orig.).
The results of an investigation on the production of Group IIA atomic and molecular negative ion beams formed in a cesium-sputter negative ion source are presented. The sputtering material was formed by pressing pellets of stoichiometric mixtures of the Group IIA element carbonates and 10% copper powder. Negative ions of several alkaline-earth elements and their oxides have been observed. Beam intensities as high as 180 pA have been observed for Sr"-and 20 nA for SrO"-. (orig.).
We fabricated a double negative acoustic metamaterial which consisted of Helmholtz resonators and membranes. Experimental data on the transmission and dispersion relation are presented. The system exhibits three frequencies where the acoustic state makes sharp transitions from density negative ({\\rho} -NG) to double negative (DNG), modulus negative (B-NG), and double positive (DPS) in sequence with the frequency. We observed a wide range of negative refractive index from -0.06 to -3.7 relative to air, which will allow for new acoustic transformation techniques.
This report reviews Soviet R and D of (1) high-intensity negative ion sources and (2) transport and focusing of negative ion beams, using Soviet open literature of the past ten years, and correlates this data with data on Soviet institutes responsible for negative ion beam development. The Soviets are developing intense negative ion beams as the basis for creating neutral beams for injection into mirror traps and tokamaks, for inertial confinement fusion, and possibly for exoatmospheric beam weapon applications. The report focuses specifically on surface-plasma-type ion sources, which were first developed in the USSR and which show great promise for creating beams of high intensity, high brightness, and low emittance. Mechanisms for optimum negative ion beam transport are also discussed.
Ion beams of halogens can be produced either positively or negatively charged, depending on the employed ion source. At CERN-ISOLDE, although positively charged fluorine and astatine can be obtained from a hot plasma ion source, they are often contaminated by isobars and molecular sidebands. This has generated a request from the scientific community for fluorine and astatine negative ion beams free of contaminants. The high selectivity ensured by the surface ionisation process also makes negative beams of chlorine, bromine and iodine highly attractive. However, the efficiency figures for negative surface ionisation of fluorine and astatine were lower than the ones from the hot plasma. Here we report our R and D on new surface ion sources suitable for the production of negative halogen beams.
Previous studies have found that classrooms are often inadequately ventilated, with the resultant increased risk of negative impacts on the pupils. This paper describes a series of field measurements that investigated the indoor air quality, thermal comfort and acoustic performance of nine recently built secondary schools in England. The most significant conclusion is that the complex interaction between ventilation, thermal comfort and acoustics presents considerable challenges for designers. The study showed that while the acoustic standards are demanding it was possible to achieve natural ventilation designs that met the criteria for indoor ambient noise levels when external noise levels were not excessive. Most classrooms in the sample met the requirement of limiting the daily average CO{sub 2} concentration to below 1500 ppm but just a few met the need to readily provide 8 l/s per person of fresh air under the easy control of the ...
Roles of bumpy field on collisionless particle confinement in helical-axis heliotrons are investigated with the model magnetic field and particle orbit calculations in the Boozer coordinates. The mod-B{sub min} contours can be shifted in the major radius direction with the control of the bumpy field, where B{sub min} is the minimum value of |B| in the toroidal direction within one field period. The area of closed mod-B{sub min} contours is a useful measure to evaluate global collisionless particle confinement as long as the mod-B{sub min} contours connect toroidally. Negative value of ratio between the bumpy and the helicity components contributes to obtain the largest area of closed mod-B{sub min} contours for finite ratio between the toroidicity and the helicity components. The radial variation of the bumpy field attributes to realize a toroidally localized mod-B{sub min} structure, which is significantly effective to improve collisionless ...
The latest electronic circuit technology that can be used for the electric railway traction system fed by an AC/DC dual power line was developed. This system consists of reverse conducting GTO thyristors, microprocessors, and DSP`s. In the AC power supply line section, the line converter is controlled by PWM technology to secure a high power factor and reduce the higher harmonic generation of an input current as far as possible. The line converter and motor converter use reverse conducting GTO thyristors. Since these converters are cooled using a heat pipe cooler, they are reduced in size and weight. The electric grounding point of the main power circuit is set to the negative side of the DC line for AC and DC line sections. Therefore, the AC/DC selector switch was simplified in structure. Moreover, the DC input for the auxiliary power supply can be obtained from multiple line converters using diodes. As the result of the actual operational ...
The processes controlling total carbon (C) storage and release from the terrestrial biosphere are still poorly quantified. We conclude from analysis of paleodata and climatebiome model output that terrestrial C exchanges since the last glacial maximum (LGM) were dominated by slow processes of C sequestration in soils, possibly modified by C starvation and reduced water use efficiency of trees during the LGM. In contrast, future C cycling will be dominated by human activities, not only from increasing C release with burning of fossil fuels, and but also from indirect effects which increase C storage in the terrestrial biosphere and decrease C storage in the biosphere. Comparison of the positive and negative C flux processes involved suggests that if the C sequestration processes are important, they likely will be so during the next few decades, gradually being counteracted by the C release processes. (Copyright (c) l993 Kluwer Academic ...
In field O{sub 3}-enrichment experiments increased herbivore densities have been reported, which could be due to negatively affected host location behavior of natural enemies. We addressed the impact of doubling background O{sub 3} on the host location of the parasitoid Cotesia plutellae by conducting 24-h trials in an open-air O{sub 3}-fumigation system during two consecutive years. Two circles (radii 1.40 and 4.00 m) of Plutella xylostella-infested potted cabbage plants were placed in the O{sub 3} and ambient plots. Female wasps were released into each plot from the center, and observed 5 times over a 24-h period to assess their host location capability. Thereafter, plants were kept in laboratory conditions until larvae pupation to determine parasitism rates. No significant differences were detected between ambient and O{sub 3}-enriched environments either in the number of wasps found in the field, or in the percentages of parasitized larvae. This suggests that ...
Low expression of osmotically responsive genes 2 (LOS2) encodes an enolase (2-phospho-D-glycerate hydrolase, EC 4.2.1.11) that converts 2-phospho-D-glycerate (PGA) to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) in the glycolytic pathway in Arabidopsis. Meanwhile, it is a transcriptional activator of cold-responsive gene, negativelycontrolling the expression of STZ/ZAT10, a zinc finger transcriptional repressor of cold-responsive gene from Arabidopsis. A novel LOS2 gene, designated PtrLOS2 (GenBank accession number GQ144341), was isolated from trifoliate orange [Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.]. The PtrLOS2 cDNA is 1 662 bp in length with a 1 338 bp open reading frame (ORF), encoding a deduced 445 amino acid residue protein with a predicted molecular mass of 47.79 kDa and an isoelectric point of 5.54. The ded...
Increases in atmospheric CO[sub 2] are predicted to cause an increase in the C:N ratio of plant substrates entering the soil organic matter pool. We experimentally increased soil C:N ratios by adding 40 g C/m[sup 2] as sucrose (metabolic C) or cellulose (structural C) in short-, mid-, and tall-grass plots in the Serengeti Ecosystem, and measured plant productivity, plant nutrient uptake rates, and mineralization rates. Experimental treatments also included fencing to exclude grazing and additions of 40 g N/m[sup 2] as urea to simulate a urine hit from an average-sized ungulate. Productivity was only 60% of controls in C-addition plots, and was similar for sucrose and cellulose. However, this response was not observed in the short-grass site, an area of relatively low rainfall and high fertility. These results support the role of a plant-microbe negative feedback mechanism on plant growth in which increased C to microbes results in increased ...
To seek for a promising concept of a heavy liquid metal coolant (HLMC) fast reactor plant, Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute and the electric utilities conducted conceptual design study on various types of plant concepts and compared these concepts based on technical feasibility and economical perspective. A comparative design study is performed on Lead-Bismuth cooled reactors with forced and natural convection cooling. Eliminating an intermediate cooling system makes the heat transport system simple and can decrease the amount of the weight of NSSS. Based on the estimation of the amount materials, the plant internal load etc., a construction cost of these plants are evaluated approximately 2/3 times of that of LWRs at present. And, the nitride fuel makes breeding ratio of 1.2 with 150 GWd/t of burnup. The results of unprotected event analyses such as UTOP and ULOF show that both of concepts have possible features to withstand unprotected events due to ...
The HIPAA privacy rule (HIPAA) has had both positive and negative effects on the release of patient information by healthcare facilities. Although the intention of HIPAA was to protect patient privacy and to promote security and confidentiality of patient information, it has had unintended consequences for facilities. To identify some of these unintended effects, two expert panels of health information management directors from healthcare facilities participated in the nominal group technique meetings. They identified 70 barriers related to release of patient information associated with the implementation of HIPAA. The perceived biggest barriers were increases in the public's misunderstanding about release of patient information, lack of an umbrella policy or regulation defining infractions and enforcement that allows individual institutions to make their own interpretations, and challenges to health information management professionals in ...
A novel single-chain immunotoxin was constructed by combining a CD33-specific single chain Fv (scFv) antibody fragment with an engineered variant of Pseudomonas exotoxin A (ETA). The variant toxin carries the KDEL peptide at its C-terminus, a cellular peptide mediating improved retrograde transport to the endoplasmic reticulum. The purified recombinant fusion protein induced potent apoptosis of the human myeloid cell lines U937, HL-60 and THP-1. Up to 98% of U937 cells were eliminated after treatment for 72 h with a single dose of 500 ng/ml (c. 7 nmol/l). Killing was antigen-specific and occurred by apoptosis. A control protein, consisting of a CD19-specific scFv antibody fragment fused to the ETA-KDEL toxin, failed to induce death of the CD19-negative cell lines U937, HL-60 and THP-1. The CD33-ETA toxin also mediated apoptosis of fresh patient-derived acute myeloid leukaemia cells from bone marrow and peripheral blood. The pronounced ...
Non-thermal (low-temperature) physical plasma is under intensive study as an alternative approach to control superficial wound and skin infections when the effectiveness of chemical agents is weak due to natural pathogen or biofilm resistance. The purpose of this study was to test the individual susceptibility of pathogenic bacteria to non-thermal argon plasma and to measure the effectiveness of plasma treatments against bacteria in biofilms and on wound surfaces. Overall, Gram-negative bacteria were more susceptible to plasma treatment than Gram-positive bacteria. For the Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cenocepacia and Escherichia coli, there were no survivors among the initial 10(5) c.f.u. after a 5 min plasma treatment. The susceptibility of Gram-positive bacteria was species- and strain-specific. Streptococcus pyogenes was the most resistant with 17?% survival of the initial 10(5) c.f.u. ...
Transport of negative ion beams through plasma is reviewed. The effect of space charge on beam stability and beam emittance is discussed. The approaches to the beam transport problem developed at Los Alamos, Berkeley, Oak Ridge and Culham Laboratory are intercompared. (AIP)
Available data are presented which support the supposition that metals and alloys with a negative low-temperature Hall coefficient are apparently not superconducting. (author).
A constructive method is proposed to solve a class of massive Feynman integrals within the Negative Dimensional Integration Method. The results are compared with the ones given by known positive D models and expressed in terms of dimensionally and analytically regularized integrals 3 refs.
A 42% (70 of 167 isolates) incidence of resistance to 20 micrograms of trimethoprim per ml was found among clinical isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci from two hospitals. A specific trimethoprim...Full Text Available
... trees, data showing a better fit to a power model than to a negative exponential model. Invading Pinus ... power law models were significantly negative. The inverse power model accounted for a considerabl...
Delta-hemolysin of coagulase-negative staphylococcal strains was immunologically identical to delta-hemolysin of Staphylococcus aureus (Newman) but distinct from delta-hemolysin from a canine strain...Full Text Available
The electrode structure of an inverted cesium sputtering negative ion source has been modified to produce a convergent Cs/sup +/ beam. The intensities of negative ion beams produced with this electrode structure are approximately an order of magnitude greater than previously obtained.
The antibiotic resistance patterns of gram-negative fecal bacteria from pigs in three herds with different histories of antibiotic exposure were examined. In general, smaller proportions of antibiotic-resistant...Full Text Available
IntroductionVarious multigene predictors of breast cancer clinical outcome have been commercialized, but proved to be prognostic only for hormone receptor (HR) subsets overexpressing...Full Text Available
On Day 363, a negative 360-degree roll turn with spacecraft ... Ill. DSN Support Assessment. As an indication of the high level support provided by the ...
This paper describes the design of a high-voltage negative ion source based on a magnetically insulated diode and generating microsecond pulses. Plane an cylindrical cathodes have been tested. The spatial and angular distributions of negative ions in the beam have been measured. The content of negative ions with different masses in the beam are given. The ion current density measured by a Faraday cup was up to 1 A/cm{sup 2} for the radial beam and 30-40 A/cm{sup 2}.
Two sources of negative ions are described. An rf source produces up to 14 ..mu..A beams of He/sup -/ by charge exchange in Rb vapor. The other Source of Negative Ions by Cesium Sputtering (SNICS) produces a wide variety of negative ion beams in the ..mu..A range. Two important features of SNICS are its simple, compact construction and its very good beam emittance (2 to 4..pi..mm mrad MeV/sup 1/2/). Both sources have lifetimes >200 hours and they are used extensively on the Wisconsin EN tandem.
The requirements for transporting high-current, negative-ion beams are presented with particular emphasis on applications involving negative-hydrogen-ion beams. In addition to the usual matching and steering problems, particular attention must be paid to beam emittance growth in the transport system. Depending on the application, a number of approaches have been developed using both magnetic and electric lenses. I discuss the design considerations for transporting and matching these beams to radiofrequency quadrupole accelerators, and present a survey of the various types of beamlines now used for negative-ion beams.
The requirements for transporting high-current, negative-ion beams are presented with particular emphasis on applications involving negative-hydrogen-ion beams. In addition to the usual matching and steering problems, particular attention must be paid to beam emittance growth in the transport system. Depending on the application, a number of approaches have been developed using both magnetic and electric lenses. I discuss the design considerations for transporting and matching these beams to radio-frequency quadrupole accelerators, and present a survey of the various types of beamlines now used for negative-ion beams.
The requirements for transporting high-current, negative-ion beams are presented with particular emphasis on applications involving negative-hydrogen-ion beams. In addition to the usual matching and steering problems, particular attention must be paid to beam emittance growth in the transport system. Depending on the application, a number of approaches have been developed using both magnetic and electric lenses. I discuss the design considerations for transporting and matching these beams to radiofrequency quadrupole accelerators, and present a survey of the various types of beamlines now used for negative-ion beams.
... negative diplooocci, to determine the type of pneumococi, to study staphylococa proteas, ehigla, sallmnefla, pasteurella, brucela, linters, leptosp ,s ...
The time dependence of negative corona current I, called by Gagarin like 'relaxing of CV-characteristics', is a observed phenomena. The observed phenomena was explained by two theoretical models considering the ion-molecule and chemical reactions in the negative corona discharges in air, especially the ozone production. In the presented paper the discrepancies of above mentioned models, re-examination the earlier experimental data and presumptions used in models in a light the latest experimentally confirmed facts are discussed.
During the present grant period we have continued our study of the photodetachment of atomic negative ions using cross-beam photoelectron detachment spectroscopy. The experimental technique involves the measurement of, under conditions of good energy and angular resolution, kinetic energies, yields and angular distributions of photoelectrons ejected from the interaction region between perpendicularly crossed laser and negative ion beams. 6 figs.
The possibility of applying the near infrared gas dynamic lasers (GDL) for neutralization of negative ion beams is examined. A criterion of neutralization is suggested. The use of the criterion makes it possible to select an optically active medium for a negative ion neutralization. To demonstrate the method media containing hydrohalogens as imitating molecules are taken. ((orig.))
The fundamental ionisation process of negative surface ionisation is described and two applications are discussed. One is in the so called surface-plasma sources which enable the production of intense negative ion beams. The second application is in the passive diagnosis of the charge exchange of neutrals emitted from hydrogen plasmas.
A new, magnetically insulated negative ion source has recently been discovered which can produce pulsed negative ion beams (H/sup -/, Li/sup -/, and C/sup -/) with intensities of 100-300 A/cm/sup 2/ at 1-4 MeV. This source may provide the basis for a high energy neutral beam system for heating large tokamaks.
A 500 keV negative-ion based NBI system is under construction for NB current drive and plasma core heating in high density plasma in JT-60U. Part of the beamline and the high voltage power supply required for a verification test of an ion source was completed in March 1995. After having done a high potential test of the power supply, the negative-ion generation and acceleration tests started in June 1995 aiming at deuterium beams of 500 keV, 22A. In initial experiment, deuterium negative-ion beams of 410 keV, 6.1A (2.5 MW) for 0.2 sec, so far, have been achieved. This is the world highest D{sup {minus}} current and negative ion beam power. The construction of the total system will be completed by the beginning of 1996, and the beam injection will start in March 1996.
Negative frequency has a physical meaning, the complete description of a frequency signal is a rotating complex signal, in complete description, positive frequency signal exp(iwt) and negative frequency signal exp(-iwt) is two distinguishable and independent frequency signals. Because the real-carrier modulation and demodulation do not distinguish positive and negative frequency, so half of the spectrum resources and signal energy are wasted. The complex-carrier modulation uses the distinguishable positive frequency signal exp(iwt) and negative frequency signal exp(-iwt) as the carrier signals, they can carry different information, so the spectrum resources is full used, the complex-carrier demodulation does not lose signal energy, so the spectrum efficiency is improved.
The relationships between severity of iron deficiency anemia, response to iron treatment, respiratory and gastrointestinal illness and weight changes were assessed before (T1) and after (T2) iron therapy. Seventy-five pre-school children from rural Guatemala received daily oral iron (ferrous sulfate 5 mg/kg/day) for eleven weeks, and were classified into one of three groups: (1) severe iron deficient (Hgb < 9.25 g/dl at T1 and > 1g/dl Hgb response (T2-T1) to Fe Rx; (2) moderately iron deficient (Hgb 9.25 g/dl to 11.5 g/dl and T2-T1 > 1g/dl); (3) normal controls (Hgb > 11.5 g/dl and T2-T1 < 1g/dl). When both severely and moderately anemic children were pooled together, there was a statistical significant difference between the number of days ill with gastrointestinal symptoms of these children and those in the control group. Children with T1 Hgb > 11.5 had more days ill than those classified as severely or moderately anemic. ...
