Site-selective three-component reaction for dual-functionalization of peptides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munch, Henrik Kofoed; Rasmussen, Jakob Ewald; Popa, Gina

2013-01-01

A site-selective dual-functionalization of peptides is presented, involving readily available maleimides as well as N-hydroxylamines. The modification proceeds through a three component 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, forming a stable product. This was exemplified by the one-pot attachment of two...

Preparation of a novel dual-function strong cation exchange/hydrophobic interaction chromatography stationary phase for protein separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Kailou; Yang, Li; Wang, Xuejiao; Bai, Quan; Yang, Fan; Wang, Fei

2012-08-30

We have explored a novel dual-function stationary phase which combines both strong cation exchange (SCX) and hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) characteristics. The novel dual-function stationary phase is based on porous and spherical silica gel functionalized with ligand containing sulfonic and benzyl groups capable of electrostatic and hydrophobic interaction functionalities, which displays HIC character in a high salt concentration, and IEC character in a low salt concentration in mobile phase employed. As a result, it can be employed to separate proteins with SCX and HIC modes, respectively. The resolution and selectivity of the dual-function stationary phase were evaluated under both HIC and SCX modes with standard proteins and can be comparable to that of conventional IEC and HIC columns. More than 96% of mass and bioactivity recoveries of proteins can be achieved in both HIC and SCX modes, respectively. The results indicated that the novel dual-function column could replace two individual SCX and HIC columns for protein separation. Mixed retention mechanism of proteins on this dual-function column based on stoichiometric displacement theory (SDT) in LC was investigated to find the optimal balance of the magnitude of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between protein and the ligand on the silica surface in order to obtain high resolution and selectivity for protein separation. In addition, the effects of the hydrophobicity of the ligand of the dual-function packings and pH of the mobile phase used on protein separation were also investigated in detail. The results show that the ligand with suitable hydrophobicity to match the electrostatic interaction is very important to prepare the dual-function stationary phase, and a better resolution and selectivity can be obtained at pH 6.5 in SCX mode. Therefore, the dual-function column can replace two individual SCX and HIC columns for protein separation and be used to set up two-dimensional liquid

Dual little strings and their partition functions

Science.gov (United States)

Bastian, Brice; Hohenegger, Stefan; Iqbal, Amer; Rey, Soo-Jong

2018-05-01

We study the topological string partition function of a class of toric, double elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau threefolds XN ,M at a generic point in the Kähler moduli space. These manifolds engineer little string theories in five dimensions or lower and are dual to stacks of M5-branes probing a transverse orbifold singularity. Using the refined topological vertex formalism, we explicitly calculate a generic building block which allows us to compute the topological string partition function of XN ,M as a series expansion in different Kähler parameters. Using this result, we give further explicit proof for a duality found previously in the literature, which relates XN ,M˜XN',M' for N M =N'M' and gcd (N ,M )=gcd (N',M') .

Effects of Gait Self-Efficacy and Lower-Extremity Physical Function on Dual-Task Performance in Older Adults

Science.gov (United States)

Banducci, Sarah E.; Daugherty, Ana M.; Fanning, Jason; Awick, Elizabeth A.; Porter, Gwenndolyn C.; Burzynska, Agnieszka; Shen, Sa; Kramer, Arthur F.; McAuley, Edward

2017-01-01

Objectives. Despite evidence of self-efficacy and physical function's influences on functional limitations in older adults, few studies have examined relationships in the context of complex, real-world tasks. The present study tested the roles of self-efficacy and physical function in predicting older adults' street-crossing performance in single- and dual-task simulations. Methods. Lower-extremity physical function, gait self-efficacy, and street-crossing success ratio were assessed in 195 older adults (60–79 years old) at baseline of a randomized exercise trial. During the street-crossing task, participants walked on a self-propelled treadmill in a virtual reality environment. Participants crossed the street without distraction (single-task trials) and conversed on a cell phone (dual-task trials). Structural equation modeling was used to test hypothesized associations independent of demographic and clinical covariates. Results. Street-crossing performance was better on single-task trials when compared with dual-task trials. Direct effects of self-efficacy and physical function on success ratio were observed in dual-task trials only. The total effect of self-efficacy was significant in both conditions. The indirect path through physical function was evident in the dual-task condition only. Conclusion. Physical function can predict older adults' performance on high fidelity simulations of complex, real-world tasks. Perceptions of function (i.e., self-efficacy) may play an even greater role. The trial is registered with United States National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT01472744; Fit & Active Seniors Trial). PMID:28255557

Generic primal-dual interior point methods based on a new kernel function

NARCIS (Netherlands)

EL Ghami, M.; Roos, C.

2008-01-01

In this paper we present a generic primal-dual interior point methods (IPMs) for linear optimization in which the search direction depends on a univariate kernel function which is also used as proximity measure in the analysis of the algorithm. The proposed kernel function does not satisfy all the

Pairs of dual Gabor frames generated by functions of Hilbert-Schmidt type

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Lasse Hjuler

2015-01-01

where each member may be written as a linear combination of integer translates of any B-spline. We introduce functions of Hilbert-Schmidt type along with a new method which allows us to associate to certain such functions finite families of recursively defined dual windows of arbitrary smoothness...

Dual-task performance involving hand dexterity and cognitive tasks and daily functioning in people with schizophrenia: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Keh-chung; Wu, Yi-fang; Chen, I-chen; Tsai, Pei-luen; Wu, Ching-yi; Chen, Chia-ling

2015-01-01

This study investigated separate and concurrent performance on cognitive and hand dexterity tasks and the relationship to daily functioning in 16 people with schizophrenia and 16 healthy control participants. Participants performed the Purdue Pegboard Test and the Serial Seven Subtraction Test under single- and dual-task conditions and completed two daily functioning evaluations. The hand dexterity of all participants declined in the dual-task condition, but the discrepancy between single-task and dual-task hand dexterity was greater in the schizophrenia group than in the control group (p.70, for all). The extent of discrepancy in hand dexterity was negatively correlated with daily functioning in the schizophrenia group (rs=-.3 to -.5, ps=.04-.26). Ability to perform dual tasks may be an indicator of daily functioning in people with schizophrenia. Use of dual-task training may be considered as a therapeutic activity with these clients. Copyright © 2015 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

The quantum dual string wave functional in Yang-Mills theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gervais, J.-L.; Neveu, A.

1979-01-01

From any solution of the classical Yang-Mills equations, a string wave functional based on the Wilson loop integral is defined. Its precise definition is given by replacing the string by a finite set of N points, and taking the limit N → infinity. It is shown that this functional satisfies the Schroedinger equation of the relativistic dual string to leading order in N. The relevance of this object to the quantum problem is speculated. (Auth.)

Dual descriptors within the framework of spin-polarized density functional theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Chamorro, E; Pérez, P; Duque, M; De Proft, F; Geerlings, P

2008-08-14

Spin-polarized density functional theory (SP-DFT) allows both the analysis of charge-transfer (e.g., electrophilic and nucleophilic reactivity) and of spin-polarization processes (e.g., photophysical changes arising from electron transitions). In analogy with the dual descriptor introduced by Morell et al. [J. Phys. Chem. A 109, 205 (2005)], we introduce new dual descriptors intended to simultaneously give information of the molecular regions where the spin-polarization process linking states of different multiplicity will drive electron density and spin density changes. The electronic charge and spin rearrangement in the spin forbidden radiative transitions S(0)-->T(n,pi(*)) and S(0)-->T(pi,pi(*)) in formaldehyde and ethylene, respectively, have been used as benchmark examples illustrating the usefulness of the new spin-polarization dual descriptors. These quantities indicate those regions where spin-orbit coupling effects are at work in such processes. Additionally, the qualitative relationship between the topology of the spin-polarization dual descriptors and the vertical singlet triplet energy gap in simple substituted carbene series has been also discussed. It is shown that the electron density and spin density rearrangements arise in agreement with spectroscopic experimental evidence and other theoretical results on the selected target systems.

Apparent luminosity function of galaxies to the twenty-first magnitude

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, G.S.

1979-01-01

Galaxy counts to limiting magnitudes B=17.7 to 21.0 in 13 selected areas in the north galactic polar cap are presented. The photographs were taken with a reducing camera at the Cassegrain focus of the 91 cm and 205 cm reflectors of McDonald Observatory. Both galaxy and star images were counted and recorded. On each plate a few stars and galaxies were marked as representative of the plate limit. Selected brighter galaxies and stars were measured photoelectrically to fix the zero points. The B magnitude limits of each plate for stars and galaxies are obtained by a combination of photoelectric and photographic photometry. The resulting apparent luminosity functions of galaxies and stars are compared with earlier data. Sources of error in the counts are discussed in detail

Xenon ventilation CT using dual-source and dual-energy technique in children with bronchiolitis obliterans: correlation of xenon and CT density values with pulmonary function test results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goo, Hyun Woo; Yang, Dong Hyun; Seo, Joon Beom; Chae, Eun Jin; Lee, Jeongjin; Hong, Soo-Jong; Yu, Jinho; Kim, Byoung-Ju; Krauss, Bernhard

2010-01-01

Xenon ventilation CT using dual-source and dual-energy technique is a recently introduced, promising functional lung imaging method. To expand its clinical applications evidence of additional diagnostic value of xenon ventilation CT over conventional chest CT is required. To evaluate the usefulness of xenon ventilation CT using dual-source and dual-energy technique in children with bronchiolitis obliterans (BO). Seventeen children (age 7-18 years; 11 boys) with BO underwent xenon ventilation CT using dual-source and dual-energy technique. Xenon and CT density values were measured in normal and hyperlucent lung regions on CT and were compared between the two regions. Volumes of hyperlucent regions and ventilation defects were calculated with thresholds determined by visual and histogram-based analysis. Indexed volumes of hyperlucent lung regions and ventilation defects were correlated with pulmonary function test results. Effective doses of xenon CT were calculated. Xenon (14.6 ± 6.4 HU vs 26.1 ± 6.5 HU; P 25-75 , (γ = -0.68-0.88, P ≤ 0.002). Volume percentages of xenon ventilation defects (35.0 ± 16.4%)] were not significantly different from those of hyperlucent lung regions (38.2 ± 18.6%). However, mismatches between the volume percentages were variable up to 21.4-33.3%. Mean effective dose of xenon CT was 1.9 ± 0.5 mSv. In addition to high-resolution anatomic information, xenon ventilation CT using dual-source and dual-energy technique demonstrates impaired regional ventilation and its heterogeneity accurately in children with BO without additional radiation exposure. (orig.)

Functional Dual Adaptive Control with Recursive Gaussian Process Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prüher, Jakub; Král, Ladislav

2015-01-01

The paper deals with dual adaptive control problem, where the functional uncertainties in the system description are modelled by a non-parametric Gaussian process regression model. Current approaches to adaptive control based on Gaussian process models are severely limited in their practical applicability, because the model is re-adjusted using all the currently available data, which keeps growing with every time step. We propose the use of recursive Gaussian process regression algorithm for significant reduction in computational requirements, thus bringing the Gaussian process-based adaptive controllers closer to their practical applicability. In this work, we design a bi-criterial dual controller based on recursive Gaussian process model for discrete-time stochastic dynamic systems given in an affine-in-control form. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we show that the proposed controller achieves comparable performance with the full Gaussian process-based controller in terms of control quality while keeping the computational demands bounded. (paper)

Feasibility study analysis for multi-function dual energy oven (case study: tapioca crackers small medium enterprise)

Science.gov (United States)

Soraya, N. W.; El Hadi, R. M.; Chumaidiyah, E.; Tripiawan, W.

2017-12-01

Conventional drying process is constrained by weather (cloudy / rainy), and requires wide drying area, and provides low-quality product. Multi-function dual energy oven is the appropriate technology to solve these problems. The oven uses solar thermal or gas heat for drying various type of products, including tapioca crackers. Investment analysis in technical, operational, and financial aspects show that the multi-function dual energy oven is feasible to be implemented for small medium enterprise (SME) processing tapioca crackers.

Functional cerebral lateralization and dual-task efficiency-testing the function of human brain lateralization using fTCD

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lust, J. M.; Geuze, R. H.; Groothuis, A. G. G.; Bouma, A.; Bouma, J.M.

2011-01-01

It has been hypothesized that functional cerebral lateralization enhances cognitive performance. Evidence was found in birds and fish. Our study aimed to test this hypothesis by analyzing the relationship between cerebral lateralization and both single-task performance and dual-task efficiency in

Dual vector multiplet coupled to dual N=1 supergravity in 10D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishino, Hitoshi; Rajpoot, Subhash

2005-01-01

We couple in superspace a dual vector multiplet (C m 1 ...m 7 ,λ α ) to the dual version of N=1 supergravity (e m a ,ψ m α ,M m 1 ...m 6 ,χ α ,Φ) in ten dimensions. The 7-form field C has its 8-form field strength H dual to the 2-form field strength F of the conventional vector multiplet. To simplify the computation, we use so-called beta-function-favored superspace constraints for dual supergravity developed for β-function computations. As in a more conventional constraint set, the H-Bianchi identity must have the form N and F, where N is the 7-form field strength in dual supergravity. The potential anomaly for the dual vector multiplet can be cancelled for the particular gauge group U(1) 496 by the Green-Schwarz mechanism. As a by-product, we also give the globally supersymmetric Abelian Dirac-Born-Infeld interactions for the dual vector multiplet for the first time

Effects of dual-task training on balance and executive functions in Parkinson's disease: a pilot study

OpenAIRE

Ângela Fernandes; Nuno Rocha; Rubim Santos; João Manuel R. S. Tavares

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of cognitive-motor dual-task training compared with single-task training on balance and executive functions in individuals with Parkinson's disease. Fifteen subjects, aged between 39 and 75 years old, were randomly assigned to the dual-task training group (n = 8) and single-task training group (n = 7). The training was run twice a week for 6 weeks. The single-task group received balance training and the dual-task group performed cognitive task...

Note on Nahm's partition function of the dual spectrum II

CERN Document Server

Minimi, M

1977-01-01

For pt.I see CERN publication TH2240. In part I, in considering the Nahm dual resonance mass spectra theory, it was noticed that there is another modular form; a generating function that transforms automorphically under T:w to -1/w and would realize the Veneziano dualism. The group structure associated with this form is studied since it appears, to the authors, to be more natural than Nahm's original. (6 refs).

Dual number algebra method for Green's function derivatives in 3D magneto-electro-elasticity

Science.gov (United States)

Dziatkiewicz, Grzegorz

2018-01-01

The Green functions are the basic elements of the boundary element method. To obtain the boundary integral formulation the Green function and its derivative should be known for the considered differential operator. Today the interesting group of materials are electronic composites. The special case of the electronic composite is the magnetoelectroelastic continuum. The mentioned continuum is a model of the piezoelectric-piezomagnetic composites. The anisotropy of their physical properties makes the problem of Green's function determination very difficult. For that reason Green's functions for the magnetoelectroelastic continuum are not known in the closed form and numerical methods should be applied to determine such Green's functions. These means that the problem of the accurate and simply determination of Green's function derivatives is even harder. Therefore in the present work the dual number algebra method is applied to calculate numerically the derivatives of 3D Green's functions for the magnetoelectroelastic materials. The introduced method is independent on the step size and it can be treated as a special case of the automatic differentiation method. Therefore, the dual number algebra method can be applied as a tool for checking the accuracy of the well-known finite difference schemes.

Vibration Suppression of Electronic Box by a Dual Function Piezoelectric Energy Harvester-Tuned Vibration Absorber

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sajid Rafique

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Over the past few years, remarkable developments in piezoelectric materials have motivated many researchers to work in the field of vibration energy harvesting by using piezoelectric beam like smart structures. This paper aimed to present the most recent application of a dual function piezoelectric device which can suppress vibration and harvest vibration energy simultaneously and a brief illustration of conventional mechanical and electrical TVAs (Tuned Vibration Absorber. It is shown that the proposed dual function device combines the benefits of conventional mechanical and electrical TVAs and reduces their relative disadvantages. Conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy introduces damping and, hence, the optimal damping required by this TVA is generated by the energy harvesting effects. This paper presents the methodology of implementing the theory of 'electromechanical' TVAs to suppress the response of any real world structure. The work also illustrates the prospect of extensive applications of such novel "electromechanical" TVAs in defence and industry. The results show that the optimum degree of vibration suppression of an electronic box is achieved by this dual function TVA through suitable tuning of the attached electrical circuitry

Vibration suppression of electronic box by a dual function piezoelectric energy harvester-tuned vibration absorber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rafique, S.; Shah, S.

2014-01-01

Over the past few years, remarkable developments in piezoelectric materials have motivated many researchers to work in the field of vibration energy harvesting by using piezoelectric beam like smart structures. This paper aimed to present the most recent application of a dual function piezoelectric device which can suppress vibration and harvest vibration energy simultaneously and a brief illustration of conventional mechanical and electrical TVAs (Tuned Vibration Absorber). It is shown that the proposed dual function device combines the benefits of conventional mechanical and electrical TVAs and reduces their relative disadvantages. Conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy introduces damping and, hence, the optimal damping required by this TVA is generated by the energy harvesting effects. This paper presents the methodology of implementing the theory of electromechanical TVAs to suppress the response of any real world structure. The work also illustrates the prospect of extensive applications of such novel electromechanical TVAs in defence and industry. The results show that the optimum degree of vibration suppression of an electronic box is achieved by this dual function TVA through suitable tuning of the attached electrical circuitry. (author)

Radiometric Calibration of a Dual-Wavelength, Full-Waveform Terrestrial Lidar.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhan; Jupp, David L B; Strahler, Alan H; Schaaf, Crystal B; Howe, Glenn; Hewawasam, Kuravi; Douglas, Ewan S; Chakrabarti, Supriya; Cook, Timothy A; Paynter, Ian; Saenz, Edward J; Schaefer, Michael

2016-03-02

Radiometric calibration of the Dual-Wavelength Echidna(®) Lidar (DWEL), a full-waveform terrestrial laser scanner with two simultaneously-pulsing infrared lasers at 1064 nm and 1548 nm, provides accurate dual-wavelength apparent reflectance (ρ(app)), a physically-defined value that is related to the radiative and structural characteristics of scanned targets and independent of range and instrument optics and electronics. The errors of ρ(app) are 8.1% for 1064 nm and 6.4% for 1548 nm. A sensitivity analysis shows that ρ(app) error is dominated by range errors at near ranges, but by lidar intensity errors at far ranges. Our semi-empirical model for radiometric calibration combines a generalized logistic function to explicitly model telescopic effects due to defocusing of return signals at near range with a negative exponential function to model the fall-off of return intensity with range. Accurate values of ρ(app) from the radiometric calibration improve the quantification of vegetation structure, facilitate the comparison and coupling of lidar datasets from different instruments, campaigns or wavelengths and advance the utilization of bi- and multi-spectral information added to 3D scans by novel spectral lidars.

Haemodynamic effects of dual-chamber pacing versus ventricular pacing during a walk test in patients with depressed or normal left ventricular function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferro, Adele; Salvatore, Marco; Cuocolo, Alberto [University Federico II, Department of Biomorphological and Functional Sciences, Institute of Biostructure and Bioimages of the National Council of Research, Naples (Italy); Duilio, Carlo; Santomauro, Maurizio [University Federico II, Department of Clinical Medicine, Cardiovascular and Immunological Sciences, Naples (Italy)

2005-09-01

Dual-chamber rate-modulated pacing provides haemodynamic benefits compared with ventricular pacing at rest, but it is unclear whether this also holds true during physical exercise in patients with heart failure. This study assessed the haemodynamic response to a walk test during dual-chamber pacing and ventricular pacing in patients with depressed or normal left ventricular (LV) function. Twelve patients with an LV ejection fraction <50% and 11 patients with an LV ejection fraction {>=}50% underwent two randomised 6-min walk tests under dual-chamber rate-modulated pacing and ventricular pacing at a fixed rate of 70 beats/min. All patients had a dual-chamber pacemaker implanted for complete heart block. LV function was monitored by a radionuclide ambulatory system. In patients with depressed LV function, the change from dual-chamber pacing to ventricular pacing induced a decrease in end-systolic volume at the peak of the walk test (P<0.05), with no difference in end-diastolic volume. As a consequence, higher increases in LV ejection fraction (P<0.0001) and stroke volume (P<0.01) were observed during ventricular pacing. No difference in cardiac output was found between the two pacing modes. In patients with normal LV function, the change from dual-chamber pacing to ventricular pacing induced a significant decrease in cardiac output (P<0.005 at rest and P<0.05 at the peak of the walk test). Compared with dual-chamber rate-modulated pacing, ventricular pacing improves cardiac function and does not affect cardiac output during physical activity in patients with depressed LV function, whereas it impairs cardiac output in those with normal function. (orig.)

Haemodynamic effects of dual-chamber pacing versus ventricular pacing during a walk test in patients with depressed or normal left ventricular function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferro, Adele; Salvatore, Marco; Cuocolo, Alberto; Duilio, Carlo; Santomauro, Maurizio

2005-01-01

Dual-chamber rate-modulated pacing provides haemodynamic benefits compared with ventricular pacing at rest, but it is unclear whether this also holds true during physical exercise in patients with heart failure. This study assessed the haemodynamic response to a walk test during dual-chamber pacing and ventricular pacing in patients with depressed or normal left ventricular (LV) function. Twelve patients with an LV ejection fraction <50% and 11 patients with an LV ejection fraction ≥50% underwent two randomised 6-min walk tests under dual-chamber rate-modulated pacing and ventricular pacing at a fixed rate of 70 beats/min. All patients had a dual-chamber pacemaker implanted for complete heart block. LV function was monitored by a radionuclide ambulatory system. In patients with depressed LV function, the change from dual-chamber pacing to ventricular pacing induced a decrease in end-systolic volume at the peak of the walk test (P<0.05), with no difference in end-diastolic volume. As a consequence, higher increases in LV ejection fraction (P<0.0001) and stroke volume (P<0.01) were observed during ventricular pacing. No difference in cardiac output was found between the two pacing modes. In patients with normal LV function, the change from dual-chamber pacing to ventricular pacing induced a significant decrease in cardiac output (P<0.005 at rest and P<0.05 at the peak of the walk test). Compared with dual-chamber rate-modulated pacing, ventricular pacing improves cardiac function and does not affect cardiac output during physical activity in patients with depressed LV function, whereas it impairs cardiac output in those with normal function. (orig.)

Dual-Functionalized Graphene Oxide Based siRNA Delivery System for Implant Surface Biomodification with Enhanced Osteogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Li; Zhou, Qing; Song, Wen; Wu, Kaimin; Zhang, Yumei; Zhao, Yimin

2017-10-11

Surface functionalization by small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a novel strategy for improved implant osseointegration. A gene delivery system with safety and high transfection activity is a crucial factor for an siRNA-functionalized implant to exert its biological function. To this end, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyethylenimine (PEI) dual-functionalized graphene oxide (GO; nGO-PEG-PEI) may present a promising siRNA vector. In this study, nanosized nGO-PEG-PEI was prepared and optimized for siRNA delivery. Titania nanotubes (NTs) fabricated by anodic oxidation were biomodified with nGO-PEG-PEI/siRNA by cathodic electrodeposition, designated as NT-GPP/siRNA. NT-GPP/siRNA possessed benign cytocompatibility, as evaluated by cell adhesion and proliferation. Cellular uptake and knockdown efficiency of the NT-GPP/siRNA were assessed by MC3T3-E1 cells, which exhibited high siRNA delivery efficiency and sustained target gene silencing. Casein kinase-2 interacting protein-1 (Ckip-1) is a negative regulator of bone formation. siRNA-targeting Ckip-1 (siCkip-1) was introduced to the implant, and a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments were carried out to evaluate the osteogenic capacity of NT-GPP/siCkip-1. NT-GPP/siCkip-1 dramatically improved the in vitro osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells in terms of improved osteogenesis-related gene expression, and increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) production, collagen secretion, and extracellular matrix (ECM) mineralization. Moreover, NT-GPP/siCkip-1 led to apparently enhanced in vivo osseointegration, as indicated by histological staining and EDX line scanning. Collectively, these findings suggest that NT-GPP/siRNA represents a practicable and promising approach for implant functionalization, showing clinical potential for dental and orthopedic applications.

Dual function of the McaS small RNA in controlling biofilm formation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Mikkel Girke; Thomason, Maureen K.; Havelund, Johannes

2013-01-01

, and biofilm formation. Moreover, ectopic McaS expression leads to induction of two additional CsrA-repressed genes encoding diguanylate cyclases. Collectively, our study shows that McaS is a dual-function sRNA with roles in the two major post-transcriptional regulons controlled by the RNA-binding proteins Hfq...

Comparison of dual photon and dual energy X-ray bone densitometers in a clinic setting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, D.A.; Shaffer, S.; Brown, E.B.; Flynn, M.J.; Cody, D.D.

1991-01-01

Two separate studies were conducted. We evaluated the relationships between results of lumbar spine measurements using two dual photon absorptiometry (DPA1 and DPA2) instruments and one dual energy X-ray (DXA) instrument with the same subject (49 volunteers), and also in 65 patients who were measured on the DPA1 and DXA machines. Second, we measured the lumbar spine and the proximal femur in three groups of 12 female volunteers three times on one instrument within 1 week. We purposely simulated a busy clinic setting with different technologists, older radioactive sources, and a heterogeneous patient group. The comparison study indicated a significant difference between the mean bone density values reported by the machines, but the results were highly correlated (R 2 = 0.89-0.96). This study emphasizes the differences between instruments, the potential for greater error in busy clinic environments, and the apparent superiority of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry under these less than ideal conditions. (orig./GDG)

Effects of dual-task training on balance and executive functions in Parkinson's disease: A pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Ângela; Rocha, Nuno; Santos, Rubim; Tavares, João Manuel R S

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of cognitive-motor dual-task training compared with single-task training on balance and executive functions in individuals with Parkinson's disease. Fifteen subjects, aged between 39 and 75 years old, were randomly assigned to the dual-task training group (n = 8) and single-task training group (n = 7). The training was run twice a week for 6 weeks. The single-task group received balance training and the dual-task group performed cognitive tasks simultaneously with the balance training. There were no significant differences between the two groups at baseline. After the intervention, the results for mediolateral sway with eyes closed were significantly better for the dual-task group and anteroposterior sway with eyes closed was significantly better for the single-task group. The results suggest superior outcomes for the dual-task training compared to the single-task training for static postural control, except in anteroposterior sway with eyes closed.

Global oscillations of the Sun: observed as oscillations in the apparent solar limb darkening function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, H.A.; Caudell, T.P.

1979-01-01

Analysis of the 1973 solar oblateness observations made at SCLERA has indicated that most of the oscillatory power found in observations of the apparent solar diameter is statistically significant and that it is produced by fluctuations in the limb darkening function rather than by a simple displacement of the solar limb. The differential refractive effects in the Earth's atmosphere may be ruled out as operative mechanisms for generating the observed oscillations. Solar and non-solar mechanisms for producing changes in the apparent limb darkening function are considered as possible sources of the observed oscillatory effects; it is concluded that acoustic and gravity modes of oscillation are the only viable mechanisms capable of producing these phenomena. This interpretation necessitates the imposition of certain constraints on modelling of the solar interior and on solar pulsation theory. The conclusion that the oscillations are detected through changes in the limb darkening function leads to a new constraint on the photospheric boundary conditions used in pulsation theory. The identification of two of the oscillations as being high-order gravity modes also necessitates the formulation of a new constraint on the Brunt-Vaisalai frequency in the solar interior and, in addition, may place a constraint depth on the convection zone. Application of the constraint on the Brunt-Vaisalai frequency permits discrimination between current models while the first constraint, if correct, may further complicate studies of the outer envelope of the Sun. (author)

Dual-well potential field function for articulated manipulator trajectory planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed Badawy

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A new attractive potential field function is proposed in this paper for manipulator trajectory planning. Existing attractive potential field constructs a global minimum through which maneuvering objects move down the gradient of the potential field toward this global minimum. The proposed method constructs a potential field with two minima. The purpose of these two minima is to create a dual attraction between links rather than affecting each link by the preceding one through kinematic constraints.

Dual functionalized graphene oxide serves as a carrier for delivering oligohistidine- and biotin-tagged biomolecules into cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jana, Batakrishna; Mondal, Goutam; Biswas, Atanu; Chakraborty, Indrani; Saha, Abhijit; Kurkute, Prashant; Ghosh, Surajit

2013-11-01

A versatile method of dual chemical functionalization of graphene oxide (GO) with Tris-[nitrilotris(acetic acid)] (Tris-NTA) and biotin for cellular delivery of oligohistidine- and biotin-tagged biomolecules is reported. Orthogonally functionalized GO surfaces with Tris-NTA and biotin to obtain a dual-functionalized GO (DFGO) are prepared and characterized by various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Fluorescence microscopic images reveal that DFGO surfaces are capable of binding oligohistidine-tagged biomolecules/proteins and avidin/biotin-tagged biomolecules/proteins orthogonally. The DFGO nanoparticles are non-cytotoxic in nature and can deliver oligohistidine- and biotin-tagged biomolecules simultaneously into the cell. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Dual-function photonic integrated circuit for frequency octo-tupling or single-side-band modulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasan, Mehedi; Maldonado-Basilio, Ramón; Hall, Trevor J

2015-06-01

A dual-function photonic integrated circuit for microwave photonic applications is proposed. The circuit consists of four linear electro-optic phase modulators connected optically in parallel within a generalized Mach-Zehnder interferometer architecture. The photonic circuit is arranged to have two separate output ports. A first port provides frequency up-conversion of a microwave signal from the electrical to the optical domain; equivalently single-side-band modulation. A second port provides tunable millimeter wave carriers by frequency octo-tupling of an appropriate amplitude RF carrier. The circuit exploits the intrinsic relative phases between the ports of multi-mode interference couplers to provide substantially all the static optical phases needed. The operation of the proposed dual-function photonic integrated circuit is verified by computer simulations. The performance of the frequency octo-tupling and up-conversion functions is analyzed in terms of the electrical signal to harmonic distortion ratio and the optical single side band to unwanted harmonics ratio, respectively.

Prostate stem cell antigen-targeted nanoparticles with dual functional properties: in vivo imaging and cancer chemotherapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gao X

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Xin Gao,1,* Yun Luo,1,* Yuanyuan Wang,1,* Jun Pang,1 Chengde Liao,2 Hanlun Lu,3 Youqiang Fang11Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, 2Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, 3Materials Science Institute of Zhongshan University, Guangzhou, China*These authors contributed equally to this workBackground: We designed dual-functional nanoparticles for in vivo application using a modified electrostatic and covalent layer-by-layer assembly strategy to address the challenge of assessment and treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer.Methods: Core-shell nanoparticles were formulated by integrating three distinct functional components, ie, a core constituted by poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid, docetaxel, and hydrophobic superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocrystals (SPIONs, a multilayer shell formed by poly(allylamine hydrochloride and two different sized poly(ethylene glycol molecules, and a single-chain prostate stem cell antigen antibody conjugated to the nanoparticle surface for targeted delivery.Results: Drug release profiles indicated that the dual-function nanoparticles had a sustained release pattern over 764 hours, and SPIONs could facilitate the controlled release of the drug in vitro. The nanoparticles showed increased antitumor efficiency and enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in vitro through targeted delivery of docetaxel and SPIONs to PC3M cells. Moreover, in nude mice bearing PC3M xenografts, the nanoparticles provided MRI negative contrast enhancement, as well as halting and even reversing tumor growth during the 76-day study duration, and without significant systemic toxicity. The lifespan of the mice treated with these targeted dual-function nanoparticles was significantly increased (Chi-square = 22.514, P < 0.0001.Conclusion: This dual-function nanomedical platform may be a promising candidate for tumor imaging and targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic agents in vivo

Production Functions for Water Delivery Systems: Analysis and Estimation Using Dual Cost Function and Implicit Price Specifications

Science.gov (United States)

Teeples, Ronald; Glyer, David

1987-05-01

Both policy and technical analysis of water delivery systems have been based on cost functions that are inconsistent with or are incomplete representations of the neoclassical production functions of economics. We present a full-featured production function model of water delivery which can be estimated from a multiproduct, dual cost function. The model features implicit prices for own-water inputs and is implemented as a jointly estimated system of input share equations and a translog cost function. Likelihood ratio tests are performed showing that a minimally constrained, full-featured production function is a necessary specification of the water delivery operations in our sample. This, plus the model's highly efficient and economically correct parameter estimates, confirms the usefulness of a production function approach to modeling the economic activities of water delivery systems.

Executive functioning in dual-diagnosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Duijkers, J.C.L.M.; Vissers, C.T.W.M.; Egger, J.I.M.

2016-01-01

Objectives: In mental health, the term dual-diagnosis (DD) is used for the co-occurrence of Substance Use Disorder (SUD: alcohol/drugs) with another mental disorder. These co-occurring disorders can have a shared cause, and can cause/intensify each other's expression. Forming a threat to health and

The functional neuroanatomy of multitasking: combining dual tasking with a short term memory task.

Science.gov (United States)

Deprez, Sabine; Vandenbulcke, Mathieu; Peeters, Ron; Emsell, Louise; Amant, Frederic; Sunaert, Stefan

2013-09-01

Insight into the neural architecture of multitasking is crucial when investigating the pathophysiology of multitasking deficits in clinical populations. Presently, little is known about how the brain combines dual-tasking with a concurrent short-term memory task, despite the relevance of this mental operation in daily life and the frequency of complaints related to this process, in disease. In this study we aimed to examine how the brain responds when a memory task is added to dual-tasking. Thirty-three right-handed healthy volunteers (20 females, mean age 39.9 ± 5.8) were examined with functional brain imaging (fMRI). The paradigm consisted of two cross-modal single tasks (a visual and auditory temporal same-different task with short delay), a dual-task combining both single tasks simultaneously and a multi-task condition, combining the dual-task with an additional short-term memory task (temporal same-different visual task with long delay). Dual-tasking compared to both individual visual and auditory single tasks activated a predominantly right-sided fronto-parietal network and the cerebellum. When adding the additional short-term memory task, a larger and more bilateral frontoparietal network was recruited. We found enhanced activity during multitasking in components of the network that were already involved in dual-tasking, suggesting increased working memory demands, as well as recruitment of multitask-specific components including areas that are likely to be involved in online holding of visual stimuli in short-term memory such as occipito-temporal cortex. These results confirm concurrent neural processing of a visual short-term memory task during dual-tasking and provide evidence for an effective fMRI multitasking paradigm. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Onsite-effects of dual-hemisphere versus conventional single-hemisphere transcranial direct current stimulation: A functional MRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Yong Hyun; Jang, Sung Ho

2012-08-25

We performed functional MRI examinations in six right-handed healthy subjects. During functional MRI scanning, transcranial direct current stimulation was delivered with the anode over the right primary sensorimotor cortex and the cathode over the left primary sensorimotor cortex using dual-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation. This was compared to a cathode over the left supraorbital area using conventional single-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation. Voxel counts and blood oxygenation level-dependent signal intensities in the right primary sensorimotor cortex regions were estimated and compared between the two transcranial direct current stimulation conditions. Our results showed that dual-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation induced greater cortical activities than single-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation. These findings suggest that dual-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation may provide more effective cortical stimulation than single-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation.

Modeling the emissions of a dual fuel engine coupled with a biomass gasifier-supplementing the Wiebe function.

Science.gov (United States)

Vakalis, Stergios; Caligiuri, Carlo; Moustakas, Konstantinos; Malamis, Dimitris; Renzi, Massimiliano; Baratieri, Marco

2018-03-12

There is a growing market demand for small-scale biomass gasifiers that is driven by the economic incentives and the legislative framework. Small-scale gasifiers produce a gaseous fuel, commonly referred to as producer gas, with relatively low heating value. Thus, the most common energy conversion systems that are coupled with small-scale gasifiers are internal combustion engines. In order to increase the electrical efficiency, the operators choose dual fuel engines and mix the producer gas with diesel. The Wiebe function has been a valuable tool for assessing the efficiency of dual fuel internal combustion engines. This study introduces a thermodynamic model that works in parallel with the Wiebe function and calculates the emissions of the engines. This "vis-à-vis" approach takes into consideration the actual conditions inside the cylinders-as they are returned by the Wiebe function-and calculates the final thermodynamic equilibrium of the flue gases mixture. This approach aims to enhance the operation of the dual fuel internal combustion engines by identifying the optimal operating conditions and-at the same time-advance pollution control and minimize the environmental impact.

Determination of liquid's molecular interference function based on X-ray diffraction and dual-energy CT in security screening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Li; YangDai, Tianyi

2016-01-01

A method for deriving the molecular interference function (MIF) of an unknown liquid for security screening is presented. Based on the effective atomic number reconstructed from dual-energy computed tomography (CT), equivalent molecular formula of the liquid is estimated. After a series of optimizations, the MIF and a new effective atomic number are finally obtained from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) profile. The proposed method generates more accurate results with less sensitivity to the noise and data deficiency of the XRD profile. - Highlights: • EDXRD combined with dual-energy CT has been utilized for deriving the molecular interference function of an unknown liquid. • The liquid's equivalent molecular formula is estimated based on the effective atomic number reconstructed from dual-energy CT. • The proposed method provides two ways to estimate the molecular interference function: the simplified way and accurate way. • A new effective atomic number of the liquid could be obtained.

Clinical usefulness of dual-label Schilling test for pancreatic exocrine function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, W.L.; Morishita, R.; Eguchi, T.; Kawai, T.; Sakai, M.; Tateishi, H.; Uchino, H.

1989-05-01

The usefulness of the pancreatic dual-label Schilling test as an indirect test of pancreatic exocrine function was evaluated. This dual-label Schilling test was based on the difference of absorption for (58Co)cobalamin bound to hog R protein and (57Co)cobalamin bound to intrinsic factor. In this study, the test was performed in 7 normal subjects, 5 patients with pancreatectomy, 12 patients with chronic pancreatitis, 10 patients with suspicion of chronic pancreatitis, and 13 patients without chronic pancreatitis. The normal lower limit (mean -2 SD) of excretion ratio for (58Co)/(57Co) in 24-h urine was 0.68. Of the 26 patients on whom endoscopic retrograde pancreatography was performed, none of the 9 patients with normal pancreatogram, 4 of the 9 patients with mild to moderate pancreatitic changes in pancreatogram, and 7 of the 8 patients with advanced pancreatitic changes in pancreatogram showed a positive value lower than the ratio of 0.68 in this test. In 28 patients examined with the direct test of pancreatic secretory capacity, 2 of the 13 patients with normal function, 6 of the 9 patients with mild dysfunction, and 5 of the 6 patients with definite dysfunction were positive in this test. The results of the pancreatic dual-label Schilling test significantly correlated with those of a direct test of pancreatic secretory capacity and the findings of pancreatitic changes in pancreatogram (p less than 0.01, chi 2 test). The ratio for (58Co)/(57Co) correlated (r = 0.73) with the maximal bicarbonate concentration in duodenal juice of the direct test of pancreatic secretory capacity. The impairment of bicarbonate output by the pancreas may adversely affect the transfer of cobalamin from R protein to intrinsic factor.

Clinical usefulness of dual-label Schilling test for pancreatic exocrine function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, W.L.; Morishita, R.; Eguchi, T.; Kawai, T.; Sakai, M.; Tateishi, H.; Uchino, H.

1989-01-01

The usefulness of the pancreatic dual-label Schilling test as an indirect test of pancreatic exocrine function was evaluated. This dual-label Schilling test was based on the difference of absorption for [58Co]cobalamin bound to hog R protein and [57Co]cobalamin bound to intrinsic factor. In this study, the test was performed in 7 normal subjects, 5 patients with pancreatectomy, 12 patients with chronic pancreatitis, 10 patients with suspicion of chronic pancreatitis, and 13 patients without chronic pancreatitis. The normal lower limit (mean -2 SD) of excretion ratio for [58Co]/[57Co] in 24-h urine was 0.68. Of the 26 patients on whom endoscopic retrograde pancreatography was performed, none of the 9 patients with normal pancreatogram, 4 of the 9 patients with mild to moderate pancreatitic changes in pancreatogram, and 7 of the 8 patients with advanced pancreatitic changes in pancreatogram showed a positive value lower than the ratio of 0.68 in this test. In 28 patients examined with the direct test of pancreatic secretory capacity, 2 of the 13 patients with normal function, 6 of the 9 patients with mild dysfunction, and 5 of the 6 patients with definite dysfunction were positive in this test. The results of the pancreatic dual-label Schilling test significantly correlated with those of a direct test of pancreatic secretory capacity and the findings of pancreatitic changes in pancreatogram (p less than 0.01, chi 2 test). The ratio for [58Co]/[57Co] correlated (r = 0.73) with the maximal bicarbonate concentration in duodenal juice of the direct test of pancreatic secretory capacity. The impairment of bicarbonate output by the pancreas may adversely affect the transfer of cobalamin from R protein to intrinsic factor

A new dual-functional microcomputer-based system for nuclear measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jiang; Fang Fang

2004-01-01

Introduction is made on a new type of microcomputer-based system nuclear instrument which can be used in both α ray and γ ray measurements. This dual-functional instrument is based on P89C58 single-chip microcomputer as its core MPU to do operations like data acquisition, data processing, circuit control, display and communication. Improvement and simplification are made to the traditional single channel analyzer, which is completely dependent on the hardware circuit, through the use of P89C58. (authors)

SU-F-T-660: Evaluating the Benefit of Using Dual-Function Fiducial Markers for In-Situ Delivery of Radiosenistizing Gold Nanoparticles During Image-Guided Radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

AlMansour, S; Chin, J; Sajo, E; Ngwa, W [University Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Dual-function fiducials loaded with radiosensitizers, like gold nanoparticles (GNP), offer an innovative approach for ensuring geometric accuracy during image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) and significantly increasing therapeutic efficacy due to controlled in-situ release of the radiosensitizers. This study retrospectively investigates the dosimetric benefit of using up to two such dual-function fiducial markers instead of traditional single function fiducials during IGRT. Methods: A computational code was developed to investigate the dosimetric benefit for 10 real patient tumor volumes of up to 6.5 cm diameter. The intra-tumoral space-time biodistribution of the GNP was modeled as in previous studies based on Fick’s second law. The corresponding dose-enhancement for each tumor voxel due to the GNP was also calculated for clinical 6MV beam configurations. Various loading concentrations (25–50 mg/g) were studied, as a function of GNP size, to determine potential for clinically significant dose enhancement. The time between initial implantation of dual-function fiducials to the beginning of radiotherapy was assumed to be 14 days as typical for many clinics. Results: A single dual-function fiducial could achieve at least a DEF of 1.2 for patients with tumors less than 1.4 cm diameter after 14 days. Replacing two single function fiducials with dual-function ones at the same locations achieved at least the required minimal DEF for tumors that are 2 cm diameter in 3 patients. The results also revealed dosimetrically better fiducial locations which could enable significant DEF when using one or two dual function fiducials. 2 nm sizes showed the most feasibility. Conclusion: The results highlight the potential of tumor sub-volume radiation boosting using GNP released from fiducials, and the ability to customize the DEF throughout the tumor by using two dual-function fiducials, varying the initial concentration and nanoparticle size. The results demonstrate

SU-F-T-660: Evaluating the Benefit of Using Dual-Function Fiducial Markers for In-Situ Delivery of Radiosenistizing Gold Nanoparticles During Image-Guided Radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

AlMansour, S; Chin, J; Sajo, E; Ngwa, W

2016-01-01

Purpose: Dual-function fiducials loaded with radiosensitizers, like gold nanoparticles (GNP), offer an innovative approach for ensuring geometric accuracy during image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) and significantly increasing therapeutic efficacy due to controlled in-situ release of the radiosensitizers. This study retrospectively investigates the dosimetric benefit of using up to two such dual-function fiducial markers instead of traditional single function fiducials during IGRT. Methods: A computational code was developed to investigate the dosimetric benefit for 10 real patient tumor volumes of up to 6.5 cm diameter. The intra-tumoral space-time biodistribution of the GNP was modeled as in previous studies based on Fick’s second law. The corresponding dose-enhancement for each tumor voxel due to the GNP was also calculated for clinical 6MV beam configurations. Various loading concentrations (25–50 mg/g) were studied, as a function of GNP size, to determine potential for clinically significant dose enhancement. The time between initial implantation of dual-function fiducials to the beginning of radiotherapy was assumed to be 14 days as typical for many clinics. Results: A single dual-function fiducial could achieve at least a DEF of 1.2 for patients with tumors less than 1.4 cm diameter after 14 days. Replacing two single function fiducials with dual-function ones at the same locations achieved at least the required minimal DEF for tumors that are 2 cm diameter in 3 patients. The results also revealed dosimetrically better fiducial locations which could enable significant DEF when using one or two dual function fiducials. 2 nm sizes showed the most feasibility. Conclusion: The results highlight the potential of tumor sub-volume radiation boosting using GNP released from fiducials, and the ability to customize the DEF throughout the tumor by using two dual-function fiducials, varying the initial concentration and nanoparticle size. The results demonstrate

High bone mineral apparent density in children with X-linked hypophosphatemia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beck-Nielsen, Signe; Brixen, K; Gram, J

2013-01-01

of the spine compared to femoral neck. INTRODUCTION: BMAD obtained by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans in children with XLH was evaluated, as they are unlikely to have the extra-skeletal ossifications contributing to the elevated bone mineral density of the spine in adult patients. METHODS: A total of 15......Bone mineral apparent density (BMAD) in children with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) was evaluated, as they are unlikely to have extra-skeletal ossifications contributing to the elevated bone mineral density of the spine in adult patients. Children with XLH also had significantly higher BMAD...

Dual AAV therapy ameliorates exercise-induced muscle injury and functional ischemia in murine models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yadong; Yue, Yongping; Li, Liang; Hakim, Chady H; Zhang, Keqing; Thomas, Gail D; Duan, Dongsheng

2013-09-15

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) membrane delocalization contributes to the pathogenesis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) by promoting functional muscle ischemia and exacerbating muscle injury during exercise. We have previously shown that supra-physiological expression of nNOS-binding mini-dystrophin restores normal blood flow regulation and prevents functional ischemia in transgenic mdx mice, a DMD model. A critical next issue is whether systemic dual adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy can restore nNOS-binding mini-dystrophin expression and mitigate muscle activity-related functional ischemia and injury. Here, we performed systemic gene transfer in mdx and mdx4cv mice using a pair of dual AAV vectors that expressed a 6 kb nNOS-binding mini-dystrophin gene. Vectors were packaged in tyrosine mutant AAV-9 and co-injected (5 × 10(12) viral genome particles/vector/mouse) via the tail vein to 1-month-old dystrophin-null mice. Four months later, we observed 30-50% mini-dystrophin positive myofibers in limb muscles. Treatment ameliorated histopathology, increased muscle force and protected against eccentric contraction-induced injury. Importantly, dual AAV therapy successfully prevented chronic exercise-induced muscle force drop. Doppler hemodynamic assay further showed that therapy attenuated adrenergic vasoconstriction in contracting muscle. Our results suggest that partial transduction can still ameliorate nNOS delocalization-associated functional deficiency. Further evaluation of nNOS binding mini-dystrophin dual AAV vectors is warranted in dystrophic dogs and eventually in human patients.

Catalytic activity of dual catalysts system based on nano-manganese oxide and cobalt octacyanophthalocyanine toward four-electron reduction of oxygen in alkaline media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Dun; Chi, Dahe; Okajima, Takeyoshi; Ohsaka, Takeo

2007-01-01

The electrocatalysis of the dual functional catalysts system composed of electrolytic nano-manganese oxide (nano-MnOx) and cobalt octacyanophthalocyanine (CoPcCN) toward 4-electron reduction of oxygen (O 2 ) in alkaline media was studied. Nano-MnOx electrodeposited on the CoPcCN monolayer-modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode was clarified as the nano-rods with ca. 10-20 nm diameter by scanning electron microscopy. The peak current for O 2 reduction at the dual catalysts-modified GC electrode increases largely and the peak potential shifts by ca. 160 mV to the positive direction in cyclic voltammograms compared with those obtained at the bare GC electrode. The Koutecky-Levich plots indicate that the O 2 reduction at the dual catalysts-modified GC electrode is an apparent 4-electron process. Collection efficiencies obtained at the dual catalysts-modified GC electrode are much lower than those at the GC electrode and are almost similar to those at the Pt nano-particles modified GC electrode. The obtained results demonstrate that the dual catalysts system possesses a bifuctional catalytic activity for redox-mediating 2-electron reduction of O 2 to HO 2 - by CoPcCN as well as catalyzing the disproportionation of HO 2 - to OH - and O 2 by nano-MnOx, and enables an apparent 4-electron reduction of O 2 at a relatively low overpotential in alkaline media. In addition, it has been found that the cleaning of the dual catalysts-modified electrode by soaking in 0.1 M sulfuric acid solution enhances its catalytic activity toward the reduction of O 2

Density-tunable lightweight polymer composites with dual-functional ability of efficient EMI shielding and heat dissipation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seung Hwan; Yu, Seunggun; Shahzad, Faisal; Kim, Woo Nyon; Park, Cheolmin; Hong, Soon Man; Koo, Chong Min

2017-09-21

Lightweight dual-functional materials with high EMI shielding performance and thermal conductivity are of great importance in modern cutting-edge applications, such as mobile electronics, automotive, aerospace, and military. Unfortunately, a clear material solution has not emerged yet. Herein, we demonstrate a simple and effective way to fabricate lightweight metal-based polymer composites with dual-functional ability of excellent EMI shielding effectiveness and thermal conductivity using expandable polymer bead-templated Cu hollow beads. The low-density Cu hollow beads (ρ ∼ 0.44 g cm -3 ) were fabricated through electroless plating of Cu on the expanded polymer beads with ultralow density (ρ ∼ 0.02 g cm -3 ). The resulting composites that formed a continuous 3D Cu network with a very small Cu content (∼9.8 vol%) exhibited excellent EMI shielding (110.7 dB at 7 GHz) and thermal conductivity (7.0 W m -1 K -1 ) with isotropic features. Moreover, the densities of the composites are tunable from 1.28 to 0.59 g cm -3 in accordance with the purpose of their applications. To the best of our knowledge, the resulting composites are the best lightweight dual-functional materials with exceptionally high EMI SE and thermal conductivity performance among synthetic polymer composites.

Dual task multimodal physical training in Alzheimer’s disease: effect on cognitive functions and muscle strength

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Naves Ferreira

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dual task multimodal physical training (MPT on the cognitive functions and muscle strength in older adults with Alzheimer’s disease. Participants were 19 subjects with AD in the mild and moderate stages, divided into training group (TG and control group (CG. The TG performed dual task MPT for 12 weeks. Subjects were evaluated at the pre- and post-intervention moments. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE, Clock Drawing Test (CDT and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB were used to assess cognition. For muscle strength, the Chair Lift and Sit Test (CLST and Manual Grasp Force (MGF were used. The Wilcoxon test was used to analyze pre and post intragroup moments. The TG showed a significant improvement in FAB and CLST (p≤0.05 and a tendency to improve the MMSE score (p≤0.08. The CG showed significant improvement in CLST (p≤0.05. Dual task MPT improves the frontal cognitive functions and lower limb muscle strength of older adults with AD.

Dual Regression

OpenAIRE

Spady, Richard; Stouli, Sami

2012-01-01

We propose dual regression as an alternative to the quantile regression process for the global estimation of conditional distribution functions under minimal assumptions. Dual regression provides all the interpretational power of the quantile regression process while avoiding the need for repairing the intersecting conditional quantile surfaces that quantile regression often produces in practice. Our approach introduces a mathematical programming characterization of conditional distribution f...

Musical training, bilingualism, and executive function: a closer look at task switching and dual-task performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Moradzadeh, Linda; Blumenthal, Galit; Wiseheart, Melody

2015-07-01

This study investigated whether musical training and bilingualism are associated with enhancements in specific components of executive function, namely, task switching and dual-task performance. Participants (n = 153) belonging to one of four groups (monolingual musician, bilingual musician, bilingual non-musician, or monolingual non-musician) were matched on age and socioeconomic status and administered task switching and dual-task paradigms. Results demonstrated reduced global and local switch costs in musicians compared with non-musicians, suggesting that musical training can contribute to increased efficiency in the ability to shift flexibly between mental sets. On dual-task performance, musicians also outperformed non-musicians. There was neither a cognitive advantage for bilinguals relative to monolinguals, nor an interaction between music and language to suggest additive effects of both types of experience. These findings demonstrate that long-term musical training is associated with improvements in task switching and dual-task performance. Copyright © 2014 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Determining Reliability of a Dual-Task Functional Mobility Protocol for Individuals With Lower Extremity Amputation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Susan W; Frengopoulos, Courtney; Holmes, Jeff; Viana, Ricardo; Payne, Michael W

2018-04-01

To determine the relative and absolute reliability of a dual-task functional mobility assessment. Cross-sectional study. Academic rehabilitation hospital. Individuals (N=60) with lower extremity amputation attending an outpatient amputee clinic (mean age, 58.21±12.59y; 18, 80% male) who were stratified into 3 groups: (1) transtibial amputation of vascular etiology (n=20); (2) transtibial amputation of nonvascular etiology (n=20); and (3) transfemoral or bilateral amputation of any etiology (n=20). Not applicable. Time to complete the L Test measured functional mobility under single- and dual-task conditions. The addition of a cognitive task (serial subtractions by 3's) created dual-task conditions. Single-task performance on the cognitive task was also reported. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) measured relative reliability; SEM and minimal detectable change with a 95% confidence interval (MDC 95 ) measured absolute reliability. Bland-Altman plots measured agreement between assessments. Relative reliability results were excellent for all 3 groups. Values for the dual-task L Test for those with transtibial amputation of vascular etiology (n=20; mean age, 60.36±7.84y; 19, 90% men) were ICC=.98 (95% confidence interval [CI], .94-.99), SEM=1.36 seconds, and MDC 95 =3.76 seconds; for those with transtibial amputation of nonvascular etiology (n=20; mean age, 55.85±14.08y; 17, 85% men), values were ICC=.93 (95% CI, .80-.98), SEM=1.34 seconds, and MDC 95 =3.71 seconds; and for those with transfemoral or bilateral amputation (n=20; mean age, 58.21±14.88y; 13, 65% men), values were ICC=.998 (95% CI, .996-.999), SEM=1.03 seconds, and MDC 95 =2.85 seconds. Bland-Altman plots indicated that assessments did not vary systematically for each group. This dual-task assessment protocol achieved approved levels of relative reliability values for the 3 groups tested. This protocol may be used clinically or in research settings to assess the interaction between cognition

The structure of dual Green functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, M.B.

1976-01-01

A simple relationship between the position space and momentum space singularity structure of off-shell dual amplitudes is exhibited. This scheme is naturally described in terms of amplitudes which couple to the external sources via pairs of 'confined' states. (Auth.)

The effects of dual tasking on gait synchronization during over-ground side-by-side walking.

Science.gov (United States)

Zivotofsky, Ari Z; Bernad-Elazari, Hagar; Grossman, Pnina; Hausdorff, Jeffrey M

2018-03-23

Recent studies have shown that gait synchronization during natural walking is not merely anecdotal, but it is a repeatable phenomenon that is quantifiable and is apparently related to available sensory feedback modalities. However, the mechanisms underlying this phase-locking of gait have only recently begun to be investigated. For example, it is not known what role, if any, attention plays. We employed a dual tasking paradigm in order to investigate the role attention plays in gait synchronization. Sixteen pairs of subjects walked under six conditions that manipulated the available sensory feedback and the degree of difficulty of the dual task, i.e., the attention. Movement was quantified using a trunk-mounted tri-axial accelerometer. A gait synchronization index (GSI) was calculated in order to quantify the degree of synchronization of the gait pattern. A simple dual task resulted in an increased level of synchronization, whereas a more complex dual task lead to a reduction in synchronization. Handholding increased synchronization, compared to the same attention condition without handholding. These results indicate that in order for two walkers to synchronize, some level of attention is apparently required, such that a relatively complex dual task utilizes enough attentional resources to reduce the occurrence of synchronization. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dual function of the hemagglutinin H5 fused to chicken CD154 in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dual function of the hemagglutinin H5 fused to chicken CD154 in a potential strategy of DIVA against avian influenza disease: preliminary study. AG Pose, ES Rodriguez, AC Mendez, JN Gomez, AV Redondo, ER Rodriguez, EMG Ramos, AA Gutierrez, MPR Molto, DG Roche, YS Ugalde, AM Lopez ...

TRICHLOROETHYLENE SORPTION AND OXIDATION USING A DUAL FUNCTION SORBENT/CATALYST IN A FALLING FURNACE REACTOR

Science.gov (United States)

A dual function medium (Cr-ZSM-5), capable of physisorbing trichloroethylene (TCE) at ambient temperature and catalytically oxidizing it at elevated temperature (-350 degrees C) was utilized in a novel continuous falling furnace reactor system to store and periodically destroy t...

The dual pathway to creativity model: creative ideation as a function of flexibility and persistence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijstad, B.A.; de Dreu, C.K.W.; Rietzschel, E.F.; Baas, M.

2010-01-01

The dual pathway to creativity model argues that creativity—the generation of original and appropriate ideas—is a function of cognitive flexibility and cognitive persistence, and that dispositional or situational variables may influence creativity either through their effects on flexibility, on

The dual pathway to creativity model : Creative ideation as a function of flexibility and persistence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijstad, B.A.; De Dreu, C.K.W.; Rietzschel, E.F.; Baas, M.