Data from 52 litters farrowed in two seasons of a cross-fostering experiment were analyzed to estimate variances and covariances for additive direct and maternal genetic effects on immune response to pseudorabies virus and B. bronchiseptica vaccine. Twenty purebred boars and 44 sows of the Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire breeds were used. Immune response was measured after vaccine challenge. A modified-live pseudorabies (PR) vaccine was administered to piglets at 28 d of age; response was measured by log2 serum neutralization titers at 56 d. An inactivated B. bronchiseptica bacterin was administered at 28, 42 and 112 d. Antibody levels were measured relative to positive and negativecontrols at 28, 56 and 119 d by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results from this study for heritability were .18 +/- .09 for PR titer and .15 +/- .07 and .52 +/- .15 for 56- and 119-d ELISA values, respectively. The variability due to nurse ...
Introduction: Previous studies have published the correlation between myocardial perfusion SPECT (MP) during cold pressor test (CPT) and intracoronary acetylcholine and its usefulness as independent marker of endothelial dysfunction (ED). Objective: To analyze the incidence of positivization of MP exercise studies in the follow up of asymptomatic patients with moderate cardiovascular risk (CV) and ED detected by PF. Material and Methods: Of 301 patients of the PARADIGMA Registry (normal exercise MP SPECT and clinical probability < 20% of events at 10 years [moderate risk by Framingham index]) 55 had positive PF (+) (18.3%). Prospectively and consecutively, 15 asymptomatic patients with PF (+), and a control group (CG) of 15 patients with negative PF, with paired sex, age and coronary risk factors (CRF), that accomplished a 12 #+-# 2 months follow up, and that underwent a new exercise and resting MP SPECT were analyzed. An MP extension score ...
Naturally-occurring wetlands perform such functions as flood control, pollution filtration, nutrient recycling, sediment accretion, groundwater recharge and water supply, erosion control, and plant and wildlife preservation. A large concentration of wetlands is located in Eastern Europe. A significant amount of Eastern European wetlands has been converted to agricultural use in the past, and remaining wetlands are subject to agricultural drainage. Drained wetlands are used as prime agriculture lands for a variety of food crops. Other agricultural uses of wetlands range from growing Phragmites australis (common reed) for thatch and livestock feed, to collecting peat for heating and cooking fuel. Altered hydrologic regimes due to global climate change could further exacerbate encroachment of agricultural land use into wetlands. The vulnerability and adaptation studies of the US Country Studies Program are used to analyze where climate change ...
New furnaces were built based on fused silica with NiChrome heating elements custom-wound on alumina ceramic to self-compensate for induced magnetic fields during operation. During tests these furnaces failed due to thermal stresses caused by the high temperature cement used to hold the alumina ceramic in place. As a third solution pieces of boron nitride have been procured from which new furnace bodies will be machined during the third quarter. In order to increase the in-house capacity for machining ceramic parts a small lathe was ordered. The implementation of the LabView data acquisition software from National Instruments, Inc. took more time than anticipated and is still not completed. Major difficulties had to be overcome during the integration of the separate positive and negative high voltage supplies ({plus_minus}1000V). It became apparent that a custom-designed switch had to be installed to safeguard the data acquisition modules and the Apple Macintosh ...
No research has compared expressions of weight bias across different subgroups of obese individuals. This study compared attitudes toward and beliefs about obesity in women with and without binge eating disorder (BED) and examined whether these attitudes are related to psychological factors. Fifty obese women with BED were compared with an age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched group of 50 obese women without BED on a battery of established measures of anti-fat attitudes and beliefs about weight controllability and psychological factors (self-esteem, depression, and eating disorder features). The ageand BMI-matched groups did not differ with respect to beliefs about obesity or attitudes toward obese persons, or in self-esteem or depression. Correlational analyses conducted separately within each group revealed that women with BED who reported more favorable attitudes towards obese persons had higher self-esteem and lower levels of depression, whereas there were no ...
The disruption of primary innate immune function of the epidermal layer of the skin accounts for the susceptibility of individuals using bleaching agents to localized or systemic infections. This subverted innate immunity in these people may lead to other pathological conditions. The resultant effects of skin bleaching and phagocytes activation in response to infections have not been studied in Nigerians using bleaching agents. The present study therefore assessed the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, total antioxidant potential (TAP), total plasma peroxides (TPP), oxidative stress index (OSI) and malonaldehyde (MDA) in the users bleaching agents. Thirty (30) people who had used bleaching agents for average of 4.9 + 1.2 years participated in this study. They were recruited from various schools and markets within the city of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Thirty apparently healthy staffs of University College Hospital Ibadan, Ibaadan, Nigeria, who had never used bleaching agents ...
Taking the development of large current, negative ion sources which is in progress aiming at nuclear fusion reactors and the development of high luminance ion sources planned as a part of the Omega Project as the examples, the technology for generating high power ion beams is explained. Both these projects are positioned at the limit of the present technology of high power ion beam application as their targeted beam power reaches several tens MW. Consequently, the requirement for the ion sources is severe, and in particular, the generation of the ion beams having large current density with good convergence is beyond all precedents. The application of high power ion sources has been realized as the neutral beam injectors for large tokamaks. Also the hydrogen negative ion source of large current and the electrostatic acceleration technology for negative ion beams have been developed. Large plasma sources, the method of ...
Production of intense negative ion beams in magnetically insulated diodes was studied in order to develop an understanding of this process by measuring the ion-beam parameters as a function of diode and cathode plasma conditions in different magnetically insulated diodes. A coral diode, a racetrack diode, and an annular diode were used. The UCI APEX pulse line, with a nominal output of 1MV, 140kA, was used under matched conditions with a pulse length of 50 nsec. Negative-ion intensity and divergence were measured with Faraday cups and CR-39 track detectors. Cathode plasma was produced by passive dielectric cathodes and later, by an independent plasma gun. Negative-ion currents had an intensity of a few A/cm{sup 2} with a divergence ranging between a few tenths milliradians for an active TiH{sub 2} plasma gun and 300 milliradians for a passive polyethelene cathode. Negative ions were usually emitted from ...
The Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) now under construction at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory will use the 25-MV tandem accelerator for the acceleration of radioactive ion beams to energies appropriate for research in nuclear physics; negative ion beams are, therefore, required for injection into the tandem accelerator. Because charge exchange is an efficient means for converting initially positive ion beams to negative ion beams, both positive and negative ion sources are viable options for use at the facility; the choice of the type of ion source will depend on the overall efficiency for generating the radioactive species of interest. A high-temperature version of the CERN-ISOLDE positive ion source has been selected and a modified version of the source designed and fabricated for initial use at the HRIBF because of its low emittance, relatively high ionization efficiencies and species versatility, and ...
The Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) now under construction at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory will use the 25-MV tandem accelerator for the acceleration of radioactive ion beams to energies appropriate for research in nuclear physics; negative ion beams are, therefore, required for injection into the tandem accelerator. Because charge exchange is an efficient means for converting initially positive ion beams to negative ion beams, both positive and negative ion sources are viable options for use at the facility; the choice of the type of ion source will depend on the overall efficiency for generating the radioactive species of interest. A high-temperature version of the CERN-ISOLDE positive ion source has been selected and a modified version of the source designed and fabricated for initial use at the HRIBF because of its low emittance, relatively high ionization efficiencies and species versatility, and ...
A brief description of a method for producing relatively intense molecular negative ion beams for the difficult Group IIA elements is given which offers considerable improvement in terms of source operation and beam intensity stability over other methods conventionally utilized. It is particularly suited for use in cesium plasma sources such as the Aarhus geometry and axial geometry versions of the source. The method utilizes H/sub 2/ source feed gas for the production of a hydrogen-rich plasma discharge which sputters a negatively biased probe made of elemental or copper alloy material. Negative ion beams of MgH/sub 3//sup -/>=12 ..mu.. A have been realized during routine operation of the 25 MV tandem accelerator. Negative ion beam intensity data, typical source operational parameters, and examples of mass spectra associated with their production are given. Interesting intermetallic molecular ...
Two measurement methods to determine the rate of neutral free radical production by the photo-deionization of negative ion beams (PDINIB) are introduced. These methods, namely, photoelectron-current measurement by low-frequency electro-modulation probe (PMMP) and measurement of decrease in the negative-ion beam current (DNIC) were employed to evaluate the production rate in a trial surface-processing apparatus developed in the author's laboratory utilizing a steady-flux refined beam of neutral free radicals (RBNR) produced by the PDINIB procedure. A {sup 63}Cu{sup -} negative ion beam of kinetic energy E{sub i} varied up to 15 keV was irradiated with a 514.5 nm visible light beam from a 25 W CW Ar{sup +} ion laser. The detection limit of the production rate by the PMMP setup was as high as 6 x 10{sup 9} s{sup -1} under the condition that E{sub i}=15 keV, the negative-ion beam current I{sub i}=4 ...
A rechargeable cell is disclosed which is characterized in the following manner. A positive electrode is formed from a manganese oxide electrode material. This manganese oxide electrode material contains a heavy metal selected from the group comprising lead, bismuth, and mixtures of lead and bismuth. The cell also contains a negative electrode of zinc. A separator is provided between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. An alkaline electrolyte consisting essentially of an alcohol and an alkaline hydroxide is also contained in the rechargeable cell in contact with both the positive electrode and the negative electrode.
The production of polarized negative ion beams by collisional pumping is described. Collisional pumping utilizes repeated charge changing collisions in a thick electron-spin-polarized gas or vapor target to form a polarized fast atom beam. The polarized fast atom beam is then partially converted into a polarized negative ion beam in a vapor target. Analysis is presented for a hydrogen beam passing through either a thick polarized H atom target or a thick polarized alkali target. Large polarizations and large currents may be possible.
The production of polarized negative ion beams by ''collisional pumping'' is described. Collisional pumping utilizes repeated charge changing collisions in a thick electron-spin-polarized gas or vapor target to form a polarized fast atom beam. The polarized fast atom beam is then partially converted into a polarized negative ion beam in a vapor target. Analysis is presented for a hydrogen beam passing through either a thick polarized H atom target or a thick polarized alkali target. Large polarizations and large currents may be possible.
Plasma generated in low-density vapor by a negative ion beam has been studied experimentally and computationally. We show that space charge neutralization of the beam occurs at very low vapor density, and that correspondingly the electron density may be much less than the beam and plasma ion densities. When there is a large local gas density, as in a charge changing cell, the resulting high electron density is also localized to the same region. Therefore, very few electrons will reach a negative ion accelerator even if it is placed one or two beam diameters from such a cell.
The temperature and pressure dependence of the mobilities of negative charges injected into liquid hydrogen and deuterium have been measured. The authors propose the existence of two types of charge carriers in liquid parahydrogen. One is a bubble with an electron inside while the other has higher mobility. Relaxation of the current through liquid hydrogen was observed. It is suggested that in liquid and solid hydrogen under {beta}-irradiation neutral complexes are created which can trap the negative charges and have a lifetime of about 10 hours. 6 refs., 5 figs.
High-current implantation of Cu{sup {minus}} ions into silica glasses has been demonstrated using mA-class negative ion beams at 60 keV. Negative ion implantation has an advantage to alleviate specimen charging for insulating substrates and has attained high dose rates, up to 260 {micro}A/cm{sup 2}. Spherical Cu colloids form in the silica glasses without additional thermal annealing. Optical absorption and reflection of the implanted specimens vary with the current density, even at a fixed dose level. A beam-induced surface plasma may affect the high current implantation.
Average emittance data for ion beams extracted from cesium-sputter negative ion sources equipped with spherical, ellipsoidal, and cylindrical geometry cesium-surface ionizers are presented. The attributes of the respective source geometries are described in terms of their cesium ion optical properties. The results of recent measurement of the emittances of momentum-analyzed beams extracted from the ellipsoidal geometry source are also presented. These measurements indicate the presence of a species-dependent effect. The effect is believed to be attributable to differences in the energy spreads of the respective negative ion beams introduced by the sputter generation process.
Average emittance data for ion beams extracted from cesium-sputter negative ion sources equipped with spherical, ellipsoidal, and cylindrical geometry cesium-surface ionizers are presented. The attributes of the respective source geometries are described in terms of their cesium ion optical properties. The results of recent measurement of the emittances of momentum-analyzed beams extracted from the ellipsoidal geometry source are also presented. These measurements indicate the presence of a species-dependent effect. The effect is believed to be attributable to differences in the energy spreads of the respective negative ion beams introduced by the sputter generation process. 11 refs., 8 figs.
It is experimentally demonstrated that a relatively strong ion-rich sheath formed at a fixed negative bias of the grid can be changed to a rather weak ion sheath (sheath potential weakly retards electrons) only by increasing the discharge voltage in the system. At sufficiently high negative grid bias, an increase of discharge voltage enhances the ion collection current at the grid. An explanation is put forward in support of this experimental observation. A slight density enhancement with a fall in plasma electron temperature is also observed with the increasing negative grid bias. (authors)
The acoustic hyperlens can be realized by an alternating layered structure of water and fluid with negative mass density. Based on this alternating layered principle, we propose that an acoustic metamaterial consisting of three layers in water background can be designed to replace the fluid with negative mass density. The effective mass density and bulk modulus of the system which is composed of acoustic metamaterial and water are functions of the frequency. The effective mass density of such a system is close to the negative mass density of the fluid at a specific frequency; thus an acoustic metamaterial hyperlens can be achieved.
SUMMARYHomeostatic synaptic plasticity is a negative feedback mechanism neurons use to offset excessive excitation or inhibition by adjusting their synaptic strengths. Recent...Full Text Available
Ultraconserved elements (UCEs) are sequences that are identical between reference genomes of distantly related species. As they are under negative selection and enriched near or in specific classes...Full Text Available
Legionella pneumophila is a gram-negative bacterial species that is ubiquitous in almost any aqueous environment. It is the agent of Legionnaires’ disease, an acute and often...Full Text Available
BackgroundPhotorhabdus luminescens is a Gram-negative luminescent enterobacterium and a symbiote to soil nematodes belonging to the species Heterorhabditis...Full Text Available
BackgroundOptimal treatment of primary negative symptoms is important because their presence is associated with poor outcome.AimsTo systematically review all studies dealing with the efficacy of pharmacological agents on primary negative symptoms.MethodA comprehensive search of the relevant literature was undertaken using electronic database, reference lists and personal contact.ResultsThere is a lack of standardized research designs. Amisulpride is the most extensively studied drug with respect to efficacy against primary negative symptoms. At low doses it demonstrates a consistent, modest effect compared to placebo, though not to conventional antipsychotics and has yet to be tested against other atypicals. Evidence from multiple studies that used simple statistical analyses and inclusion...
Ozone production in a negative corona discharge has been studied experimentally at atmospheric pressure in mixtures of N_2O+O_2 at ambient temperature. Ozone formation was found to be dramatically reduced with increase in the content of N_2O in the mixture. The reaction of O("1D) with nitrous oxide is the most likely process reducing the rate of ozone generation. A considerable decrease in the mean discharge current at a constant voltage was also observed with increasing content of nitrous oxide in the mixture and is attributed to the formation of anions in the discharge. The low values of the calculated mobility of negative charge carriers in the drift region of the discharge is caused by the formation of O"- #centre dot# (N_2O)_n and NO"-#centre dot#(N_2O)_n cluster anions in the drift region of the negative corona discharge.
Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process that involves the invagination and degradation of cytoplasmic components through an autophagosomelysosome track. Autophagy functions...Full Text Available
Amotivation is a telling hallmark of negative symptomatology in schizophrenia, and it impacts nearly every facet of behavior, including inclination to attempt the difficult cognitive tasks involved...Full Text Available
Francisella tularensis is a gram negative facultative intracellular bacterium that causes the zoonotic disease tularemia. Free-living amebae, such as Acanthamoeba and...Full Text Available
Francisella tularensis is a Gram-negative bacterium capable of causing the zoonotic disease tularaemia in a large number of mammalian species and in arthropods. F. tularensis...Full Text Available
This exploratory research paper investigated the coping strategies of families of hospitalized psychiatric patients and identified their positive and negative coping strategies. In this paper, the coping...Full Text Available
Abstract Background: This study involves a multicentre surveillance of tigecycline and tetracycline activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria from primary care centres (PCCs), general hospital wards (GHWs) and intensive care units (ICUs) in Denmark (n == 9), Finland (n == 10), Norway (n == 7) and Sweden (n == 19). Methods: The hospitals were each asked to test 30 consecutive Gram-positive and 30 Gram-negative clinical isolates. Supportive information accompanying each isolate included the study centre, ward level (PCC, GHW, or ICU), patient identification and source of the isolate. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for tetracycline and tigecycline were determined with the Etest. Results: The isolates collected comprised 1610 Gram-negative and 1767 Gram-positive clini...
Investigations have been conducted to determine the feasibility of using collisional cooling for reducing the energy spreads and, consequently, the emittances of negative-ion beams. We have designed a gas-filled RF-quadrupole ion cooler equipped with provisions for retarding energetic negative ion beams to energies below thresholds for electron detachment at injection and for re-acceleration to high energies after the cooling process. The device has been used to cool O{sup -} and F{sup -} ion beams with initial energy spreads, {Delta}E > 10 eV to final energy spreads, {Delta}E {approx} 2 eV FWHM. Overall transmission efficiencies of {approx}14% for F{sup -} beams have been obtained. Experimental results show that electron detachment is the major loss mechanism for negative ions.