2010-01-01

The dual pathway to creativity model argues that creativity-the generation of original and appropriate ideas-is a function of cognitive flexibility and cognitive persistence, and that dispositional or situational variables may influence creativity either through their effects on flexibility, on

Construction of dual-functional polymer nanomaterials with near-infrared fluorescence imaging and polymer prodrug by RAFT-mediated aqueous dispersion polymerization.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Chun; Niu, Jinyun; Wei, Xuerui; Xu, Yujie; Zhang, Lifen; Cheng, Zhenping; Zhu, Xiulin

2018-05-31

The performance of functional polymer nanomaterials is a vigorously discussed topic in polymer science. We devoted ourselves to investigating polymer nanomaterials based on near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging and polymer prodrug in this study. Aza-boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) is an important organic dye, having characteristics such as environmental resistance, light resistance, high molar extinction coefficient, and fluorescence quantum yield. We incorporated it into our target monomer, which can be polymerized without changing its parent structure in a polar solvent and copolymerized with water-soluble monomer to improve the solubility of the dye in an aqueous solution. At the same time, the hydrophobic drug camptothecin (CPT) was designed as a prodrug monomer, and the polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) with NIR fluorescence imaging and prodrug were synthesized in situ in reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-mediated aqueous dispersion polymerization. The dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the final uniform size of the dual-functional polymeric NPs morphology. The dual-functional polymeric NPs had a strong absorption and emission signal in the NIR region (>650 nm) based on the fluorescence tests. In consideration of the long-term biological toxicity, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) results indicated that the dual-functional NPs with controlled drug content exhibited effective capability of killing HeLa cells. In addition, in vivo imaging of the dual-functional NPs was observed in real time, and the fluorescent signals clearly demonstrated the dynamic process of prodrug transfer.

Physical Fitness Measures as Potential Markers of Low Cognitive Function in Japanese Community-Dwelling Older Adults without Apparent Cognitive Problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Narazaki, Kenji; Matsuo, Eri; Honda, Takanori; Nofuji, Yu; Yonemoto, Koji; Kumagai, Shuzo

2014-09-01

Detecting signs of cognitive impairment as early as possible is one of the most urgent challenges in preventive care of dementia. It has still been unclear whether physical fitness measures can serve as markers of low cognitive function, a sign of cognitive impairment, in older people free from dementia. The aim of the present study was to examine an association between each of five physical fitness measures and global cognition in Japanese community-dwelling older adults without apparent cognitive problems. The baseline research of the Sasaguri Genkimon Study was conducted from May to August 2011 in Sasaguri town, Fukuoka, Japan. Of the 2,629 baseline subjects who were aged 65 years or older and not certified as individuals requiring nursing care by the town, 1,552 participants without apparent cognitive problems (Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥24) were involved in the present study (59.0% of the baseline subjects, median age: 72 years, men: 40.1%). Global cognitive function was measured by the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Handgrip strength, leg strength, sit-to-stand rate, gait speed, and one-leg stand time were examined as physical fitness measures. In multiple linear regression analyses, each of the five physical fitness measures was positively associated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score after adjusting for age and sex (p cognitive function in Japanese community-dwelling older people without apparent cognitive problems. These results suggest that each of the physical fitness measures has a potential as a single marker of low cognitive function in older populations free from dementia and thereby can be useful in community-based preventive care of dementia. Key pointsThere is a great need for identifying lifestyle-related markers which help detect subtle cognitive impairment in the preclinical or earlier phase of dementia.In the present study, each of the five physical fitness measures employed was linearly and

Dual giant gravitons in Sasaki-Einstein backgrounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martelli, Dario; Sparks, James

2006-01-01

We study the dynamics of a BPS D3-brane wrapped on a three-sphere in AdS 5 xL, a so-called dual giant graviton, where L is a Sasakian five-manifold. The phase space of these configurations is the symplectic cone X over L, and geometric quantisation naturally produces a Hilbert space of L 2 -normalisable holomorphic functions on X, whose states are dual to scalar chiral BPS operators in the dual superconformal field theory. We define classical and quantum partition functions and relate them to earlier mathematical constructions by the authors and S.-T. Yau, [D. Martelli, J. Sparks, S.-T. Yau, Sasaki-Einstein manifolds and volume minimisation, hep-th/0603021]. In particular, a Sasaki-Einstein metric then minimises an entropy function associated with the D3-brane. Finally, we introduce a grand canonical partition function that counts multiple dual giant gravitons. This is related simply to the index-character of the above reference, and provides a method for counting multi-trace scalar BPS operators in the dual superconformal field theory

Energy Efficient Hybrid Dual Axis Solar Tracking System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rashid Ahammed Ferdaus

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the design and implementation of an energy efficient solar tracking system from a normal mechanical single axis to a hybrid dual axis. For optimizing the solar tracking mechanism electromechanical systems were evolved through implementation of different evolutional algorithms and methodologies. To present the tracker, a hybrid dual-axis solar tracking system is designed, built, and tested based on both the solar map and light sensor based continuous tracking mechanism. These light sensors also compare the darkness and cloudy and sunny conditions assisting daily tracking. The designed tracker can track sun’s apparent position at different months and seasons; thereby the electrical controlling device requires a real time clock device for guiding the tracking system in seeking solar position for the seasonal motion. So the combination of both of these tracking mechanisms made the designed tracker a hybrid one. The power gain and system power consumption are compared with a static and continuous dual axis solar tracking system. It is found that power gain of hybrid dual axis solar tracking system is almost equal to continuous dual axis solar tracking system, whereas the power saved in system operation by the hybrid tracker is 44.44% compared to the continuous tracking system.

Determination of the Dynamics of Healing at the Tissue-Implant Interface by Means of Microcomputed Tomography and Functional Apparent Moduli

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Po-Chun; Seol, Yang-Jo; Goldstein, Steven A.; Giannobile, William V.

2014-01-01

Purpose It is currently a challenge to determine the biomechanical properties of the hard tissue–dental implant interface. Recent advances in intraoral imaging and tomographic methods, such as microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), provide three-dimensional details, offering significant potential to evaluate the bone-implant interface, but yield limited information regarding osseointegration because of physical scattering effects emanating from metallic implant surfaces. In the present study, it was hypothesized that functional apparent moduli (FAM), generated from functional incorporation of the peri-implant structure, would eliminate the radiographic artifact–affected layer and serve as a feasible means to evaluate the biomechanical dynamics of tissue-implant integration in vivo. Materials and Methods Cylindric titanium mini-implants were placed in osteotomies and osteotomies with defects in rodent maxillae. The layers affected by radiographic artifacts were identified, and the pattern of tissue-implant integration was evaluated from histology and micro-CT images over a 21-day observation period. Analyses of structural information, FAM, and the relationship between FAM and interfacial stiffness (IS) were done before and after eliminating artifacts. Results Physical artifacts were present within a zone of about 100 to 150 μm around the implant in both experimental defect situations (osteotomy alone and osteotomy + defect). All correlations were evaluated before and after eliminating the artifact-affected layers, most notably during the maturation period of osseointegration. A strong correlation existed between functional bone apparent modulus and IS within 300 μm at the osteotomy defects (r > 0.9) and functional composite tissue apparent modulus in the osteotomy defects (r > 0.75). Conclusion Micro-CT imaging and FAM were of value in measuring the temporal process of tissue-implant integration in vivo. This approach will be useful to complement imaging

Memory for pictures and words as a function of level of processing: Depth or dual coding?

Science.gov (United States)

D'Agostino, P R; O'Neill, B J; Paivio, A

1977-03-01

The experiment was designed to test differential predictions derived from dual-coding and depth-of-processing hypotheses. Subjects under incidental memory instructions free recalled a list of 36 test events, each presented twice. Within the list, an equal number of events were assigned to structural, phonemic, and semantic processing conditions. Separate groups of subjects were tested with a list of pictures, concrete words, or abstract words. Results indicated that retention of concrete words increased as a direct function of the processing-task variable (structural memory performance. These data provided strong support for the dual-coding model.

Are factors related to dual-task performance in people with Parkinson's disease dependent on the type of dual task?

Science.gov (United States)

Strouwen, Carolien; Molenaar, Esther A L M; Keus, Samyra H J; Münks, Liesbeth; Heremans, Elke; Vandenberghe, Wim; Bloem, Bastiaan R; Nieuwboer, Alice

2016-02-01

Impaired dual-task performance significantly impacts upon functional mobility in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this study was to identify determinants of dual-task performance in people with PD in three different dual tasks to assess their possible task-dependency. We recruited 121 home-dwelling patients with PD (mean age 65.93 years; mean disease duration 8.67 years) whom we subjected to regular walking (control condition) and to three dual-task conditions: walking combined with a backwards Digit Span task, an auditory Stroop task and a Mobile Phone task. We measured dual-task gait velocity using the GAITRite mat and dual-task reaction times and errors on the concurrent tasks as outcomes. Motor, cognitive and descriptive variables which correlated to dual-task performance (p task gait velocity and executive function, tested by the alternating intake test, was significantly associated with gait velocity during the Digit Span (R(2) = 0.65; p task (R(2) = 0.62; p task. Age was a surplus determinant of gait velocity while using a mobile phone. Single-task gait velocity and executive function as measured by a verbal fluency switching task were independent determinants of dual-task gait performance in people with PD. In contrast to expectation, these factors were the same across different tasks, supporting the robustness of the findings. Future study needs to determine whether these factors predict dual-task abnormalities prospectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dual function of the hemagglutinin H5 fused to chicken CD154 in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dual function of the hemagglutinin H5 fused to chicken CD154 in a potential strategy of DIVA against avian influenza disease: preliminary study. ... The PDF file you selected should load here if your Web browser has a PDF reader plug-in installed (for example, a recent version of Adobe Acrobat Reader). If you would like ...

Dual functional MoS2/graphene interlayer as an efficient polysulfide barrier for advanced lithium-sulfur batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Pengqian; Liu, Dequan; Liu, Zhengjiao; Shang, Xiaonan; Liu, Qiming; He, Deyan

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Dual functional MoS 2 /graphene interlayer was first used as an efficient polysulfide-trapping shield for lithium-sulfur batteries. •MoS 2 /graphene interlayer shows strong chemical interactions with LiPSs. •MoS 2 /graphene interlayer forms a 3D network to facilitate electron and ion transfer during the discharge-charge processes. •The resultant lithium-sulfur batteries exhibit a superior rate capacity and improved cycling capacity. -- Abstract: A dual functional interlayer consisted of composited two-dimensional MoS 2 and graphene has been developed as an efficient polysulfide barrier for lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). With such a configuration, LSBs show a superior rate capacity and improved cycling capacity. The excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to the strong bonding interactions between the MoS 2 /graphene interlayer and the formed lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) as well as the good electrical conductivity of the MoS 2 /graphene composite. The MoS 2 /graphene interlayer can physically block LiPSs by the graphene nanosheets and chemically suppress the dissolution of LiPSs by the polar MoS 2 nanoflowers. Such a dual functional interlayer further provides a good contact with the surface of the sulfur cathode, acts as an upper current collector and greatly improves the sulfur utilization and the rate capability of LSBs.

Dual thyroid ectopia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Akeely, Mohammed H.

2003-01-01

Ectopic thyroid gland is a rare embryological fault of thyroid development .Dual ectopic thyroid is more rare and only 8 cases have been reported in the literature. The author presents a case of dual ectopic thyroid in a 16 year old boy with an anterior red neck mass, which is gradually growing in size particularly in last 2 years. The initial diagnosis was thyroglossal duct cyst. Thyroid function test revealed elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone. Ultrasound of the neck did not show thyroid gland in its normal pre tracheal position. Thyroid scan (Technetium 99)revealed the diagnosis of dual thyroid ectopia(lingual and subhyoid). (author)

Limitations in dual-task performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pannebakker, Merel Mathilde

2009-01-01

In this thesis, the effect of information-processing overload on working-memory dependent information processing was examined using dual-task paradigms. The experiments described strengthen the importance of a functional explanation for dual-task limitations. First, it showed evidence for a unified

Some aspects of a unified approach to gauge, dual and Gribov theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veneziano, G.

1976-01-01

Quantum chromodynamics (QCD) with Nsub(c) colours and Nsub(f) flavours is considered. Large N expansions for this theory are discussed and their advantages are pointed out, especially in relation to the possibility of unifying gauge, dual and Gribov theories of strong interactions. First it is recalled how the 1/Nsub(c) expansion of 't Hooft can be related to a dual loop expansion with a fixed coupling constant. The necessity for quarkless (purely gluonic) bound states to appear and their importance in maintaining confinement at higher orders in 1/Nsub(c) is pointed out. It is shown how non-orientable dual loops are reinterpreted in QCD and how a paradox appears when Nsub(f) is such that asymptotic freedom is lost. Some recent results of Cornwall and Tiktopoulos are analyzed in leading order in 1/Nsub(c). Then a 1/N expansion is introduced at rho equivalent to Nsub(f)/Nsub(c) fixed and it is shown how it is related to the hadronic topological expansion (TE). This allows an unambiguous definition of reggeon field theory concepts such as the bare pomeron and diffractive dissociation in QCD. The parameter rho is related to the clustering of hadronic final states into resonances. Decreasing rho corresponds to increasing cluster over gap size. Renormalization of the dual coupling constant as a function of rho is discussed and an apparent paradox is resolved. Some new light on the problem of f extinction in the TE is also shed. Finally, the approach is compared to other schemes trying to relate different aspects of hadron physics. (Auth.)

GrDHP: a general utility function representation for dual heuristic dynamic programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Zhen; He, Haibo; Zhao, Dongbin; Xu, Xin; Prokhorov, Danil V

2015-03-01

A general utility function representation is proposed to provide the required derivable and adjustable utility function for the dual heuristic dynamic programming (DHP) design. Goal representation DHP (GrDHP) is presented with a goal network being on top of the traditional DHP design. This goal network provides a general mapping between the system states and the derivatives of the utility function. With this proposed architecture, we can obtain the required derivatives of the utility function directly from the goal network. In addition, instead of a fixed predefined utility function in literature, we conduct an online learning process for the goal network so that the derivatives of the utility function can be adaptively tuned over time. We provide the control performance of both the proposed GrDHP and the traditional DHP approaches under the same environment and parameter settings. The statistical simulation results and the snapshot of the system variables are presented to demonstrate the improved learning and controlling performance. We also apply both approaches to a power system example to further demonstrate the control capabilities of the GrDHP approach.

Influence of structured sidewalls on the wetting states and superhydrophobic stability of surfaces with dual-scale roughness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Huaping, E-mail: wuhuaping@gmail.com [Key Laboratory of E& M (Zhejiang University of Technology), Ministry of Education & Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014 (China); State Key Laboratory of Structural Analysis for Industrial Equipment, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Zhu, Kai; Wu, Bingbing [Key Laboratory of E& M (Zhejiang University of Technology), Ministry of Education & Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014 (China); Lou, Jia [Piezoelectric Device Laboratory, Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211 (China); Zhang, Zheng [Key Laboratory of E& M (Zhejiang University of Technology), Ministry of Education & Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014 (China); Chai, Guozhong, E-mail: chaigz@zjut.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of E& M (Zhejiang University of Technology), Ministry of Education & Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014 (China)

2016-09-30

Highlights: • Apparent contact angle equation of all wetting states on dual-scale rough surfaces is derived. • Structured sidewalls can improve superhydrophobicity than smooth sidewalls. • Structured sidewalls can enlarge ACA than smooth sidewalls. • Structured sidewalls present an advantage over smooth sidewalls in terms of enhancing superhydrophobic stability. - Abstract: The superhydrophobicity of biological surfaces with dual-scale roughness has recently received considerable attention because of the unique wettability of such surfaces. Based on this, artificial micro/nano hierarchical structures with structured sidewalls and smooth sidewalls were designed and the influences of sidewall configurations (i.e., structured and smooth) on the wetting state of micro/nano hierarchical structures were systematically investigated based on thermodynamics and the principle of minimum free energy. Wetting transition and superhydrophobic stability were then analyzed for a droplet on dual-scale rough surfaces with structured and smooth sidewalls. Theoretical analysis results show that dual-scale rough surfaces with structured sidewalls have a larger “stable superhydrophobic region” than those with smooth sidewalls. The dual-scale rough surfaces with smooth sidewalls can enlarge the apparent contact angle (ACA) without improvement in the superhydrophobic stability. By contrast, dual-scale rough surfaces with structured sidewalls present an advantage over those with smooth sidewalls in terms of enlarging ACA and enhancing superhydrophobic stability. The proposed thermodynamic model is valid when compared with previous experimental data and numerical analysis results, which is helpful for designing and understanding the wetting states and superhydrophobic stability of surfaces with dual-scale roughness.

DUAL TIMELIKE NORMAL AND DUAL TIMELIKE SPHERICAL CURVES IN DUAL MINKOWSKI SPACE

OpenAIRE

ÖNDER, Mehmet

2009-01-01

Abstract: In this paper, we give characterizations of dual timelike normal and dual timelike spherical curves in the dual Minkowski 3-space and we show that every dual timelike normal curve is also a dual timelike spherical curve. Keywords: Normal curves, Dual Minkowski 3-Space, Dual Timelike curves. Mathematics Subject Classifications (2000): 53C50, 53C40. DUAL MINKOWSKI UZAYINDA DUAL TIMELIKE NORMAL VE DUAL TIMELIKE KÜRESEL EĞRİLER Özet: Bu çalışmada, dual Minkowski 3-...

Synthesis and application of dual functionalized task specific ionic liquid for bamboo dissolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hameed Sultan Nor Shahroon

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A new class of dual functionalized imidazolium based ionic liquid (IL namely 3-(2-cyano-ethyl-1-(2-ethoxy-ethyl-3-imidazolium bromide [CNEIM][Br], was synthesized and characterized to study their potential in bamboo dissolution. The chemical structure for the IL was characterized using NMR (1H and 13C. Thermal properties, surface morphology and functional group of the native bamboo and IL treated bamboo were analyzed by Thermal Gravimetric Anaylysis (TGA, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR respectively. The new IL was able to dissolve up to 5wt% of bamboo biomass within 48 hours and 100°C.

Physical Fitness Measures as Potential Markers of Low Cognitive Function in Japanese Community-Dwelling Older Adults without Apparent Cognitive Problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenji Narazaki, Eri Matsuo, Takanori Honda, Yu Nofuji, Koji Yonemoto, Shuzo Kumagai

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Detecting signs of cognitive impairment as early as possible is one of the most urgent challenges in preventive care of dementia. It has still been unclear whether physical fitness measures can serve as markers of low cognitive function, a sign of cognitive impairment, in older people free from dementia. The aim of the present study was to examine an association between each of five physical fitness measures and global cognition in Japanese community-dwelling older adults without apparent cognitive problems. The baseline research of the Sasaguri Genkimon Study was conducted from May to August 2011 in Sasaguri town, Fukuoka, Japan. Of the 2,629 baseline subjects who were aged 65 years or older and not certified as individuals requiring nursing care by the town, 1,552 participants without apparent cognitive problems (Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥24 were involved in the present study (59.0% of the baseline subjects, median age: 72 years, men: 40.1%. Global cognitive function was measured by the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Handgrip strength, leg strength, sit-to-stand rate, gait speed, and one-leg stand time were examined as physical fitness measures. In multiple linear regression analyses, each of the five physical fitness measures was positively associated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score after adjusting for age and sex (p < 0.001. These associations were preserved after additional adjustment for years of formal education, body mass index, and other confounding factors (p < 0.001. The present study first demonstrated the associations between multiple aspects of physical fitness and global cognitive function in Japanese community-dwelling older people without apparent cognitive problems. These results suggest that each of the physical fitness measures has a potential as a single marker of low cognitive function in older populations free from dementia and thereby can be useful in community

The bosonic thermal Green function, its dual, and the fermion correlators of the massive Thirring model at finite temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mondaini, Leonardo; Marino, E.C.

2011-01-01

Full text: Despite the fact that quantum field theories are usually formulated in coordinate space, calculations, in both T = 0 and T ≠ 0 cases, are almost always performed in momentum space. However, when we are faced with the exact calculation of correlation functions we are naturally led to the problem of finding closed-form expressions for Green functions in coordinate space. In the present work, we derive an exact closed-form representation for the Euclidian thermal Green function of the two-dimensional (2D) free massless scalar field in coordinate space. This can be interpreted as the real part of a complex analytic function of a variable that conformally maps the infinite strip -∞ < x < ∞ (0 < τ < β of the z = x + iτ (τ: imaginary time) plane into the upper-half-plane. Use of the Cauchy-Riemann conditions, then allows us to identify the dual thermal Green function as the imaginary part of that function. Using both the thermal Green function and its dual, we obtain an explicit series expression for the fermionic correlation functions of the massive Thirring model (MTM) at a finite temperature. (author)

Dual functional rhodium oxide nanocorals enabled sensor for both non-enzymatic glucose and solid-state pH sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Qiuchen; Huang, Yikun; Song, Donghui; Wu, Huixiang; Cao, Fei; Lei, Yu

2018-07-30

Both pH-sensitive and glucose-responsive rhodium oxide nanocorals (Rh 2 O 3 NCs) were synthesized through electrospinning followed by high-temperature calcination. The as-prepared Rh 2 O 3 NCs were systematically characterized using various advanced techniques including scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, and then employed as a dual functional nanomaterial to fabricate a dual sensor for both non-enzymatic glucose sensing and solid-state pH monitoring. The sensing performance of the Rh 2 O 3 NCs based dual sensor toward pH and glucose was evaluated using open circuit potential, cyclic voltammetry and amperometric techniques, respectively. The results show that the as-prepared Rh 2 O 3 NCs not only maintain accurate and reversible pH sensitivity of Rh 2 O 3 , but also demonstrate a good electrocatalytic activity toward glucose oxidation in alkaline medium with a sensitivity of 11.46 μA mM -1 cm -2 , a limit of detection of 3.1 μM (S/N = 3), and a reasonable selectivity against various interferents in non-enzymatic glucose detection. Its accuracy in determining glucose in human serum samples was further demonstrated. These features indicate that the as-prepared Rh 2 O 3 NCs hold great promise as a dual-functional sensing material in the development of a high-performance sensor forManjakkal both solid-state pH and non-enzymatic glucose sensing. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Detection of Ground Clutter from Weather Radar Using a Dual-Polarization and Dual-Scan Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad-Hossein Golbon-Haghighi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A novel dual-polarization and dual-scan (DPDS classification algorithm is developed for clutter detection in weather radar observations. Two consecutive scans of dual-polarization radar echoes are jointly processed to estimate auto- and cross-correlation functions. Discriminants are then defined and estimated in order to separate clutter from weather based on their physical and statistical properties. An optimal Bayesian classifier is used to make a decision on clutter presence from the estimated discriminant functions. The DPDS algorithm is applied to the data collected with the KOUN polarimetric radar and compared with the existing detection methods. It is shown that the DPDS algorithm yields a higher probability of detection and lower false alarm rate in clutter detection.

Effects of Dual-Channel Functional Electrical Stimulation on Gait Performance in Patients with Hemiparesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shmuel Springer

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The study objective was to assess the effect of functional electrical stimulation (FES applied to the peroneal nerve and thigh muscles on gait performance in subjects with hemiparesis. Participants were 45 subjects (age 57.8 ± 14.8 years with hemiparesis (5.37 ± 5.43 years since diagnosis demonstrating a foot-drop and impaired knee control. Thigh stimulation was applied either to the quadriceps or hamstrings muscles, depending on the dysfunction most affecting gait. Gait was assessed during a two-minute walk test with/without stimulation and with peroneal stimulation alone. A second assessment was conducted after six weeks of daily use. The addition of thigh muscles stimulation to peroneal stimulation significantly enhanced gait velocity measures at the initial and second evaluation. Gait symmetry was enhanced by the dual-channel stimulation only at the initial evaluation, and single-limb stance percentage only at the second assessment. For example, after six weeks, the two-minute gait speed with peroneal stimulation and with the dual channel was 0.66 ± 0.30 m/sec and 0.70 ± 0.31 m/sec, respectively (. In conclusion, dual-channel FES may enhance gait performance in subjects with hemiparesis more than peroneal FES alone.

Musical Training, Bilingualism, and Executive Function: A Closer Look at Task Switching and Dual-Task Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Moradzadeh, Linda; Blumenthal, Galit; Wiseheart, Melody

2015-01-01

This study investigated whether musical training and bilingualism are associated with enhancements in specific components of executive function, namely, task switching and dual-task performance. Participants (n = 153) belonging to one of four groups (monolingual musician, bilingual musician, bilingual non-musician, or monolingual non-musician)…

RNAdualPF: software to compute the dual partition function with sample applications in molecular evolution theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Martin, Juan Antonio; Bayegan, Amir H; Dotu, Ivan; Clote, Peter

2016-10-19

RNA inverse folding is the problem of finding one or more sequences that fold into a user-specified target structure s 0 , i.e. whose minimum free energy secondary structure is identical to the target s 0 . Here we consider the ensemble of all RNA sequences that have low free energy with respect to a given target s 0 . We introduce the program RNAdualPF, which computes the dual partition function Z ∗ , defined as the sum of Boltzmann factors exp(-E(a,s 0 )/RT) of all RNA nucleotide sequences a compatible with target structure s 0 . Using RNAdualPF, we efficiently sample RNA sequences that approximately fold into s 0 , where additionally the user can specify IUPAC sequence constraints at certain positions, and whether to include dangles (energy terms for stacked, single-stranded nucleotides). Moreover, since we also compute the dual partition function Z ∗ (k) over all sequences having GC-content k, the user can require that all sampled sequences have a precise, specified GC-content. Using Z ∗ , we compute the dual expected energy 〈E ∗ 〉, and use it to show that natural RNAs from the Rfam 12.0 database have higher minimum free energy than expected, thus suggesting that functional RNAs are under evolutionary pressure to be only marginally thermodynamically stable. We show that C. elegans precursor microRNA (pre-miRNA) is significantly non-robust with respect to mutations, by comparing the robustness of each wild type pre-miRNA sequence with 2000 [resp. 500] sequences of the same GC-content generated by RNAdualPF, which approximately [resp. exactly] fold into the wild type target structure. We confirm and strengthen earlier findings that precursor microRNAs and bacterial small noncoding RNAs display plasticity, a measure of structural diversity. We describe RNAdualPF, which rapidly computes the dual partition function Z ∗ and samples sequences having low energy with respect to a target structure, allowing sequence constraints and specified GC

[A process of aquatic ecological function regionalization: The dual tree framework and conceptual model].

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Shu Hai; Wu, Bo

2017-12-01

Aquatic ecological regionalization and aquatic ecological function regionalization are the basis of water environmental management of a river basin and rational utilization of an aquatic ecosystem, and have been studied in China for more than ten years. Regarding the common problems in this field, the relationship between aquatic ecological regionalization and aquatic ecological function regionalization was discussed in this study by systematic analysis of the aquatic ecological zoning and the types of aquatic ecological function. Based on the dual tree structure, we put forward the RFCH process and the diamond conceptual model. Taking Liaohe River basin as an example and referring to the results of existing regionalization studies, we classified the aquatic ecological function regions based on three-class aquatic ecological regionalization. This study provided a process framework for aquatic ecological function regionalization of a river basin.

Managing Student Behavior in Dual Immersion Classrooms: A Study of Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Blake D; Caldarella, Paul; Williams, Leslie; Wills, Howard P

2017-09-01

Classroom management in dual immersion classrooms includes unique challenges. The teacher must instruct and correct in the L2 language, in which students are beginning learners, and effective classroom management strategies appropriate to the L2 context. Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is a positive classroom management program that teaches social skills and uses group contingencies to improve behavior. The present study examined the ability of French immersion teachers to implement CW-FIT in the L2, including the effects of CW-FIT on teacher praise and reprimand rates and as well as on students' classroom behavior. Social validity was also assessed. A single-subject multiple baseline design with embedded reversals was used to evaluate impact in second-, third-, and fourth-grade dual immersion classrooms. Results indicated that dual immersion teachers were able to implement CW-FIT in L2 with fidelity. The intervention significantly increased teacher praise and improved classroom on-task behavior. Changes in teacher reprimand rates were inconsistent. Students and teachers reported CW-FIT to be socially valid.

Study of dynamic strain aging in dual phase steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Queiroz, R.R.U.; Cunha, F.G.G.; Gonzalez, B.M.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Characterization of the high temperature mechanical behavior of a dual phase steel. ► Determination of the effect of dynamic strain aging on the strain hardening rate. ► Identification of the mechanism associated with dynamic strain aging. ► The value of the interaction energy carbon–dislocation in ferrite was confirmed. - Abstract: The susceptibility to dynamic strain aging of a dual phase steel was evaluated by the variation of mechanical properties in tension with the temperature and the strain rate. The tensile tests were performed at temperatures varying between 25 °C and 600 °C and at strain rates ranging from 10 −2 to 5 × 10 −4 s −1 . The studied steel presented typical manifestations related to dynamic strain aging: serrated flow (the Portevin–Le Chatelier effect) for certain combinations of temperature and strain rates; the presence of a plateau in the variation of yield stress with temperature; a maximum in the curves of tensile strength, flow stress, and work hardening exponent as a function of temperature; and a minimum in the variation of total elongation with temperature. The determined apparent activation energy values, associated with the beginning of the Portevin–Le Chatelier effect and the maximum in the variation of flow stress with temperature, were 83 kJ/mol and 156 kJ/mol, respectively. These values suggest that the mechanism responsible for dynamic strain aging in the dual phase steel is the locking of dislocations by carbon atoms in ferrite and that the formation of clusters and/or transition carbides and carbide precipitation in martensite do not interfere with the dynamic strain aging process.

Designing Dual-functionalized Gels for Self-reconfiguration and Autonomous Motion

Science.gov (United States)

Kuksenok, Olga; Balazs, Anna C.

2015-04-01

Human motion is enabled by the concerted expansion and contraction of interconnected muscles that are powered by inherent biochemical reactions. One of the challenges in the field of biomimicry is eliciting this form of motion from purely synthetic materials, which typically do not generate internalized reactions to drive mechanical action. Moreover, for practical applications, this bio-inspired motion must be readily controllable. Herein, we develop a computational model to design a new class of polymer gels where structural reconfigurations and internalized reactions are intimately linked to produce autonomous motion, which can be directed with light. These gels contain both spirobenzopyran (SP) chromophores and the ruthenium catalysts that drive the oscillatory Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. Importantly, both the SP moieties and the BZ reaction are photosensitive. When these dual-functionalized gels are exposed to non-uniform illumination, the localized contraction of the gel (due to the SP moieties) in the presence of traveling chemical waves (due to the BZ reaction) leads to new forms of spontaneous, self-sustained movement, which cannot be achieved by either of the mono-functionalized networks.

The Explicit Determinations Of Dual Plane Curves And Dual Helices In Terms Of Its Dual Curvature And Dual Torsion

OpenAIRE

Lee Jae Won; Choi Jin Ho; Jin Dae Ho

2014-01-01

In this paper, we give the explicit determinations of dual plane curves, general dual helices and dual slant helices in terms of its dual curvature and dual torsion as a fundamental theory of dual curves in a dual 3-space

Processing, Microstructures and Properties of a Dual Phase Precipitation-Hardening PM Stainless Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Schade, Christopher

To improve the mechanical properties of PM stainless steels in comparison with their wrought counterparts, a PM stainless steel alloy was developed which combines a dual-phase microstructure with precipitation-hardening. The use of a mixed microstructure of martensite and ferrite results in an alloy with a combination of the optimum properties of each phase, namely strength and ductility. The use of precipitation hardening via the addition of copper results in additional strength and hardness. A range of compositions was studied in combination with various sintering conditions to determine the optimal thermal processing to achieve the desired microstructure. The microstructure could be varied from predominately ferrite to one containing a high percentage of martensite by additions of copper and a variation of the sintering temperature before rapid cooling. Mechanical properties (transverse rupture strength (TRS), yield strength, tensile strength, ductility and impact toughness) were measured as a function of the v/o ferrite in the microstructure. A dual phase alloy with the optimal combination of properties served as the base for introducing precipitation hardening. Copper was added to the base alloy at various levels and its effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties was quantified. Processing at various sintering temperatures led to a range of microstructures; dilatometry was used utilized to monitor and understand the transformations and the formation of the two phases. The aging process was studied as a function of temperature and time by measuring TRS, yield strength, tensile strength, ductility, impact toughness and apparent hardness. It was determined that optimum aging was achieved at 538°C for 1h. Aging at slightly lower temperatures led to the formation of carbides, which contributed to reduced hardness and tensile strength. As expected, at the peak aging temperature, an increase in yield strength and ultimate tensile strength as well as

AMDE-1 is a dual function chemical for autophagy activation and inhibition.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min Li

Full Text Available Autophagy is the process by which cytosolic components and organelles are delivered to the lysosome for degradation. Autophagy plays important roles in cellular homeostasis and disease pathogenesis. Small chemical molecules that can modulate autophagy activity may have pharmacological value for treating diseases. Using a GFP-LC3-based high content screening assay we identified a novel chemical that is able to modulate autophagy at both initiation and degradation levels. This molecule, termed as Autophagy Modulator with Dual Effect-1 (AMDE-1, triggered autophagy in an Atg5-dependent manner, recruiting Atg16 to the pre-autophagosomal site and causing LC3 lipidation. AMDE-1 induced autophagy through the activation of AMPK, which inactivated mTORC1 and activated ULK1. AMDE-1did not affect MAP kinase, JNK or oxidative stress signaling for autophagy induction. Surprisingly, treatment with AMDE-1 resulted in impairment in autophagic flux and inhibition of long-lived protein degradation. This inhibition was correlated with a reduction in lysosomal degradation capacity but not with autophagosome-lysosome fusion. Further analysis indicated that AMDE-1 caused a reduction in lysosome acidity and lysosomal proteolytic activity, suggesting that it suppressed general lysosome function. AMDE-1 thus also impaired endocytosis-mediated EGF receptor degradation. The dual effects of AMDE-1 on autophagy induction and lysosomal degradation suggested that its net effect would likely lead to autophagic stress and lysosome dysfunction, and therefore cell death. Indeed, AMDE-1 triggered necroptosis and was preferentially cytotoxic to cancer cells. In conclusion, this study identified a new class of autophagy modulators with dual effects, which can be explored for potential uses in cancer therapy.

Radiation inactivation analysis of assimilatory NADH:nitrate reductase. Apparent functional sizes of partial activities associated with intact and proteolytically modified enzyme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solomonson, L.P.; McCreery, M.J.; Kay, C.J.; Barber, M.J.

1987-01-01

Recently we demonstrated that target sizes for the partial activities of nitrate reductase were considerably smaller than the 100-kDa subunit which corresponded to the target size of the full (physiologic) activity NADH:nitrate reductase. These results suggested that the partial activities resided on functionally independent domains and that radiation inactivation may be due to localized rather than extensive damage to protein structure. The present study extends these observations and addresses several associated questions. Monophasic plots were observed over a wide range of radiation doses, suggesting a single activity component in each case. No apparent differences were observed over a 10-fold range of concentration for each substrate, suggesting that the observed slopes were not due to marked changes in Km values. Apparent target sizes estimated for partial activities associated with native enzyme and with limited proteolysis products of native enzyme suggested that the functional size obtained by radiation inactivation analysis is independent of the size of the polypeptide chain. The presence of free radical scavengers during irradiation reduced the apparent target size of both the physiologic and partial activities by an amount ranging from 24 to 43%, suggesting that a free radical mechanism is at least partially responsible for the inactivation. Immunoblot analysis of nitrate reductase irradiated in the presence of free radical scavengers revealed formation of distinct bands at 90, 75, and 40 kDa with increasing doses of irradiation rather than complete destruction of the polypeptide chain

Dual-functionalized graphene oxide for enhanced siRNA delivery to breast cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Imani, Rana; Shao, Wei; Taherkhani, Samira; Emami, Shahriar Hojjati; Prakash, Satya; Faghihi, Shahab

2016-11-01

The aim of this study is to improve hydrocolloid stability and siRNA transfection ability of a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) based nano-carrier using a phospholipid-based amphiphilic polymer (PL-PEG) and cell penetrating peptide (CPPs). The dual functionalized nano-carrier is comprehensively characterized for its chemical structure, size, surface charge and morphology as well as thermal stability. The nano-carrier cytocompatibility, siRNA condensation ability both in the presence and absence of enzyme, endosomal buffering capacity, cellular uptake and intracellular localization are also assessed. The siRNA loaded nano-carrier is used for internalization to MCF-7 cells and its gene silencing ability is compared with AllStars Hs Cell Death siRNA as a model gene. The nano-carrier remains stable in biological solution, exhibits excellent cytocompatibility, retards the siRNA migration and protects it against enzyme degradation. The buffering capacity analysis shows that incorporation of the peptide in nano-carrier structure would increase the resistance to endo/lysosomal like acidic condition (pH 6-4) The functionalized nano-carrier which is loaded with siRNA in an optimal N:P ratio presents superior internalization efficiency (82±5.1% compared to HiPerFect(®)), endosomal escape quality and capable of inducing cell death in MCF-7 cancer cells (51±3.1% compared to non-treated cells). The success of siRNA-based therapy is largely dependent on the safe and efficient delivery system, therefore; the dual functionalized rGO introduced here could have a great potential to be used as a carrier for siRNA delivery with relevancy in therapeutics and clinical applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

RET Functions as a Dual-Specificity Kinase that Requires Allosteric Inputs from Juxtamembrane Elements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iván Plaza-Menacho

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Receptor tyrosine kinases exhibit a variety of activation mechanisms despite highly homologous catalytic domains. Such diversity arises through coupling of extracellular ligand-binding portions with highly variable intracellular sequences flanking the tyrosine kinase domain and specific patterns of autophosphorylation sites. Here, we show that the juxtamembrane (JM segment enhances RET catalytic domain activity through Y687. This phospho-site is also required by the JM region to rescue an otherwise catalytically deficient RET activation-loop mutant lacking tyrosines. Structure-function analyses identified interactions between the JM hinge, αC helix, and an unconventional activation-loop serine phosphorylation site that engages the HRD motif and promotes phospho-tyrosine conformational accessibility and regulatory spine assembly. We demonstrate that this phospho-S909 arises from an intrinsic RET dual-specificity kinase activity and show that an equivalent serine is required for RET signaling in Drosophila. Our findings reveal dual-specificity and allosteric components for the mechanism of RET activation and signaling with direct implications for drug discovery.

Cardiac examination and the effect of dual-processing instruction in a cardiopulmonary simulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Sibbald, Matt; McKinney, James; Cavalcanti, Rodrigo B; Yu, Eric; Wood, David A; Nair, Parvathy; Eva, Kevin W; Hatala, Rose

2013-08-01

Use of dual-processing has been widely touted as a strategy to reduce diagnostic error in clinical medicine. However, this strategy has not been tested among medical trainees with complex diagnostic problems. We sought to determine whether dual-processing instruction could reduce diagnostic error across a spectrum of experience with trainees undertaking cardiac physical exam. Three experiments were conducted using a similar design to teach cardiac physical exam using a cardiopulmonary simulator. One experiment was conducted in each of three groups: experienced, intermediate and novice trainees. In all three experiments, participants were randomized to receive undirected or dual-processing verbal instruction during teaching, practice and testing phases. When tested, dual-processing instruction did not change the probability assigned to the correct diagnosis in any of the three experiments. Among intermediates, there was an apparent interaction between the diagnosis tested and the effect of dual-processing instruction. Among relative novices, dual processing instruction may have dampened the harmful effect of a bias away from the correct diagnosis. Further work is needed to define the role of dual-processing instruction to reduce cognitive error. This study suggests that it cannot be blindly applied to complex diagnostic problems such as cardiac physical exam.

A novel method to calibrate DOI function of a PET detector with a dual-ended-scintillator readout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shao Yiping; Yao Rutao; Ma Tianyu

2008-01-01

The detection of depth-of-interaction (DOI) is a critical detector capability to improve the PET spatial resolution uniformity across the field-of-view and will significantly enhance, in particular, small bore system performance for brain, breast, and small animal imaging. One promising technique of DOI detection is to use dual-ended-scintillator readout that uses two photon sensors to detect scintillation light from both ends of a scintillator array and estimate DOI based on the ratio of signals (similar to Anger logic). This approach needs a careful DOI function calibration to establish accurate relationship between DOI and signal ratios, and to recalibrate if the detection condition is shifted due to the drift of sensor gain, bias variations, or degraded optical coupling, etc. However, the current calibration method that uses coincident events to locate interaction positions inside a single scintillator crystal has severe drawbacks, such as complicated setup, long and repetitive measurements, and being prone to errors from various possible misalignments among the source and detector components. This method is also not practically suitable to calibrate multiple DOI functions of a crystal array. To solve these problems, a new method has been developed that requires only a uniform flood source to irradiate a crystal array without the need to locate the interaction positions, and calculates DOI functions based solely on the uniform probability distribution of interactions over DOI positions without knowledge or assumption of detector responses. Simulation and experiment have been studied to validate the new method, and the results show that the new method, with a simple setup and one single measurement, can provide consistent and accurate DOI functions for the entire array of multiple scintillator crystals. This will enable an accurate, simple, and practical DOI function calibration for the PET detectors based on the design of dual-ended-scintillator readout. In

Dual-Functional Ultrafiltration Membrane for Simultaneous Removal of Multiple Pollutants with High Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Shunlong; Li, Jiansheng; Noonan, Owen; Fang, Xiaofeng; Wan, Gaojie; Yu, Chengzhong; Wang, Lianjun

2017-05-02

Simultaneous removal of multiple pollutants from aqueous solution with less energy consumption is crucial in water purification. Here, a novel concept of dual-functional ultrafiltration (DFUF) membrane is demonstrated by entrapment of nanostructured adsorbents into the finger-like pores of ultrafiltration (UF) membrane rather than in the membrane matrix in previous reports of blend membranes, resulting in an exceptionally high active content and simultaneous removal of multiple pollutants from water due to the dual functions of rejection and adsorption. As a demonstration, hollow porous Zr(OH) x nanospheres (HPZNs) were immobilized in poly(ether sulfone) (PES) UF membranes through polydopamine coating with a high content of 68.9 wt %. The decontamination capacity of DFUF membranes toward multiple model pollutants (colloidal gold, polyethylene glycol (PEG), Pb(II)) was evaluated against a blend membrane. Compared to the blend membrane, the DFUF membranes showed 2.1-fold increase in the effective treatment volume for the treatment of Pb(II) contaminated water from 100 ppb to below 10 ppb (WHO drinking water standard). Simultaneously, the DFUF membranes effectively removed the colloidal gold and PEG below instrument detection limit, however the blend membrane only achieved 97.6% and 96.8% rejection for colloidal gold and PEG, respectively. Moreover, the DFUF membranes showed negligible leakage of nanoadsorbents during testing; and the membrane can be easily regenerated and reused. This study sheds new light on the design of high performance multifunction membranes for drinking water purification.

Executive function deficits in team sport athletes with a history of concussion revealed by a visual-auditory dual task paradigm.

Science.gov (United States)

Tapper, Anthony; Gonzalez, Dave; Roy, Eric; Niechwiej-Szwedo, Ewa

2017-02-01

The purpose of this study was to examine executive functions in team sport athletes with and without a history of concussion. Executive functions comprise many cognitive processes including, working memory, attention and multi-tasking. Past research has shown that concussions cause difficulties in vestibular-visual and vestibular-auditory dual-tasking, however, visual-auditory tasks have been examined rarely. Twenty-nine intercollegiate varsity ice hockey athletes (age = 19.13, SD = 1.56; 15 females) performed an experimental dual-task paradigm that required simultaneously processing visual and auditory information. A brief interview, event description and self-report questionnaires were used to assign participants to each group (concussion, no-concussion). Eighteen athletes had a history of concussion and 11 had no concussion history. The two tests involved visuospatial working memory (i.e., Corsi block test) and auditory tone discrimination. Participants completed both tasks individually, then simultaneously. Two outcome variables were measured, Corsi block memory span and auditory tone discrimination accuracy. No differences were shown when each task was performed alone; however, athletes with a history of concussion had a significantly worse performance on the tone discrimination task in the dual-task condition. In conclusion, long-term deficits in executive functions were associated with a prior history of concussion when cognitive resources were stressed. Evaluations of executive functions and divided attention appear to be helpful in discriminating participants with and without a history concussion.

The dual function of barred plumage in birds: camouflage and communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Gluckman, T L; Cardoso, G C

2010-11-01

A commonly held principle in visual ecology is that communication compromises camouflage: while visual signals are often conspicuous, camouflage provides concealment. However, some traits may have evolved for communication and camouflage simultaneously, thereby overcoming this functional compromise. Visual patterns generally provide camouflage, but it was suggested that a particular type of visual pattern – avian barred plumage – could also be a signal of individual quality. Here, we test if the evolution of sexual dimorphism in barred plumage, as well as differences between juvenile and adult plumage, indicate camouflage and/or signalling functions across the class Aves. We found a higher frequency of female- rather than male-biased sexual dimorphism in barred plumage, indicating that camouflage is its most common function. But we also found that, compared to other pigmentation patterns, barred plumage is more frequently biased towards males and its expression more frequently restricted to adulthood, suggesting that barred plumage often evolves or is maintained as a sexual communication signal. This illustrates how visual traits can accommodate the apparently incompatible functions of camouflage and communication, which has implications for our understanding of avian visual ecology and sexual ornamentation.

Motor-cognitive dual-task deficits in individuals with early-mid stage Huntington disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Fritz, Nora E; Hamana, Katy; Kelson, Mark; Rosser, Anne; Busse, Monica; Quinn, Lori

2016-09-01

Huntington disease (HD) results in a range of cognitive and motor impairments that progress throughout the disease stages; however, little research has evaluated specific dual-task abilities in this population, and the degree to which they may be related to functional ability. The purpose of this study was to a) examine simple and complex motor-cognitive dual-task performance in individuals with HD, b) determine relationships between dual-task walking ability and disease-specific measures of motor, cognitive and functional ability, and c) examine the relationship of dual-task measures to falls in individuals with HD. Thirty-two individuals with HD were evaluated for simple and complex dual-task ability using the Walking While Talking Test. Demographics and disease-specific measures of motor, cognitive and functional ability were also obtained. Individuals with HD had impairments in simple and complex dual-task ability. Simple dual-task walking was correlated to disease-specific motor scores as well as cognitive performance, but complex dual-task walking was correlated with total functional capacity, as well as a range of cognitive measures. Number of prospective falls was moderately-strongly correlated to dual-task measures. Our results suggest that individuals with HD have impairments in cognitive-motor dual-task ability that are related to disease progression and specifically functional ability. Dual-task measures appear to evaluate a unique construct in individuals with early to mid-stage HD, and may have value in improving the prediction of falls risk in this population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dual functions of a small regulatory subunit in the mitochondrial calcium uniporter complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Ming-Feng; Phillips, Charles B; Ranaghan, Matthew; Tsai, Chen-Wei; Wu, Yujiao; Willliams, Carole; Miller, Christopher

2016-04-21

Mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake, a process crucial for bioenergetics and Ca(2+) signaling, is catalyzed by the mitochondrial calcium uniporter. The uniporter is a multi-subunit Ca(2+)-activated Ca(2+) channel, with the Ca(2+) pore formed by the MCU protein and Ca(2+)-dependent activation mediated by MICU subunits. Recently, a mitochondrial inner membrane protein EMRE was identified as a uniporter subunit absolutely required for Ca(2+) permeation. However, the molecular mechanism and regulatory purpose of EMRE remain largely unexplored. Here, we determine the transmembrane orientation of EMRE, and show that its known MCU-activating function is mediated by the interaction of transmembrane helices from both proteins. We also reveal a second function of EMRE: to maintain tight MICU regulation of the MCU pore, a role that requires EMRE to bind MICU1 using its conserved C-terminal polyaspartate tail. This dual functionality of EMRE ensures that all transport-competent uniporters are tightly regulated, responding appropriately to a dynamic intracellular Ca(2+) landscape.

The Neurocognitive Basis for Impaired Dual-Task Performance in Senior Fallers.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagamatsu, Lindsay S; Hsu, C Liang; Voss, Michelle W; Chan, Alison; Bolandzadeh, Niousha; Handy, Todd C; Graf, Peter; Beattie, B Lynn; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa

2016-01-01

Falls are a major health-care concern, and while dual-task performance is widely recognized as being impaired in those at-risk for falls, the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms remain unknown. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms could lead to the refinement and development of behavioral, cognitive, or neuropharmacological interventions for falls prevention. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study with community-dwelling older adults aged 70-80 years with a history of falls (i.e., two or more falls in the past 12 months) or no history of falls (i.e., zero falls in the past 12 months); n = 28 per group. We compared functional activation during cognitive-based dual-task performance between fallers and non-fallers using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Executive cognitive functioning was assessed via Stroop, Trail Making, and Digit Span. Mobility was assessed via the Timed Up and Go test (TUG). We found that non-fallers exhibited significantly greater functional activation compared with fallers during dual-task performance in key regions responsible for resolving dual-task interference, including precentral, postcentral, and lingual gyri. Further, we report slower reaction times during dual-task performance in fallers and significant correlations between level of functional activation and independent measures of executive cognitive functioning and mobility. Our study is the first neuroimaging study to examine dual-task performance in fallers, and supports the notion that fallers have reduced functional brain activation compared with non-fallers. Given that dual-task performance-and the underlying neural concomitants-appears to be malleable with relevant training, our study serves as a launching point for promising strategies to reduce falls in the future.

New Fukui, dual and hyper-dual kernels as bond reactivity descriptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Franco-Pérez, Marco; Polanco-Ramírez, Carlos-A; Ayers, Paul W; Gázquez, José L; Vela, Alberto

2017-06-21

We define three new linear response indices with promising applications for bond reactivity using the mathematical framework of τ-CRT (finite temperature chemical reactivity theory). The τ-Fukui kernel is defined as the ratio between the fluctuations of the average electron density at two different points in the space and the fluctuations in the average electron number and is designed to integrate to the finite-temperature definition of the electronic Fukui function. When this kernel is condensed, it can be interpreted as a site-reactivity descriptor of the boundary region between two atoms. The τ-dual kernel corresponds to the first order response of the Fukui kernel and is designed to integrate to the finite temperature definition of the dual descriptor; it indicates the ambiphilic reactivity of a specific bond and enriches the traditional dual descriptor by allowing one to distinguish between the electron-accepting and electron-donating processes. Finally, the τ-hyper dual kernel is defined as the second-order derivative of the Fukui kernel and is proposed as a measure of the strength of ambiphilic bonding interactions. Although these quantities have never been proposed, our results for the τ-Fukui kernel and for τ-dual kernel can be derived in zero-temperature formulation of the chemical reactivity theory with, among other things, the widely-used parabolic interpolation model.

An improved Lagrangian relaxation and dual ascent approach to facility location problems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jörnsten, Kurt; Klose, Andreas

2016-01-01

not be reduced to the same extent as in the case of ordinary semi-Lagrangian relaxation. Hence, an effective method for optimizing the Lagrangian dual function is of utmost importance for obtaining a computational advantage from the simplified Lagrangian dual function. In this paper, we suggest a new dual ascent...... method for optimizing both the semi-Lagrangian dual function as well as its simplified form for the case of a generic discrete facility location problem and apply the method to the uncapacitated facility location problem. Our computational results show that the method generally only requires a very few...

Enzyme-guided plasmonic biosensor based on dual-functional nanohybrid for sensitive detection of thrombin.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Jing; Wang, Lida; Tang, Longhua; Lin, Lei; Liu, Yang; Li, Jinghong

2015-08-15

Rapid and sensitive methodologies for the detection of protein are in urgent requirement for clinic diagnostics. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of metal nanostructures has the potential to circumvent this problem due to its sensitive optical properties and strong electromagnetic near-field enhancements. In this work, an enzyme mediated plasmonic biosensor on the basis of a dual-functional nanohybrid was developed for the detection of thrombin. By utilizing LSPR-responsive nanohybrid and anaptamer-enzyme conjugated reporting probe, the sensing platform brings enhanced signal, stability as well as simplicity. Enzymatic reaction catalyzed the reduction of Au(3+) to Au° in situ, further leading to the rapid crystal growth of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The LSPR absorbance band and color changed company with the nanoparticle generation, which can be real-time monitoring by UV-visible spectrophotometer and naked eye. Nanohybrid constructed by gold and magnetic nanoparticles acts as a dual functional plasmonic unit, which not only plays the role of signal production, but also endows the sensor with the function of magnetic separation. Simultaneously, the introduction of enzyme effectively regulates the programming crystal growth of AuNPs. In addition, enzyme also serves as signal amplifier owing to its high catalysis efficiency. The response of the plasmonic sensor varies linearly with the logarithmic thrombin concentration up to 10nM with a limit of detection of 200 pM. The as-proposed strategy shows good analytical performance for thrombin determination. This simple, disposable method is promising in developing universal platforms for protein monitoring, drug discovery and point-of-care diagnostics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dual-anticipating, dual and dual-lag synchronization in modulated time-delayed systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, Dibakar; Chowdhury, A. Roy

2010-01-01

In this Letter, dual synchronization in modulated time delay system using delay feedback controller is proposed. Based on Lyapunov stability theory, we suggest a general method to achieve the dual-anticipating, dual, dual-lag synchronization of time-delayed chaotic systems and we find both its existing and sufficient stability conditions. Numerically it is shown that the dual synchronization is also possible when driving system contain two completely different systems. Effect of parameter mismatch on dual synchronization is also discussed. As an example, numerical simulations for the Mackey-Glass and Ikeda systems are conducted, which is in good agreement with the theoretical analysis.

Dual-guild herbivory disrupts predator-prey interactions in the field.

Science.gov (United States)

Blubaugh, Carmen K; Asplund, Jacob S; Eigenbrode, Sanford D; Morra, Matthew J; Philips, Christopher R; Popova, Inna E; Reganold, John P; Snyder, William E

2018-05-01

Plant defenses often mediate whether competing chewing and sucking herbivores indirectly benefit or harm one another. Dual-guild herbivory also can muddle plant signals used by specialist natural enemies to locate prey, further complicating the net impact of herbivore-herbivore interactions in naturally diverse settings. While dual-guild herbivore communities are common in nature, consequences for top-down processes are unclear, as chemically mediated tri-trophic interactions are rarely evaluated in field environments. Combining observational and experimental approaches in the open field, we test a prediction that chewing herbivores interfere with top-down suppression of phloem feeders on Brassica oleracea across broad landscapes. In a two-year survey of 52 working farm sites, we found that parasitoid and aphid densities on broccoli plants positively correlated at farms where aphids and caterpillars rarely co-occurred, but this relationship disappeared at farms where caterpillars commonly co-occurred. In a follow-up experiment, we compared single and dual-guild herbivore communities at four local farm sites and found that caterpillars (P. rapae) caused a 30% reduction in aphid parasitism (primarily by Diaeretiella rapae), and increased aphid colony (Brevicoryne brassicae) growth at some sites. Notably, in the absence of predators, caterpillars indirectly suppressed, rather than enhanced, aphid growth. Amid considerable ecological noise, our study reveals a pattern of apparent commensalism: herbivore-herbivore facilitation via relaxed top-down suppression. This work suggests that enemy-mediated apparent commensalism may override constraints to growth induced by competing herbivores in field environments, and emphasizes the value of placing chemically mediated interactions within their broader environmental and community contexts. © 2018 by the Ecological Society of America.

Functional neuroanatomy of the basal ganglia as studied by dual-probe microdialysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Connor, William T.

1998-01-01

Dual probe microdialysis was employed in intact rat brain to investigate the effect of intrastriatal perfusion with selective dopamine D 1 and D 2 receptor agonists and with c-fos antisense oligonucleotide on (a) local GABA release in the striatum; (b) the internal segment of the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra pars reticulata, which is the output site of the strionigral GABA pathway; and (c) the external segment of the globus pallidus, which is the output site of the striopallidal GABA pathway. The data provide functional in vivo evidence for a selective dopamine D 1 receptor-mediated activation of the direct strionigral GABA pathway and a selective dopamine D 2 receptor inhibition of the indirect striopallidal GABA pathway and provides a neuronal substrate for parallel processing in the basal ganglia regulation of motor function. Taken together, these findings offer new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of dopamine-linked disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and schizophrenia

Functional neuroanatomy of the basal ganglia as studied by dual-probe microdialysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Connor, William T. E-mail: woconn@iveagh.ucd.ie

1998-11-01

Dual probe microdialysis was employed in intact rat brain to investigate the effect of intrastriatal perfusion with selective dopamine D{sub 1} and D{sub 2} receptor agonists and with c-fos antisense oligonucleotide on (a) local GABA release in the striatum; (b) the internal segment of the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra pars reticulata, which is the output site of the strionigral GABA pathway; and (c) the external segment of the globus pallidus, which is the output site of the striopallidal GABA pathway. The data provide functional in vivo evidence for a selective dopamine D{sub 1} receptor-mediated activation of the direct strionigral GABA pathway and a selective dopamine D{sub 2} receptor inhibition of the indirect striopallidal GABA pathway and provides a neuronal substrate for parallel processing in the basal ganglia regulation of motor function. Taken together, these findings offer new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of dopamine-linked disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and schizophrenia.

Limitations in dual-task performance

OpenAIRE

Pannebakker, Merel Mathilde

2009-01-01

In this thesis, the effect of information-processing overload on working-memory dependent information processing was examined using dual-task paradigms. The experiments described strengthen the importance of a functional explanation for dual-task limitations. First, it showed evidence for a unified coding medium (as put forward in the theory of event coding; Hommel, Müsseler, Aschersleben, & Prinz, 2001) in which features, operations and responses are available and can influence each other. A...

On Dual Gabor Frame Pairs Generated by Polynomials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Ole; Rae Young, Kim

2010-01-01

We provide explicit constructions of particularly convenient dual pairs of Gabor frames. We prove that arbitrary polynomials restricted to sufficiently large intervals will generate Gabor frames, at least for small modulation parameters. Unfortunately, no similar function can generate a dual Gabo...

The effect of the Holling type II functional response on apparent competition

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Křivan, Vlastimil; Eisner, Jan

2006-01-01

Roč. 70, č. 4, (2006), s. 421-430 ISSN 0040-5809 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA100070601 Grant - others:Center funded by NSF(US) DEB-0072909 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50070508 Keywords : apparent competition * optimal foraging * the ideal free distribution Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 2.491, year: 2006

Mechanics of apparent horizons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, W.

1992-01-01

An equation for the variation in the surface area of an apparent horizon is derived which has the same form as the thermodynamic relation TdS=dQ. For a stationary vacuum black hole, the expression corresponding to a temperature equals the temperature of the event horizon. Also, if the black hole is perturbed infinitesimally by weak matter and gravitational fields, the area variation of the apparent horizon asymptotically approaches the Hartle-Hawking result for the event horizon. These results support the idea that a local version of black-hole thermodynamics in nonstationary systems can be constructed for apparent horizons

Dual Entwining Structures and Dual Entwined Modules

OpenAIRE

Abuhlail, Jawad Y.

2003-01-01

In this note we introduce and investigate the concepts of dual entwining structures and dual entwined modules. This generalizes the concepts of dual Doi-Koppinen structures and dual Doi-Koppinen modules introduced (in the infinite case over rings) by the author is his dissertation.

Dual Approach to the Study of Land Market Functioning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liliya Oganesovna Oganesyan

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The article reveals the essence, the structural elements and features of the mechanism of functioning of the market of agricultural land. The authors present the supplementing idea on the structural dichotomy of the agricultural land market. In contrast to neoclassical approaches, it is proposed to explore the market based on its structural dichotomy – market property rights and market rights of management. In this context, the mechanism of functioning of agricultural lands market performs the function of a basic element in the system of land relations to ensure market circulation of agricultural land through alienation and assign full or partial rights of land ownership. The use of the institutional approach to the study of market structures justifies the dual nature of the mechanism of functioning of the market of agricultural land due to the fact that on the one hand, the market is slow and limited in the market space of the rare economic good or factor of production, and on the other hand, it is a dynamic institutional and economic system within which the specification of property rights to land is implemented. The structure of the mechanism of functioning and development of agricultural land market is considered as a system of interrelated and interacting elements of state regulation and market self-regulation, based on the principles of coordination and harmonization of personalized economic interests and market law of supply and demand. The combination of elements of market self-regulation and state regulation allows in practice to justify the choice of model combinations of stable and changing elements of the mechanism. This combination complies with the institutional conditions for the functioning of the market of agricultural land considering the dominance of regulated sustainable standards at the market of property rights and in the frames of informal institutions at the market of the management rights. The authors prove the

Effects of Dual-Channel Functional Electrical Stimulation on Gait Performance in Patients with Hemiparesis

Science.gov (United States)

Springer, Shmuel; Vatine, Jean-Jacques; Lipson, Ronit; Wolf, Alon; Laufer, Yocheved

2012-01-01

The study objective was to assess the effect of functional electrical stimulation (FES) applied to the peroneal nerve and thigh muscles on gait performance in subjects with hemiparesis. Participants were 45 subjects (age 57.8 ± 14.8 years) with hemiparesis (5.37 ± 5.43 years since diagnosis) demonstrating a foot-drop and impaired knee control. Thigh stimulation was applied either to the quadriceps or hamstrings muscles, depending on the dysfunction most affecting gait. Gait was assessed during a two-minute walk test with/without stimulation and with peroneal stimulation alone. A second assessment was conducted after six weeks of daily use. The addition of thigh muscles stimulation to peroneal stimulation significantly enhanced gait velocity measures at the initial and second evaluation. Gait symmetry was enhanced by the dual-channel stimulation only at the initial evaluation, and single-limb stance percentage only at the second assessment. For example, after six weeks, the two-minute gait speed with peroneal stimulation and with the dual channel was 0.66 ± 0.30 m/sec and 0.70 ± 0.31 m/sec, respectively (P hemiparesis more than peroneal FES alone. PMID:23097635

Apparent temperature versus true temperature of silicon crystals as a function of their thickness using infrared measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smither, R.K.; Fernandez, P.B.

1993-01-01

The very high intensity x-ray beams that will be present at the Advanced Photon Source and other third generation synchrotron sources will require that the first optical element in the beamline and, possibly, the second optical element as well, be cooled to remove the heat deposited by the x-ray beam. In many of the beamlines this heat will be in the 1 to 5 kW range, and any failure of the cooling system will require a quick response from safety control circuits to shut off the beam before damage is done to the optical element. In many cases, this first optical element will be a silicon diffraction crystal. Viewing the surface of objects subjected to high heat fluxes with an infrared camera or infrared sensor has proved to be a very effective method for monitoring the magnitude and distribution of surface temperatures on the object. This approach has been quite useful in studies of cooling silicon crystals in monochromators subject to high heat loads. The main drawback to this method is that single crystals of silicon are partially transparent to the infrared radiation monitored in most infrared cameras. This means that the infrared radiation emitted from the surface contains a component that comes from the interior of the crystal and that the intensity of the emitted radiation and thus the apparent temperature of the surface of the crystal depends on the thickness of the crystal and the kind of coating on the back (and/or the front) of the crystal. The apparent temperature of the crystal increases as the crystal is made thicker. A series of experiments were performed at Argonne National Laboratory to calibrate the apparent surface temperature of the crystal as measured with an infrared camera as a function of the crystal thickness and the type of coating (if any) on the back side of the crystal. A number of examples are given for data taken in synchrotron experiments with high intensity x-ray beams

Establishment of animal model of dual liver transplantation in rat.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Zhang

Full Text Available The animal model of the whole-size and reduced-size liver transplantation in both rat and mouse has been successfully established. Because of the difficulties and complexities in microsurgical technology, the animal model of dual liver transplantation was still not established for twelve years since the first human dual liver transplantation has been made a success. There is an essential need to establish this animal model to lay a basic foundation for clinical practice. To study the physiological and histopathological changes of dual liver transplantation, "Y" type vein from the cross part between vena cava and two iliac of donor and "Y' type prosthesis were employed to recanalize portal vein and the bile duct between dual liver grafts and recipient. The dual right upper lobes about 45-50% of the recipient liver volume were taken as donor, one was orthotopically implanted at its original position, the other was rotated 180° sagitally and heterotopically positioned in the left upper quadrant. Microcirculation parameters, liver function, immunohistochemistry and survival were analyzed to evaluate the function of dual liver grafts. No significant difference in the hepatic microcirculatory flow was found between two grafts in the first 90 minutes after reperfusion. Light and electronic microscope showed the liver architecture was maintained without obvious features of cellular destruction and the continuity of the endothelium was preserved. Only 3 heterotopically positioned graft appeared patchy desquamation of endothelial cell, mitochondrial swelling and hepatocytes cytoplasmic vacuolization. Immunohistochemistry revealed there is no difference in hepatocyte activity and the ability of endothelia to contract and relax after reperfusion between dual grafts. Dual grafts made a rapid amelioration of liver function after reperfusion. 7 rats survived more than 7 days with survival rate of 58.3.%. Using "Y" type vein and bile duct prosthesis, we

Imaging gait analysis: An fMRI dual task study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bürki, Céline N; Bridenbaugh, Stephanie A; Reinhardt, Julia; Stippich, Christoph; Kressig, Reto W; Blatow, Maria

2017-08-01

In geriatric clinical diagnostics, gait analysis with cognitive-motor dual tasking is used to predict fall risk and cognitive decline. To date, the neural correlates of cognitive-motor dual tasking processes are not fully understood. To investigate these underlying neural mechanisms, we designed an fMRI paradigm to reproduce the gait analysis. We tested the fMRI paradigm's feasibility in a substudy with fifteen young adults and assessed 31 healthy older adults in the main study. First, gait speed and variability were quantified using the GAITRite © electronic walkway. Then, participants lying in the MRI-scanner were stepping on pedals of an MRI-compatible stepping device used to imitate gait during functional imaging. In each session, participants performed cognitive and motor single tasks as well as cognitive-motor dual tasks. Behavioral results showed that the parameters of both gait analyses, GAITRite © and fMRI, were significantly positively correlated. FMRI results revealed significantly reduced brain activation during dual task compared to single task conditions. Functional ROI analysis showed that activation in the superior parietal lobe (SPL) decreased less from single to dual task condition than activation in primary motor cortex and in supplementary motor areas. Moreover, SPL activation was increased during dual tasks in subjects exhibiting lower stepping speed and lower executive control. We were able to simulate walking during functional imaging with valid results that reproduce those from the GAITRite © gait analysis. On the neural level, SPL seems to play a crucial role in cognitive-motor dual tasking and to be linked to divided attention processes, particularly when motor activity is involved.

Examining Preschool-Aged Dual Language Learners' Language Use: From a Functional Approach. WCER Working Paper No. 2016-1

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ahyoung Alicia; Kondo, Akira; Castro, Mariana

2016-01-01

Due to the increase in the number of preschool-aged dual language learners (DLLs), there is a need to understand their language development and how to better support them. Although DLLs' language development has traditionally been studied from a structuralist perspective, few have examined their language use from a functional approach, which…

Inequalities for dual quermassintegrals of mixed intersection bodies

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

Abstract. In this paper, we first introduce a new concept of dual quermassintegral sum function of two star bodies and establish Minkowski's type inequality for dual quermassintegral sum of mixed intersection bodies, which is a general form of the. Minkowski inequality for mixed intersection bodies. Then, we give the ...

Influence of Sequential vs. Simultaneous Dual-Task Exercise Training on Cognitive Function in Older Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Tait, Jamie L; Duckham, Rachel L; Milte, Catherine M; Main, Luana C; Daly, Robin M

2017-01-01

Emerging research indicates that exercise combined with cognitive training may improve cognitive function in older adults. Typically these programs have incorporated sequential training, where exercise and cognitive training are undertaken separately. However, simultaneous or dual-task training, where cognitive and/or motor training are performed simultaneously with exercise, may offer greater benefits. This review summary provides an overview of the effects of combined simultaneous vs. sequential training on cognitive function in older adults. Based on the available evidence, there are inconsistent findings with regard to the cognitive benefits of sequential training in comparison to cognitive or exercise training alone. In contrast, simultaneous training interventions, particularly multimodal exercise programs in combination with secondary tasks regulated by sensory cues, have significantly improved cognition in both healthy older and clinical populations. However, further research is needed to determine the optimal characteristics of a successful simultaneous training program for optimizing cognitive function in older people.

Effects of Physical-Cognitive Dual Task Training on Executive Function and Gait Performance in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Falbo, S; Condello, G; Capranica, L; Forte, R; Pesce, C

2016-01-01

Physical and cognitive training seem to counteract age-related decline in physical and mental function. Recently, the possibility of integrating cognitive demands into physical training has attracted attention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of twelve weeks of designed physical-cognitive training on executive cognitive function and gait performance in older adults. Thirty-six healthy, active individuals aged 72.30 ± 5.84 years were assigned to two types of physical training with major focus on physical single task (ST) training ( n = 16) and physical-cognitive dual task (DT) training ( n = 20), respectively. They were tested before and after the intervention for executive function (inhibition, working memory) through Random Number Generation and for gait (walking with/without negotiating hurdles) under both single and dual task (ST, DT) conditions. Gait performance improved in both groups, while inhibitory performance decreased after exercise training with ST focus but tended to increase after training with physical-cognitive DT focus. Changes in inhibition performance were correlated with changes in DT walking performance with group differences as a function of motor task complexity (with/without hurdling). The study supports the effectiveness of group exercise classes for older individuals to improve gait performance, with physical-cognitive DT training selectively counteracting the age-related decline in a core executive function essential for daily living.

Primary visual cortex activity along the apparent-motion trace reflects illusory perception.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lars Muckli

2005-08-01

Full Text Available The illusion of apparent motion can be induced when visual stimuli are successively presented at different locations. It has been shown in previous studies that motion-sensitive regions in extrastriate cortex are relevant for the processing of apparent motion, but it is unclear whether primary visual cortex (V1 is also involved in the representation of the illusory motion path. We investigated, in human subjects, apparent-motion-related activity in patches of V1 representing locations along the path of illusory stimulus motion using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Here we show that apparent motion caused a blood-oxygenation-level-dependent response along the V1 representations of the apparent-motion path, including regions that were not directly activated by the apparent-motion-inducing stimuli. This response was unaltered when participants had to perform an attention-demanding task that diverted their attention away from the stimulus. With a bistable motion quartet, we confirmed that the activity was related to the conscious perception of movement. Our data suggest that V1 is part of the network that represents the illusory path of apparent motion. The activation in V1 can be explained either by lateral interactions within V1 or by feedback mechanisms from higher visual areas, especially the motion-sensitive human MT/V5 complex.

Calcium is the switch in the moonlighting dual function of the ligand-activated receptor kinase phytosulfokine receptor 1

KAUST Repository

Muleya, Victor

2014-09-23

Background: A number of receptor kinases contain guanylate cyclase (GC) catalytic centres encapsulated in the cytosolic kinase domain. A prototypical example is the phytosulfokine receptor 1 (PSKR1) that is involved in regulating growth responses in plants. PSKR1 contains both kinase and GC activities however the underlying mechanisms regulating the dual functions have remained elusive. Findings: Here, we confirm the dual activity of the cytoplasmic domain of the PSKR1 receptor. We show that mutations within the guanylate cyclase centre modulate the GC activity while not affecting the kinase catalytic activity. Using physiologically relevant Ca2+ levels, we demonstrate that its GC activity is enhanced over two-fold by Ca2+ in a concentration-dependent manner. Conversely, increasing Ca2+ levels inhibits kinase activity up to 500-fold at 100 nM Ca2+. Conclusions: Changes in calcium at physiological levels can regulate the kinase and GC activities of PSKR1. We therefore propose a functional model of how calcium acts as a bimodal switch between kinase and GC activity in PSKR1 that could be relevant to other members of this novel class of ligand-activated receptor kinases.

An examination of the flame spread limits in a dual fuel engine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Badr, O.; Karim, G.A.; Liu, B. [Calgary Univ., Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Calgary, AB (Canada)

1999-10-01

The performance of a gas-fuelled diesel engine (dual fuel) is examined at light load and an effective threshold limit to the combustion of the gaseous fuel through bulk flame spread is identified. The relationship of such a limit to some of the key operating parameters is then discussed. A comparison between the measured values of the limit with those corresponding to the lower flammability limits of the gaseous fuel when evaluated under the prevailing cylinder conditions during pilot diesel fuel ignition showed similar trends. It is suggested that such a similarity may form a basis for estimating the lean operation limits for duel a fuel combustion in engines. A simple approach for estimating the limiting equivalence ratio for the apparent bulk flame spread limit is described for a methane-fuelled dual fuel engine. (Author)

Dual-Tasking in Multiple Sclerosis - Implications for a Cognitive Screening Instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Beste, Christian; Mückschel, Moritz; Paucke, Madlen; Ziemssen, Tjalf

2018-01-01

The monitoring of cognitive functions is central to the assessment and consecutive management of multiple sclerosis (MS). Though, especially cognitive processes that are central to everyday behavior like dual-tasking are often neglected. We examined dual-task performance using a psychological-refractory period (PRP) task in N = 21 patients and healthy controls and conducted standard neuropsychological tests. In dual-tasking, MS patients committed more erroneous responses when dual-tasking was difficult. In easier conditions, performance of MS patients did not differ to controls. Interestingly, the response times were generally not affected by the difficulty of the dual task, showing that the deficits observed do not reflect simple motor deficits or deficits in information processing speed but point out deficits in executive control functions and response selection in particular. Effect sizes were considerably large with d ∼0.80 in mild affected patients and the achieved power was above 99%. There are cognitive control and dual tasking deficits in MS that are not attributable to simple motor speed deficits. Scaling of the difficulty of dual-tasking makes the test applied suitable for a wide variety of MS-patients and may complement neuropsychological assessments in clinical care and research setting.

Some properties of dual and approximate dual of fusion frames

OpenAIRE

Arefijamaal, Ali Akbar; Neyshaburi, Fahimeh Arabyani

2016-01-01

In this paper we extend the notion of approximate dual to fusion frames and present some approaches to obtain dual and approximate alternate dual fusion frames. Also, we study the stability of dual and approximate alternate dual fusion frames.

Determination of Apparent Amylose Content in Rice by Using Paper-Based Microfluidic Chips.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xianqiao; Lu, Lin; Fang, Changyun; Duan, Binwu; Zhu, Zhiwei

2015-11-11

Determination of apparent amylose content in rice is a key function for rice research and the rice industry. In this paper, a novel approach with paper-based microfluidic chip is reported to determine apparent amylose content in rice. The conventional color reaction between amylose and iodine was employed. Blue color of amylose-iodine complex generated on-chip was converted to gray and measured with Photoshop after the colored chip was scanned. The method for preparation of the paper chip is described. In situ generation of iodine for on-chip color reaction was designed, and factors influencing color reaction were investigated in detail. Elimination of yellow color interference of excess iodine by exploiting color removal function of Photoshop was presented. Under the optimized conditions, apparent amylose content in rice ranging from 1.5 to 26.4% can be determined, and precision was 6.3%. The analytical results obtained with the developed approach were in good agreement with those with the continuous flow analyzer method.

A fluoride-sensing receptor based on 2,2'-bis(indolyl)methane by dual-function of colorimetry and fluorescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Wei; Shao, Shi Jun; Guo, Yong

2015-10-05

A compound based on 2,2'-bis(indolyl)methane containing nitro group was studied as a new anion receptor. It could recognize selectively F(-) by an increasing fluorescence signal and a visible color change from colorless to blue. The introduction of nitro group induced the spectral dual-function related to the deprotonation of N-H protons. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interacting-string picture of dual-resonance models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandelstam, S.

1985-01-01

Dual-resonance models are an alyzed by means of operators which act within the physical Hilbert space of positive-metric states. The basis of the method is to extend the relativistic-string picture of a previous study to interacting particles. Functional methods are used, but their relation to the operator is evident, and factorization is maintained. An expression is given for the N-point amplitude in terms of physical-particle operators. For the three-point function the Neumann functions which occur in this expression are evaluated, so that we have a formula for the on- and off-energy-shell vertex. The authors assume that the string has no longitudinal degrees of freedom, and their results are Lorentz invariant and dual only if d=26

Optimized batteries for cars with dual electrical architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Douady, J. P.; Pascon, C.; Dugast, A.; Fossati, G.

During recent years, the increase in car electrical equipment has led to many problems with traditional starter batteries (such as cranking failure due to flat batteries, battery cycling etc.). The main causes of these problems are the double function of the automotive battery (starter and service functions) and the difficulties in designing batteries well adapted to these two functions. In order to solve these problems a new concept — the dual-concept — has been developed with two separate batteries: one battery is dedicated to the starter function and the other is dedicated to the service function. Only one alternator charges the two batteries with a separation device between the two electrical circuits. The starter battery is located in the engine compartment while the service battery is located at the rear of the car. From the analysis of new requirements, battery designs have been optimized regarding the two types of functions: (i) a small battery with high specific power for the starting function; for this function a flooded battery with lead-calcium alloy grids and thin plates is proposed; (ii) for the service function, modified sealed gas-recombinant batteries with cycling and deep-discharge ability have been developed. The various advantages of the dual-concept are studied in terms of starting reliability, battery weight, and voltage supply. The operating conditions of the system and several dual electrical architectures have also been studied in the laboratory and the car. The feasibility of the concept is proved.

Effect of a dual-task net-step exercise on cognitive and gait function in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitazawa, Kazutoshi; Showa, Satoko; Hiraoka, Akira; Fushiki, Yasuhiro; Sakauchi, Humio; Mori, Mitsuru

2015-01-01

Participation in generally recommended aerobics or strength exercises may be challenging for older adults. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the types and levels of physical activities suited for them to improve their cognitive and gait function and adherence to exercise programs. This has prompted efforts to identify exercises that require less physical strength and frequency of performance, while still offering cognitive and health benefits. Here, we aimed to assess the effect of a novel dual-task net-step exercise (NSE) performed once a week for 8 consecutive weeks on improvements in cognitive performance and gait function in an older population. In this pretest/posttest experimental case control study, 60 healthy older adults (mean age 76.4 years) were recruited from community-dwelling people and separated randomly into 2 groups: a dual-task NSE group and a control group. The NSE group was asked to walk across a net without stepping on the ropes or being caught in the net. Two computer panel-type cognitive functional assessments, the Touch-M and Touch Panel-Type Dementia Assessment Scale, were administered at baseline and after 8 weeks of intervention to determine the effects of NSE. Improvements in gait function were also evaluated using Timed Up and Go test scores. Mixed-effect models with repeated measures (group × time) (analysis of variance, F test) were used to test the effects of NSE. Adjustments were made for covariates including age and sex (analysis of covariance). The NSE group showed significant improvement in cognitive performance (6.8% change; total Touch-M score 5.4 points; P = .04) and gait performance (11.5% change; Timed Up and Go time -0.98 second; P cognitive and gait performance in healthy older adults. Our results indicate that NSE offers an option for a large segment of the older population who need an easier way to maintain their cognitive health and gait function.

Modeling a space-variant cortical representation for apparent motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Wurbs, Jeremy; Mingolla, Ennio; Yazdanbakhsh, Arash

2013-08-06

Receptive field sizes of neurons in early primate visual areas increase with eccentricity, as does temporal processing speed. The fovea is evidently specialized for slow, fine movements while the periphery is suited for fast, coarse movements. In either the fovea or periphery discrete flashes can produce motion percepts. Grossberg and Rudd (1989) used traveling Gaussian activity profiles to model long-range apparent motion percepts. We propose a neural model constrained by physiological data to explain how signals from retinal ganglion cells to V1 affect the perception of motion as a function of eccentricity. Our model incorporates cortical magnification, receptive field overlap and scatter, and spatial and temporal response characteristics of retinal ganglion cells for cortical processing of motion. Consistent with the finding of Baker and Braddick (1985), in our model the maximum flash distance that is perceived as an apparent motion (Dmax) increases linearly as a function of eccentricity. Baker and Braddick (1985) made qualitative predictions about the functional significance of both stimulus and visual system parameters that constrain motion perception, such as an increase in the range of detectable motions as a function of eccentricity and the likely role of higher visual processes in determining Dmax. We generate corresponding quantitative predictions for those functional dependencies for individual aspects of motion processing. Simulation results indicate that the early visual pathway can explain the qualitative linear increase of Dmax data without reliance on extrastriate areas, but that those higher visual areas may serve as a modulatory influence on the exact Dmax increase.

Constructing pairs of dual bandlimited framelets with desired time localization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lemvig, Jakob

2009-01-01

combination of dilations of ψ with explicitly given coefficients. The result allows a simple construction procedure for pairs of dual wavelet frames whose generators have compact support in the Fourier domain and desired time localization. The construction is based on characteriszing equations for dual......For sufficiently small translation parameters, we prove that any bandlimited function ψ, for which the dilations of its Fourier transform form a partition of unity, generates a wavelet frame with a dual frame also having the wavelet structure. This dual frame is generated by a finite linear...

Constructing pairs of dual bandlimited framelets with desired time localization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lemvig, Jakob

combination of dilations of ψ with explicitly given coefficients. The result allows a simple construction procedure for pairs of dual wavelet frames whose generators have compact support in the Fourier domain and desired time localization. The construction is based on characteriszing equations for dual......For sufficiently small translation parameters, we prove that any bandlimited function ψ, for which the dilations of its Fourier transform form a partition of unity, generates a wavelet frame with a dual frame also having the wavelet structure. This dual frame is generated by a finite linear...

Dual role of betel leaf extract on thyroid function in male mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Panda, S; Kar, A

1998-12-01

The effects of betel leaf extract (0.10, 0.40, 0.80 and 2.0 g kg-1 day-1 for 15 days) on the alterations in thyroid hormone concentrations. lipid peroxidation (LPO) and on the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were investigated in male Swiss mice. Administration of betel leaf extract exhibited a dual role, depending on the different doses. While the lowest dose decreased thyroxine (T4) and increased serum triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations, reverse effects were observed at two higher doses. Higher doses also increased LPO with a concomitant decrease in SOD and CAT activities. However, with the lowest dose most of these effects were reversed. These findings suggest that betel leaf can be both stimulatory and inhibitory to thyroid function, particularly for T3 generation and lipid peroxidation in male mice, depending on the amount consumed.

Error analysis and new dual-cosine window for estimating the sensor frequency response function from the step response data

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shuang-Long; Liang, Li-Ping; Liu, Hou-De; Xu, Ke-Jun

2018-03-01

Aiming at reducing the estimation error of the sensor frequency response function (FRF) estimated by the commonly used window-based spectral estimation method, the error models of interpolation and transient errors are derived in the form of non-parameter models. Accordingly, window effects on the errors are analyzed and reveal that the commonly used hanning window leads to smaller interpolation error which can also be significantly eliminated by the cubic spline interpolation method when estimating the FRF from the step response data, and window with smaller front-end value can restrain more transient error. Thus, a new dual-cosine window with its non-zero discrete Fourier transform bins at -3, -1, 0, 1, and 3 is constructed for FRF estimation. Compared with the hanning window, the new dual-cosine window has the equivalent interpolation error suppression capability and better transient error suppression capability when estimating the FRF from the step response; specifically, it reduces the asymptotic property of the transient error from O(N-2) of the hanning window method to O(N-4) while only increases the uncertainty slightly (about 0.4 dB). Then, one direction of a wind tunnel strain gauge balance which is a high order, small damping, and non-minimum phase system is employed as the example for verifying the new dual-cosine window-based spectral estimation method. The model simulation result shows that the new dual-cosine window method is better than the hanning window method for FRF estimation, and compared with the Gans method and LPM method, it has the advantages of simple computation, less time consumption, and short data requirement; the actual data calculation result of the balance FRF is consistent to the simulation result. Thus, the new dual-cosine window is effective and practical for FRF estimation.

Quark-parton model from dual topological unitarization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen-Tannoudji, G.; El Hassouni, A.; Kalinowski, J.; Peschanski, R.

1979-01-01

Topology, which occurs in the topological expansion of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and in the dual topological unitarization (DTU) schemes, allows us to establish a quantitative correspondence between QCD and the dual S-matrix approaches. This topological correspondence, proposed by Veneziano and made more explicit in a recent paper for current-induced reactions, provides a clarifying and unifying quark-parton interpretation of soft inclusive processes. Precise predictions for inclusive cross sections in hadron-hadron collisions, structure functions of hadrons, and quark fragmentation functions including absolute normalizations are shown to agree with data. On a more theoretical ground the proposed scheme suggests a new approach to the confinement problem

Associations between physical function, dual-task performance and cognition in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sobol, Nanna Aue; Hoffmann, Kristine; Vogel, Asmus Mejling

2016-01-01

blinded multicenter RCT 'ADEX' (Alzheimer's disease: the effect of physical exercise) were used. Assessments included tests of physical function: 400-m walk test, 10-m walk test, Timed Up and Go test and 30-s chair stand test; dual-task performance, i.e., 10-m walk while counting backwards from 50...... or naming the months backwards; and cognition, i.e., Mini Mental State Examination, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, the Stroop Color and Word Test, and Lexical verbal fluency test. RESULTS: Results in the 30-s chair stand test correlated significantly with all tests of cognition (r = .208-.242) while...

High-frequency dual mode pulsed wave Doppler imaging for monitoring the functional regeneration of adult zebrafish hearts

OpenAIRE

Kang, Bong Jin; Park, Jinhyoung; Kim, Jieun; Kim, Hyung Ham; Lee, Changyang; Hwang, Jae Youn; Lien, Ching-Ling; Shung, K. Kirk

2015-01-01

Adult zebrafish is a well-known small animal model for studying heart regeneration. Although the regeneration of scars made by resecting the ventricular apex has been visualized with histological methods, there is no adequate imaging tool for tracking the functional recovery of the damaged heart. For this reason, high-frequency Doppler echocardiography using dual mode pulsed wave Doppler, which provides both tissue Doppler (TD) and Doppler flow in a same cardiac cycle, is developed with a 30 ...

Pairs of dual periodic frames

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Ole; Goh, Say Song

2012-01-01

The time–frequency analysis of a signal is often performed via a series expansion arising from well-localized building blocks. Typically, the building blocks are based on frames having either Gabor or wavelet structure. In order to calculate the coefficients in the series expansion, a dual frame...... is needed. The purpose of the present paper is to provide constructions of dual pairs of frames in the setting of the Hilbert space of periodic functions L2(0,2π). The frames constructed are given explicitly as trigonometric polynomials, which allows for an efficient calculation of the coefficients...

Dual-layer ultrathin film optics: I. Theory and analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Qian; Lim, Kim Peng

2015-01-01

This paper revisits dual-layer ultrathin film optics, which can be used for functional graded refractive index thin film stack. We present the detailed derivation including s-polarized and p-polarized light under arbitrary incidence angle showing the equivalence between the dual-layer ultrathin films and a negative birefringent thin film and also the approximations made during the derivation. Analysis of the approximations shows the influence of thickness of dual-layer thin films, the incidence angle and desired refractive index of the birefringent film. Numerical comparison between the titanium dioxide/aluminum oxide based dual-layer ultrathin film stack and the equivalent birefringent film verifies the theoretical analysis. The detailed theoretical study and numerical comparison provide a physical insight and design guidelines for dual-layer ultrathin film based optical devices. (paper)

Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment and Data Driven Policy Implementation

Science.gov (United States)

Lichtenberger, Eric; Witt, M. Allison; Blankenberger, Bob; Franklin, Doug

2014-01-01

The use of dual credit has been expanding rapidly. Dual credit is a college course taken by a high school student for which both college and high school credit is given. Previous studies provided limited quantitative evidence that dual credit/dual enrollment is directly connected to positive student outcomes. In this study, predictive statistics…

Dual processing model of medical decision-making

OpenAIRE

Djulbegovic, Benjamin; Hozo, Iztok; Beckstead, Jason; Tsalatsanis, Athanasios; Pauker, Stephen G

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Dual processing theory of human cognition postulates that reasoning and decision-making can be described as a function of both an intuitive, experiential, affective system (system I) and/or an analytical, deliberative (system II) processing system. To date no formal descriptive model of medical decision-making based on dual processing theory has been developed. Here we postulate such a model and apply it to a common clinical situation: whether treatment should be administe...

A note on the standard dual frame of a wavelet frame with three-scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Qingjiang; Wei Zongtian; Feng Jinshun

2009-01-01

In this paper, it is shown that there exist wavelet frames generated by two functions which have good dual wavelet frames, but for which the standard dual wavelet frame does not consist of wavelets. That is to say, the standard dual wavelet frame cannot be generated by the translations and dilations of a single function. Relation to some physical theories such as entropy and E-infinity theory is also discussed.

Optimal dual-fuel propulsion for minimum inert weight or minimum fuel cost

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, J. A.

1973-01-01

An analytical investigation of single-stage vehicles with multiple propulsion phases has been conducted with the phasing optimized to minimize a general cost function. Some results are presented for linearized sizing relationships which indicate that single-stage-to-orbit, dual-fuel rocket vehicles can have lower inert weight than similar single-fuel rocket vehicles and that the advantage of dual-fuel vehicles can be increased if a dual-fuel engine is developed. The results also indicate that the optimum split can vary considerably with the choice of cost function to be minimized.

High-frequency dual mode pulsed wave Doppler imaging for monitoring the functional regeneration of adult zebrafish hearts

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Bong Jin; Park, Jinhyoung; Kim, Jieun; Kim, Hyung Ham; Lee, Changyang; Hwang, Jae Youn; Lien, Ching-Ling; Shung, K. Kirk

2015-01-01

Adult zebrafish is a well-known small animal model for studying heart regeneration. Although the regeneration of scars made by resecting the ventricular apex has been visualized with histological methods, there is no adequate imaging tool for tracking the functional recovery of the damaged heart. For this reason, high-frequency Doppler echocardiography using dual mode pulsed wave Doppler, which provides both tissue Doppler (TD) and Doppler flow in a same cardiac cycle, is developed with a 30 MHz high-frequency array ultrasound imaging system. Phantom studies show that the Doppler flow mode of the dual mode is capable of measuring the flow velocity from 0.1 to 15 cm s−1 with high accuracy (p-value = 0.974 > 0.05). In the in vivo study of zebrafish, both TD and Doppler flow signals were simultaneously obtained from the zebrafish heart for the first time, and the synchronized valve motions with the blood flow signals were identified. In the longitudinal study on the zebrafish heart regeneration, the parameters for diagnosing the diastolic dysfunction, for example, E/Em < 10, E/A < 0.14 for wild-type zebrafish, were measured, and the type of diastolic dysfunction caused by the amputation was found to be similar to the restrictive filling. The diastolic function was fully recovered within four weeks post-amputation. PMID:25505135

Lean body mass, interleukin 18, and metabolic syndrome in apparently healthy Chinese.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang Sun

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate how lean body mass is related to circulating Interleukin 18 (IL-18 and its association with metabolic syndrome (MetS among apparently healthy Chinese. METHODS: A population-based sample of 1059 Chinese men and women aged 35-54 years was used to measure plasma IL-18, glucose, insulin, lipid profile, inflammatory markers and high-molecular-weight (HMW-adiponectin. Fat mass index (FMI and lean mass index (LMI were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. MetS was defined by the updated National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria for Asian-Americans. RESULTS: Circulating IL-18 was positively correlated with LMI after adjustment for FMI (correlation coefficient = 0.11, P<0.001. The association with the MetS (odds ratio 3.43, 95% confidence interval 2.01-5.85 was substantially higher in the highest than the lowest quartile of IL-18 after multiple adjustments including body mass index. In the stratified multivariable regression analyses, the positive association between IL-18 and MetS was independent of tertiles of FMI, inflammatory markers and HMW-adiponectin, but significantly interacted with tertile of LMI (P for interaction = 0.010. CONCLUSION: Elevated plasma IL-18 was associated with higher MetS prevalence in apparently healthy Chinese, independent of traditional risk factors, FMI, inflammatory markers and HMW-adiponectin. More studies are needed to clarify the role of lean mass in IL-18 secretion and its associated cardio-metabolic disorders.

Dual host specificity of phage SP6 is facilitated by tailspike rotation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tu, Jiagang [Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, TX 77030 (United States); Park, Taehyun [Center for Infectious Disease, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Morado, Dustin R. [Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, TX 77030 (United States); Hughes, Kelly T. [Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (United States); Molineux, Ian J., E-mail: molineux@austin.utexas.edu [Center for Infectious Disease, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Liu, Jun, E-mail: Jun.Liu.1@uth.tmc.edu [Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, TX 77030 (United States)

2017-07-15

Bacteriophage SP6 exhibits dual-host adsorption specificity. The SP6 tailspikes are recognized as important in host range determination but the mechanisms underlying dual host specificity are unknown. Cryo-electron tomography and sub-tomogram classification were used to analyze the SP6 virion with a particular focus on the interaction of tailspikes with host membranes. The SP6 tail is surrounded by six V-shaped structures that interconnect in forming a hand-over-hand hexameric garland. Each V-shaped structure consists of two trimeric tailspike proteins: gp46 and gp47, connected through the adaptor protein gp37. SP6 infection of Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Newport results in distinguishable changes in tailspike orientation, providing the first direct demonstration how tailspikes can confer dual host adsorption specificity. SP6 also infects S. Typhimurium strains lacking O antigen; in these infections tailspikes have no apparent specific role and the phage tail must therefore interact with a distinct host receptor to allow infection. - Highlights: •Cryo-electron tomography reveals the structural basis for dual host specificity. •Sub-tomogram classification reveals distinct orientations of the tailspikes during infection of different hosts. •Tailspike-adaptor modules rotate as they bind different O antigens. •In the absence of any O antigen, tailspikes bind weakly and without specificity to LPS. •Interaction of the phage tail with LPS is essential for infection.

Assessment of myocardial perfusion with MRI using a modified dual bolus method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Husso, M; Sipola, P; Manninen, H; Vainio, P; Kuittinen, T; Hartikainen, J; Saarakkala, S; Töyräs, J; Kuikka, J

2014-01-01

Quantification of regional myocardial blood flow (rMBF) with first-pass magnetic resonance imaging (FP-MRI) requires two contrast agent injections (dual bolus technique), inducing error in the determined rMBF if the injections differ. We hypothesize that using input and residue curves of the same injection would be more reliable. We aim to introduce and evaluate a novel method to correct the high concentration arterial input function (AIF) for determination of rMBF. Sixteen patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were examined before and after chemotherapy. The input function was solved by correcting initial high concentration AIF using the ratio of low and high contrast AIF areas, normalized by corresponding heart rates (modified dual bolus method). For comparison, the scaled low contrast AIF was used as an input function (dual bolus method). Unidirectional transfer coefficient K trans  was calculated using both methods. K trans -values determined with the dual bolus (0.81 ± 0.32 ml g −1  min −1 ) and modified dual bolus (0.77 ± 0.42 ml g −1  min −1 ) methods were in agreement (p = 0.21). Mean K trans -values increased from 0.76 ± 0.43 to 0.89 ± 0.55 ml g −1  min −1  after chemotherapy (p = 0.17). The modified dual bolus technique agrees with the dual bolus technique (R2 = 0.899) when the low and high contrast injections are similar. However, when this is not the case, the modified dual bolus technique may be more reliable. (paper)

Dynamic PET of human liver inflammation: impact of kinetic modeling with optimization-derived dual-blood input function.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guobao; Corwin, Michael T; Olson, Kristin A; Badawi, Ramsey D; Sarkar, Souvik

2018-05-30

The hallmark of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is hepatocellular inflammation and injury in the setting of hepatic steatosis. Recent work has indicated that dynamic 18F-FDG PET with kinetic modeling has the potential to assess hepatic inflammation noninvasively, while static FDG-PET did not show a promise. Because the liver has dual blood supplies, kinetic modeling of dynamic liver PET data is challenging in human studies. The objective of this study is to evaluate and identify a dual-input kinetic modeling approach for dynamic FDG-PET of human liver inflammation. Fourteen human patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease were included in the study. Each patient underwent one-hour dynamic FDG-PET/CT scan and had liver biopsy within six weeks. Three models were tested for kinetic analysis: traditional two-tissue compartmental model with an image-derived single-blood input function (SBIF), model with population-based dual-blood input function (DBIF), and modified model with optimization-derived DBIF through a joint estimation framework. The three models were compared using Akaike information criterion (AIC), F test and histopathologic inflammation reference. The results showed that the optimization-derived DBIF model improved the fitting of liver time activity curves and achieved lower AIC values and higher F values than the SBIF and population-based DBIF models in all patients. The optimization-derived model significantly increased FDG K1 estimates by 101% and 27% as compared with traditional SBIF and population-based DBIF. K1 by the optimization-derived model was significantly associated with histopathologic grades of liver inflammation while the other two models did not provide a statistical significance. In conclusion, modeling of DBIF is critical for kinetic analysis of dynamic liver FDG-PET data in human studies. The optimization-derived DBIF model is more appropriate than SBIF and population-based DBIF for dynamic FDG-PET of liver inflammation. © 2018

Orienting attention in visual working memory requires central capacity: decreased retro-cue effects under dual-task conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Janczyk, Markus; Berryhill, Marian E

2014-04-01

The retro-cue effect (RCE) describes superior working memory performance for validly cued stimulus locations long after encoding has ended. Importantly, this happens with delays beyond the range of iconic memory. In general, the RCE is a stable phenomenon that emerges under varied stimulus configurations and timing parameters. We investigated its susceptibility to dual-task interference to determine the attentional requirements at the time point of cue onset and encoding. In Experiment 1, we compared single- with dual-task conditions. In Experiment 2, we borrowed from the psychological refractory period paradigm and compared conditions with high and low (dual-) task overlap. The secondary task was always binary tone discrimination requiring a manual response. Across both experiments, an RCE was found, but it was diminished in magnitude in the critical dual-task conditions. A previous study did not find evidence that sustained attention is required in the interval between cue offset and test. Our results apparently contradict these findings and point to a critical time period around cue onset and briefly thereafter during which attention is required.

CFT duals for extreme black holes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartman, Thomas; Strominger, Andrew; Murata, Keiju; Nishioka, Tatsuma

2009-01-01

It is argued that the general four-dimensional extremal Kerr-Newman-AdS-dS black hole is holographically dual to a (chiral half of a) two-dimensional CFT, generalizing an argument given recently for the special case of extremal Kerr. Specifically, the asymptotic symmetries of the near-horizon region of the general extremal black hole are shown to be generated by a Virasoro algebra. Semiclassical formulae are derived for the central charge and temperature of the dual CFT as functions of the cosmological constant, Newton's constant and the black hole charges and spin. We then show, assuming the Cardy formula, that the microscopic entropy of the dual CFT precisely reproduces the macroscopic Bekenstein-Hawking area law. This CFT description becomes singular in the extreme Reissner-Nordstrom limit where the black hole has no spin. At this point a second dual CFT description is proposed in which the global part of the U(1) gauge symmetry is promoted to a Virasoro algebra. This second description is also found to reproduce the area law. Various further generalizations including higher dimensions are discussed.

Validity of apparent diffusion coefficient hyperpolarized 3He-MRI using MSCT and pulmonary function tests as references

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diaz, Sandra; Casselbrant, Ingrid; Piitulainen, Eeva

2008-01-01

PURPOSE: To compare apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements from hyperpolarized (HP) helium ((3)He)-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with quantitative data from multislice Computed Tomography (CT) (MSCT) of the whole lungs and pulmonary function tests (PFT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty......-seven subjects, 22 with established emphysema and 5 with preclinical emphysema defined by PFT criteria, were examined with HP (3)He-MRI and MSCT. Mean age was 55 (+/-12) years, 18 female and 9 male. Mean ADC from (3)He-MRI was compared with emphysema index (EI), 15th percentile and mean lung density (MLD) values...... from MSCT. Both mean ADC and MSCT data were compared to PFT, especially percent of predicted diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (%predicted DLCO), using Pearson's correlation test. RESULTS: Mean ADC and standard deviation values were 0.392+/-0.119 cm(2)/s for the established emphysema group and 0...

Ultrasensitive colorimetric immunoassay for hCG detection based on dual catalysis of Au@Pt core-shell nanoparticle functionalized by horseradish peroxidase

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Weiguo; Zou, Yake; Yan, Jinwu; Liu, Jing; Chen, Huixiong; Li, Shan; Zhang, Lei

2018-03-01

In this paper, an ultrasensitive colorimetric biosensor for human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) detection was designed from bottom-up method based on the dual catalysis of the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and Au@Pt nanoparticles (NPs) relative to H2O2-TEM system. HRP and monoclonal mouse anti-hCG antibody (β-submit, mAb1) were co-immobilized onto the Au@Pt NP surface to improve catalytic efficiency and specificity, which formed a dual functionalized Au@Pt-HRP probe with the mean size of 42.8 nm (D50). The colorimetric immunoassay was developed for the hCG detection, and the Au@Pt-HRP probe featured a higher sensitivity in the concentration range of 0.4-12.8 IU L- 1 with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 IU L- 1 compared with the LODs of 0.8 IU L- 1 for BA-ELISA and of 2.0 IU L- 1 for Au@Pt, which indicated that the Au@Pt-HRP probe possessed higher catalytic efficiency with 2.8-fold increase over Au@Pt and 33.8-fold increase over HRP. Also, the Au@Pt-HRP probe exhibited good precision and reproducibility, high specificity and acceptable accuracy with CV being less than 15%. The dual functionalized Au@Pt-HRP probe as a type of signal amplified method was firstly applied in the colorimetric immunoassay for the hCG detection.

Thermal conductivity as influenced by the temperature and apparent viscosity of dairy products.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves, B J; Pereira, C G; Lago, A M T; Gonçalves, C S; Giarola, T M O; Abreu, L R; Resende, J V

2017-05-01

This study aimed to evaluate the rheological behavior and thermal conductivity of dairy products, composed of the same chemical components but with different formulations, as a function of temperature. Subsequently, thermal conductivity was related to the apparent viscosity of yogurt, fermented dairy beverage, and fermented milk. Thermal conductivity measures and rheological tests were performed at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25°C using linear probe heating and an oscillatory rheometer with concentric cylinder geometry, respectively. The results were compared with those calculated using the parallel, series, and Maxwell-Eucken models as a function of temperature, and the discrepancies in the results are discussed. Linear equations were fitted to evaluate the influence of temperature on the thermal conductivity of the dairy products. The rheological behavior, specifically apparent viscosity versus shear rate, was influenced by temperature. Herschel-Bulkley, power law, and Newton's law models were used to fit the experimental data. The Herschel-Bulkley model best described the adjustments for yogurt, the power law model did so for fermented dairy beverages, and Newton's law model did so for fermented milk and was then used to determine the rheological parameters. Fermented milk showed a Newtonian trend, whereas yogurt and fermented dairy beverage were shear thinning. Apparent viscosity was correlated with temperature by the Arrhenius equation. The formulation influenced the effective thermal conductivity. The relationship between the 2 properties was established by fixing the temperature and expressing conductivity as a function of apparent viscosity. Thermal conductivity increased with viscosity and decreased with increasing temperature. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Functional characterization of the dual allatostatin-A receptors in mosquitoes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christ, Peter; Hill, Sharon R.; Schachtner, Joachim

2018-01-01

, there are two copies of AstAR, contrasting with the single copy found in other insects. In this study, we identified and cloned the dual AstAR system of two important disease vectors Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus, and compared them with those previously described, including those in Anopheles...

Implementation and applications of dual-modality imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Hasegawa, Bruce H.; Barber, William C.; Funk, Tobias; Hwang, Andrew B.; Taylor, Carmen; Sun, Mingshan; Seo, Youngho

2004-06-01

In medical diagnosis, functional or physiological data can be acquired using radionuclide imaging with positron emission tomography or with single-photon emission computed tomography. However, anatomical or structural data can be acquired using X-ray computed tomography. In dual-modality imaging, both radionuclide and X-ray detectors are incorporated in an imaging system to allow both functional and structural data to be acquired in a single procedure without removing the patient from the imaging system. In a clinical setting, dual-modality imaging systems commonly are used to localize radiopharmaceutical uptake with respect to the patient's anatomy. This helps the clinician to differentiate disease from regions of normal radiopharmaceutical accumulation, to improve diagnosis or cancer staging, or to facilitate planning for radiation therapy or surgery. While initial applications of dual-modality imaging were developed for clinical imaging on humans, it now is recognized that these systems have potentially important applications for imaging small animals involved in experimental studies including basic investigations of mammalian biology and development of new pharmaceuticals for diagnosis or treatment of disease.

Dual-Function Metal-Organic Framework as a Versatile Catalyst for Detoxifying Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yangyang; Moon, Su-Young; Hupp, Joseph T; Farha, Omar K

2015-12-22

The nanocrystals of a porphyrin-based zirconium(IV) metal-organic framework (MOF) are used as a dual-function catalyst for the simultaneous detoxification of two chemical warfare agent simulants at room temperature. Simulants of nerve agent (such as GD, VX) and mustard gas, dimethyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphate and 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide, have been hydrolyzed and oxidized, respectively, to nontoxic products via a pair of pathways catalyzed by the same MOF. Phosphotriesterase-like activity of the Zr6-containing node combined with photoactivity of the porphyrin linker gives rise to a versatile MOF catalyst. In addition, bringing the MOF crystals down to the nanoregime leads to acceleration of the catalysis.

Functional outcome of Schatzker type V and VI tibial plateau fractures treated with dual plates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G Thiruvengita Prasad

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Dual plate fixation in comminuted bicondylar tibial plateau fractures remains controversial. Open reduction and internal fixation, specifically through compromised soft tissues, has historically been associated with major wound complications. Alternate methods of treatment have been described, each with its own merits and demerits. We performed a retrospective study to evaluate the functional outcome of lateral and medial plate fixation of Schatzker type V and VI fractures through an anterolateral approach, and a medial minimally invasive approach or a posteromedial approach. Materials and Methods: We treated 46 tibial plateau fractures Schatzker type V and VI with lateral and medial plates through an anterolateral approach and a medial minimal invasive approach over an 8 years period. Six patients were lost to followup. Radiographs in two planes were taken in all cases. Immediate postoperative radiographs were assessed for quality of reduction and fixation. The functional outcome was evaluated according to the Oxford Knee Score criteria on followup. Results: Forty patients (33 men and 7 women who completed the followup were included in the study. There were 20 Schatzker type V fractures and 20 Schatzker type VI fractures. The mean duration of followup was 4 years (range 1-8 years. All patients had a satisfactory articular reduction defined as ≤2 mm step-off or gap as assessed on followup. All patients had a good coronal and sagittal plane alignment, and articular width as assessed on supine X-rays of the knee in the anteroposterior (AP and lateral views. The functional outcome, as assessed by the Oxford Knee Score, was excellent in 30 patients and good in 10 patients. All patients returned to their pre-injury level of activity and employment. There were no instances of deep infection. Conclusions: Dual plate fixation of severe bicondylar tibial plateau fractures is an excellent treatment option as it provides rigid fixation and

Primal Recovery from Consensus-Based Dual Decomposition for Distributed Convex Optimization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Simonetto, A.; Jamali-Rad, H.

2015-01-01

Dual decomposition has been successfully employed in a variety of distributed convex optimization problems solved by a network of computing and communicating nodes. Often, when the cost function is separable but the constraints are coupled, the dual decomposition scheme involves local parallel

Spinors in self-dual Yang-Mills fields in minkowski space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pervushin, V.N.

1981-01-01

Yang-Mills theory with infrared divergences removed by spontaneous vacuum symmetry breaking is considered. The corresponding vacuum fields are self-dual and are defined in the Minkowski space. The complete set of solutions of Dirac equations with self-dual fields, depending on certain arbitrary function, is found. Physical observables (charge, energy, spin) for the spinor fields within the self-dual vacuum are calculated and a Hermitean Hamiltonian is obtained. The physical picture corresponds to a relativistic generalization of the hadron bag model [ru

Realization of synaptic learning and memory functions in Y2O3 based memristive device fabricated by dual ion beam sputtering

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Mangal; Kumar, Amitesh; Singh, Rohit; Than Htay, Myo; Mukherjee, Shaibal

2018-02-01

Single synaptic device with inherent learning and memory functions is demonstrated based on a forming-free amorphous Y2O3 (yttria) memristor fabricated by dual ion beam sputtering system. Synaptic functions such as nonlinear transmission characteristics, long-term plasticity, short-term plasticity and ‘learning behavior (LB)’ are achieved using a single synaptic device based on cost-effective metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure. An ‘LB’ function is demonstrated, for the first time in the literature, for a yttria based memristor, which bears a resemblance to certain memory functions of biological systems. The realization of key synaptic functions in a cost-effective MIS structure would promote much cheaper synapse for artificial neural network.

Large-scale, Lithography-free Production of Transparent Nanostructured Surface for Dual-functional Electrochemical and SERS Sensing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sanger, Kuldeep; Durucan, Onur; Wu, Kaiyu

2017-01-01

aspect ratios distributed homogeneously on a 4-inch fused silica wafer. The sensor was made up of three-electrode array, obtained by subsequent e-beam evaporation of Au on nanostructures in selected areas through a shadow mask. The SERS performance was evaluated through surface-averaged enhancement......-reversible behavior with decrease in peak potential separation (∆Ep ~90mV) and higher peak currents (Ipa/Ipc ~1), comparing to planar electrodes (∆Ep ~560mV). The oxidation potential of PAR was also lowered by ~80 mV on nanostructured electrodes. To illustrate dual-functional sensing, quantitative evaluation of PAR...

Tailoring electron energy distribution functions through energy confinement in dual radio-frequency driven atmospheric pressure plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Neill, C.; Waskoenig, J. [Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Maths and Physics, Queen' s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Gans, T. [Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Maths and Physics, Queen' s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, York YO10 5DD (United Kingdom)

2012-10-08

A multi-scale numerical model based on hydrodynamic equations with semi-kinetic treatment of electrons is used to investigate the influence of dual frequency excitation on the effective electron energy distribution function (EEDF) in a radio-frequency driven atmospheric pressure plasma. It is found that variations of power density, voltage ratio, and phase relationship provide separate control over the electron density and the mean electron energy. This is exploited to directly influence both the phase dependent and time averaged effective EEDF. This enables tailoring the EEDF for enhanced control of non-equilibrium plasma chemical kinetics at ambient pressure and temperature.

The influence of body composition assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry on functional capacity of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gualberto Ruas

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The individual with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD can experience a significant reduction of body composition, peripheral muscle dysfunction, resulting in a negative influence on functional capacity. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the influence of body composition assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry on functional capacity of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven male patients with COPD (COPDG, seven presenting moderate obstruction and four severe, and 11 sedentary male subjects (CG were evaluated by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry to assess their body composition. All subjects also performed the 6-minute walk test (6MWT and Step Test (6MST to assess their functional capacity. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between groups for anthropometric data such as age, weight, height and body mass index (BMI. However, the COPDG presented Forced Vital Capacity (FVC, Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio, Maximal Voluntary Ventilation (MVV, Walked Distance (WD and Number of Steps (NS significantly lower than the CG (p < 0.05, Student's t-test. The Body Bone Mass (BBM, BBM%, Lean Mass (LM, LM%, and Right Lower Limb (RLL and Left Lower Limb (LLL were significantly lower in the COPDG when compared with the CG, presenting statistically significant positive correlations with 6MWT's WD and 6MST's NS (p < 0.05, Pearson's test. CONCLUSION: We conclude that body composition is an important prognostic factor for patients with COPD, which reinforces the importance of assessing body composition by dual-energy absorptiometry since it has demonstrated with satisfactory accuracy in clinical practice. Moreover, it is a useful parameter for evaluation and reassessment in pulmonary rehabilitation programs.

Dual-Modality PET/Ultrasound imaging of the Prostate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huber, Jennifer S.; Moses, William W.; Pouliot, Jean; Hsu, I.C.

2005-11-11

Functional imaging with positron emission tomography (PET)will detect malignant tumors in the prostate and/or prostate bed, as well as possibly help determine tumor ''aggressiveness''. However, the relative uptake in a prostate tumor can be so great that few other anatomical landmarks are visible in a PET image. Ultrasound imaging with a transrectal probe provides anatomical detail in the prostate region that can be co-registered with the sensitive functional information from the PET imaging. Imaging the prostate with both PET and transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) will help determine the location of any cancer within the prostate region. This dual-modality imaging should help provide better detection and treatment of prostate cancer. LBNL has built a high performance positron emission tomograph optimized to image the prostate.Compared to a standard whole-body PET camera, our prostate-optimized PET camera has the same sensitivity and resolution, less backgrounds and lower cost. We plan to develop the hardware and software tools needed for a validated dual PET/TRUS prostate imaging system. We also plan to develop dual prostate imaging with PET and external transabdominal ultrasound, in case the TRUS system is too uncomfortable for some patients. We present the design and intended clinical uses for these dual imaging systems.

Dual-Modality PET/Ultrasound imaging of the Prostate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huber, Jennifer S.; Moses, William W.; Pouliot, Jean; Hsu, I.C.

2005-01-01

Functional imaging with positron emission tomography (PET)will detect malignant tumors in the prostate and/or prostate bed, as well as possibly help determine tumor ''aggressiveness''. However, the relative uptake in a prostate tumor can be so great that few other anatomical landmarks are visible in a PET image. Ultrasound imaging with a transrectal probe provides anatomical detail in the prostate region that can be co-registered with the sensitive functional information from the PET imaging. Imaging the prostate with both PET and transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) will help determine the location of any cancer within the prostate region. This dual-modality imaging should help provide better detection and treatment of prostate cancer. LBNL has built a high performance positron emission tomograph optimized to image the prostate.Compared to a standard whole-body PET camera, our prostate-optimized PET camera has the same sensitivity and resolution, less backgrounds and lower cost. We plan to develop the hardware and software tools needed for a validated dual PET/TRUS prostate imaging system. We also plan to develop dual prostate imaging with PET and external transabdominal ultrasound, in case the TRUS system is too uncomfortable for some patients. We present the design and intended clinical uses for these dual imaging systems

Apparent molar volumes and apparent molar heat capacities of aqueous lead nitrate at temperatures from 278.15 K to 393.15 K and at the pressure 0.35 MPa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, B.R.; Niederhauser, T.L.; Merkley, E.D.; Woolley, E.M.

2004-01-01

Apparent molar volumes V phi and apparent molar heat capacities C p,phi were determined for aqueous solutions of lead nitrate [Pb(NO 3 ) 2 ] at m=(0.02 to 0.5) mol · kg -1 , at T=(278.15 to 393.15) K, and at the pressure 0.35 MPa. Our V phi values were calculated from densities obtained using a vibrating-tube densimeter, and our C p,phi values were obtained using a twin fixed-cell, power-compensation, differential-output, temperature-scanning calorimeter. Our results were fitted to functions of m and T and compared with results from the literature

Myocardial perfusion imaging with dual energy CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Kwang Nam [Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Department of Radiology, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); De Cecco, Carlo N. [Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Caruso, Damiano [Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Pathology, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome (Italy); Tesche, Christian [Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Department of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Heart Center Munich-Bogenhausen, Munich (Germany); Spandorfer, Adam; Varga-Szemes, Akos [Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Schoepf, U. Joseph, E-mail: schoepf@musc.edu [Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States)

2016-10-15

Highlights: • Stress dual-energy sCTMPI offers the possibility to directly detect the presence of myocardial perfusion defects. • Stress dual-energy sCTMPI allows differentiating between reversible and fixed myocardial perfusion defects. • The combination of coronary CT angiography and dual-energy sCTMPI can improve the ability of CT to detect hemodynamically relevant coronary artery disease. - Abstract: Dual-energy CT (DECT) enables simultaneous use of two different tube voltages, thus different x-ray absorption characteristics are acquired in the same anatomic location with two different X-ray spectra. The various DECT techniques allow material decomposition and mapping of the iodine distribution within the myocardium. Static dual-energy myocardial perfusion imaging (sCTMPI) using pharmacological stress agents demonstrate myocardial ischemia by single snapshot images of myocardial iodine distribution. sCTMPI gives incremental values to coronary artery stenosis detected on coronary CT angiography (CCTA) by showing consequent reversible or fixed myocardial perfusion defects. The comprehensive acquisition of CCTA and sCTMPI offers extensive morphological and functional evaluation of coronary artery disease. Recent studies have revealed that dual-energy sCTMPI shows promising diagnostic accuracy for the detection of hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease compared to single-photon emission computed tomography, invasive coronary angiography, and cardiac MRI. The aim of this review is to present currently available DECT techniques for static myocardial perfusion imaging and recent clinical applications and ongoing investigations.