Investigations have been conducted to determine the feasibility of using collisional cooling for reducing the energy spreads and, consequently, the emittances of negative-ion beams. We have designed a gas-filled RF-quadrupole ion cooler equipped with provisions for retarding energetic negative ion beams to energies below thresholds for electron detachment at injection and for re-acceleration to high energies after the cooling process. The device has been used to cool O{sup -} and F{sup -} ion beams with initial energy spreads, {Delta}E > 10 eV to final energy spreads, {Delta}E {approx} 2 eV FWHM. Overall transmission efficiencies of {approx}14% for F{sup -} beams have been obtained. Experimental results show that electron detachment is the major loss mechanism for negative ions.
Aggregatibacter (Actinobacillus) actinomycetemcomitans is a facultative anaerobic gram-negative bacterium associated with severe forms of periodontitis. A leukotoxin, which belongs...Full Text Available
Recent studies have shown Y chromosome microdeletions associated with male infertility. The factors responsible for Y chromosome microdeletions in spermatozoa remain unresolved. However, the environmental pollutants are known to damage DNA in differentiating and maturing germ cells in the male reproductive tract. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of seminal hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and its isomers, an environmental pollutant, in 50 fertile and 50 infertile males in relation to semen quality and the incidence of Y chromosome microdeletion in azoospermic factor (AZF) region. As compared to control, an increased HCH level and significantly decreased semen quality were observed in the infertile males. A positive significant association was found between sperm count with alpha-HCH and beta-HCH in the infertile males. A negative significant association was observed between sperm counts with gamma-HCH in asthenospermia ...
In this study samples of AISI 4140 steel were pretreated by plasma nitriding and coated with two different physical vapour deposited coatings (TiN and TiAlN). A hardened AISI 4140 sample and a coated sample were also included in the investigation. To examine the influence of the nitrided zone on the performance of the coating-substrate composite, two different nitriding conditions - a conventional 25% N{sub 2} and an N{sub 2}-poor gas mixture - were used. The specimens were investigated with respect to their microhardness, surface roughness, scratch adhesion and dry sliding wear resistance. Wear tests in which the duplex-treated pins were mated to hardened ball bearing steel discs were performed in a pin-on-disc machine under dry sliding conditions. Metallography, scanning electron microscopy and profilometry were used to analyse the worn surfaces in order to determine the dominant friction and wear characteristics of the samples investigated. The results show improved wear properties ...
Quality of education is a determining factor in a nation's competitiveness. Although Mexico has made tremendous progress toward achieving universal basic education, school quality has not kept pace with enrollment increases, especially in rural areas. Innovations at the federal and state levels to raise the quality of basic education in Mexico include decentralizing the education system, thereby giving the states more control over education, and creating the Carrera Magisterial, a program of incentives and professional development for teachers. The first part of this paper shows that early in their professional lives, teachers in basic public schools are better paid than other comparable groups. The second part of the paper analyzes determinants of student achievement. Findings show that short-term teacher posts had a negative impact on learning achievement. Pedagogical efforts and teacher answers to student questions were highly correlated ...
BACKGROUND: Immune suppressant medications such as thiopurines and anti-tumor necrosis factor agents are important for maintaining disease control in most patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs); however, their use has been associated with the development of malignant lymphoma. The purpose of this Dutch nationwide study was to estimate the relative risk of malignant lymphoma in IBD patients. METHODS: IBD patients who developed a lymphoma between 1997 and 2004 were identified using the Dutch National Database of PALGA. Data from confirmed cases were collected from individual hospitals, including data on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The age-adjusted 8-year incidence of malignant lymphoma in the Netherlands was retrieved from the Central Bureau of Statistics. RESULTS: Forty-two hospitals were visited and 285 matches evaluated in the total cohort of 17,834 IBD patients. Forty-four lymphomas were observed, resulting in a relative risk of 1.27 (95% confidence ...
Based on the results obtained for C-N and Si-C-N films, a systematic investigation of reactive magnetron sputtering of hard quaternary Si-B-C-N materials has been carried out. The Si-B-C-N films were deposited on p-type Si(100) substrates by dc magnetron co-sputtering using a single C-Si-B target (at a fixed 20% boron fraction in the target erosion area) in nitrogen-argon gas mixtures. Elemental compositions of the films, their surface bonding structure and mechanical properties, together with their oxidation resistance in air, were controlled by the Si fraction (5-75%) in the magnetron target erosion area, the Ar fraction (0-75%) in the gas mixture, the rf induced negative substrate bias voltage (from a floating potential to -500 V) and the substrate temperature (180-350 deg. C). The total pressure and the discharge current on the magnetron target were held constant at 0.5 Pa and 1 A, respectively. The energy and flux of ions bombarding the ...
Antiquitin (ATQ) deficiency is the main cause of pyridoxine dependent epilepsy characterized by early onset epileptic encephalopathy responsive to large dosages of pyridoxine. Despite seizure control most patients have intellectual disability. Folinic acid responsive seizures (FARS) are genetically identical to ATQ deficiency. ATQ functions as an aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH7A1) in the lysine degradation pathway. Its deficiency results in accumulation of ?-aminoadipic semialdehyde (AASA), piperideine-6-carboxylate (P6C) and pipecolic acid, which serve as diagnostic markers in urine, plasma, and CSF. To interrupt seizures a dose of 100mg of pyridoxine-HCl is given intravenously, or orally/enterally with 30mg/kg/day. First administration may result in respiratory arrest in responders, and thus treatment should be performed with support of respiratory management. To make sure that late and masked response is not missed, treatment with oral/enteral pyridoxine should be ...
AIMS: To clarify the levels of protein oxidation markers such as protein carbonyl (PCO), protein hydroperoxides (P-OOH), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and nitrotyrosine (NT), as well as antioxidative enzymes such as paraoxonase (PON-1) in women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: The study was conducted on 23 women with GDM and 22 women without GDM. The levels of the P-OOH, AOPP, and PON-1 were determined by colorimetric methods; whereas NT and PCO levels were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: The concentrations of protein oxidation markers were significantly increased and PON1 activity was significantly decreased in GDM group compared to those of normal pregnant women. The control group showed a significant negative correlation between PON-1 and PCO (r=-0.451, p=0.027); whereas in GDM group, there was a significant positive correlation between P-OOH and HbA1c (r=0.89, p=0.001). There was no significant ...
A low nephron endowment may be associated with hypertension. Nephrogenesis is the process that leads to the formation of nephrons until week 36 of gestation in humans and may be inhibited by many factors like intrauterine growth restriction and premature birth. To study the consequences of a low glomerular number, animal models have been developed. We describe a model of postnatal food restriction in the rat in which litter size is increased to 20 pups, which leads to growth restriction. In the rat, active nephrogenesis continues until postnatal day 8, which coincides with the growth restriction in our model. Design-based stereological methods were used to estimate glomerular number and volume. Our results show an approximately 25% lower glomerular number in rats after postnatal food restriction (30,800 glomeruli/kidney) compared with control rats (39,600 glomeruli/kidney, P < 0.001). Mean glomerular volume was increased by 35% in the growth-restricted rats (P = ...
Purpose: To use the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as a theoretical framework to explore in depth the range of beliefs held by consumers about internet shopping in general and internet grocery shopping in particular. Design/methodology/approach: Seven focus group interviews, four in the United Kingdom and three in Denmark, were conducted among consumers with different degrees of experience with internet grocery shopping. This diversification of respondents was chosen to capture a broad range of the consumer beliefs that predict intentions to buy groceries online or not. The TPB framework was used to construct the interview guide that was followed in all focus groups. Findings: An unexpected result of the explorative study was that the seven groups consisting of more or less experienced internet shoppers differed only little in their pool of beliefs (outcome and control beliefs). Beliefs about internet grocery shopping, positive as well as ...
Introduction. This study used Item-Response Theory (IRT) to model the psychometric properties of a false belief picture sequencing task. Consistent with the mental time travel hypothesis of paranoia, we anticipated that performance on this deductive theory of mind (ToM) task would not be associated with the presence of persecutory delusions but would be related to other clinical, cognitive, and demographic factors. Method. A large (N=237) and diverse clinical and nonclinical sample differing in levels of depression and paranoid ideation performed 2 ToM tasks: the false belief sequencing task and a ToM stories task that was used to assess the validity of the false belief sequencing task as a measure of ToM. Results. A unidimensional IRT model was found to fit the data well. Latent ToM ability as measured by the false belief sequencing task was negatively related with age and positively with IQ. In contrast to the ToM stories measure, there was no association between ...
This report is composed of the following two parts and appendix. (I) Improvement of the Method for Evaluating Reactivity Based on Monte Carlo Perturbation Theory: Theoretical formulation in Monte Carlo perturbation method had been checked, and then introduced into a calculation code. There are some cases that the results of the change of eigenvalues becomes positive or negative by changing the estimator, and there is no reasonable difference in the results between the conventional method, which does not consider the change of neutron source distribution caused by a perturbation, and the new method, which consider that change. Thus it is still necessary to check the Monte Carlo perturbation code. (II) Improvement of Nodal Transport Method for 3-D Hexagonal Geometry: We can accurately evaluate hexagonal geometry FBR core by nodal transport calculation code for hexagonal-Z geometry named `NSHEX`. However it is also found that in very heterogeneous core the results is ...
This study presents the data of an evaluation of the automated Nuclisens easyMAG and EasyQ systems versus the Roche AmpliPrep-AMPLICOR combination for testing of high-volume human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) load. This represents a follow-up of a previous study investigating the performance of the real-time Nuclisens assay using the semiautomated NucliSENS miniMAG extraction procedure. Three hundred eighteen patient samples were analyzed using both methods. The easyMAG-EasyQ HIV type 1 system has a higher sensitivity and broader dynamic range than the Cobas AmpliPrep-AMPLICOR system when the standard Roche assay is used alone, 25 to 3,000,000 IU/ml versus 400 to 750,000 HIV RNA copies/ml, respectively. There was significant correlation between the assays (0.93; P < 0.0001), with good accuracy (percent similarity mean ? = 96%), good precision (percent similarity standard deviation = 4.97%), and overall good agreement with a low percent similarity coefficient of variation of 5.17 to ...
In not infected knee prostheses bone scintigraphy is a possible method to diagnose mechanical loosening, and therefore, to affect treatment regimes in symptomatic patients. However, hitherto studies showed controversial results for the reliability of bone scintigraphy in diagnosing loosened knee prostheses by using asymptomatic control groups. Therefore, the aim of our study was to optimize the interpretation procedure and to evaluate the accuracy using results from revision surgery as standard. Methods: Retrospectively, we were able to examine the tibial component in 31 cemented prostheses. In this prostheses infection was excluded by histological or bacteriological examination during revision surgery. To quantify bone scintigraphy, we used medial and lateral tibial regions with a reference region from the contralateral femur. Results: to differentiate between loosened and intact prostheses we found a threshold of 5.0 for the maximum tibia to femur ratio of the ...
In not infected knee prostheses bone scintigraphy is a possible method to diagnose mechanical loosening, and therefore, to affect treatment regimes in symptomatic patients. However, hitherto studies showed controversial results for the reliability of bone scintigraphy in diagnosing loosened knee prostheses by using asymptomatic control groups. Therefore, the aim of our study was to optimize the interpretation procedure and to evaluate the accuracy using results from revision surgery as standard. Methods: Retrospectively, we were able to examine the tibial component in 31 cemented prostheses. In this prostheses infection was excluded by histological or bacteriological examination during revision surgery. To quantify bone scintigraphy, we used medial and lateral tibial regions with a reference region from the contralateral femur. Results: to differentiate between loosened and intact prostheses we found a threshold of 5.0 for the maximum tibia to femur ratio of the ...
An important advantage of carrying out enzymatic catalysis in organic media is the increased solubility of hydrophobic substrates. This study compares a model lipase catalyzed esterification of cholesterol using vinyl acetate (VA) in two such nontraditional media: high-pressure hexane and supercritical (SCF) ethane. The effect of using one of the reactants (VA) as a cosolvent to increase the solubility of the other reactant (cholesterol) in SCF ethane has been investigated. The thermodynamic activity of water (a(w)) in the reaction media was controlled by the direct addition of the salt hydrate pair Na(4)P(2)O(7)/Na(4)P(2)O(7).10H(2)O. The a(w) of the salt hydrate system is shown to be a function of pressure and its variation over the pressure range 104-173 bar has been estimated. The initial reaction rate in pressurized hexane was found to vary linearly with the cholesterol concentration. The reaction rate was also a function of pressure-the effect being more ...
A fast and simple flow-through optosensor was designed and characterized for the direct screening of four tetracycline (TCC) antibiotics (tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline and doxycycline) in water and bovine milk samples. The proposed optosensor provides rapid binary yes/no overall responses, being appropriate for the screening of this family of antibiotics above or below a pre-set concentration threshold. The experimental set-up is based on a flow-injection manifold coupled on-line to a phosphorescence detector. Aliquots of the samples are pretreated with Eu(III) to form room temperature phosphorescent metal chelates and injected in the flow manifold. Those chelates are then on-line retained on a conventional flow-cell (packed with polymeric Amberlite XAD-4 particles) which is placed inside the cell holder of the phosphorimeter. After the emission is registered, the antibiotic-metal complexes are eluted from the packed resin with 1 M HCl (for milk samples a second ...
Soil erosion and small annual additions of organic matter from plant-sources are the major causes of low organic-matter content in our soils. The tops of the plants, fallen to the soil- surface, remain there are incorporated, the plant-roots, shrubs, grasses. And other native plants contribution much towards the soil organic matter. Populus spp. Are grown commonly around farmers' fields in the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. A pot-experiment was conducted to study the effect of addition of populus euramericana leaves on various physical and chemical characteristics of the soil. Soil was kept at field-capacity level and incubated at room temperature for 10 months after adding 25, 50, and 75 g of Populus curamericana leaves per pot. Changes in organic-matter content. PH, cation-exchange capacity extractable potassium, water-holding capacity, and bulk density were investigated, after incubation for 6,8,and 10 months. There was a linear increase in organic-matter content with quantity of ...
The PIUS reactor utilizes simplified, inherent, passive, or other innovative means to accomplish safety functions. Accordingly, the PIUS reactor is subject to the requirements of 10CFR52.47(b)(2)(i)(A). This regulation requires that the applicant adequately demonstrate the performance of each safety feature, interdependent effects among the safety features, and a sufficient data base on the safety features of the design to assess the analytical tools used for safety analysis. Los Alamos has assessed the quality and completeness of the existing and planned data bases used by Asea Brown Boveri to validate its safety analysis codes and other relevant data bases. Only a limited data base of separate effect and integral tests exist at present. This data base is not adequate to fulfill the requirements of 10CFR52.47(b)(2)(i)(A). Asea Brown Boveri has stated that it plans to conduct more separate effect and integral test programs. If appropriately designed and conducted, these test programs ...
Medicinal plants play a major role in the life of Turkish people and of late medicinal plant usage has increased in many countries. Green plants in general contain mutagenic and carcinogenic substances, but there is little information about the biological activities of herbal medicine. In the present study, therefore, various Turkish medicinal herbs were investigated for their genotoxic potential in the Salmonella typhimurium microsomal activation assay and the alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (COMET) assay. Extracts from these medicinal herbs and some fractions of these extracts were examined. The species investigated were Arctium minus, Ecballium elatterium, Momordica charantia, Plantago major, Urtica dioica, Viscum album, Salvia triloba, Euphorbia rigida, Stachys lavandulifolia, Acteoside, Abies nordmannia. They are used for various immune disorders and are applied either topically or taken orally as a herbal tea. Of the 19 samples of the extracts and fractions investigated, ...
This thesis examines the costs and benefits of energy management in office buildings and investigates the relationships between operating costs, space lease contracts, and building value. Energy management be building owners and managers begins with monitoring and analysing building energy, use and continues by reducing energy consumption through operating procedure changes, equipment replacement and control personnel training and continued monitoring. The cost to complete energy management projects in 12 British Columbia office buildings is analyzed. The average before-tax internal rate of return for the 12 energy management programs was 22.1% on total expenditures of Canadian $1.2 million. Nine of the buildings are owned and occupied by the provincial government, and the return on investment directly benefits the public. However, in the three prvately owned and tenant-occupied buildings, the owners have a less direct method of receiving the benefits due to net ...
We investigate theoretically subwavelength imaging by acoustic metamaterial slabs immersed in the liquid matrix. A near-field subwavelength image formed by evanescent waves is achieved by a designed metamaterial slab with negative mass density and positive modulus. A subwavelength real image is achieved by a designed metamaterial slab with simultaneously negative mass density and modulus. These results are expected to shed some lights on designing novel devices of acoustic metamaterials.
BackgroundThe status of estrogen receptor-α (ERα) is critical to the clinical prognosis and therapeutic approach in breast cancer. ERα-negative breast cancer...Full Text Available
A large negative ion source for JT-60U produces high current ion beam from a wide extraction area of 45 cm x 110 cm. On the other hand, a cross-sectional area of the negative ion based neutral beam (NNB) injection port on JT-60U is narrow, about 50 cm x 60 cm. In order to inject the neutral beam at a high geometric efficiency, i.e. to suppress beam loss in the beamline, it is necessary to steer the beam for both compensation of undesirable beam deflection in extractor and focusing of the beam. For the JT-60U, two methods are provided for the required beam steering. Among them the results of beam steering experiment by aperture displacement and the design study are summarized in the present report. The experiment was carried out with 400 keV negative ion source, which has the three stage accelerator of similar structure as the JT-60U ion source, at Negative Ion Acceleration Test Stand (NIAS). High energy ...
It is proven that there do not exist any Bianchi type-IX universes which expand for an infinite time, provided only that the matter satisfies the dominant energy condition and has non-negative average pressure (i.e., a non-negative trace of the spatial projection of the stress-energy tensor). This generalizes a proof recently given by us for the case of diagonal Bianchi type-IX solutions.
It is proven that there do not exist any Bianchi type-IX universes which expand for an infinite time, provided only that the matter satisfies the dominant energy condition and has non-negative average pressure (i.e., a non-negative trace of the spatial projection of the stress-energy tensor). This generalizes a proof recently given by us for the case of diagonal Bianchi type-IX solutions.