Dual-Function Electrocatalytic and Macroporous Hollow-Fiber Cathode for Converting Waste Streams to Valuable Resources Using Microbial Electrochemical Systems

KAUST Repository

Katuri, Krishna; Kalathil, Shafeer; Ragab, Ala'a; Bian, Bin; AlQahtani, Manal Faisal; Pant, Deepak; Saikaly, Pascal

2018-01-01

Dual-function electrocatalytic and macroporous hollow-fiber cathodes are recently proposed as promising advanced material for maximizing the conversion of waste streams such as wastewater and waste CO2 to valuable resources (e.g., clean freshwater, energy, value-added chemicals) in microbial electrochemical systems. The first part of this progress report reviews recent developments in this type of cathode architecture for the simultaneous recovery of clean freshwater and energy from wastewater. Critical insights are provided on suitable materials for fabricating these cathodes, as well as addressing some challenges in the fabrication process with proposed strategies to overcome them. The second and complementary part of the progress report highlights how the unique features of this cathode architecture can solve one of the intrinsic bottlenecks (gas-liquid mass transfer limitation) in the application of microbial electrochemical systems for CO2 reduction to value-added products. Strategies to further improve the availability of CO2 to microbial catalysts on the cathode are proposed. The importance of understanding microbe-cathode interactions, as well as electron transfer mechanisms at the cathode-cell and cell-cell interface to better design dual-function macroporous hollow-fiber cathodes, is critically discussed with insights on how the choice of material is important in facilitating direct electron transfer versus mediated electron transfer.

Dual-Function Electrocatalytic and Macroporous Hollow-Fiber Cathode for Converting Waste Streams to Valuable Resources Using Microbial Electrochemical Systems

KAUST Repository

Katuri, Krishna

2018-04-30

Dual-function electrocatalytic and macroporous hollow-fiber cathodes are recently proposed as promising advanced material for maximizing the conversion of waste streams such as wastewater and waste CO2 to valuable resources (e.g., clean freshwater, energy, value-added chemicals) in microbial electrochemical systems. The first part of this progress report reviews recent developments in this type of cathode architecture for the simultaneous recovery of clean freshwater and energy from wastewater. Critical insights are provided on suitable materials for fabricating these cathodes, as well as addressing some challenges in the fabrication process with proposed strategies to overcome them. The second and complementary part of the progress report highlights how the unique features of this cathode architecture can solve one of the intrinsic bottlenecks (gas-liquid mass transfer limitation) in the application of microbial electrochemical systems for CO2 reduction to value-added products. Strategies to further improve the availability of CO2 to microbial catalysts on the cathode are proposed. The importance of understanding microbe-cathode interactions, as well as electron transfer mechanisms at the cathode-cell and cell-cell interface to better design dual-function macroporous hollow-fiber cathodes, is critically discussed with insights on how the choice of material is important in facilitating direct electron transfer versus mediated electron transfer.

Explicit MDS Codes with Complementary Duals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beelen, Duals Peter; Jin, Lingfei

2018-01-01

In 1964, Massey introduced a class of codes with complementary duals which are called Linear Complimentary Dual (LCD for short) codes. He showed that LCD codes have applications in communication system, side-channel attack (SCA) and so on. LCD codes have been extensively studied in literature....... On the other hand, MDS codes form an optimal family of classical codes which have wide applications in both theory and practice. The main purpose of this paper is to give an explicit construction of several classes of LCD MDS codes, using tools from algebraic function fields. We exemplify this construction...

A Dual Power Law Distribution for the Stellar Initial Mass Function

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, Karl Heinz; Essex, Christopher; Basu, Shantanu; Prehl, Janett

2018-05-01

We introduce a new dual power law (DPL) probability distribution function for the mass distribution of stellar and substellar objects at birth, otherwise known as the initial mass function (IMF). The model contains both deterministic and stochastic elements, and provides a unified framework within which to view the formation of brown dwarfs and stars resulting from an accretion process that starts from extremely low mass seeds. It does not depend upon a top down scenario of collapsing (Jeans) masses or an initial lognormal or otherwise IMF-like distribution of seed masses. Like the modified lognormal power law (MLP) distribution, the DPL distribution has a power law at the high mass end, as a result of exponential growth of mass coupled with equally likely stopping of accretion at any time interval. Unlike the MLP, a power law decay also appears at the low mass end of the IMF. This feature is closely connected to the accretion stopping probability rising from an initially low value up to a high value. This might be associated with physical effects of ejections sometimes (i.e., rarely) stopping accretion at early times followed by outflow driven accretion stopping at later times, with the transition happening at a critical time (therefore mass). Comparing the DPL to empirical data, the critical mass is close to the substellar mass limit, suggesting that the onset of nuclear fusion plays an important role in the subsequent accretion history of a young stellar object.

The research progress of dual-modality probes for molecular imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Feng; Chen Yue

2010-01-01

Various imaging modalities have been exploited to investigate the anatomic or functional dissemination of tissues in the body. However, no single imaging modality allows overall structural, functional, and molecular information as each imaging modality has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. The combination of two imaging modalities that investigates the strengths of different methods might offer the prospect of improved diagnostic abilities. As more and more dual-modality imaging system have become clinically adopted, significant progress has been made toward the creation of dual-modality imaging probes, which can be used as novel tools for future multimodality systems. These all-in-one probes take full advantage of two different imaging modalities and could provide comprehensive information for clinical diagnostics. This review discusses the advantages and challenges in developing dual-modality imaging probes. (authors)

Calibration of the apparent temperature of silicon single crystals as a function of their true temperature and their thickness as determined by infrared measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smither, R.K.; Fernandez, P.B.

1993-09-01

Viewing the surface of objects subjected to high heat fluxes with an infrared camera or infrared sensor has proved to be a very effective method for monitoring the magnitude and distribution of surface temperature on the object. This approach has been quite useful in studies of cooling silicon crystals in monochromators subject to high heat loads. The main drawback to this method is that single crystals of silicon are partially transparent to the infrared radiation monitored in most infrared cameras. This means that the infrared radiation emitted from the surface contains a component that comes from the interior of the crystal and that the intensity of the emitted radiation and thus the apparent temperature of the surface of the crystal depends on the thickness of the crystal and the kind of coating on the back (and/or the front) of the crystal. The apparent temperature of the crystal increases as the crystal is made thicker. A series of experiments were performed at Argonne National Laboratory to calibrate the apparent surface temperature of the crystal as measured with an infrared camera as a function of the crystal thickness and the type of coating (if any) on the back side of the crystal. A good reflecting surface on the back side of the crystal increases the apparent temperature of the crystal and simulates the response of a crystal twice the thickness. These measurements make it possible to interpret the infrared signals from cooled silicon crystals used in past high heat load experiments. A number of examples are given for data taken in synchrotron experiments with high intensity x-ray beams

Apparently Ipsilateral Parkinsonism in a Patient with Chronic Subdural Hematoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tae Hwan Roh

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Symptomatic parkinsonism secondary to ipsilateral lesion is rarely reported. Although the contribution of the contralateral lesions was assumed in some cases, the pathomechanism remains undetermined. Herein we report a patient with a subdural hematoma, who developed parkinsonism in the ipsilateral hemibody. Structural and functional imaging suggests the contralateral dopaminergic dysfunction as the major culprit of apparently ipsilateral parkinsonism.

Remembering apparent behavior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wagoner, Brady

2011-01-01

The present experiment systematically investigates the role of narrative templates (Wertsch, 2002) in remembering. To stimulate the construction of a diversity of narratives I used Heider and Simmel’s (1944) celebrated “apparent behavior” film, in which geometric shapes moving around a screen...

Dual Causality and the Autonomy of Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Bock, Walter J

2017-03-01

Ernst Mayr's concept of dual causality in biology with the two forms of causes (proximate and ultimate) continues to provide an essential foundation for the philosophy of biology. They are equivalent to functional (=proximate) and evolutionary (=ultimate) causes with both required for full biological explanations. The natural sciences can be classified into nomological, historical nomological and historical dual causality, the last including only biology. Because evolutionary causality is unique to biology and must be included for all complete biological explanations, biology is autonomous from the physical sciences.

Dual isotope assays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, G.F.W.; Stevens, R.A.J.; Jacoby, B.

1980-01-01

Dual isotope assays for thyroid function are performed by carrying out a radio-immunoassay for two of thyroxine (T4), tri-iodothyronine (T3), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and thyroxine binding globulin (TBG), by a method wherein a version of one of the thyroid components, preferably T4 or T3 is labelled with Selenium-75 and the version of the other thyroid component is labelled with a different radionuclide, preferably Iodine-125. (author)

Simultaneous dual-functioning InGaN/GaN multiple-quantum-well diode for transferrable optoelectronics

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Zheng; Yuan, Jialei; Zhang, Shuai; Liu, Yuhuai; Wang, Yongjin

2017-10-01

We propose a wafer-level procedure for the fabrication of 1.5-mm-diameter dual functioning InGaN/GaN multiple-quantum-well (MQW) diodes on a GaN-on-silicon platform for transferrable optoelectronics. Nitride semiconductor materials are grown on (111) silicon substrates with intermediate Al-composition step-graded buffer layers, and membrane-type MQW-diode architectures are obtained by a combination of silicon removal and III-nitride film backside thinning. Suspended MQW-diodes are directly transferred from silicon to foreign substrates such as metal, glass and polyethylene terephthalate by mechanically breaking the support beams. The transferred MQW-diodes display strong electroluminescence under current injection and photodetection under light irradiation. Interestingly, they demonstrate a simultaneous light-emitting light-detecting function, endowing the 1.5-mm-diameter MQW-diode with the capability of producing transferrable optoelectronics for adjustable displays, wearable optical sensors, multifunctional energy harvesting, flexible light communication and monolithic photonic circuit.

Graft function assessment in mouse models of single- and dual- kidney transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lei; Wang, Ximing; Jiang, Shan; Wei, Jin; Buggs, Jacentha; Fu, Liying; Zhang, Jie; Liu, Ruisheng

2018-05-23

Animal models of kidney transplantation (KTX) are widely used in studying immune response of hosts to implanted grafts. Additionally, KTX can be used in generating kidney-specific knockout animal models by transplantation of kidneys from donors with global knockout of a gene to wild type recipients or vise verse. Dual kidney transplantation (DKT) provides a more physiological environment for recipients than single kidney transplantation (SKT). However, DKT in mice is rare due to technical challenges. In this study, we successfully performed DKT in mice and compared the hemodynamic response and graft function with SKT. The surgical time, complications and survival rate of DKT were not significantly different from SKT, where survival rates were above 85%. Mice with DKT showed less injury and quicker recovery with lower plasma creatinine (Pcr) and higher GFR than SKT mice (Pcr = 0.34 and 0.17 mg/dl in DKT vs. 0.50 and 0.36 mg/dl in SKT at 1 and 3 days, respectively; GFR = 215 and 131 µl/min for DKT and SKT, respectively). In addition, the DKT exhibited better renal functional reserve and long-term outcome of renal graft function than SKT based on the response to acute volume expansion. In conclusion, we have successfully generated a mouse DKT model. The hemodynamic responses of DKT better mimic physiological situations with less kidney injury and better recovery than SKT because of reduced confounding factors such as single nephron hyperfiltration. We anticipate DKT in mice will provide an additional tool for evaluation of renal significance in physiology and disease.

Walking and talking: an investigation of cognitive-motor dual tasking in multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, F; Rochester, L; Paul, L; Rafferty, D; O'Leary, C P; Evans, J J

2009-10-01

Deficits in motor functioning, including walking, and in cognitive functions, including attention, are known to be prevalent in multiple sclerosis (MS), though little attention has been paid to how impairments in these areas of functioning interact. This study investigated the effects of performing a concurrent cognitive task when walking in people with MS. Level of task demand was manipulated to investigate whether this affected level of dual-task decrement. Eighteen participants with MS and 18 healthy controls took part. Participants completed walking and cognitive tasks under single- and dual-task conditions. Compared to healthy controls, MS participants showed greater decrements in performance under dual-task conditions in cognitive task performance, walking speed and swing time variability. In the MS group, the degree of decrement under dual-task conditions was related to levels of fatigue, a measure of general cognitive functioning and self-reported everyday cognitive errors, but not to measures of disease severity or duration. Difficulty with walking and talking in MS may be a result of a divided attention deficit or of overloading of the working memory system, and further investigation is needed. We suggest that difficulty with walking and talking in MS may lead to practical problems in everyday life, including potentially increasing the risk of falls. Clinical tools to assess cognitive-motor dual-tasking ability are needed.

Glutathione regulation-based dual-functional upconversion sensing-platform for acetylcholinesterase activity and cadmium ions.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Aijin; Chen, Hongyu; Li, Haitao; Liu, Meiling; Zhang, Youyu; Yao, Shouzhuo

2017-01-15

A dual-functional platform for the sensing of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and cadmium ions (Cd 2+ ) was developed based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between NaYF 4 :Yb,Er upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) via glutathione regulation. The detection mechanism is based on the fact that AuNPs can quench the fluorescence of UCNPs. AChE catalyzes the hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine (ATC) into thiocholine which reacts with AuNPs by S-Au conjunction and results the aggregation of AuNPs and change in fluorescence of UCNPs. Therefore, the AChE activity can be detected through the changes of the color of solution and fluorescence recovery of UCNPs. However, the presence of glutathione (GSH) can protect AuNPs from aggregation and enlarge the inter-particle distance between AuNPs and UCNPs. When Cd 2+ is added into the stable mixture of AuNPs, GSH and AChE/ATC, Cd 2+ could interact with GSH to form a spherical shaped (GSH) 4 Cd complex, which decreases the free GSH on the surface of AuNPs to weaken the stability of AuNPs and lead to the easily aggregation of them in the system. The aggregated-AuNPs are released from the surface of UCNPs, which results in the fluorescence of UCNPs gradually recovered. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limits of AChE activity and Cd 2+ are estimated to be 0.015mU/mL and 0.2µM, respectively. The small molecules regulated dual-functional platform based on UCNPs/AuNPs is a simple, label-free method and can be applied for the turn-on fluorescence detection of AChE activity in human serum and Cd 2+ in real water samples. The present work demonstrates a general strategy for the design of small molecules regulated multifunctional platform and will be expanded for different areas in the future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new approach to the self-dual Yang-Mills equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takasaki, K.

1984-01-01

Inspired by Sato's new theory for soliton equations, we find a new approach to the self-dual Yang-Mills equations. We first establish a correspondence of solutions between the self-dual Yang-Mills equations and a new system of equations with infinitely many unknown functions. It then turns out that the latter equations can be easily solved by a simple explicit procedure. This leads to an explicit description of a very broad class of solutions to the self-dual Yang-Mills equations, and also to a construction of transformations acting on these solutions. (orig.)

Apparent-contact-angle model at partial wetting and evaporation: impact of surface forces.

Science.gov (United States)

Janeček, V; Nikolayev, V S

2013-01-01

This theoretical and numerical study deals with evaporation of a fluid wedge in contact with its pure vapor. The model describes a regime where the continuous wetting film is absent and the actual line of the triple gas-liquid-solid contact appears. A constant temperature higher than the saturation temperature is imposed at the solid substrate. The fluid flow is solved in the lubrication approximation. The introduction of the surface forces in the case of the partial wetting is discussed. The apparent contact angle (the gas-liquid interface slope far from the contact line) is studied numerically as a function of the substrate superheating, contact line velocity, and parameters related to the solid-fluid interaction (Young and microscopic contact angles, Hamaker constant, etc.). The dependence of the apparent contact angle on the substrate temperature is in agreement with existing approaches. For water, the apparent contact angle may be 20° larger than the Young contact angle for 1 K superheating. The effect of the surface forces on the apparent contact angle is found to be weak.

The flow behavior and constitutive equation in isothermal compression of FGH4096-GH4133B dual alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Yanhui; Yao, Zekun; Ning, Yongquan; Nan, Yang; Guo, Hongzhen; Qin, Chun; Shi, Zhifeng

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Hot compression behaviors of the FGH4096-GH4133B dual alloy were investigated. • Constitutive equation also represented deformation behavior of a dual alloy. • The effects of deformation activation energy on the microstructures were discussed. • Constitutive equation represented an accurate and precise estimate of flow stress. - Abstract: The electron beam welding of superalloy FGH4096 and GH4133B was conducted, and the cylindrical compression specimens were machined from the central part of the electron beam weldments. Isothermal compression tests were carried out on electron beam weldments FGH4096-GH4133B alloy at the temperatures of 1020–11140 °C (the nominal γ′-transus temperature is about 1080 °C) and the strain rates of 0.001–1.0 s −1 with the height reduction of 50%. True stress–true strain curves are sensitive to the deformation temperature and strain rate, and the flow stress decreases with the increasing deformation temperature and the decreasing strain rate. The true stress–true strain curves can indicate the intrinsic relationship between the flow stress and the thermal-dynamic behavior. The apparent activation energy of deformation at the strain of 0.6 was calculated to be 550 kJ/mol, and the apparent activation energy has a great effect on the microstructure. The constitutive equation that describes the flow stress as a function of strain rate and deformation temperature was proposed for modeling the hot deformation process of FGH4096-GH4133B electron beam weldments. The constitutive equation at the strain of 0.6 was established using the hyperbolic law. The relationship between the strain and the values of parameters was studied, and the cubic functions were built. The constitutive equation during the whole process can be obtained based on the parameters under different strains. Comparing the experimental flow stress and the calculated flow stress, the constitutive equation obtained in this paper can be very good

Preparation of self-cleaning surfaces with a dual functionality of superhydrophobicity and photocatalytic activity

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Eun Ji; Yoon, Hye Soo; Kim, Dae Han; Kim, Yong Ho; Kim, Young Dok

2014-11-01

Thin film of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was deposited on SiO2 nanoparticles by chemical vapor deposition, and SiO2 became completely hydrophobic after PDMS coating. Mixtures of TiO2 and PDMS-coated SiO2 nanoparticles with various relative ratios were prepared, and distributed on glass surfaces, and water contact angles and photocatalytic activities of these surfaces were studied. Samples consisting of TiO2 and PDMS-coated SiO2 with a ratio of 7:3 showed a highly stable superhydrophobicity under UV irradiation with a water contact angle of 165° and UV-driven photocatalytic activity for decomposition of methylene blue and phenol in aqueous solution. Our process can be exploited for fabricating self-cleaning surfaces with dual functionality of superhydrophobicity and photocatalytic activity at the same time.

Apparent heat capacity measurements and thermodynamic functions of D(−)-fructose by standard and temperature-modulated calorimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magoń, A.; Pyda, M.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Experimental, apparent heat capacity of fructose was investigated by advanced thermal analysis. ► Equilibrium melting parameters of fructose were determined. ► Decomposition, superheating of crystalline fructose during melting process were presented. ► TGA, DSC, and TMDSC are useful tools for characterisation of fructose. - Abstract: The qualitative and quantitative thermal analyses of crystalline and amorphous D(−)-fructose were studied utilising methods of standard differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), quasi-isothermal temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (quasi-isothermal TMDSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Advanced thermal analysis of fructose was performed based on heat capacity. The apparent total and apparent reversing heat capacities, as well as phase transition parameters were examined on heating and cooling. The melting temperature, T m , of crystalline D(−)-fructose shows a heating rate dependency, which increases with raising the heating rate and leads to superheating. The equilibrium melting temperatures: T m ∘ (onset) = 370 K and T m ∘ (peak) = 372 K, and the equilibrium enthalpy of fusion Δ fus H ° = 30.30 kJ · mol −1 , of crystalline D(−)-fructose were estimated on heating for the results at zero heating rate. Anomalies in the heat capacity in the liquid state of D(−)-fructose, assigned as possible tautomerisation equilibrium, were analysed by DSC and quasi-isothermal TMDSC, both on heating and cooling. Thermal stability of crystals in the region of the melting temperature was examined by TGA and quasi-isothermal TMDSC. Melting, mutarotation, and degradation processes occur simultaneously and there are differences in values of the liquid heat capacity of D(−)-fructose with varied thermal history, measured by quasi-isothermal TMDSC. Annealing of amorphous D(−)-fructose between the glass transition temperature, T g , and the melting temperature, T m , also leads to

Longitudinal effects of bilingualism on dual-tasking.

Science.gov (United States)

Sörman, Daniel Eriksson; Josefsson, Maria; Marsh, John E; Hansson, Patrik; Ljungberg, Jessica K

2017-01-01

An ongoing debate surrounds whether bilinguals outperform monolinguals in tests of executive processing. The aim of this study was to investigate if there are long-term (10 year) bilingual advantages in executive processing, as indexed by dual-task performance, in a sample that were 40-65 years at baseline. The bilingual (n = 24) and monolingual (n = 24) participants were matched on age, sex, education, fluid intelligence, and study sample. Participants performed free-recall for a 12-item list in three dual-task settings wherein they sorted cards either during encoding, retrieval, or during both encoding and retrieval of the word-list. Free recall without card sorting was used as a reference to compute dual-task costs. The results showed that bilinguals significantly outperformed monolinguals when they performed card-sorting during both encoding and retrieval of the word-list, the condition that presumably placed the highest demands on executive functioning. However, dual-task costs increased over time for bilinguals relative to monolinguals, a finding that is possibly influenced by retirement age and limited use of second language in the bilingual group.

High-temperature expansion along the self-dual line of three-dimensional Z(2) spin-gauge theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhanot, G.

1981-01-01

We exploit the self-duality of the three-dimensional Ising spin-gauge theory to develop an eighth-order high-temperature expansion for the partition function along the self-dual line. This generates a high-temperature series for the gauge-invariant, nearest-neighbor spin-spin correlation function. A Pade analysis of this series reveals a pole along the self-dual line. Recent Monte Carlo simulations indicate that this theory has a first-order self-dual line emerging from a triple point. We interpret the Pade pole as a theoretical estimate of the end point of this self-dual line

Dual-Function Au@Y2O3:Eu3+ Smart Film for Enhanced Power Conversion Efficiency and Long-Term Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Chang Woo; Eom, Tae Young; Yang, In Seok; Kim, Byung Su; Lee, Wan In; Kang, Yong Soo; Kang, Young Soo

2017-07-28

In the present study, a dual-functional smart film combining the effects of wavelength conversion and amplification of the converted wave by the localized surface plasmon resonance has been investigated for a perovskite solar cell. This dual-functional film, composed of Au nanoparticles coated on the surface of Y 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ phosphor (Au@Y 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ ) nanoparticle monolayer, enhances the solar energy conversion efficiency to electrical energy and long-term stability of photovoltaic cells. Coupling between the Y 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ phosphor monolayer and ultraviolet solar light induces the latter to be converted into visible light with a quantum yield above 80%. Concurrently, the Au nanoparticle monolayer on the phosphor nanoparticle monolayer amplifies the converted visible light by up to 170%. This synergy leads to an increased solar light energy conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells. Simultaneously, the dual-function film suppresses the photodegradation of perovskite by UV light, resulting in long-term stability. Introducing the hybrid smart Au@Y 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ film in perovskite solar cells increases their overall solar-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency to 16.1% and enhances long-term stability, as compared to the value of 15.2% for standard perovskite solar cells. The synergism between the wavelength conversion effect of the phosphor nanoparticle monolayer and the wave amplification by the localized surface plasmon resonance of the Au nanoparticle monolayer in a perovskite solar cell is comparatively investigated, providing a viable strategy of broadening the solar spectrum utilization.

Self-dual Skyrmions on the spheres S2 N +1

Science.gov (United States)

Amari, Y.; Ferreira, L. A.

2018-04-01

We construct self-dual sectors for scalar field theories on a (2 N +2 )-dimensional Minkowski space-time with the target space being the 2 N +1 -dimensional sphere S2 N +1. The construction of such self-dual sectors is made possible by the introduction of an extra functional in the action that renders the static energy and the self-duality equations conformally invariant on the (2 N +1 )-dimensional spatial submanifold. The conformal and target-space symmetries are used to build an ansatz that leads to an infinite number of exact self-dual solutions with arbitrary values of the topological charge. The five-dimensional case is discussed in detail, where it is shown that two types of theories admit self-dual sectors. Our work generalizes the known results in the three-dimensional case that lead to an infinite set of self-dual Skyrmion solutions.

Optimizing detector thickness in dual-shot dual-energy x-ray imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Dong Woon; Kam, Soohwa; Youn, Hanbean; Kim, Ho Kyung [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

As a result, there exist apparent limitations in the conventional two-dimensional (2D) radiography: One is that the contrast between the structure of interest and the background in a radiograph is much less than the intrinsic subject contrast (i.e. the difference between their attenuation coefficients; Another is that the superimposed anatomical structures in the 2D radiograph results in an anatomical background clutter that may decrease the conspicuity of subtle underlying features. These limitations in spatial and material discrimination are important motivations for the recent development of 3D (e.g. tomosynthesis) and dual energy imaging (DEI) systems. DEI technique uses a combination of two images obtained at two different energies in successive x-ray exposures by rapidly switching the kilovolage (kV) applied to the x-ray tube. Commercial DEI systems usually employ a 'single' of flat-panel detector (FPD) to obtain two different kV images. However, we have a doubt in the use of the same detector for acquiring two different projections for the low- and high-kV setups because it is typically known that there exists an optimal detector thickness regarding specific imaging tasks or energies used.

Dual functional cholinesterase and MAO inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: synthesis, pharmacological analysis and molecular modeling of homoisoflavonoid derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yali; Sun, Yang; Guo, Yueyan; Wang, Zechen; Huang, Ling; Li, Xingshu

2016-01-01

Because of the complexity of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the multi-target-directed ligand (MTDL) strategy is expected to provide superior effects for the treatment of AD, instead of the classic one-drug-one-target strategy. In this context, we focused on the design, synthesis and evaluation of homoisoflavonoid derivatives as dual acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO-B) inhibitors. Among all the synthesized compounds, compound 10 provided a desired balance of AChE and hMAO-B inhibition activities, with IC50 value of 3.94 and 3.44 μM, respectively. Further studies revealed that compound 10 was a mixed-type inhibitor of AChE and an irreversible inhibitor of hMAO-B, which was also confirmed by molecular modeling studies. Taken together, the data indicated that 10 was a promising dual functional agent for the treatment of AD.

A novel dual-functional MEMS sensor integrating both pressure and temperature units

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen Tao; Zhang Zhaohua; Ren Tianling; Miao Gujin; Zhou Changjian; Lin Huiwang; Liu Litian, E-mail: RenTL@tsinghua.edu.c [National Laboratory for Information Science and Technology, Institute of Microelectronics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2010-07-15

This paper proposes a novel miniature dual-functional sensor integrating both pressure and temperature sensitive units on a single chip. The device wafer of SOI is used as a pizeoresistive diaphragm which features excellent consistency in thickness. The conventional anisotropic wet etching has been abandoned, while ICP etching has been employed to etch out the reference cave to minimize the area of individual device in the way that the 57.4{sup 0} slope has been eliminated. As a result, the average cost of the single chip is reduced. Two PN junctions with constant ratio of the areas of depletion regions have also been integrated on the same chip to serve as a temperature sensor, and each PN junction shows high linearity over -40 to 100 {sup 0}C and low power consumption. The iron implanting process for PN junction is exactly compatible with the piezoresistor, with no additional expenditure. The pressure sensitivity is 86 mV/MPa, while temperature sensitivity is 1.43 mV/{sup 0}C, both complying with the design objective.

A novel dual-functional MEMS sensor integrating both pressure and temperature units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Tao; Zhang Zhaohua; Ren Tianling; Miao Gujin; Zhou Changjian; Lin Huiwang; Liu Litian

2010-01-01

This paper proposes a novel miniature dual-functional sensor integrating both pressure and temperature sensitive units on a single chip. The device wafer of SOI is used as a pizeoresistive diaphragm which features excellent consistency in thickness. The conventional anisotropic wet etching has been abandoned, while ICP etching has been employed to etch out the reference cave to minimize the area of individual device in the way that the 57.4 0 slope has been eliminated. As a result, the average cost of the single chip is reduced. Two PN junctions with constant ratio of the areas of depletion regions have also been integrated on the same chip to serve as a temperature sensor, and each PN junction shows high linearity over -40 to 100 0 C and low power consumption. The iron implanting process for PN junction is exactly compatible with the piezoresistor, with no additional expenditure. The pressure sensitivity is 86 mV/MPa, while temperature sensitivity is 1.43 mV/ 0 C, both complying with the design objective.

Performance Investigation and Structure Optimization of a Flat Dual-Function Solar Collector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinwei Ma

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The performance of a dual-function solar collector (DFSC that can work as either water heater or air heater depending on seasonal requirement is investigated via both experimental and numerical approaches in this paper. The numerical results are well consistent with the experimental results. Daily efficiency of the thermosiphon system with DFSC is more than 55% in water heating mode and the instantaneous air heating efficiency of the collector reaches 60%. The effects of inner parameters on the thermal efficiency of the collector are analyzed by numerical simulations of the operation of DFSC in two working modes. It is found that the depths of the two air channels in DFSC have an optimal range suitable for both working modes. The thickness of back insulation should be no less than 0.06 m to prevent heat loss via backboard, and the diameter and number of copper tubes show notable effect on the efficiency of DFSC in water heating mode but slight effect in air heating mode.

Self-dual Hopf quivers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Hualin; Li Libin; Ye Yu

2004-07-01

We study pointed graded self-dual Hopf algebras with a help of the dual Gabriel theorem for pointed Hopf algebras. Quivers of such Hopf algebras are said to be self-dual. An explicit classification of self-dual Hopf quivers is obtained. We also prove that finite dimensional coradically graded pointed self-dual Hopf algebras are generated by group-like and skew-primitive elements as associative algebras. This partially justifies a conjecture of Andruskiewitsch and Schneider and may help to classify finite dimensional self-dual pointed Hopf algebras

Brain Activations for Vestibular Stimulation and Dual Tasking Change with Spaceflight

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Peng; Koppelmans, Vincent; Reuter-Lorenz, Patricia; De Dios, Yiri; Gadd, Nichole; Wood, Scott; Riascos, Roy; Kofman, Igor; Bloomberg, Jacob; Mulavara, Ajitkumar;

Dual-modality imaging with a ultrasound-gamma device for oncology

Science.gov (United States)

Polito, C.; Pellegrini, R.; Cinti, M. N.; De Vincentis, G.; Lo Meo, S.; Fabbri, A.; Bennati, P.; Cencelli, V. Orsolini; Pani, R.

2018-06-01

Recently, dual-modality systems have been developed, aimed to correlate anatomical and functional information, improving disease localization and helping oncological or surgical treatments. Moreover, due to the growing interest in handheld detectors for preclinical trials or small animal imaging, in this work a new dual modality integrated device, based on a Ultrasounds probe and a small Field of View Single Photon Emission gamma camera, is proposed.

Silicon photonic integrated circuit swept-source optical coherence tomography receiver with dual polarization, dual balanced, in-phase and quadrature detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhao; Lee, Hsiang-Chieh; Vermeulen, Diedrik; Chen, Long; Nielsen, Torben; Park, Seo Yeon; Ghaemi, Allan; Swanson, Eric; Doerr, Chris; Fujimoto, James

2015-07-01

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a widely used three-dimensional (3D) optical imaging method with many biomedical and non-medical applications. Miniaturization, cost reduction, and increased functionality of OCT systems will be critical for future emerging clinical applications. We present a silicon photonic integrated circuit swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) coherent receiver with dual polarization, dual balanced, in-phase and quadrature (IQ) detection. We demonstrate multiple functional capabilities of IQ polarization resolved detection including: complex-conjugate suppressed full-range OCT, polarization diversity detection, and polarization-sensitive OCT. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a silicon photonic integrated receiver for OCT. The integrated coherent receiver provides a miniaturized, low-cost solution for SS-OCT, and is also a key step towards a fully integrated high speed SS-OCT system with good performance and multi-functional capabilities. With further performance improvement and cost reduction, photonic integrated technology promises to greatly increase penetration of OCT systems in existing applications and enable new applications.

Dual Youla parameterization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Niemann, Hans Henrik

2003-01-01

A different aspect of using the parameterisation of all systems stabilised by a given controller, i.e. the dual Youla parameterisation, is considered. The relation between system change and the dual Youla parameter is derived in explicit form. A number of standard uncertain model descriptions...... are considered and the relation with the dual Youla parameter given. Some applications of the dual Youla parameterisation are considered in connection with the design of controllers and model/performance validation....

Ghost free dual vector theories in 2+1 dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dalmazi, Denis

2006-01-01

We explore here the issue of duality versus spectrum equivalence in dual theories generated through the master action approach. Specifically we examine a generalized self-dual (GSD) model where a Maxwell term is added to the self-dual model. A gauge embedding procedure applied to the GSD model leads to a Maxwell-Chern-Simons (MCS) theory with higher derivatives. We show here that the latter contains a ghost mode contrary to the original GSD model. By figuring out the origin of the ghost we are able to suggest a new master action which interpolates between the local GSD model and a nonlocal MCS model. Those models share the same spectrum and are ghost free. Furthermore, there is a dual map between both theories at classical level which survives quantum correlation functions up to contact terms. The remarks made here may be relevant for other applications of the master action approach

Persistency and flexibility of complex brain networks underlie dual-task interference.

Science.gov (United States)

Alavash, Mohsen; Hilgetag, Claus C; Thiel, Christiane M; Gießing, Carsten

2015-09-01

Previous studies on multitasking suggest that performance decline during concurrent task processing arises from interfering brain modules. Here, we used graph-theoretical network analysis to define functional brain modules and relate the modular organization of complex brain networks to behavioral dual-task costs. Based on resting-state and task fMRI we explored two organizational aspects potentially associated with behavioral interference when human subjects performed a visuospatial and speech task simultaneously: the topological overlap between persistent single-task modules, and the flexibility of single-task modules in adaptation to the dual-task condition. Participants showed a significant decline in visuospatial accuracy in the dual-task compared with single visuospatial task. Global analysis of topological similarity between modules revealed that the overlap between single-task modules significantly correlated with the decline in visuospatial accuracy. Subjects with larger overlap between single-task modules showed higher behavioral interference. Furthermore, lower flexible reconfiguration of single-task modules in adaptation to the dual-task condition significantly correlated with larger decline in visuospatial accuracy. Subjects with lower modular flexibility showed higher behavioral interference. At the regional level, higher overlap between single-task modules and less modular flexibility in the somatomotor cortex positively correlated with the decline in visuospatial accuracy. Additionally, higher modular flexibility in cingulate and frontal control areas and lower flexibility in right-lateralized nodes comprising the middle occipital and superior temporal gyri supported dual-tasking. Our results suggest that persistency and flexibility of brain modules are important determinants of dual-task costs. We conclude that efficient dual-tasking benefits from a specific balance between flexibility and rigidity of functional brain modules. © 2015 Wiley

One-Pot Fabrication of Antireflective/Antibacterial Dual-Function Ag NP-Containing Mesoporous Silica Thin Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kaikai; He, Junhui

2018-04-04

Thin films that integrate antireflective and antibacterial dual functions are not only scientifically interesting but also highly desired in many practical applications. Unfortunately, very few studies have been devoted to the preparation of thin films with both antireflective and antibacterial properties. In this study, mesoporous silica (MSiO 2 ) thin films with uniformly dispersed Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were prepared through a one-pot process, which simultaneously shows high transmittance, excellent antibacterial activity, and mechanical robustness. The optimal thin-film-coated glass substrate demonstrates a maximum transmittance of 98.8% and an average transmittance of 97.1%, respectively, in the spectral range of 400-800 nm. The growth and multiplication of typical bacteria, Escherichia coli ( E. coli), were effectively inhibited on the coated glass. Pencil hardness test, tape adhesion test, and sponge washing test showed favorable mechanical robustness with 5H pencil hardness, 5A grade adhesion, and functional durability of the coating, which promises great potential for applications in various touch screens, windows for hygiene environments, and optical apparatuses for medical uses such as endoscope, and so on.

Dual Smarandache Curves of a Timelike Curve lying on Unit dual Lorentzian Sphere

OpenAIRE

Kahraman, Tanju; Hüseyin Ugurlu, Hasan

2016-01-01

In this paper, we give Darboux approximation for dual Smarandache curves of time like curve on unit dual Lorentzian sphere. Firstly, we define the four types of dual Smarandache curves of a timelike curve lying on dual Lorentzian sphere.

Spherical anatase TiO2 covered with nanospindles as dual functional scatters for dye-sensitized solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xue, Xiaopan; Tian, Jianhua; Liao, Wenming; Shan, Zhongqiang

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Spherical anatase TiO 2 covered with nanospindles (SNS) were employed in DSSCs. • SNS possess the dual functions of light scattering and high dye loading. • SNS were fabricated through a facile hydrothermal treatment of the precursors. • Precursors were synthesized by controlled hydrolysis of TBT after being diluted. • The cells based on SNS-18/P25 photoanode exhibited advanced performance. - Abstract: Spherical anatase TiO 2 covered with nanospindles (SNS) were fabricated through a facile hydrothermal treatment of precursors in the presence of ammonia. The precursors were synthesized by controlling hydrolysis rate of TBT (tetrabutyl titanate) in ethanol. Organic structure directing agents and toxic reagents were avoided in the two–step process. By scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), it is confirmed that the morphology and structure of the products can be controlled by adjusting hydrothermal treatment conditions. Time dependent trails revealed the growth mechanism of SNS, which indicating that ammonia can not only retard the dissolution of precursors but also make TiO 2 grow selectively along the direction. Furthermore, photocurrent-potential (I-V) curves show that the solar cells fabricated with the SNS collected after 18 h hydrothermal treatment (SNS-18) exhibit the highest solar energy conversion efficiency. The efficiency is improved by 24.5% compared with that of the cells fabricated with pure P25. Based on the UV-Vis spectrum, nitrogen sorption and IPCE analysis, the improved performance can be attributed to the enhanced scattering and increased active sites for dye loading. Therefore, the dual functions of light scattering and many active sites for dye loading make SNS superior candidates for DSSCs

Potassium-Based Dual Ion Battery with Dual-Graphite Electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Ling; Liu, Qian; Chen, Suhua; Lin, Kairui; Xu, Zhi; Lu, Bingan

2017-08-01

A potassium ion battery has potential applications for large scale electric energy storage systems due to the abundance and low cost of potassium resources. Dual graphite batteries, with graphite as both anode and cathode, eliminate the use of transition metal compounds and greatly lower the overall cost. Herein, combining the merits of the potassium ion battery and dual graphite battery, a potassium-based dual ion battery with dual-graphite electrode is developed. It delivers a reversible capacity of 62 mA h g -1 and medium discharge voltage of ≈3.96 V. The intercalation/deintercalation mechanism of K + and PF 6 - into/from graphite is proposed and discussed in detail, with various characterizations to support. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Conceptual design and testing strategy of a dual functional lithium-lead test blanket module in ITER and EAST

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Y.

2007-01-01

A dual functional lithium-lead (DFLL) test blanket module (TBM) concept has been proposed for testing in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) in China to demonstrate the technologies of the liquid lithium-lead breeder blankets with emphasis on the balance between the risks and the potential attractiveness of blanket technology development. The design of DFLL-TBM concept has the flexibility of testing both the helium-cooled quasi-static lithium-lead (SLL) blanket concept and the He/PbLi dual-cooled lithium-lead (DLL) blanket concept. This paper presents an effective testing strategy proposed to achieve the testing target of SLL and DLL DEMO blankets relevant conditions, which includes three parts: materials R and D and small-scale out-of-pile mockups testing in loops, middle-scale TBMs pre-testing in EAST and full-scale consecutive TBMs testing corresponding to different operation phases of ITER during the first 10 years. The design of the DFLL-TBM concept and the testing strategy ability to test TBMs for both blanket concepts in sequence and or in parallel for both ITER and EAST are discussed

Development of design technology for dual-cooled fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyung Kyu; Yoon, Kyung Ho; Lee, Young Ho

2010-03-01

Primary purpose of the project is to complete a basic design of the power uprating dual-cooled fuel's structural components for an actual use in the existing nuclear power plants. It also includes a basic design of the components of a dual-cooled fuel rod. To this end, during the three years of the first stage (2007.03.∼2010.02.), concepts and technical issues of the structural components such as a supporting structure, guide thimbles and instrumentation tube and the top and bottom end pieces were derived in order to comply with the functional requirements and design criteria of them. Basic design was carried out to resolve the issues by using analytical methods as well as experiments, and observed finally is that a structural compatibility of the designed dual-cooled fuel to the Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plant (OPR-1000). As for the dual-cooled fuel rod's components such as a plenum spring, a spacer and end plugs, a concept of them was established by using the basic dimension and array produced by other sub-projects. In turn, the basic design was completed by using the finite element analysis and conventional mechanical design formulae. Additionally, a welding method and equipment for a dual-cooled fuel rod specimen was also successfully developed to prepare for the irradiation tests at the HANARO. It was shown that a dual-cooed fuel for the OPR-1000 can be designed after manufacturing the partial assembly with the designed components and their drawings. The first stage was completed with passing the Gate checks proposed at the beginning. During the second stage(2010.03.∼2012.02.), researches on the mechanical behavior and structural integrity of the designed dual-cooled fuel will be conducted for preparing a license of it, which should be done when the dual-cooled fuel is commercialized

Evaluation of the crude oil viscosity variation in function of the demulsifiers addition; Avaliacao da variacao da viscosidade de oleo cru em funcao da adicao de desemulsificante

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopes, Jansen M.; Lucas, Elisabete F. [Universidade Federal, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Inst. de Macromoleculas]. E-mail: elucas@ima.ufrj.br; Neves, Guilherme B.M. [COMAB Especialidades Quimicas Ltda., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)]. E-mail: tecnico@comabrio.com

2003-07-01

One way of improving well production is the addition of demulsifier already in the gas lift. This is due to the apparent viscosity of water-in-oil emulsions being higher than apparent viscosity of crude oil, which in turn is higher than the apparent viscosity of an water-in-oil dual phase admixture and is also higher than the apparent viscosity of an oil-in-water emulsion. However, there are some situations where, in order to obtain separate flows of oil and water phases, demulsifier should be added in specific amounts in order to promote the desired phase separation. In heavy oils water and oil phase separation may be hard to obtain, however, the right demulsifier amount may imply in a considerable decrease in petroleum viscosity even without the appearance of two phases, making the flow easier. This work has evaluated the viscosity of a heavy crude having API degree 14 and BSW 52%, as a function of the addition of different amounts of DEMTROL BR 67, manufactured by Dow Quimica/Comab, Brazil, as demulsifier. (author)

Holographic duals of 3d S-fold CFTs

Science.gov (United States)

Assel, Benjamin; Tomasiello, Alessandro

2018-06-01

We construct non-geometric AdS4 solutions of IIB string theory where the fields in overlapping patches are glued by elements of the S-duality group. We obtain them by suitable quotients of compact and non-compact geometric solutions. The quotient procedure suggests CFT duals as quiver theories with links involving the so-called T [U( N)] theory. We test the validity of the non-geometric solutions (and of our proposed holographic duality) by computing the three-sphere partition function Z of the CFTs. A first class of solutions is obtained by an S-duality quotient of Janus-type non-compact solutions and is dual to 3d N=4 SCFTs; for these we manage to compute Z of the dual CFT at finite N, and it agrees perfectly with the supergravity result in the large N limit. A second class has five-branes, it is obtained by a Möbius-like S-quotient of ordinary compact solutions and is dual to 3d N=3 SCFTs. For these, Z agrees with the supergravity result if one chooses the limit carefully so that the effect of the fivebranes does not backreact on the entire geometry. Other limits suggest the existence of IIA duals.

Primal and dual dynamic Luenberger productivity indicators

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oude Lansink, A.G.J.M.; Stefanou, S.E.; Serra, T.

2015-01-01

This paper develops primal and dual versions of the dynamic Luenberger productivity growth measures that are based on the dynamic directional distance function and intertemporal cost minimization, respectively. The empirical application focuses on panel data of Dutch dairy farms over the period

Space Shuttle Program (SSP) Dual Docked Operations (DDO)

Science.gov (United States)

Sills, Joel W., Jr.; Bruno, Erica E.

2016-01-01

This document describes the concept definition, studies, and analysis results generated by the Space Shuttle Program (SSP), International Space Station (ISS) Program (ISSP), and Mission Operations Directorate for implementing Dual Docked Operations (DDO) during mated Orbiter/ISS missions. This work was performed over a number of years. Due to the ever increasing visiting vehicle traffic to and from the ISS, it became apparent to both the ISSP and the SSP that there would arise occasions where conflicts between a visiting vehicle docking and/or undocking could overlap with a planned Space Shuttle launch and/or during docked operations. This potential conflict provided the genesis for evaluating risk mitigations to gain maximum flexibility for managing potential visiting vehicle traffic to and from the ISS and to maximize launch and landing opportunities for all visiting vehicles.

Characterization of cognitive and motor performance during dual-tasking in healthy older adults and patients with Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Wild, Lucia Bartmann; de Lima, Daiane Borba; Balardin, Joana Bisol; Rizzi, Luana; Giacobbo, Bruno Lima; Oliveira, Henrique Bianchi; de Lima Argimon, Irani Iracema; Peyré-Tartaruga, Leonardo Alexandre; Rieder, Carlos R M; Bromberg, Elke

2013-02-01

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of dual-tasking on cognitive performance and gait parameters in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) without dementia. The impact of cognitive task complexity on cognition and walking was also examined. Eighteen patients with PD (ages 53-88, 10 women; Hoehn and Yahr stage I-II) and 18 older adults (ages 61-84; 10 women) completed two neuropsychological measures of executive function/attention (the Stroop Test and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test). Cognitive performance and gait parameters related to functional mobility of stride were measured under single (cognitive task only) and dual-task (cognitive task during walking) conditions with different levels of difficulty and different types of stimuli. In addition, dual-task cognitive costs were calculated. Although cognitive performance showed no significant difference between controls and PD patients during single or dual-tasking conditions, only the patients had a decrease in cognitive performance during walking. Gait parameters of patients differed significantly from controls at single and dual-task conditions, indicating that patients gave priority to gait while cognitive performance suffered. Dual-task cognitive costs of patients increased with task complexity, reaching significantly higher values then controls in the arithmetic task, which was correlated with scores on executive function/attention (Stroop Color-Word Page). Baseline motor functioning and task executive/attentional load affect the performance of cognitive tasks of PD patients while walking. These findings provide insight into the functional strategies used by PD patients in the initial phases of the disease to manage dual-task interference.

Attention and apparent motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Horowitz, T; Treisman, A

1994-01-01

Two dissociations between short- and long-range motion in visual search are reported. Previous research has shown parallel processing for short-range motion and apparently serial processing for long-range motion. This finding has been replicated and it has also been found that search for short-range targets can be impaired both by using bicontrast stimuli, and by prior adaptation to the target direction of motion. Neither factor impaired search in long-range motion displays. Adaptation actually facilitated search with long-range displays, which is attributed to response-level effects. A feature-integration account of apparent motion is proposed. In this theory, short-range motion depends on specialized motion feature detectors operating in parallel across the display, but subject to selective adaptation, whereas attention is needed to link successive elements when they appear at greater separations, or across opposite contrasts.

The space-time operator product expansion in string theory duals of field theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aharony, Ofer; Komargodski, Zohar

2008-01-01

We study the operator product expansion (OPE) limit of correlation functions in field theories which possess string theory duals, from the point of view of the string worldsheet. We show how the interesting ('single-trace') terms in the OPE of the field theory arise in this limit from the OPE of the worldsheet theory of the string dual, using a dominant saddle point which appears in computations of worldsheet correlation functions in the space-time OPE limit. The worldsheet OPE generically contains only non-physical operators, but all the non-physical contributions are resummed by the saddle point to a contribution similar to that of a physical operator, which exactly matches the field theory expectations. We verify that the OPE limit of the worldsheet theory does not have any other contributions to the OPE limit of space-time correlation functions. Our discussion is completely general and applies to any local field theory (conformal at high energies) that has a weakly coupled string theory dual (with arbitrary curvature). As a first application, we compare our results to a proposal of R. Gopakumar for the string theory dual of free gauge theories

Dual – Temperature Electron distribution in a Laboratory Plasma ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The dual-temperature distribution function is used to investigate theoretically the effect of a perturbation of Maxwell distribution function on density ratios in a laboratory plasma produced solely by collision. By assuming a foreknowledge of collision coefficients and cross-sections and an atomic model which sets at two ...

Multifold enhanced synergistic removal of nickel and phosphate by a (N,Fe)-dual-functional bio-sorbent: Mechanism and application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yan-hong; Liu, Fu-qiang; Zhu, Chang-qing; Zhang, Xiao-peng; Wei, Meng-meng; Wang, Feng-he; Ling, Chen; Li, Ai-min

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A (N,Fe)-dual-functional bio-sorbent was newly synthesized. • Removal of Ni(II) and H_2PO_4"− could be remarkably enhanced over 3 times. • A multiple mechanism resulted in the synergic adsorption. • N/Fe-DB is efficient and repeatable in treating electroplating wastewater. - Abstract: A novel (N,Fe)-dual-functional biosorbent (N/Fe-DB) capable of efficient synergistic removal of Ni(II) and H_2PO_4"− from aqueous solution was synthesized. The adsorption capacities of Ni(II) and H_2PO_4"− were both remarkably enhanced over 3 times compared with those in single systems. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that complexation of amino groups and ligand exchange of hydrous ferric oxide in N/Fe-DB played dominant roles. The electric double layer compressing and chelating ligand of deprotonated H_2PO_4"− accounted for the enhanced removal of Ni(II) in binary system, while cation bridge interaction promoted uptake of H_2PO_4"−. Furthermore, the coadsorbates were sequentially recovered, with the ratios of more than 99.0%. Besides, the recovered N/Fe-DB remained stable and applicable to the treatment of real electroplating wastewater even after six adsorption-regeneration cycles. Since the electroplating industry is springing up, effective control of heavy metals and phosphate has attracted global concerns. Based on the enhanced coremoval properties and superb regenerability, N/Fe-DB is potentially applicable to practical production.

Kinetic Analysis of Isothermal Decomposition Process of Sodium Bicarbonate Using the Weibull Probability Function—Estimation of Density Distribution Functions of the Apparent Activation Energies

Science.gov (United States)

Janković, Bojan

2009-10-01

The decomposition process of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) has been studied by thermogravimetry in isothermal conditions at four different operating temperatures (380 K, 400 K, 420 K, and 440 K). It was found that the experimental integral and differential conversion curves at the different operating temperatures can be successfully described by the isothermal Weibull distribution function with a unique value of the shape parameter ( β = 1.07). It was also established that the Weibull distribution parameters ( β and η) show independent behavior on the operating temperature. Using the integral and differential (Friedman) isoconversional methods, in the conversion (α) range of 0.20 ≤ α ≤ 0.80, the apparent activation energy ( E a ) value was approximately constant ( E a, int = 95.2 kJmol-1 and E a, diff = 96.6 kJmol-1, respectively). The values of E a calculated by both isoconversional methods are in good agreement with the value of E a evaluated from the Arrhenius equation (94.3 kJmol-1), which was expressed through the scale distribution parameter ( η). The Málek isothermal procedure was used for estimation of the kinetic model for the investigated decomposition process. It was found that the two-parameter Šesták-Berggren (SB) autocatalytic model best describes the NaHCO3 decomposition process with the conversion function f(α) = α0.18(1-α)1.19. It was also concluded that the calculated density distribution functions of the apparent activation energies ( ddfE a ’s) are not dependent on the operating temperature, which exhibit the highly symmetrical behavior (shape factor = 1.00). The obtained isothermal decomposition results were compared with corresponding results of the nonisothermal decomposition process of NaHCO3.

Better dual-task processing in simultaneous interpreters

Science.gov (United States)

Strobach, Tilo; Becker, Maxi; Schubert, Torsten; Kühn, Simone

2015-01-01

Simultaneous interpreting (SI) is a highly complex activity and requires the performance and coordination of multiple, simultaneous tasks: analysis and understanding of the discourse in a first language, reformulating linguistic material, storing of intermediate processing steps, and language production in a second language among others. It is, however, an open issue whether persons with experience in SI possess superior skills in coordination of multiple tasks and whether they are able to transfer these skills to lab-based dual-task situations. Within the present study, we set out to explore whether interpreting experience is associated with related higher-order executive functioning in the context of dual-task situations of the Psychological Refractory Period (PRP) type. In this PRP situation, we found faster reactions times in participants with experience in simultaneous interpretation in contrast to control participants without such experience. Thus, simultaneous interpreters possess superior skills in coordination of multiple tasks in lab-based dual-task situations. PMID:26528232

The matreoshka of supersymmetric self-dual theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devchand, C.; Ogievetsky, V.

1993-06-01

Extended super self-dual systems have a structure reminiscent of a 'matreoshka'. For instance, solutions for N=0 are embedded in solutions for N=1, which are in turn embedded in solutions for N=2, and so on. Consequences of this phenomenon are explored. In particular, we present an explicit construction of local solutions of the higher-N super self-duality equations starting from any N=0 self-dual solution. Our construction uses N=0 solution data to produce N=1 solution data, which in turn yields N=2 solution data, and so on; each stage introducing a dependence of the solution on sufficiently many additional arbitrary functions to yield the most general supersymmetric solution having the initial N=0 solution as the helicity +1 component. The problem of finding the general local solution of the N>0 super self-duality equations. Another consequence of the matreoshka phenomenon is the vanishing of many conserved currents, including the supercurrents, for super self-dual systems. (orig.)

Functional evaluation of hydronephrosis by diffusion-weighted MR imaging: Relationship between apparent diffusion coefficient and split glomerular filtration rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toyoshima, S.; Noguchi, K.; Seto, H.; Shimizu, M.; Watanabe, N.

2000-01-01

To determine the relationship between apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values measured by diffusion-weighted MR imaging and split renal function determined by renal scintigraphy in patients with hydronephrosis. Material and Methods: Diffusion-weighted imaging on a 1.5 T MR unit and renal scintigraphy were performed in 36 patients with hydronephrosis (45 hydronephrotic kidneys, 21 non-hydronephrotic kidneys). ADC values of the individual kidneys were measured by diffusion-weighted MR imaging. Split renal function (glomerular filtration rate (GFR)) was determined by renal scintigraphy using 99m Tc-DTPA. The relationship between ADC values and split GFR was examined in 66 kidneys. The hydronephrotic kidneys were further classified into three groups (severe renal dysfunction, GFR 25 ml/min, n=28), and mean values for ADCs were calculated. Results: In hydronephrotic kidneys, there was a moderate positive correlation between ADC values and split GFR (R2=0.56). On the other hand, in non-hydronephrotic kidneys, poor correlation between ADC values and split GFR was observed (R2=0.08). The mean values for ADCs of the dysfunctioning hydronephrotic kidneys (severe renal dysfunction, 1.32x10 -3 ±0.18x10 -3 mm 2 /s; moderate renal dysfunction, 1.38x10 -3 ±0.10x10 -3 mm2/s) were significantly lower than that of the normal functioning hydronephrotic kidneys (1.63x10 -3 ±0.12±10 -3 mm 2 /s). Conclusion: These results indicated that measurement of ADC values by diffusion-weighted MR imaging has a potential value in the evaluation of the functional status of hydronephrotic kidneys

Computation of the Short-Time Linear Canonical Transform with Dual Window

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Huang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The short-time linear canonical transform (STLCT, which maps the time domain signal into the joint time and frequency domain, has recently attracted some attention in the area of signal processing. However, its applications are still limited due to the fact that selection of coefficients of the short-time linear canonical series (STLCS is not unique, because time and frequency elementary functions (together known as basis function of STLCS do not constitute an orthogonal basis. To solve this problem, this paper investigates a dual window solution. First, the nonorthogonal problem that suffered from original window is fulfilled by orthogonal condition with dual window. Then based on the obtained condition, a dual window computation approach of the GT is extended to the STLCS. In addition, simulations verify the validity of the proposed condition and solutions. Furthermore, some possible applied directions are discussed.

Dual Income Taxes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Peter Birch

This paper discusses the principles and practices of dual income taxation in the Nordic countries. The first part of the paper explains the rationale and the historical background for the introduction of the dual income tax and describes the current Nordic tax practices. The second part...... of the paper focuses on the problems of taxing income from small businesses and the issue of corporate-personal tax integration under the dual income tax, considering alternative ways of dealing with these challenges. In the third and final part of the paper, I briefly discuss whether introducing a dual income...

Dual Diagnosis - Multiple Languages

Science.gov (United States)

... National Library of Medicine Comorbidity or dual diagnosis - Opioid addiction, part 9 - English PDF Comorbidity or dual diagnosis - Opioid addiction, part 9 - español (Spanish) PDF Comorbidity or dual ...