Vibrio cholerae 638 (El Tor, Ogawa), a new CTXΦ-negative hemagglutinin/protease-defective strain that is a cholera vaccine candidate, was examined for safety and immunogenicity...Full Text Available
To suppress space charge blowup in an ion beam passing through a photoneutralizer, it is necessary to introduce some background gas. An analysis is presented of the neutralization of a high-energy, >200-keV negative deuterium ion beam, exposed to photodetachment while in the presence of deuterium. With a gas thickness of <0.01 Torr.cm, the neutral fraction in the output beam is found to be about the same as that gotten from the photoneutralizer operating in vacuum. Neutral atom beam injection for plasma heating is discussed.
An RF plasma sputter type heavy negative ion source, which can deliver mA-class negative ion beams (12.1 mA, 1.6 mA and 2.3 mA for Cu{sup -}, C{sup -} and C{sub 2}{sup -} currents, respectively) in dc-mode operation, has been developed. In ion source, a dense plasma of 10{sup 11} cm{sup -3} order was generated in the xenon gas pressure of 10{sup -3}-10{sup -2} Pa with an rf (13.56 MHz) power of 200 - 300 W by using an RF coil, and a relatively large sputtering target of 42 mm in diameter was used. As for intense negative ion beams of silicon or boron which are important dopants for semiconductor fabrication, negative ion extraction properties of the negative ion source was investigated. The extracted total negative ion currents of 4.4 mA for a silicon target and 2.8 mA for a LaB{sub 6} target were obtained after electrons were eliminated by magnetic field near ...
BackgroundResistance to third generation cephalosporins due to acquisition and expression of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) enzymes among Gram-negative bacteria is...Full Text Available
Measurements of the double-electron-capture process in which a positive ion of iodine becomes a negative ion in a single collision with a magnesium atom are reported between 20 and 90 keV. The cross section is comparable to that for the rare gases and not as large as might be expected from a two-valence-electron atom. This process is probably insignificant in the production of negative ion beams using a magnesium-vapor target.
Antimicrobial susceptibilities of 233 Gram-positive and 180 Gram-negative strains to two novel bis-indoles were evaluated. Both compounds were potent inhibitors of Gram-positive bacteria, with MIC90...Full Text Available
A bone scan can be negative in Ewing's sarcoma. The bone scan during and after treatment can give prognostic information on the primary tumor site: A persisting hot spot strongly suggests the presence of local malignancy, while a hot spot becomming negative points to local cure of Ewing's sarcoma. (orig.).
This paper presents recent results concerning the chemical and electrochemical synthesis, the electrochemical properties and the characterization of two new families of amorphous oxides of formula Li{sub x}MVO{sub 4} (1negative electrodes in high performance lithium-ion batteries. (J.S.) 19 refs.
Objective To investigate value of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) using oral diluted gadolinium (Gd)-diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid (DTPA) as negative contrast materials in diagnosis of juxtapapillary duodenal diverticulum with atypical imaging features. Methods Nineteen patients with juxtapapillary duodenal diverticula of which imaging findings were atypical underwent MRCP using oral diluted Gd-DTPA as negative contrast materials after conventional MRCP without any oral contrast materials. Results Twenty diverticula were revealed in the 19 patients. At conventional MRCP, the diverticula appeared as rounded lesion with high signal intensity. After oral administration of diluted Gd-DTPA, they disappeared at MRCP. These entities were diagnosed as duodenal diverticula...
The production of ozone in a negative corona discharge fed by carbon dioxide with embedded traces of oxygen and water has been studied. The presence of traces of oxygen in both pure and dry CO_2 leads to an increase in nascent ozone concentrations. In contrast, traces of water vapour (0-800 ppm) are shown to rapidly suppress ozone concentrations with the largest decreases being observed at lowest gas pressures in the discharge (300 Torr). The presence of water vapour did not considerably affect the electrical properties of negative dc corona suggesting that a chemical process is responsible for the ozone loss. We have shown that the addition of water up to a concentration of 1500 ppm has only a marginal effect on the processes of ozone formation but the catalytic cycle of ozone destruction involving OH radicals can be the reason for observed decrease in the total ozone concentration with increasing water concentration.
Purpose To evaluate disease failure patterns and overall survival (OS) of women with triple-negative (TN) breast cancer who underwent breast-conserving therapy (BCT) and to understand the relationship of TN tumors with other prognostic factors. Patients and Methods The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry identified 562 women diagnosed and/or treated with unilateral invasive breast cancer during 2003?2004 at three Emory hospitals. After medical record review, 193 eligible women, with all tumor types, received BCT. Primary endpoints (local, regional, and distant recurrences) and secondary endpoint (OS) were evaluated using chi-square tests and Cox proportional hazards models. Results Of the 193 women, 33 (17.1%) had TN tumors and 160 (82.9%) had non-TN tumors. Patient...
The operation of the negative ion based NBI system for JT-60U has been progressed since 1996. Most of the efforts in the operation for increasing beam power and energy have been concentrated to get over the troubles, caused by surge energy at the moment of the accelerator break-down, in the ion sources and high voltage power supplies. The ion source for the N-NBI, so far, has accelerated negative ion beams of 14.3 A at 380 keV with deuterium and 18.5 A at 360 keV with hydrogen against the target of 22 A. The neutral beam power injected into JT-60U has already reached 5.2 MW at 350 keV for 0.7 sec with deuterium. (author)
The world of antibiotic drug discovery and development is driven by the necessity to overcome antibiotic resistance in common Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. However, the lack of Gram-negative activity among both recently approved antibiotics and compounds in the developmental pipeline is a general trend despite the fact that the plethora of covered drug targets are well-conserved across the bacterial kingdom. Such intrinsic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria is largely attributed to the activity of multidrug resistance (MDR) efflux pumps. Moreover, these pumps also play a significant role in acquired clinical resistance. Together, these considerations make efflux pumps attractive targets for inhibition in that the resultant efflux pump inhibitor (EPI)/antibiotic combination d...
We report experimental evidence of a previously unseen species-dependent effect in the transverse emittances of momentum-analyzed {sup 28}Si{sup {minus}}, {sup 58}Ni{sup {minus}}, and {sup 197}Au{sup {minus}} negative-ion beams generated by cesium-ion sputtering. The differences in the emittances are found to be principally correlated with differences in the energy spreads in the respective ion beams, which have their origins in the sputter-ejection negative-ion formation process. The experimental equipment and techniques utilized for emittance data acquisition and analysis, and evidence for a species-dependent effect in the emittances and brightnesses of the subject ion beams, are presented in this paper.
A concept of direct energy recovery system applying an alternating or rotating magnetic field is proposed for a negative-ion-based neutral beam injection system (NNB) to heat a plasma and/or drive a plasma current in a fusion reactor. Nearly same amounts of residual positive and negative hydrogen-isotope ion beams with beam energy of {approx}1 MeV are produced in an NNB using a gas neutralizing cell. Consequently, a recovered energy is obtained directly in the form of ac electric power, if these positive- and negative-ion beams are alternated or rotated and introduced to two or more recovery electrodes in turn by an alternating or rotating magnetic field. This concept will greatly reduce a technological difficulty in regeneration of a recovered electric energy with such a very high voltage. (author).
The use of natural energy sources and their conversion to secondary forms of energy are a crucial base for the development of our society with its continuous change of requirements due to an increase in population and the broadening of the needs in our modern life. As a consequence the consumption of primary energy resources rose drastically worldwide during the last 5 decades in particular in the industrialized regions such as Europe. Parallel in time the increasing awareness of negative effects of fuel dependent pollution on the environment and the introduction of stringent emission control regulations about 3 decades ago initiated extensive development and retrofit activities resulting in the today applied high level state of the art. As an additional challenge the worldwide debate about the potential effects of the emission of the s.c green house gases on the global climate in particular carbon dioxide from the use of predominantly fossil ...
Purpose: The occurrence of extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma (ES) in deep soft tissues has been well described, but cases in which this tumor occurs in a primary cutaneous or subcutaneous site have rarely been reported. The superficial variant may be less aggressive than are the more common bony and deep soft tissue counterparts with an apparently favorable outcome. A retrospective review of patients with cutaneous or subcutaneous ES was conducted to analyze outcome and patterns of failure. Methods and Materials: Between July 1985 and March 1997, 14 patients with cutaneous or subcutaneous ES were treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The median age at presentation was 16 years (range 7-21 years). Anatomic locations included trunk and pelvis (7), upper or lower extremity (4), and head and neck (3). The median size of the lesion was 3 cm (range, 1-12 cm). Thirteen had definitive surgical resections, and one had biopsy of the mass at the time of referral. They were enrolled on ...
In this paper, we propose a new cooperative control method for multiple robotic systems that eliminates several issues in the discentralized control method. The proposed control method is constructed by extending a Passive Velocity Field Control (PVFC). It is easy to guarantee the stability in control, because the PVFC can keep the passivity of the controlled system. In this study, the cooperative control method is proposed and then it`s stability is proven. Moreover, it is extended so as to control an internal force and to control a virtual time. Finally, the efficiency of the proposed cooperative control method are examined by computer simulations for cooperation tasks with two manipulators. 11 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.
Type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) play a central role in the pathogenicity of many important pathogens, including Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Helicobacter pylori, and...Full Text Available
Borna disease virus (BDV) uses a unique strategy of replication and transcription which takes place in the nucleus, unlike other known, nonsegmented, negative-stranded RNA viruses of animal origin....Full Text Available
Many bacteria, both gram positive and gram negative, extrude in an energy-dependent manner the fluorescent pH indicator 2',7'-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5[and -6]-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF) (D. Molenaar,...Full Text Available
BackgroundNFκB signaling is of paramount importance in the regulation of apoptosis, proliferation, and inflammatory responses during human development and homeostasis, as...Full Text Available
The role of IGF-I in the negative regulation of GH expression and release is demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo models; however, the targets and mechanisms of IGF-I...Full Text Available
We ran a comparative analysis of all patients for whom a positive culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex was available between April 2004 and October 2005 and whose HIV serology...Full Text Available
BackgroundSeverely disabling chronic pain in the adult population is strongly associated with a range of negative health consequences for individuals and high health care costs,...Full Text Available
It is shown analytically and experimentally that thermally stimulated current (TSC) measurements at negative bias incompletely describe oxide-trap charge in SIMOX and bipolar base oxides irradiated at 0 V. Positive-bias TSC is also required.
The Neurofibromatosis-2 (NF2) tumor suppressor merlin negatively regulates cell proliferation in numerous cell types. We have previously shown that the NF2...Full Text Available
Breast cancer is a progressive and potentially fatal disease that affects women of all ages. Like all progressive diseases, early and reliable diagnosis is the key for successful treatment and annihilation....Full Text Available
The properties of an atypical Brucella strain isolated from lymph node tissue of a cow slaughtered as a brucellosis reactor were examined. The organism was Gram negative and highly pleomorphic, existing...Full Text Available
It is proven that there do not exist any diagonal Bianchi type-IX universes which expand for an infinite time, provided only that the matter satisfies the dominant energy condition and has non-negative average principal pressures.
It is proven that there do not exist any diagonal Bianchi type-IX universes which expand for an infinite time, provided only that the matter satisfies the dominant energy condition and has non-negative average principal pressures.
A substantial proportion of lymph node-negative patients who receive adjuvant chemotherapy do not derive any benefit from this aggressive and potentially toxic treatment. However, standard histopathological...Full Text Available
Rapamycin inhibits the mTOR (target of rapamycin) pathway and extends lifespan in multiple species. The tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) protein is a negative regulator of mTOR. In humans, loss of the...Full Text Available
Ninety-four patients with peripheral arterial injuries were subjected to acute repair, negative exploration, or late repair of the complications of the arterial injury (false aneurysm, A-V fistula,...Full Text Available
A versatile, high brightness, volume type, low power RF source, capable of producing positive ion beams with intensities as high as 1 mA from gaseous feed materials and microamperes of negative ion beams has been characterized. The source can also be operated as a plasma sputter negative ion source to generate up to 1 mA of a selected species. The performance of the source in the positive and negative volume modes of operation can be greatly enhanced by addition of a removable, water cooled filament assembly in place of the negative sputter probe. For examine, the material utilization efficiencies of gaseous feed species can be more than doubled, total current intensities increased up to 40%, molecular dissociation fractions increased by 20% and minimum operating pressures reduced by a factor of four when operated in the volume mode. These added electrons also favorably effect, as a consequence of lower ...
BackgroundThe genus Vibrio is a diverse group of Gram-negative bacteria comprised of 74 species. Furthermore, the genus has and is expected to continue expanding...Full Text Available
In the adult mammalian CNS, the growth inhibitors oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein (OMgp) and the reticulon RTN4 (Nogo) are broadly expressed in oligodendrocytes and neurons. Nogo and OMgp...Full Text Available
A new strain of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) was isolated from pooled gut suspensions from an epizootic of lethal enteritis in newborn mice. Negative-contrast electron microscopy showed an abundance...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe construction of cDNA libraries is a useful tool to understand gene expression in organisms under different conditions, but random sequencing of unbiased cDNA collections...Full Text Available
Nemonoxacin (TG-873870) is a novel nonfluorinated quinolone with broad-spectrum activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative aerobic, anaerobic, and atypical pathogens, as well as against methicillin-resistant...Full Text Available
Methylosulfonomonas methylovora M2 is an unusual gram-negative methylotrophic bacterium that can grow on methanesulfonic acid (MSA) as the sole source of carbon and energy. Oxidation...Full Text Available
The electron affinities of indium and thallium were measured in separate experiments using the laser-photodetachment electron spectroscopy technique. The measurements were performed at the University of Nevada, Reno. Negative ion beams of both indium and thallium were extracted from a cesium-sputter negative ion source, and mass analyzed using a 90{sup o} bending magnet. The negative ion beam of interest was then crossed at 90{sup o} with a photon beam from a cw 25-Watt Ar{sup +} laser. The resulting photoelectrons were energy analyzed with a 160{sup o} spherical-sector spectrometer. The electron affinity of In({sup 2}P{sub 1/2}) was determined to be 0.404 {+-} 0.009 eV and the electron affinity of thallium was determined to be 0.377 {+-} 0.013 eV. The fine-structure splittings in the ground states of the negative ions were also determined. The experimental measurements will be compared to several ...
Although research demonstrates many negative family outcomes associated with single-parent households, little is known about processes that lead to positive outcomes for these families. Using...Full Text Available
Two gram-negative, motile bacteria isolated from deep subsurface sediments mineralized the nitrogen-containing polyaromatic hydrocarbon quinoline under aerobic conditions and transformed quinoline to...Full Text Available
A yellow-pigmented, gram-negative, gliding bacterium isolated from an industrial water spray air humidification system was implicated as a causative agent in several occurrences of lung disease with...Full Text Available
The physicochemical nature of a silicoaluminophosphate with the faujasite structure has been studied. The molecular sieve framework contains a homogeneous distribution of silicon, aluminum, and phosphorus and is negatively charged. Combustion in air of the charge-compensating organic cations produces hydroxyl groups which exhibit Broensted acidity.
In Experiment I, lever pressing by squirrel monkeys was maintained under a sequence of variable-interval, multiple variable-interval variable-interval, and multiple variable-interval extinction schedules...Full Text Available
Electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion sources possess several advantages over ion sources conventionally used for injectors of electrostatic accelerators: improved reliability, high efficiency, simplicity, and the capability of generating bright, high-current ion beams. We have adapted a high-current ECR source originally developed as an injector for a CW RFQ proton linac to serve as a source of intense negative-ion beams for the Tandem Accelerator Superconducting Cyclotron (TASCC) facility at Chalk River. The range of ion species of the source has been extended from H{sup 1+} alone up to Bi{sup 1+}, with both gaseous and nonvolatile feeds. Two intense negative-ion beams of He{sup -} and O{sup -} have been generated so far with the source coupled to a standard charge-exchange canal. We foresee no major problems generating a broad range of negative ions with this system. (author)
Electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion sources possess several advantages over ion sources conventionally used for injectors of electrostatic accelerators: improved reliability, high efficiency, simplicity, and the capability of generating bright, high-current ion beams. We have adapted a high-current ECR source originally developed as an injector for a CW RFQ proton linac to serve as a source of intense negative-ion beams for the Tandem Accelerator Superconducting Cyclotron (TASCC) facility at Chalk River. The range of ion species of the source has been extended from H1+ alone up to Bi1+, with both gaseous and nonvolatile feeds. Two intense negative-ion beams of He- and O- have been generated so far with the source coupled to a standard charge-exchange canal. We foresee no major problems generating a broad range of negative ions with this system. (author)
The gram-negative plant-pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria is the causative agent of bacterial spot disease in pepper and tomato plants, which leads to economically...Full Text Available
Previous experimental data from various laboratories indicate that endotoxin of gram-negative oral microorganisms might be one of the most important bacterial products involved in bone resorption during...Full Text Available
Osteoblasts are the primary cells responsible for bone formation. They also support osteoclast formation from bone marrow precursors in response to osteotropic factors by inducing receptor activator...Full Text Available
Features: CHUQUICAMATA, LARGE OPEN PIT MINING OPERATIONS, ROADS, HILLS Center Point Latitude: -22.3 Center Point Longitude: -68.9 (Negative numbers indicate ...
Features: CHUQUICAMATA, LARGE OPEN PIT MINING OPERATIONS, ROADS, HILLS Center Point Latitude: -22.3 Center Point Longitude: -68.9 (Negative numbers indicate ...
Chronic colonization of the human stomach by Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative bacterium, is the major cause of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. Recent...Full Text Available
BackgroundCalcium homeostasis is a known target of several environmental toxicants including lead and mercury.ObjectiveOur goal was to determine...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp) is the causative agent of the human disease melioidosis. To understand the evolutionary mechanisms...Full Text Available
Peer relationships are commonly thought to be critical for adolescent socialization, including the development of negative health behaviors such as alcohol and tobacco use. The interplay between...Full Text Available
Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) constitute a key antibiotic-resistance mechanism affecting Gram-negative bacteria, and also an excellent model for studying evolution in real time. A shift in...Full Text Available
Colistin is increasingly used as last-line therapy against Gram-negative pathogens. The pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamic (PD) index that best correlates with the efficacy of colistin remains undefined....Full Text Available
Periodontal diseases are infections of the tissues supporting the dentition. Recognition that relatively specific microfloras are associated with distinct clinical forms of periodontal disease has prompted...Full Text Available
A dissipative particle swarm optimization is developed according to the self-organization of dissipative structure. The negative entropy is introduced to construct an opening dissipative system that is far-from-equilibrium so as to driving the irreversible evolution process with better fitness. The testing of two multimodal functions indicates it improves the performance effectively
Normal reproductive functioning may require secretion of LH independently of FSH. Variation in GnRH pulse frequency and inhibin negative feedback are mechanisms for differential gonadotropin regulation;...Full Text Available
BackgroundChronic wasting disease (CWD) of cervids is a prion disease distinguished by high levels of transmissibility, wherein bodily fluids and excretions are thought to play an...Full Text Available
The Gram-negative bacterium Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of tularemia. Interest in this zoonotic pathogen has increased due to its classification as a category A agent...Full Text Available
For sufficiently cool remote gases, the cylindrical stretched flame shows classical ignition-extinction behavior. For remote gas temperatures close to the adiabatic flame temperature, the flame response is qualitatively different, with negative flame speed solutions which may be physically accessible.
Cryptococcus neoformans is a ubiquitously distributed human pathogen. It is also a model system for studying fungal virulence, physiology and differentiation. Light is known to inhibit...Full Text Available
BackgroundPolyethyleneimine (PEI), which can interact with negatively charged DNA through electrostatic interaction to form nanocomplexes, has been widely attempted to use as a gene...Full Text Available
BackgroundMeropenem is a carbapenem that has an excellent activity against many gram-positive and gram-negative aerobic, facultative, and anaerobic bacteria. The major objective...Full Text Available
Studies have been conducted to determine the feasibility of using collisional cooling for reducing emittances and energy spreads in negative-ion beams to levels commensurate with effective isobaric purification with conventional high-resolution electromagnetic isobar separators as required for use at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF). We have designed a gas-filled radio frequency quadrupole ion cooler equipped with provisions for retarding energetic negative-ion beams to energies below thresholds for electron detachment at injection and for re-acceleration to initial energies after the cooling process. The device has been used to cool several ion beams with initial energy spreads, {delta}E>10 eV to final energy spreads, {delta}E{approx}2 eV FWHM, including O{sup -} and F{sup -}. Overall transmission efficiencies of {approx}14% for F{sup -} beams have been obtained. Experimental results show that electron detachment is ...
BackgroundEvent-related potentials (ERPs) may be used as a highly sensitive way of detecting subtle degrees of cognitive dysfunction. On the other hand, impairment of cognitive skills...Full Text Available
IntroductionApproximately 25–30% of breast cancers are assumed to be HER-2/neu positive. It is well known that HER-2/neu-positive cancers after treatment with trastuzumab...Full Text Available
The negative consequences of baling hay before it is adequately dried are widely known to producers. Frequently, these problems are created by uncooperative weather conditions that prevent forages from drying (rapidly) to moisture levels that allow safe and stable storage of harvested forages. When ...
The BNL Neutral Beam Development Group has been active in the program for the development of high energy, high power neutral beam systems since 1973. These injectors are based on the production, acceleration and neutralization of negative hydrogen or deuterium ions and are supposed to be used for plasma heating and current drive in the next generation of fusion devices. Over the span of 10 years the group has studied plasma-surface type of negative hydrogen ion sources, transport and acceleration of negative ion beams and neutralization of negative ions in gases and plasmas. As the required source parameters (current, pulse length, efficiency) were changing over this period of time, the group developed several types of sources, resulting finally in the design of a steady state device operating with an excellent gas efficiency and having the possibility of scaling-up to the size necessary for a high ...
BackgroundPrevious research has demonstrated that exposure to images depicting the thin female ideal has negative effects on some females' levels of body dissatisfaction. Much of...Full Text Available
Many species introduced by humans for social and economic benefits have invaded new ranges by escaping from captivity. Such invasive species can negatively affect biodiversity and economies. Understanding...Full Text Available
Mice injected with rat erythrocytes developed anti-erythrocyte autoantibodies which reached a plateau at 4-12 weeks, then gradually declined until at about 24 weeks the majority of mice were negative....Full Text Available
BackgroundThe Gram-negative, xylem-limited phytopathogenic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa is responsible for causing economically important diseases in grapevine,...Full Text Available
Amino acid transport was studied in membranes of the peptidolytic, thermophilic, anaerobic bacterium Clostridium fervidus. Uptake of the negatively charged amino acid L-glutamate, the neutral amino...Full Text Available
The in vitro activity of chephaloridine, cephalexin, cefatrizine (BL-S640), and cephapirin (BL-P-1322) was evaluated by the serial dilution method against pathogenic gram-positive and gram-negative...Full Text Available
BackgroundBacterial constituents, such as Gram-negative derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS), can initiate inflammatory bone loss through induction of host-derived inflammatory...Full Text Available
We give a theoretical design for a locally resonant two-dimensional cylindrical structure involving a pair of C-shaped voids in an elastic medium which we term as double 'C' resonators (DCRs) and imbedded thin stiff bars, that displays the negative refraction effect in the low frequency regime. DCRs are responsible for a low frequency band gap which hybridizes with a tiny gap associated with the presence of the thin bars. Using an asymptotic analysis, typical working frequencies are given in closed form: DCRs behave as Helmholtz resonators modeled by masses connected to clamped walls by springs on either side, while thin bars behave as a periodic bi-atomic chain of masses connected by springs. The discrete models give an accurate description of the location and width of the stop band in the case of the DCR and the first two dispersion bands for the periodic thin bars. We then combine our asymptotic formulae for arrays of DCR and thin-bars to ...
We give a theoretical design for a locally resonant two-dimensional cylindrical structure involving a pair of C-shaped voids in an elastic medium which we term as double 'C' resonators (DCRs) and imbedded thin stiff bars, that displays the negative refraction effect in the low frequency regime. DCRs are responsible for a low frequency band gap which hybridizes with a tiny gap associated with the presence of the thin bars. Using an asymptotic analysis, typical working frequencies are given in closed form: DCRs behave as Helmholtz resonators modeled by masses connected to clamped walls by springs on either side, while thin bars behave as a periodic bi-atomic chain of masses connected by springs. The discrete models give an accurate description of the location and width of the stop band in the case of the DCR and the first two dispersion bands for the periodic thin bars. We then combine our asymptotic formulae for arrays of DCR and thin-bars to design a composite ...
The biosynthetic costs of phenylpropanoid-derived condensed tannins (CTs) and phenolic glycosides (PGs) are substantial. However, despite reports of negative correlations between leaf phenolic content...Full Text Available
The global acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic is thought to have arisen by the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1)-like viruses from chimpanzees in southeastern...Full Text Available
BackgroundStorage of RBCs is necessary for an adequate blood supply. However, reports have identified potential negative sequelae of transfusing stored RBCs. An animal...Full Text Available
In 1999, the plasma parameters of reversed shear (RS) plasmas had been extended in 1) DT-equivalent fusion power gain Q_D_T"e"q - 0.5 (n_D(0)#tau#_ET_i(0) - 4x10"2"0 m"-"3#centre dot#keV#centre dot#s) for 0.8 s and 2) full non-inductive current drive with 80% of the bootstrap current fraction. Physics of the internal transport barriers (ITBs) in RS plasmas, including the energy transport and the formation of ITB, were extensively studied. A nearly full current drive (92% non-inductively) was obtained with negative ion based neutral beam (NNB) injection (360 keV, 3.4 MW) in a high #beta#_p H-mode plasma (I_p=1.5 MA, B_T=3.7 T, q_9_5=4.2) with high plasma performance (#beta#_N=2.4 and H_8_9=2.56). Rise in the central electron temperature (T_e - 9 keV) resulted in the current drive efficiency #eta#_C_D of NNB reached 1.3x10"1"9 A/W/m"2, the highest for the neutral beam current drive. As for the H-mode plasmas, decrease in the pedestal ion temperature due to strong gas ...
An outline of the instrumentation and control systems associated with fuelling machines is given. The control systems such as hydraulic system, oil hydraulic system, electric control system and the remote control systems have been discussed in detail. The difference between RAPP and MAPP fuel handling control systems has been explained. A computer based system for the Narora fuel handling control system is also discussed. (S.K.K.).
Firstly the so called 'conformal relativity' in the 6-dimensional conformal space is formulated. In particular the concept of dilatational degree of freedom - scale - is introduced. The special conformal transformations are interpreted as the transformations connecting dilatationally moving frames (and objects). The ideas, similar to those by Kaluza and Klein, can be applied to the conformal space to obtain a unification of gravitation and electromagnetism. Lastly the conformal symmetry is extended to imaginary scales and to negative scales. Particles having imaginary scales are shown to be tachyons, whilst particles with negative scales correspond to antiparticles. (Auth.).
The calculations of the photodetachment cross section for the C{sup -} negative ion has been performed within the newly-developed many-body theory method, the RPAE interchannel interaction and dynamic relaxation and polarization corrections being included. The 2s{sup 1}2p{sup 4} shape resonance is shifted to a higher photon energy and broadens as compared to the resonance parameters determined earlier within the RPAE, which is consistent with the experimental evidence and the recent R-matrix calculations. (orig.) 18 refs.
Densities were measured with a vibrating-tube densimeter for binary mixtures of dimethyl sulfoxide + thiophene at temperatures from 293.15 to 313.15 K as a function of composition. Molar excess volumes V[sup E] for the mixtures, determined from the density data, are negative and become more negative with an increase in temperature. The coefficients of thermal expansion were also evaluated from the temperature dependence of the density.
The sheath plasma characteristics changing with the negative bias applied to the substrate during electron cyclotron resonance plasma nitriding are studied. The sheath characteristics obtained by a Langmuir single probe and an ion energy analyzer show that when the negative bias applied to the substrate is increasing, the most probable energy of ions in the sheath and the full width of half maximum of ions energy distribution increase, the thickness of the sheath also increases, whereas the saturation current of ion decreases. It has been found from the optical emission spectrum that there are strong lines of N_2 and N_2"+. Based on the experiment results the mechanism of plasma nitriding is discussed
Reflection coefficients of electromagnetic waves in a nonuniform plasma layer with electrons, positive ions and negative ions, covering a metal surface are investigated by using the finite-difference-time-domain method. It is shown that the reflection coefficients are influenced greatly by the density gradient on the layer edge, layer thickness and electron proportion, i.e., the effect of the negative ions. It is also found that low reflection or high attenuation can be reached by properly choosing high electron proportion, thick plasma layer, and smooth density gradient in the low frequency regime, but sharp density gradient in the high frequency regime. (authors)
Cesium recovery from the polluted layers in the 1/3 scale hydrogen negative ion source for LHD-NBI system has tested. It was found, that the cesium recovery can be produced by additional discharges as from the cesium layer, aged by tungsten and residual gas, so as from the cesium layers, polluted by an occasional water leak. The highest cesium recovery to NI production was produced by a xenon arc, while glow discharge and arcing in hydrogen were less effective. The mechanism of recovery is the ejection of cesium from the underlying enriched layer by the arc and its transport to the surface. (author)
Methods and apparatus are described for efficient photodetachment and purification of negative ion beams. A method of purifying an ion beam includes: inputting the ion beam into a gas-filled multipole ion guide, the ion beam including a plurality of ions; increasing a laser-ion interaction time by collisional cooling the plurality of ions using the gas-filled multipole ion guide, the plurality of ions including at least one contaminant; and suppressing the at least one contaminant by selectively removing the at least one contaminant from the ion beam by electron photodetaching at least a portion of the at least one contaminant using a laser beam.
Malnutrition?in the form of insufficient energy intakes?affects millions of people worldwide and the negative impact of this kind of hunger is well acknowledged, not least by agronomists trying to increase yields to ensure a sufficient supply of food. This review focuses on another, more particular and ?hidden? form of malnutrition, namely mineral malnutrition. It illustrates the burden of disease that is caused by mineral deficiencies and the social and economic consequences they bring about. Mineral malnutrition has a considerable negative impact on individual well-being, social welfare and economic productivity. Agricultural scientists should keep the nutritional qualities of food in mind and?next to optimizing the agricultural properties of crops that are paramount for their adoption b...
An electrostatic beam steering mechanism (ESM) has been designed and tested to deflect negative ion beams consisting of multi-beamlets. A steering angle of 10 mrad was obtained within the deviation of less than 1 mrad by biasing two electrodes at 0.5 kV and -0.75 kV for 120 keV H{sup -} ion beam. The current flowing to the positive electrode was no more than 10% of the beam current at a pressure of 2.8x10{sup -5} Torr. (author)
Two thirds of the neutrinos produced in the sun are not detected. In the last decade several experiments have allowed to give a limit to the neutrino mass and in some cases a negative value of the square of the mass was proposed. A negative value is inconsistent theoretically except in the case of tachyons which are particles allowed to travel faster than light. Consider neutrinos as tachyons could be a solution to find the answers to some of the riddles set by neutrinos. (A.C.)
The development of high energy (> 150 keV) neutral beams for heating and fueling magnetic fusion devices depends on the ability to produce well-collimated negative ion beams. The double capture charge-exchange technique is a known, scalable method. In order to maximize the overall efficiency of the process and to achieve the desired beam characteristics, it is necessary to examine the optical qualities of the beams as well as the total efficiency of beam production. A combined modeling and experimental study of the angular scattering effects in negative ion formation and loss processes has therefore been undertaken.
This paper describes a search algorithm to locate values of t where the real part of the Riemann zeta function, zeta(sigma+it), is negative for sigma>1. The run-time to execute the search is much less than a brute-force approach and relies on certain symmetries of congruence equations related to the zeta function. Initial results show the smallest value of t where this begins to occur is much nearer to the real axis than conservative estimates would suggest.
This article presents a decentralized control scheme for the complex problem of simultaneous position and internal force control in cooperative multiple manipulator systems. The proposed controller is composed of a sliding mode control term and a force robustifying term to simultaneously control the payloads position/orientation as well as the internal forces induced in the system. This is accomplished independently of the manipulators dynamics. Unlike most controllers that do not require prior knowledge of the manipulators dynamics, the suggested controller does not use fuzzy logic inferencing and is computationally inexpensive. Using a Lyapunov stability approach, the controller is proven to be robust in the face of varying systems dynamics. The payloads position/orientation and the inte...
The transformation and the accommodation of National Power System (SEN) units to a new management system, own to a decentralized economy and having financial support from both native capital and foreign capital, in uncertain proportion at the moment and being in a continuous adjustment determined by the reasons and the motivations first of all political, generated conceptual changes in the so-called modern management theory. The accommodation of this theory to the concrete situation from SEN units imposed the concept of negative selection. It is a concept which represents author's desire to be created as an original contribution to the contemporary management theory. Unlike the selection at the hiring (or positive selection), the negative selection is achieved on personal already employed, in the conditions of activities of a decreased number of personnel and also of a redistribution of personnel on the other side. The ...
The Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility now under construction at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory will use the 25 MV tandem accelerator for the acceleration of radioactive ion beams to energies appropriate for research in nuclear physics; negative ion beams are, therefore, required for injection into the tandem accelerator. Because charge exchange is an efficient means for converting initially positive ion beams to negative ion beams, both positive and negative ion sources are viable options for use at the facility. The choice of the type of ion source will depend on the overall efficiency for generating the radioactive species of interest. Although direct-extraction negative ion sources are clearly desirable, the ion formation efficiencies are often too low for practical consideration; for this situation, positive ion sources, in combination with charge exchange, are the logical choice. The ...
The first long pulse production of high power D"- ion beams has been demonstrated in the JT-60 U negative ion sources, each of which was designed to produce 22 A, 500 keV D"- ion beams. Voltage holding capability and the grid power loading were examined for long pulse production of high power D"- ion beams. From the correlation between voltage holding and the light intensity of cathodoluminescence from the Fiber Reinforced Plastic insulators, the acceleration voltage for stable voltage holding capability was found to be less than 320-340 kV where the light was sufficiently suppressed. By tuning the extraction voltage, the grid power loadings in the ion sources were decreased to the allowable levels for long pulse injection without a significant reduction of the beam power. After tuning the acceleration and extraction voltages, D"- ion beams of 12.5 and 9.8 A were produced at 340 keV with cesium seeding at a rate of #approx#14 #mu#g/s into the ion sources. The pulse ...
Negative ions have attractive features as drivers for inertial confinement fusion, because they will avoid electron cloud effects, and could be efficiently photodetached to neutrals after the final focus, which could also be beneficial in heating warm dense matter targets. The halogens have large electron affinities, and thus should be able to produce high current densities of relatively robust negative ions. Recent experiments comparing chlorine beams to argon beams using the same source, extraction optics, and diagnostics have demonstrated that Cl"- beams can be produced with similar emittance to Ar"+ beams, and with about 34 the current density from the same configuration. The observed effective beam temperature of about 13eV, and the similarity of current densities show that negative halogen beams can meet the current density and emittance requirements of heavy ion fusion. The near equivalence of the Cl"- and ...
A working visit was made to the National Laboratory for High Energy Physics, Tsukuba, Japan, during the time periods May 16, 1988--June 15, 1988 for the purposes of further evaluation of the high intensity plasma sputter negative ion source and to test the response of the University of Tsukuba 13-MV tandem accelerator to mA intensity level pulsed mode heavy negative ion beams. During the visit, the traveler worked in collaboration with Japanese scientists in installing and testing of the source on the University of Tsukuba tandem electrostatic accelerator injector. During the course of preliminary testing of the ion source and prior to actual injection into the accelerator, sparking began in one or more tube sections, which ultimately led to the decision to replace the damaged tube sections. This problem led to postponement of the scheduled tandem accelerator tests. The traveler attended the Seventh International Conference on Ion Implantation ...