Effects of dual pathology on cognitive outcome following left anterior temporal lobectomy for treatment of epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Prayson, B E; Prayson, R A; Kubu, C S; Bingaman, W; Najm, I M; Busch, R M

2013-09-01

The objective of this retrospective study was to determine if dual pathology [DUAL - focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) and mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS)] in patients with left temporal lobe epilepsy is associated with greater risk for cognitive decline following temporal lobectomy than single pathology (MTS only). Sixty-three adults (Mage=36.5years, female: 52.4%) who underwent left anterior temporal lobectomy for treatment of epilepsy (MTS=28; DUAL=35) completed preoperative and postoperative neuropsychological evaluations. The base rate of dual pathology was 55.5%. Repeated measures ANOVAs yielded significant 2-way interactions (group×time) on most measures of language and memory with generally moderate effect sizes. Specifically, patients with MTS only demonstrated postoperative declines, while those with dual pathology remained unchanged or improved. Results suggest that dual pathology may be associated with better cognitive outcome following epilepsy surgery than MTS alone, possibly reflecting limited functionality of the resected tissue or intrahemispheric reorganization of function in the context of a developmental lesion. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pairs of dual Gabor frame generators with compact support and desired frequency localization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Ole

2006-01-01

Let g ∈ L2(R) be a compactly supported function, whose integer-translates {T(k)g}(k ∈ Z) form a partition of unity. We prove that for certain translation and modulation parameters, such a function g generates a Gabor frame, with a (noncanonical) dual generated by a finite linear combination h of ...... tilde (k) DTkBN, where both sums are finite. It is known that for N > 1, such functions cannot generate dual wavelet frames {D(j)T(k)g} (j.k∈ Z). {D(j)T(k)h} (j.k ∈ Z). (C) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved....

Smart dual-functional warhead for folate receptor-specific activatable imaging and photodynamic therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jisu; Tung, Ching-Hsuan; Choi, Yongdoo

2014-09-21

A smart dual-targeted theranostic agent becomes highly fluorescent and phototoxic only when its linker is cleaved by tumor-associated lysosomal enzyme cathepsin B after internalization into folate receptor-positive cancer cells.

Electrochemically induced C-H functionalization using bromide ion/2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-N-oxyl dual redox catalysts in a two-phase electrolytic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Chao; Zeng, Cheng-Chu; Hu, Li-Ming; Yang, Feng-Lin; Yoo, Seung Joon; Little, R. Daniel

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Electrocatalytic C-H bond functionalization of tetrahydroisoquinolines is reported. •The transformation is mediated by a bromide ion/TEMPO dual redox catalyst system. •The transformation is conducted in a two-phase electrolytic medium. •The mechanism is proposed to proceed via a sequence of oxidation and addition reactions involving water as a nucleophile. •The procedure features wide substrate scope, the use of mild reaction conditions. -- Abstract: The electrochemical oxidative functionalization of benzylic C-H bonds, mediated by a dual bromide ion/2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-N-oxyl (TEMPO) redox catalyst system in a two-phase electrolytic medium, has been explored using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and preparative electrolysis techniques. The results show that electron transfer between TEMPO + and a neutral substrate occurs with an efficiency that depends upon the presence of a base. The preparative scale electrolysis led to the formation of dihydro-isoquinolinones, isochromanone and xanthenone in moderate to excellent yields. On the basis of the CV analysis and preparative electrolysis results, a reaction mechanism is proposed

Altered kinematics of arm swing in Parkinson's disease patients indicates declines in gait under dual-task conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Baron, Elise I; Miller Koop, Mandy; Streicher, Matthew C; Rosenfeldt, Anson B; Alberts, Jay L

2018-03-01

Declines in simultaneous performance of a cognitive and motor task are present in Parkinson's disease due to compromised basal ganglia function related to information processing. The aim of this project was to determine if biomechanical measures of arm swing could be used as a marker of gait function under dual-task conditions in Parkinson's disease patients. Twenty-three patients with Parkinson's disease completed single and dual-task cognitive-motor tests while walking on a treadmill at a self-selected rate. Multiple cognitive domains were evaluated with five cognitive tests. Cognitive tests were completed in isolation (single-task) and simultaneously with gait (dual-task). Upper extremity biomechanical data were gathered using the Motek CAREN system. Primary outcomes characterizing arm swing were: path length, normalized jerk, coefficient of variation of arm swing time, and cognitive performance. Performance on the cognitive tasks were similar across single and dual-task conditions. However, biomechanical measures exhibited significant changes between single and dual-task conditions, with the greatest changes occurring in the most challenging conditions. Arm swing path length decreased significantly from single to dual-task, with the greatest decrease of 21.16%. Jerk, characterizing smoothness, increased significantly when moving from single to dual-task conditions. The simultaneous performance of a cognitive and gait task resulted in decrements in arm swing while cognitive performance was maintained. Arm swing outcomes provide a sensitive measure of declines in gait function in Parkinson's disease under dual-task conditions. The quantification of arm swing is a feasible approach to identifying and evaluating gait related declines under dual-task conditions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Dual source and dual detector arrays tetrahedron beam computed tomography for image guided radiotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Joshua; Lu, Weiguo; Zhang, Tiezhi

2014-02-01

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is an important online imaging modality for image guided radiotherapy. But suboptimal image quality and the lack of a real-time stereoscopic imaging function limit its implementation in advanced treatment techniques, such as online adaptive and 4D radiotherapy. Tetrahedron beam computed tomography (TBCT) is a novel online imaging modality designed to improve on the image quality provided by CBCT. TBCT geometry is flexible, and multiple detector and source arrays can be used for different applications. In this paper, we describe a novel dual source-dual detector TBCT system that is specially designed for LINAC radiation treatment machines. The imaging system is positioned in-line with the MV beam and is composed of two linear array x-ray sources mounted aside the electrical portal imaging device and two linear arrays of x-ray detectors mounted below the machine head. The detector and x-ray source arrays are orthogonal to each other, and each pair of source and detector arrays forms a tetrahedral volume. Four planer images can be obtained from different view angles at each gantry position at a frame rate as high as 20 frames per second. The overlapped regions provide a stereoscopic field of view of approximately 10-15 cm. With a half gantry rotation, a volumetric CT image can be reconstructed having a 45 cm field of view. Due to the scatter rejecting design of the TBCT geometry, the system can potentially produce high quality 2D and 3D images with less radiation exposure. The design of the dual source-dual detector system is described, and preliminary results of studies performed on numerical phantoms and simulated patient data are presented.

Dual-source CT cardiac imaging: initial experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, Thorsten R.C.; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Wintersperger, Bernd J.; Rist, Carsten; Buhmann, Sonja; Reiser, Maximilian F.; Becker, Christoph R.; Leber, Alexander W.; Ziegler, Franz von; Knez, Andreas

2006-01-01

The relation of heart rate and image quality in the depiction of coronary arteries, heart valves and myocardium was assessed on a dual-source computed tomography system (DSCT). Coronary CT angiography was performed on a DSCT (Somatom Definition, Siemens) with high concentration contrast media (Iopromide, Ultravist 370, Schering) in 24 patients with heart rates between 44 and 92 beats per minute. Images were reconstructed over the whole cardiac cycle in 10% steps. Two readers independently assessed the image quality with regard to the diagnostic evaluation of right and left coronary artery, heart valves and left ventricular myocardium for the assessment of vessel wall changes, coronary stenoses, valve morphology and function and ventricular function on a three point grading scale. The image quality ratings at the optimal reconstruction interval were 1.24±0.42 for the right and 1.09±0.27 for the left coronary artery. A reconstruction of diagnostic systolic and diastolic images is possible for a wide range of heart rates, allowing also a functional evaluation of valves and myocardium. Dual-source CT offers very robust diagnostic image quality in a wide range of heart rates. The high temporal resolution now also makes a functional evaluation of the heart valves and myocardium possible. (orig.)

Slingram EMI Devices for Characterizing Resistive Features Using Apparent Conductivity Measurements: check of the DualEM-421S Instrument and Field Tests

OpenAIRE

Dabas , Michel; Anest , Antoine; Thiesson , Julien; Tabbagh , Alain

2016-01-01

International audience; This article addresses the characterization of resistive archaeological targets and near surface structures by electromagnetic induction (EMI). It presents tests achieved with the DualEM-421S instrument (Dualem Inc., Milton, Canada) in order to be able to quantitatively compare these measurements to the standard technique of direct-current (d.c.) resistivity. The test was done over the Gallo-roman site of Vieil-Evreux in Normandy, France and one-dimensional (1D) and th...

Self-dual metrics with self-dual Killing vectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tod, K.P.; Ward, R.S.

1979-01-01

Twistor methods are used to derive a class of solutions to Einstein's vacuum equations, with anti-self dual Weyl tensor. In particular, all metrics with a Killing vector whose derivative is anti-self-dual and which admit a real positive-definite section are exhibited and shown to coincide with the metrics of Hawking. (author)

Nanogenerator-based dual-functional and self-powered thin patch loudspeaker or microphone for flexible electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei; Torres, David; Díaz, Ramón; Wang, Zhengjun; Wu, Changsheng; Wang, Chuan; Lin Wang, Zhong; Sepúlveda, Nelson

2017-05-01

Ferroelectret nanogenerators were recently introduced as a promising alternative technology for harvesting kinetic energy. Here we report the device's intrinsic properties that allow for the bidirectional conversion of energy between electrical and mechanical domains; thus extending its potential use in wearable electronics beyond the power generation realm. This electromechanical coupling, combined with their flexibility and thin film-like form, bestows dual-functional transducing capabilities to the device that are used in this work to demonstrate its use as a thin, wearable and self-powered loudspeaker or microphone patch. To determine the device's performance and applicability, sound pressure level is characterized in both space and frequency domains for three different configurations. The confirmed device's high performance is further validated through its integration in three different systems: a music-playing flag, a sound recording film and a flexible microphone for security applications.

Effect of training on the ability of dual-task coordination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosin F.M.

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Within the framework of the working memory model proposed by A. Baddeley and G. Hitch, a dual-task paradigm has been suggested to evaluate the capacity to perform simultaneously two concurrent tasks. This capacity is assumed to reflect the functioning of the central executive component, which appears to be impaired in patients with dysexecutive syndrome. The present study extends the investigation of an index ("mu", which is supposed to indicate the capacity of coordination of concurrent auditory digit span and tracking tasks, by testing the influence of training on the performance in the dual task. The presentation of the same digit sequence lists or always-different lists did not differently affect the performance. The span length affected the mu values. The improved performance in the tasks under the dual condition closely resembled the improvement in the single-task performance. So, although training improved performance in the single and dual conditions, especially for the tracking component, the mu values remained stable throughout the sessions when the single tasks were performed first. Conversely, training improved the capacity of dual-task coordination throughout the sessions when dual task was performed first, addressing the issue of the contribution of the within-session practice to the mu index.

Statistical decision making with a dual-detector probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hickernell, T.S.

1988-01-01

Conventional imaging techniques for cancer detection have difficulty finding small, deep tumors. Single-detector radiation probes have been developed to search for deep lesions in a patient who has been given a tumor-seeking radiopharmaceutical. These probes perform poorly, however, when the background activity in the patient varies greatly from site to site. We have developed a surgical dual-detector probe that solves the problem of background activity variation, by simultaneously monitoring counts from a region of interest and counts from adjacent normal tissue. A comparison of counts from the detectors can reveal the class of tissue, tumor or normal, in the region of interest. In this study, we apply methods from statistical decision theory and derive a suitable comparison of counts to help us decide whether a tumor is present in the region of interest. We use the Hotelling trace criterion with a few assumptions to find a linear discriminant function, which can be reduced to a normalized subtraction of the counts for large background count-rate variations. Using a spatial response map of the dual probe, a computer torso phantom, and estimates of activity distribution, we simulate a surgical staging procedure to test the dual probe and the discriminant functions

Interactive dual-volume rendering visualization with real-time fusion and transfer function enhancement

Science.gov (United States)

Macready, Hugh; Kim, Jinman; Feng, David; Cai, Weidong

2006-03-01

Dual-modality imaging scanners combining functional PET and anatomical CT constitute a challenge in volumetric visualization that can be limited by the high computational demand and expense. This study aims at providing physicians with multi-dimensional visualization tools, in order to navigate and manipulate the data running on a consumer PC. We have maximized the utilization of pixel-shader architecture of the low-cost graphic hardware and the texture-based volume rendering to provide visualization tools with high degree of interactivity. All the software was developed using OpenGL and Silicon Graphics Inc. Volumizer, tested on a Pentium mobile CPU on a PC notebook with 64M graphic memory. We render the individual modalities separately, and performing real-time per-voxel fusion. We designed a novel "alpha-spike" transfer function to interactively identify structure of interest from volume rendering of PET/CT. This works by assigning a non-linear opacity to the voxels, thus, allowing the physician to selectively eliminate or reveal information from the PET/CT volumes. As the PET and CT are rendered independently, manipulations can be applied to individual volumes, for instance, the application of transfer function to CT to reveal the lung boundary while adjusting the fusion ration between the CT and PET to enhance the contrast of a tumour region, with the resultant manipulated data sets fused together in real-time as the adjustments are made. In addition to conventional navigation and manipulation tools, such as scaling, LUT, volume slicing, and others, our strategy permits efficient visualization of PET/CT volume rendering which can potentially aid in interpretation and diagnosis.

Pulmonary ventilation and perfusion imaging with dual-energy CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thieme, Sven F. [Klinikum Grosshadern, Department of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Muenchen (Germany); Klinikum Grosshadern, Institut fuer Klinische Radiologie, LMU Muenchen, Muenchen (Germany); Hoegl, Sandra; Fisahn, Juergen; Irlbeck, Michael [Klinikum Grosshadern, Department of Anesthesiology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Muenchen (Germany); Nikolaou, Konstantin; Maxien, Daniel; Reiser, Maximilian F.; Becker, Christoph R.; Johnson, Thorsten R.C. [Klinikum Grosshadern, Department of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Muenchen (Germany)

2010-12-15

To evaluate the feasibility of dual-energy CT (DECT) ventilation imaging in combination with DE perfusion mapping for a comprehensive assessment of ventilation, perfusion, morphology and structure of the pulmonary parenchyma. Two dual-energy CT acquisitions for xenon-enhanced ventilation and iodine-enhanced perfusion mapping were performed in patients under artificial respiration. Parenchymal xenon and iodine distribution were mapped and correlated with structural or vascular abnormalities. In all datasets, image quality was sufficient for a comprehensive image reading of the pulmonary CTA images, lung window images and pulmonary functional parameter maps and led to expedient results in each patient. With dual-source CT systems, DECT of the lung with iodine or xenon administration is technically feasible and makes it possible to depict the regional iodine or xenon distribution representing the local perfusion and ventilation. (orig.)

Online Manifold Regularization by Dual Ascending Procedure

OpenAIRE

Sun, Boliang; Li, Guohui; Jia, Li; Zhang, Hui

2013-01-01

We propose a novel online manifold regularization framework based on the notion of duality in constrained optimization. The Fenchel conjugate of hinge functions is a key to transfer manifold regularization from offline to online in this paper. Our algorithms are derived by gradient ascent in the dual function. For practical purpose, we propose two buffering strategies and two sparse approximations to reduce the computational complexity. Detailed experiments verify the utility of our approache...

Euclidean self-dual Yang-Mills field configurations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sartori, G.

1980-01-01

The determination of a large class of regular and singular Euclidean self-dual Yang-Mills field configurations is reduced to the solution of a set of linear algebraic equations. The matrix of the coefficients is a polynomial functions of x and the rules for its construction are elementary. (author)

Dual localized mitochondrial and nuclear proteins as gene expression regulators in plants?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philippe eGiegé

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Mitochondria heavily depend on the coordinated expression of both mitochondrial and nuclear genomes because some of their most significant activities are held by multi-subunit complexes composed of both mitochondrial and nuclear encoded proteins. Thus, precise communication and signaling pathways are believed to exist between the two compartments. Proteins dual localized to both mitochondria and the nucleus make excellent candidates for a potential involvement in the envisaged communication. Here, we review the identified instances of dual localized nucleo-mitochondrial proteins with an emphasis on plant proteins and discuss their functions, which are seemingly mostly related to gene expression regulation. We discuss whether dual localization could be achieved by dual targeting and / or by re-localization and try to apprehend the signals required for the respective processes. Finally, we propose that in some instances, dual localized mitochondrial and nuclear proteins might act as retrograde signaling molecules for mitochondrial biogenesis.

Dual therapeutic functions of F-5 fragment in burn wounds: preventing wound progression and promoting wound healing in pigs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayesha Bhatia

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Burn injuries are a leading cause of morbidity including prolonged hospitalization, disfigurement, and disability. Currently there is no Food and Drug Administration-approved burn therapeutics. A clinical distinction of burn injuries from other acute wounds is the event of the so-called secondary burn wound progression within the first week of the injury, in which a burn expands horizontally and vertically from its initial boundary to a larger area. Therefore, an effective therapeutics for burns should show dual abilities to prevent the burn wound progression and thereafter promote burn wound healing. Herein we report that topically applied F-5 fragment of heat shock protein-90α is a dual functional agent to promote burn wound healing in pigs. First, F-5 prevents burn wound progression by protecting the surrounding cells from undergoing heat-induced caspase 3 activation and apoptosis with increased Akt activation. Accordingly, F-5–treated burn and excision wounds show a marked decline in inflammation. Thereafter, F-5 accelerates burn wound healing by stimulating the keratinocyte migration-led reepithelialization, leading to wound closure. This study addresses a topical agent that is capable of preventing burn wound progression and accelerating burn wound healing.

Dual therapeutic functions of F-5 fragment in burn wounds: preventing wound progression and promoting wound healing in pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatia, Ayesha; O'Brien, Kathryn; Chen, Mei; Wong, Alex; Garner, Warren; Woodley, David T; Li, Wei

2016-01-01

Burn injuries are a leading cause of morbidity including prolonged hospitalization, disfigurement, and disability. Currently there is no Food and Drug Administration-approved burn therapeutics. A clinical distinction of burn injuries from other acute wounds is the event of the so-called secondary burn wound progression within the first week of the injury, in which a burn expands horizontally and vertically from its initial boundary to a larger area. Therefore, an effective therapeutics for burns should show dual abilities to prevent the burn wound progression and thereafter promote burn wound healing. Herein we report that topically applied F-5 fragment of heat shock protein-90α is a dual functional agent to promote burn wound healing in pigs. First, F-5 prevents burn wound progression by protecting the surrounding cells from undergoing heat-induced caspase 3 activation and apoptosis with increased Akt activation. Accordingly, F-5-treated burn and excision wounds show a marked decline in inflammation. Thereafter, F-5 accelerates burn wound healing by stimulating the keratinocyte migration-led reepithelialization, leading to wound closure. This study addresses a topical agent that is capable of preventing burn wound progression and accelerating burn wound healing.

Dual-functioning peptides discovered by phage display increase the magnitude and specificity of BMSC attachment to mineralized biomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramaraju, Harsha; Miller, Sharon J; Kohn, David H

2017-07-01

Design of biomaterials for cell-based therapies requires presentation of specific physical and chemical cues to cells, analogous to cues provided by native extracellular matrices (ECM). We previously identified a peptide sequence with high affinity towards apatite (VTKHLNQISQSY, VTK) using phage display. The aims of this study were to identify a human MSC-specific peptide sequence through phage display, combine it with the apatite-specific sequence, and verify the specificity of the combined dual-functioning peptide to both apatite and human bone marrow stromal cells. In this study, a combinatorial phage display identified the cell binding sequence (DPIYALSWSGMA, DPI) which was combined with the mineral binding sequence to generate the dual peptide DPI-VTK. DPI-VTK demonstrated significantly greater binding affinity (1/K D ) to apatite surfaces compared to VTK, phosphorylated VTK (VTK phos ), DPI-VTK phos , RGD-VTK, and peptide-free apatite surfaces (p biomaterial surfaces and subsequently increase cell proliferation and differentiation. These new peptides expand biomaterial design methodology for cell-based regeneration of bone defects. This strategy of combining cell and material binding phage display derived peptides is broadly applicable to a variety of systems requiring targeted adhesion of specific cell populations, and may be generalized to the engineering of any adhesion surface. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fermions tunneling from apparent horizon of FRW universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Ran; Ren Jirong; Shi Dunfu

2009-01-01

In the paper [R.-G. Cai, L.-M. Cao, Y.-P. Hu, (arXiv: 0809.1554)], the scalar particles' Hawking radiation from the apparent horizon of Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universe was investigated by using the tunneling formalism. They obtained the Hawking temperature associated with the apparent horizon, which was extensively applied in investigating the relationship between the first law of thermodynamics and Friedmann equations. In this Letter, we calculate fermions' Hawking radiation from the apparent horizon of FRW universe via tunneling formalism. Applying WKB approximation to the general covariant Dirac equation in FRW spacetime background, the radiation spectrum and Hawking temperature of apparent horizon are correctly recovered, which supports the arguments presented in the paper [R.-G. Cai, L.-M. Cao, Y.-P. Hu, (arXiv: 0809.1554)

Stretchable Dual-Capacitor Multi-Sensor for Touch-Curvature-Pressure-Strain Sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Hanbyul; Jung, Sungchul; Kim, Junhyung; Heo, Sanghyun; Lim, Jaeik; Park, Wonsang; Chu, Hye Yong; Bien, Franklin; Park, Kibog

2017-09-07

We introduce a new type of multi-functional capacitive sensor that can sense several different external stimuli. It is fabricated only with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films and silver nanowire electrodes by using selective oxygen plasma treatment method without photolithography and etching processes. Differently from the conventional single-capacitor multi-functional sensors, our new multi-functional sensor is composed of two vertically-stacked capacitors (dual-capacitor). The unique dual-capacitor structure can detect the type and strength of external stimuli including curvature, pressure, strain, and touch with clear distinction, and it can also detect the surface-normal directionality of curvature, pressure, and touch. Meanwhile, the conventional single-capacitor sensor has ambiguity in distinguishing curvature and pressure and it can detect only the strength of external stimulus. The type, directionality, and strength of external stimulus can be determined based on the relative capacitance changes of the two stacked capacitors. Additionally, the logical flow reflected on a tree structure with its branches reaching the direction and strength of the corresponding external stimulus unambiguously is devised. This logical flow can be readily implemented in the sensor driving circuit if the dual-capacitor sensor is commercialized actually in the future.

Figure-ground segregation modulates apparent motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramachandran, V S; Anstis, S

1986-01-01

We explored the relationship between figure-ground segmentation and apparent motion. Results suggest that: static elements in the surround can eliminate apparent motion of a cluster of dots in the centre, but only if the cluster and surround have similar "grain" or texture; outlines that define occluding surfaces are taken into account by the motion mechanism; the brain uses a hierarchy of precedence rules in attributing motion to different segments of the visual scene. Being designated as "figure" confers a high rank in this scheme of priorities.

DUAL TRAINING IN RUSSIA: FROM THE CONCEPT TO PRACTICE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander A. Listvin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present article is to judge and justify the conditions of system elements application of dual training at implementation of programs of professional education for increase of efficiency of functioning and quality of preparation of qualified personnel by institutions of the secondary professional education (SPE. Methods. The methods used in work involve the comparative analysis of practice of application of dual training in system of professional education of Germany and regions of Russia for the purpose of identification of the existing problems and definition of optimum organizational and legal and didactic conditions. Results. The essence of system of dual training, its strong and weaknesses reveals. Necessary and indispensable conditions of application of dual training in modern regional systems of professional education are proved. Scientific novelty. According to the author, modern publications on problems and ways of development of professional education in Russia contain enough antinomy of standard and legal and organizational and administrative character. In particular, operating by the concept «dual education», an identification of the practice-focused and dual training introduction «the list 50 of the most demanded in labor market, the new and perspective professions that demand secondary professional education» as opposed to the existing list of professions and the constitutional guarantee of public and free secondary professional education. Standard and legal, and didactic conditions of application of elements of dual training in regional systems of professional education are proved theoretically. Practical significance. Implementation of the research outcomes can be useful to pedagogical staff of institutions of secondary professional education, representatives of employers and Chambers of Commerce and Industry to the organization and use of system of dual training in training of skilled workers (serving

Dual affine isoperimetric inequalities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Xiong

2006-01-01

Full Text Available We establish some inequalities for the dual -centroid bodies which are the dual forms of the results by Lutwak, Yang, and Zhang. Further, we establish a Brunn-Minkowski-type inequality for the polar of dual -centroid bodies.

Wavelet frames and their duals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lemvig, Jakob

2008-01-01

frames with good time localization and other attractive properties. Furthermore, the dual wavelet frames are constructed in such a way that we are guaranteed that both frames will have the same desirable features. The construction procedure works for any real, expansive dilation. A quasi-affine system....... The signals are then represented by linear combinations of the building blocks with coefficients found by an associated frame, called a dual frame. A wavelet frame is a frame where the building blocks are stretched (dilated) and translated versions of a single function; such a frame is said to have wavelet...... structure. The dilation of the wavelet building blocks in higher dimension is done via a square matrix which is usually taken to be integer valued. In this thesis we step away from the "usual" integer, expansive dilation and consider more general, expansive dilations. In most applications of wavelet frames...

The Apparent Solubility Of Aluminum(III) In Hanford High-Level Waste Tanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynolds, J.G.

2012-01-01

The solubility of aluminum in Hanford nuclear waste impacts on the process ability of the waste by a number of proposed treatment options. For many years, Hanford staff has anecdotally noted that aluminum appears to be considerably more soluble in Hanford waste than the simpler electrolyte solutions used as analogues. There has been minimal scientific study to confirm these anecdotal observations, however. The present study determines the apparent solubility product for gibbsite in 50 tank samples. The ratio of hydroxide to aluminum in the liquid phase for the samples is calculated and plotted as a function of total sodium molarity. Total sodium molarity is used as a surrogate for ionic strength, because the relative ratios of mono, di and trivalent anions are not available for all of the samples. These results were compared to the simple NaOH-NaAl(OH 4 )H 2 O system, and the NaOH-NaAl(OH 4 )NaCl-H 2 O system data retrieved from the literature. The results show that gibbsite is apparently more soluble in the samples than in the simple systems whenever the sodium molarity is greater than two. This apparent enhanced solubility cannot be explained solely by differences in ionic strength. The change in solubility with ionic strength in simple systems is small compared to the difference between aluminum solubility in Hanford waste and the simple systems. The reason for the apparent enhanced solubility is unknown, but could include. kinetic or thermodynamic factors that are not present in the simple electrolyte systems. Any kinetic explanation would have to explain why the samples are always supersaturated whenever the sodium molarity is above two. Real waste characterization data should not be used to validate thermodynamic solubility models until it can be confirmed that the apparent enhanced gibbsite solubility is a thermodynamic effect and not a kinetic effect.

Propagation functions in pseudoparticle fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, L.S.; Carlitz, R.D.; Creamer, D.B.; Lee, C.

1978-01-01

The Green's functions for massless spinor and vector particles propagating in a self-dual but otherwise arbitrary non-Abelian gauge field are shown to be completely determined by the corrresponding Green's functions of scalar particles. Simple, explicit algebraic expressions are constructed for the scalar Green's functions of isospin-1/2 and isospin-1 particles in the self-dual field of a configuration of n pseudoparticles described by 5n arbitrary parameters

Measuring treatment effects on dual-task performance: a framework for research and clinical practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prudence ePlummer

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The relevance of dual-task walking to everyday ambulation is widely acknowledged, and numerous studies have demonstrated that dual-task interference can significantly impact recovery of functional walking in people with neurological disorders. The magnitude and direction of dual-task interference is influenced by the interaction between the two tasks, including how individuals spontaneously prioritize their attention. Therefore, to accurately interpret and characterize dual-task interference and identify changes over time, it is imperative to evaluate single and dual-task performance in both tasks, as well as the tasks relative to each other. Yet, reciprocal dual-task effects are frequently ignored. The purpose of this perspective paper is to present a framework for measuring treatment effects on dual-task interference, specifically taking into account the interactions between the two tasks and how this can provide information on whether overall dual-task capacity has improved or a different attentional strategy has been adopted. In discussing the clinical implications of using this framework, we provide specific examples of using this method and provide some explicit recommendations for research and clinical practice.

Deep white matter hyperintensities, microstructural integrity and dual task walking in older people.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghanavati, Tabassom; Smitt, Myriam Sillevis; Lord, Stephen R; Sachdev, Perminder; Wen, Wei; Kochan, Nicole A; Brodaty, Henry; Delbaere, Kim

2018-01-03

To examine neural, physiological and cognitive influences on gait speed under single and dual-task conditions. Sixty-two community-dwelling older people (aged 80.0 ± 4.2 years) participated in our study. Gait speed was assessed with a timed 20-meter walk under single and dual-task (reciting alternate letters of the alphabet) conditions. Participants also underwent tests to estimate physiological fall risk based on five measures of sensorimotor function, cognitive function across five domains, brain white matter (WM) hyperintensities and WM microstructural integrity by measuring fractional anisotropy (FA). Univariate linear regression analyses showed that global physiological and cognitive measures were associated with single (β = 0.594 and β=-0.297, respectively) and dual-task gait speed (β = 0.306 and β=-0.362, respectively). Deep WMHs were associated with dual-task gait speed only (β = 0.257). Multivariate mediational analyses showed that global and executive cognition reduced the strength of the association between deep WMHs and dual-task gait speed by 27% (β = 0.188) and 44% (β = 0.145) respectively. There was a significant linear association between single-task gait speed and mean FA values of the genu (β=-0.295) and splenium (β=-0.326) of the corpus callosum, and between dual-task gait speed and mean FA values of Superior Cerebellar Peduncle (β=-0.284), splenium of the Corpus Callosum (β=-0.286) and Cingulum (β=-0.351). Greater deep WMH volumes are associated with slower walking speed under dual-task conditions, and this relationship is mediated in part by global cognition and executive abilities specifically. Furthermore, both cerebellum and cingulum are related to dual-task walking due to their role in motor skill performance and attention, respectively.

Multifold enhanced synergistic removal of nickel and phosphate by a (N,Fe)-dual-functional bio-sorbent: Mechanism and application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yan-hong [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023 (China); State Environmental Protection Engineering Center for Organic Chemical Industrial Waste Water Disposal Resource Reuse, Nanjing 210023 (China); Liu, Fu-qiang, E-mail: jogia@163.com [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023 (China); State Environmental Protection Engineering Center for Organic Chemical Industrial Waste Water Disposal Resource Reuse, Nanjing 210023 (China); Zhu, Chang-qing; Zhang, Xiao-peng; Wei, Meng-meng [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023 (China); State Environmental Protection Engineering Center for Organic Chemical Industrial Waste Water Disposal Resource Reuse, Nanjing 210023 (China); Wang, Feng-he [School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023 (China); Ling, Chen; Li, Ai-min [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023 (China); State Environmental Protection Engineering Center for Organic Chemical Industrial Waste Water Disposal Resource Reuse, Nanjing 210023 (China)

2017-05-05

Highlights: • A (N,Fe)-dual-functional bio-sorbent was newly synthesized. • Removal of Ni(II) and H{sub 2}PO{sub 4}{sup −} could be remarkably enhanced over 3 times. • A multiple mechanism resulted in the synergic adsorption. • N/Fe-DB is efficient and repeatable in treating electroplating wastewater. - Abstract: A novel (N,Fe)-dual-functional biosorbent (N/Fe-DB) capable of efficient synergistic removal of Ni(II) and H{sub 2}PO{sub 4}{sup −} from aqueous solution was synthesized. The adsorption capacities of Ni(II) and H{sub 2}PO{sub 4}{sup −} were both remarkably enhanced over 3 times compared with those in single systems. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that complexation of amino groups and ligand exchange of hydrous ferric oxide in N/Fe-DB played dominant roles. The electric double layer compressing and chelating ligand of deprotonated H{sub 2}PO{sub 4}{sup −} accounted for the enhanced removal of Ni(II) in binary system, while cation bridge interaction promoted uptake of H{sub 2}PO{sub 4}{sup −}. Furthermore, the coadsorbates were sequentially recovered, with the ratios of more than 99.0%. Besides, the recovered N/Fe-DB remained stable and applicable to the treatment of real electroplating wastewater even after six adsorption-regeneration cycles. Since the electroplating industry is springing up, effective control of heavy metals and phosphate has attracted global concerns. Based on the enhanced coremoval properties and superb regenerability, N/Fe-DB is potentially applicable to practical production.

Effect of 3 T MRI on the function of shunt valves-Evaluation of Paedi GAV, Dual Switch and proGAV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindner, D. [Department of Neurosurgery, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig (Germany)]. E-mail: dlind@medizin.uni-leipzig.de; Preul, C. [Max-Planck-Institut for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstr. 1a, 04103 Leipzig (Germany); Trantakis, C. [Department of Neurosurgery, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig (Germany); Moeller, H. [Max-Planck-Institut for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstr. 1a, 04103 Leipzig (Germany); Meixensberger, J. [Department of Neurosurgery, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig (Germany)

2005-10-01

The MR-compatibility of medical implants and devices becomes more and more important with the increasing number of high-field MR-scanners employed. Until the end of 2004, about twenty 3 T MR in Germany will be in clinical practice. Patients with hydrocephalus need frequent follow-up MR-examinations to assure correct functioning of a shunt. We tested three types of gravitational valves: the Paedi GAV, the Dual Switch and as a new programmable valve the proGAV (Miethke Company, Berlin), that have not been evaluated at 3 T, yet. In sum, there is strong evidence for maintenance of function of these valves after exposure to 3 T. This also implies the programmable valve, as long as the brake mechanism is properly adjusted during MR-examination.

Kub5-Hera, the human Rtt103 homolog, plays dual functional roles in transcription termination and DNA repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Julio C; Richard, Patricia; Rommel, Amy; Fattah, Farjana J; Motea, Edward A; Patidar, Praveen L; Xiao, Ling; Leskov, Konstantin; Wu, Shwu-Yuan; Hittelman, Walter N; Chiang, Cheng-Ming; Manley, James L; Boothman, David A

2014-04-01

Functions of Kub5-Hera (In Greek Mythology Hera controlled Artemis) (K-H), the human homolog of the yeast transcription termination factor Rtt103, remain undefined. Here, we show that K-H has functions in both transcription termination and DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. K-H forms distinct protein complexes with factors that repair DSBs (e.g. Ku70, Ku86, Artemis) and terminate transcription (e.g. RNA polymerase II). K-H loss resulted in increased basal R-loop levels, DSBs, activated DNA-damage responses and enhanced genomic instability. Significantly lowered Artemis protein levels were detected in K-H knockdown cells, which were restored with specific K-H cDNA re-expression. K-H deficient cells were hypersensitive to cytotoxic agents that induce DSBs, unable to reseal complex DSB ends, and showed significantly delayed γ-H2AX and 53BP1 repair-related foci regression. Artemis re-expression in K-H-deficient cells restored DNA-repair function and resistance to DSB-inducing agents. However, R loops persisted consistent with dual roles of K-H in transcription termination and DSB repair.

Dual head screw hip nailing for trochanteric fractures

Science.gov (United States)

Mavrogenis, Andreas F.; Igoumenou, Vasilios G.; Megaloikonomos, Panayiotis D.; Panagopoulos, George N.; Galanopoulos, Ioannis P.; Vottis, Christos Th.; Karamanis, Eirinaios; Koulouvaris, Panayiotis; Papagelopoulos, Panayiotis J.

2017-01-01

Introduction: There are limited information and inconclusive results for dual head screw intramedullary hip nails for trochanteric fractures. Therefore, we performed a prospective study to evaluate the healing of fractures, and survival, function, and complications of patients operated with this implant. Methods: We prospectively studied 79 patients (61 women and 18 men; mean age: 84.7 years; range: 65–96 years) with a low-energy trochanteric fracture, treated with a dual head screw intramedullary hip nail from 2013 to 2016. The mean follow-up was 2.1 years (range: 1–3 years); seven patients were lost to follow up. This left 72 patients for further analysis. We evaluated the healing of fractures, and survival, function, and complications of patients. Results: Fracture healing was evident in 70 patients (97.2%) at 2–3 months postoperatively. One patient experienced cut-out and z-effect phenomenon of the head screws. Another patient experienced a periprosthetic femoral diaphysis fracture at the distal tip of the nail. A third patient experienced an acute postoperative superficial skin infection that was treated successfully with wound dressing changes and a course of antibiotics. Sixteen patients (22.2%) deceased within 12 months postoperatively. In the remaining patients, the Harris Hip Score (HHS) at 12 months postoperatively was excellent in 16 (28.6%), good in 23 (41.1%), fair in 10 (17.8%), and poor in 7 patients (12.5%). The function declined after the patients’ fracture. Fair and poor results were related to age > 85 years, poor pre-fracture level of function, and AO/OTA-31-A3 fracture types. Conclusion: The dual head screw intramedullary hip nail is associated with high healing and low complication rates for intertrochanteric fractures. The function of the patients is good or excellent in most cases; however, it declines, especially for those patients with age > 85 years, poor pre-fracture level of function, and AO/OTA-31-A3 fracture types

Dual head screw hip nailing for trochanteric fractures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mavrogenis Andreas F.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: There are limited information and inconclusive results for dual head screw intramedullary hip nails for trochanteric fractures. Therefore, we performed a prospective study to evaluate the healing of fractures, and survival, function, and complications of patients operated with this implant. Methods: We prospectively studied 79 patients (61 women and 18 men; mean age: 84.7 years; range: 65–96 years with a low-energy trochanteric fracture, treated with a dual head screw intramedullary hip nail from 2013 to 2016. The mean follow-up was 2.1 years (range: 1–3 years; seven patients were lost to follow up. This left 72 patients for further analysis. We evaluated the healing of fractures, and survival, function, and complications of patients. Results: Fracture healing was evident in 70 patients (97.2% at 2–3 months postoperatively. One patient experienced cut-out and z-effect phenomenon of the head screws. Another patient experienced a periprosthetic femoral diaphysis fracture at the distal tip of the nail. A third patient experienced an acute postoperative superficial skin infection that was treated successfully with wound dressing changes and a course of antibiotics. Sixteen patients (22.2% deceased within 12 months postoperatively. In the remaining patients, the Harris Hip Score (HHS at 12 months postoperatively was excellent in 16 (28.6%, good in 23 (41.1%, fair in 10 (17.8%, and poor in 7 patients (12.5%. The function declined after the patients’ fracture. Fair and poor results were related to age > 85 years, poor pre-fracture level of function, and AO/OTA-31-A3 fracture types. Conclusion: The dual head screw intramedullary hip nail is associated with high healing and low complication rates for intertrochanteric fractures. The function of the patients is good or excellent in most cases; however, it declines, especially for those patients with age > 85 years, poor pre-fracture level of function, and AO/OTA-31-A3

A Dual-Sensing Receptor Confers Robust Cellular Homeostasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hannah Schramke

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Cells have evolved diverse mechanisms that maintain intracellular homeostasis in fluctuating environments. In bacteria, control is often exerted by bifunctional receptors acting as both kinase and phosphatase to regulate gene expression, a design known to provide robustness against noise. Yet how such antagonistic enzymatic activities are balanced as a function of environmental change remains poorly understood. We find that the bifunctional receptor that regulates K+ uptake in Escherichia coli is a dual sensor, which modulates its autokinase and phosphatase activities in response to both extracellular and intracellular K+ concentration. Using mathematical modeling, we show that dual sensing is a superior strategy for ensuring homeostasis when both the supply of and demand for a limiting resource fluctuate. By engineering standards, this molecular control system displays a strikingly high degree of functional integration, providing a reference for the vast numbers of receptors for which the sensing strategy remains elusive.

Design of two-DMD based zoom MW and LW dual-band IRSP using pixel fusion

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Yue; Xu, Xiping; Qiao, Yang

2018-06-01

In order to test the anti-jamming ability of mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) dual-band imaging system, a zoom mid-wave (MW) and long-wave (LW) dual-band infrared scene projector (IRSP) based on two-digital micro-mirror device (DMD) was designed by using a projection method of pixel fusion. Two illumination systems, which illuminate the two DMDs directly with Kohler telecentric beam respectively, were combined with projection system by a spatial layout way. The distances of projection entrance pupil and illumination exit pupil were also analyzed separately. MWIR and LWIR virtual scenes were generated respectively by two DMDs and fused by a dichroic beam combiner (DBC), resulting in two radiation distributions in projected image. The optical performance of each component was evaluated by ray tracing simulations. Apparent temperature and image contrast were demonstrated by imaging experiments. On the basis of test and simulation results, the aberrations of optical system were well corrected, and the quality of projected image meets test requirements.

Apparent directional selection by biased pleiotropic mutation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Yoshinari

2010-07-01

Pleiotropic effects of deleterious mutations are considered to be among the factors responsible for genetic constraints on evolution by long-term directional selection acting on a quantitative trait. If pleiotropic phenotypic effects are biased in a particular direction, mutations generate apparent directional selection, which refers to the covariance between fitness and the trait owing to a linear association between the number of mutations possessed by individuals and the genotypic values of the trait. The present analysis has shown how the equilibrium mean value of the trait is determined by a balance between directional selection and biased pleiotropic mutations. Assuming that genes act additively both on the trait and on fitness, the total variance-standardized directional selection gradient was decomposed into apparent and true components. Experimental data on mutation bias from the bristle traits of Drosophila and life history traits of Daphnia suggest that apparent selection explains a small but significant fraction of directional selection pressure that is observed in nature; the data suggest that changes induced in a trait by biased pleiotropic mutation (i.e., by apparent directional selection) are easily compensated for by (true) directional selection.

Dual source and dual detector arrays tetrahedron beam computed tomography for image guided radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Joshua; Zhang, Tiezhi; Lu, Weiguo

2014-01-01

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is an important online imaging modality for image guided radiotherapy. But suboptimal image quality and the lack of a real-time stereoscopic imaging function limit its implementation in advanced treatment techniques, such as online adaptive and 4D radiotherapy. Tetrahedron beam computed tomography (TBCT) is a novel online imaging modality designed to improve on the image quality provided by CBCT. TBCT geometry is flexible, and multiple detector and source arrays can be used for different applications. In this paper, we describe a novel dual source–dual detector TBCT system that is specially designed for LINAC radiation treatment machines. The imaging system is positioned in-line with the MV beam and is composed of two linear array x-ray sources mounted aside the electrical portal imaging device and two linear arrays of x-ray detectors mounted below the machine head. The detector and x-ray source arrays are orthogonal to each other, and each pair of source and detector arrays forms a tetrahedral volume. Four planer images can be obtained from different view angles at each gantry position at a frame rate as high as 20 frames per second. The overlapped regions provide a stereoscopic field of view of approximately 10–15 cm. With a half gantry rotation, a volumetric CT image can be reconstructed having a 45 cm field of view. Due to the scatter rejecting design of the TBCT geometry, the system can potentially produce high quality 2D and 3D images with less radiation exposure. The design of the dual source–dual detector system is described, and preliminary results of studies performed on numerical phantoms and simulated patient data are presented. (paper)

Soil and groundwater remediation using dual-phase extraction technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, A.W.; Gan, D.R.

1995-01-01

A gasoline underground storage tank (UST) was formerly used to fuel vehicles for a hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. Elevated concentrations of gasoline range organics (GRO) were observed in soils and groundwater at the site during the tank removal and a subsequent site investigation. Based on the extent of soil and groundwater contamination, a dual-phase extraction technology was selected as the most cost effective alternative to remediate the site. The dual-phase extraction system includes one extraction well functioning both as a soil vapor extraction (SVE) and groundwater recovery well. After six months of operation, samples collected from the groundwater monitoring wells indicated that the groundwater has been cleaned up to levels below the Wisconsin preventative action limits. The dual-phase extraction system effectively remediated the site in a short period of time, saving both operation and maintenance costs and overall project cost

Combining polysaccharide biosynthesis and transport in a single enzyme: dual-function cell wall glycan synthases.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan Kent Davis

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Extracellular polysaccharides are synthesized by a wide variety of species, from unicellular bacteria and Archaea to the largest multicellular plants and animals in the biosphere. In every case, the biosynthesis of these polymers requires transport across a membrane, from the cytosol to either the lumen of secretory pathway organelles or directly into the extracellular space. Although some polysaccharide biosynthetic substrates are moved across the membrane to sites of polysaccharide synthesis by separate transporter proteins before being incorporated into polymers by glycosyltransferase proteins, many polysaccharide biosynthetic enzymes appear to have both transporter and transferase activities. In these cases, the biosynthetic enzymes utilize substrate on one side of the membrane and deposit the polymer product on the other side. This review discusses structural characteristics of plant cell wall glycan synthases that couple synthesis with transport, drawing on what is known about such dual-function enzymes in other species.

A New Perspective on the Apparent Solubility of Dissolved Black Carbon

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Sasha Wagner

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Black carbon (BC, pyrogenic organic matter generated from the incomplete combustion of biomass, is ubiquitous in the environment. The molecular structures which comprise the BC pool of compounds are defined by their condensed aromatic core structures polysubstituted with O-containing functionalities (e.g., carboxyl groups. Despite the apparent hydrophobicity of BC molecules, a considerable portion of BC is translocated from terrestrial to aquatic systems in the form of dissolved BC (DBC. However, the specific biogeochemical mechanisms which control the transfer of BC from the land to the water remain elusive. In the current study, the apparent solubility of DBC was inferred from octanol-water partition coefficients (Kow modeled for proposed DBC structures with varying degrees of polycondensation and polar functionality. Modeled Kow values indicated that DBC molecules with small aromatic ring systems and high degrees of hydrophilic functionality may be truly solubilized in the aqueous phase. However, large and highly condensed DBC structures yielded high Kow values, which suggested that a considerable portion of the DBC pool which has been quantified in aquatic environments is not truly dissolved. We hypothesized that other DOM components may act as mediators in the solubilization of condensed aromatic molecules and serve to increase the solubility of DBC via hydrophobic, intermolecular associations. This hypothesis was tested through controlled leaching experiments to determine whether the mobilization of DBC from particulate soils and chars became enhanced in the presence of DOM. However, we observed that characteristics inherent to each sample type had a greater influence than added DOM on the apparent solubility of DBC. In addition, the direct comparison of molecular marker (benzenepolycarboxylic acids and ultrahigh resolution mass spectral data (FT-ICR/MS on leachates obtained from the same set of soils and char did not show a clear overlap

A new perspective on the apparent solubility of dissolved black carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Sasha; Ding, Yan; Jaffé, Rudolf

2017-09-01

Black carbon (BC), pyrogenic organic matter generated from the incomplete combustion of biomass, is ubiquitous in the environment. The molecular structures which comprise the BC pool of compounds are defined by their condensed aromatic core structures polysubstituted with O-containing functionalities (e.g., carboxyl groups). Despite the apparent hydrophobicity of BC molecules, a considerable portion of BC is translocated from terrestrial to aquatic systems in the form of dissolved BC (DBC). However, the specific biogeochemical mechanisms which control the transfer of BC from the land to the water remain elusive. In the current study, the apparent solubility of DBC was inferred from octanol-water partition coefficients (Kow) modeled for proposed DBC structures with varying degrees of polycondensation and polar functionality. Modeled Kow values indicated that DBC molecules with small aromatic ring systems and high degrees of hydrophilic functionality may be truly solubilized in the aqueous phase. However, large and highly condensed DBC structures yielded high Kow values, which suggested that a considerable portion of the DBC pool which has been quantified in aquatic environments is not truly dissolved. We hypothesized that other DOM components may act as mediators in the solubilization of condensed aromatic molecules and serve to increase the solubility of DBC via hydrophobic, intermolecular associations. This hypothesis was tested through controlled leaching experiments to determine whether the mobilization of DBC from particulate soils and chars became enhanced in the presence of DOM. However, we observed that characteristics inherent to each sample type had a greater influence than added DOM on the apparent solubility of DBC. In addition, the direct comparison of molecular marker (benzenepolycarboxylic acids) and ultrahigh resolution mass spectral data (FT-ICR/MS) on leachates obtained from the same set of soils and char did not show a clear overlap in DBC

A Note on Supergravity Duals of Noncommutative Yang-Mills Theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Sumit R.; Ghosh, Banhiman

2000-01-01

A class of supergravity backgrounds have been proposed as dual descriptions of strong coupling large-N noncommutative Yang-Mills (NCYM) theories in 3+1 dimensions. However calculations of correlation functions in supergravity from an evaluation of relevant classical actions appear ambiguous. We propose a resolution of this ambiguity. Assuming that holographic description exists - regardless of whether it is the NCYM theory - we argue that there should be operators in the holographic boundary theory which create normalized states of definite energy and momenta. An operator version of the dual correspondence then provides a calculation of correlators of these operators in terms of bulk Green's functions. We show that in the low energy limit the correlators reproduce expected answers of the ordinary Yang-Mills theory. (author)

Body composition and pulmonary function in Cystic Fibrosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saba eSheikh

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Lower body mass index (BMI is associated with worse pulmonary function in cystic fibrosis (CF. Hypothesis: Lean body mass (LBM is more strongly associated with pulmonary function than BMI is.Methods: Anthropometrics, body composition by dual x-ray absorptiometry, and pulmonary function were determined in pancreatic insufficient CF (PI-CF youth. Sex and age-adjusted Z-scores (BMI-Z, LBMI-Z, FMI-Z were generated for CF and controls. 1 Associations of BMI-Z with LBMI-Z and FMI-Z and 2 age-adjusted associations of BMI-Z, LBMI-Z, and FMI-Z with FEV1%-predicted were tested. Results: 208 PI-CF subjects had lower BMI-Z, LBMI-Z, FMI-Z compared to 390 controls. BMI-Z was associated with lower LBMI-Z (pConclusions: In PI-CF youth, deficits in LBM were apparent. At lower BMI percentiles, BMI may not accurately depict LBM in PI-CF. In under-nourished PI-CF youth this preservation of FM in preference to LBM is relevant since LBMI-Z, but not FMI-Z, is positively associated with FEV1%-predicted. LBMI is more strongly associated with lung function compared to BMI, especially in the undernourished child and adolescent with PI-CF.

Onsite-effects of dual-hemisphere versus conventional single-hemisphere transcranial direct current stimulation

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Yong Hyun; Jang, Sung Ho

2012-01-01

We performed functional MRI examinations in six right-handed healthy subjects. During functional MRI scanning, transcranial direct current stimulation was delivered with the anode over the right primary sensorimotor cortex and the cathode over the left primary sensorimotor cortex using dual-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation. This was compared to a cathode over the left supraorbital area using conventional single-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation. Voxel counts and blood oxygenation level-dependent signal intensities in the right primary sensorimotor cortex regions were estimated and compared between the two transcranial direct current stimulation conditions. Our results showed that dual-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation induced greater cortical activities than single-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation. These findings suggest that dual-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation may provide more effective cortical stimulation than single-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation. PMID:25624815

Standard Test Method for Water Absorption, Bulk Density, Apparent Porosity, and Apparent Specific Gravity of Fired Whiteware Products

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2006-01-01

1.1 This test method covers procedures for determining water absorption, bulk density, apparent porosity, and apparent specific gravity of fired unglazed whiteware products. 1.2 This standard may involve hazardous materials, operations, and equipment. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Ambiguity in Tactile Apparent Motion Perception.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emanuela Liaci

Full Text Available In von Schiller's Stroboscopic Alternative Motion (SAM stimulus two visually presented diagonal dot pairs, located on the corners of an imaginary rectangle, alternate with each other and induce either horizontal, vertical or, rarely, rotational motion percepts. SAM motion perception can be described by a psychometric function of the dot aspect ratio ("AR", i.e. the relation between vertical and horizontal dot distances. Further, with equal horizontal and vertical dot distances (AR = 1 perception is biased towards vertical motion. In a series of five experiments, we presented tactile SAM versions and studied the role of AR and of different reference frames for the perception of tactile apparent motion.We presented tactile SAM stimuli and varied the ARs, while participants reported the perceived motion directions. Pairs of vibration stimulators were attached to the participants' forearms and stimulator distances were varied within and between forearms. We compared straight and rotated forearm conditions with each other in order to disentangle the roles of exogenous and endogenous reference frames.Increasing the tactile SAM's AR biased perception towards vertical motion, but the effect was weak compared to the visual modality. We found no horizontal disambiguation, even for very small tactile ARs. A forearm rotation by 90° kept the vertical bias, even though it was now coupled with small ARs. A 45° rotation condition with crossed forearms, however, evoked a strong horizontal motion bias.Existing approaches to explain the visual SAM bias fail to explain the current tactile results. Particularly puzzling is the strong horizontal bias in the crossed-forearm conditions. In the case of tactile apparent motion, there seem to be no fixed priority rule for perceptual disambiguation. Rather the weighting of available evidence seems to depend on the degree of stimulus ambiguity, the current situation and on the perceptual strategy of the individual

Enhanced Strain in Functional Nanoporous Gold with a Dual Microscopic Length Scale Structure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Detsi, Eric; Punzhin, Sergey; Rao, Jiancun; Onck, Patrick R.; De Hosson, Jeff Th. M.

We have synthesized nanoporous Au with a dual microscopic length scale by exploiting the crystal structure of the alloy precursor. The synthesized mesoscopic material is characterized by stacked Au layers of submicrometer thickness. In addition, each layer displays nanoporosity through the entire

Lp-dual affine surface area

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Wang; Binwu, He

2008-12-01

According to the notion of Lp-affine surface area by Lutwak, in this paper, we introduce the concept of Lp-dual affine surface area. Further, we establish the affine isoperimetric inequality and the Blaschke-Santaló inequality for Lp-dual affine surface area. Besides, the dual Brunn-Minkowski inequality for Lp-dual affine surface area is presented.

Dual symmetry in gauge theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koshkarov, A.L.

1997-01-01

Continuous dual symmetry in electrodynamics, Yang-Mills theory and gravitation is investigated. Dual invariant which leads to badly nonlinear motion equations is chosen as a Lagrangian of the pure classical dual nonlinear electrodynamics. In a natural manner some dual angle which is determined by the electromagnetic strengths at the point of the time-space appears in the model. Motion equations may well be interpreted as the equations of the standard Maxwell theory with source. Alternative interpretation is the quasi-Maxwell linear theory with magnetic charge. Analogous approach is possible in the Yang-Mills theory. In this case the dual-invariant non-Abelian theory motion equations possess the same instanton solutions as the conventional Yang-Mills equations have. An Abelian two-parameter dual group is found to exist in gravitation. Irreducible representations have been obtained: the curvature tensor was expanded into the sum of twice anti-self-dual and self-dual parts. Gravitational instantons are defined as (real )solutions to the usual duality equations. Central symmetry solutions to these equations are obtained. The twice anti-self-dual part of the curvature tensor may be used for introduction of new gravitational equations generalizing Einstein''s equations. However, the theory obtained reduces to the conformal-flat Nordstroem theory

Multiple Weather Factors Affect Apparent Survival of European Passerine Birds

Science.gov (United States)

Salewski, Volker; Hochachka, Wesley M.; Fiedler, Wolfgang

2013-01-01

Weather affects the demography of animals and thus climate change will cause local changes in demographic rates. In birds numerous studies have correlated demographic factors with weather but few of those examined variation in the impacts of weather in different seasons and, in the case of migrants, in different regions. Using capture-recapture models we correlated weather with apparent survival of seven passerine bird species with different migration strategies to assess the importance of selected facets of weather throughout the year on apparent survival. Contrary to our expectations weather experienced during the breeding season did not affect apparent survival of the target species. However, measures for winter severity were associated with apparent survival of a resident species, two short-distance/partial migrants and a long-distance migrant. Apparent survival of two short distance migrants as well as two long-distance migrants was further correlated with conditions experienced during the non-breeding season in Spain. Conditions in Africa had statistically significant but relatively minor effects on the apparent survival of the two long-distance migrants but also of a presumably short-distance migrant and a short-distance/partial migrant. In general several weather effects independently explained similar amounts of variation in apparent survival for the majority of species and single factors explained only relatively low amounts of temporal variation of apparent survival. Although the directions of the effects on apparent survival mostly met our expectations and there are clear predictions for effects of future climate we caution against simple extrapolations of present conditions to predict future population dynamics. Not only did weather explains limited amounts of variation in apparent survival, but future demographics will likely be affected by changing interspecific interactions, opposing effects of weather in different seasons, and the potential for

Dual fermion approach to disordered correlated systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haase, Patrick

2015-01-01

with respect to the Anderson-Falicov-Kimball model. The Anderson-Hubbard model is the main application. For both models, the algorithm is tested in one dimension for the single particle Green function and compared to the dynamical cluster approximation to estimate the quality of the results. The Anderson-Falicov-Kimball model is studied further in two dimensions and the phase diagram on the disorder-interaction plane is calculated from both the single particle Green function and the dc conductivity. For the Anderson-Hubbard model, the antiferromagnetic phase transition, the Mott transition and the Anderson transition are investigated in three dimensions. The dynamical mean-field theory results are qualitatively confirmed for the most part. Quantitative corrections are in agreement with dynamical cluster approximation results, thus confirming the validity of the results. We found a qualitative difference between the dual fermion approach and dynamical mean-field theory for the temperature dependence of the hysteresis of the double occupancy. The dual fermion result shows a decreasing lower critical interaction strength for decreasing temperature, which is in contrast with the dynamical mean-field result that shows an increase of the lower critical interaction strength. This behavior happens for small temperatures that are not accessible using for example the dynamical cluster approximation, thus highlighting the usefulness of the dual fermion approach. We found this behavior for all values of the disorder that we considered.