Purpose: To secure the reactor operation safety by the provision of a fluid pressure detecting section for control rod driving fluid and a control rod interlock at the midway of the flow pass for supplying driving fluid to the control rod drives. Constitution: Between a driving line and a direction control valve are provided a pressure detecting portion, an alarm generating device, and a control rod inhibition interlock. The driving fluid from a driving fluid source is discharged by way of a pump and a manual valve into the reactor in which the control rods and reactor fuels are contained. In addition, when the direction control valve is switched and the control rods are inserted and extracted by the control rod drives, the pressure in the driving line is always detected by the pressure detection ...
operating at the maximal setting of speed control dials used to control their ...evaluates their energy performance when the speed control dial used ...FFUs when the speed control dial used for adjusting fan wheel speeds in each FFU was
... 65th AGARD Fluid Dynamics Symposium, Madrid, Spain, October ... of research programs on flow control ... separation, and delta wing flows formed the ...
The heavy water reactor such as Wolsung No.1 and No.2 has a purification system to purify the reactor coolant. The control system regulates the coolant temperature to protect the ion exchanger. After the fuel exchanges of operating plant, the increase of the coolant pressure makes the purification temperature control difficult. In this paper, the controllability of the control dynamics of the purification system was analysed and the optimal parameters were proposed. To reduce the effects of the flow disturbance, the feedforward control structure was proposed and analysed.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has implemented a computer control system for operation of an FN tandem accelerator. The control software utilized is the Thaumaturgic Automated Control Logic (TACL) written by the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility and co-developed with LLNL. Details of the design philosophy, hardware configuration, control software, and special control algorithms will be presented. 2 refs., 4 figs.
In the case of large capacity steam turbines the conventional nozzle group control is, for mechanical and thermodynamic reasons, diminishing more and more in importance in favour of variable pressure control. A design for constant-pressure operation as an alternative to nozzle group control is described; this demonstrates a series of important advantages compared with the latter. (orig.).
Families of regimes for discrete control systems are studied possessing a special quasi-controllability property that is similar to the Kalman controllability property. A new approach is proposed to estimate the amplitudes of transient regimes in quasi-controllable systems. Its essence is in obtaining of constructive a priori bounds for degree of overshooting in terms of the quasi-controllability measure. The results are applicable for analysis of transients, classical absolute stability problem and, especially, for stability problem for desynchronized (asynchronous, switching) systems.
This paper discusses the concept of controllable subspace for open quantum dynamical systems. It is constructively demonstrated that combining structural features of decoherence-free subspaces with the ability to perform open-loop coherent control on open quantum systems will allow decoherence-free subspaces to be controllable. This is in contrast to the observation that open quantum dynamical systems are not open-loop controllable. To a certain extent, this paper gives an alternative control theoretical interpretation on why decoherence-free subspaces can be useful for quantum computation.
Experiences with weight stigma negatively impact both psychological outcomes (e.g., body dissatisfaction, depression) and behavioral outcomes (e.g., dieting, exercise). However, not everyone is equally affected by experiences with weight stigma. This study examined whether internalized societal attitudes about weight moderated the impact of weight stigma. Adult participants (n = 111) completed measures of experiences with weight stigma, as well as two indexes of internalized societal attitudes (the moderators): Internalized anti-fat attitudes and internalization of societal standards of attractiveness. Psychological outcomes included self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and bulimic symptoms; behavioral outcomes included avoidance of exercise and self-reported exercise behavior. Weight stigma was positively correlated with body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and bulimic symptoms, and was negatively correlated with state ...
The French office for technical studies and control of big dams (BETCGB), has recently reedited the `guidebook for the control of dams in exploitation`. The aim of this document is to provide to the regional directions of industry, research and environment (DRIRE) a methodological help for their control actions of hydroelectric dams granted for exploitation. It comprises 6 chapters dealing with: the different type of dams, the inspection, the surveillance, the floods evacuation, the flood instructions, and the particular emergency plans. (J.S.)
This article deals with the need for control strategies and control systems in buildings with hybrid ventilation. In this respect, control strategies are methods of keeping certain parameters like temperature, air quality etc within specified limits. A control system is automatic and includes sensors, motors, dampers etc. The article also discusses consequences with respect to thermal comfort, air quality and energy use following selection of control parameters for controlling air masses.
A multicusp magnetic field plasma surface ion source, normally used for H/sup -/ ion beam formation, has been utilized for the generation of high intensity, pulsed, heavy negative ion beams suitable for a variety of uses including tandem electrostatic accelerator/synchrotron injection applications. Sputter probe voltage limited total ion currents of 5.5, 8.2, 5.1 and 4.5 mA (peak intensity) have been produced from Au, Cu, Ni and CuO sputter probes, respectively. The mass distributions of these ion beams are found to be dominated by Au/sup -/, Cu/sup -/, Ni/sup -/ and O/sup -/ atomic species, respectively. The source offers the interesting prospect of providing cw negative ion beams at mA intensity levels of the commonly used semiconducting material dopants (e.g. B/sup -/, P/sup -/, As/sup -/ and Sb/sup -/) as well as O/sup -/ for isolation barrier formation. Illustrative examples of intensity versus time and the mass distribution of ion beams ...
The role of MRT in the prebiopsy diagnosis of muscular and vascular inflammatory conditions was evaluated prospectively and an optimal method of examination was investigated. 92 patients with a suspected diagnosis of myositis (60 cases) or vasculitis (32 cases) were examined, in each case two extremities were studied using transverse T_1 and T_2 weighted SE sequences and double echo STIR sequences on a 0.5 Tesla (56 patients) or 1.5 Tesla magnet (36 patients; T5/S15 Gyroscan, Philips). The site of the biopsy depended on the MRT findings. In 41 patients the suspected diagnosis was confirmed histologically, in two patients an infective myositis was diagnosed on clinical grounds despite negative histology. MRT demonstrated muscle oedema in 86% of patients. There were negative findings after immuno-suppressive therapy (two patients), in focal myositis (3 out of 4 patients) and in one of 7 patients with untreated vasculitis. Amongst 49 patients in ...
The energy distribution of ion beams is important especially for low energy ion beam applications. The energy distributions of negative-ion beams produced through secondary ion emission by sputtering were measured and compared with theoretically estimated distributions by use of four different negative-ion production probability equations (modified surface ionization model, exponential velocity dependence model, and our modified exponential velocity dependence models (modified decaying factor model and combination model of velocity dependence and surface ionization)). In the measurements, the energy distributions of C"- and Ag"- beams had a peak at a few to several eV and the full width at half maximum were 15 eV and 11 eV, respectively. These results could be well explained by the estimated distributions by virtue of our combination model or the modified surface ionization model. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics.
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between histomorphometric variables of cancellous bone structure and ultimate compressive strength (UCS) in the second lumbar vertebra (L2) and to determine whether structural variables in the iliac crest are predictive of the same variables and of UCS in L2. At autopsy, 7.5 mm diameter cores were removed from the iliac crest and from L2 of 29 subjects who had died suddenly without bone disease. Cancellous bone volume (BV/TV, %) was significantly lower in L2 than in iliac crest due to lower trabecular number (Tb.N, per mm) and thickness (Tb.Th, microns). There were significant correlations between iliac crest and L2 for BV/TV, Tb.N and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp, microns), but not for Tb.Th. BV/TV was negatively correlated, and Tb.Sp was positively correlated with age at both sites. Tb.Th was not significantly correlated with age in the iliac crest, but a significant negative ...
Multi-beamlet focusing of an intense negative ion beam has been performed using the beamlet steering by the aperture displacement. The apertures of the grounded grid were displaced as all beamlets of 270 (18 x 15) in the area of 25 cm x 26 cm would be steered to a common point (a focal point) in both the two-stage and the single-stage accelerators. The multi-beamlets were successfully focused and the e-folding half width of 10 cm was achieved 11.2 m downstream from the ion source in both the accelerators. The corresponding gross divergence angle is 9 mrad. The negative ion beamlets are deflected by the magnetic field for the electron deflection at the extraction grid and the deflection direction oppositely changes line by line, resulting in the beam split in the deflection direction. This beamlet deflection was well compensated also using the beamlet steering by the aperture displacement of the grounded grid. The beam acceleration properties ...
This paper builds on earlier work to give a consistent treatment of the positive column of discharges in electronegative gases covering the transition from collisionless to collisional. In particular it seeks to elucidate the conditions under which there is an ion-ion plasma core surrounded by an electron-ion plasma, and when there is not. The parameters which describe the processes of ionization, attachment, detachment and recombination are related to the central negative ion density relative to the electron density and, where appropriate, the size of the core. The use, by earlier workers, of the Boltzmann approximation to describe the negative ion distribution and to obtain ambipolar diffusion coefficients at higher pressures is shown not to be justified. This leads to the clarification of an inconsistency in the literature. Where possible, the work is related to other recent treatments of the same problem in order to begin to build a ...
Correct ortopedic therapy for traumas of the cervical rachis requires perfect knowledge of the spatial balance of the fracture focus. The authors belive Computed Tomography (CT) to be the most suitable, and often indispensable, method for this purpose. Twenty-four patients were examined for traumatic pathology of the cervical rachis. In 7 cases with clinically minor traumas, the negative outcome of the traditional traumas, the negative outcome of the traditional exam was considered reliable and sufficient for therapeutic purposes. The extant 17 patients were examined also by means of CT, either to better dermine the characteristics of skeletal lesions already ascertained with traditional techniques or to asses the presence of clinically-suspected osteo-articular lesions, even with negative conventional X-rays. For 9 of these patients orthopedic treatment was considered sufficient, whereas 8 patients underwent surgery and ...
This paper presents a novel feature extraction scheme for roller bearing fault diagnosis utilizing generalized S transform and two-dimensional non-negative matrix factorization (2DNMF). The generalized S transform, which can make up the poor energy concentration of the standard S transform, is introduced to generate the time-frequency representation (TFR). Experiment results on simulated signal and vibration signals measured from rolling element bearings have revealed that the generalized S transform can obtain a more satisfactory TFR than other similar techniques. Furthermore, a new technique called two-dimensional non-negative matrix factorization (2DNMF), which can reduce the computation cost and preserve more structure information hiding in original 2D matrices compared to the NMF, is developed to extract more informative features from the time-frequency matrixes for accurate fault classification. Experimental results on bearing faults ...
The fluxes of atmospheric electrons, positrons, positive and negative muons and negative pions have been determined using the NMSU Wizard-MASS2 balloons-borne instrument. The instrument was launched from Fort Sumner, New Mexico, (geomagnetic cut-off about 4.5 GV/c) on september 23, 1991. The flight lasted 9.8 hours and remained above 100.000 ft. Muons and negative pions were observed and their momenta were determined. Since these particles are not a part of the primary component, the measurement of their fluxes provides information regarding production and propagation of secondary particles in the atmosphere. Similarly, observations of electrons and positrons well below the geomagnetic cut-off provides insight into electromagnetic cascade processes in the upper atmosphere. In addition, the determination of the energy spectra of rare particles such as positrons can be used for background subtraction for cosmic ray ...
Technologies producing high power negative ion beams have been highly developed in these years at JAERI for use in neutral beam injectors for heating the thermonuclear fusion plasmas. At present, it is possible to produce multi-ampere H-/D- ion beams quasi-continuously at energies more than a few hundred keV with a good beam optics of beamlet divergence of a few milli-radian. Based on these technologies, two R and D projects have been initiated; one is to develop a 22A/500keV/10s D- ion source for the neutral beam injector for JT-60U, and the other is to develop a 1A/1MeV/60s H- ion source to demonstrate high current negative ion acceleration up to the energy of 1MeV, the energy required for the neutral beam injector for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). (author).
Abstract A bacteriocin-producing Streptococcus bovis strain (HC5) outcompeted a sensitive strain (JB1) before it reached stationary phase (pH 6.4), even though it grew 10% slower and cell-free bovicin HC5 could not yet be detected. The success of bacteriocin-negative S. bovis isolates was enhanced by the presence of another sensitive bacterium (Clostridium sticklandii SR). PCR based on repetitive DNA sequences indicated that S. bovis HC5 was not simply transferring bacteriocin genes to S. bovis JB1. When the two S. bovis strains were coinoculated into minimal medium, bacteriocin-negative isolates predominated, and this effect could be explained by the longer lag time (0.5 vs. 1.5 h) of S. bovis HC5. If the glucose concentration of the minimal medium was increased from 2 to 7 mg mL-1, the e...
Molar excess volumes have been determined by means of a vibrating-tube densimeter for binary liquid mixtures of cycloalkanones (cyclopentanone and cyclohexanone) + cyclohexane, + benzene, and + tetrachloromethane. The V/sup E/ data are reported over the complete mole fraction range at 288.15, 298.15, and 308.15{Kappa}. The obtained excess volumes are positive for mixtures of cyclopentanone with cyclohexane and are negative for mixtures of the cycloalkanones with benzene and tetrachloromethane; for the system cyclohexanone-cyclohexane the V/sup E/ values are positive for a wide range of mole fraction, but at very low cyclohexane mole fraction an inversion of the sign of V/sup E/ is observed. The data show that in the considered range of temperature the values of the temperature coefficient ({partial derivative}V/sup E//{partial derivative}T) are negative for mixtures of the cycloalkanones with benzene and are almost zero for mixtures with ...
A small, permanent-magnet insert structure for the removal of electrons from pulsed, extracted, negative ion beams has been developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The device was computer modeled and designed for an extraction field strength of 3 kV/mm. The testing was carried out with a rf driven multicusp ion source optimized for the production of H{sup {minus}} ions and pulsed at a few Hz with pulse widths of several hundreds of {mu}s. It is demonstrated that the insert structure together with a collar can remove over 98{percent} of electrons from the extracted H{sup {minus}} ion beam without any significant deterioration of the H{sup {minus}} ion output. Application to other negative ion beams can be expected from this magnetic collar insert. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}
A technique has been developed which enables the direct sputter generation of atomic negative ion beams of all members of the Group IA elements (Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs). The method is based on the use of sputter samples formed by pressing mixtures of the carbonates of the Group IA elements and 10% (atomic) Cu, Ag or other metal powders. The following intensities are typical of those observed from carbonate samples subjected to approx. = 3 keV cesium ion bombardment: Li/sup -/: greater than or equal to 0.5 ..mu..A; Na/sup -/: greater than or equal to 0.5 ..mu..A; K/sup -/: greater than or equal to 0.5 ..mu..A; Rb/sup -/: greater than or equal to 0.5 ..mu..A; Cs/sup -/: greater than or equal to 0.2 ..mu..A.
Eugenol, the principal chemical component of clove oil from Eugenia aromatica has been long known for its analgesic, local anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects. The interaction of the eugenol with ten different hydrophobic and hydrophilic antibiotics was studied against five different Gram negative bacteria. The MIC of the combination was found to decrease by a factor of 5-1000 with respect to their individual MIC. This synergy is because of the membrane damaging nature of eugenol, where 1mM of its concentration is able to damage nearly 50% of the bacterial membrane. Eugenol was also able to enhance the activities of lysozyme, Triton X-100 and SDS in damaging the bacterial cell membrane. The hydrophilic antibiotics such as vancomycin and b-lactam antibiotics which have ...
The temperature dependences of the Grueneisen parameter, heat capacity, bulk modulus and linear thermal expansion coefficient of sixteen III-V zincblende compounds are studied by first-principles response-function calculations. The fundamental relationships among these physical parameters are explored. Negative thermal expansions at lower temperature are found in most of these III-V phases except for the nitrides and boron compounds. By analyzing the cell-volume dependences of the phonon spectrum, it is found that the phases with a negative thermal expansion show a significant acoustic phonon weakening at the X-point in their phonon dispersion, while slight weakening is only seen around the L-point for those boron phases. There is no sign of phonon weakening in the nitrides. (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)
We examine the short-term price behaviour of three, size-conditioned Indian stock market indices, in response to informational shocks. A standard mean-adjusted returns model as well as the GJR-GARCH specification point towards underreaction to negative events in the medium and small capitalization indices. Also, the pre-event coefficients are generally negative and statistically significant, regardless of the sign of the shock, thus ruling out information leaks. We uncover a stable abnormal volatility pattern which increases monotonically a few days before the shock before suddenly decreasing in magnitude on the event day and beyond. We suggest uncertainty avoidance as a potential explanation of these features. The results are fairly robust across alternative event selection procedures, ti...
This study examined the psychometric properties of the Anti-fat Attitudes Scale (AFAS), a 5-item instrument developed by the authors to measure negative attitudes toward overweight individuals. A total of 4 studies were conducted among Canadian adolescents (n = 1,452) and university students (n = 424). Results suggested that the AFAS possessed a unidimensional factor structure and satisfactory reliability for both men and women. As predicted, men obtained higher scores than women on the AFAS, and antifat attitudes were positively associated with authoritarianism, homonegativity, and political conservatism. Participants who were overweight had lower scores on the AFAS than participants who were thin or average weight. Responses on the AFAS did not appear to be contaminated by social desirability bias. PMID:10457760
Introduction: Restrictions in prescribing broad spectrum antimicrobials have been part of a strategy to reduce Clostridium difficile cases in the UK in recent years. However, there has been little work on assessing the safety of alternative antimicrobial agents. Methods: We performed an uncontrolled prospective observational survey over a 1-year period to determine the effectiveness and safety of a new antimicrobial stewardship programme in a district hospital in the UK. Results: In total, 227 Gram-negative bacteraemias (203 episodes) occurred in the study period. Guidelines were adequate in 194 of 203 (95%) episodes and 163 episodes (80.2%) received adequate therapy. Patients in the inadequate therapy group had >2-fold increased likelihood of death [odds ratio (OR) = 2.63, 95% confidence ...