Dual energy CT

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Al-Najami, Issam; Drue, Henrik Christian; Steele, Robert

2017-01-01

and inaccurate with existing methods. Dual Energy Computed Tomography (DECT) enables qualitative tissue differentiation by simultaneous scanning with different levels of energy. We aimed to assess the feasibility of DECT in quantifying tumor response to neoadjuvant therapy in loco-advanced rectal cancer. METHODS...... to determine the average quantitative parameters; effective-Z, water- and iodine-concentration, Dual Energy Index (DEI), and Dual Energy Ratio (DER). These parameters were compared to the regression in the resection specimen as measured by the pathologist. RESULTS: Changes in the quantitative parameters...

Dual-Hop FSO Transmission Systems over Gamma-Gamma Turbulence with Pointing Errors

KAUST Repository

Zedini, Emna

2016-11-18

In this paper, we analyze the end-to-end performance of dual-hop free-space optical (FSO) fixed gain relaying systems under heterodyne detection and intensity modulation with direct detection techniques in the presence of atmospheric turbulence as well as pointing errors. In particular, we derive the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in exact closed-form in terms of the bivariate Fox’s H function. Capitalizing on this CDF expression, novel closed-form expressions for the outage probability, the average bit-error rate (BER) for different modulation schemes, and the ergodic capacity of dual-hop FSO transmission systems are presented. Moreover, we present very tight asymptotic results for the outage probability and the average BER at high SNR regime in terms of simple elementary functions and we derive the diversity order of the considered system. By using dual-hop FSO relaying, we demonstrate a better system performance as compared to the single FSO link. Numerical and Monte-Carlo simulation results are provided to verify the accuracy of the newly proposed results, and a perfect agreement is observed.

An expandable prosthesis with dual cage-and-plate function in a single device for vertebral body replacement: the clinical experience on 14 consecutive cases with vertebral tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez, J J; Ramírez, J J; Chiquete, E; Gómez-Limón, E

2011-09-01

The aim of this paper was to test the hypothesis that an expandable prosthesis with dual cage-and-plate function can provide immediate and durable spine stabilization after corpectomy. We designed an expandable vertebral body prosthesis with dual cage-and-plate function in a single device (JR-prosthesis). Anatomical studies were performed to design a titanium-made prosthesis. Cadaver assays were done with a stainless steal device to test fixation and adequacy to the human spine anatomy. Then, 14 patients with vertebral tumors (8 metastatic) underwent corpectomy and vertebral body replacement with the JR-prosthesis. All patients had neurological deficit, severe pain and spine instability (mean follow-up: 25.4 months). Mean pain score before surgery in a visual analog scale improved from 7.6 to 3.0 points after operation (P=0.002). All patients achieved at least one grade of improvement in the Frankel score (P=0.003), excepting the 3 patients with Frankel grade A presurgery. Two patients with renal cell carcinoma died during the following 4 days after surgery (renal failure and massive bleeding), the rest attained a painless and stable spine immediately and maintained for long periods. No significant infections or implant failures were registered. A non-fatal case of inferior vena cava surgical injury was observed (repaired during surgery without further complications). The JR-prosthesis stabilizes the spine immediately after surgery and for the rest of the patients' life. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the clinical experience of any expandable vertebral body prosthesis with dual cage-and-plate function in a single device. These observations await confirmation in different scenarios.

Modeling intraparticle transports during propylene polymerizations using supported metallocene and dual function metallocene as catalysts: Single particle model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Hua-Rong

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Two improved multigrain models (MGMs for preparing homopolypropylene and long chain branched polypropylene via propylene polymerization using silica-supported metallocene or dual function metallocene as catalysts are presented in this paper. The presented models are used to predict the intraparticle flow fields involved in the polymerizations. The simulation results show that the flow field distributions involve dare basically identical. The results also show that both the two polymerization processes have an initiation stage and the controlling step for them is reaction-diffusion-reaction with the polymerization proceeding. Furthermore, the simulation results show that the intra particle mass transfer resistance has significant effect on the polymerization but the heat transfer resistance can be ignored.

Dual Smarandache Curves and Smarandache Ruled Surfaces

OpenAIRE

Tanju KAHRAMAN; Mehmet ÖNDER; H. Hüseyin UGURLU

2013-01-01

In this paper, by considering dual geodesic trihedron (dual Darboux frame) we define dual Smarandache curves lying fully on dual unit sphere S^2 and corresponding to ruled surfaces. We obtain the relationships between the elements of curvature of dual spherical curve (ruled surface) x(s) and its dual Smarandache curve (Smarandache ruled surface) x1(s) and we give an example for dual Smarandache curves of a dual spherical curve.

Dual chamber arrhythmia detection in the implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

Science.gov (United States)

Dijkman, B; Wellens, H J

2000-10-01

Dual chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) technology extended ICD therapy to more than termination of hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachyarrhythmias. It created the basis for dual chamber arrhythmia management in which dependable detection is important for treatment and prevention of both ventricular and atrial arrhythmias. Dual chamber detection algorithms were investigated in two Medtronic dual chamber ICDs: the 7250 Jewel AF (33 patients) and the 7271 Gem DR (31 patients). Both ICDs use the same PR Logic algorithm to interpret tachycardia as ventricular tachycardia (VT), supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), or dual (VT+ SVT). The accuracy of dual chamber detection was studied in 310 of 1,367 spontaneously occurring tachycardias in which rate criterion only was not sufficient for arrhythmia diagnosis. In 78 episodes there was a double tachycardia, in 223 episodes SVT was detected in the VT or ventricular fibrillation zone, and in 9 episodes arrhythmia was detected outside the boundaries of the PR Logic functioning. In 100% of double tachycardias the VT was correctly diagnosed and received priority treatment. SVT was seen in 59 (19%) episodes diagnosed as VT. The causes of inappropriate detection were (1) algorithm failure (inability to fulfill the PRDual chamber detection algorithms evaluated in a subset of diagnostically difficult arrhythmias allow safe detection of double tachycardias but require further extension and programmability to

Empirical dual energy calibration (EDEC) for cone-beam computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stenner, Philip; Berkus, Timo; Kachelriess, Marc

2007-01-01

Material-selective imaging using dual energy CT (DECT) relies heavily on well-calibrated material decomposition functions. These require the precise knowledge of the detected x-ray spectra, and even if they are exactly known the reliability of DECT will suffer from scattered radiation. We propose an empirical method to determine the proper decomposition function. In contrast to other decomposition algorithms our empirical dual energy calibration (EDEC) technique requires neither knowledge of the spectra nor of the attenuation coefficients. The desired material-selective raw data p 1 and p 2 are obtained as functions of the measured attenuation data q 1 and q 2 (one DECT scan=two raw data sets) by passing them through a polynomial function. The polynomial's coefficients are determined using a general least squares fit based on thresholded images of a calibration phantom. The calibration phantom's dimension should be of the same order of magnitude as the test object, but other than that no assumptions on its exact size or positioning are made. Once the decomposition coefficients are determined DECT raw data can be decomposed by simply passing them through the polynomial. To demonstrate EDEC simulations of an oval CTDI phantom, a lung phantom, a thorax phantom and a mouse phantom were carried out. The method was further verified by measuring a physical mouse phantom, a half-and-half-cylinder phantom and a Yin-Yang phantom with a dedicated in vivo dual source micro-CT scanner. The raw data were decomposed into their components, reconstructed, and the pixel values obtained were compared to the theoretical values. The determination of the calibration coefficients with EDEC is very robust and depends only slightly on the type of calibration phantom used. The images of the test phantoms (simulations and measurements) show a nearly perfect agreement with the theoretical μ values and density values. Since EDEC is an empirical technique it inherently compensates for scatter

Apparent Solar Tornado-Like Prominences

Science.gov (United States)

Panasenco, Olga; Martin, Sara F.; Velli, Marco

2014-02-01

Recent high-resolution observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) have reawakened interest in the old and fascinating phenomenon of solar tornado-like prominences. This class of prominences was first introduced by Pettit ( Astrophys. J. 76, 9, 1932), who studied them over many years. Observations of tornado prominences similar to the ones seen by SDO had already been documented by Secchi ( Le Soleil, 1877). High-resolution and high-cadence multiwavelength data obtained by SDO reveal that the tornado-like appearance of these prominences is mainly an illusion due to projection effects. We discuss two different cases where prominences on the limb might appear to have a tornado-like behavior. One case of apparent vortical motions in prominence spines and barbs arises from the (mostly) 2D counterstreaming plasma motion along the prominence spine and barbs together with oscillations along individual threads. The other case of apparent rotational motion is observed in a prominence cavity and results from the 3D plasma motion along the writhed magnetic fields inside and along the prominence cavity as seen projected on the limb. Thus, the "tornado" impression results either from counterstreaming and oscillations or from the projection on the plane of the sky of plasma motion along magnetic-field lines, rather than from a true vortical motion around an (apparent) vertical or horizontal axis. We discuss the link between tornado-like prominences, filament barbs, and photospheric vortices at their base.

Assessing the contribution of binaural cues for apparent source width perception via a functional model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Käsbach, Johannes; Hahmann, Manuel; May, Tobias

2016-01-01

In echoic conditions, sound sources are not perceived as point sources but appear to be expanded. The expansion in the horizontal dimension is referred to as apparent source width (ASW). To elicit this perception, the auditory system has access to fluctuations of binaural cues, the interaural time...... a statistical representation of ITDs and ILDs based on percentiles integrated over time and frequency. The model’s performance was evaluated against psychoacoustic data obtained with noise, speech and music signals in loudspeakerbased experiments. A robust model prediction of ASW was achieved using a cross...

Measurement of Apparent Thermal Conductivity of JSC-1A Under Ambient Pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Zeng-Guang; Kleinhenz, Julie E.

2011-01-01

The apparent thermal conductivity of JSC-1A lunar regolith simulant was measured experimentally using a cylindrical apparatus. Eleven thermocouples were embedded in the simulant bed to obtain the steady state temperature distribution at various radial, axial, and azimuthal locations. The high aspect ratio of a cylindrical geometry was proven to provide a one-dimensional, axisymmetric temperature field. A test series was performed at atmospheric pressure with varying heat fluxes. The radial temperature distribution in each test fit a logarithmic function, indicating a constant thermal conductivity throughout the soil bed. However, thermal conductivity was not constant between tests at different heat fluxes. This variation is attributed to stresses created by thermal expansion of the simulant particles against the rigid chamber wall. Under stress-free conditions (20 deg C), the data suggest a temperature independent apparent conductivity of 0.1961 +/- 0.0070 W/m/ deg C

Function, Type, and Distribution of Teacher Questions in Dual-Language Preschool Read Alouds

Science.gov (United States)

Gort, Mileidis; Pontier, Ryan W.; Sembiante, Sabrina F.

2012-01-01

This exploratory study investigated the nature and distribution of dual-language preschool teachers' questions across parallel Spanish- and English-medium read-aloud activities. The notions of comprehensible input (Krashen, 1985) and language output (Swain, 1985), along with a reciprocal interaction model of teaching (Cummins, 2000), guided our…

Effects of Red Blood Cell Aggregation on the Apparent Viscosity of Blood Flow in Tubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hitt, Darren L.; Lowe, Mary L.

1996-11-01

In arterioles and venules (20-200μ diameter), the low shear rates enable red blood cells to form aggregate structures of varying sizes and morphology. The size and distribution of the aggregates affect the flow impedance within a microvascular network; this effect may be characterized by an "apparent viscosity". In this study, we measure the apparent viscosity of blood flow in 50μ glass tubes as a function of shear rate and red blood cell volume fraction (hematocrit); for a fixed tube geometry and an imposed flow rate, the viscosity is determined by measuring the pressure drop across the tube. To correlate the apparent viscosity with the size and spatial distribution of the aggregates in the flow, video images of the flow are recorded and analyzed using power spectral techniques. Pig blood and sheep blood are used as the models for aggregating and non-aggregating blood, respectively. Supported by NSF PFF Award CTS-9253633

Exploring Bilingual Pedagogies in Dual Language Preschool Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Gort, Mileidis; Pontier, Ryan W.

2013-01-01

In this paper, we present an analysis of the language practices of four Spanish/English dual language (DL) preschool teachers, focusing on the ways in which the teachers mediate bilingual interactions with students and distribute Spanish and English across different classroom discourse functions. Findings reveal teachers' flexible and strategic…

Demonstration and evaluation of dual-fuel technology; Demonstration och utvaerdering av dual-fuel-tekniken

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Staalhammar, Per; Erlandsson, Lennart; Willner, Kristina (AVL MTC Motortestcenter AB (Sweden)); Johannesson, Staffan (Ecoplan AB (Sweden))

2011-06-15

There is an increased interest for Dual Fuel (methane-Diesel) applications in Sweden since this technology is seen as one of the more interesting options for a fast and cost effective introduction of biomethane as fuel for HD engines. The Dual Fuel technology has been used for many years, mainly for stationary purpose (generators, pumps and ships) while the Spark Ignited (SI) 'Otto' technology has been used for trucks and busses. One obstacle for introducing Dual Fuel technology for busses and trucks is the EU legislation that don't allow for HD on road certification of Dual Fuel applications. Challenges with the Dual Fuel technology is to develop cost effective applications that is capable of reaching low emissions (especially CH{sub 4} and NO{sub x}) in combination with high Diesel replacement in the test cycles used for on road applications. AVL MTC Motortestcenter AB (hereinafter called AVL) has on commission by SGC (Swedish Gas technical Centre) carried out this project with the objectives to analyze the Dual Fuel (Diesel-methane) technology with focus on emissions, fuel consumption and technical challenges. One important part of this project was to carry out emission tests on selected Dual Fuel applications in Sweden and to compile experiences from existing Dual Fuel technology. This report also summarizes other commonly used technologies for methane engines and compares the Dual Fuel with conventional Diesel and Otto technologies. The major challenges with Dual Fuel applications for on road vehicles will be to develop robust and cost effective solutions that meet the emission legislations (with aged catalysts) and to increase the Diesel replacement to achieve reasonable reduction of green house gases (GHG). This is especially important when biomethane is available as fuel but not Bio-Diesel. It will probably be possible to reach EURO V emission limits with advanced Dual Fuel systems but none of the tested systems reached EURO V emission levels

Repair of lesser tuberosity osteotomy for shoulder arthroplasty: biomechanical evaluation of the Backpack and Dual Row techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Heckman, Daniel S; Hoover, Stephen A; Weinhold, Paul S; Spang, Jeffrey T; Creighton, R Alexander

2011-04-01

Subscapularis dysfunction following total shoulder arthroplasty can result in permanent loss of function. The lesser tuberosity osteotomy (LTO) has been proposed as a method which utilizes bone-to-bone healing to improve subscapularis function. This study evaluates the biomechanical properties of two described techniques for LTO repair. We hypothesized that a Dual Row repair would be stronger and demonstrate less cyclic displacement than a Backpack repair. Ten matched pairs of cadaveric humeri were dissected, leaving the subscapularis intact, and a lesser tuberosity osteotomy was performed. Matched shoulders were randomized to either a Backpack repair or a Dual Row repair. Repairs were subjected to cyclic loading to 180 N for 500 cycles, followed by ramp-up loading to ultimate failure. Clinical failure was defined as displacement >5 mm after 500 cycles. Displacement after 500 cycles was significantly greater for the Backpack repair (6.9 mm) than for the Dual Row repair (4.6 mm) (P = .007). Most displacement occurred on the first cycle (Backpack, 4.6 mm; Dual Row, 2.1 mm) (P Row repair (3/10). Ultimate tensile strength was significantly greater for the Dual Row repair (632.3 N) than for the Backpack repair (510.9 N) (P = .01). The Dual Row technique is significantly stronger and demonstrates less cyclic displacement than the Backpack technique. Clinical studies are needed to determine the impact of LTO repair technique on subscapularis function following shoulder arthroplasty. Copyright © 2011. Published by Mosby, Inc.

Studies on sampling and homogeneous dual readout calorimetry with meta-crystals

CERN Document Server

Mavromanolakis, G; Lecoq, P

2011-01-01

The meta-crystals concept is an approach that consists of using both undoped and properly doped heavy crystal fibers of identical material as the active medium of a calorimeter. The undoped fibers behave as Cherenkov radiators while the doped ones behave as scintillators. A dual readout calorimeter can be built with its sensitive volume composed of a mixture of both types of crystals. In addition if the calorimeter is adequately finely segmented it can also function as a particle flow calorimeter at the same time. In this way one could possibly combine the advantages of both the particle flow concept and the dual readout scheme. We discuss the approach of dual readout calorimetry with meta-crystals made of Lutetium Aluminium Garnet (LuAG). We brie fly present studies on the material development and first testbeam activities and then focus on performance expectation studies based on simulation. We discuss in more detail the results from generic systematic scannings of the design parameters of a dual readout ca...

Relative quantification of protein-protein interactions using a dual luciferase reporter pull-down assay system.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuaizheng Jia

Full Text Available The identification and quantitative analysis of protein-protein interactions are essential to the functional characterization of proteins in the post-proteomics era. The methods currently available are generally time-consuming, technically complicated, insensitive and/or semi-quantitative. The lack of simple, sensitive approaches to precisely quantify protein-protein interactions still prevents our understanding of the functions of many proteins. Here, we develop a novel dual luciferase reporter pull-down assay by combining a biotinylated Firefly luciferase pull-down assay with a dual luciferase reporter assay. The biotinylated Firefly luciferase-tagged protein enables rapid and efficient isolation of a putative Renilla luciferase-tagged binding protein from a relatively small amount of sample. Both of these proteins can be quantitatively detected using the dual luciferase reporter assay system. Protein-protein interactions, including Fos-Jun located in the nucleus; MAVS-TRAF3 in cytoplasm; inducible IRF3 dimerization; viral protein-regulated interactions, such as MAVS-MAVS and MAVS-TRAF3; IRF3 dimerization; and protein interaction domain mapping, are studied using this novel assay system. Herein, we demonstrate that this dual luciferase reporter pull-down assay enables the quantification of the relative amounts of interacting proteins that bind to streptavidin-coupled beads for protein purification. This study provides a simple, rapid, sensitive, and efficient approach to identify and quantify relative protein-protein interactions. Importantly, the dual luciferase reporter pull-down method will facilitate the functional determination of proteins.

Dual Orlicz geominimal surface area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tongyi Ma

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract The L p $L_{p}$ -geominimal surface area was introduced by Lutwak in 1996, which extended the important concept of the geominimal surface area. Recently, Wang and Qi defined the p-dual geominimal surface area, which belongs to the dual Brunn-Minkowski theory. In this paper, based on the concept of the dual Orlicz mixed volume, we extend the dual geominimal surface area to the Orlicz version and give its properties. In addition, the isoperimetric inequality, a Blaschke-Santaló type inequality, and the monotonicity inequality for the dual Orlicz geominimal surface areas are established.

Dual functional extracellular recording using a light-addressable potentiometric sensor for bitter signal transduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Liping; Wang, Jian; Chen, Wei; Zhao, Luhang; Wu, Chunsheng; Wang, Ping

2018-08-31

This paper presents a dual functional extracellular recording biosensor based on a light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS). The design and fabrication of this biosensor make it possible to record both extracellular membrane potential changes and ATP release from a single taste bud cell for the first time. For detecting ATP release, LAPS chip was functionalized with ATP-sensitive DNA aptamer by covalent immobilization. Taste bud cells isolated from rat were cultured on LAPS surface. When the desired single taste bud cell was illuminated by modulated light, ATP release from single taste bud cells can be measured by recording the shifts of bias voltage-photocurrent curves (I-V curves) when the LAPS chip is working in discrete mode. On the other hand, extracellular membrane potential changes can be monitored by recording the fluctuation of LAPS photocurrent when the LAPS chip is working in continuous mode. The results show this biosensor can effectively record the enhancive effect of the bitter substance and inhibitory effect of the carbenoxolone (CBX) on the extracellular membrane potential changes and ATP release of single taste bud cells. In addition, the inhibitory effect of CBX also confirms LAPS extracellular recordings are originated from bitter signal transduction. It is proved this biosensor is suitable for extracellular recording of ATP release and membrane potential changes of single taste bud cells. It is suggested this biosensor could be applied to investigating taste signal transduction at the single-cell level as well as applied to other types of cells which have similar functions to taste bud cells. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dual-band dual-polarized array for WLAN applications

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Steyn, JM

2009-01-01

Full Text Available dual-band dual-polarized (DBDP) antenna design for WLAN applications. The antenna is in the form of an array consisting of four double-dipole radiators. The basic radiating element consists of a rhombus shaped dipole above a planar ground plane... the ground planes and the respective feedlines. Substrate cuts and difierent heights for the horizontal feedlines were necessary to achieve the latter. The 2nd conflguration (for vertical polarization) has a slightly difierent feeding network layout...

Time to and predictors of dual incontinence in older nursing home admissions.

Science.gov (United States)

Bliss, Donna Z; Gurvich, Olga V; Eberly, Lynn E; Harms, Susan

2018-01-01

There are few studies of nursing home residents that have investigated the development of dual incontinence, perhaps the most severe type of incontinence as both urinary and fecal incontinence occur. To determine the time to and predictors of dual incontinence in older nursing home residents. Using a cohort design, records of older nursing home admissions who were continent or had only urinary or only fecal incontinence (n = 39,181) were followed forward for report of dual incontinence. Four national US datasets containing potential predictors at multiple levels describing characteristics of nursing home residents, nursing homes (n = 445), and socioeconomic and sociodemographic status of the community surrounding nursing homes were analyzed. A Cox proportional hazard regression with nursing home-specific random effect was used. At 6 months after admission, 28% of nursing home residents developed dual incontinence, at 1 year 42% did so, and at 2 years, 61% had dual incontinence. Significant predictors for time to developing dual incontinence were having urinary incontinence, greater functional or cognitive deficits, more comorbidities, older age, and lesser quality of nursing home care. The development of dual incontinence is a major problem among nursing home residents. Predictors in this study offer guidance in developing interventions to prevent and reduce the time to developing this problem which may improve the quality of life of nursing residents. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

El anillo de los números duales

OpenAIRE

Jiménez, Haydee; Luque, Carlos Julio

2007-01-01

Se inicia con una presentación de la estructura de * - Álgebra de los números duales; se muestran diferentes representaciones que permiten la definición de potencias racionales de números duales, lo que exige una extensión de su estructura a un anillo de números duales con coeficientes complejos. Seguidamente se estudian la función exponencial dual y la función logaritmo dual que permiten la definición de potencias duales de un número dual; luego se estudian ecuaciones en los números duales h...

Does spinal excitability scale to the difficulty of the dual-task?

Science.gov (United States)

Day, Devon M; Boivin, Mario T; Adkin, Allan L; Tokuno, Craig D

2017-08-01

This study examined whether spinal excitability, as measured by the soleus Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex), is scaled to the difficulty level of the dual-task being performed. Twenty-two participants completed a combination of three balance task and three secondary cognitive (visuo-motor) task difficulty levels for a total of nine dual-task conditions. An additional eight participants were tested while performing the same three balance task difficulty levels on its own (i.e., single-tasking). The balance task required participants to maintain their balance on a fixed or rotating stabilometer while the visuo-motor task required participants to respond to moving targets presented on a monitor. Throughout each single- and dual-task trial, H-reflexes were elicited from the soleus. Although dual-task performance, as quantified by visuo-motor task accuracy as well as the root mean square of the stabilometer position and velocity, decreased by 10-34% with increasing dual-task difficulty (p dual-task conditions (p = 0.483-0.758). This contrasts to when participants performed the balance task as a single-task, where the H-reflex amplitude decreased by ~25% from the easy to the hard balance task difficulty level (p = 0.037). In contrast to the commonly reported finding of a reduced soleus H-reflex amplitude when individuals perform a less posturally stable task by itself, the results indicate that spinal excitability is not modulated as a function of dual-task difficulty. It is possible that when an individual's attentional resource capacity is exceeded during dual-tasking, they become ineffective in regulating spinal excitability for balance control.

Central as well as peripheral attentional bottlenecks in dual-task performance activate lateral prefrontal cortices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andre J Szameitat

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Human information processing suffers from severe limitations in parallel processing. In particular, when required to respond to two stimuli in rapid succession, processing bottlenecks may appear at central and peripheral stages of task processing. Importantly, it has been suggested that executive functions are needed to resolve the interference arising at such bottlenecks. The aims of the present study were to test whether central attentional limitations (i.e., bottleneck at the decisional response selection stage as well as peripheral limitations (i.e., bottleneck at response initiation both demand executive functions located in the lateral prefrontal cortex. For this, we re-analysed two previous studies, in which a total of 33 participants performed a dual-task according to the paradigm of the psychological refractory period (PRP during fMRI. In one study (N=17, the PRP task consisted of two two-choice response tasks known to suffer from a central bottleneck (CB group. In the other study (N=16, the PRP task consisted of two simple-response tasks known to suffer from a peripheral bottleneck (PB group. Both groups showed considerable dual-task costs in form of slowing of the second response in the dual-task (PRP effect. Imaging results are based on the subtraction of both single-tasks from the dual-task within each group. In the CB group, the bilateral middle frontal gyri and inferior frontal gyri were activated. Higher activation in these areas was associated with lower dual-task costs. In the PB group, the right middle frontal and inferior frontal gyrus were activated. Here, higher activation was associated with higher dual-task costs. In conclusion we suggest that central and peripheral bottlenecks both demand executive functions located in lateral prefrontal cortices. Differences between the CB and PB groups with respect to the exact prefrontal areas activated and the correlational patterns suggest that the executive functions resolving

A dynamic dual process model of risky decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Diederich, Adele; Trueblood, Jennifer S

2018-03-01

Many phenomena in judgment and decision making are often attributed to the interaction of 2 systems of reasoning. Although these so-called dual process theories can explain many types of behavior, they are rarely formalized as mathematical or computational models. Rather, dual process models are typically verbal theories, which are difficult to conclusively evaluate or test. In the cases in which formal (i.e., mathematical) dual process models have been proposed, they have not been quantitatively fit to experimental data and are often silent when it comes to the timing of the 2 systems. In the current article, we present a dynamic dual process model framework of risky decision making that provides an account of the timing and interaction of the 2 systems and can explain both choice and response-time data. We outline several predictions of the model, including how changes in the timing of the 2 systems as well as time pressure can influence behavior. The framework also allows us to explore different assumptions about how preferences are constructed by the 2 systems as well as the dynamic interaction of the 2 systems. In particular, we examine 3 different possible functional forms of the 2 systems and 2 possible ways the systems can interact (simultaneously or serially). We compare these dual process models with 2 single process models using risky decision making data from Guo, Trueblood, and Diederich (2017). Using this data, we find that 1 of the dual process models significantly outperforms the other models in accounting for both choices and response times. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Nonword Reading: Comparing Dual-Route Cascaded and Connectionist Dual-Process Models with Human Data

Science.gov (United States)

Pritchard, Stephen C.; Coltheart, Max; Palethorpe, Sallyanne; Castles, Anne

2012-01-01

Two prominent dual-route computational models of reading aloud are the dual-route cascaded (DRC) model, and the connectionist dual-process plus (CDP+) model. While sharing similarly designed lexical routes, the two models differ greatly in their respective nonlexical route architecture, such that they often differ on nonword pronunciation. Neither…

CB 1/2 dual agonists with 3-carbamoyl 2-pyridone derivatives as antipruritics: reduction of CNS side effects by introducing polar functional groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Odan, Masahide; Ishizuka, Natsuki; Hiramatsu, Yoshiharu; Inagaki, Masanao; Hashizume, Hiroshi; Fujii, Yasuhiko; Mitsumori, Susumu; Morioka, Yasuhide; Soga, Masahiko; Deguchi, Masashi; Yasui, Kiyoshi; Arimura, Akinori

2012-04-15

Our lead compound 1 showed high affinity for both CB1 and CB2 receptors, suggesting the possibility of inducing psychoactive side effects through the CB1 receptor in the brain. To solve this issue, polar functional groups were introduced at the 3-position of the pyridone core of compound 1 to find CB1/2 dual agonists such as 17 and 20 which did not show any CNS side effects. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spinning self-dual particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gamboa, J.; Rivelles, V.O.

1989-02-01

We study spinning self-dual particles in two dimensions. They are obtained from the chiral bosonic particle through the square root technique. We show that the resulting field theory can be either fermionic or bosonic and that the associated self-dual field reveals its Lorentz tensor structure which remains hidden in the usual formulations. We also calculate the spinning self-dual particle propagators using the BFV formalism. (author) [pt

Dual-task functional exercises as an effective way to improve dynamic balance in persons with intellectual disability – continuation of the project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edyta Mikołajczyk

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Balance disorders are common in people with intellectual disability (ID. Aim of the research: The continuation of the project is aimed at finding out whether extension of the unstable surface dual-task functional exercises programme by another 12 weeks affects the level of dynamic balance in adolescents with ID and what those changes are like after the 8-week summer holidays. Material and methods: A total of 17 adolescents with ID aged 14–16 years (E performed functional exercises for another 12 weeks on unstable surfaces, and a group of 17 individuals with ID were the controls. Dynamic balance was assessed three times: after the first stage of the programme (test 2, after another 12 weeks (test 3, after the 8-week holiday (test 4. ALFA AC An International East stabilometric platform was used for measurements. Results : No statistical differences were discovered in group E, in dynamic balance assessment between test 2 and 3; however, the mean scores in group E, in test 3, were slightly better than in test 2, and notably better than in group C. No significant differences between test 3 and 4 were found in group E either. Conclusions : Extension of the intervention program helped to maintain improved dynamic balance. Discontinuation of the program for the period of 8 weeks resulted in decreased level of balance; however, it was still higher than at the beginning of the project. Dual-task functional exercises based on activities of daily living (ADLs and stimulation of righting reactions may enhance dynamic balance in individuals with ID, but it should be constantly stimulated.

Resting state networks' corticotopy: the dual intertwined rings architecture.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salma Mesmoudi

Full Text Available How does the brain integrate multiple sources of information to support normal sensorimotor and cognitive functions? To investigate this question we present an overall brain architecture (called "the dual intertwined rings architecture" that relates the functional specialization of cortical networks to their spatial distribution over the cerebral cortex (or "corticotopy". Recent results suggest that the resting state networks (RSNs are organized into two large families: 1 a sensorimotor family that includes visual, somatic, and auditory areas and 2 a large association family that comprises parietal, temporal, and frontal regions and also includes the default mode network. We used two large databases of resting state fMRI data, from which we extracted 32 robust RSNs. We estimated: (1 the RSN functional roles by using a projection of the results on task based networks (TBNs as referenced in large databases of fMRI activation studies; and (2 relationship of the RSNs with the Brodmann Areas. In both classifications, the 32 RSNs are organized into a remarkable architecture of two intertwined rings per hemisphere and so four rings linked by homotopic connections. The first ring forms a continuous ensemble and includes visual, somatic, and auditory cortices, with interspersed bimodal cortices (auditory-visual, visual-somatic and auditory-somatic, abbreviated as VSA ring. The second ring integrates distant parietal, temporal and frontal regions (PTF ring through a network of association fiber tracts which closes the ring anatomically and ensures a functional continuity within the ring. The PTF ring relates association cortices specialized in attention, language and working memory, to the networks involved in motivation and biological regulation and rhythms. This "dual intertwined architecture" suggests a dual integrative process: the VSA ring performs fast real-time multimodal integration of sensorimotor information whereas the PTF ring performs multi

Resting State Networks' Corticotopy: The Dual Intertwined Rings Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Mesmoudi, Salma; Perlbarg, Vincent; Rudrauf, David; Messe, Arnaud; Pinsard, Basile; Hasboun, Dominique; Cioli, Claudia; Marrelec, Guillaume; Toro, Roberto; Benali, Habib; Burnod, Yves

2013-01-01

How does the brain integrate multiple sources of information to support normal sensorimotor and cognitive functions? To investigate this question we present an overall brain architecture (called “the dual intertwined rings architecture”) that relates the functional specialization of cortical networks to their spatial distribution over the cerebral cortex (or “corticotopy”). Recent results suggest that the resting state networks (RSNs) are organized into two large families: 1) a sensorimotor family that includes visual, somatic, and auditory areas and 2) a large association family that comprises parietal, temporal, and frontal regions and also includes the default mode network. We used two large databases of resting state fMRI data, from which we extracted 32 robust RSNs. We estimated: (1) the RSN functional roles by using a projection of the results on task based networks (TBNs) as referenced in large databases of fMRI activation studies; and (2) relationship of the RSNs with the Brodmann Areas. In both classifications, the 32 RSNs are organized into a remarkable architecture of two intertwined rings per hemisphere and so four rings linked by homotopic connections. The first ring forms a continuous ensemble and includes visual, somatic, and auditory cortices, with interspersed bimodal cortices (auditory-visual, visual-somatic and auditory-somatic, abbreviated as VSA ring). The second ring integrates distant parietal, temporal and frontal regions (PTF ring) through a network of association fiber tracts which closes the ring anatomically and ensures a functional continuity within the ring. The PTF ring relates association cortices specialized in attention, language and working memory, to the networks involved in motivation and biological regulation and rhythms. This “dual intertwined architecture” suggests a dual integrative process: the VSA ring performs fast real-time multimodal integration of sensorimotor information whereas the PTF ring performs multi

Dual curvature acoustically damped concentrating collector. Semiannual technical progress report, June 1-December 1, 1978

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1978-12-01

The project's first objective is to establish, analytically, the cost and performance of design choices within the boundaries of the basic proposed concept. With these cost and performance measures as a guide, the second project objective is to design a cost-effective Dual Curvature collector module and collector field array. The third objective is to establish technical and economic concept feasibility through prototype fabrication and test. The final objective is to define the Dual Curvature collector commercialization requirements. The Dual Curvature collector uses a unique reflector module consisting of a reflective film that is tensioned on a reflector support frame. The tensioned membrane (film) surface approximates a hyperbolic paraboloid that is capable of linear focusing when the surface tracks the sun's apparent motion in one axis. The reflective film can be backed by polystyrene foam with an air space between the film and the foam surfaces. This provides damping of the reflector surface to minimize the effect of wind gusts and physical impacts. The baseline collector is intended to operate at a concentration of ten (10) or greater with a nominal absorber temperature of 150/sup 0/C (300/sup 0/F). The Component Research and Analysis tasks which lead to the selection of a baseline collector configuration are discussed. Also, some preliminary results of the Collector Module Design task are presented.

Effect of aquatic dual-task training on balance and gait in stroke patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyoung; Lee, Dong-Kyu; Kim, Eun-Kyung

2016-07-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of aquatic dual-task training on balance and gait in stroke patients. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty stroke patients were divided into the experimental (n=10) and control (n=10) groups. Both groups underwent neurodevelopmental treatment. The experimental group additionally underwent aquatic dual-task training for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks. Balance was measured using the Berg balance scale, Five Times Sit-to Stand Test, and Functional Reach Test. Gait was measured using the 10-Meter Walk Test, Timed Up and Go Test, and Functional Gait Assessment. [Results] For intragroup comparison, the experimental group showed a significant change after the experiment in all balance and gait assessment tests. For intergroup comparison, the experimental group showed relatively more significant change after the experiment in all balance and gait assessment tests. [Conclusion] Our results showed that aquatic dual-task training has a positive effect on balance and gait in stroke patients.

[Production of sugar syrup containing rare sugar using dual-enzyme coupled reaction system].

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Wenjia; Zhu, Yueming; Bai, Wei; Izumori, Ken; Zhang, Tongcun; Sun, Yuanxia

2014-01-01

Enzymatic conversion is very important to produce functional rare sugars, but the conversion rate of single enzymes is generally low. To increase the conversion rate, a dual-enzyme coupled reaction system was developed. Dual-enzyme coupled reaction system was constructed using D-psicose-3-epimerase (DPE) and L-rhamnose isomerase (L-RhI), and used to convert D-fructose to D-psicose and D-allose. The ratio of DPE and L-RhI was 1:10 (W/W), and the concentration of DPE was 0.05 mg/mL. The optimum temperature was 60 degrees C and pH was 9.0. When the concentration of D-fructose was 2%, the reaction reached its equilibrium after 10 h, and the yield of D-psicose and D-allose was 5.12 and 2.04 g/L, respectively. Using the dual-enzymes coupled system developed in the current study, we could obtain sugar syrup containing functional rare sugar from fructose-rich raw material, such as high fructose corn syrup.

Phylogenic aspects of the amphibian dual olfactory system.

Science.gov (United States)

Taniguchi, Kazumi; Saito, Shouichiro; Oikawa, Toshihiro; Taniguchi, Kazuyuki

2008-01-01

The phylogenic significance of the subdivision of dual olfactory system is reviewed mainly on the basis of our findings by electron microscopy and lectin histochemistry in the three amphibian species. The dual olfactory system is present in common in these species and consists of the projection from the olfactory epithelium (OE) to the main olfactory bulb (MOB) and that from the vomeronasal epithelium (VNE) to the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). The phylogenic significance of subdivisions in the dual olfactory system in the amphibian must differently be interpreted. The subdivision of the MOB into its dorsal region (D-MOB) and ventral region (V-MOB) in Xenopus laevis must be attributed to the primitive features in their olfactory receptors. The middle cavity epithelium lining the middle cavity of this frog possesses both ciliated sensory cells and microvillous sensory cells, reminding the OE in fish. The subdivision of the AOB into the rostral (R-AOB) and caudal part (C-AOB) in Bufo japonicus formosus must be regarded as an advanced characteristic. The lack of subdivisions in both MOB and AOB in Cynops pyrrhogaster may reflect their phylogenic primitiveness. Since our lectin histochemistry to detect glycoconjugates expressed in the olfactory pathway reveals the subdivisions in the dual olfactory system in the amphibian, the glycoconjugates may deeply participate in the organization and function of olfactory pathways in phylogeny.

Improving balance, mobility, and dual-task performance in an adolescent with cerebral palsy: A case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher-Pipher, Sarah; Kenyon, Lisa K; Westman, Marci

2017-07-01

Improving functional mobility is often a desired outcome for adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP). Traditional neurorehabilitation approaches are frequently directed at impairments; however, improvements may not be carried over into functional mobility. The purpose of this case report was to describe the examination, intervention, and outcomes of a task-oriented physical therapy intervention program to improve dynamic balance, functional mobility, and dual-task performance in an adolescent with CP. The participant was a 15-year-old girl with spastic triplegic CP (Gross Motor Classification System Level II). Examination procedures included the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, 6-minute walk test, Muscle Power Sprint Test, 10 x 5-meter sprint test, Timed Up and Down Stairs Test, Gross Motor Function Measure, Gillette Functional Assessment Questionnaire, and functional lower extremity strength tests. Intervention focused on task-oriented dynamic balance and mobility tasks that incorporated coordination and speed demands as well as task-specific lower extremity and trunk strengthening activities. Dual task demands were integrated into all intervention activities. Post-intervention testing revealed improvements in cardiovascular endurance, anaerobic power, agility, stair climbing, gross motor skills, and mobility. The participant appeared to benefit from a task-oriented program to improve dynamic balance, functional mobility, and dual-task performance.

Calculated apparent yields of rare gas fission products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delucchi, A.A.

1975-01-01

The apparent fission yield of the rare gas fission products from four mass chains is calculated as a function of separation time for six different fissioning systems. A plot of the calculated fission yield along with a one standard deviation error band is given for each rare gas fission product and for each fissioning system. Those parameters in the calculation that were major contributors to the calculated standard deviation at each separation time were identified and the results presented on a separate plot. To extend the usefulness of these calculations as new and better values for the input parameters become available, a third plot was generated for each system which shows how sensitive the derived fission yield is to a change in any given parameter used in the calculation. (U.S.)

Brain activations during bimodal dual tasks depend on the nature and combination of component tasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emma eSalo

2015-02-01

Full Text Available We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate brain activations during nine different dual tasks in which the participants were required to simultaneously attend to concurrent streams of spoken syllables and written letters. They performed a phonological, spatial or simple (speaker-gender or font-shade discrimination task within each modality. We expected to find activations associated specifically with dual tasking especially in the frontal and parietal cortices. However, no brain areas showed systematic dual task enhancements common for all dual tasks. Further analysis revealed that dual tasks including component tasks that were according to Baddeley’s model modality atypical, that is, the auditory spatial task or the visual phonological task, were not associated with enhanced frontal activity. In contrast, for other dual tasks, activity specifically associated with dual tasking was found in the left or bilateral frontal cortices. Enhanced activation in parietal areas, however, appeared not to be specifically associated with dual tasking per se, but rather with intermodal attention switching. We also expected effects of dual tasking in left frontal supramodal phonological processing areas when both component tasks required phonological processing and in right parietal supramodal spatial processing areas when both tasks required spatial processing. However, no such effects were found during these dual tasks compared with their component tasks performed separately. Taken together, the current results indicate that activations during dual tasks depend in a complex manner on specific demands of component tasks.

Spatial Distribution of Iron Within the Normal Human Liver Using Dual-Source Dual-Energy CT Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Abadia, Andres F; Grant, Katharine L; Carey, Kathleen E; Bolch, Wesley E; Morin, Richard L

2017-11-01

Explore the potential of dual-source dual-energy (DSDE) computed tomography (CT) to retrospectively analyze the uniformity of iron distribution and establish iron concentration ranges and distribution patterns found in healthy livers. Ten mixtures consisting of an iron nitrate solution and deionized water were prepared in test tubes and scanned using a DSDE 128-slice CT system. Iron images were derived from a 3-material decomposition algorithm (optimized for the quantification of iron). A conversion factor (mg Fe/mL per Hounsfield unit) was calculated from this phantom study as the quotient of known tube concentrations and their corresponding CT values. Retrospective analysis was performed of patients who had undergone DSDE imaging for renal stones. Thirty-seven patients with normal liver function were randomly selected (mean age, 52.5 years). The examinations were processed for iron concentration. Multiple regions of interest were analyzed, and iron concentration (mg Fe/mL) and distribution was reported. The mean conversion factor obtained from the phantom study was 0.15 mg Fe/mL per Hounsfield unit. Whole-liver mean iron concentrations yielded a range of 0.0 to 2.91 mg Fe/mL, with 94.6% (35/37) of the patients exhibiting mean concentrations below 1.0 mg Fe/mL. The most important finding was that iron concentration was not uniform and patients exhibited regionally high concentrations (36/37). These regions of higher concentration were observed to be dominant in the middle-to-upper part of the liver (75%), medially (72.2%), and anteriorly (83.3%). Dual-source dual-energy CT can be used to assess the uniformity of iron distribution in healthy subjects. Applying similar techniques to unhealthy livers, future research may focus on the impact of hepatic iron content and distribution for noninvasive assessment in diseased subjects.

Changes in Standing and Walking Performance Under Dual-Task Conditions Across the Lifespan.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruffieux, Jan; Keller, Martin; Lauber, Benedikt; Taube, Wolfgang

2015-12-01

Simultaneous performance of a postural and a concurrent task is rather unproblematic as long as the postural task is executed in an automatic way. However, in situations where postural control requires more central processing, cognitive resources may be exceeded by the addition of an attentionally demanding task. This may lead to interference between the two tasks, manifested in a decreased performance in one or both tasks (dual-task costs). Owing to changes in attentional demands of postural tasks as well as processing capacities across the lifespan, it might be assumed that dual-task costs are particularly pronounced in children and older adults probably leading to a U-shaped pattern for dual-task costs as a function of age. However, these changes in the ability of dual-tasking posture from childhood to old age have not yet been systematically reviewed. Therefore, Web of Science and PubMed databases were searched for studies comparing dual-task performance with one task being standing or walking in healthy groups of young adults and either children or older adults. Seventy-nine studies met inclusion criteria. For older adults, the expected increase in dual-task costs could be confirmed. In contrast, in children there was only feeble evidence for a trend towards enlarged dual-task costs. More good-quality studies comparing dual-task ability in children, young, and, ideally, also older adults within the same paradigm are needed to draw unambiguous conclusions about lifespan development of dual-task performance in postural tasks. There is evidence that, in older adults, dual-task performance can be improved by training. For the other age groups, these effects have yet to be investigated.

The Meijer transformation of generalized functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. L. Koh

1987-01-01

where f belongs to an appropriate function space, μ ϵ (−1,∞ and Kμ is the modified Bessel function of third kind of order μ, to certain generalized functions. A testing space is constructed so as to contain the Kernel, (ptμ/2Kμ(2pt, of the transformation. Some properties of the kernel, function space and its dual are derived. The generalized Meijer transform, M¯μf, is now defined on the dual space. This transform is shown to be analytic and an inversion theorem, in the distributional sense, is established.

Apparent molar volumes and compressibilities of selected electrolytes in dimethylsulfoxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warminska, Dorota; Grzybkowski, Waclaw

2010-01-01

Densities at T = (293.15, 298.15, 303.15, 313.15, 323.15, and 333.15) K and sound velocities at T = 298.15 K of tetraphenylphosphonium bromide, sodium tetraphenylborate, sodium bromide, and sodium perchlorate in dimethylsulfoxide have been measured over the composition range from (0 to 0.3) mol . kg -1 . From these data, apparent molar volumes and apparent molar isentropic compressibilities at infinite dilution as well as the expansibilities have been evaluated. The results have been discussed in terms of employing tetraphenylphosphonium tetraphenylborate as a reference electrolyte in splitting the limiting apparent molar volumes and apparent molar isentropic compressibilities into ionic contributions.

Secondary knee instability caused by fracture of the stabilizing insert in a dual-articular total knee

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boesen, Morten P; Jensen, Tim Toftgaard; Husted, Henrik

2004-01-01

A case of a fractured polyethylene stabilizing insert causing secondary knee instability in a Dual-articular total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is presented. A 65-year-old woman who underwent surgery with a Dual-articular TKA 4 years earlier had a well-functioning prosthesis until a fall, after which......-articular knee....

Dual parametrization of generalized parton distributions in two equivalent representations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Müller, D.; Polyakov, M.V.; Semenov-Tian-Shansky, K.M.

2015-01-01

The dual parametrization and the Mellin-Barnes integral approach represent two frameworks for handling the double partial wave expansion of generalized parton distributions (GPDs) in the conformal partial waves and in the t-channel SO(3) partial waves. Within the dual parametrization framework, GPDs are represented as integral convolutions of forward-like functions whose Mellin moments generate the conformal moments of GPDs. The Mellin-Barnes integral approach is based on the analytic continuation of the GPD conformal moments to the complex values of the conformal spin. GPDs are then represented as the Mellin-Barnes-type integrals in the complex conformal spin plane. In this paper we explicitly show the equivalence of these two independently developed GPD representations. Furthermore, we clarify the notions of the J=0 fixed pole and the D-form factor. We also provide some insight into GPD modeling and map the phenomenologically successful Kumerički-Müller GPD model to the dual parametrization framework by presenting the set of the corresponding forward-like functions. We also build up the reparametrization procedure allowing to recast the double distribution representation of GPDs in the Mellin-Barnes integral framework and present the explicit formula for mapping double distributions into the space of double partial wave amplitudes with complex conformal spin.

The Dual Orlicz-Brunn-Minkowski Theory

OpenAIRE

Gardner, Richard J.; Hug, Daniel; Weil, Wolfgang; Ye, Deping

2014-01-01

This paper introduces the dual Orlicz-Brunn-Minkowski theory for star sets. A radial Orlicz addition of two or more star sets is proposed and a corresponding dual Orlicz-Brunn-Minkowski inequality is established. Based on a radial Orlicz linear combination of two star sets, a formula for the dual Orlicz mixed volume is derived and a corresponding dual Orlicz-Minkowski inequality proved. The inequalities proved yield as special cases the precise duals of the conjectured log-Brunn-Minkowski and...

Beyond Creation of Mesoporosity: The Advantages of Polymer-Based Dual-Function Templates for Fabricating Hierarchical Zeolites

KAUST Repository

Tian, Qiwei

2016-02-05

Direct synthesis of hierarchical zeolites currently relies on the use of surfactant-based templates to produce mesoporosity by the random stacking of 2D zeolite sheets or the agglomeration of tiny zeolite grains. The benefits of using nonsurfactant polymers as dual-function templates in the fabrication of hierarchical zeolites are demonstrated. First, the minimal intermolecular interactions of nonsurfactant polymers impose little interference on the crystallization of zeolites, favoring the formation of 3D continuous zeolite frameworks with a long-range order. Second, the mutual interpenetration of the polymer and the zeolite networks renders disordered but highly interconnected mesopores in zeolite crystals. These two factors allow for the synthesis of single-crystalline, mesoporous zeolites of varied compositions and framework types. A representative example, hierarchial aluminosilicate (meso-ZSM-5), has been carefully characterized. It has a unique branched fibrous structure, and far outperforms bulk aluminosilicate (ZSM-5) as a catalyst in two model reactions: conversion of methanol to aromatics and catalytic cracking of canola oil. Third, extra functional groups in the polymer template can be utilized to incorporate desired functionalities into hierarchical zeolites. Last and most importantly, polymer-based templates permit heterogeneous nucleation and growth of mesoporous zeolites on existing surfaces, forming a continuous zeolitic layer. In a proof-of-concept experiment, unprecedented core-shell-structured hierarchical zeolites are synthesized by coating mesoporous zeolites on the surfaces of bulk zeolites. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Duration of dual antiplatelet therapy in acute coronary syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Simon John; Newby, David E; Dawson, Dana; Irving, John; Berry, Colin

2017-04-01

Despite a large volume of evidence supporting the use of dual antiplatelet therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome, there remains major uncertainty regarding the optimal duration of therapy. Clinical trials have varied markedly in the duration of therapy, both across and within trials. Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest that shorter durations of dual antiplatelet therapy are superior because the avoidance of atherothrombotic events is counterbalanced by the greater risks of excess major bleeding with apparent increases in all-cause mortality with longer durations. These findings did not show significant heterogeneity according to whether patients had stable or unstable coronary heart disease. Moreover, the potential hazards and benefits may differ when applied to the general broad population of patients encountered in everyday clinical practice who have markedly higher bleeding and atherothrombotic event rates. Clinicians lack definitive information regarding the duration of therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome and risk scores do not appear to be sufficiently robust to address these concerns. We believe that there is a pressing need to undertake a broad inclusive safety trial of shorter durations of therapy in real world populations of patients with acute coronary syndrome. The clinical evidence would further inform future research into strategies for personalised medicine. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Prevalence of upper airway obstruction in patients with apparently asymptomatic euthyroid multi nodular goitre

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sunil K Menon

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Aims: To study the prevalence of upper airway obstruction (UAO in "apparently asymptomatic" patients with euthyroid multinodular goitre (MNG and find correlation between clinical features, UAO on pulmonary function test (PFT and tracheal narrowing on computerised tomography (CT. Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients with apparently asymptomatic euthyroid MNG attending thyroid clinic in a tertiary centre underwent clinical examination to elicit features of UAO, PFT, and CT of neck and chest. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was done with SPSS version 11.5 using paired t-test, Chi square test, and Fisher′s exact test. P value of <0.05 was considered to be significant. Results: Fifty-six patients (52 females and four males were studied. The prevalence of UAO (PFT and significant tracheal narrowing (CT was 14.3%. and 9.3%, respectively. Clinical features failed to predict UAO or significant tracheal narrowing. Tracheal narrowing (CT did not correlate with UAO (PFT. Volume of goitre significantly correlated with degree of tracheal narrowing. Conclusions: Clinical features do not predict UAO on PFT or tracheal narrowing on CT in apparently asymptomatic patients with euthyroid MNG.

Prevalence of upper airway obstruction in patients with apparently asymptomatic euthyroid multi nodular goitre

Science.gov (United States)

Menon, Sunil K.; Jagtap, Varsha S.; Sarathi, Vijaya; Lila, Anurag R.; Bandgar, Tushar R.; Menon, Padmavathy S; Shah, Nalini S.

2011-01-01

Aims: To study the prevalence of upper airway obstruction (UAO) in “apparently asymptomatic” patients with euthyroid multinodular goitre (MNG) and find correlation between clinical features, UAO on pulmonary function test (PFT) and tracheal narrowing on computerised tomography (CT). Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients with apparently asymptomatic euthyroid MNG attending thyroid clinic in a tertiary centre underwent clinical examination to elicit features of UAO, PFT, and CT of neck and chest. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was done with SPSS version 11.5 using paired t-test, Chi square test, and Fisher's exact test. P value of <0.05 was considered to be significant. Results: Fifty-six patients (52 females and four males) were studied. The prevalence of UAO (PFT) and significant tracheal narrowing (CT) was 14.3%. and 9.3%, respectively. Clinical features failed to predict UAO or significant tracheal narrowing. Tracheal narrowing (CT) did not correlate with UAO (PFT). Volume of goitre significantly correlated with degree of tracheal narrowing. Conclusions: Clinical features do not predict UAO on PFT or tracheal narrowing on CT in apparently asymptomatic patients with euthyroid MNG. PMID:21966649

Mass thickness measurement of dual-sample by dual-energy X-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Mincong; Li Hongmei; Chen Ziyu; Shen Ji

2008-01-01

X-ray equivalent energy can be used to measure mass thicknesses of materials. Based on this, a method of mass thickness measurement of dual-sample was discussed. It was found that in the range of sample mass thickness under investigation, the equivalent mass attenuation coefficient of a component could be used to compute mass thicknesses of a dual-sample, with relative errors of less than 5%. Mass thickness measurement of a fish sample was performed, and the fish bone and flesh could be displayed separately and clearly by their own mass thicknesses. This indicates that the method is effective in mass thickness measurement of dual-sample of suitable thicknesses. (authors)

Holographic duals of 3d S-fold CFTs arXiv

CERN Document Server

Assel, Benjamin

We construct non-geometric AdS$_4$ solutions of IIB string theory where the fields in overlapping patches are glued by elements of the S-duality group. We obtain them by suitable quotients of compact and non-compact geometric solutions. The quotient procedure suggests CFT duals as quiver theories with links involving the so-called $T[U(N)]$ theory. We test the validity of the non-geometric solutions (and of our proposed holographic duality) by computing the three-sphere partition function $Z$ of the CFTs. A first class of solutions is obtained by an S-duality quotient of Janus-type non-compact solutions and is dual to 3d $\\mathcal{N}=4$ SCFTs; for these we manage to compute $Z$ of the dual CFT at finite $N$, and it agrees perfectly with the supergravity result in the large $N$ limit. A second class has five-branes, it is obtained by a M\\"obius-like S-quotient of ordinary compact solutions and is dual to 3d $\\mathcal{N}=3$ SCFTs. For these, $Z$ agrees with the supergravity result if one chooses the limit caref...

Outage probability of dual-hop FSO fixed gain relay transmission systems

KAUST Repository

Zedini, Emna

2016-12-24

In this paper, we analyze the end-to-end performance of dual-hop free-space optical (FSO) fixed gain relaying systems in the presence of atmospheric turbulence as well as pointing errors. More specifically, an exact closed-form expression for the outage probability is presented in terms of the bivariate Fox\\'s H function that accounts for both heterodyne detection as well as intensity modulation with direct detection. At high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime, we provide very tight asymptotic result for this performance metric in terms of simple elementary functions. By using dual-hop FSO relaying, we demonstrate a better system performance as compared to the single FSO link. Numerical and Monte-Carlo simulation results are provided to verify the accuracy of the newly proposed results, and a perfect agreement is observed.

Assessing language and visuospatial functions with one task: a "dual use" approach to performing fMRI in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebner, Kathina; Lidzba, Karen; Hauser, Till-Karsten; Wilke, Marko

2011-10-01

In order to increase the rate of successful functional MR studies in children it is helpful to shorten the time spent in the scanner. To this effect, assessing two cognitive functions with one task seems to be a promising approach. The hypothesis of this study was that the control condition of an established language task (vowel identification task, VIT) requires visuospatial processing and that the control condition (VIT(CC)) therefore may also be applicable to localize visuospatial functions. As a reference task, a visual search task (VST, previously established for use in children) was employed. To test this hypothesis, 43 children (19 f, 24 m; 12.0±2.6, range 7.9 to 17.8 years) were recruited and scanned using both tasks. Second-level random effects group analyses showed activation of left inferior-frontal cortex in the active condition of the VIT, as in previous studies. Additionally, analysis of the VIT(CC) demonstrated activation in right-dominant superior parietal and high-frontal brain regions, classically associated with visuospatial functions; activation seen in the VST was similar with a substantial overlap. However, lateralization in the parietal lobe was significantly more bilateral in the VST than in the VIT(CC). This suggests that the VIT can not only be applied to assess language functions (using the active>control contrast), but also that the control>active condition is useful for assessing visuospatial functions. Future task design may benefit from such a "dual use" approach to performing fMRI not only, but also particularly in children. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Covalent Organic Framework Functionalized with 8-Hydroxyquinoline as a Dual-Mode Fluorescent and Colorimetric pH Sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Long; He, Linwei; Ma, Fuyin; Liu, Wei; Wang, Yaxing; Silver, Mark A; Chen, Lanhua; Zhu, Lin; Gui, Daxiang; Diwu, Juan; Chai, Zhifang; Wang, Shuao

2018-05-09

Real-time and accurate detection of pH in aqueous solution is of great significance in chemical, environmental, and engineering-related fields. We report here the use of 8-hydroxyquinoline-functionalized covalent organic framework (COF-HQ) for dual-mode pH sensing. In the fluorescent mode, the emission intensity of COF-HQ weakened as the pH decreased, and also displayed a good linear relationship against pH in the range from 1 to 5. In addition, COF-HQ showed discernible color changes from yellow to black as the acidity increased and can be therefore used as a colorimetric pH sensor. All these changes are reversible and COF-HQ can be recycled for multiple detection runs owing to its high hydrolytical stability. It can be further assembled into a mixed matrix membrane for practical applications.

Approximate models for the analysis of laser velocimetry correlation functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, D.P.

1981-01-01

Velocity distributions in the subchannels of an eleven pin test section representing a slice through a Fast Reactor sub-assembly were measured with a dual beam laser velocimeter system using a Malvern K 7023 digital photon correlator for signal processing. Two techniques were used for data reduction of the correlation function to obtain velocity and turbulence values. Whilst both techniques were in excellent agreement on the velocity, marked discrepancies were apparent in the turbulence levels. As a consequence of this the turbulence data were not reported. Subsequent investigation has shown that the approximate technique used as the basis of Malvern's Data Processor 7023V is restricted in its range of application. In this note alternative approximate models are described and evaluated. The objective of this investigation was to develop an approximate model which could be used for on-line determination of the turbulence level. (author)

Discontinuity Preserving Image Registration through Motion Segmentation: A Primal-Dual Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silja Kiriyanthan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Image registration is a powerful tool in medical image analysis and facilitates the clinical routine in several aspects. There are many well established elastic registration methods, but none of them can so far preserve discontinuities in the displacement field. These discontinuities appear in particular at organ boundaries during the breathing induced organ motion. In this paper, we exploit the fact that motion segmentation could play a guiding role during discontinuity preserving registration. The motion segmentation is embedded in a continuous cut framework guaranteeing convexity for motion segmentation. Furthermore we show that a primal-dual method can be used to estimate a solution to this challenging variational problem. Experimental results are presented for MR images with apparent breathing induced sliding motion of the liver along the abdominal wall.

Theoretical analysis of a dual-probe scanning tunneling microscope setup on graphene

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Settnes, Mikkel; Power, Stephen R.; Petersen, Dirch Hjorth

2014-01-01

Experimental advances allow for the inclusion of multiple probes to measure the transport properties of a sample surface. We develop a theory of dual-probe scanning tunneling microscopy using a Green's function formalism, and apply it to graphene. Sampling the local conduction properties at finite...... to different scattering processes. We compute the conductance maps of graphene systems with different edge geometries or height fluctuations to determine the effects of nonideal graphene samples on dual-probe measurements. © 2014 American Physical Society....

Colon-targeted delivery of cyclosporine A using dual-functional Eudragit® FS30D/PLGA nanoparticles ameliorates murine experimental colitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Naeem, Muhammad; Bae, Junhwan; Oshi, Murtada A; Kim, Min-Soo; Moon, Hyung Ryong; Lee, Bok Luel; Im, Eunok; Jung, Yunjin; Yoo, Jin-Wook

2018-01-01

Colon-targeted oral nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as an ideal, safe, and effective therapy for ulcerative colitis (UC) owing to their ability to selectively accumulate in inflamed colonic mucosa. Cyclosporine A (CSA), an immunosuppressive agent, has long been used as rescue therapy in severe steroid-refractory UC. In this study, we developed CSA-loaded dual-functional polymeric NPs composed of Eudragit ® FS30D as a pH-sensitive polymer for targeted delivery to the inflamed colon, and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) as a sustained-release polymer. CSA-loaded Eudragit FS30D nanoparticles (ENPs), PLGA nanoparticles (PNPs), and Eudragit FS30D/PLGA nanoparticles (E/PNPs) were prepared using the oil-in-water emulsion method. Scanning electron microscope images and zeta size data showed successful preparation of CSA-loaded NPs. PNPs exhibited a burst drug release of >60% at pH 1.2 (stomach pH) in 0.5 h, which can lead to unwanted systemic absorption and side effects. ENPs effectively inhibited the burst drug release at pH 1.2 and 6.8 (proximal small intestine pH); however, nearly 100% of the CSA in ENPs was released rapidly at pH 7.4 (ileum-colon pH) owing to complete NP dissolution. In contrast to single-functional PNPs and ENPs, the dual-functional E/PNPs minimized burst drug release (only 18%) at pH 1.2 and 6.8, and generated a sustained release at pH 7.4 thereafter. Importantly, in distribution studies in the gastrointestinal tracts of mice, E/PNPs significantly improved CSA distribution to the colon compared with PNPs or ENPs. In a mouse model of colitis, E/PNP treatment improved weight loss and colon length, and decreased rectal bleeding, spleen weight, histological scoring, myeloperoxidase activity, macrophage infiltration, and expression of proinflammatory cytokines compared with PNPs or ENPs. Overall, this work confirms the benefits of CSA-loaded E/PNPs for efficiently delivering CSA to the colon, suggesting their potential for UC therapy.

Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed [3+2]/[5+2] Annulation of 4-Aryl 1,2,3-Triazoles with Internal Alkynes through Dual C(sp2)-H Functionalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yuan; Zhou, Ming-Bo; Ouyang, Xuan-Hui; Pi, Rui; Song, Ren-Jie; Li, Jin-Heng

2015-05-26

A rhodium(III)-catalyzed [3+2]/[5+2] annulation of 4-aryl 1-tosyl-1,2,3-triazoles with internal alkynes is presented. This transformation provides straightforward access to indeno[1,7-cd]azepine architectures through a sequence involving the formation of a rhodium(III) azavinyl carbene, dual C(sp(2))-H functionalization, and [3+2]/[5+2] annulation. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Dual-ROI radionuclide ventriculography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Standke, R.; Hoer, G.; Kanemoto, N.; Maul, F.D.

1981-01-01

Accurate determination of the left ventricular activity function is the precondition for a quantitative analysis of the ventricular volume function. During the volume reduction period, extra-myocardial tissue penetrates into the ROI of the late diastole. This curve-distorting activity cannot be eliminated by a single-ROI technique. Of the multiple-ROI techniques, the dual-ROI method is the least complex and tedions and involves the least methodological error. At the time of maximum volume change rates, the curve may be distorted if the late diastolic ROI is inaccurately defined. A method is described which uses only the counting rate over the late diastolic ROI and corrects it only on the basis of the counting rate of the late systolic ROI. The time parameters remain uninfluenced by this correction method while the volumetric parameters are corrected. (orig./APR) [de

Understanding Counterfactuality: A Review of Experimental Evidence for the Dual Meaning of Counterfactuals

Science.gov (United States)

Nieuwland, Mante S.

2016-01-01

Abstract Cognitive and linguistic theories of counterfactual language comprehension assume that counterfactuals convey a dual meaning. Subjunctive‐counterfactual conditionals (e.g., ‘If Tom had studied hard, he would have passed the test’) express a supposition while implying the factual state of affairs (Tom has not studied hard and failed). The question of how counterfactual dual meaning plays out during language processing is currently gaining interest in psycholinguistics. Whereas numerous studies using offline measures of language processing consistently support counterfactual dual meaning, evidence coming from online studies is less conclusive. Here, we review the available studies that examine online counterfactual language comprehension through behavioural measurement (self‐paced reading times, eye‐tracking) and neuroimaging (electroencephalography, functional magnetic resonance imaging). While we argue that these studies do not offer direct evidence for the online computation of counterfactual dual meaning, they provide valuable information about the way counterfactual meaning unfolds in time and influences successive information processing. Further advances in research on counterfactual comprehension require more specific predictions about how counterfactual dual meaning impacts incremental sentence processing. PMID:27512408

A facile method to prepare dual-functional membrane for efficient oil removal and in situ reversible mercury ions adsorption from wastewater

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qingdong; Liu, Na; Cao, Yingze; Zhang, Weifeng; Wei, Yen; Feng, Lin; Jiang, Lei

2018-03-01

In this work, a novel thiol covered polyamide (nylon 66) microfiltration membrane was fabricated by combining mussel-inspired chemistry and coupling reaction, which owns excellent dual-function that can simultaneously remove oil from water efficiently and adsorb the mercury ions contained in the wastewater reversibly. Such membrane exhibited high oil/water separation efficiency, outstanding mercury adsorption ability, and good stability. Moreover, it can be regenerated in nitric acid solution, and maintain its good adsorption performance. The as-prepared membrane showed great potentials for water purification to reduce the heavy metal ion pollution and complicated industrial oily wastewater and living wastewater.

Dual Credit Report

Science.gov (United States)

Light, Noreen

2016-01-01

In 2015, legislation to improve access to dual-credit programs and to reduce disparities in access and completion--particularly for low income and underrepresented students--was enacted. The new law focused on expanding access to College in the High School but acknowledged issues in other dual-credit programs and reinforced the notion that cost…

Apparent molar volumes and apparent molar heat capacities of aqueous D-lactose · H2O at temperatures from (278.15 to 393.15) K and at the pressure 0.35 MPa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sargent, J.D.; Niederhauser, T.L.; Woolley, E.M.

2004-01-01

Apparent molar volumes V phi and apparent molar heat capacities C p,phi were determined for aqueous solutions of D-lactose · H 2 O at molalities (0.01 to 0.34) mol · kg -1 at temperatures (278.15 to 393.15) K, and at the pressure 0.35 MPa. Our V phi values were calculated from densities obtained using a vibrating tube densimeter, and our C p,phi values were obtained using a twin fixed-cell, power-compensation, differential-output, temperature-scanning calorimeter. Our results for D-lactose(aq) and for D-lactcose · H 2 O were fitted to functions of m and T and compared with the literature results for aqueous D-glucose and D-galactose solutions. Infinite dilution partial molar volumes V 2 compfn and heat capacities C p,2 compfn are given over the range of temperatures

Novel orally bioavailable EZH1/2 dual inhibitors with greater antitumor efficacy than an EZH2 selective inhibitor.

Science.gov (United States)

Honma, Daisuke; Kanno, Osamu; Watanabe, Jun; Kinoshita, Junzo; Hirasawa, Makoto; Nosaka, Emi; Shiroishi, Machiko; Takizawa, Takeshi; Yasumatsu, Isao; Horiuchi, Takao; Nakao, Akira; Suzuki, Keisuke; Yamasaki, Tomonori; Nakajima, Katsuyoshi; Hayakawa, Miho; Yamazaki, Takanori; Yadav, Ajay Singh; Adachi, Nobuaki

2017-10-01

Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) methylates histone H3 lysine 27 and represses gene expression to regulate cell proliferation and differentiation. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) or its close homolog EZH1 functions as a catalytic subunit of PRC2, so there are two PRC2 complexes containing either EZH2 or EZH1. Tumorigenic functions of EZH2 and its synthetic lethality with some subunits of SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complexes have been observed. However, little is known about the function of EZH1 in tumorigenesis. Herein, we developed novel, orally bioavailable EZH1/2 dual inhibitors that strongly and selectively inhibited methyltransferase activity of both EZH2 and EZH1. EZH1/2 dual inhibitors suppressed trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 in cells more than EZH2 selective inhibitors. They also showed greater antitumor efficacy than EZH2 selective inhibitor in vitro and in vivo against diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells harboring gain-of-function mutation in EZH2. A hematological cancer panel assay indicated that EZH1/2 dual inhibitor has efficacy against some lymphomas, multiple myeloma, and leukemia with fusion genes such as MLL-AF9, MLL-AF4, and AML1-ETO. A solid cancer panel assay demonstrated that some cancer cell lines are sensitive to EZH1/2 dual inhibitor in vitro and in vivo. No clear correlation was detected between sensitivity to EZH1/2 dual inhibitor and SWI/SNF mutations, with a few exceptions. Severe toxicity was not seen in rats treated with EZH1/2 dual inhibitor for 14 days at drug levels higher than those used in the antitumor study. Our results indicate the possibility of EZH1/2 dual inhibitors for clinical applications. © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

Observations of apparent superslow wave propagation in solar prominences

Science.gov (United States)

Raes, J. O.; Van Doorsselaere, T.; Baes, M.; Wright, A. N.

2017-06-01

Context. Phase mixing of standing continuum Alfvén waves and/or continuum slow waves in atmospheric magnetic structures such as coronal arcades can create the apparent effect of a wave propagating across the magnetic field. Aims: We observe a prominence with SDO/AIA on 2015 March 15 and find the presence of oscillatory motion. We aim to demonstrate that interpreting this motion as a magneto hydrodynamic (MHD) wave is faulty. We also connect the decrease of the apparent velocity over time with the phase mixing process, which depends on the curvature of the magnetic field lines. Methods: By measuring the displacement of the prominence at different heights to calculate the apparent velocity, we show that the propagation slows down over time, in accordance with the theoretical work of Kaneko et al. We also show that this propagation speed drops below what is to be expected for even slow MHD waves for those circumstances. We use a modified Kippenhahn-Schlüter prominence model to calculate the curvature of the magnetic field and fit our observations accordingly. Results: Measuring three of the apparent waves, we get apparent velocities of 14, 8, and 4 km s-1. Fitting a simple model for the magnetic field configuration, we obtain that the filament is located 103 Mm below the magnetic centre. We also obtain that the scale of the magnetic field strength in the vertical direction plays no role in the concept of apparent superslow waves and that the moment of excitation of the waves happened roughly one oscillation period before the end of the eruption that excited the oscillation. Conclusions: Some of the observed phase velocities are lower than expected for slow modes for the circumstances, showing that they rather fit with the concept of apparent superslow propagation. A fit with our magnetic field model allows for inferring the magnetic geometry of the prominence. The movie attached to Fig. 1 is available at http://www.aanda.org

Comparative study of dobutamine stress echocardiography and dual single-photon emission computed tomography (Thallium-201 and I-123 BMIPP) for assessing myocardial viability after acute myocardial infarction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasugi, Naoko; Hiroki, Tadayuki

2002-01-01

Discordance between the 123 I-labelled 15-iodophenyl-3-R, S-methyl pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) and 201 Tl findings may indicate myocardial viability (MV). This study compared dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using the dual tracers for assessment of MV and prediction of functional recovery after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). DSE and dual SPECT were studied in 35 patients after AMI, of whom 28 underwent percutaneous coronary intervention in the acute stage. Dual SPECT was performed to compare the defect score of BMIPP and 201 Tl. The left ventricular wall motion score (WMS) was estimated during DSE and 6 months later to assess functional recovery of the infarct area. The rate of agreement of MV between dual SPECT and DSE was 89% (p 201 Tl were significantly smaller in patients with functional recovery than in those without. Assessment of MV using DSE concords with the results of dual SPECT in the early stage of AMI. DSE may have a higher predictive value for long-term functional recovery at the infarct area. However, a finding of positive MV by dual SPECT, without functional recovery, may indicate residual stenosis of the infarct-related artery, although the number of cases was small. Combined assessment by dual SPECT and DSE may be useful for detecting MV and jeopardized myocardium. Furthermore, the results suggest that functional recovery of dysfunctional myocardium may depend on the size of the infarct and risk area. (author)

spinning self-dual particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gamboa, J.; Rivelles, V.O.

1989-01-01

Self-dual particles in two-dimensions are presented. They were obtained from chiral boson particle by square root technique. The propagator of spinning self-dual particle is calculated using the BFV formalism. (M.C.K.)

Fertility and apparent genetic anticipation in Lynch syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Stupart, Douglas; Win, Aung Ko; Jenkins, Mark; Winship, Ingrid M; Goldberg, Paul; Ramesar, Rajkumar

2014-09-01

Genetic anticipation is the phenomenon in which age of onset of an inherited disorder decreases in successive generations. Inconsistent evidence suggests that this occurs in Lynch syndrome. A possible cause for apparent anticipation is fecundity bias, which occurs if the disease adversely affects fertility. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of age of diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) on lifetime fertility in Lynch syndrome, and whether this can falsely create the appearance of genetic anticipation. A computer model simulated age of diagnosis of CRC in hypothetical Lynch syndrome carriers and their offspring. The model assumed similar age distribution of CRC across generations (i.e. that there was no true anticipation). Age distribution of CRC diagnosis, and lifetime fertility rates (grouped by age of diagnosis of CRC) were determined from the Australasian Colorectal Cancer Family Registry (ACCFR). Apparent anticipation was calculated by comparing ages of diagnosis of CRC in affected parent-child pairs. A total of 1,088 patients with CRC were identified from the ACCFR. Total lifetime (cohort) fertility was related to age of diagnosis of CRC (correlation coefficient 0.13, P = 0.0001). In the simulation, apparent anticipation was 1.8 ± 0.54 years (P = 0.0044). Observed apparent anticipation in the ACCFR cohort was 4.8 ± 1.73 years (P = 0.0064). There was no difference in apparent anticipation between the simulate d and observed parent-child pairs (P = 0.89). The appearance of genetic anticipation in Lynch syndrome can be falsely created due to changes in fertility.

Copper-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles as dual-functional labels for fabrication of electrochemical immunosensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Sen; Ma, Hongmin; Yan, Liangguo; Cao, Wei; Yan, Tao; Wei, Qin; Du, Bin

2014-09-15

Constructions of versatile electroactive labels are key issues in the development of electrochemical immunosensors. In this study, copper-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticle (Cu@TiO2) was synthesized and used as labels for fabrication of sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensors on glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Due to the presence of copper ions, Cu@TiO2 shows a strong response current when coupled to an electrode. The prepared nanocomposite also shows high electrocatalytic activity towards reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The dual functionality of Cu@TiO2 enables the fabrication of immunosensor using different detection modes, that is, square wave voltammetry (SWV) or chronoamperometry (CA). While Cu@TiO2 was used as labels of secondary antibodies (Ab2), carboxyl functionalized graphene oxide (CFGO) was used as electrode materials to immobilize primary antibodies (Ab1). Using human immunoglobulin G (IgG) as a model analyte, the immunosensor shows high sensitivity, acceptable stability and good reproducibility for both detection modes. Under optimal conditions, a linear range from 0.1 pg/mL to 100 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.052 pg/mL was obtained for SWV analysis. For CA analysis, a wider linear range from 0.01 pg/mL to 100 ng/mL and a lower detection limit of 0.0043 pg/mL were obtained. The proposed metal ion-based enzyme-free and noble metal-free immunosensor may have promising applications in clinical diagnoses and many other fields. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Shape reconstruction from apparent contours theory and algorithms

CERN Document Server

Bellettini, Giovanni; Paolini, Maurizio

2015-01-01

Motivated by a variational model concerning the depth of the objects in a picture and the problem of hidden and illusory contours, this book investigates one of the central problems of computer vision: the topological and algorithmic reconstruction of a smooth three dimensional scene starting from the visible part of an apparent contour. The authors focus their attention on the manipulation of apparent contours using a finite set of elementary moves, which correspond to diffeomorphic deformations of three dimensional scenes. A large part of the book is devoted to the algorithmic part, with implementations, experiments, and computed examples. The book is intended also as a user's guide to the software code appcontour, written for the manipulation of apparent contours and their invariants. This book is addressed to theoretical and applied scientists working in the field of mathematical models of image segmentation.

In vitro differentiation of renal stone composition using dual-source, dual-energy CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Changsheng; Zhang Longjiang; Xu Feng; Qi Li; Zhao Yan'e; Zheng Ling; Huang Wei; Liu Youhuang; Lu Guangming

2012-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the ability of dual-source. dual-energy CT in differentiating uric acid stones from non-uric acid stones with infrared spectroscopy as reference standard. Materials and Methods: Urinary calculus from 308 patients were scanned in first generation dual-source CT with dual-energy mode between July 2011 and June 2012. Renal Stone application was used to analyze their composition. The uric acid stones color were coded red and non-uric acid stones were blue. CT values were measured in 60 selective urinary calculus including 30 uric acid stones and 30 non-uric acid stones. The accuracy of dual energy CT to differentiate uric acid and no-uric acid stones was calculated. Results: Of 308 patients, 60 patients had uric acid stones and 248 non-uric acid stones. No difference was found for uric acid stone at 80 kV and 140 kV (375.8±69.2 HU vs. 374.1±69.4 HU; t=-0.217, P=0.830), while CT values of non-uric acid stones were higher at 80 kV than those at 140 kV (1455.1±312.4 HU vs. 1039.6±194.4 HU; t=-12.16. P<0.001). CT values of non-uric acid stones at 80 kV, 140 kV, and average weighted images (1455.1±312.4 HU, 1 039.6±194.4 HU, and 882.0±176.4 HU, respectively) were higher than those of uric acid stones (375.8±69.2 HU, 374.1±69.4 HU, and 366.3±80.1 HU, respectively; P<0.001). With infrared spectrum findings as reference standard, the accuracy of dual energy CT in differentiating uric acid stones from non-uric acid stones was 100%. Conclusions: Dual-source, dual-energy CT can accurately differentiate uric acid stones from non-uric acid stones, and plays an important role in treatment planning of renal stones. (authors)

Dual coil ignition system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huberts, Garlan J.; Qu, Qiuping; Czekala, Michael Damian

2017-03-28

A dual coil ignition system is provided. The dual coil ignition system includes a first inductive ignition coil including a first primary winding and a first secondary winding, and a second inductive ignition coil including a second primary winding and a second secondary winding, the second secondary winding connected in series to the first secondary winding. The dual coil ignition system further includes a diode network including a first diode and a second diode connected between the first secondary winding and the second secondary winding.

Modeling apparent color for visual evaluation of camouflage fabrics

Science.gov (United States)

Ramsey, S.; Mayo, T.; Shabaev, A.; Lambrakos, S. G.

2017-08-01

As the U.S. Navy, Army, and Special Operations Forces progress towards fielding more advanced uniforms with multi-colored and highly detailed camouflage patterning, additional test methodologies are necessary in evaluating color in these types of camouflage textiles. The apparent color is the combination of all visible wavelengths (380-760 nm) of light reflected from large (>=1m2 ) fabric sample sizes for a given standoff distance (10-25ft). Camouflage patterns lose resolution with increasing standoff distance, and eventually all colors within the pattern appear monotone (the "apparent color" of the pattern). This paper presents an apparent color prediction model that can be used for evaluation of camouflage fabrics.

A Primal-Dual Interior Point-Linear Programming Algorithm for MPC

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edlund, Kristian; Sokoler, Leo Emil; Jørgensen, John Bagterp

2009-01-01

Constrained optimal control problems for linear systems with linear constraints and an objective function consisting of linear and l1-norm terms can be expressed as linear programs. We develop an efficient primal-dual interior point algorithm for solution of such linear programs. The algorithm...

Gravitational pressure, apparent horizon and thermodynamics of FLRW universe in the teleparallel gravity

Science.gov (United States)

da Rocha-Neto, J. F.; Morais, B. R.

2018-04-01

In the context of the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity the concept of gravitational pressure and gravitational energy-momentum arisen in a natural way. In the case of a Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker space FLRW we obtain the total energy contained inside the apparent horizon and the radial pressure over the apparent horizon area. We use these definitions to written a thermodynamics relation TAdSA = dEA+PAdVA at the apparent horizon, where EA is the total energy inside the apparent horizon, VA is the areal volume of the apparent horizon, PA is the radial pressure over the apparent horizon area, SA is the entropy which can be assumed as one quarter of the apparent horizon area only for a non stationary apparent horizon. We identify TA as the temperature at the surface of the apparent horizon. We shown that for all expanding accelerated FLRW model of universe the radial pressure is positive.

A dual-task paradigm for behavioral and neurobiological studies in nonhuman primates.

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Kei; Funahashi, Shintaro

2015-05-15

The dual-task paradigm is a procedure in which subjects are asked to perform two behavioral tasks concurrently, each of which involves a distinct goal with a unique stimulus-response association. Due to the heavy demand on subject's cognitive abilities, human studies using this paradigm have provided detailed insights regarding how the components of cognitive systems are functionally organized and implemented. Although dual-task paradigms are widely used in human studies, they are seldom used in nonhuman animal studies. We propose a novel dual-task paradigm for monkeys that requires the simultaneous performance of two cognitively demanding component tasks, each of which uses an independent effector for behavioral responses (hand and eyes). We provide a detailed description of an optimal training protocol for this paradigm, which has been lacking in the existing literature. An analysis of behavioral performance showed that the proposed dual-task paradigm (1) was quickly learned by monkeys (less than 40 sessions) with step-by-step training protocols, (2) produced specific behavioral effects, known as dual-task interference in human studies, and (3) achieved rigid and independent control of the effectors for behavioral responses throughout the trial. The proposed dual-task paradigm has a scalable task structure, in that each of the two component tasks can be easily replaced by other tasks, while preserving the overall structure of the paradigm. This paradigm should be useful for investigating executive control that underlies dual-task performance at both the behavioral and neuronal levels. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of dyslipidaemia amongst apparently healthy staff of a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this study is to determine the serum lipid profile of apparently healthy staff of University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City. Consenting staff of UBTH who were apparently healthy were recruited for the study. Data extracted included the patient's age, sex, body mass index, weight, height, waist ...

Thermodynamics of the Apparent Horizon in FRW Universe with Massive Gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Hui; Zhang Yi

2013-01-01

Applying Clausius relation with energy-supply defined by the unified first law of thermodynamics formalism to the apparent horizon of a massive gravity model in cosmology proposed lately, the corrected entropic formula of the apparent horizon is obtained with the help of the modified Friedmann equations. This entropy-area relation, together with the identified Misner-Sharp internal energy, verifies the first law of thermodynamics for the apparent horizon with a volume change term for consistency. On the other hand, by means of the corrected entropy-area formula and the Clausius relation δQ = T d S, where the heat Bow δQ is the energy-supply of pure matter projecting on the vector ξ tangent to the apparent horizon and should be looked on as the amount of energy crossing the apparent horizon during the time interval dt and the temperature of the apparent horizon for energy crossing during the same interval is 1/(2πr A ), the modified Friedmann equations governing the dynamical evolution of the universe are reproduced with the known energy density and pressure of massive graviton. The integration constant is found to correspond to a cosmological term which could be absorbed into the energy density of matter. Having established the correspondence of massive cosmology with the unified first law of thermodynamics on the apparent horizon, the validity of the generalized second law of thermodynamics is also discussed by assuming the thermal equilibrium between the apparent horizon and the matter field bounded by the apparent horizon. It is found that, in the limit H c → 0, which recovers the Minkowski reference metric solution in the fiat case, the generalized second law of thermodynamics holds if α 3 + 4α 4 3 = α 4 = 0, the generalized second law of thermodynamics could be violated. (general)

Advanced age dissociates dual functions of the perirhinal cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, Sara N; Maurer, Andrew P; Nematollahi, Saman; Uprety, Ajay; Wallace, Jenelle L; Barnes, Carol A

2014-01-08

The perirhinal cortex (PRC) is proposed to both represent high-order sensory information and maintain those representations across delays. These cognitive processes are required for recognition memory, which declines during normal aging. Whether or not advanced age affects the ability of PRC principal cells to support these dual roles, however, is not known. The current experiment recorded PRC neurons as young and aged rats traversed a track. When objects were placed on the track, a subset of the neurons became active at discrete locations adjacent to objects. Importantly, the aged rats had a lower proportion of neurons that were activated by objects. Once PRC activity patterns in the presence of objects were established, however, both age groups maintained these representations across delays up to 2 h. These data support the hypothesis that age-associated deficits in stimulus recognition arise from impairments in high-order stimulus representation rather than difficulty in sustaining stable activity patterns over time.

The effect of Moidal non-linear blending function for dual-energy CT on CT image quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Fan; Yang Li

2011-01-01

Objective: To compare the difference between linear blending and non-linear blending function for dual-energy CT, and to evaluate the effect on CT image quality. Methods: The model was made of a piece of fresh pork liver inserted with 5 syringes containing various concentrations of iodine solutions (16.3, 26.4, 48.7, 74.6 and 112.3 HU). Linear blending images were automatically reformatted after the model was scanned in the dual-energy mode. Non-linear blending images were reformatted using the software of optimal contrast in Syngo workstation. Images were divided into 3 groups, including linear blending group, non-linear blending group and 120 kV group. Contrast noise ratio (CNR) were measured and calculated respectively in the 3 groups and the different figure of merit (FOM) values between the groups were compared using one-way ANOVA. Twenty patients scanned in the dual-energy mode were randomly selected and the SNR of their liver, renal cortex, spleen, pancreas and abdominal aorta were measured. The independent sample t test was used to compare the difference of signal to noise ratio (SNR) between linear blending group and non linear blending group. Two readers' agreement score and single-blind method were used to investigate the conspicuity difference between linear blending group and non linear blending group. Results: With models of different CT values, the FOM values in non-linear blending group were 20.65± 8.18, 11.40±4.25, 1.60±0.82, 2.40±1.13, 45.49±17.86. In 74.6 HU and 112.3 HU models, the differences of the FOM values observed among the three groups were statistically significant (P<0.05), which were 0.30±0.06 and 14.43±4.59 for linear blending group, and 0.22±0.05 and 15.31±5.16 for 120 kV group. And non-linear blending group had a better FOM value. The SNR of renal cortex and abdominal aorta were 19.2±5.1 and 36.5±13.9 for non-linear blending group, while they were 12.4±3.8 and 22.6±7.0 for linear blending group. There were statistically

Dynamic dual-tracer PET reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Fei; Liu, Huafeng; Jian, Yiqiang; Shi, Pengcheng

2009-01-01

Although of important medical implications, simultaneous dual-tracer positron emission tomography reconstruction remains a challenging problem, primarily because the photon measurements from dual tracers are overlapped. In this paper, we propose a simultaneous dynamic dual-tracer reconstruction of tissue activity maps based on guidance from tracer kinetics. The dual-tracer reconstruction problem is formulated in a state-space representation, where parallel compartment models serve as continuous-time system equation describing the tracer kinetic processes of dual tracers, and the imaging data is expressed as discrete sampling of the system states in measurement equation. The image reconstruction problem has therefore become a state estimation problem in a continuous-discrete hybrid paradigm, and H infinity filtering is adopted as the estimation strategy. As H infinity filtering makes no assumptions on the system and measurement statistics, robust reconstruction results can be obtained for the dual-tracer PET imaging system where the statistical properties of measurement data and system uncertainty are not available a priori, even when there are disturbances in the kinetic parameters. Experimental results on digital phantoms, Monte Carlo simulations and physical phantoms have demonstrated the superior performance.

Dual leadership in a hospital practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thude, Bettina Ravnborg; Thomsen, Svend Erik; Stenager, Egon

2017-01-01

, this study aims to analyse three different dual leadership pairs at a Danish hospital. Furthermore, this study develops a tool to characterize dual leadership teams from each other. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Six leaders were interviewed...... to clarify how dual leadership works in a hospital context. All interviews were transcribed and coded. During coding, focus was on the nine principles found in the literature and another principle was found by looking at the themes that were generic for all six interviews. Findings Results indicate......Purpose Despite the practice of dual leadership in many organizations, there is relatively little research on the topic. Dual leadership means two leaders share the leadership task and are held jointly accountable for the results of the unit. To better understand how dual leadership works...

SNR-optimized phase-sensitive dual-acquisition turbo spin echo imaging: a fast alternative to FLAIR.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyunyeol; Park, Jaeseok

2013-07-01

Phase-sensitive dual-acquisition single-slab three-dimensional turbo spin echo imaging was recently introduced, producing high-resolution isotropic cerebrospinal fluid attenuated brain images without long inversion recovery preparation. Despite the advantages, the weighted-averaging-based technique suffers from noise amplification resulting from different levels of cerebrospinal fluid signal modulations over the two acquisitions. The purpose of this work is to develop a signal-to-noise ratio-optimized version of the phase-sensitive dual-acquisition single-slab three-dimensional turbo spin echo. Variable refocusing flip angles in the first acquisition are calculated using a three-step prescribed signal evolution while those in the second acquisition are calculated using a two-step pseudo-steady state signal transition with a high flip-angle pseudo-steady state at a later portion of the echo train, balancing the levels of cerebrospinal fluid signals in both the acquisitions. Low spatial frequency signals are sampled during the high flip-angle pseudo-steady state to further suppress noise. Numerical simulations of the Bloch equations were performed to evaluate signal evolutions of brain tissues along the echo train and optimize imaging parameters. In vivo studies demonstrate that compared with conventional phase-sensitive dual-acquisition single-slab three-dimensional turbo spin echo, the proposed optimization yields 74% increase in apparent signal-to-noise ratio for gray matter and 32% decrease in imaging time. The proposed method can be a potential alternative to conventional fluid-attenuated imaging. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Inhibition of apparent photosynthesis by nitrogen oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hill, A C; Bennett, J H

1970-01-01

The nitrogen oxides (NO/sub 2/ and NO) inhibited apparent photosynthesis of oats and alfalfa at concentrations below those required to cause visible injury. There appeared to be a threshold concentration of about 0.6 ppm for each pollutant. An additive effect in depressing apparent photosynthesis occurred when the plants were exposed to a mixture of NO and NO/sub 2/. Although NO produced a more rapid effect on the plants, lower concentrations of NO/sub 2/ were required to cause a given inhibition after 2 hour of exposure. Inhibition by nitric oxide was more closely related to its partial pressure than was inhibition by NO/sub 2/.

Liver kinetics of glucose analogs measured in pigs by PET: importance of dual-input blood sampling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munk, O L; Bass, L; Roelsgaard, K

2001-01-01

-input functions were very similar. CONCLUSION: Compartmental analysis of MG and FDG kinetics using dynamic PET data requires measurements of dual-input activity concentrations. Using the dual-input function, physiologically reasonable parameter estimates of K1, k2, and Vp were obtained, whereas the use......Metabolic processes studied by PET are quantified traditionally using compartmental models, which relate the time course of the tracer concentration in tissue to that in arterial blood. For liver studies, the use of arterial input may, however, cause systematic errors to the estimated kinetic...... parameters, because of ignorance of the dual blood supply from the hepatic artery and the portal vein to the liver. METHODS: Six pigs underwent PET after [15O]carbon monoxide inhalation, 3-O-[11C]methylglucose (MG) injection, and [18F]FDG injection. For the glucose scans, PET data were acquired for 90 min...

Cognitive and motor dual task gait training improve dual task gait performance after stroke - A randomized controlled pilot trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yan-Ci; Yang, Yea-Ru; Tsai, Yun-An; Wang, Ray-Yau

2017-06-22

This study investigated effects of cognitive and motor dual task gait training on dual task gait performance in stroke. Participants (n = 28) were randomly assigned to cognitive dual task gait training (CDTT), motor dual task gait training (MDTT), or conventional physical therapy (CPT) group. Participants in CDTT or MDTT group practiced the cognitive or motor tasks respectively during walking. Participants in CPT group received strengthening, balance, and gait training. The intervention was 30 min/session, 3 sessions/week for 4 weeks. Three test conditions to evaluate the training effects were single walking, walking while performing cognitive task (serial subtraction), and walking while performing motor task (tray-carrying). Parameters included gait speed, dual task cost of gait speed (DTC-speed), cadence, stride time, and stride length. After CDTT, cognitive-motor dual task gait performance (stride length and DTC-speed) was improved (p = 0.021; p = 0.015). After MDTT, motor dual task gait performance (gait speed, stride length, and DTC-speed) was improved (p = 0.008; p = 0.008; p = 0.008 respectively). It seems that CDTT improved cognitive dual task gait performance and MDTT improved motor dual task gait performance although such improvements did not reach significant group difference. Therefore, different types of dual task gait training can be adopted to enhance different dual task gait performance in stroke.

Accuracy of iodine quantification using dual energy CT in latest generation dual source and dual layer CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Pelgrim, Gert Jan; van Hamersvelt, Robbert W; Willemink, Martin J; Schmidt, Bernhard T; Flohr, Thomas; Schilham, Arnold; Milles, Julien; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Leiner, Tim; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn

2017-09-01

To determine the accuracy of iodine quantification with dual energy computed tomography (DECT) in two high-end CT systems with different spectral imaging techniques. Five tubes with different iodine concentrations (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 mg/ml) were analysed in an anthropomorphic thoracic phantom. Adding two phantom rings simulated increased patient size. For third-generation dual source CT (DSCT), tube voltage combinations of 150Sn and 70, 80, 90, 100 kVp were analysed. For dual layer CT (DLCT), 120 and 140 kVp were used. Scans were repeated three times. Median normalized values and interquartile ranges (IQRs) were calculated for all kVp settings and phantom sizes. Correlation between measured and known iodine concentrations was excellent for both systems (R = 0.999-1.000, p < 0.0001). For DSCT, median measurement errors ranged from -0.5% (IQR -2.0, 2.0%) at 150Sn/70 kVp and -2.3% (IQR -4.0, -0.1%) at 150Sn/80 kVp to -4.0% (IQR -6.0, -2.8%) at 150Sn/90 kVp. For DLCT, median measurement errors ranged from -3.3% (IQR -4.9, -1.5%) at 140 kVp to -4.6% (IQR -6.0, -3.6%) at 120 kVp. Larger phantom sizes increased variability of iodine measurements (p < 0.05). Iodine concentration can be accurately quantified with state-of-the-art DECT systems from two vendors. The lowest absolute errors were found for DSCT using the 150Sn/70 kVp or 150Sn/80 kVp combinations, which was slightly more accurate than 140 kVp in DLCT. • High-end CT scanners allow accurate iodine quantification using different DECT techniques. • Lowest measurement error was found in scans with largest photon energy separation. • Dual-source CT quantified iodine slightly more accurately than dual layer CT.

Reactions to framing of cessation messages: insights from dual-smoker couples.

Science.gov (United States)

Lipkus, Isaac M; Ranby, Krista W; Lewis, Megan A; Toll, Benjamin

2013-12-01

Couples in which both members smoke (dual-smoker couples) have not been the explicit target of cessation interventions. Quit rates are lower and relapse rates are higher among individuals in dual-smoker couples. A potentially effective strategy to motivate dual-smoker couples to quit is to convey messages that highlight how the positive outcomes of quitting (gain frame) or the negative outcomes of continued smoking (loss frame) affect the couple rather than the individual smoker. We explored whether dual-smoker couples' smoking behaviors (e.g., amount smoked) and desire to quit would differ as a function of message frame (gain vs. loss) or outcome focus (individual vs. couple). Dual-smoker couples (N = 40) completed a baseline survey and were then randomized to review gain- or loss-framed messages that varied whether the outcomes influenced the individual or the couple. Main outcomes were desire to quit after reading messages and smoking behaviors at a 1-month follow-up. Couple-focused messages produced the strongest desire to quit and decreased amount of cigarettes smoked at follow-up. The latter effect was mediated by desire to quit. Loss-framed messages produced inconsistent effects on desire to quit. There were no significant interactions between outcome focus and message framing. Findings suggest that messages emphasizing how smoking affects both partners can motivate cessation among dual-smoker couples. Contrary to findings showing that gain-framed messages motivate cessation targeting individual smokers, results suggest that loss-framed messages may be more persuasive than gain-framed messages when the target of the outcome involves significant others.

Design, synthesis and antiviral evaluation of novel heteroarylcarbothioamide derivatives as dual inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase-associated RNase H and RDDP functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Corona, Angela; Onnis, Valentina; Deplano, Alessandro; Bianco, Giulia; Demurtas, Monica; Distinto, Simona; Cheng, Yung-Chi; Alcaro, Stefano; Esposito, Francesca; Tramontano, Enzo

2017-08-31

In the continuous effort to identify new HIV-1 inhibitors endowed with innovative mechanisms, the dual inhibition of different viral functions would provide a significant advantage against drug-resistant variants. The HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT)-associated ribonuclease H (RNase H) is the only viral-encoded enzymatic activity that still lacks an efficient inhibitor. We synthesized a library of 3,5-diamino-N-aryl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbothioamide and 4-amino-5-benzoyl-N-phenyl-2-(substituted-amino)-1H-pyrrole-3-carbothioamide derivatives and tested them against RNase H activity. We identified the pyrazolecarbothioamide derivative A15, able to inhibit viral replication and both RNase H and RNA-dependent DNA polymerase (RDDP) RT-associated activities in the low micromolar range. Docking simulations hypothesized its binding to two RT pockets. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments showed that, with respect to wt RT, V108A substitution strongly reduced A15 IC50 values (12.6-fold for RNase H inhibition and 4.7-fold for RDDP), while substitution A502F caused a 9.0-fold increase in its IC50 value for RNase H, not affecting the RDDP inhibition, reinforcing the hypothesis of a dual-site inhibition. Moreover, A15 retained good inhibition potency against three non-nucleoside RT inhibitor (NNRTI)-resistant enzymes, confirming a mode of action unrelated to NNRTIs and suggesting its potential as a lead compound for development of new HIV-1 RT dual inhibitors active against drug-resistant viruses. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Dual kidney transplant techniques: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Cocco, Annelise; Shahrestani, Sara; Cocco, Nicholas; Hameed, Ahmer; Yuen, Lawrence; Ryan, Brendan; Hawthorne, Wayne; Lam, Vincent; Pleass, Henry

2017-08-01

Dual kidney transplantation (DKT) was developed to improve outcomes from transplantation of extended criteria donors (ECD). This study examined which surgical techniques have been reported for DKT and whether any technique had superior patient and graft survival. Electronic databases were searched for published studies mapping to MESH terms: "kidney or renal" AND "transplan*" AND "dual or double." Single case reports, studies of patients less than 18 years old, studies which did not describe the surgical technique, and studies that did not report patient or graft survival were excluded. Fifteen reports of 434 DKT recipients were identified. Three techniques were described: bilateral placement; unilateral placement with separate anastomoses; and unilateral placement with patch anastomoses. Patient survival across all three techniques was over 95% at 1 year, and graft survival was also similar at over 90%. Rates of delayed graft function were between 20% and 30% across all techniques. The three techniques have equivalent delayed graft function as well as patient and graft survival rates. This is an encouraging result as it means that the surgeon can choose to use the technique which is most appropriate for their own skills and for the patient. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Acute exercise improves cognition in the depressed elderly: the effect of dual-tasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo Eduardo Vasques

2011-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to assess the acute effect of physical exercise on the cognitive function of depressed elderly patients in a dual-task experiment. INTRODUCTION: Physical exercise has a positive effect on the brain and may even act as a treatment for major depressive disorder. However, the effects of acute cardiovascular exercise on cognitive function during and after one session of aerobic training in elderly depressive patients are not known. METHODS: Ten elderly subjects diagnosed with major depressive disorder performed neuropsychological tests during and after a moderate physical exercise session (65-75%HRmax. A Digit Span Test (Forward and Backward and a Stroop Color-Word Test were used to assess cognitive function. The elderly participants walked on an electric treadmill for 30 minutes and underwent the same cognitive testing before, during, immediately after, and 15 minutes after the exercise session. In the control session, the same cognitive testing was conducted, but without exercise training. RESULTS: The results of the Digit Span Test did not change between the control and the exercise sessions. The results of the Stroop Color-Word Test improved after physical exercise, indicating a positive effect of exercise on cognition. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the cognitive functions of depressed elderly persons, especially attention and inhibitory control, are not impaired during and after an acute session of physical exercise. In contrast, the effect of dual-tasks showed beneficial results for these subjects, mainly after exercise. The dual-task may be a safe and useful tool for assessing cognitive function.

A novel strategy for dual-channel detection of metallothioneins and mercury based on the conformational switching of functional chimera aptamer.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Xian; Wang, Yong-Sheng; Xue, Jin-Hua; Zhou, Bin; Cao, Jin-Xiu; Chen, Si-Han; Li, Ming-Hui; Wang, Xiao-Feng; Zhu, Yu-Feng; Huang, Yan-Qin

2015-03-25

A novel strategy for dual-channel detection of metallothioneins (MTs) and Hg(2+) has been proposed. In the absence of Hg(2+), the functional chimera aptamer (FCA) designed can form an intact G-quadruplex with flexibility, which was demonstrated to have peroxidase-like activities upon hemin binding. In the presence of Hg(2+), the formation of T-Hg(2+)-T complex results in the conformational switching of FCA, which lost the peroxidase-like activities and cannot catalyze the oxidation of ABTS by H2O2. Upon addition of MTs in this solution, MTs could interact with Hg(2+) to form a MTs-Hg(2+) complex, leading to the recovery of the G-quadruplex DNAzyme. The color and absorbance of the sensing system were also changed accordingly. In the optimizing condition, ΔA was directly proportional to the concentration ranging from 8.84 nM to 1.0 μM for Hg(2+), and 7.82 nM to 0.462 μM for MTs with the detection limits of 2.65 nM and 2.34 nM, respectively. The proposed dual-channel method avoids the label steps in common methods, and allows direct analysis of the samples without costly instruments, and is reliable, inexpensive and sensitive. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dual of QCD with One Adjoint Fermion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mojaza, Matin; Nardecchia, Marco; Pica, Claudio

2011-01-01

We construct the magnetic dual of QCD with one adjoint Weyl fermion. The dual is a consistent solution of the 't Hooft anomaly matching conditions, allows for flavor decoupling and remarkably constitutes the first nonsupersymmetric dual valid for any number of colors. The dual allows to bound...

Technical Note: Insertion of digital lesions in the projection domain for dual-source, dual-energy CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrero, Andrea; Chen, Baiyu; Li, Zhoubo; Yu, Lifeng; McCollough, Cynthia

2017-05-01

To compare algorithms performing material decomposition and classification in dual-energy CT, it is desirable to know the ground truth of the lesion to be analyzed in real patient data. In this work, we developed and validated a framework to insert digital lesions of arbitrary chemical composition into patient projection data acquired on a dual-source, dual-energy CT system. A model that takes into account beam-hardening effects was developed to predict the CT number of objects with known chemical composition. The model utilizes information about the x-ray energy spectra, the patient/phantom attenuation, and the x-ray detector energy response. The beam-hardening model was validated on samples of iodine (I) and calcium (Ca) for a second-generation dual-source, dual-energy CT scanner for all tube potentials available and a wide range of patient sizes. The seven most prevalent mineral components of renal stones were modeled and digital stones were created with CT numbers computed for each patient/phantom size and x-ray energy spectra using the developed beam-hardening model. Each digital stone was inserted in the dual-energy projection data of a water phantom scanned on a dual-source scanner and reconstructed with the routine algorithms in use in our practice. The geometry of the forward projection for dual-energy data was validated by comparing CT number accuracy and high-contrast resolution of simulated dual-energy CT data of the ACR phantom with experimentally acquired data. The beam-hardening model and forward projection method accurately predicted the CT number of I and Ca over a wide range of tube potentials and phantom sizes. The images reconstructed after the insertion of digital kidney stones were consistent with the images reconstructed from the scanner, and the CT number ratios for different kidney stone types were consistent with data in the literature. A sample application of the proposed tool was also demonstrated. A framework was developed and validated

Novel dual small-molecule HIV inhibitors: scaffolds and discovery strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Anran; Yu, Haiqing; Wang, Changyuan; Zhu, Xingqi; Liu, Kexin; Ma, Xiaodong

2015-01-01

Searching for safe and effective treatments for HIV infection is still a great challenge worldwide in spite of the 27 marketed anti-HIV drugs and the powerful highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). As a promising prospect for generation of new HIV therapy drugs, multiple ligands (MDLs) were greatly focused on recently due to their lower toxicity, simplified dosing and patient adherence than single-target drugs. Till now, by disrupting two active sites or steps of HIV replications, a number of HIV dual inhibitors, such as CD4-gssucap120 inhibitors, CXCR4-gp20 inhibitors, RT-CXCR4 inhibitors, RT-protease inhibitors, RT-integrase inhibitors, and RTassociated functions inhibitors have been identified. Generally, these dual inhibitors were discovered mainly through screening approaches and design strategies. Of these compounds, the molecules bearing small skeletons exhibited strong anti-HIV activity and aroused great attention recently. Reviewing the progress of the dual small-molecule HIV inhibitors from the point of view of their scaffolds and discovery strategies will provide valuable information for producing more effective anti-HIV drugs. In this regard, novel dual small-molecule HIV inhibitors were illustrated, and their discovery paradigms as the major contents were also summarized in this manuscript.

Global mass conservation method for dual-continuum gas reservoir simulation

KAUST Repository

Wang, Yi; Sun, Shuyu; Gong, Liang; Yu, Bo

2018-01-01

In this paper, we find that the numerical simulation of gas flow in dual-continuum porous media may generate unphysical or non-robust results using regular finite difference method. The reason is the unphysical mass loss caused by the gas compressibility and the non-diagonal dominance of the discretized equations caused by the non-linear well term. The well term contains the product of density and pressure. For oil flow, density is independent of pressure so that the well term is linear. For gas flow, density is related to pressure by the gas law so that the well term is non-linear. To avoid these two problems, numerical methods are proposed using the mass balance relation and the local linearization of the non-linear source term to ensure the global mass conservation and the diagonal dominance of discretized equations in the computation. The proposed numerical methods are successfully applied to dual-continuum gas reservoir simulation. Mass conservation is satisfied while the computation becomes robust. Numerical results show that the location of the production well relative to the large-permeability region is very sensitive to the production efficiency. It decreases apparently when the production well is moved from the large-permeability region to the small-permeability region, even though the well is very close to the interface of the two regions. The production well is suggested to be placed inside the large-permeability region regardless of the specific position.

Global mass conservation method for dual-continuum gas reservoir simulation

KAUST Repository

Wang, Yi

2018-03-17

In this paper, we find that the numerical simulation of gas flow in dual-continuum porous media may generate unphysical or non-robust results using regular finite difference method. The reason is the unphysical mass loss caused by the gas compressibility and the non-diagonal dominance of the discretized equations caused by the non-linear well term. The well term contains the product of density and pressure. For oil flow, density is independent of pressure so that the well term is linear. For gas flow, density is related to pressure by the gas law so that the well term is non-linear. To avoid these two problems, numerical methods are proposed using the mass balance relation and the local linearization of the non-linear source term to ensure the global mass conservation and the diagonal dominance of discretized equations in the computation. The proposed numerical methods are successfully applied to dual-continuum gas reservoir simulation. Mass conservation is satisfied while the computation becomes robust. Numerical results show that the location of the production well relative to the large-permeability region is very sensitive to the production efficiency. It decreases apparently when the production well is moved from the large-permeability region to the small-permeability region, even though the well is very close to the interface of the two regions. The production well is suggested to be placed inside the large-permeability region regardless of the specific position.

Polyethylene glycol and octa-arginine dual-functionalized nanographene oxide: an optimization for efficient nucleic acid delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Imani, Rana; Prakash, Satya; Vali, Hojatollah; Faghihi, Shahab

2018-05-29

The successful application of nucleic acid-based therapy for the treatment of various cancers is largely dependent on a safe and efficient delivery system. A dual-functionalized graphene oxide (GO)-based nanocarrier with the conjugation of aminated-polyethylene glycol (PEG-diamine) and octa-arginine (R8) for the intracellular delivery of nucleic acids is proposed. The functionalized sites are covalently co-conjugated and the PEG : R8 molar ratio is optimized at 10 : 1 to achieve a hydrocolloidally stable size of 252 ± 2.0 nm with an effective charge of +40.97 ± 1.05 and an amine-rich content of 10.87 ± 0.4 μmol g-1. The uptake of the nanocarrier in breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231, is investigated. The siRNA and pDNA condensation ability in the presence and absence of enzymes and the endosomal buffering capacity, as well as the intracellular localization of the gene/nanocarrier complex are also evaluated. Furthermore, the delivery of functional genes associated with the nanocarrier is assessed using c-Myc protein knockdown and EGFP gene expression. The effective uptake of the nanocarrier by the cells shows superior cytocompatibility, and protects the siRNA and pDNA against enzyme degradation while inhibiting their migration with N : P ratios of 10 and 5, respectively. The co-conjugation of PEG-diamine and the cationic cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) into the GO nanocarrier also provides a superior internalization efficacy of 85% in comparison with a commercially available transfection reagent. The c-Myc protein knockdown and EGFP expression, which are induced by the nanocarrier, confirm that the optimized PEG-diamine/R8-functionalized GO could effectively deliver pDNA and siRNA into the cells and interfere with gene expression.

IMPLICIT DUAL CONTROL BASED ON PARTICLE FILTERING AND FORWARD DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayard, David S; Schumitzky, Alan

2010-03-01

This paper develops a sampling-based approach to implicit dual control. Implicit dual control methods synthesize stochastic control policies by systematically approximating the stochastic dynamic programming equations of Bellman, in contrast to explicit dual control methods that artificially induce probing into the control law by modifying the cost function to include a term that rewards learning. The proposed implicit dual control approach is novel in that it combines a particle filter with a policy-iteration method for forward dynamic programming. The integration of the two methods provides a complete sampling-based approach to the problem. Implementation of the approach is simplified by making use of a specific architecture denoted as an H-block. Practical suggestions are given for reducing computational loads within the H-block for real-time applications. As an example, the method is applied to the control of a stochastic pendulum model having unknown mass, length, initial position and velocity, and unknown sign of its dc gain. Simulation results indicate that active controllers based on the described method can systematically improve closed-loop performance with respect to other more common stochastic control approaches.

Brain activation during dual-task processing is associated with cardiorespiratory fitness and performance in older adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chelsea N Wong

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Higher cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with better cognitive performance and enhanced brain activation. Yet, the extent to which cardiorespiratory fitness-related brain activation is associated with better cognitive performance is not well understood. In this cross-sectional study, we examined whether the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and executive function was mediated by greater prefrontal cortex activation in healthy older adults. Brain activation was measured during dual-task performance with functional magnetic resonance imaging in a sample of 128 healthy older adults (59-80 years. Higher cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with greater activation during dual-task processing in several brain areas including the anterior cingulate and supplementary motor cortex (ACC/SMA, thalamus and basal ganglia, right motor/somatosensory cortex and middle frontal gyrus, and left somatosensory cortex, controlling for age, sex, education, and gray matter volume. Of these regions, greater ACC/SMA activation mediated the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and dual-task performance. We provide novel evidence that cardiorespiratory fitness may support cognitive performance by facilitating brain activation in a core region critical for executive function.

Hawking radiation of an apparent horizon in a FRW universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Ronggen; Cao Liming; Hu Yapeng

2009-01-01

Hawking radiation is an important quantum phenomenon of a black hole, which is closely related to the existence of an event horizon of a black hole. The cosmological event horizon of de Sitter space is also of Hawking radiation with a thermal spectrum. By use of the tunneling approach, we show that there is indeed a Hawking radiation with temperature, T=1/(2πr-tilde A , for a locally defined apparent horizon of a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe with any spatial curvature, where r-tilde A is the apparent horizon radius. Thus we fill in the gap existing in the literature investigating the relation between the first law of thermodynamics and Friedmann equations; there the apparent horizon is assumed to have such a temperature without any proof. In addition, we stress the implication of the Hawking temperature associated with the apparent horizon.

Changes in body composition in apparently healthy urban Indian women up to 3 years postpartum.

Science.gov (United States)

Kajale, Neha A; Khadilkar, Anuradha V; Chiplonkar, Shashi A; Khadilkar, Vaman

2015-01-01

Dietary and life style practices differ in postpartum (PP) and nonpregnant Indian women. Effect of these practices on postpartum weight retention (PPWR) and development of cardio-metabolic risk (CMR) has been scarcely studied in urban women. Aims of this study were to (i) compare anthropometry, biochemical parameters and body composition up to 3 years PP (ii) effect of PPWR, dietary fat intake and physical activity on CMR factors. Cross-sectional, 300-fullterm, apparently healthy primi-parous women (28.6 ± 3.4 years) randomly selected. 128 women within 7-day of delivery (Group-A), 88 with 1-2 years (Group-B) and 84 with 3-4-year-old-children (Group-C) were studied. Anthropometry, sociodemographic status, physical activity, diet, clinical examination, biochemical tests, body composition, at total body (TB), by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (GE-Lunar DPX) were collected. Women at 3-year PP showed higher weight retention (6.5[10] kg) than at 1-year (3.0[7] kg) (median [IQR]). Android fat % (central obesity) increased (P 0.1). Postdelivery, low physical activity and higher PPWR may increase CMR in Indian women.

Interactions between pacing and arrhythmia detection algorithms in the dual chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

Science.gov (United States)

Dijkman, B; Wellens, H J

2001-09-01

Dual chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) combines the possibility to detect and treat ventricular and atrial arrhythmias with the possibility of modern heart stimulation techniques. Advanced pacing algorithms together with extended arrhythmia detection capabilities can give rise to new types of device-device interactions. Some of the possible interactions are illustrated by four cases documented in four models of dual chamber ICDs. Functioning of new features in dual chamber devices is influenced by the fact that the pacemaker is not a separate device but a part of the ICD system and that both are being used in a patient with arrhythmia. Programming measures are suggested to optimize use of new pacing algorithms while maintaining correct arrhythmia detection.

Dual antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Soriano, Vicente; Fernandez-Montero, Jose Vicente; Benitez-Gutierrez, Laura; Mendoza, Carmen de; Arias, Ana; Barreiro, Pablo; Peña, José M; Labarga, Pablo

2017-08-01

For two decades, triple combinations of antiretrovirals have been the standard treatment for HIV infection. The challenges of such lifelong therapy include long-term side effects, high costs and reduced drug adherence. The recent advent of more potent and safer antiretrovirals has renewed the interest for simpler HIV regimens. Areas covered: We discuss the pros and cons of dual antiretroviral therapies in both drug-naïve and in treatment-experienced patients with viral suppression (switch strategy). Expert opinion: Some dual antiretroviral regimens are safe and efficacious, particularly as maintenance therapy. At this time, combinations of dolutegravir plus rilpivirine represent the best dual regimen. Longer follow-up and larger study populations are needed before supporting dolutegravir plus lamivudine. In contrast, dual therapy based on maraviroc is less effective. Although dual regimens with boosted protease inhibitors plus either lamivudine or raltegravir may be effective, they are penalized by metabolic side effects and risk for drug interactions. The newest dual regimens could save money, reduce toxicity and spare drug options for the future. For the first time in HIV therapeutics, less can be more. Dual therapy switching has set up a new paradigm in HIV treatment that uses induction-maintenance.

Dual Enrollment Academy Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez, Nicolas; Chavez, Guadalupe

2009-01-01

Dual Enrollment Engineering (DEEA) and Medical Science (DEMSA) Academies are two-year dual enrollment programs for high school students. Students explore engineering and medical careers through college coursework. Students prepare for higher education in engineering and medical fields while completing associate degrees in biology or engineering…

A Dual Egalitarian Solution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klijn, F.; Slikker, M.; Tijs, S.H.