BACKGROUND: Controversy exists as to whether patients with thick (Breslow depth >4 mm), clinically lymph node-negative melanoma require sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy. The authors examined the impact of SLN biopsy on prognosis and outcome in this patient population. METHODS: A review of the authors institutional review board-approved melanoma database identified 293 patients with T4 melanoma who underwent surgical excision between 1998 and 2007. Patient demographics, histologic features, and outcome were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Of 227 T4 patients who had an SLN biopsy, 107 (47%) were positive. The strongest predictors of a positive SLN included angiolymphatic invasion, satellitosis, or ulceration of the primary tumor. Patients with a T4 melanoma and a negative SLN had a significa...
Soybean is one of the most economical and nutritious food packed with basic nutrients that combat diseases stemming from mal- and under-nutrition. Despite its rich nutritional profile, use of soybean in food has been limited because soybean proteins are often associated with compounds, which could exert a negative impact on the nutritional quality of the protein. Trypsin inhibitor (TI) is one of the important anti-nutritional factors that exert negative effect by causing growth inhibition. Soybean cultivar VLS-2 was irradiated with 250 Gy gamma rays in a gamma cell (200) with 60Co source installed at BARC to induce mutations for low trypsin inhibitor content. Three mutants with lower levels of TI content were identified and can be utilized for developing elite varieties of soybean. (author)
By using a two-step homogenization approach, we derive analytical formulas of effective mass density {rho}{sub e} and effective bulk modulus B{sub e} for two- and three-dimensional acoustic metamaterials of Helmholtz resonators (HRs) in fluid. A negative B{sub e} is found at certain frequencies due to the monopolar resonance, leading to a low-frequency acoustic band gap. A unified picture is presented for metamaterials of HRs and three-component metamaterials of negative {rho}{sub e}. Our work supports recent observations in a one-dimensional array of HRs [N. Fang et al., Nat. Mater. 5, 452 (2006)] and presents important high-dimensional extensions for exploring more fascinating phenomena.
The last developments in lithium batteries design have demonstrated the advantages of graphite: competitive cost, flat output curve, high capacity thanks to the obtention of a final compound close to LiC{sub 6}, good behaviour during cycling and a high mass energy. However, these advantages are slightly tarnished by parasite secondary reactions during the evolution of the element. Two different cases are encountered: the formation of a passivation layer (loss of Li ions and formation of irreversible bounds) and the formation of a passivation layer with a reaction between graphite and the solvent (partial destruction of the graphite crystal lattice). In the first case, the theoretical graphite insertion capacity remains at 372 mAh/g while in the second case the insertion capacity is greatly reduced. Abstract only. (J.S.)
We describe a simple one-pot thermal decomposition method for the production of a stable colloidal suspension of narrowly dispersed superparamagnetic Fe3O4-Ag core-shell nanostructures. These biocompatible nanostructures are highly toxic to microorganisms. Antimicrobial activity studies were carried out on both Gram negative (Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris) and Gram positive (Bacillus megaterium and Staphylococcus aureus) bacterial strains. Efforts have been made to understand the underlying molecular mechanism of such antibacterial actions. The effect of the core-shell nanostructures on Gram negative strains was found to be better than that observed for silver nanoparticles. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of these nanostructures were found to be considerably lowe...
It is well known that a protective film is formed on the graphite negative electrode in ethylene carbonate (EC) electrolyte solution. This film is lithium-ion conductive and protects the decomposition of the electrolyte solution. In the present paper, the electrode/electrolyte interfaces in lithium-ion rechargeable batteries were characterized by three-dimensional complex impedance plots, whose axes are real, imaginary parts and time. The film resistance R {sub sei} and charge transfer resistance R {sub ct} were determined for negative electrodes in EC/ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) electrolyte solution, and the formation mechanisms of the interfacial film were discussed. Furthermore, the contributions of vinylene carbonate and ethylene sulfite, which are added into the electrolyte solution for the film formation, were investigated.
It is well known that a protective film is formed on the graphite negative electrode in ethylene carbonate (EC) electrolyte solution. This film is lithium-ion conductive and protects the decomposition of the electrolyte solution. In the present paper, the electrode/electrolyte interfaces in lithium-ion rechargeable batteries were characterized by three-dimensional complex impedance plots, whose axes are real, imaginary parts and time. The film resistance R _s_e_i and charge transfer resistance R _c_t were determined for negative electrodes in EC/ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) electrolyte solution, and the formation mechanisms of the interfacial film were discussed. Furthermore, the contributions of vinylene carbonate and ethylene sulfite, which are added into the electrolyte solution for the film formation, were investigated.
This paper describes a concept for a current drive system based on negative ions with beam energy > 1 MeV. Preliminary physics calculations show that the core current necessary for stability enhancement can best be achieved by beams with energy ranging from 1 to 4 MeV. Further study and experiments will better define the optimum energy. Work under way at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and at collaborating institutes in Canada and the Federal Republic of Germany is defining a system, its elements, a configuration and operational scenarios deemed appropriate for such devices as ITER and other future steady-state tokamaks, and the requisite research and development to provide such a system. 7 refs., 2 figs.
This study focuses on comparing reports of nicotine withdrawal, craving, and depressive symptoms obtained using an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system and several questionnaires. As part of a smoking cessation trial, daily reports of withdrawal, craving, and negative mood were collected using an IVR system for 7 days after participants attempted to quit smoking, and several pencil and paper questionnaires (i.e., the Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale, the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression) were completed a week after the target quit date. The sample was composed of 378 daily smokers. Moderate to high correlations were found between the research questionnaires obtained at the end of the week and the corresponding daily IVR reports of ...
The emittances of hydrogen and deuterium negative ion beams produced by volume ion sources have been measured in a transverse plane normal to the beam trajectory. The extraction voltage was varied from 10 to 40 kV, and the transverse magnetic field in the Penning discharges was varied from 0.1 to 0.2 T. Measurements were made on beams with current densities up to 60 mA/cm/sup 2/ at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with an emittance scanner originally developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The beam profile at the scanner can be used to improve the accuracy of the emittance measurements. Other factors affecting emittance measurements are discussed. This analysis may be applicable to other ion sources. 6 figs.
Fuji Electric has realized highly reliable and functional control systems by the dispersion type control system FOCUS, which uses the controller (ICS-2000) enjoying good reputation in controlling industrial plants for a long time and a personal computer with high windows operability, the former for controlling and the latter for MHI responsible for monitoring. The smelting process in a steel-making plant needs a highly reliable system for advanced control to ensure continuous operation. Fuji Electric delivered the FOCUS system to Kubota in 1998, as the smelting furnace instrumentation/control system for the cupola furnace. The system has been in service smoothly. Moreover, a total of four control systems have been delivered, 2 for steel-making furnaces and the other 2 for continuous casting. (NEDO)
Studies continued on organic tracers for use as hydrologic tracers as part of the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization project. This subject report for the quarter 01/01/93 through 03/31/93 discusses the following issues: project organization and responsibilities; quality assurance program; design control; procurement document control; instructions, procedures, and drawings; document control; control of purchased items and services; identification and control of items; control of processes; inspection; test control; control of measuring and test equipment; handling, storage, and shipping; inspection, test, and operating status; control of nonconforming items and conditions; corrective action; quality assurance records; audits; software quality assurance; and scientific investigation.
Purpose: To stably control the reactor water level so as not to cause excess water feeding in a BWR type reactor. Constitution: A flow control valve is disposed to the exit of a feedwater pump for a nuclear reactor and the valve is controlled by a flow regulator to maintain the water level constant in the reactor. A signal from a water level controller is inputted to the flow regulator to thereby control the flow rate control valve. In this case, the flow regulator remains in a saturated state just after the starting of the feedwater pump, in which the pump flowrate is at 100% to result in an excess water feeding condition. In view of the above, a feedback circuit is provided to the flow regulator so that the saturated state is eliminated and the water feeding can be controlled directly from the water level controller. ...
A scheme for controlling multimanipulator systems is presented. The control objective is to coordinate the manipulators to perform parts-matching tasks such as screwing a nut onto a bolt. The task of moving a rigid object can be treated as a special case. Two secondary control objectives internal force control and load distribution can be accomplished within the structure of the control law. The internal force control mechanism keeps the internal forces on the object being manipulated at a desirable level. The load distribution mechanism distributes control effort to each manipulator according to a weighting factor. It is also shown that the control algorithm has a modular structure which facilitates its implementation on a multiprocessor computer. The scheme was tested on a planar scara type dual-manipulator system. A ...
This paper deals with the control of an electromechanical valves engine. The control uses neural networks in order to build a non-linear model of engine filing which depends on the driven inlets. The aim is to build this real-time model and to integrate this model to a control system which performs an iterative inversion. (J.S.)
We present a modification of the closed-loop state space model for AO control which allows delays that are a non-integer multiple of the system frame rate. We derive the new forms of the Predictive Fourier Control Kalman filters for arbitrary delays and show that they are linear combinations of the whole-frame delay terms. This structure of the controller is independent of the delay. System stability margins and residual error variance both transition gracefully between integer-frame delays.
Experience and technical innovations in power plant engineering have resulted in continuous improvements of operation control, availability and safety of pumped storage plants. Process control is constantly improved as new developments are made in equipment and systems engineering. Plant control concepts with increasingly complex automation hierarchy are described by which pumped storage processes can be controlled optimally, reliably, and automatically.
University research group with research areas: * Land based and submersible autonomous robots, (UUVs: AUVs and ROVs); * Controllers, electronics, sensor design and fusion, motion control; * Guidance and navigation of underwater vehicles; * AI, neural networks, fuzzy logic, subsumption control, behaviour based control; * Optical fibre and ultrasonic sensors for proximal object detection; * Robot arm control, visual servoing; * Imaging sonar applications; * Simulator development: UUV simulator; imaging sonar simulator; Aircraft/flight simulator.
The technology status of the dynamics and controls discipline as it applies to energy storage wheel systems was evaluated. No problems were identified for which an adequate solution could not be proposed. Design issues that influence control were addressed. The dynamics and control aspects associated with the energy storage system concept and its various constituent parts, and the control tasks attendant to large, manned spacecraft are discussed.
Use of an adaptive optimal control algorithm for two realtime control applications, optimal excitation control of a synchronous generator (OEC) and power system stabilizer (PSS) is described in this paper. Experimental studies on a physical model of a power system show that the proposed OEC and PSS can track the controlled system by parameter identification at different operating conditions. The proposed control algorithm is based on the linear optimal control theory and a special 5th order discrete Riccati equation is solved in each sampling period. The proposed OEC and PSS can always guarantee that in closed loop the controlled system is stable based on the identified parameters. As the actual output of the controlled system and control are directly used in the controller, no ...
How sensory organization for postural control matures in children is not clear at this time. The present study examined, in children aged 7 to 11 and in adults, the postural control modifications in...Full Text Available
This article reviews briefly a range of the latest monitoring and controlling equipment for use in coal mines. This includes pressure transmitters, shale/coal discriminator, nucleonic bunker level indicator, automatic steering and monitoring system, oscilloscope/multimeter, and microprocessor based digital display controllers. 1 fig.
The article describes control and monitoring concepts in which the delegation of responsibility is becoming more decisive than ever (automation hierarchy), and which are capable of optimized, automatic control of process events in pumped storage plants. 8 refs.
The highly variable and intermittent pollutant concentrations and flowrates associated with wet-weather events in combined sewersheds necessitates the use of storage-treatment systems to control pollution.An optimized combined-sewer-overflow (CSO) control system requires a manage...
Studies have shown that the nervous system may adopt a control scheme in which synergistic muscle groups are controlled by common excitation patters, or modules, to simplify the coordination...Full Text Available
This work considers the problem of controlling multiple nonholonomic vehicles so that they converge to a scent source without colliding with each other. Since the control is to be implemented on simple 8-bit microcontrollers, fuzzy control rules are used to simplify a linear quadratic regulator control design. The inputs to the fuzzy controllers for each vehicle are the (noisy) direction to the source, the distance to the closest neighbor vehicle, and the direction to the closest vehicle. These directions are discretized into four values: Forward, Behind, Left, and Right, and the distance into three values: Near, Far, Gone. The values of the control at these discrete values are obtained based on the collision-avoidance repulsive forces and the change of variables that reduces the motion control problem of each nonholonomic vehicle to a ...
A controlled bidirectional quantum secret direct communication scheme is proposed by using a Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state. In the scheme, two users can exchange their secret messages simultaneously with a set of devices under the control of a third party. The security of the scheme is analysed and confirmed.
The objective of this project is to reduce energy consumption in 203 buildings by providing a new EMCS (Energy Monitoring Control System) to control and monitor systems.
A closed loop control process assures that a system performs within control limits. In closed loop control, the system's output feeds back directly to change the system's inputs. We describe an approach...Full Text Available
A retrospective case-control study tested the hypothesis that exposure to hydrocarbon combustion products is associated with the development of renal cell carcinoma. One control per case, matched for...Full Text Available
...Department of Environmental Control to ASARCO Incorporated. (B) Amended Administrative...Department of Environmental Control to ASARCO Incorporated. (C) Second Amended...Department of Environmental Control to ASARCO Incorporated. (ii) Additional...
This paper has the objective of presenting the philosophy of Static Var Compensator (SVC) Control as well the necessary adjustments in the project of control system to guarantee suitable performance under different operating conditions. The verification on the performance of the SVC control has been done by Transient Network Analyzer (TNA/CEPEL) studies, commissioning tests and a factory tests. The SVC is the type of Thyristor Controlled Reactor (TCR) and Thyristor Switched Capacitor (TSC). (author) 3 refs., 12 figs.
The idle speed of an internal combustion engine is controlled in response to a variable ignition timing control signal from a microcomputer. The microcomputer derives this control signal as a function of the magnitude of engine speed variation which occurs during engine idle periods to cause the ignition timing to vary quickly in response to a transitory engine load variation. An auxiliary air delivery system may be advantageously incorporated in the idle speed control system to cooperate with the ignition timing control in response to the engine speed variation.
A dual fuel engine control system for controlling the power output of a dual fuel compression ignition engine. The engine includes mixing means for combining an oxidizer and a primary fuel at a substantially constant ratio of oxidizer to primary fuel. The power output of the engine is controlled through the use of a throttle valve controlling the quantity of combustible mixture delivered to the combustion chamber. The fuel control system minimizes the quantity of ignition fuel required by controlling the quantity of combustible mixture rather than the fuel of air ratio. (author) figs.
The control valve for a large steam turbine must be operated linearly to be run by an automatic control system in a power plant. It is, however, found that the flow increase is much greater for a given valve position change near the closed end of travel than it is near the open end. Accordingly, the desired linearization will be achieved if the valve is opened less near the closed end of travel and greater near the open end. The previous way for linearization was to utilize the cams, which is called the mechanical hydraulic control (MHC). The MHC was afterward improved by producing the nonlinear electric compensation to the nonlinear system of control valves, viz. the electro hydraulic control (EHC)
The control valve for a large steam turbine must be operated linearly to be run by an automatic control system in a power plant. It is, however, found that the flow increase is much greater for a given valve position change near the closed end of travel than it is near the open end. Accordingly, the desired linearization will be achieved if the valve is opened less near the closed end of travel and greater near the open end. The previous way for linearization was to utilize the cams, which is called the mechanical hydraulic control (MHC). The MHC was afterward improved by producing the nonlinear electric compensation to the nonlinear system of control valves, viz. the electro hydraulic control (EHC)
To analyze the proposed growth-inhibitory function of wild-type p53, we compared simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA replication in primary rhesus monkey kidney (PRK) cells, which express wild-type p53, and...Full Text Available
Pseudomonas syringae is a gram-negative bacterial plant pathogen that is dependent on a type III protein secretion system (TTSS) and the effector proteins it translocates into plant...Full Text Available
We apply the potential force estimation method to artificial time series of market price produced by a deterministic dealer model. We find that dealers' feedback of linear prediction of market price based on the latest mean price changes plays the central role in the market's potential force. When markets are dominated by dealers with positive feedback the resulting potential force is repulsive, while the effect of negative feedback enhances the attractive potential force.
We report the existence of a sixth replication arrest site, TerF, that is located within the coding sequences of the rcsC gene, a negative regulator of capsule biosynthesis. The TerF site is oriented...Full Text Available
A radon detector with LR-115 nuclear track film was constructed for radon concentration measurements in soil. Temporal radon variations, as well as the barometric pressure, precipitation and temperature were measured for two years. Negative correlation between radon concentration in soil and barometric pressure was found. For some of the recorded earthquakes that occurred during the observation period, soil radon anomalies may be noticed one month before the quakes.
A summary of the topics covered in papers presented at the 1995 Brookhaven joint conference on production, neutralization, and application of negative ion beams is given. The conference topics covered included plasma ion sources, plasma seeding of these sources for increased ion production, beam extraction and transport, computer simulation and design studies, and operation of existing and experimental ion source facilities. Application of the sources to accelerator, tokamak, and thin film deposition are discussed. (AIP) {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}
In YbPd_2Si_2, the valence of Yb is very close to 3+. Ge substitution of Si induces a negative pressure effect and the valence of Yb decreases. For the low Ge concentrations studied, the spin fluctuation temperature T_s_f increases and #chi#4f, the Yb derived 4f susceptibility, obeys the scaling law #chi#4f(T)=F(T/T_s_f). (orig.).
In the early 1970s a spate of papers by research groups around the world provided evidence for a negative regulatory role of thymus-derived lymphocytes (T cells). In 1971, Gershon and Kondo published...Full Text Available
The water soluble, photolabile nitrene precursor, azidonaphthalene-2,7-disulfonic acid (ANDS) was encapsulated in small unilamellar, isoelectric (egg PC) or negatively charged (egg PC + dihexadecylphosphate) liposomes. The individual and combined effects of heme-proteins and UV irradiation on the fluorescence of these vesicles under aerobic conditions were studied. Consistent with the catalytic action of heme-proteins on lipid peroxidation and peroxide decomposition, addition of cytochrome c (positively charged) or catalase (negatively charged) to the vesicles elicited immediate formation of a fluorescence band at 470 nm, characteristic of Schiff bases that form from aldehyde byproducts of decomposing hydroperoxides. Ultraviolet irradiation of liposomes caused no significant changes in the fluorescence spectrum, in spite of the radiolysis of ANDS inside the vesicles with consequent formation of nitrene radicals. When isoelectric vesicles were ...
Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) plays a crucial role in periodontal disease and is up-regulated by oral Gram-negative, pathogen-derived LPS. In this study, we reported that simvastatin, a 3-hydroxyl-3-methylglutaryl-CoA...Full Text Available
In a redox battery using a titanium redox system or chromium redox system as an active material for the negative electrode or a manganese redox system as an active material for the positive electrode, the electromotive force of the battery and the stability of electrolyte solutions are enhanced by addition of a chelating agent such as citric acid or a complexing agent such as phosphoric acid to the redox system used therein.
BackgroundSelection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) by host immunity has been suggested to give rise to variants with amino acid substitutions at or around the 'a' determinant...Full Text Available
We study two correlated electrons in a nearest-neighbour tight-binding chain, with both on-site and nearest-neighbour interaction. Both the cases of parallel and antiparallel spin are considered. In addition to the free electron band for two electrons, there are correlated bands with positive or negative energy, depending on whether the interaction parameters are repulsive or attractive. Electrons form bound states, with amplitudes that decay exponentially with separation. Conditions for such states to be filled at low temperatures are discussed.
Effect of single and chronic irradiation on factors of hamsters natural immunity such as complement, lysozyme and antibodies in norm and in the cestode invasion has been investigated. Significant phase changes in the complement activity level, lysozyme content and specific antibodies tite have been shown to occur in hamster blood under the influence of ionizing radiation. Cestode invasion in irradiated host organism increases the negative effect of ionizing radiation on the hamster immyne system.
... Electro-Osmotic Pulse (EOP) technology forces moisture to flow through concrete surfaces against the hydraulic gradient when an electric field is applied to an embedded anode system. This flow is initiated by the movement of cations (positively charged ions) present in a porous medium such as concrete toward the negative earth. Water surrounding the cations moves with them. The Corps of Engineers owns and maintains many buried ...
The NSABP B-32 trial is examining whether patients with initially negative sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) who have occult metastases detected on deeper levels and cytokeratin immunohistochemistry...Full Text Available
To assess which specific morphologic features, enhancement patterns, or pharmacokinetic parameters on breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) could predict a false-negative outcome of Proton...Full Text Available
Biased above threshold (VT), pulsed photocurrent (u) measurements on windowed silicon Pd gate MOS capacitors are shifted (DV) negatively by H2/N2, whereas Au gates shift positively under NO2/air. Below VT, the shifts are reversed by adjustments of interface state population. Minor temperature increases may coax the device from inversion to depletion, inducing sign reversal of the chemical response.
A discussion is presented of the 750-KeV chopper experience with both proton and negative ion beams and the ability of these systems to tailor the Linac beam to the diverse requirements of its users; normal accelerator injection, neutron therapy beam, and electron cooling experiments. This flexibility plus a cleaner beam pulse, improved thyratron operation, and mechanical modularity are the results of recent improvements. Additional benefits have been increased reliability and ease of service to the 750-KeV chopper. 3 refs.
High-brightness negative ion beams, especially O{sup -} beams, from a compact gaseous plasma source are studied to evaluate the suitability for high-resolution SIMS. Ion-optical calculations are made using the beam parameters from the new source. Results suggest that sub-100 nm spot with O{sup -} beam current of 10 pA is achievable. Beam focusing, the resulting beam current distributions at the target and the expected instrumental performance are discussed.
According to the invention, a zinc foil is arranged between the negative electrode of a zinc/air battery (round cell) and the expansion space compensating for the reactive increase in volume of the zinc powder. This zinc foil functioning as a stop diaphragm particularly ensures, from the very onset, that the zinc filling has a density and compactness necessary for good electronic conductance.
Background:Methamphetamine is a major contributor to HIV transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM). Recent studies show that up to one-third of methamphetamine-using MSM...Full Text Available
The Baldwin Effect, a negative correlation between emission-line equivalent width and luminosity in active galactic nuclei, is still of interest as a diagnostic of accretion physics nearly thirty years after its discovery. This review examines recent developments in the study of correlations between line and continuum emission in AGNs, as measured both in ensembles and in individual sources.
This paper reports on the third workshop on the development of neutral-beam injectors held from 19-23 October 1981 at Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA. The programme of the workshop was devoted to the development of positive-ion-based neutral injectors, although several techniques for producing negative ion beams were also discussed.
The high-frequency precessional mode of a hot-electron-stabilized magnetic configuration has previously been shown to be stable in a window of core-plasma mass. Under conditions of frequency matching, the resulting stable negative-energy precessional wave can be destabilized by coupling to positive-energy shear-Alfven waves. Coupling is avoided when the hot-electron precession frequency exceeds the core-plasma ion gyrofrequency.
We argue that the occurrence of late-time acceleration can conveniently be described by first-order general relativity covariantly coupled to fermions. Dark energy arises as a gravitationally driven BCS condensate of fermions which forms in the early universe. At late times, the gap and chemical potential evolve to have an equation of state with effective negative pressure, thus naturally leading to acceleration.
In a cold fusion method by electrolysis, a hydrogen occluding material mainly comprising vanadium is used as a material for a negative electrode, and lithium isotopes are incorporated in the material by more than 93%. That is, the ratio of lithium 7 ("7Li) isotope is increased to higher than the natural existent ratio, so that tritium ("3H) concentration in the hydrogen occluding material can be increased, to attain energy at high efficiency. (T.M.).
By opinion and order dated May 20, 2003, Judge Richard K. Eaton of the U.S. Court of International Trade remanded the Commission's (U.S. International Trade Commission) preliminary negative determinations in Blast Furnace Coke from China and Japan for fur...
In clinical situations where a diagnostic real-time PCR assay is not sensitive enough, leading to low or falsely negative results, or where detection earlier in a disease progression would benefit the...Full Text Available
Acoustic waves propagation of in composite of water with embedded double-layered silicone resin/silver rods is considered. Approximate values of effective dynamical constitutive parameters are obtained. Frequency ranges of simultaneous negative constitutive parameters are found. Localized surface states on the interface between metamaterial and ``normal'' material are found. Doppler effect in metamaterial is considered. Presence of anomalous modes is shown.
We present a comparative study on the acoustic tunneling through artificial periodical composites, from phononic crystals to acoustic metamaterials. We find that the features of the acoustic tunneling are closely related with the origins of band gaps. In particular, the band gap associated with the negative effective material parameter in the metamaterial results in a better analog of the tunneling effect to the quantum system.
We aim to examine the spectrum of bacteria causing corneal infections and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns. This will serve as a guideline for empiric therapy of corneal infections. We conducted the study over a period of 18 months from March 2001 through December 2002 in King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Corneal specimens taken from 200 patients were inoculated directly onto different types of media. The isolates were identified and then tested against the appropriate topical or systemic antibiotics. Sixty-seven (33.5%) of the total specimens were culture positive and 133 (66.5%) were culture negative. Fourteen (7%) of these showed organisms in the Gram stained smears and correlated well with the culture reports. Of the 67 positive cultures, 53 (79.1%) were Gram-positive bacteria mostly coagulase-negative Staphylococci 29 (43.3%) followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) 13 (19.4%). Among ...
There is an urgent need in aquaculture to develop microbial control strategies, since disease outbreaks are recognized as important constraints to aquaculture production and trade and since the development...Full Text Available
A stable power system stabilizer (PSS) based on the inverse dynamics of the controlled system using an artificial neural network (ANN) is suggested to enhance the dynamic performances of a power system. First, an output feedback control law is driven with some conditions satisfied, which guarantees the internal stability and robustness against the asymptotically stable external disturbances. Then the control law is implemented using the inverse dynamics of the controlled plant. The inverse dynamics of the controlled plant is identified by an ANN, inverse dynamics neural network (IDNN), off-line. The pole-shifting technique and a scaling factor are introduced for the control system to meet the conditions for internal stability and robustness. The proposed controller is applied to a typical single-machine infinite-bus power system. Simulation ...
While substantial research has examined the control of information systems (IS) projects, most studies in this area have only examined how one controller manages a single group of controllees. However, many IS projects, especially enterprise systems projects (often initiated by an organization's corporate headquarters, and involving business unit users and consultants), have multiple stakeholders. The corporate headquarters (the project's principal controller) must simultaneously ensure that the various stakeholders are aligned with the project's goals despite their diverse motivations, and that the stakeholders collaborate with each other to achieve project success. Behavior control theory argues that the controller enacts a control portfolio of formal and informal controls. However, the ...
Despite the existence of effective analgesic drugs, many cancer patients live and die with ineffective pain control. The control of cancer pain is largely achievable with the appropriate use of available...Full Text Available
Models can be useful at many different levels when considering complex issues such as biological control of mosquitoes. At an early stage, exploratory models are valuable in exploring the characteristics...Full Text Available
[9] Rysdyk, R. T., and Calise, A. J., Fault Tolerant Flight control via Adaptive Neural Augmentation, AIAA. Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Aug. ...
Several studies of facilitated communication have demonstrated that the facilitators were controlling and directing the typing, although they appeared to be unaware of doing so. Such results shift...Full Text Available
The management of risks of explosives are described. Administrative and procedural controls are considered. The safety management plan involves hazard identification, risk analysis, assessment and control. The current position of explosives safety is considered. 4 tabs.
In this study, usage of a variable speed refrigeration system in latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) system is investigated to increase energy storage efficiency. Four different compressor speed control cases are compared to obtain a constant heat transfer fluid (HTF) temperature at the inlet of the energy storage tank. These control cases are (i) control with evaporation temperature, (ii) control with ethylene glycol temperature at the outlet section of evaporator, (iii) control with suction pressure of the compressor and (iv) on/off control. By means of the experimental analysis the best control strategy is obtained as control with Case (ii), in terms of stability of inlet temperature of heat transfer fluid, variations of energy efficiency of LHTES and coefficient of performance (...
AbstractThe efficacy of tilmicosin administered in the feed to control Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infections in pigs was evaluated through a multisite, multitrial...Full Text Available
Intelligent and decision aiding systems as support to operators are becoming increasingly a necessity in nuclear installations and in nuclear reactors in particular, specially after the Tree Mile Island. Development of new technologies based on linguistic approaches such as fuzzy logic has given rise to much interest during the last years. Fuzzy logic controller (FLC) has many advantage compared to conventional controllers using classical techniques. The aim of the present work is to use a fuzzy logic controller in parallel to actual semi-automatic controller in order to supervise in real time the operation of the research nuclear reactor. The principal of this controller is based on rules which are established previous from experiment using the semi-automatic controller and from the knowledge of the operators. (authors)
Purpose: To remove excessive driving pressure applied to an unisolated control rod drive by returning excessive coolant to a condensed water storage tank or to the inlet side of a drive water pump using a coolant flow rate control pipe of a control rod driving hydraulic system. Constitution: Excessive water is returned to a condensed water tank while controlling the excessive coolant by a flow control valve in response to variations in the pressure difference between the reactor pressure and the driving water line when the control rods are isolated using a pipe from the outlet side of the drive water pump to the condensed water storage tank. Thus, the control rod to be isolated is prevented form being dropped. (Sekiya, K.).
Phosphorylation is one of the most frequent modifications in intracellular signaling and is implicated in many processes ranging from transcriptional control to signal transduction in innate immunity....Full Text Available
Disclosed in this proposal are plans to construct a patent pending wrist module with computer control, configurable to form high-dexerity telerobotic arms ...
The biosynthesis of insect juvenile hormone (JH) and its neuroendocrine control are attractive targets for chemical control of insect pests and vectors of disease. To facilitate the molecular...Full Text Available
Externally powered prostheses have been studied for many years, to provide more effective rehabilitation of amputees. To take advantage of the benefits offered by external power in prostheses, however, the mode of control of the prosthesis by the amputee ...
Sep 1, 2011 ... Title: Application of chloropicrin to Douglas-fir stumps to control laminated root rot does not affect infection or growth of regeneration 16 growing ...
Hypertension affects most hemodialysis patients and is often poorly controlled. Adequate control of blood pressure is difficult with conventional hemodialysis alone but is important to improve...Full Text Available
Abstract A control framework was developed for real time implementation of optimal control of emulsion polymerization with multiple monomers by integrating model based algorithms with software engines. The developed system was applied for controlling conversion, particle size, molar mass, and polymer composition using model predictive control (MPC) based on mechanistic models for emulsion polymerization. The control formulation was extended to account for existing process constraints on the input, input moves, and solids content. On experimental testing, the developed control scheme was found to achieve the desired objectives without violating the process constraints and showed good robustness in rejecting disturbances. Improvements in the process operation and polymer property control wer...
A power system stabilizer based on GMV (Generalized Minimum Variance), one of the adaptive control techniques, is developed to enhance the dynamic performances of a power system using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The stabilizer consists of two parts. One part is Inverse Dynamics Neural Networks (IDNN), which is trained to identify the inverse dynamics of controlled plant and used as a one-step ahead controller, or inverse controller. The other part is Adaptive Reference Model (ARM), which prevents excessive controller output. The ARM produces the modified reference value by minimizing a cost function recursively on the assumption that the IDNN perfectly identifies the controlled plant. The IDNN is used in the minimization procedure to calculate the sensitivities. The proposed controller is simulated in a typical ...
The control of gas activity and process technology has developed tremendously over the past two decades. While once considered to be primitive control systems using simple PID loops with thermocouples that were suspect and unable to perform repeatedly and consistently during the arduous process of plasma nitriding and processing, developments in recent years have elevated the control of the process into what might be considered one of the most controllable processes of the latter part of this century. The advent of plasma processing technology has improved control methods by observing and harnessing each of the various process parameters into many different combinations of control systems. Some of these control systems can control the complete function of the process, thus freeing the operator entirely for other duties, ...
The vortex amplifier controller has no moving parts and therefore it can have extremely high reliability and avoid the maintenance problems associated with contaminated equipment. The vortex amplifier and its application to ventilation control of radioactive enclosures is described. Reverse purge vortex amplifier ventilation system control is also discussed. (U.K.).
This paper suggests how nonlinear periodic optimal control of a pumped storage plant can be realized. The control problem consists in maximization of the plant benefits over an operational period. An optimal control law is proposed, yielding a bang-off-bang mode of operation. An algorithm for numerical solution of the problem was developed, and its effectiveness was demonstrated by simulation experiments.
Brief summaries of research work are presented in the following section: overview of the ORNL Instrumentation and Controls Division activities; new developments and methods; reactor instrumentation and controls; measurement and control engineering; electronic engineering; maintenance; studies; services; and development; and division achievements.
Implementation of an adaptive power system stabilizer (PSS) based on linear optimal control is described in this paper. The generator is identified in real time, and a special 3rd order discrete Riccati equation is solved in each sample interval. Because the output of the generator is fed back directly, the controller can track the system very fast. Experimental studies on a physical model of a power system demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive optimal controller.
This paper reviews emission standards, technologies to control emissions, and the cost of these controls. It is concluded that international bodies will increasingly set minimum emissions, these standards will continue to be reduced, and in addition new substances will be controlled. The cost of this control will likely not exceed 0.5 cents per kWe-hr. 4 refs., 3 tabs.
Response of control valves plays an important role in the dynamics of the flow system as a whole. Knowledge of its transfer function would facilitate analysis of the behaviour of the system. This paper presents the application of Levy's complex curve fitting method for determination of the transfer function of control valves used in Liquid Zone Control System of 540 MWe PHWR. (author)
In the positive column of a neon glow discharge, two different types of ionization waves occur simultaneously. The low-dimensional chaos arising from the nonlinear interaction between the two waves is controlled by a continuous feedback technique. The control strategy is derived from the time-delayed autosynchronization method. Two spatially displaced points of observation are used to obtain the control information, using the propagation characteristics of the chaotic wave.
A program to modernize existing computer control and data analysis in a precision gamma-scanning system is described. This involves interfacing a new computer-based multichannel analyzer to existing equipment through a CAMAC system with an intelligent crate controller and writing software for scan control and data reduction. Both hardware and software requirements are discussed. 6 figures.
A dual-rate self-tuning control technique, in which the system identification and control calculation are performed separately, is proposed in this paper. This greatly increases the control rate. A self-tuning power system stabilizer (DSPSS) making use of this technique is developed and implemented using multi-micro-computers. Simulation and experimental results with DSPSS show that the increase in the control rate can considerably improve the system performance.
Butter-fly valves are advantageous over gate, globe, plug, and ball valves in a variety of installations, particularly in the large sizes. The purpose of this project development of linear flow rate control system for eccentric butter-fly valve (intelligent butter-fly valve system). The intelligent butter-fly valve system consist of a valve body, micro controller. The micro controller consist of torque control system, pressure censor, worm and worm gear and communication line etc. The characteristics of intelligent butter-fly valve system as follows: Linear flow rate control function. Digital remote control function. guard function. Self-checking function. (author)
The manual provides design information for four groups of sediment control structures and treatments which are suitable for use on small areas in surface coal mining. A detailed design procedure is given for each group which will estimate the total amount of settleable solids from a small area with a sediment control structure or treatment for a specific design storm. A procedure is also given for estimating the mean annual sediment yield from a small area. Information on design, installation, maintenance and cost is given for each sediment control measure. Methods for determining the maximum allowable area for each sediment control measure and for design of combined sediment control systems are presented. The design procedures contain numerous nomographs, graphs, and worksheets to facilitate the use of the design procedure. The sediment control measures, design ...
The manual provides design information for four groups of sediment control structures and treatments which are suitable for use on small areas in surface coal mining. A detailed design procedure is given for each group which will estimate the total amount of settleable solids from a small area with a sediment control structure or treatment for a specific design storm. A procedure is also given for estimating the mean annual sediment yield from a small area. Information on design, installation, maintenance and cost is given for each sediment control measure. Methods for determining the maximum allowable area for each sediment control measure and for design of combined sediment control systems are presented. The design procedures contain numerous nomographs, graphs, and worksheets to facilitate the use of the design procedure. The sediment control measures, design ...