2000-01-01

In this note we introduce an egalitarian solution, called the dual egalitarian solution, that is the natural counterpart of the egalitarian solution of Dutta and Ray (1989).We prove, among others, that for a convex game the egalitarian solution coincides with the dual egalitarian solution for its

Connection between Einstein equations, nonlinear sigma models, and self-dual Yang-Mills theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez, N.; Whiting, B.

1986-01-01

The authors analyze the connection between nonlinear sigma models self-dual Yang-Mills theory, and general relativity (self-dual and non-self-dual, with and without killing vectors), both at the level of the equations and at the level of the different type of solutions (solitons and calorons) of these theories. They give a manifestly gauge invariant formulation of the self-dual gravitational field analogous to that given by Yang for the self-dual Yang-Mills field. This formulation connects in a direct and explicit way the self-dual Yang-Mills and the general relativity equations. They give the ''R gauge'' parametrization of the self-dual gravitational field (which corresponds to modified Yang's-type and Ernst equations) and analyze the correspondence between their different types of solutions. No assumption about the existence of symmetries in the space-time is needed. For the general case (non-self-dual), they show that the Einstein equations contain an O nonlinear sigma model. This connection with the sigma model holds irrespective of the presence of symmetries in the space-time. They found a new class of solutions of Einstein equations depending on holomorphic and antiholomorphic functions and we relate some subclasses of these solutions to solutions of simpler nonlinear field equations that are well known in other branches of physics, like sigma models, SineGordon, and Liouville equations. They include gravitational plane wave solutions. They analyze the response of different accelerated quantum detector models, compare them to the case when the detectors are linterial in an ordinary Planckian gas at a given temperature, and discuss the anisotropy of the detected response for Rindler observers

Dual QCD: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, M.; Ball, J.S.; Zachariasen, F.

1991-01-01

We review the attempts to use dual (electric) vector potentials rather than the standard magnetic vector potentials to describe QCD, particularly in the infrared regime. The use of dual potentials is motivated by the fact that in classical electrodynamics, in a medium with a dielectric constant vanishing at small momenta (as is believed to be the case in QCD), electric potentials provide a far more convenient language than do magnetic potentials. To begin with, we outline attempts to construct the QCD Lagrangian in terms of dual potentials and describe the various possibilities, their shortcomings and advantages, which so far exist. We then proceed to use the most attractive (albeit consistent as a field theory only at the tree level) of these Lagrangians in a number of applications. We show that it describes a non-Abelian dual superconductor (so that it automatically confines color), derive the static quark-antiquark potential, and various temperature dependent effects, such as deconfinement and chiral symmetry breaking. (orig.)

Predicting postnatal renal function of prenatally detected posterior urethral valves using fetal diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with apparent diffusion coefficient determination.

Science.gov (United States)

Faure, Alice; Panait, Nicoleta; Panuel, Michel; Alessandrini, Pierre; D'Ercole, Claude; Chaumoitre, Kathia; Merrot, Thierry

2017-07-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of fetal diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) determination to predict postnatal renal function (nadir creatinine at 1 year and eGFR) of men with posterior urethral valves (PUV). Between 2003 and 2014, 11 MRI were performed on fetuses (between 28 and 32 weeks) in whom second trimester sonography suggested severe bilateral urinary tract anomalies, suspected of PUV. The ADC of the 11 fetuses ranged from 1.3 to 2.86 mm 2  s -1 (median = 1.79 mm 2  s -1 , normal range for fetal kidney: 1.1-1.8). Two pregnancies with ADC > 2.6 mm 2  s -1 were interrupted; the autopsy confirmed PUV and Potter syndrome. For the remaining nine babies, the follow-up was 5.4 years (0.8-10). Four children with abnormal ADC (1.8-2.3) had chronic kidney disease. The remaining five cases with normal nadir creatinine and eGFR had normal ADC. One case with unilateral elevated ADC had a poor ipsilateral renal function on dimercaptosuccinic acid scan. Here, it seems that diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with ADC determination could be useful in accurately evaluating fetal kidneys in PUV and predicting renal function. It may be an additional, non-invasive method when biologic and sonographic findings are inconclusive, especially in the case of oligohydramnios. Further studies are needed to confirm our data. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Dual ectopic thyroid associated with thyroid hemiagenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Shigenori; Masuda, Teruyuki; Ishimori, Masatoshi

2018-01-01

We report a case of a 15-year-old girl with a midline neck mass that was first noted 2 or 3 years previously. She had been treated with levothyroxine (L-T4) for congenital hypothyroidism until 11 years of age. Ultrasonography revealed an atrophic right thyroid (1.0 × 1.6 × 2.6 cm in size) and a mass (2.3 × 1.0 × 3.5 cm in size) in the upper part of the neck. No left lobe of the thyroid was detected. On further evaluation, Tc-99m pertechnetate thyroid scintigraphy and CT showed ectopic thyroid tissue in the lingual region and infrahyoid region. Thus, she was diagnosed as having dual ectopic thyroid and thyroid hemiagenesis. The atrophic right thyroid was thought be non-functional. Treatment with L-T4 was started to reduce the size of the dual ectopic thyroid tissue. This may be the first reported case of dual ectopic thyroid associated with hemiagenesis detected only by ultrasonography. Ultrasonography can confirm the presence or absence of orthotopic thyroid tissue in patients with ectopic thyroid.The cause of congenital hypothyroidism should be examined.Clinical manifestation of ectopic thyroid may appear when the treatment with L-T4 is discontinued.Annual follow-up is needed in all children when their thyroid hormone replacement is stopped.

Dual Gas Treatment With Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide Attenuates Oxidative Stress and Protects From Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishida, T; Hayashi, T; Inamoto, T; Kato, R; Ibuki, N; Takahara, K; Takai, T; Yoshikawa, Y; Uchimoto, T; Saito, K; Tanda, N; Kouno, J; Minami, K; Uehara, H; Hirano, H; Nomi, H; Okada, Y; Azuma, H

Hydrogen (H 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) gas are both reported to reduce reactive oxygen species and alleviate tissue ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a mixture of H 2 gas and CO gas (dual gas) in comparison with hydrogen gas (H 2 : 2%) alone on I-R renal injury (composition of dual gas; N 2 : 77.8%; O 2 : 20.9%; H 2 : 1.30%; CO: 250 parts per million). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (body weight 250-280 g) were divided into 5 groups: (1) sham operation control, (2) dual gas inhalation (dual treatment) without I-R treatment, (3) I-R renal injury, (4) H 2 gas alone inhalation (H 2 treatment) with I-R renal injury, and (5) dual treatment with I-R renal injury. I-R renal injury was induced by clamping the left renal artery and vein for 45 minutes followed by reperfusion, and then contralateral nephrectomy was performed 2 weeks later. Renal function was markedly decreased at 24 hours after reperfusion, and thereafter the effects of dual gas were assessed by histologic examination and determination of the superoxide radical, together with functional and molecular analyses. Pathologic examination of the kidney of I-R rats revealed severe renal damage. Importantly, cytoprotective effects of the dual treatment in comparison with H 2 treatment and I-R renal injury were observed in terms of superoxide radical scavenging activity and histochemical features. Rats given dual treatment and I-R renal injury showed significant decreases in blood urea nitrogen. Increased expression of several inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, nuclear factor-κB, hypoxia inducible factor-1α, and heme oxygenase-1) was attenuated by the dual treatment. Dual gas inhalation decreases oxidative stress and markedly improves I-R-induced renal injury. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dual-Functional Nanoparticles Targeting CXCR4 and Delivering Antiangiogenic siRNA Ameliorate Liver Fibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chun-Hung; Chan, Kun-Ming; Chiang, Tsaiyu; Liu, Jia-Yu; Chern, Guann-Gen; Hsu, Fu-Fei; Wu, Yu-Hsuan; Liu, Ya-Chi; Chen, Yunching

2016-07-05

The progression of liver fibrosis, an intrinsic response to chronic liver injury, is associated with hepatic hypoxia, angiogenesis, abnormal inflammation, and significant matrix deposition, leading to the development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Due to the complex pathogenesis of liver fibrosis, antifibrotic drug development has faced the challenge of efficiently and specifically targeting multiple pathogenic mechanisms. Therefore, CXCR4-targeted nanoparticles (NPs) were formulated to deliver siRNAs against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) into fibrotic livers to block angiogenesis during the progression of liver fibrosis. AMD3100, a CXCR4 antagonist that was incorporated into the NPs, served dual functions: it acted as a targeting moiety and suppressed the progression of fibrosis by inhibiting the proliferation and activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). We demonstrated that CXCR4-targeted NPs could deliver VEGF siRNAs to fibrotic livers, decrease VEGF expression, suppress angiogenesis and normalize the distorted vessels in the fibrotic livers in the carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced mouse model. Moreover, blocking SDF-1α/CXCR4 by CXCR4-targeted NPs in combination with VEGF siRNA significantly prevented the progression of liver fibrosis in CCl4-treated mice. In conclusion, the multifunctional CXCR4-targeted NPs delivering VEGF siRNAs provide an effective antifibrotic therapeutic strategy.

Efficient removal of methyl orange using Cu2O as a dual function catalyst

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Fan; Dong, Guohui; Wang, Mian; Zeng, Yubin; Wang, Chuanyi

2018-06-01

In this study, we synthesized Cu2O particles with rough surfaces by a facile solvothermal method as a dual-function material that can degrade contaminants not only under light irradiation but also in dark circumstance. Both the as-prepared Cu2O and commercial Cu2O exhibited excellent performance for the removal of methyl orange under visible light irradiation through a photocatalysis-based strategy. However, the former was found to show remarkable capability under dark circumstances by means of molecular oxygen activation, while the latter performed poor efficiently under the same condition. This significant difference of performances under dark circumstances was related to rich oxygen vacancies existed on the as-prepared Cu2O surfaces that are associated with the single-electron reduction of O2 to generate radO2-, which play a dominant role in the generation of Cu+. In addition, Cu+ was identified to play key roles in the broken of azo bond. Then, the generated intermediates were mineralized by radOH generated through molecular oxygen activation process. This study could not only deep the understanding of the MO removal mechanism by Cu2O but also show a novel direction of amphibious application for photocatalytic materials.

A Hodge dual for soldered bundles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucas, Tiago Gribl; Pereira, J G

2009-01-01

In order to account for all possible contractions allowed by the presence of the solder form, a generalized Hodge dual is defined for the case of soldered bundles. Although for curvature the generalized dual coincides with the usual one, for torsion it gives a completely new dual definition. Starting from the standard form of a gauge Lagrangian for the translation group, the generalized Hodge dual yields precisely the Lagrangian of the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity, and consequently also the Einstein-Hilbert Lagrangian of general relativity

A study of the colonic transit function by dual radionuclide colon scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Weidong; Sun Buzhou; Song Changyi; Lu Jinyan; Wang Shejiao; Zheng Xianghong; Huang Lin; Lei Yamei

1999-01-01

Objective: To establish a new, simple and noninvasive method which can quantitatively analyze the colonic transit function by dual radionuclide colon scintigraphy. Methods: 24 patients with constipation and 32 normal controls were studied. Na 131 I was sealed into capsule made by polyvinylchloride which can not be digested and absorbed in gastrointestinal tract. Patients and normal volunteers swallow 131 I capsules and drink 99 Tc m labelled sulfur colloid solution at the same time. The static image was acquired at the regular time, then calculate the Geometric Center values (GC). Results: 1) The capsules can be clearly located through the colonic contour shown by 99 Tc m labeled sulfur colloid when it reached the large bowel. 2) The transiting time from mouth to cecum, through colon and through whole gastrointestinal in normal people were (6.61 +- 1.94), (36.61 +- 10.51) and (42.72 +- 10.02) h, respectively, in constipation group were (8.03 +- 3.63), (65.50 +- 28.40) and (74.05 +- 28.17) h, respectively. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in two groups compared with each other. But the transiting time through colon and whole gastrointestinal in constipation was slower than that in normal people, with significant difference (P < 0.01). 3) Through examination the colonic transit abnormality can be divided into three patterns: whole colon transit delay, right-colon transit delay and left-colon transit delay. Conclusions: This method is a simple, physiologic and quantitative in evaluating the colonic transit, it can also stage the colonic dyskinesia of the patients

On R-duals and the duality principle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Ole; Stoeva, Diana

2015-01-01

. In this paper we discuss the relationship between the R-duals and a variant, called R-duals of type III, introduced in 2014. In contrast to the original R-duals, it is known that the R-duals of type III generalize the duality principle for all Gabor frames, but we believe that a smaller and more convenient...

Dual-Doppler Feasibility Study

Science.gov (United States)

Huddleston, Lisa L.

2012-01-01

When two or more Doppler weather radar systems are monitoring the same region, the Doppler velocities can be combined to form a three-dimensional (3-D) wind vector field thus providing for a more intuitive analysis of the wind field. A real-time display of the 3-D winds can assist forecasters in predicting the onset of convection and severe weather. The data can also be used to initialize local numerical weather prediction models. Two operational Doppler Radar systems are in the vicinity of Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS); these systems are operated by the 45th Space Wing (45 SW) and the National Weather Service Melbourne, Fla. (NWS MLB). Dual-Doppler applications were considered by the 45 SW in choosing the site for the new radar. Accordingly, the 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS), NWS MLB and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration tasked the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) to investigate the feasibility of establishing dual-Doppler capability using the two existing systems. This study investigated technical, hardware, and software requirements necessary to enable the establishment of a dual-Doppler capability. Review of the available literature pertaining to the dual-Doppler technique and consultation with experts revealed that the physical locations and resulting beam crossing angles of the 45 SW and NWS MLB radars make them ideally suited for a dual-Doppler capability. The dual-Doppler equations were derived to facilitate complete understanding of dual-Doppler synthesis; to determine the technical information requirements; and to determine the components of wind velocity from the equation of continuity and radial velocity data collected by the two Doppler radars. Analysis confirmed the suitability of the existing systems to provide the desired capability. In addition, it is possible that both 45 SW radar data and Terminal Doppler Weather Radar data from Orlando International Airport could be used to alleviate any

Dual Functions of Lip6 and Its Regulation of Lipid Metabolism in the Oleaginous Fungus Mucor circinelloides.

Science.gov (United States)

Zan, Xinyi; Tang, Xin; Chu, Linfang; Song, Yuanda

2018-03-21

Although multiple roles of lipases have been reported in yeasts and microalgae, the functions of lipases have not been studied in oleaginous filamentous fungi. Lipase Lip6 has been reported in the oleaginous filamentous fungus Mucor circinelloides with the consensus lipase motif GXSXG and the typical acyltransferase motif of H-(X) 4 -D. To demonstrate that Lip6 might play dual roles as a lipase and an acyltransferase, we performed site-directed mutagenesis in the lipase motif and the acyltransferase motif of Lip6. Mutation in the lipase motif increased cell biomass by 12%-18% and promoted lipid accumulation by 9%-24%, while mutation in the acyltransferase motif induced lipid degradation. In vitro, purified Lip6 had a slight lipase activity but had a stronger phospholipid:DAG acyltransferase activity. Enzyme activity assays in vivo and phospholipid synthesis pathway analysis suggested that phosphatidyl serine and phosphatidyl ethanolamine can be the supplier of a fatty acyl moiety to form TAG in M. circinelloides.

Nearly extremal apparent horizons in simulations of merging black holes

Science.gov (United States)

Lovelace, Geoffrey; Scheel, Mark; Owen, Robert; Giesler, Matthew; Katebi, Reza; Szilagyi, Bela; Chu, Tony; Demos, Nicholas; Hemberger, Daniel; Kidder, Lawrence; Pfeiffer, Harald; Afshari, Nousha; SXS Collaboration

2015-04-01

The spin S of a Kerr black hole is bounded by the surface area A of its apparent horizon: 8 πS A and e0 > 1 , but these surfaces are always surrounded by apparent horizons with 8 πS < A and e0 < 1 .

Dual Enrollment for High School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Linsey; Hughes, Katherine

2011-01-01

Dual enrollment programs allow high school students to enroll in college courses and potentially earn college credit. The term concurrent enrollment is sometimes used interchangeably with dual enrollment, and sometimes to refer to a particular model of dual enrollment. In some programs, students earn high school and college credit simultaneously;…

The Type VI Secretion System Engages a Redox-Regulated Dual-Functional Heme Transporter for Zinc Acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Si, Meiru; Wang, Yao; Zhang, Bing; Zhao, Chao; Kang, Yiwen; Bai, Haonan; Wei, Dawei; Zhu, Lingfang; Zhang, Lei; Dong, Tao G; Shen, Xihui

2017-07-25

The type VI secretion system was recently reported to be involved in zinc acquisition, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report that Burkholderia thailandensis T6SS4 is involved in zinc acquisition via secretion of a zinc-scavenging protein, TseZ, that interacts with the outer membrane heme transporter HmuR. We find that HmuR is a redox-regulated dual-functional transporter that transports heme iron under normal conditions but zinc upon sensing extracellular oxidative stress, triggered by formation of an intramolecular disulfide bond. Acting as the first line of defense against oxidative stress, HmuR not only guarantees an immediate response to the changing environment but also provides a fine-tuned mechanism that allows a gradual response to perceived stress. The T6SS/HmuR-mediated active zinc transport system is also involved in bacterial virulence and contact-independent bacterial competition. We describe a sophisticated bacterial zinc acquisition mechanism affording insights into the role of metal ion transport systems. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Students' Perceptions of Bilingualism in Spanish and Mandarin Dual Language Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Lindholm-Leary, Kathryn

2016-01-01

Considerable research documents students' outcomes in dual language (DL) programs, but there is little examination of students' perceptions of bilingualism and its impact on students' cognitive functioning and social relationships, especially with comparative studies across different target languages and student backgrounds. This study, which…

Energy flow in a bound electromagnetic field: resolution of apparent paradoxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kholmetskii, A L; Yarman, T

2008-01-01

In this paper, we present a resolution of apparent paradoxes formulated in (Kholmetskii A L 2006 Apparent paradoxes in classical electrodynamics: the energy-momentum conservation law for a bound electromagnetic field Eur. J. Phys. 27 825-38; Kholmetskii A L and Yarman T 2008 Apparent paradoxes in classical electrodynamics: a fluid medium in an electromagnetic field Eur. J. Phys. 29 1127) and dealing with the energy flux in a bound electromagnetic field

A Class of Large-Update and Small-Update Primal-Dual Interior-Point Algorithms for Linear Optimization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bai, Y.Q.; Lesaja, G.; Roos, C.; Wang, G.Q.; El Ghami, M.

2008-01-01

In this paper we present a class of polynomial primal-dual interior-point algorithms for linear optimization based on a new class of kernel functions. This class is fairly general and includes the classical logarithmic function, the prototype self-regular function, and non-self-regular kernel

Role of the Frontal Cortex in Standing Postural Sway Tasks While Dual-Tasking: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study Examining Working Memory Capacity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroyuki Fujita

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Posture control during a dual-task involves changing the distribution of attention resources between the cognitive and motor tasks and involves the frontal cortex working memory (WM. The present study aimed to better understand the impact of frontal lobe activity and WM capacity in postural control during a dual-task. High and low WM-span groups were compared using their reading span test scores. High and low WM capacity were compared based on cognitive and balance performance and hemoglobin oxygenation (oxyHb levels during standing during single (S-S, standing during dual (S-D, one leg standing during single (O-S, and one leg standing during dual (O-D tasks. For sway pass length, significant difference in only the O-D task was observed between both groups. oxyHb levels were markedly increased in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and supplementary motor area in the high-span group during a dual-task. Therefore, WM capacity influenced the allocation of attentional resources and motor performance.

A Differentially Driven Dual-Polarized Dual-Wideband Complementary Antenna for 2G/3G/LTE Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Botao Feng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A novel differentially driven dual-polarized dual-wideband complementary patch antenna with high isolation is proposed for 2G/3G/LTE applications. In order to generate dual-polarization and dual-wideband properties, a pair of biorthogonal dual-layer η-shaped tapered line feeding structures is utilized to feed two pairs of dual-layer U-shaped patches, respectively. The upper-layer U-shaped patches mainly serve the upper frequency band, while the lower-layer ones chiefly work for the lower frequency band. Besides, a horned reflector is introduced to improve radiation patterns and provide stable gain. The prototype antenna can achieve a bandwidth of 25.7% (0.78 GHz–1.01 GHz with a stable gain of 7.8±0.7 dBi for the lower band, and a bandwidth of 45.7% (1.69 GHz–2.69 GHz with a gain of 9.5±1.1 dBi for the upper band. Input isolation exceeding 30 dB has been obtained in the wide bandwidth. Thus, it can be potentially used as a base station antenna for 2G/3G/LTE networks.

Constructing pairs of dual bandlimited frame wavelets in L^2(R^n)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lemvig, Jakob

2012-01-01

combination of dilations of ψ with explicitly given coefficients. The result allows a simple construction procedure for pairs of dual wavelet frames whose generators have compact support in the Fourier domain and desired time localization. The construction relies on a technical condition on ψ, and we exhibit......Given a real, expansive dilation matrix we prove that any bandlimited function ψ∈L2(Rn), for which the dilations of its Fourier transform form a partition of unity, generates a wavelet frame for certain translation lattices. Moreover, there exists a dual wavelet frame generated by a finite linear...

Balancing the dual responsibilities of business unit controllers: field and survey evidence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maas, V.S.; Matejka, M.

2009-01-01

We examine how business unit (BU) controllers balance their dual roles of providing information for both local decision-making (local responsibility) and corporate control (functional responsibility). The existing literature suggests that organizations can improve the quality of financial reporting

Killing–Yano tensor and supersymmetry of the self-dual Plebański–Demiański solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nozawa, Masato; Houri, Tsuyoshi

2016-01-01

We explore various aspects of the self-dual Plebański–Demiański (PD) family in the Euclidean Einstein–Maxwell-Λ system. The Killing–Yano tensor which was recently found by Yasui and one of the present authors allows us to prove that the self-dual PD metric can be brought into the self-dual Carter metric by an orientation-reversing coordinate transformation. We show that the self-dual PD solution admits two independent Killing spinors in the framework of N = 2 minimal gauged supergravity, whereas the non-self-dual solution admits only a single Killing spinor. This can be demonstrated by casting the self-dual PD metric into two distinct Przanowski–Tod forms. As a by-product, a new example of the three-dimensional Einstein–Weyl space is presented. We also prove that the self-dual PD metric falls into two different Calderbank–Pedersen families, which are determined by a single function subjected to a linear equation on the two-dimensional hyperbolic space. Furthermore, we consider the hyper-Kähler case for which the metric falls into the Gibbons–Hawking class. We find that the condition for the nonexistence of the Dirac–Misner string enforces the solution with a nonvanishing acceleration parameter to the Eguchi–Hanson space. (paper)

Development of a universal dual-bolus injection scheme for the quantitative assessment of myocardial perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alfakih Khaled

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The dual-bolus protocol enables accurate quantification of myocardial blood flow (MBF by first-pass perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR. However, despite the advantages and increasing demand for the dual-bolus method for accurate quantification of MBF, thus far, it has not been widely used in the field of quantitative perfusion CMR. The main reasons for this are that the setup for the dual-bolus method is complex and requires a state-of-the-art injector and there is also a lack of post processing software. As a solution to one of these problems, we have devised a universal dual-bolus injection scheme for use in a clinical setting. The purpose of this study is to show the setup and feasibility of the universal dual-bolus injection scheme. Methods The universal dual-bolus injection scheme was tested using multiple combinations of different contrast agents, contrast agent dose, power injectors, perfusion sequences, and CMR scanners. This included 3 different contrast agents (Gd-DO3A-butrol, Gd-DTPA and Gd-DOTA, 4 different doses (0.025 mmol/kg, 0.05 mmol/kg, 0.075 mmol/kg and 0.1 mmol/kg, 2 different types of injectors (with and without "pause" function, 5 different sequences (turbo field echo (TFE, balanced TFE, k-space and time (k-t accelerated TFE, k-t accelerated balanced TFE, turbo fast low-angle shot and 3 different CMR scanners from 2 different manufacturers. The relation between the time width of dilute contrast agent bolus curve and cardiac output was obtained to determine the optimal predefined pause duration between dilute and neat contrast agent injection. Results 161 dual-bolus perfusion scans were performed. Three non-injector-related technical errors were observed (1.9%. No injector-related errors were observed. The dual-bolus scheme worked well in all the combinations of parameters if the optimal predefined pause was used. Linear regression analysis showed that the optimal duration for the predefined

Dual-core Itanium Processor

CERN Multimedia

2006-01-01

Intel’s first dual-core Itanium processor, code-named "Montecito" is a major release of Intel's Itanium 2 Processor Family, which implements the Intel Itanium architecture on a dual-core processor with two cores per die (integrated circuit). Itanium 2 is much more powerful than its predecessor. It has lower power consumption and thermal dissipation.

Dual-Extrusion 3D Printing of Anatomical Models for Education

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Michelle L.; Jones, James F. X.

2018-01-01

Two material 3D printing is becoming increasingly popular, inexpensive and accessible. In this paper, freely available printable files and dual extrusion fused deposition modelling were combined to create a number of functional anatomical models. To represent muscle and bone FilaFlex[superscript 3D] flexible filament and polylactic acid (PLA)…

Dual emission fluorescent silver nanoclusters for sensitive detection of the biological coenzyme NAD+/NADH.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Yufeng; Huang, Kehan; Chang, Mengfang; Qin, Cuifang; Zhang, Sanjun; Pan, Haifeng; Chen, Yan; Xu, Jianhua

2016-02-01

Fluorescent silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs) displaying dual-excitation and dual-emission properties have been developed for the specific detection of NAD(+) (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, oxidized form). With the increase of NAD(+) concentrations, the longer wavelength emission (with the peak at 550 nm) was gradually quenched due to the strong interactions between the NAD(+) and Ag NCs, whereas the shorter wavelength emission (peaking at 395 nm) was linearly enhanced. More important, the dual-emission intensity ratio (I395/I550), fitting by a single-exponential decay function, can efficiently detect various NAD(+) levels from 100 to 4000 μM, as well as label NAD(+)/NADH (reduced form of NAD) ratios in the range of 1-50. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modulating Brain Connectivity by Simultaneous Dual-Mode Stimulation over Bilateral Primary Motor Cortices in Subacute Stroke Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jungsoo Lee

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS or transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS has been used for the modulation of stroke patients’ motor function. Recently, more challenging approaches have been studied. In this study, simultaneous stimulation using both rTMS and tDCS (dual-mode stimulation over bilateral primary motor cortices (M1s was investigated to compare its modulatory effects with single rTMS stimulation over the ipsilesional M1 in subacute stroke patients. Twenty-four patients participated; 12 participants were assigned to the dual-mode stimulation group while the other 12 participants were assigned to the rTMS-only group. We assessed each patient’s motor function using the Fugl-Meyer assessment score and acquired their resting-state fMRI data at two times: prior to stimulation and 2 months after stimulation. Twelve healthy subjects were also recruited as the control group. The interhemispheric connectivity of the contralesional M1, interhemispheric connectivity between bilateral hemispheres, and global efficiency of the motor network noticeably increased in the dual-mode stimulation group compared to the rTMS-only group. Contrary to the dual-mode stimulation group, there was no significant change in the rTMS-only group. These data suggested that simultaneous dual-mode stimulation contributed to the recovery of interhemispheric interaction than rTMS only in subacute stroke patients. This trial is registered with NCT03279640.

Effects of cognitive-motor dual-task training combined with auditory motor synchronization training on cognitive functioning in individuals with chronic stroke: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Myoung-Ok; Lee, Sang-Heon

2018-06-01

Preservation and enhancement of cognitive function are essential for the restoration of functional abilities and independence following stroke. While cognitive-motor dual-task training (CMDT) has been utilized in rehabilitation settings, many patients with stroke experience impairments in cognitive function that can interfere with dual-task performance. In the present study, we investigated the effects of CMDT combined with auditory motor synchronization training (AMST) utilizing rhythmic cues on cognitive function in patients with stroke. The present randomized controlled trial was conducted at a single rehabilitation hospital. Thirty patients with chronic stroke were randomly divided an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). The experimental group received 3 CMDT + AMST sessions per week for 6 weeks, whereas the control group received CMDT only 3 times per week for 6 weeks. Changes in cognitive function were evaluated using the trail making test (TMT), digit span test (DST), and stroop test (ST). Significant differences in TMT-A and B (P = .001, P = .001), DST-forward (P = .001, P = .001), DST-backward (P = .000, P = .001), ST-word (P = .001, P = .001), and ST-color (P = .002, P = .001) scores were observed in both the control and experimental groups, respectively. Significant differences in TMT-A (P = .001), DST-forward (P = .027), DST-backward (P = .002), and ST-word (P = .025) scores were observed between the 2 groups. Performance speed on the TMT-A was faster in the CMDT + AMST group than in the CMDT group. Moreover, DST-forward and DST-backward scores were higher in the CMDT + AMST group than in the CDMT group. Although ST-color results were similar in the 2 groups, ST-word scores were higher in the CMDT + AMST group than in the CMDT group. This finding indicates that the combined therapy CMDT and AMST can be used to increase attention, memory, and executive

Effects of the antitumor drug OSI-906, a dual inhibitor of IGF-1 receptor and insulin receptor, on the glycemic control, β-cell functions, and β-cell proliferation in male mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Shirakawa, Jun; Okuyama, Tomoko; Yoshida, Eiko; Shimizu, Mari; Horigome, Yuka; Tuno, Takayuki; Hayasaka, Moe; Abe, Shiori; Fuse, Masahiro; Togashi, Yu; Terauchi, Yasuo

2014-06-01

The IGF-1 receptor has become a therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer. The efficacy of OSI-906 (linstinib), a dual inhibitor of IGF-1 receptor and insulin receptor, for solid cancers has been examined in clinical trials. The effects of OSI-906, however, on the blood glucose levels and pancreatic β-cell functions have not yet been reported. We investigated the impact of OSI-906 on glycemic control, insulin secretion, β-cell mass, and β-cell proliferation in male mice. Oral administration of OSI-906 worsened glucose tolerance in a dose-dependent manner in the wild-type mice. OSI-906 at a dose equivalent to the clinical daily dose (7.5 mg/kg) transiently evoked glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinemia. Insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-2-deficient mice and mice with diet-induced obesity, both models of peripheral insulin resistance, exhibited more severe glucose intolerance after OSI-906 administration than glucokinase-haploinsufficient mice, a model of impaired insulin secretion. Phloridzin improved the hyperglycemia induced by OSI-906 in mice. In vitro, OSI-906 showed no effect on insulin secretion from isolated islets. After daily administration of OSI-906 for a week to mice, the β-cell mass and β-cell proliferation rate were significantly increased. The insulin signals in the β-cells were apparently unaffected in those mice. Taken together, the results suggest that OSI-906 could exacerbate diabetes, especially in patients with insulin resistance. On the other hand, the results suggest that the β-cell mass may expand in response to chemotherapy with this drug.

Dual Kidney Transplantation Offers a Valuable Source for Kidneys With Good Functional Outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalid, U; Asderakis, A; Rana, T; Szabo, L; Chavez, R; Ilham, M A; Ablorsu, E

2016-01-01

Reasons for declining kidney donors are older age, with or without, hypertension, kidney dysfunction, and diabetes. Implantation of both kidneys into a single recipient from such donors may improve their acceptability and outcome. Patients who underwent dual kidney transplantation (DKT) between June 2010 and May 2014 were identified from a prospectively maintained database. Single kidney transplantations (SKT) with matching donor criteria were also identified. Donors considered for DKT were the following: DBDs >70 years of age with diabetes and/or hypertension; DCDs >65 years of age with diabetes and/or hypertension; and DCDs >70 years of age. Over a 4-year period, 34 patients underwent adult DKT, and 51, with matching donor criteria, underwent SKT. The median estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at 12 and 36 months of DKT was 49 (range, 5-79) and 42 (range, 15-85) mL/min compared with SKT of 35 (range, 10-65) and 32 (range, 6-65), respectively. The 1-year graft survival for DKT and SKT was 88% and 96% (P = .52), and patient survival was 94% and 98%, respectively (P = .12). Median hospital stay, intensive care unit admission, and wound complications were more frequent in the DKT group. Graft function following DKT is significantly better compared with matched criteria SKT; graft and patient survival are similar. There is an increased rate of complications following DKT, with longer hospital stay and ICU admission. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

GPM GROUND VALIDATION DUAL-FREQUENCY DUAL-POLARIZED DOPPLER RADAR (D3R) IFLOODS V1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The GPM Ground Validation Dual-frequency Dual-polarized Doppler Radar (D3R) IFloodS data set contain radar reflectivity and doppler velocity measurements. The D3R...

On the performance of hybrid RF and RF/FSO dual-hop transmission systems

KAUST Repository

Ansari, Imran Shafique

2013-10-01

In this work, we present the performance analysis of a dual-branch transmission system composed of a direct radio frequency (RF) link and a dual-hop relay composed of asymmetric RF and free-space optical (FSO) links. The FSO link accounts for pointing errors and both types of detection techniques (i.e. intensity modulation/direct detection (IM/DD) as well as heterodyne detection). The performance is evaluated under the assumption of selection combining (SC) diversity scheme. RF links are modeled by Rayleigh fading distribution whereas the FSO link is modeled by a unified Gamma-Gamma fading distribution. Specifically, we derive new exact closed-form expressions for the cumulative distribution function, probability density function, moment generating function, and moments of the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio of such systems in terms of the Meijer\\'s G function. We then capitalize on these results to offer new exact closed-form expressions for the outage probability, higher-order amount of fading, average error rate for binary and M-ary modulation schemes, and ergodic capacity, all in terms of Meijer\\'s G functions. © 2013 IEEE.

Exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias and vagal dysfunction in Chagas disease patients with no apparent cardiac involvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henrique Silveira Costa

2015-04-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION : Exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmia (EIVA and autonomic imbalance are considered as early markers of heart disease in Chagas disease (ChD patients. The objective of the present study was to verify the differences in the occurrence of EIVA and autonomic maneuver indexes between healthy individuals and ChD patients with no apparent cardiac involvement. METHODS : A total of 75 ChD patients with no apparent cardiac involvement, aged 44.7 (8.5 years, and 38 healthy individuals, aged 44.0 (9.2 years, were evaluated using echocardiography, symptom-limited treadmill exercise testing and autonomic function tests. RESULTS : The occurrence of EIVA was higher in the chagasic group (48% than in the control group (23.7% during both the effort and the recovery phases. Frequent ventricular contractions occurred only in the patient group. Additionally, the respiratory sinus arrhythmia index was significantly lower in the chagasic individuals compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS : ChD patients with no apparent cardiac involvement had a higher frequency of EIVA as well as more vagal dysfunction by respiratory sinus arrhythmia. These results suggest that even when asymptomatic, ChD patients possess important arrhythmogenic substrates and subclinical disease.

Point-like structure and off-shell dual strings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, M.B.

1977-01-01

It is argued that in a consistent off-shell dual formalism the amplitude for the emission of a scalar off-shell state by a string consists of two components. One of these contains the particle poles in the off-shell leg and the other is intimately related to the insertion of a point-like energy density on the string. As a result, the amplitude for a string to emit a zero momentum scalar state into the vacuum (which may be relevant for spontaneous symmetry breaking) is described by the amplitude for a finite fraction of the energy in the string to collapse to a spatial point at some time (this fraction and its space-time position being integrated over). The off-shell amplitudes have an elegant formulation in terms of a set of 'confined modes' which can be assigned quark flavour quantum numbers to reproduce the Chan-Paton scheme. It is suggested that the dual model be modified by allowing for the coupling of scalar closed strings to the vacuum and the resulting effect on the space-time structure of dual Green functions is described. It is found that even the emission of a single zero-momentum closed string modifies the elastic amplitude in a significant manner, leading to a power-behaved fixed-angle cross section in contrast to the usual exponential decrease of the dual model. This arises from point-like scattering between energy densities accumulating in the colliding strings. The relationship between the fixed angle and Regge limits is discussed. The fixed angle behaviour is found to be the asymptotic limit in momentum transfer of a fixed pole that arises in the Regge limit. (Auth.)

Preliminary study of single contrast enhanced dual energy heart imaging using dual-source CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng Jin; Zhang Longjiang; Zhou Changsheng; Lu Guangming; Ma Yan; Gu Haifeng

2009-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and preliminary applications of single contrast enhanced dual energy heart imaging using dual-source CT (DSCT). Methods: Thirty patients underwent dual energy heart imaging with DSCT, of which 6 cases underwent SPECT or DSA within one week. Two experienced radiologists assessed image quality of coronary arteries and iodine map of myocardium. and correlated the coronary artery stenosis with the perfusion distribution of iodine map. Results: l00% (300/300) segments reached diagnostic standards. The mean score of image for all patients was 4.68±0.57. Mural coronary artery was present in 10 segments in S cases, atherosclerotic plaques in 32 segments in 12 cases, of which 20 segments having ≥50% stenosis, 12 segments ≤50% stenosis; dual energy CT coronary angiography was consistent with the DSA in 3 patients. 37 segmental perfusion abnormalities on iodine map were found in 15 cases, including 28 coronary blood supply segment narrow segment and 9 no coronary stenosis (including three negative segments in SPECD. Conclusion: Single contrast enhanced dual energy heart imaging can provide good coronary artery and myocardium perfusion images in the patients with appropriate heart rate, which has a potential to be used in the clinic and further studies are needed. (authors)

Dual education and industrial cooperation in electrical engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Váradiné Szarka, A.

2016-11-01

Dual education in higher education is a new system in Hungary introduced by Mercedes Benz with cooperation of Kecskemet College. In the new system companies support certain number of students and provide them strong practical education in their field. Students applying successfully for dual education study together with non-dual students at the university, so they go through the same university courses as their non-dual colleagues, but while non-dual students’ academic year includes 2×14 weeks active semester and 2×6 weeks exam session, all over 40 weeks, dual students have 48 working weeks including study at the university and practicing at the company. The main question of the success which one is the most effective model to be applied. This paper summarises 2 models of dual education with their advantages and disadvantages and also it presents practical realization at the University of Debrecen with special attention to measurement and instrumentation. Dual education in BSc level electrical engineering course cooperates with 6 multinational companies of the region in four specialization. Dual education also has great impact to the modernisation of engineering education. Detailed study of dual education in field of instrumentation and measurement is provided in the paper.

Dual energy CT: New horizon in medical imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goo, Hyun Woo [Dept. of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Goo, Jin Mo [Dept. of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-08-01

Dual-energy CT has remained underutilized over the past decade probably due to a cumbersome workflow issue and current technical limitations. Clinical radiologists should be made aware of the potential clinical benefits of dual-energy CT over single-energy CT. To accomplish this aim, the basic principle, current acquisition methods with advantages and disadvantages, and various material-specific imaging methods as clinical applications of dual-energy CT should be addressed in detail. Current dual-energy CT acquisition methods include dual tubes with or without beam filtration, rapid voltage switching, dual-layer detector, split filter technique, and sequential scanning. Dual-energy material-specific imaging methods include virtual monoenergetic or monochromatic imaging, effective atomic number map, virtual non-contrast or unenhanced imaging, virtual non-calcium imaging, iodine map, inhaled xenon map, uric acid imaging, automatic bone removal, and lung vessels analysis. In this review, we focus on dual-energy CT imaging including related issues of radiation exposure to patients, scanning and post-processing options, and potential clinical benefits mainly to improve the understanding of clinical radiologists and thus, expand the clinical use of dual-energy CT; in addition, we briefly describe the current technical limitations of dual-energy CT and the current developments of photon-counting detector.

Dual-Energy CT: New Horizon in Medical Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Goo, Hyun Woo; Goo, Jin Mo

2017-01-01

Dual-energy CT has remained underutilized over the past decade probably due to a cumbersome workflow issue and current technical limitations. Clinical radiologists should be made aware of the potential clinical benefits of dual-energy CT over single-energy CT. To accomplish this aim, the basic principle, current acquisition methods with advantages and disadvantages, and various material-specific imaging methods as clinical applications of dual-energy CT should be addressed in detail. Current dual-energy CT acquisition methods include dual tubes with or without beam filtration, rapid voltage switching, dual-layer detector, split filter technique, and sequential scanning. Dual-energy material-specific imaging methods include virtual monoenergetic or monochromatic imaging, effective atomic number map, virtual non-contrast or unenhanced imaging, virtual non-calcium imaging, iodine map, inhaled xenon map, uric acid imaging, automatic bone removal, and lung vessels analysis. In this review, we focus on dual-energy CT imaging including related issues of radiation exposure to patients, scanning and post-processing options, and potential clinical benefits mainly to improve the understanding of clinical radiologists and thus, expand the clinical use of dual-energy CT; in addition, we briefly describe the current technical limitations of dual-energy CT and the current developments of photon-counting detector.

Novel CFT duals for extreme black holes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Bin; Zhang Jiaju

2012-01-01

In this paper, we study the CFT duals for extreme black holes in the stretched horizon formalism. We consider the extremal RN, Kerr-Newman-AdS-dS, as well as the higher dimensional Kerr-AdS-dS black holes. In all these cases, we reproduce the well-established CFT duals. Actually we show that for stationary extreme black holes, the stretched horizon formalism always gives rise to the same dual CFT pictures as the ones suggested by ASG of corresponding near horizon geometries. Furthermore, we propose new CFT duals for 4D Kerr-Newman-AdS-dS and higher dimensional Kerr-AdS-dS black holes. We find that every dual CFT is defined with respect to a rotation in certain angular direction, along which the translation defines a U(1) Killing symmetry. In the presence of two sets of U(1) symmetry, the novel CFT duals are generated by the modular group SL(2,Z), and for n sets of U(1) symmetry there are general CFT duals generated by T-duality group SL(n,Z).

Effects of Dual-Tasks on Spatial-Temporal Parameters of Gait in Older Adults With Impaired Balance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elaheh Azadian

2016-04-01

Conclusion: The results showed that the duration of double reliance and stance increase when walking with dual task than when normal walking. Therefore, in the elderly with poor balance, doing dual-task with walking could increase the risk of fall. With regard to increase in asymmetry in walking with dual-task, it seems that mutual harmony and symmetry is very sensitive to concurrent cognitive task. This asymmetry in the function of legs is considered a risk factor in falling. Thus, based on the results, walking of the elderly with poor balance needs better cognitive performance. Doing concurrent cognitive tasks could intervene with attention sources and consequently change the walking pattern. Therefore, we recommend that the older people with weak balance and prone to falling should refrain from cognitive dual-task during walking and focus on walking itself.   

Hydrodynamic constants from cosmic censorship

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Shin

2008-01-01

We study a gravity dual of Bjorken flow of N=4 SYM-theory plasma. We point out that the cosmic censorship hypothesis may explain why the regularity of the dual geometry constrains the hydrodynamic constants. We also investigate the apparent horizon of the dual geometry. We find that the dual geometry constructed on Fefferman-Graham (FG) coordinates is not appropriate for examination of the apparent horizon since the coordinates do not cover the trapped region. However, the preliminary analysis on FG coordinates suggests that the location of the apparent horizon is very sensitive to the hydrodynamic parameters. (author)

Statistics of gravitational lenses: apparent changes in the luminosity function of distant sources due to passage of light through a single galaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vietri, M.; Ostriker, J.P.

1983-01-01

We ask how the apparent distribution of fluxes (N-F relation) of point sources seen behind an intervening galaxy will change due to gravitational lensing of the galaxy as a whole or due to mini-lenses within it. The analysis is exact in the limit that the optical depth to lensing is small. We find that there should be a significant increase in the apparent density of quasars seen near galaxies but that a sample of more than 10/sup 4,5/ galaxies will have to be studied before a statistically significant result is found. The resulting amplification of the N-F relation depends sensitively on the slope and curvature of the initial N-F relation. Because of this and requirements of flux conservation, there is expected to be a decrement of very faint quasars (m>26.5) seen near galaxies. This, coupled with the scarcity of bright quasars, implies that searches should optimally be made in the vicinity of m = 23. The apparent amplification found by Canizares with a smaller sample (Nroughly-equal10/sup 3,3/) of galaxies using relatively bright quasars (m<16) is, if real and not a statistical anomaly, due to physical effects other than gravitational lensing

Image quality optimization and evaluation of linearly mixed images in dual-source, dual-energy CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Lifeng; Primak, Andrew N.; Liu Xin; McCollough, Cynthia H.

2009-01-01

In dual-source dual-energy CT, the images reconstructed from the low- and high-energy scans (typically at 80 and 140 kV, respectively) can be mixed together to provide a single set of non-material-specific images for the purpose of routine diagnostic interpretation. Different from the material-specific information that may be obtained from the dual-energy scan data, the mixed images are created with the purpose of providing the interpreting physician a single set of images that have an appearance similar to that in single-energy images acquired at the same total radiation dose. In this work, the authors used a phantom study to evaluate the image quality of linearly mixed images in comparison to single-energy CT images, assuming the same total radiation dose and taking into account the effect of patient size and the dose partitioning between the low-and high-energy scans. The authors first developed a method to optimize the quality of the linearly mixed images such that the single-energy image quality was compared to the best-case image quality of the dual-energy mixed images. Compared to 80 kV single-energy images for the same radiation dose, the iodine CNR in dual-energy mixed images was worse for smaller phantom sizes. However, similar noise and similar or improved iodine CNR relative to 120 kV images could be achieved for dual-energy mixed images using the same total radiation dose over a wide range of patient sizes (up to 45 cm lateral thorax dimension). Thus, for adult CT practices, which primarily use 120 kV scanning, the use of dual-energy CT for the purpose of material-specific imaging can also produce a set of non-material-specific images for routine diagnostic interpretation that are of similar or improved quality relative to single-energy 120 kV scans.

FRET-mediated pH-responsive dual fluorescent nanoparticles prepared via click chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Ouadahi, Karima; Sbargoud, Kamal; Allard, Emmanuel; Larpent, Chantal

2012-01-01

Herein, we report an easy preparation of azide-coated polystyrene-based nanoparticles (15 nm in diameter) and their surface functionalization via CuAAC with fluorophores in water. Resultant dual fluorescent nanoparticles coated with dansyl and pH-sensitive fluorescein moieties as the donor/acceptor FRET pair show a ratiometric response to pH upon excitation at a single wavelength.Herein, we report an easy preparation of azide-coated polystyrene-based nanoparticles (15 nm in diameter) and their surface functionalization via CuAAC with fluorophores in water. Resultant dual fluorescent nanoparticles coated with dansyl and pH-sensitive fluorescein moieties as the donor/acceptor FRET pair show a ratiometric response to pH upon excitation at a single wavelength. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental details and figures S1-S16 as mentioned in the text. See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr11413e

The Riddle of the Apparently Hollow Himalaya

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The Riddle of the Apparently Hollow Himalaya. Ramesh .... It was as if the Himalayas were hollow inside. ... block would be consistent with the ground elevation in such a ... Alternative models and possible preference: Many refinements of.

Interference of Spin-2 Self-Dual Modes

OpenAIRE

Ilha, Anderson; Wotzasek, Clovis

2001-01-01

We study the effects of interference between the self-dual and anti self-dual massive modes of the linearized Einstein-Chern-Simons topological gravity. The dual models to be used in the interference process are carefully analyzed with special emphasis on their propagating spectrum. We identify the opposite dual aspects, necessary for the application of the interference formalism on this model. The soldered theory so obtained displays explicitly massive modes of the Proca type. It may also be...

Phylogeny of Cas9 determines functional exchangeability of dual-RNA and Cas9 among orthologous type II CRISPR-Cas systems

Science.gov (United States)

Fonfara, Ines; Le Rhun, Anaïs; Chylinski, Krzysztof; Makarova, Kira S.; Lécrivain, Anne-Laure; Bzdrenga, Janek; Koonin, Eugene V.; Charpentier, Emmanuelle

2014-01-01

The CRISPR-Cas-derived RNA-guided Cas9 endonuclease is the key element of an emerging promising technology for genome engineering in a broad range of cells and organisms. The DNA-targeting mechanism of the type II CRISPR-Cas system involves maturation of tracrRNA:crRNA duplex (dual-RNA), which directs Cas9 to cleave invading DNA in a sequence-specific manner, dependent on the presence of a Protospacer Adjacent Motif (PAM) on the target. We show that evolution of dual-RNA and Cas9 in bacteria produced remarkable sequence diversity. We selected eight representatives of phylogenetically defined type II CRISPR-Cas groups to analyze possible coevolution of Cas9 and dual-RNA. We demonstrate that these two components are interchangeable only between closely related type II systems when the PAM sequence is adjusted to the investigated Cas9 protein. Comparison of the taxonomy of bacterial species that harbor type II CRISPR-Cas systems with the Cas9 phylogeny corroborates horizontal transfer of the CRISPR-Cas loci. The reported collection of dual-RNA:Cas9 with associated PAMs expands the possibilities for multiplex genome editing and could provide means to improve the specificity of the RNA-programmable Cas9 tool. PMID:24270795

Dual-stroke heat pump field performance

Science.gov (United States)

Veyo, S. E.

1984-11-01

Two nearly identical proprototype systems, each employing a unique dual-stroke compressor, were built and tested. One was installed in an occupied residence in Jeannette, Pa. It has provided the heating and cooling required from that time to the present. The system has functioned without failure of any prototypical advanced components, although early field experience did suffer from deficiencies in the software for the breadboard micro processor control system. Analysis of field performance data indicates a heating performance factor (HSPF) of 8.13 Stu/Wa, and a cooling energy efficiency (SEER) of 8.35 Scu/Wh. Data indicate that the beat pump is oversized for the test house since the observed lower balance point is 3 F whereas 17 F La optimum. Oversizing coupled with the use of resistance heat ot maintain delivered air temperature warmer than 90 F results in the consumption of more resistance heat than expected, more unit cycling, and therefore lower than expected energy efficiency. Our analysis indicates that with optimal mixing the dual stroke heat pump will yield as HSFF 30% better than a single capacity heat pump representative of high efficiency units in the market place today for the observed weather profile.

Apparently noninvariant terms of nonlinear sigma models in lattice perturbation theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harada, Koji; Hattori, Nozomu; Kubo, Hirofumi; Yamamoto, Yuki

2009-01-01

Apparently noninvariant terms (ANTs) that appear in loop diagrams for nonlinear sigma models are revisited in lattice perturbation theory. The calculations have been done mostly with dimensional regularization so far. In order to establish that the existence of ANTs is independent of the regularization scheme, and of the potential ambiguities in the definition of the Jacobian of the change of integration variables from group elements to 'pion' fields, we employ lattice regularization, in which everything (including the Jacobian) is well defined. We show explicitly that lattice perturbation theory produces ANTs in the four-point functions of the pion fields at one-loop and the Jacobian does not play an important role in generating ANTs.

Self-Dual Configurations in a Generalized Abelian Chern-Simons-Higgs Model with Explicit Breaking of the Lorentz Covariance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sourrouille, Lucas; Casana, Rodolfo

2016-01-01

We have studied the existence of self-dual solitonic solutions in a generalization of the Abelian Chern-Simons-Higgs model. Such a generalization introduces two different nonnegative functions, ω_1(|ϕ|) and ω(|ϕ|), which split the kinetic term of the Higgs field, |D_μϕ|"2→ω_1(|ϕ|)|D_0ϕ|"2-ω(|ϕ|)|D_kϕ|"2, breaking explicitly the Lorentz covariance. We have shown that a clean implementation of the Bogomolnyi procedure only can be implemented whether ω(|ϕ|)∝β|ϕ|"2"β"-"2 with β≥1. The self-dual or Bogomolnyi equations produce an infinity number of soliton solutions by choosing conveniently the generalizing function ω_1(|ϕ|) which must be able to provide a finite magnetic field. Also, we have shown that by properly choosing the generalizing functions it is possible to reproduce the Bogomolnyi equations of the Abelian Maxwell-Higgs and Chern-Simons-Higgs models. Finally, some new self-dual |ϕ|"6-vortex solutions have been analyzed from both theoretical and numerical point of view.

Hydrodynamics dual to Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity: all-order gradient resummation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bu, Yanyan; Lublinsky, Michael; Sharon, Amir [Department of Physics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105 (Israel)

2015-06-24

Relativistic hydrodynamics dual to Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity in asymptotic AdS{sub 5} space is under study. To linear order in the amplitude of the fluid velocity and temperature, we derive the fluid’s stress-energy tensor via an all-order resummation of the derivative terms. Each order is accompanied by new transport coefficients, which all together could be compactly absorbed into two functions of momenta, referred to as viscosity functions. Via inverse Fourier transform, these viscosities appear as memory functions in the constitutive relation between components of the stress-energy tensor.

Effects of dual-task conditions on cervical spine movement variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Niederer, Daniel; Vogt, Lutz; Vogel, Johanna; Banzer, Winfried

2017-09-22

The potential to accurately perform cervical movements during more challenging tasks might be of importance to prevent dysfunctional motion characteristics. Although sensorimotor function during dual-task conditions are of increasing interest in biomedical and rehabilitation research, effects of such conditions on movement consistency of the neck have not yet been investigated. In this crossover MiSpEx(Medicine in Spine Exercise)-diagnostic study, we aimed to explore differences between single and dual-task conditions on cervical movement variability. Nineteen healthy participants (9 male; 24.5 ± 3.3 y) performed 10 repetitive maximal cervical movements in (1) flexion/extension and (2) lateral flexion, during one single- and during two dual-task test conditions (cognitive, motor) in a randomised and cross-over sequence. Latter consisted of a working memory n-back task (n= 2) and a repetitive ankle movement task. Range of motion (RoM) was assessed using an external three-dimensional ultrasonic movement analysis system. Coefficient of variation (CV) for repetitive RoM was analysed for differences between conditions and controlled for variances in intra-individual movement characteristics. Friedman and post-hoc Bonferroni-adjusted confidence intervals for differences from single- to dual-task values revealed changes in CV in flexion/extension from single-task to motor dual-task (+0.02 ± 0.02 (97.5%CI: 0.01; 0.03); pdual-task condition (+0.01 ± 0.02 (97.5%CI: 0.003; 0.02)) nor for lateral flexion (p> 0.05). Pearson regression analyses revealed a linear negative (pdual-task (R=2 0.55). Results for lateral flexion are comparable, baseline CV negatively impacts differences to cognitive (R=2 0.2) and motor dual-task performance (R=2 0.76; pdual-task conditions while participants with a higher variability remained almost stable or showed a decrease. The results point toward a complex interrelationship of motion patterns and adaptation processes during challenging tasks

Aerial Triangulation Close-range Images with Dual Quaternion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SHENG Qinghong

2015-05-01

Full Text Available A new method for the aerial triangulation of close-range images based on dual quaternion is presented. Using dual quaternion to represent the spiral screw motion of the beam in the space, the real part of dual quaternion represents the angular elements of all the beams in the close-range area networks, the real part and the dual part of dual quaternion represents the line elements corporately. Finally, an aerial triangulation adjustment model based on dual quaternion is established, and the elements of interior orientation and exterior orientation and the object coordinates of the ground points are calculated. Real images and large attitude angle simulated images are selected to run the experiments of aerial triangulation. The experimental results show that the new method for the aerial triangulation of close-range images based on dual quaternion can obtain higher accuracy.

Apparent molar volumes and apparent molar heat capacities of aqueous magnesium nitrate, strontium nitrate, and manganese nitrate at temperatures from 278.15 K to 393.15 K and at the pressure 0.35 MPa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, J.S.; Ziemer, S.P.; Brown, B.R.; Woolley, E.M.

2007-01-01

Apparent molar volumes V φ and apparent molar heat capacities C p,φ were determined at the pressure 0.35 MPa for aqueous solutions of magnesium nitrate Mg(NO 3 ) 2 at molalities m = (0.02 to 1.0) mol . kg -1 , strontium nitrate Sr(NO 3 ) 2 at m = (0.05 to 3.0) mol . kg -1 , and manganese nitrate Mn(NO 3 ) 2 at m = (0.01 to 0.5) mol . kg -1 . Our V φ values were calculated from solution densities obtained at T = (278.15 to 368.15) K using a vibrating-tube densimeter, and our C p,φ values were calculated from solution heat capacities obtained at T = (278.15 to 393.15) K using a twin fixed-cell, differential, temperature-scanning calorimeter. Empirical functions of m and T were fitted to our results, and standard state partial molar volumes and heat capacities were obtained over the ranges of T investigated

Performance Enhancements Under Dual-task Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Kramer, A. F.; Wickens, C. D.; Donchin, E.

1984-01-01

Research on dual-task performance has been concerned with delineating the antecedent conditions which lead to dual-task decrements. Capacity models of attention, which propose that a hypothetical resource structure underlies performance, have been employed as predictive devices. These models predict that tasks which require different processing resources can be more successfully time shared than tasks which require common resources. The conditions under which such dual-task integrality can be fostered were assessed in a study in which three factors likely to influence the integrality between tasks were manipulated: inter-task redundancy, the physical proximity of tasks and the task relevant objects. Twelve subjects participated in three experimental sessions in which they performed both single and dual-tasks. The primary task was a pursuit step tracking task. The secondary tasks required the discrimination between different intensities or different spatial positions of a stimulus. The results are discussed in terms of a model of dual-task integrality.

The apparent and effective chloride migration coefficients obtained in migration tests

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spiesz, P.R.; Brouwers, H.J.H.

2013-01-01

The apparent (Dapp) and effective (Deff) migration coefficients obtained in chloride migration tests are investigated in this study. The presented Dapp profiles in concrete show that the apparent migration coefficient is strongly concentration-dependent. As demonstrated, the binding of chlorides is

Evaluation of Myc Gene Amplification in Prostate Cancer Using a Dual Color Chromogenic in-Situ Hybridization (Dual CISH) Assay